Board of Town Commissioners - Regular Meeting

2:33 – 2:48•PEPaula S. Etting

Good evening, it's now 7 o'clock on August the 17th, and the Bellerictown Hall meeting is now in session. All right, ladies and gentlemen, if we could have quiet please. Thank you so much. All right, first we're going to have the invocation.

2:59•PEPaula S. Etting

Commissioner Foss? Present. Commissioner Chismar? And Commissioner Hanley? Here. All right. Thank you so much. The invocation.

3:11 – 3:46•KFKristien S. Foss

Yes, Heavenly Father, we come before you tonight with heavy hearts, following the tragic events in our community. And we pray for our police officer who was injured in the shooting, asking that you bring him healing, strength, and peace, and that you comfort his family and fellow officers. We also pray for the family of the person who lost his life. Surround them with your comfort during this difficult time. As we conduct the business of our town tonight, please give us wisdom, compassion, and understanding, and help us to serve our community with integrity and care. In your name we pray. Amen

3:47 – 5:24•PEPaula S. Etting

If you will all please stand and join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. Before we begin this evening's agenda, I would like to offer a brief statement by the board regarding the police involved shooting that occurred on Saturday. We continue to offer our prayers for the complete recovery of our officer who was savagely attacked on Saturday. We are thankful that at this time he is expected to make a full recovery from his injuries. We are immensely proud of the men and women of the Bel Air Police Department. Under the leadership of Chief Charles Moore and Deputy Chief David Hughes, Bel Air has on

5:24•KFKristien S. Foss

Yes, Madam Chair. I move that we approve the agenda for August 17, 2026.

5:29•PEPaula S. Etting

Thank you. Do I have a second? Second. Thank you. Any discussion of the agenda this evening? All right. Mr. Krantz?

5:54•PEPaula S. Etting

Next, we have the approval of the minutes. May I have a motion?

5:57 – 6:16•SCSteven T. Chizmar

Yes, Madam Chair. I move that the minutes of the Board of Commissioners meetings held on July 14th, 2026 and July 20th, 2026 be approved as submitted. These minutes include the July 14th, 2026 Commissioner's Work Session, both the open and closed meeting, and the July 20th, 2026 Commissioner's Town Hall, both the open and closed meeting.

6:17•PEPaula S. Etting

Thank you. Do I have a second? Second. Thank you, Commissioner Hanley. Any discussion of the minutes? All right. Mr. Krantz?

6:41•PEPaula S. Etting

All right, moving on to presentations, we are going to start with the Historic Preservation Commission's Find Our History contest recognition.

10:42 – 14:39•PEPaula S. Etting

All right, next we will proceed with the Chesapeake Employers' Workers' Compensation Insurance Company policyholder dividend. They're not here yet? Okay. Deputy Chief Hughes, I'm gonna ask what's your pleasure? We can continue with some of our new business and wait for the presentation a little bit. Here now? All right, in that case, the promotion of Clarence Hicks to Officer First Class of the Bel Air Police Department will be our next presentation. All right. There you go. Making an entrance. Making an entrance. Chief Moore has arrived just in the nick of time. So if we could have Officer Hi

18:17•SCSteven T. Chizmar

Oh, what? One more. Okay. Are you ready?

19:11 – 19:34•PEPaula S. Etting

all right well we'll continue with our meeting since the Chesapeake employers folks are not here as far as I can see so moving on to new business the first item under new business is resolution 1279-26 amending resolution 1246-25 the armory fee schedule with a veteran's discount may I have a motion

19:35 – 19:53•GHGavin O. Hanley

Madam Chair, I move that resolution number 1279-26 amending the Bel Air Armory's leasing fee schedule for individual and business hourly lease rates by adding a discount of 10% for active duty military in good standing and veterans of the United States Armed Forces who are separated or discharged under honorable conditions be received by the Board of Town Commissioners.

