Council minutes, Feb. 2006

SECTION 5 OF THE VILLAGE OF CHEVY CHASE

MINUTES OF THE COUNCIL MEETING

Date:               February 14, 2006

Time:              7:30pm

Place:             5906 Connecticut Avenue, Chevy Chase Village Hall

Present:          Margy Abbott; Frances L. Higgins; Ira Rosenbaum; Andrew Smith;

                        Alan Beal; 2 Section 5 residents

1. Minutes

Andrew moved that the January 11, 2006, Council meeting minutes be approved as revised by email; Margy seconded the motion and it passed

      unanimously.

Old Business

2. Speaker

Alan Beal, the building permit administrator for Chevy Chase View, explained the duties for his position in Chevy Chase View.  He said that Chevy Chase View has more restrictive setbacks and house height limitations than the County.  When a resident applies for a building permit, he meets with that person to help him/her devise plans that will meet the town’s building requirements.  This meeting takes place very early in the process before the person has gotten too far into the planning.  Previously, Chase View has used the County’s demolition ordinance but now is in the process of adopting its own demolition ordinance.  This ordinance will govern the demolition process relating to the removal of asbestos, rats, and lead paint.  Alan said that the feedback from residents and Council members has been very positive about his involvement in the building permit process.

He said that Chevy Chase View charges a $250 fee for building projects of $10,000 or less and $500 for those more than $10,000.  The permit fee for fences is $125.  There is a $5,000 bond fee for projects over $10,000.  The building fees are given to Alan Beal to pay for the number of hours he works.  He said that he worked on an average of 20 hours per month. 

            Margy asked Alan what restrictions Chevy Chase View placed on water run off caused by building projects.  Alan said that if a lot measures more 10,000sq. ft., the County requires a resident to present a sediment control plan when he/she presents the plans for the building project. 

The manager will contact Alan and ask what his hourly charges are and how many hours he would work to review Section 5’s building permit process.  She will ask him to provide a proposal about how he would administer the building permit process in Section 5.  Alan will suggest ways to improve the town’s ordinances and permits relating to the building process.  The manager will contact the manager of Chevy Chase View and get a copy of their proposed demolition ordinance and permit application as well as their building permit application.  She will then distribute copies to the Council.  She will also get a copy of the building permit for Section 3 and share it with the Council.  

3. Review of Fence Ordinance

Ira gave some background information concerning the fence ordinance. 

            He said that a resident called him and said that if the Council passes a new fence

            ordinance which will reinstate the fence ordinance which was in effect before the

            revision of November 29, 2004, someone could challenge the legality of this new

ordinance.  Margy suggested that the fence ordinance as it is written in the revision of May 2003 be the fence ordinance for Section 5; Ira and Andrew agreed with Margy.  The manager will delete the revision to the fence ordinance which was added November 29, 2004, and include a copy of the complete fence ordinance with the March newsletter.

A resident on Leland Court has erected fence without a permit and with unfinished side facing his neighbor.  The manager has contacted this resident by telephone and by mail; the resident has not corrected the infraction.  The Council asked the manager to contact David Podolsky, a Montgomery County lawyer, and ask him write a letter informing the resident that he must adjust his fence so that it meet the fence ordinance requirements.

 New Business

4. Treasurer’s Report

Margy presented the January expenditures and revenues.  She said that the

town received $213,000 in State income taxes last year and $264,000 YTD this year. 

5. Budget 2006-07

The manager will call someone at the trash company and ask him to

project the increase in charges for the next year. At the March Council meeting the Council will decide how much to increase the trash item on the budget.  The manager will also find out what the salary increase will be for the federal and county governments for 2006-07.   The Council will give the manager a salary increase for 2006-07 equal to the federal or county increase whichever is higher.  LGIT, the town’s insurance company, has notified the Council that the general liability insurance rate will increase by 15%; therefore, the Council will increase the insurance budget item by $500.  A resident asked to Council to offer residents free trees again this fall.  Ira said that the budget amount for trees would allow the town to offer free trees.  The insurance, trash and personnel are the only items on the 2006-07 budget which will change from the 2005-06 budget

6. Building Inspector’s Report

The following permits were issued:

3807 Williams Lane – erection of guest house in rear yard

3700 Woodbine St. – side yard fence

3802 Williams Ln. – back and side fence (I listed this permit as Woodbine St. but it was Williams Ln.)

     7. Manager’s Report

                        The manager said that a resident has asked to able to use a considerably larger recycle bin.  The trash company said it would charge $500 more per month because it would need to install a lift on the back of the trash truck to lift the larger bins.  The Council decided not to use larger recycle bins because of the added cost.  AT&T has begun charging the town $16.95 for long distance service per month whether the town uses the service or not.  Ira said he would send the manager information about a less expensive service.  The Council agreed to pay the expenses for the manager to attend the MML convention this summer in Ocean City.  FEMA has contacted the town to say that Section 5 must list its town on the proposed flood plain map.  The manager will attend a meeting about this process.  The manager asked the Council if the town should continue to remove the snow on the sidewalks when only 2 inches have fallen.  The Council agreed that it will continue to pay to remove snow from the sidewalks when 2 inches have fallen.

Andrew moved that the meeting adjourn; Ira seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.

The next meeting will be March 14, 2006, at the Village Hall, 5906 Connecticut Avenue, at 7:30pm.