Robotics Team Gets Support From Pocomoke Mayor and Council

Written by

Bill Kerbin

POCOMOKE CITY -- Plans for a new 170-seat restaurant near the Delmarva Discovery Center should be ready to go out for bids later this month and ground could be broken as early as this summer, the mayor and council heard Monday.

Council members got a look at the plans for the proposed restaurant between Discovery Center and Pocomoke River after the board's newest members were sworn in.


Don Malloy and Mayor Bruce Morrison won seats on the council in recent city elections. Morrison has previously served on the council.


W. Ronald Morgan, president of Becker Morgan Group, presented the restaurant plans to the council.

City Manager Russell W. Blake said the town has received two grants for construction of the building: a $500,000 state grant and a $150,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture grant.


Morgan said the plans were designed so that the restaurant could be bid with several alternates. If the bid for the entire facility comes in too high, two sections of 30 seats each could be individually cut off to bring it down to the available funding.

Fair fireworks

John Smith, president of the Great Pocomoke Fair Committee, appeared before the council to request funding for fireworks at this summer's fair. The cost is estimated at $3,200. Mayor Morrison said the council would work on the budget in the near future but he thought that the town could fund the project.

Smith also asked about a previous request for a one-day beer permit at the Truck and Tractor Pull on June 25. In their previous letter, members of the committee had said that it would be an adult-oriented event. Also in answer to a question Smith said that the committee expected to make about $5,000 on the sales.

Morrison said that since it was mainly for adults he would not object to the permit. The council voted to approve the sale.

Robotics team

Members of Eastern Shore Robotics made a request Monday night for funding to help with expenses for their trip to the World Championship.

According to Ashley Webb, a team member, the group recently returned from the regional competition in Richmond, Va. The group is made up of students from Pocomoke High School, Pocomoke Middle School and Virginia schools.

Working out of the MIST building in the Pocomoke Industrial Park, the students are building robots to be displayed at the competition.

The council voted to give the team $1,000 for the trip.

Bids awarded

City Manager Russell Blake informed the council that the city had received a $22,000 grant from the Maryland Energy Administration to increase the energy efficiency at City Hall. With the grant, he asked for bids to replace the present heating and cooling systems with a high-efficiency heat pump system. Tom's Refrigeration was the low bidder with a bid of $24,500 for the work. The council approved his bid.

Blake also wanted to tie the Maryland Avenue well into the generator system at the sewage treatment plant. This way it would give a backup in case the town's electricity was interrupted. A bid of $2,607 from C.F. Lambertson was OK'd.

Finally the town has a $141,000 state grant for the replacement of the water meters with meters that can be read by radio signals. Before the work is advertised, the town has to hire an engineering firm to help plan the work.

George, Miles and Buhr was the only company to reply to the Request for Qualifications. Since the firm is experienced in this type of work, the council decided to approve the work. Blake hopes to be able to replace 25 to 35 percent of the existing meters.

The council also agreed to accept a proposal from the EnerNoc Co. to allow the company to control the power at the wastewater treatment plant during peak times. The city would have the say during any time that a cutoff request was made. In agreeing to the proposal the city could save up to $15,000.

Under other businessm the council agreed to allow the use of the Winter Quarters Golf Course for an Elks Club tournament; to allow a Sunday beer and wine permit for the American Legion's fundraiser; and to give Save the Youth $250 for a motivational program for area youth.

A new police officer, Franklin Savage, was introduced to the council.

Source; http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20110414/WCT01/104140330/Discovery-Center-eatery-plans-move-forward-in-Pocomoke?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Worcester County Times|s

AGENDA ~ Pocomoke City Mayor and Council Meeting Tonight~

This sounds like an interesting meeting.  Hope alot of Pocomoke citizens can attend.

A G E N D A

POCOMOKE CITY

MAYOR AND COUNCIL

MEETING

MONDAY  April 11, 2011

7:30 PM

POCOMOKE CITY HALL

          1.  Call to Order, Prayer and Pledge of Allegiance.

2.      Old Business

a.    Review and approval of minutes from meeting of March 7, 2011

b.      Review and approval of bills to be paid

c.       Other old business

3.      Swearing-In and Reorganization

a.       Worcester County Clerk of Court Steve Hales to swear in Bruce Morrison as Mayor of Pocomoke City for a three year term

b.      Mayor Morrison to swear in Councilman-Elect Don Malloy (District 3)

c.       Selection of First Vice President and Second Vice President of the City Council for the coming year

4.      City Manager and Police Chief to introduce new police officer Franklin Savage

5.      Representatives of Great Fair Committee to discuss budget request.

6.      Presentation by Eastern Shore Robotics Team 1829.

7.      Representatives of Becker Morgan Architects to present plans for proposed restaurant adjacent to Discovery Center.

