Town Manager reports low crime, WSSC sewer collapse delaying Williams work; council OKs curb repainting and records digitization

Town Manager Rachel DeLong delivered the Manager's Report and the meeting heard a series of operational updates and short actions.

Officer Jason Cokinos reported crime in Section 5 remains very low, with two incidents so far in 2025 and six incidents in 2024. The Manager said the town's process to update Bank of America account signatories is nearly complete and that the next bank to update will be Eagle Bank.

DeLong said this was the first meeting offering virtual participation in addition to in-person attendance; she thanked Melissa Aymold and the team at Montgomery Municipal Cable for assistance and said staff would review virtual logistics following resident feedback. The Manager also confirmed an upcoming election with four nominees for three open council seats: Greg Chernack, Sean Downey, Joe Harar and Brooke Thomas; three current councilmembers not running will appoint election tellers.

Event and contract notes: the Council confirmed Rocklands for the July 4 parade and will secure the same event set-up from Talk of the Town. The Section received and signed an audit engagement letter from Lindsey & Associates; the maximum gross fee increased modestly from $10,225 to $10,600 (Lindsey charged Section 5 $9,150 last year). The Manager said she is reviewing insurance renewals with Chesapeake (workers' compensation and employer's liability), LGIT and Travelers to compare coverage and pricing with peer municipalities.

Infrastructure: DeLong reported the Williams and Woodbine WSSC project was delayed after a sewer pipe not previously worked on in front of 3711 Williams collapsed; crews are fast-tracking the repair but road work will likely be delayed several weeks, and crews have laid seed and will use sod if seeding fails. On street maintenance, the Council voted to repaint curbs to designate no-parking areas and directed staff to investigate contractors and coordinate repainting with spring street cleaning. The Manager also said the Glendale speed hump was built to contract specifications and staff will explore adding signage to warn drivers.

Records and community services: consultant Julie Sparacino estimated a records-digitization project at about $2,000; the Council agreed to pursue the project and staff will return with a list of candidate files and a vote on which to digitize. The annual Community Shred Event with Section 3 and Martin's Additions is scheduled for Sunday, May 4, 9 a.m. to noon.

The meeting adjourned; the next Section 5 Council meeting is May 6, 2025, at 7:30 p.m.