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' President Greg Snook delivered the annual State of the County address at the Clarion Conference Center Antietam Creek at the breakfast hour (see attached press release ).
COMMISSIONERS REPORTS AND COMMENTS
Commissioner Bill Wivell commented on a meeting with the Home Builders' Association last week. Discussion items included comprehensive rezoning, agricultural land preservation, and viability of farming in Washington County.
Commissioner John Munson requested reappointment of Joe Swope to the Solid Waste Advisory Board for a third term. The measure was approved by unanimous vote.
Commissioners’ President Greg Snook reported on swearing-in ceremonies for the Commission on Aging. Medicare Part B was discussed at that meeting, Snook said. Senator Barbara Mikulski has announced dates and locations for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program grant writing workshops conducted by the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute and the Department of Homeland Security. Locations nearest Washington County include the Mt. Airy Volunteer Fire Department, at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday February 9 th, Clayrsville Volunteer Fire Company in Frostburg on Wednesday February 16 th at 7:00 p.m., and the Western Maryland Regional Training Center in Cumberland, on Monday, February 21 st at 7:00 p.m. The Maryland Association of Counties' legislative session kickoff last week focused on the Governor's budget proposal. $10 million has been earmarked for interoperable communications systems statewide, Snook said. Program Open Space funding from the state will not fare well this year, receiving only 25% of normal funding levels. POS funds are used to improve parks statewide. The County's Electric Generating Grant from the state has been eliminated in the FY '06 Budget, a loss of $300,000.00. Snook also testified before the Budget and Taxation Committee last week on construction funding for schools. The Emergency Services Advisory Committee heard an update on the EMS master pan from Department of Emergency Services Director Joe Kroboth last week. That committee also heard that some fire companies will begin charging for fire calls. The Washington County Health System is not charging EMS companies for prescription medicines used in ambulance runs, Snook said. The County is paying for medical supplies for those runs. An article in the Baltimore Sun quoted Snook on zoning and agricultural preservation issues recently.
CONTRACT RENEWAL: LEACHEATE HAULING FROM COUNTY LANDFILLS
County Purchasing Agent Karen Luther and Landfill Deputy Director Steve Zies brought this recommendation, t o renew the contract for the third one-year term as requested by A. C. & T. Co. Inc., of Hagerstown, before the Board. The AC&T request includes a 4% increase to the prices originally awarded by the Board on April 29, 2003, The contract is for a 1 year period, with an option by the County to renew for up to 4 additional consecutive 1- year periods with the present term ending April 30, 2005. The scope of services includes loading, hauling, delivery, and unloading of leacheate to the County Department of Water Quality’s Conococheague Waste Water Treatment Plant. The leacheate is transported from existing Resh Road Landfill locations, the Rubble Landfill, the old City/County Landfill, and the 40 West Landfill. Each load is to be a minimum of 6,000 gallons. The County guarantees neither a minimum/maximum number of calls nor quantity of materials under this contract. Unit costs awarded in 2003 for the present contract are less than the unit prices of the previous contract with A. C. & T. 19,359,661 gallons were hauled in 2004, about 7 million gallons less than in 2003. The measure was approved by unanimous vote.
ESSENTIAL AIR SERVICE
Hagerstown Regional Airport (HGR) Manager Carolyn Motz and HGR Marketing Director Greg Larsen brought this report to the Board. Essential Air Service (EAS) is a government subsidy program designed to help small community airports maintain a minimal level of passenger service. HGR was eliminated from EAS status as a result of a federal decision affecting airports within 70 miles of a larger airport based on “shortest driving distance". The US Department of Transportation measured that distance from the public square in Hagerstown to Dulles International Airport over Northern Virginia back roads. New regulations allow communities to request reinstatement based on the “most commonly traveled route”, which is I-70 to I-270 to the D.C. beltway and on to Dulles, a distance of 78 miles. A draft document for reinstatement of EAS has been prepared and is under review. Airport staff is ready to finalize and submit a Request for Reinstatement of Essential Air Service to the Department of Transportation. Prior to a submittal of this kind, the Request needs to be supported by a state’s Governor. Reinstatement of EAS status would ultimately mean a Request for Proposals by the Department of Transportation for scheduled air service to HGR. Fiscal impact would follow along the lines of any scheduled service benefits for the airport and community. Motz told the Board that the airport has the support of the Maryland Aviation Administration and the Local Delegation to the Maryland General Assembly, and that a meeting will be held tomorrow on the issue, in Baltimore. The document would be hand carried to Governor Ehrlich for his signature, if approved. The measure was approved by unanimous vote.
