[00:00:04]
          FOUR. THREE. GOOD EVENING. CHAI. CALLS TO ORDER. PUBLIC HEARING FOR BILL 24. DASH 031. HOTEL 
          [a. Bill 24-031 (Hotel Occupancy Tax)]
OCCUPANCY TAX. MR. PENMAN. THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. I WELCOME EVERYONE HERE. THIS EVENING. 
          WE'RE HERE FOR BILL 20 4-031 HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX. WITH JUST A KIND OF A BRIEF POWERPOINT THAT I WANT TO GO OVER, AND THAT POWERPOINT WILL DISCUSS THE PAST THAT LED TO THIS BILL. 20 4-031. 
          WE'LL TALK ABOUT BILL 20 3-034 AND ITS INTENT. WE'LL CLEAR UP SOME MISINFORMATION AS WELL. AND DISCUSS WHAT BILL 20 4-031 WILL ACCOMPLISH. STARTING BILL 20 3-0 34 AS AMENDED. WAS INTRODUCED ON NOVEMBER 7TH OF 2023 WITH THE SUPPORT OF COUNCIL PRESIDENT VINCENTI AND COUNCIL MEMBERS JAN GIORDANO, RILEY BOYLE AND MYSELF, AND ONE OF THE MAIN ELEMENTS OF THAT BILL. THE HOTEL TAX REVENUE BILL WAS TO RECOGNIZE VISIT HARTFORD AS THE PRIMARY DESTINATION ORGANIZATION FOR TOURISM IN HARTFORD COUNTY. SOME MIGHT ASK, WHY VISIT HARTFORD? SEVERAL REASONS. VISIT HARTFORD OPERATES UNDER LOCAL OVERSIGHT. ENSURES THAT THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX REVENUE GENERATED FROM VISITORS IS REINVESTED IN HARTFORD COUNTY. THE ORGANIZATION POSSESSES EXTENSIVE KNOWLEDGE OF LOCAL ATTRACTIONS AND RESOURCES, ALLOWING THEM TO EFFECTIVELY PROMOTE WHAT WORKS BEST FOR OUR COMMUNITIES IN HARTFORD COUNTY. THEIR EXPERTISE SPANS BOTH HARTFORD COUNTY AND TOURISM INDUSTRY, ENHANCING THE OVERALL VISITOR EXPERIENCE. BILL 23 034, AS AMENDED, WAS PASSED ON JANUARY 16TH OF 2024. WITH FIVE VOTES IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. THE BILL DESIGNATES, AS I MENTIONED, VISIT HARTFORD AS THE PRIMARY DESTINATION ORGANIZATION FOR TOURISM. IN ADDITION, THE BILL REQUIRES $0.25 OF THE BALANCE OF THE HOTEL TAX COLLECTED TO BE USED FOR VISIT HARTFORD. AGAIN, THIS IS HOTEL MONEY USED BY PEOPLE STAYING IN HARTFORD COUNTY. NOT NECESSARILY TAXPAYER DOLLARS. BILL 20 3-0 34, AS AMENDED, WAS VETOED BY THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE ON JANUARY 24TH OF 2024. THE VETO WAS OVERRIDDEN BY THE COUNCIL ON FEBRUARY SIX BY FIVE VOTES OF AFFIRMATIVE. BILL 20 3-0 34, AS AMENDED, BECAME EFFECTIVE APRIL 15TH OF THIS YEAR, AND SINCE THAT APRIL DATE, 25% OF THE BALANCE OF THE HOTEL TAX COLLECTED HAS NOT BEEN PAID TO VISIT HARTFORD. SOME OF THE AFTERMATH OF THAT BILL AS IT WAS PASSED, AS AMENDED, THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH CHOSE NOT TO ACCEPT THE INTENT IN THE DIRECTION OF THIS LEGISLATIVE BODY. JUSTIFIED THEIR ACTIONS WITH ALLEGATIONS THAT WERE NOT VALID. THAT I BELIEVE IN SEVERAL COLLEAGUES ON THE COUNCIL. SO THESE ALLEGATIONS INCLUDE ALLEGATIONS OF LACK OF TRANSPARENCY. ALLEGATIONS OF UNACCOUNTED FOR FUNDS. AND CLAIMS OF COST SAVINGS. SO JUST KIND OF GOING INTO SOME OF THE ALLEGATIONS. I CAN TELL YOU THESE ARE QUARTERLY REPORTS THAT WERE SUBMITTED TO THE ADMINISTRATION AND SUBMITTED TO THE COUNCIL, WHICH INCLUDE FINANCIAL STATUS REPORTS, COPIES AND RECEIPTS, AND INVOICES. VISIT HARTFORD ALSO HAS SHARED THESE QUARTERLY REPORTS WITH THE ENTIRE COUNCIL. AND WE'VE NO LOCATED NO ON ACCOUNTED FUNDS. 
          VISIT HARTFORD HAS ALSO ATTEMPTED TO WORK WITH THE ADMINISTRATION. AND WE'RE AMENABLE TO SOME OF THE SUGGESTIONS. SUCH AS, YOU KNOW, INVOLVING SOME OF THE DIRECTORS ON THE COMMITTEE, AS WELL AS USING COUNTY SPACE OR BUILDINGS. SO, AGAIN, JUST GOING INTO SOME OF THE CLAIMS, THE ADMINISTRATION HAS ACTUALLY THE RESULT OF SOME OF THEIR CONCERNS, THE ADMINISTRATION HAS CONTACTED AN OUTSIDE FIRM, MARINER MARKETING, TO MANAGE TOURISM LOCATED IN HARTFORD COUNTY, WHICH IS A CONCERN TO ME. THE BOARD OF ESTIMATES APPROVED A $585,000 ALLOTMENT PAID TO FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO THE MARINER MARKETING. IN ADDITION, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IT WOULD REQUIRE AN ADDITIONAL SALARY OR THEY'RE DISCUSSING ADDITIONAL SALARY WITHIN THE ADMINISTRATION TO OVERSEE TOURISM. SO THAT WOULD BE IN ADDITION TO THE 585,000 THAT WAS ALLOTTED. AND ONE OF THE MOST CONCERNING THING IS THIS MARINER MARKETING HAS NO KNOWLEDGE OF LOCAL ATTRACTION IN RESOURCES. SO WHAT DOES BILL 24 DASH 31 ACCOMPLISH AT THIS POINT? DETAILED AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS TO AFFIRM. VISIT 
          [00:05:05]
HARTFORD AS THE PRIMARY TOURISM ORGANIZATION FOR HARTFORD COUNTY. IT ESTABLISHES SPECIFIC DISTRIBUTION REQUIREMENTS AND CLARIFIES THE INTENT AND SPECIFICS OF WHAT WAS ALREADY PASSED, AS AMENDED. BILL 20 3-0 34. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO DISCUSSION HERE TONIGHT THROUGH PUBLIC COMMENT AS WELL AS MY COLLEAGUES ON THE COUNCIL AND YOUR SUPPORT FOR THIS BILL. MR. PRESIDENT, THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. COUNCIL IS THERE TIME FOR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? ANYONE LIKE TO START WITH MR. BENNETT? HELLO. GOOD EVENING. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SPEAK TO WHY I CHOSE TO SUPPORT THIS LEGISLATION. WE'RE GOING TO BE HEARING ABOUT TONIGHT. YOU KNOW, I MAKE NO SECRET ABOUT LIVING IN DOWNTOWN HAVRE DE GRACE. THAT IS MY HOME. AND IT IS MY PRIMARY COMMUNITY. AND FROM MY HOUSE I CAN WALK TO THREE THEATERS, FIVE MUSEUMS, TWO ART GALLERIES, COUNTLESS FESTIVALS, FIRST FRIDAYS. AND IT'S NO EXAGGERATION TO SAY NOT A WEEK GOES BY. MY WIFE AND I HAVEN'T BEEN STOPPED IN THE PAST YEAR, AND SOMEBODY SAYS TO US, WHAT'S GOING ON WITH VISIT HARTFORD? IT HAPPENS WHEN I'M AT CHURCH. IT HAPPENS WHEN I'M AT FIRST FRIDAYS. IT HAPPENS WHEN I'M WALKING THE PROMENADE. CONSTANTLY. THERE IS CONCERN AND CONFUSION IN MY COMMUNITY THAT I LIVE IN, THAT TOURISM IS NOT BEING SUPPORTED HERE IN HARTFORD COUNTY RIGHT NOW. THAT THINGS ARE SLIPPING THROUGH THE CRACKS THAT WORK THAT USED TO BE DONE ISN'T HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. AND THAT PEOPLE JUST WANT THAT SUPPORT THAT THEY'VE EXPERIENCED NOW FOR MANY YEARS. SO LISTENING TO MY COMMUNITY, LISTENING TO MY COMMUNITY'S CONCERNS, MY COMMUNITY'S NEEDS, I JUST SEE IT AS A PRIORITY TO SUPPORT HAVRE DE GRACE, SUPPORT THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE HAVRE DE GRACE WHAT IT IS. TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, AS A COUNTY SUPPORT VISIT HARTFORD AND THE WORK OF PROMOTING TOURISM. SO THAT'S WHY I'M SUPPORTING THIS LEGISLATION. 
          THANK YOU, MISTER BENNETT. ANYONE ELSE? MISTER GUTHRIE? I'M OPPOSED TO THE BILL, AND I WAS OPPOSED TO THE PREVIOUS BILL. AND IT ISN'T THAT I'M OPPOSED TO THE NONPROFIT. I'M OPPOSED TO THE CONCEPT OF THIS BILL BECAUSE YOU'RE YOU'RE YOU'RE OPENING PANDORA'S BOX HERE. ARE WE GOING TO NOW BECOME THE COUNTY THAT EVERY TIME THERE'S AN ISSUE OR A OR AN EVENT OR SOME GROUP OR SOME ORGANIZATION IN THE COUNTY ISN'T GETTING ENOUGH MONEY, OR THEY'RE NOW GOING TO COME TO THE COUNTY COUNCIL FOR US TO INTRODUCE A BILL THAT'S NOW GOING TO FUND THAT PARTICULAR ORGANIZATION. THAT'S THE CASE. WHAT IS WHAT DO YOU NEED THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE FOR? IF WE'RE GOING TO DO THE BUDGET AND WE CAN DO THE BUDGET, BUT I CAN GUARANTEE YOU SOMETHING LIKE THIS PASSES. YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE ALL THESE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AND GROUPS OUT HERE SAYING, WELL, HOW ABOUT US? HOW ABOUT WE CAN'T GET IT? WE DIDN'T GET ENOUGH MONEY. 
          SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT. THEY WANTED 20 MILLION HOTEL. I MEAN THE SCHOOL, THEY WANT 60 MILLION. YOU KNOW, SO THEY'LL COME TO THE COUNCIL. WE COULDN'T GET IT. WE WANT YOU TO INTRODUCE A BILL SO WE CAN GET IT. SO THAT'S THE PROBLEM I HAVE. IT IT SETS A TERRIBLE PRECEDENT. WE ALL HAVE THOUSANDS OF BILLS OF PEOPLE COMING AT US TO, TO COME UP WITH MONEY THAT THEY COULDN'T GET FROM THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE. IN JANUARY 24TH, 2024. THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE SENT A VETO OVER ON THE BILL, AND THEY VETOED THE BILL 2334. AND I DON'T SEE MUCH DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THAT BILL AND THE PRESENT BILL. HE SAID HE SAID, QUOTE, I AM VETOING BILL 2334, AS AMENDED, PURSUANT TO ARTICLE THREE, SECTION 311 OF THE HARFORD COUNTY CHARTER. THE CHARTER AS THE MANDATED SPENDING PROVISION PROVIDED IN THIS BILL, VIOLATES SECTIONS 302, 414, AND ARTICLE FIVE OF THE CHARTER. THESE SECTIONS AND ARTICLE FIVE OF THE COUNTY CHARTER AS A WHOLE SET FORTH THE PROCESS FOR ACCOUNTING AND ALLOCATING TAX REVENUES BY THE COUNTY'S BUDGET PROCESS TO PROTECT OUR TAXPAYERS AND UPHOLD FUNDAMENTAL GOVERNANCE. BILL 2334 IS A CLEAR VIOLATION OF THESE IMPORTANT PROVISIONS OF THE COUNTY CHARTER. TOURISM IS A VITAL INDUSTRY IN HARFORD COUNTY. NO QUESTION ABOUT IT. THIS IS HARFORD WAS RECEIVING APPROXIMATELY $750,000 ANNUALLY IN STATE AND COUNTY FUNDS TO MARKET THE COUNTY'S TOURISM ASSETS OVER THE PAST YEAR. THE COUNTY EXPLORED SUCCESSFUL TOURISM MODELS FROM ACROSS THE MARYLAND AND COMPARED THEM WITH OUR OWN MODEL. THE COUNTY ADOPTED A MODEL WHERE THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT BECAME THE DMO AND CONTRACTS DIRECTLY WITH PROFESSIONAL TOURISM MARKETING 
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FIRM, RATHER THAN OPERATING THROUGH ANOTHER ENTITY. HARFORD COUNTY GOVERNMENT IS NOW THE DMO INSTEAD OF VISIT HARFORD. SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TWO DIFFERENT COMPANIES DOING THE SAME WORK AND WASTING THE HOTEL TAX MONEY THAT WE WANT TO SPEND ON ON TOURISM. NOW WE'RE NOW WE'RE PAYING TWO DIFFERENT COMPANIES, TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE. IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME. THE DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HAS HIRED A NEW TOURISM COORDINATOR FOR OVER WITH OVER 20 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE. THIS APPROACH PROVIDED GREATER TRANSPARENCY FOR THE EXPENDITURE OF TAX DOLLARS MORE EFFICIENTLY COORDINATES TOURISM ADVERTISING WITH OUR OVERALL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS, ELIMINATES THE MIDDLEMAN, AND ALLOWS US TO ENGAGE A PROFESSIONAL MARKETING FIRM TO EXECUTE TO EXECUTE, EXECUTE A COMPROMISE PLAN FOR PROMOTING HARFORD COUNTY. WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH A HIGHLY EXPERIENCED TOURISM FIRM THAT SUCCESSFULLY WORKS WITH MARRIOTT HOTELS, THE STATE OF MARYLAND AND BALTIMORE COUNTY. MARINER MARKETING TOOK OVER THE AGENCY OF RECORD FOR MARYLAND OFFICE OF TOURISM IN 2017. IN 2019, MARINER GENERATED 133,000 VISITORS FROM 53,500 ADDITIONAL TRIPS THAT RESULTED IN 45 MILLION IN DIRECT SPENDING FROM THE ADDITIONAL VISITORS, CONTRIBUTING 6.2 MILLION IN TAX REVENUE DURING THE PANDEMIC. IN 2020, MARINERS EFFORTS RESULTED IN MORE THAN 6 MILLION IN YEAR OVER YEAR HOTEL REVENUES AND MORE THAN 9,000,000 IN 2021. IN 2022, MARYLAND REACHED 30.3 BILLION IN REVENUE, HOSTED 43.5 MILLION VISITORS AND COLLECTED COLLECTIVELY, SPENT $19.4 BILLION IN 2023. SAW $38.7 MILLION IN REVENUE IN MARYLAND. IT'S CLEAR WE DON'T NEED TWO COMPANIES TO DO THE SAME THING. SO WHO SHOULD DECIDE THAT? THE COUNTY COUNCIL. IS IT OUR JOB TO MAKE UP THE BUDGET? I DON'T THINK IT'S IT IS THE COUNTY COUNCIL'S JOB TO REDESIGN THE BUDGET. THAT IS THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE'S JOB, AND THEY SEND IT TO US. AND THAT BILL, IF PASSED, WILL BE WILL THIS BILL AGAIN, IF PASSED, WILL BE VETOED AGAIN. AND IF IT IS, EVEN IF THE OVERRIDE HAPPENS, IT WON'T MATTER BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT GOING TO RECOGNIZE IT. AND ALL THIS CAN DO IS WIND UP IF IN FACT IT GETS OVERRIDDEN, IT'LL WIND UP IN COURT. AND IF SOMEBODY SUES SOMEBODY. BUT I THINK IT'S CLEAR I DON'T THINK WE BELONG IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS. THE COUNCIL SHOULD BE OUT OF THIS. THIS IS A DIRECTIVE BY THE ADMINISTRATION ACROSS THE STREET. AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. THANK YOU, MISTER PRESIDENT. THANK YOU, MISTER GUTHRIE. MISTER PENMAN. 
          THANK YOU, MISTER PRESIDENT. WHILE I RESPECT THE VIEWS OF MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUE, COUNCIL MEMBER GUTHRIE. HE ASKED THE QUESTION, WHO DECIDES THIS? AND I WOULD ARGUE THAT THE COUNCIL HAS ALREADY DECIDED THIS. WHEN WE PASSED THIS LEGISLATION ON JANUARY 16TH OF THIS YEAR. 
          YOU'RE ARGUING THE MERITS OF THIS LEGISLATION AND REALLY THE BASIS OF THIS LEGISLATION WAS ALREADY PASSED IN 2334. THE INTENT OF THIS LEGISLATION WAS ALREADY PASSED IN 23, 30, 34. 
          YOU MENTIONED THAT NOW YOU HAVE TWO AGENCIES THAT ARE FUNDAMENTALLY TAKING CARE OF THE TOURISM ASPECT OF HARFORD COUNTY. AND I WOULD ARGUE THAT THAT IS A CONSEQUENCE OF THE ADMINISTRATION. AND BECAUSE OF THAT, BECAUSE THEY THEY APPROVED 585,000 THROUGH THE BOARD OF INVESTMENTS. AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT MONEY CAME FROM THE GENERAL FUND, WHETHER IT GETS PAID BACK OR NOT. AND THEY DID THAT BECAUSE THEY DID NOT FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS OF THE LEGISLATION THAT WAS PASSED ON JANUARY 16TH AND 23, 34. SO THIS IS THAT'S A SELF-INFLICTED PROBLEM THAT THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION HAS INCURRED. I HOPED THAT WHEN YOU SAY THAT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO FOLLOW THIS LEGISLATION, THAT WOULD NOT BE THE CASE IF THEY DON'T BELIEVE IN THE LEGISLATION. THERE IS A COURT ASPECT THAT CAN BE ADJUDICATED. BUT WE CAN'T GO AROUND NOT FOLLOWING LAWS AND LEGISLATIONS THAT WE PARTICULARLY DON'T LIKE. THERE IS A PROCESS FOR IT. AND THAT IS THROUGH THE COURT SYSTEM. SO THE FUNDAMENTAL CHANGES THAT YOU'RE SAYING WERE ALREADY PASSED, IT'S ALREADY LAW. ALL WE'RE DOING IN THIS BILL IS JUSTIFYING THE MEANS ON WHICH THE INTENT SHOULD BE EXECUTED. THAT'S ALL I HAVE, MR. PRESIDENT. THANK YOU, MISTER CHAIRMAN. MR. GUTHRIE. JUST A QUICK FOLLOW UP. I THINK I THINK IT CLEARLY VIOLATES THE CHARTER. 
          AND IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOU PAY US HERE ON THIS COUNCIL, IF IT VIOLATES THE CHARTER, THEN 
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THE BILL IS NOT GOING TO GO ANYWHERE. NOW, IF IN FACT, YOU WERE SO HAPPY ABOUT THE BILL THAT WAS PASSED EARLIER THIS YEAR, THEN IT WAS SILLY TO COME BACK AND BRING ANOTHER BILL THAT'S BASICALLY HARDLY ANY DIFFERENT THAN THE PREVIOUS BILL. WHAT YOU SHOULD HAVE DID WAS WENT IN COURT AND SUE HIM OVER THE BILL THAT PASSED EARLIER THIS YEAR, INSTEAD OF BRINGING ANOTHER BILL THAT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME, BUT THAT'S A THAT'S YOUR PREROGATIVE. THANK YOU. MR. GUTHRIE. MR. PENMAN, JUST TO FOLLOW UP, THIS IS A LEGISLATIVE BODY, THE LEGISLATIVE BODY CANNOT SUE THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH. WE CAN'T SUE OUR OWN GOVERNMENT. 
