Unofficial Notes Dorchester County Council Meeting January 21, 2025

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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. 

  1. 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.