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Appointments and ceremonial items
- The board moved to appoint Dr. Jacob Vargas to fill a vacancy on the Board of Building Appeals; the term was noted to expire June 30, 2028. The motion was seconded and recorded as carrying.
- The board moved to appoint Arthur Ebisberger to the Planning Commission for a term to expire Dec. 31, 2029; the motion carried.

Legislative and finance votes
- County Ordinance 25-03 (maximum nonresidential building height in the suburban commercial district) was approved on a voice vote at the meeting; the clerk recorded the motion as passed.
- County Ordinance 25-04 (permitted uses in the Airport Protection and Kent Island Gateway District, allowing daycare use) was approved on a voice vote and the motion carried.
- County Ordinance 25-09, the Public Facilities Bond Authorization of 2025 (authorizing up to $26 million in general obligation bonds for public facilities), was the subject of a public hearing at which no members of the public spoke; commissioners voted to adopt the ordinance.

Intergovernmental agreements and procurement
- Commissioners approved an amended water and sewer agreement with the town of Sudlersville (referred to in the transcript as Southernville in one spot) that clarifies USDA concurrence in transfer of town water and sewer assets; the county will take over ownership, operations and finances when the conditions are met.
- The board executed an agreement with the Baltimore Metropolitan Council to reallocate FY25 resources to fund a US 50 pedestrian overpass feasibility study.

Budget and administrative actions
- Commissioners approved budget amendment CC-14 for miscellaneous attorney fees.
- Commissioners convened the Sanitary Commission for a matter related to town water and sewer agreements.

Procurement discussion (public landings projects)
- Staff recommended a conditional award for Crumpton and Deep Landing bulkhead and ramp replacement bids to Bay Coastal Contracting of Salisbury (low bid $909,005.48), conditioned on additional DNR grant funding and a county contribution of about $75,000; commissioners discussed local-contractor preference policy and whether state grant rules allow a local-preference premium. The board did not finalize award language in the meeting and agreed to follow up; the item was continued for subsequent action.

Why it matters: These routine votes move forward capital financing, town utility transfers, and small infrastructure projects while appointing citizens to advisory bodies that shape county permitting and appeals.

What’s next: The Crumpton/Deep Landing award will be revisited once procurement and grant conditions are clarified; other items will be implemented per the agreements and ordinance language approved at the meeting.

Ending note: Commissioners also presented two lifesaving proclamations and recognized emergency-services volunteers earlier in the meeting; those ceremonial honors were separate from the board’s legislative and administrative actions.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","County Commissioners Meeting || 06/24/2025","oneSentenceSummary","At their June 24 meeting, Queen Anne's County Commissioners confirmed two appointments, approved several ordinances including a $26 million bond authorization, and advanced intergovernmental agreements and budget amendments.","taxTitle","Queen Anne's County, Maryland","taxId",59354,"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},6553582,"County adopts 2025 Hazard Mitigation Plan to retain FEMA funding eligibility",452,3526000,3978000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5066352-0a7e0cb84e7ed5374374abecde4da556&start=3526&end=3978","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5066352-0a7e0cb84e7ed5374374abecde4da556/thumbnail_3526000.jpg","/articles/6553582/Queen-Annes-County/Maryland/County-adopts-2025-Hazard-Mitigation-Plan-to-retain-FEMA-funding-eligibility","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6553582-5bb3e62c48477dd0f9deb1adeb2b75c7/orig.mp4?Expires=1775900178&Signature=YEYsNl3JHNHBdZC3T-UmHktg7~yPHJMoZEpGDebLjjyWcojvp7D2grne4vgeJTDmNbe4Zc6UDOVXTdZTi2pMUCYg6oqewTfNKxWS9rdwmDucUJjdXg-g5tupICiIcPZyb5RiT2t0ZgELV4txhGBQopAeVx~0~HN3D8QI6eBPVNmyYEZ~qXBkGWhIpnYrl6dlhofoxvdZlEWwcKouLu3nsxk2V1uNmW9jo4JEkz01sIUu7zWGACUCnYtS8A~flqXwBybgSKFsK4b35-Y85L6Yz54LYK3fe04CsYG4BY2uCzfMy7XANGib8uXvDEYIRLj~japP6-vhahdmUGyUuQydaA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Queen Anne's County Commissioners on June 24 adopted Resolution 25-06 to approve the county's 2025 Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan.

