Elaine Blaisdell Cumberland Times-News
OAKLAND — The Garrett County Commission will provide a more detailed review today of Adventure Sports Center International’s debt situation and will make known the county’s position, according to Monty Pagenhardt, county administrator.
The commissioners made a public statement at the Jan. 17 meeting that they met in executive session earlier that day to discuss legal, financial and personnel implications for ASCI in regard to the default of $3 million of capital debt obligations.
ASCI is a nonprofit entity and not under the authority of the county commissioners, according to Pagenhardt. The financial institutions involved with the debt collection are Susquehanna Bank and First United Bank & Trust.
Adventure Sports Chairman Duane Yoder told The Associated Press that the group may consider transferring ownership to Garrett County or Garrett College.
The $3 million debt was incurred during cost overruns in construction of the actual whitewater course and pond, Matt Taylor, executive director of ASCI explained to the Times-News in a previous interview. ASCI broke ground on the whitewater facility in 2004 and opened in the spring of 2007.
“The ASCI whitewater course is a one-of-a-kind facility and a combination of unique building challenges and high cost of materials. Most of the facility was built in the years following Hurricane Katrina, which greatly inflated certain material and transportation costs (that) led to the overruns,” said Taylor in a previous interview with the Times-News.
Today’s 9 a.m. public meeting agenda will also include a briefing in regard to the county public school system’s fiscal 2013 budget.
The school system is $2.6 million in debt because of enrollment and wealth loss, according to the five-year plan proposal outline. The school system hopes to reduce the budget by $3 million by:
• Eliminating the high school driver’s education program, $200,000.
• Eliminating full-time school enrichment teaching positions, $165,000.
• Closing Dennett Road, Kitzmiller and Friendsville elementary schools, $2.16 million.
• Providing a retirement incentive.
• Reducing the transportation budget by $128,000.
• Reducing the maintenance budget by $100,000.
The five-year plan, developed by Sue Waggoner, interim superintendent of schools, also calls for:
• Reduction of six instructional assistant positions, $150,000.
• Reduction of academic intervention, $50,00.
• Reduction of three high school positions, $165,000.
• Reconfiguration of grade levels, making middle school fifth through eighth grades.
On Jan. 17, the board of education decided against moving fifth-grade students into middle school and instead considered a grade school alternative that will be based on next school year’s kindergarten enrollment numbers.
A decision on the proposed school closings will not be made until the March 13 board meeting.
“We are $3 million short. There is no way around the closings,” said Waggoner during the January public meeting.
The county commission will also discuss the Good Will Volunteer Fire Department boundary dispute. The fire department, which is located in Lonaconing, wants to provide service in Garrett County and receive fire tax revenue. The commission has no authority in this matter and the fire department has received a letter from the Public Safety Department explaining that there is a process, according to Pagenhardt.
The land-use management work session that was supposed to be discussed today was rescheduled to Feb. 14 at 1:30 p.m. to allow sufficient time for review and discussion.
Also on the agenda:
• County roads department will provide an update on the status of Westernport and Lower New Germany roads and an update on federally mandated radio equipment.
• An update will be provided on the Garrett County Airport and its 50th anniversary plans.
• A 2012 legislative update will be provided.
Contact Elaine Blaisdell at eblaisdell@times-news.com
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