Jun 04, 2024 County Council

[PUBLIC HEARING]

[00:00:03]

FOUR. THREE. GOOD EVENING. CHAIR CALLS THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR AMENDMENTS. ONE TO THE WORKBOOK.

GRIDS MASTER WATER AND SEWER PLAN, SPRING 2024 UPDATE AND ALSO AMENDMENTS ONE THROUGH THREE TO RESOLUTION 007 24. MASTER WATER AND SEWER PLAN SPRING 2024 UPDATE, THESE AMENDMENTS WERE BROUGHT FORWARD BY COUNCIL MEMBER RILEY, HE'S NOT ABLE TO BE HERE WITH US THIS EVENING, SO I'M GOING TO DO MY BEST TO, BRING THEM FORWARD AND, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS WE MAY HAVE, AS YOU KNOW, WE HAD AN ISSUE BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION, WITH, TWO DIFFERENT PROPERTIES ON JARRETTSVILLE ROAD TAX MAP 33, PARCEL 208 AND 287 ARE THEY'RE BEING RECOMMENDED FOR CONNECTION TO PUBLIC SEWER SYSTEMS, BY THE HARFORD COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT, AND THEY COMMENTED IN HER LETTER AS THIS IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF PUBLIC HEALTH IN THE ENVIRONMENT, THE CURRENT SEWER LINE IS LOCATED DIRECTLY ACROSS JERSEYVILLE ROAD. FROM THESE PROPERTIES, THERE IS A SLEEVE ALREADY IN PLACE UNDER THE ROADWAY, AND WAS PUT IN THERE SEVERAL YEARS AGO, ANTICIPATING A FUTURE CONNECTION AND THE ENTIRE COST OF THIS CONNECTION IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS SEEKING THE CONNECTION, SO DURING THE INTRODUCTION OF THESE AMENDMENTS, THE AMENDMENTS WERE VOTED ON UNANIMOUSLY. AND AT THIS TIME, COUNCIL MEMBERS, MISTER PENMAN. THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. I JUST WANT TO GO ON RECORD AGAIN. I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE. I SUPPORT THESE AMENDMENTS. I THINK IT'S A HEALTH ISSUE WITH THOSE TWO LOCATIONS THERE ON GERARD ROAD. SO SO I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE WE HAVE, SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, BUT I THINK THIS IS A GOOD THING FOR, HARFORD COUNTY AND THE SAFETY OF ITS CITIZENS. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING IT. THANK YOU. IS THERE COUNCIL ANYONE ELSE? SEEING NO OTHERS. MISS DIXON, DO WE HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP? THERE IS NO ONE SIGNED UP, MR. PRESIDENT. VERY GOOD. THIS THIS WILL CONCLUDE, THE PUBLIC HEARING. FOR THE AMENDMENTS TO THE MASTER WATER AND SEWER PLAN 2024 IS NOW CLOSED. BILL 24, DASH ZERO 15, PAY CLASSIFICATION PLAN AS AMENDED, MISS STEVENS, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR SON'S GRADUATION, BY THE WAY. THANK YOU, I APPRECIATE THAT. ABSOLUTELY BUT NOW HE'S A SENIOR. HE'LL BE FINE. ALL RIGHT . SO GOOD EVENING. COUNCIL PRESIDENT VINCENTE AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, MY NAME IS TIFFANY STEVENS, AND I'M THE HR DIRECTOR FOR HARFORD COUNTY GOVERNMENT.

AND TONIGHT, I AM HERE, TO PRESENT TO YOU THE PAY AND CLASS CHANGES FOR FY 25, YOU SHOULD ALL HAVE A BINDER IN FRONT OF YOU. YOU'LL SEE. THE FIRST PAGE IS, THE APPROVAL OF THE PERSONNEL ADVISORY BOARD. AND THEN IF YOU WANT TO FLIP TO THE NEXT PAGE, THAT IS THE BRIEFING PAPER. AND SO I WILL READ THAT FOR YOU GUYS. THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE IS PROPOSING IN THE HARFORD COUNTY CLASSIFICATION PLAN FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025, THAT THE MINIMUM OF EACH GRADE BE INCREASED BY 1. THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE IS PROPOSING TEN NEW CLASSIFICATIONS TO BE CREATED, AND SIX EXISTING CLASSIFICATIONS BE DELETED. IN ADDITION, FIVE CLASSIFICATIONS RECEIVE A TITLE CHANGE ONLY THE CREATION OF THE TEN NEW CLASSIFICATIONS RESULTS IN NO NEW POSITIONS OR PINS, AND THEN THESE NEW POSITIONS OR ANY NEW POSITIONS ARE ACTUALLY CREATED THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS, NOT THROUGH THIS PROCESS. SO THEN YOU TURN TO THE NEXT PAGE. THIS IS THE PAY PLAN SUMMARY. SO IT GIVES YOU A QUICK OVERVIEW OF WHAT CHANGES ARE BEING MADE. AND I CAN BRIEFLY WALK YOU THROUGH THEM IF YOU WOULD LIKE. THAT'D BE FINE OKAY. PERFECT. SO THE FIRST TEN ARE THE NEW CLASSIFICATIONS, AND I CAN GIVE YOU KIND OF A BRIEF EXPLANATION AS TO WHY WE ARE CREATING THEM, FOR EACH OF THESE POSITIONS THERE, THERE IS MOST LIKELY A PERSON IN IT JUST CHANGING KIND OF THE TITLE OF WHAT THEY DO. BUT THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR COORDINATOR, WE CURRENTLY HAVE SOMEONE IN THIS ROLE IN OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. BUT RATHER THAN CALLING THIS PERSON AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE, WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THEIR TITLE REFLECT EXACTLY WHAT THEY DO, WHICH IS WORKING WITHIN THE AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITY, IT DOES NOT CHANGE THE GRADE, DOES NOT CHANGE THE SALARY. AGAIN IT'S JUST A NEW CLASSIFICATION TO BE ADDED SO THAT IT REFLECTS WHAT THE EMPLOYEE DOES. NEXT. WE HAVE CLAIM ADJUSTER, CLAIMS ADJUSTER. THAT ALSO IS SIMILAR IN NATURE. WE HAVE AN EMPLOYEE WHO IS NOW IN AN ADMINISTRATIVE

[00:05:01]

THIS POSITION IS WITHIN THE LAW DEPARTMENT. THE PERSON CURRENTLY SITS IN THE LAW DEPARTMENT AND DOES CLAIMS, WHEN IT COMES TO ACCIDENTS AND ANY KIND OF INSURANCE CLAIMS. SO AGAIN, PAY GRADE IS THE SAME. JUST WANT TO PUT THEM IN A DIFFERENT CLASSIFICATION TITLE DEBT COLLECTION COORDINATOR. AGAIN THIS WAS IN WITHIN OUR LAW DEPARTMENT. THERE IS A PERSON DOING THIS AGAIN IN AN ADMIN ROLE. LIKE TO PUT THIS PERSON IN A POSITION THAT REFLECTS EXACTLY WHAT THEY DO AND THEY HAVE BEEN DOING NOW FOR SEVERAL YEARS AS THE DEPUTY CHIEF BUDGET AND MANAGEMENT RESEARCH, WE ARE ACTUALLY NOT. THERE'S NO ONE IN THIS POSITION CURRENTLY. THIS POSITION DOES NOT EXIST, BUT WE WOULD LIKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ELEVATE SOMEONE IN THE BUDGET OFFICE AT SOME POINT IN TIME, SO THAT IS THE REASON FOR THAT PERSON JUST SOMEWHAT OF A CAREER LADDER, FOR THE BUDGET OFFICE. SAME GOES FOR THE HUMAN RESOURCES BUSINESS PARTNER, SENIOR, CURRENTLY WE'RE ASKING FOR A SENIOR ROLE. SO WE HAVE A CAREER LADDER WITHIN THE HR DEPARTMENT. AND YOU WILL ACTUALLY SEE DOWN IN THE TITLE CHANGES CURRENTLY IT'S CALLED A GENERALIST HR GENERALIST. WE'RE ASKING TO CHANGE IT TO AN HR BUSINESS PARTNER, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE REALLY ARE. WE WORK WITH IN OUR DEPARTMENTS AS A PARTNER, GENERALIST IS AN IS AN ODD TERM, THAT THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION MADE US USE. AND I WOULD LIKE US TO USE MORE OF THE INDUSTRY STANDARD TITLE. SAME WITH THE HUMAN RESOURCES SPECIALIST. THIS IS ADDING A CAREER LADDER FOR MY CURRENT HR SPECIALIST AT THE PERMITS REVIEW COORDINATOR. SO WE HAVE SOMEONE IN THIS ROLE THAT CURRENTLY SITS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF INSPECTIONS, LICENSE AND PERMITS, AND THEY ARE REALLY DOING THE PERMITS REVIEW COORDINATOR. THEY ARE HELPING CITIZENS AS WELL AS BUSINESSES AND WALKING THEM THROUGH THE PERMIT PROCESS. SO AS OPPOSED TO CALLING THEM AN ADMINISTRATIVE TITLE, WE WOULD LIKE TO GIVE THEM THE TITLE OF A BUSINESS REVIEW COURT PERMITS REVIEW COORDINATOR, RISK MANAGER, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE WHAT'S CALLED A RISK AND SAFETY, MANAGER. AND THE CURRENT PERSON IN THIS ROLE IS ACTUALLY AN ADMINISTRATOR. SO INSTEAD OF CALLING THEM AN ADMINISTRATOR, WE LIKE TO PUT THEM IN THE JOB THAT THEY ACTUALLY DO. THIS SITS WITHIN OUR LAW DEPARTMENT. SAME GOES FOR THE RISK MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST, CURRENTLY THEY ARE A SAFETY OFFICER. WE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THEM A RISK MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST, A TITLE THAT MORE SUITS WHAT THEY DO AS WELL AS THE SAFETY COMPLIANCE OFFICER. SO AGAIN, THIS DOESN'T INCREASE ANYONE'S SALARY. IT DOESN'T CHANGE THE GRADE. IT'S JUST ASKING TO PUT THEM IN ROLES THAT MORE REFLECT WHAT THEY DO. IN ADDITION TO THE CAREER LADDER ADDITIONS FOR THE DELETION OF SIX EXISTING CLASSIFICATIONS. SO WE'RE ASKING TO DELETE THE CHIEF OF CITIZEN AFFAIRS AND AGRICULTURAL SERVICES. WE CURRENTLY DO NOT HAVE ANYONE IN THIS CLASSIFICATION, AND WE HAVE NOT FOR SEVERAL YEARS. SO JUST LOOKING TO KIND OF CLEAN UP THE PAYING CLASS PLAN, AS WELL AS CHIEF OF EFFICIENCY AND INNOVATION, HASN'T BEEN USED IN SEVERAL YEARS, THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY SERVICES AND THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY SERVICES, WE'RE ASKING TO DELETE THEM BECAUSE WE NO LONGER HAVE A DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY SERVICES. IT HAS BEEN CHANGED TO HOUSING AND COMMUNITY SERVICES. SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE ASKING TO DELETE THOSE. HOUSING INSPECTOR, WE NO LONGER HAVE ANYONE IN THE HOUSING INSPECTOR ROLE. AND THEN RISK AND SAFETY OFFICER, AS YOU SEE ABOVE, WE KIND OF HAVE CHANGED THAT TO THE SAFETY COMPLIANCE OFFICER OR TO THE RISK MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST. SORRY THE FIVE CLASSIFICATION TITLE CHANGES. SO WE'RE LOOKING TO CHANGE THE ACCOUNTS PAYABLE SUPERVISOR TO AN ACCOUNTING SUPERVISOR. WHEN YOU ADD THE WORD PAYABLE WHICH IT'S BEEN THAT WAY FOR MANY YEARS, WE DON'T REACH THE DEPTH OF ACCOUNTING SUPERVISORS THAT WE REALLY NEED TO REACH. SO WE JUST LIKE TO TAKE THAT PAYABLE OUT.

