Carroll County commissioners on Thursday authorized planning staff to apply for a Maryland 250 small grant to create a Citizens Planning Academy and approved acceptance of a separate Maryland 250 award aimed at Hispanic and immigrant community outreach.

Andrew Gray, comprehensive planner for the Department of Planning and Land Management, told the board the Maryland 250 Commission’s small grant program allocates up to $500 for eligible local projects. "There is a Citizens Academy small grant program that currently allocates up to $500 for eligible projects," Gray said. Planning staff proposed a six-week Citizens Planning Academy in March 2025 as a trial program with 25 participants (five from each commissioner district) to support the county master plan update and encourage public participation.

Deputy Director Daley said the planning academy application would use the county’s usual outreach channels and municipal distribution lists to recruit applicants; commissioners requested advance copies of any advertisements. Commissioners voted to instruct planning staff to submit and accept the $500 grant for the Citizens Planning Academy.

Separately, staff from the Department of Citizen Services described a second Maryland 250 award the county has already been offered by the governor’s Commission on Hispanic Affairs to provide civic-education and community-resource outreach to Hispanic and immigrant residents. Javier Toro, representing Citizen Services, said the award is intended to increase knowledge of local government operations and improve access to public safety, health, and community services. Toro said prior Hispanic resource fairs reached about 50 families and the new funding would support broader outreach events such as resource fairs or community-based sessions, with a planning partner from the governor’s office of Hispanic affairs.

The board approved a motion to accept the $500 award and to instruct staff to use it to establish community outreach events directed to Hispanic and immigrant residents. Both votes were approved by voice vote with no recorded nays.