Flag Day program needs volunteers
MCHENRY — The Flag on Mountain Maryland Foundation will hold the eighth annual Flag on Mountain Maryland program at the Wisp Resort on June 14 at 6 p.m.
The indoor program will honor the civic organizations of Garrett County. Delegate Wendell Beitzel will be the speaker. The event will include music by Maria Rose and Danny Elswick, a parade of state flags and performances by Jessica’s Dance Creations.
Volunteers are needed to be part of the “living flag” on the mountain at the Wisp. Call Sandy Blamble by June 13 at 301-501-0786 or 301-334-4728. Student service-learning hours are available for students who help with the living flag.
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"Maryland Access Point" Launch To Be Open To Public
Jun. 7, 2012
Garrett County Community Action Committee Inc. and the Area Agency on Aging are inviting the public to the launch of Maryland Access Point (MAP) on Thursday, June 14, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Mary Browning Senior Center, 104 E. Center Street, Oakland.
MAP is an aging and disability resource center providing “one-stop shopping” for services that can assist in long-term and short-term care, maintain independent living, and provide research for future needs for aging adults and adults with disabilities.
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MAP is committed to encouraging independence and personal choice, according to a spokesperson. It assists residents by creating a single point of entry to access resources for lifelong independence.
“MAP envisions a Maryland in which aging adults and adults with disabilities receive consolidated quality care that is efficient and effective in supporting full quality of life,” the spokesperson said.
MAP, administered by Community Action’s Area Agency on Aging, serves aging adults and adults with disabilities of all income levels who are in need of assistance. Family members and caregivers trying to support a grandparent, spouse, or adult child may also receive information and assistance.
The MAP office is located in the AAA administrative offices at 104 E. Center Street, Oakland. Partners include Resources for Independence, Social Services, the Garrett County Health Department, and CORE services.
The launch marks the official implementation of Maryland Access Point in Garrett County. Persons who would like more information on MAP or other services may contact Allison Layton, MAP manager, at 301-533-9000. Persons may also go to the web site at www.marylandaccesspoint.info.
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Wounded Warriors Week Taking Place At ASCI, Garrett College
Jun. 7, 2012
The Team River Runner Leadership Conference and Rendezvous began Monday at Garrett College and the Adventure Sports Center International (ASCI). More than 65 wounded warriors are participating in outdoor and indoor learning exercises and activities. This event is one of a number of community service activities coordinated and hosted by ASCI.
Team River Runner (TRR), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, gives active duty service members and veterans an opportunity to find health, healing, and new challenges through whitewater boating and other paddling sports.
“The benefits of TRR have as much to do with creating a social network and support system as they do with learning water sports skills that provide an exciting adventure lifestyle that suddenly seemed lost due to injury,” a spokesperson said. “The program also encourages family members to participate whenever possible.”
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In this process, paddlers are put through a step-by-step approach in which they learn to control a kayak in a pool, and then they move to ASCI, which provides a controlled environment where they are introduced to whitewater. The participants then move on to rivers, lakes, and oceans, where they gain additional experience and skills.
Leadership training is being provided in cooperation with the Continuing Education program at Garrett College.
“The college family looks forward to hosting these men and women, who have done so much for us,” said Dr. Rick MacLennan, president of the college. “We are pleased to be here to help them develop their growing management and adventure skills so they may take them home to share with veterans in their community.”
The conference is in its second year. It brings together vets from the TRR chapters around the country to help them with skills to run their chapters, the spokesperson said. The range of offerings includes topics such as the latest developments with adaptive equipment to sessions on how to accomplish local fundraising and recruit volunteers.
Monday’s kick-off speaker was Jeannette Rudy Fitzwater, who conducted a seminar on helping the participants identify their work and management styles to aid them in being able to communicate and work productively with staff and volunteers in their chapters.
The Rendezvous portion of this week’s event is in its 4th year. It brings back vets who have gone through the rehabilitation and therapy programs at Bethesda Naval and Walter Reed Army hospitals (and what are now combined as Walter Reed National Military Medical Center) and gives them the opportunity to reconnect with one another. They are also encouraged to bring their families.
“A great deal of the healing process is with the families, and all too often they are excluded from events to which the vets are invited,” the spokesperson said.
Suzanne Nicolas, events coordinator at ASCI, said the support of the local community has been key in making the conference and rendezvous possible.
