CAMBRIDGE MATTERS
By: Commissioner Steve Rideout
swrideout@aol.com
March 1, 2017

Monday evening’s meeting of City Council was a long one with much on the agenda and in depth conversations on several the topics.

The consent calendar approved prior work session minutes of 2-6-17 and the Meeting Minutes of 2-13-17, the request from the Cambridge High School class of 1970 for use or Great Marsh Park on June 17, and one from Cambridge Rotary Community Service Foundation to hold an oyster roast near Long Wharf Park Memorial Fountain on March 25th.

A request from the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC) for the city to provide a letter of support for their grant (ESLC) application to the Maryland Heritage Area Authority was granted. If funded it will assist with stabilizing the smoke stack at the Phillips Packing Company, Factory F.

Next on the agenda were 2 proposed ordinances that are text amendments to the UDC that were introduced and scheduled for a second reading on March 13th. Following that were 4 ordinances for 2nd reading, public hearing, and adoption. These were adopted unanimously by city council.

The matter of cameras for crime reduction in the Greenwood Area that has been on prior agendas returned for a status report. Work on this project continues but is not yet completed.

The next four items on the agenda received questions, comments, and discussion before action was taken. Regarding the Sailwinds development, A draft feasibility study has been presented to city council with some remaining questions needing to be answered. In the meantime, city staff requested that it be directed to send out a request for expression of interest (REOI) to the development community regarding the Sailwinds/ Port Property and adjacent properties. The difference between a REOI and a Request for Proposal (RFP) was explained with the REOI being an easier and less burdensome process for developers to respond to that will help the city have a better sense of who might be interested in developing the property and their capacity to complete the project. The REOI will go out March 1st with a response date of April 15th.

The next item for consideration was a report back by staff on sidewalks and how other communities address construction of new sidewalks and the repair and replacement of older ones. After much sharing of information and failed motions, I moved to table any further action by the city on this issue.

That does not mean, however that nothing can happen. The city manager acknowledged during the discussion that there are sidewalks in the city that need repair or replacement. The city will act if a complaint is filed through the complaint page on the city website.

The Cambridge City Code discusses sidewalks as follows:

Sec. PM 303.3. Sidewalks and driveways. All sidewalks, steps, driveways, parking spaces and similar paved areas for public use shall be kept in a proper state of repair. If any sidewalk or driveway or portion thereof by virtue of its state of repair shall constitute a danger to public health and safety, the sidewalk or driveway or portion thereof shall be replaced.
Sec. PM 303.3 (a). Responsibilities of property owners. It shall hereby be the duty and obligation of the owner of property abutting a sidewalk for public use to maintain the abutting sidewalk, driveway, apron and sod in such a condition as to be safe for public use. This obligation includes the clearing of all growth or grass, roots and weeds within, under and around the sidewalk and in the area between the sidewalk and the curb, snow shoveling and actual structural repair.
Sec. PM 303.3 (b). Responsibilities of the city. It shall be the duty and obligation of the city to maintain the property of the city, which includes the repair and maintenance of curbs, gutters and city streets.

So, the important language about sidewalks is that we do not want them to “constitute a danger to public health and safety”. If you see any that do, let the city manager know through the city website. If the sidewalk does not “constitute a danger to public health and safety”, do not make a complaint as that will then add to the challenges facing an already overburdened staff that also must address problems with substandard housing and overgrown yards and property here in the city.

The next item for discussion was recycling and trash reduction strategies. Odie Wheeler, Director of DPW, reported that he has had discussions with the county about having large roll off trash/recycle containers placed on city property at the DPW site on Leonard Lane like the ones off Chesapeake Avenue. City Council approved having staff move forward with negotiating an agreement with the county. If it can be finalized, it will be several months before those containers will be available and in place.

Also discussed was the possibility of curbside recycling that is of interest to some in the community. All of the information is not in about possible solutions, but the city will be working with providers to see if some group rate might be negotiated for residents if enough people sign up for the service. The city is not in a financial place to undertake curbside recycling itself. When more information is developed, it will be shared with the community.

Also discussed was the possibility of having bulk pick up services either on a scheduled basis or upon request. The cost of the service will be considered once a decision is made about offering it to the community.

Finally, what to do about raccoons and vultures was discussed. With vultures, they are protected and so may not be captured. If they are a problem for a homeowner, at least one company can be hired to try to prevent them from continuing to land on or near the property. With raccoons, the company that the city contacted indicated that it would contract with the city for limited services needed on city property and would also provide a reduced fee for services requested by residents. City Council asked the city manager to consider how/if some limited funding could be made available to help homeowners with limited incomes remove raccoons by paying some or all of the cost.

A related issue of Feral Cats was not on the docket Monday evening but is still being considered by staff for a future report to City Council.

New Business on the agenda brought a presentation about the Harriet Tubman Park and Visitor’s Center. Also presented were a grant funding request for the Historic Preservation Commission to help with training and the completion of the proposed Cambridge Historic District Design Guidelines and a discussion about the Ward Three Blight Study Report that included a request by staff to develop a plan to apply for a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to fund a home rehabilitation project for the 3rd ward.

City Council also appropriated $156,250 of Sewer Fund Reserves to pay for the work done at Woods Road and Rt. 50 a few months ago. The city manager presented a request to help her with the budget planning process regarding some potential funding for new projects as well as projects to address long standing needs such as fixing the 300 Block of High Street.

As its final act, City Council approved the appointment of Nick Grande, Rodger Herrell, Carlos Wilson, Louise White, and Anne Whaples to the City’s Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Committee.

Steve Rideout