Carroll County Board of Commissioners Open Session – October 30, 2025
Carroll County Board of Commissioners Open Session – October 30, 2025
The Board of County Commissioners met on October 30, 2025, at 9:00 AM in the County Office Building, Room 311, for an open session. The meeting included contract awards, an agricultural easement approval, a veterans proclamation, and extended policy discussions on the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (APFO) and the Renewable Energy Certainty Act. Commissioners also provided updates on regional issues including the MPRP power line project and the federal government shutdown.
Consent Calendar
- Contract Award – Mill & Overlay Parking Lot – COVE Building – Awarded to JEMS Contracting, Inc. for $86,320 to mill and overlay the parking lot at 115 Stoner Avenue, Westminster, including construction of a new ADA-compliant handicapped parking area (FY26 budget). Approved unanimously.
- Approval to Purchase – One (1) Kohler Diesel Generator – Awarded to Fidelity Power Systems for $110,000 (turnkey) for a 37 KW generator at Mayberry Tower, Westminster (FY26 budget). Approved unanimously.
- Contract Award – Replacement of Water Valve Bolts within the Freedom District Service Area – Awarded to Mid-Atlantic Utilities, Inc. for $116,475 to replace cast iron valve bolts with stainless steel at 33 locations (Commissioner District 5). Approved unanimously.
- Contract Award – Purchase of a Replacement Diesel Generator for the Freedom District Water Treatment Plant – Awarded to Fidelity Power Systems for $828,533.60 for a 1000 KW Rehlko generator (turnkey). Approved unanimously.
- Exercise Option to Purchase – Agricultural Land Preservation via Installment Purchase Agreement (IPA) on the Alice Edwards Property – Approved an IPA to purchase a conservation easement on 137.675 acres at 4701 Arters Mill Road, Westminster, for a principal of $565,887.94 (40% of fair market value), paid over 20 years with 5% annual interest. Final cost to county projected at $783,463.79. Approved unanimously.
Proclamation
- Operation Green Light for Veterans – Adopted a proclamation designating November 4–11, 2025, as a time to honor veterans. Bob Eaney (Chair, Veterans Advisory Council) and Elaine May Stem (Vice Chair) spoke in support, highlighting the need for public awareness and resources. The board encouraged residents to display green lights in windows.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Catherine Adelaide (Carroll County Republican Central Committee) – Spoke during Administrative Open Session, thanking commissioners for attending the Lincoln Reagan banquet and requesting a joint public service announcement regarding drunk and drugged driving over the Halloween weekend.
- Written comments from citizen Sally Taylor regarding the Renewable Energy Certainty Act zoning text were reviewed by the board, raising concerns about definitions, decommissioning enforcement, and maintenance standards.
Discussion Items
- Briefing/Discussion/Decision – Chapter 156 – Adequate Public Facilities and Concurrency Management – Staff presented two potential code changes: (1) remove the second APFO check at the time of plat recordation, and (2) make schools, police, and fire/EMS adequacy tests informative only (not delaying projects). The Planning and Zoning Commission had recommended both. Commissioner Vigliotti opposed both changes, citing the Nells Acres/Ridenour Way example where the current system failed to ensure effective mitigation. He argued for a broader review of APFO including roads and developer contributions. Commissioner Kiler supported making schools informative only, while Commissioner Gordon expressed concerns about loopholes and the need for clarity. No motion was made to proceed to a public hearing; the item did not advance.
- Briefing/Discussion/Decision – Change to Ordinance – Renewable Energy Certainty Act – Staff presented two versions of zoning text amendments to align county code with new state law (effective July 1, 2025). Version 1 incorporated state requirements directly (e.g., 100-foot setbacks); Version 2 referenced state code sections. The board discussed decommissioning bonds, enforcement, and concerns that solar companies may not survive long-term. A motion was made to adopt Version 1 (with state language) and direct staff to offer suggestions for strengthening decommissioning requirements. The motion passed (vote not recorded individually, but no objections noted). Commissioner Kiler voted against, preferring to avoid embedding state law into county code.
Key Outcomes
- Approved all four contract awards (totaling $1,141,328.60) and the agricultural easement IPA for the Alice Edwards property.
- Adopted the Operation Green Light for Veterans proclamation and encouraged community participation.
