Ridgely Commissioners Meeting Wrap-up

RIDGELY - The Ridgely Town Commission met on July 7 at the Ridgely Town Hall. The meeting drew a large turnout, with attendees spilling into the hallway due to limited seating. Commission President Brad Sears, along with Commissioners John Hurley and Chad Leister, presided over the evening’s lengthy agenda, which included updates on storm cleanup, sewer infrastructure funding, an addition to the Memorandum of Understanding between the Town of Ridgely and the Caroline County Sheriff’s Office, a possible change in traffic pattern at the MD 408 and Central Avenue intersection, and other town business.

Ridgely’s Director of Operations, David Crist, shared an update on a grant-funded sewer line replacement project. “The roughly $1.1 million grant has been approved by MDE (Maryland Department of the Environment), we’re still waiting the EPA approval process right now,” Crist said. “The federal government is what it is…But at least step one is done with the grant through MDE. We just got to wait on EPA.”

Crist also reported plans to conduct a smoke test to assess leaks in the town’s sewer lines. “We're not talking the entire town, but a good 75% of the whole inner part of the town is going to get smoke tested,” he said. He noted that once the test is scheduled, he will coordinate with local agencies like the fire department and Sheriff’s office so they can be on alert for an increase in service calls related to the smoke.

Addressing the severe storm that hit Ridgely on June 18, Crist said that the Town’s weather equipment recorded winds reaching up to 128 mph. “We are getting it cleaned up,” he said, “our main focus when something like that happens is clearing streets.” Commissioner Sears thanked the public works team for their quick response, noting that streets were already clear when he drove through town at 7:30 p.m. that evening. Commissioner Hurley also praised the team’s work, especially considering the recent summer heat. Crist said that Public Works will continue to work on brush clean up, however there are some areas that they cannot touch due to the involvement of electrical wires.

Crist, along with Assistant Clerk-Treasurer and Zoning Administrator Melissa Leonard, clarified that while there had been previous discussions about a seafood processing company moving into the former Medifast facility at 601 Sunrise Avenue, a different manufacturing company is now set to occupy the space by late summer. Leonard stated the name of the company is not yet public.

The Commissioners unanimously approved the “long-anticipated” Second Amendment to the Memorandum of Understanding with the Caroline County Sheriff’s Office.

“This went all the way up to the state Attorney General's office, where that was reviewed and approved,” said Commissioner Sears. He commended town attorney Patrick Thomas’ efforts to draft the agreement, “Patrick and I spent a few hours going through no fewer than 12 drafts to get this to the point where everybody was happy with the language.”

“We had listened very carefully, very attentively to the concerns raised by the public, and made sure that those concerns were addressed in the MOU document,” Commissioner Sears said. “I don't believe that we would get a better document.”

After the vote, Thomas signed the agreement, and Commissioner Sears said he would be hand-delivering it to the Sheriff’s Office the following morning. Once signed by all relevant parties, it will be posted on the Town of Ridgely’s website.

During his report, the town’s financial assistant, Gerry Sutton, recommended raising utility rates, citing that rates have not increased since 2012. “We definitely have an issue. We need to start getting some rates up,” Sutton said. “You just can't keep going on like this… we're trying to figure out how we can be fair to the citizens.” Commissioner Sears agreed that the matter needs further discussion and emphasized the importance of minimizing the financial burden on residents.

According to Commissioner Sears, the State Highway Administration has proposed a four-way stop at the intersection of MD 480 and Central Avenue, a location town officials have flagged for safety improvements for decades. “Since 1957 the town has requested a stop light there,” Commissioner Hurley said. “That hasn't happened because of the flow of traffic and the amount of traffic, so at least this is a start.” But Commissioner Hurley was skeptical of the stop signs being the best option, considering rush hour traffic at the intersection during the early morning and evening hours.

Commissioner Leister noted that SHA has ruled out a traffic circle or light. He and Lieutenant Baker from the Caroline County Sheriff’s Office both raised safety concerns, especially given the intersection’s existing turn lanes. Commissioner Leister said he would be worried about citizens going through neighborhoods to avoid a backup at the four-way stop. Since MD 480 is a state highway, the Commissioners admitted they have limited authority in this situation, but “the way it was presented to me was that the county was willing to reach back out to the state with our feelings and our opinions,” Commissioner Sears said.

The Commission approved providing hotdogs, chips, and water for Ridgely’s second annual Autumn Block Party on September 13, continuing its support from the previous year.

Billy Peterson, owner of Central Skate, spoke during the meeting about deteriorating conditions at Martin Sutton Park’s skate facility. “The skate park was built around 15 to 20 years ago…The concrete surface has become rough enough to scrape you up when you fall,” Peterson said. “Some of the ramps and rails are bent or don't flow correctly, and the design no longer meets the needs of the skaters using it today.”

Peterson offered to assist with seeking grants or funding for upgrades or a new facility. Crist explained that an insurance-mandated fence would still need to be installed in the meantime at the existing skate park. Commissioners acknowledged their ignorance on the topic of skateboarding and asked Peterson and Crist to collaborate on a proposed plan. “I've seen how much potential this space has, but in its current condition, it's tough to teach safely or keep the kids excited to keep skating,” Peterson said.

At the start of the meeting, Commissioner Sears reminded attendees that the Commission will resume enforcing the town’s public comment policy, which had been relaxed for the past 15 months due to “understandable” circumstances. “It is now necessary that we return to the orderly and respectful public comment procedures that were in place prior to March of 2024,” Commissioner Sears said. He outlined the three-minute speaking limit and asked that residents remain respectful. Three residents spoke during the July 7 public comment period.