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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06.07.2016 MinutesBOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF WASHINGTON COUNTY Hagerstown, Maryland June 7, 2016 President Terry L. Baker called the regular meeting of the Board of County Commissioners of Washington County, Maryland, to order at 10:17 a.m. at 100 West Washington Street, Room 227, with the following members present: Vice President Jeffrey A. Cline and Commissioners Wayne K. Keefer and LeRoy E. Myers, Jr. Commissioner John F. Barr was absent due to visiting other Maryland counties as President of the Maryland Association of Counties. CONVENE IN CLOSED SESSION Commissioner Myers, seconded by Keefer, moved to convene in closed session at 10:17 a.m. to discuss the appointment, employment, assignment, promotion, discipline, demotion, compensation, removal, resignation, or performance evaluation of appointees, employees, or officials over whom this public body has jurisdiction; and other personnel matters that affect one or more specific individuals; and to consider the acquisition of real property for a public purpose and matters directly related thereto, in accordance with Section 3-305(b) (1) and (3) of the General Provisions Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland. The motion passed unanimously. In closed session, the Commissioners discussed the potential reappointment of a specific individual to an authority over which the Commissioners have appointment authority; discussed the potential appointment/reappointment of several specific individuals to a commission over which the Commissioners have appointment authority; discussed the potential reappointment of a specific individual to a board over which the Commissioners have appointment authority; considered specific details regarding the potential acquisition real property located in the County needed for public use; and discussed specific County personnel recommendations/employee matters with County staff. During closed session, the Commissioners instructed staff to bring forth the potential appointment to an authority over which the Commissioners have appointment authority for further consideration and discussion and a possible vote during a future open session meeting; instructed staff to bring forth the potential appointments/reappointments to a commission over which the Commissioners have appointment authority for further consideration and discussion and a possible vote during a future open session meeting; instructed staff to bring forth the potential reappointment to a board over which the Commissioners have appointment authority for further consideration and discussion and a possible vote during a future open session meeting; instructed staff to move forward with negotiations with the property owner relating to the potential acquisition of a parcel of real property located in the County that is needed for public use. Present during closed session were Commissioners Terry L. Baker, Jeffrey A. Cline, Wayne K. Keefer and Le Roy E. Myers, Jr. Also present were Gregory Murray, County Administrator; Sarah Sprecher, Assistant County Administrator; Vicki Lumm, County June 7, 2016 Page 2 Clerk; John Martirano, County Attorney; and at various times Angela Smith, Deputy Director, Permitting; Michael Piercy, Director, Social Services; Kassie Lewis, Director and Linda Spence, Business Support Specialist, Business Development; Ed Lough, Economic Development Commission member; Rob Slocum, Director, and Susan Small, Real Property Administrator, Engineering and Construction Management; David Hays, Director, Emergency Services; Julie Pippel, Director, Water Quality; Bardona Woods, Assistant Director, Emergency Communications; Phil Ridenour, Director, Hagerstown Regional Airport; Stephanie Stone, Director, Health and Human Services; Jim Sterling, Director, Public Works; Ed Plank, Director, and Homer Spradlin, Section Supervisor, Highway Department. RECONVENE IN OPEN SESSION Commissioner Myers, seconded by Keefer, moved to reconvene in open session at 12:00 p.m. The motion passed unanimously. INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Commissioner Baker offered the Invocation followed by the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag by the full assemblage. APPROVAL OF MINUTES — MAY 24, 2016 Commissioner Myers, seconded by Keefer, moved to approve the minutes of May 24, 2016. The motion passed unanimously. (4-0, Commissioner Barr was absent.) REPORTS FROM COUNTY STAFF Countv Clerk — Annointments to Boards/Commissions Agricultural Land Preservation Advisory Board Commissioner Myers, seconded by Keefer, moved to reappoint David Roth to serve a second, five-year term through April 30, 2021, and appoint Dottie Planck to serve a first, five-year term through April 30, 2021 on the Agricultural Land Preservation Advisory Board. The motion passed unanimously. (4-0, Commissioner Barr was absent.) Recreation and Parks Advisory Board Commissioner Myers, seconded by Keefer, moved to appoint Brian Albert and Bradley Tritsch to serve first, three-year