First Things First
Commentary by Joe Reynolds

A self-styled 800-pound gorilla, initials O.P.A., recently traveled to Snow Hill to engage in political combat with the Worcester County Commissioners. The gorilla left Snow Hill battered, bruised and bleeding after exhibiting less strength than Superman in a room full of Kryptonite.

It wasn't as though the gorilla was asking for the moon; all it sought from the Commissioners was fair treatment for the people of Ocean Pines as the Commissioners debated entering into a contract with the developer of Pennington Commons for sewer service from the Ocean Pines plant.

Anyone expecting a titanic battle was sorely disappointed. The gorilla appeared more like a small child asking a favor of a parent. Poor timing, to boot. The gorilla tried to stop a runaway freight train 50 feet from the bottom of a long downhill run, instead of at the top of the hill. Either that or there was indeed gorilla Kryptonite in the meeting room.

In the end the Commissioners rejected the notion of protecting people in Ocean Pines; in the end it was all about the lawyers and the money - our money, the developer's lawyers.

When the gavel fell, ending the hearing, four commissioners - Tom Cetola, Bud Church, Louise Gulyas, and James Purnell - had formed a voting majority and Pennington Commons was fast-tracked into the Ocean Pines sewer service area. The developer will pay an entry fee of about $1 million.

Unfortunately, the State of Maryland has not issued a permit to discharge additional treated sewage into the St. Martin River. No matter the developer already has a permit to build his own sewage treatment facility. Commissioner Virgil Shockley asked how much that facility would cost to build. The developer's lawyer danced around that one like a butterfly in a field of wild flowers in full summer bloom. No wonder. A straight answer might reveal the developer could pocket hundreds of thousands of dollars by coming into Ocean Pines instead.

The four commissioners appeared unconcerned about the lack of a state permit. Their reasoning? If the permit isn't granted the county will install a sewer line from the plant back to a spray irrigation area on Pennington Commons property. "How much would that cost," someone asked. "About $1 million," an engineering type answered.

Then Commissioner Sonny Bloxom asked the important question for people in Ocean Pines, "Who's going to pay for that line?" Heads turned this way and that, looking for a raised hand or listening for a voice somewhere in the room - perhaps even expecting someone to dash in from the lobby with an answer. Eventually the lawyer for the developer rose to speak. People in the now quiet room leaned forward attentively. "Not us," was the layman version of what they heard him proclaim.

Bloxom's question went unanswered. Of course everyone in the room knew if the developer didn't pay for the line there would be no other source of money except the taxpayers. The four commissioners will tell you there is little or no risk the return pipe will be needed. So will Fred Henderson, a member of the Ocean Pines Water and Wastewater Advisory Committee. In fact, Henderson might even tell you there is zero risk. If he does, ask him why the developer does not share the same level of confidence. The difference, of course, is money. The developer would be betting $1 million on what Henderson perceives as a slam dunk. Money makes the difference; talk is cheap.

At the end of the day the risk fell to Ocean Pines. The people of Ocean Pines received no promised "windfall" of money to help reduce sewer rates, rather made to sign an IOU that might cost them $1 million. Based on propaganda from those who never saw a subdivision they didn't like, the people of Ocean Pines must have the money from these areas outside Ocean Pines to keep our sewer rates down. Incredibly, many people believe the propaganda.

Fact is, any developer buy-in money can't be used to reduce operations costs at the plant. It can be used, however, for future increases of plant capacity to bring in more and more new subdivisions. How does that help the people of Ocean Pines?

After the public hearing on Pennington Commons, Tom Cetola was asked why he did not support Commissioner Judy Boggs in her call to have the developer fees go toward paying off our current service area debt, now at about $24 million. This would guarantee an absolute benefit to the current ratepayers in Ocean Pines and make the money unavailable to the County.

Cetola's response was, "First things first."

It was a sobering comment to end the day. More than all the words expressed over the 2-hour hearing, Cetola's three words hung in the meeting room, like wet underwear pinned to an inside clothes line on a rainy day.

With the chips all down and faced with a clear choice of protecting the developer or protecting the ratepayers of Ocean Pines, four commissioners chose to protect the developer. First Things First.