Nov 14, 2023 County Council

[a. Bill 23-033 (Refunding Bond Bills)]

[00:00:06]

EVENING CHAIR CALLS OR REPUBLIC HEARING FOR BILL 23-0 33 REFUNDING BOND BILLS COUNCIL WE HAVE WITH US TREASURER ROBBIE SANDIS, MR CHRISTOPHER SENATE FROM MILES AND STOCKBRIDGE AND MR RICHARDSON FROM THE ADMINISTRATION. WHENEVER YOU'RE READY, MR PRESIDENT, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH . CORN SAVERS JUNIOR FOR HARPER CAN THE GOVERNMENT HAS NOTED WE HAVE MR SENNETT FROM STOCKBRIDGE? MR SANDERS, OUR TREASURER. I'M GOING TO TURN OVER AND MR SENNETT, WHO WILL MAKE SOME COMMENTS ON SPECIFICS OF THE BILL TO BE FOLLOWED BY MR SANWA'S THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. GOOD EVENING COUNCIL. MR PRESIDENT. MY NAME IS CHRIS SENATORS MENTIONED AND I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF MILES AND STOCKBRIDGE SERVING AS BOND COUNSEL TO HARFORD COUNTY. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS BILL 23-33 AT THIS PUBLIC HEARING. THIS BILL AUTHORIZES THE COUNTY TO ISSUE ITS GENERAL OBLIGATION REFUNDING BONDS IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $60 MILLION. THE PROCEEDS OF THE BONDS WILL BE USED TO REFUND THE ACCOUNT IS OUTSTANDING SERIES 2013 A SERIES 2013 B AND SERIES 2014 BONDS, THE SERIES 2013 A 2013 B AND 2014 BONDS ARE REFERRED TO THE TWO IN THE BILL AS THE OUTSTANDING BONDS AND THE 2024 BONDS TO BE ISSUED A REFERRED TO AS THE REFUNDING BONDS IN THE BILL COUNTY IS AUTHORIZED ISSUE THE REFUNDING BONDS UNDER TITLE 19 OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ARTICLE OF THE ANNOTATED CODE OF MARYLAND, AS WELL AS SECTION 524 OF THE HARFORD COUNTY CHARTER. THE BILL AT EXHIBIT A DESCRIBES THE ORIGINAL PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF THE OUTSTANDING BONDS REMAINING PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF THE OUTSTANDING BONDS CURRENTLY DO THAT WILL BE SUBJECT TO REFUNDING AND THE ENABLING AUTHORITY BILLS OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL THAT ORIGINALLY APPROVED THE ISSUANCE OF EACH SERIES OF OUTSTANDING BONDS. PROVISIONS OF THE BILL, GIVE THE COUNTY THE FLEXIBILITY TO REFUND THE OUTSTANDING BONDS AS THE INTEREST RATES IN THE MUNICIPAL BOND MARKET MAY BE LOWER IN EARLY 2024, THEN THE RATES IN EXISTENCE WHEN THE BONDS WERE ISSUED IN 2013 AND 2014, THEREFORE IT MAY BE IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE COUNTY TO ISSUE THE REFUNDING BONDS AND TO SELL THE BONDS AT A PUBLIC SALE TO MAXIMIZE SAVINGS TO THE COUNTY ON ITS OUTSTANDING DEBT. BILL FURTHER PROVIDES FOR THE PUBLIC SALE OF THE BONDS TO BE APPROVED BY COUNCIL RESOLUTION AT A LATER DATE AND THE PROCEDURES FOR SUCH SALE, INCLUDING THE FORM OF NOTICE OF SALE WE WILL PUBLISH IN THE AGES. IN ADDITION TO THE MAXIMUM PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF 60 MILLION FOR THE REFUNDING BONDS, THE BILL FURTHER PROVIDES A MAXIMUM MATURITY OF 30 YEARS FOR THE REFUNDING BONDS. BILL ALSO STATES THAT PRIOR TO THE ISSUANCE OF THE BONDS, THE COUNTY SHOW DETERMINED BY THAT RESOLUTION, THE ESSENTIAL TERMS AND DETAILS OF THE REFUNDING BONDS, INCLUDING THE RATE OF INTEREST, THE MATURITY IS TO BE REDEEMED. AND THE AMOUNT OF THE OUTSTANDING BONDS TO BE REDEEMED. FINALLY THE BILL ALLOWS THE COUNTY TO EXECUTE A PURCHASE AGREEMENT WITH AN UNDERWRITER WILL MARKET THE BONDS AND HANDLE THE PUBLIC SALE OF THE BONDS ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTY AND THIS COUNCIL. THAT DESCRIBES THE LEGAL AUTHORITY FOR WHICH THE BILL WILL BE OFFERED HIM HAPPY TO DISCUSS ANY QUESTIONS COUNCIL MAY HAVE ON THIS LEGAL AUTHORITY OR ANY OF THE TOPICS DISCUSSED AT THIS TIME. THANK YOU, MR SENATE. MR SALES JUST WALK THROUGH SOME OF THE SOME OF THE PROCESS. IT'S BEEN A COUPLE OF YEARS SINCE WE HAVE DONE A DONE EVERY FUNDING BOND, UM, BOND SALE, BUT THESE WERE ALL BONDS THAT WERE SOLD ACTUALLY DURING THE CRAIG ADMINISTRATION IN 2013 AND 2014, AND THEY WERE BUDGETED BY THE CRAIG ADMINISTRATION IN THE COUNTY COUNCIL. AND IN SOME CASES, THE HARKIN ADMINISTRATION . I THINK EVEN SOME OF THESE MIGHT EVEN GO BACK TO THE REAR HMAN ADMINISTRATION, WHICH IS KIND OF JUST GOES TO SHOW THAT WHEN WE'RE DEALING WITH THESE LONG TERM BONDS, THESE 20 YEAR BONDS, HOW THEY DO, UM, KIND OF TRANSCEND DIFFERENT ADMINISTRATIONS AND DIFFERENT COUNCILS. UM SO WE WILL COINCIDE THIS POTENTIAL BOND RE FUNDING SALE WITH OUR NEW MONEY SALE FOR THOSE OR FOR THE NEW DEBT THAT THE COUNTY WILL NEED TO UNDERTAKE AND THAT WILL TAKE PLACE ON JANUARY 23RD. SO AT THIS POINT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT ENTIRELY SURE IF THERE'S GOING TO BE ANY SAVINGS FROM THE THESE REFUNDINGS. THE MARKET IS A LITTLE BIT INFLUX, AND RIGHT NOW IT'S RELATIVELY TIGHT. IT LOOKS LIKE ONLY THE 2014 IS SHOWING ANY SAVINGS. BUT I WOULD LIKE TO GET THIS, UM UH, AUTHORIZATION FROM THE COUNCIL SO THAT IF THE MARKET DOES, IT DOES BE FAVORABLE THAT WE COULD MAYBE POTENTIALLY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SAVINGS FOR ALL THREE ISSUANCES.

THANK YOU, MR SIANIS. UM AT THIS TIME COUNSEL, MR PENNANT. THANK YOU, MR PRESIDENT. UM MR SANTOS.

I GUESS THE WAY UH, FOR ME TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS KIND OF JUST LIKE A REFINANCING OF A HOUSE FOR A LOWER INTEREST RATE. WHAT WOULD WE HOPE TO BE RIGHT? EXACTLY WE WOULDN'T EXTEND THE TERMS TRADITIONALLY, YOU KNOW, SO WE WOULDN'T BE BE TAKEN ON EXTRA YEARS. WE WOULDN'T BE

[00:05:01]

I THINK YOU WHERE IS IT? 3.25 IS WHAT WE'RE HOPING ANTICIPATING. IF WE CAN YOU KNOW SOMETHING IN THAT IN THAT RANGE, UM RIGHT NOW , THE COUPONS OF THE EXISTING DEBT KIND OF RANGE BETWEEN UM 2013 B OF ONLY OF 3% TO 2014 AT 3.8. SO I SAID THAT 2014 IS PROBABLY THE MOST LIKELY. UM AND THEN YEAH, THE HOPEFULLY THAT WE WOULD GET SOMETHING IN THAT 3.5 RATE AND AGAIN WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, $60 MILLION, SOMETIMES A FEW BASIS POINTS CAN YOU CAN GENERATE INTO SOME SIGNIFICANT SAVINGS OVER THE COURSE OF SEVERAL YEARS. WERE WE TRIPLE A BOND RATING. AT THAT POINT WHERE MAYBE WE RECEIVED OUR TRIPLE A BOND RATE IN 2014, BECAUSE IT WAS THE LAST YEAR, I BELIEVE LAST YEAR, THE CRAIG ADMINISTRATION. UM UH, RECEIVED THE TRIPLE A BOND RATING. 2013 MAY STILL BEEN TO TRIPLE WAYS, AND IT'S DOUBLE WAY AFTER CHECK WITH ANYWAYS, RIGHT AROUND THAT TIME THAT WE DID ACHIEVE THE TRIPLE A STATUS, WHICH HELPS US GET A LOWER INTEREST RATES.

THAT'S ALL. THANK YOU, MR JAN VERDANA. GOOD EVENING, MR SOUNDLESS. UM WHAT IS THE WHAT'S CURVE BOND RATES RUN ON. WHAT DO THEY FOLLOW? WHAT KIND OF TREASURY BILLS OR WHAT? WHAT'S THE BECAUSE YOU'RE TALKING 3.5% WHERE I KNOW THE MARKET FOR OTHER RATES, OR YOU KNOW 6 7% T BILLS WERE T BILLS. ARE THEY 10 YEAR T BILLS? 20 YEAR T BILLS LITTLE BIT A LITTLE BIT LOWER IS ONE OF THE BENEFITS THAT WE ARE ABLE. AND IN IN, UM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND THE IRS HAS ALLOWED UM MUNICIPAL AND STATE GOVERNMENTS TO SELL TAX EXEMPT BONDS. ALL THREE ARE TAXES, TAXES. AND SO WHEN YOU SELL A TAX EXEMPT BONDS, YOU ARE GENERALLY ABLE TO PAY A LOWER COUPON BECAUSE THE INDIVIDUAL DOESN'T HAVE TO PAY TAXES ON IT SO OFTEN TIMES, YOU KNOW, YOU'LL SEE A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE FROM WHAT A STRAIGHT UP UM CORPORATE BOND OR A TREASURIES.

TREASURYS PAY FEDERAL TAX. THEY DON'T PAY STATE TAX AND ALSO OFTEN TIMES WE'RE ABLE TO GET THE BEST RATES AND THE IDEA IS THAT MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTS, STATE GOVERNMENTS ARE USING THESE FOR THE PUBLIC. GOOD YOU KNOW, WE'RE BUILDING SCHOOLS. WE'RE BUILDING ROADS WERE BUILDING. UM YOU KNOW THOSE TYPES OF FIRE STATIONS AND LIKE AND BECAUSE OF THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE AFFORDED THAT, UM, THAT TAX BREAK WHICH ENABLES US TO SECURE LOWER RATES THAN WHAT THE MARKET WOULD OTHERWISE PERMIT. SO THERE WERE 30 YEAR BONDS. WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA GO TO 20 YEAR BONDS ON THE ONE WHERE REFUNDING WILL STILL STAY. WE WON'T EXTEND YOU THEORETICALLY COULD GO TO 30 YEARS BY, BUT WE'RE IN THESE CASES. WE'RE NOT GOING TO EXTEND IT THAT THE AMOUNTS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 10 YEARS. UM BUT THEN WE MIGHT PACKAGE THAT WITH NEW DEBT, WHICH MIGHT BE 30 YEARS SEPARATE . THAT WOULD BE A SEPARATE SALE, THOUGH. SO, YES, SO IF WE DO, UM, IF WE DO A REFUNDING, YOU KNOW, WE AM IN ADDITION TO THE NEW DEBT, WE WOULD COME COME BEFORE YOU IN JANUARY AND SAY THEY KNOW THAT THE NEW DEBT IS WE'RE SELLING THAT FOR 4% AND THE REFUNDING WERE SELLING FOR YOU KNOW, 3.5. WHAT DO WE GET LAST YEAR WHEN WE POINT FOR NEW DEBT WAS 3.25 YOU KNOW IT'S MARK. IT'S MARKED UP THIS YEAR. YOU KNOW, WE'RE HOPING TO STILL BE UNDER FOUR. UM AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF MILES AND STOCKBRIDGE. SO, YES, MILES MILES. OPERATORS ARE BOND COUNCIL. UM AND THEN DAVENPORT'S OUR FINANCIAL ADVISOR, SO WE'LL GO FORWARD AND AGAIN. WE NEED TO RECEIVE OUR CREDIT RATING SO WE WILL GO IN FRONT OF THE THREE CREDIT RATING AGENCIES, MOODY'S FITCH AND S. AND P, UM TO RECEIVE THAT RATING, WHICH WE WOULD THEN USE FOR BOTH THE NEW MONEY AND AS WELL AS THE REFUNDING AND THEN GENERALLY ABOUT TWO WEEKS LATER JANUARY 23RD IS WHEN WE WOULD HAVE THE SALE AND BE COMPETITIVE SALE.

OH, UM SO YOU GENERALLY THE BIG NAMES IN INVESTMENT BANKING, THE JPMORGAN, THE BANKS OF AMERICA AS THE CITY GROUPS, YOU KNOW, ALBEIT ON OUR BONDS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR JANITOR DINNER, MR BENNET. I WAS HOPING MAYBE YOU COULD EXPLAIN FOR THE GOOD OF THE COUNTY AT LARGE. YOU KNOW, WHERE DO THESE SAVINGS AND UP IN THE YOU KNOW, BUDGET BARRELS. SO UM, THERE'S A LINE ITEM IN THE BUDGET CALLED DEBT SERVICE, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, NO DIFFERENT THAN A LINE ITEM IN YOUR PERSONAL BUDGET WITH THAT WOULD BE MORTGAGE OR, YOU KNOW SOME TYPE OF CAR PAYMENT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. AND SO, TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN HAVE LOWER DEBT SERVICE, YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO PAY BACK YOUR PRINCIPLE. BUT THEN THE AMOUNT OF INTEREST IS LOWER THAN THAT FREES UP MONEY THAT

[00:10:03]

THE REASON WHY WE'RE ABLE TO GET LOWER RATES. UM IS NOT ONLY THAT THE TAX EXEMPT STATUS, WHICH WE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE, SO FOR THE INDIVIDUALS PURCHASING IT, YOU KNOW WHATEVER INTEREST INCOME THEY EARN IS NOT TAXABLE, SO THAT MEANS THAT THEY'LL ACCEPT THE LOWER INTEREST RATE BECAUSE THEIR EFFECTIVE RATE IS HIGHER. THE OTHER PART IS AGAIN WHERE A TRIPLE A RATED COUNTY AND WE'RE PLEDGING OUR FULL FAITH AND CREDIT OF THE COUNTY TO PAY BACK. THESE BONDS EVEN LOOK IN THE CHARTER. EVEN IF WE WOULDN'T FUND THAT SERVICE THAT THE CHARTER ALLOWS ME TO PAY THAT DEBT SERVICE BECAUSE IT'S AN OBLIGATION THAT WE'RE MAKING INTO HERE. YOU KNOW, AS A AS A COLLECTIVE, UM, SO ALL OF THAT THAT FULL FAITH AND CREDIT KNOWING THAT THAT WE HAVE, UM THE TAX BASE THAT WE DO ENABLES US TO YOU SECURE THOSE LOWEST RATES. IT WOULD BE LIKE AN INDIVIDUAL COMING IN WITH, YOU KNOW, THE HIGHEST CREDIT SCORE AND THE MOST AMOUNT OF COLLATERAL. UM WE'RE KIND OF, UM , YOU KNOW, REALLY STRONG CREDIT CASE IF YOU WILL, AND SO THAT THAT ENABLES THAT UM AS FAR AS THE TIMING GOES, SOME OF THAT HAS TO DO WITH, UM, HOW ARE LOCAL LEGISLATION HERE WORKS. WE GENERALLY WE NEEDED TO BRING THIS IN FRONT OF YOU RIGHT NOW, SO THAT WE COULD HAVE 60 DAYS BEFORE IT BECOMES EFFECTIVE. SO UM, THE HOPE IS THAT YOU'LL YOU'LL PASS THIS NEXT WEEK, WHICH WILL THEN BE 60 DAYS BEFORE THAT BOND SALE IN IN JANUARY OF JANUARY, 2024 WHICH MEANS THAT WILL MEET ALL OF THOSE LEGAL LEGAL REQUIREMENTS.

