County Commissioners Public Meeting Agenda Announced
PUBLIC MEETING AGENDA
Tuesday, December 19, 2023
Agenda Session Times are Approximate
Meeting will also be Live Streamed at https://www.facebook.com/garrettcountygovernment/
Agenda Session Times are Approximate
The Board of County Commissioners may close a portion of this public meeting and move into Executive Session to comply with a specific constitutional, statutory, or judicial requirement that may prevent public disclosure about a particular proceeding or matter.
*To comment on agenda items – please send to @garrettcounty.org
3:00 Administrative Session
- Board Appointment/Reappointments: Emergency Medical Services – Region I Advisory Council – 3 Members
- Mr. Null will review a number of administrative and managerial matters under his authority and jurisdiction with the Board of County Commissioners
4:00 Call to Order of Public Session, Invocation, and Pledge of Allegiance
County Administrator – Additions/Deletions to Public Meeting Agenda
Approval of Public, Administrative, and Executive Meeting Minutes
4:05 Resolution 2023 – 8: Garrett County Water and Sewer Plan Amendment
4:10 PUBLIC HEARING – Garrett County Department of Community Development, Planning, & Business Development – Planning & Land Development Division
Garrett County Agricultural Land Preservation District Seven (7) Applicants:
Charles Custer – 220.28 acres – Fearer Road
Charles Custer – 57.94 acres – Blue Goose Road
Leonard Custer – 91.88 acres – North Glade Road
Darin Carey – 81.3 acres – National Pike
Ellen Housley & Ann McLister – 226.15 acres – Rock Lodge Road
Kathy Lyons – 77.24 acres – Sam Friend Road
David Greenstein – 91.13 acres – Garrett Highway
4:20 Public Commentary
ADJOURNMENT
Public issues or concerns that are to be presented to the Board of Garrett County Commissioners during any Public Meeting should be scheduled with Carol A. Riley–Alexander, Executive Assistant to the Board of County Commissioners/County Administrator.
The Board of Garrett County Commissioners next scheduled Public Meeting will be Tuesday, January 2, 2024 at the Garrett County Courthouse beginning at 4:00 PM.
Committee formed to celebrate Deep Creek Lake’s 100th anniversary
At a recent meeting of its Board of Directors, the Property Owners’ Association of Deep Creek Lake (POA) formed a committee to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the lake, which will occur in 2025.
The POA invited representatives from a variety of organizations to participate in this committee, and on Nov. 28, the first meeting of the Deep Creek Lake 100th Anniversary Committee was held. Along with the POA, representatives from the following organizations participated in the meeting: Brookfield Renewable, Deep Creek Watershed Foundation, Garrett County Board of Realtors, Garrett County Chamber of Commerce, Garrett County Government, Garrett County Historical Society, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Deep Creek Lake Yacht Club and the Deep Creek Lake Sailing Association (aka the Turkey Neck Yacht Club).
“We had an extremely productive initial meeting with a lot of enthusiasm for this celebration,” said Committee Chair Chris Nichols, “Just getting this many people and organizations engaged really shows the level of interest in this initiative.”
After the initial introductions, the committee discussed a number of potential projects and events, according to Nichols. One of the first projects discussed was the development of informational kiosks at various places with maps, historical information and personal stories of lake memories.
Plans also included the creation of a commemorative coin, publishing a special commemorative book, commissioning a video and creating a dedicated website to store all of the photos, information and stories gathered for the project.
“One theme that committee members kept bringing up was the importance of engaging with county residents, second homeowners and visitors to help us tell the full story of Deep Creek Lake,” Nichols said. “We’ve already identified a number of other groups to reach out to in support of these projects, especially our local schools. One really great idea was to encourage a ‘Foxfire-style’ initiative where students engage with the family members to record stories of what the lake was like ‘back in the day.’”
for more information Committee formed to celebrate Deep Creek Lake’s 100th anniversary | Garrett News | wvnews.com
Maryland Fishing Report – December 6
Fishing for smallmouth bass and walleye has been good – cooler water temperatures always get these two fisheries going and they should last through much of the winter. Deep Creek Lake, Prettyboy Reservoir, and the upper Potomac and lower Susquehanna rivers are excellent places to fish for smallmouth bass. Deep Creek Lake, the upper Potomac and the lower Susquehanna hold good populations of walleye. Most anglers like to use root beer-colored tubes and a mix of soft plastic swimbaits, and crankbaits for smallmouth bass; and soft plastic jigs, swimbaits, jerkbaits, and small crankbaits for walleye.
Trout fishing in many of the specialized trout management waters is very good this week for those who enjoy catch-and-release and fly fishing. The preseason stocking of trout will begin soon, so trout anglers should start checking the DNR trout stocking website.
Largemouth bass are beginning to feel the effects of colder water temperatures and are generally holding in depths of six feet or more. with moving even deeper. Structure is a key item to focus on this time of the year. Sunken wood, steep drop-offs, bridge piers, and rocks are all worthy of extra attention when largemouth bass fishing.
Small, slow, and close to the bottom is your mantra when fishing for sluggish largemouth bass in colder waters. Wacky rigged worms worked slow and deliberate near structure is a proven tactic, pickups by largemouth bass will be subtle. Blade lures are a good lure to use in the deepest waters; slow-rolling a spinnerbait across the bottom can also work well. Craw jigs and small crankbaits worked very slowly along the bottom is another good tactic.
Fishing for crappie is good this week, and they can be found schooled up near deep structure. Sunken brush, bridge piers, marina docks, and fallen treetops all fit the bill. Slowly working a small minnow or marabou jig under a slip bobber near the structure usually works well.
