[1:59] Mhm.

[3:54] » Mhm.

[5:49] » Mhm.

[7:44] » Mhm.

[9:39] » Mhm.

[11:34] » Mhm.

[13:29] » Mhm.

[15:20] » And work.

[15:26] Are we good, Rick?

[15:28] All right.

[15:30] We'll call the meeting to order. As a

[15:31] courtesy to everyone, please take a

[15:33] moment and

[15:35] silence any devices that might interrupt

[15:38] the meeting. I'm going to do the same

[15:39] thing myself.

[15:41] Thank you. Good evening and welcome to

[15:43] the meeting. This meeting of the Mayor

[15:45] and Common Council of Westminster

[15:47] Incorporated on February 5th,

[15:49] [clears throat] 1819.

[15:51] We are gathered here at historic City

[15:54] Hall, originally state built in 1842 by

[15:57] Colonel John K. Longwell. City acquired

[16:00] this building in 1939 and has since been

[16:02] the venue where the Mayor and the

[16:04] Council conducts the city business.

[16:07] Now, we'll begin as we do every meeting

[16:08] with the Pledge of Allegiance followed

[16:10] by a moment of silence.

[16:12] All right, as you were.

[16:14] I pledge allegiance to the flag of the

[16:16] United States of America

[16:18] and to the republic for which it stands,

[16:21] one nation under God, indivisible, with

[16:25] liberty and justice for all.

[16:31] Thank you very much.

[16:37] One interesting fact about Westminster

[16:39] is the Sherwood Distilling Company. It

[16:42] began operations here during World War

[16:44] II era, housed in a striking red brick

[16:48] plant along Railroad Avenue with large

[16:50] glass window window mash drying sheds.

[16:54] After producing Sherwood Straight Rye,

[16:57] its license expired around 1970 and the

[17:00] decades of distilling. However, the tall

[17:03] brick smoke stack remains a prominent

[17:05] local landmark. Today, the former barrel

[17:07] house is the location of Paradiso

[17:10] Restaurant and the main building serves

[17:12] as Carroll County Citizen Service

[17:14] Center, ensuring Sherwood's legacy

[17:16] endures in Westminster's architecture

[17:18] and community life.

[17:20] Moving on, the council typically

[17:22] convenes on the second and fourth Monday

[17:23] of each month. Please note that these

[17:25] meetings are open to the public here at

[17:27] City Hall and are also streamed live on

[17:29] the city's YouTube page as well as the

[17:31] community media center channel and

[17:33] website. We extend our gratitude to the

[17:36] Community Media Center for its

[17:37] partnership in ensuring public access to

[17:39] these meetings. Copies of tonight's

[17:42] agenda and the entire information packet

[17:43] that the council will be using are

[17:45] available online at the city's website.

[17:48] Hard copies of the agenda are available

[17:50] here in the front of the room for those

[17:51] in attendance.

[17:53] First order of business is a closed

[17:55] session statement. A statement for the

[17:57] record, a closed meeting was held on

[17:59] Monday, April 20th, 2026 in accordance

[18:03] with the general provisions of Article

[18:04] Section 3-306C2

[18:07] of the Annotated Code of Maryland and

[18:09] without objection, it is noted that the

[18:11] minutes of tonight's meeting reflect the

[18:13] Common Council met in a closed meeting

[18:16] on Monday, October 20th, 2026 at 5 uh

[18:20] 5:50 p.m. pursuant to General Article

[18:23] Section 3-305B7

[18:27] to consult with counsel to obtain legal

[18:29] advice and B8 to consult with staff,

[18:32] consultants, or other individuals about

[18:34] pending or potential litigation.

[18:37] Note for the record, Councilmember Huff

[18:39] was not present during the vote that was

[18:41] taken for the closed meeting and note

[18:43] for the record, Councilmember remember

[18:45] Bayer left the meeting at 6:15 p.m. The

[18:48] city administrator

[18:50] Inhols and city attorney Whitworth were

[18:52] both in attendance. The Common Council

[18:54] took no official action during the

[18:56] meeting. The closed session was

[18:58] adjourned at 6:35 p.m. Next order of

[19:01] business will be a public hearing on

[19:03] annexation resolution 2603 and in the

[19:06] city of Westminster, public hearings are

[19:08] conducted by the mayor. So, Madam Mayor,

[19:10] the gavel is yours.

[19:12] Very much. Call this public hearing to

[19:14] order at 7:00 p.m.

[19:15] p.m.

[19:17] This is resolution number 26-03,

[19:21] annexation 72. A resolution enlarging

[19:24] the corporate boundaries of the city of

[19:26] Westminster by annexing into the city

[19:29] certain property containing plus or

[19:31] minus 2.9443

[19:34] acres continuous and adjoining to the

[19:36] city's existing corporate boundaries

[19:39] consisting of real property located at

[19:41] 10 Salt Box Road, Westminster, Maryland

[19:44] 21157,

[19:46] also identified as tax account number

[19:49] 07-048408,

[19:55] map 0039,

[19:58] grid 0013,

[20:01] parcel 0752,

[20:04] and comprising of plus or minus 1.4983

[20:09] acres and plus or minus 1.446

[20:13] acres of right-of-way containing a

[20:15] portion of College View Boulevard,

[20:18] Maryland Route 140, Maryland Route 97,

[20:22] belonging to the Maryland Department of

[20:24] Transportation State Highway

[20:25] Administration.

[20:28] Anyone like to make any

[20:30] comments during the public hearing? If

[20:32] so, please state your name and address

[20:34] for the record.

[20:37] Or should

[20:39] Mr. DePuy, do you want to give any

[20:40] Sorry.

[20:41] Mr. DePuy, do you want to give any

[20:42] information first? If I If I could.

[20:45] That makes sense. So, quickly, um,

[20:47] Adamy LLC, the petitioners requesting

[20:50] that the Mayor and Common Council annex

[20:51] property containing approximately 2.9443

[20:55] acres into corporate limits and

[20:57] subscribed by the Mayor.

[20:59] Uh, the Mayor and Common Council may

[21:00] enlarge the boundaries of the city of

[21:02] Westminster as provided in Annotated

[21:04] Code of Maryland.

[21:06] The property is located outside city

[21:07] limits, but inside the water and sewer

[21:09] service area

[21:11] and it's eligible for annexation under

[21:12] state law.

[21:14] The property is currently being served

[21:15] by public water and sewer.

[21:17] The annexation area is zoned C-2

[21:19] commercial medium intensity district

[21:22] under the zoning laws of Carroll County.

[21:24] The petitioner is requesting the

[21:26] property be zoned B business zone

[21:28] under the city zoning ordinance.

[21:30] Developing in the development in the B

[21:32] business zone is substantially similar

[21:34] to development in the C-2 commercial

[21:36] medium intensity district.

[21:39] The petitioner has constructed a Sheets

[21:41] convenience convenience store and gas

[21:43] pumps at the property. This was all part

[21:45] of an annexation agreement between the

[21:47] petitioner and the city, whereby

[21:49] development was able to move forward

[21:52] and the the petitioner was then supposed

[21:55] to annex the property, hence tonight's

[21:57] meeting.

[21:59] Or in February the 9th, 2026, annexation

[22:01] resolution 2603

[22:03] or annexation 72 was introduced to the

[22:06] Mayor and Common Council, allowing the

[22:08] process to begin.

[22:10] On February 10, 2026, annexation

[22:12] resolution 2603, along with an

[22:15] annexation plan pursuant to state code,

[22:17] was emailed to Carroll County and the

[22:19] Maryland Department of Planning.

[22:21] On April 16, 2026, the Planning Zoning

[22:24] Commission held a public hearing on

[22:26] annexation resolution 2603

[22:29] including the annexation plan.

[22:31] The Planning Zoning Commission forwarded

[22:33] annexation resolution 2603 to the City

[22:36] of Westminster Mayor and Common Council

[22:38] with a favorable recommendation.

[22:41] The annexation petition submitted by the

[22:43] petitioners meets the requirements for

[22:45] annexation under state code.

[22:47] The Mayor and Common Council notice of

[22:49] public hearing for the resolution was

[22:51] advertised on Monday, March 30, 2026

[22:55] and Monday, April 6, 2026 in the Carroll

[22:57] County Times in conformance with state

[23:00] code.

[23:02] And that completes my report.

[23:04] Thank you.

[23:06] Yes. Please state your name and address

[23:07] for the record. Well, of course I will

[23:09] say that the state and the county have

[23:12] the right to speak first at this

[23:14] hearing. I I'm going to assume that

[23:16] they're not here to speak. Correct.

[23:18] Uh thank you, Madam Mayor. My name is

[23:20] John Maguire.

[23:21] Uh I'm the attorney for Sheets, Inc.

[23:24] Uh which is the tenant and operator of

[23:26] the property.

[23:28] Had Amy, LLC is the owner and the

[23:31] landlord.

[23:32] Uh and we more or less represented them

[23:35] in this. Under the lease, the

[23:36] understanding was that Sheets would

[23:38] prosecute this civil and site plan and

[23:41] set up its business.

[23:43] Um

[23:44] So, that's kind of where I fit. Uh

[23:47] I'm going to assume that the record of

[23:50] this hearing

[23:51] uh

[23:52] con- is constituted by what's been

[23:54] placed on the website, what's been

[23:56] advertised. That is the record that we

[23:58] start with.

[24:00] Um

[24:01] In addition, uh for the record, I want

[24:04] to state uh that the petitions and

[24:06] materials that were filed by the

[24:07] petitioner in this proceeding are still

[24:09] correct and accurate as of the date

[24:11] hereof.

[24:13] The proposed annexation is consistent

[24:16] with the terms and conditions of the

[24:17] annexation agreement between the city

[24:19] and the landowner dated July 12, 2021

[24:23] and recorded against the property

[24:26] in the land records of Carroll County in

[24:27] book 10375

[24:29] 8154.

[24:31] I also want to acknowledge that the

[24:33] staff provided the uh statutory notice

[24:37] under local government article 4-406

[24:40] speaking one

[24:42] involving assessment and fee

[24:44] information, and that was given by the

[24:47] staff and received by the petitioner.

[24:50] Um and the only other I have no other

[24:51] comment uh for the record other than

[24:54] introduce Gary Kilfeather. Gary's been

[24:56] the project manager on this project

[24:59] almost from the beginning. The staff has

[25:02] gotten to know Gary and uh

[25:05] Gary's here tonight.

