Berlin boards, commissions meetings postponed until they can resume virtually

By Ally Lanasa, Staff Writer

(Nov. 26, 2020) Mayor Zackery Tyndall’s Civil Emergency Declaration will postpone the Berlin Planning Commission’s public hearing on the “resilence element” of the town’s comprehensive plan.

The declaration, which went into effect on Monday, resulted in the closure of government buildings to the public, including Town Hall, the Planning and Zoning Office and the Berlin Welcome Center.

All town employees are working on alternating schedules.

Dave Engelhart

“We’re going back on a split schedule, and they are going to, for now, pause public meetings,” Planning Director Dave Engelhart said at the planning commission meeting last Wednesday.

He added that he and Permit Coordinator Carolyn Duffy will not be present in the office on the same day.

All upcoming board and commission meetings are canceled until preparations can be made to meet over Zoom or another virtual conference platform.

“I don’t know if we are going to be looking at a December meeting or not, but I’ll keep you posted,” Engelhart told the commission.

The four commission members present – Denny, Pete Cosby, Austin Purnell, and Matthew Stoehr – agreed they were finished discussing the “resilience element,” or how the community can respond, adapt to and overcome disasters and changing environmental circumstances.

“Are we at the stage where we can schedule a public hearing?” asked Chair Chris Denny.

Cosby suggested waiting until more members were present to make a motion to proceed to the public hearing.

Vice-Chairman Newt Chandler, members Ron Cascio and Phyllis Purnell and alternate David “DJ” Lockwood were absent for the meeting.

“And the comprehensive plan, we’re required to review it,” Engelhart said. “We’ve been reviewing it. We can continue to review it. If we want to do these, like add a master plan, we can do that any year, any time with an amendment to the comprehensive plan, which is a public hearing.”

Engelhart added that the planning commission would recommend the amendment to the comprehensive plan to the Berlin Mayor and Council, then another public hearing would be held.

Stoehr asked if adopting the entire resilience element would increase the likelihood of receiving grants.

“I think having it will never hurt with a grant application,” Engelhart said. “But it wasn’t a requirement to have that to qualify for grants.”

In response to Stoehr, Engelhart added that grant applications are always a competitive process and having the resilience element could be an advantage in the contest for funding.

“That changes my mind slightly on this because it becomes a potential financial gain for the town,” Stoehr said.

The commission members then reviewed a letter of support of the resilience element addressed to them, the mayor and Engelhart from Steve Farr, watershed coordinator at the Maryland Coastal Bays Program.

Engelhart said Farr was instrumental in Maryland Coastal Bays Program providing half the funding for the submerged gravel wetlands on Graham Avenue and Old Ocean City Boulevard that was completed last year.

“He’s well aware of what we do,” he added. “He assisted us in getting that grant, and he just happens to live right here in Berlin.”