[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-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],{"_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",6530263,"mediaKeyId","3677573-ff59f866f76bc8e3e14f6a876d42664f","parentId",3677573,"title","Carroll County proclaims June 15 World Elder Abuse Awareness Day; county and hospital highlight new CHART program and provider training","audioSeconds",309,"startMs",1676000,"endMs",1985000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3677573-ff59f866f76bc8e3e14f6a876d42664f&start=1676&end=1985","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3677573-ff59f866f76bc8e3e14f6a876d42664f/thumbnail_1676000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6530263/Carroll-County/Maryland/Carroll-County-proclaims-June-15-World-Elder-Abuse-Awareness-Day-county-and-hospital-highlight-new-CHART-program-and-provider-training","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6530263-695a75361f40807733db800c9d421944/orig.mp4?Expires=1770935861&Signature=nkOFMBWEL8~aXd3DZ~KKtFDEqCLjbQ79TDdKlJaLfnxEn8YaR0JJ1aUmbQL6f5apPtNvcmRiVC3Vz71hZ7dIh5Smsl8fl4kp1KC9nofBlSGyciSyfIEQx4rzYxY1C~HJDp4Sm0bJXo192a0GgGWyPJ8eYEx2ye~HZ1DTS6huhSkPGYFJ8li~Mo5vepvAZKb-8e5lvKMpQaP8FKNHzHMPclIlMZnR-VAJFFCYHuMqsmeHu2JLTwQi6KO8~79df~eRptDvQfj10D2xqU8glCQCuOB-2JScVDQJEJMvJcvcV-oK~~MS0Nj2XWFLuTclt1gJ7gh~TzY2LO4jtCK~evMgmA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Carroll County, MD","date","2025-06-05T15:44:00.897Z","article","The Carroll County Board of Commissioners on June 5 proclaimed June 15, 2025, as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day and heard county aging staff and community partners describe local efforts to identify and respond to abuse, neglect and financial exploitation of older residents.

Celine Steckle, director of citizen services, introduced Gail Gannon and Mackenzie Streeter, the county’s ombudsman manager and ombudsman specialist, who described the breadth of the county’s outreach and monitoring work. Gannon and Streeter emphasized that most older adults live in the community — not in long-term care — and that frauds and scams are a growing form of abuse, often unreported because victims feel ashamed.

\"By educating senior service providers we create a multiplying effect,\" Streeter said, describing a June 10 training at the Westminster Senior Center for senior-service providers that will cover how to recognize signs of abuse and how to respond.

Carroll Hospital: CHART for older adults
Colleen Moore, manager of Carroll Hospital’s Center for Hope, Abuse and Assault Response Team (CHART), described a newly launched program that provides hospital-based identification and specialized interventions for older adults who present to the hospital with signs of abuse or exploitation. Moore said CHART offers safety-planning, referrals and links to Adult Protective Services and other community supports.

County officials and partners noted the coordinated approach linking the Bureau of Aging and Disabilities, Adult Protective Services, the State's Attorney's Office and CHART.

What’s planned
County staff said the June 10 event (9–11:30 a.m. at the Westminster Senior Center) will feature presentations from Carroll Hospital CHART, the Maryland state long-term care ombudsman (on abuse in long-term care settings), Adult Protective Services on its investigative role, and a county state’s attorney investigator on financial exploitation and scams targeted at older adults. County staff asked providers to register with the Bureau of Aging and Disabilities.

Why it matters
County officials said demographic trends are increasing the number of older adults in Carroll County and that the county is committed to age-friendly policies and to reducing social isolation, which contributes to vulnerability. The county cited Maryland Attorney General data that an estimated one in five Maryland adults over age 65 has been a victim of fraud.

Quotes
\"Promoting awareness of elder abuse is more important than ever,\" Celine Steckle, director of citizen services, said during the presentation.

