St. Mary's child care facility hits inflation speed bump

Despite escalating costs, St. Mary’s County government workers who need day care for their children will soon see an option close to work.

The county commissioners heard an update Tuesday about developments for a child care facility that will be next to the Leonard Hall Junior Naval Academy on the county’s governmental campus.

A 6,347-square-foot modular trailer is expected to be constructed at the site and be able to hold 73 children ages 6 months to 5 years.

It is scheduled to be open in time for the 2024-2025 school year. Those using it would be charged weekly fees that are “competitive” with other child care businesses, a recreation and parks official said.

But Department of Public Works Director and Transportation Director Jim Gotsch informed the commissioners the price of the trailer itself had escalated from $723,000 to $1.2 million.

“We’re getting hit with inflation,” Gotsch said, “but we can absorb almost all of the cost except for $432,000.”

Gotsch and his department proposed an increase of $425,000 to the child care center project funded from other projects recently completed that have remaining fund balances.

“When this money comes back into the bin please don’t spend it all,” Gotsch said. “Save me a little bit.”

The total budget approved for the facility is $1.8 million, including the cost of the trailer, water/sewer hook up, sprinkler system, paving and more.

Gotsch noted the project is still moving forward as plans have been submitted to all required agencies.

Gotsch explained that 73 children was predicated on a survey with the recreation and parks department, and if the actual number was lower, the facility would be open to the public.

“It seems like a good sizeable start,” Commissioner Eric Colvin (R) said. “Let’s just get it built and off the ground and running before we worry about expanding.”

Gotsch was asked about expansion, to which he replied, “Our building maxes out the space so there’s no room to expand.”

Commissioner Randy Guy (R) suggested maybe using some of the land behind the Leonardtown library.

Gotsch will present the project to the planning commission on May 20, followed by the Leonardtown council, State Highway Administration and others before updating the commissioners sometime in June.

“As you go through all of these different partners you have to go through, if you hit roadblocks come to us to help smooth them out as soon as we can,” Colvin said.