[1. CALL TO ORDER]
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GOOD EVENING CHAIR CALLS TO ORDER LEGISLATIVE SESSION DAY 22 DASH 29.
I WOULD ASK YOU TO PLEASE JOIN US IN STANDING FOR THE PLEDGE, FOLLOWED BY THE OPENING PRAYER BY COUNCILMAN PENMAN, A PLEDGE ALLEG PLEDGE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION AN UNDER GODD, INVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
LORD, WE COME TO YOU WITH GRATEFUL HEARTS BECAUSE WE KNOW YOU PROVIDE LOVE, MERCY, AND GRACE.
LORD, WE THANK YOU FOR SENDING YOUR ALWAYS SON WHOSE BIRTH WE CELEBRATE IN THIS SEASON TO DELIVER US FROM OUR SIN.
FATHER, PLEASE COMFORT ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE AWAY FROM THEIR FAMILIES THIS CHRISTMAS, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE SERVING OUR NATION.
LORD, BE WITH THE BROKENHEARTED AND REMIND THOSE SUFFERING WHO ARE ALONE, THAT YOU ARE ALWAYS WITH THEM.
LORD, PLEASE BE BLESS OUR LOCAL, STATE AND NATIONAL LEADERS.
I PRAY FOR THEIR STRENGTH, FAITHFULNESS, INTEGRITY, AND PURPOSE.
THOUGH WE DO NOT ALWAYS AGREE, WE PRAY THAT YOU WILL GUIDE OUR LEADERS AND BLESS THEM SO THAT OUR COUNTRY, STATE, AND NATION WILL THRIVE.
I PRAY ALL THIS IN YOUR HOLY NAME.
AGENDA, ITEM NUMBER FOUR, PRESENTATION OF PROCLAMATIONS.
[5. CONSIDERATION OF PETITIONS, APPLICATIONS, APPOINTMENTS AND NOMINATIONS]
CONSIDERATION OF PETITIONS, APPLICATIONS, APPOINTMENTS AND NOMINATIONS.UH, COUNSEL, UH, YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU LIST A COUNCIL MEMBER APPOINTMENTS TO SERVE ON VARIOUS BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, AND THEY ARE AS FOLLOWS, AUDIT ADVISORY BOARD, MYSELF AND COUNCILMAN JANNO, PUBLIC LIBRARY, BOARD OF TRUSTEES, COUNCILWOMAN BOY SADDLES, CITIZENS NURSING HOME BOARD, COUNCILMAN BENNETT, COMMISSION ON DISABILITIES, COUNCILMAN GUTHRIE, JAMES V.
CAPTAIN JIM MCMAHON, COMMISSION ON VETERANS AFFAIRS.
COUNCILMAN PENMAN, OFFICE ON MENTAL HEALTH CORE SERVICE AGENCY ON HARFORD COUNTY.
COUNCILMAN BENNETT HARFORD CENTER BOARD.
COUNCILMAN BENNETT, MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE FOLLOWING? COUNCILMAN, UH, COUNCIL PRESIDENT I MOVE TO APPROVE, UH, AUDIT ADVISORY BOARD PRESIDENT VINCENTI AND COUNCILMAN JAN JORDANA, PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES, COUNCILMAN BOYLES SADDLES, CITIZENS NURSING HOME BOARD, COUNCILMAN BENNETT, COMMISSION ON DISABILITIES, COUNCILMAN GUTHRIE, JAMES V.
CAPTAIN JIM MCMAHON, COMMISSION ON VETERANS AFFAIRS.
COUNCILMAN PENMAN, OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH CORE SERVICE AGENCY OF HARTFORD COUNTY.
COUNCILMAN BENNETT HARTFORD CENTER BOARD.
COUNCILMAN BENNETT? MAY I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND.
SECOND TO APPROVE COUNSEL APPOINTMENTS.
ARE THERE ANY DISCUSSIONS MS. DIXON? MR. PRESIDENT? AYE.
THERE BEING SEVEN VOTES IN THE AFFIRMATIVE? ZERO NEGATIVE.
THE APPOINTMENTS ARE HEREBY APPROVED.
UH, COUNSEL, WE HAVE BEFORE THIS EVENING, DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS, UH, SENT OVER BY, UH, COUNTY EXECUTIVE CASTLEY AND IF THERE ARE NO OBJECTIONS, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THEM INDIVIDUALLY.
SO MAY I HAVE A MOTION, UH, TO APPROVE, UH, JEFFERSON BLOMQUIST COUNTY ATTORNEY COUNSEL PRESIDENT, I'M MOVED TO APPROVE THE APPOINTMENT OF JEFF JEFFERSON BLOMQUIST COUNTY ATTORNEY.
MAY I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND, MR. GUTHRIE, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION MS. DIXON? MR. PRESIDENT? AYE.
THERE'RE BEING SEVEN VOTES IN THE AFFIRMATIVE.
ZERO IN A NEGATIVE JEFFERSON BLOMQUIST IS HEREBY APPROVED.
SHANE GRIM, DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND ZONING.
MAY I HAVE A MOTION? COUNCIL PRESIDENT, I MOVE TO APPROVE THE APPOINTMENT OF SHANE GRIM, DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND ZONING.
MAY I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND, MR. PENMAN? THANK YOU.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION MS. DIXON? MR. PRESIDENT? AYE.
MR. BENNETT? AYE, BEING SEVEN IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, ZERO IN NEGATIVE MR. GRIMM'S APPOINTMENT HAS BEEN APPROVED.
JOSEPH SLIFKA, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY SERVICES.
MAY I HAVE A MOTION? COUNSEL PRESIDENT?
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I MOVED TO APPROVE THE APPOINTMENT OF JOSEPH SOA, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY SERVICES.MAY I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND, MR. PENMAN, WAS IT MR. PENMAN OR MR. GUTHRIE? MR. GUT.
MR. GUTHRIE? I'M SORRY MR. GUTHRIE, IT'S BEEN MOVED AS SECOND TO APPROVE.
MR. SWIFTER, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? YES, MR. PRESIDENT? MR. PENMAN, I WANNA THANK THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE FOR MAKING THE APPOINTED DIRECTORS AVAILABLE FOR MEETINGS WITH MYSELF AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL.
I KNOW THE PROCESS CAN BE OVERWHELMING BECAUSE THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT, THE ENTIRE COUNCIL CAN'T MEET WITH THE DIRECTORS ALL AT ONCE, WHICH REQUIRES THEM TO BE INTERVIEWED MULTIPLE TIMES.
DESPITE THE DIFFICULTIES, THE COUNCIL IS TAKING THIS CONFIRMATION PROCESS VERY SERIOUSLY AND CONTINUOUSLY TRYING TO UNDERSTAND EACH CANDIDATE IN ITS POSITION.
EVEN TONIGHT, WE GAIN INFORMATION ABOUT THE POSSIBLE ADDITION OF TRANSIT TO THE COMMUNITY SERVICES DIVISION.
IN ADDITION, IT IS REASSURING THAT, THAT SOME OF THE FORMER DIRECTORS HAVE ALSO REMAINED ON STAFF IN THOSE DEPARTMENTS, WHICH ALSO BRINGS INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE AS A RESOURCE.
ANYONE ELSE? MR. DICK? I'M SORRY.
MR. RILEY? YES, I, UH, APPRECIATE, UH, COUNTY EXECUTIVE, UH, APPOINTING JOSEPH SALKA AS DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY SERVICE AND I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT.
ANYONE ELSE? UM, I'D LIKE TO MS. SOLES, UM, SO I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTERVIEW MR. LIPKA AND, UM, HE HAS A, A VERY KIND HEART.
UM, I DO, I DID HAVE SOME QUESTION ON HIS RESUME, BUT, UM, AFTER LEARNING THAT HE IS GOING TO ALSO HELP WITH TRANSIT, I THINK THAT HE IS QUALIFIED FOR THAT AND WITH THE DEPUTY THAT HE WILL HAVE BEHIND HIM, UM, WHO IS, SEEMS TO BE VERY WELL, UH, ADJUSTED AND KNOWS THE DIRECT, THE COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
I THINK THAT, UM, HE'LL DO A VERY GOOD JOB.
ANYONE ELSE? MS. DIXON? MR. PRESIDENT? AYE.
MR. BENNETT, AYE, BEING SEVEN VOTES IN THE AFFIRM IS ZERO NEGATIVE, MR. SLIFKA IS APPROVED.
KEVIN GREENWELL, DIRECTOR OF PROCUREMENT MAY HAVE A MOTION.
COUNCIL PRESIDENT, I MOVE TO APPROVE THE APPOINTMENT OF KEVIN GREENWELL, DIRECTOR OF PROCUREMENT.
MAY I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND, MR. GUTHRIE.
UM, IT'S BEEN MOVED IN A SECOND TO APPROVE MR. GREENWELL, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION, MR. PRESIDENT? UM, MR. BENNETT, UM, I JUST WANTED TO, YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE HEARING EVERYBODY ELSE'S, UH, COMMENTS TONIGHT ABOUT THE INTERVIEWS THEY WERE ABLE TO HAVE.
UM, AND I ALSO WANNA THANK, UH, PEOPLE LIKE YOURSELF, MR. PRESIDENT, WHO WERE ABLE TO SIT WITH ME ONE-ON-ONE AND, UH, SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT EACH OF THESE CANDIDATES.
UH, UNFORTUNATELY, UNLIKE ALL OF YOU, UM, I WAS NOT ABLE TO SCHEDULE, UH, INTERVIEWS WITH THESE CANDIDATES.
I HAD INTERVIEWS THAT WERE THEN CANCELED, UM, WHICH, UH, YOU KNOW, GAVE ME A LIMITED PERSPECTIVE.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WHILE I FELT CONFIDENT IN THE RESUMES OF, UM, UH, OUR OTHER THREE CANDIDATES THAT WE VOTED ON TONIGHT, UM, IN REGARDS TO, UH, MR. GREENWELL, I STILL HAD QUESTIONS THAT I FEEL ARE UNRESOLVED.
SO WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO SIT DOWN WITH HIM, MY PLANS TO ABSTAIN FROM THIS VOTE.
YOU'RE ABSTAINING FROM THE VOTE? NO.
UM, ANYONE ELSE? MS. DIXON? MR. PRESIDENT? AYE.
MR. BENNETT EPSTEIN WITH SIX VOTES IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, ONE ABSTENTION, UH, MR. UH, GREENWELL'S APPOINTMENT IS HEREBY APPROVED, AND I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A MINUTE TO RECOGNIZE ALL FOUR GENTLEMEN IN THE AUDIENCE THIS EVENING.
GENTLEMEN, IF YOU COULD PLEASE STAND AND BE RECOGNIZED.
I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR SERVICE.
UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU IN THE FUTURE AND KNOW THAT OUR DOORS ARE ALWAYS OPEN.
IF YOU NEED ANYTHING AT ALL, WE'RE RIGHT HERE FOR YOU TO HELP AND ASSIST YOU IN ANY WAY.
THANK YOU FOR COMING TONIGHT AND GOOD LUCK.
[6. SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS]
SIX, SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS.HARFORD TWO 50 COMMITTEE COUNSEL IS OUR PLEASURE TO WELCOME JACQUELINE SANAL, CO-CHAIR AND
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HARFORD OF TWO HARTFORD TWO 50, AND MS. ARDEN MCCLUM, UH, A MEMBER OF HARFORD TWO 50 STEERING COMMITTEE.UM, WHENEVER YOU'RE READY, LADIES.
