MEDIA RELEASE: FROM THE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER

JEANETTE ELEFF - 301-360-3842

CONTACTS: Jeanette Eleff

Heather Price Smith, Chief Legal Services Officer, 301-600-1453

Jeff Holtzinger, Director of Engineering, 301-600-1405

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, February 08, 2002

4:16 PM

MAYOR DOUGHERTY ISSUES AN EXECUTIVE ORDER

Effective today, Mayor Jennifer Dougherty has issued an Executive Order declaring a moratorium on subdivision plat recordation, annexations and building permits in The City of Frederick. This Executive Order continues an existing moratorium that was first issued by Mayor Grimes on March 27, 2001 and extended on August 15, 2001. This Executive Order includes a moratorium on building permits.

This moratorium continues to be necessary because additional projected commitments based upon land use approvals and applications demanding a total of .597 million gallons of water per day (MGD) will require more water than is available to the City within the reasonable foreseeable future. It presently has been determined that a maximum of 6.9 MGD of the safe yield capacity is available to serve all existing and future development in the City. The projected demand for outstanding water supply commitments is 6.863 MGD.

The City of Frederick is actively drafting a water allocation ordinance to address the water allocation and the consumption priorities in the City. The City also continues to actively pursue supplemental water resources that may eliminate the need for further action by the City. The City is working with Frederick County and the State of Maryland to service the existing water demands and to establish adequate water capacity to meet any new demands.

The Executive Order states:

· No subdivision plats will be recorded or approved within The City of Frederick.

· No additional building permits will be issued for construction within the City.

· Exemptions shall be made for any application filed by The City of Frederick, building permits for which contracts for home construction had been executed prior to the effective date of the Order, and emergency exceptions as provided for in the Order.

The moratorium will remain in effect until the earliest occurrence of one of three situations: an approved water allocation ordinance; City legal acquisition of and actual physical diversion of supplemental sources of sufficient quantity and quality available for public consumption; or improvements to the water system which constitutes adequate water supply for The City of Frederick as defined by the State of Maryland.

Copies of the Executive Order are available at the reception desk of City Hall or on the City’s website www.cityoffrederick.com under WHAT’S NEWS.

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News Release

The City of Frederick

Executive Order

2.8.02