Charles County Board of Commissioners Meeting – October 21, 2025

The Charles County Board of County Commissioners convened on October 21, 2025, to address routine approvals, public briefings, and scheduled presentations. The meeting began with a roll call (Commissioner Patterson absent), approval of prior minutes deferred, and announcements regarding upcoming sessions and a rescheduled public hearing on commissioner term limits.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Minutes (October 7, 2025): Deferred because Commissioner Stewart had not reviewed them and was not present at the prior meeting. Item moved to later in the afternoon.
• Waiver of Permitting Fees for the Resilience Authority: Commissioners unanimously approved a waiver for permitting fees for the Resilience Authority, similar to prior waivers for fire and rescue volunteer companies. The Resilience Authority had received approximately $5.7 million in grants, with an operating budget of just under $500,000 (mostly from county environmental and watershed fees) and a $50,000 special projects fund used for grant match requirements. Commissioners approved the waiver motion unanimously.
• Community Support Funds for Historic Preservation Commission Award Ceremony: Ky Carpenter, Historic Preservation Planner, requested $461.30 from the community support account to pay for a public event permit and sanitation services for the October 4 awards ceremony. The request was approved unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were taken during the formal session; public testimony was not part of the agenda for the morning session.

Discussion Items

Mobile Crisis Teams Update

• Michelle Lilly (Director of Emergency Services) and Donna Brennan (Assistant Director, Local Behavioral Health Authority) briefed the board on mobile crisis team options. The current regional team (shared with St. Mary's County via Sante) will see St. Mary's prioritized due to secured funding. Option 1 continues the regional model with Charles contributing additional funding. Option 2 would establish a Charles County-specific team under Sante with 24/7 coverage, a deputy director, and 911 dispatch linkage, at an estimated cost of $1,047,000 annually.
• Commissioners raised concerns about insufficient data on call volume and cost savings, the absence of direct coordination with the Sheriff's Office (though staff noted Sheriff's Office representatives were on the planning team), and funding feasibility given tight budgets. Commissioner Bowling noted that the Sheriff's Office had not been directly consulted; staff clarified that a Memorandum of Understanding is pending. Commissioner Collins requested data on actual calls and cost comparisons between current shared service and a county-specific team. Commissioners directed staff to bring the Sheriff's Office to next week's public safety briefing for further discussion, along with data from Sante on cost savings and diversion metrics. No vote was taken; the board will revisit the topic.

Biannual Health Department Report

• Dr. Abney (Health Officer) and Amber Starn (Director of Community Health and Evaluation) presented a comprehensive update on health department activities. Key statistics included:
  • Respiratory activity: High flu season peak last winter; current activity sloping off.
  • Vaccine recommendations: All adults 65+ and those with chronic conditions urged to get flu and COVID vaccines.
  • Dental services: 2,562 patients, 404,250 services (515 children, 1,060 adults).
  • School health: 182,900 nurse visits, oral and vision screenings for thousands of students. First school-based health clinic at Indian Head Elementary opening in December.
  • WIC caseload: 4,845 in FY26 (up from 4,679 in FY25).
  • Behavioral health: Syringe services program (open 11 a.m.–3 p.m. at health department); 2,690 Narcan kits distributed in FY25; 690 people trained in overdose response; 784 fentanyl and 1,416 xylazine test strips distributed.
  • Environmental health: 878 food inspections, 361 animal bite investigations, 121 pool inspections; avian influenza (H5N1) detected in wild vultures in La Plata area (low public risk).
  • Community resource day held October 18; cooking classes, chronic disease self-management programs, and Walk Charles County events ongoing.
• Commissioners praised the department's breadth of services and asked about expanding access to personal hygiene items (currently available at libraries).

Annual Update on Docket 90 – St. Charles PUD (Lenar)

• Mark Anderson (VP, Land Development, Lenar), Rick Barnes (Barnes Engineering), and Matt Winman (Division President, Lenar) presented the annual update on the St. Charles planned unit development. The PUD comprises 9,000 acres with five residential villages, commercial/industrial sites, and donated school sites (eight elementary, two high schools, one middle school site pending).
• Development updates: Highlands community (734 home sites) nearly complete; Parklands active adult community (1,001 home sites, 35% complete); Horizon community (1,092 home sites) just starting, first closings expected winter 2025.
• Housing affordability: Lenar proposed reducing garage massing requirements that mandate 40-foot wide homes, allowing 30-foot wide homes with two-car garages to reduce costs by ~$40,000–$50,000 per home. They are working with the Charles County Affordable Housing Work Group on zoning text amendments. Commissioners expressed support for exploring zoning changes but raised concerns about construction quality, drainage/landscaping complaints, and the need for transparent reporting of issues and resolutions in annual reports.
• Building Homes for Heroes: Lenar partnered with the nonprofit to donate a home to a wounded veteran (Petty Officer Amoasi). The home featured a “next gen” layout with a separate in-law suite, allowing multi-generational living.
• Commissioners discussed the possibility of tax credits or subsidies to help teachers, police officers, and county employees afford homes. Commissioner Coates noted a state affordable housing grant opportunity (LITEC) and asked Lenar to explore participation.
• Environmental and infrastructure concerns were raised, including drainage and parking issues related to narrower lots. Lenar noted a 93% positive customer satisfaction rating and an 11-day average ticket resolution time.

Key Outcomes

• Minutes Approval: Deferred; will be revisited.
• Resilience Authority Permitting Fee Waiver: Approved unanimously.
• Historic Preservation Commission Funding: Approved unanimously.
• Mobile Crisis Team: No vote; further discussion scheduled for the week of October 28, 2025, alongside the Sheriff's Office public safety briefing. Staff to provide additional data on call volumes, cost comparisons, and Sante's metrics on cost savings.
• Health Department Report: Accepted; no action required.
• St. Charles PUD Update: No formal action. Commissioners directed Lenar to work with county staff on zoning text amendments to allow narrower single-family homes and explore affordable housing grant opportunities (LITEC). Lenar encouraged to include complaint-resolution data in future annual reports.
• Closed Session: The board moved into closed session at approximately 10:30 a.m. to discuss a public safety matter, lease renewal, property acquisition, and appointments. The board will return to open session at 3:00 p.m.