[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6564506,"mediaKeyId","3281578-fe56fd98218034ae37cb56fd71f3efb6","parentId",3281578,"title","County awaits state rules for Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund; local groups ask for support","audioSeconds",525,"startMs",6469000,"endMs",6994000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3281578-fe56fd98218034ae37cb56fd71f3efb6&start=6469&end=6994","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3281578-fe56fd98218034ae37cb56fd71f3efb6/thumbnail_6469000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6564506/Caroline-County/Maryland/County-awaits-state-rules-for-Community-Reinvestment-and-Repair-Fund-local-groups-ask-for-support","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6564506-71c795f5d31ff3e7429b424960945d3d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770780495&Signature=PN0Iw7PCJwGg4F5LWuOJb2H4OIPhi~K5bcIIfNibqE0DsfoekDVltXrDKkbk845RhBliNxjlqvmqVQGWmmsszMRmwToxywVAuGN5uZ9wDuP1mYcxpICKvxRbBEwaknu4KfAyHTS1-FvXLWh7p6qf8VhLVCBMELqQjwQD95UiLsOECsWchXHlHwQt8pkn4aKdD3sljR6PC1~J~7hSHOM1OnxgjIVoHYhhm3lYb5A01ZK0m-AocUIjy4~PhyI~3uMj~fXVMVgE4Z3fkKgqQVocm39KZ~MBnCkSitCKKI9Hntx5Gp3o0W97TDNQ8yzGQ4JjVxHQmev54nq61ZvamWBOvw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Caroline","date","2025-05-13T00:00:00Z","article","Deputy Administrator Daniel Fox briefed the commissioners May 13 on state guidance for the Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund, advising the county to wait for formal policy rolls and reporting instructions before disbursing local allocations.

Fox said the Office of Social Equity (OSC) and the comptroller’s office are working on program rules after recent legislation; counties were given an October 1, 2025 target to receive policy and procedures. Under the recurring reporting schedule Fox cited, counties will be required to submit annual reports beginning Oct. 1, 2025, with the first reporting year’s submission due Oct. 1, 2026. The legislation and OSC staff, Fox said, will require each county to adopt a written plan developed in consultation with stakeholders and subject to a public hearing prior to distribution.

Fox told commissioners that about 20 of 24 jurisdictions have not yet spent local allocations and urged commissioners not to act independently before state guidance is finalized. He said the OSC plans training and written instructions on how to solicit, review and select community-based organizations for awards and how to report recipients and amounts to the state.

Several community representatives spoke about proposals for local spending if the county does move forward after rules are published. Kia (last name not specified) asked about two initiatives: a sneaker-and-clothing program intended to help K–8 students with school readiness and self-image, and a playground-surface upgrade in Ridgely for ages 2–5. Kia said organizers planned fundraising but sought county support to cover specific components that exceeded their budget. Erin’s Place representative Cheryl Biola described plans to convert the former Electrotherm building into a community hub that could host workforce development and food-distribution storage and asked the commissioners for “blessings” and local support while negotiations and due diligence proceed.

County staff told the speakers that the applications and requests would be cataloged but that officials were following OSC’s direction to wait for the state to release its program procedures and reporting forms. Fox said the OSC had emphasized that counties should not independently craft distribution processes before the state issues detailed guidance.

