thursday,march 21, 2013 - County Times - Southern Maryland Online
thursday,march 21, 2013 - County Times - Southern Maryland Online
thursday,march 21, 2013 - County Times - Southern Maryland Online
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COUNTY<br />
NEWS<br />
The <strong>County</strong> <strong>Times</strong><br />
Thursday, March <strong>21</strong>, <strong>2013</strong> 6<br />
Non-Profit Funding To Stay Same<br />
By Alex Panos<br />
Staff Writer<br />
By a vote of 3-2, the St. Mary’s<br />
<strong>County</strong> commissioners elected to keep<br />
funding for non-profit agencies at the<br />
same level as last fiscal year.<br />
With commissioners Cynthia<br />
Jones and Larry Jarboe opposing the<br />
decision, $1.34 million will be used to<br />
fund last year’s qualifying non-profit<br />
organizations.<br />
No new entities will receive county<br />
funding this year, despite bids from<br />
Summerseat Farm, St. Mary’s <strong>County</strong><br />
Art Council, Chesapeake Orchestra, St.<br />
Joseph Community Center, Historic St.<br />
Mary’s City Foundation, Center for Independent<br />
Living and Leah’s House to get<br />
on the list.<br />
Jones voted against the funding rates<br />
because of the uncertainty surrounding<br />
St. Mary’s <strong>County</strong> as sequestration<br />
looms.<br />
Jarboe, meanwhile, is against the<br />
decision because he is not certain all the<br />
agencies are non-profit. He said he would<br />
be more comfortable with professionally<br />
conducted audits, as opposed to the current<br />
system where groups submit their<br />
own audits to the board – some organizations<br />
skip sending in audits all together,<br />
according to the county’s Chief Financial<br />
Officer Elaine Kramer.<br />
Jarboe would prefer to award grant<br />
money where each agency is required to<br />
come before the board and explain what<br />
they plan to do with the money.<br />
“I would rather have some professionals<br />
look at it,” concurred Commissioner<br />
Dan Morris, “get the most bang for<br />
the buck.”<br />
However, Morris did not want to<br />
continue slashing funding as in the past<br />
because he anticipates the entire process<br />
to change next year.<br />
Joe Anderson, a spokesperson for the<br />
non-profit organization Vital Community<br />
Connectors, is relieved non-profits will<br />
not experience funding cuts this year as<br />
they did the previous two.<br />
The group was formed because he<br />
and many others in the community were<br />
concerned if they did not do something<br />
the county would again cut funding.<br />
From discussions last year, it was<br />
apparent to Anderson funding would<br />
again be cut. Vital Community Connectors<br />
initiated a public awareness campaign<br />
to present the commissioners with<br />
some “eye opening stats” of the economic<br />
benefits.<br />
Anderson says the group plans to<br />
continue efforts to get more agencies<br />
funded.<br />
The group sent the commissioners a<br />
large petition, signed by many people, explaining<br />
how non-profits allow the community<br />
and the economy to “thrive.”<br />
The group made an effort to show<br />
the commissioners how the agencies<br />
diversify the economy, and serve over<br />
50,000 people each year.<br />
“These organizations enhance and<br />
augment many aspects of what makes St.<br />
Mary’s <strong>County</strong> special,” the letter states.<br />
“They [non-profit agencies] also<br />
provide a great return on investment of<br />
the counties tax monies,” Anderson said,<br />
noting for every $1 of funding the county<br />
grants, they see a return of $23. “We have<br />
a large impact on the community. We<br />
were very, very happy the vote turned out<br />
the way it did.”<br />
As for the $350,000 budgeted for the<br />
agencies not added to the commissioner’s<br />
non-profit list, the board moved the<br />
money to the Department of Economic<br />
Development.<br />
Russell says this investment, proposed<br />
by Commissioner Todd Morgan,<br />
