* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
          OH, HE WENT TOO FAR. 
          [00:00:01]
UH, GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. 
          I WANT TO GO AHEAD AND START 
          [County Council Budget Work Session]
OUR REAL THIRD, UH, BUDGET WORK SESSION TODAY. 
          BUT IF I MAY, I WOULD LIKE TO OPEN IT UP WITH SOME CONDOLENCES FOR THE DOZA FAMILY AND THE ABINGTON FIRE DEPARTMENT OF THE PASSING OF, UH, MS. LINDA DOZA. 
          UH, IT'S A GREAT, UH, FAMILY THAT HAS BEEN DEDICATED TO HARFORD COUNTY FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, AS LONG AS THE ENTIRE ABITA FIRE COMPANY. 
          SO, UH, PLEASE ACCEPT OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS. 
          AND WITH THAT, UM, MS. HASLER. 
          GOOD MORNING. 
          WELL, GOOD MORNING. 
          SURE. 
          THIS IS WORKING. 
          CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? YES. 
          OKAY, GREAT. 
          WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR US HAVING THIS OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT OUR BUDGET. 
          AS YOU KNOW, I CAN TALK ABOUT THE LIBRARY FOR HOURS, BUT I WILL NOT BECAUSE YOU HAVE A REALLY LONG DAY AHEAD OF YOURSELF. 
          BUT FIRST, LET ME INTRODUCE A FEW FOLKS I HAVE WITH US, CHARLES ROSS CHARLES, HE'S OUR HEAD OF, UH, HR. 
          WE ALSO HAVE, UH, DARIA PERRY, OUR COO, WE HAVE WITH US AMBER SHREDS, HER FIRST DAY BACK WITH US DIRECTOR OF PHILANTHROPY AND DEVELOPMENT. 
          WE ALSO HAVE BETH LAPIER, SENIOR DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC SERVICES, JEN BUTTON, MY TRUSTEE, ASSISTANT EXECUTIVE ADMINISTRATOR, AND KEEPS ME STRAIGHT WHERE SHE TRIES TO KATHY KOK, MY FINANCE C F O. 
          AND OF COURSE, OUR STAR TODAY IS IBU IBU AS OUR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE PUPPY, IBU. 
          AND HE WOKE UP FROM HIS NAP, AND IF HE GETS ANNOYING, AMBER WILL COME AND RESCUE YOU FROM HIM. 
          HE'S VERY SMART. 
          AS LONG AS HE DOESN'T GET IN MY COFFEE, EVERYTHING WILL BE ALL RIGHT. 
           . 
          I, I CANNOT PROMISE THAT, BUT WE'LL TRY. 
          UH, THE LIBRARY SUBMITTED OUR FISCAL YEAR OPERATING BUDGET AND CAPITAL BUDGET REQUEST TO THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND HIS TEAM, AND YOU DO HAVE A COPY. 
          I SENT THAT UP EARLIER A FEW WEEKS AGO, AND I WILL BE BRIEF ABOUT THE BUDGET BECAUSE THERE'S REALLY NOT A WHOLE LOT TO TALK ABOUT, UNFORTUNATELY. 
          UM, WAGE PARITY REMAINS A TOP PRIORITY FOR LIBRARY STAFF AND TO SAY THAT OUR STAFF IS DISAPPOINTED NOT TO RECEIVE WAGE PARITY WITH THE COUNTY EMPLOYEES OR TO BE INCLUDED IN THE ONE AND A HALF AND ONE AND A HALF PERCENT SALARY INCREASE PROPOSED FOR COUNTY EMPLOYEES IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT. 
          AND I WANNA UNDERLINE THAT THAT IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT. 
          WE'VE BEEN WORKING SO HARD TO GET WAGE PAY TO THE COUNTY LEVEL, JUST TO THE COUNTY LEVEL. 
          AND, UH, UM, THIS WAS A VERY BIG DISAPPOINTMENT. 
          A 1% INCREASE FOR THE LIBRARY STAFF IS ABOUT $148,679. 
          33% OF OUR LIBRARY EMPLOYEES EARN LESS THAN $29,000, AND 42% EARN LESS THAN 39,000. 
          NOW, KEEP IN MIND WE HAVE A LOT OF PART-TIME STAFF BECAUSE WE ARE OPEN SIX DAYS A WEEK AND HOPEFULLY SOMEDAY BACK TO SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. 
          A LIVING WAGE IS CRITICAL, ESPECIALLY AS WE RELY ON MANY PART-TIME STAFF TO MEET THE HOURS OF OUR OPERATIONS. 
          IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT WE MAINTAIN THE POSITION OF RECRUITING AND RETAINING THE BEST LIBRARY STAFF FOR OUR COMMUNITIES. 
          AND THIS IS EVEN MORE A PRIORITY AS WE CONTINUE TO STABILIZE AFTER THE PANDEMIC. 
          WE ARE ALSO VERY DISAPPOINTED NOT TO, TO RECEIVE THE REQUESTED PEP FUNDING OF $15,700. 
          NOW YOU MAY THINK, WHAT IS $15,700 COMPARED TO OUR BUDGET? IT'S A LOT. 
          THE LIBRARY IMPLEMENTED A PEP PROGRAM A FEW YEARS AGO MIRRORING THAT, WHICH IS OFFERED TO COUNTY EMPLOYEES. 
          ALL NEW HIRES ARE ADDED TO THE PEP PLAN, AND WE OFFERED A ONE-TIME FINANCIAL INCENTIVE LAST YEAR FOR EXISTING EMPLOYEES BY IMPLEMENTING A PEP. 
          THE LIBRARY FUTURE OPEB LIABILITY HAS BEEN DRASTICALLY AND SIGNIFICANTLY, SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED. 
          WE ARE ALSO VERY DISAPPOINTED NOT TO RECEIVE THE 10% HEALTH INSURANCE INCREASE THAT IS PROPOSED IN THE COUNTY BUDGET FOR COUNTY EMPLOYEES. 
          WE ARE IN THE SAME PLAN THROUGH THE CONSORTIUM AND UP TO THE RELEASE OF THE BUDGET. 
          WE WERE TOLD THAT THERE WOULD BE NO INCREASE TO HEALTHCARE COSTS. 
          OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION TO OFFER HEALTH BENEFITS THAT MIRROR THE COUNTY EMPLOYEES, INCLUDING OUR RETIREES WHO ARE COVERED UNDER UNITEDHEALTHCARE, WHICH IS A MAJOR SAVINGS TO BOTH THE COUNTY AND TO THE RETIREES. 
          OUR EXPENSES HAVE INCREASED THE SAME AS WHAT THE COUNTY HAS PROJECTED, AND WITH INFLATION CURRENTLY AT 5.3%, IT DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE DECREASING. 
          WE REQUESTED CAPITAL FUNDING FOR THE BELLAIRE RENOVATION PROJECT THAT WE HAVE BEEN DISCUSSING FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS. 
          WE ARE VERY CONCERNED THAT THE PROJECT HAS BEEN PUSHED BACK WITH NO DATE. 
          THE LIBRARY HAS BEEN VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE RECEIVED MARYLAND STATE LIBRARY CAPITAL GRANTS THAT THE COUNTY SUBMITTED LETTERS OF SUPPORT FOR MATCHING FUNDS. 
          IN FISCAL YEAR 23. 
          WE WERE AWARDED 1.414 MILLION AND HAVE APPLIED FOR A FISCAL YEAR 24 SECOND GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF 4,141,000 FOR THE BELLAIRE PROJECT. 
          WE HAD PLANNED TO APPLY FOR A THIRD YEAR GRANT, BUT WITHOUT CLEAR DIRECTION FROM THE COUNTY ON CAPITAL PROJECTS, IT DID NOT SEEM PRUDENT. 
          I WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE CLARIFICATION OF THE LIBRARY FUND BALANCE AS OF JUNE 30TH, 2022. 
          WE HAVE A FUND BALANCE OF 12 MILLION, BUT ARE NOT PERMITTED TO USE THE AMOUNT FOR MANY ITEMS INCLUDING PREPAIDS, SUCH AS THE $211,132 
          [00:05:01]
FOR THE CARE FIRST JULY BILL THAT WE PAY IN JUNE. 
          THE HEALTHCARE CONSORTIUM FUNDS WITH THE COUNTY AND OTHER AGENCIES, WHICH IS A LITTLE OVER 3 MILLION FOR THE HEALTHCARE RESERVE OR THE ENCUMBRANCES. 
          THAT'S A 1.2 MILLION BILL. 
          AND THAT IS OPEN PURCHASE ORDERS AT THE END OF FISCAL YEAR 22 THAT WE CARRIED INTO FISCAL YEAR 23. 
          THAT IS A STANDARD OPERATING BUSINESS. 
          THIS IS ALWAYS INCLUDED IN THE ANNUAL AUDIT HOUR FUND BALANCE, AND AVAILABLE FOR FULL REVIEW BY ANYONE AT ANY TIME, LEAVING SEVEN THOUSAND SEVEN MILLION FIVE HUNDRED SEVENTY SIX MILLION AS A TRUE FUND BALANCE, WHICH WE ALL ALLOCATED 5.4 MILLION TO CAPITAL PROJECTS, WHICH INCLUDES THE BELLAIRE RENOVATION. 
          THAT MONEY IS THERE FOR THAT PROJECT, ALONG WITH OTHERS. 
          CONSERVATIVE SPENDING AND BUDGETING ENABLED THE LIBRARY TO SET ASIDE THESE FUNDS FOR THE LARGE CAPITAL PROJECTS AND SUPPORTING HARTFORD COUNTY GOVERNMENT AND THEIR PRIORITIES. 
          LET ME GO ON WITH GOOD NEWS. 
          YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS LIKE TO TALK ABOUT GOOD NEWS. 
          OUR OUTREACH SERVICES ARE EXPANDING AS WE ARE LAUNCHING LIBRARY ON THE GO WITH THREE NEW VANS. 
          YES, THEY WERE BUILT IN TURKEY. 
          THESE ARE FORD VANS. 
          IT TOOK OVER A YEAR FOR THEM TO ARRIVE IN HARTFORD COUNTY, BUT THEY'RE HERE. 
          TYPICAL ITEMS THAT WILL BE HOUSED ON THE VANS INCLUDE BOOKS, BASEBALL KITS, BIKES, CROQUETTES, CROQUET SETS, FISHING RODS, FOOTBALL, KICKBALL, MINIGOLF, SET, PICKLEBALL SETS, SKATEBOARD KITS, SLEDS, SOCCER BALLS, AND MORE. 
          WELL, I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THE SLEDS. 
          WE HAVE NOT HAD SNOW IN HOW LONG  THIS PAST YEAR. 
          THE NEW DARLINGTON LIBRARY OPENED AND IS UP IS AN UPCYCLED WAWA THAT WAS ORIGINALLY CONSTRUCTED IN 96. 
          THE FACILITY INCLUDES THE FIRST 24 7 PICKUP MATERIALS, LOCKER SYSTEM, A TABLET TOWER FOR PERIODICAL READING, AND AN OUTDOOR PATIO AND FIREPLACE. 
          THE HARTFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL ID PROJECT INITIATIVE CONTINUES AND IT ENABLES ALL STUDENTS IN HARTFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO USE THEIR STUDENT IDS TO ACCESS HARTFORD COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY RESOURCES ONLINE, REMOTELY, ANYTIME, AND ANYWHERE IN ADDITION TO THE EDUCATORS AT THE SCHOOLS. 
          IN ADDITION, THE LIBRARY WAS HONORED TO ONCE AGAIN SPONSOR THE HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER OF THE YEAR PROGRAM, WHICH I UNDERSTAND WAS AN AMAZING EVENING. 
          THE LIST OF NONPROFITS AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE PARTNER AND SUPPORT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR CONTINUE TO GROW BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS. 
          WE FEEL IT IS PART OF OUR MISSION IS TO SUPPORT OUR NONPROFITS AND OUR OTHER AGENCIES OUT THERE THAT DO SUCH A GREAT JOB FOR OUR COMMUNITIES. 
          THE HARVARD COUNTY CULTURAL ARTS BOARD PROVIDED $175,000 THROUGH 58 GRANTS AWARDED THROUGH FOUR PROGRAMS IN FISCAL YEAR 22, AND ARE ON TARGET FOR EXCEEDING THAT THIS YEAR, MORE THAN 414,000 PEOPLE ATTENDED OUR PROGRAMS LAST YEAR, AND WE HAVE MORE THAN 220,000 REGISTERED ACTIVE BORROWERS IN HARTFORD COUNTY. 
          THIS WEEK IS NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK, AND WE CELEBRATE WITH OUR COMMUNITIES THE CRITICAL RESOURCES AND SERVICES THAT OUR LIBRARIES BRING TO ALL AGES, DEMOGRAPHICS, AND BACKGROUNDS. 
          SO I WOULD LIKE TO FINISH WITH A QUOTE FROM AUTHOR AND MOVIE PERSON. 
          I BELIEVE HE'S MADE FILMS. NEIL GAIMAN, WHO I HAVE MET YOU SHOULD BE ESPECIALLY NICE TO A LIBRARIAN TODAY OR TOMORROW, SOMETIMES THIS WEEK ANYWAY, PROBABLY THE LIBRARIANS WOULD LIKE TEA OR CHOCOLATES AND I'M GONNA INSERT WINE. 
          THAT'S MY OWN COMMENT. 
          OR A RELIABLE SOURCE OF FUNDING. 
          AS ALWAYS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT FOR THE LIBRARY AND ALL YOU DO FOR HARFORD COUNTY COMMUNITIES. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SO, MARY, LET ME THANK YOU AND YOUR TEAM FOR THE SERVICE THAT YOU PROVIDE, UH, HARFORD COUNTY RESIDENTS ON EVERY DAY. 
          UH, WE APPRECIATE ALL THAT YOU DO APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE THIS MORNING. 
          AND IF I CAN, I'D LIKE TO ASK YOU TO SEND A COPY OF YOUR COMMENTS, UH, TO MS. HARRIS THIS MORNING SO SHE CAN DISTRIBUTE IT AMONGST THE COUNCIL. 
          OKAY. 
          AND WITH THAT COUNSEL, UM, MR. JERDEN, GOOD MORNING. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WHERE'S IBU? YOU TOOK HIM BACK, RIGHT? YES. 
          YEAH. 
          SO, UM, IT'S ALWAYS NICE TO SEE IBU IT ALWAYS NICE TO SEE YOU AND YOUR STAFF. 
          UM, THE BELL AIR PROJECT, YOU SAID 4.1 MILLION, UM, FOR A GRANT. 
          WHAT HAPPENS IF WE DON'T USE THAT? WELL, WHERE DO WE STAND WITH THAT? DO WE, ARE WE GONNA LOSE THIS? THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION. 
          UH, WHAT WE WILL DO IS WE WILL ASK FOR AN EXTENSION OF THE FISCAL YEAR 23, WHICH WAS A LITTLE OVER 1 MILLION. 
          AND THEN WHATEVER WE DO RECEIVE FOR FISCAL YEAR 24, I'M HOPING, AND WE'RE WORKING WITH THE COUNTY, THAT WE CAN USE SOME OF THE FUNDING TOWARD THE ROOF PROJECT. 
          THAT WAS A SURPRISE TO US. 
          WE DIDN'T REALIZE WHAT DIRE CONDITION THE ROOF IS IN, NOT THE ELEVATORS THEY'RE BEING REPAIRED NOW, UH, OR REPLACED. 
          UM, BUT THE ROOF ITSELF, AND THAT'S ABOUT A 575,000 PRICE TAG. 
          SO I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN USE SOME OF THE FUNDING TO GO TOWARD THAT, TO SAVE THE COUNTY A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY. 
          UM, THE OTHER PIECE OF IT IS, UH, IF THE MAJOR RENOVATION PROJECT DOES NOT HAPPEN WHERE WE CAN MOVE WALLS AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT, WE WILL REFRESH THE BUILDING. 
          UM, 
          [00:10:01]
AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE THE SUPPORT OF THE COUNTY. 
          UM, BELLAIRE IS OUR FLAGSHIP BRANCH. 
          IT'S BEAUTIFUL, BUT IT IS SHOWING ITS AGE. 
          AND AS WE ALL KNOW, AS WE SHOW OUR AGE, SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO SHORE IT UP AND MAKE IT LOOK NICER, LITTLE BIT MORE FUNCTIONAL, BRING IT UP TO SPEED. 
          UM, SO THAT'S WHAT WE HOPE TO DO WITH THAT MONEY. 
          WE HOPEFULLY WE WILL GET AN EXTENSION FOR IT THOUGH. 
          WHEN WAS THAT ADDITION DONE ON BEL AIR? WHAT WAS THAT? IN THE NINETIES? 96. 
          I, I WAS A, I WAS A NINE HOUR WEEK EMPLOYEE WHEN I STARTED, AND I STARTED RIGHT BEFORE THE PROJECT. 
          THAT WAS IN NOVEMBER OF 96. 
          SO IT STARTED, WE STARTED PACKING THINGS UP, UM, PROBABLY ABOUT A MONTH AFTER I STARTED AT THE LIBRARY. 
          SO, AND IT OPENED, I BELIEVE IN 97. 
          AND IT IS, IT'S SEVERAL, IT'S THREE BUILDINGS, PUT TOGETHER THE NEW EDITION, NEW EDITION, UM, AND THEN A BUILDING FROM THE 47 AND THEN IN THE SIXTIES. 
          YEAH. 
          ALRIGHT, THANKS. 
          I LIKE THE APP. 
          UM, BUT I CAN'T LOG IN RIGHT NOW. 
          , I'M SO SORRY. 
          WE CAN HELP YOU WITH THAT. 
          I NEED HELP. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I'M NOT EVEN GONNA COMMENT ON THAT ONE. 
          . 
          UM, THANK YOU COUNCILMAN JENGEN. 
          THAT'S A SHOCKER. 
          COUNCILMAN PENMAN, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. 
          UM, YOU GUYS HAVE A TREMENDOUS PROGRAM, GREAT RESOURCE TO THE COMMUNITY, UM, TO KIND OF, YOU KNOW, UH, ATTRACT THAT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT THAT WE NEED AND GET THESE KIDS OFF THESE GAMING SYSTEMS. SO I APPLAUD YOU FOR THAT. 
          IN THE DIFFERENT INNOVATIVE, INNOVATIVE WAYS THAT YOU GUYS HAVE DONE TO TRY TO ATTRACT THEM. 
          I THINK IT'S TRAGIC THAT YOUR, UH, FUNDING WAS FLAT, UH, ESPECIALLY WHEN INFLATION IS UP. 
          SO THAT'S MY FIRST QUESTION. 
          WITH INFLATION, HOW HAS THAT IMPACTED YOU ON JUST THE PURCHASE OF BOOKS AND ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU NEED? SUPPLY WISE, JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER BUSINESS OR EVEN A FAMILY HOUSEHOLD, IT'S, IT'S AFFECTING US, UH, GREATLY. 
          UH, WE HAVE TO RETHINK AND BE VERY CAREFUL ON HOW WE SPEND OUR FUNDING FOR BOOKS, OUR DATABASES, UH, ANY OF OUR MATERIALS, EVEN OUR NONPUBLIC THINGS SUCH AS SUPPLIES THAT WE USE TO, YOU KNOW, RUN OUR BUSINESS. 
          UM, AS YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING'S JUST GONE UP SO MUCH AND, UH, I, I LISTENED TO ANBAN BASU LAST YEAR, LAST WEEK AT A FUTURES CONFERENCE. 
          UM, AND THE NEWS WASN'T GREAT WHEN IT COMES TO THE INFLATION. 
          IT'S DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT'S COMING DOWN ANYTIME SOON. 
          SO, UM, IT'S JUST, IT WILL HOBBLE US. 
          AND YOU KNOW, WE DID A COMP CLASS STUDY ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO, I THINK IT WAS RIGHT BEFORE THE LOCKDOWN, SO WE'VE BEEN 2019. 
          SO WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO IMPLEMENT THAT WITHOUT ADDITIONAL FUNDING FROM THE COUNTY. 
          AND LAST YEAR WE FINALLY GOT TOO CLOSE TO BEING AT WAGE PARODY, BUT NOW WE'RE JUST GONNA FALL DOWN AGAIN. 
          SO IT SEEMS WE'RE IN THIS ENDLESS CYCLE. 
          THAT'S A GREAT POINT. 
          CAUSE THAT LEADS ME INTO MY SECOND QUESTION. 
          I THINK I, I HEARD YOU SAY FOR A 1% PAY INCREASE, IT WOULD COST 148,000. 
          SO THAT BRINGS IT TO A A PERCENT AND A HALF AT 220. 
          AND IF THE FULL FUNNY WOULD FOR THE 3% OVER THE YEAR WOULD BE 444,000 ROUGHLY. 
          SO I HAVE THAT NUMBER. 
          WHAT I DON'T HAVE IS, I'M JUST HOPING TO HAVE AN ENTIRE NUMBER WITH THAT 10% HEALTH HEALTHCARE INCREASE. 
          IS NOT THAT YOU HAVE IT NOW, BUT IS THERE ANY WAY THAT YOU CAN GET ME THAT NUMBER? SURE. 
          SO I CAN SEE WHAT THE, YOU KNOW, THE PICTURE LOOKS LIKE TO PUT YOU ON PARODY WITH THE OTHER COUNTY EMPLOYEES. 
          I THINK WE, WE DO HAVE THAT NUMBER. 
          I THINK KATHY HAS IT. 
          WE PUT IT IN THE BUDGET AS A, AS A PLACEHOLDER BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE DO OUR BUDGET WEIGH IN ADVANCE AND THAT'S THE GENERAL RULE THUMB, 10% FOR THAT. 
          SO WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT TODAY. 
          IF NOT, I'LL SEND IT ALONG WITH THE COVER, WITH THE LETTER. 
          SO, AND ALSO THAT FUND BALANCE THAT YOU HAVE MM-HMM. 
          , IT CAN'T BE USED FOR HEALTHCARE. 
          CAN IT BE USED FOR SALARY INCREASES THOUGH? NO, NO, NOT GENERALLY. 
          UNLESS IT WOULD BE A LUMP SUM. 
          BUT WE WOULD'VE TO TAKE IT OUT OF THE, WE WOULD HAVE TO, UH, DOCUMENT IT INCREDIBLY WELL. 
          YEAH. 
          SO IF WE DID, THIS IS AN ONGOING EXPENSE. 
          THAT'S FINE. 
          YEAH, IT'S ONE TIME MONEY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU MR. PENMAN. 
          WHAT WAS THE UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE? 12. 
          12 MILLION. 
          WE HAVE, UH, 7.5 MILLION THAT WE CAN USE. 
          UM, AND THEN WE ALLOCATE A 5.44 TO THE CAPITAL PROJECTS. 
          YEP. 
          AND THAT INCLUDES BE AIR. 
          SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT OVER. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          KATHY, YOU DO THAT FOR ME? , IT'S LIKE TWO POINT, TWO POINT SOMETHING, 2.5, 2.6. 
          YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          AND IT ALL GETS ALLOCATED IN AUGUST OF EVERY YEAR WHEN WE SIT DOWN WITH THE AUDITORS, WE HAVE TO ALLOCATE THAT MONEY SO IT DOESN'T SIT LIKE IN A, IT'S NOT SITTING SOMEWHERE WHERE IF, IF WE DECIDE TO BUY 20 MORE IBUS, WE COULD SPEND IT. 
          IT DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY. 
          THANK YOU, MR. GUTHRIE. 
          UH, AGAIN, I WANNA THANK YOU ALSO EVERYONE ELSE THAT LIBRARIES ARE ESSENTIAL TO HARFORD COUNTY AND TO OUR CHILDREN, TO THE, OUR ADULTS ALSO. 
          UM, UM, UM, I, I WAS SURPRISED TO HEAR THAT YOU'RE NOT INCLUDED IN THE ONE AND A HALF AND ONE AND A HALF, UM, PERCENT INCREASE. 
          UM, ONE OF 'EM IS EVEN TAKEN OUT THE NEXT JANUARY MAYBE. 
          CUZ THAT'S NOT GUARANTEED EITHER. 
          YOU KNOW, THAT ACCORDING TO WHAT I'VE READ. 
          YOU KNOW, IT DEPENDS ON, UM, IF, UH, THE FUNDS ARE GONNA BE AVAILABLE. 
          AND I, I GUESS I DON'T KNOW WHO MAKES THAT DECISION, BUT, 
          [00:15:01]
UM, I'M ALSO THE, THE, THE, UH, FUND BALANCE, UH, YOU CAN'T USE IT FOR WAGES, BUT NOW MISUNDERSTANDING. 
          DID YOU, CAN YOU USE THAT ANY FOR HEALTHCARE? WE CANNOT USE IT FOR HEALTHCARE. 
          YOU, YOU HAVE A HEALTHCARE INCREASE THOUGH, RIGHT? CORRECT. 
          AND THAT'S NOT, THAT'S, THAT'S THE EMPLOYEE'S PIECE, NOT THE, NOT THE COUNTY'S PIECE. 
          THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. 
          LET ME ASK MY FINANCE EXPERT  THE INCREASE. 
          YEAH, I THINK IT'S, IT'S THE OVERALL INCREASE. 
          YOU MORE INCREASE IN THE, IT'S THE OVERALL INCREASE TO US. 
          WHAT IS THE OVERALL INCREASE? WELL, THE COUNTY PUT IN 10% AND I BELIEVE THAT'S, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW HOW IT'S BROKEN DOWN. 
          MAYBE RAVI OR KIM CAN, I CAN'T ANSWER IT. 
          HR GIVE ANSWER. 
          OKAY. 
          BECAUSE THERE'S NOT, BECAUSE WE DID NOT BUILD IT IN. 
          SO IT'S NOT IN OUR IT'S NOT IN OUR MR MS. SPENCE, IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU. 
          I DIDN'T SEE YOU SITTING BEHIND MR. KEARNEY. 
          I HOPE YOU'RE FEELING MUCH BETTER. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SO THERE'S A COURSE, THE COUNTY PAYS A PERCENT AND EMPLOYEES PAY A PERCENT. 
          SO YOUR PERCENT GOING TO GO UP. 
          YOU'RE SAYING THE AMOUNT THAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO PAY. 
          CORRECT. 
          IS THE COUNTIES COR WELL, IF THEY ANSWER, THEY'RE REQUESTING 10% INCREASE, I WOULD ASSUME THAT'S WHY THEY REQUESTED IT, BUT, WELL, WHEN YOU SAY 10%, YOU KNOW, IT CAN HIT A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS. 
          IT COULD BE 10% OF THE COUNTY'S PORTION, IT CAN 10% OF THE POLICE PORTION OR IT CAN BE 10% OF THE WHOLE PICTURE. 
          CORRECT. 
          THE COUNTY DID NOT BUDGET AN INCREASE IN THE PREMIUM. 
          SO FROM A BUDGET PERSPECTIVE IN, UM, ALL OF, ALL OF THE COUNTY BUDGETS, UM, THERE WAS NO INCREASE IN INSURANCE. 
          AND THERE WILL, AND THERE IS NO INCREASE THEN IF THERE'S NO INCREASE IN THE PREMIUM COST, THEN THERE IS NO CHANGE TO THE, UH, EMPLOYEE EMPLOYEE PORTION. 
          MR. SANDIS, CRACK THAT MIC OVER TO YOU, PLEASE. 
          YEAH, THAT'S HOPE. 
          SO SAY THAT AGAIN. 
          THERE'S NO INCREASE IN, SO WE, WE DID NOT BUDGET A INCREASE IN THE PREMIUM COST. 
          SO THE BUDGETS, THE INDIVIDUAL BUDGETS DID NOT HAVE AN INCREASE IN, UM, DID NOT HAVE AN INCREASE IN INSURANCE COSTS THAT WOULD BE REFLECTED IN THE BUDGET. 
          AND THEN SUBSEQUENTLY THERE WAS NO, IF THERE WAS NO INCREASE IN THE PREMIUM COSTS, BECAUSE THE WAY PREMIUMS WORK IS EMPLOYEES PAY 5% AND IT VARIES ON WHEN YOU WERE HIRED, BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S WHETHER IT'S 10% OR 5% OR WHATEVER, THEN THERE IS NO INCREASE ON THE EMPLOYEE PREMIUM PORTION AS WELL. 
          SO WE'VE HAD SEVERAL YEARS WHERE THE HEALTH INSURANCE WAS TO THE GOOD. 
          UM, AND BECAUSE OF THAT, YOU KNOW, WE TOOK THE APPROACH THAT, THAT THEY'RE THAT FROM THOSE, FROM THOSE PRIOR YEARS OF, OF KIND OF CONSISTENTLY BEING TO THE GOOD THAT WE COULD HOLD, HOLD THE EXPENDITURE FLAT AND NOT PASS ANYTHING ONTO, UM, UH, TO THE, TO THE EMPLOYEES. 
          AND SO GENERALLY THE LIBRARY I USE IS THE SAME PREMIUM RATES, YOU KNOW, AS, AS WE ARE. 
          SO YOUR EMPLOYEES SHOULD NOT SEE A HEALTH INCREASE EITHER. 
          AND YOU ALSO HAVE SEEN, YOU HAVE ALSO SEEN AN A, UM, UH, SEVERAL YEARS OF, OF, UM, YOU TO THE GOOD ON PREMIUMS. SO WHAT WAS THE 10%? DON'T, I'M NOT SURE COUNTY THAT THAT WAS EARLY ON IN THE BUDGET PROCESS. 
          YEAH. 
          CAUSE WE DON'T KNOW. 
          SO WE JUST PLUG A NUMBER IN, BUT THEN WHEN WE FINALLY GET THE NUMBERS IN, I MEAN, WE'RE SELF-INSURED. 
          SO TO SOME EXTENT, I MEAN THIS IS, IT'S LIKE ANY OTHER TYPE OF, OF, OF, OF AN ESTIMATE. 
          UM, IF IF COSTS COME IN CONSIDERABLY HIGHER, UM, THAN OUR PREMIUM, THEN YOU, YOU HAVE TO MAKE THAT UP. 
          IF THEY COME IN LOWER, LIKE THEY HAVE IN THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, YOU GET MONEY, YOU GET MONEY BACK. 
          THAT'S IN PART WHY YOUR FUND BALANCE HAS PROBABLY BEEN ABLE TO GROW A LITTLE BIT OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS. 
          CUZ WE'VE HAD SOME, SOME GOOD YEARS. 
          THAT'S PART OF, PART OF, UH, PART OF THE CALCULATION. 
          UM, BUT AGAIN, I MEAN THESE ARE, THESE ARE ALL ESTIMATES, BUT I THINK WE HAVE MADE EFFORTS IN THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, UM, TO TRY TO CONTROL HEALTHCARE COSTS, UH, MOST NOTABLY MOVING FROM THE, UH, TO THE CO-INSURANCE MODEL AWAY FROM THE UM, UH, FROM THE TRADITIONAL, UH, COPAY, UH, MODEL. 
          AND WHAT WE'VE SEEN IS A TRUE, UM, UM, LESSENING OF OUR, OF OUR HEALTHCARE COSTS GROW. 
          IT'S KIND OF WEIRD. 
          EVERYTHING ELSE HAS GOT INFLATION IN HEALTHCARE, WHICH FIVE YEARS AGO WAS WHERE ALL THE INFLATION WAS. 
          NOW THERE ISN'T THE INFLATION ON HEALTHCARE, SO IT'S STILL IN EVERYTHING ELSE. 
          BUT DID THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? NO, I'M MORE CONFUSED THAN I THINK I NEED TO, BUT IT'S OKAY. 
          AND I'M NEGOTIATING THIS KIND OF STUFF FOR YEARS, YOU KNOW, HEALTHCARE AND, AND, UH, HOW YOU HANDLE IT, HOW IT'S SETTLED FROM THE OUTSIDE, HOW YOU DO IT INTERNALLY AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF. 
          BUT I I, I'M, I'M GETTING TWO DIFFERENT STATEMENTS HERE. 
          YOU'RE SAYING THAT THERE'S AN INCREASE AND HE'S SAYING THERE ISN'T. 
          SO CAN SOMEBODY EXPLAIN THO THOSE TWO THINGS TO ME? LET ME CLARIFY. 
          UM, THE INCREASE IS THAT THE COUNTY HAS BUDGETED 10% INCREASE FOR THAT, I GUESS THAT BUDGET LINE ITEM FOR THE COUNTY, HOW IT'S BEING USED OR SPENT? UH, IT WAS IN THE, I BELIEVE IT WAS IN THE BUDGET REPORT AND THAT WAS SUBMITTED BY THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE. 
          I COULD BE WRONG ON THAT, BUT I'M PRETTY SURE. 
          SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. 
          I DON'T, I DON'T, I HAD, I 
          [00:20:01]
AGREE WITH ROBBIE. 
          WE HAD TALKED ABOUT THIS, UM, OVER THE LAST COUPLE WEEKS THAT THERE WOULD BE NO INCREASE. 
          SO IT, IT WAS CONFUSING TO US TO SEE THAT 10% WAS PUT INTO THE BUDGET FOR THE COUNTY. 
          NO, I, BUT THAT WOULDN'T BE MY ANS MY QUESTION TO ANSWER THAT WOULD BE OKAY. 
          WELL, I, I'M, I I CAN'T, I CAN'T SPEAK TO WHAT'S IN THE, WHAT'S IN, WHAT'S IN THE BUDGET MESSAGE. 
          WHAT I'M SAYING, AND WHAT KIM WAS ALSO SAYING IS THAT ON A BUDGET BASIS, WE ARE, WE DID NOT CHA INCREASE THE PREMIUM COST FOR, FOR HEALTH INSURANCE, WHICH FLOWS THROUGH TO THE EMPLOYEE SIDE. 
          UH, SO, AND WE HAVE WORKED WITH AON IN ORDER TO LET THEM KNOW. 
          AND I, I WILL SAY FOR KAISER, BECAUSE WE CAN'T CONTROL KAISER CAUSE WE'RE NOT SELF-INSURED, THERE IS A PREMIUM INCREASE ON THE KAISER SIDE. 
          SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANYBODY IN KAISER. 
          I THINK WE HAVE LIKE, LIKE A HANDFUL TOO. 
          UM, BUT ON THE CARE FIRST SIDE WHERE THE COUNTY IS SELF-INSURED, WE HAVE WORKED WITH CARE FIRST AND OUR HEALTH CONSULTANTS TO KEEP THOSE PREMIUMS FLAT FOR NEXT, NEXT, UH, NEXT YEAR. 
          AND THE LIBRARY FOLLOWS SUIT WITH, WITH THE COUNTY. 
          SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE IS, THERE IS NOT A INCREASE IN HEALTH INSURANCE. 
          OKAY, GREAT. 
          AND, UH, I'M NOT, LET ME SAY THIS. 
          SURE. 
          YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES YOU CAN PLAY WITH THESE NUMBERS AND THEY GET, UM, THEY GET CONFUSING. 
          OKAY. 
          IS YOUR MICROPHONE ON MR. CUT? WHAT'S GOING ON? I THINK, I THINK WHERE YOU SAW THE 10%. 
          YEAH, THAT'S FOR, UM, MEDICAL SERVICES. 
          THAT'S FOR PSYCHIATRIC EVALUATIONS. 
          UM, PRE-EMPLOYMENT PHYSICALS IN HRS BUDGET. 
          GOTCHA. 
          NOT HEALTH BENEFITS. 
          GOTCHA. 
          MEDICAL SERVICES. 
          RIGHT. 
          I THINK THAT DOES CLARIFY. 
          THANK YOU, KIM. 
          YES, THAT HITS. 
          OKAY, GREAT. 
          ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. 
          UM, LET ME ASK YOU ANOTHER QUESTION. 
          UM, UH, THE, UH, THE JOB TOWN LIBRARY NEEDS HELP SAY AT LEAST, UH, IS THERE, AND YOU'RE NOT ON THE CONSTRUCTION SIDE OR THE PARA SIDE, UH, BUT MAYBE YOU CAN ANSWER THIS. 
          IS THERE ANY, UH, YOU SEE ANYTHING IN THE FUTURE FOR, UH, UPGRADING THAT LIBRARY? UH, UM, AND WHEN AND IF AND HOW MUCH AND MAYBE ABSOLUTELY. 
          AND THAT WAS, UH, PART OF THE, UH, RESERVE FUND THAT WE HAVE SET ASIDE IS TO REFRESH THE JAPA LIBRARY AND OUR COUNTY EXECUTIVE VISIT IT, UM, ABOUT A MONTH OR SO AGO. 
          AND, AND AGREED IT NEEDED, IT NEEDED SUBSTANTIAL HELP. 
          SO, YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          IS THERE ANY TIME LIMIT OR YOU'RE SEEING, UH, WE HAVE TO GO BACK AND RE-LOOK AT ALL THE, THE MONEY THAT'S REMAINING TO SEE ALL THOSE PROJECTS. 
          SO, UM, BUT IT'S ON, IT'S DEFINITELY ON THE LIST AND IT'S PART OF OUR FACILITIES MASTER PLAN TOO. 
          THAT'S ONLINE. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          I APPRECIATE IT. 
          IF YOU CAN KEEP ME UP TO DATE. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          I'M, I KNOW I HAVE A MEETING AT THE EDGEWOOD LIBRARY ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT AT SIX O'CLOCK, SO I'LL CHECK THEM OUT. 
          I HAS SOME SPRUIKING UP TO DO TOO. 
          WE STRUGGLE WITH THE, UM, OUTSIDE, UH, THE GROUNDS KEEPING AT EDGEWOOD LIBRARY OVER AND OVER AGAIN. 
          IT JUST SEEMS LIKE A, EITHER THE, THE DIRT DOESN'T WANNA GROW ANYTHING. 
          UM, LOTS OF BALD SPOTS AND THINGS, BUT, UH, THE COUNTIES PARKS AND REC DOES A REALLY GREAT JOB TRYING TO KEEP THAT UP. 
          SO. 
          WELL, WE HAVE HAD SOME ISSUES WITH THE, UM, SOME PEOPLE LIVING BEHIND THE, THE LIBRARY OVER THE YEARS AND WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO WORK WITH THEM AND TRY TO GET THEM PLACES TO, TO, TO STAY VERSUS, UH, SLEEPING OUT THERE IN THE OUTSIDE AND AT THE LIBRARY. 
          OKAY. 
          SO I'LL LET YOU KNOW HOW THAT GOES, WAYNE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          VISIT THERE TOMORROW NIGHT OR WEDNESDAY NIGHT. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ANY INFORMATION. 
          THANK YOU, MR. GUTHRIE. 
          MR. GINGER, UM, MARY, GO, GO BACK. 
          THE, UM, WHAT WOULD THE DOLLAR AMOUNT BE, UH, FOR RAISES? IF YOU GOT THE ONE AND A HALF PERCENT, WHAT WOULD THAT DOLLAR AMOUNT BE? DO YOU KNOW? UH, WELL, 1% IS 148,679. 
          AND THAT'S, SO, YEAH. 
          SO LET ME ASK, UH, SO I KNOW, UM, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT IT'S TOO HARD ACCOUNTING, BUT WHAT IF YOU DID A ONE TIME BONUS, UM, AND DID IT MAYBE IN SIX MONTH INTERVALS, THEN WOULD THAT BE MUCH EASIER TO DO IT? IT HAS, IT HAS ITS PLUSES AND MINUSES. 
          UM, WE'VE DONE THAT PREVIOUSLY WHEN, WHEN THINGS WERE A LITTLE BIT, UM, SHORT AND WE CAN DO THAT AND WE CAN USE OUR, SOME OF OUR RESERVES FOR THAT. 
          SO WE HAVE SUPPLEMENTED AT SOME OF OUR COMP CLASS WITH OUR RESERVES. 
          UM, IT'S JUST THE DOWNSIDE TO IT IS, IT'S LIKE ANY, EVERYBODY'S HUMAN NATURE, YOU GET IT AND THEN YOU FORGET, YOU KIND OF GET IT AND IT DOESN'T GO TOWARD THEIR PENSION OR, UH, YOU KNOW, ANY OF THAT. 
          THOSE NUMBERS THAT ARE REALLY CRITICAL TO A LOT OF OUR STAFF TOO. 
          AGREE. 
          WHAT'S DOABLE. 
          SO WHAT WILL HAPPEN IS WE WILL GO BACK AND, AND LOOK TO SEE WHAT WE HAVE IN RESERVES, JUNE'S COMING UP. 
          SO, UM, WE CLOSE OUT THE YEAR AND THEN WE'LL KNOW WHERE WE ARE IN, IN AUGUST AND THEN FIGURE OUT WHAT WE CAN DO FOR STAFF AT THAT POINT. 
          SO WE'LL GO BACK AND WE ALWAYS GO BACK AND RE-LOOK AT IT. 
          OKAY. 
          AND THEN I, I KNOW WE HAVE TIFFANY COMING IN, SO WE'RE GONNA ASK HER ABOUT THE COST OF HEALTHCARE, WHERE THAT, WHERE THAT IS, CUZ 
          [00:25:01]
I KNOW IN THE SMALL MARKET, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY A LOT DIFFERENT, UM, BUT I EVEN KNOW ON A LARGE MARKET, I KNOW THE COSTS HAVE GONE UP, BUT OUR PREMIUMS FROM WHAT ROBBIE'S SAYING ARE STAYING FLAT, CORRECT? YES. 
          PREMIUM AND THAT PREMIUMS, YES. 
          PREMIUM FROM A BUDGET STANDPOINT AND FROM A PREMIUM STANDPOINT, WE ARE, WE ARE FLAT, WE ARE ACTUAL HEALTHCARE COSTS WILL GO, IS ALWAYS DEPENDENT UPON WHAT THE ACTUAL CLAIMS ARE. 
          NOW ALL WE KNOW IS THAT IN THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, THE CLAIMS HAVE BEEN, HAVE BEEN TO THE GOOD, BUT THAT IS ALWAYS THE CHALLENGE OF BEING SELF-INSURED. 
          YEAH. 
          BUT THE, BUT THE COST OF SERVICES HAS INCREASED. 
          IT'S JUST OUR CLAIMS HAVE NOT INCREASED. 
          SO, SO YEAH, I MEAN, HAVE HAS, HAS MEDICAL COSTS INCREASED IN INCREASED? ABSOLUTELY. 
          AROUND, YEAH. 
          AND, BUT IT IS, IT'S, IT'S SPORADIC AND A LOT OF IT, AGAIN, DEPENDS ON WHAT HAPPENS ON THE INDIVIDUAL BASIS, YOU KNOW, UM, THAT'S THE UNIQUE, LIKE NOW KAISER, THAT IS A HUNDRED PERCENT TRUE INSURANCE. 
          YOU KNOW, WE SEND THEM THE MONEY. 
          IF THEY'RE TO THE GOOD, THEY HAVE EXTRA MONEY. 
          IF THEY'RE TO THE BAD, THEY LOSE MONEY. 
          BUT WITH SELF INSURANCE, THIS IS ALWAYS, ALWAYS THE CHALLENGE. 
          BUT WE HAVE BEEN TO THE GOOD THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS FOR THAT ONE. 
          THANK YOU MR. JANAN AND MS. SOLES. 
          GOOD MORNING, MARY AND ALL YOUR STAFF. 
          THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO. 
          UM, I JUST WANTED TO SAY, AS YOUR LIAISON FOR THE LIBRARIES, UH, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, DURING TIMES, TIMES OF THE ECONOMIC DECLINE, LIBRARIES DO GET INUNDATED WITH USERS. 
          SO IT'S PRETTY CRITICAL THAT WE, WE DO WHAT WE NEED TO FOR YOU GUYS. 
          UM, I JUST HAD TWO QUICK QUESTIONS. 
          WHO PAYS FOR THE UTILITY COSTS FOR THE LIBRARIES? THE LIBRARY PAYS FOR ALMOST ALL OUR BRAND HAVE ONE, ONE LOCATION OF COUNTY. 
          OKAY. 
          DID EVERYONE HEAR THAT? YES. 
          AND THEN, UM, ALSO FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, STATE LAW DOESN'T ALLOW YOU TO CHARGE FOR, UM, ANY OVERDUE BOOKS, AND WE DON'T WANNA PUT THOSE EXPENSES ON OUR CUSTOMERS. 
          SO IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT CAN HELP WITH REVENUE WITHOUT PUTTING IT ON TO YOUR CUSTOMERS? SURE. 
          WE'RE, WE'RE, WE ARE KNOWN FOR BEING VERY CREATIVE ON RAISING REVENUE THAT IS PERMITTED BY STATE LAW. 
          AND YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT, STATE LAW PROHIBITS MOST THINGS. 
          UH, WE CAN'T DO, LIKE I CANNOT CHARGE YOU TO CHECK OUT A BOOK OR A MOVIE OR, UM, YOU KNOW, USE OUR DATABASES OR ANYTHING OF, OF THAT TYPE, OUR TYPICAL RESOURCES. 
          AND THE STATE DID PASS A LAW, I GUESS IT WAS A YEAR AGO OR SO, PROHIBITING ANY OVERDUE FEES, FINES FOR CHILDREN'S MATERIALS. 
          AND IT'S BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT IS A CHILDREN'S MATERIAL? IS IT THE MATERIAL, IS IT LIBRARY CARD? UM, SO, UH, THE STATE, WE'RE ALL WORKING THROUGH THAT CURRENTLY. 
          WE'RE NOT CHARGING FOR OVERDUE MATERIALS FOR ADULT MATERIALS EITHER. 
          UM, HOWEVER, AT SOME POINT YOU HAVE TO BRING IT BACK OR WE WILL HAPPILY CHARGE YOU A REPLACEMENT FEE THAT WE'RE ALLOWED TO DO. 
          WE ALSO DO PASSPORT PROCESSING. 
          THAT HAS BEEN A GREAT REVENUE GENERATOR FOR US FOR THE PAST PROBABLY EIGHT YEARS OR SO. 
          WE ALSO, WE LOOKED INTO DOING THE TSA PRE, UM, BUT THE COMPANIES THAT CURRENTLY DO THAT WAS NOT HAPPY THAT LIBRARIES WERE LOOKING AT DOING IT, EVEN THOUGH WE WOULD DO A MUCH BETTER JOB. 
          THESE WE'RE SO MUCH NICER, . 
          UM, AND PEOPLE LOVE COMING TO THE LIBRARY. 
          UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE OUR MEETING ROOMS WE CHARGE FOR, UM, YOU'RE HAPPILY YOU CAN USE OUR MEETING ROOMS THAT WE DO CHARGE A SMALL FEE FOR OUR NON-PROFITS AND A LITTLE BIT MORE FOR OUR BUSINESSES. 
          SO WE CAN ALWAYS LOOK AT INCREASING THAT. 
          UH, WE DO CHARGE, IT IS FREE IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND TO HAVE A LIBRARY CARD, BUT IF YOU'RE OUTTA STATE, WE CHARGE YOU A MINIMAL FEE ALSO FOR THAT BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT PAYING TAXES IN MARYLAND. 
          UM, SO WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN GENERATE REVENUE. 
          WE ALSO SEEK GRANTS, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE REALLY HAPPY THAT IT'S AMBER'S FIRST DAY BECAUSE THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS ON OUR TOPIC WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT IS, UH, SEEKING GRANTS BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES OUT THERE TOO. 
          UM, PG E GREEN GRANT, WE'VE RECEIVED ROSEDALE, FEDERAL APG. 
          LOTS OF OUR PARTNERS OUT THERE HAVE BEEN VERY GENEROUS TO US. 
          SO WE WILL CONTINUE BEATING THE BUSHES ON THAT AND BEING CREATIVE. 
          AND WE CAN CHARGE, IF I BRING IN A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER AUTHOR, LIKE A COLLEEN HOOVER, THE FOUNDATION CAN CHARGE THAT. 
          NOT THE LIBRARY, BUT THE FOUNDATION, KEN. 
          SO, AND THE GALLO, OF COURSE, IS OUR BIG, BIG FUNDRAISER FOR THOSE THINGS. 
          SO THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU FOR ASKING. 
          THANK YOU MISS SADDLES. 
          MR. BENNETT. 
          UM, I, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO. 
          I'M A BIG SUPPORTER OF THE LIBRARIES, UM, AND I APPRECIATE YOU PROVIDING ALL THESE EXAMPLES OF PROGRAMMING. 
          YOU GUYS DO. 
          I, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS IN THE PAST, BUT UP UNTIL THE PANDEMIC, I DIDN'T HAVE A HOME COMPUTER. 
          AND SO I WENT TO THE HAVE GRACE BRANCH LIBRARY AFTER WORK EVERY DAY TO DO MY GRADUATE WORK, TO DO MY LESSON PLANNING. 
          UM, AND I WOULD SIT THERE AND FOR HOURS ON END, I WOULD WATCH OUR LIBRARY WORKERS DO SOFT PROGRAMMING. 
          YOU KNOW, THE STUFF OF TEACHING SOMEBODY IN THE COMMUNITY HOW TO USE A COMPUTER, HELPING SOMEBODY FIX THEIR RESUME, WATCHING THE 12 CHILDREN PLAYING, UH, FORTNITE IN THE LOBBY TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY STAY OUTTA TROUBLE. 
          YOU KNOW, UM, HELPING, HELPING A FAMILY PICK OUT A BOOK THAT'S SPECIAL FOR THEIR KID. 
          ALL THOSE THINGS THAT OUR LIBRARY WORKERS DO EVERY DAY. 
          [00:30:01]
YOU KNOW, I THINK PAY PARODY IS THE BARE MINIMUM THAT WE SHOULD BE DOING TO DO ANYTHING LESS IS DISRESPECTFUL. 
          AND I'M SORRY THAT WE'RE EVEN HAVING TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION. 
          I TRULY APOLOGIZE. 
          I JUST, IT TO THE PEOPLE WHO DO THE WORK FOR SO LITTLE MONEY OF SUCH VALUE, UM, IT'S JUST NOT RIGHT. 
          UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T LIVE IN A VACUUM. 
          UH, WE'RE SURROUNDED BY LIBRARY SYSTEMS OUTSIDE OF HARTFORD COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES, AND IT'S A VERY TIGHT LABOR MARKET FOR LIBRARY WORKERS. 
          UM, SO I WAS WONDERING IF YOU HAVE ANY KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT BALTIMORE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY'S BUDGET LOOKS LIKE FOR NEXT YEAR? WHAT THEIR PAY INCREASES FOR STAFFING LOOKS LIKE FOR NEXT YEAR? UM, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU ALWAYS RUN THE RISK OF SOMEBODY, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO WALL SEPARATING HARTFORD AND BALTIMORE COUNTY THAT WOULD KEEP SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW, NO ELECTRIC COLLARS ARE ON OUR EMPLOYEES. 
