[{"_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",6523201,"mediaKeyId","5065167-af3a00e62a9c5648175f9d381da6f21d","parentId",5065167,"title","Caroline County amends health department support letter to $300,000 over three years; consent agenda approved","audioSeconds",122,"startMs",2553000,"endMs",2675000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5065167-af3a00e62a9c5648175f9d381da6f21d&start=2553&end=2675","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5065167-af3a00e62a9c5648175f9d381da6f21d/thumbnail_2553000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6523201/Caroline-County/Maryland/Caroline-County-amends-health-department-support-letter-to-300000-over-three-years-consent-agenda-approved","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6523201-c74dd966fc15568dec6a03e065842370/orig.mp4?Expires=1770984684&Signature=LvMsX9rrxH1FMAmI3TOLkrOxliHbvDgKLttlT1qwZaVi9nhYdCRN35Lap2nu7kxvdla4pOcVvd6FLMH3wsdMC4SMJcSPUpMAeB3hTfficSy9uwLJynbDufAG-t6Er4jVcJd8lc5crYK2ijjsUrnaKFbsDke46ni6xTW5upQ73Q96NcWIlbjd-M4xLZoyNu65FHGbrRSkgY6xZaC42oio~FAItvVUFFat8jdrZgqCnIauYj66DN0kHTiiPZA8StklDnb1VEFN7HhA~mDyUQYK9knoApWRgG5xkmClEp-YHW-2xXy86yzSxpNt1CpgD8-OpK96ro4FjO0do6UlIrlYeQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Caroline","date","2025-06-24T00:00:00Z","article","Caroline County commissioners amended a consent-agenda item June 24 to increase a letter of support for the county health department from $100,000 to $300,000 over three years and approved the consent agenda by voice vote.

A commissioner raised an existing letter of support for the county health department’s request to the Caroline Foundation and proposed changing it from a single-year $100,000 request to a three-year request totaling $300,000 (described in the meeting as $100,000 per year for three years). County staff said the board could direct the change during the meeting and staff or the county administrator would update the written letter accordingly. A motion to amend the consent-agenda letter was moved and seconded and the commissioners approved the change by voice vote.

During the consent-agenda discussion commissioners also asked about an upcoming clock tower renovation at the courthouse. Staff said scaffolding and roof work will be involved and the contract called for roughly an eight-week schedule; commissioners discussed whether to require the contractor to condense staging or to delay work until after Summerfest (third weekend in August) so festival activities are not disrupted. Commissioners directed staff to speak with the contractor about timing and to prioritize cleanup and visual presentation for the festival if work proceeds in the summer; one commissioner suggested executing the contract but delaying physical work to lock in material pricing if the contractor agreed.

After amendments and discussion, a motion to approve the full consent agenda passed by voice vote. The board did not adopt any additional budget changes at the meeting; staff will update the support letter text to reflect the three-year $300,000 request and circulate it for signature.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Caroline - Caroline County Commissioners Meeting - Jun 24, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Commissioners amended a consent-agenda letter of support to request $300,000 over three years for the Caroline County Health Department, discussed timing for a courthouse clock tower renovation, and approved the consent agenda by voice vote.","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},6523206,"Commissioners introduce emergency zoning bill to allow reuse of legacy wastewater sites, extend permit window to 5 years",346,1900000,2246000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5065167-af3a00e62a9c5648175f9d381da6f21d&start=1900&end=2246","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5065167-af3a00e62a9c5648175f9d381da6f21d/thumbnail_1900000.jpg","/articles/6523206/Caroline-County/Maryland/Commissioners-introduce-emergency-zoning-bill-to-allow-reuse-of-legacy-wastewater-sites-extend-permit-window-to-5-years","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6523206-3f7d2c959ff02b9141f2e1729b28e9a8/orig.mp4?Expires=1770984684&Signature=EUksW-Grd6krDaZCeLpdfdvfz4l4qH~AiQs5blALy4Why28eJ2TRtZIKcgXlqcJjPfaG~1WVPHHJRVI3GBt5zIFustSMEmcErr2whUq8yEN1gnZBtcC6nMveaxnZGntkgacV3AzChCBrY~3X7DdEQyH-qC8fYivqFDvm4sQgitcbRJkFhYiECpIzmBwsk97sXIvcyZw8qPrsMpfLdkfkJO1WdErUGvS1iY3ytx6GTJd2IIIgWVSm~jtkb5OI0UD2sA6n8JfWjZsvdrJ2j2Url9dZfKBFFu-fPNgkk5Y2cnEBWpIb4wdvJh1Y3JSnkMLns2TK0zL-nIAZruE6uBdeSg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Caroline County commissioners gave first reading June 24 to an emergency zoning bill (2025‑007) that would allow certain non‑accessory wastewater treatment facilities to be permitted in the Rural (R) Zoning District by special use exception if they meet specified conditions.

County legal staff and planning staff described the proposed amendment to Section 175‑29 (Wastewater Treatment Facilities) of the county’s zoning code. The text would allow reuse or reopening of facilities that held an active Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) state discharge permit in the years preceding enactment, provided the proposed use is substantially similar to the historical operation, the wastewater-generating facility and treatment facility are owned by the same entity, and all applicable local, state and federal regulations are met.

