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Dorchester County approves sale of asphalt plant, allocates opioid restitution funds and approves recreation contracts
Summary
Dorchester County Council introduced a Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund ordinance and approved several administrative actions on Jan. 21, including the sale of the county asphalt plant, opioid abatement funding, and a sole-source pool contract.
Dorchester County Council on Jan. 21 introduced a new county ordinance to create a Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund and approved a series of administrative items, including the sale of a county asphalt plant, an opioid-restoration allocation, recreation contracts, program updates and event permits.
Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund introduced: The council voted to introduce a bill to amend the Dorchester County Code (Chapter 1-44, Taxation) to add Article 22 establishing a Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund for disbursing state funds related to opioid restitution and abatement. The measure was introduced and a public hearing will be scheduled.
Asphalt plant sale approved: The council conducted a public hearing and approved the disposition of the county asphalt plant at 3960 Red Hill Road, Lakewood. The purchaser is Russell Paving Co. Inc.; the transcript records a sale price described as "over $300,000" with in-house financing over 20 years at 5 percent. No public speakers opposed the sale; the council voted to move forward with the sale on roll call.
Opioid restitution fund local abatement plan approved: The council approved Dorchester Countys local abatement plan and the allocation of $336,945.30 from Maryland's opioid restitution funds for local abatement and response programs. The motion to approve was seconded and passed by voice vote.
Recreation and parks actions: The council approved several Recreation and Parks items at the meeting. It approved an FY25 Program Open Space (POS) update to incorporate the 2027 Land Preservation, Parks and Recreation Plan and to allow the Bandera 4-H center to utilize remaining funds from the POS allocation. The council also approved a sole-source operating-and-maintenance contract for the Dorchester County Pool with Coastline Full Services for $145,248 (contract period 6/14/2025to 12/30/2025), and staff noted that the FY22 RFP had yielded Coastline as the only bidder. The council approved a facilities/event request for the Boy Scouts of America Delmarva Council to hold a Cub Scout derby on county property on April 6, 2025, contingent on a certificate of insurance.
Proclamations and announcements: The council issued proclamations recognizing Feb. 2025 as Burn Awareness Week and National Outdoor Show Month and January 2025 as Human Trafficking Awareness Month; local service providers for human trafficking response spoke to the council and provided hotline information. The council also announced that the county had entered a lease-purchase for the Kent Camp (Bandera 4-H center), and members expressed support for using the facility as a county youth resource.
Why it matters: The asphalt plant sale reduces county-owned industrial property and yields long-term financing revenue; opioid restitution allocations direct state-settlement funds to local abatement efforts; recreation contracts and POS updates program county capital and operating funds for parks and youth programs.
What to watch next: Public hearing date for the Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund will be scheduled; staff will proceed with required closing steps for the asphalt plant sale and with implementation of the opioid abatement plan and pool operations contract.
