City of Havre de Grace Weekly Briefing Week of Monday March 12, 2018 Havre de GraceCity of Havre de Grace Weekly Briefing Week of Monday March 12, 2018 City of Havre de Grace Weekly Briefing Week of Monday March 12, 2018 Mayor’s Office: Mayor Martin and the City of Havre de Grace would like to recognize and congratulate the students of the months for the month of March. Camie Nguyen (Meadowvale Elementary), Sarah Parsley (Havre de Grace Middle School), Jasai Stansbury (Havre de Grace High School). On Friday, March 9, 2018, Mayor Martin spoke at the R. Madison Mitchell Endowment Dinner. During his remarks, he presented the organization with a proclamation recognizing the 25th Anniversary of the R. Madison Mitchell Endowment Trust. Public Meetings: Monday, March 12, 2018 6:30 p.m: Planning Commission Police Department: Havre de Grace Police Department names new captains. (Pictured left to right: Chief Walter, Capt. Alton, Capt. Krass, Mayor Martin) Havre de Grace Police welcomed two new Captains to the department. The new Captains come to the department due to retirements of the former Captains. The new Patrol Captain is Jon Krass who served for twenty-eight (28) years with the Harford County Sheriff’s Office and retired in February 2018 as the Commander for the Police Services Bureau, Special Operations Division. During his tenure with the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, Capt. Krass served as the Police Services Bureau, Southern Precinct Commander. As precinct commander, Capt. Krass supervised approximately 80 law enforcement and civilian personnel. His duties and responsibilities included identifying crime trends and then employing the proper crime-fighting strategies to address the problems. Capt. Krass oversaw both overtime and operations budgets for the Southern Precinct. Capt. Krass also conducted administrative reviews of various incidents such as the use of force, pursuits, citizens’ complaints, and community concerns. The new Administrative Captain is Joe Alton who served with the Maryland Transportation Authority Police Department for twenty-six years (26) and retired in February 2018 as the Operations Commander of the Logistics Division. This position incorporates the management of several support units to include the Information Technology for Law Enforcement Unit, Fleet Services, Property/Evidence Unit, Quartermaster, Electronic Enforcement Unit, the management and oversight of the agency-wide Computer Aided Dispatch and Records Management Systems. Prior to his assignment with the Logistics Division, Capt. Alton served as the Operations Commander of the Special Operations Division. His duties included tactical incident management of the MdTAPD Special Response Team (SRT), Criminal Investigation Unit, Marine Unit, Collision Reconstruction Unit, K9 and Criminal Interdiction. Capt. Alton was also the Detachment Commander of both the Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport and the Port of Baltimore Detachment. In both of these positions Capt. Alton had direct oversight and management of a specified police detachment and the personnel assigned to those stations. Associated responsibilities included the preparation and management of multi-million dollar budgets, equipment allocation and procurement, crime data management, and appropriate resource distribution. Both Captains come to Havre de Grace with a wealth of knowledge and experience. Both Captains live with their families in the Havre de Grace/Aberdeen area. The Havre de Grace Police Department would like to welcome both Captains to Havre de Grace and wish them the best of luck in their new positions! St. Patrick’s Day is one of the deadliest holidays on our nation’s roads. During the 2012-2016 St. Patrick’s Day holiday period (6 p.m. March 16 to 5:59 a.m March 18), 269 lives were lost due to drunk-driving crashes. In 2016, drunk driving killed more than 10,000 people in our country, and every single one of those deaths was preventable. Do your part this St. Patrick’s Day: Arrange for a sober driver to ensure you get home safely. Department of Public Works: THANK YOU AND HAPPY TRAILS TO BILL REEDER! – The department extends its sincere appreciation to Bill Reeder, Deputy Director of Construction and Program Management for his 44 years of faithful service to the City of Havre de Grace. Bill will retire at the end of March. Those interested in sending cards to Bill may do so to: City Hall, 711 Pennington Avenue, Attn: Laurie Dawson CONGRATULATIONS – The department would like to congratulate Jeff Keithley on his recent promotion to Chief of Construction and Project Management. Jeff comes to this position with a wealth of knowledge from his former leadership duties with Stormwater Management, Code Enforcement, Inspections and other Public Works and Planning Department responsibilities. The Havre de Grace Green Team’s Danielle Wolfe has stepped up to help the City by gathering the plastic bags and wrapping collected