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Happy Halloween … or is it April Fool’s Day?

On the front page of Sunday’s “Daily Times” we got to experience something unusual. Both Salisbury and Wicomico County Councils will finally address growth (rather than merely rolling over for residential developers) or they are giving us a bold new version (at least for local politicians) of political spin. Which is it? Only time will tell.

The bottom line is that the Councils have done nothing of merit to date. At last week’s Salisbury Council meeting, Mayor Barrie Tilghman went on (ad infinitum) about all of the things they have done to help neighborhoods. Passing ordinances may make for great press releases and sound bites, but without enforcement they do the citizens of Salisbury no good. Just ask the folks who report disturbances to the police or call the Department of Building, Housing and Zoning to report junk cars or dilapidated housing in their neighborhoods. They haven’t even shown any pretence (other than press conferences) when the subject is residential development.

City Council President Mike Dunn tells us that “Growth Pays for Growth”. Well, let’s start with utility hook-up (capacity) fees. After much fanfare, City Council implemented “stiffer capacity fees”. These “stiffer” fees still don’ cover the full cost. Why should taxpayers pay for them? Residential developers want to be annexed into the city because they can more easily market their units and charge more because they have city water and sewage. They can also pack more units onto a given plot of land with city water and sewage. Why can’t they cover the full cost?

If developers have to pay for any road construction costs, they still are off the hook for maintenance; yet their development is the cause of increased traffic and the need for increased road maintenance costs. Where are the impact fees to cover these costs? Mike Dunn states that City Council “has been talking about growth challenges for a year”. Discussion is great, but how about some action.

What about schools? Wicomico County schools are already over capacity. Where will we find the additional funds to pay for needed school renovation and new school construction? According to developer Henry Hanna, “there was a consensus that we wanted to be a part (of the solution).” Well, do I expect to see Mr. Hanna at Tuesday’s County Council meeting asking that the County adopt a strong APFO (Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance)? I hope not, because I’m too young to keel over from a coronary.

One issue that ties development to our neighborhoods is affordable housing. Since City Council wants to back the slumlords in single family residential neighborhoods by claiming that enforcement of the 4-2 ordinance was discriminating against the poor, are they going to force residential developers to put aside units for affordable housing? I doubt it, but I might be surprised … someday.

According to area developer Jack Causey, “the problem should've been addressed 30 years ago when the last new school was built”. He’s right. But guess what guys, the Councils didn’t do there job then or since. The only thing that everyone seems to agree on is that something needs to be done. The questions are when and how.

County Council President Tony Sarbanes is opposed to an APFO. They have the legislative authority to enact one and just won’t do it. Mr. Sarbanes wants the revenue cap repealed. Good luck, Tony! Why should the average taxpayer have to pony up more when you are letting your buddies get off on the cheap? Theses guys don’t even pay the full boat on the real estate transfer tax (more on that another day).

Most Americans are capitalist by nature. We’re for making a profit. We’re definitely for property rights. The problem is our property rights, and our hard earned money, are being forfeited so that a relatively few residential developers can make a fortune while we suffer in traffic and our children suffer in the classroom.

Take A Break and Move South

After all of this week's excitement with Salisbury Council, it's time to take a little break (don't worry, we've got plenty of excitement between now and the next City Council meeting on November 14.

Virginia is one two states holding statewide elections this year. As any of you who've been watching any of the DC stations knows, the Governor's race has been pretty nasty (and pretty close). Unfortunately, Democrat candidate Tim Kaine might have peaked. He just got caught testing a commercial and then polling the focus group to find out if they would hold it against him if he broke his word. The campaign of Republican Candidate Jerry Kilgore used Senator George Allen to focus attention on this mistake. Up until now, Kaine had based his campaign on being the more "moral" candidate. Sorry Tim, lying isn't moral.

Bill Bolling should be the next Lt. Governor. His opponent, Leslie Byrne, will have a hard time pulling votes outside of her Northern Virginia base. Remember this guys name. He should be a shoe in for Governor in 2009 and who knows where after that (Virginia only allows the Governor to serve one term). This man is a dynamic speaker, smart and unbelievably energetic.

What's Happening In The White House?

I was on the road today. While heading west I heard on the radio that White House Counsel Harriet Miers had withdrawn her nomination to the U. S. Supreme Court. I was shocked! Not because I thought that Ms. Miers was going to be the next (fill in your pick for greatest Supreme Court Justice here), but because George W. Bush doesn't retreat.

Right, wrong, or indifferent, George W. Bush has consistently held his ground. What was even more shocking was the fact that Ms. Miers withdrawl was almost exactly what Charles Krauthammer had predicted in a recent column. It was almost as if Mr. Krauthammer had written the game plan for the White House and then got it mixed up with some columns that he was sending off to his newspaper syndicate.

