* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [County Council Budget Work Session] [00:00:07] YEAH. YES. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED WITH OUR FINAL, UM, WORK SESSION FOR THIS BUDGET. UM, I'M GONNA WELCOME, UH, MR. MAGNUS, UM, AND, UH, PARKS AND RECREATION. UH, MR. HANLEY. UM, GOOD MORNING, KIM. WHENEVER YOU'RE READY. ALL RIGHT. PAGE 5 36. WE'RE GONNA START WITH PARKS AND REC ADMINISTRATION. THERE'S AN INCREASE THERE. OKAY, 42,000 OH 44. UM, PERSONAL SERVICES INCREASE IS $55,044. AGAIN, UM, THEY HAD SOME TURNOVER THERE FOR DECREASE OF 32 2 57. UM, OF COURSE, WE INCLUDED THE FISCAL YEAR 24 COLA OF 16 0 67, AND THE 25 COLA AND THOUSAND DOLLARS MERIT AT 15,560. WE ALSO INCREASED TEMPORARY SALARIES BY $27,000. AND ONE VACANT UNFUNDED ADMINISTRATOR POSITION WAS ABOLISHED. UM, CONTRACTUAL SERVICES DECREASES $200, AND THAT'S FOR TELEPHONE SERVICE, AND THAT'S BASED ON ACTUALS, SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS DECREASES 2,800. THIS IS FOR LANDSCAPE AND GROUNDS. MATERIAL AND OTHER SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS BASED ON ACTUALS AS WELL AS BUSINESS AND TRAVEL DECREASES 10,000. AND AGAIN, ALL THAT WAS BASED ON ACTUALS. THERE WAS NO CHANGE IN THE MISCELLANEOUS LI ITEM, AND THAT PROVIDES CONTRIBUTIONS TO CHESAPEAKE THERAPEUTIC WRITING. ON PAGE 5 39 IS PARKS AND REC REC SERVICES. YOU'LL SEE A DECREASE THERE OF $53,063. THE BULK OF THAT IS IN PERSONAL SERVICES. AT 49 413, THEY HAD TURNOVER OF 214,643 FOR DECREASE. UM, FISCAL YEAR 24 IS COLA INCREASES, 70,485, AND THEN THE FISCAL 25 IS 60,866. UM, THERE WAS, UM, TWO TRANSFERS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND REC FOR A NET DECREASE OF 14,000 OH 25. OTHER THAN THAT, HEALTH BENEFITS WERE ADJUSTED, UM, BASED ON ACTUALS AT 47 4 75. UNDER CONTRACTUAL SERVICES, THERE'S A DECREASE THERE OF $3,000. AND THIS IS FOR FITNESS EQUIPMENT, GYM EQUIPMENT AND SO FORTH. AND AGAIN, THAT'S BASED ON ACTUAL SPENDING SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS. A VERY SLIGHT DECREASE THERE OF 750. AND AGAIN, BUT IT STILL PROVIDES SUFFICIENT FUNDS FOR, UM, DUPLICATING MACHINE SUPPLIES, WRECK WRECK SUPPLIES, AND SO FORTH. UNDER BUSINESS AND TRAVEL, THERE'S A SLIGHT INCREASE THERE OF A HUNDRED DOLLARS. AND THAT'S FOR VEHICLE MAINTENANCE, FUEL AND, UM, TRAINING AND SEMINARS. IF YOU TURN TO PAGE 5 42, THIS IS PARKS AND REC, PARKS AND FACILITIES CALL CENTER. THERE'S AN INCREASE THERE OF $143,590. AGAIN, THE BULK OF THAT IS IN PERSONAL SERVICES. FER NET INCREASE IN THAT OF 1 34, 2 89, THERE WAS SOME TURNOVER THERE FOR DECREASE OF 87,823. THE FISCAL YEAR 24 COLA WAS INCLUDED AT 48 341, THE FISCAL YEAR, 25 COLA AND $1,000 MERIT WAS INCLUDED AT 46 365. UM, WE TRANSFERRED ONE POSITION IN FROM REC SERVICES INTO THIS DIVISION FOR A COST OF $112,037. AND THEN WE INCREASED TEMPORARY SALARIES, 19,000 1 98, BASED ON ACTUALS. ONE VACANT UNFUNDED MAINTENANCE WORKER POSITION WAS ABOLISHED IN THIS DIVISION. UNDER CONTRACTUAL SERVICES, IT INCREASES $3,700, $37,000, EXCUSE ME. UM, THERE WAS A DECREASE IN OTHER RENTS AND UTILITIES BASED ON ACTUALS OF 15,000. AND THE NET OF, UM, ELECTRICITY HEATING, FUEL FACILITY REPAIR, OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, AND THEN A DECREASE IN SNOW REMOVAL. UM, NETS OUT THE DEBT 37,000. AND THEY'RE ALL BASED ON ACTUAL EXPENSES AND WHAT WE ANTICIPATE FOR CONTRACT INCREASES. UNDER SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS, THERE'S A DECREASE THERE OF 28,700. UM, WE INCREASED PAPER SUPPLIES BASED ON ACTUALS AT $9,000, BUT WE DECREASED OTHER SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS BY $30,000. UNDER BUSINESS AND TRAVEL, THERE'S AN INCREASE THERE OF A THOUSAND DOLLARS. UM, BUT IT STILL PROVIDES FOR, UM, TRAINING, SEMINARS AND COURSES AS WELL AS, UM, VEHICLE MAINTENANCE. THERE WAS NO CHANGE IN MISCELLANEOUS. IF YOU TURN TO PAGE FIVE FORTY FOUR, THIS IS THE CALL CENTER. THIS IS THE SPECIAL [00:05:01] REVENUE FUND. SO, UM, THESE ARE ALL SUPPORTED BY REVENUES THAT THEY BRING IN. SO THE FIRST ONE WOULD BE EMERTON REC AND TENNIS CENTER. THERE'S A DECREASE THERE OF 19,000 8 0 8, AND YOU'LL SEE THE BULK OF THAT IS IN PERSONAL SERVICES. UM, WE TRANSFERRED ONE OF THE POSITIONS INTO, UM, REC SERVICES FOR A, UM, DECREASE OF 62,893. CONTRACTUAL SERVICES INCREASES 44,200, AND THIS IS ALL BASED ON RATE INCREASES AND ACTUALS. AND IT PROVIDES INCREASES FOR ELECTRICITY, HEATING, OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES IN BUILDING AND CUSTODIAL UNDER SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS. THERE'S A DECREASE THERE OF 1,050. AND THIS, AGAIN, IS BASED ON ACTUALS FOR JANITORIAL SUPPLIES, EQUIPMENT, AND OTHER SAFETY EQUIPMENT. AND THEN BUSINESS TRAVEL, $65 ADJUSTMENT BASED ON ACTUAL FOR MEMBERSHIP FEES AND DUES. IF YOU TURN TO PAGE 5 48, THIS AGAIN IS THE SPECIAL REVENUE FUND. THIS IS OAKINGTON. THERE IS AN INCREASE THERE OF 48,424. UH, $23,062 IS FOR PERSONAL SERVICES, AND THAT PROVIDES TEMPORARY, TEMPORARY SALARIES AT, FOR AN INCREASE OF 16,357, AS WELL AS ADJUSTMENTS TO WORKERS' COMP AND FICA CONTRACTUAL SERVICES INCREASES $23,100, AND IT IS THE NET INCREASES FOR ELECTRICITY. OTHER ADVERTISING, PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, AND BUILDING A CUSTODIAL, AGAIN, THEY'RE ALL BASED ON ACTUALS. SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS INCREASES $2,410. THIS, AGAIN, IS FOR GROUNDS, MATERIALS, OTHER SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS AND JANITORIAL SUPPLIES. THERE WAS NO CHANGE IN BUSINESS AND TRAVEL AND NO CHANGE IN CAPITAL OUTLAY. THERE WAS A VERY SLIGHT INCREASE IN MISCELLANEOUS. AND THIS IS FOR THEIR SHARE OF THE PRO RATA FORMULA. AND THEN LAST ON PAGE FIVE 50, AGAIN, THIS IS THE SPECIAL REVENUE FUND. REC COUNCIL AND SPECIAL ACTIVITIES INCREASES 5,000 3 83 AND 383 WAS FOR ADJUSTMENTS TO SOME FICA IN PERSONAL SERVICES. 6,500 IN CONTRACTUAL SERVICES FOR BUILDING AND CUSTODIAL BASED ON ACTUAL SPENDING. AND THEN SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS DECREASES 1500. AND THIS IS FOR REC SUPPLIES AND UNIFORM PURCHASES. AGAIN, BASED ON ACTUALS, THERE WAS NO CHANGE IN BUSINESS AND TRAVEL UNDER THAT CALL CENTER. AND WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO MR. MAGNUS. GREAT. UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, GOOD MORNING, COUNCIL PRESIDENT AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. UH, BEFORE WE BEGIN WITH OUR BUDGET DISCUSSION, I WANNA TAKE A FEW MOMENTS. UM, FIRST TO THANK OUR DEPARTMENT STAFF, UH, WHO WORKED TIRELESSLY ON A DAILY BASIS, PROVIDING PROGRAMMING FOR COUNTY CITIZENS AND MAINTAINING OUR COUNTY PARKS, BUILDINGS, TRAILS, AND OTHER AMENITIES INSIDE AND OUT. AND ALSO THANK YOU TO OUR RECREATION COUNCIL PARTNERS WHO IN Y 23 REGISTERED 120, OVER 128,000 PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS PROVIDED 14,852 VOLUNTEERS. AND THOSE VOLUNTEERS REGISTERED OVER 460,000 VOLUNTEER HOURS. UM, I CAN TELL YOU, UM, PERSONALLY, IT'S GREAT, IT'S FUN. I VOLUNTEER FOR THE BEL AIR REC COMMITTEE. I COACH BASEBALL, I COACH BASKETBALL, AND I COACH SOCCER. UM, SO, YOU KNOW, AND TONIGHT WILL BE A PERFECT EXAMPLE. I, AT SIX O'CLOCK TONIGHT, I WILL SPEND AN HOUR AND A HALF WITH 11, 5, 6, 7, AND EIGHT YEAR OLDS, UH, PLAYING BASEBALL. SO IT MAKES, UH, WHAT I DO DURING THE DAY JUST AS WORTHWHILE. SO WITH THAT, UH, TURN IT OVER TO YOU FOR ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE ABOUT OUR OPERATING BUDGET. SO, PAUL, APPRECIATE ALL YOU GUYS DO. NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT IS IT ADDS TO THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN OUR COUNTY TREMENDOUSLY. UM, JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR ME. UM, YOU'RE TRANSFERRING A COUPLE OF POSITIONS, UH, TO RECREATIONAL SERVICES. WHERE ARE THEY COMING FROM? FROM PARKS AND FACILITIES AND OAK OR EMERTON? EMERTON, YES. OKAY. THEY'RE WITHIN HIS DEPARTMENT. THEY'RE JUST MOVING AROUND. AND ONE WAS 60 SOME THOUSAND, IS THAT RIGHT? AND ONE WAS 112,000. THAT'S TOTAL, THAT'S TOTAL INCLUDES BENEFITS. OKAY. THAT'S CORRECT THOUGH. RIGHT. GO AHEAD. AND THEN YOU MAY HAVE IN YOUR, IN YOUR SUMMARY, AND BY THE WAY, JUST FOR THE RECORD, IF YOU COULD, SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT YOU MADE HERE, IF YOU WOULD SEND THEM OVER, THAT WOULD BE GREAT. ABSOLUTELY. UM, BUT DID YOU, IN YOUR, IN YOUR NUMBERS, DID YOU QUOTE HOW MANY EMPLOYEES PARKS AND REC HAS TOTAL? I DID NOT. UH, CURRENTLY I BELIEVE WE HAVE 74 FULL-TIME STAFF. AND WHAT IS THE TOTAL BUDGET WITH EVERYTHING? UM, ALL FUNDS? [00:10:01] YEP. $13,008,021. IT'S ON PAGE FIVE 30 AND 74 EMPLOYEES. UM, I HAVE, I'M SHOWING 68. OKAY. FULL-TIME STAFF. SO SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 68 AND SEVEN FOUR. YEP. AND THEN OUTSIDE OF THE ADMINISTRATION, WHAT'S THE AVERAGE PARKS AND REC EMPLOYEE MAKE AVERAGE THAT? I'LL HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU. WE'LL HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU. OKAY. YEAH. I DUNNO THAT, THANK YOU. UH, MR. JAN DOWN. GOOD MORNING, PAUL. GOOD MORNING, TERRY. SO I WANT TO THANK, UH, THE WHOLE PARKS AND REC STAFF FOR THE AMOUNT OF EFFORTS THAT YOU GUYS PUT IN FOR THE MARYLAND ITALIAN FESTIVAL. UM, A LOT OF, AND I KNOW LAST MINUTE, TERRY, YOU WERE OUT THERE EVEN WORKING ON STUFF YOURSELF, UM, FILLING POTHOLES, FILLING POTHOLES AND EVERYTHING. UM, I DID HAVE A CHANGE HOLE BEFORE FROM, I CAN'T USE IT THIS YEAR. WELL, I, I DON'T THINK, UH, WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT. FIRST YEAR. WE HAD OVER 25,000 PEOPLE, UM, SHOWED UP. SO WE HAD SOME HICCUPS HERE AND THERE, BUT HOPEFULLY WE'RE GONNA GET THAT IMPROVED. AND I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN WORKING ON SOME, SOME, UH, SOME PROJECTS OVER THERE AND, AND ANOTHER WAY TO GET OUT, ALSO TO IMPROVE THAT. SO, UM, JUST, YOU KNOW, THANK EVERYBODY, UM, THE, THE STAFF AND EVERYTHING FOR, FOR THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT WAS DONE FOR THAT, I THINK, UM, TURNED OUT, TURNED OUT GOOD. UM, WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING ON, UH, I, I KNOW I KEEP SEEING SOME STUFF ON FACEBOOK WITH FIELDS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IS THERE FIELDS THAT ARE GETTING TURFED OR NOT, OR, YOU KNOW, JUST GIVE ME AN OUTLOOK ON, ON, UH, BALL FIELDS AND HOW MANY BALL ARE WE LOSING ANY FIELDS? ARE WE GAINING ANY, ANY FIELDS WHEN IT COMES TO, YOU KNOW, PARKS AND RECS FOR, YOU KNOW, BASEBALL? I SEE, YOU KNOW, SOME, SOME PLACES HAVE FOLDED, MAYBE SOME FOOTBALL PROGRAMS MAYBE HAVE FOLDED. AND WHERE ARE THEY GETTING MERGED INTO? JUST, YOU KNOW, AN OUTLOOK ON, ON, UH, ON THAT. SURE. UM, SO FROM BASEBALL AS AN EXAMPLE, UM, WE ARE RESPONSIBLE, UH, AS YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY FOR THE BASEBALL DIAMONDS THAT ARE AT COUNTY PARK SITES, BUT ALSO AT COUNTY SCHOOL SITES. SO WE MAINTAIN THOSE DIAMONDS AS WELL, UM, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. UM, WE CURRENTLY MAINTAIN ABOUT 120 DIAMONDS THAT ARE ACTIVELY USED DURING THE BA DURING THE SPRING SEASON. UM, AND THAT'S WHERE WE CONCENTRATE OUR EFFORTS. UM, ACTUALLY OVER THE PAST YEAR, UM, WE HAVE HAD IN, UH, WITH BASEBALL AS AN EXAMPLE, UM, WE'VE SEEN GROWTH WITH THE EDGEWOOD RECREATION COUNCIL. UM, THEY STARTED A BASEBALL PROGRAM LAST YEAR, AND THIS YEAR I THINK THEY HAD BETWEEN 80 AND 100 REGISTRANTS. UM, SO WE'VE OPENED UP SOME ADDITIONAL FIELDS THAT HISTORICALLY HAD NOT BEEN USED BECAUSE THERE WASN'T A BASEBALL PROGRAM THERE. UM, I DO KNOW THAT THE EMERTON, UM, RECREATION COUNCIL RECENTLY, UH, THEIR FOOTBALL PROGRAM RECENTLY ANNOUNCED, UM, THAT THEY ARE NOT GOING TO BE FIELDING A FOOTBALL PROGRAM FOR THIS YEAR. UM, I THINK THEY'RE GONNA TRY IN ANOTHER YEAR JUST TO SEE IF THEY CAN GET SOME VOLUNTEERS, UM, TO STEP UP AND HELP WITH THAT PROGRAM. UM, IN THE INTERIM, WE ARE GOING TO WORK WITH, UH, THE CEDAR LANE SPORTS FOUNDATION AT CEDAR LANE PARK BECAUSE AGAIN, FIELD 11 AT CEDAR LANE PARK WAS DEDICATED FOR USE TO THE EMERTON RECREATION COUNCIL. SO IT WILL CONTINUE TO BE USED BY OUR RECREATION COUNCIL PARTNERS, WHETHER IT'S THE EMERTON SOCCER PROGRAM, OR WE'RE ALSO GONNA LOOK, I KNOW BEL AIR, AS AN EXAMPLE, SAW AN INCREASE OF ALMOST A HUNDRED REGISTRANTS IN THEIR FOOTBALL PROGRAM. SO WE MAY BE ALLOCATING SOME OF THAT SPACE FOR SOME OF THOSE RECREATION COUNCILS THAT WHERE IF YOU REGISTERED YOUR CHILD AT EMERTON AND NOW YOU'RE REGISTERING WITH THEM WITH THE BEL AIR IN ORDER TO MEET, UH, THE, THE FIELD NEEDS FOR THE PROGRAM, DO WE HAVE ANY NEW FIELDS THAT ARE COMING ON? UM, YOU KNOW, IS THERE ANY IN THE, IN THE PIPELINE THAT YOU GUYS ARE WORKING ON THAT? UM, WE'VE GOT A COUPLE PROGRAMS, UH, OR A COUPLE, UH, PROJECTS IN THE WORKS. UH, ONE IS BENSON FIELDS, WHICH IS OVER, UH, BY EDGELEY GROVE PARK IN ANNIE'S PLAYGROUND. UH, THAT'LL INCLUDE A COUPLE MULTI-PURPOSE FIELDS. UM, WE HAVE ONE CURRENTLY IN DESIGN AT VAIL ROAD PARK, UM, WHICH IS JUST A VAIL ROAD, PARKVALE ROAD. AS YOU CROSS OVER THE BYPASS HEADING TOWARDS FALLSTON, IT'LL BE ON YOUR LEFT HAND SIDE. UM, THAT'LL INCLUDE A BASEBALL DIAMOND AND A MULTI-PURPOSE FIELD. UH, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF PROJECTS IN OUR OUT YEARS, UM, 12 STONES PARK, WHICH IS CURRENTLY JUST STARTING DESIGN. UM, THAT'LL INCLUDE A 90 FOOT BASEBALL DIAMOND AND A MULTI-PURPOSE FIELD. AND THAT'S OVER OFF OF 1 36 AND WOULD SERVE THE EMERTON RECREATION COUNCIL AS AN EXAMPLE. UH, ADDITIONALLY, UM, YOU ALL KNOW 'CAUSE IT WAS, WE TALKED ABOUT IT A LOT. UM, WE DID PURCHASE, UH, THE 129 ACRE PROPERTY, UH, IN JPA TOWN, WHICH IS CONTIGUOUS TO ROBERT COPENHAVER PARK. UH, A PORTION OF THAT PR UH, PROPERTY, UH, WILL BE DEVELOPED FOR, UH, ACTIVE OPEN SPACE, UM, IN THE FUTURE. UM, WE HAVEN'T EVEN STARTED THAT PROCESS. UM, BUT AGAIN, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, AGAIN, AS WE ACQUIRE NEW PROPERTIES, WE CERTAINLY LOOK TO DEVELOP THEM IN THE FUTURE. THAT'S, THAT'S GREAT. [00:15:01] AND WE DON'T DO ANYTHING WITH, UH, THE, THE, UH, RIPKEN EXPERIENCE WITH THEIR BALL FIELDS. DO WE, DO WE EVEN HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO RENT THEM OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT FOR CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT? UH, I KNOW HISTORICALLY SOME OF OUR RECREATION COUNCILS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO RENT THAT FIELD SPACE. THAT'S GREAT. UM, BUT AGAIN, AS A RECREATION COUNCIL, PART OF OUR GREAT PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM IS THEY DO THE PROGRAMMING AND WE PROVIDE THEM THE SPACE. SO IF THEY CAN USE OUR FIELD AT NO COST TO THE PROGRAM VERSUS RENTING A FIELD, WHETHER IT BE AT RIPKIN OR CEDAR LANE PARK, OR, UH, I THINK COPPER MINE WOULD WELCOME ANYBODY WHO WOULD WANNA RENT, UNLESS THEY REALLY ABSOLUTELY NEED THAT SPACE. THEY TYPICALLY ARE NOT REACHING OUT, UM, TO DO THAT. IT'D BE NICE TO SEE SOME OF THAT, UH, LAND IN JOA TOWN, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE HAVE A REALLY NICE, UH, BASEBALL MINOR LEAGUE BA NOT MINOR LEAGUE, BUT LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL FIELDS WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, DUGOUTS AND, AND FENCES AND SCOREBOARDS AND EVERYTHING. I, I, YOU KNOW, I'D ADVOCATE FOR THAT. I WOULD ALSO EVEN PERSONALLY DONATE TO THAT IF THAT EVER CAME ABOUT THAT THEY NEEDED, YOU KNOW, UH, FUNDS FROM LOCAL BUSINESSES. SO, THANK YOU GUYS VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THAT. EXCELLENT. THANK YOU. YOU MENTIONED COPPER MINE. ARE YOU PARTNERING WITH THEM AT ALL? UH, NOT DIRECTLY. THEY WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CEDAR LANE SPORTS FOUNDATION. OKAY. TO HOST TOURNAMENTS. UM, BUT AGAIN, THEY'RE A PRIVATE ENTITY NOW. THEY HAVE WORKED WITH US AT TIMES WHEN THEY NEED ADDITIONAL SPACE, IF WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO HAVE SPACE AVAILABLE FOR THEM. UM, AND IT DOESN'T INTERFERE WITH OUR RECREATION COUNCIL USE. UM, BUT THAT'S ON AN AS NEEDED BASIS. UM, AND WE, THEY, WE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM, I GUESS TWO MONTHS AGO. UH, THEY CAME TO US WITH ABOUT, I THINK, WHAT WAS IT, SIX TO EIGHT DATES THAT THEY NEEDED, UH, ADDITIONAL FIELD SPACE. AND WE WERE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE, UH, FOUR OF THOSE DATES. I WOULD HOPE IT WOULD ALSO GO THE OTHER WAY. IF YOU NEEDED THEM FOR SOMETHING, I WOULD HOPE THEY WOULD BE THERE. AND THEY, AND, AND AGAIN, THEY, AS PART OF THAT, UM, THEY DID MAKE A DONATION TO THE EDGEWOOD RECREATION COUNCIL. UM, AND THEY DO AT TIMES OPEN UP THAT SPACE. TYPICALLY, IT'S, I THINK THE ISSUE IS, AGAIN, EVERYBODY NEEDS THE SPACE AT THE SAME TIME. AND WHEN THEY HAVE SPACE AVAILABLE, WE HAVE SPACE AVAILABLE. SO I THINK THAT'S SOME OF IT. BUT I KNOW THEY'VE MADE IT AVAILABLE AT TIMES TOO. UM, THE LOCAL RECREATION COUNCIL, ONE OTHER THING, PICKLEBALL COURTS, DO WE HAVE, HOW MANY PICKLEBALL COURTS DO WE HAVE? ARE THEY ANY INDOOR? ARE THEY ALL OUTDOOR? OH, WE'VE GOT A COMBINATION. UM, WE, ALL OF OUR BUILDINGS HAVE AT LEAST TWO PICKLEBALL COURTS INSIDE. UM, WE ACTUALLY, TWO OF THE PROJECT I MENTIONED, VALE ROAD PARK AND BENSON FIELDS WILL HAVE PICKLEBALL COURTS DEDICATED PICKLEBALL COURTS AS PART OF THEIR DEVELOPMENT. UM, SO WE, AS FUNDING ALLOWS US, WE CERTAINLY, UH, DO WHAT WE CAN TO EITHER CREATE THAT DEDICATED SPACE OR DO SHARED SPACE. UM, 'CAUSE YOU CAN BASICALLY PUT A PICKLEBALL ON EACH SIDE OF A TENNIS COURT. OKAY. THANK YOU. MR. BENNETT. HELLO. GOOD MORNING. UH, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT AND HELP WITH MAKING SURE JACKIE ROBINSON DAY WAS CELEBRATED THIS YEAR. YOU KNOW, I'D LOVE TO SEE THAT EXPANDED NEXT YEAR AND BECOME, UM, AN INSTITUTION IN OUR COUNTY. WE HAVE A RICH BASEBALL HISTORY HERE. UM, I WAS JUST CURIOUS, UM, WHEN I WAS LOOKING THROUGH, AND THIS MIGHT BE A QUESTION MORE SO FOR MS. SPENCE ON, UH, SOME OF THE SUMMARY PAGES OF INCREASES IN DECREASES, UM, FOR INSTANCE, ON PAGE 542, YOU KNOW, IT SAYS SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS DECREASED BY 28,700. UH, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE TWO ITEMS LISTED ONLY LOOKS LIKE A DECREASE OF 21,000. YEAH. WE DON'T LIST THEM ALL IF, IF THEY'RE LIKE $500. OKAY. SO I WAS JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE, LIKE THERE WASN'T A BIG LINE ITEM OR SOMETHING. OTHERWISE THE BOOK WOULD BE MUCH BIGGER. I UNDERSTOOD THAT , BUT WHAT, JUST THE $7,000 GAP, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THERE WASN'T ANYTHING BIG I WAS MISSING. NO. UM, AND THEN I WAS ALSO JUST CURIOUS. I KNOW WE HAVE, UH, BACK TO, UH, MR. MAGNUS AND, UH, MR. HANLEY, BUT IT'S HARDER AND HARDER TO GET VOLUNTEERS FOR EVERYTHING. UM, I THINK PEOPLE ARE WORKING MORE THAN THEY'VE EVER HAD, MORE TWO PARENTS WORKING THAN, UH, WE'VE EVER HAD. UM, IS THERE ANY TALK AROUND THE STATE OR, UH, WITH HERE OTHER PARKS AND REC, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, PEOPLE IN THE FIELD AS FAR AS HOW WE CAN BE CREATIVE TO MAKE SURE THERE ARE VOLUNTEERS TO MAKE OUR PROGRAMS CONTINUE TO THRIVE AND EXIST? LIKE WHERE DO WE GET VOLUNTEERS FROM? OR IF WE CAN'T GET VOLUNTEERS, YOU KNOW, HOW IS IT THAT WE PAY PEOPLE TO COME OUT AND COACH? UM, IS THAT ANYTHING THAT YOU ALL ARE TALKING ABOUT? UH, WE HAVE HAD SOME JUST, I MEAN, TO GO TO YOUR FIRST POINT, YOU'RE CORRECT. UM, OUR, OUR RECREATION COUNCILS ARE STRUGGLING, UM, AT TIMES TO FIND VOLUNTEERS, UH, TO HELP THEM WITH THEIR PROGRAMMING. UM, WE ARE FRANKLY QUITE UNIQUE, NOT ONLY IN THE STATE, BUT IN THE NATION IN THE WAY THAT WE ARE ORGANIZED. UM, MOST OTHER JURISDICTIONS [00:20:01] YOU GO TO WHEN YOU REGISTER FOR A PROGRAM, YOU ARE REGISTERING WITH THE DEPARTMENT, UM, AS OPPOSED TO REGISTERING WITH OUR RECREATION COUNCIL. UM, IT'S A GREAT PARTNERSHIP WE HAVE. UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THE AN WHAT THE, WHAT THE FI WHAT THE ANSWER IS. AND IT'S NOT JUST ONE THING. I THINK IT'S GONNA BE A COMBINATION OF DIFFERENT APPROACHES. UM, YOU MENTIONED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IF WE PAY COACHES, I WILL TELL YOU FROM OUR DEPARTMENT STANDPOINT, WE ARE STRUGGLING TO PAY PEOPLE TO COME WORK TEMPORARILY FOR US, WHERE THEY CAN ESSENTIALLY WORK HOUR BY HOUR. UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE CAN'T FIND PEOPLE. WE HAD A, A SITU, WE HAVE FACILITY ATTENDANCE AND BUILDING ATTENDANCE, WHICH AGAIN, ARE POSITIONS THAT WE UTILIZE, UM, TO KEEP OUR BUILDINGS OPEN, UM, TO KEEP OUR EVENTS GOING. UM, AND WE HAD JUST AN EXAMPLE, UH, EARLIER THIS MONTH, WE HAD 10 PEOPLE, UM, SIGN UP FOR INTERVIEWS FOR THOSE POSITIONS. TWO OF THEM SHOWED UP FOR THEIR INTERVIEWS. MM-HMM. . UM, SO IT'S NOT UNIQUE TO ONE AREA. AND THAT'S WHY I SAY I'M NOT SURE WHAT, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ONE ANSWER. UM, FROM A MAINTENANCE STANDPOINT, UM, AGAIN, OUR BUILDING AND, UH, FACILITY ATTENDANCE, PART OF THEIR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO GO AROUND THE BUILDING OR THE AREA, PICK UP TRASH AND THINGS LIKE THAT. UM, WE HAVE WORKED AND CONTINUE. WE HAVE HISTORICALLY WORKED WITH AND WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH, UH, THE COURT SYSTEM IN TERMS OF, UH, COMMUNITY SERVICE WORKERS WHO NEED THOSE COURT ASSIGNED VOLUNTEER HOURS. UM, THEY DO A GREAT JOB WHEN THEY, AGAIN, WHEN WE HAVE, UH, THEM AVAILABLE TO US. UM, WE'VE USED THEM AT LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. UM, SO AS WE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE'RE CONTINUING TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS AGAIN WITH OUR RECREATION COUNCIL PARTNERS. UM, AND WE'LL SEE WHERE IT TAKES US AT THIS POINT. UM, MY OTHER QUESTION FOR YOU ALL IN JUST, UM, YOU KNOW, BUILDING YOUR STRATEGY MOVING FORWARD. I ATTENDED AT MACO A SESSION THAT WAS RUN BY WOOCOM CO COUNTY'S PARKS AND REC PROGRAM. AND THEY TALKED ABOUT THE DIFFERENT WAYS THEY GENERATE REVENUE. MM-HMM. AS A, UH, AS A PARKS AND REC DEPARTMENT. AND ONE OF THE BIG THINGS THAT THEY DO IS IN-HOUSE CONCESSIONS. AND THEY'VE ACTUALLY BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL GENERATING REVENUE OFF OF IN-HOUSE CONCESSIONS, UM, DURING THEIR DIFFERENT BALL GAMES. UM, AND I KNOW THAT'S SOMETHING THAT HAVE DEGREES LITTLE LEAGUE IS VERY BIG ON. THEY HAVE THEIR IN-HOUSE CONCESSIONS. UM, HAVE YOU ALL LOOKED AT DIFFERENT WAYS TO GENERATE REVENUE AS A, AS A DEPARTMENT? OR HAVE YOU LOOKED AT CONCESSIONS? ARE THESE, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU ALL HAVE TALKED ABOUT? UH, THE SHORT ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS WE ARE ACTIVELY LOOKING AT WAYS TO GENERATE REVENUE FOR OUR DEPARTMENT. UM, AND WE'LL BE PUTTING TOGETHER OVER THIS YEAR, UH, THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS, UM, SOME FEE STRUCTURING THAT FOR, AGAIN, FOR PRIVATE USE AFTER OUR RECREATION COUNCIL PARTNERS HAVE UTILIZED OUR FACILITIES. UM, FROM A CONCESSION STANDPOINT, AGAIN, THAT'S ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE PARTNERSHIP WE HAVE WITH OUR RECREATION COUNCILS. UM, THE CONCESSIONS, WE DON'T RUN THEM AS A DEPARTMENT, BUT TYPICALLY, AGAIN, OUR RECREATION COUNCILS WILL RUN THEM AS PART OF THEIR OPENING DAYS. OR IF YOU GO TO ANY OF THE FOOTBALL PROGRAMS, UM, ON ANY WEEKEND IN THE FALL, UM, THE, THEY'RE RUNNING CONCESSIONS AND THOSE ARE RUN THROUGH THE PROGRAM, UM, AGAIN TO THE BENEFIT OF THE PROGRAM. SO IT'S, AGAIN, OUR MODEL'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, BUT IT'S THE SAME BASIC CONCEPT IN WHICH THE MONEY THAT THEY GENERATE, THEY THEN PUT BACK INTO THE PROGRAM AND ALLOW THEM TO PARTICIPATE. AND AGAIN, I'LL USE BEL AIR AS THE EXAMPLE. UM, TUCKER FIELD, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAD, HAD BEEN APPROVED IN A PRIOR BUDGET WAS THEY WANTED GRAND STAND STYLE BLEACHER SEATING FOR TUCKER FIELD. UM, AS OPPOSED TO, WE'VE GOT A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, THREE TIER. UM, AND AS WE'VE STARTED TO PUT TOGETHER INFORMATION ABOUT THAT, UM, BEL AIR RECREATION COUNCIL CAME TO US AND SAID, WE HAVE $40,000 THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS THAT EFFORT. UM, SO THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF WHEN THEY RUN THEIR FUNDRAISERS, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH CONCESSIONS, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH SPECIFIC SEPARATE EVENTS, UM, FROM THE SEASON, UM, THEY'RE ABLE TO, AGAIN, AND ALL OF OUR RECREATION COUNCILS DO THIS ON A FAIRLY REGULAR BASIS IN TERMS OF WHETHER IT'S PARTICIPATING IN A CAPITAL PROJECT OR THEY COME TO US AND SAY, WE WANT TO HAVE THIS WORK DONE AT THIS FACILITY. WE WANNA REDO THIS FIELD. OR WE WANNA REALLY REWORK A FIELD AND WE HAVE THE MONEY TO CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS IT. WE SIMPLY ASK THEM TO PROVIDE US THE INFORMATION, WE REVIEW IT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GOOD WITH WHAT THEY WANT TO DO. AND ONCE WE GET, AND AS LONG AS WE ARE, THEY GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PROJECT, WORKING WITH OUR STAFF TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S DONE IN A WAY THAT ALL OF US EXPECT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MR. BENNETT. MR. PENMAN. THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. UH, JUST WANNA PICK UP ON THE PICKLEBALL CONVERSATION. SURE. AGAIN, UH, LINE OF CONSTITUENTS IN DISTRICT B, UH, SUPPORT IT. AND I KNOW WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS AND I APPRECIATE, YOU KNOW, THE CONTINUED CONVERSATION ABOUT THE ADVOCATION FORUM. SO, UM, JUST IN LINE, CAN YOU GIMME A KIND OF UPDATE ON THE PROGRESS OF EXPANDING THAT PICKLEBALL COURT PROGRAM AND KIND OF WHERE WE ARE? SURE. UM, AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED, BENSON FIELDS [00:25:01] IS A PROJECT IN THE FALLSTON RECREATION COUNCIL AREA SERVICE AREA THAT WE'LL HAVE PICKLEBALL COURTS THERE, UM, AS WELL AS VAIL ROAD PARK. UM, AS WE, UH, MAYBE GETTING AHEAD OF OURSELVES A LITTLE BIT, WE HAVE OUR TENNIS PICKLEBALL AND MULTI-PURPOSE COURT CAPITAL PROJECT, UH, UM, CAPITAL ACCOUNT. UM, THIS YEAR WE HAVE THREE MAJOR RENOVATIONS THAT NEED TO OCCUR. UM, 'CAUSE AGAIN, WE'RE ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TENNIS AND MULTI-PURPOSE COURTS AT COUNTY SCHOOL SITES. SO ALSTON HIGH SCHOOL IS ONE OF THOSE MAJOR RENOVATIONS. MAGNOLIA MIDDLE SCHOOL IS ANOTHER ONE. AND THEN THE OLD ABERDEEN HIGH SCHOOL, UM, LOCATION IS AN, IS THE THIRD ONE. UM, ONCE WE GET THOSE PROJECTS AND HAVE A GOOD FEEL FOR WHAT THE COST OF THOSE ARE GOING TO BE, THAT WILL LET US KNOW HOW MUCH FUNDING WE THEN HAVE AVAILABLE TO LOOK AT OPPORTUNITIES WHERE WE, AGAIN, PAINT PICKLEBALL LINES IN SOME INSTANCES. OR IF WE'VE GOT ENOUGH FUNDING, WE CAN CONVERT AN UNDERUTILIZED TENNIS COURT TO DEDICATED PICKLEBALL COURT SPACE. OKAY. UM, TRESPASSING ON SOME OF YOUR FIELDS, DO YOU HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THAT? SOMEONE RAISED A QUESTION ABOUT, UM, LIKE A GROUP, UH, THAT HAD KIND OF COMMANDER, UH, A FIELD AND THEY COULDN'T GET 'EM OFF AND JUST, AND I THINK IT WAS DOWN SOUTH ALONG THE, THE 40. IS IT, I KNOW THAT THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH, UM, A FAIRLY ORGANIZED, UM, GROUP THAT WAS ESSENTIALLY USING THE SPACE AT MAGNOLIA MIDDLE SCHOOL AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. UM, BUT IT WAS NOT DURING A TIME. SO WHAT WE ISSUED TO, UH, AS AN EXAMPLE, OUR RECREATION COUNCIL'S PARTNERS ARE PERMITS TO UTILIZE THE FIELD SPACE BASED ON WHAT THEY TELL US THEY NEED. SO THEY COME TO US AND SAY, OKAY, WE NEED IT MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY FROM FIVE 30 UNTIL EIGHT 30 AT NIGHT AT LOCATION X AND SATURDAY FROM EIGHT IN THE MORNING UNTIL SEVEN O'CLOCK IN THE EVENING. UM, OUTSIDE OF THOSE HOURS, THOSE ARE PUBLIC LANDS. UM, THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE STARTING TO LOOK AT IN TERMS OF A POTENTIAL FEE STRUCTURE FOR THOSE TYPES OF OUTS, FOR THOSE TYPES OF NON PARKS AND RECREATION AFFILIATED GROUPS WHERE THEY COULD COME IN AND RESERVE THE SPACE SPECIFICALLY AFTER OUR RECREATION COUNCIL PARTNERS. AND AGAIN, BECAUSE OF THE USING OF THE FIELD MEANS, LOOK AT HOW WE CAN BETTER MAIN OR INCREASE THE MAINTENANCE OF THEM, AND USING THAT FEE STRUCTURE MAY ALLOW US TO HELP OFFSET THOSE COSTS. OKAY. UM, I'D LIKE TO GO INTO A LITTLE BIT OF THE BUDGET. UH, UM, IT LOOKS LIKE, UH, TEMPORARY POSITIONS, IT WAS AN INCREASE, UH, FOR TOTAL, NOT THE INCREASE TOTAL, BUT, SO THE BUDGET LINE ITEM IS A TOTAL OF $430,000. UM, SO, AND I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE A NUMBER OF, UH, TEMP POSITIONS THAT, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY WORK EVENTS OR, OR WHATEVER HAVE YOU. UH, BUT THERE ARE A COUPLE HIGHER TEMPORARY POSITIONS THAT HAVE HIGHER SALARIES THAT CRAIG CHEICK AND, UH, DANNER, UH, ONE 75,001 73,000. SO, UH, JUST KIND OF WANNA LEARN ABOUT WHAT THEIR TEMP, TEMP POSITION, UM OKAY. INCLUDES. SURE. UM, SO WE'LL START WITH DARLENE ZANER OVER AT EMERTON REC ANTENNA CENTER. UM, DARLENE IS THE LONGEST SERVING TEMPORARY EMPLOYEE, I THINK IN THE HISTORY OF HARTFORD COUNTY GOVERNMENT. UM, AND SHE'S A TEMPORARY EMPLOYEE BECAUSE HER SALARY IS PAID IN FULL BY THE REVENUE GENERATED AT THE EMERTON REC ANTENNA CENTER. GOTCHA. SO WE, IT HAS TO BE A TEMPORARY POSITION BECAUSE EVERY YEAR IT, AGAIN, IF WE DON'T GENERATE ENOUGH REVENUE, THEN POTENTIALLY SHE, UH, THAT POSITION WOULD NOT, UH, WOULD CON WOULD NOT CONTINUE TO EXIST. UH, MR. CHEICK CURRENTLY IS WORKING, UM, AT OUR MAIN OFFICE AND ACTUALLY IS HELPING US IN TERMS OF UPDATING, UM, OUR STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES AND OUR RULES AND REGS. UM, AND SO THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT I WANTED TO TRY AND DO LAST YEAR AND FRANKLY DID NOT HAVE THE TIME TO DO. SO THAT'S A, IS THAT A NEW POSITION? IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO UTILIZE IT'S TEMPORARY MONEY. YEAH. SO WHEN WAS, WHEN WAS THAT POSITION BROUGHT ONLINE? MIDYEAR THIS YEAR. YEAH. UM, I WOULD GET BACK TO THE SPECIFIC DATE HE STARTED, BUT IT'S, YEAH, IT WAS, IT WAS DURING THIS FISCAL YEAR. YES, IT'S DURING THIS FISCAL YEAR. UH, AND JUST SO JUST A LITTLE CLARIFICATION, UM, BECAUSE I'M TRYING TO LOOK AT MY PAGE NUMBERS ON MY NOTES. SURE. THERE WAS, UM, ON PAGE 5 39 UNDER RECREATIONAL SERVICES, UH, NET DECREASE OF TWO TRANSFER POSITIONS OF 14,000. NOW ONE OF THOSE POSITIONS WENT OVER TO, UM, PARKS AND FACILITY. AND THEN THAT POSITION IS [00:30:01] THAT 112,000 THAT COUNCIL PRESIDENT DISCUSSED. AND I KNOW THAT THAT INCLUDES THE BENEFIT PACKAGE AS WELL. SO, UM, MY QUESTION IS, IS ONE, UNDER RECREATIONAL SERVICES, YOU LOST TWO POSITIONS, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE THE P POSITIONS STILL REMAIN THE SAME ON THE FY 25, BUT THEN ONCE TRANSFERRED ONLY WITH A ONLY 14,000 DECREASE FOR PARKS AND FACILITY, BUT BRINGS OVER $112,000 CAME OUT. SO THAT RIGHT. ONE CAME IN AND ONE CAME OUT, IT, IT WAS A NET OF ZERO BECAUSE ONE WENT OUT AND ONE CAME IN. SO THAT'S WHY THERE'S A DECREASE. IT'S THE NET OF THE, OF THE TWO. ONE WENT, ONE POSITION WENT OUT AND ONE CAME IN. SO THAT'S WHY WE PUT NET DECREASE OF GOTCHA. BUT SO TWO TRANSFERS, ONE IN ONE OUT, CORRECT? THAT'S THE TWO, CORRECT. CORRECT. NOT TWO IN, TWO OUT TYPE. RIGHT. GOTCHA. AND THEN THAT ONE POSITION, UM, IS THERE, AND I'M JUST CURIOUS, IS THERE, THAT'S 'CAUSE IT'S A HIGHER SALARY FOR THE PARKS AND FACILITIES, IS THAT ONE POSITION TRANSFERRED OVER? IS THAT, UM, A LEADERSHIP POSITION, I'M ASSUMING? NO, THAT ACTUALLY WAS A BUILDING CARETAKER POSITION THAT WE REDEFINED AS A MAINTENANCE WORKER ONE POSITION. AND THAT 112 INCLUDES ALL BENEFITS. ALL BENEFITS, YEAH. YEAH. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UM, I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS. WHAT ABOUT CAPITAL? I WANTED, I WANTED TO TELL YOU ONE THING. THE AVERAGE SALARY $65,013 65 WHAT? $65,013. OKAY. THANKS. MM-HMM. , UM, CAPITAL NOW I GUESS. SURE. UM, THEY START ON PAGE 1 73. I WILL TURN THAT OVER TO PAUL FOR THAT OF THE CAPITAL BOOK. I'M SORRY, WHAT, WHAT PAGE AGAIN? 1 73. I'LL JUST HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF THE ITEMS, UM, FOR PURPOSES AND THEN OBVIOUSLY OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS FOR YOU ALL. UM, AGAIN, YOU'LL SEE THE $2.5 MILLION IN ATHLETIC FIELD IMPROVEMENTS. UM, THIS IS THE CONTINUATION OF THE, UH, OF TWO ITEMS. ONE IS THE SYNTHETIC, THE SYNTHETIC TURF FIELD AGREEMENT. UH, AN ARRANGEMENT WE HAVE WITH THE HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEMS. UM, SEA MOUNTAIN WRIGHT WILL BE, UM, RENOVATED AND REPLACED THIS FALL. UM, I THINK I HAVE TO CHECK ON WHAT THE ONE FOR FY 25 IS. I DON'T REMEMBER OFFHAND. UM, AND THEN ALSO IT ALLOWS US TO DO, UM, ON NATURAL GRASS FIELDS, UM, AT OUR PARK SITES. UM, WHEN WE HAVE A, A FACILITY THAT'S EITHER AN OLDER FACILITY, TYPICALLY AN OLDER FACILITY. OH, JOB. THANK YOU. CHOP TOWN HIGH SCHOOL IS THE ONE SCHEDULED, EXCUSE ME, FOR FY 25 FOR THE SYNTHETIC FIELD REPLACEMENT. UM, AGAIN, THE NATURAL TURF FIELD. UM, THIS ALLOWS US FOR A FIELD THAT NEEDS A MAJOR RENOVATION, NOT JUST A AERATION AND OVER OVERSEEING. THIS IS A, IT MIGHT NEED TO BE ENTIRELY REGRADED OR A PORTION OF AN ENTIRE FACILITY BEING REGRADED. SO WE UTILIZE FUNDS FROM THAT, UH, FROM THAT ACCOUNT IN ORDER TO PAY FOR THOSE PROJECTS. UM, AGAIN, YOU SEE THE AMERON RECREATION AND TENNIS CENTER IMPROVEMENTS. UM, WE ARE MOVING FORWARD. UH, WE'RE CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF REPLACING, UH, THE GYM FLOOR AT THAT FACILITY. UM, AND THEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE BATTING CAGE AREA AS WELL AS WE NEED TO BRING, UH, THE BATHROOMS THAT ARE IN THAT FACILITY, UH, INTO A DA COMPLIANCE. UM, THAT BUILDING WAS BUILT BACK IN, I BELIEVE THE LATE SEVENTIES OR EARLY EIGHTIES. UM, AND A DA STANDARDS HAVE CHANGED SINCE THAT TIME. SO WE HAVE SOME RENOVATIONS WE'RE TAKING CARE OF OVER THE NEXT, UH, TWO OR TWO TO THREE YEARS AT THAT FACILITY. UM, YOU ALSO SEE AGAIN THE JOPPA TOWN COMMUNITY CENTER. UM, THIS IS FOR FUNDING FOR THE DESIGN OF THE FUTURE. UH, JOB COUNTY COMMUNITY CENTER. UM, OH, THE OAKINGTON PENINSULA, UH, PARK SYSTEM. AGAIN, YOU SEE, UH, FUNDING, UH, BOND FUNDING FOR THAT PROJECT. AGAIN, THIS IS FOR THE JUST OVER 1400 ACRES THAT THE COUNTY OWNS, STARTING AT SWAN HARBOR FARM AND MOVING SOUTH ON THE OAKINGTON PENINSULA DOWN TO INCLUDING BELLEVUE FARM, ELEANOR AND MILLER TIDINGS PARK, AS WELL AS THE MULLENS PROPERTY. UM, WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF, AGAIN, WORKING ON THAT MASTER PLAN. UM, OUR NEXT PUBLIC MEETING FOR THAT MASTER PLAN IS GONNA BE JUNE 5TH AT THE ITY GRACE ACTIVITY CENTER. UM, WE'RE LOOKING FOR PUBLIC INPUT. IT'S GONNA BE STARTING AT SIX, UH, IN THE EVENING. UM, WE'RE GONNA DO PUBLIC INPUT, UM, BASED ON, AGAIN, WORK THAT WE'VE DONE WITH THE FOCUS GROUP, UH, TO THIS POINT, UM, TO GET IDEAS FROM [00:35:01] FOLKS ABOUT WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THROUGHOUT THAT PARK SYSTEM. IS THAT ON ROUTE SEVEN MUL? UH, UP BY NO, THIS IS, YES. UP BY MUL. YES. THIS IS BASICALLY THE OAKLAND PENINSULA LIES BETWEEN HA OF GRACE AND AGA. YEAH. SO IT'S AT THE HEAD OF THE SWAN CREEK. THAT'S, YEP. OKAY. UM, SO THAT'S ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF A PROJECT. AGAIN, YOU'LL SEE FUNDING FOR, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, THE TENNIS MULTIPORT MULTIPURPOSE AND PICKLEBALL COURTS, UM, TRAILS AND LINEAR PARKS, UH, THE VAIL ROAD PARK PROJECT, UM, AS WELL AS AGAIN, OUR PARKLAND ACQUISITION, UM, WHICH IS THE ANNUAL PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE UTILIZING PROGRAM OPEN SPACE FUNDING. UM, ONE OF THE THINGS JUST OF NOTE, UM, WHILE IT WON'T REQUIRE A BUDGET AMENDMENT, UM, BECAUSE WE HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH AUTHORITY AT THIS POINT, UH, TO TAKE THE MONEY, TO ACCEPT THE MONEY, UM, I DID GET NOTIFICATION LATE YESTERDAY FROM, UM, THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, UH, AND OUR LOCAL SIDE PROGRAM, OPEN SPACE FUNDING ALLOCATION FOR FY 25 IS JUST UNDER $1.3 MILLION, WHICH IS A SUBSTANTIAL, UM, DECREASE, UM, COMPARED TO THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS. WITH THAT, I OPEN IT UP TO ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU ALL MAY HAVE. COUNCILMAN JAN. DAD. HEY PAUL. UM, GOING BACK TO CEDAR LANE, UM, THERE'S A, LEMME GET BACK HERE. LARGE EXPENDITURE, WHAT'S THAT FOR? UM, AGAIN, THAT IS THE AUTHORITY TO ACCEPT MONEY. UM, THE CEDAR LANE SPORTS FOUNDATION HAS INDICATED TO US THAT THEY ARE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH A PRIVATE, UH, PARTNER WHO IS INTERESTED IN FUNDING THE POTENTIAL, UM, UPG THE POTENTIAL, UH, TRANSITION OF AT LEAST TWO OR THREE OF THEIR FIELDS FROM NATURAL GRASS TO SYNTHETIC TURF. UM, BUT THAT AGAIN, IS A PROJECT WHILE WE WILL MANAGE THAT PROJECT, THAT IS A PROJECT THAT WE HAVE STATED TO THEM AND THEY HAVE ACCEPTED THAT THEY NEED TO PROVIDE THE FUNDING FOR. SO THIS IS SIMPLY THE AUTHORITY FOR US TO ACCEPT THAT FUNDING WHEN IT COMES IN THE FUTURE SO THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PROJECT AT THAT TIME. AND STILL NO PUBLIC RESTROOM FACILITIES OUT THERE OTHER THAN PORTA POTTS PORT POT, CORRECT. PORT POTS, CORRECT. AND IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE'RE GONNA DO ON THAT? BECAUSE I GUESS THERE IS NO PUBLIC WATER AND SEWER, BUT HOW DO WE LOOK TO, WE, WE WILL HAVE THAT, WE MEET WITH THE CEDAR LANE SPORTS FOUNDATION ON A MONTHLY BASIS, SO I WILL MAKE SURE THAT WE START THAT DISCUSSION WITH THEM OR ACTUALLY RENEW THAT DISCUSSION WITH THEM, UM, AT OUR UPCOMING MEETING IN MAY. WHAT, WHAT HAVE THEY DONE IN THE PAST TO, TO, UM, HELP CORRECT THAT? NOTHING, UH, IN TERMS OF THE FACILITIES, EVEN THE, EVEN THE PORTABLE FACILITIES THEY'VE HAD OUT THERE I'VE HEARD ARE, UM, NOT, NOT THE BEST. OKAY. I, AGAIN, I'LL RAISE THAT QUESTION TO THEM AND REMIND THEM THAT IT IS A PUBLIC FACILITY. THE PUBLIC IS USING IT, SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE PORTA POTS, WE AT LEAST TRY TO GET THE BEST OF , THE BEST OF THE BEST OF THE PORTA POTS. UM, NOW I WILL SAY THAT THE, THE, AGAIN, THE FOUNDATION DOES, UH, IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE DAY-TO-DAY MAINTENANCE THERE AT THE PARK. UM, OVER THE YEARS THEY HAVE PARTICIPATED IN PROJECTS OR FUNDED PROJECTS AS AN EXAMPLE. UM, THE, UM, GRANDSTAND STYLE, UM, BLEACHERS THAT ARE AT FIELD 12, WERE FROM THE, WERE FROM FUNDING FROM THE CEDAR LANE SPORTS FOUNDATION. UM, CEDAR LANE SPORTS FOUNDATION ALSO PAID FOR THE LIGHTING ON FIELDS 12 AND 13. UM, SO THEY DO OBVIOUSLY PARTICIPATE, UM, AS PART OF IT. UM, BUT AGAIN, WE CERTAINLY WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM WITH REGARDS TO, UM, SPECIFIC AMENITIES THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE AS PART OF THAT FACILITY. OKAY. THANK YOU MR. PENMAN. THANK YOU. UM, I JUST WANNA FOLLOW UP ON THE PICKLEBALL THING SURE. THAT WE'RE HEARING CAPITAL. YEP. SORRY. UM, I, I, READING OVER THE PROJECT DESCRIPTION, IT TALKS ABOUT THE RESURFACING. UM, IS THERE GONNA BE EXPANSION OF PICKLEBALL COURTS IN FALLSTON? ANY MORE COURTS? WELL, THE BENSON FIELD PROJECT WILL HAVE ADDITIONAL PICKLEBALL COURTS, UM, SPECIFICALLY AT THE FALLSTON RECREATION COMPLEX. IF WE DO THAT, IT WOULD BE, WE WOULD LOOK AT PAINTING ADDITIONAL LINES ON THOSE COURTS ON THE TENNIS COURTS. RIGHT, OKAY. BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THOSE COURTS ARE ONES THAT ARE NOT TENNIS WISE, THEY ARE ALSO UTILIZED YEAH. AS, AS WELL. SO, ALRIGHT. I JUST, I JUST WANNA BE PREPARED TO SEND AN UPDATE TO THE CONSTITUENTS SO THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT WE WILL PAINT NEW LINES AND PLUS EVENTS AND WE'LL ADD MORE COURTS. OKAY. YES. THANK YOU MR. BENNETT. HELLO. UM, AND JUST CONVERSATION ABOUT ARTIFICIAL TURF FIELDS. I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT THAT'S COME OUT ABOUT THEM IN THE PAST FEW YEARS. MOSTLY THEY'VE WORKED THROUGH THE HEATING [00:40:01] ISSUE WHERE THEY GET SO HOT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE BURN THEMSELVES WHEN THEY GET TACKLED AND ALL THAT. BUT THERE IS CONVERSATION ABOUT BOTH LIKE MICROPLASTICS THAT RUB OFF THE FIELD AND GO INTO OUR WATER, BUT ALSO FOREVER CHEMICALS THAT ARE USED IN THE DESIGN OF THE TURF THAT, YOU KNOW, CAUSE ALL SORTS OF HEALTH EFFECTS. AND WE'RE LOOKING AT GETTING THAT OUT OF OUR WATER AND ALL THAT NOW, UM, ACROSS THE COUNTRY. BUT HAVE YOU HAD ANY CONVERSATION ABOUT OUR CONTINUED USE OF ARTIFICIAL TURF? IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT A PROJECT WE WANNA KEEP MOVING FORWARD ON IN THE FUTURE OR, OR, YOU KNOW, MAYBE TAKE A PAUSE OR TAKE A STEP BACK ON. UM, AND JUST, YOU KNOW, IN THE PAST FEW YEARS, ALL THAT'S COME OUT ABOUT THEIR HEALTH DANGERS. UM, WE CONTINUE TO STAY ABREAST OF THE INFORMATION THAT'S OUT THERE. UM, I KNOW PENN STATE UNIVERSITY RUNS A FAIRLY EXTENSIVE RESEARCH EFFORT WITH REGARDS TO THE INFILL OF SYNTHETIC TURF FIELDS. UM, SO WE AGAIN, OBVIOUSLY REMAIN COMMITTED TO THE SAFETY OF OUR PARTICIPANTS. UM, TO MY KNOWLEDGE THERE HAS YET TO BE SHOWN THAT A STUDY THAT I'VE SEEN THAT SAYS THAT SYNTHETIC TURF INFILL CAUSES X, Y, OR Z MM-HMM. . UM, THERE ALSO OBVIOUSLY ARE CURRENTLY OUT THERE. UM, AMONG OTHER THINGS, UH, ALTERNATIVE INFILLS. UM, ONE OF THEM IS A CERAMIC STYLE INFILL, WHICH IS INTRIGUING, UM, BECAUSE MORE, BECAUSE IT SEEMS TO DISSIPATE THE HEAT ISSUE. UM, SO THAT IS ALSO SOMETHING WE'RE LOOKING AT. IT'S ALSO, AT THE MOMENT AT LEAST SUBSTANTIALLY, UH, MORE EXPENSIVE, UM, TO UTILIZE THAT INFILL MM-HMM. . UM, BUT WE WILL, WE ALWAYS, WE HAVE A MEMBER OF OUR STAFF WHO, UM, DAVE GOODWIN WHO HAS BEEN INVOLVED WITH SYNTHETIC TURF FIELDS FROM THE START. AND DAVE DOES A GREAT JOB OF KEEPING US UP TO DATE, UM, AND WORKING WITH OTHER MEMBERS OF STAFF SO THAT THEY CAN CONTINUE, UM, TO KEEP UP TO DATE ON THAT INFORMATION. AND AS OBVIOUSLY AS NEW INFORMATION COMES OUT, WE WILL MAKE ADJUSTMENTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MR. BENNETT. ANYONE ELSE TIPS? MR. TIPS? THANK YOU, PAUL, ON YOUR OUTDOOR MAINTENANCE OF, OF THESE FACILITIES. I, I APPLAUD YOU FOR TAKING DOWN THE FENCES AT THE EQUESTRIAN CENTER AND CHURCHVILLE REC CENTER. I MEAN, POST RAIL FENCES LOOK NICE, BUT THEY'RE A DANGER TO THE PUBLIC AND THAT'S CERTAINLY BEEN A NICE THING TO GET RID OF. AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE GOING TO PUT ANOTHER FENCE UP THERE OR WHATEVER GOES, BUT MM-HMM. . BUT THAT POST RAIL CERTAINLY SHOULD NOT BE, IT DOESN'T LAST AS LONG AS OTHER, OTHER OPTIONS, THAT'S FOR SURE. EXACTLY. AND ON THAT SAME, SAME FACILITY THERE AT CHURCHVILLE, THIS WEED PROBLEMS ARE GETTING PRETTY BAD THERE IN THESE PONDS. I DON'T KNOW, I KNOW THE SEASON IS A LITTLE EARLIER THIS YEAR, BUT, UH, I MEAN, IT, IT REALLY LOOKED BAD WHEN YOU'RE COMING UP THE ROAD EVERY DAY . SO NO, ABSOLUTELY. WE WILL, WE WILL GET ON THAT WITH OUR MAINTENANCE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MR. TIBS, MS. MOON. YEAH, I HAVE A, A COUPLE COMMENTS ON DIFFERENT, UH, CAPITAL ITEMS YOU'VE GOT IN JOPPA, UH, THE TAYLOR CREEK DREDGING AND GUNPOWDER, DREDGING. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT OF MUD COMING DOWN FROM RIDGELY'S RESERVE. YOU MAY HAVE TO, UH, MOVE THAT UP. JUST A FAIR WARNING. IT MAY COME TO THE POINT WHERE NOBODY GETS IN OR OUT ON BOATS. UM, ON THAT NOTE, UM, I DID ACTUALLY SPEAK WITH DNR LAST WEEK 'CAUSE A CONSTITUENT HAD REACHED OUT TO US ABOUT DOING SOME, UM, YEAH. NEW BATHYMETRIC SURVEYS. SO I WOULD EXPECT THAT DNR SHOULD BE OUT THERE WITHIN THE NEXT FOUR TO SIX WEEKS TO GIVE US AN UPDATED BATHYMETRIC SURVEY. YEAH, YOU'RE GONNA NEED IT, WHICH WILL HELP ANSWER THAT QUESTION. THANK YOU. UH, I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION ON THE, UM, WHAT IS IT, MOUNT SOMA? UM, YES. DID, DID WE SELL THAT LAND TO MARYLAND AMERICAN AND NOW WE'RE BUYING IT BACK? IS THAT, IS THAT WHAT'S GOING ON THERE? CORRECT. THAT IS THE PROPERTY THAT 2015, I THINK IT WAS, THE LEGISLATION CAME BEFORE THE COUNTY COUNCIL. UM, THE PROPERTY WAS SOLD TO MARYLAND AMERICAN WATER FOR THE CREATION OF THEIR IMPOUNDMENT. UM, ONE OF THE STIPULATIONS OF THAT SALE WAS THAT WHATEVER PORTION OF THE PROPERTY THAT MARYLAND AMERICAN WATER DID NOT NEED TO UTILIZE FOR A PUBLIC UTILITY PURPOSE WOULD THEN BE SOLD BACK TO THE COUNTY AT THE SAME PRICE AT WHICH THEY BOUGHT IT FROM US. GOOD. SO IT ACTUALLY HAS ALREADY BEEN, THE FUNDING FOR THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN APPROVED AND WE ARE IN THE FINAL, UH, STAGES OF, UH, THE AGREEMENT FINALIZING OUR AGREEMENT WITH, UH, MARYLAND AMERICAN WATER TO BUY BACK, UM, [00:45:01] THE PORTION OF THE PROPERTY THAT, UM, IS NOT GONNA BE UTILIZED FOR, UH, FUTURE PUBLIC UTILITIES. OKAY. THANKS. THAT'S GOOD. WELL, AND THAT'S THE EXTEND MOM PA RIGHT? THAT WILL ACTUALLY, THANK YOU. THAT'S A PERFECT TRANSITION. UM, SO AGAIN, STATE HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION, UM, HAS FOR YEARS LOOKED AT THE REPLACEMENT OF THE OVERPASS OF WINTERS RUN AND TOLLGATE ROAD. OBVIOUSLY THE ONE AT TOLLGATE ROAD ALREADY HAS THE MOM PA TRAIL. AND FOR THOSE SAME NUMBER OF YEARS, WE AS AT COUNTY WORKING WITH PLANNING AND ZONING HAVE ADVOCATED WITH THE STATE TO PUT A TRAIL UNDERNEATH OF THE OVERPASS REPLACEMENT FOR WINTER'S RUN. UM, THAT ACTUALLY IS INCLUDED AS PART OF THE PLAN. SO ULTIMATELY, UM, WITH THE SOMA PROPERTY, UM, WE ALSO HAVE A, EXCUSE ME, A TRAIL EASEMENT. UM, AS PART OF THE AGREEMENT WITH MARYLAND AMERICAN WATER THAT WILL ALLOW US TO CONNECT THAT PROPERTY. YOU WILL WALK DOWN BASICALLY TO WINTER'S RUN. YOU CAN HANG A LEFT AND GO UNDER THE BYPASS AND ULTIMATELY CONNECT UP TO THE MON POT TRAIL ON THE OTHER SIDE. GOOD. THANK YOU MS. MOON. ANYONE ELSE, SIR? YEAH, I'M JUST CURIOUS, THE, UM, IN FRONT OF THE NEW HIGH SCHOOL THERE IS, UM, OPEN SPACE. IS THAT FALL UNDER HAVE GRACE? YEAH. DOES THAT FALL UNDER PARKING RECS? IF SO, WHAT'S THE PLAN FOR THAT? UM, THAT SPACE IS ACTUALLY SHARED WITH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. UM, IT IS UTILIZED BY THE HABIT OF GRACE, UH, TYPICALLY BY THE HABIT OF GRACE FOOTBALL PROGRAM IN THE FALL. UM, BUT IT AL IT IS ALSO AVAILABLE FOR USE TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, UM, FOR PRACTICES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. UM, I THINK I'VE SEEN CHEERLEADING OUT THERE USING THAT PROBABLY. YEAH. YEAH. I MEAN IT'S, AGAIN, IT'S DURING THE EVENINGS IT'S UTILIZED BY OUR RECREATION COUNCIL. MM-HMM. . ANYONE ELSE? THANK YOU GENTLEMEN. GREAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YEP. AND THEN I'LL GET, YEAH, WE TALKED. HUMAN RESOURCES WILL START ON PAGE 2 49. THAT'S AS PAUL GETS OFF THERE BEFORE I LEAVE ONLY 'CAUSE IT'S HUMAN RESOURCES. I WANNA PERSONALLY THANK THE SON OF OUR DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES WHO JUST RECENTLY COMPLETED HIS EAGLE SCOUT PROJECT AT THE MCFALL ACTIVITY CENTER, WHICH IS THE RENOVATION OF THE BOCCE BALL COURTS THERE AT THE CENTER. GOOD MORNING, LADIES. GOOD MORNING. OKAY. ON PAGE 2 49, THE DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES, UM, DEPARTMENT INCREASES 120,483. IT'S THE NET RESULT OF, UM, SOME CHANGES IN PERSONAL SERVICES OF 1 22 183. THERE WAS SOME TURNOVER THERE FOR DECREASE OF 25 654. OF COURSE THE FISCAL YEAR 24 COLA WAS INCLUDED AT 25,448 AS WELL AS THE FISCAL YEAR. 25 COLA OF 1% AND 1000 AT 10,950. UM, TEMPORARY SALARIES DECREASED $20,000 AND WE DID TRANSFER ONE POSITION IN FROM THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT AND RECLASSIFIED, I BELIEVE TO AN HR GENERALIST OR HR SPECIALIST SPECIALIST, UM, AT A COST OF 86 5 72. THERE WERE OTHER ADJUSTMENTS FOR PENSION WORKERS' COMP AND SO FORTH, BUT THAT'S LIKE ALL THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS. UM, SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS DECREASES $3,500 AND THIS WAS ONE TIME EXPENSE THAT WE, UM, PROVIDED FUNDING FOR FOR NEW BADGES IN FISCAL YEAR 24. AND THEN BUSINESS AND TRAVEL INCREASES $1,000. THIS IS FOR MEMBERSHIP FEES AND DUES AND SOME MEALS BASED ON ACTUALS. IF YOU TURN TO PAGE 2 51 UNDER HUMAN RESOURCES, WE HAVE THE ACCOUNT CALLED PERSONNEL MATTERS. THIS IS WHERE WE UM, BASICALLY PAY OUT, UH, THE SPECIAL PAYS FOR ANYBODY WHO RETIRES. UM, WE HAVE OTHER HEALTH INSURANCE COSTS IN THERE. THE, UM, RHS, WHICH IS THE CARRYOVER OF LEAVE INTO CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS ACCOUNTS AND SO FORTH, AS WELL AS TRAINING AND TUITION REIMBURSEMENT AND SERVICE AWARDS AND THE MEDICAL SERVICES CONTRACTS FOR EACH FUND. AND YOU'LL SEE THAT BROKEN DOWN BY FUND ON PAGES 2 53 AND 2 54 AND 2 55 [00:50:02] ALL BYLINE ITEMS. BUT IT IS GENERAL FUND, HIGHWAYS FUND AND THE WATER AND SEWER FUND. UM, YOU WILL NOTE THAT FOR ALL THREE FUNDS IT DID DECREASE 335,539. THIS IS WHERE WE HAD ONLY IN THE GENERAL FUND THE, UM, COST FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 24 COLA THAT WE THEN TRANSFERRED INTO EACH DEPARTMENT. AND WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO TIFFANY. ALRIGHT, SO GOOD MORNING COUNCIL PRESIDENT VINCENTE COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS TIFFANY STEVENS. I'M THE DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES AND WITH ME TODAY I HAVE NICOLE BARNWELL. SHE'S THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR. UM, THE EMPLOYEES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES CONTINUE TO WORK EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY TO PROVIDE QUALITY SERVICES TO CITIZENS, EMPLOYEES, COUNCIL MEMBERS, OUTSIDE AGENCIES AND RETIREES. LAST FISCAL YEAR WE HAD ABOUT 2,881 EMPLOYMENT APPLICATIONS. UM, THEY WERE PROCESSED BY HUMAN RESOURCES. IT REQUIRES INTERACTION OF ALL APPLICANTS. WHILE THE CURRENT NUMBER OF COUNTY EMPLOYEES IS AROUND 1206, WE ACTUALLY PROVIDE SERVICES TO OVER 1993 EMPLOYEES TO INCLUDE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, STATE'S, ATTORNEY CIRCUIT COURT, AND THE COUNTY COUNSEL. IN ADDITION, THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 992 ACTIVE RETIREES, BUT THEN ALSO THEIR DEPENDENTS. AND IN ADDITION TO, SO I AM PROUD OF THE COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS THAT OUR TEAM AND ALL THE WORK THAT WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED THIS PAST YEAR IN FY 25. WE WILL STRIVE TO DO THE BEST AND PROVIDE THE QUALITY SERVICES THAT WE HAVE IN FY 24. AND WITH THAT, I WILL OPEN IT UP TO ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE. THANK YOU, TIFFANY. I APPRECIATE, UM, APPRECIATE YOU ALWAYS BEING THERE TO ANSWER MY QUESTIONS WHEN I CALL. UM, YOU SAID 1,260 EMPLOYEES, WHAT WAS IT? COUNTING THE SHERIFFS AND EVERYTHING. UM, SO IT'S 1206 HARTFORD COUNTY GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES. YEP. AND 1993 TOTAL. TOTAL. OKAY. THANKS. UM, QUESTIONS. UM, MR. PENMAN? THANK YOU MR. PRESIDENT. THANK YOU ALL. YOU GUYS DO A GREAT JOB. 1900, UH, MEMBERS OF THE COUNTY THAT ARE SERVICED. UM, I JUST HAD ONE QUESTION. IT'S NOT GONNA BE A POPULAR QUESTION EITHER WITH KIM ABOUT THE PAYOUT. UM, AND I WELL DESERVED, I'M HAPPY FOR OUTED ON THE SAME THING. I JUST CURIOUS, AND YOU MAY NOT HAVE THE ANSWER, IT LOOKS LIKE IT, IT IS ROUGHLY 2.4 MILLION, IS THAT RIGHT? FOR THE PAYOUT? UM, JUST THROWING A NUMBER. ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT FOR THE A HUNDRED PERCENT SICK LEAVE BUYOUT INCENTIVE, YOUR RETIREMENT INCENTIVE? I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE PAYOUT'S GONNA BE RIGHT NOW. YEAH, WE DON'T. I MEAN, IT'S AN ESTIMATE. I DON'T EVEN, I DIDN'T BRING IT WITH ME, BUT, AND, AND JUST TO KEEP IN MIND THAT THE, THE, THE, THE NORMAL PAYOUT IS, IS ALWAYS A HUNDRED PERCENT OF YOUR ANNUAL LEAVE AND 50% OF YOUR, OF YOUR SICK LEAVE. SO THE DIFFERENTIAL IS REALLY ONLY THE 50% CORRECT. OF THE, OF THE SICK LEAVE. OF THE SICK LEAVE. THAT'S DIFFERENT FROM WHAT'S, WHAT'S NORMALLY THE CASE. AND I'M HAPPY FOR ALL THOSE THAT GET TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT. UH, BUT I JUST CURIOUS TO WHY THAT DECISION WAS MADE TO DO IT NOW, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR THE COUNTY. DO WE KNOW? WELL, I MEAN, I THINK THAT THERE WAS, THERE WAS A DESIRE TO, YOU KNOW, AND THIS IS VERY SIMILAR, WHAT WE DID DURING THE FIRST YEAR OF, OF THE GLASSMAN ADMINISTRATION, UH, WAS TO SEE IF WE CAN UM, UH, KIND OF RESIZE SOME OF OUR, OUR, OF OUR GOVERNMENT, UM, OF, OF, OF OUR, OF OUR GOVERNMENT BUDGETS THAT ARE UNDER, UNDER CABINET. UM, AND YOU KNOW, A PART OF THAT WAS THEN ELIMINATING, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE ELIMINATED 1111 POSITIONS. 11 POSITIONS AS AS, AS PART OF IT. AND THAT'S, AND THAT'S AND PARTIALLY FUNDED 24. YEAH. YEAH. AND, AND THE, THE, THE ELIMINATION OF THE POSITIONS, UM, AS WELL AS, UM, YOU KNOW, GOING FROM INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE GENERALLY AT THE HIGHER END OF THE SCALE TO PEOPLE THAT ARE LESS THAN THAT, UM, IS, IS IN LARGE PART I THINK WHY WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE, UM, THE BUDGET FLAT ON THE, ON THE GOVERNMENT SIDE AND STILL PROVIDE THAT, THAT SMALL RAISE. AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY IT'S ONLY EXTENDED TO THE, ON THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT SIDE, WAS BECAUSE, UM, THERE WAS AN EXPECTATION THAT WE WERE GONNA ELIMINATE, ELIMINATE POSITIONS. UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE DONE THESE, THEY'RE PROBABLY DONE ON AVERAGE ABOUT EVERY ADMINISTRATION. I THINK THERE'S ONE UNDER DAVID CRAIG. THERE'S BEEN, THERE'S BEEN ONE IN THE, UM, IN THE PAST AND ALL. BUT AGAIN, THE BIG IDEA WAS, YOU KNOW, REBALANCING THOSE, THOSE SALARIES. UM, AND ALSO HELP HELPING US TO ELIMINATE POSITIONS THAT WE DON'T ALWAYS ELIMINATE THE POSITION THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A BUDGET CHIEF. BUT WHAT ENDS UP HAPPENING IS THEN, YOU KNOW, WE, WE RESTRUCTURE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY TO SAY, OKAY, YOU KNOW, UM, AND BY AND LARGE WE ARE LOOKING TO FILL WITHIN MOST OF, MOST OF THESE POSITIONS. I KNOW, LIKE, I'M LOSING A, A POSITION I WANT, MY PLAN IS TO FILL FROM WITHIN, BUT THEN WE ELIMINATE KIND OF ANOTHER POSITION WITHIN, YOU KNOW, GENERALLY WITHIN THE SAME STRUCTURE OR THE SAME, UH, UH, DEPARTMENT I SHOULD SAY. SO THE HOPE IS TO REDUCE 11 POSITIONS ACROSS, I MEAN, THAT'S DONE. WE DID, WE DID ELIMINATE 11 POSITIONS IN THIS BUDGET. YEAH. AND I KNOW I YOU DID. AND WE, AND WE ONLY PARTIALLY FUNDED 24. OKAY. UM, AND THEN JUST ONE OTHER QUESTION. UM, THE TRANSFER [00:55:01] OF ONE PEN FROM HOUSING, UM, IT LOOKS LIKE THAT'S IN THE CALL CALL CENTER, HUMAN RESOURCES. UM, I'M TRYING TO THINK WHAT, WHAT, WHAT IS THAT POSITION FOR? SO THAT POSITION WAS FOR OUR BENEFITS TEAM. DO WE KNOW WHO THAT IS? MM-HMM, , UM, AUTUMN LEY. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. OH, SHE JUST GOT MARRIED, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, WEDDING , SHE GOT MARRIED LAST SATURDAY. SO IT PRETTY CONGRATULATIONS TO HER. YES, YES. BECAUSE PRIOR TO THAT WE ONLY HAD TWO PEOPLE IN BENEFITS AND AS YOU CAN SEE BY OUR NUMBERS, THERE'S JUST NO WAY THAT TWO PEOPLE NO'S JUST FINE. I GET IT. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. YEP. MR. JAN. GOOD MORNING LADIES. HOW ARE YOU? YOU LOOK, UH, NICE AND BRIGHT. UM, SO, UH, THANK YOU FOR COMING. THANK YOU FOR ALSO ANSWERING ALL MY QUESTIONS. UM, AND, UH, THANKS FOR HAVING SOME LUNCHES THAT I'M ABLE TO STOP IN AND, AND TAKE PART IN AND, UM, AND I PARTICIPATE WHEN I GET A CHANCE AND I'M, I'M WELL AWARE OF THAT. SO IF SOME OF THESE POSITIONS ARE ELIMINATED AND YOU DON'T FILL THE POSITIONS, DO YOU THEN HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HIRE THEM BACK AS CONSULTANTS OR TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES TO FILL? IS THAT, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S HAPPENED BEFORE OR ANYTHING? YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE WE SEE ALL THE TEMPORARY POSITIONS. YOU KNOW, IF YOU CAN'T FIND SOMEBODY, LIKE IF YOU CAN'T FIND SOMEBODY IN TREASURY TO FILL THE POSITION, DO YOU THEN THAT PERSON THAT RETIRED, YOU HIRE 'EM BACK TEMPORARY BASIS WITHOUT PAYING ANY BENEFITS AND EVERYTHING JUST TO BACKFILL THERE. THERE'S A LOT OF RULES THAT DEAL WITH, BECAUSE WE'RE A MEMBER OF THE MARYLAND STATE PENSION, UM, ON, ON HOW WE'RE ABLE TO DO THIS. NOW, THIS IS NOT LIKE IF YOU'RE LAW ENFORCEMENT, IT IS, DOES NOT APPLY. THEY, THEY DON'T HAVE WHAT'S CALLED THE LEARNING, UM, THE, UM, EARNING LIMITATION. EARNING LIMITATION. UM, AND THEY KIND OF JUST GO RIGHT BACK INTO A, UM, A, A SIMILAR POSITION WITH, WITH US, WITH THE, THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT WORKFORCE. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO WAIT, UH, 45 DAYS BEFORE YOU CAN EVEN HAVE ANY CONTACT. UM, SO YOU CAN'T LIKE, HAVE A, YOU CAN'T HAVE SAY LIKE AN AGREEMENT LIKE, YOU KNOW, HEY LOOK, YOU KNOW, COME AUGUST 15TH YOU'RE COMING BACK. YOU KIND OF MORE OR LESS HAVE TO LET IT COOL. AND I KNOW I'VE KIND OF HAD EXPECTATIONS IN THE PAST WHERE I, I THOUGHT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO BRING SOMEBODY BACK AND IT'S SURPRISING SOMETIMES AFTER 45 DAYS OFF, HEATHER, LIKE, YOU KNOW, I WAS THINKING ABOUT COMING BACK, BUT NAH, I KINDA LIKE THIS TOO TOO MUCH. UM, SO IT, IT IS A, A DIFFICULT THING, BUT WE HAVE DONE IT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN WE'VE DONE IT WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, JEFF STRAT MEYER WAS AN EXAMPLE. UM, AND WE HAVE DONE IT WITH, WITH OTHER, WITH OTHER PEOPLE. UM, SO WE, BUT AGAIN, YOU ARE SUBJECT TO EARNING LIMITATIONS, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN ONLY MAKE A FRACTION OF WHAT THEY WERE NORMALLY MAKING. YEAH, OKAY. UM, SO YOU REALLY CAN'T BRING 'EM BACK IN THE SAME POSITION. YOU KIND OF HAVE TO BRING 'EM BACK AS LIKE, HEY, DO YOU WANNA COME IN A COUPLE DAYS A WEEK AND HELP US WITH THIS TRANSITION? OR, OR THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT THE GOOD THING ABOUT THIS HAVING, UM, KNOWING THAT AHEAD OF TIME THAT WE HAD THESE PEOPLE AND THEY HAD TO SIGN THAT AGREEMENT, YOU KNOW, PRETTY MUCH MARCH ONE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE FOUR MONTHS TO MAKE SURE THAT ANYBODY WHO'S TAKEN THAT, AND THESE ARE SOME OF OUR MOST, YOU KNOW, EXPERIENCED PEOPLE WITH A LOT OF INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE, THAT WE'RE ABLE TO TRY AND EXTRACT AS MUCH OF THAT KNOWLEDGE, UM, AS, AS POSSIBLE. UM, AND I KNOW ALL OF US THAT ARE LOSING PEOPLE ARE, ARE PRETTY MUCH, YOU KNOW, SET UP PROGRAMS OR SET UP, UM, YOU KNOW, ARRANGEMENTS TO TRY TO, UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY HAVE THOSE PEOPLE TRAIN THE EXISTING STAFF AS BEST AS POSSIBLE. OKAY. AND I KNOW I SENT YOU A TEXT MESSAGE ABOUT WHAT IS THE HEALTHCARE HEALTHCARE INCREASE GOING TO BE FOR, UH, EMPLOYEES? WHAT'S THAT PERCENTAGE GONNA BE? UH, INCREASE. SO IN OTHER WORDS, I KNOW LIKE LAST YEAR WE HAD A 7% INCREASE ON, ON THE COST OF HEALTHCARE THAT THE COUNTY ABSORBED. WHAT IS THE COST OF HEALTH SIX HEALTHCARE INSURANCE. THAT'S, THAT'S GOING UP. THIS IS ABOUT 6% INCREASE. SO, SO IT, SO IT'S GONNA GO UP 6% AND WE'RE GONNA JUST FORWARD THAT 6% COST. WE'RE NOT GONNA GO BACK AND, AND CHARGE THEM SEVEN. NO, WE'RE NOT GOING BACK. WE'RE JUST GONNA GO. OKAY. SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS I WAS INTERESTED IN KNOWING IS WHAT'S THE INCREASE IN, ARE, ARE WE GONNA CHARGE FOR LAST YEAR'S INCREASE OR JUST THIS YEAR'S INCREASE ON JUST THIS YEAR'S? OKAY. IS THAT, IS THAT ALSO, AND, AND I THINK THAT CAME UP YESTERDAY WITH THE MEETING I HAD WITH, UM, UH, SCHOOL BOARD. IS IS THEIRS THE SAME PERCENTAGE OR THEY, THEY'RE, 'CAUSE THEY'RE ON A DIFFERENT PLAN, CORRECT? RIGHT. SO WE'RE IN A CONSORTIUM, SO WE CONTRACT WITH CAREFIRST TOGETHER, BUT WE EACH HAVE OUR OWN PLAN DESIGNS, RATES AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT. SO IT'S, SO WHO KNOWS THE INCREASE OF THEIRS? IS THAT YOU OR IS THAT SOMEBODY IN THAT, THAT WOULD BE BENEFITS OF HCPS. OKAY. THEN I'LL ASK THOSE PEOPLE THAT QUESTION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. MR. BEN. UM, ALONG THOSE SAME LINES, WITH THE 1% COLA PLUS A THOUSAND, BUT ALSO WITH THAT OFF BALANCE WITH THE HEALTHCARE, UH, COST GOING UP FOUR, OUR AVERAGE WORKER, DO YOU HAVE A SENSE [01:00:01] ON IF THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, THE PAYCHECK THEY GET IN THEIR BANK ACCOUNT EVERY TWO WEEKS, WHAT'S GONNA BE THE IMPACT ON THAT LOOKING AT NEXT YEAR? SO FROM A HEALTHCARE STANDPOINT, IT'S ANYWHERE FROM A LITTLE OVER A DOLLAR TO A LITTLE OVER $2 FOR AN INDIVIDUAL IN THEIR HEALTHCARE PER PAYCHECK. YES. OKAY. BUT THEN THAT WILL BE OFFSET, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IF YOU JUST LIKE, SO LET'S JUST SAY IF YOU HAVE, SO WITH A A THOUSAND DOLLARS INCREMENT, UM, OR, UM, PLUS A THOUSAND, UM, A ONE, A 1%, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE, A 1%, YOU'RE, YOU'RE REALLY LOOKING AT, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR AN INDIVIDUAL MAYBE MAKING LIKE $50,000, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE EQUIVALENT OF A THREE, THREE AND A HALF, YOU KNOW, KIND OF PERCENT. YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE MAKING A HUNDRED THOUSAND, IT'S, MATH IS SIMPLE. SO I'LL DO THAT MATH IN PUBLIC , IT'S, IT'S 2%. RIGHT. UM, BUT SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, AGAIN, WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST. IT'S, IT'S, UM, IT'S A WAY OF KIND OF SPREADING THE DIFFERENCE, YOU KNOW, KEEPING THE SALARY SCALES MOVING AS BEST WE CAN, UH, BUT ALSO PROVIDING A LITTLE BIT OF A, OF AN EXTRA INCREASE, IF YOU WILL, FOR THOSE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SALARY SCALE. YEAH, I WAS JUST TRYING TO, I APPRECIATE THAT. UM, TRYING TO THINK THROUGH WHAT, WHAT OUR COUNTY EMPLOYEES SHOULD EXPECT TO SEE IN THEIR YOU, BECAUSE EVERYBODY THINKS ABOUT THEIR PAYCHECK, THEIR, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY SEE THAT COMES INTO THEIR BANK ACCOUNT AND NOT ALL THE COMPONENTS THAT MAKE THAT PAYCHECK HAPPEN, BUT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE IT WOULDN'T BE A, A NET NEGATIVE FOR THEM WHEN THEY COME, YOU KNOW, THIS SUMMER AND THEY SEE THEIR NEW PAYCHECK. UM, SO THAT'S GOOD TO HEAR. IT'S ONLY A FEW DOLLARS. IT'S A FEW DOLLARS. YEP. THANK YOU, MR. BENNETT. MR. JANITOR, CAN YOU, UM, WITH THE HEALTHCARE COST, IS IT, UM, BRACKETED BY, UH, AGE GROUP, YOU KNOW, LIKE 10 YEAR SPAN? OR IS IT, IS IT EACH INDIVIDUAL YEAR IT'S GONNA GO UP BASED ON YOUR AC YOUR ACTUAL AGE FOR HEALTH INSURANCE? IT'S NOT YOUR AGE. IT'S NOT YOUR AGE. OKAY. CAN YOU GET ME, UM, A BREAKDOWN OF THE COSTS LIKE YOU DID LAST YEAR SO THAT I CAN ALSO RUN AN ANALYSIS ON THE INDIVIDUAL MARKET TO SEE WHAT THE COST IS FOR AN INDIVIDUAL FAMILY AND, UH, HUSBAND AND WIFE, PLEASE? YES, WILL DO. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? SEEING NO ONE ELSE? THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. OKAY, PROCUREMENT'S GONNA START ON PAGE 1 74. SAME REACH OUT TO MARCY. OKAY. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU. I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THE OTHER ONES KNOW TO ARRIVE A LITTLE EARLY. YEP. WE JUST, WE JUST CHECKED. OKAY. , ON PAGE 1 74, UM, PROCUREMENT OPERATIONS, THERE'S AN INCREASE OF 46,472. UM, AGAIN, THAT IS ALL IN PERSONAL SERVICES. THERE WAS TURNOVER OF 26 733 FOR DECREASE. THE FISCAL YEAR. 24 COLA WAS INCLUDED AT A COST OF 23,432. UM, AGAIN, THE 25 COLA OF 1% AND $1,000 FOR ALL ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES WAS INCLUDED AT A COST OF $20,039. UM, THERE WERE OTHER ADJUSTMENTS FOR PENSION WORKERS' COMP HEALTH, AS YOU HAVE SEEN THROUGHOUT ALL THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS. IF YOU TURN TO PAGE 1 78, YOU'LL SEE PROPERTY ACQUISITION IS ZERO. THIS IS BECAUSE THEY TRANSFER. WE'VE TRANSFERRED THE OPERATION TO THE LAW DEPARTMENT ON PAGE 180 1. THIS IS PROCUREMENT FLEET MANAGEMENT, AND THIS IS HIGHWAYS FUND. THIS IS NOT GENERAL FUND. THERE'S AN INCREASE THERE OF $1,099,934. UM, VERY SMALL ADJUSTMENTS AND PERSONAL SERVICES FOR A DECREASE OF 1001 70. UM, THERE WAS SOME TURNOVER THERE OF 29,134. UM, WE DID INCLUDE THE FY 24 COLA AT A COST OF 8,862, THE FY 25 COLA OF 6,872, AND THEN ADJUSTMENTS, UM, FOR HEALTH BENEFITS, WORKERS' COMP AND OPED. UNDER CONTRACTUAL SERVICES, YOU'LL SEE AN INCREASE THERE OF $301,200. THIS IS FOR NEW FLEET SOFTWARE. UM, THE EXISTING SOFTWARE IS NO LONGER SUPPORTED, SO, UM, THEY'RE GETTING READY TO GO OUT TO BID TO PURCHASE THIS SOFTWARE. UM, UNDER SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS, THERE'S AN INCREASE THERE OF 1 46 840. AGAIN, THE BULK OF THAT IS FOR FUEL AND GASOLINE. UM, UNDER BUSINESS AND TRAVEL [01:05:01] INCREASE, THERE IS 6 53 0 63. AGAIN, THIS IS FOR THE VEHICLE MAINTENANCE CONTRACT, UM, BOTH TARGET AND NON-TARGET TARGET INCREASES 2 53 0 63, AND THEN NON-TARGET, UM, INCREASES $400,000. AND WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MR. WILLIAMS. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING, SIR. UH, GOOD MORNING. UH, COUNCIL PRESIDENT VINCENTI, I'M MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. I'M MARCUS WILLIAMS, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF PROCUREMENT. AND WITH ME TODAY IS STEPHANIE WHALEN. STEPHANIE HAS BEEN ASSISTING ME WITH, UH, TRAINING IN PROCUREMENT, UM, TRAINING OUR NEW AGENTS, UM, AND ASSISTING DURING MEYER'S ABSENCE. PLEASE GIVE HER OUR BEST TOO. WILL YOU PLEASE? WE WILL. THANK YOU. AND SHE'S DOING REALLY WELL. YES, THANK YOU. YES. THE PROCUREMENT DIVISION ALONE CONSISTS OF, UH, NINE EMPLOYEES. SIX OF THE NINE EMPLOYEES, ONE, INCLUDING MYSELF, HAVE BEEN IN PROCUREMENT FOR LESS THAN 12 MONTHS. UM, WE'VE RECRUITED TO REPLACE VACANCIES AND WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT WE'VE ORGANIZED AND TRAINED A GREAT TEAM. UH, CONTINUOUS TRAINING FOSTERS PERSONAL GROWTH AND FULFILLMENT, WHICH IS KEY TO EMPLOYEE RETENTION, WHICH WE'VE HAD AN ISSUE WITH OVER THE LAST SEVERAL FISCAL YEARS WITH PROCUREMENT AGENTS. UH, TWO OF OUR PROCUREMENT AGENTS, UM, HAVE RECENTLY COMPLETED COURSES THROUGH THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF GOVERNMENT PURCHASING, ALSO KNOWN AS NIGP. AND OUR OTHER TWO AGENTS ARE ACTUALLY IN TRAINING CLASS TODAY. WE COLLABORATE WITH HARTFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS ON COOPERATIVE OPPORTUNITIES AND WITH OTHER COUNTIES IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND. ADDITIONALLY, PROCUREMENT IS A MEMBER OF BRICK PACK, WHICH IS THE BALTIMORE REGIONAL COOPERATIVE PURCHASING COMMITTEE. AND, UH, BRICK PACK IS A GREAT RESOURCE FOR PROCUREMENT. UM, AND WE ARE SEARCHING FOR COOPERATIVE OPPORTUNITIES. UH, AT THIS TIME, WE'RE AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS. NOW, I JUST WANNA COMMEND YOU AND THE ENTIRE TEAM, UH, FOR THE JOB THAT YOU DO EVERY DAY. UH, SAVING THE COUNTY MONEY, MAKING SURE THAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR ALL THE RIGHT VENDORS, UM, FOLLOWING ALL THE PROCUREMENT GUIDELINES. UH, WE GET TO SEE IT, UH, THROUGHOUT OUR BOARD OF ESTIMATES MEETINGS. UM, AND WE HAVE OPEN DISCUSSIONS ON WHY THINGS ARE DONE CERTAIN WAYS WHEN, UH, MAYBE MR. HAMILTON ASKED A COUPLE OF TOUGH QUESTIONS, SOMETIMES . UM, SO, UH, WITH THAT, I'M, I'M, I'M GOOD. EVERYBODY GOOD. MR. PENMAN? UM, I KNOW THERE WAS A, UH, A FIGURE THAT WAS GIVEN A 10. YOU GUYS SAY SAVE $10 MILLION RECENTLY. UH, AND THAT'S GREAT. I, YOU, YOU GUYS DO A GREAT JOB, COMPLICATED JOB, UM, WHICH REQUIRES A LOT OF PATIENCE. BUT CAN YOU WALK ME THROUGH KIND OF WHERE THAT SAVINGS WAS GENERATED WITHIN YOUR DEPARTMENT? JUST SURE. AND I CAN GET YOU THAT, UM, FIGURE. UM, BUT COST SAVINGS IS BROKEN DOWN INTO SEVEN DIFFERENT CATEGORIES. WE HAVE NEGOTIATED SAVINGS, ADMINISTRATIVE SAVINGS, COST AVOIDANCE, UH, REBATES, VALUE ENGINEERING, PAYMENT TERM SAVINGS, AND COMPETITIVE BIDDING. UM, MOST OF THE COST SAVINGS ARE THROUGH NEGOTIATED SAVINGS, UH, WHETHER WE ARE LOOKING AT A LIST PRICE, COMPARING IT TO, UM, ANY, UM, AMOUNT THAT WE'VE, WE'VE NEGOTIATED, UH, REBATES THROUGH HOME DEPOT, STAPLES, UM, UH, COST AVOIDANCE. COST AVOIDANCE. BASICALLY IF, IF, UH, WE ARE CONTRACTING THROUGH A SUPPLIER THAT'S GONNA, UM, GIVE US A DISCOUNT IF WE PAY THE FULL AMOUNT UP FRONT. IF IT, IF IT'S A, IF IT'S SU SUBSTANTIAL SAVINGS, THEN WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT PAYING THAT, UM, FULL AMOUNT UPFRONT, UM, TO AGAIN, SAVE THE COUNTY ADDITIONAL FUNDING. STEPHANIE, IF, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WANTED TO ADD TO? NO, I, I THINK THAT COVERS IT WELL, AND WE HAVE SAVINGS IN ALL OF THOSE AREAS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. YEAH. IS THERE A BREAKDOWN IN KIND OF A CHART YOU GUYS KEEP TRACK OF THAT YOU CAN SHARE WITH US? YEAH, SO THERE'S, THERE'S A SPREADSHEET THAT ALL THE AGENTS HAVE, AND, UM, EACH OF THESE, UH, COST SAVINGS ARE BROKEN DOWN INTO DIFFERENT, THE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES AND INDIVIDUAL TABS. AND THOSE ARE SUBMITTED TO US QUARTERLY. AND THEN JUST ONE FINAL QUESTION. UM, THE PARTNERSHIP, I KNOW, I KNOW THE ADMINISTRATION HAS DONE A GREAT JOB TRYING TO PARTNER WITH, UM, THE HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOR, YOU KNOW, PROCUREMENT AND OTHER ASPECTS. SO IS, IS THAT PARTNERSHIP WORKING WELL WITH THE SCHOOLS AS FAR AS PURCHASING DIFFERENT THINGS FLEETS AT ALL? IT IS, AND WE ARE, WE ARE, UM, WE'RE WORKING WITH 'EM, UM, AGAIN ON A QUARTERLY BASIS. WE HAVE MEETINGS WITH THEM. SO, UM, PROBABLY THE BIGGEST COLLABORATION WITH THE, WITH THE SCHOOLS ARE THE, OUR PARKS AND FACILITIES AND, AND THE, UM, BALL FIELDS. BUT WE ARE LOOKING FOR OTHER OPPORTUNITIES WHERE WE CAN, UM, KIND OF PIGGYBACK ON EACH OTHER. YEAH. OKAY. EXCELLENT. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. AND I MIGHT ADD THE SAVINGS THAT THEY, THAT THEY BRING TO THE COUNTY, UH, IN MY 10 YEARS ON THE, ON THE COUNCIL, UH, IT'S, IT'S CONTINUED [01:10:01] THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE TIME, YOU KNOW, THE UPS AND DOWNS AS FAR AS VALUE, BUT THE SAVINGS, UH, OPPORTUNITIES ARE ALWAYS THERE. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. UM, ANYONE ELSE? YOU GUYS ARE OFF THE HOOK. EASY. OH, LOOK AT THAT. GOOD JOB, MARK. CONGRATULATIONS, . SO NOW WE'RE WAITING ON THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. OKAY. I, I HIT THE RESTER. UM, SOMEBODY TURN THE MICS OFF. WE'LL TAKE A LITTLE RECESS WHILE WE'RE WAITING. OH, SHE HERE. OKAY. RIGHT OFF FRONT. HAS A NICE RECESS. . YOU LIKE THAT RECESS? COFFEE? NOT HEALTHY, BUT THE WHOLE TIME. YEAH, I KNOW. YEAH. MY WATCH TELLS ME TO STAND EVERY HOUR. TIME TO STAND. NO. ROB, ARE YOU GOING TO ANY OF THE GAMES THIS WEEK? UH, I WAS THERE. I WAS THERE SUNDAY AND LAST NIGHT. SUNDAY WAS A HEARTBREAKER. LAST NIGHT WAS A FUN ONE. LAST NIGHT WAS GOOD DAY. THE DAY WAS FAST. IT WAS GREAT. IT WAS A GOOD CROWD. IT WAS LIKE A PLAYOFF KIND OF CROWD LAST NIGHT. MICS ARE STILL ON. YES, I TURNED MINE OFF. OKAY. NO, LIKE THE, IT'S STILL . GOOD MORNING. MORNING. HOW ARE YOU? GOOD. HOW ARE YOU DOING? GOOD. I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO, UM, MARCY, BUT THEY'RE, UM, IN THE BUDGET BOOK PAGE 2 94. IF YOU DON'T MIND SHARING. WHENEVER YOU'RE READY, MARCY. OH, OKAY. THANK YOU. CAN YOU HEAR ME? JUST PULL THAT MIC A LITTLE CLOSER. THAT'S ALL RIGHT. RIGHT THERE ABOUT THAT. OKAY. SO, UM, LOOKING AT THE PIE CHART IN YOUR FOLDER, YOU CAN SEE THAT OUR BUDGET TO, UM, THAT OUR BUDGET TOTALING ALMOST 28,600,000 IS BROKEN DOWN INTO FOUR CATEGORIES, CATEGORICAL CORE COLLECTIONS AND COUNTY. THE CATEGORICAL FUNDING FROM THE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH FOR FY 25 WILL AMOUNT TO 48% OF THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT'S FUNDING AND TOTALS ALMOST 13.8 MILLION. THIS IS A, A SLIGHT DECLINE FROM FY 24 DUE TO SOME CUTS IN THE FUNDING FROM OUR HARM REDUCTION IN HIV PROGRAMS AND THE END OF SOME OF OUR COVID GRANTS. THE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH DID INFORM US, HOWEVER, THAT THERE IS SOME CARRYOVER FUNDING FOR COVID, UM, LEFT AT THE STATE. SO WE HAVE APPLIED FOR SOME OF THAT TO MAKE UP DEFICIT. WE'RE WAITING TO HEAR WHAT WE WILL RECEIVE. CATEGORICAL FUNDS AND GRANTS ARE FOR SPECIFIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT PROGRAMS AND CAN ONLY BE USED FOR THOSE PROGRAMS SUCH AS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS CENTER, UM, UH, CANCER AND TOBACCO USE PREVENTION, WIC NUTRITION SERVICES, MEDICAL ASSISTANCE TRANSPORTATION, AND ABOUT 60 OTHER CATEGORICAL GRANTS. UM, CORE FUNDING FOR THE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH FOR FY 25 WILL AMOUNT TO 21% OF THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT'S FUNDING AND TOTALS ALMOST 6 MILLION, WHICH IS SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN FY 24. THE INCREASED FUNDING IS, IS TO COVER THE STAFF PAY INCREASES THAT HAVE BEEN GENEROUSLY GIVEN BY THE STATE IN BOTH FY 23 AND 24, AND WILL CONTINUE IN FY 25. CORE FUNDING IS USED MAINLY FOR SOME OF THE UNFUNDED PROGRAMS SUCH AS MATERNAL CHILD HEALTH, FAMILY PLANNING, OUTBREAK INVESTIGATIONS, COMMUNICABLE DISEASE CARE COORDINATION AND ADMINISTRATION. THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT'S ESTIMATED COLLECTIONS FOR FY 24 AMOUNTS TO 13% OF OUR FUNDING AND TOTALS JUST OVER 3.8 MILLION. THIS IS AN INCREASE OF JUST OVER 1 MILLION FROM LAST YEAR AND IS USED TO PAY STAFF WITHIN THE COLLECTION PROGRAMS DUE TO OUR CUSTOMER FRIENDLY WALK-IN PROCEDURE FOR BIRTH AND DEATH CERTIFICATES. OUR NUMBERS OF CER CERTIFICATES DISTRIBUTED IN COLLECTIONS FOR THAT SERVICE HAVE INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY. WE RECEIVE COLLECTIONS FROM THE FOLLOWING PROGRAMS, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, MEDICAL ASS, UM, BECAUSE WE ACCEPT ALL INSURANCES AND MEDICAL ASSISTANCE, DENTAL SERVICES, IMMUNIZATIONS, FAMILY PLANNING, STI SERVICES AND VITAL RECORDS. COUNTY FUNDING FOR FY 25 AMOUNTS TO 18% OF THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT'S FUNDING AND TOTALS JUST OVER 5 MILLION. THIS IS A 5% INCREASE FROM LAST [01:15:01] YEAR'S BUDGET. WE ARE EXTREMELY GRATEFUL FOR THIS INCREASE, AND IT WILL ALLOW THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO MAINTAIN ITS CURRENT STAFFING LEVEL, PARTICULARLY FOR OUR, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH BUREAU. AS USUAL, THIS FUNDING WILL BE DISTRIBUTED TO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT'S ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, AND ADMINISTRATIVE PROGRAMS. WHEN WE REQUEST FUNDING, WE TRY TO PRESENT WAYS TO JUSTIFY THE INCREASE. SO IN THIS CASE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH BUREAU HAS DRAFTED A PROPOSED REVISION TO HARTFORD COUNTY CODE CHAPTER 1 57, WHICH IF ADOPTED WOULD AMEND THEIR THEIR 24 YEAR FEE STRUCTURE. THE INCREASED PROJECTIONS FROM THIS REVISED FEE STRUCTURE WOULD RETURN OUR REQUESTED 5% FY 25 FUNDING INCREASE TO HARTFORD COUNTY IN THE FORM OF COLLECTIONS. I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE PROGRAMS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST TO THE COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY. AND IN ONE OF YOUR PAGES, WE HAVE A SNAPSHOT OF ALL OF OUR SERVICES. UM, BUT THIS IS JUST A COUPLE. OUR CLINICAL HEALTH BUREAU EXPANDED ITS HOURS FOR THE FAMILY PLANNING STI AND IMMUNIZATION CLINICS DURING THIS FISCAL YEAR. THE CLINIC'S EXPANDED HOURS ARE 8:15 AM TO 6:00 PM THESE EXPANDED HOURS ARE ON THE FIRST AND THIRD WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH, AND HAVE ASSISTED MANY FAMILIES, SPECIFICALLY, HAS HELPED CHILDREN GET THE REQUIRED VACCINATIONS THEY NEED FOR SCHOOL. THIS FISCAL YEAR, OUR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH BUREAU BEGAN PROVIDING THE INTENSIVE OUTPATIENT PROGRAM, WHICH WE CALL IOP, FOR THE MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS OF OUR YOUTH AND ADOLESCENTS AGES 13 TO 17. THIS WAS IN RESPONSE TO THE CLOSURE OF OUR TEEN DIVERSION PROGRAM, AND HAS RESULTED IN HELPING THE TEENS WHO WERE AT THE, IN THAT PROGRAM, ALONG WITH MANY MORE TEENS THAN THAT PROGRAM COULD ACCOMMODATE. THE IOP INCLUDES SIX PLUS HOURS OF IN-PERSON WEEKLY GROUP, AND THEY MEET MONDAYS, TUESDAYS, AND THURSDAYS FROM FOUR 30 TO 6:45 PM. IN ADDITION TO THIS, OUR FREE TO BE SUPPORT GROUP FOR LGBTQ PLUS TEENS CONTINUES TO BE A HUGE SUCCESS WITH OVER 20 STUDENTS. NOW ATTENDING HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL SCHOOL SUPPORTS THIS PROGRAM, AND SUPERINTENDENT BOLSON POPPED IN TO ONE OF THE GROUPS AND PARTICIPATED IN ALL OF THE EVENING ACTIVITIES. FINALLY, AN UPDATE ON OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COUNTY AND TRANSITION TO THEIR ENTER GOV SYSTEM. AND THAT'S THE SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING, TRACKING AND MAINTAINING BUILDING PERMIT AND OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT BUSINESS PROCESS APPLICATIONS. ENTER GOV IS NOW CALLED ENTERPRISE PERMITTING AND LICENSING. SO WE'RE GONNA CALL IT EPL. IF YOU RECALL, THE COUNTY HAS SUPPORTED THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT BY PURCHASING COMPUTER SOFTWARE LICENSES FOR OUR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH STAFF AND TABLET COMPUTERS. JOHN HAS PROVIDED ME WITH A TIMELINE OF EVENTS UP TO THAT POINT, IT'LL BE SHORTER THAN YOU'RE USED TO. ON MAY 9TH, 2023, THE TECHNOLOGY MOU, BETWEEN HARTFORD COUNTY AND THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT WAS SIGNED ON MAY 23RD, 2023. DISCOVERY AND PROCESS MEETINGS BEGAN BETWEEN HARTFORD COUNTY AND THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. THESE ARE TECHNICAL MEETINGS FOR WRITING CODE FOR THE EPL SYSTEM. THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS WORKING CLOSELY WITH HARTFORD COUNTY'S INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY GROUP TO CREATE REPORTS AND INSPECTION FORMS. WEEKLY EPL PROCESS AND FUNCTIONAL COMMITTEE MEETINGS WITH COUNTY AGENCIES HAVE OCCURRED SINCE LAST MAY. ON DECEMBER 11TH, 2023, HEALTH DEPARTMENT STAFF HAVE PARTICIPATED IN RIDE-ALONGS WITH HARTFORD COUNTY'S BUILDING SERVICES. ON DECEMBER 12TH OF THAT SAME YEAR LAST YEAR, THE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH STAFF RECEIVED IPADS FROM THE COUNTY. ON FEBRUARY 1ST, 2024, STAFF STARTED ENTERING RESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS INTO EPL. UM, AND THAT'S GOOD NEWS BECAUSE NOW WE'RE ENTERING INTO THAT SYSTEM ON FEBRUARY 1ST. SAME DAY. RESIDENTIAL INSPECTION REPORTS WENT LIVE ON EPL ON FEBRUARY 1ST. SAME DAY. OPEN BURN PERMIT APPLICATIONS WERE PUT IN EPL, UM, ON APRIL 1ST, UH, DEMO INSPECTION REPORTS WENT LIVE. AND FINALLY, STAFF ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON COMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS THAT WILL BE ENTERED INTO P-T-E-P-L. UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO THANK THE COUNTY ONCE MORE FOR OUR INCREASED FUNDING. THANK YOU MARCY, UH, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION, IF YOU WOULD PLEASE SEND OVER A COPY SURE. TO MS. HARRIS SO WE CAN, UH, PROVIDE IT TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. OKAY. UM, AND I TOO, UM, AM VERY GRATEFUL TO THE COUNTY TO EXTEND, UH, NOT ONLY THE IT SUPPORT, BUT THE, UH, GREAT WORKING RELATIONSHIP THAT YOU HAVE BETWEEN DI AND PLANNING AND ZONING. MM-HMM. , UH, AND AGAIN, I SPOKE TO IT YESTERDAY. UH, WE WERE JUST ALL TOGETHER ON FRIDAY, SO I APPRECIATE THAT. AND THEN I SEE JOHN'S IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM. UM, THEN THE HIDING, YOU'RE HIDING. IT'S GOOD THERE, [01:20:01] , BUT, BUT I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE COUNTY FOR WORKING WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, UH, IN BRINGING THEIR FEE STRUCTURES UP TO DATE. THEY HAVEN'T BEEN LOOKED AT IN, IN MANY, MANY YEARS. AND, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, I KIND OF JUST GLARED AT ME WHEN I LOOKED AT THE FEE STRUCTURE WAS THAT, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, JOHN, IS IT PLAN REVIEW THAT YOU NEVER CHARGED ANYTHING FOR, FOR OVER THE YEARS? AND, UM, IT WAS A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT, UH, ONE OF YOU WOULD SPEND ON THAT. SO WE, WE ADDRESSED THAT AND HOPEFULLY MY COLLEAGUES AGREE AND, AND PASS THESE FEES, UH, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT IT WILL OFFSET THE INCREASE TO THE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT, UM, FOR ONE. AND NUMBER TWO, IT JUST KIND OF BRINGS YOU INTO, INTO THE REAL WORLD TODAY. UM, SO, AND THEN THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO TOUCH ON, WE HAD TALKED ABOUT THE OFFICE AND THE ACTIVITY THAT YOU RECEIVE WITH PEOPLE COMING THERE TO, UH, LOOK AT, IS IT BIRTH CERTIFICATES? AND YOU MENTIONED HOW MANY STATES ARE NOW COMING HERE FOR THAT? OH, COUNTIES. THE COUNTIES, I'M SORRY, ARE CROSSING LINES TO COME OVER TO OURS BECAUSE WE DO HAVE THE WALK-IN. AND NEXT TUESDAY AT THE BOARD OF HEALTH, WE'RE GONNA SHOW YOU PICTURES OF HOW IT LOOKS BECAUSE WE, WE REVAMPED OUR WAITING ROOM. WELL, I FORGOT YOU'RE COMING TUESDAY. OKAY. YEAH. TO ACCOMMODATE MORE PEOPLE BECAUSE IT'S PRETTY CROWDED OVER THERE, SO DON'T COME TOO EARLY. UH OH. 