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[County Council Budget Work Session]
GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED WITH OUR WORK SESSION THIS MORNING.MR. BENNETT'S GONNA BE A FEW MINUTES LATE.
UM, PAUL, GOOD MORNING AND WHENEVER YOU'RE READY.
UM, PARKS AND RECREATION BEGINS ON PAGE FIVE 80.
THE DEPARTMENT HAS THREE GENERAL FUND DIVISIONS, AS WELL AS THREE SPECIAL REVENUE FUND CALL CENTERS.
THE TOTAL DEPARTMENT GENERAL FUND BUDGET OF 12,824,467 IS AN INCREASE OF 324,975 OR 2.6%.
PARKS AND REC ADMINISTRATION BEGINS ON PAGE 5 87.
THE DIVISION BUDGET OF 1,006,544 IS AN INCREASE IN 19,448 AND IS IN THE GENERAL FUND.
PERSONAL SERVICES INCREASE IS 22,448.
THERE'S TURNOVER, SAVINGS OF 16,465, PARTIALLY OFFSET BY SALARY.
ADJUSTMENTS OF 1,856 COLA AND MERIT, TOTALING 34,355.
HEALTH BENEFITS INCREASE 8,400 WORKERS' COMP DECREASES 1008 10 TIME AND HEALTH SAVINGS DECREASES 5,000 2 0 7 AND OPEP DECREASES 1000.
THERE'S NO CHANGE IN CONTRACTUAL SERVICES.
UH, THE SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS DECREASES 2000 FOR LANDSCAPE AND GROUNDS MATERIALS, BUSINESS AND TRAVEL DECREASES 1000 FOR TRAINING.
AND THERE'S NO CHANGE IN MISCELLANEOUS RECREATIONAL SERVICES BEGINS ON PAGE 5 91.
THE DIVISION BUDGET OF 3,901,995 IS A DECREASE OF 101,335 AND IS IN THE GENERAL FUND.
PERSONAL SERVICES DECREASES 96,835.
THAT'S THE RESULT OF TURNOVER, SAVINGS OF 69,212, PARTIALLY OFFSET BY SALARY ADJUSTMENTS OF 16,063 AND MERIT TOTALING 153,503.
THERE IS ONE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT POSITION TRANSFERRED TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AT A SAVINGS TO PARKS AND REC OF 119,928.
AND THERE WAS ONE REC SPECIALIST POSITION, UH, TRANSFERRED TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AT A SAVINGS TO PARKS AND REC OF 117,305.
TEMPORARY SALARIES DECREASED 39,700 PENSION INCREASES.
12,296 WORKERS' COMP DECREASES 11,451.
HEALTH BENEFITS INCREASE 43,400.
RETIREMENT HEALTH SAVINGS INCREASE 35,117.
THERE'S NO CHANGE IN CONTRACTUAL SERVICES.
SUPPLIES AND, AND MATERIALS DECREASES 4,500 FOR RECREATION SUPPLIES AND OTHER SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS.
THERE IS NO CHANGE IN BUSINESS AND TRAVEL PARKS AND FACILITIES BEGINS ON PAGE 5 95.
THE DIVISION BUDGET OF 7,915,928 IS AN INCREASE OF 406,862 AND IS IN THE GENERAL FUND.
PERSONAL SERVICES INCREASES 284,942.
THAT'S THE RESULT OF SALARY ADJUSTMENT OF 9,838.
UH, TURNOVER SAVINGS OF 2,455.
IT WAS TWO VACANT BUILDING CARETAKER POSITIONS ABOLISHED AT A SAVINGS OF 163,340 COLA AND MERIT, TOTALING 126,157.
TEMPORARY SALARIES INCREASED 28,946.
THERE WAS ONE THERAPEUTIC RECREATION SPECIALIST POSITION CREATED AT A COST OF 83,405.
AND THERE WAS ONE MAINTENANCE WORKER POSITION CREATED AT A COST OF 83,405.
HEALTH BENEFITS INCREASED 37,800.
RETIREMENT HEALTH SAVINGS INCREASES 29,105 WORKERS' COMP DECREASES.
8,008 14 UNIFORM ALLOWANCE AND CELL PHONE REIMBURSEMENT INCREASED 6,800 AND THERE'S SPIKE ADJUSTMENTS, UH, AT A SAVINGS OF $12,050.
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES INCREASES 18,009 20.
THAT'S THE RESULT OF OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES INCREASING 88,000 FOR CONTRACTUAL STAFFING, DEBRIS REMOVAL, ELECTRICAL REPAIRS, SNOWMOBILE MAINTENANCE AND SERVICE NEEDS AT PLAYGROUNDS.
AS WELL AS, UH, FACILITY REPAIR AND RENOVATION INCREASES 50,000 BASED ON ACTUALS AND PROJECTED REPAIRS.
HEATING FUEL INCREASES 15,000 AND THAT'S ALL PARTIALLY OFFSET BY A DECREASE IN GROUNDS MAINTENANCE OF 130 2080 AND A DECREASE IN TELEPHONE SERVICE OF 2000.
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THERE'S NO CHANGE IN SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS.BUSINESS AND TRAVEL DECREASES 3000 FOR VEHICLE EQUIPMENT PARTS AND FOR TRAINING.
CAPITAL OUTLAY INCREASES 106,000 FOR BALD DIAMOND MACHINE AND UTILITY TRACTOR.
THERE'S NO CHANGE IN MISCELLANEOUS.
UM, NEXT CALL CENTER IS EMERTON WRECKING TENNIS CENTER, WHICH BEGINS ON PAGE 600.
THE BUDGET OF 361,115 IS AN INCREASE OF 12,515 AS AND IS IN A PARKS AND REC SPECIAL REVENUE FUND.
PERSONAL SERVICES INCREASE IS 8,015.
