Wicomico County meeting summaries, agendas, and minutes

County Council hears ADU zoning, nursing home act; solar rules up for public hearing

Wicomico County's governing bodies met last week on a range of items, from accessory dwelling unit zoning to solar energy regulations. No minutes have been published yet, so no decisions are recorded; the agendas below show what was heard, introduced, or scheduled.

County Council

The County Council held public hearings Aug. 17 on two items:

• **Accessory dwelling units:** A hearing on Legislative Bill 2026-08 to amend zoning requirements for accessory dwelling units.
• **Road repaving grants:** A hearing on Resolution 128-2026 to accept Maryland Department of Transportation grants of $448,080.56 for Spring Hill Lane and $344,276.32 for Gordy Mill Road. The county would match $198,089.22.

The council also introduced an emergency act to add Chapter 49, "Nursing Home," establishing regulations and a Nursing Home Commission. Other resolutions on the agenda included authorizing Vermeer as a sole-source vendor for Public Works repair services and parts (Resolution 135-2026), and accepting the annual audit report from the Internal Auditor (Resolution 136-2026).

Historic District Commission

The Historic District Commission met Aug. 17 to consider three applications in the Quantico Historic District:

• Roof repair and chimney removal at 6572 Quantico Road (QHDW 26-01)
• Demolition of a dwelling and shed at 6438 Quantico Road (QHDW 26-02)
• Construction of a new single-family dwelling at 6438 Quantico Road (QHDW 26-03)

Public comments were heard before adjournment.

Board of Elections

The Board of Elections met Aug. 19 for its monthly meeting. The agenda included a discussion of the FY27 budget, a review of the 2026 MAEO Conference (held Aug. 12), and planning for election judge training. The board also noted "Election Judge Parity – None for General" and entered a closed session for personnel matters.

Planning and Zoning Commission

The Planning and Zoning Commission held a public hearing Aug. 20 on a zoning text amendment to update solar energy system regulations to comply with Maryland Senate Bill 931, which preempts local zoning for qualifying solar projects. The commission also reviewed two subdivision plans:

• Preliminary/final plan for Steeplechase Section Nine, Crooked Oak Lane (R-20 Residential)
• Minor subdivision for Michael and Diane Bloxham, Massey Crossing Road (A-1 Agricultural-Rural)

A work session on the draft 2027 Comprehensive Plan (Chapters 1 and 2) was held with no public comment. The commission set future meeting dates for Sept. 17 and Oct. 15, 2026.

Coming up

The Administrative Charging Committee will meet Aug. 25. The agenda is procedural, with a closed session to review four charging cases (2026-0009, 2026-0016, 2026-0020, 2026-0022) under Maryland law for personnel matters or legal advice. No public action items are listed.

County Council hears proposals on data center moratorium, surplus property

The Wicomico County Council held a public hearing Aug. 4 on a proposed temporary moratorium on data center permits, along with several other legislative items. No votes were taken, and minutes have not yet been published. The council also met separately to discuss administration of the Wicomico Nursing Home.

County Council hearing

The council considered the following items during its Aug. 4 meeting:

• **Resolution No. 125-2026** – A temporary moratorium on data center permits and development approvals.
• **Legislative Bill No. 2026-05** – Recognition of the Wicomico County Fire Chiefs Association.
• **Legislative Bill No. 2026-06** – Procedures for disposition of surplus county property.
• **Legislative Bill No. 2026-07** – A bond bill.
• **Resolution No. 127-2026** – A hotline services contract with Complianceline, LLC.

The agenda also included the annual audit plan for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027. All items were presented for public hearing and discussion; no final action was recorded.

Nursing home administration

The council met separately on the same day to discuss administrative functions pertaining to the Wicomico Nursing Home. The agenda included a motion to convene in a closed work session. No further details were available.

Administrative Charging Committee

The Wicomico County Administrative Charging Committee did not hold a meeting on July 28, 2026. The agenda was procedural and noted that no items were considered.

Coming up

No upcoming meetings are scheduled in the next 14 days, according to the provided agenda listings.

Wicomico County Council weighed $531,480 FAA grant, zoning changes in recent meetings; data center moratorium hearing set for Aug. 4

Wicomico County's recent government meetings covered a range of topics from airport infrastructure funding to zoning changes, though final outcomes are not yet available because minutes have not been published for any of the sessions held over the past two weeks.

County Council — July 21

The Wicomico County Council's July 21 agenda centered on a resolution to accept a $531,480 Federal Aviation Administration grant for the Air Traffic Control Tower Equipment Project. The resolution (No. 121-2026) would amend the FY 2027 capital budget to accommodate the grant.

The council also planned to consider reappointments of Brian Bergen-Aurand and Farah Yahya to the Wicomico County Board of Library Trustees under Resolutions No. 122-2026 and 123-2026.

Other items on the agenda included a resolution regarding the settlement of an opioid lawsuit against Indivior (Resolution No. 124-2026), Legislative Bill No. 2026-08 to amend county zoning rules for accessory dwelling units, and proposed legislation to decouple liquor sales from restaurant operations. Public hearings were scheduled on several of these items.

