County utilities staff asked the board to authorize public hearings on fall 2025 amendments to the county Water and Sewer Master Plan. The packet included small sewer‑service infill changes in the Freedom area, multiple municipal amendments from Mount Airy and Taneytown, and a request tied to a proposed private industrial water/wastewater use (referred to in the staff presentation as Shamrock Farm).

Staff noted the two Freedom‑area amendments would add modest residential demand (an estimated 1,250 gallons per day combined) by changing service area designations for two parcels: one at 6743 Marvin Avenue (move to final planning service area to enable up to four single‑family units) and a parcel at the end of Gibbons Road (move to priority service area to allow a single unit). Staff confirmed none of the proposed municipal or Freedom changes exceed planned system capacity.

The Shamrock Farm filing seeks to be recorded in the plan because Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) requires the project appear in local master plans before the state will process large water appropriation and discharge permits; the applicant requested ~39,000 gpd water and approximately 60,000 gpd wastewater listing. Commissioners expressed concern that the county lacks sufficient detail about the Shamrock proposal to include it in a single public hearing packet. Following discussion the board voted to proceed to public hearing on the fall amendments but explicitly exclude the Shamrock Farm item until additional technical information is provided to staff and the board.

Staff said public hearing advertising would follow county and state rules and could be scheduled in early January pending advertisement timelines. If Shamrock Farm later supplies the necessary technical material, the county will place that item on a future amendment cycle and hold a separate public hearing.