[1. CALL TO ORDER]
          [00:00:05]
          GOOD EVENING. CHAIR. CALLS TO ORDER. LEGISLATIVE SESSION. DAY 20 5-0 TEN. I WOULD ASK YOU TO STAND WITH US FOR THE PLEDGE, FOLLOWED BY THE OPENING PRAYER BY COUNCILMAN BENNETT. 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. DEAR LORD, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING US TOGETHER AGAIN. I PRAY TODAY THAT YOU HELP US MAKE TOMORROW BETTER THAN YESTERDAY. IN YOUR NAME WE PRAY. AMEN. AMEN. COUNCILMAN BENNETT, IT'S GOOD TO HAVE YOU BACK. AND CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR NEWBORN EIGHT ARRAY. THANK YOU. I'VE BEEN FOLLOWING THE PHOTOGRAPHS. EVERYTHING SEEMS TO BE MOVING ALONG JUST FINE. AGENDA NUMBER 
          [5. CONSIDERATION OF PETITIONS, APPLICATIONS, APPOINTMENTS AND NOMINATIONS]
FOUR. PRESENTATION OF PROCLAMATIONS. WE HAVE NONE. FIVE CONSIDERATION OF PETITIONS, APPLICATIONS, APPOINTMENTS AND NOMINATIONS. EXECUTIVE APPOINTMENT. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. AGRICULTURE ADVISORY BOARD. MAY I HAVE A MOTION, PLEASE? COUNCIL PRESIDENT, I MOVE TO APPROVE THE NEW APPOINTMENT OF MITCHELL HOPKINS. MAY I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. THANK YOU, MR. RILEY. IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED TO APPROVE THE EXECUTIVE APPOINTMENT FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. AGRICULTURAL ADVISORY BOARD. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE, MISS DIXON. MR. PRESIDENT, I MRS. ROBERT. I. MR. GIORDANO. I. MR. RILEY. I. MR. BENNETT. I. THERE BEING FIVE VOTES IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, ONE ABSENT AND ONE 
          [6. SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS]
VACANT. THE APPOINTMENT IS HEREBY APPROVED. AGENDA NUMBER SIX, SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS. THIS EVENING, COUNCIL, WE HAVE HARTFORD TV'S FOUNDATION WITH US. MR. DON MATHIS, KALIYAH. 
          GOOD TO SEE YOU BOTH. AND MISS KELLY. YES. THANK YOU. MR. PRESIDENT. MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL, IT IS GREAT TO BE HERE. I WANT TO TELL YOU ABOUT A THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. A SPECIAL EVENT, THE HARTFORD TV FOUNDATION IS HOLDING THIS YEAR. AND HAVRE DE GRACE AT THE OPERA HOUSE. IT'S CALLED FACING ADDICTION IN HARTFORD COUNTY. IT'S A FAMILY AFFAIR. PROFESSOR, GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN. GOOD TO SEE YOU, SIR. I ALWAYS. SO I'M JOINED BY KELLY JOUR, WHO YOU KNOW WELL AS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF HARPER TV. YOU HAD THE FLIERS WITH THE BASIC INFORMATION IN FRONT OF YOU. I'LL BE BRIEF. LET ME JUST GIVE A QUICK SNAPSHOT OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. I THINK IT'S REAL CLEAR THAT EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THAT IN TERMS OF ADDICTION, SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER, IT'S IN EVERY ZIP CODE, IT'S IN EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD. IT'S IN EVERY PART OF THE COUNTY AND WHAT HAVE YOU. I OFTEN REFER TO MY OLD BOSS, JOE RYAN, WHO WAS OFFICE OF DRUG CONTROL POLICY. THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT OPENING A GROUP HOME RECOVERY HOUSE IN NORTHERN HARTFORD COUNTY, AND THE NEIGHBORS WERE IN AN UPROAR. AND JURORS WENT TO THE JOE, WENT TO THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND GOT THE ARREST RECORDS AND PUT PINS IN THE MAP BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE AFRAID THEY'RE GOING TO COME FROM BALTIMORE, THEY'RE GOING TO COME FROM DELAWARE. AND AFTER JOE PUT HIS PINS IN THE MAP, IT'S LIKE THEY'RE NOT COMING. THEY'RE OUR NEIGHBORS AND YOU'RE HERE. SO WE'RE STILL WE'RE STILL FACED WITH THAT. I THINK THE OTHER FACTOR THAT SOMETIMES ISN'T AS WELL KNOWN AS IT COULD BE THE HIGHEST POPULATION OF PEOPLE WITH ADDICTION IN MARYLAND IS OVER THE AGE OF 50. SO SOMETIMES YOU THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A TEENAGER PLAYING VIDEO GAMES, GETTING HIGH, OR IT'S SOME GUY IN THE DUMPSTER BEHIND THE 7-ELEVEN DOING THAT. 
          IT'S ALL AGES, ALL RACES, ALL COLORS, ALL CREEDS. IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW EDUCATED YOU ARE, WHAT KIND OF MONEY YOU HAVE. THAT'S HAPPENING. SO WHAT WE'RE DOING THIS YEAR, AND WE DID THIS LAST YEAR IN HAVRE DE GRACE IN TERMS OF FACING ADDICTION. WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS ON FAMILIES. AND I AM DELIGHTED BEYOND ANY WAY I CAN EXPRESS THAT. COUNCILWOMAN ROBERT IS GOING TO IS GOING TO JOIN US AS A PANELIST. SHE SHE HAS VOICE OF A CHILD SHE WORKS WITH 16 TO 18 YEARS OLD. IT WILL BE A PERFECT FIT FOR THE PANEL SHE'S ON. I THINK IT'S A CREDIT TO HER AS A PROFESSIONAL, CREDIT TO THE COUNCIL, AND WE REALLY WELCOME HER THERE. BUT WHAT WE AND I'VE HEARD COUNCILMAN BENNETT TALK ABOUT HIS LIFE EXPERIENCES BEFORE, WHEN ADDICTION HAPPENS, WHEN SUBSTANCE USE HAPPENS, IT AFFECTS THE WHOLE FAMILY. AND WHAT WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT AT THE SESSION IS HOW FAMILIES ARE IMPACTED UPON THIS. AND THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE SLIDES OF PEOPLE WITH NEEDLES IN THEIR ARMS, OR DYING AT FUNERALS AND CRYING AT FUNERALS AND WHAT HAVE YOU. IT'S GOING TO BE STORIES OF REAL SUCCESSES AND WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE END RESULT. OUR MESSAGE IS RECOVERY WORKS. TREATMENT WORKS. RECOVERY IS POSSIBLE. AND WE'RE ALSO GOING TO GET RID OF SOME OF THE STIGMA AROUND IT. THANKS TO OUR GOOD COLLEAGUES AT VOICES OF HOPE. WE'RE GOING TO BE GIVING AWAY TWO DOSES OF NARCAN. THIS IS THE MEDICINE THAT REVERSES AN OPIOID 
          [00:05:04]
OVERDOSE. I WAS ON CECIL TV. I PROMISE IT'S OKAY. I WAS ON CECIL TV ABOUT A MONTH AGO, AND THE INTERVIEWER THERE SAID, WAIT A MINUTE. I SAW THAT IN A DRUGSTORE. THAT'S $42 A BOX. AND IT IS. AND WE'RE GOING TO GIVE IT OUT FREE AT OUR SHOW. FACING ADDICTION THAT NIGHT. OUR FEATURED SPEAKER IS A FELLOW NAMED DAN MCGEE, WHO HAS BEEN VOTED THE REALTOR OF THE YEAR BY HARTFORD'S BEST FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS IN A ROW. IN RECOVERY, HE WROTE, CHASING A FLAWED SUN. DAN'S GOING TO BE OUR LEAD OFF SPEAKER. THIS BOOK SOLD OVER 100,000 COPIES. I'VE READ IT. IT'S A POWERFUL STORY, AND WE'RE GOING TO PHASE INTO THAT. HE'LL BE INTERVIEWED BY CHRISTY BRESLIN, WHO'S ON OUR FOUNDATION BOARD. AND ALSO, YOU MAY KNOW FROM MA. SO THAT'S THE SHOW. AND YOU HAVE THE INFORMATION IN FRONT OF YOU. YOU CAN REGISTER. YOU'LL SEE IN THE TOP. I PUT LITTLE RED BRACKETS ON IT SO EVEN I CAN FIND IT. YOU CAN REGISTER AT THE HARTFORD TV WEB FOUNDATION WEBSITE. IT'S FREE. THERE'S NO COST. AND WITH THAT BEING TOO SELF-RIGHTEOUS, IT'S GOING TO BE GREAT. WE HAVE EXCELLENT PEOPLE, GOOD INFORMATION. IT'S GOING TO BE TIGHT. YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE THERE ALL NIGHT. AND WE'VE GOT SOME