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HomeMy WebLinkAbout990112 January 12, 1999 Hagerstown, Maryland PRESENTATION OF SERVICE PIN/RETIREMENT The Commissioners met for a breakfast meeting at 7:30 a.m. at the Four Points Hotel for the annual service/retirement awards program. Commissioner Snook presented service pins to the following individuals for their years of service with the Washington County government: 25 years - Shirley Burkett, Roger Long, Paul Golden, Paul Prodonovich, Arnold Barr and Douglas Eccard 20 years - Thomas Bikle, James Brittain, Ray Gladhill, William Morgan, Barbara Bowers, Andrea Wyand, Manford Hart, Dennis Engle and Carroll Keller; 15 years - Orville Helser III, Larry Jessop, Melvin Swope, Lawrence Everhart, Terrance Keefer, Kevin Morgan, John Mellott, Kelly Reynard, Robert Davenport, Terry Whittington, Michael Knight, Rodney Weicht, Charles Zies, Terri Blair, Dennis Embly, Rocky Bishop, Sr., James Sterling, Lamont Burns, Johnny Marshall, Sherry Bowers, Barbara Brown, William Dean, Jr., and Robert Farmer; 10 years - Guy Knepper, Mark Mummert, Kim Bowers, Jeffrey Shetron, Harry Strock III, Charles Strong, Jr., Debra Brewer, Robert Beckley III, Terrence McGee, Sharareh Alidoosti, Stephanie Brown, Jeff Weller, Krista Shipley, Jill Ritter, Daniel Lewis, Douglas Divelbiss, John Kain, Angela Smith, Debra Everts, Janet Moats, Keith Bowen, John Easterday, Brian Banzhoff, Steven Pryor, and Terri Taylor; and 5 years - Kenneth Barnhart, Christopher Weaver, Debra Bastian, George Lashley, Karen Dickie, Frank Palmer, Betty Carter, Linda Knight, Tracy Zamora, Marilyn Barnes, Joyce Wyckoff, Cindy Eichelberger, Craig Reid, Donna Hornbecker, William Graham, John Kline, Randy Ganoe, Samuel Younker, John Masters, Carol Beard, Keith Small, Michael Ward, Sharon Mellott, Thomas McAllister, Sherry Smith, Lois McAllister, Michael Wilkinson, Duane Gigeous, Marshall Maravelis, Jr., and Ellis Snyder. The Commissioners also honored the following 1998 retirees: Shelby Stehl, M. Anne Boswell, Patricia Harbaugh, Bonita Monninger, Robert Stotler, Roy Bomar, John S. Shank, and Ernest Rohrer (deceased). Commissioner Snook thanked the employees on behalf of all the Commissioners for their hard work and dedication to County government. The regular meeting of the Board of County Commissioners of Washington County, Maryland, was called to order at 9:30 a.m. by President Gregory I. Snook with the following members present: Vice President Paul L. Swartz, and Commissioners Bertrand L. Iseminger, John L. Schnebly, and William J. Wivell. INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The Invocation was delivered by Commissioner Snook, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag by the full assemblage. BID AWARD - VALLEY MALL SANITARY SEWER RELOCATION & BUDGET TRANSFER Motion made by Commissioner Schnebly, seconded by Iseminger, to award the contract for the construction of the Valley Mall Sanitary Sewer Relocation project to Springfield Contractors, Inc. which submitted the low total bid of $276,640.20 and to approve the budget transfer of $350,000 as submitted JANUARY 12, 1999 PAGE TWO by the Director of Public Works to establish a new account for this project. Unanimously approved.  COMMISSIONERS REPORTS AND COMMENTS Commissioner Snook distributed a letter from the National Register of  Historic places that Cedar Grove and St. Marks Episcopal Church are being considered for inclusion in the National Register. He also reported on the Annual Winter Conference of the Maryland Association of Counties. The Commissioners agreed to schedule a follow-up meeting with the Washington County Higher Education Foundation. Commissioner Swartz stated that he has received a number of letters from citizens on the rezoning request to expand the Mellott quarry. He also reported on the first meeting of his advisory council. Commissioner Iseminger reported on the meeting of the Advisory Commission to the Board of Health. Commissioner Wivell reported that he received the minutes of the Water & Sewer Advisory Commission meeting which indicated that they are recommending approval of the request to provide water to a small development in Frederick County. This recommendation will come before the Commissioners for a final decision. The Commissioners asked that the Water & Sewer