Construction Projects

Local builder only member of the development community to speak at stormwater hearing Local builder Tim Fields was the only member of the development community to speak Tuesday morning at a public hearing on a proposed Washington County Stormwater Management, Grading, Soil Erosion and Sediment Control ordinance. Fields thanked county staff for keeping builders in the loop about the proposed changes but asked the commissioners to do what they could to reduce the added burden on builders.

tarar@herald-mail.com The Washington County Commissioners are considering a fiscal year 2004 capital improvement budget that includes $5 million for the Board of Education and $500,000 for Hagerstown Community College - both less than what the groups have asked. The tentative plan, discussed Thursday by the County Commissioners and staff members, would put off by a year a $100,000 contribution toward a new Smithsburg library and work on the Maugans Avenue widening project.

tarar@herald-mail.com Washington County may bring in about $10.3 million in revenue from new taxes for fiscal year 2005, money that would go toward school and county construction projects, according to county documents. Budget and Finance Director Debra Bastian presented the projected revenue to the County Commissioners at Tuesday's meeting. Even with the new taxes, some commissioners said they weren't sure the county could afford to give the Washington County Board of Education the amount it has requested for school construction projects in fiscal year 2005, which begins on July 1. The School Board had asked that the commissioners increase the county's annual contribution toward school construction projects from $5.9 million to $10 million.

WASHINGTON COUNTY - Two Washington County building-related taxes are estimated to generate $18.6 million in revenue for school, library, road and other construction projects. The county budgeted $18.59 million in excise and transfer tax revenue to pay for some of the $83.1 million in construction projects listed in the proposed Capital Improvement Program (CIP) for fiscal year 2007. Fiscal year 2007 begins July 1. The revenue is about $3 million more than the county budgeted for the current fiscal year, which is fiscal year 2006.

tarar@herald-mail.com WASHINGTON COUNTY - The Washington County Board of Education would receive nearly $9 million less than what it requested from the County Commissioners for school construction projects in the next fiscal year, according to the county's tentative $59.6 million capital budget. In November, the school board asked for $24.6 million for construction projects from the commissioners, but the county has proposed giving it $15.8 million for fiscal year 2006.

The Hagerstown City Council on Tuesday authorized by a 3-2 vote taking on $4 million in debt, which will pay for several city construction projects. Council members Kristin B. Aleshire and Penny M. Nigh voted against the measure. Tuesday's action was one of several steps before the city actually borrows the money, which will be used on several projects including the widening of Eastern Boulevard, alley improvements, construction of a park for the University System of Maryland at Hagerstown, and a new dump truck.

Washington County is looking for volunteers to sit on a newly formed nine-member committee that will review Board of Education construction projects exceeding $2 million. The County Commissioners on Tuesday voted on the size of the Advisory School Design Review Committee. The county's Building Excise Tax Ordinance requires the commissioners to appoint the committee. The commissioners plan to appoint the county's public works director, two citizens at large, the school board's director of facilities, a mechanical contractor, an electrical contractor, a general contractor, an educator and the school board's facilities manager.

WASHINGTON COUNTY karenh@herald-mail.com Teacher recruitment, pension improvement and more funding for construction projects are on a list of priorities the Washington County Board of Education plans to present to legislators next week. By consensus vote, the board agreed in a work session Tuesday afternoon to support the positions on teacher recruitment and retention, and public school construction adopted earlier by the Maryland Association of Boards of Education.

ANNAPOLIS - Four Washington County bills advanced Thursday in the state Senate. The Senate gave final approval to a bill letting Washington County issue up to $80 million in bonds for construction projects. The House approved the bill 134-0 in February. Three other bills received preliminary Senate approval Thursday: · Removing the cap on the county's excise tax on new residential construction for one year so the county can switch from a flat rate to a progressive rate based on square footage · Clarifying and amending regulations for the county's fire police · Letting the county issue civil citations for infractions of trade and building codes instead of filing criminal charges The bills must come back before the Senate for final approval.

Council OKs funds for 3-D image program The Hagerstown City Council on Tuesday endorsed contributing $10,000 to help pay for a computer program that would produce a three-dimensional picture of the center of downtown Hagerstown. The Greater Hagerstown Committee requested the money, and plans to ask the Washington County government for funding as well. The Hagerstown-Washington County Industrial Foundation has already pledged $10,000 for the project, said Richard Trump during his presentation to Mayor and City Council on Tuesday.