Mar 05, 2024 County Council

[a. Bill 24-002 (Agricultural Land Preservation-Purchase of Development Rights Program) ]

[00:00:07]

CHAIR CALLS TO ORDER PUBLIC HEARING FOR BILL 24-002 AG LAND PRESERVATION, UH, COUNCIL. IT'S MY PLEASURE TO WELCOME, UH, SHOW UH, MR AMOS. MS WILSON WHENEVER YOU'RE READY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. UM SO WE'RE HERE TO PRESENT, UM OUR VERSION OF BILL 24 002.

AGRICULTURAL LAND PRESERVATION BILL. SO JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF A TIMELINE HERE, UM, THIS BILL'S BEEN A LONG TIME COMING, UH, BEGAN IN 2021. AND WITH THE FIRST WORK GROUP REVIEWING THE CODE PROVISIONS TO IMPROVE OUR LAND PRESERVATION PROGRAM, AND ULTIMATELY THE REVISIONS WERE PLACED IN THE HANDS OF BILL AND BILL AMOS AND JEN WILSON SITTING RIGHT HERE NEXT TO ME. SO IN NOVEMBER OF 2022 BILL AND J REVIEWED THE PRIOR WORK GROUP'S COMMENTS AND BEGAN LOOKING AT THE LEGISLATION FROM A NEW PERSPECTIVE. AND THEY WENT THROUGH AN EXTENSIVE PROCESS ACTUALLY, OF UNDERSTANDING THE COMMUNITY'S NEEDS AND WANTS WHICH UM, ACTUALLY IS, YOU KNOW THE ADMINISTRATION'S PREFERRED METHOD OF HANDLING NEW LEGISLATION. SO UH, THEY THEY MET WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS, WORK GROUPS, AGRICULTURAL BOARDS, MEMBERS OF THE HARFORD COUNTY COMMUNITY, UM, SOME OF WHICH ARE HERE TONIGHT, ACTUALLY. SO UM, I DON'T WANNA TAKE TOO MUCH OF YOUR TIME BECAUSE BILL AND JEN HAVE A NICE PRESENTATION FOR YOU , BUT JUST TO MENTION THAT COOPER OPERATION WITH THESE WORK GROUPS, THE COUNCIL, THE LAW DEPARTMENT PLANNING AND ZONING RESULTED IN THIS LEGISLATION THAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU SO REST ASSURED MANY, MANY PEOPLE HAVE REVIEWED THIS LEGISLATION AND WE BELIEVE THAT THIS IS, UM SOMETHING THAT IS BENEFICIAL FOR OUR COMMUNITY. UM YOU KNOW, OUR HARPER COUNTY COMMUNITY LAND AND LANDOWNERS. SO BILL JEN BILL BEFORE YOU START IF I MAY. I JUST WANT TO RECOGNIZE SOME OF THOSE, UH, COM UH, BOARD MEMBERS OR COMMITTEE MEMBERS THAT ARE IN THE AUDIENCE HERE THIS EVENING AND THEN ALSO COUNCILMAN SRODES FORMER COUNCILMAN SRODES, WHO'S IN THE AUDIENCE THIS EVENING, WHO WAS ONE OF THE PEOPLE VERY INVOLVED FROM THE BEGINNING OF THIS? SO UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE THIS EVENING, MR AMOS, WHENEVER YOU'RE READY, ONE MORE THING BEFORE. FILM STARTS.

WE DO HAVE TWO TINY AMENDMENTS THAT WE WILL SEND OVER TO YOU TO REVIEW THEY'RE JUST TYPOS THAT AFTER SO MANY REVIEWS, WE STILL NOTICED A COUPLE OF THINGS. UM I ALREADY PREPARED THE AMENDMENT AND WE'LL SEND IT OVER AFTER THE HEARING TONIGHT. GREAT THANK YOU . THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. UH AND AGAIN, A SHOUT OUT TO THE, UH, COUNTY COUNCIL WORK GROUP FOR WORKING ON THIS, UH DEBORAH BOWERS AND KRISTEN KIRKWOOD FOR BEING THE POINT OF THAT WORK GROUP. UM SO A BRIEF HISTORY AND A BENEFIT EVERYBODY, UM, AT HOME , UH, THE COUNTY PROGRAM. AS YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TONIGHT, UH, BEGAN IN 1992 FOLLOWING OUR STATE MOUTH PROGRAM AND IN THE FUTURE, UH, RURAL LEGACY ACCESS THREE MAIN PROGRAMS THAT PRESERVE FARMS AND WOODED AREAS IN HARTFORD COUNTY, SO THE COUNTY PROGRAM STARTED IN 1992, FUNDED BY A HALF OF THE 1% REAL ESTATE TRANSFER TAX. UH, THE OTHER HALF GOES TO NEW SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION. UM IN ESSENCE, IT GIVES EQUITY TO LANDOWNERS IN EXCHANGE FOR PERMANENT CONSERVATION EASEMENTS , WHICH LIMIT FUTURE RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL AND IN IN IN INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT. CURRENTLY WE HAVE OVER 37,000 THIR 37,700 ACRES IN THE PROGRAM AND TO, UH IS OVER 64,000 A DAY. WE JUST DID TWO SETTLEMENTS. THE MOUTH PROGRAM LAST WEEK. UH THE PREVIOUS COUNT COUNT. PREVIOUS COUNSEL HAD CONCERNS WANTED ADDITIONAL PRESERVATION OPTIONS FOR THEIR DISTRICTS AND ALSO VALUE THE PURPOSE OF INCLUDING WOODLAND AND, UH, UNDER THE PROGRAM AND A COUPLE OTHER ITEMS WE'LL MENTION AS WE GO ALONG. UM AS SHE EXPLAINED THE REVISION PROCESS COUNCIL AFFIRMED THE WORK GROUP AND, UH, REVIEWED THE EXISTING CODE, INCLUDING ALL ZONING ZONING C, INCLUDING INCLUDING ALL ZONING CATEGORIES TO COME INTO THE PROGRAM AND AT ITS SUPPORT AND VALUE FOR NATURAL RESOURCES, AND, UH, HIGHLIGHTING THE MANY PURPOSES OF THE PROGRAM. UM AND WE WORK WITH THE W WORK GROUPS TECHNICAL COMMITTEE AND WE WENT THROUGH THE COMMUNITIES, INCLUDING ALL THE AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITY. UH, GROUPS, UH, AND ANY INDIVIDUALS THAT WANTED TO MEET WITH US TO GO OVER WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THE UP UPDATING OF THE COUNTING PROGRAM AND THEN FLUSH THAT THROUGH, UH, TWO TIMES WITH , UH DIFFERENT, UH, THE BUILDING DRAFTS THAT ARE IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY. SO THE MOST NOTABLE CHANGES SORRY. MOST NOTABLE CHANGES, UH, TO THE PROGRAM IS THAT RESIDENTIAL SUBDIVISION?

[00:05:03]

NEW LOCATION. SIZE CRITERIA. UH, CURRENTLY WE HAVE 50 ACRES AS A MINIMUM. OR YOU ADJOIN SOMEBODY THAT HAS AT LEAST 50 ACRES, OR YOU COME TOGETHER WITH SOMEBODY TO FORM 50 ACRES TO BE ELIGIBLE.

WE'RE GONNA DROP THAT DOWN TO 20 ACRES. UH, WITH A MINIMUM NO LESS THAN 10 ACRES, AND THAT WAS CERTAINLY WILL ENCOURAGE MORE PEOPLE TO COME INTO THE PROGRAM BUILDING THOSE BUILDING BLOCKS AND PLACES THAT DON'T HAVE, UM, UH MUCH EASEMENT ACTIVITY. UH, SO WE THINK THAT'S A VERY FAVORABLE, UM APPROVAL. SO CRITERIA? UH, WE USED TO HAVE TWO CATEGORIES. WE'RE GONNA DROP IT DOWN TO ONE. SO 50% OF THE PROPERTY MUST CONSIST OF CLASS 123 SOULS, UM, OF HIGH QUALITY.

AND STILL, THE SAME IS EXCEPTION. LANGUAGE UM AND WE MOVED THAT, UH, PLACEMENT. UH, SO THEREFORE WE HAD TO CAPITALIZE IT IN THE BILL. UH, OWNERSHIP CRITERIA. UM ONLY CRITERIA IS THAT, UH, NOT BE OWNED BY A HO. A UH, OPEN SPACE OR A PUBLIC UTILITY. AS YOU KNOW, THERE'S OPEN SPACES DESIGNATED IN A IN A RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT ARE ALREADY PRESERVED, UM, CAN'T BE DEVELOPED AND CERTAINLY THE PUBLIC UTILITY LINES. WE JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA GO, UH, PRESERVE THOSE PROPERTIES. UH, DEVELOPMENT.

[00:10:04]

PROXIMITY TO PRIORITY AREA ADJUSTMENTS TO REFLECT AREA OF CONCERNS. AND THE PROPERTY SIZE WE ADDED MORE CATEGORIES AND POINTS FOR SMALLER PROPERTIES IN THE DEVELOPMENT ENVELOPE.

CONTINUING IN THE RANKING. UM WE PROTECTED LANDS. UH, CONTIGUOUS TO THE SITE. THERE ARE NO CHANGES. UH CURRENT SOIL AND SOIL CONSERVATION PLANS OF FOREST MANAGEMENT PLANS.

LANGUAGE. LAND MANAGEMENT. YOU HAVE A LESS POINTS CONSIDERED IN THAT SECTION CONSIDERING AN AG OPERATION ON THE PROPERTY. UH UH, DIRECTLY TO RELATED TO THE AG ASSESSMENT. THE FIRST. HA! MORE SECTION IT USES A GREEN GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN THAT'S ALREADY APPROVED. AND WATER QUALITY BENEFITS. A NEW SECTION BASED ON UH ON STREAMS ON THE PROPERTY. AND FINALLY SPECIAL CONDITIONS. CONSOL ITS TWO PREVIOUS SECTIONS NOW TOTAL OF POINTS INSTEAD OF 20. THAT'S THE ONLY POINTS THAT ARE AWARDED BY THE AG PRESERVATION, UH, BOARD. UH UH, THE EXAMPLES WOULD BE

[00:15:04]

THANK YOU, BILL. UM OBVIOUSLY WE'VE HAD THIS IN THE CODE. UH, BUT IT WASN'T REALLY A GREAT PROCESS. THIS IS FOR A FARM THAT'S ALREADY IN THE EASEMENT OR PROPERTY THAT'S IN AN EASEMENT. AND THEY WOULD LIKE TO PURCHASE SOME LAND ADJACENT TO IT AND ADD IT TO THEIR EXISTING FARM. WE'VE TRIED TO IMPROVE THE PROCESS FOR THOSE OCCASIONS TO ALLOW THEM TO ERASE THAT.

DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL ON THAT ADJACENT PROPERTY ADDED INTO THEIR EASEMENT AND BE PAID FOR THAT, JUST LIKE IT WOULD BE FOR A STAND ALONE EASEMENT, BUT THEY'RE NOT COMPETING AGAINST EVERYONE. SO AGAIN. THIS WAS A PROCESS WE HAD JUST TRYING TO IMPROVE IT. UM THE NEXT SECTION, AGRICULTURAL SUBDIVISIONS. THESE ARE AFTER FARM IS IN THE EASEMENT. UM A LANDOWNER CAN REQUEST TO DIVIDE THE FARM. THE PROPERTY WOULD STILL BE UNDER EASEMENT. THEY CAN'T BUILD ANY MORE HOUSES. UM IT'S JUST AN ABILITY TO CREATE SMALLER FARM PARCELS. UH, WE FIND THAT THEY'RE HARD TO MANAGE, UM IN THE FUTURE, BUT IT IS AN OPTION. THAT'S IMPORTANT TO SOME OF OUR LANDOWNERS. SO WE WANTED TO KEEP IT IN THERE. WHAT WE'VE DONE IS RAISE THE MINIMUM. IS FOR THOSE PARCELS THAT ARE CREATED RIGHT NOW IT'S 25 ACRES. CURRENTLY WE'RE PROPOSING IT WOULD BE 50 ACRES FOR THOSE CREATED PIECES. AND AGAIN, EVERYTHING WOULD STILL STAY UNDER EASEMENT.

BOUNDARY LINE ADJUSTMENTS AGAIN. THIS IS ANOTHER THING OF TRYING TO HANDLE PROPERTIES AFTER THEY'RE IN THE EASEMENT, SO WE OFTEN HAVE REQUESTS TO CHANGE A PROPERTY LINE. UM WHETHER IT BE BETWEEN EASEMENT LANDOWNERS WHERE THEY'RE ADJUSTING, UM, WHERE MAYBE THEY THOUGHT THE PROPERTY LINE WAS ALWAYS ALONG THE FENCE, BUT IT REALLY ISN'T. UM SO TRYING TO ADJUST THOSE SITUATIONS. WHAT WE'RE SUGGESTING IS THAT IF IT'S AN EASEMENT PROPERTY AND AN EASEMENT PROPERTY, ADJUSTING THEIR BOUNDARY THERE IS NO REQUIREMENT FOR HOW MUCH LAND IS EXCHANGED. BUT IF IT IS A EASEMENT PROPERTY AND ADJACENT PROPERTY THAT'S NOT AN EASEMENT

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[00:25:06]

UM BUT IT ALSO STRENGTHENS COMMUNITY HEALTH AND WELLNESS BY PROVIDING VISIBLE LINKS TO HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL AREAS. UM THAT ACT AS A TALISMAN FOR OUR AREA. SO YOU THINK OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY AS THE LAND OF PLEASANT LIVING RIGHT? IT'S NOT JUST A BEER SLOGAN. UM, BUT YOU THINK ABOUT THE STEPPING STONE MUSEUM IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF THAT, UM SO WE'RE ALL FOR IT. I THINK THE REDUCTION TO 20 ACRES IS A VERY, VERY GOOD IDEA. UM SO FINALLY, WE'D LIKE TO THANK BILL AMOS AGAIN FOR ALL OF THE HARD WORK HE'S DONE OVER MANY YEARS AND THANK YOU FOR THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE THAT BILL'S WORKED WITH TO WRITE THIS BILL. SOUNDS LIKE IT'S A GREAT GREAT BILL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MA'AM. GOOD EVENING, SIR. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE. UH YES. CAN I GIVE YOU MY BUSINESS OR MY HOME? PREFER HER HOME. I'M A RESIDENT OF YORK COUNTY. UM AND MY ADDRESS IS 57 COVINGTON DRIVE. SHREWSBURY, PENNSYLVANIA, 17361. THANK YOU. OK UM OH. AND I'M QUENTIN CORNWELL. THANK YOU ACTUALLY HAD SOMETHING PREPARED. SO IF YOU DON'T MIND, I, UM DEAR PRESIDENT OF PATRICK VINCENT AND DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS OF THE COUNTY OF HARTFORD COUNTY COUNCIL. UH, AS I MENTIONED, MY NAME IS QUENTIN CORNWELL. I'M THE DISTRICT MANAGER OF THE HARTFORD SOIL CONSERVATION DISTRICT. I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS MY SUPPORT FOR THE UPDATES TO THE HARFORD COUNTY AGRICULTURAL LAND PRESERVATION PROGRAM IS COVERED IN BILL 24-2.

4-002 HARVARD COUNTIES. YOU KNOW, HARVARD COUNTY HAS A RICH HISTORY THAT IS EMBEDDED IN AGRICULTURE. LAST YEAR, HARTFORD COUNTY CELEBRATED THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF ITS FOUNDING. AS PART OF THIS CELEBRATION, HARFORD COUNTY RECOGNIZED MULTIGENERATIONAL FARMS FROM 100 YEARS AND OLDER, JUST LIKE THOSE FAMILIES AND THOSE FARMS, THE AGRICULTURE AND LAND PRESERVATION PROGRAM HAS HELPED PRESERVE VITAL FARM LAND IN THIS COUNTY FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.

CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME AND EFFORT BY BILL AMOS, JENNIFER WILSON AND OTHERS THAT WERE MENTIONED TONIGHT HAVE INVESTED IN PREPARED THE CHANGES TO THE UPDATES TO THIS BILL. REALIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS, THESE UPDATES IDENTIFIED IN THIS BILL BILL AND JENNIFER, UM, SHARE WITH OUR BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, UM AND OTHER AGRICULTURAL GROUPS , THE BENEFICIAL IMPACTS THAT THIS BILL WILL PROVIDE TO THE COUNTY THROUGHOUT THIS ESSENTIAL PROGRAM. WITH THE SUPPORT IMPROVE THE HARTFORD COUNTY COUNCIL, HARTFORD COUNTY WILL STRENGTHEN AND BROADEN THE COUNTY COUNTY'S AGRICULTURAL LAND PRESERVATION PROGRAM TO PRESERVE MORE VITAL FARMLANDS FROM THE POTENTIAL URBAN DEVELOPMENT. BY INCORPORATING THESE PROPOSED UPDATES TO THE COUNTY AGRICULTURAL LAND PROGRAM . RANKING PRICING OF FARMS WILL CREDIT THOSE FARMS WITH SOIL AND

[00:30:04]

BELLA UM, OUR FARM IS IN MOUTH. UM AND WE REALLY RESPECT THE PRESERVATION OF ALL THE FARMS. UM MORAL RECENTLY WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO PURCHASE ANOTHER FARM, AND I WAS GLAD TO SEE THAT WHEN WE FINALLY GOT THE BILL FINALIZED, THAT EVERY FIVE YEARS ARE GOING TO BE INSPECTED, BECAUSE THE FARM THAT WE THE LAST FARM WE PUT IN A BID ON UH IT HAD NOT BEEN TAKEN CARE OF.

UM CONSEQUENTLY, THE FAMILY HAD NEVER BEEN FARMING IT SINCE THE GRANDFATHER HAD DIED. SO I WAS GLAD TO SEE THAT THE INSPECTION IS AT LEAST GOING TO COME IN. AND AT LEAST WE'RE GONNA KNOW THAT WE'RE NOT ONLY PRESERVING THEM, BUT WE'RE ALSO KEEPING THEM IN. A LIVABLE CONDITION.

THE SECOND THING IS FARMS AROUND US AND THIS IS GOING TO AFFECT OUR VALUES. FOR THE FARMS THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT COMING INTO THE PROGRAM. A FARM ON FOR HILL WAS RECENTLY SOLD.

TO AN AMISH FAMILY. HE'S NOT LIVING THERE, BUT HE IS RENTING IT OUT TO ANOTHER AMISH FAMILY.

I HAVE NOTHING AGAINST THE AMISH COMMUNITY. BUT I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN YOU SELL THEM TO AN AMISH, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO RETRIEVE THEM AND PUT THEM BACK INTO THE FARM FAMILIES. THAT HAVE WORKED IN THIS COUNTY. THERE WAS ANOTHER ONE SOLD RIGHT UP THE ROAD FROM US. IT HAS ALSO BEEN SOLD TO AMISH. I HAVE RECENTLY TODAY BEEN TOLD BY ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL. THAT THERE HAS BEEN ANOTHER FARM THAT HAS BEEN SOLD AND THE PURCHASER THERE AGAIN HAS BEEN THE AMISH. SO I THINK THE AMISH SHALL HAVE BEEN PAYING ANYWHERE FROM 20 TO 40,000 AN ACRE. FOR THEIR PROPERTIES IN YORK AND LANCASTER ARE MOVING IN ON US, AND THAT'S GREAT, BUT THE PROBLEM IS ONCE THEY BUY THEM. THEY MOVE THEM FROM ONE FAMILY TO ANOTHER TO ANOTHER. SO WE ARE GOING TO BE LOSING SOME OF OUR FARMS THAT HAVE BEEN IN FAMILIES FOR 100 YEARS. SO I JUST WANT TO SAY I SUPPORT THIS BILL. I THINK IT'S GREAT. I THINK IT GIVES US A LOT MORE VERSATILITY. WE HAD A FARM IN BEL AIR, AND IT WAS IN THE DEVELOPMENT ENVELOPE AND WE WERE TOLD THAT WE COULD NOT PUT IT IN A PRESERVATION AT THE TIME. SO I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT SOME CHANGES ARE BEING MADE. AND FOR THE POSITIVE. SO BILL JEN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU, MA'AM. GOOD EVENING, SIR.

NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE. GOOD EVENING COUNCIL, CHUCK ME IN 1812 PARK BEACH DRIVE ABERDEEN.

I'M HERE TO SUPPORT UM BILL 24 002 AS WELL. AND SINCE IT SOUNDS LIKE WE HAVE PRETTY GOOD SUPPORT ON COUNCIL GOING TO SPARE YOU SOME TIME, AND I JUST WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU. FIRST OF ALL TO EVERYBODY IF THERE'S ANYBODY IN THIS ROOM THAT HAS A FARM THAT'S IN THIS PROGRAM AND PLEASE STAND UP AND BE RECOGNIZED BECAUSE IT'S SUCH A WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL THING. AND ALSO THE FOLKS IN THIS ROOM THAT HAVE BEEN PART OF THIS PROGRAM. PLEASE, CHAD, I KNOW A LOT.

EVERYONE UP HERE. ANYONE ELSE IN THE AUDIENCE BEEN A PART OF THIS. COME ON, DON'T BE SHY.

STAND UP, PLEASE. I CAN'T DO THAT. HOLD ON. JUST A MINUTE. YEAH THERE YOU GO. MR TIBBS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. EVERYBODY. UM SO, UM, I'M GONNA SKIP MOST OF THIS BECAUSE, LIKE I SAID, WE HAVE GREAT SUPPORT. UM I JUST WANNA REALLY CLOSE. I HAVE A CLOSING PARAGRAPH AND, UH, THIS BILL 24 02. REPRESENTS NOT JUST A PIECE OF LEGISLATION. BUT A TESTAMENT TO OUR COLLECTIVE DEDICATION TO PRESERVING THE ESSENCE OF OUR RURAL COMMUNITIES AND ENSURING A SUSTAINABLE

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NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS KRISTEN KIRKWOOD. MY ADDRESS IS 2603 BRADEN BALL ROAD, WHITEHALL. COUNCIL MEMBERS AND COUNCIL PRESIDENT VINCENTI I'M SPEAKING WITH YOU TONIGHT AS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE HARTFORD LAND TRUST. WE ARE HARTFORD COUNTY'S ONLY COUNTYWIDE LAND PRESERVATION NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION. HARTFORD LAND TRUST STRONGLY SUPPORTS THIS BILL INTRODUCED TONIGHT. AS BILL NOTED, THE LAND TRUST SPENT HUNDREDS OF HOURS WITH THE WORKING GROUP AND BILL AND JEN AND THE VARIOUS COMMUNITY GROUPS LOOKING AT THE PROGRAM MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS AND SOCIALIZING THIS BILL. IN THE UNITED STATES.

WE LOSE ROUGHLY 150 ACRES OF NATURAL LAND AND 400 ACRES OF FARMLAND EVERY HOUR, AND ONCE THIS LAND IS GONE, WE CAN'T GET IT BACK. THE RECENTLY RELEASED 2022 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE REPORTED THAT IN MARYLAND, WE HAVE A REDUCTION OF OVER 1200 ACRES OF FARMLAND OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS. BUT INTERESTINGLY, DESPITE THIS DECLINE, THE STATE WITNESSED A RISE IN THE NUMBER OF FARMS, WHICH UNDERLINES THE RESILIENCE AND EXPANSION OF SMALL AND FIRST GENERATION FARMS. THE CENSUS REPORTS THAT THE MEDIAN SIZE OF A FARM IN HARTFORD COUNTY IS ONLY 27 ACRES . AND IN FACT, OVER THE PAST TWO CENSUSES, WHICH IS 10 YEARS 65% OF THE FARMS THAT GENERATE $1000 , OR MORE OF REVENUE IN THIS COUNTY ARE UNDER 50 ACRES. THESE DATA ILLUSTRATE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PROPOSED MODIFICATIONS TO HARTFORD COUNTY'S PROGRAM TO ACHIEVE OUR MASTER PLAN GOAL OF PRESERVING 75,000 ACRES. WE NEED TO EXPAND THE ELIGIBILITY TO INCLUDE THESE SMALLER FARMS. IN FACT, THERE ARE FEW PROPERTIES GREATER THAN 200 ACRES THAT REMAIN UNPRESERVED, WHICH MEANS THAT OUR PRESERVATION EFFORTS MUST DEPEND ON MORE TRANSACTIONS WITH SMALLER ACREAGE.

LANDOWNERS. FARMS IN HARTFORD COUNTY ARE OFTENTIMES A MIX. A MIXED LANDSCAPE WERE VERY DIFFERENT THAN THE EASTERN SHORE . OUR FARMS HAVE FIELDS, PASTURES, FORESTS, STREAMS, WETLANDS AND A LOT MORE. WELL OUR LAND PRESERVATION PROGRAM HAS ALWAYS SERVED TO PROTECT ALL OF THESE NATURAL ASSETS. THESE PROGRAM CHANGES INTRODUCED PROVIDE VALUE FOR THE FORESTS AND WATERWAYS IN THE APPLICATION AND RANKING EASEMENT VALUATION. THE AMERICAN FARMLAND TRUST, WHICH IS THE PRE EMINENT FARMLAND PRESERVATION RESEARCH GROUP PROJECTS. HARFORD COUNTY TO LOSE NEARLY 10,000 ACRES OF LAND TO LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL HOUSING BY 2040. WITH EVERY ACRE THAT'S LOST TO DEVELOPMENT. WE WIPE OUT FAMILY FARMS, DESTROY WILDLIFE HABITAT AND RAB FUTURE GENERATIONS OF ACCESS TO NATURE. WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT GROWTH AND LAND DEVELOPMENT ARE NOT SYNONYMS. LAND PRESERVATION IN THIS PROGRAM SPECIFICALLY IS OUR BEST TOOL FOR ADDRESSING THESE PROBLEMS. WE CAN ENSURE THAT OUR AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY IS THRIVING WHILE ALSO AVOIDING HAPHAZARD SPRAWL. IN ADDITION TO THE NEARLY $1 BILLION IN ANNUAL ECONOMIC ACTIVITY CREATED FROM HARTFORD COUNTY, AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND THE RELATED BUSINESSES, LAND PRESERVATION CREATES A HOST OF OTHER ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES AND QUALITY OF LIFE FACTORS. IN CLOSING. THE

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THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AMY O'NEILL, FOLLOWED BY JAMES THOMAS.

GOOD EVENING, MA'AM. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS AMY O'NEILL, 103 EAST JARRETTSVILLE ROAD IN FOREST HILL, PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL OF VINCENTE AND MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. UM SPEAKING TO THE CHOIR IS VERY I'M VERY PLEASED TO HEAR ALL THE SUPPORT FOR THIS LEGISLATION, AND I'M HERE TO ECHO WHAT MANY HAVE SAID BEFORE ME THAT THIS IS A WELL CRAFTED A WELL FOUGHT THROUGH PIECE OF LEGISLATION AND ALL OF THOSE WHO WORKED TO PREPARE IT OR TO BE COMMENDED, AND THE FACT THAT YOU AS OUR THE COUNCIL HAS TAKEN THE TIME TO RECOGNIZE THE VALUE OF THIS LEGISLATION IS ALSO TO BE COMMENDED. I DO RECOMMEND, UH AND URGE YOU TO APPROVE THIS LEGISLATION AND ECHO THE SENTIMENTS OF MANY IN THIS COMMUNITY TO THANK, UM ALL OF THE, UH, THOSE WHO CRAFTED IT AND ALL THOSE WHO ALL WORK TO CONTINUE IN OUR PRESERVATION EFFORTS THROUGHOUT HARTFORD COUNTY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MA'AM. GOOD EVENING, JAMES THOMAS 2019 F ROAD. UM I AM VERY PLEASED TO SEE THAT AMENDMENT WHERE THEY'RE REDUCING THE ACREAGE MINIMUM BECAUSE, LIKE WE'VE HEARD THERE ARE MANY, MANY FARMS LEFT IN HARVARD COUNTY, BUT NOT MANY OF THOSE LARGER SIZE AND MYSELF AS A BEGINNING, FARMER, I CAN'T AFFORD THOSE LARGER FARMS BUT WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO PURCHASE A SMALLER FARM TO CONTINUE TO FARM AND USING THE LAND PRESERVATION MIGHT BE ABLE TO PAY FOR THAT FARM AND CONTINUE MY FAMILY'S FARMING LEGACY. THAT'S THAT'S HUGE. UM, JUST WANTED TO SAY PLEASE SUPPORT THIS BILL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, SIR. DAVID MILTON, FOLLOWED BY ROBERT TIBBS. GOOD EVENING, SIR. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE. DAVID MILTON 3149 DES FORD ROAD IN DARLINGTON. UH, FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE FOR THEIR FOCUS ON THIS BILL, AND I DEFINITELY DO SUPPORT IT AS WELL . UM AND I THOUGHT I WOULD JUST GIVE MY PERSPECTIVE AS A NEIGHBOR, UM TO TWO FARMS, ACTUALLY, THAT ARE IN PRESERVATION. UH, MY PROPERTY ON MY NORTH BORDER IS IN THE MOUTH PROGRAM AND ON THE SOUTH BORDER. IT'S IN RURAL LEGACY. UM I PURCHASED MY PROPERTY IN DARLINGTON IN 2007, AND ONE OF THE CONSIDERATIONS DURING THAT TIME WAS THE ADJOINING FARM THAT WAS CURRENTLY IN IN THE PROGRAM THAT I HAD TOLD YOU, UM THIS FARM WAS SOLD IN 2019. AND OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS, I'VE WITNESSED A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT ON THIS PROPERTY, SOME UNDER THE GUISE OF AGRI, AMENT AND AGRITOURISM, OTHERS WITH STRAIGHT UP COMMERCIAL EVENTS. FUNDRAISERS ALL THROUGH THE CLUB. CLEVER USE OF ONGOING SPECIAL EVENT PERMITS ISSUED BY THE COUNTY. THIS IS DRASTICALLY CHANGED THE NATURE OF OUR COMMUNITY, OUR PROPERTY VALUES DUE TO TRAFFIC, NOISE AND DESTRUCTION OF WILDLIFE HABITAT. UM IT IS REASSURING TO SEE HERE THAT THERE IS A COMPLIANCE AND ENFORCEMENT CONSIDERATION IN THIS BILL, SO THAT'S VERY HEARTENING TO ME. UM, BUT THE ONE THING THAT I THOUGHT WAS MISSING THAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER IS, UM, IN YOUR DEFINITIONS AND HOW YOU'RE GONNA HANDLE A ATTAINMENT AND AGRITOURISM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. GOOD EVENING, SIR. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE. GOOD EVENING, BOB TIBBS 3545 OLD LEVEL ROAD HAVE ANY GRACE. MEMBERS OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL. I STAND BEFORE YOU IN FAVOR OF BILL 24 007 DOUBLE 02. I WAS A SELECTED 007. I WAS A SMALL PART OF THIS COMMITTEE THAT WORKED ON THIS LEGISLATION FOR OVER TWO YEARS. BILL AND JEN SPENT MANY HOURS AND DID MANY SCENARIOS FOR THIS LEGISLATION. THEY PRESENTED TO BEFORE ANY CIVIC ORGANIZATION OR AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE THAT DESIRED TO HAVE INPUT. EVEN THE COUNCIL AT DIFFERENT TIMES SO THAT SO AS NOT TO HAVE ALL OF YOU PRESIDENT AT THE SAME TIME, MANY IDEAS WERE TALKED ABOUT AND THOUGHT THROUGH. FINALLY AFTER TWO YEARS, IT IS NOW BEFORE YOU. I WISH THIS BILL WAS LOW 15 YEARS AGO. WHEN BILL THORPE AND I SAT IN THE KITCHEN OF MRS EUGENE POPES. HER FORM WAS PLACED IN THE DEVELOPMENT ENVELOPE THROUGH COMPREHENSIVE REZONING, AND SHE DID NOT LIKE IT. SHE SAID SHE DID NOT WANT TO SEE HOUSES ON HER FARM. FOR PAST HER HUSBAND HAD PASSED AWAY A