at City Hall and depositing them at our partner location: Weis Markets. Thank you Danielle! Stormwater Management Updates 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. Stormwater pond revitalization and landscape infiltration areas construction has begun at Concord Point Park. These improvements will help protect the river and bay from stormwater runoff and the pollutants it carries. CONGRATULATIONS to the Maritime Museum for their grant award to restore the shoreline riparian buffer. Watch for more improvements to the shoreline many of which will include informational signage to enlighten visitors on purpose and partnerships involved with shoreline and runoff improvements as we strive to keep our waterways clean. The City of Havre de Grace and the Department of Natural Resources are working on regenerative stormwater improvements in the area of Concord Point Lighthouse and the Maritime Museum. The city completed its design for Lilly Run Phase I, Wetland Enhancement near the current Middle School. Watch for next steps. Construction will begin this year. Design of pedestrian bridge abutments over Lilly Run near the Lock House is 100% completed. . Watch for more information on this connection of the Joe K Trail loop. Design of the city’s stormwater management pond retrofit and habitat creation at Bradford Green is underway. Watch for these enhancements soon. The enhancements planned for Lilly Run and Bradford Green will be set up to serve as educational opportunities for local students. Inspections for illicit discharges have been completed for the year with none testing positive for harmful elements. WATCH for other stormwater pollution removal projects happening in the city. The smallest effort counts!! 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. Reminder: Please keep your storm drains clear of leaves, grass, trash and debris at all times to minimize flooding in the streets and on your property when we have a weather event. This is important after storm events also. Department of Finance: Water/Sewer Late Notices will go out this week. Turn Offs for non payment will be Tuesday, March 27. Please make arrangements or pay no later than Monday, March 26th to avoid the additional turn off fees and termination of service. 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 and tax bills must be paid by Thursday, May 31 to avoid tax sale. Don’t let a running toilet run up your water bill. Visit the Environmental Protection Agency’s website for tips on eliminating leaks in your home and ideas on how to conserve water at: https://www.epa.gov/watersense 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! Click here to sign up for Water/Sewer e-Billing. Department of Planning Please remember, property owners or their lessees are responsible for removing snow and ice from public sidewalks fronting their properties within 24 hours of any weather event resulting in snow and/or ice. Building permits are required for sheds, fences, renovations, decks, and other alterations to buildings and property. If your property is located in a Special Flood Hazard Area, there may be additional state requirements to comply with. When hiring a contractor, be sure they are licensed by the State of Maryland and all the required inspections have been approved. Contact the Department of Planning (410) 939-1800 ext 1102 for permit fees and details. Per the International Building Codes, Property Maintenance Codes, and for Emergency Services, please be sure your dwelling or business is clearly identified with proper address numbers – numbers should be a minimum 4″ tall, contrasting to their background, and visible from the street. Rear or side entrances should also be clearly identified. Office of Tourism: Celebrate your St. Paddy’s Day in Havre de Grace! Many of our restaurants are offering special Irish meals and festive entertainment, so put on your green and join us for some good old Irish fun! Thursday, March 15 the Concord Point Lighthouse will be holding their annual St. Patrick’s Day fundraiser at the Vandiver Inn. This cocktail party with small plates, raffles, music and door prizes is always a lot of fun. Tickets are going fast and usually sell out. Stop by the HdG Visitor Center to purchase your tickets today! Saturday, March 17 Joe Kochenderfer will be hosting a walk along the North Park Trail. Start your St. Paddy’s Day day off with this 1.5 mile guided nature/history walk along the scenic Susquehanna River. Meet at the Lock House at 10 a.m. American Legion Post 47 will be hosting a St. Patrick’s Day celebration from 3 – 7 p.m. Get your IRISH on! Join the Legion for cabbage, potatoes, ham or corned beef along with cornbread. Enjoy specialty drinks and a great time. The Werks band will perform in the lounge from 7-11 p.m. We are currently accepting vendor applications for First Friday 2018. April applications are due no later than March 27. Please contact our office if you are interested. 