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HomeMy WebLinkAbout010612June 11, 2001 Hagerstown, Maryland JOINT PUBLIC HEARING - RZ-01-003 A joint public hearing of the Board of County Commissioners of Washington County and the Washington County Planning Commission was convened in Court Room #1 at 7:00 p.m. to hear testimony and receive evidence in text amendment case RZ-01-003. Presiding at the hearing were County Commissioners President Gregory I. Snook and Planning Commission Chair Paula Lampton. Also present at the hearing were County Commissioners Paul L. Swartz, Bertrand L. Iseminger, Jr., and William J. Wivell. Planning Commission members Tim Henry, George Anikis and Ben Clopper were also in attendance. After the staff presentation and public testimony were heard, it was announced that the record would remain open for ten (10) days to allow additional evidence to be submitted in writing. The public hearing was adjourned at 7:15 p.m. County Administrator County Attorney June 12, 2001 Hagerstown, Maryland Clerk The regular meeting of the Board of County Commissioners of Washington County, Maryland, was called to order at 10:25 a.m. by President Gregory I. Snook with the following members present: Vice President Paul L. Swartz and Commissioners Bertrand L. Iseminger, Jr., John L. Schnebly, and William J. Wivell. INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The Invocation was delivered by Rodney Shoop, County Administrator, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag by the full assemblage. CITIZENS PARTICIPATION Ronald Vitkun, President of Yogi Bear's Jellystone Campground, presented a petition in opposition to the proposed 3% tax on campground space. Mr. Vitkun also distributed information on the occupancy rates in his campground and the impact that such a tax would have on residents of Washington County and Maryland. He suggested that if the tax is imposed, a portion of the revenues be used to help with infrastructure needs of the campgrounds. Judi Durham, representing the Hagerstown KOA Campground, presented a petition in opposition to the proposed 3% tax on campground. Miriam Reisburg stated that she feels that a tax on private campgrounds is unfair since their main competition comes from State and Federal parks and the tax would not be imposed on those facilities. George Anikis, a member of the Historical Advisory Committee, informed the Commissioners that the Committee passed a resolution recommending approval of the bid for the sale of the Ditto Knolls property. Leo Reisburg, former campground owner, expressed his opposition to the proposed tax on campgrounds and stated that the revenues received would not be as high as was estimated. Don Klick asked that the County consider providing an entrance to a small parcel of property he owns on Eastern Boulevard. Mr. Klick informed the Commissioners that the parcel was cut off from a larger tract of land when Eastern Boulevard was constructed. Commissioner Snook stated that the Commissioners would review the situation with the Engineering Department and report back to him. Eleanor Hubbard asked the Commissioners to consider providing bulk trash pick-up at the transfer stations. Commissioner Snook indicated that the Commissioners would take this under consideration. Mr. and Mrs. Reisburg JUNE 12, 2001 PAGE TWO voiced their support of Mrs. Hubbard's comments regarding bulk trash pick-up and stated that they are concerned about the consequences of not providing this service. Joyce Dunn voiced concerns about trash being dumped behind the Maugans Meadows development. Ms. Dunn also informed the Commissioners that the Maugansville Historical Society is researching the ownership of the cemetery at the former Mt. Tabor Church to assure that it is maintained properly. COMMISSIONERS' REPORTS AND COMMENTS Commissioner Iseminger stated that he met with City officials and developer Marc Silverman regarding his proposed project in downtown Hagerstown. He informed the Commissioners that he attended the organizational meeting of the Washington County Public Schools Foundation. Commissioner Iseminger stated that he attended the Alternative School graduation and met with local citizens and staff of the Department of the Environment regarding the water appropriation permit for the Mellott quarry. He reported on the meeting of the Advisory Commission to the Board of Health, the