[00:45:04]

WE ALL KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE COUNTY HAS NOW PURCHASED PART OF THAT FARM. AND I THINK THAT MRS POPE FINALLY GOT HER WISH. THAT NEW HOUSES WILL BE BUILT ON THAT FARM ONLY SCHOOLS. PLEASE PASS THIS BILL FOR MRS POPE AND MANY OTHER FAMILIES THAT ARE IN THIS SITUATION. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, MR TIBBS. BRIANNA COLEMAN, FOLLOWED BY KEN SHANNON. GOOD EVENING, MA'AM. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE. GOOD EVENING.

MY NAME IS BRIANNA COLEMAN 2347 INGLE ROAD IN F. UM THAT WAS REALLY MOVING. SO THANK YOU. UM, I'M HERE TONIGHT TO EXPRESS MY SUPPORT FOR BILL 24-002. UH MISTER AMOS GAVE A BEAUTIFUL AND INFORMATIVE PRESENTATION AT THE BOSTON COMMUNITY MEETING LAST WEEK AND SHARE SOME HISTORY ABOUT THIS PROGRAM, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE HARTFORD COUNTY LEADS THE WAY IN THEIR APPROACH TO LAND PRESERVATION. EXPANDING THIS PROGRAM THROUGH THE CHANGES PROPOSED IN THIS LEGISLATION MAKES SENSE AND WILL BENEFIT OUR ENTIRE COUNTY FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. AND I'D LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK MR AMOS AND THE MANY OTHERS WHO HAVE HELPED MAKE THIS PROGRAM WHAT IT IS TODAY. THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF A WELL THOUGHT OUT AND WELL WRITTEN BILL. I HOPE SOME OF YOU WERE TAKING NOTES. WHAT A WELCOME SURPRISE TO HEAR THE COUNCIL'S UNITED AND UNANIMOUS SUPPORT OF THIS BILL WITH NO AMENDMENTS THAT CHANGED THE INTENT OF THE BILL. OF COURSE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT. THANK YOU, MA'AM. GOOD EVENING. SURNAME AND ADDRESS.

GOOD EVENING. KEN SHANNON 2044 PARK BEACH DRIVE IN PERRYMAN. I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF BILL 24-002 TONIGHT. SPECIFICALLY I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT INCLUDES PROPERTY, NOT ZONED AG AND REDUCES THE PROPERTY SIZE REQUIREMENTS FROM 50 TO 20 ACRES. AS SOMEONE WHO LIVES IN THE DEVELOPMENT ZONE. I'M VERY GLAD TO SEE THAT POINTS ARE BEING ADDED IN THE EVALUATION FOR SMALLER PROPERTIES IN THE DEVELOPMENT, UM, ENVELOPE. I THINK ALL THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE WORKED SO HARD IN THIS BILL, AND I'M GLAD THAT THE COUNCIL SUPPORTS THE BILL.

WE SHOULD GO A LONG WAY TO KEEPING SPACE OPEN IN HARTFORD COUNTY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. ED REMO, FOLLOWED BY KIMMI DORAN. GOOD EVENING, SIR. NAME AND ADDRESS A GRIM 3859 F HOLT ROAD, JER, MARYLAND. I'VE ATTENDED MANY OTHER MEETINGS HAD A LITTLE INPUT ON THIS. IT'S REALLY TWEAKING A GOOD SYSTEM TO A BETTER SYSTEM. I HAVE MANY FORMS PRESERVED IN HARTFORD COUNTY AND YORK COUNTY TO OVER 1000 ACRES. I HAVE THE APPLICATION IN FOR ANOTHER ONE IN HARFORD COUNTY. UH, WE LOOKED AT ANOTHER IN YOUR COUNTY. UM MANY TIMES I'VE BEEN ASKED BY NEIGHBORS. THEY LIKE TO GET INTO THE PROGRAM, BUT THEIR ACRES ARE TOO SMALL. THEY CAN PIGGYBACK NOW OR, UH, ENTER THEIR ACRES IS VERY GOOD FOR EVERYBODY IN FAVOR OF THIS BILL. UM IT'S AG PRESERVATION IS ALLOWED ME. TO PURCHASE FARMS, UM, THAT WERE IN AN AFFORDABLE PRICE FARMS THAT WEREN'T IN CONTACT, MR AMOS OR OR JEN AND TELL YOU WHAT IT'S THE VALUE IS IT'S A GREAT PROGRAM FOR ANYBODY TO PURCHASE LAND. YOU KNOW, AND PUT IT IN A PROGRAM WHICH PRESERVED FOREVER.

AND, UM I HOPE YOU ALL UM, HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT IT? BILL AND JEN CAN ANSWER AND A CHALLENGE EACH ONE OF YOU TO BRING A FARM IN. GO TALK TO YOUR PEOPLE IN YOUR, UH, DISTRICT. BRING SOME MORE FARMS IN. THANK YOU. THANKS, SIR. GOOD EVENING, MA'AM. ADDRESS KIM DORAN, 1555 K

[00:50:05]

MARYLAND HAS LOST OVER 12,000 ACRES OF FARMLAND IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS. IT ROUGHLY TAKES A HALF AN ACRE TO TWO ACRES OF FARMLAND TO FEED ONE PERSON FOR ONE YEAR. USING THE AVERAGES, WE LOST THE ABILITY TO FEED 12,000 PEOPLE IN MARYLAND IN FIVE YEARS. A 2023 REPORT FROM THE USDA SHOWS THERE IS A LITTLE LESS THAN 2 MILLION ACRES OF FARMLAND LEFT IN MARYLAND TO REFRAIN FROM LOSING MORE FARMLAND AND CONTINUING TO FEED HARFORD COUNTY, MARYLAND AND OUR COUNTRY. WE NEED TO PRESERVE AS MUCH FARMLAND AS POSSIBLE. PRESERVING FARMLAND ALLOWS FOR FOOD, SECURITY AND LOCAL FOOD SUPPLY AND A GOOD A AGRICULTURAL ECONOMY. FOOD SECURITY HAS BEEN AN INCREASINGLY AWARE PROBLEM IN EFFORTS TO RETAIN OUR FOOD SECURITY THROUGH POLITICS HAS BEEN A TOP PRIORITY FOR BOTH THE LOCAL AND THE STATE FARM BUREAU. EVEN WITH LOSING ACRES OF FARMLAND, THE MARKET VALUE OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS SOLD HAS INCREASED TO $70,215 ON AVERAGE PER FARM. A LARGE PORTION OF THIS IS LIKELY DUE TO THE INCREASED DEMAND OF BUYING LOCAL HARFORD COUNTY HAS DONE A GREAT JOB OF PROMOTING LOCAL FOOD SUPPLY WITH ON FARM MARKETS, FARMERS' MARKETS, LOCAL RESTAURANTS SUPPORTING LOCAL FARMERS AND PROMOTIVE EVENTS HIGHLIGHTING OUR LOCAL FARMERS. WE HAVE ALSO DONE A GREAT JOB OF PRESERVING OUR LARGER FARMS. BUT NOW IT IS TIME TO PRESERVE THE SMALLER ONES. THE USDA CENSUS SAYS THE MAJORITY OF MARYLAND FARMS ARE BETWEEN 10 AND 179 ACRES. I CHOSE TO SPEAK MORE ON A STATISTICS AND FACTS IN MARYLAND FARMING BECAUSE I BELIEVE THIS COUNCIL KNOWS WHAT FARMING MEANS TO OUR COUNTRY TO OUR COUNTY AND COMMUNITY BASED ON YOUR APPEARANCE AT OUR FARM FAIRS, AUCTIONS, BANQUETS, FARM VISITATIONS AND FUNDRAISERS. HOWEVER IT IS HARD TO IGNORE THAT THE FARMS THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM GREW UP ON ARE THE REASON WE HAVE BECOME THE PEOPLE WE ARE TODAY. FARMING IS MORE THAN A BUSINESS AS A DICTIONARY DESCRIBES IT. IT IS A LIFESTYLE THAT WE ALL CHOSE TO LIVE. AND WHILE WE HOPE TO PASS ON TO GENERATIONS NEXT, THE STORY OF FAMILY FARMING UNDERSCORES A LEGACY OF SUSTAINABILITY FOR THOSE REASONS. HARTFORD COUNTY FARM BUREAU AND MARYLAND FARM BUREAU SUPPORT BILL 24 002. WE ALSO WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PREVIOUS AND FUTURE SUPPORT , AS WELL AS BILL AND JEN FOR BRINGING THIS BILL BEFORE US. THANK YOU, MA'AM. GLENDA GLENDA, FOLLOWED BY SALLY LABARRE. GOOD EVENING, SIR. NAME AND ADDRESS. GOOD EVENING COUNCIL GENDER 1806 PARK BEACH DRIVE ABERDEEN, 21001. AS YOU ARE AWARE, I'M SURE THAT THE COMPONENTS NECESSARY TO CREATE WEALTH OR LAND, LABOR AND CAPITAL. YOU MAY NOT AGREE WITH THE PROPOSITION, HOWEVER, THAT UNDEVELOPED LAND ALSO CONTRIBUTES TO ENVIRONMENTAL STABILITY AND OUR PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS. WHICH ALSO CREATE WEALTH. IF YOU CAN'T ACCEPT THAT PROPOSITION. TRY THIS. TALK TO SOMEBODY FROM CHICAGO OR NEW YORK AND TELL THEM THAT THE PARK LAND ALONG THE WATER AND IN THE CENTRAL PART OF THOSE CITIES SHOULD BE DEVELOPED FOR A HIGHER AND BETTER USE BE PREPARED TO RUN. LIKEWISE MANY PRIVATE LANDOWNERS A FARM FOREST WETLANDS ATTRIBUTE GREAT VALUE TO THE NATURAL BEAUTY OF THEIR LAND. THEIR HERITAGE OF THAT LAND AND THE HOPE OF LEAVING IT AS A LEGACY TO THEIR FAMILY AND COMMUNITY. IN THE SURVEY I CONDUCTED 20 YEARS AGO AT WORKSHOPS PRIVATE LANDOWNERS ACROSS THE NORTHEAST.

