[a. Bill 24-039 (Chapter 157 Fees)] [00:00:04] FOUR. THREE. GOOD EVENING. CHAIR. CALLS TO ORDER. PUBLIC HEARING FOR BILL 24 039. CHAPTER 157. FEES OF TONIGHT. COUNCIL. WE HAVE MR. TROUT WITH US. DIRECTOR OF DILP. WHENEVER YOU'RE READY, SIR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL PRESIDENT VICENTE. MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. AGAIN, IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE THIS EVENING TO SPEAK ON BILL 2439. AS YOU MAY RECALL, IN THIS PAST SPRING, WE PRESENTED BILL 2413, WHICH WAS INTRODUCED TO ADDRESS A MULTITUDE OF FEES, THAT AND LICENSING FEES THAT WERE APPLIED ACROSS MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS. THE BILL WAS PASSED IN MAY 31ST AND UPDATED FEES ARE SCHEDULED TO BECOME EFFECTIVE ON JANUARY 1ST OF 2025. BILL IS PASSED CONTAIN A FEW ISSUES THAT WERE IDENTIFIED DURING OUR PROGRAMING PHASE OF THE PROJECT, WHICH STARTED THIS OCTOBER, AND WE'RE HERE TODAY TO DISCUSS THOSE ISSUES WITH YOU. BILL 2439 CONTAINS MODIFICATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING SECTIONS OF THE ORIGINAL LEGISLATION. SECTION 150 7-3 REINSTITUTES A REFUND PROVISION FOR PERMITS THAT WERE DISAPPROVED OR WITHDRAWN PRIOR TO ISSUANCE. ONE 5716 A THE TABLE HAS TWO MODIFICATIONS IN IT, THE FIRST BEING IN ABOUT THREE DIFFERENT AREAS. THE RESIDENTIAL PERMIT APPLICATION FEE WAS IS BEING AMENDED FROM $200 TO $100. IT WAS THE ORIGINAL INTENT OF THE DEPARTMENT TO ONLY CHARGE A $100 APPLICATION FEE, AND THE SECOND MODIFICATION TO THAT TABLE WAS IN THE SECOND OCCURRENCE FOR A STOP WORK ORDER OR WORKING WITHOUT A VALID PERMIT FOR THE PENALTY FEES FOR THAT THAT WAS LISTED AT $700, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN $750, AND THIS WOULD BE CONSISTENT WITH THE SECTIONS THAT WAS UPDATED. ONE 5717 T. 157 DASH 22 AND 157 DASH 30 F WERE ALL CONTAINED. THE $750 FEE. SO FOR CONSISTENCY PURPOSES, WE'RE ASKING FOR THAT TO BE MODIFIED AS WELL. AND WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT WE NEEDED TO REORGANIZE THE PLUMBING FEES TO MAKE THEM MORE, TO BASICALLY PROVIDE A BETTER CLARIFICATION OF INTENT AND APPLICATION. THEY WERE CLEAR TO US WHEN WE WROTE THEM. UNFORTUNATELY, WHEN OUR IT DEPARTMENT STARTED WORKING THROUGH THOSE, THEY FOUND A LITTLE BIT MORE CUMBERSOME. SO WE FELT IT WAS NECESSARY WHILE WE WERE MAKING THESE MODIFICATIONS THAT THE PUBLIC WOULD FIND THOSE A LITTLE BIT MORE EASILY TO UNDERSTAND. SO THAT'S BASICALLY THE OVERVIEW OF THE PROVISIONS IN THE BILL BEFORE YOU. WE'RE HERE THIS EVENING TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU GUYS MAY HAVE. THANK YOU RICHARD. COUNCIL AT THIS TIME, MR. RILEY. RICHARD, DID YOU CHANGE ANY OF THE PLUMBING FEES? DID YOU INCREASE OR DECREASE OR JUST CHANGE THE WORDING? NO, NONE OF THE FEES IN THE PLUMBING SCHEDULE GOT CHANGED AT ALL. THEY ARE ALL THE SAME. IT JUST GOT REORGANIZED TO MAKE IT BETTER. CLARITY. THANKS. ANYONE ELSE? MR. GIORDANO? RICH. GOOD AFTERNOON. SO I THINK MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS MOVING FORWARD. IF THEY GET A FINE FOR NOT HAVING A PERMIT. 750 FEE, WHAT HAPPENS THE SECOND TIME THEY WORK WITHOUT A PERMIT? THAT IT'S THE SAME FEE. THAT IS THE SECOND OCCURRENCE. THAT'S THE SECOND. SO THE FEE IS STRUCTURED I THINK AT 507 50 AND THEN 1000 FOR THE FIRST OCCURRENCE IS 500. OKAY. IS THERE A TIME FRAME FOR THAT OCCURRENCE WISE? I MEAN, YOU KNOW, DOES THAT STAY ON THE BOOKS IF THEY GET FINED ONCE FOR NOT HAVING A PERMIT AND THEY DO IT AGAIN, HOW ABOUT UNLICENSED? WE ONLY HAVE PERMITS, BUT WE DON'T HAVE UNLICENSED IN HERE DO WE. THAT. NO, THAT WOULD ONLY BE FOR THE PERMITTING. WE WOULD USE THE CIVIL PENALTY PROVISION FOR AN INDIVIDUAL THAT WAS UNLICENSED. OKAY. IS THIS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN GO BACK AND LOOK AT AND AMEND ON THIS SIDE ABOUT IF SOMEBODY IS UNLICENSED AS WELL? BECAUSE AS YOU AND I BOTH KNOW, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE DOING WORK THAT ARE UNLICENSED PLUMBERS, UNLICENSED ELECTRICIANS DOING WORK. AND UNFORTUNATELY, SOMETIMES WE DON'T FIND OUT ABOUT IT UNTIL IT'S TOO LATE AND THERE'S AN ISSUE. SO IS THIS SOMETHING THAT WE GO BACK AND ADDRESS IN THIS FOR UNLICENSED? MEGAN SHAKING HER HEAD, NO, I WOULD SAY THE PROVISION THAT WE DID WHEN THIS ADMINISTRATION TOOK OFFICE FOR CIVIL PENALTIES, THAT GIVES US A TOOL IN THE TOOLBOX TO ADDRESS IT. WE CAN COME BACK AFTER AN INDIVIDUAL, AND IT'S MUCH EASIER TO USE THAT CIVIL PENALTY THAN TO TRY TO COLLECT A VIOLATION FEE, BECAUSE AT THAT POINT, WE'RE ACTUALLY ISSUING A CIVIL CITATION. OKAY. SO MAYBE WE'LL GO BACK AND LOOK AT THAT CIVIL LIABILITY. WE CAN ISSUE UP TO A $1,000 CIVIL PENALTY FOR THAT. SO AND THE DEPARTMENT IS PREPARED TO DO THAT WHEN WE FIND AN INDIVIDUAL THAT'S NOT LICENSED TO TALK ABOUT THAT FURTHER, WE'RE MORE THAN HAPPY TO. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THIS VERY MUCH, MR. RILEY. AND DO YOU PUT A LIEN IF THEY DON'T PAY IT [00:05:02] ON THEIR PROPERTY OR THEIR HOUSE FOR THE PENALTIES? WE DO NOT HAVE OR THE CIVIL PENALTY. YEAH. THE UNPAID THE UNPAID CIVIL PENALTIES ACTUALLY GO TO COURT. SO THAT WILL DOUBLE AFTER A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIMES. I BELIEVE IT'S AFTER 15 DAYS. WE ISSUE A NOTICE OF FAILURE TO RESPOND. AND THAT CIVIL PENALTY IN THE LAW ACTUALLY WILL DOUBLE. AND THEN IF THEY DON'T RESPOND FROM THAT THEN WE WILL WE'D ACTUALLY TAKE THEM TO COURT AND TRY TO COLLECT IT BACK THROUGH THAT METHOD. THANKS, MISS. COUNCIL MEMBERS, COUNCIL PRESIDENT TIMOTHY MARSHAK, ASSISTANT COUNTY ATTORNEY. JUST TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, COUNCILMAN RILEY, IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, THAT WILL CONSTITUTE A LEAD AGAINST THE REAL PROPERTY. OKAY, THANKS. THANKS, MR. MARSHAK. MR. PENMAN. THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. SO IF I COULD JUST MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND THIS. THE ONLY FEE THAT'S BEING INCREASED IS FROM 700 TO $750 FOR OPERATING WITHOUT A LICENSE. THAT'S THE ONLY INCREASE IN THIS BILL. CORRECT. NOW, I JUST KIND OF WANT TO VENT FOR A MOMENT. PERMIT TO DECREASE. WELL, THAT THAT'S THE FEE FOR WORKING WITHOUT A PERMIT. IT'S THE SECOND OCCURRENCE. YES, BECAUSE HERE WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY ACT BEFORE US. RIGHT. AND I KNOW THIS IS NOT ON YOU, BUT THIS IS A COURSE OF CONDUCT NOW FROM THE ADMINISTRATION. AGAIN, IT'S NOT ON YOU. WE HAD TWO WEEKS AGO OR THREE WEEKS AGO, WE HAD A BILL THAT HAD TO BE WITHDRAWN BECAUSE THE COUNTY DIDN'T FOLLOW THE RIGHT PROCESS. WE THE BILL BEFORE US LAST WEEK THAT HAD 15 MISTAKES IN THE BOND BILL HAD THE WRONG NUMBER, WHICH IS THE WRONG MONEY AMOUNTS IN A WRONG PROJECT THAT WE WERE PREPARED TO PASS BASED OFF OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS. AND NOW WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY BILL FOR FEES THAT WE ALL KNOW. I'M NOT A FAN OF FEES, RIGHT? THAT POTENTIALLY I HAVE TO CONSIDER VOTING FOR BECAUSE IT MAKES IT A LITTLE BIT BETTER. RIGHT. SO MY QUESTION TO YOU IS WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LEGISLATION THAT WAS INCORRECT WHEN IT WAS SENT OVER FOR THE CURRENT BILL, THE PREVIOUS BILL, 2413? I MEAN, WE ALL LOOKED AT IT. WE MISSED IT. I MEAN, I WAS PART OF THAT AS WELL. IT REALLY WAS NOT LIKE I SAID, IT WAS NOT UNTIL WE STARTED PROGRAMING IT THAT WE IDENTIFIED THE ISSUE. WE HAD LOOKED AT THIS AS, YOU KNOW, WHEN I TESTIFIED BACK IN THE SPRING, THIS WAS A BILL THAT WAS OVER A YEAR IN THE MAKING FOR THE DEPARTMENT. WE, MR. BOLLING, SPENT A NUMEROUS AMOUNT OF HOURS PUTTING THIS TOGETHER. WE WORKED WITH LAW DEPARTMENT TO PUT THIS TOGETHER. THERE WERE NUMEROUS DEPARTMENTS INVOLVED AND ADDITIONAL ITERATIONS OF THE BILL, AND WE JUST MISSED IT. IT'S UNFORTUNATE, I APOLOGIZE, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE DID OUR BEST AT THIS POINT. AND WE'RE BACK BEFORE YOU TO CORRECT THOSE ERRORS. I UNDERSTAND IN AN EMERGENCY COMPASSION CAPACITY. AND IF I'M IN YOUR SHOES, I MAY MISS IT TO EVEN, YOU KNOW, NOWHERE NEAR THE EXPERT THAT YOU ARE, MR. BOWEN. THE EXPERT THAT YOU ARE. BUT IT'S BILL DRAFTING. IT'S BASIC BILL DRAFTING. RIGHT. AND I RELY ON MY ATTORNEYS. SO DID THE LAW OFFICE, THE COUNTY LAW OFFICE REVIEW THIS? WE HAD A LAW DEPARTMENT. MY DEPARTMENT LOOKED AT IT. THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS, HEALTH DEPARTMENT LOOKED AT IT. WE HAD A NUMBER OF EYES ON THIS THING. AND THESE THESE ERRORS JUST GOT MISSED. AND IT'S UNFORTUNATE, BUT IT'S THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT WE'RE IN OKAY. ACROSS THE BOARD. HOPEFULLY WE DON'T HAVE ANY MORE FEE INCREASES TO WHERE IT WON'T BE A PROBLEM. BUT IN THE FUTURE WE'LL