Caroline County meeting summaries, agendas, and minutes

County commissioners' agenda includes $400K road patching, dump truck purchase

The most consequential items on recent Caroline County meeting agendas were scheduled for the Aug. 18 County Commissioners meeting, which included a $400,000 fall patching project, a $305,458 dump truck purchase, and a second reading of a purchasing ordinance amendment. Minutes have not yet been published, so no decisions are recorded. The same day, the Board of Zoning Appeals scheduled public hearings on a bay buffer variance and a proposed mineral extraction facility.

County Commissioners

The Aug. 18 agenda included:

• Legislative Bill #2026-006, amending Chapter 51 (Purchasing), second reading and public hearing.
• PO #2027-0097, R.L. Ewing, Fall Patching Project, $400,000.
• PO #Pending, Sourcewell, Tri-Axel Wheel Dump Truck Purchase, $305,458.00.
• PO #2027-0098, Eastern Computer Exchange, Dell Servers (3), $170,376.96.
• A letter of support for the MSAC Arts Capital application for $500,000 for an Art Gallery addition to the Arboretum Visitor Center.

The agenda also listed recognition of the Caroline Senior League and officers who saved a life, and a discussion of a Chesapeake College budget adjustment.

Board of Zoning Appeals

The Aug. 18 BZA meeting scheduled public hearings on:

• Variance No. 26-0025: Janet L. and Richard R. Epple, Jr., 7121 Dogwood Drive, Preston, MD — disturbance to the 100-foot Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Buffer and reasonable accommodation.
• Special Use Exception No. 25-0038: David Blough, Saulsbury Road, Denton, MD — proposed 4.91-acre mineral extraction facility.

Planning Commission

The Aug. 12 Planning Commission meeting was procedural, with no rezonings or public hearings. It included updates from the Board of Zoning Appeals and the Planning Department, open discussion, and public comment. No decisions or proposals were listed.

Coming up

No upcoming meetings are scheduled in the next two weeks.

Caroline County Commissioners Eye $1.1M in Contracts; Burn Ban Vote and Data Center Moratorium Slated for July 21

Caroline County's Board of Commissioners met July 7 with a packed agenda that included nearly $1.1 million in proposed contracts for inmate health services and a new county vehicle. Minutes from that meeting have not yet been published, so final outcomes are not confirmed.

County Commissioners — July 7

The commissioners' agenda called for approval of several procurement items, the largest being P.O. #2026-0594, an Inmate Health Services contract totaling $991,118.00. Also on the consent agenda was P.O. #2027-010, a purchase of a 2027 Ford F-350 from Hertrich Ford for $76,771.00.

The board was scheduled to receive presentations and vote on the FY 2027 Board of Education Budget and the Supporting Older Adults with Resources (SOAR) Annual Plan. A closed session was listed for legal counsel on the county's options for regulating data centers — a topic that reappears on the July 21 agenda.

Because only the agenda is available and minutes have not been published, the county record does not yet confirm which items were approved, amended, or tabled.

Police Accountability Board — July 7

The Police Accountability Board met from 5:00 PM to 5:25 PM on July 7. The agenda included review and approval of closed meeting minutes from April 28, 2026, and an election of the Administrative Charging Committee Chair and Vice Chair per §20-4 of the Caroline County Code. Minutes are not yet published, so election results are not confirmed.

Planning Commission — July 8

The Planning Commission's July 8 agenda centered on a review of the Draft Implementation Chapter of the Comprehensive Plan. The meeting also included a Board of Zoning Appeals update, a department update, an open discussion among commissioners, and a public comment period. Minutes are not yet published.

Coming Up

County Commissioners — July 21: A legislative session is scheduled with several consequential items:

• **P.O. #2027-053**, J. Richard Breeding, Inc., culvert and excavating work — $300,000.00 (action agenda).
• **Legislative Bill #2026-005 (Burn Ban)** — third reading and potential enactment.
• **Resolution #2026-012** — a temporary moratorium on data centers.
• **P.O. #2027-054**, American Paving, contracted services — $718,174.35 (consent agenda).
• **P.O. #2027-050**, Motorola Solutions, Inc., FY27 Annual SUA Agreement — $193,103.00.
• A first reading of an update to the Purchasing Code is also listed.

Liquor Board (Board of License Commissioners) — July 22: The board will review applications for temporary liquor licenses for five one-day events:

• **Pints for Paws** — 101 Cow Barn Road, Ridgely — Saturday, August 15, 2026, 11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
• **Car Show** — 13875 Greensboro Road, Greensboro — Saturday, August 29, 2026, 12:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
• **Caroline Dorchester County Fair** — 8230 Detour Road, Denton — Thursday, August 6, 2026, 6:00 p.m.–11:00 p.m.
• **Caroline Dorchester County Fair** — 8230 Detour Road, Denton — Friday, August 7, 2026, 6:00 p.m.–11:00 p.m.
• **Caroline Dorchester County Fair/Rodeo** — 8230 Detour Road, Denton — Saturday, August 8, 2026, 6:00 p.m.–11:30 p.m.

The board will decide whether to grant each license at the July 22 meeting.