          UM, UH HA YOU KNOW, WHAT IS IT GONNA LOOK LIKE FOR SOMEBODY WHO WANTS TO WORK IN BALTIMORE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES NEXT YEAR? WELL, AS I USED TO WORK AT BALTIMORE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY, UM, WE'RE A MUCH BETTER LIBRARY SYSTEM, BUT DON'T ANYBODY SAY THAT OUTSIDE THESE WALLS MM-HMM. 
          , UM, BECAUSE WE ARE VERY COMPETITIVE. 
          UM, THERE'S SALARY INCREASES. 
          I'M NOT AWARE RIGHT AT THE MOMENT. 
          I DO KNOW THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE, UH, JOHNNY O HAS PUT IN A VERY ROBUST BUDGET PROPOSAL FOR THE YEAR. 
          I READ THAT IN THE PAPERS, UH, PROBABLY LIKE EVERYONE ELSE. 
          UM, I DO KNOW LAST YEAR THEY RECEIVED A THREE AND 3%. 
          UM, SO, UH, WHERE WE RECEIVED THE 10%, WHICH WAS FABULOUS, ABOUT GETTING US UP TO CLOSE TO WAGE PARITY. 
          AND, UM, AND I DO KNOW THEIR BENEFITS ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE EX WELL, THEY'RE A LOT MORE EXPENSIVE THAN WHAT WE PAY IN HARFORD COUNTY FOR OUR BENEFIT ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES. 
          UM, BUT WE CAN, I CAN FIND OUT THAT INFORMATION FOR YOU. 
          I DO KNOW WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE IN HARFORD COUNTY THAT, UM, OUR TURNOVER RATE IS REALLY LOW COMPARED TO OTHER LIBRARY SYSTEMS IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND. 
          PORT ST. 
          MARY'S COUNTY IS AT A 35% TURNOVER RATE. 
          UM, AND IT'S, AND IT VARIES IN BETWEEN LIKE 9% TO THE 35%. 
          AND WE'RE AT 12%, WHICH HAS BEEN GREAT. 
          AND CHARLES AND HIS TEAM HAVE BEEN RECRUITING SO MUCH. 
          IF YOU REMEMBER IN FORMER YEARS, I ALWAYS TALKED ABOUT HOW WE WERE HOLDING A LOT OF POSITIONS TO BE FILLED. 
          SO ABOUT, I GUESS ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO AFTER THE PANDEMIC, WE STARTED FILLING THEM, UM, BECAUSE WE'RE BUSY, WE'RE REALLY BUSY AND TIMES HAVE CHANGED. 
          SO WE NEED STAFF. 
          SO, UM, I CAN GET THAT INFORMATION FOR YOU THOUGH. 
          MM-HMM. 
          , WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO LIKE ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY TOO IF THEY'VE RELEASED IT? YEAH, YEAH. 
          ANYWHERE THAT SOMEBODY COULD FEEDERS REACH WITH THEIR CAR. 
          YEAH, WE CAN DO THAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          MR. BENNETT. 
          UH, CITIZEN. 
          ANYONE? MR. ROBERT? THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL PRESIDENT. 
          UH, GOOD MORNING, MARY. 
          HOW ARE YOU? UM, FIRST OFF, I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR THE DONATION FROM THE LIBRARY TO SAR FOR THEIR NEW SAFE HOUSE. 
          MUCH APPRECIATED. 
          THERE'RE GETTING READY TO GET THAT OTHER WAY. 
          SO, AND A COUPLE QUESTIONS. 
          YOU MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE THE ANSWERS HERE, MAYBE CHARLES KNOWS. 
          BUT, UM, REGARDING, UH, EMPLOYMENT IDEA OF STARTING WAGE RATE FOR YOUR EMPLOYEES ENTRY LEVEL, KIND OF YOU. 
          IT'S A LITTLE BIT. 
          CURRENTLY OUR SALARY SCALE IS, STARTS A LITTLE BIT UNDER $15 AN HOUR. 
          UM, WE ARE, OUR GOAL ON OUR PRIORITY AND OUR BOARD IS FULLY SUPPORTED, THIS IS TO GET IT TO $17. 
          I'M, I'M FORGETTING THE $15. 
          I'M SKIPPING OVER THAT. 
          WE'RE COMPETING WITH A LOT OF OUR ENTRY LEVEL POSITIONS WITH AMAZON, CHICK-FIL-A, ALL THOSE PLACES. 
          AUDI, THEY'RE, THEY'RE AT $17 AND WE JUST CAN'T COMPETE WITH THEM NOW. 
          I THINK WE'RE A MUCH NICER PLACE TO WORK, BUT STILL, REALISTICALLY, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ALL COMPETING WITH NOW. 
          SO OUR GOAL IS 17, AND I WAS HOPING TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT BY JULY 1ST, SO WE WILL SEE. 
          OKAY, THANKS. 
          AND YOU GAVE SOME NUMBERS FOR EARLY IN YOUR, UH, PRESENTATION, UH, FOR DIFFERENT WAGE RATES, BUT I WAS WONDERING WHAT THE AVERAGE WAGE RATE IS ACROSS THE LIBRARY, IF YOU KNOW THAT. 
          YOU CAN GET THAT TO US LATER IF YOU KNOW IT UNLESS YOU WANT I, I, I WILL. 
          KATHY, DO YOU HAVE THAT WITH YOU? YEAH, WE'LL GET IT TO YOU. 
          AND YOU TALKED ABOUT THE HIRING HAS INCREASED THE BIG INITIATIVE TO HIRE PEOPLE RIGHT NOW, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS YOUR VACANCY RATE? DO YOU KNOW? UM, I THINK WE HAVE SIX POSITIONS RIGHT NOW THAT ARE CURRENTLY NOT POSTED. 
          UM, THREE OF THEM ARE 15 HOUR POSITIONS AND THREE ARE FULL-TIME POSITIONS. 
          IT WAS SEVEN UNTIL TODAY. 
          AMBER STARTED, THERE'S A BOOK AGAIN THAT WE DON'T KNOW. 
          AND THAT'S, THAT'S DOWN FROM, I BELIEVE WE HAD 32, 35. 
          AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE RESERVE FUND, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, WE LOOK AT EVERY POSITION BEFORE WE FILL IT. 
          WE MAKE SURE IT'S, IT'S WHAT WE NEED. 
          IT'S, WE MAKE SURE IT MEETS THE NEEDS OF NOT ONLY THE LIBRARY, BUT THE COMMUNITY. 
          YOU KNOW, THINGS ARE CHANGING. 
          SO WE TAKE OUR TIME TO EVALUATE EVERY, EVEN OUR 15 HOUR POSITIONS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, ERIC. 
          ANYONE ELSE? MS. HARGER HUNT. 
          GOOD MORNING, MARY. 
          GOOD MORNING. 
          UM, I KNOW FIRSTHAND THE COLLABORATIVE EFFORT OF YOUR TEAM. 
          UM, I ALWAYS WANNA THANK EVERY 
          [00:35:01]
SINGLE ONE OF YOU. 
          I'VE WORKED WITH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU RECENTLY, AND IT WAS A JOY. 
          UM, MY QUESTION IS, UM, IT APPEARS THAT, UM, THE GOVERNOR WILL SIGN INTO EFFECT, UM, A 15 HOUR WAGE LAW, UM, EFFECTIVE IN JANUARY. 
          UM, AND I KNOW THAT YOU DO HAVE EMPLOYEES THAT ARE NOT AT THAT PAY RATE RIGHT NOW. 
          IF YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO OFFER OUT OF YOUR BUDGET, WHAT, WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE EMPLOYEES WHO YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO MEET THAT STANDARD FOR THE STATE? WE WILL HAVE NO CHOICE. 
          WE WILL HAVE TO FIND THAT MONEY SOMEWHERE. 
          SO IT MAY BE THAT ONE OF, ONE OF THE SIX POSITIONS DISAPPEARS, AND WE USE THE FUNDING FOR THAT. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T WANNA DO THAT BECAUSE THERE ARE, THEY'RE OUR FRONTLINE STAFF. 
          THOSE POSITIONS, I BELIEVE, EXCEPT FOR TWO OF THEM ARE BACK IN HEADQUARTERS. 
          UM, WE WOULD HAVE TO DO IT. 
          WE, I MEAN, WE WOULD HAVE NO CHOICE. 
          AND KATHY IS, YOU KNOW, DOING THE NUMBERS. 
          SHE DOES THE NUMBERS WEEKLY TO SEE IF THIS HAPPENS. 
          THIS IS WHAT WE WILL DO. 
          IF INFLATION GOES UP THIS MUCH, THIS IS WHAT WE'LL HAVE TO DO WHERE WE'LL HAVE TO CUT BACK. 
          AND THE LAST THING WE WOULD CUT BACK IS JUST LET YOU KNOW IS OUR MATERIALS, OUR BOOKS, THOSE THINGS BE, ARE CRITICAL. 
          THEY ARE CRITICAL. 
          UM, NOTICE WE DO NOT HAVE SUNDAY HOURS. 
          WE HAVE NOT BROUGHT THEM BACK SINCE THE PANDEMIC. 
          UM, AND IT'S BECAUSE OF OF FUNDING, YOU KNOW, INSTEAD OF FOR THAT. 
          THAT WAS MY SECOND QUESTION. 
          QUESTION. 
          SECOND QUESTION. 
          YEAH. 
          WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO BRING SUNDAY HOURS BACK? IT WOULD TAKE SOME FUNDING AND I, I DON'T KNOW THE DOLLAR AMOUNT AT THE MOMENT, BUT WE COULD FIND THAT OUT FOR YOU. 
          IT'D PROBABLY BE, UM, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE ARE HARFORD COUNTY AND BECAUSE SUNDAY IS FAMILY TIME, WE DO PAY OUR STAFF WHO WORK SUNDAY'S TIME AND A HALF. 
          UM, EVEN IF THEY'RE HAVEN'T MET THE 40 HOUR ROLE, IT'S JUST FLAT TIME AND A HALF. 
          UM, AND WE DO THAT BECAUSE WE KNOW PEOPLE NEED EXTRA MONEY AND IT'S ALSO, THEY'RE GIVING THEIR FAMILY TIME UP. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YOU'RE WELCOME. 
          MR. AND CYNTHIA, I JUST WANNA SAY ONE MORE IF I MAY. 
          YES. 
          UM, YES, YES. 
          YOU, I THINK YOU'RE GONNA MAKE ME CRY NOW BECAUSE WE HAVE THE, I SAY THIS ALL THE TIME. 
          WE HAVE THE BEST STAFF AT HARVARD COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY. 
          WE DON'T ALWAYS AGREE. 
          AND SOMETIMES WE'RE AT ODDS, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THEY CARE SO MUCH ABOUT WHAT THEY DO. 
          AND YOU HAVE TO WORK IN A PUBLIC LIBRARY. 
          PUBLIC LIBRARY. 
          PEOPLE THINK WE SIT AND READ ALL DAY, , WE, I WISH I HAVE A STACK OF BOOKS I HAVEN'T EVEN TOUCHED. 
          THANK GOD WE HAVE, WE RENEW IT THREE TIMES. 
          SO THAT'S A BLESSING FOR YOUR DIRECTOR, BUT THEY REALLY CARE ABOUT THEIR COMMUNITIES AND THEY GIVE SO MUCH. 
          SO THANK YOU FOR THOSE WORDS, MR. ANDES. 
          WELL, MARY, I WANT TO, I WANNA GO RIGHT BACK ONTO THAT TOPIC FOR YOU. 
          UM, I, I CAN GIVE YOU COUNCILMAN BENNETT A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION ON ONE OF THE NEIGHBORING COUNTIES. 
          UM, ONE TO OUR NORTH HAS GIVEN OVER $192,000 IN NEW FUNDING THIS YEAR. 
          OPERATIONAL 4% INCREASE IN COLA. 
          UH, THAT COUNTY HAS ONE FIFTH OF THE BUDGET THIS COUNTY HAS. 
          UM, SO WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT A NUMBER OF 200 AND SOME THOUSAND DOLLARS, AND WE'RE GONNA PUT $10 MILLION IN HR FOR FUTURE 1.5 RAISES POTENTIALLY AS COUNCIL MCG GUTHRIE RE UH, REFERENCED EARLIER, THAT GIVES THE COUNTY TWO MONTHS OF REVENUE PROJECTIONS TO LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE. 
          SO INSTEAD OF POTENTIALLY THROWING THAT MONEY INTO A FUND BALANCE LATER ON, I THINK THAT THIS COUNCIL AND SOMETHING I'LL RECOMMEND SHOULD LOOK AT THAT AS SOMETHING THAT YOU SHOULD SEE TO COME ACROSS THIS COUNCIL AT SOME POINT MIDWAY THROUGH THE YEAR, IF, UH, THE REVENUE IS BETTER THAN EXPECTED. 
          SO I WOULD JUST LIKE TO, UM, TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING, WHAT YOUR STAFF HAS DONE, YES, THE 10% THAT CAME THROUGH LAST YEAR WAS BECAUSE OF A LOT OF YEARS OF NOT GETTING IT. 
          AND I THINK, THINK THAT THE, THE FASTEST WAY TO FALL BEHIND IN WAGE PARODY IS TO GIVE AND THEN STOP AND GIVE AND THEN STOP. 
          SO, UM, JUST TO YOUR STAFF AND TO WHAT YOU'RE DOING, THIS IS AN AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT IS MIND BLOWING TO THE COMMUNITY. 
          I HOPE THAT IS NOT IN YOUR BUDGET WHEN OTHER COUNTIES ARE WAY MORE FUNDED AT THIS POINT THAN WHERE WE ARE NOW. 
          SO, AND I'M SURE THE OTHER INFORMATION THAT YOU'LL GATHER IS GONNA SHOW THE SAME NUMBERS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          HEY, THANK YOU. 
          NOW I REALLY WILL CRY . 
          THANK YOU, MR. ANDES. 
          ANYONE ELSE? MR. STOVER? UM, MARY, SO I HAD, WHEN DR. 
          FELDER WAS SITTING THERE LAST WEEK, I HAD A SIMILAR CONVERSATION WITH HER CUZ YOU GUYS ARE KIND OF IN THE FLAT FUNDING BOAT, I GUESS IT'S MORE OF A PONTOON. 
          UM, YOUR ALL'S CONTRIBUTION FROM THE STATE THOUGH IS FAR LESS THAN THE COLLEGE. 
          WHAT PERCENTAGE OF BUDGET IS THAT? IT'S ABOUT BETWEEN 12, 12 AND 13% DEPENDING ON, ON THE YEAR. 
          AND WE WERE NOT THIS OVER, CAN YOU BRING THAT MIC TO YOU OR MAKE SURE IT'S ON PLEASE? AND WE, WE WERE NOT FORTUNATE IN ANNAPOLIS THROUGH LEGISLATION, UH, THIS YEAR FOR THE PER CAPITA INCREASE. 
          HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE BRINGING THAT BACK NEXT YEAR. 
          OKAY. 
          THAT WAS MY NEXT QUESTION. 
          UH, THE COLLEGE SEEMED TO DO BETTER WITH THE STATE, BUT YOU ALL ARE FLAT. 
          I WOULD AGREE WITH THAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, MR. STOVER. 
          ANYONE ELSE? MARY, AS ALWAYS, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR PRESENTATION AND AGAIN FOR YOUR SERVICE THAT YOU PROVIDE TO COUNTY. 
          AND IF I MAY, I JUST NEED 
          [00:40:01]
TO TAKE A BRIEF SECOND BEFORE WE START, UH, WITH DR. 
          POLSON. 
          THANK YOU. 
          BUT YOU COULD LEAVE THE DOG WITH ME. 
          . 
          UM, I THINK SHE HAS TO GO BACK TO HER OWNER . 
          UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE. 
          UM, REAL QUICK. 
          UM, BUT, UH, WANNA WELCOME UH, DR. 
          BOLSON AND, AND HIS STAFF HERE TODAY. 
          HIS, HIS DEDICATED TEAM HERE TODAY. 
          AND, UM, WHENEVER YOU'RE READY, SEAN. 
          ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. 
          UM, LEAN IN HERE. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          WE ON RAY? YES, SIR. 
          OKAY, 
          [00:45:01]
GOOD. 
          SO I'M GONNA WALK YOU THROUGH SOME SLIDES. 
          NORMALLY WE PRESENT ACTUALLY WHAT WE REQUESTED IN OUR BUDGET, AND WE'LL GET TO THAT BRIEFLY AT THE END. 
          BUT AS YOU GUYS ALL UNDERSTAND, WHAT WE REQUESTED IS REALLY LESSED TOPIC TODAY IN A WAY. 
          SO I WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SORT OF OUR, OUR BUDGET CIRCUMSTANCES. 
          I'VE PRESENTED MUCH OF THIS TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION, BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT Y'ALL SEE IT. 
          UM, THE MOST SIMPLE SUMMARY LOOKS LIKE THE COMPUTER REFORMATTED US A LITTLE BIT, BUT THE SIM, THE SIMPLEST SUMMARY OF OUR BUDGET, 86% INSTRUCTION AND TRANSPORTATION FOR STUDENTS STUDENT FACING IS 86% OF OUR BUDGET. 
          11% COVERS OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE, 3% IS ADMINISTRATION. 
          NEXT SLIDE IS SAME THING. 
          DIFFERENT FORMAT AT THIS VERSION WORKS FOR YOU. 
          AND THEN BECAUSE THE COST OF ADMINISTRATION AND HCPS HAS, UH, BEEN QUESTIONED VIGOROUSLY, UM, OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS, I WANTED TO PUT THIS UP. 
          THIS IS FROM A REPORT POSTED ON MSTS SITE. 
          YOU KNOW, BASICALLY THE, THE TWO MAJOR CATEGORIES MEASURED BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF ED, UH, ADMINISTRATION AND MID-LEVEL ADMINISTRATION. 
          BASICALLY ALL TYPES OF SCHOOL SYSTEM LEADERSHIP IS WRAPPED UP IN THERE. 
          HARFORD COUNTY IS 24TH TO 24TH AND SIGNIFICANTLY BELOW THE STATE AVERAGE. 
          UH, SO IN TERMS OF RUNNING AN EFFICIENT OPERATION, WE WANT PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND, UM, THAT WE HAVE DATA TO SUPPORT THAT WE DO THAT. 
          UM, WE'VE ALSO TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE IDEA THAT, UM, SCHOOL FUNDING IS, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT'S REALLY KIND OF DRIVING, UH, INCREASED COST IN THE DISTRICT FOR OUR BUDGET. 
          BUT WHAT THIS SLIDE REPRESENTS, NO MATTER HOW YOU LOOK AT OUR BUDGET, WHETHER IT'S PERCENT OF HARPER COUNTY GENERAL FUNDS, UM, WITH DEBT SERVICE AND PEGO WITHOUT DEBT SERVICE AND PEGO, OR WITH, UM, NO MATTER HOW YOU MEASURE IT, THAT THE PERCENTAGE THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OCCUPIES IN HARTFORD COUNTY'S BUDGET HAS GONE CONSISTENTLY DOWN. 
          AND OF COURSE, WITH THIS YEAR'S PROPOSED BUDGET, FY 24 UC, AN EVEN MORE AGGRESSIVE DIP POINT BEING THAT YES, EDUCATION IS EXPENSIVE. 
          YES, THE COST OF EDUCATION HAS BEEN GOING UP ACROSS THE STATE AND THERE'S BEEN A HUGE INVESTMENT FROM THE STATE LEVEL IN ADVANCING EDUCATION. 
          UM, BUT THE COST TO THIS COMMUNITY HAS GONE UP AT A LOWER RATE, UM, THAN THE REST OF THE OVERALL BUDGET IN IN HARVARD COUNTY. 
          AND AGAIN, WE WANT PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT BECAUSE AGAIN, LISTENING TO SOME OF THE PRESENTATIONS EARLIER IN THE YEAR, IT WAS IF OUR COSTS, OUR EXPENSES WERE WHAT WAS DRIVING, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE FINANCIAL CHALLENGES WE'VE CONFRONTED IN THIS COUNTY, A ANY WAY YOU LOOK AT THE MONEY COMING INTO THE SCHOOLS, WE APPRECIATE THE INVESTMENT THIS COMMUNITY'S MADE IN EDUCATION. 
          I FEEL WE HAVE A VERY STRONG, UH, SYSTEM AND I THINK WE DO, UH, QUITE A LOT WITH THE MONEY WE GET. 
          UM, I HAVEN'T SEEN THE LATEST REPORT, BUT WE ARE STILL 22ND, 23RD, 24TH IN TERMS OF PER PUPIL FUNDING IN THE STATE. 
          AND SO AGAIN, WE ARE SPENDING LESS PER STUDENT THAN MUCH OF MARYLAND, YET WE ALWAYS OUTPERFORM THE FUNDING. 
          WE HAVE EVERY MEASURE. 
          WE'RE WELL ABOVE WHERE WE RANK IN FUNDING. 
          UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT I NEED TO GO THROUGH ANY OF THESE IN GREAT DEPTH. 
          THEY TELL THE STORY. 
          I JUST TOUCHED ON THIS, BUT YOU CAN SEE THAT AGAIN WHILE WE'VE AVERAGED, UM, NEAR 50% OVER THE LAST, WHAT'S THE 17 YEARS? UM, AGAIN, WITH THIS YEAR'S PROPOSAL, WE'RE, WE'RE WELL BELOW 50% OF COUNTY FUNDS. 
          THIS SLIDE AGAIN, SHOWS THE CHANGE IN REVENUE, AGAIN, INDICATING OUR COSTS HAVE GONE UP, BUT THEY'VE GONE UP COMMENSURATE WITH THE REST OF THE COUNTY. 
          AND WHEN YOU SEE THE GAP, UH, AND THE PROPOSAL, UM, THIS YEAR, WE START TO SEE THAT FLAGGING INVESTMENT IN, IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS COMING FROM OUR COUNTY LEADERSHIP. 
          ONE OF THE BIG DRIVERS, CUZ I KNOW A QUESTION THAT'S COME OUT RECENTLY ALSO IS WE DID RECEIVE, UM, A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE FROM THE STATE AND THIS YEAR'S FUNDING. 
          AND THAT HAS A LOT TO DO WITH BLUEPRINT, WHAT WE'VE DONE HERE AND WE HAVE PEOPLE PARTICIPATING, YOU KNOW, FROM ACROSS THIS COMMUNITY ON OUR BLUEPRINT COMMITTEES. 
          THESE ARE THE FOUR MAJOR WORK AREAS OF, UH, THE MARYLAND, UH, BLUEPRINT. 
          AND WHAT WE'VE LISTED HERE, AND I WON'T READ THEM TO YOU, BUT YOU HAVE HARD COPIES. 
          THESE ARE SORT OF MAJOR TO-DO ITEMS FOR THE SCHOOL SYSTEM RELATED TO THE BLUEPRINT. 
          I KNOW THESE ARE THINGS THAT, THAT ARE IN 
          [00:50:01]
THAT 400 PAGE PIECE OF LEGISLATION FROM A FEW YEARS AGO. 
          AND IT LISTS ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT, THAT WE NEED TO BE SPENDING MORE MONEY ON. 
          AND FRANKLY, WHILE A LOT OF MONEY HAS COME IN FROM THE STATE TO ADDRESS THE BLUEPRINT, THE MONEY FROM THE STATE AT BEST COVER 75% OF THAT TO-DO LIST. 
          THERE IS AN EXPECTATION THAT THE LOCAL COUNTY IS ENHANCING THEIR EFFORT TO ADDRESS THE BLUEPRINT. 
          AND AGAIN, THOSE, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN SORT OF A CHALLENGE AT THE STATE LEVEL. 
          MANY DISTRICTS ARE STRUGGLING WITH HOW TO KEEP UP WITH THOSE COSTS. 
          AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT EXAMPLES OVER THE YEAR. 
          ONE OF THE, THE MOST OBVIOUS ONES IS THAT BY FY 25, EVERY DISTRICT IS SUPPOSED TO BE SUPPOSED TO HAVE A STARTING SALARY OF $60,000 FOR THEIR TEACHERS. 
          UM, FOR HARFORD COUNTY TO REACH THAT NUMBER, OUR INCREASE, OUR COST OF LIVING INCREASE WOULD HAVE TO BE AT LEAST 2.4% PER YEAR JUST TO STAY ON TRACK TO HIT THAT 60,000 CUTOFF. 
          AS YOU'VE SEEN IN THE NEWS, SOME OF THE DISTRICTS AROUND THE STATE ARE LIKELY TO HIT THAT NUMBER IF, UM, EARLY. 
          UH, SOME OF THEM HAVE SORT OF RAPIDLY RAMPED UP, PARTLY BECAUSE, UM, WE'RE NOT THE ONLY STATE PUSHING HIGHER SALARIES FOR TEACHERS BECAUSE WE ARE IN A NATIONWIDE TEACHER SHORTAGE. 
          AND, UM, SO THAT HAS BEEN ACCELERATING. 
          BUT AGAIN, WHAT YOU HAVE HERE IS A LIST OF OTHER THINGS THAT ARE NEW, UH, EXPENSES FOR US BECAUSE OF BLUEPRINT REQUIREMENTS. 
          AND AGAIN, STATE FUNDING IS ADDRESSING THE LION'S SHARE OF THAT, BUT CERTAINLY NOT ALL OF IT. 
          SO WHILE IT'S HARD TO BE COMING TO YOU ASKING FOR EVEN MORE, I MEAN, YOU DIDN'T PASS THE BLUEPRINT AS A COUNCIL, I'M AWARE OF THAT. 
          UH, THAT IS A CHALLENGE THAT LOCAL COMMUNITIES ARE FACING. 
          UH, BUT THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT ARE APPEARING IN STATE LAW THAT WE'RE WORKING TO ADDRESS. 
          AND, UM, SO THAT INFLUENCES WHAT WE ASKED. 
          THESE NEXT FEW ARE JUST TABLES. 
          I'LL JUST INCLUDE, I MEAN, I DON'T NEED TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON THESE, THESE ARE KIND OF THE TABLE VERSION OF THE GRAPHS WE SHOWED YOU. 
          UM, BUT AGAIN, YOU CAN DO THE YEAR TO YEAR COMPARISON TO SEE THAT AGAIN, FUNDING FOR SCHOOLS HAS STAYED CONSISTENT WITH THE COUNTY, BUT IN, IN, IN EVERY CASE THAT THE, THE SHARE OF THE COUNTY FUNDS HAS GONE DOWN. 
          AND AGAIN, THIS WAS JUST A NUMBER OF WAYS TO LOOK AT THAT. 
          AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH, UH, QUITE A BIT OF INFLATION AND, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO KEEP OUR, UM, FUNDING LEVEL AT LEAST KEEP UP WITH THAT BECAUSE AS WE'RE SEEING ACROSS THIS BUDGET FROM THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE, UM, WERE SO MANY OF THE MAJOR ENTITIES, UH, AND I I I AM PARTICULARLY CONCERNED ABOUT FLAT FUNDING FOR THE LIBRARIES, THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND THE REDUCTION IN FUNDING FOR PARKS AND REC. 
          BECAUSE WHEN I PUT THOSE THREE TOGETHER AND, AND ATTACH THEM TO THE SCHOOLS, I MEAN, THAT'S SO MUCH OF THE WORK IN THIS COUNTY, UH, THAT WE DO TO SUPPORT CHILDREN. 
          AND, UM, TO SEE, I MEAN, FLAT FUNDING IN AN INFLATIONARY ENVIRONMENT IS A CUT NO MATTER HOW YOU LOOK AT IT. 
          AND, UM, SO SEEING THAT THE SUPPORT FOR ALL OF THOSE ENTITIES, UH, MAKES ME CONCERNED FOR THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO OUR CHILDREN IN AND OUT OF SCHOOL. 
          AGAIN, I, I WON'T SPEND A LOT OF TIME IN THE COUNTY REVENUE DATA. 
          YOU HAVE ACCESS TO THIS, BUT WE WANTED TO PUT IT IN THERE. 
          SO I JUST WANTED TO CLOSE. 
          SO THIS IS NORMALLY WHERE WE SPEND MOST OF OUR PRESENTATION, BUT I'M GOING TO JUST TOUCH ON IT VERY QUICKLY. 
          THIS IS THE ONE PAGE SUMMARY OF WHAT WE PUT FORWARD IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET REQUEST. 
          UM, THE CATEGORIES YOU SEE, UM, THESE ARE THE MAJOR AREAS WHERE WE, WE WERE LOOKING TO INCREASE THE BUDGET AND, YOU KNOW, INCREASE THE RESOURCES WE HAVE TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF OUR STUDENTS. 
          UM, AND IF YOU RECALL, WHAT WE SENT IN OUR LOCAL REQUEST TO, UM, TO THE COUNTY WAS THE EQUIVALENT OF THE EMPLOYEE SALARY AND WAGE PACKAGE, WHICH, UH, SHOWS HERE AS THE FIRST ITEM AT 19.158 MILLION. 
          UM, AND IF YOU SORT OF GO A LITTLE BIT PAST THE MIDDLE, THE INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETICS AND, AND STUDENT ACTIVITIES, 583,863, WHEN YOU ADD THOSE TOGETHER, THAT WAS THE TOTAL OF WHAT WE ASKED AS AN INCREASE FROM THE COUNTY. 
          BASICALLY THE SALARY PACKAGE, UM, TO SUPPORT OUR STAFF. 
          THAT REPRESENTS A STEP PLUS A 3% COLA. 
          AND REMEMBER I SAID WE NEED TO BE DOING A 2.4% COLA TO STAY ON TRACK WITH THE SIX. 
          SO THAT IS KIND OF OUR LOW NUMBER THERE. 
          UM, AND THEN OF COURSE WE ADDED THE, THE, THE INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETICS. 
          WE, WE'VE WAIVED THAT FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, BUT WE FELT THE NEED TO KIND OF ENSURE THAT THE REVENUE WAS ADDRESSED IN THE BUDGET. 
          IT WAS A REASON WE ASKED FOR THAT. 
          UM, IT'S REFLECTED HERE. 
          UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, ENDURING ANY MAJOR CUTS, IF WE'RE NOT ABLE TO FUND THAT, THAT MAY BE SOMETHING WE'LL HAVE TO LOOK AT BRINGING BACK. 
          BUT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, A LOT TO BE SOLVED IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAS TO HAPPEN WITH ANY OF THESE. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE FIND OUT WHAT THE FINAL ANSWER IS ON THE BUDGET. 
          SO 
          [00:55:01]
I WANT TO TURN FOR A SECOND AND ALLOW MR. BROWN TO, TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CAPITAL BUDGET. 
          UH, THERE WAS ONE SORT OF MAJOR CONCERN THAT I WANT HIM TO, TO HIGHLIGHT AND THEN WE WILL OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS. 
          YES, GOOD MORNING. 
          UH, WITH OUR REQUEST THAT WE SUBMITTED, UH, TO THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE, UM, WE, BECAUSE OF THE, UH, ISSUES THAT WE HAD IN BEL AIR, THE HOMESTEAD WAKEFIELD PROJECT, WE PRETTY MUCH LOST A YEAR, UM, CAUSE OF THE ROAD DISCUSSION WITH THE TOWN. 
          UM, AND BECAUSE OF THAT, WE DEFERRED OUR REQUEST FOR THAT SCHOOL PROJECT ONE FISCAL YEAR. 
          AND WE FOCUSED OUR ATTENTION ON THAT NEXT PROJECT AT, UM, HARTFORD ACADEMY, UM, AT CAMPUS HILLS, UH, WHERE, UH, WE, WE REQUESTED THE $16 MILLION FOR, UM, PLANNING AND DESIGN FUNDING, WHICH THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE DID FUND. 
          BUT IN, UM, REVIEW OF, UH, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE'S BUDGET, UH, THE PROJECT AT HARTFORD ACADEMY ISN'T BEING FUNDED TO FY 27. 
          AND, UM, IF YOU, UM, THOSE OF YOU WHO COULD RECALL THE DECISION THAT WAS MADE BY THE BOARD LAST YEAR WHEN WE WERE DOING THE BALANCING ENROLLMENT, UM, THE HARTFORD ACADEMY AT CAMPUS HILLS WAS INTENDED TO ADDRESS NOT ONLY THE, UM, SPECIAL NEEDS REQUIREMENTS AT HARTFORD ACADEMY, BUT ALSO, UH, ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, UM, WITH AROUND 550 SEATS FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS, UH, TO BALANCE ENROLLMENT IN HARFORD COUNTY OR ELEMENTARY. 
          UM, THIS YEAR WE DID MAKE ADJUSTMENTS IN OUR ATTENDANCE BOUNDARIES FOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS, UH, TO ADDRESS THE, UH, CAPACITY ISSUES SPECIFICALLY IN THE BELAIRE AREA. 
          UH, BUT THE DECISION WAS MADE TO DEFER THAT AT THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LEVEL. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, FOR REASONS THAT WE HAD DISCUSSED THEN. 
          UM, BUT WHAT HAPPENS HERE IS WITH THE FUNDING OF HARTFORD ACADEMY AND FY 27, IT SHIFTS, UM, THAT PLAN WHERE WE INTENDED TO BRING THAT SCHOOL ONLINE FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR OF THE 2026 SCHOOL YEAR. 
          UH, BUT WITH THE FUNDING, UH, PLAN AS IT WAS PRESENTED, UH, WE WILL PRETTY MUCH BE LOOKING AT, UM, SHIFTING THAT TWO YEARS TO SCHOOL, YEAR 28. 
          UM, NOW I GUESS THE DOMINO EFFECT WOULD BE IN OUR FACILITIES MASTER PLAN, THE NEXT PROJECT IS OLD POST. 
          SO THEN THERE WILL BE, UM, A DOMINO EFFECT WHERE ALL OF OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS WERE PRETTY MUCH, UM, SHIFT, UH, TWO YEARS SINCE THE, UH, STRATEGY FOR HARFORD COUNTY IS NOT TO FUND TWO SCHOOL PROJECTS AT A TIME. 
          UH, WE WOULD MOVE FORWARD WITH, UH, HARTFORD ACADEMY AND FY 27, WILLIAM PAER OLD POST, WHICH IS NOT IN THE COUNTY EXECUTIVES BUDGET, UM, BUT ONE WE THINK IT WOULD BE FY 29 AND THEN BEL AIR MIDDLE SCHOOL, UM, WHICH WAS PLANNED, UM, TO ADDRESS THE, YOU KNOW, THE CONTINUED GROWTH IN THAT AREA. 
          UM, WHERE WE SCHEDULED THAT FOR FY UM, 30, THAT'S GONNA PUSH THAT OUT TO FY 31. 
          AND THEN IT GOES ON AND ON AND ON. 
          AND IF YOU, UM, TAKE A LOOK AT OUR, UH, FACILITIES MASTER PLAN, UM, FOLLOWING THAT AS, YOU KNOW, CTON WRIGHT HIGH SCHOOL AND, AND SO ON. 
          SO I JUST WANTED TO TO POINT OUT THAT, UM, IN THE REQUEST THAT WE'VE MADE, UM, THERE'S BEEN A SHIFT, UM, WILLIAM O POST. 
          WE WANTED TO START PLANNING FOR THAT, UM, PROJECT SO THAT WE COULD GET READY, UM, THAT WENT UNFUNDED IN OUR REQUEST FOR, UM, DOING A SCOPE STUDY AND FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR THAT PROJECT. 
          SO THOSE ARE KIND OF LIKE THE MAJOR, UM, IMPACTS IN OUR CAPITAL BUDGET REQUEST. 
          UM, BUT THEN, UM, WHEN YOU START TO LOOK AT SOME OF OUR OTHER INITIATIVES, UM, THROUGHOUT THE CAPITAL BUDGET, YOU KNOW, SO MUCH THAT WE, UM, ASKED FOR, UM, DID GO UNFUNDED, UM, AND NOT COUNTING THE STATE, UH, PROJECTS AT, I DON'T WANNA GET 'EM, UH, YOU KNOW, HARTFORD TECH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT PROJECT. 
          THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE DID, UM, FULLY FUND THE LOCAL SHARE, UM, FOR THAT THE HAVE THE GRACE ROOF REPLACEMENT PROJECT. 
          UM, THE HARTFORD, UM, THE ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE DID MOVE FORWARD, UM, WITH RECOMMENDING FUNDING FOR THAT PROJECT. 
          THE ABERDEEN MIDDLE H V A C RENOVATION. 
          UM, THAT'S, UH, BEEN FORWARDED BY, UM, THE COUNTY. 
          UM, AND THEN AGAIN, AS I, UM, HAVE SAID THE, UM, $16 MILLION FOR PLANNING AND DESIGN FOR HARFORD ACADEMY, WE DID RECEIVE THAT. 
          UM, BUT THEN THERE'S THAT GAP IN TIME, SO WE WOULD MOVE FORWARD WITH PLANNING AND DESIGN. 
          UM, BUT THEN THE CONSTRUCTION FUNDING AS IT'S PRESENTED, UM, WOULD NOT FOLLOW IN THE NORMAL SEQUENCES. 
          AND, AND IF I COULD, UM, ALSO, UH, WHEN WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PLANNING FOR HARTFORD ACADEMY AND WORKING WITH, UM, YOU 
          [01:00:01]
KNOW, THE STATE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING THAT INDICATED TO US THAT THEY HAVE A NEW POLICY THAT THEY PUT IN PLACE A FEW YEARS AGO, UM, ABOUT, UM, SCHOOLS NOT BEING SERVED BY PUBLIC UTILITIES. 
          AND THEY WANTED US, UM, TO GET, UM, AN ASSURANCE FROM THE COUNTY TO DO ONE OF TWO THINGS, EITHER EXTEND PUBLIC UTILITIES TO THE SHUCKS ROAD PROPERTY, WHICH, YOU KNOW, IS A HUGE TASK, OR TO, UM, SHOW THAT THERE'S NO PROPERTY WITHIN THE DEVELOPMENT ENVELOPE THAT'S SERVED BY PUBLIC UTILITIES THAT COULD BE USED FOR THIS SCHOOL PROJECT. 
          SO WE DID MEET WITH THE ADMINISTRATION TO TALK ABOUT THAT. 
          UM, THEIR PLANNING AND ZONING DEPARTMENT SENT US SOME PROPERTIES TO EVALUATE, AND WE DID MEET AND TALK ABOUT SOME THAT WILL BE SUITABLE. 
          AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THERE ARE SOME CONVERSATIONS GOING ON WITH SOME PROPERTY OWNERS TO SEE IF THERE ARE OTHER OPTIONS THAT COULD BE USED, UM, INSTEAD OF THE STRUCTURAL PROPERTY. 
          SO WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE WOULD BE SOME DELAY IN THE PROJECT BECAUSE OF THAT, UM, PROCESS OF FINDING ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, PIECE OF PROPERTY AND WORKING THROUGH THAT. 
          UM, BUT THAT WE DIDN'T EXPECT FOR THAT TO MOVE, YOU KNOW, TO FY 27. 
          SO WHEN WE SAW THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ONE OF THE MAJOR THINGS I THINK I JUST WANTED TO BRING UP, YOU KNOW, TODAY. 
          UM, BUT AGAIN, THERE ARE SOME OTHER, UM, YOU KNOW, BUDGET CONCERNS THROUGHOUT THE BUDGET, BUT GOOD MAJOR THINGS. 
          SO WITH THAT, WE WILL TURN IT OVER TO QUESTIONS. 
          SO IF I MAY, UM, MR. BROWN, I AGREE WITH YOU. 
          IT'S, IT'S, IT'S CONCERNING TO ME TO THINK FOR ONE MINUTE THAT, UH, WE WOULD MOVE THESE PROJECTS THAT FAR DOWN THE ROAD. 
          OLD POST IS ONE OF THE OLDEST SCHOOLS IN THE COUNTY AND HAS BEEN PUSHED BACK SO MANY DIFFERENT TIMES. 
          AND I UNDERSTAND THE, THE, UM, THE, THE NEED TO, UH, DO HARTFORD ACADEMY AND COMBINE THAT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BECAUSE OF OUR, UM, CAPACITY ISSUES, I GUESS IS THE BEST WAY TO PUT IT. 
          UM, AND I'M, I'M, I KNOW THAT THERE ARE CONVERSATIONS, I'M SURE MR. MCCORD'S INVOLVED. 
          MR. SANDS IS PROBABLY INVOLVED IN THEM, UM, WITH SOME OTHER SITE LOCATIONS BEING LOOKED AT. 
          UH, BUT I WOULD HOPE THAT WHATEVER HAPPENS THERE, UH, COMES, UH, TO FRUITION MUCH SOONER THAN 27. 
          UH, THAT'S JUST PUSHING EVERYTHING BACK. 
          AND, UM, AND I'M SURE MR. GUTHRIE, UH, AND MR. BENNETT, BECAUSE THEY ARE ON THE BORDERS THERE, UH, AT OLD POST, WOULD WANNA SEE THAT PROJECT MOVE ALONG SOONER THAN LATER. 
          UM, AND, UH, IF I MAY, I, I, UM, , I JUST, I WANNA SAY THIS CUZ I'M GONNA OPEN IT UP TO MY COLLEAGUES. 
          I KNOW THEY'RE ALL, THEY ALL HAVE MANY, MANY QUESTIONS. 
          UM, SEAN, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS BEING AVAILABLE TO ME FOR A PHONE CALL AND MY COLLEAGUES FOR THAT MATTER, WE MEET ON A REGULAR BASIS. 
          WE'VE TALKED ABOUT MANY OF THESE ISSUES OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, LONG BEFORE THE BUDGET WAS EVER PRESENTED. 
          SO, UM, I THANK YOU FOR KEEPING ME UP TO SPEED ON THAT. 
          UH, AND WITH THAT MR. GUTHRIE AS THE LIAISON, I'M GONNA GO WITH YOU FIRST. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, APPRECIATE IT. 
          UM, SINCE THEY TOUCHED ON THE, THE WILLIAM PECO POST, UH, SCHOOLS, UH, WHEN I WAS ON THE COUNCIL BEFORE FOR 12 YEARS, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT IT THEN  IN, IN THE EARLY 2000 AND WE'RE STILL TALKING ABOUT IT. 
          AND, UH, AND NOW IT'S PUSHED OUT TO 29 AND HOW FAR, YOU KNOW, UH, I'VE TOURED THOSE SCHOOLS AND I'LL TELL YOU IT, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S REALLY EMBARRASSING. 
          I MEAN, PARTICULARLY THE ONE SCHOOL, IT USED TO BE, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, IT USED TO BE A HIGH SCHOOL AND THEY'RE, THEY'VE CONVERTED INTO AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. 
          SO THEY HAVE THESE ROOMS THAT ARE SO BIG AND ALL FOR, UH, ELEMENTARY STUDENTS THAT, AND YOU WALK AROUND THESE CINDER BLOCK DOOR WALWAYS IN THERE. 
          I MEAN, IT LOOKS, IT'S JUST, IT'S UNBELIEVABLE FOR AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. 
          UM, I, I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, UM, RIGHT BETWEEN THE TWO SCHOOLS IS BUILDING A NEW SCHOOL, ONE SCHOOL AND IT WOULD BE ALL IN ONE AND THEN THE OTHER TWO WOULD BE TORN DOWN. 
          IS IT STILL WHERE WE'RE AT? WELL, MAYBE YOU BRING UP, YOU BRING UP A GREAT POINT. 
          UM, I, I CAME ON BOARD, UM, WITH HARPER COUNTY IN 2008. 
          AND IN 2008 WE HAD OUR, UM, LIST OF CAPITAL PRIORITIES. 
          AND THE SCHOOLS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY ARE THE SAME SCHOOLS WE WERE TALKING ABOUT IN 2008. 
          YEP. 
          SO WE DID A, UM, SCOPE STUDY IN 2008, 2009 FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, OLD POST. 
          AND THAT WAS THE CONCEPT THEN, BUT NOW IT'S 2023. 
          SO WE DID REQUEST FOR SOME FUNDING, UM, TO GO AND REVISIT THAT, TO DETERMINE WHAT WOULD THE, WHAT WOULD THE SOLUTION BE TODAY. 
          SO YES, THAT WAS THE PLAN THEN. 
          BUT WE WOULD NEED TO, UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF, YOU KNOW, JUST FRESH LOOK 
          [01:05:01]
AT IT TO DETERMINE IF THAT'S STILL, UM, WHAT IS GOOD FOR HOFF COUNTY NOW. 
          YEAH. 
          IF I COULD JUST BRIEFLY ADD, UM, THANK YOU. 
          JUST, JUST THE BIG PICTURE PIECE. 
          WE HAVE 52 SCHOOL LOCATIONS IN A NUMBER OF OTHER BUILDINGS AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, BUT I, I'VE PUT IT OUT, BUT NOT TO THIS COUNCIL BEFORE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ON A SCHEDULE TO DO ONE SCHOOL EVERY TWO YEARS, SO THAT'S 104 YEAR CYCLE. 
          SO JPA TOWN WAS A PROJECT WE JUST FINISHED. 
          CAN YOU IMAGINE NOT REVISITING NEXT SCHOOL FOR 104 YEARS. 
          UM, THERE NEEDS TO BE A COMMUNITY-WIDE SOLUTION TO, TO HAVE A MORE SUSTAINABLE, UH, CAPITAL PLAN. 
          AND SO THE IDEA THAT THIS YEAR'S BUDGET BOOK PROPOSES PUSHING EVEN THAT SLOW PACE OUT AN ADDITIONAL LOOKS LIKE THREE YEARS, UM, IS REALLY CONCERNING. 
          CUZ WE NEED TO BE TALKING ABOUT HOW DO, HOW DO WE ACCELERATE THIS SO THAT OUR BUILDINGS AREN'T, YOU KNOW, CRUMBLING FOR THE NEXT GENERATION. 
          YEAH. 
          UM, I KNOW THEY'RE FINISHING UP ON JOHN TOWN HIGH SCHOOL, BUT I WAS DISAPPOINTED BECAUSE WHEN I WAS ON THE COUNCIL BEFORE AND WE, WE WERE PUTTING IN SCHOOLS ALL OVER THE PLACE. 
          WE REALLY DID A HECK OF A JOB. 
          WE, WE BUILT, I CAN REMEMBER 'EM ALL. 
          WE BUILT A BRAND NEW, WE TORE DOWN THE BE BLAIR HIGH SCHOOL, BUILT A BRAND NEW SCHOOL RIGHT DOWN THE ROAD, BUILT A BRAND NEW PATTERSON MILL AND EL AND UH, UM, UH, MIDDLE, UH, HIGH SCHOOL. 
          UM, WE, UH, PUT IN A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS, I BELIEVE IN THE, IN THE HABIT GRACE, UH, SCHOOL. 
          AND, UH, LAST I SAW GUYS GOT THE NUMBERS. 
          CORRECT ME WHERE I'M WRONG. 
          IT'S STILL IN THE 60 TO 70%, UH, CAPACITY. 
          UH, IS THAT FAIRLY CORRECT? WHICH SCHOOL ARE YOU REFERRING? I'M TALKING ABOUT THE NEW UH HA GRACE, UH, MIDDLE HIGH SCHOOL. 
          WELL, NOT THE, THE TIRE BUILDING. 
          NO, YOU'RE LOOKING AT 90 SOMETHING PERCENT FOR HA GRACE, BUT WE KNOW THAT IN THE ABERDEEN AND HAVE GRACE, THERE'S PLAN GROWTH. 
          SO THAT'S A WHOLE NOTHER CONVERSATION THAT WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING ABOUT LOOKING FOR, UM, PROPERTY AND DOING LAND BANKING TO ADDRESS, UM, THE PLAN DEVELOPMENT IN THE ABERDEEN HAVE A GRACE AREA. 
          SO THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE WE WOULD NEED TO DISCUSS. 
          BUT, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW WE ARE JUST REALLY, I MEAN, WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT IT ALL, BUT THE PROJECTS THAT ARE RIGHT IN FRONT OF US, WE CAN'T GET TO. 
          AND YES, AND I, I DON'T WANNA BLAME MYSELF FOR IT CAUSE I STARTED IN 2008 AND EVERYTHING CAME TO A SCREECHING HALL. 
          SO WITH ABERDEEN AND BE JAR, OF COURSE, YES. 
          , EVERYTHING CAME TO A SCREECHING HAL AND THE THINGS WE WERE DISCUSSING THEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NOW IN 2023, UM, YOU KNOW, TO INCLUDE BEING ABLE TO ADDRESS THE PLAN DEVELOPMENT. 
          UH, I LEFT IN 2014. 
          EVERYTHING CAME TO A HALT, BUT THAT'S ANOTHER ARGUMENT. 
          , UH, I FINISHED IT, UH, UM, ON THE SCHOOLS. 
          WE ALSO TORE DOWN AND TOTALLY REBUILT, UH, EDGEWOOD HIGH SCHOOL. 
          UH, DEERFIELD TORE THAT DOWN AND BUILT IT, UH, BRAND NEW SCHOOL IN DEERFIELD, ONE IN THE MIDDLE, UH, PUT A, UH, 15, 12, $15 MILLION, UH, ATTACHMENT TO THAT. 
          AND, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, WHAT I'M LEADING TO IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DISCUSSED WITH THE DEN COUNTY EXECUTIVE CRAIG, THAT, UH, IF, IF I WAS IN SUPPORT OF ALL THIS AND I WAS, UH, THAT KNEW WHAT THEY WOULD BUILD, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BUILDING A BRAND NEW JOB OF TOWN HIGH SCHOOL AND MAKING A MIDDLE HIGH SCHOOL AND TAKE MAGNOLIA MIDDLE OKAY. 
          AND MOVE THOSE PEOPLE THERE AND MAKE THAT A SCHOOL. 
          THAT WAS THE DREAM. 
          OKAY. 
          AND THEN THE DREAM FELL THROUGH AND WE GET, UM, EVERYBODY'S GETTING A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLAR SCHOOLS ON IT AND WE GOT A $30 MILLION THAT AIN'T TRUMP CHANGE, BUT WE GET A $30 MILLION RENOVATION. 
          SO THAT WAS, THAT WAS, THAT WAS MY BEEF. 
          UM, LET ME, UH, LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION OF, UM, UH, CAN YOU OPEN TO THIS PAGE, HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL'S SHARE OF COUNTY BUDGET? UH, CAN WE, CAN WE GET THAT UP? I NEED, IF YOU CAN EXPLAIN SOMETHING TO ME, PAGE NUMBER. 
          UH, IT'S, THERE'S NO NUMBERS ON THE PAGES. 
          SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE IT LOOKS LIKE THIS. 
          NUMBERS H C S OKAY. 
          THAT'S THE FIRST. 
          YEAH, THAT'S IT. 
          YEP. 
          UH, IF YOU COULD, IF YOU COULD EXPLAIN SOMETHING TO ME CUZ UM, IT'S NOT MAKING SENSE TO ME, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NEITHER HERE OR THERE. 
          IT SAYS HERE IN HIS WHITE, UH, UH, BLOCK HERE, IT SAYS FROM 52 POINT 12% IN 2015 TO 48.9, UH, 1% PROPOSAL IN 24. 
