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HomeMy WebLinkAbout960116 January 16, 1996 Hagerstown, Maryland The Regular Meeting of the Board of County Commissioners of Washington County was called to order at 8:30 a.m. by the President, Gregory I. Snook, with the following members present: Vice President John S. Shank, and Commissioners Ronald L. Bowers, R. Lee Downey, and James R. Wade. 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. APPROVAL OF MINUTES - JANUARY 2, 1996 Motion made by Commissioner Downey, seconded by Bowers, to approve the minutes of January 2, 1996, as submitted. Unanimously approved. BID AWARD - UNIFORMS FOR SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES Motion made by Commissioner Shank, seconded by Wade, to award the bid for uniforms for Sheriff's deputies to Hoffman Clothiers, Inc. who submitted the low and only bid of $22,909.50 for a one (1) year contract with an option to renew for two (2) additional consecutive one (1) year periods. Unanimously approved. BID AWARD - FLOATING SEWER SYSTEM DEGREASER Karen Luther, Purchasing Agent, reviewed the bids for the floating sewer system degreaser for the Water & Sewer Department. She informed the Commissioners that under the terms of the bid documents, the bidders were required to submit a sample for a thirty (30) day performance evaluation. The Water & Sewer Department reserved the right to reject the bid of the low bidder if the product proved, over that period of time, not to perform to specification requirements. She stated that she was informed by the Water & Sewer Department that the product sample from the low bidder, Burden Chemical Company, proved ineffective on the grease in their system, and she is recommending that the bid be awarded to the next low bidder, George S. Coyne Chemical Co., Inc., whose product has been proven effective in the past. Motion made by Commissioner Downey, seconded by Wade, to award the bid for twenty-six (26) 55-gallon drums of floating sewer system degreaser to George S. Coyne Chemical Co., Inc. who submitted the lowest acceptable bid in the amount of $14,857.70. Unanimously approved. COMMISSIONERS' REPORTS AND COMMENTS Commissioner Bowers reported on the meeting held by the Executive Committee for the base reuse at Ft. Ritchie and the Maryland Tourism Council's event "A Taste of Maryland" which was held in Annapolis. Commissioner Downey reported on the Governor's Council for the White House Conference Report on Tourism and the meeting with members of the Agricultural Education Center Committee. Commissioner Snook welcomed new Herald-Mail reporter, Ellen Lyon. He also informed the Commissioners that Black Rock Golf Course was ranked by Golf Digest magazine as the 6th best public golf course in the State of Maryland. ADMINISTRATOR'S COMMENTS Rodney Shoop, County Administrator, announced that those attending the Commissioners' meeting are not to park in the spaces reserved for the bank but should utilize the metered parking spaces. Mr. Shoop reminded the Commissioners of the Western Maryland Counties meeting scheduled for Friday, January 19, at Ft. Ritchie and the meeting regarding Core County Services that afternoon. Mr. Shoop informed the Commissioners that two vacancies exist on the Advisory Commission to the Board of Health. APPOINTMENT - BOARD OF EXAMINERS & SUPERVISORS FOR ELECTRICIANS Motion made by Commissioner Bowers, seconded by Shank, to appoint Jerry Davis to the Board of Examiners and Supervisors for Electricians for a three year term. Unanimously approved. APPOINTMENT - REHABILITATION LOAN COMMITTEE Motion made by Commissioner Shank, seconded by Bowers, to appoint Housing Authority member John Harshman to the Rehabilitation Loan Committee. Unanimously approved. JANUARY 16, 1996 PAGE TWO BUDGET TRANSFER REQUEST - LANDFILL The Commissioners considered a budget transfer request from the Landfill for screening at the rubblefill and asked that the Solid Waste Advisory Committee review this request and make a recommendation to them for consideration. Commissioner Downey asked that the Parks Department check to see if there is adequate space to put a park or soccer field on the land near the rubblefill. STREET ACCEPTANCE - WINDSOR FARMS SUBDIVISION Motion made by Commissioner Bowers, seconded by Wade, to accept 1,587 linear feet of Hollow Tree Lane, located in Section A of the Windsor Farms Subdivision, with a one-year maintenance bond of $16,000. Unanimously approved. STREET ACCEPTANCE - COLONIAL PARK EAST SUBDIVISION Motion made by Commissioner Wade, seconded by Bowers, to accept 1,300 linear feet of Dartmouth Drive and an extension of 250 linear feet of Cornell Avenue, located in the Colonial Park East Subdivision, with a two-year maintenance bond of $15,500. Unanimously approved. TRANSIT SERVICE PROPOSAL J. Theodore Wolford, Superintendent of the Transportation Department, and Susan Sharer, representing the Transportation Coalition, met with the Commissioners to present their recommendations for route changes for the County Commuter. Mr. Wolford presented the following proposals: 1) Eliminate the Hancock route (Fridays) and the Boonsboro/Keedysville/Sharpsburg route (Wednesday and Saturday). Mr. Wolford stated that he has had discussions with the Commission on Aging to see if they would contract with the County to provide this service using a van, but they do not think it would be cost-effective for them to do this. 2) Extend the Funkstown route to cover the MVA, the Greyhound Bus Terminal and the Martin's Store. 3) Extend the West End/Salem Avenue route to cover CES, Western Maryland Parkway and Phoenix Color. 