Note: This is a SUMMARY of the Commissioners Meeting for the purposes of a Press Release. These are not the official minutes of the meeting.
COMMISSIONERS' REPORTS AND COMMENTS
Commissioner Dori Nipps reported on meetings of the Mental Health Authority and the Airport Commission. Staff at the airport are working with Maryland Aviation Administration officials to find a replacement airline to provide passenger service. An area conference on No Child Left Behind regulations as applied to students with special needs will be held on March 9 th, Nipps reported.
Commissioner Bill Wivell commented on a meeting with the State Board of Public Works last week. At issue is money for school construction. A contingent from Washington County asked that Board to raise school construction funds in the County from $512,000 to $6.6 million for the proposed Maugansville Elementary School in the coming fiscal year. The Department of Social Services Board meeting last week heard from representatives of the Child Support Enforcement Division. DSS reaccredidation is scheduled for April of 2006. Washington County's program is one of only 6 in the state with such accreditation, Wivell said. DSS reported that state budget cuts of 12% are possible in FY '06.
Commissioner Jim Kercheval reported on last week’s Local Management Board meeting. The CSAFE after school program will receive flat funding for the year. The LMB requested Commissioners’ approval of the appointment of Mark Lannon to that Board. The measure was approved by unanimous vote. The Mental Health Advisory Committee heard County Health Officer Bill Christoffel report that the Health Department is attempting to improve services to uninsured Mental Health clients and will request resources for that program in the Health Department budget for FY ’06. The Metropolitan Planning Organization meeting last week received news that funding available over the next ten years would not adequately fund the I-81 widening project in Washington County. Kercheval met with the Chamber of Commerce Legislative Committee to discuss the County excise tax at its recent meeting. A letter of support for the County’s request to remove a cap from that tax will be sent to the Delegation, Kercheval said. Commissioners Snook, Nipps and Kercheval met with the Maryland Municipal League to discuss excise tax issues, Kercheval reported.
Commissioner John Munson raised a question of the number of employees assigned to each snow plow. Commissioner’s President Greg Snook said the double staffing is due to training of new employees.
Commissioners’ President Greg Snook reported that snowplows were out from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. last Saturday due to the snow event, and again on Sunday. Snook asked Vice-President Bill Wivell if he would serve as BOCC liaison to the Board of Education again this year, and Wivell accepted that post. Hancock Town Manager Lou Close requested County assistance to rebuild an entrance to that town's park. The bridges and culverts were washed away by flooding last September. The County’s Highways Department will assist the town on repairing one of the entrances in cooperation with Hancock personnel. A letter from Governor Ehrlich has appointed Clyde Tate of Hagerstown as a substitute member of the Board of Elections, Snook reported. A question was raised about construction permit fees on school construction projects. Counties do not ask for permit fees, but municipalities may do so. The City of Hagerstown has waived those fees in the past for schools in the city limits, Snook said.
REPORTS FROM COUNTY STAFF
County Administrator Rod Shoop relayed a request from Human Resources Director Dave Hankinson, for approval to advertise a Motor Equipment Operator I position in the Highways Department. That measure was approved by unanimous vote.
CERTIFICATE OF MERIT PRESENTATION
Commissioners' President Greg Snook presented a Certificate of Merit to County employee Scott Hobbs for completion of requirements leading to certification as a Professional Engineer (PE). Hobbs, Bridge Engineer in the County Engineering Department, recently received notification that he successfully passed the Professional Engineering examination. Hobbs sat for the Professional Engineers exam, an 8-hour national exam with numerous areas of specialty concentrations depending upon area of expertise and practice, last October. Hobbs successfully completed the exam for Civil Engineering. Only 60% of applicants pass that exam. Chief Engineer Terry McGee indicated that passage of the Professional Engineering exam is one of the most important milestones in an engineer’s professional career. The County Engineering Department now has 6 Registered Professional Engineers: Terry McGee, Rob Slocum, Scott Hobbs, Mark Bradshaw, Randy Edwards and Dave Mason.
CONTRACT AWARD: OUT OF SCHOOL TIME ASSISTANCE FOR YOUTH
County Purchasing Agent Karen Luther and Washington County Community Partnership (WCCP) project coordinator brought this request, to award a contract for Out of School Time (OST) Assistance for Youth with Special Needs to the ARC of Washington County in the amount of $30, 536.00. The State Developmental Disabilities Administration is acting through the WCCP to provide the services for a period from February 1 st through June 30 th of this year. The project provides child care services to youth with developmental disabilities in after school hours, on school closure days, holidays, professional days, weekends and during the summer. The Arc will improve the linkage between families with children who have special needs and day care providers who serve children with special needs, increase the capacity of the system, identify specific avenues for future work that are needed to continue increasing the system’s capacity.
