Bel Air Redefines 'Family,' Raises Parking Rate

Public input on an ordinance raising the rates for parking in Bel Air is slated to take place during the June 18 .

If approved, the ordinance would raise hourly meter rates from 25 cents an hour to 50 cents an hour. It would also involve expanding metered parking on Alice Anne Street and the new Main Street parking lot as well as establish additional spaces eligible for eight-hour parking vouchers.

The is one of four legislative items to have a public hearing Monday.

Also on the agenda for public hearings are a budget amendment, an ordinance updating town fee schedules, and a building code amendment.

See attached documents for a full copy of each legislative item.

The meeting is scheduled to take place at 7:30 p.m. at , located at 39 N. Hickory Ave.

8:18 p.m.: Town legal counsel said a family can be any number of people related by blood, marriage or adoption. Up to three adults and any adult dependents can live together within the definition of a family.

8:17 p.m.: Once you exceed a family definition you become a boarding house which is a forbidden use in that zone.

8:16 p.m.: Small explained once you exceed three unrelated adults and their dependents in their home, then you are no longer within the definition of a single family.

8:15 p.m.: “I’m asking this board of commissioners to assist me just by allowing me to keep going.”

8:14 p.m.: “I feel like if I am not able to do this I am going to get thrown out of my house. He said he and his brother as well as seven other people will then be without homes. “I am just asking for things to be relaxed a little so we can survive.”

8:13 p.m.: “I don’t know what to do in today’s economic times.” He said. “I didn’t have any problem at all filling seven rooms. I keep a clean house.”

8:13 p.m.: He said there was a complaint about tires beside his garage and an untagged vehicle inside his garage. He said he has since taken care of these issues.

8:11 p.m.: He said Bel Air Police stopped by when he first started doing this and asked why there were out of state vehicles on his property. Someone with planning and zoning then came by this week to say he can only rent out two rooms, not seven. “All of a sudden I’m told I cannot keep doing this.”

8:10 p.m.: Doug Marsella of 711 Linwood Ave. in Bel Air said he recently had a visit from Planning and Zoning. “I’m a disabled person, two heart attacks,” he said. He explained he was facing foreclosure, he has a large house and is renting rooms to pay his mortgage and survive. He said he’s been doing this for two years.

8:08 p.m.: French Poole of Giles Street in Bel Air said the change of the parade route is moving closer to his street and he requests the town consider posting no parking on both sides of Giles Street this year because last year the road’s traffic was more congested than the year before and this coming year, with the route move, it will likely be worse.

8:07 p.m.: All vote in favor of approving the contract.

8:06 p.m.: Robertson said the project is funded in both the 2012 and 2013 budgets. Frank J. Goettner was the low bid.

8:05 p.m.: Carey moved to resurface Mast Street, Majors Choice Drive, Trout Dale Place, Marketplace Drive, Idlewild Road, Hall Street, Winding Alley and Peabody Court for $277,600.

8:04 p.m.: All vote in favor of approving the contract.

8:03 p.m.: Robertson said the funds are budgeted in the 2012 streets budget. Santos Construction Company of Bowie, MD was the low bid.

8:03 p.m.: Reier moves to approve the contract with Santos Construction Company for $29,045 to replace 12 hadicapped ramps.

8:02 p.m: All vote in favor of approving the contract.

7:59 p.m.: Robertson said the company was chosen from a competitive bid several years ago. The purchase will provide for 47 for 2-space meters ans 7 electronic single space meters to replace meters in the parking garage and install on the BB&T lot.

7:58 p.m.: Carey moves to accept a contract of $24,852 with POM Inc.

7:58 p.m.: All vote in favor of receiving the ordinance.

7:57 p.m.: It is thus recognized that organizations designated as for-profit should be regulated differently and not treated as family homes. The ordinance would update the definition of “family” to include group homes as non-profit only. A public hearing has been set for this ordinance.

7:55 p.m.: Small said in the past the town has revised the definition of “family” to avoid discrimination. A group home as defined by the state would be consistent with a single family home in the town of Bel Air. A recent review has shown a discrepancy. The section only applies to non-profit and not to those organized to make a profit.

7:54 p.m.: Burdette moves the board receive a town building code amendment.

7:54 p.m: All vote in favor of the motion.

7:52 p.m.: A resolution providing the planning commission’s 2011 report is introduced. Town Planner Kevin Small said construction activity has been small, with the most activity taking place around the Upper Chesapeake Medical Center campus.

7:51 p.m.: All vote in favor and the motion carries.

7:51 p.m.: Carey said raising parking fees is not something the town does lightly, but it hasn’t been done in 20 years and “I think 50 cents an hour is still a reasonable price.”

7:50 p.m.: Commissioner Susan Burdette moves to raise the town meter fees.

7:50 p.m.: Commissioner Robert Preston moves to approve the resolution amending the town’s fee schedule. All vote in favor and the motion carries.

7:49 p.m.: All vote in favor and the motion carries.

7:49 p.m.: Commissioner Reier moves to approve the building code amendment.

7:48 p.m.: Commissioner David Carey moves to approve the fiscal year 2012 budget amendment to account for additions and transfers. All vote in favor and the motion carries.

7:47 p.m.: Hopkins calls for public comment. No one comes forward. There are no commissioner comments. The hearing is closed.

7:46 p.m.: The ordinance also covers the expansion of the town’s parking voucher program. The cost for a book of five eight-hour vouchers would cost $15 which would result in a discount of $1 per day.

7:44 p.m.: Town Planner Kevin Small introduces an ordinance dealing with meters and parking. Small explained the town parking fund must be a self-sufficient fund. The garage was the subject of a study in 2010 that said more than 900,000 in maintenance needs to be done over the next three years. The town is responsible for one-third of that cost. In order to cover that cost, the town needs to raise meter rates in the garage form 25 cents an hour to 50 cents an hour.

7:44 p.m.: No commissioners or members of the public have any comment and the hearing closes.

7:42 p.m.: A public hearing on the town’s fee schedule begins. Director of Administration, Joyce Oliver, explained the amendments are mostly housekeeping and involve deleting fees that the town no longer collects, such as fingerprinting fees.

7:42 p.m.: Hopkins calls for public comments. No commissioners or citizens come forward with comments and the hearing is closed.

7:40 p.m.: A building code amendment public hearing begins. Director of Public Works, Randy Robertson, said the town uses the international building codes and earlier in the year the Harford County Council adopted these rules and they are to go into effect July 1, 2012. It makes sense for the town to adopt the same rules, Robertson said.

7:40 p.m.: There are no comments from public of commissioners and the hearing closes.

7:38 p.m.: The attached 7-page budget does reflect the changes, Lisa Moody, Director of Finance, said.

7:37 p.m.: A public hearing on a budget amendment begins. The amendment increases the FY 2012 budget to update end of year numbers.

7:36 p.m.: “I don’t think a lot of people know how much work goes in on your end,” Commissioner Robert Reier said to Early.

7:35 p.m.: Early presented Mayor Hopkins with a shirt from the run as well as a plaque for the town.

7:34 p.m.: Mike Early said the Bel Air Town Run had a total of 1,193 people sign up and a total of 1,695 finish the race, including walkers who are not registered among competitors.

7:32 p.m.: Mayor Eddie Hopkins called for a moment of silence to honor Ben Boniface, Council President Boniface’s son who died in a car accident this morning, and also a long-time Bel Air resident who passed away within the past few days.

7:32 p.m.: The meeting is called to order.