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HomeMy WebLinkAbout980217 February 17, 1998 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 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 Wade, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag by the full assemblage. APPROVAL OF MINUTES - FEBRUARY 3, 1998 Motion made by Commissioner Downey, seconded by Bowers, to approve the minutes of February 3, 1998, as submitted. Unanimously approved. COMMISSIONERS REPORTS AND COMMENTS Commissioner Downey complimented the letter sent by the Water & Sewer Department to the Delegation to the General Assembly regarding the projects discussed at the joint meeting with them. Commissioner Wade stated that he feels the Commissioners should send a letter of support to the Delegation on the water quality issues. Commissioner Shank informed the Commissioners that 55 men and women made the trip to Baltimore on Saturday to help move the bleachers from Memorial Stadium which were purchased for use at the Agricultural Education Center. Commissioner Bowers stated that he feels that any sewer problems should be addressed before proceeding with rezoning requests for the corridor below the Valley Mall. Commissioner Snook informed the Commissioners that he received a letter from Senator Munson regarding his attempts to secure funding from the State Highway Administration to place signs welcoming motorists to Washington County. The Commissioners expressed their support for the project. Commissioner Downey suggested sending this request to the Convention & Visitors Bureau for their support.  COUNTY ADMINISTRATORS COMMENTS Rodney Shoop, County Administrator, informed the Commissioners that the total cost of the County-wide bulk trash clean-up week at the landfill was $15,600. Mr. Shoop stated that they are also organizing a free clean-up week to be held in the fall. After discussion, the Commissioners agreed to designate a week in the spring for bulk trash clean up at the landfill. UPDATE ON ENGINEERING PROJECTS Gary Rohrer, Director of Public Works, met with the Commissioners to provide updated information on projects in the Engineering Department. Mr. Rohrer informed the Commissioners that 38 of the 60 projects in the Capital Improvements Projects (CIP) budget are for the repair or replacement of bridges. He outlined each of the projects and the proposed time line. Mr. Rohrer proposed that the Massey Boulevard/Halfway Boulevard intersection project be moved back two years to allow the State to complete its project to reconstruct the I-81/Halfway Boulevard interchange. He expressed his concerns regarding the impact to the area and local business if two major intersections so close together were under construction at the same time. Commissioner Bowers opposed this recommendation and stated that he feels the traffic coming from the reconstructed interchange at I-81 would flow into the Massey Boulevard/Halfway Boulevard area and cause congestion at that intersection if it is not completed. Also discussed were the alignments for the Robinwood Drive area. The Commissioners asked that an update be  scheduled on next weeks agenda to allow them to review and comment on the alternatives to be proposed at the public hearing. RURAL HERITAGE MUSEUM - PROPOSED BYLAWS Richard Douglas, County Attorney, reviewed the proposed bylaws for the FEBRUARY 17, 1998 PAGE TWO Washington County Rural Heritage Museum Committee. He stated that he does not feel the bylaws require the specific approval of the Commissioners because it is simply a committee of the Agricultural Education Center Board of Directors. The Commissioners reviewed the bylaws presented and agreed that they were satisfactory but that future committee bylaws would not require their approval. Motion made by Commissioner Bowers, seconded by Shank, to approve the concept of the bylaws as proposed for the Washington County Rural Heritage Museum. Unanimously approved. REQUEST FOR SUPPORT - VETERANS HOME FOR WASHINGTON COUNTY Ray Linebaugh, President of the Joint Veterans Council, and Peter Callas, member of the Council, appeared before the Commissioners to solicit support for their proposal that a veterans home be established in Washington County at Fort Ritchie. Mr. Linebaugh indicated that they are interested in using the three dormitories and the dining facility at Fort Ritchie for the home. He stated that they are also open for suggestions for other possible sites in the County. Mr. Callas indicated that he has approached the Delegation to request that they introduce a bill to have the State conduct a feasibility study for such an operation. He asked that the Commissioners send a letter supporting this request. Jim Sweiger of AmVets Post 10 also asked the Commissioners to support this proposal. The Commissioners discussed the request for a feasibility study and agreed to support it if it is not site-specific. They recommended that a search committee be established to locate a site in Washington County. Motion made by Commissioner Bowers, seconded by Wade, to send a letter to the Maryland Veterans Commission supporting the location of a veterans home in Washington County and recommending that a search committee be established under the auspices of the State to locate an appropriate site for the home. Unanimously approved. PERMITS & INSPECTIONS DEPARTMENT VACANCIES Alan Davis, Director of Human Resources, and Paul Prodonovich, Director of Permits & Inspections Department, met with the Commissioners regarding a vacancy in the Permits & Inspections Department. Mr. Prodonovich explained that there is an Office Associate III (Grade 6) vacancy in his Department, and he requested that this position be upgraded to a Permits Technician (Grade 