[25:06] You have any questions about the

[25:07] operations, Gary can answer those.

[25:09] Thank you. Thank you.

[25:13] Any questions?

[25:18] Um would anyone else like to make any

[25:21] public comment?

[25:23] Hearing none, we'll close the hearing at

[25:24] 7:10.

[25:27] Madam Mayor,

[25:30] back up.

[25:32] And now we'll go on to presentations. We

[25:34] have two presentations this evening. The

[25:35] first one is the Mayoral Proclamation,

[25:38] uh Municipal City Week, May 3rd through

[25:41] 9th, 2026.

[25:43] That's Mayor.

[25:45] Oh, did I say clerk or did I say? City.

[25:47] Oh, sorry.

[25:49] Municipal Clerk Municipal Clerk

[25:53] Municipal Dog Week It's Dog Week. Dog

[25:56] Week. I would ask our phenomenal City

[25:58] Clerk, Mr. Doug Barber, to please come

[26:00] up and join me.

[26:03] He'll probably bring me something to

[26:04] sign.

[26:07] » [laughter]

[26:08] » All right. Um so this is a Mayoral

[26:10] Proclamation. This is the 57th Annual

[26:13] Professional Municipal Clerks Week,

[26:16] which is held May 3rd through the 9th,

[26:19] 2026.

[26:20] Whereas the office of the Professional

[26:22] Municipal Clerk, a time-honored and

[26:25] vital part of local government, exists

[26:27] throughout the world.

[26:29] And the office of the Professional

[26:31] Municipal Clerk is the oldest profession

[26:33] among public servants.

[26:35] The office of the Professional Municipal

[26:37] Clerk provides a professional link

[26:39] between the citizens, the local

[26:41] governing bodies, and agencies of

[26:43] government at other levels.

[26:45] And the Professional Municipal Clerks

[26:47] have pledged to be ever mindful of the

[26:49] neutrality and impartiality, rendering

[26:52] equal service to all. And the

[26:55] professional municipal clerk serves as

[26:57] the information center on functions of

[27:00] local government and community.

[27:02] And professional municipal clerks

[27:04] continually strive to enhance

[27:06] professional development through

[27:08] participation in education programs,

[27:11] seminars, workshops, and the annual

[27:13] meeting of their state, county, and

[27:15] international professional

[27:16] organizations.

[27:18] And it is most appropriate that we

[27:20] recognize the accomplishments of the

[27:22] office of the professional municipal

[27:24] clerk. And now, therefore, I, Dr. Monir

[27:27] Badr, mayor of the city of Westminster,

[27:29] on behalf of the common council,

[27:32] recognize the week of May 3rd, 2026

[27:35] through May 9th, 2026, to be

[27:38] Professional Municipal Clerk Week in

[27:40] Westminster, and further extend

[27:42] appreciation to our professional

[27:44] municipal clerk, Doug Douglas Barber,

[27:47] and to [laughter] all the professional

[27:49] municipal clerks for the vital services

[27:51] they perform and their exemplary

[27:54] dedication to the communities they

[27:56] represent. Adopted this 27th day

[27:59] of April. Thank you.

[28:08] Would you like to say anything? No,

[28:09] ma'am.

[28:14] Um

[28:15] we could not run the city the way we do

[28:17] without our

[28:19] professional municipal clerk.

[28:22] Yes.

[28:28] And he's still doing his job.

[28:32] He's getting an award.

[28:33] Nice job there, Doug Douglas. Thank you.

[28:41] » [clears throat]

[28:42] » Okay.

[28:43] Uh and with that, we will move on to our

[28:45] second presentation this evening. It's a

[28:49] important presentation and that would be

[28:51] the fiscal year budget presentation by

[28:53] our city administrator,

[28:55] Mr. Moss.

[28:57] Thank you, sir.

[28:58] We're going to start tonight. Go ahead

[29:00] to next slide. As we always do, with the

[29:03] origin of the budget, right? The

[29:04] budget's telling a story about how the

[29:06] mayor and council

[29:08] make their decisions, what's important

[29:11] to the city. And we start off with our

[29:13] vision statement, which I'm going to

[29:14] read. Westminster is a safe, healthy,

[29:17] and engaged community where new ideas

[29:20] and sustainable innovation enhance the

[29:23] community's quality of life and create

[29:25] economic opportunities for today's

[29:27] residents and for future generations.

[29:30] And you'll see, Mayor and Council, all

[29:31] of the items that are located in the

[29:33] budget all relate to that original

[29:35] vision statement.

[29:38] Then we move on to the strategic plan

[29:40] critical success factors. The Mayor and

[29:43] Council, sometimes annually, sometimes

[29:46] on a multiple year basis, outline the

[29:49] critical success factors that the budget

[29:52] and all of the items that the city does

[29:54] should go through. And they include the

[29:55] following: strong partnerships and

[29:57] engaged communities, water and sewer

[30:00] capacity for future generations,

[30:03] economic activity and growth,

[30:05] responsible stewardship of city

[30:07] resources, and a safe and livable

[30:10] community. These are the factors that

[30:11] drive all of the budget decisions that

[30:13] we've made in this year's budget and in

[30:16] most of the decisions that we make

[30:17] moving forward. Next slide.

[30:21] An opportunity to educate the public and

[30:23] remind everybody of the structure of our

[30:26] budget. We have 1 2 3 4 5 6 funds

[30:30] that we pull all of all of our various

[30:32] fund monies from in order to pay for all

[30:36] of the activities within the budget. And

[30:38] that includes the general fund, which is

[30:40] the city's core services and

[30:41] administrative functions. The public

[30:43] housing fund,

[30:45] which is the public housing authority

[30:47] for housing choice voucher program.

[30:50] My favorite, the capital project fund,

[30:52] which accounts for for all of our

[30:54] capital improvement programs. We call

[30:56] those CIP, and we'll be referring to

[30:58] that later in the day, CIP activities.

[31:01] And then of course we have our

[31:02] enterprise funds, our water, sewer, and

[31:04] fiber funds. The water fund helps us pay

[31:08] for production, treatment, and

[31:09] distribution of all potable water, clean

[31:12] water.

[31:14] The sewer fund helps pay for the

[31:15] collection and delivery of sewage for

[31:18] treatment and disposal, very important.

[31:21] And our fiber fund of course pays for

[31:23] the construction and operation of the

[31:24] Westminster fiber network with our

[31:26] partners in at Ting. Next slide.

[31:31] This is what everyone's most excited

[31:32] about, our fiscal year 2027 property

[31:34] taxes.

[31:36] Um,

[31:36] of course in Westminster and all of

[31:38] Maryland is on a 3-year assessment

[31:41] cycle. Westminster is in its third year

[31:43] of the assessment cycle. So in January

[31:45] of 2026 there'll be new assessments for

[31:47] this area.

[31:49] The city's net net assessable base

[31:51] increased by approximately $156

[31:55] million

[31:56] or 6.4% from the prior fiscal year.

[32:00] This increase is a result of higher

[32:02] assessments from the reassessment cycle,

[32:05] as well as new properties that we've

[32:06] added to the tax roll through

[32:08] annexations.

[32:12] Budget drivers. So there is

[32:15] no change in the real property tax. This

[32:17] is what everyone is most excited about.

[32:20] For the 14th year in a row we're able to

[32:22] say,

[32:23] uh, thanks to the mayor and council that

[32:25] the fiscal year 2027 real property tax

[32:27] rate is 56 cents per $100 assessed

[32:31] value, which is the same that it has

[32:32] been again for 14 years, the last 14

[32:35] years.

[32:36] The water sewer rates will see

[32:38] um small increases, 5.75%

[32:41] increase in the water rate, 5% increase

[32:43] in the sewer rates.

[32:45] And just as a reminder, one of the

[32:46] budget drivers is CPI, the consumer

[32:48] price index, that has increased 2.4%

[32:51] from January uh '25 to January '26.

[32:55] Next slide.

[32:58] Mayor and Council, this is the outline

[33:00] of the revenues and expenditures by

[33:04] fund,

[33:06] which

[33:07] I'll just outline. The general fund is

[33:09] 20 The expenditures are 21.7 million,

[33:12] and the revenues are 23.8

[33:15] million.

[33:17] I'm going to leave the rest of them up

[33:18] there for everyone to see. We'll discuss

[33:20] this a slightly more in the budget uh

[33:22] ordinance later on today.

[33:24] Unless anyone has any questions right

[33:25] now.

[33:27] Mr. President, you don't want me to read

[33:28] those out, do you? No. Okay.

[33:30] Next slide.

[33:33] The budget includes some fixed costs,

[33:36] and those are benefit and insurance

[33:37] costs. We can't really do anything about

[33:39] those, um but we do have some good news

[33:41] to share in this particular arena. Our

[33:43] health insurance has a small increase of

[33:46] 3.4%,

[33:47] which we are very excited about because

[33:50] last year it increased 11.5% and the

[33:53] year before it increased 13.6%.

[33:56] Those are funds that are really hard to

[33:57] find once you get to double-digit

[33:59] increases. So, we are excited to see

[34:01] that that's only a 3.4% increase in this

[34:03] upcoming year.

[34:04] The pension contribution rate for

[34:06] non-sworn staff, otherwise known as

[34:08] civilian staff, has been increased from

[34:10] 13.28%

[34:12] to 13.52% of salaries, which is a 24%

[34:16] increase.

[34:17] The LEOS contribution rate, which is the

[34:19] pension plan for the sworn officers or

[34:21] the law enforcement staff, has decreased

[34:23] from 39.64 to 39.56, or an 8% decrease.

[34:29] There's no change in the rates provision

[34:32] short-term disability. We're still

[34:34] waiting on the dental rates.

[34:35] Uh there's a 5% increase on the

[34:37] long-term disability and a 10% increase

[34:40] on our base life.

[34:43] Um

[34:44] which is the first time we've had that

[34:45] in a while. So, we were not entirely

[34:47] surprised by that. Our workers' comp

[34:49] renewal rate is 5.8% last less than it

[34:53] was last year. And I just want to take a

[34:55] quick moment to talk about that. Um

[34:57] those rates are entirely driven by

[35:00] decisions that we're making at the staff

[35:02] level, at the council level,

[35:04] um in order to make sure our workers are

[35:06] operating um in a safer manner. Examples

[35:10] of that are a few years ago this council

[35:12] authorized um mowers that were remote

[35:15] controlled so that we could mow some of

[35:17] the very steep banks, making sure that

[35:20] our employees are not injured in the

[35:21] process. We're seeing we're starting to

[35:23] reap the benefits of some of those

[35:25] decisions that the council made at the

[35:26] capital level, and then some very

[35:28] specific decisions that the chief is

[35:30] making, and public works department is

[35:32] making as well. That those are we're

[35:34] realizing those in a very um exciting

[35:37] way with a 5.8% less increase in our

[35:41] premiums for workers' comp. So, just

[35:43] want to take a moment to thank all of

[35:44] the staff for all their hard work on

[35:45] that.

