The provisions of this chapter shall apply in and upon all parks
within the County.
The Talbot County Department of Parks and Recreation be and
the same hereby is created.
The Department shall be responsible for the organization and
conduct of public recreation and public parks in all areas of the
County not presently controlled by one of the municipal subdivisions.
It shall also be responsible for the organization and conduct of public
parks, playgrounds, and other recreational facilities open to the
public which are so located, excepting Hog Neck Golf Course. It shall
encourage development of cooperative programs and joint use of facilities
among the various political subdivisions of the County and act as
a clearinghouse for coordination of ongoing programs. It shall coordinate
use of the facilities with the Board of Education. The Department
shall have such other duties as may be prescribed by directive of
the County Manager or by legislative act of the County Council not
inconsistent with the County Charter.
The Director is authorized to limit or restrict any park or section thereof to certain activities, uses, or age groups and to prohibit activities and uses of any park or section thereof, or to impose rules and regulations in addition to those set forth in §
102-5 herein when deemed necessary for the health, safety, and welfare of the public or for the protection of park property. Such limits, restrictions, regulations, or prohibitions shall be by order of the Director and posted in the affected areas.
There is hereby created a Talbot County Parks and Recreation
Advisory Board.
The Talbot County Parks and Recreation Advisory Board shall
consist of 10 voting members, including one member from the County
Council, the County Manager, and the Director of the Department of
Parks and Recreation as ex officio nonvoting members. The term of
the County Council representative shall expire with the Council elective
term of office. The appointed members shall be selected as follows:
one member each from the Towns of Easton, St. Michaels, Oxford, and
Trappe, as nominated by those respective bodies and appointed by the
Council; one member each from Chapel District, Easton District, and
the Bay Hundred District, and three at-large members, two of whom
shall be appointed by the County Council and one of whom shall be
nominated by the Talbot County Board of Education and appointed by
the County Council. Existing appointments shall continue for their
full current terms, and the members from Chapel District and the Easton
District shall serve a partial term from July 1, 2016, and July 1,
2017, respectively, and shall be eligible for consideration for reappointment
to a subsequent four-year term. As each term expires, the new appointment
shall be for a term of four years, to commence from the first day
of July of the year in which it is made or until a successor is appointed.
Vacancies, except for those at the expiration of a term, shall be
filled in the same manner as an original appointment and for the unexpired
term. Members of the Advisory Board shall receive no compensation
for their services. The Advisory Board shall annually elect a Chairman
and Vice Chairman from its membership. From time to time, the County
Council or the Advisory Board may create subcommittees and task forces
whose members may but need not be members of the Advisory Board.
The Advisory Board shall assess the recreational needs and resources
of the County and may coordinate with community organizations to promote
recreational opportunities for the general public. It shall review
the annual budget request prepared by the Director. It shall make
recommendations to the Director and the County Council regarding the
staffing, maintenance, and operation of recreational facilities and
programs, as well as landings, docks, and other public property under
its management. The Advisory Board shall make recommendations to the
County Council relating to plans and policies for public recreation,
the organization of recreational councils, the establishment of recreational
programs, and plans for the acquisition of land for public recreation
and open space prepared by the Office of Planning and Zoning. The
Advisory Board shall meet as needed, but not less than quarterly.
All meetings shall be open to the public, unless applicable Maryland
law permits an executive or closed session. The Advisory Board shall
report on its activities annually and at such other times as requested
by the County Council.
The County Council shall appoint a Director of Parks and Recreation,
who shall be a department head within the organizational structure
of the County and shall supervise the operations of the Department,
subject to the authority of the County Manager. The Director shall
annually prepare a budget request for the Department, which shall
first be submitted to the Talbot County Parks and Recreation Advisory
Board for approval. The budget request shall be prepared in accordance
with applicable County regulations and the provisions of this chapter.