8.      Discuss request from Pocomoke Elks Club to use Winter Quarters Golf Course for golf tournament on May 21.

9.      Review American Legion request for Sunday Beer and Wine Permit for “Home of the Brave” fundraising event on May 22, 2011. 

10.  City Attorney Items

(a)    Agreement with EnerNoc Co. for electricity cost savings at Wastewater Treatment Plant

(b)   Agreement with Bloosurf Broadband Co. for use of City water towers for antennas

(c)    Discuss proposed Charter amendments

11.  City Manager to discuss bids and acquisitions.

(a)    City Hall heating system improvements  (MEA Grant)

(b)   Electrical work to connect generator to Maryland Avenue well

(c)    Radio read water meters specifications

Comments from the Audience.

Mayor and Council Items.

Adjourn.

AGENDAS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE UNTIL THE TIME OF CONVENING.

April Meeting ~~

 Mayor and City Council Meeting. 

The meeting will begin Monday, April 11, 2011

 at 7:30pm 

City Hall

101 Clarke Avenue

Pocomoke City, Maryland

Pocomoke City Mayor and Council Meeting

Written by: Bill Kerbin

POCOMOKE CITY -- In adopting an automatic residential fire sprinkler system rebate ordinance, the Pocomoke mayor and council have moved in a different direction on home-sprinkler regulations than other towns and counties in Maryland.

Many other subdivisions have voted to allow a Maryland law that requires sprinkler systems in new single family homes to take effect for them, or have voted to opt out of the rule. In a compromise, Pocomoke will not require the sprinkler systems to be a part of new homes but will reward homeowners who decide to put them in.

The town will give a rebate to any homeowner who decides to install a sprinkler system in his or her newly constructed home during the next three years. The owner will receive a rebate of $2,000 or 50 percent of the annual real property tax, whichever is less. The system must be on the building's plans and, after being installed, be certified by the fire marshal.

At a town meeting, Will Stevenson made a request for funding assistance for the Mar-Va Theater in the coming fiscal year. He said that heating and electricity are the largest costs for the theater, where its financial books are up more than $7,000 over last year just through the end of February. He thinks that part of the reason is that the theater is having more performances, and guessed that cold weather this winter helped convince people to seek entertainment indoors. He added that there has been a problem with the new heating equipment, which he hopes will be corrected with a grant that the city obtained for the theater.

Councilman Bruce Morrison told Stevenson that the council will take up the request when the budget for the 2011-2012 fiscal year is discussed in coming weeks.

The city manager presented a plan from the EnerNoc Company to enter as an interface between Pocomoke City and Delmarva Power concerning power for the wastewater treatment plant. If the agreement is signed, Pocomoke City would turn on its generator at peak times during the year. The town should receive about $15,000 a year for making this move.

City Attorney Mark Tilghman raised some questions including the possibility of liability. He plans to contact the company to learn more about the agreement before the council takes any action.
The council also approved a bid from Renshaw Engineering for $1,791 for engineering services for the installation and wiring of power pedestals along the city dock.

Andrew J. Bowen, executive director of the Maryland Rural Water Association, was at the meeting to present the second-place National Rural Water Association award for the best tasting water in the country's rural areas. After winning the Maryland competition outright, Pocomoke's entry was sent to the national level where it won second place.

Under other business, the council authorized proclamations for Arbor Day and Fair Housing Month; authorized the renewal of a mutual aid agreement between the Pocomoke City Police Department and the Crisfield department; approved a proposal from PKS for auditing the town's books for the next three years; and authorized a full-page ad in the program for the Delmarva Firemen's Association Convention, to be held this year in Pocomoke City.
Source; delmarvanow.com

Pocomoke City Elections...The Race Is On.......

POCOMOKE CITY -- The deadline to file and run in Pocomoke's upcoming April election has passed, with three people seeking to be mayor and two running for District 3's seat on the City Council.

Lynn Duffy, Bruce Morrison and Frank Ward will be running for mayor, while Bobby Brittingham and Donald Malloy have filed to run for the District 3council seat.

Morrison, who was elected to City Council for District 3 in 2005, says his years of experience in budget meetings and meeting with citizens uniquely qualifies him.

"I have been a councilman for six years and a resident all my life," says Morrison. "This is going to be a real tough budget year. State money is drying up, county money is drying up and assessments are down... but I don't want to see taxes raised."

If elected, Morrison said he would like to reduce crime through continued use and implementation of crime cameras, community meetings once a month and encouraging citizens to take pride in their community.

Duffy, another mayoral candidate, is a counselor with Lighthouse Counseling and Consulting Services in Pocomoke City. She is running for mayor to reduce crime, encourage public input in government and prevent overspending by City Hall, she said in a news release announcing her candidacy.

