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Record of Proceedings

Charles County Board of Commissioners Meeting - September 22, 2026

County Commissioners & Boards — Tuesday, September 22, 2026
BodyCharles County, Maryland
SessionCounty Commissioners & Boards
DateTuesday, September 22, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:33:44

Original source
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Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

0:08

Charles County Government presents

Speaker 2

0:09

the Board of Commissioners meeting.

Speaker 3

0:17

Good morning.

0:18

The September 22nd, Charles County Board of County Commissioners meeting is now called to order.

0:25

Today's session will begin with the Pledge of Allegiance.

Speaker 4

0:38

One nation, one God, individual

Speaker 5

0:41

with liberty and justice for

Unassigned speaker

0:43

all.

Speaker 6

0:46

Thank you, Commissioners.

0:47

Commissioners, we're going to begin today's session with an invocation.

0:51

We do have Pastor Abdullah here from South Potomac Church.

0:56

Pastor, if you turn your mic on, you can go ahead and begin with your invocation.

Speaker 7

1:00

Sounds

Unassigned speaker

1:01

good.

Speaker 7

1:01

Let us pray.

1:05

Father, we thank you for this day, God.

1:14

We thank you that you appointed each one of us to be here this morning.

Unassigned speaker

1:18

Now,

Speaker 7

1:19

Father, you know what the business is at hand.

1:21

You know what's going on in our community, God, and you know the initiatives that are on the table.

Unassigned speaker

1:28

And

Speaker 7

1:28

so, Father, for the representation that's here, I pray this morning, God, that you give wisdom like only you can.

1:35

Father, I pray that there's ongoing civility, not just this morning, God, but in the years of head for our community.

Unassigned speaker

1:44

God,

Speaker 7

1:44

I pray for peace and I pray for the things that represent you.

1:49

And so, God, as we prepare this morning,

Unassigned speaker

1:52

we

Speaker 7

1:53

ask that you be with us in the name of Jesus.

1:57

God, we thank you for all that you do.

1:59

Watch over every representative that you have appointed

Unassigned speaker

2:03

and

Speaker 7

2:04

give them exactly what they need to represent you well in Charles County.

2:08

We love you and we thank you, God, and it's in Jesus' name we pray.

2:12

Amen.

Unassigned speaker

2:14

Amen.

Speaker 8

2:16

Thank you.

Speaker 6

2:18

Commissioners, we're gonna go ahead and go start with roll call.

2:22

Commissioner Bowling.

2:24

Present.

2:24

Commissioner Coates.

2:25

Here, Commissioner Stewart.

2:26

Here, Commissioner Patterson.

2:28

Present.

2:28

And Commissioner Collins.

2:29

Here.

2:30

Thank you.

Unassigned speaker

2:31

The

Speaker 6

2:31

next item on your agenda, Commissioner, is the opportunity for Commissioner Commons.

Speaker 3

2:35

Before uh any other comments, Commissioners, we'll need a motion to make today, September 22nd, 2026, the legislative day.

Speaker 9

2:45

So moved.

2:46

Second.

Speaker 3

2:46

It's been moved and properly seconded.

2:48

All in favor.

Speaker 9

2:50

Aye.

Speaker 3

2:51

Opposed.

2:52

Yes, have

Unassigned speaker

2:53

it.

Unassigned speaker

2:54

I

Speaker 9

2:54

have a comment.

Speaker 3

2:55

Yes.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Energy Policy████████████████████████████████████36%
Public Engagement█████████9%
Historic Preservation████████8%
Procedural███████7%
Water And Wastewater Management███████7%
Environmental Protection█████5%
Affordable Housing████4%
Community Engagement███3%
Arts And Culture███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Charles County Board of Commissioners Meeting - September 22, 2026

The Charles County Board of Commissioners convened on September 22, 2026, at 9:00 AM. The meeting began with the Pledge of Allegiance and an invocation by Pastor Abdullah from South Potomac Church. Roll call was taken with all five commissioners present. The board approved the legislative day and engaged in a series of discussions and votes on historic preservation, pretrial services, stormwater management, zoning enforcement, electrical grid challenges, and community development projects.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of Minutes: The minutes from the September 15, 2026, meeting were approved unanimously.

Commissioner Comments

  • Spirit Day: Commissioner Collins thanked colleagues for participating in Spirit Day to show unity and support for Charles County Public Schools, noting that all current commissioners are graduates of the county's high schools.
  • Blue Crabs Recognition: A commissioner congratulated the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs for reaching the Atlantic League World Series after a game-clinching win on September 20.

Approval Items

  • Historic Preservation Commission Comment Letter on Section 106: Franklin A. Robinson Jr., Chair of the Charles County Historic Preservation Commission, requested support for a letter opposing proposed federal changes to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act that would make community consultation optional. All commissioners expressed full support, and the motion to approve the letter with all commissioner signatures (including a request to include U.S. congressmen) passed unanimously.
  • Funding for Historic Preservation Commission Awards: Cal Carpenter, Preservation Planner, requested $1,500 from the community support fund for the 2026 Historic Preservation Commission Award Ceremony (public event permit and Preservation Matters magazine design). The motion passed unanimously.
  • Draft Legislation Establishing Pretrial Services: Commissioner Collins moved to direct staff to draft a bill establishing pretrial services within Charles County government, including a fiscal note and staffing recommendations. Commissioner Bowling opposed, arguing the discussion should occur first with stakeholders (CJCC, courts, sheriff) and cautioning about costs for the next board. Commissioner Collins agreed to invite stakeholders for the October 20 briefing. The motion passed 4-1, with Commissioner Bowling voting no.

