[00:00:02]
[PUBLIC HEARING ]
EVENING CHAIR CALLS TO ORDER PUBLIC HEARING FOR BILL 22 DASH 25 REVISIONS TO HARFORD COUNTY CODE ARTICLE ONE CHAPTER FOR LEGISLATIVE BRANCH, UM, AS AMENDED.UH, THIS, UH, REVISION HAS COME ABOUT, UH, SPECIFICALLY, UH, MOST RECENTLY BECAUSE OF THE TWO CHARTER AMENDMENTS THAT WERE P APPROVED, UH, DURING THE ELECTION.
UH, AND WITH THAT, UH, MR. KEARNEY DID SOME RESEARCH AND SAW SEVERAL OTHER THINGS.
SO, MR. KEARNEY, I'D LIKE TO TURN IT OVER TO YOU.
UH, THIS, THIS CODE SECTION, UH, RELATING TO THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH IS BASICALLY A RESTATEMENT OF THE LEGISLATIVE PORTION OF THE COUNTY CHARTER.
NOW, WHEN WE WENT IN THERE TO TAKE A LOOK AFTER 23 0 5, 22 0 0 7 WERE APPROVED BY VOTERS TO MAKE THE CHANGES THAT WERE REQUIRED TO BE MADE, UH, WE NOTED THAT THERE WERE 16 OTHER AMENDMENTS FOR A TOTAL OF 18 AMENDMENTS THAT ACTUALLY NEEDED TO BE PUT IN HERE.
IT HASN'T BEEN TOUCHED SINCE 1976 AND SINCE THEN, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF, UH, CHARTER AMENDMENTS THAT HAVE RELATED TO THE, UH, COUNTY LEGISLATURE.
BILL MAKES THOSE CHANGES AND, AND ALSO WENT THROUGH THERE AND REMOVED ALL THE GENDER SPECIFIC PRONOUNS AND LANGUAGE AND PUT IN GENDER NEUTRAL LANGUAGE.
UH, THERE WAS A COUPLE, UH, KIND OF GRIP CORRECTIONS THAT WERE MADE, BUT IN ESSENCE, THAT'S WHAT IT DOES.
IT, IT JUST BRINGS US UP TO MAGIC FACT WITH THE CHARTER.
AND TONIGHT THERE'S GONNA BE TWO MORE AMENDMENTS, AND THEY WERE BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION BY, UH, AN EMAIL FROM RICHARD NORLING.
AND ONE WAS A, UH, TYPING ERROR ON MY PART WHERE I HAVE A RANDOM, UH, LEFT BRACKET THAT WAS INSERTED SO THAT THAT AMENDMENT WILL REQUEST THAT IT BE, UH, STRICKEN OUT OF THE BILL.
AND THEN THE OTHER ONE IS, UH, ONE MALE PRONOUN HE, THAT, THAT I MISSED.
SO THAT WOULD BE US THAT, THAT ALSO BE STRICKEN AND GENDER NEUTRAL LANGUAGE BE PLACED IN.
BUT, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, IT, IT'S, IT, IT'S A BIG BILL.
A LOT OF CHANGES, BUT, BUT IN ESSENCE, IT'S VERY SIMPLE BECAUSE ALL WORK WAS ALREADY DONE BY THE CHARTER AMENDMENT THAT, THAT THE VOTERS HAVE APPROVED OVER THE YEARS.
ANY QUESTIONS? ABSOLUTELY, COUNSEL AT THIS TIME.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. KEARNEY OR ANY COMMENTS? MS. DIXON? DO WE HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP? THERE IS NO ONE SIGNED UP, MR. PRESIDENT WITH, UH, NO ONE SIGNED UP.
THIS WILL CONCLUDE THIS PUBLIC HEARING FOR BILL 22 DASH 25 AS AMENDED AND WILL BE LOOKED AT AT A FUTURE DATE.
WE'LL GO INTO 5 43 CHAIR CALLS,
[ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS ]
THE ORDER ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS TO HEAR CASE NUMBER 59 66, MR. ANDREWS, MS. PADILLA.UM, MR. STOVER, IF YOU'LL COME FORWARD, I DON'T SEE ANYONE IN OPPOSITION OR DO I, AND NO ONE REGISTERED TO SPEAK IS WHAT I'M ASKING.
UH, MR. VIEN, FOR THE RECORD, PEOPLE'S COUNSEL, DO NOT ENTER THEIR APPEARANCE.
YOU'LL HAVE 15 MINUTES TO PRESENT YOUR CASE.
UH, MR. VIETTI, MR. COUNCIL PRESIDENT, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, UH, FOR THE RECORD, BRADLEY ARE STOVER ON BEHALF OF MR. ANDS.
MS. PADILLA HERE TO MY RIGHT, YOUR LEFT.
UH, THE SUBJECT PROPERTY HERE WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT TONIGHT IS A SLIGHTLY OVER EIGHT ACRE PARCEL LOCATED AT 1525 WATERVILLE ROAD IN FALLSTON.
IT IS ZONED AGRICULTURAL UNDER THE ZONING CODE.
AND MY CLIENTS, THE APPLICANTS PROPOSED TO HAVE ANTIQUE SALES LOCATED WITHIN A BARN THAT'S ON THEIR PROPERTY, WHICH OF COURSE REQUIRES BOARD OF APPEALS APPROVAL, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE HERE TONIGHT.
UH, THE SUBJECT PROPERTY IS IMPROVED BY A SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCE WHERE MY CLIENTS LIVE AND HAS A, UH, NUMBER OF BARNS AND OUTBUILDINGS ON THE PROPERTY THAT HAVE SIGNIFICANT HISTORIC VALUE.
SOME EVEN GO BACK TO, UH, AS LATE AS THE 1790S.
UM, THE PROPERTY WAS IN FACT SURVEYED BY THE MARYLAND HISTORIC TRUST IN 1976.
IT WAS, UH, TAGGED AS LA VISTA, AND THAT SITE WAS GIVEN SIGNIFICANT HISTORICAL CONTEXT BY THE MARYLAND HISTORIC TRUST BACK IN 76.
UH, THE APPLICANTS, AS I, UH, TESTIFIED, INTEND TO HAVE AN ANTIQUE STORE AT THEIR PROPERTY LOCATED IN A BARN.
UH, AS MR. ANDREWS TESTIFIED TO AT THE HEARING, YOU'LL SEE IN THE TRANSCRIPT THEY HAVE EXPERIENCED DOING THIS BEFORE.
THEY'VE OPERATED, UH, ANTIQUE SALES IN THE PAST, AND WHAT THEY SEEK, AS YOU SAW FROM THE TESTIMONY OF THE TRANSCRIPT, IS A SMALL SCALE OPERATION WITH SOME LINEMAN HOURS, UH, FEW NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES.
IN FACT, MR. ANDREWS TESTIFIED IT WOULD REALLY JUST BE THE TWO OF THEM.
THIS WOULD BE A, A SMALL PART-TIME OPERATION THAT THEY ENJOY IN THEIR RETIREMENT.
SO, UH, THE TECHNICAL ASPECT OF THE STATUTE IS 2 67 88
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FIRST, THE PARCEL HAS TO BE TWO ACRES IN SIZE, WHICH IN THIS CASE IT CLEARLY IS SECOND, THAT THE PROPOSED USE HAS TO BE LOCATED IN WHAT IS TERMED AS AN HISTORIC STRUCTURE.
AND THE APPLICANTS IN THEIR APPLICATION BEFORE YOU TONIGHT SOUGHT A VARIANCE FROM THE REQUIREMENT THAT THE USE BE LOCATED WITHIN AN HISTORIC STRUCTURE.
THE BUILDING THAT THEY'RE LOOKING TO PUT THE BARN THEY'RE LOOKING TO PUT THE USE IN IS APPROXIMATELY 75 TO 85 YEARS OF AGE.
THIS SAME PROPERTY, AND THATS SAME BARN, WAS THE SUBJECT OF BOARD OF APPEALS CASE 33 94 IN 1987, DECISION WHERE THE SAME EXACT REQUEST WAS MADE, SAME PROPERTY, SAME BARN.
THE APPLICANT IN 1987 SOUGHT TO HAVE, UH, A BARN BE USED FOR ANTIQUE SALES, THE SAME EXACT BARN THAT'S THE SUBJECT OF TONIGHT'S CASE.
UH, IN THAT VERY CASE, THEY ALSO ASKED FOR THE SAME VARIANCE THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR TONIGHT, THAT THE BARN ITSELF, UH, THERE'D BE A VARIANCE THAT'D BE REQUIRED TO BE A HISTORIC STRUCTURE WHERE THE SALES WOULD TAKE PLACE.
AND IN THAT 1987 CASE, THIS VERY SAME BOARD GRANTED THE SPECIAL EXCEPTION IN THAT VARIANCE REQUEST.
AND IN THAT CASE, WHICH WAS ENTERED INTO EVIDENCE AT THE UNDERLYING HEARING, THE HEARING EXAMINER FOUND IN THAT CASE, THE TESTIMONY OF THE APPLICANT'S WITNESS HAS THAT SEVERAL OF THE BUILDINGS ON THE SUBJECT PARCEL ARE ELIGIBLE FOR DESIGNATION ON THE NATIONAL OR STATE REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES, OR AS AN HISTORIC HARFORD COUNTY LANDMARK.
EVEN THOUGH THIS PARTICULAR BARN IS NOT HISTORIC STRUCTURE, IT IS PART OF THE OVERALL HISTORIC ATMOSPHERE OF THE SITE AND IS LOCATED ADJACENT TO THE HISTORIC STRUCTURES ON THE SITE WELL WITHIN THE HOME PLACE AND FARM BUILDING ENCLAVE OF THE PROPERTY.
AND AS WAS NOTED IN THAT BOARD OF APPEALS DECISION, WHICH AGAIN IS IN THE RECORD IN THIS CASE AT THE TIME OF THE HEARING IN 1987, THE SUBJECT BARN, SAME AS TONIGHT'S HEARING, 45 YEARS OLD AT THAT TIME.
SO THE APPLICANTS, AGAIN, ARE SEEKING THAT SAME VARIANCE, UH, FOR THE SAME BUILDING SOME 35 YEARS LATER IN THEIR STAFF REPORT.
IN THIS CASE, THE DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND ZONING RECOMMENDED APPROVAL OF THE REQUEST FOR THE VARIANCE, STATING THAT AT THE TIME OF THE MARYLAND HISTORIC TRUST INVENTORY OF THE SITE, THEY MEANING THE TRUST NOTED THE IMPORTANCE OF THE TOTAL SITE, INCLUDING THE USE OF SOME OF THE OUTBUILDINGS.
THE BARN STRUCTURE THE APPLICANT IS PROPOSING TO USE APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN BUILT IN THE 1950S.
AND WHILE IT MAY NOT BE HISTORIC PER SE, IT IS PART OF THE OVERALL HISTORIC SITE AND OF HISTORIC INTEREST.
SINCE THIS INVENTORY BY THE TRUST WAS DONE IN 1976, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT AN UPDATED INVENTORY COULD FIND THE BARN BUILDING TO HAVE MORE HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE NOW, BECAUSE OF ITS AGE BEING OVER 70 YEARS AND THE FACT THAT IT COULD REPRESENT MID-CENTURY BARNS AT THE UNDERLYING HEARING IN THIS MATTER.
UH, THERE'S RIFE TESTIMONY FIRST FROM MR. ANDREWS AS TO THE HISTORIC NATURE OF THE BUILDINGS ON THIS PROPERTY.
UH, QUITE FRANKLY, I WOULD ENCOURAGE A READ OF, UH, PAGES 16 TO 19 OF THE TRANSCRIPT.
UH, IT WAS QUITE THE HISTORY LESSON THAT MR. ANDREWS GAVE ON THE PROPERTY.
AS IMPORTANTLY, MR. CULVER DAVID CULVER, THE DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND ZONING TESTIFIED AS TO THE HISTORIC, UH, NATURE AND HISTORY OF THE PROPERTY.
THE REASON WE'RE HERE TONIGHT, HOWEVER, IS BECAUSE THE HEARING EXAMINER DENIED THE APPLICATION ON THE NARROW GROUNDS THAT A VARIANCE FROM THE REQUIREMENT THE PROPOSED USE BE LOCATED AND HISTORIC STRUCTURE WAS NOT WARRANTED.
AND I WANNA MAKE A VERY IMPORTANT DISTINCTION AND POINT HERE.
THE HEARING EXAMINER DID NOT DENY THIS APPLICATION BECAUSE HE FOUND IT WOULD HAVE AN ADVERSE IMPACT ABOVE AND BEYOND WHICH IT WOULD HAVE AT ANY OTHER AG PROPERTY, UH, IN THE COUNTY.
THIS WAS NOT DENIED ON WHAT WE LAND USE, UH, ATTORNEYS REFER TO AS A SCHULTZ V PRITZ ANALYSIS.
IN FACT, THE HEARING EXAMINER SPECIFICALLY FOUND THAT THE ADVERSE IMPACT STANDARDS THAT THIS BOARD HAS TO CONSIDER, WHICH ARE SET FORTH IN 2 67 9 I OF THE CODE WERE MET.
SO I WANNA BE CLEAR, FOR PURPOSES OF THIS APPEAL, WHAT WE'RE APPEALING IS MR. CAO'S DECISION THAT THE VARIANCE AS TO THE HISTORIC STRUCTURE, UH, WAS DENIED.
FIRST, I WOULD POINT OUT THAT THE DEFINITION UNDER THE CODE OF WHAT CONSTITUTES A HISTORIC STRUCTURE IS PRETTY BIG.
UH, AND WHAT THE, THE CODE PROVIDES UNDER THE DEFINITIONS IS THAT A HISTORIC STRUCTURE IS AN ASSEMBLY OF MATERIALS THAT DISPLAYS SIGNS OF HISTORICAL, CULTURAL, OR ARCHITECTURAL ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE.
NOW, IT'S REALLY NOT CLEAR FROM THAT WHAT HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE MEANS OR WHO MAKES THAT DETERMINATION.
AND IN FACT, THIS LACK OF CLARITY WAS ACTUALLY THE SUBJECT OF SOME DISCUSSION BETWEEN, UH, THE HEARING EXAMINER MR. CULVER, WHICH WE'LL SEE IN THE TRANSCRIPT ON PAGES 66, 67.
NOW, IT IS TRUE THAT THE PARTICULAR BARN IN THIS CASE IS NOT OF THE SAME AGE AS MANY OF THE OTHER IMPROVEMENTS.
CERTAINLY DOES NOT GO BACK TO THE 1790S, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER.
AND IT WAS NOT CATEGORIZED SPECIFICALLY AS HISTORICAL BACK IN 1976 WHEN THE MARYLAND HISTORIC TRUST DID ITS INVENTORY.
HOWEVER, IN 1987, THIS VERY BOARD FOUND THAT THE SUBJECT BARN WAS SO INTERTWINED WITH THE HISTORICAL CHARACTER AND NATURE OF THE PROPERTY THAT A VARIANCE WAS WARRANTED.
[00:10:02]
AS I MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, THE HISTORIC NATURE OF THE PROPERTY IN GENERAL, THERE'S RIFE TESTIMONY YOU CAN LOOK AT IN THE RECORD FROM BOTH MR. ANDREWS AND MR. CULVER.AND IN FACT, MR. CALVER OPINE THAT PERHAPS THE BARN COULD BE DEEMED HISTORIC OR AN UPDATED HISTORICAL TRUST REVIEW PERFORMED MUCH AS IN 1987.
IN THIS CASE, THERE IS NO EVIDENCE IN THE RECORD THAT THE SUBJECT BARN DOES NOT FIT IN WITH THE HISTORIC NATURE OF THE PROPERTY.
