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HomeMy WebLinkAbout980512 May 12, 1998 Hagerstown, Maryland The Regular Meeting of the Board of County Commissioners of Washington County, Maryland, was called to order at 7:30 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 - APRIL 20 AND MAY 5, 1998 Motion made by Commissioner Downey, seconded by Bowers, to approve the minutes of April 30, 1998, as submitted, and the minutes of May 5, 1998, as amended. Unanimously approved. ADOPTION OF FISCAL YEAR 1999 BUDGET The Commissioners continued discussions regarding the Fiscal Year 1999 budget and means of providing additional funding for education. Commissioner Snook presented the following proposal: reduce funding to the pretreatment plant by $250,000, reduce the overlay program by $200,000, use $500,000 of the projected surplus for FY 1998, and increase the projections for recordation tax revenue by $150,000, for a total of $1.15 million. He stated that the Commissioners could then provide an additional $1 million to the Board of Education and $150,000 to the Health Department to be used to provide benefits for the school health nurses with the remainder to be used by the Health Department at its discretion. The Commissioners discussed the proposal. Motion made by Commissioner Downey, seconded by Bowers, to approve the Fiscal Year 1999 budget in the following amounts: General Fund budget - $105,999,252; Highway Fund - $5,917,750; Solid Waste Fund - $3,475,432; Proprietary Funds - $16,121,182; and Capital Improvements Program - $10,117,361, which have been amended from the proposal taken to public hearing on April 28, 1998, by providing an additional $1 million to the Board of Education and an additional $150,000 to the Health Department. Motion carried with Commissioners Downey, Shank, Bowers and Snook voting  AYE and Commissioner Wade voting NO. Commissioner Shank noted that this increase to the Board of Education will  increase the Countys maintenance of effort level. He requested that the Health Department provide the Commissioners with a detailed proposal for the distribution of the additional funds. Commissioner Wade expressed his concerns about the obligation created for the next Board of County Commissioners by increasing the funding to the Board of Education. He stated that the Commissioners are not paying enough attention to future  expenditures and the Countys obligations in the year 2000. ADOPTION OF TAX RATE - FISCAL YEAR 1999 Motion made by Commissioner Downey, seconded by Bowers, to retain the current property tax rate for Fiscal Year 1999 of $2.31 per $100 of assessed valuation. Unanimously approved. RECOMMENDATION - MODIFICATION OF WATER & SEWER RATES The Commissioners discussed proposed rates for water and sewer service for FY 1999 as heard at public hearing on April 21, 1998. Commissioner Wade stated for the record that he listened to the tape of the public hearing. Motion made by Commissioner Wade, seconded by Downey, to adopt the rate options for water and sewer presented at the public hearing on April 21, 1998, with a General Fund contribution of $2.3 million, maintaining a 25% operations and maintenance reserve, and a rate increase of four percent for Fiscal Year 1999. Motion made by Commissioner Bowers to amend the main motion to set aside any funds from the FY 1998 surplus above the $4,750,000 previously committed to other projects, to fund infrastructure for future water and sewer projects. The motion died for lack of a second. The main motion carried with Commissioners Wade, Downey, Shank and Snook  voting AYE and Commissioners Bowers voting NO. CONSOLIDATION OF CHIEF PLANT OPERATOR I AND II POSITIONS - WATER & SEWER DEPARTMENT Alan Davis, Director of Human Resources, and Greg Murray, Director of the MAY 12, 1998 PAGE TWO Water & Sewer Department, met with the Commissioners to request that the Plant Operator I (Grade 10) and II (Grade 11) classifications be consolidated into one Chief Plant Operator position at Grade 11 to eliminate the two-tier structure. Mr. Davis explained that all CPO positions would then be equal with cross training to occur to allow the operators to work at different locations. Motion made by Commissioner Bowers, seconded by Shank, to approve the recommendation to consolidate the Chief Plant Operator I and II positions at the Water & Sewer Department into a Chief Plant Operator classification, Grade 11. Unanimously approved. AGREEMENT FOR LEASE OF CONOCOCHEAGUE INDUSTRIAL PRETREATMENT FACILITY - SPIRIT SERVICES, INC. Greg Murray, Director of the Water & Sewer Department, and Clarence Scheer, Chairman of the Water & Sewer Advisory Commission, met with the Commissioners to request their approval to enter into a lease agreement with Spirit Services, Inc. Mr. Murray explained that Spirit Services intends to lease space at the Conococheague Industrial Pretreatment Facility and install equipment