BOCC 9/9/03

<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>   |   <A HREF="id136.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="BOCC 8/5/03"><U>BOCC 8/5/03</U></A>   |   <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>   |   <B>BOCC 9/9/03</B>   |   <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 9/9/03</I></div> <div> The day began when Lynda Lymas, Principal of Great Mills High School, received a proclamation on behalf of herself and her staff for outstanding improvement in SAT scores - 44 points this year and 102 points over the last two years.  Dr. Richardson commended all her schools.  She noted it’s important to celebrate accomplishments, but even more important to try to improve even more.  She said the public schools are trying to make sure they are offering the best program to our children.  She thanked and congratulated the BOCC for their cooperation.  McKay said we are not the wealthiest County in the State, but the BOCC will do everything it can to assist the school system.  McK wished Comm Mattingly a happy birthday on Sept 6.</div> <div> Randy Schultz, Director of Human Resources, came to present his monthly report.  He brought a presentation on compressed work schedules.  A compressed work schedule program can improve employee morale, said Forrest, while continuing to provide good service to the citizens.  A compressed work schedule allows employees to work more hours each day and have every other Friday off.  It could increase customer service hours.  It could reduce short-term absences.  It improves morale.  Not every employee could take advantage of the program.  Many employees may not want to take advantage of this type of schedule.  </div> <div> Guidelines - full time employees would work a minimum of eight hours a day.  Meal periods are unpaid.  All holidays will be paid at a maximum of eight hours per day.  Scheduled work for normal workdays will occur between 6:00 A.M. and 6:00 P.M..  There should be no reduction in work schedules, no reclassifications, some positions may not be able to take advantage of the many facets of this program.  Questions from payroll will have to be answered by supervisors.  </div> <div> If a holiday falls on a day off, you get to take another day off.  Administrated leave will be treated as holidays and only pay eight hours a day.  Staff believes the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.  Forrest said there was discussion at last month’s staff meeting.  They will put together a quality program.  It is a product which is owed to employees and provides even better citizen service, he continued.  McK said citizen service is the number one priority here.  He went on to say we owe employees the best environment we can get for them.  But customer service is #1.  McK asked who supervises employees who work longer work days.  Schultz said supervisors must put together a work plan.  Forrest said he is not concerned about County employees slacking off.  His job is to convince folks that quality of work needs to be stepped up a notch.  McK said sometimes the decision cannot be made until the supervisor is present.  Forrest said the training piece will kick in and have employees able to answer questions.  McK asked why limit hours to 6:6:00.  Would employees who work outside normal work hours get premium pay, he continued.  McK said he doesn’t think this program should change the 8 hour holiday pay or administrative leave pay.  Schultz said if it causes any decrease in customer service, it can’t happen.  Jarboe said it’s like the phones.  The phone service isn’t as good as it was, he continued.  Mattingly asked if this is a voluntary program and was told not entirely.  Mattingly said there has to be agreement that once you go onto it, you stick with it for a certain period of time.  There will be a number of employees who won’t be able to participate.  Forrest said the phone system does anything we want it to do.  We just have to be smart enough to figure out how to do it.  We won’t go headlong into this program without figuring out how to handle it.  Raley said ever since this idea came up he’s been thinking about it.  St. Mary’s County is somewhat lean in terms of how many people it has to do the work.  He is sensitive to the fact that employees want this to happen.  He is sensitive to the fact that Schultz and Forrest want this to happen.  Raley said voting for the phone system was a bad move on his part.  He uses the phone system a lot.  He gets voice-mail for the operator.  He thinks the disadvantages outweigh the advantages.  Raley said a third of them will not be able to take advantage of this.  Forrest said they will come back with a plan.  They want guidance to go ahead with how to implement the program.  They will take comments and do further research on this.  Forrest continued to ask to bring back a flushed out program.  