AND THIS BOARD CAN REVIEW THE PHOTOGRAPHS THAT WERE ENTERED INTO EVIDENCE, NOT SPECIFICALLY POINT YOU TO NUMBER 23, THE APPLICANT'S NUMBER 23, AND THE PHOTOGRAPHS THAT WERE ATTACHED TO THE STAFF REPORT.
SO LEMME GET TO THE MEAT OF IT.
THE VARIANCE STANDARD REALLY HAS THREE ELEMENTS.
IS THE PROPERTY UNIQUE? WOULD LITERAL ENFORCEMENT OF THE CODE IMPOSE A HARDSHIP ON THE APPLICANTS, MY CLIENTS IN THIS CASE? AND WOULD THE GRANT OF THE VARIANCE, UH, BE SUBSTANTIALLY DETRIMENTAL TO ADJACENT PROPERTIES OR HAVE, UH, IMPAIR OR IMPEDE THE PURPOSES OF THE CODE? UH, SO LET ME ATTACK EACH ONE INDIVIDUALLY.
WITH RESPECT TO THE UNIQUENESS.
I BELIEVE THIS PROPERTY IS UNIQUE, AND SO FAR AS THAT IT IS IMPROVED BY HISTORIC STRUCTURES AND BUILDINGS THAT GO BACK TO THE DAYS OF GEORGE WASHINGTON.
THE PARTICULAR BARN IN THIS CASE IS A STRUCTURE THAT 35 YEARS AGO BY THIS BOARD WAS CERTAINLY FOUND TO BE INTERTWINED INTO THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF THE PROPERTY.
THERE'S NO BRIGHT LINE TEST UNDER THE CODE TO DETERMINE WHAT AN HISTORIC STRUCTURE IS FOR THIS SPECIAL EXCEPTION.
AND, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THERE IS A COMPLETELY SEPARATE PART OF THE CODE, THE ZONING CODE THAT SPEAKS TO TORICAL LANDMARKS.
SECTION 1 0 9 ACTUALLY HAS A CHECKLIST OF THINGS THAT CAN BE APPLIED TO DETERMINE IF SOMETHING IS A HISTORIC LANDMARK.
BUT THAT IS NOT TIED TO THIS SPECIFIC SPECIAL EXCEPTION.
IT CERTAINLY COULD HAVE BEEN, BUT IT WASN'T.
SO, I DON'T BELIEVE THERE REALLY IS A BRIGHT LINE TEST AS TO WHAT CONSTITUTES AN HISTORIC STRUCTURE.
I THINK THIS PROPERTY IS VERY UNIQUE IN THAT YOU'VE GOT A PROPERTY, PROPERTY THAT IS CLEARLY HISTORIC IN NATURE.
THE MARYLAND HISTORICAL TRUST IS A UPON THAT'S TRUE, BUT WE HAVE A BARN IN QUESTION THAT WAS NOT SPECIFICALLY IDENTIFIED AS SUCH IN 1976, AND I THINK IT'D BE HARD PRESSED TO FIND ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF A DEEPLY HISTORIC PROPERTY LIKE THIS, WHERE YOU HAVE A SINGLE BARN THAT IS INTERTWINED WITH THAT HISTORY, BUT NOT TECHNICALLY HISTORIC.
THE DEPARTMENT IS PLANNING AND ZONING STAFF REPORT AND TESTIMONY IN THIS CASE AGREE THAT THE PROPERTY IS UNIQUE BASED ON THAT HISTORICAL CONTEXT, AND THERE'S NO EVIDENCE TO THE CONTRARY.
AND THE HEARING EXAMINER DID CITE A CASE, IN HIS OPINION, TRINITY, ASSEMBLY OF GOD OF BALTIMORE CITY VERSUS PEOPLE'S COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE CITY, WHERE THE COURT OF APPEALS, THE SENIOR COURT IN THIS STATE HELD THAT HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE OF A PROPERTY CAN BE A FACTOR IN DETERMINING WHETHER A PROPERTY IS UNIQUE.
I WOULD ARGUE THIS PROPERTY IS UNIQUE.
SO IF I TURN TO THE SECOND, UH, CONSIDERATION LITERAL ENFORCEMENT, LITERAL ENFORCEMENT OF THE CODE IN THIS INSTANCE, THAT WOULD REQUIRE THE BARN BEING PROPOSED FOR THE ANTIQUE SALES, I BELIEVE WOULD CAUSE UNDUE HARDSHIP.
AS I STATED PREVIOUSLY, I DON'T THINK THE STATUTE'S VERY CLEAR AS TO WHAT A HISTORIC STRUCTURE IS.
MOREOVER, I THINK THE HOLD IN 20 22, 35 YEARS AFTER THE FACT THAT A VARIANCE IS NOT WARRANTED WHEN THIS VERY BOARD PROVIDED THAT IT WAS WARRANTED IN 1987 WOULD IMPOSE HARDSHIP ON THE APPLICANTS.
AND I THINK IT BEGS REALLY THE BASIC QUESTION, WHY WAS IT OKAY IN 1987 AND WHY IS IT NOT OKAY IN 2022? I THINK THAT, UH, THE HEARING EXAMINER'S DECISION IGNORES THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF THE PROPERTY AND BASICALLY JUST SAYS, SORRY, BECAUSE THIS BARN ISN'T AS OLD AS SOME OF THE OTHER BUILDINGS ON THE PROPERTY.
AND BECAUSE IT WASN'T SPECIFICALLY DESIGNATED AS HISTORIC IN 1976, YOU CAN'T USE IT.
AND I BELIEVE THAT ENFORCEMENT OF THE CODE LITERALLY, UH, WOULD IN FACT IMPOSE SOME HARDSHIP ON MY CLIENTS.
THE ONLY THING THAT'S CHANGED HERE IS THE BARN'S GOTTEN OLDER.
UH, IT'S 35 YEARS OLDER NOW, WITH RESPECT TO THAT 1987 DECISION, THE HEARING EXAMINER DID CORRECTLY POINT OUT THAT A PRIOR CASE IN AND OF ITSELF IS NOT BINDING ON A SUBSEQUENT CASE.
HOWEVER, THE HEARING EXAMINER CORRECTLY SIDED THE CHARTER THAT SAYS A ZONING DECISION MUST BE BASED UPON RECORD EVIDENCE.
THAT 1987 BOARD OF APPEALS DECISION AND FINDING OF UNIQUENESS IN HARDSHIP WAS MADE A PART OF THIS RECORD.
AND THE VERY TESTIMONY OF BOTH MR. ANDREWS AND MR. CALVER REITERATED THE VERY SAME ARGUMENTS AND RATIONALE THAT GAVE RISE TO THE 1987 DECISION.
THE HEARING EXAMINER CITES TWO CASES, THE TRINITY ASSEMBLY CASE I JUST REFERRED TO, AS WELL AS DAN MOUNTAIN WINDFORCE LLC VERSUS ALLEGHENY BOARD OF APPEALS FOR THE PROPOSITION THAT THE OWNER MUST PROVE A CONNECTION BETWEEN THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PROPERTY AND THE MANNER IN WHICH THE ZONING CODE ENFORCEMENT WOULD HURT THE OWNER.
IN OTHER WORDS, YOU'VE GOTTA CONNECT THAT UNIQUENESS AND THE HARDSHIP.
AND I BELIEVE THE CASES THAT THE HEARING EXAMINER CITED ONLY HELP MY CLIENT'S ARGUMENT TO HOLD THE PROPERTY OWNER TO A HISTORIC STRUCTURE STANDARD THAT IS NOT CLEARLY DEFINED IN THE CODE.
WHEN THE BALANCE OF THE PROPERTY HAS BEEN NOTED BY THE MARYLAND HISTORIC TRUST TO BE HISTORIC IN NATURE, CERTAINLY HURTS THIS APPLICANT.
AND TO HOLD THIS APPLICANT TO A DIFFERENT
[00:15:01]
STANDARD THAT THE SAME PROPERTY AND SAME BARN WERE GRANTED A VARIANCE FROM THE VERY SAME CODE PROVISIONS 35 YEARS LATER WHEN THE BARN'S 35 YEARS OLDER, CERTAINLY HARMS THE APPLICANT STRICTLY ENFORCING THE CODE IN THIS INSTANCE WOULD ABSOLUTELY HARM MY CLIENTS.THE APPLICANTS THEY CAN'T DO WHAT WAS PERMITTED IN 1987, EVEN THOUGH THE SUBJECT BARN IS 35 YEARS OLDER.
WITH RESPECT TO THE THIRD COMPONENT OF VARIANCES, UH, THAT IT MUST NOT BE SUBSTANTIALLY DETRI DETRIMENTAL TO ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNERS OR SUBVERT THE PURPOSES OF THE CODE.
A AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, THE HEARING EXAMINER IS ACTUALLY QUITE CLEAR IN HIS DECISION THAT, UH, THE ADVERSE IMPACT FACTORS OF 2 67 9 I WERE MET, UM, THAT THERE IS NO ADVERSE IMPACT, SO THEREFORE I DO NOT BELIEVE THE GRANTING OF THE VARIANCE WOULD BE SUBSTANTIALLY DETRIMENTAL.
SO, UH, MR. MR. COUNCILS PRESIDENT AND THE BOARD, I WOULD SAY IN CONCLUSION THAT, UM, I BELIEVE THAT THREE COMPONENTS, THE VARIOUS STANDARDS HAVE BEEN MET, AND I WOULD ARGUE THAT THE HEARING EXAMINER AIRED IN DENYING THE PETITION, I BELIEVE MY CLIENT SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO IN 2022, 2023.
NOW, WHAT WAS ALLOWED IN 1987, UH, IS, UH, THE CORRECT DECISION, AND I WOULD ASK THAT THE BOARD REVERSE THE DECISION OF THE HEARING EXAMINER AND APPROVE THE APPLICANT'S APPLICATION IF THIS BOARD IS INCLINED TO, UH, SO, UH, REVERSE THE DECISION.
UH, I BELIEVE THAT THE CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL THAT ARE SET FORTH IN THE DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND ZONING STAFF REPORT, WHICH IS MADE A PART OF THE RECORD, ARE APPROPRIATE.
THANK YOU, MR. STAFFER, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
YOU STILL HAVE FOUR MINUTES AVAILABLE TO YOU IF YOU NEED IT.
UM, AND AT THIS TIME, UH, COUNSEL, IF, UH, YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, MR. PENMAN? MR. PRESENT? YES, I DO.
UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, MY QUESTION PERTAINS TO THE SUBSTANTIAL IMPACT TO THE ADJACENT PROPERTIES, UM, AND I'M JUST TRYING TO EVALUATE THE IMPACT ON ADJACENT PROPERTIES AND WHETHER THE IMPACT IS, IS AS GREAT.
UM, SO, AND YOU MAY NOT HAVE THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION, UH, BUT TERELLA COURT OBVIOUSLY WAS NOT THERE IN 1987.
UM, HOW DID THE, UH, UNAPPROVED OR IMPROVED PROPERTIES THAT ARE NEARBY ACCESS THEIR PROPERTIES AT THAT TIME? I WOULD HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE TRANSCRIPT TO SEE IF THAT IS INTO EVIDENCE.
UM, COUNCILMAN, BUT, UH, I, I WOULD POINT OUT AGAIN THAT I THINK WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO WOULD BE WHETHER OR NOT THERE ARE ANY ADVERSE IMPACTS ON ANY NEIGHBORING PROPERTY OWNERS.
UM, MR. CAHO FOUND THEIR WARRANTS AND THAT PART OF HIS DECISION WAS NOT APPEALED.
AND BEFORE YOU TONIGHT, I MEAN, I THINK THE REALLY, HE TURNED IT DOWN BECAUSE OF THE BARN NOT BEING AN HISTORIC STRUCTURE STRUCTURES.
I THINK FOR PURPOSES OF THIS APPEAL, THAT WOULD BE WHAT I WOULD FOCUS ON.
I, I DON'T KNOW THAT I CAN SPECIFICALLY ANSWER YOUR QUESTION WITHOUT LOOKING AT THE, THE TRANSCRIPT.
ANYONE ELSE? MR. STOVER? ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO ADD? NOTHING FURTHER.
WELL, THIS WILL GO AHEAD AND CONCLUDE THIS PUBLIC HEARING, UH, FOR CASE NUMBER 59 66.
UH, WE WILL CONSIDER IT AT A FUTURE MEETING.
[1. CALL TO ORDER]
ORDER LEGISLATIVE SESSION DAY 23 DASH ZERO TWO.I WOULD ASK YOU TO PLEASE JOIN US IN STANDING FOR THE PLEDGE.
FOLLOWED BY THE OPENING PRAYER BY COUNTS RILEY, I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GODDED IN INDIVISIBLE, WHERE LIBERTY, JUSTICE, FRAUD.
E BOWER HEADS, DEAR LORD, THANK YOU FOR THIS ANOTHER YEAR.
EVERY BREATH WE TAKE IS A GIFT FROM YOU.
THANK YOU, LORD, FOR NO MATTER WHAT WE FACE THIS YEAR WITH YOUR HELP, WE'LL BE ABLE TO ENDURE, OVERCOME AND PREVAIL.
I THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR STRENGTH AND ENERGY, AND THAT WILL SUSTAIN OUR DAYS, YOUR WISDOM THAT WILL GIVE US, GUIDE US AS YOUR PEACE THAT WILL FILL US.
MAY YOUR YOU, LORD, BE FILLED WITH SO MANY BLESSINGS, MIRACLES, AND ANSWERED PRAYERS.
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FOUR, PRESENTATION OF PROCLAMATIONS.
[5. CONSIDERATION OF PETITIONS, APPLICATIONS, APPOINTMENTS AND NOMINATIONS]
CONSIDERATION OF PETITIONS, APPLICATIONS, APPOINTMENTS, AND NOMINATIONS.COUNSEL, YOU HAVE A LIST OF COUNCIL MEMBER APPOINTMENTS TO SERVE ON VARIOUS BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, AND THEY WERE AS FOLLOWS, COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS ARC.
MYSELF, LEE DUNUM FOUNDATION, COUNCILWOMAN BOLES SOCIAL SERVICES ADVISORY BOARD MYSELF,
[00:20:01]
MAY HAVE A MOTION.COUNCIL PRESIDENT, I MOVE TO APPROVE THE FOLLOWING.
COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS ARC PRESIDENT ENTI, LEO DRU FOUNDATION, COUNCILWOMAN BOYLES SADDLES SOCIAL SERVICES ADVISORY BOARD PRESIDENT VIENTE.
IT'S BEEN MOVED, SECONDED TO APPROVE COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS OR ANY DISCUSSION? COUNCIL MEMBERS? SEEING NONE, MS. DIXON? MR. PRESIDENT? AYE.
THERE BEING SEVEN VOTES IN AFFIRMATIVE, ZEROING A NEGATIVE.
THE APPOINTMENTS ARE HEREBY APPROVED.
COUNTY EXECUTIVE APPOINTMENTS, EXECUTIVE APPOINTMENTS, DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR AND DEPUTY DIRECTORS, UH, COUNSEL, IF THERE ARE NO OBJECTIONS, WE'LL MOVE THE FOLLOWING EXECUTIVE APPOINTMENTS TOGETHER.
MAY I HAVE A MOTION? COUNCIL PRESIDENT I MOVE TO APPROVE THE FOLLOWING APPOINTMENTS.
RICHARD AYERS, DIRECTOR OF EMERGENCY SERVICES.
JOSEPH WOODS, DIRECTOR, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF EMERGENCY SERVICES, MAR HARK, DEPUTY COUNTY ATTORNEY MILTON DAVENPORT, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND ZONING.
STEVE WALSH, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF DIVISION OF HIGHWAYS, HAROLD BOWLING, JR.
