Note: This is a SUMMARY of the Commissioners Meeting for the purposes of a Press Release. These are not the actual minutes of the meeting.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: NORMAN BASSETT
240-313-2130

Review of Actions Taken in the Washington County
Board of County Commissioners Meeting
April 29, 2003

PERSONNEL REQUEST: BUS ATTENDANT
Transportation Department Director Kevin Cerrone brought this matter before the Board, to approve a Part-Time Bus Attendant for the County Commuter system. Cerrone told the Board that the budget currently allows for 6 employees, and there are 5 now employed. The position is at Grade 4, $9.09 per hour, with no benefits. The measure was approved by unanimous vote.

TAX ABATEMENT: PAVESTONE COMPANY
County Attorney Richard Douglas, Economic Development Commission Director Tim Troxell, Pavestone Company CEO Jim Mitchell and Pavestone Local Manager Mike Lebo brought a request to grant a tax abatement of approximately $95,000 to Pavestone Company, L.P., before the Board. Pavestone filed for an exemption of manufacturing equipment from personal property tax for fiscal year 2001 late, and was not permitted to apply the exemption retroactively due to a change in policy from the State Assessment Office. This action is necessary to prevent an injustice and will place the County in the position it would have been in had Pavestone filed for the exemption in a timely fashion. Douglas said the fiscal impact would be $95,510.05, but that the County would have received none of those funds had Pavestone filed a timely application. Pavestone will pay any court or other costs of collection so that the County will bear no costs. The Company has 18 plants nationwide, and the local facility employs 85 people and has projected revenue in 2003 of $19 million. The company is looking to expand its facility in the future. The tax abatement measure was approved by unanimous vote.

OTHER BUSINESS
County Attorney Issues: County Attorney Douglas requested formal adoption of the revised County Employee Handbook, which was introduced last week. The Board reviewed changes to the document and approved the adoption by unanimous vote.
Douglas also brought forth a request for acceptance of a grant for a feasibility study for the Hagerstown/Washington County Convention and Visitors' Bureau. The Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development under MEDAAF has approved an award of $46,200.00 in grant funds to the County to cover part of the eligible costs of a feasibility study. The County will re-grant the funds to the Convention and Visitors Bureau, Inc. to contract to determine the feasibility of constructing a multipurpose events center within Washington County. This Resolution authorizes and empowers the President of the Board to enter into a Grant Agreement with the Department and to enter into a Re-Grant Agreement with the Visitors Bureau. There would be no fiscal impact to the County, the grant would pay up to 70% of the costs associated with the study and the Visitors Bureau would pay the remaining 30%. The measure was approved by a 3-1 vote, with Commissioner Wivell voting "no".

SCHOOL AGE SUMMER OPPORTUNITY FUNDS 2004
Washington County Community Partnership (WCCP) Coordinator Paula Fisher brought this request before the Board, for award of the second round of funding for School Age Summer Opportunity programs for 2004. The Washington County Community Partnership for Children and Families (WCCP), in partnership with the Developmental Disability Administration Western Regional Office (DDA), requested concept applications for the DDA/WCCP School Age Summer/After School Opportunity Fund. The WCCP and DDA identified a need to provide services that promote Communities Which Support Family Life. Projects funded through the Fund must be designed to achieve this outcome for the families of children with disabilities. A total of $5,543 is available for second round funding through the DDA/WCCP School Age Summer/After School Opportunity Fund. Funding is available for the period July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004. The E.D.G.E. (Encouraging Development and Growth through Education), formerly known as Maryland's Tomorrow, is the recommended vendor. The agency requested the funds for creation of ARTSQuest, a one-week Fine Arts Summer Camp for at-risk students. Learning in the arts is used to strengthen areas such as communication and physical coordination skills that are important for daily life. Five half-day workshops will be facilitated by an instructor certified in Art Education and experienced in working with students of all abilities. Students will engage in hands-on exploration of various visual arts media and participate in field trips to the Maryland Symphony Orchestra and a museum of Fine Art. The program targets students who are often precluded from fine arts instruction by virtue of behaviors and disabilities that place them at-risk. Twelve to fifteen at-risk students will participate in the program. Half of the participants will be drawn from county high schools and have been deemed at-risk due to low self-esteem, inability to be self-expressive, socio-economic situations and other factors that hinder success in school. The remaining students will have connections with Antietam Academy, have been deemed at-risk by their past performance and face additional difficulties in school due to disabilities which include, but are not limited to, Bipolar Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Social Anxiety Disorder, Dyslexia, ADD and ADHD. The recommended award amount of $5,543.00 includes $4,755 for the one-week Fine Arts Summer Camp and $788 to be used in a follow up activity during the 2003-2004 school year and identify inclusive programming opportunities within the community. The measure was approved by unanimous vote.

