GC Officials Hear Update Reports; Award Bid For Career Training Ctr.

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GC Officials Hear Update Reports; Award Bid For Career Training Ctr.


Oct. 30, 2008

The Garrett County commissioners held their regular public meeting on Tuesday. Agenda items included a report on a federal housing program, an update from the Garrett County Department of Planning and Land Development, and a bid award for the proposed Garrett County Career Technology Training Center.
Garrett County Community Action Committee president Duane Yoder gave an update report on the federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program, under which Maryland will receive $26 million. Of that funding, $20 million will be primarily distributed to rural communities with high rates of foreclosures and sub-prime lending.

Yoder said Garrett County does not have a large number of foreclosures, but other program criteria may enable it to qualify for as much as $1 million. The funding can be used for housing acquisition and rehabilitation, housing construction for ownership and rental, homeownership assistance, and infrastructure.

A draft of how the county would use the Neighborhood Stabilization grant is due at the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development office by Dec. 5. The final draft is due in January.

Yoder noted that the funding must be used within 18 months after it is awarded.

The commissioners also heard an update report from Garrett County Department of Planning and Land Development staff members. Director John Nelson noted that public hearings will be held in the near future for two proposed county ordinances.

One outlines provisions for establishing local agricultural land preservation districts. The other ordinance would establish a local permitting process for electrical work.

Permits and Inspections Division chief Jim Torrington also reported on building permit activity in the county. He noted that the total number of permits issued for all types of construction was down nearly 16 percent for the first nine months of this year, compared to the same time frame for last year.

Also at Tuesday's meeting, the commissioners accepted Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates' bid of $152,587 for architectural/engineering services. The company will design the first phase, the welding component, of the Garrett County Career Technology Training Center. The facility will be established in the old Phenix Technologies building in Accident.

A bid review committee, composed of county staff members, had recommended that the commissioners accept a $180,480 bid submitted by Hayes Large Architects because of the company's references, interest in the project, and other factors. Crabtree was the committee's second choice.

The commissioners accepted Crabtree's lower bid because of the cost-savings factor.

"For the program," Commissioner Denny Glotfelty said, "we felt this was the best way to do it."

The commissioners have allocated $500,000 for the Career Technology Training Center. The Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development has also earmarked $1 million for the project.

The commissioners will hold their next public meeting on Thursday, Nov. 13.

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