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF DEPARTMENT OF INSPECTIONS, LICENSES AND PERMITS.
IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED TO APPROVE THE APPOINTMENTS.
JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, IF HE WASN'T HERE, I'M MIGHT VOTE AGAINST HIM.
ANYONE ELSE? MR. GANDER? DAN? SO I, I I'D LIKE TO, UH, CONGRATULATE, UH, JOE WOODS.
UH, I'VE SAT NEXT TO HIM FOR A COUPLE YEARS.
I KNOW HE IS VERY, UM, VERY PASSIONATE IN WHAT HE DOES AND, AND, AND, UH, I THINK HE'LL WORK R REALLY WELL WITH, UH, WITH RICK AYERS.
AND I KNOW RICK AYERS IS, UH, EXTREMELY PASSIONATE AS WELL, VERY DETAILED ORIENTATED, VERY DEDICATED TO, TO HARTFORD COUNTY.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE BOTH OF YOU.
AND, UH, I WISH YOU, UH, I WISH YOU WELL AND, UH, UH, STEVE WALSH AND I DON'T SEE HIM, BUT, UH, HE'S, HE'S HERE.
SO I'VE WORKED WITH STEVE BEFORE, UM, VERY RESPONSIVE IN THE LAST ADMINISTRATION, SO I DO APPRECIATE, UM, THAT, AND, UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, CONTINUING AND I'M, AND I'M GLAD I GOT TO MEET A COUPLE OF THE OTHER DEPUTIES.
I LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING WITH YOU AND, AND I WANT TO THANK MR. BOWLING FOR A MEETING WE HAD, UH, DEALT THE OTHER DAY.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT AND I, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR INPUT.
SO, UH, I, UH, CONGRATULATE EVERYBODY AND LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU.
ANYONE ELSE? UH, I WILL HAVE TO ECHO, UH, MR. JAN'S COMMENTS.
WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE ALL OF THE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE APPOINTED TO THESE POSITIONS THIS EVENING, AND, UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH ALL OF 'EM IN THE FUTURE.
UM, MS. DIXON, MR. PRESIDENT? AYE.
MR. BENNETT, AYE, YOU'RE BEING SEVEN VOTES IN THE AFFIRMATIVE.
THE APPOINTMENTS ARE HEREBY APPROVED, AND I WOULD LIKE ALL OF YOU TO PLEASE STAND AND BE RECOGNIZED.
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SIX, SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS.
[7. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
APPROVAL OF MINUTES.LEGISLATIVE DAY, 23 DASH 0 0 1.
ARE THERE ANY CORRECTIONS TO THE MINUTES? THERE BEING NO CORRECTIONS? AMEND, STAND APPROVED.
[8. INTRODUCTION AND CONSIDERATION OF RESOLUTIONS]
PLEASE READ IN RESOLUTION 0 0 1 DASH 23 INTO THE RECORD.UM, INTRODUCTION AND CONSIDERATION RESOLUTION RESOLUTION 0 0 1 DASH 23 CONSOLIDATED PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT BONDS SERIES 2023, A RESOLUTION TO AUTHORIZE THE ISSUANCE, SALE AND DELIVERY BY HARFORD COUNTY, MARYLAND, THE COUNTY OF ITS BONDS, DESIGNATED HARFORD COUNTY, MARYLAND CONSOLIDATED PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT BONDS SERIES 2023.
THE C P I BONDS IN THE ORIGINAL AGGREGATE PRINCIPLE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 50 MILLION PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 19 DASH 1 0 1 OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ARTICLE OF THE ANNOTATED CODE OF MARYLAND 2013 REPLACEMENT VOLUME AND 2021 SUPPLEMENT, THE CONSOLIDATED BONDS ACT, SECTION 5 24 OF THE CHARTER OF HARTFORD COUNTY, THE CHARTER AND SECTIONS 1 23 DASH 40 AND 2 56
[00:25:01]
DASH 26 OF THE CODE OF HARTFORD COUNTY.THE COUNTY CODE CONFIRMING THAT THE PRINCIPLE PREMIUM, IF ANY, AN INTEREST THERE, THERE ON SHALL BE GENERAL OBLIGATIONS OF THE COUNTY SECURED BY ITS FULL FAITH AND CREDIT AND UNLIMITED TAXING POWER, DETERMINING THAT THE CPI BOND SHALL BE SOLD BY COMPETITIVE BID APPOINTING A BARN REGISTER AND PAYING AGENT FOR THE CPI BONDS, APPROVING THE SUBSTANTIALLY FINAL FORMS OF VARIOUS DOCUMENTS TO BE EXECUTED ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTY IN CONNECTION WITH THE ISSUANCE, SALE AND DELIVERY OF THE CPI BONDS.
DETERMINING THE DATE OF SALE, DETERMINING THE AVERAGE PROBABLE USEFUL LIFE OF THE IMPROVEMENTS OF UNDERTAKINGS WITH RESPECT TO THE IN DEPTHNESS EVIDENCE BY THE C P BONDS IS TO BE INCURRED DETERMINING VARIOUS OTHER MATTERS IN CONNECTION WITH THE INSURANCE SALE AND DELIVERY OF THE CPA BONDS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO PROVISIONS IN A NOTICE OF SALE FOR CHANGES AND THE AGGREGATE PRINCIPLE AMOUNT OF C P I BONDS TO BE SOLD AND CHANGES IN THE PRINCIPLE AMOUNT TO MATURE IN CERTAIN YEARS AND DETERMINING THAT THE C P I BOND SHALL BE CONSIDERED FOR THE PURPOSE OF SALE, CONSOLIDATED FOR THE PURCHASE PURPOSES OF SALE.
UM, COUNSEL, WE HAVE WITH US TONIGHT OUR TREASURER, MR. SALIS AND, UH, SPECIAL BOND COUNSEL, MR. STK.
WILL HAVE BOND COUNCIL DISCUSS THE, UH, LEGISLATION.
THEN I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE, UH, INDIVIDUAL, UH, PROJECTS AS WELL AS ALSO KIND OF THE BOND SALE PROCESS.
GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL PRESIDENT, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL.
IT'S NICE TO BE WITH YOU, YOU THIS EVENING.
UH, RESOLUTION 0 0 1 23 COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS THE TERMS OF SALE RESOLUTION AUTHORIZES THE ISSUANCE OF UP TO 50 MILLION OF THE COUNTY'S CONSOLIDATED PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT BOND SERIES 2023, WHICH CONSOLIDATES THE COUNTY'S GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS AND THE COUNTY'S WATER AND SEWER BONDS.
AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE RESOLUTION DOES THE FOLLOWING.
IT DESCRIBES THE PROJECTS WHICH MR. SANLESS WILL RE DESCRIBE IN DETAIL LATER FUNDED BY THE BONDS.
PROVIDES THAT THE BONDS WILL BE SOLD AT COMPETITIVE SALE APPROVES THE SUBSTANTIALLY FINAL FORMS OF THE VARIOUS DOCUMENTS TO BE EXECUTED BY THE COUNTY.
IN CONNECTION WITH THE ISSUANCE OF THE BONDS, AUTHORIZES THE DELIVERY OF A PRELIMINARY OFFICIAL STATEMENT AT A FINAL OFFICIAL STATEMENT, WHICH ARE USED IN CONNECTION WITH THE OFFERING AND SALE OF THE BONDS AND DETERMINES THE AVERAGE, UH, PROBABLE USEFUL LIFE OF THE PROJECTS FUNDED BY THE BONDS.
UH, THE RESOLUTION ALSO SETS FORTH THE EXPECTED DATES AND AMOUNTS OF THE SERIAL MATURITIES OF THE BONDS AND THE REDEMPTION PROVISIONS OF THE BONDS PURSUANT TO THE RESOLUTION.
THE COUNTY AGREES THAT IN THE EVENT RECEIPTS FROM THE COUNTY'S WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM OR COUNTY'S RECEIPTS PLEDGED TO DEBT SERVICE ARE NOT SUFFICIENT TO PAY DEBT SERVICE ON THE 23 BONDS, THE COUNTY WILL LEVY AD VALOREM TAXES IN RATE AND AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO PAY DEBT SERVICE ON THE SERIES 2023 BONDS.
AND FINALLY, THE RESOLUTION PROVIDES THAT THE FINAL TERMS OF SALE OF THE SERIES 2023 BONDS SHALL BE APPROVED BY THE COUNTY COUNCIL.
AND AS BOND COUNCIL SPOKE TO IS THIS IS A SALE FOR 50 MILLION OF BONDS, 48.5 MILLION OF IT IS IN GENERAL GOVERNMENT OR TAXPAYER SUPPORTED DEBT, UM, WITH THOSE, UH, DEBT SERVICES TO BE PAID FOR BY, UH, UH, BY GENERAL TAX DOLLARS AND THE LIKE WITH 1.4, 1.5 MILLION TO BE PAID FOR WITH, UH, WATER AND SEWER, UH, USER FEES, UH, AND THE LIKE, UM, FOR THOSE SPECIFIC WATER AND SEWER PROJECTS.
SO TOTAL, THERE'S ABOUT 88 PROJECTS, UM, BUT ABOUT, UH, 12 OF THEM COMPRISE, UH, ALMOST ALL OF THIS, OF THIS 50 MILLION OF, OF ISSUANCE.
AND SHOULD NOTE THAT ABOUT 40% OR 20 MILLION IS FOR SCHOOL PROJECTS.
UM, SO THE, UH, THE LARGEST, UH, PROJECT HERE IS FOR, UH, JO TOWN HIGH SCHOOL SYSTEMIC PROJECT.
IT'S A PROJECT THAT GOT UNDERWAY SEVERAL YEARS AGO.
WE ALSO HAVE, UM, SOME OTHER SIGNIFICANT PROJECTS HERE, FACILITIES REPAIR, REPLACEMENT, HOMESTEAD, WAKEFIELD, UM, VARIOUS, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY PROJECTS, UM, UH, RELATED TO THE UPGRADE OF THE 9 1 1 SYSTEM.
UM, AND ALSO AS, AS FAR AS, UM, ATHLETIC FIELD IMPROVEMENTS IN SEVERAL, UM, SEVERAL OTHER PROJECTS.
SO, AS I SAID, UH, BEFORE MOST OF THESE, ALL OF THESE PRO OH YES, OH YEAH, ALL OF THESE, ALL OF THESE PROJECTS, UM, ARE FROM, UH, PRO, ALL OF THESE BONDS ARE FROM PROJECTS THAT WERE ALREADY INCLUDED IN BUDGET PROCESSES IN YEARS PAST.
SO JUST TO KIND OF WALK THROUGH THE PROCESS, UH, THE FIRST STEP IS THAT, UH, WHEN THE BUDGET IS APPROVED, THE CAPITAL BUDGET IS APPROVED.
[00:30:01]
UM, YOU WILL SEE, UH, BONDS LISTED AS A FUNDING SOURCE FOR VARIOUS PROJECTS.UH, SOON AFTER, UM, THAT BUDGET IS APPROVED, THE COUNTY COUNCIL WILL APPROVE THE, UH, BOND AUTHORIZATION BILL, WHICH AUTHORIZES THE COUNTY TO INCUR DEBT FOR THOSE PROJECTS.
NOW, OFTENTIMES THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT, UM, GAP BETWEEN THAT AND THEN EVENTUALLY SELLING THOSE BONDS.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE KIND OF DUE TO IRS REGULATIONS, UM, AND THE COUNTY'S CASH FLOW MANAGEMENT POLICIES THAT WE GENERALLY DO NOT SELL THE BONDS UNTIL WE ACTUALLY NEED, NEED THE FUNDS.
AND NORMALLY AFTER WE'VE ACTUALLY ALREADY INCURRED, INCURRED THE COSTS.
SO LIKE IN THIS CASE, ALMOST ALL OF THESE BONDS BEING SOLD WERE FROM THE FISCAL YEARS, 19, 20 AND 21, UM, 21 BUDGET.
UM, SO KIND OF GOING FORWARD FROM HERE, UM, THE COUNTY WILL, UM, SECURE ITS RATINGS FROM THE THREE CREDIT RATING AGENCIES, UM, IN THE MIDDLE OF NEXT MONTH.
UM, AFTER WE RECEIVE THAT, UH, WE WILL PUT OUT NOTICE THAT WE ARE HAVING THIS COMPETITIVE BOND SALE, AND THAT WILL BE HELD ON MARCH 14TH.
UM, WE GENERALLY GET AROUND 10 OR SO DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT BIDDERS RANGING FROM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE LARGE, THE LARGE BIDDERS, THE LARGE INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS, THE MERLE LYNCHES, THE BANK OF AMERICAS, THE CITY GROUPS.
UM, WE GENERALLY HAVE A VERY COMPETITIVE SALE, UM, THAT WILL BE HELD AT, AT 10:00 AM IT'S ALL VIRTUAL AND ELECTRONIC.
AND THEN, UH, AT TWO O'CLOCK WE WILL COME HERE TO THIS COUNCIL, UM, CHAMBERS AND THE COUNTY COUNCIL WILL APPROVE THE WINNING BID.
AND THEN FOLLOWING ABOUT A WEEK LATER, THE, THE FUNDS WILL BE TRANSFERRED TO THE COUNTY.
EVENING, MR. SANDIS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE, UH, DESCRIPTION OF THAT.
HOW DOES THE CURRENT INTEREST RATES AFFECT OUR BOND SALE IN THE MARKET? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN MAYBE EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT TO THE, UH, TO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE LISTENING AND SO FORTH? YEAH, SO AGAIN, IT'S BEING A COMPETITIVE SALE.
UM, IT WILL BE A MARKET, A MARKET RATE AND INTEREST RATES ALL OVER HAVE, HAVE INCREASED.
SO WHEREAS A FEW YEARS AGO, UH, WHEN INTEREST RATES WERE AT HISTORIC LOWS, WE SOLD FOR AROUND ONE AND 2%.
RIGHT NOW, I THINK WE'LL PROBABLY BE SELLING BETWEEN THREE AND 4%.
NOW THAT'S STILL A REALLY STRONG RATE, AND THAT'S A TESTAMENT TO THE COUNTY'S TRIPLE AWAY BOND RATING.
IT'S ALSO A TESTAMENT TO, UH, THESE ARE TAX EXEMPT BONDS.
SO INDIVIDUALS WHO INVEST IN THESE BONDS OFTENTIMES WILL, UM, ACCEPT A LOWER INTEREST RATE BECAUSE THE INTEREST PAYMENTS ARE TAX EXEMPT, UM, FROM FEDERAL AND IF THEY LIVE IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND FROM, FROM THEIR MARYLAND TAXES.
UM, SO AGAIN, I THINK WE, UH, HISTORICALLY SPEAKING, WE SHOULD STILL GET SOME REALLY STRONG RATES, NOT AS, NOT AS GOOD AS IT ONCE WAS.
UM, BUT AGAIN, I THINK WE'LL HAVE A VERY COMPETITIVE SALE.
UM, AND MY OTHER QUESTION GOES TO THE FACT THAT, UH, IN THE PAST, AND I WOULD EXPECT AS WELL IS THAT IN THE FUTURE IF THE RATES DO GO DOWN, WE TAKE THIS BOND AND WE, AND WE SELL THIS BOND AGAIN TO LOWER THE INTEREST RATE IF THOSE RATE, IF THE RATES EVER COME DOWN, CORRECT? YEAH, IF, IF THE MARKET, UM, UH, MARKET DOES LOWER, WE CAN, UH, WE CAN DO A REFUNDING NOW SHOULD NOTE ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO AS PART OF THE TAX AND CUTS JOBS ACT, UM, THEY FORBID THE, UM, ADVANCED REFUNDING OF TAX EXEMPT BONDS.
SO NOW YOU HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THEY'RE CALLABLE, IN THIS CASE, 10 YEARS FOR OURS.
