Town of Wyoming
Council Meeting
Wyoming Town Annex
November 9, 2009
7:30 P.M.
REGULAR TOWN COUNCIL MEETING
CALL TO ORDER - Mayor Marasco called the Meeting to order at 7:33 p.m.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – led by Vice-Mayor Arnold
INVOCATION – led by Councilman Spruill
Council attending: Mayor Mike Marasco, Vice-Mayor Butch Arnold, Secretary Georgette Williams, Councilman Bill Spruill, Councilman Terry Witt
Council absent: None
Staff attending: Town Clerk Pamela Haddick, Police Chief Chuck Manuszak
Audience attending: Richard & Joyce Stockslager, Elaine Bilow, Jack Fairfull, Paula King, Brian Bushweller, Mike McFann, Glenn Neese.
ADOPTION OF AGENDA
- Mayor Marasco asked to add the WB Simpson PTO to Unfinished Business as that is what was agreed upon at October’s meeting. Ms. Williams moved to accept the agenda with the addition. Mr. Witt seconded the motion. All in favor; none opposed.
ADOPTION OF PREVIOUS MEETING MINUTES
- Ms. Williams stated that a correction needed to be made to the 10/19 workshop minutes that she did. It was agreed at the workshop that Town Pride Day for 2010 would remain on the first Saturday of June and that Ms. Haddick would contact the Kiwanis to confirm that date with them. Ms. Williams moved to accept all the previous month’s minutes with correction to Oct. 19th workshop (Oct. 5th council meeting, Oct. 19th special council meeting, and Oct. 19th workshop). Mr. Spruill seconded the motion. All in favor; none opposed.
Mayor Marasco stated that Senator Brian Bushweller was on the agenda under New Business to speak but needed to be moved to the beginning of the meeting as he had another commitment.
Senator Bushweller stated that his purpose for speaking at this meeting was to discuss state revenue and balancing the state budget as well as Municipal Street Aid. During the FY 2010 budget planning the state had to make $800,000,000 in cuts and/or tax increases to balance the budget. At the present time the FY 2011 budget will have to be cut another $300,000,000 or taxes will need to be raised making FY 2011 another difficult year. Balancing the FY 2010 budget involved cutting the Municipal Street Aid completely for municipalities which totaled approximately $30,000 for Wyoming. This was a shock to everyone and has put a serious burden on many municipalities. Senator Bushweller met with Mayor Marasco and Vice-Mayor Arnold to discuss what he could do to help the Town. He has available some Community Transportation Funds in the amount of $30,000 to $35,000 that he could set aside for Wyoming. These funds were originally planned to be used to help pave Dirt Road (near CW Little League Park); however, these funds may be used elsewhere if more urgent needs exist. Ms. Williams asked the senator if he anticipated Municipal Street Aid being funded again in the future. He stated that although the state needs to do more cuts for FY 2011, he feels there is a good chance that MSA will be at least partially funded again. Apparently when it was first set up a $.02 tax was added to gasoline to fund it. Some people feel that since we are still paying that tax, MSA should still be funded with it. There are quite a few people in government that feel it should be restored. We won’t know for sure until July 1, 2010, but it looks favorable that it will be at least partially available for FY 2011. Senator Bushweller hopes to attend at least one of Wyoming’s council meetings each quarter.
Mayor Marasco stated that we would be moving up Committee Reports also as Ms. King needs to attend another meeting after ours.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
- Paula King gave a final report on Halloween. The event went extremely well. We had total cash donations of $1,230.00. In addition we received food, drinks, supplies, and gifts for the children from numerous businesses in the area. The outcome to our donation request was extremely generous. Ms. King named and thanked all the donators, the committee members, helpers and police officers that were involved in the event. The unused cash donations totaled $578.29. Ms. King suggested we might want to consider using these funds to adopt the children of a needy family in town for the holidays, possibly have an Easter egg hunt in the spring for Wyoming children and start planning read-a-loud programs for children at the Park next summer.
- Ms. King also reported on the Charter/Ordinance Committee. The rough draft should be completed by their next meeting on November 23rd.
FIRE COMPANY REPORT
- Mr. Glenn Neese was present to give the fire company report. He stated that last year’s budget was $996,000 of which 59% was earned through CWFC fund raising. This year’s budget has been cut to $886,000 of which CWFC will have to earn 61%. Fund drive letters will be going out soon. Please support our fire company. Volunteer fire companies save the state approximately $209,000,000 in taxes. If the revenues don’t pick up, our fire companies will have to switch to paid employees which will definitely increase our taxes considerably. This year ambulance revenues have been cut $54,000. Grant-in-aide was cut 4% which is approximately $74,000. An upcoming fund raiser is the annual Craft & Bake Sale being held on Saturday, November 14th from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Please come and support this event.
C/W SEWER & WATER REPORT
- Mr. Mike McFann was present to give the sewer & water report. He stated that the Nellie Stokes pump station needed 2 pumps repaired. The Sewer & Water employees removed the pumps themselves, took them to be repaired, & put them back themselves saving approximately $5,000 from what they would have paid a contractor to do it all.
