Minutes of the County Commissioners of Worcester County ...

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education. In response to a question by Commissioner Bunting, Mayor Dorman explained that they planned to create a 501(c)(3) charitable organization to manage the building and provide ongoing financial support once refurbished. Following some discussion, the Commissioners thanked Mayor Dorman and the committee members for the presentation and agreed to consider their request during FY14 budget deliberations. The Commissioners met with Mr. Tustin to review and discuss a letter from Albert Grimes and Trip Harrison of Worcester County Renewable Energy (WCRE), LLC outlining the circumstances that have led them to decide to cease operations of their methane gas to energy facility at the Central Landfill in Newark effective June 30, 2013; and outlining two potential solutions to continue operations. Mr. Tustin stated that the gas generation rates, as originally projected and depended upon by WCRE to make their project viable, took a huge hit when the Town of Ocean City ceased utilizing the Central Landfill and began disposing of their waste by a private vendor. He reviewed the two options proposed by the WCRE to continue the gas to energy project as follows: have the County purchase the facility at the fair market value of $965,000 and continue to operate or contract WCRE to operate the facility; or have the County purchase and install all materials necessary to construct the methane gas collection system on landfill Cell 4 at an estimated cost of $500,000 and have WCRE operate the facility at no cost to the County, but with the County to waive its annual $25,000 gas rights payment. Mr. Tustin concluded that staff recommends declining both proposals due to the upcoming capital investments and capital projects necessary to continue day-to-day operations at the Central Landfill. He stated that, while he was disappointed that the project would be discontinued, the Central Landfill remains well under the current waste capacity and gas emissions that would require an active methane gas collection system; thus, no immediate negative impacts would occur, if the gas to energy project ceases to operate. In response to a question by Commissioner Boggs, Mr. Tustin stated that, if the gas to energy operations cease, the generator would be removed, but the flairs would remain so the County would continue flaring the gas into the atmosphere. In response to a question by Commissioner Shockley, Mr. Tustin stated that the original estimate was to produce three megawatts of power, but the plant was never able to produce more than one megawatt. Attorney Mark Cropper, speaking on behalf of his client, WCRE, concurred with the staff analysis and advised that his client asked him to convey their appreciation for the opportunity to have worked with the County on this worthwhile project. Following much discussion and upon a motion by Commissioner Bunting, the Commissioners unanimously declined to take any further action with respect to this project. The Commissioners answered questions from the press, after which they adjourned to reconvene at 7:00 p.m. for the FY2013/2014 Requested County Operating Budget Public Hearing at Stephen Decatur High School Auditorium. The Commissioners conducted a public hearing at Stephen Decatur High School Auditorium on the FY2013/2014 Requested County Operating Budgets. Commission President Church called the meeting to order. Finance Officer Harold Higgins presented a PowerPoint presentation outlining the FY2013/2014 Requested Operating Budgets, which can be viewed 8 Open Session - May 7, 2013
online at www.co.worcester.md.us. The presentation included the following graphs and information: FY14 Budget Challenges; General Fund Estimated Revenues and Expenditures for FY14; Worcester County Assessable Tax Base in Billions; General Fund Budget Revenue History from FY10 to FY14; Major Revenues - Property Tax,, Income Tax and Other Taxes; General Fund Revenue and Expenditure Comparisons FY11-FY14; FY13 Real Property Tax Rates; FY13 Income Tax Rates; the Worcester County Constant Yield Tax Rate of $0.7969 per $100 of assessment to yield the current rate of revenue; and the Schedule of Upcoming Budget Work Sessions, Budget & Tax Rate Adoption, and Additional Information. Mr. Higgins explained that the requested expenditures of $174,132,311 exceed the County’s estimated revenues of $166,758,162 by $7,374,149. He stated that this difference must be reconciled by the Commissioners either through reductions in expenditures, increases in taxes and fees, or some combination of the two. Mr. Higgins further explained that the Constant Yield Tax Rate (CYTR) represents the property tax rate that would generate the same amount of revenues the County received in the current fiscal year. He noted that in February the State informed Worcester County that, to fully offset the effect of decreasing assessments, the real property tax rate would need to be increased from the current tax rate of $0.77 per $100 of assessment to the CYTR of $0.7969 to remain constant with the current year, FY13. He stated that the CYTR would create no additional revenue above the current year’s total, but explained that the County Commissioners are not proposing to increase the property tax rate to the CYTR level in FY13/14. Commissioner Church opened the floor to receive public comment. Ellie Diegelman of Ocean City urged the Commissioners to fund the State’s Attorney’s budget as submitted, since they proposed a reduced budget from the prior year and to seek cuts in other areas, such as Human Resources. She also strongly opposed placing School Resource Officers in each of the 13 public schools. Harold Scrimgeour of Stockton stated that Maryland is the State most unfriendly to business, and the County’s Department of Development Review and Permitting (DRP) mirrors the State by making it difficult to obtain permits because they follow the State law. He asked the Commissioners to develop a DRP customer service survey for property owners to identify their experiences with the permitting process. He stated that if the County became more development friendly the tax base would grow. Carol Frazier of Ocean Pines questioned various aspects of funding for Social Services. Grant Helvey of Ocean Pines stated that the County places too much emphasis on taking land out of development, pointing out that the County has protected 8,000 acres more parkland than the State requires. He urged the Commissioners to stop buying up land that does not need to be protected and help secure individual property rights instead. Kellee Kennett of Berlin opposed creating a Social Media Coordinator position, with an annual salary of $18,000, within the Tourism Department. She stated that it is a waste of money to pay $20 an hour for someone to sit at home and play with a cell phone. She also opposed the Town of Snow Hill’s request for grant funds of $200,000 to refurbish the historic Old Mason’s Opera House. Finally, she opposed funding to the Ocean City Development Corporation (OCDC), stating that OCDC is too close to crossing the line to funding private industry. Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jerry Wilson expressed his gratitude to the Commissioners for supporting the Board of Education’s (BOE) safety plan and after school programs. He stated 9 Open Session - May 7, 2013
Page 1 and 2: Minutes of the County Commissioners
Page 3 and 4: Recreation Advisory Board and upon
Page 5 and 6: Commissioner Shockley, Chief Admini
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Page 11 and 12: that Snow Hill Elementary School su
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