Maryland procurement professionals will help Southern Maryland small businesses connect to state contracting opportunities during the Ready, Set, GROW! Procurement Connection Workshop on Tuesday, February 28, 2017. The Governor's Office of Minority Affairs is conducting the free workshop at the Southern Maryland Higher Education Center, 44219 Airport Rd., California, MD, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
"Public procurement can be a difficult process to navigate," said Jimmy Rhee, special secretary of the Governor's Office of Minority Affairs. "We want to help small businesses master the skills necessary to compete with confidence as they go after prime and subcontracting opportunities in the public sector."
The workshop will feature a presentation on how to navigate the state's procurement process with a focus on accessing small procurement opportunities. Local businesses which have made significant contributions in Southern Maryland will also be honored. Participants will be able to meet with buyers from the State Highway Administration, Department of General Services, Maryland Aviation Administration and Maryland Transit Administration. Representatives from the Governor's Office of Minority Affairs expected to be on hand include Deputy Secretary Herb Jordan; Outreach Manager Eduardo Hayden; Minority Business Enterprise Compliance Manager Lisa Sanford and Small Business Reserve Compliance Manager Lisa Sennaar. Members of the St. Mary's County Department of Economic Development and representatives from several small business resource programs will also be available to meet with business owners.
To register for the Ready, Set, GROW! Workshop, visit the Governor's Office of Minority Affairs' website at www.goma.maryland.gov and follow the Ready, Set, GROW! link on the home page. For more information, contact the Minority Affairs' Small Business Outreach Manager Eduardo Hayden at 410-697-9606 or via email to eduardo.hayden@maryland.gov.
Focus Group Participants Needed to Discuss Healthcare in St. Mary's County
The St. Mary's County Health Department and the Maryland Rural Health Association are seeking healthcare professionals and community members to participate in focus groups about healthcare in St. Mary's County. Data collected will help to inform the development of a Rural Health Plan for Maryland.
Focus groups are being held throughout Maryland's 18 rural counties to learn about what works, what doesn't, and how health care can be improved. In particular, the focus groups will discuss:
— the health and well-being of you and your community
— experiences with doctors, hospitals and other health care facilities
— available local resources for health and wellness
— how health care organizations can help community members be healthier
The St. Mary's County focus groups will be held Thursday, April 6, 2017. Questions are general and responses are based on personal experience. All participant information and responses will be confidential. To participate, you must:
— reside or work in the St. Mary's County
— be 18 years or older
— be able to give consent for participation; and
— pre-register with the St. Mary's County Health Department
This is an opportunity for you to have your voice heard in an anonymous way and inform future health efforts in your community. Space is limited and registration is required. Light refreshments will be served and community participants will receive a $25 Walmart gift card, all provided by the Maryland Rural Health Association.
Please call the St. Mary's County Health Department at 301-475-4323 for more information or to register.
Commission for People with Disabilities to Present Annual Awards Program
The Commissioners of St. Mary's County, in cooperation with the Commission for People with Disabilities, will once again present the annual Awards program.
The program was instituted to celebrate contributions made by individuals and businesses in our community and to raise public awareness regarding persons with disabilities.
Award categories include:
VOLUNTEER: Candidate should demonstrate exceptional efforts on the behalf of the disabled community through volunteering time and energy.
NOTABLE EMPLOYER: Candidate should demonstrate exceptional effort in advancing employment and/or volunteer opportunities to persons with disabilities.
CARE PARTNER AWARD: Candidate must be a direct care provider, either paid or volunteer that advocates for and empowers individuals with disabilities, allowing for increased self-esteem and community inclusion.
INNOVATIVE PROGRAM: Candidate should exhibit innovative plan and its execution for inclusion of persons with disabilities in an area of community life.
VICKI BROWN AWARD (2 AWARDS): Candidate must be a person with a disability that enjoys all aspects of life, is a role model and inspiration for others and participates in advancement of barrier free access for all.
STUDENT AWARD: a person of any age enrolled as a student in any capacity.
ADULT AWARD: a person 18 years old and over
More information about the awards program can be found at www.co.saint-marys.md.us/voluntr/DisabilityAwardsProgram.asp
Applications will be accepted until June 1, 2017 and should be submitted to Christina Bishop at (301) 475-4200 *1802 or via email to christina.bishop@stmarysmd.com.
Community Document Shredding Event Coming in April
As the spring season arrives, so does the task of spring cleaning. Thoughts quickly turn to clearing out file cabinets, closets and desks to dispose of confidential, private and important personal documents no longer needed.
Quite often community shredding events help protect individuals from identity theft and consumer fraud which has become widespread in our communities.
To raise awareness and promote prevention of identity theft, the St. Mary's County Department of Public Works & Transportation will host its 3rd annual community Document Shredding Event on Saturday, April 8. The event will be held at the St. Andrew's Landfill from 8 a.m. until noon.
The community Document Shredding Event provides residents an opportunity to have their confidential, private, and important documents destroyed by a professional shredding service at no cost. The truck (from Nexcut Shredding) can hold approximately 6 tons of paper using a "pierce and tear" system (knife-edged wheels to pull paper through a central cutting face). This type of shredding is deemed safer, faster, greener and secure. All paper material shredded during the event will be recycled.
