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.
Review of Actions Taken in the Washington County
Board of County Commissioners Meeting
October 24, 2006
Due to elevator repair at 100 W. Washington Street, this meeting was held at the Department of Water Quality Public meeting room, located at 16232 Elliott Parkway, in Williamsport, Maryland
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.
Williamsport
Councilman Jeff Kline thanked the County Commissioners for support with Town
projects including the roof replacement at the Library branch.
COMMISSIONERS' REPORTS AND COMMENTS
Commissioner
Dori Nipps reported on the Airport Commission meeting held last week and
last weekend’s successful fundraiser for the Washington County Free Library.
Habitat for Humanity recently dedicated its 23rd house in Washington County,
Nipps said, and the next dedication is set for November 19th for a family
displaced by Hurricane Katrina. The transfer of Fort Ritchie property to
Corporate Office Properties Trust (COPT) on Monday will be beneficial to the
Cascade area and the County as a whole, Nipps said.
Commissioner
John Munson also commented on the Fort Ritchie ceremony and asked that Landfill
policies regarding permits on rental vehicles be reviewed. Commissioners’ President
Greg Snook advised that the issue should be taken before the Solid Waste
Advisory Committee.
Commissioner
Bill Wivell requested staff coordinate with local veterans groups for a possible
ceremony to commemorate Veterans’ Day. The Department of Social Services
Board meeting on Monday discussed the Hopewell Valley transportation project
and funding for that project may be forthcoming. The FY ’08 DSS budget
was also a topic of discussion at that meeting. Wivell said.
Commissioner
Jim Kercheval reported on the recent fund-raising event held by the Washington
County Free Library. Last week's Economic Development Commission meeting
requested nominations of outstanding businesses for this year's EDC/Chamber
of Commerce awards event. The Mental Health Advisory Committee discussed
reducing the number of meetings from 12 to 6 per year at its recent meeting.
The Local Management Board toured San Mar Children's Home at its recent meeting.
A Program Coordinator position and a Senior Office Associate position will
soon be vacant at the Washington County Community Partnership/LMB. A request
to advertise those positions was approved by unanimous vote. The Commissioner
spoke on behalf of the County at the PenMar property conveyance of Fort Ritchie
to Corporate Office Properties Trust on Monday. The conveyance means redevelopment
of the former Army fort can proceed. COPT estimates that they will be
spending over $300 million on redevelopment efforts and creating over 4500 new
jobs when this mixed-use development is completed, Kercheval said. A tour of
the Allegheny Energy building by the Commissioner, members of the Economic Development
Commission, the Greater Hagerstown Committee and Congressman Roscoe Bartlett
took place in order to facilitate marketing of the property.
Commissioners'
President Greg Snook told the Board that the Commission on Aging will hold
a ceremony honoring the County’s Centenarians on November 1st at 11:00
a.m. at its new location on Franklin Street. A State Department of Planning
housing taskforce will hold its first meeting on Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. at
Hagerstown City Hall. The Disabled American Veterans hosted the premiere of
the film “Flags of Our Fathers” honoring those who fought at Iwo
Jima in World War II in Hagerstown. About 160 veterans attended the event,
Snook said.
CEDAR SPRINGS PUMP STATION FUNDING
Hagerstown-Washington
County Economic Development Commission Chair John Schnebly and EDC Director
Tim Troxell brought a discussion on funding options for the Cedar Springs Pumping
Station before the Board, and requested that up-front funding for construction
of the station be provided. The Cedar Springs Pumping Station is designed to
serve the portion of the Newgate Industrial Park that cannot be served by gravity
lines. The station must be constructed in order for further development to occur
in the area. The current construction estimate is $1.9 million; of that
amount, $300,000 has been secured in the form of a grant from the Appalachian
Regional Commission. The remaining $1.6 million required would be funded
from the County General Fund. Budget and Finance Director Debra Murray told
the Board that $811,000 of the needed funds would come from principal and interest
set aside funds, and the remainder would come from GASB-45 funds. The money
has been targeted for this purpose pending approval of the County Commissioners
by reallocation of baseline costs currently in the FY ’07 budget that
will not be fully required until FY ‘08. The money could be appropriated
as an Economic Development Grant for purposes of providing the required infrastructure,
or could have a long-term payback requirement based on per acre and per equivalent
dwelling unit (edu) calculations. A $1,000 per acre fee could be assessed
to recover the principle amount over buildout of the entire economic development
region, or a $1,000 fee could be charged per edu, with the edu base exceeding
the acreage used. A motion to grant funding for the project for economic
development purposes with charges of $1,000 per acre or per EDU, whichever
is greater, as proposed, was approved by unanimous vote. A Public Hearing will
be held on the measure on November 28th.
MAUGANS AVENUE PROJECT RIGHT-OF-WAY PURCHASE
Real Property
administrator Joe Kuhna brought this request, for purchase of 7,867 feet of
right of way, fee simple, and 15,918 square feet of temporary easement for the
Maugans Avenue realignment project, before the Board. The property would be
along Maugans Avenue and Precision Place near the I-81 interchange, and total
cost would be $210,000.00. The measure was approved by unanimous vote.
