Seems they Mostly Agree that Current Citizens Come First
04/25/2024
On Tuesday night, all four candidates running for the open seats for Snow Hill Mayor and Eastern District Council member met for a candidate forum hosted by Mount Zion Baptist Church. Aushay DeShields, Chair of the Mount Zion Social Action Committee, welcomed the candidates and thanked them for participating. Local news reporter and news director at Delmarva Public Media, Don Rush, served as moderator.
In their opening remarks, all four Candidates highlighted their lifetime commitment to Snow Hill as residents and their service throughout.
Janet Simpson, currently the Eastern District Council Representative highlighted her family’s direct involvement in the community as residents and businesses owners, their commitment to, and respect for, others that is ingrained in her work ethic. She also noted that, as Mayor she is interested in recapturing some of the economic vitality of the past to support citizens’ needs today.
Rob Hall, also born and raised in Snow Hill and an Eastern District resident, highlighted his volunteer work, including serving on the Purnell Museum’s Board of Directors and the Historic District Commission since returning to Snow Hill full-time in 2017. He recognized a number of projects and issues that need to be addressed related to current citizens, including the Purnell Street pipe replacement and resurfacing project, which is scheduled to begin this summer.
Katie Carrie, running for Council and also born and raised in town, noted that as a mother she is concerned about how her children will learn how to navigate the world if they don’t feel positively connected to their community. She emphasized her willingness to put “your voice to my work ethic” to accomplish what’s needed to support the Town’s citizens. She also mentioned living on Purnell Street and understanding first-hand “where many of the potholes are” there and throughout town that need to be addressed.
Ed Lee, also running for the Eastern District council seat, said his family has farmed here in the area for over 100 years, and he returned 35 years ago to open and manage a swine confinement operation, Spencer-Lee farms. He is also a local realtor who works closely with several developers in the region, including Matt Odachowski who is expected to present a revised Summerfield plan on April 30 at the Council work session. Mr. Lee said he has four primary reasons for running: to create a town vision for Snow Hill¹, to bring the Summerfield development project back, to address the Maryland Blueprint for Education with town residents, and to change the number of voting districts in Snow Hill from three to five, “allowing for increased citizen participation.”
Don Rush, Delmarva Public Media’s News Director and Senior Producer, served as the moderator for the forum. Mr. Rush asked the following questions:
Question #1: what is your vision of Snow Hill, specifically related to growth. How would you work to attract business investment to our community?
Rob Hall noted that housing is a problem and acknowledged two proposed development plans, including the Summerfield plan as well as a couple of smaller subdivision plans in town (Morris and Covington Streets). He acknowledged that each plan needs to be “looked at carefully” to ensure “there is benefit to the citizens” and not just to the developers. He also added that businesses that support local residents’ needs should be encouraged to locate in current commercial areas.
Katie Carrie acknowledged that the limitations of the wastewater treatment facility and other infrastructure needs to be closely evaluated before new development is considered. She also stressed that meeting the needs of current citizens is more important than inviting new people into town at this time. “New houses aren’t going to fix our grocery store [problem] … take care of [issues with] our laundromat, or give our kids things to do. We need to worry about the people we have here now.”
Mr. Lee said the problem lies “in not having a collective vision for Snow Hill.” He acknowledged that there have been efforts to do so, but labeled them “piecemeal” and seemed to suggest that there needs to be a renewed effort to create one before development begins. He acknowledged the significant impact the Town’s Bikeways Plan will have for Snow Hill and the County, and the “Tourism Trails,” as he said they were originally dubbed, will connect Snow Hill with the other towns in Worcester County and support ‘niche’ businesses opening to support visitors.
Ms. Simpson said she feels the key for Snow Hill is to “become a 21st Century Small Town by retaining it’s historic charm … and valuing all of its history from all of our neighborhoods,” but also to ensure the business districts are thriving, which brings revenues to Town. She also said the Town needs to capitalize on existing natural resources, including the Pocomoke River and parks located both in town and nearby to provide opportunities to citizens and attract visitors, and mentioned how the county-wide Greenways plan (see note at end) will enhance opportunities for citizens and visitors alike. Simpson also noted that the buildings downtown need to be revitalized and owners need to be supported to make necessary improvements so businesses can locate in them. She also said obtaining a Main Street Community designation², would open up additional avenues for funding and resources. (Simpson has been a member of the Downtown Snow Hill organization for several years, pre-dating her tenure on the Council.)
Question #2: What is your plan to increase affordable housing?
Ms. Carrie noted that she lives in the apartments at the end of Purnell Street, “where most of the residents are single parents, who love [their] children, don’t make trouble and pay for crap.” Carrie said the apartments are ‘decent’ but the laundry facilities don’t function appropriately and aren’t cleaned regularly. She is focused on upgrading current housing stock and services for residents, including the planned phase II of Heritage Court, which has been talked about since she moved in 5 years ago. She said she’s “ready to do whatever we need to” to ensure there is attractive, well managed and affordable housing available in Snow Hill.