OVERWHELMING OF THE LANDOWNERS SHOWS NATURAL BEAUTY AND LEAVING A LEGACY AS IMPORTANT REASONS FOR OWNERSHIP. ECONOMIC RETURN, USUALLY RANKED ABOUT FIFTH OR SIXTH OF 20 CHOICES. HERE IN HARFORD COUNTY. I CONDUCTED A SIMILAR WORKSHOPS FOR ABOUT FIVE YEARS, AND THE LANDOWNERS TOLD ME THAT THE POLITICAL AND SOCIAL CHANGES AROUND THEIR LAND WOLF WAS MAKING PRESERVING OTHER USE

[00:55:03]

MISS LA. DID YOU GIVE YOUR ADDRESS? I MISSED IT. IF YOU SORRY I DIDN'T THANK YOU.

FRIENDS OF HARTFORD, PO. BOX 294 ABINGDON, MARYLAND 21 009. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? MS DIXON, THERE IS NO ONE ELSE. MR PRESIDENT WITH NO OTHER SPEAKERS . THIS WILL CONCLUDE THIS PUBLIC HEARING, BUT I WANT TO THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. I WANNA THANK BILL AND JEN AGAIN SHA BETA FOR THE PRESENTATION THIS EVENING, AND I WANT TO THANK ALL OF THOSE COUNCIL COMMITTEE MEMBERS. UH MR SRODES, UH, MR TIBBS. MR GRIMM, MISS KIRKWOOD. I MEAN, ON AND ON AND ON. THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING AND PARTICIPATING. UH, THANK YOU. THIS WILL ADJOURN THIS PUBLIC HEARING. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MR DIX. I MEAN, MR KEARNEY, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A QUICK RECESS. MM. YEAH. I SAY, MR GOOD EVENING CHAIR CALLS TO ORDER

[1. CALL TO ORDER]

PRAYING FOR OUR LEADERS IS GOD'S PLAN, AND THE PURPOSE OF OUR NATION. HELP US MAKE DECISIONS THAT ARE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE. WE ASK THAT YOU LIFT UP THOSE WHO ARE SUFFERING, WHETHER PHYSICALLY FINANCIALLY OR EMOTIONALLY AND FILL THEM WITH YOUR COMFORT. WE HUMBLE OURSELVES BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING IN THIS COUNCIL CHAMBER, WE SEEK YOUR WISDOM, UNDERSTANDING AND KNOWLEDGE WITH THE PEACE OF GOD, WHICH SUPPRESSES ALL UNDERSTANDING. AND GUARDS WITH OUR HEART AND MIND TEACHES CHRIST. UH, OUR WE PRAY. AMEN. AMEN. JUST THERE YOU GO. MISS DIXON. I WAS GONNA GET YOU CLEAR OF THAT. UM NUMBER FOUR PRESENTATION AND PROCLAMATIONS. WE HAVE NONE. FIVE CONSIDERATION OF PETITIONS, APPLICATIONS, APPOINTMENTS AND NOMINATIONS. WE HAVE KNOWN SIX SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS, NONE.

[7. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]

[8. INTRODUCTION AND CONSIDERATION OF RESOLUTIONS]

[01:00:01]

THANK YOU, MR JORDANO. THIS RESOLUTION WILL BE CONSIDERED THIS EVENING. SO IT MAY HAVE A MOTION PLEASE. COUNCIL PRESIDENT . I MOVE TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 006-24 CORRECTIONAL AGENCIES.

MUTUAL AID AGREEMENT MAY HAVE 2ND 2ND THANK YOU, MR PENMAN. BEEN MOVED IN SECOND TO APPROVE RESOLUTIONS. 006-24 IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE. MS DIXON. MR. PRESIDENT MR. GUTHRIE. MR. PENMAN MR. JAN GIORDANO. MR RILEY. HI. HI, MR BENNETT. I BEING SEVEN VOTES IN THE AFFIRMATIVE ZERO IN THE NEGATIVE RESOLUTION, 006-24 IS HEREBY APPROVED. MR JANNE,

[9. INTRODUCTION OF BILLS]

[11. CALL FOR FINAL READING OF BILLS]

[01:05:04]

[17. COMMENTS AND INPUT FROM ATTENDING CITIZENS]

WE HAVE, UH, THREE THIS EVENING. MATT FARGO, FOLLOWED BY KATIE KANO. GOOD EVENING, SIR. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE. GOOD EVENING. UH, MATT VARGO. I CURRENTLY RESIDE AT 211 GLENWOOD ROAD. BUT AS OF TOMORROW, I'LL ACTUALLY BE MOVING TO 2531 EASY STREET IN FOLSTON. UH I WAS ASKED TO SPEAK TONIGHT. UH IN REGARDS TO AN ISSUE I HAD WITH BUILDING UH, 2531 EASY STREET.

UM ON AUGUST 16TH MY WIFE, LAUREN AND I CLOSED, UH, ON THE LOT THERE, UH, THE NEW, UH, AG VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT. UH, THE BUYING PROCESS WENT RELATIVELY SMOOTH. PICKED OUT THE HOUSE.

YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING WENT, UH, LIKE I SAID, RELATIVELY SMOOTH, UH, SOLD OUR HOME IN ABINGDON AND THEN ENDED UP HAVING TO MOVE IN WITH, UH, MY MOTHER AND FATHER IN LAW, ANTOINETTE AND JOHN MERCER. UH WE HAD EVERYTHING LINED UP. WE WERE READY TO GO JUST WAITING FOR WAR COMMUNITIES TO BREAK GROUND. UH WE WERE VERY EAGER TO DO SO, AS WAS WARD. UM, BUT AFTER ABOUT A WEEK, UH NOTHING HAD REALLY HAPPENED. UM SO, UH, AFTER SEVERAL EMAILS BACK AND FORTH WITH WARD, I HAD NO REAL ANSWERS AS TO WHY WE DIDN'T BREAK GROUND IN OUR HOUSE. UH SO SEPTEMBER 6TH. I DECIDED TO START MAKING CALLS ON MY OWN TO DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS OF THE COUNTY. UM I WAS TOLD TO START WITH DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE I WAS TOLD IN BUILDING PERMIT WAS BEING HELD UP. UM AFTER I TALKED TO THEM, I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO APPLICATION FOR THAT ADDRESS AT ALL. UH SAME THING WITH THE SEWER AND WATER. UH DEPARTMENTS OF INSPECTIONS LICENSES ARE PERMITTING. DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING FOR THAT ADDRESS, EITHER. UM SO I DECIDED TO CALL. UH, MR EULER, WHO IS THE DEVELOPER FOR ARMOR VILLAGE? UH, HE INFORMED ME THERE WAS A ROAD IMPROVEMENT SCHEDULED, UH, OR TO BE DONE BEFORE THE DEVELOPMENT EVEN STARTED AND I WAS AT THE CORNER OF RECORD ROAD IN BELLA ROAD. UH, TURNS OUT THE COUNTY WAS HOLDING UP MY BUILDING PERMIT, UM, BECAUSE IT'S ROAD IMPROVEMENT WASN'T FINISHED. UM SO AFTER I GOT THAT INFORMATION, I REACHED OUT TO THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE'S OFFICE TO PLEAD MY CASE. UM SEVERAL EMAILS WENT BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN MYSELF, UH, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE'S OFFICE. UM AND I'VE REALLY GOT NOWHERE. UM I KEPT IN COMMUNICATION WITH MR EULER AND EVENTUALLY BECAME MIDDLEMAN TO TRY AND GET THIS ISSUE RESOLVED SO I CAN START BUILDING MY HOUSE. UM REALLY? THE ONLY MESSAGE I GOT BACK FROM THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICE WAS WE MUST HOLD THE DEVELOPER ACCOUNTABLE. UM I WOULDN'T NORMALLY AGREE WITH THIS STATEMENT. BUT IN THIS CASE, IT MADE ZERO SENSE TO ME. UM THE DEVELOPMENT WAS ABOUT 95% COMPLETED, UM I WAS ACTUALLY THE 85TH OF 87 HOMES. UH, MR EULER ALREADY MADE THE MAJORITY OF HIS MONEY ON THAT PROJECT, SO HOLDING HIM ACCOUNTABLE. IT REALLY DIDN'T AFFECT HIM AT ALL IT AFFECT HIM AT ALL. MR EULER SAID IT HIMSELF. IT HAD ZERO EFFECT ON HIM. REALLY THE ONLY PERSON THAT WAS AFFECTED BY THIS WAS MYSELF MY FAMILY. UM WE BASICALLY WERE EXTENDED THREE MONTHS UM TO ACTUALLY BREAK GROUND ON THE HOUSE. WE WERE PAYING INTEREST ON OUR CONSTRUCTION LOAN. UH, IT ENDED UP COSTING ME ABOUT $2500 IN ADDITIONAL PAYMENTS. UM THEY TOOK A LOT OUT OF MY FAMILY MYSELF LIKE, YOU KNOW, PUTTING UP. UH YOU KNOW, MY IN LAWS PUTTING UP WITH US FOR AN EXTRA THREE MONTHS AND TWO TODDLERS. THAT WAS VERY DIFFICULT. UM THANKFULLY, WE GOT EVERYTHING, UH, SQUARED AWAY, BUT, UM YEAH, THE ACTIONS OF THE OF THE COUNTY TO DELAY MY BUILDING PERMIT WAS AGAIN IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT FOR MY FAMILY AND MYSELF. AND IT WAS IF I MAY I'M GONNA STOP YOU RIGHT THERE BECAUSE YOUR TIME'S UP, BUT MR RICHARDSON, ARE YOU CATCHING ALL THIS? SEE ME AFTER WE'RE DONE. THANK YOU. HE'LL MEET WITH YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT CALL. NEXT SPEAKER KATIE GANO. HEY. GOOD EVENING. HELLO, COUNSEL. UH KATIE GUANO