SPECIAL GOODIES AND PEOPLE AND EXHIBITORS AND PEOPLE THAT WANT HELP OR FAMILIES THAT NEED HELP. YOU CAN REFER THEM THERE, PEOPLE THAT HAVE SUCCESS STORIES, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE GOOD FOR THE COUNTY. IT'S GOING TO BE GOOD FOR HAVRE DE GRACE. IT'S GOING TO BE GOOD FOR ALL OF US. SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THE TIME TO GIVE YOU THE SPIEL. KELLY'S MY BOSS, SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO HER. I'LL NEVER GET MY NON PAYCHECK. BY THE WAY, THE FOUNDER, WE'RE ALL VOLUNTEER. WE HAVE NO PAID STAFF AT THE FOUNDATION. SO TELL ELON MUSK DOESN'T HAVE TO CUT US BECAUSE THERE'S NOTHING TO CUT. THANK YOU. DAN, WHAT YOU SAID. PLEASE, PLEASE HELP US SPREAD THE WORD. SOCIAL MEDIA IS THE SUPER EASY WAY TO DO IT. WE HAVE AS AN HAVE IT AS AN EVENT ON HARTFORD TVS FACEBOOK PAGE. AND IT'S JUST VERY EASY TO FORWARD THAT ALONG JUST TO LET THE FOLKS THAT FOLLOW, YOU KNOW, THAT THE EVENT'S COMING UP. SO IF EVERYONE WITHIN EARSHOT WOULD DO THAT, WE'D SUPER APPRECIATE IT JUST TO HELP US GET THE WORD OUT. TICKETS ARE FREE, BUT REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. WE'RE ABOUT ALMOST HALFWAY SOLD OUT ON TICKETS RIGHT NOW, SO AND WE'RE, YOU KNOW, A FEW WEEKS AWAY. SO JUST ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO, TO GET THE TICKETS EARLY. THANK YOU. SO WE'RE EXPECTING SOME OTHER MEDIA COVERAGE WHICH WILL BE GOOD. IT'LL BE SHOWN ON HARTFORD TV'S FACEBOOK PAGE THAT NIGHT. AND THEN IT WILL AIR AGAIN ON HARTFORD TV THE FOLLOWING MONTH. SO THERE'S LOTS OF GOOD EXPOSURE. AND I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ALL BE PROUD OF, QUITE HONESTLY. WE'RE GOING TO HELP PEOPLE. COUNCIL AT THIS TIME. QUESTIONS? JACOB. I'LL JUST SAY I ATTENDED LAST YEAR AND THOUGHT IT WAS A GREAT EVENT. ABBY AND I BOTH CAME. I LEARNED A LOT AT LAST YEAR'S EVENT. IT WAS REALLY GREAT. SOME OF THE PEOPLE YOU BROUGHT LAST YEAR WHO TALKED ABOUT HOW THEY DO WOUND CARE, THAT WAS JUST SO INTERESTING. I LEARNED A LOT. I WAS CURIOUS BECAUSE I THINK AT A PREVIOUS EVENT I ATTENDED AT, I RECEIVED NARCAN THAT I NOW KEEP IN MY GLOVE COMPARTMENT OF MY CAR. HOW OFTEN DO YOU HAVE TO REPLACE THAT? DOES IT EXPIRE? SO THERE'S AN EXPIRATION DATE ON IT? IT'S USUALLY SIX MONTHS TO A YEAR. WHAT THEY FOUND IS IT'S GOOD UP TO TWO YEARS OKAY. SO YOU DON'T HAVE YOU DON'T HAVE TO LIVE BY THAT EXPIRATION DATE STRICTLY. BUT IT'S GOOD. IT'S BETTER TO HAVE THAT THAN NOT HAVE IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SIR. THANK YOU, MR. BENNETT. 
          ANYONE ELSE? DON, I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE OF KNOWING YOU FOR A LONG TIME. AND I TOLD YOU THAT I'M GOING TO BE CALLING YOU IN THE NEXT DAY OR TWO. PLEASE, I WANT TO KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE FUTURE OF HARM REDUCTION AND RECOVERY IN THE COUNTY. ALL THE EFFORTS. WELL, NOT TO PARAPHRASE THE CIGARETTE COMMERCIAL, BUT WE'VE COME A LONG WAY, BABY. I STARTED ON THIS MISSION WHEN I WAS EVEN WITH THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB MANY YEARS AGO. WE HAD A HARFORD HEROIN COUNCIL, AND THERE WAS A LOT OF RESISTANCE BY THE SCHOOLS. YOU CAN'T COME IN. THERE WAS A LOT OF RESISTANCE BY THE REALTORS. YOU'RE GOING TO LOWER PROPERTY VALUES AND WHAT HAVE YOU. AND ONE OF THE POLLS I SAW IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, COUNCIL PRESIDENT WAS 52% OF MARYLAND'S KNOW SOMEBODY WITH AN ADDICTION PROBLEM. SO THAT'S THERE IN TERMS OF HARM REDUCTION. AND THAT'S A TERM EVERYBODY MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR WITH. IT'S A MATTER OF REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF HARM. SO OBVIOUSLY WE WANT PEOPLE TO GET CLEAN AND SOBER. BY THE WAY I'M 41 YEARS CLEAN AND SOBER NOVEMBER 11TH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE WANT PEOPLE TO GET CLEAN AND SOBER, BUT FOR PEOPLE THAT DON'T MAKE THAT TRANSITION IMMEDIATELY, THERE ARE WAYS THAT THEY CAN REDUCE THEIR USAGE, CUT BACK ON IT, DO IN SAFER WAYS, AND HOPEFULLY MOVE TOWARDS SOBRIETY AND CLEANLINESS. THE STATISTICS 
          [00:10:04]
AND THE DATA. AND I'M SEMI-RETIRED, PATRICK. SO I READ ALL THIS STUFF. THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING YOU. YEAH. HARM REDUCTION WORKS I MEAN WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE WE'RE INTO A WORLD NOW THAT IF THE COUNTY AND THE STATE AND THE FEDS ARE GOING TO PUT MONEY INTO IT, NOBODY WANTS TO KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE YOU SERVED. THEY WANT TO KNOW WHAT DIFFERENCE DID IT MAKE. AND THAT'S A FAIR QUESTION. AND WHAT WE'VE SEEN HERE IN HARFORD COUNTY, AND I WORK FOR VOICES OF HOPE. I'M A CERTIFIED PEER RECOVERY SPECIALIST THERE. THE DATA THAT WE'VE SEEN THERE AND OTHER PROVIDERS IN HARFORD COUNTY IS THAT HARM REDUCTION WORKS. AND I KNOW IT'S COUNTERINTUITIVE. YOU SAY, HOW CAN YOU GIVE PEOPLE NEEDLES, YOU'RE JUST GOING TO GET HIGH AND WHAT HAVE YOU. WHEN YOU GET PEOPLE NEEDLES, YOU GET TO TALK TO THEM. YOU LOWER THE RATE OF HIV AIDS, YOU LOWER INFECTIONS, YOU LOWER SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS, WHICH IS AT AN ALL TIME HIGH IN THE STATE NOW. AND IT DOES THAT. AND IT ALSO ENABLES YOU TO BUILD A CONTACT. YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE A CRAZY PERSON LIKE ME, LIKE I WAS 42 YEARS AGO, WALK IN THE OFFICE AND SAY, HEY, I WANT TO GET CLEAN TODAY. YOU HAVE TO BUILD TRUST OVER TIME, COUNCILWOMAN ROBERT CAN TELL I'M SURE SHE DOES THIS EVERY DAY. BUILD TRUST OVER TIME. HEY, HOW IS THIS WORKING FOR YOU? BEING IN A HOMELESS CAMP, SHOOTING FENTANYL AND BEING CRAZY. IT'S NOT WORKING. OKAY, WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT? AND IF HARM REDUCTION ENABLES THEM TO MOVE ALONG, IT'S A GOOD THING. SO AGAIN, IT MAY SEEM COUNTERINTUITIVE. WHAT DO YOU WHAT ARE YOU CLEANING THE WOUNDS FOR? THE XYLAZINE THAT THAT COUNCILMAN BENNETT REFERRED TO AS XYLAZINE, IS AN ANIMAL TRANQUILIZER THAT'S BEING PUT IN FENTANYL. GOD SAVE US ALL. AND WHAT HAPPENS IS IT CREATES INFECTIONS THAT ARE SO SEVERE THAT WE'VE HAD PEOPLE AT VOICES OF HOPE THAT HAVE LOST FINGERS, LOST LEGS, LOST ARMS BECAUSE OF AMPUTATIONS. I KNOW, IT'S UNBELIEVABLE. SO IF WE CAN GET PEOPLE, GET THEIR WOUND CARE CLEAN, NOT ENABLING THEM TO DO MORE, BUT TO GET THEM TO THE DAMN HOSPITAL IN THE ER WHERE WE HAVE PEERS THAT WORK. IT'S A GOOD THING. SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THE QUESTION BECAUSE I THINK IT'S A THE NEXT PLATEAU OF SERVICE AND TREATMENT THAT WE CAN GET TO. BUT AGAIN, IT'S NOT ENABLING PEOPLE. IT'S GETTING THEM ON THE PATH TO RECOVERY AND RECOVERY EFFORTS. THE RECOVERY EFFORTS ARE GOOD. IF WE WENT BACK 12 YEARS AGO AND YOU SAID, WHAT'S THE RECOVERY PERCENTAGE FOR SOMEBODY WITH A HEROIN OPIATE ADDICTION, THEY'D SAY 3 TO 5%. WE'RE NOW UP TO THE 30 TO 40% RANGE BECAUSE WE HAVE MEDICATIONS THAT WORK. 
