LA PLATA, Md. – On Tuesday, Dec. 11, the Board of Commissioners approved the Hazard Mitigation Plan. The plan provides for sustained actions that the county will take to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to life and property from hazards and natural disasters. The plan is required to qualify for mitigation grants and must be updated every five years. Staff provided an overview of the planning process, which involved internal and external community stakeholders who assessed vulnerabilities and updated mitigation strategies. Following a thorough review process, 70 new or updated mitigation actions have been included in the 2018 plan.

Approval Items

  • Commissioners approved a letter of support from the County Attorney for Russell Shlagel, property owner of Shlagel Farms, which is required as part of an application for an agricultural deer cooperator permit from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The approval includes conditions that require written public notification and outreach to the adjacent neighborhoods to inform them of the activities and regulations associated with the permit.
  • Commissioners approved several 2019 legislative proposals in their legislative package to the Charles County Delegation for the 2019 General Assembly Session. Proposals submitted by the Sheriff’s Office were all approved, except for a request to access records related to juveniles prohibited from firearms possession. The Board of License Commissioners received approval for a proposal seeking to amend the Alcohol Beverages License to allow exterior protective coverings to a premises, as well as reclassify a golf course license to a privilege that is automatically granted. The Homeowners Association Dispute Review Board received approval to broaden the scope of matters that could be adjudicated, including Homeowners Association bylaws and adopted rules and regulations.
  • Commissioners approved a change to the Charles County Safety Manual regarding take home vehicles. The change would provide members of the Board of Commissioners to have the option of being issued a take-home, county vehicle for the purpose of conducting official county business. The County Administrator will manage the Commissioners’ fleet of vehicles.
  • Commissioners approved an exception to the process for the Community Support Fund in order to pay for a $1,000 sponsorship for the Charles County NAACP Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. community breakfast. Commissioners will schedule a more thorough review of the community sponsorship process in the future.

Commissioners also approved the following agenda items:

  • The appointment of Carol DeSoto as the acting clerk to the Commissioners.
  • A budget amendment increase of $425,000 to purchase water from Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, during periods of time when Charles County wells were out of service and it could not be acquired from other locations due to limits established in state permits.
  • Budget transfer requests reallocating $1,671,000 from the Old McDaniel to Ocelot Street Project. This project is not warranted at this time as traffic volume is lower than anticipated. A portion of the fund will be set aside for a future traffic study in that area, and the remaining funds will pay for costs associated with the Billingsley Roundabout, and for upgrades to Stavors Road.  The balance will be transferred to the Contingency Inflation project that can be used for future unexpected costs in other projects.

Commissioner Appointments:

Commissioners approved appointments of individual members to local boards, committees, and councils. View the list of appointments on BoardDocs.

For More Information:

Commissioners meetings are aired on CCGTV, which broadcasts on Comcast channel 95 and Verizon channel 10, and are available for streaming at www.CharlesCountyMD.gov/media-services/ccgtv/ccgtv.    Materials and minutes of the Commissioners meeting will be posted at www.boarddocs.com/md/chrlsco/Board.nsf/Public upon approval.