HomeMy WebLinkAbout07.18.2000 MinutesJuly 18, 2000
Hagerstown, Maryland
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: Bertrand L. Iseminger, Jr., John L.
Schnebly, and William J. Wivell.
INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
The Invocation was delivered by Commissioner Schnebly,
followed by the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag by the
full assemblage.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES – JUNE 27, 2000
Motion made by Commissioner Iseminger, seconded by Wivell,
to approve the minutes of June 27, 2000, as amended.
Unanimously approved.
COMMISSIONERS’ REPORTS AND COMMENTS
Commissioner Iseminger provided an update on his meeting
with HotSpots Coordinator, Carolyn Brooks.
Commissioner Wivell reported on the first meeting of the
committee to study Board of Education facilities. He also
reported on the meetings of the PenMar Development
Corporation and the Water & Sewer Advisory Commission.
Commissioner Wivell stated that he and Commissioner Swartz
toured the new landfill with Gary Rohrer, Director of
Public Works.
Commissioner Snook asked that an update on the Parks
Department be given in the near future. He stated that it
appears that the pre-treatment pump house has been
completed. He also reported on the Metropolitan Planning
Organization meeting.
EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION – JOHN A. BUDESKY
Commissioner Schnebly presented John A. Budesky, Director
of the Community Partnership for Children & Families, with
a Certificate of Merit for successfully fulfilling all of
the requirements to receive a Certificate of Completion for
the Program in Human Services Management, Office of
Continuing Professional Education, University of Maryland
School of Social Work. The Commissioners congratulated Mr.
Budesky on this achievement.
SHERIFF’SPATROL FACILITY – RENOVATIONS/ADDITIONS
Gary Rohrer, Director of Public Works, and Michael Gehr of
Burrey Moser Gehr Architects, met with the Commissioners to
discuss funding for the renovations and additions to the
Sheriff’s patrol facility. Mr. Rohrer explained that the
preliminary assessment used to prepare the Capital
Improvements Program (CIP) did not anticipate the extent of
the renovations needed for the facility. Due to the
significant growth and the change in operations, the
renovations are necessary to correct deficiencies in the
current operation. Mr. Rohrer recommended budgeting an
additional $700,000 in fiscal year 2002 for the extra work.
Mr. Gehr then reviewed the additions and renovations
planned for the patrol facility. Mr. Rohrer explained that
the combined additions would amount to an increase of 6,899
square feet of space. The meeting was then opened for
questions and discussion. Sheriff Mades presented
information showing the increases in staff, calls for
services, arrests, and the number of warrants served since
the existing facility was constructed in 1992. He stated
that the impact of not proceeding with the proposal would
jeopardize the level of service provided to the public and
would affect the efficiency of the department. The
Commissioners expressed concerns regarding the requested
funding. After discussion, Commissioner Snook asked for a
plan to fund the “out years” in the CIP budget, and a
determination as to which projects would have to be
eliminated to permit additional funding to be used for the
Detention Center project. The Commissioners thanked Mr.
Rohrer and Mr. Gehr for the presentation.
APPROVAL OF AGREEMENT WITH MARYLAND EMPLOYEES COUNCIL 67
AFSCME, AFL-CIO - ROADS, SOLID WASTE, FIRE & EMD
TECHNICIANS AND TRANSPORTATION
John Martirano, Assistant County Attorney, presented a
tentative three-year letter of agreement with members of
AFSCME Local 2677. Mr. Martirano outlined each of the
items in the agreement and provided them with a copy of his
letter to James Bestpitch, representative for AFSCME
Council Council 67. He stated that the membership approved
the agreement in principle on July 10.
JULY 18, 2000
PAGE TWO
Mr. Bestpitch complimented Mr. Martirano for his
professionalism during the negotiations. He stated that
they still have some questions on the 40-hour schedule for
Fire & EMD Technicians and would like an opportunity to
present an alternative schedule. Mr. Shoop agreed to delay
implementation of the schedule for approximately three
weeks to allow staff to review the schedule suggested by
the union.
Motion made by Commissioner Wivell, seconded by Schnebly,
to adopt a letter of agreement outlining the terms for
ratification of a three-year contract to be incorporated
into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Maryland Public
Employees Council 67, AFSCME, AFL-CIO and its Local 2677
for the Roads, Solid Waste, Fire & EMD Technicians, and
Transportation Departments, as presented. Unanimously
approved.
