Inspections And Permits

Annapolis Mayor Ellen O. Moyer has turned to a former city administrator to reorganize the city's inspections and permits bureau, which has been shaken in recent months by charges of sexual harassment and the resignation of its chief. Michael D. Mallinoff, 44, who served as city administrator from 1989 until 1995, has agreed to a one-year contract that starts next month. He left Annapolis to become city manager of Newport, R.I., a job from which he resigned Feb. 1. He spent the spring as a vice president for a minor-league baseball team and working with a group that advises local governments.

Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold has appointed a veteran planning administrator to head the county's Department of Inspections & Permits. Robert C. Hubbard, who worked in permitting services in Montgomery County from 1977 to 2006, beginning as a building inspector before he became director in 1996, starts in his new position Jan. 17. "Robert Hubbard brings a wealth of experience and the management skills to revamp this department with a focus on creative solutions to budget challenges and improving customer service," said Leopold, who added that Hubbard would be given the responsibility of improving efficiency in the department.

A Glen Burnie contractor who used unlicensed workers to install an air-conditioning system has had his license suspended for six months for violating county code.The county's Department of Inspections and Permits suspended the professional license of John W. Mavis Sr. for six months for each of two violations. The two six-month suspensions will run concurrently, said Robert J. Brown, Quality Care Administrator for the department.Mr. Brown said a six-month suspension was "a stiff penalty" for a first offense.

City accepts payment in pricing dispute St. Louis-based Express Scripts, which holds a multimillion-dollar contract to provide prescription drug benefits to Baltimore City employees, has agreed to return $240,367 after an audit found irregularities in the price the company set for certain drugs. An initial audit of the company found that the city might have been overbilled $300,000 to $700,000 last year, though the company disagreed with those findings. The Board of Estimates accepted the payment yesterday to settle the dispute.

The Anne Arundel Soil Conservation District clashed with the county's director of inspections and permits last night during a County Council hearing on a bill to establish fees that would be collected by the district for reviewing grading and sediment control plans.The Soil Conservation District is an independent entity that reviews plans to limit sediment and soil erosion when earth is moved during construction. It argued that it needed to collect the fees to maintain its independence from the county.

Anne Arundel County Executive Janet S. Owens tapped her land-use and environment officer as her next top aide yesterday. Robert L. Walker, 54, a former diplomat and state Secretary of Agriculture, will take over as Owens' chief administrative officer. He replaces John Brusnighan, who retired last month. Before going to work in county government in 2001, Walker held diplomatic assignments in Ukraine and Russia for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. From 1986 to 1994, he worked for the Maryland Department of Agriculture.

The county Board of Appeals has ruled that a Crownsville developer may build a two-story home on a waterfront property in the historic community of Manhattan Beach - a lot that residents, fearing overcrowding, wanted to remain undeveloped. Thomas McGrath Jr., who lives next to the property, and other residents have been fighting plans for the land, arguing that the lot is actually merged with an adjoining lot, and that only one house should be there. They fear that putting a house on each narrow lot - originally meant for seasonal waterfront cottages - would result in crowding and decreased property values.

Owner seeks exception to operate apartmentsA Pasadena man is seeking permission to operate an apartment building on a lot smaller than normally allowed and without sewer service or off-street parking.County inspectors ordered Simon Bobic of Mayford Avenue to obtain a special exception last April after they realized that the home he had converted into five apartments near Solley and Mountain roads more than two years ago violated zoning laws.An administrative hearing officer is to hear Mr. Bobic's request for a special exception at 9:30 a.m. Sept.

Charged by county inspectors of over-filling their Lothian rubble fill, Al-Ray Concrete Corp. officials will have to show this morning why they should not be shut down permanently.The county Department of Inspections and Permits issued a temporary stop-work order at the the Sands Road operation Nov. 15 after zoning inspectors discovered bloody bandages, syringes and other medical waste illegally dumped there.But, more importantly, inspectors also believe that Al-Ray has dumped more construction debris and rubble there than allowed under its 1983 special zoning exception, said John Peacock, chief of environmental enforcement for Inspections and Permits.

An Anne Arundel County permitting clerk who asked for and received 100 free tickets to a festival regulated by her department has been fired, her boss announced yesterday. Janice L. Russell was issued a termination letter effective late Tuesday, said Walter Chitwood, director of the Department of Inspections and Permits. Chitwood declined to comment further. Russell, who has worked for the county for 17 years, could not be reached. Last month, Russell was reprimanded by the county ethics commission for seeking the complimentary tickets to last years Maryland Renaissance Festival in Crownsville.

