After a recent meeting with state transportation officials in which the county complained about not receiving the results of a study about installing barriers on the Gov. Thomas Johnson Memorial Bridge, Commissioner Michael Hewitt (R) updated the public about it during the commissioners’ Oct. 4 meeting.
Hewitt said the county received an email containing the study, which he called “very interesting.”
He said that state Del. Matt Morgan (R-St. Mary’s) had relayed to him that state officials believe that installing any netting or barrier on the bridge may interfere with annual inspections of the bridge.
In addition, Hewitt said that installing fencing, such as the chain link fence that is attached on the lower parts of the bridge, could compromise the bridge. In other words, wind shear or wind resistance could compromise the bridge’s piers.
The commissioners and others have been concerned about the topic because of several people who have tried to commit suicide by jumping from the bridge, some of whom died.
Those who are experiencing distress can call the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988.
Public shines light on solar panels
In other news, the commissioners had a public hearing on a proposed text amendment to a recently-adopted solar ordinance.
Following a mandate from the General Assembly for each locality in the state to add solar panels, the commissioners adopted an ordinance on March 1. It prevents freestanding solar panels from being installed on prime agricultural soils.
A property with contaminated soils may also have the protected soils, a staff memo states. “Totally excluding solar panels from being constructed on protected soils on a property that also has contaminated areas may mean a solar project would not be viable.”
The proposed text amendment would allow a solar major project on land in the rural preservation district that has prime agricultural soils as a conditional use by the board of appeals.
Prior to public comment, Commissioner Todd Morgan (R) noted two parcels in the county have been vacant for 25 years.
Jamie Raley, president of the St. Mary’s County Farm Bureau, said the organization supports a conditional use in all 19 soil districts.
Three others spoke against the text amendment, however.
“There’s a lot of designated acreage that is suitable for solar. Once you start waiving restrictions, I think it’s a slippery slope,” James Tyler Bell said. He noted that the Jesuits wanted to put a solar farm on “very prime forest.”
Teresa Wilson, a member of the county’s historic preservation commission, said solar panels can have positive and negative effects. Noting that a bunch have popped up on the Eastern Shore, she said that locating them too closely together can degrade farmland and negatively impact tourism.
The public record will be open until Oct. 25, which is when the commissioners plan to make a decision on the proposed amendment.
Ethics commission changes underway
The commissioners also voted to host a public hearing during their Oct. 25 meeting in regard to changes to the ethics ordinance mandated by the General Assembly.
Although the changes are seemingly non-controversial, assistant county attorney John Houser noted that they stemmed from an issue between the University of Maryland medical system and its board.
Houser said that the county will have to add several new positions to the ethics commission’s purview, including members of the police accountability board and administrative charging committee and a new deputy county administrator position.
Roads added to network
The commissioners voted to add three roads into the county roadway network. These include Festoon Court and Laurel Circle in the Laurel Preserve subdivision northwest of Loveville Road and Carpenter Lane in the Charlotte Hall area.
Also approved was a $100,582 Homeland Security grant. It will be use for previously approved projects, a board document states.
The commissioners will not meet on Oct. 11 because of the Columbus Day holiday on Monday, Oct. 10. Their next meeting is Oct. 18.
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