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2025-11-06-tc-approved-minutes.pdf

Minutes November 6, 2025 · 5 page(s)

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Town Council of Centreville
November 6, 2025
7:00 p.m.
M I N U T E S
The November 6, 2025, Town Council meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by President Ashley H. Kaiser at
the Liberty Building located at 107 North Liberty Street, 2nd floor meeting room. The following members and
staff were present: Ashley H. Kaiser, President; Jeffrey D. Kiel, Vice President; Frederick E. Beu, Sandra L.
Huffer, and Fred M. McNeil Members; Carolyn Brinkley, Town Manager; Sharon VanEmburgh, Town Attorney;
Clifford Matthews, Director of Public Works; Chief Robert Hobbs, Centreville Police Department; Karen
Luffman, Finance Officer; and Gaye Adams, Town Clerk.
Ms. Kaiser made one change to the agenda and added Ms. Luffman, Finance Officer, under appearances.
Ms. Kaiser asked if there were any changes or edits to the October 16, 2025, meeting minutes. There was
one small edit. Mr. Kiel made a motion to approve the meeting minutes as amended. Ms. Huffer
seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.
Citizens Forum
No citizens provided comments.
Appearances
a. Karen Luffman- Finance Director
• Ms. Luffman apprised Council of a recent reduction in interest rates and noted the likelihood of
further decreases in the near future. In light of this, she formally requested Council’s authorization
to secure an interest rate of 3.5% for the period spanning November through April.
• Mr. McNeil made a motion to approve the lock-in of the rate. Mr. Beu seconded the motion,
which passed unanimously.
b. Jennifer Moore- Heck with the Malls
• Ms. Moore requested to close Lawyers Row for a Heck with the Malls December 6th Holiday
Market from 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
• Mr. Kiel made a motion to close Lawyers Row from 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. on December 6, 2025
and Ms. Huffer seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.
c. Elaine Studley- December 6th Candlelight Tour
• Ms. Studley made a presentation to the Town Council and asked for sponsorship from the Town
for the Candlelight Tour. Ms. Studley stated her group ultimately passes the money raised to the
Queen Anne’s County Arts Council and the Queen Anne’s County Historical Society.
• Ms. Kaiser stated that as a Town, they already donate to those groups and prefer to do so directly.
• After a brief discussion, Mr. McNeil made a motion to donate $100.00 to the Queen Anne’s
County Legacy Foundation. Mr. Beu seconded the motion, which passed.
Citizen Comments:
No citizens provided comments
New Business
a. Ordinance 14-2025- Amend Chapter 54 Ethics of the Town Code- First Reading- Council President
• Ordinance 14-2025 was presented for the purpose of amending Chapter 54 Ethics of the Code of the
Town of Centreville.
• Ms. VanEmburgh stated this Ordinance is to become compliant with the State’s model ethics code. A
public hearing will be held on December 4, 2025.
b. Resolution 11-2025 – Public Works Agreement Amendment – Mid-Atlantic Real Estate Investment –
Council President
• Resolution 11-2025 was presented for the purpose of authorizing the execution of a Public Works
Agreement with Coursevall, LLC and Mid-Atlantic Real Estate Investments, Inc.
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• Ms. VanEmburgh stated this amendment updates the number of allocations approved by the Council
on September 4, 2025 from 16 allocations to the correct number 17.
• After a brief discussion, Mr. Keil made a motion to approve the 17 allocations. Ms. Huffer seconded
the motion, and it was passed unanimously.
c. Resolution 12-2025 – Water and Sewer Allocation Policy- Council President
• Resolution 12-2025 was presented for the purpose of adopting a revised water and sewer allocation
policy.
• Ms. VanEmburgh provided an overview of the current allocation policy, which operates on a first-
come, first-served basis. She explained that updates are evenly divided between commercial and
residential properties and affirmed that the proposed changes would adequately accommodate all
vacant lots.
• The Council members expressed concern regarding the limited number of remaining allocations.
They emphasized the need for a priority-based distribution system to ensure equitable access to the
remaining capacity.
• Following an extensive discussion, it was agreed that additional language should be incorporated to
reflect a provisional commitment for applicants who have been in the queue the longest.
