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DENTON – The Caroline County Commissioners introduced an amended solar energy bill, aligning it with the state’s 2025 Renewable Energy Certainty Act (RECA), among other business.
Attending their weekly morning meeting Tuesday, September 9, 2025, at the Caroline County Courthouse, were Commission President Travis Breeding, Vice President Larry Porter and Commissioner Frank Bartz.
The Commissioners also held a lengthy discussion with Health Officer Robin Cahall and Joshua Parker with the Caroline County Health Department on proposed revisions of the environmental health services fee schedule, which has not been adjusted since 2005.
The Commissioners also proclaimed September as Caroline Goes Purple Substance Use Awareness Month.
Legislation introduced
The Commissioners introduced Bill 2025-009 to create the Caroline County Compensation Review Commission, which was proposed at the Sept. 2 meeting.
The bill would “repeal and reenact with amendments” a section of Chapter 18 of the County Code and comply with state law.
According to the summary posted on Carolinemd.org, “the bill keeps the current pay levels in place – $16,000 for the President and $15,000 for other Commissioners, unchanged since 2009 – while confirming eligibility for County employee benefits. The new Commission will be made up of five local residents who serve without pay and will study compensation every four years. Their recommendations must be reviewed by the Commissioners but can only be accepted or reduced, not increased, and any changes would only apply to the next elected Board. This ensures a fair and transparent process for setting Commissioner pay.”
A second reading and public hearing is set for Sept. 16, with a third reading and possible enactment Sept. 23, and a proposed effective date of Nov. 8.
Legislative Bill 2025-010, Solar Energy Ordinance, was amended to include provisions to tighten restrictions on solar development.
The bill, introduced by County Attorney Stewart Barroll, is intended to comply with the state’s 2025 Renewable Energy Certainty Act (RECA). “Certain requirements are imposed upon the counties with respect to their ordinances concerning development of solar electric energy generating facilities,” Barroll said. “Everybody knows there's a lot of controversy about this. It took away a lot of the land use authority of the county and streamlined the process for the developers.”
Of particular concern to Porter but dismissed during energy bill hearings at the 2025 Maryland General Assembly was solar battery storage safety.
As an amendment to the proposed county bill, the installation and inspection of solar battery energy storage systems would be required to meet standards set by the most recent published edition of the National Fire Protection Association’s standard, NFPA 855. According to NFPA’s website, risks of energy storage systems include thermal runaway, stranded energy, toxic and flammable gases and deep seated fires.
“I'm gonna be the bad guy here,” Porter said. “We currently have a moratorium on battery energy storage. Nothing in this (RECA) bill that was passed is going to change my mind that we should allow it in this county. I don't care. Frankly, I don't care what the bill says.”
“There was nothing in that bill – contrary to what I was told on record in that hearing – that addresses self-contained fire suppression in these systems,” Porter said. “So until somebody can tell me that these things are going to be safe and they're not going to propose a hazard to our firefighters and first responders, I'm not going to agree to include in this (county) bill.”
In addition to a solar developers’ providing a means of fire suppression, the Commissioners added provisions for equipment and training for first responders.
“Let's make sure … we're requiring the equipment to be able to extinguish that potential fire itself, (and) … put it on the developer to provide a certain amount of equipment to first responders,” Breeding said.
Other proposed amendments include increasing the proposed compensatory land preservation fee from 50% to 100% of a fair market appraisal of the annual Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation (MALPF) survey, adding a fire department equipment and training fee to the battery energy storage portion of the bill, removing the 2,000 acre cap in subsection 175 of the County Code, and include the changes in the zoning table of uses.
Other highlights:
The Commissioners spoke briefly with Denton Town Administrator Scott Getchell about the proposed future intersection at Commerce Drive and Gay Street at State Route 404. While the state has allowed a traffic light to be erected, three property owners of the commercial area that includes Dunkin, Taco Bell and Wendy’s currently under construction, are stalled in their negotiations to jointly build Commerce Drive between the Walmart entrance and the future intersection at Gay Street.
Despite Getchell’s concerns, Breeding said without elaboration, “I think there's reason for optimism that we might start to see some activity here.”
Getchell said that the town of Denton was not asking for funding. His concern was that continual delays might prompt the State Highway Administration to withdraw its permission. “We just don't want to lose it. We're waiting for this to work itself out,” Getchell said.
Although Maryland Rural Development Corporation Executive Director Chuck Huester was originally scheduled to discuss changes in Head Start funding, a family emergency prevented him from attending. He is rescheduled for the Sept. 28 meeting.
The Commissioners will meet with officials from the Maryland Department of Transportation and the Eastern Shore delegation at 9 a.m., Tuesday, Sept. 16, at the Health and Public Services Building, Room 110, 403 South 7th Street, Denton. They will discuss the county’s requests for the Consolidated Transportation Program (CTP), Maryland's 6-year capital budget for transportation projects, as well as legislative priorities. The meeting is open to the public and will be livestreamed.
To watch the Sept. 9 Commissioners’ meeting online, visit carolinecountymd.new.swagit.com/videos/354799
