HomeMy WebLinkAbout12.06.2016 MinutesBOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF
WASHINGTON COUNTY
Hagerstown, Maryland
December 6, 2016
LEGISLATIVE FORUM WITH WASHINGTON COUNTY DELEGATION
The County Commissioners attended a pre -legislative meeting at 9:40 a.m. with
Washington County Delegation members Andrew Serafini, Neil Parrott, Michael McKay,
Brett Wilson, George Edwards and William Wivell at the Hager Hall Conference and
Event Center, 901 Dual Highway, Hagerstown. Deputy County Attorney Kirk C. Downey
presented proposed legislation initiatives for the coming year, as follows:
1. Dissolution of PenMar Development Corp. - Given the transfer of responsibility,
property, and assets to the County, the PenMar Development Corp. corporate entity is
obsolete and requires dissolution.
2. Revision to Code of Public Local Laws � 1-106.2(b)(2) - Sole source procurement.
Public local law currently provides that sole source procurements require the affirmative
support of four of five commissioners. The proposal would provide for the circumstance
where there is a vacancy in the office of county commissioner by requiring that sole source
procurements be affirmatively supported by three of four commissioners.
3. Maintenance of local land use control over small-scale enerav generation facilities
(i.e., wind farms, solar farms). Several courts across the state, and the Public Service
Commission, are being urged to find that local land use controls (zoning) are preempted by
the Public Service Commission's statutory requirement to issue permits for electric
generating stations. The bill is anticipated to provide that local zoning and land use
regulations are not pre-empted by the requirement that electric generating stations secure a
Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity.
4. Funding and support of the downtown proiect. Any available sources of funding for
the downtown project should be identified, sought, and secured.
Afterwards, the Commissioners and Delegation members discussed the status and
dissolution of Fort Ritchie/PenMar, with Dori Nipps, Executive Directive, and Sam Cool,
President, PenMar Development Corporation (PMDC). Ms. Nipps advised that PMDC
must have a final audit performed after December 2016 that will need to be paid with funds
held by the County, since all remaining PMDC funds will be transferred to the County at
the time of the formal dissolution of the PenMar Development Corporation.
The County Commissioners, Delegation members, Town of Hancock officials and
Maryland Department of the Environment representatives discussed wastewater
management challenges/issues relating to the economic development of Lanco-Pennland in
Hancock.
The meeting ended at 10:55 a.m.
December 6, 2016
Page 2
The County Commissioners and various staff attended a luncheon presentation at 11:30
a.m. with the Board of Directors and staff of the Department of Social Services, at 122
North Potomac Street, Hagerstown.
Gregory B. urray, Co ty Administrator
'IV�~
J o lin i M. Martirano, County Attorney I r
G( if.sr. �. � •
Vicki C. Lumm, County Clerk