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HomeMy WebLinkAbout991012 October 12, 1999 Hagerstown, Maryland The regular meeting of the Board of County Commissioners of Washington County, Maryland, was called to order at 8:30 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. PROCLAMATION - DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH Commissioner Snook presented a proclamation to Vicki Sadehvandi, Executive Director of CASA - Citizens Assisting & Sheltering the Abused, Inc., Martha Cornwell, President of CASA, and Stephanie Scott of the Family Violence Council, recognizing October 1999 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Washington County and urged all citizens to become better informed about domestic violence. Ms. Sadehvandi thanked the Commissioners for the proclamation and informed them of activities which are scheduled in the community to help promote awareness of domestic violence.  COMMISSIONERS REPORTS AND COMMENTS Commissioner Schnebly reported that he participated in Disabilities Awareness Week activities at the Western Maryland Hospital and feels that it has provided him with a better appreciation of needs of the handicapped. He stated that he and William Breichner, City Councilman, met with members of the local delegation to the General Assembly regarding water and sewer issues and the cooperative agreements which have been reached regarding certain service areas. Commissioner Swartz thanked Norman Bassett, Disabilities Coordinator, and Linn Hendershot, Chairman of the Disabilities Advisory Committee, for coordinating the activities to promote Disabilities Awareness Week. He thanked County Administrator Rodney Shoop for notifying him when he was out of town about the death of Ron Phillips. Commissioner Swartz stated that the Commissioners may want to consider some type of recognition of Mr. Phillips in the future to recognize him for his years of service on the Recreation & Parks Board and the Public Golf Corporation Board of Directors. Commissioner Swartz informed the Commissioners that he asked Jim Powers, President of the American Federation of Musicians, Local 770, to give a report on the PenMar Park concert series. Mr. Powers reported on the attendance at the park for the series and on the bands which performed during the season. He provided information on the cost of the program and informed the Commissioners that there was a $2,000 surplus this year. Mr. Powers commended the Parks and Recreation staff for their help and listed items that should be repaired or improved. The Commissioners thanked Mr. Powers for the report and stated that they would pass the list of items to the Recreation & Parks Board for their consideration. Commissioner Iseminger reported on Disabilities Awareness Day. Norman Bassett gave an account of activities which occurred during the week to promote awareness of people with disabilities. Commissioner Iseminger informed the Commissioners that he attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Daycon. He reported on the board meeting for HotSpots and informed the Commissioners that there will be a review of the program at the next joint meeting with the City Council. Commissioner Wivell reported on the Historic District Commission meeting. Commissioner Snook reported that the Air Unit Christmas banquet is scheduled for December 11. He stated that he forwarded the survey form on enterprise zones which he received from the Department of Business & Economic Development to the Economic Development Commission for completion.  Commissioner Snook announced that A Town Meeting on safe schools will be held on October 25 at Western Heights Middle School and is being sponsored by the League of Women Voters. REVIEW OF YARD WASTE PROGRAM Harvey Hoch, Recycling Programs Coordinator, and Steve Zies, Operations Manager at the Solid Waste Department, met with the Commissioners to review  information on the Countys yard waste program. Mr. Zies informed the Commissioners that the only satellite station with a brush chipping program was the Greensburg Transfer Station. He stated that the Greensburg operation OCTOBER 12, 1999 PAGE TWO was the only location which had sufficient space for a brush chipping program. Mr. Zies indicated that labor costs to implement the program were excessive and that the chips produced were of poor quality and could not be sold. The program was discontinued in 1995 for these reasons. Mr. Hoch informed the Commissioners that seasonal brush is accepted at the rubble landfill and is then processed and marketed. He stated that the labor cost of the Highways Department would exceed $113,000 per year to reinstitute the brush chipping operations at the transfer stations. He recommended that the County continue its current program at the rubble landfill. Commissioner Iseminger suggested that the staff consider offering an educational program on the services which are available. Mr. Hoch informed the Commissioners that a free bulk trash week is scheduled for November 15-20. The Commissioners asked that he notify the municipalities in the County to see if they wish to participate. Robert Davenport, Director of the Solid Waste Department, provided a brief status report on the bridge being constructed at the 40 West Landfill. He stated that the Department of the Environment will be holding a public informational meeting