          SO US TAKING THEM TO COURT ISN'T ISN'T EVEN AN OPTION FOR US. BUT I YOU KNOW, I DEFER TO THE COUNCIL ATTORNEY FOR THAT. BUT THAT'S NOT AN OPTION FOR US. NO, I DIDN'T SAY US. I SAID THE PEOPLE THAT WERE INVOLVED, THAT THAT ORGANIZATION, IF THAT ORGANIZATION THINKS THEY'VE COME UP SHORT AND BEEN VIOLATED, THEN THEY THEY SHOULD BRING THE SUIT INSTEAD OF HAVING US BRING ANOTHER LAW FORWARD, WHICH IS NOT MUCH DIFFERENT THAN THE LAST ONE. AND WE ALL KNOW IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. SO WE'LL JUST WE'LL GO THROUGH THE EXERCISE AND WE'LL LET IT HAPPEN. THANK YOU, MISTER GUTHRIE. ANYONE ELSE, MISTER RILEY? YES. JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, THIS IS A GAME TIME DECISION FOR ME. I HAVEN'T DECIDED ON THIS. BILL YET. I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF TALKING TO J AND J. I APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE TONIGHT. ALSO, RAJ, FROM YOUR OFFICE. KAREN. PERSONALLY, I THINK THAT THE TWO CAN GET TOGETHER AND WE CAN WORK THIS OUT. I HATE TO HAVE TWO ORGANIZATIONS WORKING AT CROSS PURPOSES. I SEE THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING. I THINK BETWEEN NOW AND THE TIME THIS ACTUALLY IS VOTED ON, HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET TOGETHER AS A GROUP AND WORK THIS OUT. SO WE DON'T NEED TO DO THAT. THANK YOU, MR. RILEY. ANYONE ELSE? SEEING NO ONE ELSE. 
          MISS DIXON, DO WE HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP? WE DO, MR. PRESIDENT. WE HAVE 13 THIS EVENING. WITH 13 SPEAKERS. LET ME REMIND YOU THAT YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES. AND PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL OF EVERYONE IN THE CHAMBER. CALL YOUR FIRST SPEAKER, RUTH TOOMEY, FOLLOWED BY PATTY PARKER. 
          GOOD EVENING, MA'AM. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE. DO YOU WANT MY WORK ADDRESS OR I WANT YOUR HOME ADDRESS. MY HOME ADDRESS. RUTH TOOMEY, 1032 DUMBARTON ROAD, GLEN BURNIE, MARYLAND, TWO 1060. 
          THANK YOU. WHENEVER YOU'RE READY. ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING, CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS RUTH TOOMEY. I AM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE MARYLAND TOURISM COALITION. WE ARE THE TRADE ASSOCIATION THAT REPRESENTS ALL SECTORS OF THE TOURISM INDUSTRY STATEWIDE. OUR OFFICE IS LOCATED IN ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY. MTC IS IN STRONG SUPPORT OF BILL 24 031. IF YOU HAVE NOT HEARD YET, WE ARE ACTUALLY HOSTING THE 43RD ANNUAL MARYLAND TOURISM AND TRAVEL SUMMIT IN BELCAMP JUST NEXT MONTH. THREE WEEKS FROM TODAY IS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE HAVE HOSTED THIS EVENT IN HARFORD COUNTY SINCE 1995. THE PARTNERSHIP THAT WE HAVE WITH VISIT HARFORD IS EXCEPTIONAL SUPPORT, AND THAT IS WHY WE HAVE CHOSEN TO COME BACK AFTER ALL OF THESE YEARS. WE ENTERED INTO THIS PARTNERSHIP BEFORE THE DIVIDE OF THE TWO ENTITIES. I TOO ALSO FEEL LIKE I'M IN THE MIDDLE SOMETIMES. AFTER A LENGTHY DISCUSSION AND MANY QUESTIONS, OUR BOARD OF 24 CHOSE TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH VISIT HARFORD AND NOT THE COUNTY OFFICE. THE OFFICE WAS READY TO JUMP IN AND TAKE OVER, AND WHEN WE TALKED ON JULY 29TH. BUT TO BE HONEST, THEY WEREN'T READY. THEY HAD NO ONE IN THE TOURISM MANAGER ROLE, NO TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE IN PLACE, NO WEBSITE DEDICATED TO PROMOTE TOURISM IN HARFORD COUNTY. I THINK THAT IT WAS BEST FOR MY ORGANIZATION AND BEST FOR THE EVENT TO CONTINUE OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH VISIT HARFORD, NOT WHOSE NAME WAS ON IT. WE WANTED TO ENSURE THAT WE HAD OUR BEST FOOT FORWARD FOR WHAT IS VERY IMPORTANT IN OUR INDUSTRY EVENT. WE HAVE WORKED WITH VISIT HARFORD OVER THE YEARS AND KNEW THAT THEY WOULD HAVE THE BEST INTENTIONS FOR THEIR TOURISM COMMUNITY AND OUR ORGANIZATION. THEY HAVE ALSO SERVED AS GREAT AMBASSADORS FOR MY ORGANIZATION OVER THE YEARS. WE KNEW THAT WORKING WITH THEM FOR THE WELCOME RECEPTION NEXT MONTH, THEY WOULD DELIVER EXCEPTIONAL SUPPORT TO DO THEIR RELATIONSHIP. I'M GOING TO SKIP ALL THAT PART BECAUSE HERE TONIGHT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE HOTEL TAX. WE ARE HERE TONIGHT REGARDING THE HOTEL TAX, A CRUCIAL REVENUE THAT SUPPORTS MARKETING HARFORD COUNTY AS A TOURISM DESTINATION. A TAX THAT IS SIMPLY GENERATED BY HOTEL STAYS HERE IN THE COUNTY. THANKS TO THE HARD WORK OF VISIT HARFORD, THE COUNTY WELCOMES OVER 2 MILLION VISITORS A YEAR. 
          THEY SHOP ALONG MAIN STREET. THEY DINE IN THE RESTAURANTS, THEY RAISE A PINT AT THE LOCAL BREWERIES. THEY EVEN SAY THEIR WEDDING VOWS HERE. VISITORS STAY IN HOTELS, STAY LONGER AND SPEND MORE MONEY IN RETURN. IT CREATES JOBS, CREATES REVENUE FOR THE STATE. IT CREATES LOCAL REVENUE THAT SUPPORTS ESSENTIAL SERVICES LIKE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, PUBLIC SAFETY AND OTHER PROJECTS THAT NEED TO BE BUILT IN THE COUNTY. THE COUNTY OFFICE THINKS THAT THEY CAN DO A BETTER JOB WITH TOURISM. THERE ARE COUNTIES WHO DO IT AND DO IT WELL, BUT HERE WE ARE, 84 DAYS, ALMOST THREE 
          [00:20:02]
MONTHS LATER, SINCE MY LAST CONVERSATION IN JULY 29TH, AND JUST TODAY, THEY HIRED A PERSON FOR THE OFFICE FOR THE ROLE WITH NO MARKETING EXPERIENCE IN THE TOURISM REALM. AND WHILE THEY HAVE A WEBSITE, IT IS LITERALLY A VERY UNINVITING NO PICTURES AND IT JUST DOES NOT EVEN HAVE ANY HOTELS LISTED ON IT. SO HERE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A HOTEL TAX, AND THE HOTELS ARE NOT EVEN LISTED ON THERE. IF YOU GO TO THE VISIT, HARFORD WEBSITE, IT LISTS 32 HOTELS AND FOR ME, PLEASE BRING YOUR COMMENTS TO A CLOSE. OKAY. I ASK THAT YOU WOULD CONSIDER TO CHOOSE BETWEEN THE TWO. WHO WOULD YOU TRUST MOST EFFECTIVELY TO PROMOTE TOURISM IN YOUR COUNTY? PLEASE BRING YOUR COMMENTS TO A CLOSE. MA'AM, YOUR TIME IS UP. PLEASE SUPPORT THE BILL. THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. I. OKAY. GOOD EVENING MA'AM. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE. HI, I'M PATTY PARKER, 908 ROCK SPRING ROAD IN BEL AIR. I'VE BEEN IN PART OF THIS CONVERSATION FOR LONGER THAN I HAVEN'T BEEN, AND I WANTED TO KIND OF TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW WE GOT TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY. THE HOTEL TAX WAS WIDELY OPPOSED BY HOTELIERS. I'M TALKING ABOUT LIKE, THE HESS YEARS, LIKE YEARS AND YEARS AGO, WE ALL FOUGHT THE HOTEL TAX BECAUSE WE THOUGHT WE HAD AN ADVANTAGE BY NOT HAVING A TOURISM HOTEL TAX IN HARFORD COUNTY, BECAUSE CECIL COUNTY HAD ONE AND BALTIMORE COUNTY HAD ONE. SO WE WERE A VERY STAUNCHLY THINKING WE WERE AT AN ADVANTAGE UNTIL WE REALIZED THAT WE COULD LEVERAGE THAT HOTEL TAX WITH AN ORGANIZATION THAT COULD THEN PROMOTE OUR HOTELS SPECIFICALLY. AND ALSO THE OTHER ENTITIES THAT THAT FEED OFF OF THOSE. THE RESTAURANTS, THE I MEAN, GAS STATIONS, EVERYTHING. AND ONCE WE STARTED TO REALIZE THAT WE WERE SWITCHING ONE ADVANTAGE FROM NOT HAVING A HOTEL TAX TO HAVING PROMOTION, BUT A BIG PIECE OF THAT IS HAVING THAT PRIVATIZED PROMOTION, HAVING AN ORGANIZATION. HOLD ON. I'M SO SORRY. BY HAVING A PRIVATE ENTITY THAT EXISTS ONLY TO PROMOTE AND ENCOURAGE VISITORS INTO OUR COUNTY, THIS WAS SUCH AN IMPORTANT PIECE. BEING SEPARATE FROM THE GOVERNMENT AS IT WAS ABLE TO OPERATE CONSISTENTLY AND WITHOUT THE FEAR OF BEING CUT AS THE WINDS POLITICAL WINDS CHANGED. THIS PIECE OF LEGISLATION MOVES US CLOSER TO THE ORIGINAL VISION OF VISIT HARFORD AND TOURISM IN HARFORD COUNTY. WHEN THE HOTEL TAX WAS INSTITUTED BY MOVING IT INTO A PRIVATE ORGANIZATION THAT ISN'T GOING TO CHANGE EVERY FOUR YEARS BECAUSE SOMEBODY POINTS AND SAYS NO, YOU CAN BE THE DMO NOW. NO, I WANT YOU TO BE THE DMO. THERE HAS TO BE SOME CONSISTENCY BECAUSE WE'RE EMPLOYING PROFESSIONALS WITH VISIT HARFORD. THERE HAS TO BE. 
          IT CAN'T JUST BE ONE PERSON'S DECISION. AND I REALIZE THAT THAT'S PROBABLY GOING TO BE A CONVERSATION FOR ANOTHER DAY. BUT TO ANSWER MR. GUTHRIE'S QUESTION ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE COMING TO THE COUNCIL AND WANTING FUNDING THE HOTEL TAX IS A DEDICATED FUNDING SOURCE FOR VISIT HARFORD AND TOURISM. IT WAS INTENDED TO BE THAT WAY. IT SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE THAT WAY. 
          AND I'M ASKING FOR YOU GUYS TO TRY TO MAKE IT THAT WAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MA'AM. JAKE ENGLISH FOLLOWED BY KATIE. NO. GOOD EVENING SIR. NAME AND ADDRESS PLEASE. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS JAKE ENGLISH. I LIVE AT 1835 HAMMOND PLACE NORTH IN BEL AIR. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS JAKE ENGLISH, AND I SERVE AS THE TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR FOR THE UPPER CHESAPEAKE BASEBALL FESTIVAL. I'M HERE TONIGHT TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF BILL 24 031, WHICH I VIEW AS ESSENTIAL FOR ORGANIZATIONS LIKE MINE TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO SERVE THEIR COMMUNITY. UKBF IS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION WITH TWO PRIMARY MISSIONS. THE FIRST IS TO GROW YOUTH BASEBALL HERE IN HARFORD COUNTY AND DIRECTLY FINANCIALLY SUPPORT LOCAL BASEBALL ORGANIZATIONS THAT DO THE SAME. 
          BUT THE SECOND IS TO HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE LOCAL ECONOMY, SPECIFICALLY IN THE HOSPITALITY SECTOR. IT WOULD BE A WASTE OF MY THREE MINUTES SO GRACIOUSLY GRANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE INTRINSIC VALUE OF YOUTH PROGRAMING AND MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS ON YOUTH BASEBALL AS A VEHICLE FOR BEING ABLE TO TEACH OUR KIDS IMPORTANT LIFE LESSONS TO TURN THEM INTO MORE WELL-ROUNDED HUMAN BEINGS AND BETTER CITIZENS. WHY WASTE OUR TIME WITH THAT? LET'S TALK ABOUT THE POLITICS FOR JUST A SECOND. INSTEAD, THIS FORUM AND OTHERS LIKE IT THAT WILL DECIDE THE MATTER AT HAND, OR PROBABLY MORE LIKELY TO BE MOVED BY ECONOMIC FACTORS, VISIT HARFORD'S. 
          ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN GENERATING LOCAL SPENDING AND TAX REVENUE AS PART OF WHAT MAKES UKBF A SUCCESS STORY. IT TAKES HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE TO MAKE OUR TOURNAMENTS HAPPEN. UMPIRES SITE HOSTS, FIELD CREWS, VENDORS. BUT THERE ARE ONLY FOUR OF US THAT WORK ON THE ADMINISTRIVIA OF THE 
          [00:25:02]
TOURNAMENTS. AND TO BE FRANK, A LOT OF THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR DRAWING THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE TO THIS COUNTY TO SPEND THEIR MONEY FALLS ON ME. AND I'M JUST A DUMB BASEBALL GUY. THAT IS WHERE VISIT HARFORD ENTERS THE PICTURE. THEY HAVE PROVIDED US NOT ONLY WITH CRITICAL RESOURCE, BUT WITH THE EXPERTISE TO MAKE OUR MARKETING EFFORTS SUCCESSFUL. I HAVE SPENT COUNTLESS HOURS ON THE PHONE TALKING WITH TYLER ABOUT HOW TO EXECUTE A COORDINATED EMAIL AND SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN. I PROMISE I AM GETTING BETTER AND THE FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE RECEIVED OUT OF TOWN COACHES HAVE EXPRESSED GRATITUDE FOR RECEIVING WELCOME PACKETS THAT INCLUDE RESTAURANT GUIDES AND INFORMATION ON WHAT THEY CAN DO WITH 12 TO 15 KIDS WHO ARE BORED AND NOT ON A BASEBALL FIELD OUT OF TOWN. THOSE MATERIALS WERE PRODUCED BY VISIT HARFORD AND DISTRIBUTED AT THEIR RECOMMENDATION, LEAPING OFF THE PAGE AND ONTO THE WEB VISIT HARFORD HAS HELPED US GET IN-APP ADVERTISING FOR HARFORD COUNTY ONTO THE APP THAT COACHES AND PARENTS DOWNLOAD TO REGISTER AND GET UPDATES ABOUT THE TOURNAMENT. THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE QR CODES AT EVERY UKBF FIELD, DIRECTING GUESTS TO PLACES THEY CAN EAT, SHOP AND STAY IN HARFORD COUNTY. IN ADDITION TO THEIR EXPERTISE, I MENTIONED, THEY PROVIDE CRITICAL RESOURCES IN ADDITION TO THEIR OWN SUPPORT. VISIT. HARFORD MADE US AWARE OF STATE GRANTS FOR WHICH WE ARE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY IN 2024, WHICH COULD NOT HAVE COME AT A BETTER TIME. EVERYTHING IS MORE EXPENSIVE NOW. EVERYTHING IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO DO THIS VERY IMPORTANT WORK OF OURS. I'M JUST A DUMB BASEBALL GUY. I NEED VISIT HARFORD, SO DO A LOT OF OTHER ORGANIZATIONS IN THIS COUNTY. THE WORK THAT WE DO IS IMPORTANT, AND I ASK YOU TO BEHAVE AS IF IT DOES. THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, MR. ENGLISH. AND MOST OF US KNOW YOU'RE MORE THAN WHAT YOU JUST SAID. SO CALL YOUR NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. KATIE, NOW. GOOD EVENING, MA'AM. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE. GOOD EVENING. 
          MY NAME IS KATIE NOEL. AND HOME ADDRESS IS 1002 ROSEMONT ROAD OR ROSEMONT DRIVE IN JOPPA, MARYLAND, TWO 1085. THANKS. GOOD EVENING, CHAIRMAN VINCENTI AND THE MEMBERS OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS KATIE NOEL. MY HUSBAND, JARED NANO AND I ARE THE OWNERS AND OPERATORS OF THE STATE THEATER OF HAVRE DE GRACE, AND WE ARE HERE TONIGHT IN ARDENT SUPPORT OF BILL 24 031. 
          WE OPENED OUR DOORS AT THE STATE THEATER IN JANUARY OF 2020, BARELY A MONTH AND A HALF BEFORE THE EFFECTS OF COVID 19, AMONG OTHER TRAGIC CONSEQUENCES, ABSOLUTELY SHATTERED THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY IN WHICH OUR THEATER IS STRONGLY BASED, OUR QUOTE UNQUOTE SAFETY NET OF OPTIONS. AS A NEW FOR PROFIT BUSINESS WERE VERY LIMITED. BUT WE SURVIVED THANKS TO THE CREATIVITY DRIVE AND SUPPORT OF OUR TEAM AND OUR CLOSEST PARTNERS. TODAY, WE OPERATE YEAR ROUND AS THE LARGEST PRIVATELY OWNED LIVE ENTERTAINMENT VENUE IN THE COUNTY, HOSTING AN AVERAGE OF OVER 100 EVENTS AND ATTRACTING AN ESTIMATED 10 TO 12,000 VISITORS PER YEAR FROM NEW YORK TO OHIO AND BEYOND. VISIT HARFORD IS ONE OF THOSE STALWART PARTNERS WHO HAVE SUPPORTED US SINCE OUR OPENING AND THROUGH THE PANDEMIC. THEIR TEAM HAS EXPERTISE ACROSS EVERY MAJOR TOURISM VERTICAL IN THIS COUNTY, AN EXCEPTIONAL FOCUS ON RELATIONSHIPS AS A WAY TO EXPEDITE THEIR ACTIVITIES, AND A NUANCED UNDERSTANDING OF THE INDUSTRIES THAT DO NOT JUST BENEFIT FROM TOURISM, BUT DEPEND ON IT IN OUR ECONOMY. ADDITIONALLY, THEY ARE ONE OF THE FEW ENTITIES IN THE STATE THAT IS POSITIONED TO SUPPORT BOTH NONPROFIT AND FOR PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS IN THIS SPACE, ESPECIALLY WITHIN THE ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT, WHICH IS A VERY HIGH GROSSING TOURISM VERTICAL, WHICH IS PARAMOUNT TO DEVELOPING A WELL-ROUNDED AND ROBUST LOCAL ECONOMY IN OUR EXPERIENCE, THIS IN-DEPTH KNOWLEDGE, COUPLED WITH A HOLISTIC STRATEGIC APPROACH, HAS MADE VISIT HARFORD ONE OF THE MOST QUANTIFIABLY EFFECTIVE AGENTS OF DRIVING OR TOURISM IN THE REGION. FUNDING. THE VISIT HARFORD TEAM SHOULD BE ONE OF THE EASIEST AND MOST FINANCIALLY SOUND DECISIONS THIS COUNCIL CAN MAKE AS A SUB OR A SUBCONTRACT. EXCUSE ME, A SUBCONTRACTED CORPORATE MARKETING SHELL, BEHOLDEN TO THE GOVERNMENT AND NOT INCENTIVIZED TO DEVELOP THESE TYPES OF LONG STANDING PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE BUSINESSES AND NONPROFITS THAT SHAPE TOURISM IN THIS REGION IS SIMPLY NOT A LOGICAL, LET ALONE A SOUND DECISION. BEARING THIS IN MIND, WE SINCERELY REQUEST A FAVORABLE VOTE ON THIS BILL AND THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION AND BRINGING THIS FORTH TONIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, JARED. KNOW, FOLLOWED BY TIM ENGEL. 
          HANDS ON TO TIM. YEAH. WE CAN YIELD OKAY. THANK YOU. TIM ENGEL FOLLOWED BY TYLER ZEISLOFT. GOOD EVENING SIR. NAME AND ADDRESS PLEASE. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS TIMOTHY ENGEL. I LIVE AT 8905 PARLOW ROAD IN TWO ONE, TWO, THREE, SIX. I'M ALSO IN THE HOTEL BUSINESS ALONG WITH PATTY. 