UM, SO, UH, SO WE CAN DO A A, A REFUNDING AND WE COULD ALWAYS DO, IF THE MARKET'S SIGNIFICANTLY SHIFTED, WE COULD ALWAYS DO A TAXABLE REFUNDING, BUT THAT'S GENERALLY NOT, NOT GOING TO WORK.
WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO REFUND, UM, ALL OF OUR, UM, SIGNIFICANTLY, YOU KNOW, LARGER INTEREST RATES OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS.
SO I THINK WE'RE IN A GOOD POSITION, BUT AGAIN, IF THAT MARKET FORCE HAS CHANGE, UM, WE CAN ALWAYS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT IN THE FUTURE.
ANYONE ELSE, MR. BENNETT? MR. RILEY? I JUST WANTED TO, UH, THANK MR. SANDIS WHEN WE WERE DOWN IN MACO, UH, THAT WE HAD THE ROUND TABLE AND WE WERE ABLE TO GET MORE IN DEPTH IN THIS, AND I APPRECIATE IT.
ANYONE ELSE? MR. BENNETT? UM, I WAS JUST WONDERING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WITH THE REFUNDING THAT WE JUST WENT THROUGH IN THE PAST FEW YEARS, I REMEMBER SITTING IN THE AUDIENCE AND HEARING THE INTEREST RATES, WE WERE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, UM, TO GET ON SOME OF OUR OLDER BONDS.
UM, WHERE WOULD, WHERE DO YOU EXPECT, UH, THIS NEW, UH, BOND SALE TO RANK IN OUR INTEREST RATES? IS IT GONNA BE ON THE HIGHER END OF WHAT WE HAVE OR? OH, I MEAN, NOT IN, IN THE SENSE OF, OF HISTORICALLY.
I MEAN, THERE WERE CERTAINLY TIMES IN THE PAST WHERE, WHERE THERE WERE FIVE, SIX, 7% INTEREST RATES AND, AND PROBABLY MUCH HIGHER.
UM, I THINK AGAIN, WE'RE GOING TO BE BETWEEN THREE AND 4%.
UM, LAST YEAR WE WERE UNDER 3%.
THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS WE'VE BEEN UNDER, UNDER 3%.
YOU KNOW, THE ONE AND THE TWOS ARE KIND OF AN ANOMALY THAT, UH, I, YOU, I SAY THAT'S A ONCE IN A LIFETIME TIME SITUATION.
UM, BUT I WAS TELLING EARLIER WITH OUR, WITH OUR FINANCIAL ADVISORS, IT SEEMS LIKE WE HAVE A ONCE IN A LIFETIME SITUATION EVERY MONTH NOWADAYS,
[00:35:03]
YOU OKAY MR. BENNETT? MM-HMM.ANYONE ELSE? UM, LET ME GO AHEAD AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION TONIGHT.
THERE IS NO PUBLIC HEARING REQUIRED FOR THIS, SO WE WILL TAKE THIS UP, UH, AT A FUTURE MEETING.
AGENDA NUMBER NINE, INTRODUCTION TO BILLS.
[10. INTRODUCTION AND CONSIDERATION OF AMENDMENTS]
INTRODUCTION AND CONSIDERATION OF AMENDMENTS.DANIEL, PLEASE READ AMENDMENTS TWO AND THREE TO BILL 22 DASH 0 25, UH, AMENDMENTS TO BILL 22 DASH 25 REVISIONS TO HARTFORD COUNTY CODE ARTICLE ONE, CHAPTER FOUR, LEGISLATIVE BRANCH INTRODUCED BY COUNCIL VICE PRESIDENT JAMES JARDEN AMENDMENT NUMBER TWO ON PAGE ONE IN LINE 12 AFTER THE LEFT BRACKET, THE STRIKE, THE LEFT BRACKET AMENDMENT NUMBER THREE ON PAGE EIGHT IN LINE THREE, STRIKE HE AND SUBSTITUTE THAT PERSON.
UH, AND DUE TO THE NATURE OF THIS AMENDMENT, IT WILL BE CONSIDERED THIS EVENING, OR THESE AMENDMENTS WILL BE CONSIDERED THIS EVENING.
SO, UH, COUNSEL MAY HAVE A MOTION, PLEASE.
IT'S BEEN MOVED IN SECOND TO APPROVE AMENDMENTS TWO AND THREE TO BILL 22 DASH 25.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION MR. BENNETT? UM, I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WERE ABLE TO CATCH, UH, THESE NEEDED AMENDMENTS THANKS TO, UH, CITIZENS IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO CAREFULLY READ OVER OUR BILLS THAT ARE BEING PROPOSED AND, AND, AND CAUGHT THESE NEEDED AMENDMENTS AND SENT US AN EMAIL.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A GREAT PART OF THIS PROCESS.
I'M THANKFUL TO RICH WHO REACHED OUT TO US AND, AND SHARED THIS INFORMATION SO WE COULD TAKE CARE OF THIS.
UM, AND I THINK THAT'S A WONDERFUL THING.
SO FOR ANYBODY LISTENING, IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO CAREFULLY READ AND SEND US YOUR THOUGHTS AND FEEDBACK THAT WE CAN DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
ANYONE ELSE? MS. DIXON? MR. PRESIDENT? AYE.
THERE'RE BEING SEVEN VOTES IN AFFIRM OF ZERO AND A NEGATIVE.
THE AMENDMENTS TWO TO THREE, TWO AND THREE.
THE BILL 2225 ARE HEREBY APPROVED.
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 11, CALL FOR FINAL READING OF BILLS NUMBER 12, ENROLLMENT OF BILLS NUMBER 13, UNFINISHED BUSINESS AND 14 NEW BUSINESS.
WE HAVE NO BUSINESS THIS EVENING.
[17. COMMENTS AND INPUT FROM ATTENDING CITIZENS]
I WOULD LIKE TO GO TO COMMENTS FROM INPUT FROM ATTENDING CITIZENS.MS. DIXON, DO WE HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP? WE DO.
MR. PRESIDENT JOHN MALMO MAY DO WE HAVE SIGNED UP? UM, I WILL NEED TO COLLECT THE BOOK AT THE, I'M, I'M YOU WANNA GO GRAB IT REAL QUICK? YES.
HOW MANY PAGES OF, UM, I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR YOUR PATIENCE, UH, WHILE WE, UH, WHILE WE WAIT.
WE HAVE NINE THIS EVENING, MR. PRESIDENT.
AGAIN, WITH, UM, NINE SPEAKERS, PLEASE BE MINDFUL OF YOUR TIME AND RESPECTFUL OF EACH OTHER.
CALL YOUR FIRST SPEAKER, JOHN MIMO, FOLLOWED BY JANINE LACORE.
NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE.
COUNCIL, JOHN, YOU BROKE THE SP THE MICROPHONE.
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO SAY, SIR?
BRUCE
AM I WAITING FOR THE BATTERY? YES.
JUST HOLD ON JUST A SECOND PLEASE.
YOU HAVE TO WAIT TILL MY TIMEKEEPER GETS BACK.
I DIDN'T THINK JOHN NEEDED A MIC.
WHENEVER, WHENEVER YOU'RE READY SIR.
JOHN PIMO 24 0 2 EAGLEVIEW DRIVE, BELLAIRE, MARYLAND.
DURING LAST WEEK'S COUNCIL MEETING,
[00:40:01]
THERE WAS A DISCUSSION RELATED TO PROPOSED LEGISLATION WHETHER THAT LEGISLATION IMPROVED GOVERNANCE REMAINS TO BE SEEN.IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO WATCH THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS SURROUNDING THE PROPOSAL.
WHAT I FOUND TO BE MOST INTERESTING WAS THE DISCUSSION ON THE NECESSITY AND WISDOM OF THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION AND A SUGGESTION THAT IS FEELGOOD LEGISLATION.
IT OCCURS TO ME THAT NOW WOULD BE AN APPROPRIATE OPPORTUNITY TO RE REVIEW REVIEW ACTIVITIES OF PREVIOUS COUNCILS IN REGARDS TO THEIR FUNCTIONS.
ONE OF THE PRINCIPLE FUNCTIONS IS TO PASS A BUDGET FOR THE COUNTY.
THE COUNCIL ROUTINELY STATED THAT THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO ABOUT THE BUDGET.
THE COUNCIL DID A LITTLE MORE THAN PASS WHATEVER THEY WERE PRESENTED.
THE SECOND FUNCTION IS ZONING AND LAND USE.
THE COUNCIL AS THE GOVERNING BODY IN HARFORD COUNTY HAS EXCLUSIVE POWER AND AUTHORITY FOR ZONING AND LAND USE.
IT HAS FURTHER SPECIFIED POWERS AND AUTHORITIES AS A ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS.
REVIEWING RECENT LEGISLATION, BILL 22 3 PERRYMAN PENINSULA MORATORIUM AS SPONSORED BY A PREVIOUS COUNCIL MEMBER AND MORATORIUM ON WAREHOUSE CONSTRUCTION.
THE COUNCIL PASSED BY UNANIMOUS VOTE COUNTY EXECUTIVE VETOED SUBSEQUENTLY RETURNED TO THE COUNCIL, DECLARED TO BE ILLEGAL BY THE SPONSORING COUNCILMAN AND DROPPED ANOTHER EXAMPLE.
BILL 13 FOUR, A BILL WHO CHANGED THE ZONING CODE TO ALLOW JOURNAL AVIATION AIRPORTS AND THE AG CI, GI, AND LI DISTRICTS.
MR. GUTHRIE, YOU MAY RECALL THAT BILL, YOU YOU VOTED FOR IT, IT PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
NOW PERHAPS YOU WOULD REVIEW THAT BILL IN ZONING CASE 58 14 AND DISCUSS HOW THE COUNCIL CONSIDERED MORE CONSEQUENTIAL ZONING AND LAND USE ISSUES.
TO THAT END, I MAKE THIS OFFER TO YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES.
I WILL DONATE $1,000 TO THE CHARITY OF CHOICE IN THE NAME OF WHICHEVER ONE OF YOU CAN CONCLUSIVELY PROVE BY THE END OF THE SEVENTH FEBRUARY, 2023 COUNCIL MEETING THAT THE HARFORD COUNTY AIRPORT CAN OPERATE A JOURNAL AVIATION AIRPORT AS A PERMITTED USE AT ITS PRESENT LOCATION AND COMPLY WITH ALL OF PART ONE OF THE PRESENT ZONING CODE, THE HEARING EXAMINER'S CONDITIONS AND ZONING CASE 58 14 AND ALL OF THE FAA AND MAA REQUIREMENTS FOR GENERAL AVIATION AIRPORT.
I SENT YOU ALL THE MAA APPROVED AIRPORT LAYOUT PLAN, THE APPLICANTS APP OPERATIONS EXHIBIT FROM ZONING CASE 58 14 PROVING THEY MET A CRITICAL CODE REQUIREMENT AND THE F FAA DISCUSSION ON TRAFFIC PATTERNS FOR YOUR SITE, I WILL DONATE $500 TO WHICHEVER ONE OF YOU CAN IDENTIFY ANY LOCATION IN HARTFORD COUNTY THAT WILL SET SATISFY THOSE SAME TERMS AND CONDITIONS.
MR. GUTHRIE, I RECALL THAT YOU SOMETIMES STATED THAT SOMEDAY THE RESIDENTS OF HARTFORD COUNTY WOULD BE GET GOOD GOVERNMENT AND THEY WOULD NOT LIKE IT ONE BIT.
SIR, THAT IS A PARAPHRASE FROM HUEY THE KINGFISH LONG, A FORMER SENATOR AND GOVERNOR OF LOUISIANA PARAPHRASING JUSTICE POTTER STEWART.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT GOOD GOVERNANCE IS, BUT I'LL KNOW IT WHEN I SEE IT.
IF IT TAKES THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION TO GO TO GENERATE GOOD GOVERNANCE IN HARFORD COUNTY, PASS IT.
RESIDENTS OF HARFORD COUNTY DESERVE GOOD GOVERNMENT AND GOOD GOVERNANCE.
JANINE LACORE, 1820 PARK BEACH DRIVE.
UM, I SENT, UM, TO THE COUNCIL A DOCUMENT ABOUT PERRYMAN PENINSULA HISTORIC PRESERVATION.
SO ASSUMING IT'S IN YOUR PACKAGE OR YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO READ THAT, I JUST WANTED TO REFER TO THAT DOCUMENT TONIGHT.
AND ALSO I JUST WANTED TO GO BACK TO THE, UM, OATH OF OFFICE THAT WAS TAKEN.
AND, UM, UH, MR. VINCENTE, DURING YOUR UM, DISCUSSION, YOU TALKED ABOUT WANTING TO FOCUS ON WHAT WAS BEST, UM, ACROSS THE COUNTY.
UM, YOU WANNA UPDATE THE MASTER PLAN AND ZONING AND YOU WANTED TO PRESERVE AND PROTECT, UM, PROPERTIES AND, UH, PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AT THE SAME TIME, OUR COUNTY EXECUTIVES SAID HE WANTED TO FOCUS ON, UM, WELL PAYING JOBS, PARKS, AND RECREATION.
HE WANTED TO PRESERVE HIP AND SPACE FOCUS ON THE ROUTE 40 CORRIDOR AND HIGHLIGHT THE HARTFORD, UH, COUNTY HERITAGE.
UM, RIGHT NOW IN THE PERIMAN PENINSULA, UM, WE HAVE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF HISTORY.
IF YOU REFER TO THAT DOCUMENT.
UM, WE'VE GOT INFORMATION THAT DATES BACK TO THE NATIVE AMERICANS ON, UM, THE PERIMAN PENINSULA.
UM, MANY SIGNIFICANT, UH, UM, HISTORICAL EVENTS HAVE OCCURRED AROUND THAT AREA.
UM, YET WHAT WE'RE DOING, UM, AND OVER TIME WHAT HAS JUST BEEN HAPPENING IS A PLUNDERING OF LAND AND A PLUNDERING OF THE COMMUNITY.
UM, THERE'S PROPOSED PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY BETWEEN THE PERRYMAN PENINSULA, ABINGTON WOODS, AND THE CLEARING OF LAND BETWEEN THE FESTIVAL AND PLUM TREE ROADS THAT ARE SIMPLY SPECULATIVE LAND, GROUND LAND GRABS BY OUT OF OUT OF COUNTY DEVELOPERS.
I SEE NOTHING IN THOSE THAT WILL PRESERVE AND PROTECT.
I SEE NOTHING IN THOSE THAT ARE CREATING WELL PAYING JOBS.
I SEE NOTHING IN THOSE THAT ARE GOING TO HELP PRESERVE LAND OR CREATE PARKS AND RECS
[00:45:01]
FOR US.UM, RIGHT NOW THE PERRYMAN PENINSULA HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN DES DESIGNATED AND ACTUALLY THE PERRYMAN AREA HAS BEEN DESIGNATED AS BEING ELIGIBLE FOR THE NATIONAL REGISTER.
AS HARPER COUNTY IS GOING INTO THE, UM, CELEBRATING THE TWO 50, THERE'S NOTHING THAT'S HAPPENING THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY TO TRY TO PRESERVE A PLACE LIKE PERRYMAN EVEN THOUGH IT'S ALREADY ELIGIBLE.
SO WHAT'S HAPPENING IS SIMPLY A, UM, DISREGARD FOR THE HISTORY THAT IS IN THAT COMMUNITY.
THERE'S A PERPETUAL DUMPING IN THAT COMMUNITY AND THE CITIZENS ARE LEFT TO LIVE WITH IT.