TECHNOLOGY WAS LESS OF AN ISSUE.
OTHER IN PREVIOUS TIMES, MAYBE
I, FIRST OF ALL, I'M JACKIE SANWAN.
I WANNA THANK THE MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL FOR ALLOWING US TIME TO ADDRESS YOU THIS EVENING ON WHAT WE THINK WILL BE A REAL CELEBRATION FOR THE COUNTY AND A COUNTYWIDE CELEBRATION AND OPPORTUNITY TO BRING THE COUNTY TOGETHER.
UM, AS THE PRESIDENT INDICATED, UH, ARDEN MCCLUEN FROM THE LERAY DUNGEON FOUNDATION IS WITH ME THIS EVENING.
AND, AND SOME OF YOU ALL MAY KNOW HER AS WELL.
I WAS ASKED THIS EVENING, SO I'LL START WITH THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION.
WHAT WAS THE OFFICIAL DATE OF THE FOUNDING OF HARFORD COUNTY? WELL, THE LEGISLATURE PASSED THE LEGISLATION IN 1773 DURING THEIR SESSION.
THEN IT WAS TOWARD THE END OF THE YEAR, AS I RECALL, BUT THE LEGISLATION DID NOT BECOME EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1774.
SO TO TRY TO TAKE CARE OF THAT, WE DECIDED TO HAVE OFFER A, A 12 MONTH CELEBRATION BEGINNING IN MARCH OF TW 2023 AND ENDING IN MARCH OF 2024.
WHEN I SAY WE, THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY IS THE, THIS IS A PROJECT OF THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, BUT IT REALLY IS A COLLABORATION WITH A NUMBER OF THE OTHER NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS, MUSEUMS AND ATTRACTIONS ACROSS THE COUNTY.
SO WE'RE VERY LUCKY TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT.
WHY DID WE DECIDE TO DO THIS? SHE SAID, JUST THE ARROW.
THE MISSION OF HARTFORD TWO 50 IS TO REALLY IMPROVE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF WHO WE ARE AS A COUNTY, WHERE WE HAVE COME FROM AND WHERE WE ARE HEADED.
AND THAT'S WHETHER YOUR FAMILY CAME HERE IN THE 16 AND 17 HUNDREDS, OR WHETHER THEY CAME HERE IN 2016 OR 2017.
YOU'RE ALL HARTFORD COUNTY AND WE ALL WANNA CELEBRATE THAT.
SO TO DO THAT, WE WANNA RECOGNIZE AND UNITE OUR RESIDENCES.
WE WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE COMMON BONDS THAT WE HAVE.
UM, SO WE HOPE TO INSPIRE THE COUNTY RESIDENTS BY EDUCATING THEM, ENGAGING THEM, AND UNITING THEM IN A CELEBRATION OF THE COUNTY'S PAST AND LOOKING FORWARD TO ITS FUTURE.
WE'RE CELEBRATING WHAT MAKES HARPER COUNTY SPECIAL.
WE ARE PUTTING THIS PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON COLLECTING 20TH CENTURY STORIES AND HISTORY.
SOME OF US MAY NOT VIEW THE THINGS THAT HAPPENED IN OUR LIVES NECESSARILY AS HISTORY, BUT THOSE 50 TO 75 YEARS FROM NOW WILL VIEW US AS HISTORY.
UM, AND SOME OF THE FOLKS BORN IN THE EARLY PART OF THE 20TH CENTURY ARE LEAVING US.
UH, ONE OF THE PROJECTS, WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT MORE, IS THE COLLECTION OF STORIES.
UM, AND WE'RE PUBLISHING A BOOK OF STORY, 20TH CENTURY STORIES IN HARVARD COUNTY.
WE WANNA PROMOTE OUR LOCAL MUSEUMS AND ATTRACTIONS.
AND AGAIN, WE WANNA INCREASE OUR SHARED SENSE OF IDENTITY WITH MEMBERS OF A SINGLE COMMUNITY.
AS I MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING, THIS IS A MAJOR ACTIVITY OF A LOT OF FOLKS.
THE HO HARVARD COUNTY GOVERNMENT'S BEEN ACTIVELY INVOLVED SINCE THE VERY BEGINNING, MOSTLY AT A STAFF LEVEL.
UM, AND WITH SOME FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY PROVIDES US WITH A LEGAL HOME.
UM, THE HARVARD COMMUNITY COLLEGE IS GONNA, UM, PROVIDE US WITH A LOT OF SUPPORT FOR OUR OPENING EVENT, HARTFORD SHOWCASE, WHICH IS ON MARCH 31ST, APRIL 1ST, 2023.
THE DRESSER FOUNDATION, THE TOWN OF BELAY, THE CITY OF HA, GRACE.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, A NUMBER OF THE NONPROFIT, UM, AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS.
WE ARE LITERALLY GETTING A CALL A DAY, UH, LATELY OF FROM NONPROFITS AND ORGANIZATIONS, UM, THAT WANT TO BECOME A PART OF THIS.
AS I MENTIONED THE BEGINNING, WE HAVE THE COMMITTEE, THE TWO 50 COMMITTEE HAS THREE PLANNED EVENTS.
THE FIRST IS THE HARTFORD SHOWCASE WILL BE MARCH 31ST AND APRIL 1ST AT THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND THEIR ARENA.
WE WILL HAVE PERFORMANCES, COMMUNITY BOOTHS AND NONPROFIT BOOTHS.
UM, AND THEN FRIDAY EVENING IS MORE OF A GALA.
UM, AND IT WILL INCLUDE, UM, IT'S FOR 24, 21 AND OVERT EVENT.
UM, AND THEN IN SATURDAYS MORE OF A FAMILY ORIENTED EVENT.
WE'LL HAVE HISTORIC FIRE TRUCKS THERE.
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ALL THERE.UM, AND THAT WILL BE A, A MUCH MORE REASONABLY PRICED EVENT TO ENCOURAGE FAMILIES TO COME.
ON AUGUST 19TH, WE'RE GONNA CELEBRATE A NIGHT AT THE BALLPARK AT RIPKIN STADIUM.
WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THE HISTORY OF SPORTS IN HARTFORD COUNTY, WHICH IS EVERYTHING FROM HORSE RAISING, WHICH DATES FROM COLONIAL TIMES MM-HMM.
TO THE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL TEAMS AND THE, UH, RECREATIONAL BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL LEAGUES AND SOCCER LEAGUES OF TODAY.
WE'RE GONNA CELEBRATE ALL OF THAT.
FINALLY, ON MARCH THE 23RD OF 2024 HERE IN BEL AIR, WE WILL CELEBRATE THE FUTURE OF HARTFORD COUNTY.
WE'LL HAVE YOUTH PERFORMANCES, WE'LL HAVE THE UNVEILING OF A PIECE OF PUBLIC ART, UM, AND WE HOPE TO HAVE A COUNTYWIDE RINGING OF THE BELLS AND BEARING OF SIRENS AT NOON ON THAT DAY.
SO EVERYBODY PREPARE NOW TO DO THAT.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THOSE THREE BIG EVENTS, WE'RE GONNA HAVE, UM, A MEMOIR BOOK, WHICH IS LITERALLY AT THE PUBLISHER RIGHT NOW.
UM, IT WILL BE AVAILABLE SOMETIME IN THE NEXT 10 TO 10 WEEKS TO 10 DAYS TO TWO WEEKS, DEPENDING UPON HOW QUICKLY, UM, THEY GET IT FINISHED.
UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A PASSPORT PROGRAM, WHICH YOU ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO VISIT OUR MUSEUMS AND OUR BUSINESSES AROUND THE COUNTY.
WE'RE COLLECTING ITEMS FOR A TIME CAPSULE TO MEMORIALIZE THIS CELEBRATION THAT WOULD THEN BE OPENED, UH, IN 50 TO 75 YEARS.
WE'RE COMMISSIONING A PUBLIC ART PIECE.
I MENTIONED THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TV AND RADIO SPOTS.
UH, WE HAVE SOCIAL MEDIA, UH, FAME.
YOU CAN FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK AND ON INSTAGRAM.
AND OF COURSE WE HAVE A WEBSITE, HARFORD TWO 50 THAT'S UPDATED REGULARLY WITH OUR ACTIVITIES AND HOW PEOPLE CAN BECOME A PARTICIPANT IN THOSE.
THE PUBLIC ART PIECE I MENTIONED, UM, HAS HAD A LOT OF SUPPORT FROM, UM, THE FOLKS IN THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION STAFF HERE IN THE COUNTY.
UM, WE'RE GOING TO, IT'S INTENDED TO BE A LEGACY OF THE, THE ENTIRE CELEBRATION.
WE HAD A PUBLIC SURVEY FOR THE THEME, UH, DURING SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER.
UM, I THINK COUNCIL PRESIDENT MAY REMEMBER SEEING US AT THE GROVE, UH, WHERE WE WERE COLLECTING VOTES FROM FOLKS, UH, TO THE, UH, OPTIONS.
WE GAVE THEM FIVE DIFFERENT OPTIONS FOR A THEME.
THEY PICKED ROOTED HISTORY LIGHTING THE WAY TO THE FUTURE.
WE HAVE AN RFQ OUT RIGHT NOW FOR AN ARTIST.
UH, THE PUBLIC INFORMATION MEETING ON THAT WAS LAST WEEK.
UM, BUT IF ART ARTISTS ARE INTERESTED, THEY SHOULD GO TO THE HARPER TWO 50 WEBSITE.
UM, AND THEY CAN SEE, UH, A LINK TO THE REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS.
WE'LL BE MAKING A DECISION ON THAT, UH, IN FEBRUARY, UM, SO THAT WE CAN SUBMIT A GRANT APPLICATION IN MARCH FOR THAT.
UH, WE HAVE SPONSORSHIPS AT VARYING LEVELS.
UM, WE HAVE HAVE HAD A VERY, VERY POSITIVE AND A WONDERFUL SUPPORTIVE RESPONSE FROM THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY HERE IN THE COUNTY.
UM, IT'S REALLY BEEN HUMBLING MM-HMM.
UH, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MAY NOT KNOW, EACH OF THE SPONSORSHIP LEVELS IS NAMED FOR A PARTICULAR PERSON WHO HAS MADE A MARK IN HARPER COUNTY HISTORY.
MOST FOLKS ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE, UH, THE MARQUITA ETTE LAFAYETTE MAY HAVE HEARD OF HIM BEFORE.
HE WAS PROMINENT IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR.
UH, ERNEST BURKE WAS A, UH, BALL PLAYER IN THE NEGRO LEAGUES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE 20TH CENTURY.
J ALEXIS SHREVER WAS A VERY PROMINENT BUSINESSMAN HERE IN HARFORD, IN HARPER COUNTY IN GENERAL, PARTICULARLY IN BEL AIR.
HE FOUNDED THE FIRST TELEPHONE COMPANY, THE FIRST ELECTRIC COMPANY AND A WATER COMPANY.
UH, KATE LORD, UH, WAS AN EARLY ENVIRONMENTALIST.
WHAT KATE LORD AND HER HUSBAND RUSSELL ADVOCATED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE 20TH, IN THE EARLY AND MIDDLE 20TH CENTURY ABOUT THE PRESERVATION OF LAND.
UM, AND THE PROTECTION OF OUR RESOURCES WOULD TODAY BE CALLED SUSTAINABILITY.
SERGEANT ALFRED HILTON, YOU MAY PROBABLY HAVE HEARD, IS THE ONLY, UH, UM, HAR COUNTY TO HAVE WON THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR.
