NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Commissioners of St. Mary's County will hold a Public Hearing on September 12, 2017 at 1:15 pm in the Chesapeake Building located at 41770 Baldridge Street in Leonardtown, Maryland, to consider a Thirteenth Amendment to the Sheriff's Office Retirement Plan.
Citizens are encouraged to attend and participate in the public hearing.
Note that as a result of the evidence and comments made at the public hearing, amendments may be made to the proposed 13thAmendment.
Written comments, questions and suggestions may be submitted on or before September 19, 2017, to: Commissioners of St. Mary's County, P.O. Box 653, Leonardtown, MD 20650.
Copies of the proposed 13th Amendment are available in the Department of Human Resources, Potomac Building, 3rd floor, 23115 Leonard Hall Drive, Leonardtown, MD 20650, www.stmarysmd.com.
Any reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities should be requested by contacting the St. Mary's County Public Information Officer at (301) 475-4200, *1342.
COMMISSIONERS Of ST. MARY'S COUNTY
By: Catherine Pratson, Director of Human Resources
Wicomico Shores Golf Course Advisory Board October Meeting Date Moved to September
The Wicomico Shores Golf Course Advisory Board meeting, originally scheduled for Wednesday, October 18, has been changed to Wednesday, September 13. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. in the Golf Course Clubhouse.
Wicomico Shores Golf Course Advisory Board meetings are generally held quarterly, on the third Wednesday of the month, at 6 p.m., at the Wicomico Shores Golf Course. The next quarterly meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, January 17, 2018.
For more information, please contact the St. Mary's County Department of Recreation and Parks at 301-475-4200, ext. *1811 or the Wicomico Shores Golf Course at 301-884-4601.
Planning Commission Cancels Meeting
The St. Mary's County Planning Commission meeting, scheduled for Monday, September 11, has been canceled.
The next scheduled meeting of the Planning Commission is Monday, September 25 at 6:30 p.m.
Commissioners Public Forum Coming September 19
The Commissioners of St. Mary's County will host their next Public Forum on Tuesday, September 19 at 6:30 p.m. The forum will be held in their meeting room inside the Chesapeake Building, at 41770 Baldridge Street in Leonardtown.
Citizens unable to attend and wishing to voice a concern can do so on social media. Residents can post comments or questions using the hashtag #CSMCforum to the county's Facebook page (www.Facebook.com/StMarysCountyGovernment) or twitter feed (@StMarysCoGov). Time permitting, comments and questions will be read at the forum. Citizens should include their full name and the area of the county in which they live when posting to social media as the comments will become part of the official record.
Commissioners of St. Mary's County Public Forums are televised live on St. Mary's County Government TV 95 (SMCG TV 95) on Metrocast Cable and streamed live for online viewing on the at www.stmarysmd.com/broadcast.asp. Click on the LIVE link at the top of the page.
The forum will re-air on SMCG TV 95 on Sunday, September 24 at 7 p.m. Videos of the Forums are also available for viewing on demand on the county's YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/StMarysCoMDGov?feature=mhee as well as the St. Mary's County Government TV 95 video on demand site at stmarysmd.viebit.com/.
Individuals wishing to speak at the Public Forum will be allowed up to three (3) minutes to address the Commissioners. Those representing a group will be allotted five (5) minutes to speak. Anyone wishing to provide more detailed comments can do so via email or regular mail.
The Commissioners of St. Mary's County can be reached via e-mail at csmc@stmarysmd.com or by U.S. mail at Commissioners of St. Mary's County, P.O. Box 653, Leonardtown, Maryland 20650.
Back-to-School Vaccination Clinic Scheduled at Health Department
The St. Mary's County Health Department has scheduled a back-to-school vaccination clinic for children ages birth through 18 years old. The clinic will be held Tuesday, September 19 from 8:00 a.m.—12:00 p.m. at the health department located at 21580 Peabody Street in Leonardtown. Parents should contact their primary health care provider with questions about their child's vaccination status. Immunizations will be provided regardless of insurance and on a first come, first served basis—no appointments are necessary. The following immunizations will be available:
• MMR (measles, mumps, rubella)
• Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough)
• Meningococcal
• Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
• Varicella (chickenpox)
For more information about childhood immunizations, please call the St. Mary's County Health Department at 301-475-4330 or visit their website at www.smchd.org.
Healthy St. Mary's Partnership Announces Suicide Prevention Panel Event
The Behavioral Health Action Team (BHAT) of the Healthy St. Mary's Partnership will host a panel discussion on suicide risk and prevention among youth and young adults that identify as LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or questioning) on Thursday, September 28, 2017 from 6:00—8:00 p.m. at the Daugherty-Palmer Commons at St. Mary's College of Maryland.
"Those who identify as LGBTQ, especially youth, have some of the highest rates of suicide attempts and completions in the country, and this fact is motivating the team to raise awareness on the subject in our community," stated Gerry McGloin, co-chair of the Behavioral Health Action Team and Executive Director of Pathways. "Our hope is that the panel will help to educate students, parents and others about the special challenges that individuals face and how we can make our community a healthier place for LGBTQ persons to live their lives."
