St. Mary's Co. Gov. News Briefs


Meeting Date Change for Commission for Women

The January meeting of the Commission for Women, originally scheduled for January 11, 2016, has been changed. The Commission will now meet on Tuesday, January 5, 2016, at 5:30 p.m. The meeting will be held in Room 14 inside the Potomac Building, 23115 Leonard Hall Drive in Leonardtown.

For more information, please call the Department of Aging and Human Services at 301-475-4200, ext. 1680.

Draft Long Range Transportation Plan Presented

45 day comment period now open

The Calvert St. Mary’s Metropolitan Planning Organization (C-SMMPO) has presented a draft of the Long Range Transportation Plan (LTRP).

The LRTP is the source of planning transportation investments for the region for the next 25 years. The plan prioritizes projects and programs that can have short and long-term effects on daily commutes, transportation options, and quality of life in the region. To view the LRTP go to calvert-stmarysmpo.com/156/Long-Range-Transportation-Plan-LRTP

Citizen input on this plan is essential to ensure transportation needs are accurately reflected within the MPO boundary and the region. The 45 day public comment period will end on February 22, 2016.

Citizens who have questions or comments should contact Ashley Renshaw, Calvert-St. Mary’s MPO Administrator at (301) 475-4200 ext. 1505 or via email to ashley.renshaw@stmarysmd.com.

Commissioners Congratulate Sabo Prior to Her Retirement

At their first business meeting of 2016, the Commissioners of St. Mary’s County paused to bid farewell to the county’s Chief of Staff and Human Resources Director Sue Sabo.

Sabo began her employment with St. Mary’s County on June 13, 2005. During her tenure as Director of Human Resources she served as Acting County Administrator on two occasions (March 28—August 7, 2011 and November 20, 2018—May 8, 2013). On May 8, 2013, her title was changed to Chief of Staff/Director of Human Resources.

“Your knowledge has been invaluable to this new group of commissioners,” said Commissioner Tom Jarboe (1st district) while presiding over the ceremony. “We thank you for your years of hard work and dedication to the employees of county government and the citizens of St. Mary’s County.”

The commissioners presented Sabo with a proclamation and retirement gift. Her retirement is effective on January 8, 2016.

Nominations Sought for Woman of the Year and Woman of Tomorrow Awards

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2016 Woman of the Year and 2016 Tomorrow’s Woman awards, sponsored by the St. Mary’s County Commission for Women. Winners will be announced and nominees recognized at the Commission’s annual Women’s History Month Banquet on Wednesday, March 16, 2016, at the Southern Maryland Higher Education Center, 44219 Airport Road, California, Maryland.

The Woman of the Year award is for exemplary community service while the Woman of Tomorrow award recognizes a high school-aged, young woman for exemplary community service. Nominations may be submitted for either award or both. To request a nomination packet, visit the Commission’s website at co.saint-marys.md.us/voluntr/women.asp. You may also email the commission at commissionforwomen@stmarysmd.com or call 301-475-4200, ext. 1680. Deadline for nomination submissions is Friday, February 5, 2016.

Tickets to the March 16 banquet are $30 per person and includes dinner. Reservations must be made by March 8, 2016.

In addition to recognizing women in the community, the banquet benefits the Jane Hale Sypher Scholarship at the College of Southern Maryland and other educational endeavors within the community. The scholarship supports a non-traditional student who is a single parent or displaced homemaker.

For more information contact Chairwoman Diane Danaher at 301-475-4200, ext. *1680 or via email to commissionforwomen@stmarysmd.com.

Additional Pickleball for Beginners Class to be Offered

Due to overwhelming interest the St. Mary’s County Department of Recreation and Parks is offering an additional pickleball class for beginners.

Come to learn and play one of the fastest growing sports in America! This program provides a level of exercise and fun for ages 18 & up during the winter months that can be adopted for a sustained program outdoors during the warm weather months.

This course introduces participants to the basic knowledge, rules, skills and strategies that can be shared with others for a lifetime of enjoyment. The program lasts 6 weeks and is limited to 12 participants. If the class fills up an additional class may be offered.

Mondays, January 25–February 29
5:30 to 7 p.m.
Cost: $50
Games played at Leonard Hall Recreation Center

Registration is now open. Those interested can register online at stmarysmd.com/recreate, in person at the Recreation & Parks main office in Leonardtown or by mail.

For more information contact Sports Coordinator, Kenny Sothoron at 301-475-4200 ext. *1830 or via email at Kenny.sothoron@stmarysmd.com.

Commissioners Will Host January Public Forum

The Commissioners of St. Mary’s County will hold their first Public Forum for 2016 on Tuesday, January 12 at 6:30 p.m. The forum will take place in their meeting room, inside the Chesapeake Building, at 41770 Baldridge Street in Leonardtown.

Citizens unable to attend the forum in person, and wishing to voice a concern, can take do so on social media. Residents can post comments or questions using the hashtag #CSMCforum to the county’s Facebook page (StMarysCountyGovernment) or twitter feed (@StMarysCoGov.) Time permitting, comments and questions will be read at the forum. Citizens should include their full name and mailing address when posting to social media as the comments will become part of the official record.

