COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF CAROLINE COUNTY 109 Market Street, Room 106, Denton, Maryland MINUTES MARCH 3, 2015

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1 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF CAROLINE COUNTY 109 Market Street, Room 106, Denton, Maryland MINUTES MARCH 3, 2015 Present: President Larry C. Porter; Vice President Wilbur Levengood, Jr.; Member Dan Franklin; County Administrator Ken Decker; and Sara Visintainer, Chief of Staff Invocation by Reverend Mitch Dowell, Greensboro Baptist Church and Pledge of Allegiance The agenda was accepted as presented. President Porter called for public comment and Joe Anderson, President, Combined Technology Solutions, Ridgely, expressed his opinion on the topic of expanding from a three to five member Board of Commissioners, stating that given that Caroline s population only totals 33,000, he feels it is unnecessary to expand to five Commissioners. State Legislative Update by Sara Visintainer, Chief of Staff. The Sprinkler bill is expected to drop any day now, with Worcester being the only County to join as getting the delegates organized has proven to be a challenge; The hearing for the Sunday Hunting bill is Wednesday and several people are lined up to provide supporting testimony. President Porter stated that the Commissioners have received calls from Talbot County residents who oppose the bill; however, the Commissioners represent residents of Caroline County, who have expressed support for it. On motion by Mr. Franklin, seconded by Mr. Levengood, the Commissioners unanimously authorized signature on a Letter of Support for House Bill 285; House Bill 841 rel ates to the Warrant Intercept P rogram, requested by the Sheriff s Office and proposes for the State Comptroller to withhold the tax refund of a person that has outstanding warrants against them for certain offenses, which has proven successful in Anne Arundel and Washington Counties. On motion by Mr. Levengood, seconded by Mr. Franklin, the Commissioners unanimously authorized signature on the Letter of Support for HB841; On motion by Mr. Franklin, seconded by Mr. Levengood, the Comm issioners unanimously authorized signature on the Letter of Support for the Fire Police bill; She distributed the 2015 Initiatives Sheet for the Rural Counties Coal ition and stated that the RCC will generally take a position on bills impacting the rural counties and preserving local autonomy; and are typically ones that MACo takes no position on; and She is working on a draft letter regarding the proposed Charter School bill, following a discussion with the Interim Superintendent of Schools Milton Nagel. Dr. Leland Spencer, Health Officer, Caroline Health Department, introduced the new Deputy Health Officer Dr. Atillio Zarella. Dr. Spencer thanked Ms. Visintainer for participating in the interview panel that eventually selected Dr. Zarella from a competitive group of candidates. He stated that Dr. Zarella has a varied and diverse background in the medical and public health field, most recently with the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene as the Chief of HIV Surveillance and Epidemiology. He stated that he has been an Eastern Shore resident for fifteen years and understands the public health issues unique to this region. The Commissioners welcomed Dr. Zarella and wished him well in his position. Dr. Spencer gave a brief update on a few items of public health interest: Caroline County has a very high rate of vaccinations in the public schools for Measels, Mumps, and Rubella and no active measles cases have been reported in the County; likewise, no active Ebola cases have been reported in the County, and the epidemic seems to be winding down although full precautionary procedures are still in place. Dr. Spencer stated that on December 30, 2014, a Medical Adult Day Care Bus was involved in a fatal car accident in Easton. He intends to replace that vehicle in 2015 and the insurance settlement has come in at

2 $48,000, $15,000 below the replacement cost. He requested authorization to use the Health Care Reserve Fund Allocation to cover the remaining balance; however, that would o nly happen if the State of Maryland continues to fund the Medical Adult Day Care Program, which has been defunded in the Governor s proposed FY 2016 budget. If the program remains unfunded, the bus would not be replaced. On motion by Mr. Levengood, seconded by Mr. Franklin, the Commissioners unanimously authorized the use of the Health Care Reserve Fund, under the conditions described above. President Porter stated that defunding this program is distressing news and th at Delegate Jeff Ghrist serves on the Health and Human Services Subcommittee and is working to restore the program funding. The Commissioners pledged their support for that effort. Discussion of Su pport for the Establishment of Taskforce to Study Volunteer Fire Company Sustainability and Funding by Fletch Gowe n, President, Caroline Fire Chief s Association, who expressed appreciation to the Commissioners for passing legislation to ensure the future funding of the LOSAP program. He stated that the Fire Chief s Association is supportive of the concept of a taskforce comprised of individuals both in and outside the fire service, to ensure the independence of the fire companies while meeting their needs as a whole, specifically in establishing future funding levels. The Commissioners