[35:47] And then our general insurance rates are

[35:48] still pending, but we've budgeted for a

[35:50] 13.3 increase over fiscal year 2026

[35:54] actual costs. And that's based on an

[35:56] estimate that we have from the carrier.

[35:58] Next slide.

[36:01] The CIP budget um

[36:03] we're excited for. These are just a few

[36:05] of the many many many projects we have

[36:08] in the CIP, including Wakefield Valley

[36:11] Trail upgrades. The construction should

[36:14] start in this upcoming fiscal year. Rock

[36:16] Park equipment and a brand new restroom

[36:19] building at Rock Park, so we'll no

[36:20] longer need the portable restroom we had

[36:23] out there that's at the Hubble Farms.

[36:25] Of course, um we're excited to hopefully

[36:27] be able to purchase and install bocce

[36:29] ball courts this year at City Park.

[36:31] We've got some much-needed family

[36:33] fitness center building improvements, as

[36:35] well as new equipment, which we purchase

[36:36] every year.

[36:38] Hopefully, we're finally going to get

[36:39] the HVAC upgrades completed at uh my

[36:42] buildings um

[36:44] well, this says 40 City Hall.

[36:46] Both buildings, actually, City Hall and

[36:48] City Administration Building at 45 West.

[36:51] We've got pavement management, as as we

[36:53] always do, as well as inflow

[36:54] infiltration and inflow. It's a project

[36:57] we call I&I, very important in the sewer

[36:59] department, to make sure that the storm

[37:01] water doesn't infiltrate um the sewer

[37:03] plants. We'll have ongoing projects at

[37:06] the sewer plant, the enhanced nutrient

[37:08] removal project, which I'm very hopeful

[37:10] will close up in this next fiscal year.

[37:14] Not promising, but hopeful.

[37:16] Um and finally, and most excitingly,

[37:18] we've got the Pure Water Westminster,

[37:20] our water reuse facility, which is still

[37:22] under construction, and will be

[37:23] completed by February of 2027, which is

[37:26] this upcoming budget year.

[37:29] Next slide.

[37:30] I'll take a quick moment to thank the

[37:32] staff.

[37:33] Um

[37:34] Ms. Rogers has put in an unbelievable

[37:36] number of hours on the budget, um and

[37:38] the finance committee, as well, who's

[37:40] had several meetings, some very

[37:43] thoughtful discussion. Um we are

[37:45] partners in this budget process, and we

[37:47] really appreciate that. President, that

[37:49] concludes the report. I'm happy to

[37:50] answer any questions.

[37:52] Thank you, Ms. Imholz. Um

[37:54] I'll open it up for questions in a

[37:55] minute, but I did want to make one quick

[37:57] comment, just for clarity for public uh

[38:01] consumption, for the viewers who are

[38:03] watching.

[38:05] This, by no means, is our only uh touch

[38:10] in terms of this budget prior to it

[38:12] coming before us. This is just the

[38:14] introduction, um which we'll do

[38:16] officially in a little bit, but we'll

[38:18] have multiple meetings with the entire

[38:20] body, um and we take a very deep dive

[38:23] into the budget. Finance Committee has

[38:25] already spent a lot of time to do this

[38:27] year. The entire body will spend a lot

[38:29] more time going through it.

[38:31] You know, now what is appropriate, what

[38:34] may or may not be appropriate, and then

[38:36] we'll bring back a final budget for

[38:38] approval. So, I just want to make sure

[38:39] everyone is

[38:41] crystal clear that this is just a very

[38:42] high-level,

[38:44] um, overview, um, for public

[38:46] consumption, and we'll be spending a lot

[38:47] more time with this over the next 5

[38:50] months. So, to that, I've opened up for

[38:52] any other questions about the

[38:53] presentation at this point.

[38:56] Mr. Mayor, go ahead.

[38:58] No questions. I just want to

[39:00] make a couple of comments if I could, as

[39:01] chair of Finance Committee.

[39:04] First, you know, to to give, you know,

[39:06] my thank my thanks to Ms. Imholz, and

[39:09] Ms. Rodgers, and Kristen Gardner, who

[39:10] have all

[39:12] you know, offered staff, uh, you know,

[39:15] assistance for, uh, financial planning.

[39:17] Um,

[39:19] and the rest of the team, terrific job

[39:20] once again in putting together this

[39:22] budget, you know, working with the

[39:23] Finance Committee.

[39:25] Um,

[39:25] you know,

[39:26] you know,

[39:27] it's not every municipality that's able

[39:29] to not only avoid a property tax

[39:33] increase for 14 years in a row with

[39:35] rising costs,

[39:37] and doing as much as we're doing.

[39:40] But, also, and I think this is an

[39:41] important point, continuing to only ask

[39:44] moderate moderate increases

[39:46] in water and sewer rates. We see

[39:48] surrounding municipalities,

[39:50] other jurisdictions, seeing

[39:52] significantly larger increases in water

[39:55] and sewer. And that's because, I think,

[39:57] we've looked ahead

[40:00] on these issues

[40:01] for years now, and we we've

[40:04] taken actions, understood the

[40:06] consequences of the actions we were

[40:08] taking, to make sure that we don't have

[40:11] those kind of major offsets, you know,

[40:14] and and wild swings in what we have to

[40:16] ask of of the citizens of Westminster.

[40:18] And that's really critical. Another

[40:20] important thing that we've done, and I'm

[40:22] I'm really proud of the entire team, you

[40:24] know, my colleagues on the council as

[40:27] well as the staff.

[40:28] I think there's probably no community in

[40:31] Maryland, and I don't want to brag

[40:33] beyond that, but certainly no community

[40:34] in Maryland that has made a better use

[40:37] of the IIJA funds.

[40:40] You know, these these were these were

[40:42] funds that we received in the wake of

[40:43] the pandemic from the federal

[40:45] government. Westminster received a

[40:46] significant amount, $18 million roughly,

[40:50] and whatever you think. And as soon as

[40:53] that money was announced, we began

[40:55] planning. We got together and we said,

[40:57] "We're not going to waste this

[40:59] opportunity. This is an incredible

[41:01] opportunity to to fund a lot of

[41:03] important things we need to get done in

[41:05] Westminster. We're not going to waste

[41:07] it. We're not going to spend it on

[41:09] frivolous things. We'll be very serious

[41:12] and very thoughtful about how we're

[41:13] spending this money, and we're going to

[41:15] make sure that every dollar we spend of

[41:17] that money, we're able to use that to

[41:19] leverage city money to do even

[41:22] And we began that process. Miss Hallsten

[41:26] executed it in a tremendously skillful

[41:28] spending skillful manner. Always support

[41:30] from finance team and the public works

[41:33] team and everybody else. And I couldn't

[41:35] be prouder of how we've done this. I

[41:36] think because of that we've been able to

[41:38] bring the citizens of Westminster so

[41:40] much more in terms of public works

[41:41] projects and other we other things than,

[41:44] you know, other communities have been

[41:45] able to do with the person.

[41:48] So, that's that's I just wanted to say

[41:49] that. Thank you.

[41:52] I I think you're [clears throat] being

[41:53] slightly modest in only in that you were

[41:56] probably the loudest champion when we

[41:59] realized how much money we were going to

[42:01] get in terms of insisting that we

[42:05] plan well ahead and and handle it right.

[42:08] And we watched other other

[42:10] municipalities, other counties fritter

[42:12] away a lot of that money and frankly

[42:14] they wasted some of it and had to give

[42:16] it back. And I think because of your

[42:19] guidance in particular early on

[42:22] that went a long way in helping us be

[42:24] where we're at with the town in terms of

[42:26] how we utilize those funds. Anyone else?

[42:29] Mr. President.

[42:30] » Yes, Mr. Hall.

[42:31] The only other thing I will mention

[42:33] is, you know, I I since I've been on the

[42:36] this council for the past 5 years, I

[42:38] really think we have done a tremendous

[42:40] job of working with our federal, state,

[42:42] county partners

[42:44] to help bring additional funds for all

[42:47] of our capital

[42:49] needs in the city. And I really

[42:52] compliment everybody's effort up here

[42:54] with that. But especially with staff's

[42:57] effort,

[42:59] especially with working with some of the

[43:00] federal stuff, we have done really well

[43:02] regarding that. And it allows us to

[43:04] accomplish a lot of great things for the

[43:06] city. So, besides the ARPA money, I just

[43:09] want to highlight that too. But I think

[43:10] we've done a

[43:12] tremendous job in the past 5 years that

[43:14] I've been here.

[43:15] Thank you, Mr. Hall. Anyone else?

[43:18] Okay.

[43:19] » [clears throat]

[43:19] » We'll be moving on. We will now move on

[43:21] to a appointment by the mayor. Mayor

[43:24] Backus. Thank you, Mr. President.

[43:27] I would like to bring forward Dr. Robert

[43:31] Wax

[43:32] to be considered to fill the vacancy on

[43:34] the City of Westminster's Planning and

[43:36] Zoning Commission.

[43:38] I forwarded Mr. Dr. Wax's

[43:41] application and resume to everyone on

[43:44] the council. And I'm sure you have had

[43:46] time to consider

[43:48] um

[43:49] this appointment up to the

[43:51] Planning and Zoning Commission.

[43:54] Thank you, Madam Mayor. I was real glad

[43:57] you sent that along cuz you know, I

[43:58] really didn't know the guy. I only saw

[44:00] him at the time.

[44:02] Jog your memory there.

[44:03] » Yeah, exactly. So, may I have a motion

[44:06] to approve the mayor's appointment of

[44:08] Dr. Wac to the Planning and Zoning

[44:10] Commission. Mr. President, I will make a

[44:12] motion to approve said appointment.

[44:15] » Thank you, Mr. Hoff. And I believe Mr.

[44:16] Bayer had the second.

[44:18] I'll open it up for any discussion prior

[44:20] to the vote.