The BHAT is pleased to announce a lineup of distinguished panelists for this event, including:
• Amy Loudermilk, MSW, the Associate Director of Government Affairs for The Trevor Project, the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ young people ages 13-24.
• Sean Lare, LCSW-C of Sean Lare Counseling & Consulting, offers expertise in areas of LGBTQ issues in workplaces, understanding transgender issues, and working with LGBTQ individuals in clinical settings.
• Jabari M. Lyles, Director at GLSEN Baltimore, GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network) is the leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe and affirming schools for LGBTQ students.
• A St. Mary's College of Maryland student representing the organization which provides peer support for students identifying as LGBTQ.
For more information and to register, visit: preventsuicidelgbtqyouth.eventbrite.com. Tickets are not required for admission, but registration is requested to ensure adequate refreshments and seating for participants.
This event is being coordinated by the members and partners of the Behavioral Health Action Team (BHAT) of the Healthy St. Mary's Partnership. A special thank you to our program sponsors: St. Mary's College of Maryland, Pathways, Inc., the Local Management Board for St. Mary's County, and the St. Mary's County Health Department. The BHAT is dedicated to improving behavioral health outcomes in St. Mary's County, including those related to mental health and substance abuse prevention and control. A variety of organizations and individuals are working together to collaboratively implement evidence-based strategies that will improve behavioral health for all St. Mary's County residents. Joining the Healthy St. Mary's Partnership is free and new members are always welcome—visit healthystmarys.com/ for information on membership or activities.
Health Department Seeks Organizations to Educate Youth on Health Risks of E-Cigarettes
The St. Mary's County Health Department is seeking organizations to educate local youth on the health risks of electronic cigarettes. These community organizations may include student groups, faith-based organizations, and civic organizations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that the number of middle and high school age students who have never smoked a cigarette but who have used an e-cigarette increased three-fold from 2011 to 2013. These youth are also nearly twice as likely to have an intention to smoke conventional cigarettes over those who have never used an e-cigarette. Funding for this award is provided through the Maryland Department of Health Cigarette Restitution Fund. For more information about this request for proposals, please visit the health department's website at www.smchd.org/rfp.
Residents Asked to Remove Portable Basketball Hoops
As the outdoor season winds down, the St. Mary's County Department of Public Works and Transportation reminds residents to remove portable basketball hoops from public roadways.
Portable basketball hoops are similar to portable street hockey nets, skateboard ramps and other similar sports equipment placed within the right-of-way in residential neighborhoods.
When complaints are received, the county evaluates whether the encroachment on the public right-of-way constitutes a danger to public safety. Hazards to vehicle or pedestrian traffic, obstructions to the free passage of school buses, mail deliveries, street sweeping, refuse collection equipment, snow plows or storm water drainage and obstructions to sight distance objects which represent an inconvenience to others should be removed immediately. An example of an inconvenience to others would be where a portable basketball hoop blocks another person's driveway or sidewalk accessible path.
Portable basketball hoops not removed from the right-of-way by the property owner within thirty (30) days of official notification by the county will be picked up and held at the St. Mary's County Highways Maintenance Facility (located at 44829 St. Andrews Church Road, California, MD). The hoops will be stored for up to 30 days and may be claimed by the owner during this time. At the end 30 days, hoop(s) not claimed by the property owner (who may be responsible for any costs incurred), will be discarded.
Residents with questions or concerns should contact the Department of Public Works and Transportation at 301-475-4200, ext. *3540.
Free Library at St. Mary's County Health Department
The St. Mary's County Library and the St. Mary's County Health Department are excited to announce the opening of a Free Library at the Health Department. A Free Library is a "take a book, leave a book" free book exchange. Anyone may take a book from the Free Library, or bring a book to leave for someone else to read.
The St. Mary's County Library has set up the Free Library in the lobby of the St. Mary's County Health Department. Books are available for a variety of ages from small children all the way up to adults. Anyone visiting the Health Department is welcome to read while waiting and take the book or magazine home. The purpose of a Free Library is to help get books into the hands of all individuals in our community, while also sharing good books and bringing our community together.
"We are delighted to have this new partnership," said St Mary's County Library Director Michael Blackwell. "People who visit the Health Department Clinic may not always have convenient access to the library. They will have good reading materials to enjoy there or to take with them. This initiative will promote reading at all ages, and a regular dose of reading is healthy for the mind and the heart."
"Shared reading builds social-emotional skills and parent-child bonding—all important for long-term health outcomes," said Dr. Meena Brewster, Health Officer. "Language and literacy skills also promote brain development for all children."
If you would like to donate to the Free Library, please bring your books and/or magazines to the Leonardtown branch of the St. Mary's County Library during open hours. Donations will fill the Free Library whenever the need arises.