Bellefonte newsletter 9-04

June 2006
Bellefonte Contact List
David Wishowsky
President
761-9403
Scott MacKenzie, Secretary
Town Facilities and Property, Website
& Newsletter Editor
slmackenzie@verizon.net
Kathy MacDonough, Commissioner
Recreation & Activities
762-1235
Vacant, Commissioner
Town Services
(trash, streets, snow removal)
Light outages call Delmarva Power
Terry Thompson, Commissioner
Legal Liaison, Zoning/Building Code
Liaison, Planning Commission
764-2669, email: terrynde@aol.com
Curt A. Nass, Treasurer
Tax Collector
764-6568
Joe Finocchiaro, Jr., Building
Inspector /Building Permits
275-6594
Steve Russo, Plumbing Inspector/
Plumbing Permits
762-3307
Mailing Address:
901A Rosedale Avenue
Wilmington, DE 19809
May Decisions
The following is a summary version
of votes and decisions made by the
Bellefonte Town Commission during
the month of May. They are not the
complete minutes of the meetings.
Once approved at the next meeting,
the minutes are posted on our website
www.townofbellefonte.com, or you
can get a copy at Town Meetings.
The following decisions were made
and news reported at the May 8th
Town Meeting:
•
•
Website: townofbellefonte.com
Email:townofbellefonte@hotmail.com
NCC Police - Emergency
911
NCC Police - non-emerg.
395-8171
NCCPD drug unit
395-8115
NCCPD confidential hotline 655-8045
IDS Trash Collection
378-5400
DelDOT Pothole Hotline
368-6628
DSWA (recycling)
577-3457
1-800-375-7117
Delmarva Power
NCC Property Maintenance Code
Enforcement Hotline
395-5555
Be sure to get a complaint number
from the County for your complaint.
•
President Dave Wishowsky
nominated the following residents
for the Bellefonte Board of
Adjustment: Rich Mulhern, Tom
Byrne, Cheryl Bowers, Brian
Donovan, and Jon Hill.
The Commission voted and
approved the nominees as
members of the Bellefonte Board
of Adjustment. Each member was
approved separately and a vote
was taken on each candidate. The
vote to approve each nominee was
Aye: Clouthier, MacDonough,
MacKenzie, Thompson, and Abst:
Dave Wishowsky.
Town attorney Max Walton
explained that the Board of
Adjustment will have its own
legal counsel, not from Walton’s
firm, but that the Commission will
select this attorney. The
Commission voted to approve
preparation of a list of
recommended land use attorneys
for the Board of Adjustment.
(continued on page 2)
Location Change
for Election
Bellefonte Town Commission
elections will be held on
Tuesday, June 6, 2006
from 5 – 8 pm,
at Brandywine Hundred Fire
Company #1
NOT at Bellefonte Town Hall. The
Bellefonte Town Commission voted at
the May 8 Town Meeting to move the
location of the election in order to
better accommodate residents with
disabilities and mobility challenges.
As you know, the Bellefonte Town
Commission has included funding in
the Town’s budget, and planning is
currently underway to make Town
Hall wheelchair accessible. We are
committed to making Town Hall
accessible to all our residents in the
coming year.
The Bellefonte Town Commission is
grateful to Richard Perillo, president,
and to the entire membership of the
Brandywine Hundred Fire Company
#1 for making their building available
for this important election, as they do
with every state and national election.
Offices open in this election include
two Commissioner seats (two-year
term), Treasurer (one-year term), and
Tax Assessor (one-year term).
The election is open to all residents of
the Town of Bellefonte 18 and older,
regardless of your voter registration
status with the Board of Elections
(you need not be a registered voter to
participate in the Bellefonte election).
Please bring a driver’s license or
photo ID with you to verify your
residence in Bellefonte.
Decisions (cont’d from page 1)
•
•
•
•
•
•
2
A motion to hold a Special
Meeting on Monday, May 22, at 7
pm to select the attorney for the
Board of Adjustment was
approved by the Commission.
Candidate for Building Inspector
Mark Barnwell was present and
was interviewed by the
Commission. Mark was an
inspector for the Wilmington
Housing Authority for 2 ½ years
and is very familiar with code
enforcement and review. He is
currently a judicial assistant in the
NCC Family Court. He is
familiar with ICC code, is willing
to get ICC certification, and is
available to make inspections
during the course of the day. He
submitted copies of letters of
endorsement and certificates of
training in many issues of code
review and enforcement.
A motion to interview any
additional candidates at the
Special Meeting on May 22 was
approved, so that a decision can
be made about filling the position.
Attorney Max Walton gave a
status report on drainage issues at
99 Beeson, 603 Melrose, and a
Building Code violation at 202
School House La.
