[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-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",[32,75,87,99],{"_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",6250415,"mediaKeyId","3202214-9cac6a69c6a10ef4b14e63affab668bd","parentId",3202214,"title","County authorizes application for $25,000 Critical Area grant to review local rules","audioSeconds",132,"startMs",6565000,"endMs",6697000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3202214-9cac6a69c6a10ef4b14e63affab668bd&start=6565&end=6697","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3202214-9cac6a69c6a10ef4b14e63affab668bd/thumbnail_6565000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6250415/St-Marys-County/Maryland/County-authorizes-application-for-25000-Critical-Area-grant-to-review-local-rules","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6250415-d1cb3929a26ea54ef74463b700fd0144/orig.mp4?Expires=1775734692&Signature=iPgzDj3MVaaQE7rvJy-mwXbNdk7qhZUdjHwPz31bt8GhGB~xGTtG9aeTOuheLBDutIJtCALT3doQkuV3bw--8jErz6T-Pmc3JxGc9aQ4I3nCVriM8t6iGCfwWcn-I9kc3EICfU1IAQ8XZoZPBWaTp0F3nPhF1oqkDV8hiAyhx3-z-1aw2AV4dQydfaPwwo-JlS1nebgeRdbkyliHLLw9aBl0f4mfTqljIHFPGQrfH2J4tGYRoNE82eSrGOVDPVjq1Ap50idyuO5swOpCsR2gESSVMAXz-26IRtFByPZdzAaWDQdYQlv0nPTG5EC8hS3UexZXf5Rr2R1COzORMKygog__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","St. Mary's County, MD","date","2025-05-07T03:19:59Z","article","St. Mary’s County commissioners on May 6 authorized the Department of Land Use and Growth Management to apply for a $25,000 Maryland Critical Area Commission grant for fiscal year 2026 to support a comprehensive review of the county’s local critical-area program.

Amanda Yowell, environmental planning division manager, told the commission the grant would fund staff time or be used with a consultant to complete a required review of critical-area regulations and ensure consistency with recent state regulatory changes. “Comprehensive review is required on a regular basis,” Yowell told commissioners, noting a recent state regulation requires a review of local critical-area rules every 10 years.

Commissioners asked whether the grant would be used to reduce regulatory burden for property owners where state law allows; Yowell said the grant could support work to identify amendments that reduce unnecessary burdens while keeping the county in compliance with state law. The grant requires no local match and would not affect the department’s regular budget.

The commission voted to authorize the application and to allow the commission president to sign related documents. Staff said they would return with any proposed amendments or follow-up work resulting from the grant-funded review.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","5/6/25 Commissioners of St. Mary's County","oneSentenceSummary","The Board of Commissioners authorized the Department of Land Use and Growth Management to apply for a $25,000 Maryland Critical Area Commission grant to support a comprehensive 10-year review of county critical-area regulations.","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},6250420,"Commissioners approve IT budget realignment to accelerate recreation software upgrade",870,5667000,6537000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3202214-9cac6a69c6a10ef4b14e63affab668bd&start=5667&end=6537","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3202214-9cac6a69c6a10ef4b14e63affab668bd/thumbnail_5667000.jpg","/articles/6250420/St-Marys-County/Maryland/Commissioners-approve-IT-budget-realignment-to-accelerate-recreation-software-upgrade","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6250420-1782d328e441623d49a101a5653505da/orig.mp4?Expires=1775734692&Signature=LtOmUtBm4l4EU-g9jtzMyWaaVWocSUYRSy6lGa9CoC2HXEUOZw2pFP4ywEjQBe~dcy5GgF4rqt~UXNmAwu5dd7gnUNtib5nDncq6AyKwcZ87pk3F7IJ-piVReRz0FWctp~h5dy8~l0~ToLNt8LU2mzYawBj7Isk5KAAxOd93yLd58~XoKOxDUBUrxofsMmYjfyxZUam2imiyE1N3UoZ-nkjy1AIxMp05sRIfVEwcnW8pBT-F47E-rN60XsAePxq3N-b-8zRZc~oABo2cCKHOI3NjemocXGc~YanmjlSp0dPslvwDcXtckToOmJ5pn6JYar2yEXxJY1F3B40QY6A~SQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","On May 6 the St. Mary’s County commissioners approved a budget amendment allowing the information-technology department to reallocate one-time savings from a Microsoft licensing timing adjustment to purchase a new recreation and parks management system and to place remaining savings into the commissioners’ emergency reserve.

IT director Bob Kelly told commissioners that a prior Microsoft licensing renewal had been bridged to an August payment date, producing approximately $215,000 in timing savings. “We’re able to do that because it’s on a GSA schedule,” Kelly said, explaining the county could accelerate procurement for a replacement recreation-management product rather than wait until next fiscal year. He said Recreation and Parks selected a vendor and staff expected to go live by next spring or summer.

