SNOW HILL – The Town of Snow Hill is inching closer toward the sale of its out-of-commission riverboat.
Town officials this week confirmed that financial details were being worked out regarding the loan from the Worcester County Commissioners that enabled the town to buy the boat. Once those details are worked out the sale of the boat can move forward.
“We hope to have news from the county commissioners in mid-July so that we can move ahead with sale of the boat,” said Snow Hill Town Manager Rick Pollitt. “We actually have two prospective purchasers talking with us. Our hope is to have the boat leave the dock before the end of July.”
In 2020, the town purchased the Black-Eyed Susan, a 149-passenger riverboat, with the help of a $400,000 loan from Worcester County. The boat had a successful season running up and down the Pocomoke River in 2021 but a mandatory inspection in 2022, however, revealed that the vessel needed extensive repairs in order to resume cruises. The inspection revealed issues with the hull, hydraulics system and paddlewheel frame. Initial repair estimates exceeded $600,000. As a result, the boat has been docked ever since.
Pollitt said this week the town was still obligated to repay the $400,000 loaned to it by the county.
Thought SNOW HILL new better than hire RICK POLLITT after what he screwed up WICOMICO COUNTY. He does nothing unless there is a kick back for him and screw the citizens
He is best at doing NOTHING! All he wants is a nice BIG desk to prop his BIG feet on and look important. A days work would kill him.
And a car to traverse from home and the office, paid for by the county or whoever his unlucky employer might be at the time 4:02
Two debacles in one article:
The paddle wheeler was a loser from the get-go buoyed only by self-dealing behind the scenes that did not benefit Snow Hill’s citizens but did get it off the books of private parties with connections.
No plaudits for Slick Ricky but IIRC he was still cashing Crisfield paychecks when Snow Hill got snagged for the floating shipwreck. Attentive readers will recall the food barge required a lot of expensive updates, repair, maintenance before it ever chugged up the Pocomoke; think Snow Hill was on the hook for those costs, too. Would be interesting to see actual costs and revenue generated during its operational days. Probably a state secret. So the Joke of the Pocomoke deal was hatched before Crisfield cut Ricky loose.
Prediction & suggestions: The distressed state of the vessel is likely known to the prospective buyers. Pretty good bet their offers will make land sales by Salisbury government to favored few look like tax payer windfalls in comparison.
Suggestions if purchases won’t float:
1) Scuttle it downstream and it can be used as a scuba dive site. Shops in town can rent equipment, give tours and charge students to learn inland scuba.
2) SU, now flush with cash from jettisoning the ‘substantial money losing’ Ward Museum can have the boat towed to Schumaker Pond and moored by the shuttered Eastern Shore cultural icon. They can create and open a Riverboat Casino major with bartending as a minor. Most SU students work those kind of jobs during and after they leave school or graduate; why not give them a life skill with the prestige of a SU certificate?
3) Snow Hill could probably use a fahrboat; it’s proven to be a major point of civic pride in other Eastern Shore county seats to have one. With Ricky’s grantmanship skills they could probably scare up grants to have it converted without it having to leave it’s current berth. The town is compact so if fitted with big-time equipment with GPS guided turrets it could assist with fahrs large and small without leaving the dock.
As Dave Letterman used to say, “Please, no wagering at home”.
/some sarc but lots of plain truth
Freaking great comment.
My first thought while reading the article was . . . . how did no one know what the hell they were buying or the condition it was in?
#2 is actually a pretty good idea…won’t happen…but it makes sense….
LOL !!!!
Purchased in 2020, ran in 2021, failed inspection in 2022. Who did the pre-sale inspection?
Stupid is as stupid does. And Slow Hill residents wonder why they are mocked and laughed at.