AND I WOULD, UM, VERY MUCH ENCOURAGE THE COUNTY COUNCIL, COUNTY EXECUTIVE TO GO BACK TO THE WORDS THAT THEY SPOKE DURING THE OATH OF OFFICE AND HELP THE CITIZENS OF PERRYMAN C ACTUAL ACTION.
GREG LACORE, FOLLOWED BY GLENN GILLIS.
GREG LACORE, 1820 PARK BEACH DRIVE.
I WANNA START OFF THANKING THE NEW COUNCIL THAT IT'S HERE.
THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD, UH, TALK NOT ONLY FROM THIS MIGHT, BUT COMING BACK AND IT IS WELCOMED THAT WE'RE ABLE TO BE ABLE TO NOT ONLY BE HEARD, BUT OBVIOUSLY THERE IS SOME INTEREST.
AND WITH THAT, I, WE HAVE BEEN GOING OVER A LOT OF THINGS AND MR. G, MR. FTE, YOU'VE HEARD OF ALL THIS.
PLEASE START, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE NEW ON TO THIS, UH, COUNCIL 5 43 WITH THE TRAFFIC STUDIES.
THESE TRAFFIC STUDIES WERE DONE DURING THE PANDEMIC.
THERE WAS HARDLY ANY TRAFFIC OUT THERE.
IT TAKES YOU 10 MINUTES JUST TO GET THROUGH A COUPLE LIGHTS.
YOU GET ONTO ROUTE 24, WHEREVER THAT THING WAS DESIGNED.
AGAIN, IT'S JUST CREATING A BOTTLENECK.
AND IF WE GO WITH THESE NEW MEGA WAREHOUSES, IT'S JUST GOING TO BE IMPACTED.
WE HAD A GENTLEMAN THAT SPOKE DURING THE COUNCIL MEETINGS AND HE WAS RETIRED FROM JUST WITH HIM LOOKING AT TRAFFIC STUDIES AND IT WAS REALLY IMPACTFUL.
I THINK THAT OUR GROUP COULD PROBABLY FIND THIS AND EVEN SHOW IT TO YOU THAT, YOU KNOW WHAT, UH, COUNCIL MEETING THAT THIS GENTLEMAN SHOWED UP, BUT IT WAS POWERFUL JUST OF HOW IMPACTFUL ALL THESE TRUCKS ARE GONNA BE.
I'M GONNA TAKE THE LAST, LAST TWO MINUTES AND JUST SWITCH GEARS.
I'M GETTING OFF OF THREE P AND I'M GONNA GET ONTO MY, YOU KNOW, WHAT I BELIEVE IN AND THAT'S JUST WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY.
UM, I APPRECIATE WHEN YOU ALL GET YOUR TIME TO SPEAK AND YOU TALK ABOUT PEOPLE THAT HAVE PASSED INJURIES, WHATEVER.
UM, ON THE 29TH OF, UH, DECEMBER, UH, JAMES ROBERTS PASSED AWAY, HOW MANY PEOPLE UP HERE KNOW WHO JAMES ROBERTS IS? OKAY.
WHAT IF I SAID BUTCHER? OKAY, NOW WE DO, WE'VE GOT TO START LOOKING AT THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO BE HELPING THESE CITIZENS THAT ARE HOMELESS.
THE WELCOME ONE SHELTER, 24 BEDS FOR MEN, 12 FOR WOMEN, NO TRANSPORTATION TO GET THEM FROM THAT FACILITY IN RIVERSIDE TO ANYWHERE TO LOOK FOR GOOD GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT.
THESE ARE THINGS THAT ARE DEAR TO MY HEART AND I JUST SHIPPED THEM FROM THREE P TO THIS, BUT WHEN I HEARD THAT BUTY PASSED AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES BEHIND IT, THIS GENTLEMAN LIKES TO GET ARRESTED AT THIS TIME SO HE COULD BE IN JAIL FOR FOUR MONTHS AND GET THROUGH THE WINTER.
OKAY, THIS IS SAD AND I'M ASKING YOU ALL PLEASE LOOK INTO THESE SITUATIONS.
THEY ARE JUST A DIRE NEED FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE OUT ON THE STREETS.
AND THIS WILL IRVING, UH, TOMORROW AT BEL AIR UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, WE'RE HAVING A MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR HIM.
I REALLY THINK ABOUT, HEY, WHAT, WHEN I PASSED, WHO'S GONNA SHOW UP? WHAT'S YOU? SHE WAS KNOWN TO A LOT OF PEOPLE.
SO TOMORROW, 10 45 MCCOMAS HALL AT, UH, BEL AIR UNITED METHODIST.
I'LL HAVE FOOD AFTERWARDS, BUT WE ARE GONNA CELEBRATE HIS LIFE.
AND HE WAS A CITIZEN OF HARFORD COUNTY AND I THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK.
GLENN GILLIS, 1936 PARK BEACH DRIVE IN PERRYMAN.
FIRST OFF, HAPPY NEW YEAR'S ALL, ESPECIALLY THOSE THE NEW COUNCIL FOLKS.
UM, GO AHEAD AND REVIEW SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE PRESENTED, UM, ABOUT ZONING OVER THE LAST YEAR OF, UM, COUNCIL PRESENTATIONS.
PARAGRAPH 26 7 DASH THREE OF THE HF COUNTY ZONING CODE STATES.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS ZONING CODE IS TO
[00:50:01]
PROMOTE THE HEALTH, SAFETY, MORALS, AND GENERAL WELFARE OF THE COMMUNITY.IT SPECIFICALLY TALKS ABOUT CONTROLLING TRAFFICKING CONGESTION, CONSERVING OF NATURAL RESOURCES, PREVENTING OF POLLUTION, AVOIDING CONGESTION, CONSIDERING THE CHARACTER OF EACH DISTRICT AND ITS SUITABLE SUITABILITY FOR PARTICULAR USES AND CONSERVING PROPERTY VALUES AMONG SOME OTHER THINGS.
THERE IS NO MENTION IN THE CODE'S PURPOSE THAT THE DEVELOPERS OR THE COUNTY'S ECONOMIC BENEFITS ARE CONSIDERATIONS IN DETERMINING THE APPROPRIATE USE FOR LAND.
THE MITCHELL CRAIG PROJECT HAS SPOKEN EXTENSIVELY WITH THE COUNTY OFFICIALS AND THE COUNTY COUNCIL ABOUT THE INAPPROPRIATE APPLICATION OF EXISTING ZONING CODE TO THE MEGA WAREHOUSE DISTRIBUTION CENTER, FREIGHT TERMINAL DEVELOPMENT ON LIGHT INDUSTRIAL ALLY ZONED DISTRICTS, ESPECIALLY ONES ADJACENT TO RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITIES.
AND WITH THAT INADEQUATE ROADS AND ON, UM, HISTORICALLY, UM, SIGNIFICANT AREAS AS WELL AS BEING ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE AREAS.
WE'VE ALSO ARGUED THAT THE, THE HARFORD COUNTY CODE DOES NOT ADDRESS REALITIES OF MODERN DISTRIBUTION CENTERS.
INSTEAD, RELIES ON VAGUE AND OUTDATED VIEWS OF WAREHOUSING WITHOUT CONSIDERATION OF THE SCALE AND INTENSITY OF THEIR MODERN USES.
ALLOWING 5 BILLION SQUARE FEET OF DISTRIBUTION BUILDINGS WITH 24 7 ACTIVITIES INVOLVING THOUSANDS OF VEHICLES AND TRUCKS IS NOT LIKELY WHAT THE DRAFTERS OF THE ALLY PERMITTED USE TABLES ENVISIONED AS BEING APPROPRIATE.
OFTEN THE CITIZENS OPPOSING THE MITCHELL CRAIG PROPERTY BEEN TOLD TO LET THE ZONING AND DEVELOPMENT PROCESS WORK.
UNFORTUNATELY, GIVEN THE PAST AND ONGOING HISTORY OF THE HARTFORD COUNTY, WE DON'T BELIEVE THAT THIS IS BEING FAIRLY IMPLEMENTED.
AGAIN, BE ASKED THAT YOU ACT TO BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION TO ONE STOP THE ILLEGAL DEVELOPMENT.
TWO, TAKE AS A PRIORITY TO FIX AND MODERNIZE THE ZONING CODE AND THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS USED IN HARTFORD COUNTY.
THREE, CONSIDER THE APPLICATION, BE CONSIDERED THE APPLICATION OF THE ENTERPRISE AND DEVELOPMENT ENVELOPE WITHIN THE COUNTY.
AND FINALLY TO WORK WITH THE BERRYMAN COMMUNITY AND THE OWNERS WHO'LL FIND APPROPRIATE USE AND APPROPRIATE VALUE FOR THE LAND IN QUESTION.
KEN SHANNON, FOLLOWED BY BRAD STOVER.
I LIVE AT 2044 PARK BEACH DRIVE IN PERRYMAN.
I WAS VERY SURPRISED AFTER I SPOKE AT THE FIRST MEETING OF THIS NEW COUNCIL ON DECEMBER 6TH TO HAVE MY DISTRICT F REPRESENTATIVE, MR. BENNETT AND THE DISTRICT E REPRESENTATIVE MS. BOYLES SETTLES BOTH REACH OUT TO ME AFTER THE MEETING.
ADULT COMMUNICATION IS ENCOURAGING AND WELCOMING IN THAT SPIRIT OF OPENNESS.
I'M HERE TO ASK THAT THE COUNCIL HELP THE PERRYMAN COMMUNITY GET A NEW COM, UH, COMMUNITY INPUT MEETING AND DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING SCHEDULED FOR THE MITCHELL MITCHELL PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT ON AUGUST 11TH, 2022.
WHITTEN MCQUAIG, A VICE PRESIDENT OF THE CHESAPEAKE REAL ESTATE GROUP, SENT AN EMAIL TO THE DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND ZONING AND OTHER STAFF MEMBERS SAYING THAT THE PROPOSED LAND USE OF THE MITCHELL DEVELOPMENT WOULD BE CHANGED TO WAREHOUSE NON SORT.
SHOT OF THAT CHANGE WAS THAT THE HEIGHT OF ALL THE FREIGHT TERMINALS WOULD INCREASE FROM 40 FEET, WHICH IS WHAT WAS IN THE PLANS AT THE TIME OF THE DAK MEETING IN JANUARY, 2022 TO 65 FEET.
THAT RESULTED IN AN INCREASE IN THE PLANNED VOLUME OF THE WAREHOUSES OF 130 MILLION CUBIC FEET FROM 208 MILLION TO 338 MILLION.
NO ONE IN THE COMMUNITY WAS TOLD.
WE HAVE TRIED TO GET THE WORD OUT.
MY NEIGHBORS, ELLEN CHIN AND JANINE LEOR DESCRIBED THESE CHANGES AT THE OCTOBER 4TH, 2022 COMMUNITY, UH, COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING.
MY NEIGHBOR CHUCK MAZA AND I SPOKE ABOUT THIS AT THE OCTOBER 11TH COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING.
SINCE LAST FALL, CHUCK MAZEN AND I HAVE WRITTEN EMAILS TO P AND Z LEADERSHIP AND STAFF TO REQUESTED A NEW SIM AND A NEW DECK MEETING BE SCHEDULED FOR THE PERIMAN COMMUNITY.
WE WERE TOLD BY THE P AND Z STAFF THEN BY THE LAW DEPARTMENT THAT IT COULD NOT BE DISCUSSED DUE TO PENDING LEGAL ACTION.
THAT TO ME SEEMS LIKE STONEWALLING.
WHEN THE NEW ADMINISTRATION CAME IN.
I WAS HOPEFUL THAT WE COULD NOW GET A SIM AND DAK MEETING SCHEDULED.
WHEN WE ASKED THE NEW P AND Z DIRECTOR, HE SAID HE CAN'T COMMUNICATE ABOUT IT DUE TO PENDING LE LEGAL ACTION.
[00:55:02]
I SENT SEVEN FILES TO THE COUNCIL'S ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF TODAY RELATED TO THE LACK OF OPENNESS IN THE MITCHELL PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT.DO YOU HAVE THOSE FILES? THEY'RE RIGHT HERE.
I ASK THAT WHEN YOU GET TIME LATER THAT YOU PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE.
AND BY THE WAY, THAT'S JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG.
IN SUMMARY, I'M ASKING FOR OPEN COMMUNICATION ABOUT THE CHANGE, ABOUT THE CHANGE TO THE MITCHELL PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT.
IF THE FREIGHT TERMINALS ARE ADDING 130 MILLION CUBIC FEET OF SPACE, HARRIMAN CITIZENS NEED TO KNOW IF IT MIGHT IMPACT ROAD SAFETY, AIR QUALITY, EMERGENCY RESPONSE TIMES, AND NOISE LEVELS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE DESERVE THAT OPENNESS IN OUR GOVERNMENT.
UH, EVENING, MR. PRESIDENT BRADLEY OVER 1208.
WISHING WELL COURT, DELAWARE, MARYLAND 2 10 15.
MY CAPACITY IS THE PAST PRESIDENT OF THE ARC NORTHERN CHESAPEAKE REGION, WHICH WAS ON YOUR AGENDA THIS EVENING.
UH, AND I JUST WANT TO, UH, BE THANKFUL TO THIS COUNTY AND THIS, UH, COUNCIL, PARTICULARLY FOR PROVIDING EXTENSIVE SUPPORT TO THAT ORGANIZATION OVER THE YEARS.
THE ARC IS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT PROVIDES SUPPORT TO DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED INDIVIDUALS IN OUR COMMUNITY BY PROVIDING EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, HOUSING AND SERVICES, AND ALSO FOSTER CARE.
UH, AND FOR THE RECORD, MS. PRESIDENT, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUING, UH, DESIRE AND, AND WILLINGNESS TO BE OUR, UH, LIAISON AND PROBABLY MORE IMPORTANTLY FOR MS. HARRIS TO BE, UH, OUR, OUR DIRECT LIAISON AND FOR HER CONTINUING PARTICIPATION AND SUPPORT.
AGAIN, WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT FOR OUR ORGANIZATION AND, UH, WE, WE WOULD HOPE AND THEN ASK THAT THAT WILL CONTINUE SO THAT WE CAN SERVE THE CITIZENS OF HARTFORD COUNTY WHO ARE DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED.
KATE MCDONALD, FOLLOWED BY TINA GRAFF.
KATE MCDONALD, 2100 PARK BEACH DRIVE.
SETTING ASIDE THE IMMEDIATE AND IRREPARABLE NEGATIVE IMPACTS, THE MITCHELL PROJECT WILL HAVE ON THE ENVIRONMENT, THE BUSH RIVER, THE CHESAPEAKE BAY, AND THE WELL FIELDS WHICH PROVIDE DRINKING WATER FOR 30% OF HARPER COUNTY, WHICH MAY INCLUDE YOURS.
IT WILL FOREVER CHANGE THE QUALITY OF LIVES OF THE HARFORD COUNTY RESIDENTS WHO LIVE ON THE PENINSULA FOR THE WORSE.
OUR DAILY LIVES WILL CHANGE, WILL NEVER BE THE SAME.
GETTING TO AND FROM OUR HOMES WILL BE A NIGHTMARE AND MORE DANGEROUS THAN IT ALREADY IS TODAY.
FOR THE NEARLY 300 HOMES THAT I BELIEVE ARE IN WHAT I CALL ZONE ONE, THEY WILL SEE HERE IN SMELL THIS PROJECT AND IT'S 24 7 OPERATIONS WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY USED TO SEE SUNRISE'S WILDLIFE AND HEAR ALMOST NOTHING.
AND IF YOU DECIDE TO PUT YOUR HOUSE ON THE MARKET, ANY BUYERS HAVE TO DRIVE BY THIS MONSTROSITY AND ILLEGALLY ZONED PROJECT.