          I'M THE GM OF THE SPRINGHILL SUITES BY MARRIOTT IN BELCAMP, SO I ECHO MANY OF THE THINGS THAT PATTY HAD SAID WITH THE HOTEL SUPPORT FOR THE TAX AND WHERE IT BEGAN AND WHAT IT GREW INTO. AND I JUST ASK TO CONSIDER WHETHER THE HOTELIERS WOULD, IF YOU WERE A HOTELIER, WHETHER YOU 
          [00:30:03]
WOULD THINK THAT THE MONEY THAT WAS RAISED BY YOUR THE GUESTS THAT STAYED AT YOUR HOTEL WOULD BE BETTER SPENT BY AN ORGANIZATION THAT UNDERSTOOD THE COUNTY AND UNDERSTOOD THE INS AND OUT OF THE COUNTY AND ITS ATTRACTIONS. EXCUSE ME. OR WHETHER IT WOULD BE BETTER SERVED BY PROMOTED BY AN OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTY ORGANIZATION WHERE THEY'VE ALREADY SPENT OVER HALF $1 MILLION ON AN ORGANIZATION THAT WERE JUST ANOTHER CLIENT? YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUST ANOTHER CLIENT. SURE, THERE A BIGGER COMPANY, BUT DOES THAT MAKE THEM BETTER? NO. TO ADDRESS MR. RILEY'S COMMENT ABOUT WORKING TOGETHER AND FINDING A COMPROMISE, I WAS IN MEETINGS WITH THE WITH THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION, AND I AND I INDIVIDUALLY SAID, WELL, HOW ABOUT IF WE DO THE WORK AND YOU AUTHORIZE PAYMENTS FOR PICK A NUMBER $10,000 OR MORE? AND THAT WAS IGNORED. THIS ADMINISTRATION JUST WANTS CONTROL. IT'S ABOUT CONTROL IN MANY OF THE ASPECTS. 
          AND THIS IS JUST ONE PART OF IT. WE DO NOT WANT THE MONEY THAT OUR GUESTS PAY IN HARFORD COUNTY TO BE SPENT BY AN ORGANIZATION OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTY THAT DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THE COUNTY. 
          THANK YOU. THANK YOU SIR. MA'AM, CAN YOU TAKE A SEAT, PLEASE? I'M SORRY. THANK YOU MA'AM. GOOD EVENING SIR. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE. TYLER ZEISLOFT, 712 EAST FARROW COURT IN BEL AIR. GOOD EVENING, CHAIRMAN VINCENTE. AND DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. I PROUDLY SERVE AS THE MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR FOR VISIT HARFORD. IT'S MY PRIVILEGE TO TESTIFY BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING IN STRONG SUPPORT OF BILL 24 031, THE US TRAVEL ASSOCIATION DESCRIBES DESTINATION MARKETING ORGANIZATIONS AS CHAMPIONS OF RURAL REGIONS, SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON PLACES THAT MAY BE OTHERWISE OVERLOOKED BY VISITORS AND INVIGORATING THE ECONOMIES OF UNDERSERVED AREAS WITH SKILLED STORYTELLERS THAT PROVIDE CREDIBLE INFORMATION FOR BOTH VISITORS AND RESIDENTS. AS A 20 YEAR RADIO PERSONALITY, MY CAREER IN BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS, STORYTELLING, AND PROMOTING THE COMMUNITY THIS MADE MY TRANSITION INTO TOURISM NOT ONLY A SEAMLESS ONE, BUT ONE THAT CAME WITH AN INSTANT SENSE OF JOY AND PASSION. SINCE I BEGAN TO VISIT HARFORD, THE FIRST THING I FOUND PLEASING WAS HOW NEUTRAL VISIT HARFORD IS AS A NON-GOVERNMENT BASED ENTITY. WE AREN'T COMPETING AGAINST ANOTHER COUNTY, NOR WOULD WE EVER FAVOR ONE TOWN OR EVENT OVER ANOTHER. WE WANT EVERYONE TO WIN FOR THE SAKE OF EACH OTHER. WE WORK CLOSELY AND BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES AND LOCAL BUSINESS OWNERS TO MAKE SURE THAT IF THERE'S ANY NEED THAT WE CAN ASSIST WITH AND THEY'RE ENCOURAGING TOURISTS, WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO MEET THOSE NEEDS. THESE BUSINESSES AND ENTITIES RANGE FROM RESTAURANTS TO HOTELS, RETAIL STORES, SMALL BUSINESSES, NONPROFITS AND TOWN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICES. ONE OF OUR MOST SUCCESSFUL WAYS OF PROMOTING THESE BUSINESSES AND EVENTS IS OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE MAJOR MARKET NEWS AND RADIO STATIONS IN MARYLAND, PENNSYLVANIA, DC AND VIRGINIA. OUR COUNTLESS TV AND RADIO APPEARANCES HAVE TAKEN EVENTS OR BUSINESSES THAT WERE WORKING WITH A MINIMAL MARKETING BUDGET AND TAKING THOSE IN-KIND OPPORTUNITIES TO PROMOTE THEIR BUSINESS OR EVENT TO HELP MAKE IT A SUCCESS. WE ALSO ENCOURAGE THESE BUSINESSES AND EVENTS ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS, WHICH RECEIVE 28,000 MONTHLY USERS IN FISCAL YEAR 2024. VISIT. HARFORD IS THE PROUD RECIPIENT OF BOTH THE MARYLAND TOURISM AND TRAVEL SUMMITS 2023 AWARD FOR BEST MEDIUM EVENT FOR THE HARFORD COUNTY ARTS WEEK, AND A HARFORD AWARD RECIPIENT IN 2017 FOR BEING AN ORGANIZATION THAT MANIFESTS A STRONG COMMITMENT TO THE HARFORD COUNTY BUSINESS COMMUNITY. WE WILL CONTINUE OUR COMMITMENT TO ALL OF OUR PARTNERS IN HARFORD COUNTY. THANK YOU FOR BEING SO SUPPORTIVE OVER THE YEARS. 
          TOURISM MUST BE SUSTAINABLE OVER TIME, AND YOUR SUPPORT FOR BILL 23 031 WILL CONTINUE. VISIT HARFORD'S. AWARD WINNING SUCCESS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR JOHN MALLAMO, FOLLOWED BY ERIC ROBERT. DANCING BACK HERE. WE'RE DANCING. GOOD EVENING SIR. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE, SIR. 
          GOOD EVENING TO YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES. I LIKE THIS PODIUM. JOHN MALLAMO, 2402 EAGLE VIEW DRIVE, BEL AIR, MARYLAND. NOW I'M CURIOUS. I'VE LISTENED TO YOU ALL TALK AND I'VE LISTENED TO SOME OF THE SPEAKERS. WHAT'S THE PURPOSE OF THIS BILL? I HEARD WHAT YOU SAID, MR. PENMAN. 
          YOU KNOW, IT APPEARS TO ME THAT THE EFFORT IS TO BEND THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE OVER A DESK AND SPANK HIM. IF THAT'S THE CASE, PICK A TOPIC YOU CAN WIN ON. THIS IS NOT ONE OF THEM. NOW VISIT HARFORD IS BOTH A BUSINESS ENTITY AND A REGISTERED TRADEMARK. YOU ARE WITH YOUR 
          [00:35:09]
LEGISLATION CONSIGNING THE TOURISM PROMOTION TO AN ENTITY FOREVER AND I WONDER WHETHER THAT WOULD CHANGE IF VISIT HARFORD WOULD SOMEHOW NOT PERFORM TO THE EXPECTATIONS THAT YOU HAVE. AND I HAVEN'T HEARD ANY OF YOU MENTION YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR VISIT HARFORD. 
          WHAT'S THE GOAL? HOW MUCH MORE TOURISM ARE THEY GOING TO ATTRACT INTO HARFORD COUNTY? YOU KNOW, AND IT'S INCREDIBLE TO ME THAT YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE CONTRACT WITH A SPECIFIC BUSINESS. ARE THEY THE BEST IN THE WORLD? WHAT QUALIFIES THEM AS THE BEST ENTITY IN ALL OF THE WORLD? TO PROMOTE TOURISM IN HARFORD COUNTY? NOBODY'S ADDRESSED THAT. 
          NOBODY'S ADDRESSED HOW MUCH MORE YOU WANT FROM THEM. NOW, I GOT TO TELL YOU, THERE IS CURRENT LITIGATION BETWEEN THE COUNTY AND VISIT HARFORD. I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT'S GOING TO GO, BUT IT'S A LOSE LOSE PROPOSITION. AND THIS BILL DOESN'T DO ANYTHING TO SOLVE THAT PROBLEM OR YOUR DESIRE TO PREVAIL OVER THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE OR TO INCREASE TOURISM IN HARFORD COUNTY. SO IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND, WHEN YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY LATER ON DURING YOUR YOUR SPEECHES, TELL ME WHAT QUALIFIES, VISIT HARFORD AND QUANTIFY IT. GIVE EMPIRICAL DAT. 
          DON'T DON'T TELL ME THAT YOU LIKE THEM AND THAT THEY SHOULD BE CONSIDERED TO BE THE TOURISM AGENCY FOR HARFORD COUNTY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SIR. GOOD EVENING SIR. NAME AND ADDRESS PLEASE. 
          ERIC. ROBERT, 2520 COUNTY COURT, ABINGTON. GOOD EVENING. COUNCIL PRESIDENT VICENTE AND COUNCIL COUNCIL MEMBERS. I SERVED AS THE INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR VISIT HARFORD FROM OCTOBER OF 2023 THROUGH MAY 2024 UNTIL A PERMANENT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WAS HIRED. DURING MY TENURE, I HAD SEVERAL MEETINGS WITH THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE ABOUT THE FUTURE DIRECTION OF TOURISM FOR HARFORD COUNTY. OUR FIRST MEETING WAS IN JANUARY AT THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE'S REQUEST, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE OPENED THE MEETING STATING THAT HE HAD JUST RETURNED FROM PERSONALLY DELIVERING HIS VETO TO BILL 223 034. TO THIS COUNCIL. HE TALKED FOR 20 MINUTES ABOUT HOW THE LEGISLATION WAS ILLEGAL AND THAT CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS WITH A PERSONAL VENDETTA WERE OUT TO GET HIM BECAUSE THERE ARE POLITICAL AGENDAS. I LISTENED INTENTLY AND ASKED A FEW QUESTIONS, INCLUDING WHAT HIS VISION WAS FOR TOURISM IN THE COUNTY. HE COULDN'T PROVIDE ONE. 
          OUR MEETING LASTED A LITTLE MORE THAN 30 MINUTES, AND I LEFT WITH A FALSE PERCEPTION THAT I MAY PERHAPS BE ABLE TO WORK WITH THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND HIS ADMINISTRATION, AND A PARTNERSHIP TO PROMOTE TOURISM FOR THE COUNTY. I PROPOSE THAT WE MEET AGAIN TO CONTINUE THE DIALOG. OUR SECOND MEETING WAS ON MARCH 6TH, DAYS PRIOR TO THAT MEETING, I FORWARDED A TWO PAGE, EIGHT POINT DOCUMENT THAT I HAD PREPARED ENTITLED COLLABORATION FRAMEWORK FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN HARFORD COUNTY GOVERNMENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND COUNTY'S DESTINATION MARKETING ORGANIZATION, VISIT HARFORD AND THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. THE DOCUMENT WAS WELL RECEIVED AND HE WAS VERY APPRECIATIVE THAT I HAD TOUCHED ON ALL THE KEY ELEMENTS THAT HE SUPPORTED. VISIT HARFORD AS A DMO WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, THE TONE AND TENOR OF OUR MEETING WAS QUITE DIFFERENT THAN OUR FIRST MEETING. I MADE IT CLEAR THAT I WAS THERE TO MEND FENCES AND WORK IN COLLABORATION ON A PATH FORWARD. I TOLD THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE THAT COMMUNICATION WAS KEY, AND I WILL REACH OUT TO THE DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TO SCHEDULE REGULAR MEETINGS AS OUTLINED IN THE FRAMEWORK. HE INVITED ME TO ROUTINELY ATTEND HIS DIRECTOR'S MEETINGS TO PROVIDE UPDATES TO KEEP THEM APPRIZED OF THE PROJECTS AND EVENTS ON OUR RADAR. AS THE MEETING ENDED, I ASKED HIM DIRECTLY ABOUT HIS PLANS REGARDING THE FUTURE OF VISIT HARFORD. HE TOLD ME IT WAS HIS INTENTION TO KEEP VISIT HARFORD OPERATING AS IT HAS BEEN. HE ALSO REITERATED THAT HE HAS NO BACKGROUND IN TOURISM, AND HE WOULD RELY ON THE EXPERTISE OF THE VISIT HARFORD STAFF AND ITS BOARD PROFESSIONALS BOARD OF PROFESSIONALS. I ASKED HIM AGAIN WHEN WE WOULD SEE THE $215,000 FOR CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, AS WELL AS FUNDING FOR FY 25. HE TOLD ME HE WANTED TO SEE SOME MOVEMENT ON THIS PLAN GOING FORWARD. AN ASSURANCE FROM THE BOARD THAT THEY SUPPORTED IT. I TOLD HIM THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE SUPPORTED A COLLABORATION AND I WOULD GET SOMETHING TO HIM IN THE NEAR FUTURE. SUBSEQUENT TO THAT MEETING, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS SUBMITTED A MEMO TO THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE STATING THAT THEY FULLY ENDORSED THE FRAMEWORK AS PRESENTED. I HAD ONE MEETING WITH THE DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN MARCH 20TH. WE DISCUSSED OUR PARTNERSHIP AND WORKING RELATIONSHIP MOVING FORWARD. I PROPOSED THAT WE MEET REGULARLY, WHETHER IT BE WEEKLY, BI WEEKLY, MONTHLY OR AS FREQUENTLY AS SHE PREFERRED. I ALSO DISCUSSED ATTENDING THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE'S REGULARLY SCHEDULED DIRECTORS MEETING TO PROVIDE THE ADMINISTRATION WITH UPDATES AND EXCHANGE INFORMATION. THIS WAS 
          [00:40:01]
MY ONLY MEETING WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. I WAS INVITED VIA EMAIL TO ATTEND A DIRECTOR'S MEETING A FEW WEEKS LATER, ONLY TO RECEIVE AN EMAIL FROM THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR STATING THAT MEETING WAS CANCELED. I WAS NEVER AGAIN CONTACTED REGARDING ANY FUTURE MEETINGS. VISIT HARFORD'S. FINANCIALS WERE REVIEWED BY A LOCAL ACCOUNTING FIRM. COMMENTS TO A CLOSE CERTAINLY, SPONSORSHIPS AND PROMOTION OF LOCAL EVENTS AND ATTRACTIONS WERE REVIEWED AND REWARDED ACCORDINGLY. CONTRARY TO THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE'S CLAIMS. YOUR TIME IS UP. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SIR KAREN HOLT, FOLLOWED BY MAUREEN BRUNO. GOOD EVENING MADAM. NAME AND ADDRESS PLEASE. KAREN HOLT, 204 SMARTY JONES TERRACE, HAVRE DE GRACE, MARYLAND. GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT VICENTE. AND MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. I DO AGREE TOURISM IS A VITAL INDUSTRY IN HARFORD COUNTY. VISIT. HARFORD WAS RECEIVING APPROXIMATELY 750,000 ANNUALLY IN STATE AND COUNTY FUNDS TO MARKET THE COUNTY'S TOURISM ASSETS. BUT OVER THE PAST YEAR, WE'VE EXPLORED SUCCESSFUL TOURISM MODELS FROM ACROSS MARYLAND AND COMPARED THEM TO OUR LOCAL MODEL. IT WAS A CONTRACTUAL RELATIONSHIP AND WE'VE NOW ADOPTED A MODEL WHERE THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT BECOMES THE DESTINATION MARKETING ORGANIZATION OR DMO, AND THIS IS THE MODEL THAT IS USED IN THE MAJORITY OF MARYLAND JURISDICTIONS. WE'VE CONTRACTED DIRECTLY WITH THE PROFESSIONAL TOURISM MARKETING FIRM. THEY ARE MARYLAND BASED AND WE CHOSE THAT DIRECTION RATHER THAN OPERATING THROUGH ANOTHER ENTITY. HARFORD COUNTY GOVERNMENT IS NOW THE DMO. INSTEAD OF VISIT HARFORD AND THE STATE OF MARYLAND NOW RECOGNIZES HARFORD COUNTY AS THE DMO. WE'VE REACHED OUT TO HOTELIERS, RESTAURATEURS, TOURISM RELATED NON-PROFITS AND AREA ATTRACTIONS FOR BOOTS ON THE GROUND ENGAGEMENT AND FEEDBACK ON OUR MARKETING STRATEGY. WE'VE PARTICIPATED IN STATE MEETINGS, RETREATS, SOCIALS, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WITH OUR DMO PEERS ACROSS THE STATE, AND WE'VE MET WITH OTHER JURISDICTIONS TOURISM DEPARTMENTS TO LOOK AT BEST PRACTICES AND LESSONS LEARNED. THE DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HAS HIRED A NEW TOURISM MANAGER. THEY STARTED THIS WEEK OVER 20 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN TOURISM, HOSPITALITY AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT, AND WE'VE PARTNERED WITH THE HIGHLY EXPERIENCED TOURISM MARKETING FIRM THAT HAS SUCCESSFULLY WORKED WITH MARRIOTT HOTELS. THE STATE OF MARYLAND AND BALTIMORE COUNTY. JUST RECENTLY COMPLETED A COMPLETE REBRANDING FOR A NEIGHBORING JURISDICTION THAT'S MARINER MARKETING, AND THEY ARE BASED HERE IN MARYLAND. THIS APPROACH PROVIDES GREATER TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND INCLUSIVENESS IN THE EXPENDITURE OF THESE TAX DOLLARS MORE EFFECTIVELY COORDINATES TOURISM ADVERTISING. WITH OUR OVERALL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS HERE IN THE COUNTY, IT AFFORDS ENGAGEMENT WITH OUR TOURISM RELATED PARTNERS IN BUILDING STRATEGIC BRANDING AND POSITIONING, AND IT ALLOWS US TO ENGAGE PROFESSIONAL MARKETING FIRM TO EXECUTE A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR PROMOTING HARFORD COUNTY. SO BASED ON THE AFOREMENTIONED INVESTMENT IN RESEARCH, STRATEGIC APPROACH AND MARKETING THAT'S COMMITTED TO SERVING AS THE COUNTY'S DMO, WE RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT YOU CONSIDER THIS LEGISLATION UNNECESSARY. WE LOOK FOR YOUR SUPPORT IN EXECUTING A HIGH PERFORMING PROFESSIONAL TOURISM MARKETING PROGRAM AS PART OF THE ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. IT'S HARFORD COUNTY, STATE RECOGNIZED DMO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MISS HOLT. GOOD EVENING MA'AM. GOOD EVENING. NAME AND ADDRESS AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE. OH NO WORRIES, MAUREEN BRUNO, 1217 JENNY ROAD, BEL AIR. GOOD. GOOD EVENING, CHAIRMAN VINCENTI. AND MEMBERS OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL. I AM OWNER OF JOHN'S MEN'S CLOTHING HERE IN BEL AIR, AND I'M HONORED TO BE HERE TO SUPPORT THE BILL. 24 OH 31 IN DOING SO, I WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION THAT MIGHT BE USEFUL. I WORK IN A FIELD WHERE EVEN IN THE BEST OF TIMES AND CIRCUMSTANCES, COMPETITION IS STIFF. REVENUES INCONSISTENT, AND PROFIT MARGINS ARE TIGHT. AND AS YOU KNOW, THE PAST FEW YEARS HAVE NOT BEEN THE BEST OF TIMES FOR LOCAL AND INDEPENDENT RETAILERS. FIRST AND FOREMOST, WE SPENT 2020 TRYING TO JUST SURVIVE THE PANDEMIC. SINCE THEN, WE WORK EVERY DAY. MY DAUGHTER AND I WORK EVERY DAY TO GET BACK ON TRACK. FURTHERMORE, OUR INDUSTRY IS IN CONSTANT COMPETITION WITH ONLINE COMMERCE LIKE AMAZON. WE ARE DOING ALL OF THIS IN A TIME OF HIGHER INFLATION AND HIGHER PRICES. WE ALSO LIVE AND WORK IN A STATE WHOSE TAX RATE PUTS US AT A 
          [00:45:08]
DISADVANTAGE WITH OUR TAX FREE COUNTERPARTS IN DELAWARE AND PENNSYLVANIA. I CAN FIRMLY STATE THAT WITHOUT THE MARKETING EFFORTS OF THE VISIT HARFORD TEAM, WE WOULD NOT BE WHERE WE ARE TODAY. A SUCCESSFUL AND THRIVING BUSINESS IN DOWNTOWN BEL AIR BECAUSE OF VISIT HARFOR, THIS COUNTY NOW ATTRACTS ABOUT 200 MILLION VISITORS PER YEAR. THE MAJORITY OF WHOM ACTUALLY DO SHOP IN OUR STORES, BUY OUR MERCHANDISE, THEN THEY GO HOME AND RECOMMEND US TO FRIENDS. AT JOHNS, WE HAVE HAD CUSTOMERS COMING IN AS FAR AWAY AS CANADA, TEXAS AND CALIFORNIA. NOT TO MENTION I HAD A WONDERFUL FAMILY IN FROM CHINA, A COUPLE MONTHS AGO. WE ARE NOT AN AFTERTHOUGHT IN HARFORD COUNTY'S PROMOTIONAL AND TOURISM PROGRAM, AS WE HEAR TIME AND TIME AGAIN, SMALL BUSINESS IS THE BACKBONE OF OUR ECONOMY. THE VISIT HARFORD TEAM UNDERSTANDS THIS AND THEY ARE STEPPING UP IN MORE WAYS THAN I CAN STATE HERE. I SEE THEIR WORK, I TALK TO THEIR MEMBERS, MOST OF WHOM COME INTO JOHNS AND SHOP WITH THEIR FAMILIES. THEY TAKE TIME TO ASK WHAT WE NEED TO REMAIN SUCCESSFUL AND ALWAYS LISTEN TO WHAT WE HAVE TO SAY. AS YOU KNOW, EVERY CUSTOMER THAT COMES THROUGH THE DOOR OF A LOCAL RETAIL STORE IS SUPPORTING A LOCAL BUSINESS AND LOCAL JOBS. 