Kelly said the current recreation software (installed circa 2006–2007) is aging and that modernization would improve mobile-friendliness, online scheduling and ticketing and reduce staff time spent maintaining older systems. He said departments reviewed multiple vendors and that purchasing now would allow the project to be removed from next year’s budget. The proposal would use about $115,000 of the savings for the software purchase and place about $100,000 into the commissioners’ emergency reserve.

Commissioners asked how the software would affect field scheduling disputes and whether policy changes would also be needed to prevent overbooking. Kelly and Recreation and Parks staff said the new system would be more user-friendly and mobile-friendly and could support better data and controls, but that some issues (for example, league booking policy, penalties for no-shows and inter-league field allocation) would require policy decisions by Recreation and Parks and county policy staff rather than being solely a software fix.

The commissioners voted to authorize the budget amendment and to allow procurement of the new recreation-management software under a GSA schedule and county purchasing rules. Staff said procurement would proceed immediately and that the department would report implementation timelines to the commission.","County IT staff won approval to reallocate savings from Microsoft licensing to buy replacement recreation software (CivicPlus) and to put remaining savings into the commissioners’ emergency reserve.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6250425,"St. Mary’s County approves $217,000 from reserve for courtroom renovation after judge warns of backlog",1986,3684000,5670000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3202214-9cac6a69c6a10ef4b14e63affab668bd&start=3684&end=5670","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3202214-9cac6a69c6a10ef4b14e63affab668bd/thumbnail_3684000.jpg","/articles/6250425/St-Marys-County/Maryland/St-Marys-County-approves-217000-from-reserve-for-courtroom-renovation-after-judge-warns-of-backlog","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6250425-c7dc5324f5f5207224c3ba972a1bc423/orig.mp4?Expires=1775734692&Signature=PmV7kcDgAt4RN4X5K3W1Z5IGFIJzeDNJ8npc6M9xBRx82ZZoPIXdGHyhhXG7zuo~8yp6lXCTlyLTs7cCcFOK6xU2R1tFwczv1126Vp1JCWHe7aT8lIinW8nBmDr1-m34TBOdz6y9hVk9LEZQEjVxsVSYTDAQQ5F378xHnZQT5jLYOcFHT93gsx5Fg8PQKBb-si-QZIhZRA1OYHwXHaOpaxptAHY2g4d~Wa~h1WypMXdnyqDmZj4oYivHprt22CwRRqpEBsmAxjPoyU4S3MwqFYe6q3bU3NFSbf0fKUJzCmXoTFso6T0~sdZV41s5ILgZ4SUTBBjmRw6dMxkxSKRtQw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Commissioners of St. Mary’s County on May 6 approved a $217,000 transfer from county capital reserves to renovate courthouse space to create an additional courtroom and related office space.

Judge Joseph Stanelones, administrative judge for the Circuit Court for St. Mary’s County, told commissioners that the court’s workload has increased in ways not fully captured by statewide methodology used to approve new judgeships. “This request is to put a tourniquet on a gaping bleeding wound,” he said, arguing the extra courtroom would help manage a backlog of contested criminal jury trials and family merits hearings.

Stanelones and a recorded excerpt of the chief justice’s presentation explained that jury trials in St. Mary’s County rose sharply: contested criminal jury trials were 261% higher in calendar-year 2024 than in 2019, while family law merits hearings increased about 62% over the same period. The judge said those increases consume court time because trials and merits hearings require many hours that cannot be scheduled into the standard docketing model; he described judges starting court earlier, working through lunch and staying late to keep cases moving.

County administrator David Weiskopf introduced the budget transfer item as a request to move $217,000 from the county capital reserve to fund renovation work that would convert existing space into an additional courtroom and provide office support; $113,000 of the requested funds represented operating-salary savings the administrator said would revert to fund balance at fiscal year end, reducing the effective one-time cost to $104,000.

Commissioners asked about the number of judges on the bench and timelines to fill an existing vacancy. The judge explained the county is authorized for three judgeships (one position was vacant following the unexpected death of a judge) and said this request would move the authorized complement from three to four judgeships; the judiciary has petitioned the legislature for a fourth judgeship but the request was not approved in the most recent session. He described temporary reliance on senior/visiting judges and said senior judges alone could not cover the court’s full calendar.

Commissioners also queried security and bailiff needs related to an additional courtroom; Stanelones said he requested funding for a bailiff and expected to coordinate with the sheriff’s office on law-enforcement presence. He estimated the additional bailiff cost would be limited because the courtroom would not be filled every day.

After discussion about courtroom scheduling, senior-judge availability and security coverage, the commission approved the transfer and authorized the commission president to sign related documents. The motion directed that $217,000 be transferred from the county’s capital reserve to fund the renovation, with understanding that $113,000 in operating salary savings would revert to fund balance at fiscal year end, leaving an effective net need of $104,000 for renovation and related costs.

