[00:00:01]
GOOD MORNING EVERYONE.[County Council Budget Work Session]
UH, WANNA GO AHEAD AND START OUR SECOND, UH, WORK SESSION FOR THE BUDGET TODAY.UH, IT'S OUR PLEASURE TO START WITH, UH, DIRECTOR CMEC, SO, AND, UH, D P W.
SO, UH, THE FIRST ITEM, UH, ON THE AGENDA IS THE OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR, WHICH IS JUST AN ADMINISTRATION BUDGET.
OFFICE OF DIRECTOR IS ON PAGE 3 91 FOR A TOTAL, UM, BUDGET OF $512,319.
UM, A CHANGE OF 116, UH, 50, UH, THEN IS LARGELY DUE TO, UM, A NEW, UH, TEMPORARY SALARY FOR A LIAISON BETWEEN HARPER COUNTY AND STATE HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION.
UM, IF I MAY, I'D LIKE TO DO A LITTLE BIT OF INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC WORKS IN GENERAL ON SOME SPECIFICS BEFORE WE TURN OVER THE DETAIL.
UM, PUBLIC WORKS IS THE LARGEST DEPARTMENT WITHIN HARFORD COUNTY GOVERNMENT COUNTY CHARTER HAS CHARGED D P W WITH THE DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF SEVERAL ITEMS, CAPITAL PROJECTS, COUNTY ROAD BRIDGES, AND DRAINAGE STRUCTURES, SEWAGE COLLECTION AND TREATMENT FACILITIES, WATER SUPPLY, TREATMENT AND DISTRIBUTION, AND SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS AND FACILITIES.
AND IN RECENT YEARS, ADDITIONAL ITEMS HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN OUR MISSION, SUCH AS THE MS FOUR STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PERMIT PROGRAM, ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE INSPECTIONS, AND THIS YEAR, UH, COUNTY FACILITIES AND OPERATIONS.
AS DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, IT'S MY RESPONSIBILITY TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL GUIDANCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT TO ALL OF PUBLIC WORKS AND TO PROVIDE AN EFFICIENT, COST EFFECTIVE DEPARTMENT THAT WILL UNDERSTAND AND MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR CITIZENS AND OUR COUNTY.
WHILE MAINTAINING A WORK ENVIRONMENT BASED ON PRODUCTIVITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY, WE STRIVE TO SOLVE COMPLEX PROBLEMS THROUGH OBJECTIVE COLLABORATION AND BALANCING OFTEN CONFLICTING INTERESTS AND PRIORITIES OF MULTIPLE STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND HIS ADMINISTRATION, COUNTY COUNCIL, OTHER COUNTY DEPARTMENTS AND STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES, INCLUDING AVENUE PROVING GROUND, ARE 260,000 RESIDENTS, THREE MUNICIPALITIES, TWO EMPLOYEE UNIONS, AS WELL AS LOCAL AND NATIONAL ENGINEERS, CONSULTANTS, CONTRACTORS, AND LAND DEVELOPERS THAT DO BUSINESS IN AND FOR THE COUNTY.
I'M SUPPORTED BY OUR DEPUTY DIRECTORS, BILL BETINE AND STEVE WALSH, AND THEY WILL PROVIDE DETAILS ON THEIR OPERATING DIVISIONS.
I ALSO WANNA TAKE A MOMENT TO ACKNOWLEDGE MY ASSISTANT, CHRIS FLINNER, SITTING BEHIND, WHO DOES A GREAT JOB OF KEEPING ME AND ALL IT WORKS STRAIGHT AND ON TRACK, AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
PHIL, STEVE AND I ALSO ENCOURAGE D P W EMPLOYEES TO PARTICIPATE IN CONTINUING EDUCATION AND TRAINING, AND TO ACTIVELY ENGAGE WITH PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNICAL ORGANIZATIONS WITH THEIR COLLEAGUES.
IN MY ROLE AS DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, I AM CURRENTLY PRESIDENT OF THE COUNTY ENGINEERS ASSOCIATION OF MARYLAND FOR FISCAL YEAR 23, AFTER SERVING ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS SINCE 2019, AND I WAS APPOINTED BY GOVERNOR HOGAN AS A BOARD MEMBER OF THE, THE NORTHEAST MARYLAND WASTE DISPOSAL AUTHORITY, AND WAS ELECTED CHAIRMAN IN 2020.
D P W IS ABOUT THE ALMOST 400 DEDICATED MEN AND WOMEN THAT PERFORM ALL THOSE TASKS EVERY DAY THAT MANY OF US DON'T SEE, BUT WE ALWAYS APPRECIATE AND MORE OFTEN NOTICE IN CASE IT DOESN'T HAPPEN.
AND THAT INCLUDES SAFE DRINKING WATER, CLEAN WASTE WATER THAT'S CLEANED WELL ENOUGH TO GO INTO THE CHESAPEAKE BAG.
UH, SAFE AND REVERSIBLE ROADS AND BRIDGES, UM, SOLID WASTE, UH, THAT IS, UH, MANAGED AND DISPOSED OF AND RECYCLED IN ACCORDANCE TO ALL THE REQUIREMENTS AMONGST MANY, MANY, MANY OTHER THINGS.
SO IT IS THEY WHO, WHO DO THAT JOB EVERY SINGLE DAY, OF WHICH I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE.
AND, UH, I, I JUST, FOR WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO, UH, CLOSE MY INTRODUCTION AND, UH, TURN IT BACK TO ROBBIE AND HE'LL WALK THROUGH THE FINANCIAL ASPECTS OF, OF WHAT THIS, UH, PROPOSED BUDGET IS.
UM, SO BEFORE, FIRST, WERE THERE ANY QUESTIONS AND OR ON THE, JUST ON THE OFFICE OF THE, OF THE, UM, DIRECTOR, AND IF NOT, WE'LL GO INTO HIGHWAYS.
SO, BEFORE YOU MOVE ON, JOE, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS, UH, ANSWERING MY CALLS.
I WANT TO THANK YOUR 400 PLUS TEAM, UH, FOR ALL THEY DO.
UH, ON OCCASION WE GET TO VISIT DIFFERENT SITES, DIFFERENT, UH, LOCATIONS, AND GET A FEEL FOR WHAT THEY DO EVERY DAY.
UM, AND WE KNOW THAT, UH, YOUR MEN ARE ON CALL, MEN AND WOMEN ARE ON CALL, UH, 24 7, SO WE APPRECIATE THAT.
APPRECIATE THE TOURS THAT YOU PROVIDED, UH, FOR, UH, THE COUNCIL AS A WHOLE, UH, FOR, UH, ALL OF YOUR DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, WHETHER IT BE AT THE ABONY WATER PLANT OR WHETHER IT BE SIDE RUN, UH, AND, AND THE CAPABILITIES ARE, ARE LIKE NO OTHER.
BUT I GOTTA ASK YOU, THAT BEEPING NOISE THAT WE'VE BEEN LISTENING TO FOR ABOUT A WEEK, WHAT THE HELL IS IT? I JUST ASKED YOU TO STOP.
OH, DID YOU?
SO WHAT ARE THEY DOING UP, UP ON THE ROOF? REDOING, RE RESTORING THE, OKAY, SORRY, I JUST ASKED THE
[00:05:01]
NEXT TIME.UH, WE, WE'VE TOLERATED IT YESTERDAY.
COUNTY EXECUTIVE SAT HERE FOR THREE HOURS AND IT BEEPED THE ENTIRE TIME.
UM, JOE, TALK, TALK TO ME ABOUT WOODLEY ROAD.
UH, THE, AS WE HAD, UH, INDICATED IN EARLIER DISCUSSIONS, 75%, UH, DOCUMENTS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED.
UH, THEY WERE DELIVERED TO THE COUNTY, UH, EARLIER THIS WEEK.
UH, THE ENTIRE PACKAGE WAS THEN FORWARDED ONTO RAY MCDERMOTT OF, UH, ABERDEEN PROVING GROUNDS, UM, YESTERDAY, AS A MATTER OF FACT.
SO ALL THE DOCUMENTATION THAT THEY HAD BEEN LOOKING FOR HAS BEEN, UH, HAS BEEN SUBMITTED TO THEM.
NOW, ROBBIE, IF YOU'D LIKE TO, ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AT ALL? WELL, I, I'D JUST LIKE TO COMMENT ON THE TOUR THAT PAT WAS TALKING ABOUT.
UH, ONE COMMENT, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A TOUR AT THE END OF THE TOUR WHEN WE WENT DOWN TO THE, ACTUALLY TO THE BUSH RIVER, AND THEY, THEY, UH, UM, SHOWED US, UH, WHERE THE WATER, WATER IS NOW GOING INTO THE BUSH RIVER AF AFTER IT'S BEEN TREATED ALL THROUGH OUR, THROUGH OUR COUNTY.
AND THEY DI TOOK A DIP OF THE WATER OUT OF THIS.
I GUESS YOU, IT'S A BIG HOLE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU CALL IT.
AND IT, AND IT, AND IT'S GOING RIGHT FROM THERE OUT AFTER THIS IS, IF IT'S BEEN TREATED, THEY SCOOP IT OUT AND THEY PUT IT IN A GLASS OF WATER.
THEN HE'D TAKE A GLASS TO TAKE A SCOOP AND SCOOP IT OUT OF BUSH RIVER AND POUR IT ANOTHER GLASS AND PUT 'EM SIDE BY SIDE.
AND THE, THE DIFFERENCE IS JUST NIGHT AND DAY.
THE WATER GOING IN THERE IS BETTER IN THE WATER THAT'S THERE.
UM, MR. PENMAN, UH, THANK YOU, SIR.
UH, JUST THIS TEMPORARY POSITION, THE LIAISON BETWEEN HARFORD COUNTY AND THE STATE HIGHWAYS.
I KNOW THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A BREAKDOWN BETWEEN HIGHWAYS AND, AND, AND TRYING TO, UH, GET THINGS ACCOMPLISHED WITH THE STATE.
UH, BUT WHAT'S YOUR VISION FOR THAT POSITION, UH, PRODUCTIVITY? IS THERE ANOTHER POSITION IN OTHER COUNTIES THAT ALSO HAVE A LIAISON THAT, THAT IS, THAT'S EFFECTIVE? UM, PUBLIC WORKS HAS TRADITIONALLY BEEN A, A VERY, UH, LEAN AND, UH, AND, AND, UH, FOCUSED ORGANIZATION ON THE MISSION AT HAND, GET STUFF DONE.
UM, AND SO WHEN THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE CAME IN AND RECOGNIZED THAT HE'D LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE SORT OF REACHED OUT MORE TO DIFFERENT, UH, ORGANIZATIONS, STATE HIGHWAY IN PARTICULAR, AND BEING THE, THE GENERAL PUBLIC DOESN'T RECOGNIZE SOMETIMES THAT A ROAD ISN'T, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IT'S THE COUNTY, SOMETIMES THE STATE THERE, THEY JUST KNOW THAT THE ROAD HAS AN ISSUE.
UH, AND SO WE RECOGNIZE THAT WE WANTED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE MORE OF A COMMUNICATION AND A CLOSER COORDINATION.
UH, SO THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO HAVE AN INDIVIDUAL THAT HAD THAT RESPONSIBILITY, I THINK IS GONNA BE HELPFUL TO US.
UH, MY VISION IS TO USE THAT PERSON FOR, WELL, MORE THAN JUST SIMPLY THAT TASK.
UH, THAT PERSON WILL HELP US TO, UH, POSSIBLY EVALUATE, UH, GRANT OPPORTUNITIES, UH, LOOKING FOR THINGS THAT WE DON'T ALREADY DO OR THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET FUNDING TO DO.
SO, UH, THAT PERSON WOULD BE ABLE TO HELP US WITH OUR, UH, SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE PERHAPS.
UH, AGAIN, WE HAVE SOME ELEMENT OF THAT, BUT WE'RE FOCUSED ON DOING ENGINEER AND CONSTRUCTION STUFF.
AND SO WE THINK THAT THAT PERSON, UH, IS GOING TO BE VERY HELPFUL IN THAT REGARD.
I WILL SAY, COMPARED TO MY COLLEAGUES AND, UH, COUNTERPARTS IN OTHER, OTHER PUBLIC WORKS AGENCIES IN, UH, EXCUSE ME, YEAH, PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENTS IN OTHER COUNTIES, UM, OUR OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR, WHICH WOULD BE THREE PEOPLE INSTEAD OF TWO, IS MUCH SMALLER THAN MOST THAT ARE, UH, SIMILAR SIZE TO US, LIKE CARROLL COUNTY, FREDERICK COUNTY, FOR EXAMPLE.
SO WE FEEL THAT, UH, AGAIN, WE DON'T COMPARE OURSELVES TO OTHERS, BUT WE ALWAYS DO TAKE A LOOK AND WE ASK, HOW DO YOU ALL DO THAT? UH, THAT'S HOW THAT IDEA CAME ABOUT.
UH, ANY COUNSEL, ANY, ANYONE ELSE? MS. HERRON? UM, THIS MIGHT BE DIRECTED TO ROBBIE ON PAGE 3 93.
THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF DISCREPANCY IN THE SALARY FROM FY 22, 23, AND 24.
UM, IS, IS THAT A TYPO? PERHAPS 43.
SO JUST, JUST, OH YEAH, SO SALARY ADJUSTMENTS FROM THE, UM, UH, FROM THE, FROM THE PRIOR, UH, FROM THE PRIOR YEAR.
UM, SO THE DIRECTOR TOOK MORE THAN $20,000 CUT, POSSIBLY GET A CUT,
UM, CHRIS IS NOW OUR, MY THIRD DIFFERENT ONE IN THE LAST THREE YEARS.
THAT EITHER MEANS I'M A BAD BOSS AND I CAN'T
[00:10:01]
IS A, THERE THAT HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN IN THAT POSITION OVER THE YEARS.I WAS REALLY LOOKING AT THE DIRECTOR'S SALARY THAT WAS SO HIGH IN FY 23 AND SO LOW IN 24.
ROBBIE, DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH THE 27 PAY? NO, THAT, I MEAN, THAT IS, UM, THERE WERE, UM, WE PUT IN RA THERE WERE, THERE WERE RAISES PUT IN KIND OF A, ACROSS THE BOARD LAST YEAR AS PART OF, UM, UH, THAT RAISE PACKAGE.
UM, BUT, BUT NOT EVERYONE RECEIVED RECEIVED THOSE RAISES.
SO FY 23 IS NOT A REAL NUMBER? NO.
WELL, SO FY 23 WAS A BUDGETED NUMBER BASED UPON IF THE RAISES WERE GIVEN ACROSS THE BOARD, OFTENTIMES DIRECTORS, AT LEAST IN THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION, WOULD SOMETIMES NOT RECEIVE, UM, NECESSARILY THE SAME, THE SAME RAISE OR AT THE SAME TIME AS, AS THE REST OF THE EMPLOYEES.
AND SO, AND SO YOU, I MEAN, YOU ALWAYS BUDGET WHAT, WHAT YOU THINK WILL BE, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT WOULD BE THE, UM, UH, KIND OF LIKE THE, THE HIGHEST AMOUNT, IF YOU WILL.
UM, IF IT WAS, IF IT WAS DONE ACROSS THE BOARD, BUT THEN, YOU KNOW, ACTUAL TIMING AND ACTUAL DECISIONS MIGHT, MIGHT AFFECT THAT AND ALL.
I, I JUST WANT TO ASK ABOUT SOME OF THESE SIDE ROADS THAT ARE BEING USED AS, UH, TRACTOR TRAILER PARKING LOTS.
I, I CAME BY THIS MORNING AND THERE'S TWO TRAILERS DUMPED SITTING THERE.
UH, I, I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THEY CAN BE PARKED ON COUNTY ROADS.
I KNOW THAT THE ROAD IS NOT BUSY.
I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT, UH, I WAS JUST CURIOUS TO THAT REASON, UH, PARKING VIOLATIONS, UH, ON ANY COUNTY ROAD ARE THE ENFORCEMENT OF THOSE ARE, UH, THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
WHEN WE HEAR ABOUT, AND WE OFTEN HEAR ABOUT 'EM, JUST LIKE WE HEARD FROM YOU ABOUT THAT POSSIBILITY, THEN WE REPORT THOSE, UH, DIRECTLY TO THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE FOR THEM TO INVESTIGATE.
AND THEN THEY WILL, UH, PAY ATTENTION TO WHETHER IT'S AN AREA WHERE IT'S A RECURRING PROBLEM, UH, AND THEN THAT MAY RESULT IN A DIFFERENT TYPE OF SIGNAGE PERHAPS THAT WE WOULD LOOK AT.
UH, BUT WE'LL MAKE A POINT OF, UH, OF REPORTING.
I KNOW THAT THEY'VE BEEN DROPPED DIFFERENT TRAILERS THERE IN THE LAST THREE WEEKS, SO, OKAY.
JUST A FOLLOW UP QUESTION TO THE SALARY, I JUST WANT TO CONFIRM, UM, SO THAT THE FY 23 SALARY, YEAH.
FY 23 SALARY FOR THE DIRECTOR WAS NOT AT 1 92.
NO, THAT WAS THE, THAT WAS THE BUDGETED AMOUNT.
UM, SOMETIMES COUNTY EXECUTIVES, UM, WOULD NOT, IF LAST YEAR THERE WAS A 10% INCREASE IN, UM, IN WAGES, AND SOMETIMES THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE WOULD NOT NECESSARILY APPLY THAT SAME TO, TO THE DIRECTORS.
UM, AND SO BECAUSE OF THAT, WE BUDGETED IT AT THAT LEVEL.
UM, BUT THAT WAS, WAS NOT, UM, WAS NOT WHAT, WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, GENERALLY DIRECTORS AREN'T TREATED THE SAME WAY AS, UM, THE THE CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEES.
UM, AND SO SOME OF THAT JUST GOES INTO WHAT THE, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE WANTED, WANTED TO DO, BUT IT WOULDN'T HAVE GONE OVER THAT, THAT AMOUNT.
BUT, UM, AND SO THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SEEING NOW IS BASED UPON THE CURRENT, THE CURRENT SALARY.
SO WITH THAT, WE'LL UH, TURN, UH, FIRST TO THE OPERATING PORTION OF HIGHWAYS.
UH, AND THEN WE'LL GO, UM, AFTER WE'RE DONE WITH THAT SECTION, THEN WE'LL GO TO THE CAPITOL SECTION, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE THE RESURFACING AND THE BRIDGES ON THE OTHER SORTED ROAD PROJECTS.
SO ON THE OPERATING SIDE OF HIGHWAYS, IF YOU TURN YOUR OPERATING BOOK, EXCUSE, ROBBIE.
OH, COULD, COULD I DO AN CHAIR ROLL? OH, YOU CAN DO THAT.
UM, COULD I INTRODUCE THE TEAM HERE? YES.
UM, SO WE HAVE A LOT OF FOLKS FOR
FIRST CAROLYN COMBS, SHE'S OUR BUDGET TECH.
APPRECIATE, UH, THE WORK THERE.
UH, CAPITAL PROJECTS, UH, LEAD IS BARKLEY CREIGHTON, UH, FACILITY AND OPS.
AARON SCHAFFER, UH, IT'S FROM STORMWATER MANAGEMENT DIVISION, BOB ANDERSON.
SO WASTE, JEFF SCHAUBERGER, UH, HIGHWAYS.
WE HAVE KENNY SEXTON, HEAD, HEAD OF HIGHWAYS, CHARLIE BURKE, THE THE MONEY GUY, AND ALL AROUND
UH, GLENN HEK, OUR CHIEF HIGHWAY ENGINEER, UH, FROM WATERSHED PROTECTION.
CHRISTINE BUCKLEY, THE, THE HEAD OF THAT GROUP, AND SOME FOLKS FROM A GROUP THERE, LAURA, ANDREW, MICHELLE AND DANIELLE IN THE BACK.
UM, MATT, MICHAEL, NEWLY, UH, NAMED HEAD OF CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT.
WE SEE 'EM ON A REGULAR BASIS FOR SHORT AND APPRECIATE ALL THEY DO.
UH, THE DIVISION OF HIGHWAYS CONSISTS OF TWO BUREAUS, UM, BUREAU
[00:15:01]
OF HIGHWAY MAINTENANCE AND THE BUREAU OF HIGHWAY ENGINEERING.AND JUST TO REMIND FOLKS OF OUR HIGHWAY INFRASTRUCTURE, WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN, UH, 1079 MILES OF ROAD.
A LITTLE LESS THAN A THIRD IS TARRAN CHIP.
AND WE STILL HAVE 42 MILES OF EARTH ROADS OUT THERE.
225 COUNTY BRIDGES, 3076 CULVERTS, 280 MILES OF STORM DRAIN.
IF YOU DO THE MATH, THAT'S ONE AND A HALF MILLION FEET OF STORM DRAIN.
WE HAVE 31,000 SIGNS AND 5,361 STREETLIGHTS.
WE ALSO TAKE CARE OF, UH, RIGHT AWAY MANAGEMENT UTILITY AND ACCESS PERMITTING, ROADSIDE AND TREE MANAGEMENT.
THEN OF COURSE, SNOW REMOVAL AND STORM CLEANUP.
UH, AND THIS, THIS, THIS PROPOSED HIGHWAY'S BUDGET SUPPORTS THE MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENTS OF THOSE ASSETS.
UM, HIGHWAY MAINTENANCES MAINTENANCE IS DIVIDED INTO FOUR HIGHWAY MAINTENANCE DISTRICTS IN WHITEFORD, ABINGDON, JARRETTSVILLE, AND HICKORY, SUPPORTED BY SPECIAL OPERATIONS CREWS FOR GROUND GROUNDS MAINTENANCE, UH, ROAD CEILING, BRIDGE DRAINAGE, TRAFFIC SIGNS, TRAFFIC MARKING AND UTILITY AND ACCESS.
UM, PERMITTING, BUREAU OF HIGHWAY ENGINEERING IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE INVESTIGATION AND PROJECT DEVELOPMENT AND DESIGN OF COUNTY ROADWAY TRAFFIC, PEDESTRIAN SAFETY BRIDGE, AND DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, AS WELL AS THE REVIEW, BONDING AND PERMITTING OF PRIVATE LAND DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS.
UM, AND ALSO JUST A REMINDER ABOUT, UM, HIGHWAYS.
HIGHWAYS IS A SPECIAL REVENUE FUND, AND ALL THE OPERATIONS OF HIGHWAYS ARE NOT PART OF THE GENERAL FUND.
THEY ARE PRIMARILY FINANCED, UM, THROUGH A PROPERTY TAX THAT IS LEVIED ON THOSE PROPERTIES OUTSIDE OF THE THREE MUNICIPALITIES.
THE IDEA BEING THAT THE, UM, COUNTY TAXPAYERS, IF YOU WILL PAY FOR COUNTY ROADS AND THE MUNICIPAL TAXPAYERS PAY FOR THE MUNICIPAL ROADS.
UM, SO, UM, ALL OF THEIR OPERATIONS JUST DEAL WITH JUST STRICTLY COUNTY ONLY ROADS OUTSIDE OF THE THREE MUNICIPALITIES AND ARE FUNDED, UM, FROM THOSE RESPECTIVE TAXPAYERS.
UM, WITH THAT, UM, GOING TO THE OPERATING PORTION HERE ON, UM, PAGE 4 26.
UH, THE OVERALL DIVISION OF HIGHWAYS HAS AN INCREASE OF, UM, UH, 341,000, UH, 116, AND THEN WE'LL GO INTO THE INDIVIDUAL ITEMS THAT ARE MAKING THAT UP.
UM, AS DEPUTY DIRECTOR SPOKE TO, UM, THERE ARE A FEW DIFFERENT DIVISIONS.
THE BUREAU OF HIGHWAY ENGINEERING, UM, HAS A NET DECREASE OF $104,000.
UM, THAT IS, UM, A COMBINATION OF, UH, POSITION TURNOVER, THE 27TH PAY PARTIALLY OFFSET BY, UM, UH, INCREASE FOR, UH, THE TRAFFIC ENGINEER, OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.
IF YOU TURN TO PAGE 4 34, HIGH BUREAU OF HIGHWAY MAINTENANCE, THERE IS AN INCREASE THERE OF $323,000.
THAT IS A COMBINATION OF, UH, 216,000 INCREASE FOR, UH, TREE TRIMMING, UH, DUE TO INCREASED, UH, WORK AND INCREASE IN THE MOWING CONTRACT.
AND ALSO A $300,000 INCREASE FOR STREET SWEEPER SERVICES.
THAT IS PARTIALLY OFFSET BY, UM, POSITION TURNOVER IS THE 27TH PAY.
ON PAGE 4 38, UH, SNOW REMOVAL, THERE IS AN INCREASE THERE OF 121, UH THOUSAND, ALMOST 122,000.
AND THAT IS LARGELY DUE TO AN INCREASE IN THE PRICE OF SAND AND SALT THAT COVERS THE OPERATION.
SO STEVE, UH, JUST ONE QUICK QUESTION.
UM, IT'S A STABILIZATION FUND.
I KNOW IN THE BUDGET WE HAVE, IS IT 30 30 MILLION? IS THAT WHAT I RECALL? FOR THE WATERSHED STABILIZATION? OH, SO IN, IN THAT, IN THAT SECTION, YES.
AND DO WE ACTUALLY SPEND ALL OF THAT MONEY FOR THAT, OR IS IT JUST BUDGETED? YEAH, WELL THAT'S, THAT'S A PART OF FUN BALANCE.
THAT IS, UM, THERE, IF WE, UM, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THE OBLIGATION IN THE FUTURE FOR, FOR STORMWATER NOW, DO WE A SECTION WE GET TO, UM, WITH, WITH CHRISTINE BUCKLEY, I THINK AFTER THIS ONE, UM, THEN WE'LL, WE'LL WAIT TILL THEN.
UH, SO, SO, UH, SNOW REMOVAL, SINCE WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY SNOW REMOVAL LAST YEAR.
WHERE DOES THAT MONEY GO TO THAT WE APPROPRIATED? SO ANYTHING THAT'S NOT SPENT IN THE HIGHWAYS FUND GOES TO THE HIGHWAYS FUND FUND BALANCE.
UM, NOW, SOMETIMES AT THE END OF THE YEAR, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SOME, UM, SOME PROJECTS.
SO IF WE HAD SOME SAVINGS, YOU KNOW, THAT THINGS THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN DEFERRED OR STOCKING UP PILES, EVEN WHEN IT SEEMS LIKE WE DON'T HAVE SNOW.
I KNOW WE STILL SOMETIMES PUT DOWN SALT IN.
YOU KNOW, BUT, UM, SO THERE IS AN EFFORT TO DO THAT.
BUT ANYTHING IN THE, IN THE HIGHWAYS FUND STAYS IN THE WASTES FUND SO IT DOESN'T GET TRANSFERRED, UM, TO ANY OTHER FUNDS.
SO, I, I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT, OR YOU GUYS TALKED ABOUT YOU WERE DOING SOMETHING NEWER THIS YEAR,
[00:20:01]
UM, WITH, I GUESS, WAS IT A BRINE THAT, UH, THAT YOU'RE WORKING? AND, UH, I KNOW WE HAD A COUPLE INSTANCES WHERE WE HAD A, YOU KNOW, WE SAW THE, THE BRINE DOWN, BUT THAT WAS DIFFERENT FROM THE YEAR BEFORE.DIDN'T YOU GUYS CHANGE SOMETHING ON THAT? NO, IT'S JUST, IT'S THE CONTINUED USE OF BRINE, WHICH IS REALLY THE, UH, THE BEST WAY TO TREAT ROADS, THE, THE BEST TECHNOLOGY AVAILABLE TO, TO MAKE THE SALT WORK A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
SO BASICALLY THERE'S A, THERE'S A BRINE TANK ON OUR NEW TRUCKS THAT ACTUALLY PUTS BRINE ON THE SALT AS THE SALT IS DELIVERED.
SO IT, IT, IT KICKS IN THE SALT A LITTLE QUICKER THAN IT NORMALLY WOULD.
AND, UH, THAT'S SORT OF THE, THE, THE, THE BEST MODERN TECHNOLOGY OUT THERE.
ANYTHING ELSE ON THAT, KENNY? GOING TO A PRE-WET.
SO THE, WHAT HAPPENS, LIKE IF WE BUY ALL THIS SALT, DOES THAT SALT STAY THIS YEAR TO NEXT YEAR? SO IT IS.
JUST WANT TO CLARIFY EXPLANATION.
UM, JUST TO, UH, TOUCH ON WHAT TONY JUST SAID, IN FACT, WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY SUBSTANTIAL SNOW OF ANYTHING IN THE LAST TWO YEARS.
NOW
MAYBE IN THE NORTHERN WESTERN PART OF, OF THE COUNTY, IT MAY BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
CAUSE IT JUST SEEMS LIKE FOR SOME REASON, 95 KIND OF PARALLELS THE WEATHER FOR SOME REASON.
AND I'M ON THIS, I'M ON THE GOOD SIDE OF 95, AND YOU GUYS ARE ON THE BAD SIDE AS FAR AS THE WEATHER'S CONCERNED.
UH, BUT IT IS AMAZING WHEN I, WHEN I SEE THAT AND I SEE THE WEATHER AND I CAN SEE THERE, IT'S LIKE SNOW OVER THERE AND WE AIN'T GOT ANYTHING NOW, NOW THAT HELPS BEING CLOSE TO THE WATER CUZ THE WATER REVERSES ITSELF FROM THE SUMMER TO THE WINTER, TO THE WINTER TO THE SUMMER.
BUT, UM, I KNOW I HAVEN'T HAD, UH, I GOT A SNOWBLOWER AND SHOVELS.
I HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANYTHING OUT OF THE GARAGE IN THE LAST TWO YEARS.
I GOTTA GET RID OF THE, THE, THE, UH, THE BUGS AND STUFF OFF.
YOU NEED TO, BECAUSE I HAVEN'T HAD TO USE IT.
AND I, I'VE GOT A FAIRLY LONG DRIVEWAY AND I HAVEN'T HAD TO USE IT IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.
SO WE SHOULD BE SAVING SOME MONEY.
WE, WE HAVE
I MEAN, DEFINITELY I REMEMBER MY, MY FIRST OR SECOND YEAR HERE, UM, WE WERE WELL OVER OUR, OUR, OUR, OUR SNOW BUDGET, UM, DURING THE, THE SNOWMAGEDDON PERIOD.
UM, YOU KNOW, AS YOU MENTIONED, IT'S NOT UNCOMMON TO SEE SIX INCHES OF SNOW IN THE NORTH PART OF THE COUNTY AND, AND DOWN BY THE WATER.
SO YEAH, LAST YEAR WAS, THERE WERE, THERE WAS A DECENT NUMBER OF, OF EVENTS LAST YEAR.
MR. RILEY, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS FOR STEVE OR JOE, WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT YOUR ANNEX OR IT'S UP FOR, UH, DISCUSSION ABOUT ANNEXING SOME PROPERTY THERE IN ABERDEEN AND THAT ROAD THAT YOU SAY YOU HAVE TO MAKE SOME KIND OF, UH, A DEAL WITH ABERDEEN TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY LIVE UP TO THE EXPECTATIONS.