AND SO BECAUSE OF THAT, YOU KNOW IT GENERALLY TAKES ABOUT 56 WEEKS TO INTRODUCE LEGISLATION AND THEN 60 DAYS AFTER IT. THAT'S WHY WE KIND OF HAVE TO, UM, BE PROACTIVE AND SAY, HEY, LOOK, WE MIGHT HAVE SOME OPPORTUNITIES HERE. LET'S DRAFT THIS LEGISLATION. LET'S GET IN FRONT OF THE COUNCIL. LET'S GET THEIR APPROVAL SO THAT IF WE ARE ABLE TO DO TO DO IT AS PART OF OUR SALE, AND GENERALLY WE TRY TO COMBINE IT WITH THE OTHER SALE, UM, BECAUSE WE WERE ALREADY INCURRING EXPENSIVE. OF A BAND COUNCIL AND DAVENPORT'S. YOU HAVE TO PAY THE CREDIT RATING AGENCIES AND ALSO YOU'RE TRYING TO KIND OF TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE TIMING TO DO THAT, ALONG WITH YOUR YOUR NEW MONEY SALE, IF YOU WILL. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR GUTHRIE. ANYONE ELSE? MS DICKSON, DO WE HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP? THERE IS NO ONE SIGNED UP, MR. PRESIDENT THANK YOU, GENTLEMEN. FOR COMING THIS EVENING. THANK YOU FOR ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS, AND, UM WITH THIS WILL CONCLUDE THIS PUBLIC HEARING AND WILL TAKE IT UP AT A LATER DATE. THANK YOU.

[1. CALL TO ORDER]

[00:15:04]

[5. CONSIDERATION OF PETITIONS, APPLICATIONS, APPOINTMENTS AND NOMINATIONS]

TO MOVE TO APPROVE FRANCIS AND MATTHEWS IS A HARFORD COUNTY LIVING TREASURE. THANK YOU MAY HAVE A 2ND 2ND. THANK YOU, MR JAN GIORDANO. IT'S MOVING SECOND TO APPROVE MISS MATTHEWS AS A HARVARD LIVING TREASURE NOMINATION. IS THERE ANY COMMENTS? MISS DIXON. MR PRESIDENT, MR. GUTHRIE MR. PENMAN MR. JAN GIORDANO, MR RILEY SADDLES, MR BENNETT BEING SEVEN VOTES IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, ZERO AND NEGATIVE. THE APPOINTMENT OF FRANCIS AND MATTHEWS AS A HARTFORD LIVING TREASURERS HEREBY APPROVED. PRESENTATION OF PROCLAMATIONS, HARFORD LIVING TREASURE. UH COUNCILMAN RILEY, PLEASE STEP DOWN MISS MATTHEWS. AND WHOEVER ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO BRING WITH YOU, PLEASE. BUT STANDING. WELCOME, MA'AM. WELCOME. THANK YOU. CAN WE PUT A FEW ON THE OTHER SIDE OF IT, PLEASE? WHEREAS FRANCIS AND MATTHEWS RECEIVED THE HARTFORD COUNTY CULTURAL ARTS BOARD RECOMMENDATION TO THE HARFORD COUNTY COUNCIL FOR RECOGNITION AS A HARTFORD LIVING TREASURE, AND WHEREAS FRANCIS MATTHEWS BEGAN HER CAREER IN HARFORD COUNTY AS A PHYSICAL EDUCATION EDUCATION TEACHER FROM 1970 TO 2004 AND 1975, MISS MATTHEWS FIELD OF THE FIRST MARYLAND STATE FIELD HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM IN NORTH HARFORD HIGH SCHOOL IN 1976. SHE WAS NAMED THE AEGIS COACH OF THE YEAR.

MATTHEW STARTED IN NORTH HARFORD HIGH SCHOOL LACROSSE PROGRAM AND ORGANIZED THE HAWKS BOOSTER CLUB FROM 1982 TO 2004. SHE WAS THE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR AND COACH. FIELD HOCKEY JV GIRLS' BASKETBALL, VARSITY SOFTBALL, VARSITY GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD VARSITY GIRLS LACROSSE. AND BOYS VOLLEYBALL. MISS MATTHEWS FACILITATED THE ACQUISITION OF THE NEW STADIUM SCOREBOARD AND SERVED ON THE ATHLETIC LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE. AND WHEREAS MS MATTHEWS SENDS POSTCARDS DURING THE TRIPS WITH HER HUSBAND TO MORE THAN 30, FORMER STUDENTS AND SENIOR CITIZENS DURING THE SUMMER MISS FRANCIS FEEDS FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS FROM HER BOUNTIFUL GARDEN. SHE PROVIDED SHELTER FOR FRIENDS IN DANGER OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. OVER THE YEARS, MISS FRANCIS HAS PARTICIPATED WITH THE SLATE RIDGE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH MEMBERS TO SERVE FREE MEALS TO THE COMMUNITY. SHE HAS ALSO MADE MONETARY DONATIONS TO MATCH FUNDS COLLECTED FOR THE BENEFIT OF VARIOUS CHURCH ORGANIZATIONS. AND WHEREAS MS MATTHEWS HAS BEEN DEDICATED TO OUR SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY DURING HER 53 YEARS IN HARTFORD COUNTY, SHE IS KNOWN FOR BEING RELIABLE.

FAIR. A GREAT COMMUNICATOR AND OBJECTIVE NOW, THEREFORE WE, THE COUNTY COUNCIL OF HARFORD COUNTY, MARYLAND, ON THIS 14TH DAY OF NOVEMBER, 2023 TO HEREBY PROCLAIM FRANCIS AND MATTHEWS, A HARTFORD LIVING TREASURE. AND BE IT FURTHER KNOWN THAT HER LIFETIME EXPERIENCE AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE HARTFORD COUNTY COMMUNITY WILL PROVIDE A PERMANENT RECORD, WHICH WILL RECALL THE PAST AND FORM THE PRESENT AND GUIDE THE FUTURE OF HARTFORD COUNTY THAT HER MEMORIES AND HISTORY WILL BE RECORDED BY THE HARTFORD COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY ORAL HISTORIAN AND WILL BECOME PART OF THE ORAL HISTORY COLLECTION OF THE LIBRARY. CONSERVATIVE FORCES HAS BEEN VERY BUSY. IN FACT, SHE'S BEEN SO BUSY THAT WE COULDN'T FIT EVERYTHING ON THIS PROCLAMATION THAT WE HAVE HERE, SO I JUST WANT TO ADD A FEW ANTIDOTES FROM 91 TO 95. SHE WAS A MEMBER OF THE GOVERNOR CITIZENS CABINET, WHERE SHE LEARNED HOW THINGS WORKED ON A STATE LEVEL, AND SHE HELD FOLLOW UP MEETINGS AT HARFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE FORM. THE BOOK OF THE HAPPENINGS AT HARFORD IN HARFORD COUNTY. AND ALSO SHE'S BEEN DEDICATED TO OUR SCHOOL AND OUR

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I LIKE TO SEE IT FOR YOUR WORDS THEY LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. I'M SURE THEY WOULD. UM I DIDN'T KNOW THEY WERE GOING TO TELL MY WHOLE LIFE'S HISTORY. UM I WANT TO THANK BOBBY FOR NOMINATING ME AND THE CULTURAL ARTS. GROUP FOR SELECTING ME. IT WAS A SURPRISE. BELIEVE ME, I AM STUNNED. SHE HAS TOO MUCH TO DO WITHOUT DOING THIS, AND SHE DID, AND I APPRECIATE IT. UM I APPRECIATE MY HUSBAND FOR HIS SUPPORT, AND I HAD A SURPRISE FROM TWO OF MY FORMER FIELD HOCKEY PLAYERS HERE WHO HAPPENED TO TELL I TOLD ONE AND THE WORD WENT OUT. SO THEY'RE HERE TO SUPPORT ME, AND I APPRECIATE THAT MORE THAN ANYTHING. AWESOME. THANK YOU MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. FOR JIM, COME BACK. COME BACK, OKAY? YEAH SHE'S DIRECTED. NO, YOU'RE FINE. THAT'S GOOD. ALL RIGHT. DO YOU, SIR? THANK YOU. GENDER NUMBER SIX SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS COUNCIL. IT'S UH, MY PLEASURE

[6. SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS]

SOME OF THEM HAVE TO DO WITH SMOKING. WE HAVE A HIGHER INCIDENCE OF SMOKING IN THIS

[00:25:04]

ADDITIONALLY WE HAVE WHAT'S CALLED A PATIENT AND FAMILY ADVISORY COUNCIL FOR SHORT AND HEALTHCARE. WE LIKE TO HAVE A LOT OF ACRONYMS. THEY'RE USUALLY FOUR LETTERS. AND UM, THAT COUNCIL IS MADE UP OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT WE MEET ON A MONTHLY BASIS THAT GIVES US INPUT AND FEEDBACK RELATED TO OUR PROGRAMS. WHAT WE'RE DOING WELL AND WHAT WE COULD DO BETTER. SO UM, WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN LOOKING FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE INTERESTED IN JOINING OUR P FACT GROUP. AND UM, IF SOMEONE HAS AN INTEREST, LET ME KNOW. WE WOULD CERTAINLY LIKE TO GET YOU THROUGH THE PROCESS. THOSE ARE SOME OF MY OPENING REMARKS. I'LL ADDRESS SOME OTHER THINGS AT THE END. BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO COLIN AND DR BARRETO, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HAVE BEEN ASKED SINCE I GOT HERE AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WILL BE TWO YEARS AT THE END OF THIS CALENDAR YEAR. IS DO WE NEED MORE BEDS IN HARFORD COUNTY? DO WE NEED MORE HOSPITAL BEDS? AND AS OF TODAY, I'M GOING TO SAY NO AND FOR MEAN AND COLIN ARE GOING TO SHARE WITH YOU. WHY? I'M SAYING NO, BUT I AM GOING TO TELL YOU IT'S SOMETHING WE ALWAYS WILL EVALUATE. WE KNOW THIS IS A GROWING COUNTY IN TERMS OF DEMOGRAPHICS THAT PEOPLE ARE MOVING TO THE COUNTY. BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT WE ARE AN AGING COUNTY AND PEOPLE ARE GETTING OLDER AND AS YOU GET OLDER YOU HAVE HEALTHCARE NEEDS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED. SO I'M GONNA HAVE THEM ANSWER WHY? I SAID NO RIGHT NOW. AND UM I'M GONNA COME BACK AT THE END AND TALK ABOUT OUR OPENINGS. AND THEN YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY OPEN TO ANY QUESTIONS. OKAY? THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT AND COUNCIL. UM AS WE GET STARTED HERE, IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT PATIENT, UM, EFFICIENCY OF MOVEMENT THROUGH THE SYSTEM IS AN ISSUE THAT IS A CHALLENGE ACROSS THE STATE. IN FACT, MARYLAND RANKS 50TH OUT OF 50 STATES FOR CERTAIN METRICS THAT ARE MEASURES OF EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT EFFICIENCY. UM AND SOME OF THAT ACTIVITY ACTUALLY HAPPENS UP IN THE PATIENT UNITS, BUT THE SYMPTOM PRESENTS ITSELF IN TERMS OF BOGGING DOWN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT ONLY. AH WASHINGTON, D C HAS A WORSE PERFORMANCE, SO THERE'S A LOT OF ACTIVITY STATEWIDE AND THROUGH THE MARYLAND HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION TO IDENTIFYING IMPLEMENT STRATEGIES THAT WILL HELP WITH EFFICIENT PATIENTS. WELL AND WHAT GOES INTO THAT, UH, THAT MANAGEMENT OF WHAT WE CALL THE DAILY CENSUS ARE SOME THINGS THAT ARE PLANNED AND THINGS THAT AREN'T PLANNED, SO PLANNED AN EXAMPLE OF PLANNED WOULD BE A SURGICAL SCHEDULE, SO WE KNOW A WEEK FROM NOW HOW MANY CASES ARE ON THE BOOKS FOR THAT? AND WHAT ARE UNPLANNED ARE TRANSFERS THAT HAVE TO COME IN FROM OTHER HOSPITALS. UM READMISSIONS. THESE ARE PATIENTS WHO HAVE PREVIOUSLY BEEN AT THE HOSPITAL AND COME BACK WITHIN. UH TYPICALLY, IT'S A 30 DAY PERIOD AFTER THEIR PREVIOUS DISCHARGE, AND THEN OBVIOUSLY THE BIGGEST VARIABLE ON A DAILY BASIS IS HOW MANY PEOPLE COME TO THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT AND HOW MANY WHAT PORTION OF THOSE PATIENTS NEED TO BE ADMITTED. SO THAT'S THE HOW MANY WE HAVE. PLUS THE HOW LONG ARE THEY AT THE HOSPITAL AND THE FACTORS THAT CAN IMPACT HOW LONG SOMEONE'S AT THE HOSPITAL INCLUDE TURNAROUND TIMES ON TESTS. SO A CT SCANNER AND M R I OR HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GET A LAB TEST TURNED AROUND? HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR THE PATIENT TO RESPOND TO TREATMENT? SOMETIMES. IT CAN BE A COUPLE OF DAYS. SOMETIMES IT CAN TAKE LONGER THAN THAT. AND THEN THERE'S SOME PROCEDURAL AVAILABILITY. THOSE ARE THE KIND OF FACTORS THAT TELL US HOW LONG SOMEONE MIGHT BE IN THE IN THE HOSPITAL. AND WHEN YOU ADD HOW MANY ARE HERE, PLUS HOW LONG THEY'RE HERE. THAT'S WHAT DRIVES YOUR EFFICIENCY OR YOUR LACK OF EFFICIENCY IN SOME CASES, AND SO WE USED TO SEE THIS. 10 YEARS AGO, 1520 YEARS AGO AS THE WINTER FLU SEASON WHEN YOU WOULD SEE A LOT OF PATIENTS COMING THROUGH THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT FOR RESPIRATORY ISSUES AND OVER TIME, AND PARTICULARLY AFTER COVID WE SEE LESS AND LESS SEASONALITY AROUND THAT. I'M GOING TO TURN OVER TO THE DOCTOR BARRETO. HE'S GOING TO WALK THROUGH SOME OF THE PERFORMANCE METRICS THAT WE HAVE THAT RELATE TO PATIENT FLOW. THANK YOU. PRESIDENT AND COUNTY COUNCIL.