'CAUSE WE HAVE PUBLIC HEARINGS, AND I BELIEVE ONE OF THE PUBLIC HEARINGS ARE GONNA BE MUCH LONGER THAN WE ALLOTTED FOR. SO, OH, WELL, JUST SAYING AT SEVEN. . UM, COUNSEL, MR. PENMAN, UM, YOU GUYS DO A GREAT JOB. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TEAM AND ALL THE EFFORTS THAT YOU DO. I JUST HAD A QUESTION ABOUT, UM, PERSONNEL. UM, I KNOW THE COUNTY'S DOING FOR SOME EMPLOYEES, 1% AND THE MERIT INCREASE. UH, WHAT, WHAT IS YOUR STAFF GETTING? SO IN, UM, JULY ONE, WE'RE ALL GETTING A 3% COLA. AND THEN DEPENDING ON THE TIME OF YEAR YOU WERE HIRED, UM, YOU WILL EITHER GET ANOTHER STEP INCREASE IN JULY ONE OR JANUARY. SO IF YOU WERE HIRED FROM JANUARY ONE TO JULY, UM, TO JUNE 30TH, IN THOSE MONTHS, YOU'LL GET YOUR INCREASE NEXT JANUARY. BUT IF YOU WERE HIRED AT THE END OF THE YEAR, YOU'LL GET ONE IN IN, UM, IN, UM, JULY. SO THAT'S HOW IT'S BASED. VERY GOOD. WELL DESERVED. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU, MR. JAN. JORDANA. MARCIE, THANKS FOR COMING. UM, THANKS FOR ALL YOUR, YOUR HELP. UM, YOU'RE ALWAYS ACCESSIBLE, UM, TEXT MESSAGE SOMETIMES I'M, UH, AFRAID TO TEXT YOU. I KNOW IT'S ON THE WEEKEND AND YOU, YOU TEXTED ME BACK. SO, UH, BUT I, I APPRECIATE THAT WORKING ON SOME STUFF. AND, AND JOHN, I KNOW YOU'RE BACK THERE AND I, I APPRECIATE, UH, ALL YOUR HELP. UM, A LOT OF THE RESTAURANT INSPECTIONS, I, I SEE YOU GUYS DID 1300 FOOD INSPECTIONS. UM, THEY WOULD GO ON A BUNCH OF THEM, BUT, YOU KNOW, I KNOW YOU GUYS ALSO DO THE INSPECTIONS FOR, UM, FOOD TRUCKS, YOU KNOW, THAT ARE AT OUR VARIOUS EVENTS THAT, THAT WENT SMOOTH. AND ONE OF THE EVENTS THAT I WAS HELPING FOR. SO, UM, I, I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE WHEN A RESTAURANT SHUTS DOWN AND THEN SOMEBODY ELSE BUYS IT, ALL NEW REGULATIONS APPLY. SO TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT SOME PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT, THAT JUST BECAUSE YOU BUY THE PLACE DOESN'T MEAN YOU'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO USE EVERYTHING FROM BEFORE THAT, YOU KNOW, ALL NEW REGULATIONS NOW, NOW APPLY FOR THAT. UM, SO I THINK YOU DO A GOOD JOB WHERE, UH, COUNCILMAN PENMAN, UH, QUESTION ABOUT THE, UH, STATE RAISE. WHERE DOES, WHERE DO WE STAND WITH BALTIMORE COUNTY ON RULE YOUR OWN? BECAUSE THEIRS IS NOT STATE-BASED COMPARED TO YOU. AND I KNOW IN THE PAST WE WERE LOSING PEOPLE TO BALTIMORE COUNTY. YEAH. HOW DOES THAT HELP US, UH, NOW WITH STATE BALTIMORE COUNTY? THAT YOU MEAN HOME RULE? YEAH, HOME RULE FOR HOME RULE. RIGHT. SO THEY'RE ALL COUNTY EMPLOYEES. THE ONLY, THE ONLY STATE EMPLOYEE AT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS THE HEALTH OFFICER. AND, AND THAT POSITION OVERSEES DSS ALSO, BUT THEY'RE ALL COUNTY EMPLOYEES, SO IT'S A DIFFERENT FEE SCHEDULE. THEY ARE, UM, GIVING ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH STAFF A MUCH DESERVED INCREASE THIS YEAR. THEY, THEY SOMETIMES LOOK AT CERTAIN POSITIONS, STUDY THEM, AND UM, AND THEN BRING THEM ALL UP AT THE SAME TIME. AND THAT'S, THAT'S HAPPENING THIS YEAR WITH ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, SO WE'RE NOT LOSING ANYBODY ANYMORE. GOOD. THAT'S GOOD TO HEAR. GOOD. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ANYONE ELSE? MR. BENNETT? HELLO. AND, UM, THANK YOU FOR SHARING ALL THAT YOU'RE UP TO. UM, IT'S ESPECIALLY EXCITING TO HEAR ABOUT THE FREE TO BE PROGRAM GROWING AND THAT THOSE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE BEING SUPPORTED BY OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT. DO YOU HAVE ANY, UH, UPDATES ON PROGRAMMING WITH MINORITY HEALTH IN ANY OF THOSE INITIATIVES TO SHARE? YES. SO WE KEEP HAVING THE MONTHLY EVENTS FOR THAT. UM, THEY'RE HELD IN THE, UM, [01:25:01] SOUTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY, EDGEWOOD, ABERDEEN, AND THEN WE HAVE, YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD OF OUR GIRLS AND BOYS EVENTS. THE BOYS ONES BOYS EVENT IS COMING UP AWESOME. IN MAY. SO WE'LL HAVE THAT ONE MORE NOTE IF YOU WANNA KNOW. UM, WE HAVE A MEETING WITH THE, UM, THE SCHOOLS TO EXPAND OUR SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH CENTER INTO THE HIGH ONE HIGH SCHOOL. WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. IT'S TAKEN 20 YEARS TO GET THERE, . UM, THAT'S AWESOME. AND AS ALWAYS, IF YOU EVER HAVE FLYERS THAT NEED TO BE SHARED, OKAY. YOU KNOW, I KNOW ALMOST ALL OF US HAVE NEWSLETTERS AND OKAY. UM, WE'D BE HAPPY TO SHARE THAT INFORMATION OUT SO PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THOSE EVENTS. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? NOTHING. I KNOW I GOT YOU COVERED. . THANK YOU, MARCY. THANK YOU. THANK ALL OF YOU. YEP, THEY'RE ON. SORRY, THEY'RE ON PAGE 3 0 3. WE'RE NOT GONNA LET YOU GET COMFORTABLE. YES. GOOD MORNING. OKAY. INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY ON PAGE 3 0 3, THERE'S AN INCREASE THERE OF 1 MILLION 7 98 4 45, UH, A NET INCREASE IN PERSONAL SERVICES OF 370,664. THEY HAD TURNOVER FOR A DECREASE OF 84 9 0 2. OF COURSE, WE INCLUDED THE 24 UM, COLA OF 74 532, AND, UH, THE 25 COLA AND 1000 MERIT AT 66 3 37. THERE'S A NET INCREASE OF TWO POSITIONS THAT WERE TRANSFERRED INTO, INTO ICT FOR A COST OF 2 3 2 1 74. AND THAT DOES INCLUDE SALARY AND BENEFITS. UM, WE TRANSFERRED THE ASSET MANAGER WHO WAS, UM, ORIGINALLY IN FACILITIES AND OPS. HE WILL BE PART OF ICT STAFF FOR NOW ON. AND THEN THERE WAS A VACANT POSITION, UM, WITHIN THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE STAFF, AND WE TRANSFERRED THAT OVER TO A PROGRAMMER. I'M NOT SURE. YEAH, WE'RE GONNA CHANGE IT TO A PROGRAM OR VACANCY. UM, ALSO DURING FISCAL YEAR 24, UM, WE ADDED TWO POSITIONS. THESE WERE FORMALLY TEMPORARY POSITIONS, UM, AND WE MADE THEM PERMANENT. SO YOU'LL SEE AN INCREASE THERE OF 179, 1 0 9 FOR TWO POSITIONS, BUT YOU'LL ALSO SEE AN OFFSET IN TEMPORARY SALARIES OF 1 98, 677. UM, WE DID INCREASE OVERTIME $25,000 IN PERSONAL SERVICES. AND AGAIN, THAT'S BASED ON ACTUALS. UNDER CONTRACTUAL SERVICES, THERE'S AN INCREASE THERE OF 1 MILLION 4 72, 536. UM, WE REALIGNED DATA PROCESSING HARDWARE. THE FUNDS WERE REALLOCATED, UM, TO OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. AND LINE ITEMS WERE ADJUSTED BASED ON ACTUALS. THIS IS FOR SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE SECURITY AND MAINTENANCE CONTRACTS. UM, UNDER, UH, DATA PROCESSING SOFTWARE, THERE'S AN INCREASE THERE OF 857,586. AGAIN, THIS IS SOFTWARE THAT IS USED THROUGHOUT ALL THE GENERAL FUND DEPARTMENTS. SO EVERYTHING IS BUDGETED WITHIN ISCT FOR SOFTWARE. AND THEN UNDER SECURITY SYSTEMS, THIS WAS REALLOCATED FROM FACILITIES AND OPS, UM, $110,000. AND THIS IS, UM, FOR SECURITY SYSTEMS, WHICH IS WHAT THE ASSET MANAGER HANDLES. UNDER SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS, THERE'S A DECREASE THERE. $52,800. AGAIN, THESE WERE ALL ADJUSTED BASED ON ACTUAL SPENDING. IT'S FOR GENERAL OFFICE SUPPLIES, PRINTING, UM, HARDWARE COMPONENTS, SO FORTH UNDER BUSINESS AND TRAVEL. YOU'LL SEE AN INCREASE THERE OF $8,045. 2000 OF IT IS PROVIDING, UM, COUNTY VEHICLE FUNDING, WHICH IS MAINTENANCE FUEL AND SO FORTH FOR THE ASSET MANAGER, WHICH WAS MOVED FROM FACILITIES AND OPS. AND THEN THERE WAS ADJUSTMENTS TO THEIR MAINTENANCE ON THEIR VEHICLES, MEALS, LODGING, AND SO FORTH. AND AGAIN, THAT'S BASED ON ACTUALS. THERE WAS NO CHANGE IN FUNDING FOR INTERGOVERNMENTAL, UM, INTER FUND. AND THAT'S, UM, LEASES FOR THEIR, UM, VEHICLES. IF YOU TURN TO PAGE 3 0 5, THIS IS THE OFFICE OF BROADBAND. THERE'S AN INCREASE THERE OF 1 4 2 8 95. UM, IT PROVIDES, UM, TEMPORARY SALARIES FOR THE BROADBAND COORDINATOR OF 87 5 70. [01:30:01] UM, THE COST OF THE, UH, 25, UH, COLA OF 1% AND 1000 AT 3,515 AND THE HEALTH BENEFITS AND SO FORTH, TO GO ALONG WITH THAT POSITION, CONTRACTUAL SERVICES INCREASES $5,000. AND THIS IS THE COUNTY FIBER MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT AS WELL AS ELECTRICITY. UNDER SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS, THERE'S A SMALL INCREASE THERE OF 750. THIS IS FOR GENERAL OFFICE MAILING AND SUPPLIES, AGAIN, BASED ON ACTUAL EXPENSE HISTORY. AND THEN UNDER BUSINESS AND TRAVEL, UM, IT'S FUEL EXPENSE FOR THE GENERATORS, UM, AT THE FIBER HUBS, AS WELL AS SOME TRAINING AND MILEAGE. AND WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO MR. KUBA. GOOD MORNING, UH, COUNCIL PRESIDENT MANETTI, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. MY NAME IS NICHOLAS CUBA. I AM THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY. I HAVE WITH ME TODAY MR. GREGORY GREEN, WHO IS THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY. GREG HAS BEEN WITH THE DEPARTMENT FOR A LITTLE OVER A YEAR NOW, HAS BEEN WORKING ON SEVERAL PROJECTS, INCLUDING THE WORKDAY, HCMA ROLE, UH, BONFIRE CONTRACT MANAGEMENT, AND A DEP PAYROLL PROJECTS TO NAME A FEW. ALSO NOT HERE. TODAY, I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION SHARON TAYLOR, WHO IS THE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT, AND CARISSA HIGBY, WHO IS THE BUDGET TECHNICIAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT. I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE CASTLEY ADMINISTRATION AND MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL FOR YOUR PAST SUPPORT OF TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVES. TOGETHER, I HOPE WE CAN CONTINUE THE PARTNERSHIP REQUIRED TO PERFORM OR TO PROVIDE A MODERN, FRIENDLY, SAFE, AND SECURE EXPERIENCE WHEN ACCESSING ONLINE SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE COUNTY AND OUR PARTNERS. AS THE DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY, I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF LEADING A TEAM OF, UH, 31, UM, FULL-TIME PROFESSIONALS, TWO PART-TIME TEMPS AND ONE CONTRACT POSITION. THE OFFICE OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME TO OICT, DAN HIGBY, WHO IS TRANSFERRING FROM FACILITIES AND FY 25. DAN AND ADDITIONAL OICT STAFF WILL PROVIDE SUPPORT AND SERVICES FOR ACCESS CONTROLS, FIRE, BURGLAR, PANIC, AND CAMERA RELATED SYSTEMS IN THE COUNTY. THE DEPARTMENT, UH, FOR ICT IS BROKEN INTO FOUR DIVISION OR FOUR DIFFERENT TEAMS. UH, WE HAVE THE DATA CENTER TEAM, WE HAVE THE SERVICE DESK TEAM, THE SOFTWARE AND SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT TEAM, AND GIS SERVICES WORKING TOGETHER, WE'RE PROVIDING AN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION INFRASTRUCTURE THAT CONNECTS HARTFORD COUNTY GOVERNMENT, OUR PARTNERS, AND PROVIDES THE BUSINESS AND CITIZENS OF HARTFORD COUNTY. A MODERN AND FRIENDLY EXPERIENCE WHEN ACCESSING THE COUNTY'S ONLINE SERVICES. THE FY 25 BUDGET REFLECTS SOME OF THE CHALLENGES WE FACE TODAY WHEN TASKED WITH DELIVERING INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES. SOME OF THESE CHALLENGES INCLUDE SECURING THE COMMUNICATIONS DATA AND NETWORK. SIMPLY STATED, STAYING AHEAD OF THE BAD GUYS, KEEPING CURRENT WITH THE FAST PACE OF HARDWARE, SOFTWARE, AND TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENTS, ATTRACTING AND RETAINING QUALIFIED, UH, IT EMPLOYEES AND THE, THE EVER-CHANGING BUSINESS MODELS FOR IT SERVICES WITH, UH, A LOT OF THINGS MOVING TO A SOFTWARE AS A SERVICE PLATFORM, BUT BY FAR, AT THE TOP OF THE LIST IS CYBERSECURITY. AND WITH CYBERSECURITY, WE HAVE A, A MULTI-LAYERED APPROACH. WE HAVE PARTNERSHIPS WITH BOTH FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL PARTNERS. WE PROVIDE CYBERSECURITY AWARENESS TRAINING TO THE USER COMMUNITY. WE STAY CURRENT AND UTILIZE THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY AND SERVICES TO ENHANCE OUR SECURITY POSTURE. WE PERFORM ANNUAL DISASTER RECOVERY TEST, PEN TESTING, AND VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENTS. WE PARTICIPATE IN INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL AUDITS, AND WE HAVE A CYBER INSURANCE POLICY FOR THE COUNTY. NEXT I WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF CURRENT AND SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS AND PARTNERSHIPS. THE FIRST OF THIS IS THE MOM PA TRAIL VIDEO SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM. AS A RESULT OF THE RACHEL MOORE MURDER ALONG THE MILE POT TRAIL IN AUGUST OF 2023, THE COUNTY PARTNERED WITH KCI CONSTRUCTION ARC SYSTEMS, BG AND E AND MOTOROLA TO DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTIVE VIDEO SURVEILLANCE AND ALERTING SYSTEM THAT WOULD BE MANAGED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY SERVICES AND 9 1 1 DISPATCH. THERE ARE 26 CAMERAS LOCATED ALONG THE MOM PO TRAIL FROM WILLIAM STREET TO DOG PARK. UH, TRAINING FOR THAT SYSTEM IS TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED FOR, UH, MAY 6TH, UM, WITH THE, UH, NECESSARY PARTIES. THE SECOND IS THE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COUNTY STATE OF MARYLAND, THINK BIG AND KCI CONSTRUCTION TO PROVIDE FIBER OPTIC INTERNET SERVICES TO THE RURAL AREAS OF HARTFORD COUNTY. IN 2023 AND 2024, [01:35:01] WE RECEIVED FOUR GRANTS FROM THE CONNECT MARYLAND NETWORK AND INFRASTRUCTURE GRANT PROGRAM, AND ONE FROM THE DIFFICULT TO SERVE PROPERTIES GRANT PROGRAM. THE TOTAL FUNDS RECEIVED FOR THOSE GRANTS IS, UH, OVER $13.5 MILLION. OUR PARTNER THINK BIG IS NOW SERVICING OVER 750 CUSTOMERS AND HAS OVER 175 ADDITIONAL CUSTOMERS SIGNED UP AND WAITING FOR THE SERVICE. UH, THE THIRD IS THE PARTNERSHIP WITH HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO REPLACE THEIR AGING PBX PHONE SYSTEMS. BY UTILIZING THE COUNTY CISCO VOIP SYSTEM, THE COUNTY AND HARTFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAVE CONNECTED OVER 40 LOCATIONS TO THE COUNTY'S VOIP SYSTEM. AND MORE LOCATIONS ARE TO BE SCHEDULED FOR FY 25, PROVIDING COST SAVINGS TO THE COUNTY AND HARTFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS WITH FY 24 ALMOST BEHIND US. HERE ARE SOME OF THE TOP INITIATIVES FOR FY 25 IMPLEMENT NEW AND ENHANCED CYBERSECURITY SYSTEMS. PERFORM AUDIT OF DATA AND SECURITY ACCESS PRIVILEGES, DEVELOPING ICT SECURITY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, COMPLETING THE TECHNOLOGY REFRESH OF THE HAN NETWORK. UH, IN JANUARY OF 2025, WE EXPECT TO GO LIVE WITH THE WORKDAY HUMAN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND PAYROLL MODULES. UH, WE'RE LOOKING TO REPLACE THE TAXNET BILLING SYSTEM WITH A WEB-BASED APPLICATION REFRESH OF THE EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTER AND 9 1 1 DISPATCH AV EQUIPMENT, CONTINUE EXPANSION OF INTER GOV OFFERINGS VIA THE E PERMIT CENTER, PARTNER WITH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE TO EXPAND CAMERA SURVEILLANCE CAPABILITY IN HARTFORD SQUARE, EXPAND ACCESS TO HIGH SPEED INTERNET SERVICES TO THE RURAL AREAS OF HARTFORD COUNTY. AND FINALLY, THE RETIRING OF THE IBM MAINFRAME. TO CONCLUDE, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK PRESIDENT MANETTI AND COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR PROVIDING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY, AND I CAN NOW ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE OICT BUDGET FOR FY 25. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? UM, THANK YOU, UH, FOR THAT. THE KCI THINK BIG 900 NEW USERS, HOW MANY ARE WE LOOKING TO GRAB? DO WE HAVE A TOTAL NUMBER OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR? WE EXPECT TO BE AROUND 2000 IN THE, IN THE END, I THINK WE WERE LOOKING AT AROUND 22 HOMES INITIALLY WITH, WITH THE STUDIES. AND IT'S NOT JUST, UM, THINK BIG, WE ARMSTRONG'S ALSO DOING BUILD OUTS IN THE AREA. UM, SO WE'RE CAPTURING THAT SIDE OF THE HOUSE. AS FAR AS THINK BIG, LIKE I SAID, ARMSTRONG IS EXPANDING THEIR SERVICES AND WITH ONE OF THESE PARTICULAR GRANTS, WHICH IS THE DIFFICULT TO SERVE DRIVEWAY GRANT, WHICH IS THE LATEST ONE WE GOT FOR 1.1 MILLION, THAT WILL ALLOW UP TO $8,000 FOR HOMES THAT HAVE AN EXCESSIVE LONG DRIVEWAY. SO WE'RE LOOKING TO PARTNER NOT JUST WITH THINK BIG, BUT ARMSTRONG, COMCAST, VERIZON, WHOEVER HAS SERVICES IN A PARTICULAR AREA AND CAN EASIER BE THE EASIEST AND MOST COST EFFECTIVE TO SERVE THOSE CUSTOMERS. ARE WE, UM, GETTING THE EASEMENTS AND RIGHT AWAYS THAT WE NEED FROM PROPERTY OWNERS TO GET THIS DONE? WE COULDN'T BE DOING THIS WITHOUT THE, THE ASSISTANCE OF CHAD SCH RHODES. THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO HEAR. I SAID, CHAD HAS BEEN, GOD SENT US, UH, TO ICT FOR THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT. THERE ISN'T ONE PERSON IN THE COUNTY THAT I WOULD SAY COULD DO A BETTER JOB THAN CHAD'S DOING, UH, CURRENTLY WITH THAT. VERY GOOD. SO WE ARE GLAD TO HAVE HIM AS PART OF THE TEAM. VERY GOOD. MR. JAMES, MR. CUBA. GOOD, GOOD MORNING. UH, THANK YOU. UM, I HEARD YOU MENTION THAT WE HAVE A CYBER POLICY. OKAY. DOES IT INCLUDE RANSOM? YES. HOW MUCH? THE $5 MILLION POLICY? I, I THINK I PROVIDED A, YEAH, I HAVE A COPY HERE. I CAN LEAVE WITH YOU ALSO. OKAY. THAT HAS THE, THE BREAKOUT OF THE, THE COVERAGE FOR THAT. BECAUSE APPARENTLY THAT SEEMS LIKE THAT'S THE, THE, THE BIGGEST CAUSE IS THEY GET IN THE SYSTEM AND THEN THEY RANSOM IT BACK TO YOU TO PAY A CERTAIN DOLLAR AMOUNT. SO, UM, UNDERSTANDING THAT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU PAY IT, THEY'LL UNLOCK EVERYTHING. UM, SO I GUESS WE HAVEN'T, WE'RE GETTING HIT I'M SURE ALL THE TIME PEOPLE ARE FISHING. UM, AND THEN I ALSO HEARD YOU MENTION THAT WE'RE GONNA RETIRE THE MAINFRAME. UH, BIG BLUE. DOES THAT MEAN EVERYTHING THEN IS GONNA BE CLOUD-BASED? UM, MAJORITY OF IT IS MOVING TO A CLOUD-BASED SOFTWARE AS A SERVICE, UM, BUSINESS MODEL. UM, THAT'S REALLY WHERE THE CHANGES ARE COMING FROM FOR THE CAPITAL PROJECTS TO THE OPERATING. UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY, YOU'RE NOT PURCHASING AS AS MUCH OF THE HARDWARE TO SUPPORT IT. YOU'RE NOW PAYING THAT FEE TO THE PARTICULAR VENDOR TO COVER THOSE COSTS FOR THE, THE HARDWARE, THE HOSTING OF THAT PARTICULAR APPLICATION. [01:40:01] WHICH MEANS THEN THAT IF THE COUNTY COUNCIL WANTED THEIR OWN, UH, EMAIL ADDRESS, SINCE EVERYTHING'S GONNA BE ON THE CLOUD, WE CAN SEPARATE THAT OUT AND BE ON A, ON A CLOUD. IN THE CLOUD. CORRECT. AND A LOT LESS EXPENSIVE THAN TRYING TO DUPLICATE A MAINFRAME SYSTEM. CORRECT. I MEAN, IT, IT'S MORE COST EFFECTIVE. I MEAN, THAT'S THE BUSINESS MODEL THAT ALL THESE PARTICULAR VENDORS ARE GOING TO. SOME ARE, ARE GOOD FOR US CUSTOMERS, AND THERE'S OTHER SITUATIONS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE BEING PUT INTO A CORNER AND REALLY NOT GIVEN TOO MANY OPTIONS FOR PROCUREMENT OR ONGOING MAINTENANCE OF EXISTING HARDWARE. THEY'RE, THEY WANT TO PUSH YOU TOWARDS THAT MODEL WHERE THEY'RE GENERATING ANNUAL REVENUE FOR THAT SERVICE. OKAY. UM, HAS THERE BEEN ANY BREACHES LOCALLY, ANY, UH, ANY COUNTIES THAT YOU'VE HEARD OF THAT HAVE BEEN BREACHED LATELY? UM, NOTHING CLOSE OR NOT THAT WE'VE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH. UM, THERE WAS ONE INSTANCE, UH, I BELIEVE WITH MAYBE THE COLLEGE WHERE, WHERE IT WAS THE SHERIFF. ONE OF 'EM HAD, THERE WAS A, A MINOR INCIDENT WHERE WE JUST, YOU KNOW, YEARS AGO DISCONNECTED FROM THEIR NETWORK WHILE THAT WAS BEING RESOLVED. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN LUCKY ON, ON THE COUNTY SIDE WITH THE LAYER OF, UH, CYBERSECURITY THAT WE ADD TO THE, TO THE NETWORK ARCHITECTURE EVERY YEAR. AND, UM, NOT SAYING THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, IN A PERFECT SITUATION, YOU KNOW, NOBODY'S EVER GONNA BE A HUNDRED PERCENT SECURE. AND, YOU KNOW, THE, THE BIG THING IS THAT OVER 90% OF THOSE BREACHES ARE BASED ON A, A PHISHING EMAIL TO A PARTICULAR EMPLOYEE. I KNOW PEOPLE DON'T REALLY ENJOY, YOU KNOW, GETTING THOSE PHISHING EMAILS, ESPECIALLY IF THEY HAPPEN TO CLICK ON IT OR OPEN IT AND GET ASSIGNED A TRAINING CLASS. BUT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE THAT MEMORY RETENTION THAT WHEN PEOPLE ARE IN A RUSH THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY THINK BEFORE THEY OPEN AN EMAIL OR RESPOND TO IT. SO TO ME THAT'S IS ONE OF THE MOST IN CRITICAL INVESTMENTS THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, TO PREVENT. IS THAT THE NO, UH, NO BEFORE? NO. BEFORE? YES. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH MR. PENMAN. THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. MR. KUBA, THANK YOU FOR YOU AND YOUR STAFF. I KNOW IT'S A, UH, COMPLICATED AND AN EVOLVING, UH, JOB THAT YOU GUYS HAVE TRYING TO STAY IN FRONT OF ALL THIS STUFF. SO I APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORTS. UM, I DID KIND OF JUST WANT TO GO DOWN, I KNOW YOU HAVE FOUR POSITIONS THAT WERE ADDED. UH, WHAT I CAUGHT WAS ONE THAT CAME FROM THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE STAFF THAT'S GONNA BE A PROGRAMMER. RIGHT. UM, AND THEN ONE IS THE ASSET MANAGER, UH, THAT WAS TRANSFERRED OVER, UM, TO, I DIDN'T CATCH WHAT HIS DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OR THEIR DUTIES, SECURITY SYSTEMS ACTS, ACCESS CONTROL. RIGHT. SO DAN COMES FROM THE FACILITY SIDE OF THE HOUSE. UM, HE PROVIDES SUPPORT FOR THE FIRE ALARMS, THE BURGLAR ALARMS, THE ALERT AS SYSTEMS, CAMERA SYSTEMS, KEY ACCESS. UM, IS THAT SOMETHING HE HAS EXPERIENCE WITH ALREADY PRIOR TO YEAH, HE'S ALREADY DOING IT, YEAH. OKAY. AND, AND WHAT THE RECOMMENDATION WAS FOR THAT REASON IS THAT, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH DAN OVER THE YEARS WITHIN FACILITIES. HE'S REALLY THE ONLY IT PERSON WITH THAT TYPE OF BACKGROUND. SO REALLY DIDN'T HAVE A, A BACKUP TYPE SUPPORT PERSON WITH ADDING A POSITION OVER THERE. SO THE SUGGESTION WAS MADE THAT TO MOVE DAN OVER TO THE IT, SINCE WE'RE REALLY INVOLVED WITH A LOT OF THOSE SYSTEMS ANYWAY. AND WE COULD PROVIDE ADDITIONAL BACKUP, UH, BY HIM TRAINING OUR TECHNICIANS TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT WITH THE WORK THAT HE DOES ALSO. GOTCHA. AND THEN THE OTHER TWO POSITIONS I DIDN'T CATCH. THE OTHER TWO POSITIONS WERE TEMPORARY, TEMPORARY PEOPLE THAT HE HAD. WE JUST MADE THEM PERMANENT SO WE WOULDN'T LOSE THEM . RIGHT. UM, I DID NOTICE THE INCREASE, AND I KNOW IT'S SMALL TIME, UM, OF OVERTIME OF 25,000. DO WE KNOW WHAT THE ENTIRE BUDGET IS? I DIDN'T SEE THAT OVERTIME, BUT I, I KNOW MY QUESTION IS, IF WE'RE BRINGING MORE PEOPLE, DO WE NEED TO INCREASE THE OVERTIME? I KNOW IT'S ACTUAL, WE'VE PROBABLY SPENT MORE, MOST OF THE OVERTIMES RELATED TO THE FIRE AND EMS, UM, COVERAGE, LIKE I SAID, WE TRY TO PROVIDE, UM, AFTER HOUR SUPPORT FOR FIRE SERVICE FOR AT LEAST CRITICAL, UM, APPLICATION OR CALLS THAT THEY HAVE. MOST OF THE CALLS THAT HAVE COME IN, SAY, IN THE PAST THREE TO SIX MONTHS WAS MAYBE SIX, SIX CALLS FOR PASSWORD RESETS, WHICH THE FIRE SERVICE CAN WORK THROUGH, UM, THEIR LOCAL ADMINS FOR IT. UM, BUT THE BIG OVERTIME IS, UH, THE CYBERSECURITY SIDE OF IT AS FAR AS KEEPING THE SERVERS AND THE WORKSTATION ENVIRONMENTS PATCHED. AND AGAIN, IT'S BEEN A LOT OF SUPPORT WITH MY ENGINEER, UM, OVERSEEING THE RMS SYSTEM FOR, UH, AND THE INTERFACE TO THE CAD SYSTEM. SO THAT'S WHERE MOST OF THE OVERTIME IS, IS COMING IN. UM, ON PAGE 6 71. [01:45:01] IT'S ALL THE WAY IN THE BACK OF THE BOOK. UM, OVER TIME THEY'VE BEEN AVERAGING 116,000 A YEAR. LAST YEAR IN FY 24, WE ONLY HAD 75,000 IN THERE. SO WE'RE ONLY BUDGETING A HUNDRED THOUSAND. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. MM-HMM, . THANK YOU, MR. PENMAN. MR. BENNETT, I JUST WANTED TO SHARE A FUNNY PHISHING EMAIL STORY I HAVE. A FEW YEARS AGO I CHECKED MY, UH, EMAIL AND IT, IT SAID, IT CLAIMED IT WAS FROM BILLY BONFACE AND IT SAID, JACOB, I'M STUCK OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY AND I NEED YOUR HELP. PLEASE SEND ME GIFT CARDS, , AND DON'T TELL ANYONE . UM, SO LIKE THAT'S THE TYPE OF THING THAT PEOPLE GET IN THEIR EMAIL. AND IF SOMEBODY'S ASKING YOU FOR GIFT CARDS OR ASKING YOU TO PLEASE CLICK THIS LINK OR, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE COMMON ONES IS LIKE, OMG, DID YOU SEE THIS? AND THEN IT'S A LINK JUST, YOU KNOW, FILL OUT THE PHISHING FORM, BUT DON'T TOUCH IT AND DON'T REPLY AND DON'T GIVE ANYONE ANY GIFT CARDS. 'CAUSE I MEAN, IT'S FUNNY, BUT SOME PEOPLE ALL OF A SUDDEN THINK, OH MY GOODNESS, THIS PERSON NEEDS MY HELP AND THEY NEED GIFT CARDS. AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THEIR BANK ACCOUNT IS, YOU KNOW, ATTACKED. AND, UM, SO, AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE A VERY STRICT POLICY ON THE PURCHASE OF, OF GIFT CARDS. ANY GIFT CARDS SUPPOSED TO BE PURCHASED DIRECTLY FROM PROCUREMENT. WE DON'T ALLOW ANY AGENCIES TO PURCHASE THEM. UM, EVEN IF THE EMAIL SAYS IT'S COMING FROM ROB OR MYSELF OR THE COUNTY EXEC. SO I THOUGHT THAT WAS JUST GOOD TO SHARE FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE LISTENING AT HOME. UM, YOU KNOW, AS A 29-YEAR-OLD, THAT KIND OF STUFF IS FUNNY TO ME AND OBVIOUS, BUT I KNOW FOR OTHER PEOPLE WHO TECHNOLOGY HASN'T BEEN A PART OF THEIR LIFE THEIR WHOLE LIFE. MM-HMM, , IT'S, IT'S NOT AS OBVIOUS. IT, IT'S A CHALLENGE WITH, WITH THE PHISHING EMAILS. I MEAN, THEY'VE GOTTEN PRETTY SOPHISTICATED WITH THE EMAILS THAT YOU'RE SENT IN FOR THE PHISHING AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT EASY TO SPOT, BUT IF SOMEBODY'S ASKING FOR SOME TYPE OF INFORMATION, IT'S PROBABLY NOT GOOD. SO ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, ERROR ON THE SIDE OF, UH, DO NOT RESPOND OR, OR DELETE OR AT LEAST REPORT AS A PHISHING EMAIL. AND THEN WHEN THEY DO GET REPORTED, WE'RE ABLE TO BLOCK THEM FROM EMAILS BEING SENT TO OTHER, UM, EMPLOYEES IN THE COUNTY. AND, UM, WE CAN ACTUALLY BLOCK THOSE PARTICULAR, UM, SITES OR SENDERS. SO IT'S GOOD TO GET THOSE PHISHING REPORTS IN WHEN, WHEN YOU DO THINK YOU HAVE EFFICIENT EMAIL, 'CAUSE IT DOES HELP, UM, TO REMEDIATE THOSE PROBLEMS. MR. GINGER, WHAT'S AI GONNA DO TO THESE PHISHING? WELL, IT'S ON BOTH SIDES. SO WHO'S, WHO'S GOING TO WIN? BUT I SAID AGAIN, WE JUST HAVE TO REALIZE AND, AND KEEP TRYING TO, AND TRAIN OUR, OUR USER COMMUNITY TO BE MORE AWARE. AND AGAIN, IF IT SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT PROBABLY IS. AND IF SOMEBODY'S ASKING FOR ANY TYPE OF INFORMATION, YOU SHOULD AT LEAST REACH OUT AND TRY TO CONTACT THAT PERSON DIRECTLY TO SEE IF THAT'S REALLY COMING FROM THEM. ARE, ARE YOU SEEING AI YET IN THESE, THESE PHISHING EMAILS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT? IT THAT, UH, UH, NO, BEFORE IT'S ADDED SOME ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONALITY. I MEAN, ALL THE VENDORS, I MEAN, AI'S A TERM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S COME ABOUT OBVIOUSLY IN, IN THE PAST YEAR. UM, A LOT OF OUR APPLICATIONS HAVE, YOU KNOW, AI BUILT INTO IT PRIOR TO THIS. IT'S, IT'S JUST THE TERM THAT THEY'RE APPLYING TO IT NOW. THEY'RE GETTING MORE SOPHISTICATED WHERE, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN HAVE YOUR, YOUR AI LEARNING AS IT GOES. UM, JUST LIKE WITH THE MOM AND PAT TRAIL, WHAT OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE, THE ALERTING PORTION OF IT IS THAT AI THAT'S BUILT INTO THAT CAMERA SYSTEM, AS TIME GOES ALONG, IT LEARNS TO RECOGNIZE THAT SOMEBODY FALLING DOWN ON THE TRAIL'S, NOT A NORMAL EVENT, AND IT SHOULD TRIGGER AN ALERT AND OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, IT, IT DEFINES THOSE AS, YOU KNOW, A PARTICULAR INCIDENT. HAVE WE HAD ANY LAPTOPS THAT BEEN STOLEN OR THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY'S HAD A LAPTOP MAYBE STOLEN AND THAT'S A DATA BREACH POSSIBILITY. ARE WE, ARE YOU GUYS, I'M, I'M NOTHING, NOT AWARE OF ANY STOLEN EQUIPMENT OR ANYTHING ALONG THOSE LINES. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? HE HAS A COUPLE CAPITAL PROJECTS. I'LL JUST HIGHLIGHT THE PAGES IN THE GENERAL FUND BECAUSE HE HAS SIMILAR IN IWAS, BUT IN, UM, THE GENERAL FUND IT'S PAGE, I DROPPED MY PAGE. UM, PAGE 59, PAGE 68 AND 77, IT WOULD BE BROADBAND, UH, H MAN. AND THEN REFRESH IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THOSE. 68 77 AND WHAT? UH, 59. 59. [01:50:30] ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? UH, I, I DO. UM, JUST THE BROADBAND, UM, 11 MILLION EXPENDED AND CU UH, CUED. SO WE BASICALLY ALREADY ALREADY SPENT THAT, RIGHT? YEAH. SO, SO WHAT WE'RE THE, THE BUDGET THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR THIS YEAR? THERE'S A BROADBAND EQUITY AND DIVERSITY GRANT THAT'S COMING OUT FROM THE STATE THIS YEAR. UM, SO THAT WE REQUESTED FUNDS FOR THE POTENTIAL MATCH ON THE GRANTS THAT WOULD GET AWARDED TO THE COUNTY. SO THIS, IN THE PAST WE HAD, IT WAS A $12 MILLION GRANT WITH A $4 MILLION MATCH, 25% MATCH FOR THOSE FUNDS. SO THE SAME WITH THE BEAD GRANT. I BELIEVE IT WAS GOING TO BE A 20 OR 25% MATCH ON THOSE FUNDS. AND THOSE FUNDS WOULD HOPEFULLY BE THE, THE FINAL FUNDS TO BUILD OUT THE RURAL BROADBAND FOR HARTFORD COUNTY. SO WE SPENT 11, WE GET 25% BACK FROM THE STATE. DID I GET THAT RIGHT? SO WITH THE, THE PREVIOUS GRANT WE GOT WAS, UH, AROUND $12 MILLION. SO THE MATCH WAS, THAT WAS FOR 4 MILLION. THAT MATCH WAS SPLIT, UM, BETWEEN THINK BIG AND HARTFORD COUNTY THINK BIG PAID THE MATCH FOR WHAT THEY ARE BUILDING OUT FROM THE CURB TO THE HOME. SO ANY EQUIPMENT OR FIBER THAT'S RUN WOULD GET, THEY WOULD PAY THE MATCH FOR THAT. SIDE SIDE. THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE'RE BUILT BUILDING OUT IS THE BACKBONE AND MIDDLE MILE TO GET YOU TO THAT LOCATION. SO THERE'S A GRANT MATCH FOR THE COUNTY AND A GRANT MATCH FOR THINK BIG DEPENDING ON WHERE THE CONSTRUCTION'S DONE. AND, AND A LOT OF THE, OF THE MATCH HAS ACTUALLY BEEN ARPA BEEN MET WITH ARPA FUNDS. SO WE'VE, AC ARPA KIND OF HAS ALLOWED YOU TO USE, UM, NORMALLY YOU CAN'T USE GRANTS TO MATCH OTHER GRANTS, BUT IN THIS CASE YOU, YOU WERE ABLE TO, SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS PROJECT, AND IT'S KIND OF BOTH THIS PROJECT AND THEN THE HB PROJECT, BECAUSE WE KIND OF SWITCHED IT MID, MID, UM, MIDWAY, THAT'S WHERE WE'VE BEEN PUTTING THE BULK OF OUR ARPA OF OUR ARPA FUNDS. SO THERE'S VERY LITTLE, UM, YOU KNOW, COUNTY TAXPAYER DOLLARS HERE. UM, THAT WAS GONNA BE MY POINT BECAUSE THERE WAS A LOT OF NUMBERS AND RIGHT. HOW MUCH MILLION DOLLARS THAT, THAT WOULD REPRESENT THE, THE COUNTY TAXPAYER DOLLARS. YOU SAID 1 MILLION. SO YEAH, WE, YEAH, WE'LL SEE THERE NEW, THAT'S NEW FOR THIS, FOR THIS YEAR. YEAH, BECAUSE WE'RE NOW GETTING TO THE POINT WITH THE ARPA MONEY THAT, THAT IT HAS TO BE KIND OF OBLIGATED AND SO WE NEEDED, WE NEEDED THIS, THIS ADDITIONAL COUNTY, COUNTY MONEY. BUT YEAH, SO THAT MILLION DOLLARS IS REALLY THE ONLY COUNTY DOLLARS THAT HAVE GONE TOWARDS, TOWARDS THIS. GOTCHA. THANKS. ANYONE ELSE? THANK YOU. THANK YOU MR. . THANK YOU COUNSEL. THANKS GUYS. THIS HOPE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WILL BE ON PAGE 5 68 OR START ON 5 68. MORNING. WHENEVER YOU'RE READY, KEN. OKAY. PAGE 5 68, PERSONAL SERVICES AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DECREASES 2 99 9 27. YOU'LL SEE, UM, WE HAD SOME TURNOVER THERE OF 18,829 DECREASE. UM, WE INCLUDED THE FISCAL YEAR COLA FISCAL YEAR 24 COLA OF 27,000 809 9, AS WELL AS THE 25 COLA AT A COST OF 21,582. THERE'S A NET OF TWO TRANSFERS OUT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. UM, ONE WE TALKED ABOUT YESTERDAY, SEAN KRAT, WHO WENT TO UM, INSPECTIONS, LICENSE OF PERMITS. AND THEN THE OTHER ONE IS WE CREATED A CALL CENTER FOR AG SERVICES UNDER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. SO THAT WOULD BE YOUR AG ALYSSA JEFFERIES JEFFERIES, UM, MOVED TO THAT CALL CENTER. UM, THERE'S ALSO A NET OF TWO POSITIONS THAT WERE ABOLISHED DURING FISCAL YEAR 24 ADDED FOR A DECREASE OF 2 17, 838 83. UM, WE DO HAVE, UM, AN INCREASE IN TEMPORARY SALARIES OF 1 19 7 29, AND THEN THERE'S OTHER CHANGES FOR HEALTH BENEFITS AND OPED BASED ON ACTUALS. UNDER CONTRACTUAL SERVICES, YOU'LL SEE AN INCREASE THERE OF 1 75, 500, UH, $15,000 [01:55:01] INCREASE, UM, FOR ADVERTISING FOR ADDITIONAL EVENTS. OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, A HUNDRED FIFTY EIGHT FIVE. THIS IS TO PROVIDE FOR SOME CONTRACTUAL SERVICES TO ADVANCE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT. AND THEN OTHER FUNDS PROVIDE FOR, UM, THE MARYLAND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE, UM, ECONOMIC ALLIANCE OF GREATER BALTIMORE ARMY ALLIANCE, UM, NORTHEAST MARYLAND TECH COUNCIL AND SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER. UNDER SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS, THERE'S AN INCREASE THERE OF 3007 50. AND THESE WERE ADJUSTMENTS MADE TO GENERAL OFFICE SUPPLIES, MAILING AND SO FORTH BASED ON ACTUAL, UM, SPENDING AND AN INCREASE IN EVENTS. BUSINESS AND TRAVEL DECREASES 2,700. AGAIN, THIS IS, SOME OF THIS WAS REALLOCATED FOR THE AG BUDGET FOR THE, UM, NEW CALL CENTER FOR AG AND THEN ALSO UNDER MISCELLANEOUS, THERE'S A DECREASE THERE OF 250,000. AND THIS IS THE CONTRIBUTIONS THAT THE, UM, WENT TO THE AG BUDGET FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS, BUT IT STILL PROVIDES FUNDS FOR ORGANIZATIONS, SU, EXCUSE ME, SUCH AS SUS BENA WORKFORCE NETWORK AND THE SMALL SMALL BUSINESS INITIATIVE. SO YOU'LL SEE ON PAGE FIVE 70 AND 5 71, THIS IS WHERE WE MOVE THE AG SERVICES BUDGET. UM, IT CONSISTS OF ONE EMPLOYEE, THE, UM, AG ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE AT A, UM, COST OF 71 OH NO, WELL TOTAL COST OF A HUNDRED FOURTEEN, SEVEN HUNDRED SEVENTY SIX. THIS IS FOR THE SALARY AND ALL THE BENEFITS. CONTRACTUAL SERVICES OF 25,000 FOR ADVERTISING AND PRINTING FOR HOMEGROWN HARTFORD, UH, SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS, $1,500 FOR GENERAL OFFICE SUPPLIES AND COMMERCIAL PRINTING, $2,700 FOR UM, VEHICLE MAINTENANCE MILEAGE AND SO FORTH. AND THEN THE 250,000 IN, UM, MISCELLANEOUS FOR THE CONTRIBUTIONS, UM, ALONG WITH AG SERVICES. TURN TO PAGE 5 73. THERE IS NO CHANGE. THIS IS THE TOURISM ACCOUNT AND THE FUNDING STILL REMAINS AT $2 MILLION TO PROVIDE FOR VARIOUS TOURISM GRANTS AND CONTRIBUTION FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES. AND WITH THAT, WE'LL TURN IT OVER. MS. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING PRESIDENT VICENTE, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND BUDGET STAKEHOLDERS. I'M PLEASED TO COME BEFORE YOU, UH, TO PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY, PROGRAMMATIC APPROACH, AND FOCUS ON INVESTMENT FOR HARTFORD COUNTY. I HAVE RAJ GOLE, OUR DEPUTY DIRECTOR WITH ME, AND WE'LL BE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS FOLLOWING THE BRIEF. I'LL FIRST ADDRESS TWO AREAS OF ANTICIPATED INTEREST AND THAT'S STAFFING AND PROSPECTS. FIRST STAFF. WHAT I WILL SHARE WITH YOU IS THAT YES, OUR DEPARTMENT IS MOVING IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION AND HAS RESTRUCTURED, WHICH IN FACT RESULTED IN A SMALLER, MORE STREAMLINED STAFFING PLAN. BUT IT IS STRATEGIC. WE NOW HAVE EXPERIENCED STAFF MYSELF, OUR DEPUTY DIRECTOR, RAJ GOYLE, AND OUR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, LARRY MAZZELLO, OUT DIRECTLY ENGAGING WITH SENIOR LEADERS IN OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY. WHAT WAS ONCE DESIGNED FOR EXECUTION BY ACTION OFFICERS WAS MANAGERIAL, INTENSIVE, AND FRANKLY RESULTED IN MID-LEVEL OPERATION ENGAGEMENT AND INTERMITTENT GOODWILL. CONVERSATIONS IN THESE BUSINESSES WITH UPPER MANAGEMENT AND C-SUITE LEADERS NOW UNCOVER EXPANSION OPPORTUNITIES, LEGISLATIVE ISSUES, AND WORKFORCE CHALLENGES. WE CAN DIRECTLY CONNECT THROUGH OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH OUR STATE AND FEDERAL DELEGATIONS, HARTFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND HARTFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. IT'S RESULTS ORIENTED AND WE'RE TACKLING OUR TOP 100 COMPANIES BY WORKFORCE SIZE. AND WE'LL GO ON FROM THERE. IN MY TIME WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT, SEVERAL MODELS HAVE BEEN IMPOSED BY GEOGRAPHY OR BY SECTOR, BUT NEVER TO THE POINT OF SUCCESS THAT DELIVERS OPPORTUNITIES IN CAPEX AND INCREASED WORKFORCE. WE'RE CULTIVATING RELATIONSHIPS IN ALL SECTORS OF OUR BUSINESS ECOSYSTEM, HAVING CONVERSATIONS THAT SIMPLY HADN'T OCCURRED BEFORE. UH, JOE SIKA IS OUT COVERING THE ROUTE 40 CORRIDOR AND CONNECTING WITH SMALLER BUSINESSES, IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL FOR GROWTH. SMALL BUSINESSES COMPRISE THE LARGEST PORTION OF OUR BUSINESS ECOSYSTEM, AND AS A FORMER SMALL BUSINESS OWNER HIMSELF, HE'S EMPATHETIC TO THEIR CHALLENGES AND CONNECTS THEM TO GOVERNOR GOVERNMENT RESOURCES THAT CAN BE CATALYTIC IN THEIR SUCCESS AND SUSTAINABILITY. BONNIE REZI IS OUR FINANCE LIAISON AND SHE'S CONNECTING LOANS, WORKFORCE TRAINING GRANTS AND TOURISM FUNDING TO THOSE WHO CAN LEVERAGE THESE RESOURCES TO MAXIMIZE OPERATIONS, PROVIDE PRODUCT AND SERVICES AND SHOWCASE, SHOWCASE QUALITY OF LIFE ASPECTS TO VISITORS. THIS APPROACH IS STRATEGIC AND REVEALING TO BE EFFECTIVE IN PRODUCING HIGH QUALITY OPPORTUNITIES, WHICH WILL HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE COUNTY'S TAX BASE. NEXT WOULD BE PROSPECTING. WE'VE SEEN SOME LEGISLATIVE CHANGES IN OUR COUNTY THIS YEAR WITH REGARD TO DEVELOPMENT AND HAS FORCED A NEW FOCUS FOR ATTRACTION IN HARFORD COUNTY. THERE [02:00:01] ARE SOME DEVELOPERS PERHAPS DISSATISFIED AND MAYBE IT'S NO LONGER EASY TO JUST TURN A SHELL BUILDING HERE, BUT FRANKLY, HARTFORD IS BUILT BETTER THAN THAT. LITERALLY, WITH LIMITED LAND AVAILABILITY, WE CAN CHOOSE HIGHER PAYING JOB CREATION WITH WHAT REMAINS OUR WORKFORCE SHOULD HAVE THE ABILITY TO LIVE IN OUR COUNTY. AND HOME OWNERSHIP SHOULD BE AN ATTAINABLE AMERICAN DREAM AND NOT JUST A DREAM. CREATING A CULTURE FOUNDED ON A TECHNICALLY SKILLED WORKFORCE SHOULD BE THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT FOR A QUALITY EDUCATION SYSTEM. WE'RE ENGAGING WITH DEVELOPERS AND BROKERS REGIONALLY, EVEN NATIONALLY, AND THEY HAVE RESPONDED POSITIVELY THAT HARTFORD IS OPEN TO BUSINESS, THE RIGHT KIND OF BUSINESS. IN TERMS OF PROSPECTIVE PROJECTS, WE'RE SEEING AN UPTICK IN MANUFACTURING AND WE STILL HAVE MUCH OPPORTUNITY TO INFILL IN OUR ROUGHLY 1.5 MILLION SQUARE FEET OF EXISTING INDUSTRIAL SPACE WITH A 5.2% VACANCY RATE. WE HAVE NEARLY THE LOWEST RETAIL VACANCY EVER AT 4.7%. AMONG OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH MUNICIPALITIES, THE CHAMBER BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS AND THE ENHANCED USE LEASE AT A PG KNOWN AS GATE, WE SUPPORT RIBBON CUTTINGS. ALMOST WEEKLY OFFICE SPACE IS AT 13% VACANCY, WHERE SOME OTHER COMMUNITIES SEE A GLUT OF EMPTY OFFICE BUILDINGS. WE RECOGNIZE THE JEWEL, A LARGE SWATH OF PROPERTY LOCATED IN PERIMAN AND WITHIN THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION IS. AND WE WANNA BE MINDFUL OF AND DELIBERATE IN THE RIGHT OPPORTUNITY IT CAN BRING TO OUR COMMUNITY LONG TERM AND TO SUPPORT OUR TAX BASE. THESE ARE TIGHT PARAMETERS, BUT OPPORTUNITIES EXIST. MUCH OF PROSPECTING IS DONE WITH THIRD PARTY BROKERS, AND ANONYMITY IS OFTEN CRITICAL TO SECURING A DEAL. PRESIDENT VICENTE, YOU'LL RECALL A NOT TOO DISTANT OCCASION WHERE WE IMPLEMENTED A NON-DISCLOSURE PROCEDURE FOR COUNSEL ONLY AT THE DISCRETION OF THE CLIENT. IN ORDER TO SUPPORT A STATE CONDITIONAL LOAN. ANONYMITY PROTECTS FINAL NEGOTIATIONS ON BUILDING LEASES, BUILD OUTS AND OTHER ASPECTS. WE ARE EVEN SEEING EMBARGOES ON RELEASE OF INFORMATION WITH FEDERAL FUNDING AND GRANT AWARD ANNOUNCEMENTS. IT'LL BE MY TOP PRIORITY NOT TO COMPROMISE ANY OPPORTUNITY MAKING ITS WAY TO HARTFORD, BUT I ASSURE YOU, AS SOON AS WE CAN DISCLOSE, WE WILL HAVE OPEN COMMUNICATION WITH YOU ON ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS. WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT WE ARE AT 2.7% UNEMPLOYMENT BITTERSWEET WHEN 5% IS CONSIDERED FULL EMPLOYMENT. WHAT IS AN ADVANTAGE FOR US HERE IN THIS MID-ATLANTIC REGION ON THE I 95 CORRIDOR WITH A RESILIENT PORT THAT WILL BUILD BACK BETTER IS THAT OUR REGIONAL LABOR SHED IS ONE OF OUR BEST ASSET ASSETS. OUR WORKFORCE MAY NOT ALL HAVE A HARFORD COUNTY ZIP CODE. IN FACT, THEY COME FROM 13 DIFFERENT JURISDICTIONS ACROSS THREE STATES. BUT EMPLOYERS RECOGNIZE HARFORD COUNTY AS A WORKFORCE CENTER. THEY RECOGNIZE HARFORD AS A PLACE TO ESTABLISH AND TO GROW. THE PAST THREE PROSPECT MEETINGS I FACILITATED THEIR LANGUAGE WAS CONSISTENT. WORKFORCE IS OUR TOP PRIORITY. NOT INCENTIVES, NOT PERMIT TIMELINE WAIVERS, BUT WORKFORCE. OUR CLOSE COOPERATION WITH HARTFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND HARTFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOR ALIGNMENT OF OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM TO SUPPORT CURRENT AND PROJECTED WORKFORCE NEEDS IS IMPERATIVE TO OUR ECONOMIC GROWTH. AND OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT IS THE CONNECTOR BETWEEN OUR COUNTIES INSTITUTIONS. AS A RESULT, WE HAVE MORE THAN 150 APPRENTICESHIPS SECURED AMONG 140 COMPANIES. AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE CURRICULUM IS NIMBLE TO SUPPORT RAPIDLY CHANGING REQUIREMENTS FOR TOMORROW'S NEEDS. THIS IS WHERE HARTFORD EFFECTIVELY DELIVERS AND WHERE OUR COMMITMENT TO TOMORROW'S PIPELINE WILL CONTINUE TO SERVE US WELL. WE'RE FOCUSED ON TRANSFORMING OUR ECONOMY. LARRY MELLOS PRIMARY ROLE IN OUR OFFICE IS TO LEVERAGE FUNDING RESOURCES, UH, THAT MAXIMIZE CAPABILITIES IN THE DEFENSE SECTOR AS MULTIPLIERS FOR HARFORD COUNTY. RECENTLY, WE RECEIVED AN EDA VENTURE CHALLENGE GRANT TO SUPPORT A GROW RURAL MARYLAND INITIATIVE IN COLLABORATION WITH FREDERICK AND CARROLL COUNTIES. THESE FUNDS CURRENTLY SUPPORT A HARFORD STUDY TO LOOK AT KEY SECTORS IN OUR COUNTY AND FURTHER INFORM OUR STRATEGIC EFFORTS AS THEY RELATE TO DEFENSE, TECH, HEALTHCARE, AND AGRICULTURE. A TRI-COUNTY STEERING COMMITTEE WILL ASSESS FINDINGS AND LOOK FOR ADDITIONAL DOLLARS TO PURSUE OPPORTUNITIES IN THESE AREAS. THE GREATER BALTIMORE REGION WAS ONE OF 31 TECH HUB DESIGNATIONS OUT OF MORE THAN 216 APPLICANTS LAST FALL. THE NEXT PHASE OF THIS EFFORT IS A $70 MILLION REGIONAL PURSUIT THROUGH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION THAT WOULD INFUSE $12.5 MILLION INTO A BIOMANUFACTURING SMALL SCALE PRODUCTION FACILITY AND TRAINING CENTER HERE IN HARTFORD. LEVERAGING CAPABILITIES COMING OUT OF THE EDGEWOOD CHEM BIO CENTER AND CULTIVATING NEW STARTUPS IN THIS AREA. PER THE EDA 95% OF THE NATION'S GDP RUNS THROUGH FIVE OR SIX CITIES IN THE US. STRATEGIC INVESTMENT IS NOW A PRIORITY FOR DIVERSIFICATION AND TO GROW WORKFORCE IN OTHER [02:05:01] CENTERS. REGIONALISM IS IMPORTANT FOR THE SUCCESS NOW MORE THAN EVER, AND WE WORK CLOSELY WITH THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE, HIS SECRETARY OF COMMERCE. WE ARE MEMBERS OF THE MARYLAND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION, THE GREATER BALTIMORE COMMITTEE AND BALTIMORE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL, AND WE COOPERATE WITH NEIGHBORING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT LEADERS. OUR PARTNERSHIPS ARE STRATEGIC, THOUGHTFUL, AND OUTCOME ORIENTED. HARTFORD COUNTY AIRPORT IS NOW A DRONE CENTER OF EXCELLENCE ANCHORING THE NORTHERN END OF MARYLAND'S UAS CORRIDOR ALONG THE CHESAPEAKE BAY. EMERGING PARTNERSHIPS IN RESOURCING DRONES FOR EMERGENCY SERVICE PERSONNEL THROUGH SERVICE ENGINEERING AND EXPANSION OF AUTONOMOUS SYSTEM. COURSEWORK WITH HCC ARE NOW UNDER DISCUSSION CONCERNS ABOUT OUR HEAVY DEFENSE FOCUS BRING TO LIGHT THAT A PG IS OUR LARGEST EMPLOYER AND CERTAINLY AN ECONOMIC ENGINE FOR OUR COUNTY, OUR STATE, AND OUR REGION. PRESENTING OPPORTUNITY TO ATTRACT WELL-PAYING AND HIGH TECH JOBS. THE CAPABILITIES COMING OUT OF A PG EITHER DEVELOPED, TESTED, OR ENGINEERED, ARE SIGNIFICANT TO NATIONAL SECURITY. CULTIVATING A WORKFORCE THAT CAN RESPOND TO THESE CRITICAL NEEDS IS A FUNCTION AND A RESPONSIBILITY OF A DEFENSE COMMUNITY. ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN PROGRAM EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE TO ASSESS CAPABILITY NEEDS DETERMINED THAT DATA SCIENCE AND DATA MANAGEMENT WERE PRIORITY PROFICIENCY AREAS. TODAY, THE CONVERGE INNOVATION CENTER, THE FORMER HEAT CENTER, HAS BEEN REPURPOSED TO SUPPORT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND JOB CREATION. CURRENTLY HOSTING COURSEWORK IN BOTH CREDIT AND NON-CREDIT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HCC AND THE C FIVE ISR CENTER WITH ITS LAB INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE TWO STORY WING SECTION. BIOPRODUCTION WOULD ALSO BE HOSTED HERE. SO BY FOCUSING ON CORE TECHNOLOGIES, BIOMANUFACTURING DATA SCIENCE AND AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS, WE INTEND TO ATTRACT ACADEMIA AROUND THESE TECHNOLOGIES AND FEEL WE CAN BUILD A WORKFORCE TO RESPOND TO NEED. WE HAVE OVER 100 DEFENSE CONTRACTORS IN OUR COMMUNITY. THEY'RE SIGNIFICANT TO THE SECTOR'S INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT THEY ARE NOT OUR PRIMARY FOCUS. BUT FOR AN ATTRACTIVE QUALITY OF LIFE, MUCH CONTRACTING CAPABILITY COMES OUT OF A PG AS A PLACE OF AWARD. BUT OUR FOCUS IS TO KEEP IT HERE, WHICH IS PLACE OF PERFORMANCE. IF WE CAN DEMYSTIFY GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING FOR OUR SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY, THERE'S AMPLE WORK HERE TO HELP THEM THRIVE AND GROW. LAST WEEK WAS APGS ADVANCED PLANNING BRIEFING TO INDUSTRY OR A PBI AND WE HOSTED A PRIMER ON DOING BUSINESS WITH A PG THE WEEK PRIOR WITH MORE THAN 50 ATTENDEES AND HALF WERE NEW TO GOVERNMENT WORK WITH, WITH A PG CYBERSECURITY MATURITY MODEL CERTIFICATION OR CMMC WILL IMPACT MANY COMPANIES LOOKING TO DO BUSINESS WITH DEFENSE CONTRACTORS AND ASSESSMENT AND LEVEL CREDENTIALS WILL BE REQUIRED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF CONTRACTING OPPORTUNITIES. WE WANT OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES PREPARED FOR THESE IMPACTS. SO WE ARE HOSTING A TRAINING IN JUNE HERE IN HARTFORD. OUR FOCUS ON A PG AND RESILIENCY AND IMPACT ON MISSION SETS WILL STILL REQUIRE OUR SUPPORT TO SECURE FEDERAL FUNDING FOR IMPACTS OUTSIDE THE GATES BECAUSE ULTIMATELY IT'S WHAT HAPPENS OUTSIDE THE FENCE LINE THAT IS CRITICAL TO OUR ECOSYSTEM. JUST LIKE MILITARY READINESS, OUR SMALL BUSINESSES NEED TO BE READY AND ABLE TO PARTNER WITH PRIMES AND PROVIDE SERVICE AND PRODUCTS TO KEEP OUR INSTALLATION STABLE AND THRIVING. ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND IS AN UNDERUTILIZED ASSET IN OUR COUNTY, AND WE MUST LEVERAGE THE UNTAPPED RESOURCE OF THIS HISTORICAL ICON FOR THE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES AND TRANSFORMATION IT CAN AND SHOULD BRING TO OUR LOCAL ECONOMY. SOME OTHER HIGHLIGHTS I'LL TOUCH, TOUCH ON BRIEFLY. WE TRANSITIONED OUR HAVERTY GRACE OFFICE BACK TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES IN BEL AIR. THIS IS NOT TO DIMINISH OUR FOCUS ON THE ROUTE 40 CORRIDOR, BUT TO FOCUS ON OUR CONNECTION WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS. SO WE HAVE MONTHLY BUSINESS SUB CABINET MEETINGS THAT INCLUDE PLANNING AND ZONING, UH, INSPECTION, LICENSING AND PERMITS, DPW AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. UH, WE REVIEW POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES, ADDRESS ANY CROSS DEPARTMENTAL CHALLENGES, AND THIS IS ALSO THE RESPONSE TEAM FOR INVESTORS AND, UH, PROSPECTORS TO ENGAGE WITH IN CONCERT WITH THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE, WHICH WE CAN CONVENE QUICKLY AND ANSWER QUESTIONS IN A TIMELY MANNER. WE HAVE REVAMPED OUR LOAN PROGRAM TO APPEAL TO A BROADER AUDIENCE AMONG SMALL BUSINESSES FOCUSING NOT JUST ON FACADE, BUT EQUIPMENT EXPANSION, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION. AND IN FACT, OUR HOPE IS TO COME BEFORE YOU THIS FALL FOR AN INCREASE IN THAT LOAN CAP. WE'VE DOUBLED OUR WORKFORCE TECHNICAL TRAINING GRANT PROGRAM ALLOCATIONS FOR BOTH EMPLOYEE AND EMPLOYER. AND THIS FOCUSES ON TECHNICAL SKILL TRAINING TOWARDS CAREER MOBILITY. WE'VE REVISED OUR FAST TRACK PROGRAM NOW. FAST TRACK 2.0. UH, THIS FOCUSES ON JOB CREATION AND TECHNOLOGY WITH DESIGNATION ON A PER PROJECT BASIS. AGAIN, A FAST TRACK COMMITTEE IS COMPRISED OF THOSE FOUR DEPARTMENTS I SPOKE OF. UM, COLLABORATIVELY. WE REVIEW THE APPLICATIONS AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE. OUR BUSINESS NAVIGATION HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENTED. [02:10:01] WE'RE CURRENTLY TRACKING 37 PROJECTS IN VARIOUS STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT. SEAN KRAT SERVES AS THAT BUSINESS NAVIGATOR. HE'S RECENTLY TRANSITIONED TO DILP IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO BETTER TRACK PERMITS THROUGH THE INTER GOV PROCESS, BUT IT'S STILL VERY MUCH DIALED INTO OUR OFFICE AND WE STAY ON REGULAR COMMUNICATION. WITH REGARD TO PROJECTS, WE IMPLEMENTED A FULL-TIME AG BUSINESS ASSOCIATE, AND THAT'S HELPED OUR FOCUS AMONG FARMERS, AG SUPPLIERS, AND SCHOOLS ON BIG TICKET IMPACTS FOR OUR FARMING COMMUNITY. WE HAVE A DOCUMENTED 628 FARMS, 65 LEGACY, WHICH MEANS THEY'VE HAD A PRESENCE HERE IN MORE THAN A HUNDRED YEARS, AND WE HAVE 63,000 ACRES IN PRESERVATION. LOCALLY, WE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO ADDRESS ISSUES RELATED TO AVAILABILITY OF AG LAND EDUCATION OF NOVICE AND SEASONED FARMERS ALIKE TO LEVERAGE THE LATEST TECHNOLOGIES MAIN COMPETITIVE AND REDUCE GOVERNMENTALLY IMPOSED CHALLENGES. A FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR A MEAT PROCESSING FACILITY IS UNDER DEVELOPMENT AND AG SIGNAGE AND ACCESSORY DWELLING ARE ALSO AREAS THAT OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AG ADVISORY BOARD, UM, IS, UH, REVIEWING. WE'RE ALSO FOCUSED ON FAIRNESS. UH, BUSINESS IN THE ROUTE 40 COMMUNITY HAVE HISTORICALLY RECEIVED INSUFFICIENT SUPPORTS AT LOCAL AND STATE LEVELS. AND THROUGH THE SOUTHERN HARTFORD TASK FORCE INITIATIVE, WE'RE FOCUSING ON IMPROVING CONDITIONS ALONG THAT ROUTE 40 CORRIDOR. OUR TEAM IS VISITING EVERY BUSINESS, UH, TO DISCUSS UNIQUE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES, AND WE'RE ALSO CONNECTING THE NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN PARTS OF OUR COUNTY THROUGH OPPORTUNITY, BE IT FARMING, WIRELESS ACCESS, TOURISM, OR TRAINING. IN CONCLUSION, WE ARE LEAN, WE'RE FOCUSED, AND WE'RE DELIBERATE IN OUR STRATEGIC APPROACH TO DELIVERING ECNO AN ECOSYSTEM THAT PROVIDES A SOUND TAX BASE, OFFERS LIVABLE WAGE, FOCUSES ON TECHNICAL SKILLING WITH OUR ACADEMIC PARTNERS, AND RESULTS IN A QUALITY OF LIFE WE ALL EXPECT AND DESERVE. I THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION AND WELCOME. ANY QUESTIONS? UH, THANK YOU MS. HOLT FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. AND AS WITH EVERYONE ELSE, I WOULD ASK YOU TO FORWARD THAT OVER TO MS. HARRIS SO COUNSEL CAN HAVE A COPY TO REVIEW. AGAIN, TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF INFORMATION IN THERE, BUT IT ALSO OPENS UP FOR A LOT OF QUESTIONS. UM, AND I'M GONNA START WITH WHAT'S NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART. THE TARC GRANTS. I KNOW THAT THEY'RE IN PROCESS RIGHT NOW. WHAT'S THE DEADLINE ON THEM? UM, MAY. THE THIRD IS THE DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS. WE'VE HELD, UM, TWO WORKSHOPS, UM, AND WE'VE HAD AN ONLINE, UH, TUTORIAL FOR FOLKS. SO IT'S BEEN ABLE TO GIVE, UM, BONNIE BREI OVERSEES THAT PROCESS IN OUR OFFICE. ON MAY 16TH, THE TART COMMITTEE WILL ACTUALLY CONVENE AND REVIEW THE APPLICATIONS AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE. WHEN WILL HE HAVE THEM? SO HE WILL HAVE THEM, LET'S SEE, THAT'S THURSDAY. HE SHOULD HAVE THEM BY MONDAY. 1670. THE 20TH. 20TH TO 21ST. MM-HMM, . OKAY. SO, UM, IT'S THE SAME PRO PROCEDURE AS LAST YEAR. WE HAVE TWO FUNDING PROGRAMS, UH, STRIDES FOR THOSE WHO, UM, PARTNERS HAS BEEN THE FOCUS BETWEEN TWO NON-PROFIT, UH, TOURISM RELATED ENTITIES. THOSE THAT FEEL THEY'RE NOT AT A STAGE TO BE ABLE TO PARTNER HAVE THE STRIDES FUND, WHICH SUPPORTS MORE OPERATIONAL AND PROGRAMMATIC. OKAY. RECENTLY WE WERE ALL TOGETHER AT AN OPENING OF A BUSINESS, I BELIEVE IT'S ST. JOHN'S PROPERTIES OUT THAT WAY. SOMEWHERE BEHIND THE GATE. MM-HMM. AN IT BUSINESS, I BELIEVE A SURVEILLANCE BUSINESS. FAIRWINDS TECHNOLOGY. FAIRWINDS, YES. I COULDN'T REMEMBER THE NAME. SO WHEN A NEW DEFENSE CONTRACTOR GOES INTO A PROPERTY THERE, WHAT'S THE TAX BENEFIT TO THE COUNTY? DO WE RECEIVE ANY TYPE OF TAX BENEFIT FOR THAT? I'M SORRY. IF IT'S AT AND THE TAX INCOME, IF THEY'RE BEHIND ST. JOHN'S DEFENSE. SO THERE IS A, THERE'S A PILOT, UM, THAT WAS, UM, ACTUALLY NEGOTIATED BY, BY ROB BACK WHEN, UH, HE WAS HERE IN HIS PRIOR PRIOR LIFE. MM-HMM. . UM, AND WE, UM, RECEIVE, IT'S KIND OF BASED UPON, UH, NEW SQUARE FOOTAGE AND EXISTING SQUARE FOOTAGE. UM, AND JUST FOR THE RECORD, PILOT IS PAID IN, I'M SORRY. YEAH. PILOT IS PAYMENT IN LIEU OF, OF TAXATION. AND WE HAVE A, A WHOLE, UH, I SHOULDN'T SAY A WHOLE BUNCH. WE HAVE SEVERAL PILOTS GENERALLY FOR, UM, SENIOR AND LOWER INCOME HOUSING. UM, BUT THIS ONE HERE IS, UM, IS FOR THIS ENHANCED, ENHANCED LEASE USAGE. AND IT'S, IT'S MORE OR LESS IT'S MONEY THAT WOULD OTHERWISE GO TO, UM, TO A PG. UM, AND SO THEY, UM, BUT THEN IT NEEDS TO GO TO US IN ORDER TO OFFSET, UM, ANY OF THE PROVISIONS. I MEAN, I'M SORRY, IN ORDER TO, UH, FUND ANY OF THE PROVISIONS OF THE PILOT, WE CAN ONLY USE IT FOR TRANSPORTATION RELATED PROJECTS THAT ARE, I BELIEVE IT'S THREE MILES FROM THE GATE. SO WE'RE REALLY GET THE FEEL FULL BENEFIT. WE, WE DON'T GET FULL, WE DON'T GET MONEY AS FAR AS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE COULDN'T USE IT TOWARDS SCHOOLS OR THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE THOUGH, TO USE IT, UM, FOR, UM, UH, SOME SEVERAL ROAD IMPROVEMENTS. I THINK MOST, MOST, UH, LATELY, UH, MOST RECENTLY, THE, UM, UH, I KNOW I'M GONNA BUTCHER THE NAME. UH, S YEAH, THE S YEAH. SO, UM, , [02:15:01] YOU DID BUTCHER IT. I DID. I, YOU KNOW YEAH, YEAH. YOU KNOW, UM, TRAFFIC CIRCLE. YEAH. BUT IN ORDER TO USE IT TOO, WE NEED THE STATE OF MARYLAND WHO'S ALSO KIND OF A COSIGN TO, UM, SAY, YEAH, WE'RE GOOD, WE'RE GOOD WITH THAT AND ALL. BUT THE GOOD THING IS, IS THAT I THINK WE DO HAVE, UM, A LOT OF TRANSPORTATION RELATED PROJECTS IN THAT PER AREA THAT WE CAN, CAN USE IT. I GUESS WHAT I'M GETTING AT IS WE NEED THESE BUSINESSES ON THE BASE, BUT WE ALSO NEED 'EM OUTSIDE OF THAT FENCE SO THAT WE GET THE FULL BENEFIT OF THAT TAX MATTER. YEAH. NOW, OF COURSE, THE BIGGEST PLACE WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO GET THE BENEFIT IS IN THE JOBS THAT ARE, I UNDERSTAND THAT ANY OF THOSE RESIDENTS ARE, ARE, ARE, UM, I'M SORRY IF ANY OF THOSE WORKERS ARE WORKING ON A PG AND WE THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE MAJORITY OF THEM GENERALLY DO LIVE WITHIN THE COUNTY, YOU KNOW, THEN WE ARE RECEIVING THEIR, THEIR INCOME TAX, YOU KNOW, THREE 3.06% THERE. OKAY. AND SO, GO AHEAD. I'M SORRY. THE, THE PILOT IS STAGED THAT BASED ON THE BUILD OUT, UM, ON THE, THE EUL OR THE, THE GATE, UM, PROJECT, UM, ONCE YOU HIT CERTAIN THRESHOLDS, IT, IT INCREASES OTHER OPPORTUNITIES, LIKE BASED ON SQUARE FOOTAGE. UM, IT WOULD, IT'S MORE PER SQUARE FOOT THAT COMES BACK INTO THAT FORMULA. AND IT ALSO EVEN HAS, UM, REQUIREMENTS TO LIKE OPEN THE MIDDLE GATE FOR A PG. SO, BUT THAT WASN'T A NEW BUILDING, RIGHT? THAT WAS A RENOVATION, THE FAIRWINDS BUILDING. OH, RIGHT. NO, THAT, THAT WAS ACTUALLY, UM, THEY TOOK NEW SPACE. THEY'RE THE FIRST, BUT I'M SAYING THAT BUILDING ITSELF WAS THERE YES. IT WAS BUILT AND SPEC THAT, THAT PARTICULAR WING. YES. BUT AS THAT ENTIRE COMPLEX BUILDS OUT, IT AFFORDS OTHER OPPORTUNITIES AND ENHANCEMENTS FOR THE INSTALLATION AS WELL. AND SO THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE THE AG PERSON, IS THIS THE PERSON THAT TOOK JASON GALLIAN, PLEASE? IT IS. OKAY. HER NAME IS ALYSSA JEFFRIES. SO IT'S SOMEONE THAT WE HAD IN PLACE PRIOR TO FOR SEVERAL YEARS. WE JUST REPLACED THEM WITH A NEW PERSON. NO, NOT AT ALL. WE WENT THROUGH A HIRING PROCESS. SHE CAME TO US FROM YORK COUNTY. NO, NO, NO. I'M SAYING THAT POSITION WAS FILLED FOR YEARS. YES, YES. CORRECT. UNDERSTOOD. UHHUH, HE WAS PART-TIME, AND THEN WE WERE ABLE TO MOVE TO FULL-TIME. YEAH. UM, AND THEN THE OTHER THING THAT I WANTED TO TOUCH ON, AND I'M GLAD YOU MENTIONED IT IN YOUR COMMENTS, WAS THE NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT. I MEAN, I FOUND GREAT VALUE IN THAT, UH, IN THE EVENT THAT COUNCIL, UH, SPECIFICALLY ME AT THAT TIME, I BELIEVE, I DON'T THINK THE ENTIRE COUNCIL WAS INVOLVED, BUT IT GIVES ME THE BENEFIT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S COMING. AND WHEN I SPOKE WITH MR. MCCORD THE OTHER DAY, HE TALKED ABOUT SOME THINGS COMING IN THE FUTURE, BUT WASN'T AT LIBERTY TO SAY, I THINK AT THE RIGHT TIME, YOU NEED TO BRING THE COUNCIL INTO THIS SO THAT WE CAN BE PARTNERS IN THIS. OKAY. AGREED. I, I, I, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT BENEFIT TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THIS COUNTY, UH, MOVING FORWARD. UM, AND THEN THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE FOR YOU IS, WITH, WITH ALL OF THE PARTS OF YOUR PRESENTATION AND ALL THAT YOU'RE DOING TO CREATE NEW BUSINESSES OR BRING NEW BUSINESSES TO THE COUNTY, WHAT SUCCESS HAVE YOU HAD? WHAT CAN YOU DOCUMENT TODAY OR IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS? SEND ME TO THE EXTENT OF NEW BUSINESSES, JOBS, HIGHER PAYING JOBS, UM, THAT WE ALL WANNA SEE IN THIS COUNTY. IS THERE, IF THERE'S ANY, OR IF THERE'S HOWEVER MANY, IF YOU COULD SEND THAT TO ME, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT. CERTAINLY. OKAY. WE USE, UM, A, A PLATFORM WITHIN OUR OFFICE CALLED SALESFORCE, AND WE'RE ABLE TO TRACK ACTIVE OPPORTUNITIES. SO AN OPPORTUNITY MAY BE A CONNECTION BETWEEN, I WANNA KNOW ABOUT THE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM OR, AND NO, NO, I'M TALKING ABOUT ACTUAL JOBS CREATED. GOT IT. AND THEN IT, IT, IT BIFURCATES AND THEN THERE'S ONE SPECIFIC TO FACILITY. OKAY. SO WE CAN, WE CAN ACTUALLY, UM, CALL THOSE OUT SPECIFICALLY THAT HAVE DEADLINES AND WHEN THEY WERE ACTUALLY CLOSED OR OPEN IN TERMS OF THAT OPPORTUNITY. SO WE'LL BE, WE'LL GET SOMETHING TO YOU. OKAY. MM-HMM. , UM, MR. JANA. UM, 'CAUSE IT'S STILL MORNING. GOOD MORNING, KAREN. GOOD MORNING. SO, THANKS. UM, I, I THINK PIGGYBACKING ON WHAT PAT TALKED ABOUT, DOES THAT SALES FORCE GIVE US A, UH, A NET OF HOW MANY BUSINESSES HAVE OPENED AND HOW MANY BUSINESSES HAVE CLOSED IN THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF, LET'S SAY. CAN, CAN YOU GIVE US THAT NUMBER? UM, DO YOU KNOW OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD IF, IF IT'S A POSITIVE NUMBER AND IF SO, BY, YOU KNOW, BY WHAT, HOW MANY BUSINESSES HAVE OPENED MORE SO THAN BUSINESSES HAVE CLOSED? CLEARLY MORE BUSINESSES HAVE OPENED. IT'S, I MEAN, WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE, BUT VERY FEW BUSINESSES CLOSE HERE. I WOULD SAY DURING, UM, COVI, THERE WAS MORE MERGER AND ACQUISITION ACTIVITY THAT HAPPENED WITH OUR DEFENSE COMMUNITY. SO YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU SAW SOME NAMES DISAPPEAR, BUT IT'S BECAUSE THEY BECAME SUBSIDIARIES OR THEY, THEY MERGED. BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD A COUPLE, A COUPLE RESTAURANTS THAT HAVE HAVE CLOSED RECENTLY. BUT IN TERMS OF, UM, ANY LARGE BUSINESSES, UM, YOU KNOW, CONTRACT AWARDS HAVE THAT IMPLICATION. AND YOU PROBABLY SAW THE RECENT NEWS WITH THE, UH, WAR NOTICE WITH JACOB'S TECHNOLOGY AND TRACKS WINNING, [02:20:01] UH, A CONTESTED CONTRACT. UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, OUR FOCUS CLEARLY IS THAT WORKFORCE AND MAKING SURE THAT WE WERE ABLE TO RETAIN THEM HERE. AND, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES WITH THOSE CONTRACT AWARDS THAT WORKFORCE SLIDES IN UNDER THE NEW, UM, THE NEW LEAD ON THOSE, AND IF NOT OUR SUSQUEHANNA WORKFORCE NETWORK, UM, IS VERY PRIMED TO RESPOND THROUGH SOMETHING CALLED RAPID RESPONSE. THEY GO IN AND MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THEY'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHOWCASE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES IN OUR REGION, UH, TO KEEP THAT WORKFORCE IN PLACE. SO YOU'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE HARD NUMBERS FOR THAT. UM, ON THE, UH, BIOMANUFACTURING, UM, I'VE HEARD, YOU KNOW, THAT BEING TALKED ABOUT FROM LARRY MISSOULA AND, AND EVERYTHING, WHERE DO WE STAND ON THAT AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THAT? UM, YOU MENTIONED THAT SOMETHING'S COMING. IS IT, IS IT JUST A PILOT PROGRAM OR IS IT SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA BE FULLY OPERATIONAL, AND HOW DOES THAT TRANSLATE INTO JOBS AND, AND WITH A PG AND SO FORTH? I, I KNOW THEY'RE TRYING TO USE THAT AND BIOMANUFACTURING USES PRODUCTS, BIO, UH, PLANT-BASED INSTEAD OF, UM, PETROLEUM BASED TO MAKE PRODUCTS. CORRECT? RIGHT, RIGHT. SO TODAY ABOUT 80% OF OUR CONSUMER PRODUCTS ARE PETROLEUM BASED. USING AN ORGANIC MATERIAL IS AN OFFSET AND REPLACES THAT NEED FOR PETROLEUM. UM, A WAY THAT, UM, BIOMANUFACTURING IS CURRENTLY BEING USED AT, UM, THE KIM BIO CENTER IN EDGEWOOD IS SMOKE OBS EXPERIENCE ON A BATTLEFIELD. THEY CAN ACTUALLY USE A YEAST, WHICH IS COMPLETELY ORGANIC, PENNIES ON THE DOLLAR. IT'S ACTUALLY MORE EFFECTIVE. IT'S THICKER AND NOT TOXIC. SO, UM, WHAT THIS PROCESS WOULD USE IN OUR PRODUCTION WOULD BE THINGS LIKE WHEAT, CORN, AND SWITCHGRASS THAT COULD BE USED AS AN ORGANIC MATERIAL TO MAKE, UH, BOTH, UH, COMMERCIALIZED PRODUCT, BUT ALSO A DOD APPLICATION ALSO. UM, OUR TIMELINE IS PROBABLY, WE SUBMITTED AN APPLICATION AT THE END OF FEBRUARY, AND WE SHOULD KNOW SOMETHING BY LATE AUGUST. UM, IT IS A VERY COMPETITIVE PROCESS. WE FEEL, WE FEEL WE HAVE A VERY STRONG APPLICATION. UM, IT'S REALLY HELPED SOLIDIFY THE GREATER BALTIMORE REGION IN THIS APPLICATION PROCESS. 70 MILLION IS COLLECTIVE IN THE BALTIMORE REGION, BUT 12.5 WOULD COME SPECIFICALLY TO HARTFORD COUNTY. UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A STARTUP COMPONENT, THERE'S A WORKFORCE TRAINING, SO IT WILL ENCOURAGE THE REGION TO WORK TOGETHER, BUT, UM, THE COMMITMENT AND THE, THE PHYSICAL PRESENCE OF THAT BIOMANUFACTURING WILL BE HERE IN ABERDEEN. OKAY. AND THEN, UH, ANOTHER QUESTION, UM, I'M SURE JACOB MIGHT BE ASKING THIS, BUT THE TRAINING FACILITY OUT IN PERRYMAN, ARE YOU GUYS INVOLVED IN WORKING ON, ON BRINGING THAT AS WELL TO HARTFORD COUNTY? I, I, I'VE HEARD IT'S BETWEEN US AND CARROLL COUNTY. UM, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU COULD TALK ABOUT THAT YOU GUYS ARE MAYBE WORKING ON OR NOT WORKING ON? SO WE STAY APPRISED OF IT. WE ARE NOT ACTIVE, UM, IN THE NEGOTIATIONS FOR THAT. IT'S REALLY AT THE, AT STATE LEVEL. UM, BUT I, I HEARD THE SAME THING. WE WERE, WE WERE IN THE TOP THREE, WE'RE NOW IN THE TOP TWO. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH MS. SALS. THANK YOU. UM, YOU MENTIONED IN YOUR PRESENTATION THE HEAT CENTER. CAN YOU SPEAK TO WHO'S LEASING THAT AND WHAT'S HAPPENING THERE? SO NO ONE IS LEASING IT AT THIS TIME. IT'S A COUNTY OWNED BUILDING. SO WE DID SOME VERY MINOR, UH, RENOVATIONS THERE, LIKE PAINTING AND REPLACING CARPET TILES, CEILING TILES. AND, UM, IT'S BROKEN INTO, IT'S AN L SHAPE, SO THERE'S A SINGLE WING AND A DOUBLE WING. THE SINGLE WING IS NOW FUNCTIONAL RIGHT NOW. UM, AND THAT'S WHERE THE DATA SCIENCE AND DATA MANAGEMENT CLASSES ARE BEING OFFERED. SO WHAT WE USE IS A, LIKE A LICENSE AGREEMENT WITH HARTFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE TO HOLD CLASSES THERE. AND C FIVE ISR HAS A PARTNERSHIP, UM, TO BE RECIPIENTS OF THAT TRAINING AT THAT LOCATION. UM, IT'LL ALSO BE A SITE FOR SOME OF OUR LOCAL NONPROFITS, LIKE OUR REGIONAL ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING PARTNERSHIP FOR MARYLAND RAMP MD, UM, THAT THEY WOULD BE LOCATED THERE, AS WELL AS THE NORTHEAST MARYLAND TECH COUNCIL. UM, SO ANYTHING THAT'S SPECIFIC TO DEFENSE OR TECHNOLOGY, THE CORE TECHNOLOGIES THAT I SPOKE OF WE'RE USING THAT SINGLE WING. THE SECOND STORY IS REALLY THE DOORS ARE LITERALLY CLOSED. RENOVATIONS HAVE NOT BEEN MADE IN THAT PART. THAT'S WHERE THE BIOMANUFACTURING GRANT, UM, WOULD BE ABLE TO LEVERAGE FOR THE RENOVATION. THAT'S WHERE THE HEART OF ALL OF THE, UM, UH, WET LABS AND, AND THE, THE LAB EQUIPMENT AND THINGS ARE ON THAT SIDE OF THE BUILDING. THE ONE WE'RE SPEAKING OF THAT'S CURRENTLY OPERATIONAL IS, IS OFFICE AND ADMINISTRATIVE. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND THEN, UM, YOU MENTIONED MR. SLIFKA IS WORKING ON THAT 40 CORRIDOR. UM, WHEN SPEAKING TO POTENTIAL BUSINESSES, WHAT IS THEIR BIGGEST CONCERN ABOUT COMING TO HARTFORD COUNTY? WOULD IT BE SAFETY HOUSING? YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT ARE THEIR CONCERNS? SO HE HAS PRIMARILY BEEN FOCUSED ON BUSINESSES THAT ARE ALREADY HERE. OKAY. SO, I MEAN, THE FEEDBACK THAT WE GET FROM FOLKS, UM, [02:25:01] THERE SAFETY, UM, HAS COME UP, BUT IT HASN'T BEEN LIKE A TOP PRIORITY. IT'S REALLY LOOKING AT RESOURCES, UM, GRANT DOLLARS, FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP THEM EXPAND IN PLACE. UM, WE'VE HAD A COUPLE EXAMPLES WHERE SOMEONE HAS A STORE OR A SHOP AND IS LOOKING AT TRYING TO DO A, A TRAINING COMPONENT OR ANOTHER PIECE OF THAT LOOKING FOR INTERCONNECTIVITY BETWEEN OTHER BUSINESSES. UM, YOU KNOW, OUR BUSINESS BREAKFASTS AND THINGS THAT WE HOST, WE DO TRY AND MAKE THAT INTERACTION BETWEEN THEM SO THAT THERE'S CONNECTIVITY IN THAT REGARD. BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT HAVING, UM, CONNECTEDNESS, BEING ABLE TO ADDRESS PROPERTIES THAT ARE VACANT AND BEING ABLE TO HAVE THAT INFILL, BUT OUR SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY IS PRETTY, PRETTY WELL NETWORKED IN THAT AREA. I THINK JUST HAVING THE RESOURCE FOR, FOR GRANTS, SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORTS, UM, CAN HELP THEM FROM A STABILITY STANDPOINT. OKAY. THANK YOU. MM-HMM. , MR. BENNETT, UM, IN, IN TALKING ABOUT TOURISM, WHERE WILL FUNDING FOR VISIT HARTFORD STAND THIS YEAR? UM, AND OUR SUPPORT FOR THEM? SO I CAN TELL YOU CURRENTLY THE EXISTING CONTRACT FOR FY 24 HAS NOT BEEN RENEWED. UM, WE ARE, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE HAS, IS CONDUCTING LIKE AN AUDIT OF THIS, THE EXPENDITURES FOR THIS YEAR. AND I KNOW THAT HE IS IN COMMUNICATION, UM, WITH VISIT HARTFORD FOR FURTHER DISCUSSIONS. UM, BUT IN TERMS OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE GOING FORWARD, I REALLY COULDN'T SPEAK AT THIS TIME, BUT I KNOW THERE IS ONGOING DISCUSSION. THE MONEY IS ALLOCATED WITHIN THE BUDGET THE SAME AS LAST YEAR. SO THERE'S BEEN NO COMPROMISE TO THE FUNDING. THANK YOU, MR. BENNETT. MR. PENMAN, UH, THANK YOU MS. HOLT. UH, MS. GO. UH, AND I APPRECIATE YOU KIND OF HEARING SOME OF THE CONCERNS WE HAVE AND TRYING TO ADDRESS THOSE. I KNOW THERE WAS A LOT THAT YOU COVERED THERE, SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO KIND OF JUST READ AND OVER THAT. AND IF I HAVE ANY FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS, UH, I'LL BE SURE TO REACH OUT TO YOU. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE PROBABLY THE, ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT JOBS IN THE ENTIRE COUNTY, AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE THIS PASSION COMES FROM BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, ALL THE DOLLARS AND CENTS THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING, YOU KNOW, HINGES ON YOUR SUCCESS. AND WE, EVERYBODY HERE WANTS YOU TO BE EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL. UM, SO WITH THAT, I, YOU KNOW, I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS, JUST SOME, YOU KNOW, UH, THOUGHTS ABOUT A PG. I KNOW YOU'RE WELL VERSED IN A PG, UH, AND THERE'S REALLY A DYNAMIC OF, YOU KNOW, I HAVE TO START WITH HOUSING RIGHT NOW, RIGHT? SO THERE IS A HOUSING CRISIS CRISIS ACROSS THE STATE, UM, AND A PG AND SURROUNDING A PG IS NO DIFFERENT. SO IF WE BRING THESE JOBS IN, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST DISCUSSION IS DO WE HAVE THE HOUSING FOR POTENTIAL GROWTH IN THE FUTURE? SO I DO THINK WE SEE, UM, ADDITIONAL HOUSING INVENTORY AND A MORE DIVERSE HOUSING STOCK COMING INTO PLAY. I MEAN, UH, JUST THE, THE CITY OF ABERDEEN ALONE, I BELIEVE THERE'S ABOUT 4,000 UNITS COMING ONLINE WITHIN THE NEXT, NEXT THREE YEARS. UM, SO I THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE WORKFORCE THAT WE'RE SEEING HAS BEEN POSITIVE FOR A PG, BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S BEEN, UH, IT'S NOT BEEN A RUSH. I WILL TELL YOU, AN IMPLEMENTATION OF A TELEWORK POLICY AND A REMOTE WORK POLICY, UM, HAS GONE INTO PLACE POST COVID FOR THE INSTALLATION. AND, YOU KNOW, THAT HAS GOOD AND BAD IMPLICATIONS FOR US. UM, YOU CAN SOLICIT YOUR BEST AND BRIGHTEST OUT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH COMMUNITY, AND THEY ONLY HAVE TO COME DOWN ONCE EVERY TWO WEEKS TO TOUCH BASE AT THE INSTALLATION. SO, YOU KNOW, THE DEFINITION OF WHERE AN A PG WORKER RESIDES. THIS HAS REALLY BEEN A DEF A REDEFINING OPPORTUNITY WITH THAT POLICY. UM, BUT I DO THINK THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE NOT SEEN, UM, A, A CONCERN COMING OUT OF A PGI WOULD SAY, IF ANYTHING, WE'VE HAD, UM, 15 STAKEHOLDER, UH, MEETINGS LAST WEEK FOR THIS GROW MARYLAND INITIATIVE. SO WE GOT TO TALK WITH CROSS SECTION ACROSS THE COUNTY. AND, YOU KNOW, AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS, HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT'S EXPRESSED MORE OF A CONCERN, UM, AS OPPOSED TO A PG WORKERS BEING ABLE TO FIND, UM, ANY TYPE OF, OF HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES. IF YOU LOOK AT THE BREAKDOWN OF ZIP CODES RIGHT NOW, THE LARGEST, UM, RESIDENT, ABOUT 60% OF THE WORKFORCE AT A PJ LIVE IN HARTFORD COUNTY, ABOUT 13% IN CECIL COUNTY, 8% IN DELAWARE, AND THEN SOME FIVE SPRINKLED AROUND THE PENNSYLVANIA BORDER. AND THEN MISCELLANEOUS AND OTHER PARTS OF THE STATE. UM, BUT 2 1 0 1 4 IS THE BIGGEST ZIP CODE. SO, UM, WITH ONLY 8% MILITARY POPULATION AT A PG, IT'S PRIMARILY CIVILIAN, DOD, UM, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ENGINEERING, VERY ADVANCED DEGREES. UM, THEY HAVE CHOSEN 2 1 0 1 4 2 1 0 1 5 2, 1 0 7 8 AND 2 1 0 0 9. UM, NOW WHY THAT'S PLAYED OUT OUR PERSONAL CHOICE OR, YOU KNOW, ALIGNMENT WITH FRIENDS AND THINGS AS [02:30:01] THEY MIGRATED TO THIS AREA. UM, BUT THE INFLUX OF NEW HOUSING IN ABERDEEN, UH, WE'LL BE ABLE TO SUPPORT MORE LOCAL RESIDENTS TO THAT AREA. AND YOU, YOU KIND OF LED MY QUESTION, DID A GOOD JOB WITH, YOU KNOW, UM, THE WAY THINGS ARE GOING AS FAR AS THIS HYBRID WHERE A LOT OF THE GOVERNMENT CONTRACTORS ARE WORKING TELEWORKING, RIGHT? SO THEY WILL COME DOWN, IF THEY COME DOWN AT ALL, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE HIRED OUT OF A COMPANY THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE BRICKS AND MORTAR, UH, AND THEN THEY'RE LIVING IN PENNSYLVANIA OR TEXAS OR WHEREVER HAVE YOU. SO, UM, DO YOU SEE THAT AS, YOU KNOW, A PROBLEM GOING FORWARD WITH MAINTAINING THAT INCOME TAX AND PROPERTY TAX GOING, UH, GOING FORWARD WITH, YOU KNOW, THE PARTNERSHIP WITH A PG? SO WE'RE FORTUNATE THAT WE ARE CONSIDERED PART OF THE CAPITAL REGION. SO THEY MIGHT BE TELEWORKING, BUT THEY'RE NOT REMOTE WORKING. AND THAT IS BECAUSE OF THE COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT. IF I WANNA LIVE IN SOUTH CAROLINA, BECAUSE I CAN BE NEAR THE BEACH, UM, AND STILL WORK FOR ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, IT'S ABOUT A $20,000 PAY CUT FOR THEM TO, TO BE IN THAT CAPACITY. UM, SUPERVISOR APPROVED ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS, BUT THEY ARE NOT SEEING A LOT OF TAKERS IN THE PROCESS. SO REMOTE WORK TENDS TO BE THE PRIMARY AND THAT STILL REQUIRES THEM TO COME IN ONE TO TWO TIMES DURING A PAY PERIOD. SO THERE STILL HAS TO BE PROXIMITY. UM, WE AREN'T SEEING, UM, A DECREASE IN THE OFFICE SPACE FOR A LOT OF OUR DEFENSE CONTRACTORS BECAUSE THEY'RE STILL USING IT. THERE'S NO PROXIMITY CLAUSE, BUT THEY'RE STILL USING IT AS A PLACE FOR, UM, INTEGRATION LABS OR DEMONSTRATION SPACE FOR NEW TECHNOLOGY. SO, UM, THAT, THAT PROXIMITY TO THE CLIENT IS STILL AN ASSET FOR US. YES, THERE'S A, UH, A DIFFERENCE IN TERMS OF WHAT WE GET BEING INSIDE THE GATE VERSUS OUTSIDE THE GATE, BUT WE'RE STILL RETAINING THEM IN HARTFORD COUNTY AND THEIR WORKFORCE IS STILL, UM, SO FAR LOCALLY. I THINK YOU'RE FOLLOWING MY SCRIPT 'CAUSE MY NEXT QUESTION WAS THE VACANCIES OF COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES ON AND OUTSIDE OF, UH, A PG. I THINK YOU MENTIONED THE VACANCY. I DIDN'T KNOW IF THAT WAS GENERALLY FOR THE WHOLE COUNTY, BUT DO YOU HAVE A BREAKDOWN OF VACANCIES FOR BUILDINGS ON AND OFF OF A PG SURROUNDING? SO WE COULD PROBABLY BREAK IT DOWN THROUGH, THROUGH COSTAR. I DON'T HAVE THAT WITH ME. WE CAN CERTAINLY GET IT, BUT I MEAN, ONE OF THE KEY PIECES IS WE HAVE A LARGE PROPERTY RIGHT OUTSIDE THE 22 GATE THAT, THAT REMAINS VACANT. THAT IS A LARGE PIECE OF THAT VACANCY RATE. UH, WE ARE SEEING ADDITIONAL INFILL RECENTLY WITH, UM, WATER'S EDGE IN THE BELL CAMP AREA. UM, AND, UM, WE ARE SEEING AN UPTICK ALSO WITH ST. JOHN PROPERTIES, UM, FOR THE GATE. AND AGAIN, THESE TENDS TO BE SMALLER, UH, PRESENCE, EVEN IF IT'S A LARGE NAME OF A COMPANY, IT'S A SMALLER FOOTPRINT THAT COMES HERE. BUT CONTRACTS FRANKLY, ARE WHAT DRIVE THAT. WE HAD A SITUATION IN WATER'S EDGE WHERE I DROVE BY ONE DAY AND THE SIGNAGE WAS MISSING. IT WAS A LARGE DEFENSE CONTRACTOR NAME. AND WHAT HAPPENED, THEY LOST A CONTRACT, YOU KNOW, TWO MONTHS LATER THEY GOT A CONTRACT AGAIN AND THEY TOOK A WHOLE NOTHER FLOOR. SO IT'S A, IT'S VERY MUCH A MOVING, UH, A MOVING CHESS BOARD WITH REGARD TO, UM, CONTINUITY AND STABILITY IN THAT DEFENSE CONTRACTING ASPECT. SO I'D LIKE TO TRANSITION TOWARDS PERSONNEL, UH, IN THE ACTUAL BUDGET. AND, UH, BEFORE I GO THERE, I THINK YOU KIND OF ADDRESS IT, UH, WHEN YOU MENTIONED THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A VERY LEAN DEPARTMENT, UM, AND THIS IS ONE OF THE TIMES WHERE MOST TIMES I'M LOOKING FOR EXTRA POSITIONS TO GET ADDED THAT MAYBE ARE NOT NEEDED. BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE INVEST IN YOUR DEPARTMENT WITH MANPOWER, RIGHT? BUT IT'S GOTTA BE THE RIGHT MANPOWER. IT'S GOTTA BE SOMEONE THAT IS CAPABLE OF DOING THE JOB AND NOT SOMEONE THAT IS JUST THERE TO, TO FILL A BILLET AND BE DEAD WEIGHTED, RIGHT? SO, UH, THAT'S KIND OF WHERE, YOU KNOW, WHEN I FIRST LOOK AND I SEE YOU'RE DOWN, I THINK IT'S FOUR POSITIONS ROUGHLY. UM, IT ALARMS ME THAT YOU DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES NEEDED TO BE SUCCESSFUL. UM, AND THEN, UM, SO IN THAT LINE, I, I KNOW THERE ARE SOME, YOU MENTIONED JOE SIKA, UM, AND I DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE THAT HE WAS ON YOUR STAFF BECAUSE THE APPOINTED ELECTED EMPLOYEE POSITION LIST THAT I HAVE, UH, HAS HIM UNDER THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE MAKING, UH, $106,000, OR AT LEAST THAT'S THE RANGE. UM, AND WHAT YOU DESCRIBED HIS DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES ARE IS KNOCKING ON BUSINESSES DOORS. AND I WOULD, UH, ESSENTIALLY SAY, ISN'T THAT WHAT THE SOUTH SOUTHERN TASK FORCE JOB IS, THE KNOCK ON DOORS. SO DO WE, DO WE NEED HIM IN THAT POSITION? AND WHERE DOES HE FALL? DOES HE FALL UNDER YOU AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OR DOES HE FALL UNDER THE LIST? I HAVE HERE UNDER THE COUNTY EXECUTIVES ADMINISTRATION. CURRENTLY THE LIST YOU HAVE IS FOR FISCAL YEAR 24, [02:35:01] BUT IN 25 HE'S GONNA FALL UNDER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. AND IN THAT INTERIM, HE HAS BEEN FOCUSED ON THE ROUTE 40 CORRIDOR TRANSITIONING TO OUR DEPARTMENT BECAUSE OF HIS ROLE WITH THE SOUTHERN HARTFORD TASK FORCE OF JUST DOING A DEEPER DIVE AND BEING ABLE TO, UM, TO VISIT ONE-ON-ONE WITH BUSINESSES. YEAH. SO DO WE NEED TWO, TWO POSITIONS DEDICATED TO KNOCKING ON BUSINESS DOORS ON THE 40 CORRIDOR? WELL, AND I WOULDN'T, I WOULDN'T LIMIT IT TO THE ROUTE 40 CORRIDOR EITHER, LIKE WHEN I TALKED ABOUT OUR TEAM OUT HITTING THE TOP 100, UM, THAT GETS DOWN TO A HUNDRED EMPLOYEES MAYBE. UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT 5,700 COMPANIES HERE IN HARTFORD COUNTY. SO WITH THAT TOP 100, THERE'S MANY SMALL BUSINESS FOR US TO BE ABLE TO TO, TO VISIT AND ADDRESS ANY NEEDS OR CONCERNS THAT THEY HAVE. I JUST, I KNOW, YOU KNOW, WITH THIS PARTICULAR INDIVIDUAL, HE'S BOUNCED AROUND TO DIFFERENT POSITIONS, DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE COUNTY, AND I JUST HOPE THAT HE'S BEING PRODUCTIVE FOR YOU, UM, SO YOU CAN BE SUCCESSFUL. UM, AND THEN, SO JUST MOVING ON, UH, IN THE TEMP POSITIONS, IT LOOKS LIKE YOU HAVE AN ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, UH, MR. LARRY MOZILLA? I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT'S CORRECT. HE'S PART-TIME. HE'S A, SO HE'S A PART-TIME, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND THE SALARY RANGE, IT, IT LOOKS LIKE A HUNDRED AND, UH, $54,000 A YEAR. UH, PRETTY SURE. SO HE'S WORKING PART-TIME, MAKING $154,000 A YEAR. DO, DO WE KNOW WHAT HE DOES? YES, HE DOES A LOT. OKAY. UM, HE'S, HE'S BEEN A GREAT, UM, UH, THE ABILITY TO, UH, SEEK THE FEDERAL DOLLARS THAT WE HAVE COMING IN THE PIPELINE, UM, TO REALLY BRING TOGETHER, TO REACH INTO THE INSTALLATION AND GET THE HIGHER LEVEL, UM, INDIVIDUALS THAT WE NEED TO BRING TO THE TABLE. UM, I, I, HE, HE'S VERY MUCH A TEAM PLAYER, BUT HE CAN WORK AUTONOMOUSLY AND THAT'S BEEN A BIG ASSET FOR HIM TO BE ABLE TO GO ON SOME PARTICULAR INITIATIVES. UM, MORE RECENTLY WE SPOKE THIS MORNING, HE'S GOING TO BE, UM, LEADING UP WHAT'S CALLED A MILITARY INSTALLATION RESILIENCY REVIEW. AND THAT'S A FOLLOWING TO OUR JOINT LAND USE STUDY. WE HAVE SOME SEA LEVEL RISE AND SOME OTHER ISSUES OUTSIDE THE GATES OF A PG THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED. AND THERE'S FEDERAL DOLLARS THROUGH THE OFFICE OF LOCAL DEFENSE COMMUNITY COOPERATION. UM, THAT GIVES US THE ABILITY TO SEEK MITIGATION EFFORTS FOR SOME OF THESE SEA LEVEL RISES. IT IMPACTS THE INSTALLATION, BUT THE STUDY ITSELF HAS TO COMB FROM THE COMMUNITY AND HAS TO ADDRESS ISSUES OUTSIDE. AND SOME OF THAT IS, YOU KNOW, COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY AND MAKING SURE IT'S COMPATIBLE BETWEEN EMS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE GATES. IT'S LOOKING AT SOME FREQUENCY CHALLENGES. IT LOOKS AT SEA LEVEL RISE, UM, IMPACTS YOU WOULDN'T THINK HAPPEN OUTSIDE THE GATE, BUT ARE ALSO INFLUENCING, UM, TESTING MISSION SETS ON UTI ISLAND BECAUSE OF THE SEA LEVEL RISE. SO WE DID A CURSORY STUDY OF THIS ABOUT 2017, AND THIS IS A CHANCE FOR US TO REALLY DO A, A DEEPER DIVE. UM, RESILIENCY HAS TAKEN ON VERY DIFFERENT FORMS. IT USED TO JUST BE SIMPLY CLIMATE, BUT RESILIENCY CAN BE, UM, FOOD INSECURITY FOR OUR SOLDIERS. IT CAN BE MILITARY, SPOUSE LICENSE, RECIPROCITY, A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAVE INFLUENCE OUTSIDE OF OUR GATES THAT AREN'T JUST SPECIFIC TO, UM, A PJ. AND IS THAT DID AND I HEAR THAT RIGHT, THAT IT'S ONLY A PART-TIME OR IT IS, YES. HE'S 20, 29 HOURS A WEEK. 29 HOURS A WEEK. UM, AND THEN, UM, CAN I, YEAH, LARRY UL WAS THE HEAD OF THE, UM, UH, CIVILIAN. HE WAS DEPUTY, YEAH, DEPUTY TO THE COMMANDING GENERAL, OR OF THE COMMUNICATION 10 YEARS, I THINK, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. SO HIS KNOWLEDGE OF THE BASE AND EVERYTHING, AND HE'S ALSO PART OF THIS BIOMANUFACTURING, ONE OF THE DRIVING FORCES OF THAT. SO HE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE WHOLE BUSINESS. I'M, I'M NOT ATTACKING LARRY'S QUALIFICATIONS, I'M REALLY NOT. I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU KNEW WHAT HE DID BEFORE. THAT'S ALL. I I DON'T KNOW HIM. I NEVER, YOU KNOW, NEVER SEEN HIM. SO HIS, I HOPE HE BRINGS EVERYTHING THAT YOU NEED. HIS ROLODEX IS WORTH HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. UM, AND, AND I'M, I'M SORRY. WE SHOULD PROBABLY ALSO, LIKE OF TIMES WITH THESE POSITIONS WHERE THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, PART-TIME, THAT'S LIKE A KIND OF A NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT ON AN ANNUALIZED BASIS. IT'S NOT NECESSARILY RIGHT. IT'S ALL BASED UPON, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY HOURS IT IS, IT IS THAT THEY WORK. SO THAT WOULD BE THE MAXIMUM. BUT, BUT WE NORMALLY FIND THAT THAT'S, THAT THEY, THEY ARE NOT, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T HIT THAT MAXIMUM. RIGHT. MM-HMM. , HE SUBMITS OUR WEEKLY. YEAH. OKAY. YEAH. UM, SO JUST A, UH, ANOTHER, UH, QUESTION ON THE BUDGET. UM, THE AG, THIS IS PROBABLY MAYBE, UH, MR. SANDLES QUESTION FOR YOU. THE AG UH, SERVICES, THERE'S A, UH, 250,000 PROVIDED FOR AGRICULTURAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE LOAN GRANT THAT'S COMING FROM THE TRANSFER TAX AS WELL. IS THAT? NO GENERAL FUNDS? YEAH. NOW WE'RE RURAL IN GENERAL. I THINK THERE WAS A TIME, UH, UH, WE USED SOME OF THE HOTEL TAX YEARS AGO, UH, PART WHERE WE WERE USING SOME PORTION OF THE HOTEL TAX. UM, AND [02:40:01] THEN I THINK WE'VE, WE'VE KIND OF CHANGED THAT PROGRAM UP A LITTLE BIT TO MAKE IT INTO, UM, UH, AND I THINK THE FOCUS NOW THOUGH IS THAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE MORE ON, I THINK, UM, AGRICULTURAL, AGRICULTURAL TOURISM. MM-HMM. UNDER THE PREVIOUS, YOU KNOW, A PREVIOUS PROGRAM THAT WAS MAYBE A LITTLE MORE OPEN-ENDED AND THINK WE'VE REALLY TRIED TO FOCUS THE AG, AG MONEY ONTO, YOU KNOW, I DUNNO, HAY RIDES AND STUFF. LIKE, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT KIND OF AGRITOURISM STUFF. ACTUALLY FOUR YEARS AGO THERE WAS AN AG GRANT PROGRAM THAT WAS PART OF THE TOURISM DOLLARS AND, UM, INDIVIDUAL FARMS COULD APPLY FOR STIPENDS FOR THINGS, A FENCE REPAIR OR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES. AND, UM, IN THIS ADMINISTRATION REALLY FOCUSING ON THE TOURISM DOLLARS WE'RE MOSTLY FOCUSED ON THE AG, UH, AG TOURISM, SPORTS TOURISM. OKAY. AND TOURISM RELATED EVENTS. SO IT'S RELATED TO TOURISM. YEP. SO HOTEL TAX. UM, SO, AND THEN THERE WAS A LINE ITEM, I'M TRYING TO FIND IT NOW. UH, I THINK I WROTE THE PAGE NUMBER. YEAH. 5 67 MISCELLANEOUS, I KNOW THAT AT, UH, THE VISIT HARTFORD MONEY IS IN, IN, IN MISCELLANEOUS TOO, BUT THERE WAS ONE FOR $555,000 ON PAGE 2 67. 5 67 5. YES. FIVE 60, SORRY. SO, UH, I KNOW THAT IT, IT LOOKS LIKE IT WAS CUT EIGHT LAST YEAR WAS 800,000. THIS ONE'S 5 55 FOR MISCELLANEOUS. I, I DIDN'T SEE WHERE THAT CORRELATES TO KIND OF THE, UM, THE PURPOSE OF IT THOUGH. I'M LOOKING, YEAH, IT'S SPONSORSHIPS AND OTHER, OTHER THINGS THAT YOU HAVE IN THERE. I'D HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE LIST. OKAY. SO IT, IT'S, IT IS SPONSORSHIPS. UM, CONTRIBUTIONS. CONTRIBUTIONS, WE, WE DID CUT IT 250,000 THAT WHENEVER TO THE AG, RIGHT? SO WE HAVE SPONSORSHIPS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. FOR EXAMPLE, MY LADY MANOR RACES OR THE FARM FAIR. UM, ALSO OUT OF OUR OFFICE, MAYBE THE, UM, FISHER HOUSE BALL, SOME OF THOSE TYPES OF, UM, COMMUNITY OR ORGANIZED THINGS. WE SEPARATED THOSE NOW SO THAT THINGS THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO AG OR BROKEN OUT AND GO INTO THE AG BUDGET, IS IT POSSIBLE TO GET A LIST OF MAYBE THE LAST YEAR, I DON'T KNOW, JUST KIND OF WHAT THAT EXPENSE, WHAT WAS SPENT AND WHERE AND, AND MM-HMM. , IT JUST, IT WAS A LOT. IT WAS A LARGE AMOUNT. I JUST WONDER WHERE IT WAS GOING. UM, AND THEN, UM, TWO, TWO MORE QUESTIONS AND I PROMISE I'LL SHUT UP. UM, YOU KNOW, THE, UM, THE PERMAN PENINSULA AND THE, YOU KNOW, THE HORSE FACILITY, HOPEFULLY WE GET RIGHT, THAT WOULD BE GREAT FOR THE PERMAN PENINSULA. BUT, UM, TO MY UNDERSTANDING, IT'S, IT'S ONLY A SMALL FOOTPRINT OR, YOU KNOW, RELATIVE TO THE SIDES OF THE PROPERTY. UH, IS THERE A STRATEGY FOR THE OTHER PART OF THAT PROPERTY THAT MAYBE YOU'RE WORKING WITH, UM, WITH THE FAMILY THAT OWNS IT? YES, WE HAVE BEEN IN COMMUNICATION. UM, THEY ARE PART OF A LOT OF OUR PROSPECTING OPPORTUNITIES AND WE ALL MEET COLLABORATIVELY. UM, BUT AGAIN, WE'RE NOT AT ANY STAGE WHERE I COULD SHARE A SPECIFIC OPPORTUNITY. BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT STAYING WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE LEGISLATIVE RESTRICTIONS, WE ARE, WE ARE ENTERTAINING SECTORS THAT FIT THAT ZONING AND, UM, WOULD BE NICE ADDITIONS FOR HARTFORD COUNTY. AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION IS THE TOURISM DOLLARS. I KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE APPLICATION PROCESS THAT'S GOING FORWARD, UM, BUT VISIT HARTFORD IS THE PREMIER DESTINATION ORGANIZATION, UM, THAT WAS PASSED THROUGH LEGISLATION. I KNOW THIS IS, YOU KNOW, MAYBE SOMETHING THAT, UH, YOU CAN OR CAN'T ANSWER, BUT, UH, IS IT THE INTENTION TO ENSURE THAT VISIT HARTFORD GETS THE PROPER FUNDING AS THEY'VE GOTTEN IN THE PAST TO, TO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE SUCCESSFUL FOR THE COUNTY? AGAIN, I REALLY COULDN'T COMMENT ON THAT TODAY. I KNOW THAT THERE IS AN AUDIT LOOKING AT THE FUNDING, UM, CURRENTLY FROM FY 24. AND I KNOW THAT THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE'S INTENT IS TO MEET WITH VISIT HARTFORD BOARD AND DISCUSS A PATH FORWARD. I I, AND I KNOW THIS IS NOT YOU, BUT I JUST HOPE THAT PATH FORWARD IS WHAT THE COUNCIL PASSED AND RECOMMENDED AND SUPPORTS AND VISIT HARFORD BEING THE PREMIER DESTINATION ORGANIZATION, GETTING THAT ALLOTMENT OF, UH, PREDETERMINED, UH, FUNDS SO THEY CAN BE SUCCESSFUL TO TOURISM GOING FORWARD. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO KIND OF MAYBE HEARING FOLLOW UPS AT SOME POINT AND KIND OF WHERE WE ARE WITH THAT. SO NO, I CAN CONFIRM THAT THE, THE ALLOCATIONS ARE WITHIN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BUDGET SO THAT THERE'S BEEN NO, NO CUT. THE COMMITMENT TO TOURISM IS VERY MUCH EMBRACED BY THIS ADMINISTRATION. ALRIGHT, WELL THANK YOU SO MUCH MR. GO. THANK YOU. I SEE YOU'RE WORKING SATURDAYS TOO, WORKING HARD. I SAW HIM WORKING ON SATURDAY, GOING INTO THE SHOP, SO THAT'S GOOD. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SO, UM, JUST TO FOLLOW ON THE PENINSULA, QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TRAINING FACILITY AND ANYTHING ELSE THAT MIGHT COME, UM, IF MY MEMORY'S CORRECT IN THE LEGISLATION THAT WAS PASSED, NO SHOVELS WILL GO IN THE GROUND ON ANYTHING UNTIL WOODLEY ROAD [02:45:01] IS COMPLETED. ARE YOU USING MR. MELLO TO PUSH WOODLEY ROAD? BECAUSE MY UNDERSTANDING IS WHEN WE TALK WITH DPW, WE'RE STILL WAITING ON, UH, THE A PG FOLKS TO MOVE FORWARD. SO I WOULD HOPE WITH ALL OF HIS CONNECTIONS AND RESOURCES THAT WE ALL KNOW HE HAS, I WOULD HOPE THAT HE WOULD BE DOUBLING DOWN ON THOSE FOR THAT. NO, HE, HE HAS BEEN ENGAGED IN THAT PROCESS AND MY UNDERSTANDING WE HAVE, WE HAVE MONTHLY REPORT OUTS THROUGH THE WORK GROUP AT BOTH A PG AND OUR HARTFORD COUNTY DPW WORK TOGETHER ON THAT. AND I DO BELIEVE THERE'S SOME PROGRESS IN THAT AREA. AWESOME. MM-HMM. AND THEN JUST, YOU KNOW HOW RUMORS ARE, EVERY NOW AND THEN WE HEAR CERTAIN THINGS. IS THERE ANY TRUTH TO ANY OF OUR CONTRACTORS LEAVING AND GOING TO HUNTSVILLE? NONE THAT I AM AWARE OF. I WILL TELL YOU. OKAY. THAT'S ALL I NEED TO HAVE. YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY ANYTHING ELSE. NO, IT'S AN INTERESTING PIECE, BUT ANECDOTALLY, IF YOU TALK TO DEFENSE CONTRACTORS, WE HAD 250 OF THEM AT HOPKINS FARM BREWERY LAST WEEK. THAT WAS THE SOCIAL AFTER A PBI. AND IT'S A WONDERFUL MARRIAGE BETWEEN DEFENSE AND AGRICULTURE IN OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE THEY HEAR ABOUT THE PROSPECT OPPORTUNITIES, THEIR CONTRACTING OPPORTUNITIES COMING OUT OF THE NEXT THREE YEARS, AND THEN THEY MEET UP THERE AND DO TEAMING BETWEEN THE DEFENSE CONTRACTORS. AND TO ME THAT'S GREAT BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT SOLIDIFIES, THAT'S WHAT KEEPS 'EM HERE. THAT'S WHAT ATTRACTS OTHER SUB, UH, UH, SUBS TO OUR AREA. UM, BUT I DO THINK THAT, UM, THEY WILL TELL YOU THERE'S ONLY TWO PLACES THEY NEED TO BE IN THIS COUNTRY WITH REGARD TO WORK WITH THE ARMY AND IT'S ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND IN HUNTSVILLE. SO OKAY. WE'LL MAINTAIN OUR DUE DILIGENCE AND OUR ARMY ALLIANCE IS THERE TO SUPPORT US IN THAT REGARD. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? MR. SHIRE? IT MAY BE JUST A TECHNICALITY AND MAYBE IT'S 'CAUSE IT'S MOVED WITH THE, THE BILL CHANGE, BUT ON PAGE SEVEN 20 FOR VISIT HARTFORD, IT HAD 645,000 APPROVED FOR FY 24. AND I KNOW YOU SAID IT'S THE SAME FOR THIS YEAR, BUT IT SAYS ZERO FOR FY 25 PROPOSED. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A LOCATION ISSUE AND IT GOT A NEW TITLE OR IT, IT'S ALL IN 71 0 8 NOW. IT IS, IT GOT MOVED. OKAY. UM, AND THEN ONE OTHER QUESTION, THIS MIGHT BE FOR MR. CHANDLER. SO I WAS JUST PIGGYBACKING ON THE 4,000 UNITS AND WITHIN A MUNICIPALITY, DOES THAT AFFECT OUR COLLECTION OF OUR PROPERTY TAX AND INCOME TAX AT ALL? I KNOW THEY HAVE THEIR OWN TAXES, BUT SO, UM, UH, THE, THE WAY THE PROPERTY TAX WORKS IS OUR PROPERTY TAXES IS SPLIT BETWEEN THE GENERAL FUND, WHICH FUNDS SCHOOLS AND, UM, PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE LIBRARIES AND ALL OF THOSE. AND THAT'S, UH, THAT'S PAID FOR BY ANYBODY, ANY PROPERTY IN THE COUNTY, IN THE MUNICIPALITY OR OUTSIDE OF THE MUNICIPALITY. AND THAT'S 84 CENTS OR $100. THEN THERE IS A SEPARATE, UM, HIGHWAYS TAX, UM, THAT IS ONLY ASSESSED ON THOSE PROPERTIES OUTSIDE OF THE THREE MUNICIPALITIES, AND THAT'S 14 CENTS. UM, AND THE IDEA THERE IS THAT THE MONEY IN THE HIGHWAYS FUND PAYS FOR THOSE ROADS. SO THAT'S THE, YOU KNOW, THE WHEEL ROADS, THE GRAFTON SHOPS, THOSE TYPES OF ROADS, YOU KNOW, ALL THE ROADS THAT HAVE GREEN SIGNS THAT ARE OUTSIDE THE MUNICIPALITIES. NOW, IF YOU LIVE IN THE MUNICIPALITY, THEN YOU PAY YOUR OWN CITY TAXES, WHICH COVER, YOU KNOW, A COMBINATION OF ALL OF YOUR, ALL OF YOUR SERVICES THERE. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, MOST OF THE CITY TAXES ARE GENERALLY MORE LIKE 40 CENTS OR SOMETHING IN THAT, IN THAT REGARD AS TO INCOME TAX. UM, THE, UM, THE, THE COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE WILL REMIT 17% OF ANY INCOME TAXES COLLECTED, UM, UH, BY THE RESIDENTS OF MUNICIPALITY. SO YOU LIVE OUT, IF YOU LIVE AT THE COUNTY GENERAL, A HUNDRED PERCENT. IF THE LOCAL INCOME TAX COMES TO, COMES TO US, COMES THROUGH THE COUNTY. BUT IF YOU LIVE IN INSIDE THE CITY OF HIGHWAY GRACE OR WHAT HAVE YOU, YOU KNOW, 17% OF YOUR INCOME TAX GOES TO THEM AND THEN 83% GOES, UM, UH, GOES TO THE COUNTY RECORDATION AND TRANSFER TAX IMPACT FEES. THOSE ARE ALL COUNTY, UH, COUNTY UH, COUNTY OPERATED. SO WE RECEIVE ALL THOSE. I WILL SAY THOUGH, ON THE RECORDATION NOW, WE DO SHARE SOME OF THAT WITH THE COUNT WITH THE TOWNS, THE PORTION OF RECORDATION, IT GOES FOR STORMWATER. UM, WE ARE, UM, WE WERE OBLIGATED TO KIND OF COME UP WITH A REVENUE SHARING, SO THEY DO RECEIVE A PORTION OF THAT. WE SEE ABOUT 20% OF THE RECREATION JUST FOR STORMWATER OF RECREATION, NOT TOTAL RECREATION. THANK YOU. AND SORRY, I THINK I SAID TWO, BUT MAYBE ONE MORE. MS. HOLT. UM, THE, UH, YOU MENTIONED THE POTENTIAL OF EXPANSION OF THE AIRPORT AND THE DRONE FACILITY. IF THEY ARE IN TALKS WITH YOU, DOES YOUR OFFICE SUPPORT THAT KIND OF GROWTH, UM, AS A HIGH TECH JOB, WHICH I KNOW THAT'S BEEN THE VISION. UM, I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU HAD AN OPINION ON THAT OR HOW THAT'S GOING FORWARD. I THINK THERE ARE SOME UNIQUE, UM, OPPORTUNITIES AT THAT LOCATION BECAUSE OF THE SECURE AIRSPACE. UM, IT'S VERY UNIQUE. UM, I THINK IF OTHER PLACES AROUND THE COUNTY, UH, THAT AROUND THE COUNTRY WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THAT CAPABILITY. UM, BUT YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A COUPLE DEFENSE CONTRACTORS THAT ARE ALREADY ESTABLISHED THERE. SERVICE ENGINEERING BEING ONE, AND MALLOY AERONAUTICS, THEY WERE RECENTLY REQUIRED BY A UK VERSION OF, OF [02:50:01] BAE SYSTEMS. UM, BUT DOING SOME GREAT WORK WITH THE NAVY AND THE MARINES AND, YOU KNOW, ONE, ONE DEVELOPS THE, THE UNMANNED AERIAL SYSTEM. THE OTHER IS LIKE THE PAYLOAD IN THE KIT. UH, THEY'RE, THEY'VE ACQUIRED 150 POUND LOAD. KAREN, IF I CAN INTERRUPT YOU, MR. TIPS, CAN'T HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. I'M SORRY. . UM, SO THEY HAVE, UM, THEY'RE LOOKING AT PAYLOADS TO BE ABLE TO ADD TO THE DRONE KITS AND THEY'RE AT 150 POUNDS AND 400 IS IN THE NEAR FUTURE. SO, UM, I KNOW THERE ARE OTHER HANGERS THERE WITH THAT TYPE OF EXPANSION OPPORTUNITY AND I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THOSE KIND OF SYNERGIES TO REALLY MAKE THAT A FOCUS. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? LET'S GO AHEAD AND CONCLUDE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME AND THIS WILL, UH, CONCLUDE THE, THE MORNING SESSION. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. UM, WE'RE GONNA GET STARTED WITH OUR AFTERNOON SESSION WITH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. WELCOME SHERIFF. HOW ARE YOU? WELL AND YOUR COMMAND STAFF AND OTHERS, UM, . I KNOW, I KNOW, I KNOW. UM, KIM, DO YOU WANNA START? SURE. UM, WE'RE GONNA START ON PAGE THREE 16. THIS WILL BE ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES FOR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES OF SHERIFF'S OFFICE. INCREASE 5 36 2 14. YOU'LL SEE IT'S MAINLY THE RESULT OF PERSONAL SERVICES THAT INCREASES, HAS A NET INCREASE OF 7 81 2 0 1. THEY HAD A LITTLE BIT OF TURNOVER FOR A REDUCTION OF 39,869. YOU'LL SEE THE COLA IS INCLUDED AT 94 6 47 AND THEN THE FISCAL YEAR 25, LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CORRECTIONS STEP PLUS THE 1% COLA AT 55 0 33. THE NET RESULT TO THIS DIVISION OF TRANSFERS BETWEEN THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE IS INCREASES HERE AT 2 9 4 5 4 9. TEMPORARY SALARIES INCREASES 7,591 AND YOU'LL SEE THAT PENSION, WORKERS' COMP, HEALTH, RETIREMENT, SO FORTH, AS IN ALL THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS ADJUSTED BASED ON ACTUALS. CONTRACTUAL SERVICES DECREASES 2 49 1 49. THIS IS, UM, DATA PROCESSING SOFTWARE. IT'S DECREASED DUE TO THE TRANSFER OF THE MICROSOFT OFFICE 365 EXPENSE THAT IS NOW FUNDED UNDER THE GENERAL FUND DEBT SERVICE ACCOUNT. UM, AND THEN INTERLINE SERVICE DECREASES BASED ON ACTUALS $45,050. THERE WERE SLIGHT INCREASES IN FUNDING FOR TELEPHONE SERVICE, ELECTRICITY, MEDICAL, AND OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS. THERE WAS NO CHANGE IN FUNDING THERE. AND IT PROVIDES FOR GENERAL OFFICE SUPPLIES, PRINTING AND UNIFORMS AND BUSINESS AND TRAVEL INCREASES. 4,000 1 62. UM, THERE ARE INCREASES FOR FUEL, PARTIALLY OFFSET BY A DECREASE IN MEMBERSHIP FEES. THERE WAS NO CHANGE IN THE AMOUNT IN MISCELLANEOUS FOR SERVICE AWARDS. IF YOU TURN TO PAGE THREE 18, PATROL OPERATIONS INCREASE THERE OF 1 MILLION 684 7 76. AND AGAIN, THAT IS MAINLY THE RESULT OF PERSONAL SERVICES INCREASING 1 MILLION 28 346. THERE WAS SOME TURNOVER THERE FOR A DECREASE OF 1 22, 726 FISCAL YEAR 24 COLA, UH, 5 64 8 66 AND THE 25 LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CORRECTIONS STEP IN 1% OF 1,016,221. UM, THEY, WE DID HAVE SOME TRANSFERS BETWEEN DIVISIONS AND IT NETTED TO A DECREASE OF 2,003,726 AND THIS DIVISION AND TWO NEW LAW ENFORCEMENT POSITIONS WERE CREATED AT 2 51 684. THEY TOOK PLACE DURING THE YEAR. THEY WERE THE FOUR SROS THAT WE BROUGHT ON. TEMPORARY SALARIES INCREASES 76,000 272 17 AND THEN YOU'LL SEE ADJUSTMENTS FOR PENSION HEALTH AND, UM, OPE BASED ON ACTUALS OVER TIME. INCREASE BASED ON ACTUAL EXPENSES. 1 26 761 AS WELL AS SHIFT DIFFERENTIAL AT 180 5. 654. UNDER CONTRACTUAL SERVICES. THERE'S AN INCREASE THERE OF $520,055. THIS IS FOR OTHER INSURANCE. THIS IS THE SHERIFF'S SHARE OF THE PROPERTY, AUTO AND GENERAL LIABILITY INSURANCE SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS INCREASES 51,716. UM, THE INCREASES ARE FOR WEAPONS, NAMO, UNIFORM SAFETY AND SO FORTH. UM, OFFSET BY SOME REDUCTIONS IN ANIMAL FOOD SUPPLIES AND PAPER SUPPLIES BASED ON ACTUALS, BUSINESS AND TRAVEL INCREASES. 42,392. UM, THE FUNDING INCREASES FOR FUEL. UM, FUNDS ARE ALSO PROVIDED FOR COUNTY OWNED VEHICLES, WHICH IS THE MAINTENANCE CONTRACT. UM, TRAINING SEMINARS [02:55:01] AND COURSES. EQUIPMENT INCREASES 42,267 AND THIS IS PROVIDES FOR THE POLICE CAR PACKAGES FOR THE NEW SHERIFF'S CARS AS WELL AS AUDIO VISUAL EQUIPMENT. TURN TO PAGE 3 22. THIS IS SHERIFF'S OFFICE INVESTIGATIVE SERVICES. THERE'S AN INCREASE THERE OF 1 MILLION 904 8 66. THE MAJORITY OF THAT IS IN PERSONAL SERVICES. THERE'S AN NET INCREASE THERE OF 1 MILLION 869 948. UM, IT HAS THE FISCAL YEAR 24 COLA OF 1 72 1 18, THE 25 LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CORRECTIONS, STEP PLUS COLA OF 1% OF 2 76 9 24. UM, THERE WAS SOME TRANSFERS BETWEEN DIVISIONS FOR A NET INCREASE IN THIS COST CENTER OF 8 65 100. SLIGHT INCREASE IN TEMPORARY SALARIES BASED ON ACTUALS OF 10,001 40. UM, THE NORMAL INCREASES FOR PENSION WORKERS' COMP, HEALTH AND OP E UM, OVERTIME INCREASE BASED ON ACTUALS 56,972 AND SHIFT DIFFERENTIAL INCREASE BASED ON ACTUAL EXPENSE HISTORY OF $77,024. UNDER CONTRACTUAL SERVICES, YOU'LL SEE INCREASES OF 31,802. IT'S A NET INCREASE AND IT PROVIDES FOR, UM, VEHICLE AND OPERATING EQUIPMENT THAT'S LEASED VEHICLES. UM, DATA PROCESSING SOFTWARE. IT'S PARTIALLY OFFSET BY A DECREASE IN BUILDING CUSTODIAL SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS. SLIGHT INCREASE THERE OF 3070 $6 IT PROVIDES FOR SAFETY EQUIPMENT AND FUNDS FOR, UH, GENERAL OFFICE SUPPLIES. THERE WAS NO CHANGE IN BUSINESS AND TRAVEL OR MISCELLANEOUS. IF YOU TURN TO PAGE 3 24, THIS IS THE SCHOOL SAFETY UNIT. UM, THERE'S AN INCREASE THERE OF 1 MILLION 1 59 2 9 1,000,123. 537 IS THE NET OF PERSONAL SERVICES. UM, AND THE COLA IS INCLUDED THERE AT 40 FOR FISCAL YEAR 24, EXCUSE ME, 40,257 AS WELL AS THE FISCAL YEAR 25, LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CORRECTIONS OFFICER. STEP AND COLA OF 1% AT 1 14 342, THERE WERE TRANSFERS AGAIN, THAT NETTED AN INCREASE IN THIS DIVISION OF 4 53. 3 33. AND HERE ARE THE OTHER TWO. SROS. TWO NEW LAW ENFORCEMENT PHYSICIANS CREATED. 3 23 0 32 TEMPORARY SALARY. SLIGHT INCREASE THERE OF 2,650. UM, PART-TIME SALARIES. THESE ARE YOUR, UM, SCHOOL CROSSING GUARDS REFLECT THE FISCAL YEAR 24 COLA OF 15,079. UM, THE NORMAL PENSION WORKERS' COMP AND HEALTH INCREASES OR ADJUSTMENTS, AND THEN OVERTIME WAS INCREASED BASED ON ACTUALS. BY 20,386, THERE WAS NO CHANGE IN CONTRACTUAL SERVICES. SLIGHT INCREASE IN SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS FOR SAFETY EQUIPMENT AT 4,614 AND BUSINESS AND TRAVEL INCREASES 31 50, 30 1000, $58. AND THIS IS FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE VEHICLES AS WELL AS FUEL. IF YOU TURN TO PAGE 3 28, THIS IS CORRECTION SERVICES. THERE'S AN INCREASE THERE OF 2 MILLION 119 0 15. PERSONAL SERVICES INCREASES 1 MILLION 632 630 $2,016. THERE WAS TURNOVER THERE FOR DECREASE OF 3 17, 3 0 6. OF COURSE, THE 24 COLA WAS INCLUDED AT 3 7370 $5,061. UH, FISCAL YEAR 25, UM, CORRECTIONS OFFICER, STEP PLUS COLA 1% AT 5 51 969. THERE WAS A RESULT OF AN ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES, UM, POSITION, UM, TRANSFERRED OUTTA HERE AT A COST OF 96,199. TEMPORARY SALARIES, A SLIGHT INCREASE OF 15,615 BASED ON ACTUALS. AND THEN OF COURSE, THE PENSION. WORKERS' COMP HEALTH WERE ALL ADJUSTED BASED ON ACTUALS OVER TIME. INCREASE BASED ON ACTUAL EXPENSE HISTORY OF ONE 14,444, AS WELL AS SHIFT DIFFERENTIAL AT 82,800. UNDER CONTRACTUAL SERVICES, YOU'LL SEE AN INCREASE OF 400,000, $28. THIS IS MAINLY FOR THE MEDICAL SERVICES CONTRACT AT THE DETENTION CENTER. THERE'S AN INCREASE THERE, 3 50, 350 $6,100, AS WELL AS BUILDING CUSTODIAL SERVICES. DATA PROCESSING SOFTWARE AT 44,495. SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS INCREASES 85,000 4 414. AND THIS IS FOR THE MEALS. UM, AT THE DETENTION CENTER, IT'S FOR THE CONTRACT FOR THE MEALS. THERE WAS NO CHANGE IN BUSINESS IN TRAVEL AND EQUIPMENT INCREASED SLIGHTLY AT ONE 1,557 FOR PORTABLE RADIOS. AND TURN TO PAGE THREE 30. THIS IS THE INMATE WELFARE FUND. THEY INCREASED 54,548, AND THIS IS ALL PAID FOR WITH INMATE INMATE FUNDS. WHAT THEY PAID [03:00:01] FOR, SO THIS IS THEIR BUDGET. PERSONAL SERVICES INCREASES 52,297. UM, TEMPORARY SALARIES INCREASES 21,618. AND THEN ALONG WITH THE PENSION HEALTH AND OTHER, UM, OPEP CONTRACTUAL SERVICES DECREASES 1001 87. THAT WAS FOR OFFICE EQUIPMENT, BUT SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS INCREASES 7,438. AND THIS IS MEALS PARTIALLY OFFSET BY DECREASE IN UNIFORM PURCHASE. THERE WAS NO CHANGE IN BUSINESS AND TRAVEL OR EQUIPMENT. TURN TO PAGE 3 33, COURT SERVICES INCREASES 1 MILLION 2 61 75. AGAIN, IT'S MAINLY THE NET RESULT OF PERSONAL SERVICES INCREASING 1 MILLION 2 46 9 49. THERE WAS SOME SLIGHT TURNOVER THERE FOR A DECREASE OF 52 1 0 8. THE FISCAL YEAR 24 COLA, UM, WAS INCLUDED AT 98 7 82. UH, THE FISCAL YEAR 25, LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CORRECTIONS STEP, UH, AND COLA OF 1% INCREASES 1 33. 1 24 NET RESULT OF THIS DIVISION OF TRANSFERS BETWEEN THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE INCREASES 5 77 4 42 AND THEN TEMPORARY SALARY, SLIGHT DECREASE THERE OF 8,643. UM, YOU'LL NOTICE ALL THE NORMAL PENSION, WORKERS' COMP AND SO FORTH. SHIFT DIFFERENTIAL INCREASE BASED ON ACTUAL EXPENSES BY $15,096. UM, I'M NOT EVEN GONNA GO OVER CONTRACTUALS. THAT WAS 412 SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS INCREASES 6,152 AND THAT WAS FOR SAFETY EQUIPMENT. AND THEN BUSINESS AND TRAVEL INCREASES $6,662. AND THIS IS FOR FUEL. AND WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO THE SHERIFF. AM I USING THIS ONE? UH, BEFORE I GET STARTED, I THINK, I THINK JUST AS I DID LAST YEAR, I'LL GIVE A DISQUALIFIER. I THINK KIM AND HER STAFF DO A PHENOMENAL JOB, UH, FOR THE COUNTY AND, UH, ARE OFTEN PUT IN A POSITION WHERE, UH, MAYBE THEY DON'T WANT TO BE. UH, AND YET THEY, THEY ENDEAVOR THROUGH AND DO A GREAT JOB, UH, FOR, FOR US AT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND FOR THE CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTY, UM, UH, DESPITE WHO MAY BE SERVING IN THE, UH, CORNER OFFICE AT ANY GIVEN TIME. UH, SO CERTAINLY, UH, AS I PROCEED THROUGH MY COMMENTS THIS YEAR, UH, I WANNA WISH KIM ALL THE BEST. I KNOW HER RETIREMENT IS PENDING, UM, AND FOREVER. WHO SITS IN THIS CHAIR NEXT YEAR? UH, I FEEL THE SAME WAY THAT, UH, WE HAVE A GREAT BUDGET STAFF IN THIS COUNTY, UH, SECOND TO NONE. SO WITH THAT, GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL PRESIDENT, UH, VINCENTI AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. I WANNA BEGIN TODAY BY THANKING EACH OF YOU FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO ALWAYS WORK IN SPIRIT OF PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE HARFORD COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE. WE CERTAINLY DO NOT ALWAYS AGREE ON ISSUES INVOLVING PUBLIC SAFETY, BUT I'M CONFIDENT IN SAYING THAT THE ELECTED MEN AND WOMEN AND WOMEN THAT SIT ON THIS COUNCIL HAVE ALWAYS BEEN WILLING TO SIT, TALK AND PROFESSIONALLY AND HONESTLY, UM, REACH DECISIONS THAT ARE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE HARFORD COUNTY CITIZENS THAT WE ALL SERVE AS THE ELECTED SHERIFF HERE IN HARFORD COUNTY. THIS IS THE REASON I BELIEVE IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT I AS THE ELECTED OFFICIAL AND THE ONE WHO IS RESPONSIBLE TO OUR CITIZENS, COME BEFORE THIS BODY EACH YEAR AND PRESENT MY BUDGET AND STAND OR, OR SIT FOR QUESTIONS. THAT IS THE RESPECT THIS COUNCIL DESERVES AND WHAT THE CITIZENS OF THIS CRAIG COUNTY DESERVE. TO START OFF WITH A LITTLE REVIEW OF THE PAST YEAR, YOUR SHERIFF'S OFFICE EMBARKED ON THE CELEBRATION OF OUR 250TH ANNIVERSARY, 250 YEARS OF FAITHFULLY SERVING AND PROTECTING THE CITIZENS OF HARFORD COUNTY. MUCH HAS CHANGED IN THE WAY WE PROVIDE CORRECTIONAL SERVICES AND LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES, AND MUCH HAS MUCH OF THIS CHANGE HAS OCCURRED RAPIDLY. I REMIND YOU THAT SHERIFF KUNKEL, WHO SERVED JUST 40 YEARS AGO, HAD THE NAME OF EACH AGENCY EMPLOYEE ON THE REVERSE SIDE OF HIS BADGE. AS OUR COUNTY HAS GROWN, THE OFFICE OF SHERIFF HAS GROWN TO KEEP PACE WITH THE NEEDS OF OUR CITIZENS. AND AS THE COUNTY CONTINUES TO GROW, WE MUST BE MINDFUL THAT NEGLECTING PUBLIC SAFETY NEEDS AND STAFFING WILL RESULT IN PUBLIC SAFETY AND QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES AND CHALLENGES FOR ALL MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY. I WANNA THANK MANY OF YOU WHO WERE ABLE TO ATTEND OUR FIRST ANNIVERSARY EVENT, WHICH WAS AN OPEN HOUSE THAT WAS, UH, THAT PROVIDED A HISTORICAL WALK IN TIME THROUGH THE AGENCY'S HISTORY, TOURS OF THE SOUTHERN PRECINCT AND DEMONSTRATION DEMONSTRATIONS BY MANY OF OUR SPECIALIZED UNITS. OVER 500 MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY JOINED US LAST MONTH FOR THIS FIRST, UH, THE FIRST, UH, IN A SERIES OF EVENTS CELEBRATING OUR HISTORY. I HAVE SUPPLIED EACH OF YOU, I HOPE THEY'RE UP THERE WITH A COPY OF OUR ANNUAL REPORT. YES. UH, PROVIDING A BRIEF SNAPSHOT OF THE WORK DONE BY THE NEARLY 700 DEDICATED MEN AND WOMEN OF THIS AGENCY. WE HAVE, AGAIN, REACHED OUT TO OR SOUGHT THE COMMUNITY'S INPUT THROUGH [03:05:01] A PRIVATE SURVEY COMPANY TO MEASURE THE THOUGHTS AND ATTITUDE OF THE PUBLIC AS THEY PERTAIN TO THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. I'M PLEASED TO TELL YOU THAT FOR A SECOND TIME. ACCORDING TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SURVEY COMPANY, OUR RESULTS ARE WHAT ANY, UH, WHAT THE PRESIDENT OF THE SURVEY COMPANY SAID. OUR RESULTS ARE WHAT ANY AGENCY ACROSS THIS COUNTRY WOULD KILL TO HAVE. STATISTICALLY, THESE NUMBERS ARE EXACTLY WHAT WE SAW DURING THE FIRST SURVEY THREE YEARS AGO. 87% OF THE PUBLIC IS VERY SATISFIED OR SATISFIED WITH THE POLICE SERVICES IN HARFORD COUNTY, AND 98% OF THE PEOPLE FEEL SAFE IN THEIR COMMUNITY. THESE NUMBERS ARE A TESTAMENT TO THE GREAT WORK DONE BY OUR MEN AND WOMEN AND ALLIED PARTNER LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES HERE IN THE COUNTY. I HAVE ALSO PROVIDED EACH OF YOU WITH A COPY INSIDE THE, UH, REPORT THERE OF THE SURVEY RESULTS. AND THE FULL SURVEY IS POSTED ON THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE WEBPAGE FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO VIEW. LAST YEAR, THE SUCCESSFUL DEPLOYMENT OF OUR NEW MARINE UNIT APPROVED AND PURCHASED BY THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION AND COUNCIL, BROUGHT SIGNIFICANT VALUE TO THE SERVICES WE PROVIDE TO OUR CITIZENS. THIS UNIT HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL LOGGING OVER 300 OPERATIONAL HOURS. NOTABLY, THE UNIT PARTICIPATED IN 14 MARINE TACTICAL OPERATION GROUP DETAILS, WHICH INCLUDED SECURING BRIDGES IDENTIFIED AS CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE. THIS ALSO INCLUDED 14 DAYS OF PROVIDING ASSISTANCE TO THE KEY BRIDGE DISASTER. ADDITIONALLY, THE MARINE UNIT PROVIDED COVERAGE DURING WEEKENDS AND HOLIDAYS WHEN BOATING ACTIVITIES ARE AT THEIR HIGHEST. OUR FOCUS IN ACQUIRING THIS MARINE UNIT FITS WITHIN OUR FOCUS TO LEVERAGE OPPORTUNITIES TO ENHANCE PUBLIC SAFETY AND COMBAT CRIME. INDEED, INDEED, TECHNOLOGY HAS BECOME A CRUCIAL COMPONENT IN VARIOUS ASPECTS OF SOCIETY, INCLUDING LAW ENFORCEMENT. NOTABLY, OUR DRONE DRONE UNIT, WHICH IS AN ANCILLARY ASSIGNMENT FOR 14 OF OUR DEPUTIES WHO ARE TRAINED AS DRONE PILOTS, UH, HAS MADE SIGNIFICANT STRIDES IN RECENT INCIDENTS INVOLVING FELONY SUSPECTS. THE DRONES PLAYED PIVOTAL ROLES. THEIR SWIFT DEPLOYMENT ALLOWED MEMBERS OF THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE TO LOCATE SUSPECTS EFFICIENTLY GUIDING OUR DEPUTIES TO SUCCESSFUL APPREHENSIONS. THESE, THESE TWO RECENT HOME INVASION CASES GARNERED A BIT OF MEDIA ATTENTION. IN THE FIRST CASE, THERE WAS A PHYSICAL ASSAULT WHERE A FEMALE WAS WOUNDED BY GUNFIRE, AND THE OTHER INVOLVED A FEMALE VICTIM BEING SEXUALLY ASSAULTED IN EACH INSTANCE OCCURRING DAYS APART FROM ONE ANOTHER. OUR DRONES WERE IMMEDIATELY DEPLOYED AND WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN LOCATING EACH SUSPECT AND ALLOWING FOR A QUICK AND SAFE APPREHENSION IN EACH CASE. MOVING ON TO BUDGET, I WILL START BY CONFIRMING WHAT YOU HEARD YESTERDAY FROM MY PUBLIC SAFETY PARTNER, OUR ELECTED STATE'S ATTORNEY, MS. ALLISON HEALY. IN HER COMMENTS, SHE MENTIONED THAT THE ACTIONS OF OUR COUNTY EXECUTIVE ARE, AND I QUOTE MR. KALEY'S BUDGET IS PUTTING PUBLIC SAFETY AT RISK. YOU'RE HEARING THIS FROM THE TWO TOP ELECTED PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICIALS IN HARTFORD COUNTY, AND BOTH ARE TELLING YOU THE EXACT SAME THING. WE HAVE A COUNTY EXECUTIVE WHOSE ACTIONS OR INACTIONS ARE PUTTING OUR COMMUNITY'S SAFETY AT RISK. A FEW WEEKS AGO, WE ALL RECEIVED NOTICE, BY THE WAY, OF THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE'S VIDEO BUDGET MESSAGE, AND THAT THAT OUR, AND THAT IS THAT OUR CURRENT ECONOMY, WE MUST ALL LIVE WITHIN OUR BUDGETS JUST LIKE HARTFORD COUNTY FAMILIES HAVE TO DO. BUT THEN, AND AS HE OFTEN DOES, HE FUNDED DES DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY SERVICES NEARLY THREE TIMES HIGHER THAN IN PREVIOUS BUDGETS. A 15.1% INCREASE. AND LET ME BE CLEAR, I'M NOT SURE IF RICK'S HERE YET. UM, I AM NOT SAYING THAT THE INCREASE IN THE DES BUDGET IS NOT WARRANTED TO BE SURE A ONE SIZE, UH, FITS ALL CLAIM IS NONSENSE. AND EVEN MR. CALEY DOESN'T BELIEVE IT. HOWEVER, THAT DOESN'T STOP HIM FROM, AGAIN, SPEAKING OUT OF BOTH SIDES OF HIS MOUTH, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO PUBLIC SAFETY. FOOLISH BLANKET STATEMENTS JUST DON'T WORK. AND WHEN OFFERED, THEY ARE DISINGENUOUS. THE TRUTH IS THAT EACH NEED OF OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR CITIZENS SHOULD BE FULLY EVALUATED AND GIVEN RESOURCES NEEDED TO FULFILL THEIR REQUIRED FUNCTION. REGRETTABLY, THAT IS NOT THE WORLD WE ARE CURRENTLY LIVING IN HERE IN HARTFORD COUNTY. AS YOU HEARD FROM THE STATE'S ATTORNEY YESTERDAY, WE HAVE AN EXECUTIVE WHO REFUSES TO MEET WITH THE PUBLIC SAFETY PARTNERS WHO REFUSES TO LISTEN TO SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS AND SUBSCRIBES TO A PHILOSOPHY THAT BOB KNOWS BEST. NOTABLY, LAST YEAR, MR. CASSY WAS DISMISSIVE OF CLAIMS THAT HE HAD DEFUNDED THE APPROVED AND FUNDED CENTRAL PRECINCT AND TRAINING ACADEMY. HOWEVER, THIS YEAR, HE HAS TAKEN IT ONE STEP FURTHER BY PROPOSING TO REALLOCATE THE FUNDS FROM THE EXISTING PROJECT TO OTHER CAPITAL INITIATIVES. AS THE SAYING GOES, YOU REALLY CAN'T MAKE THIS STUFF UP. WHAT IS NEW WITH THIS YEAR IS THAT HE IS ASKING EACH ONE OF YOU TO JOIN HIM IN HIS DEFUNDING THE POLICE EFFORT A LINE, I HOPE NONE OF YOU ARE WILLING TO CROSS WITH HIM. MR. CALEY HAS CONCLUDED, HAS INCLUDED IN HIS PROPOSED BUDGET IN NUMBER OF CAPITAL PROJECTS TO INCLUDE THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE PROJECT, A SHERIFF'S OFFICE PROJECT, AS WELL AS PROJECTS ACROSS VARIOUS COUNCIL DISTRICTS. IF YOU REMEMBER LAST YEAR, [03:10:01] BOB SAID THE MONEY FOR THE CENTRAL PRECINCT AND TRAINING ACADEMY WAS NOT REALLY MONEY. WELL, THIS YEAR, HE WANTS TO MOVE THE NOT REAL MONEY FROM EXIST, THE EXISTING CENTRAL MOVE, CENTRAL PRECINCT AND TRAINING ACADEMY PROJECT TO THESE OTHER CAPITAL PROJECTS. AND AS I JUST SAID, YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS STUFF UP. LAST YEAR, AS WE KNOW, MR. CASSIE ASKED HIS COUNSEL, EACH OF YOU TO WEIGH IN ON THE NECESSITY OF THE CENTRAL PRECINCT AND TRAINING ACADEMY PROJECT. IN FACT, HE ASKED, AND IN MANY TIMES, DEMANDED THAT YOU DECIDE, WELL, YOU DID. AS HE DEMANDED, YOU INDEPENDENTLY PASSED A UNANIMOUS RESOLUTION ON BEHALF OF OUR CITIZENS TO MOVE FORWARD ON THE PROJECT WITHOUT DELAY. IT'S CLEAR BY MR. CASTLEY DEFUNDING THE VERY THING HE ASKED FOR YOUR OPINION ON THE CENTRAL PRECINCT TRAINING ACADEMY, THAT HE WAS NOT SINCERE IN SEEKING YOUR INPUT. HE HAD AND HAS NO INTENTION OF WORKING COLLABORATIVELY WITH THIS BODY. IT IT WAS MORE OF WHAT WE HAVE COME TO EXPECT FROM THIS EXECUTIVE DISHONEST STATEMENTS AND GOVERNING LIKE HE IS THE KING OF HARTFORD COUNTY. THE CENTRAL PRECINCT AND TRAINING ACADEMY REMAINS A CRUCIAL PROJECT NECESSARY TO ENHANCE LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CORRECTION CAPABILITIES BY PROVIDING A CENTRALIZED FACILITY FOR TRAINING OPERATIONS AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. DEFUNDING OR CANCELING THIS PROJECT MEANS DEPUTIES WILL CONTINUE TO OPERATE WITHOUT THE BENEFIT OF A PURPOSE-BUILT FACILITY ADVERSELY AFFECTING THEIR EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS. THE ABSENCE OF A CENTRAL PRECINCT WILL ALSO NEGATIVELY IMPACT COVERAGE ACROSS DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE COUNTY AFFECTING COMMUNITY SAFETY. THE TRAINING ACADEMY COMPONENT OF THE PROJECT IS CRUCIAL FOR DEPUTY TRAINING, SKILL DEVELOPMENT, AND STAYING CURRENT WITH BEST PRACTICES. EACH MEMBER OF THIS COUNCIL HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO TELL BOB THAT NOT ONLY WILL YOU NOT JOIN HIM IN HIS DEFUNDING EFFORTS, BUT YOU WILL ALSO NOT VOTE TO CHANGE YOUR POSITION ON THIS VITAL PUBLIC SAFETY PROJECT. THE COUNTY CHARTER SPECIFICALLY READS, NO APPROPRIATION FOR CAPITAL FOR A CAPITAL PROJECT IN THE CAPITAL BUDGET SHALL LAPSE UNTIL THE PURPOSE FOR WHICH THE APPROPRIATE APPROPRIATION WAS MADE SHALL HAVE BEEN ACCOMPLISHED. IT HAS NOT, OR ABANDONED PROVIDED THAT ANY CAPITAL PROJECT SHALL STAND ABANDONED IF THREE FISCAL YEARS HAVE LAPSED, ELAPSED WITHOUT ANY EXPENDITURE FROM OR ENCUMBRANCE OF THE APPROPRIATION MADE. THEREFORE, THREE YEARS HAVE NOT PASSED WITHOUT EXPENDITURE ON THIS EXISTING APPROVED AND FUNDED PROJECT. I HEAR MR. CASTLEY DOESN'T MUCH LIKE WEARING THE DEFUND THE POLICE TAG, BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE, EVEN MORE THAN LAST YEAR, TAKING 100% OF THE MONEY ALREADY DESIGNATED FOR THE POLICE AND MOVING IT TO OTHER PROJECTS IS TEXTBOOK DEFUNDING THE POLICE. IN FACT, THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT, AND I USE THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE AT THE FOREFRONT OF CALLING FOR THE POLICE TO BE DEFUNDED. AND CURRENT MANAGING DIRECTOR OF BLM DEFINES DEFUND THE POLICE AS MOVING TAX DOLLARS AWAY FROM THE POLICE TOWARD COMMUNITY SERVICES. HER BLM SLOGAN, UH, IS DIVEST THE POLICE AND INVEST IN THE COMMUNITY. CAN ANY OF YOU ACTUALLY BELIEVE WE ARE SITTING HERE IN HARTFORD COUNTY WHERE THE SUPPORT FOR THE POLICE AND THE JOB THEY DO, AS IS EVIDENT