• Resolution 12-2025 was tabled pending the inclusion of these updates.
d. Resolution 13-2025- Comcast Franchise Agreement
• Resolution 13-2025 was presented for the purpose of authorizing the execution of a franchise
agreement with Comcast Cable Communications Management, LLC.
• Ms. VanEmburgh confirmed the franchise agreement specifically authorizes Comcast to provide
cable television services within the corporate limits of the Town of Centreville. She noted that the
Town plans to update its municipal code in the future to align with modern telecommunication
standards.
• Mr. McNeil emphasized the importance of PEG stations. The Council determined that existing
resources, including an established Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the County for
emergency alerts via the Everbridge system, sufficiently meet the Town’s public notification needs.
Ms. Kaiser recommended exploring negotiations with the County to utilize their PEG station for
future emergency broadcasts.
• Mr. Beu inquired why revenue generated from telephone and Wi-Fi services was excluded from the
gross revenue calculation provided to the Town of Centreville.
• Mr. Chrisopher Mulhall, Sr. Manager, Government Affairs for Comcast, was present at the meeting
and clarified that, per Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations, the franchise
agreement is limited strictly to cable television services and cannot be modified to include Wi-Fi.
• Mr. Beu raised concerns about potential interference between coaxial cable transmissions and
airlines, asking whether installations would be performed by Comcast employees or third-party
contractors. Mr. Mulhall assured the Council that Comcast adheres strictly to FCC guidelines,
including regular monitoring and "flybys," to ensure proper transmission and minimize interference.
• Mr. Mulhall guaranteed 24/7 customer service availability, assuring the Council that customers would
be able to speak with a live representative 365 days a year.
• Comcast states the service drop to the customer will be fiber optic cable infrastructure.
• Ms. Huffer made a motion to approve the Resolution 13-2025 Comcast franchise agreement, and Mr.
Kiel seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.
e. End of Year Recommendations
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• The Council voted to approve the Christmas breakfast for Friday, December 12th, cancelling the December
18th Council meeting, the Appreciation Dinner to be held on March 7th, cancelling the January 1st and January
15th meetings, and adding two meeting dates for January the 8th and 22nd.
• Mr. McNeil made a motion to approve all the end-of-year recommendations. Mr. Beu seconded the motion,
which passed unanimously.
a. Maryland Municipal League
• Nothing at this time
b. Council of Governments
• Sudlersville water/sewer transfer: The transfer of Sudlersville's water and sewer systems to Queen
Anne’s County is nearing completion.
• Barclay Infrastructure: Barclay has successfully paved all municipally owned streets and has secured
a $125,000 grant designated for a new Town Hall facility.
• Church Hill Staffing and Anniversary: Kyle Ambrose has been appointed as the new Town Manager
for Church Hill. The Town is preparing to celebrate its 150th anniversary in 2026. Mr. Ed Raffetto
has resigned from the Planning Commission after 25 years of service.
• Queen Anne Kayak Launch: Queen Anne is in the process of acquiring property in Tuckahoe to
develop a new kayak launch.
• Queenstown Channel Dredging: Queenstown has been awarded a $1.6 million Department of Natural
Resources (DNR) grant to facilitate the dredging of the Queenstown channel.
• Queenstown is currently forming a committee to organize its upcoming 250th anniversary
celebration.
• Queenstown Tree Lighting: December 6, 2025.
• County Water Moratorium: Queen Anne’s County has implemented a temporary building
moratorium for developments projected to use more than 7,000 gallons of water per day.
• The next scheduled meeting is set for November 12th at the Centreville Wharf.
c. Economic Development
• Mr. Beu participated in the Economic Development Business Walk with the County.
• Mr. Beu would like to get briefed on CEDA. Ms. Adams will provide a briefing next week.
d. Park Advisory Board
• The deed for the State Land will be finalized by the first quarter of next calendar year.
• Final review on Wharf plans – RFP’s go out next week.
• The Shore River Tree planting begins November 7, 2025.
• Tree Lighting ceremony is December 3, 2025.
