St. Mary’s County commissioners approve bond transfer, playground grant, hunting agreement and other measures

Leonardtown, Md. — The Commissioners of St. Mary’s County on Aug. 2 adopted a series of ordinances, agreements and budget adjustments that the board and county staff said support local infrastructure, housing and public services.

The board voted to adopt an ordinance to realign the intersection of Blacksmith Shop Road and Seadrill Lane Road and approved multiple administrative items including the county’s transfer of its 2016 housing bond allocation to the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), authorization to apply for a Community Parks and Playgrounds grant for Wick Playground with the town of Leonardtown, acceptance of a $20,000 grant from Exelon Generation Company LLC to support emergency planning, and a cooperative wildlife management agreement to allow DNR-managed archery deer hunting at Myrtle Point Park.

Why it matters: the actions reallocate local and state resources, authorize planned capital and operating work and update personnel and budget policies that affect county services and projects in coming months. The bond allocation supports mortgage programs run through the state; the playground and hunting agreements affect park facilities and how county open space is managed; the Exelon grant funds emergency-plan updates tied to regional hazard-mitigation work.

Key approvals and summary details:

- State Core Public Health Services Funding Agreement (FY2017): The board authorized the county signing the agreement that confirms the county’s FY2017 public health budget and the county’s allocation to the state-required funding agreement. County staff said the county’s allocation exceeds the state maintenance‑of‑effort minimum. The motion passed; one commissioner registered an abstention during the roll call on the motion.

- Wick Playground application and project agreement…