MAYOR & CITY COUNCIL OF LAUREL

WORK SESSION

Wednesday, February 1, 2023

6:00 PM

VIRTUAL ZOOM MEETING

MEETING MINUTES

            The meeting convened virtually via Zoom at approximately 6:02 pm with Council President Pro Tem James Kole presiding. Councilman Kole noted that President Smith was having some technical difficulties and would join the meeting shortly. The following members were also present: Councilman Carl DeWalt, Councilman Keith R. Sydnor and Craig A. Moe, Mayor.

            The following staff members were also present: Christian L Pulley, CPM, City Administrator, Joanne Barr, Deputy City Administrator, Sara A. Green, CMC, City Clerk, Ana Navarro, Executive Assistant to the Mayor, Bill Bailey, Director, Department of Parks and Recreation, Audrey Barnes, Director, Department of Communications, James Cornwell-Shiel, Director, Department of Information Technology, Brian K. Lee, Director, Department of Public Works, Robert Love, Director, Department of Economic and Community Development, Deputy Chief Mark Plazinksi, LPD, S. Michele Saylor, Director, Department of Budget and Personnel Services, Danny Selby, Director, Office of the Fire Marshal and Permit Services, Larry Taub, City Solicitor, Monta Burrough, Deputy Director, Department of Economic and Community Development, Chrissy Cornwell, Emergency Manager, Carreen Koubek, Special Assistant to the City Administrator and Sergeant Zachary Rexine, LPD.  There was one (1) member of the public in attendance.  

            Agenda Item No. 1 was Ordinance No. 2005- An Ordinance Amending the General Operating Budget and Capital Improvement Program of the Mayor and City Council of Laurel, Maryland, for the Fiscal Year July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023 and to Provide an Effective Date. Ms. S. Michele Saylor, Director, Department of Budget and Personnel Services presented the proposed ordinance stating that it would allocate grants that City staff worked to receive. There were no questions from the Council. Council agreed to introduce and hold the first public hearing on the item at the February 13, 2023 meeting of the Mayor and City Council.

            Agenda Item No. 2 was Resolution No. 2-2023- A Resolution of the Mayor and City Council of Laurel, Maryland Designating the Month of April 2023 and Thereafter each Month of April, As "No Mow Month", to Encourage Residents to Voluntarily Delay Lawn Care and Mowing to Support Pollinator-Friendly Habitat During a Critical Period of Pollinator Emergence and Providing an Effective Date. Mr. Jimmy Rogers, Representing the City of Laurel Environmental Affairs Committee addressed the Mayor and City Council and noted that he also served as the Bee City Subcommittee Chair. Mr. Rogers presented the proposed resolution and shared a PowerPoint presentation (Attached hereto as “Attachment A”) that had been prepared with important information in support of the resolution. There were no questions from the Council. The Council agreed that the introduction and first public hearing on the item would be at the February 13, 2023 meeting of the Mayor and City Council.

            Councilman Mitchell entered the meeting at approximately 6:14 pm.           

            Agenda Item No. 3 was Resolution No. 3-2023- A Resolution of the Mayor and City Council of Laurel, Maryland for the Purpose of Approving an Agreement Between the City of Laurel and the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 11. Ms. Pulley addressed the Mayor and City Council and presented the proposed resolution. Councilman Mitchell had submitted some questions regarding the proposed agreement and asked if he should read those. Ms. Pulley had just received the questions and comments from Councilman Mitchell approximately ninety (90) minutes prior to the meeting and had not had time to completely read through them. Ms. Pulley indicated that some of the questions appeared to be operational questions that would fall under City policy and the General Orders of the Laurel Police Department, but that she would thoroughly review the questions and provide a response. Councilman Mitchell asked if there was an annual use of force report provided to the City. Ms. Pulley said that she did not have that information in hand, but that she received multiple reports from the Police Chief on a regular basis. Councilman Mitchell said that there were agencies who post their reports on their website that were available to the public and not just City Officials. Councilman Mitchell noted that there was legislation passed by the Maryland General Assembly in 2021 that helped jurisdictions get police accountability boards and asked if the City had started one. Mayor Moe said that local jurisdictions did not have the authority to start their own police accountability boards and that the 2021 legislation had put accountability boards at the County level and that Maryland Municipal League (MML) was currently working in Annapolis (as one of their 2023 Legislative Priorities) with legislators to craft legislation to grant authority to municipalities to have their own boards if they so desired.

