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Berlin, Ocean Pines News Worcester County Bayside Gazette Logo Berlin, Ocean Pines News Worcester County Bayside Gazette

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Commissioners to be busy with future projects

BERLIN–Projects ranging from a new Berlin branch library and a land buy to expand Showell Park to a new Public Works storage building and an addition for Stephen Decatur Middle School are in the county’s requested Capital Improvement Plan to be discussed next week.
The Worcester County Commissioners will hold a public hearing Tuesday, Jan. 7, to discuss the requested fiscal year 2014 through fiscal year 2018 five-year capital improvement plan.
Projects totaling $143 million are requested over the five-year period. Of those, $25.6 million or 17.89 percent is proposed to come from the general fund and $72.6 million or 50.69 percent is proposed to come from bond funds. User fees, grant funds, state matching funds, designated funds or enterprise fund bonds would make up the remaining portion.
For fiscal year 2015, the general fund request is $3.9 million and the request for projects financed by general bonds is $21 million. In fiscal year 2014, the county needs to bond $43 million for the Snow Hill High School project.
Just because a project is included in the requested capital improvement plan does not mean it will come to fruition. Projects in the plan will be added, deleted or amended as necessary.
Included in the requested plan are a new branch library in Berlin at an estimated cost of $4.9 million and a new county storage building in Snow Hill at an estimated cost of $3.6 million.
During the commissioners’ Dec. 18 meeting, Public Works Director John Tustin said that building would be used not only for storage, but for office space.
Additional items in the requested capital improvement plan are an 800MHz radio system enhancement at a projected cost of $5.1 million, the capping and closure of the Berlin rubble fill at an estimated cost of $3.1 million and asphalt overlay or pavement preservation of roads at an estimated cost of $5.7 million.
Also included are a recreation center expansion project at an estimated cost of $951,437, a new academic building for Wor-Wic Community College at an estimated cost of $2.1 million, an addition for Stephen Decatur Middle School for an estimated $8.2 million and an addition or renovation for Showell Elementary School for an estimated $47 million.