This is an update to my February 6, 2024, podcast – FY 25 Budget Process

My Ask:

• Review the draft FY 2024
• Attend our Council meetings – in person, virtually (Microsoft Teams), or watch on YouTube. Links are in the Notes.
• Email me at djenkins@townoflaplata.org with your questions and comments.

Thanks again for listening and for your interest and engagement with your Town!

Town Council Meeting Agendas

This concludes this latest La Plata Town Council Ward 4 Update. I hope you find this podcast informative and useful.

Let me know what you think. I look forward to your questions and comments.

My email address is djenkins@townoflaplata.org

Talk to you soon!

Hi and welcome again to this latest episode of La Plata Ward 4 Update Podcast.

This is David Jenkins, La Plata Town Council member from Ward 4 and your host for this podcast, and my companion La Plata Ward 4 Video Update on YouTube.

A pause to update you about recent Council meetings/ activities, and related issues.

References:

• Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Budget Process
• Polls says Marylanders want more homes, in more places, to fit budgets
• Greater Greater Washington Poll Results Presentation

This concludes this latest La Plata Town Council Ward 4 Update. I hope you find this podcast informative and useful.

Let me know what you think. I look forward to your questions and comments.

My email address is djenkins@townoflaplata.org

Talk to you soon!

There are many concerns and comments about growth in La Plata and Charles County, including if recent construction on MD 488 in the town or the county. This is outside the Town boundary, beyond and further east of Kings Grant. This construction is the last St. Charles neighborhoods – Piney Reach and Wooded Glen. The St. Charles Master Plan link is provided.

This episode is a comparison of development in La Plata and Charles County.

The source for this episode is the Maryland Department’s planning annual reports from La Plata and Charles County planning commissions. The most recent and published reports are from 2022. Links are provided below.

References:

• St. Charles Master Plan
• Charles County Planning Commission 2022 Annual Report
• La Plata Planning Commission 2022 Annual Report

This concludes this latest La Plata Town Council Ward 4 Update. I hope you find this podcast informative and useful.

Let me know what you think. I look forward to your questions and comments.

My email address is djenkins@townoflaplata.org

Talk to you soon!

This episode is a follow-up to my podcast, La Plata’s Infrastructure – Water, posted in July 2023. That provided background and detailed information about the Town’s water supply system and current status.

The intent here is to provide facts and context in response to myths and rumors about La Plata’s ability to provide water to existing and new developments.

La Plata Ward 4 Video Update - Development Capacity Analysis, April 2023

This concludes this latest La Plata Town Council Ward 4 Update. I hope you find this podcast informative and useful.

Let me know what you think. I look forward to your questions and comments.

My email address is djenkins@townoflaplata.org

Talk to you soon!

Consistent with the Town’s 2020 Comprehensive Plan GOAL #16: Continue to make La Plata a very walkable community (Page 16), The Town of La Plata was awarded two grants for the construction of the La Plata Bikeway running from Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School on Willow Lane, along MD 6 Charles Street, adjacent to the Agricopia subdivision, adjacent to MD 488, to Radio Station Road to Laurel Springs Regional Park.
The two grants:

• $1.44 million from the MDOT Transportation Alternatives Program
• $385,500 from the MDOT Bikeways Program.

The link to my La Plata Ward 4 Video Update of this project.

MY ASK/CALL TO ARMS:

There will be a follow-up podcast/episode on the Town’s FY B25 budget process following our April 09, 2024, Town Council Regular Meeting - Budget discussion focusing on General Funds, and April 16, 2024, Town Council Regular Meeting - Budget discussion focusing on Enterprise Funds.

I ask for your participation and engagement in the budget process and other important Town issues. Your input is important, from the bottom-up for change.

This concludes this latest La Plata Town Council Ward 4 Update. I hope you find this podcast informative and useful.

Let me know what you think. I look forward to your questions and comments.

My email address is djenkins@townoflaplata.org

Talk to you soon!

This is the first of a series of podcast episodes following the development of the Town’s FY 2025 budget. FY 25 year starts July 1, 2024, and ends June 30, 2025.

The process started with a Town Council Budget Work Session, on Tuesday, January 30, 2024.

The January 30, 2024, session outcomes were

• Understanding of the Town’s current financial standing
• The long-term budget outlook for the Town
• Department Directors communicate department priorities
• Elected officials establish priorities and communicate budget goals

Meeting agenda:

Presentation by Town Treasurer:

• FY23 Financial Overview
• FY24 mid-year budget review

Presentations by the Department Directors.

This January 30th budget work session will be followed by additional Town Council work sessions and public hearings.

