Council approves Chesapeake College master plan contract using college fund balance; one councilman objects

The Dorchester County Council approved a request from Chesapeake College to negotiate a 10-year facilities master-planning contract with a design firm for an amount not to exceed $242,550, using the college’s fund balance. The council vote carried with one councilman recorded as opposed.

Clifford Coppersmith, Chesapeake College president, requested authority to proceed with a master-planning contract not to exceed $242,550. Council documents presented to the meeting allocated up to $157,550 from the college fund balance and the remaining $75,000 from an athletics master-planning budget previously approved in the FY25 budget.

One councilman said he would oppose the use of county resources for planning tied to a potential technical building project, citing concern about future county taxpayer obligations if the larger capital project proceeds — he stated the county was being asked to fund 18.9% of a tech-building capital expense in a manner he considered inequitable. Other council members and staff replied that the master-planning effort being proposed is college-centric and necessary to access state funding programs; staff said design-phase inclusion in the governor’s budget does not by itself obligate county funding and that the college is using its fund balance for the plan.

A motion to approve the college’s use of fund balance for the planning contract passed; the transcript records one dissent. The council did not approve any county capital commitment for a new technical building as part of this action.

County staff said the requested $75,000 from the athletics planning budget was previously approved in April 2024 as part of FY25 appropriations, and that the remainder would be covered by Chesapeake College’s own fund balance.