Commissioners Approve FY24 Budget.
The budget was passed unanimously by Commissioners on Wednesday, May 24, 2023.
St. Michaels Adopted FY2024 Budget
St. Michaels FY2024 Budget Charts
The Commissioners of St. Michaels are seeking applications to fill a vacant position on the St. Michaels Board of Zoning Appeals. The appointee would serve in a key role in implementing the zoning and building regulations of the town, including the review of applications for variances and the review of special exceptions to land uses that are not permitted outright. Duties may also include review of appeals relating to decisions made by other boards, committees, or staff. This opening is to serve as a full-time member and would complete an existing term that ends 12/31/2024.
Duties, responsibilities, and requirements of this board are set forth in Chapter 98-6 and Chapter 340-130 of the Town Code which can be accessed on the Town’s website at www.stmichaelsmd.gov. A current resume and letter of interest should include qualifications for the position and an indication of why the applicant wishes to serve. This should be submitted via email, regular mail, or hand delivered no later than noon on June 30th to:
Vickie Sharp, Town Clerk
300 Mill Street; P.O. Box 206
St. Michaels, Maryland 21663
410-745-9535
vsharp@stmichaelsmd.gov
The Town of St. Michaels is making substantial investments into an aging water infrastructure that includes repairs and maintenance to the South Water Tower, changes to filter media in the Water Treatment Plant, and planning efforts to replace old commercial and residential water meters using Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) technology in early 2023.
At this time, the maintenance to the South Water Tower and the changes to the filter media in the Water Treatment Plant have been completed. In the future, the North Water Tower will undergo routine maintenance work to prolong the useful life of this tower as well as to ensure a safe and reliable drinking supply.
Currently, the water meter replacement project is underway, starting on May 8, 2023. The Town is utilizing approximately $675,000 in American Rescue Plan grant funding to replace residential and commercial water meters with AMI technology. “Smart meters” use wireless communication technology to read meters remotely without having to physically access the meters. The meter transceivers are used to transmit usage data and alert Town Staff to any water breaks through real-time data. The advanced meters are quickly becoming the standard for water utilities and will improve the overall efficiency of the water distribution system.
St. Michaels Water Meter Replacement Map & Notification
Depending on the condition of the existing water meter, the contractor may also replace the water meter box (barrel), lid and meter connection fittings. If the meter box needs to be replaced, the contractor will dig up and remove the old meter box. The contractor will restore the area when completed.
Following installation of the new meter, the contractor will instruct the customer on how to flush the water system.
For questions on information regarding the Water Meter Replacement Project, please contact:
Core & Main
Amanda Wetzel
845-453-2618
For questions or information regarding water meter billing, please contact:
Town of St. Michaels
Vickie Sharp, Water Department
410-745-9535
For questions or information for the contractor, please contact:
VEPO Solutions
VEPO Office Contact
877-860-8376
Section I (blue lines) of the meter installation will begin on the east side of Talbot Street between Perry Cabin Drive and Seymour Avenue, working from north to south. Section II (orange lines) includes areas west of Talbot Street, from Lee Street to Marea Terrace, working from north to south. Section III (green lines) includes areas outside of the Town from Seymour Avenue to Miles Lane including the Rio Vista area. Please see attached map above. We anticipate the project will be completed in mid to late summer.
5-24-2023 Please view map below for completed areas highlighted in red.
The Commissioners of St. Michaels and Environmental Concern (EC) are pleased to announce an agreement of sale to protect EC’s waterfront property from potential development. The 7.5-acre property is adjacent to San Domingo Creek Park and the town’s nature trail. The purchase price is $2.9-million.
Environmental Concern has outgrown the property and needs to move its operations to a larger tract. The agreement to sell to St. Michaels preserves EC’s 50-year legacy of protecting the waters of Chesapeake Bay and gives St. Michaels residents an opportunity to envision an expansive new park.
“This is a win-win agreement for everyone,” says St. Michaels Commissioners President David Breimhurst. “Environmental Concern will achieve its long-time goal of preserving the property, while the town gets to enjoy additional water access and open space along the nature trail. We thank Environmental Concern for bearing with us through months of negotiations.”