HAVE A DISCUSSION LATER ON. ON THE EMERGENCY BOND BILL, I SHOULD SAY, ABOUT WHAT STEPS ARE BEING TAKEN TO STOP SENDING COMPLACENT LEGISLATION OVER TO THE COUNCIL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. YOU'RE WELCOME. AND JUST TO FURTHER COUNCILMAN PENMAN, I DON'T I DON'T MIND SAYING I WAS WORKING CLOSELY WITH DIRECTOR PRUITT WITH THIS LEGISLATION. AND, YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY, THIS WAS THE ISSUE WAS DISCOVERED DURING THE IMPLEMENTATION PHASE, AND WE'RE JUST WORKING TO CORRECT THAT. THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. MR. BENNETT, HELLO. GOOD EVENING. EVENING. YOU KNOW, I READ THROUGH THE FISCAL NOTES FOR THIS LEGISLATION, AND IT DOES MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THESE CHANGES IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF OUR BUDGET ARE IMMATERIAL. I THINK IT'S GOING TO LEAD TO A $6,000 DECREASE IN THE ESTIMATED REVENUE BROUGHT IN. BUT COULD YOU TALK SOME ABOUT HOW WE MISSED HAVING THE 50% REFUND IN THE PREVIOUS LEGISLATION? NOW WE'RE ADDING THAT BACK IN. IS THERE ANYBODY IN THE TIME PERIOD BETWEEN THE PREVIOUS BILL PASSING AND NOW THAT WAS IMPACTED BY THAT? YOU KNOW, HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY THAT? AND NOW THAT WE'RE PASSING HOPEFULLY PASSING THIS LEGISLATION TONIGHT, WILL THERE BE ANY SORT OF ACTION TO RECTIFY THAT, THAT GAP IN TIME FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO, YOU KNOW, WITHDREW THEIR PERMITS IN THE TIME BEING? SO FROM THE DATE OF PASSAGE IN MAY OF 24 TO CURRENT, THE [00:10:01] DEPARTMENT HAS NOT CHANGED ITS POLICY IN REGARDS TO ANY TYPE OF REFUND. SO THERE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ANYBODY THAT WAS PENALIZED BECAUSE OF THAT PROVISION. WE NOTICED THIS THAT WE BELIEVE WOULD HAVE BECOME EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1ST. SO THE CURRENT PROVISION FOR REFUNDS WOULD HAVE STILL BEEN APPLICABLE. IT STILL IS APPLICABLE TODAY AND WOULD HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED AS OF JANUARY 1ST, BECAUSE YOU ALL WERE ACTING ON THE PRESUMPTION THAT THAT WAS IN THE LEGISLATION. CORRECT. SO WHEN WE FOUND THAT PROVISION THAT WAS NOT THERE, THEN WE REALIZED WE NEEDED TO COME BACK OVER AND PUT THAT PUT IT BACK IN. AND HOW MANY PEOPLE DOES THAT IMPACT A YEAR? LIKE HOW MANY TIMES DO YOU GIVE THOSE REFUNDS? WE'RE PROBABLY AND AGAIN, I'M JUST GUESSING OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, PROBABLY LESS THAN 5% OF THE PERMIT APPLICATIONS THAT WE ISSUE OR ARE APPLIED FOR PROBABLY GO THROUGH SOME TYPE OF REFUND PROCESS. SO IT'S NOT A WHOLE LOT. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YOU'RE WELCOME. THANK YOU, MR. BENNETT. ANYONE ELSE? MISS DIXON, DO WE HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP? WE DO NOT HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP, MR. PRESIDENT, WITH NO ONE SIGNED UP, THIS WILL CONCLUDE THIS PUBLIC HEARING FOR BILL 24 039. AND BECAUSE OF A TIMING SITUATION, WE WILL TAKE THIS UP LATER ON. THANK YOU GUYS. WE'LL WHENEVER YOU'RE READY. FIVE. [1. CALL TO ORDER] FOUR. THREE. CHAIR CALLS TO ORDER. LEGISLATIVE SESSION DAY 24 ZERO 33 I WOULD ASK YOU TO PLEASE JOIN US IN STANDING FOR THE PLEDGE, FOLLOWED BY THE OPENING PRAYER BY COUNCIL MEMBER RILEY. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. LET US PRAY. HEAVENLY FATHER, THANK YOU FOR THE GIFT OF LIFE, THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE THE PEOPLE OF OUR COUNTY. I PRAY THAT YOU WILL GUIDE OUR COUNCIL AS THEY MEET AND DISCUSS MATTERS WITH REGARD TO OUR COUNTY. I PRAY THAT THEIR MOTIVATION AND EVERYTHING THEY WANT TO DO IS FOR THE GOOD OF THE PUBLIC AND NOT THEIR OWN. I PRAY THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO SOLVE OUR COUNTY'S PROBLEMS AND MAKE GOOD POLICIES THAT MIGHT ADDRESS THEM. HELP US BE COMPETENT AND EXCELLENT IN OUR GOVERNANCE. HELP US TO LISTEN WITH UNDERSTANDING AND GOODWILL. HELP US TO SPEAK WITH CLARITY AND RESTRAINT AND GIVE US THE SPIRIT OF SERVICE IS YOUR MOST BLESSED NAME. WE PRAY. AMEN. AMEN. THANK YOU, MR. RILEY. COUNCIL. MAY I HAVE GENERAL CONSENT TO MOVE TO ITEM FIVE ON THE AGENDA AND THEN RETURN TO ITEM FOUR THEREAFTER? SO BIG SECOND, AND IF I MAY, BEFORE WE GET STARTED, I WANT TO WELCOME COUNCILWOMAN CASSIE BOYER INTO THE CHAMBER THIS EVENING, AS WELL AS FORMER COUNTY EXECUTIVE, MR. GLASSMAN. MISS CAROL BRUCE FROM THE BOARD OF ED AND MISS CAROL MUELLER. ALSO, DOCTOR MUELLER FROM THE BOARD OF ED, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US THIS EVENING. MR. RILEY. AND ALSO JEANNIE VINCENT. COUNCIL PRESIDENT'S WIFE. HE HE HE HAD IT ON THERE AND HE JUST OVERLOOKED IT. JEANNIE. THAT'S ALL THE QUEEN BEE. AGENDA ITEM [5. CONSIDERATION OF PETITIONS, APPLICATIONS, APPOINTMENTS AND NOMINATIONS] NUMBER FIVE CONSIDERATION OF PETITIONS, APPLICATIONS, APPOINTMENTS AND NOMINATIONS. COUNCIL APPOINTMENT. HARFORD LIVING TREASURER DONALD OSMAN. MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE? COUNCIL PRESIDENT, I MOVE TO APPROVE. DONALD OSMAN AS A HARFORD LIVING TREASURE. SECOND. THANK YOU, MR. BENNETT. IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED TO APPROVE. IF I MAY. WE DO NOT ALLOW OUTBURSTS INTO CHAMBERS, SO PLEASE CONTROL YOURSELVES. IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED TO APPROVE MR. OSMAN AS A HARFORD LIVING TREASURER. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? MR. BENNETT? I'M VERY EXCITED FOR TONIGHT. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I TALKED WITH COUNCIL PRESIDENT ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO, SHORTLY AFTER COMING INTO OFFICE. I SAID, WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO MAKE SOMEONE A HARFORD LIVING TREASURE? AND I THINK I KNOW SOMEBODY WHO NEEDS TO BE ON THAT LIST. AND SO, YOU KNOW, TWO YEARS LATER, HERE WE ARE FINALLY READY TO DO THIS CELEBRATION PENDING A VOTE. ALTHOUGH I'M CONFIDENT WE'LL HAVE EVERYONE'S SUPPORT. AND IT'S JUST A VERY SPECIAL NIGHT. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. BENNETT. MISS DIXON. MR. PRESIDENT. HI, MR. PENMAN. HI, MR. GIORDANO. HI, MR. RILEY. HI, MRS. I MR. BENNETT, I THERE BEING SIX VOTES IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. ONE VACANT. THE APPOINTMENT IS HEREBY APPROVED. AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FOUR. [4. PRESENTATION OF PROCLAMATIONS] PRESENTATION OF PROCLAMATIONS. IF I MAY, I'D LIKE TO HAVE. JACK JAMES JEREMY OVER ONE FROM [00:15:05] HUMPTY DUMPSTERS DOWN FRONT, PLEASE. WHAT THE HECK IS THIS? HE'S READING. OVER AT. WHEREAS. HUMPTY DUMPSTERS WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2001 BY THE ZANDOFSKY BROTHERS, JACK, JOHN, JUNIOR, JAMES AND JEREMY, THEIR BUSINESS PROVIDES ROLL OFF DUMPSTERS FOR RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL AND COMMUNITY CLEANUP PROJECTS, BIG AND SMALL. AND WHEREAS FOR THE PAST SEVEN YEARS, HUMPTY DUMPSTERS HOLDS AN ANNUAL FUNDRAISER FOR THE EMPTY STOCKING FUND OF HARFORD COUNTY, FILLING A 30 YARD DUMPSTER WITH NEW TOYS, BIKES AND COLLECT MONETARY DONATIONS. SINCE THE START OF THEIR FUNDRAISER FUNDRAISING, HUMPTY DUMPSTERS HAS DELIVERED 730 YARD DUMPSTERS FILLED WITH TOYS, DONATED OVER 500 NEW BICYCLES, AND COLLECTED OVER 100,000 AND MONETARY DONATIONS FOR THE CHARITY. AND WHEREAS THE EMPTY STOCKING FUND IS A 501 C3 CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION THAT WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1990 WITH A MISSION TO ASSIST HARFORD COUNTY FAMILIES AND SENIORS DURING THE HOLIDAYS BY PROVIDING TWOS AND TWOS FOOD AND CLOTHING. CURRENTLY, THE ORGANIZATION HELPS BETWEEN 300 AND 400 HARFORD COUNTY FAMILIES AND SENIORS EACH YEAR THROUGH THEIR COLLECTION EFFORTS. NOW, THEREFORE, WE, THE COUNTY COUNCIL OF HARFORD COUNTY, MARYLAND, ON THE 17TH DAY OF DECEMBER 2024, DO HEREBY SALUTE HUMPTY DUMPTY DUMPSTERS AND APPLAUD THEM FOR THEIR DONATION OF TIME, RESOURCES AND TALENTS TO THE EMPTY STOCKING FUND OF HARFORD COUNTY. WE THANK THEM FOR THEIR CONTINUED COMMITMENT TO THE EMPTY STOCKING FUND AND HELPING THOSE IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO. SO, JACK, ON BEHALF OF THE COUNCIL, MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES, WE WANT TO THANK YOU, YOUR FAMILY, YOUR TEAM, YOUR DEDICATED SUPPORTERS FOR ALL THE GREAT THINGS THAT YOU'VE DONE FOR THE CITIZENS OF HARFORD COUNTY, FOR THOSE THAT ARE IN NEED FOR THE EMPTY STOCKING FUND. AND WE JUST WANTED I MEAN, I'VE WENT TO ONE OF THE EVENTS AND IT WAS JUST AMAZING. AND WHEN I SAW THE DUMPSTER, I MEAN, IT WAS ABSOLUTELY FULL POURED OUT. AND THERE MUST HAVE BEEN 50 BICYCLES AT THAT ONE EVENT AT LEAST. SO I WANT TO THANK YOU AGAIN ON BEHALF OF MY COLLEAGUES