[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6380375,"mediaKeyId","2132296-e5a1de132d2f7ffccbfb240189475f86","parentId",2132296,"title","Votes at a glance: commissioners approve MetCom easement, road acceptance, Navy 911 MOU, two grants and a budget amendment","audioSeconds",288,"startMs",2053000,"endMs",2341000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2132296-e5a1de132d2f7ffccbfb240189475f86&start=2053&end=2341","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2132296-e5a1de132d2f7ffccbfb240189475f86/thumbnail_2053000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6380375/St-Marys-County/Maryland/Votes-at-a-glance-commissioners-approve-MetCom-easement-road-acceptance-Navy-911-MOU-two-grants-and-a-budget-amendment","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6380375-da63a2cbb87b4fe45c7aeec4b13fc215/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164013&Signature=RQbQyIYE~BABLnZH68OlRbjnm-2izLLCf5QWqlYXoz4lp5Us~w1YWuyEN0I3WoVzCt5Qr7dhuYaeFgN9F-AwLm7OwjEihykMUxEsfX0-v5JB2PA9qFJ~lgNLEAcCX0jU-dvpb2uSZua6JtOU9nEOJHzH8TixSqVLl15nxXsaNDvTWbTK-yIcV6KdngAviGPKP9LzyhdgZl5W202w1RfW24~ZI8Cyma3QYNn7khCa3mpW-6qmVD4kKe-U4YJuwQqT4XQL29MzjQXwMnNUxCeUTQYrks5dGcuAFiB-YaigUCu5GkzVGpmiI4ZG6va1SfGRBcYqYY39oaE-UNf-sxvGxw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","St. Mary's County, MD","date","2025-01-20T23:17:58Z","article","St. Mary's County commissioners approved several administrative and financing items April 4, including a permanent sewer easement for the St. Mary's County Metropolitan Commission's Great Mills pump station, acceptance of a short subdivision road into the county highway maintenance system, a memorandum of understanding with the Department of the Navy for rerouting Navy-originated 911 calls, two state grant agreements for county programs, and a budget amendment to restore salary savings to the county's emergency reserve.

Highlights and outcomes

- Metropolitan Commission easement for Great Mills pump station: Commissioners authorized the president to execute a deed of easement and related documents to permit construction of sewer lines for the Metropolitan Commission's new Great Mills wastewater pump station. MetCom's executive director, George Erickson, told the board the project has an estimated cost of $7,000,000 and increases pumping capacity to roughly 1,500 equivalent dwelling units; the project requires easements across a county canoe-and-kayak launch site. The motion passed by voice vote.

- Thompson subdivision road acceptance and signage: The board adopted a resolution accepting Julian Grace Court (339 feet) in the Thompson subdivision into the county highway maintenance system and adopted an ordinance setting a maximum speed of 25 mph and establishing a stop-controlled intersection at Colby Drive. Public Works interim director John Groger said final inspections and a one-year maintenance bond were in place. The motion passed by voice vote.

- Memorandum of understanding with Department of the Navy: Commissioners authorized the president to sign an updated MOU between St. Mary's County Emergency Services & Technology and Navy District Washington for the rerouting (warm transfer) of Navy 911 calls originating on local naval installations. Bob Kelly, county CIO, said the agreement had been previously approved by the county in 2013 but required updated Navy signatures. The motion passed by voice vote.

- Recreation & Parks DHMH grant (New Horizons summer camp): The board approved acceptance of a Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene contract in the amount of $29,781 for the New Horizons (Verizon) summer camp serving children and young adults with disabilities. Director Brian Louie said the program has operated more than 26 years; the FY18 total program cost is $64,872 with $35,091 from county funds. The motion passed by voice vote.

- Aging & Human Services Senior Rides program (MDOT/MDTA grant): Commissioners approved the FY18 grant application and acceptance for the Senior Rides program (project MD 1805) totaling $36,636, including $25,977 in state funds and an $8,659 local match. Julie Birch, senior rides coordinator, said volunteer drivers provide rides for errands and medical appointments; a secondary insurance policy covers volunteer drivers. The motion passed by voice vote.

- Budget amendment and emergency reserve transfer: Finance staff presented a budget amendment realigning $91,225 across personal services accounts and transferring $412,635 to the commissioner's emergency reserve, for a total amendment of $503,860 (salary savings). Jeanette Cudmore, CFO, said the transfer brings the commissioner's reserve balance higher and is the third such transfer this fiscal year. The motion passed by voice vote.

All votes recorded in the meeting transcript were carried by voice vote with commissioners responding \"Aye\"; no roll-call tallies were listed in the transcript.

Why it matters: The MetCom easement clears a land-use and right-of-way step for a multi-million-dollar wastewater project that county staff say is tied to long-term traffic and utility plans. The grants sustain two county programs serving children with disabilities and older residents without transportation, while the budget amendment preserves contingency reserves built from salary savings.

