Charles County Board of Commissioners Meeting - July 21, 2026

The Charles County Board of Commissioners met on July 21, 2026, for the afternoon session. The meeting included unanimous approvals of several board appointments and three payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) agreements for affordable housing projects. Commissioners received updates on the Collaborative Community Improvement pilot program, emergency preparedness and response, and hunting opportunities on county lands. A new business item regarding a special events task force was introduced, and the public comment session featured extensive testimony primarily focused on data center development concerns.

Consent Calendar

• Unanimous approval of Shirley Hayden as a citizen member to the Nuisance Abatement Hearing Board.
• Unanimous approval of Janicleese Woods as a citizen member to the Area Council on Aging.
• Unanimous approval of Dale Hughes as a citizen member to the Ethics Commission.
• Unanimous approval of Crystal Daniel (risk management expert), Deria Carr (legal compliance), and Catherine Smarillo and Corey Beckett (citizen members) to the Internal Audit Oversight Committee.
• Unanimous approval of PILOT agreements for Eagle Point Phase One, Landville Crossing, and Pine Way Village, providing a total of 290 affordable housing units (200 multifamily, 85 restricted to seniors).

Public Comments & Testimony

• John Anderson (Newburgh): Supported the board’s earlier vote to halt the data center ZTA; urged learning from Alexandria’s redevelopment of the Potomac River Generating Station; expressed distrust of TerraWolf’s transparency and asked Governor Moore to repudiate a letter from the State Environmental Secretary supporting a data center at Morgantown.
• Jacqueline Moore (Cobb Island): Requested written answers to her submitted questions from commissioners; cautioned that subject-matter experts on a data center task force must cover multiple scientific disciplines and model impacts parametrically before any zoning changes.
• Jordan Harris (La Plata): Thanked commissioners for not advancing ZTA 25187; urged that residents understand developers’ legal responsibilities versus taxpayer costs, and that enforcement must be robust to avoid problems seen elsewhere.
• Annie Landcraft (Port Tobacco): Raised concerns about data centers’ water use (potable vs. non-potable), citing TerraWolf’s history; noted increased electricity costs and grid strain in Northern Virginia; argued that half of Charles County renters have no control over power sources.
• Atrium Arbyalmy: Thanked board for terminating the ZTA; stressed that the proposed task force’s value depends on public selection of independent experts and residents without conflicts of interest.
• Trudy Bidot (Dentsville): Accused TerraWolf CEO Paul Prager of a pattern of deceptive practices; urged commissioners to reject data centers entirely, citing environmental and financial risks.
• Derek Terry (Waldorf): Criticized the process of drafting the ZTA and then discarding it; asked whether residents opposed to hyperscale data centers are willing to forgo streaming, cloud storage, and other digital services; questioned commissioners’ support for unionization.
• Alana Davis (District 3): Thanked board for listening; recommended a 3–5 year task force composed of independent experts with no county officials, and public meetings; argued Charles County has the highest asthma rate in Maryland due to existing industrial pollution and called for a straight ban on data centers.
• Mikaiah Lloyd (20603): Urged outright ban on data centers; questioned Commissioner Patterson about “co-location” and requested meetings with district commissioners to discuss state legislative proposals.
• David Heidelbach (Charlotte Hall): Asked about NAI Michael’s marketing of a Billingsley Road property for data centers and whether Commissioner Patterson met with them individually; expressed concern that development could proceed despite the ZTA halt.
• Sandy Ollie (Billingsley Road): Feared eminent domain for data center development; opposed any data centers in Waldorf.
• Thorn Petnik (Newburgh): Called for an indefinite ban on all data centers in Charles County, arguing that new AI data centers primarily benefit developers and surveillance companies.
• Shelley Posey (Waldorf) [virtual]: Urged the county to formally intervene in FERC proceedings against TerraWolf’s Morgantown project, citing ratepayer exploitation, environmental injustice, and TerraWolf’s financial instability.
• Eileen Britt (Waldorf) [virtual]: As president of the Fieldside Neighborhood Association, requested updates on nuisance abatement at 5351 Blue Crant Lane, which has been unresolved for 10 years despite a commitment from the Nuisance Abatement Board on June 10.
• Lauren Gygax (Takoma Park, representing Chesapeake Climate Action Network) [virtual]: Encouraged transparent task force with diverse experts; recommended following Howard County’s example.
• James Makel [virtual]: Argued the pause on data centers is a wait-and-see tactic to gauge public opinion; urged residents to vote and hold officials accountable.