[01:10:04]

I WAS NOT EXPECTING THAT. THANK YOU. UM THANK YOU TO THE MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL WHO TRULY CARE ABOUT NOT ONLY STAKEHOLDERS, BUT CONSTITUENTS IN THEIR DISTRICTS, UM, REAL PEOPLE DEDICATED TO THEIR COMMUNITIES AND DON'T I'M SKIPPER. SKIP PART THERE. UM WE THE PEOPLE SHOULD BE THE REAL STAKEHOLDERS OF NEIGHBORHOODS AND DISTRICTS AS A WHOLE PERIOD. I SKIPPED A FEW PARTS. I DID NOT EXPECT THE MEETING TO GO LIKE IT DID EARLIER, BUT I'M HAPPY ABOUT THAT. UM I HEAR THE WORD STAKEHOLDERS AND CONSTITUENTS TOSSED AROUND A LOT AND THESE CHAMBERS, AND IT'S FUNNY BECAUSE , WHILE THE WORDS ARE SIMILAR, THE ROOTS OF THEIR MEANINGS ARE DIFFERENT. A STAKEHOLDER AS DEFINED BY MIRIAM WEBSTER'S DICTIONARY, CROSS REFERENCE WITH WIKIPEDIA AND A THESAURUS THAT I HAVE A STAKEHOLDER CAN BE DEFINED AS ONE A PERSON ENTRUSTED WITH THE STAKES OF BETTERS TOO, ONE THAT HAS A STAKE IN AN ENTERPRISE. 31 INVOLVED ARE AFFECTED BY A COURSE OF ACTION. NOTE A STAKE BEING DEFINED AS AN INTEREST OR A SHARE IN AN UNDERTAKING OR ENTERPRISE. I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT THAT LAST PART. SYNONYMS OF STAKEHOLDER ARE CLAIM INTEREST SHARE AND I WILL NOT SHARE ALL OF THE VERBS. NO PUN INTENDED. WELL UH, BECAUSE THEY SOUND FAR LESS LIKE PEOPLE THAN THE NOUN STAKEHOLDER. THE VERB MEANS WORD SUCH AS CAPITALIZE FUND AND ENDOW TO NAME A FEW. WHILE IT'S A CONSTITUENT IS DEFINED AS A MEMBER OF A CONSTITUENCY PLEDGED TO HELP THEIR ELDERLY CONSTITUENTS OR IN OUR CASE, LOCAL GOVERNMENT DIVIDED INTO GEOGRAPHICAL ZONES, TOO, AN ESSENTIAL PART OF COMPONENT AND ELEMENT. ORGANIC CONSTITUENTS OF ANIMALS AND MICROORGANISMS. 31 WHO AUTHORIZES ANOTHER TO ACT AS AN AGENT OR PRINCIPAL, FOR, UM SERVING TO FORM COMPOSED OR MAKE UP A UNIT AS A WHOLE. SYNONYMS, INCLUDING BUILDING BLOCK A COMPONENT AN ELEMENT OF FACTOR, AN INGREDIENT A MEMBER. I LIKED THAT LAST ONE. A MEMBER BEING A MEMBER OF SOMETHING THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE RIGHT. A MEMBER OF OUR COMMUNITY AND YOU ALL ARE SUPPOSED TO BE REPRESENTING US IN OUR DISTRICTS. MR PENMAN. A CONSTITUENT SOUNDS MUCH MORE LIKE AN ORGANIC MUCH MORE ORGANIC TO ME THAN A STAKEHOLDER, DOESN'T IT? ERIN I WOULD LIKE YOU TO THINK ABOUT MORE OF US IN DISTRICT B. LESS ABOUT YOUR STAKEHOLDERS, EVEN IF A SMALL MINORITY LIVES IN IN A DISTRICT B. MY NEIGHBORS AND I KEEP COMING HERE AND I SAW PERRYMAN LEAVING ON THE WAY AND WE'RE TURNING INTO BROKEN RECORDS WITH OUR LEGITIMATE CONCERNS OVER OVERDEVELOPMENT, AND STILL SOME OF YOU FAIL TO ADDRESS OUR STRESS INFRASTRUCTURE. PLEASE STOP.

STOP THE NONSENSE WITH OUR OTHER OTHER GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS FOCUS MORE ON YOUR CONSTITUENCY. US.

LET ME BE CLEAR. WE DO NOT WANT EXCESS DEVELOPMENT. LET ME ALSO BE CLEAR. WE WILL NOT BACK DOWN.

WE NEED STRONGER INFRASTRUCTURE PRIOR TO MORE BUILDS, AND THAT'S THAT COUNCIL. PLEASE HELP US WITH BUILDING MORATORIUMS AND SCHOOLS. THANK YOU. HAVE A GOOD NIGHT. GOOD NIGHT, MA'AM. DALE LIVINGSTON. GOOD EVENING, MA'AM. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE. DALE LIVINGSTON 1908 ANGLE SIDE ROAD, A UH, WHEN I ARRIVED, I HANDED UM UH, A REPORTS FOR EACH ONE OF YOU, UM, FOR YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT OUR VOTING SYSTEM IN MARYLAND, WHICH AFFECTS ALL COUNTIES. THIS REPORT HAS BEEN SENT TO THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS AND EACH LOCAL BOARD OF ELECTIONS AS WELL AS THE STATE REPRESENTATIVES AND DELEGATES. THIS REPORT, AS STATED ON THE FIRST PAGE IS MEANT TO ASSIST WITH THE RESTORATION OF FAITH IN OUR MARYLAND ELECTION PROCESS. I'M PRESENTING THIS REPORT TO YOU THIS EVENING BECAUSE WHETHER OR NOT YOU THINK THE ELECTION SYSTEM IN MARYLAND IS HAVING ANY ISSUES, OR THAT YOU AS COUNCILMAN AND WOMEN HAVE LITTLE TO SAY IN OUR ELECTION SYSTEM, EVERY VOICE COUNTS AND THE EFFORTS TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE FAIR, UH ACCURATE, SECURE AND TRUSTED ELECTION SYSTEMS. YOUR INPUT INTO WHAT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN MARYLAND ELECTIONS IS AS IMPORTANT AS ANY OTHER ELECTED OFFICIAL IN ANNAPOLIS. CURRENTLY THERE ARE A FEW BILLS BEING SPONSORED CONCERNING VERY IMPORTANT ISSUES THAT WILL AFFECT THE SYSTEM. AND IN DOING SO, ALSO ALL CANDIDATES AND CURRENT ELECTED OFFICIALS, FOR EXAMPLE, STATE BILL 1052 CONCERNS RECORD RETENTION OF ELECTION MATERIAL. WHILE THIS MAY BE NOT A POPULAR TOPIC TO

[01:15:01]

ALL RIGHT WITH THE NO OTHER PUBLIC SPEAKERS WILL GO TO BUSINESS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS, MR GUTH. THANK YOU, MR PRESIDENT . UH UH. DEBBIE SHRIVER RN. THERE'S THEY'LL BE BACK THERE.

SHE SHE REMINDED ME OF SOMETHING I WANTED TO REPORT THIS MONTH. UH UM THAT THIS IS, UH, MARCH IS COAL CANCER AWARENESS MONTH. THE CDC RECOMMENDS SCREENING AT AGE 45 UNLESS A PERSON HAS A FAMILY OF HISTORY OF CANCER. ABOUT 100 AND 5000. PEOPLE ARE DIAGNOSED WITH COLON CANCER EACH YEAR.

