I watched the entire presentation to the Talbot County Council yesterday. I was struck by three things as I watched and listened to the questions or comments by Council members at the end of Mr. Watson’s two hours.
– Mr Divilio, in body language and specific comments, seemed to present an animosity or attitude almost adversarial in nature to what he was hearing from Mr. Watson. Mr. Divilio seems to have developed a notable skepticism as to the veracity of Mr. Watson’s information and was clearly implying a need for Mr. Watson to perform more “checking and verifying before making public” such information. This reaction is particularly astounding when you consider that for every ten minutes any of the council members has looked into this matter over the past year or so, Mr. Watson has spent ten hours. Checking and verifying. Digging. Filing Public Information requests. Putting together the many complicated pieces spanning fifteen years. I don’t know Mr. Watson from Adam, but I feel certain that very little of the material he presented, most of which is in the form of written documents or supported by written records, is subject to question. There has probably never been a topic put before the County Council which has received this level of citizen input and evaluation (the Council’s job), for which the Council should be uncompromisingly appreciative of those efforts.
– Ms. Price had a number of interesting comments/queries. But it’s clear that she still wants to rely on the lightly researched and quickly presented position of the Chestertown law firm’s input that “nothing can be done” about R281 now that it has already been passed. This position continues to be grasped like a life preserver by a drowning man, in spite of more in-depth legal analysis showing the shortcomings and fallacies of this conclusion.
– Mr. Pack also seems to put great stock in the idea that the horse is out of the barn and “nothing can be done”, and seemed more interested in the concept of amending the sewer plan or original Resolution rather than rescinding R281 in spite of the very tainted history of how the County ever got to the point of approving 281 and how MDE got where it is today.
If anything, the County should be embarrassed that it has gone as far down the road as it has without stopping the Rocks/Showalter team from continuing on with this project without it receiving the scrutiny and citizen input it deserves. And should be appalled at the degree of deception or (possibly giving the developers more credit than they deserve) the degree of confusing presentations of erroneous information that has come from the Rocks/Showalter/Rauch team. To reward their behavior by refusing to Rescind 281 is not what the citizens of this County elected you five representatives to do. Please stop looking for justifications to do nothing, and instead do something.
Bob Wenneson
Easton
Carolyn Jaffe says
Hear, Hear, Bob! Thank you for speaking up for my very own reactions to the presentation that Dan Watson (whom I don’t know, either!) made in great detail on Monday evening. It was a huge lesson in actual Civics for me to see that depth of research on the part of a citizen — it was heartening!
I can’t say the same for my reaction to the Council members who spoke … !
Margaret McConnel says
Mr Wenneson I am disheartened to read your first hand report on the recent Council meeting on the Lakeside development. However sadly you are only reflecting what my husband and I and many other Talbot County residents have understood since these issues were first raised. THE COUNTY COUNCIL (FOR THE MOST PART) IS DETERMINED TO ALLOW THIS CLEAR VIOLATION OF OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO PERSIST.
You, the County Council, should be ashamed!
Carol Voyles says
What also still seems missing to me is the County’s acknowledgement that, as required by Maryland law, the County is charged with oversight of virtually all county development and services, and it has jurisdiction over cities and towns.
The MDE issues and enforces permits; but also has the option of assigning oversight to counties.
A development of this size has been a steep learning curve for all of us. Let’s hope we “test” well.
Jay Corvan says
Agree. Watson’s presentation was complete and masterful. He was careful to give the council an out without disgrace , to
Blame the train wreck on confusing ( deceptive) information. But his intent was quite clear : This entire mess has been because lawyers who know law pretend they don’t.
Besides, as it turns out with a little legal research, This entire septic status decision was never up to council in the first place and if you go back to verify state law , it’s the planning and zoning commission that has final say, End of discussion full stop. The planning commission has reversed their approval of resolution 281. The council cannot override it. So council will have to eat some crow as well they should.
Mike McConnel says
Thank you, Bob for your thoughtful comment and attention.
I, together with John Briggs and JT Smith, decided to retain Gallagher Evelius & Jones (Baltimore, MD) to evaluate the advice the Acting County Attorney gave the Council when he said “the only way to theoretically undo Resolution 281 would now be to do another comprehensive water and sewer plan amendment.” Gallagher cited a Maryland Court of Appeals decision (the Supreme Court of the state) for its contrary conclusion that the “County Council is authorized to rescind Resolution 281 and would do so by enacting Resolution 308.” The 3 of us are Attorneys, although not licensed in Maryland, and would say that we know of no legal basis to doubt Gallagher’s conclusion. None.
The intransigence of the County Council and it’s evident resentment of Dan Watson’s contribution to our understanding of 281 and its flaws are perplexing to say the least. This is particularly so when considering that rescinding 281 (by enacting 308) would only give the County time to address the problems 281 presents! The rescission is explicitly “without prejudice” thereby permitting the developer to request the approvals needed for Lakeside at a later time after 281 is fixed.
In my active life I was elected a Commissioner of Lower Merion Township, PA for 2 four year terms. It gives me no pleasure to say to our community that, regrettably, I believe we are confronting MALFEASANCE IN OFFICE.
Bob Jones says
Amen, Mr. Dennison. Well said. I fear that integrity and governance responsibilities will take a back seat to the glitter of increased county tax revenues, an new crop of voters who will be told who made their new homes possible, and the bottomless pockets of re-election campaign contributions by beholden developers. Want to understand why this council, like it’s counterparts in most communities, eschews doing the right thing? Follow the money and the political self-interests. Prove me wrong. Please.
Jan Bohn says
Having moved here from Hudson County, New Jersey, this is all to too familiar. PLEASE, Talbot County residents, revolt!! Politics shouldn’t be what decides. Residents should be the ones who decide what their community needs and wants. Talbot County Residents You Can Make a Difference!!!!!!
Bishop Joel Marcus Johnson says
I have problems absorbing the very enormity of thousands of homes compacted into such a property and the detritus on every level. These are no mere Trappe problems – certainly environmental, social, educational, not to mention melding into highway traffic – and thus are county-wide problems of great enormity. Though one may smile at the all too modest carrots offered by the developing firms to the Town of Trappe, what is being offered to the county to make it worthwhile to all of our citizens for such a complication added to our daily lives? What is offered, I ask, in offering homes affordable to that 46% of teaching and support staff of the Talbot County Public Schools who cannot afford to live in Talbot County, or to a new library branch; or to such governmental goods and services which would be expected were such a new town be annexed in a mainly urban county? Finally, and most importantly, what are the projections of the tax study?
Carol Voyles says
Tax study? We know how those usually go. Large scale development pretty much always ends up raising local tax rates.