Wicomico County public meetings in 2022
20 substantive meetings from 2022, with official agendas or minutes and plain-English summaries.
County Council
The Council approved a budget transfer of $1,021,958 for non-recurring Board of Education security projects. They also authorized a sole-source contract for airport sign panels and confirmed multiple board and commission appointments.
- Approved $1,021,958 transfer from contingency to Board of Education for non-recurring security projects (Unanimous)
- Approved Resolution No. 163-2022 to use DB Safegate Americas LLC as sole source for airport sign panels (Unanimous)
- Approved reappointment of John T. Cannon to SWED Revolving Loan Committee, School Building Commission, and Airport Commission (Unanimous)
- Approved appointment of Josh Hastings to Natural Resources Conservation Advisory Committee, Commission on Aging, and other boards (Unanimous)
- Approved appointment of James Winn to Recreation & Parks Commission and Tourism and Civic Center Commission (Unanimous)
- Approved appointment of Shanie Shields to Behavioral Health Council, Local Management Board, and Social Services Advisory Board (Unanimous)
- Approved appointment of Shane Baker to Board of Library Trustees and PAC14, Inc. (Unanimous)
- Approved appointment of Rhonda Evans to the Commission on Aging (Unanimous)
Planning and Zoning Commission
The Commission issued favorable recommendations to the Mayor and City Council for a zoning change on Snow Hill Road and the consolidation of several boards into a single Board of Appeals. It also approved several development plans, including a 60-unit apartment complex and a solar canopy installation.
- Recommended favorable rezoning of 401 and 409 Snow Hill Road from R-10 Residential to GC General Commercial
- Recommended favorable text amendment to Title 17 to create a consolidated Board of Appeals
- Approved Preliminary Plat for Steeplechase Section 8 (27 new lots) subject to 8 conditions
- Approved Final Comprehensive Development Plan for Ocean Aisle Phase 3 (60-unit apartment complex) subject to 4 conditions
- Approved Final Comprehensive Development Plan for Sweetbay Park at The Fountains (3 office buildings) subject to 4 conditions
- Approved Sign Plan for Glen Heights entrance monument sign
- Approved Revised Final Comprehensive Development Plan for solar canopy at 1615 Treesap Court
- Approved minutes from November 17, 2022 meeting
Board of Appeals
The Board of Appeals unanimously approved two special exception requests for residential and commercial projects. The board also reviewed the draft minutes from September 2022 and discussed updates to the Rules of Procedure.
- Approved September 2022 meeting minutes (Unanimous)
- Approved Special Exception for accessory apartment at 801 Brookmeade Court with six conditions (Unanimous)
- Approved Special Exception for self-storage facility at 28781 Ocean Gateway with six conditions (Unanimous)
Wicomico Board of Elections
The Board of Elections approved previous meeting minutes and discussed post-election lessons learned. During a concurrent session, the Board of Canvassers rejected six late ballots and approved minutes for three separate canvasses.
- Approved November 16, 2022 meeting minutes (unanimous)
- Rejected six late ballots for failing to arrive by November 18, 2022 (unanimous)
- Approved Mail-In Ballot I Canvass minutes with one correction (unanimous)
- Approved Provisional Canvass minutes (unanimous)
- Approved Mail-In Ballot II Canvass minutes (unanimous)
Natural Resources Conservation Advisory Committee
The committee voted to change member terms from five to three years and approved updated operational guidelines. Jared Parks was elected as vice chair. The committee also recommended appointing Councilman Josh Hastings to the committee.
- Approved previous meeting minutes (passed)
- Elected Jared Parks as vice chair (unanimous)
- Approved changing member terms from 5 to 3-year renewable terms (passed)
- Approved changes to Operational Guidelines (unanimous)
- Recommended appointment of Councilman Josh Hastings to the committee
Airport Commission
The Commission approved the meeting minutes from November 14, 2022. The meeting included reports on the AMT school, passenger activity, and the Master Plan. No other substantive policy decisions were recorded.
- Approved November 14, 2022 meeting minutes
Board of Electrical Examiners
The Board set a 60-day deadline for inspector Larry White to score 70% or higher on the master's license exam to avoid license revocation. The Board also discussed extensive revisions to the electrical code, including fee increases and new registration requirements, to be finalized by January 4.
- Approved agenda and previous minutes
- Ordered Larry White to pass master's test with 70% or higher within 60 days or face license revocation
- Proposed increasing master electrical registration fee from $100 to $150 biannually
- Proposed increasing electrician limited registration fee from $50 to $75 biannually
- Proposed inspector fee of $150 biannually
- Proposed inspection agency fee of $250 biannually
County Council
The Council elected John T. Cannon as President and Shane Baker as Vice President. The body also approved a resolution to relocate a forest conservation easement on Quantico Road. Outgoing members provided comments before the induction of new members.
- Approved Legislative Minutes from November 15, 2022 (Unanimous)
- Elected John T. Cannon as President (Unanimous)
- Elected Shane Baker as Vice President (Unanimous)
- Approved Resolution No. 161-2022 to relocate 17,896.79 square feet of forest conservation easement at 6882 Quantico Road (Unanimous)
Recreation Commission
The Commission approved a request to install a community book kiosk at Centennial Village. Members also reviewed updates on several capital projects, including a $6.9M Civic Center renovation and shoreline restoration projects.
- Approved minutes from September 27, 2022
- Approved request from Devan family to install and maintain a book kiosk at Centennial Village playground (unanimous)
Administrative Charging Committee
The committee approved the minutes from November 1, 2022, and appointed a Vice Chairman. Members discussed statewide training requirements for reviewing complaints. No date was set for a December meeting.