to treat oily wastewater, emulsified oils, grease trap waste, and material with a large amount of grit or debris. He stated that this could be a major revenue stream for the facility which would receive a guaranteed five cents per gallon at a minimum of 1,000 gallons per month. Mr. Murray informed the Commissioners that Spirit Services could have its equipment installed before July 1. He also noted the benefits to local industry which now has to haul this waste out of state to be treated. Motion made by Commissioner Shank, seconded by Bowers, to approve the agreement with Spirit Services, Inc. to lease space at the Conococheague Industrial Pretreatment Facility, as presented. Unanimously approved. PROCLAMATION - NATIONAL NURSING HOME WEEK Commissioner Wade read and presented a proclamation to Jim Mitchell and Tim Berry, representing the Nursing Home Administrators Association of Maryland designating the week of May 14 - 21, 1998 as National Nursing Home Week in Washington County and to acknowledge the contributions made to the County and its senior citizens by nursing homes. Mr. Mitchell introduced the staff in attendance and invited the Commissioners to attend the activities planned to commemorate this week. APPROVAL FOR SURPLUS FUNDS - HANCOCK LIBRARY & VEHICLE REPLACEMENT Motion made by Commissioner Downey, seconded by Bowers, to approve the following use of surplus funds as agreed upon at the budget workshop on March 24, 1998: 1) $14,000 to fund shelving for the Hancock Library, and 2) $84,000 for vehicle replacement for the Health Department. Unanimously approved. RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT - EXTENSION OF MARC TRAIN LINE Motion made by Commissioner Shank, seconded by Bowers, to approve the Resolution of Support for the request to the Appalachian Regional Commission for funding in the amount of $60,000 to fund a feasibility study on the proposed extension of MARC system public commuter rail service to Hancock, West Virginia, and to send a letter of support for this project. Unanimously approved. CHANGE ORDER - RESH ROAD II PROJECT Motion made by Commissioner Bowers, seconded by Wade, to approve a change order in the amount of $71,626 with C. William Hetzer, Inc., for the Resh Road II Project, Cell N-3, at the landfill to provide a subsurface drainage system, upgrades to the FRP tank, and an ultrasonic level sensor and controller. Unanimously approved.  COUNTY ADMINISTRATORS COMMENTS Rodney Shoop, County Administrator, informed the Commissioners that the groundbreaking ceremony for Windmere Place will be held on May 14 at 11:00 a.m. The Commissioners authorized Mr. Shoop to proceed to get an estimate from with Paulette Sprinkle to develop the display for the Maryland Association of Counties Annual Conference. The Commissioners asked that Ms. Sprinkle contact Allegany and Garrett Counties to see if they wish to share the costs of a regional display as they have done for the past several years. Commissioner Bowers distributed copies of the new brochure promoting the Lakeside Corporate Center which was developed by the PenMar Development Corporation (PMDC). He also provided an update on MAY 12, 1998 PAGE THREE the activities of the PMDC. APPOINTMENT - PLUMBING BOARD Motion made by Commissioner Bowers, seconded by Downey, to appoint Wallace Giffin to the Plumbing Board for a two-year term. Unanimously approved. PLAN TO ACCOMMODATE AERIAL ADVERTISING Ed Rakowski, Operations Manager, at the Regional Airport briefly reviewed the Plan to Accommodate Aerial Advertising which was presented to the Commissioners on April 28. The Commissioners discussed the Plan and directed that minor revisions be made to it. Motion made by Commissioner Shank, seconded by Bowers, to approve the Plan to Accommodate Aerial Advertising, as revised. Unanimously approved. EARTH DAY POSTER CONTEST WINNERS - PRESENTATIONS John Shank, II, Chairman of the Washington County Soil Conservation District Board, and Joni Kline, District Secretary, appeared before the Commissioners to present the Earth Day Poster Contest winners with their prizes. Mr. Shank stated that each of the first place winners will receive a $75 savings bond and each of the second place winners will receive a $50 savings bond. Ms. Kline informed the Commissioners that the them for this year was  Wonders of Wildlife. Mr. Shank then introduced the first and second place winners and displayed their art work for the following categories: 2nd-3rd Grade - 1st - Lauren Metz, 4th-6th Grade - 1st - Brandon Brown, 2nd - Derek Henry; 7th-9th Grade - 1st - Patrick Hare, 2nd - Nadine Miller; 10th-12th Grade - 1st - Katie Benisek, 2nd - Stephanie Springer. The Commissioners thanked the Soil Conservation Service for its efforts and congratulated the winners and wished them good luck in the State competition. ROBINWOOD DRIVE ALIGNMENT ALTERNATIVES Gary Rohrer, Director of Public Works, and Terry