terms through May 31, 2019 on the Recreation and Parks Advisory Board. The motion passed unanimously. (4-0, Commissioner Barr was absent.) BATTERY STORAGE PROJECTS — PAYMENT IN LIEU OF TAXES Attorney Jason Divelbiss and Bill Schofield, Vice President of Corporate Development, Customized Energy Solutions, Inc. (CES) appeared before the County Commissioners to discuss the proposal to bring a 2 megawatt battery storage project to Hagerstown in cooperation with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and two additional projects totaling 10 megawatts in cooperation with Alevo Energy. Mr. Schofield discussed the project to build battery storage centers on city -owned property at three different electric substations and provide 12 megawatts of on -demand energy capacity. Stored power from the project _IL June 7, 2016 Page 3 would help regulate the energy grid with increased efficiency and decreased emissions. Instant energy would be supplied during high demand periods and energy would be stored during lower demand times. The proposed scope of projects are: 1) 4 megawatt, 30 minute duration project by Alevo located at the Hagerstown Light Department's (HLD) Fairgrounds substation; 2) 60 megawatt, 30 minute duration project by Alevo located at the HLD's Wesel Boulevard substation; and, 3) 2 megawatt, 15 minute duration project by MHI located at the HLD's Marty Snook Park substation near the City of Hagerstown's wastewater treatment facility. CES is requesting approval of a payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) due to the capital - intensive projects that provide a low profit margin. The County's business personal property tax would be waived the first three years of a ten-year lease with the City of Hagerstown, with seven discounted yearly payments throughout the remainder of the initial lease term. The Commissioners discussed the proposal including the fact that the projects would be built on property that cannot be developed and will never be taxable. The City of Hagerstown previously endorsed the projects. Commissioner Cline, seconded by Keefer, moved to authorize the execution of the proposed Payment in Lieu of Taxes agreements with Customized Energy Solutions, Inc. as presented. The motion passed unanimously. (4-0, Commissioner Barr was absent.) GOVERNOR'S OFFICE OF CRIME CONTROL AND PREVENTION - SAFE STREET PROGRAM GRANT Jim Hovis, Director, Community Grant Management, and Cody Miller, Sheriff's Department, requested permission to submit a $133,850 grant application from the Governor's Office of Crime Control and Prevention Safe Streets Grant Program to provide funding for a Deputy Sheriff and Drug Re -Entry Coordinator and overtime costs of investigators. The Deputy Sheriff will investigate drug overdose cases with the goal of identifying dealers and suppliers for prosecution. The Drug -Re -Entry Coordinator will work with the Detention Center and Narcotics Task Force to treat individuals with addictions. The Commissioners discussed the proposal. The positions would have to be included in the Sheriff s Department budget for Fiscal Year 2018 to be continued after the one-year grant expires. Commissioner Myers, seconded by Cline, moved to approve the submission of a $133,850 grant application relating to the Governor's Office of Crime Control and Prevention Safe Streets Grant Program and to accept the award if granted. The motion passed unanimously. (4-0, Commissioner Barr was absent.) REOUEST FOR REVOCATION OF ADEOUATE PUBLIC FACILITIES ORDINANCE AGREEMENT — ROSE HILL MANOR Tim Lung, Deputy Director, Plan Review, presented a request from the developer of Rosehill Manor to terminate the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (APFO) Agreement June 7, 2016 Page 4 between the County and Rosehill Manor dated May 27, 2009. Mr. Lung indicated that the developer of Rosehill Manor plans to locate a 132 -lot single-family residential subdivision along the south side of Longmeadow Road. The current APFO Agreement addresses school capacity in the form of a $5,708.65 fee per lot paid prior to the issuance of individual building permits. In 2013, the County adopted a new program, the Alternative Mitigation Contribution Program (AMC) that provides a consistent calculation of the payment amount based on an adopted formula. Currently the AMC amount for a single- family dwelling is $2,892.14. The request is to terminate the current APFO Agreement and allow the developer to utilize the AMC. The Commissioners discussed the matter including the number of other developers that are likely to come before them with the same request. Commissioner Myers, seconded by Cline, moved to approve the termination of the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance School Mitigation Agreement for Rosehill Manor dated May 27, 2009 as presented. The motion passed unanimously. (4-0, Commissioner Barr was absent.) ADJOURNMENT Commissioner Cline, seconded by Myers, moved to adjourn at 12:41 p.m. The motion passed unanimously. Gregory B, urray, Co my Administrator John M. Martirano, County Attorney Vicki C. Lumm, County Clerk