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
September 23, 2003

INTRODUCTION OF NEW EMPLOYEES
Interim Human Resources Director Dee Hawbaker brought two new County employees before the Board for introduction. Roger Hensley has joined the Engineering Department as Engineering Inspector, and Brandi Robinson has taken the Procurement Specialist position with the Purchasing Department.

COMMISSIONERS' REPORTS AND COMMENTS
Commissioner John Munson discussed a recent meeting of the Agricultural Education Center Advisory Board. A second log cabin is being proposed for installation in the rural village at the Park, Munson said. That Board will also meet with University of Maryland Officials to request additional land for the Park.
Commissioner Dori Nipps issued copies of the latest report by consultant URS on the Airport security and runway improvement projects that are now underway. The security project is set for completion in October, and the current phase of the runway project is slated to be completed in December of 2004.
Commissioner Jim Kercheval discussed speaking before the Hagerstown Exchange Club recently. Kercheval described events at the Emergency Operations Center during Tropical Storm Isabel last week and commended staff for work performed over a 36-hour period.
Commissioner Bill Wivell reported on a recent meeting with Board of Education president Roxanne Ober to discuss a proposed merger of Human Resources functions of the BOE and County Government.
Commissioners' President Greg Snook commended County staff for its work at the Emergency Operations Center during the recent crisis. Governor Ehrlich had planned to tour the County on Saturday to assess storm damage, but did not because of the relatively light effects of the storm. There were no serious injuries or fatalities reported as a result of the storm and the major damage to the County came in the form of downed trees and power lines. A letter from the State Highway Administration announced road improvements planned for U.S. 40 east of Clear Spring. Drainage, patching and guardrail projects will take place, with completion set for late fall. Snook told the Board that the Maryland Realtor magazine statistics show that Washington County has an average new home price of $169,000. This compares to Frederick County's average of $237,000.00 and the state high of $584,000.00 in Talbot County. New home sales increased 16% statewide this year, Snook said.

LANDFILL DISCUSSION
Commissioner John Munson brought the issue of landfill costs for brush and debris from the recent storm before the Board. Munson asked if, for a two-week period, tipping fees could be eliminated for homeowners hauling their own yard debris to 40-West landfill. The general consensus of the Board was that the heaviest influx of debris probably took place on Saturday, and that a plan for future such storm-related events be developed. The Solid Waste Advisory Committee will look into the matter.

JOINT PUBLIC HEARING: REZONING
Interim Planning and Community Development Director Steve Goodrich brought a request from property owners Steve and Hilkka Brucksch for a Historic Preservation (HP) Zoning overlay before public hearing. The 4.83 acre parcel known as The Maples located at the intersection of Mapleville and Chewsville Roads is currently zoned Agricultural and the applicants requested the HP overlay in order to trigger Historic District Commission review. If approved, applicants would be eligible to apply for property tax credits equal to 10% of the cost of exterior restoration or improvements. The Maples contains a stone and log dwelling, several barns and multiple auxiliary buildings typical of a farm complex of the 1800's. The property is already listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the land was originally sold to Ludwig Hewitt by Jonathan Hager. Commissioners' President Greg Snook asked that the State Highway Administration be advised of the overlay, should future road work be necessary at that intersection. Property Owner John Brucksch appeared to speak in favor of the rezoning. The record will remain open for 10 days to allow for written comment from citizens, and a final decision will be made following that time period.

