Live stream: https://townhallstreams.com/stream.php?location_id=153&id=65392

Attendees: George Pfeffer, President; Mike Detmer, Vice President; Rob Kramer, Jr; William Nichols; Ricky Travers; Jerry Jones, County Manager; Irene Barnes, Administrative Specialist; Charles MacLeod, Attorney

Open Session

Closed Session

Reconvene into Open Session:  6:06 PM.

Invocation & Pledge of Allegiance

Financial Report: General Fund Cash on Hand – General Fund has $32,945,917.14 on hand.

Closed Session Summary –  Mr. Pfeffer reported on the closed session which covered a personnel matter.

Consent Agenda – The consent agenda was approved.

• County Council Open Session Minutes – January 21, 2025
• Accounts Payable Disbursement Report – Week Ending January 31, 2025
• Administrative Office of the Courts – AY2025 Courthouse Security Funding – Circuit Court
• Request to Advertise for Proposals – Towing Services – Public Works
• Letter of Support – FY25 Educational Facilities Master Plan – Dorchester County Public Schools
• Cooperative Agreement – Noxious Weeds – Maryland Department of Agriculture

 Proclamation(s)

• National Outdoor Show Month – February – introduction of Miss Outdoors, Little Miss Outdoors and Little Mr. Outdoors.

Presentations

1. Blackwater Wildlife Refuge Update by Marcia Pradines, Project Leader –

The Refuge was established in 1933. In 2024, the refuge planted 49 acres of corn,150 acres of clover and 12 acres of millet for wildlife; very dry conditions have made results okay, not great; avian flu a problem but they haven’t had as many ducks and geese as usual (but did test one Great Blue Heron which was positive); planning 100 acre marsh restoration; 883 acres sprayed to control phragmites and some other invasive grasses; created 27,000 feet of firebreak in the forest area, covering one-third of the area.  Two acquisitions: 150-acre easement in Wicomico County, 460 acres purchased right across from Visitor Center. Their money comes from hunting permits, no tax dollars involved. 1500 muskrat trapping units awarded, some new trappers, to manage population growth; 4176 deer hunting permits, 1200 bow hunting (Sept – Jan). They’re encouraging lead-free ammo, have workshops and $25 or $50 gift cards available. University of Delaware did a deer survey indicating 62-70 deer per square mile, but they have no previous data to frame this finding. New parking lot at Key Wallace Drive for snakehead fishermen, and Visitor Center restoration is planned.

• • Detmer complained that the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service manages 36,000 acres and the county only gets $50K in taxes annually; he complimented their proactive approach to wildlife management.
  • The refuge draws many visitors to the area, who spend money here.

2. Cambridge Resiliency Initiative by Larry White, P.E. – (a FEMA approved and funded Flood Mitigation Project) requesting approval of tie-in to six properties in Dorchester County. Background: by 2050 a two-foot sea level rise is anticipated, including intense storms with 5” rain in an hour, 15” over 24 hours. They propose two sites for tie-in: Pinks Pond and Bellevue Ave. Proposing Living Shoreline, which differs from hard infrastructure like levees in that it  absorbs energy, but they need greater elevation, so they’re planning an embankment with Living Shoreline on the water side (FEMA loved this). Designed for overtopping, the berm will look like a sand dune. They have $1.7M for Phase I, Design, which is 30% complete and have applied for $1.6M for Phase II. The project will ask for citizen input in June, after design drawings are completed. The Army Corps of Engineers discovered that some NJ projects survived Hurricane Sandy and they’re basing their plans on those. Trying to blend in with existing shoreline, though there will be rip-rap at Pinks Pond. The road (Hambrooks Blvd) will have to be elevated 4 feet. Great Marsh Park will become a stormwater management center with an embankment. They will excavate the park and put in pervious material to absorb water. They will have ongoing maintenance to keep the infrastructure up. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is also funding habitat restoration along with the living shoreline.
   • Detmer: will this reduce recreational use at Great Marsh Park? No, their goal is to have water drain off overnight or in a couple days max.
   • Travers: has this idea been tested? Yes, they found a San Francisco project like this, but this design hasn’t been done a lot; cutting-edge engineering.
   • Travers: yes, the Army Corps promised ten years ago that Rooster Island would come back if they carried out a planned project, but it did not.
   • Travers: have they talked to the residents about a 7’ berm and a 4’ raised road? No, waiting on Council approval, but Mr. White says people will be able to see over the berm.
   • The Council is not willing to approve the county tie-in until the project talks with property owners.

