On Tuesday, Sept. 24, the Charles County Board of Commissioners held a work session to discuss 2020 state legislative proposals. Members of the Charles County State Delegation joined County Commissioners to discuss more than 30 proposals that were considered for comments at a public hearing held on Tuesday, Sep. 10.  The proposals were submitted by County Commissioners, County Administrator Mark Belton, Charles County Sheriff’s Office, local boards and commissions, local advocacy organizations, and residents. At the work session, they discussed a range of proposals, related to issues such as liquor licensing requirements, veterans’ services, school board oversight, additional speed cameras, and real property tax credits for certain groups. Visit BoardDocs for a complete summary of proposals.

Public Hearings
 

Commissioners held public hearings to receive comments on the following items:

• A Community Development Block Grant Program that was used to acquire a building for the Waldorf Senior and Recreational Center and to acquire a home operated by Lifestyles Of Maryland, Inc. that provides services to homeless victims of domestic violence.

• A grant to expand the Zekiah Watershed Rural Legacy Area Program.
Approval Items

Commissioners approved the following requests:

• A budget transfer request of $200,000 to pay for acquisition of a conservation easement in Nanjemoy adjacent to property owned by The Nature Conservancy. The funding was transferred from the Rural Legacy Program.

• A budget transfer request of $246,000 from the Board of Education contingency and excise tax contingency funds to capital funds to complete renovations at Benjamin Stoddert Middle School.

• The standard operating procedure for managing fund balance within the county’s budget.

• The fiscal year 2021 operating budget calendar.

• Revisions to the policy for state and local legislative package and process guidelines.

• A request to terminate the Holly Hall Development Rights & Responsibilities Agreement and refund $585,000, contingent on the acquisition of a conservation easement encumbering the property or the acquisition of the property by the Department of Natural Resources and withdrawal of a preliminary plan for its use.

• A letter of support on behalf of the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission’s request for level funding in the Governor’s fiscal 2021 budget.

• A letter of request to the Governor’s Office to allocate project funding in the fiscal 2021 budget to pay for an interchange and related improvements at U.S. Route 301 and Western Parkway.

Recognitions

• Commissioners honored Charles County Sheriff’s Correction Officers Eric Keys and Phillip Norris for their courageous acts to save the life of an injured woman, and presented a citation recognizing their acts of heroism.

• Commissioners presented a proclamation recognizing September 24 as Charles County Opioid Awareness Day and extended their appreciation to the Charles County Health Department, Charles County Sheriff’s Office and Charles County Fire and Emergency Services Stations for their efforts to address the opioid crisis.

• Commissioners recognized new county employees, acknowledged employees for milestones in years of service, and thanked recent retirees for their county service.