AND PRESENT YOU WITH THIS PROCLAMATION. THANK YOU. THANK THE OTHER WAY BACK. THE OTHER WAY. OH, THE OTHER WAY. OVER THIS WAY. I'M GOING TO PASS IT DOWN. AND ACTUALLY, CAN I HAVE YOU ALL STILL COME THIS WAY A LITTLE BIT, PLEASE? KEEP GOING. PERFECT. THEY'RE NOT DONE TALKING YET. AND. OH. LOOKS GOOD. GOOD. GREAT. OKAY. MISTER, CAN YOU SET THE STAGE? JUST KNOW IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE. I LOST A FAT. I'M NOT JOLLY. OKAY, GOOD. THANK YOU. I'LL TELL YOU, ONE OF THE BIGGEST SURPRISES TONIGHT IS, IS SEEING JACK, JAMES AND JEREMY ALL DRESSED UP, LOOKING NICE, RIGHT? YOU DON'T SEE THAT VERY OFTEN. BUT I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU AND CONGRATULATE YOU ON THE PROCLAMATION AND THE GREAT COMMUNITY PARTNER THAT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY ARE, IN ADDITION TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THAT YOU BRING FOR THIS COUNTY. YOUR GENEROSITY WITH THIS PROGRAM, THIS CHRISTMAS DRIVE, IS SECOND TO NONE. I TELL YOU, I'VE BEEN TO THIS EVENT. IT'S WELL ATTENDED. THEY DO A GREAT JOB AND IT'S A LOT OF WORK FOR THE ORGANIZATION. I MEAN, YOU PRETTY MUCH HAVE TO CLOSE DOWN, SHOP, CLEAN UP THE ENTIRE GARAGE JUST TO HOUSE EVERYBODY THERE. SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART. AND I KNOW HARFORD COUNTY THANKS YOU AND ALL THOSE KIDS THAT ARE RECEIVING THOSE TOYS. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. YOU'RE WELCOME. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? TYPEKIT. MISS SARAH? HELEN. I'LL BE LAUGHING. NO JOKES. THAT'S GOOD. YES. OKAY. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANKS. [00:20:02] TO HARFORD, LIVING TREASURER, DONALD OSMAN. MR. BENNETT, IF YOU STEP DOWN, MR. OSMAN, IF YOU COULD MAKE YOUR WAY FORWARD, ANYONE ELSE YOU WANT TO BRING WITH YOU? THANK YOU. COME IN THE MIDDLE, JACOB. IN THE MIDDLE. THIS WAY. DOES. WE HAVE TO STAND CENTER? HE'S WAITING FOR THEM TO CLEAR UP. YEAH. GO AHEAD. TONY. WHEREAS DON OSMAN WAS A DEDICATED EDUCATOR IN HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOR 40 YEARS, HE FOUNDED THE SMILES SERVICE, MAKES AN INDIVIDUAL LIFE EXTRA SPECIAL PROGRAM, WAS A COORDINATOR FOR THE CARE PAIR SHARE MENTORING PROGRAM, COACHED WRESTLING AND SOFTBALL, DIRECTED INTRAMURAL SPORTS. WAS A MEMBER OF THE SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT TEAM, THE FACULTY ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AND THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF JAMES R HARRIS STADIUM AT HAVRE DE GRACE HIGH SCHOOL. MR. OSMAN WAS ALSO HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS TEACHER OF THE YEAR IN 1990, SERVICE LEARNING STAR FROM 2004 TO 2008, AND WAS INDUCTED INTO THE EDUCATOR HALL OF FAME. HE SERVED ON THE BIPARTISAN COMMISSION ON SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION AND THE BOARD OF EDUCATION, AND WHEREAS, IN 2013, MR. OSMAN CO-FOUNDED THE COMMUNITY PROJECTS OF HAVRE DE GRACE ANNUAL THANKSGIVING DINNER, PROVIDING MEALS FREE TO CHARGE TO THE COMMUNITY. EACH YEAR, 300 VOLUNTEERS PREPARE 1500 MEALS WHICH ARE SERVED AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER OR DELIVERED TO PEOPLE AT SENIOR CITIZENS, HOUSING, HOUSING, NURSING HOMES AND PRIVATE RESIDENTS FROM ELKTON TO EDGEWOOD. AND WHEREAS. IN ADDITION, MR. OSMAN FOUNDED THE GOLDEN SMILES PROGRAM AT CITIZENS CARE CENTER AND CONTINUES TO VOLUNTEER HIS TIME PROVIDING COMPANIONSHIP TO RESIDENTS AND PATIENTS. HE ALSO VOLUNTEERS REGULARLY AT GRACE PLACE IN SAINT JOHNS CUP, PROVIDING FOOD TO INDIVIDUALS IN NEED, AND HAS SERVED AS THE STEPPING STONE MUSEUM BOARD OF DIRECTORS. AND WHEREAS, IN 2000, MR. OSMAN WAS AWARDED THE HARFORD COUNCIL OF COMMUNITY SERVICE UNSUNG HERO AWARD. HE HAS BEEN NAMED AS ONE OF THE HAVRE DE GRACE PATCH'S PEOPLE OF THE YEAR. HE RECEIVED TO THE KEY. HE RECEIVED THE KEY TO THE CITY OF HAVRE DE GRACE AND WAS A MARYLAND YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL HONOREE, AND IN BOTH 2017 AND 2019 WAS NOMINATED AS ONE OF HARFORD'S MOST BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE. 21 AND ALREADY MORE. HANG ON, THERE IT IS NOW. THEREFORE, WE, THE COUNTY COUNCIL OF HARFORD COUNTY, MARYLAND, ON THE 17TH DAY OF DECEMBER 2024, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM DONALD R OSMAN A HARFORD LIVING TREASURE, AND BE IT FURTHER KNOWN THAT HIS LIFETIME EXPERIENCES AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE HARFORD COMMUNITY WILL PROVIDE A PERMANENT RECORD WHICH WILL RECALL THE PAST, INFORM THE PRESENT, AND GUIDE THE FUTURE OF HARFORD COUNTY, AND THAT HIS MEMORIES AND HISTORY WILL BE RECORDED BY THE HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY ORAL HISTORIAN, AND WILL BECOME PART OF THE ORAL HISTORY COLLECTION TO THE LIBRARY. I JUST WANT TO SAY IT'S REALLY SPECIAL WHENEVER YOU GET TO CELEBRATE A FRIEND, MY WIFE AND I MET MR. OSMAN FIVE YEARS AGO WHEN WE STARTED ATTENDING SAINT JOHN'S. JUST AN INCREDIBLY WELCOMING PERSON. WE GOT TO KNOW EACH OTHER EVEN BETTER AS WE SERVED AT SAINT JOHN'S CUPBOARD IN THE SUMMER TIME. AND WHILE I'VE ONLY KNOWN YOU SINCE FIVE YEARS AGO, I FEEL LIKE I KNOW SO MUCH OF YOUR HISTORY BECAUSE EVERY SINGLE TIME WE'VE SERVED TOGETHER, SOMEBODY COMES UP TO YOU AND SAYS, MR. OSMAN, AND A STUDENT COMES AND SHARES HOW YOU CHANGED THEIR LIFE. SOMEBODY SAYS TO THEIR DAUGHTER, I BECAME A NURSE BECAUSE OF MR. OSMAN. YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY WHO SAYS, I TURNED MY LIFE AROUND. I GOT OUT OF JAIL AND DID BETTER BECAUSE OF MR. OSMAN. SO EVERY SINGLE TIME THAT HAPPENS. AND WHAT A TRUE TESTAMENT TO WHO YOU ARE AS A PERSON AND HOW YOU'VE IMPACTED THE. HAVRE DE GRACE COMMUNITY ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL. THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE WHO YOU TAUGHT, WHO NOW SIT ON THIS STAGE OR SIT OVER THERE IN THE AUDIENCE, IT'S JUST SUCH A GIFT. I CONSIDER YOU A ROLE MODEL. I CONSIDER YOU SOMEONE I WANT TO BE LIKE WHEN I'M 80 YEARS OLD. THE FACT THAT IN TRYING TO GET YOU HERE, I HAD TO SEND MY LEGISLATIVE AIDE TO SAINT JOHN'S CUPBOARD ON FRIDAY BECAUSE WHILE YOU DON'T CHECK YOUR EMAIL, I KNOW YOUR SCHEDULE. IT'S JUST A [00:25:04] TESTAMENT TO WHO YOU ARE. AND LIKE I SAID, IT'S BEEN TWO YEARS OF ME SAYING WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE CELEBRATE, DON, BECAUSE YOU ARE THE DEFINITION OF A HARFORD LIVING TREASURE. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. SO YOU SAID YOU'VE KNOWN DON FIVE YEARS. WHEN DID YOU START TEACHING AT THE HAVRE DE GRACE MIDDLE SCHOOL? 1960. WHAT? 65? SO I'VE HAD THE GREAT HONOR AND PLEASURE TO KNOW DON OSMAN SINCE MIDDLE SCHOOL, EIGHTH GRADE IN MIDDLE SCHOOL. SO. BUT I NEVER REALLY KNEW WHAT SMILES MEANT. I NEVER REALLY UNDERSTOOD THE ACRONYM. SO. BUT I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR BEING THE PERSON THAT YOU ARE, FOR THE IMPACT THAT YOU'VE HAD ON HARFORD COUNTY AND HAVRE DE GRACE, AND YOU WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT THROUGH THE PEOPLE THAT KNOW YOU WELL. SO CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE ANYONE ELSE. WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY ANYTHING? OH. I THOUGHT IT WAS COMING TO DISCUSS THE THANKSGIVING DINNER. WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT. I GUESS THE MAIN THING I NEED TO SAY IS I WAS SO FORTUNATE WHEN I GRADUATED FROM COLLEGE THAT I ENDED UP IN HARFORD COUNTY. THEY CAME RECRUITING. I CAME DOWN WITH FOUR OTHER GRADUATES FROM THE COLLEGE OF STEUBENVILLE IN OHIO, AND I'VE BEEN HERE EVER SINCE, AND I COULDN'T BE HAPPIER, ESPECIALLY LIVING IN THE TOWN OF HAVRE DE GRACE. HAVE THE GRACE IS JUST A MIRACULOUS TOWN. THERE'S SO GIVING AND GENEROUS AND I COULDN'T ASK FOR ANYTHING MORE. AND I THANK ALL MY FRIENDS WHO ARE HERE THIS EVENING. I APPRECIATE YOUR COMING OUT. I WAS WONDERING WHAT YOU WERE DOING HERE WHEN I WALKED IN AND SAW YOU. THIS IS QUITE A SURPRISE AND TRULY, TRULY, QUITE AN HONOR. I'M 80 YEARS OLD AND I COULDN'T HAVE ASKED FOR A BETTER LIFE AND A BETTER COMMUNITY WITH ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAVE SURROUNDED ME FOR ALL THESE YEARS. AND SPECIAL THANKS TO THOSE WHO ARE WORKING TO KEEP THE THANKSGIVING DINNER GOING. LAST YEAR WAS THE 36TH YEAR OF THE DINNER, AND I'M HOPING IT GOES FOR MANY, MANY MORE YEARS. WE HAD A LOT OF YOUNG PEOPLE UP THERE WORKING THIS YEAR FROM THE HIGH SCHOOLS AROUND THE COUNTY, AND HOPEFULLY THEY'RE GOING TO STEP IN AND TAKE OVER, AND IT'S HALF THE GRACE. IT'S NOT MUCH MORE I CAN SAY THAN WHAT A BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL TOWN. AND THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE ARE VERY GIVING, VERY GENEROUS. I JUST LOVE BEING