Denton, Maryland

The County Commissioners of Caroline County, Maryland, convened their regular meeting at 8:30 a.m., as previously announced, in the County Commissioners Hearing Room, Courthouse.

Margaret R. Myers, President

John S. LeGates, Vice President,

Charles C. Cawley, County Administrator

John W. Cole, Member

The Commissioners held a budget workshop, open to the public, in the Hearing Room. The following was discussed:

1. After discussion with the County Treasurer, the Commissioners agreed by unanimous consent to set the FY 1998-99 real property tax rate no later than June 16, 1998, and to allow tax bills to be mailed out around August 1, which will make the usual supplemental billings unnecessary. This will allow sufficient time for consideration of the budget. Mr. Cawley cautioned that cash flow will have to be carefully monitored. Last year’s July tax revenue was $667,420.83.
2. The Humane Society needs $30,000 more if they will be functioning out of the new facility in October. Funds can be included in the animal control budget and transferred as needed.
3. Queen Anne’s County is willing to fund Long Marsh not to exceed about $27,000 if Caroline will do the same.
4. Law Library request - $3,000
5. According to Dr. Gorsuch’s statements at the previous budget workshop, the Board of Education needs a minimum of $825,000 in new funds.
6. Merit pay for all employees would cost at least an additional $65,000.
7. Mr. Cawley said that Caroline County will need a new digital switching system for emergency police and fire communications, but there is no money in the proposed budget to begin this process. A local group should be formed to look at need and compatibility with proposed systems of adjacent counties. An engineering firm will have to design the system. If the Commissioners do not allocate $80,000 in FY 1998-99 for engineering recommendations, it must be the following year. A single tower will cost at least $200,000. System replacement will necessitate a bond issue to cover costs.
8. Mr. Cawley has discussed with an election supervisor some management recommendations since additional funds for the Elections budget are doubtful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

9. Agency/departmental relocation to the new health and public services building is going to be a problem due to less than anticipated revenue to make the MEDCO payment as of next fiscal year, and currently unknown moving, utilities, and ancillary expenses. The building rent/revenue will be set up as an enterprise fund. Fair rent would be about $10-$12 per square foot, but this is much more than the Upper Shore Aging senior center is currently paying. This will be very difficult for them. Cawley said Caroline’s population is aging, and possibly needs to be considered as more of a budget priority. He will inform Cooperative Extension that the state will not pick up two-thirds of the rent, which it is now paying, and in fact has suggested that the part-time 4-H staff position be eliminated. Cawley will meet with all tenants and give them a year to prepare for rent increases. The Commissioners will need to budget about $100,000 more next year to cover payments to MEDCO.

On motion by Mr. Cole, the minutes of May 12, 1998 were approved, with the budget workshop portion to be approved next week following completion. Vouchers #40596 - #40704 were approved. Biweekly direct payroll was approved.

On individual motions by Mr. Cole, the following purchase orders were approved and signed by President Myers:

On motion by Mr. Cole, the Commissioners accepted the low bid of E. Stewart Mitchell, Inc., in the amount of $173,165 for project #CC-AM-51298, 295,000 gallons of RS3K asphalt, signed a purchase contract, and signed purchase order #11842; and rejected all other bids received.

On motion by Mr. Cole, the Commissioners authorized a contingency fund payment in the amount of $10,000 to the Maryland Environmental Service towards engineering feasibility study costs of regional options for water distribution and wastewater treatment systems for Goldsboro/north county communities, and signed purchase order #11954.

On motion by Mr. Cole, the Commissioners authorized advertised solicitation of sealed bids for a compactor/container and two open-top containers for the public works solid waste program, and for the following projects as requested by the health department: non-emergency ambulance transport, non-emergency general wheelchair transport, adult daycare transport.

On motion by Mr. Cole, the Commissioners accepted the offer of the Town of Denton to purchase in "as is/where is" condition two sheriff’s department vehicles with an excess of 100,000 miles for the total sum of $1,500. The vehicles were due to be replaced.

The Commissioners authorized Mr. Cawley to submit information regarding reclassifying jail litigation expenses, which will be on next week’s agenda.

The Commissioners requested an update from the Historical Society on the Fluharty log cabin/park project next week, since there is a bill pending on property research.

