Commissioners authorize sheriff grants, child-support reimbursement and housing and aging grants

St. Mary’s County commissioners on Sept. 24 approved a series of grant authorizations and related budget amendments, including a federal Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant for the sheriff’s office and a cooperative reimbursement agreement to support child support enforcement officers.

The board voted to accept a Fiscal Year 2013 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant in the amount of $20,396 and to authorize a related budget amendment. Captain Willenberg of the sheriff’s office described the program as a recurring block grant and said it would help integrate automated traffic-enforcement ticketing data into the department’s CAD/RMS. “It’s a…it’s a block grant that we had every year. It’s in memory of Edward Byrne…,” Willenberg told the commission. The sheriff’s office said the award includes two years of software maintenance and that ongoing maintenance would be handled through future budgets when possible.

The board also approved a Cooperative Reimbursement Agreement application for federal fiscal year 2014, Project US 1417, from the Maryland Department of Human Resources to support child support enforcement operations. The agreement, awarded in the amount of $576,494, was described at the meeting as covering three law-enforcement FTEs, one secretary support position and a small fiscal-office allocation; the grant funds roughly 66 percent of the positions’ costs with the county covering the remaining match from identified vacancy savings.

The commission signed a consent letter designating the Housing Authority of St. Mary’s County as the grantee and administering agency for Maryland’s Rental Assistance Program. Tamika Schreiber, program director at the Housing Authority, said the county’s allocation has been $40,000 in recent years and that the program gives short-term rental help—$270, $330 or $500 per month depending on household size—to families with incomes at or below about $28,000 to prevent homelessness and help households stabilize within a 12-month term.

Finally, Commissioners approved the county’s Area Plan Update application to the Maryland Department of Aging. Lori Jennings-Harris, director of the county Department of Aging and Human Services, said each area agency on aging must submit an annual plan that details how the agency intends to deliver services and programs for older adults; the FY14 submission requested $370,270 for a mixture of services including homemaker assistance, congregate and home-delivered meals, health education and caregiver support.

Each of the items above passed on voice vote with motions and seconds recorded in the meeting minutes. Where the board approved a budget amendment or county match was required, presenters said the local share would come from identified savings or the county budget as noted during the discussion.