• Mr. Whitehill is in discussions with Providence on trail expansion.
e. Centreville Planning Commission
• No updates at this time
• Reports of Department Heads
a. Town Manager
• Ms. Brinkley reported the following:
• The Town's Public Works Department will assist Queenstown with the setup of their Christmas tree.
• Participated in the walk during Economic Development Week.
• Ms. Brinkley attended the design phase kick-off meeting for the Belvedere and Tilghman projects.
• Met with representatives from Senator Alsobrooks and Senator Van Hollen's offices to discuss securing
congressional-directed spending for the Town's wastewater treatment plant.
• A meeting was held with the Secretary of the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), which
was also attended by Mr. Matthews, Ms. Kaiser, and Ms. Huffer.
• A kick-off meeting for the design phase of wastewater treatment plant was held.
• Ms. Brinkley is serving on the Wye River Upper School Gala Committee.
• Peter Flint has been introduced as the Town's new Zoning Administrator.
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b. Chief of Police
• Chief Hobbs reported the following:
• CRIMINAL ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITY
• During September, 2025 Officers made a TOTAL of 0 ARRESTS
• TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITY
• During the month of September 2025, Officers issued the following:
- 139 Motor Vehicle Warnings
- 21 Non-Arrestable Citations
- 27 Safety Equipment Repair Orders
- 7 Commercial Vehicle Inspections
The Redspeed Automated Speed Enforcement Cameras are currently located on Railroad Avenue at Queen Anne’s
County High School, Watson Rd, and Chesterfield and have issued a combined 49 speed limit violation citations.
COMPLAINTS/INCIDENTS
During September 2025 Officers responded to 660 calls for service. A sample of these incidents are highlighted
below.
• 4 Assault/Domestics
• 5 MDOP
• 8 K9 Scans
• 13 Assist Other Agency
• 2 911 Hangups
• 10 Check The Welfare
• 3 Thefts
• 2 Fraud
• 13 Traffic Accidents
• 317 Business/Residential Patrol Checks
• 9 Keep The Peace
c. Town Clerk
• Ms. Adams presented the following:
• Staff participated in the Economic Development Week Walk. A follow-up Economic Development
event hosted by the Town is scheduled for April; further details will be provided.
• Attended the Maryland Economic Development Association's (MEDA) fall conference, emphasizing
a strategic takeaway to "think big" regarding future planning.
• A meeting was held on November 5th with Kristen Dawson and Christine McPherson from the
Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) to discuss the "BOOM Tracker"
(property tracking system) and associated walk-throughs. The Town is enthusiastic about serving as
the test municipality for this new property tracking tool.
• The service provider "Snag a Slip" is undergoing bankruptcy proceedings. Staff will research
alternative providers for this service.
• Ms. Adams will register Mr. Beu for the Maryland Municipal League's (MML) "State of the State"
event on December 4th.
• Christmas Tree Lighting: December 3, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. The event will feature craft activities for
children, baked goods, and hot chocolate.
• Holiday Parade: December 5th.
• Social media presence metrics include nearly 3,000 followers, approximately 65,000 unique views,
and around 500 interactions.
• Citizen Comments:
Mr. Dave Mason from Symphony Village thanked Gaye Adams for being very responsive to his questions and
appreciates the speed trailer on Taylor's Mill.
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Council Roundtable
• Mr. Kiel wanted to send condolences to the family of Mr. Tom Willis in Queenstown.
• Mr. McNeil thanked the staff, Chief of Police, and Director of Public Mr. Matthews, and everyone at
the Finance office for all the briefings and updates.
• Mr. Beu has been reviewing the check disbursement log and would like to learn more about the Town’s
use of consultants.
There being no further business, Mr. McNeil made a motion to go into closed session. Ms. Huffer seconded the
motion. The Town Council meeting adjourned at 9:13 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
R. Gaye Adams
Town Clerk
Council Action Items:
1. Approved the October 16, 2025 Meeting Minutes with amendments.
2. Approved Resolution 11-2025- Centreville Business Park Public Works Agreement.
3. Approved Resolution 13-2025 - Comcast Franchise Agreement.
4. Approved End of Year Recommendations.
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