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HomeMy WebLinkAbout060418 April 18, 2006 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 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. 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 4, 10 & 11, 2006 Motion made by Commissioner Nipps, seconded by Munson, to approve the minutes of April 4, 10, and 11, 2006, as amended. Motion carried with Commissioners Nipps, Munson, Kercheval, and Snook voting “AYE” and Commissioner Wivell “ABSTAINING.” DISCOVERY STATION – REQUEST FOR FUNDING Marie Byers, President of the Discovery Station Board of Directors, met with the Commissioners to request funding for its current operations of $30,000. She also requested funding for operations in FY 2007. Ms. Byers outlined the expenses the Board will incur and exhibits being planned for the future. She provided a copy of their 2005 Annual Report and proposed 2006 budget. Ms. Byers stated that the Board is expecting to receive State grants for renovations and construction of exhibits; however, they do need financial assistance at this time. She indicated that the City of Hagerstown has provided $10,000 to Discovery Station. The meeting was then opened for questions from the Commissioners. Commissioner Snook stated that the group needs to develop a plan to secure more private and corporate sponsors to help reduce governmental subsidy. Motion made by Commissioner Nipps, seconded by Kercheval, to provide $20,000 from the Commissioners Contingency fund to Discovery Station at Hagerstown, Inc. for operations in FY 2006. Motion carried with Commissioners Nipps, Kercheval, and Snook voting “AYE” and Commissioners Munson and Wivell voting “NO.” BUDGET DISCUSSIONS - SALARY AND BENEFITS RECOMMENDATIONS David Hankinson, Human Resources Director, reviewed requests made for new positions in the FY 2007 budget. The Commissioners reviewed each request and discussed the recommendation with the appropriate department head. The Commissioners approved the following positions for funding in fiscal year 2007: Assistant Assignment Clerk (Circuit Court); GIS Analyst (IT); Sheriff’s Department – Two (2) Deputies Grade 9 (Judicial), Two (2) Deputies Grade 10 (Judicial), Office Associate, Four (4) Patrol Deputies (to be hired January 1, 2007), and Three (3) Detention Officers; Emergency Medical Services Specialist; Deputy Director of Fire & Emergency Services; Permits & Inspections: Building Inspector, Plan Reviewer (to be hired August 1), Plumbing Inspector (to be hired August 1), and Electrical Inspector (January 1 – to be reviewed in October). The Commissioners took the request for a Planning Director position under consideration. They agreed to continue discussion to review the reclassification requests following the scheduled public hearing. PUBLIC HEARING – REQUEST TO BE ADDED TO THE LIST OF NONPROFIT AGENCIES TO WHICH THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS MAY CONTRIBUTE FUNDS The Commissioners convened a public hearing at 10:14 a.m. to hear comments regarding the request made by Potomac Case Management Services, Inc., to be added to the list of nonprofit organizations to which the County Commissioners may contribute funds, pursuant to Section 1-108(b), Code of the Public Local Laws of Washington County, Maryland. Fay Kilmer Smith, Executive Director of Potomac Case Management Services, Inc., and Francis Cade, Treasurer, made a presentation to the Commissioners on the history and purpose of the group, which provides services to the chronically mental ill in the community, and their current projects. Ms. Smith stated that funding would be used for APRIL 18, 2006 PAGE TWO relocation costs to the Aspiring to Serve facility. The meeting was opened for questions from the Commissioners. The hearing was then opened for public comment. Stephanie Stone, Director of the Washington County Community Partnership for Children & Youth, spoke in support of the request. The public hearing was closed at 10:25 a.m. The Commissioners took this request under consideration until they could clarify whether Gaming Commission funding could be utilized for this purpose. (Commissioner Munson was excused from the meeting at 10:20 a.m.) CITIZENS’ PARTICIPATION There was no one present who wished to participate. HUMAN RESOURCES BUDGET DISCUSSION - CONTINUED The Commissioners continued their review and discussion of the personnel requests for FY 2007. The Commissioners approved the following requests: Installer - Communications Maintenance; GIS Analyst – Engineering; Buildings, Grounds & Parks – Two (2) seasonal maintenance workers; Recreation – Youth Programs Coordinator; Agricultural Marketing