SO PREVIOUSLY WHEN WE ANNEXED PROPERTY, DID THE HIGHWAYS GO WITH THE TOWN OR THE, THE, UH, UH, ABERDEEN OR WHEREVER WE ANNEXED HAPPY GRACE OR BEL AIR? NO, IT DEPENDS ON THE INDIVIDUAL ANNEXATION AGREEMENT BY THE INDIVIDUAL MUNICIPALITY.
THE LAST SEVERAL OR FEW WITHIN ABERDEEN HAVE NOT.
UM, SO WE'RE DOING THOSE ROADS, THOSE COUNTY ROADS.
THE REST OF THE COUNTY IS DOING IT.
NOT THE, UH, THE TOWN OF ABERDEEN.
WELL, THE, THE, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF DETERMINING WHAT'S GONNA BE DONE, AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE CITY OF ABERDEEN TO DETERMINE WHAT'S THE BEST AND MOST APPROPRIATE APPROACH JUST ON THAT ONE ROAD THAT WE'RE, WE'RE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE OTHER NIGHT.
WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT PREVIOUSLY.
HAVE WE DONE ANY ANNEXING WHERE WE STILL HAVE TO DO ROADS IN THEIR TOWNSHIP? NOT THAT I KNOW OF.
AND THEY'RE DOING THE ANNEXING TOWNS, AND AGAIN, THEY'RE, THEY'RE ANNEXING THE PROPERTY, NOT THE ROAD.
SO, AND, AND I'LL, I'LL, I'LL GIVE AN EXAMPLE.
UM, THE, IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, BUT RIGHT HERE, THE TOWN OF BEL AIR ANNEX, A COUPLE VERY SMALL PARCELS ON TOLLGATE ROAD, UM, RIGHT.
UH, JUST A COUPLE BLOCKS SOUTH, I GUESS, OR, UH, EAST OF, UH, BALTIMORE PIKE, UH, THAT ARE ON BOTH SIDES OF TOLLGATE ROAD.
TH THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT ANNEXING TOLLGATE ROAD IN THAT 200 FOOT STRETCH.
AND THAT'S BY AGREEMENT THAT'S UNDERSTOOD BETWEEN THE TOWN AND US.
AND THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF THE WAY WE WORK TOGETHER WITH THE TOWN.
SO IT'S EACH INDIVIDUAL SITUATION AS IT COMES UP.
MR. PENN, UM, YOU MENTIONED THE, THE FUND BALANCE.
IS THE FUND BALANCE, UH, FOR HIGHWAYS LISTED IN HERE? I DIDN'T SEE IT.
OR IS IT LISTED IN THE CAPITAL OR,
[00:25:01]
UM, NO, IT'S IN THE, UM, SO IN THE, THE FINANCIAL REPORT, THE FUND BALANCE FOR UM, 70, UM, THE TOTAL, UM, THE TOTAL HIGHWAYS, UM, FUND BALANCE IS ABOUT 25 MILLION, YOU KNOW, OF THAT AMOUNT.UM, THEY HAVE A, A 5%, UM, RAINY DAY FUND AS, AS WELL.
UM, AND THEN THERE WAS ABOUT EIGHT, EIGHT AND A HALF THAT WAS KIND OF AVAILABLE FOR, FOR FUTURE USE.
WE USED 9 MILLION OF IT, UM, TO, AS PART OF LAST YEAR'S BUDGET.
SO, SO, BUT YEAH, IF YOU GO TO, UM, ONE PAGE 72, YOU WOULD SEE ALL OF THE DIFFERENT FUNDS, UM, INDIVIDUAL FUND BALANCES OF FINANCIALS.
SO, UH, OF THAT 25 MILLION, THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL 5% ON, ON TOP OF THAT, OR THAT'S PART OF, THAT'S PART OF IT.
THE TOTAL, THE TOTAL FUND BALANCE FROM WHETHER OR NOT YOU CAN, YOU CAN EASILY ACCESS IT OR NOT EASILY ACCESS IT.
IN THE HIGHWAYS FUND WAS 25 MILLION HISTORICALLY.
IS THAT AND ON AVERAGE OF WHAT THEY NORMALLY HAVE? YEAH, WELL WE'VE BEEN, YEAH, UM, UH, THERE HASN'T BEEN THE SAME AMOUNT OF FLUCTUATION IN THE HIGHWAYS FUND BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE THE, THERE'S NO INCOME TAX.
SO WE HAVEN'T HAD THAT, THAT BIG INCREASE WHERE WE HAD THE BIG INCREASES IN INCOME TAX THE PAST, THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS.
UM, AND WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF, UM, ROADWAY RESURFACING AND THE LIKE THAT WE'VE, UM, THAT WE'VE DONE CUZ WE'VE HAD SOME POTENTIAL FUND BALANCE BECAUSE OF NOT A WHOLE LOT OF SNOW AND, AND MAKING SOME OTHER MOVEMENTS.
UM, BUT THEN WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO PUT THAT RIGHT BACK INTO THE BUDGET THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
BUT A LOT OF THOSE, UH, PROJECTS OR CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT ARE FUNDED SEPARATE OUTSIDE OF THE FUND BALANCE THOUGH, RIGHT? WELL, YOU CAN FUND HIGHWAY PROJECTS, UM, EITHER WITH CASH, SO LIKE ROADWAY RESURFACING I W IS PRETTY MUCH THAT'S ALL CASH BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S NOT A LONG TERM ASSET.
SO WE NORMALLY USE FUND BALANCE AS BEST WE CAN TO ADDRESS ROADWAY RESURFACING.
THEN THE OTHER PROJECTS LIKE YOUR BRIDGES, UM, AND MAYBE YOUR MAJOR ROAD CONSTRUCTION, WE GENERALLY BOND THOSE, BUT THEN OF COURSE, THAT DEBT SERVICE WOULD BE PAID FOR WITH THE HIGHWAY FUND REVENUE.
UM, MR. SEK, WHEN YOU SPEAK NEXT, COULD YOU PULL THAT MIC CLOSER PLEASE? SURE.
THEY'RE NOT QUITE ABLE TO HEAR YOU.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO ASK ABOUT, UH, PERSONNEL SERVICES AND CONTRACTUAL SERVICES.
I NOTICED THAT, UM, WITH PERSONNEL SERVICES, THERE'S A REDUCTION OF A LITTLE OVER A MILLION DOLLARS IN, UH, THE FY 24 BUDGET AND CONTRACTUAL SERVICES.
THERE'S AN INCREASE OF ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS.
IS THAT, UM, PUBLIC WORKS MOVING TOWARDS USING CONTRACTUAL SERVICES TO DO THE WORK THAT HAS TRADITIONALLY BEEN DONE BY COUNTY EMPLOYEES? OR IS THAT JUST A COINCIDENCE THAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE NEARLY IDENTICAL OR, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE REDUCTION IN PERSONNEL SERVICES AND AND INCREASE IN CONTRACTUAL SERVICES? YEAH, YEAH.
A LOT OF, A LOT OF THE REDUCTION ON THE PERSONNEL SIDE, UM, IS BECAUSE OF THAT 27TH PAY.
AND THEN ALSO, UM, WE'RE CHANGING HOW WE'VE, UM, WE'RE BUDGETING FOR, FOR, UM, HEALTH INSURANCE.
BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE TOTAL NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES, UM, THE TOTAL EMPLOYEE NUMBER IS ON PAGE, UM, 4, 4 28.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT, AT JUST, UM, THAT YOU'LL SEE THAT THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES IS STILL 157.
AND IN THEIR INDIVIDUAL SALARIES, WHAT WE BUDGETED, THERE'S ALSO NO, NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE THERE ON THE CONTRACTUAL SIDE.
I THINK THAT WHAT THAT GETS TO IS PARTICULARLY, UM, THE, UM, THE, THE LARGEST COMPONENT OF THAT IS THAT INCREASE IN TREE TREE TRIMMING, UM, AND MOWING CONTRACTS, AND THEN ALSO THE STREET SWEEPER, UH, PROJECT AS WELL.
AND, AND SOME ADDITIONAL MONEY FOR PIPE REPAIRS.
WELL, THAT'S STARTING TO FAIL.
SO WE'RE SEEING MORE NEED FOR MONEY FOR PIPE REPAIRS AND $400,000 OF THAT.
OH, I GUESS WHAT'S THE, UM, THOUGHT PROCESS BETWEEN WHAT, WHAT GETS TURNED INTO A CONTRACTED OUT JOB VERSUS, UM, MAKING SOMETHING LIKE WE'RE GONNA HIRE MORE EMPLOYEES INTO D P W TO MAKE THAT SOMETHING D P W DIRECTLY TAKES CARE OF IN REGARDS TO, UH, TREE TRIMMING PIPE REPAIRS, YOU KNOW, UM, UH, SO ON AND SO FORTH.
THAT, THAT, THAT IS A, UH, THAT IS A CHALLENGE THAT I DEAL WITH ALL THE TIME.
AND SOME OF THE CRITERIA THAT I USE TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS HAVE TO DO WITH, UM, IT IS A, IS IT A LONG-TERM NEED? IF IT'S NOT A LONG-TERM NEED, THEN I DON'T WANT TO NECESSARILY HIRE PEOPLE TO DO IT.
IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE EXPERTISE TO DO, AND THEY'RE VERY DIFFICULT TO ACHIEVE THAT TYPE OF EXPERTISE
[00:30:01]
WITH AN IN-HOUSE PERSON.THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD LEAN TOWARDS GOING OUTSIDE.
SO AMONGST SEVERAL OTHER DECISION EFFORTS, WE, WE, WE TRY TO BALANCE THOSE TO THE BEST THAT WE CAN.
UH, RECOGNIZING, UH, AGAIN, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE, WE, WE, UH, EXECUTE OUR MISSION MM-HMM.
UH, COUNSEL, ANYONE ELSE? MR. GUTHRIE? UH, I KNOW ROUTE 40 IS A STATE ROAD.
AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH INFLUENCE YOU HAVE OVER THE STATE TO TRY TO GET THE DAMN ROAD FIXED.
BUT I KNOW WHEN IT'S SOUTHERN PART OF COUNTY FROM, I DON'T KNOW WHY THE BALTIMORE COUNTY HARFORD COUNTY LINE, WHEN YOU CROSS THE BALTIMORE COUNTY LINE, YOU KNOW THE ROAD IS PERFECTLY, IT'S GOOD, IT'S A NICE ROAD, AND THEY CAN WORK ON BOTH THOSE BRIDGES THERE.
THEY'RE DOING AN OUTSTANDING JOB.
YOU CROSSING THE HARFORD COUNTY AND THAT ROAD ON BOTH SIDES OF THE, OF THE ROAD FROM ALL THE WAY UP FROM THERE TO 1 52 IS, IS, IS ABSOLUTELY IN TERRIBLE CONDITION ON BOTH SIDES.
FINALLY, UM, THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO START THIS WEEK ON THE SOUTHERN PART OF, UH, ROUTE 40 AT JOPPA FARM ROAD, BUT, UH, ALL THE WAY UP TO 1 52 ON BOTH SIDES.
AND, AND WHEN YOU GET, WHEN YOU CO COME UP, UH, UM, EXCUSE ME, ON ROUTE 40, WHEN YOU COME UP ROUTE 42, 1 52, UH, WHERE YOU TURN ON THE 1 52, THAT AREA THERE IS, IS ABSOLUTELY AS BAD AS THE SOUTHERN PART OF, OF, UM, ROUTE 40, UH, NEAR, UM, UH, NEAR CHAPEL FARM ROAD.
SO I KNOW WHAT, WHAT INFLUENCE DO WE HAVE TO TRY TO GET THOSE ROADS REPAIRED? UH, PEOPLE BEATING UP ON ME ALL THE TIME, AND I DON'T BLAME 'EM BECAUSE I'M TRYING TO BEAT UP ON SOMEBODY ELSE.
THEY COULD TRY TO GET IT DONE.
UM, BUT YOU CAN'T GET A LOT OF EM, UM, YOU CAN'T GET A LOT OF KICKBACK FROM THE STATE WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO FIND OUT WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE HELL THEY'RE GONNA DO WITH THAT ROAD.
UM, DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING AS FAR AS THAT'S GOING GET REPAIRED BESIDES, YOU KNOW, THAT PROBABLY THAT ONE QUARTER OF A MILE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO, UH, AND STARTING THIS WEEK, THE REST OF IT? WELL, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION ABOUT WHAT INFLUENCE WE HAVE, WE HAVE VERY LITTLE DIRECT INFLUENCE BECAUSE THEY'RE A STATE AGENCY AND WE'RE NOT.
HOWEVER, THAT IS PART OF THE BENEFIT THAT WE THINK THAT WE'RE GONNA GAIN FROM THESE REGULAR QUARTERLY MEETINGS THAT ARE, THAT WE ARE HAVE ALREADY STARTED TO DO.
WE BEGAN IT THIS WEEK AS A MATTER OF FACT, TO MORE ACTIVELY ENGAGE WITH NOT ONLY THE ENGINEERING FOLKS WITHIN DISTRICT FOUR, UH, WHICH IS HARTFORD AND BALTIMORE COUNTY, UH, BUT ALSO THEIR MAINTENANCE FOLKS THAT HAVE THEIR SHOP UP IN CHURCHVILLE IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE TYPES OF CONCERNS, LIKE YOU JUST MENTIONED AND SEVERAL OTHERS THAT WE HEAR ABOUT ARE, ARE HANDLED OR THEY'RE AWARE OF THEM, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LIST THEM OUT IN EVERY MEETING WITH ACTION ITEMS TO BE ABLE TO, I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN HOLD THEIR FEET TO THE FIRE, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY KEEP REMINDING 'EM AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE.
THAT'S ONE WAY WE'RE GONNA DO IT.
THE SECOND WAY WE'RE GONNA DO IT IS EVERY YEAR WE SUBMIT OUR, UH, OUR PRIORITY LETTER, WHICH IS OUR LIST OF HIGHEST PRIORITIES WITHIN THE COUNTY AND THE MUNICIPALITIES OF WHAT WE WANT THE STATE TO FOCUS ON, NOT ONLY IN THEIR CAPITAL BUDGETING, BUT ALSO IN THEIR WORK.
AND WE JUST WENT THROUGH THAT PROCESS VERY, UH, UH, PRETTY ACTIVELY WITH THE STATE, UH, TO BE SURE THAT WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IS ACHIEVABLE AND THEY KNOW IT, AND ALL THE BACKGROUND BEHIND IT.
SO WE, WE, WE SHARE YOUR CONCERN, WE UNDERSTAND IT, AND WE THINK THAT BY CONTINUING THE ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH STEVE AND WITH, UH, GLEN LAR, CHIEF ENGINEER WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE MORE SUCCESS AND MORE DIRECTION OF, UH, OF, UH, FUNDING AND ACTIVITIES BY STATE HIGHWAY WITHIN HARPER COUNTY.
YEAH, JUST ALWAYS WONDERED CAUSE I LIVE IN CHOP TOWN AND COME OUT, IF I GO SOUTH AND I, AS SOON AS I CROSS IN THE BALMER COUNTY LINE, UH, UM, I NOTICE HOW MUCH BETTER THE ROADS ARE.
IT'S THE SAME ROUTE 40, YOU KNOW, CROSS INTO HARFORD COUNTY AND UP TO 1 52, YOU NEED A TANK.
I MEAN, ROADS ARE THAT BAD, PARTICULARLY GOING SOUTH.
MR. GINGER, YOU'RE DRIVING A TANK.
UM, DO THEY GIVE YOU A LIST OF ROADS THAT THEY'RE GONNA WORK ON, UM, THAT, THAT'S GONNA GET REPAIRED? THE STATE? DO THEY, DO THEY COMMUNICATE WITH YOU GUYS AT ALL? THE STATE SHARES THEIR ADVERTISEMENT SCHEDULE, SO WE KNOW THE, THE PROJECTS THAT THEY'RE, UH, GONNA DO.
UM, OKAY, SO THE ANSWER IS YES.
NOW, THERE MAY BE BREAKOUT PROJECTS WHERE IT'S A, A CLUMP OF ROADS THAT THEY'RE GONNA RESURFACE.
SO WE, WE CAN FIND OUT INFORMATION FROM STATE.
SO I'VE BEEN TRYING TO FIND OUT, I WAS TOLD LAST YEAR THAT THEY WERE GONNA REPAY ROUTE ONE RIGHT OUT HERE ALL THE WAY DOWN TO, UH, OR THE BMW DEALERSHIP.
BUT I CAN'T GET AN ANSWER FROM ANYBODY OF WHEN IT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
I WAS TOLD THIS YEAR, I, I'VE PUSHED AND
[00:35:01]
PUSHED AND PUSHED AND DOES ANYBODY HAVE THE ANSWER TO THAT? I THINK THEY, I THINK THEY PUSHED THAT ONE MORE YEAR.WE JUST TALKED ABOUT THAT THE OTHER DAY, BUT WE CAN VERIFY THAT AND WE'LL GET THAT INFORMATION BACK.
UM, IF THERE'S NO MORE QUESTIONS FROM THE COUNSEL, MR. TIBBS, JOE, UH, UH, YOU MENTIONED, UH, TREE TRIMMING ON THE RURAL ROADS.
I KNOW DURING THIS WINTER, AND I'M ANTICIPATING DURING THE SPRING WHEN THE LEAVES GET OUT, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A LOT MORE TREES COMING ACROSS THESE ROADS THAT ARE CLOSING THEM, UH, THE DEAD ASH TREES THAT ARE ALONG THE COUNTY ROADS.
HOW ARE YOU HANDLING THAT? UH, I, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING SPECIAL THAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE ASHES OTHER THAN THE, THE NUMBER OF DEAD TREES HAS INCREASED WITH THAT EMERALD ASH BOARD ISSUE.
UM, SO WE'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING SPECIAL TREES THAT COME DOWN ACROSS COUNTY ROADS.
WE, WE REMOVE, UM, ANYTHING ELSE ON THAT? YEAH, BUT YOU, YOU HAVE NO PLAN TO TAKE, TAKE THOSE DEAD ONES OUT OR HOW IS THAT? WELL, ANY COMPLAINT WE GET OR ANY, ANY OBSERVATION THAT ASSISTANT HAS, WE, WE SEND FOLKS OUT TO LOOK AT IF THE TREE IS DEAD OR DECLINING AND, AND, AND IS, UH, IMPENDING HAZARD, WE'LL ADDRESS IT CERTAINLY.
BUT EACH ONE IS LOOKED AT AND, UH, IF WE FEEL THAT, BUT THERE'S NO LONG-TERM PLAN AS FAR AS CLEANING UP SOME OF THESE RURAL ROADS AS FAR AS THESE DEAD TREES.
AND I MEAN, I KNOW HERE IN THE LAST, I'M GONNA SAY LAST MONTH, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF COUNTY ROADS CLOSED BECAUSE OF STORM DAMAGE.
AND, AND, UM, IN THAT COULD BE PREVENTED IF WE TOOK CARE OF SOME OF THESE TREES.
IF THE, IF THE TREE I I IMPACTS THE ROAD AND WE IDENTIFY IT, WE'LL TAKE CARE OF IT.
IF, IF IT'S ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND NOT GONNA IMPACT ANYTHING, WE WON'T.
SO
AND I DON'T FIND IT ON THE WEBSITE.
IS THERE A PROGRAM SIMILAR TO THAT THAT'S STILL ONGOING? UH, THAT, THAT STILL SHOULD BE ON THE WEBSITE? WE STILL USE THAT.
THANK YOU, MR. HURT ON YOUR HONOR, MR. BROOKS, I MEAN SURE.
UM, MR. SANDIS, THIS MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT I CAN TALK WITH YOU LATER ON, BUT THE FUND BALANCE DISCUSSION THAT YOU BROUGHT UP WITH THE 25 MILLION ON PAGE 73, WHICH IT'S NOT THE SAME 73 AS THAT SMALLER BOOK, IT'S IN THE BIG BINDER.
UM, THE FUND BALANCE APPROPRIATION, UH, TO THE BUDGET IS ALMOST 2 MILLION INCREASED FROM 2023 TO 2024.
WHEN YOU SAID THAT 25 MILLION, THERE'S 11.9 BEING USED IN 24, IS THAT ACTUALLY, UH, BEING APPROPRIATED TO MAKE UP FOR A REVENUE SHORTFALL OR IS THAT BEING POCKETED LIKE THE STORM WATER MANAGEMENT? NO, NO, NO.
A ANY OF THIS, UM, AND I'LL HAVE TO LOOK AT, UM, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES I'M LOOKING AT, AT WHAT, WHERE, WHERE WE CLOSED LAST YEAR VERSUS WHAT WAS IN, WHAT WAS IN BUDGET.
UM, BUT WHEN YOU EVER, WHEN, WHEN, ANY TIME THAT YOU WOULD SEE, UM, APPROPRIATED FUND BALANCE AS IN, IN THE REVENUE PIE CHART, IF YOU WILL.
SO YOU WERE, I'M SORRY, YOU WERE RE-ROLLING PAGE WHAT? UM, BOTTOM OF 73, THE SUMMARY OF REVENUE SOURCES.
LIKE I SAID, I MIGHT BE MISUNDERSTANDING WHAT YOU WERE SAYING EARLIER, BUT I'M, I'M NOT SURE I'M SEEING HERE 73 OH YEAH, I'M SORRY.
SO YEAH, FUND BALANCE APPROPRIATION IS ALWAYS THE AMOUNT OF FUND BALANCE YOU'RE USING, UM, TO BALANCE THE BUDGET.
SO YOU HAVE YOUR REVENUES, YOU KNOW, YOUR PROPERTY TAX, YOUR, UM, THAT INTERGOVERNMENTAL SHARED TAX AT YOUR HIGHWAY, USER REVENUE, THEN YOU GOT YOUR, YOUR LITTLE ONES.
AND THEN, SO YES, SO IN FISCAL YEAR 24, WE ARE USING ALMOST 12 MILLION OF, OF FUND BALANCE, WHEREAS IN THE PRIOR YEAR, WE USED ABOUT 10 MILLION OF FUND BALANCE.
SO ROUGHLY HALF OF THAT 25 MILLION THAT YOU NOTED AS A RESERVE WILL BE USED POTENTIALLY IN 24? YEAH, I MEAN, IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF, UM, IT'S A, IT'S A, IT'S A, IT'S A RUNNING TARGET BECAUSE NOW WE KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T HAVE AS MUCH SNOW THIS YEAR.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, UM, ALL THINGS BEING EQUAL, OUR FUND BOUNDS WOULD'VE GROWN, BUT THEN WE'RE KIND OF REINVESTING IT THE, THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
SO MS. MOON, I JUST WANT TO ANSWER.
SO IN YOUR, IN YOUR CAPITAL BUDGET, IT'S USUALLY LISTED AS PAYGO, RIGHT? WELL, YEAH.
SO PAYGO IS A, UM, IS A, IS A FUNDING IS A FUNDING SOURCE WITHIN THE CAPITAL BUDGET.
BUT FI THERE'S A, THERE'S A PRETTY STRONG CORRELATION OFTENTIMES BETWEEN OUR PAYGO NUMBER AND OUR FUND BALANCE NUMBER BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS WE TRY TO DO WITH FUND BALANCE IS TO USE IT FOR ONE TIME EXPENDITURES.
THIS GUY, THE CONVERSATION WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WITH THE STRUCTURAL ISSUES.
UM, SO IDEALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU SHOULD, YOU SHOULD SEE THE AMOUNT OF FUND BALANCE USED, UM, CLOSELY TRACKING PAYGO IF ALL THINGS ARE EQUAL.
BUT AGAIN, SOMETIMES IT CAN'T BE BECAUSE WE NEED THAT, THAT MONEY TO JUST FUND, YOU KNOW, NORMAL OPERATING EXPENSES.
[00:40:01]
EXACTLY THE SAME, BUT SIMILAR.MR. PENTON, JUST A FOLLOW UP QUESTION ON THE FUND BALANCE, UM, WITH THE 12, ROUGHLY THIS UNDER, UNDER 12 FUND BALANCE APPROPRIATION, DOES THAT MEAN WITH A 25 THERE WOULD BE 37 MILLION IN THERE AND THEY'RE USING 12 AND THEN STILL REMAIN 25 MILLION? YEAH, SO, SO WE DIDN'T USE, AND IT'S, AND IT'S SOMEWHAT, YOU KNOW, WE YOU APPROPRIATE FUND BALANCE AT, AT, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR SAYING, OKAY, THIS IS WHAT YOU EXPECT YOUR REVENUES TO BE IN YOUR EXPENDITURES TO BE.
AND YOU ALWAYS KNOW THAT YOU'RE PROBABLY GOING TO BE, UM, YOU'RE ALWAYS GONNA HAVE SOME SAVINGS WHEN THE EXPENDITURE SIDE, MAYBE THERE'S NO SNOW, YOU HAVE POSITION VACANCIES, YOU HAVE THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, AND SO THEN YOU KIND OF HAVE A NEW, UM, AVAILABLE FUND BALANCE.
BUT THEN GENERALLY WHAT WE DO IS THEN WE END UP TAKING MOST OF THAT AND JUST KIND OF RECYCLING IT INTO THE NEXT, INTO THE NEXT BUDGET YEAR.
UM, SO THAT'S WHAT WE ARE SAYING HERE IS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, LAST YEAR WE PLANNED ON USING, UM, WHAT WHATEVER WAS ABOUT 10 MILLION OF, OF FUND BALANCE, WE, WE REALLY DIDN'T NEED TO USE TOO MUCH OF IT BECAUSE OF NO SNOW AND SOME SALARY SAVINGS AND SOME THINGS, THINGS ALONG THOSE LINES.
UM, SO OUR FUND BALANCE, AND I'LL HAVE TO SEE HOW THE EXACT NUMBER WOULD'VE, WOULD'VE, WOULD'VE SHAKEN OUT, BUT I THINK THAT OUR FUND BALANCE WOULD'VE GROWN, WHICH IS WHY NOW WE CAN DO INSTEAD OF 10 12, BUT IF WE FOUND IT GOING THE OTHER DIRECTION, IF WE ACTUALLY NEEDED TO USE THAT FUND BALANCE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T HAVE SALARY SAVINGS, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY OF THOSE, OF THOSE SAVINGS.
UM, WE WOULD HAVE TO USE LESS FUND BALANCE NEXT YEAR IF, IF ANY AT ALL.
I JUST WANT TO CON IS, IS THE ACTUAL FUND BALANCE, UH, NUMBERS IN THAT SMALLER BINDER BOOK THAT YOU WERE LOOKING AT? SO, UM, WHICH I DON'T HAVE IN FRONT OF ME, I MAY HAVE UPSTAIRS BAY BINDER YOU HAVE, YEAH.
SO, BUT I WILL SAY THE, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN, UM, THE YES, IT IS, IT IS ON PAGE, PAGE, PAGE 29.
SO, UM, YEAH, WE'RE EXPECTING, UM, YEAH, SO WE STARTED OFF WITH 25, 20 5 MILLION.
UM, ACTUALLY DO EXPECT THAT TO, TO DROP, UM, TO DROP SOMEWHAT IN THE CURRIER EVEN WITH THOSE SNOW SALARY SAVINGS.
BUT WE'RE USING MORE OF THE REMAINING FUND BALANCE IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET, UM, IN ORDER TO, TO ADDRESS A LOT OF THESE RESURFACING ISSUES.
UM, YOU KNOW, MEANING THAT, THAT PROBABLY IN THE FUTURE WE WON'T BE ABLE TO DO AS MUCH FUND BALANCE AS WE'RE DOING THIS YEAR.
BUT I, I WILL SAY THAT THIS, THIS BOOK HERE, THE ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT, AND THESE ARE ACTUALS, THIS IS AUDITED NUMBERS THAT THEY COME IN AND, AND, AND THEY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU, WHAT YOU HAD AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
UM, BUDGET'S A PLAN, YOU KNOW, SO BUDGET'S ALWAYS KIND OF A FORECAST AND YOU'RE LIKE, OKAY, YOU START OFF WITH A, WITH A REAL NUMBER, THAT 25 MILLION NUMBER, UM, THEN YOU SAY, OKAY, THIS YEAR WE STILL GOT A A FEW MONTHS TO GO.
WHAT DO WE EXPECT THE REVENUE TO BE? WHAT DO WE EXPECT THE EXPENDITURES TO BE? OKAY, WHEN IT'S ALL SAID AND DONE, 21 MILLION, THEN YOU COME IN AND YOU SAY, OKAY, OF THAT AMOUNT, YOU HAVE ABOUT 17 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS THAT WE FIGURED THAT, THAT THAT CAN BE, UM, THAT CAN BE USED, IF YOU WILL.
AND WE'RE SAYING THAT WE'RE GOING TO USE ABOUT ABOUT 12 MILLION OF IT.
UM, AND THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE THERE.
LE LEAVING 5.5 MILLION FOR, FOR FUTURE YEARS.
NOW, AGAIN, IN NEXT YEAR, YOU KNOW, WE WILL PROBABLY HAVE SOME SALARY SAVINGS AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE SOME SNOW SAVINGS AND SOME THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO HOPEFULLY WHEN WE GET TO NEXT YEAR, UM, WE WOULD FIND OURSELVES, UM, WITH, WITH SOME ADDITIONAL FUND BALANCE TO USE BEYOND THAT 5.5 MILLION.
UM, BUT WE KINDA HAVE TO SEE HOW THAT, THAT PLAYS OUT.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S NO OTHER BUDGET THAT'S DEPENDENT ON WEATHER IN THE WAY THAT HIGHWAYS, HIGHWAYS IS.
SO, UH, JUST SO CONFIRMING, AND I THINK 29 CLARIFIES IT MORE.
THE FUND BALANCE FOR THE HIGHWAYS IS 17 AND A HALF MINUS THE 12 THAT YOU WE'RE, WE'RE YEP.
SO THAT REALLY, THE FUND BALANCE IS FIVE AND A HALF MILLION ROUGHLY.
THAT'S WHERE WE WOULD EXPECT IT TO BE, KIND OF AT THE AVAILABLE FUND BALANCE.
AT THE, AT THE END OF NEXT YEAR.
BUT IT'S, AGAIN, IT'S THIS IS, THIS IS AN ESTIMATE, WHEREAS LIKE THE 25 NUMBER, THAT'S A, THAT'S AN AUDITED NUMBER.
AND THEN BEYOND THAT, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE ESTIMATES, BUT WE ARE SAYING, OKAY, WE'RE USING 12 MILLION, SO WE'RE ASSUMING THAT THAT IN THIS, IN THIS CHART, THAT WE ARE GOING TO USE ALL OF THAT 12 MILLION AND THAT OUR, WE'RE GONNA SPEND ALL OF THE BUDGET AND THE REVENUES ARE GONNA GONNA COME IN EXACTLY WHERE THEY'RE BUDGETED.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, UNDER THAT ASSUMPTION, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD LEAVE US WITH 5.5 MILLION.
WHAT I'M SAYING IS IT'LL PROBABLY BE A LITTLE BIT TO THE GOOD OF THAT, UM, BECAUSE WE'LL PROB HOPEFULLY HAVE SOME, UH, SALARY SAVINGS AND HOPEFULLY WE WON'T HAVE A LOT OF SNOW THAT WOULD GO OVER OUR SNOW BUDGET.
