As a result of feedback from Spy readers over the last few months, we continue today a series of interviews over the next year with Talbot County and town council presidents. By providing a platform to highlight particular issues and opportunities through these conversations, it is hoped this new format will encourage more civic engagement.
We continue our new series with Corey Pack, president of the Talbot County Council. In the case of Talbot, it must be said that it continues with a jam-packed agenda. That is one reason our first chat with Corey lasts more than 28 minutes. The Spy is committed to making these updates as brief as possible, but in our second one with President Pack, we thought it best to have an extended version.
In our second conversation, our talk ranges from the FY 2020 budget, the Talbot County Public School budget request, the extension of sewers in the Bay Hundred, an interesting project for far- raised salmon in Cordova, short-term rentals, transparency in Talbot County government, robots in Talbot County Public Schools, the passing of Talbot County Planning Commission Member Mike Sullivan, the retirement of Talbot County Director of Corrections Doug Devenyns, and other topics that should have a real interest to county residents.
This video is approximately twenty-eight minutes in length. For more information on the Talbot County Council please go here
Robert Haase says
In listening to Mr. Pack talk about the Short Term Rental Board it sounded like the requirement for safety escape from a fire is a new requirement. It is not and has been in affect since Talbot County started Licensing STR’s. The problem was the applicants stated in their application that they where in compliance with the window egress and the County took them at their word no safety inspections where ever made. Now as part of the new law they must be inspected at time of renewal and the County Inspectors are finding a lot of violations. Another problem and more serious is the fact the County is using an old code that dates back to 2003 for Short Term Rental safety compliance and not the current Building Code enforced today. The old code has no requirement for carbon monoxide detectors, the current Building code has, I think the Council believed when they passed the new legislation the Building Code referenced would be the current Building Code being enforced on all Talbot County building since 2015. I don’t believe they wanted to exempt these life saving devises. Certainly none of us who followed the passing of the new STR law thought the County would not use the Code being enforced. Deaths occur from Carbon Monoxide exposure, the State of Maryland has adopted the new 2018 Building Codes and mandates local Counties follow suite that is why we have the 2015 version now. I hope the County will change their Code adoption from the 2003 to the 2018 it will not change the escape portion but will require STR’s to have Carbon Monoxide detectors.