THIS DISEASE CAN BE DEADLY, BUT DOCTORS SAY IT IS PREVENTABLE WITH PROPER SCREENING AND TREATABLE IF DETECTED EARLY. AND YOU'RE LOOKING AT SOMEBODY THAT THAT HAPPENED TO AND I MAY NOT BE SITTING HERE IF I HADN'T GOTTEN A CALL, ASK ME ON A TIMELY BASIS. FOUND OUT THERE WAS CANCER IN MY COLON THAT THEY HAD TO CUT OUT ABOUT 8 TO 10 INCHES LAST NOVEMBER. OF MY GOAL , AND IT HAD AND THE PAD AND STUFF THAT WAS IN THERE THAT THEY CUT OUT WAS TIER TWO CANCER. AND IF I HADN'T AND I HAD NO FEELING OF THAT WHATSOEVER. NO PROBLEMS. I JUST WAS GOING IN FOR A REGULAR COLONOSCOPY. AND UM, UH, IF I WERE TO PASS THAT UP, I YOU KNOW IT. IT WOULD HAVE GOTTEN CONSTANTLY WORSE, AND, UH, MAY NOT BE HERE. UM AYE. LAST SATURDAY. I ATTENDED THE, UH, LEADING WOMEN OF TOMORROW. UH, ALONG WITH COUNCILMAN PENMAN AND COUNTY EXECUTIVE, UH, CASSY AND, UH, HONORED THE LEADING WOMEN OF TOMORROW. THEY'RE ALL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, UH, AND THE TWO OUT OF MY DISTRICT, TRACY COMMUN , UH, SHE WAS NOMINATED. AND UH UH, SHE'S A SENIOR WHO MAINTAINS A 4.75 GRADE POINT AVERAGE IN JIT TOWN HIGH SCHOOL. SHE'S A MEMBER OF NATIONAL HONOR. SOCIETY UH, SHE'S HEAD OF A SWIM CLUB. TRACY'S AMONG THE FIRST GRADUATING CLASS OF JET TOWN PATHWAYS AND TECHNOLOGY, EARLY HIGH SCHOOL, UH, PROGRAM AND WILL OBTAIN AN ASSOCIATION'S DEGREE BEFORE GRADUATING FROM HIGH SCHOOL. YOU'RE ALREADY GOING TO COLLEGE WITH ASSOCIATE DEGREE. AND ALSO KELSEY LEARN MYERS. UM SHE'S A SENIOR AT THE INTERNET, UH, INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE PROGRAM IN EDGEWOOD HIGH SCHOOL. THAT'S THAT'S ONE OF THE HIGHEST, UH, RECOGNIZED. UM UM, PROGRAMS IN THE IN THE UNITED STATES, SHE MAINTAINS A 4.45 GRADE POINT AVERAGE SHE SERVES AS TREASURER OF THE NATIONAL HONOR. SOCIETY IS A MEMBER OF KUS. UM, SOCIAL STUDIES HONOR SOCIETY. VICE PRESIDENT OF THE INAUGURATION.

UH NATIONAL LEADERSHIP TEAM. UH, SHE, UH, SHE ALSO SERVES AS A STUDENT PAGE DURING THE MERRILL GENERAL ASSEMBLY RIGHT NOW, AND IS INTERESTED IN PUBLIC POLICY. SHE INTENDS TO PURSUE A CAREER IN OUR NATIONAL POLITICS. THERE WAS ABOUT, UH, 10 OR 11, LADIES. ALL UM ALL HONORED, UH, ONE FROM EACH ONE OF THE HIGH SCHOOLS IN OUR, UH IN, UH, OUR OUR COUNTY AND WE SURE HAVE TO BE PROUD OF, UH, SOME OF THESE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE COMING UP THERE. THEY'RE GONNA BE THE OF THE FUTURE IN OUR COUNTY, AND WE CERTAINLY NEED TO BE PROUD OF THEM. UM WE HAD, UH, LAST NIGHT WE HAD OUR, UH, ANNUAL OR MONTHLY, I SHOULD SAY, UH UH, COMMUNITY MEETING, UH, AT THE SOUTHERN PRECINCT, UH, STATION, AND WE CERTAINLY HAD A, UH, A NICE CROWD. UH, CHRISTIAN KIRKWOOD, WHICH IS

[01:20:06]

UH AND THEY WERE BOTH THERE AND PRESENTED, UH, TERRY PRESENTED THE THING ABOUT PARKS AND RECS AND EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENING IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY. AND ALSO HOW ASHMAN WAS THERE. UH HE, UH HE IS A CEO OF ULTIMATE WATER SPORTS. AND UNFORTUNATELY, UH, HE'S BEING HE'S BEING AFFECTED BY THE FACT THAT THE JITAN, UH MARINA IS, UH UH, IS CLOSING. ACCORDING TO MARINE, MAX, UH, THEY'RE SHUTTING IT DOWN. AS OF MARCH 1 AND, UH, HE HE'S THERE ALL SUMMER LONG WITH ALL HIS, UM, BOOGIE BOARDS AND THE STUFF YOU YOU KNOW, YOU RUN AROUND ON WATER WITH AND, UH HE'S VERY UNHAPPY. BECAUSE HE THOUGHT HE HAD A THREE YEAR CONTRACT WITH, UH UM UH UH, WITH THE MARINA THERE, BUT, UH, THERE'S THEY'RE SHUNNING IT DOWN, SO WE'RE TRYING TO WORK WITH THEM, AND, UH, THE COUNTY IS TRYING TO WORK WITH HIM. ALSO WE THINK WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO CONTINUE THAT RIGHT THERE AT THE MARINER POINT, MANOR POINT. MARINA. BECAUSE THERE IS A UH, AREA RIGHT THERE WHERE BOATS CAN BE PUT IN AN OUT . I THINK WE CAN. UH UH, KEEP THAT GOING AND HE'S HE'S A GREAT GUY. HE DOES A LOT OF THINGS WITH, UH UM UNDERPRIVILEGED CHILDREN IN THE COUNTY AND, UH, WE CERTAINLY WANT TO KEEP HIM IN IN IN OUR COUNTY. UM ALSO IT HAD THE GRAND OPENING. UH, I DON'T KNOW AT THE, UH UH, WE HAD THE EDGEWOOD JOB OF TOWN COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD MEETING AT THE SOUTHERN PRECINCT. AND UH UM UH, THAT WAS ONE OF THE LARGEST MEETINGS WE'VE HAD IN SOME TIME. SO WITH THAT, UH, MR. UH, PRESIDENT, UH, THAT'S ALL I GOT FOR A NIGHT. THANK YOU, MR GUTHRIE AND MR PENMAN. THANK YOU, MR PRESIDENT. I'VE BEEN APPROACHED BY COMMUNITY AND BUSINESS STAKEHOLDERS WHO REPORTED ON FAIR PRACTICES AND CONFLICTS OF INTEREST IN THE FULFILLMENT OF ZONING APPROVALS, AND, UH, COUNTY EXECUTIVES ADMINISTRATION AFTER RECEIVING THE INFORMATION I RESEARCHED AND VERIFIED THE CONCERNS. AS A CO EQUAL BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT. IT IS OUR JOB TO ASK IMPORTANT QUESTIONS AND REPORT IMPROPER ACTIONS WHEN WE DISCOVER THEM. THEREFORE I REPORTED THE CONFLICT TO THE STATE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE. ONCE MR CALEY WAS MADE AWARE THAT HIS ACTIONS WERE DISCOVERED HE ATTACKED ME ON THE HARTFORD COUNTY GOVERNMENT PAGE FOR EXPOSING THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST AND THEN ATTEMPTED TO DISTRACT COMMUNITY MEMBERS BY ALLEGING THAT I AM VIOLATING THE LAW SERVING ON THE COUNCIL AS A MEMBER OF THE HARFORD COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, AND I'LL MORE TO THE GOD TO COME ON THAT HERE IN A MOMENT. CONSIDERING THE COUNTY EXECUTIVES RECENT MEDIA RELEASE. I BELIEVE IT IS IMPORTANT TO PRESENT THE FACTS OF THE CONFLICT. OF INTEREST IN THE REAL ESTATE PLOT IN QUESTION AT A TIME WHEN PERMITS AND DEVELOPMENTS HAVE SLOWED OR STALLED FOR THE AVERAGE BUSINESS IN HARTFORD COUNTY, WHICH WAS HERE TESTIFIED TO NIGHT IT APPEARS THAT IS NOT THE CASE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT PROPERTY OF THE CASTLE COMPANY REGISTERED TO BOB CASS'S PERSONAL ADDRESS. THE PRELIMINARY PLOT WAS SUBMITTED ON OCTOBER 31ST 2023 FOR BELL CAMP HEIGHTS BY WILSON, DEGAN AND ASSOCIATES INCORPORATED ON BEHALF OF JOE CAIN. THIS IS THE SAME JOE CALEY, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE ATTEMPTED TO POINT A POINT TO THE HARTFORD COUNTY ETHICS BOARD, BUT DECIDED TO WITHDRAW HIS NAME WHEN HE LEARNED THAT HE WOULD NOT BE, UH HE WOULD BE DENIED BY THE COUNTY COUNCIL. THE PURPOSE OF THE PLOT WAS TO REVISE THE PREVIOUSLY RECORDED PLOT BY ELIMINATING CASTLE COURT. REDUCING AND RECONFIGURING SEVERAL LOTS TO REVISE THE MINIMUM BUILDING SETBACKS AND ELIMINATING THE DRAINAGE AND UTILITY EASEMENTS.