          BUPRENORPHINE, METHADONE AND OTHERS. THERE ARE MORE TREATMENT PEOPLE THAT WORK. WE CAN INVOLVE THEM THAT ACTUALLY ADDICTION TREATMENT. FATHER ASHLEY, WHERE I USED TO WORK, IS ONE OF OUR PRIME SPONSORS FOR THIS SHOW. AND TREATMENT DOES WORK. TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, I'M WORRIED ABOUT THE MEDICAID CUTS, AND I DON'T WANT TO GET OFF TANGENT HERE, BUT A LOT OF THE PEOPLE WE SEE AT VOICES OF HOPE AND ADDICTION, CONNECTION RESOURCES AND RAGE AGAINST ADDICTION AND HOPE FOUNDATION ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE ON MEDICAID. WE HAVE HOMELESS PEOPLE THAT COME TO VOICES, WE ENROLL THEM IN MEDICAID. THAT IS THEIR ONLY HEALTH PROGRAM. THAT IS THEIR ONLY DENTAL PROGRAM. AND IF YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE $858 BILLION AWAY FROM THAT, I HAVE A STRONG SENSE OF WHO'S GOING TO BE CUT ON THAT BLOCK. SO WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS. THIS IS A TIME TO GO FORWARD AND NOT BACKWARD. I THINK THE SHOW CONTRIBUTES TO THAT. AND I'M NOT TRYING TO SHINE ON YOU ALL, BUT I THINK YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE WITH THIS HELPS WITH THAT, BECAUSE THE MORE PUBLIC OFFICIALS WE HAVE SPEAKING OUT AND SAYING, WAIT A MINUTE, THESE ARE OUR PEOPLE, THESE ARE OUR NEIGHBORS, THEY DON'T HAVE TO DIE. THEY'RE NOT MORAL FAILURES. 
          THEY DON'T HAVE WEAK CHARACTER. ADDICTION IS A DISEASE. IT TAKES OVER YOUR MIND LIKE IT TOOK OVER MY BRAIN. HI, I'M DON SPEEDFREAK. WATCH HOW CRAZY I CAN BE. OKAY. TAKES OVER YOUR MIND. AND WHEN YOU GET CLEAN AND SOBER AND INTO RECOVERY, YOU CAN BE A TAXPAYER WORKER, FAMILY MEMBER, HEALTH CARE PROVIDER, CHURCHGOER, SOCIAL HUMAN BEING INSTEAD OF A TAX DRAINER FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM. WE WANT TO MAKE TAXPAYERS AND NOT TAX DRAINERS. WE WANT TO MAKE HEALTHY FAMILIES. EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM WANTS THE SAME THING, EVEN IF YOU DON'T AGREE WITH THEM. WE WANT HEALTHY FAMILIES. WE WANT SAFE SCHOOLS. WE WANT SAFE STREETS. AND WHEN PEOPLE NOT TO BE INVOLVED IN DRUGS, AND THIS IS A SMALL PIECE OF THAT, I THINK WE'LL PROBABLY DO IT AGAIN NEXT YEAR. IF KELLY DOESN'T FIRE ME. AND JUST THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. AND AGAIN, AS KELLY WAS SAYING, IF YOU COULD PUT IT ON YOUR WEBSITE OR SEND IT AROUND, THAT WOULD REALLY HELP US A LOT. 
          THANK YOU. COUNCIL, ONE MORE TIME, ANYONE? DON I LOOK FORWARD TO OUR CONVERSATIONS. WE'LL TALK SOON. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, EVERYBODY. AGENDA NUMBER SEVEN. APPROVAL OF 
          [7. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
          [00:15:03]
MINUTES. LEGISLATIVE DAY 20 5-009 MARCH 11TH, 2025. ARE THERE ANY CORRECTIONS TO THE MINUTES? THERE BEING NO CORRECTIONS. TWO MINUTES. STAND APPROVED. EIGHT. INTRODUCTION 
          [9. INTRODUCTION OF BILLS]
AND CONSIDERATION OF RESOLUTIONS. WE HAVE NONE. NINE. INTRODUCTION OF BILLS. COUNCIL OR COUNCIL? VICE PRESIDENT, PLEASE READ BILL 20 5-004, PLEASE. BILL 20 FIVE, DASH 00344 AND WATER AND SEWER RATE REVISIONS. FISCAL YEAR 2026. FISCAL YEAR 30. AS INTRODUCED BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT VICENTE AT THE REQUEST OF THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE. AN ACT TO REPEAL AND REENACT WITH AMENDMENTS SECTION ONE OF HARTFORD COUNTY COUNCIL, BILL NUMBER 20, DASH 003, IN ITS ENTIRETY, ESTABLISHING A NEW HARTFORD COUNTY RATES WATER AND SEWER. TO FURTHER PROVIDE THAT THE RATES SHALL BE APPLIED TO WATER CONSUMPTION AND SEWER USAGE ON OR AFTER THIS EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS ACT. PUBLIC HEARING SCHEDULED ON TUESDAY, APRIL 18TH AT 7 P.M. IN EAST COUNCIL CHAMBERS, ZERO FOUR. I'M JUST READING WHAT'S WHAT'S HERE. SO. YES. YES. APRIL 15TH AT 7 P.M. 
          THAT'S READING WHAT'S ON MY AGENDA HERE. THANK YOU. TEN. INTRODUCTION. CONSIDERATION OF AMENDMENTS. WE HAVE NONE. 11 CALL FOR FINAL READING OF BILLS. WE HAVE NONE. 12 ENROLLMENT OF BILLS WE HAVE NONE. 13 UNFINISHED BUSINESS. WE HAVE NONE. 14 NEW BUSINESS. MISS 
          [14. NEW BUSINESS]
BROOKS. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU ALL. IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I'VE PRESENTED TO YOU ALL. AND AUDITOR UPDATE. SO YOU ALL HAVE THE MATERIALS THAT WERE IN YOUR PACKET. BUT I WILL GO THROUGH AND SUMMARIZE WHAT WE'VE DONE SINCE THE LAST TIME I WAS HERE. 
          STARTING WITH THINGS THAT WERE IN THE FISCAL YEAR 2024 AUDIT PLAN, THE LAST TIME I PRESENTED TO YOU ALL WAS PROBABLY JUNE OF LAST YEAR, AND THERE WERE FOUR PROJECTS THAT WERE STILL OPEN AT THE TIME. THEY'VE ALL BEEN COMPLETED NOW. CABLE FRANCHISE FEES. WE LOOKED AT THE INFORMATION THAT ARMSTRONG AND VERIZON PROVIDES FOR THE INFORMATION THEY USE TO PROVIDE THEIR FRANCHISE FEE PAYMENTS TO THE COUNTY. WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY ISSUES WITH THOSE COMPANIES. WE DID AT THE TIME HAVE AN ISSUE WITH COMCAST, DIDN'T PROVIDE THE INFORMATION WE REQUESTED, SO WE WEREN'T ABLE TO ISSUE AN OPINION RELATED TO COMCAST. WE COMPLETED AN AUDIT RELATED TO FACILITY ACCESS CONTROLS. WE HAD A QUALIFIED OPINION ON THAT REPORT. WE LOOKED AT SOME INFORMATION, BUT THERE WERE SOME FILES THAT WE WEREN'T ABLE TO OBTAIN. WE ENDED UP NOTING TWO ISSUES. ONE IS THAT NOBODY REVIEWS THE ACCESS LOGS TO COUNTY FACILITIES AND PLACES WHERE THERE ARE SWIPE CARDS. SO, YOU KNOW, IF THERE WAS SOME UNUSUAL EVENT, IT REALLY WOULDN'T BE DETECTED UNLESS SOMEBODY REPORTED AN UNUSUAL EVENT. WE ALSO NOTED THAT PHYSICAL KEYS ARE NOT NECESSARILY MANAGED VERY WELL. THERE ARE SOME BUILDINGS THAT ARE BEING REKEYED, SO THEY'VE GOT LIKE A GRANDFATHER KEY SYSTEM. SOME PEOPLE ARE ASSIGNED KEYS, BUT THERE HASN'T REALLY BEEN GOOD POLICY AROUND MAKING SURE THOSE PEOPLE KNOW DON'T LOSE YOUR KEY. IF YOU LOSE YOUR KEY, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO REPLACE IT, THINGS LIKE THAT. 
          AND WE FOUND IN ONE PARTICULAR EXIT AUDIT THAT NOBODY SEEMED TO KNOW WHERE THE KEY TO THE PERSON'S OFFICE WAS. SO THAT WAS THE SECOND ISSUE THAT WE NOTED IN THAT PROJECT. EVERY YEAR WE DO HOTEL TAX AUDITS, AUDITS OF THE OCCUPANCY TAX PAID BY VARIOUS HOTEL OPERATORS AROUND THE COUNTY. SO LAST SUMMER WE LOOKED AT FIVE HOTELS SPRINGHILL SUITES TOWNEPLACE SUITES, HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS AT CHESAPEAKE HOUSE MOTEL, EDGEWOOD AND THE COUNTRY INN AND SUITES. 
