Westminster and state officials cut the ribbon on downtown sidewalk retrofit project
Westminster and state officials joined together Tuesday
morning to cut the ribbon on over 200 new disabilities-compliant sidewalk curb
cuts throughout downtown Westminster
By Kevin E. Dayhoff,
Tuesday, November 05, 2013
Westminster city officials and representatives from four
Maryland state government departments gathered together Tuesday morning in
front of the Westminster Recreation and Parks Family Center on Longwell Avenue
to celebrate, and cut the ribbon, on an unprecedented groundbreaking $318,000 partnership
that resulted in the completion of 214 new or rebuilt ADA-compliant curb ramps in
the downtown area.
“What a wonderful project this is and with so many partners,
said Westminster mayor Kevin Utz in prepared remarks for the occasion, after he
was introduced by Mark Vernarelli, spokesperson for the Maryland Department of
Public Safety and Correctional Services.
“With these partners 4 curb ramps were reconstructed, 64
curb ramps were modified and 164 new curb ramps were installed…” Because of
this partnership, “over 200 ADA Compliant curb ramps now exist in Downtown
Westminster,” explained Utz.
Utz read-off a long list of state secretaries and
dignitaries who traveled from state offices in Baltimore and Annapolis for the
occasion; including MD Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services
Secretary Gary Maynard, Deputy Secretary J. Michael Stouffer, Public Safety
Works Coordinator John Rowley, Director of Corrections Felicia Hinton, and
Facility Administrator Leonard Rice.
Also present were Department of Disabilities Secretary
Catherine Raggio, Deputy Secretary George Failla, Jr., and Access Maryland
Director Cari Watrous as well as MD Department of Housing & Community
Development: Assistant Secretary Carol Gilbert, Director of Community Programs
Cindy Stone, and Project Manager Dona Sorce.
Along with Tony Romano, a representative of Romano Concrete
Construction and Ronnie Townes, 21, an inmate who helped build the curbs; MD
Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation Coordinator, Career and
Technology Programs Ken Weeden, Field Director of Correctional Education Jack
Cunning, and David Bordley were there to cut the ribbon and discuss the
unprecedented city, state and private partnership.
According to information provided by the department of
public safety, DPSCS, the project was “Grant-funded thanks to work by the
Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development … The curb project is
the largest project of its kind ever done by inmates in the DPSCS Public Safety
Works community project initiative. The inmates learned concrete skills from
Romano Concrete, a longtime and valued partner with DPSCS.”
Westminster mayor Kevin Utz was joined by Westminster Common
Council president Dr. Robert Wack, council member Tony Chiavacci, city
administrator Marge Wolf, public works director Jeff Glass, police chief Jeff
Spaulding, , Community Programs Specialist Sandy Anderson, city engineer Mike
Matov, assistant street superintendent Wayne Reifsnider and recreation and
parks director Abby Gruber.
Planning for the project began in earnest after a similar,
but much smaller partnership was called to Glass’ attention in the summer of
2012. “We submitted the grant application on August 27,” said Anderson. “The
actual work on the sidewalks began last May.”
“I’m very pleased that what initially started as a
conversation with Secretary Maynard and Secretary Skinner has become a model
partnership between the City of Westminster and three state agencies –
Disabilities, Public Safety and Corrections, and Housing and Community
Development,” said MD Dept. of Disabilities Secretary Catherine Raggio. “As a
result of this partnership, we now have sidewalks that are safer and more
accessible for individuals with disabilities, seniors and others.”
“DPSCS worked with the MD Dept. of Labor, Licensing, and
Regulation to secure the partnership with Romano Concrete---with whom DPSCS
inmates previously worked on the Eastern Shore at Cambridge in a similar but
smaller project,” according to information provided by DPSCS. “This project is
the first to give inmates DLLR on-the-job certifications.”
“It’s been a great project… It’s made a big difference for
(getting around) downtown,” said Glass. Wolf and Utz agreed. “Everybody was a
winner,” said Wolf.
Maynard called the inmate restorative justice initiative,
“groundbreaking.” “This is our largest community curb project yet,” said the DPSCS
secretary. “Our inmates have built or rebuilt more than 200 curbs, getting
valuable skills training from Tony Romano and his concrete tradesmen, and
helping this nice town become more accessible in the process.
“We call projects like these Public Safety Works
‘restorative justice’ programs, because they allow inmates who want to pay
society back with a really meaningful way to do that.
“On any given day, we have more than 350 inmates out across
the state of Maryland doing meaningful projects. Right now, inmates are
rebuilding a skipjack on the Eastern Shore, gleaning fresh produce for the
Maryland Food Bank, planting millions of oyster spat, restoring battlefields,
cemeteries and playgrounds, and helping cities and non-profits with all kinds
of projects they couldn’t do otherwise.
“We are very serious about this particular kind of project
here in Westminster---where inmates get actual skills training from
professional tradespeople. We’re having inmates trained in hazardous materials
abatement and they’re taking down the old House of Correction prison in Jessup,
a deconstruction that’s saving taxpayers at least five million dollars compared
to the cost of demolition. It’s the only project of its kind in the country.
“These skills should serve the inmates well and give them a
leg up on jobs when they get out and go home. I would love to talk to you today
about how Public Safety Works might be able to help your agency or non-profit.
Maynard also elaborated upon how the partnership with the
city gave the prison inmates an opportunity to learn job skills. “We may be in
charge of keeping people locked up,” continued the secretary, “but what we really
want is to set people free; to free them from addictions and anger issues, give
them education and job skill training, and turn them into productive taxpaying
citizens. After all, almost all inmates will one day be getting out.”
“We are very serious about this particular kind of project
here in Westminster---where inmates get actual skills training from
professional tradespeople,” remarked Maynard.
“This project, however, is about so much more than curbs and
concrete,” said Utz in agreement. “With this project, the Department of Labor,
Licensing and Regulation (DLLR) provided training for the inmates. With this
project the state corrections department has provided construction experience
and positive community participation for the inmates. With this project the
inmates have received certification from the DLLR for on the job training. With
this project the inmates participated in a major community project.
“Maynard was all smiles as he thanked the city and invited
city officials to talk about more opportunities for partnerships. “Thank you
again for this wonderful collaborative effort, and thank you, Mayor Utz, for
allowing the Dept. of Public Safety and Correctional Services to perform this
important work in Westminster.”
Utz added, “At this time I’d like to personally thank the
inmates for their hard work. Their work was crucial to the success of this
project. Concrete lasts a long time. We hope that the experience gained from
this project will last even longer. Thank you.”