McK said we need a good customer service program.  He wants a 411 phone system where the citizens can get help with whatever they need.  He thinks we should put a sunset on this program.  Let ‘em prove to us that they can make it work.  Dement asked if we couldn’t improve customer service hours with one employee’s schedule.  Certain departments need it more than others.  Mattingly noted that some departments are not going to be able to do it.  McK said he hates to have staff continue if there isn’t an appetite for this down the road.  Mattingly said let them take the feedback and bring us a program.  Dement said he doesn’t think nobody is saying no.  Jarboe said he has concerns, but he likes the sunset clause.  He wants a simultaneous customer service program.  Schultz said last year they worked with the College of Southern Maryland to do a customer service program.  We could build on that program.  We have had 40 vacant positions that have remained vacant sine July 1.  There are savings that will accrue.  There are workers compensation issues.  They had a policy holder meeting.  There have been significant reductions in claims.  (85 - 51) and the dollars have dropped even more significantly.  On the property and casualty side and there was $590,000 expected and $646,000 was the initial bill.  We found many duplicated items on the property schedule.  Now the bill is $545,000.  </div> <div> Recreation and Parks was next.  The Director, Phil Rollins came to the table. He said he would cut back his report.  He gave each commissioner a copy of the fall program guide.  They are available on-line, in libraries, etc.  He said the recreation division has a $2.8 million enterprise fund.  Many activities contribute to the fund.  They now have 11 before and after school centers.  The program is self supporting. The Nicolet Park and Skate park opened two weeks ago.  They have 600 waivers.  They average about 24 people a day and about 45 per weekend day.  They are generating enough revenue to support the activity.  The gymnastics center has about 500 people enrolled.  About 67 are enrolled in the competitive team.  The Lighthouse challenge will bring lighthouse lovers to each lighthouse and see how many they can visit in a weekend.  McK asked Rollins to keep a count of visitors.  We had a lead paint issue and it has been cared for.  The Potomac River Maritime Museum proposal will be updated.  Wicomico Shores golf course was up a couple of hundred rounds from last year despite the rain.  Wicomico Shores will host the Maryland special olympics tournament.  They should have bids on the clubhouse soon and begin construction perhaps this winter.  They hope to open it in the spring of 2005.  The Parks division maintains the parks.  A lot of preparation is getting our parks ready for fall sports.  They will repair the Wicomico Shores tennis courts.  The swimming pool is expected to be completed by early October.  It should be completed in a couple of weeks.  Dorsey Park has additional parking.  They may not be able to seed Chaptico Park this fall.  The Cape St. Mary’s boat ramp has been improved.  We will request funding from the State for channel dredging done some weeks ago.  Wicomico Shores and St. Inigoes boat landings bids came in too high.  They are trying to shift some funds around.  They wanted to have the staff be voting members of a facility committee, but are checking with the Ethics Commission.  McK said there needs to be a public private partnership at the Carver site.  They are hoping to have a person who graduated from Carver High School lend his name to the facility.  The Recreation and Parks Board would prefer to have the advisory board be a sub committee of the Recs and Parks Board.  Forrest said they are moving to have a separate board in accordance with instructions received.  McK said if there is a concern of the Recs and Parks Board  . . .    Maybe they should give us their concerns.  We are not intending to take anything away from the Recs and Parks Board.  We have some large enterprise funds which are big business.  We can service the golfers at Wicomico even better if we have a group strictly focused on that.  Phil Rollins said the Recs and Parkes Board will be in at the end of the month.  </div> <div> Dennis Canavan came to update the BOCC on the Dept. of Land Use and Growth Management.  He would like to emphasize that in July staff completed the work on the Critical Areas Zoning Map.  It came before the BOCC in August.  In addition the Water and Sewer Plans are updated and have been submitted to the Planning Commission.  The BOCC will take testimony on Sept 30.  You have given the go-ahead to solicit interested citizens.  That will go out.  He wants to begin work because there are important issues.  They will begin with school capacity issues.  Development continues to be quite vigorous.  They took 1,300 plus phone calls.  