The cold winter months and fishing for chain pickerel go hand-in-hand. Anglers are having fun targeting the fish along shoreline sunken wood or deeper wood such as tree stumps in flooded reservoirs. The upper sections of the Bay’s tidal rivers is a great place to find chain pickerel, often near docks, pilings and fallen trees.
Anglers fishing with small minnows and Beetle-Spins will start to encounter yellow perch in the middle to upper sections of the Bay’s tidal rivers and creek. The fish tend to wander farther up the waterways when water temperatures are as cool as they are. When water temperatures dip below 40 degrees they will travel down river to deep holes and channels where they will hold until warming spring temperatures bring on the urge to head upriver to spawn.
for more information in other areas Maryland Fishing Report – December 6
Dave Ramsey says it's time to buy a house; mortgage rates decline
Ramsey first advises people considering the big decision to keep in mind that it’s not for everybody all the time.
“Ever heard someone say everyone should buy a house? Or that renting is a lot like flushing a whole bunch of money down the toilet every month?” he asked on Ramsey Solutions. “Yeah, we’ve heard that stuff too. And it’s nonsense! The truth is, not everyone should buy a house.”
The bestselling author is not being pessimistic. But he is setting up the financial reality for people who want to purchase a home. And now may well be the time to do it.
“If you sign the dotted line on a new home when you aren’t prepared financially and emotionally, the house will wind up being a curse instead of a blessing,” Ramsey suggested. “It will wind up owning you instead of the other way around. When you are prepared to buy a house, though, it can be a wonderful blessing for your family and a great way to build wealth.”
Ramsey offered a list of the critical things to consider when making the determination that the major financial opportunity is in order.
for more information Dave Ramsey says it’s time to buy a house; mortgage rates decline – TheStreet
Water & Sewer Master Plan Accepting Public Comment
The Garrett County Water & Sewer Master Plan is a document that supports the continued development of water supply and wastewater disposal in Garrett County, on a ten-year cycle. This plan is amended as needed, as systems are expanded, and improvements are proposed to better serve the County.
Thus far, three previous amendments have been made and a fourth amendment request was presented at the December 4, 2023 public meeting:
Map, Table and text update to add the Wisp Mountain Water Storage Tank-
1. To meet the source water storage and pressure needs of businesses and residents in the Deep Creek Lake Water System, a key area for heritage tourism in Garrett County.?
2. The Deep Creek Lake Water System currently serves 1,621 residential and 141 commercial customers, with an anticipated addition of 725 more customers.?
3. The existing Wisp Mountain Water Storage Tank, installed by a private developer, provides insufficient pressure and fire protection for some areas.?
4. The new tank will provide additional pressure (approximately 20 psi more) and storage capacity, allowing for further development and enhanced fire protection in the McHenry area?.
The details of the proposed amendment can be found in this presentation.
will be accepted until December 18, 2023?. Email gc@garrettcounty.org or swigfield@garrettcounty.org? / 301-334-7477?.
US Mortgage Rates Slide Sharply, Reinvigorating Housing Demand
US Mortgage Rates Slide Sharply, Reinvigorating Housing Demand
(Bloomberg) — US mortgage rates dropped sharply, capping the biggest four-week slide in nearly a year and spurring a fresh round of applications to purchase homes.
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The contract rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage tumbled 20 basis points to 7.41% last week, data from the Mortgage Bankers Association showed Wednesday. The index of home-purchase applications increased 3.9% in the week ended Nov. 17, the most since June.
Since reaching a 23-year high of nearly 8% in mid-October, mortgage rates have plunged nearly half a percentage point. The effective rate, which includes fees and compound interest, dropped to still-elevated 7.59%. In contrast, the five-year adjustable rate increased.
Mortgage rates tend to move in tandem with Treasury yields. The 10-year Treasury yield has fallen steeply this month after hitting a 16-year high in October, helped by signs the economy is cooling along with inflation.
The overall index of applications, which includes purchases and refinancings, rose for a third week, and refinancing activity picked up.
The MBA survey, which has been conducted weekly since 1990, uses responses from mortgage bankers, commercial banks and thrifts. The data cover more than 75% of all retail residential mortgage applications in the US.
for more information US Mortgage Rates Slide Sharply, Reinvigorating Housing Demand (yahoo.com)
Home prices are poised to drop as the frozen housing market thaws, 2 top experts say
House prices may be headed lower, dealing a blow to sellers but providing relief to buyers, two experts say.
“The only way out of the box, the only way to get sales back up is mortgage rates have to come down, incomes have to continue to improve, we have to avoid a recession, and I suspect we’ll have to see some house price declines at some point here,” Moody’s chief economist, Mark Zandi, told Yahoo Finance this week.
Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman made a similar call in a Fox News interview this week. Asked about Morgan Stanley’s latest forecast of a 3% drop in home prices next year, he replied that a decline “seems not just possible, but likely.”
The housing market ground to a halt this year, as the Federal Reserve’s inflation-fighting hikes to interest rates have boosted mortgage rates to two-decade highs.
Homeowners who locked in much cheaper rates have balked at selling up and paying heftier monthly payments for their next place. Meanwhile, prospective buyers have been priced out, and many are waiting for rates to fall instead of settling for a worse home than they wanted.
“Housing’s taken it on the chin, particularly demand,” Zandi said. He pointed to new data showing annualized sales of previously owned homes fell below 3.8 million units in October, the lowest figure in 13 years. “You have to go back to the teeth of the financial crisis to find sales that low,” he said.
for more information Home Prices Are Poised to Drop As Housing Market Thaws, 2 Experts Say (businessinsider.com)