The plan—prepared with consultant Smith Planning and Design, county emergency management staff and a 97-member hazard mitigation planning committee—updates the county's assessment of hazards, critical facilities and social vulnerability and prioritizes mitigation actions. Michelle King and Eric Mezick of Smith Planning and Design presented highlights to the commission and said the plan integrates FEMA community lifelines and is structured so jurisdictions in the county (including incorporated towns) can adopt the plan for multi-jurisdictional FEMA eligibility.

The plan includes 38 new mitigation action items with prioritized project sheets designed to streamline future FEMA grant applications. County staff said the plan's adoption is required to remain eligible for FEMA mitigation grant funding and other federal programs that use an up-to-date mitigation plan as a condition of grant award.

Commission staff reported on public engagement efforts during plan development, including a public survey in English and Spanish, a QAC TV video, interviews, public meetings and hard-copy outreach for residents without internet access. The county said it has already submitted at least one mitigation grant application tied to projects identified in the draft plan.

The board moved to adopt Resolution 25-06 and the motion carried. The plan, which also required Maryland Department of Emergency Management review, was approved by FEMA prior to the board action.

Why it matters: Adoption keeps the county and participating towns eligible for federal hazard mitigation funds and provides a prioritized suite of projects the county can pursue to reduce future hazard impacts.

What’s next: Staff will work with towns in the county for their adoptions of the multi-jurisdictional plan and will advance high-priority mitigation projects to funding applications.

Ending note: Commissioners thanked county emergency staff and the consultant team for public outreach and plan preparation.","Queen Anne's County Commissioners adopted Resolution 25-06 approving the 2025 Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan, which updates vulnerabilities, prioritizes 38 mitigation actions and preserves eligibility for FEMA mitigation grants.",{"_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},6553587,"Commissioners introduce renewable-energy siting ordinance as emergency; plan includes fee for solar on prime soils",1613,1857000,3470000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5066352-0a7e0cb84e7ed5374374abecde4da556&start=1857&end=3470","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5066352-0a7e0cb84e7ed5374374abecde4da556/thumbnail_1857000.jpg","/articles/6553587/Queen-Annes-County/Maryland/Commissioners-introduce-renewable-energy-siting-ordinance-as-emergency-plan-includes-fee-for-solar-on-prime-soils","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6553587-95347ba9b45d435176664cb78f88e840/orig.mp4?Expires=1775900178&Signature=OV26EUTkfrBFVXXoke~E0Pjs496RgBPhWBSxX1zFQpHLiaCrGcYzvjtvz8PFv1yHgJZc2KAAhKJXFEYeHgoAnuJG6cm9o9T59~IXh-ZYWXq5g5mMH7HWnlpwm9g4hFw2uqL9xcHsgNrECWzV~kfEjE-W4I13~bIysIsRxav3dOQ-O7J7tMJizs6jkLKx-NbSniyMJFbswh1U5TYdCBlWivxYatuathA6oyxDY3Z06t0x2qZHYNN-8xjYombvEPDMN42VGq2OmV7ZbFTri7daIALqiOj3HhnwEtxRi0TPX1hj4f7jJW5S13c4DhbQO0qaKZyL7zV8qimgw7NFqsbKWQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Queen Anne's County Commissioners voted June 24 to introduce County Ordinance 25-10, the Renewable Energy Certainty Act, and to convey the draft to the Planning Commission as emergency legislation ahead of the state’s July 1 effective date for related state law.

Commissioner Jack Wilson (first name recorded as 'Jack' in transcript) moved to introduce the ordinance and have it adopted as emergency legislation; the board approved the motion to introduce and convey the ordinance to planning staff for review. The emergency move shortens the time before the county implements rules required by state law.