Citizens are asked to refrain from bringing materials which are not confidential in nature (i.e. newspapers and magazines) as they will cause the truck to fill up quicker. The shredder can handle simple staples, paper clips, spiral note books and thin metal prongs. However, it cannot accept 3 ring binders. Please try to limit the number of boxes you bring to 2 standard bankers' boxes (10"H x 12"W x 15"D) per person so we can serve as many residents as possible. Last year's event yielded 4,600 pounds of paper.
For more information about this event, please contact the St. Mary's Department of Public Works and Transportation at 301-863-8400. For more information on recycling programs, log on to our website at www.stmarysmd.com/dpw/
2017 Summer Camp Registration Opens March 1
While it may still be winter, thoughts are turning to summer as the Department of Recreation and Parks gears up for 2017 Summer Camps. Registration for the camps begins online and in person on March 1.
Recreation and Parks offers a variety of summer camps for children from age 3½ through rising 10th graders. Summer Fun Day Camps begin the week of June 19 and run for one week sessions through August 18. Most Summer Fun Day Camps are $135 per week (unless otherwise specified); $170 and $200.
Fun Camps run weekdays from 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. Camp Keepers (extended care) is available from 6:30—8:30 a.m. and 4—6 p.m. for $15 per session (am or pm) per week. Fun Camp locations include Hollywood Recreation Center, Carver Recreation Center, Elms Beach, Chancellors Run Regional Park and Leonard Hall Recreation Center.
To register online go to www.stmarysmd.com/recreate. In person registration is available at the Recreation & Parks office in Leonardtown or by mail to P.O. Box 653 Leonardtown, MD 20650.
For more information about the camps, call 301-373-5410. For questions about registration, contact Recreation and Parks customer service at 301-475-4200 ext. *1800.
Emergency Services and Technology to Host SKYWARN® Training
Have an interest in weather? Would you like to help your local National Weather Service (NWS) office by providing firsthand on the ground accounts on what we observe from radar, satellites and various reporting stations? Then consider attending the SKYWARN® program Basic course.
The St. Mary's County Department of Emergency Services & Technology will host a SKYWARN—Basics training on March 27 from 6—9 p.m. The training will take place at 23090 Leonard Hall Drive, Leonardtown, MD 20650.
By attending this course, participants will be trained by NWS personal to recognize features associated with developing, mature and dissipating thunderstorms which cause hazardous weather such as lightning, flooding, hail, tornadoes and downbursts. Attendees will also learn basics about winter weather and tropical hazards.
At the end of the course you will be assigned a SKYWARN® spotter number which will be maintained in the official database at the NWS in Sterling, Virginia. You will also be directed how to report this vital weather information.
REGISTERING FOR A SKYWARN CLASS: Pre-registration is required for all classes. This is necessary to control class size and provide the proper amount of handouts. Classes have a limited amount of space. If you register for a class and cannot make it, please notify us so we can make your spot available to someone else. Upcoming classes are announced on this page. All training classes and SKYWARN® membership are free.
To register for this SKYWARN Basics training go to: www.weather.gov/lwx/skywarn. For more information, please call 301-475-4200 Ext. *2124.
Mulch Now Available for Residents
The Department of Public Works & Transportation is once again sponsoring its "Free Mulch" program while supplies last. County residents may pick up mulch free of charge at the St. Andrew's Landfill.
Mulch is now available between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Saturday. The St. Andrew's Landfill is closed on Sundays.
Citizens are responsible for loading and transporting of the mulch and are asked to bring a shovel, pitchfork or similar hand tool to load the mulch. Covering the load with a tarp prior to transporting is recommended to minimize material from blowing off the vehicle.
If assistance is required, special needs exist or additional information is requested, please contact the Department of Public Works & Transportation at 301-863-8400. Additional Recycling/Solid Waste Program information is available on the web at www.co.saint-marys.md.us/dpw/.
St. Mary's County Budget Book Receives National Recognition
Leonardtown, MD—Over the past three years, the Department of Finance has worked to revamp the design and layout of the annual budget book. The goal … to make the county's finances more accessible and transparent to citizens. Those efforts have paid off with a national honor.
The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) has awarded the Commissioners of St. Mary's County and the Department of Finance with its Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the FY2017 Budget Book.
The award reflects county government's commitment to meeting the Association's highest principles of governmental budgeting. To receive the award, St. Mary's County had to satisfy national recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation. The guidelines assess how well the county's budget serves as:
• a policy document
• a financial plan
• an operations guide
• a communications device
The budget document must be rated proficient in all four categories, along with the 14 mandatory criteria within those categories, to receive the award.
"I congratulate my team here in Finance," said Jeannett Cudmore, Chief Financial Officer. "I'm excited to be one of the many local governments to receive this award. This accomplishment further reflects how our Department demonstrates teamwork and continued quality performance."
Award recipients have pioneered efforts to improve the quality of budgeting and provide an excellent example for other governments throughout North America.
"This award represents a great achievement for the Department of Finance," said Commissioner President Randy Guy. "I congratulate everyone in Finance for their contributions in producing such a high quality publication."
To view the award winning FY17 budget book go to www.stmarysmd.com/docs/FY2017%20Budget%20Book%20Complete.pdf