Calvert League of Women Voters C-President Annette Funn welcomes attendees to Oct. 9 presentation of the organization’s government transparency study.

Prince Frederick, MD – The League of Women Voters (LWV) of Calvert County released a report Tuesday, Oct. 7 entitled “Transparency of County Governance.” On Thursday, Oct. 14 the league conducted a two-hour presentation on the report that focused on the Calvert County Commissioners’ handling of three provocative issues—the expanding of Dominion Cove Point Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Plant, the disposition of the old Calvert Middle School (CMS) property and the preparation of the county’s annual budget and capital improvement plan.

The presentation was made at Calvert Library in Prince Frederick.

Calvert LWV Co-President Annette J. Funn explained that the study of the issues did not take any specific individuals to task. However, it was clear from reading the nearly 80-page report and listening to three panelists that local officials are being criticized for their collective actions. The league’s thesis states the elected board “violated the spirit of the Maryland Open Meetings Act and its own adopted policies as defined in the county’s Comprehensive Plan. They did so by withholding information from the public for weeks, months and sometimes years after they made important decisions.”

Two county commissioners—board President Pat Nutter and fellow Republican Evan K. Slaughenhoupt Jr.—attended the presentation and offered comments.
Nutter stated that he had once agreed to meet with LWV members regarding the chapter’s concerns about local issues and “they cancelled on me.”

Slaughenhoupt noted that the county commissioners conducted budgetary business on camera during open work sessions prior to the start of the current fiscal year. He also took umbrage with the fact that the commissioners were not given the courtesy of reading the league’s report and responding prior to its release to the public and press. “That was very disappointing to me,” said Slaughenhoupt, who added, “I already know your agenda.”

Of the three study segments, perhaps the sharpest criticism was reserved for the board’s handling of the Dominion Cove Point expansion issue. Panelist Dr. Klaus M. Zwilsky stated the process leading to the board’s unanimous support of the controversial project likely started after an executive session with Dominion representatives in January 2011. Zwilsky noted the board never organized an open public meeting to discuss the Cove Point project, an approach he labeled “nontransparent” and a demonstration of “blatant disregard for the citizens.”

It was noted in the study and by Zwilsky during his remarks that the public didn’t have an opportunity to weigh in on the Cove Point expansion project until last October when the county commissioners and county planning commission held a joint public hearing on proposed changes to the zoning ordinance that would exempt liquefaction facilities from local oversight.

Additionally criticism of the commissioners resulted from the board’s disinterest in the concerns raised by the board-appointed Calvert Environmental Commission regarding Dominion’s plant to build the liquefaction unit at Cove Point.

The LWV recommended that “any large project proposal that could potentially affect the health or well-being of Calvert County citizens should be subject to the open meeting process. A formal open meeting should be held in the evening with adequate advance notice to inform the citizens of Calvert County of the proposed project, allow ample time for comment and leave the record open for 10 days or longer.”

Regarding the repurposing of the old CMS property, the LWV report stated “important, initial basic decisions about the development of the middle school property were made of sight of the public.” Presentation panelist Sharron Bickel said the county commissioners showed “a total lack of interest in public involvement” and there has been a “lack of informational reports.”

The LWV recommended that “when public real estate is being ‘repurposed’ or sold, some form of citizen input should be accessed, such as a town hall meeting or forum, to assess public interest in the issue at the beginning of the decision process.” The league also acknowledged in the study that planning for the development of the old CMS property may have slowed due to the transition to a new board of commissioners in late 2010 and the property becoming available to the county during the economic downturn.

Slaughenhoupt reminded the LWV and those attending the meeting that it would be private business, not county government, that would breathe life into the concept drawings that a charrette held during the summer of 2013 yielded. The commissioner said the result from the charrette “is a concept, not a blueprint.”
Among the 16 overall recommendations made in the LWV report are calls for defining “large projects,” a policy change from “do not disclose to the public unless absolutely required” to would disclosure inform the citizens of important decisions in a timely manner and allow them the opportunity for input;” public hearings at the beginning of each budget cycle, moving public hearings to larger venues with better sound and visual aids plus convenient parking; and placing the county seal on newspaper advertisements running in the publication’s legal notices about an upcoming public hearing.

Funn stated the methodologies used to compile the findings adheres to the nation LWV’s standards.

Zwilsky added that an addendum to the study may be forthcoming.

Contact Marty Madden at marty.madden@thebaynet.com