The Department of Public Works & Transportation will conduct the 7th annual community document shredding event at the St. Andrew's Landfill on Saturday, May 4, 2019 between 8 a.m. and noon.
This community event provides residents an opportunity to shred their confidential, private and important documents at no cost. The shredder truck is capable of holding approximately 12,000 pounds; turning sensitive documents into confetti-sized pieces. This type of shredding ensures confidential material cannot be copied. All paper material shredded will be recycled.
Residents are asked to refrain from bringing materials which are not confidential in nature, such as newspapers and magazines (these can be taken to one of six Convenience Centers around the county). This will cause the truck to fill up more quickly. The shredder can handle simple staples, paper clips, spiral note books and thin metal prongs; however it cannot accept 3 ring binders. Please limit the number of boxes you bring to 3 standard bankers' boxes (10"H x 12"W x 15"D) per person so we can serve as many residents as possible. A total of 11,060 pounds (5.53 tons) of paper was collected from 286 vehicles at the last event held on November 3, 2018.
For more information please contact the St. Mary's Department of Public Works and Transportation at 301-475-4200 ext.73550. For more information on recycling programs, log on to our website at www.stmarysmd.com/dpw/
National Weather Service SKYWARN Class Scheduled for April 25
The St. Mary's County Department of Emergency Services & Technology will host a SKYWARN—Basics training session on April 25, 2019 from 6—8 p.m. in the commissioners meeting room inside the Chesapeake Building in Leonardtown. The address is 41770 Baldridge Street, Leonardtown.
Citizens with an interest in weather and/or who would like to help the local National Weather Service (NWS) office to provide ground truth on atmospheric conditions seen on radar, satellites and various reporting stations are encouraged to attend.
Attendees 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. Basics about winter weather and tropical hazards will also be taught.
At the end of the course, registrants will be assigned a SKYWARN® spotter number which will be maintained in the official database at the NWS in Sterling, Virginia. Attendees will also be directed on how to report this vital weather information.
Registering for a SKYWARN® Class
Interested citizens are required to pre-register for all classes. This is necessary to control class size and provide the proper amount of handouts. Classes have a limited amount of space. Registrants are asked to notify the Department of Emergency Service if they are unable to attend in order to make the spot available to another individual. Future classes will be announced on this page. All training classes and SKYWARN® membership are free.
To register for the SKYWARN Basics training go to: www.weather.gov/lwx/skywarn
For more information, please call 301-475-4200 Ext. *2124 or email: ema@stmarysmd.com
Commissioners Approve Resolution Opposing Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling and Exploration Activities
At their January 29, 2019 meeting, the Commissioners of St. Mary's County approved a Resolution opposing offshore oil and gas drilling and exploration activities. The resolution further opposes the use of seismic air gun blasting and covers an area off the Atlantic Coast, specifically at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay.
The action follows an August 16, 2017 Governor Larry Hogan's notification to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management of Maryland's opposition to the opening of the Mid-Atlantic outer Continental Shelf (OCS) lease area for oil and gas exploration and development activities. This includes part of the 2019-2024, 5-year OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program.
Commissioner President Randy Guy and Commissioner Eric Colvin (District 1) were briefed by members of Oceana at the 2019 Maryland Association of Counties (MACo) conference. Oceana is an international organization focused solely on oceans. The group is dedicated to achieving measurable change by conducting specific, science-based policy campaigns. Oceana has worked to pass similar resolutions with over 240 east coast counties and municipalities, including Annapolis, Berlin, Montgomery County and Ocean City.
"Our main concern is potential impacts offshore drilling may have on our waterfront and our watermen," said Commissioner President Randy Guy. "Offshore drilling may require significant onshore infrastructure, such as pipelines or refineries, which would harm the character of Maryland's coastline."
Copies of the Resolution are being forwarded to Governor Hogan, Congressman Steny Hoyer, House and Senate Delegations to the 116th Congress, the President of the Maryland Senate and Maryland House Speaker.
Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day April 20
Residents seeking to clean out their barns, basements, sheds, garages, storage areas under kitchen sinks, etc. can properly discard of potentially toxic/dangerous materials. The Household Hazardous Waste Collection Dave event allows for the safe disposal of household hazardous waste materials.