UH, COMMODOR ROGERS WAS PROMINENT IN THE EARLY YEARS OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY.
MARY SENATOR MARY RESTO, FOR WHOM WE HAVE A BUILDING NAMED WAS THE FIRST WOMAN TO BE A SENATOR IN, UH, STATE OF MARYLAND.
AND THEN TODA O'NEIL IS THE 15 YEAR OLD HERO OF THE BATTLE OF HAVES.
THIS IS THE LIST OF BUSINESSES, UH, THAT WE'VE GOTTEN RESPONSES FROM SO FAR, BUSINESSES, INDIVIDUALS, AND IN SOME CASES NONPROFITS.
UH, SO WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO GET A LOT OF, AND WE'RE VERY ENCOURAGED BY THE SUPPORT OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.
IT'S BEEN REAL, AS I SAID, VERY, VERY HUMBLING.
UH, IF YOU WANNA VISIT AND LEARN MORE ABOUT IT, UM, OUR WEBSITE IS WWW.HARVARDHISTORY.ORG.
OR SORRY, THAT'S THE CIRCLE SOCIETY, WWW HAR HARTFORD, TWO FIFTY.ORG.
UM, ARDEN'S, PRACTICALLY A CO-CHAIR,
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QUESTIONS DO YOU HAVE? UM, UH, THE ONE THING WE'RE NOT HERE TO ASK FOR IS WE'RE HERE TO THANK YOU FOR THE MONEY THE COUNTY'S ALREADY PROVIDED.WE DON'T HAVE TO ASK YOU FOR MONEY.
THIS IS HAVE COME IN AND MADE THE REST AND MADE UP THE REST OF IT FOR US.
WELL, FIRST, UH, MS. SINAL SINAL, LET ME, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
AND YES, I DO REMEMBER YOU UP AT THE GRAVE.
YOU GUYS WERE DOING AN OUTSTANDING JOB, UH, PROMOTING, UH, THE YEAR LONG EVENT THERE.
UH, ARDEN, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD? I THINK THE ONLY THING I WOULD ADD IS, UH, OUR, WHAT WE WOULD ASK OF YOU IS TO HELP US IN ANY WAY YOU CAN TO SPREAD THE WORD, UM, INFORMATION OUT TO THE VARIOUS FOLKS.
I KNOW YOU ALL KEEP, UH, GENERALLY LARGE EMAIL LISTINGS OF FOLKS.
IF WE FORWARDED SOME INFORMATION TO YOU, WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO SEND THAT OUT TO YOUR CONTACTS? WE WANT EVERYBODY TO BE AWARE, ESPECIALLY THE SHOWCASE EVENT COMING UP NOW IN A FAIRLY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
IT'LL BE A, A FUN TIME FOR FAMILIES.
BE A LOVELY EVENT ON FRIDAY NIGHT.
OH, AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING EVERYBODY THERE.
AND I'M ASSUMING YOU'LL HAVE OTHER EVENTS POP OUT THROUGH THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
POP, WE, UH, THE THREE EVENTS, EVENTS I MENTIONED ARE THE EVENTS THAT THE CENTRAL, THE COMMITTEE IS PLANNING.
BUT IT'S, YOU'RE RIGHT, THERE'LL BE EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
FOR EXAMPLE, UH, DOUBLE DOUBLE BREWERY IS LEADING THE BREWERIES IN THE COUNTY AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF A HARTFORD TWO 50 BEER
UH, THEY WILL BE RELEASING THAT IN FEBRUARY, UM, AT A CELEBRATION UP AT THE DOUBLE GROUP BREWERY.
THE SUSQUEHANNA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA IS GONNA HAVE A SPECIAL CONCERT, UH, DEVOTED TO HARTFORD COUNTY AND FEATURING HARTFORD COUNTY, UH, COMPOSERS ALONG WITH A NEW PIECE THAT THEY HAVE COMMISSIONED FOR IT.
UM, LIRON HAS A FULL YEAR OF ACTIVITIES, UH, FOR HARTFORD TWO 50.
OF COURSE, THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY DOES OUR MOST.
NOTABLY, WE WILL BE OPENING THE HARTFORD COUNTY HISTORY MUSEUM IN MAY OF, UH, 2023.
THERE WAS ONE, I WAS SPEAKING TODAY WITH KRISTEN KIRKWOOD OF THE HARTFORD LAND TRUST, AND SHE IS WORKING WITH A GROUP INCLUDES SOIL CONSERVATION DISTRICT AND OTHER FOLKS ON A LEGACY FARM PROGRAM.
AND THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT A CELEBRATION FOR THAT SOMETIME IN JUNE.
I'M SURE YOU ALL HEAR ABOUT RECOGNIZING FARMS THAT HAVE BEEN IN FAMILIES FOR A HUNDRED YEARS OR MORE.
APPARENTLY THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE OFFICIAL FORMAT FOR THAT IS FAIRLY COMPLICATED AND DIFFICULT TO GET THROUGH AT THE STATE LEVEL, BUT THEY ARE LOOKING AT SOMETHING THAT'S A BIT SIMPLER, UH, THAT CAN BE RECOGNIZING FOLKS HERE IN HARTFORD COUNTY.
MR. PRESIDENT, UM, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU LADIES FOR YOUR TIME AND EFFORTS.
THIS LOOKS LIKE AN EXCITING TIME, UM, AND, AND DEFINITELY LOOKS LIKE YOU HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT EVENTS.
UM, AND ALSO THE SHERIFF HARFORD COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE IS COMING UP ON THEIR 250 50TH ANNIVERSARY AS WELL, UH, IN 2024, WHICH OH, SHOULD OVERLAP JUST A FEW MONTHS.
SO IT MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA TO REACH OUT TO THEM AND MAYBE HAVE SOME, UH, SOME JOINT EVENTS GOING FORWARD.
SO ABSOLUTELY, WE'D BE DELIGHTED TO DO THAT.
UM, I LIKE YOUR PRESENTATION UP THERE, BUT I WANNA KNOW WHEN WE'RE GOING TO THE RACETRACK CUZ THAT'S NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART.
UM, I THINK THE ONE THAT WE HAVE IS A RACE IS, UM, I HAVE TO LOOK.
UM, SEE WHICH ONE IS IT? UM, WELL, THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW, THERE USED TO BE A RACETRACK IN, AND I DON'T, I DON'T RECALL WITHOUT LOOKING AT IT, WHETHER IT'S BELAIRE OR HAVE GRACE, BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, THE GRAW WAS THAT ONE TOO PARTICULARLY ATTRACTIVE TO FOLKS FROM NEW YORK.
UM, AND THERE WERE SOME VERY INTERESTING CHARACTERS WHO CAME FROM NEW YORK TO WATCH THE RACES AT THE GRO.
WE HAVE SOME INTERESTING CHARACTERS HERE NOW.
ANYONE ELSE? MR. BENNETT? UM, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT MY WIFE AND I HAVE PERSONALLY BEEN EXCITED FOR.
YOU KNOW, I'M A THIRD GENERATION HARTFORD COUNTY RESIDENT.
GRANDPA WAS A DAIRY FARMER OVER WHERE PARIS MIDDLE HIGH SCHOOL IS NOW.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, SO MY FAMILY HISTORY GOES BACK HERE CENTURY.
UM, BUT IT'S, YOU KNOW, HISTORY IS SLIPS THROUGH YOUR FINGERS IF YOU'RE NOT CAREFUL.
AND IT'S A WONDERFUL THING AS A COMMUNITY TO CELEBRATE OUR PAST AND TO HOLD ONTO IT.
UM, AND I HOPE THAT THIS EXPERIENCE IS, UM, FOUNDATIONAL FOR OUR YOUTH IN THE COMMUNITY SO THAT THEY CAN GET A CONNECTION TO SOMETHING SO MUCH GREATER THAN THEIR TIMELINE, UM, AND HOW OUR COMMUNITY CAME TOGETHER TO WHERE IT IS NOW.
SO THANK YOU FOR THE WORK YOU'RE DOING.
ANYONE ELSE? ALL RIGHT, LADIES.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO, UM, THE POST THAT YOU PUT UP WITH DIFFERENT EVENTS COMING, AND HOPEFULLY YOU'LL HAVE A CENTRAL LOCATION WHERE ALL
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THAT WILL GO SO PEOPLE CAN FIND IT.WELL, THE, THE, THE WEBSITE IS A, IS THE BEST CENTRAL LOCATION.
UM, AND THERE'S A GREAT DEAL OF INFORMATION ON OUR, PARTICULARLY ON OUR FACEBOOK POSTS.
[7. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
NUMBER SEVEN, APPROVAL OF MINUTES LEGISLATIVE DAY, 22 DASH 28.ARE THERE ANY CORRECTIONS TO THE MINUTES? THERE BEING NO CORRECTIONS OF MINUTES.
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, INTRODUCTION, CONSIDERATION OF RESOLUTIONS.
AGENDA NUMBER NINE, INTRODUCTION OF BILLS NUMBER 10, INTRODUCTION AND CONSIDERATION OF AMENDMENTS.
CALL FOR FINAL READING OF BILLS 12, ENROLLMENT OF BILLS 13, UNFINISHED BUSINESS, 14 UNFINISHED BUSINESS.
UH, WE HAVE NONE THIS EVENING.
NEW BUSINESS COUNCIL WAS NEW BUSINESS.
UM, IF I MAY, COUNSEL, I'D LIKE TO GO TO COMMENTS AND INPUT FROM ATTENDING CITIZENS.
UH, WHERE DID MS. DIXON GO? OKAY, LET'S GIVE HER JUST A MINUTE TO GET BACK, PLEASE.
[17. COMMENTS AND INPUT FROM ATTENDING CITIZENS]
WHENEVER YOU'RE READY, MS. DIXON.WE HAVE 11 SPEAKERS THIS EVENING, MR. PRESIDENT.
UH, EVERYONE, UH, WITH 11 SPEAKERS, JUST BE MINDFUL OF YOUR TIME, BE RESPECTFUL OF EACH OTHER.
CALL YOUR FIRST SPEAKER, EVAN MECKLENBERG, FOLLOWED BY JANINE LACORE.
NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE.
OH, IS THIS WORKING? YES, SIR.
EVAN MCOWEN, 26 33 SMALLWOOD DRIVE IN ATON, MARYLAND.
UM, I WANTED TO SPEAK ON, UH, THE ISSUE OF THE, UH, EXECUTIVE BRANCH BRINGING THE CASE AGAINST JACOB BENNETT.
I WANTED TO MAKE THE SUGGESTION THAT IF THIS IS AN ACTION THAT THE COUNTY COUNCIL EXPECTS THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE TO HAVE THE POWER TO DO ON A REGULAR BASIS, THAT IT BE, UM, PLACED SOMEWHERE IN THE COUNTY CHARTER SINCE IT'S PRETTY CLEAR THAT, UH, PEOPLE DON'T EXPECT THAT THIS IS A POWER THAT THE EXECUTIVE HAS.
UM, I ASKED THAT THE COUNTY COUNCIL MAKE IT CLEARER TO EVERYBODY THROUGH THE CHARTER, WHAT THE EXECUTIVE IS EXACTLY ALLOWED TO ENFORCE AGAINST MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, MAKE IT CLEAR ONE WAY OR THE OTHER THAT THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH IS ALLOWED TO DO THIS OR THEY AREN'T.
AND, AND THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO ASK TODAY, TONIGHT.