3) Adjust the morning trip times on the Williamsport route to include Governor Lane Boulevard and other streets in Williamsport on this route. 4) Reroute the South End Shopping Center route to eliminate "deadhead" time. 5) Eliminate the Martin's Food Market stop on the Hagerstown Junior College route, which would be picked up by the Funkstown route, and consider a 5:15 p.m. stop at HJC on the Smithsburg route. 6) Consider eliminating certain evening runs to Longmeadow Shopping Center and add service to HJC on weekday evenings. 7) Reroute the 8:30 a.m. Smithsburg route to include several other streets to the route. 8) Reschedule the Shoppers Special to allow additional time and to add several other housing projects. Mr. Wolford stated that they recommend monitoring some of the route changes for a six-month period to determine if they should be continued. Mr. Wolford and Ms. Sharer also reviewed other pending considerations and suggestions. The Commissioners discussed the recommendations and thanked the committee for the suggestions. Commissioner Bowers suggested that they contact the Board of Education to see if the Career Studies Center buses could be utilized for the Hancock and Boonsboro/Keedysville/Sharpsburg routes. Al Boyer, member of the Transportation Commission, stated that he feels Commissioner Bowers' suggestion is a good one but that the school buses are not equipped with wheelchair lifts and may not satisfy federal requirements. SNOW REMOVAL UPDATE Mr. Wolford estimated that the recent costs for snow removal during the recent blizzard were over $300,000. He stated that the Roads Department is now working with Fire & Rescue Communications to calculate the exact costs to send to the State FEMA office for possible reimbursement. Mr. Wolford indicated that the Roads Department has a satisfactory amount of fuel and chemicals but that flooding may be a problem if the County receives the amount of rainfall predicted for this week. He said that they will be working with the Board of Education to improve roads for school buses. Commissioner Bowers and Commissioner Shank asked that a plan be drafted to help prepare for future occurrences. Mr. Wolford expressed his appreciation to County employees in other departments who helped with snow removal efforts. Commissioner Snook thanked Mr. Wolford and asked that he communicate the Commissioners' appreciation to the crews for the long hours they worked and for their dedication. STATE FUNDING DEFICIT IMPACT - MENTAL HEALTH AUTHORITY Leon Bayless, Executive Director of the Mental Health Authority, met with the Commissioners to advise them of the impacts that the 1995-96 State General Fund reductions will have on the individual mental health programs in the County. JANUARY 16, 1996 PAGE THREE Mr. Bayless stated that the Mental Hygiene Administration Community Programs anticipate budget cuts of $1,422,293, and Washington County's share will be $60,998, if Federal funding is included, or $56,029 if only state general funds are cut. He provided information on how this budget reduction would affect Turning Point, the Mental Health Center, the Washington County Hospital, and the Mental Health Authority. PUBLIC HEARING - GUIDELINES FOR DISPOSITION OF GAMING FUNDS The Commissioners convened the public hearing at 10:15 a.m. in order to consider the Guidelines for Disposition of Gaming Funds. Stu Mullendore, member of the Gaming Commission, reviewed the guidelines and informed the Commissioners that they are considering extending the first application period through February 1. Commissioner Downey asked the Gaming Commission to consider adding provisions to allow the disbursement of funds for emergency situations rather than twice a year. It was the consensus of the Gaming Commission to include the language "and at any other time deemed necessary by the Commission" in the funding schedule. The hearing was then opened for public testimony. Kathy Vogt, Executive Director of the United Way; Jim Mobley, Director of Food Resources; Sue Shaffer, Director of the Parent/Child Center; Paul Pittman, Director of the Child Care Resource Center; and Bob Lauver, Todd's Amusement Center, provided testimony on the proposed guidelines. The hearing was closed at 10:38 a.m. Commissioner Snook announced that the record will remain open until January 26, 1996, to receive any written testimony. CITIZEN PARTICIPATION Donald Allensworth distributed a copy of his letter to the local newspaper regarding funding for stadiums in Maryland. APPROVAL OF STREET NAMES - TRICKLING SPRING LANE AND WHEATFIELD DRIVE Motion made by Commissioner Shank, seconded by Bowers, to approve the road names of Trickling Spring Lane and Wheatfield Drive, new roads which are currently under construction, as requested by the property owner and in accordance with the road naming policy. Unanimously approved. MISS WASHINGTON COUNTY SCHOLARSHIP PAGEANT CONTRIBUTION The Commissioners discussed the $1,000 appropriation requested by the Miss Washington County Scholarship Pageant. The Commissioners decided to have the Convention and Visitors Bureau make a recommendation for the coming year but stated that it was not a budgeted item in FY 1994-95 and denied the request. CONVENE IN CLOSED SESSION Motion made by Commissioner Shank, seconded by Downey, to convene in Closed Session at 10:55 a.m., with regard to personnel matters and to consider businesses relocating in Washington County, in accordance with Section 10-508 of the State Government Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland. Unanimously approved. The Commissioners recessed from 12:11 