thanked Mr. Gowen for his support. The Commissioners presented a check in the amount of $ 36,770 from the Length of Service Award Program fund balance to Richard Covert, President and Fletch Gowen, Chief, Greensboro Volunteer Fire C ompany. President Porter stated that last year the Commissioners agreed to distribute the fund balance equally between the eight fire companies, because with the passing of legislation ensuring the County s funding of the program, there was no longer a need to retain that large amount in reserves. Action Agenda: The open session minutes of February 24, 2015 were approved by unanimous consent; The Letter of Support for the Board of Education Lease Purchase Agreement for Energy Efficiency Project was authorized by unanimous consent; The Matching Fund Agreement with the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Systems Services for a Lifepak 15 Cardiac Monitor was approved by unanimous consent; The Part-Time Public Safety Dispatcher Employment Agreement for Nicholas Kovach was authorized by unanimous consent; The Renewal of the Food and Commissary Services Agreement for the Detention Center was authorized by unanimous consent; The County Road Righ t-of-way Easement Agreement (for the Korell Property, Map 8, Grid 9, Parcel 117, River Bridge Road) was authorized by unanimous consent; and Contingency Resolution for Chesapeake College, in the amount of $16,185, for additional Fiscal Year 2015 Budget funds was approved by unanimous consent. At 9:40 a.m., President Porter called for a brief recess. Update on Draft Results of the Town of Marydel Feasibility Study for Wastewater Treatment Facilities by Debbie Rowe, Mayor, Town of Marydel, who st ated that the town received a grant from Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to conduct the study, following the State s decision not to move forward with the North County Water and Sewer project. She stated that the purpose of the study was to identify waste water treatment options for the town and the immediate area, but not including the mobile home parks. Ms. Rowe stated that URS conducted the study and she stressed that the results are very preliminary; however, URS has identified as many as seven potential options, the most economically feasible alternative would be to connect to the Greensboro-Goldsboro plant using their available allocation. She stated that she is working on as many grant possibilities as she can, but initial rough estimates indicate potential water/wastewater bills in the $100-$125 a month range. Ms. Rowe stated that a more formal presentation will be provided on the feasibility results in May and she thanked the Commissioners for their continued support. The Commissioners thanked Ms. Rowe for her unwavering commitment to the citizens

3 of Marydel. President Porter stated that Marydel is under a proposed consent order by the State of Maryland to correct the water/wastewater problem; but the State of Delaware has not issued a similar order although the town is split geographically between the two states. Ms. Rowe stated that that is correct and that she is working closely with the State of Delaware to identify funds to address the Delaware residents as the problem does encompass both regions. Ms. Rowe expressed appreciation for the Commissioners promptly responding to her request to send a letter to PNC Bank regarding their proposal to close the Marydel branch. Review of Marydel Annexation Plan for County Parkland and the Planning Commission s Recommendation to Grant Express Approval of a Zoning Change by Debbie Herr-Cornwell, Long Range and Agricultural Planner, Department of Planning and Codes, who stated that the County has been working with Marydel to annex the land the County purchased with Program Open Space funds into the town limits, as grants funds are available for future development of the park, provided it is located within town limits. As part of the process, a portion of the parcel to be annexed is proposed to be rezoned, and the Planning Commission has reviewed the request and recommends express approval due to the circumstances surrounding the zoning. The Commissioners reviewed the Planning Commission s recommendation and concurred unanimously. On motion by Mr. Franklin, seconded by Mr. Levengood, the Commissioners voted to grant express approval of the zoning change and au thorized signature on a letter to the Town of Marydel, informing them of their decision. Review of Maryland Agricultural Certification Pr ogram Application and Priority Preservation Area Map. Ms. Cornwell stated that due to the timing of the County s comprehensive rezoning and tier mapping, staff made the deliberate decision to let the certification lapse. With those projects completed, staff is now working on gaining recertification and the Commissioners reviewed the briefing, the Preservation Plan update to the Comprehensive Plan and the updated map. President Porter stated that he spoke with the County Attorney and is disclosing that his son has a Priority Preservation Area application in; although she didn t feel there was a conflict in his voting on this particular matter. On motion by Mr. Levengood, seconded by Mr. Franklin, the Commissioners unanimously authorized signature on the recertification application and directed staff to move forward with the process. County Administrator s report: Mr. Decker stated that the Public Works Roads Division continues to battle the