Van Hollen, Cardin Announce Over $30 Million in Direct Investments for Eastern Shore in Senate-Passed FY24 Funding Package

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen, a member of the Appropriations Committee, and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) announced $32,537,200 in direct federal funding for local projects across the Eastern Shore within the six-bill package of fiscal year 2024 funding bills passed by the Senate Friday. These funds, included at the Senators’ request, support projects encompassing a wide array of local and regional priorities for Caroline, Cecil, Dorchester, Harford, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico, and Worcester Counties, ranging from public safety to infrastructure improvements to community development. Overall, the Senators included over $160 million in federal dollars directly for Maryland within the legislation. President Biden signed the measure into law this weekend, averting a partial government shutdown.

A full list of the funds included by Senator Van Hollen in this fiscal year 2024 appropriations legislation is here. A full list of the funds included by Senator Cardin in the legislation is here.

“Delivering these direct investments to our communities is a key way we’re working to expand opportunity and shared prosperity across our state. These resources will help strengthen the Eastern Shore by supporting public safety, enhancing water quality, improving our transportation and water infrastructure, and so much more. We’re excited to see our local partners put these funds to work to benefit our communities,”

“The bipartisan passage of these six spending bills provides continued investment in Maryland that will help fund locally driven priorities and opportunities throughout the Eastern Shore. This congressionally directed funding supports the completion of critical infrastructure, public safety, health care and other projects that strengthen Maryland’s communities and growing economy,” said Senator Cardin. “Team Maryland is united in our ongoing effort to respond directly to needs of Marylanders and is committed to bringing new federal resources to our state.”

The funding announced by the Senators includes:

• $20.5 million for infrastructure, including to elevate Crisfield City Dock in Somerset County; repair and upgrade roads in Federalsburg in Caroline County; dredge waterways and support various other water infrastructure projects across the region
• $743,000 for public safety, including to improve emergency response to behavioral health crises in Cecil County; and provide body worn cameras for Worcester County police
• $7.9 million for community development, historical, and cultural initiatives, including to renovate the Benedictine School’s residential facility; rehabilitate Harmer’s Town Art Center in Havre de Grace; construct affordable housing in Dorchester and Kent Counties; support revitalization of Crisfield’s Main Street; and complete renovations of the Mace’s Lane Community Center in Dorchester County
• $2.2 million for the environment, including for Adkins Arboretum site improvements; the restoration of Assateague Island; and studying sea level rise adaptation solutions for Talbot County
• $1.2 million for education and workforce development, including to complete construction of the Building African American Minds academic center; and to provide new space for the HOPE Center’s mentorship programming for middle school girls

INFRASTRUCTURE

Project Name: Claiborne Harbor Maintenance Dredging
Applicant: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Project Location: Talbot County
Amount Awarded: $8,000
Project Description: Claiborne Harbor is a federally-authorized channel that has not received maintenance dredging for more than two decades. Funding will support maintenance dredging to ensure continued safe use of the channel by the community.

Project Name: Crisfield City Dock
Applicant: City of Crisfield
Project Location: Somerset County
Amount Awarded: $2,003,532
Description: The Crisfield City Dock hosts community events, provides free water access for crabbing, fishing, and boating, and is a port for boats to Smith and Tangier Islands. Funds will address structural issues and raise the height of the dock to make it safer and mitigate impacts of sea-level rise.

Project Name: Greensboro Regional Wastewater System Expansion
Applicant: Town of Greensboro
Project Location: Caroline County
Amount Awarded: $5,000,000
Description: Funds will be used to upgrade the wastewater system serving Greensboro and Goldsboro and extend it to the towns of Henderson, Marydel, Templeville, several mobile home parks, and the Harman residential subdivision, replacing failing septic systems and protecting the Choptank River and the Bay.

Project Name: Highway Road Improvements
Applicant: Town of Federalsburg
Project Location: Caroline County
Amount Awarded: $375,000
Description: Federalsburg plays a critical role in the industrial, warehousing, and transportation sectors of the Eastern Shore economy but many of its roads are in poor condition. Funds will be used for repairs, paving, and adding curbs and gutters.