THAT'S THE RESULT OF THE COLA AND MERIT TOTALING 6,632.
TEMPORARY SALARIES INCREASE 7 39.
HEALTH BENEFITS INCREASE 125 AND RETIREMENT HEALTH SAVINGS INCREASES 519 CONTRACTUAL SERVICES INCREASES 3000 FOR MAINTENANCE COSTS FOR BRIGHT OAK COMMERCIAL SUBDIVISION, STORMWATER POND AND SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS INCREASES 1,500 FOR RECREATION SUPPLIES.
OAKINGTON PENINSULA BEGINS ON PAGE 6 0 3.
THE BUDGET OF 355,917 IS AN INCREASE OF 38,635 AND IS IN A PARKS AND REC SPECIAL REVENUE FUND.
PERSONAL SERVICES INCREASES 22,456.
THAT'S THE RESULT OF TEMPORARY SALARIES INCREASING 13,000 4 76 AND RETIREMENT HEALTH SAVINGS INCREASING 8,319.
CONTRACTUAL SERVICES INCREASES 12,100.
THAT'S THE RESULT OF AN INCREASE IN OTHER RENT AND UTILITIES OF 6,000 DUE TO DNR NO LONGER PROVIDING A GRANT.
OTHER ADVERTISING INCREASES 5,000 DUE TO INCREASED RATES AND TO EXPAND AD REACH.
FACILITY REPAIR AND RENOVATIONS INCREASE 5,000 BASED ON ACTUAL EXPENSE HISTORY.
AND THAT'S ALL PARTIALLY OFFSET BY A DECREASE IN GROUNDS.
MAINTENANCE OF 5,000 SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS INCREASES 2000 FOR OTHER SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS FOR A NEW PROJECTOR.
FOR SPECIAL EVENTS, THERE'S NO CHANGE IN BUSINESS AND TRAVEL OR CAPITAL OUTLAY AND MISCELLANEOUS INCREASES 2079 FOR PRO RATTUS SHARES.
AND THEN LAST WE HAVE RECREATION COUNCIL AND SPECIAL ACTIVITIES, WHICH BEGINS ON PAGE 6 0 7.
THERE'S NO CHANGE IN THE DIVISION BUDGET OF 137,118, WHICH PROVIDES FOR OVERTIME FICA CUSTODIAL SERVICES AND RECREATION SUPPLIES, UH, FROM A PARKS AND REC SPECIAL REVENUE FUND.
UM, WE HAVE DIRECTOR MAGNUS AND HIS STAFF HERE THIS MORNING.
I KNOW WE HAVE A PRETTY BUSY MORNING WITH FIVE AGENCIES, SO YOU KNOW, TO THE EXTENT WE CAN MAYBE, UH, KEEP THE DISCUSSION GEARED TOWARD THE BUDGET, WE'D APPRECIATE IT.
UM, AND OF COURSE WE'LL ANSWER ANY AND ALL REQUESTS FOR ADDITIONAL INFO, WHETHER RELATED TO THE BUDGET OR NOT.
UM, WE'LL FOLLOW UP ON THOSE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
I APPRECIATE THAT, BEN, BUT I'M SURE COLLEAGUES ARE GONNA HAVE QUESTIONS THAT MAY NOT BE RELATED TO THE BUDGET AND WE'RE JUST GONNA ENTERTAIN WHATEVER THEY ARE.
HEY, UM, REAL QUICK, KENYON FIELD, THERE WAS SOME DAMAGE DONE TO THE FIELD THERE THAT WAS, UM, YOU GUYS HAD SPENT A, A GOOD DEAL TO GET IT SQUARED AWAY.
I HEARD THERE WERE SOME DAMAGE, BUT ALSO HEARD THAT THERE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A FENCE AROUND THAT FACILITY.
IS THAT COMING? UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT A COUPLE OF IMPROVEMENTS AT THAT SITE.
SO WE, AND ANY TYPE OF TIMEFRAME, UH, WE'RE ACTIVELY IN DESIGN, UM, FOR AN A DA WALKWAY.
SO WE CAN LOOK AT THAT AS PART OF THAT PROCESS ABOUT A FENCE.
UH, IT WOULD BE, WE WOULD LOOK AT SOME TIME THIS SUMMER.
THE IDEA OF BEING HOPEFULLY IN TIME FOR FOOTBALL SEASON.
AND THEN BEN, A QUESTION FOR YOU.
I'M LOOKING AT THE BUDGET IN BRIEF.
AND I'M LOOKING AT THE LINE ON HIM FROM PARKS AND REC AND IT'S, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE CLOSE TO A MILLION DOLLARS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE'RE SHOWING HERE IN THE BUDGET.
IS THAT TYPICAL THAT COULD THAT UM, PROBABLY THE NUMBER YOU'RE LOOKING AT INCLUDES THE, UM, THE CALL CENTERS THAT ARE NOT IN THE GENERAL FUND.
WHEREAS THE NUMBER, I THINK I STARTED OFF WITH THE 12 MILLION, 13 MILLION.
IF YOU LOOK AT IT, IT'S ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS BETWEEN EMERTON OAKINGTON PENINSULA AND THE, THE REC COUNCIL.
ANYONE I THINK HE WANTED, IF I, I'M SORRY.
UM, AGAIN, BEFORE WE BEGIN OUR DISCUSSION, I WANTED TO TAKE A FEW MOMENTS.
UM, ONE TO THANK OUR BUDGET OR TO THANK OUR DEPARTMENT STAFF WHO WORK ON A DAILY BASIS TO PROVIDE PROGRAMMING TO OUR COUNTY CITIZENS AND MAINTAIN OUR COUNTY PARKS, BUILDINGS, TRAILS, AND OTHER AMENITIES BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE.