          THAT'S WHAT IT SAYS THERE. 
          BUT YOUR GRAPH HAS 48.9 IN, UH, IN 23 AND DROPPING ALL THE WAY DOWN TO 45.13 AND 2024. 
          BUT YOUR LINE HERE SAYS 48.90. 
          WHAT, CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCE TO ME? JUST A MISTAKE, . 
          OH, 
          [01:10:01]
UM, YEAH. 
          CAUSE I THINK WHEN WE ORIGINALLY BUILT THIS, WE, WE DIDN'T HAVE THE 24, SO WE HAD THE, WE HAD THE FY 23 ACTUAL IN THERE, WHICH WAS 48.91. 
          SO THAT'S WHERE YOU SEE THAT NUMBER. 
          BUT I THINK WE ADJUSTED THE SLIDE AND SHOULD HAVE MOVED IT TO 45 POINT 13. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          THEN CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO ME, LOOKING AT THE GRAPH ALL THE WAY BACK TO 2015, CAN YOU TELL ME, UH, HOW YOU JUDGE THIS? UH, UH, TREMENDOUS DROP FROM 48.91 TO 45.13? OF COURSE, THAT'S 2024. 
          SO YOU'RE, WHY ARE YOU ESTIMATING THAT SIGNIFICANT DROP? THAT'S THE PROPOSED BUDGET? YEAH, THAT'S OUR, THAT'S THE 45.13 IS WOULD BE THE SHARE OF THE BUDGET AS IT'S CURRENTLY PROPOSED, AS IT'S PROPOSED BY YES. 
          BY YOU GUYS OR THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE, THE EXECUTIVES PROPOSED. 
          YEAH. 
          UM, IF WE WERE FUNDED AT THE, AT THE AMOUNT IN THE COUNTY EXECUTIVES BUDGET RIGHT NOW, UM, THERE'S A, THERE'S A LOT, A LOT OF TALK ABOUT THIS, UH, MILLION, $90 MILLION, UH, UM, THAT YOU HAVE, UH, UH, UH, SET ASIDE OR WHAT DO YOU CALL THAT? THE, UH, FUND BALANCE. 
          FUND BALANCE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, AND, UM, UH, I NOTICED, UH, IN, IN YOUR PROPOSED BUDGET, YOU, UH, PROPOSED, UH, UH, 19 MILLION AND CHANGE, UH, AT, TO KEEP THE BUDGET WHERE IT IS AND PLUS ANOTHER 19 MILLION. 
          IS THAT, IS THAT FAIRLY ACCURATE? SO OUR PROPOSAL TO THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE WAS AN, WAS ABOUT A 19 MILLION INCREASE OVER LAST YEAR. 
          RIGHT. 
          UM, AN ADDITIONAL 19. 
          AND SO YEAH, LAST YEAR WE WERE FUNDED 324 MILLION. 
          AND SO THE REQUEST WAS AN ADDITIONAL 19 MILLION, UM, WHICH AGAIN, WAS THE EQUIVALENT OF OUR SALARY PACKAGE. 
          UM, BUT THE, THE OTHER 19 THAT COMES IN IS INSTEAD OF GOING UP 19 FROM LAST YEAR, THE, SEAN, CAN YOU PULL THAT MICROPHONE? OH, I'M SORRY. 
          JUST PULL THE MICROPHONE. 
          THERE YOU GO. 
          INSTEAD OF GOING UP NINE THE 19, WE PROPOSED, YOU KNOW, THE, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVES PROPOSED BUDGET ACTUALLY GOES DOWN FROM LAST YEAR BY 19.5 MILLION. 
          YEAH. 
          HE TAKES 'EM BOTH OUT. 
          I, I, I, RIGHT. 
          SO WE'RE DOWN 38, 30 9 MILLION, MORE OR LESS. 
          UH, LET ME ASK YOU, UH, IT SEEMS DIFFERENT IN DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS. 
          UH, WHAT CAN YOU USE THAT 90 MILLION FUND BALANCE FOR, OR WHAT YOU CAN'T AND WHAT CAN'T YOU USE IT FOR? YES. 
          QUESTION ON THAT. 
          OKAY. 
          SO THE 92 MILLION IS ACTUALLY A STATEMENT IN OUR AUDITED FINANCIALS AS OF JUNE 30TH, 2022. 
          SO IT'S SIMILAR TO THE COUNTY'S STATEMENT IN THEIR AUDITED. 
          THAT SAID, THE COUNTY HAS A GENERAL FUND FUND BALANCE OF OVER 200 MILLION. 
          WE BOTH HAVE APPROXIMATELY 36 TO 38 MILLION UNASSIGNED. 
          THAT UNASSIGNED NUMBER IS TRULY THE NUMBER THAT WE WORK OFF OF WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT USING IT FOR THINGS LIKE BALANCING THE BUDGET, WHICH YOU WANNA DO MINIMALLY, BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANNA USE FUND BALANCE TO PAY FOR RECURRING EXPENSES. 
          SO IDEALLY IT'S FOR ONE-TIME EXPENSES, EMERGENCIES THAT COME UP AND SO FORTH. 
          I CAN WALK YOU THROUGH THE 92 MILLION. 
          I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANNA SPEND THAT TIME DOING THAT. 
          I CAN, I HAVE A SUMMARY THAT I CAN SEND TO YOU THAT WELL, RATHER THAN DO IT THERE, YOU SEND IT TO THE WHOLE COUNCIL. 
          YEAH, I I CAN DO THAT. 
          UH, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT. 
          CAUSE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S, UH, WHEN PEOPLE LOOK AT THAT AND THEY SAY, WELL, YOU GOT $92 MILLION SITTING OUT THERE AND IT'S FUN, AND YOUR, YOUR BOTH OF YOUR PROPOSALS TO, TO, UH, ARE AROUND 40 MILLION. 
          YOU COULD TAKE HALF THAT AND TAKE CARE OF YOUR, YOUR ENTIRE PROPOSAL. 
          THE PROBLEM IS WELL, THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE, YEAH, THE PROBLEM IS THAT'S THE GOOD NEWS. 
          WELL, BAD NEWS IS WE'VE CREATED A STRUCTURAL DEFICIT WITH THE PROPOSED LEVEL OF FUNDING. 
          SO THAT HAS TO BE RESOLVED. 
          YOU CAN'T USE THE FUND BALANCE TO DO THAT WITHOUT ADDRESSING THE STRUCTURAL DEFICIT UNDERNEATH. 
          SO WE CAN USE A PORTION OF OUR UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE, CERTAINLY TO BALANCE THE BUDGET, BUT IT WOULD BE COMPLETELY IRRESPONSIBLE TO JUST TAKE 40 MILLION AND THROW IT AGAINST THIS BUDGET WITHOUT CORRECTING THE UNDERLYING PROBLEMS THAT ARE NOW CREATED BECAUSE OF THE LEVEL OF FUNDING WE'VE RECEIVED. 
          OKAY. 
          SH NOTED. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          APPRECIATE IT. 
          UM, SEAN, CAN YOU SPEAK TO, UM, ONE OF OUR, I GUESS, EARLIER CONVERSATIONS WHERE YOU KNEW THAT YOU WERE GONNA HAVE TO USE SOME OF YOUR UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE TO COVER SOME OF THE BLUEPRINT EX MANDATES THAT ARE NOT FUNDED? UM, WAS SPORTS PART OF THAT? DID I, DID I REMEMBER THAT? WELL, , THERE'S A LOT. 
          UM, SO I, I THINK OUR, OUR BIGGEST CONCERN WITH REGARD TO FUND BALANCE IS, AS, AS 
          [01:15:01]
WE'VE INDICATED, IT IS HEALTHIER THAN IT'S BEEN. 
          I MEAN, WHEN I ARRIVED, OUR FUND BALANCE WAS ALMOST ZERO. 
          AND WE'VE HAD SURPLUSES MOST OF THEM DUE TO THE SURPLUSES FROM HEALTHCARE. 
          AND YOU'VE HAD A SHORT CONVERSATION IN HEALTHCARE, YOU KNOW, WITH THE LAST PRESENTATION. 
          AND, UM, BUT THERE WERE, WE ALL HAD SIGNIFICANT INFUSION OF FUNDS FOR THE BLUEPRINT, I'M SORRY, FOR THE, THE FEDERAL STIMULUS OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS. 
          AND THAT CREATED EXPENDITURES IN A LOT OF AREAS. 
          UM, WE HAD NEARLY $90 MILLION COME IN THROUGH, THROUGH FEDERAL STIMULUS FUNDS, AND THE IDEA WAS TO WHEREVER WE COULD SPEND THEM ON ONE TIME EXPENSES, BUT YOU CAN ONLY BUY SO MUCH PPE, SO MANY MASKS AND ALL THAT STUFF, AND . 
          AND SO THINGS STARTED TURNING INTO, UM, WE, WE DID START USING RECURRING, WE STARTED HIRING PEOPLE BECAUSE BASICALLY WHEN IT CAME TO HELPING STUDENTS RECOVER FROM THE PANDEMIC, IT WAS HANDS WE NEEDED INTO SCHOOLS WORKING WITH KIDS. 
          AND IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, WE HAVE, UM, A NUMBER OF POSITIONS THAT ARE SITTING IN, IN THE FEDERAL GRANTS THAT ARE POSITIONS THAT ARE WORKING IN OUR SCHOOLS. 
          94% OF THOSE POSITIONS ARE STUDENT FACING. 
          UM, AND SO PART OF WHAT WE WERE LOOKING TO DO WAS TO MOVE SOME OF THOSE POSITIONS INTO OUR OPERATING BUDGET, BECAUSE THESE PEOPLE WHO WE'VE HIRED, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE BEEN MAKING PROGRESS ON CLASS SIZE. 
          WE'VE PUT IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF SUPPORTS. 
          WE'VE PUT IN SUPPORTS FOR TEACHERS ALSO BECAUSE, AGAIN, WITH THE TEACHER SHORTAGE, WE, OUR TEACHER, OUR, THE TEACHERS WERE ABLE TO HIRE, UM, BECAUSE WE HAVE MANY MORE WHO WE'RE HIRING WHO DON'T HAVE THE SAME QUALIFICATIONS AS THEY ONCE DID. 
          SO WE NEED TO SUPPORT THEM AS WELL. 
          THE BLUEPRINT, WE HAD A SCHEDULE OF FUNDING INCREASES THAT WE COULD ANTICIPATE THROUGH THE BLUEPRINT. 
          SO I'LL GIVE ONE EXAMPLE. 
          UM, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF SCHOOLS DEEMED PRIORITY SCHOOLS. 
          AND WHAT THEY ARE IS YOU HAVE TITLE ONE SCHOOLS, WHICH ARE YOUR VERY POOREST, AND THEN OUR PRIORITY SCHOOLS IS OUR NEXT SCHOOLS THAT ARE LIKE OUR NEXT POOREST SCHOOLS. 
          THE BLUEPRINT IS GIVING MONEY WHERE SOME OF THOSE SCHOOLS ARE GETTING ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR, FOR SUPPORT THE SCHOOL, FOR SPECIALISTS, FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND THESE SORTS OF THINGS. 
          BUT THAT'S COMING OUT ON A SCHEDULE. 
          MEANING THIS YEAR WE HAVE THREE CONCENTRATION POVERTY SCHOOLS. 
          NEXT YEAR WE MAY HAVE MORE, BECAUSE WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS, UM, THEY'RE LOWERING THE, THE, THE POVERTY RATE AT WHICH A SCHOOL BECOMES QUALIFIED TO GET THIS EXTRA SUPPORT. 
          AND AGAIN, THAT'S ON A SCHEDULE. 
          SO WHAT WE'VE DONE IN SOME CASES IS WE'VE FORWARD FUNDED THAT. 
          IN OTHER WORDS, WE HAVE SCHOOLS THAT WE KNOW THE BLUEPRINT IS GOING TO COVER THE FUNDING FOR, TO HAVE ADDITIONAL SUPPORTS, ADDITIONAL STAFF, ADDITIONAL MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORTS, THOSE SORT OF THINGS. 
          UM, SO WE HIRED POSITIONS KNOWING THAT IN TWO YEARS, SOME OF THAT MONEY WILL BE COMING THROUGH THE BLUEPRINT TO PAY FOR THOSE POSITIONS. 
          BUT WE FELT, YOU KNOW, RATHER THAN RECURRING FOREVER, PUT THE HIRING POSITIONS THAT WOULD BE RECURRING FOREVER. 
          WE HIRED POSITIONS THAT WE KNEW EVENTUALLY THE BLUEPRINT WOULD HELP US PICK UP. 
          AND SO THAT'S PART OF THE ANSWER THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE LOOKING TO MOVE POSITIONS FROM THESE GRANT FUNDS THAT WE HAD FROM THE FEDERAL STIMULUS INDOOR OPERATING BUDGET. 
          WE'VE BEEN LEVERAGING WHAT WE KNOW IS COMING WITH THE BLUEPRINT FUNDS TO HELP US, YOU KNOW, SPEED UP THAT SCHEDULE. 
          UM, BUT THE OTHER THING IS, WE STILL HAVE POSITIONS THAT AT THE END OF, IN THE FALL OF 24, ALL OF THE FEDERAL MONEY EXPIRES. 
          AND WE KNOW WE WILL HAVE POSITIONS THAT WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO PICK UP. 
          AND WE WERE ANTICIPATING WE TO USE A FAIR BIT OF FUND BALANCE NEXT YEAR, UM, BECAUSE THAT IS REALLY THE YEAR OF THE CLIFF. 
          THAT'S THE YEAR WHERE THE FEDERAL FUNDS EXPIRE, NOT JUST FOR HAR COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, BUT YOU KNOW, EVERY PUBLIC ENTITY THAT GOT FUNDS AND THERE IS GOING TO BE A, A SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGE NEXT YEAR. 
          SO WE KNOW IN TERMS OF FUND BALANCE, THE REAL EMERGENCY FOR US HITS NEXT YEAR. 
          AND MAYBE IN THE, IN A COUPLE YEARS FOLLOWING THAT, UM, AS WE'RE, YOU KNOW, THEN COMPLETELY OUT OF FEDERAL FUNDS. 
          AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ADDRESSED THE QUESTION. 
          I WENT A COUPLE DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS, BUT THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT GOING ON WITH THESE FUNDS. 
          WE'VE, WE'VE WORKED VERY, VERY HARD TO USE THEM RESPONSIBLY, BUT ALSO TO SUPPORT OUR KIDS IN THE WAY THEY NEED SUPPORT. 
          THANK YOU, MR. PENMAN. 
          DR. 
          BOLSON, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. 
          I JUST WANNA ALSO THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING, UM, MYSELF AND, UH, MY, UH, COMMUNITY ADVISOR, BROOKE SEARCHER TO SIT DOWN, UH, WITH YOUR FINANCE TEAM AND JUST KIND OF LEARN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE BUDGET. 
          I THINK IT WAS EXTREMELY HELPFUL FOR ME TO UNDERSTAND IT. 
          IT'S STILL VERY COMPLEX AS, AS YOU KNOW, BUT, UH, IT WAS HELPFUL. 
          [01:20:01]
UM, JUST HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS. 
          UM, YOUR BUDGET WAS CUT, OBVIOUSLY, AND BASED OFF OF, UH, THE NEWLY ENACTED LEGISLATION DOWN IN ANNAPOLIS WAS REALLY ALLOWED THEM TO JUST RESET THE MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT. 
          UM, WAS THERE ANY OTHER JURISDICTION THAT WAS IMPACTED THE WAY THAT HARFORD COUNTY WAS WITH THAT LEGISLATION? NOWHERE NEAR THE SCALE. 
          SO WE'VE DONE IT LIKE AN INFORMAL SURVEY, BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN RESPONSES FROM EVERY SCHOOL SYSTEM. 
          I'M AWARE OF EIGHT DISTRICTS IN THE STATE THAT ARE RECEIVING MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT FUNDING. 
          UM, THERE WERE ONLY THREE DISTRICTS IN THE STATE THAT COULD HAVE BEEN CUT BY A LARGER NUMBER LIKE YEAR OVER YEAR. 
          LIKE THEIR FUNDING COULD HAVE GONE DOWN FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR BY A LARGER THAN US. 
          UM, BALTIMORE COUNTY, P UH, HOWARD COUNTY AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY ALL HAD NUMBERS. 
          SO OURS WAS 19 AND A HALF. 
          THEIRS WERE 30, 40 AND SOMETHING ELSE. 
          I DON'T KNOW WHAT MONTGOMERY'S DOING. 
          I HAVEN'T SEEN THEIR BUDGET, BUT OBVIOUSLY BOTH BALTIMORE AND HOWARD ARE RECEIVING FUNDING ABOVE THE PREVIOUS YEAR'S FUNDING LEVELS. 
          SO THEY DIDN'T EXPERIENCE THE CUTS, UM, ANYWHERE NEAR LIKE WHAT WE SAW. 
          AS I SAID, THERE'S EIGHT DISTRICTS DOING FLAT FUNDING, SO THE SO LIKELY THEY ALL HAD MINIMAL CORRECTIONS. 
          BUT AGAIN, THE NEXT CLOSEST BEHIND US IS POSSIBLY FREDERICK. 
          UM, I'M NOT ENTIRELY CERTAIN WHAT'S HAPPENING, FREDERICK. 
          I UNDERSTAND THEY'RE BEING FUNDED AND MADE OF EFFORT. 
          THEY COULD HAVE SEEN MAYBE AN EIGHT OR 9 MILLION CUT. 
          UM, BUT THAT'S THE CLOSEST. 
          UM, AND YOU KNOW, AND, AND ACTUALLY FREDERICK'S A LARGER COUNTY THAN OURS. 
          SO AGAIN, SMALLER CUT, BIGGER COUNTY. 
          AND THEN ALL THE OTHERS THAT ARE ON THE LIST THAT ARE DOING MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT ARE, ARE EVEN SMALLER. 
          SO YES, THERE ARE A FEW, BUT THIS IS PRETTY PRECEDENT SETTING, UH, FOR A HARPER CUZ WE ARE, WE ARE EXPERIENCING BY FAR THE LARGEST CUT OF STATE. 
          MY NEXT QUESTION IS, UM, OBVIOUSLY YOU WERE CUT, SO IT WOULD REQUIRE YOU TO USE A GREAT DEAL OF THAT FUND BALANCE AS, AS YOU MENTIONED. 
          I THINK THIS IS KIND KIND OF THE LINES THAT, UH, COUNCIL PRESIDENT VINCENTI WAS TALKING ABOUT. 
          BUT LET'S JUST SAY HYPOTHETICALLY YOU WERE FUNDED FLAT FROM LAST YEAR'S BUDGET, YOU WOULD'VE STILL BEEN REQUIRED OR NEEDED TO USE SOME OF THAT FUND BALANCE TO KIND OF, UH, OFFSET SOME OF YOUR, YOUR COSTS THAT YOU HAVE. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          SO THE INITIAL BUDGET I PRESENTED TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION HAD, I THINK WE HAD A 27 OR A 28 MILLION REQUEST WHEN THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND, AND, AND MR. SANDIS CAME TO THE BOARD MEETING, MADE AN APPEAL TO THE BOARD. 
          WE ACTUALLY WENT BACK, WE CUT ABOUT 9 MILLION OFF THAT REQUEST. 
          UM, AT THE TIME WHEN WE WERE MAKING THE ADJUSTMENTS TO REDUCE THE REQUEST THAT WE ULTIMATELY FORWARDED, UM, WE DID INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF THUMB BALANCE WE WERE GONNA USE AT THAT TIME. 
          SO THE REQUEST WE PUT IN ORIGINALLY WAS ALREADY LOOKING TO SPEND ABOUT JUST UNDER 5 MILLION IN FUND BALANCE. 
          UM, IF WE, IF WE WERE ABLE TO SEE A SLIGHTLY HIGHER NUMBER THAN IS WHAT IN WHAT'S IN, IN THE, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE'S BUDGET, UM, REGARDLESS, UNLESS IT GETS ALL THE WAY BACK TO OUR FULL REQUEST, WE'LL BE USING, YOU KNOW, MORE THAN 5 MILLION IN FUND BALANCE. 
          I DON'T KNOW THE TOTAL AMOUNT BECAUSE AGAIN, MY GREAT CONCERN IS THE NEXT TWO YEARS, BUT WE WILL STILL NEED TO USE, UH, SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF FUND BALANCE TO, YOU KNOW, TO NOT TO, TO NOT BE IN A POSITION TO MAKE CUTS THAT COULD DO HARM TO, TO OUR OPERATIONS, WHICH I'M ASSUMING IS, IS A BIG PART OF THAT IS RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION FOR YOUR STAFF MEMBERS. 
          I I'M ASSUMING THAT THAT 19 MILLION WAS KIND OF PRESCRIBED FOR THAT, AND THAT'S GONNA PROBABLY BE A HEAVY HIT TO TRY TO MATCH THAT. 
          YEAH, THAT IT WAS 19.1 ISH MILLION DOLLARS WAS FOR OUR SALARY PACKAGE, UM, A STEP INCREASE IN THE 3% COST OF LIVING INCREASE, WHICH WE KNOW IS ALREADY MODEST IN THE SIX TO 7% INFLATIONARY TIME. 
          UM, AND WE'VE BEEN DOING WELL THE LAST FEW YEARS IN RECRUITING, UH, COMPARED TO SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORS. 
          BUT WE SEE OUR BIGGEST NEIGHBOR IN BALTIMORE COUNTY, UM, BEING MUCH MORE AGGRESSIVE IN THEIR SALARY PACKAGE THIS YEAR. 
          SO WE'RE ALREADY ANTICIPATING SOME CHALLENGES, BUT I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THE OVERALL PICTURE OF, YOU KNOW, THESE, THESE CANDIDATES ARE VERY SMART, YOU KNOW, TEACHER CANDIDATES, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE LOOKING AND SEEING WHAT'S HAPPENING IN DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES AND THEY'RE LOOKING FOR WHERE THE SUPPORT IS. 
          SO WE'VE BEEN THE OVERALL MESSAGE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE COULD GO FLAT. 
          I MEAN, WE, I'VE RECEIVED LETTERS FROM PEOPLE WHO REMEMBER WHEN WE SKIPPED STEPS YEARS AGO, WHO LEFT THE COUNTY. 
          UH, ONE IS A, AS A LIVES HERE IN A COUNTY AND, AND TEACHES, UH, IN A NEIGHBORING COUNTY WHO SAID, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE STARTED INDICATING THAT WE WEREN'T GONNA SUPPORT OUR TEACHERS AND, AND KEEP UP WITH THE SALARIES THEY HAD TO LEAVE, UM, THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT CONCERN US. 
          WE, WE'VE, WE'VE DONE WELL RECRUITING EVEN IN A TOUGH TIME, BUT THE, THE SIGNALS THAT COME FROM THIS SORT OF BUDGET MESSAGE, UM, ARE REALLY CONCERNING. 
          NO, 
          [01:25:01]
I AGREE. 
          UH, THE NEXT QUESTION IS KIND OF PERTAINS TO THE, UH, CAPITAL PROJECTS AND THOSE ARE THE SCHOOL PROJECTS. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S, UM, RENOVATING OR THE NEW SCHOOL THAT I THINK IT WAS DISCUSSED, UM, NOT SO LONG AGO WE HAD, I'M GONNA, THE BAD WORD IS REDISTRICTING EFFORT OR BALANCING ENROLLMENT, RIGHT? SO IF, IF THOSE RENOVATIONS OR THE NEW SCHOOLS ARE PUSHED FURTHER BACK, WOULD THERE BE ANY CONSIDERATION TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION AGAIN ABOUT BALANCING ENROLLMENT? WELL, IF YOU WANTED, I'M JUST BE, YEAH. 
          THERE, THERE REALLY WOULDN'T BE, I MEAN, WE PROBABLY WOULDN'T GO AGGRESSIVELY AT THAT BECAUSE THAT NEW SCHOOL WAS ONE OF THE IMPORTANT VARIABLES IN THAT, THAT WE NEED. 
          SO WHAT WE LEARNED THROUGH OUR BALANCING ENROLLMENT EFFORTS, ONE OF THE THINGS WAS OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ARE AT 93% CAPACITY AND WE'RE SEEING A LITTLE BIT OF GROWTH. 
          NOTHING, YOU KNOW, NOTHING DRAMATIC. 
          BUT WE, WHAT WE LEARNED IS, YOU KNOW, MOVING PEOPLE AROUND WAS SORT OF MEDDLING AT THE MARGINS. 
          WE NEED THAT ACTUAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CAPACITY, WE NEED THOSE SEATS TO REALLY BALANCE ENROLLMENT RIGHTS. 
          SO THIS WOULD ACTUALLY DELAY THAT, WHICH I KNOW NO ONE'S EXCITED TO SEE THAT TOPIC COME BACK ON THE AGENDA. 
          BUT THERE'S A, YOU KNOW, THERE'S AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ANGLE TO THAT TOO, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, WE STILL HAVE A NUMBER OF SCHOOLS THAT ARE CLOSED TO DEVELOPMENT BECAUSE THEY'RE AT OR ABOVE CAPACITY, AND THEY, THEY, THEY HIT THAT THRESHOLD WHERE WE'RE DEVELOPING AND, YOU KNOW, IF WE ARE TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, CONTINUE GROWING IN THIS COUNTY, UM, THE BALANCING ENROLLMENT IS ONE IMPORTANT VARIABLE IN THAT, AND THAT WILL BE DELAYED IF THIS BUILDING IS DELAYED. 
          SO IF IT'S DELAYED TOO LONG, WE COULD BE HAVING THAT CONVERSATION AGAIN. 
          WELL, WE'RE GONNA NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET MORE ELEMENTARY SEATS . 
          SO I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW WE DO THAT, BUT YES. 
          UM, JUST TWO MORE QUESTIONS. 
          UM, MR. PENMAN, I THINK, MR. YES. 
          SORRY. 
          YEAH, SO, SO AGAIN, UM, THE PLAN THAT THE BOARD, UM, HAD SET IN MOTION, UM, WAS FOR US IN, UM, YOU KNOW, 20, YOU KNOW, NEXT YEAR IS TO START REVISITING HOW WE WOULD MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, UM, BOUNDARIES. 
          SO WE HAD A SOFT RECOMMENDATION, UM, BUT WITH THE NEW SCHOOL COMING ONLINE, DEPENDING ON WHERE WE PLACE IT, WE WOULD HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS WERE AND GO BACK TO THE, UM, COMMUNITY AND TO THE BOARD TO HAVE A NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ATTENDANCE AREA ADJUSTMENT. 
          SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE WILL HAVE TO DO BECAUSE WE DEFERRED MAKING THAT ADJUSTMENT LAST YEAR BASED OFF THE ANTICIPATION OF THE NEW SCHOOL BASED ON ANTICIPATION OF THE NEW SCHOOL. 
          OKAY, THANK YOU, MR. BRAD. 
          UM, NEXT QUESTION IS MENTAL HEALTH AND, AND SPECIAL NEEDS. 
          I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT EARLIER. 
          UH, HOW HAS THAT IMPACTED YOUR OPERATION AND THE COST OF, OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM? WELL, THERE'S, THERE ARE A COUPLE THINGS. 
          UM, OBVIOUSLY THE MENTAL HEALTH IS AN ISSUE THAT, AGAIN, YOU'RE READING ABOUT, IT'S HAPPENING EVERYWHERE. 
          JUST THE CONCERNS. 
          WE HAVE A LOT OF RESOURCES IN PLACE TO SUPPORT THAT. 
          WE HAVE A GREAT HEALTHCARE COMMUNITY AROUND US HELPING WITH THAT. 
          UM, AND SO I FEEL LIKE WE'VE MADE GOOD PROGRESS, WE'VE ADDED CAPACITY TO DO IT, AND, YOU KNOW, I MIGHT HOPE WE'D BE ABLE TO STAY ON, ON COURSE WITH THAT SPECIAL NEEDS IS ANOTHER THING. 
          UM, WE'VE SEEN AN INCREASED, UH, POPULATION WE'RE SEEING, PARTICULARLY COMING IN THROUGH KINDERGARTEN WHEN WE FIRST SEE THESE STUDENTS. 
          THERE'S ONE PARTICULAR ISSUE THAT IS A PARTICULAR CONCERN TO ME THAT WE NEED TO BE PLANNING AHEAD FOR IS, YOU KNOW, WE RECEIVED DATA THAT BASICALLY INDICATES EACH MONTH THERE ARE ABOUT 20 SUBSTANCE EXPOSED BABIES BORN IN HARFORD COUNTY. 
          THAT'S A MONTH. 
          AND SO WE'RE OBVIOUSLY DEALING WITH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE LEGACY OF THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC, BUT I'M ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT WHERE THIS MIGHT BE GOING WITH, WITH, UM, UH, THE LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA. 
          BUT THE IMPACT FOR THE SCHOOL SYSTEMS, PARTICULARLY IN THE SPECIAL ED WORLD, IS FREQUENTLY THESE, UM, SUBSTANCE EXPOSED YOUTH ARE IN NEED OF ADDITIONAL SERVICES. 
          LIKE SPECIAL EDUCATION PLENTY A MONTH IS A BIG NUMBER BECAUSE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE, SO IF A STUDENT IS VERY SEVERELY DISABLED, YOU KNOW, TO THE LEVEL WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE STUDENTS WE SERVE AT HARTFORD ACADEMY WHO ARE NON-VERBAL, WHO REQUIRE, YOU KNOW, A A SEPARATE AID JUST TO SUPPORT THEM ALL DAY LONG, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT STUDENTS WHOSE, WHOSE SERVICES COST UPWARD OF A HUNDRED TO $200,000 PER STUDENT, YOU KNOW, COMPARED TO OUR AVERAGE PRICE PER STUDENT, WHICH IS AROUND 15,000. 
          UM, SO IF WE'RE DEALING WITH A LEGACY OF THE OPIOID CRISIS LEGALIZING MARIJUANA, WE'RE SEEING AN INCREASING RATE OF SUBSTANCE EXPOSED BECAUSE YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, WITH 20 A MONTH, YOU'RE 
          [01:30:01]
PUT A COUPLE HUNDRED NEW STUDENTS INTO OUR SPECIAL ED PIPELINE WITH EVERY KINDERGARTEN CLASS. 
          THAT'S A MONSTROUS PRICE TAG THAT EVERY COMMUNITY'S GONNA NEED TO GET AROUND, AND WE'RE SEEING IT. 
          SO THAT'S A HUGE CONCERN. 
          UM, I AM WORRIED ABOUT OUR ABILITY, CUZ YOU KNOW, THESE, THESE SERVICES ARE MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE, LIKE I SAID, THAN THE AVERAGE AVERAGE STUDENT. 
          AND, AND THAT'S SOME OF THE PRESSURE WE'RE GETTING. 
          UM, AND IT'S, WE, WE ADDRESS SOME OF IT. 
          WE HAVE SOME GROWTH, UH, IN OUR SPECIAL ED PROGRAMS THAT WE'LL ADDRESS IN THIS BUDGET, BUT WE'RE CONSTANTLY WORKING TO KEEP UP WITH THAT. 
          AND THEN MY FINAL QUESTION IS, IT'S A LINE ITEM QUESTION THAT I JUST WASN'T SURE ABOUT. 
          UH, AND IT'S IN YOUR BUDGET BOOK ON PAGE ONE 18. 
          UM, IT'S HAS THE SUMMER SCHOOLS, UH, STARTS OUT WITH FY 20, UH, 146 LAST YEAR BEING, UH, WELL 23 1 73, BUT THEN IT JUMPS TO NEARLY A MILLION. 
          SO I DID, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THAT CHANGE WAS. 
          UH, WAS THAT A, SOMETHING THAT WAS GRANT FUNDED THAT'S NO LONGER GRANT FUNDED OR? YES, SO WE USED A GOOD PORTION OF OUR, UM, SUMMER SCHOOL FUNDS COMING FROM THE PANDEMIC FUNDS, AND WITH THOSE EXPIRING THE NEEDS OF THE STUDENTS STILL EXIST. 
          SO WE WERE PROPOSING TO MOVE, UM, A GOOD BIT OF THAT INTO THE OPERATING BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          MR. PENMAN. 
          MR. JANER. 
          DENNIS, EXCUSE ME, SIR. 
          YES, SIR. 
          SO I ALWAYS HAVE TO CHIME IN BECAUSE I KNOW WE FOCUS ON THE OPERATING BUDGET, BUT IF I COULD EXPAND ON THE CAPITAL BUDGET, UM, YOU KNOW, DR. 
          BOL, UH, MENTIONED, UH, THE IMPACT, UM, FROM HEALTH AND WELLNESS AND SPECIAL ED ON A OPERATING BUDGET. 
          UH, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT OUR CAPITAL BUDGET, UM, EVERY YEAR WE'RE, UM, BEFORE THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND BEFORE THIS BODY, UM, YOU KNOW, THE BOARD HAS PRIORITIZED, UM, OUR SPECIAL ED PROGRAMS, UM, RELATIVE TO OUR FACILITIES REQUIREMENTS. 
          SO AS THE POPULATION GROWS, THERE'S AN IMPACT ON WHETHER OR NOT WE CAN ACCOMMODATE PROGRAMS IN OUR BUILDINGS. 
          SO WITH ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, UM, YOU KNOW, GROWING AND BEING AT CAPACITY, WHEN WE START TO EXPAND OUR SPECIAL AIR PROGRAMS, THERE'S A REQUIREMENT FOR US TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS IN OUR SCHOOL BUILDINGS. 
          AND WITHOUT HAVING THE APPROPRIATE CAPITAL FUNDING, IT'S HARD FOR US TO KEEP UP WITH IT. 
          NOW, UNFORTUNATELY, FOR US, UM, THE COUNTY DID, UM, YOU KNOW, MAKE A COMMITMENT TO SUPPORTING OUR SPECIAL, UM, NEEDS PROGRAMS. AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE COUNTY EXECUTIVES BUDGET IN PRIOR YEAR APPROPRIATIONS, UH, WE HAVE ALWAYS EVERY YEAR RECEIVED FUNDING FOR THE EXPANSION OF SPECIAL ED PROGRAMS, UM, TO THE TUNE OF OVER, UM, 7 MILLION IN PRIOR YEAR APPROPRIATIONS. 
          AND THIS COUNTY EXECUTIVE CONTINUED TO SUPPORT THAT WITH 2.4 MILLION, BUT THAT'S JUST FOR SPECIAL ED. 
          SO WITH THE BLUEPRINT WITH PRE-K PROGRAMS, UM, COMMUNITY SCHOOLS AND ALL OF THESE PROGRAMS THAT ARE COMING ON BOARD, UM, WE'RE STRUGGLING WITH KEEPING UP WITH THE REQUIREMENTS FROM A BUILDING. 
          SO IT IS ONE THING WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT KEEPING UP, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH, UM, SUSTAINING OUR BUILDINGS LONG TERM WITH THAT OVER A HUNDRED YEAR CYCLE, IT'S ANOTHER THING TO START TALKING ABOUT WHAT DO WE NEED TO SUPPORT SPECIAL ED. 
          UM, THE PRE-K EXPANSION, THE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS, ALL OF THOSE BLUEPRINT REQUIREMENTS IMMEDIATELY IMPACT OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AND WE'RE TRYING TO GET OUR HANDS AROUND IT. 
          UM, BUT ONE THING WE DO KNOW IS THAT THERE'S GOING TO HAVE TO, THERE SHOULD BE, WE DON'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING. 
          THERE SHOULD BE A COMMITMENT, UM, ON A CAPITAL SIDE IN ORDER TO SUPPORT ALL OF THAT BECAUSE WE CAN BRING IN ALL THE STAFFING, BUT THEY DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE SPACE TO ACCOMMODATE. 
          IF YOU GO AND VISIT OUR SCHOOLS, YOU'LL SEE HOW CRAMPED THEY ARE, AND WE'RE TRYING TO BE CREATIVE. 
          AND THEN NOW WE'RE PUTTING IN A REQUEST, UH, FOR MORE RELOCATABLE CLASSROOMS. SO WE'RE GOING TO, IMMEDIATELY, WHEN I CAME ON BOARD, WE HAD OVER 150, UM, RELOCATABLE, YOU KNOW, UNITS OUT ON OUR SCHOOL SITES. 
          WE'RE UNDER 50 NOW, AND I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT NUMBER, BUT WE'VE OVER THE YEARS, INTENTIONALLY, UM, SCALED DOWN ON THAT, UM, INVENTORY OF OUR RELOCATABLE CLASSROOMS. BUT NOW WE'RE HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT PURCHASING AT TWO, 300, $400,000 A CLIP JUST TO BUY RELOCATABLES TO ACCOMMODATE THE ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS AND THE SPACE REQUIREMENTS, THE, THE SITE. 
          UM, AND I'M, I'M SORRY, I'M, I'M VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT IT. 
          I CAN TELL CORDELL . 
          YEAH, YEAH. 
          YOU KNOW, THE SITE REQUIREMENTS HAVE CHANGED WITH STORMWATER MANAGEMENT. 
          SO WHEN WE BRING THESE UNITS ON, UM, GETTING, UM, YOU KNOW, PREPARING A SITE, IT, IT COSTS A LOT OF MONEY. 
          SO I DON'T, I DON'T WANT, YOU KNOW, TO, TO JUST OPERATING, OPERATING, OPERATING. 
          THEY'RE INEXTRICABLY LINKED CAPITAL AND OPERATING. 
          SO WHEN WE'RE NOT FUNDING THE CAPITAL BUDGET, THAT NOW IS GOING TO IMPACT THE, THE OPERATING BUDGET EVEN MORE. 
          SO THEY GO HAND IN HAND AT THE TABLE TO KEEP ME HONEST. 
          SO 
          [01:35:01]
NOW THANK YOU FOR THAT, CORNELL, I, I APPRECIATE YOUR PASSION. 
          UM, AND I'M SURE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS DO AS WELL. 
          MR. J. 
          THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT. 
          UM, GOOD. 
          UH, GOOD MORNING DR. 
          BOLSON. 
          HOW ARE YOU? AND, UH, MR. BROWN AND MR. JUDGE? GOOD MORNING. 
          THANK YOU MS. JUDGE FOR MEETING WITH MYSELF AND, AND, UH, MY, UM, UH, BUDGET PERSON ERIC REIBERT. 
          SO WE DO APPRECIATE THAT. 
          UM, CAN YOU CLARIFY, YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT THE SPORTS PROGRAM THAT YOU FUNDED FOR ME, FOR ALL THE STUDENTS, I DIDN'T HAVE TO PAY THE ACTIVITY THING. 
          YEAH, I, I KIND OF FIGURED YOU'D ASK. 
          I I, I, WHEN I MENTIONED, WELL, YOU FIGURED, RIGHT, , I HAD, I HAD LITTLE DOUBT ACTUALLY. 
          UM, SO LAST YEAR YOU ASKED IF THAT WAS SOMETHING WE COULD WIN AND WE HAD WAIVED IT THROUGH THE PANDEMIC. 
          AND, AND INTERESTINGLY, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE KNEW WE HAD FUNDS, WE HAD SURPLUS FUNDS. 
          SO EACH YEAR, YOU KNOW, FROM THE TIME THAT THE, THE ATHLETIC FEE WENT INTO PLACE, THE REVENUE FROM THAT IS UP TO ABOUT A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS. 
          AND SO WHERE WE HAVE TO BALANCE OUR BUDGET, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE EXAMPLES WE DIDN'T, YOU CAN'T JUST ELIMINATE IT CUZ IT WAS RECURRING FUNDING. 
          IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD GET EVERY YEAR. 
          AND SO RATHER THAN JUST ELIMINATE IT, WE SAID, OKAY, WE'LL WAIVE IT FOR ANOTHER YEAR. 
          IT WAS CENTRAL PAY FOR IT OUT OF OUR SURPLUS OR OUR FUND BALANCE FOR ANOTHER YEAR, AND THEN WE WILL PUT IT IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET REQUESTS. 
          SO IT'S ESSENTIALLY FUNDED AS A RECURRING THING SO THAT WE'RE NOT JUST WAIVING HALF A MILLION DOLLARS IN RECURRING FUNDS. 
          AND SO WHEN WE DID THIS YEAR'S REQUEST, THAT WAS ONE OF THE LINE ITEMS, UM, OF THE, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY LINE ITEM REQUESTS WE HAD, BUT THERE WERE MANY, AND IT WAS JUST ONE. 
          SO WHEN WE, WHEN WE IDENTIFIED WHAT WE WOULD INCLUDE IN THE REQUEST THAT WENT TO THE COUNTY, WE DID THE SALARY PACKAGE AND THAT, SO RIGHT NOW, AGAIN, WE WERE LOOKING TO HAVE THAT FUNDED IN OUR RECURRING FUNDS SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO PASS THAT ON TO PARENTS, THAT HALF MILLION DOLLARS THAT WE WOULD'VE GENERATED GETTING THE, GETTING THE FEE. 
          UM, SO WHEN, IF, BUT BEING, SEEING THAT WE'RE NOT FULLY FUNDED, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO REVISIT WHETHER WE CAN AFFORD TO WRITE THAT HALF MILLION DOLLARS OFF, UM, OR WHETHER WE NEED TO REINSTITUTE THE FEE. 
          SO THERE'S NOT A FINAL DECISION ON THAT, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE ARE IN, IN YEARS PAST, IF SOMEBODY HAD TO PAY THE FEE AND THEY WERE, UM, WAS THE P WAS THE FEE PAID FOR IN SOME CIRCUMSTANCES FOR STUDENTS, UM, AND NOT FOR OTHERS. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, IF SOMEBODY COULDN'T AFFORD IT BECAUSE OF THEIR, USUALLY, USUALLY BASED ON INCOME, THERE'S A WAIT. 
          SO, SO MY BIGGEST CONCERN WAS, WAS BEFORE WAS THAT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE STUCK IN THE MIDDLE WERE MAYBE THERE'S TWO KIDS PLAYING SPORTS, YOU KNOW, AND THEY'RE PLAYING, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE PLAYING, UH, THREE SPORTS A YEAR, TWO KIDS, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN IT'S $600. 
          NOW, I PERSONALLY VERY BIG SPORTS FOR ME, I KNOW DION PLAYED SPORTS IN, UH, IN HIGH SCHOOL TOO, SO I, SO I KNOW IT'S BIG FOR HIM. 
          SO, UM, I REALLY WOULD APPRECIATE IT, UM, THAT SOMEHOW OR ANOTHER WE MAKE SURE THAT THAT STAYS IN. 
          SO, UM, AND, AND SO ANY WHICH WAY, I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS, UM, OR SOME INFORMATION THAT I GOT FROM CRYSTAL BROOKS, UH, BASED ON PAST, FROM ACTUALLY FROM WHEN I SAT ON THE COUNCIL THE FIRST YEAR, OUR, OUR MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT, THE FIRST YEAR WAS 245 MILLION. 
          AND, AND HCP REQUESTED 260 MILLION, UH, COUNTY EXECUTIVE WOUND UP ACTUALLY FUNDING 256 MILLION, WHICH WAS 10 MILLION ABOVE THE MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT, OR 4.4% ABOVE THAT. 
          NOW I REMEMBER THESE, UH, HALLS WERE FILLED WITH PEOPLE COMPLAINING, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, BASED ON US, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAD PEOPLE IN HERE ALL THE TIME. 
          I SEE SOME PEOPLE IN THE, UH, SITTING HERE TODAY THAT WERE VERY VOCAL BACK THEN. 
          THEN THE FOLLOWING YEAR, MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT WAS THEN, THEN TWO 60 AND HCP REQUESTED 276 MILLION, WHICH WAS 16 MILLION ABOVE MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT, WHICH WE FUNDED IN FULL, WHICH WAS 6.4% THE FOLLOWING YEAR, MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT. 
          UM, YOU GUYS ASKED FOR 293 MILLION, WHICH WAS 23 MILLION, UH, WHICH WE ACTUALLY FUNDED, WHICH WAS 23 MILLION ABOVE MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT OR 8.7%. 
          AND THEN IN FISCAL YEAR 2023, UH, MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT WAS 293 MILLION. 
          HCP REQUESTED 324 MILLION. 
          UH, WE FUNDED 324 MILLION, WHICH WAS A 30 MILLION INCREASE ABOVE MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT AT 10.4%. 
          BUT WHEN I LOOK AT THIS REVENUE DATA HERE ON HCP LOCAL REVENUE DATA, IT REALLY, IT, IT SHOWS 
          [01:40:01]
THE MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT, BUT THE PERCENTAGES ARE DIFFERENT. 
          SO I JUST SEE THAT WE ACTUALLY FUNDED THE LAST 1, 2, 3, 4 YEARS ABOVE MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT. 
          AND IT LOOKS LIKE, I KNOW MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT WAS RESET TO 2 91. 
          YOU'RE ASKING FOR 3 43, WE'RE, WE'RE RECOMMENDING 3 0 4, IT'S STILL 13 MILLION ABOVE WHAT MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT WAS THE NEW MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT. 
          SO I JUST WANT TO PUT THOSE NUMBERS OUT THERE AND CLARIFY THAT UP A LITTLE BIT. 
          IF, IF YOU WANNA MAKE ANY COMMENTS ON THAT. 
          I'M NOT SURE I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU JUST SAID. 
          SO FIRST OF ALL, WE'VE GONE BACK, I THINK WE WENT BACK IN 1988 AND WE FOUND ONLY TWO INSTANCES, TWO OR THREE, ERIC GET US 2, 2, 2 INSTANCES IN THAT TIME WHEN THE COUNTY FUNDED RIGHT AT MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT. 
          SO EVERY OTHER YEAR, THIS COUNTY IS FUNDED ABOVE MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT EXCEPT FOR THE TWO. 
          ONE OF THEM I THINK WAS IN 2008 OR 2009. 
          UM, AND THEN THERE WAS ANOTHER KIND OF AROUND THAT TIME CONNECTED TO ECONOMIC DOWNTURNS AND ALL THAT. 
          SO THIS COUNTING HAS ALWAYS FUNDED ABOVE MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT, EVEN THOUGH THERE'S ALWAYS, THERE HAVE BEEN FIGHTS ABOUT HOW MUCH, YOU KNOW, IT SHOULD BE, IT'S FUNDED ABOVE MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT. 
          UM, THIS YEAR THE HOUSE BILL 1450, WHICH I BELIEVE WAS THE LAST BILL RATIFIED BY BOTH HOUSES OF THE LEGISLATURE LAST YEAR, AND, UM, WHEN IN VERY LATE CREATED A COMPLETELY UNPRECEDENTED OPPORTUNITY FOR MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT TO GO BELOW FLAT FUNDING. 
          IT HAD NEVER DONE THAT. 
          BUT THAT HAD TO DO WITH CALCULATIONS RELATED TO THE WAY FUNDING WAS DONE DURING THE PANDEMIC. 
          UM, FRANKLY I STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY OUR PORTION WAS SO LARGE. 
          I THINK IT HAD, I THINK ON TO SOME LEVEL WE WERE PENALIZED FOR FUNDING ABOVE MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT. 
          UM, BUT WITH THAT SAID, THERE'S NEVER BEEN AN OPPORTUNITY UNDER STATE LAW TO GO BELOW FLAT FUNDING. 
          AND, BUT, BUT THAT CAME UP THIS ONE YEAR AND, UM, IT HAPPENS TO COINCIDE WITH THIS, THIS PARTICULAR, UH, BUDGET PROPOSAL. 
          UM, OUR REQUEST, UH, WAS CERTAINLY ABOVE MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT, OUR INITIAL REQUEST, UM, BUT THE MINIMUM MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT THAT COULD BE GIVEN IN THIS COUNTY IS 304 MILLION THIS YEAR. 
          AGAIN, 19.5 BELOW WHAT WE RECEIVED LAST YEAR. 
          BUT THE FUNDING THAT'S BEEN PROPOSED IN THE CURRENT COUNTY EXECUTIVES BUDGET IS EXACTLY AT MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT, THE LOWEST POSSIBLE NUMBER HE CAN DO BY LAW. 
          OKAY. 
          WELL I JUST WAS READING WHERE WE WERE FUNDING ABOVE MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT FOR LAST, UH, YOU KNOW, FOUR YEARS THAT EVERY YEAR WE WERE ACTUALLY OVER MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT, 10 MILLION, 16 MILLION, 23 MILLION AND 30 MILLION. 
          YEAH, NO ARGUMENT. 
          NEARLY EVERY YEAR FOR THE LAST 30 YEARS. 
          AND THERE WERE SOME BIG, BIG SPENDING OVER ESPECIALLY THE LAST TWO YEARS. 
          LET'S FOLLOW UP ON THAT. 
          PARDON? SO JUST TO CLARIFY, THE 19 SUBTRACTED FROM, UM, HOUSE BILL 1450, WOULD THE BARE MINIMUM THAT WE HE COULD, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE COULD HAVE FUNDED IS 3 0 4, CORRECT? CORRECT. 
          OKAY. 
          NOT TO 89 OR TWO 90, IF, IF THE BILL HAD NOT GONE THROUGH MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT WOULD'VE BEEN AROUND 324 MILLION, WHICH IS WHAT WE RECEIVED IN FY 23, GIVE OR TAKE ENROLLMENT CHANGES AND SO FORTH. 
          BUT 3 24 WOULD'VE BEEN OUR MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT THIS YEAR WITH THAT HOUSE BILL IT RESET MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT, $19 MILLION LESS THE 2 91. 
          WELL, YES AND NO THAT DID THAT. 
          THE BILL HAS THAT, THERE'S NUMBERS IN THERE, BUT THAT IT, THAT IT ALL, THE ULTIMATE IMPACT ALLOWED IT TO GO 19.5 BELOW LAST YEAR'S FUNDING LEVEL. 
          OKAY. 
          SO I SEE, I I KNOW WHERE YOU'RE, CUZ THAT WAS IN THE, IN THE BILL THERE WERE NUMBERS THAT SORT OF RESET IT, BUT OUR MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT NUMBER FOR THIS YEAR WAS 3 0 4, BUT IT'S NOT CLEAR LOOKING AT THAT BILL, THAT'S A, THERE'S, THERE'S, AND THIS IS INFORMATION I GOT FROM, FROM OUR, UH, AUDITOR THAT SAID, MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024 IS 291 MILLION. 
          HCP REQUEST IS 343 MILLION, COUNTY FUNDING IS 304 MILLION. 
          THAT WAS DONE LAST. 
          SO THOSE NUMBERS THAT WENT IN THE BILL WERE DONE PRIOR TO RATIFYING BUDGETS LAST YEAR. 
          SO I THINK HOW THAT WORKS, AND WE CAN CONFIRM WITH THE NUMBERS, BUT IF WE HAD BEEN FUNDED AT MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT LAST YEAR, THAT WOULD'VE BEEN THE NUMBER BECAUSE IT WOULD'VE BEEN 19 AND A HALF BELOW WHAT OUR MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT NUMBER WAS. 
