The Board of Public Works (BPW) — a three-member panel including Governor Larry Hogan, Comptroller Peter Franchot, and State Treasurer Dereck Davis — reviews projects, contracts, and expenditure plans for state agencies, many of which affect county governments.

Allegany County

• A request from the Maryland Department of the Environment for new funding up to $5,445,701 ($510,535 loan + $4,935,166 grant) to Allegany County for the Braddock and Jennings Run Sewage Conveyance Improvements project. This project consists of three contracts to replace two deteriorated sewage pumping stations with one regionalized pump station and to rehabilitate the aging sewage force main to convey sewage from the Braddock and Jennings Run area to the City of Cumberland for treatment at the Cumberland Wastewater Treatment Plant (Item 10 of the Secretary’s Agenda); and
• A request from the Maryland Department of the Environment for new funding up to $1,526,408 ($763,204 loan + $763,204 grant) to the LaVale Sanitary Commission for the Braddock Run and Wills Creek Water Utility Improvement/LaVale Water Main project. This project will replace an aging water transmission main along Wills Creek and the Route 40 corridor (Item 11 of the Secretary’s Agenda).

Baltimore City

• A request to enter into grant agreements for grants totaling $350,000 to the Board of Directors of the Beloved Community Services Corporation for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, site improvement, and capital equipping of Public School 103.  There is no matching fund requirement for this grant (Item 4 of the Department of General Services’ Office of State Procurement Agenda).

Baltimore County

• A request to provide a $399,582.63 grant to The Land Preservation Trust, Inc. from Rural Legacy Funds for the acquisition of a 43.27-acre conservation easement in the Piney Run Rural Legacy Area (Peltzer property).  Acquisition of this easement will protect productive agricultural and forest lands, as well as provide approximately 1,024 linear feet of forested stream buffers to Little Piney Run. The easement will be co-held by the Trust and the Department of Natural Resources.  Easement value: $8,720.12/acre (Item 10A of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda).

Calvert County

• A request from the Department of Natural Resources to commit $150,000 from the Program Open Space funding allocated to Calvert County for additional funding to replace the decking, and upgrade the water slides, diving boards and shade structures at the outdoor pool at Cove Point Park (Item 1A.1 of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda); and
• A request from the Department of Natural Resources to commit a total of $150,000 from Local Parks and Playgrounds Infrastructure funding allocated to Calvert County for the following projects:
  • Wetlands Overlook Park: $72,000 to replace the pergola and gazebo, upgrade the bathrooms, and install additional park lighting and an educational storyboard (Item 1A.2 of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda);
  • Waterfront Park: $50,250 to add a floating kayak launch to the existing boat slip at the end of the town pier, and install an educational storyboard (Item 1A.3 of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda); and
  • Sunrise Gardens: $27,750 to create a raised viewing platform and expand the flagstone area around the pond, add bench seating and install an educational storyboard (Item 1A.4 of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda).

Carroll County

• A request from the Maryland Department of the Environment for new grant funding up to $99,800 to the Town of Union Bridge for the town’s Wastewater Treatment Plant Enhanced Nutrient Renewal (ENR) Upgrade project.  The project will mean an 83% reduction in nitrogen and 92% reduction in phosphorous, thereby reducing nutrients discharged to the Little Pipe Creek and ultimately to the Chesapeake Bay.  This particular Agenda Item is for the preparation of a Preliminary Engineering Report for the planning phase of the project (Item 9 of the Secretary’s Agenda).

Cecil County

• A request from the Department of Natural Resources to commit $137,600 in Program Open Space funding allocated to Cecil County to acquire 4.7 acres of property adjacent to the Chesapeake City Little League Complex for additional parking and athletic field development (Item 2A of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda); and
• A request to enter into a grant agreement for a $250,000 grant to the Board of Trustees of the Elkton Colored Museum & Cultural Center, Inc. for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, site improvement, and capital equipping of the Elkton Colored School Museum and Cultural Center.  There is no matching fund requirement for this grant (Item 3 of the Department of General Services’ Office of State Procurement Agenda).

