The Town of Perryville hoped to celebrate the reopening of Hatem Bridge to full traffic with a bridge walk and ribbon cutting ceremony, but there may be roadblocks of a different kind that will leave the event in construction stages.
At Tuesday's work session in Perryville, the mayor and commissioners discussed the plan and notes from Maryland Transportation Authority, or MdTA.
While the MdTA initially responded to the request by including stringent requirements and a laundry list of costs Perryville and Havre de Grace would have to cover in order to make the event happen, the latest response was closer to the towns' expectations.
While MdTA initially required the participating parties pay for 52 police officers, regularly-stationed garbage cans, road cleanup and the cost of having the AVI decals accepted on the I-95 bridge instead, the MdTA's latest evaluation of the proposal included forgiveness of most of those requirements.
The MdTA also had a change of heart on a ribbon cutting ceremony, according to Mayor Jim Eberhardt.
The problem instead lies with another participating jurisdiction, according to Eberhardt.
He said he got the impression Mayor Wayne Dougherty was no longer interested in the idea, citing to Eberhardt the significant change in cost and issues with the current relationship with MdTA.
The MdTA is at the center of heated debate, proposing to significantly raise tolls on the Hatem Bridge and do away with AVI decals, a proposal that has been met with public outcry from both Perryville and Havre de Grace as well as the rest of Cecil and Harford Counties.
Shyla Glassman, executive assistant to the mayor, confirmed Dougherty's decision Thursday. She said the mayor made the determination June 16 that Havre de Grace will not participate in the event and notified Eberhardt that day. She said the decision was largely based on logistics.
"I think part of that was to celebrate the connection between the two communities," Commissioner Michelle Linkey said of the walk.
Without Havre de Grace's participation, several on the board including the mayor, agreed the event didn't ring as true.
"I'm getting more leery of this to be honest with you," Linkey said.
The estimate for the event was $70,000 before the MdTA came back with the original proposal, which would have nearly doubled the cost, according to Town Planner Denise Breder.
The town and other participants planned to seek sponsors for the event, one such sponsor had expressed interest in incorporating a 5K run into the event.
Eberhardt mentioned the possibility of seeking another group, such as Lower Susquehanna Heritage Greenway, to participate and share the cost.
The setbacks have made the Sept. 25 date unrealistic.
"I would say we're in a holding pattern right now," Eberhardt said.
The board also discussed a proposal for a truck entrance to Perry Point's VA facility. The mayor and commissioners told organizers to move forward on seeking funding and work through issues of engineering, such as can the bridge in the area handle the expected traffic.
In other news from Tuesday's meeting:
o Cecily Bedwell with Design Collective presented options for a transit oriented development plan at the work session. The artistic representations illustrated possible layouts for the town in 20 years, with a new town hall, police station, parking garage and other features incorporated into the plan.
o The mayor and commissioners discussed moving a significant amount of money from PNC Bank to accounts with NBRS bank based on lower fees and higher interest levels. The board planned to keep the accounts at PNC open in case something changes in the future.
o The mayor and commissioners discussed the proposal of employees at the Waste Water Treatment Plant to use money from selling scrap metal to purchase a refrigerator and microwave.
o The board discussed granting abatements to owners of two residences in town who suffered water breaks. A break on Penny Lane did not meet the full requirements to qualify for an abatement, but was left to the board's discretion whether they would grant it or not. A break at a residence on Pulaski Highway was one that stretched across two billing cycles and was the second abatement request from that resident. The board discussed amending the ordinance to require a signed document stating the resident had not applied for insurance reimbursement and limiting residents to a single abatement within a certain period of time to encourage proper maintenance.
o The board discussed amendments to the town ethics ordinance to make it compliant with a state mandate.
o The board discussed a potential budget amendment of about $23,000 to cover a contract with Maryland Environmental Services to handle the Waste Water Treatment Plant until the town's water supervisor is fully licensed to manage both plants. The town originally budgeted $50,000 for the contract.