MY MIC GUY IS GETTING EVERYTHING UNDERWAY.
JANINE LACORE, 1820 PARK BEACH DRIVE.
UM, TIMING IS EVERYTHING, AND IT WAS WONDERFUL TO SEE OUR REPRESENTATIVES FOR THE HARTFORD TWO 50 HERE TONIGHT.
AND ACTUALLY, I WANTED TO TALK TONIGHT AND JUST PROVIDE, UM, THE COUNCIL AND PARTICULARLY NEW COUNCIL PEOPLE WITH SOME CONTEXT.
UM, FOR THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT ABOUT MY OPPOSITION TO THE PROPOSED, UM, UM, GREAT DISTRIBUTION TERMINAL THAT'S TO BE DEVELOPED DOWN IN PERRYMAN.
THE PERRYMAN PENINSULA WAS ONCE HOME TO INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF THE SUSQUEHANNA AND WET MASSIVE OMIC TRIBES WHO WERE DRIVEN OUT BY THE DEVELOPMENT THAT BEGAN IN THE 16 HUNDREDS BY CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH.
1671 MARKED THE CREATION OF WHAT IS NOW MARYLAND'S OLDEST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, ST.
PIA CHURCH TRUCKS NOW RUMBLE BY THE CHURCH ALSO GOING DOWN ON, UH, RESIDENTIAL ROADS THAT AREN'T DESIGNED FOR TRACTOR TRAILERS.
THE 1776 CENSUS OF PIA LOWER A HUNDRED REPORTED 1,440 PEOPLE.
[00:30:01]
WERE WHITE.650 OR 45% WERE BLACK, OF WHICH ONLY FOUR WERE DESIGNATED AS GRAY PROPORTIONATELY BY ANY STANDARDS, A NEARLY ONE TO ONE RATIO OR FREE TO SLAVE.
SIGNIFICANT, PARTICULARLY WHEN COMPARED TO THE ENTIRE POPULATION OF THE 13 MAINLAND COLONIES WHERE SLAVES COMPRISED ONLY ABOUT 20% OF THE POPULATION.
EXISTING ARCHITECTURAL SURVEYS PROVIDE EVIDENCE THAT SLAVERY WAS PRACTICED ON THE PENINSULA.
ACCORDING TO SURVEY HA 1 7 22 PERRYMAN, UM, IS, UM, THE ONLY CANNING COMMUNITY TO REMAIN FAIRLY INTACT.
AND THAT SURVEY GOES ON TO SAY, THROUGH BOTH THE REVOLUTION AND THE WAR OF 1812, THE REGION REMAINED A SIMPLE AND HEAVILY HARVESTED RURAL AREA DOMINATED BY LARGE SLAVE DRIVEN AGRICULTURAL CONCERNS.
ACCORDING TO 18 HA 1 93 HOPEWELL FARM COMPLEX, THE B G E PERIMAN HISTORIC SITES ONE AND TWO.
PER THAT SURVEY, THE PROPERTY COULD PROVIDE INFORMATION CONCERNING MARYLAND'S BLACK POPULATION AT THE TIME SLAVERY WAS PRACTICED.
IN 1917, ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND WAS FORMED BY THE US GOVERNMENT ON 69,000 ACRES.
35,000 ACRES REP LAND AND 34,000 ACRES WERE A SWAMP IN TI LAND.
IT'S RELEVANT TO NOTE, IT TOOK AN ACT OF CONGRESS AND TWO PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATIONS PROVIDING FINANCIAL COMPENSATION TO PERSUADE THE FARMERS TO LEAVE THEIR PROPERTY.
COMPENSATION FOR THE LAND TAKEN VARIED BASED ON OCCUPATION AND RACE.
THOSE SWAMPS WERE IN PLACES CALLED PLA, POVERTY ISLAND PLANNERS DELIGHT.
AND THEY'VE BEEN WIPED OFF BASED ON DEVELOPMENT.
SO THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT SLAVERY WAS PRACTICED IN THE PENINSULA.
AND, UM, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, REVIEW THAT PROPERTY, UM, THAT'S BEING PROPOSED FOR DEVELOPMENT, RESPECT THE LIVES THAT WERE LOST ON THAT PROPERTY.
AND AS JACOB INDICATED, OUR COUNCIL, UM, COUNCILPERSON HISTORY CAN SLIP THROUGH OUR FINGERS IF WE'RE NOT CAREFUL.
AND THAT'S WHAT'S COMING IN PERRYMAN.
GREG LACORE, FOLLOWED BY 10 VAN EMDEN.
MIKE LACORE, 1820 PARK BEACH DRIVE.
UH, THE TOPIC I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS TO DO WITH PERRYMAN.
UM, OUR SAFETY GURU, YOU ALL KNOW THAT WE ARE WELL TIGHT, UH, UH, COMMUNITY.
UH, CHIP RILEY, WHO IS OUT SAFETY GIRL.
HE, HE HAD BEEN IN THE HOSPITAL SINCE LATE OCTOBER AND HE JUST GOT HOME LAST WEEK.
I'M NOT GONNA DO IT JUSTICE HIM, BUT I'M GONNA TRY.
WHEN I WENT TO THE INAUGURAL SPEECHES AND THE ORCHESTRA CEREMONIES AND I HEARD THE SPEECHES, SAFETY WAS PARAMOUNT.
IT WAS THE TOP OF EVERYBODY'S LIST.
EVERYBODY WENT AND PLEDGED THE SAFETY OF HARFORD COUNTY.
SO WHAT I'M DOING RIGHT NOW IS THAT I'M THINKING, WHAT'S THE FIRST THINGS THAT COME TO YOUR MIND WHEN YOU HEAR SAFETY? ILLEGAL GUNS, FENTANYL BY THE TOP TWO.
THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER ISSUES THAT ARE SAFETY MINDED.
A LOT HAVE TO DO WITH OUR COMMUNITY.
THE DEVELOPERS THAT ARE PLANNING TO COMING TO OUR AREA, THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT SAFETY.
THEY SEE THIS AS A GOLD MINE FOR THEM.
GOOD SAFETY IS THEIR LAST CONCERN.
THEY DON'T WANNA HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT AND NOT PROVE IT.
JUST IN A COUPLE SECONDS, WE ASKED THE LAST COUNCIL TO ALL COME OUT TO PERRYMAN AND SEE YOU.
THIS OFFER IS ON THE TABLE, A LOT OF NEW PEOPLE.
PLEASE REACH OUT TO ANY ONE OF US, WE'LL TAKE YOU THROUGH AT THE TOUR.
WHAT WE WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE IS THAT COMING ON TO PERRYMAN, THERE'S ONE LANE, ONE ROAD IN ONE ACCESS, ONE LANE IN ONE LANE OUT AT A T INTERSECTION.
THAT IS A SPIA AND PERRYMAN, IF THERE IS TO BE AN ACCIDENT THERE, ACCESS IS CUT OFF.
WE EMT, FIRE POLICE, CAREGIVERS DON'T CARE WHO THEY CAN'T GET TO US.
REMEMBER A FEW YEARS BACK WITH THAT SHOOTING, WE WERE TRAPPED.
OKAY? SO THESE THINGS ARE HAPPENING.
I SAID THAT I'VE GOTTA PROVE IN MY OPINION, A POINT THAT THE DEVELOPERS DON'T CARE IN THEIR PLAN TO DEVELOP, THEY WANNA PUT IN A NEW ROAD.
[00:35:01]
THIS IS GONNA SOLVE EVERYTHING PEOPLE.THIS IS BEYOND THAT POINT OF INCIDENT WHERE THE SHOOTING OCCURRED.
THAT'S ADDING MORE TO OUR PROBLEMS AND CONCERNS.
I'M JUST ASKING YOU ALL TO PLEASE HELP US.
THESE PEOPLE GET THE TRUCK DRIVERS, THEY COME DOWN SP SUSHI ILLEGALLY.
TONY G, LAST WEEK YOU INDICATED THAT YOU WERE ON TOP OF IT BECAUSE YOUR CONSTITUENTS TOLD YOU PEOPLE WERE PARKING IN HANDICAPPED SPOTS.
OUR NEW COUNCIL, E N F, YOU CAN DO THE SAME THING.
HE SAID, YOU'RE ALL GONNA WORK TOGETHER.
PLEASE CONSULT HIM ON HOW HE DID THAT SO QUICKLY AND TRY HELPING US IN THE BIRMINGHAM COMMUNITY.
I LIVE AT 1963 MITCHELL DRIVE, THAT'S IN PERRYMAN.
SO I WANNA KIND OF GIVE YOU GUYS A LITTLE BIT OF A REVIEW OF WHAT I'VE SEEN THE LAST YEAR OF SHOWING UP TO THESE MEETINGS AND LISTENING TO EVERYBODY AND KIND OF GIVE EVERY, ALL THE NEW MEMBERS HERE SOMETHING THAT I'VE SEEN THAT HOPEFULLY WE CAN FIX.
UH, UNFORTUNATELY NOT, NOT, THESE AREN'T ALWAYS PARTICULARLY GOOD.
UH, I'VE NOTICED THIS COUNCIL, AND BY AND LARGE, THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT IS CONSISTENTLY INCONSISTENT WITH HOW IT RULES.
I'LL GIVE YOU A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES.
PREVIOUS, UH, PREVIOUS COUNCIL CREATED A FARM BILL MORATORIUM.
SO BASICALLY THERE WAS A FARM BREWERY WHO HAD WENT TO EXPAND.
YOU SAID NO BECAUSE YOU HAD TRAFFIC CONCERNS TWO WEEKS AGO.
TONY G SAT THERE AND SAID, NO, WE CAN'T BUILD FREIGHT TERMINALS ON ROUTE 24 BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF TRAFFIC CONCERNS AND IT'S A LOT OF ISSUES.
YET PERRYMAN GOES SEVEN TO NOTHING ON A MORATORIUM GETS VETOED AND WE CAN'T EVEN GET AN OVERRIDE VOTE.
AND I GUARANTEE YOU OUR TRAFFIC PROBLEMS ARE WORSE.
LET'S ASK MY BUDDY RONNIE HERE, WHO COULDN'T GET HOME LAST WEEK WHEN A FIRE BROKE OUT AND THE FIRETRUCKS BLOCKED PERRYMAN ROAD.
DOES THAT SOUND SAFE TO ANYBODY? YOU CAN'T GET HOME NOW BECAUSE YOU'RE BLOCKED.
LET'S GO EVEN FURTHER WITH THIS AND THIS TIME WE'LL BRING IN MR. CASTLEY BACK IN OH TWO, THIS COUNTY ESTABLISHED PRECEDENT FOR MR. BENNETT.
WHEN THEY ELECTED RICHARD SLUTSKY TO DISTRICT E, MR. CALEY WAS HERE.
HE CONTINUED TO SERVE AS A TEACHER AT ABERDEEN HIGH SCHOOL FOR TWO YEARS.
WHY IS IT SUDDENLY AN ISSUE? THERE'S BEEN NO CHANGE TO SECTION 2 0 7 SINCE THEN.
WHY IS THIS SUDDENLY A LAWSUIT? HMM.
IT KIND OF MAKES YOU THINK, DOESN'T IT? BUT THAT'S OKAY.
I'VE NOTICED THAT THIS COUNCIL IN PARTICULAR LIKES TO, UH, RUN WHEN QUESTIONS ARE ASKED OF THEM.
AND UNFORTUNATELY THAT'S NOT ONE OF YOUR BETTER QUALITIES.