I WANNA THANK OUR RECREATION COUNCIL PARTNERS THROUGH AN FY 25, PROVIDED OVER 10,000 VOLUNTEERS AND OVER ALMOST 450,000 VOLUNTEER HOURS FOR THE LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF PROGRAMS AND TENS OF THOUSANDS OF MOSTLY
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CHILDREN THAT THEY PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES FOR.UM, WE'VE ALSO BEEN WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS AT THE DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT USING GEOFENCING OF COUNTY PARK SITES TO JUST GIVE US A ROUGH ESTIMATE OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF VISITS TO OUR SITE.
WE JUST GOT THAT INFORMATION YESTERDAY.
AND IN A QUICK REVIEW OF IT, IN CALENDAR YEAR 2025, THE TOTAL NUMBER OF VISITS JUST TO COUNTY PARK SITES WAS 5.1 MILLION.
THIS NUMBER DOES NOT INCLUDE STATE PARKS.
IT DOES NOT INCLUDE MUNICIPAL PARK SITES, NOR DOES IT INCLUDE HARTFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL SITES, WHERE A MAJORITY OR WHERE MANY OF OUR RECREATION COUNCIL ACTIVITIES OCCUR ON EVENINGS AND WEEKENDS.
SO JUST WANTED TO GIVE EVERYBODY SORT OF A CONTEXT OF WHAT WE HANDLE ON A DAILY BASIS.
UH, HERE WITH ME TODAY, I HAVE OUR OPERATING BUDGET PERSON, MIKE SIMON, OUR CHIEF OF RECREATION SERVICES, LISA MGE, AND STEVE KECKS, OUR ADMINISTRATOR OF OUR MAINTENANCE DIVISION.
AND WE CERTAINLY WELCOME ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
THERE'S NO DOUBT YOU DO A GREAT JOB FOR OUR CITIZENS AND OUR CITIZENS RELY ON THE OPEN TRAILS AND, AND SERVICE THAT YOU PROVIDE.
UH, IT MAKES, DOESN'T SURPRISE ME AT ALL THAT WE GET THAT MUCH PARTICIPATION IN ANY OF OUR PARKS AND REC FACILITIES.
SO, UM, AGAIN, WITH, UH, QUESTIONS MS. MOFF.
UM, SO I'M HOPING NOT JUST SOMEWHAT, UH, EASY QUESTIONS.
I JUST WANNA GET A STATUS UPDATE ON SOME OF THE PROJECTS.
THE EMILY BAYLESS GRAHAM, UH, FUTURE CENTER OF THE ARTS.
IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE AIMING FOR IT TO BE COMPLETE IN 2028, IS THAT CORRECT? BUT THAT CONSTRUCTION IS LARGELY BUDGETED FOR THIS YEAR.
WE HAVE BUDGET, A BUDGET REQUEST IN FOR FY 27 THAT WILL ALLOW US TO DO DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF A, UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT DOING A BANDSHELL STYLE FACILITY THERE THAT WOULD ACCOMMODATE FOR LOCAL, UH, EVENTS, UM, CONCERTS AND THINGS ALONG THOSE LINES.
SO WE WILL START THAT PROCESS THIS SUMMER IN EARNEST.
AND THEN OBVIOUSLY AS WE GET INTO THE PROCESS, IT'LL DETERMINE KIND OF WHEN THE ACTUAL, THOSE SCHEDULED TIMELINES FALL INTO PLACE.
I JUST KNOW THE COMMUNITY'S BEEN VERY MUCH LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
SO I THINK I'LL JUST APPRECIATE THE UPDATE.
AND THEN CAN YOU GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION ON THE TERM REPURCHASE OF 25 ACRES FOR THE HEAVENLY WATERS PARK? DID, WAS THAT SOLD AND WE'RE BUYING IT BACK OR? UM, I'M ON THE CAPITAL BUDGET.
DO YOU WANNA 15 HOLD THAT TILL WE GO TO CAPITAL OR DO YOU WANNA UM, WE COULD WAIT.
IS THAT WAY WE'RE ALL LOOKING AT THAT? YEP.
ANY OTHER OPERATING RELATED?
UM, THERAPEUTIC RIDING CENTER IS, IS THAT NEW TO PARKS AND RECS? IS IS THAT THE EXISTING CHESAPEAKE THERAPEUTIC RIDING CENTER AND AND WE'RE HELPING THEM? YEAH.
THAT'S A, UH, ANNUAL GRANT THAT YES, WE PROVIDE TO THE CHESAPEAKE THERAPEUTIC RIDING CENTER.
WHO'S A PARTNER THERE UP AT, UH, POPLAR GROVE PARK.
THEY OWN THE PROPERTY IMMEDIATELY BEHIND IT.
AND AS PART OF THE SUPPORT FOR THE SERVICES THAT THEY PROVIDE, WE PROVIDE THEM A GRANT ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
SO THE GRANT'S PAYING FOR PERSONNEL AND, UM, FACILITIES HELP.
I BELIEVE THEIR GRANT ACTUALLY PAYS FOR THEIR MORTGAGE ON THE PROPERTY ANNUALLY.
'CAUSE THEY'RE PEOPLE IN, IN THE BUDGET.
WHAT, WHAT PAGE YOU LOOKING AT? I THINK SHE'S TALKING ABOUT THE THERAPEUTIC REC SPECIALIST.
IT'S A, I THINK USE THAT ALL THE TIME AS WELL.
SO THAT, SO THEY'RE REALLY NOT PEOPLE WE'RE IT'S A GRANT.
SO I THINK, I THINK, I THINK, YEAH.
WHAT, WHAT PAGE ARE YOU ON? THAT WAY WE KNOW WE'RE THE SAME THING.
I, I THINK WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO IS THE POSITION THAT WE ADDED TO THE BUDGET FOR A THERAPEUTIC RECREATION SPECIALIST, WHICH IS DIFFERENT THAN CHESAPEAKE THERAPEUTIC RIDING, WHICH IS AN E EQU BASED ACTIVITY THAT WE TRIED A GRANT TO.
