LEONARDTOWN, MD – The Commissioners of St. Mary’s County (CSMC) commenced their December meetings with a joint session alongside Captain Doug Burfield, Commanding Officer of Naval Air Station Patuxent River (NAS PAX), in the Frank Knox Building. Topics discussed included the Encroachment Agreement, the Military Installation Resiliency Review, and redevelopment updates, underscoring the strong collaboration between the county and NAS PAX.
Afterward, the Commissioners resumed their regular business meeting in the Chesapeake Building. The session opened with an invocation, pledge, and approval of the consent agenda.
Key Decisions During County Administrator Time
During County Administrator Time, the CSMC addressed several critical items:
- Future Meetings: Reviewed agendas for upcoming meetings.
- Recovery Court Grant: Approved an $84,607 grant from the St. Mary’s County Health Department for the Adult and Family Recovery Court Program, requiring no matching funds.
- Tobacco Compliance MOU: Authorized a $20,000 agreement with the Health Department and Sheriff’s Office for FY2025 tobacco sale compliance and enforcement. The budget for this grant was amended from $10,000 to $20,000.
- Three Notch Trail Conservation: Approved conservation easements for Phase VII of the Three Notch Trail, using 2.44 acres of county-owned forested land to offset mitigation fees of $31,889.46.
- Lancaster Park Lease: Finalized a new agreement with the Navy for Lancaster Park. The lease introduces an annual rent of $42,000, replacing the previous no-cost arrangement. The Navy will accept in-kind services as payment but will not account for the county’s prior investments in the property.
- Transit System Funding: Approved the FY2025 capital and operating grant agreement for the St. Mary’s Transit System, including:
- Capital Budget: $501,295 in federal funds, $62,662 in state funds, and a $62,662 county match, totaling $626,619.
- Operating Budget: $1,495,734 in federal and state funds, $1,288,353 from the county, and $366,869 in program income, totaling $3,150,956.
Commissioner Time
During Commissioner Time, members highlighted upcoming events and county matters. Commissioner Eric Colvin mentioned the COSMIC Symphony concert on Sunday at 3 p.m. at the Dodge Performing Arts Center. Colvin also noted a critical briefing from the NAS PAX joint meeting: it is illegal to fly drones, including hobby models, south of St. Andrew’s Church Road without Navy approval.
The session concluded with a closed session to address personnel matters.
Upcoming Meetings
The next CSMC meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024, at 9 a.m. in the Chesapeake Building, with a Budget Work Session at 9:30 a.m. Citizens can access meeting information, decisions, and documents through the BoardDocs platform on the St. Mary’s County Government website. Meetings are open to the public and available for live viewing on TV Channel 95 or the county’s YouTube channel.
For additional details, visit St. Mary’s County Government.