          VISIT HARFORD IS RESPONSIBLE FOR A SIGNIFICANT PERCENTAGE OF THOSE VISITORS. I AM HERE TO ADD A PERSONAL FACE AND MY PERSONAL STORY TO OWNING A LOCAL BUSINESS IN HARFORD COUNTY, COMMENTS TO A CLOSE. THE PEOPLE HERE TONIGHT ARE SOME OF THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST IN THEIR FIELDS. I SINCERELY REQUEST A FAVORABLE VOTE ON THE BILL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU MA'AM. JEFFREY BECK FOLLOWED BY JAY ALLENBY. GOOD EVENING SIR. NAME AND ADDRESS PLEASE. GOOD EVENING SIR. MY NAME IS JEFFREY BECK. I'M AT 102 SHELL ROAD IN JOPPA, MARYLAND. THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL PRESIDENT AND COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR HAVING THIS MEETING THIS EVENING. I'D LIKE TO START EVERY TIME I SPEAK HERE WITH REMINDING EVERYONE THAT ACCORDING TO THE MARYLAND DECLARATION OF RIGHTS, ALL PERSONS INVESTED IN THE LEGISLATIVE AND EXECUTIVE POWERS IN THE GOVERNMENT ARE TRUSTEES OF THE PUBLIC, AND AS SUCH, ACCOUNTABLE TO THE PUBLIC FOR THEIR CONDUCT. OUR FREE GOVERNMENT EXISTS FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF PRESERVING AND PROTECTING THE FREEDOMS AND LIBERTIES OF THE CITIZENS WHO ELECT THEM. THIS HOTEL TAX IN GENERAL, HOW THE REVENUE WILL BE DISTRIBUTED AND ALL BILLS THAT HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH IT SINCE ITS ENACTMENT HAVE BEEN CONTENTIOUS FROM THE VERY BEGINNING. IT'S BEEN QUESTIONED BY PRIOR STATE ATTORNEY GENERALS, LOCAL MUNICIPALITY LEADERS, AND AT LEAST ONE MEMBER OF HARFORD STATE DELEGATION. PRIVATE. THE PRIOR ADMINISTRATIONS COUNTY EXECUTIVE ACTUALLY LAID THE GROUNDWORK FOR HALFORD'S HOTEL TAX WHEN HE WAS A STATE SENATOR CAMPAIGNING FOR COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND THEN PROMPTLY INTRODUCED A BILL THAT BROUGHT US A HOTEL TAX. ONCE HE WAS SWORN IN AS EXECUTIVE. THAT SAME ADMINISTRATION WAS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CREATION AND ORIGINAL FUNDING OF VISIT HARFORD. THERE'S BEEN OBJECTION AFTER OBJECTION AS TO THE DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS COLLECTED FROM THE VERY BEGINNING. EVERYBODY WANTS THEIR SHARE. AT ONE POINT, THERE WAS A COMPETITIVE GRANT PROCESS FOR ANY UNALLOCATED FUNDS AFTER THE MUNICIPAL, MUNICIPALITIES GOT THEIR PORTIONS. NOW, SOMEHOW WE'RE SEEKING TO CODIFY ONE SINGULAR NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION TO RECEIVE 25% OF FUNDS WITH NO CODIFIED METHOD FOR OVERSIGHT OR TRANSPARENCY. LET'S CALL A SPADE A SPADE. THIS BILL IS NOT ABOUT THE OCCUPANCY TAX. IT'S ABOUT FUNNELING MONEY TO VISIT HARFORD. ONE CAN'T HELP BUT WONDER WHY THEY INTRODUCING COUNCILMAN, WHOSE DISTRICT HAS ZERO HOTELS, IS SO ADAMANT ABOUT ENSURING VISIT. HARFORD GETS A PIECE OF THE PIE SINCE FILING SUIT AGAINST THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE VISIT, HARFORD HAS ENGAGED IN AN ALL OUT PUBLIC RELATIONS WAR AGAINST THE EXECUTIVE RATHER THAN MAINTAINING FOCUS ON THEIR STATED MISSION OF PROMOTING TOURISM IN HARFORD COUNTY. 
          EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS BILL, THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT BROUGHT US HERE DOESN'T PASS THE SMELL TES. 
          I CALL FOR A NO VOTE OR WITHDRAWAL OF THIS BILL, AND I URGE ALL PARTIES, THE COUNCIL, THE EXECUTIVE VISIT HARFORD, EVERYBODY ELSE INVOLVED. LET'S PUT ALL WHATEVER PETTY SQUABBLES EXIST, PUT THEM TO REST, HASH OUT A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW TO THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. BECK. GOOD EVENING, SIR. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE. GOOD EVENING, JAY 
          [00:50:14]
ALLENBY. MY ADDRESS IS 1419 EAST MACPHAIL ROAD, BEL AIR. GOOD EVENING, CHAIRMAN VINCENT AND DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. I AM PRESIDENT OF SAFE HARBORS BUSINESS TRAVEL IN BELCAMP AND PROUD TO SERVE AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR VISIT HARFORD. IT IS MY PRIVILEGE TO TESTIFY BEFORE THIS EVENING IN STRONG SUPPORT OF BILL 24 031. BY PASSING THIS LEGISLATION INTO LAW, YOU WILL ENSURE THE SURVIVAL AND SUCCESS OF ONE OF HARFORD COUNTY'S MOST POWERFUL ECONOMIC ENGINES. PEOPLE COME TO THE COUNTY FROM ALL ACROSS THE EAST COAST EACH YEAR TO ENJOY ITS MANY ATTRACTIONS. THEY PARTICIPATE IN SIGNATURE EVENTS SUCH AS WINE FESTIVAL, DECOY FESTIVAL, BEL AIR FESTIVAL FOR THE ARTS, SUSQUEHANNA RUNNING FESTIVAL, BARBECUE BASH, MARYLAND ITALIAN FESTIVAL AND MANY MORE. AND YES, INCLUDING THAT BASEBALL GUY, THE SMART BASEBALL GUY. SO THOSE KIND OF EVENTS. OKAY. NEXT PAGE. SORRY. 
          OKAY. CUMULATIVE EFFECTS OF THE ACTIVITY ARE TRULY REMARKABLE. ACCORDING TO THE MOST CURRENT DATA, 2022 FROM TOURISM ECONOMICS. VISIT, HARFORD SUPPORTED 6500 LOCAL JOBS AND GENERATED $479 MILLION IN TOURISM SPENDING, WHICH RESULTED IN $61 MILLION IN TAX REVENUE, ALL OF WHICH THE COUNCIL CAN REINVEST IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS. FIRST RESPONDERS, INFRASTRUCTURE AND OTHER PRIORITIES. I BELIEVE OUR SUCCESS IS ATTRIBUTED TO NOT ONLY THE EXCEPTIONAL CAPABILITIES OF OUR TEAM, BUT ALSO TO THE FACT THAT WE ARE TRULY A LOCAL, LOCAL ORGANIZATION, HAVING KNOW THE BUSINESS OWNERS AND THEIR FAMILIES FOR YEARS. WHEN TYLER GOES ON TELEVISION TO PROMOTE HARFORD HOLIDAYS, HE WILL DO SO WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT HE AND HIS FAMILY WILL BE THERE THIS YEAR TO SEE THE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS AND ENJOY SLEIGH RIDE, NOT TO MENTION SEEING SANTA'S THEN INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE, SHARED EXPERIENCE AND LOCAL PRIDE CANNOT BE REPLICATED BY A PRICEY OUT OF COUNTY VENDOR. UNFORTUNATELY, THE WORK THAT VISIT HARFORD HAS PERFORMED SO SUCCESSFULLY FOR SO LONG IS AT MORTAL RISK AND COULD BE OUT OF COMMISSION IN UNDER SIX MONTHS WITHOUT SPECIFICS. ADMINISTRATION HAS ASSURED US THAT A BIGGER, BETTER STRATEGY FOR PROMOTING HARFORD COUNTY TOURISM IS AFOOT. NINE MONTHS LATER, THERE ARE STILL NO GRAND STRATEGY AND AS A RESULT, LOCAL BUSINESSES HAVE SUFFERED. I WOULD ADD THERE HAVE BEEN ACCUSATIONS OF A LACK OF TRANSPARENCY FROM THE ADMINISTRATION. THIS COULDN'T BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH, AS QUARTERLY ACTIVITY EXPENSE IS DOWN TO RECEIPTS WERE DELIVERED TO THE ADMINISTRATION WITHOUT QUESTIONS OR FEEDBACK, ALONG WITH TWO MEMBERS, KEY MEMBERS OF THE ADMINISTRATION ON THE VISIT OF HARFORD BOARD OF DIRECTORS VISIT. HARFORD PROVIDED NUMEROUS PLANS TO COLLABORATE AND AGREE TO ALL ADMINISTRATION DEMANDS, ONLY TO ONCE AGAIN NEGOTIATE IN BAD FAITH BY THE ADMINISTRATION. VERY SELDOM, IF EVER, THAT THIS COUNCIL HAS A CHANCE TO ENSURE THE CONTINUED SUCCESS OF AN ORGANIZATION THAT GENERATES $15 FOR THE COUNTY. FOR EVERY DOLLAR IT INVESTS. YOU CANNOT SAY THAT ABOUT ANY OTHER NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION OR GOVERNMENT ENTITY WITH FUNDS GENERATED EXCLUSIVELY BY VISITORS, NOT LOCAL RESIDENTS. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK AND FOR YOUR LONG STANDING SUPPORT OF VISIT HARFORD. THANK YOU SIR. THERE ARE NO MORE SPEAKERS. MR. PRESIDENT, WITH NO MORE SPEAKER. 
          BEFORE WE CONCLUDE THIS PUBLIC HEARING, I'VE BEEN ASKED BY A COUPLE OF MY COLLEAGUES WHO HAVE TAKEN SEVERAL NOTES UP HERE, BUT THEY SAID IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL IF THOSE OF YOU THAT SPOKE COULD SHARE YOUR COMMENTS VIA EMAIL TO THE COUNCIL ADMINISTRATOR AS YOU GET A CHANCE TO DO THAT, OR IF YOU HAVE HANDWRITTEN NOTES THAT YOU'D LIKE TO LEAVE WITH THE COUNCIL ADMINISTRATOR, WE WOULD LIKE THOSE AS WELL. WITH THAT, THIS WILL CONCLUDE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON BILL 24 031. THE HEARING IS NOW CLOSED AND THIS WILL BE TAKEN UP AT A FUTURE MEETING. THANK YOU. AND IF I MA, LET'S TAKE. FIVE. FOUR. THREE. CHAIR CALLS TO 
          [ 1. CALL TO ORDER]
ORDER. LEGISLATIVE SESSION. DAY 20 4-0 27. I WOULD ASK YOU TO PLEASE JOIN US IN STANDING FOR THE PLEDGE, FOLLOWED BY THE OPENING PRAYER BY COUNCILWOMAN BOYLE. SADDLES I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STAND. 
          ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. HEAVENLY FATHER, WE GATHER TODAY WITH GRATITUDE FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY. PLEASE GRANT US WISDOM AND CLARITY AS WE DELIBERATE ON MATTERS THAT AFFECT OUR CONSTITUENTS. MAY OUR DECISIONS BE GUIDED IN FAIRNESS, COMPASSION, AND INTEGRITY. THANK YOU FOR THE TRUST PLACED IN US AND MAY WE HONOR IT WITH DEDICATION AND PURPOSE. AMEN, AMEN, AMEN. AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 
          [4. PRESENTATION OF PROCLAMATIONS]
FOUR. PRESENTATION OF PROCLAMATIONS. COULD I HAVE THE MEN'S LACROSSE TEAM FROM HARFORD 
          [00:55:03]
COMMUNITY COLLEGE COME FORWARD, PLEASE? OKAY. WE'LL GET YOU TO STAND IN THE CENTER AND THEN THESE GUYS COULD SPREAD OUT. YEAH, I WILL STAND UP. CAN I HAVE SOME COME UP THIS WAY, PLEASE? LET'S. LET'S STAND UP A LITTLE BIT. AND TALL GUYS GET BEHIND US. THAT MEANS YOU'RE UP FRONT. YOU'RE SAYING, HEY, TONY, GET UP WITH THE SHIRT. MR. PENMAN, WHENEVER YOU'RE READY. 
          BE IT HEREBY KNOWN THAT THE COUNTY COUNCIL OF HARFORD COUNTY, MARYLAND, ON THIS 15TH DAY OF OCTOBER, 2024, RECOGNIZES AND CONGRATULATES HARFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE MEN'S LACROSSE TEAMS. 2024 NJCAA CHAMPIONS FOR THEIR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN THE 2024 NATIONAL JUNIOR COLLEGE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION CHAMPIONSHIP GAME. THE TEAM SUCCESSFULLY DEFENDED ITS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE. WE COMMEND THE TEAM, COACHES AND HARFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOR THEIR COMMITMENT TO ACADEMIC AND ATHLETIC SUCCESS. MR. JAMES GIORDANO YEAH, MIKE, I KNOW EVERYBODY PROBABLY WANTS SOMETHING ANYWAY. YEAH, WE NEED A MIC ANYWAY, SO THIS IS THE SECOND YEAR WE'VE HAD YOU GUYS HERE. WHAT A GREAT HONOR. GREAT HONOR TO SEE ALL THESE ALL THESE GUYS, ALL THE OWLS HERE. SO I'M I'M A LITTLE LOUD. I'LL GO DOWN. SORRY ABOUT THAT. AS A FORMER ALUMNI OF THE OWLS BACK IN THE 80S WHEN WE WERE RANKED FOR FOOTBALL TEAM GOING TO THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP, IT IS MY GREAT HONOR TO HAVE ALL YOU GUYS HERE TO CONGRATULATE YOU ON YOUR SECOND IN A ROW. NCAA CHAMPION CHAMPIONSHIP, JUNIOR COLLEGE CHAMPIONSHIP. I CAN'T WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR. I HOPE YOU GUYS ARE BACK HERE. WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE ALL YOU GUYS DO AND GREAT EFFORT. SO COACH RODDY, THIS IS THIS IS FOR YOU AND YOUR TEAM. AGAIN WANT TO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HAVING YOUR WHOLE TEAM OUT HERE. WE WERE TRYING TO DO THIS FOR A WHILE AND HE SAID CAN WE PUT IT OFF? SO WE PUT IT OFF TILL THIS YEAR. SO ANYWAY, I'M GOING TO LET YOU SAY A COUPLE WORDS ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HAVING US OUT. YOU KNOW REALLY PROUD OF THIS TEAM. JUST A LOT OF TALENT. BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF HARD WORK AND VERY UNSELFISH GROUP. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE TO REPRESENT THE COUNTY AND HARFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE THESE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. AND LOOKING FORWARD TO DOING IT, YOU KNOW, FOR YEARS TO COME. SO THANK YOU. SO A COUPLE OF YOU GUYS DID SOME VOLUNTEER WORK AT THE AMERICAN LEGION THIS THIS SUMMER. ANY OF YOU GUYS HERE THAT DID THAT RAISE YOUR HAND? NO, I GUESS NOT. GUESS THEY WEREN'T HERE. ALL RIGHT. ANYBODY ELSE WANT TO SAY ANYTHING? WE'RE GOOD. ALL RIGHT. I THINK WE'RE GOING TO TAKE SOME PICTURES. I THINK REAL QUICK. CAN I HAVE A COUPLE MORE PEOPLE COME OVER TO THIS SIDE, PLEASE? AND THEN. YEAH. YOU CAN STAY IN FRONT AND THEN YOU WITH THE MUSTACHE WILL BE IN THE BACK ROW. MAYBE A FEW OF THEM OUT THERE. WHICH MUSTACHE? I DON'T HAVE MUCH. AND THEN. OKAY. AND THEN EVERYONE HERE IN THE FRONT ROW SCOOCH OVER JUST A BIT. THANK YOU. 
          PERFECT. AND THEN YOU PUT THE GLASSES UP THIS WAY JUST A TAD. AND YOU, IN THE DARK BLUE ALSO. 
          YEP. FIND A NICE WINDOW IN BETWEEN. GREAT. AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. I CAN'T SEE YOUR FEET. 
          OKAY, MR. BENNETT? YES? YOU STEP ALL THE WAY. THIS WAY, PLEASE. KEEP COMING. THERE'S LIKE A NICE GAP HERE STAYING ON TOP OF THE CHAIR. I KNOW I NEED A BOX, MR. GUTHRIE. YES. THIS WAY PLEASE. 
          AND PERFECT. KEEP COMING. JUST A LITTLE BIT. THERE'S A NICE BIG WINDOW HERE. I'LL JUST GO OFF THE END. YOU'RE ACTUALLY GOOD TO GO BACK A LITTLE BIT. GREAT. CAN YOU STEP THIS WAY JUST A TAD? THANK YOU. AND MISS BOYLE'S BOTTLES. CAN YOU STEP THIS WAY, PLEASE? KEEP COMING. OKAY. 
          THAT'S GOOD. AND THEN YOU TWO HERE. YOU. YOU'RE A LITTLE CLOSE TOGETHER. YOU GO THIS WAY. JUST A LITTLE BIT FOR. OKAY, FINALLY. GOOD. YEP. GOOD. YEAH. I THOUGH. IT WAS JUST A LITTLE BIT. I CAN'T SEE THE BOTTLES HERE EITHER. KEEP COMING EVER CLOSER TO MR. BENNETT. THAT'D BE BETTE. 
          [01:00:02]
OKAY. OKAY. AWESOME. IT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE WE'RE ON AN ISLAND BY OURSELVES. YOU GUYS CAN HEAD ON OUT NOW. CONGRATULATIONS, GENTLEMEN. CONGRATULATIONS. HEY, MAN. CONGRATULATIONS, GUYS. 
          THANK YOU. GREAT JOB GUYS. CONGRATS. CONGRATS. I CALL HIM OUT. DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. 
          CONGRATS. CONGRATS CONGRATS CONGRATS. YEAH. THANK YOU. OH, THAT'S WHY I'M HERE. HAVE YOU MET ALL OF THEM? HAD MUSTACHES. MR. SEAMAN, COULD YOU JOIN ME UP FRONT, PLEASE? OH, YEAH. BE IT HEREBY KNOWN THAT THE COUNTY COUNCIL OF HARFORD COUNTY, MARYLAND, ON THIS 15TH DAY OF OCTOBER, 2024, RECOGNIZES JOSEPH J. C, MAC, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, HARFORD COUNTY 2024, ENGINEER OF THE YEAR FOR HIS OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS AS THE 2024 ENGINEER OF THE YEAR, AWARDED BY THE COUNTY ENGINEER'S ASSOCIATION OF MARYLAND. SINCE 2016, MR. KMIEC HAS SERVED AS THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS FOR HARFORD COUNTY GOVERNMENT. HE OVERSEES ALL ASPECTS OF THE COUNTY'S INFRASTRUCTURE AND MANAGES THE CONSTRUCTION OF CAPITAL PROJECTS. WE EXTEND OUR GRATITUDE FOR HIS EXPERIENCE, EXPERTISE AND INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND ENGINEERING AND OFFER OUR SINCERE, SINCERE CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN, I'LL GIVE YOU THAT PROCLAMATION. I WANT TO CONGRATULATE YOU ON BEHALF OF ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES. YES. WHY DON'T YOU ALL COME DOWN FRONT, PLEASE? BUT, JOE, WE ALL SHARE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU. 