AND THAT WAY THEY CAN BE AN ACCOUNTING SUPERVISOR OF ANY OF THE DEPARTMENTS WITHIN TREASURY, SAME WITH THE ASSISTANT SUPERVISOR OF REVENUE COLLECTIONS. CHANGING THAT TO AN ACCOUNTING ASSISTANT SUPERVISOR. AGAIN, MAKING IT MORE GENERAL. THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR AND THE DIRECTOR OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. AGAIN, YOU SEE THOSE WE WANT TO TAKE AWAY. AND THEN THE HUMAN RESOURCES GENERALIST TO THE HR BUSINESS PARTNER, MISS STEVENS, MISS STEVENS, BEFORE YOU MOVE FORWARD, IS IT POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO SEND ME A LIST OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN CURRENTLY IN THESE TEN NEW CLASSIFICATIONS OR THAT ARE IN POSITIONS? YES.

OKAY. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. AND WHAT THE CURRENT SALARIES ARE, WHAT WAS THAT AND WHAT THEIR CURRENT SALARIES ARE. YEAH THAT'S FINE OKAY. YES I WILL DO. THANK YOU. AND THEN BEHIND THAT IT JUST SHOWS THE BILL THAT WAS SUBMITTED, AND THIS IS THE SALARY SCHEDULE. SO IT SHOWS THAT THAT THE MINIMUM WAS ADJUSTED BY THE 1. AND THEN, FOLLOWED BY THE LEGISLATION THAT

[00:10:08]

ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS MR. BENNETT? THIS IS JUST A GENERAL QUESTION WHILE WE HAVE YOU HERE, I KNOW WITH MY DAY JOB, FOR INSTANCE, I. IF I FINISHED MY MASTER'S, LORD WILLING, I'LL MOVE TO A NEW COLUMN. AND AT THAT COLUMN, MY PAY WILL BE X, Y , AND Z, AND THEN WHEN I GET TO ANOTHER STEP, MY. DO WE HAVE THAT TYPE OF PAY STRUCTURE FOR ANY EXISTING POSITIONS WITHIN THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT? AS FAR AS WHEN YOU HAVE THIS MUCH EDUCATION, THIS MANY YEARS OF SERVICE, IT'S LIKE YOU CAN LOOK ON A CHART AND SAY, I'LL BE PAID THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY WHEN I GET TO THAT POINT. OR IS IT AT THE DISCRETION OF HR TO SET THE PAY AMOUNT FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYEE? YEAH. SO IT'S AT THE DISCRETION OF HR USING INTERNAL EQUITY AS WELL AS EXTERNAL EQUITY. AND WHAT IS THE DOLLAR AMOUNT, YOU KNOW, WITHIN THE INDUSTRY AND THE POSITION WE DON'T HAVE STEP IN GRADE IN THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT SYSTEM. NOW WE DO HAVE INCREASES FOR THOSE THAT DO GET A DEGREE. SO IF YOU DO GET A BACHELOR'S DEGREE OR MASTER'S DEGREE, YOU CAN SUBMIT THAT FOR WHAT'S CALLED A SKILL BASED PAY INCREASE, AND SO AGAIN WE LOOK AT INTERNAL EQUITY. IS THERE ANY SORT OF LIKE PHILOSOPHY BEHIND AND WHETHER OR NOT YOU SET LIKE DEFINED STEPS AND GRADES VERSUS LEAVING IT AT HR'S DISCRETION. YEAH. SO WE HAD STEP AND GRADES WAY, WAY BACK, WAY BEFORE ME, AND IT WAS DETERMINED AT THAT TIME DURING A PAY AND CLASSIFICATION STUDY, THROUGH A VENDOR, THAT IT WAS BEST TO GO TO WHAT THEY CALL THE BANDS. SO A MINIMUM MID AND MAX, AND SO THAT WAS AT, THAT WAS AT THEIR RECOMMENDED ACTION. AND SO AT THAT POINT THAT'S WHAT THE COUNTY DID. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. BENNETT. MR. PENMAN. THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, I APPRECIATE THIS BECAUSE I HAD SOME QUESTIONS AND I THINK ONCE I REVIEW THIS LATER THAT I'LL ANSWER A LOT OF THE QUESTIONS. AND I KNOW I APPRECIATE THE CAREER LADDER, I APPRECIATE THE SUCCESSION PLANS. YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S WHAT THAT REALLY, REALLY MEANS. BUT IN SOME CASES, WE RECLASSIFY, CERTAIN POSITIONS TO ENSURE THAT THEY WON BECAUSE THEY COULD BE AT THE END OF A CERTAIN RANGE ON A SCALE TO RECLASSIFY THEM TO A DIFFERENT RANGE. SO, I KNOW THAT THERE WAS A COUPLE THAT YOU MEANT THAT YOU MENTIONED THAT DIDN'T HAVE ANY INCREASES. AND I HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO ABSORB THIS, BUT ARE ANY OF THESE POSITIONS BEING RECLASSIFIED TO INCREASE THEIR RANGE OF SALARIES? DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? SO I'M NOT ASKING TO CREATE A POSITION ON TO GET SOMEONE TO THE NEXT AT MINIMUM, I GUESS I WOULD SAY OF THE NEXT GRADE, SPECIFICALLY IN HUMAN RESOURCES, I CAN SPEAK TO THAT. MY EMPLOYEES ARE NOWHERE NEAR THE MAXIMUM OF WHERE THEY ARE IN THEIR CURRENT POSITION. SO MOVING THEM UP ONE LEVEL AS A SENIOR, IF THEY MOVE TO A SENIOR AT SOME POINT, YES, THEY'RE GOING TO GET A BUMP IN SALARY, BUT I'M NOT MOVING THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE AT THE MAX. OKAY. AND AS YOU CAN, IF YOU SEE OUR MAX'S THERE, THEY'RE VERY HIGH. SO NO, THAT IS NOT WHAT OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. PITTMAN. ANYONE ELSE? SEEING NONE. IS THERE ANYONE SIGNED UP? THERE IS NO ONE SIGNED UP. MR. I'M SORRY. SO HOW MANY POSITIONS ARE BEING ADVERTISED RIGHT NOW? AND OPEN POSITIONS? OH, MY, I DON'T KNOW. AT THIS MOMENT.

OKAY, I CAN TELL YOU WE'RE POSTING ABOUT SIX JOBS TOMORROW, BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY POSTED AT THIS TIME. WE DO HAVE A LITTLE MORE AT THIS TIME JUST INCENTIVE, AND SO, AS WE HAD STATED DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS, THOSE POSITIONS ARE BEING POSTED AT A LOWER LEVEL FOR THE MOST PART, SO YOU WILL SEE AN UPTICK IN, IN SOME POSITIONS, THE NUMBERS OF POSITIONS. BUT SO BESIDES THOSE SIX, IS THERE MORE COMING AND THAT YOU ANTICIPATE AND WHAT MIGHT THAT AMOUNT BE? OR IS IT JUST CHANGES? IT CHANGES WEEKLY. SO EVERY WEDNESDAY WE DO POSTINGS AND SO IT CAN CHANGE EVERY WEEK. I DO SEE THE POSTINGS COME THROUGH, BUT DON'T SEE THE WHOLE LIST. AND IS THERE SOMETHING, IS THERE SOME WAY THAT WE CAN JUST GET A LIST OF JUST THE BASIC POSITIONS IN THE FEE, NOT THE WHOLE WE GET A JOB POSTING, BUT SOMETHING MOVING

[00:15:01]

[1. CALL TO ORDER]

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

COUNCIL APPOINTMENT. COUNCIL. ATTORNEY. COUNCIL AS YOU KNOW, MR. KEARNEY, WILL BE LEAVING US AT THE END OF THIS MONTH. AND IT HAS BEEN A CHALLENGE TO FIND SOMEONE THAT WOULD BE AS KNOWLEDGEABLE AS MR. KEARNEY IS SERVED. THE COUNCIL AS WELL AS HE HAS FOR SEVERAL YEARS, AND, AND, I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT, THROUGH A SEARCH, WE WERE ABLE TO FIND WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE A STELLAR CANDIDATE FOR THIS POSITION, WE MET WITH THE PERSONNEL COMMITTEE, TO REVIEW MISS ALLEGES, RESUME, WE LOOKED AT IT, SAW HER YEARS OF SERVICE TO COUNTY GOVERNMENT, THE FACT THAT SHE WORKED, FOR A LOCAL LAW DEPARTMENT FOR SEVERAL YEARS. BROWN, BROWN AND YOUNG, STARTING AS A SUMMER ASSISTANT, MOVING UP TO AN ASSISTANT ATTORNEY, WORKING FOR THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT FROM 2010 TO 2023, SHE'S EXTREMELY KNOWLEDGEABLE IN PLANNING AND ZONING MATTERS AND OTHER ISSUES. AND IT IS A RECOMMENDATION BY THE PERSONNEL COMMITTEE TO MOVE MISS ALLEGED NAME FORWARD FOR THIS OPENING, IF, IF APPROVED, SHE WILL START JULY 1ST. AND IF I MAY, I'D LIKE TO HAVE A MOTION. COUNCIL PRESIDENT. I MOVE TO APPROVE THE APPOINTMENT OF MEGAN ALEGI AS THE COUNTY ATTORNEY. SECOND, I'M SORRY. SECOND COUNCIL ATTORNEY, COUNCIL ATTORNEY. MR. PITTMAN STILL SECOND, MR. GUTHRIE, WHO WAS IT? I THINK IT WAS BOTH, BUT THANK YOU. OKAY. MR. GUTHRIE, WE'LL GIVE IT TO HIM, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED TO APPROVE MISS ALIJI, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION, MR. GUTHRIE, THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. AS AS A MEMBER OF THE PERSONNEL COMMITTEE, ALONG WITH TONY, WE WERE UNANIMOUS IN OUR APPOINTMENT. CERTAINLY WHEN I WAS ON THE COUNCIL BEFORE, I'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH HER AND HER STEAM MOTHER, AND WE. WE'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT. BUT CERTAINLY, THE RESUME IS IMPRESSIVE. WE CHECKED SOME OTHER ONES, BUT, OTHER RESUMES. BUT WE DIDN'T FIND ANYTHING TO COMPARE TO SOMEBODY WITH THE BACKGROUND THAT SHE HAS SO FAR WITH THE COUNTY. AND ALL. SO THAT'S MY SUPPORT. THANK YOU,