7) position to make it consistent with the other positions in the office. Motion made by Commissioner Shank, seconded by Wade, to authorize the upgrade the position of Office Associate III, Grade 6, in the Permits & Inspections Department to Permits Technician, Grade 7, to fill the existing vacancy. Unanimously approved. WATER & SEWER DEPARTMENT - LONG-TERM DEBT UPDATE Debra Bastian, Director of Finance, and Greg Murray, Director of the Water & Sewer Department, informed the Commissioners of the preliminary test results from a pilot study of the Conococheague and Nicodemus treatment facilities. Mr. Murray stated that the County has budgeted the upgrade of both facilities to meet the new standards for biological nutrient removal (BNR). He indicated that the study results show that the Conococheague plant will meet the BNR standards at its designed capacity. The State has concurred that a combination of the flows from both the Conococheague and Nicodemus facilities into one facility will result in a substantial savings in the upgrade and operational costs of the facilities. Mr. Murray stated that combining the flows from the two facilities will result in upgrade costs of $5 million as FEBRUARY 17, 1998 PAGE THREE opposed to the $12 million projected in the CIP budget. He explained that this will provide significant savings to the rate payers. Ms. Bastian provided a comparison of the projected debt balance for the sewer fund and how the information regarding the BNR study will affect the borrowing for CIP and the debt balance. She stated that borrowing of bond funds for the CIP project has been adjusted from $9.5 million down to $5.5 million for FY 1998-2007 and there is a possibility that an adjustment will be made to the amount the County proposes to borrow in 1999. Ms. Bastian indicated that preliminary projections indicate that rate increases for the users of the system will be 3-5 percent rather than the 9 percent increase previously projected. Long-range rate increases may also be lower than projected. Commissioner Wade asked that similar information be prepared for  the Countys water fund and industrial pre-treatment plant to allow the Commissioners to review alternatives regarding the general fund contribution and rate increases. Commissioner Bowers asked Ms. Bastian to provide  information regarding the City of Hagerstowns sewer fund to include its existing debt, proposed debt, and projected rate increases for the next five years. The Commissioners thanked Mr. Murray and Ms. Bastian and asked that they convey their appreciation to the Water & Sewer Advisory Commission for diligently monitoring this study. CITIZENS PARTICIPATION  Mike Armel requested the Commissioners consideration of issues addressed in a petition given to them. Donald Allensworth stated that he felt it should have been revealed earlier that Allegheny Energy was going to purchase naming rights for the proposed stadium. He also asked who would run a regional water and sewer authority if such an authority is approved. Charles Shindle asked the Commissioners to please utilize the sound system in place to assist those in attendance to better hear their comments. DEED TRANSFER FOR SOUTH HIGH RENOVATION - BOARD OF EDUCATION Motion made by Commissioner Downey, seconded by Wade, to transfer a deed for a portion of County property adjacent to South Hagerstown High School to the Board of Education for its use in the upcoming South High renovation project. Unanimously approved.  COUNTY ADMINISTRATORS COMMENTS - CONTINUED Mr. Shoop informed the Commissioners that County employees collected $402 for the January Casual Day which was donated to Y-Me of the Cumberland Valley. Mr. Shoop stated that the Convention and Visitors Bureau will be  the coordinating the Marylands Most Beautiful People program this year. DISCUSSION OF RESPONSE FROM HAGERSTOWN HOUSING AUTHORITY The Commissioners discussed the response they received from the Hagerstown Housing Authority declining their request to expand the Board from five members to seven members. The Housing Authority also expressed its opposition to changing the name to include Washington County. The Commissioners agreed that the response of the letter was not reflective of the discussions which occurred with the Housing Authority. Commissioner Wade stated that he feels the Commissioners should respond to the letter to  clarify that they did not demand or dictate but simply expressed their concerns and requests. Commissioner Downey stated that he hopes the Mayor would agree to appoint County residents and recommended that the Commissioners utilize the Washington County Housing Authority in an advisory capacity until the three new elderly FEBRUARY 17, 1998 PAGE FOUR projects are constructed and continue to employ Richard Willson to administer the projects. After discussion, the Commissioners agreed to consider having the Washington County Housing Authority develop a three-year plan to move it toward independence, without the County financial contribution, if the merger with the Hagerstown Housing Authority is not approved. Motion made by Commissioner Wade, seconded by Bowers, not to proceed with the merger of the Washington County Housing Authority and the Hagerstown Housing Authority as presented and to proceed with other options to offer the Washington County Housing Authority the opportunity to move toward autonomy. Unanimously approved. REAPPOINTMENT - SOLID WASTE ADVISORY COMMITTEE Motion made by Commissioner Bowers, seconded by Downey, to reappoint Ralph Burdick to the Solid Waste Advisory Committee for a three-year term. Unanimously approved.  