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HomeMy WebLinkAbout080610 June 10, 2008 Hagerstown, Maryland The regular meeting of the Board of County Commissioners of Washington County, Maryland was called to order at 9:30 a.m. by President John F. Barr with the following members present: Vice President Terry L. Baker and Commissioners Kristin B. Aleshire, James F. Kercheval, and William J. Wivell. CITY OF HAGERSTOWN ANNEXATION REQUEST (A08-02 DOUB PROPERTY) Mike Thompson, Director of Planning & Community Development, met with the Commissioners to discuss the City of Hagerstown annexation request for the Doub Property (A08-02). He introduced John Urner, City Attorney; Kathy Maher, Director of Planning; and Stuart Bass, City Planner, along with Bruce Dean, legal counsel for the applicant, who were in attendance to answer any questions from the Commissioners. Mr. Thompson stated that the request was discussed with the Commissioners on March 11, 2008. He reviewed the application and indicated that the applicant has asked that the majority of the 104-acre property be zoned C-4 for the proposed regional shopping center. The project is located at the interchange of Interstate 70 and Route 40. Mr. Thompson informed the Commissioners that this zoning is significantly different from the County’s current zoning on the property, and the County would have to grant express approval if the owner wants to develop based on their initial request. The request was revised after discussions with the City. He noted that the City adopted its new Comprehensive Plan on April 22, 2008. Mr. Thompson stated that the current County zoning for the property is HI-2 and HI-1. If express approval is not granted, development of the property would be limited for five-years. He also voiced concerns about traffic and the impact on the nearby residential area. The meeting was opened for questions and discussion. Commissioner Aleshire referenced the June 4, 2008 letter that the Commissioners received from Mayor Bruchey requesting that they provide express written approval on the property and indicated that he did not know how the Commissioners could grant express approval if the City has not decided upon the specific zoning classification. He stated that he does not feel the Commissioners have had the necessary discussions with the City’s elected officials and staff. Mr. Urner indicated that the Council does not want to imply that it is going to grant the application at the proposed zoning since no action has been decided. John Martirano, County Attorney, stated that any decision the Board makes in this relating to this request will be based upon the zoning designation requested in the petition for annexation. Commissioner Kercheval discussed the items that the th Commissioners requested at the April 29 meeting including a preliminary consultation-like review with comments from staff and a meeting for citizen input. The Commissioner noted that this has yet to done and the only information received so far were responses to concerns of the development from the applicant. There were no written comments from staff, state highway, or other agencies on traffic, buffering or other concerns. He stated that without that information and review, he does not support granting express approval for C-4 zoning at this time. Mr. Dean indicated that whether the project was developed in the City or the County all issues would have to be addressed. He agreed that the project has significant State and County road issues and the developer must work with all three jurisdictions. The Commissioners took the issue under consideration and made no decision at this time. BID AWARD – GROUNDS MAINTENANCE CHEMICALS FOR VARIOUS COUNTY DEPARTMENTS Motion made by Commissioner Kercheval, seconded by Baker, to relieve Fisher & Sons from the bid without prejudice on Item #6 due to a pricing error and to award the bid for grounds maintenance chemicals for various County/City Departments to the following companies which submitted the low responsible, responsive bids meeting specifications for each chemical as follows;: Item #1 – Winfield - $453.51/gal.; Item #2 – Winfield - JUNE 10, 2008 PAGE TWO $20.16/lb.; Item #3 – Helena - $33.00/gal.; Item #4 – Winfield - $288/gal.; Item #5 – Winfield - $349/gal.; Item #6 – Helena - $112.50/gal.; (Item #7 – Helena - $17.50/lb.; Item #8 – Winfield - $48.50/gal.; Item #9 – Helena - $19.00/gal.; Item #10 – Helena - $9.86/lb.; Item #11 – Regal - $12.88/lb.; Item #12 – Winfield - $5.75/lb.; Item #13 – Winfield - $470.40/gal.; *Item #14 – Helena - $475/gal.; *Item #15 – Helena - $155/gal.; Item #16 – Helena - $109.20/lb.; *Item #17 – Helena - $98.40/lb.; Item #18 – Fisher & Son - $23.40/gal.; Item #19 – Helena - $45.60/gal.; Item #20 – Winfield - $370.56/gal.; *Item #21 – Fisher & Sons - $369/gal.; Item #22 – Winfield - – – $102.77/gal.; Item #23Fisher & Sons$36.08/gal.; Item #24 – Helena - $108/qt.; Item #25 – Winfield - $542.40/gal.; Item #26 – Winfield - $12.76/lb.; Item #27 – Helena - $369.60/gal.; Item 28 – Fisher & Sons - $17.53/gal.; Item #29 – Fisher & Sons - $2,021.40/case; and Item #30 – Fisher & Sons - $374.85/case. Unanimously approved. (*Items #14, #15, #17 and #21 were tie bids, and the Commissioners drew lots, pursuant to Washington County Purchasing Policy P-2, to determine the successful bidders.) 