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Calvert County commissioners move attorney-selection for Board of Appeals, start formal adoption of procedural updates
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Summary
The Board of County Commissioners voted to require the Board of Appeals’ attorney be selected along the same lines as other county boards and authorized staff to begin adopting additional procedural updates recommended by the Board of Appeals; final language will return for ratification.
The Calvert County Board of County Commissioners voted Feb. 10 to require the Board of Appeals’ legal counsel to be selected in the same manner as other county boards and to begin the formal adoption process for several updated rules and procedures.
Jason Brinkley, the county’s director of planning and zoning, and Tamara Blake Wallace, deputy director and Board of Appeals administrator, presented the recommended changes, which clean up terminology (for example replacing a clerk title with “coordinator”), align appeal and hearing procedures with recent zoning-ordinance revisions and update references to the county’s procurement and appeals framework. "We are here today to seek approval of the Board of Appeals’ recommended changes to its rules and procedures," Tamara Blake Wallace said during the presentation.
During discussion commissioners questioned whether the Board of Appeals should continue to select its own counsel. Staff noted the current rules allow the Board of Appeals to select counsel, that the practice predates recent reorganizations and that the county currently procures that legal support by purchase order in some cases rather than by formal contract or solicitation.
A motion to require that the Board of Appeals’ attorney be selected "along the same lines as other boards within the county" was made, seconded and approved on a voice vote. Commissioners then moved to start the process to adopt the other proposed rule changes as presented, with staff returning the finalized language for formal ratification.
The board’s action does not finalize the detailed contract or procurement vehicle for the Board of Appeals’ counsel; staff advised the county would need to align any continued Board-selected counsel with procurement rules (for example using an RFQ or other solicitation) if the BOCC desires that approach.
Next steps: staff will prepare draft language reflecting the attorney-selection change and bring final wording back to the BOCC for ratification before formal adoption.