[00:20:04]

CHARLIE ASSURES ME THAT HE'S GOING TO BE AVAILABLE ON TUESDAYS FOR US GOING FORWARD, SO. BUT THANK YOU. AS LONG AS YOU DON'T GET MUGGED. SO CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN. I KNOW MR. JORDAN, AND WE MIGHT AS WELL GO WITH YOU. WE'RE GOING TO GO RIGHT DOWN THE DAIS, SO I KNEW MISS PILEGGI FROM PREVIOUS EMPLOYMENT AND HER WORK. SO I'M GLAD THAT, WE'VE GOT SOMEBODY WHO'S GOT YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE WITH THE COUNTY THAT CAN HELP US IN, IN ALL OUR ENDEAVORS THAT WILL MATCH WHAT CHARLIE HAS TAUGHT US. AND, YOU KNOW, TUTORED US ON. SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT. AND, WE, WE HOPEFULLY WELCOME YOU ABOARD IN A IN A NEXT FIVE MINUTES. THANK YOU, MR. JORDAN. AND MR. RILEY IS NOT HERE. HE ALSO HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW HER RESUME AND FELT THAT SHE WOULD BE AN EXCELLENT CANDIDATE. MISS SOTTOS. THANK YOU, I WELCOME ABOARD. I'M VERY EXCITED TO WORK WITH YOU. AND AS EVERYONE ELSE HAS SAID, YOUR RESUME IS HIGHLY IMPRESSIVE. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING TOGETHER. THANKS. THANK YOU, MISS MR. BENNETT. YEAH, I'LL JUST ECHO WHAT EVERYONE ELSE HAS SAID. AND I'M ALSO JUST SO THANKFUL FOR, FROM AN ATTORNEY PERSPECTIVE, FOR THE COUNCIL TO BE FULLY STAFFED ENTERING THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR WITH NOW HAVING SOMEONE TO HELP WITH DRAFTING LEGISLATION AND TO HAVE OUR COUNCIL ATTORNEY AS WELL. I THINK ALL MISS CHARLIE, LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, WILL, ALTHOUGH WE LIVE IN THE SAME TOWN. SO, AS LONG AS YOU'RE ON VACATION TOO MUCH, I'M SURE WE'LL SEE EACH OTHER, BUT. BUT THANK YOU. AND I'M EXCITED. THANK YOU. AND I WILL ADD THAT WE DID ADVERTISE FOR THE POSITION, BUT IN JUST A VERY SHORT TIME, WE HAD A COUPLE OF APPLICANTS, STRONG APPLICANTS TO CONSIDER. SO, WITH THAT, IF EVERYONE'S DONE, MISS DIXON, MR. PRESIDENT, MR. GUTHRIE, I MR. PENMAN I MR. GIORDANO I MRS. WILSON I MR. BENNETT I THERE BEING SIX VOTES IN THE AFFIRMATIVE ONE ABSENT THE APPOINTMENT. APPOINTMENT IS HEREBY APPROVED. MISS ALIJI.

WHERE'D YOU GO? THERE YOU ARE. I KNOW YOU'RE I'M GOING TO HAVE A HARD TIME FINDING YOU. I CAN SEE. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. SPEECH, SPEECH. YEAH. AGENDA NUMBER SIX. SPECIAL

[6. SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS]

ON LOUD ENOUGH HERE AS WE AS WE GO THROUGH. YOU MAY WANT TO PULL THAT MIC JUST A LITTLE CLOSER.

THANK YOU SIR. ALL RIGHT. SHERM DRIVING THIS CORRECTLY HERE. OKAY, WHAT? I'M THE AGENDA IS BEFORE YOU. WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS GO THROUGH THE AGENDA WHICH FOLLOWS THE WRITTEN REPORT THAT HOPEFULLY YOU ALL HAVE, I'LL BE BRIEF ON SOME AREAS, BUT I REALLY WANT TO DELVE INTO A COUPLE OTHER ONES. I'LL GO THROUGH THE MISSION AND OUR MEMBERSHIP, WHICH HASN'T CHANGED MUCH. OUR MAJOR EVENTS AND PROGRAMS. THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE GOING TO CONCENTRATE ON.

SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE DONE AS A COMMISSION OVER THE OVER THE PAST YEAR AND OUR OUTREACH AREAS, THE ASSISTANCE REQUESTS THAT WE'VE HAD, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME CHANGES THERE AS WE GO THROUGH THAT, OUR SOCIAL MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS, PARTNERING AND THEN UPCOMING PROJECTS AND GOALS. AND OF COURSE, AT ANY TIME THAT YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS , PLEASE LET ME KNOW AND I'LL STOP AND GO INTO MORE DETAIL. FIRST, I'LL KICK IT OFF WITH OUR MISSION. AND REALLY THE KEY THING IS THAT SECOND WORD UP THERE AND ADVOCATE WHAT WE FIND IS A LOT OF TIMES VETERANS OR FAMILY MEMBERS, THEY DO NOT HAVE AN ADVOCATE. THEY COME TO THE VETERANS COMMISSION AND THEY'RE LOOKING FOR HELP. AND SOMETIMES WE'RE THE LAST I SAY LAST CHOICE, LAST RESORT TO GO THROUGH. BUT THEN WE PROVIDE THEM WITH THEIR HELP. AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT THE OUR PURPOSE IS IN BEING THAT, BEING THAT ADVOCATE, HELPING THEM OUT THAT WAY. AND THE VISION UP THERE. WE WANT TO BE WE WANT HARFORD COUNTY TO BE THE VETERANS COUNTY OF CHOICE, A PLACE WHERE VETERANS FEEL SAFE, WHERE THEY CAN WORK, WHERE THEY CAN FIND JOBS, WHERE THEY CAN REACH OUT, WHETHER THEY'RE DISABLED OR ABLE BODIED AS WELL TO WITHIN THE WITHIN THE BUSINESSES. SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT WITH OUR MISSION AND VISION, JUST BRIEFLY, OUR DUTIES AND

[00:25:01]

NAVIGATING THE VA HEALTH CARE SYSTEM CAN SOMETIMES BE DIFFICULT, BUT THERE WAS A SYSTEM THERE WHERE THEY COULD COME AND THEY COULD REGISTER FOR VA HEALTH CARE, RIGHT? RIGHT THERE. AND WE HAD A SERIES OF DIFFERENT NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THERE AS WELL.

APG, FCU, THEY SPONSORED OUR RAFFLE AND OUR RAVENS TICKETS GIVEAWAYS. UNFORTUNATELY, THE RAVENS THE GAME WITH THE PITTSBURGH STEELERS WAS AT THE END OF THE YEAR, AND IT WAS VERY COLD. AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT REALLY MATTERED ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, BUT WE STILL HAD THOSE THOSE TICKETS WE PLAN ON DOING HOPEFULLY THE SAME THING AGAIN THIS YEAR IN ADDITION TO AND KIND OF IN CONJUNCTION WITH OUR RESOURCE FAIR, WE HAVE THE PHOTO GALLERY OF HONOR. AND WHAT THAT IS, IS WE HAVE VETERANS WHO AND FAMILY MEMBERS CONTACT US, SEND US PICTURES AND LITTLE VIGNETTES ABOUT THEIR ABOUT THEIR VETERAN AND SOME OF THEM HAVE BEEN DECEASED. SOME OF THEM MOVED AWAY. BUT IT'S REALLY GREAT TO SEE THOSE AND SEE THAT ROLLING PICTURE UP THERE. AND IT DRAWS PEOPLE IN TO, I THINK, TO OUR, TO OUR WEBSITE TO BE ABLE TO SAY WHERE IS MY PICTURE UP THERE? WHERE IS WHERE IS MY PICTURE? THERE OUR DISCOUNT BOOK AND VETERANS RESOURCE GUIDE. WE PUT THOSE ONLINE. THIS YEAR. WE HADN'T DONE THAT IN THE PAST. AND OUR DISCOUNT BOOK IS A BOOK OF THOSE BUSINESSES, PRIMARILY SMALL BUSINESSES WITHIN HARFORD COUNTY, THAT OFFER DISCOUNTS TO VETERANS. AND WE'RE HOPING TO GROW THAT MORE THIS YEAR. OUR VETERANS RESOURCE GUIDE ARE THE SPECIFIC RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE. THE GOVERNOR'S CHALLENGE CRISIS INTERCEPT MAPPING AND ASKS THE QUESTION, JUST TO SPEND A COUPLE OF SECONDS ON THIS ONE HERE. I MENTIONED THIS LAST YEAR THE GOVERNOR'S CHALLENGE TO PREVENT SUICIDE AMONG SERVICE MEMBERS, VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES REALLY A PRIORITY. AND WHAT WE DID WITHIN HARFORD COUNTY IS, ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO, WE WERE NAMED AS A CRISIS INTERCEPT MAPPING, AS A PILOT FOR THE ENTIRE STATE. AND WHAT THAT DID IS WE BROUGHT TOGETHER, IT'S A SUICIDE CRISIS INTERVENTION INTERVENTION SYSTEM AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, LOOKING AT THOSE GAPS BETWEEN DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS, WHETHER THEY'RE FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL, INCLUDING THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, INCLUDING EVERYONE ELSE IN THERE, AND SAY, WHERE ARE THOSE GAPS TO TAKE CARE OF SOMEONE WHO MAY BE IN SUICIDE

[00:30:03]

[00:35:03]

[00:40:04]