Advisory Commission and the Solid Waste Advisory Committee review the possibility of applying sludge to agricultural lands and make a recommendation to them on this matter. COMPENSATION RECOMMENDATION BOARD OF ELECTION SUPERVISORS & ELECTION JUDGES Alan Davis, Human Resources Director, met with the Commissioners regarding the request made by the Election Board for an increase in compensation. He reviewed the responsibilities of the Election Board and provided information on compensation provided to members in other counties in Maryland. Mr. Davis recommended that the Commissioners not submit a request to the Delegation to the General Assembly for this request. He stated that an adjustment may be warranted; however, the request should be reviewed along with all other boards and commissioners during the normal budget process. Mr. Davis indicated that although the Annotated Code establishes the duties and minimum compensation levels for the Election Board members, it does not prohibit local jurisdictions from exceeding these pay levels. The  Commissioners agreed with Mr. Davis recommendation to review the compensation provided to all boards and commissions during budget deliberations for the Fiscal Year 2000 budget. Motion made by Commissioner Schnebly, seconded by Iseminger, to accept the recommendation of the Human Resources Director not to include the request for an adjustment in compensation to the Election Board at this time but to review the compensation provided to all paid boards and commissions during budget deliberations. Unanimously approved.  COUNTY ADMINISTRATORS COMMENTS Rodney Shoop, County Administrator, requested authority to proceed with arrangements for the appreciation banquet for board and commission members.- Commissioner Iseminger suggested that a picnic or more informal event be considered instead of a banquet. Mr. Shoop informed the Commissioners that $2,900 was raised for charity last year and over 1,000 pounds of food donated by County employees from Casual Day proceeds. Mr. Shoop informed the Commissioners that the SPCA has invited the Board to meet with them on  January 20 to review the architects plans for their new facility. The Commissioners suggested that the meeting be scheduled at 6:00 p.m. The Commissioners discussed meeting with members of the Delegation to the  General Assembly in Annapolis to present the Countys legislative requests. Mr. Shoop agreed to contact Delegate McKee to make arrangements and to get several dates to choose from for the meeting. He reminded the Commissioners that the workshop session on Thursday is scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m.  COMMISSIONER REPRESENTATIVES - PUBLIC GOLF CORPORATION, CHILDRENS COUNCIL AND EMERGENCY SERVICES COUNCIL The Commissioners agreed to make the following appointments for Commissioner  representatives on the following boards: Childrens Council - Paul Swartz; Emergency Services Council - Bert Iseminger; and Public Golf Corporation - Bert Iseminger. REAPPOINTMENT - SOLID WASTE ADVISORY COMMITTEE Motion made by Commissioner Schnebly, seconded by Iseminger, to reappoint Joe Swope to the Solid Waste Advisory Committee for a three-year term. Unanimously approved. REAPPOINTMENT - RECREATION & PARKS BOARD Motion made by Commissioner Swartz, seconded by Iseminger, to reappoint Deborah Murphy to the Recreation & Parks Board for a three-year term. Unanimously approved. JANUARY 12, 1999 PAGE THREE CITIZENS PARTICIPATION Robert Darby raised concerns about a Commission on Aging van he observed unloading clients without having its four-way flashers on. He also commended the Roads Department on a good job of snow removal. Debbie Turpin, representing the Washington County Homebuilders Association, expressed concerns about legislation being drafted on home builder licensing in Maryland. She stated that this legislation would have a detrimental effect on the building industry in the State of Maryland if the legislation is adopted. APPROVAL OF MINUTES - JANUARY 5, 1999 Motion made by Commissioner Schnebly, seconded by Swartz, to approve the minutes of January 5, 1999, as submitted. Unanimously approved. RECESS FOR RIBBON-CUTTING CEREMONY AND LUNCHEON - NEWGATE DISTRIBUTION CENTER The Commissioners recessed at 10:35 a.m. in order to attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Newgate