OTHER BUSINESS
Appointments to Boards and Commissions: County Clerk Joni Bittner brought a request from the Gaming Commission for reappointment of William McKinley to a second two-year term. The measure was approved by unanimous vote.
Bittner also presented a request from the Airport Advisory Commission for appointment of Harry Reynolds of the Smithsburg area to that advisory group. The measure was approved by unanimous vote.

VIDEO PRESENTATION: FAMILY SUPPORT CENTER
Dave Engle, Director of the Washington County Department of Social Services, DSS staff member Carol Springer and Karen Christof, Director of the Family Support Center, brought an informational presentation before the Board. MTV recently ran a program on teen pregnancy featuring clients of the Washington County Family Support Center. Maryland Public Television featured the Center as part its "Hard Working Families" Series. The program segment was shown, and information about the Center was presented to the Board. The segment tells the story of a young couple that receives services from the Center, and the Child's grandparents evaluate the services given by the Center. Commissioners' Vice-President Bill Wivell told the Board that a recent meeting of the DSS Board revealed state cuts of $1.8 million to Social Services across Maryland. The Family Support Center could lose about 70 thousand dollars. Engle told the Board that the 3% cut made in FY '02 left the Family Support Center with a shortfall of about $4,500.00, and requested reinstatement of those funds.

BID AWARD: AIRPORT SECURITY IMPROVEMENTS
County Purchasing Agent Karen Luther and Hagerstown Regional Airport Fire Chief Phil Ridenour brought this request to the Board. Award of low bid for perimeter fence and gate modifications and installation of a closed circuit television system was recommended to Excel Contractors, Inc. of Hagerstown in the amount of $1,117,627.22. Work includes installation of 12,000 feet of 8-foot chain link fencing, new gates, installation of gate access control systems, installation of lighting at gates, earthwork, pavement removal, placement of new pavement, installation and maintenance of Erosion and Sediment Control devices, seeding and mulching, 71,000 feet of fiber-optic cable, as well as 33 closed-circuit television cameras for monitoring security on the airfield, inside the terminal and in the parking lot. The contract is for 110 calendar days, and has the approval of the Airport Consultant, URS Greiner Corporation. The Federal Administration Agency is funding 100% of $1.2 million for security upgrades, and 90% of the remainder of the total project cost of $1,348,415.92. Local share of funding for the entire project is $11,420.80. Commissioner Munson questioned the feasibility of replacing fencing at the end of the runway where the planned extension is to take place. The measure was approved by a 3-1 vote with Commissioner Munson voting "no". Ridenour was asked to look into the status of a portion of the perimeter fencing, and report findings to the Board via email.

BID AWARD: LEACHATE HAULING
Purchasing Agent Luther and Solid Waste Department Director Bob Davenport brought this request before the Board, for award of the contract for hauling of leachate from County landfill sites to the Industrial Pretreatment plant for disposal. Low bidder is AC&T, Inc. of Hagerstown, with a total base sum of $102,800.00, and a waiver of performance bond. The contract is for one year with renewal of up to 4 additional one-year periods, tentatively beginning on May 1st. Next low bid was $10,000.00 above AC&T's offer, and the unit cost per gallon for each location is lower than the present contract. The measure was approved by unanimous vote.

Once each month, the Board holds an evening meeting in one of the 9 County
municipalities in order to give citizens increased opportunity to interact
with local government. This month, the meeting was held at Children's Village in Hagerstown.

COMMISSIONERS' REPORTS AND COMMENTS
Commissioner Dori Nipps reported on a recent meeting of the Local Management Board/Community Partnership. The EDGE grant approved earlier in the day's session was discussed at that meeting, Nipps said. The final Commissioners' Orientation session was held on Monday, and included the LMB/WCCP, the Gaming Commission/Office and the Communications Maintenance Department.
Commissioner Jim Kercheval also discussed the Orientation sessions, and commented that only a few Counties in the state put their elected Commissioners through such rigorous training. A weekend ribbon cutting ceremony opened the new facility for Deafnet, Inc. in the old Sheetz store on Jefferson Boulevard. The HotSpots anniversary celebration drew almost 200 people to North High School over the weekend, Kercheval said. A meeting with Board of Education Facilities Director Dennis McGee and David Levy of the Maryland School Construction program with Commissioners Kercheval and Wivell revealed heavy cuts in state funding for construction and renovation of schools. The budget has fallen from $250 million to just over $100 million for FY '04 and will be worse for the following year, Kercheval reported. A PowerPoint presentation to the Republican Club went well and was well received by that audience, Kercheval said.
Commissioners' Vice President Bill Wivell welcomed a Hagerstown Community College Local Government class to the meeting, and also told the Board about the meeting with Schools' Facilities Directors. A Task Force will be formed in Washington County to develop standards and rank school construction priorities across Maryland. At current funding levels there is a two to three-year backlog on construction of new schools statewide, Wivell said. A citizen complaint regarding loud vehicles in the County and the lack of a noise ordinance was discussed, and Wivell asked the Board if it wanted to pursue the issue. Further discussion of that matter will take place. Department of Emergency Services Director Joe Kroboth presented an update of that department's reorganization, goals and objectives to a recent meeting of the Local Emergency Planning Committee, Wivell said. The Department of Social Services Board reported that state cuts have reduced its funding by 35%, and the Family Support Center may lose $70,000 of its budget in FY '04 Wivell reported.

