Calvert County Board of Commissioners Regular Meeting – March 10, 2026

On Tuesday, March 10, 2026, the Calvert County Board of Commissioners met at 150 Main Street, Prince Frederick, Maryland. The agenda listed a 10:00 a.m. start; the supplied timestamp for the meeting is 2026-03-10 15:00:00+00:00. The board approved the amended agenda, held ceremonial recognitions, approved consent and new/old business items, heard three work-session presentations, received public comment, gave commissioner reports, and recessed to executive session. The agenda estimated adjournment at 1:20 p.m. No minutes were available for comparison.

Opening and Announcements

• The invocation was given by Pastor Jason Baxter of New Life Baptist Church, Prince Frederick. The agenda listed Jason Baxter; the transcript referred to “Pastor John Baxter.”
• The board approved the amended agenda as submitted by voice vote, with no opposition heard.
• Announcements included a residential permitting information session, a $17 cat/dog adoption event at the Linda L. Kelly Animal Shelter through March 17, the shelter’s 4,000th adoption milestone, and a fully booked March 11 blood drive. Shelter dog Remy was featured and adopted during the meeting.

Ceremonial Items

• The board presented a citation to the Patuxent High School football team for the 2025 state championship season. The citation noted the team ended Fort Hill’s four-year title run, won its third state title and second straight championship, became the only Southern Maryland Athletic Conference school to win back-to-back titles, earned a fourth consecutive regional championship, and finished seventh in the Washington Post All-Met rankings. The senior class compiled a 46-8 record. Superintendent and school staff spoke in support of the students.
• The board proclaimed March 9–15, 2026 as Youth Appreciation Week. Optimist Club representatives said the program has honored Calvert County youth since 1969; 40 students were selected from Calvert, Huntingtown, Northern, and Patuxent high schools, and 22 were present.
• The Department of Public Safety recognized Calvert County Emergency Communications as the 31st tri-accredited Center of Excellence in the world for police, fire, and EMS dispatch. Staff cited 19 lives saved and one successful baby delivery during the accreditation period.

Consent Calendar

• The board approved, by voice vote with no opposition heard, the First Amendment to the Island Creek Tower Lease Agreement with CellCo Partnership (Verizon Wireless).

New Business

• Digital Evidence Solution Software: The board approved a five-year contract with Axon Enterprise for a digital evidence management subscription for the State’s Attorney’s Office. The first-year cost is $48,547.15, budgeted in CIP 000170S Public Safety. State’s Attorney Robert Harvey said it would meet discovery obligations for body-worn camera footage, cell-phone downloads, and other evidence and reduce mailing and storage costs. The motion carried with no opposition heard.
• KABOOM! Cove Point Park Small Playground Renovation: The board authorized the board president to sign the KABOOM Community Partner Agreement. The county’s contribution is estimated at less than $500 plus staff time; design day is planned for March 18 and build days May 19–21, 2026. The project will replace an aging playground and include an ADA-compliant pathway. The motion carried with no opposition heard.

Old Business

• Strategic Fleet Replacement Budget Amendment: After a February 24, 2026 public hearing, the board approved Budget Amendments BA 2026-713 and BA 2026-714. No vehicles were replaced in FY2024 or FY2025, and the county will purchase 31 of 216 non-police/public-safety vehicles in 2026. BA 2026-713 allocates $4,600,004 to establish CIP 497 Strategic Fleet Replacement; BA 2026-714 allocates $160,000 to establish CIP 498 Enterprise Strategic Fleet Replacement. Funding comes from prior-year fund balance, is categorized as operating expenditures, and is intended to preserve the county’s Moody’s triple-A bond rating. A plan for police and public-safety vehicles is expected from staff in the coming weeks. The motion carried with no opposition heard.