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. for lunch. RECONVENE IN REGULAR SESSION Motion made by Commissioner Wade, seconded by Bowers, to reconvene in Regular Session at 2:26 p.m. Unanimously approved. In Closed Session the Commissioners discussed five (5) personnel matters and seven (7) economic development and land matters. Commissioner Bowers was excused from the Meeting at this time. MEETING WITH BOARD OF EDUCATION The Commissioners met with Board of Education members Thomas Berry, Jan Cirincione, Dori Nipps, and Robert Kline. Also present at the meeting were Dr. Wayne Gersen, Superintendent of Schools; David Brandenburg, Supervisor of Accounting; and James Lemmert, Assistant Superintendent of Operations. Budget Development Process The Commissioners reviewed their budget presentation schedule and hearing schedule. Dr. Gersen asked that they be given their final budget allotment figure by mid-May so they can proceed to negotiate contracts with employee groups. Commissioner Snook advised the Board that they should use the Maintenance of Effort figure at this time for budget purposes because of proposed State funding cuts to the counties, but the Commissioners would be willing to consider one-time JANUARY 16, 1996 PAGE FOUR costs which would not be subject to inclusion in the maintenance of effort calculations if additional funds are available. The Commissioners also discussed the change to the Gaming legislation which Delegate Poole is requesting which would allow booster clubs to use tip jars for fundraising events. 1997-2002 Capital Programs Dr. Gersen presented the 1997-2002 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) budget which was submitted to the Interagency Committee (IAC). He informed the Commissioners that the appeal to the Board of Public Works for the Lincolnshire roofing project will be on January 31. The Commissioners agreed to send a representative to the appeal hearing. Commissioner Snook stated that the County is still following their proposed plan for the CIP budget. Dr. Gersen also reviewed their current projects which are out for bid at this time and those which have been completed. Task Force for Possible Consolidation of Public Services Mr. Shoop informed the Board of Education members that the recently appointed Task Force on the Possible Consolidation of Public Services will hold its organizational meeting on January 18. The Commissioners reviewed the membership and informed the Board that the task force will be considering the areas of computer information services, insurance, building maintenance, transportation and purchasing. The Commissioners stated that they would welcome names of individuals or staff to serve on sub-committees. Mr. Berry informed the Commissioners that the audit report recommended that they have a disaster replacement plan in place for software backup. The Commissioners agreed to have Ronald Whitt, Director of Computer Information Services, meet with Board of Education personnel to determine if the County could provide back-up services. Mr. Brandenburg informed the Commissioners that the RFP for the fixed asset inventory bid should be awarded in February and the system in place by June 1996. Dr. Gersen provided an update on legislative changes being considered for the maintenance of effort formula. He stated that a compromise has been reached which would redefine the maintenance of effort at 60% of its current level and also would provide provisions for a complete waiver, effective in 1997, if certain qualifications are met. Dr. Gersen stated that the budget categories in the formula would remain the same. He provided information on the programs the Governor has agreed to fund in next fiscal year's budget for education. Commissioner Downey informed the Board members of traffic signalization and improvements at the Mt. Aetna Road/Yale Drive intersection. WILLIAMSPORT VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY - AUTHORIZATION TO ENTER INTO LEASE AGREEMENT Motion made by Commissioner Downey, seconded by Wade, pursuant to Section 147(f) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, to approve the actions taken by the Williamsport Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., to enter into a lease/purchase agreement with Comvest Limited, Inc., to finance two Pierce pumper trucks. A public hearing was held in December 1995 by the fire company in order to satisfy the requirements of this Code. The obligations of the Lessee shall never be deemed as obligations of the County. Unanimously approved. EMPLOY - PROJECT MANAGER & ADMINISTRATIVE SECRETARY - FT. RITCHIE AND ACCOUNTING CLERK II Motion made by Commissioner Shank, seconded by Wade, as the Local Redevelopment Authority (LRA), to employ Lonnie Knickmeier as Project Manager and Eileen Kerslake as Administrative Secretary for Ft. Ritchie under grant funding, and to employ Robin Crumpleton as Accounting Clerk II in the Housing & Community Development office to fill an existing vacancy. Unanimously approved. SNOW REMOVAL EMERGENCY PLAN The Commissioners discussed the need for a snow removal plan. Mr. Shoop informed them that the disaster plan will be revised and will include an updated snow removal plan. DISCUSSION OF PRIVATIZATION OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION The Commissioners discussed the issue of privatizing the Economic Development Commission and the role of County government in economic development issues. The Commissioners decided to discuss this issue again in the near future. ADJOURNMENT Motion made by Commissioner Shank, seconded by Wade, to adjourn at 3:51 p.m. Unanimously approved.