MAYOR ANNOUNCES FORMATION OF SALISBURY WASTEWATER ACTION TEAM

We've had S.O.S (stop overflow sewage) and several others...where is Gary's environmental task force on all this.

Salisbury Mayor Barrie P. Tilghman is pleased to announce the formation of the Salisbury Wastewater Action Team (S.W.A.T.). This move is the result of a recommendation by the Wicomico Environmental Trust, based on concerns following the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) spills in June. This team brings a broad group of individuals and interests to the table to meet over the next sixty to ninety days. The objective of their work will be a report with tangible and quantifiable recommendations for implementation as soon as feasible.

The members of the S.W.A.T. are:

Dr. Michael Lewis – Salisbury University
Anthony Stockus – University of Maryland Eastern Shore
James Parsons – Ocean City Department of Public Works
Erin McAfee Dobbins – Resident
Mary Phipps-Dickerson – Resident
Peter Bozick, Jr., Executive Vice President of George, Miles & Buhr, LLC, has agreed to chair this group. All meetings of the group will be open to the public, and staff support will be provided by the Salisbury Department of Public Works. The first meeting of the group will be on Tuesday October 28th, at 4:00 P.M., in Room 306 of the Government Office Building, 125 N. Division Street.

The charges to the group include reviewing the sewer spills of the past three years to find out how they occurred, whether they could have been avoided, and how they could have been avoided; finding out how the Salisbury WWTP compares with similar operations; and recommending constructive suggestions to resolve the issues. Once the group convenes, they will generate a statement of purpose and scope of work.

"This is a great example of cooperation between the community and the City government to deal with challenges and enhance the effective and efficient delivery of services to our citizens," said Mayor Tilghman. The S.W.A.T. is the latest in a series of Process Action Teams which the City has successfully utilized since 2002 to address specific issues and challenges facing Salisbury. The City has experienced success with this approach, and has seen the implementation of most of the recommendations of the different teams.