On May 14, 2026, the Carroll County Board of Commissioners held an open session covering a range of routine approvals, proclamations, presentations, and policy discussions. Key items included contract awards for community support services, technology upgrades, and infrastructure projects; a budget transfer and contract for a small area plan amendment in the Freedom area; debates on extending temporary deferrals for cluster subdivisions and retirement villages; a decision not to adopt amendments to billboard regulations; and a briefing on proposed forest conservation code revisions. The meeting also featured presentations from Scouting America, EMS services, and Older Americans Month.
All items below passed unanimously unless noted.
The board discussed extending deferrals for cluster subdivisions and retirement villages/homes. Staff presented a timeline complicated by the Maryland Housing Certainty Act (effective Oct 1, 2026), which establishes early vesting for residential projects. For retirement villages, the board voted 4-1 (Commissioner Kyler dissenting) to direct staff to hold a public hearing on an ordinance extending the deferral on final approval only until October 1, 2026. For cluster subdivisions, after debate, Commissioner Krebs withdrew her motion to extend the deferral due to lack of a second. The board agreed to add a future agenda item to discuss possible removal of cluster subdivision provisions from the code. A representative from St. John Properties, Thomas Pelon, spoke against any extension, calling the current deferral a moratorium that is "unconstitutional, illegal, and manifestly unfair."
The board considered amendments to §158.115 (off-premises signs) and §158.113 (general regulations) that would allow consolidation of nonconforming billboards. After public input and discussion, the board voted unanimously not to adopt the amendments. Commissioner Kyler noted community opposition to the size and digital nature of potential consolidated billboards. The board also directed staff to bring back administrative text amendments and to study digital billboards and their alignment with the master plan. A separate motion to require staff to draft language ensuring all ordinances align with adopted master plans failed due to lack of a second.
Staff presented proposed changes required by Senate Bill 526 (2023) and additional staff-recommended changes. Key changes include: expansion of priority retention areas to cover 60% of the county; new public notification requirements for clearing priority forest; increased mitigation (all unforested stream buffers must be planted); reduced mitigation for non-priority forest in priority funding areas (0.5:1 ratio); retention banking allowed; and a revised stream buffer definition (50 ft intermittent, 100 ft perennial). Staff-recommended changes include aligning the forest clearing threshold with the state (40,000 sq ft), exemptions for agricultural activities with Schedule F documentation, and a fee-in-lieu option. The board voted unanimously to proceed to a public hearing on the proposed changes.
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the Thursday, May 14th, 2026 open session for the Board of Carroll County Commissioners. As we always do, we'll begin with the Pledge of Allegiance and a moment of silent reflection. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republicans for all. God bless you. Thanks. On that note, I hope everybody is doing well today. Allergy season. Allergy season. It's getting almost uh so first up as always we have priority Carol and Commissioner Kyler, would you like to lead us off today? Sure. Um busy week. Uh Mother's Day. I hope everybody had great time with family, and uh um it was a special day. Uh we had the sheriff's peer breakfast and office picnic, and uh a lady last night um reminded me, chastised me probably. Um very often I talk about the value of EMS firefighters, volunteers, sheriff, people, uh state hot state troopers, um, and everything, and she said you never mention the correction officers. And to me, they're part of the sheriff's department and the deputies, but um I would like to say uh I very much va value our detention center and the correction officers. Um a lot of a lot of them that's where they start and uh and uh I think it's awesome. Um we talked about data centers a meeting or two ago. I talked to uh Michael Oaks yesterday, who's one of the candidates for governor, but um and he had some strong feelings about it. Um I felt like we kind of kicked the can down the road. Um I I just uh I I think we need to we need to be strong on the data centers and their problems. Uh electric water. Um and and I I've asked a couple of times of different people uh whether they recycle water or what they do, and I'm now hearing that a lot of the water evaporates and then they get a lot of metals in it. So uh I just I think we need to be cautious about that. Um Carroll County Board of Elections. Um it's very disappointing this year. Their location for early voting and their location for drop boxes. I've sent them an email. Uh at least one of the area mayors have sent 'em an email. Um it's not fair, but I guess what it is is what it is. There is no drop box, there is no early voting site in Manchester Hampstead, Finksburg, or any of District Two. And uh the closest one for us is actually Westminster, but we're encouraged that the one for Ari is Charles Carroll. Um and uh I just think we've heard government kind of excuses on why they don't, but um I can't believe that in District Two there's no facility acceptable for early voting that they could get. And uh um this year's this year, I don't know that it can change, but uh I strongly want to encourage them to uh do a better job next year. Um Helen Gorman Library, uh Rhonda and I went to that uh ribbon cutting, sign unveiling, uh portrait unveiling, there were several unveilings. Great group of people, great facility. I encourage you to get there. The next night we went to uh Gerstell's 30th birthday. Again, great group of people, and uh um it's awesome uh how many community members are involved in in that school, and uh it's hard to believe it's been 30 years. Umfortunately, uh Rhonda and I have two viewings at funeral homes this week. And uh I wanted to mention um with the Dell family and prior uh Commissioner Donald Dill, um his son-in-law Frank Armakoffs passed sitting on his couch yesterday morning. Um he's had some medical issues, but was just examined on Monday, and everything was okay, and uh he passed, so deepest sympathy for all the Armacos families and Dell families. Um Hampstead Day is coming up Saturday, and uh that's great. Uh I got to speak at the uh homeless um all day event, and uh it just uh again um you go to some of these events and you see how many people are there learning, teaching. It's a great presentation to to kick it off, and uh um it it's uh we forget sometimes. We all have our special interests, but we forget how much uh Carroll County and the community college does for all kinds of people. And uh thank you. Thank you very much, Commissioner. Commissioner Gordon.