Council to Meet With Merchants at Shopping Center
Published in Kent County News | Peter Heck | February 26, 2014
The Chestertown council, meeting Tuesday, Feb. 18, discussed plans to meet with merchants in the C1 commercial zones, including the two shopping centers. Mayor Chris Cerino has announced several such meetings, each with a group of merchants who are under the same zoning designation. The C1 meeting is the first.
Councilman Sam Shoge initially suggested holding a council meeting at Big Mixx barber shop, in Kent Plaza. He said his constituents in the Third Ward, which includes many of the town's black residents, have told him they see council members and mayoral candidates only when they are looking for votes.
He said Big Mixx serves a largely black clientele, and is a more familiar and welcoming environment than town hall. Shoge also said the meeting would be a way to honor Jamie Barrett, the owner of Big Mixx, who has operated barber shops in the community for over 20 years.
Residents of his ward told him they don't know where town hall is, or who their council representative is, Shoge said in a phone interview Wednesday, Feb. 26. He said he heard it “from multiple people” of “different demographics” in Coventry Farms, where he said many people commute to out-of-town jobs and return home only at night. While he told them council meetings are open to the public, many of them still don't feel welcome, he said.
As councilman for the Third Ward, Shoge said he felt obligated to start changing things around. He said he feels his election was evidence that people want change. “People say the council needs fresh perspectives and ideas,” he said. Bringing the council out into the wards would be a creative way to involve more residents in the process.
Councilman Marty Stetson said he opposed the idea of meeting in a location other than town hall. He said it could set a “dangerous” precedent and encourage other large businesses to ask for meetings on their premises. As official town business, the council meetings belong at town hall, he said.
After some discussion, the council agreed to see if the merchants' forum could be held at Big Mixx. Shoge said that would be an acceptable compromise. He and Stetson, whose Fourth Ward includes the shopping centers, will both be at the meeting, he said.
In the phone interview, Shoge said he also liked the idea of council members holding ward meetings to meet their constituents face to face and bring them more into the governing process. He said it would be a good outreach opportunity for the council.
Invitations to the meeting, scheduled for March 10, will be distributed to business owners in the C1 zone, Cerino said.
