[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6324596,"mediaKeyId","2337865-c28829fc1f604f59a08b8ab2e758146e","parentId",2337865,"title","Nature Conservancy offers NOAA‑funded technical assistance to Pocomoke City for flood resilience","audioSeconds",175,"startMs",1841000,"endMs",2016000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2337865-c28829fc1f604f59a08b8ab2e758146e&start=1841&end=2016","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2337865-c28829fc1f604f59a08b8ab2e758146e/thumbnail_1841000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6324596/Pocomoke-City/Worcester-County/Maryland/Nature-Conservancy-offers-NOAAfunded-technical-assistance-to-Pocomoke-City-for-flood-resilience","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6324596-ef6eae00395b50e464b9c7e22e27988f/orig.mp4?Expires=1776327597&Signature=SRgSwKRWO6fCBSKbcCd-cknX4RWAvMZiDdY6G~bRcEGds8FZmiIzgpfmpYNsJ6jPQRE58sW4v6T27RedmKazoT3xg2JonhlrsocT3tmUxwfgMFGDkUXLXtJ-ep8wPeRYWumCUvNWN9PF8-ygQ6Y9fTKJlYtXPV7eAH1ApCxifnq4jfOtmQ48bVjajYdxeTmABRSh4kP7Ch4q~pPFgbXYYe43IsPX4hNVp6NWEOG1R8oRXkZ~tlQGuhPJ3D7fvenAcjhPubivq6NjMCPhN-BZKziMkw5MDnZhX12E9DFXGTIWIL2jIYJBDvVbbek8UgoartMtAB~qFqz386X-yvpSiw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Pocomoke City, MD","date","2025-02-18T00:00:00Z","article","Representatives from the Nature Conservancy and partner experts told the Pocomoke City council on Feb. 18 they can provide no‑cost technical assistance, funded by NOAA, to support local flood‑resilience planning.

Joe (last name not stated) of The Nature Conservancy (Maryland/DC) said the team — including Liz Bandola, Nicole Carlozzo of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Emma DeAngeli of Resources for the Future — can build on existing assessments from Rao Inc. and Michael Baker International to deliver additional flood modeling, cost‑benefit analysis and community engagement. “Our team can deliver actionable information to support local planning efforts and future grant applications regarding flooding, economic development, and more,” he said.

The project’s scope would include maps showing how various adaptation measures could change flood risk, cost‑benefit comparisons and community‑based resilience goals; presenters said the project would wrap in fall 2025 because of the grant timeline. Council members asked whether the team would deliver shovel‑ready designs; Conservancy staff said their work would support bid‑ready projects and future grant applications but that construction would be performed by contractors engaged later by the city.

Council members identified Cypress Park as a priority flood area and encouraged the Nature Conservancy to work with city staff Dan (last name not stated), Mike Wyatt and Bill East. Council members also suggested local outreach options, including a public screening of the Conservancy’s short films at a local theater.

No formal vote or contract was recorded; the Conservancy asked for a decision path and timeline toward partnership. The council expressed interest and did not record any objections in the transcript.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Meeting - Feb 18, 2024","oneSentenceSummary","The Nature Conservancy presented a NOAA‑funded, no‑cost technical assistance package to help Pocomoke City assess and plan flood‑mitigation options, including modeling, cost‑benefit analysis and community engagement, with work proposed to wrap by fall 2025.","taxTitle","Pocomoke City, Worcester County, Maryland","taxId",53953,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6324601,"Pocomoke City council approves minutes, bill payments and festival liquor permits; discusses horse‑farm repairs",1637,123000,1760000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2337865-c28829fc1f604f59a08b8ab2e758146e&start=123&end=1760","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2337865-c28829fc1f604f59a08b8ab2e758146e/thumbnail_123000.jpg","/articles/6324601/Pocomoke-City/Worcester-County/Maryland/Pocomoke-City-council-approves-minutes-bill-payments-and-festival-liquor-permits-discusses-horsefarm-repairs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6324601-2e5cc200f574ded03607546ee7343fc5/orig.mp4?Expires=1776327597&Signature=DJZb021L79PoV7yLswtDLQ5uLkUWPcJ9SC~tSeig6SV5QPdx~L-bE9wN0RDAs-nVX~w1wao6rX4DekKSVuhCSdcEASCoA1N0jhs4Zroc3usemB7tjQHSGpgeE3xogxOs8oNcRUIUI9Xg6hR8B03Xi1QbT8G2ryF9o59do4roPCD68zsGVP05hGDJ7m2B7KAs42rPiyUV9O2boHBPTAig3NbZVmlodRO0G2aGsw8bFJYbPlUapAUd6tC6Bj9TH~vyu0W~6bUbC01b9RCkKqs~XZQX2-vb~QOqa8IXxwcNL2uDaGf900fyJ4XsJYwn1rvNRyyTAcW92M9u~p6VShZ9OQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At its Feb. 18 meeting, the Pocomoke City Mayor and Council approved routine administrative items including the meeting minutes for Jan. 14 and Feb. 3 and the current bill list for payment.

Council discussion on the minutes included a request to add greater detail for historical clarity; one council member said the current drafts were “extremely vague” and asked for more intentional detail in future minutes. After discussion, a council member moved to approve and the council voted to adopt the minutes.

The council approved the bill list for payment after a brief question about a testing charge identified as MDE testing; a council member was told that the testing charge was for last year. The motion to pay the bills was made, seconded and approved.