The Commissioners convened an advertised public hearing on proposed establishment of agricultural land preservation districts #98-01 - #98-10 , Plutschak, Kemp, Geisel, Quidas, Harris, Harris, Moore, Davison, Knotts, Knotts, respectively. Tammy Holden read aloud the public hearing notice and individually described the proposed properties, stating that they have all been preliminarily approved by the Planning Commission and the Ag Land Preservation Advisory Board. She noted that the hoped-for result is finally beginning to happen. There are now a sufficient number of districts that they are starting to comprise nodes, rather than being surrounded by developable land. President Myers called for public comment. None was received. On motion by Mr. Cole, the Commissioners approved the proposed districts for submittal to the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation.

On motion by Mr. Cole, the Commissioners approved and President Myers signed a letter to the Natural Resources Conservation Service supporting the consolidated Maryland grant application in the amount of $5 million under the 1996 Federal Farm Protection Bill, of which Caroline County would receive about $250,000.

Lester Coble, environmental health director, discussed his concerns and those of the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) regarding use of the Piney Point aquifer for agricultural irrigation. The state has granted three permits in Caroline County, but will defer further decision on all large irrigation project requests until a computer model has been developed on the supply and demand in this aquifer. The modelling effort is expected to take four months, and until then, farmers must use the shallower Columbia aquifer as they have in the past. Mr. Coble gave a lengthy description of the aquifers underlying the Eastern Shore, stating that 70% of available water lies in the Columbia aquifer, which is recharged by rain and other surface infusion, while the Piney Point aquifer contains only 30% of available water, but it is much higher in quality and more desirable. Historically, state and local environmental health officials have been very protective of Piney Point, a confined aquifer, because its limited supply of water does not receive surface recharge except to a limited degree from the Chesapeake Bay. Water taken from Piney Point cannot be recycled back to the aquifer, as can water taken from Columbia, due to a clay layer. Piney Point is the preferred water supply for municipal drinking water since it does not require extensive treatment. Cones of depression in the Piney Point aquifer have been mapped since at least 1952. They have been increasing significantly over the years, and now extend from Dover, Delaware as far south as Greensboro, and from Cambridge as far north as Dover, with an additional depression in the middle of the cone created by water use in and around Denton. The cone is now about 90 feet deep. This is part of the reason that Henderson is having trouble finding water. Over the years, Coble has encouraged farmers to put in several Columbia irrigation wells instead of a Piney Point well, but sometimes they "object to drilling more than one well." Mr. Coble said that the permits just granted by MDE for south county wells will pull over 2 million gallons a day from Piney Point. Mr. Cawley pointed out that this is just during growing season. Mr. Coble stated, "I’m deeply concerned. Piney Point is all we’ve got. If we don’t protect this aquifer I’ve wasted thirty years of my life. I could never leave this job knowing I’ve participated in a travesty." The Commissioners requested Mr. Coble to draft a strong letter to MDE urging them to carefully study this critical issue.

Mr. Coble reported that, despite the 1997-98 El Nino weather conditions, a greater percentage of soil percolation tests have been approved than in previous years, according to historic averages.

The Commissioners authorized staff to contact a potential Ethics Commission candidate regarding his availability.

On motion by Mr. Cole, the Commissioners approved and President Myers signed a concurrence sheet to the Upper Shore Private Industry Council regarding the two-year implementation plan for Welfare to Work funds in the five county area.

On motion by Mr. Cole, the Commissioners approved and signed a support letter for the Town of Denton, which is applying to the state for the following four Community Development Block Grants: improvements to the Carter Block building; ADA improvements to the Caroline County Department of Emergency Management building; First and Gay streets; extension of water and wastewater services and road improvements to Camp Road; phase III revitalization, Lincoln to Sixth streets.

Mr. Cawley reported that the jail inmate hospitalized with the heart condition has died., and that ALS responder Mike Milliken had a heart attack during shift change and is in Memorial Hospital.

On motion by Mr. Cole, the Commissioners authorized signing and mailing out the letters to all sheriff’s department employees regarding their employment status under current state law, to be jointly signed by President Myers and Sheriff Brown.

There being no further business, the Commissioners adjourned their meeting to attend a ribboncutting for the Annie Taylor House Rural Life Museum across from the Courthouse Green, and a lunch and tour at the new Unisite plant, Denton Industrial Park.

Leigh Sands

Executive Assistant