UM, MY SECOND QUESTION HAS TO DO WITH SWAN HARBOR.
UM, SWAN HARBOR, UM, RECEIVES MONEY FROM THE PEOPLE WHO ARE RENTING IT FOR THEIR WHATEVER EVENT MM-HMM
DOES THAT INCOME SHOW ANYWHERE AS OPPOSED TO DEPARTMENT OF RECS WHERE THE REC COUNCILS ARE USING THE MONEY, BUT SWAN HARBOR IS GETTING FUNDED? YES.
I MEAN THE, THE, THE, WE HAVE A, A SPECIAL REVENUE FUND, UM, FOR, FOR THOSE, UH, KIND OF SEMI ENTERPRISE RELATED, UM, UH, PARKS AND REC PROJECTS LIKE THE, LIKE SWAN HARBOR.
SO THE, THE REVENUE FROM THE RENTAL FACILITY WOULD, WOULD STAY IN THERE.
AND WE NORMALLY THEN USE THOSE, UM, THOSE REVENUES TO PAY FOR, UM, NOT SO MUCH PEOPLE, BUT, BUT TO PAY FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, UPGRADES AND ALL TO THE FACILITIES, MAINTENANCE OF THE FACILITY, THINGS ALONG THOSE, THOSE LINES.
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DON'T SHOW UP IN THE, IN THE, IN THE GENERAL FUND.AND JUST FOR EVERYBODY'S INFORMATION, THE ADVERTISING THAT THEY HAVE FOR SWAN HARBOR IS, IS EQUALS ABOUT THREE MONTHS WORTH OF ADVERTISING.
WEDDING WIRE IS ABOUT $5,000 A A QUARTER
SO THERE'S NOT SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE OVERFUND UNDERFUNDING THAT, SO SOMEHOW THEY'RE PAYING IT FOR IT.
YEAH, WE, OUT OF, WE ACTUALLY REVENUE, WE ACTUALLY DID INCREASE IT FOR NEXT YEAR BECAUSE, UM, THE, THE COST TO ADVERTISE ON WEDDING WIRE HAS INCREASED.
SO WE DID ADD DRAMATICALLY SOME ADDITIONAL.
YES, YES, WE DID ADD SOME ADDITIONAL ADVERTISING COSTS IN THAT CALL CENTER.
PAUL, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UH, AT 13 MILLION, YOU GOT $775 FOR THE PICKLEBALL PAINT UP IN, UH, SILVER PARK.
THE PURCHASE ORDER ACTUALLY HAS ALREADY BEEN ISSUED FOR THAT.
SO THEY WILL BE DOING THAT WORK, UM, BECAUSE OF THE, IT'S WEATHER SENSITIVE.
THEY TYPICALLY DO THAT WORK STARTING THE END OF MAY.
SO IT WOULD BE WITHIN THE NEXT PROBABLY SIX TO EIGHT WEEKS THAT THEY WOULD BE UPDATE.
ANYONE ELSE? MRTS? I, I, I JUST NOTICED YOU HAVE A LOT OF TEMPORARY SALARIES, ESPECIALLY IN THE, UH, EMERSON RECREATION TENANT.
THAT'S ALL TEMPORARY SALARIES.
I JUST WAS WONDERING WHY THAT'S TEMPORARY OR WE ACTUALLY HAVE AN EMPLOYEE AT THE, I JOKINGLY REFER TO AS THE LONGEST SERVING TEMPORARY EMPLOYEE IN COUNTY HISTORY.
UM, DARLENE, UM, WHO HAS BEEN A TEMPORARY EMPLOYEE BECAUSE HER SALARY COMES OUT OF THE EMERTON REC ANTENNA CENTER ACCOUNT.
SO SHE CAN'T BE CONSIDERED FOR COUNTY PURPOSES, A FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE.
BUT DARLENE'S WORKED FOR OUR DEPARTMENT AT THE EMERTON REC ANTENNA CENTER FOR 25, AT LEAST 25 YEARS.
SO THAT'S WHERE THAT MONEY, THAT TEMPORARY, UH, SALARY EMPLOYEE GOES.
ANYONE ELSE? LET'S MOVE TO CAPTAIN CAP.
YOU JUST WANNA, YEAH, I'LL RUN THROUGH SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS AND THEN AGAIN, UH, GOOD MORNING AGAIN.
LET ME GIVE HIM THE RIGHT PAGE.
UH, SO CAPITAL IS ON PAGE 1 76 OF YOUR CAPITAL BOOK IS THE SUMMARY FOR PARKS AND RECREATION.
UM, AGAIN, JUST I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF QUICK, UH, ITEMS. UM, AS PART OF OUR CAPITAL BUDGET FOR FY 27, UH, WE HAVE AGAIN, THE, UM, REMAINING FUNDING, UM, FOR THE, UH, FUTURE ABERDEEN ACTIVITY CENTER.
UM, WE HAVE OUR ATHLETIC FIELD IMPROVEMENTS ACCOUNT, WHICH IS AGAIN, THE REPLACEMENT OF THE SYNTHETIC TURF FIELDS, UH, AT HIGH SCHOOLS, AS WELL AS, UH, FOR NATURAL TURF FIELD, UH, UP UPGRADES AT A NUMBER OF OUR PART FACILITIES OVER THE YEARS.
UM, FOR FY THE FUNDING FOR THIS YEAR, FY 26 ACTUALLY IS BEING USED AT ABERDEEN HIGH SCHOOL.
THAT WORK WILL START ONCE THE SPRING SPORTS SEASON ENDS FOR HARTFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
FY 27 FUNDING WILL BE USED TO REPLACE THE SYNTHETIC TURF FIELD AT FALLSTON HIGH SCHOOL.
