Carroll County commissioners approve multiple infrastructure contracts, HR pay-plan and send public-safety pension changes to public hearing

The Carroll County Board of Commissioners voted June 5 to approve a package of contracts and budget encumbrances covering stormwater work at Century High School, a PFAS groundwater study, multiple road and pipe repairs, and the county's updated employee classification and pay plan. The board also authorized staff to move proposed changes to the Carroll County Public Safety Pension Plan to a public hearing.

The actions, carried by voice vote, cover planned work and purchases included in the county's FY25 and FY26 budgets and are intended to address failing stormwater and drainage infrastructure, complete a phase 1 environmental study, and bring employee pay ranges in line with current market conditions.

Century High School stormwater contract and environmental work The board awarded the Century High School stormwater retrofit contract to Kibler Construction Co. LLC for $1,666,856. County staff said the project converts an existing stormwater facility to a surface sand filter and will provide 30 impervious acre credits toward the county's MS4 permit. Procurement staff told the board four firms responded to the solicitation.

The county also approved a purchase order for a PFAS phase 1 groundwater remedial investigation with Tetra Tech Inc. for $238,106. County staff said that contract was competitively procured and that the funds are in the FY25 budget.

Road, pipe and drainage repairs The board approved a series of road- and drainage-related purchases and encumbrances. Commissioners authorized: - $250,000 to encumber FY25 funds and start pipelining roughly 20 segments on Enterprise Street in Eldersburg, to be performed by the county term contractor Pleasants Construction; - $325,000 to buy blacktop material for repair and patching of nine chip-sealed roads (multiple roads listed in staff materials) using the county term contractor C.J. Miller Inc.; - Shotcrete (pneumatic concrete) invert linings at three locations to ProShot Concrete Inc.: $31,812.50 for a pipe near 1400 Placid Drive; $95,980 for a deep collapsed pipe near 1230 Owings Road; and $34,056 for a pipe near 630 Lees Mill Road. Staff explained shotcrete will stabilize severely eroded inverts and broken joints in pipes that are failing beneath the road surface.

Open-space easement purchase The board exercised an option to purchase a 16.35-acre add-on to an existing county easement (Connie Staub/formerly Leonard Reddick property) east of Boss Church Road in Union Bridge for $106,438.50. Staff said the add-on will retire three lot rights and that the purchase price equals $6,510 per acre.

Human resources classification and pay plan Commissioners approved a revised position classification system and updated pay plan intended to separate exempt (salaried) and nonexempt (hourly) scales, align titles and create consistent career ladders. County HR staff explained the multi-year project updated about 417 position descriptions, established core and leadership competencies and regraded positions into new pay bands. The board approved implementation effective June 19; staff said funds to bring any salaries below new minimums up to the appropriate floor were already included in the adopted budget.

Public Safety Pension Plan: public hearing authorized The board authorized staff to move proposed pension-plan amendments to a public hearing. The changes requested in the FY26 budget package include raising catastrophic line-of-duty disability benefits to two-thirds, increasing the benefit multiplier for service accrued after July 1, 2025, and raising employee pension contributions from 8% to 9% of base salary, all effective July 1, 2025. Commissioners were told the public hearing will be advertised and the board may act on adoption after the hearing.

Other contract actions The board awarded third-party claims administration for the county self-insured workers' compensation program to Cisco Inc. (via a City of Rockville competitively bid contract) at a FY26 budgeted cost of $59,000, and authorized staff to apply for and accept a FY25-FY26 Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness grant ($13,680 requested) from the U.S. Department of Transportation/PHMSA for hazmat training with a 25% match to be met with in-kind county funds.

Votes at a glance - Century High School stormwater retrofit (Kibler Construction Co. LLC) — $1,666,856 — approved by voice vote. - PFAS phase 1 groundwater remedial investigation (Tetra Tech Inc.) — $238,106 — approved by voice vote. - Add-on to county easement (Connie Staub/formerly Leonard Reddick) — 16.35 acres / $106,438.50 — approved by voice vote. - Revised position classification system and updated pay plan — effective June 19 — approved by voice vote. - Move Public Safety Pension Plan amendments to public hearing (items include benefit multiplier change, contribution increase, catastrophic benefit increase) — authorized by voice vote. - Third-party claims administration (Cisco Inc.) — $59,000 (FY26 budgeted) — approved by voice vote. - Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness grant application (PHMSA) — $13,680 request, 25% match — authorized by voice vote. - Enterprise Street pipelining (Pleasants Construction, encumbrance) — $250,000 — approved by voice vote. - Blacktop for chip-sealed roads (C.J. Miller Inc.) — $325,000 — approved by voice vote. - Shotcrete invert linings (ProShot Concrete Inc.) — $31,812.50 (Placid Drive), $95,980 (Owings Road), $34,056 (Lees Mill Road) — all approved by voice vote.

What the board said County staff repeatedly told commissioners the approved amounts were within the adopted FY25 budget or the FY26 budget plan and that several of the projects respond to failing infrastructure that needs immediate repair. HR staff told the board the classification work is intended to improve recruitment and retention and to create clearer career ladders.

What happens next Work on the awarded contracts and encumbered projects will proceed according to procurement schedules and contractor mobilization. The pension amendments will be scheduled for a public hearing as an ordinance-style adoption; board members will have an opportunity to vote after that hearing.

Notes on the record Votes were recorded as voice votes during the meeting; the board did not deliver roll-call tallies on the record for these approvals.