St. Mary's County commissioners proclaimed May 18–24 as National Public Works Week and received a service update from public works representative George Erickson at the May 20 meeting.

Erickson told the board the county’s April tire collection event gathered over 90 tons of tires — which he said amounted to roughly 37,100 tires — and that the county split donated food collections between two food pantries following the event. He also reported a record month for transit ridership, stating the system carried about 35,550 riders in April, surpassing a prior record set in April 2006.

Other updates included convenience‑center improvements (replacement of single‑sided compactors with three‑sided units to reduce weekend lines) and the county’s plan to begin a biodiesel pilot June 1. Erickson said the pilot will begin with a subset of vehicles (several solid‑waste and highway vehicles) and that staff hope to expand biodiesel use through more of the fleet if the trial is successful. He also reviewed community recycling and document‑shred event partnerships and thanked sponsoring banks and volunteers.

Commissioners and Erickson discussed a proposed “Dump to Pump Day” pilot to boost transit ridership by offering reduced fares during a multi‑day event; the board asked staff to bring a proclamation back for future consideration. The board accepted the proclamation and thanked public‑works staff for the reported accomplishments.