THE I'M GOING TO TRY AND ACTUALLY DESCRIBED THREE MAIN METRICS AND THEY'RE NOT UNIQUE

[00:30:06]

AND UPPER CHESAPEAKE, UH, IS RIGHT AROUND THE AVERAGE AS WELL AT 278 MINUTES. THAT E D TRANSFER OF CARE, WHICH IS, OF COURSE, VERY IMPORTANT TO US. AH WE NEED TO HAVE THAT TIME AS SMALL AS POSSIBLE. BECAUSE OUR YOU KNOW IF WE HAVE INEFFICIENCIES OR PROBLEMS TRYING TO GET PATIENTS, UM, YOU KNOW, THROUGH OUR TREATMENT PLANS, GET THEM BETTER AND OUT THE DOOR. IF THERE'S A BACKLOG IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT, OUR PROBLEM CANNOT BECOME THEIR PROBLEM. SO WE MONITORED THIS WELL BEFORE, AND WE'VE HAD GREAT PARTNERSHIPS WITH HARVARD COUNTY E. M S HARTFORD MEMORIAL IS AMONG ONE OF THE BEST IN THE STATE. AH THEY HAVE TWO WAYS TO MEASURE IT. ONE IS WHERE ARE YOU FROM AN AVERAGE STANDPOINT, BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT METRIC THAT THEY LOOK AT IS SOMETHING CALLED BEING IN THE 90TH PERCENTILE. SO THAT'S SAYING 90% OF ALL OF THE CASES. UH GET OFFLOADED IN. HOW MUCH? HOW LONG OF A PERIOD OF TIME AND FOR HER FROM MEMORIAL.

UH THERE ARE AT 20 MINUTES, WHICH IS QUITE EXCELLENT, UPPER CHESAPEAKE. AH HAS BEEN, UH, AVERAGE TO ACTUALLY BETTER THAN AVERAGE. BETTER TO THE GOOD AROUND 42 MINUTES. AH AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE CONTINUE TO TRACK CLOSELY AS WELL. AND THAT HAS AN ESCALATION PROCESS NOT JUST WITHIN OUR OWN TEAM, BUT ALSO WITH HARFORD COUNTY E. M S. AND THEY HAVE. YEAH COLIN AND I, UH, CELL NUMBER'S ON SPEED DIAL. IF UH, THERE'S ANY HELP THAT WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE REAL TIME WE INTERVENE. AND THEN WE TALK ABOUT LINK THIS DAY AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE TAKE AWAY FROM IS WHEN WE HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, PATIENTS BORDERS THAT ARE WAITING FOR BEDS UPSTAIRS. THAT IMPACTS THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT AND AS COLIN, IT STATED, IT'S MORE A SYMPTOM OF AN ISSUE AS IT RELATES TO VOLUME AS IT RELATES TO ACUITY AND AS IT RELATES TO EFFICIENCY. SO ALTHOUGH THESE ARE CALLED E D METRICS OR EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT METRICS, THEY'RE REALLY HOSPITAL THROUGHPUT METRICS, AND THEY ARE BEGINNING TO CHANGE THE VERB EGE ON THAT TO PROPERLY REFLECT THAT. WHAT HELPS FIRST THE PATIENT HAS TO GET BETTER RIGHT PATIENT ACTUALLY NEEDS TO GET THE TREATMENT NEEDS. WE NEED TO GET THE RIGHT DIAGNOSIS. WE NEED TO HAVE, UH, GOOD, STRONG TREATMENT PLAN IN PLACE. NOW ALL OF THE ANCILLARY TESTING WILL IMPACT IT ONCE WE KNOW THAT THE PATIENT IS GOING TO BE READY. AH THE TIME THAT WE PUT THAT DISCHARGE ORDER, IN, OF COURSE, STARTS THE CASCADE OF EVENTS THAT ALLOWS A PATIENT TO BE SAFELY TRANSFERRED OR DISCHARGED HOME OR TO A SKILLED NURSING FACILITY. THAT'S WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO BE NEXT. WE MEASURE THAT BY THE PERCENT OF PATIENTS THAT HAVE A DISCHARGE ORDER BEFORE THE 11 O'CLOCK HOUR IN THE MORNING. WE HAVE BEEN SEEING THAT INCREASE OVER TIME THROUGH PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS, AS WELL AS WORKFLOW IMPROVEMENTS WITH OUR HOSPITALIST TEAM. AH WE CAN ALSO

[00:35:01]

WE ARE PLANNING TO HAVE INCREMENTAL OBSERVATION BEDS, WE WILL BE ABLE TO SAFELY CARE FOR PATIENTS THERE. THAT WILL BE WITHIN 24 48 HOUR. UM TIME PERIOD LINK THIS DAY. NOW WE

[00:40:02]

[00:45:01]

VIRTUALLY THAT PROVIDER CAN DO A VIRTUAL KNOCK. GO INTO THE ROOM TO SEE THE PATIENT WORK WITH THE NURSE TO ASSESS THE PATIENT. AND EVEN IF THE FAMILY IS NOT THERE, CONNECT THE FAMILY REMOTELY IF THEY'RE NOT IN STATE OR NOT LOCAL TO HAVE THEM BE PART OF THE VISIT. UM AND WE'VE INSTALLED THAT TECHNOLOGY FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS. ONE FOR PATIENT EXPERIENCE, BUT ALSO TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN KEEP PATIENTS AT ABERDEEN AND BRING THE CARE TO THEM. THAT IS ONE THING. ONE REASON WHY WE WE'VE INSTALLED THE TELEHEALTH TECHNOLOGY. FOR ME AND TALKED ABOUT THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH COMPONENT ON THE SECOND FLOOR. SOMETHING THAT WE'VE ADDED IS A MEDICAL COMPONENT. SO THOSE PATIENTS WHO MAY NEED OXYGEN OR OTHER TYPES OF MEDICAL CARE CURRENTLY NOW WE HAVE TO BRING THEM DOWN TO A MEDICAL SURGICAL FLOOR. WE WILL BE ABLE TO KEEP OUR PATIENTS IN THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PAVILION AS OPPOSED TO BRINGING THEM TO ANOTHER MEDICINE SURGE BED. ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE ALSO DONE IS WITH HARTFORD LINK SET UP A BUS ROUTE FOR PATIENTS THAT NEED TO MOVE BETWEEN HAVE A DE GRACE AS WELL AS COME TO THE AVERAGING MEDICAL CENTER. SO THERE'S A CONVENIENT ROUTE OF PEOPLE NEED, UM AND DON'T HAVE NEED PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION TO GET TO THE FACILITY. AND THEN THE LAST THING I'D LIKE TO MENTION, UM IS THE ABERDEEN HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTER, WHICH IS CONNECTED TO THE ABERDEEN MEDICAL CENTER.

THAT'S BEEN OPEN FOR ABOUT 18 MONTHS. IT HAS PHYSICIAN PRACTICES IN IT. IT ALSO HAS OUTPATIENT, UM, WOUND CARE. OUTPATIENT REHAB, AND THEN WHEN WE OPEN THE FACILITY IN FEBRUARY , WE'RE GOING TO BE OPENING UP IMAGING SERVICES, WHICH INCLUDES MAMMOGRAPHY, CAT SCAN M R I, X RAY, UM, SO YOU CAN DO WALK IN IF YOU NEED, UM, TESTING AS WELL AS UM, OUTPATIENT LABORATORY SERVICES. THINK I'VE COVERED EVERYTHING. OKAY? SO UM, THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE WANTED TO TALK ABOUT. AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. AND I ALWAYS WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE COMMUNITY FROM FOR PUTTING YOUR TRUST IN US AND CARE. UM WE WILL CONTINUE TO COMMUNICATE AS WE GET CLOSER TO THE OPENING OF THE FACILITIES, PARTICULARLY WITH OUR PATIENTS ON THE DAY OF WE WANT TO MAKE SURE IF THEY COME INTO THE HEART HARTFORD EMERGENCY ROOM. THAT WE CAN EITHER GET THEM TO ABERDEEN, OR LET THEM KNOW THAT THE TIME THAT WILL BE CLOSING THE FACILITY SO THEY CAN APPROPRIATELY BE CAREFUL IN THE RIGHT AREA. SO WE'LL STOP THERE AND OPEN UP TO ANY QUESTIONS. SO ELIZABETH, LET ME START BY THANKING YOU FOR AS YOU SAID EARLIER HAVING EACH OTHER ON SPEED DIAL. WE HAVE YOU ON SPEED DIAL, AND I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE THE APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU PICKED THE PHONE UP, YOU RESPOND NO DIFFERENTLY THAN SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT WE HEAR FROM HER FROM THE CITIZENS IN THIS CHAMBER. I REACHED OUT TO YOU AND THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT YOU COME AND GIVE US AN UPDATE, AND YOU RESPONDED IMMEDIATELY. WE APPRECIATE THAT. AND THEN TO SIT HERE TONIGHT AND HERE YOU TALK ABOUT 20 TO 40 MINUTES WITH OUR MEDIC UNITS TO OFFLOAD PATIENTS AND GET BACK ON THE ROAD. THAT'S AMAZING COMPARED TO WHAT WE HAD IN THE PAST. SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO. EACH AND EVERY DAY TO HELP IMPROVE THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE HERE LOCALLY AND MR JAN JORDANA SO GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT AND WELCOME ELIZABETH.

[00:50:03]

I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. UM I THINK ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO WE WERE IN THE ROOM. I THINK WITH YOU, DR BRIGHTER WHERE THE E R AND YOU GUYS HAD LIKE A COMMAND CENTER. IS THAT STILL UP AND RUNNING? DO YOU GUYS STILL USE THAT CENTER? COLLINS SPEAK TO THAT. YEAH YEAH. SO UM, WE HAVE A THE PAY CENTER, THE ADMINISTRATIVE NURSING COORDINATORS. SIT IN THAT ROOM ALL DAY EVERY DAY. THEY HAVE BIG SCREENS. THE DISPLAY ALL THE PATIENTS THAT ARE REGISTERING IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT AND WHAT THEIR STATUS IS. THEY CAN TRACK THEM ALONG THEIR PATH TO ADMISSION OR DISCHARGE. AS DR BARRETO NOTED, THEY HAVE SECURITY CAMERAS THEY CAN PULL UP. WE CAN SEE IF THERE'S ONE AMBULANCE THERE OR SEVEN AMBULANCES THERE AT THE BACK, AND THAT HELPS US DEPLOY RESOURCES DIFFERENTLY AND THEN SUPPORTING THEM ARE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT FOLKS THAT ARE IN AND OUT OF THAT. PAY CENTER THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE DAY , AND THEN WE, UH WE COMMUNICATE AMONGST OURSELVES TO REMOVE BARRIERS, SO IT SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS A BIG HELP. I THINK YOU GUYS ARE JUST OPEN IT UP. AND WE WERE THERE. SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE YOU'RE TIMES FOR TRANSFERRING FROM THE E. M S IS DEFINITELY PICKED UP. UM BUT DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH ROOMS IN THE ER THAT SEEMS LIKE IT'S MAYBE BEEN A LITTLE BIT OF AN ISSUE THAT PEOPLE COME IN. YOU DON'T HAVE A PLACE TO PUT THEM IN THE AMS IS THAT YEAH. SO I THINK THE CHALLENGES HIT THE HAT . THE SPEED OF THE MEN OF THE MOVEMENT OF THOSE PATIENTS. SO IF WE HAVE A DAY WHERE WE HAVE A LOT OF PATIENTS THAT ARE AWAITING PLACEMENT UPSTAIRS ON A GIVEN DAY, WE ADMIT A CERTAIN NUMBER OF PATIENTS IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT. AND SOME DAYS PATIENTS COME THROUGH.

THERE IS A HIGHER LEVEL OF ACUITY AND MORE PATIENTS ARE COMPETING FOR THE SAME NUMBER OF BEDS AND THEN OTHER DAYS, WE ADMIT FEWER BECAUSE THE ACUITY IS LESS WHEN PATIENTS ARE WAITING TO GO UPSTAIRS. THAT TAKES A SPACE THAT ORDINARILY WOULD TURN OVER MULTIPLE TIMES IN A SIX HOUR PERIOD AND CREATES GRIDLOCK, AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO. IF WE CAN CREATE THE SPACE UPSTAIRS, WE COULD PULL THAT PATIENT UP AND THEN USE THAT NOT UNLIKE IF YOU WERE RUNNING A RESTAURANT. IF YOU COULD, THE QUICKER THAT YOU CAN GET THAT PATIENT THROUGH, YOU CAN GET MORE PATIENTS IN SO WE DID THE TOUR THE OF THE STROKE CENTER. I THOUGHT IT WAS GREAT LOTS OF INFORMATION. THE BIGGEST THING I WANT EVERYBODY TO REALIZE AND GET OUT THERE IS THAT IF YOU THINK YOU'RE HAVING A STROKE, OR YOU HAD A STROKE TO CALL 911, I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE LISTEN TO OUR BROADCAST HERE AND SO I THINK IT'S SUPER IMPORTANT TO CALL 911 IF YOU IF YOU LIKE YOU'RE HAVING A STROKE CALL. I KNOW YOU GUYS SAID. I THINK IT'S WITHIN TWO HOURS THAT YOU CAN TWO OR THREE HOURS THAT ONCE THEY GET IN. IF YOU'RE HAVING A STROKE, IF THEY CAN GET INTO THE HOSPITAL AND GET THE MEDICINE THAT THAT WILL CERTAINLY HELP. IS IT TOO WELL, I MEAN, WE ACTUALLY HAVE OPTIONS FOR PATIENTS THAT LEAD UP ALL THE WAY UP TO 24 HOURS. WE MEASURE OUR DOOR TO NEEDLE TIMES , WHICH, UH, WE WANT BELOW 60 MINUTES. SO THE FASTER YOU GET TO US, THE SOONER WE CAN GIVE YOU THE CLOT BUSTING DRUG AND THE DRUG WE'RE USING RIGHT NOW.