THERE. THANK YOU. OH, THEY BROUGHT AN OLD STUDENT, RIGHT? A RECOVERING POLITICIAN OUT TO HELP, BUT I JUST I WAS TALKING TO SOME OF MY CLASSMATES FROM THE CLASS OF 1980, 79 AND 80. SO THE COUNCILMAN COUNCIL PRESIDENT HAS ME BEAT AND HIS WIFE HAS ME BEAT, TOO. BUT ON BEHALF OF ALL YOUR STUDENTS, WE JUST WE JUST WANT TO THANK YOU NOT ONLY FOR BEING A GREAT TEACHER, TEACHING US TO READ AND WRITE CREATIVELY, BUT ALSO TEACHING US KINDNESS AND SERVICE TO OTHERS. AND IF YOU KNOW HAVRE DE GRACE AND A LOT OF MY ALUMNI AND STUDENTS FROM HAVRE DE GRACE HIGH SCHOOL, THEY STILL SERVE, WHETHER IT'S IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT THROUGHOUT THE THROUGHOUT TOWN. SO THANK YOU. GOD BLESS YOU AND FOR LIFTING US UP AND ALLOWING US TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN ALL THINGS WE WANTED TO DO. SO GOD BLESS YOU. THANK YOU. IF ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO COME UP TO BE IN A GROUP PHOTO WITH MR. OSBORNE, YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO JOIN US FOR A PHOTO. DON'T BE SHY. COME ON. UNDER THIS. I NEED TWO ROWS. OKAY? OKAY. ANGLE. ANGLE. SURE, SURE. KEEP ON THE FRONT. STEVE. HERE. RIGHT HERE. STEVE, DID YOU JUST SAY THAT? OH, WE NEED ANOTHER LINE HERE. I'M GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE TWO ROWS. YEAH, YEAH, SHE SAID TWO. YOU'RE GOOD. YES. COME ON. YOU'RE FINE. I'LL MAKE A WINDOW. GO AHEAD AND GET YOUR NAME. SO GIVE ME A. AND [00:30:04] THANK YOU IN THE DIRECTORY. WELL NOW STOP. OH, STOP. COME ON. DID YOU BEHAVE. COME ON. PUT HIM IN THE CORNER. THANK YOU. MA'AM. YES, YES, PLEASE. AND EVEN IN THE BACK. I CAN'T SEE YOU. NOPE. THAT'S GOOD. AND THEN YOU THROW THE END. CAN YOU JUST PUSH IT OVER TO YOU? THANK YOU. OKAY. AND THEN. SORRY. BLUE SHIRT. I CAN'T SEE YOUR FACE EITHER. YEP. I'LL HAVE YOU SUCK A LITTLE BIT TO THE SIDE SO I CAN SEE. GREAT. OKAY. AND THEN YOU IN THE GRAY SHIRT. SO HE'S UP THIS WAY. JUST GREAT. THANK YOU. OKAY. DON'T WORRY. DON'T GO, MR. PENMAN AND MR. THIS WAY PLEASE. GREAT. ALL RIGHT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT. ALL. KEEP YOUR HANDS. I'M SWEATING I LIKE. THAT SO MUCH FOR. YEAH. SO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SIX SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS. WE HAVE NONE [7. APPROVAL OF MINUTES] SEVEN APPROVAL OF MINUTES PUBLIC HEARING DECEMBER 10TH, 2024 LEGISLATIVE DAY 24 ZERO 32ND DECEMBER 10TH, 2024. ARE THERE ANY CORRECTIONS TO THE MINUTES? THERE BEING NO CORRECTIONS, THE MINUTES STAND APPROVED. COUNCIL MAY HAVE GENERAL CONSENT TO MOVE TO ITEM TEN ON THE AGENDA AND THEN RETURN TO ITEM EIGHT. SO THANK YOU, MR. GIORDANO. PLEASE READ AMENDMENTS 1 TO 2, ONE AND [10. INTRODUCTION AND CONSIDERATION OF AMENDMENTS] TWO TO RESOLUTION ZERO 42. DASH 24 INTO THE RECORD, PLEASE. AMENDMENTS ONE AND TWO, RESOLUTION FOUR ZERO 42 DASH 24 NOTICE OF SALE CPI BOND SERIES 2025 A INTRODUCED BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT VICENTE AT THE REQUEST OF THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE ON PAGE A2, WHICH CONTAINS EXHIBIT A, A SUMMARY TABLE DETAILING THE ALLOCATION OF INDEBTEDNESS AMONG PROJECTS. STRIKE IN ITS ENTIRETY THE ROAD BEGINNING WITH H204521 AND ENDING WITH 42,852 ON THE SAME PAGE, AND THE ROW BEGINNING WITH H224501 STRIKE 55 IN THE THIRD COLUMN AND SUBSTITUTE 42,907 AMENDMENT NUMBER TWO ON PAGE D TWO, WHICH CONTAINS EXHIBIT D, A SUMMARY TABLE DETAILING THE PROBABLE USEFUL LIFE OF PROJECTS STRIKING THE ENTIRETY OF THE ROAD, BEGINNING WITH H204521 AND ENDING WITH 1,928,340 ON THE SAME PAGE IN A ROW, BEGINNING WITH H224501 STRIKE 55 IN THE THIRD COLUMN, AND SUBSTITUTE 42,907 AND STRIKE 2475, IN THE FIFTH COLUMN, AND SUBSTITUTE 1,930,815. THANK YOU, MR. DURDEN AND MR. SANDERS, COUNCIL PRESIDENT, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. I'M BRINGING FORTH A SOME CORRECTION AMENDMENTS HERE TO OUR UPCOMING BOND SALE, WHICH WILL BE HELD ON FEBRUARY THE 4TH. WHAT THESE AMENDMENTS DEAL WITH IS IT WAS DISCOVERED KIND OF JUST PRIOR TO OUR PRESENTATION LAST WEEK, THAT A PROJECT, THE HOOKERS MILL BRIDGE ROAD, ACTUALLY HAD TWO PROJECT NUMBERS THAT WERE SPLIT. THEY KIND OF SPLIT THE SPLIT THE PROJECT, KIND OF A WEIRD SITUATION. THE, THE, THE PROJECT NUMBER WAS ASSIGNED IN, IN THE PART OF THE FISCAL YEAR 20 BUDGET. THEN THE FOLLOWING YEAR, THE FISCAL AS WE WERE PREPARING THE FISCAL YEAR 21 BUDGET, IT THEN SHOWED UP AS A NEW PROJECT NOT TO MAKE ANY EXCUSES, BUT THE FISCAL YEAR 21 PROJECT WAS ASSEMBLED IN MARCH OF 2020, WHEN THERE WERE SOME EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES GOING ON. AND SO IT, ODDLY ENOUGH, KIND OF ENDED UP HAVING TWO NUMBERS. BUT I SHOULD JUST NOTE THAT AT NO TIME WAS WAS THIS PROJECT SPENDING BEYOND ITS ITS BUDGETED. APPROPRIATION AUTHORITY, OR DID IT EXCEED ITS BOND AUTHORITY. BUT THIS IS ONE OF THOSE AREAS WHERE, YOU KNOW, AS IT WAS DISCOVERED BY BY THE COUNCIL AUDITOR, WE YOU KNOW, WE DID [00:35:04] WANT TO CORRECT IT AS PART OF THIS, THIS LEGISLATION. THANK YOU FOR THE EXPLANATION. DUE TO THE NATURE OF THESE AMENDMENTS, WE WILL BE CONSIDERING THEM THIS EVENING. SO MAY I HAVE A MOTION, PLEASE? COUNCIL PRESIDENT, I MOVE TO APPROVE AMENDMENTS ONE AND TWO TO RESOLUTION 042 DASH 24. THANK YOU. MAY I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND? THANK YOU, MR. RILEY. IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED TO APPROVE AMENDMENTS ONE AND TWO TO RESOLUTION ZERO 42 DASH 24. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION, MR. PENMAN? THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. ROBBIE, WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THIS LAST WEEK WE TALKED ABOUT THERE WERE SOME MINOR CHANGES, INSIGNIFICANT CHANGES IS WHAT THE I THINK THE TONE WAS. BUT DO I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS PROJECT WAS FUNDED TWICE NOW. IT HAD PLANNING. IT HAD PLANNING APPROVAL, WHICH IS OFTENTIMES A LOT OF TIMES OUR PROJECTS WILL BE SPLIT OVER MULTIPLE YEARS, AND THEY'LL OFTENTIMES HAVE DESIGN MONEY. AND THEN IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR IT WILL HAVE SOMETIMES IT WILL BE A BREAK IN ORDER TO DO THE DESIGN AND THEN THE CONSTRUCTION IN SUBSEQUENT YEARS. SO IT WASN'T AS IF IT WAS BUDGETED TWICE, IT WAS THE DESIGN MONEY WAS BUDGETED IN FISCAL AS PART OF THE FISCAL YEAR 20 BUDGET. AND NORMALLY WHAT HAPPENS IN ALL OF THESE CASES IS THEN THE PROJECT FLOWS OVER, IT'S ASSIGNED A PROJECT NUMBER. AND THEN IN THE FISCAL YEARS, WHATEVER 21, 22 BUDGETS, IT WOULD GROW ON THAT. IN THIS CASE, IT KIND OF HAD IT GOT A NEW PROJECT. SO IT KIND OF HAD IT HAD TWO BUDGETS KIND OF IF, IF, IF YOU WILL. AND THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, AS TO, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW EXACTLY HOW THAT OCCURRED. IT IS AN ANOMALY. WE DO OFTENTIMES HAVE TO CLOSE OUT PROJECTS TO CREATE NEW ONES, BUT THOSE ARE GENERALLY ARE MORE REVOLVING PROJECTS, SAY, LIKE FLEET REPLACEMENT OR SOME OF THE IT PROJECTS. IT'S KIND OF A BUDGET. AND I WERE KIND OF GOING BACK AND FORTH TRYING TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY HOW HOW THIS HAPPENED. YOU KNOW, I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE IT'S NOT A REGULAR OCCURRENCE, BUT IT WASN'T BUDGETED TWICE. IT JUST KIND OF FIRST PART WAS BUDGETED UNDER ONE PROJECT NUMBER, THE SECOND PART UNDER A SECOND PROJECT NUMBER, THE BULK OF IT AND THE H 22 PROJECT. AND THAT'S WHY RIGHT NOW WHAT WE'RE JUST DOING IS PUTTING, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE BONDS, ALL OF THESE BONDS ON THAT H 22 PROJECT AND THE H 20 PROJECT IS BEING IS BEING CLOSED OFF. SO LET ME ASK YOU THIS, ROBBIE, WE ONLY HAVE SO MUCH MONEY WE CAN SPEND IN THE CAPITAL PROJECTS. RIGHT. AND HERE THIS ONE WAS DOUBLE FUNDED. WAS THERE ANY PROJECT, WHETHER IT'S PUBLIC EDUCATION, PUBLIC SAFETY, ROADS THAT WASN'T FUNDED BECAUSE THIS ONE ON THE BOOKS WAS TECHNICALLY FUNDED TWICE? WELL, NO. AGAIN, IT WASN'T BECAUSE WITHIN THE CAPITAL BUDGET YOU HAVE THE BUDGET YEAR, WHICH IS THE THAT'S THE LEGAL APPROPRIATION. AND THEN YOU KIND OF HAVE THE OUT THE OUT YEARS. SO IN THIS CASE, THE DESIGN WAS BUDGETED IN IN THE FISCAL YEAR 20 BUDGET, I THINK IT HAD LIKE 500,000. AND THEN THE BULK OF THE, THE BULK OF THE EXPENDITURES, THE CONSTRUCTION AND ALL, IF YOU WILL, WAS BUDGETED IN FISCAL YEAR 22. SO NO. SO IT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN A AGAIN, IT WAS JUST AS IF IT WAS SPLIT BETWEEN TWO SEPARATE PROJECT PROJECT NUMBERS. SO WE DON'T REALLY HAVE A CASE OF, OF IT BEING, YOU KNOW, IN ESSENCE DOUBLE FUNDED. THIS IS ALSO A HIGHWAYS PROJECT. SO ALL OF OUR HIGHWAYS PROJECTS WELL, ONE BRIDGES ARE, YOU KNOW, 80% FUNDED BY, BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IF