          WHENEVER WE HAVE A QUESTION THAT'S ASKED BY ONE OF THE CITIZENS, YOU'RE RIGHT THERE TO ANSWER FOR US. AND WE APPRECIATE IT. AND I KNOW THAT, I GUESS PROBABLY ONE OF THE LARGEST DEPARTMENTS IN THE COUNTY. AND HOW MANY EMPLOYEES? ABOUT 400, 400. AND THESE GUYS ARE OUT. 
          RAIN, SNOW AND GALS. YES. RAIN, SHINE, WHATEVER. AND WE APPRECIATE YOU VERY MUCH. 
          APPRECIATE ALL YOU DO. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. YEP. LET ME GET A PICTURE REAL QUICK. 
          OKAY. IT EASIER SHOT. YEP. I'M JUST STEP IN A LITTLE BIT. NICE AND TIGHT OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. 
          JOE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING? SURE. I WANT TO THANK ALL 400 OF THOSE EMPLOYEES OF DPW BECAUSE THIS IS AN AWARD FOR ME. I'M THE ONE THAT RECEIVES IT, AND I'M THE ONE THAT RECEIVED THE COUNTY ENGINEER OF THE YEAR AWARD. BUT IT'S THANKS TO THE GOOD, HARD WORK OF ALL THOSE FOLKS THAT MAKE MY JOB EVEN EASIER. BECAUSE WHEN THOSE QUESTIONS COME TO ME, WHETHER IT BE FROM THE CONSTITUENT OR A COUNCIL MEMBER OR ANYBODY IN THE ADMINISTRATION, I DON'T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS. BUT I KNOW WHO TO GO TO AND THEY TAKE CARE OF THAT FOR ME AND FOR THIS COUNTY. AND AGAIN, I DO APPRECIATE VERY PROUD TO BE IN THIS POSITION AND ENJOY IT VERY MUCH. SO THANK YOU AGAIN. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN, ANYONE. JOE, I JUST WANT TO CONVEY CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU MY APPRECIATION FOR YOU JUST BEING ABLE TO CALL AND ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS. AND, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T IMAGINE HOW DIFFICULT YOUR JOB IS WITH THE, YOU KNOW, TECHNICAL SIDE OF THINGS. YOU REALLY JUST HAVE TO BE AN EXPERT ON A LOT OF DIFFERENT FIELDS, A LOT OF DIFFERENT MOVING PARTS, BECAUSE IF SOMETHING HAPPENED, IT'S, YOU KNOW, CATASTROPHIC. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP IN THE COUNTY. THANK YOU FOR THE WORK YOU DO IN THE TEAM THAT YOU HAVE BUILT. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. JUST JUST ONE OTHER THING TOO, JOE, IF YOU WILL, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW THAT THE AVERAGE CITIZEN MICROPHONE RIGHT HERE, PLEASE. I DON'T KNOW THAT THE AVERAGE CITIZEN UNDERSTANDS THE EXTREME VAST ISSUES THAT YOUR DEPARTMENT COVERS. WATER, SEWER, ROADS, SOLID WASTE, STORM DRAINS, ENVIRONMENTAL INSPECTIONS, CONSTRUCTION INSPECTIONS. WE ALSO HAVE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE OUT IN THE FIELD THAT ARE LOOKING TO MAKE SURE THAT THE TRAFFIC IS, IS DESIGNED THE WAY IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE IN ORDER TO KEEP THE TRAFFIC MOVING. WE ALSO PROVIDE THE TECHNICAL REVIEW OF ALL SUBDIVISION PLANS THAT COME IN BY DEVELOPERS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY MEET THE COUNTY CODE, AND THE COUNTY REQUIREMENTS. SO THERE'S REALLY A GREAT DEAL OF THINGS THAT ARE TAKEN CARE OF BY ALL THOSE FOLKS. SO THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN GUNTHER. I'M SORRY, MR. BE QUICK, TONY. I KNOW YOU WANT TO WATCH THE YANKEE GAME. I KNOW, JOE, I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING. I KNOW WHAT WHAT SURPRISES ME WHEN I CALL YOUR OFFICE, YOU ANSWER THE PHONE, 
          [01:05:02]
YOU KNOW, AND I EXPECT THAT I'D GET SECRETARY OR SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW, AND PUT ME ON HOLD, AND I SIT THERE AND WAIT FOR 20 MINUTES. NO, BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. YANKEES. I'M GOING TO KEEP IT SHORT. THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP. THANKS FOR YOUR STAFF, ALL YOUR STAFFS HELPING, ALWAYS ANSWERING QUESTIONS. CERTAINLY WE DON'T KNOW A LOT OF STUFF WHEN WE COME TO YOU GUYS FOR THE ANSWERS, AND YOU GUYS ARE ALWAYS THERE FOR THAT. SO THANK YOU. JUST WANT TO SAY THANKS JOE. APPRECIATE ALL YOU DO AND YOUR TEAM. THANK YOU. 
          YES. AGENDA NUMBER FIVE CONSIDERATION OF PETITIONS APPLICATIONS APPOINTMENTS AND 
          [5. CONSIDERATION OF PETITIONS, APPLICATIONS, APPOINTMENTS AND NOMINATIONS]
NOMINATIONS. EXECUTIVE APPOINTMENTS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY BOARD. MAY I HAVE A MOTION COUNCIL PRESIDENT? I MOVE TO APPROVE THE APPOINTMENTS FOR SHANE SIMMS, CHERYL COLE, MICHAEL SWEENEY, JOHN MULDOON AND MICHAEL PATEL TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY BOARD. MAY I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND? THANK YOU. MR. RILEY. IT'S BEEN MOVED IN SECOND TO APPROVE THE NEW APPOINTMENTS TO THE BOARD. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION, MISS DIXON? MR. PRESIDENT? HI, MR. GUTHRIE. HI, MR. PENMAN. HI, MR. GIORDANO. HI, MR. HI, MRS. HI, MR. BENNETT. HI THERE. BEING SEVEN VOTES IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, ZERO OR NEGATIVE, THESE APPOINTMENTS ARE HEREBY APPROVED. SOME ARE HERE. SUMMER HERE. OH, YES. MISS COLE, I'M SORRY. ANYONE ELSE? PLEASE STAND UP AND BE RECOGNIZED. THANK YOU. THANK YO. SIX SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS, 
          [6. SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS]
HARFORD COUNTY VOLUNTEER FIRE AND EMS ASSOCIATION 2024 UPDATE COUNCIL. I'D LIKE TO WELCOME MR. GALLAGHER AND HIS ASSOCIATES HERE. MR. WALTER. MR. THOMAS, I BELIEVE. YES. AND BEFORE BEFORE WE GET STARTED, JOHN, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE TIME THAT WE SPENT TOGETHER IN GETTING AN UPDATE AFTER YOU TOOK OFFICE. AND I WANT TO EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION AGAIN TO MR. R AND MR. DUSA FOR THEIR YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE COUNTY. AND WITH THAT, WHENEVER YOU GUYS ARE READY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. MY NAME IS JOHN GALLAGHER. I'M THE NEW PRESIDENT OF THE HARFORD COUNTY VOLUNTEER FIRE AND EMS ASSOCIATION, AND IT'S A PRIVILEGE TO COME BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE AND WHERE WE'RE GOING IN 2024. SO AS I STATED, I'M THE PRESIDENT. TO MY LEFT IS KEVIN THOMAS, VICE PRESIDENT, CHIEF OF JOPPA, MAGNOLIA VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY. 
          TO MY RIGHT IS RUDY WALTER. HE'S THE CHAIRMAN OF THE CHIEF OFFICERS LIAISON COMMITTEE. ALSO WITH ME TODAY ARE SANDY GALLION, THE SECRETARY FOR THE ASSOCIATION, AND CHUCK MOORE, TREASURER FOR THE ASSOCIATION. SO, AS YOU KNOW, WE'RE MADE UP OF 12 FIRE COMPANIES ACROSS THE COUNTY. WE HAVE 1536 MEMBERS AT THIS TIME, 933 ACTIVE MEMBERS. THE EXEMPLARY LIFETIME MEMBERS, SEVERAL COMPANIES. BEL AIR IS ONE OF THEM, HAVE EXEMPLARY LIFETIME STATUS FOR THOSE THAT HAVE 20 YEARS OF SERVICE OR MORE. SO THAT'S WHERE THE EXEMPLARY LIFETIME STATUS COMES IN. THE ACTIVE, NON-VOTING MEMBERS. SEVERAL COMPANIES HAVE CREATED A STATUS OF ACTING NON-VOTING MEMBERS. THESE ARE PRIMARILY PAID FIREFIGHTERS. IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS WHO ARE MEMBERS OF THE COMPANY, BUT DON'T NEED TO MAKE THE DRILL REQUIREMENTS OR TRAINING REQUIREMENTS, AND THE RIDING REQUIREMENTS THAT THEY HAVE FOR JUST REGULAR VOLUNTEERS. SINCE THEY'RE GETTING THAT TRAINING IN THEIR IN THEIR FULL TIME JOBS. GO OVER SOME STATS FOR TOTAL CALLS 2024 STAT YEAR, WHICH ENDED AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER. WE HAD 10,965 TOTAL ALERTS FOR FIRE CALLS THROUGH THE YEAR. AS YOU CAN SEE AT THE TOP OF THE LIST, BEL AIR LEADS THE WAY UP BY A LOT. UNFORTUNATELY, 7.1 CALLS PER DAY DOWN TO. IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, NORRISVILLE, WHICH HAS 145 CALLS AND 0.04 CALLS, A DAY, I WILL TELL YOU IT IS A CHALLENGE AS THE ASSOCIATION TO BE ABLE TO SERVE THE TWO COMPANIES WITH THE SUCH A DIVERSE NUMBER OF CALLS PER DAY, YOU KNOW, BEL AIR IS RUNNING 6 OR 7 CALLS PER DAY. THERE'S BEEN STRETCHES WHERE 
          [01:10:05]
NORRISVILLE HAS GONE 14 DAYS WITHOUT A FIRE CALL. SO THEY HAVE COMPLETE DIFFERENT CHALLENGES FROM WHAT WE HAVE BEL AIR, BEL AIR, AS AN EXAMPLE, IS SO BUSY IT'S PEOPLE GET TIRED OF RUNNING THE NUISANCE CALLS. THE SLOWER COMPANIES HAVE AN ISSUE WITH TRYING TO KEEP MEMBERS ENGAGED BECAUSE THEY'RE JUST NOT ENOUGH ACTIVITY FOR THEM. AND THE YOUNG PEOPLE JOINING THE, THE 20, 25 YEAR OLDS WANT TO GO ON, WANT TO GO ON CALLS. THEY DON'T WANT TO SIT AROUND THE FIREHOUSE FOR DAYS AT A TIME. SO IT IS A CHALLENGE TRYING TO RUN AN ORGANIZATION WITH SUCH VARIED PARTICIPATION FROM CALL WISE, BECAUSE THE EMS STATS FOR THE LAST FISCAL YEAR OR LAST STAT YEAR, ABERDEEN STILL RUNS. THEY'RE THE ONLY COMPANY IN THE COUNTY, ONLY VOLUNTEER COMPANY IN THE COUNTY STILL RUNNING A PAID EMS SERVICE. THEY HAD 13 OR 33,741 CALLS. AS YOU CAN SEE GOING DOWN THE LIST, IT DROPS OFF PRETTY FAST. WHEN THE COUNTY TOOK OVER EMS TWO YEARS AGO, THE PARTICIPATION OF VOLUNTEERS WAS WEEK BEFORE. THEN, AND IT HAS DROPPED OFF SIGNIFICANTLY SINCE THEN. I WILL SAY THAT THERE'S BEEN A GREAT PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE ASSOCIATION, THE MEMBER COMPANIES AND THE PAID EMS OUT OF DES. OBVIOUSLY THERE'S SOME MINOR SITUATIONS ARISE EVERY NOW AND THEN, BUT I'VE HEARD NOTHING BUT GOOD THINGS ABOUT HOW WELL THINGS WORK BETWEEN THE ASSOCIATION, THE FIRE, THE FIRE COMPANIES AND THE PAID EMS SERVICE THAT DES RUNS AND DES HAS BEEN MORE THAN WILLING TO ACT ON ANYTHING WE BRING TO THEM IF WE HAVE COMPLAINTS OR CONCERNS, THEY'RE VERY QUICK TO ACT AND REMEDY ANY SITUATIONS WE HAVE. SO IT'S BEEN A IT'S BEEN A GREAT COLLABORATION WITH THEM. ONE OF OUR ISSUES WE HAVE IS, AS I MENTIONED, IS WHAT WE CONSIDER SOME OF SOMEWHAT NUISANCE CALLS, AUTOMATIC ALARMS, CO ALARMS, GAS LEAKS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE. 
          ALTHOUGH SOME OF THOSE DO END UP TO BE TRAGEDIES, AS WE SAW A MONTH AGO, VEHICLE ACCIDENTS AND EMS ASSISTS AND OVER 45% OF THE ALERTS THAT THE FIRE COMPANIES GET IN THE COUNTY ARE FOR THOSE TYPE OF CALLS. IT'S HARD TO KEEP 20 AND 30 YEAR OLDS ENGAGED WHEN YOU'RE JUST RUNNING MULTIPLE CALLS A DAY AND DOING LIFT ASSISTS FOR OVERWEIGHT PATIENTS OR YOU'RE RUNNING GAS LEAKS OR CO ALARMS, THERE IS POTENTIALLY LEGISLATION COMING FORWARD. AND I TALKED TO PRESIDENT VICENTE ABOUT THIS TO INCREASE THE FEES FOR REPEATED FALSE ALARMS. WE'VE WE'VE APPROACHED THE BOTH THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND PRESIDENT VINCENTE ABOUT INCREASING THAT. THE FINES FOR THOSE IN HOPES OF STOPPING SOME OF THOSE ALARMS. THE OTHER DAY, ONE OF THE FIRE COMPANIES IN THE COUNTY RAN EIGHT AUTOMATIC ALARMS AT THE SAME HOUSE BECAUSE THEY HAD A FLOOD, IT SHORTED OUT SOMETHING. 
          THE ALARM SYSTEM, AND THEY RAN EIGHT DIFFERENT CALLS TO THAT HOUSE THAT DAY. AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THAT GETS IF SOMETHING REALLY WOULD HAVE HAPPENED. I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE WOULD HAVE SHOWN UP UNTIL AFTER SOMEBODY GOT THERE, BECAUSE IT JUST BECOMES A NUISANCE FOR DAY AFTER DAY, GOING BACK TO THE SAME PLACES. THIS IS A LIST OF FULL BOX ASSIGNMENTS. A FULL BOX ASSIGNMENT WOULD BE A DWELLING FIRE, AN APARTMENT FIRE, A BUILDING FIRE. AS YOU CAN SEE, IF YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBERS, IN JANUARY, THERE WERE 916 ALERTS TOTAL FOR FIRE CALLS, AND ONLY 37 OF THOSE WERE FULL BOX ASSIGNMENTS. THAT'S WHERE I WAS TALKING ABOUT THE OTHER CALLS THAT PEOPLE AREN'T AS INTERESTED IN GOING ON. FORTUNATELY, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF WORKING FIRES, SO ALTHOUGH WE ALL LIKE THEM, IT'S NOT GOOD FOR THE CITIZENS, SO WE DON'T REALLY LIKE THEM. SO WHEN I CAME IN, I TALKED TO THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND BASICALLY THE SOLE PURPOSE, THE SOLE DRIVE FOR THE ASSOCIATION THIS YEAR IS TO TRY AND GET AND KEEP MEMBERS. THERE IS A HUGE ISSUE NATIONWIDE OF VOLUNTEERS. I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT IN AN UPCOMING SLIDE. BUT WE ARE CONCENTRATING OUR RESOURCES NOW ON ON GETTING NEW MEMBERS AND BEING ABLE TO KEEP NEW MEMBERS. SO THE MARKETING COMMITTEE IS FOCUSED SOLELY ON MARKETING AND RECRUITING. WE'RE WORKING WITH THE SOUTHERN COUNTY TASK FORCE TO FIGURE OUT DIFFERENT WAYS WE CAN ADVERTISE IN THAT PART OF THE COUNTY. WE'RE WORKING WITH OUR MARKETING VENDOR WHO HAS WHO IS SCOURING THE COUNTRY TO SEE WHAT OTHER COMPANIES, WHETHER FIRE SERVICE DISTRICTS, HAVE DONE TO TRY AND GET NEW MEMBERS. BUT IT IS A CHALLENGE TRYING TO GET AND KEEP NEW MEMBERS. SOME 
          [01:15:06]
OF OUR CHALLENGES WITH NEW MEMBERS OR SOME OF OUR CHALLENGES ARE RECRUITING MEMBERS, TRAINING THEM AND KEEPING THEM. TRAINING NEW PERSONNEL IS A HUGE ISSUE. IF YOU LOOK HERE, WE HAVE A WE HAVE LISTED SOME OF THE NUMBER OF HOURS THAT THE CLASSES INVOLVE. 
          AND WHEN YOU BRING SOMEBODY IN AND TELL THEM THEY GOT TO SIT IN CLASS FOR 135 HOURS BEFORE THEY CAN RIDE THE FIRE TRUCK AND DO ANYTHING, AND THEY SAY, WHAT DO I GET FOR THAT? AND YOU SAY, YEAH, THANK YOU. IT'S KIND OF TOUGH FOR SOME OF THESE PEOPLE. THE OTHER ISSUE IS AS AS FAMILY LIFE, WORK LIFE IMPACTS PEOPLE MORE AND MORE. THEY HAVE LESS AND LESS TIME TO ATTEND CLASSES. 
          YOU KNOW, MOST OF THE OF THE FIREFIGHTER ONE CLASSES ARE RUNNING A COUPLE NIGHTS A WEEK. 
          IF YOU'RE MARRIED AND WORK IN BALTIMORE AND HAVE KIDS, THE KIDS ARE PROBABLY DOING SOMETHING A COUPLE NIGHTS A WEEK IN SPORTS, YOU'RE PROBABLY NOT GETTING HOME ON TIME ANY NIGHT. 
