menu

    City of Havre de Grace Weekly Briefing. Week of Monday, April 27, 2018 

    1. Havre de Grace
    2. City of Havre de Grace Weekly Briefing. Week of Monday, April 27, 2018 

    City of Havre de Grace Weekly Briefing.
    Week of Monday, April 27, 2018

     
    Police Department: 

    • The Police Department will be participating in the Immanuel Quickley All Star Game being held at Havre de Grace Activity Center on April 28th at 3:00 pm. Admission is 5.00 dollars with the proceeds going to HdG Parks and Rec and the HdG Boys and Girls Club.
    • The Havre de Grace Police Department will be hosting a Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 28th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Havre de Grace Police Department 715 Pennington Avenue. Please drop your unwanted prescription drugs off at this event, keep them off the streets and out of the bay.
    • Make A Positive Difference in Your Community! Take part in SomersetServe, our annual neighborhood cleanup and beautification service project. Date: April 28, 2018 Time: 8:00am-12:00pm. Place: 101 Stansbury Court, Havre de Grace Lunch provided. Planned Projects include: Raking, Mulching, Trimming and Planting. Painting of curbs and benches. Fence line vegetation removal. Bring These Items with You: Rakes, Shovels, Gloves, Leaf Blowers, Paint Brushes, Brooms, Dustpans, Wheelbarrows, Sunscreen and More.

    Department of Public Works: 
    • The Green Team will be building a Victory Garden on the City property located at 319 Lafayette Street. It is almost time to start building beds and planting. Thanks to a grant they have been awarded by the Chesapeake Bay Trust there will also be a new pollinator garden on that site. The pollinator garden will treat the water quality as will the rain barrels we will install which will allow for the reuse of the rain runoff from the building for watering the plants.
    • The Stormwater Pond and Landscape Infiltration is complete at the Concord Point Park. Thank you to Harford Soil Conservation District and CB Trust for partnering to make this project possible.
    • The issuance of the City’s new MS-4 (separate storm sewer system) permit will occur this month.
    • WATCH for other stormwater pollution removal projects happening in the City. The smallest effort counts!!
    • A request for engineering work will be issued this week for a DNR/City regenerative stormwater improvement project at the Concord cove near the Maritime Museum.
    • Please report any illicit activity on the storm drains by calling City Hall at 410-939-1800 or by using the “REPORT” button on our website.
    • Be thinking of and planning small measures you can take on your own property to mitigate stormwater runoff around your home. For more information please call Stephanie at 410-939-1800.
    PAVING PROJECTS:
    • Paving has begun on the Community Center parking lot, the Opera House parking lot, a segment of Lodge Lane and a segment of Linden Lane.
    PARKS:
    • Design of pedestrian bridge abutments over Lilly Run near the Lock House continues. A request for proposal for construction advertised this week. The City has proposed this project for consideration as a grant request.
    • The foundation has been poured for the Gold Star Memorial in Tydings Park. Park bench foundations have been poured in the parks along with the grill pads.
    • Improvements to the handicapped ramp in Tydings Park will be completed by the end of this month.
    • Tree work is being completed at Tydings Park.
    • Dredging of the channel at Tydings Marina is on schedule and permits will be issued by June.
    WATER:
    • Repairs to the Lapidum Water Tower have been advertised for bid and the pre-bid meeting held. Sealed bids will be accepted at City Hall until 4/23/18 at 2pm.
    • The City has advertised for construction of 8 inch water line on a segment of Alliance Street and a segment of Lafayette Street. Sealed bids will be accepted at City Hall until April 23, 2018 at 3pm.
    • Construction will begin within the next couple weeks on the rehabilitation of the water main located at the 500-600 block of Camilla Street and the 900-1000 block of Otsego Street.
    • A request for proposal for improvements to the Water Treatment Plant will occur within the next month.
    DPW Staff is always busy with projects but this month has been particularly busy with:
    Sidewalk Repairs,
    Unclogging Storm Drains,
    Fire Hydrant Flushing (we have over 600 hydrants city-wide),
    Trimming Trees,
    Filling Potholes,
    Moving Water Services,
    Inspecting Locations for New Water Meters Installations,
    Handling 30+ Requests for Miss Utility just last week,
    Handling multiple tasks associated with Saturday’s 5k Race,
    Providing assistance for Earth Day clean-up; and,
    Pouring the foundation for the Gold Star Memorial.
    This week – A contractor is pouring the blacktop for the Opera House parking lot and ditch lines.
    CURBSIDE COLLECTIONS: A reminder about Yard Waste – no plastic bags permitted. Yard Waste is collected by the City’s trash hauler – Waste Industries – on Mondays when placed in paper yard waste bags, loose in a can and bundled.
     