- Adopted zoning text amendments to Chapter 158 related to the Renewable Energy Certainty Act (Version 1) and directed staff to propose stronger decommissioning language.
- Did not advance APFO changes; no public hearing or further action was scheduled. The board acknowledged the need for a broader review of APFO and road mitigation issues.
- Commissioner updates : Commissioner Kiler reported that the county filed two motions with the Public Service Commission against the MPRP power line project. Commissioner Vigliotti highlighted SNAP funding concerns due to the federal shutdown and noted local relief efforts; the board agreed to revisit the topic at the next meeting. Commissioner Guerin discussed the shutdown’s impact on federal workers and called on Maryland senators to end it. Commissioner Krebs reported on the Economic Development Week visits and the Historical Society meeting.
- Ongoing issues : Staff will continue recruitment for a traffic engineer. The Sullivan Road Circle was opened and deemed safe. A work session on Development Rights and Responsibilities Agreements (DRRAs) and an update on Nells Acres/Ridenour Way were scheduled for the 1:00 PM session.
Meeting Transcript
And to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under liberty and justice for all. And uh priority Carol, we start with uh Commissioner Krebs. I think we have some photos to put up if that's if Chris is back there. Well, I will start off with um it was pretty always a busy week, but last week we started off on Thursday when we were here. My husband represented me at the uh Strawbridge Home for the Boys. They installed a historic marker there dedicated to this Strawbridge home that was here, and it was very interesting. Um this old stone building's been there for many years, walked by it many, many times, and never really understood the history of it. So the Maryland Department of Transportation, in partnership with the Maryland Historic Trust, they put this marker honoring the legacy of the Strawbridge Home for Boys that is in Eldersburg. It's right, the sign is actually right in front of Merit Athletic Club. The home was on the actually on the other side, a little bit down, a little bit down the road. But this um Strawbridge home was home to over 300 and had a lasting impact on generations of Marylanders, for those who remember it. Uh, this property stands on the outskirts of Eldersburg, and it was there from 1924 until 1959. And there was a farm located between what is now Liberty High and Freedom Elementary off of Route 32. The home has a very uh rich history with stories that go all the way back to the early 1800s. In 1891, a wealthy elderly George Washington Monroe, so you say Manroe, uh, and his wife owned a 318-acre farm, and he died on that day, leaving no heirs. And the home was originally bought by auction after that by a George Washington all ball. I'm telling you this because Tom's a historian over there. There's a lot of George Washingtons. Lots of George Washingtons. To be run as a home for orphaned boys in 1922. And he wanted to honor Robert Strawbridge, who was the founder of Methodism in America, which actually started right here in Carroll County. I think many know that. Uh in 1924, between 5,000 and 6,000 Methodists and their friends from Maryland, Southern Pennsylvania, and Delaware all gathered at the Strawbridge Home for Boys at Eldersburg to witness and take part in the dedication of the first cottage to accommodate the first 15 or 20 boys of the home. These were all orphans. The total cost of the renovations back then were $20,000. Soon after the building was renamed the Strawbridge Cottage. It eventually housed the youngest boys, those aged four to eight years old. In 1926, the large granite building was constructed at a cost of fifty fifty thousand dollars as a dormitory for the older boys. Strawbridge quickly grew to a home for around 50 boys raging in age from four years old to 18 years old, with support staff, including a superintendent, other administrators, house parents, dietitians, and farm managers who helped run an agricultural complex that included a dairy and beef cattle horses, hogs, chickens, ducks, and extensive garden. And during the 20s, it cost approximately 200 to raise each youngster. Things have changed. 200 opposition. The boys attended public school in Sykesville and worshiped there at St. Paul's Methodist Church. But they also had daily tours. So hundreds of boys found this to be a warm and nurturing home since its accep uh inception in 1924. Um it closed his doors in 1958. Um the the actual building uh it was still sitting there. They had a large fire there a number of years ago. So there was a resident actually, one of these folks, I'm not sure which one it was, is in this photo, uh, actually was a resident in the home, and he was at the dedication. So I thought that was pretty interesting. But um it's uh um interesting what we did with our uh our orphaned children years ago. We took care of them, and this is just a dedication to that. So that was last Thursday. I wish I was able to make it, but I was here with you fine folks. Next, we had a really nice um economic development. Up the let's start with this one. Who's that guy on there? There's Tom Gordon. Sorry.
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