Boats docked at Chestertown Marina

There will be a dedication ceremony for the Chestertown marina, Nov. 1 at 1 p.m., Mayor Chris Cerino announced at the Sept. 3 town council meeting. The date is the Friday of Downrigging Weekend, so there should be a number of tall ships in the harbor to add an element of spectacle to the occasion. The ceremony will take place at the new marina headquarter building.

Cerino said the renovations for the marina are essentially complete except for some landscaping, and that the town wants to schedule the occasion to honor the “numerous federal and state agencies as well as a lot of private individuals” whose financial support made the work possible. He said the private individuals were rewarded with the opportunity to have various parts of the marina, from engraved paving stones to whole buildings, named for themselves or someone they wished to honor. He said he had decided to hold off on the actual placing of the naming plaques until the project was complete, so as to thank all the supporters at once.

The upgraded parking lot and headquarters building at the Chestertown Marina

Among the government agencies involved, Cerino mentioned the United States Department of Agriculture and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. He said the town had invited Gov. Larry Hogan and the heads of the state agencies involved. Hogan visited the marina well before the renovations began, when in Cerino’s words, it was “a total dump.” The ceremony would give Hogan, who pushed state agencies to support the renovations, an opportunity to see the finished product, and to assess the economic benefits of the program he was instrumental in supporting, Cerino said.

Cerino also mentioned state Sen. Mike Miller, who was a strong advocate for the project in the senate, which passed a bond bill to support the marina. Sen. Addie Eckart also sponsored the bond bill, he said. “There were really a lot of helpful people at the state level,” Cerino said. He also cited Terry Ferens at USDA, who he said “singlehandedly ushered our USDA grant through the ranks.” And he cited the 600 residents who wrote letters of support, calling it a rarity to get that many people in Chestertown to agree on anything.

A new brick patio and event space is one of the new amenities at Chestertown Marina

Also at the meeting, the council approved a resolution supporting an application for tax credits for the 98 Cannon St. restaurant, which is sited in the town’s enterprise zone. The resolution noted that the owners have spent $250,000 on renovation and $80,000 on new construction. If the application is approved at the state level, the owners would receive an 80% discount on the increased county property tax assessment for the first five years, with a 10% decrease in the discount for the next five years. The property is also eligible for a credit for state income taxes.

Cerino, reading the proclamation, noted that the restaurant is expected to add several new jobs to the local economy, as well as adding to the economy by attracting tourists and other business. He said that “some mayor down the road” will see the benefits of the program in the form of an increase in the town’s tax revenue. He said the town has previously approved tax credits for other businesses in the enterprise zone, including the Lamotte Company’s expansion, the new Dixon Valve headquarters, and the former sites of Stam’s and the Lemon Leaf Restaurant.

Ingersoll asked if there would be any difficulty in getting the application approved in view of the fact that much of the work is already done. Kay MacIntosh of Main Street Chestertown, who is working with county economic development coordinator Jamie Williams to facilitate the application, said the state commerce department, which administers the enterprise zone program, is typically willing to give “some dispensation” for qualifying projects within a reasonable time of the beginning of work.

Cerino announced that there will be a public hearing on the proposed third Bay Bridge on Tuesday, Sept. 24 at Kent County High School. The hearing, at 6 p.m., is for public comment on the proposed routes, one of which would come through Kent County near Rock Hall. Cerino noted that Gov. Hogan has said he will only support a third bridge parallel to the existing ones at Kent Island. He observed that the proposed route through Rock Hall would have to bridge the Chester River near its mouth, where it is 4 or 5 miles wide. He urged residents to put the date on their calendars and make their views known.

Councilman David Foster reported on discussions with the county government about the possibility of restoring a tax differential to compensate the town for services such as police, road maintenance and zoning, which the county does not provide within town limits. He said he is working to find other jurisdictions that could serve as “apples to apples” comparisons to Chestertown. He said he had fruitful conversations with the town manager of Denton, and was scheduled to talk to County Administrator Shelley Heller, who he said had been very cooperative in working to sort out the issues involved in a possible restoration of the differential.

Chestertown Police Chief Adrian Baker makes his final appearance before the town council

Lt. John Dolgos will be Chestertown’s interim Police Chief as the town embarks on a search for a successor to Chief Adrian Baker.

Baker, who resigned to take a position as head of the Maryland Natural Resources Police, said at the town council meeting Sept. 3 that Thursday, Sept. 5, will be his final day as Chestertown’s chief. In accepting the job at Natural Resources Police, Baker is returning to the organization where he was a regional director before taking the Chestertown job.

