(June 8, 2017) The Pocomoke City Council discussed the following items during a meeting at town hall on Monday.
New hire
Daniel Brandewie, newly minted head of the Department of Planning, Housing and Zoning, was introduced to the council by City Manager/CityAttorney Ernie Crofoot.
Crofoot said Brandewie has been qualified by the American Institute of Certified Planners and most recently worked in Cambridge, where he spent eight years as city planner.
“He’s done a lot of planning and zoning,” Crofoot said. “
Hitting the ground running on day one, Brandewie was given an overview of Pocomoke by Crofoot.
“I gave him a tour of all of our landmarks today, including the golf course, the pumping station, the water plant, the wastewater plant, [and] various neighborhoods in town,” he said.
The persistent rain on Monday provided a sneak peak of a few challenges Pocomoke faces, Crofoot said.
“It was a good chance to see some of our local flooding,” he said. “It didn’t scare him away.”
Although soon to be retired Housing and Zoning Coordinator Harvey Davis doesn’t step down until June 30, Brandewie is hoping to glean knowledge prior to his departure, Crofoot said.
“He has already started overlapping, so we can do some learning-curve stuff before Harvey leaves,” he said.
Crofoot also offered effusive praise for the more than quarter of a century Davis has served in Pocomoke.
“Harvey’s done a great job for us and he’s been around a long time,” he said. “It’s time for him to enjoy himself a little more.”
Crofoot said, among other pursuits, Davis plans to devote more time to his place of worship, Shiloh Baptist Church in Atlantic, Virginia.
Grant applications
The council approved an emergency resolution to apply for Maryland Community Legacy grant funding through the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development.
Crofoot noted the submission deadline (June 8) is quickly approaching.
“We originally didn’t anticipate going forward with the request,” he said.
In total, the program will distribute $6 million statewide in fiscal-year 2018.
The Community Legacy program supports development efforts in municipalities throughout Maryland by providing funding for projects related to attracting and retaining business, and fostering home purchases and commercial development.
Entities eligible to apply include local governments, community development organizations or local governments partnering for a common purpose.
In a similar vein, the council also approved a letter of submission to the Maryland Historic Trust requesting funding for the Historic Costen House Museum. The circa-1870’s home at 206 Market Street was constructed by Dr. Isaac Costen and was resided in by his family members for more than a century.
The request would fund repairing and painting the outside of the structure, Crofoot said.
“It’s hard for an outfit like that to raise that kind of capital,” he said.
New hire
Daniel Brandewie, newly minted head of the Department of Planning, Housing and Zoning, was introduced to the council by City Manager/CityAttorney Ernie Crofoot.
Crofoot said Brandewie has been qualified by the American Institute of Certified Planners and most recently worked in Cambridge, where he spent eight years as city planner.
“He’s done a lot of planning and zoning,” Crofoot said. “
Hitting the ground running on day one, Brandewie was given an overview of Pocomoke by Crofoot.
“I gave him a tour of all of our landmarks today, including the golf course, the pumping station, the water plant, the wastewater plant, [and] various neighborhoods in town,” he said.
The persistent rain on Monday provided a sneak peak of a few challenges Pocomoke faces, Crofoot said.
“It was a good chance to see some of our local flooding,” he said. “It didn’t scare him away.”
Although soon to be retired Housing and Zoning Coordinator Harvey Davis doesn’t step down until June 30, Brandewie is hoping to glean knowledge prior to his departure, Crofoot said.
“He has already started overlapping, so we can do some learning-curve stuff before Harvey leaves,” he said.
Crofoot also offered effusive praise for the more than quarter of a century Davis has served in Pocomoke.
“Harvey’s done a great job for us and he’s been around a long time,” he said. “It’s time for him to enjoy himself a little more.”
Crofoot said, among other pursuits, Davis plans to devote more time to his place of worship, Shiloh Baptist Church in Atlantic, Virginia.
Grant applications
The council approved an emergency resolution to apply for Maryland Community Legacy grant funding through the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development.
Crofoot noted the submission deadline (June 8) is quickly approaching.
“We originally didn’t anticipate going forward with the request,” he said.
In total, the program will distribute $6 million statewide in fiscal-year 2018.
The Community Legacy program supports development efforts in municipalities throughout Maryland by providing funding for projects related to attracting and retaining business, and fostering home purchases and commercial development.
Entities eligible to apply include local governments, community development organizations or local governments partnering for a common purpose.
In a similar vein, the council also approved a letter of submission to the Maryland Historic Trust requesting funding for the Historic Costen House Museum. The circa-1870’s home at 206 Market Street was constructed by Dr. Isaac Costen and was resided in by his family members for more than a century.
The request would fund repairing and painting the outside of the structure, Crofoot said.
“It’s hard for an outfit like that to raise that kind of capital,” he said.