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.
No one appeared to make comment on this day.
OTHER BUSINESS
County Administrator Comments: County Administrator Rod Shoop brought several items before the Board for information and approval. Shoop complimented Hagerstown Community College President Guy Altieri for allowing a cell phone tower installation at HCC. There will be no Gypsy Moth Spraying program this year, Shoop said, due to a projected decline in the pest population. Shoop brought a request from the Board of Education, for purchase of 17 portable classrooms for a total of $1.78 million. That request, originally 1.9 million but adjusted for the number of additional students at several schools, was included in the School Board's Capital Improvement Program (CIP) budget for the current fiscal year. The measure was approved by a 3-1 vote, with Commissioner Wivell voting "no" citing need for a presentation on the purchase by the School Board.
PUBLIC SAFETY RADIO COMMUNICATIONS ADVERTISEMENT
Department of Public Works Director Gary Rohrer brought this item before the Board. The Radio Communications Steering Committee (RCSC) requested permission from the Board to publicly advertise for competitive quotations for the new public safety radio communications system. Washington County has also been notified of receipt of a $500,000 FY 2003 State Homeland Security grant and the Commissioners were asked to authorize acceptance and sign a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Maryland Emergency Management Administration. Members of the RCSC in attendance included Rohrer, Sheriff's Department Captain Doug Mullendore, Acting Hagerstown Police Chief Captain Charles Summers, County Purchasing Agent Karen Luther, Department of Emergency Services Director Joe Kroboth, Communications Maintenance Manager Pete Lowenheim and Information Technologies Director Ron Whitt. Hagerstown Mayor Bill Breichner and City Administrator Bruce Zimmerman also attended. The consultant firm of L. Robert Kimball & Associates, Inc. and the RCSC are working together to put the final touches on the preliminary system design and performance specifications for a new trunked simulcast digital public radio communications system. The system will serve all police, fire and ambulance services in Washington County, including City of Hagerstown Police, Rohrer said. David McCobin, of Kimball and Associates presented an overview of the project’s scope followed by a presentation of the revised cost estimate together with a projected timeline and other essential aspects of the project. The effort has been called the broadest and most important public safety project ever undertaken in Washington County. The current system exists in a fragile and periodically unreliable state because of the age of the technology employed and the proposed system will utilize state-of-the-art digital technology. The County's 9-1-s1 dispatch Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) would be reconfigured with as many as 12 dispatch consoles. City of Hagerstown Police Dispatch would be consolidated into the facility Summers said, and Washington County Sheriff's dispatch would be added at a later date. The consultant concluded that the new County system will require 5 additional tower sites. Cost of the system was estimated at $20,818,300 plus engineering fees, over a 5-year period. The RCSC has acquired Federal grants totaling $1.2 million and continues to seek additional funds. The report anticipated that the City of Hagerstown would contribute funding to cover radio units required for City agencies and possibly other equipment. The CIP Budget Committee is currently developing a budget plan that will address funding issues, Rohrer said. Additional grant funds are expected from the state given the Governor's push for interoperability in public safety communications. The measures were approved by unanimous vote, with Commissioner Wivell asking for greater detail in financial reporting.
State of the County 2005
Washington County Board of County Commissioners' President Gregory I. Snook Presented the annual State of the County Address on Tuesday, February 1 st at the Clarion Conference Center-Antietam Creek in Hagerstown, Maryland.
