BOCC 8/5/03

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=210 BGCOLOR="#99CC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="0968dfc3.jpg"> <div> <A HREF="id66.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="BOCC Meeting Notes 7/1/03 12/31/03"><U><B>BOCC Meeting Notes  7/1/03 - 12/31/03</B></U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=130 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="0978dfe1esnpes.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#336666" FACE="Arial" ><B>Welcome to the Web Site of Clare Whitbeck</B></FONT><B>     </B><B>|</B><B>     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Welcome to the Web Site of Clare Whitbec"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id130.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="BOCC 7/1/03"><U>BOCC 7/1/03</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id132.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="BOCC 7/8/03"><U>BOCC 7/8/03</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id134.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="BOCC 7/15/03"><U>BOCC 7/15/03</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id135.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="BOCC 7/22/03"><U>BOCC 7/22/03</U></A>   |   <B>BOCC 8/5/03</B>   |   <A HREF="id139.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="BOCC 8/19/03"><U>BOCC 8/19/03</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id141.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="BOCC 8/25/03"><U>BOCC 8/25/03</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id142.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="BOCC 9/2/03"><U>BOCC 9/2/03</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id152.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="BOCC 9/9/03"><U>BOCC 9/9/03</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id151.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="BOCC 9/16/02"><U>BOCC 9/16/02</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id153.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="BOCC 9/23/03"><U>BOCC 9/23/03</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id158.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="BOCC 9/30/03"><U>BOCC 9/30/03</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id159.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="BOCC 10/7/03"><U>BOCC 10/7/03</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id160.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="BOCC 10/21/03"><U>BOCC 10/21/03</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id163.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="BOCC 10/28/03"><U>BOCC 10/28/03</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id166.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="BOCC 11/18/03"><U>BOCC 11/18/03</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id175.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="BOCC 12/2/03"><U>BOCC 12/2/03</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=350 colspan=2 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="0978dfc3.jpg"> <div> <I>BOCC 8/5/03</I></div> <div> After the invocation and Pledge of Allegiance, the agenda was approved.  The bills were approved.  </div> <div> Comm McK announced that this is National Night Out, and they presented a proclamation for National Night Out to Sheriff Zylak.  </div> <div> <B>Next came Sue Veith to present the Ordinance to Implement the Critical Area Overlay Map to accommodate growth allocations awarded to J. M. Lacey and Gardiner’s Place.</B>  Veith reiterated that legal advertising had been accomplished.  This application was approved in 1996 by all the required governmental bodies, but the map was never amended.  These amendments are now being considered.  Mattingly noted that the acreage has already been deducted.  The vote was 4- 0 in favor with Raley abstaining because he was not here for the original hearing due to a death in his immediate family.  Comm asked if there were any other such cases and was told no.  He asked and was told that these properties had already been deducted from the critical area allocations.  Jarboe commented that he had originally thought there would be a flood of these application and now knows that now such thing happened.  </div> <div> <B>Next came John Savich for his month report.  </B>They are seeking an appraiser to provide a first appraisal of Lexington Manor.  They have received a reply from the Housing Authority to the BOCC’s letter asking them to be a strong partner in the process of revitalizing the Lexington Manor Area.  They will be bringing forward a series of partnerships between DECD, the Housing Authority, and the Community Development Corporation.  DECD is look at the former Dash-In on Great Mills Road which he believes has a potential for development.  