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Commissioners approve operating and capital budget for Garrett County
Largest portion, 43 percent, allocated for Board of Education
Elaine Blaisdell Cumberland Times-News
OAKLAND — The Garrett County commissioners approved the $73.4 million fiscal 2013 operating and capital budget in their Tuesday public meeting. Commissioners also approved a real property tax rate of $0.9330 for Mountain Lake Park and $0.99900 for all other areas.
“The total tax of $0.9900 remains but we gain additional revenue in the general fund,” said County Administrator Monty Pagenhardt in an email to the Times-News.
Revenues from income tax generated by county residents is estimated to increase by $800,000 in fiscal 2013, according to Pagenhardt. The largest portion of the budget is allocated for education ($31.9 million), which accounts for 43.54 percent of the budget. Of the funds for education, $26,023,714 was allocated for the Board of Education, which was deemed the county’s No. 1 fiscal priority, according to a news release. The amount alloted to the BOE includes $664,714 to fund the teacher pension obligations, which was offset by a like amount from the state. Education dollars also go toward Garrett College, Ruth Enlow Library and the Garrett County Scholarship program.
The county will face even more challenges with the fiscal 2014 budget and will likely result in further estimated de-clines in revenues, ac-cording to Pagenhardt. Legislative action by the Maryland General Assembly will transfer a substantial amount of teachers’ pension costs to all local governments, which will result in $1.2 million cost to the county in fiscal 2016. In addition, it is projected that the triennial property assessments will once again result in less revenue for fiscal 2014, according to Pagenhardt.
Commissioners also ap-proved a $0.0200 landfill bond and multiple Garrett County Sanitary District ad valorem taxes compared to the fiscal 2012 tax of $0.0400. There was little change in the sanitary district taxes, according to Pagenhardt. In 2012, Deep Creek Sewer Sanitary District was added. For fiscal 2013, the Deep Creek Sewer Sanitary tax is $0.0600.
On the revenue side of the budget, the largest amount of new funding comes from shifting the landfill bond to the general fund, according to a news release. About $794,000 will be generated from personal property from nonutility electric-generating companies, which includes wind projects.
Also approved were the public utilities tax of $2.3325 for Mountain Lake Park and $2.4750 for all other areas.
The recent approval of the hotel rental tax from 5 to 6 percent will generate $300,000, some of which will go toward the Adventure Sports Center International, which the county took ownership of in March.
The commissioners discussed the potential use of Kitzmiller Elementary School, which recently closed and contains a branch of the library and Head Start. The elementary school building has reverted back to the county. The parties involved will continue to work toward a cooperative effort to find the best viable and affordable use for the facility, according to Pagenhardt.
The commissioners also discussed the Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fee structure, which will raise from $30 a year to $60 and will exclude properties not in the bay watershed from paying the additional fee. The fee structure passed in the 2012 Maryland General Assembly and it will be up to the county to determine where a qualifying boundary is located, according to Pagenhardt. Final de-termination and location will be finalized and made publically available.
Contact Elaine Blaisdell at eblaisdell@times-news.com.
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One industry is tired of its name being blackened
Summit provides stage for officials to tell coal’s story
Michael A. Sawyers Cumberland Times-News
FROSTBURG — Initiated by Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot, Thursday, the Maryland Coal Summit attracted a hefty crowd of individuals who want the production and influence of the state’s coal to expand.
The summit was modeled after a similar event on the Eastern Shore dealing with Maryland’s poultry industry.
“I am tired of the coal industry being vilified and the backward thinking about coal,” Franchot said during the summit on the campus of Frostburg State University. “Coal will not be forgotten and you are not alone,” he said. “We will tell your story.”
Without naming the writer, Franchot read a letter that was included with a state income tax return, the author telling the comptroller that it was his coal-mining job that allowed him to take his family to Ocean City for one week every year.
Adrienne Ottaviani, executive director of the Maryland Coal Association, said “coal” is a four-letter word but so is “jobs.”
“We have enough coal in Maryland to provide the state with electricity for the next 200 years and to provide jobs as well,” she said. “Coal provides 51 percent of the electricity generated in Maryland. We can’t allow coal to be eliminated from the mix.”
