Apr 18, 2023 County Council

[00:00:02]

GOOD EVENING. CHAIR CALLS TO ORDER PUBLIC HEARING FOR RESOLUTION 023-23 ANNEXATION ZONING WAIVER GILBERT ROAD.

[a. Resolution 023-23 (Annexation Zoning Waiver- Gilbert Road)]

YOU'RE GOING TO STEP FORWARD, PLEASE.

GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL PRESIDENT, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL FOR THE RECORD.

BRADLEY R STOVER, 124, NORTH MAIN STREET, THE FIRM OF ROBINSON AND STOVER.

MY HOME ADDRESS IS 1208 WISHING WELL COURT BEL AIR.

WITH ME TONIGHT IS MR. SAM SMEDLEY OF LOXLEY MANOR INC.

YOU'LL SEE MR. CAMPBELL'S NAME ON THE SLIDE, BUT HE COULD NOT ATTEND TONIGHT SENDS HIS REGRETS.

WE'RE HERE TONIGHT ON THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR RESOLUTION NUMBER 2323.

THIS IS APPROXIMATELY 200 ACRES OF LAND LOCATED ON GILBERT ROAD IN THE CITY OF ABERDEEN.

THE MAJORITY OF THE LAND CONSISTS OF THE PUBLIC GOLF COURSE YOU ALL PROBABLY KNOW IS THE WETLANDS.

THE WETLANDS IS A PUBLIC 18 HOLE GOLF COURSE AND IT HAS BANQUET FACILITIES, A CLUBHOUSE AND A RESTAURANT.

THE WETLANDS HAS BEEN OPERATING SINCE 1988 WITH A SPECIAL EXCEPTION USE TO OPERATE AS A GOLF COURSE IN THE AG DISTRICT IN THE COUNTY BOARD OF APPEALS CASE 3657 SINCE 1988.

A SERIES OF SITE PLAN APPROVALS WERE GRANTED BY THE COUNTY, MOST RECENTLY IN 1994.

MR. SMEDLEY AND HIS FAMILY HAVE OWNED THE PROPERTY SINCE 1991, AND THEY'VE BEEN OPERATING THE GOLF COURSE SINCE IT OPENED IN THE MID 1990S.

THIS GOLF COURSE WAS PART OF A LARGE SCALE ANNEXATION BY THE CITY OF ABERDEEN BACK IN 2006.

I WAS INVOLVED IN I CAN TELL YOU IT WAS LONG ENOUGH AGO THAT I HAD BROWN HAIR.

BUT WHILE ULTIMATELY SUCCESSFUL WITH THE CITY, A REFERENDUM OVERTURNED THAT.

SO LOCKSLEY MANOR ENDEAVORED TO RESTART THE ANNEXATION PROCESS IN EARLY 2020.

THEY IN FACT DID VET AN ANNEXATION PETITION THROUGH THE CITY OF ABERDEEN, ABERDEEN, THROUGH A SERIES OF PUBLIC HEARINGS THAT BEGAN IN 2020 FIRST, STARTING WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION FOR APPROVAL, THEN AN ANNEXATION PLAN, AN ANNEXATION AGREEMENT, AND THEN THE FINAL ANNEXATION RESOLUTION, WHICH PHYSICALLY BROUGHT THE PROPERTY INTO THE CITY LIMITS. THAT RESOLUTION BECAME IT WAS VOTED UPON IN JULY OF 2021 AND BECAME FINAL IN AUGUST OF 2021.

AND IN THIS CASE, NO REFERENDUM WAS FILED.

SO THE PROPERTY HAS ACTUALLY BEEN WITHIN CITY LIMITS FOR ROUGHLY 20 MONTHS.

UPON ANNEXATION, THE PROPERTY WAS LARGELY ZONED INTEGRATED BUSINESS DISTRICT UNDER THE CITY'S ZONING CODE.

THERE IS A SMALL PORTION OF THE PROPERTY THAT WAS ZONED R-1 RESIDENTIAL THAT I WILL SHOW YOU HERE IN A MINUTE.

WE'RE HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE THE OWNER, MR. SMELLIE, AND HIS GROUP HAVE REQUESTED A FIVE YEAR WAIVER PURSUANT TO SECTION 4416.

THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ARTICLE OF THE MARYLAND ANNOTATED CODE.

PASSAGE OF A WAIVER OF THIS RESOLUTION TONIGHT WOULD ALLOW LOCKSLEY MANOR TO MOVE FORWARD WITH DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROPERTY WITHOUT HAVING TO WAIT THE REQUISITE FIVE YEAR POST ANNEXATION PERIOD.

OKAY. THANK YOU. SO THE FIRST SLIDE YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU COUNCIL AND I'VE HANDED OUT PACKET OR MISTAKES AND HANDED OUT PACKETS TO YOU WITH THE POWERPOINT.

IT IS DIFFICULT TO SEE, BUT THIS IS THE EXHIBIT THAT WAS ATTACHED TO THE ACTUAL ANNEXATION RESOLUTION THAT WAS ENACTED BY THE CITY OF ABERDEEN.

IT OUTLINES THE PROPERTIES THAT WERE ANNEXED INTO THE CITY.

YOU CAN SEE IT'S KIND OF A HORSESHOE UPSIDE DOWN, HORSESHOE SHAPE.

MOST OF THE PARCELS TO WHAT I'LL CALL THE RIGHT SIDE OF LOXLEY MANOR DRIVE ARE ALL USED FOR GOLF COURSE PURPOSES.

HOLES, INCLUDING THE CLUBHOUSE AND BANQUET FACILITY ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF LOXLEY MANOR IS PARTIALLY GOLF, BUT THEN ALSO A LOT KNOWN AS LOT 12, KIND OF THE FINGER THAT BENDS AROUND THE BOTTOM ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE HORSESHOE.

THAT IS A WOODED PARCEL THAT IS NOT USED FOR GOLF COURSE OPERATIONS.

SO THIS PROPERTY BEFORE IT WAS ANNEXED INTO THE CITY.

THIS IS THE HARFORD COUNTY ZONING MAP, WHICH SHOWS AN AGRICULTURAL ZONING.

AGAIN, YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THAT HORSESHOE UP TOP, UPSIDE DOWN, HORSESHOE UP, TOP, TOP CENTER, WHICH SHOWS IT AS AGRICULTURAL ZONING.

ALTHOUGH AGAIN, I WOULD NOTE THAT EVEN THOUGH IT WAS ZONED AGRICULTURE, IT HAS OPERATED FOR OVER 30 YEARS AS A BUSINESS WITH A SPECIAL EXCEPTION.

THIS IS THE HARFORD COUNTY MASTER LAND USE PLAN.

AGAIN, THE HORSESHOE UP TOP MIDDLE SHOWS THAT THE HARFORD COUNTY MASTER LAND USE PLAN DESIGNATION FOR THIS PROPERTY WAS AG AT THE TIME OF ANNEXATION.

SUBSEQUENT TO THE ANNEXATION.

I'LL STRIKE THAT. SO THIS IS THE PLANNING AREA TEN DESIGNATION.

IT WAS LOCATED IN PLANNING AREA TEN OF THE CITY OF ABERDEEN'S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN THAT WAS EFFECTIVE IN 2011.

THE CITY HAS VERY RECENTLY ENACTED A NEW COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, I BELIEVE IS APRIL 10TH, THAT THE NEW COMPREHENSIVE PLAN WAS VOTED DOWN OR VOTED UPON BY THE CITY.

[00:05:08]

THE AREA IN PURPLE SORT OF TOP LEFT SHOWS THE AREA THAT WAS ANNEXED.

IT IS PURPLE AS BEING ZONED ISD.

AND THEN YOU CAN SEE THE SMALL FINGER OF YELLOW KIND OF WEDGED IN BETWEEN ALL THAT SEA OF PURPLE UP TOP.

THAT'S LOT 12. THAT'S THAT WOODED AREA.

THAT'S PART OF THE PROPERTIES THAT WAS ZONED R1 AS SORT OF A BUFFER BETWEEN SOME EXISTING PROPERTIES, NAMELY THE EAGLES REST SUBDIVISION AS WELL AS THE HOMES ON LOCKSLEY MANOR DRIVE. THIS IS THE A SLIDE FROM THE CITY'S NEW COMPREHENSIVE PLAN SHOWING FUTURE CITY LAND USE.

AND AGAIN, OUR PROPERTIES ARE UP IN PINK UP TOP.

THE CITY ANTICIPATES THIS WOULD BE A MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT, WHICH WE'LL GET INTO IN A SECOND.

AND THEN AGAIN, WE HAVE THAT LITTLE GREEN FINGER KIND OF UNDERNEATH THE PINK, WHICH IS LOT 12, WHICH IS ANTICIPATED.

CERTAINLY THE CITY'S PLANS TO REMAIN A GREEN OR OPEN SPACE, AND THAT IS THE PLAN OF MR SMEDLEY AND HIS GROUP AS WELL.

THIS IS AN AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH OF TAKEN BY A DRONE A FEW DAYS AGO OF THE GOLF COURSES.

YOU CAN SEE SORT OF TO THE LEFT THERE IS THE PARKING LOT AND THE CLUBHOUSE.

OUT IN THE DISTANCE, YOU CAN SEE THE CITY OF ABERDEEN AND OUTWEIGH ON THE DISTANCE THERE YOU CAN SEE A WATER TOWER THAT SERVES THE CITY CURRENTLY.

THIS IS THE NEXT DOOR NEIGHBORHOOD KNOWN AS THE PRESERVE AT GILBERT MEADOW.

THE PRESERVE IS A PROPERTY THAT WAS ANNEXED INTO THE CITY OF ABERDEEN IN 2019, AND THIS COUNCIL GRANTED THE LANDOWNER OF PRESERVE OF GILBERT MANOR A WAIVER IN 2020.

THAT KIND OF GIVES YOU A SENSE FOR THE TIMING THAT EVEN ONCE A WAIVER IS PASSED, JUST THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS THAT AN OWNER AND DEVELOPER HAVE TO GO THROUGH WITH THE CITY OF ABERDEEN TO SATISFY THEIR ZONING CODE AND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS.

BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, AS OF A FEW DAYS AGO, CLEARING HAS HAPPENED AND YOU CAN SORT OF START TO SEE THE OUTLINES OF THE ROADS.

YOU CAN ALSO WAY OUT IN THE DISTANCE ON THE TOP, SEE THE PRESBYTERIAN HOME PROPERTY STARTING DEVELOPMENT AS WELL.

THAT'S A PROPERTY THAT PORTIONS OF WHICH WERE ANNEXED AGAIN AS RECENTLY AS THE LAST FEW YEARS.

AND THIS COUNCIL IN OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR GRANTED A FIVE YEAR WAIVER FOR DEVELOPMENT OF THAT.

AND THEN ONE MORE PHOTOGRAPH SHOWING AGAIN THE PRESERVE OF GILBERT MEADOW FROM A DIFFERENT ANGLE DRONE OVER THE GOLF COURSE.

AND IN THE BACKGROUND YOU CAN SEE EAGLES REST.

I APOLOGIZE. I THINK WHAT I HANDED OUT TO YOU MAY HAVE A COUPLE ADDITIONAL SLIDES FROM WHAT MY PARALEGAL MAY HAVE SENT OVER.

THERE ARE DIFFERENT ORDER, BUT WE'RE CATCHING UP.

YEAH, THERE ARE A COUPLE THAT ARE IN THERE, SO A COUPLE OF HIGHLIGHTS OF SLIDES THAT YOU MAY HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU BUT AREN'T UP TOP.

THIS COUNCIL IN THE WATER AND SEWER UPDATE LAST YEAR ADDED THE PROPERTIES THEY WERE NOT PREVIOUSLY THERE TO WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES, BUT BY COUNCIL RESOLUTION THEY WERE ADDED TO THE MASTER WATER, SEWER, LAND USE PLAN OR SEWER PLAN.

I ALSO HAVE ANOTHER SLIDE THAT I DON'T THINK MADE TO MY PRESENTATION HERE, BUT MAYBE IN THE PACKET HIGHLIGHTING THE ANNEXATIONS THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN THE CITY OF ABERDEEN SINCE 2011. THOSE PRIMARILY INCLUDE THE PROPERTIES THAT ARE LOCATED IN.

LET ME GET BACK TO IT.

THAT PURPLE QUADRANT UP ON THE TOP LEFT.

MANY OF THOSE PROPERTIES ARE PROPERTIES THAT SINCE THE LAST COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IN 2011 THAT ABERDEEN ADOPTED WERE ANNEXED INTO THE CITY.

AND AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE IN PURPLE THAT THOSE PROPERTIES WERE ZONED ISD.

MANY OF THOSE PROPERTIES AGAIN WERE ANNEXED BY RESOLUTION OF THE CITY, AND THIS COUNCIL PASSED A FIVE YEAR WAIVER.

SO THE REASON WE'RE HERE TONIGHT IS THE ZONING THAT WAS ASSIGNED BY THE CITY OF ISD AND IN SMALL PART R1 IS NOT CONSISTENT WITH THE MASTER LAND USE PLAN, WHICH NECESSITATES THE REQUEST.

MR SMEDLEY AND HIS GROUP ARE ASKING TO BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD CONSISTENT WITH WHAT SOME OF HIS NEIGHBORS HAVE DONE TO HAVE A MIX OF RESIDENTIAL HOUSING TYPES AS PERMITTED UNDER THE CITY'S ISD ZONING CLASSIFICATION.

THEY WANT TO HAVE A FOCUS ON AN AMENITIZED COMMUNITY WITH POOLS, PET FRIENDLY WALKING TRAILS, A GOLF COMPONENT, A CLUBHOUSE AND GAME ROOM, A BUSINESS CENTER WITH A CONFERENCE ROOM RECREATION SUCH AS PICKLEBALL FITNESS CENTER, MULTIPLE PLAYGROUNDS, AS WELL AS A COMMUNITY ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATION.

THEY ALSO ANTICIPATE SOME SMALL SCALE COMMUNITY SERVICE BUSINESSES MEANT TO SERVE THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY.

AND AGAIN, LOT 12 IS TO REMAIN UNDEVELOPED AS A BUFFER WITH POTENTIAL FOR A FUTURE PARK.

THIS IS AN AREA THAT WE BELIEVE IS APPROPRIATE TO MOVE FORWARD AS SOME OF THE ADJACENT PROPERTIES HAVE.

[00:10:03]

THE CITY HAS CERTAINLY IDENTIFIED IT AS AN AREA THAT THEY IN THE FUTURE SEE FOR MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT.

WE BELIEVE THE DEVELOPMENT WILL GENERATE REVENUE BY WAY OF TAXES, CONNECTION FEES, IMPACT FEES, CITY APFO FEES, ALL OF WHICH IN PART WILL ALLOW FOR INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS IN AREAS IN THE CITY THAT ARE NEEDED FOR IT.

THE PROPERTY WOULD BE SERVED BY CITY WATER AND SEWER.

WE ARE COGNIZANT THAT GILBERT ROAD IS A COUNTY ROAD AND WE ARE AWARE THAT MUCH LIKE THE PRESERVE AT GILBERT, THE PHOTOS WHICH YOU JUST SAW, WE WOULD BE REQUIRED TO WORK OUT A PUBLIC WORKS AGREEMENT WITH THE COUNTY AND POTENTIALLY MAKE ROAD IMPROVEMENTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE COUNTY.

I WOULD POINT OUT TWO THINGS IN THAT RESPECT.

NUMBER ONE, THE ANNEXATION AGREEMENT THAT I SPOKE OF WITH THE CITY, IN FACT, REQUIRES A PUBLIC WORKS AGREEMENT WITH THE COUNTY FOR ROADS.

I ALSO POINT OUT THAT THERE'S NO PROPERTY OWNER IN THIS AREA OF THIS QUADRANT OF PURPLE WHO HAS DONE MORE TO IMPROVE GILBERT ROAD THAN MR. SMEDLEY. HE WAS REQUIRED TO MAKE EXTENSIVE IMPROVEMENTS TO GILBERT ROAD AT THE TIME THAT THE GOLF COURSE SITE PLAN WAS APPROVED BY THE COUNTY.

HE HAS ALSO CONTRIBUTED SIGNIFICANT MONIES THAT HAVE BEEN THAT WERE FOR A TIME HELD IN ESCROW BY THE COUNTY TOWARDS ROAD IMPROVEMENTS.

SO AGAIN, WE BELIEVE THAT THIS IS AN AREA THAT IS APPROPRIATE FOR GRANTING OF A WAIVER, MUCH LIKE THE NEIGHBORS.

IN THAT PURPLE AREA THERE.

AND WE ANTICIPATE HAVING A HIGH QUALITY PROJECT THAT WILL SERVE THE CITIZENS OF ABERDEEN AND HARFORD COUNTY AS WELL.

SO WITH THAT, MR. VINCENTE, I WOULD OPEN UP TO ANY QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU, MR. STOVER, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION REAL QUICK.

LOT 12, OPEN SPACE.

HOW MANY ACRES? 16.

AND THAT IS AN AREA THAT'S GREEN NOW WITH WITH SOME STREAM BEDS WITHIN IT AND ANTICIPATED TO REMAIN THAT WAY.

OKAY, COUNSEL ANYONE WITH ANY QUESTIONS? MISSILES. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION, MR. STOVER. WOULD YOU PLEASE SHARE THE NEXT STEP IN THIS PROCESS? YEAH. SO GRANTING A WAIVER BY NO MEANS MEANS THAT A SHOVEL IS GOING IN THE GROUND TOMORROW.

AS I JUST ALLUDED TO WITH THE PRESERVE AT GILBERT MEADOW PROJECT THAT WAS ANNEXED FOUR YEARS AGO IN 2019, AND THAT WAIVER WAS GRANTED BY THIS COUNCIL BACK IN 2020.

AND FRANKLY, THAT'S KIND OF A FAST MOVING PROJECT TO SEE, TO GO FROM STAGE OF A WAIVER TO SHOVELS IN THE GROUND WHERE YOU CAN SEE DIRT MOVE AND ROADS SOME THREE YEARS LATER. SO TO DIRECTLY ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, DEVELOPER WOULD MOVE THROUGH THE CITY OF ABERDEEN'S PROCESS THROUGH THEIR PLANNING COMMISSION AND COUNCIL.

THEY WOULD HAVE TO MEET ANY AND ALL PROVISIONS OF THE CITY ZONING CODE AND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS.

THANK YOU. ALSO, AS I RECALL, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HEARD FROM THE CITY OF ABERDEEN OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS WAS THEIR WANTING TO BE COMPETITIVE IN THE HOUSING MARKET.

THEY HOUSE HARFORD COUNTY'S LARGEST EMPLOYER, BASICALLY THE ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND.

WE'VE TALKED TO A LOT OF INDIVIDUALS THAT WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO STAY CLOSER TO WORK, LIVE CLOSER TO WORK.

SO THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE'VE CONSIDERED THESE.

THESE WAIVERS IN THE PAST.

SO. AND, COUNSEL, IF I MAY, I WANT TO RECOGNIZE MAYOR MCGRADY IN THE AUDIENCE HERE WITH US THIS EVENING.

ABERDEEN'S MAYOR, AS WELL AS FORMER LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR BOYD RUTHERFORD, IS IN THE AUDIENCE THIS EVENING.

SO THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING HERE.

COUNCIL ONE MORE TIME, ANY OTHER COMMENTS? I HAVE ONE MORE.

YES. MR. STOVER, ARE THERE ANY OTHER PROPERTIES IN THE CITY OF ABERDEEN THAT YOU'RE AWARE OF THAT MAY BE COMING BEFORE THE COUNCIL FOR A WAIVER? SO I BELIEVE IT'S IN THE PACKET YOU HAVE AND IT DIDN'T MAKE IT TO THE SLIDE PRESENTATION ON THE SCREEN.

BUT THERE IS A LIST OF PROPERTIES THAT HAVE BEEN ANNEXED INTO THE CITY.

AGAIN, THE LION'S SHARE ACREAGE WISE OF THOSE ARE WHAT YOU SEE IN PURPLE.

THE OTHER TWO LARGER PROJECTS, WHICH WOULD BE THE PRESERVE OF GILBERT MEADOW AND PRESBYTERIAN HOMES, THEY ARE IN THE CITY.

THEY RECEIVED THEIR WAIVERS.

SO I BELIEVE OF ALL THE ANNEXATIONS THAT HAVE OCCURRED AND ARE FINAL IN THE CITY, THIS IS THE LAST ONE.

THE ONES THAT ARE ON THAT CHART THAT YOU HAVE THAT WOULD BE COMING FOR YOU FOR A FIVE YEAR WAIVER.

OKAY, GREAT. THANK YOU.

MR JANARDHANA. THANK YOU.

COUNCIL PRESIDENT. GOOD EVENING, MR. STOVER. HOW ARE YOU? MR. SMEDLEY GOOD EVENING.

WHAT HOLE IS THAT THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON? 11TH AND 12TH. 11TH AND 12TH HOLES.

SO, MR. ANJANA, IF YOU'RE A GOLFER.

SO WE'RE LOOKING THERE.

I TRIED TO PLAY. I I'M WITH YOU.

SO ON THE BOTTOM, YOU SEE THE 10TH FAIRWAY AND THE GREEN.

AND THEN SORT OF PARALLEL TO THE PRESERVE IS THE 11TH WITH THE BIG TREE IN THE MIDDLE THAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO TRY NOT TO HIT.

YEAH, I'VE MANAGED.

I KNOW. AND WHAT'S GOING ON OVER THERE? HE'S BEEN THERE A LOT. THAT IS THE PRESERVE AT GILBERT MEADOW.

THAT'S. WHICH IS WHAT? THAT IS GIL HOROWITZ'S PROJECT.

THAT'S 100 AND.

[00:15:02]

SINGLE AND TOWN. OKAY.

SO IS THAT.

AND I LOOKED OVER HERE AT THIS DENSITY MAP.

SO IS THIS PROPERTY, IS IT MOSTLY LOW AND MEDIUM OR IS THERE ALSO HIGH DENSITY IN HERE AS WELL? SO WE THE ZONING CLASSIFICATION THAT THE CITY HAS ASSIGNED TO MR SMEDLEY'S PROPERTIES IS IDENTICAL TO THAT WHICH HAS BEEN ASSIGNED TO MR HOROWITZ'S PROJECT THAT YOU SEE THERE ALSO AT THE VERY TOP, WHICH IS WHAT THE PRESERVE AT GILBERT MEADOW.