ROBBIE, LET ME ASK IT THIS WAY,
SO THAT'S WHAT BUDGET, THE NUMBER BUDGET'S A LOT OF ASSUMPTIONS.
[00:45:01]
GOT YOU.SO THE NUMBERS THAT COUNCILMAN PENMAN IS LOOKING AT ARE FROM THE CAFF R, WHICH ARE AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FROM SIX 30 OF LAST YEAR.
SO THERE'S NOTHING IN THERE ABOUT THIS YEAR OR ANYTHING THAT'S ALREADY SNOW THAT WE'RE SAVINGS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
SO MY QUESTION BECOMES, AS A CHANGE OF ADMINISTRATION, ARE THE PRIORITIES THAT YOU'RE SAYING THAT YOU'RE OUTLINING IN THIS BUDGET, WHAT IS THE PRIORITIES OF THE ADMINISTRATION TO USE THAT FUND BALANCE TO DECREASE IT TO THE NUMBERS THAT YOU JUST STATED, THAT IT COULD BE DECREASED TO, LIKE WHERE, WHERE IS THAT MONEY GOING TO BE SPENT? BECAUSE IT'S NOT STORM WATER WHERE WE'RE WAITING FOR SOMETHING TO HAPPEN.
THERE'S ROADS AND, AND PROJECTS THAT WE CAN DO ALL THE TIME AROUND THE COUNTY.
SO IS THERE AN APPETITE TO USE THAT FUND BALANCE, I THINK IS MY QUESTION.
WELL, AND, AND I THINK WHAT WE'RE SHOWING IS THAT IF, IF IN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET THERE WAS 10 MILLION AND IN THIS YEAR'S OF, OF OF BUDGETED FUND BALANCE, YOU KNOW, AS FROM A BUDGETED, YOU KNOW, A REVENUE IN ORDER TO PLUG THE GAP, AND NOW IT'S 12, WE ARE USING 2 MILLION MORE OF IT AND IT'S LARGELY GOING TO ROADWAY RESURFACING.
YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK ROADWAY RESURFACING HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE BIG ISSUE.
AND, AND YOU KNOW, I MEAN THEY, THEY CAN SPEAK TO IT MUCH BETTER THAN I THAN I CAN, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A THOUSAND ROAD MILES, UH, OF COUNTY ROADS IN THIS, IN THIS, IN THIS COUNTY.
UM, AND A LOT OF THEM HAVE, HAVE NOT, YOU KNOW, HAVE, I MEAN THEY, THEY DO THEIR BEST OBVIOUSLY TO ADDRESS 'EM AS AS, AS BEST THEY CAN AND ALL, BUT WE, WE PROBABLY NEED TO BE SPENDING MORE ON THE RIGHT WAY RESURFACING THAN, THAN WE ARE.
THE PROBLEM WITH THIS BUDGET IS, I'M SORRY, REALLY WHAT THIS FUND IS, IS IT DOESN'T HAVE A LOT OF REVENUE FLEXIBILITY.
YOU HAVE PROPERTY TAX, SO, SO I MEAN, YOU COULD ALWAYS RAISE THE, THE SAVINGS.
WELL, YEAH, AND YOU HAVE SAVINGS AND THEN YOU HAVE HIGHWAY USER REVENUE.
NOW, 10, 12 YEARS AGO, WE WERE BRINGING IN 12 15 MILLION OF HIGHWAY USER REVENUE.
NOW WE'RE BRINGING IN THREE 4 MILLION.
NOW THE, THE STATE DID BUMP IT UP A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE A FEW YEARS AGO IT WAS ONLY TWO.
UM, BUT THEY'RE NOWHERE NEAR GOING BACK TO WHERE TO WHERE THEY ARE.
AND THIS IS A REAL PROBLEM, YOU KNOW, THAT WE HAVE WITH, WITH, UH, WITH THE STATE OF MARYLAND IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE WAY IT USED TO KIND OF, THE, THE IDEA IS THAT THE, THE, THE, THE STATE'S TRANSPORTATION TRUST FUND IS PRIMARILY FUNDED WITH GAS TAX AND WITH, UM, VEHICLE REGISTRATION.
THERE'S SOME OTHER LITTLE SMALLER REVENUES IN THERE, AND THE COUNTIES USED TO GET ABOUT 30% OF THAT, OF THAT TRUST FUND.
AND NOW WE GET FAR, FAR LESS THAN THAT THAN THAT AMOUNT, BUT WE STILL HAVE ALL OF THESE COUNTY ROADS THAT WE HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF, WHICH MEANS THAT THEY REALLY HAVE TO BE TAKEN CARE OF WITH PROPERTY TAXES, WHEREAS THE STATE IS ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR ROADS AND THEIR TRANSIT PROJECTS LARGELY WITH TRANSPORTATION TRUST FUND REVENUES.
BUT, BUT IN A YEAR WHERE YOU DON'T HAVE SNOW, THAT WE TYPICALLY DO MORE ROAD RESURFACING.
SO THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING WITH THE ADMINISTRATION CHANGE WELL, THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
BECAUSE BY THE TIME WE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IT'S GONNA DROP THE FUND BALANCE AND YOU'RE GONNA REALLOCATE IT.
BUT I, I GUESS THE QUESTION IS IF, IF THE 25 MILLION IS A NUMBER THAT'S TOO HIGH IS WHAT I THINK YOU'RE SAYING, THEN WHAT? OH, AFTER 2 30, 30, I, I'M, I'M LOST WITH WHERE WE WANT THAT NUMBER TO BE SO THAT WE KNOW WHAT WE, YOU KNOW, AS, AS CITIZENS CAN EXPECT THE COUNTY TO YOU.
I UNDERSTAND IT, CUZ CATASTROPHIC EVENT CAN COME AND WE NEED THE MONEY FOR THE RAINY DAY.
SO I, I, AGAIN, I THINK I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE PRIORITIES OF THE ADMINISTRATION.
IF, IF THAT'S NOT HERE, I, I'M GONNA BRING THIS UP AGAIN NEXT YEAR IS WHAT I'M SAYING, IF THAT FUND BALANCE GROWS YEAH, BECAUSE THAT, THAT I DON'T THINK MAKES SENSE TO ANYBODY THAT IS SITTING ON THIS COUNCIL.
WELL AGAIN, YOU'RE ALWAYS, YOU'RE ALWAYS GOING TO HAVE SOME, SOME FLUCTUATION IN THIS BECAUSE OF, BECAUSE OF THE WEATHER, BECAUSE OF THE WEATHER FACTOR.
NOT SO MUCH BECAUSE SO WHY NOT USE, YEAH, SO THIS IS, AND SO YEAH, WHAT IS, YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU NEED TO DEFINITELY KEEP 5% AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT IS THAT NUMBER? WHAT IS 5% CAN WE GET, IF YOU DON'T HAVE THAT TODAY, CAN WE GET THAT NUMBER? NO, SO I HAVE IT HERE.
IF YOU ADD UP ALL DPW, IS THAT, SO YOU NEED, I WOULD SAY YOU NEED 5%, LET ME 5% OF D P W OR OF HIGHWAYS OF, OF THE HIGHWAYS FUND.
SO FOR, SO IN THE CASE OF THE FISCAL STABILIZATION FUND, THAT'S A, THAT'S ABOUT THREE, $3 MILLION.
THEN, THEN IN ADDITION TO TO TO THAT, AND THEN SOMETIMES IT, THERE, THERE'S SOME OTHER THINGS IN HERE, YOU KNOW, TOO, WHICH DEAL WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING THAT'S IN RESTRICTED, UM, YOU KNOW, OR, OR THINGS LIKE BOND PROCEEDS OR THERE'S SOME PILOT MONEY.
UM, THERE MAY BE SOME ENCUMBRANCES.
SO SOME OF THAT FLUCTUATES FROM YEAR TO YEAR.
BUT THEN IF YOU JUST TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S LEFT OVER, YOU KNOW, I THINK IDEALLY YOU NEED TO TRY TO KEEP AROUND 5 MILLION OR SO IN THERE BECAUSE OF WHAT, WHAT, I MEAN WHAT DO WE BUDGET? WE BUDGET FOR WEATHER AND I'M SORRY FOR SNOW REMOVAL.
UM, UH, YOU KNOW WHAT, WHATEVER IT IS, EVEN IF WE DON'T HAVE IT, YEAH, NO, NO, WE HAVE IT, IT, IT'S, NO, WE DON'T HAVE SNOW.
WE STILL, WE HAVE TO BUDGET, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THAT, I MEAN THAT'S THE THING.
ALL OF THE, YOU CAN NEVER EXCEED YOUR APPROPRIATION AUTHORITY WITHOUT, WITHOUT THE, UM, UH, WITHOUT THE COUNCIL APPROVAL.
SO WE, WHAT WE BUDGETED FOR WEATHER, I'M SORRY FOR SNOW REMOVAL IS, IS IT 4 4 30? OH YEAH.
SO APPROXIMATELY, APPROXIMATELY 3 MILLION.
UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE BUDGETED LINE THERE.
UM, AND YOU CAN SEE FISCAL YEAR 21 AND FISCAL YEAR 22.
[00:50:01]
SO WE'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN TO THE GOOD ON THOSE YEARS.HOWEVER, IF YOU GO BACK, YOU KNOW, A FEW YEARS BEFORE THAT, YOU WILL FIND SOME NUMBERS THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT EXCEED THAT, THAT EXCEED THAT NUMBER.
BUT TO CLARIFY THE ADMINISTRATION PRIORITY WOULD BE TO USE THAT SAVINGS FOR RE ROAD RE OR SO LIKE INSTEAD OF IT JUST GOING INTO A FUND BALANCE AND SITTING THERE.
FUN BALANCE IS GREAT UNTIL WE'RE TRYING, YES.
WE'RE WE, WERE TALKING A LOT ABOUT FUND BALANCE THIS YEAR ACROSS THE BOARD.
SO I THINK IT'S FAIR TO TALK ABOUT IT HERE AS, AS WELL AND AGREED.
AND THAT'S WHY WE, AND AND ROADWAY RESURFACING IS A, IS A GREAT USE OF, OF FUND BALANCE BECAUSE WHILE IT'S, IT IS SOMEWHAT OF AN ONGOING THING, YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO, BUT YOU HAVE SOME FLEXIBILITY.
IT'S A LOT DIFFERENT THAN SAY, PAYING SALARIES OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND SO YES, IF YOU LOOK AT, WE CAN GO TO THE, IN THE, WHAT DO WE HAVE ON THE CAP OR FOR, I'M GONNA SKIP AHEAD A LITTLE BIT HERE.
SO WE HAVE, UM, WE HAVE UH, UH, YEAH, SO WE HAVE ABOUT 10, ABOUT, UH, $9.3 MILLION IN, IN IN ROADWAY, IN ROADWAY RESURFACING NOW.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE CAN AGAIN LOOK AT, AT WHAT WE'VE DONE IN, IN PRIOR YEARS.
I MEAN I CAN REMEMBER WHEN I FIRST CAME HERE ROADWAY RESURFACING, WE WERE PROBABLY DOING SOMETHING AROUND LIKE 5 MILLION OR WAS, THAT'S CUZ THE HIGHWAY USER WASN'T THERE.
WELL, AND WE ALSO KIND OF MADE SOME DECISIONS, UM, IN THE, IN THE PRIOR ADMINISTRATION TO FREE UP SOME MONEY BECAUSE BACK WHEN THE HIGHWAY FUND WAS DOING REALLY WELL, WE ACTUALLY USED TO SEND SOME, SOME MONEY TO PAY, YOU KNOW, TO OFFSET LIKE SCHOOL BUS COSTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, IT DIDN'T NECESSARILY CHANGE ANY OF THOSE EXPENDITURES, BUT WE, WE JUSTIFIED IT AND SAID, OH, THERE'S SOME TRANSPORTATION RELATED COSTS IN THE GENERAL FUND.
WE'RE GONNA TRANSFER MONEY FROM THE HIGHWAYS FUND TO THE GENERAL FUND BECAUSE THE HIGHWAYS FUND HAD ALL THAT, THAT HIGHWAY USER REVENUE.
UM, AND ONE OF THE REASONS I THINK WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO SOME MORE ROADWAY RESURFACING IS THAT, IS THAT WE, WE DID STOP THAT, STOP THAT TRANSFER.
AND THE PROBLEM IS, IS THAT WE JUST DON'T HAVE THAT, THAT REVENUE GROWTH IN THIS BUDGET.
I JUST THINK THE 25 MILLIONS WITH STICKING OUT SO WE COULD USE AND IF THAT COMES DOWN, I THINK THAT'S JUST SOMETHING WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT NEXT YEAR BECAUSE WE CAN'T FIND THAT NUMBER UNTIL WE GET TO JUNE.
THEN WE HAVE TO GIVE YOU GUYS ANOTHER YEAR TO BE ABLE TO USE IT.
AND WE'RE GONNA DO CAP SEPARATE, RIGHT? CAUSE I'LL HOLD UNTIL CAP FOR THAT.
SO IF WE'RE GOOD ON, WE CAN GO TO, WE CAN GO TO CAPITAL, RIGHT? YES.
OKAY, SO THEN IN YOUR CAPITAL BOOK, UM, UH, BRAY, HOLD ON JUST A MINUTE, MR. SCHER.
I THINK JUST TO ADD TO MR. AISH AND MR. PEN'S POINT, I THINK OUR QUESTION, AND MAYBE WE'LL SAVE IT FOR TREASURY LATER TODAY, I THINK I AGREE WITH WHAT MR. AISH IS SAYING ABOUT THE BALANCE.
WE'RE, WE'RE ALSO ABLE TO CONTROL THAT ON THE GENERAL FUND SIDE, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF WHAT WE DO WIND UP USING THAT FOR, I THINK THAT'S WHAT HE IS ASKING OR SAYING IS THAT WE HAVE FLEXIBILITY, BUT IN THE BRIEF AND THE MISSION OF THIS NEW BUDGET WITH REVENUES, ASSUMING THEY COME IN LOW, WE'RE FORCING THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND HARTFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND THE LIBRARIES TO USE RESERVES, WHICH THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO CONTROL THAT IN TERMS OF THE FUND BALANCE.
CAUSE WE'RE ONLY APPROPRIATING SO MUCH.
SO WE'RE GUARANTEEING THAT THEY'LL SPEND CASH.
WE'RE NOT GUARANTEEING ON OUR SIDE THAT WE WILL.
AND I THINK MR. ANDERS IS SAYING, IF WE COME IN WITH A SURPLUS, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF REVENUES ARE BAD IN 24, WE, WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO WITH THAT SURPLUS? AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE'LL HAVE TO TALK ABOUT.
MAYBE A TREASURY, BUT THAT'S WHAT THE CONCERN IS HERE.
WE'RE GUARANTEEING THESE PEOPLE WILL GET CUT, AND IF A RECESSION DOES COME AND THIS PROJECTION IS REAL, WE'VE NOW SPENT CASH AND CAP SURPLUS, AND THEY WON'T HAVE ANYTHING FROM US IF REVENUES REALLY DO GET BANNED.
AND AGAIN, AND THIS IS A, THIS IS A SEPARATE FUND FROM, FROM THE GENERAL FUND.
SO, SO AGAIN, ALL OF THE REVENUES AND ALL THE EXPENSES RELATED TO, UM, RELATED TO HIGHWAYS ARE KEPT, ARE KEPT SEPARATE.
UM, AND SO TO THE EXTENT THAT, THAT WE HAVE ANY MONEY THAT'S LEFT OVER, UM, IT IS THEN AVAILABLE FOR, FOR, FOR PRIOR, UM, FOR PRIOR APPROPRIATION.
AND THIS IS, THIS IS THE CHALLENGE OF, OF A LOT OF, OF BUDGETING.
YOU, YOU, YOU'RE TRYING TO BUDGET FOR 18 MONTHS INTO THE FUTURE.
SO YOU'RE TRYING TO BE REALISTIC WITH YOUR REVENUE PROJECTIONS AND YOU'RE TRYING TO BE REALISTIC WITH YOUR EXPENDITURE PROJECTIONS, BUT YOU ARE KEEPING FUN BALANCE AVAILABLE.
YOU ARE USING, YOU'RE NOT, YOU'RE, YOU'RE CERTAINLY USING SOME OF IT AND SOMETIMES A GOOD DEAL OF IT, BUT YOU ARE STILL MINDFUL OF, OKAY, IF YOU HAVE BAD WEATHER, IF YOU HAVE AN EMERGENCY, IF A REVENUE IS CUT MID-YEAR, BACK IN 2010, HIGHWAY USER REVENUE WAS CUT BY THE STATE IN, UM, IN AUGUST.
UM, WE JUST STARTED IT AND THEY CUT IT 90%.
IT WENT FROM ABOUT 15 MILLION TO ABOUT A MILLION OR SOMETHING A MONTH OR TWO INTO WHEN THE, UM, THE BUDGET WAS SET.
SO AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THAT JUST SPEAKS TO THAT PRUDENT SENSE OF, OF, OF BUDGETING IS WHY WE DO THOUGH OBVIOUSLY SHOW, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT OUR, WHAT OUR AVAILABLE FUND BALANCE IS EACH AND EVERY YEAR SO THAT WE CAN TRY TO STRIKE THAT BALANCE OF, OKAY, HOW MUCH SHOULD WE USE FOR THE PRIOR, FOR THE NEXT YEAR? HOW MUCH SHOULD WE DO WE THINK IS REASONABLE TO KEEP BACK.
[00:55:01]
MR. SCHERZER.UM, WHENEVER YOU'RE READY TO MOVE ON.
SO HIGHWAYS, IF YOU GO IN THE CAPITAL BOOK TO PAGE, UH, 2 64, YOU'LL SEE, UM, AND, AND, UH, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL LEAVE IT TO THE D P W TO, TO, UM, ADDRESS INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS.
UH, BUT ON 2, 2 84, YOU'LL SEE KIND OF THE LISTING OF ALL OF THE, THE PROJECTS THAT HAVE, UM, ON THE HIGHWAYS SIDE.
UM, I'M SORRY, THIS IS, YEAH, YEAH, THAT IS, UM, YEAH, THAT'S BRIDGES.
UM, ALL OF THE BRIDGES PROJECTS ARE ON, UM, GOT SOME LEFT ARE ON PAGE, UH, 2 84.
THEN ON PAGE, UM, 3 28, YOU'LL SEE VARIOUS, UM, ROAD PROJECTS, UH, THINGS ALONG THE, THE LINES OF, UH, TRAFFIC SIGNALS AND, UH, INDIVIDUAL ROADS, UH, THERE.
THEN ON PAGE 3 54, YOU WILL SEE RESURFACING, UM, AS A PROJECT.
AND THEN FINALLY ON PAGE 3 58, YOU'LL SEE KIND OF YOUR HIGHWAYS, MISCELLANEOUS, THIS IS LARGELY YOUR FLEET.
UM, AND, UH, SOME OF YOUR IT EXPENDITURES DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE HIGHWAYS FUND.
UM, UH, THOSE ARE OBVIOUSLY OUR FLEETS UNDER, IS UNDER OUR FLEET, UH, DEPARTMENT, AND IT IS UNDER THE IT DEPARTMENT.
BUT, UH, SINCE THEY'RE RELATED TO THIS FUND, UM, THEY ARE SHOWED SEPARATELY.
GLENN HEK WITH BUREAU OF HIGHWAY ENGINEERING.
THE CAPITAL HIGHWAY BUDGET CONSISTS OF PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS DEDICATED TO BRIDGES, ROADWAYS, AND ROAD RESURFACING.
SO I'M GONNA START WITH BRIDGES.
UH, AS STEVE MENTIONED, WE HAVE A TOTAL OF 225 BRIDGES FOR ROADS AND OVER ROADS IN THE COUNTY FOR FY 24.
WE ARE PROPOSING FUNDING FOR A TOTAL OF NINE BRIDGE PROJECTS AND FIVE ONGOING CAPITAL BRIDGE PROGRAMS. SUMMARIZING THE NINE BRIDGES, WE ARE REQUESTING CONSTRUCTION FUNDING FOR THREE BRIDGE PROJECTS, INCLUDING THE REPLACEMENT OF BOGGS ROAD BRIDGE OVER LONG BRANCH AND THE REHABILITATION OF DEEP RUN ROAD BRIDGE OVER DEEP RUN.
WE ARE PROPOSING NEW DESIGN FUNDING FOR TWO NEW BRIDGE REPLACEMENT PROJECTS.
WE ARE PROPOSING ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR DESIGN LAND ACQUISITION AND CONSTRUCTION OF UTILITY RELOCATIONS FOR FOUR CURRENT CAPITAL BRIDGE PROJECTS.
UH, BRIDGES OVER 20 FEET IN LENGTH ARE ELIGIBLE FOR FEDERAL FUNDING.
SO WE ARE REQUESTING FEDERAL FUNDING FOR THE BRIDGES THAT QUALIFY, AND THAT WOULD BE 80% OF THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION COSTS FOR FEDERAL FUNDS.
AND 20% WOULD BE COUNTY FUNDS.
CAPITAL BRIDGE PROGRAMS INCLUDE BRIDGE INSPECTION, BRIDGE AND CULVERT REHABILITATION.
BRIDGE AND ROAD SCOUR REPAIRS AND BRIDGE PAINTING, BRIDGE INSPECTION AND FY 24 ARE FOR STRUCTURES GREATER THAN 20 FEET IN LENGTH.
THIS BRIDGE INSPECTION IS A FEDERAL MANDATED PROGRAM AND HELPS THE ENGINEERING STAFF IDENTIFY PROBLEM AREAS ON THE COUNTY'S BRIDGE STRUCTURES AND PRIORITIZE THE BRIDGE REPAIRS AND REPLACEMENTS.
THIS ITEM WILL BE A HUNDRED PERCENT FEDERALLY FUNDED SINCE THE BRIDGES ARE OVER 20 FEET IN LENGTH.
FUNDING PROPOSED IN THE BRIDGING CULVERT REHABILITATION PROGRAM WILL ALLOW D P W TO REPAIR BRIDGING CULVERT STRUCTURES USING OUR HIGHWAY MAINTENANCE CREWS AND WITH OUR OPEN END CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS.
MOVING ON TO ROADS, WE HAVE A, UH, STEVE MENTIONED WE HAVE A TOTAL OF 1087 MILES OF ROADS IN HARPER COUNTY THAT ARE COUNTY MAINTAINED.
WE ARE PROPOSING FUNDING FOR TWO ROAD PROJECTS AND CONTINUED FUNDING FOR NINE ONGOING CAPITAL PROGRAMS. THESE CAPITAL PROGRAMS INCLUDE CURB, SIDEWALK, AND HANDICAP RAMPS.
THIS IS FOR BOTH REPLACEMENTS AND NEW INSTALLATIONS.
GUARDRAIL, WHICH IS FOR REPLACEMENT AND NEW INSTALLATIONS.
DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS FOR PROJECTS RELATED TO DRAINAGE ISSUES ON HARFORD COUNTY ROADWAYS INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS FOR PROJECTS RELATED TO INTERSECTION SAFETY AND CAPACITY ISSUES.
STORM DRAIN REHABILITATION TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE 288 MILES OF STORM DRAIN THAT STEVE HAD MENTIONED THAT ARE BENEATH COUNTY ROADS AND
[01:00:01]
AGING STREET LIGHTS FOR REPAIRS.AND, UH, CONVERSION TO L E D TRAFFIC, CALMING AND ROAD SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS AND TRAFFIC SIGNALS FOR RESURFACING.
WE HAVE A TOTAL OF 694 ASPHALT ROADS IN THE COUNTY THAT WOULD BE MAINTAINED IN THE ROAD RESURFACING PROGRAM FUNDING FOR THE ROAD RESURFACING WILL ASSIST D P W IN THE MAINTENANCE OF THESE ROADWAYS.
AS MENTIONED, WE'RE PROJECTING 9.3 MILLION TO BE REQUESTED IN FY 24, UH, LAST YEAR I THINK WE HAD 8 MILLION.
SO WE CONTINUE TO PROPOSE INCREASED FUNDING LEVELS FOR RESURFACING TO BRING THE COUNTY ROADWAYS TO AN ACCEPTABLE CONDITION.
ANY QUESTIONS? UH, I JUST WANNA SAY, UH, PERSONALLY I APPRECIATE ALL THE PROPOSALS THAT YOU BRING TO THE BOARD OF ESTIMATES.
THEY'RE VERY, UH, LAID OUT IN DEEP DETAIL.
UH, ESPECIALLY IF YOU DO HAVE A NEED FOR LAND ACQUISITION, MAYBE AN ACRE, A QUARTER ACRE, WHATEVER IT IS, IN ORDER TO GET THIS NEW BRIDGE PUT IN PLACE.
UH, I THINK THE FEDERAL FUNDING, UH, WE SEE THAT QUITE A BIT IN, IN SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT YOU BRING FORWARD.
SO, UH, I JUST WANNA SAY, I, I APPRECIATE, UH, THE, UH, PROPOSALS THAT YOU BRING FORWARD.
MR. GUTHRIE, UH, I ALSO WANT TO THANK YOU, UH, YOU'RE REAL BUSY IN RUMSEY ISLAND RIGHT NOW TO WIN EVERY SINGLE CURB AND, UH, UH, UM, FIXING UP.
SO, SO, UH, A LOT OF OUR, UH, PEOPLE THERE WHO KIDS HAVE THEIR, THEY'VE BEEN COMPLAINING FOR SOME TIME, THE KIDS IN THEIR STROLLERS, THEY CAN'T GET DOWN OFF THE CURBS AND THE GUTTERS AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.
AND YOU'RE JUST ABOUT HITTING EVERY SINGLE CURB IN GUTTER IN ROK RIGHT NOW.
AND THEN OF COURSE, NOW, UH, UH, PEOPLE ALWAYS GOTTA HAVE SOMETHING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT.
LET HER COMPLAINT ABOUT THE, ALL THE CONSTRUCTION WORK THAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
I SAID, BECAUSE SHORTLY YOU BETTER GET READY BECAUSE THEY'RE GONNA START PAYING SHORT DRIVE.
I SAID, THEN YOU'LL HAVE, THEN YOU CAN REALLY COMPLAIN TO HIM.
HE COMPLAINED TO ME ABOUT THE CONDITION, AND THEN WHEN YOU STARTED DOING THE WORK, THEY COMPLAINED ABOUT, UM, YOU'RE IN THEIR WAY.
WE'VE BEEN FOR YEARS TRYING TO GET THAT DONE AND, AND, UH, UH, SOME OF THE, EVEN THE SENIORS LIKE ME THAT CAN'T STEP OVER THE, WE APPRECIATE THE EFFORT,
THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO ASK, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'LL KNOW THIS OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD, BUT WHEN WE HAD THAT, UH, WEATHER EVENT A YEAR OR TWO AGO, WHENEVER IT WAS, WHEN WE HAD ALL THE WIND AND ALL THE RAIN AND DID SO MUCH DAMAGE TO OUR ROADWAYS, DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY BRIDGES WERE IMPACTED BY THAT? DO YOU RECALL? THERE WERE QUITE A FEW.
I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT NUMBER.
DO YOU, YOU'RE REFERRING TO THE BIG, THE BIG FLOODING BACK IN 2018.
I BELIEVE IT WAS 23 BRIDGES WERE DAMAGED TO SOME EXTENT.
UM, ALL OF WHICH AT THIS POINT HAVE BEEN EITHER REPAIRED OR REPLACED.
I THINK THERE'S JUST, I THINK THEY'RE ALL FINISHED AT THIS POINT.
WE, WE WERE FINISHED THE WORK.
WE JUST REPLACED THE GLENCOVE ROAD BRIDGE, UH, THAT WAS DAMAGED IN THAT STORM.
I THINK THERE WAS PRIVATE PRI PRIVATE ROAD.
THERE WAS ONE OR TWO BRIDGES THAT WE WEREN'T RESPONSIBLE FOR.
PEOPLE COULDN'T GET INTO THEIR HOME.
I DON'T REMEMBER WHERE THAT WAS.
DO YOU GUYS KNOW WHATEVER HAPPENED WITH THOSE? I, I'VE NOT HEARD ABOUT IT OR FROM IT IN THE LAST TWO, THREE YEARS, SO I PRESUME THEY GOT IT TAKEN CARE OF.
UM, ANYONE ELSE? MS. HERDON? UM, ON PAGE, UH, 3 33 ON THE, UH, CAPITAL BUDGET IS THE INTERSECTION AT BEL AIR SOUTH PARKWAY IN TOLLGATE ROUNDABOUT.
UM, THIS HAS BEEN ON THE BOOKS ALMOST AS LONG AS I HAVE.
AND, UM, IT WAS AN FY 23 PROJECT.
I KNOW WE WERE TRYING TO ACQUIRE LAND FROM THE HOMEOWNER THAT OWNED THE LAND.
WHERE ARE WE IN THIS PROJECT? IT'S AT THE SAME STATUS.
WE'RE TRYING TO ACQUIRE THE LAND FROM THE, THE HOMEOWNER'S ASSOCIATION.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE WAY, ALTHOUGH THE HOMEOWNER'S ASSOCIATION IS IN SUPPORT OF THE PROJECT, THEY HAVE TO GET THE BUY-IN OR FROM THEIR MEMBERS WHO ARE UNRESPONSIVE TO DATE.
AND, UH, THE COUNTY MAY PURSUE OTHER AVENUES.
SO IT'S BEEN 12 YEARS WITH THAT ANSWER.
BUT NOW THE PROPERTY THAT IS PLUM TREE 9 24 24 BEL AIR SOUTH PARKWAY HAS BEEN CLEAR CUT.
UM, AND THE ZONING IS IN PROCESS WITH DESIGN, UM, TO BUILD UP THAT ENTIRE PROPERTY,
[01:05:01]
UM, WITH RESIDENTIAL AND RETAIL, WHICH WILL GREATLY IMPACT THAT INTERSECTION.UM, RIGHT NOW THERE IS A STOP SIGN, UM, BUT EVERYBODY WHO WANTS TO MAKE A U-TURN DOESN'T HEED THE STOP SIGN AS THEY COME OUTTA DUNKING DONUTS.
ALSO, EMERTON ELEMENTARY DOESN'T LIKE THEIR STUDENTS TO WALK.
AND SO THE CAR LINE FOR PICKUP GOES FROM THE LIBRARY TO DUNKING DONUTS ON TOLLGATE ROAD, THUS CREATING ANOTHER HAZARD IN THE AM AND PM.
SO PERHAPS YOU COULD LOOK INTO THE OTHER METHOD.
UM, I KNOW THIS PROJECT'S WITH M D T A, BUT THE BRIDGES THAT ARE REPLACED OVER 95 SEEMS TO BE A HUGE TREND AT THE MOMENT.
CECIL, BALTIMORE COUNTY, HARTFORD COUNTY.
SO MY QUESTION BECOMES THAT I'M LOOKING AT THE ONE OVER 9 24 THAT I DID JUST HAVE TO LOOK BACK.
IT STARTED IN APRIL OF 2021, AND THEY'RE HOPING IT'S COMPLETED IN THE NEXT 30 DAYS.
