Dorchester County Council renews EMS billing contract and approves multiple Public Works contracts

The County Council of Dorchester County on April 1 approved a suite of procurement actions, including a five-year renewal of the county’s EMS medical-billing contract and multiple Public Works contracts and bid awards.

Council President George L. Pfeffer, Jr. reported the county’s cash and investments total $34,165,785.75. The council then approved a motion to renew a medical-billing contract requested by Emergency Services Chief Debbie Wheedleton: Carter Professional Services, LLC, trading as Medical Claim-Aid, will provide billing services from April 1, 2025, through March 31, 2030, at the same rate as the prior contract, the council recorded unanimous approval.

The council also approved Public Works procurement actions. It renewed the county’s pipe contract with Lane Enterprises, LLC for an additional one-year term at the same stipulations and pricing. The council awarded fuel-station repairs to the lowest bidder, State Petroleum Service, Inc., at $16,272.00; meeting minutes note the repairs were necessary to comply with the Maryland Department of the Environment Oil Operations Permit. The council awarded marina mowing to Marshall Property Management at $735 per month and landfill mowing to Wielgosz Property Management at $1,000 per month. County facilities mowing was awarded to Marshalls Property Management at $1,620 per month, with monthly per-tax-property rates of $70 for parcels under half an acre and $90 for parcels over half an acre; funding for mowing will come from the respective operating budgets.

All contract renewals and bid awards recorded in the minutes passed by unanimous vote where recorded. The meeting minutes show the council approved other consent items that included requests to advertise Requests for Proposals for Generator Services at multiple county facilities and a CGE Terminal LED lighting retrofit at the airport; those advertising requests were included on the consent agenda that the council approved without recorded dissent.

The council’s minutes identify vendors and dollar amounts where provided; vendor name spellings appear inconsistently in the minutes for some grounds-maintenance awards (Marshall vs. Marshalls). The minutes also record interim poll confirmations ratifying a $65,600 SFY2026 Victims of Crime Act grant application (recorded by poll as 4–0) and a separate letter of support for a grant submitted by Queen Anne's County (recorded by poll as 3–0). In a separate poll the council recorded a 3–2 vote to lift an open-air burn ban on March 27, 2025 (Councilmen Pfeffer and Detmer recorded as opposing).

The council’s procurement approvals are subject to the usual departmental funding sources and will be implemented by the relevant county departments; the minutes attribute funding for each contract to the department operating budgets and note regulatory compliance for the fuel-station repairs as the stated justification.

The council adjourned at 7:07 p.m.