[44:21] Any discussion? Just one comment. I

[44:24] don't think that the mayor could have

[44:25] picked a better person to step into this

[44:27] role.

[44:28] Dr. Wac's knowledgeable

[44:31] from serving on this council, but from

[44:33] also being a activist citizen in the

[44:35] community. So, I know that he'll

[44:37] represent the folks well. So, great

[44:40] choice. Thank you, Mr. Bayer. Anyone

[44:42] else?

[44:43] I agree.

[44:45] » [laughter]

[44:47] » Okay.

[44:48] All those in favor of approving the

[44:50] mayor's appointment of Dr. Wac to the

[44:52] Planning and Zoning Commission, please

[44:54] signify by saying I. I. Please note for

[44:57] the record that I vote voted in the

[44:59] affirmative as well. Done on that.

[45:02] Any opposed?

[45:04] The eyes have it, and congratulations,

[45:07] Madam Mayor. Dr. Wac is appointed to the

[45:10] Planning and Zoning Commission.

[45:12] Thank you very much.

[45:13] Okay. Now, we will move on. I don't

[45:16] believe our attorney is here. Okay,

[45:18] we will move on to approval of minutes.

[45:20] We have three sets of minutes to approve

[45:24] for this meeting. We have minutes from

[45:26] the Mayor and Common Council Work

[45:27] Session Meeting of April 20th, 2026,

[45:31] special Mayor and Common Council Meeting

[45:34] Minutes of April 20th, 2026,

[45:37] and the Mayor and Common Council Closed

[45:39] Meeting Minutes of April 20th, 2026.

[45:44] Is there a motion to approve the

[45:45] minutes? So moved, Mr. President. Thank

[45:47] you, Mr. Pecoraro. May I have a second?

[45:49] Second. Thank you, Mr. Bayer. Is there

[45:51] any discussion regarding the motion?

[45:54] Hearing none, all those in favor, please

[45:56] signify by saying I. I. The I Any nays?

[46:00] The eyes have it, and the minutes are

[46:03] approved. We'll now move on to the

[46:04] consent calendar. We have three items on

[46:06] the consent calendar this evening. Is

[46:08] there a motion to approve the consent

[46:09] calendar? Mr. President, I'll make a

[46:11] motion to approve the

[46:12] » Thank you, Mr. Pop. May I have a second?

[46:14] Second. Thank [clears throat] you very

[46:15] much, Mr. Pecoraro.

[46:17] All those in favor of approving the

[46:19] consent calendar, please signify by

[46:21] saying I. I. Any opposed? The eyes have

[46:24] it, and the consent calendar is

[46:26] approved. We'll now move on to the

[46:27] report from the mayor. Madam Mayor.

[46:29] Thank you, Mr. President.

[46:31] Um, on Wednesday, April 15th, myself

[46:33] along with members of of the council

[46:35] attended the annual Westminster Police

[46:36] Department award ceremony at the new

[46:39] event center at Wakefield Valley. The

[46:41] ceremony is always a memorable

[46:42] experience witnessing the dedication,

[46:45] integrity, and the courage of the

[46:47] officers honored. The Westminster Police

[46:49] Department is truly something special.

[46:51] The professional professionalism,

[46:53] compassion, and commitment shown by its

[46:55] members reflect not only their duty to

[46:57] protect, but their genuine care for the

[47:00] people that they serve. It's evident

[47:02] that this department goes above and

[47:04] beyond building trust and making

[47:05] Westminster a stronger, safer place.

[47:08] Thank you.

[47:10] Um, I've been busy in the community for

[47:12] the last 2 weeks. On Sunday, April 19th,

[47:15] a new Patriot Trail marker was unveiled

[47:18] at the historic Westminster Cemetery.

[47:20] This plaque honors Henry Neff, Caleb

[47:23] Stansbury, and William Winchester, three

[47:25] Revolutionary War Patriots buried in the

[47:28] Westminster Cemetery. The marker is one

[47:30] of 187 installed along the Patriots

[47:33] Trail and the very first to be placed in

[47:35] Maryland.

[47:37] The plaque was provided by the William

[47:38] Pomeroy Foundation and made possible

[47:40] through the efforts of the Westminster

[47:42] Chapter of the Maryland Society, Sons of

[47:45] American Revolution. As you enter the

[47:47] cemetery from North Church Street,

[47:49] proceed along the drive, and the Patriot

[47:51] marker is just a few 100 a few hundred

[47:54] feet in along the right-hand side.

[47:57] Last Sunday uh evening, I attended a

[47:59] reception for 11 high school guidance

[48:01] counselors that McDaniel College invited

[48:04] to Westminster for a three-day event.

[48:06] This event was geared to showcase not

[48:08] only the college, but also the city as a

[48:10] wonderful place for new students to come

[48:13] to learn

[48:14] and hopefully stay in the area. Along

[48:17] with Council member Hoff, we had a

[48:18] really nice evening of chatting and

[48:20] learning about the schools the guidance

[48:22] counselors were visiting from and

[48:24] telling them how wonderful the city of

[48:25] Westminster is.

[48:27] I want to thank everyone who came out to

[48:29] X on a mission commons at the

[48:30] Westminster Public Library for the

[48:32] mayor's community meetings last Thursday

[48:34] regarding the update to Westminster's

[48:36] historic district. There were about 40

[48:38] individuals in attendance and I believe

[48:40] by the end of the evening all the

[48:42] questions were answered if residents had

[48:44] concerns. There were also residents at

[48:46] the meeting who were interested in

[48:47] contributing stories and information and

[48:50] I look forward to a future update on the

[48:52] progress of the project.

[48:55] While I was out of town during the wine

[48:57] stroll, I wanted to congratulate the

[48:59] staff for making the decision to move

[49:01] the start time of the wine stroll up a

[49:03] few hours to accommodate the inclement

[49:06] weather that was moving into Westminster

[49:08] in the afternoon.

[49:09] I heard it was chilly during the stroll,

[49:11] but I gathered from the pictures that it

[49:13] was still well attended and everyone had

[49:15] had a good time. Given the circumstances

[49:18] with uncertain weather in April, I think

[49:19] that the best decision was made to shift

[49:22] the start time of the stroll and I hope

[49:25] that we are out of the stroll weather

[49:29] window for the rest of the year. So so.

[49:32] I hope so. I also wanted to take a

[49:34] minute to congratulate the town of

[49:36] Sykesville as one of the three winners

[49:38] of the Great American Main Street Award

[49:40] for 2026.

[49:41] The award was presented to Sykesville

[49:43] for their preservation-based

[49:44] revitalization in their historic

[49:46] downtown. And then just finally, later

[49:50] this evening

[49:52] Miss Imholte

[49:53] gave a quick presentation on the budget,

[49:55] but later this evening we will introduce

[49:57] the fiscal year '22 budget. The process

[50:00] of putting a budget together isn't

[50:01] glamorous, it's tedious, and takes a lot

[50:03] of attention to detail, but it's the

[50:05] most important legislative task an

[50:07] organization does, and I look forward to

[50:09] sharing the budget with you and some

[50:11] more information later in the meeting.

[50:14] Mr. President, back to you. Thank you

[50:16] very much, Madam Mayor. And now we'll

[50:18] move on to reports committee and right

[50:20] back at you. There is no report from the

[50:22] external services committee. Thank you

[50:24] very much. Economic and community

[50:26] development, Mr. Huff. No report

[50:29] tonight, sir. Thank you, Mr. Huff.

[50:31] Finance committee, Mr. Perreira. Thank

[50:33] you, Mr. President. I think on behalf of

[50:34] the finance committee we'll be spending

[50:36] a bit of time on the budget tonight and

[50:38] in the future nights, so that's all I

[50:40] have on that. Thank you, Mr. Perreira.

[50:41] Personnel, Mr. Bayer. That's me, Mr.

[50:44] President.

[50:45] Oh,

[50:46] sorry. I apologize. Mr. Bayer, that's

[50:48] you. I apologize. So, Mr. Bayer,

[50:50] Thank you very much.

[50:52] I do have a report for public safety. On

[50:55] April 15th, the Westminster Police

[50:57] Department's strategic enforcement unit

[50:58] and canine unit assisted Carroll County

[51:00] Sheriff's Office with a traffic stop on

[51:03] the 1800 block of Baltimore Boulevard.

[51:06] As a result of the stop, officers

[51:07] recovered 14 g of crack cocaine and

[51:11] approximately 37 g of fentanyl. It's a

[51:14] very small amount. This incident

[51:16] highlights the strong collaboration

[51:18] between our agencies and our continued

[51:20] focus on proactive enforcement efforts

[51:22] to remove these dangerous narcotics from

[51:25] our community. On April 22nd, the

[51:28] Westminster Police Department patrol

[51:29] units responded to a report of retail

[51:32] theft at Dick's Sporting Goods on North

[51:34] Center Street. Officers quickly located

[51:37] the suspect's vehicle as it was leaving

[51:39] the area and were able to take the

[51:41] individual into custody. During the

[51:43] investigations investigation, officers

[51:46] recovered $1,000 in stolen merchandise

[51:49] and determined the vehicle had been

[51:50] reported stolen out of Baltimore County.

[51:53] Lastly, I would like to compliment the

[51:55] Westminster Police Department on their

[51:57] response on the evening, I'm sorry, the

[51:59] events of April 19th where we had a

[52:03] tragic

[52:04] occurrence

[52:06] in what appears to be potentially a

[52:08] murder-suicide. Call came in at 8:27

[52:11] a.m. and our first unit arrived on scene

[52:13] at 8:29, 2 minutes later.

[52:17] Unfortunately, the tragedy had already

[52:18] occurred, but it had been had it been an

[52:21] evolving crime, that kind of response

[52:23] time can and in many circumstances makes

[52:26] the difference between life and death.

[52:29] While we were all very saddened by this

[52:30] event, it does point out what an amazing

[52:32] job our police department does and how

[52:35] [clears throat] your tax dollars are

[52:36] well spent when it comes to what I

[52:38] believe is our most important job as

[52:40] elected officials

[52:42] and that is public safety in our mission

[52:45] statement that Ms. Semmel Hall read

[52:47] earlier, the very first word is safe.

[52:49] And I think our police department does a

[52:51] wonderful job helping us meet that

[52:53] mission. So, thank you, Chief.

[52:55] » Thank you, sir. And that's my public

[52:57] safety report. We'll move on to

[52:59] recreation and parks. I have no report

[53:01] for that this evening. Technology will

[53:04] not have a report unless you do, Mr.