Legislative Session: 911 fee increase to $2 per month – approved

Action Items:

1. Wild Goose Chase (a bike race) at Blackwater on September 14^th – approved
2. Earmarks discussion: The County Manager Jerry Jones was asked to create a list of possible expenditures to be provided to the state legislators.
3. Poll confirmation – approved
4. Approved submitting a grant application for $489k for a sewer pump upgrade.

Council comments:

Mr. Travers: loss of a long time Fire Department member.

Mr. Detmer: meeting of Choptank Solar and Storage Co tomorrow at Packing House 4-7. He then reiterated his concerns about decommissioning solar installation; suggested bond. He announced that 1099s coming from Comptroller’s office have printing error.  More and more concerned about state budget deficit – the numbers are bad and they’re going to get worse. He encourages people to be informed. Raise property taxes 10%? No, but that’s what they’ll have to consider.

Mr. Pfeffer: the state is pushing $3.5 – 4M in expenditures onto Dorchester County to help balance the state budget.  The county takes in $36M, schools get $26M and want more because the Board of Education has a $10M deficit largely because of the Blueprint for Excellence expenses. In 2008, the county had to lay people off and now they have no fat to cut. The sheriff’s department costs $6M; the EMS $5M – can’t get any savings there. He says if they refuse to pay the money the state wants, the state will impound county tax receipts.

Public comments

1. Kathleen Abbott: Miss Outdoors Dorchester will be chosen February 21-22
2. Sharon Smith: Dorchester County residents need to send messages of concern to our state delegations and governor about the budget crisis. Mr. Pfeffer says the Big 8 (Central MD counties) don’t want to touch Blueprint.
3. Morgan Tolley asks for state contact information to be placed on county website.
4. Bucky Jackson: we have too many schools for the number of students, so close some schools.
5. Nichols expressed at length about his unwillingness to increase taxes; tells a story about an 87-year-old woman who can barely afford to remain in her home; can’t do anything that would affect elderly.

Adjournment  – 7:48 PM

Notes submitted by Richard Bearman & Sharon Smith, Cambridge Association of Neighborhoods (CAN)

Download (PDF, 3.11MB)

Recorded Live stream: https://townhallstreams.com/stream.php?location_id=153&id=64105

Present: George Pfeffer, President; Mike Detmer, Vice President; William Nichols; Ricky Travers; Jerry Jones, County Manager; Irene Barnes, Administrative Specialis

Absent: Rob Kramer, Jr; Charles MacLeod, Attorney

The Open Session of the meeting was called to order at 6:06 PM. 

Invocation & Pledge of Allegiance  

Calls for Additions/Deletions to Agenda

• There were two additions to the agenda –approved 

Financial report: General Fund has $36,322,216.66 on hand.

Closed Session Summary §3-305(b): (1), (13), (7) & (3) V.

• Pfeffer reported on the closed session summary.

Consent Agenda

• County Council Open Session Minutes – January 7, 2025
• Accounts Payable Disbursement Report – Week Ending January 17, 2025
• The consent agenda was approved.