          BETWEEN THOSE FIVE AUDITS, THERE WERE THREE RECOMMENDATIONS. ONE OF THE HOTELS WE NOTED HAD NOT PAID A FEW MONTHS OF THEIR TAXES, SO THEY OWED 53,000 TO THE COUNTY. THE OTHER TWO THAT HAD ISSUES NOTED THEIR AMOUNTS DUE WERE JUST A LITTLE BIT LESS THAN 5000. ALL OF THOSE AMOUNTS HAVE BEEN REPAID TO THE COUNTY. NOW, AND THE LAST 2024 PROJECT WAS PURCHASE CARD CONTROLS. 
          AGAIN, THAT'S SOMETHING WE DO EVERY YEAR. THERE WERE NO RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THAT AUDIT. 
          GENERALLY, OUR PROCESS IS TO GO THROUGH AND LOOK AND SEE. WE LOOK AT A SAMPLE OF TRANSACTIONS TO MAKE SURE THERE'S RECEIPTS ATTACHED TO THE CARDHOLDERS LOG, MAKING SURE THAT THE PURCHASE WAS APPROVED, IF IT WAS TRAVEL, THAT THERE WAS CORRECT APPROVAL, THAT IT'S AN ALLOWABLE PURCHASE. 
          ALSO THAT THEY WERE CODED TO THE CORRECT ACCOUNTS. SO THERE WERE NO ISSUES TO REPORT THERE. OUR 
          [00:20:04]
NORMAL PROCESS IS TO, AS WE AUDIT, PURCHASE CARDS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, AS WE FIND ISSUES, WE REPORT THOSE TO PROCUREMENT SO THEY CAN FOLLOW UP WITH CARDHOLDERS. BUT GENERALLY THOSE ARE FEW ENOUGH IN NUMBER THAT THERE'S NO NEED TO INCLUDE THEM IN THE REPORT. THEY'RE GENERALLY JUST ONE OFF ISSUES. SO THAT'S ALL OF THE 2024 PROJECT AND THE 2025 AUDIT PLAN. WE STARTED THIS YEAR WITH EXIT AUDITS AFTER THE RETIREMENT INCENTIVE LAST YEAR. THE COUNTY COUNCIL ATTORNEY, CHARLIE KEARNEY, LEFT, AND MOE DAVENPORT, THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR PLANNING AND ZONING, LEFT. 
          SO WE DID EXIT AUDITS FOR THEM. THOSE AUDITS LOOK TO SEE THAT THE ACCOUNTS THAT ARE UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE PARTICULAR OFFICIAL THAT THEY HAD DIDN'T HAVE ANY INAPPROPRIATE ACTIVITY. 
          WE LOOK TO SEE THAT THERE PHYSICAL ACCESS HAS BEEN REMOVED, SO THEIR SWIPE CARDS AND KEYS HAVE BEEN RETURNED. WE MAKE SURE LOGICAL ACCESS HAS BEEN REMOVED SO THEIR NETWORK ACCOUNTS ARE DISABLED. WE LOOK TO SEE THAT ANY FINANCIAL ACCESS HAS BEEN REMOVED SO THAT IF THEY HAD PURCHASED A CARD THAT'S BEEN RETURNED, IF THEY HAD ACCESS AS SIGNATORIES TO THE COUNTY'S ACCOUNTS, THAT THAT'S BEEN REMOVED, WE MAKE SURE THEY'RE REMOVED FROM THE COUNTY FINANCIAL SYSTEM. SO FOR BOTH OF THEM, THERE WERE NO ISSUES TO REPORT IN THOSE REPORTS. IT LATER ON IN THE UPDATE, THERE WERE TWO MORE EXIT AUDITS THAT WE'VE DONE THIS YEAR. THEY WERE FOR COUNCIL MEMBER GUTHRIE AND COUNCIL MEMBER PENMAN. SAME GENERAL PROCEDURES AND THERE WERE NO ISSUES IN EITHER OF THOSE AUDITS EITHER. LET'S SEE. WE AUDITED EMPLOYEE SEPARATION PROCEDURES. WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN AN EMPLOYEE LEAVES COUNTY SERVICE THAT THEY ARE PAID THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF ACCUMULATED LEAVE. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IF THEY HAD ANY ASSETS THAT THEY WERE RETURNED. SO COMPUTERS, BADGES, PURCHASE CARDS, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS. 
          IT'S SIMILAR ACTUALLY, TO THE PROCEDURES THAT WE WOULD NORMALLY DO FOR AN OFFICIAL WHEN AN EXIT AUDIT IS REQUIRED UNDER THE COUNTY CHARTER. IN THAT PROJECT, WE FOUND TWO ISSUES THAT WE REPORTED. ONE IS THAT TERMINATION FORMS, WHICH ARE COMPLETED BY AN EMPLOYEE SUPERVISOR WHEN THEY LEAVE. IT'S SORT OF THE EVENT THAT TRIGGERS MAKING SURE THAT HR DEALS WITH BENEFITS, STUFF THAT PAYROLL REMOVES YOU FROM THE PAYROLL SYSTEM, THAT ICT REMOVES YOU FROM NETWORK ACCESS, THINGS LIKE THAT. WE FOUND THAT THOSE FORMS ARE NOT ALWAYS COMPLETED TIMELY, AND SOMETIMES THEY'RE NOT COMPLETED COMPLETELY, MEANING THAT MAYBE THE FORM WAS FILLED OUT, BUT IT DIDN'T SAY, HEY, WE ALSO MADE SURE WE GOT THE COMPUTER BACK FROM THAT PERSON. 
          SO INCOMPLETE IN THAT WAY. WE ALSO NOTED THAT IN SOME CASES, ACCESS TO THE COUNTY'S NETWORK WAS NOT REMOVED. TIMELY MANAGEMENT HAS SAID THAT THEY ARE WORKING ON PROCESSES TO UPDATE BOTH THESE THINGS. THEY'LL NOTIFY SUPERVISORS TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE TERMINATION FORMS GET DONE TIMELY. LET'S SEE. WE DID AN AUDIT OF BUILDING INSPECTION AND PERMITS, BUILDING AND COLLECTION, BILLING AND COLLECTION CONTROLS. THAT PROJECT MAKES SURE THAT FOR BUILDING PERMITS THAT ARE REQUESTED FROM THE COUNTY THAT THEY'VE BEEN PAID FOR, THAT THE APPLICATIONS WERE COMPLETE, THAT ALL OF THE INSPECTIONS THAT HAVE TO BE DONE BEFORE A FINAL CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY IS DONE FOR THAT PARTICULAR REQUEST, WHATEVER IT MAY BE. THERE ARE VARIOUS LEVELS OF INSPECTIONS THAT HAPPEN DEPENDING ON THE PERMIT TYPE. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL THOSE REQUIRED STEPS WERE TAKEN AND THAT THEY WERE ALL PAID FOR, AND WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY ISSUES TO REPORT COMING OUT OF THAT AUDIT. THINGS WORKED AS WE EXPECTED. EVERY YEAR WE UPDATE YOU ALL ON THE STATUS OF PRIOR AUDIT FINDINGS. THIS IS A PROJECT WHERE WE GO THROUGH AND LOOK AT ALL OF THE ISSUES WE FOUND IN PRIOR AUDITS, SEE IF MANAGEMENT'S DONE ANYTHING TO CORRECT THE ISSUES THAT WERE NOTED. AND BASICALLY JUST GIVE YOU ALL AN UPDATE. IN THIS YEAR'S PROJECT, WE FOUND THAT NINE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WERE OPEN HAD BEEN CLOSED AND 13 REMAIN OPEN. SO NEXT SUMMER, THIS SUMMER, WE'LL GO THROUGH AND THERE'LL BE 13 MORE ITEMS THAT WE'RE REVIEWING THIS YEAR, PLUS ANY NEW THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN ADDED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. 
          THE OTHER THING TO NOTE ABOUT THAT IS THAT THERE WEREN'T ANY ISSUES THAT REMAIN OPEN, THAT WE FELT A NEED TO ESCALATE TO YOU ALL TO SAY, HEY, THIS IS A REALLY BAD PROBLEM. IT HASN'T BEEN FIXED. CAN YOU TALK TO MANAGEMENT, WHATEVER IT MAY BE? SO NOTHING TO ESCALATE THERE. OF COURSE, ALL OF OUR AUDIT REPORTS ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE. YOU ALL CAN ALWAYS GO AND LOOK THERE. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT ANYTHING, LET ME KNOW. THE NEXT AUDIT THAT IS IN OUR AUDIT PLAN WAS AN AUDIT OF PAYROLL CONTROLS. WE ARE POSTPONING THIS PROJECT TO NEXT YEAR'S AUDIT PLAN. THE 2026 AUDIT PLAN. MANAGEMENT IS IMPLEMENTING A NEW PAYROLL SYSTEM, WHETHER THEY'RE MOVING FROM THE EXISTING PAYROLL INTO MOVING INTO THE PAYROLL. THAT COMES WITH OUR COUNTY'S 
          [00:25:03]
CURRENT FINANCIAL REPORTING SYSTEM. SO THE TRANSITION OF THAT IS HAPPENING LATER THAN MANAGEMENT HAD INTENDED. BUT SINCE IT'S HAPPENING AT THE END OF THIS FISCAL YEAR, THEN WE'LL IMMEDIATELY AFTER THAT'S DONE. AUDIT PAYROLL CONTROLS. THAT WAY WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, THE CURRENT PROCESS. SO YOU ALL WILL SEE REPORTING ON THAT IN THE SUMMERTIME. THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT AUDITS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024 WERE COMPLETED WHEN I MET WITH YOU ALL IN NOVEMBER OF THIS LAST YEAR, CLIFTONLARSONALLEN CAME AND PRESENTED TO YOU ALL AND LET YOU ALL KNOW THE STATUS OR NOT, THE STATUS, THE CONCLUSIONS OF THOSE REPORTS. 