[53:06] Bearinger. Mr. Whiteside,

[53:08] no. And intergovernmental, Mr. Huff.

[53:11] I just want to take a moment to thank

[53:13] our friends in Annapolis and our local

[53:15] delegation for their help related to um

[53:20] receiving this additional funding in our

[53:22] fiber project as well for our water

[53:25] reuse project for the MDE.

[53:27] Um so, I just want to again thank our

[53:30] friends in Annapolis for that. Thank

[53:32] you. Thank you, Mr. Huff. Now, we'll

[53:34] move on to council comments and

[53:35] discussion. Mr. Pecoraro. Um

[53:38] nothing except that I did attend the one

[53:41] stroll on Saturday and despite the fact

[53:43] that St. Patrick's Day is on a Friday

[53:45] night, we didn't drink a glass of wine.

[53:48] I thought you know, the move was a was a

[53:50] terrific idea.

[53:52] The weather held off. I managed to get

[53:54] my grass cut before the event over

[53:56] there.

[53:57] But yeah, I was so pleased when I got

[54:00] there. See so many people following Main

[54:03] Street,

[54:04] having a good time, you know, visiting

[54:06] Westminster businesses on Main Street as

[54:08] well as all the vendors that we had out

[54:11] on the street. So

[54:12] good call. Ms. Gruber is not here, I

[54:14] know, but good call to Ms. Gruber for

[54:16] the impulse and everybody else involved

[54:17] in that decision. I don't believe we

[54:19] ever would have folded and had it be so

[54:21] successful. That's all I have. Thank

[54:23] you, Mr. Mayor.

[54:25] Mr. Hoff.

[54:26] I was just going to note the same thing

[54:28] with the wine stroll. Very impressed

[54:30] with staff thinking ahead

[54:32] with kind of changing things based on

[54:34] the weather. And I think all things

[54:37] considered the event went very very

[54:39] well. And the timing as far as when it

[54:42] started to rain was just about perfect.

[54:45] So I would really

[54:47] just commend staff thinking ahead and

[54:49] kind of recalibrating at the last minute

[54:52] to make the best of a

[54:54] not so great situation from a weather

[54:56] standpoint. So thank you.

[54:58] Thank you, Mr. Hoff. Yes, Mayor. Yes, I

[55:00] had the opportunity last week to attend

[55:02] an Arbor Day tree planting.

[55:05] It was conducted by the ground staff

[55:08] down in the playground. And what really

[55:10] made it nice there was a group of kids

[55:12] from the Boys and Girls Club that

[55:13] actually did the planting and they just

[55:15] had a great time doing it. Had a lot of

[55:17] fun.

[55:18] And

[55:19] it really highlight trees in the city.

[55:21] This is the 36th year in a row that

[55:23] Westminster's a tree city.

[55:25] And that's probably in the state going

[55:28] to be near the top, I'm sure.

[55:31] So that was a good event.

[55:32] The other thing is just a quick note is

[55:34] that our public works committee we now

[55:36] have a regular meeting schedule set up

[55:39] and we're all good to go with the mayor

[55:41] and Mr. Huff. So, we're good.

[55:45] Thank you very much. I have a couple

[55:46] quick things. Number one, I'm going to

[55:48] go back to the city clerk week that's

[55:52] upcoming next week

[55:54] and just make a quick comment. You know,

[55:56] we have probably the preeminent clerk in

[56:00] the state of Maryland that is honestly

[56:02] as well as

[56:02] » [clears throat]

[56:04] » I have examined that uh

[56:07] quite a few other municipal clerks

[56:09] actually seek Doug's guidance out on a

[56:12] very consistent basis. But, we miss him

[56:14] all. It's not uncommon that folks will

[56:17] come to him and ask him how to do their

[56:19] job. And we're fortunate enough to have

[56:21] the guru right here. And I'm really

[56:24] fortunate because as you all have

[56:26] witnessed on almost a a semi-monthly

[56:28] basis, I'll foul some some

[56:31] quite a few things up from time to time

[56:33] and Doug keeps me on the straight and

[56:35] narrow. So, I'm very grateful for that.

[56:37] I did want to follow up with a comment

[56:39] that the mayor made. She held a meeting

[56:41] of the historic district group or

[56:43] whatever that was called officially. And

[56:46] it was really well done. My wife and I

[56:47] attended it. I thought it was very

[56:49] informative. A lot of good information.

[56:51] I thought Mayor Becker, you did a nice

[56:53] job. And although Councilman Huff was

[56:55] not officially part of the event, I will

[56:58] say he did a really nice job adding some

[57:01] color.

[57:02] As a matter of fact, I think a number of

[57:04] people came to that meeting thinking it

[57:06] was going to be about potentially

[57:08] forcing them right into something. And

[57:10] Councilman Huff assuaged some of those

[57:12] concerns. And actually, as soon as he

[57:15] did that, some of the people actually

[57:17] left the meeting.

[57:19] So, Dan, I want to compliment you as

[57:21] well. Your your contributions during

[57:23] that meeting while not planned were

[57:25] pretty pretty good.

[57:27] Thank you, sir. You're welcome. So,

[57:29] we'll now move on to ordinances and

[57:31] resolutions with four of them this

[57:34] evening. So, we've got a busy evening.

[57:35] So, Ramsey, I hope you took a glass of a

[57:38] drink before we get started on this.

[57:40] Deep breath at least.

[57:42] We'll start off with adoption of

[57:44] resolution 2604.

[57:47] Mr. Whitworth. Thank you, Mr. President.

[57:49] The first resolution for your

[57:50] consideration is the adoption of

[57:52] resolution 2604,

[57:54] annexation 72. This is the annexation

[57:58] plan for certain property containing

[58:00] plus or minus 2.9443

[58:02] acres contiguous and adjoining to the

[58:05] city's existing corporate boundaries

[58:07] consisting of real property located at

[58:09] 10 Sullivan Road, Westminster, Maryland

[58:12] 21157.

[58:14] Also identified as tax account number

[58:16] 07- 048408,

[58:20] map 0039,

[58:23] grid 0013,

[58:25] parcel 0752,

[58:28] and comprising of plus or minus 1.4983

[58:31] acres and plus or minus 1.446 acres of

[58:34] right-of-way containing a portion of

[58:37] College View Boulevard, Maryland Route

[58:39] 140, Maryland Route 97 belonging to the

[58:43] Maryland Department of Transportation

[58:45] State Highway Administration, which

[58:47] property is the subject of a petition

[58:49] for annexation submitted by the owners

[58:51] of a portion of the subject property to

[58:54] the Mayor and Common Council of

[58:56] Westminster.

[58:58] Mr. Whitworth, Mr. DePalo. Thank you.

[59:01] Pursuant to the Annotated Code of

[59:02] Maryland, in addition to, but not as

[59:05] part of, an annexation resolution,

[59:08] the legislative body of the municipality

[59:10] shall adopt an annexation plan for the

[59:12] area to be annexed.

[59:14] The annexation plan was included with

[59:16] the introduction of annexation

[59:17] resolution 2603 for annexation number of

[59:21] 72 at the Mayor and Common Council

[59:23] February 9th, 2026 meeting.

[59:25] The annexation plan was sent to the

[59:28] Maryland Department of Planning in

[59:29] Carroll County pursuant to the annotated

[59:32] code of Maryland along with annexation

[59:34] 2603.

[59:36] And the annexation plan was included in

[59:39] both the Planning and Zoning

[59:40] Commission's public hearing on April

[59:42] 16th, 2026 and the Mayor and Common

[59:44] Council's public hearing

[59:46] uh held earlier tonight for annexation

[59:48] resolution 2603 for annexation 72.

[59:52] With that, the Department of Community

[59:54] Planning and Development recommend that

[59:56] the Mayor and Common Council adopt

[59:57] annexation plan resolution 2604

[1:00:01] approving the annexation plan for

[1:00:02] annexation 72, Patame LLC.

[1:00:07] Thank you, Mr. DePuy. May I have a

[1:00:08] motion

[1:00:10] uh for the adoption of resolution 2604?

[1:00:14] So moved, Mr. President. Thank you, Mr.

[1:00:16] Huff. May I have a second? Second. Thank

[1:00:18] you very much, Mr. Bayard. Is there any

[1:00:20] discussion related to the adoption of

[1:00:22] resolution 2604? Mr. President.

[1:00:25] » Yes, Mr. Huff. I just want to make a

[1:00:27] comment cuz I think sometimes people

[1:00:28] don't realize how long uh these process

[1:00:31] this process can take.

[1:00:33] I remember being pulled into a meeting

[1:00:37] uh with the developer cuz they were

[1:00:38] processing through the county. They were

[1:00:40] having some issues related to getting on

[1:00:43] the agenda for the Carroll

[1:00:45] [clears throat] County Planning and

[1:00:46] Zoning Commission, which I used to be a

[1:00:47] member of, for a special report

[1:00:50] regarding traffic uh the traffic study,

[1:00:53] I believe, and road improvements. That

[1:00:55] was 3 and 1/2 years ago.

[1:00:57] So, I just think for the benefit of uh

[1:01:00] the general public, it's important to

[1:01:02] know there is a lot that goes into these

[1:01:05] projects

[1:01:07] um and a lot of review and a lot of

[1:01:12] effort uh that is undertaken

[1:01:14] uh when someone goes builds something on

[1:01:16] property.

[1:01:17] Um and and just having been on council

[1:01:20] for 5 years,

[1:01:21] I'm starting to see some of these things

[1:01:23] that I I

[1:01:25] was involved in early on finally get to

[1:01:27] the finish line.

[1:01:29] Um and I think it's just important to

[1:01:30] kind of have that understanding how much

[1:01:32] work often goes into these type

[1:01:35] projects. So, that's it, Mr. President.

[1:01:37] Thank you, Mr. Hough. Anyone else?

[1:01:41] Hearing no more discussion, we'll move

[1:01:42] on to a vote. All those in favor of

[1:01:44] adoption of resolution 2604, please

[1:01:47] signify by saying I. I. Any opposed? The

[1:01:50] eyes have it and 2604 is adopted. Now,

[1:01:54] we'll move on to adoption of resolution

[1:01:56] 2603, Mr. Whitworth. Thank you, Mr.