THE ACRONYM IT'S ONLY THREE LETTERS. TNK UH, IS WHAT IS UTILIZED, AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT ABERDEEN WILL HAVE THAT ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO ADMINISTER THAT MEDICATION. AND THEN THE THERE'S ANOTHER, UH, PROCEDURE. YOU KNOW, THEY CALL IT KLATT RETRIEVAL WHERE KIND OF LIKE A CARDIAC CAPITAL GO IN AND ACTUALLY OPENED UP THE ARTERY OR OR MANUALLY REMOVE THAT CLOT.

NOW I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT OUR RESPONSE TIME FOR THAT IS GOING TO BE MUCH MORE IMPROVED WITH THE ABERDEEN CONFIGURATION WITH THE HELICOPTER PAD RIGHT NEXT TO US, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THAT DELAY , ACTUALLY. UH AND I WAS QUOTED ABOUT 40% OF THE E. M S. WE TRY NOT TO USE E. M S AT ALL FOR ANY INTER FACILITY TRANSFERS, BUT IT DOES HAPPEN SOMETIMES IF IT'S A TIME DEPENDENT DIAGNOSIS. AH STROKE COULD BE ONE OF THOSE. AND IF WE HAVE TO FLY THEM BECAUSE WE DON'T DO THE CLOT RETRIEVAL PROTEST PEAK. IT'S DONE AT YOU KNOW, UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND. HOPKINS UM, THE ABILITY TO FLY THOSE PATIENTS OUT FASTER CAN BE DONE AT ABERDEEN. ISABELLA ALSO STROKE CENTER. YES OKAY. STROKE CENTER. UM AND I DON'T KNOW HOW THIS AFFECTS YOU. IT DOESN'T AFFECT YOU, BUT I KNOW A LOT OF OLDER PEOPLE. THEIR BIGGEST CONCERNS IS MEDICARE AND THEY GO IN IF THEY'RE NOT ADMITTED, AND EARLY UNDER OBSERVATION, THEY DON'T GET THEIR STAYS COVERED. SO, UM. I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT GETS RESOLVED OR BUT I KNOW THAT'S A BIG IN THE OLDER COMMUNITY. THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT IF THEY DON'T IF THEY DON'T GET OMITTED IN THERE JUST UNDER OBSERVATION AND SEE OBSERVATION. IT'S LIKE 24 HOURS AND SO FORTH THAT THEY DON'T GET COVERAGE. I DON'T I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU KNOW THAT SO MUCH. NO COVERAGE. I

[00:55:01]

BUT THAT'S A MEDICARE SITUATION ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. NOT NECESSARILY, UH, SOMETHING UNIQUE TO UPPER CHEST PAIN AND A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS. UM CANCER METRICS. ARE THEY UP DOWN IN HARTFORD COUNTY? I DIDN'T HEAR ANYBODY TALKING ABOUT INCIDENTS OF DISEASE IN THE COUNTY.

ANYTHING YOU COULD TELL ME. THAT'S WHERE WE'RE TRENDING OR NOT. I DON'T KNOW. WELL UNFORTUNATELY, UH, YOU KNOW, WE ARE CONTINUING TO SEE AN UPWARD INCIDENTS OF LUNG CANCER. BREAST CANCER. UM, DON'T DON'T HAVE THEM ALL MEMORIZED, BUT I KNOW THAT THOSE TWO ARE STILL CONTINUING TO GO UP. UM AND OF COURSE WE BASE OUR INVESTMENTS IN OUR YOU KNOW, IN THE COFFEE CANCER CENTER, DEPENDING ON THOSE, UH, THOSE TYPES OF TRENDS CALLED DIRECTORS, ANOTHER ONE THAT WE'RE KEEPING AN EYE ON THAT WE CONTINUE TO SEE SOME SOME INCREASE PERFECT THE IMPROVEMENT IN MARSALA. YES UH, THERE THERE. WE HAVE CANCER CENTER METRICS THAT WE LOOK AT ON A REGULAR BASIS, AN ENTIRE DATABASE OF QUALITY METRICS. EVERYTHING FROM MORTALITY, WHICH IS THE FINAL METRIC THAT WE ALL WANT TO LOOK AT. WHICH HAS SEEN IMPROVEMENTS. UH AND WE'VE ALSO SEEN CONTINUED IMPROVEMENTS IN ACCESS FOR CANCER PATIENTS SO THAT ART SPEED TO DIAGNOSIS HAS ACTUALLY IMPROVED. OF THE MRIS AS ANY OF THEM AN OPEN MRI. NO OKAY. AND THEN THE LAST THING I HAVE IS THAT I'VE HEARD FROM A BUNCH OF NURSES THAT THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY WHEN THEY LEAVE AT NIGHTTIME THAT THEY STOPPED THE BUS AND TO GET OUT TO THEIR VEHICLES. THEY HAVE TO WALK OR, UM, I GUESS GET SECURITY LOCATION WHERE THERE IS THAT IN BELLAIRE. I'VE HEARD THAT FROM A FEW OF THEM AND THEY DIDN'T WANT TO TELL ME THEIR NAMES. AND I WAS LIKE, DON'T TELL ME YOUR NAMES. I JUST I'LL BRING THAT UP. AND I KNOW YOU'RE I KNOW YOU'RE YOU'RE MOONLIGHTING AT NIGHTTIME, AND I WAS IN THE OTHER NIGHT AND I DIDN'T SEE YOU. I WAS LOOKING FOR YOU FOR PRIVACY. UM HARD THAT HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION, PARTICULARLY THE LIGHTING OUT IN THE PARKING LOT, SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO TAKE A LOOK. WE'LL LOOK AT THAT AGAIN.

AND WE HAVE, IF ANY OF OUR TEAM MEMBERS, UH, ONCE AN ESCORT BY SECURITY, THEY CAN HAVE AN ESCORT. THEY CAN BE DRIVEN RIGHT TO THEIR CAR, DEPENDING ON WHICH LIKE THEY PARKED AT THE SHUTTLE BUS WILL TAKE THEM LITERALLY RIGHT TO THEIR CAR AFTER HOURS. THEY JUST SAID, YOU KNOW, I THINK SOME OF THEM ARE LIKE, JUST WALK AND YOU KNOW, THEY FEEL A LITTLE UNEASY AFTERWARDS, AND I'M LIKE, WELL, IF YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, BUT I GUESS WHATEVER. SO ANYWAY, THANK YOU GUYS FOR COMING. APPRECIATE IT. UM AND THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK AND EFFORTS AND FEW TIMES I'VE BEEN THERE. YOU GUYS BEEN REALLY GOOD. SO THANKS. THANK YOU, MR JAN JORDAN AND MISS SADDLES. HELLO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT AND THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO EVERY DAY. UM I DID HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TOUR THE NEW ABERDEEN CAMPUS TWICE AND IT IS ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE. IT WILL BE A HUGE ATTRIBUTE TO OUR COUNTY AND THE TECHNOLOGY IN ITSELF IS JUST UNBELIEVABLE. SO THANK YOU AGAIN. THANKING THEMSELVES, MR PEMON. THANK YOU, MR PRESIDENT. THANK YOU GUYS FOR THE PRESENTATION I THOUGHT WAS VERY THOROUGH. JUST HAVE A FEW FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS. UM THE NEW COUNTY E M S, UM, AMBULANCE. HOW HAS THAT TRANSITION BEEN IN HIS THAT CONTRIBUTING TO THE REDUCTION OF THAT, UM, TURNOVER AT THE HOSPITALS. JUST IN TERMS OF THE COUNTY TAKING OVER JUST ONE CENTRALIZED, YOU KNOW AGENCY DOING IT RATHER THAN YOU KNOW.

DIFFERENT FIRE COMPANIES ALL I MEAN, I THINK AS FAR AS I MEAN, WE HAVEN'T NECESSARILY YOU KNOW, FELT I'D SAY ANY POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE IMPACT PER SE, BUT OUR COMMUNICATION LINES ARE, YOU KNOW, PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD WITH RICK AYERS AND HIS TEAM. THANK YOU. WE STARTED TO TACK ONTO THAT WE RECENTLY MET WITH THEM IN THE NEW ABERDEEN FACILITY. UH LAST LAST WEEK. I SUPPOSE THAT WAS A RECENTLY AND SO THERE'S ALWAYS AN EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN PARTNER BETTER. SO THANK YOU. YEAH, WE ACTUALLY HAD THE ENTIRE M S LEADERSHIP COME TO ABERDEEN IN THE COMMUNITY CENTER, WHICH IS DOWN IN THE BASEMENT. AND ACTUALLY WENT THROUGH OUR MAP OF TRANSITION AND THE WIND DOWN OF HARFORD MEMORIAL SO THAT THEY UNDERSTOOD WHERE WE WERE GOING TO BE AND WHAT WE WERE GOING TO DO, UM AND I THOUGHT WE HAD SOME GREAT EXCHANGE OF IDEAS, AND THEY EVEN THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING. VOLUNTEER CREWS TRYING TO COME AND HELP US OUT. VERY GOOD. I WOULD JUST SAY WE HAVE MUTUAL GOALS. WE WANT THE PATIENTS BECAUSE WE WANT TO TAKE CARE OF THEM. AND WE WANT THEM BACK ON THE ROAD AGAIN TO, YOU KNOW, GET BACK OUT IN THE COUNTY. SO TO ME, IT'S JUST MAINTAINING OPEN LINES OF COMMUNICATION AND WE TALKED ABOUT THE RESOURCES THAT WE PUT IN BECAUSE WE WANT TO ACCEPT THE PATIENTS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. JUST A FEW MORE QUESTIONS AS FAR AS COMPARE AND CONTRAST WITH HARTFORD MEMORIAL VERSUS THE NEW ABERDEEN FACILITY ON KIND OF WHAT THE CAPABILITIES ARE. I

[01:00:05]

UH ARE YOU SEEING ISSUES WITH NURSES OR EVEN DOCTORS ON, YOU KNOW, RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION WITHIN BOTH HOSPITALS. I'LL TAKE THE NURSING ONE. YOU CAN TAKE THE DOCTOR ONE WE HAVE SEEN IMPROVEMENTS IN OUR RECRUITMENT EFFORTS AS WELL AS OUR RETENTION EFFORTS. SO YOU KNOW IF YOU HAD ASKED ME ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, WE HAD A HIGH TURNOVER RATE. IN THE TWENTIES, AND PEOPLE WERE SAYING THAT NATIONALLY, WE'RE DOWN IN THE LOW TEENS AND BELOW NATIONAL AVERAGE IN TERMS OF OUR TURNOVER , AND THAT IS A FOCUS FOR US. WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO RETAIN THE GREAT PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE. BUT WE ALSO WANT TO CONTINUE TO RECRUIT AND WE'VE BEEN SEEING IMPROVEMENTS IN OUR RECRUITMENT FOR REGISTERED NURSES, AS WELL AS WE HAVEN'T HOMEGROWN IN HOUSE NURSING ASSISTANT PROGRAM CERTIFIED NURSING ASSISTANT PROGRAM. SO WE'VE SEEN SIGNIFICANT, UM PEOPLE THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THOSE CLASSES. THEY'RE ABLE TO WORK ON THE UNITS. ON THE POSITION SIDE. IT HAS BEEN AN INTERESTING DYNAMIC. YOU HAVE THE DEMOGRAPHIC PIECE WHERE WE'VE HAD MANY RETIRE. UM COVID PROBABLY ACCELERATE SOME PEOPLE'S RETIREMENT. UM, YOU KNOW, ACROSS THE NATION. AND THEN WE HAVE SEEN SOME INTERESTING DYNAMICS IN CERTAIN SPECIALTIES. I'LL BRING UP RADIOLOGY FOR ONE. WITH RECENT AI ADVANCES. UH RESIDENCIES HAVE ACTUALLY GONE UNMATCHED OR INCREASING IN THE NUMBERS OF UNMATCHED RESIDENCIES BECAUSE OF CONCERNS THAT YOU'RE GOING INTO A PROFESSION THAT MAYBE YOU DON'T NEED AS MANY RADIOLOGISTS BECAUSE A I WILL END UP BEING ABLE TO PERFORM THE REEDS. AH I DID NOT PARTICULARLY SEE THAT COMING OVER THESE PAST FEW YEARS , BUT EVIDENTLY THAT THERE'S SOMETHING THAT HAS IMPACTED A LOT OF DIFFERENT HOSPITALS ACROSS BOTH THE UNITED STATES. AND US AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE HAD TO DEAL WITH AND MANAGE. AND THEN I HAVE TO TALK ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, SUBSPECIALTY CARE, THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND MEDICAL SYSTEM AND OUR ABILITY TO PARTNER WITH THE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE HAS BROUGHT SOME OF THE TOP NOTCH SURGEONS HERE. SPINE SURGEONS AND DR CAVANAUGH, DOCTOR BONA THORACIC SURGERY IN DR SHELBY STEWART, YOU'VE SEEN REALLY WORLD CLASS CARE BROUGHT HERE CLOSE TO HOME, AND I THINK, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO OFFSET SOME OF THE CHALLENGES . UM BUT IF WE CONTINUE TO SEE ITS SPECIALTY BY SPECIALTY, AND EACH ONE ACTUALLY IS A UNIQUE DYNAMIC, SOMETIMES RBG Y N IS ANOTHER CHALLENGE. UM THAT ONE HAS BEEN DIFFICULT BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN CONVERTING TO A MANY HAVE BEEN CONVERTING LIKE WE HAVE TWO LABORERS MODEL SIMILAR TO A HOSPITALIST. WHERE THE PCP STAYS IN THE OFFICE AND A PHYSICIAN STAYS IN THE HOSPITAL TO CARE FOR THE PATIENT THAT IS BEGINNING TO HAPPEN IN A B G Y N, UM, SPECIALTY, BUT THERE HAS NOT BEEN AN INCREASE IN RESIDENTS TO ACTUALLY COMPENSATE FOR THAT YOU'VE ACTUALLY DOUBLED THE DEMAND. BUT YOU HAVE AN INCREASED THE RESIDENCY. SO UM, IT HAS BEEN A CHALLENGE AND MORE SO NOW THAN THAN I'VE SEEN IN THE PAST THANK YOU FOR ONE OF THE COMMENTS, YOU KNOW, MENTIONED THAT WE'VE SEEN IMPROVEMENTS, BUT IT'S NOT ANYTHING WE TAKE FOR GRANTED. YOU KNOW, NURSES HAVE A LOT OF OPTIONS IN THEIR HEALTHCARE CAREER. AND SO YOU KNOW, WE TAKE IT VERY SERIOUSLY. INITIATIVES TO PUT IN PLACE TO KEEP TO KEEP PEOPLE IN HARTFORD COUNTY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR PENMAN. MR BENNETT. HELLO GOOD EVENING. UM