          THERE WAS A CLEAN AUDIT OPINION FOR THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. THE SINGLE AUDIT HAD ONE FINDING THAT HAD BEEN CORRECTED. I KNOW WE TALKED TO YOU ALL ABOUT THAT EARLIER. THE LAST PART OF THAT IS MAKING SURE THAT THE COUNTY'S AFFILIATED AGENCIES. SO THAT'S PRIMARILY THE VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANIES, THE HUMANE SOCIETY, ARC, AND MAYBE ONE MORE THAT I'M FORGETTING OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, MAKING SURE ALL OF THEM HAVE AUDITS DONE OF THEIR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. WHEN I SENT YOU ALL THE REPORT ON DECEMBER 30TH, THEY HAD ALL BEEN COMPLETED EXCEPT FOR THE HUMANE SOCIETY. THAT AUDIT HAS NOW BEEN COMPLETED, AND ALL OF THOSE AGENCIES HAD A CLEAN AUDIT. 
          OPINIONS. THERE WAS NOTHING IN THEIR FINANCIAL REPORTS THAT INDICATED ANY MISUSE OF COUNTY FUNDS. MOVING ALONG, WE LOOKED AT THE INVENTORY CONTROLS FOR INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY. THERE WAS ONE FINDING THAT WE REPORTED, AND IT WAS ESSENTIALLY THAT WE PICKED A SAMPLE OF ITEMS THAT WERE LISTED IN ICT'S INVENTORY TO LOOK TO SEE THAT WE COULD TRACK THEM DOWN WHERE THEY WERE OR WHERE THEY WERE ASSIGNED TO. I THINK WE PICKED A SAMPLE OF 90 ITEMS OUT OF ABOUT 1200. I THINK HAD BEEN 12,000. THERE WERE 19 THAT WE COULDN'T FIND. MANAGEMENT PROVIDED A RESPONSE, SAYING THAT THOSE ITEMS THAT COULDN'T BE FOUND, OR THINGS THAT ARE SHARED BETWEEN DEPARTMENTS AND THAT THEY'RE PUTTING TOGETHER POLICIES TO OR I GUESS, INVESTIGATING POLICIES TO SEE THE BEST WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE ITEMS ARE MOVED AND TRACKED ACCORDINGLY, AND THAT MANAGEMENT CONTINUES TO DO AN ANNUAL INVENTORY COUNTYWIDE SO THAT THEY FEEL CONFIDENT THAT THEY'RE CAPTURING THE INFORMATION THEY NEED TO KNOW WHERE THINGS ARE. OKAY. WE DID AN AUDIT OF SAFETY, COMPLIANCE AND RISK MANAGEMENT. THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROJECT WAS TO LOOK AND SEE WHEN THERE ARE SAFETY INCIDENTS. IS IT BEING REPORTED TO RISK MANAGEMENT IF SOMEBODY'S REVIEWING THE INCIDENT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED, IF THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT COULD BE CORRECTED OR COULD PREVENT THAT INCIDENT IN THE FUTURE? DID MANAGEMENT GO THROUGH AND PROVIDE WHATEVER TRAINING WAS NECESSARY OR UPDATE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES? IT TOOK A WHILE, BUT WE GOT ALL THE INFORMATION THAT WE NEEDED AND THERE WERE NO ISSUES TO REPORT IN THAT PROJECT. SO REAL PROPERTY TAX BILLING AND COLLECTION CONTROLS. 
          THAT'S A PROJECT WE DO EVERY TWO YEARS. PROPERTY TAXES, THE COUNTY'S LARGEST REVENUE SOURCE. 
          SO IT'S KIND OF IMPORTANT THAT IT IS CORRECT. AND IT WAS THERE WERE NO ISSUES TO REPORT. IT WORKS THE WAY WE EXPECT IT TO. THE BILLS WERE CALCULATED CORRECTLY. WHEN PEOPLE MAKE PAYMENTS, THOSE PAYMENTS ARE CREDITED TO THEIR ACCOUNTS CORRECTLY AND THERE WERE NO ISSUES TO REPORT. I ALREADY TALKED ABOUT EXIT AUDITS FOR A COUPLE COUNCIL MEMBERS. 
          OTHERWISE, WE COMPLETED A PROJECT RELATED TO CAPITAL PROJECTS FOR AFFILIATED AGENCIES. THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE TO A DEGREE, THE LIBRARIES AND ALSO THE VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANIES. WHEN THEY HAVE CAPITAL PROJECTS, THEY HIRE THEIR CONTRACTORS. THEY PAY THE BILLS TO THOSE CONTRACTORS, AND THEN THEY SUBMIT REIMBURSEMENT REQUESTS TO THE COUNTY. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHILE THEY'RE SENDING A SUMMARY INVOICE TO THE COUNTY, THAT THERE'S SOME SUPPORT BEHIND THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE REIMBURSING THINGS THAT WERE ACTUALLY PAID AND THAT THOSE TOTALS SEEM REASONABLE. THERE WERE NO ISSUES COMING OUT OF THAT REPORT. IT WAS, AS EXPECTED. SO WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON PLANNING AN AUDIT OF CONTRACT MANAGEMENT. SO YOU'LL HEAR FROM US ON THAT IN PROBABLY JULY. EMPLOYEE BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION WE'RE WORKING ON THAT NOW. WE SHOULD HOPE TO REPORT ON IT IN MAY. WE HAVE NOT GOTTEN TO STARTING OUR AUDIT OF DETENTION CENTER INMATE ACCOUNTS, BUT WE'LL GET TO THAT LATER IN THE YEAR. PURCHASE CARD CONTROLS. THAT PROJECT IS IN PROGRESS. AS I SAID, THAT'S A YEAR ROUND PROJECT. THE COUNTY ACTUALLY JUST GOT A NEW PURCHASE CARD SYSTEM. SO THIS YEAR WE'LL ALSO BE LOOKING AT THE PROGRAM WIDE CONTROLS FOR THE NEW PURCHASE CARD SYSTEM. AND LASTLY WE DID NORMALLY WE DO AUDITS OF HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX TOWARDS THE SUMMER. WE HAD A REQUEST FROM 
          [00:30:06]
THE TREASURER'S OFFICE TO DO ONE OF AMERICA'S BEST VALUE IN SORT OF OUT OF CYCLE, BECAUSE THEY WERE BEHIND ON A FEW PAYMENTS. SO WE DID THAT AUDIT. THERE WAS A RECOMMENDATION. THEY HAD A BALANCE THAT WAS DUE TO THE COUNTY FOR ABOUT THREE MONTHS OF TAXES PLUS PENALTIES AND INTEREST, FOR A TOTAL OF ABOUT $9,300. AND THEY HAVE SINCE PAID THAT AMOUNT. SO THAT'S EVERYTHING IN MY UPDATE. I KNOW IT WAS A LOT OF INFORMATION. I TALKED FAST WITH THE DEPUTIES I THINK ARE GOING TO TRY TO SNATCH ME UP IF I TALK TOO LONG. PUBLIC NOTICE THAT OUR NEXT AUDIT ADVISORY BOARD MEETING IS IN MAY. MAY 27TH AT 430 IN THE COUNCIL'S CONFERENCE ROOM. SO THAT'S A PUBLIC MEETING IF PEOPLE WANT TO COME AND HEAR WHAT WE'RE DOING, PEOPLE ARE WELCOME. SO THAT'S A LOT OF INFORMATION. BUT I CAN CERTAINLY ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU ALL HAVE. THANK YOU CRYSTAL, FOR THE UPDATE COUNCIL. ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I REALLY APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT WHENEVER WE DO HAVE A QUESTION, YOUR RESPONSE IS IMMEDIATE AND IT'S THOROUGH YOUR ENTIRE TEAM. AND I DON'T THINK OUR CITIZENS FULLY UNDERSTAND THE VASTNESS OF THE AUDITS THAT YOU DO. SO WE APPRECIATE YOU MORE THAN YOU KNOW. THANKS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR UPDATE. I LIKE YOUR RED. I LIKE YOUR RED. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON 