I KNOW THIS DOESN'T FALL ON YOU.
WHAT GOES INTO THE THOUGHT PROCESS OF CLOSING DOWN THE ROAD? BECAUSE I THINK BRADSHAW ROAD WAS DONE IN LIKE SIX MONTHS MAYBE, AND THEN KEEPING THIS ONE OPEN FOR TWO YEARS OF TRAFFIC, HEADACHE FOR A AND THEN THERE'S NEW CONSTRUCTION DOWN THERE AND EVERYTHING.
WHAT GOES INTO THAT DECISION, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT IS RELATING TO OVERTOP OF LIKE 95? I I, THE BRIDGES ON OVER 95 ARE, ARE MANAGED BY MARYLAND, UH, TRAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY.
SO THEY WOULD DO SOME TYPE OF MAINTENANCE OF TRAFFIC STUDY TO DETERMINE, UH, THE IMPACTS TO TRAFFIC AND WHETHER THEY NEED TO CLOSE THE ROAD OR OPEN IT UP TO TRAFFIC.
SO ON IN THAT CIRCUMSTANCE, I DON'T KNOW THE PARTICULARS, BUT I ASSUME THAT THEY FELT THAT THEY NEED TO KEEP TRAFFIC, UH, OPEN DURING CONSTRUCTION, WHICH DOES MAKE THE PROJECT LONGER.
IS IT LIKE TWO TIMES AS LONG USUALLY? OR IT JUST, IT, IT DEPENDS.
UM, JUST A QUICK CLARIFICATION ON FEDERAL FUNDING FOR THE BRIDGE, UH, MAINTENANCE WORK.
UH, THE, UH, 1.75 BILLION, I GUESS FOR, UM, THE, UH, BRIDGE INSPECTION IS FULLY FUNDED A HUNDRED PERCENT, BUT THERE'S A COUPLE OTHER PROJECTS.
IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE FUNDED ABOUT 80% BY FEDERAL.
HOW DOES THAT, WHAT'S THE, HOW DO THEY TURN DETERMINE THAT'S CORRECT.
THE FEDERAL BRIDGE INSPECTION IS A HUNDRED PERCENT THEY FED, THEY FUND THAT A HUNDRED PERCENT FOR ALL MUNICIPALITIES, COUNTIES, UH, THE BRIDGE PROJECTS, REPLACEMENT REHABILITATION TYPE PROJECTS, THEY ONLY FUND THOSE AT AN 80% LEVEL.
IF THE BRIDGE IS UP A CERTAIN LENGTH, SO LIKE IF THE, IF IT'S A REAL SMALL BRIDGE, THEN, THEN YEAH, YOU'LL GET IT CORRECT.
IT'S GOTTA BE OVER 20 FEET IN LENGTH.
UH, MR. BEN, UM, A BIT OF AN ANALOGY TO ASK MY QUESTION.
I USED TO WORK IN A KITCHEN OF A FAST FOOD RESTAURANT, AND AS ORDERS WOULD COME IN, A LITTLE TIMER POPS UP FOR THE ORDER, AND WHEN IT FIRST COMES IN, IT'S GREEN, AND THEN AS THE TIME GOES ON, IT TURNS YELLOW.
AND THEN WHEN YOU'VE REALLY GONE A LONG TIME, IT TURNS RED AND THAT SH AND AS RED ORDERS PILE UP, IT'S A SIGN YOU'RE REALLY LIKE, BEHIND SCHEDULE AND THINGS ARE GOING BAD CUZ YOU HAVE ALL THESE RED ORDERS.
SO LIKE, WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR BRIDGES AND OUR ROADS AND THEY'RE SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE AND OUR REPAIRS OVER TIME.
I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THE LONG TERM, ARE WE IN A PLACE WHERE YOU LOOK AHEAD AND IT'S MOSTLY LIKE, YEAH, WE KNOW THERE'S THINGS AHEAD, BUT THOSE ARE GREEN ORDERS OR THERE'S A FEW YELLOWS, AND THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'RE ADDRESSING? OR ARE THOSE, ARE THERE THINGS OUT THERE THAT ARE GLARING LIKE THESE, THESE NEED TO BE TAKEN CARE OF RIGHT NOW? THIS IS RED.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEHIND SCHEDULE.
IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN CARE OF YESTERDAY, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO GET IT DONE TODAY.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, OUR REPAIR SCHEDULE, I'LL TRY TO ADDRESS THE QUESTION I, I THINK WE'RE DOING OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS.
AT ONE POINT IN TIME, ABOUT 25% OF OUR BRIDGE INVENTORY WAS RATED POOR.
AS OF TODAY, WE'RE DOWN TO ABOUT 9.3% OF THE BRIDGE INVENTORY RATED AS POOR.
SO WE HAVE MADE MARKET THE IMPROVED PROGRESS ON OUR BRIDGE, UH, CONDITIONS OVER THE YEARS.
WE STILL HAVE A NUMBER OF VERY OLD BRIDGES THAT THEY WILL CONTINUE TO DETERIORATE.
BUT, UM, AND, AND, AND IF I MIGHT ADD, IF YOU LOOK AT THE, UH, THE ENTIRE SIX YEAR CAPITAL PROGRAM SPECIFICALLY FOR BRIDGES, YOU WILL SEE THAT THERE'S SORT OF A STAGGERED GROUP OF REQUESTS.
[01:10:01]
SO WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY IN THOSE CASES TO PLAN FOR WHEN THOSE TIMES WILL COME.WHAT HAPPENS, UNFORTUNATELY, BECAUSE ALL THE GREAT PLANS IN THE WORLD DON'T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE IN 2018 WHEN 23 BRIDGES WERE MAN, WERE, UH, WERE DAMAGED, UH, AND THEY ALL WERE RED.
UH, SO THAT CHANGED OUR PRIORITY SOMEWHAT.
BUT THE PROCESS YOU DESCRIBED IS WHAT WE DO, NOT ONLY WITH THE, THE ROAD RESURFACING THAT WE TALKED ABOUT PREVIOUSLY ON THE CONDITIONS OF THE ROADS THAT ARE ADDRESSED FIRST.
WE DO THE SAME WITH THE BRIDGES IMMEDIATE AND ALSO PROJECTING FORWARD IN THE, IN THE REMAINING SIX YEAR PROGRAM.
WELL, UH, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS LIKE THE AVERAGE FOR A COUNTY WHEN IT COMES TO BRIDGE RATINGS? UM, YOU SAID WE'RE AT 9.3%.
I'M NOT SURE THE EXACT NUMBER.
UM, MR. TIPS, THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT.
I'D SEE WHERE LINVILLE ROAD HAS BEEN PUSHED BACK A YEAR.
IS THAT CORRECT? THE BRIDGE? THE, THE BRIDGE IS CURRENTLY IN OUR CAPITAL PROGRAM.
UH, WE MAY HAVE PUSHED IT BACK A YEAR.
I, I ONLY REASON I'M ASKING THAT IS A ONE-WAY BRIDGE AND IT, UH, IT HAS A HILL ON BOTH SIDES OF IT, AND IT'S KIND OF AT THE BOTTOM AND IT'S NOT, UH, IT, IT NEEDS TO BE DONE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
AND I'M SURE THERE ARE OTHER BRIDGES OR THE SAME WAY, BUT, UH, UH, IT, IT, IT'S IN MY HOMETOWN, SO I WORRY ABOUT IT A LOT.
IT'S ON OUR PROGRAM AND WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS THAT END.
SO I THINK IT MAKES SENSE TO DO, UM, A COUPLE OF BUDGETS THAT ARE SOMEWHAT RELATED TOGETHER.
UM, AND ROBBIE, COULD I, COULD I, YEAH, YOU'LL STAY HERE.
CAUSE I THINK WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IS FACILITIES, CAPITAL PROJECTS, INSPECTIONS, THE LIGHT.
COULD I DESCRIBE THE DIVISION? YEAH.
SO THIS IS A LITTLE BIT OF A CONFUSE BECAUSE THIS ONE HAS STORM WATER AND IT HAS THE OTHER STUFF.
SO YEAH, I'LL JUST LET YOU GIVE THE COMPLETE OVERVIEW AND THEN WE'LL DO, WE'RE GONNA BREAK IT UP AND THEN THE THREE AREAS.
SO, SO WATER, WATER AND SEWERS.
THE REST OF D P W IS IN A DIVISION CALLED THE EN ENVIRONMENT SUSTAINABILITY DIVISION.
UH, SIX DISTINCT INTERDEPENDENT OPERATING GROUPS, AND I'LL RUN THROUGH 'EM IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER.
UM, BUREAU OF CAPITAL PROJECTS MANAGES THE PLANNING AND DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF COUNTY CAPITAL FACILITY AND BUILDING PROJECTS, UH, FACILITIES AND OPS.
NEW TO D P W IS RESPONSIBLE FOR 1.7 MILLION SQUARE FEET OF, OF SPACE IN 170 COUNTY BUILDINGS.
ALSO MANAGING COUNTY WAREHOUSE SURPLUS AND INVENTORY OF 17,000 COUNTY ASSETS, ANSWERING THE SWITCHBOARD AND IN MANAGEMENT OF LEASES.
UH, BUREAU STORE OWNER MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COUNTY'S DAMN SAFETY PROGRAM.
THE, THE STATE'S DELEGATED REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PLANS FOR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS WITHIN THE COUNTY AND FOR THE ONGOING INSPECTION OF STORMWATER MANAGEMENT FACILITIES, UH, BUREAU OF ORDERS SHED PROTECTION AND RESTORATION, RESPONSIBLE FOR OVERSIGHT AND MANAGEMENT OF THE MS FOUR PERMIT.
UH, JUST APPROVED THE, UH, FINANCIAL ASSURANCE PLAN.
BUREAU OF CONSTRUCTION INSPECTION PROVIDES FOR CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT INSPECTION OF COUNTY ROAD BRIDGE, STORM DRAIN, STORMWATER MANAGEMENT FACILITIES, STREAM RESTORATION PROJECTS, WATERLINE SEWER LINES AND PUMP STATIONS.
AND ALSO PROVIDES FOR THE CONSTRUCTION INSPECTION OF FACILITIES CONSTRUCTED BY PRIVATE DEVELOPERS, WHICH ARE GONNA BE TURNED OVER TO THE COUNTY FOR MAINTENANCE.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, THE SOLID WASTE DIVISION, WHICH IS JEFF SCHOENBERGER RESPONSIBLE FOR ADMINISTERING THE COUNTY'S SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING PROGRAMS, INCLUDING MANAGING THE COUNTY'S CONTRACT WITH, WITH MES, WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR LANDFILL OPERATIONS AND POST CLOSURE LANDFILL, UH, ACTIVITIES AND RECYCLING EDUCATION EFFORTS, AND THE DISPOSAL CONTRACT WITH BALTIMORE COUNTY.
SO I THINK WHAT MAKES SENSE THEN TO DO IS TO DISCUSS, UM, CAPITAL PROJECTS, FACILITIES LEASE, AND, UM, CONSTRUCTION INSPECTION KIND OF AS, AS ONE GROUP.
AND THEN WE'LL DO STORMWATER AND THEN WE'LL DO, UM, SOLID WASTE.
SO CAPITAL PROJECTS IS ON PAGE 3 96 OF YOUR OPERATING BUDGET.
[01:15:01]
A PROPOSED BUDGET OF 1.8 MILLION A, UH, CHANGE OF, UH, 464,000 FROM THE PRIOR YEAR.UH, THAT IS LARGELY, UM, DUE TO, UH, FOUR VACANT POSITIONS THAT WERE TRANSFERRED FROM PARKS AND RECS TO FACILITY OPS, UM, IN THAT, IN THAT BUDGET.
DID IT, UM, YOU NEED GIVE US A SECOND TO GET THERE.
UM, AND IT STATED THE, UM, CAN SEE THE, THE RATIONALE FOR THE INCREASE THEN ON THE FOLLOWING PAGE ON 3 97, WHICH IS LARGELY ABOUT, UH, THERE'S FOUR POSITIONS THAT WERE TRANSFERRED, UH, FROM PARKS AND REC TO, UM, UH, AND FACILITIES AND OPS INTO CAPITAL PROJECTS.
THEN IF YOU GO TO PAGE 3 99, YOU'LL HAVE FACILITIES AND OPERATIONS.
NOW THAT BUDGET WAS PRE PREVIOUSLY IN ADMINISTRATION, UM, IN THE ADMINISTRATION AREA.
SO IT'S LARGELY JUST MOVING THAT OPERATION FROM, UM, ONE DIVISION OR ONE DEPARTMENT, IF YOU WILL, TO ANOTHER.
UM, AND THEN ON PAGE 4 0 3, THERE'S ALSO ANOTHER NEW BUDGET, UH, WHICH IS LEASE ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT OF, UH, ONE POINT, 1.4, 1.5, UM, MILLION DOLLARS THERE.
UM, LARGELY JUST ABOUT MOVING FUNDING FROM, FROM PLACES THAT WAS IN OTHER AREAS OF THE BUDGET.
AND THEN KIND OF FLIP THROUGH A COUPLE OF OTHER PAGES TO GET TO CONSTRUCTION INSPECTION ON FOUR 17, UM, HAS A BUDGET OF 2.7 MILLION.
THAT'S A DECREASE OF ABOUT $223,000.
AND THAT'S LARGELY DUE TO MOVING A VACANT, UM, UH, INSPECTOR POSITION, UH, FROM THIS AREA TO CAPITAL PROJECTS.
YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE GOING TOO FAST.
ALL RIGHT, I'LL, I'M NO KIM IN THIS REGARD.
SO,
SO ONCE AGAIN, SO WE HAVE CAPITAL PROJECTS, UM, ON PAGE 3 96, YOU'LL, YOU WILL HAVE FACILITIES AND OPERATIONS ON PAGE 3 99.
YOU WILL HAVE LEASE ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT ON PAGE 4 0 3.
AND THEN FINALLY IN THIS SEGMENT HERE, YOU WILL HAVE, UM, CONSTRUCTION INSPECTION ON PAGE FOUR 17.
SO HOWEVER YOU WOULD LIKE TO GO, GO THROUGH THAT, LET'S DO 'EM ONE AT A TON.
MAYBE THAT'S THE BEST WAY TO DO IT.
ALRIGHT, WELL LET'S JUST DO CAPITAL PROJECTS FIRST THEN.
CREEK CHIEF OF CAPITAL PROJECTS.
SO THEY'VE ALREADY EXPLAINED WHAT MY GROUP DOES AND WE ARE REQUESTING FUNDING FOR TWO PROJECTS.
ONE IS THE COURTHOUSE BUILDING REPAIRS.
WE'RE REQUESTING AN ADDITIONAL $300,000 FOR THAT.
THAT CONSISTS OF UPGRADES TO THE CEREMONIAL COURTROOM WITHIN THE CIRCUIT COURTHOUSE.
IT'S INTERIOR RENOVATIONS AND ELECTRICAL UPGRADES.
IT ALSO WILL BE SOME EXTERIOR FACADE RESTORATION.
AND THEN THE ADDITIONAL MONIES THAT HAVE NOT ALREADY BEEN ENCUMBERED.
WE PRESENTED THROUGH BOARD OF ESTIMATES THIS PAST TUESDAY, WHICH WAS THE FIRE ALARM REPLACEMENT SYSTEM AND THE MASS NOTIFICATION SYSTEM THROUGH THE ALERTS PLATFORM, WHICH CONNECTS WITH THE DS BUILDING TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SECURITY.
AND, UM, I GUESS, UH, THE COMMUNICATIONS, COMMUNICATIONS WITHIN THE COURTHOUSE BETWEEN THE JUDGES AND THE SECURITY.
WE ARE ALSO REQUESTING, THERE'S A NEW ACCOUNT.
IT DOES NOT HAVE A PHONE, NU OR DOES NOT HAVE A NUMBER ASSIGNED TO IT YET, A PROJECT NUMBER.
AND THAT IS THE MAJOR RENOVATIONS FOR CONSTRUCTION COUNTY FACILITIES THAT CONSISTS OF MULTIPLE DIFFERENT THINGS SUCH AS IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL PROJECTS, WHICH ARE CURRENTLY IN THE INITIAL PROGRAMMING AND SPACE PLANNING PHASES, ALONG WITH DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION SERVICES FOR MULTIPLE COUNTY FACILITIES.
IT'S AN ONGOING CONVERSATION WITH, IT'S NOT ASSIGNED TO JUST ONE PROJECT.
IT'S MULTIPLE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WILL HAPPEN THROUGHOUT THE FISCAL YEAR.
AND I THINK THAT'S ALL THAT'S ON MINE FOR THIS CURRENT REQUEST.
[01:20:01]
I WANT TO, UH, EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION FOR YOUR PRESENTATIONS AT BOARD OF ESTIMATES.I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH WARREN HAMILTON THIS LAST TIME.
HE HAD A LOT OF QUESTIONS, UH, BUT YOU HAD THE ANSWERS FOR HIM.
SO THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE MAIN THING.
AND, UM, YOU DO A GREAT JOB WITH YOUR PRESENTATIONS.
UH, YOU BRING ALL THE INFORMATION TO THE TABLE AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OF MS. CREIGHTON? MR. BENNETT? UM, THIS IS JUST MORE SO A QUESTION WITH THE, THE BUDGET WHEN, UH, POSITIONS MOVED FROM DEPARTMENTS BUT EXISTED LAST YEAR.
UM, THE LAST YEAR'S SALARY ISN'T LISTED ANYMORE, UM, IN THE BUDGET FOR COMPARISONS SAKE.
SO LIKE THE, THE FOUR POSITIONS THAT WERE MOVED FROM PARKS AND REC INTO THE, INTO THIS DEPARTMENT, THEY DON'T HAVE THEIR 2023 SALARIES LISTED FOR COMPARISON.
SO LIKE, IT'S HARD TO TO GO BACK AND LOOK AND SEE IF THERE WAS AN ADJUSTMENT, IF THEY, YOU KNOW, LOST SALARY, IF THEIR SALARIES WERE INCREASED.
UM, YEAH, I THINK IN, IN, IN THAT, IN THAT REGARD, UM, MOST OF THE SALARIES SHOULD BE THE SAME, BUT I THINK IT MAYBE WOULD MAKE SENSE TO JUST, UM, HAVE ANY OF THE POSITIONS THAT, THAT WERE CHANGED.
AND WE CAN THEN JUST DO A CHART OF THE LIST.
SO, SO JACOB ACTUALLY SIGNED THE TWO POSITION THAT WERE TRANSFERRED FROM PARK REC, THE PARK AND REC SECTION OF THE BUDGET.
I JUST THINK WITH SO MANY POSITIONS MOVED FROM THIS DEPARTMENT TO THAT DEPARTMENT THIS YEAR, SO MUCH MOVING AROUND, IT WOULD, IT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL TO INCLUDE THOSE PREVIOUS SALARIES CUZ IT, IT, YOU KNOW, TO SAY LIKE THE POSITION DIDN'T HAVE A DOLLAR AMOUNT THE PREVIOUS YEAR ISN'T TOTALLY ACCURATE FOR THE SAKE OF, OF LOOKING AT THE BUDGET.
THAT WAS JUST SOMETHING I NOTICED WHEN I WAS GOING THROUGH THE BUDGET, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS MORNING TO GET READY FOR THIS.
AND THEN I WENT BACK AND READ THE JUSTIFICATION AND IT WAS LIKE, OH, THEY CAME FROM PARKS AND REC AND I WAS LIKE, OH, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY MADE AT PARKS AND REC LAST YEAR, SO I WAS JUST SOMETHING I WANTED TO CLARIFY FOR, YOU KNOW, FUTURE SESSIONS TO HOPEFULLY GET THAT INFORMATION.
YEAH, THIS IS DEFINITELY THE AREA THAT HAS PROBABLY SEEN THE MOST, UM, ALL OF THIS STUFF WITHIN FACILITIES AND, AND CAPITAL PROJECTS.
UM, SO I THINK ONCE WE KIND OF GET PAST THIS, THIS WON'T BE AS, THIS IS, THIS IS THE HEIGHT OF THE MOUNTAIN
AND I THINK I'LL JUST SECOND, UH, WHAT MR. BENNETT HAD SAID.
IF, IF YOU GO TO 3 99 AND YOU HAVE THE SUMMARY OF, UH, AUDITED, UH, 21, 22, 23, IT'S, IT'S ZEROED OUT OBVIOUSLY BECAUSE THERE, THE, THE, YOU KNOW, THE AMOUNT OF TRANSFERS, BUT IN AND ABOVE JUST THE SALARIES JUST TO, YOU KNOW, CONTRACTUAL SERVICES, SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS, BUSINESS AND TRAVEL.
THERE'S NOTHING TO COMPARE IT, UH, ON THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
SO WE DON'T KNOW IF, IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, UH, IN ADDITIONAL EXPENSES THAT HAVE BEEN PROVIDED TO THIS DIVISION OR IT'S LESS EXPENSES TO ACTUALLY COMPARE IT.
WHICH WHICH, I'M SORRY, WHICH WHICH CASE IS THE ADMINISTRATION FOR FACILITIES.
I MEAN, AND WE GET THE FACILITIES, WE GET, UM, EXCUSE WHICH WHAT'S FACILITIES FROM LAST YEAR FOR, FOR FOUR FACILITIES, WHICH WILL THEN BE A, A SEPARATE DIS DISCUSSION AS OPPOSED TO CAPITAL PROJECTS.
BUT IS CAPITAL PROJECTS, THEY TRULY WAS KIND OF TAKEN FROM PARKS AND REC AND INSPECTION, UM, IN INSPECTIONS, WHEREAS FACILITIES IS PRETTY MUCH JUST A FLIP.
SO IF JUST LOOKING AT THAT NUMBER AND I'M SORRY TO GO AHEAD, IT'S JUST HARD TO, UM, GET A GOOD, UH, HANDLE ON IT.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S ROUGHLY A HALF A MILLION DOLLAR INCREASE ON THAT BUDGET FOR FACILITIES.
IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT SIX, 6,000,499 VERSUS 6,000,933 A LAST YEAR, CENTRAL SERVICES WAS A SEPARATE ACCOUNT NUMBER AND A SEPARATE DIVISION.
CENTRAL SERVICES HAS ALSO BEEN IGNORED IN THE FACILITIES ENOUGH.
SO THAT INCREASE THAT YOU SEE IN CENTRAL SERVICES BUDGET WITHIN FACILITIES WHO ARE UM, OPERATING BUDGET FOR JUST FACILITIES ACTUALLY WENT DOWN CAUSE WE LOST A PERSON.
IT'S JUST FOR US IT'S JUST HARD TO, TO MANAGE, UH, COMPARISON.
AND I GUESS MAYBE JUST, UH, CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM.
UH, I, I KNOW IT'S TOUGH IS TO HAVE SOME SORT OF REFERENCE ON PAGE NUMBERS IN, IN THIS, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, ON 3 99 ON WHERE I COULD FIND THE INFORMATION BEFORE.
I KNOW THAT'S PROBABLY TOUGH TO FACILITATE, BUT YEAH.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO SEND US SOME SORT OF A SUPPLEMENT THAT WILL COVER ALL THAT, KRISTEN? YES.
UH, ANYONE ELSE? THERE WAS ALSO A CORRECTION,
[01:25:01]
I DON'T KNOW WHETHER IT WAS SENT OUT BUT, UM, CAME IN, DISCUSSED IT WITH ME AND THAT'S JUST THAT THE, UM, THE MAJOR RENOVATION CONSTRUCTION COUNTY FACILITIES IS 4 MILLION IS THE CORRECT NUMBER ON PAGE.BARKLEY, CAN I GET YOU TO TALK INTO THE MICROPHONE PLEASE? PAGE 69 SHOWED 3.5 MILLION AND THE 4 MILLION ON PAGE 56 IS THE CORRECT NUMBER.
SO I'M NOT SURE WHETHER THAT WENT OUT YESTERDAY.
SO, UM, WHEREAS CAPITAL PROJECTS RUNS A LOT OF INDIVIDUAL CAPITAL PROJECTS, YOU KNOW, UM, THAT, THAT HAVE INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS.
THERE IS THIS CATCHALL PROJECT, WHICH, UH, UH, FOR THESE, FOR, UH, MAJOR RENOVATIONS THAT DON'T WARRANT A, UM, SPECIFIC OR SET ASIDE, UH, CAPITAL PROJECT.
UM, AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT SHE WAS REFERRING TO ON PAGE 69 OF THE CAPITAL BUDGET.
YOU WANNA MOVE ON TO THE NEXT, PLEASE.
OKAY, SO NOW WE WILL MOVE ON TO FACILITIES, WHICH IS ON PAGE 3 99 OF THE OPERATING BUDGET.
OR ARE WE GOOD THERE? I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S THAT.
SO, SO IF, IF WE'RE, ARE WE, ARE WE MOVING ON TO FACILITIES AND OPERATIONS? UM, 3 99 WHERE WHEREVER YOU WANT TO GO NEXT.
I THOUGHT I, I PROBABLY WENT AHEAD CUZ I ALREADY DISCUSSED.
YEAH, THAT'S WHY, THAT'S WHY WAS SO, SO THEN WE'LL, WE'LL DO, UH, ORIGINALLY I WAS GONNA COMBINE 'EM, BUT, AND THEN WE SAID TO BREAK THEM OUT, UM, SEPARATE SEPARATELY.
SO 3 99 IS FACILITIES AND OPERATIONS AND I, AND I THINK IT WOULD BE THEN FAIR TO THEN ALSO INCLUDE THAT LEASE ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT IN THAT, IN THAT SECTION AS, AS WELL, WHICH IS ON PAGE, UH, 4 0 3.
UM, WELL STEVE ALREADY KIND OF GAVE AN OVERVIEW OF THE DIVISION, UH, FACILITIES AND OPERATIONS.
I HAD THE PLEASURE TO MEET, UM, AND WORK WITH SOME OF YOU ALREADY.
SO, UM, I, I'M GONNA THANK YOU, UH, JUST IN GENERAL FOR ALL THE RENOVATIONS THAT YOU'VE MADE TO THIS SECOND FLOOR, UH, FOR US, UH, AND YOUR DEPARTMENT, I SHOULD SAY, AND YOUR TEAM OVER THE LAST EIGHT OR NINE MONTHS.
SO I WANNA THANK YOU FOR THAT.
YOU'RE VERY EFFICIENT TO GUYS, THE GUYS THAT ARE JUST DOING AN OUTSTANDING JOB.
UM, AND QUICK, LIKE I SAID, QUICK TURNAROUND.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT COUNSEL.
AARON, UM, YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB AT THE, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE SPEAKS VERY HIGHLY OF YOU AS FAR AS JUST YOUR INTERACTION THERE WITH THE DIFFERENT PROJECTS THAT YOU'VE OVERSEEN.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK.
ANYONE ELSE? ANYONE ELSE? LAST CALL THAT WAS QUICK.
WE KIND OF WENT AHEAD AND COVERED IT EARLIER, SO YEAH, AND, AND, AND THOSE, THERE, THERE IS A LOT OF SYNERGY IN ALL OBVIOUSLY THOSE AREAS.
THAT'S WHY I TRIED TO BUNCH 'EM, BUNCH 'EM TOGETHER.
UM, AND THEN I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANYTHING THEN ON CONSTRUCTION INSPECTION, UH, WHICH WAS ON PAGE FOUR EIGHT, UM, FOUR 18.
AND AGAIN THE, THE CHANGE THERE WAS THAT THERE WAS A POSITION TO MOVE FROM INSPECTION TO CAPITAL PROJECTS.
UM, THAT'S, THAT'S WHY YOU HAVE THAT, UM, UH, THAT BIG DIFFERENCE THERE.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A, IF THERE ISN'T ANYTHING ON THAT, WE CAN, UH, PROBABLY THEN JUST MOVE ON TO STORM WATER, I WOULD ASSUME.
UN UNLESS YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR US ON THE CONSTRUCTION INSPECTION SIDE.
UH, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING COUNSEL.
SUSAN, ANYTHING WHERE, I'M SORRY.
UM, WHERE IS THAT LISTED? THE CONSTRUCTION INSPECTION SIDE? UM, 4 4 17 4 18.
UH, THAT GOES DOWN TO HUNDRED $23,000 LARGE, LARGELY DUE TO MOVING, UH, UM, MOVING A POSITION, POSITION FROM, UM, FROM HERE TO CAPITAL PROJECTS.
SO, SO IS THAT AN OVERLAP? UM, I SEE IT'S GOT, UM, STORMWATER MANAGEMENT IN THIS ALSO.
IS THAT AN OVERLAP WITH THE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT? ARE THEY COMBINED? WELL, THIS WHOLE DEPARTMENT, THIS, THIS DIVISION HAS, THAT'S WHAT WE SAID.
IT IS KIND OF, IT'S GOT ST WASTE, IT'S GOT STORMWATER, IT'S GOT FACILITIES, IT'S GOT PROJECT, YEAH.
SO IF WE'RE GOOD THEN I, I THINK THEN WE CAN GO TO STORM WATER.
UM, THEN THAT IS, CAUSE THAT'S IN THE FRONT OF THE BOOK, CORRECT? PAGE, PAGE FOUR.
[01:30:02]
WELL, UM, OPER OPERATING, OPERATING IS PAGE 4 0 6.OPERATING FOR, AGAIN, BECAUSE THAT'S A SEPARATE FUND.
SO STORM WATER MANAGEMENT IN THE OP IN THE OPERATING BUDGET, WHICH AGAIN IS A SEPARATE FROM THE GENERAL FUND.
IT IS ITS OWN SPECIAL, UM, FUND.
AND I KNOW THIS IS GONNA GET CONFUSION BECAUSE THERE IS THE FUND BALANCE IN THE GENERAL FUND, UM, COMPONENT TO IT.
BUT THIS IS STORMWATER MANAGEMENT, WHICH IS ON PAGE 4 0 6.
UM, IT HAS A BUDGET, UH, AN OPERATING BUDGET AND THEN WE'LL DISCUSS CAPITAL, UM, AFTER THIS OF, UH, 1.6 MILLION THAT REPRESENTS, UH, DECREASE OF $137,000.
AND THAT'S LARGELY JUST DUE TO UH, THAT 27TH PAY TURNOVER.
THINGS ALONG THOSE, THOSE LINES.
COUNSEL, WILL ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I DO.
MR. CUTMAN, UM, I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THIS, UM, THE WATERSHED MANAGEMENT FUND, AT THE BEGINNING IT WAS 30 MILLION, I THINK THAT YOU, MR. PRESIDENT? YES.
UM, CAN YOU DISCUSS KIND OF WHAT THAT'S USED FOR? UM, AND YOU KNOW, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, A PORTION OF THE TRANSFER TAX ALSO GOES TO THE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT.
IS THAT, IS THAT A PORTION OF RECORD? RECORD? SO I THINK WHAT'S PROBABLY THERE IS AN ALL FUNDS SUMMARY CUZ IT'S A SEPARATE FUND HERE.
WE WOULD, WHERE WOULD I FIND, WHAT IS IT? AM I SKIPPING A HEAD WRONG? AM I, AM AM I, AM I MESSING ALL OF THIS UP? A WATER CHECK? THAT'S RIGHT.