winter weather the County has been dealt this year, with another few inches of snow expected later this week. Unfortunately, the effects of the numerous freeze/thaw cycles on the roads won t be realized until the weather finally breaks; All hands are on deck for the budget process which is in full swing. Department heads engaged in a priority exercise in preparation for the upcoming roundtable discussions; Department heads agree on using the $25,000 that was set aside in the current year budget to address employee incentives, to be used to give the newest of the hires the same flat $1,750 across the board salary raise. The Commissioners stated that last year when the decision was made to give the increase, they were under the impression that it was raising the floor for the new hires as well. Mr. Decker stated that the single highest priority among senior staff is to raise the living wage of the lowest paid employees to the $30,00 to $32,000 range; A letter has been sent to Chesapeake College regarding our position that we don t feel we are obligated to pay them the $25,000 in additional funding they have requested from the five supporting counties. We are awaiting their response; Leslie Grunden of Planning and Codes is meeting with engineers to discuss the Henderson water system and more details are forthcoming; He sent the Commissioners options for the procurement of Waste Energy options via ; Mr. Decker sought direction regarding how to respond to the letter received from the Denton Volunteer fire Company regarding their potential to close their ALS program. President Porter stated that he needs a formal impact study from DES before he can make any decisions; however,

4 to his knowledge, Denton s Board of Trustees has not taken any vote on the subject and that they have issues to resolve internally before the County can make permanent policy changes. Mr. Decker was directed to attempt to facilitate a discussion between the County and DVFC trustees; Staff is working on the renovation plans to allow for the relocation of Human Resources staff into the Goldsborough House; He will follow up with the working group to discuss the retiree health insurance options; Andy Hollis will assist in transportation discussions with Delmarva Community Transit; and A consultant is working on attaining estimates on switch gear and relocation costs to move the existing generator from the Detention Center to the Courthouse. Commissioners Open Discussion Period: Mr. Franklin listed the various functions and meetings that the Commissioners attended over the past week; Mr. Levengood stated that the Watermen s Association has expressed formal support for House Bill 628, the oyster restoration bill; and President Porter stated that the Commissioners received a letter of thanks from Goldsboro Volunteer Fire Company thanking them for their portion of the LOSAP fund balance distribution. President Porter called for public comment and Reverend Buddy Dunn expressed appreciation to staff for working in harmony with respect to the budget. At 11:10 a.m., President Porter called for a five minute recess. Workshop: Allocation of Available Unrestricted Reserve Funds. The Commissioners reviewed each request individually, including: Office of Technology - o Virtualize application server $35,000 o Laptop/tablet replacement 20,000 Sheriff s Department o K-9 Patrol vehicle 59,697 o two unmarked detective vehicles 58,670 o a 2WD Chevrolet Tahoe patrol vehicle 53,694 o a Drug Task Force vehicle 25,000 Corrections o a roof HVAC unit 50,000 o resurfacing the second floor recreation yard 35,000 Emergency Services - o two Lifepak 15 heart monitors, matching funds 54,000 o renovating the Federalsburg EMS station $30,000 Humane Society o An Animal Control van 38,000 Public Works o resurfacing fifty miles of road 750,000 o a Caterpillar grader 300,000 o a one ton dump/sander/plow 80,000 o HVAC unit at Office of Technology 35,000 o Sweeper broom for John Deere tractor 7,000 o Snap-on Pro-link diagnostic tool for buses 6,000 o 4WD fleet vehicle 34,000 o Preston home owner drop off trash compactor 45,000 Recreation and Parks o Marydel Park development 10,000

5 Human Resources - o Conflict resolution workshop and training 5,000 o Compensation study 50,000 o Relocation to Goldsborough House 65,000 Library o Heat pump 20,000 The list of requests total approximately $1,866,000, approximately $366,000 more than the Unrestricted Reserve Fund balance. The Commissioners agreed to review the requests and make their own priority lists to reconcile the following week. At 12:15 p.m., President Porter called for a lunch recess and the Commissioners agreed to reconvene at 1:30 p.m., at the Old Choptank Electric Building, Meeting House Road in Denton for the balance of the agenda. The Commissioners held the Budget Roundtable Discussions with Internal County Government Departments, and the following is a summary of those discussions: Corrections Ruth Colb ourne, Warden, stated that she requested an increase in medical to cover a second Medical Technician and two additional Correctional Officers. She stated that she felt she could offset the increase in medical by reducing other expenses ; and would forgo one officer to contribute to increasing the minimum wage of the lowest paid employees and that her first priority was a Medical Technician. Technology Jim McCormick, Director, stated that the requested increase in salaries for the IT employees