Specialist - Economic Development Commission – the Commissioners agreed to reduce this amount to $50,000 and to determine at a later date to which agency the individual would report); and Water Quality – Utilities Construction Inspector. The Commissioners agreed to consider the request for an Operations Safety Inspector at the Department of Solid Waste after additional information is received. They also agreed to consider a Part-time Office Associate for the Engineering Department at a later date. Reclassification requests: The Commissioners began their review of the requests made for reclassifications of positions. The Board decided to make salary adjustments, rather than upgrade the classifications and asked Mr. Hankinson and Mr. Shoop to make the adjustments to the positions considered earlier today to align with this decision. RECESS - LUNCH The Commissioners recessed at 12:00 p.m. for lunch. AFTERNOON SESSION The afternoon session was called to order at 1:11 p.m. by President Gregory I. Snook, with the following members present: Vice President William J. Wivell and Commissioners James F. Kercheval, and Doris J. Nipps. REALITY CHECK PLUS Richard Willson, Executive Director of the Housing Authority of Washington County, and John Frece, Associate Director of the National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education, met with the Commissioners to provide an informational briefing about Reality Check Plus. Mr. Frece stated that Reality Check Plus is a visioning exercise to be held on June 2 at Hagerstown Community College, one of four such regional exercises to be held in the State. The exercise will involve asking the participants to decide where the increment of jobs and housing projects to come to the region by 2030 should be located and what the implications of this growth would be to the region. Mr. Frece stated that Reality Plus is a statewide effort to raise the awareness of the public and elected officials about the level and pace of growth coming to Maryland in the next 25 years. He asked for their participation in the exercise. The meeting was then opened for questions from the Commissioners. The Commissioners thanked Mr. Frece for his presentation. WORKFORCE HOUSING PROJECT – PILOT AGREEMENT Richard Willson, Executive Director of the Housing Authority of Washington County, introduced John Schuster, Jr., of SIS Properties. Mr. Thompson stated that SIS Properties is requesting a reduction in the excise tax from $15,500 per unit to $1.00 per foot to allow for the construction of one and two- bedroom units of workforce housing. The proposed project is a 24-unit apartment complex. Mr. Thompson stated APRIL 18, 2006 PAGE THREE that Section 13(c) of the Excise Tax Ordinance permits the Board of County Commissioners to grant a credit to an individual that constructs qualified workforce housing in an amount adopted by the County Commissioners to provide housing for persons whose income does not exceed 50% of the current Median Income limits. This would allow the developer to construct housing to serve this segment of the workforce. The meeting was opened for questions from the Commissioners. It was the consensus of the Commissioners to take this request under consideration at this time. PUBLIC HEARING – MARYLAND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT SPECIAL PROJECT APPLICATION The Commissioners convened at public hearing at 2:09 p.m. in order to hear public comment regarding the submission of a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) application in the amount of $20,727 for a planning grant to perform a county-wide housing condition study. David Jordan, Executive Director of the Washington County Community Action Council, Inc. (CAC), explained that the housing condition study would include a windshield inspection of all single-family housing units in Washington County to identify substandard units by looking at the exterior condition, develop a point map identifying locations of substandard units, digital photographs of substandard units, a status report of each unit, and submission of a final report discussing the population and housing characteristics of the area based upon Maryland Department of Planning, U.S. Census, and other available data. The meeting was opened for questions from the Commissioners. Commissioner Snook then opened the meeting for public comment. Robert Culver had questions regarding the application. Motion made by Commissioner Nipps, seconded by Kercheval, to approve a resolution authorizing the submission of a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) application in the amount of $20,727 for a planning grant to perform a