This will result in a Community Legacy Grant.  The details will be coming to the BOCC soon, because the grant is due soon, Victor Hoskins will be in St. Mary’s County on August 22.  They are working on an agenda for him.  It will involve Housing Authority members and other community leaders. This will be a good opportunity Denis Canavan held a meeting on the Lexington Park Plan.  We have a set of County needs that require that we make the transportation system to the Base works well.  This planning has implications for a lot of County activities.  Savich reported that Lockheed Martin has said they are ready to discussion the Joint Strike Fighter workforce.   They expecting about 600 people, some of whom will stay in the County after the project ends.  They are looking at housing, schools, roads, health care spousal employment.  Savich want to explore training needs to work with the College of Southern Maryland and the higher ed center to make sure needs are met.  The Navy Alliance has organized a briefing in Crystal City on the Joint Strike Fighter program.  He will be reporting on the Route 246 (Great Mills Road) improvements.  Raley said Comm McK has a meeting with State Highway Administration Secy Flanagan and could use the information ASAP.  The Heritage Tourism area has been certified by the State.  There will be amendments to the Comprehensive Plan to include the Heritage Tourism area.  McK said the Board is concerned with the whole 84 acres of Lexington Manor.  Savich said the State understands that the County is concerned with all 84 acres, but wants to move incrementally by working on the first 50 acres.  It looks as if the funding is in place for the 50 acres.  McK said they are concerned about all the residents, that all are treated fairly and equitably.  The State is holding the application process open for St. Mary’s County.  Raley said they want everyone in Lexington Manor to be treated fairly and equitably.  Forrest said Savich has been very aggressive in informing the community so we can avoid what happened the last time when the community wasn’t included.  August ? there is a meeting at the library.  They are going beyond what is required by federal law so they can include the residents of Lexington Manor.  Comm McK said he would like to have DECD look at the possibility of St. Mary’s building a commercial winery, maybe at Piney Point, when we consider their master plan.  This facility could be run by a coop of local grape growers.  It would be tourism, economic development, and agricultural development.  Mattingly said that’s a tight site.  McK said it’s now over 7 acres.  There is almost an 8 acre site there.  It may not be the right site.  Savich said we need to know the business imperatives.  We can do a first cut and let you know what the costs are.  McK reiterated that the County owns that property, it has water access.   It’s on the western side of the county which is the historical and heritage side.  Dement noted that the owner of the Food Lion shopping Center.  Mattingly asked if there were someone from the Board of Education going to the Joint Strike Fighter meeting.  Savich said no, but that’s a good idea.  Jarboe asked about the tourism center in the northern end of the County.  The next step is the Board of Public Works, said Savich.  The Chamber, McK was told, is open to ideas. </div> <div> <B>Becky Stevens of the Southern Maryland Child Care Resource Center came to ask for a letter designating that organization as applicant for a federal grant for the Early Learning Opportunities Act.  </B>This grant will allow parents, grandparents and child care providers to receive outreach.  They will be expanding their outreach to an informal program. there will be a partnership with St. Mary’s College.  Students will get credit for studying emergent literacy.  DSS clients in southern Maryland use more informal child care than the rest of the State, and St. Mary’s County is the highest of the three counties.  Stevens said they try to provide the same service in every county.  They will work with the Jarboe Center as well as the Calvert and Charles agencies.  Lexington Park has 70% of people receiving purchase of services vouchers for child care using informal child care.  Raley asked if other counties have signed up and was told yes.  Raley asked if other non profits had expressed and interest and was told not that we are aware of.  Becky pulled everyone together on this.  Mattingly asked why this program is not part of the LMB.  Forrest said there is some Local Management Board (LMB) input.  They applied for this grant last year and were criticized for not having been appointed, said Stevens.  They work with the LMB.  John Norris said this will not affect any other programs, and no Maryland jurisdictions received any of this money last year.  