When I got to my destination morning, I was meeting with a Judge on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals (no, I'm not appealing some past conviction). He was as shocked as I was, and for the same reasons. It was interesting to find out that someone who sits on the Court just below the Supreme Court did not think Ms. Miers had "the Right Stuff", and this judge was a good conservative Republican appointee.

While I'm shocked, I think we should all count our blessings. It doesn't matter whether you like Justices Ginsberg, Breyer, Thomas or Scalia, if you can be objective you have to agree that they are all exceptionally well qualified. You don't have to agree with someone to respect them. I don't think I could have respected a Ms. Justice Miers anymore than I would have respected a Mr. Chief Justice Fortas. Cronies have their place but not on the nation's highest court.

Did SAPOA Hire A Political Consultant?

It has been reported that 70% of the residential property in Salisbury is now rental property. Terry Cohen and the residents at SINA (Salisbury Independent Neighborhood Alliance) want to protect single family neighborhoods. Admirable, right?

I guess not. Mrs. Cohen stood up at Wednesday's Salisbury Council meeting and repeated what she has been saying for years. SINA wants a civil discussion about preserving the character of their neighborhoods. They aren't against SU students nor are they against landlords ("we need good landlords"). Unfortunately, SAPOA (Salisbury Area Property Owners Association) brought a taste of Washington politics to the proceedings.

4-2 was continually portrayed as anti-student and racist. There were protesters in front of the City / County Office Building hawking SAPOA's perverted view of the truth, some of whom didn't even know what their signs said. Anti 4-2 speakers wrapped themselves inthe Flag.

SINA needs to keep up the fight. It's hard to keep going when you know you're going to get beat, but this Council (or their replacements) will eventually get the message. Hopefully they'll see the light before Salisbury is 99.9% rental property with 2 drug dens per neighborhood and a hooker on every block.

$$$$$$$$$$

Salisbury attorney Mark Tilghman walks softly, but carries a big stick. While it was clear from the get go that the 4-2 housing ordinance was going to be replaced with 4-3, Mr. Tilghman stood up last night and quietly prodded Salisbury Council (by firm and non-confrontational questioning of City Solicitor Paul Wilbur) to close some of the loopholes in the new ordinances. Salisbury single family neighborhoods may have lost this battle, but thanks to Mark Tilghman they have some additonal weapons to continue the war.

In addition to his help in closing some of the loopholes in 4-3, Mark Tilghman basically summarized the other side's position for them -- "It's about money ..." Somebody had to do it, because the Salisbury Area Property Owners Association just couldn't fess up.

I thought T. J. Maloney, president of the Salisbury Area Property Owners Association, was going to start singing the "Star Bangled Banner". I didn't know until Wednesday's Council meeting that packing 4, 6, 8, or 10 people into a 2 bedroom house was about FAMILY VALUES and PROMOTING DIVERSITY. TJ brought a tear to my eye. All along I thought it was about money; but he showed me that wrecking family neighborhoods is up there with the Flag, Mom and apple pie.

Gary Comegys -- Champion of the Little Guy

I didn't know Salisbury Coucil Vice President Gary Comegys cared so much. All along it seemed that Mr. Comegys was too busy bending over to accomodate developers (as in the recent meeting at the Fountains designed to plot a strategy to keep "the natives" from getting too restless) and slumlords to worry about the little guy. I was wrong.

Mr. Comegys showed us Wednesday night that he cares. He cares so much that he opposed amendments to close loopholes in the 4-3 proposals because the "free market" needs to work and because they were discrimating against the poor. He even opposed requiring that neighborhood residents be given notice and right of appeal when a landlord applies (or is granted the right) to be grandfathered or loses their exemption to rent to 4 unrelated persons.

According to Gary, "someone has to speak for the people who aren't here tonight". Well Gary, you need to get your eyes checked. The people you were speaking for (SAPOA and slumlords everywhere) were sitting 6 feet in front you, to your right.

Divide And Conquer?

The game plan just keeps on changing.

After Monday night's fortuitous (for the "Partners in Progress") power outage, we were all supposed to gather again on Wednesday and have a final vote on the Hearne Annexation and then on 4-2 [or is it 4-3 (Salisbury Councils plan to totally destroy neighborhoods)]. Well folks, the ball's been moved again.

Council will convene again on Wednesday, October 26th and vote on 4-2. But, the Hearne Annexation hearing is being moved to November 14th.

Now I understand that the annexation hearing has to be moved due to legal notice requirements, but I also wonder if there might be a little hope on the part of certain Council members that they might be able to isolate the good people of SINA and We Care.

All I can say is, the anti-annexation folks had better be there Wednesday night to show support for SINA. If they hope to win their battle (and the many battles to come), they need allies like SINA.