Town Manager Bill Ingersoll, addressing Baker’s resignation, characterized it as “sort of a sad thing,” and noted there was “some confusion” about the process of finding a replacement for the chief. He called Baker to the podium, saying, “We’re going to miss you, but you have a really tremendous opportunity.”

Baker thanked the council for the opportunity to serve, but he said the chance to take command of the Natural Resources Police was an offer he “couldn’t turn down.” He said he believed that Dolgos, a 28-year veteran of the town’s police force, was the right person for the interim appointment. He said that Dolgos had regularly taken over his duties when he was on vacation, so he was familiar with the daily routine of running the department. He described Dolgos as “very capable,” and said that the appointment would give the council time to figure out what it wanted to do for a permanent replacement.

In a brief discussion outside the council chamber, Baker said that smaller police departments, with only three or four officers, might request an interim chief from the Maryland State Police so they can keep the normal number of officers on patrol. However, he said that Chestertown, with a complement of 13 officers, can afford to move a senior officer into the administrative role without compromising coverage. He also reminisced about his time in the police academy, which at the time was located in Stevensville.

Councilman Marty Stetson said to Baker, “I noticed the change in the color of your hair,” in the time since he took the local job. Baker smiled and agreed that the hair had been brown when he came to Chestertown.

Councilwoman Linda Kuiper, in her ward report, thanked Baker for his service to the town, and the other council members and the audience responded with a round of applause.

Ingersoll said the town has already received two inquiries about the opening before it was even advertised. He said he had sent council members a copy of the town’s advertisement from 2012, when Baker was hired to replace former Chief Walter Coryell. He said he would use it as a model for an advertisement for filling the new vacancy, and asked the council for any suggested updates.

Councilman Marty Stetson reads a motion for the council to enter closed session to discuss the replacement of Police Chief Adrian Baker

“I recommend that we get (an advertisement) out immediately,” Ingersoll said. “We want to find somebody with the experience to run the department.” He said it might take as much as four weeks to get “a representative number” of applications for the position.

At the request of Stetson, the council conducted a closed session at the end of the regular meeting to discuss a personnel issue related to the interim appointment. Stetson, a former police chief, said he had some views on the appointment he wanted the council to hear and discuss. At the end of the closed session, which lasted about half an hour, Ingersoll said the council had taken no action, and that the decision to appoint Dolgos as interim chief remains in force.

Kent County Commissioners Bob Jacob, Tom Mason, Ron Fithian and County Administrator Shelley Heller

Under a new pilot program, out-of-county residents will soon have to pay to swim in the Millington pool.

Reporting to the Kent County Commissioners on August 20, Myra Butler, the county’s Director of Parks and Recreation, said that lifeguards have been asking not to be assigned to the Millington pool because of unruly behavior by users who “push back” when lifeguards attempt to enforce the rules. She said that many of the troublemakers are from outside the county and that they come to the pool because there is no charge to use it. She said lifeguards have been told they can call the sheriff if users continue to create problems, but they are reluctant to do so. And the problems are exacerbated by the reduced staff level at the pool.

In response, Butler proposed a pilot program to require a local facility access pass, which would be free to county residents, while outsiders would pay a fee. Butler suggested an annual fee of $25 for children under 12 years old and $35 for those above that age. Children under age 12 would not need passes if accompanied by parents with a valid pass. A lifeguard would be assigned to check whether pool users have a pass and where they reside. Butler said a fourth lifeguard would be assigned to the pool, and the lifeguards would rotate duties so two would be watching the pool at all times while another is on break and the fourth checks passes. She said the program should reduce problems and allow lifeguards to identify troublemakers. If successful, she said, the program could be extended to the Rock Hall pool.

Myra Butler, Kent County Director of Parks and Recreation

The equipment needed to implement the program would include a computer, a camera, a printer, and a scanner, with an estimated cost of $1,800 for the equipment. Butler said it might be possible to use a computer already owned by the county, which would reduce the startup cost. She said the department already has web-based software to operate the program. She said pool users would need a debit or credit card to sign up for the program at the Millington or Rock Hall pools, but they could use cash at the Kent County Community Center. The fees would cover the cost of the program, she said.

Commissioner Tom Mason asked what would prevent out-of-county residents from coming to the Community Center pool if they were being asked to pay at Millington. Butler said the Community Center has more staff on hand to enforce the rules if someone gets out of hand. Also, she said, there is already a charge to use the Community Center pool, whereas the Millington and Rock Hall pools are free.

Mason said he thought the proposed fees seemed cheap to him. He said residents are paying for the pools with their taxes, and that non-residents should pay more. Butler said she thought the prices were reasonable but said the price is an issue to consider going forward. She said the department thought it was important to establish the fees before the end of the season, so as not to surprise people with them at the beginning of next summer. If the fees are put in effect now, it will get the word out for next year, she said.