AND BEFORE YOU SIT THERE AND THINK TO YOURSELF, THEY SHOULD HAVE ASKED ABOUT ZONING BEFORE THEY BOUGHT, YOU MAY WANNA KNOW THAT MANY OF THESE RESIDENTS HAVE LIVED THERE WELL BEFORE THE COUNTY DECIDED IT SHOULD BE AN ENTERPRISE ZONE.
AND IN PARTICULAR THAT THIS PIECE OF PROPERTY, WHICH ABUTS ONLY RESIDENTIAL USES, SHOULD BE DEVELOPED INTO A 24 7 MEGA FREIGHT HIGH CUBE, HIGH CUBE DISTRIBUTION CENTER.
THIS PROJECT WILL DO NOTHING TO BUILD UP AND REVITALIZE THE AREA.
IT WILL ONLY SERVE TO CREATE AN UNSAFE SITUATION FOR THE RESIDENTS AND FURTHER DETERIORATE OUR ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE, WHICH YOU WILL EVENTUALLY HAVE TO USE OUR TAX DOLLARS TO REPLACE ALL FOR A FEW JOBS, WHICH WILL PROBABLY NEVER GET FILLED WITH HARTFORD COUNTY RESIDENTS.
IT MAKES NO SENSE, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU LOOK AT ALL THE VACANT DISTRIBUTION CENTERS ALREADY ON THE GROUND IN THE PERIMAN AREA.
THIS PIECE OF THE MITCHELL PROPERTY IS SIMPLY NOT APPROPRIATE FOR THIS PROJECT IN USE WHEN IT IS COMPLETELY SURROUNDED BY HOMES AND THE CRITICAL AREAS ALONG THE BUSH RIVER.
IT'S INEXPLICABLE TO ME THAT THE COUNTY WOULD EVEN CONSIDER IT AND THAT WE HAVE HAD TO STAND UP HERE FOR A OVER A YEAR AND EXPLAIN TO OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT THIS PROJECT IS WRONG FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, WRONG FOR THE RIVER IN THE BAY, WRONG FOR OUR COUNTY, WRONG FOR THE HEALTH OF OUR DRINKING WATER AND WRONG FOR, FOR THE RESIDENTS LIVING IN THE PERIMAN AREA WHO DESERVE YOUR PROTECTION EVERY BIT AS MUCH AS THOSE LIVING IN THE OTHER AREAS OF THE COUNTY.
WE ARE LITERALLY FIGHTING FOR OUR LIVES.
I HOPE YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THAT.
HI, TINA GRAF, UH, 1732 BOB ROAD, FOREST HILL, 1 0 5.
UM, I AM CURRENTLY THE SCHOOL SAFETY LIAISON AT FALLSTON HIGH SCHOOL, WHERE I'VE BEEN EMPLOYED FOR OVER 15 YEARS.
[01:00:01]
I LOVE MY JOB AND I ENJOY SUPPORTING THE SRO AND ADMIN AND KEEPING OUR STUDENTS IN STOCK SAFE.UM, LAST MONTH OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT POSTED US, UH, SUPPORT GROUP FOR L LGBTQ YOUTH ON FACEBOOK.
MANY OF THE COMMENTS WERE REPULSIVE.
THERE WAS ALSO SUBSEQUENT POSTS ON OUR LOCAL PATRIOT PAGE REQUESTING VOLUNTEERS TO PROTEST AT THE SITE WHERE THE MEETING WAS DUE TO BE HELD.
AND MANY OF MY STUDENTS AND PARENTS WERE HOPING TO ATTEND.
ONE POSTER WROTE, ARE WE GOING TO SHOW UP IN PROTESTS? THIS RIMMER NONSENSE.
AND ANOTHER COMMENT SUGGESTED WEARING FACE COVERINGS IN CASE THERE WERE PICTURES TAKEN, THE COMMENTS ON THE POST WERE SUPPORTED BY MANY IN THIS COMMUNITY, INCLUDING SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT RAN FOR OUR BOARD OF EDUCATION AND SUPPORTED THEM.
I'M SAD AND SCARED NOT ONLY FOR OUR STUDENTS, BUT FOR OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
AND THE RECENT LETTER TO OUR BOARD BY MR. CASTLEY REGARDING OUR BATHROOMS ADDED MORE UNNECESSARY DRAMA.
BELIEVE ME, I SPEND MORE TIME IN OUR BATHROOMS THAN OUR STUDENTS DO, AND OUR TRANS KIDS ARE NOT IN THERE RAPING THEIR PEERS.
MY FEAR IS ALSO THAT OUR COUNTY EXECUTIVE BELIEVES IN MANY OF THE SAME THINGS THAT OUR LOCAL HATE GROUPS ARE PROTESTING.
HE, ALONG WITH SOME OF YOU STANDING ON THIS COUNCIL, HAVE SIGNED THE PARENT PLEDGE OF THE MOMS TRUE LIBERTY, WHICH IS ALSO CONSIDERED TO BE A HATE GROUP.
MANY OF US HAVE ALSO HEARD RUMORS THAT MR. CASTLEY WILL BE CONSIDERING THE APPOINTMENTS OF PEOPLE WHO DO NOT SUPPORT.
ALL OF OUR STUDENTS HAVE INCORRECT INFORMATION ABOUT OUR CURRICULUM IN BOOKS AND WANT H HCPS TO VIOLATE TITLE IX GUIDELINES.
ADDITIONALLY, THE PROPAGANDA BEING SPREAD IS BECOME VICIOUS AND HATEFUL TO MY PROFESSION WITH PEOPLE CALLING US GROOMERS, PEDOPHILES, PERVERTS, AND THAT WE ARE SEXUALIZING, SEXUALIZING, INDOCTRINATING THEIR CHILDREN.
BELIEVE ME, IF I CAN INDOCTRINATE MY STUDENTS, THEY WOULD COME TO SCHOOL ON TIME, GET GOOD GRADES, AND NOT HANG OUT VAPING IN OUR BATHROOMS. OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF DESERVE TO BE REPRESENTED BY, REPRESENTED BY A NON-PARTISAN GROUP OF BAR BOARD OF EDUCATION WHO WILL NOT ATTEMPT TO USE THEIR POSITIONS TO EXCLUDE STUDENTS WHO DON'T ALIGN WITH THEIR BIGOTED VIEWS.
PLEASE CONSIDER OUR TWO CURRENT MEMBERS WHO HAVE EXPRESSED INTEREST OR EXPERIENCED, UNBIASED AND INCLUSIVE OF ALL STUDENTS.
PLEASE ALSO CONSIDER APPOINTING SOMEONE WITH A BACKGROUND IN EDUCATION, HAS A COLLEGE DEGREE, AND NOTARIZED ANY KNOWN HEAT GROUPS.
EACH ONE OF YOU ON THIS COUNCIL IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR CHILDREN.
I CAN ONLY DO MY JOB IF YOU DO YOURS.
OUR LAST SPEAKER THIS EVENING IS RON STUCZYNSKI.
I HAVE A GREAT STORY FOR YOU TODAY.
RON STUCZYNSKI, THREE 19 MARINA AVENUE, UM, PERRYMAN PENINSULA.
I WANTED TO START BY THANKING TONY G FOR REACHING OUT ON SUNDAY MORNING OF ALL DAYS AND COMING OUT TO MEET WITH US FOR A GOOD HOUR AND A HALF AND PERRYMAN, UM, TO SEE SOME OF WHAT WE'RE UP AGAINST.
UH, THAT MEANT A LOT TO ME COMING HERE FOR LAST YEAR.
I REALLY APPRECIATE IT AND STILL WELCOME.
THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVEN'T MADE IT OUT, WE'D, WE'D LOVE TO GIVE YOU A TOUR OF OUR AREA.
JUST A FEW THINGS I WANTED TO TOUCH ON.
UM, AND ONE OF 'EM HAS TO DO WITH WHAT, WHAT GLEN WAS SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF.
I'M NEW TO THE PARAMAN PENINSULA AREA AS OF BUILDING OUR HOUSE TWO YEARS AGO, AND, UH, WASN'T AWARE OR NOTIFIED, AS I MENTIONED LAST WEEK, OF WHAT WAS BEING PROPOSED ON THE FARMLAND.
UM, BUT I DO REMEMBER GETTING, WANTED TO BE INVOLVED WITH WHAT'S GOING ON BECAUSE OF ATTENDING THAT SIM AND DAK MEETING.
I JUST WANTED TO READ A COUPLE THINGS THAT SOME OF YOU KNEW TO THE COUNCIL MAY NOT HAVE HEARD FROM US BEFORE.
UH, MR. JERRY POWELL, WHO IS, UH, AN ATTORNEY, I BELIEVE FOR FREDERICK WARD, THE ENGINEER WAS ASKED A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT AN ENVIRONMENT.
UM, AT THE SIM MEETING, ONE OF HIS ANSWERS ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT WAS, AND I QUOTE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STUDY IS A RESULT OF, WELL, YOU KNOW, AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STUDY WILL BE DONE AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE, YOU KNOW, DURING THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
ANOTHER THING THAT WAS SAID BY MRS. GILLIS, GLENN'S, GLENN'S WIFE AT THE TIME, WAS SHE SAID, OKAY, SO THEN HOW WILL YOU REDUCE HARMFUL DIESEL EXHAUST IN THE COMMUNITY? WHAT IS YOUR PLAN FOR THAT? MR. POWELL'S EXACT ANSWER WAS, THERE IS NO PLAN.
I'M NO ENVIRONMENTALIST, ENVIRONMENTALIST.
I'M NO, DON'T USE PLASTIC BAG KIND OF GUY.
BUT THESE KIND OF THINGS WAKE YOU UP TO ME, UP TO A DEVELOPER.
DOESN'T CARE ABOUT WHAT GOES ON TO THE PEOPLE THAT IT'S AFFECTING.
WHAT THEY CARE ABOUT IS WHAT GOES INTO THEIR POCKETS AND, AND HOW THEY MAKE MONEY.
AND THIS IS WHEN THE CODE STOOD OUT TO ME AS FAR AS MY RIGHTS AS A LANDOWNER, MY RIGHTS, UH, FOR SAFETY AND MY RIGHTS TO LIVE COMFORTABLY WHERE I LIVE.
UM, OTHER THAN THAT, UH, THE ANOTHER THING IS I HAD, I WAS GONNA DO A WHOLE SPREADSHEET FOR YOU TODAY, DIONNE AND ALL THAT, BUT I COULD HAVE PUT ALL THE SIGNS THAT YOU STILL HAVE
[01:05:01]
ON ROUTE 40 ON THERE.UNLESS YOU PLAN ON THEM SIGNS BEING THERE 12 YEARS OR WHATEVER, LET'S GET 'EM DOWN,
UM, OTHER THAN THAT, THAT'S ALL I HAVE.
I DIDN'T REALLY HAVE MUCH TO SAY TODAY, BUT AGAIN, TONY, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
[16. BUSINESS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS]
UH, COMMENTS.I'LL, UH, GET MY, UH, CREW OUT THERE.
MY, I GET MY CREW OF ONE SON-IN-LAW.
HE'LL GET WITH HIS PICKUP TRUCK.
UM, FIRST OFF, I WANT TO THANK THE YORK, MR. STOVER FROM, UH, THE LAW FIRM THERE.
UM, UM, MY GRANDSON ATTENDS THE ARC ON IN, IN, UH, BLAIR HERE.
UM, AND, UH, THEY DO OUTSTANDING JOB WITH HIM.
HE'S 30 SOME YEARS OLD, BUT THEY HAS VERY DIFFICULT COMMUNICATION SKILLS AND, UH, UH, HE'S THERE, UH, NORMALLY ALL WEEK.
UH, WE USUALLY PICK HIM UP ON FRIDAY OR SATURDAY AND KEEP HIM FOR THE WEEKEND AND TAKE HIM BACK.
EITHER HE LIKES TO COME UP THE POP UPS HOUSE AND WATCH THE FOOTBALL GAME, YOU KNOW, SO WE'LL PROBABLY PICK HIM UP, UH, AND, UH, AND BRING BACK MONDAY SINCE HIS GAME'S LATE ON SUNDAY.
ANYWAY, UM, UH, A COUPLE THINGS.
UH, UH, IN 2000, BACK IN EARLY 2000, I ATTENDED A HARTFORD LEADERSHIP ACADEMY, AND I'M A GRADUATE THERE, AND I SENT, WE AIN'T GOT ANY HARTFORD LEADERSHIP OR GRADUATES IN HERE.
VERY GOOD, JIM, AREN'T YOU, UH, GRADUATE? YEAH.
UH, THEY'RE HAVING THEIR, UH, GETTING READY TO HAVE THEIR, UM, UH, 32ND CLASS, 32ND YEAR.
AND THEY'VE, THEY SENT ME A NOTICE AND ASKED ME IF I WOULD SAY SOMETHING TO, UH, THE COMMUNITY ABOUT IT.
UM, THEY'RE ACCEPT THEY'RE ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2023 SEASON.
UM, UH, THEY USUALLY GET SOMEWHERE IN THE VICINITY OF OVER A HUNDRED APPLICANTS, AND I THINK THEY TAKE ABOUT, UH, NOT KNOWING THE NUMBERS UP THE NAVAJO, THEY USED TO TAKE ABOUT 38 OR SO, UH, STUDENTS.
UM, SO, UM, UH, YOU NEED TO FILL OUT A RESUME AND EVERYTHING, UH, TO GET IN THAT CLASS.
UH, THEY, THEY, IT LAST, UH, USUALLY, UH, ONE YEAR.
UH, IT'LL RUN FROM, FROM ACCORDING TO THIS, UH, SCHEDULE.
UM, UH, FIRST OFF, THEIR DEADLINE FOR ACCEPTING APPLICANTS IS FEBRUARY 24TH.
UM, THEY DO, UH, THE TUITION IS $850.
UH, SO IT'S, IT'S NOT CHEAP, BUT IT'S, IT'S AN OUTSTANDING CLASS.
AND WHAT IT'S ABOUT, IT TAKES YOU ALL THROUGH HOFFER COUNTY AND IT, UH, EVERY, EVERY WEEK YOU GO TO A DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT AND LEARN ALL ABOUT, UH, UH, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVES, DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND REC, WATER AND SEWER.
UH, THERE'S A REALLY EXCELLENT JOB THEY DO WHEN, WHEN THEY SHOW YOU THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, ALL THE THINGS THAT THEY DO, YOU DON'T REALIZE, UH, HOW MUCH THEY REALLY DO UNTIL YOU TAKE THAT TOUR AND, UH, UH, GET THAT EDUCATION.
SO THAT'S, UH, YOU WANNA GET A HOLD OF HARTFORD LEADERSHIP ACADEMY.
UM, UH, WENDY AMBER IS THE, UH, PROGRAM ASSISTANT.
YOU GET A, YOU GO ONLINE AND LOOK UP, UH, WENDY AMER AT HARTFORD DOT A, UH, E E D U.
AND, UH, YOU CAN GET THE INFORMATION, BUT I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT, PARTICULARLY FOR, UH, SOME OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
IF THEY HAVEN'T, UH, TAKEN THAT COURSE, UH, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT BECAUSE IT'S REALLY GREAT FOR ANYBODY WHO, UH, IS THINKING ABOUT GETTING INTO THE POLITICAL SYSTEM, UH, OR EVEN LEARNING ABOUT YOUR COUNTY.
IT, IT, IT TEACHES YOU AN AWFUL LOT.
UM, THE, UH, THE, THE COMPROMISE UPDATE, A QUICK UPDATE ON THE COMPROMISE UPDATE OF EDGEWOOD.
THAT'S THE, UH, FIELDS THAT, UM, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WHEN I LEFT THE OFFICE IN 2014, WE WERE WORKING ON THAT, AND NOTHING'S HAPPENED FOR THE LAST EIGHT YEARS.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO GET IT GOING AGAIN.
