Charles County Planning Commission Meeting – November 3, 2025

The Charles County Planning Commission held its regular meeting on November 3, 2025, at 5:11 PM. All seven members were present. The meeting included approval of prior meeting minutes, a detailed presentation on the capital improvement program project portfolio, discussion on project prioritization, staffing, and a member suggestion on public trash cans. The meeting concluded with the director's report and adjournment.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of the Agenda: Motion made and seconded; passed unanimously by voice vote.
• Approval of the October 6, 2025 Minutes: Motion made (with incorporation of the summary of decisions); seconded; passed unanimously. Commissioner Murray noted he was not present for the October 20 meeting and abstained from voting on those minutes.
• Approval of the October 20, 2025 Minutes: Motion made (with incorporation of the summary of decisions); seconded; passed unanimously. (Commissioner Murray recused himself from the vote.)

Chairperson’s Comments

• Chairman Williams indicated no comments.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No members of the public were signed up to speak.

Discussion Items

• Capital Improvement Program Project Management Overview – Britta Hurtling, Chief of Capital Project Management (Department of Public Works), presented an overview of the capital services portfolio. Key points:

  • Project Portfolio: 89 total projects managed by her division (23 roads, 15 bridges, 11 sidewalks, 18 NPDES stormwater projects, 15 vertical, 7 miscellaneous). Many projects are not yet fully funded and are held in “parent” accounts.
  • Project Phases: 42% in planning, 34% in design/permitting, 16% in construction or construction procurement, 8% in closeout. She noted that only 16% were in construction, up from 9% earlier in the year.
  • Staffing: Currently 5 project managers with a sixth being hired. The division has requested additional staff and expects to onboard four more over the next six months. Commissioner Murray questioned why self-funded staffing (at an estimated $200/hour burden) cannot be expanded more rapidly given the backlog; Hurtling acknowledged the need but noted decisions on positions are not hers alone.
  • Prioritization: Completed a weighted criteria matrix for sidewalk projects (over 50 identified) and plans to apply similar methods to other programs. For FY27, 17 new project requests were submitted with justification forms; scoring is underway.
  • Questions from Commissioners:
    • Commissioner Wedding asked about total budget for the projects; Hurtling did not have the figure but offered to provide funded project totals.
    • Commissioner Murray inquired about administrative burden on projects; Hurtling explained previous accounting was spread across multiple line items, and now staff time is charged directly to projects. She estimated $200/hour for staff cost including overhead.
    • Commissioner Hackett asked for more detail on specific projects to inform the commission’s CIP review. Hurtling noted her division executes projects, does not initiate them, and suggested stakeholders could present the reasons for new requests.
    • Commissioner Bossert clarified that her role starts at design/permitting, not planning. He also asked about NPDES projects; Hurtling confirmed her group handles pond retrofits and stream restorations, not wastewater treatment plant improvements (that falls under another chief).
    • Commissioner Earl asked about bridges; all 11 are vehicular bridges for replacement or repair, not new bridges. He also asked about plans for new county access bridges; none are currently proposed except possibly a structure on the final phase of Western Parkway.
    • Commissioner Bossert asked about the Western Parkway timeline; Hurtling stated the second-to-last phase construction will begin in December 2025 or January 2026, with the final phase procurement in summer 2026, completing the parkway by 2028.

• New Business – Commissioner Murray raised a suggestion to require fast-food and carry-out businesses to provide and maintain trash cans to reduce roadside litter. He stated that many restaurants in La Plata have removed them. Chair Williams noted this could be addressed through site plan conditions. Director Rice agreed to look into existing regulations.

Director’s Report

• Charles Rice, Director of Planning and Growth Management, reminded the commission of upcoming items:
  • November 17, 2025: Work session on the encroachment zoning text amendment (record open until 4:30 PM on Thursday, November 6).
  • November 17, 2025: Public hearing on the data center zoning text amendment (staff report and materials posted online).

Key Outcomes

• Approvals: Agenda and minutes for October 6 and October 20, 2025, were approved unanimously (with Murray abstaining on October 20).
• Staff Direction: Staff will provide further data on funded project totals, average project timeline from planning to closeout, and administrative cost percentages.
• Suggestion for Future Briefings: Commissioner Bossert requested a future presentation on wastewater treatment plant capacity and upgrades; Director Rice indicated they would arrange for appropriate staff.
• Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned by motion and voice vote (unanimous) at approximately 6:30 PM.