2008 EMERGENCY SHELTER GRANT APPLICATION Motion made by Commissioner Kercheval, seconded by Wivell, to approve the submission of an Emergency Shelter Grant application for FY 2008 to the Department of Housing and Community Development in the amount of $50,000 that would provide funding for the Community Action Council, CASA, St. John’s Shelter, and REACH, Inc., and to approve the grant agreements and sub-recipient agreements subject to the review and approval of the County Attorney. Unanimously approved. APPLICATION FOR TEXT AMENDMENTS TO THE 2002 WASHINGTON COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN – CP-08-001 Jill Baker, Senior Planner, reviewed rezoning text amendment CP-08-001 for amendments to the text of the Zoning Ordinance. She reviewed the proposed amendments for submission to amend the Comprehensive Plan to designate Priority Preservation Areas in order to comply with Chapter 289 of the 2006 Acts of the General Assembly of Maryland, which is also known as the Agricultural Stewardship Act of 2006, and to retain the additional 42% agricultural transfer tax funding from the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Program that the County now receives for having a certified preservation. The meeting was opened for questions. Commissioner Kercheval asked for several revisions to the document. Commissioner Aleshire stated that he is not in support of giving priority to parcels because they are adjacent to preserved land and not to others because of their location. Motion made by Commissioner Kercheval, seconded by Aleshire, to adopt Zoning Text Amendment CP-08-001 which amends Chapters 7 and 8 of the 2002 Washington County Comprehensive Plan to designate Priority Preservation Areas in order to comply with Chapter 289 of the 2006 Acts of the General Assembly of Maryland, which is also known as the Agricultural Stewardship Act of 2006, and to retain the additional 42% agricultural transfer tax funding from the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Program, to incorporate the revisions discussed this date. Motion did not pass with Commissioners Kercheval and Barr voting “AYE” and Commissioners Aleshire, Baker, and Wivell voting “NO.” The Commissioners agreed that they clearly want to comply with State law by adopting Priority Preservation Areas although they feel an additional work session to review the issue is necessary and instructed Staff to schedule such a work session. The Commissioners intention is to have this matter finalized by the end of July. APPLICATION FOR TEXT AMENDMENTS AND RESOLUTION FOR SETTING FEES – FOREST CONSERVATION ORDINANCE Michael Thompson, Director of Planning & Community Development, and Bill Stachoviak, Environmental Planner, met with the Commissioners regarding FCO-07-001, an application for text amendments to the Forest Conservation Ordinance. Mr. Stachoviak noted that the public hearing on the amendments was held on November 26, 2007. He reviewed the proposed amendments and recommended that the Forest Conservation Ordinance and any JUNE 10, 2008 PAGE THREE subsequent amendments be repealed and reenacted with the proposed amendments. Mr. Stachoviak stated that the amendments also remove existing fees from Article 3 and Article 16 of the Ordinance and those fees would be established in a resolution adopted by the Commissioners. He indicated that the text amendments would become effective on July 1, 2008 if adopted. The meeting was opened for discussion. The Commissioners did not agree to the fees being proposed and decided to continue with the current fees until they can be reviewed to determine if they are adequate. Motion made by Commissioner Kercheval, seconded by Aleshire, to repeal the an ordinance entitled “An Ordinance Requiring a Comprehensive Local Forest Conservation Program and the “Washington County, Maryland Forest Conservation Ordinance” as adopted on February 2, 1993 and any subsequent amendments and reenact the Washington County, Maryland Forest Conservation Ordinance with amendments (FCO-07-001). Motion carried with Commissioners Kercheval, Aleshire, Baker, and Barr voting “AYE” and Commissioner Wivell voting “NO.” Motion made by Commissioner Kercheval to adopt the resolution to enact the fee system for the Washington County, Maryland Forest Conservation Ordinance as follows: Payment in Lieu of Planting - $.10 per square foot; noncompliance – up to $1.00 per square foot; and to consult with the Economic Development Commission to revise the fees in the future. The County attorney questioned