THESE ARE FIELDS TO, TO HAVE, UH, UH, TURF FIELDS, UH, TO PLAY, HAVE FOOTBALL, BASEBALL, DIFFERENT, UH, UM, UH, UH, SPORTS ON 'EM.
AND THE, THE, UH, WHAT, WHAT THEY'RE TELLING ME IS THEY'RE, THEY'RE PROPOSING EIGHT LIGHTED TURF FIELDS THERE ON THAT COURT, ON THAT CORRIDOR WHERE THEY TORE DOWN THE, UH, UH, APARTMENT HOUSES, UH, THAT USED TO BE APARTMENTS FOR ABERDEEN PROVING GROUNDS.
SO THE FIELD SITTING THERE, AND, UH, THAT THEY TELL ME THAT THEY'RE WAITING STORE WATER MANAGEMENT APPROVAL FOR, FOR THE NEXT PHASE.
SO HOPE, HOPEFULLY WE CAN, WE CAN GET THAT,
[01:10:01]
UH, GET THAT MOVING, UH, DOWN, DOWN AT, UH, DOWN AT MEKO, WHERE, WHERE A LOT OF US, UH, ALMOST WERE DOWN THERE FOR, UH, THE THREE DAYS, UH, IN CAMBRIDGE, MARYLAND.UH, I, I WANTED TO TALK BRIEFLY ABOUT SOMETHING THAT'S, UH, WE ARE ALL GONNA HAVE TO BE CONCERNED WITH IN THIS COUNTY.
UM, AND THAT'S, UH, HOW MARIJUANA IS GOING TO BE SOLD.
UM, UH, THEY HAD A, UM, UH, THEY HAD A, A SESSION DOWN THERE AT, UH, I THINK, UH, ME AND MR. BENNETT, UH, ATTENDED.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY ELSE IN THE COUNCIL MADE THAT ONE.
IT WAS, THAT WAS THE LAST DAY.
THEY CALLED IT DEEP IN THE WOODS, CANNABIS IMPLEMENTATION IN MARYLAND.
UH, I WENT, I WENT TO THAT, CUZ I DO, I DO KNOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT BECAUSE I HAD SOME, I HAD, I HAD SOME CASES MYSELF WITH, UH, UH, SOME OF THE MEMBERS OF MY UNION WHO, WHO, UH, OUT IN CALIFORNIA WORKING AT A RACETRACK.
CAUSE WE, MY GUYS, UH, INSTALLED BAILING EQUIPMENT AT ALL THE RACETRACKS AROUND THE COUNTRY.
AND, UH, CALIFORNIA HAS ONE OF THE LUCRATIVE, UH, UM, MARIJUANA, UH, LAWS ON THE BOOKS.
IN FACT, I, UH, WHEN I HAD THIS CASE GONE, I SENT FOR THE LAW AND IT GOT TO ME, THE THING WAS 4,000 PAGES.
AND I READ EVERY SINGLE WORD BELIEVE THAT I GOTTA BRIDGE THIS.
SO YOU, UH, UH, BUT WHAT WE HAVE TO BE CONCERNED WITH, AND WHAT THEY TOLD US DOWN THERE IN, IN, UH, IN, IN CAMBRIDGE, WAS THAT RIGHT NOW THERE ARE 488,000 PEOPLE WHO ARE EMPLOYED IN THIS SYSTEM, THIS MARIJUANA SELLING SYSTEM.
TODAY, ACROSS THE UNITED STATES, THERE'S SEVEN STATES THAT ARE WIDE OPEN FOR SELLING THIS DRUG.
I DON'T CARE HOW YOU WANT TO LABEL IT.
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE MENTION IT AND THEY GIGGLE AND ALL THAT.
THIS IS A SERIOUS SITUATION BECAUSE ONE OF THE MOST SERIOUS THINGS YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT WITH THIS DRUG IS HOW LONG IT LASTS IN YOUR SYSTEM.
I LEARNED ALL THIS BECAUSE WE, WE HAD, UH, UH, I HAD ABOUT SIX OR SEVEN OF MY MEMBERS WORKING OUT AT A RACETRACK IN CALIFORNIA, AND THEY WENT OUT ON A SATURDAY NIGHT, AND THEY PARTIED AND THEY, UH, SMOKED, UH, SOME MARIJUANA.
THEY CAME BACK, THEY CAME IN TO WORK ON A, ON A MONDAY.
AND, UH, AS, UH, AS MOST COLLECTIVE BARGAINING UNIT, UH, CONTRACTS HAVE, AND I'VE NEGOTIATED HUNDREDS OF HUNDREDS OF 'EM, THEY ALL SAY VERY POOR.
TO WORK IN A DRUG OR INTOXICATED CONDITION CAN BE FIRED ON A SPOT.
YOU GO OUT AND MAYBE DO SOME, UH, UH, ELBOW BENDING ON A SATURDAY NIGHT.
YOU KNOW, BY THE TIME MONDAY COMES AROUND, MOST OF IT'S OUTTA YOUR SYSTEM.
YOU KNOW, BOOZE WILL BE OUTTA YOUR SYSTEM AND USUALLY 24 TO 48 HOURS.
HOWEVER, WHAT I'VE LEARNED ABOUT MARIJUANA IS THAT IT GETS IN YOUR SYSTEM, YOU KNOW, AND IT COULD TAKE 30 DAYS TO 60 DAYS, DEPENDING ON THE INDIVIDUAL TO BE OUTTA YOUR SYSTEM.
SO WHAT WE HAVE TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT, OUR YOUNGER PEOPLE, OUR YOUNGER PEOPLE, REALLY LONG OUTTA MEETING LAST NIGHT.
AND THIS WOMAN TALKED TO ME ABOUT, UM, UH, AND ERIN, SHE, SHE WAS THERE.
SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT THAT HER, HER KIDS ARE, ARE SEEING THIS LAW COME INTO EFFECT.
THEY CAN'T WAIT TILL IT TOTALLY, THERE'S, THERE'S STORES ALREADY ALL AROUND, WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FOR MEDICAL REASONS ONLY.
UM, UH, AND SHE SAID HER, HER KIDS ARE TALKING CRAZY ABOUT IT.
THEY CAN'T WAIT TILL IT GETS HERE.
WELL, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO EDUCATE OUR PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTY, IN THIS STATE, UH, ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF THIS.
BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS, YOU GO TO WORK, THAT'S ONE.
AND, AND BY THE WAY, YOU DRIVE A CAR TOO.
YOU GET A DUI AND WANT IT, UH, IT'S A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT TO, UH, TO TEST.
BUT IF IN FACT THEY THINK YOU ARE ON MARIJUANA, THEY CAN ARREST YOU AND THEN TAKE YOU INTO THE POLICE STATION AND TEST YOU.
UM, AND I, I FOUND THAT OUT WHEN MY, MY SON'S A WAS A LIEUTENANT ON THE BOMBER CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND I MADE A BIG MISTAKE.
I DID A RIDE AROUND WITH HIM ON A SATURDAY NIGHT IN BALMER CITY,
THAT WAS AN EXPERIENCE IN ITS OWN.
BUT WE FOUND SOME PEOPLE WHILE I WAS STANDING ON THE CORNER, WHEN ALL THESE CARS WERE GOING BY.
THIS, THIS BIG TRUCK, THIS BIG CADILLAC SUV CAME BY.
AND, UH, THEY'RE INSPECTING THESE CARS AS THEY GO BY AND THEY'RE STOPPING 'EM ONE BY ONE AND THIS BIG CADILLAC SUV GO BY.
THEY WIND THE WIND, IT'S DOWN, NOT THINKING THE SMOKE BLEW OUTTA THERE.
AND YOU COULD SMELL MARIJUANA LAY CRAZY.
THEN THEY REALIZED THE POLICE JUST STOPPED.
THEY TRIED TO TAKE OFF POLICEMEN JUMPED ON THE SIDE OF THE CAR, IT GRABBED THE STEERING WHEEL, TURNED IT, CRASHED IT INTO A TREE, YOU KNOW, AND THIS WAS JUST CHECKING FOR SEAT BELTS,
SO, AND, AND I HAD TO PUT A BO FULL GROUP VEST ON THAT
[01:15:01]
RIDE AROUND WITH MY SON.BUT ANYWAY, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN BECAUSE OF THESE, THIS IS A GROUP OF MY GUYS WHO WERE OUT IN CALIFORNIA AND WHAT THEY WENT ON SATURDAY NIGHT, I SAID, SMOKING SOME MARIJUANA.
AND MONDAY CAME IN, UH, SOMEBODY SQUA, UH, SQUEAL HIM OR WHATEVER, AND, UH, THE SECURITY CAME OVER, TAPPED HIM ON THE SHOULDER AND SAYS, UH, WE'RE GONNA TEST YOU, UH, AND YOU HAVE TO GO AND GET TESTED.
AND ALL FIVE OF 'EM FAILED TO TEST.
AND ALL FIVE OF 'EM GOT FIRED RIGHT ON THE SPOT.
THEY WERE, THEY WERE ESCORTED OFF THE RACETRACK.
AND THESE GUYS HAD FIVE YEARS, EIGHT YEARS, 10 YEARS, 12 YEARS, AND PERFECT, PERFECT, UH, UH, UM, UH, ATTENDANCE.
BUT THEY PUT 'EM OFF AND WE ARBITRATED IT.
SPENT 20 GRAND FI TRYING TO FIGHT THE CASE AND, UH, LOST IT.
THE JUDGES ON OUT THERE UPHOLDING THESE TESTS.
SO FOR, FOR PEOPLE TO SAY THAT THE TESTS DON'T WORK, UH, THE, UH, LEGAL DEPARTMENT IS UPHOLDING THESE TESTS.
SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO SOMETHING, UH, ABOUT OUR YOUNG PEOPLE AND WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN WHEN, WHATEVER THEY DO IN THE STATE.
NOW THAT, THAT THIS, THIS IS BECOMING LEGAL, UM, JUST TO SELL IT OVER THE COUNTER IS, UH, SOMETHING I DON'T SUPPORT.
THAT'S THE MR. GUTHRIE THAT I REMEMBER.
I DIDN'T MEAN TO GO ON, BUT I KNEW IT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT ISSUE.
IT WAS, YES, MR. PENMAN, I HAVE TWO THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT ON THIS EVENING.
UH, THE FIRST PERTAINS TO THE TERM LIMIT DISCUSSION THAT I HAD LAST WEEK, WHICH, UH, WAS COMMENTED, UH, COMMENTED ON BY COUNCILMAN GUTHRIE.
I WANNA FIRST CONVEY THAT I SINCERELY APPRECIATE AND WELCOME ENGAGING CONVERSATION FROM THE COUNCIL MEMBERS OR THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
UH, BASED ON THE CONVERSATIONS, CONTINUED DISCUSSIONS WITH MANY OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO INCLUDE COUNCILMAN, UH, GUTHRIE.
I'M INCREASINGLY OPTIMISTIC THAT WE COULD COME TO AN AGREEMENT AND OFFICIALLY SUBMIT THIS TERM LIMIT LEGISLATION FOR APPROVAL.
UH, MY SECOND SUBJECT FOR COMMENT IS A CONCERN I I HAVE REGARDING THE PREVIOUSLY APPROVED HARFORD COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, CENTRAL PRECINCT AND TRAINING CENTER.
IT WAS PROPOSED, UH, TO RE-FIT THE HEAT CENTER IN ABERDEEN THAT WAS OWNED BY THE COUNTY, BUT VACANT FOR MANY YEARS.
SOME MAY REMEMBER, MYSELF AND MANY LAW ENFORCEMENT AND LEGISLATIVE LEADERS STOOD IN FRONT OF THIS BUILDING LAST YEAR TO ANNOUNCE AND SUPPORT THIS NEW PRECINCT.
IT COMES TO MY ATTENTION THAT THIS PROJECT IS BEING EVALUATED FOR BUDGETARY CONCERNS.
HAVING SPENT A CAREER IN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND MAKING HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SAFETY, MY NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.
I WANNA TAKE A MOMENT TO ADVOCATE FOR THIS PREVIOUSLY APPROVED FUNDED PROJECT WITH THE ALLOTTED MANPOWER.
A PROJECT THAT ALREADY HAS 1.5 MILLION INVESTED IN ENGINEERING AND DESIGN, WHICH WILL UNDOUBTEDLY COST MORE TO REDESIGN AND BUILD IN THE FUTURE BECAUSE OF INFLATION.
THE PROPOSED PRECINCT WHEN COMPLETED, WILL UNCUT ON QUESTION WILL BE IMPROVED PUBLIC SAFETY IN HARTFORD COUNTY.
THE NEW CENTRAL PRECINCT WILL REDUCE THE BURDEN PLACED ON THE SOUTHERN PRECINCT BY OVERWHELMING BY THE OVERWHELMING VOLUME OR CALLS FOR SERVICE, AND ALLOW FOR FASTER DEPLOYMENT AND INCREASED RESOURCES DURING CRITICAL AND ROUTINE CALLS FOR SERVICE.
AS THE POPULATION INCREASES, SO DOES LAW ENFORCEMENT'S CALLS FOR SERVICE SUCH AS CRIMES, TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS, MEDICAL EMERGENCIES, AND BASIC QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES.
THIS PRECINCT ALSO HAS ALLOTED ADDITIONAL MANPOWER TO HANDLE THE INCREASED COM COMMUNITY DEMANDS.
IT SHOULD BE NOTED PRIOR TO THIS PROJECT, THE PATROL STRENGTH, THE HARFORD COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE HAD NOT INCREASED IN ROUGHLY 14 YEARS.
MEANWHILE, THE COUNTY'S POPULATION HAS INCREASED BY APPROXIMATELY 7% IN THOSE 14 YEARS.
AND, UH, AND PRO PROJECTED TO GROW 6%.
AND, UH, BY 2035, PERHAPS EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY, IN THIS NEW STATE OF THE ART, UH, FACILITY, WILL BE A TRAINING CENTER AND AN ACADEMY THAT WILL SCHEDULED TO BE LOCATED AGAIN IN THE NEW PRECINCT.
WHILE THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE CURRENTLY HOUSES THEIR ACADEMY IN THE HARFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE, UH, IN WHICH THEY HAVE A GREAT PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CURRENT FACILITY, DOES NOT PROVIDE SUFFICIENT SPACE OR TECHNOLOGY TO MEET THE HIGH DEMAND FOR TRAINING LEGISLATIVE REQUIREMENTS THAT IS ESSENTIAL TO PREPARE LAW ENFORCEMENT FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF POLICING.
I DO WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK COUNTY EXECUTIVE CASTLE FOR THE ONGOING DISCUSSION REGARDING THE CENTRAL PRECINCT AND TRAINING ACADEMY.
AND I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND HIS CAREFUL EVALUATION OF THE ENTIRE BUDGET TO ENSURE FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY.
HOWEVER, I DO BELIEVE THIS PROJECT IS AN INVESTMENT IN KEEPING OUR, OUR, OUR COUNTY AND COMMUNITY SAFE.
AND HARFORD COUNTY CANNOT AFFORD TO CUT THIS PROJECT, THIS PRECINCT, AND THE TRAINING CENTER FROM THE BUDGET.
THEREFORE, I WILL REMAIN STEADFAST IN MY SUPPORT FOR THIS PROJECT AND LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUED CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND HIS ADMINISTRATION TO CON CONTINUE THIS PROJECT.
[01:20:01]
AND WITH THAT, THAT'S ALL I HAVE, MR. PRESIDENT.I THINK I'M GONNA TRY TO BEAT, BEAT DION TONIGHT, SO, UH, UH, I'M ONLY KIDDING.
