TOWN Of AFTONSVILS 1892 Meeting Minutes oft the Laytonsville Town Council on October 15, 2024 As reviewed, approved, and accepted by the Town Council on November 12, 2024, and amended by the Town Council on December 3, 2024. There being a quorum, Mayor Charles Hendricks called the regular meeting oft the Town Council to order at 8:29 p.m. The meeting was. held using video conferencing. Council Members Charles Bradsher, Tom Burke, Amy Koval, and Christina Pellegrino were present. Town Clerk Mary Burke, Assistant Clerk James Schneider, Planning Commission Chair Brendan Deyo, and Decision on Whether to Leave Open or Close the Record of the Public Hearing on Draft Mayor Hendricks asked Town Council members ift they wanted tol leave the record open or close the record on the just concluded public hearing. Council Member Bradsher made a motion to close the record. Council Member Pellegrino seconded the motion. Unanimously approved. The minutes oft the Town Council meeting held October 1, 2024, were approved as submitted. approximately 31 residents or guests were also present. Ordinance #03-24 Minutes: Unfinished Business Snow Removal Contract Proposal for 2024-2025 Mayor Hendricks reviewed the discussion at the previous Town Council meeting regarding Emperor Ice Melt in which the $50 per bag cost oft the ice melt product was questioned. He reported that he spoke to Jason Kilmore ofJ.B. Kline about this. Mr. Kilmore reported that the storage of the material is ai major consideration, and that the application is done as specified using a spreader. After plowing, ice melt is used to deal with melting and refreezing, and some of the material does accumulate along the edges oft the sidewalks in this process. Mr. Kilmore offered to discuss decisions regarding the use ofi ice melt with the mayor at the time winter weather occurs. Mayor Hendricks found Mr. Kilmore willing to consult prior to last winter's snow events. He suggested the Town Council approve the snow removal contract proposal. Councilmember Burke stated that we can work out application issues with the mayor and Mr. Kilmore from J.B. Kline, but that has no bearing on approval oft the contract. He stated that most sidewalk damage is along Higgins Road, and he's not sure how many factors are contributing to this damage. We can monitor this area in order to prevent further damage. www.aylonsvlle-md.us Post Office Box 5158 . Laytonsville, Maryland 20882 e Office 301-869-0042 Town Hall e 21607 Laytonsville Road . Laytonsville, Maryland Councilmember Pellegrino made a motion to approve the snow removal contract as presented. Councilmember Bradsher seconded the motion. Unanimously approved. Town Hall Porch RoofRepair Contract Proposals Mayor Hendricks reviewed previous Town Council discussions regarding proposals and estimates for repairing the porch roofofTown Hall and commented on the current proposals from S&K Roofing and Siding for a flat seam copper roof and from Skates Corporation with a similar estimate for a copper roof. Mayor Hendricks recommended accepting the S&K proposal, Councilmember Koval stated that it is good tol have a warranty and hopefully we can getany Councilmember Pellegrino agreed that a three-year warranty is good and commented that additional work that might be needed when the current roofis uncovered would be less citing the three-year warranty offered. needed repairs completed during the warranty period. Councilmember Burke agreed with Council Member Koval. expensive with S&K. Mayor Hendricks stated that some. ARPA funding is still available. Koval seconded the motion. Unanimously approved. Councilmember Burke made a motion to approve the S&K roof repair contract. Councilmember New Business Consideration of Draft Ordinance #03-24 Mayor Hendricks stated that after hearing this evening's s testimony, he is in favor of approving Councilmember Koval stated that she did not hear or read any public comments that were not for Councimember Burke stated that the Planning Commission needs to get their work done to complete the Comprehensive Plan and sees no: reason not to extend the moratorium in order to let Councimember Pellegrino made a motion to approve Ordinance #03-24 as drafted. Councilmember Bradsher seconded the motion. Unanimously approved. this ordinance. the moratorium extension. Councilmember Pellegrino agreed. them do that. Goshen Enterprises Contract Proposal Mayor Hendricks is interested in settling this contract to replace trees tonight sO that, if approved, an autumn tree planting can begin. All of these trees are to bej planted in the Laytonsville Grove area: two on Birdie Lane, one on Barberry Lane, and one on Maple Knoll Councilmember Pellegrino asked why these trees might have died. They were only planted about Lucian Romano, president of the Laytonsville