SO WE WENT, WE CHANGED THE NAMES TO MAKE THEM VERY SIMILAR.
WE USED TO CALL THE OTHER ONE.
SO THAT PART'S COMING UP LATER.
WELL JUST, WE'LL COME BACK TO WATERSHED, WHICH IS SIMILAR BUT NOT QUITE THE SAME.
JUST SIT TIGHT I THINK IS WHAT THEY'RE SAYING.
I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE THIS OUT.
SO THIS, THIS THROUGH YOUR WEATHER.
ALL RIGHT, LET'S GO, LET'S GO BACK, LET'S GO BACK TO, SO JUST, JUST TO CLARIFY, YOU CAN SAY STORMWATER MANAGEMENT'S IT ALL WE DID, JUST, JUST TO CLARIFY THIS GROUP IS IS BOB ANDERSON'S GROUP.
THIS GROUP IS RESPONSIBLE FOR STORMWATER MANAGEMENT REVIEW OF PLANS WHEN THEY COME IN FOR INSPECTION OF STORMWATER MANAGEMENT FACILITIES THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN CONSTRUCTED AND FOR DAM SAFETY SEPARATE FROM CHRISTINE BUCKLEY AND THE WATERSHED MANAGEMENT GROUP.
SO THIS GROUP IS A, A SEPARATE THERE YOU GO.
AND THIS IS FUNDED WITH GENERAL FUND? THAT'S CORRECT.
THIS IS PART OF THE GENERAL FUND.
WHAT, WHO PREPARES THE STREAMS? THAT'S CHRISTINE.
ALRIGHT, I THINK SHE'S NEXT UP.
SO WHAT PAGE ARE WE ON NOW? WE ARE, WE ARE ON PAGE 4 0 6.
MR. YOUR VICE PRESIDENT IN CHARGE.
LET'S, UH, LET'S HOLD UP UNTIL PERSON GETS BACK A LITTLE BREAK.
I SAY WE GIVE UH, TONY A CHANCE.
YOU'RE TURNED IN A BOX ALL WHERE'S OUR LEADERSHIP IS YOUR BREAK TIME YET?
AND, AND I, I, AGAIN, THIS, THESE ARE SOME UNIQUE BUDGETS IN THAT THEY'RE ALL SOMEWHAT RELATED.
UM, BUT THEN IT CROSSES MULTIPLE FUNDS MUCH SMOOTHER.
EVERYTHING WAS BETTER WHEN KIM WAS HERE.
YEAH, I CAME FROM THE BUDGET SIDE YEARS AGO, BUT NOW I'VE, I'VE LOST ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE ON THE CARROLL COUNTY BUDGET FROM THE, UH, EARLY 2000
[01:35:16]
WE DO GET TO THE WATERSHED THAT WHAT PAGE IS THAT? SO I CAN I GET, I CAN GET THE TRANSFERS BETWEEN, CAN'T REMEMBER.
I DUNNO IF YOU READ THE, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE, IF IT WOULD'VE BEEN IN YOUR EMAIL.
YOU READ YESTERDAY? YESTERDAY THAT, YES, YESTERDAY.
THE OTHER, DID I MISS ANYTHING? GET THE ONE THE COUPLE DAYS BEFORE WE WERE RIGHT.
THERE WAS ONE THAT WAS, THAT'S A DIFFERENT THING.
SO WE HAD SOME, SOME CONFUSION.
NO, I'VE GOT TAKE YOUR PRIVATE CHANGE 4 0 6.
JUMPING AHEAD MYSELF TO GET PREPARED FOR THE NEXT ONE.
UH, THE DECREASE IS THAT JUST FROM THE SALARIES? THE LESS, UH, ONE LESS PAY CYCLE.
THERE'S JUST SOME OTHER GENERAL TURNOVER.
YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WE HAVE PEOPLE RETIRE, THEN THEY'RE REPLACED BY UM, OTHER, OTHER INDIVIDUALS.
SO IT'S JUST ON THE PERSONNEL, BUT NO, NO DECREASE IN UM, KIND OF LIKE BASELINE FUNDING IF YOU WILL.
UM, BOB, IF I MAY, SO STORMWATER REVIEWS, IS THAT WHAT I UNDERSTAND? YES SIR.
SO WHEN A CLIENT, A CUSTOMER, A PROJECT IS, HAS TO COME BEFORE YOU FOR A STORMWATER REVIEW, WHAT'S THE TURNAROUND TIME ON THAT? SUPPOSED TO BE 30 DAYS.
SUPPOSED TO BE 30 DAYS TURNAROUND.
WHAT'S BEEN OUR AVERAGE LATELY? WE'VE HAD, WE'VE HAD NEW STAFFING.
WE'VE BEEN GETTING IT DOWN TO BETWEEN TWO WEEKS TO 30 DAYS.
YEAH, WE'VE BEEN DOING MUCH BETTER.
FULL DISCLOSURE, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN IT GOES UP WELL ABOVE 30.
WE KNOW WE GET CALLS AND WE KNOW WELL WE, WE MAKE CHANGES BEFORE WE GET THE CALLS.
I RECOGNIZE CUZ I REVIEWED THE, THE TURNAROUND TIMES AND SO DOES STEVE.
AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING ADEQUATE RESOURCES IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF THOSE DIPS AND VALLEYS AS BEST WE CAN.
BUT WE'RE, WE'RE IN A GOOD PLACE NOW.
WE HAD REALLY HARD WORK BY A LOT OF GOOD FOLKS TO GET THOSE REVIEWED TIMES WHERE WE WANTED TO BE.
BUT FULL DISCLOSURE, AGAIN, WE'RE LOSING A PERSON TOMORROW ALSO IN THAT VERY SMALL GROUP.
WE'LL DO OUR BEST, BUT KEEP THIS ARE WE LOOKING FOR SOMEBODY NOW? YES.
ARE THEY GOING TO A DIFFERENT COUNTY? RIGHT, EXACTLY.
SO I KNOW THAT WE'VE HAD STEVE AND JOE, WE'VE HAD MANY CONVERSATIONS, SO I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT THE TIME HAS BEEN REDUCED.
UM, SO YOU'RE IN CHARGE OF WHEN THERE'S A RUNOFF FROM THE CONSTRUCTION AND IT GOES INTO THE, THE BAY OR, OR THE WATERWAYS AND TURNS THEM ALL BROWN? NO, THAT IS, WHO DO I TALK TO? CONSTRUCTION.
I'VE GOT SO CONFUSED WITH NO, THAT'S FINE.
ALL THAT'S, I GUESS IT'S, IT IS NOT BOB.
UH, HE'S THE ONE THAT APPROVES THE PLANS TO REQUIRE THE BUILDER TO DO WHAT HE'S SUPPOSED TO DO.
SEPARATE GROUP CALLED CONSTRUCTION INSPECTIONS THAT I DON'T THINK WE'VE HEARD FROM YET.
UH, BUT THAT IS THE GROUP THAT HE GETS INVOLVED IN ACTUALLY SENDING PEOPLE IN THE FIELD TO OBSERVE AND TO MAKE SURE THINGS ARE BEING DONE CORRECTLY.
AND THEY, THEY CAN TELL ME ABOUT ORIGINALLY DEVELOPMENTAL 1 52, THAT THEY'VE SHUT DOWN FIVE TIMES BUT ONLY FIND ONCE.
I CAN GET SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THAT.
I'D BE HAPPY TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THAT.
AT, AT EVERY WHATEVER POINT YOU WANT TO.
UM, NOW IS THIS APPROPRIATE OR TELL ME WHEN I THINK IT'D BE MORE APPROPRIATE, MR. GUTHRIE, I THINK IT'D BE MORE APPROPRIATE FOR YOU TO MEET WITH THEM AND THEY CAN PRESENT ALL NO, I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE OUT HERE IN FRONT.
CAUSE WE HAVE BUT YOU'RE ASKING THEM TO HAVE A BUNCH OF OTHER DETAILS HERE TODAY THAT THEY DON'T HAVE.
WELL, I DON'T KNOW WHY THEY, THEY SHOULD HAVE.
WHY DON'T THEY HAVE IT? BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T ASK.
WHY CAN'T THEY TELL ME? WHY CAN'T THEY TELL ME WHY THIS DEVELOPMENT THERE THAT HAS BEEN SO SCREWED UP? UH, AND, AND, AND
[01:40:01]
WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, MR. GUTHRIE, THE GUY SITTING AT THE TABLE'S, NOT THE GUY YOU NEED TO TALK BEFORE.SO, WELL THEN WHO, WHO IS IT? I'M, I'M HERE ASKING, WHEN YOU TURN IS UP, HE'LL BE HERE.
BUT NUMBER TWO, WHO IS IT? WHO IS IT? I TALKED TO? HOLD ON JUST A MINUTE.
WILL HE BE HERE? LET ME FINISH.
I THINK IT WOULD BE MORE APPROPRIATE WHEN YOU IDENTIFY THE INDIVIDUAL THAT YOU'RE LOOKING TO TALK TO, TO ASK FOR A MEETING SO THAT HE CAN BRING THE PROPER DOCUMENTATION SO THAT YOU CAN SEE FIRSTHAND AND GET THE ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE.
WELL, WHEN WILL THAT BE HERE? AND WHEN CAN THAT BE HERE? YOU'LL HAVE TO SET THE MEETING UP.
YOU CAN SET IT UP RIGHT NOW WITH WHOEVER IS FINE WITH ME.
UM, WELL WHEN CAN THEY COME HERE AND ARE THEY IN THE ROOM? IS THE PERSON? NO, IT, IT, SO SEDIMENT CONTROL ENFORCEMENT IS ONE DIVISION UNDERNEATH MATT MICHAEL.
SO TWO PARTS TO THAT, THE REGULAR CONSTRUCTION SIDE AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL ENFORCEMENT SIDE, MIKE DAVIES IS HEAD OF THAT GROUP.
SO THOSE ENVIRONMENTAL INSPECTORS ARE INVOLVED IN MAKING SURE THAT THE SEDIMENT CONTROL PLANS THAT WERE APPROVED THROUGH THE SOLE CONSERVATION DISTRICT ARE ENFORCED.
AND YOU'RE RIGHT, THERE WAS MULTIPLE ISSUES WITH, WITH THAT DEVELOPMENT.
THEY WERE PUT ON STOP WORK ORDER A FEW TIMES.
THEY FIXED THOSE ISSUES AND THEY WERE ALLOWED TO PROCEED.
SO, UM, AS FAR AS THE ISSUE IS FINE, BUT CAN YOU SET, CAN YOU SET UP A MEETING WITH MR TODAY? WE CERTAINLY COULDN'T GO THROUGH THE DETAILS.
PARDON? GENTLEMAN NAMED MIKE DAVIES, WHO IS THE CHIEF OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL INSPECTIONS REPORTS TO MATT MICHAEL, WHO IS THE CHIEF OF ALL CONSTRUCTION INSPECTIONS.
I'LL BE HAPPY TO SCHEDULE A MEETING AND I'LL ASK IF CHRIS IS STILL HERE TO HAVE TO SCHEDULE A MEETING WITH YOU AND YOUR STAFF WITH MIKE DAVIES DIRECTLY AND HIS SUPERVISOR, WHICH WOULD BE MATT MICHAEL, AND WE CAN SHOW YOU ALL THE DETAILS OF OUR INSPECTIONS AND ENFORCEMENT ASSOCIATED WITH THAT, WITH THAT PROJECT.
DOES THAT HAVE FACTORY? I'M NOT SURE, BUT I'LL FIND OUT WHEN I TALK TO HIM.
I GUESS
IT'S POLLUTING OUR WATERS AND WE HAVE THE RUMSEY ISLAND REDS ASSOCIATION.
WE DO OUR OWN TESTING OF THE WATER AND THEN IT PREVENTS US FROM, FROM ALL THE CHILDREN AND THE GRANDCHILDREN FROM SWIMMING IN THE WATERS BECAUSE IT GOT POLLUTED FROM THIS DEVELOPER.
AND THEY, AND THEY HAD FIVE DIFFERENT TIMES.
THE, THE INFORMATION I'VE GOT, THEY'VE BEEN SHUT DOWN, BUT THEY ONLY GOT FINED ONCE.
AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WHEN YOU SHUT, UH, AN OUTFIT DOWN THAT YOU DON'T FIND 'EM EVERY TIME BECAUSE IT'S LIKE THE CAGE FOR THEM, TAKE IT OFF THEIR TAXES, YOU KNOW, IF YOU FIND THEM THEN WHEN THEY GOTTA, THEY GOTTA PAY TO FIND BEFORE THEY CAN OPEN BACK UP.
SO IT'S BEEN A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THIS ON THE ROADWAYS AND EVERYTHING ELSE IN THAT AREA.
AND YOU KNOW, IT, I DON'T HAVE TO TELL YOU PROBABLY GOT PLENTY OF CALLS ALSO, I GOT PLENTY OF CALLS.
SO THAT'S A REAL PROBLEM AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE IT DOESN'T HAPPEN THIS SUMMER.
SO, SO WE'RE, WE'RE SPENDING HALF OUR SUMMER WHERE NOBODY CAN GO SWIMMING AND, AND I UNDERSTAND AND WE'LL, WE'LL ESTABLISH THAT MEETING AND WE'LL WALK YOU THROUGH STEP BY STEP OF ALL THE PROCESSES THAT WE FOLLOWED IN ACCORDANCE WITH CODE, UH, AND THE ENFORCEMENT REGULATIONS THAT WE FOLLOW.
ANYTHING ELSE? ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? MR. GINGER? DOWN.
I'M SORRY, I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE THAT THIS IS THE PROPER PLACE TO BRING THIS UP, BUT STORM WATER, I, I THINK OF AS, AS A STORM WHERE, WHERE, I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS ARE A LITTLE DIFFERENT IN THAT, BUT SOME OF THESE CULVERTS THAT WE HAVE ACROSS THE ROADS ARE NOT BIG ENOUGH TO TAKE CARE OF STORMWATER.
SO HOW DO WE, WHAT, DO WE HAVE PLANS FOR ANY OF THOSE OR HOW DOES THAT WORK? I KNOW WE HAVE TO CLOSE ROADS PERIODICALLY BECAUSE OF STORMWATER CROSSING.
CERTAINLY THERE'S A LOT OF SMALL CULVERTS, CROSSROAD CULVERTS THROUGHOUT THIS COUNTY THAT WERE PUT IN LONG TIME AGO BEFORE ANY, ANY SIZING OR ANY ENGINEERING WAS INVOLVED.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, AS ISSUES COME UP AND, AND FREQUENCY OF ISSUES COME UP, WE LOOK AT THEM AND IF WHEN THE CONDITION OF THE PIPE, UH, WARRANTS REPLACEMENT, WE'LL LOOK INTO UPSIZING, WELL THOSE CROSSING AS WE CAN.
I KNOW OF ONE THAT YOU JUST REPLACED LESS THAN THREE YEARS AGO WITH THE SAME SIZE THAT IT WAS THERE AND UNFORTUNATELY IT'S NOT BIG ENOUGH.
SO I DON'T KNOW HOW, WHAT TYPE OF ENGINEERING HAS TO GO INTO THOSE TYPES OF THINGS OR THE PIPE MAY HAVE BEEN REPLACED BECAUSE IT WAS MAINTENANCE, IT WAS FALLING APART.
SO THEY, THEY, THE MAINTENANCE GUYS PUT THAT BACK IN.
UM, AGAIN, IF, IF, IF WE KNOW THERE'S AN ISSUE OF FREQUENT CONSTANT FLOODING, THE ENGINEER, THE ENGINEERING FOLKS NEED TO GET INVOLVED AND WE CAN DIS DISCUSS AND CONSIDER WHETHER AN UPGRADE TO THAT PIPE FROM A SIZE STANDPOINT IS APPROPRIATE.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S A WORK IN PROGRESS, BUT CERTAINLY WE NEED TO BE MADE AWARE OF THOSE ISSUES.
BUT THERE'S PLENTY OF, PLENTY OF LOCATIONS OUT THERE THAT FLOOD INFREQUENTLY AND, UH, WELL THERE'S PLENTY THAT FLOOD FREQUENTLY ALSO AGREE WITH YOU AND THAT'S WHERE WE NEED TO MAYBE DO YOU NEED CITIZEN INPUT
[01:45:01]
FOR THAT OR HOW DO YOU ALWAYS CERTAINLY, WE, WE ALWAYS APPRECIATE CITIZEN INPUT.WE, THE FOLKS THAT LIVE THERE ARE GOING TO KNOW ABOUT HOW OFTEN THAT HAPPENS.
GLEN GLEN BILL, AND THEN WE DO GLENVILLE ROAD.
UH, AND TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT, HOW ABOUT DITCHES? I MEAN I'VE, I'VE BEEN SHOVELING MY DITCH, BUT
THE GENERAL HIGHWAY'S PHONE, HOME PHONE NUMBER AND I
AND THE, THE, THE C CLICK AND FIX FEATURE OF THE WEBSITE, WHICH I UNDERSTAND IT MIGHT BE HARD TO FIND NOW SINCE THE THINGS HAVE BEEN REDONE, BUT WHEREVER IT IS ON THE WEBSITE, THAT IS AN EXCELLENT PLACE TO REPORT ANY CONCERNS ON BOTH SIDES OR ANY PUBLIC SIDE OF INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH EITHER OUR ROADS OR OUR, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT GET TO US GOING THROUGH THAT PROCESS AUTOMATICALLY GOES INTO A SYSTEM THAT GETS REPORTED TO US IMMEDIATELY.
IT'S ACTUALLY FASTER AND MORE ACCURATE THAN TELEPHONE CALLS, QUITE HONESTLY.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO INFORM YOU, I TOLD OUR PERSON THAT RUNS OUR WEBSITE AND DOES EVERYTHING TO PUT THE YOUTH LIKELY FIXED BACK ON THE PAGE.
UM, ANYONE ELSE, BUT IF IT'S A STATE ROAD THAT WON'T GET FIXED.
WE GOT A LOT OF STATE ROADS ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, AND THEY DON'T FIX ANYTHING.
AND STATE HIGHWAY HAS AN ELECTRONIC ONLINE REPORTING FEATURE VERY SIMILAR TO RC CLICK AND FIX THAT.
QUITE OFTEN WHEN THOSE INQUIRIES COME INTO ME IS WHEN I KNOW IT'S A STATE ROAD, I'LL SEND THAT LINK OUT TO, UH, TO THOSE FOLKS AND THEY CAN DO THE SAME TYPE OF ENTRY TO, TO THE STATE.
CAN'T GUARANTEE HOW QUICKLY THE STATE WILL DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT, BUT AT LEAST THE INFORMATION THAT GETS DIRECTLY TO THEM WITHOUT HAVING TO GO THROUGH A THIRD PARTY.
BUT THAT WOULD ALSO INCLUDE THE, UM, THE NEW LIAISON POSITION WOULD ALSO BE ABLE TO TRANSLATE THAT AS WELL.
RIGHT? THEY CERTAINLY COULD, BUT AGAIN, IT'S GONNA BE A REFERRAL TO THIS, RIGHT? WE, WE'LL THE, THE U THAT ARE NOT BEING DEALT WITH.
WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY IN OUR REGULAR MEETINGS AND THROUGH OUR LIAISON TO FIX, REMIND THEM ABOUT IT, TO LEAVE TO THINGS THAT ARE RUNNING LATER THAN THEY SHOULD.
COULD WE FIX IT AND BILL IN? YEAH, YOU GET PAID
I THOUGHT IT WAS A GREAT QUESTION.
ANYONE ELSE WITH ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, BOB.
WE KNEW THE ANSWER TO THAT FLOORS ASKED, BUT IT'S A GOOD ONE.
ROBBIE, WHO'S NEXT? I THINK NEXT, YES, LET'S BRING, LET'S BRING CHRISTINA NEXT.
LET'S BRING THAT, YES, LET'S BRING CHRISTINA AND WE WILL NOW DISCUSS WATERSHED MANAGEMENT.
USED TO BE CALLED STORMWATER NO LONG AGO.
WHAT PAGE ARE WE GOING TO? WE ARE GOING TO PAGE 4 21 AND 4 22 OF COURSE THIS.
AND THEN WHAT, WE'LL WE CAN DISCUSS THE OPERATING PORTION OF HER BUDGET AND THEN WE CAN SWITCH TO THE, TO THE CAPITAL, CAPITAL PORTION.
SO IN THE OPERATING PORTION OF HER BUDGET, WHICH IS ALL A SPECIAL REVENUE FUND.
UM, THIS IS FOR FIVE CURRENT SUPPLEMENTAL STAFF USED FOR OUTSIDE CONSULTING THAT HAVE BEEN BILLED TO THE CAPITAL PROJECTS, UM, IN THE PAST.
SO THIS WAS STUFF THAT WAS ALREADY BEING BEING DONE UNDER ON THE CAPITAL SIDE AND, AND MOVING IT TO THE OPERATING, OPERATING SIDE.
SO WITH THAT, I THINK WE CAN, WE CAN START ON THE OP IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS ON THE, ON THE OPERATING.
UM, AGAIN, BEFORE WE START QUESTIONING, I JUST WANT TO THANK, UH, YOU MS. BUCKLEY FOR YOUR PRESENTATIONS AT THE BOARD OF ESTIMATES AS WELL.
[01:50:01]
ALWAYS SEEM TO BE VERY THOROUGH.UM, BUT WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AND, AND I'LL, I'LL ASK MR. PENMAN TO FOLLOW UP ON MY QUESTION.
HE'S GONNA DO IT MUCH MORE ELOQUENTLY THAN I WILL
SO ON PAGE 28, UM, OF THE MAIN BINDER, UH, IT HAS 30 MILLION, UH, DEDICATED TO THE WATER SHED MANAGEMENT FUND.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, A A A PORTION OF THAT IS FROM THE TRANSFER TAX AS WELL.
SO IS THE TRANSFER TAX PUT IT INTO THAT 30 MILLION THAT'S FOR THE MANAGEMENT FUND ON THERE OR IS IT IN ADDITION TO IT? WOULD IT THIS SO THIS IS JUST A RESERVE.
IT'S NOT PART OF AN APPROPRIATION, BUT IT'S RESERVED IN THE GENERAL, IT'S GENERAL FUND DOLLARS.
UM, IT IS, IS NOT RELATED TO THE, TO THE TRANSFER TAX.
AND, AND PROBABLY THE BEST WAY TO, UM, LOOK AT SOME OF THIS IS TO GO TO PAGE, UM, YOU GO TO PAGE, UM, UH, ONE, UM, ONE 19.
UM, AND ACTUALLY, YEAH, ONE EVEN ACTUALLY, I'M SORRY, WHAT? YEAH, WHAT'S, UM, REALLY KIND OF STARTING ON PAGE, UH, PAGE ONE 15 THROUGH THROUGH ONE 19, THIS KIND OF SPEAKS TO SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE ISSUES AT PLAY.
SO WATERSHED MANAGEMENT, AND I'M GONNA GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY HERE.
UM, BACK DURING THE O'MALLEY ADMINISTRATION WHEN WE ALL HAD HEARD ABOUT THE RAIN TAX AND THAT YOU NEEDED TO, UM, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS NEEDED TO, UH, PUT A FEE OR A TAX, UM, ON IMPERVIOUS SURFACE IN ORDER TO PAY FOR OUR MS FOUR, UH, OBLIGATIONS, WHICH DEAL WITH STORMWATER, STORMWATER RUNOFF.
WE WERE REQUIRED AT THAT TIME TO, IF WE WERE NOT GONNA HAVE A RAIN TAX, UM, OR A STORMWATER FEE IF YOU WILL, UH, WE NEEDED TO IDENTIFY A DEDICATED REVENUE SOURCE ABOUT EIGHT YEARS AGO.
WE, WE USED A PORTION OF RECORDATION THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY USED FOR WATER AND SEWER, BUT WE REALLOCATED THAT, THAT DEDICATED REVENUE, UM, TO STORMWATER NEEDS.
AND WE BRING IN, AND YOU'LL, YOU'LL KIND OF SEE THIS, UM, ON PAGE ONE 15, WE BRING IN ABOUT, WE BRING IN ABOUT $3 MILLION A YEAR FROM, FROM THAT, UM, FROM THAT RECORDATION TAX.
UM, NOW BECAUSE WE WERE COLLECTING THIS RECORDATION TAX FOR, FOR A WHILE, WE BUILT UP A BIT OF A FUND BALANCE IN THIS PARTICULAR FUND.
SO, BUT YOU WILL SEE WHEN YOU LOOK AT, AT HOW THE REVENUE BREAKDOWN IS, WE NEEDED, WE HAD A 6 MILLION BUDGET.
WE HAD 3 MILLION OF IT COME FROM THE RECORDATION AND THEN WE'RE USING AROUND 2.6, 2.7 MILLION OF RECORDATION FUND BALANCE, IF YOU WILL, FROM PRIOR YEARS WHEN WE, WHEN WE HAD MORE REVENUE THAN THAN EXPENDITURES.
NOW IF YOU TURN TO PAGE ONE 19, THIS HERE WILL SHOW YOU THAT WE HAVE, AGAIN, ABOUT $6 MILLION IN EXPENDITURES FOR THESE, UM, IN FISCAL YEAR 24 FOR THESE VARIOUS WATERSHED PROJECTS.
NOW, IF YOU GO DOWN TO THE MIDDLE OF THE AREA, YOU'LL SEE THAT PUBLIC WORKS $2.88 MILLION THAT CORRESPONDS TO THE OPERATING BUDGET, WHICH WE JUST JUST DISCUSSED.
THE 1.9, ALMOST $2 MILLION IS FOR DEBT SERVICE.
SO WHEN WE GET TO THE CAPITAL, ALL OF THOSE PROJECTS WHERE WE HAVE, UM, WHERE WE'RE USING BONDS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ACCUMULATING DEBT SERVICE, UM, OVER TIME, AND THIS IS A NUMBER THAT IS GROWING.
SO WE HAVE ABOUT $2 MILLION IN DEBT SERVICE.
AND THEN WHEN YOU SEE MISCELLANEOUS OF 1 MILLION, TWO 50, THAT IS PAYGO RECORDATION, UM, CASH THAT WE ARE USING IN THE CAPITAL PROJECT TO PAY FOR EXPENDITURES THAT WE DON'T THINK THAT WE CAN BOND, THAT WE NEED CASH FOR.
SO ALL TOLD THOSE, THOSE THREE AREAS ADD UP TO $6 MILLION, NOW WE'RE $6 MILLION AS MORE THAN $3 MILLION.
UM, AND THAT IS WHY WE IN THE GENERAL FUND, WHICH IS NOT RELATED TO THIS RECORDATION, YOU KNOW, WE KNEW THAT WE HAD AN ONGOING THAT, THAT WE HAD AN UNSUSTAINABLE SITUATION HERE.
AND THIS WAS UNDER THE, UNDER THE PREVIOUS, YOU KNOW, ADMINISTRATION.
WE RECOGNIZED THAT, UM, THE STORMWATER OBLIGATIONS WAS GONNA CONTINUE TO GROW.
THE DEBT SERVICE WOULD GET BIGGER AND BIGGER BECAUSE WE'RE DOING ABOUT SIX, $7 MILLION WORTH OF BONDS EVERY YEAR.
WE ALSO HAD TO TAKE ON SOME ADDITIONAL COSTS RELATED TO THE TOWNS.
UM, SO YOU WERE, YOU WERE GOING TO HAVE ONGOING, ONGOING EXPENDITURES AND RECREATION.
UM, AT LEAST ONLY THE PORTION OF RECREATION HERE WAS NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO KEEP, TO KEEP UP WITH IT.
SO IN ORDER TO KIND OF MEET OUR, UM, OBLIGATIONS WITH THE STATE, WHEN IT COMES TO THE PLANNING OF THIS, UH, THE, THE MS FOUR PERMIT THAT WE SH THAT WE, UM, UH, D PW TOOK TO YOU A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, WE SET ASIDE IN THE GENERAL FUND 30 MILLION TO TELL THE REGULATORS MORE OR LESS THAT HEY,
[01:55:01]
WE HAVE A FUNDABLE PLAN HERE.UM, SO BECAUSE IF THEY LOOK AT IT AND THEY SAY, WELL WAIT A MINUTE, YOU'RE SPENDING, YOU'RE SPENDING $8 MILLION, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE SPENDING ALL THIS MONEY A, A YEAR, BUT YOU'RE ONLY GOT $3 MILLION OF REVENUE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT A SUSTAINABLE PLAN.
SO WE PUT 30 MILLION OF GENERAL FUND, DOLLAR OF GENERAL FUND, UM, FUND BALANCE.
WE ASSIGNED IT TO SAY, HEY, IF WE DO FIND THAT WE NEED MONEY, WE CAN TRANSFER IT FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO TO THE STORM WATER FUND SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO MEET OUR OBLIGATIONS.
RIGHT NOW IT'S JUST KIND OF A SET ASIDE.
IT'S KIND OF ALMOST JUST LIKE A, UM, LIKE, LIKE A, LIKE A SET ASIDE IN YOUR, IN YOUR OWN SAVINGS ACCOUNT.
LIKE IF YOU HAD A SET ASIDE FOR, UH, A PARTICULAR EXPENSE, HEY, IF THE CAR GOES UP, I'VE GOT $10,000 SET ASIDE FOR THAT.
SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE THAT IS RIGHT NOW.
IT STAYS IN THE GENERAL FUND, BUT ONE OF THESE YEARS, EVENTUALLY THAT, UM, WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE ANY MORE FUND BALANCE WITHIN THE STORMWATER FUND TO, TO, TO, TO DRAW UPON.
AND WE'RE GONNA NEED TO USE THAT, THAT WE'RE GONNA NEED TO DO ONE OF TWO THINGS.
WE ARE EITHER GOING TO NEED TO TAKE THAT, SOME OF THAT GENERAL FUND DOLLARS, UM, WE WOULD RELEASE IT FROM FUND BALANCE AND THEN APPROPRIATE IT AS AN INTER-FUND TRANSFER, OR WE NEED TO DEFINE ANOTHER REVENUE SOURCE, UM, TO SUPPORT THIS, THIS, UM, THIS ENDEAVOR.
WE, SO WHETHER WE WOULD SAY, UM, TAKE MORE RECORDATION OR SUM OF TRANSFER TAX OR A PENNY OF THE PROPERTY TAX OR WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN, YOU CAN COME UP WITH, WITH ANY O UM, OPPORTUNITY, ANY, UM, SCENARIO.
BUT EVENTUALLY WE WILL NEED TO FIND ANOTHER REVENUE SOURCE, UM, AN ONGOING SUSTAINABLE REVENUE SOURCE.
NOW, WE WERE WITH THIS RECORDATION ABLE TO, UM, TO DO A LOT, AND IT BOUGHT US A LOT OF TIME, BUT IT'S NOT A LONG-TERM SOLUTION.
AND SO IT, BECAUSE IT'S NOT A LONG-TERM SOLUTION, THAT'S WHY WE, WE SET ASIDE 30 MILLION IN CASE WE DO NEED IT IN CASE WE CANNOT FIND ANOTHER NEW DEDICATED REVENUE SOURCE.
SO LAST YEAR, 2023, HOW MUCH MONEY WAS SET ASIDE IN THAT FUND? WHAT WAS THE TOTAL MONEY IN THE BUDGET? OH, IN THE, WELL, IT'S NOT IN THE BUDGET.