OTHER BUSINESS
County Administrator's Comments: County Administrator Rod Shoop told the Board that the Employee Casual Day to Honor Our Troops collected $529.00 in cash to aid the Red Cross in shipping goods overseas and buying prepaid phone cards for Operation Keep Connected. The sum is the largest ever collected in a one-day drive, Shoop said. Saturday May 3rd is official Opening Day in all County Parks. The Public Hearing on the Fiscal Year 2004 budget will be held on May 6th at 7:00 p.m. in Kepler Theater on the Hagerstown Community College campus and will be cablecast on Antietam Cable TV, Channel 65, Shoop reported.

CITIZENS' PARTICIPATION
Each Week the Board of County Commissioners sets aside time to hear from citizens on matters of importance to the community.
Megan O'Reilly, a student at HCC, asked about the need for construction of a new elementary school at Maugansville. Commissioner Wivell said the condition of the facility due to flooding and other structural damage makes it necessary to do something, and consolidation of Maugansville and Conococheague elementaries would save $500,000 per year in operations and maintenance costs.
HCC Professor Spring Ward raised a question regarding appointment of a task force to study County/City consolidation. Wivell said that the idea had been brought forth by Delegate McKee last week, but there is no plan to form such a task force at this time.
HCC student Durrell Blake of Hagerstown asked about road expansion in the County. Commissioner Kercheval explained the Highway User Fund and how it is distributed. That fund has been severely cut by the state, Kercheval said, and many projects will be delayed due to the cuts.
Steven Sanders of Waynesboro, also a student at HCC, asked about the All-Day Kindergarten program in Maryland.

HOT SPOT PROGRAM STATUS
Hagerstown HotSpots coordinator Carolyn Brooks and Hotspots Committee member Hagerstown Police Lieutenant Margaret Kline brought this report on the program's status to the Board. The group presented an update of initiative performance and the value of this community-based strategy. On April 1st, Commissioner Jim Kercheval told the Board that a meeting with Brooks revealed that the crime fighting programs may lose as much as 50% of the current budget. Long and short-term solutions are being sought, through additional grant writing, and possible assistance from local governments. An open house celebrating five years of operation was held April 27th at North Hagerstown High School and drew 200 people from the Hagerstown community.
The new state administration will be renaming the programs, and some funding has been promised. The program has been successful in giving local residents experience in the governmental process, in ridding the community of some abandoned properties that had become havens for drug dealers, and in after school programs for inner-city youth. There are now 5 such programs in elementary schools in the city, offering homework help, computers, guided supervision and recreational activities. The programs have impacted on over 400 children, Brooks said. In addition, community relationships have been built with a number of community partners. Lieutenant Kline outlined the Operation Spotlight program, involving City Police, the Department of Juvenile Justice and the Pardons and Parole office. These agencies meet weekly to form strategies for reducing crime in the area. Interagency cooperation has led to establishment of a police substation in the Bethel Gardens community and installation of 9 video monitoring cameras in the HotSpots area. Brooks reminded the Board that the area extends from Memorial Boulevard to Prospect Street and from Burhans Boulevard to Mulberry Street in Hagerstown. Assistance in meeting needs in this year's budget was requested, and the Commissioners were invited to visit HotSpots programs. Commissioner Kercheval asked for concrete numbers on this year's needs.

CERTIFICATE OF MERIT: ANDY ROTZ
Commissioner Bill Wivell presented a Certificate of Merit to Andy Rotz, a 17-year old student from Hagerstown, who brought home a world record to Washington County. The Certificate was given in recognition of the exceptional sportsmanship achievement of breaking the Guinness Book of World Records 1991 record for continuously performing Texas Skips rope twirls. Texas Skips consist of spinning a lasso vertically and jumping through it every 1 1/2 rotations. The certificate applauded Rotz' skill and accomplishment, and recognized him as the first resident of Washington County to accomplish such a feat. The Texas Skips record was once held by Humorist Will Rogers. Andy is the son of Bob and Mary Rotz of Hagerstown, and entertained the gathering with a sampling of rope jumping, twirling and lassoing skills.

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