Regular Meeting of the Calvert County Board of Commissioners - October 7, 2025

The Board of County Commissioners of Calvert County met on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, beginning at 10:00 a.m. and concluding at approximately 2:45 p.m. The meeting included recognitions, proclamations, public hearings, appointments, a presentation, a meeting with the Maryland Association of Counties (MACo), public comment, commissioner reports, and executive sessions.

Recognition

• Calvert County Sheriff's Office New Correctional Deputies: Sheriff Ricky Cox and Major Tim Fredman introduced four new correctional deputies—Hannah Pruitt, Damon Plummer, Nicholas Saunders, and Jermaine Hawkins—who graduated from the 11-week academy in July 2025. All are graduates of Calvert County public high schools (two from Northern, one from Huntingtown, one from Patuxent). Pruitt and Plummer graduated second in their class with academic honors.

Proclamations

• Cybersecurity Awareness Month: Stephen Cat, Chief Information Security Officer, presented the proclamation. He announced a phishing contest winner, demonstrated the importance of passphrases, multi-factor authentication, and family passwords. He noted that the county is rolling out a new AI system to fight AI threats. The proclamation designated October 2025 as Cybersecurity Awareness Month in Calvert County.
• Domestic Violence Awareness Month: Catherine Marsh (Calvert County Commission for Women) provided national statistics: 24 people per minute are victims of domestic violence in the U.S., affecting 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men. Peg Haskellow (Executive Director of Calvert Safe Housing Network) reported that since February 2025, the organization has housed 26 unique survivors and 17 children, providing nearly 1,000 safe nights. Jeff Gray (Maryland Crime Victim Resource Center) distributed purple lights, fingerprint kits, and safety whistles. State's Attorney Bob Harvey noted that 283 domestic violence cases were handled in 2023, the second most prevalent crime in the county. The proclamation recognized October 2025 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month and urged residents to participate in a panel discussion on October 19, 2025, at Middleham St. Peter's Church in Lusby.

Public Hearings

• Home Stretch – Difficult to Serve Properties Grant Budget Amendment: Ashley Staples-Reed (Special Projects Program Manager) explained that the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development originally awarded Calvert County $1.1 million in state funds, but new eligibility requirements reduced the allocation to $47,184.27. The county match of $550,000 remains unaffected. The budget amendment (BA 2026-000135) de-obligates $1,052,815.73 in state funds. Commissioner Hart noted that the county has connected hundreds of homes to broadband (over 700 total), with 22 homes still to be served under this grant and about 60 more facing easement issues. The board approved the amendment unanimously.
• Budget Amendment for Elevation Project (2903 Beach Drive): Kara Buckmaster (Emergency Management Division) presented a FEMA hazard mitigation grant to elevate three repetitive loss flood properties. The project at 2903 Beach Drive originally budgeted at $129,788.25 increased to $302,101.45 due to rising costs. FEMA will contribute an additional $172,313.20, and the homeowner will pay an additional $67,017.66. The county acts as a pass-through. The board approved the budget amendment (BA 2026-000141) unanimously. The board also discussed shoreline erosion, My Coast app for reporting flooding, and the need for a presentation from soil conservation on living shorelines.

Appointments

• Calvert County Commission for Women: Reappointed Diana Wharton and appointed Dr. Shiwan Makle. Two vacancies remain.
• Employee Recognition Committee: Appointed Brianna Kuzik as the Finance and Budget representative. Two vacancies remain.
• Environmental Commission: Appointed Dr. Janet Waisaki. Two vacancies remain.
• Parks & Recreation Advisory Board: Appointed Trevor Hume Bolinski. One vacancy remains.
• Student Safety and Well-Being Advisory Committee: Appointed Stacey Taman as the Calvert Association of Educational Support Staff representative. Two vacancies remain.

Presentation

• Inova Health Care Services Memorandum of Agreement – Whole Blood Program: Chief Ken Miller, Medical Director Dr. Jason Finkelstein, and Director Dave McDowell presented a new program to provide paramedic supervisors with low-titer O-positive whole blood for critical patients with life-threatening bleeding. The program is a pilot for two years, with startup costs funded by Calvert Advanced Life Support (CALS). Annual operational costs are estimated at $11,180. The program will be named after Deputy James Flint, who was shot in the line of duty in 2023 and survived due to blood transfusions. The board unanimously approved the memorandum of agreement.

Meeting with Maryland Association of Counties (MACo)

• Michael Sanderson (MACo Executive Director) and Jack Wilson (MACo President) provided a legislative update. Key topics included:
  • State Budget: Maryland faced a $3 billion deficit, closed with half new revenues and half budget cuts, including a cost shift of $100 million to counties. The teacher pension cost shift added about $5 million annually to Calvert County. The state's fiscal outlook is stable for FY2026, but a significant gap is expected in FY2028 due to the Blueprint for Maryland's Future education plan.
  • Blueprint for Maryland's Future: Sanderson noted that the state's funding formulas are based on 2018 inflation assumptions, leaving local governments to cover rising costs. Carroll County received a two-year waiver from certain requirements. The board expressed concerns about the Blueprint's impact on rural counties and the exclusion of support staff from teacher salary mandates.
  • Energy: Discussion centered on rising electricity costs (28% capacity auction spike), the need for diverse energy sources including nuclear (Calvert Cliffs), and the challenges of solar siting and transmission. The board criticized state energy policy and the lack of a long-term plan.
  • Housing: MACo anticipates a bill to mandate zoning changes, potentially including early vesting and elimination of local controls on lot sizes and parking. Commissioners expressed concerns about infrastructure capacity and the one-size-fits-all approach.
  • Cost Shifts: Sanderson highlighted the wrongful conviction cost shift, where counties are billed for settlements, and warned of future cost shifts.

Public Comment

• Joseph Cormir spoke in opposition to data centers in Calvert County, delivering a poetic address warning of high water and power consumption, tax breaks for corporations, and environmental impacts. He urged the board to reject data center proposals.

Commissioner Reports

• Commissioner Cox: Reminded residents of the Columbus Day holiday and noted that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
• Commissioner Hart: Shared a thank-you letter from a former resident, Christopher BioBlocky, who received a volunteer appreciation shirt from the Calvert County Volunteer Rescue EMS. He commended the volunteers for their thoughtfulness.
• Commissioner Grasso: Reported on attending the Homegrown School Lunch Week at Beach Elementary School on October 1, where students learned about corn, goats, seeds, and plant growth. She also attended the last First Friday event of the season in North Beach on October 3.
• Commissioner Ireland: Promoted Walktober events for pedestrian safety, including walks at various parks on October 7, 16, 20, and 29. He also described a trip to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, including Sight & Sound Theatre and local markets.

Key Outcomes

• Approved unanimously: Agenda, recognition of new correctional deputies, proclamations, budget amendments (BA 2026-000135 and BA 2026-000141), all appointments, and the Inova Health Care Services MOA.
• Naming decision: The whole blood program will be named after Deputy James Flint.
• Executive session: The board recessed into closed session twice (pursuant to §3-305(b)(1)(i), (b)(3), and (b)(7)) to discuss personnel, real property, and legal advice. No actions were taken in open session following the executive sessions.
• Next steps: The board will not meet the following week (Columbus Day). The Huntingtown Master Plan meeting is scheduled for October 14 at 6 p.m. at the Huntingtown Volunteer Fire Department.