Talbot County Council approves letters of support, emergency-generator funds, pump procurement and sewer contract change orders

Talbot County Council on May 6 approved a set of administrative actions during the county manager report, including appointments, grant letters of support, purchases funded in part by state grants, and several procurement actions tied to wastewater projects.

Board appointment and letters of support: The council appointed Grace Lyons (community relations director at Canada Light Cove, as stated in the county manager report) as a voting member of the Commission on Aging. The council also approved requests to provide letters of support for grant applications from Habitat for Humanity Choptank for Maryland Affordable Housing Trust plumbing-and-poverty program funding and from the Martingham Property Owners Association for a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Chesapeake Small Watersheds grant for flood mitigation and stormwater management. County staff said no county funds were required for either letter-of-support request; the motions to approve were passed unanimously.

Emergency generators: The Department of Emergency Services asked the council to approve using existing, budgeted local funds to supplement a Maryland 9-1-1 Board grant to procure two emergency generators and transfer switches for the Talbot County Public Safety Complex. County staff said the 9‑1‑1 Board will fund $490,743.20 of a total project cost of $613,429. The council approved the purchase request so the county can piggyback on a sourcewell contract to procure the equipment.

Septic pumps procurement: Department of Public Works requested authorization to procure up to 260 Orenco septic tank effluent pumps under Bid 23-12 at a total authorized amount of $1,804,400; county staff said the immediate plan is to acquire 20 units now and then buy additional units as installations occur. County Engineer Ray Clark noted the pumps use Franklin Motors (a manufacturer common in well pumps) and said tank manufacture is on the West Coast; staff said the procurement has been pre-approved by Maryland Department of the Environment and will be purchased as inventory is needed. The council approved the request.

Sewer contract change orders: The council approved change orders 1 through 7 for Bid 23-11 (extension of sewer from the region to the St. Michaels wastewater treatment plant and associated Mount Pleasant force main and service extensions) and awarded the additional work to Spring Associates in the amount of $114,845 to be paid with State Revolving Loan funds. Ray Clark told the council the aggregated change orders increase the contract to approximately $1,755,595 and are covered by existing contingency funds presented to the Maryland Department of the Environment.

Votes on all items during the county manager report were recorded as Aye by the council members present. Staff said they will notify the council when further procurements occur and will manage installation timing to match available installation capacity and funding.