By Ally Lanasa, Staff Writer

(Oct. 22, 2020) The following took place during the Berlin Mayor and Council meeting on Oct. 13:

Christmas Eve

District 2 Councilmember Jack Orris moved to give town employees a full day off on Christmas Eve.

“This is in line with what was suggested this prior holiday season. The council did move to afford the employees a full day on Christmas Eve,” said Town Administrator Jeff Fleetwood.

The mayor and council agreed.

Voter turnout

Deputy Town Administrator Mary Bohlen said the Berlin 2020 municipal election brought one of the highest voter turnouts in history.

“Total voter turnout was over 35 percent, which is as I said, I can’t swear that that’s a record. I haven’t been here that long, but it’s definitely one of the highest ones that I’ve ever seen.”

According to the Worcester County Board of Elections, 3,477 Berlin residents are registered voters.

The total number of regular and absentee ballots counted on Oct. 6 was 1,236.

“I just want to give a quick thank you to the election board for polling such a good election,” Bohlen said. “It went very, very smoothly, especially considering we were all working under kind of new rules with all of the covid [prevention measures]. And I also want to thank the voters. They made it go very smoothly as well. Social distancing wasn’t an issue. Face masks weren’t an issue at all.”

Cookout

Berlin Police Chief Arnold Downing thanked Senior Officer Claude Holland, Berlin Police Department staff with the assistance from the Bank of Ocean City, the Berlin Ice Company, Berlin’s Economic and Community Development Director Ivy Wells and Rick and Tena Clements with Myrium Passwaters for hosting a cookout for the Cottages at Berlin Senior Living Community on Oct. 9 for over 50 people.

“We have to go ahead and again talk about [Holland] and the dedication he has to the community,” Downing said.

According to the police department’s Facebook page, the menu included hot dogs, hamburgers, potato salad, chips, brownies and beverages.

Name plates

Mayor Zackery Tyndall said the new nameplates for the mayor and council should could arrive by the Oct. 26 meeting.

“The new name plates will be a motif of white with black lettering,” Fleetwood said. “Each name plate will have your individual district and/or at-large or mayor on that placard as well. We now know who the vice president is going to be. That will be on there.”

Bohlen added that if the official name plates don’t arrive by Oct. 26, a substitution will be made for the next meeting.