REPORTS FROM COUNTY STAFF
Department of Emergency Services Director Joe Kroboth reported on the start of Citizens Emergency Response Training, a 20-hour course being offered to members of the community. The classes will train citizens on the basics of emergency response in crisis situations, and is funded through the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security. The State Emergency Number Boards will conduct the annual inspection of the 9-1-1 Dispatch Center this week. Kroboth said that security issues were of concern during the last inspection, and that funding is in place in the Capital Improvement Budget to address those issues.
Public Works Director Gary Rohrer told the Board that the Highways Department estimates 2-3 weeks for cleanup of storm debris in outlying areas of the county. Several of the stone arch bridges over the Antietam and Conococheague creeks are clogged with debris and will be cleaned out as quickly as possible. The Engineering Department has issued a notice to proceed on the Clopper Road Bridge project, and that road will be closed effective October 6th for about one year. Two trucks from the Highways Department took part in the recent Mack Truck Rodeo, and won third place in the non-Mack category. The Freightliners were equipped with snow plows and salt distribution systems, Rohrer said.
Information Technologies Director Ron Whitt reported on the initial meeting of the Information Technology Steering Committee held September 10th. That group will help decide the direction for IT in the County in years to come. Wireless technology and GIS mapping are two areas for concentration, Whitt said.

CITIZENS PARTICIPATION
Each week the Board of County Commissioners sets aside time to hear from citizens of Washington County on matters of importance to the community.
Jim Devine of Hagerstown commented on the need for Health Department food inspections in restaurants following periods of power outages, and commented in support of the comprehensive rezoning of Washington County.

OTHER BUSINESS
County Attorney Issues: Assistant County Attorney John Martirano announced that Community Action Council has accepted transfer of the deed to 101 Summit Avenue from the County. The old Post Office Building would revert to County ownership should CAC cease to exist, Martirano said.
County Administrator's Comments: County Administrator Rod Shoop reminded the Board of the planned workshop on the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance set for Thursday at 9 a.m.

TRANSPORTATION REPORT
Transportation Department Director Kevin Cerrone told the Board about steps County Commuter took during the recent tropical storm to protect the safety of passengers and employees. Statistics had shown that sustained winds of 40 miles per hour created dangerous conditions for the buses, and Commuter operations ceased at 7:45 p.m. on Thursday of that week, prior to the peak wind speeds. Service resumed the following morning at 8 a.m. Cerrone said.

TRANSPORTATION DEVELOPMENT PLAN AND HUMAN SERVICE AGENCY COORDINATION STUDY
Transportation Department Director Kevin Cerrone and KFH Consultant representative Jason Quan brought two reports before the Board. The Five-Year Transportation Development Plan is mandated by the Maryland Transportation Administration every 5 years. A study of Human Services transportation was recommended by a previous Board of County Commissioners, and was funded by the Washington County Department of Social Services. KFH said that County Commuter should reduce service to Maugansville and Williamsport, discontinue the Prime Outlets and Shopper Shuttle routes, realign the Smithsburg route, consolidate two Long Meadow routes, and realign two valley mall routes to serve Prime Outlets, MVA and the Greyhound station. In addition, the plan would extend paratransit services into the evening hours, reduce senior and disability fares to half the regular bus fare, and institute limited demand-responsive service. The Human Services transportation coordination plan would designate the Health Department as lead agency, establish a coordination committee, encourage ridesharing between the various agencies, coordinate training among operators, coordinate maintenance of vehicles for better rates, and modify existing insurance to cover multi-agency clientele. A major change would be realignment of the Smithsburg route to serve Hagerstown Community College and Robinwood Medical Center, Quan said. Service would be expanded to other rural parts of the County through a demand-response zone system. The goal of that plan would be to improve utilization of existing transportation resources, maximizing service while eliminating duplication of services. Several Commissioners requested additional time to review recommendations. The plan was accepted in concept with the proviso that recommendations are non-binding. The measure was approved by unanimous vote.

DEPARTMENT OF JUVENILE JUSTICE SERVICES RENEWAL CONTRACT
Jim Manuel of the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) requested renewal of a contract between the County and DJJ for Juvenile Community Service/Informal Supervision in the amount of $72,000.00. The program currently serves 450 youth in the County at one of about 70 non-profit organizations. Juveniles convicted of a crime perform a specified number of hours of community service in lieu of other sentencing. Staff also provides informal supervision and makes referral to other agencies for support services. Funds come from the state, and the County does not provide matching funds. The measure was approved by unanimous vote.

