The Carroll County Board of Commissioners held an open session on June 11, 2026, addressing multiple agenda items including consultant recommendations on self-service storage facilities, a public hearing on extending the deferral for retirement villages/retirement homes in the Freedom Designated Growth Area, and approvals for grants and expenditures. The meeting included recognition of staff, a proclamation for World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, and public testimony on the retirement villages deferral.
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the Thursday, June eleventh, two thousand twenty six 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 silence. Um at least for the first hour, nobody was showing up. So I think we have too many days and uh already commented on our poor selection of sites and it's uh it's it's a tough thing, but please vote. Early voting. Uh you've got if you haven't done mail in, you've got early voting and you've got uh the election day itself, so please vote. Don't be a no-show. Um I got to go to the law enforcement torch run at uh McDaniel, and uh that's that's a great ceremony and uh a great grant bunch of uh walkers. And I didn't even give you pictures, so thank you very much. Um but uh it was great to see Alan Carver spoke, um, Sheriff Dewey spoke, uh Tony from the the president of City Council spoke, uh Julia Jaskin was there representing the college. And I don't know why she didn't come getting a group picture. She was over talking to some people on the track, but uh it's it's nice that they host it and it's uh a great event and uh was great to see everybody. Thank you. Thank you very much, Commissioner. Commissioner Garrett. Commissioner Krebs. Um very quickly, unless Commissioner Gordon wants to go on. Yeah, we forgot about Commissioner Gordon. Oh no, he uh he's gonna forego. Okay. Okay. Well, Commissioner Gordon, on your behalf, I'm gonna talk about the wine festival very quickly. I know we are both there and go every year, and it's a very nice event for our county. It showcases uh our local Maryland wines and also our farm museum. But I just wanted to point out um the volunteers that make this happen. We wouldn't have the wine festival without the planning that goes on from Jane Sewell and her team at the uh farm museum. And also I was looking at all the volunteers, and I had some pictures, but maybe I didn't get them atherent time of the Sheriff's Department and the volunteer firefighters that are there to make sure everything is safe, make sure people are not um leaving and and shouldn't be driving. Um it's very it's it's a very nice event, and I just wanted to make sure we thank all the volunteers because it would not have ha could not happen without them. So it's uh it's something to be proud of. Yes. Very nice. Very much so. Anything else or that? Okay. Uh so uh I do apologize. I should have mentioned at the beginning that Commissioner Gordon is joining us virtually today, so I uh I do apologize for that, uh, Commissioner. Uh so just a couple quick things for me. Um so first of all, I as always I had the pleasure of attending the regular meeting for the Farm Museum Advisory Board. Uh they are making great progress, not only on working through some budget ideas for next year, but also preparing for all the amazing summer events, camps, and activities that are about to begin, including for the 250th Fourth of July. Additionally, the board is working through the recent heartbreaking passing of board president Tony Richardson. Uh he was a gentleman, a dedicated board member and a ceaseless advocate and volunteer at the Farm Museum. Uh was an honor to get to serve on that board as the ex-officio uh under his stewardship, and I know that the board is looking into a way that his memory and his efforts can be commemorated at the Farm Museum. Uh second of all, I had the privilege of attending this week's City Council meeting in Tawnytown, where Mayor Miller, the council, and myself uh presented proclamations to three employees who have had a tremendous impact not only on Tawnytown, but on the county at large. Uh the first was for police chief Adrian Baker, who after helping to reform and implements uh good positive changes at the department is finally retiring. Uh the chief helped to grow the law enforcement relationship with our Sheriff's Department, and the two agencies routinely work together to protect our citizens. Uh the second, Mackenzie Alban is still relatively new employee for the city, but she's already had an important impact in improving communications with citizens, enhancing the city's social media presence and the information provided through it, uh working to ensure that citizens receive resources that they need, such as food banks, assistance programs and other uh uh resources in the town and in the county. Uh the third but certainly not least is Haley Engels, who works in the police department administration. And with her, whether it's community outreach, organizing events, participating in combined county municipal partnerships such as the Child Safety Seat program or just this week, the Torch Run. Uh Haley has renewed and helped strengthen the community's relationship with the police department and law enforcement in general. So again, I mentioned these individuals because they really do underscore the important relationship that exists between the county and our towns, uh, and which we uh endeavor to continue to grow because at the end of the day, uh not only are they our partners in so many important things, but we serve the same citizens.