Mr. Lee said he believes the Town needs to work with developers to create plans for housing that is attractive, has modern infrastructure accessible, and homes the people in the community can afford. ” We missed a golden opportunity when we lost Summerfield. That was the opportunity to make the changes in housing [we are talking about] that were almost unprecedented.” He noted that the Odenchowski “family” spent $20 million preparing for the development³. Mr. Lee did not make himself available for further elaboration, but that figure likely includes the purchase price of the property but may not include the portions subsequently sold to the state as parkland.
Ms. Simpson said she thinks the first effort should focus on finding opportunities for current residence to obtain affordable funding for housing through state and federal programs. Second, she said addressing needs of current renters with just recently passed state tenants rights laws and potential local ordinances will help protect renters from landlords who are not maintaining their properties or increasing rents without adding or upgrading services. Ms. Simpson has also spoken to the Maryland Secretary of Housing who is interested in making Snow Hill an exemplar of] developing housing in a small town.
Mr. Hall noted that “we can’t keep them out'” referring to new residents. He also said the Town needs to find adequate and appropriate staff to maintain inspections of rentals. “I don’t think we can stop progress from coming.” He also warned that even though grants may be available, it’s not “free money” in that it is still tax dollars coming from citizens.
Question #3: Some people say there’s a racial divide in Town. How would you bridge that divide?
Mr. Lee said he doesn’t submit to a divide, but there are issues to attend to. He noted that the community needs to “address the issues of our times.” Mt. Zion has revitalized its Social Action Committe in order to be part of the solution, and said If we want resolution then the community needs to come together “eyeball to eyeball” to solve the identified problems.
Ms. Simpson acknowledged there is a racial divide but even with a recent issue regarding students at the high school, coming together to listen carefully to one another “opened all our eyes to what was going on with our children.” She said more conversations like that are needed here in Snow Hill.
Mr. Hall also acknowledged that there are still racial tensions in the community, but that continuing to talk about them and listen to one another has gone a long way to bring the community together as a whole. He acknowledged that children don’t seem to have the same issues as their older relatives, and the diversity that exists within our community makes for better conversations, starting with the things neighbors have in common rather than differences.
Ms. Carey said that racism has existed in Snow Hill throughout her life, and she and her children have felt the sting of it, being a blended family. ” I don’t think things have gotten that much better, I just think we’ve gotten better at saying that they are” she added. “We have to educate each other, be empathetic toward one another and … stop accepting the people amongst us that won’t fall in line ….”
Question #4: Should Snow Hill be competing with other Coastal towns to attract people?
Janet Simpson said the Town should be “concentrating on the river as a focal point” for attracting visitors, including working on “the diamond in the rough” of the two town parks along the river, addressing the issues of flooding and adequate facilities.
Rob Hall said that the religious and genealogical history of the town and the resources that are housed in Snow Hill’s churches, the Purnell Museum and the library need to be “packaged together and sold around the country. … We don’t do a great job of letting people know what’s here and what they can do.” Mr. Hall also noted that the Town has allowed the county to take over some events and activities, now housed at John W. Smith Park, which is not easily accessible since there are no sidewalks along Bay Street to get there.
Katie Carrie thinks the river is a valuable resource, and the new trail system to Shad Landing (Pocomoke State Park) will be a great draw for visitors. But she also said that re-working the First Friday format, or creating other events to include some new ideas “to bring in a younger, more diverse crowd” and bring some new faces into town. She also noted that with four entrances to town from Route 113, there is a prime opportunity being squandered to advertise what there is to do in Snow Hill.
Ed Lee said he and nearly everyone else agrees with everything all three candidates enumerated. But what is currently missing is a “vision” for how to make it happen. He suggested that the ideas need to happen by making short and long-term plans “that the town buys into.”
Questions then turned to ones the audience asked.
(these responses are a bit more abbreviated that the previous ones in order to reduce reading time)
Are water bills going to increase again? Rob Hall provided a detailed explanation of why the rates had to be increased – to cover the costs of operating the utility. He also said “the state is going to fine us.” regarding the treatment facility being mismanaged by the former superintendent and falling out of compliance. Katie Carrie agreed that the system “should be fair” and that she wants to be a transparent representative for the Eastern District, ensuring that she and everyone understand why rates need to be what they are. Mr. Lee said “I don’t have an answer … understanding the dilemma.” he added “there’s more pain to come.” But he also said the Mayor and Council needs to determine how to lessen the burden on those who cannot afford to pay increased rates. Ms. Simpson said, as a current member of the Council, they have decided not to increase water fees or real estate taxes for fiscal year 2025. She also said “we need to communicate better.” and ensure the town remains in compliance. She also suggested that communication channels need to “come into the twenty-first century” when it comes to getting information to and from citizens, to include adding a text messaging system and being consistent with written communications.
