On Tuesday, September 26, Commissioners received a briefing from the Department of Economic Development and representatives from Kaiser Permanente on the Kaiser Permanent Project, scheduled to open its doors in Charles County in 2026. The facility will be located in Waldorf, near the intersection of route 301 Crain Highway and Billingsley Road and the master plan allows for several expansions of the facility to grow as membership in Charles County grows. Presenters shared that there are approximately 17,000 Kaiser Permanente members, who live in Charles County and Kaiser currently owns and operates 35 medical centers and partners with 12 premier hospitals within the DC, MD, and VA region.

Prior to its anticipated opening in 2026, Kaiser is already connecting to Charles County in two major ways:

• Investments are being made to non-profits, contributing $50,000 in funds; and
• Every Tuesday, Kaiser provides a mobile health vehicle, delivering free care to Kaiser Permanente members and non-members at Jaycees Community Center, offering routine lab tests, blood pressure monitoring, and various immunizations.

Briefings

• The Department of Public Works, Capital Services Division, presented a briefing to update Commissioners on the Western Parkway improvements. A status update for the two remaining phases and next steps for the required permits were provided for the Western Parkway, Phase 3 project, which is nearing design completion.
• Chief of Media Services, Jennifer Harris and Community Engagement Coordinator Doria Fleisher presented a briefing on communications regarding the Charter Board and the current level of community engagement surrounding this topic. This update included a guide to understanding Code Home Rule vs. Charter and Request for Proposal (RFP) for a contractor to provide communication services. Commissioners engaged in a dialogue surrounding this topic and received guidance from Acting County Administrator Deborah Hall, County Attorney Wes Adams, and Assistant Deputy County Attorney, Danielle Mitchell. Commissioners directed staff to revise a post card mailer for this initiative and provide a more cost-efficient option for this project. Commissioners authorized county staff to use the surveying platform to gather public input at the direction of the Acting County Administrator and the Assistant Deputy County Attorney. Commissioners approved the issuance of the RFP with minor text changes, which may include all the paid media options that were presented.
• An annual update on the Docket 90 report on the St. Charles community was presented by Lennar representatives Rick Barnas and Mark Anderson, Director of Land Development for Lennar. This update highlighted the remaining areas being developed in the St. Charles community, school allocation overview, St. Charles High School wetland mitigation site, and construction status on St. Charles Neighborhood Clubhouses for the Parklands and Highlands neighborhoods.

Work Sessions
The Commissioners held a work session on the 2024 Preliminary State Legislative Proposal Package. Assistant Deputy County Attorney, Danielle Mitchell presented 13 legislative proposals to the board of commissioners, who voted on approving the following items:

• Commissioners approved a proposal to adopt legislation to legalize golf carts on Cobb Island.
• Commissioners approved a proposal to change to Maryland Law 14-402 on behalf of the Adult Guardianship Review Board to change the Board’s membership composition requirement for a psychiatrist to allow for a psychiatrist, psychologist, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner in the field of psychiatry.
• Commissioners approved in a 4:1 vote, submitted by the Sheriff’s Office, to adopt legislation that would prohibit an unlicensed establishment from allowing the consumption of alcohol on their premises.
• Commissioners approved in a 4:1 vote a proposal to adopt legislation to prohibit operating unregistered motor vehicles, such as all-terrain vehicles, from being operated on a highway.
• Commissioners approved a proposal to enact a Parkland Dedication Ordinance to require property developers pay a fee to be used instead of dedicating land (i.e., "fee-in-lieu"), or a combination of dedication or construction of recreational facilities.
• Commissioners approved a proposal to change the minimum age requirement to run for Charles County School Board from 21 years old to 18 years old.
• Commissioners approved a proposal to require certain training be completed by those individuals appointed or elected to the governing body of a common ownership community.

Public Hearings
Commissioners held a public hearing on Tuesday, September 26 for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Maryland Recovery Housing program. Commissioners approved Resolution 2023-14 Submittal of Application for Recovery Housing Funds with the amendment to state, "in purchase of a property and all costs associated.” Click here to view the notice.

Approval Items
Commissioners approved:

• A budget transfer of $92,000 to accommodate for the anticipated FY 2024 property and liability insurance budget shortfall, which is a result of the increase in overall premium rate percentages that did not reflect the original estimate provided.
• A budget transfer of $1,376,080 to cover the costs for a scope increase involving a site redesign to upsize and realign both the waterline and storm drain system for the Bryans Road Well #7 capital project.
• Chief of Media Services, Jennifer Harris’ edits to the Community Support Fund Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) policy to cover changes to the logo requirements of County affiliated boards and commissions, particularly for groups who want to use their own logo or create a logo for their county government affiliated Social Media Facebook pages. Commissioners also approved the costs associated with creating a logo for these affiliated groups. This was approved with the caveat that language will be included in the ‘About Us’ section to describe each group’s county-affiliation for those using their own logos.
• Additional personal time off (PTO) to accommodate holidays for county employees, that are not currently recognized on a county level. This additional PTO will go into effect during the October 6 pay period for employees to get an additional 7.5 or 8 hours, depending on the annual hours worked by the employee.

Recognitions

• The Commissioners recognized employees with 20 years plus. The full list of employee covering 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 can be found here.
• The Commissioners recognized the Department of Environmental Resources Litter Control team as top performers: TJ Rollins, Aleksander Wonders, Stephan Johnson, and Kevin Gilman, who stopped to assist during a motor vehicle accident.

 

Viewing option of the meeting and the Commissioner Listening Session: Click Here

 

Next Commissioners Session: October 3-4, 2023

 

Citizens with special needs may contact the Maryland Relay Service at 711, or Relay Service TDD: 800-735-2258.