MR. VINCENTE CASE IN 0.6 MONTHS AGO WHEN THE PERRYMAN MORATORIUM BILL DID NOT GET AN OVERRIDE VOTE.
YOUR ANSWER WHEN ASKED WHY IT WASN'T BROUGHT FOR A VOTE WAS YOU HAD OTHER THINGS TO ATTEND TO.
IT'S BEEN SIX MONTHS, SIR, CAN YOU TELL US NOW? I'M KIND OF CURIOUS, MR. GANO, YOU'VE BEEN DUCKING ME FOR TWO MONTHS, SIR.
I STILL WOULD LIKE YOUR ANSWER ABOUT WHAT YOU TELL HOMEOWNERS WHO CAN'T SELL THEIR HOMES NOW BECAUSE OF AN ILLEGALLY PROPOSED FREIGHT TERMINAL.
IT, IT'S BEEN TWO MONTHS I UNDER THIS.
I UNDERSTAND THERE'S A LOT TO CONSIDER, BUT IT'S BEEN TWO MONTHS AND IT SHOULDN'T BE THAT DIFFICULT OF A QUESTION.
AND I'M PICKING ON COUNCIL PRESIDENT AND COUNCIL VICE PRESIDENT CUZ THEY WERE HERE LAST YEAR.
THEY UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT I EXPECT OUT OF YOU.
I'LL BREAK THIS DOWN BARNEY STYLE FOR YOU.
CAUSE I KNOW, KNOW YOU WERE A MARINE.
SO UNDERSTAND THIS IS WITH LOVE.
I ASK YOU A QUESTION, I EXPECT AN ANSWER.
I DON'T NECESSARILY EXPECT IT RIGHT THEN, BUT I DO EXPECT ONE.
EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU FAILED TO ANSWER MY QUESTION LAST WEEK.
EVERY SINGLE ONE THAT INCLUDES YOU, MR. BENNETT.
I DO EXPECT BETTER OF YOU, MS. BOYLES TOLES, WHILE I THANK YOU FOR YOUR EMAIL, LOT OF WAFFLE.
SHOW ME SOMETHING WORTH READING.
THE THIRD THING I'VE NOTICED IS APPARENTLY WE HAVE TO GO TO COURT TO RESOLVE ISSUES IN THIS COUNTY.
THAT'S UNFORTUNATE BECAUSE IT WASTES MY TIME, MY MONEY, AND EVERYBODY ELSE'S TIME AND MONEY IN THIS COUNTY.
LET'S ALL TRY TO REMEMBER THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE BETTER THAN THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION AND LET'S BE BETTER.
DANIEL Z CHETAN, FOLLOWED BY GORDON CORNER.
NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD PLEASE.
EVENING DANIEL
I WANT TO ASK Y'ALL, WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO PROTECT MY VOTE? I VOTED FOR JACOB BENNETT.
AND NOW THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE IS TRYING TO HAVE HIM REMOVED.
[00:40:01]
THAT WAS MY VOTE.I SWORE AN OATH TO THE CONSTITUTION.
I VOTED IN GOOD FAITH FOR JACOB BENNETT.
AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO PROTECT MY VOTE? WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO PROTECT THE INDEPENDENCE OF THIS VERY BODY FROM MEDDLING FROM THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE? THIS IS NOTHING BUT POLITICS ON THE END OF THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE.
IF THIS WERE ANYTHING OTHER THAN POLITICS, THERE WOULD'VE BEEN A LAWSUIT TO CHALLENGE JACOB BENNETT BEING ON THE PRIMARY BALLOT.
THERE WOULD'VE BEEN A LAWSUIT TO CHALLENGE JACOB BENNETT BEING ON THE GENERAL ELECTION BALLOT.
AND NOW THEY'RE STEALING MY VOTE.
THEY'RE TRYING TO STEAL MY VOTE IN THE VOTES OF MORE THAN A FEW HARTFORD COUNTY RESIDENTS.
AND YOU DON'T SEEM TO BE DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
COACH SLUTSKY, I WAS AT ABERDEEN WHEN HE WAS THERE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT WOULD PREVENT JACOB BENNETT FROM SITTING ON THIS COUNCIL OTHER THAN BLATANT, COWARDLY POLITICS.
YOU DON'T NEED TO S TO STEAL AN ELECTION THAT YOU'VE WON.
THEY DIDN'T FILE SUIT UNTIL THE ELECTION WAS LOST.
PROTECT YOUR INDEPENDENCE AS A BODY.
PROTECT MY VOTE AND THE VOTES OF THOUSANDS OF HARTFORD COUNTY RESIDENTS.
THIS ISN'T HOW IT'S SUPPOSED TO WORK.
CORDON CORNER, I BELIEVE FOLLOWED BY HOLLY MCCOMAS.
HOLLY MCCOMBS 1826 PARK BEACH DRIVE.
I HAVE HANDED GIVEN YOU ALL A HANDOUT.
IF YOU WOULD REFER TO THAT, PLEASE.
AND I APOLOGIZE TO EVERYONE ELSE THAT CANNOT SEE THIS.
THE FRONT COVER HAS A BEAUTIFUL PICTURE OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PERRYMAN AND, AND THE COMMUNITY THAT WE'RE TRYING TO SAVE.
I BRING THIS, THIS PACKET OF PICTURES TO YOU.
NOT A LOT OF WORDS, BUT A LOT OF PICTURES BECAUSE PICTURES HAVE MEANING AND THEY HAVE IMPACT.
UM, I'M GONNA GO THROUGH IT KIND OF QUICKLY WITH YOU.
YOU'LL SEE, UH, BOY SCOUT T TROOP.
I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT MY FATHER'S IN THAT PICTURE AND HE WAS, UH, ABOUT A YEAR AGO, NOMINATED, UM, HARPER COUNTY TREASURE.
SO OUR FAMILY'S BEEN HERE FOR OVER SIX GENERATIONS AND WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN ESTABLISHED AND WE'RE HERE.
THIS IS A PICTURE OF A TRACTOR TRAILER THAT'S PARKED ON, UM, ROUTE 40 RIGHT OFF OF THE RIVERSIDE PARKWAY.
WHEN I TOOK THIS PICTURE, IT WAS ABOUT, I DON'T KNOW, FOUR OR FIVE TIMES I'D SEEN THIS, THIS TRACTOR TRAILER PARKING THERE FOR MORE THAN A WEEK'S TIME.
I CALLED THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE MANY OCCASIONS ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR TRACTOR TRAILER.
UM, CLEARLY THERE'S A SIGN THAT SAYS NO PARKING.
HE DECIDED TO PARK THERE FOR EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIMES.
PAGE THREE, PAGE THREE AND A COUPLE MORE.
THIS STARTED OUT AS A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENT BOOK.
UM, THIS SHOWS THE CORNER OF SPIA ROAD IN ROUTE 40.
YOU CAN SEE WHERE TRACTOR TRAILERS HAVE DRIVEN, DRIVEN OVER THE CORNER THERE, TAKING OUT THE ORANGE CONES, NOT JUST ONCE BUT MULTIPLE TIMES.
IT KIND OF GOT TO BE A GAME WITH US.
WE'D SEND EACH EACH OTHER PICTURES AND, AND SEE NEW TIRE TRACKS AND SEE WHO COULD GET THE TIRE TRACK SOONER.
PAGE FOUR IS MORE PROOF OF TRACKS.
UM, ROLLING OVER THAT SAME CORNER, CORNER PART RIGHT THERE.
UM, THERE'S CLEARLY A SIGN THAT SAYS NO TRUCKS.
UM, THAT'S NOT THE ONLY SIGN, BUT IT'S ONE OF THE SIGNS.
UM, MULTIPLE PAGES YOU CAN TURN THROUGH.
[00:45:01]
UM, PAGE FIVE, PAGE SIX, SAME THING.UM, YOU CAN SEE THOSE ORANGE MARKERS HAVE BEEN MOVED.
THEY'VE BEEN, AND THAT'S NOT PEOPLE MOVING I'M, THAT'S TRACTOR TRAILERS RUNNING OVER THEM.
AND THE POOR GUY THAT WANTS TO LEASE THAT CORNER LOT, IT'S GETTING SMALLER AND SMALLER BY THE DAY WITH TRACTOR TRAILERS CUTTING OFF THAT CORNER.
UM, IF YOU TURN TO PAGE NINE, THIS GENTLEMAN ON JULY 8TH, AND I REMEMBER THAT CLEARLY CUZ IT WAS MY BIRTHDAY.
UM, HE'S TRYING TO MAKE A RIGHT ONTO SPIA ROAD.
I AM IN MY VEHICLE POINTING AT THE SIGN, TELLING HIM HE'S NOT ALLOWED TO BE THERE.
HE CLEARLY SEES THAT, THAT THAT SIGN IS THERE.
ANYWAY, IF YOU LOOK AT THE NEXT PAGE, I'M GONNA SKIP THROUGH CAUSE MY TIME'S ALMOST UP THE, ALMOST TO THE LAST PAGE.
THERE WAS A TRUCK THAT ACTUALLY WENT THROUGH AN INTERSECTION AND THEN BACKED UP BECAUSE HE MISSED HIS TURN.
HE BACKED UP THROUGH THE INTERSECTION ON 22 TO MAKE HIS TURN RIGHT.
I HAVE VIDEO OF IT ON THE BACK OF THESE.
I HAVE MY NAME AND PHONE NUMBER.
I'M GLAD TO TALK FURTHER ABOUT IT.
UH, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME.
MISS EMMA PELLER, FOLLOWED BY ZOE PELLER.
NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE.
EMMA PELLER, 1447 REDFIELD ROAD.
ZOE, HELLO COUNSEL, AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU TONIGHT.
I'M HERE TO FIRST THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK TO ADD SUBTITLES TO THE LIVE STREAMS OF THESE MEETINGS.
THIS IS A GREAT STEP TOWARDS MAKING YOUR MEETINGS SUCCESSFUL FOR ALL WHO'D LIKE TO PARTICIPATE.
I'M ALSO HERE TO ASK YOU TO CONTINUE TO MAKE THIS A PRIORITY BY ALLOWING VIRTUAL OPTIONS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
THIS WILL AID THOSE WHO ARE DISABLED, WHO LACK TRANSPORTATION OR WHO HAVE CHILDREN THAT NEED TO BE WATCHED, ALLOWING THEM TO FULLY PARTICIPATE IN THEIR OWN GOVERNMENT.
I KNOW THIS HAS BEEN DISCUSSED HERE BEFORE AND I HOPE IT CONTINUES TO BE A PRIORITY FOR THIS COUNCIL GOING FORWARD.
I ALSO AM HERE AS AN ENVIRONMENTALIST AND I WOULD LIKE TO URGE ALL TO LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE OF PERIMAN.
I DON'T LIVE IN PERION, BUT I'VE BEEN THERE AND I HAVE SEEN THESE TRAFFIC PROBLEMS ARE A NIGHTMARE.
THEY'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO GET WORSE IF THIS DEVELOPMENT IS ALLOWED TO HAPPEN.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE'S LIVES AND I UNDERSTAND THAT SAFETY HAS BEEN A PRIORITY OF THIS NEW ADMINISTRATION AND THIS NEW COUNCIL.
I JUST URGE YOU, AGAIN, ECHOING WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN SAID HERE.
LISTEN TO THESE CITIZENS, HELP THEM GET HOME SAFELY EVERY NIGHT.
NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD.
UH, ZOE PILLER, 1447 REDFIELD ROAD IN BELAIRE.