          [17. COMMENTS AND INPUT FROM ATTENDING CITIZENS]
TO NUMBER 17. COMMENTS AND INPUT FROM ATTENDING CITIZENS. DO WE HAVE FOR THIS EVENING, MR. PRESIDENT? ALL RIGHT. GO AHEAD AND CALL YOUR FIRST SPEAKER WHEN YOU'RE READY. GLENN GILLIS, FOLLOWED BY PAUL FALACCI. GOOD EVENING, SIR. NAME AND ADDRESS. I'M SORRY. GOOD EVENING. GLENN GILLIS, 1936 PARK BEACH DRIVE AND PERRYMAN. I'LL BE SPEAKING TONIGHT ON THE PERRYMAN DRINKING WATER ISSUE. SOME FACTS FIRST. 30% OF HARFORD COUNTY'S MUNICIPAL DRINKING WATER IS PUMPED FROM THE PYRAMID WELL FIELDS. THE PYRAMID AQUIFERS ARE UNDER A LARGE PORTION TO INCLUDE APG PERRYMAN COMMUNITIES. THESE AQUIFERS SUPPLY MANY PRIVATE WELLS AS WELL AS THE MUNICIPAL WELLS, INCLUDING MY PRIVATE WELL ON PYRAMID AQUIFERS, FLOW, RECHARGE AND WATER QUALITY ARE HIGHLY SENSITIVE TO THEIR IMPERVIOUS SURFACES. APG HAS KNOWN CONTAMINANT PLUMES IN THESE AQUIFERS OVER THE PAST 30 YEARS. RECOGNIZING THEIR RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE HEALTH OF HARFORD COUNTY CITIZENS, APG AND HARFORD COUNTY HAVE TAKEN MEASURES TO MITIGATE THE CONTAMINATION MIGRATION OFF OF APG AND TO PREVENT THE SPREAD FURTHER INTO THE PERRYMAN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE WATER SYSTEMS. APG HAS PUMP AND TREAT FACILITIES ATTEMPTING TO LIMIT THE MOVEMENT OF CONTAMINANTS OFF APG. HARFORD COUNTY MONITORS AND FILTERS THE PERRYMAN WELL WELLS TO ATTEMPT TO PROTECT THEIR MUNICIPAL WATER SYSTEM. HARFORD COUNTY PUTS IN PLACE PUT IN PLACE THE PERRYMAN WELLHEAD PROTECTION LEGISLATION THAT ESTABLISHES A WELLHEAD PROTECTION DISTRICT AND LIMIT THE IMPERVIOUS SURFACE OF INDUSTRIAL PROJECTS WITHIN THE DISTRICT TO 50%. HOPING TO FURTHER REDUCE THE DEGRADATION OF THE PERRYMAN AQUIFERS. UNFORTUNATELY, SINCE THEN, PAST HARFORD COUNTY ADMINISTRATIONS HAVE ALLOWED OVER 10,000,000FT■S OF INDUSTRIAL IMPERVIOUS SURFACES TO BE BUILT OVER THE PERRYMAN AQUIFERS, WITH NO ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS TO ITS BROAD DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS. OF NOTE, MUNICIPAL INDUSTRIAL PROJECTS OVER 50% HAVE BEEN PERMITTED AND BUILT ON THE PERRYMAN WELLHEAD PROTECTION DISTRICT. THUS, WE HAVE NO UNDERSTANDING OF WHETHER THE PLANNED MITIGATION EFFORTS HAVE BEEN EFFECTIVE RECENTLY BECAUSE OF THE PFAS CRISIS. HARFORD COUNTY STARTED A PFAS TASK FORCE, BUT THEY APPEAR TO BE CONCENTRATING ONLY ON MUNICIPAL WELLS AND MAY NOT BE CONSIDERING THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON PRIVATE WELLS AND WATERSHEDS. THEREFORE, WE ASK THAT NO FURTHER INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT BE CONSIDERED IN AND AROUND PERRYMAN UNTIL THREE THINGS ONE. HARFORD COUNTY PFAS TASK FORCE EXPANDS ITS STUDY AND IMPLEMENTS IMPLEMENTATION RECOMMENDATIONS TO INCLUDE PRIVATE WELLS. TWO 
          [00:35:01]
HARFORD COUNTY UPDATES THE OFTEN REQUESTED PERRYMAN BUSH RIVER WATER CHARACTERIZATION STUDIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS. IT'S BEEN OVER 20 YEARS SINCE THAT HAS BEEN DONE. ACTUALLY ALMOST 30 YEARS NOW. THREE HARFORD COUNTY REVIEWS THE PERRYMAN WELLHEAD PROTECTION LEGISLATION TO CONSIDER CHANGES IN THE LAW'S PARAMETERS AND TO UPDATE. PLEASE MOVE YOUR COMMENTS ALONG. GET TO YOUR FOURTH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING SIR. NAME AND ADDRESS PLEASE. GOOD EVENING. 
          PAUL FALACCI FROM 320 MARINE AVENUE IN PERRYMAN. TONIGHT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE AND ROAD ACCESS TO THE PERRYMAN AREA. FROM COLONIAL TIMES UNTIL 1989, THE LAND CURRENTLY REFERRED TO AS THE MITCHELL FARM IN PERRYMAN WAS ALWAYS ZONED AGRICULTURAL. 
          IN 1989 IT WAS CHANGED TO RESIDENTIAL, AND THEN IN 1997 IT WAS CHANGED TO LIGHT INDUSTRIAL. 
          A FARM IN THE MIDDLE OF LOW INTENSITY RESIDENTIAL WITH INADEQUATE PUBLIC FACILITIES FOR INDUSTRIAL USAGE. OVER 10,000,000FT■!S OF INDUSTRIAL SPACE HAS BEEN BUILT WITH THE PROMISE OF IMPROVED INFRASTRUCTURE THAT HAS NEVER COME. THIS HAS CREATED MORE AND MORE OF A HAZARDOUS SITUATION WITH THE EVERY MEGA WAREHOUSE THAT IS BUILT IN THE PERRYMAN AREA. MOST RECENTLY, WE HAD A 18 WHEELER THAT BASICALLY T-BONED ON ON ONE OF THE ROADS THERE FOR OVER 12 HOUR PERIOD WHERE PEOPLE COULDN'T GET OUT OF THAT ACCESS ROAD. LUCKILY, IT WASN'T ON PERRYMAN ROAD WHERE THERE IS NO ACCESS AFTER THAT SPOT. ROADWAYS PERRYMAN'S ACCESS ROAD, EAST WOODLEY ROAD AND PERRYMAN ACCESS ROAD WEST MITCHELL LANE HAVE BOTH BEEN IN THE MASTER PLAN AND THE TRANSPORTATION ELEMENT PLAN SINCE 2009. WE HOPE WOODLEY ROAD WILL BE COMPLETED IN OUR LIFETIME. ALL AGREE THAT PERRYMAN ACCESS ROAD WEST CAN NO LONGER BE BUILT BECAUSE THE PATH IS AN ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE AREA AND THE COST OF LAND ACQUISITION AND CONSTRUCTION HAVE RISEN TENFOLD, MUCH TOO HIGH FOR THE BUDGET STRAPPED COUNTY TO EVER COMPLETE. DESPITE BEING IN THE CAPITAL BUDGET SINCE 2008, INCLUDING THE 2020 2025 BUDGET. IF THE AGREED MASTER PLAN CANNOT FINANCIALLY SUPPORT THIS ZONING ERROR, IT IS THE. IT IS UP TO THE COUNTY COUNCIL TO RESPONSIBLY RESTORE RESTORE THE SEVEN PARCELS OF PERRYMAN BACK TO AGRICULTURAL. 
          I'LL JUST END WITH SECTION 2673 OF THE OF THE HARFORD COUNTY ZONING CODE. THE PURPOSE OF THE ZONING CODE IS TO PROMOTE THE HEALTH, SAFETY, MORALS, AND GENERAL WELFARE OF THE COMMUNITY. SO WE JUST LET'S LET'S LIVE UP TO THOSE WORDS. THANKS, WENDY MCPHERSON, FOLLOWED BY GINA KRIEGER. GOOD EVENING, MADAM. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE. HELLO, I'M WENDY MCPHERSON, 1727 SARAH COURT, FOREST HILL, MARYLAND. OKAY. I'M A SHADOW KATZ. I'M A SHADOW KATZ VOLUNTEER. AND JEAN SALVATORE, WHO HAS BEEN HERE SEVERAL TIMES, ASKED ME TO SPEAK BECAUSE SHE COULD NOT BE HERE TONIGHT. AND IF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW. SHADOW KATZ IS A NONPROFIT, ALL VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION THAT HELPS TO KEEP THE STRAY OR ROAMING CAT POPULATION DOWN AND THE COMMUNITY SAFER BY DOING TRAP, NEUTER, AND RETURN OR TNR OR SOMETIMES TRAP, NEUTER, VACCINATE AND RETURN. SO IT INCLUDES VACCINES LIKE RABIES. 
