CUMBERLAND — Allegany County commissioners came under fire from area residents who said their vote to support legislation should have included public input, and could be costly for the community.
Despite heated public comments at Thursday’s county commissioner meeting, board members Dave Caporale, Creade Brodie and William Atkinson without discussion voted to back four Maryland House bills — 988, 1164, 1187 and 1190 — that cover topics including water and sewer rate consolidation, eminent domain and off-grid electricity providers.
The bills include complex and vague language. For example, HB 1190 uses “certain” six times in its synopsis paragraph.
Although the commissioners received a brief overview of the bills from their attorney, T. Lee Beeman, at a public work session and public meetings, the community didn’t have a chance to review the proposed legislation or provide input prior to the board’s vote, LaVale resident Ellen McDaniel Weissler said.
“There needs to be public, open and transparent discussion of issues like this that are going to affect everyone in the county, the county’s environment, the county’s business centers (and) everything that goes along,” she said of issues that include “something as monumental as a data center.”
A process is needed for Allegany County residents to make their wishes known “because the county commissioners work for them,” Weissler said and asked the board to postpone its vote “until there can be public comment.”
In response, Caporale downplayed the commissioners’ rapid decision on the proposed legislation.
“It’s not our bill, ma’am,” he said. “We’re just supporting it.”
Electricity
Allegany County resident Eric Carey said he’s worked in the IT industry for roughly 20 years and spoke of the bill that pertains to off-grid electricity providers.
“I appreciate the desire to bring tech to Western Maryland,” he said.
However, the bill essentially exempts the companies from regulation “that a normal electricity provider would have to follow,” Carey said and added the proposal appears to be a precursor to allow for large-scale data centers in the area.
“There are environmental concerns … low-level noise below the level of human hearing,” he said. “Think about the potential impacts of this particular bill.”
Frostburg resident Kit Pepper Lescallette said the commissioners didn’t have enough information or collect any public input on the off-grid electricity provider proposed legislation.
“You don’t even know who is going to use this grid here in Allegany County,” she said. “Is this something that can just be slammed onto the agenda and all of a sudden our county is in support of it? I think that’s wrong.”
Water
Maryland Water Service customers in Bel Air, Pinto, Glen Oaks and Highland Estates say their monthly water and sanitation bills are unusually high with some that have reached $400 to $900.
For nearly a year, the group has asked public officials, including Allegany County commissioners, for help.
At Thursday’s meeting, county administrator Jason Bennett said he received from American Water Company, which plans by August to close on the purchase of Maryland Water Company, an email that indicates the rate smoothing legislation would reduce customers’ fees by up to 45%.
Bennett said he and Caporale met with American Water officials, who said they’d sell the county the local water system for roughly $20 million.
It’s not feasible for the county to pay the suggested price or use eminent domain to take the system, Bennett said.
“We’re running out of things we can do to help you guys,” he told Larry Smith, who has led a fight for lower water rates for the Maryland Water customers.
Smith said “anybody who believes” the $20 million is foolish.
“It’s a golden egg for them,” he said of the water company’s ownership of the system. “They don’t want you to have it.”
Smith said he opposes the bill that pertains to rate consolidation.
“Smoothing of rates leads to detrimental outcomes for families, for costs short and long term,” he said. “You (commissioners) have just submitted the perspective to the state legislature that the entirety of Allegany County by virtue of you as our elected representatives, support that.”
Smith said the commissioners’ vote will only benefit profits for an outside private water company.
“That is just what you did, gentlemen,” he said. “That is not only disappointing, it is very frustrating … given the plethora of opposition that we’ve had from everybody in our communities about smoothing rates.”
Bills
Summaries for the following bills, which Allegany County commissioners Thursday unanimously voted to support, are from the Maryland General Assembly website.
HB 988, sponsored by Del. Wayne Hartman of Wicomico and Worcester counties, seeks to repeal certain provisions of law establishing and governing building energy performance standards. The bill was set for a hearing at 1:30 p.m. Friday.
HB 1164, sponsored by Del. Linda Foley of Montgomery County, requires the Public Service Commission to authorize certain rate consolidations that involve two or more water systems or sewage disposal systems. It requires the PSC to allow water companies, sewage disposal companies, and water and sewage disposal companies to aggregate certain revenues and costs for certain purposes. It authorizing the commission to order gradual adjustments to certain rates charged to a system over a certain time period.
HB 1187, sponsored by Del. Jim Hinebaugh of Allegany and Garrett counties, prohibits the PSC from approving a rate increase for a water company or a sewage disposal company if a county or municipality has commenced or indicated an intent to commence a certain eminent domain proceeding. It requires a fact finder to consider certain factors in an eminent domain proceeding involving a water company or a sewage disposal company.
HB 1190, introduced by Hinebaugh and cross-filed by Sen. Mike McKay, exempts certain off-grid electricity providers from certain provisions of law. It provides that a certain off-grid electricity provider is subject to certain laws concerning certificates of public convenience and necessity and certain other required approvals for the construction of a generating facility. It provides that a person may not be considered to be an off-grid electricity provider under certain circumstances. It applies the Act to off-grid electricity providers that begin operations after Oct. 1, 2026.
Hearings for HB 1164, 1187 and 1190 are set for 1 p.m. Tuesday in Annapolis.