UH, WE ALSO, YOU'LL SEE, UM, GUNPOWDER RIVER DREDGING, UM, A LITTLE MORE THAN $2.6 MILLION.
THE BULK OF THAT IS WATERWAY IMPROVEMENT FUNDS.
WE SHOULD HEAR ABOUT THAT IN THE NEXT SIX TO EIGHT WEEKS FROM DNR AS TO WHAT PORTION.
UH, 'CAUSE AGAIN, WE APPLIED FOR A $2.5 MILLION IN WATERWAY IMPROVEMENT FUNDS THAT WILL DO THE DREDGING, UM, OF GUNPOWDER RIVER AND TAYLOR'S CREEK FROM THE JOPPA TOWN BOAT LAUNCH DOWN TO THE, UH, RAILROAD BRIDGE.
WE ALSO HAVE INCLUDED AS PART OF THAT, WHICH WAS IDENTIFIED THIS SPRING BY THE DEPARTMENT, NATURAL RESOURCES, UH, OF SHOAL.
THAT'S OVER BY ONE OF THE OUTFALLS, UM, FROM THE COMMUNITY.
UM, I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER THE NAME OF RAVENSWOOD COURT, I THINK IS THE ROAD THERE.
UM, SO IF WE DREDGE THROUGH THAT, THAT ALSO THEN CONNECTS EXISTING BOATING CHANNELS THAT ARE A LITTLE BIT CLOGGED AT THE MOMENT.
UM, WE HAVE ANOTHER $2.1 MILLION SCHEDULED FOR THE OAKINGTON PENINSULA PARK SYSTEM.
WE ARE AN ACTIVE DESIGN OF THE FIRST PHASE OF THE, UM, WALKING TRAIL THROUGHOUT THAT, UH, THROUGHOUT THAT PARK SYSTEM.
UM, WE CONTINUE OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, BUT AS WELL AS DOING PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENT AT OUR, ALL, ALL OF OUR SITES AS WELL.
UM, YOU'LL ALSO, UM, AGAIN, ANOTHER ONE THAT WE'RE DOING IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
'CAUSE WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TENNIS AND MULTIPURPOSE COURTS AT SCHOOL SITES.
SO AGAIN, YOU'LL SEE ANOTHER 750,000 IN FUNDING FOR THAT.
AND AGAIN, THE BULK OF THAT SPECIFICALLY WILL GO TOWARDS MAGNOLIA MIDDLE SCHOOL, UM, AND THE WORK THAT'S GONNA BE DONE AT THAT FACILITY THERE.
SO WITH THAT, I WILL AGAIN OPEN IT UP TO YOUR QUESTIONS.
YES, YOU ASKED ABOUT, THANK YOU.
I JUST WANNA KNOW, UH, WHAT THE STORY BEHIND THE REPURCHASE OF 25 ACRES FOR HEAVENLY WATERS PARK IS.
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THE, UH, MOUNT SOMA PROPERTY, WHICH IS ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF BEL AIR.UM, YOU MAY RECALL A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO, THE COUNTY SOLD THAT PROPERTY TO MARYLAND AMERICAN WATER WITH THE STIPULATION THAT WHATEVER PORTION OF THE PROPERTY THEY DID NOT USE FOR THEIR WATER IMPOUNDMENT AND OTHER, UM, WATER RELATED, UH, FACILITIES FOR THE TOWN OF BEL AIR WOULD BE SOLD BACK TO THE COUNTY AT THE SAME PRICE THAT WE, THAT THEY PURCHASED IT FROM US.
SO THAT, UM, IS IN ITS FINAL STAGES.
UM, AND ACTUALLY WE ARE USING PROGRAM OPEN SPACE FUNDING, UM, TO PURCHASE THAT PORTION OF THE PROPERTY BACK.
ANYONE ELSE? MR. TIBS? THE QUESTION CENTER, UH, IMPROVEMENT, WHAT TIME PLAN THERE? I BE A MILLION AHEAD.
WE ARE WORKING ON THE DESIGN, UM, TO DO RENOVATIONS TO THE MAIN, UM, PAVILION.
IT'S CALLED A PAVILION, BUT TO THE MAIN, UH, BUILDING THERE AT THE EQUESTRIAN CENTER OVER BY THE RINGS, THE RIDING RINGS.
AND THEN WE ARE ALSO HAVE STARTED THE PROCESS.
WE'VE EXPERIENCED A NUMBER OF ISSUES OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS WITH WATER, THE WATER SYSTEM THERE IN TERMS OF LEAKS.
SO WE'RE DOING A COMPREHENSIVE LOOK AT THAT SYSTEM.
UM, BECAUSE THE OTHER PIECE THAT WE WANT TO, AS WE LOOK TO REPLACE AND UPDATE THAT SYSTEM, WE WANT TO CREATE NEW SHUTOFF POINTS SO THAT, AS AN EXAMPLE, IF THE WATER IS SHUT OFF AT THE EQUESTRIAN CENTER TODAY, IT MEANS THERE'S NO WATER AT OUR MAIN ADMINISTRATION BUILDING.
THERE'S NO WATER TO THE, UM, THE TOLLGATE WOOD SHOP, WHICH ALSO HAS THE PUBLIC RESTROOMS FOR THE MOM PA TRAIL.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT WAYS TO BETTER IMPROVE THAT WATER DELIVERY SYSTEM, NOT JUST FOR THE EQUESTRIAN CENTER, BUT TO THE, UH, CER SURROUNDING PROPERTIES.
HOW ABOUT THE SEWAGE SYSTEM FOR THE HOUSES ACROSS THE ROAD? IS THAT IN THAT PLAN OR? IT IS NOT, BECAUSE AGAIN, THEY ARE THEIR, UM, SEPTIC RESERVE AREA, UM, IS ON THE PROPERTY.