Dates for filing for the upcoming
Bellefonte Election were
announced. Offices in this
election include two
Commissioners, the Treasurer,
and the Tax Assessor. In
consideration of people with
physical disabilities, the
Commission voted to move the
election to Brandywine Hundred
Fire Company, pending approval
of the officers.
Attorney Max Walton reported
that M. Kostyshyn’s motion to be
reimbursed for costs was denied
by the Court.
•
Scott M. and Kathy were
approved as judges for the
Bellefonte Election.
•
A motion to disband the Town
Services Committee, the
Recreation and Community
Activities Committee, the Charter,
Ordinance, and Legislative
Committee (all committees except
the Planning Commission) was
approved by the Commission.
Dave Wishowsky could not attend
the meeting and a quorum of
Commissioners selected Terry
Thompson to act as President pro
tempore for the meeting.
•
A motion to discontinue the
monthly Working Meetings was
approved.
•
Grandview Avenue resident Andy
Moore was approved to draw
architectural plans of the Town
Hall complex, wheelchair ramps,
and bathrooms, for up to $1,400.
•
A motion was approved to allocate
the budgeted $2,000 for the
purchase of 4 filing cabinets, two
book shelves, and a fan for Town
Hall.
The Commission approved the
following terms for members of
the Board of Adjustment: Jon Hill
- 1 yr., Rich Mulhern and Tom
Byrne - 2 yrs, and Cheryl Bowers
and Brian Donovan - 3 yrs. The
vote was Yea = Clouthier,
MacDonough, MacKenzie,
Thompson, Absent = Wishowsky.
•
Terry Thompson received legal
advice from Max Walton
regarding the Planning
Commission. He will review it
with the Planning Commission
and will bring recommendations
back to the Commission at the
next Town Meeting.
•
•
•
The Commission approved a
motion to approve attendance fees
for up to six people (Board of
Adjustment) to attend an IPA
(Institute for Public
Administration, UDel) seminar on
land use on 5/25 in Dover.
Commissioner Scott Clouthier
sent a letter to the residence at
1207 Talley regarding reckless
driving by a resident.
The Commission approved the
real estate tax at $0.40 per $100 of
assessed value as the tax rate for
the 2006-7 fiscal year. This is the
same rate as last year.
The following decisions were made at
the Special Meeting held on
Monday, May 22:
A second candidate for Building
Inspector, Howard Border was
interviewed.
An Executive Session was called
for the Commission to consult
with attorney Max Walton
regarding pending litigation in M.
Kostshyn v. Bellefonte Town
Commission, and to privately
consider the qualifications for the
position of Building Inspector. .
Following an Executive Session
(closed to the public to consider
qualifications) Mark Barnwell
was appointed Building Inspector
for Bellefonte, effective June 6,
the date of Joe Finocchiaro’s
resignation.
The 2006-7 Fiscal Year Budget
was approved with $328,000 in
gross receipts and investments,
and $222,000 in expenses,
leaving $106,000 in ending
balance (cash reserves).
A Special Meeting was approved
for Tuesday, May 30, 7 pm, to
approve who will be conducting
the audit of the Town’s financial
records for FY 2005-6.
Next Town Meeting:
Monday, June 12, 7 pm
Town Hall
Budget Approved Around Town
The Town budget for fiscal year 20067 was approved by the Bellefonte
Town Commission at the Special
Meeting on May 22, 2006.
Cash reserves, beg. balance
Investment
86,600
20,000
Receipts
Tax Collection
$112,000
Rent - daycare center
18,000
Interest income
2,700
Building Permits
5,000
Plumbing Permits
1,500
Cable Franchise Fee
8,600
Property Transfer Tax (est.) 56,000
State Planning Grant
5,000
MSAF Reimbursement
12,000
Other
600
Total Receipts
$328,000
Disbursements
Legal Fees
Bank Fees
Community Activities
Memberships
Equipment
Furniture
Telephone/fax service
Ground keeping Town Hall
Inspector Building Fees
Plumbing inspector fees
Insurance
Misc. expenses
(Seminars, etc.)
NCC Police
Public notices
Office Supplies
Pest Control
Postage
Printing
Secretary’s Stipend
Snow Plowing
Tax Commission
Tax Payment
Town Audit
Town Utilities
MSAF Utilities
Facility maintenance
Capital improvement
Trash Collection/Recycling
Treasurer’s Fee
Total Disbursements
Bellefonte has received its share of media attention
recently. The 8th Annual Bellefonte 50’s Reunion and
Classic Car Cruise, held on Saturday, April 29, headlined
the May 5 edition of the Brandywine Community News
(East), with multiple photos and a very nice story.
