Montgomery News

Town of Laytonsville Council met May 1.

Here is the minutes provided by the Council:

There being a quorum, Mayor Jim Ruspi called the regular meeting of the Town Council to order at 7:43 p.m. Council Members Charles Bradsher, Tom Burke, Jim O’Hair and Paul Simonetti were present. The Treasurer and Clerk were also present. Mayor Ruspi introduced Joy Jackson who was recently hired to be Assistant Clerk. Four residents were also present.

Minutes: The minutes from the Budget Hearing and Town Council Meeting that were held on April 10, 2018 were approved as submitted. The minutes from the hearing on Miller Park that was held on April 17, 2018 were approved as submitted.

Treasurer’s Report: The Treasurer reviewed the Profit and Loss Report for the month of April 2018. Total Income for the month of April was $2,176 with $1,205 coming from Interest Income and $721 coming from Real Property Taxes. In the CIP fund, $10,000 was transferred in from the General Fund making the total income for both funds $12,830. Major Expenses for the month of April were $1,008 for Accounting and $3,033 for Waste Collection. There was $10,000 transferred out of the general fund to the CIP fund, bringing the total expenses for both funds for the month of April 2018 to be $16,294. General Net Income for the month of April was -$3,464. Looking at the Balance Sheet for the month of April 2018, the fund balances for the general fund was $1,125,240 for the CIP account, the balance was $157,548 and the fixed assets were $903,054. The total fund balance for the Town of Laytonsville for April 2018 was $2,185,842.

Council Member O’Hair made a motion to approve the April Treasurer’s report subject to audit. Council Member Burke seconded the motion. Unanimously approved.

Committee/Board Reports-

None

Old Business-

Close Record on Budget Hearing – Council Member O’Hair made a motion to close the record on the Budget Hearing of April 10, 2018. Council Member Bradsher seconded the motion. Unanimously approved.

Close Record on Miller Park Hearing – Council Member Burke made a motion to close the record on the Budget Hearing of April 16, 2018. Council Member Bradsher seconded the motion. Unanimously approved.

Goshen Enterprises proposal for Jones Pond Park: a revised proposal from Goshen Enterprises to do work at Jones Pond Park was presented which included additional details as requested in the March meeting. The proposal included three items. The first item is to cut back brush at the in fall and dam face of the pond to keep the town in compliance with the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection regulations. The second is to re-seed and area on the side of the pond where no vegetation is growing to stabilize the area and prevent erosion. The third item is for pruning and trimming of the trees within the area that is mowed. He stated that the work was not to be done immediately. Council Member Simonetti made the motion to approve the contract which was seconded by Council Member Bradsher. Unanimously approved.

Safety Inspector: Charles Bradsher provided the safety inspection for the first quarter. The safety inspector for the second quarter will be Paul Simonetti.

New Business:

Memorial for Laura Turner: Mrs. Moira Stone, a former teacher at Laytonsville Elementary School (LES) informed the Council that several teachers had formed a committee to put a memorial together in remembrance of former LES principal, Laura Turner. Mrs. Turner was principal at LES from 1977-1997. She stated that they were looking at purchasing two garden benches and were working with the current principal, Mrs. Donna Sagona, to determine a location at the school. Mrs. Stone stated that they had approached the Laytonsville Woman’s Club, Laytonsville Lions and may also be reaching out to the local businesses to help fund the memorial. She asked the Town to consider a donation. The committee is looking to dedicate the memorial in early June.

Election: The two candidates running for the two Town Council positions are Jim O’Hair and Charles Bradsher. The election will be May 7, 2018 from 3-8 pm.

Election judges: Council member Bradsher made the motion to appoint Joy Jackson, Sheree Wenger, Jill Ruspi, William Duvall, and Lisa Simonetti as election judges. Unanimously approved.

Work session: A work session for April will be decided pending discussion with Mayor Ruspi regarding the budget.

Budget Ordinance and Employee Compensation Resolution: The budget ordinance and employee compensation resolution were introduced. It was stated that they would be further reviewed at a work session if scheduled.

Miller Park: There will be a public hearing on April 17 to discuss the proposed plans for Miller Park. The Parks and Trails task force will share their plans to date and seek input from the Council and residents. Council Member Burke asked if money had been allocated in the budget for maintenance of the park. The Treasurer responded that $2,000 per year had been allocated.

Parade: Vice-President O’Hair stated that the parade is May 19. He asked the Council if they would serve as judges and they agreed. He also suggested that the Council think about a hat that they could wear.

Highway User Revenue: Vice-President O’Hair stated that Senator Craig Zucker had called to report that it was voted to increase the highway user revenues and Laytonsville should see about a $3,000 increase.

Residents-

Nothing to report.

Adjournment: Council Member O’Hair made a motion to adjourn at 9:30 pm. Council Member Simonetti seconded the motion. Unanimously approved.

http://www.laytonsville.md.us/resources/Documents/HDC%20Minutes/townminutes%205-18.pdf