SUBMITTED PHOTO/BAYSIDE GAZETTE
Berlin Mayor Gee Williams and members of the Berlin Parks Commission on Nov. 10 cut the ribbon on the newly renovated tennis courts at Stephen Decatur Park.

By Josh Davis, Associate Editor

(Nov. 22, 2018) The Berlin mayor and Council discussed the following items last Tuesday during a public meeting at Town Hall:

Municipal Government Month

Town Administrator Laura Allen read into the record a proclamation declaring November “Municipal Government Works Month.”

Included in the proclamation, “municipal government represents the most responsive level of government, allowing citizens to have direct access to elected officials” and “in an effort to educate citizens about municipal government and the importance of their participation, the Town of Berlin is proud to promote municipal government awareness.”

Allen said town efforts to promote municipal government awareness in 2018 included holding 49 community events, welcoming 13 new businesses and collecting 141 tons of recycling.

Ethics ordinance

A public hearing on an updated ordinance titled “Ethics Provisions” was opened and closed without comment. The council 4-0 voted to repeal the previous ordinance and replace it with the new one. Councilman Elroy Brittingham was not present during the meeting.

Mayor Gee Williams said new legislation by the Maryland General Assembly necessitated the changes, which include keeping the addresses of elected officials confidential.

He joked doing so was difficult in a small town, but added, “We’re fine with whatever they need.”

Electric agreement

The council unanimously approved a resolution giving Williams and Allen the authority to authorize wholesale electric purchases, within certain parameters.

Allen said a report to the council would be provided once the transactions were concluded and the authority would have to be reapproved annually.

Tennis update

Administrative Services Director Mary Bohlen said renovation of the tennis courts at Stephen Decatur Park had finished and the courts were re-opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony last Saturday.

Bohlen said a few cosmetic items remain to be addressed, but the courts are being used and the condition was “really, really good.”

She added the annual Fall Just Walk event was also held on Saturday at Decatur Park, with 31 participants attending.

Recycling update

Public Works Director Jane Kreiter said recycling drop-off services had been moved from the electric plant on William Street to an area at Berlin Falls park, which is on Old Ocean City Boulevard. Additionally, with the new “single-stream” drop-off, all recyclable materials can be put into one container.

Kreiter said residential recycling pickup must still be separated.

Movember

Police Chief Arnold Downing, sporting the beginnings of a beard, said he and other officers were participating in “Movember” to raise awareness for men’s health issues, including prostate and testicular cancer, and mental health and men’s suicide.

“With our other law enforcement partners of [the] Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office, [and] Salisbury City, officers are donating the opportunity to go ahead and not shave, but the funds are actually going directly to those issues,” he said.

“We ask everyone to think about the fathers and brothers that are in their lives and the men you that you really care about, and advise them to go ahead and get screened … and make sure they get their regular checkups with their doctors,” Downing added.