Compensation Review Board to Meet
The Compensation Review Board will meet Monday, July 29, at 6 p.m. in the Courthouse Square Conference Room, lower level, 205 Main Street in Prince Frederick.
The board meets to perform those duties set forth at Section 9-405 of the Public Local Laws of Calvert County, including the review of and making recommendations regarding the salaries of Calvert County officials, including members of the Calvert County Board of County Commissioners, whose salaries are set through law by the Maryland General Assembly.
For more information on the meeting or the Compensation Review Board, contact Lisa Viverette, Executive Administrative Assistant to the County Administrator, at 410-535-1600, ext. 2201, or email viverelm@co.cal.md.us.
Calvert County Solid Waste Fees Increased on July 1
As part of the Fiscal Year 2014 budget, the Calvert County Board of County Commissioners has approved incremental increases in solid waste fees for all solid waste from commercial customers, Calvert County residents and out-of-county customers.
New tip fees apply to chargeable loads of solid waste brought to the Appeal Landfill. The following tip fees (the cost per ton of solid waste disposed of at the transfer station or in the landfill) will become effective July 1, 2013:
-- All out-of-county and commercial customers: $76.37 per ton (up from $74.70)
-- Calvert County residents with chargeable loads: $68.74 per ton (up from $67.23)
County residents are charged for disposal of the following items at the Appeal Landfill:
-- Construction and demolition debris: doors, windows, cabinets, sinks, tubs, toilets, carpet, drywall, wood, fencing, sheds, siding, shutters, shingles, etc.
-- Yard debris: leaves, branches, trees, etc.
-- Mixed loads: construction and demolition debris and/or yard debris mixed with household trash
Calvert County residents are not charged for bagged household waste, metal or other items separated for recycling.
The tip fee increase is tied to changes in the Consumer Price Index under an agreement between the county and Waste Management, Inc. The agreement includes the provision for annual disposal fee adjustments, with a maximum annual adjustment of 3 percent.
The solid waste fee, charged per household or business and billed annually on property tax bills, will increase from $115 to $117. The fee funds county solid waste handling and disposal operations, including the county’s seven solid waste convenience centers and the Appeal Landfill.
For more information, contact the Calvert County Department of Public Works Solid Waste Division at 410-326-0210, email Solid Waste Division Chief Michael Thomas at thomasma@co.cal.md.us, or visit online at www.co.cal.md.us.
Support Calvert County’s Economy During Buy Local Agriculture Week July 20-28
In conjunction with the state of Maryland, Calvert County will celebrate the bounty of local agricultural products July 20-28 by highlighting the benefits of buying local products from area farms, farmers markets and farm stands.
The Calvert County Board of County Commissioners will officially proclaim July 20-28 “Buy Local Agriculture Week” during the commissioners’ meeting on Tuesday, July 23. The proclamation will be accepted by Susan Cox, chairwoman of the Calvert County Agriculture Commission.
As part of the week’s celebrations, Calvert County residents can shop at a temporary green produce stand on the lawn of the Circuit Court on Main Street in Prince Frederick, 3 to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Residents are also reminded to visit the county’s farmers markets during this week and throughout the summer:
-- Tuesdays, 3 to 7 p.m., Calvert Memorial Hospital parking lot in Prince Frederick;
-- Thursdays, 4 to 8 p.m., on the Solomons Riverwalk;
-- Fridays, 6 to 9 p.m., at 5th and 7th streets and Bay Avenue, North Beach; and
-- Saturdays, 7:30 a.m. to noon, at the Calvert County Fairgrounds, Prince Frederick.
It is estimated the average fruit or vegetable travels 1,500 miles to get to a consumer’s plate. And, in order to make that long journey and arrive at the supermarket in the perfect condition demanded by shoppers, some produce is picked before it is ripe and then chemically induced to ripen in time for sale.
Local produce is fresh – usually picked within a few days if not a few hours of being sold – it is more nutritious and simply tastes better.
The Calvert County Agriculture Commission offers a wealth of information about the county’s farms, including when and where to buy local produce and meats and the location of local farm stands. For more information, visit http://www.calvertag.com.
For more information on Maryland’s Buy Local Challenge, visit http://www.buy-local-challenge.com.
Calvert County Government Implements New Citizen Notification System
Calvert County Government implemented a new notification system July 4 that can notify citizens and businesses about various emergency and non-emergency situations.
The new Calvert County ALERT system replaces the county’s previous notification system, CodeRED, and allows county agencies to better communicate with thousands of residents and businesses within minutes in the event of an emergency.
With the Calvert County ALERT system, Calvert County Government will be able to alert residents about severe weather, fires, floods and other emergencies. Messages can be sent to individuals using a variety of contact methods – cell phone, landline, email, text messaging, fax, pager and more – ensuring that residents and county staff can receive life-saving emergency information and important public service announcements in minutes. More than one of each device can be registered.
The system allows the county to target specific geographic areas for alerts or send alerts countywide. It can also gather information on citizens with special needs who may need additional help in an emergency and receive feedback on important questions.
Citizens listed in the county’s 911 database will be automatically subscribed to alerts by landline. Individuals are encouraged to self-register to provide additional contact information or opt out. Residents who had previously registered for the CodeRED system will need to create a new profile in the new Calvert County ALERT system in order to continue receiving messages via methods other than a published telephone number.
When creating a profile, users entering multiple contact options can specify the order in which they want to be notified – for example, cell phone number first, then a home phone then an email address. Each person can add multiple locations to receive alert information for home, work, a child’s daycare, or other specific county addresses in which they are interested. The system also allows users to choose different types of messages they wish to receive. Users can change their profiles or opt out of the system at any time.
When a notification is issued, those signed up will receive the message in the order of the methods they have chosen. The system will try to reach users through each contact method until they confirm receipt of the message. Notifications will stop once confirmation is received.
Residents are urged to visit the county website at http://www.co.cal.md.us and click on the Emergency Alerts link to register for the notification service. Those without Internet access can call 410-535-1600, ext. 2638, to sign up.
To learn more about emergency preparedness, visit the Calvert County Department of Public Safety, Division of Emergency Management, online at http://www.co.cal.md.us