County staff said renovation work will proceed under county procurement rules and that implementation details and timelines will be provided to the commission as plans are finalized. Judge Stanelones reiterated that adding courtroom capacity is intended to relieve extreme calendar pressure and to allow civil and family dockets to proceed without repeatedly bumping cases for criminal speedy-trial requirements.","Commissioners authorized a $217,000 transfer from county capital reserve to add a fifth courtroom and renovate existing space after Circuit Court leaders described rising jury trials and family hearings that, they said, have stretched the court’s capacity.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6250430,"St. Mary’s County certifies 19 volunteers to LOSAP list and approves new response rewards program",443,2112000,2555000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3202214-9cac6a69c6a10ef4b14e63affab668bd&start=2112&end=2555","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3202214-9cac6a69c6a10ef4b14e63affab668bd/thumbnail_2112000.jpg","/articles/6250430/St-Marys-County/Maryland/St-Marys-County-certifies-19-volunteers-to-LOSAP-list-and-approves-new-response-rewards-program","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6250430-f4cece7bc766c2f3c9b0f2c10bdae1f9/orig.mp4?Expires=1775734692&Signature=AAutzPqrM8T7lzFT1RrkQXzfA4nKBEPGfXlWh3HJyFaNs1W3X0gh8dJQaNANQ9eUad-OtDVgXOqTomFshVHHsoHJOmDhmo1~0QhSObjgl2C-A2JDeyng87D5NqzbHDXnKcQV~b-YgJsbx9jrl3rZtzzeCyY0ProHNIYHMripzzEtju-Io6aibs5Aoi4sPxBthv2oHyTLlteFz3jtU~A222hD6tjQE4ZRdvO0OJfXmAB6gGgDWt5nmwLPbery68KTzKUdW9jDl1C3PKRztV0NQcTQ7qIEkwpSd0RYlmcT9Y5wa1BCeS~akYbBMYXHb6FMNw2mnM-Knn3OpzyTIHY-ow__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Commissioners of St. Mary’s County on May 6 voted to add 19 fire and emergency medical services volunteers to the county’s 2024 LOSAP eligibility list and to establish an active volunteer firefighting and rescue squad response rewards program.

County emergency services director Jennifer Utz told the commission that the 2024 LOSAP eligibility list had been posted as required by county code and that 19 members had filed formal appeals after their names did not appear. “The 2024 LOSAP list was presented and acknowledged approved on 03/11/2025,” Utz said, and the department asked the board to certify the 19 additional names.

The move to approve those additions followed commissioners’ questions about how the list is compiled and why members can be left off. Utz said departments use different reporting software and that individual departments maintain master spreadsheets that are submitted to the LOSAP executive committee; that committee then forwards the final list to Human Resources. She said part of the discrepancy is volunteers who are members of multiple departments and differences among department reporting tools.

On a separate, but related, agenda item the board approved creation of the active volunteer firefighting and rescue squad response rewards program (LOSAP plus). Utz said the county opened a volunteer portal to collect members’ program choices and supporting data and closed it April 28 so staff could scrub submissions. “There were 835 submissions at the time we cut the portal off,” Utz told the commissioners. She said 35 submissions were incomplete and 19 applicants had filed appeals that the commissioners had just approved for LOSAP credit.

Utz provided a financial snapshot for LOSAP plus: total submissions represented about $1,330,000 in claimed value (either property tax credit or stipend), incomplete submissions represented about $149,000, and approval of the 19 appeals would add roughly $23,000. Utz told the board the program was not expected to exceed the $1.6 million figure discussed earlier in the budget process. She said the treasurer requires state tax data uploads and that stipend payments, if approved and processed promptly, would not be expected before July and perhaps later depending on finance timelines.

Commissioners pressed staff about process fixes after the certification vote. One commissioner suggested standardizing reporting across fire and rescue departments; Utz and other staff said IT improvements to reporting and a consistent countywide process would reduce missed entries. Utz said Emergency Services and IT have prepared to review and either approve or reject each of the 835 submissions individually and to follow the county code’s appeal procedures.

The board approved both the certification of the 19 volunteers and the establishment of the response rewards program by voice vote; there was no recorded roll-call tally in the public minutes.

The decisions follow a public hearing held April 22 at Leonardtown High School on the rewards program. Utz said three speakers and one email supported the proposal and that a larger group of volunteers had attended the hearing in support. The commissioners asked staff to manage appeals and to work with the treasurer, IT, human resources and department partners to finish the eligibility review and payment processing.

Looking ahead, Utz said staff would re-open portions of the portal only as necessary to process valid late appeals and to finalize the roster for human resources and finance review. She emphasized the program is a new, countywide effort and that staff expect to refine data collection and reporting for subsequent years.","The County commissioners certified 19 additional fire and EMS volunteers to the 2024 LOSAP eligibility list and voted to establish an active volunteer firefighting and rescue squad response rewards program after staff described portal submissions and projected costs.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

County authorizes application for $25,000 Critical Area grant to review local rules

Commissioners approve IT budget realignment to accelerate recreation software upgrade

St. Mary’s County approves $217,000 from reserve for courtroom renovation after judge warns of backlog

St. Mary’s County certifies 19 volunteers to LOSAP list and approves new response rewards program