Discussion Items

• Calvert–St. Mary’s MPO Boundary Expansion: Planning and Zoning staff presented the proposed expansion of the Metropolitan Planning Organization boundary to Calvert County’s jurisdictional boundary. The current MPO boundary covers about 13.5 miles in Calvert County, less than one-third of the county. The MPO was designated in December 2013 after the 2010 census showed a regional population of 58,000. Expanding would add urbanized areas in Chesapeake Beach/North Beach and, if St. Mary’s County agrees, Leonardtown, increasing federal planning funding by roughly $87,000–$88,000 total. Staff outlined next steps and requested direction; no formal vote was taken.
• CTP Transportation Priorities: Staff reviewed the annual transportation priority letter to MDOT’s Consolidated Transportation Program. Projects include Maryland 24/Solomons Island Road widening for Phases 3A/3B, Thomas Johnson Bridge replacement, a Maryland 260 roundabout feasibility study, and bike/pedestrian projects. Commissioner Grasso asked staff to push the Dunkirk Route 4 pedestrian crossing, which is in design but not funded for construction. The board also directed adding the Chesapeake Bay passenger ferry study to the transit-oriented development list.
• Data Center Text Amendment #26-23: Staff presented options A, B, and C for water-related data center conditions. Option C adds a water services plan prepared by a Maryland-licensed professional engineer, third-party review, annual reporting, no groundwater wells, and limits on inefficient evaporative cooling. Staff recommended Option C. Several commissioners expressed concerns about public trust, environmental impact, and the need for more education. The board directed staff to take the amendment to the Planning Commission for a work session first and report back before any public adoption process; no formal vote was taken.
• NDA/ENRA Work Session: Commissioner Cox moved to direct staff to prepare a work session on non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) and ENRAs. The motion carried with no opposition heard.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Barbara Warner, a District One resident, urged the board to seek input from residents who are for, against, and undecided about data centers, and to keep communication open.
• Patrick Flarity, District One and speaking for himself, proposed numerous text amendment conditions for data centers, including water discharge limits, no increase in Chesapeake Bay/Patuxent River/aquifer demand, screening, restricted diesel storage, independent traffic studies, a 10-year property value guarantee bond, construction-hour limits, monitoring with stop-work authority, a decommissioning bond of at least $75 million adjusted for inflation, a countywide cumulative-impact study, a 30-decibel noise limit at 50 feet, and a $50 million perpetual surety bond.
• Megan Farringer, representing the group transcribed as Save Lesbian and referred to as Save Lusby, opposed the Lusby Villas project and the Board of Appeals’ tolling ruling, saying the ruling ignored jurisdictional limits and harmed a fragile critical area. She asked the board to reject the tolling approval.
• A resident opposed a proposed apartment development in the Lusby/Prince Frederick area, citing traffic, tree removal, and lack of community input.
• Myra Gowins, a Calvert County citizen, said the Board of Appeals’ tolling outcome appeared predetermined, warned of a fight similar to McConkey, and said citizens do not trust the board.
• Ernest Schifflet, a lifelong Calvert County resident, said he bought 40 acres adjacent to Calvert Cliffs in 2015, built a home relying on farm-and-forest zoning and growth-tier protections, and now faces a potential data center 400 feet from his front porch after a March 2025 rezoning to heavy industrial. He disputed claims that heavy-industrial areas are not near homes.
• Joe Cormir criticized what he called board-created emergencies, including fleet maintenance, no-bid legal contracts, and use of fund balance; he called for zero-based budgeting, realigned tax rates, and making large companies pay their fair share.
• An online caller who had been listed for comment did not speak when prompted.

Commissioner Reports

• Commissioners reported on attendance at sheriff’s awards, volunteer fire department banquets, American Chestnut Land Trust events, and other community meetings.
• Commissioner Grasso explained that NDAs are standard in economic development, that the board did not vote itself a salary increase, that Constellation’s property agreement with AWS cannot be stopped by the county, and that she is still evaluating data centers and listening to constituents.
• Commissioner Hart said he would not support tax incentives for data centers, estimated that $1 billion of investment would generate about $25 million in real and personal property tax revenue, and described budget pressures from Blueprint school funding, career EMS, and sheriff’s office needs.
• Commissioner Cox announced a community open house on data centers on March 26 at Calvert Middle School and reported on school resource officers and other county items.

Key Outcomes

• Approved the amended agenda, the Verizon Island Creek Tower lease consent item, the Axon digital evidence contract, the KABOOM agreement, and the fleet replacement budget amendments.
• Directed staff to bring the data center text amendment to the Planning Commission for a work session before proceeding.
• Directed staff to prepare a work session on NDAs and ENRAs.
• Recessed to executive session under Maryland General Provisions Article §3-305(b)(4), (7), and (8); the public portion of the meeting ended there.