Town of Hertford  Work Session Meeting (In Person/Zoom) Monday, June 27, 2022 - 6:00 p.m.  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 Zoom) on Monday, June 27, 2022, at 6:00 pm.  COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT  Connie Brothers Jerry Mimlitsch COUNCIL MEMBERS ABSENT Mayor Earnell Brown STAFF PRESENT  Ashley Hodges, Mayor Pro Tem (Zoom)  Sandra Anderson  Janice McKenzie Cole, Interim Town Manager Ashley Eure, Account Specialist Gina Durante, Town Clerk A quorum was present.  Int the absence of Mayor Brown and Mayor Pro Tem Hodges, Counciwoman Brothers made a motion for Councilman Mimlitsch to preside over the meeting and Councilwoman Anderson seconded the motion. It passed unanimously with the  following voice vote: Mayor Pro Tem Hodges aye Counciwoman Brothers aye Counciwoman Anderson aye Councilman Mimlitsch  aye  Councilman Mimlitsch called the meeting to order. Counciwoman Anderson led the  invocation which was followed by the pledge of allegiance.  APPROVAL OF AGENDA  Councilman Mimlitsch asked for a motion to approve the amended agenda. The amended items were 5f. Fees for Cemetery Plots and 5g. Budget Amendments. A motion was made by Counciwoman Brothers to approve the amended agenda and Counciwoman Anderson seconded it. The motion was approved unanimously 4-0 with  the following voice vote: Mayor Pro Tem Hodges aye    Counciwoman Brothers aye Counciwoman Anderson aye Councilman Mimlitsch CONTINUED BUSINESS  aye  NONE  NEW BUSINESS  ORDINANCE DECLARING ROAD CLOSURES FOR INDIAN SUMMER FESTIVAL Counciwoman Anderson made a motion to accept the road closure ordinance for September gth and 10th, 2022 and that Manager Cole is authorized to add the specific hours for September gth. The motion was seconded by Councilwoman Brothers. The  motion was passed unanimously 4-0 with the following voice vote:  Mayor Pro Tem Hodges aye Councilwoman Brothers aye Counciwoman Anderson aye Councilman Mimlitsch  aye  BANK SIGNATURES REVISED  Manager Cole stated that she had previously requested that Sarah Nixon be substituted for Judy Bateman and that Accounting Specialist Ashley Eure be added as signatories on our bank accounts. She has since been advised by CPAS that best accounting practices is that Ashley Eure should not be a signatory on any checks since she will be doing the bank account reconciliations. Councilman Mimlitsch asked for a motion to have Sarah Nixon replace Judy Bateman as signatory and remove Ashley Eure. Counciwoman Anderson made the motion and Councilwoman Brothers seconded it. It  passed unanimously with the following voice vote:  Mayor Pro Tem Hodges aye Counciwoman Brothers aye Counciwoman Anderson aye Councilman Mimlitsch  aye  AUDITOR'S CONTRACT FOR FY21-22  Counciwoman Brothers made a motion to accept the auditor's contract and audit fee of $41,650 for FY21-22. Mayor Pro Tem Hodges seconded. The motion passed 4-0 with  the following voice vote:    Mayor Pro Tem Hodges aye Councilwoman Brothers aye Counciwoman Anderson aye Councilman Mimlitsch  aye  As second motion was made to approve the engagement letter for FY21-22 by Councilwoman Anderson and seconded by Counciwoman Brothers. This too passed 4-  0 with the following voice vote: Mayor Pro Tem Hodges aye Councilwoman Brothers aye Councilwoman Anderson aye Councilman Mimlitsch  aye  VACANCY FOR ALTERNATE ON PLANNING AND ZONING BOARD Manager Cole asked Council to accept the resignation of Greg Benton, Alternate Member of the Planning and Zoning Board. A replacement is still being considered. A motion was made by Counciwoman Brothers to accept Mr. Benton's resignation and Counciwoman Anderson seconded it. It passed unanimously with the following voice  vote:  Mayor Pro Tem Hodges aye Councilwoman Brothers aye Counciwoman Anderson aye Councilman Mimlitsch MANAGER'S UPDATE  aye  Grants: The Town applied for a grant with the Department of Commerce for Rural Transformation, but we did not receive it. There will be another opportunity to apply for this grant in September. Our application will be reviewed prior to reapplying. Due to time constraints, we could not complete the multi-step registration process in time to apply for the electric charging stations, sO we were unable to complete our application for that grant. There will be another round of applications