whether the “up to” $1.00 per square foot fee would be allowable and that a set fee was more appropriate. After discussion, Commissioner Kercheval then rescinded his motion. Motion made by Commissioner Kercheval, seconded by Wivell, to adopt the resolution to enact the fee system for the Washington County, Maryland Forest Conservation Ordinance as follows: Payment in Lieu of Planting - $.10 per square foot; noncompliance – $.30 per square foot; and to revisit the fees in the near future to evaluate whether they are appropriate. Motion carried with Commissioners Kercheval, Wivell, Baker, and Barr voting “AYE” and Commissioner Aleshire voting “NO.” HOUSING CONDITIONS STUDY PRESENTATION David Jordan, Director of the Washington County Community Action Council, and Kathy Saxman, Project Coordinator for the Washington County Partnership for Children & Families, introduced Dr. Marvin Tossey who was hired to perform a Housing Conditions Study for Washington County through Maryland Community Development Block Grant MD-06-CD-4. Dr. Tossey informed the Commissioners that the methodology allows him to perform an overview of the entire County situation to allow a comprehensive view. He stated that the study consisted of a comprehensive windshield survey; rating housing stock based on the condition of the roof, siding and grounds by utilizing a three point rating scale; housing with a score of “7” or more were plotted using GPS as being substandard and housing with a rating of “6” were considered at risk; and photographs were taken of all houses with a score of ”6” or more. Dr. Tossey stated that the survey found that 203 units were identified of which 107 were abandoned, with the largest concentrations of substandard housing located in Hancock, Indian Springs, Sandy Hook and Sharpsburg. He indicated that, in comparison with other counties (Wicomico, Somerset, and City of Cambridge), the distribution in Washington County is wider with fewer clusters, which makes it difficult to target areas. Dr. Tossey stated that relative to comparative non-urban counties, the rate is low and recommended targeting the grey areas due to the poor condition of the substandard housing. (Commissioner President Barr was excused from the meeting at 12:13 p.m. and Vice President Baker assumed the Chair.) REVISIONS TO “TIP JAR REGULATIONS OF THE WASHINGTON COUNTY GAMING OFFICE” James Hovis, Director of the Washington County Gaming Office, stated that an increase in the fees charged by the Gaming Office for Washington County was approved in the fiscal year 2009 budget and the regulations must now be revised to reflect the fee changes. Mr. Hovis stated that JUNE 10, 2008 PAGE FOUR the requested revisions are to Section 1-104(h), fees charged for temporary tip jar licenses from $20 to $30 and changes to Section 1-106(f)(1) for fees charged for a Gaming Commission sticker from $1.00 per sticker to $1.25 per sticker. Motion made by Commissioner Aleshire, seconded by Kercheval, to approve revisions to the Tip Jar Regulations of the Washington County Gaming Office to reflect the changes in fees approved in the fiscal year 2009 budget as proposed. Unanimously approved. PROPERTY AND CASUALTY INSURANCE RENEWALS Motion made by Commissioner Wivell, seconded by Aleshire, to renew liability policies placed with Travelers Insurance Company, property policies with Local Government Insurance Trust at $132,525, and the airport liability policy with AIG Aviation, Inc. for FY 2009 at the rates for premiums quoted at the time of policy binding. Unanimously approved. RECESS – LUNCH The Commissioners recessed at 12:26 p.m. for lunch. AFTERNOON SESSION The afternoon session was called to order at 1:12 p.m. by Vice President Terry L. Baker, with the following members present: Commissioners Kristin B. Aleshire and James F. Kercheval. (Commissioners Barr and Wivell were absent.) CONVENE IN CLOSED SESSION Motion made by Commissioner Kercheval, seconded by Aleshire, to convene in closed session at 1:13 p.m. to discuss the appointment, employment, assignment, and/or compensation of appointees, employees or officials over whom it has jurisdiction and to discuss personnel matters that affect one or more specific individuals, in accordance with Section 10-508 of the State Government Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland. Unanimously approved. (Commissioner President John Barr arrived at the meeting at 1:25 p.m. and assumed the chair.) (Commissioner Wivell arrived at 1:44 p.m.) RECONVENE IN REGULAR SESSION Motion made by Commissioner Wivell, seconded by Kercheval, to reconvene in open session at 2:40 p.m. Unanimously approved. In closed session, the Commissioners discussed the appointment, employment, assignment, and/or compensation of appointees, employees or officials over whom it has jurisdiction and discussed personnel matters that affect one or more specific individuals. Present during closed session were Commissioners