Economic Development Commission Minutes — 2026-01-28

EDC Meeting Minutes for January 28, 2026 I. Call to Order and Determination of Quorum Due to weather conditions, the business meeting was conducted virtually. The meeting was called to order by EDC Chair, Shelly Gross-Wade at 9:00 am.

Board members Present:

Shelly Gross-Wade, Vice Chair Mason Popham, Vice Chair Lee Bridgman, Secretary Lara Wilson, Treasurer Kenneth Knight Shawna Payne Deayna Ewell Doug Silber Jim Reilly John Anderes Ryan Snow Kelsey Karbaum Heather Bacher, Past Chair Members Not Present:

Pat Fox Larissa Costello QACETD Staff Present:

Heather Tinelli., QACETD Director Lisa Gallow, QACETD Office Coordinator April Plummer, QACETD Marketing Administration Others Present:

Patrick McLaughlin, QAC Commissioner Jody Schulz, KNDF Board and Business Owner Gigi Windley, Kent Narrows Development Foundation Steve Johnson, QAC Planning & Zoning Sandy Huffer, Centreville Town Council II. Approval of Agenda: On a motion made by John Anderes and seconded by Jim Reilly, the January meeting agenda was unanimously approved by all members present.

III. Approval of Previous Meeting Minutes: On a motion made by Heather Bacher and seconded by Ken Knight, the December EDC Meeting Minutes were unanimously approved by all members present.

IV. Treasurers Report. EDC Treasurer, Lara Wilson, stated the current balance for the EDC account is $6798.85. The $3049.96 change in funds is due to ticket sales and $77.28 credit card fees related to the Economic Development Outlook event that was recently hosted by the EDC Board and QACETD.

V. Commissioner’s Report: QAC Commissioner, Patrick McLaughlin, provided an update to the EDC members.

Commissioner McLaughlin provided an update on county operations, highlighting the successful response to recent storms and staffing preparations.

VI. Department of Economic & Tourism Development Update: QACETD Director, Heather Tinelli, provided a department update. Ms. Tinelli shared various Economic Development and Tourism initiatives, including pitch competition, details related to the new micro-ag grant and information for upcoming local events such as a trades roundtable and presentation of the economic strategy plan for Sudlersville. In addition, Ms. Tinelli discussed business visits, projects, meetings and

conferences that QACETD staff members have recently attended and completed.

VII. New Business A. Approval of 2026 Meeting Schedule- The 2026 meeting schedule was introduced and approved by all members present.

B. QAC Economic Development Survey Results-Ms. Tinelli reported that survey results were received and are being analyzed, with plans to share findings at an upcoming subcommittee meeting. Shelly Gross-Wade recommending its inclusion in resident communications and suggested potential distribution channels. The group discussed the need for better public awareness of available business resources in Queen Anne's County,

with Shelly Gross-Wade suggesting the creation of dedicated TV programming to highlight these opportunities.

C. QAC 2025 Economic Scorecard- Heather Tinelli presented the 2025 Queen Anne's County economic scorecard, highlighting key metrics including a slight increase in unemployment rate to 2.8% (second lowest in Maryland), a 13% increase in job counts to 19,000, and $1.19 million in hotel tax revenue (3% increase from FY24).

She noted that while new businesses are starting, many are smaller and won't create jobs immediately, and approximately $86 million in deals are in the pipeline for commercial real estate investment. The presentation also covered tourism statistics, career center partnerships with public schools (noting 373 internships between two high schools, a 25% increase over last year), and community outreach efforts through various committees and the

A&E district management VIII. Old Business A. Introduction of Current Board Members; Shelly Gross-Wade began her first meeting as EDC Chair by encouraging all current members to introduce themselves and include a brief statement regarding their background.

B. Introduction of New Board Members: Shelly Gross-Wade introduced the newest EDC members and offered them an opportunity to tell members a little about themselves.

1. Ryan Snow- Principal, R and R Solutions

2. Kelsey Karbaum- President, Wayne’s Welding

C. Subcommittee Strategic Plan Priorities Update

1. Elevate Tourism- The Tourism Subcommittee, chaired by Shelly

Gross-Wade, noted overlap with the Travel and Tourism Committee and plans to recalibrate their focus

2. Workforce Housing & Transportation- Shawna Payne, chair of the

Workforce Housing and Transportation Subcommittee, outlined plans to make meetings more action-oriented and requested input from Patrick McLaughlin and Mike Clark on affordable housing strategies.