GOOD EVENING AND THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO YOU TONIGHT.
AS A MEMBER OF THE LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY AND A LIFETIME RESIDENT OF HARFORD COUNTY, I WAS EXCITED TO HEAR THAT THE HARFORD COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT WAS OFFERING MEETINGS FOR LGBTQ PLUS TEENS.
I WAS DISAPPOINTED, BUT NOT SURPRISED TO HEAR THAT THESE MEETINGS WERE BEING THREATENED BY THE PROUD BOYS AND THEIR HATEFUL LGBTQ PLUS TEENS NEED LOVE, VALIDATION AND SUPPORT, NOT VIOLENT AND HARMFUL OPPOSITION.
I GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL IN 2020, NOT EVEN THREE YEARS AGO.
AND THE STRUGGLES I WENT THROUGH AS A YOUNG MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY OR SOMETHING, I WOULDN'T WANNA WISH ON ANY OTHER TEENAGER.
I HAD TO CREATE MY OWN COMMUNITY AND I TRIED TO EDUCATE MY PEERS, MY TEACHERS AND OTHERS IN THE COUNTY.
HOWEVER, THAT IS NOT AN OPTION FOR MOST SPACES.
LIKE THE ONE THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT ARE TRYING TO CREATE ARE INSTRUMENTAL TO THE SUCCESS OF QUEER KIDS AND MANY WILL STRUGGLE WITHOUT THAT SUPPORT.
LGBTQ PLUS YOUTH ARE VALID IN THEMSELVES AND THEIR IDENTITIES AND NEED THE SUPPORT OF OTHERS AROUND THEM.
I ASK THAT THIS COUNCIL TAKE A STRONG STAND AGAINST SECRET IN ALL FORMS AND CONDEMN THE ACTIONS OF THE PROUD BOYS AND ALL FAR-RIGHT HATE GROUPS.
RON STUCZYNSKI, FOLLOWED BY MELINDA MCGUIRE.
IF YOU COULD TELL
I BELIEVE NOW THERE'S BEEN 27 OR SO COUNCIL MEETINGS THIS YEAR.
OUR GROUP HAS SPOKE AT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF 'EM ABOUT OUR CONCERNS AS A COMMUNITY AND THE COUNTY AS A WHOLE, AS WELL AS THE OVERDEVELOPMENT AND FUTURE ILLEGAL PROPOSALS SURROUNDING US THAT ARE IN CLEAR VIOLATION OF OUR COUNTY CODE.
THE ONLY MEETING WE DIDN'T SPEAK AT WAS WHEN COUNCIL FAILED TO OVERRIDE GLASSMAN'S VETO OF OUR MORATORIUM AFTER HE THREATENED EACH OF YOU GUYS BEHIND CLOSED DOORS.
NOT THE NEW GUYS BEHIND CLOSED DOORS WITH HIS TEMPER TANTRUM.
THAT'S THE ONE WE ACTUALLY WALKED OUT ON.
AND IF YOU NOTICE, THE OVERCONFIDENT COUNCILMAN BULO FROM DISTRICT DEATH IS GONE.
HE FORGOT TO GIVE HIS FAREWELL SPEECH ALONG WITH EVERYONE ELSE THAT DAY.
I'LL HELP HIM OUT WHEN HE SAID, VOTE US OUT.
[00:50:01]
FOCUS ON WHAT THE COUNCIL IS HERE FOR THE RESIDENTS OF HARFORD COUNTY.IT'S TIME TO FOCUS LESS ON OUT OF TOWN DEVELOPERS AND ENGINEERS, ALL OF WHICH DO NOT RESIDE IN OUR COMMUNITIES AND HAVE NO INTEREST IN THE SAFETY, LIVELIHOOD, AND WELLBEING OF OUR CITIZENS.
ALL THEY CARE ABOUT IS PATTING THEIR POCKETS AND OFTEN SOMEHOW INFLUENCING THOSE WHO WE PAY TO REPRESENT US WHILE HAVING ABSOLUTELY NO CARE IN OUR WORLD.
WE'RE SICK AND TIRED OF BEING IGNORED.
WE'RE SICK AND TIRED OF COMING HERE EVERY WEEK WITH NO ANSWERS AND WE'RE SICK AND TIRED OF BEING PUSHED ASIDE FOR PERSONAL AGENDAS.
THOSE DAYS HAVE GOT TO BE DONE.
WE HAVE MANY STUDIES THAT WERE PROMISED TO US AND NEVER GIVEN TO OUR COMMUNITY OVER THE PAST TWO DECADES.
MANY THAT AFFECT US TODAY ON A DAILY BASIS, ESPECIALLY OUR OVER 20 YEAR OLD WATER STUDY THAT'S NEVER BEEN DONE AGAIN.
LET ME REMIND YOU THAT THE PERIMAN WATER WELL FIELD PROVIDE WATER TO 30% OF HARFORD COUNTY.
AND I'M STILL WAITING ON ANYONE FROM HARFORD COUNTY'S GOVERNMENT TO TELL ME WHO.
I EVEN WENT TO ANNAPOLIS IN FEBRUARY OF MR. CASTLEY TO SPEAK ABOUT OUR UNSAFE ROADS.
AND AT THE TIME WE WERE APPROVED A HEIGHT MONITORING SYSTEMS IN OUR AREA.
LAST WE HEARD FROM OUR OLD REPRESENTATIVE IS THEY NEED STUDIES.
WHERE ARE THEY? WHAT'S THE SITUATION, STATUS, OR HOLD UP ON OUR CONCERNS? ANOTHER NOTE, IRONICALLY, AS TIM SAID, ON MY WAY HOME FROM COUNCIL LAST TUESDAY, THERE'S A HOUSE FIRE IMPAIRMENT ROAD.
WE HAD NO ACCESS IN AND OUT OF OUR AREA BECAUSE OF IT.
AS WE'VE SAID OVER AND OVER AGAIN, WE HAVE ONE WAY IN AND ONE WAY OUT OF OUR COMMUNITY.
IT'S NOT GETTING ANY SAFER AND IT'S ONLY GONNA GET WORSE.
TONY G I ALSO WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONCERN OF THE ILLEGAL PARKING IN BELL AIR IN THE BELLAIRE AREA.
IT'S A SEVERE PROBLEM IN MANY AREAS, ESPECIALLY IN ABERDEEN, ESPECIALLY IN OUR AREA AND THE SHOPRIGHT AREA IN THE BELL CAMP.
IT WOULD BE GREAT TO START SOME SORT OF ENFORCEMENT IN THAT AREA.
FINALLY, I JUST WANTED TO WISH EVERYONE ON THE COUNCIL AND ALL THE NEW ONES, ESPECIALLY A HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND A SAFE HOLIDAY, UM, WITH YOU AND YOUR FAMILY AND EVERYONE OF OUR HARFORD COUNTY RESIDENTS EXCEPT FOR BARRY GLASSMAN.
MELINDA MCGUIRE, 1900 MITCHELL DRIVE, PERRYMAN.
TONIGHT I'D LIKE TO TALK TO ABOUT THE PERRYMAN, UM, AREA AS FAR AS SAFETY GOES.
UM, PRESENTLY I GO TO WORK IN THE DARK AND I FIND THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE TRYING TO GO TO WORK IN THE WAREHOUSES.
THESE PEOPLE DO NOT HAVE, UM, HIGH PAYING JOBS, THEREFORE THEY EITHER WALK RIDE BICYCLES, SOME USE MASS TRANSIT WITH LITTLE BIT THAT'S AVAILABLE.
BUT, UM, FOR THE LAST TWO WEEKS I HAVE RAN INTO THIS GENTLEMAN THAT IS RIDING A BICYCLE, TRYING TO GO TO WORK.
THERE ARE ABSOLUTELY NO LIGHTS.
WHEN THEY BUILT THESE WAREHOUSES, THEY FAILED TO THINK ABOUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT SHOULD GO ALONG WITH IT.
THERE ARE ABSOLUTELY NO SIDEWALKS.
THE LIGHTS ARE LIKE ALMOST I FIT.
I, UM, CLOCKED IT WITH MY CAR.
IT'S LIKE ALMOST A HALF A MILE BETWEEN, UH, LIGHTS.
AND ONE OF THE LIGHTS IS ACTUALLY BELONGS TO CLOROX.
THERE NEEDS TO BE LIGHTS, THERE NEEDS TO BE SIDEWALKS.
THERE'S A SIGN STUCK IN THE GRASS AND THERE'S NO, NO SIDEWALK, NO CURB.
UM, VERY DANGEROUS FOR SOMEBODY STANDING THERE.
THESE PEOPLE AREN'T HIGH PAID JOBS, SO THEY, THEY'RE DOING WHAT THEY CAN DO TO MAKE AN HONEST LIVING.
AND I PRAY WHEN I PASS THIS GUY IN THE MORNING THAT HE DOESN'T GET KILLED OR I DON'T SEE HIM GET KILLED.
BECAUSE IF IT'S VERY DEVASTATING, UM, TO SEE SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPEN AS FAR AS THE INFRASTRUCTURE GOES, UM, IT IS ONE WAY IN AND ONE WAY OUT.
WE'RE STUCK AND IT'S THE WAY THE JUST, IT'S A PENINSULA AND THERE'S NO WAY TO FIX IT.
YEARS AGO WHEN THEY PUT THE WAREHOUSES IN, THEY CLAIM THAT THEY WERE GONNA MAKE AN EXTENSION.
WELL, THAT EXTENSION GOES ON GOVERNMENT PROPERTY AND THAT GOVERNMENT PROPERTY BELONGS TO ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND.
AND I CAN TELL YOU I'VE WORKED AT ABERDEEN FOR ALMOST 20 YEARS AND REALLY, BESIDES WHEN GENERAL TAYLOR WORKED THERE, THERE WAS A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WRITTEN.
AND SINCE THEN, IT HASN'T GONE ANYWHERE.
IT, IT MAY BE UP IN CONGRESS, SUPPOSED TO GO TO CONGRESS, BUT THERE IS ALSO A SUBSTATION RIGHT THERE BY WOODLEY ROAD.
AND IF IT DOES HAPPEN, IT NEEDS TO HAPPEN.
PRIOR TO THIS PROJECT GOING THROUGH, THERE WAS ALSO SUPPOSED TO BE A BRIDGE THAT WAS POSSIBLY BEING BUILT
[00:55:01]
THAT GO, WENT FROM MITCHELL LANE OVER TO ROUTE 40.AND IT'S NOT OUR FAULT THAT THESE WAREHOUSES ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM BECAUSE ALL THE TRAFFIC THAT IT CREATES AND RON TRAIT, YOU'RE, ONCE YOU GET PAST A CERTAIN POINT, THERE'S NO WAY TO GET IN AND GET OUT.
MY HUSBAND HAD A HEART ATTACK.
AND WHAT HAPPENS IF SOMEONE ELSE HAS A HEART ATTACK? IT TOOK 'EM 15 MINUTES TO GET THERE.
THAT'S WITHOUT PROBLEMS. SO PLEASE, I BEG YOU TO PLEASE CONSIDER THIS PROJECT FOR THE SAFETY.
OUR FAMILY'S BEEN DOWN THERE SINCE WORLD WAR II.
WE HAVE FIVE PARCELS OF PROPERTY, THREE OF WHICH ARE ON ADJACENT TO THE MITCHELL PROPERTY, TO WHICH ARE NOT.
BUT WE'RE NOT IN A POSITION TO MOVE.
