News Flash

Todd Mohn’s Wrap Up of the November 15 County Commissioner Meeting 

The November 15^th meeting started at 5:00 p.m. with a closed session for Boards & Commissions and Investment of Public Funds.

The regular meeting was called to order at 5:45 p.m. 

Motion to reappoint Rebecca Barbee, Betty Davis, Alan Ettman, Kelly Johnson, Judy Kropfelder, Loretta Morris, Leslie Ray all for four-year terms expiring on 12/31/2026.    APPROVED 5-0

Motion to reappoint Lenny Jachimowicz to a three-year term to expire on 12/31/2025. APPROVED 5-0

Motion to appoint Marlene Stanton to a four-year term to expire on 12/31/2026.  APPROVED 5-0

E.  Planning Commission                                                

Motion to appoint Ben Tilghman to a five-year term to expire on 12/31/27. APPROVED 5-0

F.  Property Tax Assessment Appeals Board                           

Motion to appoint Laura Plemons to a five-year term to expire on 12/31/27.   APPROVED 5-0

PRESENTATIONS

1. Ms. Cathy Willis - Community Services Update        
2. Ms. Kelly Huber - Character Counts Proclamation “Citizenship” & 22^nd Character Counts Anniversary Proclamation                                                     
3. Mr. Bill Faust - Queen Anne's Co. Fire & EMS Commission Year in Review
4. Ms. Desiree Jefferson, Youth Program Director, Ms. Abigail Smith, Youth Advisory Board Co-Chair and Ms. Stefanie Johnson, Executive Director, His Hope Ministries – Homeless Youth Awareness Month Proclamation

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS

Item #                                                                                                              

Flood insurance is made available to Queen Anne’s County property owners through the County’s participation as a member community in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The NFIP’s Community Rating System (CRS) recognizes communities with local regulation exceeding the minimum standards by reducing flood insurance premiums for property owners within those communities. The County administers a floodplain management program likely to qualify for a ten percent (10%) discount on flood insurance premiums. Accordingly, the County made application to the CRS program and a determination on our application is likely to be achieved in late 2023 following the required successful closure of a Community Assistance Visit (CAV). The CAV is a routine visit to a community by FEMA which serves the dual purpose of providing technical assistance to the community and assuring that the community is adequately enforcing its floodplain management regulations. CAV’s are conducted every three to five years and consist of a tour of the floodplain, an inspection of community permit files, and meetings with staff.   

Following review of all QAC floodplain permit files spanning from October 2009 to December 2020 and a four-day Floodplain Tour conducted in May 2022, FEMA provided the County with a Final Report on June 24, 2022. Of the approximately 500 permit files provided, 113 permit files were subject to inquiry. Staff from Public Works, Planning and Zoning and Emergency Services continue working on the programmatic responses and resolution to the additional items identified as part of the CAV tour. A couple of these items, such as the Beach Harbor campground, will be more difficult to resolve; however, staff are working through several potential remedies and will keep the County Commissioners apprised through the process. INFORMATIONAL

This is a Host Community Agreement between R.B. Baker & Sons and Queen Anne’s County. Through this agreement, R.B. Baker & Sons will provide up to 500 tons of aggregate and fill dirt material per year, from their mining operation at 311 Cherry Lane, Queenstown, at no cost. This agreement is for the lifetime and operation of the facility and may be extended upon mutual agreement of both parties.  APPROVED 5-0

The FY 23 budget had $50,000 approved for replacement cat cages. The Animal Services Division is requesting to purchase ten (10) Cat Condo’s with two enclosures, from Direct Animal Products, of Boyd, Texas, in the amount of $47,590.