3. Business Growth & Attraction- Jim provided an update on the

Business Growth and Attraction subcommittee, focusing on apprenticeships, real estate inventory, Ag Tourism, and comparing county incentives with others

4. Community & Quality of Life- Subcommittee Chair, Ken Knight,

discussed the subcommittee's efforts to recruit healthcare providers and gather community feedback, highlighting challenges in representing the county's diverse demographics. The group agreed to meet quarterly and explore presenting at the Four Seasons Country Club to better understand community needs.

D. State of the Economy January 2026 Recap- Heather Tinelli reported on the successful State of the Economy event, which attracted 175 attendees, and suggested considering a later date in January for next year's event.

IX. EDC Member Updates A. Ken Knight- Mr. Knight discussed challenges with the ACE program at Queen Anne's County High School, noting a significant decrease in student participation due to lack of faculty involvement.

B. University of MD Extension- Lee Bridgman shared upcoming events, including the annual seed giveaway and the Women in Ag Conference.

X. Liaison Updates A. QAC Planning & Zoning - Steve Johnson provided updates on several projects in Queen Anne's County, including the approved concept plan for TechOps and the major site plan for Hinckley Yachts, which is expected to move forward with permits soon. He also mentioned a meeting on February 4th to discuss the expansion of a gravel pit and a resubmitted Dunkin' Donuts application addressing traffic concerns. Steve noted that solar

projects continue to be a significant focus in the area. Ms. Gross-Wade inquired about the allowed land capacity for solar development. Steve confirmed that 5% of the county's land could be used for solar farms, with potential for up to 6,000 acres under a recent state bill. They discussed the location of solar farms with Steve noting they would likely be spread across the county, excluding residential areas. Shelly also asked about the

status of two proposed solar farms and a gas station project, which Steve said had not yet been resubmitted. The conversation ended with a discussion about the need to review and potentially update the approval process for long-pending major site plans, as Shelly expressed concern about the allocation of limited water and sewer capacity for projects that had not progressed in over two years.

They discussed concerns about water and sewer allocation reserves for inactive projects, with Shelly raising questions about implementing time limits for unused allocations that could hinder new development. Steve explained that once projects are approved, there's typically a two-year clock before requiring extensions, and while paid deposits make it more challenging to reclaim allocations, the law currently doesn't require developers to return

unused ones. The group agreed to add this topic to the Business Attraction and Expansion Subcommittee agenda for further discussion, while Steve noted that the JPN self-storage project was nearing completion after addressing violations.

B. Workforce Development-Connie Dean, QACETD Workforce Development Administrator, requested volunteers for tour guides, presenters, and career tables at an upcoming event, Kelsey Karbaum offered to help with welding and construction presentations on the second day.

C. Chesapeake College- Shelly Goss-Wade shared on behalf of Dave Harper that full funding for Chesapeake College's expansion project has been included in the governor's budget.

D. Kent Narrows Development Foundation- Gigi Windley provided the EDC members with an update.

The Printed copy of the Tier 2 NEPA study is available for review. The KNDF will attend the public hearings that are scheduled for February. A hard copy is located in the Visitors Center and the libraries for review. KNDF is preparing for the Bay Bridge Boat Show here at Kent Narrows-Safe Harbor Marina. April 17-19, 2026. There has been a retail change in the region as The O moved to 214 Pier Road in Stevensville with an anticipated opening date of .Feb.

KNDF continues to monitor Bills that will affect businesses here which include HB 244 DNR sponsored Bill related to succession of Boat ownership.

Bill Summary- Authorizing an individual who is the sole owner of a certain vessel to apply to the Department of Natural Resources to designate a beneficiary to take ownership of the vessel on the death of the owner;

requiring a designated beneficiary who survives the owner of a vessel to apply to the Department for a new certificate of title for the vessel; and requiring an application for a certificate of title for a vessel to contain certain information.

XI. Adjourn- Ona motion made by Ken Knight and seconded by Heather Bacher, all members present approved to adjourn the EDC meeting at 10:39am.