[16. BUSINESS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS]
I MAY, UH, LET'S GO TO, UH, BUSINESS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS.UM, MR. BENNETT, LET'S START WITH YOU TONIGHT.
UM, I JUST WANNA GO OVER, UM, A FEW, UH, EVENTS IN THE COMMUNITY AND THEN, UM, SOME OTHER INFORMATION I WANNA SHARE.
UM, CEDAR LANE HOLIDAY LIGHT SHOW IS WEDNESDAYS THROUGH SATURDAYS FIVE 30 TO 10 UNTIL DECEMBER 31ST.
UM, MICHAEL ENGLISH PUTS ON A GREAT HOLIDAY LIGHT SHOW AS A FUNDRAISER FOR, UH, JUVENILE DIABETES RESEARCH FOUNDATION.
AND THIS IS LOCATED AT, UH, 1111 CEDAR LANE.
UM, AND THEN WITH NEW YEAR'S EVE COMING UP, YOU KNOW, HAVE GRACE HAS OUR, UH, DUCK DROP COMING UP IN FIREWORKS AT CONCORD POINT PARK.
EVEN WHEN MY WIFE AND I HAVE BEEN AWAY FOR THE HOLIDAYS.
WE ALWAYS WATCH THE LIVE STREAM OF THE DUCK DROP CUZ THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN'T MISS.
UM, ON JANUARY 3RD, THERE'S A JOB QUEST SEMINAR AT THE SUSQUEHANNA WORKFORCE CENTER.
UM, AND ALSO, UH, CRITICAL HIT GAMES IN AB IN ABINGDON IS HAVING A FREE BOARD GAME NIGHT EVERY TUESDAY AT 5:00 PM UM, SO THAT'S JUST A GREAT WAY FOR KIDS WHO ARE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO DO TO GO OUT AND DO SOMETHING.
UM, THERE'S TWO GOVERNMENT MEETINGS COMING UP THAT MIGHT BE OF INTEREST TO THE PUBLIC ON, UH, 1221, WHICH IS TOMORROW.
UM, AT 9:00 AM THERE'S GONNA BE A DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING, AND THAT'S GONNA BE HAPPENING AT TWO 20 SOUTH MAIN STREET ON THE FIRST FLOOR.
UM, ON ONE THREE AT 7:00 PM THERE'S GONNA BE AN AGRICULTURAL PRESERVATION ADVISORY BOARD MEETING, AND THAT WILL ALSO BE AT TWO 20 SOUTH MAIN STREET FIRST FLOOR.
UM, I WANNA CELEBRATE, UH, JORDY KALE FROM ABINGDON WHO, UH, INSPIRED BY THE GOOD WORK OF OTHERS.
UH, SHE DID A BLANKET DRIVE FOR OUR LOCAL NURSING HOMES AND COLLECTED OVER 300 BLANKETS.
UH, SHE WORKED OF A COUPLE DIFFERENT COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS.
YEAH, INCLUDING, UH, THE GIRL SCOUT TROOP 1504.
UH, THE STUDENTS AT VICTORY VILLA AND, UH, PERRY HALL SCHOOLS, THE ABERDEEN, UH, HIGH KEY CLUB AND, UH, HARTFORD CHEERLEADING.
UH, THEY ALSO GAVE HANDMADE CARDS TO EACH RECIPIENT.
UM, TODAY SHE DROPPED OFF THOSE BLANKETS AND, UM, I THINK THAT'S A WONDERFUL THING.
UM, ON A, A SAD NOTE, UH, THERE WAS A FIRE IN CAVITY GRACE.
UM, THIS, YOU KNOW, TOUCHED HOME COACH BRANDON FROM THE HAVE GRACE, UH, RECREATION YOUTH BASKETBALL LEAGUE LOST THEIR HOUSE.
THEY LOST PETS, UM, AND ALL OF THEIR BELONGINGS.
UM, THE YOUTH SOCCER TEAM IS COLLECTING DONATIONS FOR THE HARRIS FAMILY.
UM, THERE'S ALSO A, A GOFUNDME GOING AROUND ON SOCIAL MEDIA THAT YOU CAN FIND ON.
YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN SHARED BY MANY PEOPLE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THEIR YOUNGEST WENT THROUGH FIRST GRADE, MY FIRST YEAR TEACHING WHEN I WAS A FIRST GRADE TEACHER.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE A GOOD FAMILY WHO IS A BIG PART OF OUR COMMUNITY AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUST A FEW DAYS AWAY FROM CHRISTMAS.
UM, SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP THEM IN YOUR MINDS, BUT ALSO, UH, KEEP MONEY OUT OF YOUR WALLETS AND TO THEM BECAUSE THEY NEED IT RIGHT NOW.
UM, LASTLY, I HAVE AN EMAIL ADDRESS.
UM, SO ANYBODY WHO IS LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING A CARRIER PIGEON COME TO YOUR HOUSE, I APOLOGIZE, NO LONGER NECESSARY.
UM, MY EMAIL IS JD BENNETT HARTFORD COUNTY COUNCIL.COM.
YOU CAN ALSO ALWAYS CALL OUR OFFICE, UM, WHICH IS 4 1 0 6 3 8 3 5 2 2.
I APOLOGIZE TO ANYBODY I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GET BACK TO.
UH, WE GOT OUR EMAIL ADDRESS FRIDAY AFTERNOON.
UM, BUT NOW THAT WE HAVE IT, WE PLAN TO USE IT AND, UH, TO BE IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND WITH THAT, THAT'S ALL MY TIME.
UM, I HAD THE PLEASURE OF ATTENDING THE HARTFORD COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING LAST WEEK.
UM, I WAS ABLE TO INTRODUCE MYSELF AS THEIR NEW LIAISON AND, UM, GET ACQUAINTED WITH THE TRUSTEES.
[01:00:01]
FORWARD TO ATTENDING MANY MORE OF THEIR MEETINGS AND THEY'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE HOSTING THEIR FIFTH ANNUAL FAIRYTALE AND SUPERHERO FESTIVAL ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 20 20TH OF 23.UM, IT WILL INCLUDE STORY TIME, CRAFTS AND ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS OF ALL AGES.
UM, SO I'LL BE ACTUALLY JOINING THEM AS A, UH, STORYTELLER THAT DAY, WHICH IS AN HONOR.
UM, MEALS ON WHEELS HAS JUST ANNOUNCED THEIR WEBSITE AND THE LOCATION THAT HAS THE GREATEST NEED IS ABERDEEN.
UM, THERE ARE REOCCURRING AND FLEXIBLE VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES AND THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AS WELL.
SO TAKE A LOOK AT THEIR WEBSITE IF YOU'D LIKE TO VOLUNTEER.
AND, UM, I'D LIKE TO WISH EVERYONE A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A SAFE AND HAPPY HOLIDAY AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH ALL OF YOU IN THE NEXT YEAR.
UH, MR. PRESIDENT MENWITH, THANK BIG NECKER REPRESE REPRESENTATIVES FOR UPDATE ON THEIR CONTINUING EFFORTS OF BROADBAND CONNECTIVITY TO UNDERSERVED IN NORTHERN ROBERT COUNTY.
AND WE'RE WORKING ON TRYING TO EXPAND THAT NETWORK.
I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF MEETING WITH SOME, UH, THREE P FOLKS OVER THE, UH, LAST TWO WEEKS.
AND I WANNA SAY CONGRATS TO ALL THE DIRECTORS HERE THIS EVENING ON YOUR APPOINTMENT AND LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU IN THE FUTURE.
AND MERRY C, MR. HARFORD COUNTY.
I GUESS WE'RE, UM, SO I'D LIKE TO CONGRATULATE THE DIRECTORS.
UH, I KNOW WE'VE HAD A COUPLE MEETINGS WITH THEM, GETTING TO KNOW THEM A LITTLE BIT BETTER AND THEIR BACKGROUNDS.
AND I DO APPRECIATE, UM, SOME OF THE DEPUTY STAYING ON AND THEIR, UH, EXPERTISE AND, UM, WHAT THEY BRING TO THE TABLE TO HELP.
UH, AND I THINK THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY MENTIONED THAT, BUT, UH, SOME OF THE DEPUTY DIRECTORS WORKING WITH HAVE HAD, UH, A LOT OF EXPERIENCE AND, AND ARE GOOD IN YOUR, UH, IN YOUR CARE.
UM, NUMBER TWO, UM, I DID REACH OUT, HAD MY, UH, HAD CAITLIN REACHED OUT TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE PARKING, ABOUT THE, UH, FIRE ZONES, HANDICAPPED ZONES.
WHAT'S THE FEE, UH, FOR OTHER COUNTIES.
UM, BUT ALSO I HAVE TO WORK WITH THE BEL AIR.
OBVIOUSLY I'M NOT GONNA CALL THET OF ABERDEEN, BUT I, I NEED TO GET THEM ON BOARD TO LOOK AT CHANGING THE COST OF WHAT THE FINES WOULD BE.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING I WOULD LIKE TO WORK ON.
I KNOW THOSE FINES HAVE BEEN THAT WAY FOR A WHILE AND THEY PROBABLY NEED TO BE GREATER.
UM, PEOPLE JUST HAVE ALL DISREGARD FOR SAFETY.
UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SAFETY, UM, I'M GONNA TELL YOU GUYS A LITTLE STORY.
THERE'S A LADY THAT I KNOW, I'VE KNOWN HER PROBABLY FOR 10 YEARS.
SHE WAS ON 83 AND SHE GOT REAR-ENDED.
THIS LADY GOT OUT OF HER CAR, UM, WENT BACK TO HER CAR TO GET THE PAPERWORK THAT SHE HAD, AND A DRUNK DRIVER HIT THIS LADY.
THIS LADY WOUND UP LOSING BOTH OF HER LEGS, OKAY? SHE CAN'T WALK IS IN A WHEELCHAIR.
SHE DOESN'T FEEL SORRY FOR HERSELF.
SHE'S RESOLVED TO THE FACT THIS IS WHAT GOD HAD FOR HER.
I HAD 35 PEOPLE COME TO SURPRISE HER TO GIVE HER MONEY BECAUSE SHE NEEDS MONEY FOR HER CAR TO CONVERT THAT OVER.
SHE'S GETTING PROSTHETICS, BUT SHE DIDN'T KNOW WHERE SHE WAS GONNA GET THE MONEY FROM.
SO I ORGANIZED SOMETHING LIKE I DID LAST YEAR CALLED SHOCK AND CLAW.
UM, NONE OF THE ORGANIZATIONS CAN GIVE THIS LADY ANY MONEY CUZ SHE'S NOT A 5 0 1 13 C.
SO, UM, PERRYMAN PEOPLE, I'VE BEEN BACK TO PERRYMAN.
I'VE BEEN BACK THERE WITH TRUCK DRIVERS WHO HAVE TOLD ME, UM, ABOUT THE ROADS, UM, NOT FROM YOU PEOPLE, BECAUSE I WANTED EXPERTS.
SO I'VE GONE DOWN THERE A COUPLE OF TIMES, FOUND OUT FROM THE EXPERTS.
HOPEFULLY SOMETHING CAN GET, GET DONE ON THAT.
UM, I KNOW THERE'S WAREHOUSES THERE.
I KNOW THAT'S EMPTY LAND THERE.
UM, AND NOBODY KNOWS WHAT WAS GONNA BE BUILT ON AN EMPTY LAND.
UM, MAYBE SOME PEOPLE THOUGHT THERE WAS WAREHOUSES.
