For Frederick’s Parks, Stable Growth Requires Cooperation

by CMA 303 Comment Closed
By Cameron Rogers Recreational areas like Baker Park delight tourists and residents of Frederick alike, but their operation and maintenance is not without issues. Over the period of time between 2013 and 2015, the city’s anticipated revenue for recreational centers gradually declined from $733,098 to $636,020. However, the expenses accumulated by the department increased at the same time, going from $1.2 million to $1.3 million. Bob Smith, the president of Frederick city’s Parks and Recreation, said that the budget for his department is organized based on considerations like park usage, age of equipment in recreational areas, and the condition of parks. On the declining revenue, he said, “We are careful to keep expenses within the parameters of the approved budget.” According to Alderwoman Donna Kuzemchak, an overall reduction in the budgets of various departments is part of an overall by the city government of Frederick. “We are trying to lower the costs in all the budgets,” she said. She said that the alternative to lowering budgets would...
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Frederick County residents aggrieved by zoning amendments now forced to go to court.

by CMA 303 Comment Closed
Frederick County residents aggrieved by zoning amendments now forced to go to court.  By Jared Bileski If you’ve been negatively affected by a zoning decision in Frederick county, forget the appeal and head straight to court. The House and Senate of the Maryland State Legislature recently passed a bill that will now prohibit Frederick County residents aggrieved by zoning amendments a direct appeal to the Zoning Board of Appeals. Instead, those affected need to request a judicial review of the zoning decision in the Frederick County Circuit Court. Instead of paying a flat fee for a zoning appeal, residents will now be subject to the fees of the legal system. The current cost of an appeal to the Zoning Board of Appeals in Frederick County is $330. With the new law, aggrieved residents will pay the $165 District Court fee, in addition to any other legal costs incurred during the process. Assistant County Attorney Kathy Mitchel said that the bill “might be cleaning up some...
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Sen. Ronald Young Pushes New Lyme disease Bill After Reports of Multiple False Negative Test Results

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By Logan Samuels The Senate Finance Committee voted in favor of a bill requiring healthcare providers to notify patients of the possibility that their negative Lyme disease report could be false. On March 17, a bill supported by Senator Ronald Young concerning laboratory tests for Lyme disease came to the floor of the Senate Finance Committee. In light of reports of various false negative Lyme disease test results in the past, this bill asked healthcare providers to notify all of their patients of the chance that their test results might not be accurate. When a medical provider decides there is a need for Lyme disease testing, a patient undergoes an initial blood test. If the results of this test are positive, the patient undergoes a second blood test. What this bill brings to focus is the fact that while many patients test negative for the first test, many of those negative results are false. Due to this common occurrence, many patients are already carrying...
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Bill passed to eliminate radiation fees for pro bono dental clinics

Bill passed to eliminate radiation fees for pro bono dental clinics

by CMA 303 Comment Closed
A senate bill was passed to eliminate radiation fees for pro bono dental clinics in order to reduce their operation costs. The bill was passed on the third reading on March 21 in the Senate committee for Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs. On the 22 it was moved to the House where another hearing was held and was passed on April 4, by the Environment and Transportation Committee. Sen. Adelaide Eckardt is the sponsor of the bill which was supported by dentists and lobbyists alike. The bill was proposed to be in favor of the Mission of Mercy and benefit them and their cause. The Mission of Mercy events are set up by Dr. Rowland Holsinger and other dentists, happen once a year in Maryland at the Wicomico Youth and Civic Center. A pro bono dental clinic is established and the radiation fees range from $320 to $720. The fees are currently paid by the Mission of Mercy. They are the cost that dental...
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Decriminalization for Veterans