"The deaths last year of young people were needless," Duffy said in her statement, "and the town needs to not look away or hold meetings discussing events but deal directly with proactive steps developing a plan of action."

Duffy mounted an unsuccessful campaign to be Pocomoke's mayor in 2005, the year Mike McDermott first won office. She also ran to be a City Council representative in 2006, but came in second out of three candidates. She is a past president of the Pocomoke Chamber of Commerce.

Duffy has launched a campaign website, duffy4pocomoke.com, and named supporters to positions of campaign manager, treasurer, web manager and campaign chaplain in her statement.

Ward, who also filed to run for mayor, could not be reached for comment by press time.

The city council seat for District 3 is up for election this year, after being held by Morrison for several years.

Brittingham, a District 3 candidate who served as a sheriff's deputy for 25 years, says specific issues such as preventing erosion and flooding at Cypress Park, as well as general issues such as reducing crime, are his reasons to run for the vacant seat.

Malloy, who was a Pocomoke councilman during the 1960s, says he originally filed after being asked to do so by friends because no one else had filed at the time.

"I'm running because the seat is open and I think I can be of some use to the city," says Malloy, who is a retired electrician. "I would like to keep Pocomoke going on the path it's on."

In an interview, recent mayor and current state Delegate Mike McDermott said he supports Morrison's and Malloy's bids for office.

The deadline for registering to vote in the April 5 election is March 4.

www.delmarvanow.com

Friday Is Final Day To Register As A Candidate

POCOMOKE CITY -- Friday is the final day those interested in running for mayor or the District 3 City Council seat can file with the town to run in the April election.

Anyone wishing to run for mayor must be 25 years old, a resident of Pocomoke City for at least one year prior to the election and be a registered voter.

Those running for City Council have to be 21 years old and live in the district up for election. The election is scheduled for April 5.

For more information on how to nominate a candidate, visit city hall or call 410-957-1333.

Don Malloy Files To Run For Council Seat In Pocomoke

POCOMOKE CITY -- With the filing of Don Malloy for a council seat, both offices up for grabs in Pocomoke's April 5 election have a candidate. Malloy, who had served previously on the Council from 1965-1968, filed to fill the third district seat. That seat is now up for election as Bruce Morrison, the present occupant, has filed for mayor.

Malloy said that he had been asked by a number of friends and acqaintances to put his name in for the post. He doesn't see any problems with the direction of the town but would like to see Pocomoke continue to improve, he said in an interview.

A member of the Pocomoke Volunteer Fire Company for more than 40 years, he was also active in the ambulance service. He served on the board of the historic Mar-Va Theater during a number of the years the landmark was brought back to life. He is a member of the Pocomoke Elks Lodge where he is a past exalted ruler.

One project he points to with pride is helping with the construction of the Nature Trail from Cypress Park to the edge of the Winter Quarters Golf Course.

To be eligible to run for mayor, a person must be a resident of Pocomoke City for at least one year prior to the election, a registered voter and at least 25 years old. To be eligible to run for the open council seat, a person must be a registered voter and a resident of the Third District.

The deadline for filing is Friday, Feb. 4, at Pocomoke City Hall.

The deadline for registering to vote in the election is March 4. To be eligible to register, a person must be at least 18 years old, a U.S. citizen, a resident of Maryland for the past six months and must have been a resident of Pocomoke City for at least 30 days just prior to the election.

Anyone who does not know his or her district of residence can find it at City Hall.

written by: Bill Kerbin

www.worcestercountytimes.com

Pocomoke Councilman Has Filed To Run For Mayor

POCOMOKE CITY -- After serving two three-year terms as councilman of Pocomoke's third district, Bruce Morrison has filed to run for mayor. A lifelong resident of Pocomoke City, Morrison is the second longest-serving council member.

As Morrison took the oath of office in April 2005, along with outgoing Mayor Mike McDermott, a top concern was reducing crime and tackling the drug issue that seemed prevalent. The overall crime rate has dropped by 18 percent in the last year, according to Morrison. This focus on crime has been aided by community outreach and a number of concerned citizens getting involved. A Neighborhood Crime Watch has been established that meets in area churches to target problematic issues. Six cameras have been installed in hot spots around town, aiding in many drug crimes being solved and two additional cameras are scheduled to be added complete this year, Morrison said.

In early 2011, Pocomoke City will be completing a $6 million upgrade to its sewage treatment plant, making it one of the few compliant plants in the state. This effort was largely funded through federal sources.

