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DENTON – At their Aug. 5 meeting, the Caroline County Commissioners met the new emergency medical services medical director nominee and discussed a proposal for possible county police coverage in Federalsburg, among other items.
On the unanimously approved consent agenda was the employment agreement between the three Commissioners and Dr. Kyle Fratta, the new EMS Medical Director. He succeeds Dr. Jeffrey Uribe, who is taking a position in Prince George’s County.
“I think he will be a very good fit for our department,” said Mark Sheridan, director of the Department of Emergency Services. “I think the clinicians will really love him.”
Sheridan said Fratta, who is board certified in emergency medicine, “controls all aspects of … our certification, all our onboarding for new hires, any special protocols that we'd want to do, or anything we want to institute.”
“This is a unique county,” Sheridan said. “You don't have a hospital, so you can't run to a hospital. The clinicians have to be pretty strong. You're going to be with a patient 30, 35 minutes sometimes, or more, … so we want to make sure that our clinicians are top notch.”
A possible request by the town of Federalsburg for a memorandum of understanding for law enforcement management by the Caroline County Sheriff’s Office met resistance from the Commissioners.
County Administrator Katheleen Freeman said she thought the Federalsburg Town Council might request the MOU “at least for the next year, when they figure out how to get themselves square.” Currently the Sheriff’s Office is providing direct oversight with a lieutenant overseeing day-to-day operations in the absence of a police chief. Two Federalsburg Police Department chiefs have resigned since January 2025.
Commission President Travis Breeding asked how the arrangement would work and what the county’s liability might be. After absorbing personnel as county employees for a year, “How do we right size the sheriff's (office), if they elect to start up their police department again in a year?” he asked.
Both Porter and Commissioner Frank Bartz also opposed the idea of an MOU. Freeman said the town had not had a second public hearing to collect town residents’ feedback.
“This is a difficult situation for us,” Breeding said. He said an incorporated municipality should “take all of the tasks that that should entail and implement them, but I also understand that crime doesn't stop at the town lines. We all live in the county.”
County Attorney Stewart Barroll said the situation is rare and the Commissioners “need to probably look at assurances that, whatever financial arrangements are reached with the town, that you are going to be paid, the sheriff's office is going to be compensated.”
The decision to enter into an MOU ultimately rests with the County Commissioners.
Department of Human Resources Director Sherry Bratton announced that, “since July 1, the county now has health care that our retirees can take pre-65.”
The change in policy was presented as Resolution 2025-024. An actuarial study determined that the Other Post-Employment Benefits Board (OPEB) “could sustain the changes that we're recommending based on, moving forward, our current group of retirees that are currently on the plan and potential retirees” and be over 100% funded.
“I think the projections that we've put in the plan and what we've done for the self-insurance are very conservative,” said Deputy County Administrator and Finance Director Daniel Fox.
“It's important to take care of retirees,” Commission Vice President Larry Porter said. “And these people have worked and given their lives and given their loyalty to the county. I think we're obligated to do that when they retire.”
Other items
Robyn Ritter, owner of Red Light Liquors LLC in Denton presented some ideas for possible state legislation to change the current festival permit law to allow more participation in farmers markets and events. Following some discussion, the Commissioners suggested Ritter reach out directly to Eastern Shore legislators.
Kim Raeder, administrator of the Police Accountability Board and the Administrative Charging Committee, discussed vacancies on the PAB and ACC. Todd Lord offered to chair the PAB and serve as a member of the ACC. Commission appointees would be required to attend training for five days from Nov. 3 to 7. The vacancies will be advertised.
A second reading and public hearing for Legislative Bill 2025-008 attracted no comments. The bill’s purpose is the amend the text of Section 175-34 of the County Code to allow for a reduced setback from lot lines for agricultural and fishery products processing plants. The bill will have a third reading and possible enactment at the Commissioners’ next meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 19.
The Commissioners’ next meeting will be held at 9 a.m., Tuesday, Aug. 19, at the Caroline County Courthouse, 109 Market St., Denton.
Caroline County Commission meetings are livestreamed and archived for later viewing. To watch the Aug. 5 meeting and download the agenda with linked documents, visit carolinecountymd.new.swagit.com/videos/351537.
