Calvert County Board of Commissioners Regular Meeting - April 8, 2025

The Calvert County Board of Commissioners held a regular meeting on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, starting at 10:00 a.m. The meeting included an invocation, Pledge of Allegiance, approval of the agenda, public service announcements, a consent agenda, two work sessions, three public hearings, public comment, commissioner reports, and an executive session. Key topics included revisions to the animal ordinance, updates to agricultural preservation rules, funding for additional EMS positions, and Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding extensions.

Consent Calendar

• Department of Human Resources: Update to the Heat Stress Management Policy in the Risk Management and Safety Manual – approved unanimously.
• Department of Public Safety: Maryland Department of Agriculture Spay & Neuter Grant – approved unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Ira Gowins (Calvert Citizen Chinat): Spoke during public comment, criticizing past board actions related to development and urging adoption of a state ethics bill, stating that the State Ethics Commission has approved it and the county is holding it up.
• Kathleen Temple (Ladies of Charity): During the CDBG public hearing, read a letter of support for a commercial walk-in freezer for the food pantry, noting that in 2024 the pantry served 589 families (5,856 visits), provided 810 holiday meals, and distributed 205,000 pounds of food.

Discussion Items

1. Work Session: Calvert County Animal Ordinance Revision

• Presented by: April Coleman, Deputy Director of Animal Services; Crystal Dowd, Deputy Director of Public Safety.
• Overview: Proposed comprehensive revision to Chapter 7 (Animals) of the County Code to reflect current animal welfare standards, unify animal control and shelter operations, and address issues such as hoarding, tethering, extreme weather, and cost of care. Key proposed changes included:
  • Animal Fancier License: For owners of six or more dogs, cats, or rabbits (annual fee $75 for 6-15 animals). Commissioners raised concerns about impacts on farms and agricultural operations; staff directed to research other jurisdictions and consider a separate farm license.
  • Commercial Licenses: Required for grooming facilities, nonprofit rescues, boarding, and breeding. Only commercial operations, not individual pet owners, would need an emergency plan; staff clarified the plan is essentially a point of contact. Commissioners suggested changing “plan” to “point of contact” to avoid confusion.
  • County Animal License: Introduction of a three-year license option. Fees for altered animals: $12 for three years vs. $7 for one year; unaltered: $50 for three years vs. $20 for one year. Required by Maryland law.
  • Reckless Owner Designation: For three or more violations in 24 months, resulting in a four-year prohibition on animal ownership. Appeals available to the Animal Matters Hearing Board.
  • Dangerous/Potentially Dangerous Dogs: Updated containment standards (six-foot perimeter fence or secure kennel; no electric fences as sole containment), removal of mandated training (due to cost and enforceability), and a 30-day compliance timeline.
  • Limited Tethering: Unsupervised long-term tethering prohibited; temporary supervised tethering allowed. Example shown of a tangled dog in freezing conditions.
  • Extreme Weather: Standards for temperatures: wind chill at or below 32°F or heat index at or above 90°F require proper shelter for animals over six months old.
  • Impoundment & Redemption: If an animal is impounded twice in 12 months, owner must spay/neuter it; if owner has violations in past two years, microchipping required before reclaiming.
  • Cost of Care: Owners of animals seized in cruelty/neglect cases must prepay for care in 30-day increments; if not paid, animals considered abandoned. Past cases showed significant unpaid restitution (e.g., $4,767 restitution for a dog named Sky – none paid; $84,000 for dog fighting in 2021 – $5,167 paid).
• Commissioner Feedback: Concern that the animal fancier license was labeled “commercial” and could create zoning issues; staff agreed to separate categories. Need to define livestock and differentiate between agricultural and domestic. Emergency plan language should be simplified to emergency contact for individual owners. Staff directed to revise ordinance and bring back for public hearing.

2. Work Session: Agricultural Preservation Rules & Regulations Update

• Presented by: Jason Brinkley, Director of Planning and Zoning; Jennifer David, Rural Planner II.
• Overview: Proposed update to rules for the Agricultural Preservation District (APD) program, last revised in 2013. A moratorium on new APDs has been in place since 2013 due to low demand for Transferable Development Rights (TDRs). The TDR Committee reconvened in 2020 and recommended lifting the moratorium once these updates are adopted. Key changes include:
  • Reorganize and simplify the document, clarify processes, update eligibility criteria.
  • Incorporate the TDR Reserve Program (created in 2021).
  • Expand eligibility for the Purchase of Agricultural Rights (PAR) fund to all TDR owners, not just original APD owners.
  • Clarify that density is per APD (not per parcel) and that primary residences, buildable lots, and tenant houses all count toward density.
  • Address agritourism: maximum of 12 public events per year permitted on APDs with Agricultural Preservation Board approval.
  • Define when APDs are permanently preserved (upon first sale or use of TDRs).
• Commissioner Feedback: Questions about what activities are allowed in APDs; staff will provide further information. Direction given to proceed with the public adoption process after the county attorney’s review. Staff will hold public information sessions and create a dedicated web page. The county currently has 32,600 acres preserved toward a goal of 40,000 acres. State funding for preservation programs is very limited (approx. $6 million statewide for MALPF).

Key Outcomes

• Consent Agenda: Approved unanimously.
• Public Hearing 1 – Career EMS EMT Positions: Approved the resolution and budget amendment BA2025-000352 to add eight EMT positions for a second ambulance at Prince Frederick Volunteer Rescue Squad, with an annual cost of $769,370. Funding will come from ambulance billing (soft billing) revenue. Commissioners noted this is the beginning of a transition to career EMS; several more crews will be needed in the next few years.
• Public Hearing 2 – CDBG COVID Funding Extension: Approved the amendment to request $88,568 (revised down from $104,083 due to state guidance excluding furniture) for a walk-in freezer at Ladies of Charity food pantry and appliances/furniture for homeless shelters. No match required.
• Public Hearing 3 – Updated Resolutions for CDBG Compliance: Approved adoption of updated Citizen Participation Plan, Residential Anti-Displacement and Relocation Assistance Plan, Fair Housing & Equal Opportunity Plan, and Minority Business Plan; resolutions remain in effect for five years.
• Animal Ordinance Revision: Staff directed to revise based on discussion (differentiate license categories, define livestock, simplify emergency contact requirement) and research other jurisdictions; bring back for public hearing.
• Agricultural Preservation Rules: Staff directed to proceed with public adoption process after county attorney review; public information sessions to be scheduled.
• Executive Session: Held pursuant to Maryland law for personnel, real property acquisition, economic development, and pending litigation.
• Next Meeting: No meeting on April 15, 2025 (Easter week).