Project Name: Slaughter Creek Maintenance Dredging
Applicant: Dorchester County
Project Location: Dorchester County
Amount Awarded: $250,000
Description: This channel has not been dredged since 1987 and is highly restricted due to shoaling, impacting waterway access. Funding for engineering and design was provided with resources under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. This funding will continue to move the project forward towards dredging.

Project Name: Town of Centreville for Water and Sewer Infrastructure Upgrades
Applicant: Town of Centreville
Project Location: Queen Anne's County
Amount Awarded: $2,000,000
Description: Funds will be used to upgrade aging water and sewer lines with safer and more reliable materials to provide clean drinking water and the capacity necessary to meet the Town and residents' needs.

Project Name: Town of Hurlock for New Well Construction
Applicant: Town of Hurlock
Project Location: Dorchester County
Amount Awarded: $405,000
Description: Funds will be used to add a third water well in the Town of Hurlock to ensure adequate drinking water supply for the town's needs.

Project Name: Town of North East for Water Control and Telemetry Updates
Applicant: Town of North East
Project Location: Cecil County
Amount Awarded: $636,668
Description: Water system control and monitoring equipment allows the town to share data between its treatment facilities and pump stations and identify leaks or problems. Funds will upgrade the equipment to make the system safer and more efficient.

Project Name: Town of Rock Hall for Pump Station Replacements
Applicant: Town of Rock Hall
Project Location: Kent County
Amount Awarded: $1,501,000
Description: The town's existing sewage pumps, piping, and control systems are at the end of their usable life. Funds will be used to replace and upgrade three pump stations to prevent sewage overflows, improve system resiliency, and protect water quality for residents.

Project Name: Upper Thorofare/Deal Island Maintenance Dredging
Applicant: Somerset County
Project Location: Somerset County
Amount Awarded: $14,000
Description: Funding will be used ensure continued access to channels surrounding the harbors and communities of Deal Island, Wenona and Rumbley. These facilities are home ports of many historic Skipjacks, commercial Watermen, and recreational boaters.

Project Name: Wicomico River Maintenance Dredging
Applicant: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Project Location: Wicomico County
Amount Awarded: $4,725,000
Description: Funding will be used to dredge the Wicomico River from the Chesapeake Bay to Salisbury to ensure that it remains passable by barges. The Port of Salisbury has the second highest commercial volume of Maryland ports and continued dredging of the Wicomico is critical to its success.

Project Name: Worcester County for Riddle Farm Wastewater Treatment Plant Bypass Force Main Interconnect
Applicant: Worcester County
Project Location: Worcester County
Amount Awarded: $1,090,000
Description: Funding will be used to install a new force main interconnect at the Riddle Farm Wastewater Treatment Plant that will connect to the Ocean Pines sewer service area and provide a back-up system in the case of routine maintenance or major repairs.

Project Name: Worcester County for Wastewater Upgrade and Rehabilitation
Applicant: Worcester County
Project Location: Worcester County
Amount Awarded: $2,500,000
Description: The Mystic Harbour Wastewater Treatment Plant has had difficulty in meeting the required permit effluent treatment levels. Funding will upgrade the biosolid treatment system and address structural issues with the facility housing the treatment systems.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Project Name: Co-Respond Mobile Crisis Team Pilot Project
Applicant: The Affiliated Sante Group
Project Location: Cecil County
Amount Awarded: $499,000
Description: Funds will support a new Co-Responder Mobile Crisis Team, pairing a trained law enforcement officer with a behavioral health clinician to respond to individuals in crisis. The team will be dispatched from 911 calls or when individuals in crisis are encountered during routine patrols.

Project Name: Worcester County Body Worn Camera Equipment
Project Location: Worcester County
Amount Awarded: $244,000
Description: Funds will be used to purchase body worn camera equipment, cloud storage, and IT support to ensure that every officer has a body camera to increase transparency and officer safety, identify training points, and provide evidentiary material for prosecution.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, HISTORICAL, AND CULTURAL INITIATIVES

Project Name: Benedictine Residential Facility
Applicant: Benedictine School for Exceptional Children
Project Location: Caroline County
Amount Awarded: $1,800,000
Description: The Benedictine School is a multi-functional, year-round education and residential center serving more than 150 children and adults with severe intellectual disabilities. Funds will renovate the outdated living areas and health facilities to better suit the needs of students and their families.