MAYBE SOME PEOPLE THOUGHT THERE WAS GONNA BE HOMES, BUT MAYBE PEOPLE THOUGHT THERE WOULD NEVER BE SOMETHING BUILT ON THERE.
UM, MR. TIM, UM, TO YOU, SIR, MY LIAISON HAS CALLED YOU AND THEN SHE HAD SURGERY AND SHE DIDN'T CALL YOU BACK.
I KNOW YOU'VE SENT ME SOME INFORMATION AND YOU WANTED ME TO RESPOND TO YOU THAT WAY, SIR.
I WILL BE GLAD TO CALL YOU AND I WILL BE GLAD TO DISCUSS WHERE YOU BUILD YOUR HOME AND WHERE YOU THINK YOU SHOULD BUILD YOUR HOME.
AND I, AND I DON'T HEAR FROM PEOPLE ALL THE TIME THAT SAY, COMPLAIN ABOUT WHERE THEY BUILD.
UM, I ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE, WATCH WHERE YOU BUILD.
IF THERE'S A FARM OR LAND BEHIND IT, SOMEBODY'S GONNA BUILD SOMETHING THERE.
[01:05:01]
SHE HAS REACHED OUT TO YOU.SHE SAID SHE WILL REACH BACK TO YOU AGAIN.
UH, SO I DO LOOK FORWARD TO THAT.
SO I'M TALKING, I DIDN'T INTERRUPT YOU WHEN YOU TALKED, SO YOU LET ME TALK.
OKAY? UM, SO, YOU KNOW, SAFETY IS A BIG ISSUE.
UM, PEOPLE ARE DRIVING WITH THEIR CELL PHONES, THEIR TEXTING OF THEIR CELL PHONES.
I'M SURE SOME OF YOU PEOPLE OUT HERE, CULPRIT OF THAT.
ACCIDENTS ARE HAPPEN ALL THE TIME.
YOU KNOW, CHRISTMAS TIME, DRIVE SAFE.
DON'T HOLD YOUR PHONE IN YOUR HAND WHEN YOU'RE CALLING.
SOMEBODY ELSE IS GONNA GET THEIR LEGS LOST LIKE THIS POOR LADY, OKAY? AND MAYBE SOMEBODY'S NOT GONNA BE NICE ENOUGH TO GO OUT AND GET THIS LADY MONEY.
SO WHATEVER YOU GUYS ARE THINKING, JUST REMEMBER, THIS POOR LADY HAS NO LEGS.
SO THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT.
HAPPY HANUKKAH, I THINK THIS THIRD NIGHT OF HANUKKAH TO ALL MY JEWISH FRIENDS.
SO THANK YOU, MR. JAN AND MR. PENMAN.
UH, I'D LIKE TO FOLLOW UP ON THE EXECUTIVE ORDER 2204, WHICH WAS INTRODUCED LAST WEEK CONCERNING THE HOUSING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
LAST WEEK, I EXPRESSED CONCERNS REGARDING THE NEED FOR THE DIVISION SPLIT AND WANTED MORE INFORMATION.
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK COUNTY EXECUTIVE GLASS, UH, CASTLEY FOR SITTING DOWN AND EXPLAINING THE EXECUTIVE ORDER, WHICH INCLUDED THE REQUEST FOR A NEW DIRECTOR IN, UH, HIS VISION FOR THE PROPOSED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIVISION.
FISCALLY SPEAKING, THE NEW, UH, DIRECTOR POSITION WILL BE ALLOCATED FROM ANOTHER DIRECTOR POSITION, THEREFORE WILL HAVE VERY LITTLE FISCAL IMPACT.
I WAS EXCITED TO HEAR THAT THE IDEAS IN DIRECTION THE NEW ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR WILL HAVE, WHICH I BELIEVE COULD HAVE A POSITIVE AND SIGNIFICANT ECONOMIC INFLUENCE IN HARTFORD COUNTY AS A COUNCILMAN.
UM, I JUST WANT TO CALL BALLS AND STRIKES, NO MATTER THE ISSUE OR THE AFFILIATION.
AFTER HAVING THE CONVERSATION WITH THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE, UH, CASTLEY, I FULLY SUPPORT THE EXECUTIVE ORDER AND LOOK FORWARD TO THE IMPACT IT CAN MAKE IN HARTFORD COUNTY.
WITH ALL WITH THAT, THAT'S ALL I HAVE.
UM, UH, I ALSO WANT TO CONGRATULATE THE NEW DIRECTORS, AND, UH, WE'LL BE WORKING TOGETHER, I'M SURE, OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS.
AND, UH, UH, I'M, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.
I WAS, I APPRECIATE ALL THE INTERVIEWS, UH, FOR THE MOST PART.
UH, TONY AND PAT, MYSELF SIT DOWN, INTERVIEWED MOST OF ALL OF YOU.
AND, UH, UH, I THOUGHT THE RESUMES WERE, UM, EXTENSIVE AND, AND I, I APPRECIATE THE INPUT.
UM, UH, I WAS TALKING
AND I WAS TELLING HIM ABOUT THE, WHAT THEY DO IN FLORIDA.
CAUSE IN FLORIDA HAVE A LOT OF SENIOR CITIZENS, BUT WHAT THEY DO IN FLORIDA, I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN DO THAT HERE OR NOT, BUT IT MIGHT BE INTERESTING TO LOOK AT IT.
UM, WHAT THEY DO IN FLORIDA IS THEY HAVE TWO SENIOR CITIZENS THAT RIDE AROUND, YOU KNOW, CARS LOOKING AT PEOPLE FOR PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BE PARKING ILLEGALLY.
AND WHAT THEY HAVE THE SENIORS DO, IF THEY SIGN, SEE SOMEBODY PARKING ILLEGALLY, THEY STOP AND THEY GET OUT AND THEY TAKE A PICTURE OF THE CAR WHERE THEY CAN GET THE LICENSE PLATE, AND THEY GET THE PARKING WHERE IT SAYS ILLEGAL PARKING, AND THEY'RE PARKED ILLEGALLY, AND THEY SEND THAT PICTURE IN TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT MAILS 'EM TICKETS.
SO I THINK THAT'S GREAT BECAUSE THE POLICEMAN CAN'T BE THE BUSY AS A POLICEMAN, ARE THEY? AND THE DEPUTIES ARE, THEY CAN'T BE RIDING AROUND LOOKING AT ALL THIS.
AND I KNOW I SEE A LOT OF IT MYSELF, AND I, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.
I DON'T KNOW WHETHER WORK, WORK HERE OR NOT, UH, BUT WE'LL SEE.
UM, ALSO THE, UH, THE TRANSIT SYSTEM IN, IN HARFORD COUNTY, UH, UH, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE, UH, CASTLEY SENT OUT A, UH, UH, A, A NOTICE THAT, UH, NEXT WEEK, UH, ALL THE, UH, UH, ALL THE TRANSIT SYSTEM IN OUR COUNTY WILL BE FREE.
UH, SO HE'S ALLOWING EVERYBODY TO RIDE ON THE TRANSIT SYSTEM, UH, FREE OF CHARGE, UH, NEXT WEEK.
I'M SURE THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE EDGEWOOD THAT, UH, UH, WILL ENJOY THAT BREAK.
UH, LAST NIGHT I INTENDED THE, UH, BOARD OF EDUCATION, UH, MEETING LAST NIGHT.
I'M THE COUNCIL'S, UH, REPRESENTATIVE, UH, TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION.
UM, AND, UH, LAST NIGHT, THEY, UH, THEY WORKED FOR EXTENSIVELY ON ALL THE DATES, UH, THE REMAINING DATES INTO 2023 FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR.
SO, UH, ALL YOU THAT ARE INTERESTED TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE DATES ARE, THE HOLIDAYS, WHEN THEY'LL BE OFF, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, JUST GO ONLINE, GOING TO BOARD OF EDUCATION.
AND, UH, YOU'LL SEE, YOU'LL SEE IT, UH, WITHOUT I WELCOME, UH, WISH EVERYBODY, UH, MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND, UH, UH, BE SAFE AND, AND, AND STOP SHOPPING BECAUSE IT'S TOO CROWDED AND MY WIFE'S COMPLAINING.
[15. BUSINESS FROM THE PRESIDENT]
ME, I JUST WANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT SADLY, UH, WE'VE LOST ANOTHER GREAT[01:10:01]
PILLAR OF OUR COMMUNITY HERE IN HARFORD COUNTY WITH THE PASSING OF, UH, SHERIFF BILL CONEL.UM, HE'S PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 94, UH, THIS PAST DECEMBER 13TH, UH, HE SERVED AS THE HARFORD COUNTY SHERIFF FOR 18 YEARS.
UH, HE'S A TRUE FAMILY MAN, UH, DEDICATED TO HIS WIFE, HIS KIDS, LOVED HIS COUNTY, UH, TRULY LOVED HARFORD COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, AND ALL THE MEN AND WOMEN THAT WORKED THERE.
AS A YOUNG GUY, I HAD A PLEASURE, UH, TO GET TO KNOW HIM, UH, THROUGH THE BAKERY, AND, UH, GOT TO SEE HIM ON A REGULAR BASIS AND THEN KIND OF LOST TRACK WITH HIM OVER THE YEARS.
BUT THEN, UH, GETTING INVOLVED, UH, THROUGHOUT THE, UH, POLITICAL SCENE A LITTLE BIT, RAN INTO HIM AGAIN.
AND HE DIDN'T CHANGE A BIT, JUST GOT A LITTLE OLDER, THAT'S ALL.
BUT, UH, JUST A FANTASTIC GUY.
UH, ABSOLUTELY GONNA MISS HIM.
HE'S GONNA BE MISSED BY MANY, UM, A TRUE, TRUE, UH, PILLAR OF THE COMMUNITY.
UM, ALSO, I WANT TO THANK MS. DIXON AGAIN, UH, AND THE STAFF AND THE IT DEPARTMENT FOR WORKING ON OUR CLOSED CAPTIONING.
WE SHOULD HAVE THAT HERE IN THE CHAMBERS, UH, OR EXCUSE ME, ON TV, UH, IN THE NEXT MONTH, I IMAGINE.
SO, UH, WE WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH FORWARD, TRY TO BRING, UH, OTHER AMENITIES TO THE COUNCIL AS, UH, FINANCIALLY ABLE TO DO THAT.
UM, I WANT TO THANK, UH, THE DIRECTORS FOR BEING HERE WITH US THIS EVENING.
I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH ALL OF YOU.
AS I SAID BEFORE, UH, MR. GRIM, UH, IN THE NEXT FOUR YEARS, YOU'RE GONNA BE A VERY BUSY MAN AGAIN, UH, WITH, UH, COMP ZONING AND THE MASTER PLAN.
UH, SO I KNOW THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF EYES ON THAT.
AND AS I SAID BEFORE, I WANNA WORK WITH YOU WITH DIFFERENT COMPONENTS TO THAT ZONING CODE, UH, AS WE TALKED ABOUT THE OTHER DAY.
SO, UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
AND, UH, WITH THAT, I WANNA WISH ALL OF YOU AT HOME, UH, AND UH, EVERYONE THAT WE KNOW, A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A GREAT START TO THE NEW YEAR'S GREAT START AND SAFE NEW YEAR, UM, AND A HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON.
SO, UH, WITH THAT, WE'LL CLOSE, DANIEL, IF I MAY, I'D LIKE TO SEE YOU BEFORE YOU LEAVE REAL QUICK.
TIM, BEFORE YOU LEAVE, I'D LIKE TO SEE YOU TOO, IF YOU DON'T MIND.