Council hears winter response and sheriff's report; treasurer reports steady collections

Town staff and the sheriff's office briefed the North Beach Town Council on storm response and public-safety activity at the Feb. 12 meeting. The sheriff’s representative reported 67 calls for service in January and 639 self-initiated activities, and noted recurring juvenile-related theft/runaway incidents that led to placement at Shelton Camp. The representative also warned about fraud tied to payment apps such as Cash App and Apple Pay.

Public Works Director Donnie Bowens described extensive snow-and-ice response operations, said crews and contract helpers used additional equipment (including bobcats and a mini skid steer) to clear sidewalks and parking, and reported roughly 15–20 frozen-pipe service calls. He recounted a water-main saddle failure in the Burnout Townhouse Subdivision that required an after-hours shutdown while utility lines were marked; service was off for about 90 minutes on the night of repair.

Treasurer S10 told the council that property tax collections stand at about 75% as of Jan. 31 and that second-quarter water and sewer billing proceeded without interruption after a staffing change. Town Administrator Linda Visalla said staff are awaiting finalized roll-up numbers from the Chesapeake Beach water reclamation treatment plant budget and expect more clarity by the March work session. Council members thanked crews and volunteers for storm response and asked staff to continue monitoring fraud trends tied to online payment platforms.

No formal council action was taken on these items; they were presented as informational reports.