John F. Barr, Terry L. Baker, Kristin B. Aleshire, James F. Kercheval, and William J. Wivell. Also present at various times were Gregory Murray, County Administrator; Joni Bittner, County Clerk; William Sonnik, Director of Human Resources; Dan DiVito, Director of Permits & Inspections; Joe Kroboth, Director of Public Works; Ben Clopper and James Herbert. BID AWARD – CIRCUIT COURT HOUSE SECURITY UPGRADES A presentation was given to the Commissioners to award a bid for construction of a sallyport and other Courthouse security camera upgrades. Commissioner Kercheval expressed concerns over a recent change order costing $18,721.00 for the design of the security portion of the project in order to double the amount of cameras needed for these security upgrades. The Commissioners never reviewed this change order due to the County’s current policy only requiring Commissioner approval for change orders over $25,000. Sheriff Mullendore noted that the additional cameras were needed to cover security concerns expressed by court officials and that additional State grant money was received to cover the costs. Commissioner Kercheval asked if the State funding covered the entire cost of the security upgrades including all of the architectural design and the security portion of the proposed bid. JUNE 10, 2008 PAGE FIVE Sheriff Mullendore stated that State funds did cover the entire cost. Commissioner Kercheval commented that he did not see these types of change orders, which expand the scope of a project, as ones that do not require Commissioner approval, and asked that staff bring back the County’s change order policy for discussion at a future meeting. Motion made by Commissioner Aleshire, seconded by Baker, to award the bid for Circuit Court House Security Upgrades to Building Systems, Inc., which submitted the lowest responsible, responsive base bid of $458,000 and Add Alternate No. 1 for $12,000 for an overall bid amount of $470,000. Motion carried with Commissioners Aleshire, Baker, Wivell, and Barr voting “AYE” and Commissioner Kercheval “ABSTAINING.” CHANGE ORDER – CIRCUIT COURT RENOVATION PROJECT Motion made by Commissioner Aleshire, seconded by Kercheval, to approve a Change Order with Callas Contractors for the Court House Renovation Project in the amount of $28,626 authorizing the work necessary to meet the City of Hagerstown’s requirement for security fencing in the alleyway lease agreement, with funds to be transferred from the line item for Circuit Court House Security Upgrades. Motion carried with Commissioners Aleshire, Kercheval, Baker, and Barr voting “AYE” and Commissioner Wivell voting “NO.” REJECTION OF CONSULTING FIRM TO PROVIDE A FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR WASHINGTON COUNTY-ADMINISTERED RESIDENTIAL WASTE AND RECYCLING COLLECTION AND BUDGET TRANSFER Karen Luther, Purchasing Agent; Julie Pippel, Director of the Division of Environmental Management; and Robert Davenport, Director of the Solid Waste Department, met with the Commissioners to review the bids for a consulting firm to provide a feasibility study for Washington County- Administered Residential Waste and Recycling Collection. The Commissioners expressed concerns regarding the scope of the project and asked that the RFP be revised to include more information on the feasibility and cost of using a central sorting facility and the contract rebid. Commissioner Wivell also expressed concern that only one bid was received for the project. Motion made by Commissioner Aleshire, seconded by Wivell, to reject the bid for a consulting firm to provide a feasibility study for Washington County-Administered Residential Waste and Recycling Collection from Gershman, Brickner & Bratton, Inc. in association with Meridan Ventures, Inc., and to rebid the project with a revised scope of work. Unanimously approved. BID AWARD – OFFICE SUPPLIES DESK-TOP DELIVERY TO WASHINGTON COUNTY DEPARTMENTS Motion made by Commissioner Kercheval, seconded by Aleshire, to award the contract for Office Supplies Desktop Delivery to Washington County Departments/Agencies to OfficeMax Contract, Inc., which submitted the lowest grand total bid amount of $41,101.31 that includes a sixty percent discount on non-listed items. Unanimously approved. RECESS The Commissioners recessed at 3:17 p.m. in order to meet with the Hagerstown Mayor & City Council at City Hall. CONSOLIDATE EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS PROJECT UPDATE The Commissioners met with the Mayor and City Council at City Hall at 3:30 p.m. to hear an update on the consolidated emergency communications project. Kevin Lewis, Acting Director of the Division of Fire and Emergency Services; Sheriff Doug Mullendore; and Chief of Police Art Smith provided a history of the project. Mr. Lewis stated that the project would consolidate public safety communication centers for enhanced command and coordination efforts and as a result would reduce overall