Ending: Commissioners asked staff to track requests and to review how other jurisdictions have distributed funds once the state templates and training are released. Staff said they would watch for OSC materials and return with a recommended local plan after the state’s October 1, 2025 guidance is published.
","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Caroline - Caroline County Commissioners Meeting - May 13, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","County staff summarized new state guidance timelines for the Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund and told local groups to hold requests until the Office of Social Equity issues formal rules by Oct. 1, 2025; community groups described proposals for clothing/sneaker programs and a playground project.","taxTitle","Caroline County, Maryland","taxId",61674,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6564511,"Caroline County health officer reports staffing gains, Whitsett Center upgrades and program metrics",2168,4287000,6455000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3281578-fe56fd98218034ae37cb56fd71f3efb6&start=4287&end=6455","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3281578-fe56fd98218034ae37cb56fd71f3efb6/thumbnail_4287000.jpg","/articles/6564511/Caroline-County/Maryland/Caroline-County-health-officer-reports-staffing-gains-Whitsett-Center-upgrades-and-program-metrics","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6564511-8587e78b5019bf8ea393113bede72dc7/orig.mp4?Expires=1770780495&Signature=FwOJvI~sVbIKkTSqRPak8gsREdSIxB6TS6xG~MmDRVcctZRuKRXGgAidBsf0Pn3aN0WLnefWjlWGnllcAjgRFuxPtg1r1x3vcG2etZdBsVMJSrtDMLxxS3eKLlhTKIxP0OGdDVjGBagyPZznxgGRnqZ98VUCxrSL07I9heg9ybzfnBXftrCx~Job2TWtE0YhNVPtvZfiPa5BGc7L04965SLQyFUIMSuM2lEMlVNJyTdFf4yOrFNzpnxsO2isWYBhTBDmXgJ6LL~wamU40FmCehYR~MBWxv-sj9dDu9sp1TcPhzrj02MYeI-R2pLBdBzA9iWEqDJDue~3978oDGZfsA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Robin Cahall, Caroline County health officer, gave a multi-part report May 13 to the Board of County Commissioners outlining public-health staffing, environmental-health permitting, behavioral-health partnerships and local program outcomes.

Cahall said the health department had about 106 active staff (a reported increase of roughly 24% from FY23), with 10 open positions and 16 new hires. She described work to recruit social workers and school-based clinicians and said the department had added a human-resources officer and a director of administration in recent years to support operations.

In environmental health, Cahall told commissioners the department completed 709 permit applications in FY25 (a 10% decrease from FY24). She reported 37 successful percolation tests (perc), 144 well permits, 117 septic permits and 411 other permits. The department licensed 255 facilities and 55 contractors during the period and is transitioning permitting operations to the county’s Llama system with staff training planned for June and a July go-live.

On the AF Whitsett Center, Cahall said the facility was removed from an earlier state “divestiture” list following advocacy and that Governor Wes Moore had earmarked $4,000,000 for infrastructure improvements. Cahall said the center — which serves behavioral-health and substance-use patients — will use part of that funding for boiler and other facility upgrades with work expected to start in summer and complete in late fall or early winter. She said existing federal opioid-response grant funding supports 12 crisis beds at Whitsett for brief stays (about four days) and that in the last year Midshore had helped place 35 individuals transitioning out of state hospitals into community settings through assisted-living funding.

Cahall highlighted several metrics from the state health-improvement plan jurisdictional data: a reported 3% drop in the county’s preterm-birth rate (2021–2022) and reductions in addiction-related and mental-health–related emergency-department visits in recent years. She also noted continuing concerns: asthma-related ED visits rose (the Eastern Shore reported more days of unhealthy air in 2023 than 2022), and the county’s prevalence of diagnosed hypertension increased in recent years — changes Cahall said may reflect both real health trends and improved detection.

The health officer outlined planned board-of-health items for future meetings: an environmental-health fee schedule review (last updated in 2005), standard operating procedures tied to the county’s delegation agreement with Maryland Department of the Environment, and quality-improvement project results to be reviewed by the board. Cahall said the GPR (groundwater protection report) that allows some on-site sewage options in Caroline County will be maintained under the delegation agreement and that her office has been working on 14 MDE guidance documents to support local permitting.

Cahall said the department is building a small-scale mobile integrated health pilot in partnership with emergency services and UMMS Shore Regional Health; the health department added a 0.5 FTE community health nurse to support the initiative beginning July 1 and has applied for a discretionary MDH grant to support personnel costs.