Two quotes were obtained:

1. Mason Company, Leesburg OH. $46,513.80
 2. Direct Animal Products, Boyd TX $47,590

Direct Animal Products was selected based on the stainless-steel construction material used for longevity. Mason Company uses laminated press board that does not hold up to our cleaning products used on a daily basis. This purchase will replace ten (10) cat condos in poor condition.  APPROVED 5-0

The FY 23 budget has $90,000 budgeted for the replacement of a 2004 ‘Bobcat’ skid-steer loader. The current loader has 1717 hours on it, is becoming increasingly expensive to keep in service, and has lost much of its lifting capacity. We were able to locate a Kubota model through a Sourcewell contract which would be available by the end of the year for $60,873.97. Neither Bobcat nor Takeuchi, the other two predominate skid steer loader suppliers, had any available to even look at, let alone purchase. The existing Bobcat will be sold on ‘gov-deals’ once we take delivery.  APPROVED 5-0

The FY 23 budget has $ 1,000,000 budgeted (and another $3,000,000 in FY 24) for the complete
 replacement of all ‘revenue’ water meters within the Sanitary District. There are approximately 5,000 water meters ranging in size from 5/8-inch to 8-inch. This project will replace all the existing meters with remote-read meters and incorporate with them an Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) system. The new system will read the meters remotely via either radio or cellular, will monitor all the meters continuously and alert the Sanitary District of potential leaks or other issues daily. They will also allow individual property owners to access their meters to view their actual consumption and receive alerts. Once the meter reads are collected, the data will be downloaded into the County’s utility billing software which should also reduce some effort within the Finance Department. The procurement process consisted of an open Request for Qualifications to which two firms responded. Interviews with each firm were then undertaken and a final Request for Proposal was drafted. As this system will interface with both the Finance Department and the IT Department, staff from both departments were instrumental in partaking in the interview process and the drafting of the Proposal making certain the system integrated well with the current billing software.  The results of the bid are presented below:

Company              Renovation (lump)                               Maintenance (aggregate of 15 years)

Utility Services     $4,484,830                                                       $1,834,537

Ferguson               $5,259,677                                                       $5,636,356

While the Renovation lump sum is 11 % more than budgeted, Fund 227 — Water Restricted has more than adequate funds to cover the cost. Staff recommends award of lump sum bid of $4,484,830 for the replacement of the Sanitary District’s water meter infrastructure to Utility Services, Inc., as well as to enter into a 15-year asset management program for $1,834,537 for the meters and billing system.  APPROVED 5-0

ACTION ITEM

Read By Commissioner S. Wilson

The Department of Emergency Services received capital funding in FY23 to purchase  Rescue Taskforce Personal Protective Equipment. This equipment includes protective vests, helmets, and equipment bags. Funds have been verified by the Finance Department prior to submission. 

We received three (3) quotes in response to the purchase of personal protective equipment:

Bound Tree Medical $35,572.64
 Rescue Essentials $37,167.68
 North American Rescue. LLC $41,495.36

Bound Tree Medical will best meet the needs of the Department of Emergency Services to protect the staff if these events were to arise. The total cost from the PPE line item would be $35,572.64 for these items. APPROVED 5-0

The Department of Emergency Services received capital funding in FY23 to purchase cardiac equipment consisting of a Zoll X Cardiac monitor with assistance from the MIEMSS 50/50 grant. Total cost of the Zoll X Cardiac Monitor will be $39,758.01 utilizing the State of Maryland contract pricing. APPROVED 5-0

The second part of the request is the continuation of the County AED program. Emergency Services would like to continue to purchase the Zoll AED-3 Automatic External Defibrillator and accessories.  Purchasing will utilize the State of Maryland contract pricing and the remaining FY23 Capital cardiac monitor funds of $32,109.99.  APPROVED 5-0

The Department of Emergency Services is requesting the approval to purchase a replacement Administrative Emergency Response Vehicle. This request is for one (1) 2023 Ford Interceptor that will be fully equipped as an emergency response vehicle. The budget funds have been verified by the Finance Department and are available in the DES FY2023 operational budget. DES staff have reviewed the current options for purchasing and are recommending to piggyback off of the Howard County Contract #4400004546 through Hertrich Fleet Services for a total price of $46,544.00. APPROVED 5-0

The Department of Parks and Recreation requested bids for Lease of concession stand at three parks: Old Love Point, Church Hill and Route 18 Park. The contract period will be from January 1, 2023 thru December 31, 2024. At the end of two years there will be an option for two one-year renewal. We had no attendees for the pre-bid meeting and only one bidder for the lease of Old Love Point Park Concession. Staff recommends award of the Concession Stand Lease contract for Old Love Point Park to Kent Island Youth Soccer League and Kent Island Youth Baseball & Softball Club in the amount of $1,200.  APPROVED 5-0

