This February 22 County Council meeting gets confusing. A brief review of procedure, as explained so far, could be worthwhile; but feel free to skip down a few paragraphs to the meeting.
It’s helpful to understand that Maryland Code requires counties to provide oversight for all development. Counties also have authority over towns and villages, but the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) has final authority concerning environmental matters. Comprehensive Water and Sewer Plans are considered, but MDE has the final say.
Our Plan states that Trappe’s wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) is “in need of upgrades to continue to serve the community.” Resolution 281, passed in 2020, “anticipates agreement” by MDE with the Town of Trappe concerning “the design of Trappe’s upgrade to ENR (Enhanced Nutrient Removal).”
But the County clearly still has a role to play. A letter from MDE dated February 3 ”respectfully requested that the County Council and the Planning Commission provide a definitive position regarding the proposed project, i.e. Lakeside.”
Trappe’s underperforming WWTP is scheduled to be upgraded within 3 years, and Lakeside’s spray wastewater irrigation system could be completed within 18 months, once a permit is issued. Both WWTPs would remain in service to Lakeside, and that timeline remains a concern. Why connect more homes to a plant that is still underperforming, if that might be avoided?
Resolution 308 and Resolution 313 are up for votes this evening. The approval of Resolution 308 would rescind Resolution 281 in order to provide the County with the opportunity to amend our Comprehensive Water and Sewer Plan and provide more oversight to Lakeside’s WWTP plans. The approval of an amendment to Resolution 313 would amend our Plan to require Trappe’s WWTP to be upgraded to ENR standards before additional connections are made.
The Planning Commission must agree in order to pass amendments; and it likely would agree with these, having reversed its approval of Resolution 281 last November. At the February 15 Work Session Chairman Chip Counsell suggested, “the Planning Commission will act upon whatever you guys send us.”
First up: Resolution 308 to rescind Resolution 281 and amend the Comprehensive Water and Sewer Plan, essentially providing the Council an opportunity to fulfill its obligation for oversight of Lakeside’s wastewater treatment plans. Vice President Pete Lesher reported that the Planning Commission’s report had not yet been completed. Action was deferred until March 14.
Next up: Resolution 313 to amend the Comprehensive Water and Sewer Plan to require Trappe’s WWTP to be ENR before connections are made. Councilwoman Laura Price suggested that she wanted to hear from the Planning Commission on this measure, too; and this might also be taken up at their March 14 meeting.
Things got confusing at this point. Concerns included whether or not the amendment had been submitted correctly and whether or not it required advertising. There was also a question regarding whether another public hearing should be scheduled.
Talbot County Attorney Patrick Thomas reminded the Council that a motion to amend requires a second in order to be sent to the Planning Commission for consideration, but the introduction of an amendment may be submitted by one member and sent directly to the Planning Commission for review.
After further debate and no new amendments, a suggestion was made to either withdraw the amendment to Resolution 313 or table it. Councilwoman Price reminded us that this amendment simply requires ENR standards before connections are made to Trappe’s WWTP, and that this could be accomplished in a variety of ways. She could also see “how this vote will go.” The amendment to Resolution 313 was tabled before it could be withdrawn.
Last on the agenda was a phone call from Attorney Tom Allspach of the Talbot Preservation Alliance. He reminded Council members of the failure of Wye Mills’ spray irrigation plant and that precautions might be taken in Lakeside.
His concern was “that the developer of Trappe East (Lakeside) WWTP will be relieved of all responsibility once it’s completed, according to the agreement between the developer and the town of Trappe. And inevitably there will be problems. Up to 50% of these systems have problems. We need some means of insuring the responsibility of the developer so that these expenses do not become the responsibility of Talbot County taxpayers.”
Councilman Frank Divilio suggested “Trappe is capable,” and, “This is fear-mongering.”
Council President Callahan added that he is “very proud of them (Trappe) for moving forward.”
Resolution seems a ways off.
Carol Voyles is a graphic designer/illustrator who retired to the Eastern Shore and became interested in politics. She serves as communications chair for the Talbot County Democratic Forum and lives in Easton.