Jim Hinebaugh, Garrett County’s director of economic development, said a coal-mining job is the top-paying work in the county at $50,000 annually. “No other job comes close to that,” he said. “And they provide great health coverage and 401K plans.”
Hinebaugh said there are 300 to 400 people employed in the county by coal mining and a minimum of 3.5 indirect jobs generated because of each mining job. He estimated the economic impact of coal in Garrett County to be in the tens of millions of dollars annually.
Even the state jobs in the Maryland Bureau of Mines exist because of coal, Hinebaugh pointed out.
Tim Carney of the Allegany County Economic Development Department discussed a variety of indirect jobs that exist because of coal, including those with the railroad, equipment operators, blasting companies, laboratories and even attorneys.
Jonathan Gibralter, FSU’s president, opened the summit and said the university owes its existence to coal miners who, in the late 1800s, saw the need for additional education and provided the funds to begin the institution of higher learning.
Dave Thomas, formerly of Mettiki Coal, but now employed by Alliance Coal LLC, said a large portion of the world lives with energy poverty.
“There are 3.6 billion people who do not have electricity,” Thomas said, pointing out that companies such as an aluminum smelter have left Maryland because electricity rates are less expensive elsewhere.
Thomas said his personal electric bill where he now lives in Kentucky is half of the Maryland bill he used to pay.
Peter Bajc, plant manager at AES Warrior Run, a coal-fired generation plant near Cumberland, said 100 to 120 trucks bring coal there each day. “AES buys 30 percent of the coal mined in Maryland,” he said.
AES also purchases tons of local limestone annually.
Franchot said he hopes that another coal event can take place in Annapolis during the General Assembly session so that false beliefs about coal held by legislators from other parts of the state can be dispelled.
Contact Michael A. Sawyers at msawyers@times-news.com
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BOE Plans FY '13 Budget Presentation
Jun. 7, 2012
The Garrett County Board of Education has scheduled a public presentation of the interim superintendent of school’s proposed Fiscal Year 2013 budget for Monday, June 11, at 5:30 p.m. in the cafeteria of Southern Middle School.
Then on the following Tuesday, June 12, the board will hold its regularly scheduled monthly meeting beginning at 4 p.m. at the same location. The public is invited to attend both events.
On Tuesday, following public comment at 4 p.m., the BOE will meet in closed session until 5:30 p.m., at which time public agenda topics will be action on the FY ’13 comprehensive maintenance plan for educational facilities of Garrett County, the educational facilities master plan, the student handbook, and discipline and the FY ’13 operating budget.
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Information items will include the special education staffing plan. Recognition will be given for student artwork. A second forum for public comment will be set aside at 7 p.m.
The superintendent’s proposed budget will be available on the Garrett County Board of Education web site, www.ga.k12.md.us, on Friday, June 8.
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GC Commissioners Approve Budget, Keep Real Property Tax Rate At $.99
Jun. 7, 2012
The Garrett County commissioners unanimously approved the county’s Fiscal Year 2013 budget and related tax rates on Tuesday afternoon. About 25 local residents and county employees gathered in the commissioners’ public meeting room at the courthouse to hear the budget announcement.
At $73,441,985, the new budget is $13.2 million less than FY 2012’s, but the real property tax rate will remain at $.99 per $100 of assessed value in FY ’13. The new fiscal year begins on July 1.
“We talked about tax increases,” commission chair Jim Raley said about the months-long budget development process. “We talked about how to meet the needs, and the nice part is that we were able to do that [by] keeping the tax rate at the same rate and not going with the constant yield.”
The commissioners note in the new budget document message, however, that county officials faced many challenges during the development process, including a reduction in state allocations and a decline of $2 million in assessable property values and revenue. Raley indicated that more revenue losses are expected for FY ’14.
“The 2013 budget really does meet our needs, but I think we all know there are still some unmet needs in there, obviously the CARC (Community Aquatic and Recreation Complex), the library, and . . . other requests that come in after the year starts,” Raley said.
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He indicated that county officials and residents need to immediately plan for “tomorrow” by developing ways to grow the county’s population and job opportunities.
“It’s a must; we can’t wait,” Raley said. “I want us to think about the kinds of things that have somewhat separated us . . . because some of those are the very issues that are debatable as to whether they will grow our economy.”
That includes Marcellus shale natural gas drilling and wind turbines, Raley said.