Environmental Concern President Suzanne Slear says, “We are looking forward to our next 50 years with much excitement. Moving to a larger location will allow us to expand our native plant nursery operation, continuing our mission to improve water quality and increase habitat in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. In addition, we are pleased that the Town of St. Michaels and Environmental Concern are working together to preserve our legacy for future generations to enjoy.”
Town residents will soon be involved in a series of information gathering sessions to determine best use of the property.
“We are also grateful to Eastern Shore Land Conservancy for driving this project forward,” Breimhurst says. “ESLC has played a leading role in helping the town and EC with their preservation efforts, and ESLC continues to work with the town to pursue state and county grant funding for the open space.”
ESLC President Steve Kline says, “Opportunities like this, which would meaningfully increase public access to the waters of Chesapeake Bay, do not come along often. Eastern Shore Land Conservancy is thrilled to have played a role in planning for the future of the San Domingo Creek waterfront, and looks forward to remaining engaged in the process as it continues. We thank the leadership of the Town of St. Michael’s and Environmental Concern for their willingness to collaborate and their commitment to open space.”
Environmental Concern and the Town are now working on the final details of a sale contract. Once it is ready, the Commissioners will consider it for approval at a public meeting, during which residents will have a chance to weigh in on the transaction.
Sustainable Communities is a State of Maryland program that is run through the State’s Department of Housing and Community Development. Local governments that choose to participate can qualify for various grant funds for community development. A work group was recently approved by the Town Commissioners to evaluate the past activities and set a framework for the future for this program.
We have begun working on our program update and will be meeting for the remainder of this year to establish a set of goals for various community improvement related issues which include the environment, economy, transportation, housing, quality of life, local planning and land use. A unified report will be produced by the end of the year. There will be a public hearing on the results. The Town Commissioners will then consider changes based on your review and input and decide what to transmit as the final product.
Our first efforts focused on the environment. Some environmental attributes of the town that were identified includes access to water and the Chesapeake Bay, the work of the Climate Change & Sea Level Rise Commission related to mitigating flooding, the walkable community design of St. Michaels and access to nature and green space.
Some areas to work on included public facility improvements to the town’s water supply system to accommodate peak season demand and additional water access for the public. Also, completing the next 1.25-mile extension to the St. Michaels nature trail is a goal for the near future.
Some agency partners to carry out the goals include work with county, state and federal governments to secure funding sources. We will also reach out to consultants and non-profits like the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy and work with companies for activities such as installing new smart water meters to more accurately measure water usage.
Meeting Overview:
April 2023: Environment
May 2023: Economy
June 2023: Transportation – Meeting scheduled for June 21, 2023
The Town of St. Michaels is moving forward with proactive measures to mitigate rising tides. The Commissioners of St. Michaels have recently approved a set of ambitious recommendations from the newly empaneled Climate Change/Sea Level Rise Commission. The CC/SLR Commission has identified priority projects based on long range predictions outlined in a report from GMB Engineers/Architects. The study predicts increasing tide levels over the next 30 years that will cause serious flooding along the Town’s waterfronts.
CC/SLR Chairman Roy Myers presented the aggressive project schedule to the Town Commissioners on August 25th. The Commissioners have approved the plan and will be working with the CC/SLR Commission to secure the necessary funding and grants to move the plan forward. Engineering studies will be underway over the next year and will be followed by the following specific projects:
2023 to 2025 Projected Timeframe
• Construction of E. Chew/W. Harbor Road Improvements
• Begin Phased construction of Honeymoon Bridge, Harbor walkways, Burns, Mill and
Cherry Streets Master Plan.
• Grant and Engineering Design completed for Muskrat Park and Church Street area.
• In conjunction with adjacent properties, complete strategies/plans for Mulberry Street,
Westside Harbor residents, Carpenter Street and San Domingo Town residents.
2025 to 2030 Projected Timeframe
• Complete Construction of Muskrat Park Improvements
• Complete Engineering Studies for Mulberry Street and Carpenter Street
• Complete construction of Master Plan – Construction for Honeymoon Bridge, Harbor
walkways, Burns, Mill and Cherry Streets
• Complete Engineering Plans for San Domingo/Back Creek harbor side of St. Michaels.