Ending: Commissioners thanked Cahall for the update and asked staff to return with the environmental-health fee-schedule briefing and quality-improvement results at a future board-of-health meeting. Cahall said staff would continue to work with state agencies on delegation and permitting guidance and to share grant- and budget-related impacts to county programs as they are known.
","Health Officer Robin Cahall presented the Caroline County Health Department’s annual update, detailing staff levels, permitting activity, program outcomes, Whitsett Center infrastructure funding, and planned transitions to new permitting software and quality-improvement reporting.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6564516,"Caroline County commissioners renew Midshore Behavioral Health agreement, citing program reach",3024,900000,3924000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3281578-fe56fd98218034ae37cb56fd71f3efb6&start=900&end=3924","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3281578-fe56fd98218034ae37cb56fd71f3efb6/thumbnail_900000.jpg","/articles/6564516/Caroline-County/Maryland/Caroline-County-commissioners-renew-Midshore-Behavioral-Health-agreement-citing-program-reach","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6564516-4fbeaea587d3f2fb0c71864bc96045af/orig.mp4?Expires=1770780495&Signature=N~A4SJkPFlSqcKrJIqMDHI7GaSyoDHXg90vvBCukiEXkxm33YQ~9G~cOyCPiqZxD7ubMF7xK-84wmYksyzncinaMbBl7CaKOyBKEE8ANC2odAbbwU7Z5rr0f7fESxGabL9WwaDTeNESDUDzQMptX50y2cjaMJEd~yS4Zea2HuQnkLQ-RHt6ZQ8F5ewcRmwSNpSgYV0g1D0EJ2R1oGeRQlW6vBSUoOL4nbFs66rw9Vjf2bC9VY1fbUGOGdAzgpjfCFzLGLTqMUgF1S9R-za~cUcw3JihSM5QbiqQXx3YrFPEKNomFXe0cVeoZErmMcqL3o9W3jvxEn-MwddnLx1RkMw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Caroline County commissioners voted unanimously May 13 to approve a FY2026 core service agency letter of agreement with Midshore Behavioral Health after the agency presented a year-end report on local programs and service reach.

Midshore Chief Executive Officer Katie Dilley told the commissioners the organization provides regional behavioral health services, manages the regional homeless services hub, and coordinates specialized programs including the problem-solving court, forensic mental-health teams and school-based services. “May is Mental Health Awareness Month,” Dilley said during her presentation, describing Midshore’s role across five counties and the organization’s efforts to expand services in Caroline County.

The renewal keeps Midshore as the county’s designated core service agency; commissioners placed the agreement on the consent agenda and then approved it by motion. The vote was recorded as unanimous in the public meeting.

Why it matters: Midshore’s county-level role includes convening providers, administering state and federal grants, managing reporting requirements for funded programs and acting as a routing point for regional behavioral-health initiatives. County officials said Midshore’s coordination is important given limited local staff capacity in some agencies.

In the presentation, Midshore and its staff highlighted Caroline County results and local initiatives. Anne Simpers, Midshore behavioral health coordinator, said Midshore served 2,369 people for mental-health services in Caroline County and 1,050 for substance-use services during the most recent reporting period; she said those figures represented roughly 7% and 3% of the county population, respectively. Midshore also reported it is taking part in a federally supported hub pilot to expand behavioral-health services into public schools for FY2026.

Midshore representatives described local programs the commissioners heard about earlier in the meeting, including the county problem-solving court, a Safe Station peer program, the Project Chesapeake intensive outpatient program (opened March 24, 2025), and the organization’s role as administrator for the Drug Free Caroline Coalition. Midshore noted recent program accomplishments: hosting graduations from its problem-solving court, national certification for the team, and a best-practice compliance rating of 95.6%.

Commissioners asked about homelessness and how Midshore coordinates with other providers. Midshore and health-department officials described a regional point-in-time count that, Midshore said, found 95 people experiencing homelessness in the county on the survey date — 79 sheltered and 16 unsheltered — and explained that the count is required for certain federal homeless assistance funding and is sensitive to weather and visibility constraints.

During follow-up discussion, commissioners asked whether Midshore helps community groups apply for state or federal grants and how funding is allocated across the five-county region. Dilley said Midshore provides application and procurement support and that much of its program funding is federal or state money that is distributed to local providers through competitive processes.

The board approved the FY2026 letter of agreement by motion and voice vote. The motion and second were recorded during the public meeting; the commissioners said “aye” and the chair declared the motion unanimously approved.

The county will accept a related annual agreement (the local drug and alcohol council administration memorandum) at a subsequent meeting, Midshore staff told the commissioners.

Ending: Midshore asked the board to endorse its FY2026 planning materials; commissioners said Midshore’s packet would be added to the consent agenda and staff would follow up with the outstanding annual agreement paperwork.
","Midshore Behavioral Health gave its annual update and the Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously to approve a FY2026 core service agency letter of agreement renewing Midshore’s role as the county’s core behavioral health agency.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

County awaits state rules for Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund; local groups ask for support

Caroline County health officer reports staffing gains, Whitsett Center upgrades and program metrics

Caroline County commissioners renew Midshore Behavioral Health agreement, citing program reach