La Plata Ward 4 Update

 This episode is a follow-up to my podcast, La Plata’s Infrastructure – Water, posted in July 2023. That provided background and detailed information about the Town’s water supply system and current status.  

The intent here is to provide facts and context in response to myths and rumors about La Plata’s ability to provide water to existing and new developments. 

La Plata Ward 4 Video Update - Development Capacity Analysis, April 2023

This concludes this latest La Plata Town Council Ward 4 Update. I hope you find this podcast informative and useful.

Let me know what y...

Consistent with the Town’s 2020 Comprehensive Plan GOAL #16: Continue to make La Plata a very walkable community (Page 16), The Town of La Plata was awarded two grants for the construction of the La Plata Bikeway running from Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School on Willow Lane, along MD 6 Charles Street, adjacent to the Agricopia subdivision, adjacent to MD 488, to Radio Station Road to Laurel Springs Regional Park. 
The two grants: 

$1.44 million from the MDOT Transportation Alternatives Program $385,500 from the MDOT Bikeways Program. 

 The link to my La Plata Ward 4 Video Update of this project.

MY ASK/CAL...

This is the first of a series of podcast episodes following the development of the Town’s FY 2025 budget. FY 25 year starts July 1, 2024, and ends June 30, 2025.  

The process started with a Town Council Budget Work Session, on Tuesday, January 30, 2024.  

The January 30, 2024, session outcomes were 

Understanding of the Town’s current financial standing The long-term budget outlook for the Town Department Directors communicate department priorities Elected officials establish priorities and communicate budget goals 

 Meeting agenda: 

Presentation by Town Treasurer: 

 FY23 Financial Overview FY24 mid-year budget review 

Presentations by the Department Directors.

 I have talked about fiscal impacts from development in a previous Oct 22, 2023, podcast The Need for Fiscal Analysis, and La Plata Ward 4 Video Update, Fiscal Impact Analysis Examples, February 2023.  

I want to talk about this again, given the ongoing development of Pinegrove, which includes two commercial/office development areas, both located on the north side of Roswick Road. One site is 22 acres (Parcel P), while Parcel Q is 82 acres, proposing retail/office space, and residential units.

This is an opportunity to diversify our tax base, reducing dependency on residential growth fo...