NOW, WHAT IS HIS WHAT, WHAT DID THEY ISD I'M SORRY, THEY'RE ALL ISD ZONING ISD INCLUDES WHAT? ISD HAS A RELATIVELY BROAD ARRAY OF HOUSING TYPES.

IT CAN BE MULTIFAMILY, IT CAN BE TOWN, IT CAN BE SINGLE.

ALSO HAS SOME COMMUNITY BUSINESS PERMISSIBLE, USES MULTIFAMILY APARTMENTS.

IT COULD BE. COULD BE.

OKAY. UM.

THAT'S THE ONLY QUESTION I HAVE.

MR. GUTHRIE, THE YOU SAID SINGLE FAMILY AND TOWNHOMES.

HOW DOES IT BREAK DOWN? WITH WHAT WE PROPOSE OR WITH WHAT IS GOING ON NEXT DOOR TO PROPOSE.

AT THIS POINT, THERE IS NO SPECIFIC PROPOSITION FOR A SPECIFIC TYPE OF UNIT.

WHAT'S BEING LOOKED AT WITH THE DEVELOPER IS A MIX OF SINGLE, SOME TOWN AND SOME MULTIFAMILY.

IT WOULD BE A MIX.

AGAIN, WHATEVER IS DONE WOULD HAVE TO COMPLY WITH THE CITY OF ABERDEEN'S ISD ZONING CLASSIFICATION.

SO YOU'RE DOING A CONSTRUCTION THERE AND YOU'RE GOING TO BUILD SINGLE FAMILY AND TOWNHOMES AND YOU DON'T KNOW THE BREAKDOWN.

AT THIS POINT. AT THIS POINT.

ALL RIGHT. WHAT IS ZONING? THE ZONINGS ISD INTEGRATED BUSINESSES.

THANK YOU, MR. GINGER. THE RESIDENTS ALONG GILBERT ROAD ON THE WAY TO THE GOLF COURSE.

WHAT IS THEIR TAKE ON ALL THIS? SO I ASSUME WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE FOLKS ON LOCKSLEY MANOR DRIVE, THE KIND OF INTERSPERSED BEFORE YOU HIT THE STOP SIGN AND YOU TURN LEFT.

SO I CAN TELL YOU THAT DURING THE PUBLIC HEARING PROCESS, LET ME MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SAME PROPERTY, I GUESS, LONG IS IT LONG DRIVE OR SOMETHING? YOU COME DOWN THE ROAD AND THEN YOU TURN YOU TURN LEFT TO GET ONTO THE ROAD AND TURN LEFT INTO THE GOLF COURSE.

YEAH. SO, YOU KNOW, DURING THE PUBLIC HEARING PROCESS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.

THERE MAY HAVE BEEN 1 OR 2 THAT APPEARED AT THE COMMUNITY INPUT MEETING, BUT DURING THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE RESOLUTIONS BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL, THERE WAS NOT ANY SIGNIFICANT OBJECTION RAISED.

AND I THINK IT'S VERY TELLING THAT IN 17 YEARS AGO THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT OBJECTION RAISED WHEN IT WAS A MUCH LARGER SWATH THAT WAS ATTEMPTING TO BE ANNEXED, BUT IT WAS RELATIVELY QUIET AS FAR AS ANY CITIZEN COMMENT THIS TIME THROUGH THE CITY PROCESS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

MR. BENNETT, I WAS TRYING TO PICTURE THE FUTURE OF THE PROPERTY AND THE PROJECT AS YOU WERE DESCRIBING IT, WITH THE MIX OF BUSINESS, RESIDENTIAL WALKING PATHS, A LITTLE BIT OF GOLF.

IT ALMOST SOUNDS LIKE ALMOST LIKE A MINIATURE, LIKE BULLY ROCK ESQUE TYPE PROPERTY SETTING, NICE HOMES, NICE, LIVABLE COMMUNITY AREA THAT YOU CAN WALK AND PLAY, HAVE DINNER WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS SOMEWHERE.

IS THAT KIND OF THE IDEA IN THE CONCEPT? THAT IS EXACTLY THE IDEA.

AND, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS IT'S ADAPTIVE REUSE AS WELL OF THE EXISTING CLUBHOUSE AND BANQUET FACILITY FOR A COMMUNITY RESTAURANT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

BUT YES, YOU'VE DESCRIBED THE FIELD CORRECTLY.

THANK YOU, MR. BENNETT. ANYONE ELSE? MISS DIXON. MR. PRESIDENT, WE HAVE THREE SIGNED UP THIS EVENING.

MICHAEL HAYAB, FOLLOWED BY JOE SIMAK AND MAYOR PATRICK MCGRADY.

GOOD EVENING, SIR. NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE.

GOOD EVENING, MAYOR. I MEAN, SORRY ABOUT THAT, MR. PRESIDENT. I USUALLY SPEAK AT CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS, SO.

MR COUNCIL PRESIDENT AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.

MICHAEL HIGH OF 248 GRACEFUL DRIVE IN ABERDEEN.

FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL PRESIDENT AND CURRENT.

GOING ON SIX YEARS.

MEMBER. I'M VICE CHAIR OF THE CITY'S PLANNING COMMISSION.

SO AND I'M HERE IN SUPPORT OF THE FIVE YEAR WAIVER FOR WHAT IS IT, TWO, THREE, TWO, THREE.

AND IT'S IT'S.

THE PLANNING COMMISSION VOTED ON THIS QUITE SOME TIME AGO, OBVIOUSLY, AND WE VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO ANNEX THAT IN AS ISD EXCEPT FOR THE LOT 12 AFOREMENTIONED LOT 12.

UM, IT'S CONSISTENT WITH EVERYTHING ELSE WEST OF I 95 THAT ABERDEEN IS ANNEXED AS ISD.

[00:20:03]

SO AS FAR AS BEING CONSISTENT, I'M FULLY IN FAVOR OF IT AND I GUESS THAT'S ABOUT IT.

THANK YOU, SIR.

GOOD EVENING, SIR. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE.

GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS JOSEPH SIMAK.

I'M DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS FOR HARFORD COUNTY 212 SOUTH FOURTH STREET.

GOOD EVENING. COUNCIL PRESIDENT VINCENTE MEMBERS OF THE HARFORD COUNTY COUNCIL.

THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS HAS REVIEWED RESOLUTION OH 23 DASH 23 WITH REGARD TO POTENTIAL IMPACTS ON HARFORD COUNTY ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE, AND WE OFFER THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION. THE EXISTING ROAD ON THE PERIMETER OF THE LOCKSLEY MANOR PROPERTY, GILBERT ROAD IS OWNED AND MAINTAINED BY HERTFORD COUNTY.

THE ROAD IS CONSTRUCTED OF TAR AND CHIP MATERIALS AND IS APPROXIMATELY 18FT WIDE.

ONE LANE IN EACH DIRECTION, NO SHOULDERS, NO CURBS AND NO TURNING LANES.

THE MATERIAL AND CONFIGURATION IS SIMILAR TO MANY COUNTY ROADS IN AREAS OF THE COUNTY THAT ARE ZONED AG OR AGRICULTURAL.

THE HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL ALIGNMENTS, STRUCTURAL MATERIAL AND SURFACE AND ROADWAYS ARE REASONABLE FOR THE TRAFFIC VOLUMES NORMALLY EXPECTED IN THE AG ZONED AREAS OF THE COUNTY. HOWEVER, IF THIS RESOLUTION IS APPROVED BY THIS COUNCIL, THE NEW ZONING WOULD ALLOW SIGNIFICANTLY MORE COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL CAR AND TRUCK VOLUME THAN THE ROADS WERE EVER CONSTRUCTED TO HANDLE.

THESE INCREASED VOLUMES ARE EXPECTED TO CAUSE SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE AND DEGRADATION OF THE ROAD SURFACE, WHICH WILL REQUIRE ADDITIONAL EXPENDITURE OF COUNTY PERSONNEL RESOURCES AND MATERIAL COSTS TO REPAIR AND MAINTAIN.

IN ADDITION, THE SHARP CURVES AND DEEP DIPS AND RISES IN THE EXISTING ROADWAY WILL PRESENT POTENTIAL HAZARDS TO DRIVERS WHO MAY NOT EXPECT SUCH RURAL ROADS AT THE PERIMETER OF A DENSELY DEVELOPED COMMUNITY LIKE THIS ONE AND THE OTHER PROPERTIES WITH PREVIOUSLY APPROVED WAIVERS.

IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE COUNCIL AND THE CITIZENS UNDERSTAND HOW APPROVAL OF THIS RESOLUTION AND ITS RESULTANT CHANGE IN ZONING WILL ADVERSELY AFFECT EXISTING COUNTY ROADS.

WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THE CITY OF ABERDEEN TO CORRECT THESE ISSUES.

THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE, THE MAYOR AND THEIR STAFF, INCLUDING ME, MET LAST WEEK TO DISCUSS THE MATTER, AT WHICH TIME ABERDEEN PROVIDED THE COUNTY WITH ADDITIONAL RECORDS AND INFORMATION. THE COUNTY WILL PROVIDE THE COUNCIL WITH SOME PROPOSED LANGUAGE AS AN AMENDMENT TO THE RESOLUTION BASED ON THE INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE CITY. THE PURPOSE OF THE AMENDMENT IS TO ENSURE THAT DEVELOPERS ALONG THE RELEVANT ROADWAYS WILL PROVIDE THE COUNTY WITH SUFFICIENT PROPERTY TO ALLOW FOR DEVELOPMENT AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE ROADS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE STANDARDS THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED IF THE ROADS WERE DEVELOPED IN THE COUNTY.

WITHOUT THESE AMENDMENTS, WE'RE CONCERNED THAT IT'S LIKELY THE ROADS WILL NEVER BE CONSTRUCTED TO PROPER STANDARDS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THIS INFORMATION.

THANK YOU, SIR. GOOD EVENING, SIR.

NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE.

YES, SIR. PATRICK MCGRADY.

EXCUSE ME. I'M COMING TO YOU TODAY AS THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF ABERDEEN.

MY HOME ADDRESS IS 46 PARADISE ROAD, RIGHT THERE ACROSS FROM ABERDEEN HIGH SCHOOL.

IN CASE YOU'RE LOOKING FOR ME.

THE THE REASON FOR MY VISIT TODAY IS TO EXPRESS THE SUPPORT OF THE ABERDEEN CITY COUNCIL AND THE ABERDEEN CITY GOVERNMENT FOR THE COUNTY COUNCIL'S DESIRE TO GRANT THE WAIVER OF THE FIVE YEAR WAITING PERIOD ASSOCIATED WITH THE CHANGE IN ZONING BETWEEN THE AGRICULTURAL ZONING OF THE WETLANDS GOLF COURSE AND THE CITY OF ABERDEEN ZONING. THAT'S CALLED YBD NOW.

I'M A NERD ABOUT THESE THINGS.

SO IBD MEANS INTEGRATED BUSINESS DISTRICT.

THE REASON FOR THIS ZONING CLASSIFICATION, MR. PRESIDENT, WAS TO STIMULATE A MIX OF USES IN THE AREA STARTING AT TECHNOLOGY DRIVE AND LONG DRIVE, MOVING NORTH TOWARDS THE WETLANDS GOLF COURSE. AND AND WE THINK THAT THE FUTURE OF ABERDEEN, IN LINE WITH WHAT THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS SAID IS GOING TO REQUIRE WORKING WITH THE COUNTY IS GOING TO REQUIRE LOTS OF GOOD IDEAS BETWEEN HERE AND WHEN THIS PROJECT ULTIMATELY GETS DEVELOPED.

ABERDEEN IS EXCITED FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH THE DIRECTOR, WITH THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND WITH THIS BODY TO TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THE ROADS THAT NEED TO BE REPLACED ARE GOING TO BE REPLACED IN A TIMELY WAY, NOT ONLY TO SERVE NEW FUTURE POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS, BUT OUR CURRENT EXISTING FOLKS WHO LIVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD CALLED EAGLES REST. THAT HAPPENS TO BE ON A COUNTY ROAD THAT THAT ANYWAY, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CHECKING ALL THE BOXES AS IT RELATES TO WHAT THE COUNTY NEEDS TO SEE IN TERMS OF RIGHTS, OF WAY IN TERMS OF MONEY TO PAY FOR FUTURE ROAD IMPROVEMENTS.

AND WE'RE GOING TO WORK TOGETHER ON THAT.

NOW, I HAVE NOT SEEN THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT THAT MR. SIMAK REFERENCED, BUT I LIKE THE TENOR OF IT, AND I PROBABLY WOULD SUPPORT THAT TOO, BASED ON THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE MEETING WE HAD A WEEK OR SO AGO.

SO WITH THAT, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

[00:25:02]

WHAT ELSE COULD I TALK ABOUT? I KNOW I DON'T NEED TO USE UP THE ENTIRE TIME, BUT THERE'S SO MUCH EXCITING STUFF HAPPENING IN ABERDEEN.

THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE WITH YOU TODAY.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

THERE ARE NO MORE SPEAKERS, MR. PRESIDENT. MR. STEVEN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE ROAD IMPROVEMENTS.

THERE IS SPACE ALONG THE WETLANDS PROPERTY, IF I RECALL, AN EXTRA 35FT.

30FT? YES. SO BY VIRTUE OF THE THIRD AMENDED SITE PLAN AND PRELIMINARY PLAN APPROVAL THAT I REFERENCED BACK IN 1994, THIS PROPERTY IS PRETTY UNIQUE IN THAT MR. SMEDLEY'S REQUIRED BY THAT PLAN APPROVAL LETTER TO GRANT A 30 FOOT RIGHT OF WAY ESSENTIALLY AROUND THE PERIMETER OF HIS PROPERTY.

SO HE WILL BE IN A POSITION TO.

HE'S ALREADY REQUIRED TO PROVIDE THAT RIGHT OF WAY TO THE COUNTY TO HELP ASSIST WITH THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE NECESSARY TO GILBERT ROAD.

I THINK, FRANKLY, HE'S A LITTLE UNIQUE IN THAT POSITION WITH THE PROPERTIES IN THIS QUADRANT IN THAT HE'S ALREADY REQUIRED TO DO THAT.

THANK YOU, SIR.

WITH NO OTHER SPEAKERS, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION TONIGHT.

MAYOR, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR COMING THIS EVENING.

THIS WILL CONCLUDE THIS PUBLIC HEARING ON RESOLUTION 23, DASH 23, AND WE WILL TAKE IT UP AT A LATER MEETING.

THANK YOU. AND IF I MAY, I WOULD LIKE TO GET INTO EXCUSE ME, PUBLIC HEARING FOR BILL 23, DASH

[b. Bill 23-009 (Solid Waste Disposal Fees)]

MR STAINLESS MR. THANK YOU FOR COMING THIS EVENING.

WHENEVER YOU'RE READY. GOOD EVENING.

LET THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS KICK US OFF.

ARE WE ON? WE ARE.

VERY GOOD. IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL ARTICLE ANNOTATED CODE OF MARYLAND COUNTY PLANS, WE ARE REQUIRED HARFORD COUNTY IS REQUIRED TO PROVIDE FOR FACILITIES THAT ARE ADEQUATE TO TREAT, RECOVER OR DISPOSE OF SOLID WASTE IN A MANNER THAT'S CONSISTENT WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE AS IT RELATES TO ALL OF THEIR REGULATIONS.

AND THEN HARFORD COUNTY CODE PROVIDES THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THIS COUNCIL TO DETERMINE AND ESTABLISH FEES FOR DEPOSITED SOLID WASTE AT A COUNTY DISPOSAL FACILITY. SO WHAT HAPPENS TO OUR TRASH? FIRST OF ALL, OF COURSE, THERE IS CURBSIDE COLLECTION THAT OCCURS EITHER BY PRIVATE HAULERS OR IN THE CASES OF OUR THREE MUNICIPALITIES BY BY THEIR FORCES.

THAT TRASH IS TAKEN TO A TRANSFER STATION, IN WHICH CASE IT IS CONSOLIDATED INTO LARGER TRUCKS FOR ULTIMATE TRANSPORT TO A DIFFERENT LOCATION.

TRASH GOES OUT FOR DISPOSAL TO THAT APPROPRIATE LOCATION AND RECYCLING IS SEPARATED TO GO TO A SORTING AND DISTRIBUTION FACILITY.

WHERE DOES THE TRASH GO WHEN IT.

IT GOES FOR DISPOSAL.

GO A COUPLE PLACES.

GO TO YOUR OWN LANDFILL.

OUR OWN ONE.

IT CAN GO TO SOMEONE ELSE'S LANDFILL, IN THIS CASE, BALTIMORE COUNTIES.

OR IT CAN GO TO A WASTE TO ENERGY PLANT, OF WHICH THERE RIGHT NOW, THERE'S ONLY TWO IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND, ONE IN BALTIMORE CITY AND ONE IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

BUT THOSE ARE THE POSSIBILITIES AND THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR WHERE THE TRASH MIGHT GO.

NOW A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORICAL BACKGROUND ON SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT WITHIN HARFORD COUNTY.

FROM 1988 THROUGH 2016, THE MAJORITY OF WASTE GENERATED IN HARFORD COUNTY WAS PROCESSED AT THE COUNTY'S WASTE TO ENERGY FACILITY ON ABERDEEN PROVING GROUNDS, WHICH GENERATED STEAM FOR USE ON POST.

IN 2013, WITH THE WASTE TO ENERGY FACILITY SCHEDULED TO CLOSE IN 2016, HARFORD COUNTY ENTERED INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH BALTIMORE COUNTY FOR THE LONG TERM MANAGEMENT OF WASTE AND RECYCLABLES. THE AGREEMENT RUNS THROUGH JUNE OF 2036 AND INCLUDES TWO ADDITIONAL TEN YEAR RENEWAL OPTIONS.

SINCE 2016, ALL COMMERCIAL HERTFORD COUNTY WASTE HAS ALSO BEEN SENT TO THE EASTERN SANITARY LANDFILL ESL IN WHITE MARSH.

IT'S GOOD TO NOTE, TOO, THAT UNDER THIS AGREEMENT, BALTIMORE COUNTY PROCESSES ALL CURBSIDE RECYCLABLES AT NO ADDITIONAL FEE.

SOMEWHAT SUBSIDIZING OR ENCOURAGING THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOME RECYCLING.

AND IN FISCAL YEAR 2022, THE LAST YEAR THAT WE HAVE FINAL TOTALS FOR 170,400 TONS OF WASTE AND JUST OVER 20,000 TONS OF RECYCLABLES WERE DELIVERED TO EASTERN SANITARY LANDFILL.

THE SOLID WASTE TIPPING FEES WERE LAST ADJUSTED BY COUNCIL BILL 1038.

AND THAT THE RATES ARE CURRENTLY $72 A TON AND THOSE HAVE NOT BEEN CHANGED IN THE PAST NINE YEARS.

AND FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024, THE EFFECTIVE RATE NEEDED TO FUND ALL SOLID WASTE OPERATIONS, INCLUDING THE LANDFILL DISPOSAL, INCLUDING ALL THE OTHER WORK THAT WE

[00:30:07]

SO THESE NEXT SLIDES HERE KIND OF BREAK DOWN SOME OF THE REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE HISTORY THAT WE HAVE SEEN.

AND YOU CAN SEE THAT IN EACH AND EVERY YEAR OVER OVER THE PAST TEN YEARS, THE SOLID WASTE ENTERPRISE WAS MORE OR LESS SUBSIDIZED BY ADDITIONAL TAXPAYER FUNDS.

THAT IS, THAT THE USER FEES PAID BY EITHER THE TIP FEE OR ANY OF THE SMALLER FEES THAT WE CHARGE FOR SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL HAVE NOT FULLY COVERED THE EXPENSE OF RUNNING A SOLID WASTE OPERATION.

AND THAT'S NORMAL FOR A LOT OF OUR GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS.

AND WE SAID BEFORE LAST WEEK, REALLY THE ONLY ENTERPRISE FUND THAT WE HAVE, THE ONLY FUND THAT WE HAVE, THAT IS A TRUE ENTERPRISE FUND WHEREBY THE USERS PAY THE ENTIRETY OF THE EXPENDITURES IS IN OUR WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM.

BUT YOU CAN SEE THAT IN THOSE EARLIER YEARS WHEN WE STILL HAD THE WASTE TO ENERGY PLANT, THE SUBSIDY WAS RELATIVELY LIMITED.

AND THEN YOU SEE THEN IN 2016 WHERE THAT TRANSITION CHANGED, WHERE NO LONGER WERE WE RECEIVING BOTH THE ADDITIONAL REVENUE OF THE WASTE TO ENERGY BECAUSE WE WE RECEIVED FUNDING FOR THE ENERGY THAT WAS CREATED AND THE OVERALL COST OF PROVIDING THE SERVICES WAS ALSO REDUCED BECAUSE WE WERE IN COUNTY.

BUT YOU SEE, THEN IN 2016, WE MAKE THE TRANSITION TO THE BALTIMORE COUNTY SITE.

YOU HAVE SOME DOUBLE COST THERE IN THAT FIRST YEAR AND THEN IT SETTLES INTO THAT A SUBSIDY RATE OF AROUND 3 OR $4 MILLION.

BUT THEN YOU'LL SEE IN THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, THAT RATE HAS SORRY, THAT SUBSIDY HAS HAS KICKED UP AS THE REVENUES WERE NOT ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH ONGOING EXPENDITURES.

AND A LOT OF THAT IS BECAUSE OF THE RATES THAT BALTIMORE COUNTY CHARGES TO HARFORD COUNTY FOR TO THE HARFORD COUNTY HAULERS FOR DISPOSING OF OF OUR SOLID WASTE.

SO THIS NEXT SLIDE JUST SHOWS SOME OF OUR OPERATING REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES FOR THE CURRENT YEAR, FISCAL YEAR 23.

WHAT WE WHAT WE BUDGETED.

YOU CAN SEE THAT THE TRANSFER STATION HAD BUDGETED REVENUES OF 11,000,500.

THAT IS WHAT WE RECEIVE FROM THE $72 TIP FEE JUST FOR THE TRANSFER STATION ALONE.

WE EXPECTED EXPENDITURES OF 15.5 MILLION.

THEN WHEN YOU LOOK AT ALL OF THE OTHER OPERATIONS, SO THE THE SMALL HAULING FEES, ANY OF THE OTHER LIMITED FEES THAT WE CHARGE, BRINGING IN A LITTLE BIT A LITTLE BIT UNDER $1 MILLION THERE, BUT WITH TOTAL EXPENDITURES OF ABOUT $7 MILLION AND THAT REALLY IS YOUR COST OF YOUR LANDFILL OPERATION THERE.