WE, WE HAVE KEPT IT AT 30 MILLION FOR A FEW YEARS.
SO IT IS, IT IS A, IT IS A, UM, WITH FUND BALANCE, YOU, YOU HAVE VARIOUS LEVELS OF, OF FUND BALANCE WHERE YOU SAY SOMETIMES THINGS ARE RESTRICTED BY LAW.
SO LIKE IF WE HAVE FUND BALANCE, UM, FOR, UH, WELL, THE HOTEL TAXES IS AN EXAMPLE.
WE CAN ONLY USE HOTEL IF WE HAVE EXTRA HOTEL TAX.
WE CAN ONLY USE THAT FOR TOURISM RELATED DEALS.
SO I WOULD PUT THAT LIKE IN RESTRICTED IF WE HAD EXTRA, EXTRA MONEY THERE.
AND ASSIGNMENTS ARE MORE OR LESS MANAGEMENT'S DECISIONS TO SAY, HEY, WE KNOW WE'VE GOT SOME COSTS GOING UP.
SO WE SET ASIDE MONEY FOR STORMWATER.
WE HAVE SET ASIDE MONEY FOR CAPPING LANDFILLS.
UH, WE KNOW WHERE WE, THESE COSTS ARE COMING.
FOR MANY YEARS, WE HAD MONEY SET ASIDE IN THERE, UM, FOR THE, UM, DEMOLITION OF, UH, THE INCINERATOR, THE WASTE ENERGY PLAN.
SO, UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, AND THEN YOU ALSO, IF YOU PLAN ON USING MONEY IN THE UPCOMING, UH, BUDGET, IT'S CONSIDERED AN ASSIGNMENT.
UM, YOU'LL SEE US ASSIGNED TO, UM, ASSIGNED TO, YOU KNOW, NEXT YEAR'S APPROPRIATION.
THEN WHAT'S EVER LEFT OVER IS YOU'RE UNASSIGNED AND ARE UNASSIGNED.
IS THAT 30, $35 MILLION, YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF, AT THE END OF LAST YEAR.
UM, BUT I, I THINK HOPEFULLY THAT HELP STATEMENT.
SO, UM, I KNOW MR. PENMAN HAS A FOLLOW UP, AND THEN MR. JAN, UNLESS HE ASK, SO I'M JUST, I'M HAVING A HARD TIME UNDERSTANDING WHY 30 MILLION IS APPROPRIATE AND MAYBE THERE'S A, A REASONABLE EXPLANATION THAT I'M JUST NOT GRASPING BECAUSE THAT'S FIVE TIMES WHAT THE ACTUAL, WHAT, WHAT'S BEING FUNDED, WHICH IS ROUGHLY 6 MILLION AND A HALF OF THAT IS COME, COMES FROM THE RECORDATION UH, TAX.
SO, SO MY QUESTION IS, IS WHY IS THAT 30 MILLION? THERE'S NO STATE REQUIREMENT.
I UNDERSTAND THAT PEOPLE WANNA SEE TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE RESERVE, AND I UNDERSTAND HAVING A RESERVE, BUT FIVE TIMES WHAT THE ACTUAL, UH, ALLOTMENT, UM, IS FOR WATERSHED MANAGEMENT.
AND I THINK JUST BECAUSE OF THE UNCERTAINTY, UH, AND AGAIN, THIS WAS A DECISION THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DID UNDER, UNDER THE, UNDER THE, THE, THE PRIOR ADMINISTRATION.
UM, LOOKING AT THOSE FUTURE POTENTIAL COSTS, YOU KNOW, WE WANTED TO SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA PUT FORTH A NUMBER HERE.
UM, THAT TRULY DOES GIVE US ENOUGH ENOUGH, UM, UH, FLEXIBILITY AND CUSHION, BUT IF WE FIND ANOTHER DEDICATED REVENUE SOURCE, WE CAN RELEASE ALL OF THAT.
IT WOULD JUST, WE WOULD PROBABLY SAY, LIKE IF WE WENT AND SAID, LOOK, WE'RE GONNA USE TRANSFER TAX OR MORE OF THE RECORDATION TAX.
SO IT WAS AN ATTEMPT AT KIND OF LOOKING AT OUR LONG-TERM, LONG-TERM EXPENDITURES IN ORDER TO BUY, YOU KNOW, MORE THAN ENOUGH, MORE, MORE THAN ENOUGH YEARS OF, OF SUPPLEMENTAL, OF SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING.
BUT, UH, SEEMS LIKE YOU'RE PLAN PLANNING FOR YEARS TO COME, RIGHT? UH, ON YOU'RE TRYING TO FIND A FUNDING SOURCE WHILE
[02:00:01]
WE'RE ASKING OTHER ENTITIES TO EXHAUST THEIR, THEIR GENERAL FUND SOURCES, UM, OR FUND BALANCES.BUT WE'RE GONNA BE SITTING ON FIVE TIMES WHAT'S ACTUALLY BEING, UH, BUDGETED FOR THIS PARTICULAR AREA.
WELL, I WOULD SAY IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT THE OTHER, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE SCHOOLS AND THE, LIKE, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE ALSO MADE DECISIONS TO ASSIGN, TO ASSIGN EXPENDITURES TO THINGS THAT THEY HAVE, UM, NOT, NOT ALL NECESSARILY A HUNDRED PERCENT THINGS THAT THEY HAVE TO DO OR THINGS THAT THEY WANT TO DO IN THE FUTURE.
UM, AND WHETHER THAT IS, YOU KNOW, PURCHASE NEW EQUIPMENT OR WHETHER THAT IS TO COVER LEASE PAYMENTS.
UM, SO AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WITHIN THE ASSIGNED AREA, IT'S, IT'S, UM, THERE IS SOME FLEXIBILITY.
AND I WOULD SAY THAT THOSE, THOSE ENTITIES HAVE USED THEIR, UM, THEIR MANAGEMENT FLEXIBILITY IN ORDER TO SAY, HEY, WE THINK THESE THINGS ARE COMING DOWN THE ROAD.
UM, SO LIKE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY WILL SAY THAT THEY HAVE A A 30, UM, 35 MILLION UNASSIGNED, WHICH IS ACTUALLY VERY, THAT WAS THE EQUIVALENT THAT WE ENDED UP LAST YEAR.
AND THEN THEY'LL SAY THAT THE REST OF IT IS LARGELY ASSIGNED, YOU KNOW, SOME OF IT'S RESTRICTED, UM, AS, AS WELL.
SO YES, THOSE ARE, UM, THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE MANAGEMENT, UH, DECISIONS IN ORDER TO TRY TO, TO, UH, UM, TO PROVIDE THAT ASSURANCE.
AND WE DO INCLUDE THAT IN THAT MS FOUR, YOU KNOW, IN, IN THAT MS FOUR, UM, YOU KNOW, DOCUMENT.
AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK MY UNDERSTANDING AGAIN, IF, IF, IF WE DON'T PASS THE A IF OUR, IF OUR FISCAL ASSURANCE PLAN DOESN'T PASS, UH, YOU KNOW, MUSTER WITH THE STATE, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE ARE THEN ACTIONS THAT THEY CAN TAKE, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE ULTIMATELY A CONSENT ORDER THAT YOU KNOW, WELL, YOU, YOU NEED TO DO THIS AND THIS AND THIS.
AND SO, BUT I, I MEAN, I'M GONNA AGREE IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT A, UM, I CAN'T POINT TO A SPECIFIC, TO A SPECIFIC, UH, YOUR LAW TO SAY, YOU KNOW, IT NEEDS TO BE, YOU KNOW, 10% OF THE BUDGET.
UM, BUT I THINK THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE CONCERN ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY A, UM, A NEW DEDICATED REVENUE SOURCE, BECAUSE ULTIMATELY A NEW DEDICATED REVENUE SOURCE IS, IS ONE OF TWO THINGS.
WE'RE EITHER TAKING IT AWAY FROM SOMETHING ELSE.
SO IN THAT CASE OF THE RECORDATION, WE DID TAKE IT FROM WATER AND, YOU KNOW, FROM THE WATER AND SOURCE SYSTEM.
UM, BUT THE OTHER PLACE WHERE RECORDA, YOU KNOW, TWO-THIRDS OF RECORDATION GOES TO SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION, ONE THIRD GOES TO PARKS, I'M SORRY, ONE SIX GOES TO PARKS, ONE SIX GOES TO, UM, UH, WATERSHED MANAGEMENT, AND THEN TRANSFER TAX HALF GOES TO SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION AND HALF GOES TO AG PRES.
UM, SO IF YOU WERE JUST USING THAT, THAT SMALL UNIVERSE THERE, YOU WOULD EITHER HAVE TO INCREASE THE OVERALL TAX OR YOU WOULD HAVE TO TAKE FROM ONE OF THOSE, THOSE, THOSE AREAS.
MR. JK, SO PIGGYBACKING ON, UH, COUNCILMAN PENMAN, I AGREE, THE 30 MILLION, BUT WHERE DID THE 30 MILLION COME FROM? YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE WERE LOOKING AT, AT, AT, UM, AT, AT SOME OF THE LONG TERM TRENDS AND WANTED TO HAVE A, UM, A, A SOLID ENOUGH NUMBER IN THERE THAT, THAT, THAT WE COULD GO WITH CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME WITH, WITHOUT, UM, WITHOUT HAVING TO IDENTIFY THAT NEW FUNDING SOURCE.
UM, BUT IT WAS, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, AGAIN, IT'S, BUT WHERE DID IT COME FROM? WHERE DID THE 30 MILLION COME FROM? I MEAN, LARGELY JUST, JUST INTERNAL, INTERNAL DISCUSSIONS.
SO, SO NEXT YEAR, IF WE NEEDED THE MONEY, WE INTERNALLY, IF WE DON'T PUT 30 MILLION, SO WE CAN BASICALLY TAKE SOME OF THAT 30 MILLION AND, AND IF WE NEEDED TO AND WE PUT AN AMENDMENT, WE CAN MOVE SOME OF THAT 30 MILLION AROUND AND WE CAN GIVE YOU TWICE THE AMOUNT YOU, YOU GOTTA SEND IT BACK TO GENERAL FUND IF YOU TRIED TO DO IT.
IT, IT WOULD JUST FALL TO THE NEWS FOR WHATEVER IN GENERAL PUBLIC IT WOULD, BUT, BUT THEN AGAIN, IT GOES BACK TO, I MEAN, YEAH, WE COULD, WE COULD RE YOU KNOW, YOU WELL, COUNCIL DOES NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO, UM, TO, TO MAKE THOSE ASSIGNMENT CHANGES WITHIN APPROPRIATE WITHIN, WITHIN, WITHIN FUND, WITHIN FUND BALANCE.
I MEAN, THAT'S A, THAT'S AN, AN EXECUTIVE BRANCH FUNCTION.
HOWEVER, I WOULD SAY THAT IF WE HAD A BUDGET WHEREBY WE APPROPRIATED MORE, AND IF WE CAME KIND OF TO THE END OF, UM, AT THE END OF THE YEAR AND, AND WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY, UM, LIKE I WOULDN'T JUST, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE WOULDN'T GO INTO DEFAULT OR WE WOULDN'T, WE PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE THE UNASSIGNED BE SO LOW.
UM, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, KEEP THAT, THAT, THAT, UM, THAT 30 MILLION THERE, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD PROBABLY BE ADJUSTING.
SO, BUT I MEAN, AGAIN, THIS GOES INTO, UM, THIS GETS INTO KIND OF, YOU KNOW, FISCAL MANAGEMENT.
NOW, I WILL SAY, WHEN WE GO TO DEAL WITH THE CREDIT RATING AGENCIES, AND WE GO THROUGH THE FUND BALANCE, AND WE SAY, OKAY, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A $200 MILLION FUND BALANCE.
WE'RE USING 90 MILLION OF IT NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET, WE HAVE A 5% RAINY DAY FUND.
AND THEN WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT THAT STORMWATER.
AND THAT IS ONE, YOU KNOW, THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY LIKE TO SEE THAT THERE AS WELL BECAUSE THEY KNOW WHAT THEY LIKE TO SEE IN YOUR ASSIGNMENTS IS, YOU KNOW, NOT THAT YOU'RE HIDING MONEY PER SE, BUT THAT YOU'RE LIKE, HEY, THEY'RE AWARE THAT THEY HAVE THESE COSTS COMING DOWN THE, THAT THEY HAVE THESE, THESE TRUE LIABILITIES, THESE TRUE
[02:05:01]
COSTS THAT ARE COMING UP.AND THEY'RE COMING UP PROBABLY SOONER THAN, THAN, THAN, THAN YOU REALIZE, BECAUSE WE'RE VERY QUICKLY DRAWING DOWN THE AVAILABLE FUND BALANCE IN THE STORMWATER FUND.
UM, AND THAT GIVES THEM AND THE INVESTMENT COMMUNITY, UM, UH, THAT, THAT GIVES THEM, WHAT'S THE WORD I'M LOOKING FOR HERE? IT'S NOT, NOT PAUL, IT'S THE OPPOSITE OF PAULS THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT ASSURES THEM THAT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A FUN BALANCE THAT WE CAN MANAGE THESE, UM, UH, THESE POTENTIAL SHORTFALLS.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT IS, BUT AGAIN, IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A, IT'S AN ART MORE THAN A SCIENCE.
UM, IT IS A, IT IS A, IT IS A DECISION, BUT IF WE JUST GOT RID OF IT AND THEN WE JUST SPENT IT, WE JUST SPENT, WE JUST SPENT THAT MONEY ON SOMETHING ELSE IN THE, IN THE GENERAL FUND, YOU KNOW, THEN IT'S NOT THERE.
AND THEN WE'RE STILL GONNA BE RIGHT BACK TO THEN A YEAR FROM NOW, WE WOULD BE RIGHT BACK TO THE SAME SITUATION.
YOU KNOW, IT GOES BACK TO THIS IS ONE TIME MONEY.
UM, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT SPENDING IT, YEAH.
I'M TALKING ABOUT NOT HAVING IT AT 30 MILLION, LIKE, LIKE COUNCIL I PENMAN SAID, AND MAYBE INSTEAD OF 30 MILLION, MAYBE IT'S 15 MILLION AND YOU'RE STILL, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE STILL TWICE OF WHAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE PROJECTING AND, AND YOU OBVIOUSLY PULLED IT FROM SOMEWHERE, SO DOWN THE ROAD YOU COULD PULL IT AGAIN FROM SOMEWHERE.
I MEAN, WE CAN, YOU CAN ALWAYS CHANGE YOUR ASSIGNMENTS WITHIN, UH, WITHIN FUND BALANCE BASED UPON THE NEEDS.
AGAIN, IF WE HAD A, A SIGNIFICANT EMERGENCY, YEAH, WE WOULD, WE SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, HEY, WE WERE PLANNING ON KEEPING 30 MILLION.
WE CAN'T, WE GOTTA, WE GOTTA MAKE IT, WE GOTTA MAKE IT 20 AND WE GOTTA CHANGE SOMETHING ELSE HERE.
BUT WE KNOW THAT THOSE, THOSE ARE REAL COSTS, AND WE KNOW THAT WE DO NOT HAVE A DEDICATED REVENUE FUNDING SOURCE RIGHT NOW.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE IS, IS, IS ON THE IMMEDIATE AGENDA, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT AS IF WE HAVE HAVE, UH, UM, A PENDING PLAN TO, UH, TO CHANGE ONE OF THOSE REVENUE SOURCES.
SO THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THAT, THOSE FUNDS THERE.
SO EVEN IF WE HAD A CATASTROPHE, SO MAYBE THE STATE COMES IN AND DECLARES THEIR EMERGENCY AND WE GET STATE FUNDS OR FEDERAL FUNDS, IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT BIG THAT, YOU KNOW, A HURRICANE COMES UP THROUGH HERE AND DOES SOMETHING AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, THEY DECLARE A STATE OF EMERGENCY IN, IN THEIR STATE FUNDS AND FEDERAL FUNDS YEAH.
AS WELL FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, CORRECT? YEAH.
AND IF WE HAD CERTAIN, YEAH, SOME, SOMETIMES IF IT'S A, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WOULD BE REIMBURSED BY FEMA OR, OR OTHER COSTS LIKE THAT FOR, UM, FOR, FOR SOME OF THOSE CERTAIN DOWNTURNS.
BUT AGAIN, IF WE, AND IF WE HAD TO, IF WE FOUND IT THAT THEY WERE LIKE, OH, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THE WEIRD PART WITH FEMA REIMBURSEMENTS A LOT OF TIMES IS, UM, I KNOW THIS IS THE CASE WITH SNOW.
IT'S ALMOST LIKE, YOU KNOW, EVERY, YOU KNOW, UNLESS YOU, YOU TOP THE PREVIOUS SNOWFALL, YOU DON'T GET ANY MONEY.
AND, AND SO IT'S KIND OF LIKE, LIKE A, LIKE AN ESCALATING, UH, UH, UH, ESCALATING RE REIMBURSEMENT.
UM, JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE ABNORMAL EXPENDITURES DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN YOU'RE GOING TO GET, UM, THAT YOU'RE GONNA GET REIMBURSEMENT.
BUT IF WE NEEDED TO TAP INTO THAT MONEY, IT IS, IT'S A, IT IS A, IS A MANAGEMENT DECISION TO DO AN ASSIGNMENT.
BUT I THINK IT'S A PRUDENT ONE, ONE THAT THE CREDIT RATING AGENCIES DO AGREE WITH, ONE THAT THE STATE REGULATORS AT THE EPA, AT THE STATE, UM, THE STATE'S ENVIRONMENTAL, UM, UH, AGENCIES, UM, LIKE TO SEE AS WELL, BECAUSE IT SHOWS THAT WE HAVE A LEGITIMATE PLAN.
IF WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT, THEN WHAT WE'RE SAYING TO, UM, UH, TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATORS AND TO THE COMMUNITY IS THAT, HEY, WE ARE SPENDING SIX, SEVEN, $8 MILLION A YEAR AND WE'RE ONLY BRINGING IN THREE.
AND THEY'RE GONNA SAY, WELL, THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
AND SO THIS IS A WAY OF, OF, OF SAYING, OKAY, WE, BUT WE HAVE THESE MON, THESE DEDICATED RE YOU KNOW, DE UH, NOT, NOT LEGALLY DEDICATED, BUT ASSIGNED REVENUES THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO MEET OUR OBLIGATION.
HOW, HOW MANY YEARS BASED ON CURRENT TRENDS ARE WE FROM HAVING TO TOUCH THAT FUND? UM, I, I'LL HAVE TO GET THOSE, THOSE NUMBERS.
UM, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT REALLY, IT'S A MATTER OF THAT AMOUNT OF YEARS, UH, PLUS THE AMOUNT OF YEARS THAT THE, THIS ADDITIONAL FUND BALANCE IS THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT WE HAVE, UM, TO, TO, TO, TO ADDRESS THE, THE STRUCTURAL DEFICIT IN THE FUNDING.
AND SO IT'S REALLY A QUESTION OF HOW MUCH TIME DO WE NEED TO ADDRESS THAT STRUCTURAL DEFICIT? YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH TIME IS APPROPRIATE TO, TO, TO FIGURE OUT HOW DO YOU FUND WATERSHED MANAGEMENT? RIGHT? AND I, BECAUSE WHETHER YOU SAID IT, YOU COULD SAY IT AT 15 MILLION, 30 MILLION, 300 MILLION, BUT IF AT THE END OF THE DAY THE DETERMINATION IS WE DON'T WANNA DO ANYTHING TO MOVE MONEY TOWARDS WATERSHED MANAGEMENT TO, TO ELIMINATE A STRUCTURAL DEFICIT, UM, THEN EVENTUALLY THAT MONEY'S GONNA RUN OUT.
SO, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD SET TO 15 MILLION AND THEN HAVE THE AGREEMENT OF, BUT WE'RE GONNA ADDRESS THAT STRUCTURAL DEFICIT SOONER RATHER THAN LATER AND, AND, AND, AND MOVE FORWARD.
AND, AND THAT WE'RE GONNA BE PRUDENT WITH OUR FUNDING SOURCES.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA RESTRUCTURE OUR GOVERNMENT IN A WAY THAT IS, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT SEEMS TO BE AN, UH, UH, A BIG PUSH OF OUR NEW EXECUTIVE OFFICE, THAT WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A GOVERNMENT
[02:10:01]
THAT IS FUNCTIONING WITHOUT A STRUCTURAL DEFICIT.I THINK THAT CAN EXTEND TO OUR WATERSHED MANAGEMENT, YOU KNOW, SO WE DON'T NECESSARILY NEED AS BIG OF A, A FUND BALANCE BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA ADDRESS THAT ISSUE HEAD ON RATHER THAN, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVE, UH, EXCESS, UH, FUND BALANCE FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME WITHOUT ADDRESSING THE ISSUE.
SO THAT IS JUST, UH, SOMETHING THAT I WAS CONSIDERING, CUZ IT'S ALMOST LIKE, UM, A SECONDARY FUND BALANCE BEYOND THE, THE, THE ONE THAT EXISTS WITHIN THE, THE SYSTEM ITSELF.
BUT THEN BEYOND THAT, I ALSO JUST WANTED TO ASK, HAVE YOU ALL WITHIN WATERSHED MANAGEMENT BEEN OUT TO HAVE ANY GRACE TO SEE OUR, UH, LIVING SHORELINE? UM, I, I HAVE NOT BEEN THERE SPECIFICALLY TO WALK THE SITE.
UM, IT'S JUST, I, IT'S A BIG, UH, AREA OF PRIDE FOR US.
I, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD PEOPLE FROM JAPAN COME AND SEE IT, YOU KNOW, FROM OTHER COUNTIES, FROM OTHER STATES.
UM, IT'S REALLY, I THINK LIKE WHERE WE'RE HEADING IN 21ST CENTURY WATERSHED MANAGEMENT, YOU KNOW, WATER TREATMENT, HELPING THE CHESAPEAKE BAY, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, HARTFORD COUNTY'S THE LAST LINE OF DEFENSE FOR ALL, ALL THAT COMES FROM PENNSYLVANIA, NEW YORK, UM, IT, IT THROUGH OUR WATERSHED.
AND I JUST, I THINK IT'S PHENOMENAL.
UM, AND I THINK FOR ALL THE REST OF OUR, UH, LAND THAT BORDERS, YOU KNOW, THE BUSH RIVER, THE, UM, THE SUSQUEHANNA RIVER, LIKE THOSE TYPES OF PROJECTS I THINK ARE OUR FUTURE.
AND I'M, I'M REALLY, UH, BULLISH ON THAT TYPE OF WORK.
I THINK IT'S, AND IT DOUBLES AS A PARK, IT DOUBLES AS A BEAUTIFUL THING TO LOOK AT.
UM, I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT WORK.
IT'S, IT'S BEEN REALLY GREAT TO SEE IT POP UP AND, AND I HAVE BEEN THERE AND I HAVE SEEN IT AS A MATTER OF FACT, UH, A FEW YEARS AGO WHEN THAT PROJECT WAS BEING INITIATED BY THE CITY, UH, HARFORD COUNTY, THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION PROVIDED, UH, SOME ESSENTIALLY GRANT MONEY TRANSFERRED TO THE CITY TO HELP THEM GET STARTED IN THAT PROCESS.
SO WE, WE CONTRIBUTED IN THAT WAY, UH, BECAUSE WE RECOGNIZE THAT THAT WAS AN IMPORTANT PROJECT FOR THEM.
SO IT HAS REALLY TURNED OUT WELL.
SO WHEN YOU SAY WHICH, WHICH, WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE WE, THE $30 MILLION THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT? SO THE, NO, SO THE, THE, THE $30 MILLION IS AN ASSIGNMENT WITHIN, WITHIN THE FUND BALANCE.
WE PULL MONEY FROM THE FUND BALANCE ALL THE TIME.
SO WE'RE, YOU KNOW, IT, UM, AND THE FUND BALANCE IS KIND OF IN A CONSTANT STATE OF, OF GETTING BIGGER, GETTING SMALLER, GETTING BIGGER, GETTING SMALLER.
WE HAVE NOT CHANGED THE 30 MILLION.
I HAVE TO GO BACK AND SEE WHAT YEAR WE, WHAT YEAR WE ASSIGNED THAT 30 MILLION.
IT WAS UNDER THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION.
IT WAS PROBABLY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, FOUR MAYBE, MAYBE FOUR YEARS AGO OR SOMETHING IN THAT RANGE.
SO WE HAVE NOT NEEDED TO DO THAT YET BECAUSE WE HAVE, WE'RE NOT YET RUNNING THIS, THIS DEFICIT.
BUT AGAIN, IF WE'RE BRINGING IN THREE AND WE'RE SPENDING SIX, YOU KNOW, AND THE ONLY REASON WE HAD SOME ADDITIONAL SETUP IS BECAUSE WHEN WE FIRST MOVED THE STORMWATER, I'M SORRY, WHEN WE FIRST MOVED RECORDATION TO THERE, WE HAD VERY LIMITED COSTS.
YOU HAD, YOU WERE BONDING PROJECTS, LARGELY BONDING PROJECTS, AND YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU WEREN'T HAVING THE DEBT SERVICE UNTIL, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF YEARS LATER.
SO YOU KIND OF HAD A, A FEW YEARS TO, YOU WERE BRINGING IN, IN $3 MILLION OF RECORDATION AND NOT REALLY SPENDING A WHOLE LOT.
NOW THAT DEBT SERVICE, YOU KNOW, THE DEBT SERVICE NUMBER IS, UM, $2 MILLION AND IT'S CONTINUING TO GROW.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT EACH AND EVERY BOND SALE, YOU KNOW, THIS KIND OF GETS INTO, YOU KNOW, I KNOW IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET WE HAVE, I'M, I'M SKIPPING THE HEADING NOW TO CAPITAL, BUT WE HAVE BONDS OF, OF, IT'S ALL UNDER, OH, I'M SORRY, UH, 8.68, YOU KNOW, SO WE ARE CONTINUING TO DO MORE AND MORE BONDING IN THIS.
AND ANOTHER CHANGE WHICH WE HAD, UM, OH, ACTUALLY THERE'S TWO BIG SIGNIFICANT CHANGES, WHICH IS ALSO ADDED TO THE, ON THE OPERATING SIDE.
UM, AND THERE, THERE ARE SOMEWHAT RELATED, THERE WAS A COMPONENT OF THE, UM, THE STATE LAW THAT SAID THAT, OKAY, IF YOU ARE GOING TO GET RID OF, IF YOU'RE NOT GONNA HAVE A RAIN TAX, IF YOU'RE GONNA HAVE SOMETHING ELSE, THEN YOU NEED TO COME TO AN ARRANGEMENT WITH THE MUNICIPALITIES AND YOU PRETTY MUCH EITHER HAVE TO DO ALL THEIR PROJECTS FOR THEM OR COME UP WITH SOME TYPE OF REVENUE SHARING AGREEMENT.
SO WE THEN MET WITH THE THREE TOWNS AND WE AGREED TO SHARE APPROXIMATELY 20% OF ANY REVENUE THAT WE BRING INTO THIS, UM, INTO THIS FUND.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT, UM, WHERE IS IT HERE IN THE, UM, IT IS UNDER, UM, THE, UNDER THIS ON PAGE 4 22, LIKE YOU'LL SEE THIS, UH, THIS MISCELLANEOUS, UM, THIS MISCELLANEOUS SECTION PAYMENTS TO OTHER, OTHER TOWNS, ABOUT $800,000.
[02:15:01]
KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE SENDING ABOUT $800,000 TO, UM, TO THE TOWNS, WHICH THEY ARE THEN USING TO DO THEIR OWN PROJECTS FOR.UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, ONE OF THE STIPULATIONS THAT THE TOWN KIND OF INSISTED UPON, AND I CAN SEE THEIR POINT IS THEY SAID, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF YOUR STORMWATER, UM, RELATED EXPENSES ARE IN THIS, IN, IN THIS SPECIAL, SPECIAL FUND.
CUZ BEFORE THAT WE ONLY HAD THE CAPITAL PORTION AND WE HAD THEIR OPERATING PORTION, LIKE THE SALARIES OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO WORK IN THERE, KIND OF JUST IN THE GENERAL FUND.
SO WE NEEDED TO MOVE ALL OF THOSE EXPENDITURES INTO THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY.
SO NOW IT'S, IT'S BEING, IT'S COMING OUT OF THAT, THAT RECORDATION MONEY, WHICH IS MEANS THAT, THAT WE'RE NOW PULLING DOWN THOSE RESOURCES THAT MUCH FASTER.
SO AGAIN, IN THE, WE HAVE NOT HAD TO PULL FROM THAT, THAT 30 MILLION, HOWEVER WE ARE NOW, WE ARE NOW SPENDING JUST NEXT YEAR ALONE TWICE WHAT WE ARE BRINGING IN, IN REVENUE.
AND SO WE KNOW THAT THAT IS, IS COMING AND HOPEFULLY WE DO, WE FIND A, WE FIND A DEDICATED REVENUE SOURCE, AND THEN WE CAN RELEASE THAT FUND BALANCE AND USE IT, YOU KNOW, IN, IN OTHER WAYS OR, YOU KNOW, FOR OTHER LIABILITIES.
MR. PENMAN, UM, CHRISTINE, I'M SORRY TO HIJACK YOUR TIME ON THIS, ON, ON MORE GLOBAL CONVERSATION.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, IT, THE COST IS GOING UP, YOU SAID TWICE WHAT YOU'RE BRINGING IN, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY WHAT WE SAID, 6 MILLION.
AND I GUESS THE HARD THING FOR MYSELF AND MAYBE, UM, SOME OF THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS TO ABSORB IS, UM, WHAT WE HAVE LISTED HERE AND WHAT WE'RE TOUTING IS A STRUCTURAL DEFICIT IN THAT THE GENERAL FUND, UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE IS $10 MILLION, BUT WE'RE PUTTING $30 MILLION OVER INTO A SIDE POT THAT, YOU KNOW, COULD, OR WE DON'T REALLY HAVE A REASONABLE EXPLANATION ON WHY IT NEEDS TO BE 30 MILLION.
IT'S JUST A NUMBER THAT WE, WE FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH, UH, WHEN IT COULD BE USED FOR ANYTHING ELSE OR PUT BACK IN THE GENERAL FUND FOR OTHER EXPENSES THAT, THAT'S THE CONCERN THOUGH.
SO IT'S STILL, IT'S STILL WITHIN THE GENERAL FUND.
AND WHAT IT JUST IS, IS JUST SAYING THAT, HEY, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ARE PUTTING LIKE, UH, A, A TAG ON IT TO SAY, SO IN ORDER TO DEAL WITH THE REGULATORS, UM, AND THE, LIKE, THAT WE HAVE A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF FUNDING THERE AS A, AS A BACKSTOP AT ALL.
SO THAT'S, IT'S NOT BEING USED, NOT BEING SPENT, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S STAYING THERE.