operating costs for the citizens. Mr. Lewis stated that discussions are now focusing on benefit issues of the employees affected by the consolidation, specifically for retirement, vacation, health insurance and seniority. He reviewed the current system JUNE 10, 2008 PAGE SIX and an estimated schedule for the consolidation to take place. Mr. Lewis also provided a comparison of benefit packages and costs from the Human Resources Subcommittee. He stated that City employees receive an additional week’s vacation earlier than County employees, however, they would receive three additional personal days each year. In addition, the Committee is proposing to pay those employees for one week of vacation for each year lost until they would accumulate the additional week. Also, City employees with 15 years of service or more would receive five weeks of vacation compared to four received by County employees. The Committee proposed that the employees be paid for the additional week of time in a lump-sum payment. Several dispatchers from the City’s system were in attendance and expressed their dissatisfaction with the proposal. Mr. Lewis stated that it was recommended that any City employee with 15 years of service at the time of separation would have an option to receive the City’s health insurance program post-age 65 supplement. After discussion, City officials agreed to hold a workshop meeting with the employees to help resolve the issues. The Committee was given permission to have an actuarial valuation performed to address retirement issues and determine the exact costs to the government agencies. City and County officials voted unanimously by show of hands to formally support the concept of the consolidation of emergency communications. It was the consensus of City officials to agree to the cost-sharing formula devised for the City to pay one lump sum payment and then pay 85% of costs for existing City employees that transfer during the consolidation. Eastern Boulevard Corridor Improvements Mayor Bruchey discussed the Eastern Boulevard Corridor project and the various proposed improvements including: widening from Route 40 to Jefferson Boulevard, widening from Jefferson Blvd to the YMCA, the new extension from YMCA to Route 60, and the new extension from Conrad Court to Hagerstown Community College and Robinwood Drive. Mayor Bruchey stated the needto keep this project a priority, particularly the extension from Conrad Court to Robinwood Drive. The Mayor noted the possibility of acquiring Federal earmarks for Eastern Blvd as a result of lobbying efforts. He also stated that he’d like to see the extension from Conrad Court to Robinwood Drive be completed before the hospital opens and to access over 200 acres of undeveloped land for economic development. Commissioner Kercheval stated that this segement has been dependent upon developer funding to share in the cost of the bridge and road network and it is unlikely that this property would be developed in that timeframe with the current market. He also commented that we should be prioritizing each segment of the Eastern Blvd project and applying any Federal money appropriately. Commissioner Aleshire stated that he was under the impression that taxpayer funding was not to be used to support construction of a bridge to connect Eastern Boulevard with the new hospital and that the 200+ acres of vacant land in that area has sufficient road access to be developed without this new extension, though an extension may be required under APFO testing. The Mayor asked that the two bodies continue to work jointly to complete the proposed improvements in a timely manner. RECESS The Commissioners recessed at 5:00 p.m. EVENING SESSION – TOWN OF SMITHSBURG The regular meeting of the Board of County Commissioners of Washington County, Maryland was called to order at 7:00 p.m. at the Smithsburg Town Hall by President John F. Barr with the following members present: Vice President Terry L. Baker, and Commissioners James F. Kercheval and William J. Wivell. Commissioner Aleshire was absent from the meeting. INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The Invocation was delivered by Commissioner Barr, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag by the full assemblage. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – MAY 19, 20 & JUNE 3, 2008 Motion made by Commissioner Kercheval, seconded by Baker, to approve the minutes of May 19 and 20 and June 3, 2008. Unanimously approved. JUNE 10, 2008 PAGE SEVEN COMMISSIONERS’ REPORTS AND COMMENTS Commissioner Baker thanked the Town of Smithsburg for hosting tonight’s meeting. Commissioner Wivell congratulated all recent high school graduates. Commissioner Kercheval reported on the meetings of the 2+2 Committee with the City of Hagerstown and the Planning Commission. Commissioner Barr thanked the Mayor and Council and also expressed his good wishes to graduates. He stated that he attended Senior Honors Night, which honored high school seniors with exemplary public service hours for their willingness to serve the community. Commissioner Barr informed the Commissioners that he attended the first open “Public Path” meeting with Allegheny Power regarding the proposed high voltage power line that may or may not go through southern Washington County. TOWN OF SMITHSBURG ISSUES Mayor Mickey Myers welcomed the Commissioners to Smithsburg. She asked for an update on County-wide recycling issues to include the municipalities. Julie Pippel, Director of the Division of Environmental management, stated that her division is revising the scope of the RFP on the feasibility of providing curbside recycling and a central sorting facility and plan to put it out for bids later this summer. Mayor Myers informed the Commissioners that the Washington County Chapter of the Maryland Municipal League (MML) voted to have the hotel rental tax be distributed by population through the census data. She stated that Hancock was the only municipality not represented at the meeting. Commissioner Kercheval stated that Mayor Murphy contacted him with concerns about the loss that the Town of Hancock would suffer if the funds were distributed in this manner. The Commissioners discussed having a base amount that each municipality would receive and then distribute by population. Charles Wagaman, Town Attorney, stated that due to the number of foreclosures, the town is having difficulty contacting property owners in order to enforce the weed control ordinance. He asked the Commissioners to consider requesting the General Assembly to revise the State’s foreclosure laws to make it easier for a third party to determine property ownership after a foreclosure. Mayor Myers requested assistance to improve the intersection at the Smithsburg schools complex. Joe Kroboth, Director of Public Works, stated that he met with representatives from the Public Schools and the Town of Smithsburg and that three recommendations were made to improve the situation: 1) Widen the entrance at the high school to allow left and right turns ($57,000); 2) Realign the entrance at the elementary school with the high school ($256,000); and 3) Install a traffic signal at the intersection ($318,000). He stated that redesign of the internal traffic flow at the high school would also assist the traffic problems. Mr. Kroboth stated that all three entities would have to leverage funds to fund a traffic signal. The Commissioners discussed the situation and agreed to proceed with widening the entrance at the high school with County staff performing the engineering and project management services to lower the cost of the project. The Commissioners requested that the work be completed before school opens in the fall. Motion made by Commissioner Wivell, seconded by Kercheval, to allocate $50,000 from the FY 2008 Commissioners Contingency Fund to have the entrance at Smithsburg High School widened with the County staff to provide engineering and project management services. Unanimously approved. CITIZENS’ PARTICIPATION Glenn Fishack, President of the Washington County Volunteer Fire & Rescue Association, informed the Commissioners that the Smithsburg Volunteer JUNE 10, 2008 PAGE EIGHT Fire Company and Ambulance Company will receive an award at the annual convention in Ocean City this year. Mr. Fishack stated that the recent downtown Boonsboro fire will be a topic of discussion at the convention. He praised the volunteers for their service. Kirk Britner spoke against the excise tax. Jack Parkin asked the Commissioners to consider constructing a temporary bridge in Funkstown while the stone-arch bridge is being repaired and indicated that Federal money is available for such projects. He distributed his estimates of the additional fuel costs it would take to drive the detour route and the financial impact to his business. COUNTY ATTORNEY ISSUES John Martirano, County Attorney, reminded the Commissioners that the public hearing on revisions to the Excise Tax Ordinance is scheduled for June 17 at 4:00 p.m. MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING – VEHICLE PURCHASE Motion made by Commissioner Wivell, seconded by Kercheval, to approve an agreement with the Maryland State Department of Human Resources and the Washington County Department of Social Services to permit the Department of Social Services to purchase two vehicles from the County for the “Dad’s Connection” program with the understanding that the County will be reimbursed for all costs incurred including purchase, title transfer, insurance, and licenses in the FY 2009 budget year. Unanimously approved. APPOINTMENTS - AGRICULTURAL MARKETING ADVISORY COMMITTEE Motion made by Commissioner Kercheval, seconded by Wivell, to appoint Julie Stinar, Randy Finn, and Steve Ernst to the Agricultural Marketing Advisory Committee for three-year terms. Unanimously approved. REAPPOINTMENTS - BOARD OF