Oct. 7 Commissioners Meeting Update

News Release # 2025-106

Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025

On Tuesday, Oct. 7, Jason Groth, Director, and Charles Rice, Planning Director, of the Department of Planning and Growth Management; and Jim Chandler, Director, and Mark Thompson, Chief of Commercial Development, of the Department of Economic Development, briefed the County Commissioners on a proposed Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) for data centers. The draft ZTA would define data centers and permit them, with conditions, in the Business Park, General Industrial, Heavy Industrial, Low-Density Residential, and Planned Unit Development Industrial Zones.

Conditions would include a minimum of 30 percent open space on the property, setbacks of 200 feet from property lines and 400 feet from residential buildings, and noise and vibration studies to demonstrate compliance with applicable standards. Data center sites must also prioritize the use of non-potable water. Low-Density Residential Zones require a minimum of 50 acres and must include, or be adjacent to, property with a regulated public utility consisting of 230-kV or higher generation, transmission, or distribution facility.

The County Commissioners voted to transmit the draft ZTA to the Planning Commission for their consideration and recommendation. Staff will brief the Planning Commission on Oct. 20, 2025, with the expectation of setting a Planning Commission public hearing date for November.

Briefings

• Danielle Mitchell, Acting Deputy County Administrator, hosted a second work session on the 2026 State Legislative Proposals. Commissioners reviewed the remaining legislative proposals and reached a consensus to add three proposals to the legislative proposals package.

• Representatives from G.S. Proctor & Associates Inc., Charles County Department of Economic Development, Charles County Department of Community Services, Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission, and the Tri-County Council of Southern Maryland discussed the impact of federal executive orders and the federal budget. Charles County Government offers several resources for individuals affected by the current government shutdown through the Charles County Resource Connection. The website has resources for all ages for community and family support, education, workforce development and employment services, and other critical programs. Resources for federal workers are also available through the Charles County Department of Economic Development website.

Charles County Departmental Highlights

Charles County Commissioners heard updates from the Internal Audit Office, Citizens Response Office and the Department of Emergency Services.

• The Internal Audit Office held a county-wide fraud awareness training module in May - June 2025. Two hundred staff members were selected based on their role. The training covered the definition of fraud, its various types, the impacts of fraud, and the prevention and detection of fraud.
• The Citizens Response Office is launching SeeClickFix 311 in the county. The program allows residents to report issues via the mobile app or website, submit questions anonymously as a guest or as themselves, and track the status of their report.
• The Department of Emergency Services partnered with the Charles County Board of Education for a 40-hour Career and Technical Education program to prepare high school students for work in a 9-1-1 communications center. The program presented basic knowledge and familiarization for 9-1-1 call taking, legal protocols, stress management, Federal Emergency Management Agency concepts, and public safety radio operations.

Actions on Boards and Commissions

Charles County Commissioners took the following actions on county boards and commissions:

• Reappointed Susan Rice and Appoint Brandi Beam as a Citizen member and Hawa Osime as the Doctor to the Disability Review Boards.
• Reappointed Betsy Adeboyejo, Rosalyn Dickerson, Krystal Hall, Katrina Logan, Cecelia Maryland-Twyman, Judith Ramsey and appointed Ashira Vantrees, Rachel Christy, Theresa Clark, Candice Keys, Chavonne Quarles-Stevenson, Michelle Simonds, LaJuan Holeman as citizen members to the Commission for Women.
• Appointed George Grindle an Alternate member to the Board of Appeals.

Approval Items

Commissioners approved:

• A Budget Amendment Increase of $54,450 to allow the allocation of opioid settlement funds to enroll 121 Correctional Officers into a readiness program to enhance training for first responders in addressing opioid-related incidents.

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