410-939-2100 Happy St. Patrick’s Day from the Tourism Office! Cultural Center at the Opera House: “Sergeant York” (WW1 Film Series) on Monday, March 12 at 8 p.m “Spellbound” (B&W Film Series) on Tuesday, March 13 at 8 p.m Dinner and a Movie featuring “City Lights” on Friday, March 16 at 8 p.m “Moana” (Children’s Film Series) on Saturday, March 17 at 11 a.m. Co-sponsored by the HdG Elementary School PTA. Fun activities start at 10 a.m. Free for children 12 and under. “Iona” (Celtic) on Saturday, March 17 at 8 p.m Department of Economic Development Havre de Grace Historic Tax Credit Workshop is next week The Havre de Grace Office of Economic Development and Historic Preservation Commission are welcoming the Maryland Historic Trust to Havre de Grace on Tues., March 20, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The Trust will hold a free workshop on the Maryland Historic Tax Credits program available for both homeowners and commercial property owners in historic districts, including the Havre de Grace Historic District. The free workshop will be held in the city council chambers at Havre de Grace City Hall, 711 Pennington Ave., Havre de Grace. HDGOED Director named Historian of WID-Mid-Atlantic Erika Quesenbery Sturgill, Director of Economic Development for the City of Havre de Grace, was recently named Historian for the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of Women in Defense at their meeting on Thursday, March 8, at the GroundFloor in Havre de Grace. Entrepreneurship Workshop set for Tuesday, March 13 Are you looking to start your own business? Do you have some great ideas and aren’t sure how to turn those ideas into a business? Do you need money to get your business off the ground or to move it forward? Get the answers to these and other questions at the free Entrepreneurship Workshop Series, Tues., March 13, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Harford County Office of Community & Economic Development, 2021 Pulaski Hwy., Suite D, Havre de Grace. The topic for this date is Entrepreneurship Workshop: Idea to Inception. The programs are led by industry subject matter experts. Please register at Eventbrite under “entrepreneurship workshop series in Harford County.” Harford County EDAB meets Wednesday with HLA The Harford Leadership Academy class of 2018 will participate in learning more about Economic Development locally this Wednesday, March 14. The class will be held in Edgewood Hall at Harford Community College in Bel Air, during the Harford County Economic Development Advisory Board Meeting, which starts at 8 a.m. March 29 is National Mom & Pop Business Owners Day: 4 Ways Mom & Pop Business Can Outshine Bigger Competitors March 29 is National Mom & Pop Business Owners Day – a day to celebrate the value that family-owned small businesses bring to their communities. These days mom and pop businesses face many challenges as they compete against larger retailers and service providers with expansive budgets. But mom and pop have some strengths bigger companies don’t. By leveraging them they cannot only compete successfully but excel. Tip #1 – Be on a First Name Basis Sometimes you really do want to go where everybody knows your name. Unlike many large corporations many mom and pop businesses have opportunities to really get to know their customers – and vice versa. It’s not just business it becomes personal as small business owners and their employees develop friendships with the people within their communities. Customers that know and like the people running a business will naturally be more inclined to visit again and again. Tip #2 – Be Nimble and Flexible Large corporations often have a lot of red tape and tiers of buy-in to get through before launching new products or services and making improvements in answer to customer feedback. In contrast with their simple management structure that allows for fast approval, mom and pop businesses can respond to market demand and customer needs more quickly. Nurture customer loyalty daily. Tip #3 – Be Part of the Community Mom and pop business owners have opportunities to demonstrate their sense of social responsibility in supporting causes within their communities. With 55% of consumers willing to pay more for products from socially responsible companies giving back can have a direct result on the small business bottom line. Tip #4 – Be Small, Be Local – Proudly Shop Small and Shop Local have become prominent mantras across the United States, raising awareness of small businesses’ contributions to their local communities. Mom and pop businesses often provide unique artisanal products and offer one-of-a-kind experiences that draw visitors from other locations. Also, family owned businesses account for 64% of the US gross domestic product and 78% of new jobs created each year. Cognizant of small businesses’ impact on the local economy people have renewed interest in doing their part to keep their dollars in the local community. Visit the American Express