has a net zero impact on the budget as it is offset by the 05 enterprise account. He stated that he also expects to reduce overtime expenses by the reclassification of the positions. Planning and Codes Katheleen Freeman, Director, stated that her budget shows as higher, but that is due to increased grant awards and expressed appreciation to the Commissioners for honoring the previous fiscal year s request to move a contractual employee to merit because it has allowed her the flexibility to restructure the department which has had a tremendous impact on the department as a whole. Emergency Services Bryan Ebling, Director, stated that the department s request above flat is to move two part-time contractual EMS employees to full-time status. He stated that the BLS Committee may agree to fund one of those positions, but he won t know that until later in the budgeting process. Recreation and Parks - Sue Simmons, Director, thanked the Commissioners for supporting her department restructuring, facilitated by the retirement of a long-term employee. She stated that she and her staff will continue searching for grant opportunities to supplement the budget where possible. Public Works Bryan North, Superintendent for Roads, stated that the operating budget request was flat and noted that half of the Roads Division employees make less than $30,000 and the department is trying to maintain a flat capital budget request. Human Services Patti Barton, Director, stated that the request was flat, which was possible because the early retirement incentive finishes with the current fiscal year. She stated that she did request an Administrative Aide, which will be necessary once the relocation of Human Resources staff to the Goldsborough House is completed. Ms. Barton expressed support for raising the living wage of the lowest paid employees and her willingness to do without the Aide to achieve that. Tax Cathie Moore, Comptroller, stated that her department s request was not flat due to the increased maintenance expenses related to the Paragon tax software. Commissioners Office /Administration Sara Visintainer, Chief of Staff, stated that the combined request is a little below flat due to health insurance savings. She stated that she is working on a n adjustment to the job description for a currently funded staff support position in order to better handle the workload of the office and prepare for a potential transi tion from three to five Commissioners and to meet the current Boards term goals.

6 Finance Margaret Roe, Director, stated that the request is $2,000 over flat due to auditing expenses and moving to the Munis software package, following the Office of Tax. She suggested the Commissioners consider a flat salary increase as a means of addressing the living wage concept. Law Heather Price, County Attorney, stated that she is requesting for her part-time Administrative Aide be con verted to just under full-time status, avoiding benefit expenses. She stated that the little amount of time she has been granted has enabled her to increase her productivity, which helps every department achieve its goals. President Porter asked about the Legal Expenses line item of $15,000 and Ms. Price stated that she had been operating under the impression that she was to save that money for larger outside legal expenses and the Commissioners suggested using that money to cover her Administrative needs. The Commissioners engaged senior staff in a discussion on the living wage concept, and President Porter asked for clarification of the term. Mr. Decker stated that the idea is to establish a minimum rate of pay by which no current or future full-time employee in any department would be paid less than. He stated that achieving this would require a phase-in process. Several department heads spoke in favor of the concept and the impact of high turnover on their departments. President Porter stated that in his opinion, the county didn t need to spend $50,000 on a Compensation Study to determine what the department heads already know. Mr. Decker stated that the Compensation Study would involve a deeper review of the outdate step scale and reworking of all job descriptions. Mr. Franklin stated that he would like more information on whether the proposed increase would have the desired impact on the high turnover rate than has been provided. Mr. Levengood stated that this concept is one that he first began fighting for forty years ago as a new County employee. Budget Roundtable Discussions with Outside Agencies and Partners Sheriff s Department Captain James Henning, stated that the request is above flat because of expenses related to the Drug Task Force K9 unit, and expenses related to Active Shooter training and replacement of an ID card printer. Board of Education Milton Nagel, Interim Superintendent stated that the request is for Maintenance of Effort, which did slightly increase as enrollment numbers grew by 59 students. Also contributing to the increase is the County s mandated Teacher Pension contribution and the anticipated funding formula change from the State which they hope to offset by carrying out an Early Retirement Incentive. Circuit Court Judge Karen Jensen stated that the Federal grant that funds the judiciary expires June 30, 2015 and if not renewed, the request will be necessary to continue that program. The request would be withdrawn if the grant is renewed. State s Attorney s Office - Jonathan