- On Old North Road they have replaced 2000 feet of water main.
- They have recently collected about $76,000 in delinquent accounts.
- The budget is done; there will be no rate increases.
- Camden is currently short one commissioner. They are working to replace that person.
TREASURER’S REPORT
- The Treasurer’s Report, Budget Update and Check Ledger were reviewed. Mr. Spruill moved to accept the Treasurer’s Report. Mr. Witt seconded the motion. All in favor; none opposed.
POLICE REPORT – CHIEF CHUCK MANUSZAK
- Chief Manuszak gave the police report. Our department has completed the investigation of the bank scam of dime rolls being cashed in with mostly pennies in them. They have apprehended the guilty parties and in the process picked up someone wanted in another crime. Great work!
ANNEXATION REPORT
- There is currently no annexation activity.
PLANNING & ZONING
- Mr. Don Pommell was not in attendance to give the report. Mayor Marasco stated that in addition to the regularly scheduled meeting on the 13th of October there was a special workshop held on October 22nd. Landowners of properties adjoining the Town were invited. There were members of IPA, David Edgell from the Planning Office, people from DNREC there to answer questions and discuss Wyoming’s Comprehensive Plan. The November meeting will be tomorrow night at 7:30 and all are invited to attend.
BUILDING INSPECTOR REPORT
- A list of open permits was provided.
CODE VIOLATION REPORT
- The Code Violation Report was provided.
- Mayor Marasco stated that Mr. Jaywork had sent him drafts of several ordinances from other towns that he felt we might want to consider. Mayor Marasco forwarded them on to The Charter/Ordinance Committee. The mayor will go over these with council at the workshop on the 16th.
PARK/STREET REPORT – BILL SPRUILL
- Mr. Spruill reported that we had an egg throwing issue in the Park bathrooms over Halloween weekend but Lew pressure washed them and all is well.
- The obstruction at the Tax Ditch has been cleared out – it was just some branches and brush blocking everything.
- He also stated that the street sweeper needed some adjustments in order to get the leaves picked up but he and Lew took care of it.
- Ms. Williams asked if we would be hearing any more from Kate O’Brien – Mayor Marasco stated that she would be at next week’s workshop on the 16th.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
- It was decided to discuss the excess Halloween funds at the workshop next week on the 16th.
- Mayor Marasco brought up the W B Simpson fundraiser. Ms. Williams stated that she feels we should not be donating money to other fundraisers regardless of how good they are when we had to ask for donations to put on our own Halloween Event. Council agreed.
NEW BUSINESS
- The National Adoption Day Proclamation naming November 21, 2009 as National Adoption Day was read by Mayor Marasco. Ms. Williams moved to accept the proclamation. Mr. Witt seconded the motion. All in favor; none opposed.
CORRESPONDENCE
- All correspondence is on file at Town Hall if anyone is interested in seeing it. Mayor Marasco stated that we had received a thank you note from Shepherd Place in Dover thanking the Town for the donation of the left over Halloween bags, apples, popcorn and pencils. They will put it all to good use.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
- Town Council Meeting – 12/7/09, 7:30 pm, Town Annex
- Planning & Zoning 11/10/09, 7:30 pm, Town Annex
- CWSWA – 11/10/09, 7:00 pm, CWSWA office
- Council Workshop – 11/16/09, 7:00 pm, Town Annex
g. Charter/Ordinance Committee Meeting – 11/23/09, 2:00 p.m., Town Annex
GOOD OF THE TOWN
- Mayor Marasco stated that the Police Department has done well trying to save the Town money by not having take-home cars. It is saving on gasoline costs.
- He also said the police and office staff have tried cutting back on electric use by turning computers off at night, opening doors when it is warm rather than turning on the A/C, keeping heat at a lower temperature and not using little space heaters. These savings are showing on the electric bills. Nicole and Pam also made the decision to stop buying sodas for Town Hall because not everyone was putting money in the can for their sodas and it was costing the Town too much money. We will only be purchasing water in the future. He thanked them all for their efforts.
- The Wyoming United Methodist Church has started up it’s second Wednesday of the month soup day. The next soup day is this coming Wednesday, November 11, 2009, from 11:30 to 1:00.
- Mr. Arnold suggested that Lew start locking the Park bathrooms before he leaves each day rather than keeping them open later now that it is getting dark earlier. The police aren’t always getting it done. Mayor Marasco suggested putting this on the agenda for the November 16th workshop.
- It was also mentioned that the Salvation Army is looking for winter coats so if anyone has any they want to get rid of, please keep them in mind.
Mr. Arnold moved to go into executive session. Mr. Witt seconded the motion. All in favor; none opposed.
Council moved to executive session at 8:45 p.m.
Council returned to regular session at 9:55 P.M.
A motion was made by Mr. Witt, seconded by Ms. Williams for Mr. Jaywork to proceed with option one (1) as presented in executive session. Motion was approved by a vote of four (4) yeas with Mayor Marasco abstaining from vote.
A motion was made by Ms. Williams, seconded by Mr. Witt to adjourn at 10:00 P.M.
Respectfully Submitted,
Pamela Haddick, Town Clerk
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