Briefings and Public Hearing Requests

  • FY2027 MS4 Financial Assurance Plan: Karen Wigan and Connor Kech from Planning and Growth Management briefed on the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) program. The county has a 1,083-acre impervious surface restoration requirement, with 57% (621 acres) achieved to date. The FY27 stormwater remediation fee is $168 per improved property. The plan projects sufficient funding through FY28. Commissioners asked about oyster restoration credits, shoreline restoration tax credits, and grant opportunities. The board approved scheduling a public hearing for October 20, 2026, at 6:00 PM.
  • Zoning Text Amendment 25-188 (Encroachments on County-Owned Land): Sarah Guy and Mark Potter presented a zoning text amendment to allow enforcement against private encroachments on county land through fines and court action, after revisions following Planning Commission recommendations (capping fines, prioritizing health/safety, encouraging resolution). Only one member of the public spoke (requesting continued use of right-of-ways on Cobb Island). The board voted to introduce the bill and schedule a public hearing for October 20, 2026.

Informational Presentations

  • Indoor Plumbing Projects Update: Barbara Farmer and Joe Hodges reported on the Maryland Affordable Housing Trust grant of $300,000. To date, $221,000 has been spent to install artesian wells for six families (year one) and four approved (year two, with three nearly complete). Challenges include title issues, structural home conditions, and cost overruns. Staff is applying for additional funding to cover septic systems and drain fields. A client testimony highlighted a cancer patient who regained running water after two years.
  • Electrical Grid Overview:
    • PJM Interconnection (Jason Stanick): Stanick explained PJM's role as grid operator for 67 million residents across 13 states and D.C., noting a grid emergency on September 18 and that Maryland is a net energy importer on all but one day per year. He projected demand rising to ~250 gigawatts by 2046, driven largely by data centers. He urged preserving existing resources, expediting permitting, and addressing supply-demand balance to prevent cost increases. Commissioner Bowling emphasized that any reactivation of the Morgantown plant must provide direct benefits to Charles County residents, such as reduced bills or tax revenue, and criticized state and federal policy decisions. Commissioner Stewart asked for SMECO's involvement and land-use considerations.
    • Office of People’s Counsel (Bill Fields): Fields presented on utility bill components, noting that data centers are driving PJM's demand growth and that transmission costs already approved (≈$22 billion in three years) will hit customer bills. OPC is advocating for data centers to bear their own costs and filed a federal complaint to protect Maryland customers from out-of-state data center cost shifts. He clarified that SMECO distribution rates are set by the Public Service Commission and are separate from generation/transmission costs.
  • Robelin Contracting Presentation: Scott Rux, Tracy Contrino, and Pam Frank introduced Robelin, a general contractor and disabled veteran business enterprise with annual revenue of $400 million and 400 employees. They have a footprint at Naval Support Facility Indian Head, working on base projects. They expressed interest in supporting county infrastructure and utility upgrades. Commissioners welcomed them as a local employer.

Key Outcomes

  • Approved the historic preservation comment letter against Section 106 changes (unanimous).
  • Approved $1,500 for the Historic Preservation Commission Awards (unanimous).
  • Directed staff to draft pretrial services legislation (4-1).
  • Scheduled public hearings for October 20, 2026, at 6:00 PM on the MS4 Financial Assurance Plan and Zoning Text Amendment 25-188.
  • Received updates on indoor plumbing projects and electrical grid challenges; no formal votes taken.
  • The board moved into closed session at 12:00 PM to discuss a potential contract and lease, with a return to open session scheduled for 2:00 PM.

Meeting Transcript

Charles County Government presents the Board of Commissioners meeting. Good morning. The September 22nd, Charles County Board of County Commissioners meeting is now called to order. Today's session will begin with the Pledge of Allegiance. One nation, one God, individual with liberty and justice for all. Thank you, Commissioners. Commissioners, we're going to begin today's session with an invocation. We do have Pastor Abdullah here from South Potomac Church. Pastor, if you turn your mic on, you can go ahead and begin with your invocation. Sounds good. Let us pray. Father, we thank you for this day, God. We thank you that you appointed each one of us to be here this morning. Now, Father, you know what the business is at hand. You know what's going on in our community, God, and you know the initiatives that are on the table. And so, Father, for the representation that's here, I pray this morning, God, that you give wisdom like only you can. Father, I pray that there's ongoing civility, not just this morning, God, but in the years of head for our community. God, I pray for peace and I pray for the things that represent you. And so, God, as we prepare this morning, we ask that you be with us in the name of Jesus. God, we thank you for all that you do. Watch over every representative that you have appointed and give them exactly what they need to represent you well in Charles County. We love you and we thank you, God, and it's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Amen. Thank you. Commissioners, we're gonna go ahead and go start with roll call. Commissioner Bowling. Present. Commissioner Coates. Here, Commissioner Stewart. Here, Commissioner Patterson. Present. And Commissioner Collins. Here. Thank you. The next item on your agenda, Commissioner, is the opportunity for Commissioner Commons. Before uh any other comments, Commissioners, we'll need a motion to make today, September 22nd, 2026, the legislative day. So moved.

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