19:54•PEPaula S. Etting

Thank you, Commissioner Hanley. Do I have a second? Second. Thank you, Commissioner Foss. And Mike, are you presenting on this?

22:28 – 22:42•KFKristien S. Foss

I did. Just had a quick question. And it was, I mean, you had said that, because I was just curious, that there is an individual that's putting together a list for veterans and that this was something. Who is that? I forget who you said.

22:42 – 22:55•PEPaula S. Etting

It was Jim Ports from the county. The county is assembling sort of a directory of all the things that are available to veterans so that they know where to go for resources or other discounts that they might be entitled to. It's Jim Ports with the county.

22:55•KFKristien S. Foss

Thank you. I'm just asking for the veterans in my family.

23:01•PEPaula S. Etting

Anything else? All right. Is there any member of the public here that wishes to comment on this piece of legislation only at this time? All right. In that case, Mr. Krantz.

23:38•PEPaula S. Etting

Thank you. The next item under new business is the Microsoft 365 contract renewals. May I have a motion?

23:46 – 24:02•KFKristien S. Foss

Yes, Madam Chair. I recommend that the proposals from Dell Marketing LP from Microsoft 365 Business Premium, Microsoft Intrasuite, and Microsoft Exchange Online in the combined amount of $53,451.85 be approved by the Board of Town Commissioners.

24:07•PEPaula S. Etting

Thank you, Commissioner Foss. Do I have a second? Second. Thank you, Commissioner Taylor. And Mr. Krantz.

26:39 – 27:04•PEPaula S. Etting

53,451.85 so staff recommends that the board approve this purchase and that combined amount and let me know if you have any questions we can never work anymore without our computer access and all the programs that go with it so any questions for Mr. Krantz is there any member of the public here that wishes to make a public comment on this contract all right in that case Mr. Krantz we're ready

27:24•PEPaula S. Etting

Next is our contract for parking garage elevator and the band shell small lift. May I have a motion?

27:32 – 27:58•SCSteven T. Chizmar

Yes, Madam Chair, I move the town piggyback on state of Delaware maintenance contract with Delaware elevator incorporated 2210 Allen Drive Salisbury, Maryland 21801 for scheduled preventive maintenance testing and emergency repair services for the town's elevators for a four year term not to exceed $25,000 per year, or $100,000 for the full four year contract term be accepted by the four town commissioners.

27:58•PEPaula S. Etting

Thank you, Commissioner Chisholm. Do I have a second? Second. Thank you, Commissioner Hanley. And I'm Mr. Dawson. This will be yours. Yes, Madam Chair. Thank you.

30:34•PEPaula S. Etting

Our final item under new business is the reappointment to the Board of Building Appeals of Mr. Stephen Burdett. May I have a motion?

30:42•GHGavin O. Hanley

Madam Chair, I move that the reappointment of Stephen Burdett for a term of four years to the Board of Building Appeals, effective immediately, be approved by the Beller Board of Town Commissioners.

30:51 – 31:05•PEPaula S. Etting

Thank you, Commissioner Hanley. Do I have a second? Thank you, Commissioner Chismar. And Mr. Dawson. All right. I'm sorry, Michael.

31:29•PEPaula S. Etting

The board has never met, but we have to have one just in case. There's a call for the—

31:50 – 32:29•PEPaula S. Etting

And Mr. Burdette has served in previous capacities for the town. He was on the Board of Town Commissioners. He was the mayor. And he's been serving on the Board of Appeals since it was resurrected. Exactly. and he's back on the historic district so he he wears many hats for the town so we are just glad that it is fully staffed I am glad that Mr. Burdette has agreed to continue his service to the town on the board of building appeals so with that any further discussion of Mr. Burdette's reappointment is there any member of the public here that wishes to comment on this appointment of Mr. Burdet

32:46 – 37:21•PEPaula S. Etting

Public announcements. All town of Bel Air offices will be closed on Monday, September 7th in observance of Labor Day. Visit our website or social media pages for more on how trash pickup schedules will be affected that week. Summer movie nights brought to you by the Bel Air Downtown Alliance will conclude for the season on Friday, August 21st with a showing of the Minecraft movie in Shamrock Park. Pre-show entertainment starts at 7.15 p.m. and the movie starts at 8 p.m. Admission is free. If you're interested in a Bel Air connection to the women's suffrage movement of the early 20th century, t

37:22•KFKristien S. Foss

What are the meeting times again? I'm sorry, I didn't get that. For which? The tree committee.