          BUT BECAUSE WE WERE FUNDED OVER MAINTENANCE 
          [01:45:01]
OF EFFORT LAST YEAR, THE ACTUAL EFFORT IS WHAT YOU RETRACT, YOU WOULD SUBTRACT FROM. 
          SO INSTEAD OF SUBTRACTING FROM WHAT THE MINIMUM THE LAST COUNTY EXECUTIVE COULD HAVE GIVEN US, THEY HAD TO SUBTRACT FROM THE 3 24 THAT WE ACTUALLY RECEIVED, WHICH IS WHAT BRINGS US TO THE 3 0 4. 
          BUT THAT'S BECAUSE THE NUMBER'S IN THAT BILL, I MEAN, THAT WAS PASSED IN APRIL OF 22. 
          UM, AND OF COURSE OUR BUDGET WASN'T RATIFIED UNTIL JUNE. 
          SO THAT'S WHY THERE'S A DISCREPANCY. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, MR. RILEY, SECOND. 
          GOOD MORNING, DR. 
          BOLSON AND STAFF. 
          I JUST HAVE A COUPLE, UH, QUESTIONS AND I'M JUST GONNA READ FROM THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE BUDGET BUDGET MESSAGE AND, AND MAYBE YOU COULD RESPOND, UM, WHEN STATE FUNDING IS COMBINED, THE 304 MILLION DID RECEIVE COUNTING FUNDING PLUS A PORTION OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM'S FUND BALANCE. 
          HARVARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS WILL BE ABLE TO FULLY FUND THEIR FY 24 BUDGET. 
          AND SO THAT WAS A STATEMENT HE MADE. 
          AND I WONDER IF YOU HAVE A RESPONSE TO THAT. 
          UM,  WE ARE RECEIVING MORE FUNDS FROM THE STATE, BUT I'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT, I'VE ADDRESSED THAT A LITTLE BIT. 
          UM, THOSE FUNDS COME AND THEY GAVE US A CHART REFLECTING THAT BRINGS ATTACHED YES. 
          UM, OUR, OUR FUNDING RE REQUEST ALREADY ACCOUNTED FOR THE INCREASE FROM THE STATE BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, THERE ARE MANY NEW EXPENDITURES THAT ARE COMING FROM THE STATE THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH WHAT WAS BUILT INTO OUR REQUEST OF 19 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS. 
          UM, SO TO SUGGEST THERE'S MONEY THERE SURE. 
          BUT CAN WE FULLY FUND WITH, WITH A PROPOSAL THAT'S 39 MILLION BELOW WHAT WE REQUESTED? I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW, I MEAN, BECAUSE THAT PROPOSAL WE SUBMITTED HAD ALREADY ACCOUNTED FOR WHAT WE ANTICIPATED AS AN INCREASE FROM THE STATE. 
          SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THAT STATEMENT MAKES ANY SENSE. 
          ROBBIE, CAN YOU RESPOND? WELL, I MEAN, I THINK IT GOES BACK TO THE, UM, TO THE USE OF OF FUND BALANCE AND THE, THE IDEA OF, OF A, UM, ONGOING REVENUES VERSUS ONGOING EXPENDITURES. 
          UM, I THINK THE POINT IS IS THAT THE FUND BALANCE HAS A UNASSIGNED NUMBER OF 30 $35 MILLION. 
          AND THEN WITHIN THEIR ASSIGNED BUDGETS, THERE ARE SOME ELECTIONS THERE AS WELL. 
          SOME, SOME ARE HARDER TO REMOVE THAN OTHERS. 
          BUT THERE, THERE'S, THERE'S FUNDING ABOVE THE REQUIREMENT FOR, FOR THE HEALTH CONSORTIUM. 
          THERE'S, THERE'S FUNDING IN THERE FOR LEASES, FOR FUEL, FOR THINGS LIKE THIS ALL VALID, YOU KNOW, UM, CONCERNS, UM, BUT ARE KIND OF VOLUNTARY ASSIGNMENTS. 
          UM, SO THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE'S POINT WAS, IS THAT IF THEY WANTED TO, TO FUND, UM, THEIR BUDGET ON A YEAR BASIS, THAT UM, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT THEY, THAT THEY COULD UNDERSTANDING THEN THIS IS THE SAME THING THAT WOULD BE THE CASE IF THE COUNTY WERE TO FUND ANYTHING ABOVE AND BEYOND. 
          AT THIS POINT WE'RE ALL TALKING ABOUT FUND BALANCE, WHETHER IT'S THEIR FUND BALANCE, WHETHER IT'S OUR FUND BALANCE. 
          WE HAVE EXHAUSTED THE CURRENT REVENUES, UM, BY, AND THE, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVES BUDGET HAS 63 MILLION OF, OF, UM, FUND BALANCE IN IT, UH, FAR MORE THAN ANY ANYONE ELSE. 
          UM, SO ANY ATTEMPT TO CHANGE THAT, UM, CHANGE APPROPRIATIONS IS REALLY GONNA REQUIRE SOMEONE TO USE FUND BALANCE, WHETHER IT'S US, WHETHER IT'S THE SCHOOLS, WHETHER IT'S THE LIBRARY, THAT'S KIND OF WHERE IT ALL IS COMING AND UNDERSTAND THEY'RE ALL CORRECT IN THAT. 
          UM, WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT PUTTING IT IN THERE FOR ONGOING EXPENDITURES LIKE WAGES AND POSITIONS, THOSE ARE ONGOING EXPENDITURES. 
          UM, AND, AND THAT IS UNDERSTAND THEY'RE ONGOING, BUT THESE FOLKS WILL BE BACK NEXT YEAR ALSO, CORRECT? WELL, I MEAN THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT IS, THAT IS CORRECT. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, YEP. 
          AND SO THAT WOULD, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD, WE WILL, WE WILL CERTAINLY FIND OUR, YOU KNOW, TO THE EXTENT THAT EITHER ONE OF US USES FUND BALANCE, WE ARE GO, ARE ALL GOING TO FIND OURSELVES IN, IN, IN THAT, THAT SITUATION, IF THIS WAS ABOUT ONE TIME EXPENDITURES, IT'S A LOT, IT'S A LOT, IT'S A LOT DIFFERENT. 
          BUT YOU, YOU COULD TAKE THE STRATEGY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE IF AS THE REVENUES GET BETTER THAT SOME OF THIS STUFF, SOME OF THAT STRUCTURAL DEFICIT MIGHT, MIGHT GO AWAY. 
          WE MIGHT BE IN A BETTER POSITION. 
          THAT'S ALWAYS THE THING WITH FUN BALANCE. 
          YOU KIND OF GOT TWO THINGS. 
          YOU CAN USE IT, YOU CAN USE IT FOR, YOU CAN EITHER COME IN AND SAY STRAIGHT UP ONE TIME EXPENDITURES OR YOU CAN SAY, ALL RIGHT, WE GOTTA GET THROUGH THIS BRIDGE, WE NEED TO BRIDGE IT. 
          AND THEN WE THINK THE REVENUE SITUATION'S GONNA BE BETTER ON THE OTHER END, WHETHER THAT'S ADDITIONAL STATE REVENUE OR ADDITIONAL COUNTY REVENUE. 
          UM, BUT THEN BOTH OF THOSE ARE CERTAINLY, UM, UM, UH, A LITTLE BIT OF A GAMBLE. 
          A LITTLE BIT OF A GAMBLE. 
          OKAY. 
          ANY RESPONSE? I MEAN, I THINK MR. SANDS KIND OF COVERED IT. 
          I MEAN IF OKAY, WE HAVE ENOUGH FUN BALANCE. 
          SO I GUESS THE STRAIGHT UP STATEMENT IS IF WE USED ALL OF OUR FUN BALANCE, YES WE COULD FILL THIS GAP, BUT THAT WOULD LEAVE ME WITH A REALLY FRIGHTENING SITUATION FOR NEXT YEAR BECAUSE, UM, ALL OF THAT WOULD NEED TO BE FUNDED NEXT YEAR AS WELL BECAUSE THEY'RE RECURRING. 
          AND SO, BUT YOU'LL BE BACK HERE NEXT YEAR, SO I DON'T KNOW. 
          I'M CERTAINLY HOPING TO BE BACK HERE NEXT YEAR. 
          OH, OKAY. 
          YES. 
          YEAH. 
          , WE 
          [01:50:01]
ALL ARE . 
          SO IN ALL FAIRNESS, IF THE COUNTY USED IT FUNDS BALANCE, IT WOULD BE IN THE SAME SITUATION AS THE SCHOOL AND, AND THAT THAT REALLY IS AT THE HEART OF ALL THIS. 
          SURE. 
          IT'S, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE WE'RE BOTH TALKING ABOUT ABOUT PRIOR YEAR SURPLUSES, WHICH WERE MADE AVAILABLE, UM, KIND OF DUE TO A, A COMBINATION OF, OF, OF WEIRD PARTS WITH THE PANDEMIC AND ADDITIONAL REVENUES, WHETHER IN YOUR END IT WAS GRANTS THAT WEREN'T EXPECTED, WHETHER ON OUR END IT WAS MAYBE SOME OF THE INCOME TAX. 
          UM YEP. 
          IT'S ALL, IT'S ALL ONE TIME. 
          IT'S ALL ONE TIME REVENUE. 
          WELL, I WOULD TAKE EXCEPTION TO THE FACT THAT UH, IF, IF THE SCHOOL COMES INTO SOME KIND OF PROBLEM, THEY, THEY'RE ALWAYS GONNA COME BACK TO US. 
          WELL, AND YOU HAVE NOWHERE TO GO. 
          AND, AND THAT IS, THAT IS, THAT IS CERTAINLY TRUE. 
          ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THE COUNTY'S FUND BALANCE IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN THE OTHER, OTHER ENTITIES, UM, IS THAT THE, THE COUNTY HAS REVENUE VOLATILITY IN THAT OUTSIDE ENTITIES KNOW, OKAY, WELL, LIKE THIS IS, THIS IS THEIR BUDGET AND THEY HAVE MADE WORK WITH MAYBE LESS THAN WHAT THEY WOULD THAN, THAN WHAT THEY'VE REQUESTED OR WHAT THEY, OR WHAT THEY NEED TO OPERATE. 
          UM, BUT THEY GENERALLY DON'T, DON'T HAVE THE SAME VOLATILITY THAT WE DO. 
          LIKE, OOH, I WONDER WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN TO INCOME TAX. 
          MAYBE IT'S GONNA BE, MAYBE IT'S GONNA BE DOWN 5% OR MAYBE IT'S NOT. 
          AND THEN THE OTHER THING, WHICH OF COURSE THE COUNTY HAS IS WE HAVE ALL OF THE DEBT, UM, AND WE NEED TO HAVE, UM, ADEQUATE FUND BALANCE RESERVES, UM, TO ASSURE THE INVESTMENT COMMUNITY THAT WE ARE NOT GONNA MISS ANY OF OUR DEBT SERVICE. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, ANY OF OUR, UM, DEBT PAYMENTS. 
          AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY COUNTIES ALSO, YOU TYPICALLY HAVE HIGHER FUND BALANCES BECAUSE OF BOTH THOSE TWO, THOSE TWO FACTORS. 
          WELL, THE OTHER THING, RAVI, IS THEY ALSO, IF THEY DO GET INTO A PICKLE SO TO SPEAK, THEY'RE GONNA COME TO THE COUNTY AND SAY, WE NEED MORE MONEY. 
          CUZ THINGS AREN'T, AREN'T MATCHING HERE. 
          YOU CAN'T DO THAT. 
          YEAH. 
          NOT, NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL. 
          I I DON'T KNOW WHO WE WOULD ASK FOR. 
          I MEAN, REALISTICALLY EXACTLY. 
          ASK. 
          WE'RE NOT GONNA ASK THE STATE. 
          WE'LL PASS THE HAT AROUND HERE AND WE CAN'T ASK THE TOWNS. 
          UM, AND THAT IS THE PROBLEM WITH THE COUNTY IS THAT WE ARE OFTENTIMES, UM, WE WE, WE, WE DON'T HAVE ANY BACKUP. 
          AND I THINK THAT'S THE THE POINT I WANTED TO MAKE. 
          THEY ALWAYS HAVE THE ABILITY TO COME BACK TO US. 
          YOU GUYS DON'T. 
          UH, THE OTHER THING I WANT TO SAY IS IN HIS MESSAGE, HE SAYS, UH, IN ALL SIX FIGURE SALARIES IN CENTRAL OF STOOD NEARLY 20 MILLION IN, IN FUNDING AND, UH, HIS MESSAGE TO PRIORITIZE FOR THOSE WHO WORK INSIDE OUR SCHOOLS, NOT THOSE WHO WORK OR TELEWORK OUTSIDE. 
          SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE A RESPONSE TO THAT PARTICULAR, UH, UH, STATEMENT. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          I'VE TRIED, I MEAN, I HAVE TRIED TO ADDRESS THAT THROUGH THE OVERALL PICTURE OF OUR EFFICIENCY IN CENTRAL OFFICES. 
          I SAID THE LEAST EXPENSIVE. 
          YES. 
          SO YES, THERE ARE SOME HIGH, HIGH SALARY PEOPLE THERE. 
          UM, THOSE SALARIES ARE UNDER MARKET FOR THIS REGION. 
          AND THE SIZE OF OUR CENTRAL OFFICE, AGAIN, PER PUPIL IS SMALLER THAN EVERYONE OTHER ONE IN THE STATE. 
          UM, AND JUST AS WE TALKED ABOUT THE POSITIONS, IF YOU, IF YOU LOOK AT THE INVESTMENTS IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, THE PERCENTAGE OF THE INVESTMENTS GOING INTO POSITIONS THAT ARE STUDENT FACING OR DIRECTLY STUDENT SERVING, UM, THAT'S STILL THE HIGHEST PORTION. 
          THAT'S WHERE THE INVESTMENTS HAVE BEEN. 
          UM, SO TO BE ABLE TO CHERRY PICK, YOU KNOW, THE, THE SALARIES OF THE TOP LEADERS IN THE DISTRICT, AGAIN, WHICH ARE VERY CONSISTENT WITH OTHER OFFICES LIKE THIS. 
          I MEAN, WE HAVE BETWEEN FIVE AND 6,000 EMPLOYEES WE'RE SERVING. 
          IT'S A LOT OF PEOPLE. 
          IT'S A LARGE ENTERPRISE. 
          AND SO, YOU KNOW, I I MEAN I CAN DO WHAT I, I, I'LL SAY WHATEVER YOU WANT, BUT WE RUN A VERY EFFICIENT OPERATION. 
          I THINK THOSE SALARIES ARE APPROPRIATE. 
          UM, MOST OF OUR NEIGHBORS IN SIMILAR POSITIONS MAKE MORE SO. 
          AND DO YOU STILL HAVE FOLKS TELEWORKING? YES. 
          UM, WE HAVE IN THE CENTRAL OFFICE WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 25 PEOPLE WHO ARE APPROVED FOR FULL-TIME TELEWORK. 
          AND AGAIN, THE PANDEMIC CERTAINLY TAUGHT US THAT THAT'S AN EFFECTIVE MODEL AND SOME CASES, BUT NOT IN EVERY CASE. 
          AGAIN, 25 PEOPLE, A LOT OF A COUPLE HUNDRED PEOPLE WHO ARE OVER THERE, IT'S A FAIRLY SMALL PERCENTAGE. 
          UM, BUT THAT IN A WAY IS ALSO AN EFFICIENCY FOR THE COUNTY BECAUSE OTHERWISE THAT'S SPACE. 
          WE NEED TO BE LEASING SOMEWHERE TO GIVE PEOPLE OFFICES BECAUSE WE'VE BACK FILTERED. 
          THERE'S NO, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T WALK OVER THERE AND SEE AN EMPTY SPACE ANYWHERE IN OUR BUILDING. 
          UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, WHILE THERE ARE THOSE WHO MAYBE DISAGREE WITH THE PREMISE OF TELEWORKING THAT'S IN OUR CURRENT, YOU KNOW, ENVIRONMENT. 
          MANY COMPANIES IN THIS COMMUNITY ARE STILL TELEWORKING, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF EMPLOYEES ARE STILL TELEWORKING. 
          AND SO AGAIN, WE'RE SUSTAINING OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE, WE'RE SUSTAINING WHAT WE NEED TO DO FOR OUR COMMUNITY. 
          BUT YES, WE HAVE SOME PEOPLE WHO, WHO HAVE THAT OPTION. 
          THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. 
          THANK YOU, MR. RILEY. 
          MR. BENNETT, HELLO. 
          UM, I IMAGINE YOU WEAR A BOW TIE BECAUSE, UH, OTHERWISE WITH THE ROLLERCOASTER YOU'VE BEEN ON, THERE WOULD BE A TIE FLAPPING IN YOUR FACE AT ALL TIMES. 
          UM, I'M SURE YOU REMEMBER THE NIGHT THAT IT WAS ANNOUNCED THAT YOU WOULD BE SUPERINTENDENT OF HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 
          UM, THERE WERE, UH, HUNDREDS OF SCHOOL TEACHERS IN THE BOARD OF EDUCATION BUILDING, UH, YOU KNOW, ABOUT TO TEAR THE, THE WALLS OFF THE BUILDING 
          [01:55:01]
BECAUSE WE WERE FACING STAFFING CUTS AND, UH, AND A TOUGH BUDGET THAT YEAR. 
          UM, AND SINCE THEN, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF, UH, OF TOUGH BUDGETARY DECISIONS THAT THE SCHOOL SYSTEMS HAD TO FACE. 
          UM, I WAS HOPING YOU COULD SPEAK TO THE PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS THAT WERE CAUSED BY US FACING, OR, SORRY, NOT US, THE SCHOOL SYSTEM FACING NO FUN BALANCE, YOU KNOW, IN THE YEAR WHERE WE HAD NO, OR THE SCHOOL SYSTEM HAD NO FUN BALANCE, AND, UH, THERE WAS A, UH, CAPITAL PROJECT EMERGENCY AT HARTFORD ACADEMY, WHAT THAT CAUSED PRACTICALLY TO HAPPEN TO ALL SCHOOLS WITHIN HARTFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 
          UM, THANK YOU. 
          SO, YEAH, I, I ARRIVED, THIS WAS IN JUNE OF 2018 TO SIGN MY CONTRACT. 
          THE ROOM WAS FULL, AND THEY WEREN'T THERE TO MEET THE NEW SUPERINTENDENT. 
          THEY  THEY HAD AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT AGENDA. 
          MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE BOARD MET TILL ABOUT 2:00 AM. 
          UM, BEFORE THAT NIGHT WAS OVER, THEY HAD SPENT THE DISTRICT'S AVAILABLE FUND BALANCE DOWN TO APPROXIMATELY A MILLION DOLLARS. 
          UM, WE DID HAVE A CAPITAL EMERGENCY EARLY IN THAT YEAR. 
          I THINK IT WAS AN HVAC THING THAT, UM, WOULD'VE NEARLY EXHAUSTED ALL OF THAT. 
          AND WE ALSO HAD A 4 MILLION HEALTHCARE CALL THAT YEAR. 
          FORTUNATELY, WE HAD FUNDS IN THE, IN THE RATE STABILIZATION FUND THAT WERE ABLE TO COVER THE HEALTHCARE CALL. 
          BUT OVER TIME, WE HAD TO BUILD THAT BACK. 
          UM, WHAT THAT MEANT, WE DID A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT YEAR. 
          WE DID HIRING FREEZES. 
          WE DID SPENDING FREEZES. 
          WE DID A VARIETY OF THINGS TO, TO MAKE SURE, UM, BECAUSE PART OF BALANCING THE BUDGET INTO THE NEXT YEAR WAS ALLOWING US, UM, TO START BUILDING BACK A LITTLE SORT OF FINANCIAL VIABILITY. 
          UM, BECAUSE IN ADDITION TO USING ALL THE FUND BALANCE THAT YEAR, THEY ALSO MADE SOME OTHER CUTS, SOME OF WHICH WERE, WERE STILL STRUGGLING WITH NOW BECAUSE THEY CUT SUPPORT FOR TEACHERS, UH, THEY CUT THE COACHES. 
          AND IN THIS CURRENT ENVIRONMENT WHERE WE HAVE THE TEACHERS WHO ARE COMING IN ON ADDITIONAL CERTIFICATIONS WHO NEED THAT SUPPORT, WE STILL HAVE FEWER COACHES IN THE DISTRICT THAN WE DID, UM, IN 2018. 
          AND SO WE'VE HAD SOME LINGERING EFFECTS OF THAT YEAR. 
          AND, UM, I KNOW THERE WERE OTHER SP SPECIFIC EXAMPLES WHERE SMALL THINGS WERE WERE CUT BECAUSE WE REALLY TIGHTENED BELTS QUITE A LOT. 
          UM, AND WE STAINED A LOT OF THAT OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS. 
          BUT, UH, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE DONE IT. 
          I MEAN, THAT YEAR WAS, I BELIEVE, THE 10TH YEAR OF CUTTING POSITIONS IN A ROW. 
          UH, WE WENT THROUGH ONE MORE YEAR. 
          WE, WE CUT POSITIONS FOR 11 STRAIGHT YEARS IN ORDER TO BALANCE OUR BUDGET. 
          AND, UM, YOU KNOW, TO BE STARTING THAT AGAIN IS REALLY CONCERNING. 
          CUZ WE'VE, WE'VE BARELY RECOVERED. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, ALONG THOSE SAME LINES FROM A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE PERSPECTIVE, YOU KNOW, SPENDING WAS FROZEN AT SCHOOLS, WHICH MEANS IF A SCHOOL HAD NOT PURCHASED ENOUGH SOAP TO MAKE IT THROUGH THE REST OF THE YEAR AND YOU RAN OUT OF SOAP, THERE WAS NO SOAP IN THE BATHROOM AT THE SCHOOL, WHICH MEANS AS A SECOND YEAR TEACHER, I BOUGHT SOAP FOR THE BATHROOMS BECAUSE WHEN MY KINDERGARTNERS SHOW UP IN A BATHROOM, FIRST OFF, I HAVE TO TEACH THEM HOW TO WASH THEIR HANDS IN A PUBLIC BATHROOM. 
          BUT THEY NEED SOAP, YOU KNOW, SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I WENT AND I BOUGHT SOAP, I BOUGHT SOAP DISPENSERS CUZ IT, I COULDN'T BUY SOAP THAT HOOKS UP TO A, A, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC BATHROOM SOAP DISPENSER. 
          AND IT'S JUST A LESSON LEARNED THAT WHEN WE CUT FUNDING TO A SCHOOL SYSTEM, THE PEOPLE WHO PICK UP THAT FUNDING COST ARE THE EMPLOYEES OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. 
          YOU KNOW, UM, I KNOW PEOPLE WHO ARE INCLUSION HELPERS PAY LESS THAN $20,000 A YEAR WHO SPEND MONEY OUT OF THEIR OWN POCKET ON THE CHILD THEY SERVICE EVERY DAY BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE DO WHO WORK WITH KIDS. 
          UM, AND YOU KNOW, ANYWHERE THAT THERE IS A LACK IN FUNDING, THE SILENT PART, NOT MENTIONED IN THE STATEMENT FROM THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE IS IT'S THE PEOPLE WHO WORK WITH THE STAFF WHO WILL PICK UP THE GAP. 
          IT'S THE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE CLASS. 
          YOU KNOW, IN 20 21, 20 22 SCHOOL YEAR, I SPENT $8,000 PERSONALLY IN MY EXPERIENCE AS A SCHOOL TEACHER ON MY CLASSROOM BUYING PUMPKINS FOR MY KIDS. 
          YOU KNOW, GIVING THEM EXPERIENCES THEY WOULDN'T OTHERWISE HAVE. 
          UH, REBUILDING THE SET OF THE LAND TO MAKE BELIEVE INSIDE MY CLASSROOM SO THAT MY CHILDREN WHO, YOU KNOW, LIVING IN POVERTY SHORTCHANGED EVERYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD, DON'T EXPERIENCE THAT IN HARTFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 
          BUT IN ORDER TO DO THAT, TEACHERS SHORTCHANGE THEMSELVES. 
          UM, AND IT'S JUST IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF TALK, YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE MR. GIDA, MR. G, FOR SHARING 
          [02:00:01]
ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE FUND ABOVE MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT. 
          IN PREVIOUS YEARS, LOOKING BACK FROM 2013 FORWARD INFLATION NATURAL NATIONALLY HAS BEEN 29.94%. 
          UM, NOW SINCE THAT TIME TO NOW, THE SCHOOL SYSTEM HAS FACED INCREDIBLE MAINTENANCE, UH, UH, MANDATES FROM THE STATE, NOT JUST THROUGH THE BLUEPRINT, BUT THROUGH LIKE THE VARIETY TO READ ACT, WHICH REQUIRES FOR ALL KINDERGARTNERS, FIRST GRADERS, SECOND GRADERS TO BE SCREENED FOR LEARNING, UH, DISABILITIES. 
          AND THEN TO RECEIVE TIER TWO INTERVENTIONS, WHICH MEANS SOMEBODY PROVIDING ADDITIONAL READING SUPPORT THROUGHOUT THE DAY THAT COSTS MONEY. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING MORE PRE-K PROGRAMMING THAT COSTS MONEY, IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING COMMUNITY SCHOOLS THAT COSTS MONEY. 
          BUT EVEN WITH ALL THOSE ADDITIONAL PROGRAMMINGS THAT ARE NOW OFFERED IN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEMS, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE WE TURNED A PIZZA PARLOR INTO A CHUCK E CHEESE. 
          WE HAVE ALL THESE, YOU KNOW, UH, THINGS TO MAINTAIN. 
          NOW, UM, HT P S FUNDING OVER THOSE 10 YEARS HAS ONLY GONE UP 37.65%. 
          SO EVEN WITH ADDING ALL OF THAT, HCPS HAS BEEN ABLE TO MATCH CLOSELY TO INFLATION COMPARED TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS IN THE COUNTY. 
          OTHER AGENCIES IN THE COUNTY THAT HAVE HAD THEIR FUNDING OVER THAT SAME TIME GO 70% OR HIGHER, UH, IN, IN THEIR FUNDING. 
          SO I JUST THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE RECOGNIZE ON A HISTORICAL SCALE THAT WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT A SYSTEM THAT HAS RECEIVED THIS TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF OVERFUNDING AND SUPPORT. 
          IT'S A SYSTEM THAT, WHILE UNDERFUNDED HAS BEEN ABLE TO DO MORE WITH LESS OVER AND OVER AGAIN. 
          BUT YOU CAN ONLY DO THAT SO MANY TIMES. 
          YOU KNOW, YOU CAN ONLY TURN A PANCAKE INTO A CREPE FOR SO LONG BEFORE IT JUST AS A LITTLE DRIBBLES ON THE, THE PAN. 
          UM, AND THEN ALONG WITH STAFFING, YOU KNOW, IN MARYLAND IN THE MOST RECENT YEAR TO DATE, UH, ONLY 1,593 COLLEGE GRADUATES HAD EARNED A TEACHING DEGREE. 
          THAT YEAR. 
          YOU DIVIDE THAT BY 24 SCHOOL SYSTEMS, THAT'S 66 TEACHER CANDIDATES AVAILABLE PER SYSTEM. 
          NOW, HARTFORD COUNTY'S VERY LUCKY TO HAVE TUNE AS A, A PARTNER AND SUPPORT THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, I THINK OVERWHELMINGLY WE PULL ALL THOSE GRADUATES AS A SCHOOL SYSTEM. 
          TOWSON'S A CLOSE PARTNER, BUT EVEN SO, TO FILL THE 200, 300 VACANCIES EVERY YEAR, YOU'RE EITHER LEFT TO GET UNDERQUALIFIED CANDIDATES WHO DON'T HAVE A TEACHING CERTIFICATION, OR YOU HAVE TO PULL FROM OTHER COUNTIES, WHICH IN A WORLD WHERE WE'RE NOT GRADUATING ENOUGH PEOPLE OF DEGREES, YOU HAVE TO BE COMPETITIVE WITH OTHER COUNTIES. 
          OR THE REVERSE HAPPENS, OTHER COUNTIES PULL YOUR STAFF AND THEN YOU'RE LEFT WITH A GREATER STAFFING, UH, DEFICIT. 
          UM, I WAS JUST WONDERING IF YOU COULD SPEAK TO THE IMPACT BALTIMORE COUNTY GOVERNMENT FULLY FUNDING ABOVE MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT, UM, UH, BALTIMORE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS GONNA HAVE ON OUR ABILITY TO HOLD ON TO CERTIFIED STAFF WHO HAVE TEACHING DEGREES AND YEARS OF EXPERIENCE. 
          AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE POOL OF CANDIDATES THAT WILL GET TO REPLACE THOSE STAFF? WELL, THE, PROBABLY THE SHORT ANSWER IS WE DON'T KNOW UNTIL IT'S TOO LATE, RIGHT? MM-HMM. 
          , UM, THIS YEAR, THIS SEPTEMBER, WALKING AROUND CLASSROOMS, YOU KNOW, THE PRINCIPALS WERE ALWAYS EXCITED. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, THIS ONE THAT'S, SHE'S FROM BALTIMORE, YOU KNOW, HE'S FROM ANNE ARUNDEL, HE'S FROM, WE RECRUITED A LOT OF PEOPLE OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS FROM OTHER DISTRICTS. 
          UM, AND IN FACT, ONE THING THAT STARTED JUST A FEW YEARS AGO, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT WAS ABOUT 2019, AND I WENT TO HR AND SAID, LISTEN, WE NEED TO ACCELERATE OUR HIRING AND START HIRING MUCH QUICKER IN JANUARY. 
          SO WE STARTED VERY EARLY THIS YEAR AND WE'VE BEEN HIRING VERY AGGRESSIVELY. 
          SO WE'VE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE DOOR ALREADY. 
          BUT WHAT I DON'T KNOW IS IF, AGAIN, WITH THESE CURRENT DISCUSSIONS, WITH THIS SORT OF PERVASIVE FEAR THAT, YOU KNOW, SUPPORT FOR EDUCATION IS, IS DISAPPEARING, THAT HARVARD WILL BE AT A DISADVANTAGE IF WE'RE GOING TO SEE AN UPTICK IN RESIGNATIONS OF PEOPLE MOVING. 
          UM, IT'S VERY POSSIBLE. 
          I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO PLAN FOR THAT. 
          UM, BUT THE QUESTION IS, WE DON'T KNOW HOW AGGRESSIVELY TO HIRE BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW HOW MANY POSITIONS WE MAY HAVE TO ELIMINATE TO BALANCE THIS BUDGET. 
          SO THE UNCERTAINTY OF NOT KNOWING HOW MANY POSITIONS TO HIRE FOR, UH, THE, THE OTHER IMPACT OF NOT KNOWING IF THIS IS GOING TO BE THE CATALYST, WHICH CAUSES PEOPLE TO, TO MAKE THAT LEAP. 
          CUZ AGAIN, WE CERTAINLY PULLED PEOPLE IN FROM BALTIMORE. 
          I'D LIKE TO THINK IT WASN'T JUST BECAUSE OF THE COLA THAT WE WERE ABLE TO OFFER LAST YEAR, CUZ LAST YEAR WE DID THE HIGHEST IN THE STATE. 
          UM, AND YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WEIGHS INTO SOME PEOPLE'S DECISIONS. 
          BUT I FEEL LIKE WE'VE BECOME, UH, AND, AND MR. RICHARDSON, OUR SUPERINTENDENT OF HR HAS SAID THIS, YOU KNOW, WE'VE 
          [02:05:01]
BECOME AN EMPLOYER OF CHOICE BECAUSE WE'VE OFFERED OPEN CONTRACTS TO PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE STATE, EVERY COUNTY IN THE STATE, AND THEY'RE CHOOSING TO COME HERE TO WORK, BUT IT'S NOT JUST SALARY. 
          UM, BUT IF THERE IS A PERVASIVE SENSE THAT A COMMUNITY DOESN'T SUPPORT ITS EDUCATORS, UM, THAT TREND COULD TURN AND MAKE IT HARDER FOR OUR RECRUITERS. 
          SO WE STILL HAVE A GAP TO FILL. 
          LIKE I SAID, WE DON'T KNOW HOW MANY TO HIRE BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW HOW MANY POSITIONS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE FOR NEXT YEAR. 
          SO THAT'S A CONCERN. 
          BUT I AM WORRIED THIS IS, YOU KNOW, SUSTAINING SALARY IS ONE PIECE, RIGHT? THAT RECRUITS PEOPLE. 
          IT'S CERTAINLY NOT THE ONLY PIECE THEY LOOK AT. 
          THEY LOOK AT THE SUPPORTS WE HAVE FOR TEACHERS. 
          YOU KNOW, IN THE YEARS AFTER WE CUT COACHES TO BALANCE THE BUDGET, THAT MADE IT HARDER BECAUSE THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS A DECISION POINT FOR A LOT OF THE PEOPLE WHO CHOSE TO COME TO WORK HERE CUZ THEY RECOGNIZE THE NEED FOR THAT SUPPORT WHEN THEY COME IN. 
          SO THERE'S A LOT OF LITTLE THINGS THAT, IT MAY BE SALARY PACKAGE OR IT MAY BE SOME OF THE OTHER TYPES OF SUPPORTS WE MAY HAVE TO TRIM DOWN IN ORDER TO BALANCE THIS BUDGET. 
          UM, AND ALONG THOSE SAME LINES, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 1,500 PEOPLE GETTING TEACHING DEGREES, IT'S DISPROPORTIONATE. 
          YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOT THE SAME NEED FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD MAJORS AS THERE IS FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION MAJORS, ESPECIALLY SPECIAL EDUCATION MAJORS. 
          VERY COMPETITIVE TO GET SOMEBODY WITH A SPECIAL EDUCATION CERTIFICATION AND DEGREE INTO A SCHOOL SYSTEM. 
          UM, WHICH IS WHY THE SCHOOL SYSTEM HAS USED OP UH, YOU KNOW, GETTING THOSE CONTRACTS INTO PEOPLE'S HANDS EARLY AS A WAY TO TRY AND SECURE THOSE PEOPLE. 
          BECAUSE IT'S ESPECIALLY HARD TO MAKE SURE SOMEBODY'S SERVICED, UH, SOMEBODY GETS THE SERVICES THEY NEED IF THE PERSON DOING THE SERVICES DOES NOT HAVE A CERTIFICATION TO KNOW WHAT THOSE SERVICES ARE. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, THAT CREATES A TREMENDOUS NEED. 
          BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS RIGHT NOW, THOSE EARLY CONTRACTS THAT WE, THE SCHOOL SYSTEM HAS GOTTEN WITH STAFF, FUTURE STAFF, UH, HAVE NOW BEEN OPENED UP FOR THEM TO INTERVIEW ELSEWHERE BECAUSE OF THE UNCERTAINTY WITH STAFFING RIGHT. 
          NOW. 
          IS THAT TRUE THAT NORMALLY YOUR SECURITY? NOT, NOT THAT I'VE BEEN TOLD. 
          OKAY. 
          WE HAVEN'T MADE ANY CHANGES ON THE OPEN CONTRACT. 
          UM, I BELIEVE WE'RE GOING TO NEED EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THE ONES WE'VE HIRED BECAUSE WE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, WE DO AN EARLY INCENTIVE TO GET PEOPLE TO LET US KNOW IF THEY'RE RETIRING OR RESIGNING. 
          SO WE HAVE A GOOD SENSE OF THE VACANCIES WE HAVE. 
          UM, SO I DO NOT EXPECT, I MEAN, I HOPE TO RELEASE NONE OF THOSE PEOPLE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THOSE WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO GET. 
          BUT LIKE I SAID, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IF THIS WILL CHALLENGE OUR HIRING GOING FORWARD. 
          UM, BUT THE OTHER PART IS WE NEED TO GET THE BUDGET FIGURED OUT SO WE KNOW HOW MANY POSITIONS TO HIRE FOR. 
          THAT IS REALLY PROBABLY THE BIGGEST VARIABLE NOW THAT THIS, YOU KNOW, IN THE LAST THREE YEARS WHEN WE WERE FULLY FUNDED AND IN FACT ESSENTIALLY THE LAST FOUR YEARS, UM, WE KNEW WHEN THE PROPOSAL CAME OUT, HOW MANY POSITIONS WE'D HAVE SO WE COULD CONFIDENTLY BE HIRING IN APRIL. 
          IT'S SCARY TO WAIT UNTIL JUNE BECAUSE THERE'S A BIG HIRING GAP. 
          I MEAN, THAT'S WHEN MOST OF IT HAPPENS. 
          AND SO THE FACT THAT WE'RE IN THIS PLACE OF UNCERTAINTY NOW IS, UM, IS REALLY CONCERNING. 
          AND IT'S A NOTHING AGAINST OUR NON, UH, CREDENTIALED, YOU KNOW, STAFF CUZ EVERYBODY'S DOING THE WORK AND EVERY, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S RESPECTED. 
          BUT, UM, IT'S, IT'S VERY DIFFERENT, ESPECIALLY IN A SCHOOL SYSTEM WHERE WE DON'T HAVE CASE MANAGERS DOING THE PAPERWORK FOR OUR STUDENTS WITH, WITH IEPS TO HAVE SOMEBODY WHO DOESN'T HAVE A SPECIAL EDUCATION BACKGROUND, DOESN'T HAVE A SPECIAL EDUCATION DEGREE, UH, SERVICING CHILDREN WITH IEPS. 
          AND YOU HAVE TO DO THAT KIND OF STUFF MORE AND MORE WHEN YOU CAN'T ATTRACT PEOPLE FROM OTHER COUNTIES. 
          AND WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE GRADUATING FROM UNIVERSITIES. 
          YOU'RE LEFT WITH HIRING ANYBODY WHO HAS A COLLEGE DEGREE OFF THE STREET, WHICH THEN HURTS THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION, WHICH THEN IMPACTS HOW MUCH WE HAVE TO SPEND ON OTHER SERVICES WITHIN THE COUNTY. 
          IT'S A VERY EXPENSIVE, UH, PROCESS LONG TERM ON THE IMPACT OF OUR CHILDREN ACROSS THE COUNTY. 
          UH, YOU SPOKE SOME ABOUT OUR, THE COUN, UH, THE SCHOOL SYSTEM'S PRIORITY SCHOOLS. 
          UM, OUTSIDE OF MY ROLE AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, I, I WORK AT A PRIORITY SCHOOL. 
          UH, YOU KNOW, A MAGNOLIA MIDDLE SCHOOL IS A SCHOOL THAT RANKS 13TH PERCENTILE FOR ALL MIDDLE SCHOOLS IN THE STATE. 
          ACCORDING TO THE MARYLAND REPORT CARD. 
          UH, LESS THAN 5% OF ALL STUDENTS PROFICIENT IN THEIR MATH ASSESSMENT LAST YEAR, 21% PROFICIENT IN THEIR READING ASSESSMENT LAST YEAR. 
          A SCHOOL WHERE THE STAFF WORKS VERY HARD TO SUPPORT CHILDREN. 
          I USED MY LUNCH BREAK TO TEACH CHILDREN HOW TO READ BECAUSE I REALIZED VERY QUICKLY INTO THE YEAR WHEN I WAS TRYING TO TEACH PHASES OF THE MOON AND CHILDREN COULD NOT READ THE WORD MOON, THAT I HAD SOME WORK TO DO TO TEACH SIXTH GRADE CONTENT IN A ROOM WHERE NOBODY COULD READ ABOVE A THIRD GRADE LEVEL. 
          UM, COULD YOU JUST SPEAK ON A PRACTICAL SENSE WHAT A RESTRICTIVE BUDGET LIKE THIS COULD MEAN TO SCHOOLS 
          [02:10:01]
LIKE THAT SCHOOL AND OTHER SCHOOLS IN WHICH OUR MOST VULNERABLE CHILDREN, OUR MOST AT-RISK CHILDREN, UH, OCCUPY EACH DAY AND, UH, TO WHAT THEIR EXPERIENCE COULD BE LIKE IN SERVICES, IN QUALITY, UM, AND IN STAFFING. 
          OKAY. 
          EVERY, EVERY RESOURCE MA I MEAN, ALL THE RESOURCES MAKE A DIFFERENCE. 
          UM, AND THERE'S A LOT TARGETING HELPING STUDENTS SORT OF RECOVER FROM THE ACADEMIC CHALLENGES THEY'VE EXPERIENCED, BUT ALSO THE HISTORIC CHALLENGES. 
          UM, WE'VE WORKED TO GET ADDITIONAL RESOURCES SCHOOLS, AS YOU MENTIONED, THE PRIORITY SCHOOLS MODEL WAS TO ALLOW US TO DIFFERENTIATE THE RESOURCES GOING TO OUR POOREST SCHOOLS SO THE STUDENTS HAD ACCESS TO NOT JUST, AGAIN, IN SOME CASES, UM, MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORTS AND OTHER CASES, UM, SPECIALISTS, MATH SPECIALISTS, READING SPECIALIST TYPES TO, TO GO IN SUPPORT TEACHERS AND STUDENTS DIRECTLY, UM, TO ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE GAPS THAT OUR POORER SCHOOLS HAVE TO OUR OTHERS. 
          UM, CURRENT BUDGET CRISIS, I, I I'M LESS CONCERNED ABOUT DIRECT IMPACTS THERE AS MUCH WE'RE, WE'D HAVE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO CON LIKE TIGHTEN UP A LITTLE BIT EVERYWHERE. 
          UM, IT'S IMPORTANT TO ME THAT NO MATTER WHAT WE END UP DOING WITH CUTTING THAT WE'RE VERY AWARE OF, YOU KNOW, NOT DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTING PARTICULARLY OUR POORER SCHOOLS. 
          UM, AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE WILL REMAIN FOCUSED ON, YOU KNOW, REGARDLESS OF WHAT NUMBER WE'RE WORKING WITH. 
          UM, BUT, BUT THERE'S NO QUESTION THERE ARE GREAT NEEDS THERE THAT STILL NEED TO BE FILLED. 
          AGAIN, IDEALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'D BE PUSHING FORWARD AT THIS POINT, BUT THAT'S NOT WHERE WE ARE. 
          UM, AND THEN JUST LAST QUESTION. 
          LOOKING HISTORICALLY AGAIN, THE LAST TIME THAT THERE WAS CUTS TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM STAFFING WERE NUMBERS RELEASED THAT SHOWED STRATEGICALLY, LIKE YOU WERE SAYING, OUR SCHOOLS WITH HIGHER ECONOMIC STATUSES RECEIVED LARGER CUTS IN STAFFING. 
          UM, AND IT WAS SOME SCHOOLS SAW 12 STAFF, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, AND, AND IN THAT RANGE CUT FROM THEIR, THEIR, UH, STAFFING. 
          AND THAT WAS WITH A MUCH SMALLER DEFICIT IN, IN THE BUDGET THAT WAS PUT FORTH. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT OUR SCHOOLS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, BEL AIR, FALLSTON C MILTON, UM, YOU KNOW, NORTH HARTFORD WHERE THERE ISN'T THAT SAME, UH, UH, HIGH POVERTY NEED, HOW COULD THIS POTENTIALLY IMPACT THE STAFFING AND SERVICES AT THOSE SCHOOLS? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF THOSE SCHOOLS, EVEN IF THERE ISN'T A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF OF, OF POVERTY, THERE IS STILL POCKETS OF, OF HIGH NEED. 
          AND, AND THEN THOSE CHILDREN WILL LOSE OUT ON SERVICES AND, AND, UH, BECAUSE OF, OF STAFFING. 
          SO THERE'S KIND OF TWO MAJOR CONSIDERATIONS, RIGHT? SO THE BUDGET IN A, IN A BUDGET THAT IS 87% PEOPLE, UM, ANY CUTS OF THIS SCALE ARE GONNA INVOLVE PEOPLE ONE WAY OR ANOTHER. 
          UM, AND USUALLY I SUMMARIZE IT AS, DO YOU HAVE, I MEAN, IT'S HOW MUCH YOU PAY THEM AND HOW MANY PEOPLE YOU HAVE, RIGHT? SO ARE TWO BIG TICKET ITEMS THAT CAN HELP YOU ADDRESS A 40 MILLION GAP IN A BUDGET ARE GONNA BE THE SALARY PACKAGE, WHICH IS 19.1 MILLION. 
          IF WE WERE TO, YOU KNOW, CHANGE THAT, WE'D HAVE TO NEGOTIATE WITH OUR ASSOCIATIONS, THAT COULD BE A WAY TO RECOVER SOME AMOUNT OF THIS GAP. 
          BUT THE CHALLENGE THERE IS IN TERMS OF COMPETING WITH OTHER DISTRICTS, IT, IT DIMINISHES OUR ABILITY TO COMPETE WITH THEM IF, IF WE REDUCE THAT. 
          SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE TO BE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT. 
          AND THEN THE OTHER IS JUST THE NUMBER OF POSITIONS, UM, WE'VE BEEN CHALLENGED IN THE LAST FEW YEARS IN TERMS OF SUPPORT POSITIONS IN THAT THOSE ARE ACTUALLY WHERE WE'VE HAD SOME OF OUR BIGGEST SHORTAGES, CUSTODIANS, PARA-EDUCATORS. 
          UM, THE LOWER PAID POSITIONS HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN EVEN HARDER FOR US TO FILL. 
          UM, AND THERE'S REALLY NOT ANY ROOM TO REGAIN THE BUDGET THERE. 
          SO IT'S KIND OF FROM THERE UP THAT WE'D HAVE TO DO CUTS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, SO THE CHANCE OF OF CLASS SIZES CHANGING. 
          WE'VE MADE PROGRESS A LITTLE BIT IN OUR CLASS SIZES RECENTLY, BUT THAT WOULD HAPPEN, YOU KNOW, THE WAY WE STAFF OUR SCHOOLS IS THERE'S SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT RATIOS DEPENDING ON WHETHER A SCHOOL IS 75% POVERTY OR ABOVE 50 TO 75% OR BELOW 50% POVERTY. 
          THEY HAVE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT STAFFING RATIOS. 
          AND AS YOU INDICATED, THE MORE THE POORER THE SCHOOL, THEY HAVE SLIGHTLY MORE FAVORABLE RATIOS. 
          UM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO LOOK ACROSS THE SPECTRUM PROBABLY. 
          UM, SO IT'S HARD TO SAY HOW, BUT AGAIN, IT'S ALL A FUNCTION OF HOW MUCH WE HAVE TO CUT. 
          IF WE'RE FILLING A SMALLER GAP, YOU KNOW, WE WON'T HAVE TO DO ANY HARM TO THE SALARY AND WAGE PACKAGE AND WE MAY NOT HAVE TO, UH, INCREASE CLASS SIZE AS MUCH. 
          BUT THIS IS CLASS SIZES VERSUS SALARY VERSUS EVERYTHING ELSE IS. 
          AND, AND JUST ONE LAST POINT OF CLARIFICATION. 
          [02:15:01]
IF, IF SALARIES WERE TO BE RENEGOTIATED, IT'S REALLY JUST MOVING MONEY FORWARD A YEAR BECAUSE LIKE YOU STATED, YOU STILL HAVE TO GET TO 60,000 IN THE NEXT, NO QUESTION, THREE YEARS. 
          SO IT'S JUST MAKING THE REQUEST FOR NEXT YEAR, EVEN LARGER AND THE, AND THE GAP BETWEEN MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT AND WHAT IS NEEDED EVEN LARGER, UM, AND EVEN MORE CUMBERSOME TASKS TO COVER. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, THAT MIGHT MAKE THIS YEAR SURVIVABLE, BUT IT MAKES THE CLIFF FOR NEXT YEAR HIGHER. 
          EXACTLY. 
          THANK YOU, MR. BENNETT. 
          MS. SOLES, THANK YOU. 
          UM, THANK YOU DR. 
          BOLSON FOR BEING HERE TODAY AND TO YOUR STAFF AS WELL. 
          UM, I JUST HAD TWO QUICK QUESTIONS. 
          BASED ON THE CAPITAL PROJECTS, UM, WHAT ARE THE CONCERNS WITH FUNCTIONALITY OF THESE SCHOOLS AND PUSHING BACK THIS TIMELINE SPECIFICALLY OLD POST? UM, WELL THAT'S, THAT'S ALWAYS A GOOD QUESTION. 
          I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A BIGGER PICTURE ISSUE AND YOU HAVE 104 YEAR CYCLE. 
          WE HAVE A PROBLEM AND WE NEED TO ADDRESS IT. 
          UM, OUR TEAM DOES A FANTASTIC JOB, BUT THAT MEANS WE'RE MEETING FUNDS IN MAINTENANCE RATHER THAN REPLACEMENT. 
          SO WE'RE SPENDING THE MONEY ON THE MAINTENANCE AND THE, AND THE TEAM GETS THE JOB DONE AROUND THAT. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, OLD POST ROAD IS DEFINITELY END OF LIFE AND THEN SOME. 
          AND SO, YOU KNOW, AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT, THE, THE LAST THING WE WANNA SEE HAPPEN IS SOMEHOW IN THIS GAP WHERE IT'S PUSHED BACK THAT WE HAVE A BIG SYSTEM FAILURE THAT CAUSES US TO INVEST. 
          YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE THERE'S SOMETHING GOING WRONG IN THE CAR THE YEAR BEFORE YOU WANNA SELL IT. 
          LIKE, DO YOU, DO YOU PAY OR NOT? WE DON'T HAVE A CHOICE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO MAKE A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR REPAIR. 
          YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE TYPE OF THING THAT JUST MAKES EVERYTHING HARDER. 
          SO THERE'S ALWAYS CHALLENGES RELATED TO THAT. 
          BUT I KNOW MR. BROWN'S LIKE ITCHING TO, TO SAY SOMETHING. 
          I'VE BEEN SITTING HERE, I CAN'T BE QUIET, BUT FOR SO LONG, . 
          SO GOING BACK TO 2006, OUR SCHOOL BOARD, UM, PRIORITIZE OUR MULTI-SCHOOL FACILITIES. 
          SO OLD POST, UM, WILL BE AFTER HOMESTEAD WAKEFIELD, UM, IS, UH, TO RECEIVE THEIR NEW FACILITY. 
          OLD POST WILL BE THE LAST SCHOOL THAT HAS THREE BUILDINGS. 
          SO YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO GO WILLIAM PICKER OLD POST AND THEN AN ANNEX. 
          SO FROM A SAFETY AND OPERATIONAL STANDPOINT, WE'RE OPERATING THREE FACILITIES THERE. 
          UM, OUR ADMINISTRATION AND JUST HOW THE BUILDING IS BEING MANAGED. 
          SO, UM, WE'VE BEEN, UH, FOCUSED ON ADDRESSING OUR SCHOOLS SO THAT WE JUST HAVE THE ONE BUILDING WITH THE ADMINISTRATION, WITH THE CUSTODIAL STAFF, AND THERE'S JUST A BETTER OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY. 
