August 31st, 2022 by WCBC Radio
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) announced the inclusion of $16,892,000 in direct federal funding for local projects in Western Maryland within the Senate Appropriations Committee’s proposed annual funding legislation for fiscal year 2023. The projects encompass a wide array of local and regional priorities, ranging from public safety to infrastructure improvements to community and workforce development. Overall, the Senators included over $120 million in federal dollars directly for Maryland within the Committee’s proposed legislation.
A full list of the funds included by Senator Van Hollen in the fiscal year 2023 appropriations legislation is here. A full list of the funds included by Senator Cardin in the legislation is here. This legislation, released by the Committee as part of the annual Congressional Appropriations process, will proceed to consideration before the full Senate. Funding is not finalized until the Appropriations bills are passed by the Senate, reconciled with the House of Representatives, and signed by the President.
“Securing direct federal investments for important local projects is one of my top priorities because they expand opportunity and improve crucial services for folks in our communities,” said Senator Van Hollen, a member of the Appropriations Committee. “These resources will advance on-the-ground efforts to prepare people for good-paying jobs, improve public safety, strengthen our infrastructure, and so much more. I was proud to work with local leaders and community partners to identify these important investments in Western Maryland, and I will keep fighting to get them across the finish line and into the hands of our local partners.”
“I am proud to announce these Congressionally Directed Spending projects that meet the direct needs of nonprofit organizations and local governments across Maryland,” said Senator Cardin. “These earmarks advance long-planned and widely-supported construction and expansion projects for our nonprofit and faith based communities, bolster environmental and green space projects, support vulnerable citizens, enhance public safety and expand education opportunities for students. I stand united with the leadership of the Western Maryland communities in advocating for these projects and will continue to work towards the final enactment of this funding.”
The funding announced by the Senators includes:
- $740,000 for public safety, including for Allegany County emergency operations center upgrades and equipment for Frederick County’s Crisis Stabilization Center
- Nearly $10.5 million for infrastructure projects, including for an advanced water purification system as well as other wastewater and drinking water system upgrades for Westminster, Brunswick, and Grantsville, and outdoor recreational trails and facilities in Cumberland
- $1 million for economic development through the Frederick Innovative Science Center
- $3 million for education and workforce development, including for the Asian American Center of Frederick’s Early Childhood Education Project, Hood College’s Data-Driven Research Center and Biomedical Research and Training Center, a child care center in Frostburg, and a regional science education center and teacher residency program at Frostburg State University
- Over $1.5 million for community development, historical, and cultural initiatives, including to restore historic ironworker housing at Catoctin Furnace and create a heritage tourism training program at the site, renovate the Doleman Black Heritage Museum, develop trails for hikers to explore the Evergreen Heritage Center, and construct a new town hall and community center in Midland
PUBLIC SAFETY
Project Name: Allegany County Emergency Operations Center Upgrade
Applicant: Allegany County
Description: The Allegany County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) coordinates local, state, and federal response to disasters and emergencies in a building that also houses the County’s Backup Public Safety Answering Point. Federal funds will be used to improve security for the EOC and upgrade its Wi-Fi system to meet cyber security and capacity demands during activation.
Project Location: Cumberland, MD
Amount Included: $41,000
Project Name: Frederick County Crisis Stabilization Center Equipment
Applicant: Frederick County
Description: Behavioral health issues currently account for 20% of the emergency department visits to Frederick Health Hospital, but emergency rooms are rarely the most appropriate place to manage a behavioral health crisis. The Frederick County Crisis Stabilization Center is a 23-hour program that will divert people who are in crisis or under the influence of a substance away from emergency departments and into supervised care and sustainable, community-based behavioral health care. It includes a Care Traffic Control Model to ensure that first responders are able to direct patients to available providers, set up routine and urgent outpatient appointments, and track data and outcomes. The Crisis Stabilization Center will make sure that individuals in crisis receive urgent care, but also are connected to appropriate services and providers to address their needs. Federal funds will be used for medical and other needed equipment to set up the Crisis Stabilization Center.
Project Location: Frederick, MD
Amount Included: $699,000
INFRASTRUCTURE
Project Name: Advanced Water Purification System
Applicant: City of Westminster
Description: The City of Westminster needs to update its water systems to ensure a consistent supply in times of drought. Currently, the City relies on the Cranberry and Hull Creeks and groundwater wells for its water supply, but those supplies are vulnerable to drought. To address water scarcity, the City is launching PUREWater Westminster, the first water reuse facility in the State. Federal funds will support a new advanced treatment facility, which will be able to purify additional water from the Westminster Water Reclamation Facility and direct the clean water to the Cranberry Reservoir, increasing the City’s surface water capacity by 50%.
