Talbot County, Maryland

03/14/2025

Category: County Council

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Shannon Hannawald, an ambassador for the Endometriosis Association and Founder of Endo Warriors of the Eastern Shore, thanked Council for bringing awareness to this issue and shared her personal story living and dealing with endometriosis.

The Talbot County Council held their regular meeting on March 11 at 5 p.m.; all Council members were present.

Endometriosis Awareness Month

For the past five years, the County has supported Endometriosis Awareness Month and Endo Warriors of the Eastern Shore.

Shannon Hannawald, an ambassador for the Endometriosis Association and Founder of Endo Warriors of the Eastern Shore, thanked Council for bringing awareness to this issue and shared her personal story living and dealing with endometriosis.

Endometriosis is a disease affecting at least 1 in 10 women of reproductive age, whereby the endometrium, a type of tissue that normally grows in the uterus also grows outside of the uterus. Many of estimated 200 million women worldwide who have endometriosis live with debilitating, chronic pain and fatigue, on average experiencing a delay of up to 10 years between first symptoms and diagnosis with between 30 to 50 percent experiencing infertility as a result.

“It is so commendable that you had a personal tragedy and turned that into something positive, which was to sponsor a cause to deal with the issue.” said Council Member Lynn Mielke. “That’s the right thing to do, and I commend you for doing that.”

To learn more about Endo Warriors of the Eastern Shore, visit their Facebook page at /endowarrorsoftheeasternshore.

Welcome Home Parade and Program

Kenley Timms, Commander of the VFW Post 5118, and Wayne Hall, President of Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 648 provided a briefing on an upcoming commemoration event to honor Vietnam Veterans.

“Most of these Vietnam veterans do not receive the recognition they deserve, this event is to celebrate all Vietnam veterans and Vietnam era veterans, regardless of their duty station. Most of them volunteered, but they did not always get to go to Vietnam. Many were stationed stateside, Germany, or Japan, and we want to make sure everyone is honored equally,” said Timms.

The “Welcome Home” Parade and Commemorative Program will take place on Sunday, March 30th, starting at 1 p.m. There will be a small acknowledgement at the Vietnam memorial at the Talbot County Courthouse, 11 North Washington Street in Easton, followed by a parade that will end at the VFW Post 5118, 355 Glebe Road in Easton where a celebratory ceremony will take place.  

“Reach out to your Vietnam veterans, Vietnam era veterans, and Gold Star family members, and let them know about the event. We would love to celebrate with them in the parade and the ceremony,” said Timms.

The event is open to the community. Timms encouraged everyone to join in watching the parade and attending the celebration.

Administrative Resolution Regarding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Council discussed and subsequently voted on an administrative resolution regarding the County’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies within the County Government.

The administrative resolution, introduced by Council Member Dave Stepp, if approved, would repeal two Administrative Resolutions adopted by the County Council on June 23, 2020, and July 14, 2020 respectively. 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.

The resolution was previously tabled at the Council’s February 25, 2025, meeting to allow for Council to hear public comments about the issue before voting on it. When this agenda item was brought forward, Council unanimously voted to take the resolution from the table for consideration, allowing it to become immediately eligible for vote.

Following discussion by Council, the Administrative Resolution as proposed, failed by a vote of 2-3 with Council Vice President Pete Lesher, and Council Members Keasha Haythe and Lynn Mielke voting to reject the resolution, thus keeping the policies in place. Council President Chuck Callahan and Council Member Dave Stepp voted in favor of the adopting the resolution.

To review the discussion by Council or any public comments, members of the public are always able to view previous meetings items, including agendas, meeting recordings, and related documents at the County’s website: https://talbotcountymd.gov/meetings.

Other Business

• Andrea Waters, Transportation Grant Specialist for Delmarva Community Services requested Council consideration of the draft FY26 Transportation Plan for Delmarva Community Transit as submitted to the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) for funding consideration for public transportation services in Caroline, Kent and Talbot counties. The federal and State funding request for FY26 totals $1,478,538; the local share of the participating counties totals $469,690. Council unanimously approved the request.
• Council also unanimously approved an administrative resolution that authorizes Talbot County to file an application with the Maryland Transit Administration of the Maryland Department of Transportation for a Section 5303, 5304, 5307, 5309, 5310, and 5311 grant under the Federal Transit Act.   Funding received is combined with State and local funding from the participating counties of Caroline, Kent and Talbot for the operation of a public transportation system in the three (3) subject counties by Delmarva Community Transit.
• Council introduced Resolution No. 370, which if approved, will lease approximately 9,424 square feet of property at Easton Airport to Tri-Gas & Oil Co., Inc. for a term of ten years, with the right to renew for up to two (2) additional five-year terms. Micah Risher, Easton Airport Manager, stated that Tri-Gas and Oil Co., Inc. provides refueling operations to the airport, and that the partnership has been successful to date.
• A series of numbered resolutions regarding amendments to the County’s Comprehensive Water and Sewer Plan were introduced as follows:
  • Res. No. 371 –proposes to reclassify and remap property located at 5536 Public Landing Road, Royal Oak, MD from “unprogrammed” to “S-1” immediate priority status
  • Res. No. 372 – proposes to reclassify and remap property located on two parcels, 23452 Pine Point Road and Pine Point Road, Bozman MD from “unprogrammed” to “S-1” immediate priority status
  • Res. No. 373 – proposes to reclassify and remap property located 24500 Rolles Range Road, St. Michaels, MD from “unprogrammed” to “S-1” immediate priority status
  • Res. No. 374 – proposes to reclassify and remap property located at 8288 Bozman Neavitt Road, St. Michaels, MD from “unprogrammed” to “S-1” immediate priority status
  • Res. No. 375 – proposes to reclassify and remap property located at 26396 St. Michaels Road, Easton, MD from “unprogrammed” to “S-1” immediate priority status
  • Res. No. 376 – proposes to reclassify and remap property located at 7952 Church Neck Road, St. Michaels, MD from “unprogrammed” to “S-1” immediate priority status
  • Res. No. 377 – proposes to reclassify and remap property located at 3965 Ocean Gateway, Trappe, MD from “unprogrammed” to “S-1” immediate priority status

