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2025-11-20-tc-approved-minutes.pdf

Minutes November 20, 2025 · 6 page(s)

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Town Council of Centreville
November 20, 2025
7:00 p.m.
M I N U T E S
The November 20, 2025, Town Council meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Vice President Jeffery D.
Kiel at the Liberty Building located at 107 North Liberty Street, 2nd floor meeting room. The following members
and staff were present: 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; and Gaye Adams, Town Clerk.
There being no changes to the agenda, Mr. Kiel asked if there were any changes or edits to the
November 6, 2025, meeting minutes. There being none, Ms. Huffer made a motion to approve the
meeting minutes, Mr. McNeil seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.
Citizens Forum
No citizens provided comments.
Closed Session Statement
(i) The Town Council met in closed session on Thursday, November 6, 2025, at 6:31 p.m. to discuss personnel in
accordance with the Maryland Open Meetings Act. (ii) Five members of the Town Council voted to close the
session. (iii) The authority to close the session is found in Section 3-305 of the General Provisions Article.
(iv) The Town Council discussed the following topics:
• Personnel – Interviewed candidates for Board and Commission vacancies
Actions: No actions taken.
The following members and staff were present: Ashley H. Kaiser, President; Jeffrey D. Kiel, Vice President;
Frederick E. Beu, Fred M. McNeil, and Sandra L. Huffer, Members; Sharon VanEmburgh, Town Attorney;
Carolyn Brinkley, Town Manager; Gaye Adams, Town Clerk; and applicants for boards/commissions. The closed
session meeting adjourned at 7:00 p.m.
(i) The Town Council met in closed session on Thursday, November 6, 2025, at 9:31 p.m. to discuss personnel and
consult with counsel on a legal matter, in accordance with the Maryland Open Meetings Act. (ii) Five members of
the Town Council voted to close the session. (iii) The authority to close the session is found in Section 3-305 of
the General Provisions Article.
(iv) The Town Council discussed the following topics:
• Personnel – Discussed applicants for Board and Commission appointments
• Consult with counsel – discuss a legal matter to obtain legal advice
Actions: No Actions Taken
The following members and staff were present: Ashley H. Kaiser, President; Jeffrey D. Kiel, Vice President;
Frederick E. Beu, Fred M. McNeil, and Sandra L. Huffer, Members; Sharon VanEmburgh, Town Attorney;
Carolyn Brinkley, Town Manager; Gaye Adams, Town Clerk. The second closed session meeting adjourned at
9:39 p.m.
Appearances
a. Jaime Johnson – Santa House
• The Santa House will be open December 6th, 13th and 20th from 12-2:00 p.m.
• House Decorating contest will be held from December 1st – December 20th. To register, please
email Jaime Johnson at Jaimejohnson798@yahoo.com and submit the name and address. 1st place
is a $100.00 gift card, 2nd place is a $50.00 gift card, and 3rd place is a $25.00 gift card.
• Letters to Santa: Kids can place letters to Santa in the mailbox at the Santa House on the Court
House Square. One letter will be chosen to receive a special delivery and a Christmas present on
Christmas Eve.
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• The cost of the Santa’s is included in the Town’s budget; therefore, payment will be made directly
to from the Town.
b. Dr. Matthew Kibler – Interim Superintendent, Queen Anne’s County Public Schools
• Dr. Kibler introduced himself and expressed his commitment to supporting the Town.
• Mr. McNeil praised Dr. Kibler’s leadership and expressed hope that the Council will establish a
liaison to work regularly with his office. Dr. Kibler agreed, noting that he currently meets with the
County Commissioners once a month in a similar capacity.
• Mr. Beu asked about the future of the old Board of Education building. Dr. Kibler explained that
the project is in the feasibility stage, with plans being explored to potentially repurpose the site for
Centreville Middle School.
c. Board and Commission Appointments/Oath of Office
• Mr. Kiel stated that one vacancy and two alternate positions were open on the Centreville Planning
Commission.
• Ms. Huffer made a motion to appoint Dan Worth to the Centreville Planning Commission to
complete a vacated term, which expires April 2026. Mr. McNeil seconded the motion, which
passed unanimously.