SO ALL TOLD, IN THE CURRENT IN THE CURRENT YEAR, WE WERE BRINGING IN ABOUT 12 AND ONE HALF MILLION DOLLARS.

WE WERE EXPENDING ABOUT 22.5.

SO THEN WITH A SUBSIDY, A TAXPAYER SUBSIDY, IF YOU WILL, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE USER FEES AND THE SOLID WASTE EXPENDITURES OF ABOUT $10 MILLION.

SO IN FISCAL YEAR 24, THIS WILL BE THE UPCOMING BUDGET YEAR.

IF WE DO NOT CHANGE THE FEE INCREASE, YOU WOULD STILL HAVE THAT TIP FEE BRINGING IN AROUND $11.7 MILLION.

BUT YOU CAN SEE THE PROJECTED EXPENSES FOR THAT TRANSFER STATION WITH BALTIMORE COUNTY ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE SIGNIFICANTLY UP TO 21.6, WHEREAS ON THE HARFORD OPERATIONS SIDE, THOSE SMALLER REVENUES AND THE COST OF RUNNING THE LANDFILL, THOSE ARE STILL MAINTAINING THAT PREVIOUS RELATIONSHIP.

SO IF WE DON'T ACT, THE SUBSIDY WILL BE 16, 16, $17 MILLION.

THAT MEANS THAT USER FEES WON'T EVEN COVER HALF OF OF THE COST OF SOLID WASTE.

IF WE DO THE FEE INCREASE, YOU'LL SEE THAT WE CAN BRING IN REVENUE BUDGETED REVENUE OF ABOUT $19 MILLION TO OFFSET THOSE EXPENDITURES OF $29 MILLION. AND THAT PUTS US BACK TO THAT TAXPAYER SUBSIDY OF AROUND $10 MILLION.

AND AGAIN, THAT THAT TRIES TO THREAD THAT NEEDLE WHEN IT COMES TO ANY OF OUR OF OUR USER FEES OF HOW MUCH HOW MUCH THE USERS SHOULD PAY TOWARDS THE EXPENDITURE VERSUS HOW MUCH SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A GENERAL COST OF OF OF GOVERNMENT.

BUT THIS BRINGS US BACK TO THAT TYPE OF A SIMILAR RELATIONSHIP WHEREBY THE USERS ARE PAYING AROUND TWO THIRDS OF THE COST AND THE GENERAL FUND, IF YOU WILL, IS SUPPORTING ABOUT ONE THIRD OF THE COST.

AS RABI EXPLAINED, THE PROPOSED FEE WOULD SHIFT THE RESPONSIBILITY OF PAYING FOR DISPOSAL AT ESL TO SYSTEM USERS AND RELIEVE THE TAXPAYERS OF THAT ENTIRE DEFICIT AMOUNT.

NOW, WHAT WE'D LIKE TO NOTE IS ALTHOUGH THE TIP FEE INCREASE WILL BE ON THE ORDER OF OR AT LEAST PROPOSED IN THE ORDER OF ABOUT $45 A TONNE, IF WE CONSIDER THE AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD WHICH GENERATES STATISTICALLY AND IN THIS COUNTY AS WELL ON THE ORDER OF ABOUT TWO TONS OF TRASH IN A GIVEN YEAR, THAT WOULD MEAN THAT THIS INCREASE AMOUNT WOULD ONLY CORRESPOND TO APPROXIMATELY $7.50 A MONTH FOR THE AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD.

[00:35:08]

AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE THE PIE CHART, WHAT YOU'LL SEE THERE IS THAT OVER THE THE THREE YEARS, ACTUALLY THE PERCENTAGE OF HARFORD COUNTY'S OPERATIONAL COSTS IS ACTUALLY DECREASING.

AND THAT'S THAT'S PART OF THE FACT THAT WE HAVE CONTROL OVER THOSE COSTS.

WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE EFFICIENT IN DOING SO.

HOWEVER, THE COST FOR ULTIMATE DISPOSAL THROUGH THE CONTRACTUAL RELATIONSHIP WE HAVE WITH BALTIMORE COUNTY, THAT THAT IS A MATHEMATICAL FORMULA.

IT'S INCLUDED IN THE AGREEMENT.

IT'S BASED ON A WHOLE BUNCH OF DIFFERENT FACTORS AND VARIABLES, ONE OF THE LARGEST OF WHICH IS DIESEL FUEL COSTS.

SO THAT THAT HAS BEEN THE REALLY THE ELEMENT THAT'S REALLY BEEN HITTING US THE HARDEST OVER THE LAST THE LAST FEW YEARS.

GOOD QUESTIONS. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

COUNCIL. MR. PENMAN. THANK YOU, MR. MR SAN LUIS.

I DO HAVE A CONCERN. THIS IS THE SECOND BILL IN A MATTER OF JUST TWO WEEKS WITH INCREASED FEES, AND SOME WOULD ARGUE THAT IT IS A TAX INCREASE.

DIVING INTO THE BILL.

PROPOSED BILL BILL 23 09I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS.

AND ON PAGE ONE, LINE 12, I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND READ IT.

WHEREAS THE TRANSPORTATION AND DISPOSAL RATES THAT BALTIMORE COUNTY INCURS IN HARFORD COUNTY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR REIMBURSING, HAVE INCREASED CONSIDERABLY, ARE NOW SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN THE RATES CHARGED BY HARFORD COUNTY TO ITS SYSTEM USERS.

SO MY QUESTION IS, WHAT MANNER HAVE THE THE REIMBURSEMENT INCREASE CHANGED AS FAR AS IN THE CONTRACT? DO THEY INCREASE ANNUALLY THROUGH THE CONTRACT OR DO THEY INCREASE EVERY FIVE YEARS THROUGH THE CONTRACT? I KNOW YOU MENTIONED THAT THERE IS GOING TO BE AN INCREASE COMING UP SOON, RIGHT? THEY ARE CALCULATED MONTHLY BECAUSE THERE IS BASICALLY IN THE FORMULA THAT ESTABLISHES THE THE PRIMARY FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH CONSUMER PRICE INCREASE NUMBERS OF THE DIESEL FUEL INDEX FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND THE THE NUMBER OF TONS THAT ARE USED.

SO EVERY MONTH THAT CALCULATION IS RESET FOR ACTUAL EITHER CRITERIA FORMULA OR THE ACTUAL TONNAGE THAT'S BEEN USED.

SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND.

EVERY MONTH, THE LANDFILL IN BALTIMORE COUNTY CHANGES THEIR RATE FOR US TO DROP OFF TRASH IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONTRACT.

CORRECT. OKAY. I KNOW YOU SAID IT WAS 2013 THAT THAT CONTRACT WAS NEGOTIATED OR 2016.

WELL, WE ENTERED INTO THE ARRANGEMENT IN 2016 WAS THE FIRST YEAR THAT WE ENTERED INTO THE ARRANGEMENT.

WE PROBABLY WERE NEGOTIATING THE CONTRACT YEARS BEFORE THAT.

DO WE KNOW WHO WAS A NEGOTIATING MEMBER OF THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION AT THAT POINT? SO 20, 2014, IT WAS IT WOULD HAVE BEEN RIGHT AROUND THE CHANGE OF ADMINISTRATION BETWEEN THE CRAIG ADMINISTRATION AND THE GLASSMAN ADMINISTRATION.

I REMEMBER WHEN I FIRST CAME ON BOARD, WE WERE, I THINK, KIND OF WORKING TOWARDS THAT.

BUT WE KNEW FOR A WHILE THAT THE RPG WAS WANTED US TO DECOMMISSION THE WASTE ENERGY.

THEY WERE NO LONGER GOING TO PURCHASE THE THE ENERGY FROM THAT SOURCE.

THEY WERE BUILDING A NATURAL GAS SYSTEM ON BASE.

AND PART OF THE ARRANGEMENT WAS, IS THAT WE THEN HAD TO DECOMMISSION IT AT OUR COST.

ONCE THEY WERE ONCE THEY WERE NO LONGER GOING TO BE PURCHASING FROM US.

SO WE NEEDED TO FIND A SOLUTION FOR WHERE WE CAN PUT OUR TRASH.

AND PUTTING IT AT AT SCARBOROUGH IS REALLY NOT A LONG TERM OPTION.

WE WOULD BE FILLING UP VERY QUICKLY AND DIRECTOR CAN DISCUSS MORE ABOUT THAT.

BUT CORRECT. AND AT THAT TIME WE LOOKED AT OPTIONS THAT INCLUDED THE POSSIBILITY OF EITHER DISPOSING AT UP AT SCARBOROUGH OR BUILDING OUR OWN TRANSFER STATION AND THEN ENTERING INTO OUR OWN CONTRACT WITH HAULERS TO TAKE THE MATERIAL TO WHATEVER WOULD WOULD GO.

BUT AT THAT TIME, I UNDERSTAND BEFORE MY TIME, BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT TYPE OF INVESTIGATION WAS FOUND NOT TO BE PRACTICAL OR FEASIBLE, TO BE ABLE TO BE DONE. SO AT THE TIME, THE I UNDERSTAND THAT THE DETERMINATION WAS THAT THE THE BALTIMORE COUNTY CONTRACT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A LONG TERM SOLUTION THAT WAS AT LEAST TIED TO OBJECTIVE FACTORS THAT MOSTLY RELATED TO THE COST OF ACTUALLY DISPOSING OF THE MATERIAL.

OKAY. ON PAGE ONE, LINE 21, THE BILL ALSO PROJECTS THE FEES TO INCREASE, AS YOU MENTIONED, ON THE AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD OF $7.50.

[00:40:01]

AND FINALLY, ON PAGE THREE, AS YOU MENTIONED, THE PER TON RATIO FROM 70 TO $72 A TON TO 117, WHICH IS ROUGHLY IN MY MATH, ABOUT A 39% INCREASE ON TWO FOR TRASH REMOVAL.

SO THE QUESTION IS, HAS THERE ANY CONSIDERATION ON PHASING THIS COST IN? WELL, IF WE WERE WE KNOW THAT THE COST OF THE HIRE CONTRACT WITH BALTIMORE COUNTY IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN'T PHASE IN ON THE COST SIDE.

SO CERTAINLY IF WE WERE TO PHASE IN THE COST, THAT WOULD REDUCE THE REVENUE FOR NEXT YEAR.

I WILL SAY THAT THAT WE HAVE BUILT IN THAT REVENUE PROJECTION AS PART OF THE FISCAL YEAR 24 BUDGET, WHICH WILL ALL BE TACKLING TOMORROW.

AND SO THAT WOULD THEN HAVE TO, IF WE PHASED IT IN, THAT WOULD REDUCE THAT THAT REVENUE NUMBER.

DO WE KNOW WHAT THE BALTIMORE COUNTY RESIDENTS PAY PER TON? BECAUSE I HAVE SOME STUFF I PRINTED OUT AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE LAST ONE THAT I WAS ABLE TO FIND WAS IN 2015, FEBRUARY OF 2015, WHERE IT'S $100 PER TON FOR NON CONTRACTED REFUSE.

SO I JUST WONDERED IF THAT'S STILL THE CASE.

AND I THINK YOU MENTIONED $162 IS WHAT WHAT IT NORMALLY WOULD COST, BUT NOW WE'RE ONLY GOING TO 117 SO $162 IT WAS.

AND THAT'S THE PUT INTO CONTEXT THAT IF WE TRULY WERE TO HAVE A ENTERPRISE FUND, IF WE WERE TO SAY NO TAX, NO TAX DOLLARS SHOULD SUBSIDIZE SOLID WASTE, THE PEOPLE THAT GENERATE SOLID WASTE SHOULD PAY FOR ALL OF IT.

YOU WOULD NEED TO HAVE A TIP FEE OF $162.

NOW, I DON'T THINK THAT'S THAT'S A REALISTIC FEE AMOUNT.

AND I THINK IT WOULD IT WOULD CREATE OTHER OTHER ISSUES, YOU KNOW, ILLEGAL DUMPING AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

BUT THAT'S THAT'S JUST TO PUT THAT IN THE CONTEXT THAT IF WE TRULY WANTED TO REMOVE THE SUBSIDY, THAT'S WHAT THAT THE TOTAL OPERATION WOULD COST.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU BOTH.

I JUST HAVE SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT THIS INCREASE.

I HAVE ADVOCATED AGAINST TAX INCREASES AND I DO BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A FORM OF A TAX INCREASE UNDER THE TITLE OF A FEE.

AND NOW WE'RE WE'RE VIEWING SEVERAL INCREASES IN FEES AND TAXES, AS I MENTIONED.

AND AT A TIME WHEN INFLATION IS UP AND PROPERTY REASSESSMENTS ARE UP, LAST YEAR, WE RECEIVED A PROPERTY TAX REDUCTION AND NOW SLOWLY BEING TAKEN BACK BY BY THE DIFFERENT FEES THAT ARE BEING PROPOSED.

I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS IMPORTANT TO OFFSET THESE COSTS, WHICH HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY BEEN IMPACTED WITH RECENT INITIATIVES IN THE COUNTY.

I HAVE CONCERNS THAT THAT THIS WILL IMPACT THE WALLETS OF HARD WORKING COMMUNITY MEMBERS, ALONG WITH BUSINESSES ACROSS OUR COUNTY, WHICH WILL INEVITABLY BE PASSED DOWN TO THE CONSUMERS AGAIN. SO THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

THANK YOU, SIR. CAN YOU FIND A SEAT, PLEASE? MR GINGER DINNER. GOOD EVENING, MR. SIMAK. MR. SAM. SORRY ABOUT THAT.

SO THE FEE PER HOUSEHOLD.

IS THERE A DIFFERENT FEE PER BUSINESSES? PER TON? WELL, THE FEE PER HOUSEHOLD IS AN APPROXIMATION.

BECAUSE THE ONLY ONE THAT THE AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD WOULD WOULD SEE IS IF THEY LITERALLY TAKE A PICKUP TRUCK TO TO THE DUMP AND THAT WOULD BE IT THERE.

BUT WHAT THAT NUMBER CAME INTO INTO PLAY IS TO SAY, OKAY, THE AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD GENERATES THIS MUCH TRASH AND THEN THE FEE INCREASE WOULD WOULD WOULD CORRESPOND TO THAT MUCH OF A OF A FEE.

YOU'RE DEALING WITH PRIVATE HAULERS AND THEY CAN THEY CAN CHARGE WHATEVER YOU KNOW THAT THAT THAT THE MARKET WOULD WOULD BEAR.

BUT THAT'S THIS IS JUST ONE OF THEIR COSTS.

THEY ALSO HAVE LABOR THEY HAVE FUEL KNOW THEY WOULD HAVE THEIR OTHER THEIR OTHER COMPONENTS OF COSTS.

OKAY SO THEY'RE AND THEN THEY'RE GROWING THEIR TRANSFER STATION.

SO WHEN DO WE REEVALUATE WHETHER WE BUILD A TRANSFER STATION OR NOT TO OFFSET THIS, THE RISING COST FROM WHEREVER TO WHEREVER WE'RE AT NOW WITH THE THE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT THAT WE'RE PAYING BALTIMORE COUNTY.

THERE'S GOT TO BE A COST ANALYSIS THAT SAYS, OKAY, WE'RE WE'RE TO THE POINT NOW IN TEN YEARS IT'S GOING TO BE THIS.

AND DO WE LOOK AT A TRANSFER STATION? MAYBE BACK THEN IT WASN'T WORTH DOING.

BUT AT THIS POINT, DO WE LOOK AT A TRANSFER STATION OR HAVE AND HAVE WE? WE WILL. IT WOULD BE IT'S A SHORT ANSWER.

THE CONTRACT IS IN PLACE WITH BALTIMORE COUNTY THROUGH 2036, AS I MENTIONED, WHATEVER THAT DECISION MIGHT BE OR THE OPPORTUNITY TO DECIDE WHAT WE MIGHT DO DIFFERENTLY, THAT PROCESS HAS TO START HAS TO START IN THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO, BECAUSE THERE WILL BE TIME TO DO THAT ANALYSIS TO DECIDE WHERE THINGS MIGHT GO, WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN, BECAUSE THEN THERE IS A TIME TO PERMIT, BUILD, GET, GET OPERATIONAL ON THE DAY, IF YOU WILL, THAT WE'RE GOING TO IF WE WERE TO LOOK TO GET OUT OF THE OR TO LET THE BALTIMORE COUNTY CONTRACT TERMINATE.

SO I HAVE ALREADY HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE ABOUT MY PROPOSED PLANS WITH MY STAFF TO BEGIN THAT PROCESS OF THAT EVALUATION IN THE

[00:45:04]

AND I CAN'T PREDICT WHAT THAT CHANGE MIGHT BE, BUT WE'RE ALREADY COMMITTED TO DOING THE ANALYSIS YOU DESCRIBED.

AND THIS IS AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT ALL COUNTIES AROUND AROUND MARYLAND ARE DEALING WITH, IN LARGE PART BECAUSE THE TRASH OVERWHELMINGLY IS NEEDING TO BE SHIPPED OUT OF STATE.

SOME OF IT STILL IS ABLE TO BE.

THERE IS AN INCINERATOR IN BALTIMORE CITY AND BALTIMORE CITY IS ALREADY INDICATED THAT THAT THEIR PLANS IS TO DECOMMISSION THAT.

AND SO THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF COSTS THAT ARE HELPING TO DRIVE UP THESE COSTS BECAUSE WE REALLY DON'T HAVE A WAY TO TAKE CARE OF OUR TRASH WITHIN THE STATE OF MARYLAND.

SO IT'S THEN HAVING TO BE SHIPPED OFF TO TO OTHER STATES.

BUT THIS IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT WHEN WE WHEN WE'RE AROUND THE STATE AND I'M WE'RE TALKING WITH OUR COUNTERPARTS, EVERYONE EVERYONE IS DEALING WITH THESE SAME CHALLENGES.

THIS ISN'T JUST UNIQUE JUST TO THE BALTIMORE COUNTY SITUATION.

HOW BIG OF A FACILITY WOULD YOU NEED FOR A TRANSFER STATION? HOW MANY KIND OF BUILDING SQUARE FOOTAGE? WE HAVEN'T DONE THAT ANALYSIS YET BASED ON THE CURRENT THE CURRENT NEEDS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. BENNETT. MY QUESTION IS MORE SO, SO LARGER PICTURE, LOOKING AT HOW WE HANDLE THESE FEE ADJUSTMENTS.

YOU KNOW, THE LAST TIME WE ADJUSTED THIS FEE WAS 2013.

I WAS PLANNING ON MY COLLEGE APPLICATIONS AT THE TIME, YOU KNOW, AND NOW WE'RE GOING AT IT AGAIN IN 2023. AND IT JUST SEEMS LIKE IN FEE ADJUSTMENTS, IT'S KIND OF LIKE WE'RE WALKING UP A DOWNWARD ELEVATOR, YOU KNOW, LIKE WE GET CLOSE TO WHERE WE NEED TO BE, BUT THEN WE STAND STILL FOR TEN YEARS AND AND THE ESCALATOR TAKES US BACK FARTHER AND FARTHER FROM WHERE WE WANT TO BE.

AND WE GET A LARGER AND LARGER DEFICIT EACH YEAR.

AND THEN WE TAKE SEVERAL BIG STEPS FORWARD TO GET US CLOSE TO WHERE WE NEED TO BE.

AND THEN TEN YEARS FROM NOW, WE'LL BE FAR FROM WHERE WE NEED TO BE AGAIN.

IS THERE ANY WAY LIKE, I MEAN, FROM A FINANCIAL PERSPECTIVE, DOES IT MAKE MORE SENSE TO DO SMALLER ADJUSTMENTS, MORE CLOSE TOGETHER OVER TIME VERSUS LARGE ADJUSTMENTS OVER TEN YEARS OF TIME? LIKE, WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE THERE? I MEAN, YOU COULD FROM A STRAIGHT UP FISCAL STANDPOINT.

YES. IF YOU IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE POLITICS OF OF OF ALL OF THIS AND YOU WERE JUST SAYING, YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU HOW DO YOU COVER THE COSTS, THEN? YES, YOU COULD LOOK AT IT EACH AND EVERY YEAR.

BUT WE DO UNDERSTAND THAT THESE ARE THESE ARE COSTS THAT REAL PEOPLE PAY.

AND THAT'S A PART OF THAT'S A PART OF THE CALCULATION AND BEING SYMPATHETIC AND UNDERSTANDING TO TO THOSE REAL WORLD COSTS AND TRYING TO FIND THAT TRYING TO FIND THAT BALANCE.

THERE ARE PLACES WHERE WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO TO DO THIS IN A MORE SYSTEMIC WAY.

WATER AND SEWER HAS BEEN A REAL SUCCESS.

OUR WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM EIGHT YEARS AGO WAS SIGNIFICANTLY UNDERFUNDED, AND THE PREVIOUS COUNCIL AND THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS WENT AND TOOK SOME HARD DECISIONS TO ADJUST THAT AND COMMIT IT TO A PLAN TO MORE OR LESS KIND OF DO IT ON A FIVE YEAR BASIS, IN WHICH CASE WE'VE WE'VE NOW WE DID THE FIRST INITIAL CYCLE, THEN WE DID THE THE FOLLOWING CYCLE AND NOW WE'RE GETTING READY TO START ANOTHER CYCLE THERE.

SO WHERE WE ARE LOOKING AT IT COMPREHENSIVELY AND ALL COUNTY EXECUTIVE HAS INDICATED THAT HE IS IS INTERESTED IN IN LOOKING AT THE FEES AND DOING A MORE COMPREHENSIVE DEAL WITH A LOT OF OUR INDIVIDUAL FEES.

YOU KNOW, THERE ARE FEES IN DILP AND BUILDING PERMITS AND ALL DIFFERENT TYPES OF AREAS.

BUT AGAIN, TRYING TO STRIKE STRIKE THAT BALANCE AND WORK WITH THE COUNCIL, OBVIOUSLY WITH WITH ANY OF THOSE CHANGES.

BECAUSE, I MEAN, THEORETICALLY, WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME WE HAD A DIFFERENT FEE, BUT WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME WE HAD ADJUSTED THE CELL PHONE OR THE PHONE FEE FROM LAST WEEK? THE THE THE 911 FEE FOR 2000, I WANT TO SAY 2003 WAS THE LAST TIME THAT WE ADJUSTED OUR OUR LOCAL RATE.

SO YEAH, SO THAT'S THAT'S BEEN ABOUT ABOUT 20, ABOUT 20 YEARS.