Each of these resolutions will go before both the Planning Commission and Public Works Advisory Board for review and recommendation before returning to Council for public hearings on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. Additional information about each resolution can be found in pending legislation on the County website: www.talbotcountymd.gov/pending_legislation

• Bill No. 1584, introduced by Callahan, Haythe, and Stepp, would, if approved, amend the zoning designation for property located on Tax Map 32, Parcel 36, consisting of approximately 3.737 acres, owned by Shannahan Holdings and a portion of Tax Map 32, Parcel 91, approximately 4.66 acres,  owned by Destination Lodging, LLC, from Town Rsidential (TR) to General Commercial (GC).
• Easton Airport Manager Micah Risher provided an update on the Airport Modernization Program, which has officially entered Phase II, demolition of the Talbot County Business Center. Phase I, completed in 2024, required construction teams to move 471,765 cubic yards of earth around the property. As part of the project, the contractor also installed new drainage pipes, created a new wetland area, a service road for construction vehicles, and more. To learn more about the status of the program, visit eastonairport.com. The demolition of the Talbot County Business Center is expected to be completed by the end of March 2025, following which sitework will continue to create Runway Safety Area.
• Council voted unanimously to forward a letter to State legislators to express concerns over the Budget and Reconciliation and Finance Act (SB 321 / HB352). As proposed, the legislation could have a significant harmful fiscal impact on the County budget, totaling over $1 million in service cuts and cost shifts. “These costs being pushed down to counties as a way of relieving the State budget is simply a poor and inappropriate strategy for resolving the State budget crisis,” said Council Vice President Pete Lesher.
• County Manager, Clay Stamp, presented serval board nominations for the Council’s consideration:
  • Bike and Pedestrian Advisory Committee– Council unanimously approved the appointment of Heather Grant (Easton), Bob Burgner (Oxford), Phil Starkey (Queen Anne), Ava Ellett (Trappe), Bob DeGour (Easton – citizen representative), Jessica Lister (Chapel District), Frank Carollo (St. Michaels District), Howard Callahan, Sr., (business owner), Ed Heikes (Maryland Farm Bureau), Carl “Mike” Owens, (Talbot County Public Schools),  Lt JR Dobson (Talbot County Sheriff’s Office) and Vice President Pete Lesher (Council liaison).
  • Economic Development Commission– Council unanimously approved the appointment of Barbara Ranson to serve as the Town of Oxford’s representative on the Economic Development Commission.
  • Upper Shore Aging, Board of Directors- Council unanimously approved the appointment of Jenna Marchi to represent Talbot County on the Upper Shore Aging, Inc. Board of Directors.
• Council unanimously approved providing a letter of support for the Waterfowl Festival, Inc.’s application to the Maryland Historic Trust for a FY25 Historic Preservation Capital Grant in the amount of $100,000.  If approved, the funding will be used to assist with replacing the roof and maintaining structural integrity of their historic building; no County funds are required. The Armory, which is entrusted to the Waterfowl Festival, Inc. serves as an important community facility.  A number of non-profit organizations in Talbot County rely on renting the building every year for fundraisers, events, and activities. “The building looks great so far, I have been there several times for events,” said Council Member Keasha Haythe. Sammie Mooney, Assistant Director of Waterfowl Festival, Inc., echoed the excitement about keeping the space a community asset for years to come.
• The Department of Parks and Recreation received approval to use contingency funds in the amount of $58,250 for emergency repairs to both the Bay Hundred and George Murphy Community Pools. The work is expected to be completed prior to the opening of the community pools for the 2025 season.
• The Department of Emergency Services and Department of Technical Services made several procurement requests to complete technical work for the Public Safety Complex, located at 28640 Marys Court in Easton. Emergency Services has already started moving into their new space, which will be the future location of the 9-1-1 Dispatch Center. $552,444 for technology purchases (supported by grant funding), $136,680 for implementation of the replacement Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system, $611,635 to Tyler Technologies for procurement of CAD system, and $47,680 for mass casualty incident training (supported by grant funding). All requests were unanimously approved by Council.

FY26 Budget Process

The County Council and County staff continue working on the FY26 Budget through a series of Budget Work Sessions occurring in the months of March and April, cumulating with introduction of the FY26 budget on Tuesday, April 15, 2025(a Special Legislative Day).  Public hearings on the proposed FY26 Budget will be held on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. The public is encouraged to follow the budget process and engage as necessary. FY26 Budget information, including any relevant documents, meeting links, dates, etc. can be found at https://engage.talbotcountymd.gov/fy2026budget.

Next Meeting

The Council’s next legislative meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 25th 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 open to the public.

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