joint rezoning hearing, and a meeting with personnel from the Extension Service regarding a new initiative to promote nutrition, exercise, and healthy lifestyles. Commissioner Schnebly reported on the meetings of the Economic Development Commission's Urban Affairs Subcommittee and Historical Advisory Committee. He stated that a meeting of the City/County Water and Sewer subcommittee has been scheduled to continue discussions on the interconnection agreement. Commissioner Swartz stated that he met with members of the Building Trades Union. He reported on the meeting of the Arts & Entertainment District Subcommittee. He also reported on the Ron Phillips Memorial Golf Tournament, the Kids Alive Fest, and a service at the Maugansville Ruritan Club. Commissioner Swartz informed the Commissioners that he met with the new owner of the Hagerstown Suns. Commissioner Snook reported on the meeting of the Executive Committee of the University System of Maryland. REPORTS FROM COUNTY STAFF Robert Arch, Director of Planning & Community Development, reported that the Recreation Department is now fully staffed. He stated that the Comprehensive Plan meetings are continuing and will be held this week in Funkstown and at the Conococheague Elementary School. Mr. Arch indicated that the Agricultural Education Center Board of Directors would like to amend its catering contract. He also reported on the Civil War trails program. Gary Rohrer, Director of Public Works, informed the Board that the Clear Spring Library branch is almost two months ahead of schedule and should be substantially complete in July. He stated that the asbestos abatement has been completed in the Administrative Annex. Mr. Rohrer informed the Commissioners that he is working with the legal staff on the Stormwater Management Ordinance. Commissioner Snook stated that he has received complaints about speeding in the Marty Snook Park and asked Mr. Rohrer to consider placing small speed humps through the Park road to slow the traffic. Debra Bastian, Director of Finance, provided an update on the financial management software upgrade. She informed the Commissioners that the Government Finance Officers Association acknowledged Washington County and its adoption of a debt affordability plan at the national conference in Philadelphia. Ms. Bastian stated that the settlement for bond funds would be held in the near future. Alan Davis, Director of Human Resources, stated that he attended the Blue Ridge Claims Association meeting and the public hearing held by the Salary Study Committee. Mr. Davis informed the Commissioners that the Washington County Community Partnership staffed a booth at the Kids Alive JUNE 12, 2001 PAGE THREE Fest. He indicated that the proposals for actuarial and record keeping services are due next week. Mr. Davis also stated that he and his staff continue to work with CareFirst on the details of the County health plan. COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR'S COMMENTS Rodney Shoop, County Administrator, informed the Commissioners that the telecommunications committee would review the four bids received and interviewed company representatives. He stated that he attended the Associated Builders & Contractors' trade show and picnic last week. APPOINTMENT - BOARD OF SOCIAL SERVICES Motion made by Commissioner Wivell, seconded by Iseminger, to appoint Nettie Anderson -Simmons to the Board of Social Services for a three-year term. Unanimously approved. REAPPOINTMENTS - ANTIETAM BATTLEFIELD ADVISORY COMMITTEE Motion made by Commissioner Swartz, seconded by Schnebly, to reappoint John Schildt, Jan Wetterer, and Charles Webster to the Antietam Battlefield Advisory Committee for three-year terms. Unanimously approved. RECESS - LUNCH The Commissioners recessed at 11:53 a.m. for lunch. AFTERNOON SESSION The afternoon session was called to order at 1:04 p.m. by President Gregory I. Snook, with the following members present: Vice President Paul L. Swartz and Commissioners John L. Schnebly, Bertrand L. Iseminger, Jr., and William J. Wivell. CONTRACT AWARD - BUS ADVERTISING SERVICES FOR THE COUNTY COMMUTER Motion made by Commissioner Schnebly, seconded by Swartz, to award the contract for bus advertising services for the County Commuter to The Pickett News, Inc., the sole bidder. The contract will yield 500 of the projected annual net revenue for the sale of interior and exterior