By Josh Davis, Associate Editor

(April 5, 2018) The Berlin Town Council discussed the following items during a meeting at Town Hall last Monday:

Sewer billing credit

Christine Anderson, who owns a home on Flower Street in Berlin, but lives elsewhere in the state, said she received an unusually high bill after the recent cold spell caused her pipes to freeze and burst.

She was not home at the time and said the water was turned off after the breakage.

“When I got the bill [it was] $1,400,” she said. “My thing was, I didn’t use the sewage because it was on the outside.”

Anderson she spoke with Mayor Gee Williams and Public Works/Water Resources Director Jane Kreiter to work out an agreement.

“I was going to fuss about it, but they worked with me, so now you’ve got a happy camper,” she said.

SonRise tabled

The council postponed a vote to extend switching the SonRise Church property on 10026 Main Street to Berlin Electric service.

Town Administrator Laura Allen said the property was in the Berlin electric service area, but had not fully migrated from Delmarva Power.

“The last half a percentage point in that process, for some reason that step had never been taken,” she said.

Allen said representatives from SonRise Church last year asked for additional time before the agreement was finalized. She said that agreement expired last week, but SonRise asked for an extension until November.

She said the cost to finish the transition would be less expensive than originally estimated, because plans to develop the 22-acre property have changed. The church originally intended to subdivide the property and sell parcels for use as a hotel and two restaurants.

Allen added she was surprised a representative from SonRise was not present during the meeting.

“If someone is asking for this, I’d really like them to be here,” Councilman Thom Gulyas said. “We’re here — they should be here.”

Councilman Dean Burrell agreed and moved to table the matter until the next meeting, April 9. The vote to table was unanimous.

Reappointments

The council unanimously agreed to reappoint several citizens to Berlin boards and commissions.

They are Woody Bunting, Joe Moore, Jay Knerr and Doug Parks to the Board of Appeals; Mary Moore, Norman (Nornie) Bunting and Alan Palmer (alternate) to the Historic District Commission; Phyllis Purnell and David (D.J.) Lockwood (alternate) to the Planning Commission; and Tony Bowen for the Board of Supervisors of Elections.

Williams said he expected to have an additional nomination next month to replace Geren Mortensen, who recently resigned from the Board of Appeals.

Mutual aid agreement

Police Chief Arnold Downing said a few changes were made to improve a mutual aid agreement with the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office. Downing said Town Attorney David Gaskill vetted the changes, essentially housecleaning items.

The Town Council unanimously adopted the updated agreement.

Budget process

The town will hold a general fund work session for the fiscal year 2019 budget on April 16 at 5:30 p.m. in Town Hall.

A utility fund work session was set for April 30 at 5:30 p.m. in Town Hall.