The budget for the federal grant is a little over $500,000.  McK asked for a motion and after a long pause Dement made it.  The vote was 5 - 0 in favor.  Steven noted that Elaine Lancaster has been helpful.</div> <div> <B>Elaine Kramer came to discuss the final form of the Board of Education’s Budget.  </B>Kramer said the BOCC had previously received the budget book and the analyses.  The BOCC will sign a letter with attached pages from the budget book.  Funding Sources will be adjusted.  The operating funding is a 6.6% increase over the FY’03.  Thornton made some funding which was a restricted grant  now part of general funds, thus making the operational funds greater.  Some grants have not be included because of the uncertainty of the funding.  Kramer said she didn’t intend to go through all 10 pages.  Dr. Richardson thanked the BOCC for its support.  Education remained a top priority for St. Mary’s County.  There will be 42 new teachers in the budget.  That will help reach the progress goals the State has set.  The textbooks have already been purchased.  There are enrollment changes going on.  Richardson said the budget has provided new teachers, increased the number of full day kindergartens, provided new technology and new textbooks.  McK commended them for addressing the textbook issue and maintained cost controls in administration.  They have added one new administrative position.  He noted they are using fund balances.  There will be about 11,000,000 in new funding which will end up in the classrooms.  Comm Raley noted that the County is appropriating a little over $56,000,000 and the Board of Education is using $1.4 million from the fund balance.  That’s good, he said.  The fact is that education in St. Mary’s County will receive $115,000,000.  Last year it was $103,000,000.  The Year before it was $93,000,000.  Comm Mattingly noted that textbook expenditures have been increased.  Will it help us catch up.  Dr. Richardson said it will allow us to complete grades 9 & 10 o the English adoption, as well as provide for increased enrollment.  She would like to do an information update for the BOCC to show the teaching materials now being used.  There’s still a balance, textbooks are a major tool.  The assessments are based on the voluntary State curriculum.  Those are the knowledge and skills a child should have for an adequate education.  A textbook is not the only way to teach.  There will be a textbook accountability policy.  She would like to share that with the BOCC.  Children may say they don’t have a textbook because they don’t have one, or because they lost theirs.  This is one of the largest amounts we’ve been able to into textbooks.  We have to select carefully.  Publishing companies only do a major update every 10 years.  We need to update only when the major overhaul is recently completed.  There will always be textbooks, but there are other tools.  Mattingly said they get complaints about Xeroxed work sheets.  Richardson said those will still be text books.  “Black line masters” are one way to purchase work books.  They are masters with permission to copy them.  Richardson said they need to be more clear in telling parents what they can expect their child to come home with.  In response to a question, Richardson said they will bring the policy to the Board of Ed this month and then to the BOCC.  We expect, she said, the policy reduce the problems.  And she also said there are areas where there is no textbook.  Companies tend to publish for Texas and California.  There may not be a single text for our students.  McK asked why food service costs have not increased.  Richardson said students can set up accounts instead of bringing in money.  It has reduced the cost by implementing an automated system.   In the old days students had a different lunch ticket.  Now no one knows how the student’s lunch is being paid for.  Additional children have been willing to sign up since no one will know, and the County gets a subsidy for those lunches.  Parents can send in a check for the child’s account.  Raley asked where we stand with the after school program at Spring Ridge.  Dr. Fulton said Spring Ridge will continue.  They hope to get back to where they were before the tight times.  Dr. Richardson said there are a variety of sources for technology funding.  There have been 3 labs installed at each middle school.  She consulted with an education planner who said that computers increase math skills.  “It’s about developing and interest and a passion in that area.”  She said you would be proud of St. Mary’s County has you visited the model technology school in Fairfax County.  The technology is not at the level we have here in this County.  The first phase of the technology center has been completed.  