• Assist Westside Harbor residents in their plans as appropriate.
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND A COPY OF THE GMB STUDY, CONTACT THE TOWN ADMINISTRATOR ROB STRAEBEL AT: rstraebel@stmichaelsmd.gov or more information HERE.
Climate Change/Sea Level Rise Commission BayLand Presentation at Community Input Session on March 16, 2023
Anna Johnson, Project Engineer with BayLand Consultants & Designers, Inc., held a community input session with a power point presentation on “San Domingo Creek and West Side Stormwater and Harbor Infrastructure Assessment and Flood Mitigation Study”. This informative presentation can be found HERE. BayLand is interested in your feedback regarding flooding concerns, areas of peak interest, and any mitigation solutions you would like to see implemented. Please visit this link, complete the attached form and return it to Anna Johnson, PE at ajohnson@baylandinc.com.
GMB Community Input Session Open House for West Harbor Road/East Chew Avenue Sea Level Rise and Stormwater Flooding Conceptual Design on March 30, 2023
Brent Jett, P.E., CFM, CC-P, Sr. Project Manager/Coastal Resiliency Group Leader (and author of the initial Harbor and Stormwater Infrastructure Study) along with other Architects/Engineers with George, Miles & Buhr, LLC (GMB), held an open house on “Resiliency Through Restoration: West Harbor Road/East Chew Avenue Flood Mitigation Feasibility Assessment and Conceptual Design” to allow the community to ask questions and provide crucial community input, while taking time to better understand this study. An aerial view depicting the area of interest for this study may be viewed HERE. GMB is interested in your feedback regarding flooding concerns, areas of peak interest, and any mitigation solutions you would like to see implemented. Please visit this link, complete the attached survey and return it to Brent Jett, PE at bjett@gmbnet.com.
St. Michaels Preparing for Nuisance Flooding
Andrew Thaler, from the Climate Change/Sea Level Rise Commission and developer of the St. Michaels Floodwatch, and Kate Vogel, from Maryland DNR and MyCoast web application, have presented both the Floodwatch project and MyCoast app during Lunch and Learn sessions at both the Talbot County Library St. Michaels and Easton branches. More recently, they were interviewed by WBOC’s Lauren Miller to explain how their interactive technology is helping to prepare and educate our communities about nuisance flooding along the Eastern Shore. Please take a moment to watch this interview by clicking on the attached link HERE.
St. Michaels Awarded Flooding & Stormwater Mitigation Project Grant
The Town of St. Michaels has been awarded another large grant to tackle the threat of rising sea levels. Working with the Maryland Department of Emergency Management, the Town has secured a $210,000 federal grant. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved this grant money for the Town’s Harbor Flooding and Stormwater Mitigation Project.
This federal grant follows two state grants amounting to $115,000. These grants from the Department of Natural Resources are currently funding concept designs for two flood-prone areas.
The grants are the results of efforts by the Town’s Climate Change/Sea Level Rise Commission which was empaneled in the summer of 2021. Commission Chair Roy Myers says, “This latest grant builds upon our current efforts to complete the concept designs for flooding mitigation in our main harbor areas. We are grateful to MDEM and FEMA for their support and are looking forward to working with them on the implementation of this grant.”
St. Michaels Commissioners President David Breimhurst says, “This is terrific news for St. Michaels and for Talbot County. St. Michaels is home to the County’s second largest employer and is the primary source of the County’s multi-million-dollar tourism industry. Protecting our Town from the threat of sea level rise is our top priority. We congratulate and thank Mr. Myers and his commission for the many hours of hard work that have paid off with these significant grants.” The CC/SLR Commission’s work has become a vital element of the town’s long range plans and will help shape the Town’s 2025 Comprehensive Plan. The Commission has been reaching out to the public for guidance and is providing updated information. Recently, the state Department of Natural Resources partnered with the CC/SLRC, linking its online MYCOAST tool with the St Michaels Floodwatch website. The Floodwatch interactive tool was created by Commission member Andrew Thaler and can be found online at http://stmichaelsfloodwatch.com. There is also a link on the town website, stmichaelsmd.gov Residents can use the tool to understand how their Talbot County properties might be affected by sea level rise projections. Roy Myers says, “It is a graphic view of why the town needs to plan today for tomorrow’s sea level rise and stormwater flooding.”
