← Back to Worcester County meetings
Worcester County · County Commissioners · 2026-08-18
Recap
This page was drafted automatically from the official meeting minutes and has not been reviewed by a human editor. Minutes are a condensed record of formal actions and may omit discussion or public comment that occurred in the room. The linked minutes, agenda, packet, and video are the record — not this summary.
Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we will fix it.
The Worcester County Commissioners met August 18, 2026 with three of seven members absent. The headline action came before any formal business: commissioners voted to remove agenda item 24, a proposed one-year moratorium on rezoning applications along the MD Rt. 589 corridor, which prompted the meeting's only public comment. Attorney Hugh Cropper, representing Turville Creek Farms and other property owners, urged commissioners to let his clients' pending rezoning application be heard.
The rest of the meeting was largely operational and financial: a 15-item consent agenda covering grants, utility agreements, and equipment purchases; an unmodified FY25 audit opinion from CliftonLarsonAllen; adoption of a new Consolidated Public Works Agreement governing future road and utility development projects; and roughly $1.4 million in approved contracts, leases, and purchases. Commissioners also tabled a proposal to retroactively apply the county's new water-bill adjustment policy, directing staff to narrow it to customers who had already appealed.
Commissioners met in closed session at 9:00 a.m. under Sections 3-305(b)(1) and (7) and 3-104 of the General Provisions Article to discuss legal and personnel matters and perform administrative functions. Actions taken there included hiring Allison Smullen as a license permit clerk I in Development Review and Permitting and transferring Roads Worker III Caleb Jackson to office assistant III within the Roads Division. The closed session adjourned at 9:28 a.m.
In open session, following a prayer by Pastor James Area of First Baptist Church in Pocomoke, commissioners unanimously agreed on a motion by Commissioner Bertino to remove agenda item 24, the proposed one-year moratorium on rezoning applications along the MD Rt. 589 corridor. During public comment, attorney Hugh Cropper, representing Turville Creek Farms and other property owners, responded to that removal. He said his clients had invested tens of thousands of dollars in the rezoning process, including a July 4 traffic count, meetings with Public Works, and participation in a sewer study involving the property, and asked that their pending application be allowed to proceed and be heard regardless of the eventual outcome.
Commissioners then unanimously approved consent agenda items 1 through 15. Among them: a $100,000 State Bond Initiative grant for design of the Recycling Facility Expansion Project; a 120-day extension through October 2026 on the $300,000 Maryland Affordable Housing Trust Plumbing Poverty Program Grant; letters to Maryland's federal delegation opposing legislation to increase truck size and weight; a Small Project Agreement with Coastal Square, LLC to extend water and sewer through the Riddle Farm Service Area; three grant-funded housing rehabilitation projects plus an $8,650 loan; four Toro mowers for $46,531.66; USDA documents for the Lewis Road sewer project tied to a $618,000 loan and $3.373 million grant; $199,185.39 for Mystic Harbour Sewer Pump Station G; a three-year road salt agreement with the State Highway Administration; four roll-off containers for $45,797; sole-source purchase of the PatTrac electronic medical record system for the Health Department for $29,480 in State funds; the FY27 Tourism and Economic Development media plan; a $45,000 jail intercom replacement awarded to Absolute Security Group; and scheduling of public hearings on 11 proposed FY27/28 Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation easement applications and on the proposed 2026 Worcester County Comprehensive Plan.
Bill Early, Jr., CPA of CliftonLarsonAllen LLP presented the FY25 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, issuing unmodified opinions on the county's financial statements and on compliance for each major federal program. Public Works Director Dallas Baker then brought forward a new Consolidated Public Works Agreement for future roads and water and wastewater development projects, including new escrow requirements and a two-year warranty period for road improvements; commissioners adopted it unanimously, with Baker noting projects already in review would remain under the rules in effect when submitted.
Commissioners also unanimously approved a $365,915 contract with Modern Controls to replace the Government Center cooling tower, a 60-month lease of a 2025 XL4100-V Gradall at $9,457.85 per month for the Roads Division, a $498,216 purchase of five Juniper core network devices and related equipment from Skyline Technology Solutions, and an over-expenditure of approximately $50,000 so the Ocean City Fire Department can provide instructors for the Worcester Technical High School Fire/EMS Program in 2026–2027. They scheduled a public hearing on a $331,300 budget amendment for a water booster pump station connecting the Ocean Pines and Riddle Farm water systems.
The final substantive item was the water-bill adjustment policy. Enterprise Fund Controller Quinn Dittrich reported that retroactively applying Resolution No. 26-13 back to July 1, 2025 would touch 2,406 potentially eligible accounts with an estimated net fiscal impact of about $142,000. Mr. Baker estimated about a dozen customers had appealed high water bills to the Grievance Committee in the past year. Commissioner Bertino said any retroactive relief should focus on those customers rather than more than 2,000 ratepayers, and commissioners unanimously tabled the matter, directing staff to return with a narrower proposal.
Commissioners removed the proposed one-year moratorium on Rt. 589 corridor rezoning applications before taking up other business. Attorney Hugh Cropper, appearing for Turville Creek Farms and other property owners, used the public comment period to respond directly, saying his clients had spent tens of thousands of dollars advancing a pending rezoning application — including a July 4 traffic count, meetings with Public Works, and a sewer study involving the property. His request was procedural: whatever the commissioners ultimately decide, he asked that the application be allowed to be heard. The minutes do not record a response from the commissioners.
