Board of Carroll County Commissioners County Office Building Westminster, MD Open Session

Transcription

1 County Office Building Westminster, MD Open Session ~ Minutes ~ Admin Thursday, November 5, :00 AM County Office Building Rm 311 I. Call to Order Attendee Name Doug Howard Stephen Wantz Richard Weaver Dennis Frazier Richard Rothschild Organization Title Status Arrived President 10:07 AM Vice- President Secretary Commissioner Commissioner II. III. IV. Moment of Silence-Commissioner Frazier Positively Carroll County Public Comment on Item V V. Briefing/Discussion/Decision Request Acceptance of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Grant Award ~ Sheriff s Office The Carroll County Sheriff's Office's Domestic Violence (DV) Unit is staffed by two full-time Deputies and two full-time Domestic Violence Facilitators. The Domestic Violence Facilitators log orders, enter data into national and state computer systems, perform criminal background checks, interview victims, conduct gun checks and perform lethality screenings. The Deputies in the DV Unit serve orders, seize firearms, provide evidence to the DV Prosecutor, perform safety checks and contact victims. In FFY 2015, the unit served 1,463 Interim, Temporary, Final and Show Cause Protective and Peace Orders. With the support of the grant funded position, the DV Unit insures that 98% of the orders are entered within 24 hours. The grant will partially fund the salary of the Domestic Violence Facilitator #1. The County match for this grant is provided by the remainder of the salary and benefits of the Domestic Violence Facilitator #1 and salary and benefits of the DV Facilitator #2 (a county position). 1. Motion To: accept the reward for the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Grant for the Sheriff's Office Page 1 Printed 1/14/2016

2 Richard Weaver, Secretary VI. Public Comment on Item VII VII. Briefing/Discussion/Decision Request Acceptance of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Grant Award ~ State s Attorney s Office The Special Victims Unit (SVU Unit) of the Carroll County State's Attorney's Office addresses the challenge of prosecuting domestic violence (DV) and sexual crimes and working with victims of those crimes. This specialized unit includes three Prosecutors and a Special Victims Advocate who aggressively prosecute domestic violence and sexual assault cases shifting the focus of these crimes from victim responsibility for prosecution to offender accountability. The Unit holds perpetrators of domestic violence and sexual assault accountable through implementation of the pro-prosecution, evidence-based prosecution and victimless prosecution models. Training is a priority of the SVU Unit with training for the unit's three prosecutors in the specialized areas of domestic violence and sexual assault, as well as continued training of law enforcement. The VAWA grant supports the salary of the DV prosecutor which opened 483 DV and sexual assault cases in The County provides the match for the VAWA grant by funding the balance of the DV Prosecutor's salary and the benefits, as well as the salary and benefits of the Special Victims Advocate (a county position). 1. Motion To: accept the reward for the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Grant for the State's Attorney's Office VIII. Public Comment on Item IX IX. Discussion/Decision ~ Rezoning Case No Liberty Road The request is to reclassify acres from Restricted Industrial (I-R) to General Business (B-G). The subject property is located on the north side of Liberty Road (MD 26) near the northeast corner of MD 26 and Sykesville Road (MD 32). The property has a land use designation of Industrial Restricted in the 2001 Freedom Community Comprehensive Plan. A full staff report was presented to the Planning Commission on September 15, Following the review, the Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously to forward the petition to the Board of County with a favorable recommendation based upon a finding of "mistake" in the current zoning. Staff briefed the Board of County on October 15. In accordance with Section of the Land Use Article of Page 2 Printed 1/14/2016

3 the Annotated Code of Maryland, a Public Hearing took place on October 22, This hearing was duly advertised in the Carroll County Times on October 8 and October 15, as well as signs posted on the petition property two weeks in advance. Landowners of property that either adjoin, or are in close proximity to the property involved in the above-referenced rezoning case were notified by mail of the request and hearing date and time. Following the hearing, the Board adopted a motion to close the hearing and keep the record open for a period of not longer than 10 days. Pursuant to that motion, Discussions and Deliberations were scheduled for November 5. If approved, the new zoning will take effect 10 days after the written decision has been issued and the resolution authorizing the change has been signed. During the deliberations the law requires that the consider certain facts and evidence, among which are the following: Whether there have been any substantial changes in or near the area covered by a proposed change in the district boundary lines; Whether it is clearly evident that there was an error or mistake in the zoning of the subject property; The report and recommendations of the Planning and Zoning Commission; The purpose of the regulations as outlined in Article 1 of the Carroll County Zoning Ordinance; and Any amendments or additions to the 2001 Freedom Community Comprehensive that have been developed since the adoption of the current zoning. 1. Motion To: change the zoning as requested to B-G (General Business) based upon a finding of "mistake" Doug Howard, President 2. Motion To: change the zoning due to change in character of the neighborhood ADOPTED [4 TO 1] Richard Weaver, Secretary Stephen Wantz, Richard Weaver, Dennis Frazier, Richard Rothschild NAYS: Doug Howard 3. Motion To: enter into the record the first 8 assertions as contributing to the change in the zoning as a "mistake" 4. Motion To: enter into the record that a change in character based on the fact that staff has indicated the remaining properties in that area that were originally zoned industrial ended up being either rezoned or received conditional uses and ultimately developed as Page 3 Printed 1/14/2016

4 commercial properties which was not anticipated at the time of the Freedom Plan therefore constituting a change in the surrounding properties. ADOPTED [4 TO 0] Stephen Wantz, Richard Weaver, Dennis Frazier, Richard Rothschild ABSTAIN: Doug Howard X. Public Comment on Item XI XI. Additional Discussion - Formula Valuation by the Agricultural Land Preservation Program On Oct. 29, 2015 County were presented with a new process for deriving easement value for applicants to the Carroll County Agricultural Land Preservation Program. The points-based appraisal or formula valuation system will enable the program to process applications more quickly and will result in a cost savings for the County. The formula scoring has been adjusted in response to ' concerns regarding valuation points for properties adjacent or near towns. XII. Public Comment Citizen comment(s): no public comments were received XIII. Land Acquisition ~ CLOSED Upon motion of Commissioner Frazier, second by Commissioner Wantz, the Board ( Howard, Wantz, Weaver, Frazier, and Rothschild) voted unanimously to meet in closed session in accordance with the Annotated of Code of Maryland, General Provision Article SubSection (b)(3), on Thursday, November 5, 2015 at 11:10 A.M. with Roberta Windham, County Administrator, Tom Devilbiss, Director, Department of Land and Resource Management, Phil Hager, Director, Department of Planning, Deborah Bowers, Program Manager, Agricultural Land Preservation Program, J. P. Smith, Jr., Preservation Specialist, Agricultural Land Preservation Program, Lynda Eisenberg, Chief, Bureau of Comprehensive Planning, and Bonnie Bevard, Office Associate, Agricultural Land Preservation Program. The Board discussed applications for FY16 Agricultural Preservation Program. 1. Motion To: close for Land Acquisition XIV. Recess~11:00 AM 1. Motion To: recess until 1:30 PM Page 4 Printed 1/14/2016

5 Richard Weaver, Secretary Page 5 Printed 1/14/2016