          IF YOU'RE DRIVING OUT OF BALTIMORE BECAUSE OF TRAFFIC AND TO SIT IN CLASS FOR THREE HOURS A NIGHT FROM 7 TO 10:00, IT'S A LOT TO ASK FOR SOMEBODY. SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE WORKING ON ARE SOME WAYS TO POTENTIALLY DO THAT. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT WORKING WITH DES, DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY SERVICES. THEY ARE AN ACCREDITED ACADEMY THROUGH THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND FIRE AND RESCUE INSTITUTE. AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THEM BEING ABLE TO OFFER SOME CLASSES IN COUNTY WITH SOME MORE FLEXIBILITY THAN YOU HAVE CURRENTLY. THE MARYLAND FIRE AND RESCUE INSTITUTE'S POLICY IS YOU CAN MISS ONE CLASS AND THEN YOU FAIL THE CLASS. IN TODAY'S WORLD, I JUST DON'T THINK THAT'S REALISTIC FOR 135 HOUR CLASS. SO WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT SOME WAY TO TRY AND MAKE THAT WORK. SEVERAL YEARS AGO, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE FUNDED AND THE COUNCIL APPROVED THE INCENTIVE PROGRAM FOR VOLUNTEERS. I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT AS OF THIS YEAR, ALL THE COMPANIES ARE PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM. I'M UNHAPPY TO REPORT THAT THE FUNDING WE ASKED FOR LAST YEAR ISN'T GOING TO BE ENOUGH TO FUND IT FOR THE FULL YEAR. SOME COMPANIES ARE USING IT A LOT MORE THAN OTHERS. JOPPA MAGNOLIAS, WHEN THEY'RE RUNNING THEIR PROGRAM, IS SPENDING ABOUT $10,000 A MONTH ON THE PROGRAM. BEL AIR IS SPENDING ABOUT $10,000 A MONTH. SUSQUEHANNA HOSE IS SPENDING BETWEEN 5 AND $6000 A MONTH, AND WITH THE FUNDING ALLOTTED FOR THIS YEAR, WE FIGURE WE'RE GOING TO BE SHORT BETWEEN 120 AND $150,000 TO FULLY FUND THE FIRE COMPANIES THAT THE INCENTIVE PROGRAM HAS MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN SOME COMPANIES. AND JOPPA IS AN EXAMPLE. IT SEEMS TO HAVE STEMMED THE SLIDE OF VOLUNTEERS BEING AVAILABLE. I THINK THE CHIEF WILL AGREE THAT HE'S HAD MORE PEOPLE AT THE STATION, SO HE'S BEEN ABLE TO HAVE PEOPLE ON MORE CALLS AND GET OUT ON MORE CALLS IN BEL AIR. IT'S ALLOWED US, AS ALL OF YOU KNOW, TRYING TO DRIVE THROUGH BEL AIR. IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO GET ANYWHERE WITH TRAFFIC. SO HAVING CREWS AT THE STATION HAS ALLOWED US TO GET ON THE ROAD QUICKER BECAUSE WE'RE NOT FIGHTING TRAFFIC AND SAME THING WITH SUSQUEHANNA HOSES. HAD MORE PEOPLE THIS YEAR. WE HAD A FEW COMPANIES COME ON THAT HADN'T PARTICIPATED IN THE PAST, SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO SEE WHAT DIFFERENCE HAVING THOSE MEMBERS AT THE STATION IS GOING TO HELP THE PROGRAM. WE WILL BE REQUESTING IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET FULL FUNDING FOR WHAT WE ANTICIPATE WE'RE GOING TO SPEND ON THE PROGRAM, AND THAT'S MORE TO COME ON THAT SEVERAL YEARS AGO, THE ASSOCIATION COMMISSIONED A GROUP TO LOOK AT STAFFING AND THE FUTURE OF THE FIRE SERVICE. THE I SIT ON THAT COMMITTEE, ALONG WITH CHIEF WALTER. WE HAVE COMPLETED THE STAFFING PLAN. OUR PROJECTIONS FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. WE BRIEFED COUNCIL PRESIDENT ON THAT. THE PLAN IS TO HIRE SOME TEMPORARY STAFF TO GET US THROUGH A COUPLE OF YEARS, AND IN FIVE YEARS FROM NOW HAVE THREE FULLY STAFFED APPARATUS AVAILABLE, 24 OVER SEVEN IN THE COUNTY. SO SOME ONE IN THE NORTH, ONE IN THE CENTRAL AND ONE DOWN ALONG THE ROUTE 40 CORRIDOR SOMEWHERE. SO UNFORTUNATELY THERE'S A FAIRLY LARGE PRICE TAG ASSOCIATED WITH THAT. THE, THE, YOU KNOW, TO PUT A FULLY STAFFED ENGINE ON THE ROAD WITH BENEFITS FOR FOUR PEOPLE, 24 OVER SEVEN IS A MILLION, 6 TO 1 MILLION, EIGHT. 
          AND THEN YOU NEED, YOU KNOW, YOU NEED A COMMAND INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE. YOU NEED EXTRA PEOPLE FOR WHEN PEOPLE ARE ON LEAVE. YOU NEED TRAINING AND YOU NEED FIRE APPARATUS AND YOU NEED BUILDINGS 
          [01:20:06]
TO PUT THEM IN. SO THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF COMING UP. I THINK PRESIDENT VINCENTE WAS PLEASED WITH THE PRESENTATION. WE GOT. I DON'T KNOW IF HE WAS PLEASED WITH THE PRICE TAG, BUT IT KIND OF IS WHAT IT IS. YOU KNOW? SO THE ASSOCIATION IS HOPING TO APPROVE THAT PLAN BY THE END OF DECEMBER. AND THEN IN OUR BUDGET NEXT YEAR, WE WILL BE ASKING FOR THE MONEY FOR THE FIRST PHASE OF THAT PROGRAM, WHICH IS SOMEWHERE AROUND 1,000,002 FOR THAT PROGRAM. TO START WITH, THE TEMPORARY STAFFING, WE ALSO ARE ASKING FOR BEL AIR FIRE COMPANY, WROTE A LETTER TO THE ASSOCIATION AND THE COUNTY LAST, LAST YEAR OR THE YEAR BEFORE, REQUESTING THAT THE COUNTY PUT A PAID FIRE STATION IN THE CHURCHVILLE AREA. THAT WAS A STATION THAT WAS RECOMMENDED IN THE 22,009 FIRE STUDY. THERE'S STILL NO STATION THERE. IT'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST HOLES IN THE COUNTY FOR DISTANCE AND TIME. IF ANY OF YOU DRIVEN OUT ROUTE 22 AT ANY TIME OF DAY TO GET FROM BEL AIR TO CHURCHVILLE IS SOLID TRAFFIC TO GET FROM ABERDEEN TO CHURCHVILLE, SOLID TRAFFIC LEVEL HAS IT A LITTLE BETTER COMING UP, BUT NOT A LOT UNTIL THEY GET THERE, FINE UNTIL THEY GET TO 22. SO THAT STATION NEEDS TO COME SOMEWHERE DOWN THE ROAD SOONER RATHER THAN LATER. SO I THINK THE DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY SERVICES WILL PROBABLY BE LOOKING AT THAT IN ONE OF THEIR FUTURE CAPITAL BUDGETS. THE NEXT TWO SLIDES ARE ARE OUTLINE OF OUR FUNDING. YOU PROBABLY KNOW THIS SINCE YOU ALREADY APPROVED THE BUDGET. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT WITH THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND, AND, AND WE DISCUSSED THIS MONTH THAT THE SOUTHERN COUNTY TASK FORCE IS SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE COME TO ME ABOUT THE STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS PROGRAM AND ASKED WHY THEY HAVE TO HAVE A STUDENT LOAN TO GET REIMBURSED FOR COLLEGE COURSES. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT TO SEE IF THEY PAY FOR THE COURSES, IS THERE A WAY THAT WE CAN MODIFY THE LEGISLATION TO COVER THAT ALSO? SO ESPECIALLY NOW THAT STUDENT LOAN RATES ARE UP TO 8 OR 9%, THEY'RE LOOKING AT. SO THERE MAY BE LEGISLATION COMING YOUR WAY AROUND THAT AT SOME POINT. I KNOW THAT THEY'RE LOOKING INTO THAT. AND TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO ON THAT. SO BUT IT'S A GREAT PROGRAM. WE'D JUST LIKE TO BE ABLE TO EXPAND IT TO MORE PEOPLE, TO BE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT. CAPITAL FUNDING. RIVERSIDE STATION IS UNDERWAY. THEY'VE BROKEN GROUND. 
          WATFORD STATION IS IN THE PROCESS OF WORKING THROUGH THE THING. THEY'RE DONE. I BELIEVE THEY'VE DONE THE PERC TESTING THERE. THEY'VE MOVED, RELOCATED THE STATION ON THE GROUNDS AND THEY'RE MOVING FORWARD. THAT'LL BE A COUNTY BUILT STATION WITH THE VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY IN IT. SO THAT'S COMING NEXT IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET WILL BE REQUESTING FUNDING FOR THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS FOR COMPANY ONE OF THE COMPANY FIVE'S FIREHOUSES TO ADD LIVE IN FACILITIES AND COMPANY THIRTEEN'S LOOKING AT POTENTIALLY REDOING THEIR BASICALLY TEARING DOWN THEIR CURRENT HOUSE ONE AND BUILDING A NEW FIREHOUSE. AND THAT WILL BE COMING OUT IN MAYBE COMING OUT IN THE FUTURE SOMEWHERE. SO ACTION PLANS FOR THE ASSOCIATION. WE'LL BE REQUESTING MONEY NEXT YEAR TO FULLY FUND THE INCENTIVE PROGRAM. WE'LL BE REQUESTING MONIES TO FUND PHASE ONE OR PHASE TWO OF THE STAFFING PLAN TO BE RUN BY THE ASSOCIATION, AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY SERVICES TO SEE IF WE CAN COME UP WITH MORE CREATIVE WAYS TO OFFER COURSES THAT AREN'T QUITE AS BURDENSOME ON THE MEMBERS. AS A SUMMARY, RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION IS THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY OF THE ASSOCIATION. OUR BIGGEST PROBLEM IS WORKING FAMILY LIFE IS IMPACTING EVERYBODY'S TIME TO VOLUNTEER. I THINK EVERY VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION, IF YOU ASK THEM, IS HAVING TROUBLE GETTING AND KEEPING PEOPLE. AND WE REQUIRE A LOT MORE THAN MOST. YOU KNOW, IF YOU GO TO VOLUNTEER AT THE RED CROSS, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE YOU SIT IN CLASS FOR 135 HOURS BEFORE YOU CAN DO ANYTHING. SO PLUS THERE'S ALSO AN INHERENT RISK INVOLVED IN WHAT WE DO. SO THERE WAS A STUDY DONE IN PENNSYLVANIA IN 2010. THE VOLUNTEERS IN PENNSYLVANIA DECLINED FROM 380,000 IN THE MID 80S TO 39,000IN 2010. SO IT'S A 10TH OF WHAT THEY USED TO BE. 
          [01:25:05]
WE'RE NOT THAT BAD, BUT WE ARE. WE ARE HAVING TROUBLES. I'LL BE THE FIRST TO ADMIT, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY IN THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE DISAGREES. KEEPING GETTING, KEEPING PEOPLE IS A HUGE TASK AND IT'S BASICALLY ALL WE'RE CONCENTRATING ON THIS YEA, FROM THE STAFFING PLAN TO INCENTIVE PLAN TO HOW WE CAN RECRUIT AND RETAIN. SO THAT'S THE END OF MY PRESENTATION. DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE THEY START? CHIEF THOMAS, YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING? NO, SIR. CHIEF WALTER, I WANT TO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL THAT YOU DO. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION HERE THIS EVENING. I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH LEVEL VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY FOR THE LAST 6 TO 8 YEARS ABOUT LOCATING AN ENGINE HOUSE SOMEWHERE IN THE AREA OF THE POST OFFICE IN THAT CORRIDOR, AND JUST HAD THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH SOME OTHER FIRE DEPARTMENTS AS WELL, AND MAYBE, MAYBE A PAID STATION THERE AT SOME POINT SOMEDAY. RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION, THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN AN ISSUE, RIGHT? AND I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE DOING EVERYTHING IN YOUR POWER TO MAKE SURE THAT THE VOLUNTEERS ARE COMFORTABLE, THAT THEY HAVE EVERYTHING THAT THEY NEED WHILE THEY'RE THERE. AND THE GOOD POINT THAT YOU MADE IS HAVING THOSE, I GUESS, FIREFIGHTERS THERE ON THE SCENE THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT IN CASE SOMETHING COMES IN. THEY DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT TRAFFIC. SO CORRECT. AND WITH THAT, MR. PENMAN THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. MR. GALLAGHER, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TEAM BEING HERE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION FOR HAVING US. I DO JUST A COUPLE THINGS. I AGREE WITH THE FALSE ALARMS. IT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED. IT'S TAKEN RESOURCES OUT OF SERVICE THAT COULD BE IN SERVICE. AND I'D LIKE TO REFER THOSE AS FINES NOT FEES OKAY. AND I WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF THAT. NOW LAST YEAR OR THIS THIS YEAR DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS, THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT STIPENDS. I KNOW THE STIPENDS WEREN'T UP TO SPEED WITH WHAT THEY WERE THE YEAR PRIOR. YOU KNOW, SIX MONTHS SINCE THE BUDGET HAS BEEN PASSED, OR ROUGHLY, CAN YOU TELL ME HOW THAT'S AFFECTED EACH INDIVIDUAL FIRE COMPANY AS FAR AS THE REDUCED STIPENDS THAT WERE RECEIVED, THE AT THIS TIME, WE JUST RECENTLY PASSED IN THE ASSOCIATION A NEW ALLOCATION FORMULA FOR THE FUNDS FOR THE FIRE COMPANIES. THERE'S STILL FIRE COMPANIES THAT ARE HAVING ARE SUFFERING FROM THE LACK OF THE EMS STIPEND AND EXACTLY WHAT THAT IS, I CAN'T I REALLY CAN'T ANSWER TO YOU. I CAN GET THAT FOR YOU, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IMPACT IS RIGHT NOW. IF YOU COULD, I'D APPRECIATE IT. JUST SO WE HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING, BECAUSE THE BUDGET SEASON WILL BE HERE BEFORE WE KNOW IT. YOU TALKED ABOUT INCENTIVES, AND I TELL YOU, YOU GUYS AND GALS HAVE AN IMPOSSIBLE TASK OF TRYING TO STAFF, I COMMEND YOU. YOU ALL ARE HEROES BECAUSE THE RESOURCE AND THE ADVANTAGE TO THE COUNTY IS IMMEASURABLE ON WHAT YOU PROVIDE. AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GIVE YOU ALL THE RESOURCES TO BE SUCCESSFUL, BECAUSE AT THIS CURRENT STATE, WE CANNOT AFFORD TO AFFORD A FULL TIME FIRE. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING YOU IN WHATEVER YOU HAVE OR WHATEVER YOU NEED. BUT THERE WAS A MODEL, I THINK IT WAS IN WHITE MARSH, AND YOU MENTIONED IT JUST BRIEFLY ABOUT THE LIVE IN ROOMS FOR THE YOUNGER GENERATION THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WANT TO MOVE OUT OF MOM'S ROOM, BUT MAYBE THEY, YOU KNOW, THIS GIVES THEM AN AVENUE OF A ROOM AND THEY HAVE TO GIVE SOME SORT OF MAYBE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF HOURS SERVICE. SO ARE WE PUTTING THAT MODEL INTO CERTAIN FIRE COMPANIES HERE? THERE'S SEVERAL FIRE COMPANIES THAT ARE IN THEIR CONSTRUCTION OR REMODELING PROJECTS, HAVE PUT LIVE IN BUNK ROOMS IN ABERDEEN, HAS THEM IN BEL AIR, IS IN THE MIDDLE OF A REMODEL NOW WHERE WE'RE PUTTING THEM IN. DARLINGTON HAD REQUESTED MONEY TO PUT THEM IN, BUT BUT WITHDREW THAT REQUEST THIS YEAR, SO I'M NOT SURE WHERE THEY STAND THE REMODEL FOR HABITAT OR SUSQUEHANNA HOSE COMPANY THAT'S COMING UP. THE FUNDING FOR NEXT YEAR FOR THE DESIGN PHASE IS FOR THEM TO PUT LIVE IN BUNK ROOMS IN JOPPA, PUT IN LIVE IN BUNK ROOMS. SO THAT IS HAPPENING. THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT FALLSTON IS ALSO LOOKING AT, WHETHER THEY CAN PUT LIVE IN BUNK ROOMS IN OR WHETHER THEY GO BASICALLY, OR THEY'VE RUN OUT OF SPACE IN THEIR STATION TO DO IT. AND I KNOW THAT JARRETTSVILLE IS ALSO LOOKING AT SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE, ADDING LIVE IN BUNK ROOMS TO ALLOW. PART OF THE PROBLEM IS ALSO AROUND THE COUNTY. AS YOU GET TO THE RURAL COMPANIES, YOUNG KIDS JUST CAN'T AFFORD TO BUY A HOUSE. YOU KNOW THEY'RE THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, $800,000. SO IF YOU CAN, IF YOU CAN GIVE THEM A PLACE TO LIVE FOR FREE, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN USE THEM A LOT FOR FREE. SO 
          [01:30:07]
YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO FIX ALL YOUR NEEDS. BUT YOU KNOW, EVEN JUST ADDRESSING A FEW IS GREAT. AND IF FALLSTON DOES A GREAT JOB, I JUST WANT TO MENTION THEM. YOU GAVE THEM A SHOUT OUT. FALLSTON COMMUNITY IS LUCKY TO HAVE THEM. 
          AND ONE OF THE THINGS I DIDN'T MENTION IS HOW BIG THESE FIRE COMPANIES ARE TO THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITIES. THEIR PARTNERSHIPS, THEIR PLACE OF, YOU KNOW, WHERE THE COMMUNITY CAN COME TOGETHER, HAVE MEETINGS, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S THE EAGLE SCOUT OR WHATEVER, HAVE YOU? MY LAST QUESTION IS JUST ABOUT THE EV CARS. I KNOW. I HAD HEARD THERE WAS A FORD LIGHTNING TRUCK, AND MY COUNCILMAN, DANIEL MENTIONED THIS LAST WEEK. THAT'S A WHOLE NOTHER SPECTRUM THAT, YOU KNOW, FIVE, TEN YEARS AGO, YOU PROBABLY WEREN'T DEALING WITH. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE DANGERS THAT YOU MAY SEE OUT THERE WITH THAT? IT'S NOT JUST THE EV CARS. IT'S ALSO THE HOUSES THAT HAVE SOLAR PANELS AND ALSO HAVE THE BATTERY STORAGE UNITS IN THEM. SO THEY'RE BASICALLY USING THE SAME BATTERIES. AND THOSE BATTERY STORAGE UNITS THAT THEY'RE USING IN THE HOUSES. THE PROBLEM COMES IS THERE'S REALLY NO WAY TO PUT THE FIRE OUT A NORMAL CAR FIRE. 
          WE MIGHT USE 4 OR 500 GALLONS OF WATER TO PUT OUT EV FIRES. THERE'S BEEN FIRE COMPANIES PUT 35 TO 50 000 GALLONS OF WATER ON IT, AND IT STILL HASN'T GONE OUT. SO BASICALLY, ONCE THE ONCE THE BATTERIES IN THE IN THE VEHICLE OR ONCE THE BATTERIES THEMSELVES GET INTO WHAT'S CALLED THERMAL RUNAWAY, THEY CREATE THEIR OWN ENVIRONMENT TO BURN WATER DOESN'T PUT THEM OUT. 
          YOU CAN'T SMOTHER THEM. THERE'S NO CHEMICAL TO PUT THEM OUT. SO THE ISSUE BECOMES WHAT'S BETTER OR WORSE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT TO CONTROL THEM. IN SOME WAYS, IT'S BETTER TO JUST LET IT BURN BECAUSE IT'S DONE QUICKER AND YOU'RE NOT WASHING THE POLLUTANTS DOWN INTO THE BASICALLY END UP IN THE BAY FROM HERE. RIGHT? SO YOU PUT THEM IN A STORM DRAIN SYSTEM. THEY ARE A HUGE CHALLENGE. I KNOW THAT LAST YEAR CHIEF WALTER CAN PROBABLY TALK TO THIS, BUT THEY THEY DID A SURVEY OF TOW COMPANIES IN THE COUNTY THAT WILL ACTUALLY TOW THEM. THERE WAS A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE BATTERIES IN THE IN THE HOUSES FOR THE THAT THAT HAVE SOLAR PANELS THAT ARE USING FOR STORAGE. I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE EVER COME TO A CONCLUSION OF WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO WITH THEM. SO IN PARTNERSHIP WITH DES, WE DID HAVE SEVERAL MEETINGS LAST YEAR WITH THE DES FIRE MARSHAL, MD, AND WE DO HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE FOR CERTAIN SIZE BATTERIES. THE HARFORD COUNTY SPECIAL OPS OPERATIONS TEAM WILL COME OUT AND PACKAGE THOSE DISPOSE OF THEM APPROPRIATELY. 
          LARGER BATTERIES, THEY CAN CONTAIN THEM AND THEN MD WILL COME OUT. WE ALSO SPOKE WITH SEVERAL TOW FACILITIES. I BELIEVE THE COUNTY HAS THAT IN PLACE NOW WITH WHO CAN WOULD TOW THOSE TO CERTAIN. YOU KNOW, LOTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. THERE'S ALSO SEVERAL COMPANIES HAVE DONE TRAININGS ON THESE ELECTRIC VEHICLES. I KNOW JARRETTSVILLE DID ONE AND THERE WAS ANOTHER COMPANY TOO. IT WAS OPENED UP TO THE COUNTY, BEL AIR. YEAH. DID ONE TOO. SO THERE IS, YOU KNOW, TRAINING OUT THERE. SOME OF IT, YOU KNOW, IT IS NEW. SO BESIDES WHAT WE'VE GOTTEN FROM THAT, A LOT OF IT'S JUST BEEN DOING RESEARCH ON OUR OWN. THERE'S SOME TOOLS OUT THERE THAT YOU CAN BUY TO HELP TRY TO GET TO THOSE BATTERIES AND EXTINGUISH IT. BUT LIKE THE PRESIDENT SAID, THAT YOU EITHER LET IT BURN OR YOU HAVE TO COOL THEM OFF. AND FORTUNATELY, THE FIRE THAT WAS DOWN IN JOPPA TWO WEEKS AGO, I BELIEVE IT WAS THAT WAS AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE. AND FORTUNATELY IT THEY WERE ABLE TO CONTAIN THAT RELATIVELY QUICKLY, WHICH HAD THAT HAD EXTENDED INTO THE HOUSE, BUT KIND OF GOT LUCKY ON THAT ONE. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TEAM AND IS THERE DID I UNDERSTAND THERE'S LIKE A BLANKET OR SOMETHING THAT YOU GUYS ARE USING NOW TO PUT THESE FIRES. WE HAVE FIRE. SO ALL THE FIRE COMPANIES HAVE BEEN OR SEVERAL OF THE FIRE COMPANIES HAVE BEEN GIVEN BLANKETS. I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE TRIED ONE YET ON AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE FIRE. 