The ordinance aligns local code with the state’s recent legislation (referred to in the meeting as Senate Bill 931 and House Bill 1036) and adds specific provisions for siting of solar energy generating systems, community solar systems and energy storage devices. Planning staff noted the ordinance incorporates many siting provisions adopted by the state and adds local rules for community solar and energy storage where the county previously had none.

A new feature in the proposed county ordinance is a compensatory preservation contribution: a per-acre financial payment the county would require when a solar facility or storage device is built on identified Class 1 soils. Under the draft, the contribution would be based on 50% of the fair-market-value appraisals used in the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation (MALPF) annual settlement process; county staff said the figure would be taken from the previous year's posted MALPF appraisal values. County staff gave the example that the 2024 rate would have been $41.64 per acre as a calculation benchmark.

County staff and commissioners discussed several technical implementation issues:
- The ordinance would apply a 5% cap (the priority preservation area or PPA cap set by the state law) tied to the county’s mapped priority preservation acreage; staff said Queen Anne’s County’s remaining PPA (after removing preserved acreage) is roughly 116,000 acres, meaning 5% would translate into roughly 5,800 acres available under the cap. Staff noted the county’s preserved acres (about 83,684) are already removed from the PPA calculation.
- Commissioners debated whether the PPA calculation should exclude already preserved lands or in-pipeline projects; planning staff said the draft and statutory language indicate preserved lands are excluded from the PPA total and that pipeline projects’ treatment is a legal detail that could be argued.
- Decommissioning and bond requirements for solar were discussed; commissioners asked if required bonds are sufficient to cover removal if a developer fails to decommission a site. Staff explained decommissioning requirements are set by the Public Service Commission for some systems and that the ordinance includes whatever bond provisions the state requires.

Commissioner Jack Wilson described the compensatory preservation contribution as an attempt to “recoup some money for them taking our Class 1 soils,” and he said the county will focus the fee on Class 1 soils because such a requirement is likely to be more defensible if challenged. Commissioner discussion acknowledged the ordinance could be legally contested and that the county was trying to protect priority preservation areas while aligning with state requirements.

Why it matters: The ordinance implements state law locally and creates a local funding mechanism tied to farmland-preservation appraisals to offset permanent loss of prime agricultural soils to utility-scale solar.

What’s next: The board adopted the emergency-introduction motion and conveyed 25-10 to the Planning Commission; staff will return a revised ordinance and schedule a public hearing and vote at a later meeting. Commissioners noted emergency adoption at final vote will require four of five votes when the ordinance returns for adoption.

Ending note: County staff said the ordinance is meant to be workable with state law changes; commissioners emphasized the measure’s potential to raise funds for farmland preservation but acknowledged legal and implementation questions remain.","The board introduced County Ordinance 25-10, aligning local code with state Senate Bill 931 and creating a compensatory preservation contribution for solar on Class 1 soils; motion was made to adopt as emergency and convey to the Planning Commission for review.",{"_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},6553592,"Commissioners debate transfer-of-development-rights amendment after conservation, preservation officials warn of risks",1489,361000,1850000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5066352-0a7e0cb84e7ed5374374abecde4da556&start=361&end=1850","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5066352-0a7e0cb84e7ed5374374abecde4da556/thumbnail_361000.jpg","/articles/6553592/Queen-Annes-County/Maryland/Commissioners-debate-transfer-of-development-rights-amendment-after-conservation-preservation-officials-warn-of-risks","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6553592-d1addb2d9a6ba1ac4d93b9c53890dba8/orig.mp4?Expires=1775900178&Signature=fhJwP-GS2Hw4Hm9Y1huENGcnJEImZ2kD9QWjjVyNnGjaRwUOm0kXsnnF8cT0YxOX7ePiu8qDQvnwOKAsdDU9dfJVnCGA-LHMF2iSMfUnP6602xzQYhMfXVuKgpCXfUfhli11iwwaE5T78~b9ZYNbygveCxVgdhhhMsK9VotfZlRemhPBX9liH5KMcH6iDOABEtTknTTX1NcM4to1q0TYEHcEyXXl46KEdZhYysPDyQm-gXQNd0OAgX94ONzVtoFGsBqy4Jtqh4n9dE6jBt2qtTAFuYFwkager8MA6hSz~IDY1-ktMHQW91LgK~el0Z6Fa9aoqmwt85D43VG5e9BfPA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","County Commissioners at their June 24 meeting in Centreville heard extended testimony and staff discussion about County Ordinance 25-07, a citizen-sponsored text amendment that would allow reconfiguration of parcels from which development rights (TDRs) have been transferred.