REVIEW OF PROPOSED ANIMAL CONTROL ORDINANCE
Richard Douglas, County Attorney, reviewed proposed
revisions to the Animal Control Ordinance and the related
revisions to the Zoning Ordinance. He stated that the
primary reason for the revisions was to address
deficiencies in the current ordinance. Mr. Douglas stated
that the revisions clarify such major issues as the
function of the Animal Control Authority, regulation of
kennels, classification of vicious and authority to deal
with dangerous animals and animals at large. He indicated
that some of the changes would necessitate changes to the
Zoning Ordinance. Keller Haden, Animal Control Supervisor
for the Washington County Humane Society, was also present
to answer questions regarding the proposed ordinance. At
this time, the meeting was opened for public comment.
Steve Ernst spoke on behalf of the Farm Bureau and
expressed his concerns with the language in the proposal
ordinance. Mr. Douglas agreed to meet with him to discuss
the proposed changes. He also requested reinstatement of
the earlier exemption for farm animals. Michael Burke
asked the Commissioners to ensure that provisions for
vicious and dangerous animals are included in the
ordinance. Angie Harsh distributed written comments on
various sections of the proposed ordinance. Charles
Wiederhold voiced his concerns on the proposed ordinance.
Greg Brown, representing the Coon Hunters Association, also
commented on the proposal.
SEMIANNUAL BOARD OF HEALTH MEETING
Motion made by Commissioner Schnebly, seconded by Wivell,
to convene as the Board of Health at 11:15 a.m.
Unanimously approved. (Separate minutes will be kept of
this session.) The Commissioners adjourned as the Board of
Health at 11:35 a.m.
CONVENE IN CLOSED SESSION
Motion made by Commissioner Iseminger, seconded by Wivell,
to convene in closed session at 11:36 a.m. to discuss
personnel issues 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 open session at 12:16 p.m.
Unanimously approved.
In closed session, the Commissioners discussed one (1)
personnel issue. Present during closed session were
Commissioners Gregory I. Snook, 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;
Dr. Robert Parker, Health Officer; Dr. Victor Jorden; and
Jack Costa, Dr. George Comstock, Willie Conyers, Dave Resh,
and Dorothy Boone, members of the Advisory Commission to
the Board of Health and Search Committee.
RECESS
The Commissioners recessed at 12:16 p.m. for lunch.
AFTERNOON SESSION
The afternoon session was called to order at 1:24 p.m. by
President Gregory I. Snook, with the following members
present: John L. Schnebly, Bertrand L. Iseminger, and
William J. Wivell.
JULY 18, 2000
PAGE THREE
REQUEST FOR VEHICLE – SPECIAL OPERATIONS UNIT
Phil Ridenour, Administrator of the Washington County
Office of Special Operations, and John Bentley, Chief of
the Emergency Services Special Operations Team, appeared
before the Commissioners to request that Special Operations
be permitted to transfer $7,417.47 remaining in the fiscal
year 2000 budget and $37,901 of FY 2001 capital outlay
funds into a vehicle fund to allow the team to purchase a
chassis for a multi-purpose vehicle. Mr. Ridenour stated
that the amount needed to complete the purchase would be
requested for FY 2002. He informed the Commissioners that
their current vehicle has more than 130,000 miles and was a
used vehicle when the team originally purchased it. Mr.
Ridenour stated that extensive repairs have had to be made
to it each year for the past few years to comply with
inspection standards. The Commissioners discussed whether
to purchase the vehicle in the FY 2002 budget so the
purchase is not split between two fiscal years.
Motion made by Commissioner Iseminger, seconded by
Schnebly, to approve the request for a new vehicle for the
Special Operations unit for purchase in fiscal year 2002,
to remove $37,901 from Machinery and Equipment in the
Special Operations Team fiscal year 2001, and to place
these funds in the contingency fund. Unanimously approved.
BID AWARD – COUNTY OVERLAY CONTRACT
Motion made by Commissioner Iseminger, seconded by Wivell,
to award the contract for bituminous concrete overlay to C.
William Hetzer, Inc. which submitted the low responsive,
responsible bid of $33.55 per ton in place for Hot Mix
Asphalt Superpave Surface 9.5 mm, PG-64-22. Motion carried
with Commissioners Iseminger, Wivell, and Snook voting
AYE” and Commissioner Schnebly “ABSTAINING.”
