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March 7, 2006
Hagerstown, Maryland
The Commissioners attended the “State of the City” forum
sponsored by the Hagerstown-Washington County Chamber of
Commerce at the Clarion Inn & Convention Center at 7:30 a.m.
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:
Vice President William J. Wivell and Commissioners James F.
Kercheval, John C. Munson, and Doris J. Nipps. Commissioner
Munson was absent.
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 – FEBRUARY 28, 2006
Motion made by Commissioner Wivell, seconded by Kercheval, to
approve the minutes of February 28, 2006, as submitted.
Unanimously approved.
INTRODUCTION OF NEW EMPLOYEES
Dee Hawbaker, Human Resources Administrator, introduced new
County employees Christopher Michael, Francis Vincent II, and
Ray Younker, Jr. (Detention Center), and Sara Henke, Traci
Encisco, and Holly Burbee (Planning). The Commissioners
welcomed the new employees and wished them well in their
positions.
COMMISSIONERS’ REPORTS AND COMMENTS
Commissioner Kercheval reported on the meetings of the Planning
Commission, 2+2 Committee, and the Downtown Redevelopment
Committee.
Commissioner Nipps informed the Commissioners that she presented
an award to a sixth grade student who won the State Elks essay
contest. She also reported on the meetings of the Historic
District Commission and Recreation and Parks Board.
Commissioner Snook stated that he attended the PRIDE Committee
meeting and MACo Legislative Committee meeting. He provided an
update on the early voting initiative.
APPOINTMENT – MENTAL HEALTH ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Motion made by Commissioner Kercheval, seconded by Nipps, to
appoint Joyce Martin to the Mental Health Advisory Committee for
a three-year term. Unanimously approved.
REAPPOINTMENT – RECREATION & PARKS BOARD
Motion made by Commissioner Nipps, seconded by Wivell, to
reappoint Deborah Murphy to the Recreation and Parks Board for a
three-year term. Unanimously approved.
REPORTS FROM COUNTY STAFF
Gary Rohrer, Director of Public Works, reminded the
Commissioners that a joint meeting is scheduled next Tuesday
with the Hagerstown Mayor and City Council to hear the State
Highway Administration’s presentation on the proposed project at
Edgewood Drive and Route 40. He informed the Commissioners that
the City’s discussions regarding the proposed R. Paul Smith
Boulevard are only for the Howell Road section. The
Commissioners agreed to discuss it next week at the meeting with
the Council.
Mike Thompson, Director of Planning, informed the Commissioners
that Ben Clopper has been named President of the Planning
Commission and George Anikis is now Vice President.
SOLID WASTE OPERATIONAL BUDGET & COST OF SERVICE RATES
Debra Murray, Director of Finance, and Robert Davenport,
Director of the Solid Waste Department, met with the
Commissioners to review the proposed model and cost of service
analysis for the landfill. Ms. Murray informed the
Commissioners that they are recommending the following changes
to the tip fee structure: 1) Increase the rubble/composting fee
to $60; 2)
MARCH 7, 2006
PAGE TWO
Increase the regular tip fee to $50; 3) Increase the senior
permit fee to $95; and 4) Increase the regular permit fee to
$130. She stated that
is would increase the subsidy from permit fees by $291,000. Ms.
Murray noted that the model does not include the re-opening of
the rubble landfill.
Ms. Murray stated that the landfill’s operating reserves would
be fully funded at $646,000 and closure and post-closure costs
would be fully funded at $3,077,000. She indicated that future
construction costs would have a $1 million shortfall, but that
this would be put into rate design to be funded over a three to
four year period.
Mr. Davenport presented the proposed FY 2007 budget for a total
of $9,948,540. The meeting was then opened for questions from
the Commissioners.
CITIZENS’ PARTICIPATION
There was no one present who wished to comment.
COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR’S COMMENTS
Rodney Shoop, County Administrator, noted that the State of the
City’s presentation inaccurately stated that the City was the
only entity that had received the Distinguished Budget
Presentation Award from the Government Finance Officers
Association (GFOA). He indicated that the County Finance
Department has received this award from GFOA for the past two
years.