Small Business Saturday website for tips and tools to promote your local business year round. Small Business Administration’s Twitter Chat The US Small Business Administration (@SBAgov) will host a Twitter chat, Business Success Her Way in honor of Women’s History Month on Thursday, March 22, at 3 p.m. Join industry experts as tips and resources are shared to help women entrepreneurs start, grow and succeed in business. Follow along with the hashtag #SBAchat. SCORE Live Webinar: Three Ways to Boost Your Bottom Line Do you ever feel like you’re overwhelmed and scared to take a serious look at the numbers side of your business? In this free webinar produced by SCORE, a resource partner of the US Small Business Administration you’ll learn: The relationship between prosperity thinking and poverty thinking The difference between profits and cash How the timing of inflows and outflows of money affects your business How to have your business money serve your personal life To participate in the Live Webinar Thursday, March 15, at 1 p.m. register at: https://cc.readytalk.com/registration/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery#/?meeting=73spqh8h2eca&campaign=938vbflbec42 Department of Homeland Security Webinar this Thursday Learn about law enforcement’s role in cybersecurity and incident response as well as best practices and free resources available to the public and private sector with a free webinar at 1 p.m., Thursday, March 15. To register in advance visit: https://share.dhs.gov/c3vprc3slttgcc?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery Learn about Pricing Learn about pricing and the impact that it has on the success of your business. From determining your price to implementing your pricing strategy, this course will give you the resources to sound pricing strategies. The course takes about 30 minutes of your time and a series of worksheets for download are also available at: https://www.sba.gov/course/introduction-pricing/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery#course NCSA CyberSecure Your Business Webinar Registration is required for a free webinar by NCSA and partners to learn how to recover from a cyber incident or attack. Resources are available for business owners to help improve cybersecurity. The webinar will be Tues., March 13 at 2 p.m., and is one hour in duration. Visit www.staysafeonline.org for more information on registration link. Land More Referrals Webinar Are you stuck in the “old way” of getting customer referrals one by one? Break from this predictable and inconsistent method of securing your most valuable source of leads. In this webinar produced by SCORE, a resource partner of the US Small Business Administration, the Founder of the Unstoppable CEO, Steve Gordon, will provide a new way to get referrals – by leveraging content. You could gain 10 to 50 times more referrals by applying his blueprint. You will learn: Why almost everything you’ve been taught about prospecting is a lie How to “home grow” clients at will, for attracting, growing and converting new clients The secret to getting out of the “feast of famine” cycle of a full client docket today, but none tomorrow The #1 most common phrase nearly everyone says to their clients that is a mistake When it’s the perfect time to ask for a referral, how you should ask and what you should say The webinar will be Thursday, March 22, at 1 p.m. and registration is free at: https://cc.readytalk.com/registration/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery#/?meeting=jomlk4chafz&campaign=8l4pdf8m26l Best Friends in Harford County, Inc. Best Friends in Harford County is an all-volunteer non-profit organization that works to stabilize community cat populations in the county through a nationally recognized and highly effective Trap-Neuter-Return process. The Maryland Department of Agriculture Spay-Neuter Grant we were awarded in July 2017 has helped us to spay/neuter and vaccinate nearly 130 cats in Havre de Grace thus far. Our goal is to trap and fix at least 400 cats before the grant period ends in 2018. We encourage concerned cat lovers to contact us for help. Stray Streets TNR, our partner rescue in Havre de Grace, has worked tirelessly for several years to help the city’s community cats and the people who feed and care for them. We are proud to help out! SSTNR and BFHC Adoption Programs have placed more than 100 cats and kittens into wonderful homes during the past 12 months. A New Project – We often help arrange low-cost spay/neuter for family pets for those with limited funds. The best medical care we can give to our pets is spayed or neuter before full maturity. Such surgery prevents not only unwanted litters but also some diseases, including several types of cancer and internal, sometimes fatal infections. Neutering also stops undesirable behavior such as fighting and spraying by males. BFHC is seeking grants to enable us to continue and even increase this service throughout the county.