IN THE RECENT COMMUNITY SURVEY, BUT WE HAVE A COUNTY EXECUTIVE WHO IS PROMOTING THE BLM AGENDA. THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE'S DECISION TO DEFUND THE CENTRAL PRECINCT AND TRAINING ACADEMY HAS SIGNIFICANT IMPLICATIONS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT OPERATIONS IN HARTFORD COUNTY. AND I WOULD ASK YOU TO ENSURE THAT IS NOT ALLOWED TO OCCUR ON THE RECRUITING FRONT, AS I BELIEVE YOU ARE WELL AWARE, EVEN IN THE FACE OF AN EVER DECREASING APPLICANT POOL, WE HAVE LIKELY BEEN UNMATCHED IN OUR ABILITY TO CONTINUE TO HIRE QUALIFIED APPLICANTS, PARTICULARLY IN LAW ENFORCEMENT. AS OF TODAY, WE HAVE JUST FOUR VACANCIES IN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CANDIDATES IN THE PIPELINE TO HOPEFULLY FILL THOSE VACANCIES. THAT'S A BIT OF GOOD NEWS, IS OFFSET BY THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE'S DECISION NOT TO FUND THE NEEDED PERSONNEL FOR THE CENTRAL PRECINCT. HE ADDED FUNDING FOR POLICING IN THE CITY OF ABERDEEN, BUT ADDING POLICE TO SERVE THE AREAS WHERE WE ARE, THE PRIMARY RESPONDERS IS JUST NOT THERE. IN LIGHT OF THE BUDGET NEWS, WE HAVE CANCELED OUR ANTICIPATED LAW ENFORCEMENT RECRUIT ACADEMY THAT WAS SCHEDULED TO START THIS SEPTEMBER AND WOULD HAVE GONE A LONG WAY TO SHORING UP LAW ENFORCEMENT COVERAGE TO AREAS OF THE COUNTY IN NEED. WE HAVE ALSO SEEN WHAT I FEAR MIGHT BE A CHANGE IN OUR OFFICER'S ABILITY TO ATTRACT EXPERIENCED POLICE OFFICERS FROM OTHER AGENCIES. BY THE WAY OF LATERAL TRANSFERS WITHIN THE LAST TWO WEEKS WHILE FINALIZING A LATERAL APPLICANT FROM BALTIMORE COUNTY, HE PULLED OUTTA THE PROCESS WITHOUT WARNING. THIS INDIVIDUAL, A POLICE OFFICER WITH THREE YEARS OF SERVICE, CHOSE TO REMAIN WITH THE BALTIMORE COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT AS THEIR COUNTY EXECUTIVE PROVIDED A NOTABLE COMMITMENT TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND RAISES WHILE AT THE SAME TIME MR. CALEY HAS SHOWN HE IS MUCH LESS COMMITTED TO ENSURING THAT WE REMAIN COMPETITIVE. THE APPLICANT DROPPED OUTTA THE PROCESS TELLING HIS BACKGROUND INVESTIGATOR HE FELT HE WOULD DO BETTER FINANCIALLY STAYING IN BALTIMORE [03:15:01] COUNTY ON THE CORRECTION SIDE OF THE OFFICE. WE HAVE SEEN SOME IMPROVEMENTS IN OUR RECRUITING. HOWEVER, WE ARE STILL TRYING TO OVERCOME THE CHALLENGES IN THE RECRUITING ARENA. AT PRESENT, WE HAVE 17 VACANCIES AND NUMEROUS OPEN HI HIRING PROCESSES TRYING TO FILL THESE SPOTS. THAT SAID, I'M PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT BECAUSE OF MANPOWER INCREASES PROVIDED TO US BY THE PRIOR ADMINISTRATION, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO UTILIZE THE NEW SECTION OF THE DETENTION CENTER KNOWN AS THE SOUTH TOWER FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE IT WAS BUILT IN 2012. THE NEW SOUTH TOWER PROVIDES A MORE MODERN HOUSING CONFIGURATION THAT MAKES CORRECTIONS SAFER FOR OUR DEPUTIES, SAFER FOR THE INMATE POPULATION, AND ALSO EASILY EASIER TO BRING PROGRAMS INTO THOSE INCARCERATED. IN ADDITION, JUST ONE WEEK FROM TODAY ON MAY 7TH, WE WILL BEGIN UTILIZING THE NEW MEDICAL SECTION LOCATED IN THE SOUTH TOWER FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME. AS TO OUR CIVILIAN PERSONNEL, I'M VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT MR. CASTLEY CHOSE TO EXCLUDE OUR CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES FROM THE RAISES HE FUNDED FOR EVERY OTHER COUNTY LEVEL EMPLOYEE, MUCH LIKE DEFUNDING THE TWO ATTORNEYS IN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET. THIS WAS CLEARLY DONE OUT OF SPITE. MR. CASTLEY WAS ANGRY THAT THE UNIONS AND I DECIDED LAST YEAR TO PROVIDE FUNDING TO GIVE OUR CIVILIANS A PERCENTAGE OF THE RAISES HE DEEMED WORTHY ONLY OF OUR SWORN PERSONNEL. WITHOUT A DOUBT, BOB KALEY'S NOT PLEASED THAT THE SALARY STUDIES WE THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE HAVE DONE OVER THE PAST DECADE TO ENSURE WE, UH, STAY COMPETITIVE WITH SURROUNDING JURISDICTIONS, PROVIDED THE JUSTIFICATION AND THE NEED FOR THE REDUCED IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR SALARY STUDY ACROSS THE OFFICE. THE DEPUTY SHERIFF'S UNION AND THE HARTFORD COUNTY CORRECTIONAL ASSOCIATION AGREED TO THE REDUCED IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SALARY STUDY SO THAT ALL SHERIFF'S OFFICE AGENCY MEMBERS COULD GET CLOSER TO AN ACTUAL MARKET RATE IN THEIR RESPECTIVE POSITIONS. BOB CALEY HAS MADE IT CLEAR THAT HE BELIEVES CIVILIAN PERSONNEL ARE ALL EASILY REPLACEABLE. YOU'RE NOT, UH, AND THEREFORE NOT WORTH THE INVESTMENT. IF THERE'S ANY DOUBT ABOUT THIS, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. WE WERE PROVIDED A COPY OF HIS VIDEO, RECORDED REMARKS TO ANOTHER EMPLOYEE GROUP WHERE HE MAKES THIS VERY ASSERTION. I'D BE HAPPY TO SHARE IT WITH ANY OF YOU. I TRULY HOPE THAT THIS COUNCIL DOES NOT AGREE WITH THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND WORKS TO REVERSE HIS VINDICTIVE ACTIONS AT THE EXPENSE OF OUR CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES EVERY DAY AND EVERY HOUR OF EVERY DAY ACROSS THIS COUNTRY, MEN AND WOMEN IN BOTH LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CORRECTIONS LEAVE THEIR HOMES NOT KNOWING FOR SURE WHETHER OR NOT THEY WILL BE RETURNING TO THEIR FAMILIES. NOTHING COULD DRIVE THAT POINT HOME MORE CLEARLY THAN THE HORRIFIC EVENT YESTERDAY IN CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA, WHERE EIGHT POLICE OFFICERS WERE SHOT AND FOUR HAVE DIED. A CHARLOTTE MECKLENBURG POLICE OFFICER TO NORTH CAROLINA, DEPARTMENT OF ADULT CORRECTIONS OFFICERS AND A US MARSHAL IN EVERY INSTANCE. AND FOR EVERY POLICE OFFICER, CORRECTIONAL OFFICER, TROOPER, DEPUTY, OR AGENT WHO DIES IN THIS COUNTRY, I SEND A CARD TO THAT AGENCY ON BEHALF OF OUR MEN AND WOMEN. AND TRUST ME, THERE ARE FAR TOO MANY CARDS THAT LEAVE MY DESK. I NOW HAVE MORE CARDS TO WRITE TODAY. AND AS WE ALL KNOW TOO WELL HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY, WE ARE NOT IMMUNE FROM THE THREAT THAT OUR DEPUTIES FACE EVERY DAY AND EVERY SHIFT. THOSE THAT TAKE THAT RISK FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR COMMUNITY DESERVE TO BE TREATED FAIRLY. SINCE BOB LEY IS NOT UP TO THE CHALLENGE, IT FALLS TO THIS COUNCIL TO ENSURE THAT ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY'S PUBLIC SAFETY NEEDS ARE NOT IGNORED OR NEGLECTED. THANK YOU. AND I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS ANY OF YOU MAY HAVE. UM, FIRST OF ALL, UH, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO CONTINUE TO THANK YOU AND THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE FOR THE JOB THAT YOU DO EVERY DAY. SPECIFICALLY FOR WHAT WE WITNESSED YESTERDAY IN NORTH CAROLINA. YOU JUST NEVER KNOW WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU PUT YOUR UNIFORM ON AND YOU LEAVE THE HOUSE THAT MORNING, YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE GONNA FACE. AND SO YOU'RE OUT THERE PROVIDING THAT SERVICE FOR US, AND WE DO APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU, ALL OF US HERE AT THIS COUNCIL. APPRECIATE IT. ALL OF US IN THE COUNTY, I BELIEVE. APPRECIATE IT. SO, UH, WITH THAT, I'M GONNA OPEN UP TO MY COLLEAGUES FOR QUESTIONS, MR. PENMAN. THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. UM, SHERIFF, THANK YOU. AND FOR YOUR TEAM BEING HERE, UH, AND EXPRESSING YOUR PASSION, UM, FOR THE CONCERNS YOU HAVE WITH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. UH, THERE'S A COUPLE POINTS THAT I I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE. UH, THE FIRST ONE, UM, IT'S TROUBLING THAT THIS CIVILIAN POPULATION OF THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE RECEIVED NO WAGE INCREASE WHATSOEVER. DO YOU HAVE A COST OF WHAT THAT WOULD BE IF WE WERE TO, UH, PUSH THAT FORWARD? YEAH, UH, JENNIFER HAS KIND ENOUGH TO WORK THAT UP. IT FOR THE $1,000 FLAT, UH, WITH A 1% ON TOP OF IT. IT'S ROUGHLY $260,000, UM, FOR JUST A 1% INCREASE. UH, WE, WE DON'T PUT THE THOUSAND ON FIRST AND YOU CALCULATE IT OUT TO 1% INCREASE. IT SPENT [03:20:01] $109,000. SO YOU SAID 260, IS THAT RIGHT? YES, 260 ROUGHLY. UM, WE, WE CAN GET YOU THAT ON A SHEET IF YOU, IF YOU DON'T MIND. UM, I'D LIKE TO TURN, UM, YOUR ATTENTION TO THE OFFICERS OR DEPUTIES THAT ARE, UM, HIRED TO HELP OUT ABERDEEN POLICE DEPARTMENT. AND THE REPORT THAT I HAVE, IT'S ROUGHLY $679,000, UH, FROM THE COUNTY AUDITOR. UM, DURING THOSE, UH, DISCUSSIONS, WAS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON WHETHER ABERDEEN WOULD REIMBURSE THE COUNTY FOR THOSE POSITIONS? UH, I, NOT THAT I WAS PARTY TO, I, I WILL SAY WHEN IT, WE CAME UP, WE CAME TO A MEETING, UM, PROBABLY ONE OF MY LAST MEETINGS DOWN AT TWO 20 WHERE THE, UH, MAYOR AND THE CHIEF OF ABERDEEN CAME IN. ME, MEMBERS OF MY STAFF, UH, ALONG WITH, UH, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE. I'M NOT SURE IF MR. MCCORD WAS THERE OR NOT, BUT, UH, THE COUNTY BASICALLY AING SAID THEY CAN'T RECRUIT, THEY CAN'T DO IT. UH, THEY NEED US TO PICK IT UP. AND THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE SAID, UM, I, AND I MADE THE STATEMENT THAT I, I, I RECALL THAT I AM, WE CAN FIND THE PEOPLE, BUT WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE MONEY FOR IT. AND, UH, I I BELIEVE IT WAS THERE THAT THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE, UM, SAID THAT HE WOULD, HE WOULD COVER THE COST. YOU KNOW, I, I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE CAN HELP OUT ABERDEEN, BUT, UH, AGAIN, MR. MCCORD AND MR. SANDLES, I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT THIS JUST A FEW DAYS AGO. I'D LIKE TO JUST RECONVEY MY POINT THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE A DISCUSSION ON REIMBURSEMENT FROM ABERDEEN TO HARFORD COUNTY, UM, SO THAT, YOU KNOW, WE COULD HELP OUT ON THE $260,000, UM, TO PROVIDE CIVILIANS IN THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE PLUS THE CIVILIAN POSITIONS IN THE LIBRARIES, UH, CIVILIAN POSITIONS IN THE COLLEGE. SO IF I CAN JUST RE-EXPRESS THAT CONCERN AND, UH, HOPEFULLY HAVE SOME SORT OF DISCUSSION ON THAT GOING FORWARD. UM, I ALSO LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THE PRECINCT. I SEE ON YOUR SURVEY HERE THAT THE PRECINCT WAS ONE OF THE QUESTIONS ON THAT SURVEY. UH, AND IT, IT LOOKS AS THOUGH 81% OF THE PEOPLE THAT PARTICIPATED IN THAT SURVEY AGREE WITH PURPOSING THE HEAT CENTER AS A SHERIFF'S OFFICE, CENTRAL PRECINCT AND TRAINING ACADEMY. SO 81% IS PRETTY SIGNIFICANT ON ANY, UH, ANY POLL THAT YOU TAKE. UM, SO, YOU KNOW, THE FACT THAT THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE, UH, HAS, UH, DEFUNDED THIS OR, YOU KNOW, PROPOSING TO DEFUND THE, THE CENTRAL PRECINCT, I THINK IS A, A TRAVESTY. UM, NOW WHEN WE TALK THIS SWO, UM, WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THEY DISCUSS, UH, WHAT THEY'RE USING THE HEAT CENTER FOR, AND I THINK A PART OF IT IS STILL VACANT THAT NEEDS TO BE UPDATED. AND THERE'S ALSO A PORTION OF IT THAT THAT IS BEING, UM, UH, REPURPOSED. DO WE KNOW, UM, FROM THE OCCUPANTS THAT ARE USING THE HEAT CENTER, UH, TODAY, WHETHER THEY ARE REIMBURSING THE COUNTY AT ALL FOR THE USAGE OF IT INFORMATION. OKAY. BUT THERE WILL BE, UH, I THINK SOME SUBSTANTIAL FEDERAL, FEDERAL GRANTS THAT COME FROM, UM, AMOUNT OF FEDERAL DOLLARS BE GETTING UPGRADED. SO THAT, I JUST WONDER IF WE'RE JUST, YOU KNOW, ALLOWING, YOU KNOW, ENTITIES TO USE THAT BUILDING IN SPITE OF THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE IN PROVIDING IT FOR A FREE SPACE. THAT'S MY QUESTION. IS IT BEING, I KNOW THERE'S GRANT ASSOCIATED DOWN THE ROAD, PROBABLY NOT NOW, UH, WHICH OBVIOUSLY WOULD BE A CONCERN. UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS THE, UH, CAPITAL LINE ITEM HERE, UM, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING AND YOU KNOW, I'M A LAYMAN WHEN THIS, UH, WHEN WE HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT BONDS, UH, AND I I RELY ON MY CITIZEN BUDGET ADVISOR, BUT I KNOW YOU TALKED ABOUT IT, THE SHERIFF, ABOUT, UH, THE COUNTY CODE THAT LIMITS THE ABILITY TO USE, UM, PROJECTS, UM, OR DEFUND PROJECTS. AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN THESE BONDS ARE SOLD, WHOEVER'S BUYING THESE BONDS HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THESE BONDS ARE GONNA BE USED FOR. AND NOW WE HEAR, WE HAVE A SITUATION WHERE IT IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT THE ATTENDED PURPOSE IS FOR THESE BONDS ON THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT. SO, UM, I I'M ASSUMING THAT YOU VETTED THAT, BUT TO ME IT JUST DOESN'T SEEM EVEN LEGALLY RESPONSIBLE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. SO THE, THE, OH, THERE'S TWO OF THESE WITH GREEN? YEAH, IF NOT, WE'LL, [03:25:04] OKAY. SO THE OVERWHELMING NUMBER OF, OF THE BONDS ON THAT PROJECT HAVE, HAVE NOT BEEN SOLD. THEY'RE UNSOLD BONDS, WHICH MORE OR LESS MEANS THAT THEY WERE, UM, A KIND OF A, A BUDGETING PROMISE, IF YOU WILL, TO, UH, TO SELL BONDS AT A LATER DATE WHEN THE, WHEN WE ACTUALLY HAD HAD THE EXPENDITURES, YOU KNOW, AND AS SUCH, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S PLACED IN THERE AS, AS AS FUTURE BONDS AND THE, THE COUNCIL APPROVES, UH, FUTURE DEBT AUTHORIZATION FOR THAT. SO WE'VE ONLY HAD, WE HAVE HAD A LIMITED NUMBER DURING, UM, UH, DURING THE PAST, UH, TWO YEARS OF SOME EXPENDITURES THAT, UM, THAT WERE MADE, UM, AGAINST THAT PROJECT, A A FEW HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS. SO YOU, IT'S STILL, WAS STILL BEING USED FOR A, UH, A PUBLIC, UH, A, A PUBLIC PURPOSE. SO YOU KNOW THAT THAT'S, IT'S STILL OKAY TO USE THOSE BONDS IN THAT, IN THAT REGARD. IN FACT, YOU ACTUALLY GET ABOUT 5% OF ANY BOND ISSUANCE THAT YOU HAVE, UM, UH, SOME, UH, SOME FLEXIBILITY ON AS TO WHETHER OR NOT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, HOW EXACTLY IT, IT, IT ALL IS USED, BUT IT'S STILL A CONSIDERED A, A VALID, A VALID USE OF THOSE, UM, OF THOSE BONDS. SO THE MONIES THAT WILL BE REALLOCATED ARE JUST MORE OR LESS KIND OF FUTURE, FUTURE PROMISES, IF YOU WILL, THAT WE WILL SELL DEBT AT A FUTURE, AT A FUTURE TIME. IT'S ALMOST KIND OF LIKE AS IF WE, WE, WE PUT DOWN A, A CREDIT CARD AND SAID, OKAY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA USE THIS CREDIT CARD TO FUND THESE EXPENDITURES. UM, BUT WE NEVER ACTUALLY PUT OUTSIDE OF A LITTLE BIT ANY, ANY ACTUAL EXPENDITURES ON THAT CREDIT CARD. AND NOW WE'RE MORE OR LESS MOVING THAT CREDIT CARD TO OTHER, OTHER PROJECTS. UM, SO YOU KIND OF GET INTO, UH, TO THE QUESTION OF WHETHER OR NOT YOU CAN HAVE, YOU CAN REALLOCATE FUNDING FROM A PROJECT, AND THAT'S ULTIMATELY WHAT'S IN THIS BUDGET IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE REALLOCATE BONDS, UM, AND OTHER FORMS OF CAPITAL, CAPITAL, UH, FUNDING TO DIFFERENT PROJECTS KIND OF ALL THE TIME. TYPICALLY, IT'S WHEN A PROJECT IS, UM, IS COMPLETED, THEY'RE SAVINGS, THINGS LIKE THAT. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A DIFFERENT TYPE OF A, OF A CIRCUMSTANCE, IN WHICH CASE THIS IS A PROJECT THAT IS, UM, THAT IS NOT GOING FORWARD, BUT THEN THOSE BONDS ARE A PART OF THE, UM, YOU KNOW, ARE A PART OF THIS BUDGET AND, AND AS APPROVED WOULD BE REALLOCATED TO THOSE OTHER, TO THOSE OTHER PROJECTS. SO IF THAT WERE TO NOT HAPPEN, THEN THIS PROJECT WOULD JUST MORE OR LESS SIT DORMANT, IF YOU WILL. AND ONCE IT CAME TO THE THREE YEAR SPAN, UM, AT THAT POINT, THE BOND FUNDING WOULD, WOULD MORE OR LESS JUST, UH, JUST KIND OF EVAPORATE AND THE THE PROJECT WOULD, WOULD HAVE TO BE CLOSED OUT, UH, BECAUSE AFTER THREE YEARS, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S TO KIND OF PREVENT PEOPLE FROM SETTING UP CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT, THAT ARE JUST ON THE BOOKS FOR FOREVER. SO, BUT WE, WE ARE IN A SITUATION WHERE, UM, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AT ONE POINT SAYS IT WAS TOO MUCH TO SPEND FOR THE PRECINCT, BUT YET HE IS NOW ALLOCATED THAT MONEY TO, UH, FOUR, EIGHT DIFFERENT PROJECTS, SEVEN, EIGHT DIFFERENT PROJECTS. DO YOU, WELL, IF YOU LOOK AT ALL OF THE PROJECTS THAT IT'S REALLOCATED TO, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE, ARE PROJECTS THAT HAD WE NOT USED, UM, UH, HAD, HAD WE NOT USED REALLOCATED BONDS FOR, YOU KNOW, COULD HAVE ALSO JUST BEEN, BEEN CONSIDERED NEW BONDS. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, A A BOND ISN'T A REAL EXPENSE UNTIL WE ACTUALLY EXPEND ON THE PROJECT AND SELL THE BONDS, AND THEN, AND THEN WE HAVE IT. UM, SO MORE OR LESS WHAT HE'S, WHAT HE'S DOING, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS, IS REALLOCATING THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT FUTURE FUNDING, IF YOU WILL, THAT IOU, UM, FROM THIS PROJECT TO THOSE OTHER PROJECTS. BUT AT THIS POINT, THERE ISN'T, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT AS IF THERE'S ACTUAL CASH ON, YOU KNOW, ON THOSE PROJECTS. UM, AND YOU'RE MOVING ONE CASH FOR ANOTHER, YOU'RE MORE OR LESS YOU'RE MOVING, YOU KNOW, A FUTURE CREDIT CARD PAYMENT FROM ONE PROJECT TO ANOTHER PROJECT. I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, AN IMPORTANT POINT HERE IS NOT ONLY ONE COUNCIL, BUT TWO DIFFERENT COUNCILS APPROVED THIS PROJECT UNANIMOUSLY AND THEN REAFFIRMED IT. UM, AND YOU KNOW, I, I AGREE WITH THE SHERIFF THAT, UM, IF, IF THIS PROJECT IS TO CHANGE DIRECTION, YOU KNOW, AFTER IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALREADY BEEN APPROVED FOR FUNDING, IT WOULD 100% BE DEFUNDING. MR. MCCORD, WOULD YOU AGREE WITH THAT? NO, WE HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY JUST LIKE THE TREASURER. RIGHT. BUT WOULD YOU AGREE THAT YOU'RE DEFUNDING THE PRECINCT PROJECT FOR OTHER ENTITIES? OTHER PROJECTS WE'RE REALLOCATING BOND MONEY ON PLACES. RIGHT. BUT DEFUNDING THIS PROJECT IN EFFORT TO FUND OTHER PROJECTS, I MEAN, THIS PROJECT IS, IS I WAS ASKING MR. MCCORD WE'RE BRIEF, WE ARE REALLOCATING THE MONEY TO OTHER PROJECTS. ALRIGHT, SO YOU'RE DEFUNDING THE PRECINCT FOR OTHER PROJECTS, MR. PENMAN, I THINK HE'S ANSWERED IT IN HIS MIND. ALL RIGHT. TWO OTHER QUESTIONS, UH, OR COMMENTS. THE DRONE [03:30:01] UPDATE, UM, YOU KNOW, SUPER IMPORTANT OUT THERE. UM, I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, IN SPEAKING AND HAVING CONVERSATIONS, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY NEED TO BE UPDATED. IS THERE A DISCUSSION ON UPDATING THE DRONES THAT WE HAVE WITH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE? THERE ARE. AND AND YOU STARTED A QUESTION ON THE 81% AIMED AT ME, AND THEN YOU WENT, I KNOW, I JUST, I ALMOST ALL OVER QUESTION. SO I HAD A RESPONSE I'D LIKE TO OFFER, IF THAT'S OKAY. YEAH, JUST ON THAT. AND, AND AGAIN, I THINK, UM, YES, WE ADDED THAT QUESTION TO THIS SURVEY, UH, BEFORE IT WENT OUT. IT WASN'T ON THE QUESTION, IT WASN'T ON THE SURVEY THREE YEARS AGO BECAUSE DEFUNDING THE PROJECT WASN'T ON THE, UM, MINDS OF ANYONE THREE YEARS AGO. BUT I THINK, UH, IT, IT'S AN ASTOUNDING NUMBER, UM, AND ONE THAT I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS ADMINISTRATION DOESN'T TAKE RECOGNITION OF THAT, THAT MANY. IN ADDITION TO HIS COUNCILMAN PENMAN HAS HAD TWO COUNCILS, FORMER COUNTY, ADMINIS COUNTY, UH, EXECUTIVE, AND THE LAST COUNCIL, AND THIS COUNCIL HAVE ALL SAID IT'S A VITAL PUBLIC SAFETY NEED, AND YET THEY ARE WILLING TO STEP FORWARD AND DEFUND THE PROJECT. AND, AND I HAVE TO ASK JUST OFF THE END OF YOUR QUESTIONS HERE, WHAT'S THE COUNCIL'S ROLE IN ANY OF THIS? IF THE COUNTY, UM, IF THE COUNTY TREASURER OR THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR OR THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE CAN JUST SAY THAT PROJECT THAT WE HAD TO GO GET THROUGH AND GET APPROVAL, NO LONGER MATTER, WE'RE GONNA MOVE IT ALL TO SOMEWHERE ELSE. I, IT JUST AS A HARTFORD COUNTY TAXPAYER, IN ADDITION TO BEING THE SHERIFF, THAT MAKES ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE TO ME. AND I, I BELIEVE TO BE A SLAP IN THE FACE OF THIS COUNCIL. UM, TO THE DRONE QUESTION, UH, YES. WE RECENTLY USING GRANT FUNDINGS, UH, SENT A, UH, I DON'T RFP WHAT WE, WHAT'D WE SEND A, UH, YES REQUEST. WE WANTED TO PURCHASE NEW DRONES, ADDITIONAL DRONES. S THEY'RE, THEY'RE MECHANICAL DEVICES THAT BREAK. UM, BECAUSE, UH, WE RECEIVED CORRESPONDENCE BACK FROM MR. MCCORD IN HIS ROLE WITH COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR SAYING THAT, NO WAY ARE WE GONNA BUY CHINESE DRONES. UM, I CAN TELL YOU THE DRONES THAT WE BUY ARE DJI DRONES. THEY ARE MADE IN CHINA. ABOUT 90 SOME PERCENT OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THIS COUNTRY USE THOSE DRONES. UM, I HAVE BEEN THROUGH PRESENTATION AFTER PRESENTATION, WE SENT A VOLUME DOWN TO MR. CASSIE AND MR. MCCORD SHOWING HOW OUR DRONES ARE NOT, UH, SUSCEPTIBLE TO SHARING INFORMATION. THE RESPONSE I RECEIVED IS, WE WILL NOT BE BUYING CHINESE DRONES WHEN DRONES. UH, THERE'S A PREMIER DRONE COMPANY RIGHT HERE IN HARTFORD COUNTY. WELL, OUR PEOPLE HAVE VISITED THAT DRONE COMPANY IN THE ALDINO AIRPORT, AND THEY DON'T MAKE POLICE FUNCTION DRONES IF WE WANNA PICK UP A CAR OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. THEY APPARENTLY MAKE GREAT DRONES FOR THAT. BUT FOR WHAT WE NEED IN THE POLICE WORLD, A A SMALL UNIT THAT GOES INTO THE TRUNK OF A CAR AND CAN BE DEPLOYED WITHIN SECONDS, UM, THEY DON'T MAKE IT. SO WE ARE AT A STANDSTILL WITH REPLACING OR UP, UH, UPSCALING WHAT IS PROVEN TO BE A VITAL PUBLIC SAFETY TOOL. UM, BOTH IN, AGAIN, IN THOSE TWO INSTANCES, UM, BOTH HOME INVASIONS, BOTH VIOLENCE, UH, ASSOCIATED WITH IT AND, UM, GREAT SUCCESS STORIES BECAUSE AS AN ARY ASSIGNMENT, WE'RE NOT WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO DRIVE SOMEWHERE AND GRAB IT AND, AND PUT IT UP IN THE AIR LIKE A HELICOPTER. UM, WE ARE, THE DEPUTY RESPONDING TO THE SCENE CAN PULL OVER ANYWHERE, OPEN HIS TRUNK AND PUT THE, PUT THE DRONE INTO THE AIR, WHICH HAPPENED IN BOTH OF THESE CASES. THANK YOU. AND I, I JUST, I WOULD JUST CLOSE, UM, WITH THE REFERENCE FROM MS. HEALY'S COMMENTS. UM, I JUST, JUST TO PUT ON THE RECORD, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE SENT AN EMAIL, I GUESS, UH, LESS THAN AN HOUR AGO, DISPUTING SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT SHE MADE, UH, ABOUT HIS ABILITY TO KIND OF MEET, UM, WITH THE DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS. SO I KNOW THAT THAT HASN'T BEEN AFFORDED TO YOU, IT HASN'T BEEN AFFORDED TO THEM. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO AN EMAIL FROM THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE CONCERNING THIS PRESENTATION AS WELL. OH, I DOUBT'S COMING ALONG WITH A CAMPAIGN E EMAIL THAT HE'LL BE SENDING OUT TO HIS NEWS GROUP WITH, UH, INFORMATION RELATED TO HOW BAD IT IS FOR HIM. UM, THE, UH, REALITY IS THAT I SUBMITTED, UH, WHAT YOU ALL SAW, A PERSONNEL FUNDING REQUEST, A BUDGET FUNDING REQUEST FOR SALARIES AND WAGES, AND A CAPITAL PROJECTS REQUEST, AS I HAVE DONE FOR 10 YEARS AS HARFORD COUNTY SHERIFF. UM, AND WHAT WAS DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS YEAR IS THAT NOT ONCE WERE WE AFFORDED AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME DOWN, UH, AND DISCUSS OUR BUDGET WITH THE DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE, THE TREASURER. THE ONLY TIME, UM, I WAS, I GUESS YOU WANNA SAY PERMITTED TO COME DOWN IS WHEN THE, UH, UNIONS CAME DOWN FOR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING. AND I MADE IT CLEAR THAT THE LEGISLATION THAT MR. CASTLEY PASSED WHEN HE WAS IN ANNAPOLIS HELPED PASS WHEN HE WAS IN ANNAPOLIS, CALLED FOR THE SHERIFF TO BE A PART OF THAT. SO AT THE LAST MOMENT WITH I THINK ABOUT 15 MINUTES TO SPARE, I WAS INVITED TO COME TO THE MEETING, WHICH I DID ATTEND. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. PIMAN. ANYONE ELSE? MR. BENNETT? HELLO. GOOD AFTERNOON. UM, HOW MANY CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES ARE THERE IN, UH, YOUR OFFICE? I, I, I ONLY KNOW THIS NUMBER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD BECAUSE WE JUST DID A POSTING ON, [03:35:01] UM, MARYLAND ADMINISTRATIVE OR ADMINISTRATIVE, UM, WHAT WAS THE DAY? ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANCE DAY. UM, BUT A HUNDRED SIXTY, ONE FORTY ONE OF THOSE ARE TEMPORARY. 120 OF THOSE ARE PINNED EMPLOYEES. UM, AND THEN YESTERDAY WE HAD, UH, SOME CONVERSATION ABOUT SHUCKS ROAD, UM, WHEN THE BOARD OF ED WAS HERE. UM, AND IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING BASED ON THAT CONVERSATION, THAT YOU ALL HAVE HAD SOME BACK AND FORTH ABOUT POSSIBLY SHUCKS ROAD, UM, BEING USED AS A CONSTRUCTION SITE. UM, DID YOU LISTEN INTO THAT HEARING AT ALL? I, I DID NOT. UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS JUST SHARED FROM THE BOARD OF ED'S PERSPECTIVE IS THAT, UH, THERE WOULD BE GREAT DIFFICULTY ON THEIR END GETTING APPROVAL FROM THE STATE BOARD OF ED TO RELEASE THAT PROPERTY, UH, DUE TO, THEY WOULD HAVE TO JUSTIFY SAYING THERE'S NO NEED FOR FURTHER SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION. UM, AND, UH, THAT, WHICH IS HARD FOR THEM TO SAY WHEN THEY HAVE SO MANY SCHOOLS OVER CAPACITY AND SO ON. UM, SO I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF YOU ALL HAVE HAD COMMUNICATION ABOUT THAT WITH THE, UH, COUNTY EXECUTIVES ADMINISTRATION OR HIMSELF, UH, EAR EARLY ON IN THE, UH, AFTER COUNTY EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, HE TOOK OFFICE. WE HAD DISCUSSIONS. HE, HE KEPT HAVING DIFFERENT VISIONS AND, UM, AT LEAST CONCEPTS. IT WOULD SEEM TO CHANGE FROM WEEK TO WEEK ON, UM, THE, THE HEAT CENTER, UH, THAT PROJECT AND, AND THINGS THAT WE WERE HEARING FROM BEFORE HE WAS ELECTED THAT HE WASN'T GONNA DO THAT PROJECT. UM, UH, WHICH HE DENIED. AND THEN, UH, ALL THESE OTHER THINGS, UH, I LEARNED ABOUT THE SHUCKS ROAD THING THROUGH A PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT REQUEST WHERE I WAS ABLE TO GET SOME OF THE STUFF. I STILL HAVEN'T FIGURED OUT WHAT THEY PAID FOR IT, BUT WHERE THEY'VE DONE SOME PLANNING, UH, DOWN THERE, UM, TO PUT A POLICE FIRE, UH, COMPLEX IN ALONG SHUCKS ROAD. I CAN TELL YOU AT ONE POINT THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE ASKED US TO CONSIDER THAT, UH, WE, WE TALKED TO, UM, DIFFERENT EXPERTS IN REAL ESTATE IN, UH, UM, ENGINEERING FIRMS. UM, THE COLLEGE HAS PROBLEMS BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT ON WELL AND SEPTIC, WE WERE TOLD, UH, UNLESS THEY EVER GET COUNTY WATER OUT THERE, DON'T, DON'T BUY IT ON THAT. UM, SO WE, UH, WENT BACK TO THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE WITH THAT AND, UH, HE, HE LET US KNOW WE WERE A BUNCH OF DUMB COPS, I THINK WAS BASICALLY HIS TERMINOLOGY, UM, THAT HE DIDN'T WANNA LISTEN TO A BUNCH OF DUMB COPS. WAS, WAS THE, WAS THE LITTLE OUTBURST OF THAT DAY. UM, COULD YOU HELP EXPLAIN TO ME, AS AN OUTSIDER LOOKING IN, LIKE WHAT'S THE DRIVING FORCE OF OVERTIME COSTS? UM, YOU KNOW, OVERTIME IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT, UM, IS WONDERFUL IN ONE SENSE, BUT PAINFUL IN THE OTHER 'CAUSE IT MEANS YOU'RE NOT GOING HOME ON TIME OR, OR LEAVING EARLY FOR WORK OR WORKING ON A, A WEEKEND. UM, SO WHAT FOR, UH, YOUR WORK DRIVES THE OVERTIME COSTS TO BE? SO, LIKE, I ONLY SAY HI BECAUSE IT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T, IT'S, IT'S AN EXPENSIVE THING. AND IN THE LAW ENFORCEMENT WORLD, UM, YOU KNOW, IF, IF A CASE COMES IN LATE IN THE DAY, IF IT'S A BIG CASE, YOU KNOW, THE RACHEL MOR CASE FOR EXAMPLE, UM, THOSE INVESTIGATIONS DON'T STOP AT FOUR O'CLOCK. YOU KNOW, THOSE INVESTIGATIONS GO FOR DAYS AND THE PEOPLE CONTINUE TO WORK AND THEY RIGHTLY SO GET PAID FOR THE HOURS THEY WORK. SO I, I THINK IN, PROBABLY IN LAW ENFORCEMENT, I DON'T HAVE A BREAKDOWN RIGHT OFF, BUT I'D SAY FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT FUNCTION, IT'S PROBABLY RELATED TO INVESTIGATIONS. AND, AND THEN BEHIND THAT STAFFING, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE CALLING SICK AND TRYING TO PUT PROPER COVERAGE OUT THERE AT THE DETENTION CENTER, I CAN TELL YOU IT'S A HUNDRED PERCENT, UM, STAFFING COVERAGE. UM, THEY HAVE A DRAFT LIST THAT THEY HAVE USED, UM, SINCE I'VE BEEN SHERIFF. I KNOW THE WARDEN'S HOPING TO GET AWAY FROM IT, UH, EVENTUALLY. BUT, UM, IT'S EVEN WORSE THAN, UH, KNOWING YOU HAVE TO, OR, OR SIGNING UP FOR IT. 'CAUSE THESE PEOPLE ARE ON THE LIST AND WHEN THEY GET TO THE TOP OF THE LIST, THEY DON'T GET TO GO HOME THAT DAY 'CAUSE THEY'RE DRAFTED INTO STAYING ON AN EXTRA FOUR OR EIGHT HOURS. SO IT, IT'S STAFFING, BEING ABLE TO STAFF THE POSITIONS NECESSARY AT THE DETENTION CENTER. UH, IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, FOR EXAMPLE, WE ASKED FOR FIVE ADDITIONAL PEOPLE RELATED TO THE MAT PROGRAM, MEDICAID ASSISTED TREATMENT, UM, MOVING IN BAT WITHIN THE FACILITY THAT WE DIDN'T GET THE FIVE EXTRA POSITIONS. THAT MEANS FIVE OF THE PEOPLE THAT WORK SECURITY ON VARIOUS TIMES OF THE DAY HAVE TO DO THAT FUNCTION. AND, AND WE STILL HAVE A POST TO COVER IN THE DETENTION CENTER. UM, SO I'D SAY THOSE ARE THE BIG TWO. UH, A LARGE PART OF OUR, UH, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW IT SHOWS IN THE BUDGET BOOK, A LARGE PART OF OUR OVERTIME IS THE REIMBURSABLE, UH, PARTICULARLY WITH THE SCHOOLS WHERE WE GET REIMBURSED FOR THE GAINS AND DIFFERENT EVENTS. UM, BUT PEOPLE SIGN PRIVATE CONTRACTS, CONTRACTS WITH US TO PROVIDE, UH, DEPUTIES SO THAT THEY CAN HA THE CONTRACT'S FUNNY. 'CAUSE IT EVEN SAYS WE'RE NOT COMMITTING ANY CROSS. IT'S YOUR BEST WAY OF GETTING ON THERE, BUT IT'S NOT A GUARANTEE THAT SOMEBODY WILL BE THERE. UM, BUT THE, UH, THE BEARER OF THE EVENT OR THE SCHOOL BOARD PAYS THAT EXPENSE. UH, BUT A, THE MONEY'S IN OUR BUDGET SO MUCH A, A, A BLANKET AMOUNT FOR A YEAR. UM, BUT LIKE LAST YEAR WE THOUGHT WE TOOK IN MORE THAN, UH, WE HAD MORE HOURS THAN WE THOUGHT WE [03:40:01] HAD MONEY FOR. WE WERE GETTING CLOSE BY SAYING THAT ACCURATELY, GENERALLY. YEAH. UM, THE MONEY GOES INTO A GENERAL FUND REVENUE. SO WE DO SOME FORECASTS WHEN WE'RE DOING IT A YEAR AND A HALF IN ADVANCE. AND THEN WHEN OTHER BIG CONTRACTS, WE'VE HAD A COUPLE BIGGER ONES THIS YEAR COME UP, UM, THEN IT KIND OF CUTS INTO WHAT WE WOULD NORMALLY USE FOR THE SWORN EMPLOYEES. AND THAT, AND THERE'S ALSO, IT'S A, IT'S A DIFFERENT MINDSET BECAUSE YOU WOULD THINK AS WE GET NEW POSITIONS THAT WOULD AUTOMATICALLY DECREASE OUR OVERTIME, BUT THERE'S REALLY OVERTIME BUILT IN WITH EACH POSITION. 'CAUSE IF YOU'RE A MIDNIGHT DEPUTY, YOU HAVE TO GO TO COURT. YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S ALMOST LIKE WITH EACH NEW POSITION, THERE'S A CHUNK OF OVERTIME THAT'S LINKED TO THAT, JUST TO BE THE MINIMUM. AND THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I WAS JUST WONDERING IS, IS IT ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT GETS ADDRESSED WITH MORE PEOPLE OR IS IT JUST A, A REALITY OF THE JOB THAT COMES WITH OVERTIME? YEAH, IT IS A LITTLE BIT OF BOTH. CERTAINLY MORE PEOPLE. IT MEANS IF SOMEONE CALLS OUT SICK, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY, THEY MAYBE HAVE SOMEONE ELSE ON THE SHIFT THAT WE DON'T GO DOWN THE MINIMUMS AND WE'RE NOT FORCED IN THE, UH, IT CERTAINLY WOULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE. WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE 17 VACANT SHORT AT THE JAIL. MM-HMM. IF WE HAD THOSE 17 POSITIONS FULL, UM, THERE'D BE LESS, THERE'D PROBABLY BE NO NEED FOR A DRAFT LIST. UM, BUT THERE WOULD STILL BE OP SOME OVERTIME USE ON, ON STAFFING, BUT IT, IT WOULD, IT WOULD DECREASES. UM, AND THEN JUST LAST THING ON MY LIST I WANTED TO, TO TALK ABOUT, UM, IS I KNOW THAT, UM, SUPPORT FOR THOSE WHO ARE STRUGGLING WITH DRUGS IS SOMETHING THAT MATTERS GREATLY TO YOU AND YOUR ENTIRE, UH, OPERATION AND, AND YOUR PRIORITIES. UM, I RECENTLY VISITED WITH AN ORGANIZATION, VOICES OF HOPE, UM, WHO I'M SURE YOU'RE AWARE OF. THEY WORK IN CECIL AND HARTFORD. UM, AND I WAS ASKING THEM, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S SOMETHING I CAN DO TO HELP YOU ALL TO CONTINUE IN YOUR WORK? UM, AND THEY SHARED THAT IN, UH, CECIL COUNTY. THEY HAVE A REALLY GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH THEIR SHERIFF'S OFFICE, UH, WHERE ANYBODY WHO'S HAD A RECENT OVERDOSE IN THE PAST WEEK, THEY GET, UH, A LIST SENT TO THEM, AND THEN THEY USE THAT LIST TO GO OUT TO HOMES AND DO CHECK-INS AND JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE YOU DOING? DO YOU NEED ANY HELP? DO YOU WANNA KNOW WHERE MEETINGS ARE? ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF. UM, TO TRY AND PREVENT REPEAT OVERDOSES. UM, AND THEY SAID THAT'S BEEN REALLY SUCCESSFUL FOR, UH, CECIL COUNTY GETTING THAT LIST EACH WEEK. UM, BUT THEY'VE HAD A HARD TIME IN HARTFORD COUNTY, UH, GETTING THAT SAME, UH, LIST PROVIDED TO THEM. AND SO I MADE SURE I SHARED THAT WITH COUNCILMAN PENMAN, BUT ALSO WANTED TO MAKE SURE I TOOK THIS PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY TO SAY, I KNOW THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD MEAN A LOT TO THEM, BUT ALSO TO THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE, TO HAVE SOMEBODY AT THEIR DOOR TO SAY, UM, HOW ARE YOU DOING? CAN I HELP YOU? YOU KNOW, ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF. YEAH. AND I, I DON'T DISAGREE WITH YOU. I CAN TELL YOU THAT'S WHERE WE STARTED, UM, 10 YEARS AGO WITH, UH, COUNTY EXECUTIVE LASTMAN WHO PUT SUCH A FOCUS ON THOSE SUFFERING FROM ADDICTION AND, AND GETTING PEOPLE THE TREATMENT PROGRAMS, EDUCATIONAL, UH, OUTREACH, ALL OF THAT SEEMS TO HAVE HIT A STEEL WALL HERE OF LATE, UM, WITH COMMUNITY SERVICES, ALL BUT DEVASTATED IN SOME OF THEIR, UM, INITIATIVES AND OUTREACH. UH, BUT WE, WE STARTED THAT WITH THE, THE WARM HANDOFF, UH, HAVING PEER-TO-PEER CONTACT, HAVING SOMEONE WHO, UH, SUFFERED ADDICTION. WE HAD A CARD THE POLICE OFFICER CARRIED AND THE PERSON COULD PICK UP IF THEY WERE STILL GOD WILLING, ALIVE, THEY COULD PICK UP THE PHONE AND CALL AND HAVE THAT PEER-TO-PEER CONTACT RIGHT AWAY OVER THE PHONE. UM, SO I'VE TALKED TO CHRIS, WHO IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, I THINK, FOR VOICES FOR HOPE. UM, OUR ISSUE IS WITH THAT, UH, IT'S LAW ENFORCEMENT, UM, CASES, IT'S SOMETIMES RELATED TO CRIMES. UM, HIPAA, ALTHOUGH HIPAA DOESN'T REALLY APPLY TO OUR OFFICE, WE HAVE CONCERNS, OVERSHARING MEDICAL INFORMATION, UM, THAT, WHETHER IT'S THE TITLE. SO WE, WE'VE PROPOSED TO THEM AND ERIC ROBY IS HERE, WHO'S MY LEGISLATIVE COMMUNITY AFFAIRS GUY. UM, WE HAVE TALKED TO CHRIS ABOUT PUTTING IN, GETTING LEGISLATION SPONSORED THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO SHARE THAT KIND OF INFORMATION WITH THEM. SO REALLY THE BALL'S IN THEIR COURT TO GET THAT LEGISLATION MOVED FORWARD. UM, IF THEY SAID IN CECIL COUNTY, THEY HAVE SOME SORT OF SIGNED AGREEMENT THAT GIVES THEM PERMISSION TO GET THAT LIST, UM, THAT THEY'VE DEVELOPED WITH SHERIFF ADAMS. AND THAT'S BEEN, UH, THAT'S HOW THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO MAKE IT WORK. THERE. I, I'LL TALK TO SHERIFF ADAMS AND, AND WE WILL, WE WILL REACH OUT AND SEE WHAT THE AGREEMENT SAYS AND, AND PASS IT BY, UM, YOU KNOW, LEGAL YEAH. EYES TO SEE IF, UH, IF IT'S SOMETHING WE CAN DO. I'M NOT OPPOSED TO IT. I THINK IT'S A, I THINK IT'S A GREAT THING. UH, THE MORE PEOPLE TOUCH THAT COMMUNITY, THE BETTER. AND I ACTUALLY BROUGHT OUR NUMBERS, OUR NUMBERS HAVE BEEN, UM, MUCH BETTER IN IN RECENT YEARS. I'M AFRAID THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S ALSO GONNA TURN, BECAUSE I BELIEVE AS A COUNTY WE'VE TAKEN OUR EYE OFF THE BALL. UM, SO, UH, AND UM, ONE, ONE LAST THING ABOUT THAT, UM, THEY SHARED THAT, YOU KNOW, CURRENTLY THE DRUGS THAT ARE IN CECIL COUNTY MOSTLY COME FROM PHILADELPHIA. AND THE DRUGS THAT ARE IN HARTFORD COUNTY [03:45:01] MOSTLY COME FROM BALTIMORE. UM, BUT WHAT THEY'RE SEEING IS A LOT MORE PEOPLE ARE BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, IT ALMOST IS LIKE THEIR SKIN IS ROTTING OFF THEIR ARMS. UH, NOT, NOT TO BE, UM, GROSS ABOUT IT, BUT, AND SO WHEN THEY GO TO DO THOSE CHECK-INS, OFTEN IT'S WOUND CARE. THEY COME AND CHECK ON THIS PERSON TWO DAYS LATER, AND THEY HAVE THIS HORRIBLE INFECTION FROM DIRTY DRUGS IN PHILADELPHIA. BUT THEIR WORRY IS, IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME THAT THOSE DRUGS CROSS THE BRIDGE. AND, YOU KNOW, ALL OF A SUDDEN WE START SEEING THOSE TYPES OF THINGS IN HARTFORD COUNTY, AND THAT'S GONNA MAKE THOSE CHECK-INS A DAY LATER, TWO DAYS LATER, ALL THE MORE IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PERSON ISN'T JUST LAYING THERE, YOU KNOW, WITH AN INFECTION AT RISK OF AMPUTATION, AND THEY'RE GETTING WOUND CARE RIGHT AWAY. SO I, AGAIN, I I'M NOT, UM, I'M NOT OPPOSED TO THE CONCEPT. I I MORE, MORE HANDS IN THE POT, THE BETTER. UM, ESPECIALLY AT A TIME WHEN THERE'S LESS WILLING TO PARTICIPATE. BUT I WILL, UM, WE, WE WILL REACH OUT TO SCOTT ADAMS AFTER THIS AND SEE IF THERE'S A WAY FOR US TO DO IT WITHOUT THE LEGISLATION. YEP. THANK YOU. ABSOLUTELY. MR. CHAND. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, SHERIFF GALER AFTERNOON. UM, HOW MUCH DID WE SPEND LAST YEAR ON ABERDEEN IN SERVICES FROM THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE? WAS, WAS IT 600 GRAND? UH, MY, WHO SAID THE NUMBER? SOMEBODY SAID THE NUMBER ACCORDING TO THE, UM, AUDITOR'S REPORT, IT WAS 600. IT WASN'T A FULL YEAR, SO IT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN THOUGH. YEAH, THE TOTAL COST IS 609 70 9,000. SO THAT'S ONGOING. THAT'S ONGOING AS WELL THIS YEAR. CORRECT. IT COULD BE THE ANNUAL AMOUNT TO COVER THOSE FOUR POSITIONS. OKAY. SO I, I THINK, AND I'M PROBABLY NOT SPEAKING ALONE, BUT I, I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT MAYBE EITHER SOME LEGAL ACTION THAT ALLOWS US TO COMPENSATE FOR THE AMOUNT OF EFFORT AND TIME YOUR OFFICE IS PUTTING IN THAT WE GET REIMBURSED FROM THESE, ESPECIALLY AS ABERDEEN HAS GROWN AND SPREAD OUT. UM, I MEAN, IT'S ONLY FAIR TO THE CITIZENS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO COLLECT SOMETHING FOR OUR, YOUR SERVICES THAT ARE, THAT ARE BEING PUT OUT. AND SOMEHOW OR ANOTHER, WE, WE NEED TO LOOK AT THAT. AND MAYBE THAT'S MISSED SOMETHING, MR. KEARNEY, WE COULD LOOK, LOOK AT. I, I JUST ASKED PAT ABOUT THAT. I, I WOULD SAY TO THAT, I AM CERTAINLY SHOCKED, UM, TO THIS DAY THAT BEL AIR AND AB BEL AIR AND AB GRACE HAVEN'T STEPPED UP AND SAY WE WENT FREE 600,000 ALSO. UM, AND, AND I THINK IT MIGHT BE COMING, BUT I'M SHOCKED IT HASN'T HAPPENED. AND I THINK THAT SHOULD BE, YOU KNOW, WE, BECAUSE IF IT EVER DOES HAPPEN, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT OKAY, WE DO PROVIDE IT, THEN THERE, THERE'S A COST BENEFIT COMING BACK TO US. SO I, I THINK THAT'S A BIG CONCERN, UM, THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT THAT AND HOPEFULLY GET SOMETHING BACK. AND I, AND THEN I, I LOOKED AT THESE NUMBERS, WHICH I LOVE ALL THIS, ALL THIS STUFF HERE. I SAW ONE THING THAT SAYS FIVE DUI ARRESTS, BUT THEN I SAW 81 CRASHES INVOLVING DUI. SO ARE ALL THOSE CRASHES INVOLVING DUIS? RESULTING IN DUIS? I THINK THAT FATALS, I THINK THE FIVE IS, UM, AND IT JUST SAID TRAFFIC UNITS TOTAL DUI ARRESTS, SO, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS LOW, BUT THEN I SAW THE 81 CRASHES INVOLVING DUI. DOES THAT MEAN IF SOMEBODY WAS IN AN ACCIDENT, THEY WERE CHARGED WITH A DUI MOST LIKELY. THE PROBLEM YOU'RE LOOKING AT ON THE BOTTOM, UM, RIGHT OF THE PAGE UNDER POLICE OPERATIONS, THAT THAT'S FOR THAT UNIT. THAT UNIT'S ONLY. OKAY. JUST THAT UNIT, THAT UNIT'S ONLY FOUR PEOPLE. I GOTCHA. SUPERVISOR. AND THREE, WE'VE ASKED FOR ADDITIONAL, UH, PERSONNEL, UH, THE LAST FEW YEARS, UH, FOR THE TRAFFIC UNIT BECAUSE UM, ANYONE WHO GOES OUT ON THE ROAD, I THINK WOULD AGREE THAT TRAFFIC DRIVING BEHAVIORS OH, ARE NOT WHAT THEY ONCE WERE. NO, AND THAT'S PROBABLY THE SAME THING WITH LIKE THE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIVE UNIT WHERE THERE'S ONLY ONE CARJACKING. THERE MIGHT BE MORE CARJACKINGS, BUT JUST THAT PARTICULAR UNIT ONLY HAD ONE. WE MIGHT ONLY HAD ONE CARJACKING. YEAH. DON'T JINX US THERE. I I, I, I, I BELIEVE ME, I DON'T WANT, I, YOU KNOW, AND I KNOW THESE ARE YOUR NUMBERS. WHAT I'M CURIOUS ABOUT TOO IS ALSO THE NUMBERS FOR ABERDEEN, HAVERTY, GRACE AND, AND BEL AIR. NOT THAT WE'LL EVER SEE THEM HERE, BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW WE GET THOSE TWO TO SEE THE ENTIRE PICTURE OF THE COUNTY AND KNOWING THAT YOU GUYS DO NOT, UH, PATROL 95. SO THE DRUG TRAFFIC AND EVERYTHING THAT COMES UP IN DOWN 95 IS, IS I GUESS, UH, MARYLAND TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY OR STATE POLICE, STATE STATE POLICE. BUT ON TOP OF THAT, HOW ARE WE NOW TREATING PEOPLE THAT ARE SMOKING MARIJUANA AND YOU PULL 'EM OVER FOR SOMETHING ELSE? WELL, IF THEY'RE, IF THEY'RE SMOKING WHILE THEY'RE DRIVING, THEN THEY'D BE TEST FOR IMPAIRMENT AND LOCKED UP FOR DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE. SAME AS IT WOULD BE FOR ALCOHOL. IF THEY'RE SMELLING A CAR, CAN THEY TEST THEM OR DO THEY ACTUALLY HAVE TO BE SMOKING? NOW YOU, YOU'D HAVE TO HAVE SOME SORT OF, UM, YOU'D HAVE TO HAVE SOME PROBABLE CAUSE TO BELIEVE THAT THEIR DRIVING IS IMPAIRED AS A RESULT OF THE MARIJUANA USE. AND I THINK BEFORE YOU SAID MAYBE THERE'S ONLY TWO THAT WE HAD THAT ARE TWO OR THREE THAT ARE QUALIFIED TO DRUG RECOGNITION EXPERTS, UM, DO KNOW, WHAT ARE YOU UP TO THREE OR SOMETHING? MAYBE THERE'S MAYBE ENTIRE COUNTY IMPROVING THE TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY AND NOW THAT AGENCIES MAYBE FIVE TO SIX YEAH. COUNTING OTHER AGENCIES. AND IS IT HARD TO GET THESE PEOPLE UP TO SURE. I I WAS JUST LIKE, IT'S LIKE, I MEAN, WE [03:50:01] HAVE FIVE OR SIX, MAYBE SIX OR SEVEN CANINES. YOU, YOU GOTTA BE LUCKY WHETHER ONE'S WORKING OR NOT, OR IF THEY'RE NOT WORKING, YOU'RE CALLING THEM OUT ON OVERTIME AND THEY'RE NOT COMING OUT FOR AN HOUR. THEY'RE COMING OUT FOR A TWO OR FOUR HOUR CALL OUT. AND THE OTHER THING THAT, UH, AT THE OPEN HOUSE, I WAS FASCINATED WITH THE DRONE UNIT, UM, AND THE ONE DRONE THAT'LL FLY IN WEATHER. THAT'S, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, DOWNPOURS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. UM, I KNOW IT'S CHINESE MADE, BUT SO IS THIS AMEN. I, I WROTE THAT IN A MEMO TO MR. MCC. SO IS A VOLVO CAR, IT'S ALL, IT'S OWNED BY CHINESE COMPANY. UNFORTUNATELY, EVERYTHING, EVERY TV IS CHINESE MADE, ALMOST EVERYTHING IS CHINESE MADE. SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I SAW THAT, I SAW THE, THE, THE POWER OF THAT LARGE UNIT AND JUST WAS TOTALLY IMPRESSED WITH THAT WHOLE UNIT AND JUST IN, IN PARTICULAR, THAT ONE. AND, AND, AND I ASKED HIM, I, YOU KNOW, AND I, THAT WAS ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I ASKED. I SAID, WHERE ARE THESE MADE? HE GOES, WELL, THEY'RE MADE IN CHINA. HE SAID, AND YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE SO FAR THAT'S ASKED THAT QUESTION. I SAID, WELL, I WAS JUST CURIOUS WHERE THEY'RE MADE. YOU KNOW, IT'S NO DIFFERENT. UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHY IT WOULD MATTER IF, UH, IF THE COST, AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS HE TOLD ME WAS THE COST OF THIS UNIT'S 25 GRAND, IF WE BUY IT THROUGH LOCAL CHANNELS OR SOMETHING, IT'S 50 OR 60 GRAND. THE, THE, THE COMPARABLE, THE COMPARABLE DRONES ARE NOT COMPARABLE TO START WITH TECHNOLOGY. THEY'RE NOT AS ADVANCED. UM, AND THEY COST TWICE AS MUCH. MAYBE THAT'LL CHANGE IN TIME AND, AND HOPEFULLY SO BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, AN IMPORTANT PUBLIC SAFETY TOOL CAN'T BE, UH, EXPANDED IN THIS COUNTY. OKAY. DO WE HAVE MOUS WITH H GRACES AND BEARD FOR, FOR SROS? NO, WE DON'T. UH, WE TECHNICALLY WE HAVE A SIGNED COUNCIL AGREEMENT FROM ABERDEEN. NOW, THEY DIDN'T SIGN THE MOU, THEY, THEY PASSED SOMETHING DURING THEIR CITY COUNCIL SESSION, PASSED THE, PASSED THE RESOLUTION TO SUPPORT THE MOU, BUT THEY DIDN'T SIGN THE MOU WE'RE SAYING WE'RE THERE, WE'RE, WE'RE THERE PROVIDING THE SERVICE. AND, AND WE'RE GONNA REMAIN. THANKS, MS. SOS. THANK YOU. UM, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. AND I JUST, I HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE CENTRAL PRECINCT. UM, SO THE MONEY WAS ALLOCATED. WE HAD CONVERSATIONS, YOU HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COUNTY, ABOUT TWO DIFFERENT LOCATIONS, UM, WITHIN THESE BUDGET HEARINGS, IT SEEMS AS THOUGH NEITHER OF THOSE LOCATIONS IS ACTUALLY AVAILABLE NOW. SO I GUESS THIS IS A QUESTION FOR THE ADMINISTRATION, WHERE COULD THE CENTRAL PRECINCT GO? BECAUSE BOTH OF THOSE PROPERTIES HAVE NOW BEEN UTILIZED. YEAH, THAT'S, THAT, THAT WOULD BE TO BE, TO BE DETERMINED. OKAY. AND THEN YOU MENTIONED THAT, UM, THE CHARTER RULES DON'T ALLOW FOR THE MONEY TO BE REAPPROPRIATED. CAN WE SEE A COPY OF THE CHARTER RULES OR? WELL, NO, THE, SO, BUT THE, THE CHARTER, THE CHARTER STATES IS THAT, SO THE COUNCIL, SO THE COUNTY PUT FORTH A BUDGET, UM, PROPOSING TO REALLOCATE THESE UNSOLD BONDS TO OTHER, TO OTHER PROJECTS THAT WILL BE A PART OF THE BUDGET THAT IS ADOPTED. SO THE COUNTY CAN'T JUST STOP, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY CAN CHOOSE NOT TO, UH, GO FORWARD WITH THE PROJECT. I MEAN, IN THE SENSE OF TO NOT, YOU KNOW, ISSUE BIDS AND, AND ALL OF THAT STUFF, AND, YOU KNOW, UNDERGO CONSTRUCTION. BUT AS FAR AS THE MONEY, AS FAR AS THE APPROPRIATION GOES, RIGHT NOW, THERE IS A PROPOSED BUDGET FROM THE ADMINISTRATION, UM, PROPOSING TO REALLOCATE THESE BONDS TO OTHER PROJECTS. NOW, AS A COUNCIL, WE VOTED THAT THE PRECINCTS MOVE AHEAD, SO, AND SO YOU, YOU VOTE, SO PREVIOUS COUNCILS VOTED YEAH. VOTED TO, UM, UH, VOTED FOR THAT LEVEL OF FUNDING FOR THIS PROJECT. SO UNDER THIS PROPOSED BUDGET, THAT FUNDING IS BEING REALLOCATED TO OTHER PROJECTS. SO THAT WILL ULTIMATELY, THAT DECISION WILL ULTIMATELY LIE WITH THE COUNCIL TO APPROVE THIS BUDGET. AND THEN ALSO A PART OF THE, UM, THE WHOLE BUDGET CYCLE IS THAT WHEN WE DO OUR BOND BILLS, YOU KNOW, WE WILL THEN SAY, YOU KNOW, WE ARE REALLOCATING THE BONDS, UH, FROM, YOU KNOW, THAT PROJECT TO THIS PROJECT TO MIRROR WHAT WAS IN THE BUDGET. SO NONE OF THIS CAN REALLY WELL, BETWEEN THE LOCATIONS NOT BEING AVAILABLE AND THE MONEY NOT BEING THERE, IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THIS PROJECT'S HAPPENING CONCERN. SO, WELL, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THIS, THIS CONCERN IS CONCERN THIS PROJECT. YEAH. THIS PROJECT WOULD BE, WOULD, WOULD BE, THOSE AVAILABLE FUNDS WOULD BE REALLOCATED, AND THEN THE PROJECT WILL BE CLOSED. OKAY. SO THAT'S CONCERNING. I BELIEVE THERE WERE SOME BREAK-INS IN DISTRICT E LAST NIGHT IN OR AROUND STONE RIDGE. HAD THAT PRECINCT BEEN THERE, WOULD WE HAVE BEEN IN A BETTER POSITION? WELL, I, I'LL [03:55:01] CERTAINLY SAY, AND, AND, AND TWO THINGS COME TO MIND BEFORE I FORGET. MR. S HAS SAID ABOUT REALLOCATING AS MR. MCCORD DID WHEN HE WAS ASKED, UM, MAKE NO MISTAKE. IT'S APPROVED PROJECT FUNDED BY THE FORMER COUNTY EXECUTIVE, APPROVED BY THE FORMER COUNSEL, APPROVED BY THIS COUNCIL THROUGH A RESOLUTION TO, TO MOVE FORWARD ON THE PROJECT. IT'S TAKING A PROJECT AWAY FROM THE POLICE AND GIVING IT TO OTHER THINGS. IT'S DEFUNDING THE POLICE, AND HE, THEY'RE ASKING YOU TO ACCEPT THAT AND PASS THE DEFUNDING OF THE POLICE YOURSELF, SO THEY DON'T GET THEIR HANDS DIRTY. IT'S UP TO ALL YOU, WHETHER YOU VOTE TO DEFUND THE POLICE. UM, I HOPE NOT. THE, UM, IF YOU LOOK IN THE ANNUAL REPORT THAT WE HANDED OUT THE, UH, LITTLE MAP INSIDE THE COVER, UH, LOOK ON THAT PAGE. WHEN, WHEN WE CAME AND INTO THE PRESENTATION, THE CENTRAL PRECINCT, THE SMALLEST LITTLE GREEN AREA IN THE BOTTOM THERE, SECTOR 10, WHICH IS, UH, HAS A 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 HAS 11, 12, 13, 14. THAT IS BASICALLY ONE THIRD OF THE CALLS THAT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE HANDLES IN THAT LITTLE BOX. EDGEWOOD, JOLET TOWN, THE SOUTHERN PRECINCT. THAT'S WHAT THE, HAVING THE CENTRAL PRECINCT WOULD ALLOW THE SOUTHERN PRECINCT TO FOCUS ON THAT AREA WHERE THE MAJORITY, UM, GEOGRAPHICALLY OF OUR CALLS COME FROM AND ALLOW THE CENTRAL PRECINCT AND THE COMMANDER THERE THAT WE DO NOT HAVE, UM, TO FOCUS ON THE OTHER AREAS OF THE COUNTY AND OTHER CRIME PROBLEMS, WHICH AREN'T AS SERIOUS AS WE SEE MOST OF THE TIME COMING OUT OF THE EDGEWOOD JO TOWN COMMUNITY. WE HAVE ONE AT RIVERSIDE THE OTHER DAY. UM, SO NONE OF THE COUNTY'S IMMUNE FROM IT, BUT BY VOLUME IT'S NOT WHERE IT OCCURS. SO I WOULD, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, COULD I GUARANTEE THE CAR BREAK-INS AREN'T GONNA HAPPEN? NO. BUT, UM, TO ANSWER, WOULD WE HAVE A BETTER OPPORTUNITY OF INTERCEPTING THAT, UH, WOULD WE BE MORE FOCUSED ON WOULD WE HAVE SOMEBODY MORE FOCUSED ON THESE GEOGRAPHIC AREAS? YES. IT'S THE SAME REASON THE CENTRAL PRECINCT PROJECT BEGAN YEARS AGO BECAUSE THE DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY SERVICES, WHO HANDLES THE DISPATCH, WAS OVERWHELMED ON THE DEPUTIES ON THE SOUTH END ALL BEING IN THE SAME TALK GROUP. SO THEY SPLIT 'EM OFF INTO TWO TALK GROUPS, CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN. SO, UH, THAT WAS KIND OF THE OUTSET OF, OF GETTING ON THIS TRAIN. UH, THAT UNFORTUNATELY HAS ALSO HIT A STEEL WALL, UM, AS, AS FAR AS MOVING FORWARD. OKAY. THANK YOU. SO I THINK TO MISS SOLO'S POINT, UH, CLEARLY THERE'S A NEED, UH, IN THAT AREA FOR A PRECINCT. IT'S GONNA CONTINUE TO GROW, UH, THE POPULATION IS, IS GROWING. THERE MORE CALLS FOR YOU TO SUPPORT THE ABERDEEN POLICE DEPARTMENT, UM, IN THAT AREA. I, I TRULY BELIEVE THERE WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR AN MOU SOMEDAY BETWEEN THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND THE CITY OF ABERDEEN TO HELP THEM SUPPORT THAT AREA. AND THERE DEFINITELY NEEDS TO BE, UH, UM, A LOCATION IN THAT AREA. I KNOW WE'RE LONG ON TIME, BUT I I, I'VE SPOKEN ON THAT MANY TIMES. YEAH. I, I'M CONCERNED THAT SOME OF THE POLICE REFORM BILLS FROM YEARS AGO THAT WE'RE SEEING THE NEGATIVE RESULTS, THE RECRUITMENT, THAT THAT COULD RESULT IN SMALLER POLICE DEPARTMENTS NOT BEING COMPETITIVE. UM, I FEAR THAT FOR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE TODAY. YEAH. UM, BUT, UM, ABERDEEN, PARTICULARLY IN OUR COUNTY, IS STRUGGLING. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. UM, ANYONE ELSE? MR. PENMAN? I DIDN'T WANT TO, UH, MENTION THIS, UM, BUT I FIND IT COMICAL, UM, THAT A PRESS RELEASE WAS JUST ISSUED BY THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION, UM, AT TWO 20. IRONIC, TWO 20, WHILE YOUR PRESENTATION IS TAKING PLACE REGARDING, UM, THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT OF A FIRST RESPONDER, UH, NOTING IN HERE ON THE LAST LINE, UM, OF THE, UM, DISCUSSION OF WHETHER YOU WERE GONNA RELEASE THE VIDEO FOOTAGE, UM, OF THAT ACTUAL INCIDENT. SO I FIND IT, UH, NO COINCIDENCE, UH, POOR TASTE THAT A PRESS RELEASE WOULD GO OUT, UH, MISCONSTRUING EXACTLY WHAT TOOK PLACE ON THAT INCIDENT WHEN ALMOST EVERYONE ON THIS COUNCIL WATCHED THAT BODY OF VIDEO AND AGREED, UM, WITH, YOU KNOW, THE ACTIONS THOSE DEPUTIES TOOK. SO I DISCLOSE WITH THAT AND I OPEN IT. WELL, THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND, UM, I WON'T SAY I'M SURPRISED BECAUSE I'M ACTUALLY PREPARED, UM, FROM MR. KALEY'S PERSONAL FACEBOOK PAGE OF APRIL 22ND, 2002, ATTORNEY GENERAL FROST HAS ONCE AGAIN JEOPARDIZED PUBLIC SAFETY WITH MORE OF HIS MISGUIDED PARAGRAPHS. I HAVE FOR THE PAST EIGHT YEARS, BEEN FIGHTING FOR MR. FROST'S EFFORTS, UH, FIGHTING MR. FROST'S EFFORTS TO POLITICIZE LAW ENFORCEMENT AND EXPAND HIS POWER. SO APPARENTLY IT'S NOT ENOUGH FOR HIM TO MISGUIDE HIS MISGUIDED EFFORTS ALREADY UNDERMINED PUBLIC SAFETY. HE'S NOW ATTACKING HARTFORD COUNTY'S VERY CAPABLE SHERIFF GAYLER ON THE FALSE PRETENSE THAT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL IS A CRIMINAL LAW EXPERT. THE AG IS A POLITICIAN WHO HAS NEVER PROSECUTED OR INVESTIGATED A CASE. IT'S TIME FOR THE POLITICIANS TO [04:00:01] STEP, UH, ACCEPT THE FACT THAT THE JURY RIDE IN THE PUBLIC SAFETY ARENA HAS BEEN A DISASTER. STEP ASIDE, MR. FROST AND LET JUSTICE PREVAIL, UM, IN THAT RELEASE. UM, THERE, THERE'S ALSO ANOTHER ONE WHERE BOB USED A PICTURE OF ME TO PROMOTE HIS PERSONAL THINGS WHILE SAYING WE WERE, UH, IN THE RIGHT ON THAT LEGISLATION. UM, IN THE RELEASE YOU JUST READ FROM, UH, IT SAYS THAT WE WITHHELD BODY CAMERA FOOTAGE. UM, I CALLED THAT OUT AS A LIE OF MR. FROST'S, UH, BACK AT THE TIME OF THE SHOOTING. AND THE FACT IS, IS THAT I, ID AND THEY ADMITTED TO IT THAT IID HAD UNFETTERED ACCESS TO AS MUCH OF THE VIDEO CAMERA FOOTAGE AS THEY WANTED TO WATCH. AND THEY WATCHED IT FOR HOURS, AND THEY WENT TO NORTHERN AND THEY WERE PRE MEANT TO WATCH IT FOR HOURS. AND UNTIL THEY SAID, WE'VE HAD ENOUGH, WE WANT TO GO HOME AND WE'LL PICK IT UP LATER. SO AGAIN, MR. CALEY TALKS OUT ONE SIDE OF HIS MOUTH ONE DAY AND ANOTHER SIDE OF HIS MOUTH, THE OTHER. I PROMISE YOU, GOOD OR BAD, LIKE IT OR NOT, I'M GONNA DEAL WITH YOU ON THIS. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? THANKS, SHERIFF. THANK YOU. SORRY FOR ONE MOMENT. REPAIR. GOT ONE. YEAH. GOT THE BEST GUY IN THE WORLD. CARSON ROOM ROAD. NO, YOU GOT TAKE YES, JEFF AB. OKAY. THANK YOU. IS THERE ANYBODY AT THE GREEN OPENING? YEAH. EMERGENCY SERVICES WILL START ON PAGE 3 43. GOOD AFTERNOON, GENTLEMEN. DOING SIR, YOU TOO, RICK . I'LL BE HERE ALL WEEK. FLASHY UNIFORMS THERE. WHENEVER YOU'RE READY. OKAY. ON PAGE 3 43 IS THE DIVISION OF ADMINISTRATION UNDER DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY SERVICES. THERE'S AN INCREASE THERE OF $424,341, UM, IN PERSONAL SERVICES. UM, THERE'S AN INCREASE THERE OF 3 73 841, UM, SMALL TURNOVER THERE OF 3,251. IT INCLUDES THE FY 24 COLA OF 28,205, THE FY 25 COLA OF 1%, THE MERIT INCREASE OF 1000 FOR ALL ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES AT 28 239. UM, THE, THE RESULT OF A TRANSFER OF ONE POSITION INTO DES INTO THE ADMINISTRATION DIVISION IS THE HUNDRED 13 915. TEMPORARY SALARIES INCREASES 42,510. AND THEN, UM, AS WITH OTHER DIVISIONS AND DEPARTMENTS, PENSION, WORKERS' COMP, HEALTH AND SO FORTH WERE ADJUSTED BASED ON ACTUALS. CONTRACTUAL SERVICES INCREASES $34,100, AND THIS IS MAINLY FOR ELECTRICITY, OPERATING EQUIPMENT SERVICE, AND OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. UH, SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS INCREASES $5,000, AND THIS IS FOR UNIFORM PURCHASE. AND THEN BUSINESS AND TRAVEL INCREASES $11,400. AND THIS IS FOR THE MAINTENANCE ON THE VEHICLES WITHIN THE DIVISION OF ADMINISTRATION. IF YOU TURN TO PAGE 3 46, EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS CENTER, THEY INCREASE 180 1 2 98, UH, PERSONAL SERVICES NET INCREASE OF 2 41 2 12. YOU'LL SEE THEY HAD TURNOVER 43 6 49 FOR A DECREASE. AND THEN WE PARTIAL YEAR FUNDING FOR VACANT POSITIONS DECREASES THE SALARY, SALARIES BY 1 55, 4 57. AND THAT WAS SIX. VACANT PUBLIC SAFETY, EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALISTS. IT'S A BIG LONG TITLE. UM, WE, UM, FUNDED THEM AT 75% AND THEN FIVE OF THOSE AT 50%. AND YOU'LL SEE THAT NOTED ON PAGE 3 47. FISCAL YEAR 24 COLA WAS INCLUDED AT 1 63 558, THE FISCAL YEAR, 25 COLA OF THE ONE 1% AND $1,000. UM, MERIT IS INCLUDED AT 1 57, 4 0 6. THE RESULT OF THIS DIVISION OF A TRANSFER OF ONE POSITION FROM EMERGENCY SERVICES, UM, IS INCREASES 43,106. UM, THE SUPPLEMENTAL PAY DECREASE DUE TO THE FISCAL YEAR 24 ENHANCEMENTS ARE NOW IN [04:05:01] THE BASE SALARIES. SO THAT WAS A DECREASE OF $850,000. UM, OTHER THAN THE PENSION RATE, WORKERS' COMP ADJUSTED FOR, UM, ACTUALS, OVERTIME INCREASES IN EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS AT $200,000. AND AGAIN, THAT'S BASED ON EXPENSE HISTORY AS WELL AS SHIFT DIFFERENTIAL AT 8,300. CONTRACTUAL SERVICES DECREASES A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS. UM, THIS IS FOR EMERGENCY REPORTING BASED ON EXPECTED EXPENSES FOR THE NEXT GEN 9 11 9 1 1, UH, SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS. THERE WAS NO CHANGE. BUSINESS AND TRAVEL, UH, THERE'S AN INCREASE THERE OF $40,000 FOR MEALS, TRAINING, SEMINARS AND COURSES. AND THEN MISCELLANEOUS INCREASES $86. THIS IS RHS FOR A GRANT EMPLOYEE. ON PAGE 3 48 IS SUPPORT SERVICES. THEY DECREASE 1 28, 1 58, AND THAT IS THE NET RESULT OF PERSONAL SERVICES INCREASING 35,842. IT INCLUDES THE COLA OF 14,320, THE FISCAL YEAR. THAT WAS THE 24 COLA, THE 25 COLA, AND THE $1,000 MERIT OF 1328. AND THEN THERE WAS ADJUSTMENTS FOR THE PENSIONS, WORKERS' COMP AND HEALTH BENEFITS. CONTRACTUAL SERVICES DECREASES $166,500. THE FUNDING DECREASES FOR OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT AND COMMUNICATION SERVICES DUE TO ONE TIME EXPENSES PARTIALLY OFFSET BY INCREASES FOR TELEPHONE AND EMERGENCY REPORTING SYSTEMS. THERE WAS NO CHANGE IN SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS AND IN BUSINESS AND TRAVEL. THERE'S A, UH, SMALL INCREASE OF 2,500 FOR VEHICLE MAINTENANCE ON PAGE 3 52, UH, WE'LL GO OVER THAT ONE. THEY COME IN, THAT'S VOLUNTEER FIRE ON PAGE 3 53 AND 3 54 IS EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES. THERE'S AN INCREASE THERE OF 5 MILLION 5 16 669. YOU'LL SEE THAT IS THE NET RESULT OF PERSONAL SERVICES INCREASING 7,029,318. WE HAD SALARY ADJUSTMENTS OF 1,186,988, THE FISCAL YEAR 24 COLA, UM, FOR AN INCREASE OF 2 19 732. THE FISCAL YEAR, 25 COLA OF THE 1%, $1,000 MERIT OF 298,567. THE TRANSFER OF ONE VACANT POSITION OUT TO EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS DECREASES. UM, 84 2 62. THE CREATION OF ONE NEW PARAMEDIC AND SEVEN NEW EMT POSITIONS DURING FISCAL YEAR 24 INCREASES 657,003 80. AND THEN TEMPORARY SALARIES ARE INCREASED FOR ADDITIONAL PARAMEDIC AND EMT STAFFING AND FOR MEDICAL, THE MEDICAL DIRECTOR SALARY AT 1,100,000, UM, PENSIONS, RETIREMENT HEALTH AND SO FORTH ARE INCREASED BASED ON ACTUALS. AND THEN OVERTIME INCREASES 2,000,350. CONTRACTUAL SERVICES DECREASES 105,000. AND THOSE DECREASES ARE, UM, BASED ON ACTUAL EXPENSE HISTORY FOR VOLUNTEER EMS TRANSPORT PARTIALLY OFFSET BY AN INCREASE IN OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FOR THE EMS BILLING CONTRACT. AND FOR TRAINING WITH HARTFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS INCREASES 140,000. AND THIS, UM, PROVIDES FOR, UM, INCREASES FOR MEDICAL SUPPLIES AND UNIFORMS BASED ON ACTUALS. AND IT'S OFFSET BY A DECREASE FOR ONE-TIME. FUNDS FOR SAFETY EQUIPMENT THAT WE PROVIDED IN 24 BUSINESS AND TRAVEL INCREASES 452,000. THIS IS FOR VEHICLE MAINTENANCE. IT'S FOR TRADING COURSES AND MATERIALS OFFSET BY A DECREASE IN MILEAGE. AND THEN IN MISCELLANEOUS, THERE'S DECREASES THERE OF 1 MILLION 9 99 6 49. AND THIS WAS THE ONE TIME FUNDS FOR EMS BILLING SUPPLEMENTS TO THE VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANIES. IF YOU TURN TO PAGE 3 57, THIS IS THE SPECIAL OPERATIONS DIVISION. THERE'S A SLIGHT INCREASE THERE OF $6,547. PERSONAL SERVICES INCREASE FOR A NET OF 30,047. AND AGAIN, IT PROVIDES FOR THE 24 COLA AT A COST OF 5,299, THE 25 COLA AND $1,000 MERIT AT A COST OF 8,348, OFFSET BY A DECREASE IN, UH, TEMPORARY SALARIES OF 4,291. AND THEN YOU'LL SEE OVERTIME AND SHIFT DIFFERENTIAL OVERTIME INCREASES 5,000 AND SHIFT DIFFERENTIAL 500, AND THAT'S BASED ON ACTUALS UNDER CONTRACTUAL SERVICES. UH, THERE'S A DECREASE THERE OF 29,500. AND THIS IS FOR SPACE AND REAL ESTATE RENTAL DUE TO THE TRANSFER OF THIS EXPENSE TO THE DEBT SERVICE ACCOUNT. AND THEN DECREASES IN BUILDING CUSTODIAL BASED ON ACTUAL EXPENSE HISTORY. BUSINESS AND TRAVEL INCREASES $6,000. AND THIS IS FOR VEHICLE MAINTENANCE [04:10:01] AS WELL AS, UM, TRAINING SEMINARS. AND THIS IS PARTIALLY OFFSET BY A DECREASE IN MUST BE NON-TARGET, UM, MAINTENANCE. AND THEN MISCELLANEOUS, THERE'S NO CHANGE AND THAT THE MONEY IN THERE PROVIDES FOR MASON DIS MASON DIXON RESCUE DOG. AND THEN ONE LAST INDEX ON PAGE 3 59 IS THE NATURAL DISASTERS ACCOUNT. UM, THERE'S AN INCREASE THERE OF $60,000 INCREASE IN OVERTIME OF 50,000, AND THEN A $10,000 INCREASE FOR, UM, DISASTER ASSISTANCE. UM, AND WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MR. RICK HARRIS. OKAY. GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL PRESIDENT VINCENT AND MEMBERS OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL AND MEMBERS OF THE ADVISORY BOARD. I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE MYSELF AS DIRECTOR RICK AYERS. AND I ALSO HAVE WITH ME TODAY DEPUTY DIRECTOR JOE WOODS AND DEPUTY DIRECTOR MIKE BEIGY. AS ALWAYS, WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS THE BUDGET REQUEST FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY SERVICES. THIS REQUEST REQUEST REFLECTS OUR BEST EFFORTS TO CONSTRUCT A BUDGET THAT WILL CONTINUE HARTFORD COUNTY'S COMMITMENT TO PROCESS CITIZENS REQUESTS FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES, AND TO DISPATCH COUNTY PUBLIC SAFETY PROVIDERS IN AN EFFICIENT MANNER. OUR DISPATCH CENTER HAS THE NATIONAL ACCREDITATION FOR USE OF THE LAW ENFORCEMENT DISPATCH PROTOCOLS, EMERGENCY MEDICAL PROTOCOLS, AND EMERGENCY FIRE PROTOCOLS, WHICH RESULTED IN THE PRESTIGIOUS HONOR OF HARTFORD COUNTY BECOMING THE FIRST 9 1 1 CENTER IN THE UNITED STATES AND SECOND IN THE WORLD TO RECEIVE THAT ACCREDITATION. IT ALSO REFLECTS OUR COMMITMENT TO PROVIDE HIGHLY TRAINED COUNTY EMS THAT WE AGGRESSIVELY PUT IN PLACE LAST YEAR, A SPECIAL OPERATIONS TEAM TO HANDLE HAZARDOUS MATERIAL INCIDENTS AND TECHNICAL RESCUE INCIDENTS, INCLUDING SWIFT WATER RESCUES, HIGH ANGLE RESCUES, CONFINED SPACE RESCUES, TRENCH RESCUES, AND STRUCTURAL COLLAPSE RESCUES. THE REQUEST ENSURES ALSO THAT OUR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT BRANCH IS PREPARED TO STAFF THE EOC AND RESPOND ON A MOMENT'S NOTICE. AND OUR TECH SERVICES BRANCH PROVIDES RELIABLE WIRELESS RADIO COMMUNICATIONS VIA OUR PUBLIC SAFETY VOICE AND DATA SYSTEM. BEFORE ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS, I WANT TO PROVIDE SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT OUR WORKLOAD IN 2023 AND SOME SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN 2023. OUR CALL TAKERS IN THE NINE ONE ONE CENTER HANDLED ALMOST 227,007 INCOMING TELEPHONE CALLS, INCLUDING 104,259. OF THOSE CALLS ON OUR 9 1 1 LINES, ABOUT 82%, ROUGHLY 85,492 OF THOSE IN INCOMING 9 1 1 CALLS RESULTED IN A DISPATCH OF EITHER FIRE EMS OR LAW ENFORCEMENT IN THE COUNTY. THE SPECIAL OPERATIONS TEAM RESPONDED TO 154 CALLS IN 2023. OUR HARTFORD COUNTY EMS UNITS RESPONDED TO 32,409 CALLS IN 2023. OUR EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER WAS ACTIVATED 14 TIMES FOR VARIOUS INCIDENTS IN THE COUNTY AND WEATHER RELATED ISSUES. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THE SUCCESS IN OUR RECENTLY FEDERALLY EVALUATED PEACH BOTTOM EXERCISE THAT WE CONDUCTED EARLIER THIS MONTH, WHERE THE FEEDBACK WE GOT FROM THE NATIONAL, UM, EVALUATORS WAS ABOUT AS GOOD AS I'VE SEEN IN THE 20 YEARS I'VE BEEN DOING THOSE EXERCISES. SO KUDOS TO EVERYBODY IN HARTFORD COUNTY THAT PLAYED A PART, INCLUDING OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT. THAT PLAYS A MAJOR ROLE IN THAT AS WELL. AND WITH THAT, I'D BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU, RICK. APPRECIATE IT. APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS DO. UM, ANYONE, MR. ANA? GOOD EVENING, MR. AYERS. UH, MR. BENICKY AND MR. WOODS, THANK YOU FOR COMING. UM, ARE WE ALL DONE WITH GETTING FULL-TIME EMS IN ALL THE HOUSES? I KNOW IT WAS A ROLLOUT, QUITE A, QUITE A TASK OF ROLLING OUT MAYBE SEEMED LIKE EVERY FEW WEEKS WE WERE ROLLING OUT A DIFFERENT, UH, EMS IN A, IN A DIFFERENT FIREHOUSE. IS THAT ALL PRETTY MUCH DONE OR DO WE HAVE ANY LEFT? I I KNOW THERE'S A COUPLE, UH, FIREHOUSES THAT STILL HAVE THEIR OWN, THAT ARE RUNNING THEIR OWN EMSS. CORRECT. SO OUR TRANSITION TO FULLY TAKING OVER EMS RESULTED IN US HAVING 17 COUNTY UNITS, AND WE'RE HAPPY TO SAY THAT THOSE 17 COUNTY UNITS ARE IN SERVICE. OKAY. UM, [04:15:01] ABERDEEN FIRE DEPARTMENT IS THE EXCEPTION. ABERDEEN FIRE DEPARTMENT DECIDED NOT TO COME UNDER THE COUNTY'S EMS SYSTEM. SO ABERDEEN IS STILL HIRING THEIR OWN EMS PEOPLE AND HANDLING THEIR OWN EMS BILLING FOR CALLS IN THE CITY OF ABERDEEN. BUT SHORT OF THAT, WE'RE HANDLING THE MAJORITY OF THE CALLS IN THE REST OF THE COUNTY. THERE IS SOME VOLUNTEER AMBULANCES IN THE STATIONS, BUT THEY'RE TAKING A VERY LOW PERCENTAGE OF CALLS. GOTCHA. AND, UM, HOW ARE WE DOING WITH RETENTION NOW THAT MAYBE IT'S ALMOST A YEAR? ARE WE, ARE WE ABLE TO KEEP THOSE EMS PEOPLE? ARE WE LOSING THEM TO, TO OTHER COUNTIES? UM, IS OUR PAY EQUIVALENT? UM, I, I KNOW I WAS ABLE TO TAKE A NICE LITTLE RIDE IN ONE, UH, AND YOU HAD SOME, YOU HAD SOME TRAINEES ON THERE AND SOME OTHER PEOPLE THAT WERE, WERE LOOKING TO DO THAT. I KNOW THAT THE COLLEGE HAS A PROGRAM, I THINK TOO, FOR THAT, BUT ARE WE ABLE TO KEEP THE PEOPLE THAT WE BROUGHT ON BOARD? UM, OR ARE WE, ARE WE LOSING OR IS OUR RETENTION PRETTY GOOD SO FAR AT THIS TIME? UH, THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION. UM, WE WERE ABLE TO RAISE OUR STARTING SALARY FOR OUR PARAMEDICS TO 66,000, WHICH PUT US ON A, A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD WITH THE REST OF THE BALTIMORE AREA. I MEAN, JUST LIKE NURSES IN THE HOSPITAL, WE'RE ALL COMPETING. UM, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH PARAMEDICS TO GO AROUND. UM, IT'S A STRUGGLE TO HIRE PARAMEDICS AND IT'S A STRUGGLE TO KEEP THEM. BUT OUR BENEFIT PACKAGE IN HARTFORD COUNTY AND THE STARTING SALARY NOW THAT AT 66,000 AT AT LEAST PUTS US ON AN EVEN KEEL WITH THE REST OF THE COUNTIES IN THE BALTIMORE AREA. UM, SO AT THIS TIME, I, I MEAN, DO WE EVER LOSE PARAMEDICS TO GO TO ANOTHER JURISDICTION? SURE. BUT I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE HOLDING OUR OWN. UH, I THINK THE ONE THING THAT I, THAT I NOTICED BEING BROUGHT IN THERE IS THAT THE, THE UNITS BRING YOU IN AND THEY HAVE TO WAIT FOR YOU TO GET OFF THEIR STRETCHER SO THAT THEY CAN GET BACK OUT ON THE ROAD. AND, AND IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A, A BIG WASTE OF TIME THAT IS FROM THE TIME THEY BRING YOU INTO THE EMERGENCY ROOM AND, AND THE HOSPITAL GETS YOU OFF ONTO THEIR OWN. AND, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW TO COLLABORATE THAT TO, TO MOVE THAT ALONG QUICKER. BECAUSE THE MORE TIME THAT THEY SPEND IN THERE, THE LESS TIME THEY'RE AT ON THE ROAD THAT SOMEBODY, SOMEBODY NEEDS THAT. SO I, SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN WORK ON WITH THE, YOU KNOW, THE HOSPITAL AND, AND GETTING, BUT THERE'S GOTTA BE A WAY TO, YOU KNOW, SPEED. I THINK I WAS ON THAT STRIKER FOR, FOR A GOOD 35, 40 MINUTES BEFORE THEY GOT ME OFF ONTO, UH, A BED, EVEN THOUGH I WAS IN THE HALLWAY AND THEN MOVED ME OUT. I MEAN, SO THAT, THAT WAS THE ONLY THING THAT I SAW. AND I, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO FIX IT, BUT, BUT I WANTED TO BRING THAT UP. WELL, LET ME SPEAK TO THAT. SO THAT'S NOT JUST A HARTFORD COUNTY ISSUE. UM, THAT'S A STATEWIDE ISSUE. UM, I'M NOT MAKING EXCUSES, BUT ACTUALLY WE'RE, WE'RE DOING BETTER IN HARTFORD COUNTY WITH THE UNLOAD TIME THAN SOME OTHER HOSPITALS IN THE BALTIMORE METROPOLITAN AREA. I HAVE DR. BARRETO ON SPEED DIAL. AND WHEN IT GETS, WHEN IT GETS TO THE POINT THAT MY EMS SUPERVISORS CAN CALL ME, CALL ME ON THE PHONE AND SAY, I THINK IT'S TIME THAT YOU HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH DR. I CALL HIM AND HE DOES EVERYTHING IN HIS POWER TO TRY TO GET OUR AMBULANCES CLEARED, BECAUSE LIKE YOU SAID, THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT AVAILABLE UNTIL THAT PATIENT IS TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE ER. AND, UM, BUT WE, WE CONSTANTLY WORK WITH THE ADMINISTRATION AT THE HOSPITAL TO TRY TO MAKE THAT OFFLOAD TIME AS GOOD AS WE CAN GET IT. AND LIKE I SAID, IT IS BETTER THAN SOME OF THE OTHER JURISDICTIONS IN THE BALTIMORE AREA, BUT IT'S STILL, ON AVERAGE, PROBABLY 30 TO 35 MINUTES TO GET OUR PATIENT OFF THE STRETCHER AND ACCEPTED BY THE HOSPITAL BEFORE THEY'RE AVAILABLE TO GO ON ANOTHER CALL. WELL, THEY, THEY CERTAINLY SHOW UP VERY FAST. SO, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT, THAT'S A GOOD THING. I MEAN, WITHIN A, WITHIN A COUPLE OF MINUTES, HOW MANY YEARS NOW HAVE YOU BEEN IN THIS DEPARTMENT? SO I'VE BEEN WITH, UH, HARTFORD COUNTY FOR 40 YEARS. FOR 40 YEARS. YEAH. WELL, WE'RE GLAD YOU'RE STILL HERE. AND THANK, THANK YOU FOR YOUR, UH, YOUR LEADERSHIP IN STEWARDESS. I, I KNOW IT WAS A BIG LIFT AND, UH, GLAD WE HAVE SOMEBODY LIKE YOU THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, SEEN A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS. SO THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. UH, MR. PENMAN. THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. MR. AERS, THANK YOU FOR YOU AND YOUR TEAM. UM, I FEEL LIKE IT WAS JUST YESTERDAY YOU WERE HERE BEFORE US WITH AN IMPOSSIBLE TASK, UH, AND YOU GUYS, UM, PERFORMED IT, IMPLEMENTED IT, UM, YOU KNOW, AT LIGHTNING SPEED. UM, SO I APPRECIATE YOU, I MEAN, YOUR ENTIRE TEAM ARE FIRST RESPONDERS, LIFESAVERS DISPATCH, EMS FIRE, UM, [04:20:01] IT'S, IT'S, UH, HARFORD COUNTY IS VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE YOU ALL, SO THANK YOU. UM, BUT IN HAVING THAT DISCUSSION, UM, AND IMPLEMENTING, UM, YOU KNOW, A WHOLE NEW PROGRAM, OF COURSE THERE'S, THERE'S GROWING PAINS THAT YOU'VE EXPERIENCED AND THERE'S STICKER SHOCK, YOU KNOW, ON, ESPECIALLY ON TIGHT BUDGETARY TIMES, UM, 'CAUSE THE, THE MA THE MANNER IN WHICH THAT BUDGET HAS GROWN. UM, SO IN THAT CONVERSATION, I JUST HAD JUST A FEW, UH, DISCUSSION POINTS. UH, JUST CLARIFICATION IN THE BUDGET. UM, THE, THERE WAS A MISCELLANEOUS, UH, THAT, UH, ACTUALLY WENT DOWN FROM 24, UH, TO 25, BUT IT'S STILL, UH, ON PAGE 3 39, KIM, UH, STILL AT 8.7 MILLION. DO WE KNOW WHAT THAT MISCELLANEOUS IS? THAT'S YOUR PAYMENTS TO THE VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANIES. OKAY. THAT'S THAT. OKAY, I GOTCHA. UM, AND THE OTHER, UM, QUESTION I HAD IS ABOUT THE OVERTIME, UH, THE INCREASE WAS 2.6 MILLION. I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS IN ACTUALITY, BUT, UM, SO OBVIOUSLY THAT'S AN ISSUE WITH MAYBE BEING ABLE TO MAN, UM, CERTAIN AMBULANCES CERTAIN TIMES, CALL OUT. UM, CAN YOU WALK ME THROUGH KIND OF THAT BUDGET AND THAT INCREASE? SURE. SO WHEN WE FIRST IMPLEMENTED THESE UNITS, WE HIRED ENOUGH PEOPLE TO STAFF THEM WITHOUT TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION LEAVE, UM, AND TIME OFF. SO WE'RE STILL NOT WHERE WE NEED TO BE TO, UM, WE'RE AVERAGING FIVE PEOPLE CALLING OUT ON A 24 HOUR BASIS, EITHER FROM REQUESTING LEAVE, ANNUALLY PERSONAL LEAVE, CALLING OUT SICK, UM, WORKERS' COMP ISSUES, PEOPLE GETTING HURT. UM, AND WE HAVE ENOUGH COVERAGE RIGHT NOW IN OUR CURRENT STAFFING TO COVER LIKE ONE OR TWO OF THOSE, UH, FIVE POSITIONS ON A DAILY BASIS. SO WE'RE HAVING TO COVER THOSE POSITIONS WITH OVERTIME. UM, AND WE'RE HOPING WITH SOME OF THE TEMPORARY SALARY MONEY IN THE FY 25 BUDGET, THAT WE'LL HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE THAT WE WON'T HAVE TO HAVE ALL THESE PEOPLE WORKING OVERTIME THAT THEY'LL WORK THEIR 24 HOUR SHIFT AND BE ABLE TO GO HOME. AND WE'LL HAVE ENOUGH STAFF TO COVER THAT. BUT WE, WE SEE THAT AS AN ISSUE TOO, AND WE'RE TRYING TO DO THINGS TO CORRECT IT. WOULD THE INCREASED MANPOWER, I THINK IT'S EIGHT OR NINE POSITIONS, WOULD THAT HAVE AN IMPACT ON THAT OVERTIME AS WELL? YOU THINK? SO WHAT THAT WILL DO, INSTEAD OF HAVING LIKE ONE PERSON AVAILABLE ON A SHIFT TO COVER OVERTIME, IT'LL UP THAT TO ABOUT FOUR PEOPLE. AND SO THAT'LL DRASTICALLY HELP US BECAUSE WE'RE AVERAGING LIKE FIVE VACANCIES A DAY THAT WE'RE COVERING FOR OVERTIME WITH THE ADDITIONAL STAFF. IT SHOULD PUT US UP AROUND FOUR SO THAT IT'S, IT'S GETTING US REAL CLOSE TO WHERE WE NEED TO BE STAFFING WISE AND TO BE ABLE TO COVER THE VACANCIES. UH, TWO MORE POINTS AND THEN I'LL TURN IT OVER. UM, THE CALL VOLUME DOWN SOUTH VERSUS UP NORTH, OBVIOUSLY, UH, JUST LIKE THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, THE MOST OF THE RESOURCES, RESOURCES ARE IN THE AREAS THAT ARE NEEDED. MM-HMM, , UM, DO YOU FIND THAT IT'S, UH, VERY ON BALANCE WITH THE EMS TO WHERE YOU'RE, YOU'RE RUNNING MAYBE TWO, THREE SQUADS, YOU KNOW, OUT OF ONE HOUSE DOWN SOUTH VERSUS UP NORTH? SO WE, I THINK WE HAVE OUR UNITS, UH, LOCATED THROUGH THE COUNTY CORRECTLY. WE HAD TO MAKE SOME MODIFICATIONS TO IT, ESPECIALLY INHA GRACE. BUT THE ROUTE 40 CARTER CERTAINLY HAS A LOT MORE EMS UNITS ASSIGNED TO IT THAN UP NORTH. UP NORTH. WE HAVE A UNIT IN DARLINGTON, WE HAVE A UNIT IN NORTH HARTFORD. WE HAVE A UNIT IN NORVILLE AND A UNIT IN JARRETTSVILLE. AND, AND WHAT'S IMPORTANT COUNTYWIDE IS THE NATIONAL STANDARD FROM THE TIME THE CALL IS DISPATCHED TILL WE GET AN EMS UNIT ON THE SCENE IS EIGHT MINUTES. I, I'D LIKE TO TELL YOU THAT IN, IN, IN 2022, UM, WE WERE ALMOST NINE MINUTES FROM THE TIME A CALL WAS DISPATCHED BEFORE WE GOT THE AMBULANCE ON SCENE, WE ARE NOW DOWN TO SEVEN MINUTES AND 45 SECONDS FROM THE TIME THE CALL'S DISPATCHED TILL WE HAVE A UNIT ON THE SCENE. SO WE'VE IMPROVED BY A MINUTE AND 15 SECONDS FOR THE UNIT TO ARRIVE. AND ON CARDIAC ARRESTS IN 2022, WE WERE SEVEN MINUTES, 21 SECONDS ARRIVING ON THE SCENE. AND WE'VE, WE'VE IMPROVED THAT TO SIX MINUTES AND 21 SECONDS, A FULL MINUTE ON CARDIAC ARREST. AND, AND THE ONLY WAY WE CAN MEET THESE TIMES, AND I'M HAPPY TO SAY WE'RE BETTER THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE NOW, BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE UNITS LOCATED CORRECTLY IN THE COUNTY TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THAT. AND I THINK WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT. SO YEAH, IN THEORY YOU JUST WANNA PULL NORTH HARTFORD DOWN THERE, BUT THEN RIGHT. IF SOMETHING HAPPENS, YOU'RE WAY OUT. SO I AGREE. SO THE, THE OTHER QUESTION, IT MIGHT BE TWO PART TO THIS QUESTION, IS THE DISPATCH [04:25:01] END OF THIS THING. UM, YOU KNOW, I I JUST IN TALKING WITH SOME OF YOUR DISPATCHERS, AND I THINK THERE'S A PAY DISPARITY THERE, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT EMS RETENTION AND RECRUITMENT IS DOING WELL BASED OFF OF THAT, BUT DO YOU FIND THAT THAT'S AN ISSUE ON DISPATCH VACANCIES RETENTION? UH, THAT'S THE FIRST PART. AND THEN THE SECOND PART, UM, I KNOW THAT THERE WAS AN EFFORT AND I'M, I'M, I'M NOT SUPER UP TO SPEED ON IT, SO I'M HOPING YOU CAN, UH, ENLIGHTEN ME AND, UH, BRING ME UP TO SPEED. BUT, UM, THERE WAS AN EFFORT TO CONSOLIDATE THE MUNICIPALITIES INTO THE DISPATCHER, UH, MAIN DISPATCH CENTER. RIGHT? UM, AND I THINK AT FIRST IT WAS GOING TO BE AT NO COST TO THOSE MUNICIPALITIES, BUT THEN THERE WAS A, TO MY UNDERSTANDING, UM, THEN THERE WAS A COST THAT WAS GONNA BE PROJECTED OR REIMBURSEMENT FOR EACH OF THOSE MUNICIPALITIES. SO NOW THERE'S INDECISION ON SOME OF THOSE MUNICIPALITIES CONSOLIDATING THEIR DISPATCHERS, UH, UNDER THE DES UMBRELLA. CAN YOU, CAN YOU WALK ME THROUGH SOME OF THOSE, THOSE TWO QUESTIONS? SO WE WERE, WE WERE APPROACHED, THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION WAS APPROACHED BY THE CITY OF ABERDEEN. UM, ABERDEEN WAS HAVING A LOT OF DIFFICULTY HIRING DISPATCHERS AND RETAINING DISPATCHERS AND ASKED THE COUNTY IF WE COULD TAKE THAT OPERATION OVER FOR THEM BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T, THEY DIDN'T THINK THEY COULD DO IT ANYMORE. SO THAT'S HOW THIS KIND OF STARTED. AND PLUS IT WAS PART OF THE NEXT GEN 9 1 1 LAW THAT WAS PASSED IN ANNAPOLIS A COUPLE YEARS AGO WHERE ALL, ALL 9 1 1 CALLS THAT COME INTO THE MAIN 9 1 1 CENTER NOW HAVE TO BE ANSWERED AND PROCESSED IN THAT 9 1 1 CENTER. THEY CAN'T BE TRANSFERRED SAYING HARTFORD COUNTY 9 1 1, HOLD ON, LET ME TRANSFER YOU TO ABERDEEN. THAT WAS NO LONGER ALLOWED UNDER THE LAW. SO THAT WAS THE FIRST PART OF THE NEXT GEN 9 1 1, WHERE WE HAD TO PROCESS ALL THESE 9 1 1 CALLS FOR THE STATE POLICE AND ALL THE MUNICIPALITIES. AND WE'RE, I'M HAPPY TO SAY WE'RE, HAVE, WE HAVE, WE DID IT FOR ABERDEEN OR, UH, BELL OR, UM, MSP WE'RE DOING, SP WAS STILL WORKING. WE'RE STILL WORKING ON MSP, BUT WE, WE HAVE STARTED DOING THAT FOR THE THREE MUNICIPALITIES. THE SECOND PART OF THAT WAS ABERDEEN SAID, WE CAN'T DO THE DISPATCH OPERATION AND WOULD LIKE THE COUNTY TO TAKE IT OVER. SO, UM, WE DID THAT IN OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR. WE STARTED DOING THE DISPATCH OPERATION FOR THEM. THE CONVERSATION CONTINUED WITH H DE GRACE AND BEL AIR, AND WE'RE STILL HAVING, WE, WE BROUGHT ALL THREE MUNICIPALITIES TOGETHER. I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT DATE WITHIN THE LAST TWO MONTHS AND SAID, YOU KNOW, THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS THAT WOULD NEED TO HAPPEN OR WE NEED TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH BEFORE WE WOULD BE ABLE TO DO HA GRACE IN BEL AIR, MAINLY WITH ABERDEEN AND HA GRACE, AGREE TO BE ON THE SAME TALK GROUP. IF THEY WOULD, INSTEAD OF HAVING TO HIRE SEVEN ADDITIONAL DISPATCHERS, OR INSTEAD OF HAVING TO HIRE AN ADDITIONAL 14 DISPATCHERS IF THEY WANTED SEPARATE TALK GROUPS, IF WE COULD COMBINE THE TALK GROUP INTO ONE, WE COULD GET BY WITH SEVEN ADDITIONAL DISPATCHERS. UM, THE MONEY PART OF IT IS STILL BEING WORKED OUT BETWEEN THE ADMINISTRATION AND THE THREE MUNICIPALITIES. I'M NOT SURE WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THOSE DISCUSSIONS, BUT WE, WE DID TELL THE THREE TOWNS THAT WE THOUGHT WE HAD SOME OPPORTUNITIES IF THEY, IF THEY WOULD BE WILLING TO SHARE TALK GROUPS. UM, SO THOSE CONVERSATIONS COUNCILMEN ARE STILL ONGOING. I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE REACHED A FINAL CONCLUSION TO THAT, BUT THAT'S KIND OF HOW IT ALL STARTED. AND THEN THE COMPENSATION, UH, RETENTION RECRUITMENT FOR DISPATCHERS. SO, UM, WE'RE DOING, WE'RE DOING GOOD, GETTING PEOPLE TO APPLY TO WORK FOR US AND, AND ONCE WE HAVE THEM TRAINED, FOR THE MOST PART, UM, THEY'RE, THEY'RE STAYING THE, THE, THE CHALLENGE FOR US IS WE CAN ONLY, WE CAN ONLY TRAIN SO MANY DISPATCHERS AT ONE TIME. BECAUSE WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU PUT A LARGE INFLUX OF NEW PEOPLE IN THE CENTER AT ONE TIME AND EXPECT OUR PEOPLE THAT ARE OUT THERE WORKING TO ALSO HAVE TO TRAIN THESE PEOPLE AT THE SAME TIME, IT'S VERY HARD FOR OUR EXISTING DISPATCHERS TO DO THAT. SO WE CAN ONLY HIRE AROUND SIX PEOPLE AT A TIME. AND WE TRY TO, WE TRY TO BE PRUDENT WHEN WE'RE, WHEN, WHEN WE'RE GOING TO HAVE OUR PEOPLE RUN A, A, AN ACADEMY. 