August 12, 2024
Ready Report: MPRP Meeting, District 5 Funding & More…
My family and I were heartbroken to see the terrible news of last week’s fire at Clearfield Bible Church just outside Westminster. Thankfully fire crews from all over Carroll and even into Howard County responded quickly. One firefighter was treated for injuries but thankfully no one else was hurt or worse. Investigation is still ongoing as to cause. For this church, and the people they serve, this is devastating in so many ways. I spoke with their pastor and expressed mine and our delegation’s condolences and of course we will do anything we can to be helpful to them as they go through the next steps of recovering and rebuilding. I’ll share any future opportunities that the community can help.
Carroll County Commissioners Oppose MPRP Project and Will Meet With Governor’s Cabinet Members
The Carroll County Commissioners sent this letter to Governor Moore a couple of weeks ago expressing their opposition and concern about the MPRP project, and particularly the process. They requested meeting to discuss these issues and as a result at next week’s Maryland Association of Counties Conference they will be meeting with cabinet secretaries of several relevant state departments including Agriculture, DNR, Environment and more. Each agency can’t just overrule or stop MPRP, but they do have a role in the PSC process and in regulating things like conservation easements, wetlands, state parks etc. As I’ve mentioned before, this is going to be a long battle and it will take multiple avenues like this that our our Delegation and Commissioners are taking to try to redirect this and stop the assault on our farms and open lands. On August 22nd at our joint public listening session there will be an opportunity for the Commissioners to update on the progress from these meetings at MACo.
MPRP Public Meeting – w/Carroll Delegation & County Commissioners – August 22nd
The Board of Commissioners (BoC) and the Carroll County Delegation will hold a joint listening session regarding the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project on Thursday, August 22, 2024, at 6:00 pm at the Carroll County Agriculture Center, 706 Agricultural Center Dr, Westminster, MD 21157.
All five Carroll County Commissioners and all six members of the Carroll County Delegation (me, Delegates Bouchat, Rose & Tomlinson, Senator West & Delegate Stonko) oppose the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project. This meeting and listening session is an opportunity for the public to voice their concerns and for us to share more about our local and state level efforts to stop this project’s trajectory and move this line off of farm land and private property. We want to propose better solutions to the issues that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has raised.
District 5 Funding Secured through Board of Public Works
On Wednesday, the Board of Public Works approved a request to enter into a grant agreement for a $600,000 grant to the Board of Directors of Days End Farm Horse Rescue, Inc. for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, site improvement, and capital equipping of a new firehouse and indoor riding ring. There is no matching fund requirement for this grant. The General Assembly previously approved this funding as part of the 2022 Capital Budget (Item 12 of the Department of General Services’ Office of State Procurement Agenda).
Support Kim Klacik- Candidate for Congress August 20th
Kim Klacik, the Republican nominee for Congressional District 2 – which covers most of Carroll County – is hosting a fundraiser on August 20th at the Lost Lion in Westminster. Kim is a strong conservative who has the support of President Trump and other Republicans around the country. She has my full support. By the way, she has come out against MPRP as well while her opponent – Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski has remained silent on the issue. I hope you can make it to her event to show support for the Republican nominee. Details below:
Have a great week ahead!
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