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 meeting of July 28, 1998, were approved.

Vouchers #41736 – 41828 were approved for payment.

The Commissioners held advertised bid openings, with the following bids being publicly opened, read aloud and recorded:

Bidder $ Bid

Becker Morgan 10,000 - DR; 2,500 – TB; 2,500 – MS

TOTAL – 15,000

Charles R. Emory, Jr. 6,800 – DR; 2,400 – TB; 3,200 – MS

TOTAL – 12,400

Andrews Miller & Associates 12,675 – DR; 5,347 – TB; 6,870 – MS

TOTAL – 24,892

Boyd & Dowgiallo 6,000 – DR; 2,500 – TB; 2,000 – MS

TOTAL – 10,500

McCrone, Inc. 13,620 – DR; 2,790 – TB; 2,300 – MS

TOTAL – 18,710

Bidder $ Bid

Allied Computers, Inc. 45 - normal hourly

70 – weekends and holidays hourly

The bids were referred to staff for evaluation.

On motion by Mr. Cole, President Myers signed a purchase order to the Postmaster in the amount of $1,500 for postage for the Courthouse meter.

Following presentation by Marvin MacDonald, purchasing officer, the Commissioners unanimously accepted the low interest rate bid of Provident Bank of Maryland/Provident Leasing Corporation, Inc. in the amount of 4.37% for lease-purchase of vehicles, trash compactors, computers, furniture, fuel pumps and radios in the amount of $450,000, maturing in the year 2002; and rejected all other bids received. Lease documents will be

signed subsequently.

Following presentation by Tammy Holden, program coordinator, and on recommendation of the Caroline County Agricultural Land Preservation Committee, the Commissioners, on motion by Mr. LeGates, unanimously approved the thirty ranked applications for agricultural land preservation easement sales for submittal to the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation. The state allows counties to submit 80% their applications. Caroline County received the most applications in the state.

Bryan Ebling, director of emergency management, informed the Commissioners that his office must be vacated because the building has been sold. Having looked into available space, he requested authority to make arrangements to move into Phil Nuttle’s former law office in the Franklin Square Building, which will cost $810 a month for 1144 square feet. He is currently paying $575 a month so his budget will show an overage in that category. The lease will be for 6 months, and then go to month-to-month until renovation of the annex building on First Street next to the jail is completed. The permitting process for that building has been tedious, but Alan Visintainer will try to expedite it.

The County Commissioners convened an advertised public hearing on the proposed Caroline County Solid Waste Management Plan 1998 – 2008. Betsey Krempasky, County planner, accompanied by Alan Visintainer of Vitech Consulting, Inc., who prepared the Plan, gave the history and reviewed the contents of the document. The Plan was originally adopted in 1973 and recommended a County landfill and greenbox system. It was amended in 1984 with a recommendation to pursue a regional landfill, and amended again in 1989 with an endorsement of the Midshore Regional Landfill. A new draft was begun in 1994, but the Hobbs rubblefill status had to be resolved before it could be completed. The MRL has site commitments for the next forty years. As the Talbot County site closes in 2011, the Caroline County site at the former Holly Road landfill will open for the next twenty years, to be followed by the Queen Anne’s County site. All the Towns received either a full copy of the Plan or a condensed version with a request for comments, and none have been received. The State has reviewed the Plan, and the County has made the minor changes that the State requested. In May 1998, the Caroline County Planning Commission recommended the proposed Plan for approval. Mr. Visintainer said that the only new policy that the Plan contains is the prohibition on private landfills. The rubblefill narrative is changed. He noted that there has been a huge shift in the national waste management industry in the last decade, when virtually no landfill space was available, to mega companies operating mega landfills. Federal antitrust regulators are monitoring the situation. President Myers called for public comment on the proposed Plan. There being none, the hearing was adjourned, and an adoption resolution will be readied for next week.

The Commissioners discussed with Charles Andrew, jail superintendent, the inmate petition received requesting that smoking be allowed. Mr. Andrew checked with a number of other counties, and none allow smoking, although Kent County tried it a few years ago and it quickly became a problem. State jails allow smoking outside and cigarettes can be in the custody of the inmates when inside. According to one state staffer, it is "a nightmare." Smoking has been banned in the Caroline jail for five years and this is the first petition received. Mr. Andrew recommended that smoking not be allowed. On motion by Mr. Cole, the Commissioners unanimously agreed to uphold the ban on smoking in the Caroline County Detention Center/Jail.

Carl Burke, director of Upper Shore Aging, Inc., met with the Commissioners to request their signature on the FY 1998-99 Area Plan on Aging, as revised, and to again discuss Health and Public Service Building capital needs for continuance of USA’s home-delivered and congregate meals. On motion by Mr. Cole, the Commissioners unanimously approved and signed the Area Plan. Regarding the kitchen needs, Mr. Burke said that, if he and Chuck Emerson are able to get the old jail refrigeration unit to work, he estimates that he and Renee Soulsman of Adult Day Care, which is sharing the kitchen, will need $5,000 worth of equipment in order to be functional. They have done as much sharing and soliciting of donations as they feel they can at this point, and will make do with existing dining room and center furnishing. The Commissioners indicated that they feel the program needs to continue, but requested Mr. Burke and Ms. Soulsman to prepare a descriptive list of what they need, and what it will cost and submit it to Mr. Emerson for review and submittal to the Commissioners. Mr. Burke thanked the Commissioners for the increased allocation received by USA, and for the one day of moving help from the public works department that has been allocated to him.

On motion by Mr. LeGates, the Commissioners signed letters of representation to Hertzbach & Company, CPA’s, regarding the FY 1997-98 audit of Dayspring Townhomes I and II, and requested that Stephanie Lacaze, director of Interfaith Housing Development Corporation, which operates the complexes with the assistance of a management company, provide a management update, and review of the CDA programs the County serves as a conduit for at her forthcoming meeting with the Commissioners.

On motion by Mr. LeGates, the Commissioners unanimously approved and President Myers signed a letter to the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development expressing support for the investment tax credit application to be submitted by Cabell Corporation for the proposed Fairhaven Manor II affordable housing project, Federalsburg, which does not affect County revenues.

There being no further business, the meeting of the County Commissioners was adjourned.

Leigh Sands

Executive Assistant