SO, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAD DONE, YOU KNOW, $0.05 A YEAR SINCE THEN INSTEAD OF $0.75 NOW OVER THE COURSE OF THAT TIME, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A LOT MORE REVENUE TOWARDS THAT THOSE PROGRAMS THAT THAT FEE COVERS.

BUT LIKE LESS OF AN INSTANT IMPACT IN THE SENSE THAT YOU KNOW WHO NOTICES $0.05 A YEAR IN THEIR IN THEIR PHONE BILL.

YEAH I MEAN YOU COULD AND I WILL SAY WITH THAT ONE UP UNTIL A YEAR OR TWO AGO, $0.75 WAS THE STATE CAP.

SO SOMETIMES THERE ARE STATE CAPS AT AT AT PLAY.

BUT YEAH, I MEAN THERE'S THERE'S THERE'S AN ARGUMENT TO BE MADE FOR AUTOMATIC ESCALATORS AND THERE'S ALSO AN ARGUMENT TO BE MADE THAT THAT YOU DO THIS IN A IN A DELIBERATIVE FUNCTION WHERE YOU ACTUALLY LOOK, YOU DON'T JUST PUT IT ON AUTOPILOT.

AND I COULD ARGUE IT ARGUE IT BOTH WAYS.

[00:50:03]

THAT'S A PERFECT EXAMPLE.

PRIOR TO US COMING IN IN 2014, THE WATER SEWER RATES HADN'T BEEN RAISED IN 20 YEARS.

THIS THIS BILL HERE HASN'T BEEN RAISED SINCE 2014.

IT'S A COST OF DOING BUSINESS.

ANY ONE OF US IN OUR LIVES CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING THAT WE TOUCH THAT HASN'T RAISED IN PRICE CONSIDERABLY.

SO THIS IS A COST OF DOING BUSINESS.

I DO BELIEVE, AS MR. PENMAN SAID, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE PHASED IN.

I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND IF THIS WERE TO MOVE FORWARD, I WOULD I WOULD LIKE TO SEE AN AMENDMENT THAT DOES PHASE IT IN.

I REMEMBER THE NUMBERS WERE SENT OVER WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE PHASED IN.

SO IF IT EASES THE STING ON OUR CITIZENS, THEN I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING WE SHOULD CONSIDER.

IF IT DOES MOVE FORWARD, COUNCIL MR GUTHRIE A COUPLE OF THINGS, THOUGH.

I WAS ON THE COUNCIL AT THE TIME IN 2013 WHEN THIS WHOLE PROCESS BECAME A REALITY.

CRAIG WAS THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AT THE TIME.

KEVIN KAMENETZ WAS THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AT BALTIMORE COUNTY.

HIM AND I WERE KEVIN AND I WERE PRETTY GOOD FRIENDS, AND CRAIG HAD ACTUALLY ASKED ME TO TALK TO HIM ABOUT GETTING TOGETHER AND NEGOTIATE A DEAL TO TRY TO TAKE THE TRASH DOWN THERE. AND THE ONLY REASON HE DID THAT IS BECAUSE WE SQUASHED TWO THINGS THAT CRAIG WAS TRYING TO DO.

WE WERE TRYING TO REPLACE THE INCINERATOR PLANT THAT WAS ON 152.

AND TO GET RID OF THAT ALTOGETHER, BECAUSE WE'VE HAD SO MANY PEOPLE THAT WERE DYING FROM THIS INCINERATOR PLANT AND THEY'RE CATCHING CANCER FROM THIS THING.

I'D GO DOWN THERE AND AND MEET WITH PEOPLE AND THEY WOULD BE DRAGGING THEIR OXYGEN TANKS WITH THEM.

AND THE NEXT TIME WE'D MEET, A COUPLE OF THEM WOULD BE GONE BECAUSE THEY THEY DIDN'T LIVE THROUGH IT.

SO WE FINALLY WERE ABLE TO SQUASH THAT.

BUT THEN CRAIG AND HARKINS WERE TRYING TO MAKE A DEAL TO TO BUILD ANOTHER INCINERATOR PLANT ON TRIMBLE ROAD THERE WHERE THE WHERE THE CLOTHING COMPANY NOW IS.

AND THEY WANTED TO TEAR THAT DOWN AND BUILD ANOTHER INCINERATOR PLANT.

WELL, WE WE FOUGHT THAT BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO BE RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM WHERE ALL THE KIDS PLAY IN THE PARK AND EVERYTHING.

SO THAT WAS SQUASHED.

SO SO THEN THEN HE TRIED TO GET AN I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT TRANSFER STATIONS.

BUT FIRST, LET ME TALK ABOUT THAT.

WHERE ARE THESE TRANSFER STATIONS LOCATED NOW? IN WHITE MARSH. IN WHITE MARSH.

CRAIG TRIED TO PUT A TRANSFER STATION AT PLECKER PROPERTY ON ROUTE SEVEN, RIGHT BELOW 152.

AND AND WE FOUGHT THAT BECAUSE IT WAS UNDERSTAND, WHEN YOU HAVE A TRANSFER STATION, YOU DOUBLE YOUR TRUCK LOADS BECAUSE THE TRUCK LOAD HAS TO COME IN AND UNLOAD IT AND ANOTHER TRUCK HAS TO COME UP AND PICK IT UP AND TAKE IT SOMEWHERE.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE SCREAMED ABOUT ON THE PLECKER PROPERTY BECAUSE THAT PLECKER PROPERTY IS A TWO LANE ROAD.

IT'S ONLY DOWN FROM 150 TO MAYBE A QUARTER OF A MILE OR SO, AND YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE 90 TRUCKS A DAY.

THAT'S WHAT WE HAD GOING DOWN 152.

WE HAD 90 TRUCKS A DAY GOING DOWN TO DROP THE STUFF OFF THE INCINERATOR PLANT.

AND THEN WE HAD THAT MEANS 90 GOT TO COME OUT A DAY.

SO THAT'S 180 LONG BED PICKUP TRUCKS EXCUSE ME, TRACTOR TRAILERS GOING DOWN THERE.

AND THAT'S ALL THE FUMES AND ALL FROM THE DIESEL.

THAT THAT'S WHY WE WERE SO GLAD TO GET RID OF THAT INCINERATOR PLANT, BECAUSE I ALSO TALKED TO THE TO THE TO THE GARRISON COMMANDER.

AND BECAUSE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT BECAUSE THEY HAD JUST LIKE IT WAS SPOKEN HERE, YOU HAD THE YOU HAD THE.

THE BURNING OF ALL THE STUFF HELPED TO PUT FEED THE APG TO WARM THEIR ALL THEIR BUILDINGS THERE.

SO THEY WERE CONVINCED TO GO ON THEIR OWN BECAUSE THEY WANTED NOTHING TO DO ANYMORE WITH HARFORD COUNTY.

AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS A GREAT IDEA.

SO THAT THAT GOT SQUASHED.

SO THEN WE GOT WE SET UP AND WE GOT THE OPERATION, YOU KNOW, AT IN BALTIMORE COUNTY.

SO SOME OF THE THINGS I'M LOOKING AT IS THAT WHAT CONTROL DO WE HAVE OVER ALL THE HAULERS? THE HAULERS ARE GOING NOW AND THEY'RE GOING TO PASS THE PRICE ON WHATEVER THE PRICE IS INCREASED, THEY'RE GOING TO PASS IT ON TO THE CONSUMER, CORRECT.

I MEAN, YOU DON'T THINK THEY'RE GOING TO EAT IT? THAT'S A BUSINESS DECISION THAT THEY EACH CAN MAKE.

AND THAT'S WHY WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE BROKE OUT THE PORTION OF THEIR COSTS THAT WILL BE THE HAULERS COST THAT WILL BE INCURRED PER HOUSEHOLD, WHETHER THEY CHOOSE TO PASS ON THE ENTIRE AMOUNT OR MORE.

AGAIN, THERE'S WHAT, 4 OR 5 DIFFERENT HAULERS THAT ARE LICENSED.

SO THERE IS COMPETITION WITHIN THE MARKET WHICH AND WE DON'T WE DON'T CONTROL THEIR THEIR COSTS OR THEIR FEES THAT THEY BILL TO, TO INDIVIDUAL

[00:55:10]

AND AND IN ADDITION TO IF THERE'S RECYCLING, THERE IS NO FEE FOR THE RECYCLING.

SO NOT THAT THAT OUR HAULERS CHARGE ON A PER SOME PLACES LIKE ON A PER BAG BASIS OR THINGS LIKE THAT.

BUT TO THE EXTENT THAT INDIVIDUALS ARE ABLE TO DIVERT MORE OF THEIR WASTE TO TO THE RECYCLING STREAM VERSUS TO THE SOLID WASTE STREAM, THERE IS THEN THE OPPORTUNITY THAT THAT WOULD LOWER THOSE RESPECTIVE COSTS.

ALL RIGHT. LET ME LET ME ASK YOU ANOTHER QUESTION.

WOULD YOU SAY DISPOSAL WORTHLESS TRASH? GO. THE THREE THINGS YOU LISTED HERE ON YOUR OWN LANDFILL, SOMEONE ELSE'S LANDFILL WASTE TO ENERGY PLANT.

CAN YOU GIVE ME A PERCENT OF EACH ONE OF THOSE WHERE THAT GOES NOW, I REALLY CAN'T BECAUSE THAT DECISION IS MADE BY BALTIMORE COUNTY WITH BECAUSE THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR DISPOSAL, WHICH IS WHAT WE PAY THEM TO DO.

THEIR RELATIVE RATIO OF WHAT THEY TAKE TO THE OLD.

I KEEP CALLING IT THE BRESCO PLANT, BUT THE WASTE ENERGY PLANT DOWN IN OFF RUSSELL STREET, A CERTAIN AMOUNT GETS TAKEN TO LANDFILLS.

SOME IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA, SOME IN SOUTHERN MARYLAND.

THERE'S SEVERAL DIFFERENT PLACES THAT THE MATERIAL IS TAKEN AND THAT IS COMPLETELY RELATED TO BALTIMORE COUNTY AND THEIR CONTRACTS WITH THEIR HAULERS TO TAKE EITHER RECYCLED OR ON THEIR OWN LANDFILL.

THEY ALSO RECYCLE IT.

THEY DO? YEAH. THE RECYCLING IS HANDLED AS A SEPARATE.

AS A SEPARATE PROCESS.

SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS PROMISED TO US SO I DON'T CARE WHAT THE NUMBERS ARE SINCE THEY ARE GOING TO DO IT.

IT DOESN'T MATTER TO ME, BUT IT CERTAINLY IS.

THIS IS A GREAT CONCERN ABOUT IF IF IF YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT BUILDING A ANOTHER TRANSFER STATION IN HARFORD COUNTY, WE'RE GOING TO BE ALARMED AT THAT BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO SEE ANOTHER TRANSFER STATION IN IN HARFORD COUNTY.

I'D LIKE TO KEEP THE DEAL WITH BALTIMORE COUNTY, WHERE INSTEAD OF ALL THEM TRUCKS AND EVERYTHING GOING THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND EVERYTHING THAT WERE THEY ALL GO DOWN ROUTE 40 AND DUMP ALL THE TRASH DOWN IN BALTIMORE COUNTY, WHICH IS GREAT.

AND I'D LIKE TO KEEP IT THAT WAY.

I THINK A TRANSFER STATION, ANOTHER ONE, DEPENDING ON ME, WOULD HAVE TO BE IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE.

BUT IT'S IT'S NOT GOOD FOR THE COMMUNITY.

IT DOUBLES THE TRUCKS BECAUSE SOME TRUCKS GOT TO TAKE IT IN AND OTHER TRUCKS GOT TO TAKE IT OUT.

AND THAT'S WHAT THEY WERE SCREAMING ABOUT ON ROUTE SEVEN.

AND THE AND THESE CHAMBERS HERE WERE PACKED WITH PEOPLE THAT LIVED IN THAT AREA BECAUSE YOU GOT TO BRING 90 TRUCKS IN THERE AND YOU GOT TO LOAD THEM UP AND YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE 90 OUT, YOU KNOW, ON A BARREL OF A QUARTER OF A MILE, LESS THAN A QUARTER OF A MILE FROM 152 TO WHERE THE PLECKER PROPERTY IS ON A TWO LANE ROAD. AND YOU IMAGINE ALL THAT GOING DOWN THAT ROAD AND THEN TRYING TO GET BACK OUT.

SO ANYWAY, WE'RE GLAD WE SQUASHED IT.

THANK YOU. MR. GUTHRIE. THANK YOU.

I DO. I DO WANT TO NOTE THAT WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT A TRANSFER STATION.

WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT A NEW LANDFILL.

WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT WHATEVER SOLUTIONS WILL ARE GOING TO BE LOOKED AT IN THE NEXT 8 TO 10 YEARS.

I AM SAYING THAT IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE ABSOLUTELY COMMITTED TO DOING AND TO DO THE ANALYSIS, TO DO IT RIGHT, TO DO IT THE BEST WAY WE CAN, YOU KNOW, AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE, BECAUSE I KNOW ONE MORE THING AND I KNOW THAT BECAUSE I TALKED TO JOHNNY OLSZEWSKI AT THE MINCO CONFERENCE AND HE HAS HE HAS NO TROUBLE AT ALL KEEPING THAT CONTRACT GOING.

HE'S VERY HAPPY WITH THE WITH THE AGREEMENT.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. MISS DIXON.

DO WE HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP? THERE IS NO ONE SIGNED UP, MR. PRESIDENT. BUT WHAT? I GOT A QUESTION.

WELL, UM. SO IF YOU DON'T LET ME KNOW.

I DID. GOOD.

SO I JUST WANT TO.

DEON, I KNOW YOU SAY YOU GOT 90 TRUCKS COMING IN.

YOU GOT 90 TRUCKS COMING OUT, BUT YOU GOT 90 DUMP TRUCKS COMING IN AND YOU GOT TRACTOR TRAILERS GOING OUT.

SO IT PROBABLY IS NOT GOING TO EQUATE TO 90 AND 90.

IT DID. IT DID. AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME, THAT'S WHAT IT EQUATED TO BECAUSE THAT'S EXACTLY HOW MANY WERE GOING DOWN, 152 TO THE TO THE INCINERATOR PLANT.

AND ANOTHER 90 HAD TO TAKE HAD THAT SAME 90 HAD TO COME OUT.

THEY GOT TO GO IN.

THEY GOT TO COME OUT. OKAY.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

MISS DIXON, DO WE HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP? THERE IS NO ONE SIGNED UP, MR. PRESIDENT. WITH NO ONE SIGNED UP.

THIS WILL CONCLUDE THIS PUBLIC HEARING FOR BILL 23, DASH 009, AND WE'LL TAKE IT UP AT A FUTURE MEETING.

THANK YOU, GENTLEMEN.

GET IT RIGHT, MAN. THEY GOT TO COME OUT.

I'M THINKING OF GOING TO THE TRANSFER STATION AND I'M GOING TO GO IN AND GET A TRANSFER.

COME ON. COME IN.

[01:00:04]

GOOD EVENING, CHAIR. CALLS TO ORDER LEGISLATIVE SESSION DAY 20 3-013.

[1. CALL TO ORDER]

I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

HEAVENLY FATHER, YOU BLESSED OUR FOUNDERS WITH THE WISDOM TO DEVELOP OUR COUNTRY.

AND I ASK THAT YOU ALSO GIVE US THE STRENGTH AND THE WISDOM TO GUIDE OUR DECISIONS TO ALLOW OUR COUNTY TO BE SAFE AND SUCCESSFUL.

MAY WE EACH BRING OUR EXPERIENCES AND OUR EXPERTISE TO BE TO THE TABLE AND WORK OUT SOLUTIONS TOGETHER? LORD, I PRAY THAT THE UNITY MAY PREVAIL IN OUR COMMUNITY.

HELP US ALL TO BECOME AN INSTRUMENT OF YOUR PEACE.

PLEASE EMPOWER US WITH THE PERSEVERANCE WE NEED TO CONTINUE WORKING TO IMPROVE OUR COUNTY, EVEN WHEN THINGS SEEM DIFFICULT.

STRENGTHEN OUR FORTITUDE TO KEEP PRESSING ON, NO MATTER WHAT THE OBSTACLES AND THE CHALLENGES.

LORD, PLEASE BLESS ALL THOSE WHO ARE SERVING AND PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITY AND COUNTRY.

KEEP THEM SAFE AS THEY STAND TO PROTECT US ALL.

LORD, BE WITH ALL THOSE THAT ARE SUFFERING PHYSICALLY, EMOTIONALLY AND MENTALLY, AND EASE THEIR PAIN AND GIVE THEM STRENGTH.

THANK YOU, LORD, FOR YOUR GRACE AND YOUR MERCY IN JESUS NAME.

AMEN. AMEN. COUNSEL, IF I MAY, I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE OUR STATE'S ATTORNEY.

MS.. HEALY IS IN THE AUDIENCE THIS EVENING.

I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE THIS EVENING.

AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FOUR PRESENTATION OF PROCLAMATIONS.

[4. PRESENTATION OF PROCLAMATIONS]

YES. YES.

CAN YOU SIT AND TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK, PLEASE? IT'S GOING TO BE UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL.

IT'S GOING TO BE ONE OF THOSE NIGHTS, I CAN TELL.

SO, GUY. WELL THANK YOU FOR HAVING US TONIGHT.

IT. NEXT WEEK.

THE. NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK.

IT'S AN EXCITING. TIME FOR THE LIBRARY, AND IT'S AN EXCITING TIME FOR THE COMMUNITY.

WE LOVE OUR LIBRARIES IN HARFORD COUNTY AND WE LOVE OUR RESIDENTS WHO USE THE LIBRARIES.

I DID. I HEARD EVERY WORD.

I WAS ON THE EDGE OF MY SEAT.

WHERE'S THE DOG? OKAY, NOW MAYBE EVERYONE ELSE CAN HEAR ME.

WELL, THANK YOU FOR HAVING US TONIGHT.

THIS WEEK WE ARE WE WILL BE KICKING OFF NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK ON THE 23RD.

IT'S AN EXCITING TIME FOR THE LIBRARY.

AND THIS YEAR'S THEME IS ALL ABOUT OUR STORY.

THERE'S MORE TO EVERY STORY.

AND ISN'T THAT SO TRUE IN OUR DAYS AND OUR LIVES RIGHT NOW? IT'S EXCITING.

LOTS OF GOOD THINGS HAPPENING AT HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY.

WE LOVE OUR LIBRARIES IN THE COUNTY.

WE LOVE OUR COMMUNITY.

IT'S WHAT WE DO SO WELL IS SUPPORT EACH OTHER.

WE KNOW THERE'S TRYING TIMES OUT THERE WITH INFLATION.

WE KNOW LOTS OF THINGS ARE HAPPENING.

BUT COME TO YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY AND WE HAVE MANY THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.

VISIT US, COME AND CHECK OUT NOT JUST BOOKS, BUT WE HAVE EBOOKS.

WE HAVE CLASSES YOU CAN TAKE FOR FREE.

WE ALSO HAVE TOYS, EDUCATIONAL TOYS.

I'LL BE BRINGING SOME ON MONDAY TO THE HEARING.

WE ALSO HAVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO LEARN TO BE ENTERTAINED AND TO BE AMUSED.

[01:05:05]

ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING THINGS, AND I THINK ONE OF THE BEST THINGS AND I ALWAYS CHALLENGE ALL MY LIBRARY DIRECTORS THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT AT HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY, WE HAVE THE BEST STAFF.

WE HAVE THE BEST COMMUNITY AND WE HAVE THE BEST LIBRARIES AROUND.

AND WE ARE A NATIONAL LIBRARY AWARD WINNER AND WE ARE ALL KNOWN FOR OUR CREATIVITY, OUR INNOVATION, AND ALSO GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY.

SO THANK YOU FOR CELEBRATING WITH US.

ABSOLUTELY. NOW YOU CAN COME FORWARD.

OKAY. COUNCILMAN.

WHEREAS LIBRARIES PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERYONE TO PURSUE THEIR PASSIONS AND ENGAGE IN A LIFELONG LEARNING, ALLOWING THEM TO LIVE THEIR BEST LIFE.

THESE FACILITIES HAVE LONG SERVED AS TRUSTED INSTITUTIONS FOR ALL MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, REGARDLESS OF RACE, ETHNICITY, CREED, ABILITY, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENDER IDENTITY OR SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS.

LIBRARIES STRIVE TO DEVELOP AND MAINTAIN PROGRAMS AND COLLECTIONS THAT ARE AS DIVERSE AS THE POPULATIONS THEY SERVE AND ENSURE EQUITY OF ACCESS FOR ALL.

AND. WHEREAS, LIBRARIES ADAPT TO THE EVER CHANGING NEEDS OF THEIR COMMUNITIES, CONTINUALLY EXPANDING THEIR COLLECTIONS, SERVICES AND PARTNERSHIPS, THEY PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE IN THE ECONOMIC VITALITY OF COMMUNITIES BY PROVIDING INTERNET AND TECHNOLOGY, ACCESS, LITERACY SKILLS AND SUPPORT FOR JOB SEEKERS, SMALL BUSINESSES AND ENTREPRENEURS. LIBRARY LIBRARIES ARE ACCESSIBLE AND INCLUSIVE PLACES THAT PROMOTE A SENSE OF LOCAL CONNECTION, ADVANCING UNDERSTANDING, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND SHARED COMMUNITY GOALS.

AND. WHEREAS, LIBRARIES ARE CORNERSTONES OF DEMOCRACY, PROMOTING THE FREE EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION AND IDEAS FOR ALL.

AND. WHEREAS, LIBRARIES, LIBRARIANS AND LIBRARY WORKERS ARE JOINING LIBRARY SUPPORTERS AND ADVOCATE ACROSS THE NATION TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK. NOW, THEREFORE, WE, THE COUNTY COUNCIL OF HARFORD COUNTY, MARYLAND, ON THIS 18TH DAY OF APRIL 2023, DO HEREBY SALUTE NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK. DURING THIS WEEK, WE ENCOURAGE ALL RESIDENTS TO VISIT THEIR LIBRARY AND EXPLORE THE WEALTH OF RESOURCES AVAILABLE.

AMEN. OH, THANK YOU.

ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL, I'M PROUD TO PRESENT THIS PROCLAMATION TO YOU.

I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME AT THE LIBRARIES WITH MY YOUNG BOYS, AND THE PROGRAMS ARE TOP NOTCH.

THE STAFF IS TOP NOTCH AND WE'RE VERY LUCKY TO HAVE SUCH GOOD QUALITY LIBRARIES IN OUR COMMUNITY.

