Published: October 01, 2008 02:07 pm         

Garrett Meals on Wheels gets funding reprieve

OAKLAND — The Meals on Wheels program in Garrett County should be able to once again offer deliveries for five days a week through funds from the health department’s carry-over.

“I would like to do it, but not guarantee it for the following year,” Fred Holliday, county commissioner, said.

Monty Pagenhardt, county administrator, told the commissioners at their meeting Tuesday that Health Department Director Rodney Glotfelty requested that some of the money from the $180,000 carry-over go toward the Meals on Wheels program to help it regain the day that was lost this year.

In August, Adina Brode, Area Agency on Aging director, explained to the commissioners that there was going to be a shortfall of $36,000 for the program, the approximate cost of delivering meals to seniors for one day, which would force the program to cut back from five days a week to four.

Pagenhardt said that the cost for that day’s service is now more than $39,000.

The commissioners agreed that they want to use the carry-over from the health department to cover this, but that they can’t commit to do the same next year.

Also brought to the commissioners’ attention was the option of gaining additional revenue for the county by bringing in out-of-county waste to the landfill. Pagenhardt said that General Services Director Gary Mullich requested this be presented as Allegany County has been looking into this same option.

“I don’t think we’re interested,” Denny Glotfelty, commission chairman said. “I think it would be received as well as the Oakland bypass, wind turbines and countywide zoning combined.”

Holliday said that the county has regularly turned down these kinds of offers for the sake of keeping the landfill viable for a longer period of time, and felt they should simply table the idea.

The commissioners also approved three bid awards.

A contractor for McHenry water system improvements at Deep Creek Drive and Gravely Run Road was awarded to Frank Arnold Contractors Inc. of Oakland for $169,988.

Glotfelty Tires of Oakland was awarded the bid for tires at $299,867.26.

Various vendors for winter abrasives were awarded bids based upon cost of the material and proximity to different county garages. The bids for type one abrasives went to George’s Creek Stone & Gravel Inc. at $7.50 a ton; Keystone Lime Co. Inc. of Cranesville for $11.50 a ton; Keystone Lime Company Inc. of McHenry at $9.90 a ton; Keystone Lime Company Inc. of Eichorn at $11.50 a ton; Maryland Minerals; Inc. at $11.50 a ton; and Fairfax Concrete Products for $13.50 a ton. The bid for type 2 abrasives went to Belmont Aggregates Inc. at $6.25 a ton.

Contact Sarah Moses at smoses@times-news.com.