[01:05:01]

OR UM, A FACT SHEET THAT HAS INFORMATION THAT WOULD GO OUT TO THE RESIDENTS. BUT IF YOU HAVE SOME IDEAS ABOUT WHAT MIGHT WORK BEST WITH THE COMMUNITY, I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR THEM AS WELL. I THINK FOR ME THE BIGGEST PRIORITY WOULD BE OUR COMMUNITIES OF HIGHEST NEEDS LIKE ST JOHN'S TOWERS. ST JOHN'S COMMONS, THE GARAGE. AH, AND THEN THERE'S POCKETS OF COMMUNITY THAT WE KNOW DON'T OWN CARS. UM IF THEY COULD BE MAILED INFORMATION, I THINK THAT WOULD BE HUGE SO THAT YOU GUARANTEE THEY GET IT. UM I JUST THAT'S EVERYTHING. I JUST WORRY ABOUT THE INFORMATION DROUGHT OF YOU KNOW, PEOPLE, NOT REALIZING THIS CHANGE IS COMING. AND YOU KNOW WHEN EVERY MOMENT MATTERS IF THEY DRIVE TO THE EMPTY BUILDING , UM THAT'S A BIG ISSUE. WE WERE THAT'S HELPFUL. THANK YOU. WILL YOU WERE PUTTING TOGETHER WAS WE'RE CALLING IT AN INFO GRAHAM, WHICH JUST HAS WHAT SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE, THE TIMING OF THEM WHAT'S GOING TO BE AVAILABLE ON

[01:10:05]

AMBULANCE CAME. THAT WAS A GOOD THAT WAS A GREAT THING, SO THEY GO OUT AND DIRECT THEM INTO THE DRIVEWAY. I GO OUT THERE AND DIRECT THEM. THAT'S THE GOOD NEWS. THE BAD NEWS SAYS IT'S COME BALMER COUNTY BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE ONE IN HARFORD COUNTY, AND THEN THEY CAME AND THEY'RE THEY'RE CALLING AROUND WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE HER. CALL THE HOSPITAL HERE AND THEY SAID THEY CANNOT TAKE HER TO HAVE NO BEDS. SO WE HAD TO TAKE HER DOWN TO JOHN HOPKINS, BAYVIEW FOR HER TO BE TREATED THEIR BUSINESSES SIX O'CLOCK WHEN ON MONDAY AND, UH, NO BEDS AVAILABLE CAN TAKE ER UP AT ABOUT THE HOSPITAL AND, UH, I'VE HAD NUMEROUS PEOPLE TELL ME THAT THIS WEIGHT IS 10 TO 12 HOURS IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM. SO IF YOU CAN STRAIGHTEN THAT OUT FOR THE PUBLIC, UM AH, YOU'RE ON TV. EXPLAIN WHY IT TAKES 10 TO 12 HOURS AND EMERGENCY. THAT'S A CONTRADICTION IN TERMS RIGHT THERE TO CALL THE EMERGENCY ROOM. BECAUSE THEY DIDN EMERGENCY ROOM IF SOMEBODY COMES IN, AND THEY GOT A BROKEN ARM OR SOMETHING, THEY GOT TO SIT THERE FOR 10 TO HALF A DAY. IT'S A HALF A DAY. SO TELL ME WHERE I'M WRONG. WELL I THINK YOU'RE APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS. I THINK YOU UM YOU KNOW, YOU'RE YOU'RE TAKING YOUR ANECDOTE, YOU KNOW, HOURS, UH, AND TRYING TO APPLY THEM TO MAKE A POINT. I JUST HAVE TO RESPECTFULLY DISAGREE WAS 665 MINUTES. SO WHAT'S THAT COME OUT TO? THAT'S WHAT YOU SAID. YES, I DID. AND I EXPLAINED IN VERY CLEAR TERMS. WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ARE THE TIME THAT YOU HIT THE DOOR TO THE TIME YOU ACTUALLY SPEAK WITHIN, UH, TALK TO AND GET TREATED BY A PROVIDER. BEING A DOCTOR AND A PP. WHAT I WAS REFERENCING WAS FROM THE TIME THAT THEY HIT THE DOOR TO THE TIME THAT THEY DECIDED TO GET ADMITTED OR TIME THEY HIT THE DOOR TO THE TIME THAT THEY ARE DISCHARGED FROM THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT. SO THOSE WERE THE TIMES THAT I WAS REFERENCING.

AND THEN WE HAVE OTHER QUALITY METRICS FOR THOSE, UH, YOU KNOW, EMERGENT TIME DEPENDENT DIAGNOSES LIKE STROKE AND HEART ATTACK WHERE WE MEASURE THOSE IN MINUTES. WELL I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHEN YOU SIT THERE AND TELL THEM IT'S 665 MINUTES, WHICH IS 11 HOURS AND FOR SOMEBODY'S WAITING IN THE WAITING ROOM, AND I SEE SOME PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE RIGHT HERE SHAKING THEIR HEADS. YES AND I'VE HAD NUMEROUS PEOPLE FROM MY DISTRICT. TELL ME, YOU KNOW THAT'S THE WAITING ROOM. THEY GO. THEY GO TO OTHER HOSPITALS BECAUSE THEY CAN'T EVEN GET INTO THIS HOSPITAL. SO I'M GLAD YOU GOT THAT NEW BUILDING GOING. MAYBE THAT'S GOING TO HELP. UH REALIZE RELIEF, SOME OF THIS PRESSURE ON THE EMERGENCY ROOMS, BUT, UH, IT'S HARD TO CALL SOMETHING EMERGENCY ROOM WHEN YOU GOT TO SIT THERE FOR HALF A DAY BEFORE YOU GET ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL. SO THAT'S MY COMPLAINT. MR GUTHRIE? YES, SIR.

[01:15:01]

AND I WANT TO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR BEING HERE THIS EVENING, AND, UM I'M SURE IT WILL BE CALLING YOU AGAIN SOON. OKAY THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

SO NEXT, I WOULD LIKE TO CALL UP VISIT HARFORD FOR UPDATE, PLEASE.

WILL HOLD UP JUST A SECOND UNTIL THEY CLEAR THE BACK THERE. SO AGAIN. WELCOME THIS EVENING.

APPRECIATE YOU GUYS COMING, UM LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT BASANTI AND ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR KOLANOS TO PRESENT AND GIVE YOU AN UPDATE. WHAT'S GOING ON WITH VISIT HARFORD? I'M JALEN BE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF VISIT HARFORD. SITTING NEXT TO ME IS ERIC ROBERT. WHO IS OUR INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. AND STAFF MEMBERS. CATHERINE SHOALWATER RIGHT HERE. ENTIRE TYLER. IS IT SOFT? I DON'T GET THAT NAME, RIGHT? YEAH. UH WE ALSO HAVE A NUMBER OF BOARD MEMBERS WHO ARE PRESENT WITH US AS WELL. AND I LIKE TO SEE IF THEY COULD STAND FOR A MOMENT. SO PRETTY WELL REPRESENTED HERE. THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING. THEY'RE ALL VOLUNTEERS AND ACKNOWLEDGE AND THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE ON THE BOARD IS INVALUABLE. THEY HAVE REAL PASSION FOR THIS INDUSTRY AND HOW WE CAN HELP THE COMMUNITY TRULY APPRECIATE THEIR EFFORTS AND BE HAPPY. THE ORGANIZATION SO I'M GOING TO QUICKLY GO THROUGH SOME OF THE SLIDES. SOME OF THEM ARE REALLY FOCUS ON THEN WE ALSO HAVE A FEW GUEST SPEAKERS ALSO GOING TO KIND OF GIVE YOU THEIR PERSPECTIVE ABOUT TOURISM, HOW IT'S IMPACTED THEIR AREAS. SO THIS SLIDE HERE REALLY TALKS ABOUT OUR MISSION, AND THE MISSION IS JUST THAT PROMOTING PROMOTING HARFORD COUNTY AND TOURISM ENHANCING THE VISITORS EXPERIENCE AND THE VISION IS TO REALLY SHOWCASE AND SHOWCASE HARPER COUNTY AS A GO TO DESTINATION. NEXT. OKAY SO THIS CIRCLE WHAT THIS REALLY DOES. IT DESCRIBES OUR MARKETS AND WE PROMOTE HARVARD COUNTY AS REALLY A TRAVEL DESTINATION FOR TOURISM . HOW WE CAN ATTRACT PEOPLE. UM WHICH GENERATES AN INCREASE IN OVERSIGHT. OVERNIGHT EXCUSE ME OVERNIGHT VISITORS TRAIPSE VISITOR TRIPS, HOTEL STAYS AND THOSE VISITORS SPEND MONEY IN HARFORD COUNTY. TOURISM DOLLARS GO TO LOCAL BUSINESSES, SHOPS, RESTAURANTS, VENUES AND ATTRACTIONS. ALL THESE ALL THESE EFFORTS HELPED CREATE NEW JOBS. HOSPITALITY GENERATE ADDITIONAL TAX REVENUE SALES, WHICH GENERATES TO LOWER PROPERTY TAXES. IN MANY WAYS, WE'LL GO INTO SOME SPECIFICS ON THAT. SO WHAT DOES VISIT HARFORD DO FOR HARFORD COUNTY? UH, THERE ARE TIMES AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE DIDN'T WANT TO COME OUT AND CHAT. AND SHARE ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING. IS THAT WE DO GET THE QUESTION. WHAT DOES VISIT HARPER DO AND SOME CASES WE HAVE HEARD, UM UM, THAT THE FUNDING THAT YOU DO RECEIVE IS IT TOO LITTLE? IS IT TOO MUCH? BUT WE

[01:20:03]

$479 MILLION IN TOURISM SPENDING. $61 MILLION AND TOURISM TAX REVENUE AND 6500 JOBS ARE SUPPORTED BY TOURISM. THAT'S DESTINATIONS. THAT'S RESTAURANTS. THAT'S UH, SHOPS.

ANYTHING THAT SUPPORTS ANYBODY THAT COMES IN THIS IS A SPECIFIC , UM, EVENT VERY ONE SPECIFIC EVENT THAT WE WERE INVOLVED WITH , UM UPPER CHESAPEAKE BASEBALL FESTIVAL. AND IT TOOK PLACE IN APRIL AND ONE IN JUNE. 2 EVENTS THAT HAPPENED AND THESE WERE THE IMMEDIATE RESULTS, AND THIS IS SPECIFICALLY JUST REALLY HOTELS. THERE WE GO. SO FOR THAT THIS AGAIN THIS IS JUST FOR ONE OF THEM OR THE TWO EVENTS THAT TOOK PLACE JUST FOR THOSE SAMPLES. 452 ROOM NIGHTS WERE BOOKED.

THAT'S SIGNIFICANT FOR THESE. SO THAT WAS A VERY EXCITING TO SEE THAT AND YOU CAN SEE THE MIXED AMONGST ALL OF THE LOCATIONS AND HOTELS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY FROM EDGEWOOD UP TO ABERDEEN, BELCAMP IN BEL AIR. ONE THING I ALSO WANT TO MENTION IS COINCIDENTALLY VISIT HARVARD JUST AGREED TO PARTNER ON A NEW INITIATIVE TO BRING NC A WOMAN'S BIG 10 NATIONAL GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS TO BULLY ROCK NEXT SPRING. PRETTY COOL. AND THAT'S GOING TO RESULT IN UBER 800 ROOM NIGHTS FROM NOW FROM THOSE EVENTS TAKING PLACE, SO WE'RE VERY, VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.

MOVING ON TO THE DATA HIGHLIGHTS THIS IS TRYING TO GET THIS IS GOING TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND. UM THE THREE DESTINATIONS THAT MOSTLY COME TO HARVARD COUNTY IS ARE FROM WASHINGTON, D C. PHILADELPHIA AND NEW YORK CITY AS YOU SEE THERE, DOLLAR SIGNS NEXT NEW YORK CITY THEY'RE THE ONES WHO SPEND THE MOST. WE DO TRACK THAT. UM THE AVERAGE VISIT OR SPEND IS UP BY 4% UP TO $108. AND THE AGE GROUP IS 45 TO 54. WE TARGET THAT WE TARGET THAT IN PUBLICATIONS AND SOCIAL MEDIA AND SO ON. SO THAT'S A TARGET GROUP THAT WE'RE GOING AFTER, BECAUSE THEY DO SPEND THE MOST IN THIS COUNTY. AND THEN WHO TELLS THE REVENUE WAS UP 8% TO 68.5 MILLION FROM LAST YEAR AND THE AVERAGE DAILY RATE A D R IS UP BY 7% AT $102. AND THEN THE WEBSITE. THESE ARE THE MOST MOST TRAFFIC THAT HITS OUR WEBSITE RESTAURANT WEEK, SO RESTAURANT WEEK IS A HUGE SUCCESS. AND WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING TO HAVE MORE RESTAURANTS COME ON BOARD, AND WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF ACTIVITY WITH THAT, AND OF COURSE EVENTS AND THEN THINGS TO DO. SO I ENCOURAGE YOU IF YOU EVER HAVE ANYBODY WHO'S COMING IN FROM OUT OF TOWN. TRYING TO FIGURE OUT SOMETHING TO DO GO TO THE WEBSITE THAT'S GONNA GIVE YOU UP TO DATE INFORMATION WAS TAKING PLACE. OKAY THIS IS A VERY, VERY INTERESTING PIECE. THIS IS A DIGITAL MARKETING CAMPAIGN THAT TOOK PLACE BETWEEN JUNE AND SEPTEMBER. SO IT'S AN INVESTMENT OF $30,000 30,000 DOLLARS AND 2.4000 VISITORS TO THE SITE. EVENTUALLY WHAT THIS WAS. THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO WENT TO WE MARKETED TO FROM SOCIAL MEDIA. AND, UM, CAME HERE. THEY CAME HERE WERE ABLE TO TRACK THAT, OKAY, HOW WE'RE ABLE TO TRACK THAT BY CREDIT CARD CREDIT CARD DATA, AND WITH THE RESULT WAS WAS $187 IN PURCHASING POWER. WHAT THAT WAS WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT $30,000 AND THE END RESULT OF $448,000 SO 15 TO 1 RATIO. THAT'S AN INCREDIBLE INVESTMENT. SO THERE'S NOT TOO MANY PLACES SAY THEY CAN GET A RETURN ON INVESTMENT OF 15 TO 1. WE'LL CONTINUE TO EXPAND IN ADVANCE.

