Talbot County, Maryland

02/28/2025

Category: County Council

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Mr. Jeremy Hillyard presented with Certificate of Recognition for Teacher of the Year

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Crowd claps for teacher of the year.

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Mrs.. Rasario Stelle presented with Certificate of Recognition for Staff Support of the Year

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Kay Brown, Assistant Director presented with Certificate of Recognition for Water's Edge Museum, located in Oxford MD.

The Talbot County Council held their regular meeting on February 25th at 5 p.m.; all Council members were present.

Discussion with the Town of Trappe on Sewer Connection at Paris Foods

Lyndsey Ryan, Attorney for the Town of Trappe, and Trappe Town Council President, Brian Schmidt, appeared before the Council to address Council’s concerns regarding Paris Foods’ municipal sewer connection to the Town’s wastewater treatment facility.

Ryan explained that the Town had been operating under the erroneous assumption that the property was designated as S-1, “immediate priority status,” and was therefore eligible for connection. This assumption was based on the exhibits to Resolution No. 281, as adopted by the County Council and subsequently approved by MDE in 2020, which incorrectly depicted the Paris Foods property as S-1, when it was actually “unprogrammed” in the County’s Comprehensive Water and Sewer Plan. Council members expressed concern that the Town did not take corrective action immediately upon discovering the mapping error. Council members also expressed concern about the quality of discharge from the property and whether the Town’s sewer system could handle the connection. Ryan assured the Council that the system is capable of managing the hookup and confirmed that both the Town and property owners have submitted a formal application to the County to amend the Comprehensive Water and Sewer Plan to rectify the error.

This also led to a brief discussion on how to avoid hookup inconsistencies in the future, not only with the Town of Trappe but all municipalities. County Engineer Ray Clarke noted that annual municipal review sessions could be held to discuss potential connections and various development projects could identify potential issues earlier.

Certificate of Recognition for Jeremy Hillyard, TCPS Teacher of the Year for 2024-2025 and Rosario Steele, TCPS Support Staff of the Year for 2024-2025

Council presented certificates of recognition to both Jeremy Hillyard, Teacher of the Year, and Rosario Steele, Support Staff of the Year for Talbot County Public Schools for 2024-2025.

Mr. Hillyard teaches Spanish and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) mathematics at Easton High School. He is also an active member in the community, serving on several boards, including the Talbot County Public Schools Education Foundation and Friends of the Library.

The certificate reads: “In recognition of the tireless energy, time, passion and commitment to the students at Easton High School, both in the classroom and within the school community, to help ensure their success not only in school, but also in life.”

Rosario Steele works as an instructional assistant at Easton High School.  A member of the Easton High School staff for nearly six years, she works tirelessly to help students, particularly the ESOL students, in mathematics and other subjects, often providing support as both a translator and tutor.

“Easton High School has remarkably high graduation rates, and some of the toughest students to get to qualify for graduation are some of the recent arrivals,” said Pete Lesher. “I have no doubt that you are personally responsible for getting a number of those students across the finish line.”

Both exemplify the best of our local public education system, and Council concluded by thanking them for their service.

Certificate of Recognition to Water’s Edge Museum of Oxford

Council presented a certificate of recognition to Kay Brown, Assistant Director, Water’s Edge Museum, in Oxford, MD. The museum, which was founded in February 2021, recently celebrated its 4th anniversary of recognizing and promoting the contributions of early Black Americans on the Eastern Shore.

The certificate reads: “Water’s Edge Museum in Oxford, Maryland was founded in February 2021 to showcase through art, the centuries-old rich cultural history of the early Black Americans who lived, worked the water, toiled the land, worshiped, and established communities throughout Talbot County, becoming in their own right, the Founding Black Families of America, and where their descendants still reside and worship…whereas the pictorial history and artifacts on display at the Museum portray a resilient people who lived their lives, and loved and fought for their country and continued to forge ahead, despite the obstacles and hardships faced, and where the everyday lives of everyday people created a lasting legacy which reverberated throughout the communities of Talbot County, the region, the state and the nation through such natives as Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass.”

Council Member Keasha Haythe, who recently attended the museum’s anniversary celebration, commented on the recognition, “Thank you for telling these stories. Having a grandfather who was a waterman, it’s important to tell these stories of the heritage, history, and diversity that we have in Talbot County.”