20,000
500
2,250
1,000
1,000
3,000
600
3,600
2,500
750
8,000
New shops have opened on the
Boulevard, and the businesses
have joined together to launch
an ongoing advertising
campaign in the News Journal.
Watch for their cute ad, and
make sure to patronize our
merchants! If you haven’t yet
explored the shops, you’ll be
surprised and delighted by the variety of unique and intriguing wares.
June Art Loop - Friday night June 2, the last Art Loop of the season, will be a
perfect opportunity to explore the Boulevard. The shops will stay open late
and offer refreshments.
W3R - Mark your calendar in advance for the Revolutionary
weekend (W3R) to be held the last weekend in September.
Big doings are planned all along the route taken by Generals
Washington and Rochambeau on their way to Yorktown in
1781, as thousands of troops marched by on the Kings
Highway (Philly Pike). Brandywine Boulevard will be one of
the Discovery Zones of the “Ride the Revolutionary Route”
campaign, which will feature self-guided tours. Many fascinating
commemorative events and reenactments are planned; for more information,
see www.w3r-us.org (click on “DE”) and www.rsar.org/current/w3r.
1,200
6,000
1,500
1,200
600
3,000
3,600
600
15,000
6,400
1,300
3,500
9,000
12,000
3,000
20,000
90,000
900
Cash Reserves (end balance)
St. Helena’s had near-perfect
weather for the annual carnival
the first week of May.
Coming Soon
222,000
Soon the Boulevard
will be sporting a
patriotic motif as
lamppost banners
purchased by the
Commission are
installed. The flag
design will be on
display from now until
the Fall, while the
Town logo flags will
continue to “hang
around” all year ‘round.
106,000
3
epor
Repor
eportt
Financial R
The following bills were approved for
payment in May:
Copy & Mail Express, April newsletter
mailing,
288.05
Copy & Mail Express, May newsletter mailing,
293.00
Delmar Pest Control, Inv 9590-termite serv
contract, daycare,
$49.00
Russo Bros. Inc., Controllers for boiler,
$425.00
IDS, May trash collection,
$7,255.00
Green N’ Clean Inc, lawncare TH
$390.00
Delmarva Power, Town hall power, $34.43
Delmarva Power, Traffic light,
$41.37
Delmarva Power, Street lights,
$976.28
NCC, Police services, march,
$963.00
NCC, Police services, april,
$642.00
CBL&H LLP, Legal fees, April,
$2,000.00
Insurance Associates, insur.
$6,877.00
Display Sales, 20 banners,
$1,580.00
Scott MacKenzie, Secr. Stipend,
$50.00
Dave Wishowsky, Supplies, caution tape and
recordable CDs,
$15.99
Kathy MacDonough, Reimbursement,
lamppost decorations & expenses, $128.71
IRS, Withholding for Curt,
$985.86
News Journal, Legal notice-Ord. 2006-01,
$58.41
Treasurer’s and Tax Collector’s
Report: Curt Nass gave the Tax
Collector’s Report for the period
ending 4/30/06 with $720.24 in taxes
collected.
The Treasurer’s Report was given,
stating that receipts for the month were
$3,344.92 in the general account,
$8,066.42 in the Transfer Tax account,
and $9.44 in interest in the MSAF
account (MSAF is Municipal Street
Aid Fund).
Total disbursements for the month
were $15,943.86 from the general
account, $1,056.60 from the MSAF
account with $42.23 in bank fees from
the MSAF account.
The ending balance in the general
account was $70,492.58, $3,279.38 in
the MSAF account, and $43,122.38 in
the Property Transfer Tax account.
The ending balance in all accounts,
including a $20,000 certificate of
deposit, was $136,894.34.
Open Property
Maintenance Violations
A monthly report for April was
received from the NCC Department
of Code Enforcement. The
following addresses were listed as
having open/pending property
maintenance code violations:
700 Brandywine Boulevard – letter
from NCC unclaimed by owner,
failed second inspection, 3rd
scheduled.
1201 Brandywine Boulevard – failed
three inspections, 4th scheduled.
1220 Brandywine Boulevard – failed
first inspection, 2nd scheduled
1223 Rosedale Avenue – failed two
inspections, 3rd scheduled
1101 Bellevue Avenue — letter sent,
1st inspection scheduled
(information supplied by NCC, Dept. of
Code Enforcement)
“One of Delaware’s Best Places to Live” -- Delaware Today, March 2003
“An art lover’s best-kept secret.” -- Out & About, December 2004
WILMINGTON, DE
PERMIT NO. 84
Bellefonte Town Commission
901A Rosedale Avenue
Wilmington, DE 19809
PAID
FIRST CLASS
US POSTAGE