Frederick County announced the opening of the application process for the FY24 Community Partnership Grant program that awards competitive grants to non-profit organizations serving the needs of county residents. The grants can be used for community needs, seniors, and housing.

"Our human service nonprofits do an amazing job connecting people with the resources they need," Executive Gardner said. "The benefits to our community have been clear, especially

during the pandemic. Together, the County and our nonprofit partners are able to leverage our efforts to provide effective services so we can all flourish and share in Frederick County’s prosperity and high quality of life," she said.

This year marks the ninth round of the grants program. Grants can be for operating expenses or for one-time purchases. The link to the online application portal will be available beginning Nov. 21 at https://www.FrederickCountyMD.gov/CPG.

The deadline to submit an application is 4 p.m., Dec. 16, 2022. Final funding awards will be considered in the county budget process and announced in April 2023, with funding available beginning July 1, 2023.

For more information, technical assistance, and program updates, visit the website at https://www.FrederickCountyMD.gov/CPG or contact Citizens Services Director of Operations Kelli Goetz at 301-600-1410 or via e-mail at kgoetz1@FrederickCountyMD.gov.

Administrative Charging Committee Members Appointed

Five Frederick County residents have been appointed to serve on the County’s newly established Administrative Charging Committee. The Committee fills a key role when a complaint is filed against a local law enforcement officer, as required under Maryland law. The Administrative Charging Committee will meet at least monthly to review the findings of law enforcement agency investigations to determine if it is appropriate to administratively charge a law enforcement officer who is the subject of investigation.

When a person lodges a misconduct complaint against a law enforcement officer, the complaint is filed with the Frederick County Police Accountability Board. The Board forwards the complaint to the appropriate law enforcement agency to investigate. The findings are presented to the Administrative Charging Committee for review. The Committee determines whether to administratively charge the accused officer and, if so, what disciplinary actions should be taken.

The Maryland Police Accountability Act of 2021 required every county to establish a similar process. Frederick County’s process applies to law enforcement officers who are employed by the Brunswick, City of Frederick or Thurmont police departments or the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office.

"On behalf of the Police Accountability Board, I want to thank each of the 18 Frederick County residents who applied to the Administrative Charging Committee," said Board Chair Dawn Oram. "We appreciate each of the residents and their desire to be a part of our continued efforts to build trust between communities and law enforcement agencies in Frederick County. We believe these individuals will bring increased accountability and transparency that will improve our law enforcement agencies and public safety in Frederick County."

The Administrative Charging Committee consists of the chair of Frederick County’s Police Accountability Board (PAB), or their designee, as well as two appointees of the County Executive and two appointees of the Board. Members should have familiarity or experience within the legal field, the behavioral health field, social services, human resources or personnel management, the operation of a government agency, criminal justice agency, or community service organization.

In addition to PAB Chair Oram, the inaugural members of Frederick County’s committee include:

• Theresa Bean of Thurmont (2-year term, appointed by the PAB) brings diversity coupled with an extensive background as a former career prosecutor, trial lawyer, defense attorney, and local and national lecturer.
• Howard Cox of Frederick (2-year term, appointed by the County Executive) brings federal law enforcement experience, including roles where he conducted internal investigations of misconduct complaints.
• Kevin Grubb of Jefferson (1-year term, appointed by the County Executive) has extensive knowledge of the community, having served on the Frederick County Ethics Task Force, the Frederick County Mental Health Advisory Board, and as Deputy Chief of the Frederick Police Department.
• John Shatto of Frederick (1-year term, appointed by the PAB) is a court and human services professional committed to providing an unbiased forum for the community, with experience working Members must complete State-mandated training from the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission before reviewing any specific cases. That training is slated for mid-December.

The Administrative Charging Committee will meet at least once a month. This meeting will be held in the first floor hearing room at Winchester Hall, 12 East Church Street, Frederick. Questions about the Administrative Charging Committee or the Police Accountability Board should be directed to Executive Administrator Sarah Ambrosio at sambrosio@frederickcountymd.gov. Information about the Administrative Charging Committee and the Police Advisory Board can be found at www.FrederickCountyMD.gov/PoliceBoard.

County Generates Solar Power at 2 New Sites

Frederick County Government continues to lead the way with renewable energy, boosting its solar energy generation by nearly 2 million kilowatts hours annually with the addition of two new projects. Frederick County Executive Jan Gardner announced that a new solar array began operation this year and two solar canopies are nearing completion on County properties.