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Democrats and Republicans alike discuss HB 1452 by Brendan O'Shaughnessy Marijuana, whether medical or recreational, has long been a controversial topic of discussion. In Maryland, there has been no shortage of laws regarding possession of marijuana. In 2011, the state decided that a person caught with under an ounce of marijuana could present a doctor’s note or have their doctor testify for them in court regarding their medical need. And, recently, it was decided that possession or use of up to 10 grams of marijuana would not be considered a criminal offense and would not result in jail time or a criminal record. The decriminalization of marijuana has moved another step forward in Maryland recently, with the discussion and sustainment of House Bill 1452, which moves to extend the state’s marijuana possession defenses to veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. The bill, backed by Delegate David Vogt, had its most recent hearing on March 11th. The bill can be considered a continuation of what has been happening with other states; gradual decriminalization...
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House Bill 461 Killed by Judicial Committee

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A bill that would have increased fines and penalties for gang members in the state of Maryland was killed in the House Judiciary Committee last week. In 1970, the Racketeer Influence and Corruption of Organizations Act was put in place to combat mafia groups. The law was later expanded to disrupt everything from corrupt police departments to motorcycle gangs. 33 states including Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands have implemented similar state laws. However, Maryland is not one of those states. Current laws only allow individual members to be investigated opposed to the larger upscale organizations. The bill would have allowed law enforcement to focus on the distributors rather than low to mid-level dealers and users. Under current laws, there are numerous violations that warrant fines and possible imprisonment if one is found to be involved with criminal gangs. For example, a person may not threaten another individual with physical violence to leave or join a criminal gang. An individual who...
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State could pay part of Frederick school construction cost

State could pay part of Frederick school construction cost

by CMA 303 Comment Closed
By: John Curran State legislators from Frederick County have proposed a bill that would require the state to pay for the difference in school construction costs from time of initial bid to project completion. Frederick County state delegates and State Sen. Michael Hough sponsored identical bills in both chambers of the state legislature that would alleviate the financial burden on counties resulting from unforeseen increases in school construction costs due to legislative changes. Construction costs can increase as a result of a delay between the time of a bid and the time of the actual contract. In addition, new requirements placed on school districts by state legislation can cause the cost of construction to rise. “Counties should not be held responsible for providing additional funding resulting from state legislation,” said Hough, who serves Frederick and Carroll counties. This piece of legislation was spurred by the construction of Frederick High School. The cost of construction increased from $97 million in fiscal year 2016 to $114 million...
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Health and Government officials ruled unfavorable for House Bill 1376

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Health and Government officials ruled unfavorable for health insurers to cover medically necessary air ambulance transportation services. Air ambulance transportation essentially allows aircraft including a helicopter to transport persons to a healthcare facility to receive health care services. House Bill 1376 stated that any insurer or carrier who provided hospital, medical, or surgical benefits, would be covered for medical air ambulance transportation services. However, any carrier must insure that their provider includes a number of additional providers that support the use of air ambulance transport services. Air ambulance companies are licensed to operate by the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Service Systems, allowing them to bill a patient or the patient's insurance company provided that such patient received scene transportation. These licenses are valid for one year and can not seek reimbursement from the state. HB 1376 was also effective for local governments that purchased fully insured health plans. This had an affect on small businesses because air transportation services were only eligible for...
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State Politicians Plan to Repeal Prohibition – Again

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By Cameron Rogers Eighty-three years after Prohibition was repealed in the United States, Maryland lawmakers have come together to end its lingering impact on election districts. Under current laws of the state, the sale of alcohol on Election Day is prohibited in certain election districts, such as Ballenger and Catoctin in Frederick County. In addition, licenses to sell alcohol in these districts are unavailable to restaurants and other businesses throughout the year. With some exceptions, bills in the Maryland Senate and House of Delegates will repeal these restrictions. The bills have seen bipartisan support and support from organizations like the Frederick County Liquor Board. If passed in both houses and signed by Gov. Larry Hogan, the bills will take effect on July 1 this year. The Liquor Board will not be able to issue licenses before it passes. “It’ll breeze through,” Sen. Ronald Young, one of the co-sponsors of the bill in the Senate, said. “It already breezed through the Senate. All the governor has to...
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