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At-a-glance: Commissioners approve snow removal spending, rural legacy grant application; public comment urges bottle bill support
Summary
At its Jan. 23 meeting the Carroll County Board approved up to $516,700 for snow removal services and authorized submission and acceptance of a Fiscal Year 2026 Rural Legacy grant application; a resident urged the board to support a statewide beverage container deposit bill.
Carroll County commissioners approved two budget and grant items and heard public comment urging support for Maryland’s proposed beverage-container deposit legislation during the Jan. 23 meeting.
Spending for snow removal: The board approved a procurement spending authorization of up to $516,700 for snow removal services for the 2024–25 season. County procurement staff told commissioners the amount was included in the fiscal year 2025 budget and that multiple local contractors have been used during recent storms. "This approval will grant the Bureau of Roads Operations the authority to sign for purchases related to these services and remain in compliance with the 2022 delegation authority," a procurement presenter said. A commissioner moved the measure and the motion was seconded; the board voted in favor with no recorded opposition.
Rural Legacy grant application: Commissioners approved filing a Fiscal Year 2026 Rural Legacy Program grant application with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and authorized acceptance of any award. County staff said Carroll County has received more than $23,000,000 in Rural Legacy grants since 2000 and that those grants have helped preserve more than 54,100 acres across two designated rural legacy areas (Upper Patapsco and Little Pipe Creek). Recent grant awards noted in the briefing included approximately $830,000 in the most recent year and $1.2 million the year before. A motion to submit the application and accept the award passed unanimously.
Public comment — bottle bill: Jan Rubinstein, a Carroll County resident, urged commissioners to support the Maryland Beverage Container Recycling Refund and Litter Reduction Program (commonly called the bottle bill), which she said is currently under consideration in the General Assembly. Rubinstein cited state-level recycling statistics and argued the program would be financed by beverage producers rather than county taxpayers and would reduce roadside litter. She referenced Senate Bill 346 and said a House bill number might have been HB 702 (she said she would confirm the citation).
Commissioners responded that staff will follow up on the legislation’s status and MACo engagement. No formal board action on that legislation was taken during the meeting.
