Need for space in county building underscored by charter

A growing county requires more staff, but with a county building that’s already crowded, where will they be working?

Prior to 2020, the commissioners' meeting room — otherwise known as the government building’s auditorium — was used for all public meetings and open sessions of the board of county commissioners.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the county pivoted to a virtual, and later hybrid, meeting format, a document provided to the commissioners at a July 9 meeting said.

The public meetings were relocated from the auditorium to the Blue Room, which is a conference meeting room in the government building. Only the Blue Room currently has the capability to run hybrid meetings.

However, this space has its own limitations, including a much smaller seating capacity and increased security concerns, the document said.

“When we meet in [the Blue Room], we have a lot of visitors … that actually walk through, pretty much, all through the building,” Acting County Administrator Deborah Hall said in reference to security concerns using the Blue Room. “Indeed, we have security here, people have gotten off course. We put them back on course.”

During the budget process, Hall said staff came to her with a $4.8 million project.

The county government building was originally a school, Hall said, explaining why the audio is such a problem in making the auditorium a hybrid meeting place as its intended for a production like a play. “I actually went to middle school here, so I remember the auditorium,” she said.

“It really is conducive to have a second floor,” Hall said. “When I got the first estimate, I was a little surprised.”

Building the second floor was deemed not cost-effective and would likely result in other projects needing to be postponed.

“I know this conversation has really come up as a result of charter,” Hall said. “What would we actually do if we went to charter … if we were to move to charter in November of this particular year, we would need to do something pretty quickly in order to be able to host a county executive.”

Hall said the Blue Room would be good to host a county executive.

“We would have to consider renovating this space,” Hall said. “We’re going to try to choose the most cost-effective approach as possible.”

Commissioner Ralph E. Patterson II (D) said, “I hate conflating two things that aren’t associated with each other. The renovations in the auditorium are separate from whatever happens [after Election Day], correct?”

“I don’t want to put the county administrator in a position. … I think that’s more of a political question than county administrative,” Commissioner Gilbert “BJ” Bowling (D) said. “I think you’re misunderstanding, because if that was the case then I think it would’ve been included in the budget this year."

Bowling continued, saying, "Now if a county executive comes in, what I believe what was just explained then [the Blue Room] would be the most cost-effective place to go.”

Bowling said that if a hybrid meeting was needed then they could do what the commissioners have been doing when they need more seating capacity and just use the auditorium for a given meeting and walk back to the Blue Room when the need for seating capacity is no longer there.

Commissioner Amanda Stewart (D) said, “I want to make sure folks really understand the conversation … county government has outgrown this building. At this time, investing $4.8 million in a space, where she said she went to middle school here, it’s not best for Charles County government.”

“We need to have a conversation on what the next 50 years is going to look like for Charles County government. … Let’s not get hung up on what may or may not happen in November,” Stewart added.

“To Commissioner Bowling’s point, if something happens, there is a time constraint that will be placed on me,” Hall said. “If you were to go to charter and it passes in November, I literally have two years to try and find a space for a county executive in this facility. Could I purchase us a new building in two years and get us into a new building in two years? It’s doubtful that I could do that.”