County attorney Tom Yeager said the commissioners could authorize the pilot program now and adjust the annual fees at a later date. Butler said it would be important to do so early in the county’s budget process, because the pools open on Memorial Day weekend, before the final budget is approved. She suggested announcing now that fees will be in effect next year.

Commissioner Bob Jacob said the commissioners should plan a whole meeting on county fees, including public landings and landfill use as well as the pools.

Butler said she would bring in comparable fees from other jurisdictions so the fees could be set accordingly. The commissioners voted to approve the access pass program, with fees to be set at a later date.

Also at the meeting, the commissioners heard from three women, members of local volunteer fire companies, who reported that their husbands’ life insurance policies, paid for by the county, had not paid for their funerals. They said the firefighters frequently risked their lives to protect the lives and property of other county residents, and that it was a shock to learn that the policies they had taken out through the fire companies had expired without notice.

Michael Moore, president of Dukes-Moore Insurance, which underwrites the policies, explained that the policies were paid for by the county until age 65, but after that age, it was the responsibility of the insured to continue the payments. He said the fire companies should have informed the members that the needed to keep up the payments to continue the insurance. He said the requirement was spelled out in the written policies. He ascribed the fact that the firefighters weren’t aware of it as “a failure of communications.”

Michael Moore, president of Dukes-Moore Insurance

Mason said the commissioners “feel your hurt,” but that their role extends only to funding the program, which he said they would continue to do. He said the women should take their concerns to the Fire Chief’s Association, which administers the program on behalf of the firefighters, and try to make a change to benefit future members.

Also at the meeting, the commissioners held a public hearing on a proposed zoning text amendment to increase the maximum allowed size of structures on agricultural land from 25,000 to 50,000 square feet. Stephanie Jones, acting director of planning and zoning, gave the only testimony. She said the planning commission reviewed the proposed change and recognized a public need for the larger structures. The county’s Agricultural Advisory Committee also approved the change. The proposal is consistent with the county’s comprehensive plan, and does not conflict with the Critical Area regulations, Jones said. A vote on the proposed change is scheduled for a future Commissioners’ meeting.

View of the Chester River from near the proposed River Trail in Wilmer Park, Chestertown, MD.

At the Chestertown Council meeting Aug. 19, Town Manager Bill Ingersoll gave the council draft copies of a memorandum of understanding between the town and Washington College. The document concerns the long-planned riverside walkway that would cross the college’s property from Wilmer Park to the neighborhood of Radcliffe Creek. The Eastern Shore Land Conservancy is also a party to the agreement.

Map of the proposed riverfront walk, shown in green at lower left.

The agreement states that the town is to construct and maintain the waterfront trail at no cost to the college and to give the college “a reasonable opportunity” to review plans for the trail and to have direct input on its placement as it crosses college property. The town is also to coordinate construction and maintenance of the trail with the college so as not to interfere with its operations and events. And the town would be required to maintain liability insurance for the trail, with the college named as an additional insured party.

For its part, the college would grant a 30-year easement on the property to be used for the trail, and for the college property at the Custom House and at the Hynson-Ringgold House gardens, which was used for the walkway from the foot of High Street to what is now the town-owned marina – an easement that is now due for renewal. It would grant permission for members of the public to use the trail during the hours in which Wilmer Park is open – essentially, dawn to dusk. The ESLC would assist in identifying funding opportunities for the building and maintenance of the trail.

Councilman Marty Stetson said the proposed agreement weighs heavily in favor of the college. Ingersoll said it is in the college’s best interests to be careful about a project that would bring the general public across its property. He said the terms of the agreement are essentially the same as the town agreed to when it built the boardwalk from High Street to Cannon Street. He said the town would want similar terms if an outside party wanted to use its property.

Ingersoll said the town’s attorney is vetting the draft and will provide his opinion before a final agreement is prepared.

Ingersoll said the waterfront walkway, which is between Wilmer Park and the old Armory, would not cross any public road, but that it would generate increased pedestrian traffic on the nearby roads, basicallyQuaker Neck Rd, as would the college’s new environmental center along the river. He provided a map of the proposed river walk and the fourth leg of the Gilchrest Rail Trail, which would extend across the Morgnec Road bypass near the college campus to the vicinity of Foxley Manor at the northern edge of town. He said that work on the rail trail is still in the early planning stage and that he welcomes input from the council. Bids for work on the trail were received on Aug. 16.

Mayor Chris Cerino said the waterfront trail project dates back some 15 years, to when he served on the town’s Planning Commission. He said it was exciting to see it moving toward becoming a reality.

