The Board of Garrett County Commissioners held its recent public meeting on Monday April 3, 2023.
PUBLIC MEETING OPENED
In the public meeting session, Paul Edwards served as Chairman. The following items were discussed:
- Proclamation: April 2023 is Child Abuse Prevention Month
- Proclamation: April 5, 2023 is Arbor Day in Garrett County
- The winners of the 5th Grade Arbor Day Poster Contest were announced:
- 1st Place County Winner, 3rd Place State Winner: Emma Secrist
- 2nd Place County Winner: Codyn Alvarado
- 3rd Place County Winner: Elodie Morel
- The winners of the 5th Grade Arbor Day Poster Contest were announced:
- Resolution Approval of the 2023 Garrett County Online Tax Sale Dates & Times
- Registration opens May 1, 2023 and closes May 19, 2023
- Bidding begins on May 22, 2023 and ends on May 26, 2023
- Payments must be completed by May 26 at 4:00 PM
- Bid # 23–0316 for precast concrete box culvert for a culvert replacement on Bethlehem Road was awarded to Concrete Pipe and Precast in the amount of $63,684. This project is within budget.
- Bid # 23–0302 for the purchase and installation of ceramic tile at the courthouse was awarded to Success Floor Covering in the amount of $74,920.98; selecting Option 1. This project is within budget.
- Bid # 23–0309 for the Friendsville Wastewater Treatment Plant roof and gutter replacement was awarded to Rough Roofing and Sheetmetal in the amount of $39,030. The project is within budget.
- The 2023 Garrett County Transportation Priority Letter was approved.
- Public comments were accepted.
PUBLIC MEETING CLOSED
A complete recording of the meeting can be found here.
OUTSIDE ORGANIZATION BUDGET PRESENTATIONS:
Garrett County Health Officer Bob Stephens presented the budget (beginning at 40:40 in the recording) on behalf of the Garrett County Health Department (GCHD):
- Mission: To promote, protect and improve the health of citizens and visitors of Garrett County.
- Vision: Garrett County, a healthier place to live, work and play
- Total GCHD operating budget is $16,707,797 and the request from the county government is $2,436,815
- Due to fee-for-service programs, GCHD can return money to the county
- Maryland Department of Health reconciled 2022 figures and GCHD will return $915,429 to the county
Sheriff Bryson Meyers presented the budget (beginning at 56:02 in the recording) on behalf of the Garrett County Sheriff’s Department
- Public safety and law enforcement is an ever-challenging environment.
- Overall, the increase to the budget is $15,335
- There are mandates the office has to support financially but they have found grants thus far
- Body cameras aren’t mandated until 2025 but were grant funded so they are implemented
- Requesting department cell phones to utilize the full functionality of the body cameras
- Medicated-Assisted Treatment is now mandated; hopefully can continue to be funded by grants
Alison Sweitzer, CPA, Director of Finance and Dr. Nicole Miller, Chief Academic Officer, presented the budget (beginning at 1:04:05 in the recording) on behalf of the Garrett County Public Schools.
- Many changes are occurring because of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future legislation
- “To transform Maryland’s education system from early childhood through secondary education to enable performance and ensure all students receive a world-class education”
- Pillar 1: Early Childhood
- Pillar 2: High Quality & Diverse Teachers and Leaders
- Pillar 3: College and Career Readiness
- Pillar 4: More Resources for Students to be Successful
- Pillar 5: Governance and Accountability
- MSDE (Maryland State Department of Education) is calculating some of these formulas for the first time so it is a bit of a moving target to develop the budget request.
- FY 2024 local share (county budget requirement) is $28,584,423. The complete meeting can be viewed here.
- “To transform Maryland’s education system from early childhood through secondary education to enable performance and ensure all students receive a world-class education”
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, by 11:00 p.m. on Monday one week prior to the Public Meeting Day.
The Board of Garrett County Commissioners next scheduled Public Meeting will be Tuesday, April 18, 2023, at the Garrett County Courthouse beginning at 4:00 p.m.