• Mr. McNeil made a motion to appoint Tim McCluskey as an Alternate Member of the Centreville
Planning Commission, expiring April 2026. Mr. Beu seconded the motion, which passed
unanimously.
• Ms. Huffer made a motion to appoint Russell Ruehl as a member of the Centreville Personnel
Review Board. Mr. McNeil seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.
• Mr. McCluskey and Mr. Ruehl took their oath of office. Mr. Worth will be sworn in at a later
meeting.
Citizen Comments:
No citizens provided comments
Old Business
a. Ordinance 14-2025 – Amend Chapter 54 Ethics of the Town Code – Second 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 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 amendments from the last Council meeting.
There is a need for a priority-based distribution system to ensure equitable access to the remaining
capacity as well as to reflect a provisional commitment for applicants who have been in the queue the
longest. Other items defined were the words infill and affordable housing.
• The definition of affordable housing follows the mortgage industry standard, which considers
housing affordable when costs do not exceed 30% of a household’s income.
• Ms. VanEmburgh also presented new amendments to the Allocation Plan.
• Mr. Beu inquired about the impact of the new development planned for the Business Park. Ms.
VanEmburgh explained that those EDUs have already been accounted for in prior allocations.
• Mr. McNeil made a motion to approve Resolution 12-2025. Ms. Huffer seconded the motion, which
passed unanimously.
New Business
a. Resolution 15-2025 – Resident Agent – Council President
• Resolution 15-2025 was presented for the purpose of designating a resident agent for service of
process upon the Town Council of Centreville.
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• Ms. VanEmburgh stated that state law requires local governments to have a resident agent who can
accept service of process if the Town is sued.
• Mr. Beu made a motion to approve Resolution 15-2025. Ms. Huffer seconded the motion, which
passed unanimously.
b. Resolution 16-2025 – Rules of Council Amendment- Council President
• Resolution 16-2025 was presented for the purpose of establishing rules of order that govern the
organization and procedures of the Town Council of Centreville meetings.
• Ms. Brinkley provided background on the Resolution, stating the rules for appearances and donations
were added for discussion and consideration.
• Appearances will be considered for inclusion on the agenda with the approval of the Town Manager
in coordination with one or more Council Members, per Ms. Huffer's amendment.
• Presentations listed under Appearances on the agenda are limited to 10 minutes unless otherwise
agreed upon by the Council.
• Presentations to the Town Council may not include requests for donations/funding.
• All materials (hand-outs, flyers, letters, PowerPoint presentations) must be submitted to the Town
Clerk no later than Thursday at noon in the week preceding the Town Council meeting. PowerPoint
presentations will not be accepted on the night of the Town Council meeting.
• Requests for donations/support may not be permitted during a Town Council meeting.
• Requests must be submitted via application to the Town’s Finance Office for review and
recommendation to the Town Council.
• Applications requesting a donation must include the following:
o A current Certificate of Good Standing from the Maryland State Department of Assessments
and Taxation (SDAT), issued within the last two years.
o For non-profit organizations, proof of 501(c)(3) status or equivalent designation.
• Applications must be received by January 31st each year to be included in the upcoming fiscal year
budget beginning July 1st.
• Applications received after January 31st will be considered on a case-by-case basis, dependent on
available funding.
• Promotion of events, programs, etc. will be heard under Citizen Comments on the agenda.
• Mr. Beu made a motion to approve Resolution 16-2025, as amended. Mr. McNeil seconded the
motion, which was passed unanimously.
a. Maryland Municipal League
• Nothing at this time.
b. Council of Governments
• Mr. Kiel will provide updates at the next Town Council meeting.
c. Economic Development
• Mr. Beu met with Ms. Adams to discuss reestablishing the Centreville Economic Development
Authority (CEDA). The Board consists of 7 members and one ex-officio member comprised of the
following:
o One Main Street Manager or appropriate Town staff representative shall be the non-voting ex
officio member
o One representative from the real estate sector
o One representative from the Queen Anne’s County Arts Council
o Three resident citizens with experience and interest in economic development
o Brick and mortar business owners that may not necessarily reside within the Town limits
• Mr. Beu would like to advertise the Board openings and include the membership criteria.
