Plans to purchase a floor of office space in Oakland Mills, recycling bins for all residents and 14 hybrid buses can move forward with the County Council?s approval Thursday of the $1.4 billion fiscal 2009 operating budget and $420.8 million capital budget.
In the final moments before the vote, County Executive Ken Ulman agreed to several stipulations to the purchase of space in Meridian Square, a proposed building in Oakland Mills, addressing some council members? concerns about perhaps the most contentious item in the budget.
“I see this as a potential positive for the community,” said Councilwoman Mary Kay Sigaty, D-District 4, the swing vote on the item who worked with Ulman on the written agreement.
Ulman agreed to ensure the county pays the lowest costamong the tenants for the Meridian Square space and receive fair market value.
He also agreed to purchase the property once at least half of the building space was rented or sold.
“There were things we were planning on working through in the negotiation of the project,” Ulman said.
These stipulations were not included in the budget legislation, which Councilman Greg Fox, R-District 5, and Council Chairwoman Courtney Watson, D-District 1, said they needed to support the project.
“I still feel it?s a misguided attempt at revitalization,” Watson said.
Fox rejected Ulman?s proposal, saying purchasing the office space would further decentralize county offices, which would be more costly than shifting offices around in already rented space.
Fox and Watson also were not swayed to support the purchase of recycling bins, but the initiative was approved.
“We needed to demonstrate a commitment to the things we say we value,” said Councilman Calvin Ball, D-District 2, a vocal supporter of the Meridian Square project.
Watson was unable to drum up enough support for cuts aimed at restoring funding for some so-called life safety school renovations such as fire alarms. She had pushed an $800,000 cut to the Robinson Nature Center and a $620,000 cut from the fund to purchase hybrid buses.
Ulman said he was “very pleased” his proposed budget passed intact.
Overshadowed by the Meridian Square debate was the funding for renovations to the aging county office buildings, a project Ulman said was “much needed.”
“Finally we are going to more forward and renovate this building,” he said.
