Chapel Point State Park Public Meeting to be Held on Aug. 4
The Maryland Park Service and the Charles County Department of Recreation, Parks, and Tourism will hold a public meeting to discuss a strategic management partnership plan for Chapel Point State Park on Thursday, Aug. 4 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the County Commissioners' Meeting Room at the Charles County Government Building (200 Baltimore Street, La Plata). Chapel Point State Park is located off of Chapel Point Road in Port Tobacco.
A partnership with the Maryland Park Service and the Charles County Department of Recreation, Parks, and Tourism is being proposed to enhance services for increased visitation and interest in the park's existing and potential amenities. State and county staff will provide background information about the park along with general goals for the partnership at the public meeting. Following the public meeting, a strategic management partnership plan will be developed to facilitate the proposed partnership using public input.
For additional information, contact Mary Owens, Maryland Park Service at 410-260-8161 or Mary.Owens@maryland.gov or Greg Kernan, Charles County Department of Recreation, Parks, and Tourism at 301- 932-3472 KernanG@charlescountymd.gov. Citizens with special needs, contact the Maryland Relay Service at 711, or Relay Service TDD: 800-735-2258.
Household Hazardous Waste Collection Scheduled for Aug. 6
The Charles County Department of Public Works would like to remind citizens that the next household hazardous waste collection will be held on Saturday, Aug. 6. The household hazardous waste collection site is located 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 2016 collection dates are: Aug. 6, Sept. 3, Oct. 1, Nov. 5, and Dec. 3.
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 Hosts Bassmaster Elite Series on Aug. 11-14
Mark your calendars for the Bassmaster Elite at Potomac River presented by Econo Lodge from Thursday, Aug. 11 to Sunday, Aug. 14. The event will include the Bassmaster Expo and Discover Quest Festival.
Event schedule:
Bassmaster Elite (Thursday, Aug. 11 - Sunday, Aug. 14)
Smallwood State Park (2750 Sweden Point Road, Marbury)
Tournament Begins: 6:15 a.m.
Aug. 11-12 Weigh-in: 3 p.m.
Indian Head Pavilion and Village Green (100 Walter Thomas Road, Indian Head)
Aug. 13-14 Weigh-in: 3 p.m.
Bassmaster Expo and Discover Quest Festival (Saturday, Aug. 13- Sunday, Aug. 14)
Indian Head Pavilion and Village Green (100 Walter Thomas Road, Indian Head)
Event time: Noon - 5 p.m.
Highlights include:
• Bassmaster Elite Series Tournament Weigh-ins
• Interactive programs by the Department of Natural Resources and Living the American Indian Experience
• Local artisans and crafters
Free admission and parking for tournament spectators. Food and drink available for purchase. Visit www.bassmaster.com/tournaments/bassmater-elite-potomac-river for information about Bassmaster Elite.
For more information about Discover Quest, visit www.CharlesCountyMD.gov/DiscoverQuest. Citizens with special needs may contact the Maryland Relay Service at 711, or Relay Service TDD: 800-735-2258.
County Accepting Legislative Proposals until Aug. 26
Any citizen, group, or organization interested in submitting a legislative proposal or suggestion for revision or amendment to an existing state law must submit a written request to the Office of the County Attorney to:
2017 Legislative Request
Office of the County Attorney
P.O. Box 2150
La Plata, MD 20646
Each proposal must be received by the Office of the County Attorney no later than on Friday, August 26 at 4 p.m., in order for the proposal to be included in the Charles County Commissioners 2017 Preliminary Legislative Package.
The Charles County Commissioners have established the time guidelines for the preparation of their 2017 General Assembly Legislative Package. Each proposal requiring Maryland General Assembly enactment will be included in a preliminary package available for distribution on Friday, Sept. 2, and presented to the County Commissioners at a public hearing on Tuesday, Sept. 13 at 6 p.m. Anyone submitting a proposal will be asked to attend the hearing to provide a brief synopsis of the initiative and answer questions.
A preliminary work session will be scheduled to review the proposals and determine which ones will be included in the County Commissioners' 2017 General Assembly Legislative Package and forwarded to the Charles County Delegation for consideration.
For more information, call the Office of the County Attorney at 301-645-0555. Citizens with special needs may contact the Maryland Relay Service at 711, or Relay Service TDD: 800-735-2258.