          THE OTHER THING ABOUT ELECTRIC VEHICLES IS DISABLING THEM WHEN THEY'RE THEY'RE IN AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE THEY DON'T MAKE ANY NOISE. SO YOU DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE STILL RUNNING OR NOT. SO THAT'S ANOTHER ISSUE. WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE VEHICLE IS ACTUALLY DISABLED BEFORE YOU START WORKING ON IT. THANKS, COUNCILMAN JORDAN. YEAH. GOOD AFTERNOON, GENTLEMEN. THANKS FOR COMING. MY BIGGEST CONCERN. WEL, A LOT OF GREAT INFORMATION. UNDERSTAND A LOT OF THE SHORTFALLS. HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET SOME OF THOSE FIXED ISO, ISO CLASSES AND SOME OF THE OUTLYING AREAS TRYING TO GET THOSE DOWN, WHICH REALLY AFFECTS IN MY WORLD, WHICH AFFECTS EVERYBODY ELSE. IS THE INSURANCE RATES ON A HOMEOWNER'S AS EVERYBODY'S SEEING THE INSURANCE RATES GOING THROUGH THE ROOF. ONCE YOU GET OUTSIDE OF AN AREA THAT'S GOT FIRE HYDRANTS, THE ISO RATES ARE 
          [01:35:02]
EXTREMELY HIGH. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT CAN BE DONE WITH THAT TO TRY TO BRING THOSE DOWN? SO THAT HELPS BRING THE COST OF THE HOMEOWNER'S INSURANCE DOWN. BECAUSE IF YOU TAKE THE SAME HOUSE IN BEL AIR AND PUT IT OUT IN THE STREET, IT'S DOUBLE. THERE IS A PROJECT UNDERWAY IN THE COUNTY FOR TO LOOK AT DRAFTING SOURCES AND THERE'S A NEW TYPE OF RELATIVELY NEW IN THE LAST TEN YEARS, TYPE OF DRAFTING SOURCE THAT YOU CAN PUT ON A BRIDGE AND SWING DOWN AND GET WATER. I'VE SEEN THAT BEFOR. SO IN AREAS WHERE THEY ARE, THEY'RE ACTUALLY THE INSURANCE WILL BE A LITTLE LOWER. IF YOU'RE IF YOU'RE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO ONE OF THEM, BECAUSE IT'S CONSIDERED A WATER SOURCE BY INSURANCE COMPANIES. AND WE'RE CONSTANTLY WORKING WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY SERVICES IS WORKING WITH THE ASSOCIATION AND THE MEMBER COMPANIES IN RURAL AREAS TO KEEP IDENTIFYING AREAS WHERE WE CAN WE CAN PUT THOSE UNITS IN BECAUSE THEY'RE RELATIVELY INEXPENSIVE, BUT THEY'RE A GREAT RESOURCE FOR US TO HAVE. CAN YOU SEND ME ANY INFORMATION ON THAT THAT YOU HAVE? AND THEN I CAN LIKE TO PASS THAT ON TO THE INSURANCE, GOVERNMENT RELATIONS PEOPLE AND EVERYTHING THAT MIGHT HELP. OKAY. SURE. THANK YOU. MR. BENNETT. HELLO. GOOD EVENING. I AGAIN CAN'T SAY ENOUGH TIMES HOW MUCH WE ALL APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU DO. IT HELPS KEEP OUR COMMUNITY GOING. IT HELPS KEEP THE GOVERNMENT GOING. AS LONG AS YOU ALL KEEP SHOWING UP. YOU'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT RECRUITMENT, AND I KNOW WE'VE HEARD FROM THE ASSOCIATION IN THE PAST THE BARRIERS TO ENTRY AND WORKING WITH HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO WORK WITH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM TO GET THAT GOING. HAS THERE BEEN ANY GROWTH OR DEVELOPMENT IN THAT AREA GETTING HIGH SCHOOLERS TO COME OUT AND EXPERIENCE THE TRAINING THROUGH YOU ALL TO BE MEMBERS? YES. IT'S ACTUALLY THAT HAS GOTTEN BETTER IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. I BELIEVE WE STARTED THE YEAR WITH 14 CADETS THIS YEAR, WHICH IS THE MOST WE'VE HAD IN THE LAST 4 OR 5 YEARS, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN. SO WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS THERE. WE'RE ALSO TALKING WE'VE TALKED INTERNALLY THAT IN THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ABOUT WORKING MORE WITH THE SCHOOLS TO TRY AND GET IN, TO EVEN GET IN TO SEE KIDS IN, IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL, TO GIVE THEM AN IDEA OF WHAT? OF WHAT, WHAT THEY CAN DO IN THE CADET PROGRAM SO THAT THEY CAN SET THEIR SCHEDULES UP FOR THE THREE YEARS AHEAD OF TIME TO BE READY TO KNOW WHAT'S COMING. AND WE'RE ALSO TALKING. IS THERE ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO GET THEM SOME EXPOSURE TO THE FIRE SERVICE, TO MAYBE TRY AND GET MORE PEOPLE? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OF WHERE THOSE 14 CADETS ARE? MOSTLY COMING FROM SCHOOL WISE, YOU KNOW WHAT HIGH SCHOOLS ARE MOST PARTICIPATORY OR I DID NOT HAVE THAT INFORMATION WITH ME THAT I COULD GET THAT INFORMATION. IT WOULD BE JUST I THINK, INTERESTING TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S DISPROPORTIONATELY 1 OR 2 SCHOOLS THAT ARE PUSHING IT OR IF IT'S SPREAD OUT ACROSS THE COUNTY, I CAN TELL YOU ANECDOTALLY, BEL AIR CONSISTENTLY OVER THE LAST 4 OR 5 YEARS HAS HAD 2 OR 3 PEOPLE IN THE PROGRAM, AND FOR SOME REASON THEY DON'T HAVE ANY THIS YEAR. 
          SO I DON'T KNOW WHETHER IT WAS A LACK OF COMMUNICATION OR NO STUDENTS WANTED IN OR WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. BUT WE CAN GET THAT INFORMATION AND GET IT BACK TO THE COUNCIL. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, MR. BENNETT. MR. GUTHRIE. MR. THAT WAS PART OF MY AGENDA TO TALK ABOUT THE ELECTRIC CAR FIRE WAS MY DISTRICT AND THE PICTURE OF THE OF THE OF THE TRUCK. NOTHING LEFT. IT IS NOTHING LEFT. IT IS TOTALLY DESTROYED. PEOPLE NEED TO THINK BEFORE THEY BUY ELECTRIC CARS. OKAY? THERE'S A LOT OF BAD THINGS ABOUT THEM. AND THIS CASE, EVERYBODY'S SAYING, WELL, PARK IT IN THE GARAGE. PARK. DON'T PARK IT IN THE GARAGE, NEVER PARK IN. LEFT YOUR CAR IN A GARAGE. PARK IN THE DRIVEWAY. GUESS WHERE THIS CAR WAS IN THE DRIVEWAY. IT WAS IN THE DRIVEWAY. BUT YOU CAN'T PARK IT TOO FAR AWAY BECAUSE YOU GOT TO PLUG IT UP. YOU KNOW HOW LONG THE EXTENSION CORD DO YOU NEED? YOU KNOW? AND NOT ONLY DID THAT BURN DOWN, THANK GOODNESS THAT THE PEOPLE WERE JUST GETTING READY TO GO TO BED, BECAUSE I THINK IF I'D HAVE BEEN A HALF HOUR LATER OR SOMETHING, WE MIGHT HAVE A DIFFERENT CONVERSATION HERE. YOU KNOW, WHICH IS REALLY HARD TO BELIEVE. BUT THEY HEARD THE NOISE, YOU KNOW, AND CHECKED OUTSIDE, LOOKED OUTSIDE AND THIS WAS AN ALL ELECTRIC CAR AND IT'S FAIRLY NEW. IT'S A 2022 FORD F-150 LIGHTNING ALL ELECTRIC VEHICLE AND CAUGHT FIRE FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER. JUST CAUGHT FIRE. 
          AND NOT ONLY DID THAT BURN DOWN, BUT IT CAUGHT FIRE TO THE HOUSE. TWO CARS IN THE GARAGE DESTROYED THE HOUSE. LITERALLY. YOU KNOW, UNINHABITABLE. PEOPLE WERE OUT. NOW ON A GOFUNDME PAGE OR SOMETHING TO GET MONEY. SO THEY CAN LIVE. SO PEOPLE GOT TO THINK ABOUT THESE ELECTRIC VEHICLES. 
          THE OTHER PROBLEM THAT YOU GET A LOT OF PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT IS THAT AFTER YOU'VE HAD ONE FOR 8 OR 10 YEARS, WHAT IF YOU GO TO TRADE IT IN? THEY ARE WORTHLESS. AND THE REASON THEY ARE, BY THE 
          [01:40:04]
TIME YOU GOT THAT, THAT ELECTRIC CAR FOR TEN YEARS, THEY NOW IT'S COMING TO THE POINT THAT THE BATTERIES GOT TO BE REPLACED. I SAW A CHEVY VOLT ON ON ON ON IN THE SOMEWHERE. I GOT IT ON USE THAT HAD TO HAVE THE BATTERIES REPLACED. AND THIS IS A CHEVY VOLT YOU KNOW, AND REPLACE THE BATTERIES WAS $28,000. YES, SIR. YOU KNOW, SO THINK ABOUT THE TRADE IN VALUE FOR YOUR CAR. 
          IT'S GOING TO BE WORTHLESS BECAUSE THEY AIN'T GOING TO WANT IT BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO NEED NEW BATTERIES VERY SOON. SO YOU GOT TO THINK ABOUT IT AND THINK ABOUT YOUR HOUSE AND EVERYTHING ELSE WHEN IT COMES IN. AND THE GUYS THAT COME TO OUR JOPPATOWNE, EDGEWOOD COMMUNITY MEETING, THEY GIVE SOME NICE REPORTS ON ON THIS KIND OF STUFF. SO BE CAREFUL WITH HIS ELECTRIC CARS OUT THERE, I'LL TELL YOU. THANK YOU, MR. GUTHRI. WHAT WAS YOUR DEMOCRAT GENTLEMAN? I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME HERE THIS EVENING. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. 
          THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND COMMITMENT TO ALL THE CITIZENS OF HARFORD COUNTY. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO STAYING IN TOUCH AND GETTING UPDATES FROM TIME TO TIME. I KNOW THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE DOES AS WELL. SO THANK YOU, GENTLEMEN. THANK YOU. AGENDA NUMBER SEVEN APPROVAL OF 
          [7. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
MINUTES. BOARD OF HEALTH UPDATE FALL 2020 FOR OCTOBER 8TH, 2020 FOR LEGISLATIVE DAY 20 4-0 26TH OCTOBER EIGHTH, 2024. ARE THERE ANY CORRECTIONS TO THE MINUTES? THERE BEING NO CORRECTIONS? MINUTES STAND APPROVED EIGHT. INTRODUCTION AND CONSIDERATION OF RESOLUTIONS. WE HAVE NONE 
          [9. INTRODUCTION OF BILLS]
NINE INTRODUCTION OF BILLS MR. JAN GIORDANO PLEASE READ BILL 2434 AND BILL 2435 INTO THE RECORD. BILL 20 4-0 34. ZONING CHAPTER 267 POINT DASH 33. SIGNS AS INTRODUCED. INTRODUCED BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT VICENTE AND COUNCIL MEMBERS GUTHRIE, PENMAN, JAN GIORDANO, RILEY, BOYLE AND BENNETT. AN ACT TO REPEAL AND REENACT WITH AMENDMENTS, SUBSECTION B, GENERAL PROVISIONS OF SECTION TWO, 6733. SIGNS OF ARTICLE FIVE, SUPPLEMENTARY REGULATIONS OF PART ONE STANDARDS OF CHAPTER 267. ZONING OF HARFORD COUNTY CODE AS AMENDED, TO CLARIFY HOW MANY ELECTRONIC MESSAGE BOARDS FREESTANDING WALL SIGNS ARE PERMITTED ON A PROPERTY AND GENERALLY RELATED TO ZONING, PUBLIC HEARING SCHEDULED ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19TH, 2024 AT 7 P.M. IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS. BILL 24 ZERO 35 CABLE FRANCHISE RENEWAL AGREEMENT VERIZON HAS INTRODUCED INTRODUCED BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT VICENTE AND COUNCIL MEMBERS GUTHRIE, PENMAN, JAN JORDAN, O'REILLY, BOYLE AND BENNETT, AN ACT TO RENEW AND A NON-EXCLUSIVE CABLE TELEVISED TELEVISION FRANCHISE TO VERIZON MARYLAND, LLC TO OPERATE A CABLE TELEVISION SYSTEM IN HARFORD COUNTY TO INCORPORATE THE TERMS OF THE CABLE FRANCHISE RENEWAL AGREEMENT INTO THIS ACT AND GENERAL RELATING TO A CABLE TELEVISION FRANCHISE WITH VERIZON MARYLAND, LLC. PUBLIC HEARING SCHEDULED ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19TH, 2024 AT 7 P.M. IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS. THANK YOU. 
          AGENDA NUMBER TEN INTRODUCTION AND CONSIDERATION OF AMENDMENTS. WE HAVE NONE. 11 WILL CALL FOR FINAL READING OF BILLS. WE HAVE NONE 12 ENROLLMENT OF BILLS WE HAVE NONE. 13 UNFINISHED 
          [14. NEW BUSINESS]
BUSINESS. WE HAVE NONE. 14 NEW BUSINESS ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS CASE NUMBER 6006 BILL SHIFFLET. 
          THE BOARD OF APPEALS HAS REVIEWED THE ENTIRE RECORD DEVELOPED BY THE HEARING EXAMINER AND HAS CONSIDERED THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE HEARING EXAMINER DATED APRIL 9TH, 2024. 
          SECTION 705 D OF THE HARFORD COUNTY CHARTER PROVIDES THAT AN APPLICATION IS DEEMED TO BE DENIED IF THE COUNTY COUNCIL HAS NOT RENDERED A DECISION WITHIN 90 CALENDAR DAYS FROM THE CONCLUSION OF THE HEARING BY THE COUNCIL. THEREFORE, BY OPERATIONS OF SECTION 705 D OF THE CHARTER, THE APPLICANT'S REQUEST FOR VARIANCES IS DENIED. NOTIFICATION WILL BE MAILED TO 
          [17. COMMENTS AND INPUT FROM ATTENDING CITIZENS]
THE APPLICANT TOMORROW. 17 COMMENTS AND INPUT FROM ATTENDING CITIZENS. MR. DICKSON, DO WE HAVE ANY. I'M SORRY. WE HAVE TWO THIS EVENING. MR. PRESIDENT. BEVERLY, BEVERLY OR I'M SORRY, CASSANDRA BEVERLY, FOLLOWED BY BILL WHALEN. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. MA'AM, CAN I HAVE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE? GOOD EVENING CASSANDRA BEVERLY TWO 903 SIROIS DRIVE, EDGEWOOD, MARYLAND. IT'S CERTAINLY A LITTLE LATE TO SAY GOOD EVENING, BUT. GREETINGS, COUNCIL PRESIDENT AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. AS YOU PROBABLY RECALL, I WAS HERE LAST WEEK AND GOT A LITTLE START ON MY COMMENTS, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR GETTING AN EARLY START ON THOSE, BUT I'M HERE TO DISCUSS THE ISSUE OF THE COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT AND REPAIR FUND. I'M VERY CONCERNED 
          [01:45:07]
ABOUT HOW THOSE FUNDS ARE GOING TO BE DISTRIBUTED IN THE COMMUNITY. THE FUND IS INTENDED TO REINVEST AND REPAIR COMMUNITIES THAT WERE DAMAGED BY CRIMINALIZATION OF MARIJUANA. 
          THERE ARE THREE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS HAVING MET A CERTAIN THRESHOLD IN TERMS OF CASES THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED IN THE COUNTY, THEY ARE ABERDEEN, ABINGTON AND EDGEWOOD. SO I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT HOW, FIRST OF ALL, THOSE COMMUNITIES ARE GOING TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE AVAILABILITY OF THOSE FUNDS AND THAT THOSE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN DAMAGED BY CRIMINALIZATION OF MARIJUANA, THAT THEY HAVE INPUT ON HOW THOSE FUNDS ARE GOING TO BE ALLOCATED. THERE ARE THERE WAS A SURVEY DONE AND THERE WERE SOME AREAS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED AS KIND OF TOP PRIORITIES. BUT THOSE AREN'T THE ONLY AREAS WHERE THOSE FUNDS CAN BE USED. 
          I'D LIKE TO SEE A TRANSPARENT PROCESS THAT INVOLVES PEOPLE FROM THE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE IMPACTED. THEY'RE THE ONES WHO KNOW BEST ABOUT WHICH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS ARE DOING GOOD WORK IN THEIR COMMUNITY. AND THEY ALSO SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEMS THAT HAVE BEEN CREATED BY THE CRIMINALIZATION. SO I'M ASKING THIS BODY TO KEEP A GOOD EYE OUT ON WHAT HAPPENS WITH THOSE FUNDS. I AM GOING TO BE SEEKING AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND ALSO WITH HIS DEPARTMENT HEAD. WHO'S GOING TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR PUTTING OUT THOSE GRANTS. AND AS I SAID, WE JUST WANT TO BE SURE THAT THERE IS COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND THAT IT IS DIVERSE, BECAUSE I HEARD SOMETHING ABOUT SOME KIND OF EQUITY GROUP. THERE IS NO SUCH EQUITY GROUP THAT EXISTS AT THIS POINT. SO WE WANT TO BE SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY IS INVOLVED AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU MA'AM, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE FROM LAST WEEK. AS WELL. GOOD EVENING SIR. GOOD EVENING. SAY, I GOTTA THANK YOU FOR THE PODIUM SINCE I WAS ON IT. I'M A MAN OF MY WORD, SIR. I, I THAT WAS TRUE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. BILL WHALEN, 415 CEDAR SPRINGS ROAD, BEL AIR, MARYLAND. TONIGHT I'M LOOKING FOR A LITTLE BIT OF CLARIFICATION. ONE QUESTION ON THE BALLOT. LET ME READ IT. THE CHARTER AMENDMENT PROHIBITS A COUNCIL MEMBER FROM CONSECUTIVELY SERVING MORE THAN THREE FOUR YEAR TERMS AS THE REP OF A COUNCIL DISTRICT AND PROHIBITS THE COUNCIL PRESIDENT FROM CONSECUTIVELY SERVING MORE THAN THREE FOUR YEAR TERMS AS A COUNCIL PRESIDENT AND SECTION 206 CURRENTLY PROVIDES NO TERM LIMITS AND IT'S A FOR AND AGAINST. ACTUALLY, THIS IS NOT A CHOICE BY THE CITIZENS. IT WAS A CHOICE MADE BY FIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS REGARDING THE LIMITS UNDER BILL 23 OH 28. I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF CONTROVERSY. I WASN'T INVOLVED AT THAT TIME LISTENING TO IT ALL, BUT I DO KNOW THAT BILL 2316 WAS INTRODUCED BY TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS AFTER GIVING UP ON A TWO TERM LIMIT, AND THAT BILL STATED NO PERSON ELECTED OR APPOINTED AS A MEMBER OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL SHALL BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE OFFICE OF COUNCIL MEMBER. AFTER SERVING THREE FOUR YEAR TERMS. THIS BILL WAS WITHDRAWN, BUT IT DID CONTAIN A LIFETIME LIMIT OF 12 YEARS. I DON'T KNOW ALL THE REASONS OTHER THAN PERHAPS MR. PENMAN COULD GET ENOUGH VOTES ON IT. BILL 2328 WAS THEN INTRODUCED BY THREE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS, MR. TONY G, JIM RALEIGH AND MR. DION GUTHRIE. THAT BILL STATED NO PERSON ELECTED OR APPOINTED AS A MEMBER OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL SHALL BE ELIGIBLE FOR SUCCESSION IN THE OFFICE OF COUNCIL MEMBER. AFTER SERVING IN EACH OFFICE FOR THREE CONSECUTIVE FULL TERM TERMS. THIS BILL, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, WHICH WAS PASSED, IT IS PART OF THE AMENDMENT IS POSSIBLY GOING TO BE FOR MORE THAN 12 YEARS OF SERVICE, UNLESS THE COUNCIL MEMBER SPENDS, SPENDS 12 CONSECUTIVE YEARS IN OFFICE. LET ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE. COUNCIL MEMBER, IF ELECTED, SERVES ONE TURN, DECIDES NOT TO SERVE A SECOND TERM, RUNS AGAIN, AND IS ELECTED AND CAN BE FOR THREE MORE CONSECUTIVE TERMS BEFORE HE CAN NO LONGER BE ELIGIBLE. IF I'M WRONG, I WOULD APPRECIATE WHEN IT'S TIME FOR COUNCIL TO SPEAK. 
