Mayor says he will give an overview of his fiscal year 2021 budget on April 14th.
Frederick, Md (KM). The Frederick Board of Aldermen will be getting back to work later this month,. On Tuesday, April 14th, at 7:00 PM Mayor Michael O’Connor says he will give an overview of his proposed fiscal year 2021 budget.
The Mayor formally introduced his spending plan on Wednesday during his weekly coronavirus update.
He says citizen comment on the budget is invited, but it won’t an in-person public hearing at City Hall as access to city facilities is limited to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus. “During the budget process, I welcome and encourage all to participate. Comments and questions may be submitted on line or offered during our meetings,” he said. “More information on providing public comments during the public meeting will be forthcoming as we’ll be leveraging technology and virtual platforms to restart public meetings very soon.”
Virtual public hearings on the budget will take place on Wednesday, April 22nd and Monday, April 27th. The times will be 10:00 AM until 12:00 Noon, and 1:00 PM until 3:00 PM on both days. The budget is scheduled to be adopted on Thursday, May 7th at 7:00 PM in a virtual public hearing.
Parks
When he announced his executive order for residents to stay at home for the most part in response to the coronavirus emergency, Governor Larry Hogan said it was important for citizens to get out on occasion, take a walk, or walk the dog. But not to get together in crowds of more than ten people.
Mayor O’Connor says he encourages citizens to use the city’s parks, but most facilities will be closed. “All city playgrounds, pavilions, basketball courts, tennis courts, in-line rinks, and skate parks are closed to the public,”: he says. “I ask that you please cooperate with these closures, and use parks local and adjacent to your neighborhood to limit non-essential travel.”
Portal
As a result of the coronavirus, a lot of citizen can’t get to Frederick City Hall in person to submit site plans, applications, and fee payments for work by the Departments of Planning, Engineering and Building. But Mayor O’Connor says a lot of those tasks can be done remotely. On Wednesday, he said an on-line portal become operational for those functions. “Through this service, you can submit for the intake of building permit applications, site and subdivision plans, Historic Preservation Commission applications, Zoning Board of Appeals, archaeology, public improvement and grading plans, and many other applications,” says the Mayor.
This process will help protect the health and safety of the icty’s employees during this coronavirus emergency, he says.
By Kevin McManus