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HomeMy WebLinkAbout920505 May 5, 1992 Hagerstown, Maryland 21740 The Regular Meeting of the Board of County Commissioners of Washington County was called to order at 9:00 a.m. by the President, Richard E. Roulette, with the following members present: Linda C. Irvin-Craig, Gregory I. Snook, and John S. Shank. INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The Invocation was delivered by Commissioner Irvin-Craig, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag by the full assemblage. MAY 1992 YOUTH OF THE MONTH - MEGHAN TRESLER Commissioner Shank presented a Certificate of Merit to Meghan Tresler in recognition of being selected as the May l992 Youth of the Month by the Children's Council. Meghan introduced her family and thanked the Commissioners for the Certificate. PROCLAMATION - GOODWILL WEEK Commissioner Irvin-Craig presented a proclamation to Stephanie Stone which designates the week of May 3-9, l992, as Washington County Goodwill Week and urges all citizens to recognize and support this valuable organization. APPROVAL OF MINUTES - APRIL 21, 1992 Motion made by Commissioner Irvin-Craig, seconded by Shank, to approve the minutes of April 2l, l992, as corrected. Unanimously approved. AWARD CONTRACT - UPWP GRANT Motion made by Commissioner Shank, seconded by Irvin-Craig, to award the contract for the UPWP Traffic Model QRS-II Calibration Project, sitting as the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), to the Travers Association who submitted the low proposal of $25,000. Unanimously approved. EARLY CHILDHOOD INTERVENTION PROJECT Motion made by Commissioner Shank, seconded by Irvin-Craig, to designate the Board of Education as the Lead Agency for Washington County for the Early Childhood Intervention Project. Unanimously approved. TELEPHONE SYSTEM - DETENTION CENTER COMPLEX Sheriff Charles Mades and Karen Luther, Purchasing Agent, met with the Commissioners regarding the inadequacies in the telephone system at the Detention Center. Ms. Luther stated that quotes from AT&T to upgrade the system range from $45,4l3 to $52,000. The Sheriff outlined possible methods to fund the additional costs which include using a combination of State funding, revenues from sale of contraband and a share of the NTF reserve fund. Motion made by Commissioner Shank, seconded by Snook, to allow Sheriff Mades to proceed with a proposal to bid the additional telephone equipment necessary to upgrade the system at the Detention Center, to use the funding sources presented, and to pursue the State funding available for this project. Unanimously approved. REVISION OF CONTRACT - EARLY RETIREMENT BENEFITS FOR UNIFORMED SHERIFF'S DEPT. PERSONNEL Sheriff Mades and Alan Davis, Director of Personnel & Insurance, explained to the Commissioners that when eligibility requirements for retirement of Sheriff's Department personnel were revised to age 50 or 25 years of service, the contract was never amended to provide early retirement benefits for "uniformed" personnel after 20 years of service. Mr. Davis said that this change would be consistent with other County retirement programs. Motion made by Commissioner Snook, seconded by Irvin-Craig, to amend the contract to provide early retirement benefits for uniformed Sheriff's Department personnel after 20 years of service, as presented. Unanimously approved. BUDGET REVENUE PROJECTIONS James Young, Director of Finance, presented revenue projections for Fiscal Year l993. Mr. Young is projecting approximately $ll8,900,000 in total revenues and total expenditures from budget requests in the amount of $l34,320,079. The Commissioners will hold a budget workshop on May 8 to begin reviewing budget requests. RESCHEDULING OF COMMISSIONERS' MEETING DATE The Commissioners agreed to hold their Regular Meeting on Wednesday, May 27, rather than Tuesday, May 26, due to the Memorial Day holiday, but to proceed with the budget hearing as scheduled for the evening of May 26. MAY 5, 1992 MINUTES, CONT'D. ASPHALT PAVING AWARD J. Theodore Wolford, Roads Department Superintendent, and Richard Gearhart, County Inspector for the project, displayed the Quality Asphalt Paving Award for County Highways, which the Roads Department received from the Maryland Asphalt and Paving Association of Maryland for the paving on the Eastern Boulevard project. Mr. Wolford stated the award is based upon rideability, pavement texture, joint tie-ins and quality of overall job. The Commissioners congratulated the Roads Department on receiving the award. AGRICULTURAL PRESERVATION FUNDING Eric Seifarth, Associate Planner - Agriculture, met with the Commissioners to discuss two recommendations made by the Agricultural Land Preservation Advisory Board. He informed the Commissioners that the County will lose $203,000 in State Agricultural Transfer Tax for the Agricultural Land Preservation Program if they are not committed by July l of this year. The Commissioners decided to encumber the funds to purchase the number one ranked property on the priority list for easement purchase. Motion made by Commissioner Snook, seconded by Shank, to proceed with purchase of an easement from the property ranked first on the priority list as adopted by the Agricultural Land Preservation Advisory Board. Unanimously approved. Mr. Seifarth also discussed the recommendation of the Advisory Board that parcels of less than l00 acres, which are not assessed as Agriculture, not be accepted into the Agricultural Land Preservation Program due to the fact that they receive proportionately larger tax credits per acre because of the residential assessment and they are often "open space" type parcels. The Advisory Board is also recommending that parcels less than 20 acres that are not assessed as Agriculture will not be accepted as Agricultural Land Preservation Districts. The Commissioners discussed these