SENIOR AIDE PROGRAM – COMMISSION ON AGING
Motion made by Commissioner Iseminger, seconded by
Schnebly, to make a one-time contribution in the amount of
12,000 from the contingency fund to the Commission on
Aging to help fund the Senior Aide program for the
remainder of FY 2001, with the condition that the
Commission find alternative funding for the program in the
future. Motion carried with Commissioners Iseminger,
Schnebly, and Snook voting “AYE” and Commission Wivell
voting “NO.”
AMENDMENT TO TERMS – GAMING COMMISSION
Motion made by Commissioner Schnebly, seconded by Wivell,
to amend the term expiration dates of Gaming Commission
members in accordance with House Bill 1389, Chapter 479,
Acts of 2000, adopting new expiration dates as follows:
Curt Dudda – September 30, 2001; Camille Hendrickson –
February 28, 2001; and Betty Meyers – February 28, 2002.
Unanimously approved.
RECOMMENDATION FOR APPOINTMENT OF NEW HEALTH OFFICER
Motion made by Commissioner Iseminger, seconded by
Schnebly, to support the recommendation of the Advisory
Commission to the Board of Health to nominate Dr. Victor
S.B. Jorden to the Secretary of Health & Mental Hygiene
for the position of Health Officer for Washington County.
Unanimously approved.
RURAL LEGACY GRANT AGREEMENT EXTENSION – CYCLE 1
Motion made by Commissioner Schnebly, seconded by
Iseminger, to extend the grant agreement with the State of
Maryland relating to Cycle 1 of the Rural Legacy Program
until January 19, 2001, in order to give the County
additional time to finalize the easement acquisitions for
this program. Unanimously approved.
COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR’SCOMMENTS
Rodney Shoop, County Administrator, informed the
Commissioners that the new Citrix server has arrived and
that the Information Technology Department personnel will
be connecting their computers to the system in the near
future. He reminded the Commissioners that the County
picnic is scheduled for August 12. Mr. Shoop also informed
them that the meeting with the local delegation to the
General Assembly has been scheduled for July 28 at
Hagerstown Regional Airport.
JULY 18, 2000
PAGE FOUR
ABANDONMENT OF RIGHT-OF-WAY – WOODBINE LANE
Motion made by Commissioner Wivell, seconded by Schnebly,
to abandon a dedicated right-of-way along Woodbine Lane and
convey it to adjoining property owners Arthur and Marianne
Schneider, Ernest V. Wachs Revocable Trust and Betty B.
Wachs Revocable Trust, and a portion to Linda K. Richards,
per the signed agreement between these property owners.
Unanimously approved.
GRANT AGREEMENT – CONTROL & ERADICATION OF NOXIOUS WEEDS
Motion made by Commissioner Iseminger, seconded by
Schnebly, to approve the grant agreement for $7,000 with
the Department of Agriculture for the control and
eradication of noxious weeds. Unanimously approved.
CONVENE IN CLOSED SESSION
Motion made by Commissioner Iseminger, seconded by
Schnebly, to convene in closed session at 2:25 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 Wivell, seconded by Schnebly,
to reconvene in open session at 3:40 p.m. Unanimously
approved.
In closed session, the Commissioners consulted with counsel
to obtain legal advice on one (1) matter and discussed
three (3) personnel issue. Present during closed session
were Commissioners Gregory I. Snook, 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; Alan Davis,
Director of Human Resources; Greg Murray, Director of the
Water & Sewer Department; Gary Rohrer, Director of Public
Works; Brian Brandt; Michael Vance, Collection/Distribution
Operator; and John Howard, Director of the Economic
Development Commission.
REAPPOINTMENTS – ETHICS COMMISSION
Motion made by Commissioner Iseminger, seconded by
Schnebly, to reappoint Allan Powell and Daniel Murphy to
the Ethics Commission for three-year terms beginning
September 1, 2000. Unanimously approved.
RE/APPOINTMENTS - COMMISSION FOR WOMEN
Motion made by Commissioner Schnebly, seconded by
Iseminger, to reappoint Judy Lyons Wolf to the Commission
for Women for a two-year term retroactive to July 1, 1999,
and to appoint Ann Hicks to a one-year term. Unanimously
approved.
BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS – APPOINTMENT OF SECOND ALTERNATE
Motion made by Commissioner Wivell, seconded by Iseminger,
to appoint Donna Smith to the position of second alternate
on the Board of Zoning Appeals for a three-year term.
Unanimously approved.
