The Commissioners of St. Mary’s County held their regular business meeting Tuesday, Aug. 25. During their regular work session, the Commissioners delivered two proclamations, recognized county employees, met with the Board of Education to approve multiple grants, received a briefing from the St. Mary’s County Library, and approved multiple requests from the Department of Public Works & Transportation.
The Commissioners began their meeting by reading two proclamations; one to recognize September as National Suicide Prevention Month and one designating Aug. 26 as Women’s Equality Day.
The Commissioners also recognized 24 county staff who received People’s Choice Awards and 71 employees who received Years of Service Awards. The “People’s Choice” award honors and recognizes those employees who go above and beyond the call of duty and exceed expectations while working to support the mission of St. Mary’s County Government. The Years of Service Award recognizes employees with continuous service of 10 years or more. Annually, the Commissioners of St. Mary’s County present service awards to qualifying employees with 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 or more years of service.
The Board of Education appeared before the Commissioners to request approval for three grants totaling $1,572,159 million. The Commissioners approved the grants for an infant and toddlers’ program, iPads and Otterboxes for the Judy Center and Early Childhood Education Classrooms, and a Coronavirus Relief Funds Tutoring Grant. The Commissioners also approved a budget amendment to shift $500,000 from Food Services Fixed Charges to Unrestricted Funds to cover the costs of the 2020-2021 school year Grab & Go Meal Service.
The Commissioners received their semiannual St. Mary’s County Library brief, which included a virtual tour of the new Leonardtown Library. The facility opened earlier this year, but due to COVID-19 precautions has only just opened to the community. Michael Blackwell, Director of the St. Mary’s County Library also provided an operational update on county library facilities. All county library locations are now open with limited hours and access.
The Department of Public Works and Transportation (DPW&T) had multiple items on the County Administrator’s agenda. The first item before the Commissioners was a request to reclassify and reorganize the Airport Operations Division into the Transportation Division. The Commissioners approved the reclassification allowing for consolidation of tasks and duties to fall under the newly created deputy director position.
The Commissioners approved a Budget Amendment request by DPW&T to increase spending authority for the Intergovernmental Support Agreement between Naval Air Station Patuxent River and St. Mary’s County from $306,392 to $1,000,000 that will go toward roadway maintenance and construction near the base.
As part of their ongoing support for schools in St. Marys County, the Commissioners authorized the Department of Public Works & Transportation to provide information to parents of non-public school students, non-public schools officials, and non-public school bus contractors to help minimize risk in the transport of students on non-public school buses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The revised Parent/Student Handbook and Back to School Plan provides detailed information on how and when buses will be sanitized, how students will load, and unload and the safest way determined to transfer students at transfer locations.
The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Commissioners of St. Mary’s County is Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020. Commissioner agendas can be found on the county website each Friday prior to the Commissioner Meeting.
Commissioner decisions and related public documents are available on the county government website in BoardDocs. St. Mary’s County Commissioner Meetings may be viewed live Tuesday mornings on SMCG Channel 95 or as a replay Friday nights at 6:30 p.m. Meetings are also available for on-demand viewing on the St. Mary’s County Government YouTube Channel.