It’s State of the Art.  They have not yet filled all the teaching positions.  They have filled more than half of the 140 positions.  There are about 30 positions not yet filled.  Special Education is a major area of concern.  Raley asked if the annex were ready and was told yes.  Richardson said the facility is in excellent shape.  Many of the teachers have already begun setting up classrooms.  Richardson said they will approach the State for construction dollars.  She said with the increase in dollars needed for Margaret Brent, they will be asking for fewer total dollars.  They have created a template for a new elementary school.  Richardson said it has to be a facility that can be built almost anywhere.  Mattingly asked why there would not be a savings in architectural and engineering fees and was told it will show up in the next budget.  The fees were still being negotiated when the budget document was prepared.  The budget was approved by a vote of 5 - 0.  The BOCC will meet with the Board of Ed on the 14<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >th</FONT> at Do Dah Deli at 8:00 AM.</div> <div> <B>The next item was to approve and authorize the sale of bonds.  </B>Bond Counsel has already approved the bonds.  The amount of sale is an additional $22,750,000 They may refund about $10.8 million for County Bonds for a savings of $480,000 and $5.8 million for MetCom bonds to save about $500,000.  These will be 20 year bonds.  Raley said in the NY presentation, there was a common theme about the rapid payoff of existing debt.  Is 20 years the average time frame?  The bond advisor said 20 years is acceptable and 15 is also OK.  Raley asked if the debt affordability study was based on 15 or 20 years.  Sam ? said the model is still valid.  Raley asked if there had been a study on the increased cost.  They did a study, she said.  She said we didn’t slide to 20 years, it was a decision.  Raley said this BOCC has not discussed 15 years vs. twenty.  She responded that discussion is part of the discussion of capital budget discussion.  If you want to change the time frame, she needs to know sooner rather than later.  67% of our debt will be retired in the next ten years.  McK said he would like to see us continue to retire that debt.  BRAC ‘05 may require us to take on a number of school projects.  We were dealing with difficult State funding.  We don’t go back to the bond market for 2 years.  Kramer said that depends on what is approved for ‘05.  August is the month for doing the Capital Budget.  That’s the time to do the analysis.  Raley said we need to know if we save more money with pay go and how much more.  Mattingly said it’s important to him that the County not borrow, but rather use current income to pay for capital projects.  Asked about the $500,000 savings to his agency, Steve King of MetCom said they would use it to upgrade the Marlay Taylor plant.  There was a rate increase in July, but this money can be used for paying off debt related to benefit assessment charges.  They finance their projects with benefit assessment charges.  They are finding they have to put it into the service charges.  They approved the County Bonds and the MetCom bonds by a vote of 5 - 0.  McK asked if King anticipated going back to the bond market.  Steve King said most of the funding comes from state matching funds.  They are getting interest rates of 1.7% from the State.  Bond Counsel commended the BOCC on its discussion.  </div> <div> <B>Next came approval of a $2,400 grant from Md Dept of Agriculture for noxious weed removal.  </B>The grant was approved 5 - 0.  Jarboe asked where the greatest infestation of noxious weeds is located.   </div> <div> <B>The next item was authorization for a right of entry agreement to make test on property owned by Marcas LLC </B>(First Colony).  The agreement was approved 5 - 0.  Erichsen said there will be 5 tests.  They expire 12/31/04.  GCI does the testing.  Is there economies of doing at 5 at once?  Yes, said Erichsen, that’s why we’re waiting.</div> <div> <B>Next was a budget amendment to cover unknown costs in renovating the HVAC at the College of Southern Maryland.  </B>Comm McK asked if this would lower our capital reserves and was told yes.  Kramer said we should be able to replenish it.  It’s more of a timing issue.  Mattingly asked and was told it will be included in our pending litigation.  Raley asked if this would be it and was told yes for the old building.  Erichsen said when you open walls, you find other issues that you didn’t expect.  They have made a concentrated effort to repair the old building.  Forrest said the man hours to replace the valve were astronomical.  The project manager, Mr. Carlton, will see that we get our money’s worth.   They found an old asbestos pipe that had been abandoned in place.  