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Hello all,
Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman's proposed FY22 budget effectively defunds new public water access. See the editorial from The Capital: https://digitaledition.capitalgazett...8-dbe8f2e3a2b1
County Executive Steuart Pittman stuffed renovations of two existing wharves into the new water access facility account and says he's increasing water access funding by 700k. Bad math. There's a small amount of planning money for Valentine Creek on the Severn. That's it for new public water access.
We decided not to give up. The County Council must submit amendments by tomorrow, Tuesday June 8 2021 for the FY22 budget.
Directions in the follow up on how to do that ASAP, like tonight / Monday 6/7/21 and tomorrow / Tuesday 6/8/21.
The analysis I sent the councilmembers is below. Thanks to Councilman Andrew Pruski for helping me locate planning money for Valentine Creek, the one scrap of new public water access funding in the proposed FY22 budget.
More on the follow up
Lisa
====================
Analysis
P567400 Water Access Facilities - see pages 86a and 86b of the CE's proposed FY22 budget
This account is for new medium size public water access facilities. Prior to FY22, it had an annual amount of $268k in it since ~2014. It has worked well to leverage the county's immense existing investment in unused waterfront land into outstanding public parks. Homeport Farm Park and Downs Park onto the Bodkin , as well as clearing the water access lane at Beachwood Park, came from this account.
In FY22 P567400 is being used for the renovation of existing water access facilities: Greenhaven Wharf and Galesville Wharf. These are expensive projects, which normally are done in stand alone accounts. The recent $1.4 million renovation of Carrs Wharf was done in stand alone account P573300.
The administration set up a "we increased public water access funding by 704k!" position. They increased the money in the new water access facilities account and then used the account to pay for the long-scheduled renovation of existing county wharves. The net result is no funding for new public water access.
P567500 Boat Ramp Development - see pages 110a and 110b of the CE's proposed FY22 budget.
New boat ramps are zero funded. During Rec & Parks Director Jessica Leys' budget presentation to the council, she said that the county would be pursuing public private partnerships with private and community marinas for shared public use of private marinas though a funding agreement. That suggestion has been bandied about sine 2013. The county commissioned a professional study from a consultant to survey all private and community marinas in the county for interest in participating. The study ended in 2020 and I believe came up empty handed. Unless something has changed in the last year or two, that strategy is not likely to be successful.
Valentine Creek: In her presentation, Director Leys said that Rec & Parks would start working on Valentine Creek in FY22. I can not find a capital project that specifically includes Valentine Creek.
Beverly Triton Park: The public swimming beach at Beverly Triton Park was supposed to begin construction in Fall 2020 and open in Summer 2021. It's a year behind schedule. The bidding ended June 1, 2021. The CE was asked about the delay at five of his seven budget town halls. He responded briefly at two by alluding to an error of the prior administration.
Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman's proposed FY22 budget effectively defunds new public water access. See the editorial from The Capital: https://digitaledition.capitalgazett...8-dbe8f2e3a2b1
County Executive Steuart Pittman stuffed renovations of two existing wharves into the new water access facility account and says he's increasing water access funding by 700k. Bad math. There's a small amount of planning money for Valentine Creek on the Severn. That's it for new public water access.
We decided not to give up. The County Council must submit amendments by tomorrow, Tuesday June 8 2021 for the FY22 budget.
Directions in the follow up on how to do that ASAP, like tonight / Monday 6/7/21 and tomorrow / Tuesday 6/8/21.
The analysis I sent the councilmembers is below. Thanks to Councilman Andrew Pruski for helping me locate planning money for Valentine Creek, the one scrap of new public water access funding in the proposed FY22 budget.
More on the follow up
Lisa
====================
Analysis
P567400 Water Access Facilities - see pages 86a and 86b of the CE's proposed FY22 budget
This account is for new medium size public water access facilities. Prior to FY22, it had an annual amount of $268k in it since ~2014. It has worked well to leverage the county's immense existing investment in unused waterfront land into outstanding public parks. Homeport Farm Park and Downs Park onto the Bodkin , as well as clearing the water access lane at Beachwood Park, came from this account.
In FY22 P567400 is being used for the renovation of existing water access facilities: Greenhaven Wharf and Galesville Wharf. These are expensive projects, which normally are done in stand alone accounts. The recent $1.4 million renovation of Carrs Wharf was done in stand alone account P573300.
The administration set up a "we increased public water access funding by 704k!" position. They increased the money in the new water access facilities account and then used the account to pay for the long-scheduled renovation of existing county wharves. The net result is no funding for new public water access.
P567500 Boat Ramp Development - see pages 110a and 110b of the CE's proposed FY22 budget.
New boat ramps are zero funded. During Rec & Parks Director Jessica Leys' budget presentation to the council, she said that the county would be pursuing public private partnerships with private and community marinas for shared public use of private marinas though a funding agreement. That suggestion has been bandied about sine 2013. The county commissioned a professional study from a consultant to survey all private and community marinas in the county for interest in participating. The study ended in 2020 and I believe came up empty handed. Unless something has changed in the last year or two, that strategy is not likely to be successful.
Valentine Creek: In her presentation, Director Leys said that Rec & Parks would start working on Valentine Creek in FY22. I can not find a capital project that specifically includes Valentine Creek.
Beverly Triton Park: The public swimming beach at Beverly Triton Park was supposed to begin construction in Fall 2020 and open in Summer 2021. It's a year behind schedule. The bidding ended June 1, 2021. The CE was asked about the delay at five of his seven budget town halls. He responded briefly at two by alluding to an error of the prior administration.
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