County establishes disabilities commission to help 15,000

Friday, July 18, 2008

The commission will consist of a dozen members representing several different nonprofit organizations who assist disabled citizens. The committee will be chaired by Marie Robinson, executive director of the Southern Maryland Center for Independent Living in Charlotte Hall, which helps disabled citizens attain employment and education opportunities.

The commission will act as an advisory board to the county commissioners, advocating opportunities for disabled people to gain education and employment and participate in recreation. The group will also advise the commissioners on how to conform to federal Americans with Disabilities Act rules.

‘‘I’m surprised we don’t already have that in place,” said commissioners’ President F. Wayne Cooper (D).

According to statistics from 2006 U.S. Census Bureau estimates provided by the new commission, 14,882 residents — 12 percent of the county’s population — are classified as disabled. The majority of these citizens, 59 percent, are between the ages of 21 and 64.

Charles County’s 12 percent disability rate is above the state’s 10.5 percent rate but below the nation’s 12.9 percent rate.

Four hoursin closed session?

The commissioners met one day this week, and spent most of the time behind closed doors.

Of the five hours and 45 minutes scheduled on this week’s agenda, only one hour and 15 minutes was spent in open session.

The agenda, changed a few times since its original publication on Thursday, stated that the session was closed to discuss ‘‘legal [matters], business wishing to locate in Charles County, public safety,” and ‘‘personnel.”

However, the commissioners said they did not negotiate tax breaks or discuss a tenant contract with any business.

Also during the closed session, the commissioners agreed to fire one of the investment funds from the sheriff’s pension plan. County Administrator Paul W. Comfort said that the justification for closing discussion of the Lord Abbett Mid Cap Value Fund was a provision of the Maryland Open Meetings Act which covers ‘‘investment of public funds.” The justification was not listed on the agenda.

The commissioners’ unanimous decision to fire the fund took place in open session. Commissioner Edith J. Patterson (D) made a motion to fire the fund at the recommendation of the sheriff’s retirement plan advisory committee ‘‘due to concerns over performance along with the departure of the key portfolio manager and the change in the process used to manage the fund.”

County tech still on top

For the sixth year in a row, Charles County government has been deemed the most computerized county in the nation with a population of less than 150,000.

The title of ‘‘The Nation’s Most Digitally Advanced County” was bestowed by the National Association of Counties. Charles County falls in NACo’s most competitive population bracket, going up against 2,700 of the association’s 3,066 members.

The award was presented this week by NACo’s Center for Digital Government at the association’s conference held in Kansas City, Mo.

Charles County might not stay in its competition bracket much longer.

The U.S. Census estimated the county’s population was 140,416 in 2006.