Glengarry (Wetlands Redux): Aberdeen Considers a Softer, Gentler 500-acre Annexation Request

Take the Aberdeen Annexation Survey and let them know what concerns you the most!

The Aberdeen Planning Commission will entertain a request next week for the city to annex the nearly-500-acre Glengarry Community, which is basically a rebranding of the already-once-defeated Wetlands Golf Course property annexation attempt - minus a key group of Locksley Manor residents.

Before addressing the planning commission next week, the development team, led by engineering firm KCI Technologies, will present their annexation proposal in Aberdeen City Hall on Wednesday, April 2 during a 6:30 p.m. community input meeting.

It remains to be seen how the new look city hall, helmed by Mayor Mike Bennett and his chief booster Art Helton, will deal with the return of the annexation request, which was largely responsible for booting former mayor S. Fred Simmons from office and ushering Bennett into his seat.

In anticipation of the community meeting, Wetlands/Glengarry development partner Chris Michel issued a letter through KCI to select property owners, apprising them of the situation, informing them of Wednesday’s meeting and also presenting a questionnaire regarding citizen opinions in specific areas: Continue reading Glengarry (Wetlands Redux): Aberdeen Considers a Softer, Gentler 500-acre Annexation Request

A Warning and a Reprimand: Aberdeen Council President Elliott is Scolded in Ethics Violation

Updated with response from Council President Elliott

Nine months after it was filed, the results of an ethics investigation initiated by one Aberdeen City Council member against another are in and the ruling is that city councilwoman Ruth Elliott violated provisions of the City Code by divulging the contents of confidential internal emails to the city’s opponents in an ongoing lawsuit.

In short, Elliott, who broke ranks with the city’s former mayor and city council to oppose the proposal to annex the Wetlands Golf Course properties, appears to have forwarded a series of emails, which were originally sent from a city attorney to city manager Doug Miller relating to existing litigation between the city and a group of city taxpayers, to members of the group engaged in the lawsuit with Aberdeen.

The complaint was filed by former city councilman David Yensan in May, about six months before he lost his seat in the city’s November election, but the Aberdeen Ethics Commission didn’t reach its findings until late January. Elliott, who won her re-election bid and currently serves as Aberdeen City Council president, was particularly outraged that Yensan, in one of the privileged emails, refers to a “demented old woman.” Yensan later apologized for his statement, but clarified the comment was not directed toward Elliott. Continue reading A Warning and a Reprimand: Aberdeen Council President Elliott is Scolded in Ethics Violation

An Offer They Couldn’t Refuse?

Speaking of benefactors, could The Aegis newspaper, Harford County’s community newspaper of record, have been helping the cause of an Aberdeen annexation opposition group behind the scenes last year?

More disturbing details from the testimony of a member of the annexation opposition, as part of the lawsuit that group filed against the City of Aberdeen, indicate the group, formerly known as Say No Annex or unofficially as ‘the redshirts,’ may have had an anonymous “Godfather” pampering them with services, support and cold hard cash – everything the group needed to take on the Wetlands annexation proposal.

It was long speculated such a “Godfather” existed, especially when the opposition group, which consists of Aberdeen and non-Aberdeen resident volunteers, was suddenly outfitted with matching shirts and signs, began distributing information pamphlets and mailers and purchased expensive advertisements in local newspapers. Continue reading An Offer They Couldn’t Refuse?

Who Said That Local Politics Can’t Be Fun?

What took so long?

It’s been six months or so since Aberdeen Mayor S. Fred Simmons, who is also a local airport owner and insurance agent, erected a billboard on Route 40 at the city’s eastern border for his State Farm Insurance business. It wasn’t until this week, however, that the billboard, which features a nine-foot tall photo of Simmons’ head, was defaced.

The first time I saw the billboard, I was driving into Aberdeen with the rest of the westbound traffic on Pulaski Highway. I was immediately struck by several thoughts: Continue reading Who Said That Local Politics Can’t Be Fun?