WHEN COMPLETING MOST PRELIMINARY PLANS, THE DESIGNER DEVELOPER OWNER MUST SUBMIT A SITE PLAN APPLICATION GUIDED BY A CHECKLIST. THE EXTENSIVE CHECKLIST INCLUDES REQUIREMENTS ELEMENTS SUCH AS FORCE CONSERVATION PLANS FOR STAND DELINEATION, CONTOUR LINES DEPICTING GRADE WELL LOCATION PER TEST AND PROPOSED STORMWATER MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS. THESE CRITICAL DEVELOPMENT ELEMENTS MUST BE INCORPORATED IN THE ACTUAL PRELIMINARY SITE PLAN, HOWEVER, ON THE CA COMPANY PLOT OF THOSE FEATURES ARE DEPICTED. ONE OF THE HARTFORD COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT AUTHORIZED IT ABBREVIATED PROCESS FOR THE CASTING PROPERTY. OTHER NEARLY IDENTICAL, NON COSTLY PROJECTS AND PLANS HAVE NOT BEEN AFFORDED

[01:25:05]

TO CAST REVENGE FOR ADVOCATING FOR TRANSPARENCY IN OUR GOVERNMENT. THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE HAS YET AGAIN RETALIATED AGAINST MY LEGAL ABILITY TO SERVE AND PERFORM MY DUTIES, BOTH AS A LEGISLATOR AND IN PUBLIC SAFETY AS A MEMBER OF THE HARTFORD COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE. THIS FRUSTRATION? UH, FRUSTRATING ASPECT OF THIS IS THAT IT'S ALREADY BEEN DECIDED ON EVERY POSSIBLE LEVEL OF COUNTY OF, UH OF OUR GOVERNMENT. I'LL WALK YOU THROUGH A COUPLE OF THOSE. THIS IS THE MARYLAND STATE SUPREME COURT RULING FROM THE JACOB BENNETT CASE, WHERE IT LISTS THE HARTFORD COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE SIMILAR TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION, WITHHOLDING MY RIGHT TO SERVE HERE AS A COUNCILMAN AND ALSO A MEMBER OF THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. THE COUNTY EXECUTIVES OR HIS LAW OFFICE REQUESTED THE ATTORNEY GENERAL. SUBMIT AN OPINION. THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OPINION IS RIGHT HERE, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL SAYS. YOU YOU NEED TO GO TO THE MARYLAND STATE ETHICS BOARD. BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE PURVIEW. SO PRIOR TO THAT WAY PRIOR TO THAT, IN OCTOBER, I REQUESTED THE MARYLAND STATE ETHICS BOARD TO REVIEW MY CASE. IN THAT REVIEW, THE ETHICS BOARD SAID. YOU HAVE COMPLIED WITH THE RELEVANT SECTIONS OF THE PUBLIC ETHICS LAWS. BASED ON ALL THESE FACTORS. THE COMMISSION GRANTED YOU AN EXCEPTION TO THE SECONDARY EMPLOYMENT, STRICT PROHIBITION TO ALLOW YOUR SECONDARY EMPLOYMENT WITH THE HARTFORD COUNTY COUNCIL. SO AGAIN, IT WAS UPHELD. THE HARTFORD COUNTY ETHICS BOARD WAS ALSO REVIEWED THIS CASE IN NOVEMBER. WHEN THEY REVIEWED THE CASE IN NOVEMBER. THEY SAID THEY DO NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY. TO WEIGH IN ON THIS TOPIC. NOW, ONCE AGAIN. THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE HAS REQUESTED. THE HARTFORD COUNTY ETHICS BOARD REVIEW THIS CASE AND WHAT THEY'RE ADVISING

[01:30:01]

THANK YOU, MR J. THANK YOU. COUNCIL PRESIDENT. I'D ALSO LIKE TO, UM, OFFER MY CONDOLENCES TO THE OFFICERS. ZACHARY MILLER, WHO PASSED AWAY ON FEBRUARY 28TH DUE TO MEDICAL EMERGENCY. HE UH, HE ACTUALLY MARKED 43 YEARS OF SERVICE WITH THE BEL AIR TO POLICE DEPARTMENT AND WILL BE HE WILL BE MISSED ON A PERSONAL NOTE. I HAD A VERY GOOD FRIEND DOTS DE JANEIRO WHO PASSED AWAY.

UM ABOUT A WEEK AGO. UM SHE HAD SOME HEART ISSUES I'VE KNOWN HER SINCE SHE WAS SIX YEARS OLD. SHE TOOK CARE OF BOTH MY AUNT AND UNCLE ALL THE TIME. UM SHE WAS ALWAYS VERY GIVING. UM WONDERFUL LADY, UM AND JUST DEVASTATING THAT, UH, THAT SHE'S GONE. UM SHE WAS LIVING DOWN IN FLORIDA AT THE TIME. SO UH, UM SORRY TO HEAR THAT. AND UH AND I'M ALSO GLAD THAT, UH UM MR PENMAN PULLED THE BILL FOR THE AD U BILL. UM UH, AS, UH EVERYBODY KNOWS I WAS OPPOSED TO IT, SO I'M GLAD THAT DID NOT COME UP FOR VOTE. AND, UM FORWARD ANYTHING, MAYBE CHANGING SOME THINGS. UM BUT DEFINITELY WAS NOT FOR THAT FOR THE AD U. SO THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT.

THANK YOU, MR JJ AND MR RILEY. IT'S JUST TWO THINGS FIRST OFF, UH, I ATTENDED THE HARTFORD COUNTY FARM BUREAU OF BOONE SHRIMP ROAST. LIKE 600 PARTICIPANTS. IT'S AN EXCELLENT BULL ROAST AND A APPRECIATE WHAT HARTFORD COUNTY FARM BUREAU DOES FOR US IN HARTFORD COUNTY, ALSO

[01:35:02]

[01:40:02]

WEEK. THAT'S A LOT, MR BENNETT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I APPRECIATE IT. UH, WE TRY TO KEEP A MODERATE SCHEDULE, BUT SOME DAYS THEY GET OUT OF HAND. NO QUESTION. UM SO BUSINESS FROM THE PRESIDENT. THE FIRST THING I NEED TO DO IS TO ANNOUNCE OUR BUDGET WORK SESSION SCHEDULE.

STARTING WITH MONDAY, APRIL 22ND. TUESDAY, APRIL 23RD. AGAIN MONDAY, APRIL THE 29TH AND TUESDAY, APRIL 30TH. THESE ARE THE WORK SESSIONS WHERE ALL OF OUR, UH DEPARTMENTS COUNTY DEPARTMENTS COME TO BEFORE US AND PRESENT AND ALSO ALL OF OUR OUT OUTSIDE AGENCIES COME TO PRESENT A COPY OF THE SCHEDULE WILL BE ON OUR WEBSITE. AUDIO LIVE STREAM WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR THOSE FOUR DAYS OF MEETINGS. AUDIO OF THE MEETING WILL BE ARCHIVED ON THE COUNCIL WEBSITE.

AND THEN, UH, OUR BUDGET. PUBLIC HEARINGS ARE SCHEDULED FOR WEDNESDAY. MAY THE EIGHTH IN THESE CHAMBERS AT 7 P.M. AND MONDAY, THE 13TH MAY 13TH AGAIN AT 7 P.M. IN THESE CHAMBERS, UM VIDEO AND AUDIO WILL BE LIVE, STREAMED AND ARCHIVED ON COUNCIL WEBSITE. UM THIS PAST MONTH, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT THE JARRETTSVILLE NORRISVILLE CAB MEETING AND, UH, PRESENT TO THEM. ALSO HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT SHAR HOPES, MAN HOUSE AND, UH, HAVE DINNER WITH THE MEN GET TO KNOW THEM SPEND SOME TIME WITH THEM. I THINK THERE WAS ABOUT NINE OR 10 OF THEM IN THE HOUSE THAT NIGHT. UH AS MR RILEY TALKED ABOUT TENDED THE, UH, HARTFORD COUNTY FARM FARM BUREAU'S ANNUAL BULL ROAST, UM, HUGE CROWD. VERY, VERY, VERY NICE EVENT. UH DIDN'T STAY THERE VERY LONG BECAUSE I LEFT AND I WENT TO THE LEVEL VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANIES ANNUAL AWARDS BANQUET AND, UM, JUST WANT TO THANK ALL OF THOSE MEMBERS OF THAT FIRE COMPANY AS WELL AS ALL OF OUR VOLUNTEERS ACROSS THE COUNTY, UH, FOR THE SERVICE AND DEDICATION THEY PROVIDE TO NOT ONLY THEIR COMMUNITIES BUT TO THE COUNTY AS A WHOLE. UM WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TOUR THE COPPER MINE FACILITY IN EDGEWOOD THIS PAST WEEK. UH, MR JACOBS MET US THERE TOOK US ON A TOUR AND WE WENT ALL OVER THE EIGHT FIELDS THAT ARE THERE TALKED ABOUT THE EXPANSION AND THE DEVELOPMENT COMING IN THE FUTURE . UH, AND SOME OF THE POSSIBLE THINGS THERE, UM 10 TO THE ATHENA LEADERSHIP AWARDS. UH, VERY PROUD OF ALL THE FINALISTS AND THE RECIPIENTS WHO WANT TO CONGRATULATE MISS HARRIS AS ONE OF THE FINALISTS, UH, AND THEN ALSO CONGRATULATE ALL THE RECIPIENTS. UH, MISS STACY, ROBERT STACY GERIN AND DOCTOR MARY TEDDY RAY. ALL EXTREMELY EXTREMELY, UM WORTHY OF THE AWARDS THAT THEY THEY RECEIVED. UM I, TOO WANT TO EXPRESS MY CONDOLENCES TO THE FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF, UH, ZACH MILLER. UM HE WAS A POLICE OFFICER IN BEL AIR FOR 43 YEARS. UM PASSED AWAY SUDDENLY ON THE 28TH. UH I KNEW HIM AS A KID, THOUGH HE WORKED FOR ME AT THE BACK OF THE BEL AIR BAKERY, FRYING DOUGHNUTS AND DIPPING DONUTS LONG BEFORE HE WAS A POLICE OFFICER. AND WHEN I HEARD THEY GAVE HIM A GUN, I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT. BUT UM, JUST A JUST A GREAT INDIVIDUAL IMMERSED IN HIS COMMUNITY AND JUST REAL QUICK. WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE GIVING BACK TO HIS COMMUNITY, HE WAS INVOLVED WITH THE LOCAL MOOSE, THE LOCAL ELKS. HE WAS A PART OF THE SHRINERS. THE MASONS LODGE, THE AMERICAN LEGION, THE ISAAC WALTON LEAGUE, THE DELTA PEACH BOTTOM FISHING GAME ASSOCIATION TO NAME A FEW, UH, AVID COLLECTOR OF WORLD WAR. TWO MEMORABILIA. UM JUST, UH, JUST A GREAT ALL ROUND GUY AND HE WILL BE MISSED BY MANY. MANY I THINK HIS VISITATION IS TOMORROW AND SERVICE IS THURSDAY IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN. AND THEN FINALLY, I WANNA THANK EVERYONE FOR THE, UH, WELL WISHES, UH, THE FLOWERS AND EVERYTHING THAT THEY CONTINUE TO SEND A GENIE AS SHE HEALS FROM HER LATEST SURGERY,

[01:45:02]