Pocomoke's downtown makes up a large part of the third district that Morrison has served. Upon taking office six years ago, Morrison expressed his concern for the downtown area, hoping to make its revitalization a priority. Many area attractions have come to fruition, he said, including the new addition to the Sturgis One-Room School Museum, which has brought the black history of the area to life, adding to Pocomoke's other history museum, The Costen House.

The opening of the Mar-Va Theater now brings first-run movies to Pocomoke City on the first and third weekends of each month along with outstanding musical and theatrical performances.

The Delmarva Discovery Center is open and loaded with much of Delmarva's history, highlighting many outstanding exhibits depicting life in yesteryear -- a look into the past and a step into the future.

The Bay Queen calls the docks of the Pocomoke River home and offers cruises almost daily and by reservation three seasons a year.

Even though much has been accomplished in the downtown area, Morrison said he thinks much is left to be done. It is his hope Pocomoke City is charting a course toward reinvention as a tourist destination area, he said.

Morrison has served on the Maryland Critical Areas Commission, serving under governors Robert Ehrlich and Martin O'Malley.

Locally, he is an active member of Salem United Methodist Church, having served as chairman of the trustees for two years. He is a member of Pocomoke Elks Lodge 12624, where he is a past exalted ruler. In the Pocomoke Volunteer Fire Company he has served as a line officer and past president. He is also serving on the Board of Directors of the Lower Shore YMCA. Morrison is employed at Hardwire LLC and is married to Laura Gladding Morrison; they have two children.

Pocomoke's elections are held on the first Tuesday in April. Registered voters who wish to run for office must file nominating petitions 60 days before the elections are held.

www.delmarvanow.com

Pocomoke City Mayor and Council Meeting

POCOMOKE CITY -- The mayor and council gave tentative approval Monday to a $404,775 bid that will apply an innovate method of treating effluent at the new sewage plant.

Instead of treating the sludge with chemicals, the new system, to be installed by the Bearing Construction Co., will use ultraviolet light to kill bacteria. This method will save the town money and is safer, officials said, since town employees will not have to handle some caustic chemicals.

The decision is contingent on the Maryland Department of the Environment approving the construction bid package and the town receiving a loan to cover the cost of the system. If received, 87.5 percent of the principal will be forgiven.

The town also officially transferred the deed to the Benelli property in the Pocomoke Industrial Park. Beretta, a sister company, came to the park in 1989 to manufacture barrels for shipment to the company's southern Maryland plant for final assembly. Ten years later, Benelli took over the building.

Under Benelli, shotguns manufactured in Italy are shipped to Pocomoke City for distribution throughout the country and service of the shotguns is handled in the local plant. Manager Dan Boyle said there are presently 30 people working at the plant. He called them the "best employees around."

Additionally, the council voted to opt out of a state mandate for installation of sprinkler systems in any new single-family homes. Instead, the plan is to offer a discount on property taxes -- 50 percent or up to $2,000 in the first year -- if the owner installs the system.

During his last meeting as mayor, Michael A. McDermott publicly thanked a number of people who had worked with him during his term in office. He was elected as a member of the House of Delegates last year.

Councilman Robert L. Hawkins, who presented McDermott with a certificate for his tenure as mayor, will preside at the meetings until a new mayor is elected in April.

www.delmarvanow.com

Pocomoke Mayor and Council Vote On Sprinkler Installations

POCOMOKE CITY -- The mayor and council voted to opt out of a state regulation requiring the installation of sprinkler systems in new single-family homes in Maryland after Jan. 1.

Instead, the town will offer owners of a new home a rebate on property taxes if they decide to install a sprinkler system. The amount of the rebate will be decided later.

Two-family homes are not affected by the town's decision since they already come under the code that calls for structures with more than one family to have the systems.

Worcester County Commissioners have so far decided to let the state regulations stand, meaning they would go into effect in the new year. But the two newly elected commissioners who were sworn in Tuesday -- Merrill Lockfaw Jr. and Jim Bunting Jr. -- want to revisit the issue.

In Ocean City, the Town Council is on track to clear the way for the state regulations to take effect in the resort.

Other business

Chris B. Derbyshire, representing George, Miles and Buhr, also gave the mayor and council an update this week on the upgrade to the town's sewer plant.

He said work on the upgrade is 82 percent complete. The original completion date was Dec. 29, but an additional 48 days is needed because of a change order in the original contract. Because of the increase in time, the architects requested an additional $32,234 to monitor the construction. The request was approved.

City Manager Russell W. Blake said no local funds will be needed to cover this cost. Derbyshire also said bids should be opened in about two weeks on the UV disinfection project. This addition, costing about $225,000, will disinfect sewage leaving the plant and reduce the cost of operation because it will eliminate the need for chemicals. Again, no local funds will be needed to cover the cost of this project.

www.delmarvanow.com