          SO FUNCTIONALITY, WHEN YOU START LOOKING AT IT FROM THAT STANDPOINT, OLD POST IS THE LAST OF THAT MODEL WHERE WE HAVE FREE BUILDINGS ON ONE CAMPUS SERVING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL POPULATION. 
          RIGHT. 
          SO I WOULD IMAGINE IT'S SAFE TO SAY THAT WE'RE PROBABLY INCURRING GREATER COSTS BY KEEPING THESE OLDER FACILITIES OPEN JUST ON MAINTENANCE. 
          YES, YES, YES. 
          AND, UM, HAVE GRACE, UM, YOU KNOW, HIGH SCHOOL, MIDDLE SCHOOL, WE COMBINE THAT TO THE, YOU KNOW, ONE FACILITY. 
          UM, WE'VE EXPERIENCED A LOT OF THE EFFICIENCIES THERE WITH GETTING RID OF THOSE AT ADDITIONAL FACILITIES TO INCLUDE THE AUDITORIUM. 
          WE TRANSFERRED THAT OVER TO COUNTY GOVERNMENT AND NOW PARKS AND REC, THEY'RE OPERATING THAT FACILITY FOR THE COMMUNITY. 
          UM, SO, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS A BENEFIT, UM, THERE AS WELL. 
          SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN ATTEMPTING TO DO. 
          BUT AGAIN, IT'S 2023 AND OLD POST WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN, UM, YOU KNOW, RECEIVED THEIR NEW FACILITY IN LIKE 20 14, 20 15, I THINK IT WAS BEFORE THAT. 
          NO, IT'S BEEN SOME TIME EVEN BEFORE THAT. 
          WE TALKED ABOUT, WELL BEFORE I CAME ON, PROBABLY. 
          RIGHT. 
          YOUR FAULT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, MS. SADDLES. 
          MR. JAN. 
          SO I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY. 
          I GOT AN UPDATED INFORMATION ON THAT CHART THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT. 
          UM, IT WASN'T CALCULATED IN THAT THE, THE STATE CHANGED THE MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT. 
          SO, AND MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT FOR WAS 304 MILLION. 
          SO IT'S JUST FLAT FUNDED. 
          SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I HAD INFORMATION ON THE CHART THAT WAS WRONG AND THAT IS THE CORRECT INFORMATION TO CLARIFY. 
          THE FLAT FUNDED WOULD BE FUNDED AT THE LEVEL WE WERE LAST YEAR. 
          SO FUNDED AT MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT, WHICH IS 304 IST, THAT WHICH IS THE RIGHT, THE NEW MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT IS WHAT I MEANT. 
          RIGHT? SO THAT MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT IS 304 MILLION AND THAT'S WHAT THE FUNDING IS. 
          SO JUST WANT TO CLARIFY THAT. 
          I GOT THAT. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          MR. SCHERZER. 
          JUST WANTED TO FIRST THANK, UH, DEBORAH AND ERIC. 
          I THINK I SAW ERIC SOMEWHERE IN THERE. 
          UM, HAD A GOOD MEETING AS, UH, MR. PENMAN OUTLINED AND GAVE US A LOT OF CLARITY AHEAD OF TIME. 
          SO WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. 
          UM, I THINK I SECONDED, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY ALL THE DISCUSSIONS TODAY AND FOCUSING ON SALARY. 
          UM, ONE OF THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS I'VE WATCHED, UH, AND THE NUMBERS ARE A LITTLE ROUNDED IN MY MIND, BUT IT WAS O OF THE 5,600 EMPLOYEES, I THINK IT WAS CLOSE TO 4,500 PLUS, UH, LIVE OF WORK IN HARTFORD COUNTY. 
          I THINK THAT WAS CLOSE TO THAT NUMBER NORTH OF 80%, WHICH AGAIN, THE SALARY PACKAGE BEING REINVESTED INTO HARTFORD COUNTY, IT'S A HIGH PERCENTAGE RATE. 
          [02:20:01]
UM, AND OF COURSE THEIR PROPERTY TAXES PAID ON THEIR HOMES. 
          SO I THINK WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS BUDGET, THE FOCUS ON SALARY OBVIOUSLY, AND THEIR, THE, THE BOARD'S WILLINGNESS TO, YOU KNOW, READJUST OBVIOUSLY A SALARY PACKAGE IS IMPORTANT. 
          UM, MY ONLY QUESTION, UM, I THINK MR. BROWN, AND I DON'T THINK WE'VE GOT THE MEET, BUT IN TERMS OF, UM, COSTS AND I THINK THINGS GET CONFLATED TOGETHER WITH SALARIES AND CAPITAL. 
          CAPITAL, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S AN APPROPRIATIONS FOR ENGINEERING AND DESIGN. 
          AND, AND AGAIN, THIS IS NOT TO INSINUATE LACK OF DUE DILIGENCE, IT'S JUST TO POINT OUT THE COST FOR THESE FACILITIES JUST TO DESIGN. 
          AND I'M ASSUMING JUST THE ENGINEERING IN THE LAST THREE FOR HARTFORD TECH, HARTFORD ACADEMY AND ABERDEEN MIDDLE, IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S ALMOST 22 MILLION JUST IN DESIGN AND ENGINEERING. 
          IS THAT SOMETHING THAT CAN BE ADDRESSED WITH WORKING WITH THE COUNTY AND YOUR OFFICE TO INTERNALIZE THAT? OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WOULD JUST BE OUTSOURCED FOREVER? UM, YOU KNOW, CUZ IT JUST SEEMS THAT'S A LARGE COST TO YOUR PROJECTS, WHICH ARE OBVIOUSLY ARE IMPORTANT. 
          UM, IS THERE A WAY TO GO AFTER THAT NUMBER? CUZ OBVIOUSLY MATERIAL COSTS OR MATERIAL COSTS, RIGHT? SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FOR CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT, DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION. 
          SO WE WOULD THEN, IF WE WERE GOING TO IT'S OUTSOURCING VERSUS HAVING AN INTERNAL CAPACITY, I'M AN ARCHITECT BY TRAINING. 
          SO WE WOULD HAVE THE ENGINEERS, ARCHITECTS, CONSTRUCTION MANAGERS TO HIRE, RIGHT? UM, THOSE INDIVIDUALS. 
          SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WHOLE OFFICES, UM, WITH SALARY AND BENEFITS, YOU KNOW, SO INSTEAD OF, UM, THAT OUR MODEL, UM, WE DO, UM, CONSTRUCTION, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HIRE ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS TO DESIGN OUR FACILITIES. 
          WE DON'T HAVE THAT CAPACITY. 
          UH, WE CURRENTLY HAVE FOUR PEOPLE NOT COUNTING OUR, UM, OFFICE SUPPORT STAFF. 
          I'M WORKING IN OUR PLANNING CONSTRUCTION DEPARTMENT, VERY LEAN, YOU KNOW, WITH OUR, UM, SUPERVISOR, OUR TWO PROJECT MANAGERS, UM, OUR FACILITIES PLANNER AT, WELL ACTUALLY FIVE, AND OUR, UM, PROJECT ASSISTANT. 
          SO THEY'RE THE FOLKS WHO MANAGE OUR CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM AND WE HIRE ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS, CIVIL ENGINEERS, STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS, ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS, MECHANICAL ENGINEERS AND ARCHITECTURAL TEAMS TO DESIGN OUR FACILITIES. 
          UM, AND THEY, UM, COST IS LIKE A, YOU KNOW, 6% OF THE CONSTRUCTION BUDGET FOR DESIGN SERVICES. 
          AND THEN YOU HAVE ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU, YOU KNOW, FOUR OR 5% FOR CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT SERVICES WITH PROJECT MANAGERS, ONSITE SUPERVISION, UH, FOR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS. 
          AND WE DO A MULTI-PRIME, UM, YOU KNOW, CONSTRUCTION PROCESS WHERE THEN WE GO AND JUST BID FOR THE BRICKS AND STICKS. 
          AND THAT'S WHERE THE MAJORITY OF THE, UM, YOU KNOW, COST WOULD, IF YOU LOOK AT LIKE, HAVE A GRACE ELEMENTARY MIDDLE SCHOOL WAS A, YOU KNOW, $86 MILLION CONSTRUCTION PROJECT. 
          AND THE REST OF THAT WAS FOR CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT, DESIGN SERVICES AND, UH, YOU KNOW, SITE FEES AND THOSE KIND OF THINGS. 
          SO IT'S PRETTY STANDARD WITHIN THE INDUSTRY RIGHT NOW. 
          I JUST WAS ASKING IN TERMS OF IF IT WAS A WAY FOR US AS THE COUNTY TO HELP FACILITATE LONG TERM WITH THE A HUNDRED YEAR PLAN, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY WE WILL ALL BE GOING, UH,  BEFORE THAT PLAN IS COMPLETED. 
          I JUST DIDN'T KNOW IF THAT WAS SOMETHING WE'D, WE'D BE HIRING MORE OKAY. 
          FOLKS IN ORDER TO MANAGE THE NUMBER OF PROJECTS THAT WE HOPE TO HAVE MOVING FORWARD. 
          UNDERSTOOD. 
          THANK YOU MR. ANDES. 
          MORNING EVERYBODY. 
          UM, I, I THINK THE FIRST THING I WANNA GO ON IS FUND BALANCE, BECAUSE I THINK THAT TODAY WE'VE HEARD SOME HONESTY BETWEEN BOTH THE ADMINISTRATION AND THE BOARD OF EDUCATION ABOUT FUND BALANCE AND HOW WE USE FISCAL YEAR ENDING 2022 AUDITED NUMBERS, WHICH ARE VERY STALE AT THIS POINT IN TIME VERSUS THE CURRENT YEAR. 
          UM, BUT I THINK YOU BOTH TOUCHED ON ELOQUENTLY TODAY IS ASSIGNED FUND BALANCE VERSUS UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE. 
          SO THE NUMBERS THAT ARE BEING THROWN AROUND HERE, 92,000,001 WAY, UM, THE ADMINISTRATION'S DEALT WITH THEIR FAIR SHARE OF FUND BALANCE, UH, QUESTIONS OVER THE LAST COUPLE DAYS AS WELL. 
          UM, I, I THINK THAT IT'S FAIR TO MAKE THE CONCLUSION THAT ALL SIDES WOULD AGREE THAT THERE IS QUITE A BIT OF US ASSIGNED FUND BALANCE THAT COULD BE MADE TO HELP EACH OTHER, THE COUNTY AND THE BOARD OF ED IN SOME WAY. 
          AND THAT I AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN BENNETT'S PROPOSITION. 
          THE BIGGEST CONCERN HERE IS, UM, SURE YOU CAN USE HOUSE BILL, UH, 1452, REDUCE IT, BUT YOU'RE NOT, YOU'RE KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD. 
          AND I THINK ALL OF US, IT DOESN'T TAKE THAT MUCH MATH TO SEE WHAT THAT MEANS IN THE FUTURE. 
          SO I GUESS MY FIRST QUESTION WILL BE TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION IS HOW DO YOU SEE NEXT YEAR'S FUNDING LOOKING BASED ON THE FUNDING THAT IS, IS USING THE, THE STATE'S 19.5 MILLION AVAILABLE WAIVER THIS YEAR? GO AHEAD. 
          WELL, I DON'T HAVE A CRYSTAL BALL, SO I'M NOT GONNA ANSWER THAT DIRECTLY. 
          HOWEVER, UM, IF WE RECEIVE THE 3 0 4 FROM THE COUNTY, IF THAT IS OUR FUNDING FOR FY 24, THAT RESETS MAINTENANCE 
          [02:25:01]
OF EFFORT GOING FORWARD. 
          SO OUR MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT NEXT YEAR WOULD ALSO BE 3 0 4. 
          CORRECT. 
          SO THE STATE, WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT STATE NUMBER WILL BE. 
          THAT WOULD BE THE AVAILABLE NUMBER FOR EVERYTHING. 
          SO WHAT I HAD PUT BACK UP ON THE SCREEN, SO THIS YEAR WE HAVE ALMOST 52 MILLION IN REQUESTS. 
          19.6 OF THAT WAS THE COUNTY REQUEST. 
          SO IF, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT OF 3 0 4, IF THE SITUATION IN THE ACCOUNT IN THE COUNTY DIDN'T IMPROVE TO ALLOW FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING, THE FUND BALANCE WE'VE EVEN TALKED ABOUT ISN'T ENOUGH TO ADDRESS THE CORRECT CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE. 
          SO, SO THE, THE, THE SHORT ANSWER IS THREE OR FOUR IS THE NEXT YEAR'S BASELINE FOR WHAT THE COUNTY COULD DO. 
          SO LET'S, LET'S JUST ASSUME THAT THAT'S WHAT THEY DO. 
          UM, THE NUMBERS IN THE BOOK FOR THE STATE FUNDS THAT YOU RECEIVED OR PROPOSED TO RECEIVED IN FISCAL YEAR 24 IS THE UNRESTRICTED VERSE RESTRICTED NUMBERS. 
          CORRECT. 
          HAVE YOU SEEN THOSE NUMBERS? UN IT'S ABOUT 1 78, OR I HAD IT UP HERE A SECOND AGAIN. 
          UM, IT, IT SHOWS ABOUT 20 MILLION IS RESTRICTED OF YOUR STATE FUNDS AND THE REST OF IT WOULD BE UNRESTRICTED. 
          IS THAT, IS THAT CLOSE? SO THERE ARE A LOT OF WAYS TO LOOK AT THE RE USED TO BE THE STATE FUNDING COMING IN WOULD BE COMPLETELY UNRESTRICTED. 
          BUT WITH THE BLUEPRINT AND THE REPORTING THAT'S REQUIRED FOR MANY OF THE, UM, DIFFERENT REVENUE STREAMS THAT ARE COMING IN FOR BLUEPRINT, SOME JURISDICTIONS ARE ACCOUNTING FOR THOSE AS RESTRICTED, SOME ARE UNRESTRICTED. 
          A LOT OF IT DEPENDS ON YOUR SYSTEM. 
          SO THAT'S A LOOSE NUMBER AS FAR AS WHAT'S WE ARE SEEING AN INCREASED REQUIREMENT FROM THE STATE TO TAKE THE FUNDS THAT WE ARE RECEIVING AND APPLY IT SPECIFICALLY TO AN ITEM. 
          IT'S NOT SIMPLY AN UNRESTRICTED FUNDING SOURCE. 
          WE HAVE TO SPEND THIS MUCH ON, UM, COLLEGE AND CAREER READY. 
          WE HAVE TO SPEND THIS MUCH ON PRE-K AND THERE'S REPORTING BACK TO THEM EXACTLY. 
          TO, TO TRACK THOSE DOLLARS. 
          OKAY. 
          SO THE, THE 42 AND ADDITIONAL FUNDING, WHICH IS MAINLY FOR BLUEPRINT, FROM WHAT I HAVE BEEN TOLD, WHERE WHERE ARE YOU SEEING FOOD? UH, IT'S RIGHT IN THEIR BUDGET BOOK. 
          SO I DON'T BELIEVE YOU HAVE ACCESS TO IT, BUT THAT'S WHAT THEY'VE DONE. 
          THEY'VE PUT IT AS THE UNRESTRICTED 42 MILLION THAT'S INCREASED THIS YEAR. 
          THEY HAVE IT TO YOU ALL AS UNRESTRICTED. 
          SO OUR REVENUE NUMBER FROM THE STATE IN THE UNRESTRICTED OPERATING BUDGET IS ABOUT 33 MILLION. 
          THAT IS THE NUMBER THAT WE ARE RECEIVING IN THE OPERATING BUDGET. 
          THAT IS WHAT I'M REFERRING TO THAT SOME MONEY IS ACCOUNTED FOR IN THE SAID RESTRICTED, WAS THAT 33 MILLION? I'M SORRY? 33 MILLION. 
          33 MILLION, OKAY. 
          YEAH, THEY'RE SHOWING AT 278, YOU'RE 78, THE TOTAL 30 INCREASE. 
          INCREASE. 
          SO, RIGHT. 
          SO 33, I'M, I'M JUST WORRIED ABOUT WHAT PART THEY FEEL IS UNRESTRICTED VERSUS WHAT YOU FEEL IS UNRESTRICTED. 
          I MEAN, LEMME ASK THAT A LITTLE BIT. 
          SO THERE'S TWO THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING. 
          SO THE STATE, I'LL START, I'LL USE THIS ONE I GUESS . 
          SO THE STATE'S BEEN, UM, THEY'RE STILL CATCHING UP WITH HOW TO MANAGE THIS BLUEPRINT STUFF. 
          SO THINGS THEY'VE BEEN MOVING AROUND, WHAT THEY CONSIDER RESTRICTED AND WHAT THEY DON'T. 
          BUT EVEN SO THEY, SO SOME THINGS HAVE GONE UNRESTRICTED AND FRANKLY FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, SOME OF IT FEELS A LITTLE ARBITRARY. 
          MM-HMM. 
          . 
          UM, SO WE'VE SEEN A, A CONTINUING TREND OF MORE THINGS COMING IN RESTRICTED, BUT EVEN IN THE UNRESTRICTED BUDGET. 
          SO IF YOU'RE, WITHOUT GETTING TOO DEEP, DEEP INTO WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE BLUEPRINT, SOME THINGS COME IN IN SPECIFIC LINE ITEMS THROUGH THE LEGISLATION OF THE BLUEPRINT. 
          OTHER THINGS COME IN AS TO DO ITEMS THAT DON'T HAVE THEIR OWN FUNDING CATEGORIES. 
          SO IT'S NOT RESTRICTED. 
          THEY COME IN THROUGH OUR FOUNDATION FUNDING. 
          UM, BUT THERE ARE MANY TO DO ITEMS WITH THAT AS WELL. 
          YEP. 
          AND SO WHILE IT'S ALL FEELING MORE RESTRICTED, WHAT SHOWS UP IN THE RESTRICTED BUDGET AT TIMES, LIKE I SAID, FEELS A LITTLE ARBITRARY, BUT WE GET A LOT MORE OF THAT THAN WE EVER HAD. 
          BUT EVEN THE UNRESTRICTED MONEY IS MORE RESTRICTED THAN IT'S EVER BEEN. 
          AND LET ME, LET ME, CUZ YOU'VE HIT IT CUZ THAT'S MY CONCERN AS WELL IS YOU HAVE A LOT HARDER TIME BUILDING SOME OF THESE ONE OR, UM, SOME OF THESE RECURRING COSTS AND PUTTING THAT MONEY TOWARDS THAT BECAUSE YOU JUST DON'T KNOW IF THAT WILL BE THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I'M GETTING AT. 
          AND I THINK THAT SHOWS TO THE NARRATIVE OF WHAT WE'RE BEING TOLD. 
          SO GOING BACK FROM, AND, AND THIS IS COMING FROM THE PUBLIC NOW CUZ WE'RE, WE'RE NOT SEATED UP THERE, THE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND THE ADMINISTRATION HAS PLAYED OUT PUBLICLY, UH, FOR, FOR WEEKS NOW. 
          SO MY QUESTION BECOMES IS WHEN DID YOU, WHEN WERE YOU AWARE, OBVIOUSLY WE ALL FLOATED AROUND, IT'S IN-HOUSE BILL 1450, WHICH WHICH I HAVE THAT SAYS THE 19 MILLION IS ABLE TO BE CUT THIS YEAR. 
          WHEN WAS THE SCHOOL BOARD, DID YOU, DID YOU FIND OUT WHAT THE REST OF US THE DAY THE BUDGET WAS PRINTED OR WAS THAT GIVEN TO YOU? WERE YOU GIVEN ANY ADVANCED NOTICE? NO, WE KNEW THE POSSIBILITY OF IT GOING DOWN. 
          WE PROBABLY BECAME MORE AWARE OF IT IN LIKE JANUARY OR FEBRUARY THAT IT WAS A POSSIBILITY. 
          FEBRUARY 12TH. 
          JUNE 12TH WHEN MSD RELEASED THE SECOND ROUND OF STATE FUND. 
          SO YOU ASSUMED LIKE WE DID THE NUMBER THAT YOU SAW ON THE PAGE. 
          RIGHT. 
          BUT ALSO, AGAIN, WE'RE IN ACCOUNTING THAT HAS NEVER DON'T DISAGREE. 
          FUNDED AT MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT WAS NEVER A CONSIDERATION. 
          IT 
          [02:30:01]
WASN'T A CONSIDERATION IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS. 
          UM, AND SO WHILE WE KNEW THAT WAS KIND OF THE CATASTROPHIC WORST CASE SCENARIO, UM, I GUESS WE HAD A LITTLE MORE CONFIDENCE IN THE SUPPORT FOR EDUCATION. 
          SO THAT WAS, THAT WAS KIND OF WE, SO WE WERE, WE BECAME AWARE OF IT. 
          UM, BUT THAT'S NEVER BEEN THE CONVERSATION HERE. 
          SO IT IS THIS YEAR APPARENTLY. 
          YEAH. 
          AND OBVIOUSLY YOU HAVE LESS TIME TO BUDGET BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO WAIT FOR YOUR APPROPRIATION AND THEN YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH. 
          SO IT DOES KIND OF FLIP EVERYTHING AROUND AND, AND TO, TO FINAL, TO FINALIZE MY POINTS AND TO COME FULL CIRCLE, UH, THE AMOUNT OF RESOURCES THAT YOU HAVE LOST AND, AND YOU CAN DO THE RECRUITING ALL THE I AND, AND FULL, YOU KNOW, TRANSPARENCY. 
          I HAVE A SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER WHO IS MY WIFE THAT WORKS FOR THE COUNTY THAT CAME FROM BALTIMORE COUNTY, AND THE SAME PROGRAMS THAT YOU HAVE DISCUSSED IN HERE. 
          AND I WANTED TO SIT AT THE END, NOT IN THE BEGINNING BECAUSE I WANTED TO HAVE THE HONEST DIALOGUE BACK AND FORTH FIRST. 
          BUT, UH, I, I'M, I'M VERY FRIENDLY WITH A LOT OF TEACHERS IN THE COUNTY AND, AND THIS, I'VE NEVER SEEN 'EM LIKE THIS EVER. 
          AND, AND YOU COULD GO BACK TO 18, YOU CAN GO BACK TO WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT CUTS. 
          THIS JUST SEEMS LIKE IT CAME OUTTA LEFT FIELD. 
          AND I WANT TO CHALLENGE ALL OF YOU SITTING IN THOSE CHAIRS RIGHT NOW. 
          GOD, YOU GOTTA DO BETTER THAN THIS FOR US BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S, IT'S THE FUNDS THAT ARE HERE AND IF, IF, IF THIS IS REALLY WHERE YOU THINK WE'RE AT IN REGARDS TO THE REVENUE AND, AND WHAT WE BROUGHT ON, I JUST THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, IF, IF WE COULD SIT THERE AND TALK ABOUT UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE AND EVERYTHING ALL WE WANT, BUT WE STILL HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER AND I JUST DON'T THINK THAT'S WHERE WE ARE. 
          SO THANK YOU MR. RE THANK YOU MR. COUNCIL PRESIDENT. 
          THANK YOU DR. 
          BOLSON FOR YOUR PRESENTATION TODAY. 
          UH, WE APPRECIATE IT. 
          UH, JUST A QUICK POINT OF CLARIFICATION. 
          YOU TOUCHED UPON THIS WITH MR. BENNETT EARLIER, BUT IS THERE A KIND OF A STANDARD FORMULA OR, OR, OR STANDARD THAT YOU USE? UH, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A PROJECTED NUMBER OF NEW HIRES COMING IN. 
          WHAT ARE YOU BASED IT ON? I KNOW IT'S BASED PRIMARILY ON ENROLLMENT, BUT CAN YOU MAYBE ELABORATE ON THAT? HOW YOU KIND OF PROJECT WHAT YOUR NEEDS ARE GONNA BE MOVING FORWARD? UM, WELL FIRST WE'RE LOOKING AT TURNOVER, RIGHT? SO, SO WE START KIND OF WITH THE STATUS QUO AS, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO WE STAFF THIS YEAR, UM, WHERE WE CAN, WE WE'RE GOING, WE, WE'VE MADE A LITTLE PROGRESS IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, UH, ADDRESSING FUND, UH, ADDRESSING, UM, CLASS SIZE. 
          AND SO IF, IF WE THINK THERE'S ROOM TO REQUEST AN IMPROVEMENT IN CLASS SIZE, WE CAN ADJUST THE RATIOS WE USE TO STAFF OUR SCHOOLS. 
          AND SO THERE'LL BE A KIND OF A FORMULA FOR THE NUMBER OF TEACHERS IT WOULD ADD. 
          SO IF WE WERE GONNA TAKE, YOU KNOW, KINDERGARTEN CLASSES FROM, YOU KNOW, 20 PER CLASS ON AVERAGE TO 18, WE CAN PLUG THAT IN. 
          IT'LL TELL US HOW MANY TEACHERS WE NEED. 
          SO WHEN, WHEN WE'VE, WHEN WE'VE TRIED TO ADJUST THOSE, IT WOULD COME OUT FORMULA WISE, BUT THAT'LL SHOW UP IN THE BUDGET IF WE DO THAT. 
          UM, SO MOSTLY WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, USUALLY STARTING FROM WHERE WE WERE THE LAST YEAR. 
          CAUSE WE HAVEN'T HAD A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES TO GROW LIKE THAT. 
          BUT THEN WE ALSO DO HAVE TO TRY TO ANTICIPATE ENROLLMENT. 
          BUT THAT'S ALWAYS TRICKY BECAUSE KINDERGARTNERS TEND TO SHOW UP AND WE DON'T KNOW HOW MANY YOU'RE GONNA GET. 
          AND THAT'S ALWAYS THE BIGGEST QUESTION IN THE YEAR. 
          SO THAT'S ONE OF THE PLACES WHERE WE TRY TO BUILD IN A LITTLE BUFFER TO BE ABLE TO SIGN PEOPLE AT THE END OF THE YEAR. 
          AS YOU KNOW, THOSE KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATIONS COME IN THROUGH THE SUMMER. 
          SO THERE'S, THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF SCIENCE, A LITTLE BIT OF ART, UM, BECAUSE YOU'RE TRYING TO GUESS HOW MANY YOU'RE GONNA GET. 
          UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE ALWAYS CATCHING UP WITH HOW MANY TRANSFERRED OUT, HOW MANY TRANSFERRED IN, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A ROLLING NUMBER THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. 
          SO, BUT DO WE HAVE, I MEAN, THE SHORT ANSWER IS THERE ISN'T A, THE STATE DOES NOT HAVE CLASS SIZE REQUIREMENTS, SO WE LOOK TO OUR NEIGHBORS TO TRY TO BENCHMARK AGAINST THEM AND TRY TO KEEP THEM CONSISTENT. 
          UM, WE'D ALL LIKE TO SEE THEM SMALLER, BUT THAT ISN'T SOMETHING THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE REQUIREMENTS FOR THAT, THAT WOULD DRIVE THAT. 
          AND, AND SO WHAT'S THE REALITY RIGHT NOW? DO YOU HAVE THAT RATIO? OUR CLASS SIZES, UM, , WE HAVE OUR CAPS, THEY'RE A LITTLE DIFFERENT DEPENDING ON THE SCHOOLS. 
          UM, IT'S A LITTLE HARD TO SAY CUZ IT GOES SCHOOL BY SCHOOL AND THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT, THAT DRIVE IT. 
          YOU KNOW, WE TRY TO KEEP, FOR EXAMPLE, OUR SECONDARY CLASS IS UNDER 30, BUT WITHIN A SCHOOL YOU'LL SEE A WIDE RANGE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE A SPECIALIZED CLASS AND ONLY A FEW KIDS SIGN UP FOR YOU, YOU'LL HAVE A CLASS WITH EIGHT, AND THEN OVER HERE YOU'LL HAVE A CLASS OF 35. 
          UM, SO AT SECONDARY, AGAIN, WE, WE START LOOKING AT PLACES WHERE THE NUMBERS GO OVER 30 AS AS BEING HIGH AND WE TRY TO ADDRESS THAT WHERE WE CAN, BUT WE CAN'T ALWAYS, ELEMENTARY, WE TRY TO KEEP OUR KINDERGARTEN UNDER 20, UM, MID GRADES UNDER 25 AND FOURTH, FIFTH GRADE UNDER 30. 
          UM, AND THERE'S MORE OR LESS WHERE WE ARE, IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU SEE LIKE ALL THE SCHOOLS PUT TOGETHER BASED ON SOME DIFFERENT FACTORS. 
          BUT THAT'S ABOUT WHERE WE ARE. 
          THANK YOU 
          [02:35:01]
VERY MUCH. 
          IF I CAN ADD A LITTLE BIT TO THAT, YOU KNOW, TALKING ABOUT THE STATE NOT HAVING REQUIREMENTS FOR CLASS SIZE, NOWHERE IN THE BLUEPRINT IS CLASS SIZE REFERENCE, SO THERE'S NO FUNDING COMING FOR CLASS SIZE. 
          SO THAT IS SOLELY A LOCAL INITIATIVE TO DO, AND THAT FUNDING WOULD HAVE TO COME FROM THE LOCAL SIDE THAT THE STATE'S NOT GOING TO GIVE US FUNDING FOR THAT. 
          THANK YOU, MR. RILEY. 
          UM, SO I, I JUST WANT TO ASK, UH, I, I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'RE CALLING IT A CUT, BUT IN REALITY YOUR WHOLE BUDGET WAS FUNDED, UM, WHICH STATE AND COUNTY FUNDS? UM, NO, IT WASN'T. 
          SO MY QUESTION IS, I UNDERSTAND YOU AND THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AT ODDS, ARE YOU AT LEAST TALKING SO THAT MAYBE YOU CAN COME TO SOME HAPPY MEDIUM? SO WE'RE NOT IN THIS, UH, SO BUTTING HEADS, , SO THE, I I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU MEAN BY THE BUDGET WAS FUNDED BECAUSE BEING BELOW PREVIOUS YEAR'S FUNDING, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO VIEW THAT OTHER THAN A CUT. 
          SO WHILE I WAS TALKING STATE AND COUNTY, SO ON THE SCREEN, OUR REQUEST IS ALMOST 52 MILLION. 
          WE ARE EXPECTED TO RECEIVE 33 MILLION FROM THE STATE. 
          SO THAT'S NOT FULLY FUND. 
          I'M, I'M CONFUSED. 
          WELL, I THOUGHT I HEARD 42. 
          THAT'S WHAT'S IN THERE, FOLKS. 
          OKAY. 
          YEAH. 
          SO YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT A, THE NUMBER THAT IS USED FOR THE OPERATING BUDGET. 
          SO THE FUNDING FROM THE STATE IS ONLY, THAT'S THE NUMBER WE'RE GETTING FROM THE STATE. 
          SO YOUR SECOND PART OF YOUR QUESTION THOUGH, UM, YOU KNOW, WE MET LAST TUESDAY THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, SO ALL OF THIS HIT PRIOR HIT ON FRIDAY AND YOU KNOW, WE HAD NEWS BACK AND FORTH AND I KNOW, YOU KNOW, SO THAT THE PUBLIC CONFLICT, IF YOU WANNA CALL IT THAT, UH, HAD ALREADY BEGUN. 
          SO WE SPOKE, THEN OUR BUDGET FOLKS MET, UM, AGAIN ON THURSDAY. 
          SO THERE ARE ONGOING DISCUSSIONS AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT. 
          AND YOU KNOW, WE, YOU KNOW, WE APPRECIATE THE DISCUSSION. 
          UM, BUT YOU KNOW, THE PUBLIC IN, WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE THE BEHIND THE, BEHIND THE SCENES AND THE OUT IN PUBLIC CONVERSATIONS. 
          WE WANNA KEEP THIS AS TRANSPARENT. 
          SO MY QUESTION, YOU ARE HAVING BEHIND THE SCENES DISCUSSION TO MAYBE, SIR YES SIR. 
          NEGOTIATE THIS. 
          THANK YOU MR. PRESIDENT. 
          THANK YOU RILEY. 
          UM, MR. GUTHRIE, UH, JUST TO FOLLOW UP, UH, AND, UH, SOME THINGS THAT MR. UH, BOYD TALKED ABOUT, UM, BACK TO THE WILLIAM PEOLE POST, UH, REMEMBER BACK IN 2008, 2010, WE'RE ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT IT IN THAT FRAME. 
          UH, BUT INSTEAD THEY SAID, WELL, WE'LL AIR CONDITION IT, YOU KNOW, WELL, YOU'RE, YOU COME FROM CONTRACT, YOU COME FROM, YOUR BACKGROUND IS, WELL, YOU KNOW, WHAT IT TAKES TO, TO AIR CONDITION AN OLD BUILDING, YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY EXPENSIVE. 
          SOME OF 'EM, YOU CAN'T EVEN DO IT. 
          AND THAT'S WHY YOU STILL SEE A LOT OF BUILDINGS AROUND WITH, WITH THE UNITS HANGING OUT THE WINDOW BECAUSE IT'S ABSOLUTELY, THE, THE COST TO, UH, AIR CONDITION OF OLD BUILDING LIKE THAT IS, IS, UH, UH, IS, IS IS EXTREMELY HIGH. 
          AND THEY, BUT THEY DID AIR CONDITION THE, UH, THE, THE ONE BUILDING. 
          SO, AND THEN, AND AS YOU KEEP PUSHING THIS OUT, NOW WE'RE PUSHING IT OUT TO, UH, MAYBE 20, 29 EVERY YEAR. 
          THE COST TO DO IT GOES UP. 
          SO, UM, WE KEEP FOOLING AROUND, YOU KNOW, THE COST IS GOING TO BE SO HIGH, NOBODY'S GONNA WANNA DO IT, SO WE NEED TO PUT THE, UH, SHOVEL ON THE GROUND AS SOON AS WE CAN. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YEAH, KNOWING THAT WILLIAM, WILLIAM PEGA OLD POST AT THE TIME, OLD POST NOW, UM, KNOWING THAT, UM, THE CONSTRUCTION WASN'T GOING TO OCCUR, UM, OUR BOARD AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS BODY HERE APPROVED, UH, CAPITAL FUNDING, UM, YOU KNOW, TO DO AIR CONDITIONING, YOU KNOW, AT THE, UM, I DUNNO, THE PRIMARY, THE PRIMARY BUILDING, NO, THE INTERMEDIATE BUILDING. 
          AND, UM, WE DID MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT. 
          YEAH. 
          BUT WE ONLY EXPECTED TO HAVE THAT EQUIPMENT IN THERE FOR LIKE, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER 10 YEARS. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, SO WE'RE KIND OF, UM, YOU KNOW, PUSHING ON ON THAT NOW. 
          SO BY THE TIME WE GET BACK TO OLD POST, IT'LL BE SOME 15 PLUS YEARS SINCE THAT H V C PROJECT IMPROVEMENT THERE. 
          UM, AND IT'LL BE, THE EQUIPMENT WILL BE BEYOND ITS USEFUL LIFE. 
          AND WE, WE MADE SOME OTHER, UM, IMPROVEMENTS TO THE OPEN SPACE, UH, PORTION OF THE, THE, UM, SECOND BUILDING. 
          SO THERE'S BEEN SOME INVESTMENT THERE, BUT WE DID THAT KNOWING THAT IT WOULD BE SOME TIME BEFORE WE WOULD, UM, YOU KNOW, GET TO REPLACE, YOU KNOW, THOSE FACILITIES. 
          HEY, THANK YOU. 
          UH, SEEING NO ONE ELSE. 
          UM, I'D LIKE TO CLOSE BY JUST SAYING THAT IN MY MOST RECENT MEETING WITH THE SUPER, I MEAN WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT, SORRY, WITH THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION, UH, I REMINDED HIM, UH, A GREAT LEGISLATOR UNDERSTANDS THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION AND COMPROMISE. 
          AND SO I HOPE THAT 
          [02:40:01]
THESE MEETINGS AND TALKS CONTINUE TO GO. 
          AND I ALSO WOULD, LIKE, I ALWAYS SAY WE'RE BLESSED IN HARTFORD COUNTY TO HAVE A GREAT QUALITY OF LIFE, AND IT'S BASED ON TWO KEY COMPONENTS. 
          IT'S GREAT PUBLIC SAFETY AND GREAT PUBLIC EDUCATION. 
          AND I HOPE THAT WE CONTINUE TO DO BOTH THOSE THINGS. 
          SO PROVIDE BOTH THOSE THINGS. 
          UH, SO WITH THAT, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND CLOSE, UH, THIS SESSION AND LOOK FORWARD TO A BREAK AND THEN THE AFTERNOON SESSION. 
          THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOU BEING HERE TODAY. 
          THANK. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED, UM, WITH, UH, DEPARTMENT OF LICENSE INSPECTIONS, LICENSE AND PERMITS. 
          MR. TRUIT, HOW ARE YOU TODAY? GOOD, THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, WHENEVER YOU'D LIKE TO START, IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO COMMENT IN ON BEFORE. 
          OKAY. 
          DO YOU WANT TO INTRODUCE YOUR FOLKS, PLEASE? SURE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WITH COUNCIL PRESIDENT PENNON COUNSEL MEMBERS, UH, WITH ME, DID I HAVE MY SENIOR MANAGEMENT PARTNERS, DEPUTY DIRECTOR HAROLD BOWLING, AND ALSO ADMINISTRATIVE SECRETARY JOE ROW. 
          ALL RIGHT, WITH THAT. 
          UM, INSPECTIONS, LICENSE AND PERMITS. 
          THE OVERALL DEPARTMENT, UM, THEY'RE ALL STARTS ON 3 72, 72, UM, INC. 
          UH, DECREASES 430 2008 57, AND WE WILL GO THROUGH EACH DIVISION FROM THERE QUICK. 
          UM, THE DE THE DIRECTOR'S OFFICE ON STARTS ON PAGE 3 75. 
          THERE'S A DECREASE IN THE DIRECTOR'S OFFICE OF 1 24, 8 13. 
          YOU WILL SEE THAT THROUGHOUT. 
          IT'S MAINLY THE RESULT OF THE 27 PAY AND SOME STAFF TURNOVER, UM, AS WELL AS A DECREASE IN HIS, UM, DIRECTOR'S OFFICE FOR TEMPORARY SALARIES. 
          THERE WERE SLIGHT INCREASES IN, UM, CONTRACTUAL SUPPLIES AND BUSINESS AND TRAVEL. 
          UM, THOUSAND AT THE MOST FOR ALL THREE. 
          SO ON PAGE 3 78 IS BUILDING SERVICES. 
          THERE'S A DECREASE THERE OF 180 4 0 24. 
          AGAIN, YOU WILL SEE THE BULK OF THAT IS IN PERSONAL SERVICES. 
          UM, FOR STAFF TURNOVER, THE 27TH PAY HEALTH BENEFITS WENT DOWN, TRYING TO TURN 77 9. 
          AND THEN UNDER CONTRACTUAL SERVICES, WE DID ADD A LITTLE BIT OF FUNDING, $25,000, UM, TO SUPPORT SOME NEGLECTED STRUCTURES AND SO FORTH. 
          UM, THAT WAS A YES. 
          WE MOVED IT TO THE CAPITAL BUDGET, SO THAT WAS A DECREASE. 
          PAGE 3 81 IS PLUMBING SERVICES, AGAIN, DECREASE THERE OF 55,006 10, AND YOU WILL SEE THE BULK OF THAT IS IN PERSONAL SERVICES, UM, FOR THE 27TH PAY AND HEALTH BENEFIT ADJUSTMENTS ON PAGE 3 84 IS THE ELECTRICAL SERVICES DIVISION. 
          THERE'S A DECREASE THERE OF 68,000 4 0 9. 
          THE BULK OF THAT DECREASES IN PERSONAL SERVICES. 
          UM, AT 72 6 59 DECREASE, UM, OFFSET VERY SLIGHTLY BY INCREASES TO SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS AT THE COST OF THREE 3,500 AND THEN BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS. 
          WE INCREASE THE MONTHLY INCREASE FOR MONTHLY $750. 
          SO THAT WASN'T, UH, CUTTING JOE'S SALARY. 
          WRONG DEPARTMENT . 
          I'M KIDDING. 
          I KNOW IT. 
          ANYTHING ELSE, KIM? UM, THEY DO HAVE ONE CAPITAL PROJECT. 
          OKAY. 
          ON PAGE 62, DEMOLITION. 
          THIS IS WHERE SOME OF THE MONEY WENT FROM THE OPERATING TO THIS DEMOLITION OF ABANDONED BUILDINGS. 
          AND DO YOU HAVE ANY  UNSAFE STRUCTURES? YEAH. 
          YEAH. 
          UNSAFE STRUCTURE. 
          MR. COUNCIL, PRESIDENT? YES, SIR. 
          COUNSEL, AS YOU SEE, UH, THE MAIN RESPONSIBILITY OF THE DEPARTMENT IS TO ENSURE PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY, AND WELFARE IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT. 
          BUILT IS ORGANIZED IN THE FOUR DIVISIONS AS ASSIGNED AT THE TOTAL POSITIONS OF 31 STAFF MEMBERS. 
          CURRENTLY, DLP HAS ONE OVER POSITION, WHICH HAS BEEN ACTIVELY RECRUITING SINCE TWO DECEMBER OF 2022. 
          WITHIN THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, TEAM WITHIN DLP IS TRENDING TO ISSUE OVER 3,700 LICENSES. 
          16,000 PERMITS COMPLETE OVER 46,000 INSPECTIONS, GENERATE 1.9 BILLION IN REVENUE AND CONDUCT OVER 550 INVESTIGATIONS COMPARED TO FY 22. 
          AND ASSUMING THE LAST QUARTER WILL PERFORM AS RELEVANT TO THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR TRENDS, DEPARTMENT WILL EXCEED OUR FISCAL YEAR COMPARISONS BY AN AVERAGE OF 2.1%. 
          1.7% CROSS EACH CATEGORY WITH THE EXCEPT EXCEPTION OF INVESTIGATIONS, WHICH IS TRENDING TO ABOUT A 17% REDUCTION DEPARTMENT'S PERFORMANCE MEASURES ARE ESTABLISHED TO PERMIT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF OUR STAFF, AND PROACTIVELY WORK TO PREVENT FUTURE COMPLICATIONS FOR OUR CITIZENS. 
          BY ALLOWING PERMITS TO EXPIRE EACH YEAR, STAFF MEMBERS ARE REQUIRED TO COMPLETE A MINIMUM OF 10 YEARS, OR EXCUSE ME, 10 HOURS OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND WORK TO PREVENT PERMITS FROM EXPIRING BY A MINIMUM OF 30%. 
          THIS YEAR, I'M PLEASED 
          [02:45:01]
TO REPORT THAT THE TEAM HAS EXCEEDED OUR EXPECTATIONS AND PERFORMANCE MEASURES IN EACH OF THE CATEGORIES. 
          AS A TEAM OF DEPARTMENT CONDUCTED OVER 512 HOURS OF CONTINUED EDUCATION AND EQUATES TO AN AVERAGE OF 17.65 HOURS PER EMPLOYEE DEPARTMENT HAS ALSO PREVENTED OVER 1600 ELIGIBLE PERMITS FROM EXPIRING, WHICH IS A CLOSE TO ABOUT A 40% REDUCTION. 
          THE MOST VALUABLE RESOURCE THAT OUR DEPARTMENT HAS IS ITS EMPLOYEES WHO MAKE UP THE TEAM. 
          AS AN EMPLOYEE, WITH OVER 29 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN THE DEPARTMENT, I'M BLESSED TO WORK WITH THE DEDICATED PROFESSIONAL STAFF THAT WORKS TIRELESSLY FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WORKS TOWARDS OUR CUSTOMER BASE AND CITIZENS. 
          IT'S IMPORTANT TO ME PERSONALLY IN RECEIVING THE CONFIDENCE THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND THIS BODY BE FACILITATED, THE OPPORTUNITY TO ALLOW ME TO LEAD AND PROVIDE DIRECTION TO THE DEPARTMENT TEAM MEMBERS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT ACCOUNT FOR OVER 341 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE. 
          ON AN AVERAGE THAT EQUATES TO AN AVERAGE OF 11.7 YEARS OF TENURE OF SIGNIFICANT IMPORTANCE. 
          WE MUST REMEMBER FOR THE, FOR THE DEPARTMENT TO REMAIN SUCCESSFUL, WE MUST CONTINUE TO INVEST IN THE DEPARTMENT STAFF AND WORK WAYS TO FIND THOSE WAYS TO CONTINUE TO INCREASE AT THE CURRENT RETENTION RATE THIS YEAR. 
          TO INVEST IN OUR STAFF, I'LL BE RAISING THE REQUIRED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENT TO A MINIMUM OF 15 HOURS PER EMPLOYEE. 
          AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IS ESSENTIAL IN MAKING SURE THAT OUR STAFF STAYS CURRENT ON CODES, MATERIALS, AND INDUSTRY TRENDS THROUGHOUT THE FISCAL YEAR. 
          THE DEPARTMENT CONTINUES TO LEVERAGE AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AND EXPAND UPON THE USE OF THE UNDERGO SYSTEM. 
          BY DOING SO, THE DEPARTMENT CREATES EFFICIENCIES AND IMPROVES CUSTOMER SERVICE WHILE CONTROLLING OUR COSTS. 
          WE CONTINUE WORK CLOSELY WITH OUR SISTER ALLEY AGENCIES, MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY TO REFINE AND DELIVER NEW BUSINESS PROCESSES. 
          THIS FISCAL YEAR, WE COMPLETED THE FILING, EXPANSION, UPGRADES, ONLINE, COMMERCIAL TRADE PERMIT, APPLICATIONS FOR ELECTRICAL FUEL, GAS, MECHANICAL PLUMBING, PLUMBING AND WATER SORE CONNECTIONS, AND ONSITE UTILITY CONNECTIONS. 
          WE COMPLETED A PRELIMINARY PLANT INTERVIEW PROCESS FOR ONLINE APPLICATIONS AND COMPLETED OUR CROSS-FUNCTIONAL COLLABORATION WITH OTHER AGENCIES TO REVISE THE BUILDING PERMIT AMENDMENT PROCESS. 
          WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE CHIEF BUDGET OFFICER AND THIS BUDGET STAFF. 
          ALONG WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION, WE WORKED TO DEVELOP A BUDGET PROPOSAL TO REPRESENTS FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY WHILE STILL INVESTING IN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, CUSTOMER SERVICE, AND THE SAFETY OF OUR STAFF. 
          IN CLOSING, WE BOTH WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION OF THE DEPARTMENT'S BUDGET PROPOSAL AND RESPECTFULLY REQUEST YOUR FAVORABLE CONSIDERATION. 
          THIS TIME, MR. BOLEY AND I WILL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE. 
          THANK YOU BOTH, UH, FOR BEING HERE TODAY. 
          AND, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR, UH, PRESENTATION. 
          UM, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR, UH, WILLINGNESS TO PARTNER WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO TRY TO KEEP, UH, THINGS MOVING QUICKER THROUGH THAT PROCESS. 
          UH, AS I TOLD THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE, UH, WE TRULY DO APPRECIATE HIS INVESTMENT IN THE IT, WHICH I DO BELIEVE HELPS THEM BE, UH, MORE UPDATED AND TO BE MORE EFFICIENT IN, IN THEIR PROCESSES AS WELL. 
          SO I APPRECIATE YOU, UH, BEING AT THE HEAD OF THAT AS, AS YOU WORK CLOSE WITH THEM. 
          UM, THE ONE QUESTION I DO HAVE, I SEE, UH, BUILDING, UH, INSPECTOR SUPERVISOR IS, IS THAT SOMETHING PROPOSED THAT YOU DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE? UM, THE ONE PROPOSAL THAT WE HAVE, BOTH, BOTH POSITIONS ARE IN THE, UH, PAYING CLASSIFICATION CURRENTLY. 
          MM-HMM. 
          , THE, UH, CHIEF INSPECTOR POSITION, UH, IS CURRENTLY BEING FILLED BY THAT SUPERVISOR POSITION. 
          AND THAT'S ALL THE REASON THAT WAS. 
          OKAY. 
          IT WAS JUST A CHANGE IN POSITIONS THIS YEAR THAT OCCURRED IN THE BUDGET. 
          OKAY. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          COUNSEL, ANYONE? MR. GINGER? SEAN, I WANNA, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          I WANT TO THANK YOU BOTH FOR THE MEETING THAT WE HAD AT THAT TIME AND THE, UH, INTER GOV REPORTS FOR ALL THE BUILDING CONSTRUCTION THAT GOES ON AND, AND I KNOW ALL MY OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS GET THAT. 
          I, I THINK IT'S GREAT, UM, THAT WE CAN SEE WHAT'S GOING ON IN EACH ONE OF OUR DISTRICTS AND WE CAN SEND OUT SOMETHING TO, UH, TO SOMEBODY. 
          I, I, IT, IT'S, UH, PHENOMENAL EVERY SATURDAY IT COMES IN MY, MY EMAIL BOX AND, UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO IT TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON. 
          SO I, I REALLY DO APPRECIATE IT. 
          I KNOW MY OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS APPRECIATE IT AS WELL, BUT IT'S JUST A, IT'S ANOTHER TOOL THAT REALLY IS, UH, HELPFUL FOR US THAT WE KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN OUR DISTRICTS AND WE CAN REACH OUT TO PEOPLE AND, UH, IT'S, IT'S PROVEN VERY HELPFUL, SO FORTH. 
          SO, AGAIN, I, I WANT TO THANK YOU GUYS VERY MUCH FOR THAT. 
          YOU'RE WELCOME. 
          MR. RILEY. 
          UH, AGAIN, I WANT TO ECHO THAT. 
          I WAS GONNA BE IN MY COMMENT ALSO, AND IT SAYS, YOU RENDER PERMIT AND INSPECTION SERVICES THROUGH COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS WITH THE TOWN, UH, ABERDEEN AND CITY AGRA'S AND, UH, BEL AIR. 
          MM-HMM. 
          . 
          IS THAT A, SOME KIND OF PAID, UH, AGREEMENT? YES. 
          SO, UM, BELL AIR AND ABERDEEN, UH, I 
          [02:50:01]
QUITE HONESTLY DON'T REMEMBER EXACTLY WHEN WE STARTED THOSE AGREEMENTS. 
          THAT WAS PRIOR TO MY TENURE WITH THE COUNTY, WHICH WAS 1994. 
          BUT WE RENDER, UH, THIRD PARTY INSPECTION AND PLAN REVIEW SERVICES. 
          SO UNDER THE COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT, THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR EMITTING WHAT THE PERMIT FEE WOULD BE TO THE COUNTY, UM, AS IF IT WAS BEING, UM, PERMITTED IN THE COUNTY. 