Calendar of events for the preparation of the Town's Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Budget. FY 25 starts July 1, 2024, ending June 30, 2025.
DATE EVENT
Tuesday, January 30, 2024 - Budget work session
Wednesday, February 07, 2024 - Budget worksheet available to Department Directors.
Friday, February 23, 2024 - Deadline for all Department Directors to complete FY 2025 budget worksheet(s) for review by the Town Manager and Treasurer.
Monday, March 04, 2024 – Thursday, March 14, 2024, The Town Manager and Treasurer meet with Department Directors to align
their budgets with service priorities and available resources.
Friday, March 22, 2024 - The Town Manager transmits the Proposed Budget for FY 2025 to the Council.
Tuesday, April 09, 2024 - Town Council Regular Meeting - Budget discussion focusing on General Funds.
Tuesday, April 16, 2024 - Town Council Regular Meeting - Budget discussion focusing on Enterprise Funds (Water, Sewer, Stormwater Management, Trash/Recycling)
Friday, April 12, 2024 -
1. Publication of notice of public hearing on Constant Yield Tax
Rate scheduled for April 23, 2024
2. Publication of notice of public hearing on Fee Schedule
3. Publication of notice of public hearing on Financial Plan
Budget
Tuesday, April 23, 2024, Town Council Regular Meeting -
1. Public Hearing and Public Comment on Constant Yield Tax.
2. Discussion of fee schedule.
3. Discussion of any outstanding budget items.
4. Introduction of Ordinance for FY 2025 Tax Rates.
Tuesday, May 14, 2024, Town Council Regular Meeting -
1. Public Hearing and Public Comment on FY 2025 Fee
Schedule.
2. Public Hearing and Public Comment on FY 2025 Financial
Plan Budget
3. Introduction of Ordinance adopting the FY 2025 Fee Schedule.
4. Introduction of Ordinance adopting the FY 2025 Financial Plan
Budget.
5. Adoption of Ordinance for FY 2025 Tax Rates
Tuesday, May 21, 2024 Town Council Regular Meeting - Adoption of Ordinances for FY 2025 Fee Schedule and Financial Plan Budget.

This concludes this latest La Plata Town Council Ward 4 Update. I hope you find this podcast informative and useful.

Let me know what you think. I look forward to your questions and comments.

My email address is djenkins@townoflaplata.org

Talk to you soon!

I have talked about fiscal impacts from development in a previous Oct 22, 2023, podcast The Need for Fiscal Analysis, and La Plata Ward 4 Video Update, Fiscal Impact Analysis Examples, February 2023.

I want to talk about this again, given the ongoing development of Pinegrove, which includes two commercial/office development areas, both located on the north side of Roswick Road. One site is 22 acres (Parcel P), while Parcel Q is 82 acres, proposing retail/office space, and residential units.

This is an opportunity to diversify our tax base, reducing dependency on residential growth for needed tax revenues. This is a goal from our 2022 Strategic Plan: “Strategically grow the geographic property and economic tax base with a balance of residential, commercial, and industrial growth.”

References:

• Podcast - The Need for Fiscal Analysis
• Video - Fiscal Impact Analysis Examples

DATE EVENT

Tuesday, January 30, 2024 - Budget work session

Wednesday, February 07, 2024 - Budget worksheet available to Department Directors.

Friday, February 23, 2024 - Deadline for all Department Directors to complete FY 2025 budget worksheet(s) for review by the Town Manager and Treasurer.

Monday, March 04, 2024 – Thursday, March 14, 2024, The Town Manager and Treasurer meet with Department Directors to align

their budgets with service priorities and available resources.

Friday, March 22, 2024 - The Town Manager transmits the Proposed Budget for FY 2025 to the Council.

Tuesday, April 09, 2024 - Town Council Regular Meeting - Budget discussion focusing on General Funds.

Tuesday, April 16, 2024 - Town Council Regular Meeting - Budget discussion focusing on Enterprise Funds (Water, Sewer, Stormwater Management, Trash/Recycling)

Friday, April 12, 2024 -

1. Publication of notice of public hearing on Constant Yield Tax

Rate scheduled for April 23, 2024

2. Publication of notice of public hearing on Fee Schedule

3. Publication of notice of public hearing on Financial Plan

Budget

Tuesday, April 23, 2024, Town Council Regular Meeting -

1. Public Hearing and Public Comment on Constant Yield Tax.

2. Discussion of fee schedule.

3. Discussion of any outstanding budget items.

4. Introduction of Ordinance for FY 2025 Tax Rates.

Tuesday, May 14, 2024, Town Council Regular Meeting -

1. Public Hearing and Public Comment on FY 2025 Fee

Schedule.

2. Public Hearing and Public Comment on FY 2025 Financial

Plan Budget

3. Introduction of Ordinance adopting the FY 2025 Fee Schedule.

4. Introduction of Ordinance adopting the FY 2025 Financial Plan

Budget.

5. Adoption of Ordinance for FY 2025 Tax Rates

Tuesday, May 21, 2024 Town Council Regular Meeting - Adoption of Ordinances for FY 2025 Fee Schedule and Financial Plan Budget.

This concludes this latest La Plata Town Council Ward 4 Update. I hope you find this podcast informative and useful.

Let me know what you think. I look forward to your questions and comments.

My email address is djenkins@townoflaplata.org

Talk to you soon!

In this episode, I want to talk about my hopes for what Pinegrove can be. See my previous two videos on La Plata Ward 4 Video Update on YouTube, the first dated March 14, 2022, an overview of the project, followed by Pinegrove Update, December 3, 2023, a summary of construction to date.

The following discussion is based on the developer’s approved Master Site Development Plan (MSDP) and attached project narrative. Please note: “This Master Site Development Plan depicts the generalized nature of the development. Future refinements and revisions may occur at the time of preliminary subdivision/ final site plan, subject to review and approval” by the Town of La Plata.” Approval is by the Town Planning Commission.

I highlight specific elements from the MSDP/ narrative and provide my comments. These don’t reflect the view of the Town of La Plata.

References:

La Plata Ward 4 Video Update:

Pinegrove Update, December 2023

Pinegrove aka Heritage Green Update, March 2022

An example: Greenleigh

This concludes this latest La Plata Town Council Ward 4 Update. I hope you find this podcast informative and useful.

Let me know what you think. I look forward to your questions and comments.

My email address is djenkins@townoflaplata.org

Talk to you soon!