BID AWARD: UNIFORM RENTAL FOR COUNTY DEPARTMENTS
County Buyer
Rick Curry requested awarding the contract for uniform rental services to the
responsive, responsible, bidder with the lowest bid, Coyne Textile Services,
of Colonial Heights, Virginia, in the amount of $43,131.66. Term of the Contract
is for a 1-year period, tentatively beginning December 4th, 2006, with an option
by the County to renew the contract for up to 4 additional consecutive 1-year
periods. The measure was approved by unanimous vote.
HOPEWELL VALLEY/HUNTERS’ GREEN TRANSPORTATION TASK FORCE
Director
of the Washington County Department of Social Services, Dave Engel, Rosalind
Martin of the DSS staff, EDC Director Tim Troxell, County Transportation Department
Director Kevin Cerrone and Tom Kline of the Washington County Community Partnership
brought this issue before the Board. The group, which has been working together
as the Hopewell Valley/Hunters’ Green Transportation Task Force, has sought
to solve a dilemma regarding welfare-to-work transportation for DSS clients
to the distribution facilities in the industrial parks West of I-81. No public
transportation service is available to the area, and the businesses in the area
have expressed a need for available workforce if transportation was available.
Recently a plan to fund a pilot project was rejected by the Maryland Governor’s
Office for Children and Families because the application could not show sustainability
in a second year of operation. Engel told the Board that Department of Human
Resources (DHR) Secretary Christopher McCabe has been in touch with the appropriate
state officials, and a solution to the difficulty may be at hand. DHR has promised
to fund 50% of the second year’s cost and the task force asked for County
assistance with the remainder. Total second year cost was $80,000. Transportation
Director Cerrone told the Board that Maryland Transportation Administration
(MTA) funds may be available for the remainder of the second year cost. With
assurances from DHR, the Governor’s Office for Children and Families has
agreed to release the first year funding, $166,000.00, so that the project can
begin. Engel told the Board that Secretary McCabe might also ask for additional
state funds for the project. Welfare-to-work is a high priority for DHR, and
Washington County has been a model for the state in reducing numbers of welfare
clients, Engel said.
OTHER BUSINESS
County Administrator's
Comments: County Administrator Rod Shoop
Requested permission to advertise a Motor Equipment Operator I position
at the Highways Southern section. The measure was approved by unanimous vote.
Due to the election on November 7th, there will be no Commissioners'; meeting
held. Shoop told the Board that a half-day meeting would be scheduled for November
21st, normally a holiday week with no meeting. The Commissioners will meet
on November 14th, 21st and 28th, Shoop said.
FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES ISSUES
John Latimer,
Director of the Division of Fire and Emergency Services brought three measures
before the Board for approval. The FY '06
STATE OF MARYLAND HOMELAND SECURITY GRANT provides funding for a number
of projects and operations. Latimer
requested that the Board accept the Homeland Security grant in the amount
of $318,571.11, and authorize the director to execute a Memorandum of
Agreement with the Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA). Latimer
said that the State Homeland Security Program (SHSP) is providing $174,478.51,
the Law Enforcement Training & Protection Program (LETPP) providing $132,092.60,
and Citizens Emergency Response Training (CERT) is providing $12,000.
Of the total, $200,000.00 would go to the Public Safety Radio Communications
Project, $60,700.00
would be specific for Hagerstown Police Department programs also communications-oriented, $41,000.00
would fund the Planner Salary, $ 4,871.11 would be used for a Mobile
Command Trailer, and $12,000.00 would to the CERT program. The measure
was approved by unanimous vote.
Latimer requested
approval of the Fire and Rescue Revolving Loan Committee's recommendation
to loan Potomac Valley Vol. Fire Company, Inc. $97,377.50 for the purchase of
a 2007 Pierce pumper/engine. That Company is applying for both a hardship grant
and a low-interest loan similar to this application for the Maryland
State Fireman’s
Association. The County grant application covers matching funds required
for the State applications. The request represents 50% of the project
value. Terms
include an interest rate of 5% APR for 10 years repayable on a quarterly
basis.
As of October 1st, 2006, the Fire and Rescue Revolving Loan Fund balance
for fire apparatus is $500,264.67. The measure was approved by unanimous
vote.
A request
for approval to accept the FY '06 Maryland Institute of Emergency Medical
Services Systems (MIEMSS) GRANT was also brought before the Board. Latimer
asked that the DFES be authorized to accept a grant in the
amount of $2,230 from MIEMSS and authorize the director to execute a
Memorandum of Agreement with the agency. The grant is an annual
allocation to offset operating costs associated with the Emergency Medical
Dispatch (EMD) protocol program. Latimer said the award has a positive fiscal impact
on the County, covering the cost of annual certification for 9-1-1 dispatch
operators at Fire and Rescue Communications. The allocation does not
require matching funds from the County. The measure was approved by unanimous
vote.
OTHER BUSINESS
County Administrator
Rod Shoop reported to the Board that the search for a new Washington County
Health Officer has narrowed the number of applications to eight. Further meetings
of the search committee are scheduled, and will narrow the search to the top
three candidates. Anthony McCann, Secretary of Maryland's Department of Health
and Mental Hygiene will be a part of the final selection process, when the top
candidate is recommended to the Board of County Commissioners.
THE BOARD TOOK PART IN GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONIES FOR THE BOONSBORO BRANCH OF THE WASHINGTON COUNTY FREE LIBRARY DURING THE AFTERNOON.
Commissioner Greg Snook (Far Left) and dignitaries dig for Boonsboro Library