          SO WE DO GET COMPENSATED FOR THOSE. 
          THANKS. 
          THANK YOU MR. PENMAN. 
          YEAH, I JUST WANNA CONVEY, UM, WHAT MY COLLEAGUE SAID AND JUST THANK YOU FOR YOU AND YOUR TEAM'S EFFORTS. 
          THERE'S BEEN MULTIPLE, UM, TIMES THROUGHOUT MY FIVE MONTHS HERE AT A LIMITED TIME THAT YOU, YOUR, YOUR TEAM HAS BEEN A GREAT RESOURCE TO ME ON DIFFERENT LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVES. 
          SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR AVAILABILITY AND YOUR EXPERTISE. 
          WELL, UM, MR. BENNETT, UM, I JUST HAVE A FEW, UH, SMALL LINE ITEM QUESTIONS. 
          UH, FOR THE POSITION OF A MINISTRY OF SECRETARY THREE, UH, IT SAYS, IN THE FISCAL YEAR 2023 BUDGET THAT IS BUDGETED FOR THAT POSITION TO BE PAID, UH, $96,050, UH, FOR THIS YEAR IT'S BUDGETED AT $75,000. 
          IS THAT SOMEBODY WHO LAST YEAR WAS GETTING PAID 96,000 AND THIS YEAR THEY'RE GETTING PAID 75,000 OR IS THAT SOMEBODY LEFT AND SOMEBODY NEW'S COMING IN? SOMEBODY LEFT AS AND MS. ROUTE TOOK OVER THAT POSITION? SO, YES. 
          UM, AND ALONG THOSE SAME LINES OF SENIOR CUSTOMER SUPPORT ANALYSTS, YOU KNOW, LAST YEAR IT WAS BUDGETED FOR TWO PEOPLE TO GET PAID, UH, $129,583. 
          THIS YEAR IT'S TWO PEOPLE GETTING PAID A HUNDRED THOUSAND $88. 
          IS THAT TWO PEOPLE GETTING PAID ABOUT $15,000 LESS THIS YEAR, OR IS THAT TWO NEW PEOPLE IN THAT POSITION? THEY ARE, UM, CURRENT POSITIONS AND BECAUSE OF THE ATTRITION THAT OCCURRED AND THE MOVEMENT WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT, WE PROMOTED FROM WITHIN. 
          SO THERE WAS A REDUCTION IN SALARY. 
          CURRENTLY WE ONLY HAVE ONE, UH, SENIOR PERSON, BUT WE ARE ALLOWED TO HAVE UP TO TWO. 
          UH, THAT OTHER POSITION IS, UM, BEING FILLED BY A CUSTOMER SERVICE TWO POSITION. 
          UM, SO THERE ISN'T ANYBODY IN YOUR DEPARTMENT WHO DIRECTLY RECEIVED A PAY REDUCTION THIS YEAR OVER THEIR PREVIOUS SALARY? NO. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU MR. BENNETT. 
          UM, JUST A QUICK QUESTION FROM ME. 
          UH, HAVE WE, IN, IN YOUR CAPITAL PROJECT HERE, HAVE WE EVER DEMOLISHED ABILITY? HAS DELPH EVER DONE IT? YES. 
          OKAY. 
          YES. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          UM, WE, THE REASON WE DID THAT, WE WENT BACK TO, TO MS. SPENCE AND WE WERE STARTING TO GET CLOSE AND EXCEEDED THE 25,000 IN A COUPLE INSTANCES. 
          SO WITH THE SUPPORT OF MS. SPENCE, WE WENT TO, UM, WORKING AS A CAPITAL PROJECT, WHICH ALLOWS US MORE FLEXIBILITY, DON'T HAVE TO FIND THE FUNDING IN AN OVER A THREE YEAR PERIOD. 
          SO YES, AS WE CONTINUE TO SEE THESE, WE'VE HAD, UH, FEW CHIMNEY OAK WHERE WE HAD A DOUBLE, UH, DUPLEX THAT WAS COMPLETELY BURNED IN THE GROUND. 
          OH. 
          WE HAD TO TAKE CARE OF REMOVING THAT CUZ THAT WAS NOT TAKEN CARE OF. 
          AND THEN PUT A, UH, ROOF OVER TOP OF THAT FOUNDATION THAT WAS LEFT NOT ONLY FOR SAFETY, BUT TO PROTECT THE INVESTMENT OF THE NEIGHBORING STRUCTURE. 
          AND WE HAD ANOTHER INCIDENT IN JA PATAM WHERE A HOUSE EXPLODED, WAS LEFT, UH, UNFINISHED AND NOT ABLE TO BE CLEANED UP. 
          COUNTY WENT BACK IN AND CLEANED THAT UP. 
          SO I WAS WONDERING WHAT WOULD BRING US TO THAT POINT TO WHERE WE HAD TO DO THAT. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, ANYONE ELSE? MR. TIBBS? I ASSUME IT'S A TYPO ERROR ON PAGE 3 77 UNDER, UH, STAFF WE HAVE INCREASED TWO OR IS OH YEAH. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ANYONE ELSE? THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YES, SIR. 
          MR. SLIFKA, HOW ARE YOU THIS AFTERNOON? FINE, MR. COUNCIL PRESIDENT, HOW ARE YOU? GOOD. 
          THANK YOU FOR, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY. 
          UM, I WAS JUST GONNA INTRODUCE THE STAFF. 
          I WAS GONNA SAY, IT LOOKS LIKE HE HAS A FEW PEOPLE WITH HIM TODAY. 
          MY SENIOR STAFF WITH ME, KAREN WINKOWSKI, TARA LANTHROPE, RACHEL HARBIN, , SAVANNAH BOKER. 
          I KNOW GARY'S ON HIS WAY OVER TO, HE'S HERE. 
          GARY STEIN, WELL MARIA POUNDS AND TAZI MURKOWSKI AND SUSAN MONT AGING. 
          SO I WANT TO THANK THEM FOR BEING HERE. 
          THEY'RE A GREAT SUPPORT STAFF. 
          I DON'T KNOW WHERE 
          [02:55:01]
I'D BE WITHOUT THEM BECAUSE ME BEING NEW, IT REALLY TAUGHT ME A LOT. 
          VERY GOOD. 
          WITH THAT, WE'LL GET STARTED ON PAGE 2 49 IS THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY SERVICES BUDGET. 
          THERE'S A DECREASE THERE OF 790 2008 42, 240 1000 IS FOR PERSONAL SERVICES. 
          AGAIN, UM, ADDED MONEY FOR TEMPORARY SALARIES TO INCLUDE INTERNS AND HUMAN RELATIONS MANAGER. 
          AS WELL AS, UM, RETIREMENT HEALTH SAVINGS INCREASED IN CONTRACTUAL SERVICES. 
          THERE'S A DECREASED THERE OF 27,300 FUNDING WAS ADJUSTED FOR OTHER ADVERTISING AND OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. 
          AND THAT WAS BASED ON ACTUAL SPENDING HISTORY. 
          UM, ON PAGE TWO 50, MISCELLANEOUS DECREASES $1,010,500. 
          $947,000 IS GRANT AID FUNDING. 
          THAT WAS MOVED FROM COMMUNITY SERVICES TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING TO HANDLE FOR NOW ONE. 
          UM, AND IF YOU MOVE DOWN A LITTLE BIT FURTHER, SIX, THERE'S A REDUCTION IN GENERAL CONTRIBUTIONS OF $63,500 AND YOU'LL SEE THE LIST OF WHO THE AMOUNTS THEY'RE GOING TO ON THAT PAGE 2 56, OFFICE OF DRUG CONTROL POLICY. 
          THERE'S A DECREASE THERE OF 1 66 96. 
          THERE'S SOME OF THAT IS RELATED TO PERSONAL SERVICES FOR DECREASE OF 7 72 2 81. 
          AND THAT'S MAINLY IN, UH, TEMPORARY SALARIES IN CONTRACTUAL SERVICES. 
          THERE'S A DECREASE OF 63,815. 
          THIS IS FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, TELEPHONE SERVICES, SO FORTH. 
          AND WE BASE THAT ADJUSTMENT ON ACTUAL SPENDING. 
          UM, AGAIN, SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS DECREASES 14,005 AND UNDER MISCELLANEOUS AND THIS BUDGET, THERE'S A DECREASE OF $9,000. 
          AND THIS IS ALSO BASED ON ACTUAL SPENDING HISTORY. 
          2 61 IS THE OFFICE ON AGING. 
          AGAIN, THERE'S A DECREASE THERE OF 1 0 3 180 19,722 IS IN PERSONAL SERVICES. 
          THAT'S THE RESULT OF TURNOVER AND UM, A REDUCTION FOR RETIREE HEALTH. 
          RETIREMENT HEALTH SAVINGS PLAN. 
          IF YOU MOVE DOWN THE PAGE TO MISCELLANEOUS, THERE'S A DECREASE THERE OF 82,000 1 0 8. 
          AND THIS IS, UM, BASED ON ACTUAL EXPENSE HISTORY. 
          UM, WE MOVED, UM, THE APPROPRIATION. 
          THIS WAS FOR HEALTH BENEFITS FOR GRANT EMPLOYEES THAT AREN'T COVERED BY THE GRANT. 
          WE MOVE THAT MONEY UP INTO PERSONAL SERVICES AND WITH THAT ATTORNEY, OPEN IT UP FOR ANY QUESTIONS IF ANYBODY HAS ANYTHING. 
          YES, COUNCILMAN JERRY. 
          I KNOW COUNCILMAN JAN. 
          I'M SORRY. 
          IT'S ALRIGHT. 
          HE RAISED YOUR . 
          I'M WILL WAIT TILL HE, UH, HE IT'S OKAY. 
          YOU GO. 
          THANKS, COUNSEL. 
          THAT TAKE MY JOB. 
          I'M SORRY ABOUT THAT. 
          , HE'S TAKEN OVER, LIKE HE ALWAYS DOES. 
          I'VE LEARNED IT MIGHT HAVE TAKEN ME FOUR YEARS, BUT I'VE LEARNED. 
          OKAY, SO, SO GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, MR. SLIFKA. 
          SO, UH, ACTUALLY MY COMMENTS RIGHT NOW ARE TO MRS. SPENCE. 
          I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE BACK. 
          OH, THANK YOU. 
          UM, IT MAKES THINGS EASIER TO FOLLOW AS I WAS USED TO. 
          SO I REALLY DO APPRECIATE WE MISSED YOU. 
          AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I SAID THAT SO VERY MUCH. 
          UM, MR. SLIFKA, I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT YOUR TEAM BECAUSE I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT. 
          WITHOUT YOUR TEAM, YOU'D BE, YOU'D BE A WORLD OF HURT. 
          SO, UH, I I KNOW IT'S, UH, VERY IMPORTANT TO HAVE GOOD PEOPLE BEHIND YOU TELLING YOU WHAT TO DO. 
          AND HOPEFULLY YOU'LL LISTEN TO THEM AND, AND, UH, RIGHT NOW I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH MR. PENMAN. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, JUST A FEW QUESTIONS. 
          UM, UNDER THE HARTFORD TRANSIT, WHICH IS ON PAGE 2 56, 2 2 52 54, EXCUSE ME. 
          UH, I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THERE WAS AN ADMINISTRATOR AND I DON'T SEE IT ON THE BUDGET. 
          IS THAT SOMEWHERE ELSE? THAT THAT WAS A GRANT FUNDED POSITION? SO THEY WON'T SHOW ON THIS. 
          THESE ARE ONLY POSITIONS THAT ARE COUNTY FUNDED. 
          AND WITH THESE THREE POSITIONS, THEY'RE COUNTY FUNDED, BUT WE OFFSET 'EM 100% THEIR COUNTY FUNDED FULL-TIME CLASSIFIED POSITIONS. 
          WE, WE DO HAVE SOME GRANTS THAT ARE LISTED HERE, BUT THE GRANT POSITIONS WOULDN'T BE ELICITED. 
          SO THERE'S A SUMMARY OF GRANTS. 
          LOCAL MANAGEMENT BOARD. 
          NOW THAT'S ANOTHER QUESTION I HAVE. 
          CORRECT. 
          WE, WE DO NOT PUT IN THERE ALL THE EMPLOYEES THAT ARE COVERED BY GRANTS. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, AND THEN ALSO ON THAT SAME PAGE, UH, OUT OF THE THREE EMPLOYEES, THERE'S NO BENEFITS LISTED DOWN THERE. 
          HE'S A, THIS IS JUST TO SHOW THERE IS THREE CLASSIFIED 
          [03:00:01]
POSITIONS, FULL-TIME CLASSIFIED POSITIONS THAT ARE FULLY OFFSET WITH GRANT MONEY. 
          OKAY. 
          SO EVERYTHING, THEIR HEALTH BENEFITS AND EVERYTHING ARE OFFSET WITH GRANT MONEY. 
          SO THAT'S WHAT THIS PAGE IS SHOWING YOU AND HAVING SOME EXPERIENCE WITH THE, UH, COMMUNITY SERVICES DIVISION. 
          UH, LOOKING ON THE SUMMARY OF GRANTS, IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S A LOCAL MANAGEMENT BOARD, BUT I THOUGHT THERE WAS A MEDIATION GRANT AS WELL. 
          WOULD THAT BE LISTED SOMEWHERE ELSE? SHE SAID YES, THERE IS A MEDIATION GRANT. 
          IS IT, IS IT LISTED SOMEWHERE ELSE IN THE BUDGET? HOLD ON, HOLD ON. 
          YEAH, FOR SOME REASON WE DON'T HAVE, WE DIDN'T GET IT ON THESE FORMS, BUT THERE IS A MATCH FOR IT BACK UNDER PEGO NONDEPARTMENTAL FOR FRANCE. 
          SO, SO THERE'S A MATCH THAT'S LISTED FURTHER IN THE, IN THE BOOK? YES. 
          AND I THINK IT'S 28,000 PROBABLY GIVE OR TAKE 30,000 GIVE OR TAKE. 
          AND WHAT PAGE IS THAT? I'M SORRY. 
          THAT'S IN THE BACK CORNER. 
          46 40, THANK YOU. 
          UM, GOING ON PAGE 2 55, THE OPERATING ASSISTANCE, UM, I KNOW IT'S HAS, UH, MR. SLIFKA A KIND OF A BRIEF EXPLANATION OF WHAT THAT IS, BUT THE COUNTY MATCHES NEARLY $4 MILLION. 
          I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF, WE CAN GET MORE INFORMATION ON THAT. 
          MR. HE'S TALKING ABOUT THE, UM, THE OPERATING ASSISTANCE FOR TRANSIT. 
          REFER TO GARY ON THAT ONE. 
          YEAH, SURE. 
          GARY. 
          OH, GARY, THIS IS FOR YOUR OPERATING ASSISTANCE GRANT. 
          50 0 7 I I DUNNO, YOUR GRANT. 
          IT'S THE VERY FIRST ONE. 
          YEAH, THAT, THAT IS FOR OUR, UM, OPERATING GRANT, WHICH IS PARTIAL FEDERAL STATE. 
          AND THEN THE LOCAL MATCH. 
          SO THIS YEAR IT HAS GONE BACK TO FOR 24 WHAT IT WAS PRIOR. 
          UH, BECAUSE THE LAST TWO YEARS, FISCAL YEARS WE HAD APPROXIMATELY $6 MILLION IN CARES IN ARPA FUNDING THAT OFFSET THAT. 
          BUT GOING INTO 24, IT GOES BACK TO WHAT IT WAS PREVIOUSLY. 
          SO THAT'S FOR TRANSIT. 
          UM, DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR RIDERSHIP NUMBERS ARE? UH, THIS YEAR WE SHOULD BE RIGHT AROUND 320,000 FOR THE YEAR. 
          FOR ANNUAL, UH, PRE PANDEMIC. 
          WE WERE VERY CLOSE TO 440,000. 
          UM, AND WE ARE WORKING OUR WAY BACK. 
          PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION HAS GONE THROUGH A ROUGH PERIOD WITH THE PANDEMIC. 
          NO, I IMAGINE WHEN FIGHTER SHIP WAS COMING BACK, IS THERE ANY STRATEGIES TO TRY TO I IMPROVE THAT OR INCREASE THAT? NOTE THOSE NUMBERS? WELL, OUR ISSUE NOW IS DRIVER RELATED. 
          UM, SO WE ARE MAKING SOME CHANGES FOR INCENTIVES AND BONUSES, WHATEVER, TO REBUILD OUR STAFF. 
          UM, CAUSE WE ARE SHORT DRIVERS CURRENTLY AND WE DO HAVE ONE ROUTE PERMANENTLY SHUT DOWN ONE LEG OF A ROUTE. 
          UM, AND THAT HAS AFFECTED US BY ABOUT 3000 PASSENGERS IN THE, OKAY. 
          UH, JUST TWO MORE QUESTIONS THEN I'LL, I'LL PASS IT OFF ON PAGE TWO 50 OF, UH, THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY SERVICES THAT I, I CAN BIKE CAMP. 
          DO WE KNOW WHAT THAT THAT IS DESCRIPTION OF THAT? THIS IS LISTED SOMEWHERE? YEAH. 
          NO, NO. 
          RACHEL, JUMP IN THE HOT SEAT. 
           NEXT. 
          HI HARK. 
          YEAH, SO WE CONTRACT WITH IEN SHINE TO ORGANIZATION TO BRING CAMP HERE. 
          AND WE TEACH KIDS WITH DISABILITIES HOW TO RIDE A BIKE. 
          SO THEY HAVE TO BE EIGHT YEARS OLD. 
          UM, IT ACTUALLY DOES ALSO INCLUDE ADULTS. 
          SO IT, UM, IT MAKES THEM, YOU KNOW, INCREASES THEIR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, THEIR EMPLOYABILITY, UM, AND THEIR SOCIAL, UM, COMMUNICATIONS. 
          THAT'S A GREAT PROGRAM. 
          I KNOW THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE HAS A PROGRAM SIMILAR TO THAT. 
          MAYBE YOU GUYS CAN PARTNER UP ON IT, I THINK. 
          GREAT. 
          YEAH. 
          UM, THANK YOU. 
          YOU'RE WELCOME. 
          AND THE, THEN JUST A FINAL QUESTION. 
          UM, 
          [03:05:01]
DISABLED VETERANS. 
          I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE THAT OFFICE AS WELL. 
          UM, WELL NOT THE VETERANS, BUT IS THERE ANY PROGRAMS FOR DISABLED VETERANS THAT GOING FORWARD? NOTHING PART NOT NOT KNOWING A BOARD RIGHT NOW, GOING FORWARD. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, SITTING ON THE VETERANS COMMISSION. 
          HOPEFULLY WE MAYBE SIT DOWN WITH YOU AND WE CAN TRY TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING TO PARTNER. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          THANKS. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU MR. PENMAN. 
          MR. JERDEN, SO YOU MENTIONED ONE LINE IS TEMPORARILY RELEASE SHUT DOWN. 
          WHERE, WHERE DOES THAT RUN TO? WHAT'S THE LINE? IT'S THE, UH, HOWARD GRACE FELL AIR. 
          SO THERE ARE TWO OR THREE BUSES RUNNING. 
          SO INSTEAD OF EACH STOP WE WOULD GET TO LIKE 24 TIMES A DAY EACH STOP ON THAT ROUTE. 
          WE'RE NOW DOING IT 16 TIMES A DAY. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ANYONE ELSE? MR. RA? YES. 
          THANK YOU MR. COUNCIL PRESIDENT. 
          UM, IN PAST YEAR'S BUDGET, THERE WAS A CARVE OUT, UH, I BELIEVE IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN UNDER, UH, OFFICE OF DRUG CONTROL POLICY FOR A COUPLE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR, UH, I THINK IT WAS ACR ADDICTIONS CONNECTIONS RESOURCE. 
          IS THAT, IS THAT STILL, UH, A RELATIONSHIP GOING ON THERE? IT WAS KIND OF OUTSOURCED FROM THE COUNTY WHEN I ASKED THE QUESTION LAST YEAR IS THERE'S STILL A RELATIONSHIP THERE. 
          YES. 
          THEY'RE BUDGETED TO GET, I THINK IT'S, UM, LET ME GO RIGHT IN THERE. 
          IT'S UNDER ODP. 
          THEY'RE GOING BE 500 SOME THOUSAND. 
          LEMME GET THESE BACK. 
          550,000 THEY'RE BUDGETED FOR FOR 24. 
          OKAY. 
          SO, PERFECT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WE'RE GETTING HAND SIGNALS FROM THE BACK OF YOUR CROWD THERE, GIVING US THE NUMBERS. 
          . 
          OKAY. 
          YOU GOTTA FIND OUT WHERE THEY ARE. 
          SOME . 
          ANYONE ELSE? ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU MR. SLIFKA. 
          THANK YOU EVERYONE, AND THANK YOU EVERYONE. 
          HAVE A GREAT DAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YOU GUYS ALL COMING A BUS ? I WALK PLANNING AND ZONINGS NEXT. 
          JUST WE'RE AHEAD OF SCHEDULE. 
          YOU'RE GONNA START ON PAGE TWO 15 WHEN YOU, I MISSED, I MISSED YOU. 
          KEN. 
          ROBBIE DID A ROBBY HE DID A GREAT JOB. 
          ROB. 
          ROBBIE. 
          JUST START READING AND WE'D BE LIKE TRYING TO CATCH UP. 
          I THINK HE DID RUNNING LONG. 
          I I THINK HE DID A PHENOMENAL JOB. 
          I THINK ROBBY DID A NICE JOB. 
          I TOO, IT'S JUST NOT THAT WE DON'T WANT YOU HERE, BUT SPENCE, I JUST THOUGHT HE DID A NICE JOB. 
          TONY'S A SLOW LEARNER, SO WORK WITH OKAY. 
          HE WAS JUGGLING A LOT. 
          NO, I'M CONDITIONED BY MS. SPENCE. 
          . 
          OKAY, LET'S GET BACK IN ORDER HERE. 
          , I'M SETTLING . 
          GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. GRIM. 
          GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL, MARK, THIS AFTERNOON. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL RUSHING OVER HERE, SIR. 
          UH, FIRST, UH, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE MYSELF, SHANE GRIM, DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND ZING WITH ME TODAY. 
          I HAVE MY ADMIN, SANDY CARDELL, AND ALSO, UH, AS PART OF THE ADMINISTRATION'S INITIATIVE, WE HAVE JONATHAN FOSTER TO BRING IN INTERNS. 
          UH, JONATHAN IS CURRENTLY ENROLLED AT EDGEWOOD HIGH SCHOOL AND HE'S BEEN SPENDING TIME EACH WEEK WITH DIFFERENT AGENCIES GETTING TO KNOW WHAT EACH AGENCY DOES. 
          HE'LL BE GOING TO MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY NEXT YEAR. 
          CORRECT. 
          OKAY. 
          I'M SORRY, I THOUGHT YOU WERE STILL, UH, MOR UM, MORGAN, UH, STATE, UH, GETTING HIS MBA. 
          SO, UM, WHY DON'T YOU HAVE WE STUDYING BEHIND? WE CAN'T SEE HIM. 
          WHAT'S UP? WHY DON'T YOU HAVE HIM SIT BEHIND YOU? I CAN'T SEE HIM. 
          HE GOTTA SEE HIM FOR . 
          HE'S JUST A, HE'S JUST, HE'S OUR COME ON, JONATHAN. 
          SO JONATHAN, SERIOUSLY, COME ON UP FRONT HERE. 
          YEAH, GOD FORBID. 
          DON'T, DON'T. 
          AND THE REASON I'M SAYING THAT IS I NOTICED YOU IN THE CHAMBERS THE OTHER DAY WHEN THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE WAS HERE AND I DID NOT QUITE, UH, KNOW WHO YOU WERE. 
          SO I'M GLAD TO TO MEET YOU AND, UM, SEE YOU AND SEE YOU. 
          YES. 
          YEAH. 
          MY GOD. 
          AND AS SOMEONE WHO STILL GETS ASKED WHEN I'M, UH, PLANNING TO GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL, WHEN I GET MY HAIR CUT, I, I KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE MISTAKEN FOR A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT. 
          SO, WELL, I HAVEN'T HAD MUCH OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH THEM TODAY. 
          IT'S, UH, BEEN A WHIRLWIND MORNING ALREADY, SO THAT'S QUITE ALL RIGHT. 
          UH, REALLY JUST GOT A CHANCE TO CHAT WITH THEM BEFORE I, BEFORE I CAME OVER HERE. 
          WHENEVER YOU'RE READY, SIR. 
          OKAY. 
          ON PAGE TWO 15, WE'LL START WITH THE DIRECTOR PLANNING AND ZONING. 
          THERE'S A DECREASE THERE OF $57,040. 
          UM, YOU WILL SEE THE BULK OF THAT IS IN PERSONAL SERVICES. 
          EVERYTHING ELSE BASICALLY STAYED THE SAME. 
          THERE WAS NO CHANGE. 
          ON PAGE TWO 18, COMPREHENSIVE 
          [03:10:01]
PLANNING, THERE'S AN INCREASE THERE OF 93,771, 90,270. 
          ONE OF THAT IS THE RESULT OF PERSONAL SERVICES, UM, FOR TURNOVER. 
          AND THEN, UM, WE TRANSFER TWO PHYSICIANS FROM CURRENT PLANNING INTO THIS DIVISION. 
          SO YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE AT 2 49 OFFSET BY THE 27TH DAY. 
          AND THEN THE ONLY OTHER THING THAT INCREASED IS BUSINESS AND TRAVEL. 
          AND THIS IS, UM, INCREASE IN TRAINING SEMINARS FOR TWO GIS STAFF MEMBERS TO ATTEND ESRI USER CONCERT CONFERENCE. 
          OKAY. 
          ON PAGE 2 21, THAT'S WHERE YOU'LL SEE THE DECREASE FOR THE PERSONNEL THAT TRANSFERRED OVER, UM, OF 4 15, 557. 
          ALSO, THEY HAD, UM, HEALTH BENEFIT WERE ADJUSTED. 
          THE 27TH PAY WAS REDUCED. 
          AND THEN, UM, THERE WAS SOME TURNOVER IN THAT DIVISION. 
          UM, ON PAGE 2 25 IS AG PRESERVATION, THE COUNTIES AG RESERVATION, THERE'S AN INCREASE THERE OF 200,000, 150 FOR AG PRESERVATION EASEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT RATES. 
          AND THEN ADDITIONAL 50,000 IS INTERFUND REIMBURSEMENTS TO THE GENERAL FUND FOR THE STATE AG. 
          AND THEN ON PAGE 2 26 IS THE AGRICULTURAL STATE PROGRAM. 
          THERE'S A DECREASE THERE OF 80,000 AND JUST MAKES FUNDS OF, UM, TO MATCH AVAILABLE FOR EASEMENT FORS FOR THE MOUNT PROGRAM. 
          AND WITH THAT, I'LL TURN OVER. 
          SHANE, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE TODAY. 
          AND JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE DOING IN THE DEPARTMENT. 
          STRUCTURALLY DEPARTMENT ISN'T REALLY CHANGING THAT MUCH. 
          WE DO HAVE A NUMBER OF VACANCIES THAT WE HOPE TO FILL IN THE FUTURE, AND THERE'S ABOUT SIX PINS THAT ARE AVAILABLE. 
          AND MY GOAL IS IN THE FUTURE TO LOOK AT BRINGING SOME MORE FOLKS ON THAT WOULD BE WORKING IN WHAT I WOULD CONSIDER LIKE A COMMUNITY PLANNING TYPE FOCUS. 
          UM, AND ONCE WE STAND UP ALL THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARDS, AND WE'LL LOOK AT THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE, BUT AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW, THE DEPARTMENT PLANNING AND ZONING IS THREE SECTIONS. 
          IT USED TO BE TWO NEXT YEAR IT'LL BE REFLECTED MORE SO IN THE BUDGET. 
          BUT, UH, IT'S THE CURRENT PLANNING SIDE OF THE HOUSE AND THE COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING SIDE OF THE HOUSE. 
          CURRENT PLANNING IS THE DAY-TO-DAY FUNCTIONS, INCLUDING PERMITS, REVIEWS AND APPROVALS, THINGS LIKE THAT. 
          UH, FOLKS COME IN, CONSTITUENTS COME IN, SEE US AT OUR PERMITS COUNTER OR COME UP TO THE SECOND FLOOR TO DROP OFF PLANS. 
          EVEN THOUGH THAT'S GETTING MORE AND MORE TO BE DIGITAL AND WE'RE NOT SEEING AS MUCH PEOPLE COMING IN. 
          UM, WE DO STILL DO THAT FUNCTION OF TAKING IN PLANS ADMINISTRATIVELY AND DISPERSING THEM TO THE DIFFERENT AGENCIES. 
          ON THE LONG-RANGE PLANNING SIDE OF THE HOUSE, OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING SIDE OF, OF THE HOUSE, THAT'S WHERE WE WORK ON THINGS LIKE COMPREHENSIVE ZONING, UPDATES TO THE ZONING CODE AS WELL AS, UH, THE MASTER PLAN AND THINGS LIKE THAT. 
          ALSO WITHIN THAT SECTION ARE CONTAINING THE ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING FOLKS, THE TRANSPORTATION PLANNING FOLKS, AND DATA AND DEMOGRAPHICS. 
          THE SECTION THAT I SORT OF WANT TO, OR I AM KIND OF MOVING OUT IS JUST AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE SPECIAL WORK THAT THEY DO. 
          AND THAT IS OUR GIS SECTION, OUR GEO GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SECTION. 
          UM, OH, GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS SECTION. 
          AND THE REASON I DID THAT IS, UH, THEY SERVE BOTH SIDES OF THE HOUSE OF THE DEPARTMENT, BUT ALSO THEY SERVE THE COUNTYWIDE, UH, ALL THE DEPARTMENTS IN, IN THE COUNTY AS WELL AS THE CONSTITUENTS. 
          SO I WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THEY WERE A SEPARATE AND DISTINCT SECTION OF THE DEPARTMENT AND HAVE CERTAIN SPECIFIC NEEDS RELATED TO SOFTWARE AND, AND, UH, COMPUTERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. 
          SO THAT'LL BE MORE REFLECTIVE IN, IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET. 
          SO IT'S MORE KIND OF, UM, TITLE ONLY NOW, UH, UH, BY NAME. 
          BUT I DID WANNA REFLECT THAT IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET. 
          UM, SO OBVIOUSLY DEPARTMENT IS REALLY 99% STAFF ARE OUR BUDGET. 
          AND IN COMING YEARS WE MAY LOOK AT SOME ADDITIONAL MONIES TO HELP US WITH EITHER UPDATES TO THE ZONING CODE OR SMALL AREA PLANS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. 
          AND SO THERE ARE THINGS THAT ARE REFLECTED IN THE CURRENT MASTER PLAN AND, AND POTENTIALLY IN THE UPDATES TO THE MASTER PLAN THAT MAY DICTATE WHICH OF THOSE TYPES OF THINGS THAT WE WANNA DO, WHETHER IT'S A SMALL AREA PLAN OR LOOK AT SOMETHING LIKE DESIGN GUIDELINES OR, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT WE MAY WANT TO CALL IN SPECIFIC EXPERTISE FROM A CONSULTANT TO ASSIST US WITH THOSE TYPES OF SERVICES. 
          AND SO I, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, FROM THE DEPARTMENT AND, AND WHAT WE DO. 
          THANK YOU. 
          CHAIN MASTER PLAN. 
          AT, AT WHAT POINT DO YOU, UH, FORESEE US GETTING A DRAFT? I WOULD SEE FORESEE LATE THIS YEAR THAT YOU WOULD GET A DRAFT. 
          AND AGAIN, WITH THAT AT THE DIRECTION OF THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE, WE'RE RE NOT REINVENTING THE WHEEL. 
          IT'S ONLY A LITTLE BIT PAST IT'S HALFWAY LIFESPAN, UH, AS DICTATED BY THE STATE TO REDO OUR, OUR PLANS EVERY 10 YEARS. 
          SO WE ARE DOING A LIGHT EDITING OF THAT AND SPLITTING 
          [03:15:01]
OUT TWO SECTIONS. 
          THERE WE'RE, WE HAVE A, A PRESERVATION SECTION NOW THAT TALKS TO AGRICULTURAL PRESERVATION AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION. 
          I DID NOT LIKE THAT YEARS AGO WHEN WE DID THAT, BUT THAT WAS THE DIRECTION THAT WE WENT. 
          UH, WE'RE GONNA BREAK THAT OUT INTO TWO SECTIONS SINCE THEY ARE SEPARATE AND DISTINCT, JUST CUZ THEY HAVE PRESERVATION IN THE TITLE DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE EXACTLY THE SAME. 
          SO THEY SHOULD BE SEPARATE. 
          SO THAT'S ONLY, I WOULD SAY THE ONLY REALLY BIG THING DIFFERENT ABOUT THE PLAN THAT YOU'LL SEE. 
          BUT THE WORLD HAS CHANGED SINCE WE DID THE PLAN WITH THE PANDEMIC MAINLY. 
          SO THERE ARE SOME CERTAIN THINGS THAT WE'LL BE LOOKING AT WHAT'S WORKED, WHAT HASN'T WORKED, WHAT HAVE WE ACCOMPLISHED THAT NO LONGER NEEDS TO, TO BE SHOWN IN THE PLAN. 
          AND, UH, WE'LL GET THAT OVER TO YOU. 
          AND THEN ALSO WE WILL, WE'LL DO A ROADSHOW TO THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD SINCE IT'S ONLY A LIGHT EDIT. 
          I DON'T ANTICIPATE A HUGE, UM, ROADSHOW, BUT MAINLY TO THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD. 
          THANK YOU FOR THAT. 
          AND THEN JUST, UM, FOR ME, AG PRESERVATION, UH, THE POT, THE 23 MILLION THAT I THINK YOU'RE SHOWING IN THE BUDGET HERE, HAS THE PAST 12 PROJECTS BEEN TAKEN FROM THAT YET? SO THE ONES THAT WE JUST RECENTLY, UM, APPROVED WILL PROBABLY NOT HIT THIS FISCAL YEAR BECAUSE IT TAKES A WHILE. 
          THAT'S WHY WE, WE KEPT THAT, UM, UM, APPROPRIATION KIND OF ELEVATED AT THAT HIGHER LEVEL BECAUSE THAT IS MORE THAN WE NORMALLY WOULD BE ABLE TO DO FOR AG PRES. 
          UM, SO THAT WE CAN TAKE CARE OF THOSE PROJECTS NEXT YEAR. 
          SOME OF 'EM MIGHT END UP HITTING AT THE END OF THIS YEAR, BUT I DON'T THINK MOST OF THEM WILL. 
          SO THAT'S WHY WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE THAT, BUT THEN WE STILL SHOULD HAVE THEN SOME ADDITIONAL, ADDITIONAL FUNDING, YOU KNOW, TO DO SOME, UH, SMALLER RANGE OF PROJECTS AS WELL. 
          ALL THE AG PRES MONEY ALWAYS STAYS IN THAT FUND. 
          UM, AND THEN IF WE DON'T SPEND IT, WE CAN ALWAYS REAPPROPRIATE IT TO A FUTURE YEAR. 
          YES. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, MR. JAN. 
          THANK YOU MISS, UH, COUNCIL PRESIDENT. 
          UH, SHANE, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR, UH, SETTING UP THE MEETING, UH, IN YOUR FACILITIES. 
          UH, ABOUT A MONTH OR SO AGO WITH MYSELF, COUNCILMAN RILEY, THAT WAS ACTUALLY THE FIRST TIME I WAS EVER IN THAT OFFICE AND WAS ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO THAT. 
          SO REALLY APPRECIATE IT. 
          I THOUGHT IT WAS A BIG HELP. 
          SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THAT. 
          AND IF ANY OF MY OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVEN'T HAD THE OPPORTUNITY, IF YOU'VE GOT ANY PROJECTS, IT'S A, IT'S A GREAT PLACE TO INTERACT AND, AND LOOK TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON. 
          SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT. 
          NO PROBLEM. 
          HAPPY TO ASSIST. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL PRESIDENT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          MR. JAMES DENI. 
          MR. RILEY, UH, SHANE, YOU MENTIONED THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARDS. 
          DOES THAT COME UNDER YOU? NO, IT DOES NOT COME UNDER ME. 
          IT COMES UNDER GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS AS FAR AS THE MANAGEMENT OF THOSE. 
          UH, BUT WHAT THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE HAS WANTED TO DO IS REALLY ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY, COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARDS AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY REALLY HAVE SOMETHING TO DO AND CHEW ON. 
          AND SO WE'RE TAKING MORE OF A PLANNING FOCUS. 
          AND SO MY INITIAL ACTIONS WITH THOSE COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARDS ARE TO GO TO THEM AND KIND OF DO WHAT I CALL THE PLANNING AND ZONING ONE OH ONE. 
          ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK IS VERY IMPORTANT AND REALLY IS HELPFUL TO BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN THE COMMUNITY AND THE DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND ZONING IS THAT EDUCATION COM COMPONENT. 
          AND, AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, I LOVE THAT. 
          I LOVE DOING THAT. 
          AND A LOT OF TIMES WHAT WE FIND IS THERE'S A LOT OF MISUNDERSTANDING WHAT THE DEPARTMENT DOES AND DOES NOT DO. 
          AND SO BY EDUCATING THOSE FOLKS, THEY MIGHT NOT ALWAYS AGREE WITH ME. 
          UH, I MIGHT NOT LIKE SOME OF THE THINGS I HAVE TO SAY MYSELF. 
          BUT GETTING THEM TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE DO AS A DEPARTMENT AND WHAT THE ZONING CODE CAN AND CAN DO IS A BIG THING. 
          SO THAT'S MY INITIAL THING WITH EACH OF THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY REPORTS. 
          DO YOU HAVE AN ETA WHEN ALL OF THEM WILL BE UP AND RUNNING OR ROB? DO YOU EITHER ONE. 
          THEY'RE TRYING TO STAND THEM UP TWO AT A TIME, TWO AT A TIME, SO RIGHT. 
          WHAT THAT ? UM, SO WE DO HAVE TWO OF THEM. 
          SIM IS CURRENTLY WORKING ON GETTING THE LAST FOUR UP AND RUNNING HOPEFULLY BY MID, UM, CAUSE WE ALREADY DO HAVE, BASICALLY WE'VE GONE THROUGH THE NAMES AND EVERYTHING OF WHO WE WANT FOR THE PORT STAR. 
          AND THE TWO YOU HAVE IS, UH, JARRETTSVILLE AND NORRISVILLE. 
          I KNOW THEY'RE UP CUZ I WAS THERE. 
          WHAT'S THE OTHER ONE? THE EDGEWOOD . 
          OKAY. 
          THANKS. 
          I, I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE AT THE VILLE NORRISVILLE ONE, BUT, UH, BECAUSE OF WHAT WE HAD GOING ELSEWHERE, GOING ON THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE, ONE OF ME TO MEET WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS. 
          SO I WILL DO THAT AT A LATER DATE. 
          BUT I HAVE BEEN TO CHOPPA, CHOPPA DOWN. 
          AND, AND JUST SO YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED IN THE PAST WAS WE HAD SEVERAL COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARDS THAT WERE VERY ACTIVE AND OTHERS THAT WERE VERY INACTIVE. 
          SO WHAT WE'VE DONE IS TAKEN A FEW OF THEM AND COMBINED 'EM TOGETHER. 
          I KNOW SOME PEOPLE MIGHT NOT LIKE THAT, BUT IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE REALLY ENGAGED GROUPS AND THEY HAVE THINGS TO TALK ABOUT, UH, WE KIND OF PUT SOME OF THEM TOGETHER. 
          UH, CERTAINLY THERE'S NOT THE LEVEL OF DEVELOPMENT AND THINGS GOING ON IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY AS THERE WOULD BE IN THE DEVELOPMENT ENVELOPE FOR ON THE SOUTH COUNTY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, MR. RILEY. 
          MR. PENMAN, MR. GRIM, UM, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU. 
          UM, WE'VE HAD SEVERAL INTERACTIONS ON, ON DIFFERENT ISSUES AND, UH, YOU'RE A GREAT RESOURCE. 
          UH, JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE, THE ZONING CODE IS DIFFICULT, SO JUST HAVING YOU THERE, UH, I APPRECIATE AND TALK ABOUT ONE OF 
          [03:20:01]
THOSE, UH, COMMUNITY, UH, ADVISORY BOARDS. 
          UH, MR. GRIM WAS PROBABLY ON THE HOT SEAT FOR ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF. 
          I WOULD SAY THAT THE EDGEWOOD JAPA ONE, UH, AND WAS, DID A GREAT JOB JUST KIND OF CONVEYING, UH, A LOT ABOUT ZONING, THE ISSUES, HEARING THOSE COMMUNITY, UH, CONCERNS AS WELL. 
          SO JUST WANT TO APPLAUD YOU ON THAT. 
          I KNOW CONTROVERSIALLY THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF ISSUES GOING FORWARD WITH ZONING AND I'M FULLY PREPARED, UH, FULLY KNOW THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE PREPARED FOR THEM. 
          SO THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, SIR. 
          THANK YOU MR. UH, PENMAN. 
          MR. BENNETT. 
          UM, I ALSO JUST HAVE A QUICK QUESTION ABOUT SOME LINE ITEMS IN REGARDS TO SALARIES. 
          LOOKING AT THE FOUR LEVELS OF PLANNERS, UM, YOU KNOW, PLANNER 1, 2, 3, 4, UM, PLANNER ONE. 
          IT LOOKS LIKE LAST YEAR, THE TWO PEOPLE IN THAT POSITION WERE PAID ROUGHLY $121,000 A YEAR. 
          AND THIS YEAR IT'S BUDGETED FOR 51 ISH THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR. 
          SO THAT'S LIKE ABOUT A $10,000 DECREASE FOR PLANNER LEVEL TWO. 
          UH, IT WAS BUDGETED FOR ROUGHLY WHAT PAGE? OH, SORRY. 
          TWO 20. 
          OKAY. 
          THANKS FOR COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, FOR PLANNER LEVEL TWO, LAST YEAR WAS THREE PEOPLE, 231,000. 
          THAT'S ABOUT $77,000 A PERSON, UM, ROUGHLY, YOU KNOW. 
          UM, AND, BUT THIS YEAR IT'S TWO PEOPLE AT $127,000 A PERSON. 
          SO THAT'S SIX $63,000 A PERSON, WHICH IS $14,000 LESS PER PERSON. 
          UH, YOU KNOW, FOR PLANTER THREE, YOU KNOW, $104,000 A PERSON ROUGHLY, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS BUDGET WITH FOUR PEOPLE, IT'S ABOUT $5,000 LESS PER PERSON. 
          AND FOR PLANNER LEVEL, NUMBER FOUR, YOU KNOW, TWO PEOPLE LAST YEAR, 139 ISH THOUSAND DOLLARS PER PERSON THIS YEAR WITH THREE PEOPLE, THEY'RE GETTING PAID ABOUT $14,000 LESS. 
          MY QUESTION IS, WHAT WAS THE THOUGHT PROCESS IN DECREASING THE LEVEL OF SALARY FOR THE, IT'S IT'S MOST LIKELY STAFF TURNOVER OR TRANSFERRING AROUND? YEAH, YEAH. 
          JUST AS A NO ONE'S PAY GOT CUT. 
          YEAH. 
          AS A, AS A GENERAL RULE. 
          UM, YOU'LL SEE ANY, ANYTIME THAT YEAH, YOU'LL, YOU'LL SEE THAT IT IS, IT IS, UM, JUST TURNOVER. 
          A A PERSON WHO RETIRES OR MOVES TO ANOTHER AREA, UM, IS REPLACED BY SOMEONE WHO, WHO GENERALLY MAKES LESS. 
          THERE ARE OCCASIONALLY TIMES WHERE AN INDIVIDUAL MAY TAKE A DEMOTION. 
          UM, YOU A PARTICULAR PLACE WHERE YOU'LL SOMETIMES SEE THAT AS LIKE IN AN APPOINTED POSITION, LIKE A FORMER DIRECTOR OR DEPUTY DIRECTOR WHO, UM, ISN'T ABLE TO STAY IN THAT POSITION, BUT MAYBE THEY GET MOVED TO ANOTHER POSITION. 
          BUT VERY, ALMOST NEVER IS, IS A PERSON IN THE SAME POSITION AND THEN TAKES A, UM, A, A PAY CUT, UM, AND, AND STAYS IN THE SAME POSITION. 
          IT'S ALMOST NORMALLY AN IF YOU DO HAVE THAT, YOU'RE, YOU'RE CHANGING POSITIONS. 
          SO DO WE HAVE COMPLETE TURNOVER IN ALL OF OUR PLANNERS IN THIS BUDGET CYCLE? NO, BUT, UH, THIS, WE HAVE, EXCUSE ME, WE HAVE A, A NUMBER OF NEW PLAN. 
          LIKE FOR, FOR INSTANCE, OUR CURRENT PLANNING SECTION. 
          THERE HAS BEEN SOME TURNOVER THERE IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, AND WE HAVE VERY YOUNG STAFF IN THE CURRENT PLANNING SECTION. 
          AND THERE'S ALSO BEEN TURNOVER IN THE COMPREHENSIVE, UH, PLANNING SECTION AS WELL. 
          SO YES, THAT ECHO WITH, WAS THERE ANY ADJUSTMENT TO THE BASE PAY, LIKE FORMER BASE PAY TO NOW OF LIKE WHERE SOMEONE NEW COMING IN WOULD START IN THAT ROLE, OR IT'S POSSIBLE IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH MM-HMM. 
           WITH HR, UH, THAT THOSE BASE PAYS MAY HAVE, MAY HAVE GONE UP. 
          I CAN TELL YOU THAT, UH, JUST IN THE WORLD OF, OF HIRING RIGHT NOW, AS MANY OF US KNOW, IT'S, IT'S A CHALLENGE. 
          AND I THINK ACROSS THE BOARD, I SHOULDN'T SPEAK FOR OTHER AGENCIES, BUT WE'VE HAD TO DO A LITTLE BIT MORE NEGOTIATING OR, OR, OR, OR THE, LIKE, TO GET FOLKS IN. 
          AND THAT'S MAINLY WHY I BROUGHT IT UP JUST TO MAKE SURE, LIKE, WE'RE STILL COMPETITIVE WITH HIRING FOR, YOU KNOW, SET, WE'RE GETTING THE BEST PEOPLE IN THOSE ROLES COMPARED TO OUR NEIGHBORING COUNTIES. 
          RIGHT. 
          AND, AND ANOTHER THING TOO THAT I WANTED TO POINT OUT IS, UH, ONE OF MY GOALS, AND YOU ALL KNOW THAT I, I WORKED FOR THE COUNTY PREVIOUSLY AND SO I HAD A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE FOLKS WERE AT IN THE DEPARTMENT AS FAR AS, UH, WHERE THEY WERE AT, WHETHER THEY'RE PLANNER ONE, PLANNER TWO, PLANT THREE, AND SO, OR OR OTHER POSITIONS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT. 
          AND WHAT I'VE DONE IS IDENTIFIED FOLKS THAT PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN BUMPED UP, LET'S SAY FROM A PLANT OR TWO TO A PLANTER THREE, UH, YEARS AGO. 
          AND SO WE'VE ADDRESSED THOSE ISSUES, UH, IN THE TIME THAT I'VE BEEN BACK. 
          AND I THINK AT THIS TIME, EXCEPT FOR MAYBE ONE PERSON THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT POTENTIALLY TO, UH, DO SOME THINGS FOR, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE KIND OF DONE WITH THAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, MR. BENNETT. 
          UH, MR. GUTHRIE, UH, AGAIN, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR COMING TO, UH, THE EDGEWOOD JOHN TOWN MEETING. 
          UM, THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR THAT THEY EMERGED AT TWO GROUPS, AND I WAS A LITTLE LEERY ABOUT BRINGING THE TWO GROUPS TOGETHER BECAUSE THEY'RE SO DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, UH, I KNOW YOU GOT HAMMERED PRETTY GOOD, YOU GOT A LOT OF QUESTIONS, YOU'RE RIGHT THERE WITH 'EM, AND YOU TOLD 'EM YOU COULD SPEND A COUPLE MORE HOURS IF YOU WANT. 
          UH, UH, OF COURSE I WASN'T HAPPY ABOUT THAT, BUT , UH, UH, BUT IT DID, UH, IT, I THINK THAT MEETING WENT ALMOST THREE HOURS. 
          SO MAYBE 
          [03:25:01]
ITS COACHED THE FIRST SHOT OUTTA THE BOX, BUT, AND, AND WE'RE PROBABLY MORE ACTIVE, ONE OF THE MORE ACTIVE COMMUNITY COUNCILS IN THE COUNTY. 
          UH, WE HAVE LITERALLY PROBABLY ALMOST A PACKED HOUSE. 
          AND, UM, UH, THEN YOU HAD TO DEAL WITH THAT. 
          YOU HAD, YOU HAD TWO, UM, UH, TWO PRESIDENTS OR TWO, UM, HEADS OF THE TWO GROUPS, UH, CHANCE ROBINSON, WHO, WHO HEADED THE EDGEWOOD IN PAULA MUL AND, UH, LEY, UH, BOB CALEY ASKED ME ABOUT WHO TO, TO RECOMMEND, AND I RECOMMEND, UH, BOTH OF THEM FOR THE POST, THE BOTH. 
          AND, UH, UH, GLORIA MOON OVER HERE. 
          SHE SETS ON THE BOARD ALSO. 
          AND, UH, FOR SOME REASON I RECOMMENDED HER. 
          I CAN'T REMEMBER WHY I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH AT ALL. 
          IT MIGHT , IT MIGHT, SHE MUST BE, SHE MUST BE NUDE . 
          IT MIGHT, IT MIGHT COME TO ME, BUT I, UH, I EXPECTED WHEN I GAVE MY PRESENTATION, I SAID, I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S COMING AND IT DID, YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE GONNA SIT THERE AND YOU'RE GONNA GIVE THE, UH, ALL THE, UM, GOOD THINGS AND OUT BOYS AND STUFF AND SOME OF THE BAD THINGS THAT'S HAPPENING IN ONE AREA, AND THE SAME WITH THE OTHER ONE. 
          AND THE FIRST THING YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GOING TO GET A QUESTION FROM ONE AREA SAYING, WELL, YOU'RE DOING MORE FOR THAT AREA THAN, THAN THE OTHER AREA. 
          AND THAT WENT BACK IN GLORY TELL, I KNEW EXACTLY WHAT THAT WAS GONNA HAPPEN, AND IT DID. 
          SO NOW I GOTTA, I GOTTA MEASURE MY COMMENTS  TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THE NEXT MEETING, WHICH IS COMING UP, THAT EACH I'VE GOT EQUAL AMOUNT  THAT I'M GOING TO SAY AT, AT THOSE MEETINGS. 
