Allegany County commissioners appoint Linda Widmeier, approve consent agenda including $1 million grant

The Allegany County Board of Commissioners voted to appoint Linda Widmeier to fill the remaining term of the late Bob Farrell on the Allegany County Board of Education and approved a consent agenda that included travel for James Place staff and a $1 million grant agreement.

Administrator Bennett told the commissioners they had solicited and received 11 applications for the school board vacancy and presented Widmeier as the selection. “We had 11 very good applicants,” Administrator Bennett said. The board moved to add the appointment as agenda item 7(b) and then voted to confirm Widmeier; the vote was recorded as in favor with no opposition announced.

The consent agenda, approved by motion and recorded as passed, included a request for travel by two James Place staff members to the 41st International Symposium on Child Abuse in Huntsville, Alabama, at a cost not to exceed $5,600, to be reimbursed through grant funding. The consent agenda also included a grant agreement between the Tri-County Council for Western Maryland and the board for $1,000,000 for a project by Pentex Fetchers on Vokey Road in LaVale; the county will hold the funds in escrow until draw requests are made.

No individual mover or second for the appointment or consent items was named in the meeting transcript; roll-call vote tallies by individual commissioner were not specified, and the recorded vote on the named items was given as "Aye." The board approved the minutes of the previous meeting earlier in the session.

The commissioners set their next meeting for Feb. 6 at 5 p.m.