The Pocomoke City Mayor and Council held a regular meeting Monday, Feb. 2, approving prior meeting minutes and the city’s bill list, granting permits for Downtown Pocomoke’s Fourth Friday events, and hearing updates on election deadlines, street paving delays, and city hiring. Public comment included concerns about crime, late-night neighborhood activity, and the city’s decision to disable live chat during YouTube streams.
Bill list debate: vendor delays and “checks and balances”
Before voting on the bill list, council members discussed the city’s process for approving payments.
One council member stated “our current process of requiring the council’s approval of bills is inefficient,” pointing to “complaints we’ve received from vendors stemming from delayed payments once services have been rendered.” The same speaker asked City Manager Brandy Matthews to confirm the city undergoes a third-party audit annually, and Matthews responded, “That’s correct.”
Multiple council members said they wanted to keep oversight while improving the system. One described the process as “checks and balances” and said, “I do think that we can fix it, but I don’t think it needs to go away completely.” Another said the city should provide “a snapshot” of financials and added, “whatever needs to be done, I’m here to do it.”
Fourth Friday permits approved; questions raised on alcohol-to-go and food trucks
A representative speaking on behalf of the Downtown Pocomoke Association requested the annual beer and wine license for Fourth Friday Street Festivals, held April through September from 5–8 p.m.
During Q&A, discussion touched on potential expansion of “to-go” alcohol policies at the county level. The representative said county commissioners voted unanimously to move forward with the program, described as to-go alcohol sales in public spaces, and said it was being sent for further approval.
Food truck rules also came up. The representative said there had been some movement, describing Worcester as “the most difficult county,” and said two food trucks were already registered for a spring festival. The council also asked about staffing and programming for the Downtown Pocomoke Association, noting a vacancy in leadership and encouraging the organization to build capacity so event planning does not fall too heavily on one person.
Public comment: YouTube chat disabled and neighborhood concerns
One speaker said they were “glad to hear the crime stats,” (See separate article here) but raised concerns about city rankings on a crime-data website, stating it “does show we basically have orange to red” and claiming the city ranked “second highest in the state of Maryland for crime” among cities/towns on that site.
The same speaker said traffic at a nearby home had “slowed tremendously” since they raised concerns two years earlier, but said there was still late-night activity around “one o’clock in the morning,” and relayed that neighbors believed “there were some folks living in there that weren’t supposed to be.”
The speaker also asked the city to consider enabling chat during YouTube livestreams so residents can “make comments and ask questions,” saying otherwise only those who attend in person can participate. A response from the dais indicated the city does not control that feature and that it is “turned off” or “disabled,” though Councilman Scott Holland later noted the city previously accepted online questions during earlier streaming efforts and suggested it could be considered again.
City Manager updates: election deadline, paving delay, Sustainable Maryland, and hiring
City Manager Brandy Matthews reminded residents that Feb. 6 is the last day to register for the District 1 or District 2 election, and noted a work session scheduled for Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. (This work session has since been rescheduled for Monday, February 9th, at the time of this article)
Matthews also provided an update on Market Street paving connected to the city’s CIPP project, saying repaving was paused due to cold weather and that she had a meeting scheduled for Thursday morning “to go over when the next scheduled time they could possibly do the paving.” She said the patchwork and paving from 4th Street back to Front Street could take “about 15 days” once conditions allow.
Matthews announced the city was “finally approved as a participant in the Sustainable Maryland program,” explaining it allows the city to apply for grants and encourages residents to join the committee.
She also said the Events and Engagement Coordinator and Grant Writer positions were posted, and that the city had “seven applicants” for the Events and Engagement Coordinator as of Monday night.
A discussion followed on whether that coordinator role should be part-time or full-time. Matthews said that decision ultimately rests with the council. Mayor Todd Nock argued for full-time, saying the position could support events, social media, press releases, and broader city communications: “We’ve got people wearing a lot of different hats,” he said, adding that the flow of information is not as consistent as the city would like.
Sidewalk repairs and fairgrounds barn cleaning
During the City Manager portion, the council asked about sidewalk damage related to water meter work. Matthews said repairs should wait until warmer weather and stated, “So we’re going to have this done by April 1st,” with the caveat, “Long as weather permitting.”
Council members also asked about the fairgrounds barn. Matthews said outside help would be needed for a deep clean before the city could take further steps, and described using a treatment to reduce spiderweb and dust accumulation that would not be hazardous to horses.
Council member notes: tourism conference, Veterans memorial idea, and Black History Month event
Councilman Holland returned to the YouTube chat issue, saying the city previously took online questions during early streaming and suggesting the council could revisit it: “I always think more public opinion, the better,” he said.
Councilman CL Marshall said he planned to attend a tourism conference in Annapolis on Friday, Feb. 13, with other tourism directors and hoped to bring back ideas to “drive some tourism back here to Pocomoke.”
Marshall also said he intends to create a Veterans Memorial near the flag by the river and said it will be the first project tackled by the city’s economic development committee. “I think they need representation down there by that flag,” he said.
Another council member announced a Black History Month open-mic program on the 20th at the Pocomoke Public Library, inviting community participation through singing, poetry, or attendance. The same council member also proposed coordinating with Chief Hancock on a joint community event, suggesting a “coffee and poetry” or “coffee and talk session” to improve turnout.
Mayor’s remarks: “unequivocally” against House Bill 239 and frustration over state policy
In his closing comments, Mayor Todd Nock urged residents to alert the city to state legislation the council should track, saying the city does not have “the infrastructure right now to bill watch.”
He said Feb. 12 would be the first hearing for House Bill 239 and stated: “I’m going on the record unequivocally saying I’m completely against House Bill 239.”
Nock said the bill would limit local zoning authority, referencing issues such as minimum lot sizes, setbacks, lot coverage limits, and architectural/design standards. “The state is literally trying to strip municipalities of their power,” he said, warning that if it passed, the city would have to redo its code: “We don’t have the bandwidth to do it.”
When asked by a council member about setback requirements, the exchange included, “My understanding is it enforces a 10 foot setback from the front. Is that correct?” and Nock replied, “Yep,” followed by the comment, “That’s my whole front yard.”
Nock encouraged residents to write letters or testify against the bill and said he could connect them with the right contacts.
He also criticized what he called the state’s “green energy push,” referencing the difficulty of adding solar panels to older homes and saying rural towns are often left out of statewide decisions. “I’m just asking for our state legislature… to do a lot better and think about small towns and rural areas in this state,” he said.