will allow the board to utilize this money<br />
in the best way possible.<br />
All agencies must participate in the<br />
College of <strong>Southern</strong> <strong>Maryland</strong>’s Non-<br />
Profit Institute to receive funding.<br />
alexpanos@countytimes.net<br />
Commissioners<br />
Approve Construction<br />
and Renovations<br />
HISTORIC ST. MARY’S CITY MUSEUM<br />
Spring Season <strong>2013</strong> opens with<br />
MARYLAND DAY<br />
Free Admission<br />
Saturday, March 23 ~ 10am - 4pm<br />
Kids Crafts, Concerts, and much more.<br />
By Alex Panos<br />
Staff Writer<br />
The board approved St. Mary’s <strong>County</strong><br />
Metropolitan Commission’s loan agreements<br />
on Tuesday, and construction has<br />
already begun between Great Mills Road<br />
and South Shangri-La Drive.<br />
The old sewer pipe is being replaced<br />
and a water line will be installed, which<br />
will serve the future site of the Lexington<br />
Park Volunteer Rescue Squad.<br />
If the project is completed on time,<br />
Director of Community Development<br />
Corporation Robin Finnacom said, then<br />
the road, sidewalk, bike path and landscaping<br />
will begin in May.<br />
Spring Valley Apartments will open<br />
up 128 new apartments, including 59 Section<br />
8 dwellings, after the board approved<br />
the use of <strong>Maryland</strong> state funds and state<br />
tax-exempt bonds to renovate the building.<br />
Executive Director of St. Mary’s <strong>County</strong><br />
Housing Authority Dennis Nicholson<br />
called the building a “prime location” because<br />
of its proximity to the base.<br />
“The restoration will benefit to Lexington<br />
Park and the surrounding community,”<br />
he said.<br />
The Sheriff’s office sent a request for<br />
funds to help target third and fourth DUI offenders<br />
to participate in a drug rehab court.<br />
Commissioner President Francis<br />
“Jack” Russell approved and authorized<br />
as well as the execution of completing the<br />
emergency shelter features to Great Mills<br />
High School.<br />
The Commissioners recognized April<br />
as National Financial Literacy Month,<br />
and hosted students from Chopticon High<br />
School’s Finance Academy.<br />
alexpanos@countytimes.net<br />
Become a Member<br />
and<br />
Support <strong>Maryland</strong>’s History and Heritage<br />
Members receive free access to the museum, 10% discount in<br />
the gift shop and our newsletter A Briefe Relation<br />
visit www.stmaryscity.org or call 800-SMC-1634<br />
Resurfacing Great Mills Road<br />
Beginning Monday, March 18 the <strong>Maryland</strong> State Highway Administration (SHA) will<br />
resurface 2.5 miles of MD 246 (Great Mills Road) from St. Mary’s Square to MD 5 (Point<br />
Lookout Road) in the Great Mills area of St. Mary’s <strong>County</strong>.<br />
Work includes milling, resurfacing and restriping all through travel lanes as well as the<br />
MD 237 (Chancellor’s Run Road) tie-in with MD 246. All work will take place at night, from<br />
9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday through Thursday. During these hours a lane closure and flagging<br />
operation may be used to guide motorists safely through the work zone. An average of 18,000<br />
vehicles travel this stretch of MD 246 each day.<br />
This work is being performed as part of a $6.1 million multiple-project “areawide” resurfacing<br />
contract awarded to Bardon/Aggregate Industries of Greenbelt. Major St. Mary’s<br />
<strong>County</strong> resurfacing projects already completed under this contract include MD 234 (more<br />
than five miles), MD 6 (more than one mile) and MD 238 (nearly four miles).<br />
SHA urges motorists to exercise caution while driving through work zones. Slow down,<br />
cooperate with other motorists during merges, and always be alert for changing conditions. Call<br />
511 or log onto www.MD511.org for traffic information. Follow SHA on Twitter @MDSHA<br />
and like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/<strong>Maryland</strong>StateHighwayAdministration.