Commissioners of St. Mary’s County Public Forums are televised live on St. Mary’s County Government TV 95 (SMCG TV 95) on Metrocast Cable and streamed live for online viewing on the county’s website at stmarysmd.com/broadcast.asp. Click on the LIVE link at the top of the page (note: this feature is not available on Apple or mobile devices).

A rebroadcast of the forum will be aired on SMCG TV 95 on Sunday, January 17, 2016 at 7 p.m. Forums are also available for viewing on demand on the county’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/user/StMarysCoMDGov?feature=mhee.

Individuals wishing to speak at the Public Forum will be allowed up to three minutes to address the Commissioners (those representing a group will be allotted five minutes to speak.) Anyone wishing to provide more detailed comments may do so via email or regular mail.

The Commissioners of St. Mary’s County can be reached via e-mail at csmc@stmarysmd.com or by U.S. mail at Commissioners of St. Mary’s County, P.O. Box 653, Leonardtown, Maryland 20650.

January Code Home Public Hearing to be Held in Lexington Park

The fourth in a series of public hearing, hosted by the Commissioners of St. Mary’s County, regarding a proposed move to Code Home Rule form of government, will be held on Tuesday, January 19, 2016. The proceedings will take place at the Bay District Volunteer Fire Department, 46900 South Shangri La Drive, Lexington park, MD 20653 beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Code Home, part of the Maryland Constitution since 1966, would not significantly change the familiar county commissioner form of government. Rather, it would authorize County Commissioners to enact local laws on a number of subjects without having to await action by the Maryland General Assembly. Under Code Home Rule commissioners could not enact any new taxes or regulatory fees.

Code Home Rule would give the Commissioners legislative authority throughout the year. Public hearings on legislation would be held in Leonardtown, rather than in Annapolis during the winter. The public could demand a referendum on any new public local law, something which does not currently exist. St. Mary’s County is one of six counties in Maryland which has not adopted some form of home rule.

Voters in St. Mary’s County would have to approve a referendum to adopt Code Home Rule on the ballot in the November, 2016 general election.

The following is the list of remaining Code Home public hearings:

Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Second District Volunteer Fire Dept.
45245 Drayden Road
Valley Lee, MD 20692

Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Golden Beach Volunteer Fire Department
29848 Therese Circle
Mechanicsville, MD 20659

Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Leonardtown Volunteer Fire Department
22733 Lawrence Avenue
Leonardtown, MD 20650

All hearings begin promptly at 6:30 p.m.

More information about Code Home Rule can be found at www.stmarysmd.com/pio/codehome.asp 

Questions and comments can be sent to: CodeHomeRule@stmarysmd.com.

Notice of Funding Availability for FY2017 for Non-Profit Agencies

St. Mary's County Government has opened the request for funding for Non-profit entities for the FY2017 Budget, awarded by the Commissioners of St. Mary's County. Some significant changes have been made this year. Please read the Notice of Funding Availability in full and follow the links to download the instructions and forms. The Notice of Funding Availability can be found at www.stmarysmd.com/finance/non-profit.asp.

The application is for agencies with IRS 501(c)(3) status only and the deadline for submission is February 5, 2016. All requests must be submitted as a pdf via email. The final adoption of the FY2017 Budget is expected in May 2016.

If you have any questions, please email nonprofithelp@stmarysmd.com or look under the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) at the above link.

Economic Development, Chamber of Commerce, Pax Partnership and Maryland Department of Commerce to Host Export Forum

The St. Mary's County Department of Economic Development (DED), along with the Maryland Department of Commerce, St. Mary's County Chamber of Commerce and The Patuxent Partnership, are teaming up to host a half-day training program focusing on the marketing and selling of products and services internationally. The Export Forum will be held Thursday, January 21, from 9:30 a.m. till noon in Building 2 of the Southern Maryland Higher Education Center, 44219 Airport Road in California.

"Our local companies can be very competitive in the international market," said Chris Kaselemis, Economic Development director. "This Forum is designed to introduce companies to federal and state resources, grants and other financing opportunities to support export sales," he explained.

Representatives of the U. S. Export Assistance Center, Maryland Department of Agriculture, Small Business Administration Export Finance Division and others will be available to discuss the wide range of opportunities for businesses seeking to start or to increase their international sales.

"Growing St. Mary's County's footprint in international markets is one more way we can diversify the local economy," said Commissioner President Randy Guy.

The Forum is intended for local business of all types, including defense and non-defense companies and distributors of agriculture and seafood products. There is no cost to participate, however, registration is requested. To learn more about the Export Forum, contact Robin Finnacom, deputy director, DED at 301-475-4200, ext. *1407. To register to attend the Forum, contact Dana Digregorio, Sr. Administrative Coordinator, via email at dana.digregorio@stmarysmd.com or by phone by calling 301-475-4200, ext. *1407.

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