• Mr. Beu requested a list of businesses as well as key contacts, which would help in soliciting for the
Board.
• Staff will develop a list of businesses, as well as the BOOMS Tracker information.
d. Park Advisory Board
• Mr. McNeil reported the following:
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• The Shore River tree plantings were completed and was extremely pleased with how they looked.
• The Christmas Trees are up on Lawyers Row and look great.
• Met with Mike Whitehill to discuss the current and future walk/bike trail around Centreville.
• Mr. McNeil stated that he is still interested in a dog park in Centreville.
• Ms. Huffer thanked the Department of Public Works team for the great prep work that was done on
Pennsylvania Ave for the tree plantings.
• Unity Landscape planted all of the trees with root barriers.
• Ms. Huffer reported that this is a three-year grant, and plans are to apply again next year. In the
spring of 2026, 10 trees are planned to be planted on the State Highway Administration property
across from Citgo once the Town takes possession of the property.
e. Centreville Planning Commission
• Ms. Huffer reported the following:
• The meeting was on Wednesday, November 19th. The two main items discussed were the
Centreville Business Park and signage.
• Architectural elevations were submitted to the Planning Commission for review, however
more detail is needed. The applicant will provide those details at a future meeting.
• The language for shopping center signage made significant progress and should be brought to
the Council within a month or so.
Reports of Department Heads
a. Town Manager
• Ms. Brinkley reported the following:
• The Town was contacted by the Queen Anne's County Historical Society to provide a letter of
support for a grant to create audio walking tours called Centreville Speaks. By consensus, the Town
Council approved a letter of support.
• The Town also received a request from the Queen Anne's County Veterans Committee to support the
proposed Queen Anne’s County United States Colored Troops (USCT) memorial statue. The statue
honors the legacy of more than 435 brave men from Queen Anne’s County who served in the USCT
during the Civil War. The statue will be located at the Kennard African American Cultural Heritage
Center. By consensus, the Town Council approved a letter of support.
• Mr. Beu expressed concerns about the fundraising portion of the project and whether it will meet its
goal. Mr. McNeil noted this is expected to be a two-year project.
• Ms. Brinkley requested the Council’s consensus to apply for the Local Government Energy
Modernization (L-GEM) grant through the Maryland Energy Administration. She reported that this
grant would cover an energy audit, feasibility study, and energy modeling activities for the
wastewater treatment plant. Whitman Requardt & Associates would complete the audit and studies
since the Town is in the design phase of the project, and the cost would be covered by the grant. The
exact amount is unknown at this time, but staff will update the Council once the final amount is
received from the consultant. During the construction phase, the Town will apply for additional grant
funding to implement the study’s recommendations. By consensus, the Town Council approved
submitting the L-GEM grant.
• The Town is working with Maryland Environmental Service to assist with completing the grant
application and their cost is covered by the grant.
• There may be a cost share of up to 10%. The grant application is due December 5, and we will have
the cost and percentage details at the December 4 meeting.
• On December 9th, staff will hold a kickoff meeting to begin discussions for the FY2027 budget.
• Ms. Luffman asked Ms. Brinkley to inform the Council that the audit is complete with no issues. The
auditor will be in attendance virtually to provide an update at the January 8, 2026 meeting.
• Ms. VanEmburgh has been working with the State regarding the State Highway Administration (SHA)
property to be purchased by the Town. The deed is now complete and will be presented for review at the
State of Maryland’s January Board of Public Works meeting. The review process takes approximately
90 days. Once complete, the Town will proceed to settlement.
• The cost of purchasing that property comes from Program Open Space from Queen Anne’s County,
therefore, no Town monies will be used.
