Our first meeting for 2022 was definitely a full meeting to make up for last week’s canceled meeting due to the snow. We began with the Invocation and Pledge followed by the approval of the Consent Agenda. The Consent Agenda included a letter to Governor Hogan supporting a replacement bay bridge at the site of the current bay bridge. Commissioners from those neighboring counties (Queen Anne’s, Anne Arundel and Kent) asked us at the MACo conference to support their resolutions on the Bay Bridge and I’m happy that we were able to.
Next we presented two commendations for Sheriff’s Office Retirements: Harold Young for 29 years and 10 months of service and Michael Gardiner for 34 years and 4 months of service. Thank you both for choosing to serve our community!
We then adjourned as the Board of Commissioners and reconvened as the Board of Health and heard a presentation on COVID-19 from Dr. Brewster and Dr. Michaels (MedStar St. Marys). The rate of Omicron transmission is high and it is having a large impact on our healthcare system. Key takeaway—if you feel sick and want to get tested for COVID, definitely get tested. If you feel comfortable enough treating yourself at home and recovering at home, then don’t place the extra burden on our emergency room. However, if you feel like you need emergency care, please don’t hesitate to call 911 or go to the emergency room. Dr. Brewster asked us to institute a mask requirement for all indoor spaces in the county and to fund additional COVID tests. Later in the meeting we were able to allocate $250,000 of additional funds from our fund balance that had been set aside specifically for COVID to the Health Department for purchase of additional COVID tests.
Moving into our Main Agenda items after reconvening as the Board of Commissioners, we began by approving a proposed zoning ordinance for Agricultural Alcoholic Beverage Production and non-agricultural Alcoholic Beverage Production. This change makes it easier for people to create breweries. After that we approved a Public Hearing in the morning on February 1st for a request to change the zoning from Rural Preservation to Residential Mixed-Use for properties at 23595 Pike Lane and 23556 Three Notch Road, Hollywood. We also approved a Public Hearing for the evening of February 1st for a zoning change of 29871 Three Notch Road, Charlotte Hall from Mixed-Use Moderate Intensity and Residential Mixed-Use to entirely Mixed-Use Moderate Intensity.
We moved into our County Administrator portion of the agenda and the first item was review of upcoming meeting agendas—reminder that we will not meet next week because of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Second we approved a request from the Board of Education to increase the Restricted Fund Budget by $148,314 to reflect funds received for the Learning in Extended Academic Programs (LEAP) Grant. Third we approved accepting the Family Services Grant for $11,199.16 for the Circuit Court Family Services Program Coordinator. Fourth we approved a property tax credit for Irony LLC (St. James Deli & Spirits) based upon the creation of new jobs. Fifth we approved accepting the Community Development Block Grant COVID-19 Round 2-Emergency Rental Assistance Program grant for $700,000 (initially $75,000 was received, this is for the balance of $625,000). Sixth we approved the exercise of contract option with High Hotels, Ltd. for $5,600 for the purchase of a parcel of land for FDR Blvd Phase 3B. Seventh we approved a budget amendment and accepted the Airport Rescue Grant Program grant for $59,000. Eighth we approved a Memorandum of Understanding with the Friends of the St. Clements Island and Piney Point Museums that is a continuation of the current MOU and will last until January 2025. Ninth we approved the Childcare Stabilization Fund Grant for $77,090 for our Recreation and Parks School Age Care Centers. Our final item of business was approval of updates to the Personnel Policies and Procedures and Hourly Handbook of Policies and Procedures for St. Mary’s County government. These changes deal with covid-required leave, Federal requirements to have a written vaccine/testing policy and mask policy.
We finished the morning by entering into Closed Session to discuss Personnel. We will have a Public Forum this evening at 6:30 in the Commissioner’s Meeting Room. You can attend in person or watch it live via Channel 95 or the county’s YouTube channel. If you would like to speak to us about any topic of concern, you will have 3 minutes to speak—you can dial in to speak if you are uncomfortable attending in person.
