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So. Md. lists projects it calls shovel ready
Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2008
 Click here to enlarge this photo Staff photo by GARY SMITH
Helga Weshcke, left, Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, St. Mary's County Commissioner Larry Jarboe, and David Jenkins, La Plata director of municipal development, grab a bite at the Tri-County Council's quarterly meeting.
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If Southern Maryland wants a piece of the pie in a likely upcoming federal economic stimulus package, local leaders had better be ready or they might miss out on much-needed funds.
That's what Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md., 5th) told members of the Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland at its quarterly meeting recently, where the effect of the economic crisis on job availability and local and state government budgets was all the talk.
Hoyer was referring to an economic stimulus proposal by President-elect Barack Obama (D) to devote what could end up being trillions of dollars for unemployment insurance, food assistance and infrastructure improvements.
"This is not a situation where Steny Hoyer's going to have the ability to get in and get yours. You need to be focused on what we can do in Southern Maryland. This is not going to be a pork-barrel project," Hoyer said, but assured "a big chunk" of money will get to Maryland for meaningful projects. "You have to be prepared to act quickly or someone else will get the work."
Charles County Commissioner Gary V. Hodge (D), who is TCC chairman, was one step ahead of him, saying the council has already drafted top priorities for projects that, because the major planning and engineering is complete, could be rolled out in 60 to 120 days after funds were awarded.
They include obtaining $5.6 million for the construction of the Maryland Broadband Cooperative initiative, which is a planned 65-mile fiber-optic cable network running from Parole to Patuxent River Naval Air Station, and funding for connecting 14 public schools in St. Mary's County to the network.
The project could support 20 to 50 direct jobs.
Then there's $5 million over four years for the Southern Maryland Reliability Project, which would help the Southern Maryland Electric Cooperation upgrade a transmission line to prevent potential blackouts and better manage distribution.
The project also includes installation of a new 230 kilovolt circuit under the Patuxent River from Solomons Island to Town Creek in St. Mary's. The project could require 25 to 45 jobs over four years.
The funds may have a time limit by which projects must be under way or states would lose them, Hoyer said. It's unclear now whether such funds would be distributed through the states or through a federal government entity, how much money the stimulus plan would allot toward such projects, or when such a bill could pass.
Hodge noted that large-scale wish-list projects such as a replacement for the Gov. Thomas Johnson Memorial Bridge, a rail connection to Washington, D.C., and building a Waldorf bypass and upgrade to U.S. 301 are not positioned to receive money because none of the necessary planning or engineering has been done.
Other "regionally significant" project ideas include $5.4 million toward the $8.4 million construction of the Patuxent Naval Air Museum and Visitors Center that would create nearly 200 direct jobs and a $5 million extension to the Indian Head science and technology park, including a new water and sewer line that would create 15 to 30 jobs.
William Ratchford, former director of the Maryland Department of Fiscal Services, said stimulus money for infrastructure could lift the heavy burden on local governments to fund projects that would otherwise be supported by the state of Maryland's general fund, which has faced devastating deficits that have forced cuts across the board.
"This is a very challenging economy to try to predict state revenues," Ratchford said.
But the conditions do allow the state to prioritize, reorganize, consolidate and enhance productivity, which is "difficult to do in a strong economy" when employees and citizens are less understanding.
"The buck stops at the local level. It's an opportunity for us to tighten our belts," said Calvert County Commissioner Wilson H. Parran (D), who is also president-elect of the Maryland Association of Counties.