UH, WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH, UM UM EARNED MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES. THIS IS GRACED WITH FREE ADVERTISING. SO WE HAVE WRITERS AND REPORTERS AND SO ON WHO WANT TO PROMOTE HARFORD COUNTY. WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THEM MANY WAYS, ALSO SPORTS DESTINATION. THAT IS A VERY, VERY BIG MARKET, AND WE SEE CONTINUED GROWTH IN THAT, UM OBVIOUSLY THE COPPER MINE AND OTHER AREAS AS WELL AND

[01:25:01]

AH! AS YOU ALL KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE HAVEN'T PARKS AND TRAILS, MUSEUMS, FARMS, WINERIES, BREWERIES, UH, LOCAL BOUTIQUES FOR SHOPPING AND SOME OF THE BEST RESTAURANTS AROUND. UM WE CAN'T KEEP THIS JUST A LITTLE SECRET. UH LAST YEAR, AS AS JAY SAID 1.9 MILLION PEOPLE VISIT HARFORD COUNTY. IT IS WITHOUT A DOUBT THAT OUR LOCAL DEMO PLAYED A BIG ROLE IN MARKETING. YOU KNOW OUR COUNTIES WHO TO TOURISTS TO THOSE TOURISTS VISIT HARPER PROMOTES OUR COUNTY. IN KEY MARKETS THROUGHOUT THE REGION ABROAD. CAN'T BE STRESSED ENOUGH. SOMEONE HAS TO TELL OUR STORY. UM AND. MARKETING IS KEY, OF COURSE, GET VISITORS TO CHOOSE HARFORD CAGNEY FOR AGRITOURISM OR SPORTS. TOURISM. UM OR JUST TO CATCH A LOCAL EVENT IS, UH UM, YOU KNOW, BRINGS MORE MONEY TO THE COUNTY AND IN TURN MORE INVESTMENT AND JOBS. UH, VISIT, HARFORD HAS OUTSPENT BY EVERY DEMO IN OUR REGION, BUT STILL THEY COMPETE. STILL THEY HELP ATTRACT EVENTS WERE PROMOTE EVENTS IN OUR COUNTY. UM, SUCCESSFUL EVENTS SUCH AS THE ONCE THAT HAPPENED THIS YEAR, DIANE AMERICAN FESTIVAL THAT HOT AIR BALLOON FESTIVAL, THE OTHER JUST BASEBALL CLASSIC THAT REFER TO AS WELL THE NATIONAL EVENTS SUCH AS THE SPRING NATIONALS BOAT RACE THAT WAS HELD IN DISTRICT A MOTHER'S DAY. LAST MOTHER'S DAY. I ASK THAT EVERYONE YOU KNOW

[01:30:01]

THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU. THAT'S IT DONE. I DON'T THINK ANYONE QUESTIONS THE VALUE OF VISIT HARFORD AND HOW THEY HELP PROMOTE. AND, UM. LET PEOPLE KNOW ALL AROUND THE AREA. WHAT HARFORD COUNTY HAS TO OFFER WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A WEEKEND OR A SPECIAL EVENT, OR, UH, JUST A GREAT GETAWAY. SO UM WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO OPEN IT UP TO MY COLLEAGUES FOR ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS. MR BENNETT. HELLO AGAIN. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. UM IF I COULD JUST SPEAK TO RESTAURANT WEEK SPECIFICALLY FOR SECOND, UM, IT WAS PROBABLY. THREE OR 42 OR THREE YEARS AGO.

UH YOU WERE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO DO IN A JANUARY AND WE LOOKED AT RESTAURANT WEEK AND WE SAW THE VENETIAN ON THE LIST. AND YOU KNOW, WE'RE HAVING THE GRACE PEOPLE SO WE RARELY WE'VE ART ORBIT, BUT WE DECIDED TO GO TO THE VENETIAN AND LOVED IT DESSERT PLATE THAT THEY BRING AROUND AT THE END OF THE MEAL IS THE MOST TEMPTING THING. YOU KNOW THAT THAT IS CRUEL. THE BRING LIKE BUT THE FOOD WAS INCREDIBLE. AND WE REALIZED EDGEWOOD IS REALLY A RESTAURANT HUB. THERE'S A LOT OF GREAT EATERIES IN EDGEWOOD, AND WE WOULD HAVE NEVER TRIED MANY OF THOSE PLACES. IF IT WASN'T FOR VISIT HARFORD, IT WASN'T FOR A RESTAURANT WEEK. UM YOU KNOW, SO THAT WAS A REAL JOY FOR US, AND THAT'S BECOME SOMEWHERE WE GO FREQUENTLY, NOT AS FREQUENTLY AS DELEGATE JOHNSON AND HIS WIFE, WHO I KNOW LOVE IT DEARLY, BUT, UM, SO YOU KNOW, THAT IS A REAL TREAT. I REALLY APPRECIATE RESTAURANT WEEK BECAUSE THAT'S AN EVEN AS A LOCAL. IT'S A CHANCE TO BRANCH OUT AND TO TRY NEW MENUS AND TRY RESTAURANT AND YOU HAVEN'T BEEN TO BEFORE. SO YOU KNOW, I REALLY ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT . UM BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, I JUST APPRECIATE YOUR CREATIVITY. YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SUPPORT SO MUCH OF WHAT GOES ON IN HARFORD

[01:35:02]

YOU KNOW, IT ALLOWS FOR A NEW RESTAURANT OR NEW TOURIST OPPORTUNITY, A NEW EVENT. TO HAVE A VOICE AND TO BE SEEN AND INTO BE REACHED OUT ACROSS THE REGION, SO I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR WORK AND I VALUE YOUR WORK. I KNOW WE'VE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT THIS FUNDING LOOK LIKE ACROSS THE STATE. UM AND I JUST WANTED TO ENCOURAGE YOU ONCE AGAIN IF YOU SEE MODELS THAT WORK IN OTHER COUNTIES TO SEND THOSE TO US THAT WE CAN LOOK AT THAT. UM THAT'S ALWAYS VERY HELPFUL TO US BY ALWAYS APPRECIATE YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SPEAK AND THE AND THE HAVE MEETINGS. SO THANK YOU. THANKS VERY MUCH. COUNSELOR BENNETT IF I COULD RESTAURANT WEEK WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THAT. I BELIEVE IN 4646 RESTAURANTS. I THINK WE CAN AGREE. THERE ARE MORE THAN 46 RESTAURANTS IN HARFORD COUNTY. SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE EVERY RESTAURANT YOU MAY KNOW OUT THERE TO PARTICIPATE. YOU KNOW, THE MORE THE MERRIER AND THE MORE IT CAN REALLY INCREASE THE PROGRAM JUST AS WHAT YOU IMAGINED, BUT ROY'S LOOKING TO INCREASE IT. THANK YOU. IT'S FREE WEDNESDAY RESTAURANT WEEK. SADLY JANUARY I'M SORRY, JANUARY. TO YOUR POINT TO COUNSELOR BENNETT, WE HAVE AN IDEA. NO. J MENTIONED THIS, UH, THE VARIOUS TRAILS ON THE DIGITAL PASSPORT THAT WE HAVE ON THE WEBSITE THERE ARE OVER 60 BUSINESSES THAT ARE KIND OF CORE BUSINESSES THAT ARE PART OF THAT THAT PACKAGE. IT ACTUALLY GOES HIGHER THAN THAT, BECAUSE IT'S SEASONAL. IN THE SUMMERTIME. WE HAVE A SCREEN PLACES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT THAT IS REALLY A GOOD PLACE TO GO TO IF YOU WANT TO EXPLORE HARFORD LOCALLY. AND SEE DIFFERENT THINGS, AND IT DOES HELP. TO SUPPORT THE LOCAL BUSINESSES. THE MOM AND POPS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. UH AND COMING SOON WE'RE GOING TO INTRODUCE A NEW ONE CALLED THE SMALL BUSINESS TRAIL, WHICH WILL COINCIDE AS PART OF OUR SHOP LOCAL PROGRAM THAT'S COMING UP THIS YEAR. SO OTHER BUSINESSES BESIDES THOSE JUST ON THE TRAIL, LIKE THE LIBATION TRAIL OR THE ICE CREAM TRAIL WILL BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT, SO WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO EXPANDING THAT THERE. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE, MR PAEMEN? I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. I KNOW WE'VE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS J. THANK YOU FOR YOU AND YOUR TEAM LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORT A NEW AND ADVOCATING IN THE FUTURE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MR GUTHRIE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING ALL MY YEARS HERE, UM, SUPPORTED, UH, SPORT, YOUR ORGANIZATION THINK THEY DO A GREAT JOB. AND UH AH, I DON'T. I DON'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING THAT MIGHT CHANGE THE FINANCING THAT THAT YOU'RE GOING, YOU'RE GOING TO GET FROM NOW ON IN THE FUTURE. UM I DIDN'T NOTICE THAT IN THE 2022 THE COUNTY TOOK IN 3,263,900. IN 2023 ANTICIPATE 3,553,009. ALMOST $300,000 INCREASE. WE'RE LOOKING AT A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE WHEN COPPER MINE GETS FULLY GOING. UM BECAUSE I'VE HAD NUMEROUS MEETINGS WITH ALEX. UM WHO IS THE CEO OF COMPROMISING AND HIS ESTIMATES NOT MINE BECAUSE HE'S THE PROFESSIONAL IN THAT AREA.

HE ESTIMATES THAT WHEN THEY'RE STARTING TO GO, THEY'RE STARTING TO GET SOME STUFF. UH SPORTS GOING RIGHT NOW, BUT THEY EXPECTED TO GET FULL BOARD AROUND MARCH. AND THEY GET GOING FULL BORE. THEY'RE EXPECTING 12,000 PEOPLE ON ANY GIVEN WEEKEND WHEN THEY GET FULL BORE, AND THEY EXPECT THAT MOST OF THEM THEY COME. THEY'RE ALL SPORTS, OF COURSE, AND THEY EXPECT THURSDAY FRIDAY, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY IS WHEN THEY USUALLY COME. THEY STAY THERE.

CONSEQUENTLY THE NINE HOTELS IN MY DISTRICT, YOU KNOW WE'RE GOING TO BE OVERWHELMED AND THEY'RE GOING TO SPREAD OUT AND PROBABLY GOING TO BE SOME MORE BUILDING IN THE AREA, AND IT'S GOING TO INCREASE THE HOTEL TAX. UM EVEN IF WE ARE SUCCESSFUL AND BEING ABLE TO SPEND $330,000 IN DISTRICT A ON TOURISM. UM POINT BLANK. IF YOU READ MY BILLETS ON TOURS, IT HAS TO BE CAN BE NO CAPITAL PROJECTS. THAT'S BEEN TOURISM. UM THAT'S A THAT'S ALMOST EXACTLY THE AMOUNT OF, UM UH, OF HOW MUCH THE HOTEL TAX INCREASED FROM 2022 TO 2023. SO CONSEQUENTLY IF YOU KEEP 330,000 INTO THIS TREE GATE, THE REST IS ALL GOING NORTHWARDS. WHAT'S WHERE IT'S GOING FOR LAST EIGHT YEARS, I MIGHT ADD 5.5 MILLION AND NONE OF THAT GOT SPENT IN DISTRICT A. UM BUT I THINK IT'S GOING TO WORK FOR EVERYBODY BECAUSE OF THE INCREASED REVENUE AND I'LL TELL YOU WHAT YOU REALLY NEED TO DO. YOU WANNA YOU WANNA GET YOURSELF UP? UH, REALLY SHOCKED. AND I HAVE DONE

[01:40:04]

GOES TO TOURISM. 92% GOES INTO THE GENERAL FUND. AND YOU LOOK AT ALL THE REST OF THE COUNTY'S YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THE SAME THING. YOU'RE GOING TO SEE ALMOST EVERY SINGLE COUNTY TAKES MONEY. ADDED HOTEL TO NOW HOW TO DO IT. OKAY, BECAUSE TO ME THAT AIN'T RIGHT. TO ME. THAT BILL WAS DONE IN ANNAPOLIS, AND IT WAS SENT AND THAT MONEY IS SUPPOSED TO BE SPENT ON TOURISM.

YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHY I WANT ME AND PAT SAT DOWN. TALKED ABOUT THIS. AND LOOK, YOU KNOW WHAT TO MAKE SURE THAT IF THERE IS A BILL THAT IT SAYS YOU CAN'T SPEND ANY MONEY ON CAPITAL PROJECTS BECAUSE IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE TOURISM, SO I DON'T KNOW HOW ALL THESE OTHER COUNTIES GET AWAY WITH TAKING THIS MONEY AND PUTTING IT IN THE GENERAL FUND. BUT THEY DO, UH, DO THE RESEARCH OR GUIDED. YOU'LL SEE YOU SINCE YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I'M I'M TALKING ABOUT, BUT AND I FULLY SUPPORT YOUR ORGANIZATION TICKETS GREAT. AND I THINK THAT UM, IF WE SPEND SOME SOME OF THIS MONEY AND IN THE DISTRICT WHERE IT'S RAISED, AT LEAST HALF OF IT, I THINK EVERYBODY'S GOING TO HAPPY AND THEY'RE STILL GOING TO BE PLAYING MONEY. GO NORTH. AH AS IT HAS FOR THE LAST EIGHT YEARS, AND I DON'T THINK ANYBODY IS GOING TO BE BE SHORT CHANGED, PARTICULARLY WITH THE INCREASE IN REVENUES OF ABOUT 330,000 AND I EXPECT WHEN COPPER MINE GETS FULL BOARD, I THINK ARE 3.5 MILLION. IT'S GONNA RAISE THE 4 MILLION EVERYONE IS GOING TO BE EVERYBODY'S GONNA BE HAPPY.

THANK YOU, MR PRESIDENT. THANK YOU, MR GUTHRIE. UM IT WAS KIND OF HOPING THAT SCALES WOULD BE HERE THIS EVENING. BUT I DON'T SEE HIM IN THE AUDIENCE, AND WE JUST WANTED TO TAKE A MINUTE TO RECOGNIZE HIM AND THANK HIM FOR HIS SERVICE AND VISIT HARVARD. AND IF I MAY, MR JANITOR, THEN IT WOULD YOU READ WHAT WE HAVE? BEING HEREBY KNOWN THAT THE COUNTY COUNCIL OF HARFORD COUNTY, MARYLAND, ON THIS 14TH DAY OF NOVEMBER, 2023 RECOGNIZES MATTHEWS SCALES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR VISIT HARTFORD FOR A SERVICE AND LEADERSHIP OF THE VISIT HARVARD ORGANIZATION AND PROMOTING TOURISM THROUGHOUT HARFORD COUNTY. WE WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK ON YOUR FUTURE ENDEAVORS. SO IF I MAY, I'D LIKE TO HAND YOU THIS. CAN YOU SEE THAT? HE GETS US, OF COURSE.

I'M SORRY. APPRECIATE APPRECIATE. PERSON. YEAH. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. APPRECIATE IT. AND I'M SURE WE'LL BE TALKING MORE IN THE FUTURE.