They have more customers to serve with the same staff.  The Planning Commission will host a work session meeting on Sept 15 on the Lexington Park Plan.  Oct 14 there will be a public hearing on historic preservation guidlines.  There will be a meeting at the Airport for the Planning Commission.  He will present a zoning text amendment to allow airports to be a permitted use in an industrial zone.  He will also work on the airport master plan.  The APF, water and sewer plan, public hearing of amendments.  He doesn’t think there will be many participants and it could be addressed in a public hearing in the daytime.  He would have normally made the decision on when to hold the hearing, said McK.  He’s a little uncomfortable on doing things in the afternoon unless the other commissioners are willing.  Canavan said if you leave the record open, we will respond within the 20 day period to the BOCC. Forrest commented that they would schedule hearings as staff sees fit, but he can change the procedure.  McK said they can always cancel the public hearing and reschedule it for an evening.  Jarboe said they are talking about a cottage industry overlay to support businesses on the farm.  He continued that they had to have a public hearing for a school house, but the development that disturbed the Amish never had a public hearing.  This overlay would help with this.  Canavan said he would be happy to explain why we have the regulations.  Comm Raley said he has a request for Canavan.  He complemented Canavan on being a quick study.  Then Raley asked about improvements to the process for a one time user.  He would like to hear how we are addressing that individual’s needs.  They are putting together a list of the most frequently asked questions.  McK noted that Canavan moved to our community before he took his job and became part of the community.</div> <div> George Forrest presented the draft agendas.  The SHA tour will go north on Route 5, south on 235, then north at the main gate to Chancellors Run Road. the north on Route 5 to Leonardtown.  Raley said SHA is coming down. He continued that he who lives in a glass house shouldn’t throw stones.  He is trying to contact Robin Finnacom about Coral Drive.  That street is in bad shape.  Raley said whoever is doing it, it’s not getting done.  </div> <div> The Office of Community Services came to request approval of a memorandum of understanding placing a VISTA at St. Mary’s College.  We have had VISTA’s assigned to the College. This agreement has been approved by the County Attorney and College’s Attorney.  Mattingly asked how often we have to go through this process.  Brown said every time we change VISTA’s.   Dr. ? said they are using the VISTA with their service and social change office.  Student clubs come and go, but the VISTA helps us plan programs that provide longer term participation.  She will also help us connect with the Office of Community Services.  Michael Freeman, Vice President of the College was also present.  The vote was 5 - 0 in favor.  </div> <div> The budget amendment to move the $500 gift from The Patuxent River Naval Air Museum Association into the budget passed.  The vote was 5 - 0.</div> <div> Phil Cooper, Acting Director of the Office of Emergency Preparedness, came to have approval for a budget amendment for a $60,000 grant to fund a position to coordinate homeland security budget.  McK said we are offering benefits not ordinarily offered a temporary employee.  Will This person become a merit employee.  Norris said there is a definition in the County Personnel Manual that provides for grant funded employees.  Raley asked if the person would get a vehicle.  Cooper said for business when needed.  Raley continued, but not to carry home The amendment was approved.  The vote was 5 - 0.  </div> <div> The next item was the circuit court’s request to decrease revenues and expenses and an increase in unallocated grant reserve account.  There will not be funds to help people get custodial evaluations.  The State has supported a $130,000 grant request at the $102,000 level said McK.  Mattingly asked if additional funds might be come available.  The answer was no.  All family services grants are being reduced, said the Circuit Court representative.  Next came a proposal to accept $19,000 for the Southern Maryland Regional Dependency Mediation Program.  This will provide training for people to mediate.  This applies to Children in Need of Assistance cases and foster care cases.  McK noted the State takes away and the State gives.  Mattingly asked and was told this is a tri-county program.  Raley asked about the consultant and was told this person will train people to mediate.  The amendment was approved.  The vote was 5 - 0.  </div> <div> Jennie Page and Peggy Maio presented a request to sign the plan detailing the efforts to provide services to seniors.  