To learn more about the museum, visit: www.watersedgemuseum.org

Other Business

• Chesapeake College requested the use of their previously budgeted fund balance to implement the design phase of their 10-Year Facilities Master Plan. The College awarded the design contract to Design Collective of Baltimore at a sum not to exceed $167,550. Council unanimously approved the request.
• Director of Finance, Martha Sparks, outlined the proposed General Fund Balance Reserve Policy before the Council for consideration, and the rationale for adopting a formal general fund reserve policy, including strengthening the County’s ratings with bond agencies and thereby receiving a lower interest rate on borrowed funds for County projects.  Sparks stated that Talbot County does not currently have a formal policy concerning the use of reserve funds. Following discussions with the County Manager, the County engaged with their financial advisor, Davenport and Company to help evaluate the County’s unique circumstances to ensure that reserves are utilized to best manage the risks that come from fluctuations in revenues and expenditures. The proposed policy was reviewed and vetted by Davenport and Company, McKennon Shelton & Henn LLP (the County’s bond counsel), the County Manager, and the County Attorney. Council unanimously voted to adopt the general fund reserve policy.
• Council introduced and unanimously approved an Administrative Resolution Amending Certain Provisions Regarding Citizen Representatives on the Bike and Pedestrian Committee to provide greater flexibility in appointing citizens  to serve on the Committee.
• Council Member Stepp introduced an Administrative Resolution, which, if approved, would repeal two Administrative Resolutions adopted by the County Council on June 23, 2020, and July 14 2020. The June 23, 2020, Administrative Resolution requires that the County Manager report to the County Council regarding diversity training and opportunities for County employees. The July 14, 2020, Administrative Resolution requires the development of a County diversity statement, which was subsequently approved by motion of the County Council on September 22, 2020. During the discussion, Council Member Haythe asked to table the resolution; Council approved tabling the resolution by voting 3 – 2. with Callahan, Stepp and Haythe in favor, and Lesher and Mielke dissenting. Following the Public Comment portion of the Council meeting, the County Attorney noted that the Council’s Rules of Procedure state that a resolution removed from the table cannot be revisited during the same meeting at which it was tabled unless the Council suspends the Rules of Procedure by at least a four-fifths vote.  Haythe made a motion to suspend the Rules of Procedure to allow the Council to vote on the resolution during the current meeting; the motion was seconded by Mr. Lesher but failed by a vote of 2 – 3 with Callahan and Stepp voting against the motion and Lesher, Mielke, and Haythe voting in favor of the motion. Therefore, the resolution remains tabled.
• Comprehensive Water and Sewer Plan (CWSP) Resolutions:
  • The public hearing of Tuesday, January 14, 2025, on Resolution No. 366 was continued. The resolution requests to amend the County’s Comprehensive Water and Sewer Plan to reprogram properties located on the East Side of U.S. Rt. 50, south of Dutchmans Lane (Easton, MD), shown on Tax Map 34, Parcels 128 and 175 from “unprogrammed” and “W-3/S-3” to “W-1/S-1 immediate priority status”. Ray Clarke, County Engineer, stated that the Public Works Advisory Board, at its meeting on Thursday, December 19, 2024, voted 5 – 0 to recommend that the County Council approve Resolution No. 366. Bryce Yelton, Assistant Planning Officer, stated that the Planning Commission, at its meeting on Wednesday, February 5, 2025, found the proposed resolution to be consistent with the 2016 County Comprehensive Plan by a vote of 4 – 0.  Council unanimously approved the resolution.
  • The public hearing of Tuesday, January 14, 2025 on Resolution No. 367 was continued.  The resolution requests to amend the County’s Comprehensive Water and Sewer Plan to reprogram property located at 7510 Quaker Neck Road, Bozman, MD from “unprogrammed” to “S-1 - immediate priority status”. Ray Clarke, County Engineer, stated that the Public Works Advisory Board, at its meeting on Thursday, January 16, 2025, voted 4-0-1 to recommend that the Council approve the Resolution. Bryce Yelton, Assistant Planning Officer, stated that the Planning Commission, at their meeting on Wednesday, February 5, 2025, voted 4 – 0 that the resolution was consistent with the 2016 County Comprehensive Plan and recommended Council approval. Council Vice President Pete Lesher voiced concerns that extension for water and sewer to this property could facilitate development in the future. Council approved the resolution 4-1, with Lesher dissenting.