advertising on the buses with $15,000 guaranteed dollars in advertising, for a one-year contract with two consecutive one-year renewal periods. Unanimously approved. BID AWARD — FISCAL YEAR 2002 COUNTY OVERLAY CONTRACT Motion made by Commissioner Iseminger, seconded by Wivell, to award the bid for the Fiscal Year 2002 bituminous concrete overlay program to L.W. Wolfe Enterprises, which submitted the low responsive, responsible bid of $927,266.23. Unanimously approved. SALE OF DITTO KNOLLS FARMSTEAD — CONTINUED DISCUSSION John Martirano, Assistant County Attorney, provided a summary of the events that have transpired regarding the sale of the Ditto Knolls property. The Commissioners discussed whether to accept the high bid of $65,000 that was received at the public auction on May 23, 2001, which resulted in a tie vote at the June 5 meeting. Mr. Martirano informed the Commissioners that the late bid of $75,000 that was received has been withdrawn by the bidder. Mr. Martirano recommended that the bid be awarded to Mr. Fuortes who submitted the high bid. Each of the Commissioners then voiced their opinions on the issue. Motion made by Commissioner Schnebly, seconded by Iseminger, to accept the high bid of $65,000 submitted by Greg Fuortes at the auction held on May 23, 2001 to purchase the Ditto Knolls property. Motion carried with Commissioners Schnebly and Iseminger voted "AYE" and Commissioners Wivell and Swartz voting "NO." Since his vote could affect the outcome, President Snook as the chair was permitted to vote and voted "AYE" and the motion carried. ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT PLAN REVIEW FEES Terry McGee, Chief Engineer, and Gary Rohrer, Director of Public Works, met with the Commissioners to ask that they consider instituting a fee structure for plan review. Mr. McGee recommended a flat fee of $50 for plan review, plus an additional fee of $80 per controlled acre. He JUNE 12, 2001 PAGE FOUR estimated that the proposed fees would generate $77,510 of new revenue. Mr. McGee then provided a summary of costs showing what three typical commercial projects would have been charged using the proposed fee schedule and outlined the findings of a survey showing the fees charged in other counties in Maryland. The Commissioners discussed the recommendation and agreed to hold a public hearing on the proposed fee structure. Motion made by Commissioner Iseminger, seconded by Swartz, to hold a public hearing on the intent to impose a fee structure for plan review by the Engineering Department. Unanimously approved. CONVENE IN CLOSED SESSION Motion made by Commissioner Iseminger, seconded by Wivell, to convene in closed session at 2:23 p.m. 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 Swartz, seconded by Iseminger, to reconvene in open session at 3:02 p.m. Unanimously approved. In closed session, the Commissioners discussed four (4) personnel issues. Present during closed session were Commissioners Gregory I. Snook, Paul L. Swartz, Bertrand L. Iseminger, Jr., John L. Schnebly, and William J. Wivell. Also present at various times were Rodney Shoop, County Administrator; Richard Douglas, County Attorney; John Martirano, Assistant County Attorney; Joni Bittner, County Clerk; James LaFleur, Executive Director of PenMar Development Corporation (PMDC); Steven Hull, Chairman of PMDC; Debra Bastian, Director of Finance; and Alan Davis, Director of Human Resources. ACCOUNTING SUPERVISOR POSITION Motion made by Commissioner Schnebly, seconded by Wivell, to employ Laura Mowen as Accounting Supervisor (Grade 14) at a starting salary of $47,000. Unanimously approved. RE/APPOINTMENTS - PENMAR DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION Motion made by Commissioner Wivell, seconded by Iseminger, to reappoint Wayne Alter, Jr., Regis Binder, Steven Hull and Terry Randall to the PenMar Development Corporation (PMDC) Board of Directors for four-year terms and to appoint Thomas Newcomer for a four-year term. Unanimously approved. RECESS The Commissioners recessed at 3:05 p.m. to attend a joint meeting with the Board of Education at the central office. JOINT MEETING WITH BOARD OF EDUCATION The Commissioners met with the Board of Education at the central office on Commonwealth Avenue at 3:30 p.m. The following members of the Board of Education were present: Paul Bailey, Mary Wilfong, Herbert Hardin, Roxanne Ober, Dori