county-wide housing condition study. Motion carried with Commissioners Nipps, Kercheval, and Snook voting “AYE” and Commissioner Wivell voting “NO.” (Resolution RS-06-10 can be found in the County Commissioners’ Office.) GENERAL FUND BUDGET DISCUSSION – CONTINUED The Commissioners continued budget discussions of the FY 2007 General Fund budget. After reviewing the specific reclassification requests, they considered the other requests. The Commissioners agreed to increase the part-time hourly wages to $10 per hour for the Election Board and to a 30% increase for the Planning Commission. The Commissioners increased the amount for Board of Zoning Appeals members to $150 per meeting. They also agreed to increase the part-time Office Associate at the Highways Department to 32 hours per week and adjust the salary of the Assistant Fleet Manager at that Department. The requested increase for the Database Administrator in the Information Technologies (IT) Department was approved as well as an 8% increase for the IT Director. The part-time employee’s salary in the Judicial Department was increased to $15,000. The requested increase was approved for the Assistant Chief in 911 Communications as well as for part-time wages and overtime for employees. The part-time wages line item in Permits & Inspections was decreased, as requested. It was the consensus of the Commissioners to approve the lateral transfer of the Facilities Coordinator from the Recreation Department to Buildings, Grounds & Parks. They agreed to approve a $.50 increase for seasonal part-time employees of the Recreation Department and to retitle the Recreation Program Manager to Recreation Director. In the Transportation Department, part- time wages for bus drivers was increased to $10.60/hr., paratransit drivers - $9.81/hr., and van/shuttle drivers - $9.09/hr. Public Safety Issues – Colonel Mullendore spoke to the Commissioners regarding public safety pay issues. He reviewed the pay scales of other counties in Maryland and those surrounding Washington County. He proposed that entry level salaries of personnel in Patrol, Judicial, and Detention be set at a figure which represents 90% of the comparable salary levels in Washington County. Colonel Mullendore stated that uniformed employees would start at $36,304 (Patrol and Judicial) and Detention at $31,674. APRIL 18, 2006 PAGE FOUR He stated that his proposal would also include annual step increases of 3½%. Colonel Mullendore asked that the scale be put into place on October 1, 2006 if approved. The meeting was then opened for discussion and questions. The Commissioners asked for additional information and agreed to continue discussion at tomorrow’s budget workshop. CONTRACT AWARD – CONSTRUCTION/BUILDING INSPECTION SERVICES Motion made by Commissioner Nipps, seconded by Kercheval, to award the contract for Construction/Building Inspection Services–Requirements Contract to Development Facilitators, Inc. based on the responsive, responsible proposal with the lowest price proposal amount of $172,000 and to award a secondary contract to A. Morton Thomas with a responsive, responsible proposal amount of $215,383.50 with Standard Penetration Tests charged at a daily rate of $1,500 per day including up to 50 tests per day within the same site, for a one-year contract with an option to renew for up to four (4) additional one-year periods. Motion carried with Commissioners, Nipps, Kercheval, and Snook voting “AYE” and Commissioner Wivell voting “NO.” Commissioner Wivell expressed his concerns about the contract. The Commissioners asked staff to compile information on the estimated cost to add additional County inspectors rather than utilize the contract. BID AWARD – INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT FOR SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT Motion made by Commissioner Kercheval, seconded by Wivell, to award the contract for Industrial Equipment for the Solid Waste Department to the following responsive, responsible bidders with the lowest bids contingent upon approval of the final lease agreements by the County Attorney: One (1) Crawler Bulldozer – Standard Equipment Co. for $53,274/annual lease payment for five years ($266,370 total) and to waive the performance bond of $2,150; and One (1) Compactor – Alban Tractor Co., Inc for $83,038.19/annual lease payment for five years including trade- in ($415,190.95 total) and approve the waiver of the performance bond. Unanimously approved. RESOLUTION ADOPTING LANDFILL USER FEES Motion made by Commissioner Wivell, seconded by Nipps, to approve the resolution adopting the following changes being proposed for landfill user fees for FY 2007: General Refuse - $60/ton; Rubble, Building and Yard Debris - $75/ton; Sludge - $60/ton (domestic and industrial); Permit Fees for Residential Drop-off - $125/annual, Senior Citizens -$95/annual, with rates to become effective July 1, 2006. Unanimously approved. (A copy of Resolution RS-06-12 can be found in the County Commissioners’ Office.) RESOLUTION ADOPTING WATER & SEWER RATES & FEES – FY 2007 Motion made by Commissioner Wivell, seconded by Kercheval, to adopt the resolution modifying the water and sewer rates and allocation fees for fiscal year 2007 as presented at the public hearing for a 3% increase in water revenue and 2% increase in sewer revenue, to become effective July 1, 2006. Unanimously approved. (A copy of Resolution RS-06-11 can be found in the County Commissioners’ Office.) CONSTRUCTION BID AWARD – CULVERT REPLACEMENT PROJECT 2006 Motion made by Commissioner Nipps, seconded by Kercheval, to award the contract for culvert replacement projects to C. William Hetzer, Inc., which submitted the low responsive, responsible bid of $410,956. Unanimously approved. CONSTRUCTION BID AWARD – STRUCTURE REPLACEMENT PROJECT 2006 Motion made by Commissioner Kercheval, seconded by Nipps, to award the contract for structure replacement projects to C. William Hetzer, Inc., which submitted the low responsive, responsible bid of $445,581.75, with the approved change order. Unanimously approved. CITY OF HAGERSTOWN ANNEXATION REQUEST – HAMILTON ANNEXATION Michael Thompson, Director of Planning & Community Development, met with the Commissioners to review the annexation request before the City of Hagerstown for the Hamilton property. Mr. Thompson stated that the APRIL 18, 2006 PAGE FIVE Hamilton property consists of 2.54 acres of land on the west side of US Route 40. The proposed zoning C-2 – Commercial General is consistent with the HI-1 zoning that presently is on the property. Mr. Thompson stated that Maryland Code does not allow a municipality to place a property into a zoning classification that permits land use substantially different from the use permitted in the adopted comprehensive plan. The meeting was then opened for questions and discussion. Motion made by Commissioner Nipps, seconded by Kercheval, to concur with the determination of the Planning staff that the proposed annexation for the Hamilton property as submitted to the City of Hagerstown is consistent with the adopted Comprehensive Plan. Unanimously approved. PURCHASE OF RIGHT-OF-WAY – MAUGANS AVENUE PROJECT Motion made by Commissioner Nipps, seconded by Kercheval, to approve the purchase of right-of-way from Angstrom Precision, needed for the Maugans Avenue project in the amount of $67,700 for 12,356 sq. ft. in fee simple, a 719 sq. ft drainage easement, and a 7,515 sq. ft. temporary construction easement. Unanimously approved. CONVENE IN CLOSED SESSION Motion made by Commissioner Nipps, seconded by Kercheval, to convene in closed session at 4:23 p.m. to discuss appointments to boards and commissions over which the Commissioners have jurisdiction, consult with counsel to obtain legal advice, consult with staff about pending or potential litigation, 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 5:14 p.m. Unanimously approved. In closed session, the Commissioners discussed appointments to boards and commissions over which the Commissioners have jurisdiction, consulted with counsel to obtain legal advice, consulted with staff about pending or potential litigation, and considered matters that concern proposals for businesses or industrial organizations 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 John Martirano, County Attorney; Kirk Downey, Assistant County Attorney; Joni Bittner, County Clerk; Tim Troxell, Executive Director of the Economic Development Commission; and Robert Garver, Regional Office of the Department of Business & Economic Development. APPOINTMENT – AGRICULTURAL LAND PRESERVATION ADVISORY BOARD Motion made by Commissioner Nipps, seconded by Kercheval, to appoint Brooks Long to the Agricultural Land Preservation Advisory Board for a five-year term. Unanimously approved. ABATEMENT OF COUNTY PERSONAL PROPERTY TAXES – RINGGOLD RURITAN CLUB Motion made by Commissioner Nipps, seconded by Wivell, to abate the 2003 County personal property and real estate taxes in the amount of $61.62 as requested by the Ringgold Ruritan Club, Inc. which were not included on the exemption list due to a reporting error. Unanimously approved. ADJOURNMENT Motion made by Commissioner Wivell, seconded by Kercheval, to adjourn at 5:15 p.m. Unanimously approved. , County Administrator , County Attorney ___________________________, County Clerk