UM, THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE IS LOOKING FOR THREE TO FOUR CITIZEN MEMBERS FOR THE AUDIT ADVISORY BOARD.
BOARD MEMBERS SHOULD, UH, BE COUNTY RESIDENTS, HAVE SOME KNOWLEDGE OF BUSINESS AUDITING OR ACCOUNTING.
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED OR KNOW SOMEONE, CHECK THE AUDITOR'S PAGE ON THE, UH, COUNTY COUNCIL WEBSITE OR REACH OUT TO MY OFFICE FOR ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE.
NUMBER TWO, I WANT TO CONGRATULATE CASEY SMITH FOR HIS ECO SCOUT ACCOMPLISHMENT.
HE CELEBRATED THIS PAST WEEK AND WE WISHED HIM BEST OF LUCK.
AND, UH, TODAY, I, UM, YESTERDAY I HAD THE HONOR ALONG WITH COUNCILMAN RILEY TO ATTEND THE KITTY TRACKS EARLY EDUCATION CENTER, UH, GREAT USE OF A BUILDING THAT, UH, WAS VACANT THAT THEY TURNED INTO A, UH, GORGEOUS, UH, CHILDCARE CENTER OFF OF BONHAM ROAD.
SO, UH, I WANT TO CONGRATULATE, UH, JAMES AND CHRISTINA FOR THEIR NEW LOCATION AND, UH, LOOKS GREAT, UH, PROMOTES SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LANGUAGE AND PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENTS, WHICH ARE EXTREMELY HELPFUL FOR WORKING PARENTS.
UM, SECONDLY, I WANNA CORRECT MR. GUTHRIE DOWN THERE.
SO, UH, AND THEN I ALSO WANT TO, AND IT'S BALTIMORE, NOT BALTIMORE
AND YOU MIGHT WANNA SAY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, NOT DEPARTMENT, DION, SO YOU DON'T GET YOURSELF IN TROUBLE.
SO CAN'T THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT.
I'LL BE, OH MY GOD, THIS IS GONNA BE A LONG FOUR YEARS.
UH, THANK YOU MR. JANER, DAD AND MR. RILEY.
UM, THE PRESIDENT ASKED LAST WEEK, DO I REPRESENT DISTRICT D? AND HE DID THAT BECAUSE MY PREDECESSOR WAS LONG-WINDED.
AND IF YOU KNOW ME, I'M VERY, VERY SHORT WHEN MY COMMENTS.
BUT MY GOOD FRIEND FROM DISTRICT GAY IS DEFINITELY GONNA TAKE THAT MANNEL UP.
UM, I DO, UH, THERE WAS A COUPLE RIBBON CUTTINGS I DID, AND I ALSO, UH, HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF GOING DOWN TO MAKO TO INTERACT WITH A LOT OF MY COLLEAGUES AND THOSE AROUND THE STATE.
AND, UH, I ALSO WANT TO PROMOTE, UH, THE ARC FOR THE 20 YEARS AT, UH, I RAN THE CLERK'S OFFICE IN, IN HARTFORD COUNTY.
WE, WE HIRED MANY OF THOSE AND THEY'RE GREAT WORKERS.
SO IF ANY BUSINESS PEOPLE ARE OUT THERE, UH, PROMOTE THE ARC.
UM, TODAY I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH SERGEANT SANCHEZ OF THE HARTFORD COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE COMMUNITY POLICING UNIT.
UM, I PRESENTED MS. HOLLY MCCOMB'S PHOTO PACKET THAT SHE HAD SHARED AT OUR MEETING ON DECEMBER 20TH.
UM, I EXPLAINED THE SAFETY ISSUES AND COMMUNITY CONCERNS OF THE TRACTOR TRAILERS FOR, UM, HAPPENING IN PERRYMAN.
AND SERGEANT SANCHEZ WAS EXTREMELY EAGER TO HELP.
UH, BY THE END OF THIS WEEK, THEY PLAN TO HAVE A SIGN BOARD POSTED BY MID NEXT WEEK, FLYERS WILL BE DELIVERED TO THE SURROUNDING BUSINESSES.
AND, UM, HE'S GOING TO RECOMMEND TO THEM THAT THEY GO TO THE MARYLAND HOUSE IF THEY NEED TO TAKE A REST OR PARK, UM, AND TRY TO KEEP IT OFF THE STREETS.
BY THE END OF NEXT WEEK, HE PLANS TO SPEAK WITH THE AMAZON WAREHOUSE TO DISCUSS IF THEY'LL CONSIDER THE POSSIBILITY OF A, A STAGING AREA, UM, AT THAT SITE.
HE'S ALSO GOING TO MAKE THE ABERDEEN POLICE DEPARTMENT AWARE OF THE STRATEGIES HE'S PUTTING IN PLACE TO HELP SLOW DOWN AND HOPEFULLY STOP THE ILLEGAL PARKING ISSUES.
UM, AND THEN I PLAN TO REACH OUT TO STATE HIGHWAY TO DISCUSS THE POSSIBILITY FOR FLASHING SIGNS.
THAT WAS ONE OF THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS AS WELL.
ALL OF THIS BEING SAID, UM, PLEASE DON'T CONFRONT THE DRIVERS.
IT COULD CREATE SAFETY ISSUES FOR EVERYONE.
UM, JUST TAKE A PHOTO IF YOU'RE AT A SAFE DISTANCE, AND IF YOU CAN'T DO THAT, JUST KEEP A JOURNAL.
UM, BUT WITH THAT SAID, THAT'S ALL I HAVE, AND I WILL KEEP YOU UPDATED.
UM, FIRST I WANNA SHARE A FEW QUICK KUDOS.
UH, CONGRATULATIONS TO, UH, JORDAN TAOS, DANA GOK, AND KATIE YORK, WHO ARE JUST ADDED TO THE BOARD OF UPPER CHESAPEAKE, UH, BAY PRIDE AND SIERRA WALKER, WHO IS ELECTED THEIR VICE PRESIDENT.
UH, THEIR YEARLY FESTIVAL IS A BIG EVENT IN HAPPY GRACE.
UH, ONE OF OUR BIGGEST, AND, YOU KNOW, MY CHURCH, UH, ABBY AND I GO TO ST.
JOHN'S IS A PROUD SPONSOR OF THAT EVENT SINCE IT FIRST STARTED.
UM, I ALSO WANNA CONGRATULATE MS. JESSICA WILSON, A PHYSICAL EDUCATOR, UH, AT HARTFORD ACADEMY, WHO IS JUST NAMED THE SOCIETY OF HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION, EASTERN DISTRICT 2023 TEACHER OF THE YEAR.
LAST YEAR, SHE WAS NAMED, UH, SHAPE'S MARYLAND TEACHER OF THE YEAR, AND NOW SHE'S ONE OF ONLY FIVE DISTRICT WINNERS WHO WILL GO ON TO BE NOMINATED FOR SHAPE'S NATIONAL TEACHER OF THE YEAR, WHICH IS JUST A HUGE HONOR IN, UM, A, A BIG BRIGHT SPOT IN HARTFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
UM, SOME UPCOMING EVENTS COMING UP BEGINNING THURSDAY, JANUARY 12TH, UPPER CHESAPEAKE IS HOSTING A VIRTUAL SIX WEEK LIVING WELL, UH, DIABETES SELF-MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.
THIS IS DESIGNED FOR PEOPLE OF TYPE ONE, TYPE TWO, OR PRE-DIABETES.
UH, THIS COURSE IS FREE AND YOU CAN CALL, UH, TO REGISTER
[01:25:01]
ON JANUARY 12TH FROM ONE 30 TO THREE 30.THE SUSQUEHANNA WORKFORCE CENTER IS OFFERING IN-PERSON INTERVIEW SEMINARS FOR HOW TO PREPARE FOR JOB INTERVIEWS, ANSWER DIFFICULT QUESTIONS, AND, UH, FOLLOW UP WITH HIRING AGENCIES.
AGAIN, YOU CAN REGISTER BY CALLING THEM AT 4 1 0 2 7 2 5 4 0 0.
THE OPERA HOUSE HAS TWO EVENTS COMING UP TO CELEBRATE MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
UH, THEY'RE OFFERING A, A YOUTH PROGRAM REMEMBERING, UH, MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
UH, THE YOUTH WORKSHOP AND LECTURE WILL HAVE AUTHOR KEVIN SHUN THERE.
THE YOUTH WORKSHOP ON SELF-ESTEEM AND SELF-EMPOWERMENT WILL BE FROM FIVE 30 TO 6 45 AT THE FIRE HALL, AND THEN THE LECTURE WILL FOLLOW FROM SEVEN TO EIGHT 30 IN THE AUDITORIUM.
THEN ON THE 14TH, THEY'LL HAVE A CELEBRATION OF DR.
IN WORDS AND MUSIC FROM SEVEN TO EIGHT 30 AT THE OPERA HOUSE.
THE EXCERPTS FROM HIS SERMONS WILL BE PERFORMED BY LOCAL YOUTH.
A GOSPEL SELECTION WILL BE PERFORMED, UH, BY THE MIGHT MEN OF CLARKS UNITED METHODIST CHURCH.
TICKETS ARE REQUIRED FOR THESE EVENTS AND CAN BE PURCHASED AT H UH, HDG OPERA HOUSE.COM.
UM, ALSO IN HA GRACE, WE HAVE THE HA GRACE CELTIC FESTIVAL COMING UP THIS WEEKEND.
IT'LL BE AT THE STAR CENTER, AND IT'LL BE FRIDAY FROM FOUR TO 10:00 PM SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, 10:00 AM TO 5:00 PM UH, THEY'LL HAVE CELTIC CONSPIRED EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES, UH, INCLUDING MUSIC, DANCE PERFORMANCES, A KID ZONE, FOOD AND DRINKS.
UM, YOU CAN FIND THE SCHEDULE, UH, OF EVENTS AND TICKETS FOR VARIOUS ACTIVITIES ON HDG BURNS GATHERING.ORG.
ON, UM, JANUARY 16TH, THERE'S GONNA BE A GRAND OPENING OF ULTIMATE DRINK CAFE, UH, AT EIGHT 11 REVOLUTION STREET IN CAVITY.
UH, THIS IS WHERE THE ICE COLD WATER ICE, UH, BUILDING HAS SAT EMPTY.
UM, AS LONG AS I'VE LIVED IN, UH, CAVITY GRACE, UH, WHICH I, I'VE ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT SIGN WAS VERY FUNNY AND I'M SAD TO SEE IT GO.
CAUSE YOU'RE SAYING THE FOUR, SAME THING FOUR TIMES IN A ROW.
UM, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M GLAD TO SEE A, A BUSINESS THERE INSTEAD OF JUST A FUNNY SIGN WITH AN EMPTY BUILDING.
AND I'LL BE AT THAT, UH, GRAND OPENING AND I'M EXCITED FOR THAT.
ON JANUARY 16TH, UM, JANUARY 17TH, UH, HARTFORD COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION IS HAVING A PUBLIC INPUT SESSION AT 6:00 PM UM, THIS IS TO DISCUSS HARTFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL'S, UH, UPCOMING BUDGET AND, UH, HEAR ARE THE SUPERINTENDENT'S THOUGHTS.
AND THEN YOU CAN PROVIDE FEEDBACK.
YOU CAN, UH, COME IN PERSON OR YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR VIRTUAL FEEDBACK, UM, TO REGISTER TO SPEAK.
YOU CAN EMAIL PUBLIC COMMENTS@HCPS.ORG BY JANUARY 17TH AT NOON TO SHARE THAT.
UH, JUST SOME REAL QUICK, UH, LEGISLATIVE ACTION AND, UM, THAT I'VE BEEN DOING IN THE PAST FEW WEEKS.
UM, I MET WITH THE COMMUNITY OF PERRYMAN TODAY, UM, UP IN OUR COUNCIL OFFICE, WHICH WAS A, A GREAT INTERACTION.
WE WERE ABLE TO LOOK AT SOME NEXT STEPS OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT CAN WE DO TO BE SUPPORTING YOU? AND I'M, UH, EAGER TO SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH MY FELLOW COUNCILMAN.
UM, UH, WE REACHED OUT AND HAD ACTIVE CONVERSATION ABOUT TERM LIMITS, NOT JUST WITH EACH OTHER, BUT I ALSO REACHED OUT TO THE COMMUNITY, TALKED WITH THE NAACP, UH, REACHED OUT TO DIFFERENT COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, UNIONS TO GET THEIR THOUGHTS.
AND I WENT THROUGH AND READ, UM, ALL THE OTHER CHARTERS OF ALL THE OTHER COUNTIES HERE IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND TO SEE HOW, UH, THEY USE TERM LIMITS IF THEY DO, UH, AND USING THAT INFORMATION TO PASS ALONG AND, AND HELP SHAPE THIS BILL, WHICH IS EXCITING.
AND THEN LASTLY, I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO ATTEND MACO, UH, THIS PAST WEEK, UH, WHICH WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE.
GOT TO MEET PEOPLE FROM ALL ACROSS THE STATE AND, UM, AND TO SEE WHAT ACTION THEY'RE TAKING IN THEIR LOCAL COUNTIES, UM, TO SEE WHAT WE CAN BRING BACK HERE TO MAKE HARTFORD COUNTY BETTER.
AND SO THAT WAS A REAL TREAT FOR ME, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO USING THOSE, UH, RELATIONSHIPS AND LEVERAGING THEM, UH, TO HELP MAKE HARTFORD COUNTY THE BEST IT CAN BE.
I REALLY DON'T HAVE A LOT TO ADD, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF, I'M EXTREMELY PROUD OF THIS COUNCIL BECAUSE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM HAVE BEEN WORKING THEIR BUTTS OFF FOR THEIR DISTRICTS, UM, ATTENDING EVERY CLASS AND EVERY EVENT POSSIBLE.
UM, SPENT THE LAST THREE DAYS AT MACO AND THEY WERE A VERY AGGRESSIVE IN ATTENDING CLASSES.
SO I THINK YOU'LL SEE PROBABLY SEVERAL NEW, UM, ACADEMY OF EXCELLENT GRADUATES SOONER THAN, THAN LATER.
UM, SO I'M EXTREMELY PROUD OF THEM FOR THAT.
UH, THE OTHER THING I WANNA ADDRESS, MR. LACORE, UH, IT'S FUNNY THAT YOU MENTIONED THE WELCOME ONE SHELTER.
I HAD A LONG CONVERSATION WITH THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE THIS MORNING, AND HE IS, UH, CONSIDERING, UH, THE POSSIBILITIES OF EXPANDING THE SHELTER.
UH, NOTHING CHISELING STONE YET.
UH, AS, AS MR. PENMAN TALKED ABOUT THE CENTRAL PRECINCT, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT NEED TO BE CONSIDERED.
OUR CONVERSATION WAS PROBABLY AN HOUR LONG.
WE TOUCHED ON SEVERAL DIFFERENT PROJECTS, AND
[01:30:01]
FOR ME, UH, IT'S REALLY, UM, I, I DON'T EVEN KNOW THE WORD.I MEAN, TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT MUCH INVOLVEMENT AND ENGAGEMENT WITH THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE ON A REGULAR BASIS, UM, I THINK IS GONNA BENEFIT THE ENTIRE COUNTY OVER, OVER TIME.
SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUE MEETINGS WITH HIM AND OTHERS.
UM, I'M GLAD THAT WE'VE MOVED, UH, HIS, HIS APPOINTMENTS THROUGH, UM, AND LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH ALL OF IN THE FUTURE, AS I SAID BEFORE.
UM, THANK YOU FOR TOUCHING ON THE, UH, AUDITOR'S REQUEST FOR VOLUNTEERS FOR THAT.
UM, AND WITH THAT, UM, IF NO ONE ELSE HAS ANYTHING, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND ADJOURN THIS MEETING.