on Cell 1 on November 19. After questions and discussion of the information, the Commissioners thanked the staff for the update. UPDATE ON FINANCIAL SOFTWARE SYSTEM Kim Edlund, Assistant Director of Finance, and Wynn Sulc, consultant from Carrera Consulting Group, met with the Commissioners to update them on the implementation of the new financial software. Ms. Edlund informed the Commissioners that Phase 1, which included general ledger, accounts payable,  and purchasing, went live on October 4. Ms. Edlund explained what the general ledger module entails. Karen Luther, Purchasing Agent, provided a detailed report on the purchasing module and what changes will be made in the requisitioning process. She stated that their goal is a 24-hour turnaround time for approving purchase orders. Ms. Edlund also reviewed the accounts payable module and how the changes made will improve the process. She stated that they are on schedule and the transition is going smoothly. She informed the Commissioners that Phase 2 will consist of human resources, payroll and utility billing and that Phase 3 will begin on November 1. Debra Bastian, Director of Budget & Finance, reported on the hardware needed for the implementations. Ms. Sulc stated that measures are being taken to increase the speed and shorten the response time of the connection to the Water & Sewer Department and provided the estimated costs involved to purchase the necessary equipment. Ms. Edlund reported that the County has been billed for 2,713 hours for the implementation. She stated that travel expenses are over budget and the steering committee will address ways to reduce these costs. She also provided a breakdown of the modules and stated that none of the costs has been higher than anticipated. The Commissioners commended the staff working on the project. CONTRACT AWARD - NO. 2 HEATING FUEL Motion made by Commissioner Schnebly, seconded by Wivell, to piggyback on  the Board of Educations bids for #2 Heating Fuel and award the contract to Southern States Cooperative for tank wagon loads at a bidder factor of +$.0850 per gallon and to award the contract to A.C.&T. Co., Inc. for transport loads at a bidder factor of +$.0243 per gallon. Both companies were the low bidders as submitted to the Board of Education. Unanimously approved. CONTRACT AWARD - INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT Motion made by Commissioner Iseminger, seconded by Swartz, to award the contract as low responsive, responsible bidders for industrial equipment as listed: Single Axle Dump Trucks (4) - American Freightliner of Washington - $316,144 total; High Pressure Washer - McHenry Equipment Sales & Service - $5,945 (Option 2); Vibratory Patch Roller - George Associates, Inc. - $7,275 total; 2WD Diesel-Powered Tractor with Mower - Antietam Ford Tractor - $18,248 total; Large Chemical Material Spreaders (3) - Fallsway Spring and Equipment - $25,200 total; Power Reversible Snowplow - Fallsway Spring and Equipment - $6,380 total; and Fixed Angle Snowplows (2) - Fallsway Spring and Equipment - $7,780 total. Unanimously approved.  CITIZENS PARTICIPATION Donald Allensworth commented on CHIEF and economic development. He stated that the County should consider regulations so the public knows how CHIEF is OCTOBER 12, 1999 PAGE THREE spending money, whether it has been spent money productively, and the ways in which CHIEF has contributed to economic development.  COUNTY ADMINISTRATORS COMMENTS Rodney Shoop, County Administrator, reminded the Commissioners that the meeting with the local delegation to the General Assembly to discuss the legislative agenda for 2000 is scheduled for October 18 at Frostburg State University. He stated that there will also be a presentation on highway infrastructure at that time. Mr. Shoop stated that he will schedule a  discussion of the emergency services report on next Tuesdays agenda. CERTIFICATE OF MERIT AWARD - BRYAN HALE Rodney Shoop, County Administrator, presented a Certificate of Merit to Bryan Hale to recognize him for receiving first place in the Maryland  Society of Surveyors 1999 Plat Competition in Special Purposes Surveys for right-of-way plats. The Commissioners congratulated Mr. Hale on his accomplishment. Mr. Hale thanked the Commissioners. He also informed them that the Mid- Atlantic Chapter of Society of Surveyors will be dedicating a plaque at the Court House in memory of Harold Seibert who was the last County Surveyor, and invited them to the ceremony. EXTENSION OF LINE OF CREDIT - GODS & GENERALS Motion made by Commissioner Iseminger, seconded by Swartz, to approve a six- month extension of the line of credit at Farmers & Merchants Bank. The line of credit was obtained for the purpose of financing pre-production costs for  the movie Gods and Generals. Unanimously approved. REVISED PROPOSALS FOR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA - 2000 SESSION Richard Douglas, County Attorney, reviewed the revised proposals for the 2000 legislative agenda with the Commissioners. The Commissioners asked that the item on school health care providers be amended to delete references the School Health Pilot Program. They agreed to generally request funding for their intent is to request funding for the school health program. Commissioner Snook questioned whether the law needs to be changed to allow volunteer fire companies to seek