The amendment drew public comment from conservation and land-preservation officials who said the measure, as drafted, risked weakening permanent easements that support the county’s agricultural preservation program.

Jay Paulstead, speaking for the Queen Anne’s Conservation Association, asked commissioners to “push forward an unfavorable” recommendation on the amendment, saying it “will open the doors to unnecessary development on areas where it was not meant to go in the first place.” Donna Landis Smith, Land Preservation Administrator for the Queen Anne’s County Soil Conservation District, told commissioners that altering TDR configuration could jeopardize the county’s certification with the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation (MALPF). “Reconfiguring and giving the opportunity to change the TDR regulations that have been in place and have worked very well could jeopardize our certification,” Smith said, explaining her concern that sales should respect original TDR acreage and boundaries.

Jeff Thompson, the text-amendment sponsor, told the board that his proposal had been narrowed to remove references to “reconfiguring” and that the intent was administrative: “All we’re doing is moving a line… not gonna change any of the restrictions applicable to the underlying zoning classification.” Thompson said the amendment would allow property owners to change ownership lines without creating new lots.

Planning staff advised caution. Amy (last name not specified in transcript), a county planner who participated in the meeting, said the version before commissioners did not match what the applicant actually requested and that the Planning Commission issued an unfavorable recommendation. She told the board that “what was in the text amendment was not what the applicant was actually asking for,” and she recommended additional drafting to “allay some of the concerns that you’ve heard.”

Commissioners asked clarifying questions about how many TDR acres exist countywide and the history of the county’s TDR program. Amy and other staff explained that existing TDR easements total thousands of acres and that earlier changes to state law and county policy reduced the practical value of newly created TDRs, although existing easements remain important to the county’s preservation statistics. During discussion staff and commissioners referenced the state septic law and changes since 2008 that limited major subdivisions on septic systems, reducing demand for development rights compared with earlier years.

The transcript records a formal motion to adopt the ordinance and a recorded voice vote. The meeting transcript records the vote tally as “5 against, 1 absent,” and does not include a clear, explicit statement in the transcript text that the motion carried. Commissioners debated whether the draft should be returned for redrafting and more precise administrative language.

Why it matters: TDR easements are a key tool in Queen Anne’s County’s farmland preservation strategy; changing rules for how existing TDRs can be reallocated or reconfigured could affect the county’s eligibility for MALPF and alter long-standing easement protections.

What’s next: Planning staff and the sponsor agreed there is room to rework the amendment. Commissioners discussed returning the measure to staff for clearer language before further action.

Ending note: Commissioners heard multiple public comments and technical clarifications before voting; the transcript shows an unclear final tally and staff told the board the draft needs refinement to avoid unintended consequences for preserved lands.","Queen Anne's County Commissioners heard public comment and staff caution about County Ordinance 25-07, a citizen-sponsored text amendment to allow parcel reconfiguration of transferred development rights (TDRs). Planning staff and preservation officials urged further drafting; the measure drew a contested vote recorded in the transcript.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Commissioners approve several ordinances, make two appointments and move forward with finance, public-works and intergovernmental items

County adopts 2025 Hazard Mitigation Plan to retain FEMA funding eligibility

Commissioners introduce renewable-energy siting ordinance as emergency; plan includes fee for solar on prime soils

Commissioners debate transfer-of-development-rights amendment after conservation, preservation officials warn of risks