UM, AND IT IS PART OF AN OVERALL FUND FUND BALANCE STRATEGY, BUT IT GOES BACK TO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A FINANCIAL ASSURANCE PLAN THAT IS THAT, THAT WE NEEDED TO COME UP WITH, WITH, WITH SOMETHING THAT, UM, THAT, UH, SATISFIES THE REGULATORS AT, AT, AT, AT, AT THE STATE.
AND THAT'S WHY WE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THAT NUMBER THERE.
YOU KNOW, IS IT A FLEXIBLE NUMBER? SURE.
BUT AGAIN, EVEN IF WE, IF WE DO GET RID OF IT, UM, OR REDUCE IT, IT'S ONE, IT IS STILL JUST ONE TIME, IT IS STILL ONE TIME MONEY.
AND IT DOESN'T CHANGE THE FACT THAT WE HAVE A STRUCTURAL DEFICIT.
THIS FUND HAS A STRUCTURAL DEFICIT AS WELL.
WHEN YOU HAVE 6 MILLION OF EXPENDITURES AND 3 MILLION OF REVENUE, AND YOU'RE USING PRIOR FUND BALANCE, THAT AGAIN IS, THAT'S WHAT A STRUCTURAL DEFICIT IS.
AND IT'S THE SAME THING THAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR GENERAL FUND, THAT WE HAVE EXPENDITURES HERE, REVENUE'S HERE, AND BECAUSE WE DID BUILD UP SOME FUND BALANCE IN PRIOR YEARS, WE'RE USING THAT TO FILL THE GAP.
BUT THAT, YOU KNOW, BOTH OF THESE FUNDS HAVE STRUCTURAL, STRUCTURAL DEFICITS.
UM, MR. GUTHRIE, UH, HAVING SAID ON 12 DIFFERENT BUDGETS SESSIONS BEFORE AND LISTENED TO ALL THIS BACK AND FORTH, MY OBSERVATION FROM THIS 30 MILLION CONVERSATION IS THAT BASICALLY THE 30 MILLION STOLE PAPER UNTIL YOU NEED IT, THEN WHEN YOU NEED IT, YOU GOTTA GO FIND IT.
WELL, WOULD THAT BE A GOOD, I I WOULD EXPLANATION.
I I WOULD SAY LIKE, LET'S, LET'S JUST SAY THAT YOU HAVE A SAVINGS ACCOUNT AND, AND I'M JUST GONNA, I WANNA MAKE IT A, LIKE A, A, A BIG NUMBER.
YOU'VE GOT, YOU'VE GOT, UM, $50,000 IN YOUR SAVINGS ACCOUNT, AND IT'S ALL IN THE SAME SAVINGS ACCOUNT, AND IT'S NOT AS IF YOU'RE REQUIRED, BUT IN YOUR MIND YOU'RE LIKE, ALL RIGHT, I GOT $20,000 IN HERE, UM, IN CASE I LOSE MY JOB, I'VE GOT $5,000 IN HERE IN CASE MY CAR BREAKS DOWN.
I'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, 10,000 IN HERE IN CASE I NEED SOMETHING BIG ON THE HOUSE.
NOW IF SOMETHING BIG HAPPENS IN THE, IN THE HOUSE OR YOU LOSE YOUR JOB, IT'S NOT LIKE YOU, YOU WOULD SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, I CAN ONLY TOUCH THIS PORTION.
SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT YOU, YOU HAVE A TOTAL IMBALANCE OF THIS BIG, AND YOU'RE TRYING TO, TO SAY, ALL RIGHT, LET'S THINK THROUGH SOME OF OUR BIG THINGS.
YOU KNOW, KNOW, WE KNOW THAT WE NEED TO SET MONEY ASIDE FOR, FOR CERTAIN EXPENDITURES.
AND THIS IS ONE OF 'EM, THIS IS ONE WHERE WE'RE LIKE, WE KNOW WE NEED TO SET MONEY ASIDE.
UM, BUT IF THINGS CHANGE, THEN YEAH, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S NOT REAL.
WE CAN ONLY SPEND MONEY ONCE THE COUNCIL GIVES US THE AUTHORITY TO, TO SPEND IT.
WE ARE SAVING IT, BUT WE CAN ONLY SPEND IT ONE AND SPEND IT IN THOSE, IN, IN WHATEVER BUDGET IT IS IN, YOU KNOW, ONCE WE GET COUNCIL, COUNCIL AUTHORITY.
[02:20:01]
UM, SO MR. SANDIS, UM, YOU MENTIONED THAT, UM, PART OF THE REASON OR, OR THE LOGIC FOR THE $30 MILLION THAT'S BEEN CARRIED OVER FOR A FEW YEARS, PART OF THAT'S DEMEANOR STATE FINANCIAL SHORT PLAN.DOES THAT PLAN HAVE A SPECIFIC BENCHMARK THAT SAYS WHETHER IT'S REIS RATIO OF YOUR GENERAL FUND, WHETHER IT'S A DOLLAR FIGURE, WHETHER IT'S PERCENTAGE OR TOTAL BUDGET, THAT IF YOU'RE ABOVE THAT NUMBER, YOU'RE GOOD AND YOU'RE BELOW THAT NUMBER, YOU'RE NOT.
IS THERE A BRIGHT LINE TEST? I, I, BECAUSE MOST, MOST OF THE OTHER COUNTIES HAVE, UM, THEY HAVE STORMWATER FEES.
YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE, UH, ALL THE OTHER METRO COUNTIES, THEY HAVE THE RAIN TAX.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ABLE TO MAKE, TO MEET THEIR OBLIGATIONS KIND OF BA BASED ON THAT.
WE HAVE A DEDICATED REVENUE SOURCE.
I THINK CARROLL COUNTY IS SIMILAR TO IT.
I THINK THEY'RE USING LIKE A, A PORTION OF THEIR PROPERTY WHERE, AND TO ANSWER YOUR, YOUR BIG QUESTION, NO, I, YOU KNOW, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, I DON'T THINK THERE IS ANY, YOU KNOW, SPECIFIC DEAL OTHER THAN THEY LOOK AT WHAT OUR PLANNED EXPENDITURES ARE, AND THEN THEY LOOK AT WHAT OUR PLANNED REVENUES ARE, AND THERE'S CLEARLY A GAP THERE.
UM, MR. SCHERZER, JUST TO ADD TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS'S POINTS AND MR. STOVER'S POINT, LOOKING AT THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FROM 2022, WHICH HAS A 10 YEAR LOOK BACK FOR FUND BALANCE, YOU KNOW, IF WE STICK JUST WITHIN THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION, YOU KNOW, THE FUND BALANCE THAT WAS ASSIGNED IN 2014 WAS 58 MILLION.
IT GREW TO 162 MILLION IN 2022, TOOK MR. SAN'S POINT THIS YEAR UNFINISHED.
IF YOU LOOK AT EVEN THE WORST RECESSION, WHICH WE HADN'T OBVIOUSLY STARTED IN 2008, I PULLED THE FINANCIAL RECORDS FOR TOTAL REVENUES IN 2008, 2009, 2010.
AND THEN THE RECOVERY IN 11, YOU KNOW, WE SAW THE WORST DIP IN REVENUE WAS 2009 OF ABOUT 8.7%.
UM, IN TOTAL REVENUE IT WAS 3.2%.
AGAIN, THE LARGEST DROP BEING THE 8.7 IN INCOME TAX ONLY.
SO I THINK THE QUESTION, AND OBVIOUSLY THE TREASURY POINT WITH MR. SANDIS, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ASKING WHY WE'RE EARMARKING SO MUCH, 81.7 MILLIONS GETTING EARMARKED IN THIS NEW BUDGET.
OBVIOUSLY 37 OF IT IS THE FISCAL STABILIZATION, BUT I THINK YOU JUST SAID THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE COULD TAP INTO THESE FUNDS.
WE CANNOT, BUT IF WE APPROPRIATE THEM, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE COULD CHANGE THE ASSIGNMENT.
WELL, I THINK SO WE WE'RE REQUIRED TO HAVE A BALANCE BUDGET.
SO HOW, I MEAN, WE COULD COME UP WITH A, WITH, UM, AND, AND THE WAY THEY, THEY, THEY NORMALLY DEFINE THAT IS THAT YOU, WE HAVE MONEY IN, IN THE BANK AT THE END OF, AT THE END OF THE YEAR, AND YOU SAY YOU THINK YOU'RE GONNA BRING IN THIS MUCH REVENUE, YOU THINK YOU'RE GONNA, UH, UH, SPEND THIS MUCH, AND THEN YOU HAVE YOUR RESERVES.
BUT IF, UM, IF, IF WE SPENT AT THIS LEVEL AND THEN YOU KNOW MORE, AND WE SPENT THIS MUCH MORE THAN OUR, UM, UH, THE REVENUE WE BROUGHT IN, THEN, THEN YEAH, IT WOULD ALL COME OUT OF ANY OF THAT RESERVES.
NOW, IF WE SPEND, IF WE SPENT MORE, AND I DON'T THINK WE'RE EVER GONNA DO, THIS IS AN ACADEMIC POINT THAT, THAT WE WOULD EVER SPEND MORE THAN, THAN ALL THE RESERVES.
YOU KNOW THAT, BUT YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT'S JUST WHAT THEY MEAN.
YOU KNOW, AGAIN, BY HAVING A BALANCE, A BALANCED BUDGET.
SO ANYTIME WE SPEND OVER SPEND OVER THAT, EITHER WE HAVE TO HAVE A CURRENT YEAR OF REVENUES OR RESERVES TO, TO COVER ANY OF THESE SPENDING WE DO IN A GIVEN YEAR.
I THINK, UM, I THINK WE'LL WALK AWAY FROM THIS AND, AND, AND MAYBE GO BACK TO MS. BUCKLEY.
IS ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OF MS. BUCKLEY? YES, MISS MR. JER.
UM, SUNNY SUNNYVALE STREAM RESTORATION.
IT'S SUNNYVALE, YOU, SUNNYVIEW, SUNNYVIEW.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE IT'S AT IN HERE.
UM, SO I'M, SO I IF, WELL, IF YOU GO TO YOUR, IF YOU GO TO THE CAPITAL, THE CAPITAL BOOK, YOU'LL SEE ON PAGE 92 AND THEN 93, ALL OF THE CAPITAL PROJECTS.
SO THE FIRST LIST THERE WOULD BE ANY OF THE NEW, THE PROJECTS THAT HAVE FUNDING IN FISCAL YEAR 24.
BUT THEN IF YOU LOOK ON THE NEXT PAGE ON 93, YOU'LL SEE SOME OF THE ONES THAT HAD PRIOR APPROPRIATIONS.
SO SUNNYVIEW STREAM RESTORATION, WAS IT A PRIOR BUDGET? IT ALREADY HAS ITS FUNDING, UM, BUT IT'S STILL PROBABLY BEING WORKED ON.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'M, AND IF YOU'RE ASKING WHERE THE PROJECT IS, AND THAT'S A GREAT ANSWER, BARBARA, WHERE THE MONEY IS, WHERE THE PROJECT IS, IS WE HAVE A MEETING TOMORROW WITH ONE OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS THAT HAS HAD SOME CONCERNS ABOUT GIVING US ACCESS ACROSS HIS PROPERTY TO DO THE, UH, THE APPROPRIATE WORK.
THERE'S A WHOLE, TH THIS, THE STREAM RUNS IN A SERIES OF BACKYARDS.
UH, AND THIS ONE PROPERTY OWNER HAS A PARTICULAR SERIES OF CONCERNS ABOUT ALLOWING US TO DO SO, AND WE'VE BEEN NEGOTIATING WORKING WITH HIM AT SEVERAL LEVELS TOMORROW.
I WILL BE GOING, UH, TO MEET WITH HIM INDIVIDUALLY ALONG WITH, UH, UH, CINDY MUMBY FROM, UH, FROM THE ADMINISTRATION, AND WE'RE GONNA DO OUR BEST TO HAMMER OUT THE DEAL TO GET HIS FINAL
[02:25:01]
SIGNOFF SO WE CAN MOVE FORWARD.AND AND I UNDERSTAND EVEN IF WE MOVE FORWARD BECAUSE OF THE, SOME KIND OF FISH THAT GO THROUGH THERE, WE ONLY HAVE A SMALL WINDOW THAT'S GOTTA BE IN THE SPRING.
AND, AND THAT'S TRUE NO MATTER WHAT, UH, THAT WE, WE WORK WITHIN THOSE BOUNDARIES OF SCHEDULING AND COMPLETING THE PLANS AND TRY TO TIME THEM SO THAT AS SOON AS WE ARE RELEASED TO ACTUALLY ACTUALLY DO CONSTRUCTION IN THE STREAM, THAT WE CAN GO FORWARD.
SO ONE THING AT A TIME, CAN'T DO ANYTHING UNTIL WE GET THE I GOT YOU.
ESSENTIALLY GET THE EASEMENT OR THE RIGHT OF WAY.
WELL, I APPRECIATE THE UPDATE.
I THINK, UM, I THINK, I THINK WE'RE GOOD.
OKAY, SO WITH THAT, I THINK WE'LL TURN TO SOLID WASTE.
UH, SOLID WASTE IS ON OPERATING IS 4 0 9 OH, YEP.
SO YOU'LL HAVE WITHIN, WITHIN SOLID, WITHIN SOLID WASTE.
UM, THERE'LL BE, UH, A A FEW DIFFERENT, UH, UM, A FEW DIFFERENT BUDGETS, BUT THEY'RE ALL RELATED TO, TO SOLID WASTE VERSUS THE ADMINISTRATION AND ENGINEERING BUDGET.
UM, JUST SHY OF 200,000, THAT HAS A DECREASE OF 13, UM, 13,000 600, 606.
UM, AND THEN THE TWO BIG ONES ARE THE, UH, SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT TRANSFER STATION.
THIS IS THE BALTIMORE COUNTY CONTRACT THAT, UM, HAS A BUDGET OF 21.6 MILLION.
THAT'S AN INCREASE OF 6.1 MILLION OVER THE PRIOR YEAR.
THE, UM, OTHER BIG SIGNIFICANT BUDGET IS SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES.
THIS IS LARGELY OPERATING THE LANDFILL.
7.2 MILLION IS THE PROPOSED BUDGET THERE, LARGELY FLAT FROM THE PRIOR YEAR, JUST AN INCREASE OF $14,000.
AND THEN FINALLY, UH, SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT POST CLOSURE OF, UH, SIAH $250,000.
UH, THAT'S, THAT'S A DECREASE OF, UH, 15, $15,000 FROM THE PRIOR YEAR.
UM, SO I GUESS, JEFF, IF YOU WILL, MAYBE YOU COULD SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO, UH, THE PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT WE INTRODUCED LAST NIGHT.
I KNOW THAT, UM, I, UH, HAD A CONVERSATION WITH MR. MCCORD YESTERDAY AND THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE, AND, UM, ALSO WITH MR. SANDIS ABOUT POSSIBLY ATTACHING AN AMENDMENT TO THAT LEGISLATION THAT WOULD EASE THE STING ON OUR CITIZENS AND STRETCH THAT OUT OVER, UH, MAYBE TWO YEARS AS OPPOSED TO ALL AT ONE TIME.
UH, MR. PENMAN HAD A CONCERN ABOUT THAT AS WELL AS I BELIEVE MR. BENNETT AS WELL.
SO, UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE CONSIDERING, AND I'D JUST LIKE TO GET YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT THOUGHTS YOU WANT.
I MEAN, YOU'RE
UM, WE, WE SET A, A LEVEL FOR THE, THAT WE THOUGHT WE NEEDED A SET TO MEET OUR OBLIGATIONS TO, TO BALTIMORE COUNTY.
I, I, I THINK AS WE, AS WE DESCRIBED WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THIS DURING THE PUBLIC HEARING, IS THAT, UM, IF THE DECISION IS MADE TO, TO PHASE IT IN OR TO DEFER THE INCREASE, CERTAINLY UNDERSTANDABLE FROM YOUR STANDPOINT OF THE ADMINISTRATION STANDPOINT, THE, THE, THE DEFICIT OR THE SHORTFALL, IF YOU WILL, WILL GO ON A LITTLE LONGER.
IT WON'T BE SORT OF RESET AS, AS QUICKLY AS IT COULD IF IT WAS ALL PUT AT THE SAME TIME.
BUT THAT'S A, AGAIN, FINANCIAL TIMING DECISION ON, UH, ON THE COUNCIL'S PART AND THE ADMINISTRATION'S PART AS TO, UH, WHAT THOSE IMPACT OR, YEAH, I MEAN, FROM A, FROM A PRACTICAL STANDPOINT, WE HAVE IN THE REVENUES THAT MAKE UP THE GENERAL FUND, AGAIN, THIS IS A GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURE.
WE HAVE INCLUDED THE, UM, THE, THE FULL AMOUNT OF, OF, OF, OF THE, UM, OF THE TIPPING FEE INCREASE IN, YOU KNOW, IN THAT.
SO ONE OF TWO THINGS WOULD HAPPEN.
UM, SO IF, IF WE, IF WE NOW EXPECT THAT THE NUMBER IS NOT GOING TO BE, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, AS HIGH AS WHAT WE IS, WHAT WE PROJECTED, YOU KNOW, WE WILL EITHER LEAVE THE REVENUE KIND OF JUST WHERE IT IS, UM, AND THEN KNOWING THAT THAT REVENUE WILL HAVE A SHORTFALL AND WE'LL PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, MAYBE BE OFFSET BY OTHER REVENUES.
SO, YOU KNOW, IF WE, IF I'M WRONG ON, ON INCOME TAX OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THEN YOU KNOW, IT, IT, IT WOULD, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD KIND OF EAT INTO, EAT INTO THAT, UM, EAT INTO THAT POSITIVE BENEFIT, YOU KNOW, OR YOU WOULD ACTUALLY REDUCE THE REVENUE, WHICH WOULD LEAN ONE OF TWO THINGS.
YOU WOULD EITHER THEN HAVE TO INCREASE THE USE OF FUND BALANCE, UM, YEAH.
UM, YOU KNOW, INCREASE THE USE OF FUND BALANCE IN, IN THE BUDGETED DOCUMENT, YOU KNOW, OR FIND OFFSETTING CUTS, UM, TO, UM, TO PAY FOR THAT, TO PAY FOR THAT PHASE IN.
NOW, I THINK IT'S SMALL ENOUGH, YOU KNOW, THAT IN THE, IN THE BIG SCHEME OF THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN PROBABLY ABSORB IT.
[02:30:01]
IS THERE A MECHANISM THAT WE CAN PUT IN PLACE TO WHERE WE DON'T HAVE TO WAIT AS LONG AS IN THE PA AS WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST TO ADJUST THESE FEES? WELL, I THINK THAT, AGAIN, GOES BACK TO THE LEGISLATION.UM, AND, AND THIS IS A CONVERSATION WE HAVE WITH, WITH ALL OF OUR FEES.
UM, YOU KNOW, HOW'S, HOW'S THE BEST WAY TO, TO DO THAT? YOU KNOW, ON ONE HAND YOU COULD JUST PUT AN ESCALATOR INTO IT, LIKE A CPI ESCALATOR.
NOW, WE RAN INTO PROBLEMS WITH THAT, WITH THE WATER AND SEWER FEE YEARS AGO WHEN YOU HAD NO INFLATION.
YOU KNOW, NOW WITH HIGHER INFLATION, YOU MIGHT HAVE, YOU MIGHT THEN GET OTHER CALLS OF, YOU'RE INCREASING IT TOO MUCH.
I WILL SAY THE THESE FEES, UH, ARE BEST, UH, YOU DON'T WANT PENNIES WITH THESE FEES.
YOU WANT STRAIGHT DOLLAR AMOUNTS.
UM, PARTICULARLY WITH THINGS LIKE THE, THE, WHEN PEOPLE GO TO THE LANDFILL THEMSELVES, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T WANT, YOU DON'T WANT US MAKING CHANGE FOR, YOU KNOW, $11 AND 53 CENTS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO, UM, IF YOU WERE TO DO ANYTHING, ANY TYPE OF AUTOMATIC ESCALATOR OR THINGS LIKE THAT, YOU WOULD WANT TO, YOU KNOW, ROUND IT TO THE APPROPRIATE.
BUT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD THEN HAVE TO BE CHANGED IN THE LEGISLATION.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE HAD OTHER LEGISLATIONS THAT HAVE AUTOMATIC ESCALATORS, OR WE AS A COMBINED GOVERNMENT JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, HEY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT FEES IN AN ONGOING WAY, UM, AS PART OF, YOU KNOW, LIKE ONCE IT'S ONCE ONCE AN ADMINISTRATION, IF YOU WILL.
AND, AND, AND WE'RE JUST LIKE, WE ARE NOW DOING WITH WATER AND SEWER.
WE WE'RE, WE, WE ARE NOW SET WITH, YOU KNOW, EVERY FIVE YEARS, YOU KNOW, WE ARE, WE ARE BRINGING THAT, THAT FORWARD.
WE COULD DO THAT WITH SOLID WASTE.
YOU COULD DO IT WITH BUILDING, BUILDING PERMITS.
YOU COULD DO IT WITH LOTS OF, LOTS OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
UM, AND THAT, AGAIN, WOULD BE A KIND OF A JOINT MANAGEMENT DECISION.
MS. MOVE, HOW LONG DOES OUR CONTRACT RUN WITH BALTIMORE COUNTY THROUGH 2036.
AND IT HA AND IT HAS TWO 10 YEAR RENEWAL OPTION PERIODS AFTER THAT.
SO WE DON'T EVEN NEED A CONTINGENCY PLAN THEN, DO WE? 2036 IS CLOSER THAN YOU THINK WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH THE TYPES OF ISSUES THAT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH.
SO ME, UH, WE ARE ALREADY, UH, THINKING IN TERMS OF WHEN WE WILL START EVALUATING ALTERNATIVES, UH, FOR WHAT WE MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE TO DO IN 2036.
THAT PROCESS PROBABLY START ANOTHER YEAR OR TWO.
ANYONE ELSE? UM, THANKS, JEFF.
DO WE HAVE CAPITAL? UM, I, THERE THERE'S SOME REAL SMALL ONES FOR SOLID WASTE, FOR CAPITAL.
BUT IF YOU GO TO PAGE 200, UM, YOU WILL, YOU WILL SEE, UM, IT'S LESS, IT'S $175,000 TOTAL OF CAPITAL BUDGETING FOR, UM, UH, THE ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES AND PROJECTS, AND THEN THE, UM, LANDFILL COPY.
BUT THEY'RE BOTH RELATIVELY SMALL.
SOCHU, WE, WE, WE ARE NOW ON GOING ON.
DO WE TALK ABOUT IT? WE DO INSPECTION.
I DIDN'T KNOW WHERE TO PUT THAT IN THE THING.
SO I THINK I INCLUDED IT WITH THE OTHER ONE.
SO I THINK, I THINK WE'RE GO, WE'RE, WE'RE ON TO WATER AND SEWER.
SO WE'LL DO, UH, DEPUTY DIRECTOR CHANGE AND THE WATER AND SEWER.
AND, AND IN THIS CASE, WE WILL, UM, ADDRESS THE OPERATING COMPONENT, UH, FIRST AND THEN DEAL, DEAL WITH THE CAPITAL.
AND THEN I WOULD FIND IN THIS BOOK, WHERE DO I FIND THIS AGAIN? I FIND THE WATER AND SEWER 4 42.
YEAH, I THINK IT'S, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR WATER AND SEWER, FOR AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, AS, AS AS, UM, AS I'M HERE, I'M JUST GONNA SAY YOU GIVE THE, UH, THE TOTAL NUMBER, UH, FOR WATER AND SEWER OPERATING.
UM, THEY HAVE MANY DIFFERENT SMALLER BUDGETS TO DEAL WITH DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE OPERATION.
UM, AND THEY CAN KIND OF GO THROUGH THOSE.
BUT ON THE, UH, THE TOTAL OPERATING FOR WATER AND SEWER, UM, IT IS, UM, 67, UH, MILLION 323,000.
UM, THAT IS AN INCREASE OF APPROXIMATELY 2.1 MILLION FROM THE, FROM THE PRIOR YEAR.
AND WITH THAT, I THINK IT'S PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, AND THEN YOU, YOU WILL FIND ALL THE SUBSEQUENT INDIVIDUAL BUDGETS THAT MAKE UP THAT CERTAIN SOLID.
I MEAN, I'M STARTING TO CERTAIN, UM, CERTAIN OPERATIONS, YOU KNOW, ADMINISTRATION, ALL OF THAT, THAT STUFF, ENGINEERING, UM, IN THE SUBSEQUENT PAGES, IN BETWEEN THAT, YOU KNOW, 4, 4 42 AND UH, GOES ALL THE WAY TO IT GOES YEAH.
UH, COUNSEL, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS,
[02:35:03]
MR. PENMAN? UM, I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IT, MAKE SURE I'M ON THE RIGHT PAGE.4 42 YOU SAID, RIGHT? IS THAT WHERE WE'RE AT? YEAH, THE, THE, THAT, THAT'S THE OVERALL SUMMARY, 4 42.
UM, AND THEN ALL THE SUBSEQUENT PAGES JUST KIND OF MAKE UP THOSE NUMBERS BECAUSE IT'S LIKE ENGINEERING ADMINISTRATION, SOLID, UM, SAY SOLID WASTE.
UM, AND THEN IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S SOME, SOME ADDITIONS TO SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS.
1.6, UH, ALTOGETHER, TWO POINT, UM, 2 MILLION, 63,000.
UM, CAN WE DISCUSS WHAT THE INCREASES FOR? YEAH, WE SURE CAN.
BILL, WHICH PARTICULAR LINE LOOKS LIKE SUPPLIES? MATERIALS ADDED TO THE BUDGET WAS ONE POINT, ALMOST 1.7.
UM, AND, AND MOST OF IT IS, IS CHEMICALS.
UM, JUST IS THAT TO INCREASE COST OF CHEMICALS OR FROM THE YEAR BEFORE? CORRECT.
YEAH, I HAD A LINE ITEM BREAKDOWN.
UH, A SUMMARY BREAKDOWN IS ON 4 45, AND AS YOU SEE, UM, IT COVERS A, A, A RANGE OF THINGS, BUT THE LARGEST CHANGE, $1.1 MILLION OF THAT TOTAL CHANGE IS FOR CHEMICALS IN BULK.
AND WE'VE JUST SEEN BECAUSE OF SUPPLY ISSUES FROM, UH, INFLATION AND THE RISING COST OF MANY THINGS, UH, WE BUY CHLORINE, WE BUY COAGULANTS, UM, WE BUY OTHER PROCESSED CHEMICALS AND THEY'VE JUST GONE UP, UM, 10, 20, 30% AND MORE IN SOME CASES.
AND THAT'S WHAT'S DRIVING THAT, YOU KNOW, 1.1 MILLION CHANGE JUST IN CHEMICALS.
UM, YOU ALSO SEE DELIVERY CHARGES AT THE TOP, UM, PARTS, THE THREE 21,000 THAT'S, UH, PARTS EQUIPMENT, AND THEN THE SMALL TOOLS AND SUPPLIES 1 25.
YOU SEE THE VARIOUS COMPONENTS OF IT.
SO BILL, TOO, LET ME, UH, LET ME COMPLIMENT YOU ON YOUR PRESENTATIONS AT THE BOARD OF ESTIMATES RECENTLY, I THINK YOU WERE THERE AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT SECURITY, UH, AND AT THE WATER PLANTS AND, UH, ALL ACROSS THE COUNTY, UH, ALL OF OUR FACILITIES ACROSS THE COUNTY.
I THINK LARRY SLATTERY, WHO IS OUR CHIEF OF OPERATIONS PRESENTED, AND THAT'S REALLY WITHIN HIS BALLYWICK, AND HE TAKES THAT SERIOUSLY, AND I'LL SAY HE'S EVEN BEEN OUT A AHEAD OF OUR FELLOW, UH, MUNICIPAL JURISDICTIONS IN THE REGION, REALLY DOING A GREAT JOB WITH SECURITY.
UM, ANYONE ELSE? UH, MR. BENNETT, UM, COULD YOU JUST TELL A LITTLE BIT OF THE HISTORY FROM, UH, BUDGET 2022 TO 2023 IN REGARDS TO MISCELLANEOUS AND, AND, UM, JUST, UH, YOU KNOW, SO LIKE YOU'RE SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THE WORLD OF WATER AND SEWER, YOU KNOW, WHAT KIND OF DROVE THAT, THAT CHANGE? SO, SO MIS MISCELLANEOUS IS LARGELY ABOUT, UM, JUST CHANGES OF DEPRECIATION.
SO IT JUST THEN HAS TO DO WITH, AS, AS OUR, UH, CAPITAL INVESTMENTS ARE AGING BEING REPLACED, YOU'LL HAVE SOME FLUCTUATION WITHIN THAT DEPRECIATION.
UM, IT'S REALLY JUST KIND OF A, A OF A BOOKKEEPING ENTRY FOR, FOR MOST OF GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTING, WE KIND OF USE STANDARD GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS.
SO WE DON'T DO DEPRECIATION FOR THE GENERAL FUND AND THE LIKE WATER.
AND SO, CAUSE IT IS OPERATED LIKE A BUSINESS, UM, AS I, AS I ALWAYS SAY IS THAT IT'S THE ONLY ONE THAT PAYS FOR ITSELF.
UM, WE THEN USE MORE OR LESS KIND OF A, UM, BUSINESS APPROACH TO ACCOUNTING.
UM, SO WE ARE FACTORING IN DEPRECIATION, BUT IT DOESN'T REALLY HAVE A REAL YEAH, IT'S, IT'S THERE, IT'S THERE TO KEEP THE ACCOUNTANTS BUSY.
UM, AND THEN JUST ANOTHER, UH, WATER AND SEWER QUESTION.
UH, UNIQUE THING, LIVING IN THE CITY OF HANEY, GREECE, UH, ESPECIALLY LIVING IN THE ROW HOMES, A LOT OF THOSE HOMES WERE BUILT, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, DUPLEXES, THE TRIPLEXES, THEY WERE BUILT WITH ONE SEWER LINE WHEN ORIGINALLY DESIGNED A HUNDRED YEARS AGO, WHICH IS SOMETHING I DID NOT KNOW UNTIL I BOUGHT ONE HALF OF A DUPLEX AND THE OTHER HALF FLOODED AND MINE'S SLIGHTLY LOWER TO THE GROUND, WHICH MEANS MY FIRST FLOOR BATHROOM FLOODED.
UM, IS THAT, IS THAT KIND OF THING COMMON IN A LOT OF OUR OLDER COMMUNITIES IN HARTFORD COUNTY? ARE WE KIND OF GETTING UP TO DATE ON, ON SEWAGE LINES AND, AND, AND, AND ALL THAT? FOR THE MOST PART ACROSS THE COUNTY? I'LL TRY AND ANSWER QUICKLY.
FIRST OFF, THAT WOULD BE THE CITY OF HARVARD COUNTY.
SO YEAH, THEY RUN THAT UTILITY IN GENERAL, INCLUDING OUR SYSTEM.
UM, BUT MAINTENANCE PROGRAMS SUCH AS, UH, CLEANING ROOTS FROM LINES, UM, DE-GREASING
[02:40:01]
LINES, AND THAT EVEN INCLUDES PUBLIC OUTREACH ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF NOT FLUSHING FATS, OILS AND GREASES DOWN THE LINES.KEEP THOSE PRIVATE SIDE FROM YOUR HOUSE TO THE MAIN AND THE STREET CLEAR.