Ken Fender, SHA District 2 Engineer

Also at the meeting, State Highway Administration District 2 engineer Ken Fender and members of his team invited questions from the council about road projects in town. Councilman Marty Stetson raised the issue of the pedestrian crossing button on the southeast corner of Washington Ave. and Campus Ave. Stetson observed that it is on a corner where there is no sidewalk leading to the east, where Kent County Middle School is located. He said it would be better to locate the button on the northeast corner for the safety of school children.

Councilman David Foster said he had spoken to the engineers before the start of the meeting about the intersection of Cross Street and Maple Avenue, which he said is one of the more dangerous pedestrian crossings in town. Fender said that pedestrian safety is a “huge” concern at SHA, and promised to look into possible ways to improve it.

Councilwoman Linda Kuiper asked about the status of a proposed third Bay Bridge. Fenders said the project would not be his direct responsibility, although he has heard a lot of discussion from Queen Anne’s County about traffic issues related to the Bay crossing. “I don’t have a lot of say in what goes on,” he said of the proposed bridge.

Councilman Ellsworth Tolliver asked Fender what he sees as the greatest challenges in the district. “Trying to keep service up with declining funding,” Fender said. “Next year I’ll probably tell you something different.”

Kuiper, in her ward report, discussed plans to lay a memorial plaque in Fountain Park for Owen McCoy, the long-term farmers market manager who died a year ago in July. She said she had consulted with McCoy’s daughters about the text for the 8” by 8” bronze plaque, which would include his time of service with the market – 1979 to 2018. The plaque would be placed near the corner of Park Row and Cross Street, where McCoy regularly parked his truck to sell farm produce.

The meeting, which began at 7:30 pm, ended a little after 8:30 pm. The Chestertown Council officially meets at town hall at 7:30 pm on the first and third Mondays of each month.  However, the first Monday in Sept. is Labor Day, so the next Chestertown council meeting will be on Tuesday, Sept. 3, usual time and place.

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Elections for Chestertown Second and Fourth Ward Council seats will be held November 5.

Chestertown Councilwoman Linda Kuiper has announced her candidacy for a third term

Second Ward Councilwoman Linda Kuiper said at the meeting that she will stand for another four-year term, which would be her third. She said she has already collected the needed signatures to file for reelection. If re-elected, Kuiper would become the senior member of the council in length of service. Her new term would begin in January 2020.

Councilman Marty Stetson 

Fourth Ward Councilman Marty Stetson announced at the Aug. 5 council meeting that he will not seek re-election to what would be his fourth term. He cited deterioration of his hearing as the reason for his decision.

Candidates for the two seats that are up for election must file their petitions at Town Hall, 118 N. Cross Street, by Friday, Oct. 4. However, no applications will be accepted on or before Thursday, Aug. 29. Petitions must be signed by at least 20 qualified voters, all of whom are residents of the ward the candidate seeks to represent. Petitions must also indicate the candidate’s name, residence, age, the length of time the candidate has lived in town, and the office the candidate seeks to run for.

To be eligible for election to the council, candidates must be legal voters in the town of Chestertown, no less than 21 years old, citizens of the United States, and residents of the town for one year prior to the election. They must also be residents of the ward they are seeking to represent no less than 30 days prior to the election.

Candidates are also required to file two financial disclosure forms with the town, the first on Oct. 21, the final one on Nov. 15. For further information on the town’s financial disclosure requirements, visit the town website.

Oct. 4 is also the last day for voter registration for the town election. Voters must be registered with the Kent County Board of Elections; any voter registered with the county for state and federal elections is automatically eligible to vote in town elections. Only residents of the wards from which council members are being elected are eligible to vote for those offices. For forms and information on absentee ballots, contact the Town Office, 118 N. Cross Street at 410-778-0500 or email Town Clerk Jen Mulligan at jen.chestertown@verizon.net.

Chestertown Ward Map, from the town website.

Ward 2 runs from the Chester River west of High Street to the northern town limits in Foxley Manor. It includes most of the downtown shopping district and much of the Washington College campus.

Ward 4 is, roughly speaking, the northeast quadrant of town, beginning at the intersection of Campus Avenue and Washington Avenue. In addition to residential areas, it includes the two shopping centers along Washington Ave. extended.

For full information on the election and a downloadable map of the election wards, visit the town website. (Note — check with Town Hall if unsure which ward you’re in; the map can be hard to read.)

Other issues discussed at the Aug. 19 council meeting included the introduction of State Highway Administration officials to the council, an update on the September car show, and an agreement between the town and Washington College on a riverside walkway across college property. See an upcoming issue of the Chestertown Spy for a report on these issues.