THAT'S WHERE THE VA IS COMING IN. AND THEY'LL TALK ABOUT CLAIMS ACROSS THE BOARD. AND PEOPLE CAN COME IN AND BY REGISTRATION ONLY. WE DID THIS TWO YEARS. EVERY TWO YEARS THEY BRING IN THE ACTUAL CLAIMS OFFICE HOURS, THE ONE WHO RATE THE CLAIMS. AND THIS IS TRULY UNIQUE THROUGHOUT THE STATE THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO DO THIS IN NOVEMBER. NINTH IS OUR VETERANS RESOURCE FAIR THIS YEAR. HOPEFULLY WE'LL SEE YOU OUT THERE AT THAT, THE OTHER ONES I'VE GONE OVER AND SUPPORT THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THAT WE ARE THAT WE'RE DOING. SO IN THE END, KIND OF THE SUMMARIZE HERE, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO AND WHAT WE WANT THE VETERANS TO KNOW IS THAT THEY HAVE EARNED BENEFITS. I HEAR SO OFTEN THE PHRASE OF, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING WITH THE VA. I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS BECAUSE I'M TAKING MY BENEFITS AWAY FROM SOMEBODY ELSE. BUT THE WAY THE VETERAN, THE VA IS FUNDED IS THEY'RE FUNDED BY THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY USE THE SYSTEM. SO BY GOING IN AND USING THE VA, YOU KNOW HOW MUCH YOU USE. IT MAY NOT BE THAT MUCH, BUT THEN YOU'RE HELPING SOMEBODY ELSE. YOU'RE HELPING SOMEBODY ELSE IN THERE. SO WE PUT THAT OUT AND TRY TO GET AWAY. AND THEIR EARNED THEIR EARNED BENEFITS, THEIR DESERVE BENEFITS FOR OUR VETERANS. THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION. I'M OPEN TO ANY QUESTIONS, WELL, FIRST, LET ME THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY, OUR SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY, OUR SERVICE TO THEIR YOUR SERVICE TO THE VETERANS. I'VE WITNESSED AND SEEN FIRSTHAND, THE VALUE THAT YOU BRING TO OUR COMMUNITY WHEN A VETERANS FAMILY IS FACED WITH AN END OF LIFE SITUATION, AND YOU STEP IN TO HELP THEM NAVIGATE TO WHERE THEY NEED TO BE, AND WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO MR. PENMAN. THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, MR. BROWN, I JUST WANT TO COMPLIMENT YOU. I THANK YOU FOR YOUR PASSION, YOUR HARD WORK. YOU ARE AN INCREDIBLE ASSET TO THIS COUNTY, AND I APPRECIATE THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE BRINGING YOU ON BOARD AND GIVING YOU THE RESOURCES NEEDED TO BE SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL THROUGH THE RESOURCE FAIR AND ALL THE OTHER OUTREACH THAT YOU THAT YOU'VE DONE. AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO SO. I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL THAT YOU DO. THANK YOU, MR. GUTHRIE, THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. I ECHO THE SAME SENTIMENTS, AND I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT IT'S NAMED AFTER SOMEONE I SERVED ON THE COUNCIL WITH. YOU KNOW, CAPTAIN JIM MCMAHON. WE HAD A GREAT TIME ON THE COUNCIL TOGETHER OVER THE YEARS, I ALWAYS REMEMBER MY FATHER DIED, WHO WAS A, A WORLD WAR TWO

[00:45:07]

AND HE WAS THERE FULL TIME FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS OF HIS LIFE BECAUSE HE STILL, HE STILL HAD, WOUNDS FROM THE FROM THE WAR AND STUFF IN HIS BODY THAT THEY COULDN'T TAKE OUT. AND IT FINALLY GOT TO HIM AND IT TOOK HIM. BUT HE WAS A GREAT MAN. BUT NOW I THANK THE VETERANS, ALL THE HOSPITAL, WHAT THEY DID FOR HIM FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS OF HIS LIFE. THANK YOU. YES, SIR. AND YOU BRING UP A VERY GOOD POINT, THAT END OF LIFE. AND I'VE TALKED WITH SOMEBODY IN FACT, TODAY ABOUT THAT, ABOUT THAT IT A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW IT'S THAT COMMUNICATION.

AND THAT'S THE ONE THING THAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO THROUGH THE RESOURCE FAIR, THROUGH GETTING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY, THROUGH WORKING WITH THE VETERANS SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS AND TALKING TO PEOPLE. IS THAT PARTICULARLY THE, YOU KNOW, THE ACRONYM THAT THE DCU WOULD EVER WHATEVER MAY HAPPEN TO BE THAT THEY'RE ENTITLED TO AT THE END, THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT. AND THEN IT IS LIKE YOU SAY, IT'S NOT RETROACTIVE AND THEY DON'T KNOW OR DON'T KNOW WHO TO TALK TO. AND THAT'S WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO CONTACT US AND WE'LL SIT DOWN. WE'LL GO. I MEAN, I'VE BEEN SITTING DOWN WITH PEOPLE ALL OVER THE COUNTY JUST TO DO THOSE TYPES OF THINGS . YEAH, I THINK THEY NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT, THERE'S NO EFFORT TO NOTIFY THE SPOUSE, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE VETERAN DIES, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK THAT NEEDS, SOMEBODY NEEDS TO PAY ATTENTION TO THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. GUTHRIE. ANYONE ELSE? MR. BENNETT, I JUST THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL YOU'VE DONE. I ESPECIALLY ENJOY THE PODCAST THAT'S PRODUCED AT HCC, WITH, YOU KNOW, BILL MONTGOMERY'S INVOLVEMENT IN THAT, I THINK IT'S A REAL I JUST SAW ON CBS SUNDAY MORNING NEWS THAT THE WORLD WAR TWO MUSEUM, IN LOUISIANA, WHERE THEY SAT DOWN AND DID INTERVIEWS WITH VETERANS SINCE SO MANY WORLD WAR TWO VETERANS, YOU KNOW, ARE BEING LOST AT A TIME TO GET THEIR FULL STORIES. AND NOW USING, TECHNOLOGY, YOU CAN GO AND ASK ANY QUESTION YOU WANT, AND THE VETERAN RESPONDS BACK TO YOU BASED ON THE RECORDINGS, AND I JUST THINK THESE INTERVIEWS THAT WE'RE DOING LOCALLY IS A FORM OF LOCAL, YOU KNOW, HISTORICAL PRESERVATION. THESE STORIES THAT ARE SHARED, ON THE PODCAST, I THINK IT'S GOOD FOR OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY TO KNOW THE STORIES OF THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE, WHO SERVE HERE. AND IT'S JUST A REALLY SPECIAL THING. SO ON TOP OF EVERYTHING ELSE THAT YOU ALL ARE CONNECTED WITH, I JUST WANTED TO CELEBRATE THAT. AND YOU HAVEN'T LISTENED TO IT BEFORE. IT IS AVAILABLE ONLINE. YOU DON'T HAVE TO LISTEN ON THE RADIO, BUT IT'S ALSO ON THE RADIO AS WELL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. BENNETT. MR. GINGER, DANA. HI, BOB. THANKS FOR COMING, EXPLAINING EVERYTHING I, ENJOY GOING TO THE MEMORIAL DAY CELEBRATION AT BEL AIR, I THINK THE BIGGEST KICK I GET IS LISTEN TO THEM TO PLAY THE BATTLE HYMNS, NOT THE BATTLE HYMNS, BUT THE HYMNS OF ALL THE SERVICES. AND TRYING TO PICK OUT WHICH ONE IS WHICH. SO THE BEL AIR COMMUNITY BAND DOES THAT, AND IT'S SO WELL ATTENDED, SO MANY VETERANS COME AND THEY'RE SO PROUD WHEN, WHEN THEY CALL AND THEY GET UP AND EVERYTHING. SO IT'S, AND I KNOW THEY'RE TRYING TO MAKE THAT BIGGER, THEY HAD SOME, DISPLAY STUFF DOWN THERE OF, YOU KNOW, SOME JUST SOME OF THE RIFLES FROM THE RIFLE FROM THE, SPANISH CIVIL WAR ALL THE WAY UP TO, I GUESS WHAT'S THE

[00:50:05]

SO IT WAS, YOU KNOW, VERY PROUD MOMENT TO BE THERE WITH ALL THE VETERANS AND LISTEN TO ALL THAT.

SO THANK YOU. THAT WAS A GREAT, A GREAT DAY. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE. THANK YOU MR. BROWN. THANK YOU SIR. APPRECIATE YOU. AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SEVEN APPROVAL OF MINUTES. LEGISLATIVE DAY 20 4-0

[7. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]

[10. INTRODUCTION AND CONSIDERATION OF AMENDMENTS]

IT'S MOVED. AND SECOND TO APPROVE AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE TO BILL 20 4-011. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? MR. BENNETT, I WAS HOPING MAYBE COUNCILMAN GUTHRIE COULD SPEAK TO HIS DESIRE TO HAVE THEM VOTED ON ONE AT A TIME. JUST IN PREPARATION FOR TONIGHT. I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION YOU SUPPORTED THE FOUR AMENDMENTS, AND JUST WANTED TO MAYBE HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I'M SUPPORTIVE IN SUPPORT OF YOUR SUPPORT. IF I CAN SAY THE WORD SUPPORT AS MANY TIMES AS POSSIBLE IN ONE SENTENCE, BUT IF THAT'S CHANGED FOR YOU, I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR ALL OF US AS A COUNCIL TO KNOW BEFORE WE VOTE. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? WELL I WAS GOING TO DISCUSS. I ONLY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH AMENDMENT THREE, AND I'M THE PROBLEM WITH THE OTHER THREE AMENDMENTS. I DON'T KNOW WHERE WHERE IT GOT OUT THAT I HAD ALREADY APPROVED ALL FOUR OF THESE AMENDMENTS BECAUSE I HAD, I JUST HAD SOME PROBLEMS WITH SOME LANGUAGE AND AMENDMENT THREE, AND I'LL WHEN WE GET TO AMENDMENT THREE, I'LL, I'LL GIVE YOU MY CONCERNS. MR. GUTHRIE, COULD WE THEN HAVE A MOTION TO MOVE ONE, TWO AND FOUR AS A GROUP? YES MAY I HAVE THAT MOTION, PLEASE? COUNCIL PRESIDENT, I MOVE TO APPROVE AMENDMENTS ONE, TWO AND FOUR TO BILL 24. DASH 011A SECOND, SECOND. THANK YOU, MR. PENMAN.

IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED, AGAIN, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION TO ONE, TWO AND FOUR SEEING NONE. MISS DIXON. MR. PRESIDENT I MR. GUTHRIE I MR. PENMAN I MR. GIORDANO I MRS. OLSEN I MR. BENNETT I BEING SIX VOTES IN THE AFFIRMATIVE ONE ABSENT AMENDMENTS ONE, TWO AND FOUR TO BILL 20 4-011 ARE HEREBY APPROVED NOW, MAY I HAVE A MOTION ON AMENDMENT NUMBER THREE? COUNCIL PRESIDENT, I MOVE TO APPROVE AMENDMENT NUMBER THREE TO BILL 24, DASH 011. MAY I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND? THANK YOU, MR. PENMAN. IT'S MOVED AND SECONDED TO APPROVE AMENDMENT NUMBER THREE. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION, MR. GUTHRIE? YES MY PROBLEM GOES BACK TO, YOU KNOW, I GUESS MY COLLEGE DAYS WHEN I GRADUATED FROM ANTIOCH UNIVERSITY AND I HAD A I TOOK A CLASS ON LANGUAGE, BECAUSE BECAUSE I NEGOTIATED LOTS OF COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS AND LOTS OF CONTRACTS. AND I'M REALLY STICKLER FOR WORDS AND THIS IS ONE, IN THE LAST, SENTENCE RIGHT AT THE END OF, WHERE WHERE IT MENTIONS ABOUT, IN PART TO, TO PROVIDE FOR WORK ON MORE THAN ONE GRADING UNIT UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, EXCUSE ME, UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES.