What happens next
The proclamation was adopted and staff said the county will continue the provider-focused training and CHART partnership and encouraged community reporting and coordination among agencies that serve older adults.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board of County Commissioners Open Session June 5, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Carroll County commissioners adopted a proclamation for World Elder Abuse Awareness Day and county aging officials, Adult Protective Services and Carroll Hospital described outreach and a new Center for Hope, Abuse and Assault Response Team (CHART) services for older adults.","taxTitle","Carroll County, Maryland","taxId",7748,"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},6530268,"MAKO warns commissioners: Maryland budget gap, energy demand and solar siting will keep pressure on counties",1140,3178000,4318000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3677573-ff59f866f76bc8e3e14f6a876d42664f&start=3178&end=4318","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3677573-ff59f866f76bc8e3e14f6a876d42664f/thumbnail_3178000.jpg","/articles/6530268/Carroll-County/Maryland/MAKO-warns-commissioners-Maryland-budget-gap-energy-demand-and-solar-siting-will-keep-pressure-on-counties","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6530268-c3c878ae430e70e6ad65ce244d93ae60/orig.mp4?Expires=1770935861&Signature=bgBVNhLYNrgkO~KqNwx-KBowp2lA91le-NuL0ScSA7VinueNet-59IS78PnBcKI6c7BJwGIzribmxzCuVsLiZHGGfNDx1Aa0zvx-obf5ujluRDMElCzXElxqGN1lBzJyQjbVjv2JHfvzhkoNq4xRE-lfZiIKVGDK9WtDScRoOy4mR7IeZzixU3mfosJIDcV3xyMqpM1rg~JYhKKQ3DqOim1rMSUKPedT7q6yJZRV40vDzJ-h9RjV9Zpvn-9jVkZyL8UPJ95M1JV7VjI0whUjPxkHYOJ2F2m~4EW1V-aqrNHQsp-cThVgzYLIIRqauzhiqvbtYRYY7QnrfpkR4qFVZg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A delegation from the Maryland Association of Counties (MAKO) told Carroll County commissioners June 5 that a large state budget shortfall and national energy demand trends are likely to keep pressure on local governments for the foreseeable future.

Michael Sanderson, MAKO director, said the state faced “a $3,000,000,000-and-change crisis in the state’s budget,” a shortfall that is reshaping legislative outcomes and limiting options for additional state-funded programs. \"Fiscal stuff of this consequence just changes the whole debate,\" Sanderson said, adding that some policy choices now carry steep fiscal notes that constrain passage.

Sanderson said one consequence is that the legislature and governor have moved some costs and functions toward counties rather than reducing service levels at the state level. He cited as examples proposed invoicing of county governments for certain state functions and shifts in highway-user revenues and teacher pension costs. \"They've been sending us a bill for 50% of the cost of the assessments function that's run by the state. Now it's going to be 90%,\" he said, and warned that teacher pension invoicing could present an additional large fiscal exposure for counties.

Energy, solar development and transmission
MAKO staff described energy demand increases driven by large data centers, retirement of older generation plants and state renewable targets as a chain of pressures that fall unevenly across the state. Sanderson said Maryland imports a substantial share of its energy and that meeting clean-energy goals will naturally push some large-scale generation into lower-cost rural areas. That trend has raised local opposition.

The delegation noted two separate decision tracks affecting local control: local land-use processes, and a state-level process administered by the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) for issuing certificates of public convenience and necessity (CPCNs). Sanderson said the PSC’s CPCN reviews focus on grid adequacy and do not substitute for detailed local siting or land-use considerations. He warned commissioners that even where counties adopt mapping and preferred-area designations, the PSC and courts are only required to “consider” local processes — language that does not create a veto.

\"The idea that these are multi-state regions and you think about them in a larger geography probably makes sense in the aggregate, but this is exactly where the rub is,\" he said, later noting the role of regional grid operator PJM in siting decisions.

Commissioners raised local concerns including how the statutory PPA (percentage) cap will be computed relative to preserved lands and where transmission corridors will make some parcels more attractive for large solar projects. Sanderson and MAKO staff suggested those finer points will be refined in future legislative or regulatory work.

Blueprint for Maryland's Future and education funding
MAKO’s briefing also touched on the state’s education reform (the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future). Sanderson described the blueprint as a large, multi-year funding commitment that carried its own fiscal risks, particularly because state trust funds used to pay the state's share could be exhausted and create subsequent budget pressure on counties and the state. He noted the board of education waiver the county won and said the waiver demonstrated some flexibility in implementation.

What commissioners asked
Local officials repeatedly asked MAKO staff how counties could influence multi-state actors like PJM or the PSC and whether MAKO should do more federal advocacy. Commissioners stressed the distributional effects of policy — what looks like a small fiscal shift at the state level can be significant to an individual county. Sanderson suggested broader federal and regional engagement may be needed but said MAKO’s core role is bringing county operating experience into Annapolis negotiations.