McK said it reminds us of the difficulty in renovating old buildings.  The vote was 5 - 0 in favor.  McK asked when it will be completed.  Erichsen said building B work will not begin until FY ‘05.  Carlton said they are looking at Sept 1 for the school to be back in operation.</div> <div> <B>Chad Holdsworth came to get approval to for an equivalent EDU for Tax Map 69, Parcel 87, lot 2.  </B>This lot was overlooked in the windshield survey.  It has received approval from the St. George Island Improvement Association.  Holdsworth said a correct to the tax map will be made.  Mattingly asked if we had the ability to scan the HTE system and find these problems.  Holdsworth said we are going to have to do that.  That should be possible with new GIS capabilities.  The vote was 5 - 0 to approve.  Comm Dement said that was his district and should have been his motion.</div> <div> <B>Next came Joe Donick from the SOSAR camp asking for approval to accept a total of $19,689 and realign the funds.  </B>This is the first year of the new grant. The vote was 5- 0.  </div> <div> <B>The next</B> <B>item was a request to use some of the $1.5 million for Lexington Manor so that an appraisal can be obtained.  </B>He wouldn’t necessarily restrict that to the 50.5 acres.  The appraisal will be funded by Community Development Block Grant funds.  This would come from Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development or Housing and Community Development funds.  If we are to appraise for more than 50 acres we may need more funds.  Savich is guessing it will cost $10,000.  McK Said the property is to be appraised taking into account the highest and best use.  This would comply with the State’s requirements and would assume demolition costs.  McK asked if relocation funds would be included and was told a private developer wouldn’t have to pay for relocation and so those funds are not included.  Savich said this is a first appraisal to set some parameters for the grant application.  Norris said this appraisal is to determine much funding will be available to pay for the property.  The motion was to appraise 50.5 acres for approximately $10,000.  Savich asked to have the reference to the 50.5 acres deleted.  The vote was 5 - 0.  </div> <div> <B>The next item was Commissioner time.  </B>Comm Dement said he and his wife enjoyed the tour of the SOSAR camps.  He said it showed the value of the program to the children.  He thanked Mr. Donick.  Del John Wood had by-pass surgery.  Mattingly said he is doing well.  Ken Dement took his son on a honeymoon, because neither he nor his new wife drive.  Comm Mattingly congratulated Dement for a nice wedding.  He also congratulated the Patuxent Partnership for the luncheon.  They did a nice job.  That’s the type of support a community will have to show.  He attended the Oliver’s 50<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >th</FONT> wedding anniversary.  Anne Raley and Dennie Mattingly both celebrated birthdays last week.  There will be a beach party at Leonardtown on August 9.  Ridge fire department is next.  Comm Jarboe noted the tragic passing of Wilmer Bowles.  He was a very active member of the Nursing Center Board, said Jarboe, and I want to thank him.  He was the most vocal and adamant supporter of senior care I’ve ever met, said Jarboe.  Raley thanked Forrest, John Savich, and Elaine Kramer for their assistance at the bond rating meetings.  He said our staff responded knowledgeably.  Comm McK added a birthday bouquet for Donna, who said she was 39 last Friday.  He seconded Raley’s comments on the effectiveness of staff at the bond meeting.  </div> <div> After lunch George Forrest took up the second half of his agenda.  <B>He began by bringing Gene Carter to the table asking approval for a grant award of a federal grant for $29,857 and a budget amendment of $39,462.</B>  This grant provides respite care for the families and victims of Alzheimers Disease.  FY 2004 is the last year of this grant.  We will lose $20,000  in federal funding for this program. Comm McK said this is bad news.  Gene Carter said we can longer provide services at the level we have provided it previously.  There is some other money which will fill the void.  Carter said the County will not have the flexibility to help the families.  They will have to look to other resources.  There will be an increase in the amount the County is asked to provide.  But he believes it is unrealistic to expect the County to backfill on these programs.  McK said he will be looking to Carter to help with priorities.  The grant award and budget amendment were approved by a vote of 5 - 0.   The next item was a grant award for the Senior Health Insurance Program of $5,685.  This helps seniors “wade through the confusion of what’s being paid and what’s not being paid.”McK said he didn’t have the budget amendment.  