McGee, Chief Engineer, met with the Commissioners to discuss the Robinwood Drive alignment alternatives presented at the public meeting on April 30. Mr. Rohrer also presented their response to comments which were made at the public information meeting with regard to traffic counts, four lanes vs. two lanes, concerns with the three-lane alternative, and follow-up correspondence. The Commissioners discussed speed control in this area. Commissioner Wade suggested a proposal for discussion. Motion made by Commissioner Wade, seconded by Downey, to extend Yale Drive to eventually intersect with the new connector road between Robinwood Drive and Eastern Boulevard and to tie Hagerstown Community College (HCC) into the new road to alleviate traffic congestion; to abandon alternatives A and B; to make improvements along alternative C by: 1) establishing a right-turn lane into HCC, 2) widening Robinwood Drive where possible through existing rights-of-way, 3) to acquire right-of-way where possible on existing Robinwood Drive at intersections to allow modest decel/turn lanes to be constructed, 4) to consider developing a policy for County participation for the construction of turn-arounds on driveways if requested; and 5) to examine which side streets in the Robinwood development could be made one- way; to review the intersection of alternate C at Jefferson Boulevard; and to establish a center line if necessary to the east of Robinwood Drive. Unanimously approved. Motion made by Commissioner Shank, seconded by Bowers, to have the Engineering Department proceed to determine a center line, east of alternative E and the White Hall Road, which may include White Hall Road, to intersect with Maryland Route 64 and allow for eventual extension to Maryland Route 62. Motion carried with Commissioners Shank, Bowers, Downey,  and Snook voting AYE and Commissioner Wade voting NO. The Commissioners asked that the Chief Engineer and Public Works Director meet with them to present their recommendation and get their approval for the alignment. They asked that they try to chose a route which would impact the lowest number amount of people. Commissioner Wade expressed his opposition to intersecting Robinwood Drive through the Woodbridge Subdivision. Commissioner Snook stated that there will be future discussions on the long-term solutions and establishment of a center line. (Commissioner Wade was excused from the meeting at 10:30 a.m.) MAY 12, 1998 PAGE FOUR CITIZENS PARTICIPATION Rich Daughtridge asked for clarification of the actions taken on the Robinwood bypass alignments. Albino Trujillo stated that he feels that many commuters utilize Robinwood Drive to get to Dual Highway and Interstate 70 and suggested that White Hall Road could be used for this purpose if it were improved. Connie Springer voiced her concerns that the Commissioners need to address long-range plans for the Robinwood Drive area. Lenora Bywaters asked for clarification on the area for the alignment to the east of Robinwood Drive. Susan Fisher expressed concerns about improving White Hall Road to allow traffic to get to Route 40 and I-70. Dan Sheedy expressed concerns about the development of his subdivision and how the decisions made by the Commissioners will affect it. He requested that the Engineering Department proceed in a timely manner so that a center line can be established. DEED ACCEPTANCE - WEST OAK RIDGE DRIVE Motion made by Commissioner Downey, seconded by Bowers, to accept the deed from the Board of Education for a fee simple right-of-way along West Oak Ridge Drive which will be used for road improvements for the Prime Retail development. Unanimously approved. WAIVER - FAST PITCH SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT Motion made by Commissioner Bowers, seconded by Shank, to waive the policy of the Recreation & Parks Department and allow metal spikes to be used for a fast-pitch softball tournament which will take place in August. Unanimously approved.  COUNTY COMMISSIONERS REPORTS & COMMENTS Commissioner Downey reported on the meeting of the Advisory Commission to the Board of Health and the ribbon-cutting for the first phase of the rail- trail in Hancock. Commissioner Snook asked the County Administrator to determine whether additional trees have been planted as screening at the Marty Snook Park. He informed the Commissioners that the Mason Dixon Council of the Boy Scouts will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of Camp Sinoquipe on June 20. Commissioner Snook also informed the Commissioners of new and expanded programs which Frostburg State University will be offering in the future. BID AWARD - GROUP HEALTH AND DISABILITY INSURANCE Michael Marchini and Marc Zanger, representing BGS&G Consulting Group, met with the Commissioners regarding the group health & disability insurance bid review. Mr. Zanger outlined the criteria used for the technical proposal review. He