Women’s Fall Soccer League Registration Available
The Charles County Department of Public Works will hold registration for the upcoming Fall Women’s Soccer League, which is open now through Friday, Aug. 15. League play will take place on Sundays at Laurel Springs Park (5940 Radio Station Road, La Plata). A “7 vs. 7” format will be played on an intermediate-sized soccer field. The franchise fee is $450.00 per team.
Teams may register at the Charles County Department of Public Works (1001 Radio Station Road, La Plata) weekdays between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.
For more information, interested teams should call 301-932-3470 or 301-870-2778 weekdays between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., or visit our website at www.charelscountyparks.com.
Household Hazardous Waste Collection Aug. 2
The Charles County Department of Public Works would like to remind citizens that the next household hazardous waste collection will be held on Saturday, August 2. The household hazardous waste collection site is held in the parking lot of the Department of Public Works building, located at 10430 Audie Lane, off of Radio Station Road in La Plata. Collection hours are 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Items accepted free of charge include: pesticides, herbicides, fertilizer, gasoline, oil-based paint, cleaning supplies, pool chemicals, fluorescent lights, mercury thermometers, and other poisons found in the home. Please remember to mark any container that does not have a readable, original label.
Unacceptable materials include bio-medical waste (sharps, needles, anything with bodily fluids), latex paint, prescription drugs, and ammunition. Used motor oil, anti-freeze, propane tanks, and batteries are accepted on a regular basis at various collection sites. Latex paint is not considered hazardous waste and can be placed in your household trash as long as it is solidified. This can be accomplished by adding kitty litter, shredded paper, paint hardener, or sawdust to aid in drying it out.
Household hazardous waste collection will occur on the first Saturday of each month through December. Upcoming 2014 collection dates are: Aug. 2, Sep. 6, Oct. 4, Nov. 1, and Dec. 6.
For more information, call the Charles County Department of Public Works, Environmental Resources Division at 301-932-3599 or 301-870-2778, or the landfill and recycling information line at 301-932-5656. Citizens with special needs may contact the Maryland Relay Service at 711, or Relay Service TDD: 800-735-2258.
County Charter Moves Forward for Public Vote
Commissioners to publish and forward to the Board of Elections
On Tuesday, July 22, the Charter Board presented the County Commissioners with the final draft of the proposed charter. The charter is a blueprint for the structure of county government that defines duties, powers, rules, and procedures. In accordance with the Maryland Constitution it will be published in a local newspaper and forwarded to the Board of Elections to be placed on the November 2014 ballot.
Charles County’s current form of government is code home rule. If approved by majority vote, charter would replace code home rule as the form of county government. Currently, 10 Maryland counties operate under the charter form of government: Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Cecil, Dorchester, Harford, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Talbot, and Wicomico.
Key provisions in the charter include:
-- Separates legislative and executive branches of county government by creating a County Council and a County Executive;
-- Provides for election by district for three County Council members and election at large for two County Council members;
-- Sets term limits for the County Council and the County Executive;
-- Allows for citizen referendum for most laws;
-- Provides procedural safeguards for funding county pension and post-employment obligations;
-- Creates a cap of three percent on County debt;
-- Provides for future amendments to the Charter in accordance with the Maryland Constitution; and
-- All existing laws, boards, and commissions will remain unchanged unless they directly conflict with the charter.
The full text of the charter is available online at www.CharlesCountyMD.gov/commissioners/boards/charter-board.
For more information about the charter or the steps to adopt a new form of county government, visit www.CharlesCountyMD.gov or contact Melody Weschler, Charles County Attorney’s Office, at 301-645-0555 or WeschleM@CharlesCountyMD.gov. Citizens with special needs may contact the Maryland Relay Service at 711, or Relay Service TDD: 800-735-2258.
Charles County Receives 12th Consecutive Digital Counties Survey Award
On Tuesday, July 22, the Charles County Commissioners recognized the Department of Fiscal and Administrative Services, Information Technology Division for earning the designation of “Most Digitally Advanced County” for counties nationwide with populations in the 150,000-249,999 population category. This is the 12th consecutive year that this department has received this award, and its first year winning in the higher population category.
Commissioner Debra M. Davis, Esq. (District 2) accepted the award on Friday, July 11 on behalf of the Board of Charles County Commissioners at the National Association of Counties 79th Annual Conference held in Orleans Parish, (New Orleans) Louisiana.
The awards are presented annually by the Center for Digital Government.