Why it matters
Sanderson framed MAKO’s approach as pragmatic: the association tries to prevent worst-case fiscal consequences while preserving local autonomy where possible. For Carroll County — a jurisdiction with considerable preserved land acreage — the details of how statewide solar and transmission policy are implemented could have direct, long-term implications for land use, revenue and local infrastructure.

What happens next
MAKO will continue its legislative and executive engagement on budget, energy and education issues. Commissioners indicated continued interest in state-level coordination on transmission siting, pension and blueprint funding impacts and possible federal engagement where regional grid and interconnection issues are decided.

Quote
\"There was almost no way that a package of this magnitude will leave county governments and our services just untouched,\" Michael Sanderson, director of the Maryland Association of Counties, told the Carroll County commissioners.","Representatives from the Maryland Association of Counties briefed Carroll County commissioners on the state budget shortfall, shifting state-county fiscal responsibilities, and rising tensions over energy siting and the Blueprint for Maryland's Future.",{"_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},6530273,"Carroll County commissioners approve multiple infrastructure contracts, HR pay-plan and send public-safety pension changes to public hearing",1593,5805000,7398000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3677573-ff59f866f76bc8e3e14f6a876d42664f&start=5805&end=7398","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3677573-ff59f866f76bc8e3e14f6a876d42664f/thumbnail_5805000.jpg","/articles/6530273/Carroll-County/Maryland/Carroll-County-commissioners-approve-multiple-infrastructure-contracts-HR-pay-plan-and-send-public-safety-pension-changes-to-public-hearing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6530273-c54aa5be8de998d0ce2a10ac35d1490a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770935861&Signature=SoRlq5BcV8cGytnnsVmN-8A4KMN23c98~j9Sn65n8RTOgcTz-9A9zMfRkDyGyfJMvChCE2r~AS2dJ5ct7Cj3Akx9~OEQyj6T1D~AdsOY23-unFEIs~gDHvTKMKrR1aNS4cqJ~h~22qD9AQbJlnKP2gfHZFScmqhizltpUdxR5RmQ6Xho2ioTpMcVMKubGAS7w9CMFOcT44CyqfWTAqFiHLnfUlG1nwvRliXQe6gljt962y68ULuNzfxFW3NwnFYC6TimlSxoBQThYrFSTpvT2K5eQBup~xsIEIWZ6I2tmbqNNK1aicnLhk4YOztFE5iAb5QrXarO7Wo4mhNaXuoLrA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Carroll County Board of Commissioners voted June 5 to approve a package of contracts and budget encumbrances covering stormwater work at Century High School, a PFAS groundwater study, multiple road and pipe repairs, and the county's updated employee classification and pay plan. The board also authorized staff to move proposed changes to the Carroll County Public Safety Pension Plan to a public hearing.

The actions, carried by voice vote, cover planned work and purchases included in the county's FY25 and FY26 budgets and are intended to address failing stormwater and drainage infrastructure, complete a phase 1 environmental study, and bring employee pay ranges in line with current market conditions.

Century High School stormwater contract and environmental work
The board awarded the Century High School stormwater retrofit contract to Kibler Construction Co. LLC for $1,666,856. County staff said the project converts an existing stormwater facility to a surface sand filter and will provide 30 impervious acre credits toward the county's MS4 permit. Procurement staff told the board four firms responded to the solicitation.

The county also approved a purchase order for a PFAS phase 1 groundwater remedial investigation with Tetra Tech Inc. for $238,106. County staff said that contract was competitively procured and that the funds are in the FY25 budget.

Road, pipe and drainage repairs
The board approved a series of road- and drainage-related purchases and encumbrances. Commissioners authorized:
- $250,000 to encumber FY25 funds and start pipelining roughly 20 segments on Enterprise Street in Eldersburg, to be performed by the county term contractor Pleasants Construction;
- $325,000 to buy blacktop material for repair and patching of nine chip-sealed roads (multiple roads listed in staff materials) using the county term contractor C.J. Miller Inc.;
- Shotcrete (pneumatic concrete) invert linings at three locations to ProShot Concrete Inc.: $31,812.50 for a pipe near 1400 Placid Drive; $95,980 for a deep collapsed pipe near 1230 Owings Road; and $34,056 for a pipe near 630 Lees Mill Road. Staff explained shotcrete will stabilize severely eroded inverts and broken joints in pipes that are failing beneath the road surface.