The approved results in the awarding of our federal grants.  We will receive $239,067 in federal funds with a match, said McK, of almost $22,000.  McKay said a lot of paper work went into this plan.  He asked if has changed much from last year.  Page said it’s usually basically the same.  Dan Raley said eventually we will have our Northern Senior Center come on line.  Has that been put into this plan?  Page replaied just that it will occur.  They approved the plan.  The vote was 5 - 0.</div> <div> George Erichsen came to request a budget amendment for an economic assessment for the Airport.  McK asked who will do the assessment.  Erichsen said the airport consultant will do it.  This is a $24,360 amendment.  The BOCC doesn’t see the whole picture at the airports.  Last year our revenue was $130,000, but that doesn’t take into account all the activities.  McK said you don’t mean sell the airport, you mean sell the value of the airport.  Erichsen said yes, that’s what I mean.  McK said he agrees that all the pieces of the packet should be in one place.  McK asked if this report would talk about the areas around the airport and was told yes.  Raley congratulated George Erichsen on his work with the airport.  Raley then said he wasn’t impressed by Delta consultants.  Erichsen said he has been one of the best consultants.  McK said he would like to have a write up of what we already know.  Erichsen indicated that he understood.  The report was approved.  The vote was 5 - 0</div> <div> The next item was Ericsen and George jarboe asking approval for an intergovernmental agreement with the Department of Social Services.  Jarboe said this is a very successful program.  We get a matching amount of federal funding for this program.  Jarboe was asked if there were a back up plan if the State program should fail.  Jarboe said his program is funded by grants.  McK said you should be thinking about a back up.  McK said given the state of employment in this county there is value to the employers in this program.  McK said when the St. Mary’s to Calvert route want away, his business lost employees.  Jarboe noted that DSS actually buys bus tickets for people.  Jarboe noted that southern Maryland has done wel.  His ridership is up 19%.  Mattingly said the Board would write to the congressional delgation, if it would help any.  The agreement was approved.  The vote was 5 - 0. Jarboe thanked them and passed out a press release about a new route to Golden Beach and Wicomico Shores.  McK asked about the connection with McK’s business, was it related to his job as a commissioner.  George Jarboe said that’s where they meet Charles County; it’s the northernmost place in the County.  Larry Jarboe asked if the schedules would be in the libraries.  Erichsen and G. Jarboe said yes.  Larry Jarboe said his car broke down and this is just in time.</div> <div> Commissioner time was next.  Raley began by saying he attended the groundbreaking ceremony of the King’s Christian Academy in Callaway.  He congratulated the KCA staff.  He attended the ribbon cutting of the Indigo Grill.  Open M - Thur 11 - 9, Sat & Sun 7:00 - 10:00.  Friday will be the kickoff breakfast for the United Way campaign.  He would like a follow through for information about memberships in the American Planning Association.  The other commissioners said he should read his e-mail.</div> <div> Dement mentioned the Kings Christian Academy.  Mr. Raley got his picture taken with the Chamber, but I was working and didn’t make it.  He attended the ribbon cutting for the senior housing on Pegg Road.  There are twenty some places left.  It’s a nice facility.  The fee is according to your income.  Last year Kennie Dement did his last softball corner tv show.  He thanked the sponsors and the players. It brings a lot of assets to this county, tournaments and things.  He thanked the public.  Comm Mattingly apologized for missing some meetings.  He said he had family issues and will have to reschedule those meetings.  He attended the MALF task force (Maryland Agricultural Land Fund).  We got a lot of attention because easements are coming in higher than other places in the State. They got support from Sen Dyson and another Baltimore senator.  He stopped by the Anchor facility in the north end of the county.  He was very impressed.  He suggested the other BOCC members go and visit the facility.  He thanked Cathy O’Brien for the tour.  </div> <div> Larry Jarboe said they need to keep the Board of Elections is in need of space.  As we tour we need to include the Board of Elections.  McK noted that Lexington Park Street Scaping projects are to be completed in November.  He will attend the Procurement Policy Review Committee meeting at 5:30 tomorrow evening.  This Thursday there will be a 9/11 ceremony at noon.  There will be a public forum this evening at the Mechanicsville sub station.  </div> </td> </tr></table></body>