BETTERTON — On Aug. 13, at their regularly scheduled meeting, Mayor Donald Sutton and the Betterton Town Council members Harry Marcy, Wayne Gilchrest and Bob Pyfer held a public hearing for Ordinance 2024-02. Offering counsel was Town Attorney Tom Yeager.
Ordinance 2024-02 states that Betterton will provide a temporary exemption from prohibition from firearm discharge in certain areas of the town for the limited purpose of deer and waterfowl hunting season.
The ordinance permits hunting on properties of ten acres or more.
Property owners must apply for a permit to hunt on their property.
The hunting permit is valid for five years and must be renewed thereafter.
All state and federal hunting regulations must be observed.
Only a handful of residents attended the hearing but had some questions concerning the ordinance.
Most residents just wanted clarification on it and weren’t expressing opposition. When a resident asked if it would be safe to walk in certain areas, Sutton told the resident it would be since there are certain state laws in hunting to protect citizens.
For instance: shooting towards a house is against the law, he remarked. That decreases the odds of bullets flying towards the roads and sidewalks.
Also, Kent County does not allow rifle hunting, just shotgun, which limits the distance a bullet can travel.
Sutton suggested though that anytime you’re walking around in a rural area, to wear orange, for extra caution. You can’t always be certain which people are abiding by the laws, he stated.
Another resident asked about the hunting hours, which are a half-hour before sunrise and a half-hour after sunset.
Sutton clarified it’s all day, but there won’t be shooting all day long since the season’s start and duration depends on state regulations.
The dates, for example, of Canada Goose, Early Resident Season, in Kent starts Sept. 1-15. After that there’s a gap where firearms probably won’t be heard since its White Tail Deer Bow and Arrow season.
All the same, a resident suggested to use a good public outreach system concerning the ordinance.
After Yeager explained the council’s options concerning the public hearing, and fielding all of the residents’ questions in a satisfactory manner, and with no further discussion, the council closed the public hearing.
Later on the council decided to unanimously approve of the ordinance as it was written.
Several people were not present in the room, but were following along online.
One was Carolyn Sorge, chair of the Betterton Community Development Corporation, who thanked the Betterton Volunteer Fire Company for a wonderful Betterton Appreciation Day held the first weekend of April.
So many people loved the fireworks and the parade, she said, adding “We had lots of visitors at the museum so it was fun.”
The museum is in the same location as the council meeting at 100 Main St., and open on Saturday and Sunday through September.
Dick Story, secretary of the Betterton Volunteer Fire Company, also video conferencing, echoed Sorge’s statements, commending all involved in the event.
“We had a lot of helpers, and that’s what we need to pull it off each year.”
The fire company’s always looking for donations to keep the tradition of fireworks going, he commented.
On a somber note, he mentioned Pastor Bill Carroll’s passing. They had a moment of silence.
As head of both Still Pond Methodist and Betterton Methodist church, he was well loved by the community and his congregation.
“There was an untold number of hours he spent to bring the community together,” the mayor said. “He will definitely be missed.”
They also remembered another beloved community member, the late Francis Marzella, owner of Marzella’s by the Bay.
Moving on to their standard agenda, and with no guest speaker, Town Administrator Tom Mogle said they are entering into the final stages of getting out their comprehensive plan, including several maps.
There are some repairs needed at the park also. There are a few spots on the basketball court and several areas at the tennis courts Mogle discovered, where the paint has gone into the asphalt. He has reached out to MidAtlantic asphalt but with no response back. A letter by Yeager could get their attention, Sutton suggested.
The town is still looking for some people for the Planning and Zoning and the Appeals board, Mogle added.
Sutton then mentioned the water plant is operating efficiently, and announced some changes from the state and federal government that are coming soon.
“I will be contacting residents in homes built at a certain date to identify what type of piping they have entering their homes,” Sutton said.
They’ll submit the answers to the Maryland Department of the Environment and any residents are encouraged to reach out to the town if they have any questions.
Lastly, Sutton mentioned the problem with pump station number 2, leading to the spillage of about 2,000 gallons of raw sewage on July 17.
Sutton said lightning had hit close by the station, knocking out all the breakers in the station. They had a backup generator but when the breaker kicks out, it doesn’t tell the backup generator to start.
Sutton said it was a fluke event, and commended those town employees identifying it quickly and working to fix it.
“The electrical issues have been addressed. They are working with their control contractor to get a pricing on upgrading their existing alarm system with a battery half-life.”
Alarms in pump stations 2,3, and 4 will be upgraded, Sutton said.
The Betterton mayor and council meet the second Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. For info on the town, check out: https://townofbetterton.com/index.php
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