          BUT IT, IT WAS A GOOD MEETING AND, UH, UH, IT, IT CREATED A LOT OF INTEREST. 
          SO, UH, UH, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S THE GOOD NEWS. 
          UH, THE BAD NEWS. 
          THERE MIGHT BE SOME, UM, INTERACTION, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL FIND OUT. 
          WE'LL TAKE IT AND, AND, AND AS WE GET USED TO THESE NEW, UH, KIND OF RECONSTITUTED COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARDS, ONE OF THE SUGGESTIONS I WOULD MAKE IS THAT MAYBE THAT SUBCOMMITTEES BE FORMED ON SOME OF THESE, LIKE SPECIFIC TO, TO PLANNING SO THAT THEY COULD HAVE A SIDE MEETING AND NOT WITH THE WHOLE GROUP, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS. 
          YEAH. 
          AGAIN, THANKS A LOT FOR WHAT YOU DID THERE. 
          SURE. 
          THANK YOU MR. GUTHRIE. 
          MR. STOVER, I SAW MS. MOON RAZOR. 
          MS. MOON. 
          OKAY, THANKS. 
          UH, ACTUALLY I CALL IT THE JOPPA EDGEWOOD CAB. 
          THEY ASKED TO JOIN US. 
          I KNOW. 
          , I KNEW THAT WAS COMING. 
          IT WAS A GREAT MEETING, SHANE. 
          YOU DID REALLY WELL. 
          THANK YOU. 
          EVERYBODY ENJOYED IT. 
          IT WAS CLEAR AND CONCISE AND LOVELY. 
          CAN I SAY JUST DO WHAT WE TELL YOU TO DO. 
          HAPPY . 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          UM, I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THIS A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS THAT YOU PROVIDE FOR CONTRIBUTIONS. 
          YOU'VE GOT HARTFORD LAND TRUST, ANYBODY ELSE THAT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS HAS BEEN IN OUR BUDGET FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, AND I THINK KIM MIGHT BE ABLE TO SPEAK A LITTLE BIT BETTER TO THAT. 
          UM, I KNOW THAT A COUPLE YEARS AGO WE USED IT FOR, UM, A PRE CANOPY STUDY, RIGHT? AND WE, UM, WE HIRED THE CHESAPEAKE CONSERVANCY TO PERFORM THAT STUDY THEIR NONPROFIT. 
          SO THAT'S SORT OF LIKE A POT OF MONEY THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE DISCRETION OF THE, THE DIRECTOR AND THE ADMINISTRATION, UM, BE ABLE TO DO THOSE SORTS OF THINGS LIKE PREOP STUDY AND OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL RELATED VAULTING STUDIES. 
          OKAY. 
          THEY'RE GOOD GROUP. 
          I SEE YOU'VE GOT A PRINTER VAC. 
          YOU NEEDED IT. 
          UH, AND THE ONLY OTHER THING I WANT TO KNOW IS BALTIMORE, UH, BMC, UH, WHAT DO THEY CHARGE YOU NOW TO BE A MEMBER? UH, I HAVE THAT NUMBER SOMEWHERE. 
          I DON'T KNOW. 
          I KNOW IT'S NOT, YEAH, I THINK IT WAS 80 OR 80. 
          80. 
          I THINK IT WAS CLOSE TO 80. 
          80 80, YEAH. 
          YEAH, WE JUST PAID THAT. 
          IT'S ODD. 
          THEY CHARGE. 
          YOU WOULDN'T TELL YOU. 
          YOU HAVE TO BE IN IT. 
          OKAY. 
          THAT'S, THAT'S IT. 
          THANKS. 
          THANK YOU MS. MOON. 
          MR. STOVER. 
          UM, SHANNON, I'D LIKE TO ECHO WHAT MS. MOON SAID, EVEN THOUGH SHE AND I ARE SOMETIMES ON OTHER SIDES OF  ARGUMENT. 
          I THINK YOU DO A GREAT JOB. 
          AND AS A FELLOW LAND PLANNING NERD, LIKE YOU, I AGREE WITH SPLITTING OUT THE HISTORICAL AND THE AG PRESS AND THE MASTER PLAN. 
          UM, QUICK QUESTION. 
          IT LOOKS LIKE YOU DID A LITTLE BIT OF INTERDEPARTMENTAL CHANGING BETWEEN COMP AND CURRENT. 
          WHAT WERE THE SPECIFIC POSITIONS THAT YOU MOVED AND JEN WILSON? OH, THAT'S RIGHT. 
          RIGHT. 
          UM, SO SOME OF THIS SORT OF HAPPENED, I THINK BEFORE I CAME ON BOARD. 
          SO JEN, JEN WILSON AND AG PRESERVATION. 
          SO JEN WILSON WAS ORIGINALLY A DEVELOPMENT REVIEW PLANNER. 
          RIGHT. 
          AND SHE'S SORT OF THE AIR APPARENT TO BILL AMOS, AND SHE'S BEEN MOVED INTO THAT SECTION. 
          SHE'S BEEN, I DON'T WANT TRAINING IS THE WRONG WORD, BUT, UH, SHE'S FANTASTIC. 
          AND SO SHE, SHE HAS BEEN IN THAT ROLE FOR A WHILE, SO JUST KIND OF MOVING THAT POSITION. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          MR. ST. 
          OR ANYONE ELSE? MR. TIBBS. 
          THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. 
          [03:30:01]
MR. GRIM. 
          UH, SEVERAL YEARS AGO, MAYBE 10, UH, THE COUNTY WANTED TO IDENTIFY FARMS AROUND THE COUNTY AS WERE TO BUY LOCAL PRODUCE AND THAT TYPE OF THING, AND WE PUT SIGNS UP FOR THAT. 
          HAS THERE THERE BEEN ANY CHANGE IN THE POLICY FOR THAT? NOT THAT I'M AWARE OF. 
          OKAY. 
          THE ONLY REASON I ASKED, I'VE HEARD OF SOME SIGNS THAT PEOPLE SAID THEY HAD TO TAKE DOWN, AND THEN THEY TALKED TO THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND THEY SAID, NO, DON'T TAKE YOUR SIGN DOWN. 
          SO I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS THERE. 
          OKAY. 
          I I, WHEN YOU SPOKE A LITTLE BIT MORE, I UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM. 
          UH, I WAS THINKING OF YEARS AGO, THERE WAS THAT CAMPAIGN TO PAINT FARMS. OH, NO, NO. 
          THIS OKAY. 
          YEAH. 
          NO. 
          UH, RIGHT NOW THE DEPARTMENT IS AWARE THAT THERE ARE SOME PROBLEMS OUT THERE WITH SIGNS. 
          AND TYPICALLY IT IS SIGNS THAT ARE WITHIN A RIGHT OF WAY. 
          AND I WANNA BE VERY CLEAR THAT CODE ENFORCEMENT IN THE COUNTY HAS NEVER BEEN AND STILL IS NOT, UH, WE DO NOT GO OUT AND FIND PROBLEMS. ALL OUR ZONING VIOLATIONS ARE TURNED INTO OUR DEPARTMENT AND ARE ANONYMOUS, AND WE WILL TYPICALLY GET BATCHES OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT SIGNS. 
          WE DO HAVE SOME FOLKS OUT THERE THAT, UH, FOR YEARS THERE ARE SIGNED FOLKS, THEY GO AROUND THE COUNTY AND THEY COLLECT, UH, UH, SIGN COMPLAINTS, AND THEN THEY TURN THEM INTO US. 
          WE HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE CODE ITSELF AS FAR AS AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE IS VERY CLUMSY. 
          AND SO TO THAT END, I HAVE WORKED WITH STAFF TO PREPARE POTENTIAL LEGISLATION THAT WOULD COME BEFORE YOU ALL TO TRY TO CLEAN THAT UP AND GIVE A LITTLE BIT MORE FLEXIBILITY TO THE FARMING COMMUNITY ON THEIR AG SIGNAGE. 
          SO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT IS A PROBLEM AND, UH, WE'RE WORKING ON IT. 
          AND I CAN'T SAY THAT IT'LL GET BEFORE HERE, BEFORE COUNCIL, BEFORE THE SUMMER, UH, BUT I'D SAY WE'RE ABOUT 60% THERE. 
          WE'LL, WE'LL GET IT DONE, GET IT UP TO THE ADMINISTRATION, MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE WE'RE DOING AND THEY BUY INTO IT, AND THEN HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET IT ACROSS THE STREET AND GET IT SPONSORED. 
          AND THERE ARE, THERE ARE NO PERMITS FOR THOSE TYPES OF SIGNS. 
          AM I CORRECT ABOUT THAT? WELL, AT THIS TIME, SOME OF THE SIGNS REQUIRE PERMITS AND SOME OF THEM DON'T REQUIRE PERMITS. 
          AND THAT'S KIND OF THE CONFUSION THERE. 
          THAT'S PART OF THE PROBLEM. 
          AND, AND MOVING FORWARD, I DON'T KNOW ULTIMATELY WHERE WE'LL END UP IN THE FINAL LEGISLATION, BUT I THINK FOR THE MOST PART WITH AG SIGNS, WE'LL BE LOOKING AT, UH, EXEMPTING THEM FROM PERMIT REQUIREMENTS, BUT THEY WILL STILL HAVE SPECIFIC REQUIREMENT, SQUARE FOOT, SQUARE FOOT, SQUARE FOOT REQUIREMENT, DISTANCE FROM THE RIGHT OF WAY. 
          ALSO ACKNOWLEDGING THAT IN THE FARMING COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY UP AROUND, LET'S SAY, UH, 1 36 IN THOSE AREAS WHERE A STATE HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION HAS A VERY LARGE RIGHT OF WAY. 
          AND WHEN YOU SAY, OKAY, YOU NEED TO BE 15 FEET BACK FROM THE RIGHT OF WAY WHILE YOU'RE ALREADY  75 FEET OR MORE, UH, FROM, FROM THE RIGHT OF WAY. 
          SO WHAT WE WANT TO DO THERE IS TRY TO GIVE SOME FLEXIBILITY TO MYSELF AS DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND ZONING. 
          INSTEAD OF SAYING, HEY, YOU GOTTA GO FOR A VARIANCE. 
          TRY TO GIVE ADMINISTRATIVE, UH, ABILITY TO GET WITH DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS AND OR THE STATE HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION AND SAY, HEY, LOOK, THE RIGHT OF WAY HERE IS SO LARGE, IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE. 
          IF IT'S NOT GOING TO BE A PROBLEM AT AN INTERSECTION FOR SITE LINE PROFILES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, THEN WE WOULD, UH, MAKE A, AN ADMINISTRATIVE DETERMINATION THAT THE SETBACK COULD BE REDUCED. 
          RIGHT. 
          WELL, BASICALLY A GOOD RULE OF THUMB IS TELEPHONE POLLS ARE ONE FOOT ON PROPERTY LINES, SO THAT'S CORRECT. 
          NOT ALWAYS THE CASE, BUT VERY, VERY CLOSE. 
          YEP. 
          RIGHT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          MM-HMM. 
          . 
          THANK YOU MR. TIBBS. 
          ANYONE ELSE? MR. PENMAN, JUST A FOLLOW UP QUESTION, UM, ABOUT THE AG. 
          YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE AG SIGNS. 
          YES. 
          BUT ALSO BUSINESS SIGNS, UH, LIKE ELECTRONIC SIGNS, IS THAT GONNA BE INCLUDED IN YOUR FUTURE LEGISLATION AS WELL? POTENTIALLY. 
          I MEAN, IT HASN'T BEEN SOMETHING THAT'S CROSSED MY RADAR AS, I MEAN FOR ME, IT, IT IS PROBLEMATIC, BUT IT IS NOT AT THE TOP OF MY LIST UNLESS THERE IS SOME, SOME SPECIFIC ISSUE THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS. 
          I CAN TELL YOU THAT ELECTRONIC MESSAGE BOARDS, HISTORICALLY, WHETHER IT'S BEEN IN MY TIME WITH THE COUNTY OR EVEN WHEN I WAS WITH THE CITY, UH, THEY'RE A CHALLENGING THING TO REGULATE AS FAR AS WE SAY. 
          YOU CAN'T HAVE MOVING IMAGES AND, AND, AND THINGS HAVE TO BE STATIC. 
          UM, I WON'T SAY THE NAME OF THE RESTAURANT, BUT UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ONE THAT'S A CULPRIT ALL THE TIME. 
          AND YOU COULD WATCH A WHOLE MOVIE ON THE THINGS SITTING, SITTING AT A, A STOPLIGHT. 
          AND THOSE ARE THE TOUGH THINGS. 
          YOU CHASE 'EM DOWN AND THEY'D SAY, OKAY, WE'RE NOT GONNA DO IT. 
          AND THEN NEXT WEEK IT'S BACK UP. 
          SO WELL JUST TALK, YOU MENTIONED IN, UH, ENFORCEMENT, BECAUSE IT IS KIND OF INCONSISTENT CUZ THERE'S, IT'S ALL OVER THE COUNTY. 
          SO I THINK MAYBE IF WE WERE TO PARTNER ON SOME SORT OF LEGISLATION TO FIND OUT EXACTLY WHAT IT SHOULD LOOK LIKE AND THEN MAYBE EASIER TO ENFORCE GOING FORWARD. 
          SURE. 
          YES SIR. 
          THANK YOU MR. PENMAN. 
          MR UH, CUT. 
          UH, JUST, UH, YOU TALKING ABOUT SIGNS, MAYBE YOU CAN TELL ME WHETHER YOU HAVE ANY, UH, MAYBE THE COUNTY HAS ANY CONTROL OVER THIS OR NOT, BUT A NEW DEVELOPMENT COMES OUT AND THEY PUT A SIGN OF ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE SELLING OR WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE SELLING. 
          OKAY. 
          AND THEY FALSIFY THE SIGN. 
          DO YOU HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER THAT? YOU MEAN FALSIFY? LET ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE. 
          LET ME GIVE YOU EXAMPLE. 
          1 52, THAT DEVELOPMENT THERE. 
          OKAY. 
          [03:35:01]
WHICH WE'VE HAD A TON OF PROBLEMS WITH, YOU KNOW, UH, MUD IN OUR BASIN IN THE, IN THE, UH, RUMSEY ISLAND WATER BASIN. 
          AND, UH, UM, TO THE POINT THAT, UH, THE WATER WAS UN SWIMMABLE. 
          WE COULDN'T LET THE KIDS AND ALL, YOU KNOW, ALL ABOUT THEN, AND WE'RE SHUT DOWN FOUR OR FIVE TIMES, BUT ONLY FIND ONCE, WHICH I HAVEN'T FIGURED OUT THAT YET, BUT I'LL FIND OUT. 
          UH, UM, THEY HAVE A, THEY HAVE, UM, A SIGN UP THAT, UH, FOR SALE, YOU KNOW, UH, SINGLE FAMILY HOMES. 
          OKAY, WELL THEY DON'T, THEY'RE NOT ONLY SELLING SINGLE FAMILY HOMES. 
          THEY'RE SELLING BECAUSE OF THE NR DAY, WHICH NOW I GOT REMOVED BY BILL, THANKS TO MY COUNCIL MEMBERS ON THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE SIGNING IT, THAT'S REMOVED FROM THE R ONE, UM, UM, UH, UH, BUILDING SINGLE FAMILY HOMES ONLY IN THE R ONE DISTRICT. 
          UM, THEY, THEY, UH, UH, ARE, THEY'RE BUILDING 200 SINGLE FAMILY HOMES INSTEAD OF 300 AND THEN ALLOWS 'EM TO BILL 188 TOWN HOMES. 
          BUT THE SIGN ONLY SAYS TOWN, UH, SINGLE FAMILY HOMES. 
          NOW THAT'S FALSIFYING BECAUSE PEOPLE WHEN THEY WANNA BUY A SINGLE FAMILY HOME ARE GONNA PAY THE PRICE. 
          THEY WANT TO KNOW THEY'RE BUILDING IT, THEY'RE BUYING IT IN, IN A DISTRICT THAT'S ONLY SINGLE FAMILY, NOT ANOTHER 188 TOWN HOMES. 
          SO, DO WE HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER WHAT THEY PUT ON THAT SIGN? NO, I HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THAT DOESN'T SOUND RIGHT. 
          WE, WE GOTTA, WE GOTTA PICKET . 
          MAYBE THAT'S IT. 
          YOU GOT, I'LL GET MY, I'LL GET MY GROUPS TOGETHER, WE'LL DO SOME PICKETING. 
          I THINK THERE'S SOMEONE AT THE END OF THE LINE. 
          . 
          I'M TOO SHORT. 
          . 
          ANYTHING ELSE MR. CRAWFORD? NO, THAT'S ALL. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I DON'T WANT HIM AFTER ME CUZ HE'S LIKE A PIT BULL MAN. 
          , . 
          I FILLED THESE CHAMBERS BEFORE . 
          ANYONE ELSE? THANK YOU MR. CRI. 
          THANK YOU SIR. 
          GOOD LUCK, JONATHAN. 
          IN THE FUTURE SOUND. 
          THEY CAN ADVERTISE SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAN WHAT THEY'RE DOING. 
          THINGS ARE MOVING A WHOLE LOT QUICKER. 
          ON MS. SPENCE THOUGH, TO  I WAS DOING, I WAS DOING DOUBLE DUTY AND, AND IT WAS MY FIRST TIME. 
          I WAS JUST KIDDING WITH YOU. 
          YOU DID A GREAT JOB, MISS HEALY. 
          THEY'RE ON PAGE 5 29. 
          STATE'S ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HAD AN INCREASE OF ONE 29,682. 
          TURN THE PAGE TO 5 29 PERSONAL SERVICES INCREASE OF 76,000 2 0 2 AND IT'S THE NET OF MOVING TEMPORARY SALARIES. 
          UM, WE MADE THOSE POSITIONS PERMANENT. 
          UM, 13 NEW PHYSICIANS CREATED IN THE STATE'S ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AT A COST OF 9 0 9 1 10. 
          UM, YOU'LL SEE OTHER, UM, THE 27TH PAY WENT DOWN $230,000 AS WELL AS SOME HEALTH BENEFIT CALCULATIONS AND SO FORTH. 
          UNDER PAGE FIVE 30, THE CONTR CONTRACTUAL SERVICES INCREASES $18,300. 
          THIS PROVIDES FOR LEGAL SERVICES, PERSONNEL AND RECRUITMENT, UH, TELEPHONE SERVICE AND OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES BASED ON ACTUAL EXPENSE. 
          EXPENSE HISTORY, PARTIALLY OFFSET BY DECREASE IN OFFICE EQUIPMENT FOR SERVICE UNDER SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS. 
          THERE'S AN INCREASE THERE OF $37,080. 
          UM, YOU'LL SEE, UM, DECREASES IN UNIFORM PURCHASE, COMPUTER SUPPLIES, SO FORTH, UM, BASED ON ACTUAL EXPENSE HISTORY OF $9,000. 
          BUT THEN YOU'LL SEE AN ADDITION THERE OF $46,080. 
          THIS IS FOR COMPUTER SOFTWARE FOR THEIR AXON LICENSES FOR BODY-WORN CAMERA UNIT AND THEIR E SUBPOENA YEARLY MAINTENANCE UNDER BUSINESS AND TRAVEL. 
          THERE'S DECREASE THERE OF $1,900 AND THAT WAS MEALS AND PARKING TOLLS WERE DECREASED BASED ON ACTUAL EXPENSE HISTORY AND THAT IS PARTIALLY OFFSET BY AN INCREASE IN COUNTY OWNED VEHICLES. 
          OTHER THAN THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO MR. PRESIDENT, MEMBERS OF THE COUNSELOR, UH, COUNCIL. 
          UM, I BROUGHT HANDOUTS FOR EVERYONE, SO, UM, IF YOU WANNA, I GUESS JUST PASS THEM THAT WAY. 
          I THINK THERE SHOULD BE ENOUGH. 
          OH, I DON'T KNOW IF I'M ENOUGH FOR EVERYONE BACK THERE. 
          OH, NO, NO, SORRY. 
          BROUGHT 20. 
          I THOUGHT MAYBE THAT WOULD BE ENOUGH. 
          I'M NOT SIGNING ANYTHING, HUH? WHAT'D YOU SAY? I'M NOT SIGNING ANYTHING. 
          I DIDN'T ASK YOU TO SIGN ANYTHING MR. . 
          UM, BUT THIS WILL HAVE, UM, THE PRESENTATION I'M ABOUT TO GIVE TO YOU AS WELL AS, UM, HOW I REACH THE NUMBERS THAT, UM, I AM PRESENTING TODAY. 
          SO, 
          [03:40:01]
UM, THIS DOCUMENT WAS ALSO SENT TO MR. CASTLEY ON FRIDAY. 
          UM, I AM FORMALLY REQUESTING A BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR THE OFFICE OF STATE'S ATTORNEY, UM, AS OUTLINED UNDER PERSONAL SERVICES, WHICH I, MS. HEALEY, HOLD UP JUST A SECOND, SAM, GRAB THOSE OTHERS AND GIVE 'EM TO THE CITIZENS. 
          GO AHEAD. 
          I'M SORRY MA'AM. 
          YOU'RE FINE. 
          UM, UNDER PERSONAL SERVICES, WHICH I THINK IS SUPPOSED TO BE PERSONNEL SERVICES, I'M ASKING FOR AN INCREASE IN SALARIES IN THE AMOUNT OF $598,698. 
          UM, DUE TO ERRORS AND BUDGET NUMBERS DECREASES TO BUDGET BUDGETED SALARIES FOR VACANCIES FOR FELONY PROSECUTOR POSITIONS, AND ANTICIPATED IT RAISES TO CURRENT EMPLOYEES WITH OUR EXISTING FY 23 BUDGET. 
          UM, AFTER LOOKING AT THE PROPOSED BUDGET, IT SEEMS THAT THE PROPOSAL IS INACCURATE, PROPOSES A SUBSTANTIAL RISK TO PUBLIC SAFETY AND CREATES A LIABILITY CRISIS FOR HARTFORD COUNTY. 
          ON APRIL 14TH, I EXPRESSED MY CONCERNS MR. CASTLEY, REGARDING THE INACCURACY AND INSUFFICIENT FUNDING TO OUR OFFICE. 
          UPON THE RELEASE OF THE FY 24 PROPOSED BUDGET, HE WELCOMED ME TO SPEAK WITH HIS BUDGET STAFF. 
          I MET WITH MS. UM, SPENCE AND MR. LLOYD ON THAT MONDAY. 
          UM, THEY PROVIDED ME WITH, UM, THE DOCUMENT FOR OUR PINS REGARDING SALARIES. 
          UM, IT WAS DISTURBING TO SEE THE NUMBER OF ERRORS ON THE DOCUMENT. 
          THERE WERE POSITIONS LISTED AS VACANT THAT ARE NOT VACANT POSITIONS WITH EITHER INCORRECT NAMES ASSIGNED TO THEM, INCORRECT SALARY FIGURES FOR CURRENT EMPLOYEES OR BOTH. 
          I FOUND THAT SEVERAL OF THE VACANCIES FOR FELONY PROSECUTORS WERE INEXPLICABLY DECREASED TO AN ENTRY LEVEL SALARY. 
          WERE UNABLE TO HIRE SEASONED EXPERIENCED ATTORNEYS FOR ENTRY LEVEL FIGURES. 
          THESE POSITIONS REQUIRE COMPETENT ATTORNEYS TO HANDLE SERIOUS FELONY CASES IN THE INTEREST OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY OF OUR COUNTY. 
          DEFUNDING THOSE POSITIONS IN THE MATTER IN WHICH HE HAS CREATES AN UNTENABLE SIT SITUATION WHEREBY WE CANNOT FILL THOSE POSITIONS WITH THE EXPERIENCE REQUIRED TO HANDLE OUR COUNTY'S MOST SERIOUS CRIMES. 
          MY EXPECTATION WOULD BE THAT THOSE NUMBERS WOULD BE ACCURATE PRIOR TO THE RELEASE OF THE BUDGET. 
          WHILE, WHILE I UNDERSTAND THAT AN INITIAL INFORMATION MAY HAVE BEEN TIME SENSITIVE FOR DRAFTING, IT WAS ESSENTIAL AN INCUMBENT UPON THEM TO REVIEW THE CURRENT INFORMATION PRIOR TO THE RELEASE. 
          IN ADDITION, I WOULD'VE EXPECTED THAT IF HE INTENDED TO HAVE DECREASED FUNDING FOR VACANT POSITIONS, HE WOULD'VE COMMUNICATED THAT INTENTION TO ME AND ALLOWED ME TO PROVIDE INFORMATION AS TO THOSE POSITIONS RATHER THAN PUBLISHING A PUBLIC DOC DOCUMENT WITH NO NOTICE COMMUNICATION OR INPUT FROM ME. 
          I WOULD NOTE THAT GIVEN OUR LACK OF TRANSITION, WE HAD 22 VACANCIES IN OUR OFFICE. 
          UM, WHEN WE CAME IN, WE HAVE FILLED 17 OF THEM IN 111 DAYS, SO 77. 
          SO TO RIP THE RUG OUT FROM UNDERNEATH OF US IS IMPRACTICAL. 
          WE'VE, WE'VE DONE THE BEST WE CAN TO FILL THE VACANCIES, BUT ESSENTIALLY WHAT THIS BUDGET DOES IS PULLS THOSE VACANCIES FROM US, UM, AND IT'S IMPRACTICAL TO THINK THAT WE WOULD'VE BEEN ABLE TO FILL THAT MANY IN 111 DAYS. 
          UM, MR. CASSIE AND I HAVE DISCUSSED NUMEROUS TIMES THE CRISIS OUR OFFICE FACES WITH REGARDS TO THE NECESSARY ADDITIONAL STAFF RELATED TO BODY-WORN CAMERA FOOTAGE DUE TO RECENT LEG LEGISLATION, WHICH I BELIEVE EVERYONE ON THE COUNCIL IS FAMILIAR WITH IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET TO YOU. 
          WHEN APRIL 19TH MR. CASSIE INDICATED THAT YOU WANTED FUNDING TO BE QUOTE, DATA DRIVEN AND QUOTE, WE HAVE REPEATEDLY PROVIDED HIM WITH DATA TO SUPPORT OUR REQUEST FOR SIX TECHNICIANS. 
          IN 2022, WE PRO PROCESSED 11,665 HOURS OF BODY-WORN CAMERA FOOTAGE WITH NO UNIT TO, TO MAIN MANAGE THAT. 
          IT HAS PLACED AN UNSUSTAINABLE BURDEN ON OUR EMPLOYEES. 
          IT IS ESSENTIAL FOR US TO CREATE A BODY-WORN CAMERA UNIT. 
          NEARLY EVERY STATE'S ATTORNEY'S OFFICE ACROSS MARYLAND HAS BEEN FUNDED TO CREATE SUCH A UNIT AS IT IS NECESSARY TO COMPLY WITH THE CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS OF THIS STATE. 
          WE EXPRESSED TO HIM THAT OUR EMPLOYEES ARE BEING REQUIRED TO WORK EXORBITANT AMOUNTS OF COMPENSATORY AND OVERTIME, A SITUATION THAT CANNOT CONTINUE. 
          WE'VE DONE THE CALCULATION SINCE WE TOOK OFFICE. 
          WE HAVE, OUR EMPLOYEES HAVE EARNED 2740.5 HOURS OF COMPENSATORY TIME IN FOUR MONTHS. 
          UM, THAT MEANS 61.75 WEEKS OF OVERTIME IN FOUR MONTHS. 
          UM, AND THIS IS WHAT HAS BEEN NECESSARY TO PROPERLY PROCESS OUR CASELOAD TO PROSECUTE ALL OF THE CRIMES IN OUR ACCOUNTS IN OUR COUNTY. 
          IN MR. KALEY'S SOCIAL MEDIA RELEASE ON APRIL 20TH REGARDING INCREASES TO HARFORD COUNTY EMERGENCY SERVICES, HE INDICATED THESE INCREASES WERE NECESSARY TO REDUCE WORK WORKLOADS TO EXISTING STAFF. 
          IT COULD NOT BE CLEAR THAT OUR EMPLOYEES NEED THE SAME REPRIEVE. 
          ADDITIONALLY, UNDER HIS CURRENT PROPOSAL, I WILL BE FORCED TO USE PROSECUTOR PINS FOR BODY-WORN CAMERA TECHNICIANS, RESULTING IN LESS PROSECUTORS TO HANDLE OUR CASES LESS EFFECTIVE PROSECUTION, AND AN INCREASED LIKELIHOOD THAT OUR OFFICE WILL HAVE TO DISMISS CASES WE WOULD OTHERWISE PROSECUTE. 
          THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT THREAT TO PUBLIC SAFETY AND WITHOUT, WITHOUT QUESTION DETRIMENTAL TO HARTFORD COUNTY BASED ON THE DATA, SIX BODY-WORN CAMERA TECHNICIANS WORKING 52 WEEKS A YEAR AND FIVE DAYS A WEEK WOULD EQUATE TO THESE EMPLOYEES WORKING 7.47 HOURS PER DAY TO VIEW THE FOOTAGE IN ITS ENTIRETY. 
          NOTABLY, OUR OFFICE DOESN'T WORK FIVE DAYS A WEEK IN 52 WEEKS OF THE YEAR WHEN YOU INCLUDE HOLIDAYS AND VACATIONS. 
          AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE DATA PROVIDED, 
          [03:45:01]
THIS BARELY ALLOWS FOR LUNCH OR BATHROOM BREAKS DURING THE WORKDAY. 
          IT ONLY ACCOUNTS FOR WATCHING THE VIDEO STRAIGHT THROUGH IN ITS ENTIRETY. 
          IT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE TIME IT TAKES TO SHIELD THE VIDEOS SO THEY CAN BE PROVIDED TO THE DEFENSE IN A MANNER WHICH PROTECTS THE CITIZENS OF HARFORD COUNTY'S PRIVACY RIGHTS, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THEIR SAFETY. 
          FAILING TO SHIELD PROTECTED INFORMATION WOULD BE A VIOLATION OF THE LAW AND WOULD FURTHER CREATE A SUBSTANTIAL LIABILITY RISK TO HARFORD COUNTY. 
          SOME EXAMPLES INCLUDE DEFENDANTS BEING GIVEN VICTIM AND WITNESS IDENTIFYING INFORMATION SUCH AS SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS AND DATES OF BIRTH. 
          DISCLOSURE OF THE INFORMATION IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED BY LAW MUST BE SHIELDED FROM THE FOOTAGE MAKING THESE POSITIONS AN ABSOLUTE NECESSITY ABSENT SHIELDING. 
          OTHER EXAMPLES OF LIABILITY INCLUDE CRIMINAL DEFENDANTS POTENTIALLY VIEWING ENTRY CODES FOR POLICE PRECINCTS. 
          C CREATING A SUBSTANTIAL SAFETY RISK TO OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT OR INDIVIDUALS UNRELATED TO A CASE APPEARING IN A HOSPITAL IN VIOLATION OF THEIR FEDERALLY PROTECTED HIP OR PRIVACY RIGHTS. 
          THE NUMBER OF BODY-WORN CAMERAS HOURS WILL ONLY INCREASE AS MORE DEPUTIES HAVE BEGUN BEGUN EMPLOYMENT WITH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. 
          SINCE THE CALCULATION OF THOSE NUMBERS, PROPER MANAGEMENT OF THIS FOOTAGE IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY FROM A LEGAL, PUBLIC SAFETY AND LIABILITY STANDPOINT. 
          IT'S FURTHER NOTED THAT MR. CASTLEY WAS PART OF THE LEGISLATION ENACTING THE BODY CAMERA LEGISLATION WITH WHICH PLACED THIS ONUS ON OUR OFFICE AND THEREFORE HE SHOULD BE INTIMATELY FAMILIAR WITH THIS SIGNIFICANT IMPACT THIS UNFUNDED MANDATE HAS. 
          IN ADDITION TO THE SIX BODY-WORN CAMERA TECHNICIANS, WE REQUESTED PARALEGALS TO MANAGE THIS FOOTAGE. 
          THIS WAS A REQUEST THAT WAS FLATLY DENIED BY MR. CALEY. 
          THUS WE ARE SUBMITTING OUR FORMAL BUDGET AMENDMENT REQUEST AS IT RELATES ONLY TO THE PINS THAT HE HAS APPROVED FOR THE FY 24 PROPOSED BUDGET. 
          DESPITE OUR NEED FOR ADDITIONAL EMPLOYEES, AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE DATA, THIS IS THE BARE MINIMUM OF WHAT IS REQUIRED TO MEET OUR OFFICE'S NEEDS. 
          GIVEN HIS OWN STATEMENTS THAT HE WANTS TO MAKE DATA-DRIVEN DECISIONS, IT IS PUZZLING AND DISTURBING THAT HE WOULD GRANT THREE BODY-WORN CAMERA TECHNICIANS FOR THE FULL YEAR AND THREE ADDITIONAL ONLY THE SECOND HALF OF THE YEAR WHEN THE DATA SO CLEARLY SUPPORTS THE IMMEDIATE NEED FOR SIX. 
          FURTHER, WHILE HE PROFESSES THAT THIS BUDGET IS IN THE SPIRIT OF FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY, IT IS LESS COST EFFECTIVE TO CONTINUE TO PAY COMPENSATORY TIME AND OVERTIME THAN IT IS TO SIMPLY GRANT US THIS ADDITIONAL SALARY HOURS TO FUND THE PINS AS REQUESTED. 
          IF THE COMPENSATORY AND OVERTIME HOURS CONTINUE AS THEY HAVE, WHICH WILL OCCUR WITHOUT SIX FULL-TIME BODY-WORN CAMERA TECHNICIANS, WE WOULD BE PROJECTING OVER 240 WEEKS OF OVERTIME IN A ONE YEAR PERIOD. 
          THIS IS SIGNIFICANTLY LESS COST EFFECTIVE THAN SIMPLY FUNDING THE POSITIONS. 
          IN ADDITION, IT IS MISLEADING AT BEST TO SAY THAT HE QUOTE, ADDED NEW POSITIONS AND NOT INCLUDE THAT HE DID SO WITH ZERO ADDITIONAL SALARY DOLLARS TO FUND THEM. 
          AND THAT'S ON PAGE 5 31, UM, OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET. 
          UM, YOU CAN CLEARLY SEE THERE IS, UM, ZERO FUNDING THUS REQUIRING US TO DEFUND OTHER POSITIONS WITHIN THE OFFICE TO FILL THEM. 
          THE NET EFFECT OF THIS PROPOSAL IS A SALARY BUDGET CUT AS HE IS REQUIRING ME TO FUND MORE PO POSITIONS WITH THE SAME AMOUNT OF SALARY DOLLARS IMPEDING MY ABILITY TO PROPERLY FUND ALL POSITIONS WITHIN MY OFFICE. 
          MR. CASSIE'S PRESS RELEASE INDICATED THAT 13 POSITIONS WERE ADDED TO THIS OFFICE WHILE 13 PERMANENT PIN NUMBERS WERE ADDED TO OUR BUDGET LIST. 
          THE FUNDING FOR 13 POSITIONS WAS NOT ADDED AS PREVIOUSLY NOTED. 
          $0 WERE ADDED TO OUR SALARY BUDGET. 
          FURTHER OF THE 13, SEVERAL OF THOSE POSITIONS WERE TEMPORARY PINS, WHICH WERE CONVERTED TO PERMIT, AND THUS THEY ARE NOT NEW POSITIONS. 
          IN HIS OWN WORDS AND PRESENTATION OF HIS BUDGET TO YOU AS THE COUNTY COUNCIL ON APRIL 19TH WHEN DISCUSSING THESE PINS, THEY ARE, THESE ARE NOT NEW POSITIONS AND TEMPORARY PINS SHOULD ONLY BE USED FOR POSITIONS LIKE INTERNS. 
          FURTHER, WHEN DISCUSSING ADDED PINS FOR HIS OFFICE THAT WERE CONVERTED FROM TEMPORARY TO DEFERMENT, HE PRESENTED TO THIS TO YOU AS THE COUNCIL AS JUST REORGANIZATION. 
          IF THAT STANDARD APPLIES TO HIS OFFICE, THEN THE SAME STANDARD SHOULD APPLY TO OUR OFFICE. 
          FIVE OF THESE POSITIONS HE'S PUBLICLY TOUTING AS NEW POSITIONS ARE, IN FACT, THESE SAME TYPES OF PERMITTED TEMPORARY TO PERMANENT PINS. 
          HE DESCRIBES HIS REORGANIZATION IN HIS OWN OFFICE. 
          ADDITIONALLY, WE HAVE EMPLOYEES ALREADY WORKING IN THESE POSITIONS FUNDED BY OUR CURRENT BUDGET, SO THERE'S TRULY NOTHING NEW ABOUT THEM BY ITS OWN STANDARDS. 
          HIS STATEMENT REGARDING ADDING 13 NEW POSITIONS, ADDITION JUDGMENT AND MISLEADING TO THE PUBLIC. 
          ADDITIONALLY, UM, MR. CASSIE'S PROPOSED BUDGET ACCOUNTS FOR AN ATTORNEY WHO HOLDS A PERMANENT PIMP POSITION IN OUR OFFICE AS A GRANT FUNDED POSITION. 
          CURRENTLY, WE HAVE NO APPROVAL FOR GRANT MONEY TO FUND AN ATTORNEY POSITION WHILE WE HAVE APPLIED TO HIRE AN ADDITIONAL ATTORNEY AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE. 
          FUTURE. 
          CURRENTLY, THAT IS NOT A PROPER ALLOCATION. 
          I HAD NO INPUT ON HOW THE PRIOR ADMINISTRATION CONDUCTED THEIR BUDGET BUSINESS, BUT OUR CURRENT GRANTS DO NOT ALLOW A LOT FOR FUNDING FOR AN ATTORNEY POSITION, AND IT WILL BE A MISAPPROPRIATION OF FUNDS TO DO SO. 
          AS OF TODAY'S DATE, WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED APPROVAL OR NOTICE AS TO AN AWARD FOR ANY GRANT FOR F Y 24. 
          THOSE ITEMS ARE STILL PENDING AT THIS TIME. 
          IT'S INAPPROPRIATE FOR THE COUNTY TO ATTEMPT TO 
          [03:50:01]
ALLEVIATE ITS RESPONSIBILITY TO PAY FOR A CURRENT PERMANENT PIN EMPLOYEE BY ATTEMPTING TO PASS OFF FUNDING RESPONSIBILITIES TO AN UN AWARDED GRANT IF GRANT MONEY IS AWARDED TO OUR OFFICE FOR FUNDING. 
          AS I BELIEVE YOU'RE AWARE, UM, GRANT FUNDING HAS SPECIFIC AND ENUMERATED REQUIREMENTS FOR ITS USE, AND THUS WE MUST, UM, FILL THAT AND POST IT ACCORDINGLY. 
          UM, THIS IS ANOTHER ITEM WHICH, WHICH, WHICH MUST BE IMMEDIATELY AMENDED IN THIS SALARY SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN OUR FY 24 BUDGET IN ORDER TO PREVENT SANCTIONS TO OUR OFFICE OR JEOPARDY TO OUR POTENTIAL FUTURE GRANTS. 
          LASTLY, MR. KALEY'S, FAILURE TO PROVIDE ANY FUNDING FOR THE SALARIES FOR OUR BODY-WORN CAMERA TECHNICIANS TAKES MY FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY IN THE USE OF OUR FY 23 BUDGET AND WEAPONIZES IT AGAINST ME. 
          I SPENT COUNTLESS HOURS DILIGENTLY AND CONSCIENTIOUSLY AUDITING AND ACCOUNTING FOR EVERY SALARY, SALARY DOLLAR THAT MY OFFICE WAS AWARDED. 
          I WAS EXTRAORDINARILY SUCCESSFUL IN ATTRACTING TALENTED EMPLOYEES AT ALL CLASSIFICATIONS, WHILE STILL REMAINING FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE WITH MY BUDGET. 
          IN FACT, I PLAN TO REALLOCATE SOME OF OUR EXISTING FY 23 TO GIVE RAISES TO EXISTING EMPLOYEES WAGES, WHICH ARE NECESSARY TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE IN A CHALLENGING JOB MARKET. 
          DUE TO HIS CUTS TO OUR FY 24 BUDGET, I AM NOW PLACED IN A POSITION WHERE IT WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE TO ATTRACT HIGHER OR RETAIN TALENTED AND EXPERIENCED PROSECUTORS AND PARALEGALS. 
          TO RETAIN THE DEDICATED EMPLOYEES I NOW HAVE REQUIRES US TO BE ECONOMICALLY COMPETITIVE WITH NEIGHBORING STATE'S ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. 
          MY PLAN WAS TO, TO ISSUE THOSE INCREASES ON MAY 1ST, 2023. 
          LIKEWISE, IN MR. CASSIE'S COUNTY COUNCIL PRESENTATION, HE SPOKE OF HIS NEED TO HIRE AN EMTS AND PARAMEDICS AT QUOTE MARKET RATES. 
          END QUOTE. 
          THE SAME STANDARD APPLIES TO MY OFFICE. 
          BY FAILING TO PROVIDE THESE ADDITIONAL FUNDS INTO FY 24 AND REALLOCATING CURRENT FY 23 MONEY TO CREATE THE NEW POSITIONS IN LIEU OF FUNDING THE SALARIES FOR THOSE POSITIONS IN OUR FY 24 BUDGET, I AM UNABLE AT THIS TIME TO GRANT THOSE MUCH NEEDED INCREASES. 
          WITHOUT THESE INCREASES, WE RISK THE LOSS OF OUR TALENTED EMPLOYEES, ULTIMATELY NEGATIVE, IMPACTING OUR ABILITY TO EFFECTIVELY PROSECUTE THE CRIMES OF HARFORD COUNTY. 
          ADDITIONALLY, THE BUDGETED SALARIES FOR POSITIONS IN OUR OFFICE ARE SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN NEIGHBOR COUNTIES. 
          AN ISSUE I DID NOT EVEN REQUEST TO ADDRESS IN MY FY 24 BUDGET REQUEST. 
          DUE TO MY OWN DILIGENCE STRATEGY AND FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE MANAGEMENT OF OUR EXISTING BUDGET. 
          AS AN EXAMPLE, WE ARE $11,000 BELOW THE STARTING SALARY FOR ASSISTANCE STATE'S ATTORNEY IN BALTIMORE COUNTY, AND SOME OF OUR PROSECUTORS ARE CURRENTLY EARNING SALARIES. 
          BELOW THE ADVERTISED SALARIES, MR. CALEY HAS ALLOTTED FOR HIS NEW PARAMEDICS POSITIONS. 
          THIS IS NOT ADEQUATELY COMPENSATE OUR EMPLOYEES FOR THEIR SERVICE TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY OF HARPER COUNTY. 
          AND BY FAILING TO DO SO, HE'S PUTTING PUBLIC SAFETY AT RISK. 
          WE MUST PROVIDE COMPETITIVE SALARIES TO RETAIN OUR EMPLOYEES, AND THE FY 24 PROPOSED BUS BUDGET IMPROPERLY INTERFERES WITH MY ABILITY TO ALLOCATE OUR PREVIOUSLY APPROVED FY 23 BU, UM, FUNDS. 
          UM, WITH THAT SAID, UM, THERE'S ANOTHER PARAGRAPH YOU CAN READ. 
          IT'S A CLOSING PARAGRAPH, BUT I PROVIDED, UM, THE CORRECTIONS, WHICH NEED TO BE MADE TO THE PINS LINE BY LINE, UM, AS I VIEWED THEM WHEN I WAS IN THE BUDGET OFFICE. 
          YOU WILL SEE THERE ARE PINS THAT NEED TO BE RESTORED, UM, 5 65 AND 5 68 ACCOUNT FOR THOSE FELONY PROSECUTOR POSITIONS, UM, WHICH, UM, YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCE AND THE LOWERED AMOUNTS PIN 5 71. 
          UM, THAT EMPLOYEE HAS ACTUALLY BEEN APPROVED AND IS SET TO START ON MAY 1ST. 
          UM, SO IT'S CURRENTLY BUDGETED AT 66, UM, WHICH, UM, THE SALARY IS ALREADY HIGHER, SO THAT OBVIOUSLY NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED. 
          UM, AND YOU CAN SEE THERE ARE SOME CORRECTIONS AS TO, UM, CURRENT EMPLOYEES AND THE PINS AS THEY WERE LISTED. 
          UM, ESSENTIALLY IT DOCUMENTS EVERY DOLLAR. 
          UM, AND THEN THE SALARY, THE RAISES WE WERE INTENDING TO GIVE. 
          I WANNA BE COMPLETELY TRANSPARENT WITH YOU AS THE COUNCIL. 
          UM, A LOT OF THESE ARE OUR PROSECUTORS. 
          UM, THERE ARE SOME, UM, SUPPORT STAFF MEMBERS WHICH HAVE TAKEN ON ADDITIONAL ROLES, UM, SINCE IN THE OFFICE. 
          UM, AND SO THAT THE WHOLE DOCUMENT ESSENTIALLY DOCUMENTS EXACTLY HOW I GOT TO THE FIVE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED NINETY EIGHT THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED NINETY EIGHT DOLLARS. 
          UH, MS. HEALY, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR IN-DEPTH, UM, REPORT. 
          AND THE FACT THAT YOU HAD IT IN HAND FOR EVERYBODY, UH, MEANS, UH, QUITE A BIT TO, SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT. 
          YOU'RE WELCOME, RIGHT OUT THE GATE. 
          UM, AND AS I RECALL IN OUR LAST BUDGET, UM, WORK SESSIONS, UH, WE HAD SIMILAR CONCERNS ABOUT FUNDING FOR, UH, TECHNICIANS TO VIEW BODY CAMERAS. 
          AND AT THAT TIME, UH, IT WAS NEW AND NOT SURE OF WHAT WE WERE GONNA BE FACING, BUT NOW WE HAVE A YEAR UNDER OUR BELT AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS GONNA BE COMING AT AS FAST AND FURIOUS AND THAT WE NEED TO, UM, ADHERE, UH, SOME OF YOUR CONCERNS, LISTEN TO SOME OF YOUR CONCERNS, AND TRY TO FIND A WAY TO GIVE YOU THE TOOLS YOU NEED, UH, TO DO YOUR JOB. 
          SO, UH, WITH THAT, I'M GONNA OPEN THIS UP TO MY COLLEAGUES, 
          [03:55:01]
MR. PENMAN. 
          THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. 
          MS. HEALEY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. 
          YOU'RE WELCOME. 
          UM, I AGREE, I THIS IS A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE. 
          THIS IS A LIABILITY ISSUE THAT, UH, THE COUNTY HAS POTENTIAL TO BE SUED AND PEOPLE HAVE POTENTIAL TO BE HURT BECAUSE IF SOMETHING IS DROPPED BY INSUFFICIENT STAFFING IN YOUR OFFICE, UH, IT COULD POTENTIALLY LOSE A CASE. 
          UH, AND I, I LIKE MAGIC, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT PAGE 3, 5 31, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU HAVE 69 POSITIONS IN FY 23 FOR 5,800,000, 66,200, AND THEN YOU HAVE 82 POSITIONS AND IT BE THE EXACT SAME NUMBER. 
          SO I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME JUSTIFICATION ON, ON THAT. 
          UM, A COUPLE THINGS, UM, OUTTA THAT 598,000 THAT YOU'RE REQUESTING, UM, THERE'S A COUPLE OF POSITIONS THAT NEED TO BE RESTORED, BUT IS THAT ADDITIONAL POSITIONS FOR THE BODY WORN CAMERA REVIEWING TEAM? SO, SO THE RESTORED POSITIONS, THE FIRST TWO ARE THE FELONY PROSECUTOR POSITIONS. 
          SO WHEN I REVIEWED ALL OF OUR PIN NUMBERS, WHEN I MET WITH BUDGET ON APRIL 17TH, THEY PROVIDED WHAT IS BUDGETED FOR FY 24 FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF OUR PIN NUMBERS. 
          THESE TWO PIN NUMBERS WERE DROPPED FROM THAT SECOND NUMBER TO THE FIRST NUMBER. 
          SO THOSE POSITIONS, I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO HIRE A FELONY PROSECUTOR FOR THAT. 
          SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS IT NEEDS TO BE RESTORED TO THAT ORIGINAL NUMBER. 
          SO ESSENTIALLY WHAT I'M ASKING FOR IS THE BUDGET WE HAD LAST YEAR, PLUS THE SIX POSITIONS FOR THE FULL YEAR TO BE FULLY FUNDED. 
          THAT'S THAT, THAT'S THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF WHAT I'M ASKING FOR IS DON'T CUT OUR BUDGET. 
          WE'VE TRIED EVERYTHING WE CAN DO. 
          WE'VE FILLED 77% OF THE VACANCIES, AND I DON'T THINK IT'S LOST ON ANYONE WHAT THE CONDITION OF MY OFFICE WAS WHEN I CAME IN. 
          I HAD ZERO TRANSITION, NO ABILITY TO POST FOR JOBS PRIOR TO ME TAKING OFFICE. 
          DESPITE THAT, I HAVE FILLED 77% OF THE POSITIONS IN 111 DAYS, WHICH IS AN ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE FEAT. 
          UM, AND WE, AND THERE AND WE HAVE, UM, POTENTIAL APPLICANTS STILL IN THE WORKS FOR THESE OTHER POSITIONS. 
          THE PROBLEM IS IF THIS BUDGET CONTINUES, I HAVE VERY QUALIFIED A APPLICANTS WHO I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO HIRE BECAUSE WE'RE NOW CUTTING THESE CELLS. 
          UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, I MEAN, YOU HAVE THE, YOU KNOW, POTENTIAL OF INCREASED DEPUTIES, UH, FOR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND OTHER MUNICIPALITIES THAT COULD INCREASE THE WORKLOAD, UH, AS WELL AS THE SHIELDING ISSUE THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT. 
          SO, UH, WAS SHIELDING DONE PRIOR TO YOUR ADMINISTRATION? IT WAS NOT. 
          SO, UM, WHEN WE CAME IN, NOTHING WAS, NOTHING AT ALL WAS BEING SHIELDED. 
          SO OUR GENERAL PUBLIC, IF THEY SPOKE TO A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER AT A CRIME SCENE, GAVE THEIR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER, THEIR BIRTHDATE THAT WAS BEING SENT OUT TO CRIMINAL DEFENDANTS, WHICH IS IN CLEAR VIOLATION OF THE LAW. 
          UM, SO NO, NONE OF THIS WAS HAPPENING PRIOR TO US COMING IN. 
          AND SO NOW THAT IS SORT OF WHAT TRANSLATES TO THE INCREASED OVERTIME BECAUSE WE ARE OBVIOUSLY REQUIRING OUR STAFF TO COMPLY WITH THE LAW. 