The proposed hotel on South Talbot St. is currently under technical review of a preliminary site plan application. This is expected to take several months and could require several rounds of revisions. Check here for periodic updates.
June 1, 2023
The property owner’s attorney advised the Town that the hotel developer no longer has control over the property and the proposed site plan will not continue in the process.
May 26, 2023
The second review from the Technical Advisory Committee was completed and the applicant was sent a four-page letter with attachments outlining the remaining issues. In addition to normal review comments, the applicant was requested to show compliance with several new and approved zoning text amendments and respond accordingly. These new requirements include: Ordinance 539: regulating formula businesses; Ordinance 542: regarding stricter compliance with design compatibility standards for commercial development; and Ordinance 543: new fire apparatus access standards. Revisions and site plan resubmittals must provide for consistency and compliance with these requirements before the Planning Commission can consider the Preliminary Site Plan. It could take several weeks for the applicant to provide the requested information.
April 25, 2023
The application was resubmitted to the town on April 12th. It included new information that was discussed or requested at the project review meeting in January in order to better evaluate the project. This requires additional time for reviews from various technical advisory committee agencies before it can be determined to be in substantial compliance with all the requirements. The review agencies were sent the resubmittal materials.
Once the Town receives responses and technical comments on the resubmittal review, all the comments will be provided to the applicant to consider if they desire to make any final revisions based on requirements and/or a response to the comments.
After that time, the project will undergo a final staff evaluation based on all requirements.
It will then be scheduled for the Planning Commission for a public hearing and the required notifications will be posted. A staff report will be sent to the Planning Commission that outlines any outstanding issues. An exact time frame has yet to be determined.
March 29, 2023
This project is within the Gateway Commercial Zoning District and is required to obtain an approved Site Plan from the St. Michaels Planning Commission before it can proceed with development and to show compliance with various local and state regulations.
A technical review compliance meeting was held with the applicant and various professional staff on January 26, 2023. Shortly after that meeting, the applicant was provided a 17-page letter from the town which outlines the technical issues that need to be addressed in writing and on the plans before the project can proceed with further technical site plan review and prior to Planning Commission consideration.
There has not been a response or resubmittal of the site plan by the applicant at this time and the project will not be scheduled for further review until the requested information has been provided.
The Town of St. Michaels has enrolled to participate in the Mosquito Control Program for Season 2023, in so doing the community agrees to allow access by Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) personnel to conduct mosquito control activities. The goal of the pest management program is to develop effective strategies to protect our health, our pet’s and livestock health, the environment, and improve the quality of life for our residents and visitors. Please reference their website, at Mosquito Control (maryland.gov), for more information about this program or you may call 410-841-5870. We ask that you review the attached mosquito control – general policies provided by the MDA.
Individual property owners who object to the nuisance mosquito control program may complete the attached form to have their property excluded from spraying. It is required to complete a new form yearly for each property, in order to be excluded, and returned to the appropriate entities. You may download a copy of the Mosquito Control Exemption Form here.
Join us for St. Michaels Climate Change/Sea Level Rise Commission regular meeting on Thursday, June 8, 2023 at 5pm. Unless notice is given of an alternative venue, all meetings will be held at the Boy Scout Cabin, located at 407 St. Mary’s Square.
6-8-2023 SLR Public Draft Agenda
Please note: All agendas are DRAFT DOCUMENTS until the day of the meeting.
ZOOM MEETINGS
The Climate Change/Sea Level Rise Commission will have in-person attendance and will continue to use Zoom for meetings. If you have not used Zoom, please take a few minutes to download the free app to your computer or smart phone prior to joining the meeting HERE.
Join Zoom meeting by computer or smart phone:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3264261778
Meeting ID: 326 426 1778
To join with audio only by phone:
1 301 715 8592
Meeting ID: 326 426 1778