SO CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU.

WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

AND I WILL BE REMISS IF I DON'T INTRODUCE JENNIFER BUTTON, WHO'S OUR EXECUTIVE ADMINISTRATOR, MY RIGHT HAND PERSON WHO KEEPS ME STRAIGHT.

AND THAT IS REALLY TRICKY.

AND THEY ALL KNOW THAT WHO ARE STANDING BEHIND ME.

BUT YES, GIVE HER A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE.

YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE THAT I HAVE THE BEST JOB AND I DID A CAREER CHANGE, A CHANGE I WAS IN AT HOPKINS AT HEALTH CARE ADMINISTRATION FOR MANY YEARS AND MADE A CHOICE TO BECOME A PUBLIC LIBRARIAN.

I HAVE NEVER WELL, MAYBE WITH THE PAYCHECK GENTLEMAN, BUT I HAVE NEVER LOOKED BACK.

ONCE. WE HAVE THE BEST JOB, WE DO SO MANY AMAZING THINGS AND WE GET TO HAVE FUN WHEN WE DO IT TOO.

SO THANK YOU TO EVERYONE AND EVERYBODY.

EVEN WITH YOUR BLUE HATS ON.

I KNOW YOU'RE BACK AGAIN THIS YEAR TO PLEASE STOP BY THE LIBRARY AND SAY HI TO THE GANG.

THEY LOVE TALKING TO OUR COMMUNITY AND BEING PART OF THE COMMUNITY AND THEY THEY CAN HELP YOU WITH WHATEVER YOU HAVE AS A NEED OR ANY TYPE OF EDUCATIONAL THING YOU'RE LOOKING FOR. OR IF YOU WANT TO LEARN A NEW TOOL OR A SKILL.

WE TRULY OFFER COURSES AND THEY ARE FREE.

SO THANK YOU.

THANK.

I LOVE READING TO THE KIDS.

I KNOW YOU, TOO. JUST MAKE SURE YOU DO THAT.

I HAD THE MOST FUN. YOU WERE GREAT ON THE COVER.

I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE WORDS.

SO YOU DON'T MESS UP DOWN THERE? NO. UP HERE. IS SHE COMING UP? YEAH, SHE'S GOING TO STAY ON IN FRONT OF YOU.

YEAH, I'LL GET ONE. THERE YOU GO.

THAT'S VERY GOOD ON MY NAME.

THANK YOU AGAIN.

THAT'S GOOD. GO FORWARD THREE INCHES.

BUT YOU'RE GOOD NOW.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

SEE YOU LATER. I LOVE THE ONLINE.

[01:10:04]

GENDER. ITEM NUMBER FIVE CONSIDERATION OF PETITIONS, APPLICATIONS, APPOINTMENTS AND NOMINATIONS.

THERE ARE NONE. SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS.

WE HAVE NONE.

SEVEN APPROVAL OF MINUTES PUBLIC HEARING APRIL 11TH, 2023 LEGISLATIVE DAY 20 3-0 12.

[7. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]

ARE THERE ANY CORRECTIONS TO THE MINUTES? THERE BEING NO CORRECTIONS MINUTES STAND APPROVED.

EIGHT. INTRODUCTION AND CONSIDERATION OF RESOLUTIONS.

[8. INTRODUCTION AND CONSIDERATION OF RESOLUTIONS]

FEE INCREASE TELEPHONE BILLS.

MAY I HAVE A MOTION COUNCIL PRESIDENT? I MOVE TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 22 DASH 23.

MAY I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND.

THANK YOU, MR. RILEY.

IT'S BEEN MOVED IN A SECOND TO APPROVE RESOLUTION ZERO 22, DASH 23.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION, MR. PRESIDENT? JUST WANT TO QUALIFY MY POSITION.

I HAVE AND WILL CONTINUE TO ALWAYS ADVOCATE AND SUPPORT PUBLIC SAFETY, BUT I HAVE A CONCERN ABOUT DOING SO WHEN IT'S CENTERED ON A FEE OR A TAX INCREASE.

IN ADDITION, I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS FEE OR TAX INCREASE WILL GENERATE CONSISTENT EXTRA FUNDING FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY OPERATIONS IN THE 901 CENTER.

AND PERHAPS IF WE WERE GOING TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION, IT WOULD BE A CONSIDERATION.

MY BELIEF IS BASED ON THE PUBLIC HEARING PRESENTATION WHEN IT WAS REPORTED THAT THE FEES WOULD NOT BE EARMARKED FOR 911 AND PLACED IN THE GENERAL FUND.

IN FACT, TREASURER STAINLESS STATED THE GOAL OF THE INCREASE WAS TO RETRIEVE A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE RELATED EXPENDITURES THROUGH FEES AND BASED ON THE CURRENT ECONOMIC SITUATION IN THE COUNTY.

I DON'T BELIEVE A TAX OR A FEE INCREASE IS WARRANTED TO FUND THE 901 CENTER AT THE CURRENT LEVELS.

THAT OPINION IS STRENGTHENED BY THE TRIPLE A CREDIT RATING FOR THE COUNTY TO MEET OUR CURRENT FINANCIAL COMMITMENTS.

IN FACT, THE FITCH RATING SYSTEM, WHICH PRODUCES REVIEWS FOR A GLOBAL CAPITAL MARKETS, STATED THE FOLLOWING ON AN ANALYTICAL CONCLUSION ON FEBRUARY 28TH OF 23, AFTER HARFORD COUNTY'S TRIPLE A PRESENTATION IN NEW YORK.

THAT IT WAS QUOTED FROM THE SERVICE.

THE TRIPLE WAY AND GOLD BOND RATING REFLECTS THE COUNTY'S ROBUST FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, SOLID REVENUE GROWTH PROSPECTS, AMPLE RESERVES AND LONG TERM LIABILITY BURDEN.

THE COUNTY'S STRONG REVENUE FRAMEWORK AND EXPENDITURE FLEXIBILITY SUPPORT FITCH'S EXPECTATIONS FOR RESILIENT OPERATIONS THROUGHOUT ECONOMIC CYCLES.

CURRENT COUNTY ESTIMATES SHOW INCOME TAX REVENUES EXCEEDING BUDGET EXPECTATIONS AND EXPENDITURES COMING IN UNDER BUDGET DUE TO PROACTIVE BUDGET MANAGEMENT GIVING CURRENT PROJECTIONS.

MANAGEMENT DOES NOT INTEND TO USE THE TOTAL FUND BALANCE APPROPRIATION.

IN THE END, THOUGH, I AND MANY OTHERS HAVE ADVOCATED AGAINST TAX INCREASES AND I DO BELIEVE THIS IS A FORM OF ATTACKS UNDER THE TITLE OF A FEE.

THEREFORE, I CANNOT SUPPORT THIS RESOLUTION.

BASED OFF OF THAT AND THE POSITIVE ECONOMIC OUTLOOK.

MR. BENNETT. I JUST.

TO PUSH BACK ON THAT.

FIRST OFF, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT $0.75 ON YOUR CELL PHONE BILL.

SECOND OFF, I MEAN, THESE ARE OUR 911 DISPATCHERS WHO WE'VE HEARD THEM SPEAK.

WE'VE HEARD WHAT THEY GO THROUGH.

YOU SHOULD KNOW BETTER THAN ANYBODY ELSE.

WOULD THEY GO THROUGH THEY'RE OVERWORKED, THEY'RE UNDERPAID.

THE MAX THAT THEY CAN MAKE AT THE END OF THEIR CAREER IS, WHAT, $52,000 A YEAR? YOU KNOW, LESS THAN $60,000 A YEAR, ALMOST.

WHAT WE GET PAID TO SIT HERE.

THAT'S THAT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE.

AND WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING TO HELP WHAT THEY DO.

WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING TO MAKE IT SUSTAINABLE SO WE CAN GROW IT.

LIKE IF WE EVER HAVE A DREAM OF ALLOWING THEM TO HAVE A 20 YEAR PENSION PLAN SO THAT THEY CAN ACTUALLY RETIRE OR DREAM OF GETTING THROUGH THEIR CAREER RATHER THAN 35 YEARS OF HAVING TO TAKE THOSE CALLS.

I MEAN, WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING TO MAKE IT SUSTAINABLE.

AND I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW SOMEBODY WHO'S SO PRO PUBLIC SAFETY IS CRYING OVER $0.75 TO TAKE CARE OF OUR 911 DISPATCHERS WHO ARE THE FIRST FIRST RESPONDERS.

THEY'RE THE ONES WHO DRIVE THE EMERGENCY SERVICES.

WITHOUT THEM, NONE OF IT WOULD WORK.

WHERE WOULD THE FIREFIGHTERS SHOW UP TO? WHERE WOULD THE HOSPITAL, YOU KNOW, WHERE WOULD THE AMBULANCE SHOW UP TO? WOULD THEY JUST GUESS? NO, IT'S THE 911 DISPATCHERS WHO GET THEM THERE.

AND SO IF WE'RE NOT GOING TO FIGHT TO GET THEM THE FUNDING THEY NEED, WHAT ARE WE DOING? I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND THE ARGUMENT.

IT'S $0.75.

THANK YOU, MR. BRENNAN. MR. CHAIRMAN. MR. BRENNAN, I APPRECIATE YOUR POSITION, BUT IF YOU IN THE PUBLIC HEARING, THERE IS NO EXTRA FUNDING GOING TO THAT.

IT'S TO REPLENISH WHAT THEY'VE ALREADY SPENDING.

[01:15:02]

WE CAN HAVE THAT CONVERSATION ALL DAY LONG.

WE CAN HAVE A CONVERSATION ON MAKING SURE THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE IS IMPROVED.

BUT THIS DOESN'T GET THERE.

AS YOU MENTIONED, AS IT WAS IN THE PUBLIC HEARING, $10.2 MILLION WAS BEING BUDGETED FOR DES.

THE FEE BRINGING WOULD BRING IN 5.2 MILLION.

THEY'RE NOT GIVING THEM $15 MILLION.

THEY'RE GIVING THEM $10.2 MILLION.

THEY'RE GIVING THEM THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY IN MY UNDERSTANDING.

THEREFORE, I CAN'T SUPPORT IT.

AND WHILE IT'S 75 CENT, IT'S 75 CENT PER LINE.

IF YOU HAVE A HOUSEHOLD OF FIVE PEOPLE, THAT'S EVERY SINGLE MONTH.

IF YOU HAVE A BUSINESS WITH 300 PHONE LINES AND 300 CELL PHONES FOR EVERY EMPLOYEE, WHAT IS THAT? THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO PASS ON TO THE CONSUMER.

SO THE CONSUMER IS GOING TO HAVE TO PAY ONE FOR THE BUSINESS AND ONE FOR THEIR OWN LINES.

THEREFORE, I CAN'T SUPPORT IT.

A FAMILY OF FIVE WILL GET ONE LESS HAPPY MEAL A MONTH.

OKAY. ANYONE ELSE? MISS DIXON. MR. PRESIDENT. MR. GUTHRIE, I. MR. PENMAN. NO. MR. GIORDANO, I.

MR. RILEY.

FULLY SUPPORTED.

MRS BULL SADDLES A MR. BENNETT, I.

THERE BEING SIX VOTES IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, ONE IN THE NEGATIVE RESOLUTION 20 2-0.

OR EXCUSE ME, ZERO 22.

DASH 23 IS HEREBY APPROVED.

MR JAN JORDANU.

PLEASE READ RESOLUTION ZERO 24 DASH 23 AND ZERO 25 DASH 23 INTO THE RECORD FOR INTRODUCTION, PLEASE RESOLUTION ZERO 24 DASH 23 ADOPTION OF PROPERTY PROPERTY TAX RATE INTRODUCED BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT VINCENTI AT THE REQUEST OF THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE A RESOLUTION TO LEVY AND IMPOSE A PROPERTY TAX UPON ALL PERSONS FOR REAL AND PERSONAL PROPERTY IN HARFORD COUNTY, HARFORD COUNTY, MARYLAND, BOTH WITHIN AND WITHOUT, WITHOUT THE CITY OF HAMADA GRACE AND THE CITY OF ABERDEEN AND THE INCORPORATED TOWN OF BEL AIR AND THE COUNTY THAT IS SUBJECT TO ORDINARY TAXATION.

AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH ARTICLE 15 OF THE DECLARATION OF RIGHTS OF THE MARYLAND CONSTITUTION, THE TAX PROPERTY ARTICLE, THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ARTICLE OF THE ANNOTATED CODE OF MARYLAND AND CHAPTER 123.

ARTICLE ONE SECTIONS 123 DASH 15 123 DASH 16 AND 123 DASH 27 OF THE HARFORD COUNTY CODE AS AMENDED FOR THE PURPOSE OF MEETING ALL OF THE ESTIMATED COUNTY EXPENSES FOR THE TAXABLE YEAR BEGINNING ON THE FIRST DAY OF JULY 2023 AND ENDING ON THE 30TH DAY OF JUNE 2024.

AND AND TO SET THE RATE OF COUNTY TAXATION FOR SUCH TAXABLE PROPERTY AND YEAR.

PUBLIC HEARINGS SCHEDULED FOR MAY 4TH AND 10TH AT 7 P.M.

IN THESE CHAMBERS.

RESOLUTION ZERO 25, DASH 23, FY 24 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM INTRODUCED BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT VINCENTE AT THE REQUEST OF THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE. A RESOLUTION TO ADOPT THE CAPITAL PROGRAM FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30TH, 2024.

JUNE 30TH, 2025.

JUNE 30TH 2026.

JUNE 30TH, 2027.

JUNE 30TH, 2028 AND JUNE 30TH, 2029.

PUBLIC HEARING SCHEDULED FOR MAY 4TH AND 10TH AT 7 P.M.

IN THESE CHAMBERS.

THANK YOU. ALSO READ BILLS 20 3-011 THROUGH 20 3-0 15 INTO

[9. INTRODUCTION OF BILLS]

SECTIONS TWO 6774 GARDEN AND MID-RISE APARTMENTS.

DWELLINGS OF ARTICLE SEVEN DESIGN STANDARDS FOR SPECIAL DEVELOPMENTS AND SECTION EIGHT, SIR ARTICLE EIGHT DESIGN STANDARDS FOR SPECIAL DEVELOPMENTS AND SECTION TWO 6788 SPECIFIC SPECIFIC STANDARDS.

SUBSECTION F RESIDENTIAL USE OF ARTICLE NINE SPECIAL EXCEPTIONS AND A PERMITTED USE CHARGE UNDER SECTION 267 DASH 50 TO REMOVE GARDEN APARTMENTS AND HIGH RISE APARTMENTS AS PERMITTED USES IN THE B-3 GENERAL BUSINESS DISTRICT UNLESS APPROPRIATELY INTEGRATED INTO A PLAN FOR MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT AS PERMITTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 260 7-76 AND TO REPEAL AND REENACT WITH AMENDMENTS.

DESIGN REQUIREMENTS.

TABLE 50 9-3 TO ELIMINATE THE ROW LABELED APARTMENTS FROM THE TABLE.

ALL SUCH AMENDMENTS BEING RELATED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF APARTMENTS WITHIN THE B-3 GENERAL BUSINESS DISTRICT AND MADE TO GENERALLY PROHIBIT.

[01:20:03]

PUBLIC HEARINGS SCHEDULED FOR MAY 16TH AT 6:30 P.M.

IN THE EAST CHAMBERS.

BILL 20 3-012 APPROPRIATION ESTIMATED EXPENSES FISCAL YEAR 23 DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY SERVICES, INTRODUCED BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT VINCENTE AT THE REQUEST OF THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AN ACT TO MAKE AN APPROPRIATION OF FUNDS FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO PROVIDE THE NECESSARY FUNDS TO COVER ESTIMATED EXPENSES INCURRED DURING FISCAL YEAR 2023 ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY SERVICES PUBLIC HEARING SCHEDULED FOR MAY 16TH AT 6:30 P.M.

IN THE EAST CHAMBERS.

BILL 2313.

MS. AMBULANCE TRANSPORT INCREASE.

INCREASE RATES INTRODUCED BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT VINCENTE AT THE REQUEST OF THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE.

AN ACT TO REPEAL AND RE ENACT WITH AMENDMENTS TO SECTION 16 DASH 28.

DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY SERVICES ESTABLISHED APPOINTMENT QUALIFICATIONS, POWERS, DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY SERVICES. ARTICLE NINE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY EMERGENCY SERVICES OF CHAPTER 16 DEPARTMENTS OF THE HERTFORD COUNTY CODE, AS AMENDED TO PROVIDE THE DIRECTOR OF HERTFORD COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY SERVICES WITH THE AUTHORITY TO ESTABLISH, MAINTAIN, FACILITATE ADEQUATE, ADEQUATE FIRE, RESCUE AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES IN THE COUNTY TO ALLOW THE PRESIDENT OF THE HERTFORD COUNTY VOLUNTEER FIRE AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES ASSOCIATION INC THE OPTION TO APPEAL THE DIRECTOR'S DECISION TO THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND TO INCREASE THE RATES CHARGED BY HERTFORD COUNTY FOR AMBULANCE TRANSPORTS AND MEDICAL SERVICES AND GENERALLY RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY SERVICES.

PUBLIC HEARINGS SCHEDULED FOR MAY 16TH AT 6:30 P.M.

IN THESE CHAMBERS.

BILL 23, DASH 14 ANNUAL BUDGET APPROPRIATION ORDINANCE INTRODUCED BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT VICENTE AT THE REQUEST OF THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE THE ANNUAL BUDGET AND APPROPRIATION ORDINANCE OF HARFORD COUNTY, MARYLAND, TO ADOPT THE COUNTY BUDGET, CONSISTING CONSISTING OF THE CURRENT EXPENSE BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30TH, 2024. THE CAPITAL BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30TH, 2024.

THE SPECIAL PURPOSE BUDGETS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30TH, 2024 AND THE GRANTS BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30TH, 2024, AND AND TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS FOR ALL EXPENDITURES FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING JULY 1ST, 2023, AND ENDING JUNE 30TH, 2024.

AS HERE, HERE, HERE AND AFTER INDICATED PUBLIC HEARING SCHEDULED FOR MAY 4TH AND 10TH AT 6:30 P.M.

IN THESE CHAMBERS, 7:00.

7:00 MAY 4TH AND MAY 10TH AT 7:00 IN THESE CHAMBERS.

BILL 23, DASH 15 AMENDMENT TO CHAPTER 28.

FIRE, AMBULANCE AND RESCUE ORGANIZATION INTRODUCED BY THE COUNTY COUNCIL PRESIDENT AT THE REQUEST OF THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE.

AN ACT TO REPEAL IN ITS ENTIRETY.

SECTION ONE DASH 33 PAYMENTS TO VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANIES OF ARTICLE THREE GENERAL ADMINISTRATION OF CHAPTER ONE GENERAL PROVISIONS AND TO REPEAL, REPEAL AND ENACT WITH AMENDMENTS.

CHAPTER 28 FIRE, AMBULANCE AND RESCUE ORGANIZATIONS OF ALL OF HARTFORD COUNTY CODE AS AMENDED TO ADD THE DEFINITIONS OF ASSOCIATION, DIRECTOR AND QUALIFIED VOLUNTEER TO REQUIRE THE COUNTY TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR THE FIRE COMPANIES AS PERMITTED BY THE BUDGET.

TO REQUIRE WRITTEN OPERATING STANDARDS FOR ALL EMERGENCY FIRE RESCUE AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES TO PROVIDE PENALTIES FOR NONCOMPLIANCE WITH THE STANDARDS TO ESTABLISH A PROCEDURE FOR LOCATING NEW STATIONS AND GENERALLY RELATING TO FIRE RESCUE AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES IN THE COUNTY.

PUBLIC HEARING SCHEDULED FOR MAY 16TH AT 6:30 P.M.

IN THE EAST CHAMBERS. YES, SIR.

THANK YOU. AGENDA ITEM TEN.

INTRODUCTION. CONSIDERATION OF AMENDMENTS.

[10. INTRODUCTION AND CONSIDERATION OF AMENDMENTS]

PLEASE READ AMENDMENTS ONE AND TWO INTO THE RECORD FOR INTRODUCTIONS TO AMEND BILL 23 005.

AMENDMENTS ONE AND TWO TO BILL 20 3-005 MORATORIUM WAREHOUSES INTRODUCED BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT VINCENTE, COUNCIL MEMBER BENNET RILEY, JAN GIORDANO AND GUTHRIE.

AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE ON THE TITLE PAGE IN THE FIRST LINE OF THE TITLE PARAGRAPH.

STRIKE SIX MONTHS AND SUBSTITUTE 90 DAY.

AMENDMENT NUMBER TWO ON PAGE THREE AFTER LINE NINE INSERT THE MORATORIUM SHALL NOT APPLY TO EITHER ANY PROJECT WHICH HAS ACQUIRED A VESTED

[01:25:02]

THIS MORATORIUM SHALL EXPIRE 90 DAYS AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS BILL.

THE MORATORIUM UPON THE SHOWING OF GOOD CAUSE MAY BE EXTENDED BY A SUBSEQUENT BILL FOR A PERIOD NOT TO EXCEED AN ADDITIONAL 90 DAYS.

THE MORATORIUM SHALL FURTHER NOT APPLY TO ANY PRINCIPAL OTHER PRINCIPALLY PERMITTED USES WHERE WAREHOUSING AND WHOLESALING, PROCESSING, DISTRIBUTION AND LOCAL DELIVERY IS AN ACCESSORY USE TO THE PRINCIPAL USE OF THE PROPERTY OR TO ANY DEVELOPMENT OR REDEVELOPMENT WHICH IS LOCATED WITHIN AN EXISTING INDUSTRIAL PARK.

AN INDUSTRIAL PARK FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS MORATORIUM IS DEFINED AS MORE THAN FOUR CONTIGUOUS LOTS LOCATED IN EITHER A SILLY OR G ZONING CLASSIFICATION. THANK YOU, MR. JAN GIORDANO.

THESE AMENDMENTS WILL BE CONSIDERED THIS EVENING BECAUSE OF THE TIMELINE THAT WE HAVE.

SO AMENDMENTS ONE AND TWO TO BILL 20 3-005 MORATORIUM WAREHOUSE.

MAY I HAVE A MOTION? COUNCIL PRESIDENT.

I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE AMENDMENTS ONE AND AMENDMENTS TWO TO BILL 20 3-005.