          UM, AND SO THAT IS WHAT HAS INC INCREASED THE HOURS BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GONNA PERMIT OUR OWN OFFICE TO VIOLATE THE LAW. 
          AND THEN RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION, I KNOW YOU TALKED ABOUT IT BRIEFLY IN HERE, UM, THAT 1.5% FOR THE COUNTY EMPLOYEES IS, IS YOUR STAFF GONNA BE AWARDED WITH THAT? YES. 
          YES. 
          OKAY. 
          JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          UH, MR. MCCORD, I THINK THIS IS, UH, AN IMPORTANT ISSUE. 
          IF WE, WE CAN HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE TO SEE IF WE CAN'T FIX THIS OR SOME SORT OF AMENDMENT TO, TO ADD POSITIONS TO THE STATE'S ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, IF YOU ARE WILLING TO JUST KIND OF CONVEY THAT MESSAGE. 
          THANK YOU, SIR. 
          AND THEN ALSO, MR. MCCORD, IN THE LAST, ONE OF THE LAST MEETINGS WE HAD WHERE WE DISCUSSED, UH, BODY-WORN CAMERAS, UH, I DO RECALL I THINK SOME TECHNOLOGY THAT YOU'RE PROVIDING THE OFFICE TO WHERE THEY CAN VIEW MULTIPLE FILMS AT A TIME. 
          IS THAT CORRECT? YES. 
          RIGHT. 
          AND DOES THAT, BUT YOU STILL HAVE TO HAVE PEOPLE THERE TO VIEW THAT, RIGHT? RIGHT. 
          SO THAT CORRECT, WE STILL HAVE TO HAVE PEOPLE TO DO IT, AND IT HELPS TO AN EXTENT BECAUSE YOU CAN SEE FOUR AT A TIME. 
          NOW, KEEP IN MIND I PERSONALLY HAVE CASES THAT HAVE 156 VIDEOS OF BODY CAM, SO I CAN, THE MOST YOU CAN WATCH AT A TIME IS FOUR. 
          UM, AND WHILE YOU CAN SEE IT, AND IT HELPS WITH TRACKING TO AN EXTENT BECAUSE YOU CAN SEE THEY'RE TALKING TO SOMEBODY FROM THIS TIME TO THIS TIME AND YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO GO BACK TO IT. 
          YOU COULD ONLY HEAR ONE OF THEM AT A TIME. 
          SO IT DOESN'T ON ITS FACE JUST DIVIDE IT BY FOUR, RIGHT? YEAH. 
          BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO GO BACK AND RE-LISTEN TO IT. 
          IT HELPS WITH SPEEDING THE PROCESS ALONG A LITTLE BIT. 
          UM, AND IT WAS NECESSARY. 
          WE ONLY HAD, I THINK, 12 LICENSES IN OUR OFFICE, UM, LAST YEAR. 
          SO WE'VE BEEN BOUNCING THEM AROUND TO PEOPLE AS THEY NEED THEM RATHER THAN OUR STAFF HAVING THEM. 
          UM, SO THAT IS ONE OF THE, UM, SOFTWARE UPDATES THAT'S LISTED UNDER SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS. 
          THE OTHER BIG, UM, THE BIG CHUNK OF THAT IS A ONE-TIME FEE FOR, UM, E SUBPOENA TO HELP, 
          [04:00:01]
UM, WITH SENDING SUBPOENAS TO OUR DEPUTIES. 
          ESSENTIALLY, UM, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE WAS SERVING THOUSANDS OF SUBPOENAS TO THEIR OWN DEPUTIES EVERY YEAR. 
          SO WE HAVE WITHIN OUR SOFTWARE, THE ABILITY TO GET A SYSTEM THAT WILL JUST E E SUBPOENA THEM. 
          UM, AND THAT, THAT, THAT 30,000 OF THAT MONEY THAT IS IN SUPPLY FOR THE SOFTWARE OF THE 46,080 IS A ONE TIME SETUP FEE. 
          SO AFTER THIS YEAR, THE MAINTENANCE FOR THAT WILL ONLY BE 6,000. 
          SO THAT WILL GO DOWN NEXT YEAR AFTER THIS SETUP FEE. 
          I'D HAVE A HARD TIME KEEPING UP WITH ONE MUCH LESS FOUR . 
          IT'S, IT'S A TREAT. 
           CAN ONLY IMAGINE, UM, MR. RILEY. 
          OKAY. 
          I'M, IF, IF, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE PAGE 5 31. 
          I DO. 
          I KNOW KIM HAS IT THERE. 
          YEP. 
          OKAY. 
          YEP. 
          YOU SAY ENACTED, I, I'M LOOKING AT ENACTED FY 23. 
          I HAVE, UH, BODY WORN CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR, CHIEF OF OPERATIONS. 
          THEY'RE ALL ZEROED OUT UNTIL YOU GET TO 24. 
          UM, SO THE CHIEF OF ADMINISTRATION POSITION WAS A CONVERTED TEMPORARY PIN. 
          UM, SO WHAT WE DID IS, SO IT WAS A COMBINATION OF TWO THINGS. 
          ONE, IT WAS A CONVERTED TEMPORARY PIN THAT I CHANGED. 
          THE TITLE OF IT WAS USED IN A DIFFERENT WAY. 
          UM, I CONVERTED THAT PIN TO MY CHIEF OF ADMINISTRATION, USE THE FUNDING IN THAT PIN AS WELL AS OUR, WHAT IS NOW OUR CHIEF OF OPERATIONS USED TO BE CALLED CHIEF OF STAFF. 
          THAT WAS A PERMANENT PIN THAT WE HAD. 
          UM, IN MY VIEW, THAT POSITION WAS EXTREMELY OVERPAID. 
          SO I CUT THE SALARY OF THAT POSITION, WHO'S MR. BIRKEN I BEHIND US BY $35,000 AND USED THOSE ADDITIONAL FUNDS, UM, TO SUPPLEMENT THE SALARY FOR THE TEMPORARY TO PERMANENT. 
          UM, AND THESE ARE ALL THE WAYS IN WHICH I WAS, AGAIN, FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE. 
          I WASN'T OVERPAYING PEOPLE THAT SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN PAID THOSE SALARIES AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE TO SAVE MONEY TO GIVE OUR OFFICE WHAT THEY NEEDED. 
          SO THOSE POSITIONS, WHILE THEY ARE QUOTE UNQUOTE NEW, A LOT OF THEM ARE TEMPORARY TO PERMANENT. 
          AND I USED OUR EXISTING BUDGET TO FUND THEM. 
          WELL, HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE DOLLARS IF YOU'RE USING YOUR EXISTING BUDGET? I'M, SO THERE WAS $35,000 THAT I CUT FROM THE CHIEF OF STAFF POSITION TO PAY FOR. 
          SO I SIX BODY WORN, WORN, UH, ONES ONE BODY THAT'S NEW MONEY TECH TWO? NO. 
          SO THE BODY, IT'S NEW MONEY. 
          THAT'S NEW MONEY. 
          WELL, IT'S NOT NEW MONEY. 
          WHAT THEY DID IS THEY CUT MONEY FROM MY FELONY PROSECUTOR POSITIONS. 
          THEY CUT MONEY FROM OTHER SALARIES TO FUND THOSE POSITIONS. 
          THE CHIEF OF ADMINISTRATION CAME FROM CURRENT FUNDS. 
          OKAY, WELL I'M SEEING HIM DISPUTING WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. 
          SO, AND I'M ONLY LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS HERE, SO I CAN'T, WELL, YOU CAN LOOK AT THE BOTTOM SALARY TOTAL OF 5 8 6 6 205 8 6 6 200. 
          LET ME, LET ME GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF EXPLANATION ON HOW WE HANDLE VACANT POSITIONS IN A BUDGET. 
          AND IT, YOU'LL SEE THIS THROUGHOUT, THAT'S WHY WE CALL IT STAFF TURNOVER. 
          JACOB HAS NOTICED IT IN SEVERAL OF 'EM. 
          HOW DID YOU CUT PEOPLE'S SALARIES? WE DIDN'T CUT PEOPLE'S SALARIES. 
          WHEN A VACANT POSITION COMES OPEN, WE USUALLY GO BACK TO THE MINIMUM, IF NOT RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE TO THAT SALARY WHEN SOMEONE LEAVES. 
          SO, CUZ MOST OF THE TIME SHERIFF'S OFFICE, SOMEONE AS A SERGEANT LEAVES, THEY BACKFILL IT WITH A DEPUTY RECRUIT. 
          SO YEAH, THERE'S GONNA BE SOME SAVINGS THERE. 
          THAT IS HOW SHE WAS ABLE TO BRING MORE PEOPLE ON THIS YEAR. 
          IT JUST SO HAPPENS THAT IT'S THE EXACT SAME DOLLARS. 
          I WILL TELL YOU THAT SOME OF THE VACANCIES THAT SHE STILL HAS ARE STILL UP IN THE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS RANGE. 
          SO IT'S, I'M JUST WONDERING WHY IT WAS ZERO IN FY 23 AND NOW THAT'S BECAUSE THERE WAS NO POSITIONS THERE. 
          RIGHT. 
          THEY'RE NEW TITLES. 
          THEY'RE NEW TITLES. 
          NEW TITLES OR NEW MONEY. 
          NEW TITLES. 
          TITLES. 
          OKAY. 
          SO YOU DO HAVE THE MONEY FOR THE SIX, BECAUSE WE ADDED IT, THEY TOOK IT FROM OTHER PI PERMANENT PINS TO FUND THOSE POSITIONS. 
          THERE WAS NO NEW SALARY DOLLARS WHATSOEVER PUT IN OUR BUDGET. 
          YOU COULD SEE IT. 
          IF WE DIDN'T GIVE THEM, IF WE DIDN'T GIVE THEM THE SIX NEW BODY-WORN CAMERA TECHNICIANS, THEY WOULD'VE HAD A CUT. 
          THEY WOULD'VE, THEY YOU WOULD'VE SEEN A LARGER REDUCTION IN THEIR PERSONAL SERVICES. 
          THEY ALREADY HAD 200 AND THE ONE TIME MONEY FOR 200 AND RIGHT. 
          BUT I UNDERSTAND I 30,000, BUT SHE'S SAYING YOU'RE NOT FUNDING THOSE YET. 
          IT LOOKS LIKE TO ME THE NUMBERS YOU'RE FUNDING THEM. 
          SO I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT YES, THIS POLITICAL SPEECH WE'RE FUNDING THREE FOR A FULL YEAR AND THREE FOR A HALF A YEAR. 
          OKAY. 
          MR. BENNETT? UM, I WASN'T DONE, I'M SORRY, . 
          THE OTHER THING IS, IS YOU SAID YOU'RE ONLY ASKING FOR SIX AGAIN. 
          I I, YOUR BUDGET SAYS YOU GOT 'EM AND THEN YOU'RE, YOU'RE ALSO GONNA ASK FOR $10,000 RAISES FOR SOME OF YOUR EMPLOYEES FROM OUR EXISTING BUS BUDGET. 
          MY PLAN WAS TO DO THAT PRIOR TO FY 23 ENDING, BUT BECAUSE THEY DON'T TURN OVER IN THE NEXT YEAR, I NOW CANNOT DO THAT. 
          OKAY. 
          [04:05:01]
SO YOU, YOU WANT TO GIVE THEM A $10,000 RAISING, YOU DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO GIVE THEM THE $10. 
          I WILL. 
          RIGHT. 
          CUZ IT WON'T TURN OVER INTO F Y 24. 
          CORRECT. 
          I GOT IT. 
          CORRECT. 
          SO THOSE YOU DON'T HAVE THE MONEY FOR. 
          I GOT IT. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU MR. BENNETTS. 
          UM, AND JUST COMPARING, UH, OURSELVES TO OTHER COUNTIES, UM, CUZ JUST LOOKING AT THE WORKLOAD FOR OUR, OUR, UH, CAMERA TECHNICIANS, IT SEEMS LIKE AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF WORK. 
          LIKE EVEN IF YOU JUST COME TO THE OFFICE, SIT DOWN, CLICK, PLAY, AND THEN DON'T CLICK PAUSE UNTIL THE DAY ENDS. 
          IT'LL BE 40, I THINK 42 WEEKS OF STRAIGHT WORK WITH NO LUNCH. 
          NO LOOKING AWAY FROM THE CAMERA. 
          NO BLINKING. 
          YES SIR. 
          UM, LIKE HOW DOES THAT COMPARE AS FAR AS HOURS OF FOOTAGE VERSUS NUMBER OF STAFF IN YOUR REQUEST FOR SIX COMPARED TO, LET'S SAY, CECIL COUNTY, BALTIMORE COUNTY? SO I, WELL, FIRST AND FOREMOST, I ASKED FOR 10. 
          I ASKED FOR UM, SIX WHEN I TALKED ABOUT THE PARALEGALS THAT WERE DENIED TO US. 
          SO I ASKED FOR SIX BODY-WORN CAMERA TECHNICIANS TO DO THE WATCHING AND THE SHIELDING, AND THEN THE PARALEGALS WERE GONNA ASSIST WITH THE PROCESSING AND GETTING IT OUT AND DISCOVERY AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. 
          THE PARALEGALS HAVE BEEN FLATLY DENIED TO US. 
          HMM. 
          SO I COME HERE, I GUESS SAYING THIS IS WHAT'S BEEN APPROVED FOR US. 
          I JUST WANT THE FUNDING TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT'S BEEN APPROVED. 
          UM, I MAINTAIN THAT WE NEED IT ALL 10. 
          UM, HOWEVER, IT, IT'S AN INCREDIBLE WORKLOAD. 
          UM, BALTIMORE COUNTY HAS 11 BODY-WORN CAMERA TECHNICIAN, A DISTRICT COURT SUPERVISOR, A CIRCUIT COURT SUPERVISOR, AND AN ASSISTANT STATE'S ATTORNEY ASSIGNED JUST TO THEIR BODY-WORN CAMERA UNIT. 
          SO, UM, AND I TRIED TO STRUCTURE OURS AS COMPARABLY AS I COULD TO THEM. 
          AND THAT'S IN THAT THEY HAVE THREE DISTRICT COURTS. 
          THEY HAVE, UM, ESSEX, CATONSVILLE, AND, WHAT AM I FORGETTING THE OTHER ONE? ESSEX, CATONSVILLE AND HEALTH. 
          MM-HMM. 
          . 
          AND SO I TOOK, THE WAY I UNDERSTOOD IT, OUR BODY-WORN CAMERA SUPERVISOR THAT WE'VE ACTUALLY BROUGHT ON TO ESTABLISH THE PROTOCOLS CAME FROM BALTIMORE COUNTY. 
          AND THE WAY SHE EXPLAINED IT WAS THERE WERE THREE TECHNICIANS ASSIGNED TO EACH LOCATION. 
          AND SO I LIKEN OUR DISTRICT COURT TO ONE OF THEIR, CUZ THEY'RE MUCH BIGGER COUNTY. 
          SO THAT'S HOW I TRIED TO COME UP WITH THE NUMBERS IN A WAY THAT WAS STRUCTURALLY SIMILAR TO OTHER COUNTIES. 
          I DID A LOT OF RESEARCH ON THIS AND TRIED TO COME UP WITH A WAY, BUT THE BIGGEST MOST IMPORTANT THING IS THE NUMBER OF HOURS, RIGHT? WE, WE ARE FACED WITH WHAT WE'RE FACED WITH REGARDLESS. 
          AND SO, UM, IT IS A LOT AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE PAYING SO MUCH OVERTIME RIGHT NOW. 
          UM, SO THAT'S HOW I CAME UP WITH, AND FOR THOSE THREE EMPLOYEES YOU BRING ON BEFORE THE OTHER THREE SHOW UP, I MEAN, YOU RUN THE RISK OF BURNOUT AND THEN HAVING TO REPLACE AND THEN HAVING TO GO THROUGH THE HIRING PROCESS ALL OVER AGAIN. 
          THAT IS REALLY MY BIGGEST CONCERN RIGHT NOW. 
          IT'S NOT JUST BURNOUT FOR THE THREE THAT I BRING ON, BUT WE, OUR SUPPORT STAFF RIGHT NOW WITH THIS OVERTIME THAT WE'RE PAYING OUT. 
          I I CAN TELL YOU, I PROBABLY LIKE A LOT OF ELECTED OFFICIALS HERE COME INTO THE OFFICE SOMETIMES ON A SATURDAY. 
          I GET THERE, I HAVE SUPPORT STAFF MEMBERS IN THE OFFICE BEFORE I GET THERE AND STILL THERE WHEN I LEAVE. 
          UM, IT IS NOT SUSTAINABLE. 
          LOOK AT UT. 
          I, I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE LOSS OF EMPLOYEES FROM OUR OFFICE IF WE CONTINUE ON THIS AND, AND I MEAN THE FOOTAGE THEY'RE WATCHING, IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, AMERICA'S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEOS PRESENT. 
          IT'S VERY HARD TO WATCH FOOTAGE ALL DAY LONG. 
          IT IS, AND AS MR. PENMAN POINTED OUT, IT'S ALSO A, AN EXTREME LIABILITY IF WE DON'T DO IT CORRECTLY. 
          YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, UH, PERSONAL INFORMATION OF PEOPLE SAFETY, YOU KNOW, SAFETY RISK OF, YOU KNOW, HAVING DEFENDANTS HAVE THEIR PERSONAL INFORMATION. 
          UM, IT IS, IT IS A BIG DEAL AND I TAKE IT VERY SERIOUSLY AND I, I DON'T TO BE COY, I, I DON'T CARE WHAT THE PRIOR ADMINISTRATION WAS DOING CUZ IT WAS WRONG AND ILLEGAL. 
          MM-HMM. 
          . 
          UM, I CARE ABOUT THE PUBLIC SAFETY OF OUR CITIZENS. 
          THAT'S WHAT I RAN ON AND I INTEND TO HONOR THAT COMMITMENT. 
          THANK YOU MR. GUTHRIE. 
          UM, MAYBE YOU CAN CLEAR A COUPLE THINGS UP FOR ME. 
          I'M LOOKING AT YOUR, YOUR, UM, STATE'S ATTORNEY PAGE 5 29 AND, UH, I NOTICED ALL THE, THE CHANGES FROM FISCAL 23 TO 24, UM, THE SAVINGS AND JUST ADDED THEM UP ROUGHLY IN MY, UH, HEAD SOMEWHERE AROUND A MILLION DOLLARS. 
          AND I NOTICED THAT YOUR 13 POSITIONS ARE $909,110. 
          UM, ISN'T THAT A WASH OR WHAT, WHAT, WHAT AM I MISSING? WE THAT, SO THAT'S WHAT I WAS TRYING TO EXPLAIN. 
          SO WE HAVE SAVED SALARY SAVINGS IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN CALLING THEM IN THE OFFICE WHERE I HAVE HIRED SOME PEOPLE SLIGHTLY BELOW, YOU KNOW, CUT SOME SALARIES WHERE I THOUGHT THEY WERE OVERPAID AND MADE A VERY FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE PLAN TO TRY TO GET AT MARKET RATES 
          [04:10:01]
WITHIN OUR EXISTING BUDGET. 
          I DID NOT WANT TO GO TO MR. CALEY AND SAY, I WANT EXTRA MONEY BECAUSE MARKET RATES AND WE'RE NOT PAYING OUR PROSECUTORS WHAT WE SHOULD BE. 
          AND QUITE FRANKLY WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT PAYING OUR PROSECUTORS WHAT WE SHOULD BE. 
          UM, SO I WORKED THROUGH MY BUDGET LINE BY LINE BY LINE TO TAKE THAT MONEY. 
          AND THEN MY PLAN WAS MAY 1ST I WANTED TO OBVIOUSLY SEE WHAT HAPPENED WITH BUDGET CUZ I CAN'T GIVE THEM RAISES THAT AREN'T GONNA TRANSLATE INTO NEXT YEAR. 
          UM, AND SO THAT'S WHY I'M HERE AND I'M HOLDING OFF ON THOSE. 
          BUT MEANWHILE, I HAVE PROSECUTORS WHO HAVE BEEN HERE FOR MULTIPLE YEARS MAKING $66,000 THE SAME AS WE'RE OFFERING TO A PARAMEDIC AND THEY HAVE LAW DEGREES AND STUDENT LOANS AND EVERYTHING ELSE. 
          WHO COULD JUST QUIT TODAY AND GO TO BALTIMORE COUNTY, START ALL OVER AND MAKE 11,000 MORE DOLLARS. 
          WHY WOULD THEY STAY HERE? RIGHT. 
          I MEAN THAT IT, IT'S ILLOGICAL. 
          SO MY PLAN WAS TO TAKE OUR EXISTING BUDGET. 
          WHAT I WAS ASKING FOR, FOR MR. CALEY WAS KEEP MY EXISTING BUDGET AND ADD FUNDING FOR SIX POSITIONS. 
          UM, WELL 10 IS WHAT I ORIGINALLY ASKED, BUT UNDER HIS APPROVED BUDGET, HE GAVE ME WHAT HE GAVE ME. 
          I ACCEPT THAT DECISION. 
          BUT I WANT THE COUNTY TO FUND THOSE SIX POSITIONS SO THAT I CAN BRING US TO MARKET RATES WITHIN THE EXISTING MONEY THAT WE WERE GIVEN IN FY 23 AND FUND THE SIX PO NEW POSITIONS AND MAKE THEM WHOLE YEAR POSITIONS. 
          IT IT, THERE'S NO DATA DRIVEN REASON TO HAVE THREE START IN JANUARY WHEN THE DATA CLEARLY SUPPORTS THAT WE NEED THEM NOW. 
          WELL, UM, I'M STILL NOT, UH, GETTING IT. 
          UM, I'M LOOKING AT THE, LIKE I SAID, IT'S THE, THIS, THESE SAVINGS ARE UP TO ABOUT A MILLION AND YOUR COST IS 909,000 TO, TO PAY THESE, UH, SIX NEW POSITIONS. 
          UM, I UNDERSTAND. 
          I MEAN THAT'S A WASH TO ME. 
          AND, UM, WHEN I LOOK AT WHAT YOU'RE, UH, UM, PAGE ON, UH, UH, RESTORING THESE, UH, ON THESE PINS, UM, AND, AND, AND IS THAT TAKE, THAT'S, THAT'S ABOUT 13% EACH LEVEL. 
          IS THAT WHAT IT TAKES TO, UH, TO BRING THOSE PINS UP? SO THE RESTORED POSITIONS, THOSE ARE THE F Y SO THE SECOND LINE OF EACH PIN RIGHT, IS THE FY 23 BUDGETED AMOUNT. 
          AND THOSE WERE FELONY PROSECUTOR POSITIONS, WHICH WERE VACANT. 
          WE CANNOT HIRE FELONY PROSECUTORS. 
          IT IS NOW BUDGETED FOR FY 24. 
          IT'S 66,126. 
          AS MS. SPENCE EXPLAINED, THEY AUTOMATICALLY TAKE IT DOWN TO A NEW PROSECUTOR POSITION. 
          WELL THAT DOESN'T REALLY WORK CUZ IT'S NOT LIKE THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE WHERE WE AUTOMATICALLY HIRE SOME NEW DEPUTY RECRUIT. 
          WE HAVE TO FILL OUR VACANCIES AS THEY ARE. 
          SOMETIMES WE MOVE PEOPLE UP. 
          WE DON'T HAVE PROSECUTORS IN OUR OFFICE CURRENTLY THAT ARE READY TO FILL THOSE ROLES. 
          SO WE HAVE TO KEEP THOSE VACANCIES AND FUNDED ACCORDINGLY SO THAT WE CAN HIRE SEASONED EXPERIENCED ATTORNEYS IN THOSE POSITIONS. 
          AND SO BY RESTORING THEM, THAT WOULD BE PART OF THE 5 98 IS RESTORING THEM BACK TO THE, THE CORRECT BUDGETED AMOUNT. 
          UM, AND THAT WA THIS PAPER WALKS YOU THROUGH BASICALLY HOW WE REACH THAT NUMBER, SIR, YOU'RE SAYING THE 598,000 THAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR PAYS, THESES PIN INCREASES ONLY IT RESTORES THEM TO WHAT THEY WERE BUDGETED FOR IN FY 23. 
          THEY'RE NOT BUDGETED FOR THAT AMOUNT IN F Y 24. 
          THEY WERE DECREASED THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU MR. GUTHRIE. 
          UM, MR. J, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          UM, UNDERSTAND, ALISON, HOW ARE YOU? THANK YOU FOR COMING. 
          SO I, I WANT TO THANK YOU, CONGRATULATE YOU ON THE, THE WORK AND EFFORT THAT YOU AND YOUR STAFF HAVE PUT INTO GETTING YOURSELF BACK UP STILL PROSECUTING CASES, UM, AND KEEPING THE CITIZENS SAFE. 
          UM, THANK YOU. 
          SO HAVE YOU HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND, AND ANYBODY ELSE SINCE YOU'VE WRITTEN THIS, HAVE THEY BEEN WILLING TO LISTEN TO ANY OF THIS STUFF HERE? IS IT, SO I SENT THIS LETTER ON FRIDAY. 
          OH, JUST ON FRIDAY, HOWEVER, OKAY. 
          I HAVE SENT THIS INFORMATION TO MR. KESSLEY THE LAST TIME. 
          JUST GIMME ONE. 
          SO WE SENT A MEMO WITH THE DATA, OUR ORIGINAL BODY-WORN CAMERA UNIT MEMO WHEN WE MADE IN PREPARATION FOR OUR BUDGET REQUEST THAT WAS SENT ON JANUARY 19TH, 2023. 
          UM, I HAD A MEETING OR TWO IN PERSON WITH MR. CALEY IN PREPARATION FOR BUDGET. 
          UM, THEN IN MARCH, ON MARCH 3RD, I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM MR. CALEY, UM, TELLING ME THAT, UM, AND I BELIEVE HE WAS WITH MS. SPENCE AT THE TIME TELLING ME THAT, UM, HE COULDN'T SHOW THAT KIND OF GROWTH AND THAT HE WAS NOT GIVING ME THE PARALEGAL POSITIONS, BUT HE WOULD GIVE ME THE BODY CAM TECHNICIANS. 
          UM, SO THAT WAS KIND OF WHERE THAT WAS LEFT AS OF MARCH 3RD, WHEN MARCH 16TH, MR. MCC REACHED OUT TO MR. RYDEN IN OUR OFFICE, WHICH I, I WILL MAINTAIN THAT, THAT WAS WHOLLY INAPPROPRIATE AND THE PHONE CALL SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE TO ME, UM, ASKED HIM TO COME DOWN AND HE WAS GETTING, UM, THE INSINUATION THAT WE 
          [04:15:01]
WERE GONNA GET LESS THAN SIX. 
          UM, SO I EMAILED MR. CASSIDY, UM, IMMEDIATELY WHEN MR. BRYAN RETURNED AND SAID, WE HAD A PHONE CALL. 
          HE TOLD ME YOU WERE GONNA GIVE ME THE SIXTH. 
          UM, AND HE SAID THE BUDGET'S STILL IN FLUX. 
          THERE WAS NO REAL ANSWER. 
          SO I AGAIN SENT HIM ALL OF THE INFORMATION, A LOT OF WHAT'S IN HERE THAT THE NUMBER OF HOURS PER DAY THAT I PROVIDED THE NUMBER OF HOURS OF BODY CAM WE ARE, UM, FACING ALL OF THE ISSUES. 
          THAT WAS ON MARCH 16TH. 
          HE DID NOT RESPOND TO THAT EMAIL. 
          I SENT HIM ANOTHER LETTER ON APRIL 7TH, UM, AGAIN, INDICATING THAT I WANTED THE POSITIONS FUNDED, NO RESPONSE TO THAT LETTER. 
          SO THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT AS OF TODAY. 
          OKAY. 
          AND, AND ALL THIS RESTORED, THE CORRECTED AND THE PERMANENT PINS WITH THE CONFUSION OF THE VACANTS WHERE IT SHOULD BE BOYKINS AND THE, AND THE HOW, HOW DID THAT GET ALL MESSED UP? AND IS THAT, IS HAS ANY OF THAT BEEN CORRECTED YET, OR NO? NOT TO MY KNOWLEDGE. 
          SO MY UNDERSTANDING IN MEETING WITH MS. SPENCE AND MR. LLOYD WAS THAT THEY HAD TO TAKE A SNAPSHOT, OBVIOUSLY AT SOME POINT TO DRAFT THE BUDGET. 
          OKAY. 
          OBVIOUSLY I UNDERSTAND THAT. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, AND THAT WAS BACK IN, I THINK FEBRUARY, I THINK IS WHAT THEY TOLD ME. 
          UM, SO BEGINNING OF FEBRUARY. 
          SO SINCE THAT TIME, RIGHT, THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HIRING, WE'RE WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP UP. 
          SO, UM, SOME OF THE PINS, LIKE WE HAVE HIRED PEOPLE, THEY'VE BEEN APPROVED. 
          SO LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, ON THE FIRST PAGE, 5 71, THAT'S BUDGETED NEXT YEAR FOR 66,126. 
          WELL, IT'S ALREADY BEEN APPROVED THAT WE HAVE AN ATTORNEY STARTING AT $79,000. 
          SO WE'RE AL WE'RE ALREADY GOING BACKWARDS. 
          UM, AS IT CURRENTLY STANDS, UM, WE HAVE, UM, BETH'S OLSEN WHO'S NOW WORKING FOR OUR OFFICE, UM, IT'S STILL HI KELSEY PERKINS ON IT. 
          THEY'RE VERY DIFFERENT SALARIES, SO THAT'S KIND OF GOING BACKWARDS. 
          UM, BUT THE PURPOSE REALLY OF THIS WAS TO SH I WANTED TO DOCUMENT HOW I CAME TO THIS NUMBER SO YOU GUYS COULD COMPLETELY SEE THAT I DIDN'T PULL THIS NUMBER OUTTA THIN AIR. 
          I WENT THROUGH IT LINE BY LINE BY LINE TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT WE NEEDED TO THE DOLLAR. 
          BECAUSE I'M NOT ASKING TO BE OVERFUNDED. 
          I'M ASKING TO GIVE US WHAT WE NEED TO GET THE JOB DONE. 
          KIM, KIM WILL, WE'LL, WILL YOU GUYS UPDATE? N NO, WE, WE HAVE A CUTOFF FOR PERSONNEL BECAUSE YOU CHANGE $1 IN PERSONNEL THAT, I MEAN, THAT GOES ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE BUDGET. 
          SO NO, WE, WE CUT IT OFF FEBRUARY 1ST, ANY CHANGES AND WE LEAVE IT UP TO THE DEPARTMENT'S. 
          I MEAN, SO JUST TO PIGGYBACK ON THAT, I MEAN WE HADN'T EVEN BEEN IN OFFICE FOR 30 DAYS AT THAT POINT, RIGHT WHEN THEY CUT IT OFF. 
          SO WE HADN'T EVEN HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY MAKE GOOD PROGRESS ON FILLING THESE POSITIONS FROM THE, FROM THE TIME WE TOOK OFFICE TO THE TIME IT WAS COMPLETELY CUT OFF. 
          THANK YOU. 
          MM-HMM. 
          . 
          THANK YOU MR. JANO. 
          UM, ANYONE ELSE? UH, MS. SOLES? THANK YOU MS. HEALY. 
          UM, I'M JUST SWITCHING GEARS A LITTLE BIT. 
          I WANTED TO FIND OUT A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT YOUR OFFICE SPACE AND IF YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE ADEQUATE SPACE AND IF IT'S CONVENIENT, YOU KNOW, JUST TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT PLEASE. 
          UM, NOT CONVENIENT, NOT ENOUGH SPACE. 
          UM, ALL OF THAT. 
          UM, SO WE ARE CURRENTLY HOUSED IN THREE DIFFERENT BUILDINGS, BASICALLY THE WHOLE WAY DOWN MAIN STREET. 
          SO WE HAVE A PORTION OF OUR OFFICE, WHICH IS IN THE CIRCUIT COURT BUILDING. 
          UM, WE HAVE A PORTION OF OUR OFFICE, WHICH IS IN THE FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER, WHICH IS RIGHT NEXT TO THE ARMORY. 
          AND THEN ANOTHER PORTION OF OUR OFFICE THAT IS IN THE PENOLA BUILDING. 
          UM, DOWN THERE, ONE OF THE THINGS WE DID SPEAK WITH MR. CASTLEY ABOUT IS ABOUT OUR DESIRE FOR ONE BUILDING AND ONE LOCATION. 
          UM, AGAIN, I TRIED TO BE REASONABLE, UM, AND UNDERSTANDING ABOUT WHAT HIS CONCERNS ARE ABOUT THE BUDGET OUR, WE WERE GOING TO PUT IN FOR A CAPITAL PROJECT THIS YEAR FOR A BUILDING. 
          UM, WE WERE ASKED TO HOLD OFF ON THAT. 
          UM, AND SO I DID, UM, TRYING IN THE SPIRIT OF COMPROMISE, TRYING TO GO WITH WHAT WE NEEDED. 
          UM, THERE WAS SOME CONVERSATION ABOUT A POTENTIAL PURCHASE OF THE M AND T BUILDING, UM, AND POTENTIALLY MOVING US OUT OF THE CIRCUIT COURT BUILDING AND INTO THAT BUILDING. 
          UM, I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF CONCERN. 
          I MEAN, UH, AS LONG AS IT CAN HOUSE OUR CIRCUIT COURT STAFF, REALLY IT'S FOR JUDGE CUR CUZ SHE NEEDS THE SPACE IN THE COURTHOUSE. 
          SO THEY ESSENTIALLY WANT US OUT. 
          UM, AND SO, UM, PROVIDED IT CAN, UM, HOUSE OUR PEOPLE ONE, UM, I WOULD, UH, I HAVE SAID I WOULD BE AGREEABLE. 
          THAT'S NUMBER ONE. 
          AND WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY SIGNIFICANT CONVERSATIONS OTHER THAN AN INTRODUCTORY MEETING ABOUT THAT. 
          UM, BUT MY BIGGER CONCERN IS SAFETY. 
          UM, WE HAVE FILES IN THE 18 OFFICE STREET BUILDING RIGHT NOW THAT ARE COVERED IN MOLD. 
          UM, WE CANNOT SEND OUR STAFF OVER THERE. 
          UM, MY UNDERSTANDING 
          [04:20:01]
IS THE PRIOR ADMINISTRATION WAS TOLD TO GET THEM OFF THE FLOOR AND DIDN'T, AND THEY NEVER CLEANED UP THE WATER AND THEY ARE COVERED IN BLACK MOLD. 
          UM, SO WE CANNOT SEND OUR STAFF OVER THERE. 
          UM, AT LEAST THAT'S OUR POSITION. 
          I'M NOT INTENDING TO SEND MY STAFF INTO A MOLD INFESTED ENVIRONMENT. 
          SO I WOULD WANNA BE CERTAIN THAT THAT BUILDING OBVIOUSLY DOESN'T HAVE THE SAME ISSUES BEFORE WE MOVE INTO IT. 
          UM, BUT WE ULTIMATELY LONG TERM DO NEED A BUILDING WHERE WE CAN ALL BE IN ONE PLACE. 
          IT'S VERY DIFFICULT OBVIOUSLY, TO SUPERVISE MY WHOLE OFFICE WHEN WE'RE IN THREE DIFFERENT LOCATIONS. 
          UM, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S OUR ACCOMMODATIONS AT THE MOMENT. 
          AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS WE'RE RUNNING OUTTA ROOM FOR FILES. 
          THEY'RE IN MULTIPLE LOCATIONS. 
          UM, AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THERE'S A WAREHOUSE IN THE WORKS THAT POTENTIALLY WE'RE GONNA BE GIVEN SOME SPACE IN, UM, TA PALS OUR FILES. 
          UM, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S OUR ACCOMMODATIONS AT THE MOMENT. 
          ULTIMATELY, LONG TERM WE NEED TO HAVE A PLACE WHERE OUR ENTIRE OFFICE CAN BE IN ONE PLACE FOR A WHOLE HOST OF REASONS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YOU'RE WELCOME. 
          THANK YOU MS. SADDLE. 
          AND IF I MAY, UM, I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS ELECTED IN 2014, THE FIRST UH, VISIT I HAD WAS WITH ATTORNEY, UH, STATE'S ATTORNEY CASTLEY. 
          AND I FILED HIM THROUGH THE MAIN STREET IN HIS WHEELCHAIR AS HE TOOK ME TO DIFFERENT LOCATIONS, UH, WHERE THE STATE'S ATTORNEY WAS OFFICES WERE HOUSED. 
          AND THEN DURING THE CAMPAIGN, I REMEMBER GETTING A CALL FROM THEN, SENATOR CASTLEY CONCERNED ABOUT THE PURCHASE OF THE BROWN, BROWN AND YOUNG PROPERTY, UH, WITH THE PRIOR ADMINISTRATION. 
          AND I SAID THEN THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE GONNA NEED TO HAVE SPACE TO BUILD NEW BUILDINGS. 
          UM, AT THAT TIME, JUDGE EVES WAS CONCERNED ABOUT SPACE AT THE COURTHOUSE. 
          MM-HMM. 
          , THE STATE'S ATTORNEY WAS CONCERNED ABOUT SPACE THERE. 
          SHERIFF WAS LOOKING FOR SPACE. 
          IF YOU DON'T ACQUIRE THESE PROPERTIES WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE, YOU'RE NEVER GONNA HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY AGAIN. 
          AND THIS MADE PERFECT SENSE. 
          UM, AND AS I SAID, IT MADE PERFECT SENSE BECAUSE IT'S RIGHT THERE NEXT TO THE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING, UH, AND GAVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPAND. 
          OR IF WE DECIDED WE DIDN'T NEED IT, WE COULD ALWAYS SELL IT. 
          BUT WHEN IT'S GONE, IT'S GONE. 
          THE ONE THING I WILL NOTICE CURRENTLY, UM, FROM 2014 TILL NOW, UM, WE ARE IN THOSE LOCATIONS, BUT WE NOW HAVE PEOPLE SHARING OFFICES. 
          UM, I MEAN, SO IMAGINE TWO PARALEGAL OR ATTORNEYS TRYING TO TALK ON THE PHONE TO VICTIMS AT THE SAME TIME IN THE SAME OFFICE. 
          I MEAN, WE, WE ARE IN DESPERATE NEED OF SPACE, BUT AGAIN, I I'M TRYING TO BE REASONABLE AND ALSO GET MY OFFICE WHAT WE NEED. 
          SO I AGREED TO HOLD OFF FOR ONE YEAR. 
          I AM GONNA BE MAKING THAT REQUEST NEXT YEAR. 
          I'LL PUT EVERYBODY ON NOTICE OF THAT. 
          UM, SO, UM, BUT YOU KNOW, I REALLY, I DON'T COME HERE SEEKING THIS ON THE MOON AND THE STARS. 
          I WANT TO HAVE WHAT WE NEED TO DO, WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC SAFETY AND ALSO THE LIABILITY REALLY OF THE COUNTY. 
          ANYONE ELSE? MR. STOVER? UM, SO MS. HEALY, YOU, YOU SPOKE ABOUT OPERATIONALLY SORT OF GETTING BACK TO WHERE YOU NEED TO BE, BUT I, I'M CONCERNED FROM A LONG RANGE PERSPECTIVE. 
          I MEAN, THE ATTORNEYS AND THE STAFF IN YOUR OFFICE, WHAT THEY DO IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT WORK. 
          DO YOU HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT BEING COMPETITIVE IN THE MARKETPLACE AND BEING ABLE TO ATTRACT, YOU KNOW, THOSE CANDIDATES AND THOSE PROSECUTORS WHO ARE ABLE TO DO THE JOB AND DO IT WELL, I, I DO. 
          UM, AND I, I SUSPECT THAT IN FUTURE YEARS I PROBABLY WILL ASK FOR, UM, INCREASES TO THE MINIMUM, UM, SALARY AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. 
          BUT GIVEN THE CURRENT STATE OF AFFAIRS IN OUR OFFICE LOOKING INTO FY 24, AND GIVEN WHAT I'M READING BETWEEN THE LINES HERE OF WHAT I'M ABLE TO GET, THAT IS WHY I SO CAREFULLY MANAGE THIS BUDGET TO HANDLE THAT PROBLEM MYSELF, TO, TO DEAL WITH THE ONES THAT NEED TO BE DEALT WITH. 
          YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO HAVE TAKEN ON MORE RESPONSIBILITY, WHO HAVE MOVED FROM DISTRICT COURT TO A FELONY PROSECUTOR AND YET ARE STILL BEING PAID WAY LESS THAN THE THE OTHER FELONY, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO HAVE PARODY AMONG OUR OFFICE. 
          UM, AND, AND THESE, SOME OF THESE RAISES DO ACCOUNT FOR THAT, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO GET THOSE DISTRICT COURT PROSECUTORS WHO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE PROSECUTORS WHO STARTED YESTERDAY MAKING THE SAME AS SOMEONE WHO'S BEEN THERE FOR A COUPLE YEARS, RIGHT? AND THEY COULD JUST GO, THEY'RE THE EXPERIENCED ONES, THEY'RE THE ONES WE DON'T HAVE TO LOOK OVER EVERY TWO SECONDS. 
          UM, AND SO I MANAGE THAT WITHIN MY OWN BUDGET. 
          I FIGURED IT OUT, I GOT IT DONE AND THEN NOW I FEEL LIKE THE RUG'S BEING RIPPED OUT FROM UNDERNEATH ME, YOU KNOW, BY NOT FUNDING THIS EXPOSITION AND FRANKLY IT'S JUST NOT ASKING FOR THAT MUCH. 
          THANK YOU MR. SNOWER. 
          MS. HERGER HUNT, UM, I ASSUME THAT THE BODY CAM FOOTAGE IS STORED IN A CLOUD. 
          YEAH, SO, UM, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE HAS, UM, AXON CAMERAS AND THEY'RE SHARED WITH US THROUGH EVIDENCE.COM. 
          SO THEY'RE SHARED DIRECTLY TO OUR OFFICE, UM, STORED. 
          AND THEN WHAT WE DO IS 
          [04:25:01]
AS WE SHIELD THEM, SO WE GO THROUGH THEM, WE SHIELD LIKE WE'LL MUTE PLACES WHERE THERE'S PERSONAL INFORMATION, WE'LL SH FUZZY OUT FACES, RIGHT IN HOSPITALS, THINGS OF THAT NATURE. 
          THEY ARE THEN RE-SAVED AS A NEW VIDEO WITH ALL OF THOSE THINGS REMOVED AND THAT'S WHAT GETS SENT OUT. 
          AND YES, THEY'RE ALL STORED IN THE EVIDENCE.COM CLOUD AND THERE'S ENOUGH SPACE IN THAT CLOUD WITH ENOUGH SECURITY THAT YOU'RE CONFIDENT THAT THAT'LL YES, CONTINUE ON THAT. 
          YES. 
          THAT'S SO THAT'S NOT A FINANCIAL ISSUE AT NO, THAT'S NOT MM-HMM. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU MA'AM. 
          ANYONE ELSE? MR. SCHERZER? JUST PIGGYBACKING ON THE DISCUSSIONS FROM THE FIRST DAY THAT WE HAD IN TERMS OF POLITICS AND BUDGETS, UM, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A LAW AND ORDER, UH, CAMPAIGN ACROSS THE BOARD FOR MANY INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE ELECTED AND UNELECTED. 
          UM, AND THE FOCUS NATIONALLY, AS WE TALKED ABOUT, IF RECESSIONS DO COME, THERE IS A CORRELATION BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, SADNESS, DEPRESSION, AND LACK OF FUNDS THAT CREATES CRIME AND DESPERATION. 
          UM, WE TALKED ABOUT IT IN TERMS OF THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, BUT I THINK IT WOULD APPLY HERE AS WELL. 
          CUZ ONCE IT GETS PAST THE SHERIFF, IT GOES TO, YOU KNOW, MS. HEALY AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ALMOST THE 1.1 AND A $5 BILLION PLUS BUDGET. 
          I THINK WE CAN FIND $600,000 TO ENSURE THAT THE LAW AND ORDER WE ENJOY IN HARFORD COUNTY CAN BE FUNDED. 
          THANK YOU MR. SCHERZER. 
          ANYONE ELSE? SEEING NO ONE ELSE? THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU YOUR HONOR. 
          WHENEVER YOU'RE READY. 
          WHAT DO THEY SAY? ALL RISE . 
          THAT'S WHERE AARON JUDGE PROPOSED. 
          JUST STARTS ON PAGE 5 0 7. 
          HERE COMES THE JUDGE. 
          WHENEVER YOU'RE READY, KIM. 
          OKAY. 
          ON PAGE FIVE OH SEVEN CIRCUIT COURT, UM, CALL CENTER DECREASES ONE TWENTY SIX TWO HUNDRED. 
          UM, THAT IS THE RESULT OF DECREASE IN PERSONAL SERVICES OF 84 4 12 AT STAFF TURNOVER. 
          UM, WE DID ADD, UM, TWO POSITIONS, A TECHNOLOGY MANAGER AND AN ASSIGNMENT CLERK. 
          UM, AND WE'VE REDUCED THEIR TEMPORARIES. 
          UH, HEALTH BENEFIT CALCULATIONS WERE ADJUSTED FOR DECREASE OF 81,919 AND THE 27TH PAY OF COURSE IS REMOVED FOR THIS YEAR UNDER CONTRACTUAL SERVICES. 
          THERE'S A DECREASE THERE OF 16,180. 
          IT'S BASED ON ACTUAL EXPENSE HISTORY FOR, UM, OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AND OTHER RENT UTILITIES UNDER SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS. 
          THERE WAS NO CHANGE THERE. 
          UM, NOR DO WE HAVE A CHANGE IN BUSINESS IN TRAVEL EQUIPMENT DECREASES 27,000 1 0 9, UM, THAT IS DUE TO ONE TIME PURCHASE IN FY 23. 
          RETURN TO PAGE FIVE 10. 
          THIS IS JURY SERVICES. 
          THERE'S AN INCREASE THERE OF 67 5 AND THIS IS, UM, THE RESULT OF THE JUROR FEES INCREASING. 
          UM, MANDATED TO INCREASE IN DAILY FEE FROM $20 TO $30. 
          ON PAGE FIVE 11 IS THE GRAND JURY. 
          THERE IS NO CHANGE IN THAT, UM, BUDGET. 
          SO EASIER ARE THERE UNDER FIVE 12 UNDER JURY COMMISSIONER, THERE'S A SLIGHT DECREASE THERE OF 13,739 AND IT IS THE RESULT OF PERSONAL SERVICES ON THIS. 
          UM, ALL OF IT IS FOR THE 27TH PAY. 
          UM, ALSO SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS DECREASE. 
          $3,000 BASED ON, EXCUSE ME, INCREASES $3,000 BASED ON ACTUAL EXPENSE HISTORY. 
          ON PAGE FIVE 16 IS THE MAGISTRATE OFFICE. 
          THERE'S A SLATE INCREASE THERE OF 6,000 5 0 5. 
          PERSONAL SERVICES INCREASES $10,005. 
          UM, THAT IS MAINLY FOR HEALTH BENEFIT COST CALCULATIONS. 
          UM, BUSINESS AND TRAVEL DECREASES 3,500. 
          THAT'S BASED ON ACTUAL AS WELL. 
          UM, IN UNDER MISCELLANEOUS, THIS IS, UM, STAYS STATIC FOR 24. 
          UM, ON PAGE FIVE 19 IS ALL CENTER FOR COMMUNITY WORK SERVICE PERSONAL SERVICES DECREASES 7,875. 
          THAT IS MAINLY THE RESULT OF THE 27 5. 
          UM, AND YOU'LL SEE BASICALLY THERE WERE NO CHANGES IN ANY OF THE OTHER, UM, AREAS, CONTRACTUAL SERVICES AND STUFF. 
          UM, ON PAGE 5 21 IS FAMILY COURT SERVICES. 
          THERE'S AN INCREASE THERE OF 39,169. 
          UM, WE DID CREATE ONE CHILD ACCESS 
          [04:30:01]
ASSESSOR AT A COST OF 85,579, BUT THERE ALSO WAS SOME TURNOVER FOR A DECREASE OF 45,273. 
          UM, YOU'LL SEE THAT CONTRACTUAL SERVICES, SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS AND BUSINESS TRAVEL. 
          THERE WAS NO CHANGE. 
          WELL, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. 
          UM, I WANTED TO INTRODUCE TO YOU JOANNE MALLOY. 
          YOU MAY HAVE MET HER BEFORE PREVIOUSLY. 
          SHE IS THE PORT ADMINISTRATOR NOW AND TOOK OVER THAT POSITION LAST YEAR AROUND THE SAME TIME THAT I BECAME THE ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGE. 
          SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALL GOT TO MEET HER. 
          UM, AS YOU CAN SEE FROM MY, UM, BUDGET, I REALLY DIDN'T ASK FOR MUCH. 
          UM, THE POSITIONS THAT WERE NOTED AS THE NEW POSITIONS WERE ACTUALLY TEMPORARY POSITIONS THAT WE'VE HAD FOR FIVE YEARS AND NOW WE FINALLY GOT A PERMANENT PIMP FOR THEM. 
          UM, SO FOR THIS YEAR, UM, OUR BUDGET REQUEST IS SOMETHING THAT'S VERY LOW. 
          UM, SO I HOPE THAT YOU'LL CONSIDER THAT AND I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE ALL THE SUPPORT THAT YOU ALL HAVE GIVEN US. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          THANK YOU, YOUR HONOR. 
          ANY COUNSEL, QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? MR. BENNETT? UM, JUST A QUICK QUESTION ON PAGE 5 22, YOU SAID IT'S ONE CHILD ACCESS ASSESSOR POSITION CREATED, BUT THEN ON PAGE 5 23, I THINK IT SAYS THAT THERE'S TWO AND THAT THE SALARY IS LESS THAN THE SALARY LISTED ON PAGE 5 22. 
          UM, CUZ IT SAYS IT WOULD BE TWO PEOPLE PAID 131,598. 
          THE, THE COST ON PAGE 5 22 IS EVERYTHING. 
          THAT'S THE SALARY AND ALL THE BENEFITS. 
          SO YOU WON'T, YOU WON'T SEE THAT. 
          SO WAS LAST YEAR LAST YEAR ALREADY ONE POSITION EXISTED? YES. 
          RECLASSIFICATION. 
          RECLASSIFICATION. 
          THANK YOU MR. BEND. 
          ANYONE ELSE? WILL YOU GET OFF EASY  AND I HOPE YOU REMEMBER NEXT YEAR   THAT I WAS REALLY GOOD THIS YEAR. 
          , THANK YOU FOR TAKING TIME TO COME OVER. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          UM, I THINK THIS WILL CONCLUDE THE AFTERNOON SESSION AND WE'LL TAKE ALL RIGHT. 
          BENEFIT MEETING AT THE END.
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.