Discussion Items

Collaborative Community Improvement Pilot Program Update

• Doria Fleischer (Community Engagement Manager) presented an update on the Bryans Road/Indian Head pilot, which allocated $500,000 in capital and $150,000 in operational funding. Two community surveys (122–1,828 respondents) and working groups identified three project clusters: Ruth B. Swan complex improvements (digital sign, VanGo lily pads, pedestrian access), Village Green park enhancements (via Better Block nonprofit), and non-capital items (neighbor academy, sign improvements, programming).
• Staff requested approval to expand project boundaries to include the Village Green pocket park, which had been excluded by the COG equity emphasis area. Commissioner Coates noted the park’s small size and potential for illicit activity; Commissioner Collins supported the expansion but cautioned against abandoning the equity emphasis model entirely.
• Outcome: Commissioners approved a motion to extend the project boundaries to include Village Green.

Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Safety Update

• Acting Director Tony Rose and Data Analyst Sarah Hammonds presented dashboards on recruitment, training, and response metrics. Key data: 912 total planning meetings in FY26; 66.6 weeks average processing time to hire an EMT/paramedic; 25 high school students completed a 911 dispatch class; 30,427 calls answered in FY26 with 99.7% answered within 20 seconds; animal care center had 2,032 intakes, 589 adoptions, and a 68.6% release rate. The first county-owned EMS station broke ground on May 12, 2026.
• No formal action was taken; the briefing was informational.

Hunting Opportunities on Public Lands

• Kelly Beavers (Director, Recreation Parks & Tourism) and staff reviewed current policies (no hunting in county parks) and noted that Charles County has nearly 17,000 acres of state-managed public hunting land, ranking first in Maryland. A task force identified four county-owned properties eligible for hunting: Gardner Station, Hamacheck property, Marshall Hall Road, and Marshall Corner Road, totaling approximately 10–20 acres each. Staff recommended partnering with Maryland DNR for a cooperative wildlife management agreement.
• Commissioner Collins expressed concerns about safety, monitoring, and the adequacy of existing state land; Commissioner Bowling and Stewart supported beginning with bow-only hunting to increase access and manage deer populations. Commissioner Patterson called for community engagement before proceeding.
• Outcome: Commissioners reached consensus to direct staff to work with DNR to develop a presentation on managing the four properties for bow-only hunting, with DNR to address monitoring and enforcement, and to involve the community in further discussions.

Charles County Boards and Commissions Annual Update

• The disability review boards and sheriff’s office disability review board had no cases in 2025; no action needed.

New Business

• Commissioner Collins proposed establishing a formal Cross-Departmental Special Events Task Force to coordinate large-scale festivals, sporting events, and cultural celebrations. Commissioners supported the idea and directed staff to prepare a future agenda item and work session on the feasibility and structure of such a task force.

Key Outcomes

• Unanimously approved four sets of board/commission appointments.
• Unanimously approved three PILOT agreements (Eagle Point Phase One, Landville Crossing, Pine Way Village) for 290 affordable housing units.
• Approved (by motion) expanding the Collaborative Community Improvement pilot boundaries to include the Village Green park in Bryans Road.
• Reached consensus to pursue further exploration of bow-only hunting on four county properties in partnership with Maryland DNR, with a future presentation to the board.
• Directed staff to prepare a work session on a special events task force.
• The board acknowledged public comments and committed to transparency in any future data center task force process.