for grants which we will be prepared Parking: The downtown merchants asked the Town to provide signs indicating additional public parking. The Town has an agreement with the Hertford Baptist Church to use their parking lot for overflow downtown parking. We had signs made that had the Town logo at the top and said Downtown Parking Except Sundays. Because the sign had the Hertford logo on it, the Church asked us to remove it as the church did not want  for.    the perception that the town owned their lot. Also, the church feels there may be times other than Sundays when they might need to limit use of their parking lot. As per their request, the sign has been removed. Manager Cole reached a compromise with the Church oft the acceptable language for the signs. New signs will be prepared. There is as sign coming from the S-Bridge pointing to the Municipal Building parking lot as public  parking.  FEES FOR CEMETERY PLOTS  Manager Cole stated that the Town has been charging three different fees for purchasing cemetery plots. Her recommendation is to charge one fee, $750, based on plot sales pre-Covid and during Covid. The new fee of $750 for all plots would generate $18,000 in revenue if the anticipated 24 plots were sold for the new FY22-23. Councilwoman Anderson made a motion to approve that new single fee schedule of $750 for cemetery plots and Counciwoman Brothers seconded. The motion was  passed 4-0 with the following voice vote: Mayor Pro Tem Hodges aye Councilwoman Brothers aye Councilwoman Anderson aye Councilman Mimlitsch BUDGET AMENDMENTS  aye  Manager Cole and Account Specialist Ashley Eure addressed two budget amendments that we are required to have approved prior to the end of FY21-22. Amendment #7 is to rollover encumbered amounts that have not been paid out yet for FY21-22 into FY22- 23. Amendment #8 is to balance the income and expenditures in the General Fund. A motion to approve both amendments was made by Counciwoman Brothers and seconded by Councilwoman Anderson. The motion passed unanimously with the  following voice vote: Mayor Pro Tem Hodges aye Councilwoman Brothers aye Councilwoman Anderson aye Councilman Mimlitsch  aye  COUNCIL REPORISICONCERNS  Mayor Pro Tem Hodges has been away on business obligations but wanted to thank everyone for their hard work that has gone into the many events over the last few weeks. He read in the newspaper that the Juneteenth Celebration was well attended. Mayor Pro Tem Hodges commended Council on how well they have been partnering  with the community to make these events successful.    Councilwoman Brothers thanked all those who participated in Hertford's first Juneteenth Celebration. The entertainment was well received, and they have asked vendors to Counciwoman Anderson noted that last Saturday, June 25, was the second SML Flea Market in Downtown Hertford. The first flea market was a success, and this past Saturday was even more successful with the addition of five more vendors. Counciwoman Anderson thanked Manager Cole for supplying a portable restroom. She also recognized Jennifer Byrum for managing the flea market throughout the day. Planet Fitness in Elizabeth City is offering free memberships to students between the ages of 4-19 during the summer. Counciwoman Anderson thanked all those who have supported the events of Hertford and Jonathan Nixon and Julie Solesbee who put Councilman Mimlitsch announced that July 8th will be the second Friday Night Stroll in Downtown Hertford from 5:30PM to 9:30PM. The theme will be agriculture; there will be a live band, games, popcorn, an AG simulator, a live COW, and a community puzzle. The Indian Summer Festival in September is going to have classic cars, trucks, and motorcycles to view near the boat docks by the Municipal Building. Anyone interested in showing their vehicle can sign up through the Tourism Development Authority or online  return next year.  signage on Highway 17.  at vstperqumans.com, ANNOUCEMENTS None  An motion was made by Councilwoman Anderson to adjourn the meeting and it was seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Hodges. The motion passed unanimously with the  following voice vote: Mayor Pro Tem Hodges aye Councilwoman Brothers aye Counciwoman Anderson aye Councilman Mimlitsch  aye  The meeting was adjourned at 6:34PM.