St. Mary’s County commissioners approve series of grants, budget amendments and road acceptances

The St. Mary’s County Board of County Commissioners on Nov. 16 approved a package of grants, budget amendments, public-works agreements and procedural updates, voting unanimously on most items and recording a small number of nays on routine business.

Why it matters: The approvals allocate federal, state and nonprofit funds for public-safety equipment and training, update personnel policy to meet federal Department of Transportation rules, advance planned road acceptances into the county system, and preserve annual grant funding for senior meals and other services.

The board’s actions at a glance (motion/second and outcomes recorded in meeting minutes): - Approval of bills dated Nov. 16, 2010 — Moved by Commissioner Mattingly; second by Commissioner Raley; result: motion carried (voice vote; one nay recorded on a specific item). (Referenced in transcript around 224–280.) - Adoption of minutes of Nov. 9, 2010 — Motion carried (voice vote). (298–331) - Acceptance and budget amendment for LEGIT training grant OT 1107 ($1,095) to fund risk-management training for an HR risk analyst — Motion carried (voice vote). (570–914) - Approval of change 4 to the St. Mary’s County Manual of Personnel Policies and Procedures to incorporate Department of Transportation drug and alcohol testing updates — Motion carried (voice vote). (1117–1496) - Acceptance of Department of Justice Bulletproof Vest Partnership grant US 1116 ($9,690) for replacement vests — Motion carried (voice vote). (1656–1905) - Acceptance of Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention eCitation award US 1115 ($19,710) for a pilot electronic citation (e-ticket) program — Motion carried (voice vote). (1916–2277) - Acceptance of FY10 State Criminal Alien Assistance Program award US 1168 ($1,253) and related budget amendment reduction ($5,791) — Motion carried (voice vote). (2283–2397) - Approval of four public-works agreement addenda and one continuing maintenance public-works agreement; acceptance of Placid Hill Road, Placid Hill Place, Woodhaven Drive and Quiet Oak Court from Woods at Myrtle Point phase 1 into the county maintenance system; posting of stop signs and 25 mph limits — Motion carried (voice vote). (2401–2887) - Acceptance of interim NGA for FY11 Nutrition Service Incentive Program grant US 1106 ($24,509) for the Department of Aging (home-delivered and congregate meals) — Motion carried (voice vote). (2904–3011) - Memorandum of Agreement with Tri-County AmeriCorps Services Project to host one part-time member (Sep. 21, 2010–Jul. 29, 2011) in the Department of Aging — Motion carried (voice vote). (3011–3151) - Approval to apply for Program Open Space planning grant RP 1101 ($25,000) to update the Land Preservation, Parks and Recreation Plan — Motion carried (voice vote). (3167–3839) - Assignment of St. Mary’s County Recovery Zone Facility Bond Allocation ($6,123,000) back to the state per ARRA authority — Motion carried (voice vote). (3851–4228) - Release from the five-year Agricultural Land Preservation District program for Wallace Bowles; recording fee and payment received — Motion carried (voice vote). (4238–4377) - Department of Public Safety: budget amendment reducing Tri-County Animal Shelter contribution by $30,000 and returning funds to BOCC reserves — Motion carried (voice vote). (4393–4507) - Acceptance of FY10 State Homeland Security grant US 1120 ($228,346) and approval of an adjusted spending plan for law-enforcement equipment, school generator-switch project planning, emergency planner salary, and a mobile data browser pilot for fire vehicles — Motion carried (voice vote). (4507–5025)

Notes and clarifications: Most votes were taken by voice; the transcript records motion/second acknowledgements for many items but does not provide full roll-call tallies except where a single nay was recorded on the bills approval. Where a specific mover or seconder was named in the transcript the minutes reflect that naming; where not named the motion text and outcome are included and labeled as recorded in the meeting minutes.

What’s next: Budget amendments and grant acceptances will be processed by county finance and the responsible departments; the Program Open Space planning grant, if awarded, will fund a consultant-led update of the county’s land preservation and parks plan due to the state in draft by Jan. 2012 and final by June 2012.