Distribution Center and luncheon, a project developed by the Bowman Development Corporation. TOUR OF 911 CENTER AND FIRE & RESCUE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT The Commissioners toured the 911 Center and Fire & Rescue Communications Department. AFTERNOON SESSION The afternoon session was called to order at 1:59 p.m. by the President Gregory I. Snook, with the following members present: Vice President Paul L. Swartz, and Commissioners Bertrand L. Iseminger, John L. Schnebly, and William J. Wivell. CONVENE IN CLOSED SESSION Motion made by Commissioner Wivell, seconded by Schnebly, to convene in closed session at 1:59 p.m. to discuss personnel issues, to consult with counsel to obtain legal advice, to consider the proposal for a business or industrial organization to locate, expand, or remain in the State, and to conduct collective bargaining negotiations or consider matters that relate to collective bargaining negotiations, in accordance with Section 10-508 of the State Government Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland. Unanimously approved. RECONVENE IN OPEN SESSION Motion made by Commissioner Iseminger, seconded by Swartz, to reconvene in open session at 2:50 p.m. Unanimously approved. In closed session, the Commissioners consulted with counsel to obtain legal advice on one (1) issue, discussed one (1) personnel matter, considered three (3) businesses considering relocation to Washington County, and to consider matters that relate to collective bargaining negotiations. Present during closed session were Commissioners Gregory I. Snook, Paul L. Swartz, Bertrand L. Iseminger, John L. Schnebly, and William J. Wivell. Also present were Rodney Shoop, County Administrator; Beth Evans, Assistant County Attorney; Joni Bittner, County Clerk; Alan Davis, Human Resources Director; John Howard, Director of the Economic Development Commission; Tom Riford, EDC Marketing Specialist; and Carolyn Motz, Airport Manager. RECESS The Commissioners recessed at 2:50 p.m. to attend a meeting with the Board of Education at Fountaindale Elementary School. JOINT MEETING WITH BOARD OF EDUCATION - FOUNTAINDALE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL The Commissioners met with the Board of Education at Fountaindale Elementary School at 3:15 p.m. The following members of the Board of Education were present: Edwin Hayes, B. Marie Byers, Dori Nipps, Mary Wilfong, Herbert Hardin, Andrew Humphries, and Paul Bailey. Staff members present were Dr. Herman Bartlett, Superintendent of Schools; Dennis McGee, Director of Facilities Management; Teresa Flak, Assistant Superintendent; William McKinley, Executive Director of Support Services; and Christian South, Director of Budget & Finance. Review of Five-Year Capital Improvement Plan  Dennis McGee reviewed the Board of Educations five-year capital improvement plan. He provided information on enrollment trends and the facilities assessment which the Board uses to prioritize school improvements. Mr. McGee stated that the spreadsheets show the $19 million spending plan JANUARY 12, 1999 PAGE FOUR outlined in the strategic plan and the County has budgeted $14-15 million over the same amount of time. He asked if the Commissioners are receptive to increasing the budgeted CIP amount from $2.5 million to $5 million. Mr. McGee stated that the Interagency Committee (IAC) has $250,000,000 available to use as matching funds and that Washington County has 2.4% of the students in the State per capita. He indicated that we would be eligible for $6 million if the local matching funds were available. Commissioner Snook asked that the Board consider categorizing the priorities differently to coincide with the funding eligibility from the State. Mr. Shoop stated that the Commissioners will be evaluating the requests during the budget cycle. The group also discussed the possibility of retrofitting the schools built  in the 1970s and the availability of the aging school funding program. Legislative Update Dori Nipps presented an update on Maryland State Board of Education legislative requests regarding teacher recruitment, retention and quality. Ms. Nipps stated that the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) has submitted a plan to promote recruitment. The MSDE position supports