THANK YOU, MR. BENNETT. MAY I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. THANK YOU, MR. GUTHRIE. IT'S BEEN MOVED IN SECOND TO APPROVE AMENDMENTS ONE AND TWO TO BILL 20 3-005.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? IF MR. BENNETT.

YOU KNOW, WE ARE I MEAN, I'LL SPEAK FOR MYSELF.

I'M VERY EXCITED TO GET THIS BILL PASSED TONIGHT.

YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY THE MICROPHONE PICKED UP ME KNOCKING ON WOOD.

I'M VERY HOPEFUL AFTER A LOT OF WORK THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET THERE.

BUT, YOU KNOW, AND FOR THE RECORD, EVERY EMAIL WE GET, MY LEGISLATIVE AIDE AND I, WE READ, WE TALK ABOUT IT, AND WE DO OUR BEST TO RESPOND TO EACH OF THEM IN A WAY THAT DEMONSTRATES THAT WE REALLY TOOK THE TIME TO READ THEM.

YOU KNOW, THESE ARE ALL THE EMAILS THAT WE GOT AGAINST THE MORATORIUM PRINTED OUT.

THESE ARE ALL THE EMAILS THAT WE GOT FOR THE MORATORIUM PRINTED OUT.

YOU KNOW, THANK GOODNESS I'M STRONG ENOUGH TO LIFT THAT WITH ONE HAND.

AND THAT BEING SAID, THOUGH, SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT WE GOT WERE LEGITIMATE AND THEY WERE FROM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY WHO WERE NOT A PART OF, YOU KNOW, OUR DIRECT GOAL OF THE BILL.

BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE CONCERNED THAT THEY MIGHT BE INDIRECTLY AFFECTED BY THE WAY IT WAS ORIGINALLY WRITTEN.

SO, YOU KNOW, WE TOOK THAT TO CAREFUL CONSIDERATION TO MAKE SURE THAT WE JUST SHARPENED THE BILL, TO GIVE IT SOME MORE FOCUS AND GUIDANCE WITHOUT DILUTING ITS ORIGINAL IMPACT AND GOAL.

AND I'M HAPPY WITH WHERE WE LANDED ON THE AMENDMENTS.

THANK YOU, MR. BENNETT.

I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ECHO MR. BENNET'S SENTIMENTS. WHEN WE RECEIVED THE BILL, WE RECOGNIZED THERE WAS NO CLOSED DATE TO THE BILL.

IT DIDN'T HAVE A SUNSET DATE.

WE WANTED TO CHANGE THAT.

THE ACCESSORY USE PIECE WAS IN THE WRONG SECTION OF THE BILL, WAS NOT IN THE LEGAL SECTION OF THE BILL.

SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS WE SAW RIGHT AWAY, AND WE THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO ADD SOME OTHER THINGS.

SO THAT'S WHERE THE AMENDMENTS CAME FROM.

MS.. DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY? YES. THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. AS A LIFELONG HARFORD COUNTY RESIDENT, I HAVE SEEN BENEFITS OF A STRONG ECONOMY AND THE POSITIVE EFFECT IT HAS ON ALL CITIZENS QUALITY OF LIFE ATTRACTING BUSINESSES IS VITAL TO THE ECONOMIC STABILITY OF OUR COUNTY.

ONE OF MY MANY GOALS AS A LEGISLATOR IS TO ENCOURAGE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

AND THIS MORATORIUM BILL HAMPERS THE ENVIRONMENT FOR CURRENT BUSINESS OWNERS THAT ARE OPERATING IN OUR COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS BUSINESSES THAT ARE LOOKING TO RELOCATE OR OPEN UP IN HARFORD COUNTY.

THE IMPOSITION OF A MORATORIUM SENDS A MESSAGE TO EXISTING AND POTENTIAL BUSINESSES IN THE COUNTY THAT RULES THAT EXIST WHEN THEY START MAY CHANGE.

BUSINESS OWNERS NEED TO BE CONFIDENT IN THE RULES AND REGULATIONS WHICH THEY ADHERE BEFORE MAKING SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS THAT AFFECT THEIR LIVELIHOOD AND THEIR WELL BEING. HOWEVER, AFTER CAREFUL REVIEW AND MUCH CONSIDERATION, I WILL BE VOTING YES TO THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS AS THESE AMENDMENTS SOFTEN THE IMPACT THAT THE MORATORIUM WILL HAVE ON LOCAL BUSINESS OWNERS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE COUNTY IN GENERAL.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

MS.. ANYONE ELSE? MR. GUTHRIE. JUST WANT TO ADD THIS.

THIS HAS REALLY BEEN A TOUGH BILL.

AND OF COURSE, WE AIN'T GOING TO BE WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE DONE WITH IT BECAUSE WE'VE EXTENDED IT OUT SO WE CAN STUDY IT MORE.

[01:30:06]

WE ALL GOT THE SAME AMOUNT OF.

I DIDN'T PRINT THEM OUT, THOUGH.

I DIDN'T WASTE THE PAPER.

SORRY. HARFORD COUNTY ACTION AGENCY.

OUR CLIMATE ACTION FOR FOR PRINTING SO MANY EMAILS.

I'M SORRY. AND.

I HOPE I'M WRONG, BUT IT JUST THIS LOOKS LIKE ONE OF THOSE BILLS THAT, HOWEVER, IT WINDS UP AT THE END.

THAT NEITHER SIDE IS GOING TO BE HAPPY.

AND I HOPE I'M WRONG.

THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT.

THANK YOU, MR. GUTHRIE.

ANYONE ELSE? MISS DIXON.

MR. KEEP MISSING ME.

I'LL SCREAM. LOUDER.

HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE? I DON'T KNOW. I DON'T KNOW.

SO I JUST LIKE TO MENTION THAT THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT'S JUST HARFORD COUNTY ALONE.

THIS IS UP AND DOWN THE EAST COAST AND OTHER AREAS UP AND DOWN THE I-95 CORRIDOR.

YOU'RE SEEING A LOT OF AREAS THAT ARE GOING AWAY THAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT BUILDING WAREHOUSES AND PEOPLE ARE STEPPING BACK AND LOOKING AT THESE THINGS AND LOOKING AT LAND AND LAND USE AND EVERYTHING.

SO IT'S NOT JUST TO HARFORD COUNTY.

IT'S IT'S UP AND DOWN.

IF YOU FOLLOW TRANSPORTATION AND EVERYTHING THAT THE THEY HAD THE 100 SHIPS OUT IN LONG, LONG BEACH AREA OVER THERE, THEY'RE ALL GONE.

EVERYTHING'S COMING THROUGH THE PANAMA CANAL.

IT'S CHEAPER TO SHIP ALL THAT STUFF OVER TO THE EAST COAST, DROP IT OFF IN WAREHOUSES AND SHIP IT FROM THERE.

MOST OF THE STUFF, IT GOES TO THE EAST COAST.

SO. SO IT IS SOMETHING THAT'S UP AND DOWN THE EAST COAST THAT ARE PEOPLE ARE LOOKING AT THIS.

SO I'M GLAD THAT WE'VE LOOKED INTO THIS AND WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD.

SO THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT.

I'LL BE LOUDER NEXT TIME.

MR. DIXON. MR. PRESIDENT. MR. GUTHRIE. MR. PENMAN. NO, MR. GIORDANO. A MR. RILEY. A MRS. MR. BENNETT. A.

WITH SIX VOTES IN THE AFFIRMATIVE.

ONE NEGATIVE.

AMENDMENTS ONE AND TWO.

THE BILL 20 3-005 ARE HEREBY APPROVED.

AGENDA NUMBER 11 CALL FINAL READING OF BILLS.

[11. CALL FOR FINAL READING OF BILLS]

MAY I HAVE A MOTION COUNCIL PRESIDENT I MOVE TO APPROVE.

BILL 20 3-005 AS AMENDED.

I HAVE A SECOND. SECOND.

THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT.

I DON'T WANT TO DISRUPT ANYTHING, BUT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE IT PERFECTLY CLEAR THAT THE BILL AS AMENDMENT IS PRESENT IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS RIGHT NOW, AS REQUIRED BY THE CHARTER.

OH, OKAY.

THAT'S A LEGAL THAT'S A LEGAL THING.

WE DON'T NEED TO HEAR ABOUT THAT. I GOT ONE.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? MR.. MR. BENNETT, I HAVE LITTLE ARMS AND I HAVE A SUIT JACKET ON, SO I DON'T HAVE FULL RANGE.

BUT YOU DO HAVE A NEW HAIRCUT, SO.

YEAH. BUT, SO I WILL SAY I'M REALLY EXCITED AND HOPEFUL AGAIN THAT WE'RE WE'RE ALL ABOUT TO DO THE RIGHT THING HERE.

BUT WITH THIS, AND ESPECIALLY WITH THE AMENDMENT OF MAKING IT 90 DAYS, THAT IS A CALL TO ACTION THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE ARE SERIOUS AND DISCUSSION AND GOOD FAITH ACTION TO MAKE SURE WE MAKE SOME REAL PROGRESS IN THESE 90 DAYS THAT BY BY THIS TIME JULY THAT WE CAN SAY WE'VE WE'VE MADE AN IMPACT FOR OUR COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.

SO HOPEFULLY WE COME TOGETHER, WE'RE ABLE TO TO FIND SOME ACTION THAT WE CAN TAKE TO SUPPORT THESE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY THIS TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT AND AND WHATEVER THAT LOOKS LIKE, WE DON'T KNOW YET, BUT I'M EXCITED TO SEE WHAT PATH WE TAKE.

AND THAT THE WORK WE DO TOGETHER IS PRODUCTIVE.

THANK YOU. MISS DIXON.

MR. PRESIDENT.

MR. GUTHRIE. MR. PENMAN. NO. MR. GIORDANO. AYE.

MR. RILEY. MRS SIDLES.

I'M NOT CLEAR.

ARE WE VOTING ON THE AMENDMENTS OR THE BILL? 20 3-005 AS AMENDED? AS AMENDED, YES. AS AMENDED.

I THANK YOU.

MR. BENNETT, I YOU'RE BEING SIX VOTES IN THE AFFIRMATIVE.

ONE NEGATIVE.

BILL 23, DASH 005, AS AMENDED, IS HEREBY APPROVED.

JEN. ITEM NUMBER 12 ENROLLMENT OF BILLS BILL 20 3-005 MORATORIUM WAREHOUSE AS AMENDED IS CERTIFIED AS BEING THE TEXT FINALLY

[12. ENROLLMENT OF BILLS]

THERE IS NONE.

14 NEW BUSINESS.

WE HAVE NONE.

[01:35:01]

[17. COMMENTS AND INPUT FROM ATTENDING CITIZENS]

WE HAVE 13 THIS EVENING.

BEFORE YOU CALL ANYONE TO SPEAK, I MUST REMIND YOU THAT WE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING TO THE MORATORIUM TONIGHT.

WE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING TO THE BUDGET TONIGHT.

THERE ARE BOTH ACTION ITEMS. THERE ARE TIMES AFTER THE NEXT MEETING YOU CAN SPEAK TO THE MORATORIUM AND I BELIEVE IT'S THE FOURTH AND THE 10TH WILL BE YOUR NEXT OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO THE BUDGET. CALL YOUR FIRST SPEAKER, JOHN MILANO, FOLLOWED BY GREG PISANO.

NAME AND ADDRESS, SIR.

SO GOOD EVENING TO YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES.

JOHN MILANO, 2402 EAGLE VIEW DRIVE.

CONTINUING ON, THERE WAS A PUBLIC HEARING FOR ZONING CASE 5814 BEFORE THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS.

ONLY THE APPLICATION SUBMITTED BY THE AIRPORT OWNERS WAS CONSIDERED.

THE AIRPORT OWNERS HAD THE BURDEN TO PRODUCE EVIDENCE THAT PROVED THEIR APPLICATION WOULD MEET ZONING CODE REQUIREMENTS FOR A SPECIAL EXCEPTION TO OPERATE A GENERAL AVIATION AIRPORT. THE REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE AIRPORT OWNERS GROUP PRESENTED AN OVERVIEW OF THE AIRPORT AND AVIATION GENERALLY AND AGREED THAT THE AIRPORT OWNERS WOULD COMPLY WITH ALL CONDITIONS RECOMMENDED BY THE PLANNING AND ZONING DEPARTMENT.

NUMEROUS OTHER EXPERT WITNESSES TESTIFYING ON BEHALF OF THE AIRPORT OWNERS GROUP ALL TESTIFIED THAT THE AIRPORT PRESENTED WOULD MEET THE ZONING CODE.

THE EXPERT, AVIATION PLANNER AND REPRESENTATIVE TESTIFIED ON THE AIRPORT OPERATION.

NEITHER PRESENTED THE AIRPORT LAYOUT PLAN OR ITS DETAILS.

THE EXPERT LAND PLANNER AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANT PRESENTED THE OPERATION EXHIBIT AND SITE PLAN, WHICH COVERED ONLY THE PROPERTY AT 3538 ALDINO.

TESTIMONY DID NOT INCLUDE ANY TOPIC RELATED TO THE AIRPORT LAYOUT, PLAN OR APPROACH AND LANDING PADS BEYOND 3538 ALTINO.

A FINAL EXPERT LAND PLANNER TESTIFIED THAT THE REQUEST BEFORE THE BOARD COMPLIED WITH ALL PROVISIONS OF THE HERTFORD COUNTY DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS.

THE NOW RETIRED DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND ZONING TESTIFIED THE PROPOSAL MET ALL REQUIREMENTS OF SECTION 267 88 I SPECIAL EXCEPTION FOR GENERAL AVIATION AIRPORT AND WILL HAVE TO MEET ALL NECESSARY MARYLAND AVIATION ADMINISTRATION REGULATIONS AND THAT THE REPRESENTATIVE GAVE ADEQUATE TESTIMONY OF WHAT THEIR POSITION ON THIS PROPOSAL IS, AND THAT ACCESSORY USES WILL BE LIMITED AS PER SUBSECTION F, MAY APPROVED APPROACH AND LANDING PADS WERE NEVER PRESENTED. THERE IS NO RECORD THAT THEY WERE EVER REVIEWED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND ZONING.

THE OPERATION EXHIBIT IDENTIFIES A TOTAL OF 61 ACRES, 37 PLUS IN THE DISTRICT, 23 PLUS IN THE AG DISTRICT WITH NO MA APPROVED APPROACH AND LANDING PADS.

THERE IS NO RECORD THAT THE EXHIBIT WAS EVER APPROVED BY THE MARYLAND AVIATION ADMINISTRATION.

I'M LEFT TO WONDER HOW THE MTA REQUIRES 1400 ACRES FOR APPROACH AND LANDING PADS TO MEET REQUIREMENTS AND THEN APPROVES A PROPOSAL WITHOUT ANY APPROACH AND LANDING PADS.

THE HEARING EXAMINER FOR THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS RECOMMENDED THAT A SPECIAL EXCEPTION BE GRANTED BASED ON THE OPERATION EXHIBIT AND EXPERT WITNESS TESTIMONY.

THE AIRPORT OWNERS PROVE THE OPERATION EXHIBIT AND SITE PLAN COULD MEET THE ZONING CODE.

THE COMMERCIAL OPERATION REQUIRED TO OPERATE A GENERAL AVIATION AIRPORT AS A PERMITTED USE WAS NOT PRESENTED.

AS A RESULT, ACCESSORY USES AND APPROACH AND LANDING PATHS WERE NOT AND ARE STILL NOT APPROVED BY THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS.

RULES ARE IMPORTANT.

GOOD NIGHT. GOOD EVENING, SIR.

NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE. GREG PISANO, 1826 PARK BEACH DRIVE, ABERDEEN, MARYLAND.

THANK YOU, COUNSEL PEOPLE.

PRESIDENT VINCENTE.

BOB, IF YOU'RE LISTENING, I HAVE ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE, ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERNS.

EVALUATING THE POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES OF LARGE FACILITIES ON THE ENVIRONMENT, INCLUDING WATER SOURCES, WILDLIFE HABITATS.

MR PISANO, JUST LET ME STOP YOU RIGHT THERE.

WE'RE NOT GOING TO SPEAK TO ANYTHING TO DO WITH PYRAMID THIS EVENING AS FAR AS THE LEGISLATION, OKAY? OKAY. THANK YOU, SIR. LEE MADDUX, FOLLOWED BY ROBERT TUCKER.

GOOD EVENING, MA'AM. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE.

GOOD EVENING, MR. PRESIDENT.

LEE MADDUX 1700 CHURCH POINT COURT.

PERRYMAN. JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE COUNCIL AND THANK YOU TO COUNTY EXECUTIVE CASTLE.

[01:40:06]

I HAVE A LONG LIST OF THINGS I WANTED TO SAY, BUT OUT OF DEFERENCE, MR VINCENTE, TO YOUR RULES, I WILL NOT TONIGHT.

SO PLEASE DO ACCEPT OUR THANKS.

THEY'RE NOT MY RULES, MA'AM. THEY'RE THE COUNCIL RULES.

YES, SIR. THANK YOU.

GOOD EVENING, SIR. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE.

HI, ROB TUCKER. ONE, TWO, ONE NINE.

CANCELING BELCAMP.

I'M HERE TONIGHT TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE BEING A PUBLIC SCHOOL EDUCATOR IN HARFORD COUNTY.

15 YEARS AGO, I MOVED FROM A SMALL CITY IN THE RUST BELT HERE.

AFTER SUBBING FOR A FEW YEARS, I FINALLY FOUND MY WORK HOME AT EDGEWOOD HIGH SCHOOL TEN YEARS AGO.

OFTEN WHEN I TELL PEOPLE I WORK AT EDGEWOOD HIGH SCHOOL, I FEEL LIKE I'VE SNEEZED BECAUSE MANY FOLKS RESPOND WITH SOME VERSION OF, OH, GOD BLESS YOU, BUT I'M NOT HERE TO TALK ABOUT BUDGET JUST YET IN DEFERENCE.

UH, NOT TODAY.

THAT'S NOT FOR NOW.

WHAT I AM HERE TO DO IS BRAG A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE STUDENTS AND THE RESULTS THAT MY SCHOOL GIVES.

I'M HERE TO SHARE SOME POSITIVE NEWS OUT OF THE SCHOOL.

I'M HERE TO BRAG ABOUT THE 112 STUDENTS WHO HAVE GRADUATED FROM EDGEWOOD'S IB PROGRAM IN THE LAST THREE YEARS, RECEIVING OVER $45 MILLION IN OFFERED SCHOLARSHIPS. IF YOU HAVEN'T DONE THE MATH IN YOUR HEAD, THAT'S $400,000 PER STUDENT ON AVERAGE.

AND IF YOU DON'T KNOW THE STORY, THE IB PROGRAM WAS SAVED FROM THE BRINK OF COLLAPSE BY THE HERCULEAN EFFORT OF A LANGUAGE ARTS TEACHER NAMED LAURA CHILDS, WHO'S BEEN WORKING FOR 17 YEARS, A FANTASTIC TEACHER AND A PERSONAL ROLE MODEL OF MINE.

EVEN THOUGH WE'RE THE SAME AGE.

I GOT A LATE START.

I'M HERE TO BRAG ABOUT ALUMNUS DEONTAY BANKS.

HE IS A PROJECTED FIRST ROUND PICK IN THE UPCOMING NFL DRAFT.

I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE THINKING.

ANY TEAM AT THE DALLAS COWBOYS.

GO BILLS. DEONTE WENT THROUGH ALL FOUR YEARS OF HIS HIGH SCHOOL CAREER AT EDGEWOOD.

HELPED ALONG BY A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT SKILLED EDUCATORS JOHN SIMPSON, MIKE FRISKEY, AND MOST OF ALL, SARAH FRIEDMAN, OUR CURRENT ATHLETIC DIRECTOR, WHO CONTINUED TO NURTURE THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT THAT GOT THAT BOY AN ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIP TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND.

I'M HERE TO PARTICULARLY BRAG ABOUT CHRISTINE PHILLIPS.

SHE'S THE WINNER OF THE EXCELLENCE IN STAGECRAFT AWARD FOR MY VERY FIRST SCHOOL YEAR, 2013 2014.

WHO IS HERE TO SPEAK TO YOU TONIGHT ABOUT HER EXPERIENCE ATTENDING AND WORKING IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS? THIS YOUNG LADY WAS SO INSPIRED BY TARA VERSTEEG, OUR AMAZING LANGUAGE ARTS OR EXCUSE ME, FOREIGN LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT CHAIR WHO'S BEEN WITH US FOR ALMOST 18 YEARS.

I'M HERE TO BRAG ABOUT ALUMNI CHLOE RICE AND NATASHA ROWLAND, WHO'S MET A PLAY.

AND THEN THE RODEO BURNED DOWN, BECAME THE CRITICAL DARLING OF THE 2022 EDINBURGH FRINGE FESTIVAL, WINNING THE SCOTSMAN'S FRINGE FIRST AWARD AND SECURING A MONTH LONG RUN AT THE KING'S HEAD THEATER IN ISLINGTON, LONDON, UK.

THEY ARE GOING BACK TO RUN THEIR SHOW FOR THE ENTIRE FESTIVAL THIS YEAR WHILE DEBUTING A NEW SHOW.

WHAT IF THEY ATE THE BABY? THEY WENT THROUGH MY PROGRAM, FRIENDS.

LIKE I SAID, I'M HERE TO BRAG.

I WILL TELL YOU, THERE IS NO ACHIEVEMENT, NO RECOGNITION, NO REWARD.

THAT MUSTERS MORE PRIDE THAN SEEING YOUR STUDENTS SUCCEED IN SUCH SPECTACULAR WAYS.

AND OF COURSE, ALL OUR STUDENTS DON'T AMOUNT TO SPORTS STARS OR FRINGE ARTISTS.

THEY'LL DO ANY NUMBER OF JOBS IN THEIR LIVES, BUT THEIR EXPERIENCE AT HKPS IS THE THING THAT WILL MAKE OR BREAK IT.

PLEASE REMEMBER WHY WE'RE HERE.

PLEASE REMEMBER THAT WE'RE HERE.

EDUCATORS ARE YOUR FRIENDS, YOUR NEIGHBORS, YOUR CHURCH, PEW PARTNERS, SOFTBALL COACHES, SUMMER CAMP COORDINATORS AND COMMUNITY SERVICE PEOPLE.

WE LOVE OUR COMMUNITIES DEEPLY, AND SERVING THEM IS A DEEPLY FELT CALLING.

WE ONLY ASK THAT YOU LET US DO WHAT WE TRAINED OUR WHOLE LIVES TO DO CARE.