I WANTED TO PUT A PERIOD AFTER UNIT, AND DELETE THE THOSE THREE WORDS THAT, MR. PENMAN HAD SINCE IT'S HIS AMENDMENT DIDN'T AGREE WITH ME, SO. BUT MY, MY PROBLEM IS THAT, THAT, WHAT CERTAIN CONDITIONS, CIRCUMSTANCES AND YOU'RE WHAT YOU'RE DOING WITH THIS KIND OF LANGUAGE IS YOU'RE ALLOWING TWO SIDES TO ARGUE WHO DON'T KNOW, EVEN THEY'RE GOING TO BE ARGUING WITH EACH OTHER, YOU COULD SAY THIS. THIS ACTUALLY APPLIES TO THE MAIN BODY OF, OF, AMENDMENT ONE. AND THAT COULD BE. BUT, WHEN YOU HAVE LANGUAGE, LIKE THIS AND THEY ALWAYS TEACH YOU THAT IT IS

[00:55:07]

BUT, WHEN YOU SAY UNDER, CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, WHAT ARE THEY? YOU COULDN'T POSSIBLY A LIST THEM OF ALL THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT THERE COULD BE, AND THAT'S THE PROBLEM. THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO PUT A PERIOD AFTER UNIT, I, I PROBABLY WON'T VOTE AGAINST THIS BILL, BUT I'LL PROBABLY ABSTAIN BECAUSE I'M REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT LANGUAGE. IT'S GOING TO IT'S GOING TO COME BITE US SOMEWHERE DOWN THE ROAD AND THERE'LL BE A LAWSUIT SOMEWHERE AND WILL BE IN THE COURTS, AND WE'RE GOING TO GIVE HER A JOB TO DO, YOU KNOW, TO ARGUE ON BEHALF OF US OR BEHALF OF THE COUNTY.

SO THAT'S MY CONCERN. MR. PRESIDENT. THANK YOU, MR. GUTHRIE. MR. PENMAN. THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, WE DID HAVE A CONVERSATION. COUNCILMAN GUTHRIE AND I AND THE CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES IS, I THINK IS DESCRIBED IN THE FIRST AMENDMENT. AND I MIGHT, I MIGHT ADD AS WELL THAT THAT, THIS IS THE TITLE PAGE, DESCRIPTION. IT'S NOT ACTUALLY IN THE CODE.

SO I FELT IT WAS BETTER SERVED WITH IT THERE, THE CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCE REFERS TO AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE, WHICH WAS JUST VOTED ON AND PASSED. SO THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. THANK YOU, MR. PENMAN. ANYONE ELSE? MR. BENNETT, I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE WHAT COUNCILMAN PENMAN JUST STATED ABOUT BEING ON THE TITLE PAGE OF THE BILL ITSELF AND NOT IN THE CODE. I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT CLARIFICATION FOR PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING. THANK YOU, MR. BENNETT. MR. JONES MIGHT AS WELL WEIGH IN MYSELF, BECAUSE I ASKED CHARLIE THE SAME QUESTION THIS MORNING, AND HE GAVE ME THE SAME ANSWER, BECAUSE THAT WAS MY CONCERN, TOO, IS JUST WHAT CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES WAS. AND IT WAS THE IN THE TITLE PAGE. SO I WAS GLAD TO TALK TO CHARLIE TO GET THAT STRAIGHTENED OUT. AND PROBABLY THE LAST OFFICIAL PIECE OF BUSINESS I MIGHT HAVE.

CHARLIE DO. AND THEN MEGAN, I'M GOING TO BE ASKING YOU THAT QUESTION, AND. ALL RIGHT, WELL, THAT'S GOOD. THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW. THANK YOU. WE HOPE NOBODY HAS TO ASK THE QUESTION. LET'S PUT IT THAT WAY, MISS DIXON. MR. PRESIDENT, MR. GUTHRIE, ABSTAIN, MR. PENMAN. AYE. MR. GIORDANO.

AYE. MISSUS BULL. AYE. MR. BENNETT. AYE. BEING FIVE VOTES IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, ONE ABSTENTION AND ONE ABSENT. THE AMENDMENTS TO BILL OR EXCUSE ME, THE AMENDMENTS ONE THROUGH FOUR TO BILL 20 4-001 ARE HEREBY APPROVED. AND, MR. KEARNEY, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG. NOW, THAT ONE THROUGH FOUR HAS PASSED, WE DON'T NEED FIVE. THAT'S ABSOLUTELY CORRECT. THANK YOU SIR, MR. GIORDANO, PLEASE READ AMENDMENTS 28 AND 29 TO BILL 24. DASH ZERO 14, OUR ANNUAL BUDGET APPROPRIATION ORDINANCE. INTO THE RECORD, PLEASE. AMENDMENTS 28 AND 29.

BILL 20 4-0 14, ANNUAL BUDGET APPROPRIATION ORDINANCE INTRODUCED BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT VINCENTE. THE REQUEST OF THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AMENDMENT NUMBER 28 ON PAGE NINE IN LINE SEVEN. STRIKE 1,289,739 AND SUBSTITUTE 1,244,739 IN PARENTHESES. TO REDUCE OFFICE OF DRUG CONTROL IN THE AMOUNT OF IN PARENTHESES 45,000. AMENDMENT NUMBER 29 ON PAGE 11. IN LINE EIGHT. STRIKE 2,490,296 AND SUBSTITUTE 2,535,296 IN PARENTHESES TWO. INCREASE CIRCUIT COURT IN THE AMOUNT OF 45,000 FOR DRUG TESTING REQUIRED BY THE ADULT DRUG COURT GRANT, NOW MANAGED BY THE JUDICIAL BRANCH. THANK YOU, MR. GIORDANO, AND DUE TO A TIME CONSTRAINT, WE ARE GOING TO MOVE THESE AMENDMENTS THIS EVENING. MAY I HAVE A MOTION, PLEASE, FOR VOTING BLOCK NUMBER THREE. COUNCIL PRESIDENT, I MOVE TO APPROVE AMENDMENTS 28 AND 29 TO BILL 24 DASH 14. MAY I HAVE A SECOND, SECOND? THANK YOU, MR. GUTHRIE. IT'S MOVED AND SECONDED TO APPROVE AMENDMENTS 28 AND 29, TO THE BILL 24 ZERO 14. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION, MR. BENNETT, IS THIS CHANGING WHAT THAT $45,000 WOULD HAVE BEEN SPENT ON OR IS IT JUST CHANGING WHERE THAT MONEY IS PUT UNDER? MISS SPENCE, IF YOU COULD COME FORWARD, PLEASE. GOOD EVENING, THE $45,000 IS FOR DRUG TESTING FOR THE FOLKS, FOR ADULT DRUG COURT. SO ALL IT'S DOING IS MOVING IT TO JUDICIAL AS PART OF THE GRANT. SO IT'S NOT CHANGING IT WAS ALWAYS MEANT FOR THAT. IT'S

[01:00:04]

SO THIS WEEK WE RECEIVED THE, MAY DISTRIBUTION FOR INCOME TAX, WHICH REPRESENTS THE FIRST QUARTER, WHICH WOULD BE JANUARY, FEBRUARY, YES, JANUARY, FEBRUARY AND MARCH, YOU MAY RECALL, KIND OF BEFORE THAT, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT. WE WERE ABOUT $13 MILLION AT THE END OF FEBRUARY FROM WHERE WE WERE AT THE SAME TIME LAST YEAR. AND SOME OF THAT WAS BECAUSE WE HAD A RECONCILING DISTRIBUTION THAT WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER, ABOUT $10 MILLION THAT WE WERE EXPECTING.

BUT WHAT WE WEREN'T EXPECTING WAS THAT THE TWO QUARTERLY DISTRIBUTIONS IN THIS CASE, THE FOURTH, WHICH WE RECEIVED IN FEBRUARY, AND THE THIRD THAT WE RECEIVED IN NOVEMBER, WERE WERE WERE NEGATIVE, WERE DOWN. AND MOST TROUBLING IS THAT THEY THE WITHHOLDING. SO YOU KNOW, THIS ISN'T THE ESTIMATED PAYMENTS. IT COMES FROM CAPITAL GAINS AND IS ALWAYS A LITTLE BIT, VOLATILE.

BUT THE WITHHOLDING, WHICH IS NORMALLY A LITTLE MORE SOLID, WE'RE BOTH SHOWING NEGATIVE. SO THERE'S A LOT OF THERE'S JUST A LOT OF CONCERNS ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON, WITH THE LABOR MARKET AND THE LIKE. SO WE RECEIVED THIS MAY DISTRIBUTION. IT WAS, YOU KNOW, WE DID SEE A BOUNCE BACK IN, IN THAT WITHHOLDING AND OUR OVERALL MAY DISTRIBUTION, INSTEAD OF BEING NEGATIVE AS THE TWO OTHER QUARTERLY DISTRIBUTIONS WERE, WAS UP 5.2. SO ALL TOLD, YOU KNOW, WE'RE STILL DOWN FROM WHERE WE WERE AT THIS TIME LAST YEAR, BUT INSTEAD OF BEING DOWN ABOUT 13 MILLION, WE'RE DOWN, WE'RE DOWN ABOUT, YOU KNOW, 7 OR 8 MILLION. SO IT'S ABOUT A $5 MILLION SWING, $5.5 MILLION SWING. AND THAT'S WHY WE THOUGHT THAT WE COULD, HAVE ENOUGH FUND BALANCE THAT WE COULD EXTEND SOME ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION TO, TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. NOW, WHAT DOES IT SAY ABOUT GOING FORWARD? IT'S KIND OF HARD TO SAY, YOU KNOW, THERE WASN'T MUCH GIVEN FROM, FROM THE STATE AS TO, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WHAT WAS ALL DRIVING THIS AND WE COULD JUST TELL SOME OF THE RAW NUMBERS, BUT WE STILL DON'T KNOW, LIKE, WAS THERE WERE THERE ISSUES WITH THE CONTROLLER'S NEW, NEW TAX ACCOUNTING SOFTWARE THAT WAS CAUSING SOME OF THIS? WAS THERE SOME THINGS THAT MAYBE WERE MISSED OR OR IS THIS JUST KIND OF INDICATIVE OF, OF, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THE ECONOMY'S HAVING

[01:05:01]

AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE DEALING WITH ALL OF THOSE THOSE CHALLENGES AS WELL. AND JUST THIS THIS PAST WEEK, YOU KNOW, MOODY'S, YOU KNOW, PUT THE STATE ON A, ON A NEGATIVE WATCH WILL MAINTAIN THEIR TRIPLE A, BUT PUT THEM ON A NEGATIVE WATCH JUST BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE CONCERNS ABOUT FUND BALANCE AND REVENUE GROWTH AND KIRWIN AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS. SO THANK YOU, MR. BENNET. MR. PENMAN. THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. I FIRST JUST WANT TO THANK THE COUNCIL. FOR UNIFYING VOICE AND ADVOCATING, FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION AND TEACHERS. AND I KNOW, MYSELF, COUNCIL PRESIDENT VICENTE AND MY CITIZEN BUDGET ADVISOR, BROOKE SCHERTZER, WORKED TIRELESSLY TO IDENTIFY SEVERAL AREAS IN THE BUDGET WHERE WE COULD USE OR REALLOCATE FUNDS. AND I THINK THAT CAME TO A HEAD TODAY, AND THAT DECISION WAS MADE. AND I APPRECIATE THE EFFORTS, BY THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE TO MOVE THE NEEDLE, NOT WHERE WE WERE REQUESTING, BUT IT DID MOVE THE NEEDLE, AND I DID LOOK AT THE DISBURSEMENT OF ABOUT. YEAH, 5.2. AND I'M HOPEFUL THAT AT LEAST THE JUNE DISBURSEMENT WILL COME IN AT 5 OR 6. TWO, AND THEN WE'LL BE, WILL BE HOPEFULLY A

[01:10:08]

WITHHOLDING IS FAR AWAY. YOU KNOW, THE LARGEST COMPONENT, IT'S PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, 80, 80 SOME PERCENT OF THE TOTAL OF THE TOTAL DISTRIBUTION, MAYBE EVEN MORE SO THAN THAT, AND THEN YOU HAVE ESTIMATED PAYMENTS AND ESTIMATED PAYMENTS CAN MEAN EVERYTHING FROM, SAY, CAPITAL GAINS TO, OH, YOU HAVE A SMALL BUSINESS AND OR MAYBE A LARGE BUSINESS. AND YOU ARE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE MAKING ESTIMATED PAYMENTS OR FOR, FOR WHATEVER REASON. AND THAT NUMBER'S ALWAYS BEEN VOLATILE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE AGAIN, THINGS HAPPEN. BIG STOCK SALE, WHATEVER, BUT THE WITHHOLDING IS GENERALLY A LITTLE BIT MORE CONSISTENT AND THAT'S BEEN AGAIN, THE REAL CONCERN WAS, WAS WHEN WE SAW THAT WITHHOLDING GO DOWN FOR TWO CONSECUTIVE QUARTERS. YOU KNOW, ACROSS THE STATE IT LOOKS LIKE IT BOUNCED BACK. BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, SO THOSE TWO ANOMALIES OR WAS THIS AN ANOMALY? SO WHEN WE HAD BUDGET HEARING AND I FOUND OUT INFORMATION FROM PAYROLL COMPANIES THAT OUR PAYROLL WAS UP 25, MARYLAND, BUT 27% IN HARFORD COUNTY. THAT'S PART OF THIS BECAUSE YOU JUST SAID PAYROLL IS THE LARGEST PORTION OF THIS. YEAH. SO PAYROLL PAYROLL IS AND THEN TO THE EXTENT, YOU KNOW, SO WHAT WE SAW IS THAT I THINK OVERALL THE WITHHOLDING IN THIS DISTRIBUTION WAS UP, WAS UP ABOUT SEVEN, WAS UP ABOUT 7. SO YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S, THAT'S ONGOING OR NOT AND THAT'S THAT'S ONLY GOING TO BE BE THE CHALLENGE IS, YOU KNOW, IS, IS HOW MUCH OF THAT IS ONGOING. AND AGAIN, WAS ANY OF THIS. AND WE'RE HOPING TO GET SOME ANSWERS, YOU KNOW, WAS ANY OF THIS BECAUSE OF THE NEW SYSTEM, WERE THINGS DELAYED SOMEHOW? WAS IT A CALENDAR ISSUE WITHHOLDING CAN ALWAYS BE TOUGH TO JUST LIKE THIS PAST MONTH IN MAY WE GOT IF YOU WORK FOR THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT, THERE WERE THREE THREE PAYS IN THE MONTH OF MAY. THAT HAPPENS TWICE A YEAR. WHEN THAT HAPPENS TO REALLY BIG EMPLOYERS, IT CAN IT CAN SHIFT THE NUMBER TWO. SO WE DON'T THERE'S A LOT THAT WE DON'T KNOW. BUT YOU KNOW AGAIN IF WE ARE SEEING OVERALL, YOU KNOW, WAGE GROWTH THEN THAT'S CERTAINLY A CERTAINLY A PLUS. SO, SO I AND I AGREE BUT AND I'M GOING TO STICK TO MY GUNS AND SAYING THAT THE 25% THAT, THAT I SAID IT WAS OBVIOUSLY IS COMING THROUGH. PART OF IT'S GOT TO BE FOR THE INCREASED WAGES. YOU KNOW, THE MINIMUM WAGE WENT UP TO $15, YOU KNOW, EFFECTIVE JANUARY FIRST. SO BY THE END OF JUNE THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET WE'RE GOING TO GET WITHHOLDING PROBABLY NOT MUCH, SOME ESTIMATED PAYMENTS I WOULD IMAGINE TOO. SO IT'S GOING TO BE INTERESTING TO SEE. BUT YOU KNOW AND I APPRECIATE WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM. BUT I DON'T THINK ANYBODY APPRECIATED WHERE I WAS COMING FROM WITH THE INFORMATION THAT I GOT THAT IT WAS THAT WAS PRETTY ACCURATE. AND IT'S AND IT SHOWED UP IN THE LAST TWO THINGS THAT WERE WERE CLAWING BACK FROM THE OBVIOUSLY FROM THE BIG DEFICIT THAT WE HAD, THE 13 MILLION. THAT'S ALL. AND I JUST WISH I JUST WISH THAT I WOULD GET SOME RECOGNITION FROM FROM YOU GUYS AND SAYING THAT, HEY, YOU WERE PROBABLY CORRECT WITH THE 25% THAT WE'RE GETTING FOR REVENUE COMING IN THAT WAS INCREASED. YOU KNOW, IT WAS SOLID KNOWLEDGE. IT WAS FACT BASED KNOWLEDGE. AND THAT'S IT.

THAT'S THE ONLY THING I HAVE TO SAY OTHER THAN THAT. SO, LITTLE FRUSTRATING SOMETIMES. YEAH. AND BUT THEN, BUT WE ALWAYS SAY THAT A COUPLE OF THINGS. AND THIS IS THE CHALLENGE WITH, WITH THE INCOME TAXES THAT WE'RE DEALING IT FROM A, FROM A STATEWIDE FROM A STATEWIDE, FROM A STATEWIDE BASIS. AND AGAIN, THERE'S A LOT OF VOLATILITY WITHIN THAT ESTIMATED PAYMENTS THAT CAN THAT CAN DRIVE THIS UP AND DOWN. AND THAT GOES JUST GOES BACK TO THAT. WE'RE TRYING TO COME UP WITH, YOU KNOW, CONSERVATIVE CONSERVATIVE, LONG TERM TREND NUMBERS. BUT HOPEFULLY THAT IS THE CASE. YOU KNOW, WE CERTAINLY DIDN'T SEE IT GO UP BY BY 25. YOU KNOW, IT UP BY UP BY 5. AND

[01:15:02]

WELL, THANK THANKS AGAIN. APPRECIATE IT. AND LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING THOSE NUMBERS AT THE END OF JUNE. MR. PENMAN, JUST WANT A QUICK FOLLOW UP. THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. AND YOU KNOW I APPRECIATE THE INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT POSITION YOU ARE IN TO FORECAST THIS, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT WASN'T SO LONG AGO THAT THE, YOU KNOW, THE PROJECTIONS WERE 5. THEY WERE, YOU KNOW, THE INCREASE IN BUDGETS WAS 5% ACROSS THE BOARD. THEN WE HAD ONE DISBURSEMENT IN JANUARY. NOW WE HAVE ONE DISBURSEMENT IN JUNE. SO I JUST HOPE THAT WE'RE NOT BUDGETING MONTH TO MONTH FOR A $1.2 BILLION BUDGET AND GOING FORWARD, AND THAT WE HAVE A COMPLETE PICTURE NOW AND, AND AGAIN, WHEN WE WHEN WE CAME IN, YOU KNOW, WE WERE LOOKING AT AT WHERE AT WHAT THE STATE WAS KIND OF PROJECTING FOR, FOR, FOR INCOME TAX. AND THEN WE WERE WE WERE LARGELY KIND OF FOLLOWING SUIT. WE KNEW THAT THAT BIG JANUARY DISTRIBUTION WAS GOING TO BE DOWN BECAUSE THAT WAS A RECONCILIATION FROM 21. IT WAS A HUGE CAPITAL GAINS YEAR. THERE WAS A LOT OF STUFF GOING ON. WE ALSO KNOW THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF CHANGES WITH HOW THE STATE WAS DOING. THESE PASS THROUGH ENTITY CREDITS, AND THAT EVERYTHING THE STATE WAS SAYING WAS LIKE, HEY, THAT'S THAT $20 MILLION WHERE YOU WOULD NORMALLY ONLY GET A, YOU KNOW, GET $5 MILLION, YOU GOT $20 MILLION, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT SUSTAINABLE. BUT WE REALLY DID, THOUGH, THINK, AND THIS WAS HOW THE SPENDING AFFORDABILITY HAD. IT WAS THAT THE NOVEMBER DISTRIBUTION AND THE FEBRUARY DISTRIBUTION, THE MAY DISTRIBUTION, THAT'S WHERE WE WERE EXPECTING, YOU KNOW, 4 OR 5. SO THIS ONE WAS IN LINE WITH KIND OF WHAT THAT WAS. BUT WHEN WE SAW THOSE TWO DISTRIBUTIONS AND YOU SAW THE WITHHOLDING GOING DOWN AND YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE HEARING THINGS, YOU KNOW, AT THE STATE LEVEL ABOUT HOW THE LABOR FORCE HAS NOT REBOUNDED AND HOW WE'RE LOSING, YOU KNOW, LOSING WORKERS AND WORKERS ARE, YOU KNOW, RETIRING EARLY, OR, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SEEING THAT ALL AROUND HERE, YOU KNOW, RETIRING EARLY, AND OR, YOU KNOW, MOVING TO OTHER STATES OR WHAT HAVE YOU, THAT WAS NOT TYPICAL. AND SO I DON'T WANT TO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU YOU CERTAINLY DON'T WANT TO GO AND FIND ONE YEAR BEING A TREND. BUT THERE WAS SEVERAL OF THOSE YEARS THAT THAT DID THAT.