[1:01:59] President. This is adoption of

[1:02:01] resolution number 2603,

[1:02:03] annexation 72, enlarging the corporate

[1:02:06] boundaries of the city of Westminster by

[1:02:08] annexing into the city certain property

[1:02:11] containing plus or minus 2.9443

[1:02:14] acres contiguous and adjoining to the

[1:02:16] city's existing corporate boundaries

[1:02:19] consisting of real property located at

[1:02:21] 10 Sullivan Road, Westminster, Maryland

[1:02:24] 21157.

[1:02:26] Also identified as tax account number

[1:02:28] 07-048408,

[1:02:31] map 0039, grid 0013,

[1:02:35] parcel 0752, and comprising of plus or

[1:02:38] minus 1.4983

[1:02:40] acres and plus or minus 1.446 acres of

[1:02:44] right-of-way containing a portion of

[1:02:46] College View Boulevard, Maryland Route

[1:02:47] 140, Maryland Route 97 belonging to the

[1:02:50] Maryland Department of Transportation

[1:02:52] State Highway Administration.

[1:02:54] Thank you, Mr. Whitworth. Director

[1:02:55] DePuy, do you have anything? I have no

[1:02:57] additional information from the earlier

[1:03:00] public hearing. And with that,

[1:03:02] Department of Community Planning

[1:03:03] Development recommend that the Mayor and

[1:03:04] Common Council adopt annexation

[1:03:06] resolution 2603

[1:03:08] approving annexation 72.

[1:03:11] Thank you very much, Mr. DePuy. Let's go

[1:03:12] ahead and get it on the floor. May I

[1:03:14] have a motion for the adoption of

[1:03:16] resolution number 2603.

[1:03:19] So moved, Mr. Thank you, Mr. Powell. Do

[1:03:21] I have a second? Second. Thank you, Mr.

[1:03:23] Bayer. Is there any discussion related

[1:03:25] to the adoption of this resolution?

[1:03:28] Hearing none, we'll move on to a vote.

[1:03:30] All those in favor of adoption of

[1:03:32] resolution 2603, please signify by

[1:03:35] saying I. I. I. Any opposed? The eyes

[1:03:38] have it, and the resolution is adopted.

[1:03:43] We'll now move on to adoption of

[1:03:44] ordinance number 202602,

[1:03:48] Mr. Whitworth. Thank you, Mr. President.

[1:03:50] Your first ordinance for your

[1:03:51] consideration is the adoption of

[1:03:53] ordinance number 202602,

[1:03:55] an ordinance of the mayor and common

[1:03:57] council of Westminster, Maryland,

[1:03:59] amending the adopted budget for fiscal

[1:04:01] year beginning July 1st, 2025,

[1:04:05] and ending June 30th, 2026,

[1:04:08] fiscal year 2026.

[1:04:10] Thank you, Mr. Whitworth. Director

[1:04:12] Rogers.

[1:04:13] Thank you, and good evening.

[1:04:15] Well, on April 13th 2026, the staff

[1:04:19] The staff introduced ordinance number

[1:04:20] 2026-02

[1:04:22] to amend the fiscal year 2026 budget

[1:04:25] appropriations. Included in the

[1:04:27] council's packet is a detailed listing

[1:04:29] of the recommended new appropriations,

[1:04:31] as well as the use of prior year

[1:04:33] appropriations from the capital fund

[1:04:35] fund balance that are included in

[1:04:37] ordinance number 2026-02.

[1:04:40] Since the introduction of this

[1:04:41] ordinance, there have been no changes

[1:04:43] made to the recommended appropriations

[1:04:45] included in the ordinance number

[1:04:46] 2026-02.

[1:04:48] Staff recommends the mayor and common

[1:04:50] council adopt the budget appropriations

[1:04:52] as detailed in ordinance number 2026-02.

[1:04:57] Please let me know if I can answer any

[1:04:58] questions. Thank you very much, Mr.

[1:05:00] Rogers. Let's go ahead and get it on the

[1:05:01] floor. May I have a motion to

[1:05:04] for the adoption of ordinance number

[1:05:06] 202602.

[1:05:08] So moved, Mr. President. Thank you, Mr.

[1:05:09] Pecoraro. May I have a second? Second.

[1:05:11] Thank you very much, Mr. President. Is

[1:05:13] there any discussion related to 2026-02?

[1:05:16] President. Yes, Mr. Pecoraro.

[1:05:18] » Just to remind my colleagues that uh

[1:05:20] those you know these are the compilation

[1:05:23] of uh

[1:05:24] series of actions we took during the

[1:05:25] course of the year from the beginning

[1:05:27] from when we enacted you know the

[1:05:29] current fiscal year's budget originally.

[1:05:31] Since that time, as we know, little

[1:05:33] things have happened along the way.

[1:05:35] We've had to spend a little more money

[1:05:36] here. We've had to you know start

[1:05:38] another project there and you know along

[1:05:41] the way as we've been doing that, we've

[1:05:43] always asked where does the money come

[1:05:45] from? Ms. Imholte and Ms. Rogers always

[1:05:47] identify what they expected funds source

[1:05:49] to be. This is a compilation of all that

[1:05:52] rolled up into a budget amendment so

[1:05:53] that our budget itself will reflect all

[1:05:56] the things that we've all the changes we

[1:05:58] made during the course of the year in

[1:05:59] terms of additional spending. So, none

[1:06:01] of these are things that are new to us.

[1:06:03] They're just things that we're wrapping

[1:06:04] up in one document. Excellent. Thank you

[1:06:07] very much, Mr. Pecoraro. Anyone else?

[1:06:09] Hearing no more discussion, we'll move

[1:06:10] on to a vote. All those in favor of

[1:06:12] adoption of resolution 2026-02, please

[1:06:15] signify by saying aye. Aye. Aye. Any

[1:06:17] opposed? The ayes have it and the

[1:06:20] resolution is adopted. We'll move on to

[1:06:22] introduction of ordinance 2026-03,

[1:06:25] Mr. Whitworth. Thank you, Mr. President.

[1:06:27] This is the introduction of ordinance

[1:06:29] 2026-03,

[1:06:31] an ordinance of the Mayor and Common

[1:06:33] Council of Westminster, Maryland

[1:06:34] approving and adopting a budget for the

[1:06:36] City of Westminster for the fiscal year

[1:06:38] beginning July 1, 2026 and ending June

[1:06:41] 30th, 2027, known as fiscal year 27, and

[1:06:45] establishing the various city tax rates

[1:06:47] for fiscal year 27.

[1:06:50] Thank you, Mr. Whitworth. Director

[1:06:51] Rogers, do you have anything else? Thank

[1:06:53] you. Yes, sir.

[1:06:54] On behalf of the city administrator and

[1:06:56] myself, I am pleased to present a

[1:06:57] proposed fiscal 27 operating budget and

[1:07:00] capital improvement plan for the City of

[1:07:02] Westminster.

[1:07:04] The city's annual budget determines the

[1:07:06] manner in which services will be

[1:07:07] delivered to the community during the

[1:07:09] coming year. And its adoption is the

[1:07:11] most

[1:07:12] important legislative action that the

[1:07:14] common council takes each year.

[1:07:17] As Ms. Imholz noted in her presentation,

[1:07:19] several factors had a significant impact

[1:07:22] on the development of this proposed

[1:07:23] budget. First, for the 14th year in a

[1:07:25] row, property tax rates stay the same at

[1:07:29] .56 per $100 of assessed valuation, and

[1:07:33] it's being held constant. In fiscal 27,

[1:07:35] water rates will increase 5.75%

[1:07:38] and sewer rates will increase by 5% over

[1:07:41] fiscal 26 rates.

[1:07:43] The CPI, or consumer price index, is the

[1:07:45] US economy's primary inflation

[1:07:47] indicator, and as Ms. Imholz noted, that

[1:07:50] increased 2.4%

[1:07:52] from January 25 to 26. Accordingly, the

[1:07:55] fiscal 27 budget reflects increases in

[1:07:58] costs for goods, such as supplies,

[1:08:01] equipment, fuel,

[1:08:03] and also various services, such as

[1:08:04] utilities, insurance coverage, and

[1:08:06] contractual services.

[1:08:09] Across all of the city's funds, the

[1:08:12] fiscal 27 proposed operating budget

[1:08:14] totals 42.9 million, and the fiscal 27

[1:08:18] proposed capital budget totals 26.4

[1:08:21] million.

[1:08:22] The fiscal 27 budget was designed to

[1:08:24] advance the objectives of the city's

[1:08:26] strategic plan. The plan's priority

[1:08:29] initiatives are framed within critical

[1:08:31] success factors, which were highlighted

[1:08:33] in Ms. Imholz's presentation.

[1:08:36] These critical success factors embody

[1:08:38] the mayor and common council's long-term

[1:08:40] vision for the city of Westminster.

[1:08:43] A few of the initiatives included in the

[1:08:44] fiscal 27 budget and the associated

[1:08:47] critical success factors to which they

[1:08:49] pertain include the following.

[1:08:51] Strong partnerships and engaged

[1:08:53] community. One item is the information

[1:08:55] technology department is reviewing the

[1:08:57] city's website to make recommendations

[1:08:59] for overhauling it.

[1:09:01] Under water and sewer capacity for fewer

[1:09:03] generations, funding is included to

[1:09:06] continue construction of the water reuse

[1:09:07] project, which has an anticipated

[1:09:09] completion date of February 27.

[1:09:12] Under economic growth activity and

[1:09:14] growth, the capital fund includes

[1:09:16] funding for the continuation of the

[1:09:18] holiday lights on Main Street from Bond

[1:09:20] John Street Bond Street to Center

[1:09:22] Street.

[1:09:24] Under responsible stewardship of city

[1:09:25] resources, the city received an award of

[1:09:28] state funding to cover the fiber debt

[1:09:29] service in fiscal 2027. This is the

[1:09:31] third year for that.

[1:09:33] A safe and livable community. The city

[1:09:35] has been awarded federal and state

[1:09:37] funding for trail improvements and

[1:09:39] linkages at Wakefield Valley Park. Trail

[1:09:41] construction is funded in fiscal 2027.

[1:09:44] And under safe and livable community,

[1:09:46] community policing remains a priority

[1:09:48] and the general fund supports those

[1:09:50] activities.

[1:09:52] The preparation of the annual budget is

[1:09:53] a significant undertaking spanning many

[1:09:56] months of work. It is by design that

[1:09:58] every member of the city's management

[1:10:00] team, as well as numerous other staff

[1:10:02] members, contribute to the planning and

[1:10:04] development of that budget because their

[1:10:06] efforts are critical to successful

[1:10:08] implementation of the adopted budget.