AND I WOULD LIKE TO END BY THANKING THE MEMBERS ON THIS COUNCIL WHO HAVE SHOWN SUPPORT FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN THE PAST AND THOSE WHO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH US TODAY TO ENSURE THEIR STRENGTH IN THE FUTURE.

DOES THIS SPEECH HAVE A PURPOSE? A BUTTON OR AN ASK? I'M NOT GOING TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT MONEY RIGHT NOW, BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S WORKED BEFORE.

EDGEWOOD MIDDLE SCHOOL, AVERAGING MIDDLE SCHOOL AND PATTERSON MIDDLE SCHOOL WILL ALL BE RUNNING THEIR MIDDLE SCHOOL MUSICALS THIS WEEKEND.

THANK YOU, SIR. TEAM UP.

GO SEE. THANK YOU.

JANINE LACOUR, FOLLOWED BY CHRISTINE PHILLIPS.

GOOD EVENING, MA'AM. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE.

1820 PARK BEACH DRIVE IN PERRYMAN.

AND I JUST WANT TO THANK OUR LIBRARIAN AND OUR LIBRARY COMMUNITY.

I USED TO BIKE TEN MILES ONE WAY TO GET OUT TO OUR LITTLE LOCAL LIBRARY IN CECILTON.

SO I HAVE GROWN UP LOVING BOOKS AND THE JOURNEYS THAT BOOKS TAKE US ON AND THE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION WE CAN RESEARCH AND FIND ALL THROUGH OUR LIBRARY SYSTEM IS JUST PHENOMENAL.

AND IT'S A GREAT EQUALIZER ACROSS ALL PEOPLE.

SO I COMMEND ALL THE WORK THAT OUR LIBRARIES ARE DOING AND THEY'RE REALLY CREATING A MODEL ACROSS THE STATE FOR EVERYTHING THAT WE

[01:45:09]

WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REDEFINE WHAT DEVELOPMENT AND ECONOMIC PROSPERITY MEANS FOR OUR COUNTY.

WE CAN CREATE A PARTICIPATORY MODEL FOR GROWTH THAT ENGAGES ALL THE CITIZENS AND INSTEAD OF IGNORING CITIZENS VOICES FOR THREE DECADES. WE HAVE A NEW MODEL, WE CAN CREATE A NEW MODEL FOR HARFORD COUNTY.

AS WE LOOK AT GREEN SPACE AND PRESERVING GREEN SPACE, THE REST OF THE STATE IS WATCHING US.

WHILE MANY COUNTIES HAVE VERY LITTLE GREEN SPACE LEFT, WE IN HARFORD COUNTY ARE ENVIED FOR THE AMOUNT OF GREEN SPACE THAT WE STILL HAVE, AND WE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO PRESERVE THAT GREEN SPACE AS WELL AS THE RICH AND VERY DYNAMIC HERITAGE THAT HAS CREATED HARFORD COUNTY.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MA'AM.

GOOD EVENING, MA'AM. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE.

GOOD EVENING. CHRISTINE PHILLIPS, 3717.

KIMBLE ROAD, BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

21218. MY NAME IS CHRISTINE PHILLIPS.

I'M A TEACHER BY PROFESSION, BUT I'M HERE TODAY SPEAKING AS A PRODUCT OF NORTH BEND, NORTH HARTFORD, MIDDLE AND EDGEWOOD HIGH SCHOOLS.

I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE EDUCATORS IN CPS WHO FOSTERED MY LOVE OF TEACHING.

I WAS FIRST INTRODUCED TO TEACHING BY MS..

GARLAND AT NORTH BEND WHEN SHE ASKED ME TO VISIT HER CLASS ONCE A WEEK TO DO A READ ALOUD OF A BOOK OF MY CHOOSING FOR HER STUDENTS.

AS A SEVEN YEAR OLD WHO LOVED TO READ, I WAS THRILLED.

SHE SUPPORTED ME WHOLE HEARTEDLY.

EVEN WHEN I TRIED TO READ A BOOK IN SPANISH, A LANGUAGE I DID NOT KNOW AT THE TIME.

SHE ALSO GAVE ME OLD WORKBOOKS AND EXTRA WORKSHEETS TO PLAY SCHOOL WHEN I GOT HOME.

MRS. GNAGE.

NORTH BEND'S GIFTED AND TALENTED TEACHER TAUGHT ME THAT IT WAS OKAY TO DO TRY NEW THINGS LIKE ORIGAMI AND ALGEBRA FAIL AND TRY AGAIN.

WHEN I WAS IN FOURTH GRADE, SHE ENCOURAGED ME TO TUTOR KINDERGARTNERS WHO WERE STRUGGLING WITH MATH AND READING.

THOSE TUTORING SESSIONS WERE THE FIRST TIME I WATCHED THE AHA MOMENTS OF LEARNING HAPPEN IN REAL TIME.

AT EDWARD. I LANDED IN MS..

VERSTEEG'S SPANISH CLASS AS A PART OF A COMPROMISE WITH MY MOM, WHO SAID BEING IN BALLET CLASS WASN'T A GOOD ENOUGH REASON TO LEARN FRENCH.

I WAS BITTER ABOUT IT AT 14, BUT I'M LUCKY TO HAVE HAD MS..

VERSTEEG FOR ALL FOUR YEARS.

SHE EMBEDDED THE LANGUAGE IN DISCUSSIONS OF CULTURE AND CURRENT EVENTS THAT MADE SPANISH RELEVANT TO MY LIFE.

WE DID CULTURE PRODUCTS PROJECTS ONCE A QUARTER.

THAT COULD BE ANYTHING, AND I MADE A TERRIBLE PARODY OF THE MUSIC VIDEO TO LA NORTHSTAR THAT HAUNTS MY FACEBOOK MEMORIES.

MS.. VERSTEEG GAVE ME THE FREEDOM TO EXPLORE IN A LANGUAGE THAT NO ONE IN MY FAMILY OR IMMEDIATE COMMUNITY SPOKE.

I WENT ON TO MAJOR IN SPANISH AND SPEECH PATHOLOGY AT LOYOLA UNIVERSITY, MARYLAND, GRADUATING SUMMA CUM LAUDE AND GOT MY MASTERS OF ARTS IN TEACHING.

I DIDN'T EVEN CONSIDER TEACHING IN CPS AFTER I GRADUATED BECAUSE I HAD PAID ATTENTION TO HOW THIS COUNTY TREATED MY BELOVED TEACHERS.

IN MY 10TH GRADE YEAR, TEACHERS PARTICIPATED IN WORK TO RULE ACTION FOR BETTER PAY.

IN 2014, THE YEAR I GRADUATED FROM EDGEWOOD, TEACHERS HAD ONLY RECEIVED A RAISE IN ONE OUT OF THE FIVE PREVIOUS SCHOOL YEARS.

THAT MEANT THAT MY EIGHTH YEAR ENGLISH TEACHER WAS BEING PAID A FOURTH YEAR TEACHER'S SALARY.

WHEN I WAS LOOKING FOR JOBS IN 2018, I COMPARED SALARIES JUST TO HUMOR MY DAD, WHOSE FAMILY HAS LIVED IN HARFORD COUNTY FOR GENERATIONS.

BUT EVEN HE COULDN'T JUSTIFY THE PAY GAP BETWEEN BALTIMORE AND HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

TEACHERS WHO LIVE IN HARFORD COUNTY CAN SIMPLY DRIVE TO OTHER COUNTIES TO BE PAID BETTER.

THERE ARE TWO TEACHERS I KNOW WHO LIVE IN BEL AIR AND DRIVE 40 MILES.

ONE WAY TO WORK IN SOUTHWEST BALTIMORE COUNTY WITH ME.

MISS GARLAND AND MISS LOVERIDGE HAVE RETIRED, BUT MANY OF MY HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS ARE STILL TEACHING.

THEY WILL LEAVE IF THE COUNTY CONTINUES TO TREAT THEM THIS WAY, AND THEY WILL TAKE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OF TRAINING, GRADUATE SCHOOL AND NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION MONEY WITH THEM ALONG WITH THEIR DECADES OF EXPERIENCE.

THE STUDENTS OF HARFORD COUNTY DESERVE TEACHERS WHO CAN COMMIT TO TEACHING THEM AND THEIR SIBLINGS AND EVEN THEIR KIDS.

YOU HAVE THE POWER TO MAKE THIS POSSIBLE.

THANK YOU, MA'AM. ELLEN SHANLEY, FOLLOWED BY HOLLY MCCOMAS.

GOOD EVENING, MA'AM. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE.

MY NAME IS ELLEN SHANLEY.

I LIVE AT 1704 PARK BEACH DRIVE IN PERRYMAN.

UM, I WANT TO THANK PRESIDENT VINCENTE AND THE COUNCIL FOR THINGS I MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO MENTION TONIGHT.

UM, SO I'M GOING TO HAVE A SHORTER.

SPEECH. I WOULD LIKE TO REMIND THE COUNCIL PERSONS THAT THEY HAVE BEEN ELECTED TO REPRESENT THE HARTFORD COUNTY CITIZENS.

THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE PEOPLE DONATING TO YOUR CAMPAIGN FUNDS.

THESE ARE THE PEOPLE IN THE DISTRICT THAT ELECTED YOU.

[01:50:05]

I HAVE TIME FOR THIS NOW IS THAT MY DAUGHTER WAS ACTUALLY A 2021 GRADUATE OF EDGEWOOD IB PROGRAM AND SHE IS DOING GREAT.

SO HER NAME IS CHARISSE, YOU MIGHT KNOW HER.

AND THEN LASTLY, I WANT TO TAKE THIS TIME TO INVITE ALL OF YOU TO PURCHASE TICKETS TO THE FIRST SEMIANNUAL £0.03 DESIGNER PURSE.

BINGO. IT'S GOING TO BE HELD AT THE LEVEL FIRE HALL ON APRIL 29TH.

THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. JAN GIORDANO WILL BE THERE.

HE LOOKS GOOD WITH THE PURSE.

WE CAN SELL YOU A TICKET OR TWO.

OH, YEAH. HE'S GOING TO COME IN HIGH HEELS.

YOU'RE SPECTACULAR.

COULD HE MAKE IT HIS WEBSITE? YES, PLEASE. HOLLY MCCOMAS, 1826 PARK BEACH DRIVE, ABERDEEN.

COMMUNITY INPUT MEETINGS ARE INTENDED TO PROVIDE AN OPEN DIALOG BETWEEN REPRESENTATIVES OF A PROPOSED PROPOSED PROJECT AND RESIDENCES FOR OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS SURROUNDING THE DEVELOPMENT AREA.

IT HAS BEEN MY EXPERIENCE THAT THIS IS A COUNTY REQUIRED MEETING THAT CHECKS BOXES FOR DEVELOPERS.

I WANT TO ASK, IS IT A SURPRISE TO ANYONE THAT THE PERRYMAN COMMUNITY HAS BEEN AT ALMOST EVERY COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING SINCE DECEMBER OF 2021? IF IT IS A SURPRISE, IT'S BECAUSE YOU WEREN'T AT THE COMMUNITY INPUT MEETING AT THE RICHLAND BALLROOM.

IF YOU WERE, YOU WOULD HAVE SEEN A PACKED BALLROOM WITH STANDING ROOM ONLY AND A GROUP OF VERY UPSET PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN AND AROUND PERRIMAN.

WHICH BEGS THE QUESTION OF WHY YOU AS COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE NOT THERE.

COMMUNITY INPUT MEETINGS GIVE NO ACTION REQUIREMENTS OF THE DEVELOPER.

IT WAS TIME FOR THE DEVELOPER TO ANNOUNCE THE PLANS FOR THE PROJECT.

AND FOR THE COMMUNITY TO PRESENT THEIR OUTRAGE FOR THIS PROJECT.

BUT NOTHING WAS DONE.

THE ROOM WAS PACKED BECAUSE WE HAVE A TIGHT KNIT COMMUNITY OF CARING, BRILLIANT PEOPLE THAT COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER AND WATCH OUT FOR EACH OTHER.

MANY OF US WOULD NOT HAVE KNOWN ABOUT IT IF WE DID NOT COMMUNICATE, WHICH BRINGS ME TO NOTIFICATION OF THESE EVENTS NEEDS TO BE MAILED OUT NOT JUST TO THE SURROUNDING RESIDENCES, BUT WITHIN A MINIMUM OF A FIVE MILE RADIUS OF THE PROJECT.

THE SCOPE OF THE PROJECT DOES NOT AFFECT ONLY THE PEOPLE WHOSE PERIMETER OF PROPERTY IT TOUCHES.

IT RIPPLES OUT TO THE ENTIRE COUNTY.

INTERSECTIONS THAT TRUCKS AND TRAFFIC WOULD BE FLOWING.

IN OUR CASE, ROUTE 40, ROUTE SEVEN, I-95, MOUNTAIN ROAD.

THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT HARFORD COUNTY MUST DO BETTER WITH COMMUNITY INPUT MEETINGS.

MAKING THEM MORE MEANINGFUL.

HOLD ON JUST A MINUTE, SIR. WERE YOU TALKING TO ME? AND WHAT'S. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO KNOW, SIR? DEPUTIES REMOVE HIM.

YOU STEP OUT.

GO AHEAD, MR. MCCOMBS.

THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT HARFORD COUNTY MUST DO BETTER WITH COMMUNITY INPUT MEETINGS, MAKING THEM MORE MEANINGFUL.

OTHERWISE IT NEEDS TO CHANGE THE NAME TO COMMUNITY.

I'M TELLING YOU WHAT, WE ARE DOING MEETINGS AND OH, BY THE WAY, 93% OF PERRIMAN COMMUNITY DOES NOT FEEL SAFE ON OUR ROADS.

THANK YOU, MA'AM. PAUL FALASCHI, FOLLOWED BY TIM VAN EMDEN.

GOOD EVENING, SARAH. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE.

GOOD EVENING. PAUL FALASCHI.

320. MARINA AVENUE, PERRYMAN, MARYLAND.

UM, FIRST, I WANT TO THANK THE COUNCIL ON YOUR ACTION TONIGHT, AND I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THREE AREAS OF PLANNING AND ZONING CODE THAT NEED MODERNIZATION UPGRADES TO PROVIDE TRUE TRANSPARENCY TO THE RESIDENTS OF HARFORD COUNTY.

FIRST IS, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT COMMUNITY INPUT MEETINGS.

ALSO, THEY SHOULD HAVE A SEPARATE PROCESS FOR THE COMMERCIAL PROJECTS VERSUS RESIDENTIAL HOME PROJECTS WITH AN EXPANDED NOTIFICATION PROCESS, NOT JUST THE LANDOWNERS WHO TOUCH THE LAND. IT ALSO SHOULD INCLUDE PROPERTY OWNERS WHOSE DRINKING WATER MAY BE AFFECTED OR THEIR DAILY DRIVING ROUTES TAKE THEM THROUGH INTERSECTIONS THAT WOULD BE IMPACTED, FOR

[01:55:07]

SECOND AREA IS POST-PROJECT.

VERIFICATION STUDIES SHOULD BE 5 TO 10 YEARS FOLLOWING LARGE INDUSTRIAL PROJECTS.

THERE'S NO THERE'S A NEED TO ASCERTAIN AND ANALYZE THE EFFECTS OF MULTIPLE LARGE INDUSTRIAL FACILITIES ON TRAFFIC, TRANSPORTATION, INFRASTRUCTURE, LOCAL ROADS, COMMERCIAL PROJECT IMPACT ZONES OVERLAP EACH OTHER AND PROMISE ROADWAY IMPROVEMENTS ARE NOT IMPLEMENTED.

THESE ISSUES HAVE RESULTED IN BOTTLENECK ROADWAYS LIKE OLD PHILADELPHIA ROAD.

THAT HAVE NO SOLUTION ON THE HORIZON.

THERE'S A NEED FOR DRINKING WATER AND AQUIFER REPLENISHMENT STUDIES SURROUNDED BY MULTIPLE INDUSTRIAL PROJECTS MORE THAN EVERY 25 YEARS.

RIVER WATER CHARACTERIZATION STUDIES AND THE EFFECT OF INDUSTRIALIZATION ON POLLUTION SHOULD BE REEVALUATED AGAIN MORE FREQUENTLY.

SHOULD BE 5 TO 10 YEARS, NOT EVERY QUARTER CENTURY OR LONGER.

THE LAST AREA IS INAPPROPRIATE ADDITION OF FARMLAND, FOREST AND WOODS TO ENTERPRISE ZONES TO BENEFIT ONLY LANDOWNERS AND DEVELOPERS SHOWS THAT THE NEED FOR AN UPDATE AND TIGHTENING OF THE ENTERPRISE ZONES RULES TO CONCENTRATE ON EXISTING BUILDINGS AND OLD COMMERCIAL LOTS WITH VACANT BUILDINGS.

USE ENTERPRISE ZONE TO FILL THE EMPTY BRICK BUILDINGS AND GIVE BACK TO THE GIVE BACK THE FARMS, FORESTS AND WOODS FOR THE RESIDENTS TO ENJOY.

TIME FOR CHANGE AND ZONING CODE IS AFOOT.

I HOPE THE COUNTY COUNCIL IS UP TO THE CHALLENGE.

THANKS. THANK YOU, SIR.

GOOD EVENING, SIR. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE.

GOOD EVENING, SIR. MY NAME IS TIM VAN EMDEN, 1963.

MITCHELL DRIVE. BEFORE I GET STARTED, MR. BENNET, WELCOME BACK. IT'S NICE TO SEE YOU.

IT'S NICE TO SEE EVERYBODY ON THE COUNCIL.

IT'S BEEN A FEW WEEKS SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE.

ORIGINALLY I WAS GOING TO TALK ABOUT PROPERTY RIGHTS, BUT OUT OF DEFERENCE TO WHAT HAS HAPPENED TONIGHT, WE DON'T NEED ANYONE ELSE TO GET KICKED OUT.

WE'LL PROBABLY CURB MY COMMENTS ON THAT.

THANK YOU, SIR. I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT ON THE IB PROGRAM THAT WAS BROUGHT UP EARLIER AS SOMEONE WHO MOVED UP FROM FLORIDA AND WAS PUSHED INTO AN IB ASPECT MUCH BIGGER THAN THIS TO WHERE WE HAD PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE COUNTY.

5000 HAVE TO TEST TO GET IN.

I FAILED TO GET IN.

IT IS A GREAT PROGRAM.

I'VE SEEN WHAT HAPPENS WITH PEOPLE.

I FULLY RECOMMEND IF YOUR CHILDREN ARE INTERESTED IN IT, TO PURSUE IT.

THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT.

FOR STARTERS, MR. PENMAN, YOUR COMMENTS ABOUT 300 PEOPLE WITH THE 75% TAX INCREASE, TAX INCREASE INTO THE FIRST RESPONDERS, IT COMES UP TO $2,700 PER YEAR.

SIR, I'M A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER.

I'M A BUSINESS OF ONE IN HARFORD COUNTY.

I CAN FIND A WAY TO PUT $2,700 WITHOUT REALLY RAKING MY COSTS.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FRACTIONS OF A PENNY GOING UP.

UNDERSTAND HOW THAT WORKS? YOU SPREAD IT OUT FAR ENOUGH.

THAT'S WHAT IT IS. MISS BOYLE SADDLES.

I'VE BEEN SENT A COUPLE OF PICTURES OF YOU TONIGHT FROM THAT CAMERA RIGHT THERE.

IT'S KIND OF DISRESPECTFUL WHEN YOU'RE ON YOUR PHONE TEXTING, ESPECIALLY WHILE CONSTITUENTS ARE UP HERE TALKING.

WE PAY YOUR SALARIES.

WE'RE HERE OF OUR OWN TIME.

YOU'RE PAID TO BE HERE.

PLEASE LISTEN. THAT'S ALL I HAVE.

THANK YOU, SIR.

JUST SO YOU KNOW, MORE THAN LIKELY LIKE ME, SHE'S GETTING TEXTS FROM SOME OF THE CITIZENS IN THIS CHAMBER, SO IT'S NOT BEING DISRESPECTFUL.

IT'S TRYING TO RESPOND TO EVERYONE THAT TEXTS YOU OR EMAILS YOU.

THANK YOU, SIR. DAVID BAUER, FOLLOWED BY STACEY STONE.

GOOD EVENING, SIR. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE.

GOOD EVENING. DAVID BAUER 2952 KIRKWALL COURT ABINGDON.

SO WHAT IS UP WITH OUR COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND SWEARING IN CEREMONIES? UH, FIRST, HE EXCLUDES A DULY ELECTED COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBER FROM THE COUNCIL SWEARING IN, AND NOW HE IS ARRANGED FOR HIS THREE APPOINTEES TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO BE SWORN IN MONTHS BEFORE THEY ACTUALLY WILL TAKE OFFICE.

UM, THIS IS AFTER HE ALREADY TRIED TO GET HIS APPOINTEES SEATED EARLY AND WAS TOLD NO.

SO I REQUEST THAT YOU ALL EXERCISE YOUR OVERSIGHT RESPONSIBILITIES AND WORK TO STOP THESE AUTHORITARIAN GAMES.

I WANT TO BE CLEAR.

THIS ISN'T JUST A HARMLESS POLITICAL GAME.

THIS IS SETTING UP THE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO HAVE TRUST ISSUES WITH THE NEWLY APPOINTED MEMBERS WHO WILL BE COMING IN IN JULY.

[02:00:05]

THERE'S ALREADY THIS DIVISION.

IT'S ALSO SETTING UP A BAD RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM AND OUR COUNTY ADMINISTRATION.

AND WHAT COMES OUT OF A BAD RELATIONSHIP AND BEING TOLD NO TO THESE POLITICAL GAMES.

MM. SO PLEASE TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY.

THIS IS NOT JUST POLITICS AS USUAL.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR.

GOOD EVENING, MA'AM. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE.

GOOD EVENING. STACEY STONE 2106 PARK BEACH DRIVE IN PERRYMAN.

I WANTED TO FIRST SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR VOTE EARLIER THIS EVENING.

IT SHOWS THAT YOU DO CARE ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE CITIZENS OF HARFORD COUNTY.

ALL EXCEPT FOR YOU, MR. PENMAN. YOUR NO VOTE SHOWS THAT WHILE YOU SPEAK A GOOD LINE ON SAFETY, THAT THAT'S REALLY NOT A CONCERN.

I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT EXISTING PROBLEMS AND YOU LET ME KNOW IF THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH WHAT I'M SAYING.

PLEASE. MR VANZETTI AS YOU KNOW, THERE'S AN EXISTING PROBLEM ON OLD PHILADELPHIA ROAD, AND I HAD SENT A VIDEO OUT TO EVERYONE ON THE COUNCIL.