A crowd of about 175 heard Snook discuss the growth occurring in Washington County and what the County Commissioners are doing to address that growth.
Snook said that the face of Washington County is changing as the county experiences growth in both residential development as well as the business community.
Washington County is a natural progression for growth as development expands out from the Baltimore/DC metro areas. It naturally moves “out” along the interstate corridors as we have seen happen in the Rockville/Gaithersburg area, Northern Virginia, Frederick and now into Washington County, he said.
Snook cited Washington County as a viable alternative to metro areas for both businesses and residents due to a winning combination of superb quality of life, reasonable cost of living, excellent schools, and a central mid-Atlantic location .
Snook said that the growth has not been unexpected, and that county government has been planning for a robust economy and a vibrant community.
Much has been said and printed about the rates of growth in Washington County. Snook presented statistics that showed actual rates of growth.
"Washington County’s population is increasing; however, it is at a manageable pace – a little over 1 percent a year between 2000 and 2003. We will likely see a slightly higher increase, year to year, when the 2004 census numbers become available." Snook said.
From 2000 to 2010, the U.S. Census Bureau projects an increase in population by 8.5% or approximately 12,300 individuals in Washington County. The latest census figures, 136,796 persons living in Washington County in 2003, are projected to increase to over 139,000 in 2005, and to 144,200 by 2010.
The business community is expanding in diversity and employment opportunities, Snook reported. 1,613 new jobs were created and 293 existing jobs retained last year. There was $84 million in new capital investment, and 902,688 square feet of new industrial/commercial construction in 2004.
Unemployment remained low at an annual average of 3.9%, and the total assessable base of real and personal property in 2004 was $7.8 billion, up from $6.9 billion in 2003, a 13% increase.First Data Merchant Services, the Home Depot/Your “other” Warehouse, Lowe’s Flatbed Distribution Center, NetConn Solutions, Tractor Supply Company and Fleetwood Travel Trailers, businesses that made significant investments in 2004, were shown as examples of the county's viable economy
Snook cited a steady trend of growth in new residential home construction. Washington County issued 790 permits in 2004. The City of Hagerstown issued 473 permits. Contrary to what some may believe, new residential subdivisions are not randomly sprouting up all over the County, Snook said
About 80% of the residential growth is centered within the Urban Growth Area or UGA. Inside the UGA growth can be best accommodated with easier access to utilities, fire, police and schools.
If not properly planned, growth can have a negative impact on a community’s important infrastructure like schools and roads. The Commissioners are making sure that doesn’t happen, Snook said.
The Washington County Public School System now finds itself in a challenging position. Enrollment increases being experienced today have not been seen since the 1970’s. In the 1990’s, school population was flat, so large funding amounts for school construction were not necessary. With school enrollments now on the upswing, the concept of renovating and consolidating existing schools is no longer meeting community needs. sSnook said that school modernization and construction is a must, dependent on increases in school funding.
Snook tracked an overall increase in students in the County at 4.5% from 1999 to 2004. The Board of Education projects a 2.5% increase in school population for 2005 as well as future years due to growth of residential communities in the County. While making changes to better utilize resources, the school system is still averaging one of the lowest student to teacher ratios or class sizes in the state, he said.
The County Commissioners recognize the need to steadily increase education funding for both operational as well as capital expenditures as the state’s contribution towards school funding has sharply decreased and is expected to continue to drop. The State’s share of funding should be at 65%, but in actuality it’s less than 20%, Snook said.
To meet the school system’s modernization and construction needs, The County Commissioners significantly raised the capital allocation from $5.9 million in 2004 to $12 million in 2005. The County budget reflects $80,758,401 in operations funding for schools as well.
Snook said that the same is true for Hagerstown Community College. Recognizing state budget shortfalls, the County is making a larger contribution to the community college. From 2004 to 2005, we increased Operational budget by 6% and Capital outlay by 153% or $1 million, he said
In presenting a $25,000 Check to Dr. David Warner, Director of the new University System of Maryland campus in Hagerstown, Snook said that the County Commissioners are strongly supporting the effort to insure adequate funding for the downtown campus. He called the university opening a monumental step forward for our community.