Provenance: Each action was introduced by the responsible department head and approved by motion during the April 4 meeting; motions and approvals are captured in the meeting transcript.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","4/4/2017 Commissioners of St. Mary's County","oneSentenceSummary","St. Mary's County commissioners approved several administrative and financing items April 4, including a permanent sewer easement for the Metropolitan Commission's Great Mills pump station and approvals for grants and a budget amendment.","taxTitle","St. Mary's County, Maryland","taxId",51086,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6380380,"Commissioners split on proposed development impact fee ahead of public hearing",1169,2359000,3528000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2132296-e5a1de132d2f7ffccbfb240189475f86&start=2359&end=3528","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2132296-e5a1de132d2f7ffccbfb240189475f86/thumbnail_2359000.jpg","/articles/6380380/St-Marys-County/Maryland/Commissioners-split-on-proposed-development-impact-fee-ahead-of-public-hearing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6380380-8d8ce6424cf25e8c667c4ebfbc6d6f91/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164014&Signature=KC5xzFZcpC5KF5xEVaXdCfWcxtjIC-pqfPCxcoomxO~Teu7fh0~oEEBtSzUjPylqCcBi4eT0smgPXGgi2GHMMhSyrYidkZjGHqbEJ6VLaoGdCT3CX9NRuanxTkicN~maB1sJni39YedAtmjE-nMXDYFYgoVlVwgaDO9Yazlhp16rZAR1uSxEvY6kQL2GZcow2ptcfhd-ICEXyuheDJRtXNQDRYJCsR~8nF5O~GWCqFGFzFKhxdqux8MfvxBL8MH~GodNPxBb5w0SBbdAvlFfKoxSbtXxp8EMqGagnQUMCC1Z3PwXqkoF0xlD-qPe9Sd~MFFw9QgUeWlVej3DRGomaQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","St. Mary's County commissioners spent a significant portion of their April 4 meeting debating a proposed revision to the county's development impact fee and urging residents to attend a public hearing on the ordinance later that evening.

Commissioner Todd Morgan said the proposal in its current form contains \"a huge pile of legal entanglements\" and signaled firm opposition to the draft. \"In the present form of the ordinance, I will not be able to support any way whatsoever increasing an impact fee,\" Morgan said during commissioner time.

Why it matters: The county has not changed its impact fee since 2000, when the fee was $4,500, even as population grew from about 86,232 in 2000 to 112,587 in 2016, according to figures cited at the meeting. Commissioners said impact fees fund capital needs tied to growth, including schools, roads and parks, and that updating the fee could shift more infrastructure costs to new development rather than existing taxpayers.

Discussion details: Commissioners and staff described disagreements over the fee methodology, the timing of capital projects the fee would finance and how other jurisdictions structure development charges. Questions raised included whether school capacity figures and land costs used in calculations reflect current plans (commissioners noted land such as Hayden Farm has already been purchased) and whether the county's water and sewer financing—handled by the independent St. Mary's County Metropolitan Commission—affects comparability with neighboring counties that include utilities in county government.

One commissioner summarized a phased increase outlined in staff materials: an initial jump from the current $4,500 to $12,744 on July 1, followed by a second increase that would bring the fee to roughly $25,488 a year later. Commissioners urged caution. \"We need to slow down. I cannot support this ordinance the way it's written,\" Morgan said, calling for clearer methodology and accurate, transparent calculations.

Board action and next steps: No final vote on the ordinance occurred at the April 4 meeting. Commissioner Randy Guy, president of the Board of County Commissioners, reminded the public that a formal public hearing on the proposal would be held at 6:30 p.m. the same day in the meeting room to take comment from residents.

Context: Speakers compared St. Mary's to Charles County and Leonardtown, where impact fees and related charges differ in structure and scope. Commissioners noted other counties may collect utility hookup fees that St. Mary's does not, complicating direct comparisons. Several commissioners said that while they support updating the fee to reflect growth, they want a clearer, defensible formula before adopting a change that could more than quintuple the current charge.

Ending: Commissioners urged residents, including builders, Realtors and ordinary homeowners, to attend the public hearing and submit questions to staff on the underlying calculations and intended uses of any new revenue.","St. Mary's County commissioners debated a proposed overhaul of the county\u0000development impact fee during commissioner time April 4, with at least one commissioner saying he cannot support the ordinance as drafted. A public hearing on the proposal was set for the same day at 6:30 p.m.","actionData","errors"]

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Votes at a glance: commissioners approve MetCom easement, road acceptance, Navy 911 MOU, two grants and a budget amendment

Commissioners split on proposed development impact fee ahead of public hearing