The Cambridge City Commissioners on Monday night approved an amended consulting agreement for the city’s long-planned flood-mitigation “resiliency” project along the Choptank River.
The action clarifies the project’s timeline, strengthens community reporting requirements, and sets expectations for communication among the city, state agencies, and property owners along the waterfront.
The updated contract with Strategic Programs Development LLC, led by engineer Larry White, covers only design work. Construction will follow in a later phase and is expected to be funded through federal and state sources.
Of the design budget totaling about $1.7 million, roughly $900,000 has already been spent. Plans are about 30 percent complete and are expected to reach the 60 percent mark by the end of the year, White told the Commissioners.
City Manager Glenn Steckman said a contract amendment to the timeline was critically necessary, as the project had never had a clearly documented one since it was initiated six years ago, potentially jeopardizing funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
“To meet auditing standards, we need to establish a defined period of performance,” Steckman told the Commissioners. The new contract formally sets the start date to October 1, 2024, and the completion date to August 5, 2026, aligning with FEMA’s grant schedule.
Ward 1 Commissioner Brett Summers focused on improving transparency and resident engagement and proposed a requirement for regular updates indicating whether affected property owners support, oppose, or remain undecided about the project’s design, which involves extensive disruption of the waterfront. White agreed to provide monthly tallies and quarterly in-person briefings.
“This gives us a clear measure of community consent,” Summers said. “It keeps the process open while design work continues.”
White confirmed that public meetings would continue through the winter and announced that a model of the proposed shoreline would be displayed for residents in December. “We want people to see exactly what this will look like,” he said.
Ward 3 Commissioner Frank Stout pressed for language that the project seek “passive infrastructure” solutions that reduce long-term maintenance costs and financial risk to the city. White said that concept already guides his team’s work, and that nature-based design is now considered a best practice.
The discussion turned tense when Summers asked that the agreement include coordination with the state Department of Emergency Management, officials of which he had spoken earlier that day about opportunities to link flood-control funding with upgrades to the city’s sewer infrastructure.
Steckman replied that city staff had already been in contact with the same agencies, and that it was important that communication follow the city’s council-manager structure so that professional staff remain central to the process.
“The operations of the city go through the city manager and his staff,” an uncharacteristically upset Steckman said. After the exchange, he acknowledged his frustration and apologized for the tone of his remarks.
Commissioners later agreed they intend to strengthen, not undermine, coordination with staff. “What we’re trying to do,” Summers said, “is put in writing the expectation that these meetings happen with everyone at the table.”
The amended agreement ultimately passed unanimously. Its main provisions now require:
- Monthly and quarterly reports on property-owner feedback,
- Collaboration with city staff and emergency-management agencies,
- Attention to passive and low-cost maintenance design, and
- Outreach to traditionally underserved neighborhoods.
The FEMA-funded design covers three major components: a stormwater upgrade, a protective berm, and a “living shoreline” using natural materials. Steckman said construction will depend on federal funding, but emphasized that design must continue to keep the grants active.
“This is a project under design,” he said. “We’re making steady progress, and we’re documenting every step.”
The council also approved a separate amendment extending the FEMA grant agreement through August 2026 to align with the new design schedule.
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Council Approves Resolution on Prayer After Careful Debate
Cambridge city commissioners voted Monday night to begin future meetings with an optional invocation or prayer, adopting a resolution that mirrored practices used by other local governments in Maryland.
The decision followed nearly 20 minutes of discussion over timing, inclusivity, and the separation between faith and public business.
In the end, the measure, introduced by Commission President Sputty Cephas, was supported 4–1. Ward 5 Commissioner Brian Roche cast the lone vote against it. The final version limits the invocation to five minutes and allows any faith representative to participate.
Supporters framed the resolution as a gesture of unity rather than an endorsement of a particular religion, citing similar practices by other local governmental bodies. Mayo Lajan Cephas-Bey said, “Our state delegation opens in prayer, our county council opens in prayer. What makes this office any different?”
Commissioner Lewis-Sisco agreed, saying she saw it as an opportunity for residents of all beliefs to start meetings with reflection. “We’re not suggesting one denomination over another,” she said. “The intent and the effort can be appreciated.”
Commissioner Stout, who initially proposed that the invocation occur before the official start of meetings, said his concern was timing, not content. He suggested a brief gathering before the start of official business for those who wish to participate. His amendment did not carry, but his suggestion informed subsequent discussion.
Several commissioners spoke personally about faith and its role in their public service. Commissioner Cephas called prayer “a guiding principle” for the community and thanked Dorchester Fire Company Chaplain Steve Hackett, who testified on the power of prayer before the Commissioners for his volunteer work and neighborhood outreach. “This town needs prayer. There’s no other way around it,” the mayor said flatly.
Commissioner Roche said his objection was procedural, not philosophical, noting that, unlike informal traditions elsewhere, the resolution formally places prayer on the meeting agenda, which “makes it part of city business. For people who may not share the same beliefs, there should be the freedom not to participate.”
After discussion, Commission President Cephas agreed to amend his motion to limit invocations to a maximum of five minutes. The 4-1 roll-call vote passed the resolution.
Mayor Cephas closed the debate by invoking tolerance. “You don’t have to claim any faith or religion,” she said. “But we can at least come together for a moment of silence or prayer.”
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