Commissioners approve tower lease, solar options, grants and budget amendments; open public hearings on appeals, stormwater and pools

At their May 20, 2014 meeting, the St. Mary’s County Board of County Commissioners approved several administrative actions designed to advance public-safety communications, renewable-energy options at closed landfills, recycling and road-repair funding, and county outreach programs. They also opened public hearings on zoning appeals procedures and stormwater-bonding exemptions and scheduled a hearing on a zoning text amendment for above-ground pools.

Key approvals and outcomes

- Mechanicsville Volunteer Fire Department tower lease: The board approved and authorized the commission president to sign a lease permitting the county to locate a communications monopole on the Mechanicsville Volunteer Fire Department (Golden Beach Station 22). The tower is part of the county’s multi‑tower upgrade for first-responder radio communications; staff said the overall project will expand the system from six to 13 towers. Motion: Commissioner Morgan; second: Commissioner Jarbo; outcome: approved (motion carried).

- Solar option agreements for landfill sites: The board authorized standard option agreements allowing prospective solar developers to evaluate county landfill properties (including St. Clements and St. Andrews landfill sites) and secure a 12‑month option to perform due diligence and, if successful, enter a right-of-entry and lease for a long-term power purchase/ground-lease arrangement. The draft option couples a fixed minimum fee (presented as $25,000 per site in the memorandum) with a variable revenue share (3% of gross power sales to the utility) and requires adherence to EPA and state guidance protecting landfill caps. Motion: Commissioner Jarbo; second: Commissioner Morgan; outcome: approved (motion carried).

- Maryland electronics collection and recycling interagency agreement (MDE): Commissioners authorized county staff to execute an interagency agreement with the Maryland Department of the Environment to pursue reimbursement for electronics recycling operations in fiscal year 2015. The program allows up to $40,000 in reimbursement; the county’s submission listed a minimum request of $20,000 as required by MDE. Motion: Commissioner Morris; second: Commissioner Jones; outcome: approved (motion carried).

- Governor’s pothole-repair supplemental grant: The board accepted a one-time supplemental state allocation of $268,588 intended for pothole and winter‑damage repairs and authorized a budget amendment to establish spending authority in the county highways project (Project MD 1480). Motion: Commissioner Morgan; second: Commissioner Jarbo; outcome: approved (motion carried).

- Citizens Academy: The board approved a seven-week Citizens Academy (September–October 2014) to introduce residents to county departments and facilities, capped at about 25 participants per class and offered at no charge. Motion: Commissioner Morgan; second: Commissioner Morris; outcome: approved (motion carried).

- Appointment to Transportation Advisory Committee: James Andracy was appointed as the Chamber of Commerce representative with a term to June 30, 2017. Motion: Commissioner Jones; second: Commissioner Morgan; outcome: approved (motion carried).

- Alcohol and Drug Abuse Administration (ADAA) fiscal-year 2015 grants: The commissioners authorized the county executive/commission president to execute FY2015 ADAA grant narratives and related budget documents for multiple prevention and treatment grants that staff reported total approximately $3.77 million (staff noted a modest increase from FY14 driven by prevention funding); a budget amendment was expected to follow to finalize project budgets. Motion: Commissioner Morgan; second: Commissioner Jones; outcome: approved (motion carried).

- Continuum of Care (HUD / Mental Hygiene Administration) grant: The board approved acceptance of Continuum of Care housing funds administered through the Maryland Mental Hygiene Administration for the county’s permanent housing program serving people with chronic mental illness and substance‑use needs. Staff reported no county match requirement. Motion: Commissioner Jones; second: Commissioner Jarbo; outcome: approved (motion carried).

- Scheduling public hearing on zoning text amendment for above‑ground pools: The commissioners directed staff to schedule a public hearing on proposed amendments to the St. Mary’s County comprehensive zoning ordinance to align local zoning with amendments to the Maryland Building Performance Standards/International Residential Code exempting certain above‑ground pools from building-code permit requirements; the draft would continue to require permits for in-ground private pools, maintain setbacks and bar pools in critical-area buffers and disallow pools in front/street-side setbacks. Motion: Commissioner Jones; second: Commissioner Morgan; outcome: approved (motion carried to schedule hearing).

Public hearings held (record open for 10 days)

- Proposed amendments regarding Board of Appeals procedures and fee removal: County counsel presented a proposed zoning text amendment that would remove procedural language from the zoning ordinance that duplicates the Land Use Article of the Maryland Annotated Code, transfer administration of appeals from Land Use & Growth Management to the Office of the County Attorney, and repeal a $390 appeal filing fee. The board opened the hearing, accepted testimony (none present in the room), and left the record open for 10 days for written comments to the Board of County Commissioners (P.O. Box 653, Leonardtown, MD 20650).

- Proposed amendment to stormwater management, grading, erosion and sediment control ordinance: Department of Public Works and Transportation staff presented a proposal to exempt quasi‑public entities — including the St. Mary’s County Metropolitan Commission (METCOM), Board of Education, SMECO, Pepco and Soil Conservation District — from the county’s performance-bonding requirement for stormwater and related construction items where those entities already manage bonding in their own project contracts. The board opened the hearing, received no in-room speakers, and left the record open for 10 days.

Staff comments and safeguards

Presenters emphasized environmental safeguards for approved projects: communications and solar approvals require that contractors follow EPA and state guidance to protect landfill caps and that the county and vendors address transmission costs to interconnect with SMECO or other utilities separately in vendor negotiations. Solar option terms described a 12‑month due-diligence period; staff estimated each landfill solar installation could produce power for roughly 200 homes (a staff estimate included in the presentation). For electronics recycling, staff warned that vendors who propose to pay the county may still leave the county with disposal costs for unusable residuals; the county’s current contract includes a revenue-share and has reduced net costs compared with earlier years.

No motions to change county code beyond the hearings were adopted at the meeting; public comment records for the hearings remain open for 10 days as announced.