County outlining construction plans

Upgrade of 911 network is eyed

Friday, Feb. 6, 2009

Large projects such as the construction of Evergreen Elementary School in Wildewood, a wellness center and pool at the Leonardtown campus of College of Southern Maryland and improvements to the detention center in Leonardtown are still moving forward and funds for them make up much of the 2010 budget proposal.

In order to improve communications for police, and fire and rescue personnel, $5.2 million is requested to hang radio transmission equipment on new towers. St. Mary's County government has transmission equipment on four communications towers in Mechanicsville, Leonardtown, California and Dameron.

"The 800 MHz radio system originally designed in 1998 recommended a system with six towers. Once built and implemented in 2002, the system was reduced to four towers due to budget restraints," the budget request read. "The system coverage has always been lacking in certain areas of the county, particularly those areas along the Potomac and Patuxent rivers where the land topography drops to the water's edge."

The Maryland State Highway Administration is erecting new towers and two of them, in Bushwood and Valley Lee, can spread the county's radio coverage. Two other private towers in Golden Beach and Sandgates may be able to host county radio equipment at no charge, said David Zylak, director of public safety.

But the county still has to buy the equipment to hang on the towers and that costs $5.1 million. Commissioner Thomas A. Mattingly Sr. (D) suggested including that all in fiscal 2010, but Commissioner Daniel H. Raley (D) last week suggested splitting the costs between fiscal 2010 and 2011, but this week all that money was kept in the 2010 budget proposal.

Another new project would strengthen the public safety building on the governmental campus.

Built in 2001, the building can withstand Category 1 hurricane-force winds, from 74 to 95 mph, but winds that high could blow the roof off, said George Erichsen, director of public works and transportation. The recommendation is to spend $500,000 to strengthen the roof to withstand Category 2 or 3 hurricane winds.

When winds are sustained at 50 mph or higher, standard operating procedure calls for emergency officials to use the backup emergency control center in downtown Leonardtown, Erichsen said. It's not a good idea to have personnel moving around in such strong winds, he said.

The commissioners agreed to move the $500,000 to fiscal 2011.

The lease between St. Mary's Hospital and the Marcey House drug and alcohol halfway house expires in 2013 and eventually the facility will have to be relocated at a projected expense of $1.1 million. The lease could be extended to 2016, but the hospital won't go further than that, said John Savich, county government administrator.

Another new project that does not yet have a cost estimate is the upgrade of the septic system at Margaret Brent Middle School in Helen. Because its treated wastewater runs into a stream, the Maryland Department of the Environment has new standards to abide by, which means an upgrade is necessary.

A lot of money was spent on the renovation of Margaret Brent Middle School not long ago, Mattingly said. "This was just done a few years ago. And if you don't do it, you get fined so they get you one way or the other."

"Yes, we're in compliance. They've changed the standards," said Brad Clements, public schools chief operating officer.

The new standard is to have 20 mg or less of nitrogen per liter. The current levels range between 100 and 120 mg per liter.

jbabcock@somdnews.com

Staff writer Jesse Yeatman contributed to this report.