BID AWARD – PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT AND RUNWAY EXTENSION PROJECT
BONDS OF 2006
Debra Murray, Director of Finance, Lester Guthorn, Financial
Advisor, and Timmy Ruppersberger, Bond Counsel, appeared before
the Commissioners at 11:00 a.m. to receive and evaluate
electronic bids for the Public Improvement and Runway Extension
Project Bonds of 2006 via the Parity service. Mr. Guthorn
congratulated the County for the upgrades it received from bond
rating agencies Moody’s and Standard & Poors. He stated that
both agencies cited strong financial management as positives for
the County and noted how this would affect the County on basis
points. The Commissioners viewed the bids online and evaluated
the bid representing the lowest interest rate to the County. At
this time, Mr. Guthorn and Ms. Ruppersberger left the meeting to
review and verify the bids submitted and stated that they would
return for award of the bid.
Commissioner Snook was excused from the meeting at this time,
and Commissioner Wivell assumed the chair. Commissioner Snook
returned at 11:14 a.m.
AGRICULTURAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POSITION
R. Matt Harsh, Agricultural Economic Development Educator with
Penn State Cooperative Extension of Adams County, met with the
Commissioners to share information on his position and job
responsibilities. Mr. Harsh recommended that, if the proposal
to create a similar position in Washington County is filled,
that the individual should be located at the Extension Service
rather than the Economic Development Commission. He stated that
farmers tend to go to the Extension Service for assistance
first. Mr. Harsh indicated that he works with farmers on the
business side of their organization and with the public to
better understand farming. He stated that he works with them in
the areas of agricultural finance, business planning and
analysis and management, marketing, entrepreneurship and
innovation, planning for the future and engaging the community.
Mr. Harsh said that he feels such a position is needed in
Washington County. The meeting was then opened for questions.
The Commissioners thanked Mr. Harsh for taking the time to meet
with them today.
ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION – AWARD OF THE BID FOR THE PUBLIC
IMPROVEMENT AND RUNWAY EXTENSION BONDS OF 2006
Motion made by Commissioner Nipps, seconded by Kercheval, to
adopt resolutions accepting the low bid of BB&T Capital Markets
at the true interest cost (TIC) of 4.174513% on the sale of
$10,500,000 Public Improvement and Refunding Bonds of 2006, and
to accept the low bid of
MARCH 7, 2006
PAGE THREE
Morgan Stanley DW, Inc. at the true interest cost (TIC) of
4.264393% on the sale of $15,000,000 Runway Extension Bonds of
2006. (A copy of the
Resolution RS-06-08 can be found in the County Commissioners’
office.) Motion carried with Commissioners Nipps, Kercheval,
and Snook voting “AYE” and Commissioners Wivell and Munson
voting “NO.”.
RECESS – LUNCHEON & BUDGET PRESENTATIONAT WASHINGTON COUNTY
FREE LIBRARY
The Commissioners recessed at 12:07 p.m. to attend a luncheon at
the Washington County Free Library. Mary Baykan, Executive
Director, provided information on the history of the library,
and its mission and vision statements. Suzanne Downey-Hayes,
Treasurer of the Board, made the fiscal year 2007 budget
presentation for the Library. Ms. Hayes requested county
funding of $2,350,124.
AFTERNOON SESSION
The afternoon session was called to order at 1:42 p.m. by
President Gregory I. Snook, with the following members present:
Vice President William J. Wivell and Commissioners James F.
Kercheval, John C. Munson, and Doris J. Nipps.
PROPOSED 2006 GOALS
The Commissioners discussed the goals reviewed at the February
21 meeting. Rodney Shoop, County Administrator, identified the
department head that would be preparing the action plan for each
goal. He stated that once they are adopted, they will be posted
in each office and the Commissioners would be briefed on a
regular basis regarding the progress of the goals. The
Commissioners discussed the goals and made revisions to Goal 10
regarding the taxation of real property.
Motion made by Commissioner Munson, seconded by Kercheval, to
adopt the following goals for 2006 as modified: 1)Present
recommendations for equity and land preservation in the rural
areas by August. 2) Develop a plan and begin implementation of
the comprehensive rezoning of the Urban Growth Areas. 3)
Analyze recommendations of the Washington County Workforce
Housing Task Force and determine which ones will be considered
for implementation. 4) Develop a long-range plan for the future
use of the Forty West Landfill. 5) Develop policies and
procedures to initiate the implementation of the Emergency
Medical Services Master Plan. 6) Identify selected sections
within the Subdivision Ordinance requiring revision. 7)
Implement enterprise Geographic Information System (GIS). 8)
Resolve intergovernmental operational and funding issues for
central booking. 9) Evaluate prospective properties in the
Hopewell Valley area for future industrial/flex development.
10) Evaluate options regarding taxation of real property.