          SO IT'S KEEPING OUR OUR COUNTY SAFER. THIS IS THE MOST HUMANE WAY TO KEEP THE ROAMING CAT POPULATION DOWN AND HELP PREVENT THE SPREAD OF DISEASE TO OTHER ANIMALS. FOR THE LAST TEN YEARS, SHADOW CATS HAS OFFERED THIS NO COST NEUTERING AND VACCINATION FOR FREE. BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT. SO JEAN WAS ASKING YOUR ORGANIZATION TO HELP SPREAD THE WORD IN YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER OR YOUR CONSTITUENT MEETINGS, OR SHE HAS LAWN SIGNS AND SHE HAS ADVERTISEMENTS TO GET THE WORD OUT, OR MAYBE EVEN A BILLBOARD SOMEWHERE TO LET PEOPLE KNOW IF THEY SEE A BUNCH OF STRAY CATS. WE CAN. SHE CAN GET THEM, TRAP THEM. SHE TAKES THEM. SHE TRANSPORTS THEM TO VETS THAT DO THE NEUTERING AND THEN RETURNS THEM TO THE SPOT. SO TWO CATS CAN BECOME 20 CATS AND THAT CAN BECOME 100 CATS IN TWO YEARS. SO BY DOING THIS TRAP, SPAY AND NEUTER, SPAY AND NEUTER. IN RETURN, WE CAN GREATLY REDUCE THAT POPULATION AND IMPROVE THE SAFETY OF ALL THE ANIMALS. SO PLEASE HELP US GET THE WORD OUT. THANKS. THANK YOU MA'AM. GOOD EVENING MA'AM. NAME AND ADDRESS PLEASE. GINA KRIEGER, 704 CONLEY FARMS ROAD, FALLSTON, MARYLAND, 21047. GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY. I'M HERE TO URGE THIS 
          [00:40:05]
COUNCIL TO TRANSITION FROM QUARTERLY TO MONTHLY REPORTING OF THE LIVE RELEASE RATE FOR OUR COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER. WHILE QUARTERLY REPORTS PROVIDE A BROAD PICTURE, THEY LACK THE TIMELINESS AND TRANSPARENCY NEEDED FOR MEANINGFUL OVERSIGHT, INFORMED DECISION MAKING, AND SWIFT CORRECTIVE ACTION WHEN NECESSARY. FOR THOSE UNFAMILIAR, THE LIVE RELEASE RATE IS A KEY METRIC USED TO TRACK THE SUCCESS OF ANIMAL SHELTERS AND SAVING LIVES. IT REPRESENTS THE PERCENTAGE OF ANIMALS, WHETHER THEY ARE DOGS, CATS, OR OTHER SPECIES WHO ARE EITHER ADOPTED, TRANSFERRED TO RESCUE ORGANIZATIONS, OR RETURNED TO THEIR OWNERS, AS OPPOSED TO BEING EUTHANIZED. IT'S A DIRECT MEASURE OF HOW WELL OUR SHELTER SYSTEM IS PERFORMING IN TERMS OF ANIMAL WELFARE. FIRST, MONTHLY REPORTING INCREASES ACCOUNTABILITY. ANIMAL WELFARE IS A RAPIDLY CHANGING LANDSCAPE. DECISIONS MADE TODAY IMPACT LIVES IMMEDIATELY. A QUARTERLY REPORT MEANS PROBLEMS CAN GO UNNOTICED FOR MONTHS, DELAYING POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS. A MONTHLY UPDATE ENSURES THAT TRENDS, WHETHER POSITIVE OR CONCERNING, ARE IDENTIFIED IN REAL TIME, ALLOWING FOR QUICK COURSE CORRECTIONS. IF LIVE RELEASE RATES START TO DECLINE. SECOND, TRANSPARENCY BUILDS TRUST. PUBLIC TRUST OUR COMMUNITY CARES DEEPLY ABOUT THE WELFARE OF ANIMALS IN COUNTY SHELTERS. WHEN RESIDENTS CAN SEE CONSISTENT, UP TO DATE INFORMATION ON SHELTER OUTCOMES, THEY FEEL ENGAGED AND EMPOWERED. THEY ARE MORE LIKELY TO VOLUNTEER, FOSTER, ADOPT OR DONATE WHEN THEY SEE CLEAR EVIDENCE OF HOW THEIR SUPPORT IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE. THIRD, MONTHLY DATA ALLOWS FOR BETTER STRATEGIC PLANNING. ORGANIZATIONS AND RESCUES THAT PARTNER WITH SHELTERS RELY ON ACCURATE, TIMELY STATISTICS TO PLAN INTAKES, RESOURCES, AND OUTREACH. IF THERE'S A SUDDEN DROP IN LIVE RELEASE RATES DUE TO OVERCROWDING OR MEDICAL OUTBREAKS, RESCUES NEED TO KNOW AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, NOT MONTHS LATER, SO THEY CAN STEP IN AND HELP. FINALLY, MANY OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL SHELTERING SYSTEMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE ALREADY ADOPTED MONTHLY REPORTING. THEY FOUND THAT MORE FREQUENT UPDATES LEAD TO BETTER OUTCOMES, STRONGER COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT, AND IMPROVED EFFICIENCY THAT OUR COUNTY SHOULD FOLLOW THAT LEAD TO ENSURE WE ARE PROVIDING THE BEST POSSIBLE CARE AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE ANIMALS IN OUR SYSTEM. SWITCHING TO LIVE MONTH. SORRY, SWITCHING TO MONTHLY LIVE RELEASE RATE REPORTING IS A SIMPLE, COST EFFECTIVE STEP TOWARD A MORE TRANSPARENT AND ACCOUNTABLE AND RESPONSIVE ANIMAL SHELTERING SYSTEM. I URGE THE COUNCIL TO TAKE ACTION ON THIS CHANGE FOR THE BENEFIT OF OUR COMMUNITY AND THE ANIMALS WHO RELY ON US. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU MA'AM. THERE ARE NO MORE SPEAKERS, MR. PRESIDENT. THANK YOU. AGENDA NUMBER 16 BUSINESS 
          [16. BUSINESS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS   ]
FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS, MR. BENNETT. HELLO. GOOD EVENING. GOOD TO BE BACK. I MISSED THE PAST TWO COUNCIL MEETINGS BECAUSE OF MY BABY BEING BORN TWO WEEKS AGO TODAY, MISS ADA RAY, NAMED AFTER MY GRANDMOTHER, ADA PARSONS. AND IT'S GOOD TO BE ABLE TO HAVE ADA BE CONNECTED WITH WITH HER, EVEN THOUGH SHE BE 108 YEARS OLD. IF SHE WAS STILL WITH US. SPEAKING OF GETTING OLD, I TURNED 30 IN THE PAST TWO WEEKS, SO THERE'S THAT GOING ON TOO. MOSTLY, I JUST WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK THE DOCTORS, THE NURSES AND THE STAFF OVER AT UPPER CHESAPEAKE FOR THE FIVE DAYS ABBY AND I SPENT THERE. JUST THE MOST INCREDIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SUPPORT OVER THOSE FIVE DAYS AS I SLEPT IN A CHAIR, JUST MAKING SURE AT ANY MOMENT ABBY'S NEEDS WERE MET, ADA'S NEEDS WERE MET. IT WAS JUST REALLY TOP NOTCH. YOU KNOW, WE HEAR ABOUT ALL THE STRAINS ON OUR HOSPITAL SYSTEM LOCALLY AND THOSE STRAINS ARE REAL. BUT IT WAS WE FELT LIKE WE WERE THE ONLY PEOPLE IN THE HOSPITAL FOR FIVE DAYS. AND THAT IS A TESTAMENT TO THE QUALITY OF THE STAFF AND OF THEIR LEADERSHIP AND SUPPORTING THEM TO DO THAT. SO THAT WAS JUST REALLY NICE, AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE I THANK THEM PUBLICLY. THAT'S ALL I HAVE THIS EVENING. 
          THANK YOU, MR. BENNETT. MR. RILEY, YES, JUST TWO THINGS. I WANT TO CONGRATULATE BILL AMOS. 