37:25 – 38:05•PEPaula S. Etting

The tree committee is at 4.30 on the first Wednesday of the month. I might know somebody and they're also they take a break after the Arbor Day opening of the farmers market for the summer so it's it's not a brutal type of a schedule all right any anything that I missed any corrections of the public announcements all right in that case public comments and I see Mr. Stump is here he signed up in advance Mr. Stumpf, if you could just state your name and address for the record, and you'll have three minutes, as you know.

41:17 – 41:31•PEPaula S. Etting

As always, Mr. Stone, thank you for your opinion and comments. Is there any other member of the public here this evening that wishes to make a public comment? There being none, we're moving on to Commissioner's comments.

41:35 – 42:28•GHGavin O. Hanley

Praying for our officer, our police department, our town. We are fully behind our department. Town of Bel Air is nothing without public safety and law and order. I also want to say driving into town I come in from Aberdeen so on 22 the lot right at the corner there it's Hickory Avenue and 22. The county recently did some improvements and we had discussed this. It's beautiful now they planted some flowers and planted some trees and it makes a world of a difference coming into the town. i'd like to do something just to tell the county that we appreciate that they did that and maybe we could iden

42:29•PEPaula S. Etting

We have discussed sending a letter of appreciation and I certainly think that we should do that. I don't think we have not.

42:59 – 43:17•PEPaula S. Etting

We're going to pause Commissioner's comments and return to the Chesapeake Employers Workers' Comp Insurance Program policyholder dividend. So we're going to put a hold on those and take care of this.

43:17•SCSteven T. Chizmar

Let these fine gentlemen have their say.

47:13 – 47:44•PEPaula S. Etting

And just before our photo opportunity, first of all, we'd like to thank as a board all of our employees who made this dividend possible because without those guys being careful in the workplace, we wouldn't have this dividend. So as our appreciation, we've rebated $1,900 to like a full-time employee who's been with us for a couple of years as a thank you and a cost sharing in the success of the workers' comp program. Wonderful. We appreciate you giving it back to us, and we have shared the wealth.

52:50 – 53:01•SCSteven T. Chizmar

I just want to share my thoughts with the police department and our officer who was injured. I understand he is was released from the hospital and which is good news and expecting a full recovery understand.

53:11 – 54:14•KFKristien S. Foss

And chief, thoughts and prayers, as you know. And I just think that, Mr. Stumpf, when you come in and talk so highly of our police department and so passionately about them, and you're right, I mean, we have law and order and they protect. But the police officers in our community are also marriage counselors. They are mediators with property disputes. They are comforters for children that are lost. They are obviously first responders, but sometimes medically giving, they're there before the EMTs are there. They wear so many hats that we just don't, will realize and appreciate and we do we do a

54:17 – 54:41•PEPaula S. Etting

i'm going to echo the comments of the other commissioners i continue to pray for the officers full and fast recovery and for his family i know this is a very stressful time for them and i appreciate so much the dedication and the professionalism of the men and women of bella police department both the officers and the civilian employees they are first rate thank you ma'am any further comments

54:42•GHGavin O. Hanley

Let's just hope September 4th, it's not raining, because that would be the third First Fridays in a row, so.

54:49 – 55:05•PEPaula S. Etting

All right, we'll cross our fingers for good weather. All right, and if we are finished with Commissioner's comments, may I have a motion to adjourn? Do I have a second? Second. All right, and all those in favor? Aye. We are adjourned.