            Councilman Carl DeWalt asked Ms. Pulley what was meant by under “police retirement plan” in the FOP agreement where it stated that the City of Laurel did not have the authority to negotiate amendments to the police retirement plan and that he had never heard that before. Councilman DeWalt attended approximately five (5) meetings when he first became a councilmember and they knew that he was strictly their about the police retirement plan because he was a member of the police retirement plan and asked if it was something knew that they don’t negotiate amendments to the plan and if it was, if she could explain to him where he could find that information. Larry N. Taub, City Solicitor asked President Pro Tem Kole if he could have the floor and Councilman Kole gave Mr. Taub the floor. Mr. Taub addressed Councilman DeWalt stating that because Councilman DeWalt was participating in the police retirement plan, he should have recused himself from the discussion and should not have been seeking any questions in regard to the issue since he could benefit from the issue and he didn’t think it was appropriate. Councilman DeWalt said that the Mayor had sent notice to the Ethics Commission when Councilman DeWalt first became a councilmember because he had attended Board of Retirement Trustees meetings and brought up issues regarding cost of living increases for the police plan and that the Ethics Commission ruled that if anything came up for a vote before the Mayor and City Council where he would benefit from it, that would be when he would have to recuse himself. Councilman DeWalt said that he was just merely asking a question at the time and that he wasn’t trying to promote or ask for cost of living increases or anything, he just wanted to know if the policy that the City cannot negotiate retirement plan amendments was something new because maybe he had missed it before or if it had just been added in and did not feel he was overstepping his boundaries. Ms. Pulley said that it was not new, was in the City Code and that she would provide the Code section to Councilman DeWalt. The Council agreed that the introduction and first public hearing on the item would be at the February 13, 2023 Mayor and City Council meeting.

            Agenda Item No. 4 was the bid recommendation for the City of Laurel Multiservice Center (204 Ft. Meade Road Laurel, Maryland 20708) Phase II construction. Mr. Bailey presented the bid recommending that it be awarded to Keller Brothers, 1012 Rising Ridge Road Mt. Airy, Maryland 21771 in the amount of $10,092,663.75. There were no questions from the Council. Council agreed to award the contract at the Mayor and City Council meeting scheduled for February 13, 2023.

            President Smith entered the meeting at approximately 6:24 pm.

            Agenda Item No. 5 was the bid recommendation for non-destructive pavement evaluation of City roadways presented by Brian K. Lee, Director, Department of Public Works. Mr. Lee recommended awarding the bid to EBA Engineering, Inc. in the amount of $70,760.00. Councilman Sydnor asked Mr. Lee to explain how the contractor would go about completing the non-destructive pavement evaluation and Mr. Lee provided a brief explanation. Councilman Sydnor asked Mr. Lee to provide him with a list of streets that would be reviewed under the bid in case constituents had questions. Mr. Lee agreed to provide the list to Councilman Sydnor. Councilman DeWalt also requested the listing be provided to him. Council agreed to award the contract at the Mayor and City Council meeting scheduled for February 13, 2023.

            The next agenda item was a bid recommendation for the Cherry Lane Bikeway Feasibility Study and Preliminary Design, presented by Brian K. Lee, Director, Department of Public Works. Mr. Lee recommended awarding the bid to KCI Technologies, Inc. in the amount of $75,285.00. Councilman DeWalt said that if it wasn’t for the speed cameras on Cherry Lane, he would never agree to any bike riding on Cherry Lane because of people speeding, but that the cameras on Cherry Lane work and that he was okay with the bid if the speed cameras stay on Cherry Lane. President Smith asked how long the study would take and Mr. Lee said it would be completed in sixty (60) days. Council agreed to award the contract at the Mayor and City Council meeting scheduled for February 13, 2023.

            Agenda Item No. 7 was a bid recommendation for Compton Avenue engineering, presented by Brian K. Lee, Director, Department of Public Works. Mr. Lee recommended awarding the bid to KCI Technologies, Inc. in the amount of $60,180.00. There were no questions from the Council and they agreed to award the contract at the Mayor and City Council meeting scheduled for February 13, 2023.

            The final agenda item was a bid recommendation for Laurel Avenue engineering, presented by Brian K. Lee, Director, Department of Public Works. Mr. Lee recommended awarding the bid to KCI Technologies, Inc. in the amount of $87,232.00. There were no questions form the Council and they agreed to award the contract at the Mayor and City Council meeting scheduled for February 13, 2023.  

            There being no further business the meeting was adjourned at 6:37 p.m.

Submitted:

Sara A. Green, CMC

Clerk to the Council

Approved: Sara A. Green, CMC, City Clerk                         Date: March 27, 2023                        

Attachment 1- City of Laurel Environmental Affairs Committee Presentation on Resolution No. 2-203