Town of Hertford  Work Session Meeting (In Person/Facebook) Monday, March 27, 2023 -6 6:00PM Horace Reid Community Center, 305 W Grubb Street  The Council of the Town of Hertford held a Work Session Meeting at the Horace Reid Community Center (also by Facebook) on Monday, March 27, 2023, at 6:00 PM.  COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT Earnell Brown, Mayor Jerry Mimlitsch Connie Brothers STAFF PRESENT Janice McKenzie Cole, Town Manager Gina Durante, Town Clerk Doris Walton, Assistant to the Town Manager Ashley Eure, Account Specialist A quorum was present. CALL TO ORDER  Ashley Hodges, Mayor Pro Tem Sandra Anderson  Mayor Brown called the meeting to order, INVOCATION & PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE  The invocation was given by Councilman Mimlitsch, followed by the Pledge of  Allegiance.  APPROVAL OF AGENDA  Ar motion was made by Mayor Pro Tem Hodges to approve the agenda. Councilman  Mimlitsch seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.  CONTINUED BUSINESS  a) Fire Truck Contract- Manager Cole discussed the contract for the new fire truck for the Hertford Fire Department. Previously, the town had passed on a demo truck available for purchase at a substantial savings. This is another demo truck being built that the town can purchase and customize. The final price is $650,577 and the town would take delivery near the end of 2023. Council discussed locking in the price for this truck, financing and grant issues, timelines of ordering and having another fire truck built, parking, and retaining the current fire truck upon delivery of the new one. Mayor Brown asked for a motion to accept the contract as presented. Mayor Pro Tem Hodges made a motion to  March 27, 2023 Work Session Minutes  1    accept the contract and Councilman Mimlitsch seconded. The motion passed b) Withers Ravenel Task Order for Public Works Building = Manager Cole explained that this is a proposal from Withers Ravenel for preparing the land for the new 10,000 square foot Public Works building. Withers Ravenel will make sure the building is in compliance with zoning, utilities, floodplain, wetlands, etc. The proposed amount for these services is $8,500. Mayor Brown asked fora a motion to approve the proposal from Withers Ravenel. Mayor Pro Tem Hodges made the motion and Councilman Mimlitsch seconded. The motion to approve c) Budget Request Presentations (Fire Department and Administration) - Fire Chief Drew' Woodard presented Council with the FY23-24 budget requests for the Hertford Fire Department. Manager Cole presented Council with the budget requests for the Town of Hertford Administration, DMV, Cemetery, Planning, and  unanimously, 5-0.  the proposal passed unanimously, 5-0.  Non-Deparmental departments.  SCHEDULED APPOINTMENT  Rick Vander Mast, Senior Grade Supervisor at ElectriCities, gave the Town of Hertford Retail Revenue and Rate Presentation. Mr. Vander Mast began his presentation informing Council that a half-day basic electricity and rate training for customer service employees is included in our membership. Each year ElectriCities also offers its members current revenue projections for the next fiscal year. Following the presentation, Mr. Vander Mast, Council, and Manager Cole discussed Hertford's competitive electric rates, minimum base charges, and recommendations for building  the Town's budget. NEW BUSINESS  a) Piney Woods Friends Meeting Cross Walk - Manager Cole explained that this is an event where participants will carry crosses to bring attention to and commemorate Good Friday. It will begin and end at Hertford Baptist Church on Friday, April 7th at 5:30 pm. No street closures are required as participants will be on sidewalks. Mayor Brown asked for a motion to approve the event. Councilwoman Brothers made a motion and Councilman Mimlitsch seconded. The b) Budget Amendment FY23-13 - Manager Cole explained that the amendment is to move funds from Wastewater-Sewer: to Water to cover the cost of repairs on vehicles. Our CPAS have confirmed that this transfer within Public Works is acceptable. Councilman Mimlitsch made the motion to approve the amendment and Counciwoman Anderson seconded. The motion passed unanimously, 5-0. c) Demolition by Neglect Ordinance - Manager Cole gave Council a copy of Edenton's ordinance to prevent landlords from allowing historical district buildings to deteriorate due to not repairing their buildings and by giving the Town the  motion passed unanimously, 5-0.  March 27, 2023 Work Session Minutes  2    authority to make repairs. Safety is a key issue as is preventing demolishing historic building because landlords fail to make repairs. Manager Cole has submitted this to Town Attorney John Leidy, and he is preparing an introductory statement. This will be on the agenda at the April 10th, 2023, Town of Hertford Manager Cole informed Council that the USDA notified her that we have complied with everything they required, and the Town will be receiving $113,000 for reimbursement on work that has been done for Waterfront Project. The week of March 13th, she and Assistant Walton attended the Mainstreet Conference in Statesville. The conference was informative, and they were able to make contacts with vendors in different sessions at the conference. She explained that attendance is required at a certain number of conferences and training The week of March 20th, Manager Cole attended an Economic Development conference in Charlotte. She commented on the many services ElectriCities can provide as members oft the ICSC (International Council of Shopping Centers). They can provide helpful data, and attendees are able to make connections with many types of retailers, restaurants, real estate agencies, brokers, and developers. She was provided with "leakage" data indicating where our local businesses are losing customers as people are going elsewhere for products/services and estimates of our local businesses' financial losses. This data is available for several categories of consumer expenditures. Manager Cole was able to speak with developers and businesses about visiting Hertford and encourage building and growth in our town.  Town Council Regular Session meeting.  d) Manager's Update  courses to maintain our Mainstreet Community status.  COUNCIL'S REPORISICONCERNS  Councilman Mimlitsch expressed his appreciation to the staff for all the work being done for budget season. He is glad to have all Council members back and healthy. He asked Councilwoman Brothers stated that she is glad to be back and thanked the community for prayers for her father who has been in the hospital several weeks. On March 24th, she attended a meeting in Bertie County with Goodwill, Incorporated of NC. They are introducing their programs to counties, and Councilwoman Brothers is participating in their No Child Will Be Left Without Food program. Goodwill donated $2,500 to her to distribute to the high school students to go shopping at the Food Lion. She is coordinating with the high school staff and the Food Lion manager to make one hour available for students on April 4th to utilize their gift cards. Councilwoman addressed the Juneteenth holiday approaching asked Council for the use of Central Park on June 17th  for continued prayers for those family members still hospitalized.  and June 19th.  March 27,2023 Work Session Minutes  3    Mayor Pro Tem Hodges also stated that it is good to have all Council members back. He stated that the Perquimans County Board of Education is doing many positive things for our schools. A band director was hired for the high school and middle school. Four Perquimans County students were in the top ten in a recent math competition. He and Manager Cole met with the Harbor Town team in Columbia as they knew our disappointment and frustration with the dinner ferry. They are working with a construction team to see if the dinner ferry could dock at the old S-Bridge truss at Missing Mills Parki in the future. Mayor Pro Tem Hodges expressed his appreciation that  Harbor Town is working to help Hertford.  ANNOUNCEMENTS  Mayor Brown read the announcements.  Mayor Pro Tem Hodges made a motion to adjourn, and Councilman Mimlitsch  seconded. The motion passed unanimously, 5-0 The meeting was adjourned at 8:15 PM.  March 27,2023 Work Session Minutes