UM, SO, AND THERE'S NOT PUBLIC SEWER READILY AVAILABLE.
THERE'S ONLY PUBLIC WATER AVAILABLE ON TOLLGATE ROAD.
MR. PARISH, JUST ON THE, UH, EMILY BAYLESS GRAND PARK, UH, IT, WE HAVE 3 MILLION IN FUNDING FOR NEXT YEAR BILLION A HALF AND BONDS A MILLION HALF IN.
IS THAT OTHER MONEY FROM THE SOUTHERN LAWRENCE? OTHER LOT, I MEAN OUT OUTSIDE CONTRIBUTIONS.
NORMALLY WHEN YOU SEE OTHER, IT'S, IT'S SOME TYPE OF, YOU NOT, NOT NECESSARILY COUNTY.
IT'S, IT'S NEVER GONNA BE COUNTY FUNDING.
ANYONE ELSE? MS. ROBERT? GOOD MORNING.
I JUST HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE JOPPA TOWN COMMUNITY CENTER.
IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S GOING IN ANOTHER, UM, FY YEAR, BUT WHAT'S THE STATUS OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING WITH THE PARKS AND ALL THE OTHER STUFF THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE CREATED, I BELIEVE? CORRECT.
WE HAVE OUR CONCEPT PLAN IN PLACE AND WE'LL START THE ACTIVE DESIGN DOCUMENT PHASE OF THAT, WHICH INCLUDES THE DAC REVIEW AND ALL THE PUBLIC INPUT.
COMMUNITY INPUT MEETINGS, UM, THIS YEAR.
UM, SO THE IDEA IS THAT WE WOULD BEGIN CONSTRUCTION OF THOSE FIELDS AS THE FIRST PHASE AND THEN FUTURE PHASES WOULD INCLUDE THE FUTURE BUILDING.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR SENDING OVER THE INFORMATION FOR THE ABERDEEN ACTIVITY CENTER.
I KNOW ALL OF THE RESIDENTS ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT PROJECT, SO THANKS.
IS THERE ANY, UM, PLANS TO FIX THE ROAD AT THE EQUESTRIAN CENTER AND OR THE ROAD TO GET OUT THE OTHER WAY THAT WE WERE USING FOR A WHILE TO GET OUT TO IMPROVE THAT SECOND EXIT WHEN IT'S REALLY CROWDED OVER THERE? I KNOW WE USED ONE TEMPORARY, BUT IS THERE A LONG TERM FIX FOR THAT? YOU MEAN THAT THAT COMES OUT ON VA ROAD? YEAH.
UH, ACTUALLY WE ARE IN ACTIVE DESIGN AND WE'LL BE GOING TO CONSTRUCTION, IF NOT THE END, BY THE END OF THIS YEAR, BEGINNING OF NEXT YEAR, VAIL ROAD PARK.
UM, AND THAT WILL BE PART OF THAT PARK SYSTEM.
UM, IT'LL BE, THERE'LL BE A BASEBALL DIAMOND, A SOFTBALL DIAMOND, A COUPLE PICKLEBALL COURTS, AND THEN IT'LL INCLUDE THE ROAD CONNECTION, WHICH WILL ALLOW FOR THOSE LARGER EVENTS AT THE EQUESTRIAN CENTER TO DO, TO SERVE AS A SECONDARY EXIT.
UM, AND THEN WE ARE LOOKING AT DOING A POTENTIAL CONNECTION, UM, FROM THAT FACILITY DOWN TO THE MOM, THE EXISTING MOM PIE TRAIL ALONG TOLLGATE ROAD.
VALE ROAD PARK JUST, UM, IS ON PAGE 40.
UM, BUT THERE'S 2 MILLION IN PRIOR APPROPRIATION TO NOT ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR IT, FOR, FOR, UH, FY 27 UNDER THE CAPITAL.
AND THE TWO ADMINISTRATIVE, OR THE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT AND THE RECREATIONAL SPECIALISTS THAT WERE TRANSFERRED TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ARE THEY STILL SUPPORTING PARKS AND REC WHILE BEING IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT? YEAH, THEY'RE ACTUALLY SUPPORTING THE OPERATIONS AT SWAN HARBOR FARM.
SO THEY'RE FOCUSED MORE ON THE EVENTS PORTION OF IT.
AND THEN OUR STAFF, UM, 'CAUSE WE STILL HAVE OUR LANDSCAPING STAFF THERE, WE STILL HAVE MAINTENANCE STAFF THERE THAT
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GOES ON A REGULAR BASIS, ET CETERA.THE REST OF THE PARK SITE WILL REMAIN OBVIOUSLY UNDER OUR, UH, MAINTENANCE AND, AND OPERATION.
BUT THEY'RE HANDLING AGAIN, THE EVENT.
IF NO OTHER QUESTIONS, THEN THAT'LL DO IT.
HUMAN RESOURCES BEGINS ON PAGE 2 48.
THE DEPARTMENT BUDGET OF 6,245,931 SPREAD ACROSS THREE FUNDS AND IS AN INCREASE OF 143,667 OR 2.4%.
THE DIRECTOR'S OFFICE BEGINS ON PAGE 2 52.
THE DIVISION BUDGET OF 1,492,782 IS AN INCREASE OF 31,589 WITHIN THE GENERAL FUND.
PERSONAL SERVICES INCREASE IS 34,739.
SAVINGS OF 69,942, SALARY ADJUSTMENT OF 27,273 AND MERIT TOTALING 56,573.
HEALTH BENEFITS INCREASED 14,000 OPEP DECREASES 4,532.
RETIREMENT HEALTH SAVINGS INCREASES.
3002 64 CONTRACTUAL SERVICES INCREASED 250 FOR OFFICE EQUIPMENT, SERVICE SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS.