[1:10:11] On behalf of Ms. Imholz and myself, I

[1:10:13] extend my deepest gratitude to the staff

[1:10:15] that contributed to the development of

[1:10:17] the budget.

[1:10:18] Director of Human Resources, Ms. Therese

[1:10:20] Brown, Director of Housing Services, Mr.

[1:10:23] Eric Brown, Director of Recreation

[1:10:25] Parks, Ms. Abby Gruber,

[1:10:28] Director of Planning and Community

[1:10:29] Development, Mr. Mark DePalo,

[1:10:32] Director of Technology Services, Mr.

[1:10:33] Rick Moore, Chief of Police, Chief

[1:10:36] Christopher Price,

[1:10:38] the Water Department Superintendent, Mr.

[1:10:40] Greg Howe, the Streets Department

[1:10:42] Superintendent, Mr. Steve Strawsburg,

[1:10:45] the Utilities Depart- Department

[1:10:47] Superintendent, Mr. Corey Stauffer,

[1:10:49] and the Sewer Department Superintendent,

[1:10:51] Mr. Vance Summerhill,

[1:10:53] Executive Assistant to the City

[1:10:55] Administrator, Ms. Heather Cookner, City

[1:10:58] Clerk, Mr. Don Barber,

[1:11:00] and Miss Krista Gardner, CPA from SEK

[1:11:02] CPAs and Advisors.

[1:11:05] Please note, this is just a partial list

[1:11:07] of the contributing staff, and we're

[1:11:09] equally grateful to the many additional

[1:11:11] staff members that contributed to and

[1:11:13] participated in the development of the

[1:11:14] fiscal 2027 budget.

[1:11:17] We also wish to extend our gratitude to

[1:11:19] Mayor Becker and the Finance Committee,

[1:11:21] which includes Council members Greg

[1:11:23] Pecoraro and Dan Koff. They devoted

[1:11:26] considerable time reviewing the proposed

[1:11:28] budget, providing guidance and

[1:11:30] direction, as well as ensuring the

[1:11:32] budget aligns with the city's strategic

[1:11:33] plan.

[1:11:35] On behalf of the city staff, we look

[1:11:36] forward to working with the Mayor and

[1:11:38] Common Council over the next few weeks

[1:11:40] to finalize the budget for fiscal year

[1:11:41] 2027 that enhances the quality of life

[1:11:44] in the Westminster community and

[1:11:46] continues to advance the objectives of

[1:11:48] the city's strategic plan.

[1:11:50] Staff recommend the Mayor and Common

[1:11:52] Council introduce Ordinance Number

[1:11:54] 2026-03

[1:11:57] for approving and adopting a budget for

[1:11:59] the City of Westminster for fiscal year

[1:12:01] beginning July 1, 2026 and ending June

[1:12:04] 30, 2027 and establishing various city

[1:12:07] tax rates for fiscal 27.

[1:12:09] Please let me know if you have any

[1:12:10] questions.

[1:12:11] Thank you very much, Miss Rogers. Let's

[1:12:13] go ahead and get it on the floor. May I

[1:12:14] have a motion for the introduction of

[1:12:17] Ordinance Number 2026-03?

[1:12:20] So moved, Mr. President. Fitting. Thank

[1:12:22] you, Mr. Pecoraro. May I have a second?

[1:12:24] Second. Thank you very very much, Mr.

[1:12:26] Bayer. Is there any discussion related

[1:12:28] to 2026-03?

[1:12:31] That's good. Yes, Madam Mayor. Um

[1:12:34] I won't belabor points of my colleagues

[1:12:36] from earlier in the meeting, but I do

[1:12:38] want to mention that um

[1:12:40] I'm incredibly proud and thankful,

[1:12:42] um and I want to take a minute to

[1:12:45] acknowledge the hard work of our City

[1:12:46] Administrator, Miss Sarah Cokeley,

[1:12:49] um our phenomenal Finance Director, Miss

[1:12:50] Teresa Rogers, as well as our outsourced

[1:12:52] CFO Krista Gardner of SEK. I'd also like

[1:12:55] to thank the department heads for taking

[1:12:58] the time to carefully consider what

[1:12:59] their departments need for following

[1:13:01] years. Ms. Rogers said this is a

[1:13:04] Just like the events we do on Main

[1:13:05] Street, this is a all hands-on-board

[1:13:07] event. Um but uh

[1:13:10] the most important thing that we do. Um

[1:13:12] I'm incredibly proud to say that we

[1:13:14] continue to demonstrate phenomenal

[1:13:15] fiscal responsibility to the residents

[1:13:17] of Westminster by presenting this

[1:13:19] ballot.

[1:13:20] I'm presenting this budget through

[1:13:22] fiscal year '27.

[1:13:24] Um and I'm looking forward to the

[1:13:26] discussion with my colleagues over the

[1:13:27] next weeks.

[1:13:29] Thank you, Madam Mayor.

[1:13:31] Any other discussion?

[1:13:33] I'll make one comment. Ms. Rogers,

[1:13:35] obviously, you do a wonderful job and

[1:13:37] we're

[1:13:38] very grateful [clears throat] to have

[1:13:39] you aboard. But I have to say that was

[1:13:40] one of the most well-prepared

[1:13:44] statements relative to a piece of an

[1:13:47] ordinance or resolution that we're

[1:13:48] handling that I've heard in quite a

[1:13:50] while. That was well done. And well, it

[1:13:52] was thoughtful,

[1:13:53] insightful, and I know you spent some

[1:13:56] time working on that. I want you to know

[1:13:58] how much I appreciate that. It was

[1:14:00] really, really great. I love how you

[1:14:02] named all the folks also within the

[1:14:04] staff that you know, played a big role

[1:14:06] in that. And maybe you've done that in

[1:14:08] the past and I just don't remember, but

[1:14:10] I was pretty impressed with that. Thank

[1:14:11] you. Thank you. You're welcome. Yes, Mr.

[1:14:14] Mayor. I was going to say that, you

[1:14:16] know, when you think of a budget, you

[1:14:17] only think of numbers.

[1:14:19] But if you pick up the budget book and

[1:14:21] you look at it, read it, you can really

[1:14:23] understand everything that's happening

[1:14:25] in the city. It's a

[1:14:27] the the way the number part of the

[1:14:29] budget and the and the other the rest of

[1:14:31] the budget is linked together

[1:14:33] makes it very understandable for a guy

[1:14:35] like me that's only been on the council

[1:14:37] for 2 weeks. But thank you very much. I

[1:14:39] appreciate it.

[1:14:41] Excellent. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Anyone

[1:14:42] else?

[1:14:44] Okay, hearing no more discussion, we'll

[1:14:46] move on to a vote. All those in favor of

[1:14:48] introduction of ordinance number 202603,

[1:14:52] please signify by saying I. I. I. Any

[1:14:55] opposed? The eyes have it, and the

[1:14:59] ordinance is introduced. We'll move on

[1:15:01] to unfinished business. I have no

[1:15:03] unfinished business that I'm aware of.

[1:15:05] Is there any unfinished business I'm not

[1:15:07] aware of?

[1:15:08] Okay, now we'll move on to new business.

[1:15:10] I believe we have one item of new

[1:15:12] business, Mr. Pectoral. Thank you, Mr.

[1:15:14] President. I move that the Common

[1:15:16] Council adjourn into a closed meeting

[1:15:18] Monday, April 27th, 2026

[1:15:21] at the conclusion of the regular meeting

[1:15:23] in accordance with the general

[1:15:24] provisions Article of the Annotated Code

[1:15:27] of Maryland, Section 3-305B1,

[1:15:30] to discuss the appointment, employment,

[1:15:32] assignment, promotion, discipline,

[1:15:34] demotion, and compensation, removal,

[1:15:36] resignation, or performance evaluation

[1:15:39] of appointees, employees, or officials

[1:15:41] over whom this public body has

[1:15:43] jurisdiction.

[1:15:44] The other person or matter affects one

[1:15:46] or more specific individuals.

[1:15:48] Thank you, Mr. Pectoral. May I have a

[1:15:50] second? Second. Thank you, Mr. Bayer.

[1:15:54] Uh any discussion related to this item?

[1:15:56] Hearing none, we'll move on to a vote.

[1:15:58] Um

[1:16:00] all those in favor of going into a

[1:16:02] closed session at the conclusion of this

[1:16:03] meeting of which we will not return to

[1:16:06] open session, please signify by saying

[1:16:08] I. I. I. I. Any opposed? The eyes have

[1:16:12] it, and we will move into a closed

[1:16:14] session after the conclusion of this

[1:16:16] meeting. Um we'll now move on to

[1:16:19] departmental reports, Ms. Innis. Thank

[1:16:21] you, sir. I want to take a moment first

[1:16:23] to thank the council for your adoption

[1:16:27] of the budget amendment tonight. Um as

[1:16:30] Council Member Pectoral mentioned, these

[1:16:32] are all items that have come before you.

[1:16:34] You could have easily told us to wait

[1:16:36] until the next budget cycle. In some

[1:16:38] cases, we couldn't, um but by not

[1:16:41] waiting, it made sure that we were

[1:16:43] delivering services in an efficient and

[1:16:45] responsible way to the public. And I

[1:16:47] just want to thank you for that ongoing

[1:16:48] support. If we didn't have your support,

[1:16:50] we would have to stop on those projects.

[1:16:53] So, thank you again. It means so much to

[1:16:55] all of us.

[1:16:56] Um a second thing, uh

[1:16:58] Council President, you mentioned,

[1:17:00] rightfully so, our incredible City

[1:17:01] Clerk. I just wanted to add on to that.

[1:17:03] In addition to being um

[1:17:06] called on by his colleagues, he is the

[1:17:08] official elections guru in the state of

[1:17:11] Maryland. He trains all of the new

[1:17:13] clerks on the elections. Uh all No one

[1:17:16] holds an election without reaching out

[1:17:18] to Doug first. Uh and many times in the

[1:17:20] middle of the process, as well. But, of

[1:17:22] course, as I mentioned before, in the

[1:17:23] last um election cycle, Mr. Barr did not

[1:17:26] take a single day off during the entire

[1:17:28] election cycle just in case someone

[1:17:30] needed him during that time period. Now,

[1:17:32] he won't be doing that moving forward,

[1:17:34] uh but he is a dedicated and a madly

[1:17:36] dedicated

[1:17:38] And he is recognized throughout the

[1:17:39] state of Maryland. So, thank you so much

[1:17:40] for recognizing him tonight, as well.