The St. Andrew's Landfill will host the Spring Hazardous Waste Collection Day on Saturday, April 20, 2019 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Hazardous waste items which will be accepted for collection include Acids, Ammonia, Bleach, Cleaners, Fuels, Gas/Oil Mixtures, Gasoline, Household and Lawn Pesticides, Mercury Thermometers, Photography Chemicals, Pool Chemicals, Solvents, Wood Preservatives, Paint Thinners, and Alkyd (oil-based) Paint. Since Latex Paint is not considered hazardous, it can be disposed with your regular trash collection as long as the mixture is harden by adding absorbents (cat litter, sand, sawdust, or paint drying crystals) prior to disposal. If, however you are unable to do so, Latex Paint will also be accepted.
Items not be accepted include Ammunition, Asbestos, Explosive Materials, Medical Waste, Pharmaceuticals, Radioactive Materials, and Picric Acid.
Collect and dispose of your household hazardous waste materials through safe and environmentally responsible practices using the County's certified vendor, ACV Enviro.
For more information please contact the St. Mary's Department of Public Works and Transportation at 301-475-4200, ext. *3517. You can also log on to our website at www.stmarysmd.com/dpw/recycling-solid-waste/
MALPF Easement Applications Now Available
The Maryland Agriculture Land Preservation Foundation (MALPF) is now accepting applications for the FY2020 Easement Cycle. A landowner, who has a minimum of 50 contiguous acres, is not in the 10 year water and sewer plan for the county and has a minimum of 50% Class I, II, or III soils, can apply to sell an easement to MALPF. The number of applications MALPF will accept from each county has yet to be determined.
All easement applications must be received by the Department of Economic Development Agriculture Division by May 1, 2019. Once applications are received, they will be ranked by St. Mary's County Agriculture Land Preservation Advisory Board (ALPAB) using the state mandated Land Evaluation and Site Assessment (LESA) system. The top ranked applications will be submitted to the State for easement consideration.
Applications can be obtained by calling the Department of Economic Development Agriculture Division at 240-309-4021.
Recreation and Parks Board Seeks Public Comment on Lexington Manor Master Plan
The Recreation and Parks Citizen Advisory Board's February meeting, originally scheduled for February 7, 2019, has been rescheduled for Thursday February 21, 2019 at 6 p.m. The meeting will take place in the commissioners meeting room inside the Chesapeake Building, at 41770 Baldridge Street, in Leonardtown.
Citizens are invited to attend the meeting and provide public comment regarding a Master Plan project targeted for the Lexington Manor Property, located on Coral Drive, adjacent to Lancaster Park.
The Landscape Architect firm, Lardner Klein & Associates, has been selected to design and develop the plan. An overview of the project will be presented by Lardner Klein staff prior to the meeting being opened for public comment.
The scope of work includes the following:
• Conduct a thorough site investigation of the property to determine existing conditions.
• Provide site analysis opportunities and constraints to include site topography, existing trees (tree survey), street frontage and community connections.
• Define permissible and non-permitted uses.
• In addition to meetings with staff, the consultant will provide opportunity for public consultation to include presentation at two (2) public meetings.
• Prepare a corresponding written narrative (executive summary, body, and conclusion) document.
• Identify key findings and vision statement. Design objectives, design philosophy, park elements and recommended treatments, sustainability and carbon footprint. Mobility and accessibility, civil engineering summary and preliminary cost estimates.
On August 30, 2016, the Commissioners of St. Mary's County designated the 33.8-acre Lexington Manor North Parcel as open space and submitted a letter to the Maryland Department of Commerce documenting their decision. The letter states, "…while the County retains the right to develop the property for commercial use, we do not foresee doing so."
The 2017 approved Land Preservation, Parks and Recreation Plan (LPPRP) includes a recommendation to "repair and enhance the trails/old streets in the Lancaster Park south and north parcel (old "Flat Tops" housing area for hiking, biking, walking, and roller blading and for Arts in the Parks events (page 57)." The Lexington Park Development District master plan (approved February 9, 2016) shows the use of the property as public open space.
Recreation and Parks Department staff met with Community Development Corporation (CDC) and Unified Committee on Afro-American Contributions (UCAC) representatives on September 6, 2017 to discuss improvements such as completing bicycle trails and pedestrian walkways on the former Lexington Manor North Parcel in Lexington Park. Additional planning meetings were held on July 26, August 16, and September 6, 2018 with UCAC, CDC & R&P staff. The Recreation and Parks Board was briefed on the project on September 6, 2018 and provided concurrence with the scope of work during the R&P Board meeting of October 4.
The Commissioners of St. Mary's County received a briefing on the project at their October 16, 2018 meeting.
Citizens wishing to obtain additional information please contact Arthur Shepherd, Recreation and Parks Director, at arthur.shepherd@stmarysmd.com or call 301-475-4200, ext. 71812.