Anne Arundel County Executive Janet S. Owens tapped her land-use and environment officer as her next top aide yesterday. Robert L. Walker, 54, a former diplomat and state Secretary of Agriculture, will take over as Owens' chief administrative officer. He replaces John Brusnighan, who retired last month. Before going to work in county government in 2001, Walker held diplomatic assignments in Ukraine and Russia for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. From 1986 to 1994, he worked for the Maryland Department of Agriculture.

In her proposed budget for fiscal year 2004 - to be released tomorrow night - Annapolis Mayor Ellen O. Moyer is aiming to improve the efficiency of city services without increasing staff or spending. "We've reduced costs and the budget is smaller - we're trying to do more with less," Moyer said last week, after hours of budget meetings with staff. "We've rearranged dollars, rearranged things, rearranged people department-to-department, but there are no enhancements." Moyer said she will propose that general fund expenditures - the bulk of the city's operating budget that includes departmental spending - be reduced by about 5.4 percent for fiscal year 2004 to $37.34 million from $39.51 million for fiscal year 2003.

Annapolis Mayor Ellen O. Moyer has turned to a former city administrator to reorganize the city's inspections and permits bureau, which has been shaken in recent months by charges of sexual harassment and the resignation of its chief. Michael D. Mallinoff, 44, who served as city administrator from 1989 until 1995, has agreed to a one-year contract that starts next month. He left Annapolis to become city manager of Newport, R.I., a job from which he resigned Feb. 1. He spent the spring as a vice president for a minor-league baseball team and working with a group that advises local governments.

The county Board of Appeals has ruled that a Crownsville developer may build a two-story home on a waterfront property in the historic community of Manhattan Beach - a lot that residents, fearing overcrowding, wanted to remain undeveloped. Thomas McGrath Jr., who lives next to the property, and other residents have been fighting plans for the land, arguing that the lot is actually merged with an adjoining lot, and that only one house should be there. They fear that putting a house on each narrow lot - originally meant for seasonal waterfront cottages - would result in crowding and decreased property values.

An Anne Arundel County permitting clerk who asked for and received 100 free tickets to a festival regulated by her department has been fired, her boss announced yesterday. Janice L. Russell was issued a termination letter effective late Tuesday, said Walter Chitwood, director of the Department of Inspections and Permits. Chitwood declined to comment further. Russell, who has worked for the county for 17 years, could not be reached. Last month, Russell was reprimanded by the county ethics commission for seeking the complimentary tickets to last years Maryland Renaissance Festival in Crownsville.

Owner seeks exception to operate apartmentsA Pasadena man is seeking permission to operate an apartment building on a lot smaller than normally allowed and without sewer service or off-street parking.County inspectors ordered Simon Bobic of Mayford Avenue to obtain a special exception last April after they realized that the home he had converted into five apartments near Solley and Mountain roads more than two years ago violated zoning laws.An administrative hearing officer is to hear Mr. Bobic's request for a special exception at 9:30 a.m. Sept.

The county's neediest homeowners could save $1.8 million next year under a property tax credit program unveiled by County Executive Robert R. Neall yesterday.Caught between the recession and continuing cries for tax relief, Neall said the tax credits -- proposed as part of his new fiscal 1993 budget -- will help those who most need it without decimating county coffers. He plans to make up for the loss in revenue by raising fees and fines for everything from pet shop licenses to applications for special zoning exceptions to parade permits.

The cost of road kill is going up.While the County Council reviewed the first proposed overall budget cut in charter history yesterday, the Department of Inspections and Permits asked for $20,800 -- a nine-fold increase -- to dispose of dead animals.Inspections and Permits officials joined representatives from several other county departments yesterday in council chambers, answering questions about the money County Executive Robert R. Neall includedin his proposed $616.6 million budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1.When it comes to the budget for removing dead animals, it's a simple matter of supply and demand, department chief Leroy Jonas explained.

The Anne Arundel Soil Conservation District clashed with the county's director of inspections and permits last night during a County Council hearing on a bill to establish fees that would be collected by the district for reviewing grading and sediment control plans.The Soil Conservation District is an independent entity that reviews plans to limit sediment and soil erosion when earth is moved during construction. It argued that it needed to collect the fees to maintain its independence from the county.

A Glen Burnie contractor who used unlicensed workers to install an air-conditioning system has had his license suspended for six months for violating county code.The county's Department of Inspections and Permits suspended the professional license of John W. Mavis Sr. for six months for each of two violations. The two six-month suspensions will run concurrently, said Robert J. Brown, Quality Care Administrator for the department.Mr. Brown said a six-month suspension was "a stiff penalty" for a first offense.