Don't Mess With Dot!

First I have to apologize -- to you and to Dot Truitt. I was a little tired after Monday's Council Follies and didn't get around to posting this until tonight.

Dot Truitt is a dynamo! She has worked tirelessly to save her neighborhood from the proposed Hearne project.

She's the person who uncovered the illegal attempt by Salisbury Council to ram the annexation through without proper notice. She's also one of the folks who has documented how the project's property's acreage seems to keep changing depending on whether it's for tax purposes or to cram more residential units on the land.

Monday night she shared with one and all that the "good citizens" at CDW have been trying to sell the property for $20 million! When Dot displayed a copy of the property listing, it looked like Carl Cottingham (the C in CDW and Executive VP of Bank of Delmarva) was going to fall out his seat; he was squirming so much. There are also some interesting questions as to how the deal is financed. We're trying to document the details.

While Dot is always informative, and knows the facts, probably the best part of her speaking Monday was Mike Dunn's reaction. As she kept peppering the CDW people and their mouthpiece with questions, Council President Dunn kept trying to interrupt Dot. Good Luck Mike! You may have the gavel, but I think Dot has the Angels on her side.

I have no idea how good a lawyer John Seipp is, but I think the "good citizens" better get an army if they think they can take on this lady.

Opposition To Hearne Annexation Blows A Fuse

Monday night's Salisbury City Council Meeting came to an early end due to freak power outage in the area around downtown. Council will reconvene Wednesday at 6PM and hopefully do the right thing.

Within a few minutes of the outage, Mayor Barrie Tilghman was heard to say, "We need to cancel this meeting right now! This crowd's a little too hot."

Lucky for Mike Dunn, et al (Salisbury City Council sans Debbie Campbell). I think the crowd was just warming up! After hearing from CDW mouthpiece John Seipp and commercial developer Palmer Gillis (who was almost persuasive), Tina Perrotta from "We Care" started the ball rolling.

To paraphrase Mrs. Perrotta --

since the proposed Hearne development is the "poster child" for unchecked and unfunded development, Mike Dunn should show the voters of Salisbury that he was serious at last week's press conference.

I don't know, maybe Council will do the right thing......
or maybe they will just keep doing business as usual, and taxpayers will keep paying (as usual).

Wednesday night will tell the tale. Are Mike Dunn and Gary Comegys serious about their "Partners In Progress". If the Hearne Annexation goes through, it will be more like "Partners In Crime".

The Hearne Annexation Is "Only Fair"

John Seipp, attorney for the owners of the Hearne property (CDW, LLC), told the Council and the capacity crowd that it was only fair to go through with the annexation. Since Council had already voted to do so once (illegally, since the 1st hearing wasn't properly publicized), it's only equitable to complete the annexation. He inferred that his clients wouldn't have closed on the property if they thought that the annexation wasn't a done deal.

Well, instead of threatening to sue the City if the annexation doesn't go through (like they did with County Council on re-zoning), maybe the folks at CDW should think about suing their lawyer for not making sure they had all the bases covered. Just because they spent $10 million doesn't mean that the City has to bend over and give them whatever they want.

It was also stated that CDW would pay the costs of improvements to the "intersection" (S. Division and Dykes Rd). During the rest of comments by Mr. Seipp and by certain members of council, the inference was made that CDW was covering the costs of all road improvements.


Just because you think you heard them commit doesn't mean that's what they will really do.

They are also supposed to cover the costs of water (but not sewage?). That's great, but even if the developers pay for all water and sewage costs, who is going to pay for the additional water treatment capacity that's needed? YOU.

They will be allowed up to 590 residential units on this property with the current zoning. Who is paying for the additional classroom space that will be needed? YOU. How about the additional teachers? Thats right folks; you get to pay for that one too!

This brings us to the best remark all night (with all deference to Tina Perrotta, Dot Truitt, and everyone else who spoke). Mr Seipp made a point of reminding us that the developers were from here. They weren't "some developer from the Western Shore". They are "just as concerned about the quality of life here as anyone." Well, I don't care where you're from. They're still saddling the taxpayer with a lot of additional expense. For all I know, they're probably sending their kids to some private school, while our kids go to a school that's at 130% of capacity.

"We Care" Goes High Tech

There's an new and interesting website: www.wecarewicomico.org

Tina Perrotta, Linda Kent and the other folks at We Care About Wicomico County (We Care) started posting some of their material on the web.

After hearing Tina and Linda on WICO radio this week and reading about them in the news, I can only say BRAVA!

Keep up the great work ladies (and gentlemen). Someone has got to show the folk on City and County Councils that we won't stand idly by while they invite overcrowded schools, unsafe roads and overburdened government services while trying to convince us it's because we're not taxed enough (because of the revenue cap).