911 SIMULATOR DONATION FROM STATE FARM INSURANCE
Department of Emergency Services (DES) Director Joe Kroboth brought this issue before the Board for informational purposes. An agent of the Frederick Office of State Farm Insurance recently developed an innovative device to teach children how, when and why to dial 911 in emergency situations. (See photo.) The simulator allows children to interact with a realistic emergency operator, and includes a three-digit display showing the numbers that are dialed. Gaydon Moir of Hagerstown is the agent who developed the device, in cooperation with Retina Systems, Inc. The donated equipment has a value of approximately $2,000.00. Kroboth told the Board that the device will be used in tours of the 9-1-1 facility and in the department's outreach activities in the county schools.

UPDATE ON HURRICANE ISABEL
DES Director Joe Kroboth also brought a report on the actions taken by the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) during the recent Hurricane/Tropical Storm Isabel incident before the Board. Kroboth told the Board that preparations began on Sunday September 14th. Operational Briefings were held on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 1:00 p.m. each day, and the Hurricane Isabel Incident Action Plan was updated daily as the storm approached. The meetings stressed focusing on the true objectives of the operation. Governor Bob Ehrlich declared a State of Emergency on Tuesday, followed by a similar declaration in Washington County on Wednesday by Commissioners' President Greg Snook. Washington County was at one time expected to be in the path of the eye of the storm as it traveled inland. The EOC was activated at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 19th and deactivated at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, September 20th. During that time, members of all area agencies involved in protection of lives and property worked together to ensure information was provided to the public and that emergency services reached areas hard hit by the winds and rain. Kroboth said that the EOC is the voice of government during crisis situations. At least one County Commissioner or the County Administrator were on hand at all times during the storm. During the period, notices on shelter availability, water conservation needs, road closings, power outages, and other storm effects were delivered to media outlets by internet, fax, phone call and direct interaction. Cooperation between City, County and State agencies was considered very productive. DES, the County Emergency Management Agency, the Washington County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association, Public Works, Information Technologies, the Public Information Office, Permits and Inspections, the Health Department, American Red Cross, City of Hagerstown Government, City Police and Fire, Maryland State Police, Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services (RACES), Washington County Public Schools, and the Washington County Health System, all worked together during the event. Kroboth cited the City of Hagerstown's provision of a live Cablecast with Emergency Management Agency officials, on what citizens should do in riding out the storm. The City then repeated broadcasts hourly throughout the night. Channel 6 also cablecast telephone numbers to be used for non-emergency citizen information. Technology played a strong role in the event, allowing up to the minute assessment of storm direction and intensities. Internet interruptions occurred starting at about midnight, however, due to failure of communication lines in Baltimore. Redundant systems were utilized to communicate with media during the early hours of Friday the 20th . Three shelters were activated during the period, North Hagerstown High School, Maugansville Fire Company and Clear Spring Fire Company, but only 9 persons sought refuge and of those only two were evacuees. By midnight it was apparent that the storm would not reach predicted intensities in Washington County, with sustained winds reaching only about 32-33 miles per hour instead of 60 plus as had been forecast. Only about 2 inches of rain fell in the area, Kroboth said as opposed to 10 inches predicted. The 9-1-1 Dispatch Center received 350 calls on Thursday and about 200 on Friday, Kroboth said. The Potomac River rose to about 25 feet at Hancock, but major flooding did not occur on the river or the tributaries. 8 County damage assessment teams were deployed on Friday with information gathered sent to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Several meetings with FEMA officials have been held during the recovery period, Kroboth said, and information on how to apply for disaster assistance has been disseminated to media and municipalities in the County. An incident critique is set for October 10th, and items to be discussed include deficiencies in the EOC facility and communications, parking for agency representatives and volunteers, and the number of 9-1-1 dispatchers available for duty. Many of the dispatchers are part of Fire or Emergency Medical Services operations, and were called in by their companies. The City, County and region were very lucky in this incident, Kroboth said, and commended all participating agencies for the team effort during the EOC activation.
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