Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation And Legislation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council discusses Route 16, World’s End Turn repairs and legislative priorities including juvenile auto-theft
Summary
County staff reviewed transportation priorities and legislative requests, saying the state plans to reinforce World’s End Turn and may schedule a temporary closure next summer; councilors proposed adding juvenile automobile theft and volunteer firefighters’ workers’ compensation classification to the county’s legislative asks.
County staff and councilors reviewed the annual transportation agenda and related legislative priorities during the Aug. 19 council meeting, including state plans for World’s End Turn, chronic flooding at a local intersection, and proposed legislative asks for the upcoming Maryland General Assembly session.
Miss Barnes, the county staff member leading the transportation discussion, summarized items for the council: Route 16 boundary options, county road right‑of‑way matters, and a recurring drainage problem at an intersection in El Dorado. She asked council members to confirm projects to finalize the transportation list for the next meeting.
On the condition of World’s End Turn, Miss Barnes reported what the county had been told by state officials: the state will reinforce the road edges with stone, may narrow the road to one lane with signaling for alternating traffic, and plans a temporary closure next summer to complete work that could take about three to four weeks. “We have no intention of the state since the state road has told us no intentions of closing that road for any reason. It's a permanent issue,” Miss Barnes said, later clarifying that a closure would be scheduled to avoid interfering with school buses and major traffic.
Council members also raised local flooding concerns. A council member noted an El Dorado intersection that has experienced flooding and asked that state and county staff keep that location on their radar, especially ahead of the incoming weather system.
In a related session on legislative priorities for District 37, Miss Barnes reviewed items already on the county’s list for the district delegates and senator: state law amendments concerning lease advertisements, passing on the shoulder, and juvenile corrections facility audio/visual requirements. Several council members urged narrowing and reframing the county’s requests to improve prospects in Annapolis.
One council member proposed adding automobile theft by juveniles to the county’s legislative asks and suggested asking for a lower threshold on the number of juvenile system contacts before different, earlier interventions are required. “Auto theft by juveniles or juvenile suspects is a major, major problem in our community,” the council member said, urging a focused legislative request.
Council also asked staff to add volunteer firefighters’ workers’ compensation classification to the list for discussion with the county’s legislative delegation. The county’s HR director and Chesapeake Employers (the workers’ comp vendor) told the council that current state rules treat any member of a fire company as a covered employee for workers’ compensation, creating higher rates that the council said they want to revisit with legislators.
Miss Barnes confirmed she would add the volunteer workers’ compensation classification issue to the list for discussion with delegates. Council members described the upcoming delegations’ visit as an opportunity to reframe and prioritize a smaller number of focused asks for the legislature.