DECREASES 900 FOR GENERAL OFFICE SUPPLIES, MAILING AND DELIVERY CHARGES.
BUSINESS AND TRAVEL DECREASES 2,500 FOR LODGING, TRANSPORTATION COSTS AND TRAINING.
AND THERE'S NO CHANGE IN INTERGOVERNMENTAL PERSONNEL MATTERS BEGINS ON PAGE 2 56.
THE TOTAL BUDGET OF 4,753,149 IS AN INCREASE OF 112,078 OR 2.4%.
THE PERSONNEL MATTERS BUDGET IS A MULTI FUNDED, MULTI FUNDED BUDGET THROUGH THE GENERAL FUND HIGHWAYS FUND AND WATER AND SEWER FUND, AND PROVIDES FOR EXPENSES SUCH AS LEAD PAYOUTS, TUITION REIMBURSEMENT, SERVICE AWARDS, CONFIDENTIAL PERSONNEL EXPENSES, AND OTHER EMPLOYMENT RELATED COSTS.
HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ON HRS BUDGET.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT HEALTH STARTS.
HOW MUCH DID OUR HEALTH INSURANCE GO UP FROM LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR? PERCENTAGE WISE? I GUESS FIVE.
AND ARE WE ABSORBING IT OR PASSING IT ON? UM, SO PART OF IT WILL BE PASSED ON TO THE EMPLOYEE, THE U THE USUAL SPLIT THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING FOR YEARS.
SO, WELL, I KNOW ONE YEAR WE, WE COR THAT IS, THAT IS CORRECT.
WHEN WE WEREN'T ABLE TO DO, TO DO RAISES, UM, OR WE WEREN'T ABLE TO DO RAISES IMMEDIATELY.
I KNOW WE, WE, WE ABSORBED IT ALL.
BUT IN THIS CASE, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S ALMOST, IT'S LIKE A 95 5 SPLIT.
SO, UM, CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT IT COST PER INDIVIDUAL, ROUGHLY? IS THERE A NUMBER THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE AND FOR A HUSBAND AND WIFE AND FOR A FAMILY? I, I KNOW I ASKED, I I THINK I WAS ASKING FOR THAT, BUT, SO WE HAVE, YES, WE HAD THAT BROKEN OUT.
WE CAN GET YOU THE, THE BREAKDOWN.
AND AND THE REASON WHY IS I'D LIKE TO KNOW THAT NUMBER 'CAUSE I'D LIKE TO COMPARE IT WITH WHAT'S IN THE OPEN MARKET, WHAT SOMEBODY HAS TO PAY IF THEY WEREN'T A COUNTY EMPLOYEE.
AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT.
SO, UM, I DO KNOW OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD THAT WHEN WE, WHEN WE BUDGET FOR POSITION HEALTH AND DENTAL, WE USE A BLENDED RATE, WHICH TOTALS 21,775 FOR HEALTH AND DENTAL.
UM, BUT THAT IS SORT OF LIKE THE AVERAGE TAKING INTO ACCOUNT FA FULL FAMILY INSURANCE, WHICH IS GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, WE'LL GET THE EXACT TOTAL BUT PUSHING 30,000 VERSUS INDIVIDUAL, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, LESS THAN 15,000.
BUT WE'LL GET YOU THE EXACT NUMBERS.
BUT I MEAN, THAT'S THE COUNTY SHARE OF THAT THE EMPLOYEE SHARE IS, IS, IS SOMETHING LIKE $50 OR, OR, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND THAT, AND THAT'S THE NUMBER I'M LOOKING FOR.
I MEAN, YOU'RE LOOKING FOR THAT EMPLOYEE.
SO JUST, I HAVE THIS RIGHT NOW.
DO YOU JUST WANT THEM OR DO YOU WANT ME TO READ THEM TO READ THEM PLEASE? SURE.
UM, SO REMEMBER WE HAVE A PRIOR TO 2010, AND THEN WE AFTER 2010.
SO WE'LL DO, UM, THE AFTER 2010.
SO FOR AN INDIVIDUAL, IT'S GONNA BE $24 AND 64 CENTS PER PAYCHECK.
SO THAT'S TWO PAYCHECKS A MONTH.
THE DIFFERENCE FROM LAST YEAR IS A DOLLAR 15 CENTS.
SO THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE THAT THE EMPLOYEE IS PAYING.
SO, AND REASON I'M DOING THIS IS SO THAT IT'S PUBLIC RECORD, BUT FOR A FAMILY MM-HMM
[00:30:01]
FAMILY RATE IN THE INDIVIDUAL MARKET BETWEEN 40 AND AGE 50 AVERAGES BETWEEN 1,420 $500 A MONTH.SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY'S CLEAR ON THAT, WHAT THE COST IS AND HOW MUCH THAT THAT BENEFIT IS WORTH.
AS A COUNTY EMPLOYEE, WHEN YOU GO TO 51 TO 60, THE RATE JUMPS FROM 2200 TO 3,200, AND FROM 61 TO 65, 3 GRAND TO 4,200 PER MONTH FOR, FOR HEALTH INSURANCE.
NOW ON A HUSBAND AND WIFE MARKET, UM, 40 TO 50 IS 1200 TO 2050.
ONE TO 60 IS 2000 TO THREE GRAND, AND 61 TO 50 IS 2,800 TO 3,600.
I DID NOT DO THE INDIVIDUAL, BUT OBVIOUSLY IT'S, IT'S LESS THAN THAT.
UH, JUST WANNA DO THE COMPARISON SO THAT PEOPLE CAN HEAR THAT THERE IS A MAJOR DIFFERENCE, UM, THAT THE COUNTY DOES, YOU KNOW, PICK UP A FAIR SHARE THAT THE INSURANCE COSTS AND WHAT THE EMPLOYEE DOES PAY BASED ON A MONTHLY BASIS.