Planning staff told commissioners the planning commission recommended changing the look-back period from three years to five years to accommodate the time MDE can take to review and reissue a discharge permit. Planning staff noted MDE review and permitting can take a year or more.

County staff and commissioners discussed the recommendation and then moved to amend the draft language to change the three-year requirement to five years. The motion to accept that amendment and proceed with the proposed calendar was seconded and carried by voice vote. The county attorney’s office indicated the introduction and first reading occurred June 24; notice of the public hearing will be advertised in The Star Democrat in early July and the second reading and public hearing are scheduled in July, with potential enactment and immediate effect if the board adopts the bill as an emergency measure (the county attorney’s office cited July 22 as the potential enactment date).

Speakers stressed that the change is intended to allow reactivation of historically permitted, licensed operations that remained substantially similar in function and ownership, not to permit separate commercial arrangements in which wastewater flows from one owner’s site to a treatment facility owned by another party.

The board accepted the planning commission’s recommendation to lengthen the look-back window to five years. No final enactment occurred at the June 24 meeting; the item will return for public hearing and possible enactment in July under the published calendar if the board proceeds as scheduled.","The board introduced emergency bill 2025-007 to permit certain non‑accessory wastewater treatment facilities in rural zones by special use exception if the facility had a prior MDE discharge permit; commissioners amended the draft to change a 3‑year lookback to five years and set a July hearing schedule.",{"_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},6523211,"Caroline County commissioners approve Upper Shore Aging’s FY26 senior care program plan",1491,328000,1819000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5065167-af3a00e62a9c5648175f9d381da6f21d&start=328&end=1819","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5065167-af3a00e62a9c5648175f9d381da6f21d/thumbnail_328000.jpg","/articles/6523211/Caroline-County/Maryland/Caroline-County-commissioners-approve-Upper-Shore-Agings-FY26-senior-care-program-plan","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6523211-e1ef60bcb02a2a45903464531b90798a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770984684&Signature=if6qKEnBWr6DEYq7u1jhHW25n3uSDRcx6wamuawUNVZonECsFdmaYqKYA5EVjLnND8q4P2w-L2mdU63qM0Xq0liL~rN4NsMWpJ2XAluBoe-m7Lvop~MBj1usFhMnBS7OzRqjJ4simkNwRYOC7mY7JW0dTLzTqsGUPDv74Ij8Eb1~4szJpHOfnVF-pUuczer-oROHYE3hRdM4a84X3pFpSNUVqMuE0Imk31pqPdAArHzx7ZLB9Q7AW7Lo~qt1FQ8Xi~5Wmu02yNs-5DbCCfafyRzK3X714WsZLk6Vs9RoM2pNAJ7jJ0sDJGNS-gISY0Otz4s6Hswvk068tV-q3QqzUw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Caroline County commissioners voted June 24 to approve the Upper Shore Aging senior care program plan for fiscal year 2026, allowing the agency to administer $160,000 in state senior care funds for the county.

The plan, presented by Kate Stenton of Upper Shore Aging, lays out use of the grant to provide case management, gap-filling expenses and services for vulnerable residents 65 and older who meet financial and functional-need criteria. Stenton said the program exists statewide and is funded by the Maryland Department of Aging.

Stenton told commissioners that Upper Shore Aging is administering $160,000 for Caroline County and currently serves 67 county residents this year. “The senior care program is funded by Department of Aging through state funds. It's been in existence since the early eighties,” she said. She described the program’s emphasis on home visits and in-person case management, and said the grant is intended as “last-resort” funding after other benefits are explored.

Stenton provided program-level figures: about 10% of funds are allocated to administration, 37% to staff (including the county’s single full-time case manager paid by the grant), and the remainder to client services. She listed commonly funded items and approximate allocations as discussed in the presentation: medical supplies and nutritional supplements, personal care services, personal emergency response systems, chore and transportation services, and medical day-care copays. She said the program currently provides roughly $2,400 per client per year on average, and contrasted that with estimated nursing-home costs.

Commissioners asked about partnerships and capacity. Stenton said Upper Shore Aging coordinates monthly with the local health department and Department of Social Services; those partners provide in-home services and case management for certain clients, which helps stretch senior care dollars. She said referrals are increasing, the program had a small waiting list at the end of the last fiscal year (now absorbed), and that lowering the eligibility age to 60 in proposed state legislation for FY27 could increase demand.

Commissioner Bartz and others praised the program’s role in stretching limited resources and preventing nursing-home placements. After discussion, a commissioner moved to sign the FY26 senior care program plan; a second was recorded and the commissioners approved the motion by voice vote. The board said President Breeding will sign the plan when he returns and the commissioners’ office will place the document in its sign-off pool.

The approval authorizes Upper Shore Aging to administer the $160,000 allocation for Caroline County under the described program plan; no additional county appropriation was adopted at the meeting.

Stenton thanked the commissioners for the support and reiterated the program’s reliance on county and community partnerships to meet needs beyond the grant.","The county signed an annual plan letting Upper Shore Aging administer a $160,000 senior care grant for FY26 to serve vulnerable residents 65 and older; commissioners approved the plan by voice vote and asked the president to sign.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Caroline County amends health department support letter to $300,000 over three years; consent agenda approved

Commissioners introduce emergency zoning bill to allow reuse of legacy wastewater sites, extend permit window to 5 years

Caroline County commissioners approve Upper Shore Aging’s FY26 senior care program plan