The Talbot County Council completed a slate of routine and substantive actions at its December meeting, approving code changes, capital purchases, appointments, bids and grant applications while also hearing a presentation on the new Regional Medical Center and a public comment from the YMCA.

Alcoholic‑beverages ordinance
Madam Secretary read Bill 16‑23, which amends Chapter 11 of the Talbot County Code to permit on‑premises consumption at alcohol dispensary bistros, expand seating capacity for dispensary bistros, exempt certain urban Class I licenses from a market test, and exempt Oxford Conservation Park from a 500‑foot distance restriction for new off‑sale licenses. The council recorded a roll‑call vote; the reading into the record indicated the matter was "eligible for vote" and the roll call recorded ayes from council members and the bill advanced.

Zoning text amendment referral (MALPF)
Planning staff introduced a proposed zoning text amendment to allow the council to release properties from existing reserve‑lands or reservation‑of‑development‑rights agreements when a landowner seeks to enroll in the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation (MALPF) program. Attorney Zach Smith, representing the property owner (identified variously in the record as Althea Doolin or Thea Dolan), told the council that a MALPF conservation easement removes non‑agricultural rights and would provide stronger, perpetual protections than a remaining‑lands agreement. A council member moved and the council voted to refer the proposed amendment to the Planning Commission for a recommendation (roll call: Mr. Callahan, Mr. Stepp, Mr. Lesher, Ms. Milkey and Ms. Haight recorded as 'Aye').

Appointments and joint‑use agreement
The council approved the appointment of William Belding to the administrative charging committee and appointed Council member David Stepp as the county representative to the local drug and alcohol committee (LDAC). The council also approved a joint‑use agreement allowing the town of Trapp to use county‑owned Home Run Baker Park to implement improvements funded by a community parks and playgrounds grant from the state (improvements include a girls' softball field, scoreboard electrical work and restrooms).

Bid awards and capital purchases
County staff recommended awarding bid 2507 for a Public Safety Storage Facility to El Heffy, LLC; the amount read into the record was shown as $1,100,000.0850000 (transcript contains formatting artifacts). The council approved the award and staff noted sufficient FY26 budget funds. The council also approved a recommendation to use FY26 capital outlay funding to buy equipment for the Klondike Road biosolids facility: a tractor/boom lift (read as $56,600.22) and a utility vehicle/gator (read as $14,480.44), procured via Maryland state contract.

Preserve at Y Mills wastewater treatment improvements
The council considered awarding bid 25‑15 for Region 4 wastewater treatment improvements at the Preserve at Y Mills. Staff said the low bidder was Premier Service Group (a local contractor) at about $1,800,000 and requested contingent approval pending Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) approval. Staff said they expect roughly 73–75% grant funding through the Bay Restoration Fund; awarding the project would enable additional building permits for the development. The council approved the contingent award by roll call.

Maryland 250 grant and events calendar
The council voted to apply for and accept a Maryland 250 Commission grant (up to $15,000 per county) to support Talbot County’s participation in the nation’s 250th anniversary and the county’s 365th anniversary. Communications manager Sarah Kilman outlined planned events for 2026, including a Ken Burns film screening (Jan. 14), Native American Heritage Day (Feb. 21), Talbot Day (April) with a community parade/festival (April 26) and a Smithsonian trip (May 6).

Public comment
Wendy Palmer, director of health interventions at the YMCA of the Chesapeake, asked the council to consider providing land to expand YMCA services, describing programs for people with Parkinson’s disease, cancer survivors and senior fitness.

Next steps
Staff will continue to process awarded contracts (including contingent approvals pending MDE), implement the joint‑use agreement work, monitor the hospital construction updates presented earlier in the meeting, and proceed with Talbot 250 event planning if the grant is awarded. The council adjourned and scheduled its next meeting for Jan. 12 with an open session at 5 p.m. and a prior 2:30 p.m. work session.