On Tuesday, June 25, Kelly Robertson-Slagle, Director of the Charles County Economic Development Department, Taylor Yewell, Chief of Business Development, and Sheil Patel, Director of Operations at the Maryland Airport, held a briefing on operations at the airport in Indian Head.  Patel stated that the airport is discussing establishing an on-site flight school and continues participating in several community activities. Patel stated that future plans included several hangar projects and other efforts to build up infrastructure at the airport. Patel stated that any future runway expansion would be five to eight years away and require FAA and EPA approval. 

Commissioners also voted to reconsider the motion to establish July 5, 2024, as a county holiday. Commissioners reversed a June 11, 2024, vote not to establish the day as a holiday. Commissioner Vice President Ralph E. Patterson II made the motion after further research indicated that July 5 was given as a county holiday in 2019. Commissioners then voted to approve July 5, 2024, as a county holiday.

On Wednesday, June 26, Commissioners held a special session to discuss plans to handle potential neighborhood nuisances during the Fourth of July holiday. Representatives from the Charles County Sheriff’s Office and La Plata Police Department detailed their monitoring efforts to deal with any potential nuisance complaints brought by residents. No legislative actions on the issue were taken during the meeting.

Briefings

·       Heather Kelley, Planning Supervisor, and Charles Rice, Planning Director, held a briefing on Docket 90 Amendment PDZA #24-90(23), Villages of Wooded Glen & Piney Reach Master Plan. The amendment would relocate a proposed Middle School from the Villages of Wooded Glen Neighborhood 3 to the Villages of Piney Reach Neighborhood 2, request an exemption to the 85% rule, and other amendments. Commissioners voted unanimously to schedule the public hearing for Tuesday, Sept. 17, at 6 p.m.

·       Dr. Dianna Abney, Charles County Health Officer; Julie Kosteas Brown, Healthcare Consultant; and Margaret Brown, Vice President of Business Development at Blue Zones, presented a briefing on a proposal for the Blue Zones Initiative in Charles County. The first phase of the proposal will be a study that will provide a detailed analysis of how to improve health and economic stability in the community. 

Actions on Boards and Commissions

Commissioners took the following actions on county boards and commissions:

• Reappoint Quincy Cobey to the Board of Fire & Rescue.
• Appoint Anupa Mukhopadhyay as the Attorney on the Sheriff’s

Office Disability Review Board.

• Reappoint Kathryn Young and Jacqueline Marshall Hall as Citizen

Members, appoint Anthony Wilson, Kerwin Wilson and Keeon

Johnson as Citizen Members to the Board of Social Services.

• Appoint LaTonya Rogers as an At-Large Member to the Homeowners

Association Dispute Review Board.

• Reappoint Jennifer Walker and Cynthia Ybanez-Casares as At-Large

Members to the Board of Appeals.

Approval Items

Commissioners approved:

·       A budget transfer request of $251,000 to transfer cumulative general fund salary savings from Planning & Growth Management to a capital project for office renovations at the County Government Building to take place during fiscal year 2025 to meet staffing needs.

·       A budget amendment increase of $210,000 to support the credit card budget for the Inspection & Review fund.

·       A budget transfer request of $209,000 in full-time salary savings from the Department of Recreation, Parks & Tourism for furniture and IT equipment for the new Recreation, Parks & Tourism building.

·       A budget transfer request of $70,000 using salary savings from the Department Recreation, Parks, and Tourism complete electrical work at Mallows Bay to complete a project to bring fiber optics to the park.

·       A budget Amendment Increase of $3,685,000 for the Animal Shelter Capital Improvement Project, which was delayed by a bid protest and subsequent litigation. The additional funding represents the increase in the cost of materials and labor that have occurred during the litigation period.

·       A budget transfer request of $65,610 from part time savings in the Community Options Wavier (COW) program special revenue fund to support higher than anticipated case manager oversite of the program.

·       A budget transfer request by the Charles County Public Schools of $3,531,000 from the La Plata High School capital project to the TC Martin capital project to cover invoices from May and June. The construction for the TC Martin capital project is moving faster than anticipated, which necessitated the transfer. Funds for the La Plata High School capital project will be returned in July.

·       Interagency Budget Transfers by the Charles County Board of Education.

·       The Fiscal Year 2025 Board of Education Budget

·       A proposed revision to the County Commissioner Expense Policy.

·       A request to use community support funds in the amount of $267 to purchase name tags and tablecloths for the Commission for Veterans Affairs.

 

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

 

Next Commissioners Session: July 9-10

 

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