stated that during the technical review the Coordinating Committee narrowed the field to Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Maryland, MAMSI Life and Health Insurance Company, and Cigna HealthCare. Mr. Zanger reviewed the criteria used to review the price proposals of these three companies. He stated that the Committee also determined not to include long term disability benefits at this time. After review of the proposals, the Committee recommended awarding the contract to Cigna HealthCare. Motion made by Commissioner Bowers, seconded by Shank, to award the contract for group health insurance to Cigna HealthCare for a one-year contract with the option for two, one-year renewals, based on its proposal as submitted. Unanimously approved. BID AWARD - TRANSPORT OF INDIGENT PATIENTS Motion made by Commissioner Shank, seconded by Bowers, to award the contract for the transport of indigent patients to County Medical Transport which submitted the total base bid of $250.40 per trip for a one-year contract with an option to renew for up to two additional consecutive one-year periods. Unanimously approved. WILLIAMSPORT AMBULANCE RELOCATION Bob Cumberland, Administrative Planner for the Washington County Volunteer Fire & Rescue Association, appeared before the Commissioner to endorse a request from the Williamsport Ambulance Company to relocate its station. He MAY 12, 1998 PAGE FIVE stated that the Company wishes to relocate to a parcel of land on Route 11  beside the McDonalds restaurant in Williamsport. Mr. Cumberland stated that the Association approved the request at its April meeting. The Commissioners discussed the question of access and whether the State Highway Administration would allow them to construct an entrance onto Route 11. Motion made by Commissioner Bowers, seconded by Downey, to approve the relocation of the Williamsport Ambulance Company to the proposed site, contingent upon the satisfactory conclusion of negotiations with the State Highway Administration regarding access to the property. Unanimously approved. CONVENE IN CLOSED SESSION Motion made by Commissioner Shank, seconded by Downey, to convene in closed session at 11:44 a.m. to consult with counsel to obtain legal advice and to consider proposals for businesses or industrial organizations to locate, expand, or remain in the State, 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 Downey, seconded by Bowers, to reconvene in open session at 12:44 a.m. Unanimously approved. In closed session the Commissioners considered three (3) items concerning proposals for businesses or industrial organizations to locate, expand, or remain in the State. (Commissioner Bowers was excused at this time.) RECESS - TOUR OF MARYLAND PAPER The Commissioners recessed at 12:44 p.m. in order to tour the Maryland Paper company. MEETING WITH BOARD OF EDUCATION - WILLIAMSPORT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL The Commissioners met with the Board of Education at Funkstown Elementary School at 3:15 p.m. The following members of the Board of Education were present: Robert Kline, Dori Nipps, Andrew Humphreys, and Edwin Hayes. Also present were Dr. Herman Bartlett, Superintendent of Schools; Chris South, Director of Budget & Finance; and Teresa Flak, Assistant Superintendent for Instruction. FY 1999 Budget Commissioner Snook reviewed the funding proposed for the Board of Education in Fiscal Year 1999. He stated that the Board of County Commissioners agreed to provide an additional $1 million to the Board of Education and $150,000 to the Health Department for the school nursing program. Commissioner Shank asked the Board for a commitment to assure that the reading program will be funded. Dr. Bartlett stated that the Board will have to meet to discuss where they will make the cuts in their budget. Ms. Nipps indicated that their priorities are teacher salaries, the reading program, and hiring additional teachers. Commissioner Snook asked if the Board would have any surplus funds for this fiscal year. Mr. South indicated that they would be bringing the third quarter budget adjustments to the Commissioners in the near future and explained the procedure they have used. He stated that some of the funding from unfilled positions has been used to order textbooks for the next school year. The group discussed items they wish to have scheduled on the agenda at next  months meeting. Items included the professional development program, overcrowding in schools, an update on CIP projects, and the South High renovation project. Long-Range Strategic Plan Ms. Flak distributed an update on the committees involved with the strategic planning process. She stated that there are ten subcommittees and provided a brief report on the activities of each subcommittee. ADJOURNMENT Motion made by Commissioner Downey, seconded by Shank, to adjourn at 4:30 p.m. Unanimously approved MAY 12, 1998 PAGE SIX