On May 23, a delegation from Garrett County travelled to Washington, D.C. to meet with Congressional members and federal agency leaders on four priorities for Garrett County.
The delegation discussed:
(1) funding for the Oakland-Trout Run Combined Sewer Treatment Plant
(2) funding for Required Infrastructure Projects for Small Rural Municipalities including the Grantsville Sewer Treatment Plant, the Mountain Lake Park-Loch Lynn Water Distribution System Rehab Project and the Mountain Lake Park Stormwater Mitigation Project
(3) Better data of existing Broadband and funding for continued development
(4) Market-rate Workforce Housing Development funding assistance.
Issue papers on these priorities were developed and shared with officials and staff during the meetings. Garrett County’s delegation included: Mayor Peggy Jamison, Town of Oakland; Emily Newman Edwards, Town of Grantsville; Duane Yoder, Community Action; Cheryl DeBerry, Garrett County Economic Development; Nicole Christian and Holly Lane, Garrett County Chamber of Commerce. The delegation met with Senator Chris Van Hollen, Representative David Trone, staff from Senator Cardin’s office and top leaders for U.S. Dept. of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency. By all accounts, the trip was a success. Not only was the delegation able to promote and garner support for these community priorities, they gained insight on potential funding sources. The delegation is in the process of following up on outstanding items from the meetings. The trip was organized by the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce. The issue papers can be found on the Chamber’s website at www.visitdeepcreek.com/pages/legislative.