THEY'RE OVER 20FT. AND TWO, ALL OF OUR HIGHWAYS PROJECTS ARE FULLY FUNDED WITHIN THE HIGHWAYS FUND AND THEN ARE ARE NOT DRAWN FROM THE SAME POOL OF REVENUES AS IS PUBLIC EDUCATION, PUBLIC SAFETY, SOME OF THOSE EXPENDITURES. LET ME ASK YOU, LET ME ASK YOU THIS. AND PLEASE DON'T TAKE THIS PERSONAL. THERE HAS BEEN A COURSE OF CONDUCT, JUST LIKE I MENTIONED IN THE PREVIOUS PUBLIC HEARING, THAT EMERGENCY LEGISLATION WAS INTRODUCED TODAY THAT WE HAVE TO VOTE ON TONIGHT BECAUSE OF A FEE STRUCTURE AND A BILL THAT WAS ALREADY PASSED WAS INCORRECT. RIGHT. WE HAD A BILL WITHDRAWN TWO WEEKS AGO OR THREE WEEKS AGO THAT WAS SUBMITTED INCORRECTLY. THERE'S 15 MISTAKES OR SO IN THIS BOND BILL. SO AND I COULD GO BACK EVEN FURTHER WITH, YOU KNOW, EMS NOT BEING CHARGED AND MISAPPROPRIATION OF $7 MILLION. SO I'M NOT BLAMING YOU AS AN INDIVIDUAL, BUT I'M QUESTIONING THE COMPETENCY OF THE ADMINISTRATION. SO MY FINAL QUESTION IS WHAT MEASURES AFTER THIS DISCUSSION LAST WEEK AND THIS WEEK, WHAT MEASURES ARE BEING TAKEN WITHIN THE ADMINISTRATION TO ENSURE THAT THIS DOESN'T CONTINUE TO HAPPEN? BECAUSE WHAT'S HAPPENING IS THE COUNCIL IS FINDING YOUR MISTAKES. A COUNCIL WITH A BUNCH OF PART TIMERS, AS THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE ALLUDED TO, AND A FEW FULL TIMERS ARE, ARE DOING BETTER THAN THE ENTIRE ADMINISTRATION. SO WHAT WHAT IS BEING DONE TO ENSURE THIS DOESN'T CONTINUE TO HAPPEN? WELL, I MEAN, AGAIN, I THINK THAT WE ARE CONTINUING TO WORK WITH, WITH WITH ALL OF OUR [00:40:02] COUNTY DEPARTMENTS. AND AGAIN, AS I SAID LAST WEEK, I VIEW THE COUNCIL STAFF IS BY NO MEANS PART TIME. THEY'RE THEY'RE ALL PROFESSIONALS AS WE ARE ON THE OTHER OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET. WE PURPOSELY WENT TO GET THIS LEGISLATION OVER TO THEM AHEAD OF TIME BECAUSE THERE IS A CHANGE IN, IN, IN STAFFING HERE. AND THERE'S DIFFERENT THINGS THAT INDIVIDUALS ARE LOOKING FOR VERSUS, YOU KNOW, THIS COUNCIL ATTORNEY VERSUS PRIOR COUNCIL ATTORNEY. AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT COUNCIL STAFF HAD HAD ADEQUATE TIME, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY WITH THE HOLIDAYS, IN ORDER TO REVIEW THIS BOND LEGISLATION. SO I CAN'T SPEAK TO ALL THE OTHER OTHER LEGISLATIONS. HOWEVER, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE AS AN ORGANIZATION OR AS AN ADMINISTRATION ARE WORKING TOWARD, YOU KNOW, TOWARDS TIGHTENING UP SOME OF THESE THESE PARTS OF THE REVIEW. I WILL SAY WHAT'S HAPPENING. YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENED WITH THIS PROJECT NUMBER IS, IS AN ANOMALY. AND THIS IS THE ONLY ERROR THAT IS BEING CORRECTED IN THIS LEGISLATION HERE, WHICH IS THAT IT HAD TWO PROJECT NUMBERS. THERE WERE SOME OTHER EDITS THAT WERE SUGGESTED BY THE BY BY THE COUNCIL ATTORNEY AND WORKING WITH OUR OUTSIDE COUNSEL, YOU KNOW, WE WERE MAKING THOSE THOSE CHANGES BEFORE THE LEGISLATION WAS, WAS ENACTED. BUT AS FAR AS ANY ACTUAL ERROR ERRORS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS AND AGAIN, THIS IS THIS IS SOME ODD UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCE HERE. THIS IS THE ONLY ONE THAT WE HAVE THAT'S IN THIS LEGISLATION CURRENTLY BEFORE US. BUT AGAIN, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO TRY TO WORK WITH WORK WITH ALL OF OUR PARTNERS, WHETHER IT'S OUTSIDE COUNSEL, WHETHER IT'S THE LAW OFFICE, IN ORDER TO TRY TO, YOU KNOW, ADDRESS, ADDRESS, YOU KNOW, ANY OF THESE, THESE SHORTCOMINGS. YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I THINK WE HAVE A VERY, VERY PROFESSIONAL STAFF HERE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE STREET IN HARFORD COUNTY. GOVERNMENT. AS SOMEONE WHO'S WORKED IN NUMEROUS OTHER COUNTIES, I WILL ATTEST THAT THIS IS ONE OF THE TOP STAFFS I'VE YOU KNOW, THAT I'VE, THAT I'VE EVER WORKED WITH, YOU KNOW, WILL THERE BE MISTAKES? YES. YOU KNOW, I DON'T BELIEVE, THOUGH, THAT ANY OF THESE MISTAKES ARE ARE ANY MORAL SHORTCOMINGS OR ANY THINGS THAT SPEAKS TO THEIR, TO THEIR, TO THEIR COMPETENCE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. SO, YOU KNOW, WE WILL CONTINUE TO, TO WORK BETTER, CONTINUE TO IMPROVE OUR UPON OUR REVIEW PROCESS. BUT I DO THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO KIND OF HAVE THAT, THAT ON THE RECORD. THANK YOU, MR. SANDERS. ANYONE ELSE? MR. BENNETT? HELLO. GOOD EVENING. SO IT SOUNDS LIKE IN YOUR EXPLANATION OF THE CONTEXT, THIS IS REALLY AN ANOMALY DRIVEN BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF MARCH OF 2020 THAT LED TO IT HAVING TWO NUMBERS. YEAH, IT SHOWED UP AS AS IT WAS, IT WAS IN THE 2020 BUDGET. AND NORMALLY IT'S IN THE 2020 BUDGET. IT WOULD THAT PROJECT NUMBER AND THAT PAGE WOULD ROLL OVER INTO 21, EVEN THOUGH IT DIDN'T RECEIVE ANY FUNDING IN 21. BUT IT HAD OUTYEAR FUNDING IN 22. AND THEN WHEN IT CAME UP, WE NORMALLY DON'T ASSIGN THE PROJECT UNTIL IT ACTUALLY SHOWS UP AS, AS, AS A, AS A, AS AN ACTUAL FUNDED PROJECT. AND THEN FOR WHATEVER REASON, IT SHOWED UP AS IN 21 AS NEW. AND THEN WHEN 22 CAME AROUND, IT WAS IT WAS THEN ASSIGNED A NEW NUMBER, A 22 PROJECT NUMBER. BUT AGAIN, IT WAS KIND OF THE DESIGN WAS IN THE FIRST PART AND THEN THE BULK OF THE CONSTRUCTION FUNDING AND ALL IN THE SECOND PART. SO, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T I CAN'T DEFEND IT AS, AS ANYTHING OTHER THAN, THAN AN OVERSIGHT. THOSE WERE SOME THOSE WERE SOME STRANGE TIMES. YOU KNOW, WE DID KEEP THIS COUNTY OPEN. A LOT OF OTHER COUNTIES CLOSED. WE WERE WE WERE, YOU KNOW, HERE. BUT WE WERE WORKING WITH VERY UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCES AND TRYING TO GET THINGS DONE. AND, AND IT'S SOMEHOW KIND OF KIND OF SLIPPED THROUGH. AND YOU DON'T NORMALLY SEE THAT, BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S ANYTHING THAT, YOU KNOW, ANYBODY FROM THE INVESTMENT COMMUNITY TO OUR CITIZENS, YOU KNOW, SHOULD TAKE AS, AS AGAIN, A SIGNIFICANT AS A SIGNIFICANT LAPSE. NO, THAT ALL MAKES SENSE TO ME. I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE FLOATING OUT THERE THAT HAS TWO DIFFERENT NUMBERS ASSIGNED TO IT. AND IF THERE IS IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN RECTIFY THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS TO MAKE SURE THAT'S ALL. YEAH. AND AGAIN, I THINK SOMETIMES LIKE WHEN YOU DO DISCOVER AND YOU KNOW, AN ERROR, YOU KNOW, THEN I HAVE MY, MY, YOU KNOW, MY STAFF KIND OF LOOKING THROUGH IT. AND WE WORK, WORK CLOSELY WITH I MEAN THE YOU KNOW THE BUDGET IS UNDER THE BUDGET OFFICE AND BUT TREASURY WORKS VERY CLOSELY WITH ALL THAT AS IT, AS IT RELATES TO THE FINANCIAL SYSTEM AND THE LIKE. SO, YES, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN BEEN REVIEWING THESE THINGS AND THERE'S PROBABLY I COULD PROBABLY COME UP WITH PLACES WHERE WE SAID, OH YEAH, IT COULD HAVE BEEN CAUGHT HERE OR SOMETHING, BUT IT, YOU KNOW, IT JUST IT JUST WASN'T IT WAS IT KIND OF JUST IT KIND OF JUST SLIPPED THROUGH IT, YOU KNOW, IT WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD TYPICALLY TYPICALLY SEE. AND LAST THING AND JUST SLIGHTLY OFF TOPIC, BUT YOU KNOW, THIS SPECIFIC PROJECT THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS A VERY IMPORTANT PROJECT, THIS THIS BRIDGE REPLACEMENT. BUT IT'S ALSO GOING TO CAUSE TRAFFIC REROUTING ONTO SEVEN AND 136, WHICH IN LAYMAN'S TERMS IS WHERE BUSHMILL TAVERN IS. SO ANYBODY WHO KNOWS THAT INTERSECTION KNOWS IT'S ALREADY A PRETTY DISASTROUS INTERSECTION AT BUSY TIMES OF DAY, AND IT'S GOING TO BE THOUSANDS OF, OF TRIPS PER DAY REROUTED ONTO THAT ROAD. DO YOU KNOW IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WILL BE PROPOSED IN THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEARS IN [00:45:04] PREPARATION FOR WHEN THAT REROUTING TAKES PLACE TO HELP SUPPORT THAT INTERSECTION? IF YOU'RE IF YOU'LL PARDON THE PUN, I WANT TO STAY IN MY LANE AND DEFER TO THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS. BUT I'M SURE IF YOU CONTACT EITHER YOU KNOW DIRECTOR CMAC OR DEPUTY DIRECTOR WALSH, THEY CAN THEY CAN LET YOU KNOW ABOUT WHAT THOSE THOSE PLANS ARE. YEP. JUST PLANTING A SEED FOR BECAUSE YOU'LL PROBABLY HEAR ABOUT THAT FROM ME IN A FEW MONTHS WHEN WE GET TO BUDGET SEASON. BUT I DO THINK THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING FOR ALL OF US TO BE THINKING ABOUT. MAKING SURE PEOPLE STAY SAFE AT THAT INTERSECTION AS WE PLAN TO REROUTE SO MANY CARS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. BENNETT. MISS DIXON, MR. PRESIDENT, HI, MR. PENMAN. HI, MR. GIORDANO. HI, MR. RILEY. HI, MRS. SADDLES. HI, MR. BENNETT. HI THERE. BEING SIX VOTES IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, ONE VACANT, AMENDMENTS ONE AND TWO TO RESOLUTION ZERO 42, DASH 24, HEREBY APPROVED. EIGHT. [8. INTRODUCTION AND CONSIDERATION OF RESOLUTIONS] INTRODUCTION. CONSIDERATION OF RESOLUTIONS. RESOLUTION ZERO 42, DASH 24, AS AMENDED. MAY I HAVE A MOTION? COUNCIL PRESIDENT, I MOVE TO APPROVE RESOLUTION. ZERO 42 DASH 24, AS AMENDED. MAY I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND? THANK YOU, MR. RILEY. IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED TO APPROVE RESOLUTION ZERO 42 DASH 24. IS THERE ANY MORE DISCUSSION, MISS DIXON? MR. PRESIDENT, HI, MR. PENMAN. HI, MR. GIORDANO. HI, MR. RILEY. HI, MRS. SADDLES. HI, MR. BENNETT HI THERE. BEING SIX VOTES IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, ONE VACANT, RESOLUTION ZERO 42 DASH 24, AS AMENDED, IS HEREBY APPROVED. RESOLUTION ZERO. 43 DASH 24. MAY I HAVE A MOTION? COUNCIL PRESIDENT, I MOVE TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 043 DASH 24. MAY I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND? THANK YOU. MR. RILEY MOVED AND SECONDED TO APPROVE RESOLUTION. ZERO. 43 DASH 24. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION, MISS DIXON? MR. PRESIDENT? HI, MR. PENMAN. HI, MR. GIORDANO. HI, MR. RILEY. HI, MRS. SADDLES. HI, MR. BENNETT. HI. YOU'RE BEING SIX VOTES IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. ONE VACANT, RESOLUTION ZERO 43 DASH 24 IS HEREBY APPROVED. NINE INTRODUCTION OF BILLS. WE HAVE NONE. 11 CALL FOR FINAL READING [11. CALL FOR FINAL READING OF BILLS] OF BILLS. BILL 20 4-0 36 ZONING CODE, CHAPTER 267 ROOF MOUNTED WIND TURBINES. MAY I HAVE A MOTION? COUNCIL PRESIDENT I MOVE TO APPROVE BILL 20 4-0 36 ZONING CODE CHAPTER 267 ROOF MOUNTED WIND TURBINES. MAY I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND? THANK YOU, MR. BENNETT. IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED TO APPROVE BILL 20 4-0 36. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION, MR. PRESIDENT? MR. BENNETT? HELLO. YEAH, I'M HOPEFUL TO HAVE EVERYONE'S SUPPORT ON THIS LEGISLATION. WE SPOKE TO JUST THE NATURE OF ALLOWING PEOPLE TO DO WHAT THEY WANT IN GOOD REASON ON THEIR PERSONAL PROPERTY. YOU KNOW, HAVING CONSTITUENTS REACH OUT AND SAY THAT THIS IS BASICALLY JUST A GAP IN OUR CODE RIGHT NOW, NOT RECOGNIZING CHANGE TECHNOLOGY OVER TIME, THAT NOT ALL WIND TURBINES ARE THE ONES WE THINK ABOUT. YOU KNOW, GOING OUT IN OCEAN CITY OR OUT IN WESTERN MARYLAND. BUT, YOU KNOW, NOW THERE ARE WIND TURBINES THAT ARE THE SIZE OF A FAN YOU HAVE IN YOUR LIVING ROOM THAT PEOPLE PUT ON TOP OF THEIR HOMES TO POWER THEIR LIGHTS. AND SO MAKING SURE THAT WE LEAVE THAT SPACE FOR PEOPLE WHO SO CHOOSE TO DO THAT ON THEIR SINGLE FAMILY HOMES. YOU KNOW, MANY OF US ATTENDED MAKO LAST WEEK, AND I MADE A POINT OF ATTENDING ALL THE RENEWABLE ENERGY SESSIONS, AND I ALSO MADE A POINT OF ATTENDING THE SMALL COUNTY LUNCH, BECAUSE WHILE WE'RE TECHNICALLY IN THE LARGE COUNTY COALITION, WHERE THE SMALLEST OF THE BIG AND THE BIGGEST OF THE SMALL AND SMALL COUNTIES ARE KEENLY PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT'S GOING ON WITH RENEWABLE ENERGY IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND, THERE'S A LOT OF CONCERN THAT IN A FEW YEARS TIME, WE MAY BE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, HAVING ENERGY REQUIREMENTS COME FROM THE STATE THAT SAY EACH COUNTY NEEDS TO BE GENERATING X AMOUNT OF ENERGY AND RENEWABLE ENERGIES. AND IF THAT DAY COMES, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP AS MUCH OF THAT ENERGY OFF OF OUR GREEN SPACE, THAT WE'RE PROTECTING OUR AGRICULTURAL LAND, OUR WOODED LAND, OUR OPEN SPACE. AND I THINK TO DO THAT, WE HAVE TO MAKE OUR COUNTY OPEN TO BE USED FOR GRAY SPACE, FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY, OUR PARKING LOTS, OUR ROOFTOPS, OUR BROWN SPACE LIKE OUR CLOSED LANDFILLS. I THINK THAT'S THE BEST THING WE CAN BE DOING IN PREPARATION TO PROTECT OUR GREEN SPACE. AND THAT'S PART OF WHY I INTRODUCED THIS LEGISLATION. THANK YOU, MR. BENNETT. ANYONE ELSE? MISS DIXON? MR. PRESIDENT? HI, MR. PENMAN. HI, MR. GIORDANO. HI, MR. RILEY. HI, MRS. SADDLES. HI, MR. BENNETT. HI THERE. BEING SIX VOTES IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, ONE VACANT, BILL 24 ZERO 36 IS [00:50:07] HEREBY APPROVED. BILL 24 ZERO 39, CHAPTER 157. FEES. AGAIN, DUE TO THE TIME SENSITIVITY OF THIS LEGISLATION. WE'RE MOVING IT TONIGHT. MAY I HAVE A MOTION? COUNCIL PRESIDENT, I MOVE TO APPROVE BILL 20 4-0. 39. I HAVE A SECOND. SECOND. THANK YOU, MR. RILEY. IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED TO APPROVE BILL 20 4-0. 39. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? MR. PRESIDENT, MR. PENMAN, I DIDN'T VOTE FOR THE FEE BILL INITIALLY. I DON'T THINK IT WAS NEEDED. AND NOW HERE WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY ACT TO CHANGE IT. FORTUNATELY, WE ARE CHANGING IT BECAUSE OF THE MISTAKES TO MAKE IT A LITTLE BETTER, WHICH PUTS ME IN A POSITION. BUT I JUST WANT TO NOTE THAT I DO NOT SUPPORT THE ORIGINAL FEE ASSESSMENT. BUT THIS IS CHANGING A MISTAKE IN THAT BILL. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? MISS DIXON? MR. PRESIDENT, I MR. PENMAN. HI MR. GIORDANO. HI, MR. RILEY. HI, MRS. MR. BENNETT I BEING SIX VOTES IN THE AFFIRMATIVE ONE VACANT BILL 20 4-039 IS HEREBY [12. ENROLLMENT OF BILLS] APPROVED. 12 ENROLLMENT OF BILLS. BILL 24 039 AND BILL 24 036 ARE CERTIFIED AS THE TEXT FINALLY PASSED. 13 UNFINISHED BUSINESS. WE HAVE NONE 14 NEW BUSINESS REQUESTS FOR SPECIAL [14. NEW BUSINESS] LEGISLATION. SESSION DAY FEBRUARY 4TH, 2025 AT 2 P.M. IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS FOR BOND SALE. AND THIS HAS TO COME BEFORE THE COUNCIL BECAUSE WE'RE CHANGING THE TIME. YEAH. UNDER THE CHARTER, ANY TIME YOU HAVE A SESSION THAT'S GOING TO START BEFORE 6:00 PM, YOU'RE REQUIRED TO GET AN AFFIRMATIVE VOTE OF FIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS. THANK YOU. SO MAY I HAVE A MOTION, PLEASE? COUNCIL PRESIDENT, I MOVE TO APPROVE THE REQUEST FOR SPECIAL LEGISLATION. LEGISLATIVE SESSION DAY. THANK YOU. MAY I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND? THANK YOU, MR. RILEY. IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED TO APPROVE THE REQUEST FOR SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE SESSION DAY. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? MR. BENNETT, WHILE THIS IS A SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE DAY, IT IS HISTORICAL PRACTICE TO ALWAYS HAVE THIS IN THE WINTER. I GUESS MY TECHNICAL QUESTION WOULD BE TO OUR COUNCIL ATTORNEY. IS THERE ANY WAY THAT WE COULD NORM THAT SO THAT IN THE FUTURE WE DON'T HAVE TO VOTE TO DO THIS EVERY YEAR TO MAKE IT SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, PRE PUT INTO OUR SCHEDULE? WELL IT DEPENDS ON WHEN YOU WOULD NEED TO HAVE THE BOND SALE. AND THE REASON IT'S A SPECIAL SESSION IS BECAUSE AT THE TIME RIGHT. THE REASON FOR THE VOTE IS THE TIME ONLY THE 2 P.M. YES. SO IF YOU WERE GOING TO HAVE IT LATER, YOU WOULD WE WOULDN'T NEED THE VOTE. BUT IT'S DICTATED REALLY BY WHEN TREASURY NEEDS TO SELL THE BONDS AND CORRECT. I MEAN IT'S A COMBINATION OF, YOU KNOW, WE'RE DETERMINING, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN TO WHEN TO DO THE BOND SALE. AND THERE'S A LOT OF FACTORS THAT COME INTO PLAY THERE, FROM JUST OUR GENERAL CASH FLOW TO OUR WORK FLOW TO TRYING TO NOT HAVE A SALE ON THE SAME DAY AS ANY OTHER MARYLAND COUNTIES. SO IT'S NOT AS SIMPLE AS SAYING ON THE FIRST THURSDAY OF FEBRUARY. TYPICALLY WE DO SELL EVERY YEAR, AND TYPICALLY WE ONCE YOU GET YOUR YOUR YOUR CREDIT RATING, YOU GENERALLY NEED TO SELL WITHIN A SHORT TIME FRAME OF GETTING YOUR CREDIT RATING. SO IT'S GENERALLY WITHIN A COUPLE OF WEEKS OF GETTING THAT CREDIT RATING. SO, RIGHT, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW OUR PLAN IS TO IS TO GET THE CREDIT RATING IN MID JANUARY AND THEN SELL IN IN FEBRUARY. I ALWAYS DO TRY TO MAKE IT A TUESDAY BECAUSE I KNOW THAT AS A COUNCIL, A COUNCIL DAY AND THE REASON WHY IT'S 2:00 AND NOT LATER IN THE DAY IS THAT WE NEED TO CONFIRM TO THE WHOEVER THE INVESTORS ARE WHO WHO PURCHASED IT, WHICH ARE GENERALLY YOUR YOUR, YOUR BIGGER INVESTMENT BANK BANKS AND THE LIKE THAT. YES, THE COUNCIL HAS HAS AWARDED THIS SALE AND THEY CAN THEN GO ABOUT DOING ALL THE THINGS THAT THEY NEED TO DO BECAUSE TWO WEEKS LATER, FROM THAT POINT, IT IS, IS WHEN THE BONDS CLOSE AND THAT'S WHEN WE ACTUALLY RECEIVE THE MONEY. SO THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT STEPS WHICH KIND OF DICTATE WHEN IT IS. SOME OF THAT IS BY CHOICE. BUT BUT A LOT OF IT IS KIND OF OUTSIDE OF OUR CONTROL. ALL RIGHT. THAT ALL MAKES A LOT OF SENSE. I WAS JUST TRYING TO THINK IF THERE'S ANY WAY TO SAVE US ONE VOTE A YEAR, YOU KNOW, I FIGURE IT'S WORTH OUR TIME. THANK YOU, MR. BENNETT. ANYONE ELSE WANT? MR. SANDERS IS AT THE TABLE. THANK YOU. ROBIN. MISS DIXON, MR. PRESIDENT, MR. PITTMAN, MR. GIORDANO, MR. RILEY. HI, MRS. SADDLES. HI, MR. BENNETT, I BEING SIX VOTES IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. ONE VACANT, FEBRUARY 4TH, 2025, 2 P.M. [17. COMMENTS AND INPUT FROM ATTENDING CITIZENS] SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE SESSION IS HEREBY APPROVED. NUMBER 17. COMMENTS AND INPUT FROM ATTENDING CITIZENS. MISS DIXON, DO WE HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP? WE DO, MR. PRESIDENT. WE HAVE TWO THIS EVENING. CAROL BRUCE, FOLLOWED BY JEFF BECK. GOOD EVENING, MA'AM. NAME AND [00:55:04] ADDRESS, PLEASE. GOOD EVENING, CAROL BRUCE. 