Commissioner President Guy was unable to attend today’s meeting and asked me to chair the meeting in his place today. We started off with Invocation and Pledge followed by the approval of the Consent Agenda. The Consent Agenda included a letter of support for the Naval Air Station changing their legislative jurisdiction from exclusive jurisdiction to concurrent jurisdiction—I asked that this be delayed so that we could learn the full impacts of such a change.
Next we adjourned as the Commissioners of St. Mary’s County and reconvened as the Board of Health for a presentation from Dr. Brewster and Sheriff Steve Hall on Drug Use in the county. They provided a lot of information about various drugs being used in our community and the rates that we are seeing. They also talked about steps we can take and how to deal with substance use addiction. We then reconvened as the Board of Commissioners.
Our Main Agenda consisted of approving the recommended budget to take to Public Hearing. In a series of motions, we approved the FY2024 Recommended Budget, a public hearing for the Constant Yield Tax Rate, a public hearing for Fee & Charge Increases, a public hearing for the increase to the Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department Tax Rate to .056, and a public hearing on the recommended budget. Each of these public hearings will take place on the evening of Tuesday, April 25th at Chopticon High School. The budget is not finalized yet, there will be additional work sessions. Residents can reach out to us at the Public Hearings or any time via email.
Moving into County Administrator time, our first item of business was review of upcoming meeting agendas. Second we approved the Heroin Coordinator Grant Application for the Sheriff’s Office for $59,649. Third we approved the Sheriff’s request to use Federally and Locally Forfeited Funds to purchase signage, furniture, and equipment for $160,000. Fourth we approved a grant application for the FY2024 Police Accountability, Community and Transparency Grant for $47,117 with no county match required. Fifth we approved the FY2024 Sex Offender Compliance and Enforcement in Maryland grant application for $13,416 for the Sheriff’s Office. Sixth we approved the FY2024 Police Recruitment and Retention grant application for the Sheriff’s Office for $32,200. Seventh we approved SB 291 Pass Through Grant for the Board of Education for Oakville Elementary School Restroom Renovation for $180,784. Eighth we approved the Board of Education’s Schedule of Nonrecurring Costs for the Maryland State Department of Education—there are no applicable items to list on this schedule, this is a routine form that we are required to approve every year as part of the budget process. Ninth we approved the grant application for the Cal Ripken Foundation for $6,500 for the Badges for Baseball program. Tenth we approved the Piney Point Lighthouse and Museum Shoreline Restoration project grant for $1,937,953 from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation—we had previously attempted a different and less expensive fix to try to prevent the erosion, but the results have not worked out and this more advanced erosion prevention method is necessary. Eleventh we approved the FY2024 MDOT Transportation Priority Letter—the letter continues to list the Solomons Bridge and the Great Mills Intersection as priorities, but also includes widening of Route 4 up to the Solomons Bridge, Route 5 from St. Andrew’s Church Road through Leonardtown High School for improvements, and various highway projects. Our final item of business was approval of a Resolution to amend the Historic Preservation Commission to add an alternate member.
We then moved into County Attorney time for Legislative Updates. We voted to send letters of support for the following bills:
- SB 286 – Department of Veterans Affairs – Burial in State Veterans’ Cemeteries – Spouses and Dependents
- HB 1258/SB 134 – Property Tax Credit for Disabled Veterans – Established
During Commissioner Time I spoke about “things I read on the internet,” The 40th Annual Easter Egg Hunt this Saturday, and the Easter Breakfast this Sunday at the Second District Fire Department and Rescue Squad.
We then entered into Closed Session to discuss Real Property, Legal Advice, and Personnel.