SO WE TAKE EFFORTS TO KEEP THAT AS LOW AS POSSIBLE.
UM, I MEANT MORE SO LIKE, UH, OLD DESIGN OF SHARING LINES BETWEEN SEPARATE HOMES.
IS, IS THAT KIND OF STUFF GETTING MORE AND MORE UP TO DATE OR, WELL, WELL, CURRENT REGS CODES OR WHATEVER THE STANDARD IS THAT YOU'RE RIGHT, THERE WOULDN'T BE A SHARED, UM, CONNECTION ON THE PRIVATE SIDE.
UH, SO ANYTHING THAT'S BUILT NOW WOULD NOT HAVE THAT.
UM, SO THE OLDER PARTS OF THE COUNTY THAT ARE WITHIN OUR SYSTEM, YES, WE COME ACROSS THAT FROM, UH, PLACE TO PLACE.
ANYONE ELSE? UH, BILL, THANK YOU.
DID YOU WANT TO DO THE CAPITAL? YES.
SO IF YOU GO TO THE CAPITOL BOOK, YOU WILL HAVE, YOU WILL SEE THE WATER AND SEWER CAPITAL.
UH, THE WOODWARD PROJECTS BEGIN ON PAGE 3 74 AND THE, UH, SEWER PROJECTS BEGIN ON PAGE, UM, UH, 4 4 0 4 BILL, YOU WANNA GO THROUGH A COUPLE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS THAT YOU'RE, YOU WANNA MAKE COUNSEL BE AWARE OF.
I'D BE GLAD TO, UM, START WITH A QUICK OVERVIEW IF I, IF I MAY.
FOR FISCAL YEAR 24, UH, WE'RE REQUESTING CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM APPROPRIATIONS, A TOTAL OF 20.186 MILLION.
AND THIS IS ALL INFORMATION IN THE BOOK THAT INCLUDES 11.9 MILLION FOR WATER PROJECTS.
UH, 4.536 MILLION FOR SEWER PROJECTS, AND THEN 3.75 MILLION FOR MISCELLANEOUS PROJECTS.
UM, FOR REFERENCE, I'LL ADD THAT THIS ALIGNS WELL WITH LAST YEAR'S C I P PROJECTION FOR FISCAL YEAR 24.
WE HAD IT AT 19.725 MILLION, SO PRETTY CLOSE.
UM, THE COST AND NEEDS DO CHANGE OVER TIME.
WE WORK TO DEVELOP AN INFORMED SIX YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
THOSE ARE THE OUT YEAR ENTRIES YOU SEE, UM, IN THE BOOKS IN FRONT OF YOU.
UH, WALK THROUGH A FEW SELECT PROJECTS.
FIRST ON THE WATER SIDE, UH, PAGE 3 77 IS THE ABINGDON WATER TREATMENT PLANT SWITCH GEAR SLASH GENERATOR UPGRADE.
FOR THIS REQUEST, WE'RE ADDING 1 MILLION IN CONSTRUCTIONS AND FY 24 DUE TO EXPECTED COST INCREASES, UH, FOR A TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COST OF 6 MILLION AND AN OVERALL PROJECT COST OF 6.15 MILLION.
WE HAVE TWO SOURCES, ELEC OF ELECTRICAL FEED INTO OUR MAIN WATER TREATMENT PLANT.
UH, BOTH OF THEM ARE AT THE END OF THEIR SERVICE LIFE.
SPARE PARTS ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE.
THIS PROJECT IS TO BUILD ONE NEW INTEGRATED SWITCH GEAR, UH, WHICH ALLOWS US TO BE MORE RESILIENT IF EACH, IF EITHER OF THOSE ELECTRICAL FEEDS GO OUT, OR BOTH THE AUTOMATIC GENERATOR CAN COME ON.
AND AGAIN, SERVICE IS CONTINUOUS AND WATER SUPPLY TO OUR CUSTOMERS IS UNINTERRUPTED.
UM, CONTINUING ON PAGE 3 81, UH, MARYLAND TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY, UM, I 95 IMPROVEMENTS, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE ADDING, WE'RE REQUESTING TO ADD 3 MILLION TO CONSTRUCTION, UH, FOR A TOTAL CONSTRUCTION OF 4.2 MILLION AND A TOTAL PROJECT COST OF 4.45 MILLION.
NOW THIS IS ASSOCIATED WITH MTAS I 95, UH, EXPRESS TRAVEL LANE EXPANSIONS.
THIS IS UNIQUE IN THAT MTA WILL DO THE DESIGN AND THE CONSTRUCTION AND THEN BILL US FOR THE COST OF THAT.
AND, AND WHAT'S AT HAND IS THE ACTUAL, IS THE RELOCATION OF WATER MAINS.
WE HAVE TWO WATER LINES IN TUNNELS THAT CROSS I 95.
THEY'RE GONNA BOTH HAVE TO BE MOVED OR MODIFIED DUE TO THE E TL EXPANSIONS.
ONE CROSSING IS THE VICINITY OF ROUTE 24.
IT'S RIGHT AT THE END OF WOODSDALE ROAD TO RED MAPLE DRIVE.
UM, THE OTHER CROSSING IS IN THE VICINITY OF ABINGDON ROAD, SO THAT'S RIGHT NEXT TO OUR MAIN WATER TREATMENT PLANT.
IT CROSSES I 95 AND, UH, ONE OF THE PIPES WITHIN IT ACTUALLY CONNECT TO THE BIG INCH OR OUR MAIN RAW WATER SUPPLY.
CONTINUE ON ONE MORE ON THE WATER SIDE, IF I MAY.
THAT'S THE REPLACEMENT OF WATER BOOSTER STATION, UH, SCADA, THAT'S SUPERVISORY CONTROL AND DATA ACQUISITION IS THAT ACRONYM.
UH, WE'RE ADDING $1 MILLION IN CONSTRUCTION DUE TO EXPECTED COST INCREASES.
BRINGS A TOTAL PROJECT TO 2.95 OR THE CONSTRUCTION TO 2.95 MILLION AND A TOTAL PROJECT OF 3.25 MILLION.
[02:45:02]
UH, THIS IS TO REDO OUR, I'LL CALL IT REMOTE CONTROL SYSTEM FOR THE WATER TOWERS AND WATER BOOSTER STATIONS.EACH OF THOSE 12 WATER TANKS WE HAVE ON OUR SYSTEM AND THEIR ASSOCIATED BOOSTER STATIONS, THEY'RE THE END OF THE SERVICE LIFE FOR OUR ABILITY TO REACH OUT, MONITOR AND CONTROL THEM.
THIS IS REPLACING ALL OF THEM WITH A SINGLE INTEGRATED SYSTEM.
AGAIN, IF YOU TOOK THE TOUR OF THE PLANT, THAT'S WHAT ALLOWS THE OPERATORS IN THE CONTROL ROOM TO SEE THE LEVELS OF TANK AND TURN PUMPS ON AND OFF TO PUSH WATER AROUND THE SYSTEM.
AND AGAIN, UH, PROVIDE THAT WATER SUPPLY SERVICE TO OUR CUSTOMERS.
UM, IF I CAN MOVE TO THE SEWER, THERE'S TWO RELATED, WELL, TWO PROJECTS I'LL HIGHLIGHT.
FIRST ON PAGE FOUR 15, THAT'S SOD RUN FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS.
WE'RE REQUESTING TO ADD 3 MILLION IN CONSTRUCTION.
FIRST DIGESTER IMPROVEMENTS AND A PRIMARY CLARIFIER RENOVATION.
UM, FOR THOSE TWO ELEMENTS OF EFFORT, THE DESIGN IS, IS COMPLETE AND WE PLAN TO BID THE CONSTRUCTION FOR THESE, THIS SUMMER RELATED IS THE VERY NEXT PAGE, FOUR 16 SOD RUN ULTRAVIOLET DISINFECTANT PROJECT.
WE'RE ASKING TO ADD 2 MILLION IN CONSTRUCTION AGAIN, DUE TO EXPECTED PRICE INCREASES, UH, TO THAT CONSTRUCTION COST FOR AN OVERALL TOTAL PROJECT PRICE OF 8.7 MILLION.
UM, THIS IS TO CONVERT THAT DISINFECTION STEP ON ITS SOD RUN.
THE FINAL STEP BEFORE WE DISCHARGE OUR, OUR TREATED CLEANED WATER TO THE BUSH RIVER IS DISINFECTION STEP.
OH, JUST, SO ONCE WE DO THAT, WE'RE NOT GONNA USE CHLORINE ANYMORE.
SO HOW MUCH DO WE SAVE BY, UH, BY DOING THIS AND NOT PAYING FOR CHLORINE? BECAUSE WE'LL HAVE TO PAY FOR THE ELECTRICITY TO GEN TO, TO F TO POWER THE ULTRAVIOLET BULBS.
SO YES, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING OUT OF THE CHLORINE BUSINESS, WHICH IS GREAT FOR, FOR PUBLIC HEALTH, FOR SAFETY.
UH, WE'RE, WE'RE NO LONGER TIED TO THE INCREASING COST OF CHLORINE, BUT WE'LL HAVE TO PAY FOR THE POWER TO RUN THOSE UV LAMPS.
SO JUST ON A COST OVER COST, IT'S ABOUT EQUIVALENT.
WE'RE NOT SAVING A GREAT DEAL IN THE SUPPLY COST.
BUT AS CHLORINE GOES UP, OUR SAVINGS GET MORE AND MORE.
SO IT'S HARD TO PREDICT THAT, BUT IT'S AN EASIER OPERATIONAL, THE OPERATIONAL EXPENSES AND THE MAINTENANCE WILL GO DOWN.
SO, SO YES, WE'LL BE OUT OF THE CHLORINE BUSINESS.
UM, THAT FINAL DISINFECTION STEP IS WITH UV.
AGAIN, THAT DESIGN IS COMPLETE TO MOVE TO CONSTRUCTION THIS SUMMER.
WE'RE GONNA ACTUALLY LUMP ALL THREE OF THOSE CONSTRUCTION EFFORTS TOGETHER AND BID THEM UNDER ONE PACKAGE FOR EFFICIENCY OF CONSTRUCTING AND MANAGING.
WE'VE PRE-QUALIFIED FOR FIRMS, AND AGAIN, WE EXPECT TO PUT THE REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE BID OUT THIS SUMMER.
THOSE ARE THE PROJECTS I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT.
I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY OTHER SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ON THE CAPITAL PROGRAM THAT YOU WOULD LIKE.
MS. MOON, M D T A MADE THE DECISION TO PUT THE ETL LANES IN INCREASING THE WIDTH OF I 95 SUBSTANTIALLY RATHER THAN JUST ADDING LANES THAT IMPACTED OUR WATER LINE.
THEY ARE WORKING WITHIN THEIR OWN RIGHT OF WAY.
WE HAVE OUR LINES IN THEIR RIGHT OF WAY AT WITH PERMISSION FROM THEM.
I DIDN'T, IF IT WAS THE OTHER WAY AROUND AND OUR LINES WERE IN THERE BEFORE THEY BILL I 95 IN 1960, WHATEVER, THE REVERSE WOULD BE TRUE.
THE, THEY WOULD THEN BE OBLIGATED.
WE WOULD HAVE THEIR PRIOR RIGHTS.
THEY WOULD HAVE TO THEN ACCOMMODATE OUR LINES.
UM, WE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE BIG INCH, THE WATER THAT, UM, THAT GOES, UM, UP FROM CECIL COUNTY ALL THE WAY DOWN TO BALTIMORE CITY.
WHERE ARE WE ON THAT BEING COMPROMISED AND WHAT ARE WE DOING TO ENSURE THAT THAT WILL BE STABLE FOR FUTURES TO COME? HOLY S**T.
AND BECAUSE OF ALL THE WORK GOING CLOSE TO IT, UM, THERE ARE PROGRAMS AND MECHANISMS IN PLACE TO MONITOR THAT, TO MAKE SURE THE CONSTRUCTION DOES NOT DISRUPT IT.
UM, THERE'S ACCU ACOUSTIC MONITORING IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS, UM, THAT STRESSED CONCRETE HAS STEEL FIBERS IN IT, AND THEY ACTUALLY PUT MONITORS, YOU'LL HEAR THEM
[02:50:01]
POP OR PING AS THERE'S ANY KIND OF DAMAGE OR DISRUPTION IS ONE OF THE FIRST INDICATORS OF A POTENTIAL BREAK IN A BIG CONCRETE CYLINDER LINE LIKE THAT.UM, THE CITY OF BALTIMORE IS STILL IN THE PLANNING PHASES, UH, TO DO, UH, UH, AN ASSESSMENT, A CONDITION ASSESSMENT OF THAT LINE.
AND WE ARE WORKING WITH THEM, BUT BECAUSE IT'S THEIR ASSET, UM, THEY GRACIOUSLY ALLOW US TO BE TECHNICAL CONTRIBUTORS AND WE'RE VERY INTERESTED, BUT IT'S THEIR PROJECT.
UM, AND IT WILL BE TO, TO ADD SOME APP OCCURRENCES SO THEY CAN FIRST ACCESS THE BIG INCH, BUT THEN IT'S GONNA BE SOME METHOD OF INSPECTING FROM THE INSIDE TO ASCERTAIN THE CONDITION AND MAKE ANY REQUIRED, UM, UPGRADES OR IMPROVEMENTS TO THAT.
SO WE'RE NOT FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE AT THIS POINT FOR THE, FOR THE IMPROVEMENTS AND THAT ASSESSMENT WE ARE, AND THAT'S IN OUR AGREEMENT.
THERE'S A DETAILED CALCULATION, ESSENTIALLY, BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF FLOW THAT WE USE OUT OF THE TOTAL CAPACITY.
YES, WE WOULD BE ON THE HOOK, SO TO SPEAK, UH, FOR OUR FRACTIONAL SHARE OF, OF THAT EITHER THE INSPECTION OR THE IMPROVEMENTS.
AND THAT FRACTION IS RELATIVELY LOW, UH, COMPARED TO THE OVERALL CAPACITY OF THAT PIPE THAT WAS, AS YOU SAID, DESIGNED TO TAKE WATER FROM THE SUSQUEHANNA TO THE CITY.
WE'RE TAKING A MUCH, MUCH, MUCH SMALLER PART OF THAT BACK TO US, BUT, BUT IT IS A CALCULATION.
IT IS PART OF OUR WRITTEN AGREEMENT WITH BALTIMORE CITY.
SO WE, WE KNOW THAT THAT'S OUT THERE FOR US TO ADDRESS.
MR. TIPS ON YOUR PLAN SWITCH GEAR.
DO YOU HAVE THAT ON ORDER ON THE REASON I'M ASKING THIS, I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH A COUPLE OF OTHER, UH, MAJOR ELECTRICAL AND IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR SUPPLIERS TO SUPPLY BIG EQUIPMENT IN THAT A THROUGH IT.
AND I JUST WONDERED IF YOU HAVE THAT OR HOW IS THAT FIGURING INTO YOUR PROJECT? IT'S NOT ON ORDER YET.
WE ARE CONCLUDING THE DESIGN AND ONLY ONCE WE MOVE TO CONSTRUCTION WOULD THEN A CONTRACTED FIRM PLACE THAT ON ORDER.
BUT I THINK EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE REFERENCING IS WHY WE'VE ASKED FOR AN INCREASE IN THE CONSTRUCTION COSTS.
OUR EARLY FEEDBACK AND INDICATORS ARE IT'S GONNA COST MORE THAN WE THOUGHT EVEN A YEAR AGO.
AND, AND IT'S GOING TO TAKE YOU LONGER TO GET IT THAN WHAT YOU HAVE ANTICIPATED, I'M AFRAID.
ANYONE ELSE? UM, THIS WILL PRETTY WELL, I THINK, CONCLUDE OUR AF OUR MORNING EVENT.
MR. SEK, IF YOU WOULD SEE MR. GUTHRIE TO HIS REQUEST ABOUT SETTING UP A MEETING MEETING, THAT WOULD BE GREAT, CHRIS.
WE'LL MAKE THAT ARRANGEMENT TO ALL RIGHT.
WELL, YOU GOING? WHERE YOU GOING? JIMMY? I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR COMING BACK FOR THE AFTERNOON'S WORK SESSIONS.
UH, WE'RE GONNA START WITH, UH, MR. SANDIS AND TREASURY.
NOT THAT WE HAVEN'T HEARD ENOUGH FROM MR. SANDIS ALREADY.
SO, UH, UM, SO I WILL INTRODUCE MYSELF HERE, AND TREASURY IS IN, IS ON PAGES, UM, UH, 1 78, UH, THROUGH 1 94.
IT'LL SEE THAT THE, UM, OVERALL COMBINED BUDGET, THE OFFICE TREASURY IS 5,000,098.
THAT IS A DECREASE OF 527 $1,000.
UM, MOST OF THAT DECREASE IS DUE TO, UH, JUST TURNOVER, THE 27TH PAY, UM, HOUR, BUDGETING, UM, UH, HEALTH INSURANCE THINGS, THINGS ALONG THOSE LINES.
UM, YOU WILL SEE IN MY BUDGET THAT IT IS SPLIT, UH, BETWEEN FUNDING SOURCES.
THE OFFICE OF TREASURER, UH, BUREAU ACCOUNTING REVENUE COLLECTIONS ARE GENERAL FUND OPERATIONS.
UH, BUT OUR, UH, INDIVIDUALS WHO DO THE WATER AND STORE BILLING ARE PAID FOR OUT OF THE, UH, WATER AND STORE FUND.
SO THEY'RE PAID FOR BY THE OF THE SYSTEM.
UH, ONE THING TO NOTE, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS, IS YOU WILL SEE THE, UM, CHANGE IN POSITIONS, UH, 40 43 VERSUS WHAT WAS BUDGETED LAST YEAR.
THERE'S NO ACTUAL CHANGE IN THE NUMBER OF POSITIONS.
I HAD 43, UM, INDIVIDUALS LAST YEAR, TWO YEARS AGO.
THERE WAS A, UM, A DECISION STRATEGY, IF YOU WILL, TO TRY TO BRING SOME EMPLOYEES, UM, INTO ENTRY LEVEL JOBS AS TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES, UM, TO KIND OF ENABLE US TO HAVE A, A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A PROBATIONARY PERIOD OR, OR, UH, MORE FLEXIBILITY AS FAR AS MAKING THE COMMITMENT, UH, UH, TO, TO THOSE EMPLOYEES.
IT STARTED TO CREATE, UM, A LOT OF ISSUES AND, AND WITH THE NEW ADMINISTRATION,
[02:55:01]
WE JUST DECIDED TO JUST GO BACK TO, UM, EVERYBODY HAS AN ACTUAL PIN, SO THERE'S NO REAL CHANGE THERE.AND I THINK THIS IS MORE IN LINE WITH, UM, UH, THE COUNTY AUDITOR'S RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, AND HOW EVERY, ALL THE OTHER AGENCIES ARE BUDGETED.
UH, JUST A COUPLE OF QUICK HIGHLIGHTS.
I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT I'M NOT SPEAKING PROPERLY INTO THESE MICROPHONES.
OBVIOUSLY WE DID MAINTAIN OUR AAA BOND RATING THIS YEAR.
WE HAD ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL BOND, UM, UH, BOND SALE.
WE HAVE, UM, IMPLEMENTED A NEW WATER AND SEWER BILLING SYSTEM, UM, IN THE COUNTY.
SO THERE'S GONNA GIVE US A LOT OF, UM, BOTH US AND OUR CUSTOMER BASE.
UM, A LOT OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANTAGES.
PRIOR TO THAT, WE WERE ON A MAINFRAME SYSTEM THAT WAS DONATED TO US FROM BALTIMORE CITY.
UM, IT ACTUALLY DID WORK WELL.
I MEAN, UNLIKE THE, THE CURRENT SYSTEM IN BALTIMORE CITY, WHICH HAS HAD SOME ISSUES, BUT, UM, IT WAS A MAINFRAME GREEN SCREEN.
UH, YOU REALLY COULDN'T INTERFACE WITH IT FROM THE OUTSIDE WORLD.
AND SO THIS WILL GIVE, UH, BOTH TREASURY AND, AND THE CUSTOMERS, UM, FAR GREATER, UM, UH, INSIGHT INTO THEIR WATER AND SORE USAGE ABILITY TO PAY THINGS ALONG THOSE LINES.
UH, WE ARE IN THE PROCESS NOW OF WORKING WITH OUR, UM, HUMAN RESOURCES AND I C T TO, UM, UPGRADE THE PAYROLL SYSTEM AS PART OF AN OVERALL UPGRADE TO THE HR SYSTEM COURSE.
UM, PAYROLL IS KIND OF THE IN BETWEEN AREA BETWEEN TREASURY, WHICH IS A TREASURY, PAYROLL IS A TREASURY FUNCTION, UM, AND THE HUMAN RESOURCE SYSTEM.
SO WE ARE LOOKING AT UPGRADING, UH, UH, THOSE SYSTEMS. AND ONE FINAL THING, UH, TO NOTE IS, UH, WE JUST CLOSED THE APPLICATION PERIOD FOR THE, UH, SENIOR AND VETERANS TAX CREDIT.
UH, YOU MAY RECALL THE, UH, PRIOR COUNCIL EXPANDED THE ELIGIBILITY OF THAT CREDIT.
UM, WE CHANGED IT FROM HAVING TO LIVE IN A HOUSE, UH, FOR 40 YEARS TO 35 YEARS.
UH, WE ALSO INCREASED THE CAPITAL IN THE ASSESSMENT FROM 400,000 TO 600,000.
AND MOST NOTABLY, UH, WE OPENED IT UP TO INDIVIDUALS WITH, UM, UH, UH, SERVICE RELATED DISABILITIES.
SO DISABLED, UM, UH, DISABLED, DISABLED VETERANS.
UM, AND FURTHERMORE FOR ALL OF THEM, WE EXTEND THE LENGTH OF THE CREDIT.
UM, FROM FIVE YEARS TO 20 YEARS.
WE WERE, UM, AS WE ENTERED INTO OUR SIXTH YEAR, WE WERE GONNA HAVE QUITE A FEW INDIVIDUALS WHO APPLIED IN, IN THE FIRST YEAR THAT WOULD HAVE, UM, TERMED OUT, IF YOU WILL.
SO NOW THIS, THIS ALLOWS THEM SO LONG AS NOTHING CHANGES, UH, TO CONTINUE RECEIVING THE TAX CREDIT.
UM, UH, PROBABLY WELL, WELL INTO THE FUTURE.
UM, SO WE WENT FROM ABOUT 30, 35, 37 50 APP, UM, APPLICANTS TO ABOUT, UH, 5,000.
I DO THINK THAT THAT NUMBER WILL CONTINUE TO GROW.
WE DEFINITELY DIDN'T SEE AS MANY, UM, OF THE DISABLED VETERANS AS, AS, UH, WE THOUGHT THERE MAY BE OUT THERE.
BUT I DO THINK THAT OVER TIME WE'LL PROBABLY SEE THAT NUMBER GROW.
UM, OF COURSE THAT IS A TAX CREDIT, SO TO THE EXTENT THAT IT DOES GROW, IT DOES, UM, RE REDUCE OUR PROPERTY TAX REVENUE COLLECTION.
UM, AND WITH THAT, UM, I'LL OPEN IT UP TO, UH, QUESTIONS.
UM, THE TAX CREDIT THAT WE EXTENDED TO DISABLED VETERANS, HOW MANY TOOK ADVANTAGE OF IT? IT, I CAN GET YOU THOSE NUMBERS.
IT WAS A, IT WAS AROUND, IT WAS AROUND 50, UM, OR SO.
UM, NOW I KNOW I'VE SOMETIMES HANG OUT AT THE VFW IN CAVITY GRACE AND I SIGNED UP, UH, QUITE A FEW VETS, UM, THERE DURING ONE HAPPY HOUR.
UM, BUT, UM, SO, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL SEE IF I GET BACK THERE, UH, UH, DURING NEXT YEAR SIGN UP PERIOD,
UM, SO WE NEED TO GET THAT TAPE FROM THE STATE.
UM, BUT IN THE PAST IT WAS AROUND $2 MILLION OR SO, SO WE'RE PROBABLY LOOKING AT SOMETHING AROUND THREE, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET A, UM, A HARD NUMBER ONCE WE ACTUALLY SEND OUT THE BILLS IN JULY.
I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN HERE SINCE YESTERDAY.
UH, WE'VE DISCUSSED A LOT ON THE STRUCTURAL DEFICIT AND PROJECTIONS, UH, AND I THINK WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE MORE DISCUSSION ON THAT.
BUT I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE TAX CREDIT YOU JUST TALKED ABOUT, UH, AND THE 5 CENT REDUCTION, UH, THAT WE HAD LAST YEAR.
UM, AND IN CORRELATION WITH THE REASSESSMENTS, CAN YOU WALK THROUGH KIND OF HOW THE REASSESSMENTS BY THE STATE ARE GONNA WORK DIFFERENT AREAS AND WHAT THOSE PROJECTIONS MIGHT BE? CUZ EVEN WITH THE 5 CENT REDUCTION AND EVEN WITH THE TAX CREDIT, I THINK WE'RE STILL GONNA BE IN GOOD SHAPE AS FAR AS WHAT WE'RE BRINGING IN ON PROPERTY TAXES IN THE COUNTY.
WOULD THAT BE CORRECT ON THAT? UM, YEAH.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT, UM, WHAT WE EXPECT TO BRING IN NEXT YEAR FOR, UM, FOR, IN THE GENERAL FUND, FOR PROPERTY TAX CREDIT, UH, I'M, I'M SORRY, FOR THE, FOR THE, THE, FOR PROPERTY TAXES, AND THIS IS ALL PROPERTY TAXES, LESS ALL CREDITS, UM, ALL OF THAT, UM, IT IS JUST A LITTLE BIT OVER 295 MILLION.
UM, THERE'S ALSO A PROPERTY TAX COMPONENT IN THE HIGHWAYS FUND, BUT, UM, I'M JUST GONNA KEEP THIS TO THE GENERAL FUND.
UM, THAT IS MORE OR LESS EQUIVALENT TO WHAT WE COLLECTED IN 2022.
[03:00:01]
5 CENT TAX, UM, THAT 5 CENT TAX, UM, UH, BREAK.SO WHAT WILL HAPPEN IS YOU, YOU HAD A REDUCTION IN THE RATE, UM, BUT YOU'RE ALSO HAVING RISING ASSESSMENTS.
SO IT, IT MORE OR LESS PUTS YOU BACK AS TO WHERE WE WERE TWO, TWO YEARS AGO.
UM, NOW OF COURSE THE ARGUMENT COULD BE IS THAT IF WITHOUT THAT TAX, WITHOUT THAT EX CUT, THEN YOU WOULD'VE BEEN PROBABLY APPROXIMATELY 20 MILLION, UM, HIGHER.
UM, BECAUSE THAT'S HOW THE WAY THE, THE, OUR PROPERTY TAXES WORK IS THE STATE PROVIDES ASSESSMENTS.
THE STATE DOES ASSESSMENTS, UM, ON A ROTATING BASIS.
UM, THE, THE COUNTY IS SPLIT INTO THREE AREAS.
ALL COUNTIES IN MARYLAND ARE SPLIT INTO THREE AREAS.
THE STATE DOES THE ASSESSMENTS FOR, FOR, FOR EVERYONE.
SO THIS MOST RECENT ONE WAS THE BELLAIRE AREA.
THAT PHASE THAT WILL BE PHASED IN OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS.
SO ROUGHLY 5%, 5%, THEN 10%, THEN 15%, 16%.
UM, AND SO THAT, THAT'S, AND THEN OFF OF THAT ASSESSMENT BASE, YOU APPLY THE, THE PROPERTY TAX RATE.
SO OUR PROPERTY TAX RATE'S AROUND 84 CENTS FOR THE GENERAL FUND.
YOU WOULD TAKE THE, YOUR ASSESSMENT OF YOUR, OF YOUR PROPERTY, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S, IF IT'S A HUNDRED THOUSAND, YOU WOULD DIVIDE IT BY A HUNDRED, YOU KNOW, A A THOUSAND, AND THEN YOU WOULD THEN MULTIPLY IT THROUGH BY THE, UH, BY THE TAX RATE.
UM, IN ORDER TO GET WHAT WE WOULD, WE WOULD GENERATE.
UM, SO BACK TO YOUR ANSWER, YOUR ORIGINAL QUESTION, UM, YES, YOU KNOW, OUR RISING ASSESSMENTS, UM, HAVE, UM, MORE OR LESS, UH, CAUGHT UP WITH THE, THE, THE TAX CUT, UM, ON AN ACTUAL BASIS.
SO THE, YOU TALK ABOUT THE THREE PHASES AND YOU TALK ABOUT BELL AIR, I THINK FOUR STILL OR FALSE, AND WAS IT COMBINED THERE? UM, WHERE ARE WE ON THAT SCHEDULE? HOW MANY'S BEEN DONE? UM, AS, SO THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IT'S BEEN DONE? NO, IT HAPPENS EVERY YEAR.
SO, UM, LAST YEAR WAS, UM, UH, WAS, WAS, WAS GROUP ONE, WHICH IS THE NORTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY.
UM, AND THEN, UH, NEXT YEAR WILL BE THE KIND OF THE, UM, ABERDEEN, EDGEWOOD, UM, ABINGDON AREA.
UM, AND THEN, SO IT'S ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, EVERY THREE YEARS.
SO BELL AIR WILL BE RECI, UM, REASSESSED THREE YEARS FROM NOW.
UM, YOU KNOW, NEXT YEAR WILL BE LARGELY THE ROUTE 40 CORRIDOR, YOU KNOW, THEN THREE YEARS LATER THAT WILL BE REASSESSED.
SO IT'S, IT'S A KIND OF A CONSTANT PROCESS.
AND IT'S LARGELY BACKWARDS LOOKING.
I MEAN, THE STATE IS LOOKING AT, UM, HOME SALES, UH, COMPARABLES, UM, ALL THAT TO TO TO ASSESS, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY THINK, YOU KNOW, EACH INDIVIDUAL, UM, PIECE OF PROPERTY IS, IS, UM, SHOULD BE ASSESSED AT.
AND THEY TRY TO GET IT CLOSE TO MARKET VALUE.
UH, BUT AGAIN, IT'S LARGELY BACKWARDS LOOKING.
SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'RE ALWAYS, ALWAYS OPPORTUNITIES THAT IF INDIVIDUALS FEEL THAT THEY WERE ASSESSED INCORRECTLY, UM, WELL, NO ONE EVER GOES AND SAYS, I WAS UNDER ASSESSED.
YOU ONLY GO IF YOU THINK YOU WERE OVER ASSESSED
UM, BUT IF YOU THINK YOU WERE OVER ASSESSED, THERE IS AN APPEALS PROCESS YOU CAN GO THROUGH WITH THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF ASSESSMENTS, APPEALS ACTION, UM, OF TAXATION, UM, THAT ULTIMATELY, EVENTUALLY ENDS UP IN TAX COURT.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S VARIOUS, UM, UM, PATHS THAT YOU CAN <