          EXPLAIN THAT TO ME. SO THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS LOOKING AT THIS BILL, AND I KNOW MR. PENMAN, MISS RALEIGH, MR. MR. RALEIGH, MR. SORRELS, MR. BENNETT IF ELECTED THEY CAN ACTUALLY SERVE FOR 16 YEARS. MR. G YOU COULD SERVE FOR 20 YEARS. MR. VANZETT, WITH YOUR RECORD OF FOUR YEARS 
          [01:50:06]
IN COUNCIL AND EIGHT YEARS AS COUNCIL PRESIDENT. YOU'RE ELIGIBLE IF ELECTED TO IF YOU DECIDED TO RUN FOR ADDITIONAL TERMS AND THEY VOTED YOU IN, COULD SERVE FOR 12 YEARS. SO YOUR TERM IS 24 YEARS, MR. GUTHRIE. YOURS IS 28 YEARS. AND DON'T FORGET A COUNCIL MEMBER CAN ALSO RUN FOR PRESIDENT FOR ANOTHER 12 YEARS. MR. IT'S JUST NOT TRADITIONAL. MY TIME IS UP AND I'M NOT GOING TO GET COMFORTABLE AT THE PODIUM. THANK YOU. THERE ARE NO MORE SPEAKERS, 
          [16. BUSINESS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS ]
MR. PRESIDENT. THANK YOU. AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 16, BUSINESS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS. WE'RE GOING TO START WITH MR. BENNETT THIS EVENING. HELLO. GOOD EVENING. IT'S GOOD TO BE WITH YOU ALL TONIGHT. FIRST, I WILL JUST SHARE. I THINK THE ANALYSIS OF THAT BILL IS SPOT ON, ON HOW IT'S SET UP. AND IT ACTUALLY MIRRORS WHAT'S SET UP FOR THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE. SO FOR INSTANCE, IF EILEEN REARDON WANTED TO RUN FOR COUNTY EXECUTIVE AGAIN, EVEN THOUGH SHE ALREADY SERVED TWO TERMS, SHE COULD RETURN TO OFFICE SINCE IT WILL NO LONGER BE CONSECUTIVE. 
          SO WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THE LANGUAGE FOR TERM LIMITS FOR THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE MIRRORED THAT FOR COUNCIL. SO IT WASN'T TWO DIFFERENT SYSTEMS TO GIVE CLARITY TO THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE ON HOW THE TERM LIMITS WORK WITHIN HARFORD COUNTY. SO THAT WAS AT LEAST FOR ME, THE IMPORTANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE TWO BILLS THAT YOU TOUCHED UPON. THE BIG THING FOR ME TONIGHT, I JUST WANT TO CELEBRATE THAT I GOT TO ATTEND AN EAGLE SCOUT CEREMONY THIS PAST WEEKEND. FOR A YOUNG LADY WHO IS A SEA SCOUT, WHICH IS A REALLY COOL NICHE WITHIN SCOUTING. NOT A WHOLE LOT OF SEA SCOUTS OUT THERE. THEY'RE IN A SHIP, NOT A TROOP. I INTERACTED THEM SOME OVER MY YEARS AT BROAD CREEK, BUT JUST A REALLY GREAT GROUP OF KIDS. AND IT WAS REALLY FUN TO CELEBRATE THIS YOUNG WOMAN WHO'S NOW OFF IN COLLEGE BUT COMPLETED HER EAGLE SCOUT EARLIER ON HER JOURNEY. AND THEN LASTLY, I JUST WANT TO LET EVERYONE KNOW THE HARTFORD CENTER IS HAVING THEIR ANNUAL SPOOKY SOIREE THIS FRIDAY. THE HARTFORD CENTER IS AN AWESOME ORGANIZATION THAT, AS A COUNCILMAN, I SERVE ON THE BOARD OF SUPPORTING THOSE IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO HAVE DIFFERENT NEEDS SO THAT THEY HAVE PURPOSE AND THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO INTERACT THROUGHOUT THEIR LIFE HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND I LOVE THAT ORGANIZATION, AND I LOVE THEIR MISSION. SO IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN SUPPORTING, YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO COME TO THE SPOOKY SOIREE THIS FRIDAY. THAT'S ALL. THANK YOU, MR. BENNETT. MR. GUTHRIE. THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. BY THE WAY, I DID NOT. I'VE ALREADY VOTED AND I VOTED AGAINST IT. SO YOU KNOW WHERE I AM A COUPLE OF EVENTS HAPPENING IN MY DISTRICT. UNFORTUNATELY, HAPPENED THE SAME DAY, THIS COMING SATURDAY FROM 11 TO 4. COAKLEY PARISH ON IN JOPPATOWNE AND RUMSEY ISLAND. 
          THEY'RE HAVING THEIR HISTORIC FALL FESTIVAL FACE PAINTING PONY RIDES, 1700 LIVING HISTORY AND A DRESS IN THAT, IN THAT GARB OF 1700S PETTING ZOOS, DEMOS, FOOD VENDORS. PLENTY. IT'S VERY ENJOYABLE EVENT AND AT THE VERY SAME TIME, WE HAVE MUSIC AT THE POINT THAT'S THAT'S IN EDGEWOOD AND THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE THREE BANDS COMPLETELY PLAYING, ONE AFTER THE OTHER, FLYING POINT PARK. IT'S FREE. IT'S FREE ADMISSION. THERE'S GOING TO BE FOOD TRUCKS AND BRING YOUR OWN CHAIR, BECAUSE IT MAY NOT BE A PLACE TO SIT, BUT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO BOTH OF THOSE. I'LL HIT BOTH THOSE EVENTS. I'LL HAVE TO SPEND SOME TIME IN EACH ONE. FRIDAY I EXTENDED I ATTENDED THE EXCELLENT EDUCATION AWARDS BREAKFAST AT WATER'S EDGE, ALONG WITH PAT VICENTE, AND IT CERTAINLY IS ALWAYS AN HONOR TO GO TO THOSE EXCELLENT EDUCATION BECAUSE 20 OVER 20 YEARS AGO, WHEN THAT GROUP STARTED, I WAS ON THE ORIGINAL COMMITTEE THAT STARTED THAT GROUP. AND WHEN YOU GET TO SEE SOMETHING 20 OR SOME YEARS LATER THAT IT'S STILL GOING STRONG AND PEOPLE ARE DOING A GREAT JOB, IT REALLY MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD. I ALSO ATTENDED THE HARFORD UNITED CHARITIES EVENT THAT JARRETTSVILLE GARDENS PLAYED A BIG EVENT, A LOT OF PEOPLE RAISED A LOT OF MONEY FOR FOUR DIFFERENT CHARITIES. THE ONE PARTICULAR I'M INTERESTED IN WAS 755, WHICH IS THE ONE FROM EDGEWOOD, AND THE ONES THAT ARE PUTTING ON THIS THIS EVENT MUSIC INTO POINT. SO WITH THAT, I ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THE FIRE, SO I AIN'T GOING TO TALK ABOUT IT AGAIN. AND WE'RE TRYING TO HELP TONY SO HE CAN WATCH THE YANKEE GAME. THANK YOU MR. GUTHRIE. MR. PENMAN THANK YOU MR. PRESIDENT. A COUPLE OF THINGS, MR. MALLAMO AT THE HOTEL TAX. I, I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION. WE CAN'T TALK ABOUT IT BECAUSE WE HAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING. IF YOU CAN GIVE YOUR NUMBER TO MY LEGISLATIVE AIDE, LEGISLATIVE AIDE, MISS 
          [01:55:03]
MCDOUGALL, I WILL CALL YOU THIS WEEK TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION. MR. WHELAN, I APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATION. IT WAS A HEALTHY DEBATE AND CONVERSATION. WHEN BOTH OF THOSE BILLS ARE OR MULTIPLE OF THOSE BILLS WERE INTRODUCED. AND, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY ONE PASSED THE DIFFERENCE IN THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE IS IT WAS TWO TERMS. THIS IS THREE TERMS. AS MANY KNOW, THERE WAS A PETITION THAT I STARTED TO ALLOW TWO TERMS. THAT PETITION WAS GOING VERY WELL. WAS SUCCESSFUL. BUT THEN WE HAD A BOARD OF ELECTIONS RULING AFTER FURTHER REVIEW THAT IF BOTH OF THE COUNCILS BILL THAT PASSED WERE ON THE BALLOT IN MY PETITION WAS ON THE BALLO, THEY BOTH WOULD CROSS OUT. NEITHER ONE WOULD BE ON THE BALLOT. SO I HAD TO SUSPEND THE PETITION DRIVE RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, EVEN THREE. IT IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT PASSING ON THIS ELECTION COMING UP, AND THEN WE CAN MAYBE ENGAGE IN A FURTHER CONVERSATION WITH THAT. SO I JUST WANT TO TALK ABOUT ECONOMICS, HARFORD ECONOMICS AND THE DEVELOPMENT. I'M EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE IT LOOKS LIKE MONDAY, OCTOBER 21ST, THE HARFORD COUNTY ANALYSIS AND STRATEGY SESSION WILL TAKE PLACE FROM 630 TO 8 P.M. AT ABERDEEN HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM. SO HERE IS THE FLIER ON THAT. I'M SURE YOU CAN FIND THAT ON SOME OF THE COUNTY WEBSITES, BECAUSE I TELL YOU, I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE STRATEGY OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THIS COUNTY. I KNOW MISS HOLT HAS AN INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT JOB WITH THIS, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, A STRATEGY SHOULD BE DIVISIVE. I DON'T THINK IT SHOULD BE MANIPULATION. THAT'S NOT A STRATEGY BECAUSE I CAN TELL YOU THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION PUT OUT A SOCIAL MEDIA AD OVER, OVER. I GUESS A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO WHERE THEY WERE BLAMING AND SHAMING PUBLIC SAFETY AND EDUCATION. AND I JUST DON'T THINK THAT'S THE ANSWER. I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR OF OUR PUBLIC SAFETY. I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR OF OUR EDUCATORS. I THINK WE SHOULD BE ABOUT HAVE A BALANCED CONVERSATION AND WE DEVELOP OUR STRATEGY BASED OFF OF THAT. AND THAT STRATEGY CAN'T BE RAISING TAXES AND RAISING FEES. IT NEEDS TO BE TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESS. JUST LIKE THE OUTDOOR DINING BILL THAT WE DID. WE SENT OVER. WE HAVE NOT GOT THAT BACK. I HOPE WE GET THE ENDORSEMENT OF THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE ON THAT OUTDOOR DINING BILL. I KNOW THAT'S ESSENTIAL FOR MANY BUSINESSES ACROSS HARFORD COUNTY. I CAN GIVE YOU ONE EXAMPLE ALSO WHERE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WAS VERY, VERY BIG AND THAT IS THE AMAZON SECOND HEADQUARTERS. NOW, THERE WAS DISCUSSION ABOUT HAVING THAT AMAZON HEADQUARTERS IN NEW YORK. THERE WAS SOME PUBLIC BACKLASH ON THAT. AMAZON PULLED OUT AND THEY THEY TURNED IT OVER TO TENNESSEE. THAT HAS BUILT $4 BILLION OF INFRASTRUCTURE THERE. AND PROCEEDS BACK TO THE STATE OF TENNESSEE AND NASHVILLE. NOT I'M NOT ADVOCATING FOR AMAZON TO COME IN WITH THEIR THIRD HEADQUARTERS, BUT I'M JUST DISCUSSING THE IMPACT THAT, YOU KNOW, SMART, BALANCED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CAN HAVE IN OUR COUNTY. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO BETTER STRATEGY THAT IS NOT SHAMING AND BLAMING OUR PUBLIC SAFETY AND OUR EDUCATORS AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS SEMINAR. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. PITTMAN. MR. GIORDANO, THANK YOU. COUNCIL PRESIDENT. LAST WEDNESDAY WE DID THE PREVIEW FOR BEL-AIR AUTO AUCTION. THEY HAD A GRAND OPENING ON THE NEXT DAY OF THEIR NEW LAND EXPANSION TO 12 LANES. FRIDAY WAS THE HARFORD COUNTY EDUCATION FOUNDATION EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION AWARDS. 
          I HAD THE HONOR OF DOING EAGLE SCOUT FOR NATHAN PLOTKIN ON OCTOBER 12TH, AND THEN ALSO TODAY WE RECOGNIZE DOTTIE SMITH FOR HER 45 YEARS OF SERVICE TO HARFORD COUNTY. SUSAN SAFF FOR HER 35 YEARS OF SERVICE TO HARFORD COUNTY, AND SOMEBODY NAMED PAT VICENTE FOR HIS TEN YEARS OF SERVICE TO HARFORD COUNTY. WE ALSO DID THE HARFORD TV VAN RIBBON CUTTING, AND TOMORROW NIGHT THERE'S AN ADVISORY BOARD MEETING JARRETTSVILLE FOREST HILL AT THE WHITEFORD VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY AT 630. AND THIS FRIDAY IS ROUTE FORTY'S HALLOWEEN PARTY. THAT'S BEING HELD IN BEL AIR. SO THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT. HAVE A GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU. MR. JORDAN. MR. RILEY. YES, JUST ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, I WOULD SAY THAT AGAIN, I HOPE THAT WE CAN COME TO CONSENSUS AND THAT WE DON'T HAVE TWO PEOPLE TRYING TO COMPETE FOR THE SAME DOLLARS OUT THERE AS FAR AS TOURISM FOR HARFORD COUNTY. SO I'M GOING TO WORK TOWARD THAT AS GOING FORWARD. AS TONY SAID, BEL AIR AUTO AUCTION. CHARLIE, CONGRATULATIONS. I HOPE YOU KEEP 
          [02:00:06]
EXPANDING UP THERE. THE SUPPORT FOR PAT'S GRANDSON, JAKE. LET ME TELL YOU FOLKS ONE THING. YOU GOT TO LOVE ABOUT HARFORD COUNTY. THEY REALLY DO COME OUT AND SUPPORT FOLKS THAT ARE IN NEED. AND PAT'S GRANDSON, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW ABOUT THE MEDICAL ISSUES THAT HE'S HAD. 
          AND SO I THINK IT WAS A LOT OF SUPPORT NOT ONLY FOR JAKE, BUT FOR YOU ALSO, MR. PRESIDENT, AND WE APPRECIATE WHAT YOU DO. AND THAT LITTLE GUY, HE'S A HE'S A STAR IN HIS OWN RIGHT. ALSO, THE YEARS OF SERVICE FOR PAT AND DOTTIE, THE RIBBON CUTTING FOR THE NEW HARFORD TV VAN. WE OUT HERE, WE HAD OUT HERE AND JUST TWO LAST THINGS I WANT TO GIVE MY CONDOLENCES TO RETIRED DEPUTY JOHN RYAN. HIS BEAUTIFUL WIFE, KIM COX, PASSED AWAY TODAY. SHE WAS JUST 44 YEARS OF AGE. SO KEEP RETIRED JOHN RYAN IN YOUR PRAYERS. HE SERVED HIS HARFORD COUNTY AND THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE VERY WELL. ALSO, HIS DAD WAS A RETIRED ABERDEEN POLICE OFFICER. AND TONY, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO CELEBRATING YOUR DAD'S, WHAT DO YOU CALL IT? CELEBRATION OF LIFE. THIS SUNDAY. AND IF YOU GET A CHANCE, AS YOU SUPPORTED THE PRESIDENT, PLEASE SUPPORT OUR COUNCIL PRESIDENT. COME ON OUT AND HAVE A CELEBRATION OF TONY'S DAD. THANK YOU. COUNCIL VICE PRESIDENT. THANK YOU JIM. 
          YOU HOPE TO GET PROMOTED? YEAH. SORRY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER RILEY. MISS SUTTLES, THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL PRESIDENT. THANKS TO THE TIPS FROM THE PUBLIC AND THE DILIGENT EFFORTS OF THE HARFORD COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, THEIR CHURCHVILLE ELEMENTARY STUDENT THAT WAS MISSING YESTERDAY HAS BEEN FOUND UNHARMED, AND THE QUICK ACTION AND COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND THE COMMUNITY WERE CRUCIAL. AND I'M JUST HAPPY THAT WE HAVE A POSITIVE RESOLUTION TO THE SITUATION. THE CHURCHVILLE CRESWELL FOUNTAIN GREEN CLUB MEETING IS THIS THURSDAY, 630 TO 8 P.M, AND IT'S GOING TO BE HELD AT THE CHURCHVILLE REC CENTER. THE LEVEL BUILDING. AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MISS. 15 BUSINESS FROM THE PRESIDENT. AS YOU AS YOU HEARD 
          [15. BUSINESS FROM THE PRESIDENT]
FROM MY COLLEAGUES, WE'VE BEEN TO OUT TO MANY, MANY EVENTS. BUT I DO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE EDUCATION FOUNDATION'S EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION BREAKFAST. DEB MORLOCK AND HER TEAM HAVE DONE AN OUTSTANDING JOB PROVIDING THE TOOLS AND ASSISTANCE THAT OUR GREATEST ASSET, OUR CHILDREN, NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN EDUCATION. AND I JUST WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THEM AGAIN AND THANK THEM AGAIN FOR ALL THEY DO. AND THEN ALSO THE BARBECUE BASH THIS PAST WEEKEND. WELL ATTENDED, DID A COUPLE WALKTHROUGHS WITH THAT, GOT TO SEE A LOT OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE. THE HARFORD COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE TRUNK OR TREAT AT HARFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE WAS AN OUTSTANDING EVENT. GENIE ALWAYS LOVES TO GO AND I MEAN HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE ATTENDED THAT AT ONE TIME. I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE LINE WAS SO LONG IN ONE PLACE, BUT THE KIDS WERE LINING UP TO SEE THE K9, K9 BOOTH. SO JUST AN OUTSTANDING EVENT. AND THEN I DO WANT TO TAKE A MINUTE AND JUST THANK EVERYONE, ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES HERE THAT ATTENDED THE EVENT THIS PAST SUNDAY FOR JAKE, IT WAS A HUGE, HUGE EVENT. IT WAS LONG, THOUGH. I GOT TO TELL YOU, 11 TO 7, BUT THE FIRST RESPONDERS THAT SHOWED OUT FROM HARFORD, BALTIMORE, CECIL COUNTIES WAS AMAZING. THE FRIENDS AND FAMILY, ALL OF YOU GUYS LIKE I SAID, JUST AN OUTSTANDING EVENT. I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY THAT WORKED SO HARD TO PUT THAT ON, AND I ESPECIALLY WANT TO THANK CHIP STEININGER, NATE AND COURTNEY FOR ALL THAT THEY'VE DONE TO HELP JAKE SINCE DAY ONE. THEY GREW UP TOGETHER AND THEY WERE THERE FOR HIM WHEN HE NEEDED. SO I APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH. AND WITH THAT, WE'LL BEFORE YOU ADJOURN, MR. PRESIDENT, I REALLY LIKE FOR YOU TO MAKE A COMMENT ON WHAT JAKE SAID. THE REASON RAISING THOSE FUNDS, PLEASE. SO AT THE END OF THE EVENT, THE ORGANIZER, CHIP, GAVE A REPORT AND MY DAUGHTER TRISH SPOKE. AND AT THE END THEY GAVE THE MICROPHONE TO MY GRANDSON. NOW, GRANTED, HE'S 12 YEARS OLD AND HE TOOK THE MICROPHONE AND HE SAID, I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR THEIR LOVE AND SUPPORT FOR ME. HE SAID. AND WHATEVER WE DON'T USE FOR MY MEDICAL BILLS, I'M GOING TO DONATE BACK TO HOPKINS. BURN CENTER. SO 12 YEARS OLD, I MEAN, I JUST IT JUST IT'S AMAZING. BUT YES, NOW I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY AGAIN. IT WAS A GREAT DAY
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.