City Council Approves Pool Pump System

Aberdeen City Council approved an ordinance and a resolution during a regular meeting Monday night at .

Mayor Michael Bennett and City Council also approved a bid to renovate the pump filter system at the , and presented the city's department of public works staff with a series of awards.

Below is a recap of the meeting from Patch's live blog:
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7:59 p.m.: The meeting adjourns.

7:58 p.m.: Mayor Michael Bennett said he has been through a number of meetings in the past two weeks, including some at the state and others at the county level.

"There are some very positive things going on in the county," he said. This year will be one of our most taxing at budget time for all of our jurisdictions. We just received our property tax assessment here for Aberdeen, and we had about a 10.5 percent reduction in property tax, and that’s a reduction in the amount of revenue we get. We’re not crying wolf yet, but it’s going to make our job very difficult to look at the reduced revenue and continue to do things we need to get done."

Bennett congratulated the city employees honored Monday, as well as the Aberdeen girls basketball team and the Havre de Grace swim team—on which his wife serves as a coach.

7:51 p.m.: Councilman Bruce Garner gives some credit to the Eagles girls basketball team, which lost just one game this season—and to a team ranked nationally.

Garner said that his friend and attorney John S. Landbeck will be inducted into the Aberdee High School Hall of Fame.

Garner said, "He's a great human being, he's got a heart of gold. I just wanted to make people aware that John Landbeck will be inducted in to the Aberdeen High School Hall of Fame."

7:48 p.m.: Councilwoman Ruth Ann Young mentions a fundraiser coming up later this spring—the 15th Annual Bull and Oyster Roast will be held April 13 at the Bel Air Armory. Tickets are $45 each, and sponsorships are available, as well. She said there will be auctions and raffles and live music.

Young closed by sharing a quote recited recently by County Council President Billy Boniface last week.

She said, "One of his own favorite quotes is, 'Where you're going to be tomorrow depends on what you do today.'"

7:44 p.m.: Councilwoman Sandy Landbeck responds to resident Ryan Burbey's comments from the public comment period.

"I know that this is a case that we are facing some dire times. I teach two classes at the community college in the summer for teachers. Those classes over the years have normally run from 20 to 25 students. The last two years they have dwindled from five, and to three last year. People are not looking to teach. Even sadder, I have friends in the teaching profession putting out applications for other jobs. We are losing our teachers and we’re not getting new teachers. It is a financial thing. I would encourage anyone who would like to get behind his cause, to get behind it."

Landbeck also responded to a point that came up during the election, noting that "the opposition" candidate for the Mayor's seat—Patrick McGrady—said, "He would go to jail if the state wanted to collect [fees for enhance nutrient removal upgrades to the wastewater treatment facility]. It is not as simple as that."

She provided some figures from the department of public works.

"Even with your mayor sitting in jail, you’d still be paying fines for non-compliance," she said. "When you add it all up, it’s about $50,000 a day. Rest assured, the ENR is taking the bad stuff out. And it’s not us, it is the state."

7:37 p.m.: Councilwoman Ruth Elliott notes that the Golden Age Club will hold a fundraiser March 15 from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m. at . A 15 percent donation will be presented to the Golden Age Club from any table that has a flier on hand.

There are more than 400 members, Elliott said.

7:35 p.m.: There will be no work session Monday, City Manager Doug Miller said, as council will meet in a .

7:34 p.m.: Lapinsky said city residents will receive in the mail this week information on the trash pick-up schedule.

For more on the trash schedule, .

7:33 p.m.: Council votes unanimously to approve the bid.

7:30 p.m.: Matt Lapinsky, director of public works for Aberdeen, introduces a bid for replacement of the pump filter system at the .

The bid, SC12-01, is in the amount of $49,590. The cost will be covered by a grant .

The grant allowed for $63,000 for the city. Lapinsky said the city will also build a playground on the site.

7:27 p.m.: Council unanimously approves a resolution, numbered 12-R-02, to support the Boys & Girls Clubs of Harford County's request for Community Development Block Grant funding support for the Vi Ripken Youth Development Park.

7:25 p.m.: Council unanimously passes Ordinance No. 12-O-03, ammending the city code by "removing the requirements to maintain council liaisons as appointed members of certain boards and commissions."

7:23 p.m.: Public comment period comes to a close.

7:22 p.m.: Ryan Burbey, a teacher at Aberdeen Middle School, delivers an empassioned speech for city council and residents to get behind a push for funding local education.

"On March 13, my union, the HCEA, will be at the County Council meeting in Bel Air at 7 [p.m.]," Burbey said. "We’re hoping all the community members, you all, and anyone you can rally behind you, will come out and speak to the underfunding of schools will effect our children."

Patch will provide a full run-down of Burbey's comments in a later post.

7:16 p.m.: The period for public comment begins.

7:15 p.m.: Three city staff members are honored with awards for 100 percent compliance with state regulations.

Bennett said: "Our DPW folks are, it seems like anymore, routinely honored in the state for their work. I would put our DPW folks up against any other DPW in the state of Maryland. They do a great job."

7:10 p.m.: Mayor Bennett leaves the dais to present awards to water and wastewater staff members.

7:09 p.m.: Mayor Michael Bennett takes joy in introducing two family members in attendance tonight.

Bennett's wife, Elaine, gives a presentation on behalf of the Relay for Life event, scheduled for June 8 at James R. Harris Stadium in Havre de Grace. Elaine Bennett is the co-chair of the event, with her niece, Dee Halsey.

Mrs. Bennett said the goal is $85,000 in fundraising.

"It is a fun, overnight, relay-style event where we walk the track all night long," Bennett said.

Opening ceremony, survivor's lap, care-giver's lap and an luminaria lap, Bennett said, adding there will be music, games and contests throughout the night. The event ends at 7 a.m.

Bennett said residents may start a team or join a team, or support a team. Luminaria bags are available for $10 to be dedicated to someone who has died of cancer.

There will be a kickoff rally from 6-8 p.m. on March 7 at Havre de Grace High School.

Bennett said Havre de Grace Mayor Wayne Dougherty and the Havre de Grace City Council has accepted the challenge from Mayor Bennett and the Aberdeen City Council to join in the event.

"Some people actually bring pop-up campers and sleeping bags. Others bring canopy tents and folding chairs and stay out all night. It becomes a big celebration," Bennett said. "You don't have to stay all night."

7:02 p.m.: Pastor Jason Evans of Riveside Community Church delivers the opening prayer.

7 p.m.: The meeting begins.

6:55 p.m.: All council members and department heads are seated and the meeting is about to begin.

About a dozen in the audience.

6:45 p.m.: Welcome to our City Council live blog, where we will be updating the news coming from  at it happens.

Check back regularly. We will be adding nuggets of news immediately. Feel free to email sean.welsh@patch.com with any questions.

Check out our , which includes a link to the agenda.

NOTE: Lulls in reporting happen from time to time due to connectivity inside the council chambers.