Denton, Maryland

The regularly scheduled meeting of the County Commissioners of Caroline County, Maryland, convened at 9:30 AM in the Commissioners Hearing Room, Courthouse.

Margaret R. Myers, President

John S. LeGates, Vice President

John W. Cole, Member

Charles C. Cawley, County Administrator

On motion by Mr. Cole, the minutes of the previous meeting were unanimously approved. Vouchers #41434 – 41552 were approved for payment. The biweekly direct payroll was approved. State assessment change report # 1198 was signed.

On the individual motions indicated, the Commissioners unanimously approved and President Myers signed the following purchase orders:

On motion by Mr. Cole, the Commissioners unanimously approved and President Myers signed Acceptance Certificate #6 with First Union National Bank/Corporate Trust Department, lessor/escrow agent, accepting a tractor/mower from Rathell Farm Equipment Company, Inc., in the amount of $72,000.

On motion by Mr. LeGates, the Commissioners unanimously authorized solicitation of advertised bids for the engineering services for the following Choptank Marina improvements: hydraulic dredging, replacement of roadside timber bulkhead, and reconstruction of ten mooring slips for larger vessels.

Betsey Krempasky, County planner, and Tammy Holden, ag preservation program coordinator, reported on the Rural Legacy Award. The 6-county region received $4 million out of the total $29 million available statewide. One million dollars is restricted to predesignated properties near the Tuckahoe River, and undesignated properties in the Nanticoke watershed, presumably along the Marshyhope Creek in the Rural Legacy Area. More onerously, the Rural Legacy Board, on recommendation of the Rural Legacy Citizens Advisory Board, is requiring that the Counties designate much smaller Rural Legacy Areas, with lands listed in three levels of priority, in order to concentrate easement acquisitions in contiguous areas. This restriction will cause the Counties to abandon their original Focus Area approach, where many landowners would be eligible to participate on a voluntary basis, and the properties with the most important agricultural and environmental resources would rise to the top for acquisition. Instead, Counties will now have to actively recruit property owners to sell easements to meet the state’s goal of acquisition in a few contiguous blocks, which is similar to the Program Open Space approach. The planning office has already been contacted by landowners interested in participating, but they may not be eligible under the state’s restrictions. Krempasky said that the Counties put tremendous time and effort into crafting the regional focus areas, and the state has essentially thrown them out. A non-intrusive, voluntary approach has worked well for years, and the Counties felt that this proven approach should be continued. The addition of the Rural Legacy easements over wider focus areas would create contiguous blocks since they would adjoin the many ag preservation and Maryland Environmental Trust easements. However, the state disagrees with this philosophy, and with the concept of evenly dividing the grant among the 6 Counties. The Commissioners expressed their disappointment with the restrictions, which they feel will be counterproductive. They instructed staff to keep trying to negotiate more equitable terms, and to communicate to the strategy group the Commissioners’ interest in meeting at the regional level and with the state boardmembers.

The Commissioners reviewed the County treasurer’s June 1998 investment report.

On motion by Mr. Cole, the Commissioners unanimously approved and signed the Memorandum of Understanding Between the County Commissioners of Caroline County and the Sheriff of Caroline County, which sets forth the relationship and mutual rights and responsibilities regarding the personnel employed in the Sheriff’s office.

On motion by Mr. LeGates, the Commissioners unanimously approved and President Myers signed a month-to month Lease with Barbara J. Quinn, t/a Franklin Square Associates, for 353 square feet at 110 Franklin Street, Denton, in the amount of $300 monthly, for the economic development/tourism office.

On motion by Mr. Cole, the Commissioners unanimously approved and President Myers signed a Memorandum of Agreement between Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot Counties, and Chesapeake College establishing County commitments to funding the Chesapeake College Capital Technology Fund, and the College’s commitment to request no further capital technology funds until July 2001.

On motion by Mr. Cole, the Commissioners approved and President Myers signed a letter to Dr. Allan Gorsuch, superintendent of schools, confirming authorization of the Board of Education to obtain $183,200 in County lease-purchase program funds for purchase of school-related items, with the Board to proceed with the purchases, to be reimbursed by the County when lease-purchase documents are finalized.

The Commissioners briefly discussed the transfer station being considered for the Midshore Regional Landfill.

At 11 AM, and as authorized by 1995 Md. Code, State Government 10-508(a)(1), the Commissioners, on motion by Mr. Cole, seconded by Mr. LeGates, unanimously adjourned into closed session to discuss the EDC director duties and tourism position.

The meeting of the Commissioners reconvened in open session at 11:45 AM. President Myers reported that the Commissioners discussed in closed session the EDC director duties and the tourism position and their interrelationship. The Commissioners, by unanimous consent, approved the position advertisement for the new EDC coordinator/tourism director position, with revisions.

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned by unanimous consent.

Leigh Sands

Executive Assistant