Legislative Session

1. PUBLIC HEARING – ABOLISHING BOARD OF ELECTRICAL EXAMINERS The state licenses electricians and the County sees no need to be redundant.  Joe Foster spoke in favor.  Passed
2. PUBLIC HEARING – BURIAL SITES PRESERVATION REPEAL – including appointment of a Board to regulate burial sites.  Dorothy Samonisky spoke in opposition: Dorchester County has been burying people since 1669; there are many private burial sites, and construction occasionally unearths graves and remains; she asks policy to be extended two years. Ashley Samonisky spoke in opposition: protection of private sites is required and should have serious teeth; outsiders are coming in and building summer houses on top of private burial sites.

Mr. Pfeffer asked why a non-profit entity couldn’t protect burial sites; the Samonisky’s indicated it wouldn’t have the necessary authority. Deborah Wooten asked for clarity as a church and cemetery board member; she was assured this action would not affect established church cemeteries.

Mr. Detmer stated he would vote to repeal Chapter 63 because it was too difficult to keep a board filled and staffed but noted that improved mapping and an extension of the statute of limitations was desirable. Dorothy Samonisky asked whether realtors would be required to reveal the presence of private burial sites to potential buyers.  This question was not answered but Mr. Detmer stated that affiliation with County government is a detriment to the functioning of the board (apparently the prior board had a history of highly adversarial meetings, and the issues were often kicked upstairs to the County Council).

Mr. Travers proposed a one-year trial to see if the board could remain filled and handle matters effectively.  General agreement that County staff were taxed to the max.  Pfeffer challenged the Samonisky’s to keep the Board filled and effective.

Motion not to repeal was approved. Travers’ motion to have a one-year trial period was passed by the board. 

3. INTRODUCTION OF BILL TO AMEND CHAPTER 144 – Community Reassessment and Repair Fund – Bill introduction approved by board.

Proclamations:

• Burn Awareness Week (Feb 2-8, 2025)
• Human Trafficking Awareness Month (January 2025)
• National Outdoor Show Month (February 2025)

Action Items:

• FY25 Program Open Space Update – Recreation & Parks -approved
• Request to Sole Source – Pool Services – Recreation & Parks -approved
• Event Request – Cubmobile Derby April 13– Boys Scots of America Del-Mar-Va Council -approved
• Poll Confirmation -approved
• Stormwater Management Agreement – Public Works -approved
• County wishes to purchase Camp Thebdara to add to Parks & Rec -approved 

Council’s Comments:

Jerry Jones expressed his fears about the state pushing responsibilities back onto counties due to its deficit.  This was then reiterated by each of the Council members in turn; The Department of Education Blueprint was cited as a particular offender – an excellent program but one that was put into effect without a fiscal note, so an unfunded mandate. Mr. Nichols went into great length regarding his unwillingness to add 1 cent to County taxes. The state was accused of expecting Dorchester to pick up an additional $2.5 M whereas Council members saw their jobs as primarily assuring staff would be competitively compensated so other counties wouldn’t be poaching them (Travers).

Egypt Road Solar was reported to have borrowed $67M from the Bank of Canada and the concern is that it would go out of business before the solar panels would be decommissioned, leaving that to the County (Detmer).  The state budget is a self-inflicted disaster (Detmer).  $3.5M will have to be found in new money (Pfeffer).

The Maryland Department of Agriculture announced the first presumptive positive case of  H5 avian influenza [(HPAI) A(H5N1)] in a commercial broiler farm in Dorchester County. Direct any comments, questions or concerns to the MD Dept. of Agriculture.

Public Comments:

• Someone suggested increasing taxes for foreign nationals owning property in Dorchester County.
• Someone suggested State of Maryland employees located in offices in Dorchester County should be charged more. Pfeffer: County has an agreement with the State to provide an office.
• A question about the Rte. 50 plowing responsibility by the State was answered.
• An attendee is thankful for the Council approving recent plan and will follow up.
• A concern mentioned about snow goose falling from the sky however no hunters around.   

Adjournment: 7:21 PM    

Minutes submitted by Richard Bearman. Edits and additions by Kim Miller.