recommendations and took them under advisement at this time. PROVISION OF OFFICE SPACE - SOIL SURVEY PERSONNEL Motion made by Commissioner Snook, seconded by Irvin-Craig, to enter into a lease agreement for 390 square feet of office space at $8/sq. ft., located at l023 Maryland Avenue to provide necessary office space for personnel working on the Soils Survey for Washington County. Unanimously approved. CONFIRMATION OF APPOINTMENTS - FIRE & RESCUE COMMUNICATIONS ADVISORY BOARD Motion made by Commissioner Shank, seconded by Irvin-Craig, to confirm the following appointments to the Fire & Rescue Communications Advisory Board made by the City of Hagerstown: Blaine Snyder, Delegate, and Charles Barr, Alternate. Unanimously approved. CITIZEN PARTICIPATION There was no one present who wished to participate. STATUS REPORT - MATERIALS RECOVERY FACILITY Gary Rohrer, Chief, Division of Planning & Codes Administration, and Harvey Hoch, Recycling Coordinator, appeared before the Commissioners to provide a status report on the proposal to construct a materials recovery facility (MRF). Mr. Rohrer stated that, after meeting with the consultant, they feel it would be in the best interest of the County to use much of Cell #2 for the facility and also recommended that the County put out a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the design of the facility. The Commissioners discussed if management of the facility by the private sector should be included as an option in the RFP and directed Mr. Rohrer and Mr. Hoch to obtain information from private firms regarding their interest and present this to the Solid Waste Advisory Commission at their next meeting. CONVENE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION Motion made by Commissioner Snook, seconded by Irvin-Craig, to convene in Executive Session at ll:45 a.m. regarding personnel and property matters and to confer with the County Attorney in accordance with Section l0.508 of the State Government Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland. Unanimously approved. RECONVENE IN REGULAR SESSION Motion made by Commissioner Snook, seconded by Irvin-Craig, to reconvene in Regular Session at l2:l9 p.m. Unanimously approved. APPOINTMENTS - DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES BOARD Motion made by Commissioner Snook, seconded by Irvin-Craig, to appoint Earl Meagher, Robin Handler, and Beverly Kipe to the Department of Social Service Board for three year terms beginning July l, l992, and extending to June 30, l995. Unanimously approved. MAY 5, 1992 MINUTES, CONT'D. EMPLOY - CONSTRUCTION INSPECTOR - ENGINEERING Motion made by Commissioner Snook, seconded by Shank, to employ William Ball as Construction Inspector in the Engineering Department to fill an existing vacancy. Unanimously approved. EMPLOY - SEASONAL PARK ATTENDANTS Motion made by Commissioner Snook, seconded by Irvin-Craig, to employ John Barrus, David Gilroy, Robert Hewett, Charles Kline and Albert Ridenour as Seasonal Park Attendants. Unanimously approved. RECESS - LUNCH The Meeting was recessed at l2:20 p.m. for lunch. AFTERNOON SESSION The Afternoon Session was convened at l:00 p.m. by the President, Richard E. Roulette, with the following members present: Commissioners Linda C. Irvin- Craig, John S. Shank, and Gregory I. Snook. REQUEST FOR FUNDING - MARYLAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA William Reuter, President of the Maryland Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors, appeared before the Commissioners to request funding for the July 4th concert and fireworks at the Antietam Battlefield. Mr. Reuter explained that they have obtained commitments for $4l,000 of the $52,000 necessary to fund the concert but still have a shortfall of $ll,000. The Commissioners agreed to support the concert financially. CONVENE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION Motion made by Commissioner Shank, seconded by Snook, to convene in Executive Session at l:l3 p.m. regarding personnel and property matters and to confer with the County Attorney in accordance with Section l0.508 of the State Government Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland. Unanimously approved. RECONVENE IN REGULAR SESSION Motion made by Commissioner Irvin-Craig, seconded by Shank, to reconvene in Regular Session at 3:30 p.m. Unanimously approved. PRESENTATION OF 20 YEAR SERVICE PINS - COUNTY COMMUTER Alan Davis, Director of Personnel & Insurance, presented service pins to Glenwood French and Alvin Trovinger for 20 years of service at the County Commuter. The Commissioners thanked them for their dedication and years of service. RECESS The Meeting was recessed at 4:00 p.m. EVENING SESSION - BOARD OF EDUCATION BUDGET PRESENTATION The Evening Session was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by the President, Richard E. Roulette, with the following Commissioners present: Linda C. Irvin-Craig, John S. Shank, and Gregory I. Snook. Also present were Board of Education members Barbara Stansberry, Kenneth Grove, Boyd Michael and Janice Cirincione. Dr. Wayne Gersen, Superintendent of Schools, and Wayne Stouffer, Director of Finance, presented an overview of the budget request for Fiscal Year l993, with a County share of $4l,528,763. Each of the elected Board members commented regarding the budget. The Commissioners then opened the meeting for public comments. After all comments were heard, the meeting was adjourned at 8:30 p.m. County Attorney , Clerk DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES - APPROPRIATION TO LOCAL EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE * FUND Motion made by Commissioner Irvin-Craig, seconded by Snook, to appropriate an additional $2,000 from the Contingency Fund to the Department of Social Services Local Emergency Assistance Fund. Unanimously approved. *As amended at Commissioners' Meeting on June 9, 1992.