Because minutes have not yet been published, it is not possible to confirm which items were approved, tabled, or voted down.

Board of Appeals — July 23

The Board of Appeals held a public hearing on a request by Wade Rentals, LLC to modify a nonconforming special exception (case WA-8554-26A). The request seeks to enlarge the property, an existing building, and alter the site plan at 32744 Old Ocean City Road, located in the A-1 Zoning District in the Clark Meadows area.

The board also planned to consider approving minutes from its April 23, 2026 meeting and receive updates from the Planning Director. Minutes from the July 23 session have not been published.

Local Management Board — July 23

The Wicomico County Local Management Board held a routine procedural meeting. The agenda included approval of minutes from the June 25, 2026 meeting, a review of FY26 final financial reports, a review of the FY26 final performance report, and grant updates. No major decisions or public hearings were scheduled.

Administrative Charging Committee — July 28

The Wicomico County Administrative Charging Committee did not hold a meeting on July 28, 2026. The agenda noted no items were considered.

Coming up

The Wicomico County Council has two meetings scheduled for Monday, Aug. 4.

The first includes public hearings on a temporary moratorium on data center permits and development approvals (Resolution No. 125-2026), recognition of the Wicomico County Fire Chiefs Association (Legislative Bill No. 2026-05), procedures for disposition of surplus county property (Legislative Bill No. 2026-06), a bond bill (Legislative Bill No. 2026-07), and a hotline services contract with Complianceline, LLC (Resolution No. 127-2026).

A second council meeting the same day will address administrative functions pertaining to the Wicomico Nursing Home, including a motion to convene in a closed work session.

Both meetings are open to the public unless the council votes to enter closed session as noted on the agenda.

Wicomico Council to vote on $531,480 FAA grant; recent meetings await minutes

The Wicomico County Council is scheduled to vote July 21 on a resolution to accept a $531,480 Federal Aviation Administration grant for the Air Traffic Control Tower Equipment Project, making it the most consequential item on this week's agenda. The same meeting includes a proposed opioid lawsuit settlement, library trustee reappointments, and zoning changes for accessory dwelling units.

Most recent meetings in the county remain agenda-only, with minutes not yet published, so outcomes of those items are not yet available.

County Council

The council's July 7 meeting agenda included five items, all without published minutes: Resolution 120-2026, a memorandum of understanding with J & J Consulting to host the US Specialty Sports Association Eastern National Championships from 2027 through 2031; Resolution 119-2026, appointing Kiya Safai as Deputy Director of Planning, Zoning and Community Development; Bill No. 2026-05, recognizing the Wicomico County Fire Chiefs Association for service agreements and policies; Bill No. 2026-06, establishing procedures for disposing of surplus county property other than by public auction; and Resolution 118-2026, an updated job description for Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Lieutenant.

The July 21 upcoming agenda adds Resolution No. 121-2026 to amend the FY 2027 capital budget to accept the $531,480 FAA grant. The council will also consider Resolutions No. 122-2026 and 123-2026, reappointing Brian Bergen-Aurand and Farah Yahya to the Wicomico County Board of Library Trustees; Resolution No. 124-2026, regarding settlement of an opioid lawsuit against Indivior; Legislative Bill No. 2026-08, amending the zoning code for accessory dwelling units; and proposed legislation to decouple the sale of liquor from restaurants.

Planning and Zoning Commission

The commission met July 16 with two agenda listings, both agenda-only. Items included a public hearing on a zoning text amendment to amend Chapter 225 for Accessory Dwelling Unit regulations as required by Maryland Senate Bill 891; review of an airport zoning map text amendment related to a runway expansion; a work session on the Wicomico County Comprehensive Plan Update with no public comment; a SWOT analysis discussion for county planning; and review of the Raegan's Run subdivision plat. Future meeting dates listed were Aug. 20 and Sep. 17, 2026.

Other Boards and Committees

The Board of Electrical Examiners met July 8 to approve April 8, 2026 minutes, discuss electrical permit staffing updates, and receive a City of Salisbury update. The Natural Resources Conservation Advisory Committee met the same day to review June 10 minutes, hold a Q&A with long-range planner Matthew Littlejohn on the Comprehensive Plan, and receive updates on invasive species and Cove Beach.

The Police Accountability Board met July 15 with standard items: adoption of previous minutes, a chief's report, case review updates, and a public comment period. No specific decisions or proposals were detailed. The Wicomico Board of Elections met July 15 to review the FY 26 budget, 2026 polling place evaluations, FY 2027, the RLA Audit, and the Board of Canvassers 2026 Election.

None of these meetings have published minutes yet.

Coming Up

• **County Council, July 21** — Vote on the $531,480 FAA grant, library trustee reappointments, opioid settlement resolution, ADU zoning amendment, and liquor decoupling legislation.
• **Board of Appeals, July 23** — Public hearing on WA-8554-26A, a request by Wade Rentals, LLC to modify a nonconforming special exception to enlarge its property and building at 32744 Old Ocean City Road in the A-1 Zoning District, Clark Meadows area.
• **Local Management Board, July 23** — Routine meeting reviewing FY26 final financial and performance reports and grant updates.