AND AGAIN, WE STILL GOT A LOT OF TIME, YOU KNOW, WE YOU KNOW, WE NONE OF US KNOW AT THIS POINT WHAT THAT WHAT THAT JUNE, JULY, AUGUST DISTRIBUTION IS GOING TO BE. BUT I THINK JUST BY BEING HONEST, WE WERE LIKE, OKAY, THIS WAS OUR, OUR INCOME TAX, YOU KNOW, CONCERN. IT DID COME IN HIGHER. WE DID FEEL THAT WE COULD MAKE THE CHANGE ON THE ON THE FUND BALANCE SIDE. NOT SO MUCH THE ON GOING REVENUE SIDE IN ORDER TO, YOU KNOW, KIND OF GIVE SOME OF THAT MONEY BACK WHILE MAINTAINING THOSE FUND BALANCES AT THE LEVEL THAT WE BELIEVE THEY SHOULD BE IN ACCORDANCE WITH HOW THE RATING AGENCIES HAVE, HAVE, HAVE ADVISED THAT THEY BE. ONE QUICK FOLLOW UP QUESTION. I KNOW WE HAVE ONE MORE QUARTER. IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE AT 254 MILLION, IN INCOME TAX AND WITH THE BUDGET OF 211, YOU KNOW, IF THE JUNE PAYMENT COMES IN AT 5 OR 6, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO BE REALLY CLOSE TO THAT. AND THEN YOU HAVE THE JULY AND THE AUGUST, AUGUST BEING THE RECONCILIATION, AND WITH THIS BEING A, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S AN ACTUAL OR TIMING ISSUE, AND THE POSSIBILITY OF THE NEW SYSTEM FOR THE STATE INFLUENCING THAT TIMING. HAVE YOU HAD ANY CONVERSATIONS WITH THE TREASURY OFFICE FOR THE STATE, THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE FOR THE STATE, ON WHAT MAY BE THAT THAT RECONCILIATION IN AUGUST MAY OR MAY NOT LOOK LIKE? SO REALLY SO THE RECONCILIATION IN, IN WELL, THERE'S A COUPLE OF RECONCILIATION, BUT THE RECONCILIATION WE NORMALLY RECEIVE IN AUGUST IS BECAUSE WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO IS THAT THEY KNOW, MOST PEOPLE ARE CLOSING ARE ARE CLOSING THEIR BOOKS AND LIKE, THINK ABOUT HOW WE JUST GOT THE MAY DISTRIBUTION. THE MAY DISTRIBUTION WAS FOR, YOU KNOW, ALMOST TWO FULL MONTHS, ALMOST TWO FULL MONTHS AGO. BUT BECAUSE THEY UNDERSTAND THAT COUNTIES ARE KIND OF UP AGAINST AND THE STATE ARE UP AGAINST THAT JUNE 30TH NUMBER, THEY ESTIMATE, THE NUMBERS THAT WE RECEIVE IN JUNE AND IN AUGUST, LIKE IF IT WAS IF THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE END OF YEAR, YOU KNOW, WE PROBABLY WOULDN'T GET THAT MONEY TILL ABOUT AUGUST. SO THEY KIND OF

[01:20:01]

NOW THERE NOW THE RECONCILIATIONS THAT WE RECEIVE AS FAR AS FOR THE FULL TAX YEAR, THOSE ARE NOW LARGELY COMING IN NOVEMBER AND JANUARY. THERE WAS A TIME WHERE THEY WERE COMING IN SEPTEMBER. THERE WERE ACTUALLY WAS TIMES WHERE THERE WERE SOME FORMS OF THEM IN THE AUGUST DISTRIBUTION. WE HAVEN'T RECEIVED THOSE IN MANY YEARS. AND NOW MOST OF THE RECONCILIATION FROM THE PRIOR TAX YEAR IS, IS BETWEEN NOVEMBER AND JANUARY, SO YEAH, WE'RE JUST NOT GOING TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, A WHOLE LOT. YOU KNOW, I, I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN YOU KNOW, I STILL THINK THAT WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO END UP PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT A LITTLE BIT UNDER THE BUDGET, BUT BUT THIS HELPS YOU KNOW, IN GETTING US GETTING US CLOSER TO IT. I CERTAINLY DON'T THINK WE'RE GOING TO BE EXCEEDING THE BUDGET THOUGH. THANK YOU. I'LL MAKE A SIDE BET.

SO YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK TO GET TO WHERE WE'RE AT SO FAR. AND WE STILL HAVE SOME WORK TO DO FOR SURE. BUT I JUST WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO MY COLLEAGUES HERE ON THE COUNCIL FOR THEIR DILIGENCE AND WILLING TO LOOK AT EVERY ISSUE, EVERY ITEM, EVERY BUDGET LINE, TO ENSURE THAT WE WERE DOING OUR BEST, IN THIS CASE, TO SERVE OUR, OUR CHILDREN, OUR CHILDREN REPRESENT OUR FUTURE. AS FAR AS THE SCHOOLS GO, WE'VE HAD MANY CONVERSATIONS WITH, MR. CASTLE OR COUNTY EXECUTIVE. OBVIOUSLY, I'VE SAT WITH HIM MANY, MANY TIMES OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS, AND WITH MR. JAN GIORDANO, MR. PENMAN, MR. SCHERTZER. MR. ANDISHEH, MISS HARRIS, NOT TO MENTION THE WORK THAT, MR. KEARNEY AND MARY KATE HAS DONE, PREPARING AMENDMENTS THAT AS OF THIS AFTERNOON, WE DIDN'T NEED, BUT I JUST WANT TO RECOGNIZE YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE, THE SERVICE THAT YOU PROVIDED US. AND THEN ALSO ROB YOUR TEAM AT THE TREASURY AND KIM, YOUR TEAM AT BUDGET OFFICE, ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS THAT WE HAD, AND THEN I WANT TO RECOGNIZE AND THANK THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE FOR, RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE THAT HE DID OF OUR CHILDREN AND MOVING THIS FORWARD, BUT AS MR. PENMAN SAID, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HOPING THAT THERE'S SOME OTHER THINGS LOOKED AT SOME OTHER ISSUES THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED , AND IF WE CAN. FANTASTIC. SO I BELIEVE I BELIEVE I'VE COVERED EVERYONE PRETTY MUCH, MISS HARRIS FOR THE PHONE CALLS FOR THE MEETING SETUP FOR THE LETTERS, I APPRECIATE THAT, AND WITH THAT, ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY, MISS DIXON? MR. PRESIDENT, MR. GUTHRIE, MR. PENMAN, MR. GIORDANO, I MRS. WILSON, I MR. BENNETT, I THERE BEING SIX VOTES IN THE AFFIRMATIVE ONE ABSENT AMENDMENTS 30 AND 31 TO BILL 20 4-04 TEEN ARE HEREBY APPROVED.

MR. GIORDANO, PLEASE READ AMENDMENT ONE TO BILL 20 4-0 23, AMENDMENT ONE, BILL 24, DASH ZERO 23 ZONING WALL SIGNS INTRODUCED BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT VINCENTE, AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE ON PAGE TWO IN LINE NINE, AFTER DISPLAYS, INSERT ONLY ONE ELECTRONIC MESSAGE BOARD SHALL BE PERMITTED ON A PREMISES, WHETHER IT BE A FREESTANDING SIGN OR A WALL SIGN. THANK YOU, ALSO, MR. JAN, PLEASE READ AMENDMENTS ONE THROUGH 11 TO BILL 20 4-0 24 LIVABILITY CODE AMENDMENTS ONE, DASH 11, BILL 24, DASH ZERO 24 LIVABILITY CODE INTRODUCED BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT VINCENTE. AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE ON THE TITLE PAGE. STRIKE. BEGINNING WITH AND IN THE FIRST LINE OF THE TITLE PARAGRAPH DOWN THROUGH SECTION ONE, 62, DASH 15, AND THE SECOND LINE OF THE TITLE PARAGRAPH AND SUBSTITUTE AN ACT TO REPEAL AND REENACT WITH AMENDMENTS THE DEFINITION OF CODE OFFICIAL AND AMENDMENTS CODE OFFICIAL, DEPARTMENT OF SECTION AND DEPARTMENT OF SECTION 160 2-2. DEFINITIONS AND WORD USAGE TO REPEAL AND REENACT WITH AMENDMENTS SUBSECTION A, B, AND E OF SECTION 162. DASH FOR ENFORCEMENT WAIVERS TO REPEAL AND REENACT WITH AMENDMENTS SUCH SECTIONS A, C, D, E, F, AND ONE OF SECTION ONE, 62, DASH FIVE. POWERS AND DUTIES OF CODE OFFICIALS TO REPEAL. TO REPEAL AND REENACT WITH AMENDMENTS SUBSECTION E OF SECTION 160 2-6 CONDEMNED UNSAFE STRUCTURES AND EQUIPMENT. VACATION TO REPEAL AND REENACT WITH AMENDMENTS.

SECTION 160 2-8 VIOLATIONS AND PENALTIES TO REPEAL AND REENACT WITH AMENDMENTS. SECTION 160 2-9

[01:25:08]

LINES ONE, THREE, FIVE, TEN, AND 14. AMENDMENT NUMBER FOUR ON PAGE FOUR, STRIKE IN ITS ENTIRETY. LINE 18, AMENDMENT NUMBER FIVE ON PAGE FIVE. STRIKE IN THEIR ENTIRETY. LINES ONE AND FIVE, AMENDMENT NUMBER SIX ON PAGE SIX. STRIKE IN THEIR ENTIRETY. LINES 11, 20 AND 22.

AMENDMENT NUMBER SEVEN ON PAGE SEVEN. STRIKE IN ITS ENTIRETY. LINE TEN, AMENDMENT NUMBER EIGHT ON PAGE 11. STRIKE IN THEIR ENTIRETY. LINES 14 AND 16, AMENDMENT NUMBER NINE ON PAGE 12. STRIKE IN THEIR ENTIRETY. LINES 11, 18 AND 23. AMENDMENT NUMBER TEN ON PAGE 12. AFTER LINE 22, INSERT THE FOLLOWING SECTION TWO. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED THAT TWO YEARS AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS ACT, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL SUBMIT TO THE COUNTY COUNCIL A REPORT THAT OUTLINES THE EFFECTIVE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE LIVABILITY CODE AND PROVIDES RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO THE LIVABILITY CODE AMENDMENT NUMBER 11 ON PAGE 13 IN LINE ONE, STRIKE SECTION TWO AND SECTION THREE. THANK YOU, MR. GIORDANO. 11 CALL FOR FINAL

[11. CALL FOR FINAL READING OF BILLS]

[01:30:03]

