A majority of the Calvert County Commissioners gave their approval for going forward with a renovation project at Calvert Marine Museum (CMM) in Solomons. The decision was made during the board’s Tuesday, Aug. 27 meeting.

 

A $1.63 million contract was awarded to Desbuild Incorporated of Hyattsville. The contract calls for Desbuild to furnish all labor, material, supervision and equipment necessary for the interior renovation of the CMM exhibition building. According to a memo from purchasing officer Roberta Baker, the funding is coming from CMM’s building construction capital project account,

The five steps of the project are the leveling of the floor in the building’s multipurpose room, the relocation of the main entrance, miscellaneous mechanical plumbing, HVAC and electrical work throughout the renovation area and selective demolition.

Only Commissioner Evan K. Slaughenhoupt Jr. [R] withheld support for moving forward with the plan. “It’s not a no, it’s a not now,” said Slaughenhoupt, who explained the sour economy made this a bad time to spend taxpayer money on a project that was not a crucial need.

Slaughenhoupt’s explanation prompted criticism from Commissioner Gerald W. “Jerry” Clark [R].

“Obviously, we’re getting into election year politics already,” said Clark, who explained the earmarked funds are a result of “public-private partnerships to improve a county-owned building. This is a project that can bring more tourism dollars into Calvert County. This project has been in the works for many years.”

Clark indicated the CMM Board of Governors raised a significant amount of money—matched with county funding—to get the capital project moving.

Slaughenhoupt countered that he had hoped “this project could be scaled back. The economy is down, people are hurting. This [project] is not satisfying a critical need.”

“This is not an easy vote,” said Commissioner Susan Shaw [R], who added “one of the bright spots in our economy has been tourism.” She declared the renovation project is a way “to support economic development.”

“I look at this as a long-term project that down the