Rising Sun board adopts stipend ordinance and cuts PUD application fee
November 14, 2023 | Rising Sun, Cecil County, Maryland
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Rising Sun's mayor and Board of Commissioners on Nov. 14 adopted an ordinance to formally allow modest compensation for members of appointed boards and approved a fee-schedule resolution that sharply lowers the town's PUD application fee.
The board voted to adopt Ordinance 2023-15 (read into the record by the town administrator), which amends Chapter 9 of the Rising Sun code to add explicit compensation provisions for members of the Planning Commission, Board of Zoning Appeals and other boards created by the commissioners. Town Administrator Calvin (named in the meeting) told commissioners the change "closes the loop" between prior resolutions and the town code and would allow payment for meetings, training and related expenses.
The board also approved Resolution 2023-20, reducing the Planned Unit Development application fee from $8,000 to $250 and adopting a new 2023 fee schedule for land-development applications. The town administrator said the $8,000 fee dated to an earlier PUD filing and that recent escrow provisions and upfront fees already cover review costs; "continuing to charge $8,000 ... is not commensurate with the town's expenses," the administrator said.
Both measures were moved, seconded and approved by voice vote during the meeting; the transcript records unanimous "aye" responses but no roll-call tally by name. The town administrator clarified that, absent the emergency-adoption motion for Ordinance 2023-15, the ordinance would typically sit for consideration and a later vote.
Why it matters: The stipend ordinance changes how volunteers serving on appointed boards may be reimbursed for time, training and travel, formalizing a practice the town said it already follows. The PUD fee change aims to align application fees with current review costs and escrow practices; the administrator said it could reduce legal exposure and litigation risk tied to disproportionately high application fees.
What's next: The ordinance and fee schedule were adopted at the meeting. Staff will publish the updated fee schedule titled "2023 town of Rising Sun fee schedule adopted 11/14/2023," and the town clerk will enter the ordinance language into the minutes and code as appropriate.
No formal amendments to either measure were recorded in the transcript.
The board voted to adopt Ordinance 2023-15 (read into the record by the town administrator), which amends Chapter 9 of the Rising Sun code to add explicit compensation provisions for members of the Planning Commission, Board of Zoning Appeals and other boards created by the commissioners. Town Administrator Calvin (named in the meeting) told commissioners the change "closes the loop" between prior resolutions and the town code and would allow payment for meetings, training and related expenses.
The board also approved Resolution 2023-20, reducing the Planned Unit Development application fee from $8,000 to $250 and adopting a new 2023 fee schedule for land-development applications. The town administrator said the $8,000 fee dated to an earlier PUD filing and that recent escrow provisions and upfront fees already cover review costs; "continuing to charge $8,000 ... is not commensurate with the town's expenses," the administrator said.
Both measures were moved, seconded and approved by voice vote during the meeting; the transcript records unanimous "aye" responses but no roll-call tally by name. The town administrator clarified that, absent the emergency-adoption motion for Ordinance 2023-15, the ordinance would typically sit for consideration and a later vote.
Why it matters: The stipend ordinance changes how volunteers serving on appointed boards may be reimbursed for time, training and travel, formalizing a practice the town said it already follows. The PUD fee change aims to align application fees with current review costs and escrow practices; the administrator said it could reduce legal exposure and litigation risk tied to disproportionately high application fees.
What's next: The ordinance and fee schedule were adopted at the meeting. Staff will publish the updated fee schedule titled "2023 town of Rising Sun fee schedule adopted 11/14/2023," and the town clerk will enter the ordinance language into the minutes and code as appropriate.
No formal amendments to either measure were recorded in the transcript.
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