Unanimously approved.
BID AWARD – INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS COUNTY DEPARTMENTS
Motion made by Commissioner Munson, seconded by Wivell, to award
the following contracts for industrial equipment for various
County departments to the lowest responsive, responsible
bidders: Item #1 (Two (2) One-Ton Pick-Up Trucks with Plows) –
Hagerstown Ford
- $61,716 (Total); Item #2 (One (1) One-Ton
Truck with Utility Body – Alt. #1 – additional lighting) –
Hagerstown Ford
- $37,900 and Alt. #1 - $700 for a total of
$38,600; Item #3 – One (1) Self-Propelled Broom Sweeper with
Surface Preparation
Cab – Alt. #2 – Ext. Broom Unit Warranty) –
Tech.
- $43,424.64, Alt. #2 - $833.93 for a total of $44,258.57;
Item #4 – Two (2) 2wd Diesel Powered Tractors with Mowers, Alt.
Landmark
#1 Trade I of Two (2) Ford 3930 Model Tractors –
Equipment
- $99,744 (Total) minus $10,000 (Alt. #1) for $89,744
(Total); Item #5 – (Three (3) Trailers, Alt. #2 Tilt Bed
Standard Equipment
Trailer) – - $42,600 (Total), $12,750 (3
alt.) for a total of $55,350; Item #6 - Two (2) Single Axle
Dump Trucks with Dump Body, Alt. #1 – Cirus Hydraulic Controls)
Freightliner of Hagerstown
– - $195,146 (Total), Alt. #1 - $807
for a total of $195,953; Item #7 – (Four (4) Single Axle Dump
Trucks with Dump Body 39,000 GVW, Alt. #3 – Cirus Hydraulic
Freightliner of Hagerstown
Controls) – - $450,580 (Total) and
$18,932 (4 Alt.) for a total of $469,512; Item #8 – (One (1)
Single Axle Dump Truck with Dump Body, Alt. #3 – Cirus Hydraulic
Freightliner of Hagerstown
Controls) – - $112,645, Alt. $4,733,
for a total of $117,378; Item #9 (One (1) Single Axle Truck
Freightliner of
with 22,000 gal. Vacuum Tank Body (32,000 GVW) –
Hagerstown
– 96,793; Item
MARCH 7, 2006
PAGE FOUR
#10 – (One (1) Single Axle Diesel Roll Off Truck with cable
hoist/tarp and alt. Equipment, Alt. #2 – trade in existing 1991
Baltimore Mack Trucks
truck) – - $147,000, Alt. (-$14,000), for
a total of $133,000, Alt. #1 Three (3) 30 cubic yards roll-off
containers with single rear vertically hinged gasket sealed door
Mid-Atlantic Waste System
– - $15,600 (Alt. #2 Trade in existing
1991 truck -$15,500) for a total of $134,107; Item #11 – (One
(1) Transfer of Guard Rail Post Driver onto a Steller Hooklift
Truck Mounts
Body) – - $43,600; Item #12 – (One (1) snowplow,
IM Supplies
1.5k lb power angle 2/straight moldboard) – -
$5,825; and Item #13 (One (1) snowplow, 1.5K lb class power
IM Supplies
angle w/straight Moldboard) – - $5,825. Items #8
and #13 are to be awarded separately by the Board of Education.
The Commissioners also agreed to the request to relieve
Freightliner of Hagerstown from Item #6 without prejudice.
Final bid total for the Highway Department, less Item #6, is
$770,000.57. Final total for Department of Water Quality is
$283,993 with approval for a budget transfer of $117,242 from
the current cash fund account to 600300-42-42010. Unanimously
approved.
REPORT FROM THE TASK FORCE ON HOME RULE
Joe Kroboth III, Chairman of the Task Force on Home Rule, met
with the Commissioners to present the report from the Task
Force. Mr. Kroboth introduced the members of the Task Force who
were in attendance and thanked them for their time and service.
He stated that they were appointed on September 28, 2005 to
evaluate the forms of government available to counties in
Maryland. Mr. Kroboth then reviewed the three forms of county
government (county commissioner, charter, and code home rule)
and the powers given to each. After considering the various
forms, the Task Force unanimously agreed that the County should
move from the Commissioner form of government to Charter or Code
home rule and by majority vote is recommending that charter home
rule be adopted as the best form of government for Washington
County. They also recommended that the composition of the
charter board be broad and represent as many demographic and
geographical areas of the county as possible. The meeting was
then opened for questions and discussion on the presentation.