The amendment and grant were approved.  The vote was 5 - 0.</div> <div> <B>The next item was the Medicare Waiver grant of $63,397 Federal and $45,000 State.  </B>This money reflects the amount of staff time required to administer the Medicaid Waiver program.  The Federal Government reimburses $1 for every $2 to administer the program.  The State does the same up to $45,000.  Julie Van Orden has the job of Medicaid Waiver Coordinator.  Dement whispered “your turn” to Mattingly, who then made the motion.  The vote was 5 - 0 in favor.  Raley asked what the $5,000 was for and was told it was for a lap top computer for our coordinator.  McK asked if it would go through IT and was told yes.  </div> <div> <B>Another grant for the Office on Aging totaling about $160,000 to support programs in our community.  </B>The office is losing about $50,000 in State funding.  They will bring some services under the Medicaid Waiver program to cope.  McK said he really likes the way Carter can find a way to get the job done.  Carter said his staff is the reason he can get it done.  The vote was 5 - 0 in favor.  </div> <div> <B>The final grant was for meals and snacks served in child and adult day care programs.  </B>E do get reimbursed for these programs.  The vote was 5 - 0 in favor.</div> <div> <B>The final item was Phil Rollins to request the signature of the BOCC on a Memorandum of Understanding to bring school field trips to our local museums.  </B>Raley asked if the County Attorney had signed off and was told yes.  McK introduced the members of the museum board.  They were all present.  Shirley Leyland, George Kennett, Rose Davis, Robert Arnold, Joe Ballenger, Greg Callaway, Helen Dorsey, Steve Dunlap, Joe Gass, and Millie Huseman.  Dr. Richardson and her staff were also present, Raley noted.  A curriculum is being developed to take place on St. Clements Island.<B> </B>The vote was 5 - 0 in favor.  There will be a brown bag lunch at the museum on Friday at 11:30.  </div> <div> <B>The next item was the Museum Board report.  </B>Over 26,000 visitors came to museum sites.  They have accreditation for our 4 museums.  There are only 8 accredited museums in the State of Maryland.  They have revised their by-laws, developed ethics statements for trustees and volunteers.  They are concerned about the continuation of an “acting” director.  The Board will work on developing outside sources of funding.  The CPO building was found to be uninhabitable.  There is no site for the museum shop at this time.  They need to move the contributions from Harry Lundberg.  They need to get to work on the Drayden African American School House.  The Museum Master Plan needs to be approved, submit revised by-laws to the BOCC.  They want to create mission statements for each museum.  The Piney Point Gift shop is now in the museum.  Comm Mattingly commented that this Board is one of the most active of all the Boards that work with the BOCC.  Kim Cullens, Christina Claggett, and Carol Cummings were complemented on their work for the County by the Trustees.  </div> <div> <B>The Draft Potomac River Maritime Museum Master Plan was next.</B>  Phil Rollins set up his presentation.  Lydia ? presented the BOCC with photos and a journal with a picture on the cover as well as the draft museum plan.  The County purchased the former Steuart Petroleum site about two years ago totaling about 2 acres and .33 acre on St. George’s Creek adjacent to the lighthouse.  The old Coast Guard garage has served as the museum for several years.  It will cost more than the building is worth to repair it.  A draft master plan has been prepared and approved by the Museum Board.  Mr. ? said his job was to help incorporate the new property into the park.  The property is somewhat disjointed.  He noted there can be no net gain of impervious area in the critical area.  The views from the pier are incredible and the view should be opened up.  He thinks there are views to the creek that should be opened up.  They tried to connect to areas.  There is a Phase I plan and a Phase II with list.  They suggest walkways on Lighthouse Road.  He wants a place for tented events.  He thins the gift shop should move to the current museum.  The museum moves to the Stewart Building.  They do accommodate bus traffic.  Phase II includes a new museum building.  The existing office building will be renovated into a museum.  The exhibits will all be on the second floor.  The building is not quite as big as they thought, and programs had to be modified.  It will have a library/conference room on the first floor.  They also looked at expanding this building, but the Museum Board wanted to talk about building a new building.  The lower level would have some kind of patio.  They wanted to create some kind of overlook on the second floor.  