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Commissioners urge cooling‑off period amid heated community debate over new library site
Summary
At the April 27 St. Mary’s County meeting, commissioners expressed concern about community tensions over the choice of a new library location and asked for a cooling‑off period before a May 12 decision. Commissioners said the library is a long‑term public asset and urged residents to lower the rhetoric.
At the start of the April 27, 2015 meeting, members of the St. Mary’s County Board of Commissioners addressed growing community tension over the proposed site for a new county library.
Commissioner Morgan opened the discussion by saying the tone in the community has become "very unsettling" and recommended slowing the process so neighbors and stakeholders could cool off before the scheduled May 12 decision. Morgan said the amount of heated rhetoric and mailings had created a rift between friends and neighbors and asked the board to consider a short pause.
Why this matters: the board has a scheduled meeting on May 12 to make a location decision. Commissioners noted that site selection will be long‑lasting — "Once this library goes in, wherever it goes, it’s gonna be there for 30, 40, or more years" — and said they want to make a decision based on comprehensive input rather than heated short‑term pressure.
Several commissioners echoed the call for civility. Commissioner Jarbo (as transcribed) said a new library will be "a very positive impact for the community" and urged residents not to lose sight of that public benefit amid local debate. Commissioner Randy Guy, the commission president, said he set May 12 as a decision date and that he wanted to "move forward" after hearing sufficient input; he also asked for calm from residents.
The board acknowledged a public forum scheduled for the coming week where residents would again express site preferences. Commissioners did not take a formal action to change the May 12 date during the work session; rather, several asked staff to proceed with the scheduled public forum and to continue gathering comments and data before the board’s decision.
Ending: Commissioners reiterated the importance of respectful public discourse while the county completes the site selection process; no formal change in schedule was made at the April 27 work session.