C&OCANAL NATIONAL HISTORIC PARK COMMISSION –
RECOMMENDATION
Motion made by Commissioner Iseminger, seconded by
Schnebly, to recommend to the United States Department of
the Interior that Sue Ann Sullivan be reappointed as one of
Washington County’s representatives on the C&O National
Historic Park Commission. Unanimously approved.
RECESS
The Commissioners recessed at 3:44 p.m.
JOINT MEETING WITH CITY OF HAGERSTOWN
The Commissioners met with Hagerstown Mayor Robert Bruchey
and City Council members William Breichner, Al Boyer, Lewis
Metzner, Susan Saum-Wicklein, and Wallace McClure at the
Washington County Museum of Fine Arts at 4:00 p.m.
Request for Additional Financial Assistance - Museum of
Fine Arts
William Young, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the
Museum of Fine Arts, provided an overview of the Museum
including its history, physical
JULY 18, 2000
PAGE FIVE
space and staffing, collection and quality of holdings,
programs offered to the public, and benefits to the
community. He thanked the City and County governments for
supporting the operation and appealed for an increase in
the level of financial support. Thomas Newcomer reviewed
the funding and stated that the Museum has had to borrow
from its endowment fund and has an operating deficit of
approximately $55,000. The meeting was then opened for
questions and discussion. Commissioner Snook thanked the
Board for making the Commissioners aware of their financial
situation and stated that the Commissioners would review
the budget in consideration of the request.
Community Rescue Service – Request for Funding
Michael Nye, Chief of Community Rescue Service (CRS), and
Alfred Martin, Director of Budget & Finance for the City of
Hagerstown, appeared before the group to provide an
overview of the deteriorating financial situation at CRS.
Mr. Martin reviewed a six-year comparison of expenses
showing the significant increase that occurred after the
construction of their new facility. Michael Nye asked that
the City and County consider providing some type of
financial assistance to CRS. Mr. Nye stated that a number
of their clients are senior citizens or live in subsidized
housing and do not have insurance or the ability to pay for
the services. He indicated that 66 percent of their calls
are from within the City of Hagerstown. He further
explained that their territory has been reduced by 30-40
percent but the calls for service have increased. Mr. Nye
provided information on the staffing of CRS. Council
member Metzner stated that he believes this is a countywide
problem and not just a problem for the City of Hagerstown.
Commissioner Iseminger informed the group that the
Emergency Services Council would be making its
recommendations to the Commissioners in approximately 30
days on emergency service operations in Washington County.
After discussion, the request was taken under
consideration.
ADJOURNMENT
Motion made by Commissioner Schnebly, seconded by Wivell,
to adjourn at 5:40 p.m. Unanimously approved.
County Administrator
County Attorney
County
Clerk
July 18, 2000
Board of Health
The Board of County Commissioners of Washington County
convened at 11:15 a.m., sitting as the Board of Health at
the Washington County Health Department with Commissioners
Gregory I. Snook, Bertrand L. Iseminger, John L. Schnebly;
and William J. Wivell present. Also present were Jack
Costa, Chairperson of the Advisory Commission to the Board
of Health; Dr. Robert Parker, Health Officer; and members
of the Advisory Commission to the Board of Health and
Health Department staff.
Mr. Costa brought comments from the Advisory Commission to
the Board of Health. He stated that the Advisory
Commission has been actively involved in searching and
interviewing for Dr. Parker’s replacement.
Semi-annual Report of the Health Officer
Dr. Parker provided a general overview of the programs and
services provided by the Health Department. He stated that
the Home Health Care program was discontinued because of
the lack of funding. Dr. Parker thanked the Commissioners
for their support of the Health Department and stated that
it has been a privilege to serve as Health Officer. The
Commissioners provided their best wishes to Dr. Parker on
his retirement and commended him on the work he has done at
the Health Department.
Cigarette Restitution Fund
Dr. Parker informed the Commissioners that Senate Bill 896
and House Bill 1425 created the Tobacco Use Prevention and
Cessation Program and the Cancer Prevention, Education,
Screening and Treatment Program under the Department of
Health and Mental Hygiene. He stated that a portion of the
cigarette restitution funds have been allocated to each
county to initiate the two programs. Dr. Parker estimated
that Washington County would receive $900,000 annually from
the fund. He outlined the requirements of the programs.
The Commissioners adjourned as the Board of Health at
11:45.
County Administrator
County Attorney
County
Clerk