An unidentified county commissioner told meeting attendees that two senior citizens were stopped and given warnings after parking on the grass at the Leonardtown Library/Garvey Senior Center and urged county officials to expand parking at the popular, collocated facility.

The commissioner said the incident involved “1 person [who] was 87 with a walker” and another who was 83. According to the remarks, a deputy sheriff approached and “took their licenses. He ran their licenses. He gave them warnings for parking on the grass.” The commissioner said those encounters occurred while the seniors were inside playing a card game.

The speaker described the collocated library and senior center as a successful shared facility built during the speaker’s first term with help from “Commissioner Guy,” but said the site lacks adequate parking. “We’re not doing our job if we’re gonna build a facility that’s as popular as this without having enough parking,” the commissioner said, adding that the issue has been brought to the attention of the county administrator.

The commissioner urged the county to make expanding parking a priority and asked that the sheriff’s department be “a little bit more lenient on seniors.” No formal motion, vote, or timeline for a parking expansion was stated during these remarks.

The commissioner closed by thanking those in attendance and repeating the request that staff and the sheriff’s office address the parking and enforcement concerns. No further details on funding, design, or a start date for expansion were provided.