I DID HEAR FROM MAYOR MCGRADY.

I SPOKE TO HIM A COUPLE OF TIMES ABOUT THE SITUATION.

MRS BOYLE SADLY, I HAVE NOT HEARD BACK FROM YOUR OFFICE.

I UNDERSTAND THAT MR. BENNETT IS TRYING TO GET A MEETING WITH WAREHOUSES.

I JUST ENCOURAGE YOU TO WORK WITH HIM AND SEE IF AND THE MAYOR AND SEE IF SOMETHING CAN BE DONE WITH THE TRAFFIC SITUATION.

I DID PRESENT AN IDEA THAT I THOUGHT MIGHT WORK AND THE SHORT TERM TO MAYOR MCGRADY LAST WEEK.

AND BUT THAT'S STILL NOT THE ULTIMATE SOLUTION.

AND MORE WORK NEEDS TO BE DONE.

I ALSO AGAIN AM ASKING FOR THIS COUNCIL'S HELP.

IN COMMUNICATING WITH THE STATE HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION.

I MET WITH THE TRAFFIC GROUP OF STATE HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION MAY OF LAST YEAR ON SOME EXISTING SIGNING PROBLEMS. THEY WERE THANKFULLY AT THE TOWN HALL HELD ON APRIL 28TH AND DISCUSSED SOME ITEMS THERE, BUT NOTHING'S REALLY BEEN DONE.

I AM ASKING FOR A PUSH TO THE STATE HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION.

IT'S IT'S QUICK AND EASY.

THEY JUST NEED TO PUT A COUPLE OF SIGNS UP, CHANGE SOME STRIPING, NOT TALKING A LOT OF MONEY.

I'M LOOKING FOR SOME SHORT TERM SOLUTIONS HERE.

WELL WHILE WE WORK ON SOME LONGER TERM ISSUES.

SO, AGAIN, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, MA'AM. KEN SHANNON, FOLLOWED BY EMMA PELLER.

GOOD EVENING, SIR. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE.

GOOD EVENING, KEN SHANNON, 244 PARK BEACH DRIVE AND BERRYMAN.

WELL, IT'S GOT A LITTLE BIT OFF GUARD TONIGHT.

I WAS GOING TO SPEAK ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE, BUT THE UPSIDE OF SPEAKING AT THESE MEETINGS OVER THE LAST 16 MONTHS IS THAT YOU HAVE LEGACY SPEECHES THAT CAN BE RECYCLED.

SO I WISH I WASN'T REPEATING THIS SPEECH BECAUSE IT'S ABOUT A PROBLEM.

A PROBLEM THAT STILL HASN'T BEEN FIXED.

I'VE ADDRESSED THIS COUNCIL PREVIOUSLY ABOUT HOW OVERWHELMED THE CRIMEAN PENINSULA IS WITH TRACTOR TRAILER TRAFFIC.

I'VE DESCRIBED HOW I'VE CALLED THE ABERDEEN POLICE NON-EMERGENCY LINE FOR YEARS ABOUT THE TRUCKS PARKED ON BOTH SIDES OF OLD PHILADELPHIA ROAD IN FRONT OF THE COMPANY PROPERTY.

AND FOR YEARS IT'S GOTTEN WORSE.

OTHER MEMBERS OF MY COMMUNITY HAVE ALSO SPOKEN TO THIS COUNCIL AND CALLED THE APPROPRIATE, APPROPRIATE AGENCIES ABOUT THE TERRIBLE TRAFFIC ON OLD PHILADELPHIA ROAD.

HE USED TO RIDE MY BIKE FROM MY HOME IN PERRYMAN TO WORK AT ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND ALONG THAT ROAD.

IT'S A BEAUTIFUL RIDE.

BUT IT'S BECOME TOO DANGEROUS BECAUSE OF ALL THE TRUCKS ON ROUTE ON OLD PHILADELPHIA ROAD.

SO I STOPPED DOING IT.

MILLIONS OF DOLLARS HAVE BEEN SPENT ON THAT STRETCH OF ROAD.

THE EXPANDED LANES AT ROUTE 40 AND ROUTE 715.

THE CIRCLE WAS ADDED AT BERRYMAN ROAD, BUT THEY LEFT THE REST OF THE ROAD AS TWO NARROW, UNMARKED LANES WITH NO SHOULDERS.

THERE'S OVER ONE POINT 5,000,000FT² OF WAREHOUSE SPACE ON THAT STRETCH OF ROAD, BUT NO ONE STOPPED TO THINK ABOUT WHAT A ROAD THAT'S SUPPOSED TO HANDLE TRAFFIC FOR OVER ONE POINT 5,000,000FT² OF WAREHOUSES SHOULD LOOK LIKE.

WALL STREET JOURNAL HAD AN ARTICLE ON JANUARY 27TH, 2022, ON THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF TRUCKS ON AMERICA'S ROADS.

IT DESCRIBED THE EQUIVALENT SINGLE AXLE LOAD OR ESL FACTOR, WHICH IS THE DAMAGE A VEHICLE WOULD INFLICT ON PAVEMENT BY DRIVING OVER IT.

[02:05:05]

STATE AND FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION AGENCIES ESTIMATE THAT TRUCKS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR 35 TO 40% OF HIGHWAY MAINTENANCE COSTS, EVEN THOUGH THEY ACCOUNT FOR LESS THAN 10% OF THE MILES DRIVEN. COUNTY NEEDS TO STOP AND THINK ABOUT WHO WILL PAY FOR THE INCREASING DAMAGE THAT MORE AND MORE TRUCKS ARE CAUSING ON SOUTHERN HARFORD COUNTY ROADS.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR.

GOOD EVENING, MA'AM. GOOD EVENING.

EMMA KELLER, 1447 REDFIELD ROAD, BEL-AIR.

THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU TONIGHT.

I'M HERE AGAIN, HOPEFULLY TO THE SUPPORT OF SOME PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM TO TALK ABOUT THE COUNCIL RULES OF PROCEDURE, SPECIFICALLY PART ONE, SECTION I, SUBSECTION FOUR.

I READ THIS TO YOU LAST WEEK, BUT SINCE MY REPRESENTATIVE WAS NOT HERE, I WILL READ IT AGAIN.

COMMENTS PERMITTED TO BE MADE BY CITIZENS DURING AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 17 ARE GENERALLY PERMISSIVE, EXCEPT THAT MATTERS WHICH ARE THE SUBJECT OF A PUBLIC HEARING SUCH AS BILLS MAY NOT BE ADDRESSED UNTIL THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION DAY, WHICH FOLLOWS FINAL ACTION ON THE MATTER AND PENDING ZONING CASES MAY NOT BE ADDRESSED UNTIL CONCLUDED AND THE EXPIRATION OF ALL APPEAL RIGHTS HAS OCCURRED.

ULTIMATELY, EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER HAS BEEN ELECTED TO SERVE THE INTERESTS OF THEIR CONSTITUENTS.

AND HOW CAN YOU KNOW THE INTERESTS OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS IF THEY ARE LIMITED IN THEIR ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE THOSE WITH YOU? I WILL SAY THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE INCREASED COMMUNICATION THROUGH EMAIL AND PHONE CALLS FROM THE LAST COUNCIL, BUT IT IS STILL NOT NEAR 100%. SO CITIZENS SHOULD BE ABLE TO COME UP AND TALK ABOUT MATTERS THAT THE COUNCIL WILL BE VOTING ON WITHIN WEEKS.

AT THE TIMES THAT YOU ALL ARE HERE AS A BOARD THAT THEY CAN ATTEND, THEY CAN SHARE THESE WITH YOU.

KNOW THAT YOU'RE HOPEFULLY LISTENING TO THEM AND UNDERSTANDING THEIR CONCERNS.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MA'AM.

THERE ARE NO MORE SPEAKERS, MR. PRESIDENT. THANK YOU, MS..

DIXON. AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 16 BUSINESS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS.

[16. BUSINESS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS]

OF COURSE, TO MY DISTRICT.

AND THAT PROGRAM, THAT I'VE PROGRAM, WHEN I WAS ON THE COUNCIL BEFORE, THAT'S WHEN THEY GOT ESTABLISHED.

AND I WANT TO TELL YOU THAT YOU CAN'T TALK ENOUGH ABOUT THAT PROGRAM.

IT'S RECOGNIZED ACROSS THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES AS ONE OF THE TOP PROGRAMS IN THE IN THE UNITED STATES.

AND IF YOU GOT IF YOU HAVE A STUDENT COMING UP AND CAN QUALIFY FOR THAT PROGRAM, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT BECAUSE ALL THE GRADUATES HAVE BEEN THERE FOR SOME OF THE GRADUATIONS AND THEY'RE VERY IMPRESSIVE ADULTS BY THAT TIME.

AND I WAS ALSO VERY HAPPY AT THE TIME THAT WE COULD TEAR DOWN THAT OLD SCHOOL AND BUILD A NEW ONE.

I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS TALKING TO THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE ABOUT IT AND HE WANTED TO KNOW WHY WE NEEDED TO DO IT.

I SAID, WELL, LOOK, I WANT YOU TO GO OVER THERE WHEN IT'S RAINING AND WALK DOWN THE MAIN HALL AND THE MAIN HALL WILL BE FILLED WITH 50 GALLON DRUMS THAT ARE PULLED OUT INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE HALL TO COLLECT ALL THE RAIN THAT'S LEAKING THROUGH THE ROOF.

AND HE DID THAT.

AND WE GOT WE GOT THE SCHOOL I ATTENDED ON ON APRIL 13TH.

I ATTENDED THE HOTEL TOURISM FUNDING WORKSHOP THAT THEY HAD AT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICES ON PULASKI HIGHWAY AND HAVRE DE GRACE.

THE PROGRAM HAS CERTAINLY CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY, HAS TO DO WITH THE HOTEL TAX AND HOW YOU'RE GOING TO GET IT AND WHETHER YOU'RE GOING TO GET IT OR IF YOU'RE GOING TO GET IT.

IT'S COMPLETELY DIFFERENT NOW.

YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO BACK AND COMPLETELY REGARDLESS IF YOU WERE GETTING MONEY BEFORE, YOU NEED TO GO AND GO THROUGH THE WHOLE PROGRAM ALL OVER AGAIN, YOU CAN GO ONLINE AND GET ALL THE INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED.

THE IT WAS QUITE WELL ATTENDED, I MIGHT ADD, IF YOU WANT TO GET ALL THE INFORMATION ON TOURISM, THE TOURISM WEBSITE. IT'S A IT'S A W-W-W DOT HARFORD COUNTY MARYLAND.GOV/2678/TOURISM AND YOU CAN GET ALL THE INFORMATION THERE PLUS THE APPLICATIONS AND YOU CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO FILL THEM OUT.

AND ALSO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR YOU WANT TO EMAIL THEM AND THEN YOU SEND YOUR EMAILS TO O E D O E D

[02:10:06]

ALSO, THE APPLICATIONS ARE DUE IN.

YOU'RE NOT GOING TO LIKE THIS.

THE APPLICATIONS ARE DUE IN NO LATER THAN FRIDAY, MAY THE 12TH BY 5 P.M..

ANYTHING THAT COMES IN AFTER THAT TIME WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

ALSO, I ATTENDED MYSELF AND TONY G.

I LET HIM COME BECAUSE IT WAS A KIND OF A DEMOCRATIC THING.

ON FRIDAY, APRIL 14TH, WE ATTENDED THE HARFORD COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SMALL BUSINESS ROUNDTABLE THAT SENATOR BEN CARDIN CAME AND LISTENED TO EVERYBODY IN THE COUNTY.

A VERY HUGE TURNOUT OVER AT THE HILTON GARDEN, BEL AIR.

AND I REALLY WANT TO THANK SENATOR BEN CARDIN FOR COMING AND LISTENING TO ALL THE ISSUES FROM OUR SMALL BUSINESS PEOPLE, BECAUSE I LEARNED A LOT MYSELF AND TOOK IN A LOT OF NOTES.

SO THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT.

THANK YOU, MR. GUTHRIE. MR. PENMAN. THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE MY NEW LEGISLATIVE AIDE, LAUREN MACDOUGALL'S, HERE.

I'M EXCITED TO HAVE LAUREN ON THE TEAM SUPPORTING AND REPRESENTING DISTRICT B, SO THANK YOU, LAUREN.

I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO EXPRESS MY DISAPPOINTMENT IN THE TRANSPARENCY AND PARTNERSHIP EFFORTS BY THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION WITH THE HARFORD COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE.

I LEARNED TODAY, DUE TO THE RELATIONSHIP BREAKDOWN, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE HAS WITHDRAWN THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION STAFF AT THEIR MEETINGS AND ALSO THE PUBLIC SAFETY WORKGROUPS.

MY HOPE IS THAT THE TRUST AND RELATIONSHIP CAN BE REPAIRED FOR THE BETTERMENT AND THE SAFETY OF OUR COUNTY.

THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. THANK YOU, MR. PENMAN. MR. GIORDANO.

THANK YOU. COUNCIL PRESIDENT.

I DID ATTEND THE ROOT FOR THE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MEETING WITH DION DOWN THERE, AND BEN CARDIN WAS IN IN ATTENDANCE, ALONG WITH A LOT OF OTHER LOCAL BUSINESS LEADERS.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT EVERYBODY MIGHT WANT TO REMEMBER IS THAT THERE'S STILL SOME EMPLOYEE TAX RETENTION CREDITS LEFT.

IF YOU HAVE A SMALL BUSINESS, IF YOU HAVEN'T APPLIED FOR THEM, THINGS DID CHANGE THAT ALLOW YOU IF YOU KEPT ON EMPLOYEES DURING THE PANDEMIC, PLEASE APPLY.

IT'S GETTING READY TO EXPIRE.

THERE IS FUNDS AVAILABLE.

I THINK IT'S IF YOU KEPT ON EMPLOYEES, I THINK IT'S UP TO $10,000 PER EMPLOYEE FOR THAT PERIOD OF TIME.

SO THERE WAS ALSO TONIGHT THERE WAS A ASKED THE EXPERTS PUT ON BY THE HARFORD COUNTY GOVERNMENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICE THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO MAKE IT OUT THERE, BUT WE HAD BUDGET HEARINGS, SO I'M SORRY I WASN'T ABLE TO MEET THAT.

AND I THINK THAT'S ALL I HAVE.

COUNCIL PRESIDENT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN MR RILEY.

FIRST, I'D LIKE TO THANK LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR BOYD FOR BEING HERE.

I HAVE NO IDEA WHY YOU WOULD SIT THROUGH ONE OF THESE, BUT WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING IN HARFORD COUNTY, WAITING FOR HIM TO TALK.

I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU TO MICHAEL BARGHOUTI.

I PROBABLY BUTCHERED HIS NAME, BUT HE WAS TEACHER OF THE YEAR, FANTASTIC TEACHER.

WE WENT TO THAT CELEBRATION WITH SEVERAL OF MY COLLEAGUES, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WHAT HE AND THE OTHER FOUR FINALISTS WILL DO FOR OUR OUR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM. SO THANK YOU, MICHAEL.

THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN RILEY.

MISS SIDLES. THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT.

I AM STILL PLAYING CATCH UP FROM MY TRIP THAT I WAS ABLE TO TAKE WITH MY FAMILY AND ENJOY FAMILY TIME LAST WEEK.

I'M JUGGLING A SMALL BUSINESS KIDS AND THIS COUNCIL AND I'M IN MY.

I PLAN ON GETTING BACK TO EVERYONE.

I HAVE BEEN WORKING DILIGENTLY ON THAT AND AS HAS MY AIDE, WE'VE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH STATE HIGHWAY MULTIPLE TIMES AND WE'RE WORKING ON THOSE ISSUES AS WELL. SO I THINK RIGHT NOW WE'RE ON BUDGET REVIEW.

AND WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE'RE GOING TO BE IN MEETINGS ALL DAY TOMORROW, THE NEXT DAY, NEXT WEEK.

SO WE'RE WORKING HARD FOR EVERYONE.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MISS SADDLES.

MR. BENNETT. THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. IT WAS A REALLY GREAT CEREMONY FOR THE TEACHER OF THE YEAR, AND WE HAD TWO TEACHERS PUT INTO THE HARFORD COUNTY TEACHER HALL OF FAME, ONE OF WHICH WAS A KINDERGARTEN AND PRE-K TEACHER FOR 51 YEARS, WHICH MEANS THEY TAUGHT THE GRANDKIDS OF THEIR FORMER KINDERGARTNERS.

SO, OF COURSE, I JUST SAT THERE AND CRIED AND CRIED AND CRIED.

BUT BUT THAT WAS A LOT OF FUN.

AND, YOU KNOW, AND MICHAEL'S SPEECH, AS HE RECOGNIZED, HE HE ANNOUNCED THAT HIM EVERY YEAR THE TOP FIVE FINALISTS MAKE A TEAM AS THEY WORK ON SOME SORT OF GOAL OR INITIATIVE. AND THEY SAID THIS YEAR THAT THOSE TOP FIVE FINALISTS WOULD BE THE SUMMIT SQUAD.

AND HE SPOKE TO AT HIS SCHOOL.

IT'S THE CUSTODIAN, IT'S THE SRO, IT'S THE GUIDANCE COUNSELOR.

[02:15:01]

AND HE SAID THEIR GOAL IN THE NEXT YEAR IS TO RECOGNIZE EACH PIECE OF THE COMMUNITY THAT HELPS LIFT EVERYBODY ELSE UP.

AND I THOUGHT, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL MESSAGE FOR NOT JUST THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, BUT THE COUNTY AT LARGE, THAT TO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE'S SO MANY COMPONENTS THAT WITHOUT IT AND WITHOUT COOPERATION AMONGST EACH OTHER, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT FIGHTING ISN'T GOING TO LIFT US UP.

IT'S GOING TO SINK US. AND I WOULD RATHER BE UP HIGH THIS WEEKEND.

THE MIRACLE LEAGUE OF HARFORD COUNTY HAS THEIR OPENING DAY SATURDAY AT 10 A.M.

AT CHUCK'S REGIONAL PARK.

I'M VERY EXCITED FOR THAT.

YOU KNOW, THE MIRACLE LEAGUE IS FOR CHILDREN WITH DIFFERING ABILITIES TO PLAY ON A TYPICAL BASEBALL FIELD AND HAVE THAT SAME EXPERIENCE ALL KIDS DO AND ALL KIDS DESERVE.

AND I'M JUST SO THANKFUL FOR ALL THOSE VOLUNTEERS AND THE WORK THAT THEY DO FOR OUR CHILDREN.

AND ALONG THOSE SAME LINES, HAVING TO GRACE LITTLE LEAGUE HAS ITS OPENING DAY ON SATURDAY, AND I ALWAYS LOOK FORWARD TO THAT.

IT'S IN WALKING DISTANCE OF MY HOUSE AND I'LL JUST WANDER FROM GAME TO GAME ANY DAY BECAUSE I'M GUARANTEED TO KNOW SOMEBODY WHO'S PLAYING SOMEWHERE.

AND IT'S ALWAYS A BLAST TO TO JUST SIT WITH PEOPLE AND TALK AND ENJOY A GAME BY A SNOW CONE.

AND THEN ALSO ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY IS HAVE THE GRACE PARKS AND REC DANCE PUTTING ON THEIR RECITAL.

IT WAS A REALLY FUN THIS PAST WEEKEND TO HELP WITH THE RECITAL.

I DON'T DANCE BUT I CAN CLICK PLAY ON SONGS AND I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, I DID A REALLY GOOD JOB CLICKING PLAY AND THE KIDS ALL DID AMAZING.

MY WIFE TEACHES IN THE DANCE PROGRAM AND EVERYBODY THERE DOES A REALLY GREAT JOB AND I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT THEY DO.

LASTLY, I JUST WANT TO COMMEND AND THANK THE PEOPLE OF PERRYMAN, SPECIFICALLY THE ORGANIZERS AND LEADERS WITHIN £0.03 FOR THEIR ADVOCACY IN THE PAST, WHAT, 19 MONTHS, SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S SUCH A GREAT EXAMPLE OF WHAT DEMOCRACY IS.

DEMOCRACY IS NOT ON ELECTION DAY, BUT IT'S EVERY DAY.

YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT SIX PEOPLE, SEVEN PEOPLE, EIGHT PEOPLE LEADING A COMMUNITY, BUT IT'S EVERYBODY HAVING A VOICE IN ALL THAT HAPPENS.

AND I JUST HOPE THAT THAT EXAMPLE CARRIES THROUGH INTO SO MUCH MORE THAN DEVELOPMENT, BUT INTO ALL ASPECTS OF WHAT OUR GOVERNMENT DOES.

BECAUSE WHEN THAT HAPPENS, I THINK OUR GOVERNMENT BECOMES STRONGER AND I WANT MORE VOICES AT THE TABLE SO THAT, YOU KNOW, A BETTER TUNE IS SUNG.

SO ALONG THOSE SAME LINES, PLEASE LOOK AT THE BUDGET.

EMAIL US YOUR THOUGHTS, YOUR PRAISES, YOUR CONCERNS.

COME TO THE THE OPEN HEARINGS ON THE BUDGET ON THE FOURTH AND THE 10TH OF MAY AT 7 P.M.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU.

WE WANT TO TALK TO YOU.

WE WANT TO MEET WITH YOU.

WE WANT TO READ YOUR EMAILS.

IT'S IMPORTANT TO US TO KNOW WHAT MATTERS TO YOU BECAUSE WE CAN'T DO THE RIGHT THING FOR THE COMMUNITY UNLESS WE HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY.

SO WITH THAT, THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SHARE.

THANK YOU, MR. BENNETT. AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 15 BUSINESS FROM THE PRESIDENT.

I JUST WANT TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT WE WILL BE BACK IN THESE CHAMBERS TOMORROW MORNING, 8:00, 830.

START GETTING READY FOR OUR FIRST BUDGET HEARING, WHICH IS AT NINE A SECOND ON THURSDAY MORNING.

AND I WOULD ASK. EVERYONE TONIGHT AS I ADJOURN THIS MEETING TO EXIT THE CHAMBERS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE STAFF HAS TO REARRANGE TABLES AND CHAIRS DOWN HERE TO PREPARE FOR TOMORROW MORNING.

SO I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR UNDERSTANDING MS..

DIXON. WITH THAT, WE WILL ADJOURN THIS MEETING.

THANK YOU. THAT CLUED US.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.