additional funding for school construction. They also feel that the pension system should be borne by the State rather than the local school system and any State surplus should be used for education. The MSDE also supports changing tenure for teachers from two to three years. Commissioner Snook stated that a change in the funding formula should be considered as Western and Southern Maryland are not receiving their fair share of the funding. Marie Byers distributed information regarding charter schools. She stated that there is an aggressive move to have approval for charter schools in Maryland. Washington County Teacher Profile Phil Ray, Director of Human Resources, presented data regarding teacher demographics in Washington County. Mr. Ray provided information on the salary scales and ranking of each county in Maryland at Step 1 and Step 10  for the Bachelors scale and Masters scale. Mr. Ray stated that 33% of Washington County teachers have 5 years or less service and 25% have 25 years or more. He indicated that they foresee a critical shortage of secondary education teachers in the fields of special education, math and science. Commissioner Snook had several questions on the data provided on per pupil expenditures in each county. Commissioner Wivell stated that although Washington County ranks 20th in this category, only $1,000 separates 7th place from 20th place. Also discussed was the certification  for needed for a masters degree. The Board members indicated that they will provide an update on the strategic plan at the next joint meeting with the Commissioners. DISCUSSION OF STADIUM ISSUES The Commissioners met at Fountaindale Elementary School with Al Boyer, Hagerstown City Councilman, Winston Blenckstone, owner of the Hagerstown Suns, and David Blenckstone, General Manager of the Suns, to discuss the request for County funding for construction of a new baseball stadium in Hagerstown. Mr. Blenckstone provided conceptual drawings of the proposed Allegheny Energy Field. Mr. Blenckstone stated that Municipal Stadium is outdated, and he feels that there is support in the community for a new stadium. Mr. Blenckstone indicated that Allegheny Energy has agreed to provide $1 million for naming rights for a new stadium. Commissioner Swartz spoke in support of the stadium proposal. He stated that the Blenckstones have been good neighbors, and he believes that a new stadium will bring additional revenue to the community. Councilman Boyer cited economic development indicators that show that recreation and cultural facilities help to bring new companies to an area. Commissioner Schnebly expressed concerns about the base of support for this project. He also  stated that the Countys budget numbers have not been firmed up for FY 2000 and, with the current water and sewer debt as well as commitments to provide additional funding for public education, the Commissioners do not know what funding will be available. Commissioner Iseminger asked for additional data to include a timetable, projected cost for the stadium, and uses for the existing stadium. David Blenckstone informed the Commissioners that the total project is estimated to cost $12.4 million and that the County was originally asked to make a $2 million commitment. Commissioner Wivell expressed his opposition to the project. He stated that it is his opinion that the owners need to make a larger financial commitment to the project since it is their baseball franchise which will receive the most benefit from a new stadium. He also stated that he does not believe that JANUARY 12, 1999 PAGE FIVE government should be in the business of funding stadiums and he will not  vote to commit taxpayers money or to borrow the funding. Commissioner Wivell indicated that there are limited resources and that education should  be the top priority. Councilman Boyer stated that without the Countys cooperation, the project will not be considered for funding by the State of Maryland. He stated that he will provide the additional information which was requested by the Commissioners. Commissioner Snook also asked that the City prioritize its requests to the County for funding of projects. ADJOURNMENT Motion made by Commissioner Schnebly, seconded by Wivell, to adjourn at 5:30 p.m. Unanimously approved. County Administrator County Attorney , Clerk