WELL, THEY TOOK IT OUT 2017 PRIOR ADMINISTRATION, NOT THIS ADMINISTRATION. AND, IT ALLOWED A CONTRACTOR TO COME IN AND CLEAR HIS ENTIRE PROPERTY AND THEN BUILD ON HIS HOUSES. WELL NOW IT'S BEEN OVER THREE YEARS SINCE THEY'VE DONE THAT. THEY AREN'T EVEN HALF DONE BUILT IN THE AMOUNT OF HOUSES YET. ALL THAT PROPERTY IS CLEAR, AND IT'S GIVEN US A STILL GIVEN US AS OF TODAY RUN OFF AND ABINGTON WOODS, THE SAME THING. THEY CLEARED 70 ACRES. AND IF THE BILL WOULD HAVE BEEN IN PLACE, AT LEAST THE MISTAKE WOULD HAVE ONLY BEEN 20 ACRES INSTEAD OF 70 ACRES. IT WOULD HAVE TAKEN FOUR TIMES TO GET UP TO 70 ACRES. WITH THIS BILL IN PLACE. SO WE'RE HOPING TO BRING BACK, STABILITY, AND AN ENTIRE STATE OF MARYLAND, OVER 20 COUNTIES, ALL IN THE ENTIRE STATE OF MARYLAND. ALL HAVE THE 20 ACRE REQUIREMENT. NONE OF THEM HAVE ANYTHING OVER 20 ACRES. SO LET'S PUT SOME, INSANITY BACK TO, OR LACK OF INSANITY BACK INTO THIS PROJECT. AND HOPEFULLY THAT WE CAN END THE, THE AND NOT HAVE ANOTHER PROBLEM LIKE WE'RE HAVING AT RIDGELY RESERVE. SO THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. THANK YOU, MR. GUTHRIE. MR. GIARDINA, SO I JUST WANT TO MYSELF AND DIONNE, WE MET WITH, STEVE WALSH, REGARDING THE BONDING, AND WE DID SOME RESEARCH TO FIND OUT THAT, CURRENTLY, THE COUNTY IS RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE BETWEEN BALTIMORE COUNTY AND CARROLL COUNTY AND WHAT WE CHARGE FOR THE BONDS. SO WE DID LOOK AT THAT AS WELL. AND WE THOUGHT IT WAS PRUDENT TO LEAVE IT WHERE IT WAS. IT JUST WANTED TO GIVE EVERYBODY AN UPDATE THAT WE DID LOOK INTO THAT IN CASE ANYBODY AND WAS ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAD MENTIONED THAT WE WERE GOING TO DO AND WE DID DO THAT, AND IT LOOKS LIKE RIGHT WHERE WE'RE AT, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, IS RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BONDING AMOUNT. SO THAT THAT WORKED OUT WELL. IT'S THANK YOU, MR. JAMES OR ANYONE ELSE. MR. GUTHRIE, JUST TO FINISH UP, ALSO WANTED TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW IF THEY HADN'T READ THE WHOLE BILL THAT WE RAISED ALL THE FINES, TO, ANOTHER NUMBER, THEY USED TO HAVE, THE FIRST VIOLATION IN A 12 MONTH PERIOD. THEY, THE FINE WAS $250, WE CHANGED THAT TO $500. AND IT HAPPENS IN A TWO MONTH PERIOD INSTEAD OF A 12 MONTH PERIOD. THE SECOND VIOLATION WAS ALSO WITHIN 12 MONTHS BEFORE WE CHANGED THAT 12 MONTHS TO FOUR MONTHS. SO THE SECOND VIOLATION IN FOUR MONTHS, THE VIOLATION USED TO BE $500.

WE RAISED IT TO 1000 FOR THE THIRD VIOLATION. WITHIN 12 MONTHS. WE CHANGED THE 12 MONTHS TO SIX MONTHS FOR THE VIOLATION, WAS $1,000 FINE. WE MADE IT $5,000. IN ADDITION, WE HAD THE, THE, THE AMOUNT OF THE FINE, ALL THE FINES WERE BEFORE COULD NOT EXCEED $10,000, PER INCIDENT, WE RAISED THAT TO 20,000. SO THAT'S PART OF THIS BILL ALSO. THANK YOU, MR. GUTHRIE. SEEING NO ONE ELSE, MISS DIXON. MR. PRESIDENT, I, MR. GUTHRIE, I MR. PENMAN, I MR. GIORDANO I MRS. ABSTAIN MR. BENNETT I SO WE HAVE FIVE VOTES IN THE AFFIRMATIVE ONE ABSTENTION AND ONE ABSENT. BILL 20 4-011 SEDIMENT CONTROL AS AMENDED IS HEREBY APPROVED. NUMBER 12 ENROLLMENT OF BILLS.

[12. ENROLLMENT OF BILLS]

[17. COMMENTS AND INPUT FROM ATTENDING CITIZENS]

[01:35:07]

I'VE BEEN GOING THERE SINCE I WAS LITTLE, SINCE MY GRANDPARENTS LIVE HERE IN BEL AIR, RIGHT BY BEL AIR HIGH SCHOOL, SO IT'S BEEN A HUGE TRADITION OF MY FAMILY, AND I WOULD REALLY LOVE FOR IT TO BE A TRADITION FOR EVERYONE SITTING HERE. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK TODAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SAL SABA, TINO, FOLLOWED BY JOHN MALLAMO.

YEAH. GOOD EVENING SIR. NAME AND ADDRESS PLEASE. SAL SABATINO. I LIVE AT 1816 BARRINGTON VILLAGE COURT IN BEL AIR. REASON FOR MY WANTING TO SPEAK TONIGHT. I'M TRYING TO FOLLOW THIS STUFF THAT WAS ON THE INTERNET ABOUT WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN AT THE MALL, THERE, IN THE MALL, DOWN AND ERECTING A FIVE STORY MULTI-USE BUILDING. AM I CORRECT ON THAT, MR. KEARNEY, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT THAT'S AN ISSUE WITH THE TOWN OF BEL AIR THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO ADDRESS. YES.

THAT'S SO THEN I STAND CORRECTED. THAT WAS BASICALLY I WANT TO GET SOME INFORMATION ON THAT BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW THEY COULD GO UP FIVE STORIES. I THOUGHT THREE WAS THE LIMIT. CAN SOMEBODY CORRECT ME, MR. SABATINO, I WOULD SUGGEST YOU GIVE MAYBE EDDIE HOPKINS A CALL TOMORROW AT THE TOWN OF BEL AIR. OKAY. AND I'M SURE HE WILL BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU ALL THE INFORMATION THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR. I CAN DO THAT. AND THE BEST PART OF THIS WHOLE NIGHT WAS THE YOUNG LADY THAT JUST LEFT. THANK YOU, SIR. GOOD EVENING SIR. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE, SIR. GOOD

[01:40:07]

THERE IS NO CHEAP LABOR FIX. BUSINESS GROWTH WON'T COVER THAT ESTIMATE. HARFORD COUNTY NEEDS TO BE AN INDUSTRY HUB WITH MULTIPLE MUTUALLY SUPPORTING BUSINESSES THAT PAY TAXES FOR THAT. LOOKING NOW AT TAX REVENUE PROJECTIONS AND THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE TAX BASE, FIRST, THE TAX BASE, THE THREE LARGEST EMPLOYERS AND PROPERTY OWNERS, ABERDEEN PROVING GROUNDS, THE COMBINED AGENCIES OF THE HARFORD COUNTY GOVERNMENT AND UPPER CHESAPEAKE MEDICAL CENTER PAY NO TAXES. NONE. TAX REVENUE STARTS WITH A NEGATIVE BALANCE. LOOKING NEXT AT PREVIOUS DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS TO BOOST TAX REVENUES, WE SEE EVERMORE CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY, FAILED PROJECT, NO GROWTH JAMES RUN ZONED AND MORE NEVER MATERIALIZED. NOW JUST HOUSES.

THAT SITE WAS AN IDEAL LOCATION FOR INDUSTRIAL ZONING, WITH BUFFERS AND DIRECT ACCESS TO I-95 LOST OPPORTUNITY. BRAC APG GOT THE MISSION TO EXPAND. ANYBODY KNOW ANY PRODUCTION COMPANIES THAT FELL IN ON TOP? AND A CURIOSITY RECALLING THE TIRE PYROLYSIS FACILITY PROMOTED BY THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION. GREAT. IN THEORY, NOT TECHNICALLY FEASIBLE. ANYBODY REMEMBER THE BALTIMORE LAND GUARD SYSTEM? MAYBE A LITTLE INDEPENDENT RESEARCH ON THAT TOPIC. YOU ALL TELL ME ABOUT YOUR VISITS TO LOCAL SCHOOL EVENTS AND SOCIAL ENGAGEMENTS.

PLEASE TELL ME WHICH ONE OF YOU HELD A CALL WITH THE CEO OF ANY LARGE NATIONAL OR REGIONAL COMPANY SEEKING A NEW LOCATION? HOW MANY OF THEM DO YOU KNOW? ANYBODY KNOW WHAT THE CURRENT DEFENSE BUDGET LOOKS LIKE? ARIZONA ECONOMIC BASE WITH THE SEVEN SEAS, COPPER, COTTON, CATTLE, CITRUS, CLIMATE, CANYONS AND CACTUS. TELL ME PLEASE, WHAT IS HARFORD COUNTY'S ECONOMIC BASE? THERE'S A RECENT BASEBALL FILM CLIP. CENTER FIELDER FIELDS THE BALL. BASE RUNNER HEADS FOR HOME PLATE. NOBODY COVERING HOME . THE CENTER FIELDER DID NOT HESITATE AND WITHOUT BEING TOLD, RAN DOWN. THE BASE RUNNER TAGGED HIM OUT, PREVENTING A RUN THAT IS A BASEBALL LEGACY. PLEASE DO NOT WAIT FOR THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE TO PRESENT YOU WITH A PLAN. USE SOME INITIATIVE.

FORMULATE REALISTIC SOLUTIONS TO GROWTH. BE A LEGACY. GOOD NIGHT. THANK YOU, SIR BRIANA COLEMAN.

MY NAME IS EITHER. COME IN. BEHIND THE CURTAIN. GOOD EVENING MA'AM. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE.

GOOD EVENING. BRIANA COLEMAN, 2347 INGLE ROAD IN FALLSTON, GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL MEMBERS.

IT'S NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN. I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO THE APFO MEETING HERE TOMORROW NIGHT AT 6 P.M. AND URGE ANYONE LISTENING AT HOME TO ATTEND AND BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION. EVERY PARENT AND CITIZEN CONCERNED WITH OVERCROWDED SCHOOLS AND DEVELOPMENT, CONTINUING IN THOSE AREAS SHOULD BE SHOWING UP IF THEY WANT TO SEE CHANGE. CURRENTLY IN HARFORD COUNTY, WE HAVE EIGHT ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS THAT ARE AT 99 TO 115% OVER CAPACITY. FULL IS FULL.

COUNCILMAN GUTHRIE AND COUNCILMAN PENMAN HAVE CONSISTENTLY ATTENDED PAST MEETINGS, AS WELL AS MR. VINCENTI, AND I LOVE TO SEE MORE COUNCIL MEMBERS THERE TO LISTEN AND LEARN. IT'S BEEN NINE MONTHS SINCE I FIRST STOOD HERE AND SPOKE ABOUT OUR OVERCROWDED SCHOOLS, AND BEGAN ADVOCATING TO LOWER OUR PERCENTAGE FROM 110 TO 100. SINCE THEN, THE TOWN OF BEL AIR HAS REMOVED A BUDDING SCHOOL DISTRICTS FROM THEIR ORDINANCE. AND THIS WEEK IN BALTIMORE COUNTY, THEIR COUNCIL VOTED TO REDUCE THEIR APFO THRESHOLD FROM 115% TO 100. LASTLY, I'D LIKE TO EXPRESS MY DISAPPOINTMENT FROM MY DISTRICT. BE REPRESENTATIVE IN REGARDS TO HIS VOTE LAST WEEK. IT'S FRUSTRATING TO SEE HIM VOTE NO TO UPDATING OUR PERMIT FEES ON SOMETHING THAT HASN'T BEEN UPDATED IN DECADES, AND AS WITH ANY BEST PRACTICE, SHOULD BE IN LINE WITH INFLATION. I'D BE INTERESTED IN HEARING HIS SOLUTIONS TO OUR OUTDATED FEES, BECAUSE MORE OF THE SAME IS NOT THE ANSWER. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING. THANK YOU MA'AM, THERE ARE NO MORE

[16. BUSINESS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS]

BUSINESS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS. MR. GUTHRIE, THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. LAST WEDNESDAY I

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