    Department of Finance: 

    • Water/Sewer Turn Offs for non-payment will be Tuesday, April 23, 2018. Please pay by Monday, April 22nd to avoid the turn off fees.
    • Please Do Not Put Cash in the Drop Box at City Hall.
    • Having trouble paying your water bill or tax bill? The City will accept monthly payments to your account to alleviate the burden of paying all at one time. Penalties will apply to any unpaid balance after the due date.
    • When making Tax or Water/Sewer payments online, please be sure to use the correct account number for the correct bill for which you are trying to pay. If you enter your tax id when you are wanting to pay your water bill, the payment will be posted to your taxes. The payment always follows the account number!
    • Sign up for Water/Sewer e-Billing at www.havredegracemd.gov. Click on e-Billing Registration.
    • Unpaid Taxes as of April 2, 2018 have incurred an $80 penalty. If not paid in full by May 1, 2018, the property will be listed in the newspaper for the Tax Sale which will be held on June 18, 2018.
    • Payments for any property advertised for Tax Sale after April 30, 2018, must be paid by cash, money order or certified bank check and no online payments will be accepted.
    • Last day to make any payments at City Hall on advertised properties for Tax Sale will be June 14, 2018.

    Department of Economic Development: 
    Learn about the Havre de Grace A&E District Thursday
    Learn more about the Havre de Grace Arts & Entertainment District during a presentation from 3 to 5 p.m., Thursday, April 26, at the Cultural Center at the Opera House, 121 N. Union Ave., Havre de Grace. An A&E District since July 1, 2008, the Havre de Grace Arts Collective, a non-profit corporation, oversees the A&E District and administers and promotes A&D Programs in Havre de Grace.
    Havre de Grace is one of 22 designated A&E Districts across Maryland in 15 counties. The A&E designation offers incentives to animate existing infrastructure and attract artists to invest and create unique cultural environments which house galleries, studios, art centers, events, festivals and complementary businesses – all of which impact revitalization, heighten public safety, engage communities and increase the quality of life.
    Maryland legislation has provided three incentives for these districts:
    • A property tax credit for renovations or new construction of A&E enterprises;
    • An abatement of the Admissions and Amusement Tax for A&E enterprises; and
    • An income tax subtraction for income derived from the sale of art by qualifying residing artists.
    Learn more about these opportunities in Havre de Grace for artists and artists’ businesses at this informative and educational free seminar Thursday.
    Chesapeake Printers Fair and Pyrex & Vintage Fest this weekend
    The Chesapeake Printers Fair will be this Saturday, April 28, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in downtown Havre de Grace at 233 St. John Street, Glyph Fine Press. Join 20 letterpress printers, bookmakers, printmakers and other creative vendors to enjoy the craft of all paper arts from letterpress, print and book arts to paper making.
    Just a block away will be JoRetro’s PyrexFest & Vintage Fair: Celebrating the Love of Pyrex at 137 N. Washington Street, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sat., April 28. There will be unique Pyrex jewelry, numerous vendors and the nearby Vintage Café at 114 N. Washington Street, will even be serving some items in vintage Pyrex during the Fest! Stop in for breakfast, lunch or an old fashioned soda drink.
    Hackathon part of National Small Business Week
    National Small Business Week is April 29 to May 5. Join the Small Business Administration in celebration recognizing outstanding entrepreneurs and small business owners from all across the 50 states and US territories. Participates in events like the Virtual Conference and Twitter chat. They will also be livestreaming the award ceremonies, including the announcement of the National Small Business Person of the Year. Following the conversation online with hashtag #SmallBusinessWeek.