[7. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]

[11. CALL FOR FINAL READING OF BILLS]

[01:45:06]

[12. ENROLLMENT OF BILLS]

[14. NEW BUSINESS]

YEAH SO THESE WERE TWO RESOLUTIONS ABOUT ADDING, UM, TWO PROPERTIES TO THE ENTERPRISE ZONE TO RECEIVE ENTERPRISE ZONE TAX CREDITS. UM AND UNFORTUNATELY, THE PROCESS WRITTEN OUT IN OUR COUNTY CODE HAD NOT BEEN FOLLOWED THROUGH THAT, UM I HAD A CONSTITUENT REACH OUT AND SHARE THAT WITH ME. IT'S SECTION 1 23-43. SECTION OR SUB HEADING D OF THAT THAT, SAYS A COMMITTEE COMPOSED OF THE DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. THE TREASURE IN THE COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBER WHO REPRESENTS THE COUNCIL DISTRICT IN WHICH THE MAJORITY OF THE PROPERTIES IN THE ENTERPRISE ZONE ARE LOCATED, SHALL REVIEW THE APPLICATION AND DETERMINE WHETHER THE PROPERTY QUALIFIES FOR THE TAX CREDIT IF THE COMMITTEE FINDS THAT THE PROPERTY QUALIFIES FOR THE TAX CREDIT AND SO FORWARD ITS FINDINGS TO THE COUNTY COUNCIL, WHICH BY RESOLUTION SHALL APPROVE THE OWNERS APPLICATION IF IT FINDS THAT THE PROPERTY QUALIFIES FOR THE CREDIT. UM YOU KNOW, ONE OF THOSE PROPERTIES FALLS IN DISTRICT F AND THERE HAD BEEN, UH, NO COMMITTEE FORMED. NO MEETING AMONGST THOSE PEOPLE. UM AND THAT REALLY NEEDS TO TAKE PLACE BEFORE RESOLUTION CAN BE MOVED FORWARD. SO WITH THAT IN MIND, WE MADE A REQUEST TO THE EXECUTIVE'S OFFICE TO, UM , HOLD BACK THAT RESOLUTION. AND THEN ONCE THE COMMITTEE MEETS, AND WE'RE WE MET TODAY, AND WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF VOTING VIA EMAIL. UM ONCE THAT ALL GETS FINALIZED. IF THE COMMITTEE FINDS THAT THE YOU KNOW THE PROPERTY IS FIT, THEN THEY WILL FORWARD THAT TO THE COUNTY COUNCIL VIA RESOLUTION, AND THAT COULD BE REINTRODUCED THE NEXT MEETING AND STILL BE VOTED ON BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR. BUT WE JUST WANTED TO REALLY MAKE SURE THAT THAT PART OF THE CODE IS FOLLOWED. UM SO THAT WE'RE NOT TAKING ANY ACCIDENT OR SHORTCUTS IN, UH, YOU KNOW, HANDLING EVERYTHING PROPERLY. UM AND I AM GOING TO BE FOLLOWING UP TO FIND JUST PAST MINUTES OR RECORDS OF PREVIOUS COMMITTEE MEETINGS FOR PREVIOUS AREAS ADD TO THE ENTERPRISE ZONE JUST TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING'S BEEN FOLLOWED. UM YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF CONCERN AND CONTENTION AROUND ENTERPRISE OWN, UM, AMONGST CONSTITUENTS. WE'VE ALL HEARD IT. WE'VE ALL GOTTEN THE EMAILS. WE'VE ALL HEARD THE PUBLIC SPEAKERS. UM YOU KNOW, LOT OF THAT FALLS IN DISTRICT DEATH. UM AND SO JUST DOING MY DUE DILIGENCE TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING HAS BEEN FOLLOWED PROPERLY AND WILL BE FOLLOWED PROPERLY MOVING FORWARD. I REALLY APPRECIATED. UM, YOU KNOW , MR RICHARDSON, ESPECIALLY BUT EVERYBODY FROM THE EXECUTIVE'S OFFICE WHO IS RESPONSIVE TO THAT NEED IN THE PAST WEEK. AND I'M CONFIDENT IN THE FUTURE. IT WILL ALL MOVE FORWARD SMOOTHER. AND UM, MAYBE LESS FRANTIC THAN TODAY. BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU, MR BENNETT. MR GUTHRIE. YEAH I WAS IN THAT FRANTIC MEETING BECAUSE THE OTHER PROPERTY ISN'T DESTROYED. A UH SO IT WAS INTERESTING, EVEN THOUGH IT'S MY 13TH YEAR THAT THAT WAS ONE MORE INTERESTING MEETINGS. I THINK I'VE SAID IN BEING NICE, RIGHT BEING NICE. UM AND, UH, MAN HAD TO DO WITH COMPROMISE AND THE PROPERTY THERE AND, UH, WE GOT EVERYTHING WORKED OUT. JUST TOOK A LITTLE TIME AND TOOK A LITTLE. UH EVERYBODY GET THEIR HEADS TOGETHER, AND WE GOT IT DONE. AND, UH, I VOTED TODAY AND I VOTED. YES. SO I THINK IT'S MOVING FORWARD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR GUTHRIE. SO WE MAY SEE SOMETHING NEXT WEEK FOR

[17. COMMENTS AND INPUT FROM ATTENDING CITIZENS]

[01:50:03]

FIRST A FEW COMMENTS FROM LAST WEEK'S COUNCIL MEETING THE COMMENT THAT THIS COUNCIL WAS SHOCKED BY THE HICKORY APARTMENTS GAVE ME PAUSE, BEEN WATCHING LEGISLATION FOR OVER 10 YEARS. AND I'VE WITNESSED ZONING CODE CHANGES INTRODUCED AND APPROVED BY PREVIOUS COUNCILS THAT HAVE CREATED LOOPHOLES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY. ADDITIONALLY ONE KEY PIECE TO INTENSE RESIDENTIAL AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT IS THE DEVELOPMENT ENVELOPE WITHOUT PUBLIC WATER AND SEWER APARTMENTS AND MIXED USE OR NOT AN OPTION. I'M NOT SURE WHEN THE HICKORY PARCEL WAS ADDED TO THE DEVELOPMENT ENVELOPE, BUT I KNOW THE FALSE AND EXPANSION HAPPENED DURING THE 2016 MASTER LAND USE PROCESS JUST SEVEN SHORT YEARS AGO, OUR COMMUNITY FOUGHT HARD TO STOP THIS SPECIFIC EXPANSION THAT ONE KEY CHANGE OPENED THE DOOR TO AN UP ZONING. DURING THE 2017 COMPREHENSIVE ZONING REVIEW AND JUST LIKE THAT, 50 PLUS ACRES OF CHEAP AGRICULTURAL ZONE LAND BECAME HIGHLY PROFITABLE ARE TWO AND B THREE ZONED LAND A BIG WIN FOR THE OWNERS OF THESE PROPERTIES. OFTEN. LAND USE DECISIONS AND LEGISLATION BROUGHT FORTH FOR THAT REASON TO BENEFIT A SINGLE DEVELOPER. CITIZENS TRY TO STAY VIGILANT, BUT AS MR GUTHRIE MENTIONED, IT'S NOT ALWAYS EASY. ONE WORD OR ONE SENTENCE IN A SEA OF PAPERS ARE DIFFICULT TO TRACK. I WANT TO THANK MR GUTHRIE FOR HIS PAST AND PRESENT EFFORTS TO REDUCE SCHOOL CAPACITY BUILDING MORATORIUM FOR THE A P F L. OUR COMMUNITY IS ANXIOUSLY AWAITING A NEW BILL TO REDUCE THIS TRIGGER FROM 110 TO 100% AS WE LIKE TO SAY FULL IS FULL, MR G AND MR RILEY. I WANT TO THANK YOU BOTH FOR STANDING BY EFFORT TO CORRECT THE WRONGS OF PREVIOUS COUNCILS. I HAVE HIGH HOPES FOR YOU BOTH. MR BENNETT. I'M NOT SURE IF YOU KNOW THIS, BUT YOU WERE THE ROCK STAR OF THE NOVEMBER 7TH MEETING. I MONITOR SOCIAL MEDIA, AND THERE WERE MULTIPLE COMMENTS ABOUT HOW YOU ARE TRULY COMMITTED TO REPRESENTING THE CITIZENS OF YOUR DISTRICT. AND THIS ENTIRE COUNTY. THANK YOU. MR VINCENTI, THANK YOU FOR MAINTAINING A CIVIL ENVIRONMENT FOR THIS LEGISLATIVE PROCESS. I RECOGNIZED THE CHALLENGE OF KEEPING EVERYONE ON TRACK AND YOUR EFFORTS ARE APPRECIATED. MR PEMON AND MISS SADDLES. I WAS SURPRISED BY YOUR FAVORABLE VOTE ON BILL 2327. MANY OF US WERE I'M NOT SURE WHAT INFLUENCED YOU , BUT I'M WILLING TO TALK FURTHER ABOUT HOW POSITIVE COMMON SENSE LEGISLATION WILL GO A LONG WAY TO MAKING HARPER COUNTY THE BEST IT CAN BE. ON THAT NOTE. PLEASE KNOW THAT PFOSTEN IS WATCHING AND WE STAND READY. TO WORK WITH ALL PARTIES TO BENEFIT OUR BEAUTIFUL COUNTY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MA'AM.

GOOD EVENING, SIR. NAME AND ADDRESS. PLEASE SIR. GOOD EVENING TO YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES. JOHN PEMA LHAMO 24 02 EAGLE VIEW DRIVE BELLER, MARYLAND TO 1015. NOW REVIEWING THE SITUATION IN PERSONNEL, HARFORD COUNTY COUNCIL AND GOVERNMENT, I WONDER. DID ANY OF THE CITY MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL UNDERSTAND BILL 2013 4 WHEN THEY VOTED FOR IT? DID ANY OF THEM CONSULT ANY OF THE FAA ADVISORY CIRCULARS OR OTHER DOCUMENTS ON DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION OF AIRPORTS? RELEVANT SECTIONS OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REAL LIFE BEDROLL REGULATIONS, THE ANNOTATED CODE OF MARYLAND? OR THE COMB OUR BILL 13 4. THE HEARING EXAMINERS RECOMMENDED DECISION, MR GUTHRIE. YOU WERE ON THAT COUNCIL. WHAT? INFORMED YOUR VOTE. COUNCIL PRESIDENT VINCENTE YOU AGREED TO RESOLVE THE ISSUES I PRESENTED. YOU HAVE NOT HIM. BEBE HAVE BEEN QUITE SILENT ON THE MATTER WHAT SCHOOL OF LEADERSHIP DOES THAT COME FROM THE REST OF THE COUNCIL.

THIS IS ALL ABOUT GOVERNMENT AND GOVERNANCE. THIS IS ABOUT YOU. WILL YOU FORMULATE TOUGH QUESTIONS? GET ANSWERS STAND ON PRINCIPLE REPRESENT RESIDENTS OF HARTFORD COUNTY BE THE CHANGE.

OR JUST GO ALONG TO GET ALONG. AND THEN THERE'S A COUNTY ADMINISTRATION, A COUNTY

[01:55:02]

PLANNING OR GOOD GOVERNMENT, FOR THAT MATTER. HOPEFULLY THEY CAN FIND THEIR WAY THAT PRETTY MUCH SUMMARIZES GOVERNMENT GOVERNANCE , LAND USE AND ZONING IN HARFORD COUNTY. I WOULD SUBMIT THAT A SWAMP IS NOT NECESSARILY DEFINED BY ITS GEOGRAPHIC FEATURES. SOMETIMES IT'S DEFINED BY THE PEOPLE IN IT. GOOD NIGHT. CAROLINE ZENNER, FOLLOWED BY BERT DIXON. CAROLYN LEFT. GOOD EVENING, SIR. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE. GOOD EVENING, BIRD DIXON 1005 STRONG CO DRIVE. FALLSTON, MARYLAND. THANK YOU, PRESIDENT VINCENTI AND THANKS TO EACH OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR LISTENING TO WHAT I HAVE TO SAY. I'M ESPECIALLY APPRECIATIVE TO EACH ONE OF YOU FOR THE VOTES ON THE THREE BILLS LAST WEEK. AT THE COUNCIL MEETING AND ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE WERE STRONG OPINIONS ON THE NUMBER OF THE BILLS. WITH REGARD TO 23-28 TO PROVIDE FOR TERM LIMITS FOR COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERS. I STAND BEFORE YOU TO PROPOSE THE NEXT STEP. MY PROPOSAL, WHILE PERHAPS MORE DIFFICULT TO IMPLEMENT IN 23 DACHAU, 28 INSTILLS GREATER POLITICAL POWER WITH THE PEOPLE FOR WHOM COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES ARE INTENDED TO REPRESENT. I ENCOURAGE THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO CRAFT A BILL THAT INTRODUCES A CHARTER AMENDMENT FOR A PROCESS BY WHICH CITIZENS MAY REMOVE ELECTED OFFICIALS FROM THEIR POSITIONS. BEFORE THE END OF THEIR ELECTED TERM THROUGH A RECALL PROCESS. 39 STATES, INCLUDING MARYLAND, ALLOW FOR A RECALL OF ELECTED OFFICIALS AT SOME LEVEL OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT. SEVERAL MUNICIPALITIES WITHIN MARYLAND CURRENTLY HAVE A RECALL PROCESS. WHILE THERE IS NO STATEWIDE RECALL IN MARYLAND, SUCH A BILL WAS INTRODUCED IN THE MARYLAND HOUSE UNDER HOUSE BILL 313 IN THE MARYLAND GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN JANUARY OF 2022. SO EXISTING MUNICIPAL PROVISION WITHIN MARYLAND AND THE INTRODUCTION OF ABILITY TO STATE LEVEL DEMONSTRATES BOTH THE PRECEDENT AND PUBLIC INTEREST OR RECALL PROVISION. WITHIN THE STATE OF MARYLAND. FROM 2014 TO 2022. THERE WERE ONLY FIVE ATTEMPTS AT RECALL ONLY ONE OF WHICH ULTIMATELY WENT TO BALLOT, AND IN THAT ONE CASE, THE RECALL RESULTED IN THE REMOVAL OF THE ELECTED OFFICIAL. THIS PROVIDES EVIDENCE THAT THE RECALL PROCESS IS NOT A FREE FOR ALL BUT IS INSTEAD USED INFREQUENTLY AND JUDICIOUSLY, RESULTING IN THE REMOVAL ONLY IN THE MOST AGREE GIS CIRCUMSTANCES IN THESE RARE CASES WAITING FOR THE NEXT ELECTION CYCLE FOR THE TERM OF AN OFFICIAL TO EXPIRE IS NOT AN ADEQUATE OPTION AS IRREVERSIBLE DAMAGE CAN BE WROUGHT DURING A FOUR YEAR TERM. I MUST EMPHASIZE THAT THE MAJORITY OF OUR HARFORD COUNTY ELECTED OFFICIALS HAVE SERVED AND CONTINUE TO SERVE WITH INTEGRITY AND WITH THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE CITIZENS OF HARFORD COUNTY. WHILE ALSO WORKING TO MAINTAIN A HEALTHY ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT AND PRESERVE OUR VALUED QUALITY OF LIFE TO ALL OF THESE IMPLEMENTATION OF MY PROPOSAL WOULD HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IMPACT. SO AS WE CELEBRATE THE 250TH YEARS SINCE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF HARFORD COUNTY, THERE WAS ANOTHER IMPORTANT ANNIVERSARY. IT IS ALSO BEEN 250 YEARS SINCE THE BOSTON TEA PARTY WHERE IN THE PATRIOTS SHOWED THEIR DISPLEASURE OF LEGISLATION IMPOSED UP THEN UPON THEM. BY JETTISON TEA INTO THE BOSTON HARBOR. IT IS ONLY FIT THAT THE CITIZENS OF HARFORD COUNTY SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT AND BE PROVIDED WITH LEGISLATIVE MECHANISMS BY WHICH TO REMOVE OFFICIALS THAT DO NOT PERFORM THEIR SWORN DUTIES, ADDING A RECALL PROCESS TO THE HARFORD COUNTY CHARTER WOULD FURTHER ENSURE THAT OUR COUNTY GOVERNMENT IS IN SERVICE OF THE PEOPLE BY THE PEOPLE AND, MOST IMPORTANTLY, FOR THE PEOPLE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, SIR. THERE ARE NUMEROUS SPEAKERS , MR PRESIDENT. VERY GOOD AGENDA