"We know that we save green when we go green," Executive Gardner said. "The actions we take today will help to slow the rate of climate change and lead to lower energy costs. Now is the time for us to take action."

Frederick County and its fellow jurisdictions in the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments collectively reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 24% between 2005 and 2020, surpassing the region’s goal. To help meet the next goal of a 50% reduction in emissions by 2030, Frederick County continues to add renewable energy generation projects. A solar array began operating this year on a five-acre site near the Ballenger McKinney Wastewater Treatment Plant, next to the County’s Division of Water and Sewer Utilities office. The array, with 3,528 photovoltaic panels, will generate approximately 1.8 million kilowatt hours a year, equal to about 17% of the treatment plant’s power usage. It will also energize a backup power supply. The array is expected to save $130,000 a year through a net metering arrangement.

Also going online soon are two solar canopies that have been constructed on a parking lot that serves the Bourne Building, home to the main offices of Frederick County’s Division of Public Works and Division of Parks and Recreation. Each canopy contains 84 solar panels. There is room for 16 cars to park underneath the canopies. The canopies will reduce the Bourne Building’s energy consumption by 15% to 20% a year. During the construction of the canopies, four new electric vehicle charging stations were installed at the site.

Frederick County received grants to offset the cost of each project. The Maryland Department of the Environment awarded Frederick County $2.3 million toward the Ballenger McKinney array. The Maryland Energy Administration provided $45,000 toward the solar canopy and EV charging stations.

County Program Provides Home Improvements at No Cost to Property Owners

As winter approaches, residents can take steps to make their homes more energy efficient and save money on heating bills. The Power Saver Retrofits program helps low- to moderate-income households in Frederick County do this by providing free energy audits and related home improvements. The program provides certified contractors to do work such as heating system tune-ups or upgrades, sealing household air leaks, upgrading appliances, or air duct sealing and insulation – all at no cost to qualified homeowners.

Homeowners qualify to participate based on total household income and the number of occupants. For example, an individual living alone may apply if they earn $57,750 or less annually. A four-person household is eligible with income up to $82,500. Power Saver Retrofits is a program administered by the Frederick County Division of Energy and Environment with funding from a Maryland Energy Administration grant. For more information about the program or to download an application, visit FrederickCountyMD.gov/psr, or contact Program Administrator Lindsey Humphrey at lhumphrey@frederickcountymd.gov, or by calling 240-772-0390.

Made in Frederick Campaign Earns ‘Champion of Manufacturing’ Honor

The Frederick County Office of Economic Development’s campaign to highlight local manufacturers has been named a 2022 Champion of Maryland Manufacturing. The Regional Manufacturing Institute recognized the MadeinFrederickMD.com website at its annual celebration on Thursday. With over 750 people in attendance, the event recognized manufacturers and leaders of business, government, education and the community who are part of Maryland’s manufacturing community.

The Frederick County Office of Economic Development (FCOED) developed the www.MadeinFrederickMD.com site to strengthen and foster the growth of Frederick County’s manufacturing industry by providing resources, connections and tools to succeed. The website contains a job board, directory, resources, Manufacturing Advantages and more. The site’s contents were based on the needs of manufacturing firms. MadeinFrederickMD.com serves as a one-stop shop for existing manufacturers, manufacturers who are looking to locate to the area, and the overall community to understand the value and importance of the industry to Frederick County’s economy.

"I’m proud of the work our economic development team does to support manufacturers," County Executive Jan Gardner said. "Our economy is thriving across a wide range of industries. Frederick County is a great place to do business!"

FCOED worked with local providers – Postern, Octavo Design, #provokebetter and Frederick County’s Office of Communications and Public Engagement – to develop the Made in Frederick initiative, which features videos of manufacturing leaders in Frederick County. Businesses highlighted in the video series include Wilcoxon Sensing Technologies, Saputo Dairy USA, STULZ Air Technology Systems, Flying Dog Brewery, and AstraZeneca.

"We are thrilled to be honored and recognized as a Maryland Manufacturing Champion and appreciate the partnership we have with the Regional Manufacturing Institute. Manufacturing is an important industry for Frederick as well as the state of Maryland and this initiative is part one of the ongoing initiatives planned to highlight the manufacturing industry in Frederick County" says Jodie Bollinger, Acting Director, Economic and Workforce Development,

For more information on the Made In Frederick initiative, visit www.MadeinFrederickMD.com, or contact Jodie Bollinger at jbollinger@frederickcountymd.gov.