reimbursement from insurance companies for their services. Commissioner Iseminger stated that he feels it is time to request a pay increase for the County Commissioners to make the salary comparable to those in other counties in the state. Such a change would not take effect until 2002. The Commissioners agreed to emphasize to the Delegation that the campus for the University System of Maryland is their highest priority and that they hope to obtain funds from  the Governors discretionary program for it. REQUEST TO BORROW TAX-EXEMPT BONDS - ST. JAMES SCHOOL Richard Douglas, County Attorney, informed the Commissioners that the Saint James School has requested permission to issue tax-exempt bonds in an amount not to exceed $5 million through the Board of County Commissioners. He stated that the proposed bond issue will be used to finance the renovation of their dining facilities, a new fitness facility, campus house, renovation of the science labs and a new dormitory. Mr. Douglas explained that the County would be used only as a conduit to issue the bonds and would not be  liable for the payments. The issuance would have no impact on the Countys bond rating, financial position or borrowing limits. Richard Bettencourt, Business Manager for St. James School, and Reverend Stuart Dunnan, Headmaster, provided more detailed information on how the bond funds would be used to finance improvements on campus and answered questions from the Commissioners. Motion made by Commissioner Swartz, seconded by Schnebly, to approve the request made by the Saint James School for the County to act as a conduit to permit the School to issue tax-exempt bonds in an amount not to exceed $5 million for proposed renovation and construction projects. Unanimously approved. AMENDMENT TO AGREEMENT - WASHINGTON COUNTY JUNIOR FOOTBALL LEAGUE, INC. John Martirano, Assistant County Attorney, reviewed an amendment to the agreement with the Washington County Junior Football League, Inc. regarding days and times for use of the field. The Commissioners discussed the hours requested and agreed that the hours requested by the League for Sunday evenings should be changed from 4:00-11:00 p.m. to 3:00-10:00 p.m. Commissioner Snook informed the Commissioners that decibel readings were OCTOBER 12, 1999 PAGE FOUR taken while football games were in progress and were found to be relatively low. He stated that he hopes that additional trees will be planted in the park to further muffle the noise from the neighboring residential area. The Commissioners also discussed parking concerns and stated that they need to  address enforcement of the current no parking signs and whether adequate parking is being provided. Motion made by Commissioner Schnebly, seconded by Swartz, to amend the agreement between the Washington County Junior Football League, Inc. and the Board of County Commissioners dated February 20, 1996, by striking paragraph 1.(b) in its entirety and substituting an amendment regarding use of the field to allow the League to have first right to use of the field every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, from August 1 through December 1 from 4:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. and on Sundays from 3:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Unanimously approved. REAPPOINTMENT - SOLID WASTE ADVISORY COMMITTEE Motion made by Commissioner Iseminger, seconded by Schnebly, to reappoint Sharon Chirgott to the Solid Waste Advisory Committee for a three-year term. Unanimously approved. APPROVAL OF MINUTES - OCTOBER 5, 1999 Motion made by Commissioner Iseminger, seconded by Schnebly, to approve the minutes of October 5, 1999, as submitted. Unanimously approved. RURAL LEGACY PROGRAM UPDATE Eric Seifarth, Farmland Preservation Coordinator, met with the Commissioners to provide an update on the Rural Legacy Program. Mr. Seifarth informed the Commissioners that Governor Glendening recently announced that Washington County will receive $1.3 million to purchase easements through the Rural  Legacy Program in FY 2000. Mr. Seifarth also reviewed the States comments  on Washington Countys Rural Legacy Program application and their recommendations that the County address its agricultural zoning to make it more protective before the next grant cycle. RECESS - LUNCH The Commissioners recessed for lunch at 11:50 a.m. AFTERNOON SESSION The afternoon session was called to order at 1:07 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. DIVISION UPDATE - BUDGET & FINANCE Debra Bastian, Director of the Division of Budget & Finance, met with the Commissioners to provide an update on the division and its goals. Ms. Bastian provided information on the background of her division and the current structure. She stated that the Division includes the Budget & Finance Department, Gaming Commission and Purchasing Department. Ms. Bastian reviewed tasks which have been accomplished including development and implementation of a formalized long-range capital plan, development of the long-range operating plan, development of a formal investment policy, debt analysis, consolidation and financial restructuring of the Sanitary District, and establishment of the criteria for formalized cash reserves. She informed the Commissioners of coming changes in GASB regulations and the massive undertaking anticipated to comply with the new regulations. Ms. Bastian