Nipps, and Edward Forrest. Staff members present were Dr. Elizabeth Morgan, Interim Superintendent; John Hull, Interim Assistant Superintendent; Dennis McGee, Director of Facilities Management; William McKinley, Executive Director of Support Services; Martha Roulette, Director of Student Services and Christian South, Director of Budget & Finance. Mr. Bailey introduced the new Interim Superintendent, Dr. Elizabeth Morgan, to the Commissioners. Report on Teen Pregnancy Martha Roulette, Director of Student Services for the Board of Education; John Budesky, Director of the Washington County Community Partnership; William Christoffel, Health Officer; and David Engle, Director of the Washington County Department of Social Services, met with the group to provide an update on teenage pregnancy rates in the County. JUNE 12, 2001 PAGE FIVE Mr. Christoffel stated that the rate of teen pregnancies is an issue of great concern for the County. He informed the group that Washington County has the fourth highest teen pregnancy rate in Maryland. Also of concern is the number of second pregnancies for teens. Mr. Christoffel indicated that the good news is that the preliminary statistics for 2000 show that the rate has decreased. Mr. Budesky reviewed the community plan to reduce teen pregnancy. He stated that community strategies include the expansion of community awareness activities and case coordination services, improvement of services between the agencies, adding nursing outreach to public housing, improving coordination of services to pregnant teens, and supporting alternative education programs. He stated that the goal of the Community Partnership Agreement is reduce teen pregnancies by 200 over a five-year period and second pregnancies by 500. Ms. Roulette provided background information and outlined the school system's strategies and activities for reducing teen pregnancies. Sandy Graff, Supervisor of Science and Family Life Education, reviewed the curriculum the school system uses in its family life classes. Ms. Roulette stated that the next steps include increasing participation in community planning and coordinating efforts to reduce teen pregnancies by implementing the Partnership Agreement, continuing current activities, expanding youth development activities, and maintaining and expanding alternative service options. (Commissioner Schnebly was excused from the meeting at 4:10 P.M.) Fiscal Year 2002 Budget Review Mr. South provided an overview of the reductions made by the Board of Education to eliminate $1.4 million from the FY 2002 budget. The final reductions are as follows: $437,500 - reduction of amount applied to rebuilding healthcare reserves; $120,873 - general inflation; $168,000 - three additional school buses; $200,000 - increased energy costs; $138,000 - additional contract driver routes in Hancock; $41,704 - reduction of travel by 250; $31,465 - reduction of non -instruction equipment by 200; $254,800 - savings in migrating to the three -tiered health plan; $172,638 - savings in insurance, workshops, interest and miscellaneous incomes; ($90,000) increase for additional special education costs; and ($74,980) increase for additional workers' compensation premium. Summary of Priorities and Goals Dr. Morgan informed the Commissioners that the Board has set the following goals: strategic budgeting to tie the outcome to the resources, review and update the current strategic plan, set priorities for recruiting and retention of staff, and create challenging opportunities for students. Mr. Hull provided information on the increasing costs of textbooks and projections on the costs for the next 10 years. Also discussed were ways to increase revenue sources. Request for Funding Mr. Hardin requested that the Commissioners provide an additional $65,000 to be used to fund the buy-out of former Superintendent Bartlett's contract ($35,000) and to fund the nationwide search for a new Superintendent ($30,000). After discussion, the Commissioners took this request under consideration. School Consolidation Update Mrs. Ober informed the Commissioners that the Board of Education members would be discussing the consolidation and facilities report as a group in the near future. ADJOURNMENT Motion made by Commissioner Wivell, seconded by Iseminger, to adjourn at 4:55 p.m. Unanimously approved. County Administrator JUNE 12, 2001 PAGE SIX County Attorney Clerk