Public works presented an invoice and bids related to the city horse farm and water wells. Public‑works staff reported two wells need service and said Somerset (a local well service) was the only readable bid; staff recommended proceeding with Somerset based on prior work and readability of bids. Council expressed support; the transcript records “consensus yes” to proceed with the recommended vendor. Separately, staff reported a repair quote of $6,932 from a contractor identified in the transcript as Mr. Anna Scott to repair windows and doors at the horse barn; staff said the quoted work requires a material deposit and that the labor portion would be billed later. A separate mixer rebuild was discussed; staff said a rebuilt mixer had higher cost than anticipated and that a line‑item transfer would need to be considered at a future meeting (the city manager noted that line‑item transfers must come before mayor and council).

The council also approved the Downtown Pocomoke Association’s request to sell beer and wine at the Fourth Friday street‑festival season (annual events starting in April). Events Coordinator Susan Radden said festival volunteers had completed TIPs certification at the Worcester County Health Department and that revenue from beverage sales funds free public events and downtown beautification. The council moved, seconded and voted to approve the application for the series; dates were read into the record with some transcription inconsistencies, including an opening date of April 25, 2025 and a closing date listed as Sept. 26, 2025; portions of the mid‑season dates in the record were unclear.

Council also approved a special one‑day liquor license application for the annual Cash Bash at 1410 Market Street; the application listed the event as taking place in March 2025 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (the transcript did not specify the exact calendar day). The motion was made, seconded and the council voted in favor.

No public opposition to the approvals was recorded in the meeting transcript.","Council approved meeting minutes, the current bill list, Fourth Friday street festival beer/wine sales and a one‑day liquor permit for the annual Cash Bash, and discussed public‑works invoices and horse‑farm repairs including well service and building window/door quotes.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6324605,"Pocomoke City council approves termination of long-standing CDBG encumbrance on city-owned restaurant property",256,669000,925000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2337865-c28829fc1f604f59a08b8ab2e758146e&start=669&end=925","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2337865-c28829fc1f604f59a08b8ab2e758146e/thumbnail_669000.jpg","/articles/6324605/Pocomoke-City/Worcester-County/Maryland/Pocomoke-City-council-approves-termination-of-long-standing-CDBG-encumbrance-on-city-owned-restaurant-property","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6324605-bca05a6bdd89f672c40e544b57a41644/orig.mp4?Expires=1776327597&Signature=KlWhObfjAmVeIGQsIuhnFNNQff2kEnZiy6lYKjzRoelZEaBWcHL5y-QmefcMmEYcg2SfQQPCTZr1CtlKuebDdk~tfSccnJFjjbORqiaNdSdl3JDy6eyHCc7ws-p9wrK~jJRBYzjFq-xBP9a6nupN-e-bdra4Jf1qAq4Y2wQyXDh5qFLd49CszLLyzo0L3FbgPZhylC7SNtWhXMjkwLwnN6D78vRxNxomyggXRPOgAb6cswM7WmUMjpUg6bad4YykXao~h4kBprF83-I8oGKzk4tBoGyol4Mv47Xj9HjJbYUvzsUCdc6cbXy0dO7JXbzovhL4aNnIWBQheipIEGAc9Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Pocomoke City Mayor and Council voted on Feb. 18 to sign an agreement that terminates state CDBG grant requirements on a city‑owned restaurant property commonly referred to in the meeting as the Dockside property.

Worcester County Chief Administrative Officer Westy Young told the council the property acquisition dated to February 2008 and said the grant carried conditions the current and prior restaurant tenants could not meet. “The ultimate ask to the state was . . . how do we end the grant that we're never going to be able to achieve,” Young said, explaining that, if signed by the mayor, the council and the county commission president, the agreement would remove the annual grant paperwork requirement going forward and leave a five‑year lien period; once that five years expires “there are no state strings,” he said.

Young said the county is acting as a pass‑through on the original grant and that the county’s goal was to give the city “freedom to do whatever you want with it without any strings attached.” Council discussion included support for ending the long‑running reporting burden. A motion to approve the city’s signing of the termination agreement was made and seconded; the council voted in favor. Mayor Todd J. Knott told Young he would deliver the signed document in a couple of days.

During audience comments, Jamie Evans of Dockside Restaurant, 2 Riverside Drive, said customers had been calling the restaurant after seeing the agenda language and asked the council to issue a written statement clarifying that the termination action was about the grant encumbrance on the city property and did not mean the tenant was being evicted. “Dockside didn't have anything to do with that grant,” Evans said, requesting a press release or other written notice to avoid public confusion.

The county advised the council that selling the property before the five‑year window would require the state to claim a portion of sale proceeds; after the five‑year period, the county said, the city would be free of state claims. The county and city did not direct the tenants to vacate; Young said the county and city had discussed the change with current tenants and that the intent was not to remove them.

No additional conditions or implementation deadlines beyond the described five‑year lien and the immediate removal of reporting were recorded in the meeting transcript.","The mayor and council authorized city and county signatures to terminate a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) lien that has encumbered the city-owned restaurant property since 2008, freeing the city from ongoing grant reporting requirements for five years and removing state grant strings after that period.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Nature Conservancy offers NOAA‑funded technical assistance to Pocomoke City for flood resilience

Pocomoke City council approves minutes, bill payments and festival liquor permits; discusses horse‑farm repairs

Pocomoke City council approves termination of long-standing CDBG encumbrance on city-owned restaurant property