McK noted that reconstruction of building 5 is phase I.  The butler building will not hold the vessels from Harry Lundberg school.  They have plans for changing the benches and the light poles.  Comm McK said he agrees that the creek frontage is a huge asset to the property.  Access to the water is something we lack in St. Mary’s County.  If we don’t leverage the water, we are missing an opportunity.  That happens in your phase II concept.  He responded that was a budget consideration.  McK asked if the old boat house would be used.  Rollins said they have already used it to repair an old dory boat.  There is a 1928 Ford Truck that will be part of the exhibits.  The River is 7 feet deep at the park.  Raley asked about preliminary estimates of cost, $859,000, about $1.61/sq feet.  When you talk about the budget range of $150 - $300 a square foot.  The reply was that is how it is.  It depends on what you do.  A historic boat in a properly humidity controlled environment is very expensive.  Raley said we should not eliminate any pavement because the Critical Areas Commission won’t give it back.  McK asked if Rollins wanted to adopt the plan and implement phase I.  McK asked about timing and was told yesterday.  It has been in the capital program, said Rollins, but well under what it needs to be.  McK noted there was not restaurant space there.  Part of this plan in to use the Keepers Quarters for a bed and breakfast area, or make it part of the interpretation.  They never talked about a restaurant.  McK said the attraction of the museum is the amenities that surround it.  Lydia noted that there are several restaurants in the area that are accessible by water.  Maybe we could work out an arrangement with the Harry Lundberg school for accommodations.  Mattingly said you expect there will eventually be a office building.  Did you discuss doing in-house renovations of the existing building.  Rollins said it was discussed, but they concluded that since the Steuart property was acquired to make a museum.  Everyone agrees that putting the museum on the Potomac River would be a better alternative.  Mattingly questioned the $300/sq ft.  Rollins said facilities management staff said that was a realistic number.  Calvert County gets 30,000 visitors to their maritime museum and we get 5,000 visitors.  McK commented that at Solomons the draw is the area.  We are not adding anything for hanging out.  That’s what you do at the area.  Lydia said we hope to have that same environment in Piney Point.  We hope to get a lot of support for our plan.  We can’t apply for funding until we adopt a master plan she continued.  This museum is a designated target investment zone.   Rollins said they would take it back and take a hard look at what will be there.  McK said money is tight and will be tight for a long time.  They money the State provides us will be limited.  Mattingly said you could make the old office building useable.  We have talented tradesmen who can do the work.  Forrest cautioned the BOCC about using in-house staff and keeping other programs going.  Should we look at the old building and renovate it.  We need a master plan before we can get money.  Mattingly said we renovate that building today, then later put to its final use.  Jarboe said we have guys in our community who can do historic renovation.  Dr. Dodge used these people to do Cremona.  Jerry Rue and ? Stevens.  Have them come in.  Mattingly said the two story building will require a lot of work.  Forrest said that building is not the sort of place that requires historic renovation.  It was built in the 70's.  There is a certain amount of money you will have to spend.  McK said the reality is we need a new high school, middle school and elementary school.  We are getting those, not this museum.  McK pointed out that renovations result in unexpected costs.  “We’ve been through that, he said.” McK mentioned the commercial winery idea again.  Mattingly said no one seems opposed to the concept of the master plan.  Would it be appropriate to approve the concept, and have staff be ready when we consider the capital budget.  McK asked if they were hoping for a confirmation today and was told not necessarily.  But Rollins said they can’t go forward without a plan.  They can’t apply for a grant without the plan.  They could use the T-21 program or the Chesapeake Gateways program.  Dement asked about the $79,000.  Can’t someone in house tell what is needed and what it will cost.  This money, said Rollins, would develop construction drawings.  Dement said we still need a new building.  Lydia said they had Russell come down and the estimate was $150,000 just for the HVAC.  I left at 4:00 PM, but they never reached a decision.  Staff was sent back to think some more.</div> </td> </tr></table></body>