St. Mary’s commissioners approve $1,500 matching grant for Historic Preservation Commission training

The St. Mary’s County Board of County Commissioners voted Tuesday to authorize a $1,500 matching grant application to the Maryland Historic Trust to fund training and outreach for the county Historic Preservation Commission.

The approval, moved by Commissioner Daniel L. Morris and seconded by Commissioner Todd B. Morgan, authorizes Commissioner President Jack Russell to execute the Certified Local Government (CLG) Educational Set-Aside Subgrant Program application (project US-1450). The board voted unanimously to approve the application and related certification.

Jeff Jackman, senior planner in the Department of Land Use and Growth Management, told commissioners the grant will help the seven-member Historic Preservation Commission maintain required training and to offer workshops open to the public. “This is a matching grant that will allow the commission to continue their training,” Jackman said. He said the funds have been used previously to support attendance at state-sponsored conferences and, more recently, local workshops that also generate content for the county’s Channel 95 broadcast.

The grant is a discretionary, education-focused subaward under the Maryland Historic Trust certified local government program. The county’s matching share was described in the staff materials; the grant request itself is for $1,500 to cover costs associated with preservation conferences and educational workshops.

Commissioners described the funding as consistent with county efforts to preserve local heritage and improve the county’s attractiveness for residents and visitors. No further conditions or implementation steps were specified in the motion.

The county’s Department of Land Use and Growth Management will coordinate the grant submittal and, if awarded, administer the local match and workshop scheduling.