News Flash

The Commissioners November 9th meeting started at 5:00 p.m. with a closed session for Boards & Commissions and Personnel.

The regular meeting was called to order at 5:45 p.m. 

Human Resources Position Request (part time to full time) 

A motion was made to convert a part-time Human Resource Specialist II position to full-time status.  This will help with the continuing high volume of recruitment/retention and training of new staff members that the human resource department has been managing during the past year.    APPROVED 5-0    

PUBLIC WORKS

Roads

Item#                                                                                                                                      

The Roads Division is requesting to purchase two (2) John Deere Utility Tractors with Tiger mowers, from Atlantic Tractor, of Queen Anne, MD, in the amount of $206,615.04, via the Sourcewell Pre-Established Government Contract.  As part of this purchase, units #0535 and #0537 (both 1993 Ford 6610 mowers) will be disposed of via Gov Deals.  This purchase was programmed in FY2022 and adequate funding is available in the FY2022 Capital Equipment Budget.  APPROVED 5-0

A public hearing was held on October 20, 2021, at 7 pm, at the Kent Island Estates Community Hall to present and review the proposed Worcester Road Improvement Special Assessment project with members of the Kent Island Estates Roads Association, property owners and community members.  A total of 16 out of the 21 property owners provided testimony and/or written comment.  Twelve (12) property owners are in favor of the project as proposed, four (4) property owners opposed the project, five (5) property owners made no response.   APPROVED 5-0

Sanitary

The Sanitary Commission granted the Boatel Restaurant 2,046-gpd of water and sewer allocation to construct a 5,531 sf restaurant on a newly created lot immediately adjacent to the boatel facility located in the northwest quadrant of Kent Narrows.  This is the Public Works Agreement for the allocation grant for signature.  APPROVED 5-0

The Solid Waste Division is requesting to purchase a Case 621G Loader with Asbury 2.25 cy 4 in 1Bucket and a Henke Hydraulic Angle Plow, from GT Mid Atlantic, of Greenwood, DE, in the amount of $205,530.00 via the Sourcewell Pre-Established Contract.  The Case Sourcewell discount is 37%.  This purchase will replace a 2005 Caterpillar Telehandler which will continue to be utilized as needed at all Transfer Stations and remain part of the Debris Management Plan during a disaster event.  This purchase was programmed in FY2022 and adequate funding is available in the FY2022 Capital Equipment Budget and the Bakers Rubblefill Surcharge fund.  Each account will cover 50 percent of the purchase. This is equal to $102,765.00 each.  APPROVED 5-0

ACTION ITEMS

Item #                                                                                                                                                 

Commissioner Corchiarino read the Proclamation 

Commissioner Moran read the Proclamation

This is the MTA Operating Grant Agreement packet for FY 2022.  Signing these documents
 informs MTA that Queen Anne’s County accepts the Federal and State funding to support transit services and County Ride the Locally Owned Transit System of Queen Anne’s County. The FY22 operating federal and state allocations continue to support the necessary budget and county dollars
 will also be decreased this year due to the additional CARES Act Funding for the transit programs. APPROVED 5-0

This is a contract bid award for grounds maintenance at the Blue Heron Golf Course.  The contract term is for five years (January 1, 2022 thru December 31, 2026).  Three vendors submitted bids and staff recommends awarding the contract to the lowest bidder Growing Solutions for the overall amount of $1,423,688.16.  Funding to come from the Department of Parks & Recreation — Blue Heron Golf Course Enterprise Fund under Maintenance Agreements.  APPROVED 5-0

This is a support letter for Doncella Wilson, ED of Minary’s Dream Alliance for a project titled “History of the Shantytowns in the Kent Narrows”. They have received funding from MD Humanities ($10,000) to begin the project which had a projected total of $15,000. They are now seeking funding from the Stories of the Chesapeake Heritage Area to complete the project. The amount of the grant they are applying for is $5,000.  This project will document the community history of the shantytowns at the Kent Narrows. From the 1930s to the late 1980s, African American residents lived in housing provided by the seafood packing houses where they worked. The one-room derelict dwellings were the foundation of a prosperous industry; however, the families did not benefit.  Even after many of the packing houses closed, many families remained in the housing until they were forced to relocate.  APPROVED 5-0

This is a request from the Commissioners of St. Mary’s County seeking our mutual support for a more favorable split of potential opioid settlement funds between local jurisdictions and the state.  A support letter is included for your consideration (see page 32) which requests an 85/15 split between local jurisdictions and the state respectively (the current proposal is reversed ie. State 85% Local 15%).  APPROVED 5-0

This is the list of Queen Anne’s County holidays for calendar year 2022 for approval.  APPROVED 5-0

Attached for your consideration and approval is the FY-2023 Budget Calendar.  The County Administrator’s Budget is to be released on March 22, 2022, with Commissioner work sessions in
 late March and early April.  The Commissioner’s Proposed Budget is to be released on April 14, 2022, with three (3) public hearings in early May.  Budget adoption is scheduled for May 24, 2022.  APPROVED 5-0

DESK ITEM 9.  Grasonville & Mowbray Court Work – This is a contract award with ATC Corp. (formerly American Tennis Courts) to refurbish the Courts at Grasonville Park and Mowbray Park using the National Cooperative Purchasing Alliance Contract NCPA#08-18.  The work includes: 1) Grasonville Park:  Mill, pave, fence, color coat and stripe 3 courts (1 tennis, 4 pickle ball and 1 basketball), and 2) Mowbray Park:  Mill, pave, fence, color coat and stripe 3 tennis courts, 6 pickleball courts.  Total contract cost is $375,486.00.  Adequate funding is available in the Capital Project Budget #40945 Parks Court Work of $150,000.00 and the balance in Project Budget #40215 Parks Preventative maintenance for $225,486.00   APPROVED 5-0

INFORMATIONAL ITEMS

Item #                                                                                                                                                 

1. Re-allocation of Maryland State Ceiling letter      
2. Thank you letter Pickin and Grinnin        
3. Sudlersville Senior Center Thank you letter Pickin and Grinnin
4. Letter Joint Federal/State Wetland Permit Application, Ingleside Mine, Phase 3
5. Queen Anne’s County Plumbing and HVAC Board Minute 9.23.21
6. Notification to Adjacent Property Owners to eliminate lot line 300 Tidewater 

Drive, Centreville

PRESENTATIONS

Item #                                                                                                                                                 

DESK ITEM – Letter to Comptroller Franchot - This is a draft letter addressed to the Comptroller opposing the phase out of wild oyster fishing and replacing it with aquaculture.  APPROVED 5-0

You can also watch the meeting here:

https://youtu.be/kADecLIFPo0