- Approved November 1, 2022 meeting minutes
- Appointed Babe Wilson as Vice Chair
- Rejected proposal to create a 2nd Vice Chair position
Airport Commission
The Wicomico County Airport Commission met to review manager and chairman reports. The commission approved the minutes from the September 12, 2022 meeting. No other substantive actions were taken.
- Approved September 12, 2022 meeting minutes
Planning and Zoning Commission
The Commission approved a development plan for 220 market rate apartments and recommended a zoning code amendment regarding private solar utilities to the County Council. Two other items regarding rezoning on Snow Hill Road and the creation of a Board of Appeals were discussed and scheduled for public hearings.
- Approved Final Comprehensive Development Plan for Reserves at Parson's Lake Phase 2
- Waived parking requirements for Reserves at Parson's Lake Phase 2 to allow 458 spaces
- Approved recommendation to advance Private Solar Utility legislation to Wicomico County Council
- Approved minutes from September 15, 2022 meeting
- Approved minutes from October 20, 2022 meeting with modifications
Police Accountability Board
The Board appointed two new members to the Trial Board and scheduled a shoot/don't shoot training session. Members also reviewed a draft of the end-of-year report.
- Approved minutes from 10/16/2022
- Appointed Kort Dickson and Mark Glushakow to the Trial Board
- Scheduled shoot/don't shoot training for November 28, 2022, from 3pm to 5pm
Wicomico Board of Elections
The Board approved the minutes from the October 19, 2022 meeting. The Election Director provided registration and financial reports, noting that voter registration would reopen on November 21, 2022.
- Approved October 19, 2022 meeting minutes (unanimous)
Natural Resources Conservation Advisory Committee
The committee agreed to write a letter supporting the inclusion of the San Domingo Rosenwald School in the proposed Rosenwald Schools National Historical Park. Members also discussed incorporating Green Infrastructure reviews into the county development process and reviewed updates to the Local Places Plan and Regional Plan (LPPRP).
- Approved October meeting minutes
- Agreed to write letter supporting San Domingo School inclusion in National Historical Park
Board of Electrical Examiners
The Board conducted a page-by-page review of proposed changes to Chapter 138 of the county code. Several sections were modified or struck, while discussions on board member removal and registration fees were tabled. Final review of the updates is scheduled for December 7, 2022.
- Approved the November 2, 2022 agenda and previous minutes
- Agreed to continue using the Muelec test for exams
- Agreed to strike section 138-23 number (4)
- Agreed to rewrite the Limited License definition to include heating, air conditioning, refrigeration, or appliances
- Approved the addition of Right of Entry to section 138-24.2
- Tabled discussion on the board member removal process
- Tabled discussion on raising registration fees
- Agreed to maintain registration on a 2-year cycle
County Council
The Council approved budget amendments for a new Public Safety Building and the Wicomico County Narcotics Task Force. They also designated two parcels of land in Hebron as surplus property and confirmed seven board appointments.
- Approved $150,151 budget increase for Public Safety Building furniture, fixtures, and equipment (Unanimous)
- Approved $217,297 budget increase for State’s Attorney’s Office and Wicomico County Narcotics Task Force (Unanimous)
- Approved sale of one-acre property at Hebron Convenience Center to Porter Mill, LLC (Unanimous)
- Approved donation of one-acre property at Hebron Convenience Center to Commissioners of Hebron for a water tower (Unanimous)
- Approved $11,500 grant for deputy tuition and lodging at Northwestern University’s Center of Public Safety (Unanimous)
- Confirmed 5 appointments to the Department of Social Services Advisory Board (Unanimous)
- Confirmed 2 appointments to the Local Management Board (Unanimous)
- Legislative Bill 2022-10 regarding open storage tanks became law on October 27
Administrative Charging Committee
The committee held an organizational meeting to review ethics, confidentiality, and duties. Members elected a chair and scheduled their next meeting.
- Elected Ron Lewis as chair
- Scheduled next meeting for November 22, 2022
Planning and Zoning Commission
The Planning and Zoning Commission approved the final major subdivision plat for The Pond at Nutters Crossing, a 17-lot development on Stonehaven Drive, subject to nine conditions including forest conservation and water/sewer plan amendments. The commission also approved a self-storage building site plan, subdivision of The Centre at Salisbury into three parcels, a revised development plan for the Perdue Henson Junior Achievement center, and a preliminary plan for a 233-unit townhouse development called North Pointe Commons. Discussions were held on a City comprehensive plan corrective action and a proposed text amendment for private solar utilities, with no final decisions made.
- Approved final major subdivision plat for The Pond at Nutters Crossing (17 lots) subject to 9 conditions
- Approved site plan for 3,900 sq ft self-storage building on Ocean Gateway with 9 conditions including bollards and gate details
- Approved preliminary/final subdivision of The Centre at Salisbury into 3 parcels subject to 4 conditions
- Approved revised comprehensive development plan and wellhead protection site plan for Perdue Henson Junior Achievement subject to 5 conditions
- Approved preliminary comprehensive development plan for North Pointe Commons (233 townhouse units) subject to 6 conditions
Agricultural Land Preservation Advisory Board
The Agricultural Land Preservation Advisory Board will review several easement applications for recommendation to the County Council or Foundation. The meeting also includes a review of previous minutes, advisory board appointments, and suggestions for a new ranking system.
- Bailey Nursery Farm: 137.04 acres on Quantico Road (MD Rte. 347)
- Toadvine Farm: 75.0 acres on Rockawalkin Road
- Alice Brittingham: 1.32 acres on Powell School Road
- W. Simpson Dunahoo: Land transfer on Porter Mill Road
- Review of April and May 2021 board meeting minutes