Politics & Government
LIVE from Town Hall: Sprinklers Required for New Single Family Homes in 2012
The Town Commissioners are scheduled vote on two issues involving public hearings.
RECAP: The Board of Commissioners passed two ordinances tonight. The first brought Bel Air in line with Harford County, Aberdeen and Havre de Grace in adopting the International Building Code.
Sprinklers will now be required in new single-family homes beginning Jan. 1, 2012.
The other ordinance will give 14 town residents reduced quarterly sewer fees.
Find out what's happening in Bel Airwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Cheryl Coulter of the Department of Public Works was the employee recognition recipient.
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Find out what's happening in Bel Airwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
8:17 p.m. The meeting is now going into closed session, which means we're out of here.
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8:16 p.m. We are now in commissioner comments. Hopkins is thanking Robertson and his crew for their work during the snowstorms this winter.
"They hit my trash cans," Hanley said jokingly.
No one else has anything to share.
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8:13 p.m. The new sewer fees, which will save 14 residents money on their quarterly water bills, were unanimously passed.
The town commissioners also just voted to receive the town's growth report, related to "adequate public facilities." They receive it twice annually.
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8:12 p.m. It has now been noted that Harford County, as well as the county's other two municipalities, Aberdeen and Havre de Grace, have already adopted the new IBC with the sprinkler requirement.
"Let's be honest, how many more homes from this point on are [likely to be built in town]?" Carey said.
The ordinance has passed by a vote of 4–1, with the sprinkler requirement. Hanley voted against it because he believes commissioners should have a "choice."
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8:08 p.m. Hopkins spoke for more than three minutes as to why he supports the ordinance as is, and added that he respects Hanley's opinion.
Town Administrator Chris Schlehr has now asked Department of Public Works Director Randy Robertson to explain the sprinkler requirements as they apply to the town. Robertson said they are "identical" to Harford County, and is about to read the code out loud.
He is also noting that the requirement is delayed until Jan. 1, 2012, just like the county decided to do.
"We're only talking about detached, new family homes in the town," Schlehr said.
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8:05 p.m. Carey asked if anyone seconded Hanley's amendment, and no one did, which is why it died. Commissioner Edward Hopkins is now respectfully speaking in favor of the sprinkler requirement. Again, Hopkins has experience as a firefighter.
"I'm not trying to insult the public at large, all I'm saying is that people become complacent," Hopkins said. "I fully, fully do appreciate what commissioner Hanley is saying."
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8:03 p.m. The Board of Commissioners are moving to vote on the International Building Code Update.
Commissioner Terence Hanley said that although he has the "utmost respect" for the firefighters, he does not want to make this mandatory. He said he received a number of calls from citizens saying they do not want the sprinkler requirement to be part of the building code in town.
"I just think that, again, I personally if I was building a house myself, I would probably opt to put the sprinkler in the house myself ... to make that mandatory, I can't [support it]," Hanley said.
Hanley's motion to make the amendment has died.
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8:01 p.m. Carey said that they will look into it, though he's not sure what the town can do.
Hanley asked what Humphreys is averaging best on her own estimates, and she said 8,000–10,000 gallons of water usage per quarter. The average citizen usage cited by the town is slightly more than 14,000 gallons.
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8:00 p.m. Carey said they will consider Humphreys concerns, but the town administrator is unsure why.
"Exactly what would we like to look at," Chris Schlehr said. "We've done an exhaustive amount of research on this."
Schlehr added that if Humphreys, who said she only lives with one other person, moves, another person who uses much more water could move in and benefit from her customized discount rate.
Moody said that more than 700 residences were tested.
"Some people are going to be above that average and there's going to be some that are below that average," Moody said.
She agrees that it would be difficult to tailor to each individual person, and said that Humphreys is in fact receiving a discount. Moody also said that the town can never positively know how many people are living in a house and how much water they are using.
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7:57 p.m. Kim Humphreys (unsure of spelling) of Linwood Avenue is now speaking on the sewer flat rate issue. She recently moved a "quarter-mile" across town and said she enjoys living here.
Humphreys said she was surprised when she received her first bill at her well-provided residence. She feels that she is still using significantly less than the water-usage average in the ordinance and should not have to even pay the proposed discounted rate.
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7:53 p.m. The public hearing session has shifted to the sewer flat rate fee. Director of Finance Lisa Moody is explaining that an updated estimate of water usage per resident on a quarterly basis has gone down.
The finance department recommends that the ordinance is passed, which would save $14.76 per quarter for all customers in town and $4.81 for affidavit customers.
There are 14 eligible town residents and Moody has emphasized again the recommendation of passing the ordinance.
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7:51 p.m. Town resident French Poole is now asking the EMS representatives questions. He wants to know where the meter is and if it is electrically operated. DPW Director Randy Robertson said there is no electric going to a meter.
Poole is done speaking.
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7:48 p.m. Panowitz is done his speech and answering questions from the commissioners. Robert Reier confirmed that sprinklers will only go off in the area of a fire, as opposed to the entire house.
Hanley asked if there was a chance that sprinklers are faulty and has now asked about the "reliability" and whether they could "malfunction."
Commissioner Edward Hopkins, who has served as a volunteer firefighter, is asking questions to ensure that there are different options of sprinklers for citizens, and that there is an emergency shut-off so that the home is not flooded.
Hanley is also asking about additional costs and operations of the system, such as a reserve tank.
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7;45 p.m. Before the meeting, Commissioner Terence Hanley told Bel Air Patch that he will introduce an amendment to made the sprinkler requirement optional. He expects Chairman David Carey to second the amendment, with support from at least two more of the other three commissioners. A 3–2 majority is needed to pass an amendment, as well as an ordinance.
Panowitz is still speaking in favor of the requirement, meaning Hanley's amendment would be against what the first two public speakers.
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7:42 p.m. The BAVFC deputy chief, Scott Panowitz, is now speaking, he is also requesting that the commissioners vote in favor of the requirement.
He is citing statistics and saying that installing sprinklers makes homes safer for residents and firefighters alike. A Prince George's County study is his main support right now.
He said fires on Lee Way and McCormick Street would not have been as bad if sprinklers were installed.
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7:40 p.m. Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company Chief Bill Snyder is first to speak in public comment.
"We are hoping that the commissioners will adopt the section of the town building code that deals with sprinklers," Snyder said. "I just wanted to advise that there are two facts. ... One: it will save the lives and save the property for the citizens of the town of Bel Air. Number two, it is going to reduce the injury and not allow the occurrence of a firefighter fatality, of my people."
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7:37 p.m. Here we go.
DPW Director Randy Robertson is introducing the ordinance that could adopt the updated International Building Code.
"The town of Bel Air should adopt the same codes" to be in sync with codes "throughout the county," Robertson said. "It's sensible."
The staff recommends that the ordinance, with amendments built in for the town already, be passed. Public comment has begun.
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7:35 p.m. Town Commissioner Terence Hanley is leading the employee recognition of Cheryl Coulter, of the Department of Public Works. It sounds like she has done quite a lot for Bel Air.
"It is certainly fitting that Cheryl be valued for her expertise and willingness to go the extra mile," Hanley said.
If you want a taste of tonight's potential sprinkler debate, for previous County Council coverage.
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7:28 p.m. For a preview of the town meeting, . There are six Emergency and Medical Services personnel in attendance, along with a couple members of the public. The meeting is underway.
