Council Members
PATRICK T. ROCKINBERG
Mayor
DAVID M. BLAIS
CHRIS EVERICH
ROBERT KING
SCOTT D. STRONG
PETER R. HELT
Council President
There was no Council meeting in January due to the lack of a quorum, but below
is the January 2013 Mayor’s Newsletter.
Mayor’s Newsletter Report January 2013
Happy New Year to everyone! Before we move forward let's reflect back on
2012. It was a great year for Mt. Airy:
* Financially our reserves actually increased, even while we maintained the
Homestead Tax Credit and did not increase taxes or cut services. I think it's fair
to say that's commendable performance in this down economy.
* We completed the water main infrastructure replacement in the historic
downtown on an accelerated schedule with minimal disruptions to the downtown
businesses.
* We made and are continuing to make improvements to Main Street to decrease
flooding, a problem for many years.
* Water rates increased proportionately for higher users, a tier system was
established to promote conservation, and the lowest users saw a slight decrease.
The good news is we no longer balance the water department with taxes from
our general fund. The system is now self supporting and future increases may
not be needed.
* The Rails to Trails Project is kicking into high gear as we've secured some
needed easements and we've had an increase in citizen interest and participation
to move this project forward.
* This year we've had some staff restructuring and the recent Town elections
brought us two new Council Members. In my view, your Town Government, Staff,
Mayor, Council, Commissions are all working together with a refreshing spirit of
cooperation and collaboration. We are learning from our differences and doing so
in a civil manner that allows us to provide better service to you the citizens we
have the privilege of serving.
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Moving into 2013 - The State Highway Administration will begin sidewalk
improvements in the Historic Downtown portion of Main Street. The project is
slated to begin around April 2013 and be completed around August 2013. Cross
walks will be improved and ADA (disability) requirements addressed.
The Town is diligently working on its new Master Plan, which is the vision for the
future land development of Mount Airy. I'm confident our Planning Commission
will recommend a plan that best serves the people of Mount Airy. Unlike the 2003
Master Plan that had limited input, this State-required update will include input
from residents via the 2007 Town Survey, and we're hoping for more input during
the process as well. Public hearings will be held and the Town Council will have
the final vote. I urge all residents to stay involved and voice your concerns
regarding your town and ultimately your quality of life.
As a result of the 2012 Needs Assessment Survey performed by Be Local
and Kiwanis Club, there is a grass roots group looking at bringing a
community center to Mount Airy. More to come on this exciting project.
The Town is continuing talks with the County on the potential for some
economic and regional park development on Leisure Harrison Property.
This property is outside of town, at the end of North Main and across
Rt. 27. If the initial talks produce an interest by both parties, then
the community will have an opportunity to weigh in on any plans and
expressed their concerns or desires. We will continue to update you
throughout the year.
The Town is replacing the Main Pavilion at Watkins Park for your enjoyment.
Please remember the Pavilion can be reserved for a small fee for your group
needs.
The Main Street Water Main Replacement Project is still on schedule.
The water main is nearly complete on North Main once the final tie-in is
installed near the entrance of the Meat Locker. Paving of North Main may
begin shortly, weather permitting. Any paving not completed now will be
done in the spring. Next, the water line replacement will start at the
Walmart/Bank of America water tank and move towards the original
starting point at Paradise Avenue during the spring time. Final
completion of this project is planned for June 30, 2013.
A special thanks to Catonsville Homes/Rob Scranton for his assistance
in this Water Main Replacement Project. Mr. Scranton has allowed use the
use of his Main Street property as a convenient staging area. He also
took steps to open up his property to allow additional parking for all
the downtown businesses. Mr. Scranton's help has assisted this project greatly.
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School Safety- In the wake of the Connecticut school tragedy our
Resident Troopers-Maryland State Police will be meeting with school
administrators to discuss operational, emergency and contingency plans
to help address safety and security issues. While it is difficult to
plan for every situation, especially those as extreme as we've witnessed
in the news lately, even a small proactive approach could prove to be
beneficial. Thank you to our new Lead Trooper Corporal Ed Witanowski for
this thoughtful and pro-active planning.
School Bus Stops- Most agree our road snow crews are second to none.
The snow that they so ably clear from the roadways sometimes ends up
banked into a school bus stops. To help address this issue Mount Airy
resident Chris Neuman, in cooperation with the town and local agencies,
has identified areas where this has occurred and developed a system to
prevent or limit this in the future. A big thanks to Chris for helping
to keep our bus stops clear for our children and to our Town Road Crews
for the awesome job they do every time it snows.
The Mayor's Community Forums. The Mayors Community forum will be held
on Saturday, January 12 and 26th from 10:30 -12 noon. Residents are
encouraged to drop by Town Hall on Main Street and discuss any town
related items. Town Council members are also invited to attend. The
setting is comfortable and informal. Grab a cup of coffee and stop by!
Volunteer Opportunities: Please visit our Town website
(http://www.mountairymd.org/) for a list of volunteer opportunities on
one of our commissions. Please let me know if anyone is interested in
serving on a commission on which we have a vacancy. You can call Town
Hall at 301-829-1424 ( tel:301-829-1424 ) or email me directly at
prockinberg@gmail.com as well.
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