POCOMOKE CITY -- The mayor and council gave tentative approval Monday to a $404,775 bid that will apply an innovate method of treating effluent at the new sewage plant. Instead of treating the sludge with chemicals, the new system, to be installed by the Bearing Construction Co., will use ultraviolet light to kill bacteria. This method will save the town money and is safer, officials said, since town employees will not have to handle some caustic chemicals.
The decision is contingent on the Maryland Department of the Environment approving the construction bid package and the town receiving a loan to cover the cost of the system. If received, 87.5 percent of the principal will be forgiven.
The town also officially transferred the deed to the Benelli property in the Pocomoke Industrial Park. Beretta, a sister company, came to the park in 1989 to manufacture barrels for shipment to the company's southern Maryland plant for final assembly. Ten years later, Benelli took over the building.
Under Benelli, shotguns manufactured in Italy are shipped to Pocomoke City for distribution throughout the country and service of the shotguns is handled in the local plant. Manager Dan Boyle said there are presently 30 people working at the plant. He called them the "best employees around."
Additionally, the council voted to opt out of a state mandate for installation of sprinkler systems in any new single-family homes. Instead, the plan is to offer a discount on property taxes -- 50 percent or up to $2,000 in the first year -- if the owner installs the system.
During his last meeting as mayor, Michael A. McDermott publicly thanked a number of people who had worked with him during his term in office. He was elected as a member of the House of Delegates last year.
Councilman Robert L. Hawkins, who presented McDermott with a certificate for his tenure as mayor, will preside at the meetings until a new mayor is elected in April.
The Ocean Pines wastewater treatment plant has been using ultraviolet light to treat its effluent for at least 15 years and it works just fine. The equipment is inexpensive to set up and uses a few hundred dollars worth of electricity each year with no chemicals needed.
ReplyDeleteToo bad our council doesn't listen to ideas. They decide what to do, when to do what and they don't talk to the public anymore.
ReplyDeleteMayor Mikey said he was going to hold public meetings in November to discuss some proposed changes. Never did that either.
That ain't all that happened at the meeting or rather right afterward. Blake had the former Mayor Lippoldt 'stick around' until after the meeting and then had Bruce Morrison ask Lippoldt for his 'endorsement'.
ReplyDeleteHow tacky. Bruce is directed by Blake!
Don't need him in office.
In fact, time for the ship to change & voted in a different crew!
ReplyDeleteno security acknowledgement needed?