St. Mary's County commissioners approve courthouse security grant, aging-services solicitation, arts council designation and parks director hire

St. Mary's County commissioners on Jan. 14 unanimously approved a set of administrative actions including a courthouse security grant, a provider solicitation for aging services, designation of the county arts council as the official county arts agency, and the employment contract for the new director of recreation and parks.

The actions were taken during the regular meeting at the Leonardtown commissioners' chambers. The most substantial funding action accepted was a courthouse security equipment grant from the Maryland Administrative Office of the Courts for the Circuit Court for St. Mary's County in the amount of $201,963, which presenters said will fund a building-wide intercom system controlled from the court's basement control room.

County attorney's office staff and presenters noted the grant was awarded through the state's administrative office of the courts and will pay for…