Commissioner Bob Gatto expressed his appreciation to county staff and residents for their help in developing the new budget.
“I appreciate the trust and respect that all of you have given us during this process and also appreciate your continuing input and support that you provide as we move forward,” he said. “We remain creative in our thinking and our investment of your dollars. That process will continue in time as the dollars become less and the demands more. But with your help we’re up to the challenge.”
Commissioner Gregan Crawford noted some budgetary accomplishments.
“I have no doubt that we’re viewed by many jurisdictions throughout the state with awe and envy for what we do here,” Crawford said. “We’ve held the line on taxes for this year. We fully funded the Board of Education. We’ve incurred no debt service. We have attritioned five more employees this year. And we continue to fulfill our mission.”
At $32 million, the largest allocation in the FY ’13 budget is for education. This is nearly $1.4 million more than the FY ’12 allocation.
In the new fiscal year, $26 million will go to the Board of Education, including $664,714 to fund the teacher pension obligations, which was offset by a like amount from the state. About $4.5 million will go to Garrett College, $982,700 to the Ruth Enlow Library, and $450,00 to the Garrett County Scholarship Program. Garrett College will also receive an additional $250,000 for CARC operations.
Public works makes up 22.64 percent of allocations in the budget. The Roads Department will receive about $16.2 million, which is $434,000 less than the FY ’12 allocation. The department will use $2.3 million of its FY ’13 allocation for paving projects. Management will prioritize all road improvement and maintenance projects. Capital funds have been allocated to purchase a variety of equipment.
Public safety divisions, offices, and agencies will receive nearly $9 million, which is about $134,000 less than they received in 2012. The sheriff’s office and detention center will receive about $4.4 million, with the remainder of the allocation going to the Permits and Inspections Division, volunteer fire and require units, animal control, the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Management, 911 communications, and emergency medical services.
General government will receive more than $6.6 million, which is $121,133 less than was allocated for FY ’12. The funds will go to county administrative offices, the commissioners’ office, the maintenance of governmental owned facilities, and information technology efforts. The new budget contains no employee pay increases, excluding unionized county road workers.
To help fund its debt service, the Adventure Sports Center will receive $100,000 of the county’s hotel/motel tax revenue. The commissioners recently increased the hotel/motel tax from 5 to 6 percent to generate an additional $300,000 in the new fiscal year. The total expected revenue from this tax is expected to be $1.9 million in 2013.
In addition to ASCI, the tax revenue will be distributed to the Department of Economic Development, Chamber of Commerce, Deep Creek 2014, county trails, the development of countywide broadband infrastructure, municipal governments, parks, recreation, and culture.
The FY ’13 budget is available online at garrettcounty.org. Approved supplemental levies for 13 Garrett County sanitary districts as well as real property and public utilities taxes for Mtn. Lake Park and other areas area also listed in the document.
The commissioners’ next public meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 26, at 9 a.m.
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Commissioners Approve Economic Development's ARC Grant Requests
Jun. 7, 2012
The Garrett County commissioners on Tuesday approved the Department of Economic Development’s request list for Appalachian Regional Commission funding in Fiscal Year 2013. The list will be forwarded to the Tri-County Council of Western Maryland for its review and approval, before being submitted to federal legislators.
Garrett County has received as much as $500,000 in ARC funding in past years. Grants for area development projects require a 50 percent match from state, local, and/or private sources. Local access road project grants require a 20 percent contribution from the various sources.
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Economic Development director Jim Hinebaugh noted that ARC funding may be limited in FY ’13; therefore, he and his staff have listed the proposed projects according to priority.
Topping the county’s request list of development projects is the “Asset Based Infrastructure Improvements at Adventure Sports Center International.” Economic Development is requesting $250,000 from ARC, as well as $350,000 in state/private contributions.
The funds would be used to support the Deep Creek 2014 Canoe Slalom World Championships at ASCI. Telecommunications upgrades, amphitheater seating, stairs, and a pavilion would be constructed. Hinebaugh noted that the International Canoe Federation suggested that the improvements be made for the championships.
Second on the list is the “Last Mile Wireless Network” project. The county is requesting $250,000 from ARC and plans to contribute another $250,000 toward the initiative.