[16. BUSINESS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS ]

[02:00:04]

THERE USED TO HAVE BRUNO'S THERE , TOO, WHICH WAS RECENTLY I WAS HAPPY BECAUSE I HEARD SOMEBODY BOUGHT IT. THAT WAS A GOOD NEWS TODAY NEWS. THEY'RE GOING TO TURN INTO AN OFFICE, SO I THOUGHT FOR SURE THEY WOULD TURN INTO A MAYBE THEY DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT COPPER MINE COMING BECAUSE IT'S YOU KNOW, A RESTAURANT THERE BE A SMALL GOLD MINE. UM UH, JUST RECENTLY WE HAD THE FALL FESTIVAL AT THE AT IN JOPPATOWNE AT THE COUPLE OF PARISH, WHICH IS THE CHURCH. THE CHURCH HAS BEEN THERE FOR AROUND 10 YEARS, AND THEY THEY, UH THEY GO BACK INTO THE COLONIAL DAYS AND THEY PEOPLE DRESS ALL UP AND SPEND THE WHOLE DAY THERE JUST A LITTLE BIT CHILLY THAT DAY, BUT PROBABLY KEPT THE CROWD CROWD DOWN. BUT CAN'T EXECUTIVE CAME AND PUSHED EVERYBODY THE BEST.

AND THEY HAVE A THEY HAVE ESPECIALLY DAY FOR ENJOYING A VARIETY OF FOODS, DRINKS AND PETTING ZOO. PONY RIDES, GAMES, FACE PAINTING STORAGE EXHIBITS FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY. UM IT KOBE PARISHES IS HONORED TO OPEN ITS DOORS AND GROUNDS TO SHARE. UH SUCH HISTORY FOR HISTORY FOR YOU. I KNOW, FELLAS JUST GOTTA BURN SPOKE ABOUT THE 250 YEARS. GUESS WHAT JOPPATOWNE'S 320 YEARS. THERE ARE 320 YEARS AND IF YOU GO DOWN THERE IS A LOT OF HISTORIC STUFF AND DROP IT DOWN.

PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT ONE OF THE BIGGEST, YOU KNOW, IT IS THE HOUSE THAT WAS BUILT THERE ON THE RIGHT TO LAST. THE LAST BUILDING. UM, THAT, UH, LEFT FROM THE COLONIAL DAYS. AND IT WAS, UH IT WAS BUILT THERE AND WAS BUILT THERE BY BY BRICKS AND STONES AND EVERYTHING THAT CAME FROM EUROPE. THEY BELIEVE OR NOT. IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE WHEN YOU GO DOWN AND YOU LOOK AT THE CANALS AND ALL YOU THINK TALL SHIPS COME UP, THERE'S CANALS. I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY GOT IN THE RAILROAD BRIDGE. BUT THERE'S ANOTHER, UH, AH AND, UH I WAS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE ALL THAT BREAKING ON BUILT THAT HOUSE. AND THAT'S WHERE COLONEL RAMSEY BECAUSE IT'S CALLED. IT'S CALLED RUMSEY. OH, AND BENJAMIN RUMSEY, UH, LIVED IN THAT HOUSE AND BASICALLY RAN THE WARS HAD HE WAS A BIG OFFICIAL WHEN HE RAN A LOT OF THE AWARDS THEY HAD GOING ON RIGHT OUT OF THE PROPERTY, SO A LOT OF HISTORY DOWN THERE, UH, HERE IN THE AREA . TAKE A LOOK. THANK YOU, MR PRESIDENT. THANK YOU, MR GUTHRIE . MR PENMAN. MR PRESIDENT, I ATTENDED THE CHARLIE RILEY COMMUNITY SERVICE SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION ON NOVEMBER 8TH AND I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE WINNER AND THEY REALLY HAD TWO AWARDS. UM ONE GRADUATING HARFORD COUNTY SENIORS WHO DEMONSTRATE LEADERSHIP COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY THROUGH ACTIVITIES AND COMMUNITY SERVICE. SO ONE FROM EACH HIGH SCHOOL AND THE SECOND FIRE AND AMBULANCE SERVICE PERSONNEL WANTED TO EXPAND THEIR KNOWLEDGE THROUGH EDUCATION. THEY HAD ONE FROM EACH FIRE COMPANY. AND REMARKABLY, THE SAME YOUNG LADY WON BOTH AWARDS. UM KAYLIE NORDSTROM. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO KEIGHLEY ON ON THE AWARDS AND HER ACCOMPLISHMENTS, SO THAT'S ALL HAPPENS, PRESIDENT. THANK YOU, MR CHAIRMAN, MR. DANIEL DENNETT. THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT. UM ON MONDAY, I ATTENDED THE GRAND OPENING OF LIFE MED. UM THIS IS PROBABLY I THINK THEIR FOURTH LOCATION IT'S LOCATED UNDERNEATH COPPER MINE, UM, BY THE CLUB IN BEL AIR, THEY BUILT OUT PROBABLY A 5000 SQUARE FOOT FACILITY AND ALL KIND OF, UM, SERVICES THEY OFFER. SO IF YOU HAVE HEARD ABOUT THEM BEFORE IN TIMONIUM, AND YOU WANT TO CHECK THEM OUT, THEY ARE OPEN IN BEL AIR. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO VINNIE MAGLIANO ON THE ON THE AND ERIC WRITTEN MEYER ON THE GRAND OPENING OF THEIR FOR SORRY . I THINK THEY'RE GOING TO DO A GRAND OPENING RIBBON CUTTING DOWN THE ROAD. SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT. THANK YOU. MR JADRIYAH. MR RILEY? YES WENT TO THE DISCOVERY CENTER RIBBON CUTTING ON FRIDAY. IF YOU HAVEN'T GOT THERE, I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU GO DOWN AND SEE AND DISCOVERY CENTER. IN BELCAMP. THANK YOU, MR PRESIDENT . THANK YOU, MR ALI. MASADA. EVERYONE UM, JUST WANTED TO TALK ABOUT A FEW THINGS THAT ARE COMING UP WITH THE HOLIDAYS UPON US. HARTFORD COUNTY IS ACCEPTING DONATIONS FOR THEIR THANKSGIVING FOOD DRIVE UNTIL THIS FRIDAY. UM THERE'S MORE INFORMATION ON THE WEBSITE AND THERE IS A CLOTHING

[02:05:06]

UH ELECTIONS. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE MAYOR MCGRADY RETURNING IN ABERDEEN. UM ALONG WITH ADAM.

HI, UM AND TUNDRA ORIGINALLY WHO WERE RE ELECTED, AND THEN YOU KNOW TIMOTHY LINDA CAMP AND BILL MONTGOMERY, WHO WERE ELECTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND THEN IN BEL AIR. THERE WERE THREE NEW MEMBERS TO THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS. UM SO CONGRATULATIONS TO THEM. WE ALL KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO BE ELECTED. UM AND YOU KNOW THESE WERE ALL CONTESTED RACES, WHICH IS ALWAYS EXCITING IN THESE SMALL RACES. SOMETIMES THREE PEOPLE RUN FOR THREE SEATS. AND YOU KNOW IT'S NOT DEMOCRACY, SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE LOTS OF PEOPLE RUN LOTS OF VOICES.

LOTS OF OPTIONS, SO THAT WAS EXCITING. AND YOU KNOW CONGRATULATIONS TO THEM. IT'S BEEN A VERY BUSY WEEK I ATTENDED IN THE VETERAN'S DAY PARADE INHABITED GRACE, WHICH IS A PROUD TOWN TRADITION. UM I ALSO ATTENDED A COMMUNITY CONVERSATION AND EDGEWOOD THAT WAS FOCUSED ON JUST SOME RECENT GUN VIOLENCE HAS TAKEN PLACE IN HARFORD COUNTY. AND JUST, UM WHAT? WHAT THE COMMUNITY CAN DO TO ADDRESS THAT. UM UH, THAT WAS A REALLY RICH CONVERSATION, AN IMPORTANT CONVERSATION. I WAS GLAD TO BE THERE FOR THAT, UM, ALSO ATTENDED HARFORD COUNTY CLIMATE ACTIONS ANNUAL MEETING AT THE ESTUARY CENTER. UM YOU KNOW, I REPRESENT THE MAJORITY OF THE WATERFRONT IN HARFORD COUNTY FROM HAVING TO GRACE THROUGH AT ADDINGTON. AND SO YOU KNOW, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME PROTECTING OUR WATER PROTECTING OUR WATERFRONT COMMUNITIES. UM AND SO I WAS THANKFUL TO BE INVITED TO THAT AND TO ATTEND THAT, AND THEN I ALSO JUST WANT TO, UH, LIKE OTHERS HAD SAID, CONGRATULATE THOSE FROM THE CHARLIE RILEY SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS. UM MY WIFE ATTENDED ON MY BEHALF THAT NIGHT. UM AND, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST GREAT TO BE ABLE TO CELEBRATE AND CELEBRATE US. SOME MEMBERS OF OUR COUNCIL STAFF WHO ARE FORMER RECIPIENTS OF THAT, UM, WHICH IS JUST REALLY NICE AND THEN ALSO THE DISCOVERY CENTER IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN THERE YET. TO FIND THE TIME, ESPECIALLY IF A CHILD IN YOUR LIFE IS A LOT OF FUN. A LOT OF EXHIBITS. IT'S OUR OWN LITTLE SCIENCE CENTER RIGHT HERE IN HARFORD COUNTY, WHICH HOPEFULLY ONE DAY WON'T BE SO LITTLE AS IT EXPANDS AND GROWS AND WHAT THEY HAVE ALREADY IS TREMENDOUS AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO DRIVE ALL THE WAY TO BALTIMORE TO HAVE SOME FUN AND EXPLORE SOME SCIENCE WITH THE YOUTH IN OUR COMMUNITY, SO UM, WITH ALL THAT, THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. MR PRESIDENT. THANK YOU, MR BENNETT. UM MR GOVERNMENT, UM. I WANTED TO SHARE SOMETHING WITH YOU BECAUSE I IT'S MORE OF ME AND PAT SAT DOWN AND TALKED ABOUT THIS FOR QUITE A WHILE, AND I DIDN'T KNOW WHETHER I WANTED TO REALLY TALK ABOUT IT IN PUBLIC UNHARMED, BUT I FIGURED IF I'M NOT HERE AT THE NEXT MEETING, PEOPLE ARE GONNA START WONDERING WHERE IS HE IN A RUMOR START AND WHERE IS HE AT THAT KIND OF STUFF, AND HE'S DOING THIS. SO WE TALKED ABOUT IT AND WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE GOOD TO BRING THIS UP AND TALK ABOUT IT TO THE PUBLIC BECAUSE OF IT HAS TO WITH COLONOSCOPIES. I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM HAS HAD A COLONOSCOPY. GOOD. BECAUSE THEY'RE VERY IMPORTANT. THEY'RE VERY IMPORTANT. I'VE KNOWN IN MY LIFETIME. I HAVE NOTES FROM PEOPLE WHO, UH, DIDN'T BOTHER.

AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT WAS TOO LATE, AND, UH, THEY THEY PERISHED AND ONE OF THEM WAS MY DAUGHTER WHEN SHE WAS IN HER EARLY FIFTIES, AND SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO GET A COLONOSCOPY AND SHE DIDN'T DO IT AND ENGINEERING. TELL ME AND ONE THING LED TO THE OTHER THAN WHEN IT'S TIME TO DO. IT WAS TOO LATE AND THEY DETERMINED THAT SHE WAS STAGE FOUR CANCER AND IN FEBRUARY OF 2019 AND THE DAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING AND WE HAVE THAT COMING UP EVERY YEAR, SHE PASSED. UM AND, UH. VERY FAMOUS. I'LL GET TO THE POINT IN A MINUTE. BUT THE VERY FAMOUS

[02:10:06]

UM AS YOU KNOW, OR MAYBE DON'T KNOW. BUT LAST TUESDAY AFTER THE COUNCIL MEETING, I PACKED MY TRUCK AND HEADED TO THE EASTERN SHORE FOR DECOY SHIP FOR FIVE DAYS AND, UM, WHILE I WAS GONE, I MISSED THE RILEY FOUNDATION BANK WHERE SCHOLARSHIP BANQUET AND I'M AN HONORARY MEMBER OF THAT, AND I JUST WANT EVERYBODY TO KNOW WHAT A GREAT ORGANIZATION IT IS. HOW THEY RECOGNIZE DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. WHEN I CONGRATULATE ALL THE RECIPIENTS AND ABSOLUTELY THANK THE ENTIRE BOARD FOR ALL THE EFFORTS THAT THEY DO THAT TO MAKE THIS EVENT MOVE FORWARD, MISS HARRIS IS ON THE BOARD. AS YOU KNOW, IN CHIP AND BRUCE RILEY. THEY'RE JUST A GREAT GROUP OF GUYS AND GALS. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO CAYLEE NORDSTROM FOR THE AWARD. SHE WON. AND THEN AS I SAID I WAS GOING ALL WEEK, SO I GOTTA THANK GENIE FOR TAKING CARE OF NOT ONLY THE HOME FRONT BUT THE BUSINESS. SHE HANDLED EVERYTHING THERE. AND WHILE I WAS GOING HERE, MY OFFICE NEVER MISSED A BEAT BECAUSE OF MISS HARRIS MISSILE ENDS AND MISS SAP, SO I WANT TO THANK THEM AS WELL. SO WITH THAT, UM WE'LL GO AHEAD AND ADJOURN THIS MEETING.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.