Newell, State s Attorney stated that the request is slightly below flat thanks to reduced health insurance costs and his office is operating with one le ss employee than when he took office twelve years ago despite a greatly increased workload. Board of Elections Allison Murphy, Interim Elections Director, stated that the request over flat is attributed to the mandated changes in the voting machines and its associated costs. Length of Service Award Program Ron Fearins, thanked the Commissioners for passing legislation last year to ensure the County funding the LOSAP program and thanked Kelli Schanken, DES employee who is responsible for all the accounting associated with the program. Volunteer Fire Companies/Firemen s Association Mr. Fearins expressed concern for the future financial stability of the fire companies in general. He stated that discussions will need to take place regarding radio replacement and that he was looking forward to meaningful dialog among the future Fire Company Task Force. Humane Society Amanda Showell, Executive Director, thanked the Commissioners for their renewed support of $25,000 in matching fundraising funds, which she stated has helped boost fundraising efforts and improved community relations overall. She stated that the request is above flat to provide a slight increase in the salaries of the two Animal Control officers who make $11 and $13 an hour and work not only their scheduled shifts but often are on call 24/7 in potentially

7 life threatening situations. Ms. Cook stated that Caroline County continues to see the highest number of animals in any shelter on the Eastern Shore. Health Department Dr. Leland Spencer, Health Officer, requested level funding in order to meet mandated increases. He stated that they are the only agency in the County that provides safety net services to the neediest members of the population. Proposed cuts in State funding could result in dramatic losses of programs and services and the Health Department is reaching out to private providers to take over in that eventuality. Caroline Mental Health Clinic Mike Campbell, Executive Director, stated that the operating deficit has been dramatically reduced from the previous year s all-time high and he has been reducing costs by employing the Mobile Crisis Team and with the second location in Federalsburg that was largely grant funded. Upper Shore Aging Carol (Blue) Donohue stated that the request is for level funding to maintain the same level of services provided and that any cuts, from the State or otherwise, would result in loss of services and an increase in the long waiting lists for Meals on Wheels and Senior Care Services. Delmarva Community Services Santo Grande, Executive Director, requested level funding of $75,000 which is less than the required matching funds of $114,000 which DCS has been making up for the past several years. Chesapeake College Tim Jones, Vice President for Administrative Services, stated that the college is requesting an increase of $361,000 from its five supporting counties, the bulk of which is to fund a 2.5% salary increase for staff, and six positions, four conversions from temporary to permanent, one Ath letic Director which is now a mandated positions and a Dual Enrollment Coordinator. He stated that the College will see a dramatic reduction in utility costs with the completion of the new Allied Health and Athletic building and students will see another tuition increase. Library Debbie Bennett, Executive Director suggested the Commissioners schedule a discussion with members of the Board of Directors regarding future funding realities and the level of services the library can reasonably deliver. She stated that even modest salary increases are appreciated by staff and encouraged the Commissioners to consider the living wage concept. Extension Service Sara Rich, Area Extension Director, thanked the Commissioners for the opportunity to engage in a roundtable budget discussion with all the funded agencies and asked for level funding to maintain the same level of services the Extension Office provides to farmers and the Ag community. She stated that she anticipates renegotiating the lease with the Soil Conservation District which ends this fiscal year. Caroline Economic Development Corporation Angela Visintainer, Executive Director, stated that this is yet another difficult budget year however she has seen certain positive economic indicators signaling better times in the near future, such as a growth in the small business sector, expansions of five larger businesses in the County and the level of engagement of the business community in discussion related to workforce development training. She stated that her budget request is flat and withdrew a $5,000 request for furniture following an anticipated relocation of the office to the Soil Conservation Building, as her Board fulfilled the need. Tourism Kathy Mackel, Executive Director, thanked the Commissioners for past support and requested level funding again to allow her to continue marketing Caroline County as a destination for group tours and cyclists and kayakers, which has grown again over the past year. She stated that 43 new area attraction signs will be installed by the State Highway Administration, hopefully luring visitors off Route 404 and into other areas of the County. The Commissioners unanimously adjourned the meeting at 4:42 p.m. Amy L. Kreiner Caroline County Minutes Recorder