The Arc will create a directory of OST providers who are identified as having the capacity to serve youth with special needs, show what types of disabilities the provider is and is not equipped to serve, and what experience each provider has serving children with special needs. The Arc will partner with the schools, Partners for Success, DDA, APPLES for Children, and other pertinent agencies to distribute the directory to families and professionals. The Arc will offer training, consultation and information to expand the agency’s capacity to serve children with special needs, conduct focus groups with agencies and families to gather and identify needs, concerns, challenges, and barriers to effectively serving children with special needs, provide training and consultation based on the needs and challenges identified. Special needs youth ages 4 – 21 who have Mental Retardation, Autism, Cerebral Palsy, and a variety of other developmental disabilities who reside in Washington County with their families will be the service population. The Arc will also target day care providers in Washington County for training and consultation. The measure was approved by unanimous vote.
RECOGNITION OF HIGHWAYS DEPARTMENT COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TRAINING
Washington County Department of Emergency Services (DES) Director Joe Kroboth and Emergency Management Administrator Verna Brown brought this item before the Board. All 84 County Highways Department Personnel have received Community Emergency Response Training (CERT). CERT training is a 16-hour course taught by DES focusing on disaster preparedness fire suppression, medical operations, light search and rescue, disaster psychology, animals in disaster and terrorism. Approximately 200 citizens in Washington County have received the training. Washington County is the first in the state to have one of its departments 100% trained, and no other County or Municipal Highways Department has received the training. Goal of the training is to enable Highways employees to render assistance in a systematic approach in cases of emergency. Highways Department Director Ted Wolford, Dave Schrader representing Central Section, Ronnie Ridenour, Eastern Section Supervisor, Doug Murray, Western Section Assistant Supervisor, and Kevin Knight, Southern Section Supervisor accepted plaques from Kroboth and Brown.CITIZENS PARTICIPATION
Each week the Board of County Commissioners sets aside time to hear from the Citizens of Washington County on matters of community interest.
Jerry Ditto of Clear Spring commented on the extended moratorium on large subdivision development, and reiterated the need for Agricultural Land Preservation programs in Washington County.
OTHER BUSINESS
County Attorney: County Attorney Richard Douglas requested that results of the Salary Study Commission be reevaluated and that the Board make a specific recommendation as to the amount of the Sheriff’s salary and withdraw the proposal to bypass the commissioners’ salary. Members of the Local Delegation to the Maryland General Assembly recently made it clear that they want a specific recommendation as to the Sheriff’s salary from the County Commissioners. The Commissioners have already recommended an increase in an unspecified amount for the Sheriff. In his submission to the Salary Study Commission, the Sheriff requested a salary for his successor of $80,000. The Salary Study Commission recommended a salary of $90,000. The salary can be set forth in a specific amount or may be tied to a particular level in the County salary scale. The members of the Delegation were not receptive to the Commissioners’ proposal to avoid making a recommendation as to the salary of county commissioners as a part of the salary study process. Commissioners Nipps and Kercheval voiced continued objection to the process. A recommendation that the Sheriff's salary be set at $80,000.00 was approved by a 4-1 vote with Commissioner Wivell voting "no". The Board took no position on setting Commissioners' salaries.
Appointments to Boards and Commissions: County Clerk Joni Bittner brought a request from the Gaming Commission that William McKinley be appointed for a second two-year term. The measure was approved by unanimous vote.
County Administrator Comments: County Administrator Rod Shoop brought 2 budget transfer requests to the Board. Shoop requested accepting $111,500 into the Capital Improvement Projects budget as reimbursement for the amount expended to repair the Halfway Boulevard bridge over Underpass way, damaged by a trucking accident last year. The funds are an insurance reimbursement, and the measure was approved by unanimous vote. Shoop also requested $38,000.00 be added to the Agricultural Education Center budget from the Gaming Commission. That amount was given to the Ag Center to complete flooring work on a pole barn. The measure was approved by unanimous vote.
REQUEST FOR SUPPORT:
Dr. David Warner, Executive Director, University System of Maryland at Hagerstown (USMH) brought this request for support of that educational institution before the Board. Discussion has taken place among some Commissioners of the need for support for the center. Warner requested that the County provide some amount of yearly financial support for the operating expenses of the library/media center and some immediate support for the center's marketing plan for the remainder of the Fiscal Year. Warner requested $25,000 for support of the Library/Media Center and $15,300 for the Marketing plan support. USMH would hire a part-time marketing specialist to assist with needed publications production, purchase photography services and a TV ad campaign. $25,000.00 was allocated, on a one-time basis, for the marketing project, and that measure was approved by unanimous vote.