Project Location: Westminster, MD
Amount Included: $2,945,000
Project Name: River Park at Canal Place Trails and Trail Connections
Applicant: Canal Place Preservation and Development Authority (CPPDA)
Description of Proposal: In 2018 the Canal Place Preservation and Development Authority created River Park, which included completing the North Branch River Trail, whitewater features, access to the river for boating and fishing, and the creation of a variety of trails and trail connections as a destination for hikers and bikers, and for use by local residents. Federal funding for the trail section of the park consists of trail design, engineering, and construction of the on-grade trail system, the wetland trail boardwalk, an overlook on the trail, a small pedestrian bridge, railing, landscaping, interpretative and wayfinding signage, and a paved parking area. The trail will also provide safe passage into the newly designed downtown Cumberland Historic District.
Project Location: Cumberland, MD
Amount Included: $6,000,000
Project Name: Wastewater and Drinking Water Treatment Plant Upgrades
Applicant: City of Brunswick
Description: The City of Brunswick needs to update its Wastewater and Water Treatment Plants to prevent nitrogen, phosphorus, and suspended solid pollution into the Potomac River. Federal funds will cover planning and engineering to prepare the project.
Project Location: Brunswick, MD
Amount Included: $550,000
Project Name: Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrade
Applicant: Town of Grantsville
Description: The Town of Grantsville’s sewer system serves the Town and three systems owned and operated by Garrett County Public Utilities. The existing treatment process is unable to consistently meet the ammonia requirement and funding will go towards upgrading Enhanced Nutrient Removal treatment and technologies and meeting the existing Consent Order from MDE.
Project Location: Grantsville, MD
Amount Included: $1,000,000
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Project Name: Frederick Innovative Science Center
Applicant: Frederick Innovative Technology Center, Inc.
Description: The Frederick Innovative Technology Center is a non-profit business incubator and accelerator designed to cultivate entrepreneurship in Frederick and surrounding rural areas. Funds will be used to develop the Innovative Science Center, a hub for science and tech innovators with state-of-the-art lab, office, and community space customized for early-stage bioscience, agriculture technology, renewable energy, and other technology start-ups.
Project Location: Frederick, MD
Amount Included: $1,000,000
EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
Project Name: Asian American Center of Frederick Early Childhood Education Project
Applicant: Asian American Center of Frederick
Description: The Asian American Center of Frederick is partnering with Latinas Unidas por un Nuevo Amanecer (LUNA) and Maryland Family Network to create a model Family Support Center in a historically-underserved area of Frederick. The Family Support Center will combine a parent support program with Early Head Start, offering a continuum of care from cradle to career for the families it serves. In addition to Early Head Start services, the Center will offer onsite access to mental health services and job training. Federal funds will support the Center and a training program for informal child care providers to become engaged in the formal early care and education sector, helping to expand our child care workforce.
Project Location: Frederick, MD
Amount Included: $375,000
Project Name: Establishing the Data-Driven Frederick Research Center at Hood College
Applicant: Hood College
Description: Hood College seeks to establish Data-Driven Frederick as an innovative research center in the George B. Delaplaine Jr. School of Business. Data-Driven Frederick will collect, aggregate, and publish regional socioeconomic indicators for the greater Frederick community and work with non-profits, governments, and businesses to analyze the data for grants, reports, or decision-making purposes. Students at Hood will serve as researchers and develop sought-after expertise in research methodology, data analytics, and project management. Federal funds will help launch the program and enable research teams of faculty and students to begin to assemble research analyses and data reports for local partners.
Project Location: Frederick, MD
Amount Included: $390,000
Project Name: Frostburg Childcare Center
Applicant: City of Frostburg
Description: Funds will be used to construct the Frostburg Childcare Center within the Frostburg Community Park area. This new space will allow for the city’s first childcare center serving children of all ages, supporting low-income families with children ages 0-3, and offering a Summer Day Camp.
Project Location: City of Frostburg and surrounding communities in Allegany County, MD
Amount Included: $444,000
Project Name: Frostburg State University Regional Science Education Center
Applicant: Frostburg State University
Description: Funds will be used to complete a Regional Science Education Center to provide hands-on space exploration simulations, robotics, and coding programs for primarily middle-school aged children in Allegany County and neighboring school systems. The Center will also display artifacts and personal photographs from space missions conducted by Ricky Arnold, a NASA astronaut and alumni of Frostburg State University. The Center will provide a unique opportunity for students to experience STEM learning and provide an early look at STEM careers.