Open-space easement purchase
The board exercised an option to purchase a 16.35-acre add-on to an existing county easement (Connie Staub/formerly Leonard Reddick property) east of Boss Church Road in Union Bridge for $106,438.50. Staff said the add-on will retire three lot rights and that the purchase price equals $6,510 per acre.

Human resources classification and pay plan
Commissioners approved a revised position classification system and updated pay plan intended to separate exempt (salaried) and nonexempt (hourly) scales, align titles and create consistent career ladders. County HR staff explained the multi-year project updated about 417 position descriptions, established core and leadership competencies and regraded positions into new pay bands. The board approved implementation effective June 19; staff said funds to bring any salaries below new minimums up to the appropriate floor were already included in the adopted budget.

Public Safety Pension Plan: public hearing authorized
The board authorized staff to move proposed pension-plan amendments to a public hearing. The changes requested in the FY26 budget package include raising catastrophic line-of-duty disability benefits to two-thirds, increasing the benefit multiplier for service accrued after July 1, 2025, and raising employee pension contributions from 8% to 9% of base salary, all effective July 1, 2025. Commissioners were told the public hearing will be advertised and the board may act on adoption after the hearing.

Other contract actions
The board awarded third-party claims administration for the county self-insured workers' compensation program to Cisco Inc. (via a City of Rockville competitively bid contract) at a FY26 budgeted cost of $59,000, and authorized staff to apply for and accept a FY25-FY26 Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness grant ($13,680 requested) from the U.S. Department of Transportation/PHMSA for hazmat training with a 25% match to be met with in-kind county funds.

Votes at a glance
- Century High School stormwater retrofit (Kibler Construction Co. LLC) — $1,666,856 — approved by voice vote.
- PFAS phase 1 groundwater remedial investigation (Tetra Tech Inc.) — $238,106 — approved by voice vote.
- Add-on to county easement (Connie Staub/formerly Leonard Reddick) — 16.35 acres / $106,438.50 — approved by voice vote.
- Revised position classification system and updated pay plan — effective June 19 — approved by voice vote.
- Move Public Safety Pension Plan amendments to public hearing (items include benefit multiplier change, contribution increase, catastrophic benefit increase) — authorized by voice vote.
- Third-party claims administration (Cisco Inc.) — $59,000 (FY26 budgeted) — approved by voice vote.
- Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness grant application (PHMSA) — $13,680 request, 25% match — authorized by voice vote.
- Enterprise Street pipelining (Pleasants Construction, encumbrance) — $250,000 — approved by voice vote.
- Blacktop for chip-sealed roads (C.J. Miller Inc.) — $325,000 — approved by voice vote.
- Shotcrete invert linings (ProShot Concrete Inc.) — $31,812.50 (Placid Drive), $95,980 (Owings Road), $34,056 (Lees Mill Road) — all approved by voice vote.

What the board said
County staff repeatedly told commissioners the approved amounts were within the adopted FY25 budget or the FY26 budget plan and that several of the projects respond to failing infrastructure that needs immediate repair. HR staff told the board the classification work is intended to improve recruitment and retention and to create clearer career ladders.

What happens next
Work on the awarded contracts and encumbered projects will proceed according to procurement schedules and contractor mobilization. The pension amendments will be scheduled for a public hearing as an ordinance-style adoption; board members will have an opportunity to vote after that hearing.

Notes on the record
Votes were recorded as voice votes during the meeting; the board did not deliver roll-call tallies on the record for these approvals.","At their June 5 meeting the Carroll County Board of Commissioners voted to award multiple public-works contracts, approve a revised county classification and pay plan, and authorize a public hearing on proposed public-safety pension changes.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Carroll County proclaims June 15 World Elder Abuse Awareness Day; county and hospital highlight new CHART program and provider training

MAKO warns commissioners: Maryland budget gap, energy demand and solar siting will keep pressure on counties

Carroll County commissioners approve multiple infrastructure contracts, HR pay-plan and send public-safety pension changes to public hearing