Published: March 12, 2009 11:19 pm      

Stimulus funding decisions pending

MDE announcement on federal money delayed

FROSTBURG — The Maryland Department of the Environment has delayed until next week its decisions about which water and sewer projects throughout the state will receive portions of the $121 million available from the federal stimulus package.

City and county officials across Maryland had been expecting the results to be announced on the state agency’s Web site — www.mde.state.md.us — Friday.

“Requests for funding far outpace the (money) that Maryland will receive,” said MDE Secretary Shari Wilson on Thursday. “(We) are thoroughly evaluating each of the 697 applications from around the state and we plan to submit a list of proposed awards for federal approval by next week.”

The agency received requests totaling $3.8 billion.

Frostburg City Administrator John Kirby and Police Sgt. Mike Sweitzer were among those who attended a stimulus funding workshop in Hagerstown on Monday, all hoping to obtain some of the money coming from what is called the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The money is funneled to the states from the federal government as part of President Barack Obama’s effort to battle the recession.

“It’s going to be tough,” Kirby said, referring to the competition.

Frostburg is hoping to get cash to construct the next two combined sewer overflow projects, one from Linden to College and the other from Mechanic to Paul.

“We also applied for funds to replace pieces of the raw water main on Big Savage Mountain that bring water from Piney Dam,” Kirby said.

Cumberland officials are seeking $250,000 to relocate sewer lines on Patterson Avenue, $10.2 million for upgrading the wastewater treatment plant and more than $13 million for nine water mains.

Allegany County hopes federal money can help with the $6 million job of placing a mile-long water transmission line from Slabtown to Mount Savage, which would provide safe drinking water for the latter community.

Projects that can be initiated quickly stand the best chance of being funded.

“We can design a transmission main in a relatively quick period of time,” Paul Kahl, deputy director of the county’s public works, told the Times-News recently.

In addition, the county has applied for funding to help repair unworkable release gates at the Savage River Dam.

Scott Shoemaker of the Upper Potomac River Commission expressed optimism Thursday that the project at the impoundment will be funded.

Funding decisions for other projects, such as street paving, education and law enforcement, will be announced at other times throughout the year.

Kirby said Sweitzer, who is often involved in writing grant applications for the police department, will seek funds to cover the cost of hiring officers.

“At this time, we are not sure if the money would be used to hire additional officers or to hire replacements for any who leave,” Kirby said.

Kirby said the federal money would fund an officer for three years and the city would have to agree to foot the bill for at least the fourth year.

Contact Michael A. Sawyers at msawyers@times-news.com.

Staff writer Kevin Spradlin contributed to this story.