Project Location: Frostburg, MD
Amount Included: $750,000
Project Name: Hood College Biomedical Research and Training Center
Applicant: Hood College
Description: Building on their strength and growth in the sciences, as well as their partnerships with regional industry, Hood College plans to establish a Biomedical Research and Training Center. In addition to providing STEM training opportunities for Hood College students across a variety of majors and disciplines, the Center will serve students from other regional schools as well as the employees of regional companies. Programming will include weekend or week-long workshops; bridge courses to prepare graduate students for advanced research; and programming focused on the development of specific high-demand skills defined by our industry partners. It will also foster apprenticeships and student internships with regional industry partners. Federal funds will be used to stand up the Center, including technology and supplies for office and lab spaces, curriculum development, research, student and faculty stipends, and training services.
Project Location: Frederick, MD
Amount Included: $610,000
Project Name: Teacher Residency Program
Applicant: Frostburg State University
Description: Frostburg State University’s Maryland Accelerates Program is a teacher-residency program that provides a living stipend for students in the Master of Arts in Teaching program and pairs them with mentor teachers at participating local schools so they can serve full time for a school year as a Teacher Resident and earn their Masters in Teaching on an accelerated schedule. This program allows future teachers to develop relationships in the community and encourages retention of teachers in the area, while also supporting staffing needs at the schools during their residency [?]. Since its launch in 2019, 23 students have been enrolled in two cohorts, and a third cohort expanded the program range to include Washington County Public Schools. Federal funds will expand the program for additional cohorts and allow Frostburg State University to engage with other school systems for Teacher Resident placement.
Project Location: Frederick, MD
Amount Included: $500,000
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, HISTORICAL, AND CULTURAL INITIATIVES
Project Name: Catoctin Furnace Historical Society, Inc. for Historic Catoctin Furnace Ironworker House
Applicant: Catoctin Furnace Historical Society
Description: In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, as many as 80 homes existed to house workers at the Catoctin Furnace, an industrial iron making complex that began operating in 1776 with a workforce composed primarily of enslaved Africans. Today, only 10 homes remain – 6 log and 4 stone, and in 1972, the structures were listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Federal funds will support the restoration of one of these homes, Miller House, which retains much of its historic fabric beneath modern surfaces. The repair and restoration will include the “Heritage at Work” program at Catoctin Furnace, where students learn the craft of historic preservation and heritage trades. After the house is restored, the Catoctin Furnace Historical Society will house “Furnace Fellows,” an annual residential program providing training and mentoring in heritage tourism, museum management, and hands-on historic preservation. The project will include consultation and participation from descendants of European American workers who still live and work in some of the homes and the African American community whose history has been physically absent from the landscape for the last century.
Project Location: Thurmont, MD
Amount Included: $400,000
Project Name: Doleman Black Heritage Museum
Applicant: Doleman Black Heritage Museum, Inc.
Description of Proposal: Federal funds will support Phase 1 Pre-construction activities that will allow the Doleman Black Heritage Museum, Inc. to renovate an existing building that has been vacant for nearly 30 years and will serve as its future home. Upon completion, the museum will better display the Museum's extensive collections and include a multimedia studio that will allow residents and students to gain exposure to media production.
Project Location: Hagerstown, MD
Amount Included: $563,000
Project Name: Great Allegheny Passage Spur: The Evergreen Trail
Applicant: Evergreen Heritage Center Foundation, Inc.
Description of Proposal: Federal funds will establish a 5 ½ mile Great Allegany Passage (GAP) spur that would enable hikers to explore the 131-acre Evergreen Heritage Center (EHC) as the GAP crosses through the EHC. The Evergreen Trail project will establish a pre-defined 4 ½ mile hiking trail that will connect the GAP to the existing mile long Evergreen Coal Trail which historically transported coal from deep hillside mines to the railroad. The resulting 5 ½ mile natural surface Evergreen Trail will make it possible for hikers and local students to discover dozens of features and exhibits of historical and environmental interest, all accessible from both the GAP and adjacent Western Maryland Scenic Railway.
Project Location: Mount Savage, MD
Amount Included: $250,000
Project Name: Midland Maryland Town Hall
Applicant: Town of Midland
Description: Funds will be used to construct a new ADA compliant Town Hall to replace the current aging and outgrown structure that dates back to the town’s founding in 1900. The building will be equipped with broadband, Wi-Fi, and workstations, as well as a multipurpose room for community activities.
Project Location: Midland, MD
Amount Included: $375,000
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