Cuts in state budgets have impacted a number of areas and one of the most often experienced is the condition of roads, streets and highways in Washington County. The County is addressing the need to upgrade our existing road infrastructure. With more traffic traveling our roads, The Commissioners are reviewing a 5-year plan to upgrade all existing county roads, with a goal of committing $3 - 5 million/year for five years for the improvements. Implementation of this plan will begin in Fiscal Year 2006.
Washington County is picking up the cost for these repairs and maintenance because of state budget issues, Snook said.
The Commissioners' President called Hagerstown Regional Airport (HGR) a key component of our infrastructure and state and federal governments are assisting with a major upgrade of the airfield.
Snook said that although U.S. Airways announced it is leaving the airfield in March, the airfield is an important economic engine for our community and the region. HGR is home to 23 businesses that directly employ approximately 500 individuals, and pay $32 million in wages and salaries. $50 million of business revenue from landing fees and servicing of aircraft are generated annually, from 207 aircraft currently based there. HGR provides corporate jet service to a number of businesses in the region and there is a military presence as well as a Presidential presence at the field, he said.
Extending the runway will also help restore commercial passenger/charter service for the community. The runway extension is on time and on budget, and is scheduled for completion by December 2007. The terminal upgrade project is needed to comply with new security requirements by the Transportation Security Administration.
Funding for increasing and improving these infrastructure requirements will come from the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance fee, the Excise Tax, and the Transfer Tax. Those fees and taxes play an important role in the funding stream for roads and schools construction as well as agriculture land preservation. These revenues are helping with projects like the new Maugansville Elementary school, upgrades to Maugans Avenue, and Farmland Preservation.
This funding is being generated by new development in the county. Essentially, we are holding growth/development responsible for its impact on the county. While we are creating new funding streams for infrastructure improvements, we are also staying mindful of our overall responsibility of solid fiscal management of county expenditures, Snook said.
The County is continuing to pay down the debt associated with the Utility Fund. Snook presented data showing that the county debt will drop by over $20 million by 2007.
Total 2004 bond refinancing interest savings were $7,213,776. Total estimated savings from Solid Waste refunding with Maryland Water Quality in February 2005 will be around $1.4 million.
The County's General Fund Cash Reservescontinue to increase, with approximately $17 million in reserve, about 6.5 weeks of operating cash. Snook said that the current position is a far cry from the negative position we were in, in 1995.
As challenges increase it is vital that County and municipal governments work together. Snook cited the "2 + 2 Committee" as improving city/county relations to create a stronger, better government for everyone. County and City personnel are working to balance water and sewer capacity needs for the county with the City of Hagerstown’s needs
The Commissioners continue to provide support for projects in downtown Hagerstown with up to $900,000 in contributions to a new City parking deck , and a courthouse renovation that will cost $4.6 million. The new County-wide emergency communications system will replace various individual systems allowing City, County and State emergency services and public safety to communicate on one system, with a cost estimate of approximately $20 million.The Commissioners have made significant changes in our Permits & Inspections Department after conducting an improvement study. One of those changes is the implementation of wireless technology. Inspectors will have rugged wireless laptops computers, allowing them to make real time updates, in the field, of inspection and permit information. This will significantly improve our efficiency and ability to handle the increasing workload, Snook said.
The County is working on other e-Government initiatives, such as improving the County website to truly be a portal into County Government. These initiatives were part of the commissioners’ goals in 2004. Citizens can visit the webpage and gather information about the County services, activities and functions at www.washco-md.net
Snook told the gathering that the County is experiencing a level of growth that is unprecedented, but that growth has been planned for. We have a plan to guide this growth and meet the challenges of our changing community, Snook said.
The State of the County Address is hosted by the Hagerstown/Washington County Chamber of Commerce, and is sponsored by M&T Bank.