The Department of Parks and Recreation requested bids to provide Portable Toilets and all necessary supplies for Queen Anne’s County Parks, Public Landings, Transfer Stations and Blue Heron Golf Course. The contract period will be from January 1, 2023 thru December 31, 2025. At the end of three years there will be an option for a one-year renewal at the rate of 2025. We had no attendees for the pre-bid meeting and only one bidder for the contact. Staff recommends award of the portable toilet bid to Pierson’s Comfort Group in the amount of
$214,366.50 for the next three years. Pierson is our current service provider. APPROVED 5-0

The 2022 Wreaths Across America is underway. Benedict A. Andrew American Legion is seeking sponsorships again this year for wreaths to be placed at the Eastern Shore Veteran’s Cemetery in Hurlock, MD.  APPROVED 5-0 for $5,000.

Attached you will find the MTA Capital Grant Agreements packet for FY 2023. Signing these informs MTA that Queen Anne’s County accepts the Federal and State funding to support transit services and County ride the locally owned transit system of Queen Anne’s County. This grant includes money for preventative maintenance and the county’s portion would be 10% of the grant. The County Attorney, Patrick Thompson, has reviewed and signed the documents. APPROVED 5-0

Following the adoption of the new Employee Handbook, the Employee Communication & Morale Committee is focusing its attention on reviewing and revising County-wide polices. The first group of policies are outlined in the book with included highlighting of the recommended changes.  This group includes: Americans with Disabilities, Applicant Travel Expense Reimbursement, Background Investigation, Character Counts Coaches, Commercial Driver’s License, Compensatory Time, Continuation of Health Benefits for Fallen County Volunteers and Employees, Drug and Alcohol Testing, Harassment and Bullying, Job Descriptions, Paid Holidays Observed, Retiree Health Insurance Program and Stand-By Duty. Staff recommends adoption of the updated polices and employee handbook revisions to be effective January 1, 2023. APPROVED 5-0

The Kent Narrows Development Foundation is applying for an Eastern Shore Heritage grant to fund the Kent Narrows Waterways Trail Map and Interpretative Guide. The Director of the Kent Narrows Foundation has submitted a draft letter of support for approval. Grant request is for $3,000.  APPROVED 5-0

This is a request to authorize the County Administrator to appropriate matching funds for the Connect Maryland: FY23 Network Infrastructure Grant for broadband. The grant came out 10/7 with applications due 12/5. This support entails matching funds which would be 50% of the required match for the overall grant. At this time it is estimated that the grant will be between $10— 12M where the State would provide 90% of the funding and the County and ISP would split the remaining match. This amount is estimated to be between $500 — 600K.  Funds are available for this match in the Public Fiber budget amount up to $675,914.60. APPROVED 5-0

This amendment decreases grant revenue along with the corresponding expenditures in relation to the DARE Grant awarded to the Sheriff’s Office.  APPROVED 5-0

This is the end of year closeout budget amendment for FY 2022.  Part one, increases budget authority for the General Fund for activities / departments that are overspent. Part two, Transfers fund balance to General Capital Projects to fund ongoing capital projects in next year’s capital budget.  APPROVED 5-0

INFORMATIONAL ITEMS

1. Planning and Zoning Monthly Report – October 2022               …… ……………..        1-10
2. QAC Plumbing/HVAC Board Minutes September 22, 2022  ………………………      11-12
3. Permit to Appropriate Letter Chester Knoll Farm, Inc.        ……………………….      13
4. Proposed Minor Subdivision Chesapeake Bay Beach Club      …………………….     14-18

LEGISLATIVE

County Ordinance No. 22-11 — Revision to provisions regarding treatment charges for sewer septage

Public Hearing Held on October 11. No testimony received to date. This bill is a housekeeping item which removes a conflict for septage treatment rates cited the code and in the rate schedule.   APPROVED 5-0

Or watch the meeting here https://youtu.be/AE1NjKEeLHw