CONSENT ORDER: CITY OF HAGERSTOWN WASTE TREATMENT PLANT
County Water Quality Department Director Greg Murray brought this report to the Board for review. A Consent Order has been drafted and executed between the City of Hagerstown and Maryland Department of the Environment regarding measures to be taken by the City for upgrade of the City of Hagerstown Wastewater Treatment Facility. The Order outlined the violations that occurred between 200 and 2004 as a result of effluent limitation violations, sanitary sewer overflows, and treatment system bypasses. The order identified those corrective actions that Hagerstown would have to take by April of 2011 to ensure complete compliance. The Order initially limits additional available capacity at the facility to 120,000 gallons per day unless otherwise approved if there are improvements to the system. A Capacity Management plan must be implemented to insure that City and tributary systems do not exceed the specified limits through approval of new connections to the system. The conditions could limit new residential and commercial construction in the area. The proposed sewer interconnector could transfer flow to the County's treatment plant. The current state mandated sewer infrastructure committee is looking at water and sewer issues across the County and will issue a report this spring.
WORKSHOP: COMMISSIONERS' 2005 GOALS
County Administrator Rod Shoop brought this item before the Board, to
review the list of possible Commissioners goals and select several from the options provided. The Commissioners made suggestions for consideration of possible goals for 2005 during a January 6 th workshop meeting. Several of the 2004 Goals would be carried forward to 2005. Goals discussed included adoption of Rural Area Zoning after consideration of equity and land preservation issues, and begin implementation of Comprehensive Plan recommendations for Urban and Town Growth areas. The Board said it would work with the Municipalities to develop residential and business tax incentive programs in designated areas. A further goal is to initiate development of policies to begin implementation of the Emergency Medical Services master plan. The Board requested appointment of a Task Force to begin development of a plan for Affordable/Workforce Housing in the County. The Commissioners will work with the Board of education to improve the planning process for construction and renovation of facilities, and develop policies to manage growth and capacity. A goal moved forward from 2004 is development of a long-range plan for the life of the County landfill.. The Commissioners will continue interagency planning for a Central Booking Facility. The final suggested goal relating to ground water resources, is to initiate a process to evaluate resource and infrastructure management.
FORTY WEST LANDFILL CEMETERY RELOCATION REPORT
County Deputy Chief Engineer Rob Slocum presented this project summary to the Board. Washington County selected R. Christopher Goodwin & Associates, Inc. to perform the archeological services required to relocate a Nineteenth Century Cemetery from the Forty West Landfill site to the St. Paul’s Cemetery of Clear Spring, Maryland.
William Lowthert, the project Manager for Goodwin throughout the course of the project. Gave a summary of work performed. Ken Clopper, one of the descendants involved with the cemetery relocation shared his experience and observations. This project involved Phase III archeological investigations of the Wachtel/Stine Cemetery at the Forty West Landfill, in accordance with US Army Corps of Engineers and Maryland Historical Trust requirements. The archeological investigations identified and exhumed 84 historic burials from the Wachtel/Stine Cemetery. The cemetery dated from the late eighteenth through the mid nineteenth centuries and contained members of the extended Wachtel, Stine, Troup, and Kershner families. Part of the local German American community, these families shared a common burial ground. Most individuals were interred in plain hexagonal or rectangular wooden coffins, placed in stepped burials shafts, and marked on the surface by plain or roughly carved fieldstone, or later, by professionally carved marble markers.
Overall preservation of the human remains and associated artifacts varied from good to very poor, depending upon the drainage capabilities of the soil, the amount of shaft compaction and settling, and the degree of tree and insect intrusion or disturbance. Upon completion of these archeological investigations and in consultation with interested family members, all human remains, coffin related artifacts, and personal items recovered from the Wachtel/Stine Cemetery were re-interred at St. Paul’s Cemetery in Clear Spring, Maryland during August and September 2004. A bronze and granite plaque will be installed at the St. Paul’s Cemetery to mark the reinternment of the 84 graves. Clopper, a descendant of the Wachtel family, lauded Goodwin and Associates for proceeding in a "sensitive manner", and thanked the County Commissioners for making possible a "dignified relocation". The possibility of existence of an additional cemetery on the site has been discussed, although not located by the consultant firm. The next phase of construction on the landfill will not begin for several years, and there will be time for additional searches, Slocum said.
WORKSHOP: PROPOSED EXCISE TAX
County Administrator Shoop brought this discussion before the Board. The Commissioners held a workshop on January 18th to discuss the request to the Washington County Local Delegation to the General Assembly, to remove the present ceiling on the building excise tax rate of $1.00 per square foot as of July 1, 2005. The Commissioners will meet with the Delegation on January 26 in Annapolis. Discussion centered on non-residential development and the ability to assess the excise tax on that type construction. County Attorney Richard Douglas told the Board that the current legislation contains language allowing such flexibility. The request to the legislature will include removal of the residential cap in 2005, and clarification of flat fee caps of $13,000 for single family and $15,500 for multi-family homes. In a workshop on January 18 th the Board agreed to put those excise tax caps in place, with funding to be used for schools, roads, libraries, public safety and parks.
The Board visited Funkstown during the evening to discuss the Tax Setoff for that municipality. Funkstown's allocation is $5,506 about $150 less than the amount received in FY '04.