The La Plata Historic Preservation Commission heard a staff proposal to adopt a five‑year work plan intended to guide the commissions activities, align staff resources and budget requests with priorities such as Maryland 250 programming, a townwide historic resource survey and work toward Certified Local Government status. Don (Planning Director, Town of La Plata) presented the draft and said staff intended it to set a realistic, staged set of activities the commission could accomplish over several fiscal years.

Don said the plan groups tasks by fiscal year and recommends focusing on no more than two or three substantive projects each year to ensure deliverables. "Staff has proffered developing a work plan that aligns with the duties and assignments of the commission thats outlined in the towns municipal code," Don said, adding the plan would help the town council understand likely staff and funding requests.

Why it matters: The plan would sequence near‑term items (PLAC program work, Maryland 250 events) and longer projects (a comprehensive historic resource survey, updates to the towns historic resources ordinance, and pursuing Certified Local Government status) so the commission, staff and council can budget and assign staff time. Commissioners flagged staff capacity as a constraint and asked for a clearer, chronological timeline.

Key points and supporting details

- Staff priorities and constraints: Don told commissioners the planning department currently functions with limited staff and that many of the items in the draft require consultant time and external funding. He said the plan was designed to align with the towns comprehensive plan update and to avoid overcommitting staff.

- Near‑term items (FY 202526 in the draft): Don recommended incorporating ongoing PLAC program work and preparing programming for Maryland 250 (the Maryland semiquincentennial), including partnering with the towns events coordinator. "The Maryland 250 program offers the ability for communities to participate with the state and be able to provide a variety of different programming," Don said.

- Mid and long term items: The draft proposes developing a list of historic preservation professionals for the town website, establishing a legacy business recognition program, commissioning a townwide historic resource survey (estimated to take 12 to 18 months), offering preservation seminars, creating a public history plan with interpretive signage and an oral‑history program, and updating the towns historic resources ordinance. Don said the comprehensive survey would cover properties up to about 45 years old to give the document usable "shelf life."

- Certified Local Government (CLG): Don said the town already meets several CLG prerequisites but would likely need ordinance updates and a regular survey program to qualify. "If your community is a CLG, the state looks at you a little bit differently than if youre not," he said, noting CLG status opens eligibility for preservation grants.

- Public outreach and events: Lucinda Anderson (Special Coordinator, Town of La Plata events) told the commission she could help develop Maryland 250 programming and other public events and highlighted grant deadlines and logistics for events the commission might want to pursue.

Commission response and next steps

Commissioners asked for the plan in a clear chronological (fiscal year) layout; Don said the draft already had suggested fiscal‑year groupings and promised to circulate updated copies. Commissioners raised the question of whether some items already underway (for example, interpretive signage and map/QR approaches tied to the PLAC program) should proceed independently or be deferred to align with the work plan.

The commission set a special work session to refine the draft before sending a proposal to the town council. Members agreed to meet on Aug. 8 for a four‑hour workshop (9 a.m. to 1 p.m.) to prioritize items, discuss staff capacity and develop a version of the plan to transmit to council. Don said staff would use the workshop feedback to prepare a package for council consideration.

Discussion vs. decision

- Discussion only: Commissioners and staff debated sequencing (whether to start public history projects immediately or wait until the survey and comp‑plan update), and several commissioners expressed interest in leveraging volunteers and subcommittees to execute events and outreach.
- Direction/assignment: Staff was directed to circulate an updated draft organized by fiscal year and to prepare materials for the Aug. 8 work session.
- Formal action: The commission scheduled a special work session for Aug. 8, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; no ordinance or budget appropriation was adopted at the meeting.

What remains unresolved

Don said several items will require consultant budgets and council approval (survey work, ordinance updates and CLG application). Commissioners also asked staff to identify which items could be done with existing departmental resources and which will need additional council funding or external grants.

Ending

Commission members and staff expressed general support for the concept of a multi‑year work plan and agreed to the Aug. 8 work session to finalize priorities and identify funding paths. Don said staff would revise the draft, factor in commissioner feedback and return with a version suitable for council review.