By Josh Davis, Associate Editor

(Feb. 2, 2017) Just over a week after he was introduced during a Berlin Town Council meeting, David Deutsch, the new project coordinator for Berlin Falls park, met the members of the Berlin Planning Commission during a meeting on Tuesday.

The former city manager of Bowie, who owns a home in Ocean Pines, said he was looking forward to the opportunity to help develop the new park, on Old Ocean City Boulevard, and that he would engage the community for ideas.

“I think the key, in terms of my role, is to solicit as much involvement as I can get, to try to hear from everybody in the community … and help the decision makers chart a course moving forward, and hopefully being involved in implementation once the decisions are made about what’s going to happen,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity to have 60 aces of ground this close to the center of town. It’s a unique situation.”

Deutsch has an office in the Berlin Planning Department, and he said he could be contacted any time by email, phone – or in person.

That was music to the ears of the membership of the parks committee, who were apparently not pleased to have been left out of a somewhat parallel discussion about naming the park.

Last month, a large crowd attended a town council meeting to present a petition, signed by 300 people, to rename Berlin Falls after former postal worker James Tingle. While that effort may have stalled, it directly led to the formation of a committee that will work to develop a town policy on naming public land.

Patricia Dufendach noted the parks commission charter stated the commission should be involved in all aspect of the parks – including naming them. Dufendach is a longtime member of the committee.

“It is part of our charter and it’s something that I think each and every one of us, as commissioners – because we are the form and the voice for the public, the community – we really do want to be sure that we’re looped in,” she said.

“I do think there have been some things going on where the parks commission has not had a voice – or any knowledge – and has been really blindsided by a couple of things,” Dufendach added. “I just want to be sure that we aren’t put into that embarrassing position again, because it is our job and we really do try to do it well.”

Deutsch said he understood and that he believed the mayor and council, Town Administrator Laura Allen and others on town staff wanted to hear from the parks commission.

“They have to hear from the commission,” Dufendach said. “That is the charter.”

In Bowie, Deutsch said he had to work with 17 different committees and joked that he “almost needed a committee on committees.”

He said he attended those meetings two or three times a year, adding “I think it’s going to work out” in Berlin.

“I think we’re all very excited about the opportunities that Berlin Falls presents,” Dufendach said. “We just want to be sure that the community hears it.”

One of Deutsch’s first roles, according to Allen, will be attracting an anchor tenant to Berlin Falls.

Parks Commission Chair Mike Wiley will be the commission’s representative on the naming committee. That group also includes councilmembers Dean Burrell and Zackery Tyndall, Berlin Historic District Commission Chairwoman Carol Rose, Berlin Arts & Entertainment Committee Chairwoman Heather Layton and resident Bill Todd.

The “Naming Parks and Public Spaces Committee” will have its first meeting on Feb. 23.