Enterprise Fund Controller Quinn Dittrich laid out what it would cost to apply Resolution No. 26-13's water-bill adjustment policies back to July 1, 2025: 2,406 potentially eligible accounts and an estimated net fiscal impact near $142,000. Public Works Director Dallas Baker said roughly a dozen customers had actually appealed high bills to the Grievance Committee over the past year. Commissioner Bertino argued relief should be aimed at those appellants rather than the full pool of ratepayers, and the commissioners tabled the item and sent staff back for a narrower proposal.
Dallas Baker brought forward a single consolidated agreement to govern future roads and water and wastewater development projects, adding escrow requirements and a two-year warranty period on road improvements. Baker told commissioners that projects already in the review pipeline would continue under the requirements in place when they were submitted. The measure passed unanimously.
Bill Early, Jr., CPA, a principal at CliftonLarsonAllen LLP, presented the FY25 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report and issued unmodified opinions on the county's financial statements and on compliance for each major federal program. Commissioner Bunting thanked him for the presentation.
On a motion by Commissioner Bertino, the commissioners unanimously agreed to remove from the agenda a proposed one-year moratorium on rezoning applications for properties along the MD Rt. 589 corridor. The minutes record no discussion of the reasons for removal. The action drew the meeting's only public comment.
Attorney Hugh Cropper, representing Turville Creek Farms and other property owners, spoke in response to the removal of the moratorium item. He said his clients had invested tens of thousands of dollars in the rezoning process, including a July 4 traffic count, meetings with Public Works, and participation in a sewer study. He asked that, whatever the eventual decision, the commissioners allow the pending application to be heard.
Approved unanimously on a motion by Commissioner Mitrecic. Items included a $100,000 State Bond Initiative grant for Recycling Facility Expansion design; a 120-day extension on the $300,000 Plumbing Poverty Program Grant; letters opposing federal truck size and weight increases; a Small Project Agreement with Coastal Square, LLC for water and sewer service; three grant-funded housing rehabilitation projects and an $8,650 loan; $46,531.66 for four Toro mowers; USDA documents for the Lewis Road sewer project ($618,000 loan, $3.373 million grant); $199,185.39 for Mystic Harbour Pump Station G; a three-year SHA salt agreement; $45,797 for four roll-off containers; $29,480 for the PatTrac medical record system; two public hearing schedulings; the FY27 Tourism and Economic Development media plan; and a $45,000 jail intercom contract with Absolute Security Group.
Bill Early, Jr., CPA, principal at CliftonLarsonAllen LLP, presented the FY25 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report and audit results. The firm issued unmodified opinions on the county's financial statements and on compliance for each major federal program. Commissioner Bunting thanked Mr. Early for the presentation.
At the request of Public Works Director Dallas Baker and on a motion by Commissioner Bertino, the commissioners unanimously adopted a new Consolidated Public Works Agreement for future roads and water and wastewater development projects. It includes new escrow requirements and a two-year warranty period for road improvements. Baker said projects already in the review process will remain subject to the requirements in effect when they were submitted.
On a motion by Commissioner Bunting, the commissioners unanimously approved a $365,915 contract with Modern Controls to replace the Government Center cooling tower before it reaches the end of its useful life.
On a motion by Commissioner Mitrecic, the commissioners unanimously approved a 60-month lease of a 2025 XL4100-V Gradall at $9,457.85 per month for use by the Roads Division.
On a motion by Commissioner Mitrecic, the commissioners unanimously agreed to schedule a public hearing on a $331,300 budget amendment to fund a water booster pump station connecting the Ocean Pines and Riddle Farm water systems. The project is intended to improve the county's ability to maintain water storage and system pressure in Riddle Farm. The hearing date is not recorded in the minutes.
Enterprise Fund Controller Quinn Dittrich reported that retroactively applying the resolution's water-bill adjustment policies back to July 1, 2025 would involve 2,406 potentially eligible accounts and an estimated net fiscal impact of about $142,000. Dallas Baker estimated about a dozen customers had appealed high water bills to the Grievance Committee in the past year, and Commissioner Bertino said retroactive relief should focus on those customers. On a motion by Commissioner Bunting, the commissioners unanimously tabled the matter and directed staff to return with a revised proposal limited to customers who had used the county's appeals process.
At the request of Procurement Officer Ed Welch and on a motion by Commissioner Mitrecic, the commissioners unanimously approved a $498,216 purchase of five Juniper core network devices and related equipment, software, and services from Skyline Technology Solutions to support the Worcester County Public Network.
On a motion by Commissioner Mitrecic, the commissioners unanimously approved an over-expenditure of approximately $50,000 to support instructors for the Worcester Technical High School Fire/EMS Program for the 2026–2027 school year. The funding allows the Ocean City Fire Department to provide the instructors needed to continue the program.
In closed session under GP 3-305(b)(1) and (7) and GP 3-104, the commissioners took up a personnel update, hired Allison Smullen as a license permit clerk I within Development Review and Permitting, and transferred Roads Worker III Caleb Jackson to office assistant III within the Roads Division. They also received legal advice from counsel and performed administrative functions.
worcester county land use water and sewer budget audit public works procurement education
Based on the official minutes of the August 18, 2026 Worcester County Commissioners meeting. Minutes are a condensed record of formal actions and may omit discussion or public comment that occurred in the room; the linked agenda, packet and video are provided for additional context.