The county would design, install, and operate a wireless network to deliver broadband Internet service to as many as 5,000 residences not currently served by any provider. The system would use the newly released “TV White Space” frequency spectrum that can travel up to 10 miles and penetrate through buildings, trees, etc. This concept was evaluated in the recently completed Garrett County Broadband Feasibility Study.
Third on the list is the Penn Alps to Meadow Mountain Trail project. The county is requesting $100,000 from ARC to construct the route. The total cost of this project is $542,345, with $386,345 coming from National Recreation Trails, $50,000 from Garrett County, and $6,000 from Garrett Trails.
The nine-mile long project would begin near Grantsville and connect to the Meadow Mountain Trail. Senators Ben Cardin and Barbara Mikulski just announced that ARC has awarded $250,000 for completion of the 10-mile long Meadow Mountain Trail, which the county requested funding for last year.
Last, but not least, on the development funding list is the proposed Accident Wastewater Treatment Plant. Hinebaugh indicated the project is number four because of funding issues involving other agencies.
Garrett County is seeking $250,000 in ARC funds for the $3.456 million project.
For local access road projects, the county is seeking $252,000 for the “Cherry Glade Phase II Revision” project. An estimated $1.045 million is needed to complete the road, which goes through the county’s old roads garage property in Oakland, connecting Rt. 219 and Fourth Street.
The Cherry Glade project experienced a major cost increase recently because of bridge and stream mitigation, which is required for permitting, Hinebaugh said. For example, the stream design became more expensive than anticipated as nearly $57,000 worth of plants are required along the stream bank.
Once the road is completed, Hinebaugh noted, the county will have three additional one-acre lots available to sell to business owners.
Two lots have already been sold and are occupied by Dairy Queen Grill & Chill and Clear Mountain Bank. These sales netted the county more than $600,000, Hinebaugh noted.
He said the county will need to contribute $63,000 to Phase II of the road project, but the three lot sales will bring much needed additional revenue to the county.
Number two on the road access list is a request for $400,000 in ARC funds for infrastructure improvements at ASCI. Two pedestrian/cart bridges over the whitewater course and an access road would be constructed. Parking lot upgrades would also be made. Hinebaugh noted that the International Canoe Federation suggested these improvements as well.
Hinebaugh stressed the projects list is subject to change, based on the availability of ARC funding and requests from other western Maryland counties.
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Maryland Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission
Advisory Commission meeting slated for Friday, June 15, 2012: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM; Garrett College. The Marcellus Shale Safe Drilling Initiative will assist State policymakers and regulators in determining whether and how gas production from the Marcellus shale in Maryland can be accomplished without unacceptable risks of adverse impacts to public health, safety, the environment and natural resources….
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May 2012 Real Estate Market Update - Residential
23 properties sold in May 2012, down one sale from April 2012, and down 4 sales off last year’s pace. The really great news, though, is that year-to-date, 2012 has been our most active real estate market since 2008.
Let’s take a look at the rest of the stats:
There are 57 homes under contract right now (49 last month).
The average list vs. ORIGINAL sales price was 84.91% – (last month 82.25%).
The ADJUSTED list vs sale price was 88.33 (last month 89.13%).
The current # of active/for sale listings in MRIS (minus timeshares) is 662, up from last months 636. There are about 20 properties coming on the market each week this time of the year. We have a 28.78 month supply of homes available (minus timeshares) based solely on the May sales numbers.
Random observations:
•3 ‘newer’ homes sold in May (5 years old or less)
•It appears that 14 or so of these sales were vacation homes
•12 homes sold at/under $300,000 (last month was 12)
•17 homes sold under $400,000 (last month 15)
•0 homes sold over $ 1 million (0 last month – though, we already have a nearly $2mil sale in June)
•2 home(s) sold for higher than full price or at full price (last month was 1)
•One house sold for 51.85% of asking price – 171 Garrett Rd
•The oldest home that sold was 112 yrs old (210 Roanoke Ave)
•The average age of the homes that sold was 33 years (32 last month)
•3 condo/townhouse/fractional properties sold (2 last month)
Here are the statistical breakdowns:
Average Sale Price: $312,571 (last month $318,094)
Average Days on Market: 147/224 (last month 298/435) (days on market with current broker/total days on market) – this number took a HUGE dive this month, as there were 2 homes that sold after being on the market for 1,211 and 1,546 days, respectively, in April.
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