Mr. Kroboth stated that a decision should be made prior to May
of the election year in order to have the necessary public
hearings and the ballot prepared for the election. The Board
took the recommendation under consideration and thanked the Task
Force for their service.
YOUTH OF THE MONTH AWARDS – SEPTEMBER 2005 – JANUARY 2006
The Commissioners presented certificates of merit to the
following students in recognition their selection as Youths of
the Month by the Washington County Community Partnership for
Children & Families (WCCP): Damara McDonough (September 2005
middle school); Zachary Valko (October 2005 middle school);
Amanda Crowl (November 2005 middle school); Jermaine Cain
(November 2005 high school); Hannah House (December 2005 middle
school); Bethany Trail (December 2005 high school); Mary Forsyth
(January 2006 middle school); and Elizabeth Connor (January 2006
high school). The Commissioners commended them for their
leadership, academic and extra-curricular activities.
Commissioner Snook stated that each of the students would also
receive a $100 savings bond from the WCCP.
FY 2007 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM (CIP) REVIEW
Debra Murray, Finance Director, and Mike Thompson, Planning
Director, reviewed the revenue portion of the Capital
Improvements Program (CIP) for Fiscal Years 2007-2012. Ms.
Murray stated that the FY 2007 budget is balanced at $83,139,259
and reviewed the “pay-go” amounts. She indicated that excise
tax revenues were revised from earlier projections. The non-
residential excise tax revenues are projected to be $250,000,
schools portion - $11.8 million, roads - $2.5 million, library -
$450,000, and other - $554,000. Ms. Murray stated that bond
proceeds for FY 2007 are estimated at $13.2 million. She
informed the Commissioners that, based on the current tax rates,
the debt analysis would allow up to $15 million in bond
issuance. Ms. Murray outlined the assumptions that were made
regarding the utility debt in making these projections. She
explained the anticipated increase in borrowing in 2008. The
Commissioners discussed the proposal and whether projects would
be delayed. Ms. Murray stated that if projects are delayed that
it would make the other years
MARCH 7, 2006
PAGE FIVE
unbalanced and stated that the County is within the debt levels
as outlined in the policy.
AUTHORIZATION TO FILL VACACANCIES – WATER QUALITY DEPARTMENT
Motion made by Commissioner Kercheval, seconded by Nipps, to
authorize filling the Plant Operator Trainee vacancies at the
Water Quality Department. Unanimously approved.
CONVENE IN CLOSED SESSION
Motion made by Commissioner Munson, seconded by Nipps, to
convene in closed session at 4:02 p.m. to consult with counsel
to obtain legal advice, discuss personnel matters relating to
the appointment of individuals to boards or commissions over
which the Commissioners have jurisdiction and any other
personnel matter affecting one or more individuals, and consider
a matter that concerns a proposal for a business or industrial
organization 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 Nipps, seconded by Kercheval, to
reconvene in open session at 4:46 p.m. Unanimously approved.
In closed session, the Commissioners consulted with counsel to
obtain legal advice on one (1) matter, discussed personnel
matters relating to the appointment of individuals to boards or
commissions over which the Commissioners have jurisdiction, and
considered a matter that concerns a proposal for a business or
industrial organization to locate, expand, or remain in the
State. Present during closed session were Commissioners Gregory
I. Snook, William J. Wivell, James F. Kercheval, and Doris J.
Nipps. Also present at various times were Rodney M. Shoop,
County Administrator; John Martirano, County Attorney; Richard
Douglas, County Attorney; Kirk Downey, Assistant County
Attorney; Joni Bittner, County Clerk; Gary Rohrer, Director of
Public Works; Cassandra Latimer, Economic Development Commission
(EDC) Marketing Specialist; Robin Ferree, EDC Business
Development Specialist; and Robert Garver, Regional Office of
the Department of Business & Economic Development.
APPOINTMENTS – ANIMAL CONTROL AUTHORITY AND BOARD OF ZONING
APPEALS
Motion made by Commissioner Munson, seconded by Nipps, to
appoint Donald Spickler to the Board of Zoning Appeals for a
three-year term and to appoint Ronald Leggett to the Animal
Control Authority for a three-year term. Unanimously approved.
ADJOURNMENT
Motion made by Commissioner Kercheval, seconded by Munson, to
adjourn at 4:46 p.m. Unanimously approved.
,
County Administrator
,
County Attorney
___________________________,
County Clerk