          HE RECEIVED THE CONSERVATION AWARD AT THE HARTFORD LAND TRUST ANNUAL MEETING THIS PAST SATURDAY. 34 YEAR CAREER HERE AS HARFORD COUNTY LAND PRESERVATION ADMINISTRATOR. HE PRESERVED MORE THAN 60,000 ACRES OF LAND. AND SO WE APPRECIATE, BILL AND WHAT HE'S WHAT HE'S DONE IN THAT MISSION. AND ALSO HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO READ TO OUR KINDERGARTEN CLASS THIS MORNING, FOREST LAKES ELEMENTARY. AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT I WILL NEVER, EVER BECOME A TEACHER AND BE IN THE SHOES OF JACOB BENNETT AGAIN, I CAN TELL YOU THAT. THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. THANK YOU, MR. RILEY. MR. CHANDRADEVA. THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT. THIS AFTERNOON WE DID THE GRAND OPENING FOR TEXTURE AND TOUGH 152 NORTH MAIN STREET. HOME DECOR. SHE HAD LOTS OF THROW 
          [00:45:01]
PILLOWS. I'M JUST HOPING MY GIRLFRIEND DOESN'T FIND OUT ABOUT IT, BECAUSE WE'VE PROBABLY GOT 30 IN THE BASEMENT. SO EVERY TIME THERE'S AN OCCASION, THERE'S THROW PILLOWS. SO. AND THEN THEY DISAPPEAR. SO ANYWAY. BUT THE STORE LOOKS GREAT. CONGRATULATIONS TO KELLY. WISH HER THE BEST OF LUCK MOVING FORWARD. SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS A DREAM OF HER. SHE STARTED A BUSINESS A COUPLE YEARS AGO AND WANT TO THANK HER HUSBAND, WHO'S A FIRST RESPONDER DOWN IN BALTIMORE CITY FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO THEM. SO I ALSO READ AT RING FACTORY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. I'M GOING TO READ ALSO ON FRIDAY. AND I WALKED IN AND I ASKED THE PRINCIPAL, I SAID GIVE ME THE MOST RAMBUNCTIOUS CLASS YOU HAVE. SO I WAS AWARDED WITH THAT. SO I HAD A GREAT TIME. JUST ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT. OF COURSE, I, I HELPED RILE UP THE KIDS A LITTLE BIT WHEN I CAME IN THE CLASSROOM. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? I THINK THEY REALLY APPRECIATED IT. I DID LEARN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOIL AND GARDEN, SO IT WAS QUITE AN INTERESTING THING. AND THEN ON SATURDAY, I ACTUALLY HEARD A LADY TALK ABOUT THE BUSH DECLARATION AND ALL THE PEOPLE THAT WERE INVOLVED IN IT AND THE MEETINGS THAT THEY HAD AND HOW THEY CAME ABOUT. IT WAS REALLY, REALLY INTERESTING, WASN'T WHAT I THOUGHT IT WAS. SO I WAS GLAD TO HEAR THAT AND SOME OTHER THINGS COMING UP THIS WEEKEND. 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BUSH DECLARATION WEEKEND EVENTS. I KNOW THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY IS GOING TO HAVE SOME STUFF ON MAIN STREET. APRIL 5TH. STEP BACK IN TIME PROHIBITION AREA WITH DUNNIGAN'S BELLAIRE'S PREMIER SPEAKEASY FEATURING CASINO NIGHT. I THINK THAT'S PUT ON BY THE DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE. APRIL 5TH IS EARTH DAY AT THE WILLIAM STREET TRAILHEAD. APRIL 12TH, OPENING DAY AT THE BEL AIR FARMERS MARKET. ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS CAN'T WAIT, CAN'T WAIT FOR SUMMERTIME AND THE TOMATOES AND EVERYTHING. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT. AND THE GREEN BEANS BY POVERTY FARMS, THEY'RE PROBABLY THE BEST. SO JUST I PROBABLY SHOULDN'T HAVE SAID IT BECAUSE THEN I WON'T BE ABLE TO GET ANY. AND THEN APRIL 12TH IS THE ANNUAL KITE FESTIVAL AT ROCKFIELD PARK. AND COUNCIL PRESIDENT. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MR. JORDAN AND MISS ROBERT. THANK YOU. I WILL BE ATTENDING THIS WEEKEND TO A COUPLE OF THE EVENTS FOR THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE BUSH DECLARATION. SO I WILL BE OUT AND ABOUT ON SATURDAY. AND ON SUNDAY I HAD A REALLY QUIET WEEK. I DID A MEETING WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THIS WEEK TO TALK A LOT ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN MY AREA SPECIFICALLY, AND TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN BRING MORE SMALL MINORITY BUSINESSES INTO PLAY AND TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS MONEY OUT THERE FOR THEM TO BE BUSINESS OWNERS. AND WE TALKED ABOUT LIKE TRAINING AND HOW TO GET PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND NOT JUST ONLY HOW TO BECOME A BUSINESS OWNER, BUT HE TALKED ABOUT LIKE, PEOPLE REALLY NEED TO KNOW HOW TO BE SUSTAINABLE SO THEY DON'T LOSE THEIR BUSINESSES. SO WE DID A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS ON POSSIBLY DOING SOME WORKSHOPS AND EDUCATING THE PUBLIC MORE ON THOSE ISSUES AND THE FACT THAT WE'RE ALSO THE HARFORD COUNTY FACADE GRANT PROGRAM. WE TALKED ABOUT THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME MONEY DISTRIBUTED. A LOT OF THAT MONEY WILL BE GOING TO MY AREA, THANKFULLY, BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE IN THOSE SHOPPING CENTERS. 
          OTHER THAN THAT, THAT IS ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU, MISS ROBERT. 15 BUSINESS FROM THE PRESIDENT. THE 
          [15. BUSINESS FROM THE PRESIDENT]
FIRST THING I WANT TO COMMENT ON IS OUR CO-PRESENTING PUBLIC HEARINGS HERE IN THE CHAMBERS ON APRIL 1ST AND APRIL 8TH AT 6 P.M. I WOULD ENCOURAGE EVERYONE THAT'S ANTICIPATING TO COME TO SPEAK TO. PLEASE SIGN UP EARLY. AND THEN ALSO, I WANT TO ADVERTISE OUR BUDGET WORK SESSIONS FOR THE BUDGET, OBVIOUSLY. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23RD AT 9 A.M. THURSDAY, APRIL 24TH AT 9 A.M. MONDAY, APRIL 28TH AT 10 A.M. AND TUESDAY, APRIL 29TH AT 9 A.M. THESE ARE SET UP SO THAT WE MAY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO ALL OF OUR IN-HOUSE DEPARTMENTS AND ALL OF OUR OUTSIDE PARTNERS THAT GET FUNDING FROM THE COUNTY DOLLARS, AND THEY ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. 
          IT'S RARE THAT WE SEE PUBLIC IN HERE, BUT THEY ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FOR ANY OF THOSE THAT ARE INTERESTED. OUR BUDGET PUBLIC HEARINGS ARE MAY 7TH AND THURSDAY, MAY 15TH AT 7 P.M. 
          ALSO IN THE CHAMBERS, WE USED TO TRAVEL AROUND THE COUNTY, AND WE REALIZED THAT IT WAS AN EFFORT THAT WAS NOT WELL RECEIVED OR WELL PARTICIPATED BY OUR CITIZENS. IT COST THE COUNTY MONEY TO REMOVE OR TO MOVE THE FACILITIES THAT WE NEED TO HAVE ON SITE SECURITY AND EVERYTHING 
          [00:50:02]
ELSE. SO WE DECIDED TO MOVE IT BACK TO THE CHAMBER WHERE IT'S CONVENIENT, CENTRALLY LOCATED, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT. THE OTHER THING I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS THE MEETINGS THAT WE'VE HAD. YOU HEARD ABOUT US READING OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS, AND WE'LL BE READING AGAIN THROUGHOUT THE WEEK. I ALSO READ AT RING FACTORY TO THE STUDENTS THERE, AND THEY'RE ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. A COUPLE OF THEM WERE PRETTY BRIGHT. I HAVE TO TELL YOU, WHEN ONE FIRST GRADER TELLS YOU THAT HE KNOWS CALCULUS AND SOME OTHER THINGS, IT WAS PRETTY INTIMIDATING. BUT BUT WE HAD A GREAT TIME. WE TALKED ABOUT OBVIOUSLY AGRICULTURE. WE TALKED ABOUT GARDENS. WE TALKED ABOUT FARMS, THE IMPORTANCE OF THE FARMS AND HOW THEY PRODUCE FOOD FOR NOT ONLY US, BUT THE ANIMALS AS WELL. BUT WE TALKED ABOUT WHALES. WE TALKED ABOUT DODO BIRDS. WE TALKED ABOUT SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS. AND THEY WERE A PLEASURE, A TRUE PLEASURE. WE HAD A MEETING WITH THE HUMANE SOCIETY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AMANDA HICKMAN, AND WE MET WITH HER. WE TALKED ABOUT A COUPLE OF SPAY AND NEUTERING PROJECTS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN PLACE. WE'RE GOING TO HOST ANOTHER MEETING IN MY OFFICE IN THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO. I WANT TO KIND OF GET SOME INPUT FROM SOME OF THE VETERINARY CLINICS AROUND, KIND OF GET THEIR INPUT AS WELL, SO THAT WHEN WE SIT DOWN, WE'LL HAVE ALL THE PARTIES AT THE TABLE. WE ALSO HAD SEVERAL MEETINGS THIS PAST WEEK AND PRIOR TO WITH OUR HEALTH OFFICER SEARCH, WE HAD 11 MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE SIT IN ON THAT. WE HAD 12 MEMBERS OF OUR ADEQUATE PUBLIC FACILITIES ORDINANCE MEETING SIT IN WITH OUR CONSULTANTS TO TALK WITH THEM AND FIGURE OUT WHAT OUR NEXT STEPS ARE. SO WE WILL BE PROBABLY HOSTING A COUPLE OF MEETINGS COMING UP OVER THE NEXT TWO WEEKS WITH THOSE. I ALSO WANT TO REMIND MY FELLOW MEMBER THAT OUR GALA IS SATURDAY EVENING. I BELIEVE IT'S PRETTY WELL SOLD OUT ANYWAY, RIGHT? THERE'S, I THINK ONE TABLE LEFT. OKAY, SO ANYONE THAT'S INTERESTED REACH OUT TO THE SIDE FOLKS IF YOU'RE INTERESTED. IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE ARE SOME SEATS LEFT AND THEN FINALLY, I WANT TO EXPRESS MY DEEPEST CONDOLENCES TO THE ADAMS FAMILY HERE IN THE CHURCHVILLE COMMUNITY AND ACROSS HARFORD COUNTY, WITH DUE TO THE PASSING OF THEIR FATHER, TOMMY ADAMS. HE PASSED AWAY ON MARCH 8TH AT THE AGE OF 90, I THINK, AND I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO TOM, HIS SON TOM, AND TALKED TO HIM A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HIS DAD'S INVOLVEMENT IN THE AG COMMUNITY OVER THE YEARS, AND WHAT HE MEANT TO THE AG COMMUNITY AND HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS, AND I'M SURE HE WILL BE THOUGHT OF OFTEN, AND I JUST HOPE WE ALL KEEP HIM IN OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS. AND WITH
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.