'CAUSE OUR, OUR PEOPLE, WHEN THEY COME IN OFF, WHEN, WHEN WE HIRE THEM BEFORE THEY EVER MAKE IT TO THE DISPATCH CENTER, THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH OUR TRAINING ACADEMY. AND TO MAKE THAT COST EFFECTIVE FOR OUR DEPARTMENT, WE ALMOST HAVE TO HAVE AT LEAST FOUR TO SIX PEOPLE TO RUN AN ACADEMY. AND SO I WOULD SAY THAT [04:30:01] THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S THE CHALLENGE IS BEING ABLE TO TRAIN THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE. UM, AND WE'RE, WE'RE CONTINUING TO DO THAT, BUT WE'RE, I FEEL LIKE WE'RE, WE'RE DOING, DOING GOOD, RETAINING OUR PEOPLE. I MEAN, I, I FEEL LIKE OUR DISPATCH CENTER TOO IS COMPETITIVE IN THE BALTIMORE MARKET WITH WHAT, WHAT OUR STARTING SALARY IS. UM, AND I, I FEEL LIKE OUR HARTFORD COUNTY BENEFITS ARE ALMOST SECOND TO NONE. SO, UM, THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. UM, DO WE KNOW IF THERE WAS A, UH, DISCUSSION ON REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE DISPATCHERS FROM THE MUNICIPALITIES WHEN THAT, THAT CONVERSATION? I KNOW IT'S STILL ONGOING THOUGH. I DON'T THINK ANYTHING IT'S BEEN, BEEN, BEEN FINALIZED. I MEAN, IT HAS CERTAINLY BEEN A, A, A CONVERSATION, BUT THERE'S NOTHING, NOTHING FINAL. OKAY. THANK YOU MR. PENMAN. ANYONE ELSE? MR. BENNETT? UM, YEAH, JUST TO ECHO THAT CONVERSATION ABOUT OUR DISPATCHERS, I KNOW IT'S BEEN A CONCERN OF MINE, MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE PAID AT A LEVEL, UM, THAT HONORS THE WORK THAT THEY DO. AND ALSO, I KNOW THERE'S BEEN CONVERSATION ABOUT ADJUSTING HOW THEIR PENSION WORKS TO MATCH THAT 20 YEAR STANDARD VERSUS 35 YEARS. UM, BUT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I SPOKE TO THAT, UH, AGAIN, WHENEVER I CAN PUBLICLY TO, TO SHARE THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR DISPATCHERS DESERVE TO BE TAKEN CARE OF. UH, THEY DO A VERY IMPORTANT JOB. THE PHONE ALWAYS HAS TO BE ANSWERED. UM, I ALSO JUST WANTED TO PUBLICLY THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT WITH THE HOSE COMPANY AND GETTING ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO FINISH THEIR PROJECT AT HOUSE ONE. UM, I KNOW THAT WAS, UM, A TOUGH THING TO WORK THROUGH AND I APPRECIATE YOUR ADVOCACY AND SUPPORT OF EVERYBODY WHO WORKS IN SAFETY. AND I KNOW THAT COMES FROM A GENUINE PLACE FOR YOU. SO I APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP IN THE COUNTY. THANK YOU. MR. BENNETT. MRTS. RICK, UH, I, I WAS JUST CURIOUS TO SEE WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IN RESPONSE TIME WAS FROM THE VOLUNTEERS TO THE PAID. DO YOU HAVE A FIGURE THERE? I'M SORRY, MRTS? I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T. ON YOUR RESPONSE TIME MM-HMM. FROM VOLUNTEERS TO PAID WAS, HOW MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE WAS THERE? SO A LOT OF THE VOLUNTEER AMBULANCES WERE STILL IN BUSINESS IN 2022. AND THAT WAS THE STAT THAT I, THAT I HAD, THAT THE, UM, WE ONLY HAD FOUR COUNTY AMBULANCES IN SERVICE IN 2022. THE MAJORITY OF THEM WERE EMS THAT WAS BEING PROVIDED BY THE VOLUNTEERS WHO WERE BEING SUPPLEMENTED FROM THAT EMS FOUNDATION. WELL, THAT'S TRUE. AND THE ON SCENE TIME IN 2022 WHEN IT WAS LARGELY VOLUNTEER UNITS TAKING CALLS WAS NINE MINUTES VERSUS NOW IT'S SEVEN MINUTES AND 45 SECONDS. THAT'S GOOD. OKAY. I, I JUST THOUGHT THAT WAS AN IMPORTANT THING TO, TO GET OUT SINCE WE'RE SPENDING THIS KIND OF MONEY FOR IT. YES, SIR. AND ALSO, I HAVE A QUESTION THERE ON YOUR TEMPORARY SALARIES. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHERE THAT IS COMING IN. SO, LIKE, I WAS TRYING TO EXPLAIN TO THE COUNCILMAN, THE MAJORITY OF MY STAFF RIGHT NOW ARE WORKING OVERTIME 'CAUSE I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PARAMEDICS TO BACKFILL THE UNITS. AND WE'RE AVERAGING FIVE PEOPLE A DAY OFF THE SCHEDULE FOR ONE REASON OR THE OTHER, MAINLY LEAVE OR WORKERS' COMP ISSUES. THIS IS TO ALLOW US TO HAVE THE STAFFING SO IT'LL, IT'LL HAVE ENOUGH COVERAGE ON A DAILY BASIS TO COVER THOSE VACANCIES AND SAVE ON HAVING TO SPEND OVERTIME TO COVER THOSE VACANCIES. WELL, I UNDERSTAND THAT PART, BUT ARE THEY TEMPORARY OR ARE THEY FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES? THEY'RE GONNA BE FULL-TIME TEMPORARY, CORRECT. THEY'RE FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES, BUT I GUESS THEY DON'T HAVE A PEN IS THE DEFINITION. WELL, THAT'S WHAT I WAS GETTING AT. I MEAN, SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE A PEN, I WOULD ASSUME. YEAH, THEY'LL JUST, THEY'LL JUST BE PAID THROUGH THAT, THROUGH THAT SALARY LINE ITEM. IT'S JUST TEMPORARY SALARIES. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. TIBS. ANYONE ELSE? I I CAN DO THAT. MR. RO DENNIS. SO I JUST WANTED TO, AS WE'RE HERE AND WE'RE ON THE MICROPHONE, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY REALIZES, UM, THAT IF YOU THINK YOU'RE HAVING A HEART ATTACK OR SOMETHING TO CALL 9 1 1 BECAUSE THE HOSPITALS WILL, UH, GET READY AND THEY'LL GIVE YOU THAT DRUG. I KNOW WE WENT TO ABERDEEN AND THEY, THEY GIVE YOU SOMETHING THAT WILL REVERSE, UM, IF YOU'RE HAVING A STROKE OR SOMETHING. I REMEMBER DOING THAT, SO I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT UP. I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT THE DRUG IS CALLED OR ANYTHING, BUT THEY, THEY MADE A VERY GOOD POINT IS IF YOU THINK YOU'RE HAVING A HEART ATTACK TO CALL 9 1 1, DON'T DRIVE YOURSELF, BUT CALL 9 1 1. THEY'LL HAVE READY BY THE TIME YOU GET IN THERE, AND IF THEY GET IT WITHIN AN HOUR OR SOMETHING, THEY CAN GIVE YOU SOMETHING, SOME KIND OF DRUG. YEP. NO. OKAY. MR. PENMAN AND MR. BENNETT, UM, I WANTED TO MAKE YOU AWARE ON PAGE 3 46, WE DID MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO THE DISPATCHER SALARY DURING FISCAL YEAR 24. [04:35:01] UM, IT WAS SOME PAY EQUITY AND SOME SUPPLEMENTALS, UM, AT A COST OF 3 44, 3 39. CAN YOU GIVE AN ACTUAL, LIKE PER ONE MO, HOW MUCH? YEP, I WILL DO THAT. I CAN'T TELL YOU RIGHT HERE, BUT YEAH. THANK YOU KIM. MM-HMM. . THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? THEY DO HAVE CAPITAL. IF YOU WANTED TO. I THOUGHT JOE WAS GETTING READY TO SAY YOU GOT SOMETHING TO SAY, JOE. OH, , DID YOU WANNA GO OVER THEIR CAPITAL? SURE. IT'S A LOT OF PAGES. IT'S, UM, BEHIND THE PUBLIC SAFETY TAB. THE FIRST ONE IS 94. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANNA TOUCH BASE ON THESE. I'LL GET 'EM TO THE REPEAT. SO THE FIRST ONE IS THE CAPITAL PROJECT. UM, CURRENTLY WE HAVE, UM, 33, UH, MEDIC UNITS IN OUR COUNTY, UH, FLEET FOR, I MEAN, WE HAVE 17 UNITS IN SERVICE EVERY, EVERY DAY, BUT WE OWN 13 MEDIC UNITS. AND THEY, IN SPEAKING TO THE, UH, FLEET MANAGER, WE HAVE TO HAVE A SYSTEM IN PLACE AT FLEET TO RECYCLE AMBULANCES EVERY YEAR. SO THIS CAPITAL PROJECT ALLOWS US TO PURCHASE THREE NEW AMBULANCES ON A YEARLY BASIS AND THEN REPLACE THREE OF OUR OLD UNITS EVERY YEAR. AND IN HIS OPINION, AS THE COUNTY FLEET MANAGER, HE THINKS THAT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO KEEP OUR UNITS IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE MECHANICALLY IF WE DO THAT. RICK, YOU'RE REPLACING THEM EVERY YEAR? NO, IT WOULD ALLOW US TO REPLACE THREE EVERY YEAR. OH, OKAY. THIS SAYS TWO. I THINK IT'S TWO. OKAY. IT'S, YEAH, IT'S DEPENDING ON THE YEAH. IF YOU BUY, YEAH. HOW BIG IS THE FLEET? SO RIGHT NOW, 33. 33. 33 OUNCE. AND SO IT'S FAIR TO SAY TOO THAT NOT ALL THESE UNITS ARE NEW. A LOT OF THESE UNITS WERE USED WHEN THEY BOUGHT, I WAS THINKING IT WAS, SOME OF THEM WERE 20 YEARS OLD. WHAT'S THAT? SOME OF THEM. ONE OF 'EM WAS 2003. YEAH. SO TWO TO THREE UNITS A YEAR. YEP. OKAY. ON PAGE 100, MOBILE AND PORTABLE RADIOS. SO THIS IS, UH, A CAPITAL PROJECT. WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH ALL THE PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, AGENCIES IN THE COUNTY TO REPLACE ALL PORTABLE AND MOBILE RADIOS. UM, SO THIS IS, UH, THIS IS A CAPITAL PROJECT TO WORK ON THAT PAGE 1 0 1 AND 1 0 2. SO 1 0 1 IS THE, UH, BDAS IN OUR SCHOOL BUILDINGS, WHICH IS A REALLY, THE EASIEST WAY TO UNDERSTAND IT. IT'S AN AMPLIFIED SYSTEM, UM, THAT IS REQUIRED IN SOME OF THESE LARGER BUILDINGS. SO WHEN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND FIRE AND EMS GO IN THESE BUILDINGS, IT HAS AN AMPLIFIER THAT, SO WE DON'T LOSE COMMUNICATIONS. AND THIS IS JUST AN UPKEEP. WE, WE HAVE A BDA IN EVERY HIGH SCHOOL AND EVERY MIDDLE SCHOOL NOW. AND THIS IS JUST UPKEEP AND MAINTENANCE OF THAT SYSTEM. AND THEN THE PUBLIC SAFETY EQUIPMENT. AND THEN THE PUBLIC SAFETY EQUIPMENT ACCOUNT IS, UM, WORKING WITH THE, UH, UH, FIRE DEPARTMENTS AND PROVIDING EQUIPMENT FOR THE VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANIES. SOME OF THE THINGS NOT TO LIMIT, UH, UH, WE, WE'VE FUNDED SELF-CONTAINED BREATHING APPARATUS, UH, DEFIBRILLATORS, ADSD KNOCK BOXES AMONG OTHER THINGS, UH, ON THE, AND IT'S IN THE PROJECT DESCRIPTION, BUT THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT HELP THE VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANIES AND THAT COMES OUT OF THIS ACCOUNT. AND THEN ON PAGE 1 0 3, THE 1 0 3 IS THE, UM, PLANNING AND DESIGN OF THE RIVERSIDE, UH, FIRE AND EMS STATION IN BELL CAMP. UM, AND 1 0 5, 1 0 5 IS THE SAME THING WITH THE, UH, WHITER STATION. AND 1 0 6 IS HIS 9 1 1 EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS. THAT'S THE, UM, REIMBURSE FOR THE 9 1 1 FEE. IT'S BASICALLY A PASS THROUGH ACCOUNT. AND WE RECEIVED MONEY FROM THE STATE 9 1 1 BOARD. WE HAVE TO HAVE A CAPITAL ACCOUNT SET UP, BUT IT'S BASICALLY A PASS THROUGH FOR THAT MONEY. ANY QUESTIONS, MR. G ANDAN, WHERE'S THE, WHERE'S THE, UH, RIVERSIDE FIRE STATION GONNA BE? IS THAT IN BELL CAMP? IS THAT GONNA BE IN THAT NEW DEVELOPMENT? CHURCH CREEK 5 4 3 IN BELL CAMP GARTH RIGHT NEXT TO THE, UH, NURSING HOME. OKAY. [04:40:06] OKAY. MR. BENNETT. UM, I KNOW, I KNOW IT'S ALL SETTLED NOW AND I APPRECIATE THAT, BUT I WAS, MAYBE IF YOU COULD HELP ME UNDERSTAND HOW THE MISCOMMUNICATION ABOUT HOUSE ONE FOR SUSQUEHANNA HOSE COMPANY HAPPENED WITH THE BUDGET FROM LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR. UM, I, I'M VERY THANKFUL THAT IT'S BEEN ADDRESSED, BUT, UM, JUST SO IN THE FUTURE I CAN HELP MAKE SURE THINGS LIKE THAT DON'T POP UP AGAIN OR HELP SOLVE 'EM BEFORE THE BUDGET COMES OUT. I BELIEVE THEY THOUGHT BECAUSE IT WAS IN THE OUT YEARS THAT IT WAS, IT WAS GUARANTEED THEY WERE GONNA GET IT, IT DONE. THEY HAVE, YOU HAVE TO REQUEST EVERY YEAR. OKAY. IF YOU WANT FUNDING. AND I THINK THEY'VE BEEN ADVISED THAT THAT'S FIRE, THE FIRE COMPANIES, THAT JUST BECAUSE IT WAS IN AN OUT YEAR DOESN'T MEAN IT'S GUARANTEED YOU NEED TO ASK FOR IT EVERY YEAR. SO THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW. SO I CAN KEEP TRACK OF THOSE PROJECTS THAT IN MY DISTRICT. REMIND THEM. RIGHT. , THANK YOU. MM-HMM. , NOTHING ELSE. UM, I WOULD ASK YOU JUST TO HANG AROUND FOR A FEW MINUTES IF YOU WOULD. I WAS PLANNING ON STAYING HERE FOR THE VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY. THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE YOU TO DO. YES. ALL OF YOU, IF YOU COULD. THANK YOU ALL. YEP. THANK YOU. MM-HMM. , VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANIES ARE ON PAGE 3 52. I'LL JUST SAY MY LITTLE BLURB AND THEN PASS IT OVER TO THEM. OKAY. UM, PERSONAL SERVICES INCREASES 3 82 0 3 1. THIS IS, UM, THE FIREMAN'S PENSION, THE LSAP, AND, UM, THAT'S BASED ON THE ACTUARIALS THAT WERE DONE. CONTRACTUAL SERVICES DECREASES 153,000. THIS IS THE, AGAIN, THE FUNDING FOR THE MICROSOFT OFFICE. MOVING TO MISCELLANEOUS CONTRIBUTIONS, YOU'LL SEE IT DOWN BELOW. UM, IT'S PARTIALLY OFFSET BY INCREASES IN OTHER INSURANCE, AND THAT IS THE VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY'S WORKERS' COMPENSATION, AS WELL AS TELEPHONE AND OTHER ADVERTISING. UM, THERE WAS NO CHANGE IN SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS. UM, UNDER MISCELLANEOUS YOU'LL SEE AN INCREASE THERE, 470,000, UH, TOTAL FUNDING DISTRIBUTES TO THE VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANIES. THERE IS NO CHANGE OVER, UM, FISCAL YEAR 24. IT'S 7 MILLION 394 7 11. TOTAL FUNDING, UM, PROVIDED TO VOLUNTEER FIRE AND EMS ASSOCIATION AND PROGRAMS. UM, THIS TO THE ACTUAL ASSOCIATION, THERE'S NO CHANGE OF FUNDING THERE. IT'S STILL AT 180 7, UH, SEVEN 12. THERE IS, UM, AN INCREASE TO PROVIDE, UM, FOR VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY STAFFING INCENTIVES AT $300,000. UM, THE MICROSOFT OFFICE EXPENSE, YOU'LL SEE WHERE THAT CAME DOWN, UM, FROM, UH, CONTRACTUAL SERVICES AT 250,000. UM, TOTAL FUNDING PROVIDED FOR THE STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM IS STILL AT 350,000. THERE'S NO CHANGE THERE. UM, THERE IS A SLIGHT DECREASE IN THE LADIES AUXILIARY LEGACY PROGRAM, AND THAT'S BASED ON ACTUALS OF $50,000 DECREASE. AND THEN THERE'S A DECREASE IN THE A LS REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM. AND AGAIN, THAT'S BASED ON ACTUAL EXPENSE HISTORY FOR A DECREASE OF $30,000. THAT TURN IT OVER TO YOU. WELL, THANK YOU. UH, SOME OF YOU, I KNOW SOME OF YOU, I, AS YOU KNOW, I'M NOT A GREAT SPEAKER, SO THAT'S WHY I BRING MY VICE PRESIDENT WITH ME TO BACK ME UP. BUT I WOULD LIKE TO THANK, UH, THE DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY SERVICE. I THINK WE DID A GREAT JOB WORKING TOGETHER TO BRING EMS, THE CHANGE OF EMS TO THE COUNTY. WITH THAT, OUR WORKING TOGETHER, THAT COULD HAVE BEEN A LOT WORSE, BUT I THINK IN THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT THAT HAPPENED, YOU KNOW, IS JUST INCREDIBLE THAT WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. AND IT WAS, YOU KNOW, DUE TO THE DSS INPUT AND, AND OUR BEING ABLE TO HELP THEM. SO WITH, WITH THAT, UM, I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND BILL, THANK THERE. UM, UM, I'VE GOT A FEW QUICK SLIDES AND WE'LL BE DONE. UH, FIRST OF ALL, THE COMPANY'S REQUESTED, AS WAS SAID, UH, THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY AS WE GOT LAST YEAR. THE ONLY INCREASE WE REALLY ASKED FOR WAS AN ADDITIONAL $50,000 FOR OUR, OUR INCENTIVE PROGRAM. UM, AND THAT WAS GRANTED. UM, THE COUNTY IS CONTINUING TO SUPPORT THE SCBA FUNDING PROGRAM, WHICH FUNDS MANY OF OUR METERS, OUR SCBA, THINGS LIKE THAT. IT REALLY HELPS THE UNIFORMITY ACROSS THE COUNTY. UH, THE COUNTY IS PROVIDING CAPITAL FUNDING SUPPORTING THE FIRE SERVICE NEWS STATIONS AT RIVERSIDE AND WHITEFORD. SO THOSE ARE ON THEIR WAY. [04:45:01] UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, DIDN'T WORK OUT QUITE SO WELL IS IN FY 24, WITH THE TRANSITION OF EMS, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE HAD AN AGREEMENT WITH SEVERAL OF THE FIRE COMPANIES TO PROVIDE AN EMS STIPEND TO MAKE UP FOR SOME OF THE LOSS EMS INCOME. UM, UNFORTUNATELY THAT WASN'T INCLUDED IN THE, UH, FY 2025 BUDGET. SO AS FAR AS RUSTY TALKED ABOUT, UH, THANKS TO THE COUNTY AND DES FOR THE RAPID TRANSITION FROM THE FOUNDATION AND THE VOLUNTEERS TO THE EMS, UH, COUNTY SYSTEM, THEY DID AN EXCELLENT JOB OF, UH, DOING THAT TRANSITION. AND ACTUALLY NOW THERE ARE MORE EMS UNITS IN SERVICE THAN WE HAD AS VOLUNTEERS IN SERVICE. AND WHILE THE COUNTY IS HANDLING MOST OF THE EMS CALLS, AND I ACTUALLY HAVE THE NUMBERS SO FAR THIS YEAR, 7,385, UH, THE, THE VOLUNTEER UNITS ARE STILL HANDLING A BUNCH OF CALLS. UH, ACTUALLY THEY'RE HANDLING 14% OF THE CALLS RIGHT NOW. IT'S A LITTLE OVER A THOUSAND CALLS SO FAR THIS YEAR. SO WE STILL HAVE VOLUNTEERS THAT ARE DOING EMS IN THE COUNTY, AND THEY MAKE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED TO THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE ABOUT IT. HE'S VERY GLAD TO HAVE THE BACKUP TO HIS UNITS BECAUSE THERE ARE TIMES WHEN EVERY UNIT IN THE COUNTY IS IN SERVICE SOMEWHERE. UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE FOUND OUT DURING THE TRANSITION THAT DES DISCOVERED, I THINK IS HOW MUCH THE EMS ADMINISTRATIVE VOLUNTEERS CONTRIBUTED TO THE COUNTY AT NO COST. BECAUSE I THINK, UH, RICK HAS FOUND OUT THAT, UH, HE'S HAD TO, TO HIRE OR, UH, PAY PEOPLE TO DO ADMINISTRATIVE TASKS THAT HE WASN'T AWARE OF AT THE BEGINNING. I THINK, UM, AS OF, UH, OUR, OUR CALLS FOR FIRE EQUIPMENT CONTINUE TO GROW, IF YOU LOOK AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR, SO FAR, UH, CALLS HAVE GROWN ABOUT 8%. SO THEY'RE KEEPING US BUSY AND MAKING IT REALLY DIFFICULT FOR VOLUNTEERS TO HANDLE ALL THE CALLS. UM, AND THE OTHER THING IS THAT ACCORDING TO THE, YOU KNOW, WITH THE, TO MEET THE RESPONSE TIME GOALS, WHICH WAS DISCUSSED AT THE LAST, UH, WITH DES, CREWS REALLY NEED TO BE AT THEIR DUTY AT ON DUTY, AT THE STATION, OR LIVE VERY, VERY CLOSE TO THE STATION. YOU KNOW, THE TRAFFIC IN HARTFORD COUNTY IS A DISASTER, AND WE COULDN'T MEET OUR RE RESPONSE TIME GOALS, UM, IF PEOPLE WEREN'T ALREADY AT THE STATION FOR CALLS. SO, UH, BASED ON THAT, THE COUNTY IS FUNDING AN INCENTIVE PROGRAM THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT. UH, THE PROGRAM PROVIDES A STIPEND FOR PERSONNEL WHO EITHER VAN THEIR STATION OR RESPOND TO A LARGE NUMBER OF CALLS. UM, AND THAT'S WORKED OUT WELL. IT'S ACTUALLY INCREASED OUR RESPONSES, UH, THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY AND REDUCED OUR RESPONSE TIME. WE ACTUALLY HAVE A STAFFING COMMITTEE FOR THE ASSOCIATION. THEY'VE BEEN WORKING RUSTY ABOUT HOW LONG? TWO YEARS, ABOUT TWO YEARS. PUTTING TOGETHER A PLAN FOR THE TRANSITION, BECAUSE AT SOME POINT WE'RE GONNA WIND UP HAVING TO DO A SIMILAR TRANSMISSION TRANSITION, NOT COMPLETELY TO A PAID FIRE DEPARTMENT, BUT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO AUGMENT THE VOLUNTEERS, UH, NO QUESTION ABOUT IT. AND THEIR REPORT IS PROBABLY SEVERAL, A FEW MONTHS AWAY. WE HOPE TO HAVE IT TO THE ASSOCIATION JUNE, JULY, AND THEN PROBABLY TO THE COUNTY EXEC AND THE, UH, STANDARDS BOARD, UH, AUGUST, SEPTEMBER. UM, ONE OF THE NEAR TERM EFFORTS THAT'S BEING WORKED ON RIGHT NOW, UH, BY THE STAFFING COMMITTEE, IS ADDING SOME LIMITED PAID STAFF AT THE STATIONS TO ENHANCE VOLUNTEER RESPONSES. UH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF SOME PAID DRIVERS AND OTHER PAID STAFF, UH, TO AUGMENT THE VOLUNTEERS. IF THE VOLUNTEERS KNOW THERE'S A DRIVER AT THE STATION, IT TENDS TO ENCOURAGE RESPONSES. UM, AND NOW THE BAD NEWS, UNFORTUNATELY, UM, OSHA HAS PROPOSED AN A NEW EMERGENCY RESPONSE STANDARD. I DON'T KNOW WHETHER YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT IT. UM, IT IS, UM, A NEW HEALTH AND SAFETY SAFETY STANDARD THAT IS TITLED EMERGENCY RESPONSE. AND IT REPLACES THE FIRE BRIGADE STANDARD. UM, IT'LL ADDRESS A BROAD, UH, BASE OF EMERGENCY RESPONDERS. IT'S NOT JUST FIREFIGHTERS. IT'S OUR EMS PEOPLE. IT'S EVERYBODY. IT'S PRETTY INCREDIBLE. UH, IT ACTUALLY INCORPORATES A LOT OF THE N-F-F-P-A STANDARDS. UM, [04:50:01] AND, YOU KNOW, IT CHANGES OUR TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS. ACTUALLY, HARTFORD COUNTY HAS EXCELLENT, UH, TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS, ESPECIALLY FOR THEIR, UH, OFFICERS. HOWEVER, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN THIS DOCUMENT SO FAR IS LIKE, I'M AN OLD GUY. WHEN I TOOK FIREFIGHTER BASIC, IT WAS PROBABLY 50 YEARS AGO, I WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO RIDE FIRE EQUIPMENT WITH THAT TRAINING. I'D HAVE TO GO GET RETRAINED AGAIN. SO, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT THINGS LIKE THAT. UM, IT ALSO MAY REQUIRE ANNUAL PHYSICALS FOR ALL THE PEOPLE. UM, THERE WOULD BE NO AGE, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, WHAT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE WORD IS, BUT, UH, A AN OLD GUY LIKE ME COULDN'T RIDE FIRE EQUIPMENT. I'D NEVER PASS THE PHYSICALS. UM, IT WOULD INCREASE THE DOCUMENTATION AND ADMINISTRATIVE BURDEN FOR ALL THE COMPANIES. UH, EACH COMPANY WOULD HAVE TO HAVE ALL OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS TO OPERATE. WE COULDN'T RELY ON DES TO PROVIDE US WITH A LOT OF THOSE FUNCTIONS. THEY'RE ACTUALLY SAYING THAT EVERY INDIVIDUAL COMPANY, BECAUSE WE'RE ALL INDIVIDUAL INCORPORATIONS, WE WOULD ALL HAVE TO DO, HAVE ALL OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS. UH, WE'D HAVE TO UPGRADE SOME MUCH OF OUR EQUIPMENT. UH, POSSIBLY EVERY FIREFIGHTER WOULD HAVE TO HAVE TWO SETS OF TURNOUT GEAR. ONE THAT COULD BE CLEANED AFTER EVERY FIRE BECAUSE OF CARCINOGEN, CARCINOGENIC MATERIALS. UH, AND ALSO RIGHT NOW, DOT SETS ALL THE STANDARDS FOR VEHICLES. NOW, OSHA WOULD GET INVOLVED IN THAT, AND WE WOULD HAVE TO MEET BOTH OSHA AND DOT STANDARDS ON ALL OF OUR VEHICLES. UM, AS FAR AS THE, THERE WOULD BE FACILITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADES THAT WOULD BE NEEDED, UH, PROBABLY REQUIRE BUILDING CHANGES. LIKE I, MOST OF YOU HAVE PROBABLY BEEN IN FIREHOUSES, AND YOU'VE SEEN OUR TURNOUT GEAR HANGING ON RACKS. UM, THAT WOULD ALL HAVE TO BE ISOLATED FROM THE REST OF THE FIREHOUSE, UM, SO THAT THE, ANY, ANY OUTGASSING WOULD BE VENTED DIRECTLY AWAY FROM THE BUILDING, YOU KNOW, ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF. AND THEN FINALLY, THE LAW WOULD BE SO COMPLICATED THAT WE'D PROBABLY HAVE TO HAVE LAWYERS THERE ALL THE TIME TO, UH, TO KEEP US OUT OF TROUBLE. UH, BECAUSE THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF FUNDING OR FINDING, UH, REGULATIONS THAT GO ALONG WITH THIS. UM, ACTUALLY, UH, DIRECTOR WOODS HAS, UH, GOTTEN US TO, WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING ALL THE COMPANIES TO WRITE LETTERS TO OSHA TO DELAY THIS UNTIL WE CAN STUDY IT FURTHER. AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN DERAIL SOME OF THE THINGS. BASICALLY, THE IMP IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS STANDARD WOULD VIRTUALLY PUT THE VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANIES OUT OF BUSINESS. MM-HMM. NOT JUST IN THIS COUNTY, BUT EVERYWHERE, THROUGHOUT THE STATE, EVERYWHERE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. AND IT WOULD HAVE A VERY SIGNIFICANT I IMPACT ON PAID DEPARTMENTS TOO. AS YOU CAN SEE, ACTUALLY, I HAVE, I'LL, I'LL GIVE YOU COPIES OF THIS HANDOUT. THE LAST PAGE COVERS A LOT OF THE STUFF THAT I DIDN'T EVEN COVER. OKAY. AND BASICALLY, THAT'S OUR PRESENTATION QUESTIONS. WELL, BILL, I WANT TO THANK YOU AND RUSTY, UM, FOR THE SERVICE THAT YOU'VE PROVIDED OUR VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANIES HERE IN THE COUNTY FOR DECADES. AND WHEN YOU SAY YOU, YOU HAVE NO VALUE TODAY AS A FIREFIGHTER, THAT'S WRONG. YOU, YOU HAVE THE INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE, THE HISTORY AND ALL THAT IS SO VALUABLE MOVING FORWARD, UH, TO HELP US MOVE INTO THE NEXT, UH, CYCLE, I GUESS WITH FIREFIGHTING IN THE COUNTY. UM, AND THEN, MR. RILEY, YOU WERE GONNA SAY SOMETHING? YES, I WAS CONCERNED. YOU SAID, UH, WHEN YOU, WE MADE THAT TRANSFER OVER TO DES, THERE WAS A STIPEND THAT YOU WERE PROMISED AND YOU NEVER RECEIVED. CAN YOU KINDA SPEAK ABOUT THAT? OH, NO, NO. WE GOT, WE ACTUALLY DID GET THE STIPEND. THE COMPANIES THAT HAD THE AGREEMENT WITH THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE GOT THE STIPEND LAST YEAR. OKAY. UH, I THINK MANY OF THE COMPANIES BELIEVE THAT IT WOULD CONTINUE INTO THE, INTO FY 25 AND IT HAS NOT. AND THAT WAS BETWEEN THE COMPANIES AND THE COUNTY. THE WHAT DIDN'T FLOW THROUGH THE ASSOCIATION. YEAH. AND THAT WASN'T IN OUR BUDGET. IT WAS IN, YOU KNOW, INDIVIDUAL COMPANY BUDGETS. OKAY, THANKS. BUT I LIKE THE IDEA OF A STIPEND FOR A DRIVER OR FOR A CREW MEMBER ABSOLUTELY. TO HANG AT THE HOUSE. I MEAN, ALL THE ACCOMMODATIONS THAT WE'VE WORKED ON FOR YEARS ARE THAT YOU ALL HAVE SUGGESTED AND, AND BROUGHT FORWARD FOR YEARS, HAS HELPED TO KEEP PEOPLE IN THE HOUSES AND IT'S WORKING WELL. YES, YES, YES, YES. MR. PENMAN, I'D LIKE TO, UH, THANK YOU, PAUL FOR YOUR SERVICE. UH, I'D LIKE TO JUST FOLLOW UP ON THE STIPEND [04:55:01] FOR THE INDIVIDUAL FIRE COMPANIES. I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, ACCORDING TO, UM, THE, UH, AUDITOR, IT'S ABOUT 11 MILLION OF REVENUE, UH, FROM THE AMBULANCE COMPANIES. AND I WOULD LIKE TO HOPE TO SEE SOME OF THAT AT SOME POINT GO TOWARDS THE INDIVIDUAL FIRE COMPANIES FOR THAT STIPEND TO, YOU KNOW, OVERCOME SOME OF THE COSTS AND MONEY. THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T RECEIVE ANYMORE. SO DO WE KNOW HOW MUCH THAT THOSE STIPENDS THAT THEY DIDN'T RECEIVE THIS YEAR BUT DID RECEIVE LAST YEAR WERE I DON'T OFFHAND. THEY, THEY WERE WITH, LIKE I SAID, THEY WERE AN MOU SIGNED WITH BETWEEN THE COUNTY AND, UH, SEPARATE COMPANIES. UM, AND, AND A LOT OF COMPANIES REALIZED IT WASN'T A FULL-TIME THING. OKAY. BECAUSE IT WAS TO HELP THEM WHEN THEY LOST THE REVENUE FROM BILLING. YEP. AND IT WAS TO HELP THEM THROUGH TO, TO THE NEXT YEAR. AND YOU GOTTA REMEMBER, THEY DON'T HAVE THE OUTPUT THAT THEY HAD WHEN THEY HAD THE ABOS. I MEAN, THEY, I MEAN THE COUNTY HAS PICKED UP ALL THE MAINTENANCE ON THE UNIT UNIFORM. THEY'VE PICKED UP ALL THE MAINTENANCE ON THE AEDS, UH, THE, THE LIFE PACKS AND WHAT'S THE OTHER THING? YEAH, THE COUNTY, THE COUNTY IS PROVIDING ALL THE SUPPORT FOR, FOR BOTH THE COUNTY AMBULANCES AND THE VOLUNTEER AMBULANCES. THIS POINT YOU'RE SAYING THEY DON'T NEED IT THOUGH. YEAH, THEY'RE PROVIDING ALL THE EQUIPMENT AND EVERYTHING. IT STILL HURTS, YOU KNOW, IT HURT 'EM, BUT, UM, YES, BUT WE UNDERSTAND THE ECONOMICS WE'RE IN TOO, SO THANK YOU. BUT MOVING FORWARD, AND WE STILL DO PROVIDE THE, THE, THE, THE, THE, UM, THE PAYMENT, THE $300 IF A VOLUNTEER COMPANY GOES OUT ON INDIVIDUAL CALL. SO IF THEY GO OUT ON A CALL, THEY, THEY RECEIVE. RIGHT. UM, FUNDING THERE ABOUT 300 BUCKS. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE, MR. BENNETT? UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING THAT INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT THE CHANGES COMING FROM OSHA AND I HOPE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT MAYBE AS A COUNCIL WE COULD PASS A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING YOUR STANCE ON THE ISSUE SO THAT WE CAN JUST SEND A MESSAGE AND, AND SUPPORT DR. WOODS IS REALLY OUR, LEAD ME IN ON THAT. IT'S WORKING VERY HARD ON THAT FRONT. SO, SO I'M, I'M SURE, UH, UH, JOE WILL BE REACHING OUT TO US SO WE CAN BE SUPPORTIVE WHEN THINGS LIKE THAT COME UP. YOU KNOW, WE'RE MORE THAN HAPPY AS A COUNCIL TO SUPPORT ANY WAY WE CAN. EVEN IF IT'S NOT THROUGH LEG LEGISLATION, YOU KNOW, WE CAN, WE CAN WRITE A COLLECTIVE LETTER AND, AND SUPPORT YOU ALL IN THAT. APPRECIATE. UM, I HAD HEARD THAT POSSIBLY YOUR FUNDING FORMULA OF HOW YOU BREAK DOWN THE MONEY BETWEEN COMPANIES WOULD BE CHANGING WITH NO LONGER HAVING, UH, UH, EMS COME THROUGH. YOU ALL, DID THAT HAPPEN THIS YEAR? IT, IT'S REAL CLOSE. OKAY. WE SUBMITTED THE DRAFT TO THE COMPANY AS OUR LAST TRUSTEES MEETING. THE NEXT TRUSTEES MEETING. WE WILL HAVE DISCUSSION ON IT. I WANT TO GIVE THEM A, YOU KNOW, TIME TO TAKE IT HOME, DIGEST IT. UH, ARE WE GONNA MAKE EVERY COMPANY HAPPY? I WISH WE COULD, BUT IT'S NOT. MM-HMM. . BUT THE MAJORITY OF THE COMPANIES HOPE WILL, WILL AGREE TO IT. AND IT, AND IT IS UP TO BE CHANGED. I MEAN, THAT'S WHY WE SAID THAT WE HAD A SMALL COMMITTEE COME UP WITH IT. NOW THE TRUSTEES WILL GET TOGETHER AND THEY CAN MAKE CHANGES TO IT AND THEN WE'LL VOTE ON IT BY MAJORITY VOTE. DO YOU THINK ONCE THAT'S ALL SETTLED, I'M SURE 'CAUSE WE'LL HEAR FROM OUR LOCAL COMPANIES THAT ARE IN OUR DISTRICTS THAT YOU'D BE WILLING TO SEND THAT OUT TO US AS WELL ONCE IT'S FINALIZED. SURE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANY MR. GINGER, BILL RUSTY, THANKS FOR COMING. YOU REALLY, UH, SHOCKED ME WHEN YOU SAID, UH, EVENTUAL TRANSITION FROM, UH, VOLUNTEER TO, TO PAID. UM, I GUESS I WASN'T EXPECTED TO MAYBE HAPPEN AS SOON AS IT SOUNDS LIKE IN IN, IN YOUR WORLD THAT IT, THAT IT MIGHT HAPPEN AND THEN HOW ARE WE GONNA PAY FOR IT? BUT I, I LIKE THE IDEA AS WELL TO HAVE, FROM WHAT YOU WERE SAYING, HAVING SOMEBODY PAID IN THE FIREHOUSE THAT DRIVES THAT YOU GET MORE PEOPLE TO COME OUT. I, I WOULD'VE NEVER REALIZED THAT THAT'S A, THAT'S A BIG DIFFERENCE. AND I'M SURE YOU PROBABLY HAVE GOT SOME PEOPLE THAT WOULD LIKE THE, THE JOB AS A FULL-TIME DRIVER, UM, THAT DEFINITELY WOULD CHERISH THAT, THAT WOULD GET PAID. SO I DON'T KNOW HOW WE MOVE TO THAT NEXT STEP IN THAT AREA. THAT'S, THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THE STAFFING COMMITTEE THAT, LIKE I SAID, THEY'RE COMING UP WITH A PLAN. UH, AND, AND THAT'S WHY WE WANT TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW. 'CAUSE WE DON'T WANNA JUST COME UP TO YOU AND SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T HANDLE THIS ANYMORE. WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO? WE'RE TRYING TO GIVE YOU SOME HEADS UP. LIKE TWO YEARS FROM NOW WE MAY BE ABLE TO DO IT WITH JUST PAID DRIVERS AND THEN MAYBE THREE YEARS YOU MAY START PUTTING SOME STATIONS AROUND THE COUNTY. DO I, AND I SAID THIS BEFORE TO THIS COUNCIL, DO I THINK THE VOLUNTEERS ARE GONNA GO AWAY? ABSOLUTELY NOT. WE JUST, THEY CAN'T HANDLE THE CALL VOLUME ANYMORE. AND THAT'S NOT JUST IN HARTFORD COUNTY. THAT'S A LOT OF PLACES THE VOLUNTEERS AREN'T LIKE, I HATE TO SAY I'M AN OLD GUY, BUT I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD BE AN OLD GUY, BUT I'VE GOT 45 YEARS IN, I JOINED AND IT WAS ALL GREAT. BUT NOW, YOU KNOW, WE, WE LIVE IN A SOCIETY WHERE THEY HAVE TO HAVE AN EXTRA JOB SO THEY'RE PUT THEIR SONS OR DAUGHTER TO THROUGH COLLEGE. SO WE'RE NOT GETTING THE VOLUNTEERS. WE'RE TRYING WITH RECRUITMENT RETENTION, AGAIN, DIRECTOR WOODS IS HELPING US WITH THAT AND THE COUNTY EXEC, BUT IT'S JUST, AND WE CAN SEE IT'S, IT'S, SOMEONE'S NOT GONNA MA WAVE A MAGIC WAND SAYS, HERE'S ALL THE PEOPLE YOU NEED, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. THAT'S [05:00:01] NOT GONNA HAPPEN. SO WE'RE TRYING TO PLAN FOR THE FUTURE AND LET YOU KNOW WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN AND MAKE IT A SLOW PROCESS. THERE'S NO WAY IT COULD HAPPEN. LIKE WE DID. E-M-S-E-M-S WAS, YEAH. WAS TOTALLY, YOU'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT GONNA BUY EVERY FIRE TRUCK BECAUSE NUMBER ONE, I DON'T THINK THE COUNTIES ARE GONNA SELL THEIR FIRE TRUCKS TO COMPANIES. AND NUMBER TWO, THE, THE, THE COST WOULD BE ASTRONOMICAL. YOU THINK AN AMBO IS BAD? TRY BUYING SOME LADDER TRUCKS AND ENGINES. OH, I KNOW WHAT THEY, I KNOW WHAT THEY RUNNING AND, AND LAST YEAR I REMEMBER GOING TO FIRE BANQUET AND TALKING TO A BUNCH OF YOUNG FIREMEN AND, AND THEY WERE VOLUNTEERS UP HERE, BUT THEY WERE ALL FULL-TIME FIREFIGHTERS DOWN IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY AND HOWARD COUNTY AND ALL THAT. BUT THEY, THEY STILL LOVE BEING UP HERE AND THAT'S WHERE THEY STARTED AND, AND EVERYTHING. SO I, I'M CURIOUS TO SEE HOW THAT'S GONNA PAN OUT IN THE NEXT FOUR OR FIVE YEARS OR TWO YEARS AND, AND UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I BROUGHT THAT, WHEN THAT'S APPROVED, I'LL MAKE SURE THE COUNCIL GETS A COPY OF, OF THE UM, STAFFING COMMITTEE'S REPORT. YEAH, I'LL HOLD MY HEART. , WE'LL BE HERE. WE'RE NOT GOING AWAY, BUT WE JUST NEED SOME HELP. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? TONY? TO ANSWER YOUR, YOUR QUESTION ABOUT THE HEART ATTACK, UM, IF YOU'RE HAVING A HEART ATTACK CALL AN AMBULANCE. AS YOU SAID ON THE AMBULANCE, THEY CAN DO A 12 LEAD EKG DETECT IF YOU'RE REALLY HAVING A HEART ATTACK, WE CAN SEND THE EKG AHEAD TO THE HOSPITAL AND WHEN WE GET TO THE HOSPITAL, YOU'LL GO RIGHT TO THE CATH LAB AND HAVE THE BLOCK. IT WAS SOMETHING WITH A STROKE THAT THEY HAD. STROKE, STROKE MEDICINE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. THEY USE ANTICOAGULANTS FOR THE STROKES. YEAH. SO AGAIN, WE CAN CALL AHEAD FOR A STROKE ALERT AND THEY CAN BE READY TO DO THE CAT SCAN AND USE THE CLOT BUSTING DRUG FOR STROKES. THAT'S IT. YEP. SO APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT GOT OUT THERE. YES. ALRIGHT, WELL WITH UH, NO OTHER QUESTIONS, UH, THIS IS GONNA CONCLUDE, THIS IS GONNA CONCLUDE THIS, THIS SESSION, BUT I WOULD LIKE MS. SPENCE TO COME FORWARD IF YOU WOULD. YES, PLEASE BE ADHERED. SPENCE IS NOT IN THE FY 25 BUDGET. BE IT HEREBY KNOWN THAT THE COUNTY COUNCIL OF HARTFORD COUNTY, MARYLAND ON HIS 30TH DAY OF APRIL, 2024 RECOGNIZES IN CONGRATULATES KIMBERLY SPENCE, CHIEF BUDGET AND MANAGEMENT ADMINISTRATION, HARTFORD COUNTY GOVERNMENT, 36 YEARS OF SERVICE AND DO HEREBY EXPRESS OUR APPRECIATION FOR HER DEDICATED SERVICE. HER INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE ON BUDGETARY MATTERS HAS BEEN AN INVALUABLE RESOURCE TO THE COUNTY COUNCIL, TO THE CITIZENS OF HARTFORD COUNTY. WE EXTEND OUR BEST WISHES FOR HER SUCCESS AND ALL HER FUTURE ENDEAVORS. WE'LL DO A COUPLE PHOTO OPS IF WE COULD, IF WE COULD HAVE THE ENTIRE BUDGET CREW COME UP. AND I NEED JIM MARLEY. CAN YOU SCOOT THIS WAY? JUST HEATHER GO. AND THEN WE'RE ALSO GONNA HAVE YOU ALL COME ON THE FLOOR TOO. YEAH. AND BILL, I UNDERSTAND YOU'RE LEAVING TOO. OH MY. OH MY. IS THAT RIGHT? EVERYBODY ON THE BACK ROAD SHIFT THIS WAY. SO IF YOU CAN'T SEE ME, I CAN'T SHIFT. I CAN'T SEE JOSH. I STILL CAN'T SEE YOU. ONE. PLEASE NOT YOU. ONE OF THOSE GUYS. ONE OF THOSE GUYS. IT'S MAKING ME LOOK BOOK HEADS. I'M GOOD, COUNCILMAN. YOU ARE WELCOME. CAN'T TALK ABOUT IT . THAT'S RIGHT. WE CHINESE PHONE. . I ARREST ALL OF YOU. [05:06:43] THEY ON NOW. IF I COULD HAVE JUST A SECOND OF, OF, UM, QUIET HERE. MR. MCCORD. WHENEVER YOU'RE READY. THANK YOU MR. COUNCIL PRESIDENT. YOU, UH, ASKED ME TO WAIT TILL THE END TO GIVE A LITTLE RESPONSE AND I APPRECIATE HAVING THE TIME. UM, BUT I WOULD LIKE FOR THE RECORD TO NOTE THAT I WOULD LOVE THAT STATEMENT TO COME FROM MR. CASTLEY HIMSELF. SO NOTED SIR. UM, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO REPORT BACK WHEN THE ISSUES RAISED IN THE BUDGET HEARINGS. UM, WE SHARE YOUR INTEREST IN DOING THE BEST WE CAN FOR THE ENTITIES WE FUND FOR COUNTY EMPLOYEES AND THE CITIZENS OF HARFORD COUNTY. AS YOU NOTED AROUND THIS TIME LAST YEAR, COUNTY EXECUTIVE CALEY IN COLLABORATION WITH THE BOARD OF EDUCATION AGREED TO MOVE AN ADDITIONAL $10 MILLION IN FUND BALANCE TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM FOR NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET. THERE'S NO EXTRA TO GIVE TO AVOID DEEP CUTS AND SERVICES. WE'LL BE USING $52 MILLION OF OUR OWN UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE, LEAVING US LESS THAN AN ESTIMATED $3 MILLION BY THE END OF THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR. THIS MEANS THAT ANY CUTS THIS COUNCIL MAKES TO THE COUNTY BUDGET TO GIVE TO THE HARTFORD, UM, COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. WE REDUCE OR ELIMINATE THE VERY MODEST SALARY INCREASE WE PLAN FOR COUNTY EMPLOYEES. FOR ADDITIONAL PERSPECTIVE, PLEASE CONSIDER WHAT IT WOULD MEAN. WE FULLY FUND THE TOTAL $40 MILLION INCREASE REQUESTED BY THE SCHOOL SYSTEM WOULD MEAN ELIMINATION OF THE ENTIRE DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION, INCLUDING ACTIVITY CENTERS, THE ENTIRE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING COMMUNITY SERVICES, INCLUDING ALL SENIOR CENTERS, ALL SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS AND CROSSING GUARDS COUNTY FUNDING TO THE VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANIES, THE DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, INCLUDING AGRICULTURAL SERVICES AND TOURISM AND COUNTY FUNDING FOR SOIL CONSERVATION AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICES. TO FUND THE TOTAL $66 MILLION INCREASE REQUESTED BY ALL AGENCIES WOULD ELIMINATE ALL OF THESE AND MORE. OR WE WOULD HAVE TO RAISE PROPERTY TAXES BY $500 PER YEAR. FOR THE AVERAGE HOMEOWNER, NONE OF THIS IS NECESSARY. HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAS ACCUMULATED UNSPENT TAXPAYER FUNDS THAT THEY CAN USE AS A BRIDGE DURING THESE DIFFICULT ECONOMIC TIMES. IN FACT, THEY HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH AND WOULD STILL HAVE FIVE TO $15 $15 MILLION LEFT OVER. WE DO NOT RECOMMEND THEY USE FUND BALANCE ALONE. RATHER WE URGE THEM TO FIND EFFICIENCIES THAT DON'T SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACT THE CLASSROOM AND RESET THEIR SPENDING SO THAT WE CAN FUND REASONABLE INCREASES MOVING FORWARD. TO THOSE WHO WOULD SAY WE RATE OUR OWN ASSIGNED FUND BALANCE, WHICH ARE FUNDS SET ASIDE TO MEET REQUIREMENTS AND FUTURE NEEDS, PLEASE CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING TWO POINTS. ONE, WE NEED ASSIGNED RESERVE REVENUES BECAUSE OUR BUDGET COMMITS ITS FUNDS TO OUTSIDE AGENCIES BASED ON FUTURE REVENUES. THIS REVENUE IS VOLATILE AND ALWAYS AT RISK OF FALLING SHORT, ESPECIALLY IN THESE UNCERTAIN TIMES. IT'S ALSO WHY WE ADHERE TO FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE ESTIMATES. IN FACT, IF WE HAD GONE ALONG WITH THE ROSIER ESTIMATES URGED BY SOME LAST YEAR, WE MAY HAVE HAD TO CALL BACK FUNDS FROM THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AND OTHER AGENCIES. AS SOME OF YOU KNOW, THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED UNDER PRIOR ADMINISTRATION DURING THE GREAT RECESSION. TWO HARTFORD COUNTY GOVERNMENT ALONE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEBT OF THE AGENCIES WE FUND AND WE SELL BONDS TO PAY FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS LIKE SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES. OUR AAA BOND RATING ALLOWS US TO BORROW MONEY AT LOWER INTEREST RATES TO MAINTAIN OUR AAA, THE RATING AGENCIES RECOMMEND 20% OF OUR REVENUES TO BE HELD IN RESERVE. TAPPING INTO THAT NOW WOULD RISK OUR TOP RATING, WHICH WOULD INCREASE PROJECT COSTS AND LIMIT THE NUMBER OF PROJECTS [05:10:01] WE CAN FUND AT THE 20% LEVEL OF FUND. BALANCE IS NOT AN ARBITRARY MEASURE REFLECTS REAL LIFE EXPERIENCES OF THIRTY ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY THREE COUNTIES ACROSS THE NATION. IN CLOSING, WE SHOULD NOT SHIFT OUR RESPONSIBILITY ONTO FUTURE GENERATIONS BY DRAINING OUR FUND BALANCE OR RAISING TAXES. INSTEAD, LET'S CONTINUE WORKING TOGETHER THROUGH THE FISCAL UPS AND DOWNS UNITED FOR HARTFORD COUNTY CITIZENS WE SERVE. THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE TIME TO GIVE A STATEMENT. IF I COULD FOLLOW UP ON THAT JUST FOR A MINUTE, MR. PRESIDENT, UM, MR. MCCORD, UM, I APPRECIATE THE POSITION THAT YOU'VE BEEN PUT IN TO DELIVER THAT MESSAGE. UM, I BELIEVE IT'S SHAMEFUL THAT THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE IS NOT HERE TO DELIVER THAT MESSAGE. UH, SOMEONE WHO HAS OFTEN REFERENCED SITTING ACROSS FROM TALIBAN THAT WANTS TO KILL HIM BUT CAN'T COME SIT ACROSS FROM THE COUNCIL AND DEFEND HIS OWN BUDGET. UH, THE PROCESS WE HAVE HERE IS TO EVALUATE THE BUDGET AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS. AND I TAKE THAT STATEMENT THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY MAYBE WRITTEN BY HIM AS A THREAT THAT THERE IS NO OTHER EXPLANATION, THERE IS NO MONEY, THERE IS NO, UH, CON CONVERSATIONS OR A COMPROMISE THAT CAN BE HAD. SO JUST WANT TO PUT THAT OUT THERE. I'M DISAPPOINTED. I APPRECIATE YOU READING THAT. I APPRECIATE THE POSITION THAT YOU IN, BUT, UH, YOU'RE IN. BUT I'M DISAPPOINTED THAT HE'S NOT HERE TO DELIVER HIS OWN MESSAGE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THAT'LL END IT. THANK YOU SIR. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.