Charles County

• A request to provide a $213,621.47 grant to Charles County from Rural Legacy Funds for the acquisition of a 60.68-acre conservation easement in the Zekiah Rural Legacy Area(Abell property).  Acquisition of this easement will protect ecologically significant agricultural and forest lands and provide permanent protection for unnamed tributaries of the Zekiah Swamp Run, a tributary of the Potomac River.  The Zekiah Swamp is one of the most important ecological areas on the East Coast by the Smithsonian Institution.  The easement will be held by the County Commissioners of Charles County.  The County is paying compliance costs. Easement value: $3,396/acre (Item 11A of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda).

Frederick County

• A request from the Department of Natural Resources to commit a total of $374,455 from Local Parks and Playgrounds Infrastructure funding allocated to Frederick County for the following projects:
  • Othello Regional Park: $50,761 to install an inclusive swing and safety surfacing consistent with National Playground Safety Standards and the Americans with Disabilities Act (Item 3A.1 of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda);
  • Creamery Park: $323,694 to purchase and install new playground equipment consistent with National Playground Safety Standards and the Americans with Disabilities Act.  The project also includes fencing, a concrete parking lot, sidewalk construction and signage (Item 3A.2 of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda); and
• A request from the Department of Natural Resources to commit a total of $47,000 from Program Open Space funding allocated to Frederick County for the following projects:
  • Creamery Park: $17,000 to construct a new half basketball court (Item 3A.3 of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda);
  • Heritage Farm Park: $30,000 to install five rain gardens for storm water management (Item 3A.4 of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda).

Harford County

• A request to enter into a grant agreement for a $100,000 grant to the Board of Directors of The Joseph L. Davis Post No. 47, The American Legion, Inc. for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, site improvement, and capital equipping of a boating dock at the American Legion Post No. 47.  There is no matching fund requirement for this grant (Item 1 of the Department of General Services’ Office of State Procurement Agenda).

Howard County

• A request from the Department of Natural Resources to commit $60,000 from the Program Open Space funding allocated to Howard County to stabilize the stream bank and resurface the adjacent parking lot in the east area of Centennial Park (Item 4A of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda).

Prince George’s County

• A request from the Department of Natural Resources to commit $30,000 from the Program Open Space funding allocated to Prince George’s County to repair and resurface the existing tennis courts, including adding pickleball court lines for expanded play at Lakecrest Park (Item 5A of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda).

Somerset County

• A request from the Maryland Environmental Service for approval to award a contract to perform boiler and room modifications, install natural gas equipment and tie into the new natural gas distribution point at Eastern Correctional Institution (Item 12 of the Secretary’s Agenda).

St. Mary’s County

• A request to provide a $267,342.19 grant to Southern Maryland Resource Conservation and Development Board (SMRCDB) from Rural Legacy Funds for the acquisition of a 67.49-acre conservation easement in the Mattapany Rural Legacy Area (Dei property).  Acquisition of this easement will protect valuable agricultural and forest lands.  The property includes approximately 2,690 linear feet of riparian buffers along tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay.  The easement will be held by SMRCDB and the Department of Natural Resources.  Easement value: $3,343/acre (Item 9A of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda).

Talbot County

• A request by the Department of Natural Resources to commit $25,000 in Program Open Space funding allocated to Talbot County to complete the County’s 2022 Land Preservation, Parks and Recreation Plan, consistent with State planning requirements (Item 6A of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda).

Washington County

• A request from the Department of Natural Resources to commit $4,689 from the Local Parks and Playgrounds Infrastructure funding allocated to Washington County for additional funding to upgrade three pavilions and entrance lighting at Taylor Park (Item 7A.2 of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda);
• A request from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to commit $45,000 from the Local Parks and Playgrounds Infrastructure funding allocated to Washington County to replace the existing sidewalk between the concession stand and ballfield at Billy Doub Park.  This will increase ADA accessibility (Item 7A.1 of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda); and
• A request from the Department of Natural Resources to grant $988,541 of Program Open Space stateside funds to Washington County for the acquisition of a 202.18-acre Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) easement (Sword property).  As part of this transaction, the landowner will be donating an additional 105.49 acres, for a total of 307.67 acres.  Acquisition of this easement permanently protects water quality by requiring approximately 8,200 linear feet of forested stream buffers to unnamed tributaries to the Potomac River.  The easement will be co-held by the County and DNR (Item 8A of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda).