March 12 Commissioners Meeting Update
On Tuesday, March 12, Renesha Miles, Chief Equity Officer and Doria Fleisher, Community Engagement Coordinator, discussed an initiative for Collaborative Community Improvement Projects. The program is proposed as a 21-month pilot program to gauge community feedback on needed improvements and create projects that align with Commissioner Goals & Objectives.
Project planning would include collaboration between the Board of County Commissioners, government departments, community leaders and more. Communities for the pilot program would be selected in June 2024 with project construction to begin in Feb. 2025.
- Danielle Mitchell, Assistant Deputy County Attorney, gave commissioners a legislative update on the 2024 Maryland General Assembly session. Hearings were held on a bill that would require property developers pay a fee to be used instead of dedicating land, or a combination of dedication or construction of recreational facilities and a bill that proposed to require certain training to be completed by homeowners’ association members. Commissioners also gave consensus to send a letter in support of an alcohol delivery bill.
- Joel Binkley, Planning Supervisor, presented on the fiscal 2025 annual transportation priority letter to the Maryland Department of Transportation. The letter includes various priority projects for Charles County, including the Southern Maryland Rapid Transit Project and pedestrian safety improvements along the US 301 Corridor in Waldorf and at the intersection of US 301 and Smallwood Drive. Commissioners approved the letter.
Approval items
Commissioners approved:
- A budget transfer for $426,300 from the unassigned fund balance to the County Attorney’s Declaratory Judgement legal fee account. The request carries over $205,200 in funds carried over from fiscal 2023 and $46,100 to support legal fees that have occurred to date in fiscal 2024. The request also includes $175,000 in additional funds for the projected cost of the County’s impact to respond to a post-decision appeal. Commissioners voted 3-2 to approve the measure.
Actions on Board and Commissions
Commissioners took the following actions on appointments to Boards and Commissions:
- Appoint Omyni Harrell and James Wade as Citizen Members to the Commission for Veterans Affairs.
- Reappoint Michael Wilson, Richard Gilpin, Sarabit Suri, and Anthony Wilson, and appoint Guruprasad Swami as the Clergy Member to the Interfaith Commission
- Send a letter of recommendation to the Governor’s Appointment Office to reappoint Kevin Marek and to appoint Jon Gustin as the Alternate Member to the Property Tax Assessment Appeal Board
- Appoint Sheila Tyson as a Citizen Member to the Nuisance Abatement Hearing Board.
- Appoint Maxine Somerville as a Citizen Member to the Ethics Commission.
- Reappoint Mathew Cook as Chair and appoint James Sherman and Tia Sanders Smith as At-Large Members to the Animal Matters Hearing Board.
- Appoint David Bird as a District 1 Representative and Marcus Taylor as a District 4 Representative to the Charles County Police Accountability Board
Viewing option of the meeting and the Commissioner Listening Session: Click Here
Next Commissioners Session: March 19-20, 2024
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