525 OAK STREET, ABERDEEN, MARYLAND. CAN YOU ADJUST THAT MIC FOR YOURSELF, PLEASE? THERE YOU GO. IS THAT BETTER? THAT'S MUCH BETTER. OKAY. THANK YOU. I AM HERE ON BEHALF OF THE HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. I AM A MEMBER OF THE BOARD, BUT I'M SPEAKING TONIGHT AS A CITIZEN OF ABERDEEN AND AS A REPRESENTATIVE FROM DISTRICT E, THE SCHOOL BUDGET IS BEING DEBATED BY THE STAFF AND BOARD MEMBERS. HOWEVER, I VISITED THE ABERDEEN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS LAST WEEK AND THREE OF THOSE THOSE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ARE CONSIDERED AS THE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS. BAKERSFIELD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WAS IN LINE TO HAVE A RELOCATABLE BECAUSE THEIR NUMBERS HAVE GONE UP SIGNIFICANTLY WITH ALL OF THE BUILDING IN THE RIPKEN AREA AND ALL OF THE BUILDINGS THAT COME, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE GETTING IN ABERDEEN. SO THE CAPACITY FOR BAKERSFIELD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HAS BEEN EXCEEDED. AND I'M HOPING THAT THIS YEAR, I WAS HOPING THIS YEAR THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO GET A BUDGET THAT WOULD CORRECT THAT IT WAS ON THE LIST LAST YEAR AND THIS YEAR, AND IT IS ON AGAIN THIS YEAR. I AM SURE THAT THE MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL UNDERSTAND THAT WITH THE BLUEPRINT AND IN THE INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT ARE COMING IN AS PRE-K, KINDERGARTEN, AND THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTING THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. SO TONIGHT, I'M ASKING THE COUNCIL TO GIVE GREAT CONSIDERATION TO THE BUDGET FOR HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS BECAUSE IF WE DO NOT HAVE FUNDING, THE ONLY THING LEFT TO DO IS REALLY KIND OF WE HAVE TO REDUCE THE STAFF THAT'S GOING TO AFFECT THE TEACHING STAFF AND THAT'S GOING TO AFFECT THE STUDENTS THAT THAT WE ARE LOOKING TO FOR THE FUTURE. SO I AM ASKING THAT THE COUNCIL GIVE SERIOUS CONSIDERATION TO SOME OF THE DEFICITS THAT THE SCHOOL IS GOING TO BRING TO YOU, AND I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT VERY MUCH. I WILL BE COMING EVERY WEEK THAT I CAN TO ASK YOU TO DO THIS, BECAUSE I WOULD ASK DISTRICT E REPRESENTATIVE TO ATTEND TO GO TO BAKERSFIELD, HALLS CROSS ROAD AND GEORGE LISBY AND TALK WITH THE PRINCIPALS THERE AND SEE WHAT THE SITUATION IS, BECAUSE THEY DO NEED TO HAVE THE SUPPORT FROM THE COUNTY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MA'AM. GOOD EVENING SIR. NAME AND ADDRESS PLEASE. GOOD EVENING, JEFFREY BECK, 102 SHELL ROAD JOPPATOWNE, MARYLAND. YOU GUYS ARE PROBABLY TIRED OF SEEING ME SO FAR THIS YEAR, BUT I'M NOT YET. NOT YET, NOT YET. OKAY. ALL RIGHT, WELL, IT WON'T BE TONIGHT, THEN. I'M JUST HERE TO THANK EVERYBODY ON THE COUNCIL. COUNCIL PRESIDENT, COUNCILMAN, COUNCILWOMAN FOR THE WORK YOU DO. I KNOW WHAT YOU DO IS IT'S AN ACT OF SERVICE. NO ONE SIGNS UP FOR THAT JOB TO GET RICH AND FAMOUS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. YOU GUYS DO IT BECAUSE YOU LOVE THE COMMUNITIES THAT YOU LIVE IN. AND THE VAST MAJORITY OF YOUR CITIZENS GENUINELY APPRECIATE IT, ALTHOUGH WE DON'T TELL YOU NEARLY ENOUGH. SO I WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT AND THANK YOU ALL FOR WHAT YOU DO. WANTED TO OFFER SOME HAPPY HOLIDAYS. GREETINGS. ENJOY YOUR HOLIDAYS. THIS IS THE LAST MEETING PRIOR TO CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY AND I WANT TO PRAY FOR EVERYBODY'S SINCERE. SERVICE TOWARDS EVERYTHING THAT'S COMING UP EARLY NEXT YEAR. AS MISS BRUCE MENTIONED, WITH THE BUDGET AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT I KNOW IS IN THE PIPELINE AND SOME STUFF I PROBABLY DON'T KNOW THAT'S IN THE PIPELINE. YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN DOING A GOOD JOB WHETHER WE AGREE OR DISAGREE. YOU GUYS ARE HERE DOING DOING THE WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE AND IT IS APPRECIATED. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU SIR. THERE ARE NO MORE SPEAKERS, MR. PRESIDENT. THANK YOU. WITH NO MORE SPEAKERS, WE'LL GO 16 [16. BUSINESS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS] BUSINESS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS. MR. PENMAN. THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE COUPLE OF CHRISTMAS DRIVES. I KNOW WE ACKNOWLEDGE HUMPY DUMPSTER WITH THE PROCLAMATION, BUT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE HAS A CHRISTMAS DRIVE TOO. AND FRIENDSHIP LIQUOR'S HAD A BIG EVENT AND THEY BROUGHT SOME COMMUNITY MEMBERS CAME WITH A LOT TRUCK LOADS OF TOYS. AND THEN THERE WAS A WRAPPING DAY THE NEXT DAY, WHICH WAS GREAT TO GET THOSE PRESENTS AND THE FOOD OUT TO THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE IN NEED. SO I DO WANT TO TALK JUST A LITTLE BIT. ALSO ABOUT THE MAKEO CONFERENCE. AS COUNCILMAN BENNETT ALLUDED TO, THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT ENERGY. AND, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT I HAVE IS THE, YOU KNOW, THE FUNDING THAT THE ENERGY RENEWABLE ENERGY FIELD IS GETTING. I THINK THERE'S 24 [01:00:07] RENEWABLE GRANT PROGRAMS, 90 MILLION SET FOR ELECTRIC BUSSES AND THE EMPHASIS TO TAKE THE COAL PLANTS OFF. I THINK THERE'S ONLY ONE COAL PLANT OUT OF EIGHT REMAINING IN THIS STATE. AND IN ADDITION, THE WINDMILLS THAT OCEAN CITY IS GOING TO BE LOOKING AT PROJECTED. SO I KNOW THE GOVERNOR HAS PUT AN EMPHASIS ON THE BUDGET, THE BUDGET CRISIS AND FINDING MONEY. SO I HOPE THAT SOME OF THAT MONEY THAT GOES TO TOWARDS RENEWABLE ENERGY IS USED TO OFFSET SOME OF THIS BUDGET CRISIS, BECAUSE I THINK WITH THIS CRISIS, I'M GOING TO SEGUE INTO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE GOVERNOR IS SAYING. WE NEED TO SUPPORT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS BUSINESS. WE HAVE TO SUPPORT BUSINESS. WE CAN'T FEE OURSELVES OUT OF THIS, AND WE CAN'T TAX HERSELF OUT OF THIS. AT SOME POINT, THE GOVERNOR AND THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION HAS TO START SUPPORTING BUSINESS. SO IN TWO, THREE, FOUR YEARS, WE'RE NOT IN A CRISIS EVERY YEAR, AND WE CAN PROVIDE THE FUNDING FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION SO WE CAN HELP THOSE SCHOOLS THAT WERE ALLUDED TO. SO WE CAN HELP PUBLIC SAFETY AND WE CAN HELP ROADS. AND IT WILL NOT HAPPEN WITH FEES OR TAXES. WE CANNOT FEE OR TAX OURSELVES OUT OF THIS. SO WE NEED TO SUPPORT START SUPPORTING BUSINESS IN HARFORD COUNTY. AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE. MR. PRESIDENT. THANK YOU, MR. PITTMAN. MR. GIORDANO COUNCIL PRESIDENT, I'M GOING TO PUT THIS HAT ON BECAUSE I NEED A LITTLE CHEER. TODAY WAS THE 15 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF MY MOM'S PASSING. SO I WANTED TO BE FESTIVE BECAUSE I REALLY DIDN'T WANT TO BE HERE. JUST TAKING IT REAL HARD WITH MY DAD PASSING AWAY. SO ANYWAY, MY LEGISLATIVE AIDE ON DECEMBER 12TH WAS OUT AT KLEIN'S. THEY HAD THEIR FIRST EVER GROCERY SWEEP EVENT. ONE LUCKY WINNER WON A 62ND SHOPPING SPREE AT FOREST HILL LOCATION. KLEIN'S MATCHED THE AMOUNT OF GROCERIES AS A DONATION, ALSO TO THE HARFORD COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY. AND I THINK THE GUY I THINK TOOK LIKE 7 OR $800, MOSTLY MEAT, SO HE KNEW WHAT HE WAS GOING FOR. SO PRETTY SMART. I ALSO ATTENDED MAKO CONFERENCE, ALSO, THE ENERGY BIGGEST CONCERN FOR ME IS I HEARD THEM TALK ABOUT SOLAR AND PUTTING SOLAR ON FARMS. AND, AND WE KNOW THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT THE FARMERS ARE GETTING TO, TO PUT SOLAR ON THE EASTERN SHORE. THEY BASICALLY SAID, YOU KNOW, HEY, LOOK, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A LOT OF THIS LAND. WE'RE GOING TO PUT SOLAR, WHICH I DON'T REALLY AGREE WITH. I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SEEING THE GOVERNOR PUSH TOWARDS GETTING RID OF GAS HEATERS AND HOMES COMING DOWN THE ROAD, USING EVERYTHING WITH HEAT PUMPS, WHICH INVARIABLY ARE GOING TO BE MORE EXPENSIVE BECAUSE THE COST OF ELECTRICITY IS GOING TO GOING TO GO UP. WE'RE GOING TO GET MOST OF OUR ELECTRICITY FROM PENNSYLVANIA. AND WE DID TAKE A TOUR MYSELF, COUNCIL PRESIDENT, I THINK VICENTE, COUNCILMAN RILEY AND COUNCILMAN PENMAN UP TO CECIL COUNTY. AND THEY DID HAVE A NATURAL GAS FIRED PLANT THAT THEY BUILT A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO THAT USES STEAM TO DO 1,000,000MW OF POWER. ALL THAT POWER IS BEING SENT TO VIRGINIA. ONE THEY HAVE ONE PLACE GOING TO DELAWARE, BUT THE REST OF IT'S GOING TO VIRGINIA. I DID TALK TO SOME OF THE BGA REPS DOWN THERE. I SAID, I'M NOT SURE WHY WE CAN'T BUILD SOMETHING LIKE THAT HERE. AND THEY'RE LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHERE WHERE ARE WE GOING TO PUT IT? I'M LIKE, WELL, WE GOT LAND IN HARFORD COUNTY TO PUT IT. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO HAVE POWER. WE NEED TO HAVE RELIABLE POWER. WE NEED TO HAVE CHEAPER ENERGY. YOU KNOW, GAS IS RELATIVELY CLEAN, CLEANER THAN COAL. ALTHOUGH I DID HEAR SOMETHING ABOUT CLEAN COAL, WHICH I HAVE NO IDEA, THE IDEA ABOUT NUCLEAR THAT'S GOING TO TAKE EVEN THE SMALL REACTORS, THAT'S GOING TO TAKE 15 YEARS BEFORE THAT, THAT COMES ON. SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HOPEFULLY IS A LITTLE BIT QUICKER THAN THAT. THE SOCIETY OF ITALIAN AMERICAN MEN STARTED DOING THEIR 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS, WHERE WE GO OUT AND MEMBERS CHOOSE A, A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION AND WE GIVE $1,500. SO WE'RE GIVING OUT A TOTAL OF $18,000 IN IN 12 DAYS FROM NOW UNTIL CHRISTMAS. WE'VE WE'VE ALREADY GIVEN A COUPLE OF THEM OUT. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE RECIPIENTS OF THAT. THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE THINGS I LOOK FORWARD TO THE MOST OUT OF THE YEAR IS, IS GOING UP AND GIVING SOMEBODY $1,500 JUST BECAUSE WE PICK THEIR THEIR NAME OUT OF THE HAT AND THEY'RE IN NEED OF THAT. SO AND I THINK I WANT TO WISH ALL MY JEWISH FRIENDS HAPPY HANUKKAH THAT'S COMING UP EVERYBODY. HAPPY KWANZAA, MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR. SO I THINK I THINK THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT. THANK YOU, MR. JORDAN AND MR. RILEY. [01:05:03] YEAH. WHEN I SAW THE AGENDA, I HAPPY. WHAT IS IT CALLED? HUMPTY DUMPTY. I WAS THINKING ABOUT TONY BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD CALL HIM IN DAYS PAST NOW. BUT HE'S LOST 130 POUNDS. THAT'S NOT SO. SO HOPEFULLY THAT MAKES YOU SMILE A LITTLE BIT. BUT, TONY, THAT YOU LOST ALL THAT WEIGHT. JEFF, I DO APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS BECAUSE WE DON'T GET TOO MUCH GRATITUDE COMING FROM THAT END OF THE OF THE ROOM. AND I WANT TO WISH EVERYBODY A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEARS. THANK YOU, MR. RILEY. MISS SADDLES, THANK YOU. I'D LIKE TO WISH EVERYONE A MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO ALL THE WORK THAT WE'LL DO FOR OUR COMMUNITY NEXT YEAR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MISS MR. BENNETT, HELLO AGAIN. GOOD EVENING. IT'S BEEN A BUSY WEEK. I ATTENDED WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA ON SATURDAY. ON SUNDAY I ATTENDED BREAKFAST WITH SANTA AT ABINGDON FIRE COMPANY. JUST WANT TO CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO SUPPORT OUR LOCAL FIRE COMPANIES. WE DO THE BEST WE CAN TO FUND AND SUPPORT THEM AS A COUNTY GOVERNMENT, BUT A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE WORK THEY DO COMES THROUGH NOT JUST VOLUNTEER WORK, BUT FUNDRAISING. SO SUPPORTING OUR LOCAL FIRE COMPANIES IS REALLY IMPORTANT. LIKE EVERYONE ELSE SPOKE TO ABOUT MAKO, IT WAS A REALLY GOOD CONVENTION. JUST TO ADD A LITTLE BIT TO WHAT OTHER PEOPLE SHARED. I DO WANT TO CLARIFY BECAUSE IT WAS SHARED TO COUNCILMAN PENMAN AND A QUESTION SESSION ABOUT THE RENEWABLE ENERGY GRANTS, THAT THOSE ARE NOT FUNDED FROM THE GENERAL FUND. SO REMOVING THOSE GRANTS WON'T HELP FUND THOSE THINGS THAT DO COME FROM THE GENERAL FUND. AND THEN I ALSO WANTED TO SHARE JUST A FEW THINGS ON SOLAR THAT ATTENDING THE SMALL COUNTY SESSION, BECAUSE EVERYBODY ELSE WAS WITH THE BIG COUNTIES, BUT DUE TO MY HEIGHT, I CHOSE TO BE AT THE SMALL COUNTIES. THEY SHARED THAT IN SOME COUNTIES. TWO THINGS I THOUGHT WERE VERY BENEFICIAL THAT WE COULD CONSIDER. THEY HAVE SAID IF YOU'RE GOING TO PUT SOLAR ON PRIME FARMLAND, YOU CANNOT REMOVE THE TOPSOIL FROM THE JOB SITE, WHICH IS GREAT BECAUSE A LOT OF THESE COMPANIES COME IN AND DON'T JUST PUT SOLAR ON TOP OF THE LAND, BUT THEY STRIP THE TOPSOIL TO GO SELL TO SOMEWHERE ELSE. AND THEN WHEN THAT SOLAR LEAVES IN 20 OR 30 YEARS, THAT LAND CAN NO LONGER BE USED TO GROW ANYTHING, BECAUSE ALL THE GOOD TOPSOIL HAS BEEN SOLD. SO I THINK THAT IS A REASONABLE ACTION THAT WE COULD CONSIDER. BUT THE OTHER THING, I WAS SPEAKING TO A COUNTY COMMISSIONER WHO SHARED THAT THEY WORKED WITH THEIR LOCAL FARM BUREAU TO MAKE A FACT SHEET TO SEND OUT TO LOCAL FARMERS TO MAKE SURE THEY UNDERSTAND ALL THE CONSEQUENCES AND IMPLICATIONS OF WORKING WITH A SOLAR COMPANY. THEY SHARED THAT ONE OF THEIR LOCAL FARMERS SAID, WELL, YOU KNOW, I CAN MAKE SO MUCH MORE OFF OF RENTING TO OR LEASING TO A SOLAR COMPANY THAN IF I LEASE TO A FARMER. BUT THEN AT THEIR END OF YEAR, WHEN THEY GOT THEIR TAX BILL AND REALIZED THAT THEY WERE FULLY LIABLE FOR THE TAX IMPLICATIONS, NOT THE SOLAR COMPANY, IT WAS A BIG STICKER SHOCK. SO THEY WORKED WITH THEIR LOCAL FARM BUREAU JUST TO HELP MAKE SURE THEIR LOCAL FARMERS ARE ALL INFORMED. AND I THINK THAT'S A PRETTY REASONABLE THING FOR US AS A COUNTY TO DO, TO JUST HELP MAKE SURE PEOPLE MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS ABOUT WHATEVER THEY DO. SO THOSE WERE TWO BIG TAKEAWAYS FOR ME. I DO DRIVE A NISSAN LEAF. SO I YOU KNOW, I'M A BIG RENEWABLE ENERGY, CLEAN ENERGY GUY. BUT I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT WE PROTECT OUR FARMLAND AND WE DO THE THINGS THAT FIT THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY. SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU, MR. BENNETT. 15 BUSINESS FROM THE PRESIDENT. I [15. BUSINESS FROM THE PRESIDENT] WANT TO ADVERTISE A SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE SESSION DAY DECEMBER 30TH, 2024 AT 7:30 P.M. IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS FOR CONSIDERATION OF DEMOCRATIC CENTRAL COMMITTEE COUNCIL DISTRICT A NOMINEES. AND WE SHOULD BE RECEIVING THOSE THAT LIST THURSDAY, I BELIEVE. CAN WE SAY THAT THEIR MEETING IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AT 630? THURSDAY THE 18TH. WEDNESDAY THE 18TH. WEDNESDAY THE 18TH? YES. SO YOU CAN WATCH THAT ONLINE OR GO IN PERSON. I FORGOT TO SAY THAT COUNCIL PRESIDENT. THAT'S OKAY. THAT'S QUITE ALL RIGHT. SO SOME OF THE EVENTS, AS EVERYONE TALKED ABOUT, ARE THE TOY DRIVES THAT WE ATTENDED. AND IT'S JUST AMAZING TO ME TO SEE THE AMOUNT OF EFFORT THAT GOES INTO IT. AS MR. PENMAN SAID, WHETHER IT BE HUMPTY DUMPSTERS OR WHETHER IT BE THE ANNUAL SHERIFF'S OFFICE DRIVE, I THINK THEY'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR 46 YEARS. IT'S JUST AMAZING THAT. AND YOU HEARD MR. OSMAN SPEAK TODAY OR TONIGHT ABOUT PEOPLE LIVING IN OUR COUNTY. OUR COUNTY IS A VERY GIVING COUNTY AND WE SEE IT EVERY DAY. MR. BECK, YOUR COMMENTS ARE MUCH APPRECIATED. WE APPRECIATE THOSE. AND THEN ON A PERSONAL NOTE, GENE AND I WANT [01:10:07] TO EXPRESS OUR DEEPEST CONDOLENCES TO THE FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF JIMMY MALONE AND MISS JOAN ADAMS, BOTH RECENTLY PASSED AWAY. BOTH WERE PILLARS IN OUR COMMUNITY. JIMMY WAS A FORMER DELEGATE FOR MANY YEARS FROM ARBUTUS, AND I THINK HE SERVED A COUPLE OF MONTHS, NO MORE THAN A COUPLE OF MONTHS. HE SERVED DECADES, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN. OH, I THOUGHT YOU MEANT NO HARFORD COUNTY? NO, NO, TEN YEARS IN HARFORD COUNTY. BUT HE SERVED IN ARBUTUS, SERVED AS A DELEGATE FROM THE ARBUTUS AREA FOR DECADES, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN. BUT HE WAS A TEN YEAR MEMBER OF THE SUSQUEHANNA HOSE COMPANY. AND AGAIN, JOAN ADAMS. MISS ADAMS WAS A DEDICATED MEMBER OF THE LONG GREEN BAPTIST CHURCH, MARRIED TO HER HUSBAND, DAVE, FOR 48 YEARS. BOTH OF THEM ARE GOING TO BE DEARLY MISSED, AND WE ASK YOU BOTH TO ASK YOU TO KEEP BOTH THEIR FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND ALL WHO KNEW HIM IN YOUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS. AND THEN I WANT TO WISH EVERYONE A MERRY CHRISTMAS. HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND I HOPE EVERYONE HAS AN AMAZING START TO THE NEW YEAR. AND WITH THAT, WE'LL * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.