(10/2023) As I’m writing this month’s article, much needed rain is expected to arrive soon. However, we have been experiencing drought conditions for much of this year. On September 20th, the Maryland Department of the Environment upgraded the drought watch from over the summer to a drought warning. We have a substantial rain deficit to make up, and Frederick County Government is asking all residents to begin voluntarily cutting back on water usage. Farmers and residents who rely on groundwater have been especially affected by conditions this year, and hopefully, we will see more precipitation during the fall and winter seasons.
Opioid Epidemic
Frederick County received grants for almost $2 million dollars to help with the opioid epidemic. These grants will deepen the partnership between the Frederick County Health Department and the Division of Fire and Rescue Services. The Community Outreach and Support Team (COAST) helps residents struggling with substance abuse to begin accessing treatment and recovery resources immediately following a potential overdose incident. With the COAST program, when someone in Frederick County is experiencing such an incident, a Community Paramedic and a Peer Recovery Specialist can be dispatched to the scene to help quickly and directly. This approach helps to reduce overdose fatalities by emphasizing effective immediate interventions and treatment resources.
Rustic Roads Commission
To better meet current community needs and to make county road planning more efficient and responsive, the County Council is considering legislation to establish a Rustic Roads Commission to administer the Rustic Roads Program that was approved by former County Executive Jan Gardner in 2022. The Rustic Roads Program will replace the Rural Roads Program which was overseen by the Roads Board. The Rural and Scenic Roads Advisory Committee recommended that a dedicated commission be formed to oversee the new Rustic Roads Program.
The Rustic Roads Commission would establish bylaws to govern its activities to administer the program. These activities would include establishing criteria for residents to nominate a road to be included in the Rustic Roads Program, to identify and oversee the protection of Designated Rustic Roads and Candidate Roads, and to consult with County staff, the County Executive, and the County Council as requested to help address road preservation issues.
To establish the new Rustic Roads Commission, the previous portion of County Code which established the Roads Board must be repealed. The Roads Board was established in 1939 to advise the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) with road planning. As Frederick County grew and the BOCC assumed more planning functions, professional staff largely took up this advisory role. Since 1979, the Roads Board has met quarterly to hear public comment, pass requests to along to County staff, and perform some additional advisory functions.
With the passage of the Rustic Roads Program and with the recommendation of a Rustic Roads Commission to oversee the program and other advisory functions, there is no need for the Roads Board as it was constructed. For those reasons, I supported both the bill to repeal the Roads Board and the bill to replace it with the Rural Roads Commission which will continue Frederick County’s long-standing dedication to rural road preservation and landscapes.
While we’re driving on rural roads in October, please remember to be patient with farm equipment on the road during harvest time. It’s a beautiful time of year and the leaves will soon be turning. It’s a great time to visit your local pumpkin patch, to go apple picking, or to spend some time in downtown Frederick.
You can reach me with any questions or concerns at rknapp@frederickcountymd.gov.