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b. Chief of Police
• Chief Hobbs reported the following:
• CRIMINAL ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITY
• During October, 2025 Officers made a TOTAL of 7 ARRESTS:
• 2 – On View Arrests
• 5 – Criminal Summons/Warrant Service
• TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITY
• During the month of October 2025, Officers issued the following:
• 168 Motor Vehicle Warnings
• 22 Non-Arrestable Citations
• 30 Safety Equipment Repair Orders
• 1 Commercial Vehicle Inspection
• 1 DUI
• 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 44
speed limit violation citations.
• COMPLAINTS/INCIDENTS
• During the month of October 2025 Officers responded to 652 calls for service. A sample of these
incidents are highlighted below.
• 3 Assault/Domestics
• 1 Theft of Vehicle
• 3 K9 Scans
• 1 Sexual Assault
• 4 Assist Other Agency
• 5 911 Hangups
• 13 Check The Welfare
• 4 Thefts
• 2 Frauds
• 9 Traffic Accidents
• 321 Business/Residential Patrol Checks
• 7 Keep The Peace
• SPECIAL ASSIGNMENTS
• Defensive Tactic Instructor Training – Eastern Shore Criminal Justice Academy
• Instructor Training – 2 Officers
• Field Training Officer Training – 2 Officers
• Mid-Atlantic Association of Law Enforcement Conference – Pennsylvania - 1 Officer
• Firearms Conversion Training
• Fraud Prevention Seminar – Symphony Village
• Rocking The Porch Event
• Homecoming Parade – Queen Anne’s County High School
• Trunk or Treat – White Marsh Park
• Fall Thing Event – Centreville Middle School
• Centreville Day
• No Kings Protest
• Meters Recertification
• Mr. Beu asked about a particular theft at a grocery store in town. Chief Hobbs stated he always
encourages the manager to contact the police department.
• Mr. McNeil thanked the Centreville Police Department for the speed trailer that will be set up on
Chesterfield Ave. to gather data.
• Mr. McNeil asked to work in collaboration with the Board of Education, Police, and the Town to deal
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with the grocery theft. Chief Hobbs would welcome a sit-down to curb the issue.
c. Town Clerk
• Ms. Adams presented the following:
• Met with Mr. Beu regarding CEDA.
• Pleased about the possible grant for the QAC Historical Society for the audio tour, as approving
that will help the Town with a few of the recommendations from the last CEDA members.
• Offices are closed for the Thanksgiving holiday on November 27th and 28th.
• Tree Lighting is December 3, 2025 at 6:00 p.m.
• Holiday Parade is December 5, 2025 at 6:30 p.m.
• December 10, 2025 from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., the Town will be engaged in the BOOM’s
Tracker project. Members will meet at Wright's Chance for training and lunch will be at Uno Mas
at approximately 12:15 p.m.
• Main Street managers from different towns will be trained to enter the data, which greatly
benefits the Town. She stated that this information will be invaluable.
• December 24th and 25th, Town offices are closed.
Citizen Comments:
• Fern Beu, Chesterfield Avenue, asked for clarification on the process for donation requests that must be
given to the Town by January 31, 2026. Ms. Brinkley confirmed the process. Ms. Beu also thanked the
Council for discussing the theft issues at the grocery stores.
Council Roundtable
• Mr. McNeil thanked Ms. Brinkley for her work on the Mill, the Public Works team for their efforts with the
street sweeper, and Ashley Russ, Finance Specialist, for clarifying financial details.
• Ms. Huffer met with the Eastern Shore Trail network. They are going to support trails and development on
the shore.
There being no further business, Mr. McNeil made a motion to adjourn. Ms. Huffer seconded the motion. The Town
Council meeting adjourned at 8:25 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
R. Gaye Adams
Town Clerk
Council Action Items:
1. Approved the November 6, 2025 Meeting Minutes
2. Approved Resolution 12-2025- Water and Sewer Allocation Policy
3. Approved Resolution 15-2025 - Resident Agent
4. Approved Resolution 16-2025-Rules of Council Amendment
5. By consensus, approved a letter of support for the Queen Anne’s County Historical Society.
6. By consensus, approved a letter of support for the Queen Anne’s County Veterans Committee.
7. By consensus, approved the submission of the Local Government Energy Modernization grant through the
Maryland Energy Administration.
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