  • The public hearing of Tuesday, January 15, 2025, on Resolution No. 368 was continued.   The resolution requests to amend the County’s Comprehensive Water and Sewer Plan to reprogram property located at 4502 Old Trappe Road, Trappe, MD from “unprogrammed” and “W-1/S-1 - immediate priority status”. Following a request for information from the Town of Trappe, the Town advised that the 38-acre property would be allotted one (1) EDU. Council voiced concerns about the possible subdivision of the property at a future date and questioned how Council would be made aware of any changes in the EDU allotment since the property lies within the municipal boundaries of the Town of Trappe. Upon motion by Mr. Lesher, seconded by Ms. Mielke, the Council unanimously voted to table the resolution so that further discussion can occur.
• A public hearing was held on Resolution No. 369, which, if approved, would formally decline an offer of dedication for the paper street portion of Rude Avenue, located in Tilghman Island, and subsequently authorize the execution of a quitclaim deed to convey a 6,0000 square foot portion of the paper street to owners of the adjacent property. Following the public hearing, the Council unanimously approved the resolution.
• A public hearing was held and Council subsequently unanimously approved Bill Nos. 1580-1582 which authorize capital spending as approved in the FY25 budget for the improvement of Talbot County Public School athletic fields ($116,679), replacement of the auditorium lighting system at Easton High School ($817,321), and replacement and improvement of interior lights at St. Michaels High School ($556,000), respectively.
• A public hearing was held and Council subsequently unanimously approved Bill No. 1583 which authorizes Talbot County to borrow not more than $26,900,000 to finance and refinance the acquisition, renovation, construction, and expansion of the Chapel District Elementary School located in Cordova. This project was approved by the Council in the FY25 budget cycle and identifies long-term borrowing as the primary funding source. Council President Callahan also acknowledged the efforts of Kevin Shafer, Director of Operations at Talbot County Public Schools, whose dedication to the project which will have a significant impact on the community, particularly in the Chapel District area.
• The County Manager presented one board nomination for the Council’s consideration:
  • Agricultural Resolution Board – Council unanimously approved the reappointment of Robert Greenlee.
• Critchlow Adkins Children’s Center requested a letter of support for a State Legislative Bond Initiative (LBI) in the amount of $225,000 for the expansion of their location on the Chapel District Elementary School campus. Council unanimously approved submitting a letter of support.
• Upper Shore Aging (USA) requested financial assistance to support an unanticipated increase in cost to their congregate and home-delivered meals which they provide to senior centers and through the Meals on Wheels Program in Talbot County and surrounding counties. Last year, USA served 48,620  meals at the Senior Centers in Talbot County (6,500 meals at Brookletts Place – The Talbot County Senior Center in Easton, and 1,560 at the Senior Center in St. Michaels), and 40,560 home-delivered meals in Talbot County. USA determined that some previously allotted funding ($39,000 from Council in FY25 Budget) could be applied to cover increased food costs, reducing the request for additional funds to approximately $60,000. Council unanimously approved the request to provide additional funding through the use of Contingency Funds.
• Council unanimously approved a request from the Departments of Public Works and Planning and Zoning to award construction management services for the Tilghman on Chesapeake Resilient Green Infrastructure Project to Lane Engineering, in the amount of $100,500 under Bid No. 22-08, Open Ended Architectural/Engineering Services. Funding for this project will be paid through a grant of $1.4 million through the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation; no County funding is required.

The Talbot County Council will convene on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. for a presentation of the proposed FY26 Budget by Clay Stamp, County Manager, and Martha Sparks, Finance Director, in the Bradley Meeting Room, South Wing, Talbot County Courthouse, 11 N. Washington Street in Easton. A work session on the proposed FY26 Budget will follow the presentation. The meeting is open to the public.

The Council’s next legislative meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, beginning at 5:00 p.m. in the Bradley Meeting Room located in the South Wing, Talbot County Courthouse, 11 North Washington Street, Easton. The meeting is open to the public.

council highlights county council teacher of the year school tcps chapel district capital project budget