Project Name: Building and Alley Rehabilitation
Applicant: Harmer's Town Art Center, Inc.
Project Location: Harford County
Amount Awarded: $3,351,000
Description: Funds will support the rehabilitation of a vacant commercial building to serve as a regional art facility, creativity incubator, and economic driver in Havre de Grace. The building will include low-cost artist studio space and makerspaces and will draw visitors with galleries, classes, and shops.

Project Name: Cambridge Neighborhood - Camper Street
Applicant: Habitat for Humanity Choptank
Project Location: Dorchester County
Amount Awarded: $450,000
Description: Funds will be used to prepare sites in Ward 3 of Cambridge for the construction of safe, affordable, and energy efficient homes to help low-income families achieve sustainable homeownership.

Project Name: City of Crisfield for Main Street Revitalization and Resiliency Business Incubator
Applicant: City of Crisfield
Project Location: Somerset County
Amount Awarded: $500,000
Description: Funds will help revitalize a city-owned building on Main Street that was built in 1928 and has been vacant for over a decade. The rehabilitation of the building will serve as an anchor to redevelop and drive economic activity to the rest of Main Street, where there are over 2 dozen vacant storefronts.

Project Name: Mace's Lane Community Center
Applicant: Mace's Lane Community Center, Inc.
Project Location: Dorchester County
Amount Awarded: $1,000,000
Description: Funds will be used for the final phase of the renovation of the historic Mace's Lane School into a museum and community center that will house a Boys & Girls Club, youth sports, education and cultural programs, community meeting space, and senior services.

Project Name: Rural Community Revitalization through Affordable Housing
Applicant: Kent Attainable Housing, Inc.
Project Location: Kent County
Amount Awarded: $810,000
Description: Funds will support the construction of affordable homes for families in Chestertown and Butlertown. In addition to constructing housing units for first-time homebuyers, the program provides financial literacy and support services to help residents budget and establish good credit.

ENVIRONMENT

Project Name: Adkins Arboretum Site Improvements
Applicant: Adkins Arboretum
Project Location: Caroline County
Amount Awarded: $260,000
Description: The Adkins Arboretum's collection of 400 acres of native plants from the Mid-Atlantic Coastal region serves as a model of conservation and a place for visitors, including school groups, to enjoy trails and the outdoors. Funding will update amenities to better serve visitors.

Project Name: Assateague Island
Applicant: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Project Location: Worcester County
Amount Awarded: $900,000
Description: Funding will be used to maintain the integrity of Maryland's treasured Assateague Island by repositioning sand to areas that are vulnerable to erosion, removing navigation hazards, and protecting habitat for threatened and endangered species on the island.

Project Name: Building Capacity for Sea Level Rise Adaptation on the Eastern Shore
Applicant: Town of Oxford
Project Location: Talbot County
Amount Awarded: $1,060,000
Project Description: Funds will be used to research and evaluate shoreline restoration and coastal flood protection methods with the goal of implementing and disseminating best practices in Oxford and neighboring communities that are at high risk from sea level rise, erosion, and subsidence.

EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Project Name: Building African American Minds (BAAM) Academic Center
Applicant: Building African American Minds, Inc.
Project Location: Talbot County
Amount Awarded: $525,000
Project Description: Building African American Minds provides youth mentoring and services to Black students in Talbot County.  Funds will be used to complete an academic center that will house staff offices and programs, including student afterschool and summer programs and career/workforce development.

Project Name: HOPE Center
Recipient Name: Foundation of HOPE, Inc.
Project Location: Talbot County
Amount Awarded: $630,000
Project Description: Foundation of HOPE works to mentor and empower middle school girls in Talbot County. Funds will be used to construct a new facility to house its offices and entrepreneurship and empowerment afterschool program, allowing it to serve 50% more students.

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