REAPPOINTMENTS - WASHINGTON COUNTY CHILDRENS COUNCIL Motion made by Commissioner Bowers, seconded by Downey, to reappoint Stephanie Scott, Dee Snyder, Charles Wainwright, Claudia Martin, and Theresa  Shifler to the Washington County Childrens Council for three-year terms. Unanimously approved. REVIEW OF PENSION PLAN - INVESCO Alan Davis, Director of Human Resources, introduced Mike Harhai and Bob Moore from Invesco who presented the annual review of the investment  performance of the Countys pension plan. Mr. Harhai informed the Commissioners that the equity market summary shows a 33% percent increase for 1997. Mr. Moore reviewed the fixed income market summary and the  portfolio summary. He stated that Washington Countys portfolio ended with a market value of $27.8 million. Mr. Moore attributed the excellent year to the low rate of inflation and the consumer price index of 2.02%. He then reviewed the asset distribution, asset growth, transactions, and performance. Mr. Harhai stated that these have been exceptional times and cautioned the Commissioners that he feels there will be a regression back toward the mean. Mr. Harhai and Mr. Moore then answered questions from the Commissioners regarding the plan. Commissioner Snook thanked them for the presentation and for the good news. CONVENE IN CLOSED SESSION Motion made by Commissioner Wade, seconded by Shank, to convene in closed session at 12:00 p.m. to consider 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 Shank, seconded by Downey, to reconvene in open session at 12:03 p.m. Unanimously approved. In closed session the Commissioners considered one (1) personnel issue. UTILITY WORKER I POSITIONS - WATER & SEWER DEPARTMENT Motion made by Commissioner Wade, seconded by Bowers, to employ Jim Bowers, and Michael Fitz in Utility Worker I positions, Grade 4, at the Water & Sewer Department to fill the existing vacancies. Unanimously approved. RECESS - LUNCH The Commissioners recessed at 12:03 p.m. for lunch. FEBRUARY 17, 1998 PAGE FIVE AFTERNOON SESSION The afternoon session was called to order at 1:00 p.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. BUDGET PRESENTATION - TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT Roads Department - J. Theodore Wolford, Superintendent of the Transportation Department; James Sterling, Assistant Superintendent; Jack Reynard, Shop Supervisor; Craig Pensinger, Traffic & Safety Supervisor; and Diane Mongan, Office Associate, presented the Roads Department budget request for FY 1998- 99 in the total amount of $6,004,762 for all budgets. The staff highlighted the major changes in budget categories and line items and the reasons for the increase. County Commuter - Kevin Cerrone, Transportation Manager, and Mr. Wolford presented the budget request for the County Commuter and S.T.A.P. program for FY 1998-99 in the amount of $1,305,007. AUTHORIZATION TO PURCHASE BUSES Motion made by Commissioner Wade, seconded by Shank, to authorize the request to purchase three mid-size buses for the County Commuter for $285,000 with delivery in fiscal year 1999. Unanimously approved. BUDGET PRESENTATION - SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT Robert Davenport, Director of the Solid Waste Department, along with Steven Zies, Operations Manager; and Harvey Hoch, Recycling Coordinator, presented the budget request for the Solid Waste Department for FY 1998-99 in the amount of $3,547,395. PROPOSED LEGISLATION - BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS Richard Douglas, County Attorney, informed the Commissioners that the Charles County delegation has submitted House Bill 715 to help ease the case load of its zoning appeals board by authorizing the Board of County Commissioners to delegate an appropriate official to grant administrative adjustments in minor cases in accordance with established criteria. Mr. Douglas stated that this bill is only applicable to Charles County at this time but Washington County could be included in the legislation. After discussion, the Commissioners asked Mr. Douglas to send a request to our delegation to ask the Charles County delegation to include Washington County in the bill by amendment. REVIEW OF MEDICAL LEAVE POLICY The Commissioners asked that a the Director of Human Resources review the  Countys medical and maternity leave policy with them at next weeks meeting. APPROVAL OF MINUTES - FEBRUARY 10, 1998 Motion made by Commissioner Bowers, seconded by Downey, to approve the minutes of February 10, 1998, as amended. Unanimously approved. TAX REBATE MEETING - CITY OF HAGERSTOWN The Commissioners met with Mayor Robert Bruchey and Council members William Breichner, Al Boyer, Susan Saum-Wicklein, and Wallace McClure regarding the tax rebate for the City of Hagerstown. Commissioner Snook stated that, pursuant to Section 6-306, of the Tax-Property Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland, the Commissioners are required to meet with each municipality annually to discuss the tax differential or payment in lieu of services program. Commissioner Snook stated that for Fiscal Year 1997 Hagerstown will receive $730,115 and $693,659 for Fiscal Year 1998. Mayor Bruchey had several questions about the agreement which was executed in 1986. Councilman Breichner suggested that the agreement may need to be revisited to include other categories in addition to parks, police, and highways. Commissioner FEBRUARY 17, 1998 PAGE SIX Snook asked the City officials to list the specific items they would like to see included and the Commissioners will discuss it with them. Mayor Bruchey  stated that he would also like to address the Countys use of general fund monies for the water and sewer debt. ADJOURNMENT Motion made by Commissioner Shank, seconded by Wade, to adjourn at 4:37 p.m. Unanimously approved. County Administrator County Attorney , Clerk