EXAMINERS & SUPERVISORS FOR ELECTRICIANS Motion made by Commissioner Kercheval, seconded by Wivell, to reappoint Tim Fields to the Board of Examiners & Supervisors for Electricians for a two-year term, to waive the two-term limit policy and reappoint Charlie Shindle and Mitch Gladhill to two-year terms; and to appoint Wayne Steenburg and Raymond Higgins to one-year terms to allow for staggered terms. Unanimously approved. EMPLOY DIRECTOR – DIVISION OF FIRE & EMERGENCY SERVICES Motion made by Commissioner Kercheval, seconded by Baker, to hire Kevin Lewis as the Director of the Division of Fire & Emergency Services (Grade 19, Step 5). Unanimously approved. COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR’S COMMENTS Greg Murray, County Administrator, stated that he received information that there are six (6) $1,000 scholarships for post-secondary education being offered in conjunction with the Hagerstown Suns and Aberdeen Ironbirds baseball teams. He noted that 204 students graduated from Smithsburg High School this year and received a total of $3.5 million in scholarship grants. Mr. Murray stated that the next regular meeting of the County Commissioners would be held on July 8 and noted that the meeting room is undergoing renovations to include cameras and monitors for internet broadcasting. EMPLOY DEPUTY DIRECTORS – DIVISION OF PUBLIC WORKS Motion made by Commissioner Kercheval, seconded by Wivell, to promote Robert Slocum, Deputy Chief Engineer to the position of Deputy Director of Public Works for Capital Projects (Grade 17, Step 13) effective June 28, 2008 and to authorize filling the vacancy created by the promotion. Unanimously approved. Motion made by Commissioner Kercheval, seconded by Wivell, to hire Jennifer Smith to fill the position of Deputy Director of Public Works for Land Development Review (Grade 17, Step 11). Unanimously approved. JUNE 10, 2008 PAGE NINE EMPLOY PROJECT MANAGER – CAPITAL PROJECTS DEPARTMENT Motion made by Commissioner Kercheval, seconded by Baker, to hire James Plummer as Project Manager in the Capital Projects Department (Grade 13, Step 12). Unanimously approved. EMPLOY CIVIL ENGINEER – CAPITAL PROJECTS DEPARTMENT Motion made by Commissioner Kercheval, seconded by Baker, to hire Steve Stotelmyer as a Civil Engineer in the Capital Projects Department (Grade 15, Step 5) to fill an existing vacancy. Unanimously approved. REPORTS FROM COUNTY STAFF Kevin Lewis, Director of the Division of Fire & Emergency Services, provided an update on the damage from the storms in southern Washington County last week. Joe Kroboth, Director of Public Works, commended the Highway Department personnel for their work in removing debris from the storms. Mr. Kroboth informed the Commissioners that the Funkstown Bridge project has been advertised and the pavement maintenance contract is also out for bids. Mr. Kroboth also informed the Commissioners that the price of hot mix asphalt has increased dramatically which will affect the number of road miles which will be paved. He related his concerns about the chip/seal process and stated that his division is attempting to resolve those issues with the contractor. Commissioner Kercheval asked Mr. Kroboth to send a letter to the editor of the Herald-Mail newspaper in an effort to explain the situation to the public. ANGELA COURT ISSUES Mr. Kroboth provided the Commissioners with information regarding drainage and flooding issues on Angela Court in the Whitetail Development located outside of Smithsburg. He stated that the County has various ongoing legal issues with this developer for nonconformance and for incomplete work on roadways and stormwater management structures in that development. Mr. Kroboth stated that Lot 14 has a large forest conservation easement area and there are also two intermittent streams, regulated by the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), which converge on it. Outside of the easement there is also a 20-foot wide drainage easement. He indicated that a full evaluation is not yet complete but data is being collected to determine the extent of the problem and how it might be mitigated. He stated that there are no easy, obvious corrections to the situation. He also noted that the County received an abnormally large amount of rain during this period and that there were widespread flooding issues in the area. Mr. Kroboth noted that MDE is the regulatory agency and will control the outcome. Commissioner Barr opened the meeting to any residents of the development who wished to speak. Several residents living in the development expressed their concerns and asked the Commissioners to assist in evaluating ways to improve the drainage in the area. ADJOURNMENT Motion made by Commissioner Wivell, seconded by Baker, to adjourn at 9:20 p.m. Unanimously approved. ____________________________ County Administrator ____________________________ County Attorney ________________________ County Clerk