[1:17:42] All right, we're missing a few

[1:17:43] department heads, so let me give their

[1:17:45] reports for you. Um

[1:17:47] for recreation, I want to thank everyone

[1:17:49] for their efforts on the Wine Stroll. In

[1:17:51] particular, I want to thank um those who

[1:17:54] had to pivot. So, the Main Street

[1:17:55] businesses, the Wine Stroll vendors, and

[1:17:58] the public in general. Um we always

[1:18:00] thank the staff. We should. They put on

[1:18:02] an enormous task. They get to work at

[1:18:04] 4:00 in the morning in order to put

[1:18:05] these things on. But, it's a big pivot

[1:18:09] for the Main Street businesses, some of

[1:18:10] whom don't even open till 11:00, to

[1:18:12] pivot to a 10:30 stroll. And the Wine

[1:18:14] Stroll vendors, wine is more expensive

[1:18:17] than some of the other vendors that come

[1:18:19] in later in the year. Um and so, the the

[1:18:22] Wine Stroll vendors pivoting to be able

[1:18:23] to continue to offer an opportunity for

[1:18:25] them to to sell their wares, sell their

[1:18:28] wines. Um and then the public, of

[1:18:30] course, who showed up in drones. Uh the

[1:18:32] police chief is going to talk a little

[1:18:33] bit more about that. I just want to take

[1:18:34] a a to thank public for their

[1:18:36] willingness to pivot um and to help make

[1:18:38] this event happen in the first place.

[1:18:42] Okay, I have some exciting news from the

[1:18:44] public works department. We have

[1:18:45] installed another solar crosswalk at

[1:18:48] Carroll Street and Madison Street. We

[1:18:51] have a few more of these in the budget.

[1:18:52] We're going to try to install two a year

[1:18:54] moving forward. These are the solar

[1:18:56] crosswalks that you see going across the

[1:18:58] main street at the library.

[1:19:00] They're very exciting. I think they're

[1:19:01] easier to see people when they're

[1:19:03] crossing street. People seem to be using

[1:19:05] them which lights it up for at least a

[1:19:07] block. Those are the mid cross block

[1:19:10] block crosswalks mid block crosswalks

[1:19:13] cuz otherwise you could just cross with

[1:19:14] the light at the at the intersection. So

[1:19:17] we're excited about that. Are there any

[1:19:18] questions for the recreation department

[1:19:20] or public works department?

[1:19:21] If there are none, we will move on to

[1:19:23] the human resources department is Brian.

[1:19:25] Good evening. I don't have a report for

[1:19:27] us tonight. Thank you. Any questions for

[1:19:28] human resources?

[1:19:30] If there are none, we will move on to IT

[1:19:32] is Jim Moore.

[1:19:33] I'll just do a report that is very

[1:19:34] quick. Nothing much up here.

[1:19:37] If there are none, we will move on to

[1:19:39] planning. I'm sure we're going to have a

[1:19:40] report from Mr. DePue.

[1:19:42] Yes, on May 5th, the Board of Zoning

[1:19:44] Appeals is scheduled to review a

[1:19:46] modification to the previously approved

[1:19:48] special exception

[1:19:49] for an automobile service station at

[1:19:51] 1030 1023 Baltimore Boulevard and this

[1:19:56] is the site of the original Sheets, not

[1:19:59] the one we talked about tonight, the

[1:20:00] first one. They're proposing new EV

[1:20:03] charging stations and that's a special

[1:20:05] exception that is a change requiring a

[1:20:06] modification before the Board of Zoning

[1:20:08] Appeals.

[1:20:09] And that completes my report. Are there

[1:20:11] any questions for the planning director?

[1:20:14] Moving on, we will move we will go over

[1:20:16] to the finance department is Robert.

[1:20:18] Thank you, Ms. Imholte. Thank you again

[1:20:20] for the approval of the budget amendment

[1:20:22] for fiscal 26. Echo your sentiments on

[1:20:25] that. The only other thing I really want

[1:20:27] to report on tonight is that while we're

[1:20:29] busy

[1:20:30] finishing up the budget as we talked

[1:20:32] about quite a bit this evening. um The

[1:20:35] finance department is getting ready to

[1:20:37] wrap up our fiscal year end very soon.

[1:20:39] Our auditor has reached out about

[1:20:41] setting dates for the preliminary

[1:20:43] budget.

[1:20:44] So, we're quite busy and still working

[1:20:46] on the

[1:20:48] system upgrade. So, if you have any

[1:20:50] questions, I'm happy to answer them.

[1:20:52] Nothing on the AP AR payroll.

[1:20:55] All those important [clears throat]

[1:20:55] things.

[1:20:56] All those important things. And we'll

[1:20:58] say that the fiscal year 2027 budget

[1:21:01] is slated for adoption on May 11th.

[1:21:03] We'll open up that meeting on May 11th

[1:21:05] with a public hearing on the budget when

[1:21:07] you want to swing by.

[1:21:09] Are there any other questions for Ms.

[1:21:10] Rogers?

[1:21:12] Hearing none, we'll move on to the

[1:21:13] police department, Chief Ross. Great.

[1:21:15] Good evening, everyone.

[1:21:17] Obviously, it's been touched on the

[1:21:18] lines for all by several people. I saw

[1:21:20] several out there. I just wanted to say

[1:21:23] that, you know, I was impressed with the

[1:21:25] flexibility and how closely we are

[1:21:27] working with recreation and park.

[1:21:30] It was out of an abundance of caution

[1:21:32] that,

[1:21:33] you know, for both the attendees and our

[1:21:36] staff that we adjusted the times. We

[1:21:37] were very concerned about the weather

[1:21:39] coming in.

[1:21:40] But, the conversations were very

[1:21:41] thoughtful and I thought we came up with

[1:21:43] the best plan. And some of the other

[1:21:45] safety improvements that we've put out

[1:21:47] there with the barriers and things of

[1:21:49] that nature.

[1:21:50] It was, absolutely, my opinion the right

[1:21:54] decision

[1:21:55] from a public safety standpoint and it

[1:21:57] worked out great.

[1:21:58] The event was well attended even with

[1:22:00] the time changes.

[1:22:02] Even with the anticipated weather, we

[1:22:04] anticipate that we or we estimate that

[1:22:06] we had about 7,000 in attendance.

[1:22:10] Which is great. I mean, from 10:30 on,

[1:22:13] it was it was pretty packed. So,

[1:22:17] and on that note, there weren't any

[1:22:19] reported issues. We didn't have any

[1:22:21] issues.

[1:22:23] Everybody seemed to enjoy themselves.

[1:22:26] All the officers are out there. They

[1:22:27] were having fun engaging with the public

[1:22:29] and it's just a a really good event. And

[1:22:31] anytime you have the Reagan years, it's

[1:22:32] probably going to be a good event.

[1:22:34] So, um, you know, I just think it

[1:22:36] reflects the the strong

[1:22:38] interdepartmental collaboration that we

[1:22:40] have going on. So, it was uh I I was

[1:22:43] highly pleased. So, thank you. That's

[1:22:45] all.

[1:22:46] Those are killer decisions to make when

[1:22:48] we're when we're looking at moving the

[1:22:50] straw. Should we cancel it? Keep it as

[1:22:53] is. You know, are the are we going to

[1:22:55] have tents flying around? You know, are

[1:22:58] animals and kids going to get hurt?

[1:23:00] Killer decisions that are poured over

[1:23:03] for days and days and days. And of

[1:23:04] course, the weather

[1:23:06] weather people, you know, change their

[1:23:08] mind every other hour and and so does

[1:23:10] the weather for that matter. So, um, we

[1:23:12] stress about it for 48 straight hours

[1:23:14] until we make that absolute last call

[1:23:15] decision. And we just appreciate your

[1:23:18] ongoing support when we make these tough

[1:23:20] calls.

[1:23:21] Are there any questions for the chief?

[1:23:24] No question for the chief, but I

[1:23:26] when when I was stationed at Fort Bliss

[1:23:28] in El Paso, we had an air show there and

[1:23:30] it was about 250,000 people attended it

[1:23:32] every year. We never ever had to make

[1:23:35] those decisions. Same weather all the

[1:23:37] time. I mean, it was

[1:23:39] it was so easy.

[1:23:43] Not Maryland. We can't find water to

[1:23:46] save our lives unless unless it's a

[1:23:48] storm.

[1:23:49] » [laughter]

[1:23:50] » And I can

[1:23:51] guarantee that we'll find all the water.

[1:23:53] Don't ask me. Especially people. Yeah.

[1:23:56] Uh, Mr. President, that concludes the

[1:23:57] Department of Public Works.

[1:23:59] Thank you, Miss Impulse. The uh we move

[1:24:02] on to our final item on the agenda,

[1:24:03] which is citizens' comments, during

[1:24:05] which we invite the public to address

[1:24:06] the mayor and council on any issues

[1:24:08] related to tonight's agenda or other

[1:24:10] city matters. For those not attending

[1:24:12] this public meeting, we welcome your

[1:24:14] comments via email at

[1:24:15] comments@westminstermd.gov.

[1:24:18] All email comments will be shared with

[1:24:19] the mayor and council. Please include

[1:24:21] your address and phone number with the

[1:24:23] comments. We will now invite the

[1:24:25] comments from those present this

[1:24:27] evening. This is an opportunity for the

[1:24:29] public to share their thoughts with the

[1:24:30] mayor and council. Our role at this

[1:24:32] point is to listen to your comments and

[1:24:33] respond appropriately after consult

[1:24:35] consulting with staff and each other. Is

[1:24:38] there anyone here this evening that

[1:24:40] wishes to be heard? If so, please state

[1:24:42] your name and address for the record.

[1:24:45] Yes, sir. Uh Richard Phelps, 8 Ridge

[1:24:48] Road.

[1:24:50] To all of you. Thank you.

[1:24:53] Ignorance is bliss. You can say that.

[1:24:55] Thank you. That's the best part of being

[1:24:57] a lawyer.

[1:24:57] » [laughter]

[1:24:59] » Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

[1:25:01] That concludes our agenda and the

[1:25:02] meeting. Our next regular meeting will

[1:25:04] be Monday, May 11th, 2026. And with that

[1:25:06] and without objection, we are adjourned.

Untitled meeting

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