    This weekend, Friday, April 27 to Sunday, April 29, in Washington DC will be the #SmallBusinessWeek Hackathon. SBA and Visa invite you to bring your ideas and your laptop to spend a weekend solving business challenges as part of the kickoff of the National Small Business Week 2018. A $24,000 prize pool will be awarded to the winning submissions! Topics from Building and Accessing Business Credit to Optimizing Cash Flow, Payroll and Accounting Processes to Finding Banking Solutions will be part of the challenge. To register visit www.smallbizweek.hackathon.com
    On Sunday, April 29, the National Small Business Awards Ceremonies will be held and participants can watch live on the SBA’s Facebook page at 6 p.m. eastern time. Awards will be presented to SBA Resource Partners: Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Excellence and Innovation Award; Veterans Business Outreach Excellence in Service Award; Women’s Business Center of Excellence Award; SCORE Chapter of the Year. The Jody C. Raskind Lender of the Year, Small Business Investment Company of the Year and Phoenix Awards for Disaster Recovery will also be presented. The Phoenix Awards include for Outstanding Contributions to Disaster Recovery, Volunteer; Outstanding Contributions to Disaster Recovery, Public Official; and Small Business Disaster Recovery.
    On Monday, April 30, on the SBA Facebook page at 12:45 p.m., the following awards will be announced: Exporter of the Year; Federal Procurement Small Business Prime Contractor of the Year, Small Business Subcontractor of the Year, Dwight D. Eisenhower Award for Excellence (Services, Research and Development and Manufacturing), and 8(a) Graduate of the Year; and Small Business persons of the Year including the National Small Business Person of the Year (one from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
    Chesapeake Bay Crossing Study updates
    As part of the Chesapeake Bay Crossing Study, the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) is hosting a series of public meetings to provide project updates. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about:
    • The project’s Purpose and Need;
    • Scoping activities and public comments received to date;
    • Environmental review process; and
    • The alternative corridor development and screening process.
    The purpose of the Bay Crossing Study is to consider corridors for providing additional traffic capacity and access across the Chesapeake Bay to improve mobility, travel reliability and safety t the existing Bay Bridge, while considering financial viability and environmental responsibility.
    All meeting materials will be available at www.baycrossingstudy.com prior to the meetings and for those who choose not to attend in person. The meetings closest to Havre de Grace will be held Thursday, May 10, 6-8 p.m., at Kent County Middle School, 402 E. Campus Ave., Chestertown, MD; or Wednesday, May 16, from 6 to 8 p.m., at Middle River Middle School, 800 Middle River Rd., Middle River, MD.
     
    Office of Tourism: 
    Friday, April 27 @ The Maritime Museum. Geoff Kauffman live in concert. Geoff captures the spirit of sailing men, shedding light on their everyday concerns. The humor present in the music still resonates – Geoff will get you laughing and singing along in no time. With his full-throated choruses that are easy to learn, onlookers can’t help but join in the fun!
    Saturday, April 28- Tomahawk 5K & 1 Mile Walk beginning at Tydings Park
    Saturday, April 28- Pyrex Vintage Fest and Chesapeake Printers Fair. Celebrate your love of Pyrex and everything Vintage! Have fun vintage shopping with over 40+ guest vendors. A free semiannual event. The Chesapeake Printers Fair showcases the design and craft of all paper arts, from letterpress, print and book arts, papermaking too. Held simultaneously—just a block away—from the very successful JoRetro’s PyrexFest, the Printers Fair promises to have strong traffic, sharing a devoted and sophisticated demographic.
    Saturday, April 28- This black-tie fundraising gala is going to be an event not to miss! Menu to include all-you-care-to-eat Maryland crab cakes, cream of crab soup, crab dip, steamed shrimp, raw oysters, scallops wrapped in bacon, beef and turkey tenderloin and much, much more. Beer and wine included. Live band – “What’s Next?” for hours of entertainment and dancing. Live auctions to include a signature, limited edition Independence Day painting by a local artist. Get your tickets today for this amazing event! Tickets available at Havre de Grace Visitors Center.