Grove Homeowners Association, replied that it has been four or five years since these trees were planted, and they seem just not to have survived. They were alive and vibrant when the developer was released from the bond. Councilmember Koval stated that ift the trees are the town's responsibility, then fall is the best Drive near the entrance to Stadler Nurseries. four years ago. time to replace them. 2 Councilmember Pellegrino stated that she thinks it would be worth having a survey and identifying some guidelines for what ai town' s responsibility for an individual tree is and when it should be replaced versus when we should just say, that's the cost of planting large numbers of trees. She thinks it could be very expensive, and we are setting a precedent. I'm all for replacing trees. Iam a tree person, but the town can only afford to do sO in a limited manner. Mayor Hendricks stated that it would be wise to have the town's arborist make a survey oft the town's street trees that would identify when they may need to be trimmed or cared for. Councilmember Pellegrino stated that we. need to be more proactive in regard to caring for and, Councilmember Koval questioned if we should move forward with this if we are setting a Councilmember Burke stated that that the town should replace these trees and follow up with a town tree survey by the arborist that would identify which species oft trees are thriving. Councilmember Koval stated that the question is how we want to handle this moving forward. Mayor Hendricks feels that if we replace trees, then we might be more compelled to take better care ofthe trees that we do have and keep them alive. He thinks the public needs to make an investment in helping street trees to survive and should replace the trees that have died. Councilmember Koval agreed, stating that tree canopy is a very important for the town. She added ifv we replace these four trees now, we need to decide what to do moving forward. Former Mayor James Ruspi stated that he believed the Laytonsville Grove HOA came up with a legal document or covenants stating what responsibility they, the residents, and the town have for trees. He recommended this should be looked at before any trees are replaced. Mr. Romano stated that those trees are in the area that is owned by the town, as are the streetlights, but nothing in the covenant's documents states that trees have tol be replaced. The HOA is required to mulch the trees. So the HOAS must work hand in hand work with the town to Mayor Hendricks stated that the proposal tonight is simply to replace trees that have previously Councilmember Pellegrino made a motion to approve this contract as presented. Mayor ifneeded, watering the trees that are the responsibility oft the town. precedent. protect the trees and not cause major issues. existed. Hendricks seconded the motion. Unanimously approved. 3rd Quarter Safety Checklist Councilmember Burke reported that he found just a couple of places on the sidewalks that were questionable: on Dwyer Court there are a couple of spots that he would call a lift, where one section of sidewalk is higher than the adjacent section, and there was also one on. Barberry Lane. Ini the Jones Farm Pond area, the picnic table adjacent to the pond has a broken corner that might need some repair. There were a couple of streetlights that weren't operating near Town Hall, and the Town Clerk has already submitted a request to Pepco for those to be repaired. He noted that the bike rack should be added to the Town Hall checklist. Resident's) Forum Lucian Romano of21320 Birdie Lane thanked the Council for moving forward with the trees to beautify his neighborhood. He observed that he is getting a lot of questions from residents about the Barberry and Birdie Lane trails. He asked for a progress report on those trails and suggested a temporary fix for the Birdie Lane trail, which has suffered from erosion. 3 Mayor) Hendricks invited Mr. Romano to join ai meeting he and Joy Jackson will be having with ARRO Consulting at the Birdie Lane trail on Thursday morning to see what can be done there Rasheedah Ahmed of236 Barberry Lane, Laytonsville, stated that she and some ofH her neighbors would like help getting the path from Barberry Lane to the field behind Laytonsville Elementary Mayor Hendricks responded that he has discussed with Mrs. Watson, the elementary school principal, issues involving access from this path to the school and believes that she has not been both over the long term and immediately. School extended to the school. able to take action on this matter. Adjournment Council Member Pellegrino made a motion to adjourn at 10:23 p.m. Council Member Burke seconded the motion. Unanimously approved. Respectfully submitted, K James Schneider, Assistant Clerk Town ofLaytonsville 4