Queen Anne's County Commissioners approve appointments, contracts and grant actions; schedule two road public hearings

Queen Anne's County Commissioners met July 8 and approved a series of administrative actions including board appointments, public-hearing schedules for two private-road improvement projects, a public works agreement for a commercial haul route and multiple contract and grant authorizations. The meeting included votes to adopt state and federal transit certifications, accept grant-funded positions for the county jail, and award a waterfront repair contract contingent on additional state and county funding.

The commission appointed four members to the Local Management Board: Roger Hyrell, Robert James Randall, Andrew J. Gravis and reappointed Danaria Murga. Their terms were recorded as expiring June 30, 2028. The appointments followed a closed-session recruitment process the county disclosed at the start of the meeting.

The board scheduled public hearings for two private-road improvement petitions. Commissioners voted to schedule a public hearing for the Hartford and Olive Branch Road improvement project in Kent Island Estates. County staff said that project covers a 2,640-foot private road and that the estimated project cost is $232,000 (about $5,700 per property owner, with an assessment schedule discussion noting the payment option should be for 20 years). Commissioners also scheduled a hearing for the South Carolina Road and Oak Street improvement project in Kennewell and The States, a 3,740-foot project with an estimated cost of about $336,000 (approximately $6,870 per owner). Staff told the commission they expect to hold hearings in October.

The commission executed a public works agreement with RB Baker and Sons for use of a county road segment as a haul route. Under the agreement the company will post a $100,000 maintenance bond, the county said, and the route is structured to accommodate up to 50 truck trips per day over 15 years between a borrow pit adjacent to Route 301 and the company's landfill cell.

Parks and Recreation staff recommended, and commissioners approved, a low-bid contract to Bay Coastal (Berlin, Md.) to replace bulkheads and ramps at Crumpton and Deep Landing. The low bid was $909,548. The award was conditioned on anticipated Maryland DNR waterways grant funding of $250,000 and a requested county contribution of $75,000; commissioners identified potential county funding sources if the DNR grant is awarded.

As part of sanitary commission business, commissioners executed an assumption agreement with the National Rural Water Association to assume an outstanding engineering-bridge loan for the Town of Sudlersville’s sewer work; staff recorded the outstanding balance at $39,320.50 and cited a prior agreement to assume the town’s water and sewer financial obligations.

In new-business votes the commission: - Adopted authorizing Resolution No. 25-07 to certify Federal Transit Administration and Maryland Transit Administration assurances for FY 2026 specialized transportation programs; county staff said the certification is required to receive federal and state transit grant funds. - Accepted grant funding from the Maryland Office of Overdose Response to fund two contractual positions for the Department of Corrections — a part-time certified medical technician for dosing and a peer-support specialist — covering July 2025 through June 30, 2027; staff said the positions are grant-funded and result in no county cost. - Approved an amendment and declaration of extinguishment to an open-space easement for a cluster subdivision (Pippin Farm LLC) that reclassifies open-space requirements for a 190.45-acre parcel under the county’s sliding-scale rules. - Approved the purchase of a Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) and managed Security Operations Center service from the Tenneo Group at $60,110 per year, following a competitive procurement. - Authorized the Department of Parks and Recreation to contract with Bay Coastal for the Crumpton and Deep Landing project (see above). - Approved the RB Baker and Sons public works agreement (haul route) and executed the Sudlersville loan assumption agreement; both items carried on voice votes. - Approved several county policy and operational changes including increased erosion and sediment control plan-review fees requested by the Queen Anne Soil Conservation District; adoption of updated human resources policies (career ladder, telework, and Character Counts coaches/book buddies); and adoption of an ICT change-management policy (Policy No. 700-009).

Several items were noted as informational or underway, including the county’s FY25 road resurfacing and tar-and-chip programs; commissioners were briefed on contractor schedules and weather constraints that have delayed work in some cases. The commission closed the formal business and moved to press and public comment.

Votes were recorded by voice for most motions; where individual tallies were not read into the transcript, the clerk recorded motions as carried by voice vote.