The President of the Trappe Town Council, Don English,  has submitted an application for $18,000,000 in federal stimulus funding for a new wastewater treatment plant that would serve a huge new development in farm fields across Route 50—but not one current Trappe resident.  Counter to the objectives of stimulus funding, this money would not create new jobs, it would merely substitute our taxpayer dollars for those of the developer. 

The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) has placed the Trappe East wastewater plant application in the number one spot on the “waitlist” for federal dollars.  This means that if any of the 100+ projects on the priority list is delayed, declines funding or otherwise drops off, taxpayer money for the plant will begin to flow – even though Trappe East is a community that does not exist. In fairness to MDE, it does not appear that Trappe officials explained to MDE that the Trappe East developers already are bound by a signed, contractual obligation to build and operate the new plant at their own sole expense.  When those developers requested the annexation of their 924 acres in 2003 they agreed, in a written Development  Rights and Responsibilities Agreement, that they, and not the taxpayers, would be responsible for building all of the necessary infrastructure — including a new wastewater plant. 

While other municipal projects on the stimulus funding priority list seek to upgrade, repair or replace aging, deteriorating or otherwise deficient utilities currently in service to residents of existing towns, Trappe’s application for $18,000,000 for the Trappe East wastewater treatment plant would fund a brand new facility to serve a non-existent community.  In fact, that stimulus money would benefit only the private Trappe East developers, who will be relieved of their contractual obligation to pay for this facility out of their own pockets.   At the April 7 candidate forum for the upcoming town council election in Trappe, not one of the scripted questions concerned this important shift in financial responsibility for the Trappe East development.  Nor did anyone explore what benefit existing Trappe residents would receive in return for excusing the Trappe East developers from an $18,000,000 contractual obligation.

      The cap on the initial round of stimulus funding is $6,000,000 per project. If Trappe is now to take over the construction responsibilities for the Trappe East wastewater treatment plant, it will also have to raise $12,000,000 to cover the shortfall.  Are the Trappe taxpayers aware that they will now be responsible for what should have been the developer’s debt burden for the plant?  Additionally, the land on which the plant is to be built is privately-owned.  The town will also have to pay for the land as well.  The price tag goes up.

On May 12, an election will be held in Trappe to elect three new council members.  Taxpayers in Trappe should know how the candidates view this use of public dollars for a private development. 

All taxpayers—including those living in Trappe—should weigh in and tell the Trappe Council and MDE to stop this potentially shameful misuse of public stimulus money.

Jamie H. Garner
Trappe, MD 21673