HomeMy WebLinkAbout26.05.15 - Minutes, Local Management BoardM A R Y L A N D
OFFICE OF GRANT MANAGEMENT
DIVISION OF BUDGET & FINANCE
Washington County Office of Grant Management
100 W. Washington Street, Room 1601
Hagerstown, MD 21740
Local Management Board Meetin
Virtual Meeting Minutes
May 15, 2026
Members present via zoom: Melanie Graves, Kelli Tencer, Gina Cirincion,
Deena Holder, Nedra Wingate -Dix, Sarah Nadeau, Susan Buchanan, Gerry McCarney, and
Delegate Matthew Schindler
Alternates present via zoom: Amanda Bishop, Brooke Kerbs, Jared Blakeslee,
Colonel Peter Lazich, Kwema Ledbetter and Linda Yale
Staff present via zoom: Carsten Ahrens — Sr. Grant Manager, Richard Lesh - Grant Manager
and Julie Mackereth
I. Opening — Welcome
• Jeremy Jakoby - Chair, and Tiffany Rexrode Vice -Chair could not attend.
Richard Lesh — Grant Manger, facilitated the meeting. He called the meeting to order at
9:03 a.m. and welcomed everyone.
Richard introduced Amy Hammerle, from Sustainable Solutions Consulting Firm.
II. Approval of Minutes — March 20, 2026
A motion was made by Gina Cirincion, seconded by Kelli Tencer to approve the
March 20, 2026, Local Management Board minutes as written.
motion approved.
III. Staff Report — Richard Lesh, Grant Manager
GOC CCIF Funding Grant update: Staff submitted the CCIF funding grant and are
currently waiting for the Community Partnership Agreement (CPA). Once that agreement
is signed by the President of the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC), it will be
finalized and become official for FY27. The Governor's Office announced at its last
meeting that the fiscal mapping data is no longer required to be complied by the LMB's.
100 West Washington Street, Suite 1601 Hagerstown, MD 21740-4885 240.313.2040 1 Hearing Impaired. 7-1-1
WWW.WASHCO-MD.NET
• HealthN Families - Home Visiting Grant application update: This is the last grant
application due for FY27. Staff are currently working on the application. The deadline to
submit is May 25th.
IV. Finance Report — Richard Lesh, Grant Manager
• FY26 Expenditure Report: The Expenditure Report was emailed to all committee
members.
Staff received an invoice from Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS). The Department of
Juvenile Services was providing matching funds for BBBS. The funding was to be
distributed through the Governor's Office, but there was a slight delay in processing. As a
result, the check will now be issued directly to the county. This issue has since been
resolved, and the county should receive the check shortly. Once the funds are received,
staff will be able to bring the BBBS invoices up to date.
V. Local Care Team Report (I .CT ): KTA Advising Group, Kwema Ledbetter and Nedra
Wingate -Dix
Kwema reported that she attended and participated in the CCAC Resource Fair. Activity
has slowed, likely due to the end of the school year, as engagement typically increases at
the start of the school year. There has been one LCT meeting in the past month. In
addition, an LCT team member portal has been established, serving as a centralized
access point with shortcuts to key documents and resources.
VI. Sub -Committee Report — Richard Lesh, Grant Manager
• Community Planning & Review (CPAR): Richard reported, the committee reviewed the
bylaws update. He shared that Damien Myers is no longer with Western Maryland
Consortium, and Misty Cubbage will assume his position.
VII. Old Business — Carsten Ahrens, Senior Grant Manager
• Capacity Building Grant Update: The award notifications have been issued, and checks
should have been sent out to both recipients. United Way and Meritus Health were
awarded funding to support their transportation programs. A budget modification was sent
to the State and the Governor's Office for Children (GOC). This process required
clarification due to initial uncertainty regarding the relationship of the funding to GOC.
The original one -page justification was subsequently expanded into a more detailed six -
page narrative, which facilitated approval and allowed the process to move forward.
Richard Lesh — Grant Manager
• By-laws update: The bylaws revision process must first undergo legal review before it can
be finalized. The County Legal Department will check all changes to ensure they comply
with the Open Meetings Act and other applicable state regulations. Once that review is
complete, the bylaws will then go to the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC).
Should the BOCC have any questions, these would be addressed in closed sessions, where
the group may respond and make any necessary adjustments. Following this, any required
edits identified during the review process will be incorporated, after which the final version
may be approved in open session.
Approval from the Local Management Board (LMB) is required prior to Board of County
Commissioners (BOCC) approval. The plan is to seek LMB approval at the June 26
meeting. It is anticipated that, by that time, legal review and the initial (closed session)
BOCC review will be complete, allowing for final approval by the BOCC in open session
VIII. New Business — Strategic Planning Consultant
• Presentation: SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats).
The interactive session was led by Amy Hammerle of Sustainable Solutions Consulting.
➢ Strengths - identified included kindergarten readiness programs, strong
partnerships, and informal community knowledge.
➢ Weaknesses - including transportation barriers, service duplication, and gaps in
access to resources.
➢ Opportunities - for improvement included the development of a comprehensive
resource guide, support for early intervention efforts, and enhanced coordination
across agencies. Key challenges discussed involved policy limitations affecting
juvenile services, unclear delineation of agency responsibilities, and the need for
improved awareness and access to available resources.
➢ Threats - not discussed.
The meeting concluded with interest in exploring the development of a nonprofit hub, a
speaker's bureau, and increased community engagement. The strategic planning process
will continue through additional surveys and the development of draft priorities in the
coming weeks.
IX. Roundtable - Members present were asked to share any updates.
X. Adjournment
A motion was made by Linda Yale; seconded by Kelli Tencer for adjournment at 10:05 a.m.
Next Meeting — June 26, 2026, at 9:00 a.m.
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Date:
e lackOffice Associate
Reviewed by:
__________ Date: -pa- a�a
Maria Kramer, Director Grant Management
Approved by:
Date: 7/2/2026
Jeremy Jakoby, .MB Chair