What can we do to improve the Town for Children: activities and things to do .. Ms. Carey said that kids don’t feel like they’re welcome to be out on the streets, existing infrastructure and facilities need to be updated, and a walking path to JW Smith Park should be a priority. “Kids need to learn how cool it is to be outside again,” she said. Mr. Lee pivoted to talking about the five pillars of the Maryland Blueprint and the importance of the community’s participation in its development and implementation. “We are allowing others to make decisions about our children’s education.” Ms. Simpson said that as an educator for 38 years, youth voices are often left out of the conversations regarding governance. She suggested establishing a Youth Town Council to inform the adult Council about what is important and they would like to see. “They’re our next leaders, and we need to “respect[]” them and their views.” she said. Mr. Hall said he would support a youth member of the Council, internships and mentorships within town hall to learn about local government and how to engage as citizens. Hall said the Town needs to engage more modern and frequent ways of communicating to keep everyone connected, and He also recommended considering spreading recreation facilities througout town rather than concentrating them in one or two locations that are somewhat inaccessible for many.
What is the reason for this community not to have a Food Lion, Royal Farms, Wal-Mart, etc. in it
Mr Lee said the “capacity is simply not present.” He said he doesn’t believe it will happen until there are more people in Snow Hill. Ms. Simpson agreed that capacity is the major factor, but she suggested that the Mayor and Council could do more to investigate opportunities for smaller, more specialized stores or businesses to locate in town to serve a variety of needs. Mr. Hall addressed the elephant in the room about the current grocery store in town not meeting needs throughout the community. He suggested that the Town could be doing more to prepare for more businesses to locate in or near Snow Hill. Ms. Carey said she wants a grocery store that she can take her kids into and use a bathroom if necessary, and that has everyday amenities at reasonable prices.
Work isn’t getting done in town. What would you do to ensure it does.
Simpson cited her experience effectively managing budgets and personnel for the school system as her strongest qualifications. She also addressed the need to hire the right people to do the jobs required and get the work done with effective planning. Hall referred to a couple of former employees who were not performing effectively and recognized the need to help them develop the skills needed to do so. He also addressed the need to “advertise effectively” to draw in qualified candidates, an issue he has brought up with the current Mayor and Town Manager before. He suggested the Town needs to be able to offer incentives and understand the skills that new people bring to the community. Carrie said she agrees with all of what had been said, including providing support for those who are willing to work in Snow Hill from more metropolitan areas with better resources and incentives to do so. Mr. Lee said the primary issue is that the Town doesn’t have “a clear line distinction” of what each person’s role and responsibilities are within the Town Hall staff.
Closing Statements were provided thereafter and the Candidates all thanked the attendees for coming and listening.
Town elections are on May 7 from 7:00 am – 7:00pm at the Old Train Station on Belt Street. If needed, absentee ballots can be obtained, if an application is received in Town Hall by tomorrow, April 26th St 4:00. (You can also email the lowershoreobserver@gmail.com before noon for a scanned version of the ballot.)
There will be a second Candidate Forum on Thursday, May 2nd at 6:30pm in Snow Hill High School’s auditorium. The Snow Hill Area Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring the event.
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Notes regarding some of the Candidate’s comments
¹ It’s worth noting that there are multiple plans and vision-related documents in existence currently that both guide and direct government efforts in Snow Hill. Most notably are:
The recent Sustainable Communities plan drafted with the input of eight residents who volunteered to work at the end of 2023 with the Town’s Economic Development Director to update the 2018 plan.
The Town’s Comprehensive Plan, required by state law, which guides development and infrastructure in town, and is overseen by the Town Planning and Zoning Commission, comprised of volunteers, nominated by the Council to serve for five years, and required by state law. This plan, now more than 10 years old, is expected to begin review and revision this fall.
Snow Hill 2025, a plan published in 2015 by the then- Mayor and Council, including the current Mayor Pruitt who was the Western District Council member at the time, and Mr. Lee as an interested citizen.
Worcester County Trails And Greenways Master Plan, and the Snow Hill Bikeways plan, which have been under development for several years and are being finalized to be included with the Worcester County Comprehensive Plan updates this year.
² A local group of business owners and residents have been working since 2018 to become a Main Street designated community. Downtown Snow Hill Inc. is a non-profit organization working closely with the town and county governments to create a plan for Bank Street that will make it more green and attractive to community members and visitors alike. Being a Main Street organization will provide opportunities to seek funding and access resources to develop the downtown business district further and make it more pedestrian friendly and useful to citizens. Other towns on the shore, including Berlin, Ocean City, Easton MD, and Lewes and Selbyville, DE have all benefited greatly from being Main Street organizations.
³ Mr. Lee did not make himself available for clarification before publication, but it appears that a substantial portion of the $20 million in expenditures cited by him was to purchase the property intended to be built. Matt Odachowski brothers still own a substantial portion of the property, but some of the original land purchased was sold to the state to be used as parkland.
The Lower Shore Observer 