Dorchester Banner/Paul Clipper
County Council presented a memorial plaque to honor the memory of Jane Baynard, beloved former County Manager who passed away from a prolonged illness in 2015. “She can’t be replaced, and she will always be missed,” said Council President Travers.[/caption] CAMBRIDGE — At the April 19 Dorchester County Council meeting, Council began by delivering a full slate of commendations to county residents and employees. Keith Molock was commended for his retirement from DPW after 31 years, the North Dorchester High School senior play participants were lauded for their fine job with The Little Mermaid, and Dorchester’s Teacher of the Year Jennifer Wingate and First Class Teacher of the Year Amy Stoops were congratulated. Next was the long-awaited and much appreciated memorial plaque unveiling for former County Manager Jane Baynard. Ms. Baynard joined the Dorchester County government in September 1996 and served as Assistant to the County Administrator until she accepted the position of “Acting County Administrator” in January 1999. She was formally appointed County Administrator in April 1999, and was reappointed County Manager under the newly-adopted County Charter in December 2002. In 2015 she passed away after a long and debilitating illness. During the unveiling, each of the County Councilmen spoke of their appreciation and love for Ms. Baynard, and that she was, and would be missed. Her portrait and commemorative plaque will be hung in the council meeting room, right above the chair she occupied at the biweekly meetings. A legislative session followed, with the introduction of the county budget for FY2016-2017. There was little discussion, and no public comment, and the introduction of the budget was passed and the meeting moved on. Managers Comments included first a billing agreement renewal for Medical Claim Aid submitted by Emergency Services was passed, and a FY17 Critical Area grant award acceptance was approved for Planning and Zoning. A series of requests were submitted by Public Works. First, a travel request by the airport to attend the MD Regional Airport Conference was approved. A request to advertise for bids for recycling containers, and a bid award for crushed stone were both approved. The Bestpitch Ferry Bridge replacement project drew a lot of discussion from Council and Public Works director Tom Moore. Replacement of the bridge was first entered into the county budget in 2008, at a cost of $3.6 million (now, in today’s dollars, estimated to be $4 million.) No work on the project has been performed since 2010, and Mr. Moore informed the Council that proceeding with replacement of the bridge would cost the county $800,000, while abandoning the project in favor of repairing the existing bridge would demand a repayment to the state of $400,000 for design work. Reasons for possibly abandoning the bridge replacement include the fact that a survey revealed that the bridge serves an average of only 90 cars a day, and the plain fact that environmental projections indicate that the surrounding land will be covered with water by the year 2050. Doing the math, and projecting the lifespan of a new $4 million bridge to be 20 years, if Bestpitch Ferry Bridge was a toll bridge, the cost for those 90 cars a day would be $6 a crossing. But of course, it’s not a toll bridge, and the Council agreed to take Mr. Moore’s presentation under consideration and a solution to this dilemma will be sought in future meetings. A Maryland Department of Environment Electronic Recycling Grant request was agreed to next, and a administrative services contract request for the Hambrooks Boulevard Living Shoreline Project was approved. A request to sole Source a bulldozer replacement for the landfill was next approved, as was a joint hearing inquiry-solar facility application for the Public Service Commission. A special request was granted for rental of a sheriff’s deputy for th March of Dimes was approved, so was a request to advertise for a correctional officer. Bids were approved for sale of county-owned properties as well, and the meeting concluded.