also reviewed her performance goals for Fiscal Year 2000. Her goals are to design and implement Phases I, II and III of the financial management system, to reorganize the internal operations of the Budget and Finance Division, and to finalize the financial targets. She also reviewed future goals for the Division. CONVENE IN CLOSED SESSION Motion made by Commissioner Schnebly, seconded by Swartz, to convene in closed session at 1:39 p.m. to discuss personnel issues and to consult with counsel to obtain legal advice, 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 Schnebly, seconded by Iseminger, to reconvene in OCTOBER 12, 1999 PAGE FIVE open session at 2:43 p.m. Unanimously approved. In closed session, the Commissioners considered two (2) personnel issue and consulted with counsel to obtain legal advice on three (3) matters. Present during closed session were Commissioners Gregory I. Snook, Paul L. Swartz, Bertrand L. Iseminger, John L. Schnebly, and William J. Wivell. Also present at various times were Rodney Shoop, County Administrator; Joni Bittner, County Clerk; Richard Douglas, County Attorney; John Martirano,  Assistant County Attorney; M. Kenneth Long, States Attorney; and Debra Bastian, Director of Budget & Finance. UPGRADE TO ASSISTANT STATES ATTORNEY III Motion made by Commissioner Iseminger, seconded by Schnebly, to approve the  request to upgrade Joseph Michael from Assistant States Attorney II to  Assistant States Attorney III. Unanimously approved. RECESS The Commissioners recessed at 2:45 p.m. in order to meet with the Board of Education at E. Russell Hicks Middle School. JOINT MEETING WITH BOARD OF EDUCATION - E. RUSSELL HICKS MIDDLE SCHOOL The Commissioners met with the Board of Education at the E. Russell Hicks Middle School at 3:00. The following members of the Board of Education were present: Edwin Hayes, B. Marie Byers, Paul Bailey, Mary Wilfong, and Herbert Hardin. Staff members present were Dr. Herman Bartlett, Superintendent of Schools; Dennis McGee, Director of Facilities Management; William McKinley, Executive Director of Support Services; and Christian South, Director of Budget & Finance. County Legislative Agenda  Commissioner Snook briefly reviewed the Countys legislative agenda for 2000. He informed the Board that the Commissioners are requesting State assistance in funding the school health program. He also provided an update on the Clear Spring branch library project. Three-Year Plan - Board of Education Mr. South and Mr. McKinley reviewed the three-year plan which they submitted  to the Commissioners at last months meeting. In answer to questions from the Commissioners, Mr. South stated that the estimated portion of State revenue is conservative because they do not foresee any long-range increases from them. He also explained the priority list for the projects. Mrs. Byers suggested that a workshop meeting be held to allow more time to answer questions from the Commissioners. Commissioner Schnebly stated that both groups need to agree to the priority list. Also discussed was the reading program. Dr. Bartlett noted that the Board has been focusing on personnel pay increases, the reading program, and reducing class size. Mr. McKinley informed the Commissioners of the benefits of having an additional instructional leader in the schools. Line Item Transfer Motion made by Commissioner Iseminger, seconded by Swartz, to approve the request to transfer $289,000 from Maintenance Projects to Technology Wiring  in the Board of Educations Capital Improvements Projects budget. Unanimously approved. 2001 Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) Budget Mr. McGee reviewed the priorities for the 2001 CIP budget. He stated that they are as follows: South Hagerstown High School Renovation/Addition, Williamsport Elementary School, technology wiring for Eastern Elementary and Boonsboro Elementary, and a chiller/cooling tower for Springfield Middle School. He again emphasized that the County is leaving available State  funding on the table by not increasing its match. He reviewed the present CIP plan at $3.5 million per year and the projects which could be accomplished by leveraging State funds if the Commissioners contributed $6.2 million per year. The Commissioners also discussed the possible change in the State formula for calculating funding. They agreed to consider this during deliberations on the CIP budget when they see a more detailed plan. Also discussed was the possibility of building a new elementary school and consolidating Maugansville Elementary and Conococheague Elementary. Commissioner Snook stated that he would like to see an analysis done to determine if it would be cost effective. Graduate College Scholarship/Post Secondary Plans Jan Keefer, Supervisor of Assessments, reviewed the results of a survey OCTOBER 12, 1999 PAGE SIX showing the post-secondary school plans of seniors between the years 1995-98 for Washington County and the State of Maryland. She also reviewed data showing the number of financial awards received by students at each high school in the County. Ms. Keefer indicated that the grand total is $9,812,975. Commissioner Schnebly asked that the information be reviewed for accuracy. ADJOURNMENT Motion made by Commissioner Wivell, seconded by Swartz, to adjourn at 4:35 p.m. Unanimously approved. County Administrator County Attorney , Clerk