Charles County Commissioners Meeting Agendas for July 26 and 27, 2016
Tuesday, July 26, 2016
• 1. [12:30 p.m.] Employee Recognition Reception (Government Building Atrium)
• 2. [1:00 p.m.] Open Session (Commissioners' Meeting Room)
• 2.01 [1:00 p.m.] Recognition: New Employee Introductions, Years of Service Awards (July), Employee of the Quarter Awards
• 2.02 [1:20 p.m.] Commissioners' Comments
• 2.03 [1:20 p.m.] Approval of the Minutes of July 12, 2016
• 2.04 [1:20 p.m.] Notice of the Agenda of August 2, 2016
• 2.05 [1:20 p.m.] Approval Items
• 2.06 [1:20 p.m.] Capital Improvement Program Update (Mr. Bill Shreve, Director of Public Works)
• 2.07 [1:35 p.m.] Briefing and Request for Approval: County Owned Land Disposal Standard Operating Procedure (Ms. Judy Michael, Property Acquisition Officer, Planning & Growth Management)
• 2.08 [1:50 p.m.] Briefing and Request to Set a Public Hearing: Amendment to the Adequate Public Facilities Manual Concerning School Allocations (Mr. Jason Groth, Chief of Resource and Infrastructure Management/ Mr. John Mudd, Resource Manager)
• 3. [2:15 p.m.] Closed Session (Government Building Conference Room)
• 3.01 [2:15 p.m.] Closed Session (Legal) All or a portion of this session may be closed pursuant to Section 3-305(b) (1)(7)(14) of the General Provisions Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland
• 4. [6:00 p.m.] Public Hearing (Commissioners' Meeting Room)
• 4.01 [6:00 p.m.] Public Hearing: Property Assessed Clean Energy Loan Program Bill #2016-05
Wednesday, July 27
The County Commissioners will not be holding public session. The Commissioners will be representing the county at other meetings and will conduct individual appointments as scheduled.
This agenda is tentative and subject to change without notice
County Named one of the Nation's Most Digitally Advanced Counties
The County Commissioners are pleased to announce that the Center for Digital Government (CDG) and the National Association of Counties (NACo) have selected Charles County as one of the nation's most digitally advanced county in the 150,000—249,999 population category, placing second. This is the Department of Fiscal and Administrative Services' Information Technology Division's 14th consecutive year as a recipient of this award.
The 2016 annual survey recognizes leading examples of counties using technology to improve services and boost efficiencies. The survey, conducted by CDG and its Digital Communities program, in partnership with NACo, identifies best technology practices among U.S. counties. To be eligible for the award, a county must be a member of NACo. There are 3,069 NACo county members.
County Administrator Michael D. Mallinoff, Esq., ICMA-CM said, "The award recognizes the innovative and creative work of the county's IT staff. IT's accomplishments allow County Government to provide streamlined services and information to benefit county operations and residents."
The Center for Digital Government is a national research and advisory institute focused on technology policy and best practices in state and local government. CDG is a division of e.Republic, the nation's only media and research company focused exclusively on state and local government and education.
For more information about the Center for Digital Government, and to view the full list of winners, visit http://www.govtech.com/dc/digital-counties/Digital-Counties-Survey-2016-Winners-Announced.html.
County Leaders Will Learn Technological Advances and Cyber-Related Trends at MACo Summer Conference
MACo's Summer Conference is an annual event where county elected officials, county staff, state and federal officials, and business representatives convene to study best practices in local governance and explore partnerships through which to better serve the people of Maryland.
The 2016 MACo Summer Conference will be held Aug. 17-20 at the Roland Powell Convention Center in Ocean City, Maryland. The conference is themed "Cyber Solutions: Counties in the Digital Age." The focus of the conference is on digital trends, cyber threats, and technological solutions for county officials and professionals. Among many topics offered, participants can expect to see demonstrations of drones, hear from experts about autonomous vehicles, and talk about the implementation of texting 9-1-1.
Also on the agenda, among many other topics, are social media use and telecommuting for county employees, environmental updates, protecting children from cybercrime, concussions, funding methods for technology, and a Q&A session on medical cannabis. Participants will have two opportunities to be certified to administer Naloxone, the opioid overdose treatment drug.
Updates will be given by the Departments of Natural Resources and the Environment. U.S. Senator Ben Cardin will host a town hall forum and U.S. Representative (and MACo Past President) Dutch Ruppersberger will moderate a general session on cybersecurity budgeting. Governor Larry Hogan is confirmed to deliver the closing address of the conference.
Commissioner Amanda M. Stewart, M. Ed. (District 3) will be in attendance with County Administrator Michael D. Mallinoff, Esq., ICMA-CM. County Attorney Rhonda Weaver, Esq. will be a speaker on a panel entitled "Beam Me Up—Telecommuting and County Government, and Chief of 9-1-1 Communications Tony Rose will be a speaker on a panel entitled "9-1-1: The Next Generation—Everything Will Change, Except the Numbers."
Shreve Appointed to State Board of Waterworks and Waste Systems Operators for Fourth Term
On Wednesday, July 20, Director of Public Works Bill Shreve took the oath of office for his fourth four-year term as a member of the State Board of Certification for Waterworks and Waste Systems Operators, a governor-appointed and Senate-confirmed commission. Shreve became a liaison member of the board in 1983, and served in that capacity until 2002 when he received his first commission. Shreve has served as the chair of this Board since his first appointment in 2002, and looks forward to continuing to support the efforts of the State to ensure all environmental systems are operated by duly certified individuals.
The Maryland Department of the Environment Board of Waterworks and Waste Systems Operators establishes the education, experience, and examination standards for water and wastewater treatment system operators and superintendents, and issues and renews certifications based on these standards.