AND, AND ALL OF THE EMPLOYEES WOULD, I MEAN, WOULD PAY THE SAME.
SO WE OLDER EMPLOYEES DON'T PAY MORE THAN YOUNGER EMPLOYEES.
THERE'S A DIFFERENT RATE FOR RETIREES.
BUT, BUT IF YOU'RE SURE WE DON'T HAVE, IF YOU'RE IN YOUR FIFTIES LIKE ME, YOU PAY THE SAME AS A EMPLOYEE IN THEIR TWENTIES.
AND THAT'S CERTAINLY, WE ALL HAVE OUR AGE BRACKETS HERE.
BUT, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, THAT, THAT'S, THAT IS A, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE JUST THE COST FOR SOMEBODY TO GO OUT IN THE MARKET AND GET THAT INSURANCE, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT IT WOULD COST THEM.
SO, BUT THAT, THIS IS, THAT WAS JUST, I LIKE TO DO THIS EVERY YEAR SO THAT PEOPLE KNOW.
AND I, YOU KNOW, AND I WANTED TO KNOW THE COST INCREASE, WHICH TO SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW, THAT'S MINIMAL.
UM, JUST SO EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT THE INDIVIDUAL MARKET, UM, IS A 13.4% INCREASE ACROSS MARYLAND TOTAL.
SO THAT LITTLE INCREASE THAT PEOPLE ARE PAYING IS NOWHERE NEAR INDICATIVE OF THE INDIVIDUAL MARKET.
UM, BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD, ONE OF THE LARGEST INSURANCE IN MARYLAND WANTED A 17% INCREASE IN THE INDIVIDUAL MARKET.
UM, SO JUST TO GIVE SOME PEOPLE AN IDEA OF, OF WHAT THAT IS.
AND, UH, ANYWAY, THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I HAVE.
COME VISIT US AT OPEN ENROLLMENT STARTS MAY 11TH.
THERE'S A LOT OF, THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD STUFF THERE AND A LOT OF PEOPLE, THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT, UH, PROGRAMS AND I CERTAINLY DO APPRECIATE THAT, THAT YOU GUYS HAVE LOOKED INTO BRINGING IN DIFFERENT VENDORS AND GIVING PEOPLE DIFFERENT OPTIONS.
UM, AND THAT YOU HAVE THE PEOPLE IN THERE THAT'LL TALK TO PEOPLE AND MAKE THEM UNDERSTAND.
I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND WE SHOULD ALSO THAT, THAT THOSE RATES THAT THE EMPLOYEES ARE PAYING, UM, NONE OF THAT IS, IS COVERING UNDER LIKE THE NEW EMPLOYEE HEALTH CLINIC THAT IS A HUNDRED PERCENT COVERED BY, BY THE COUNTY.
SO IN ADDITION TO, TO THE, YOU KNOW, UM, OUTSIDE HEALTH INSURANCE THAT THEY HAVE, THEY ALSO HAVE FULL ACCESS TO THAT AT, AT NO COST AT ALL.
THAT THEY'RE, THAT THEY'RE, UM, BEARING.
AND TIFFANY, TELL US WHAT THE EMPLOYEE CLINIC, WHAT, WHAT THEY CAN GET AT THE EMPLOYEE CLINIC.
SO IT'S CALLED MARATHON HEALTH.
UM, AND IT'S RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE HOSPITAL, UH, UPPER CHE CHESAPEAKE.
UM, THEY, YOU CAN GO THERE FOR MORE OF LIKE YOUR, I WOULDN'T SAY URGENT MEDICAL NEEDS, BUT PINK EYE, COMMON COLD ALLERGIES, UH, ANY OF THOSE THINGS, SPRAINS, STRAINS, ANY OF THOSE ITEMS. UM, THEY ALSO ZERO COST TO THE EMPLOYEE AND TO THEIR DEPENDENT AS LONG AS THEY'RE COVERED UNDER OUR HEALTH INSURANCE.
UM, AND IT DOES COVER RETIREES UNDER THE AGE OF 65.
UM, SO NO MEDICARE, UH, PATIENTS AT THE HEALTH CENTER, DO THEY NEED AN EMPLOY, UH, AN APPOINTMENT? YES, THEY DO NEED AN APPOINTMENT.
YOU CAN CALL, THEY DO DO WALK-INS AS WELL.
UM, THEY'RE ALSO DOING OUR OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH, SO OUR PRE-EMPLOYMENT PHYSICALS AND DRUG SCREENS.
UM, DO THEY DO, DO THEY DO, UM, IF SOMEBODY HAS AN ACCIDENT, DO YOU GUYS SEND 'EM THERE TO CHECK CHECK IF THEY'RE HAVE ANY DRUGS ON THEIR SYSTEM AS WELL? YES, WE ABSOLUTELY DO.
UM, AND THEN THEY ALSO DO HAVE, UH, PRESCRIPTIONS THERE AT ZERO COST TO THE EMPLOYEE AND THEIR DEPENDENTS.
UM, MORE ALONG LIKE YOUR FLOW NASE YOUR AMOXICILLIN, YOU KNOW, YOUR, YOUR LOW LEVEL.
UM, BUT YOU CAN ALSO GET A 90 DAY SCRIPT THERE FOR SOME BLOOD PRESSURE MEDICINES, AGAIN, AT A ZERO COST.
UM, YOU JUST HAVE TO GET IT FILLED THERE.
HOW DO YOU FIND OUT WHAT THEY COVER? IS THERE A LIST? CAN YOU CALL THEM AND THEY SAY, HERE'S THE MEDICINES WE COVER.
UH, YOU WOULD HAVE TO GO IN AND VISIT, VISIT BECAUSE THEY, THEY HAVE TO SEE YOU FOR A PRESCRIPTION.
AND WHAT IS THE COST SAVINGS THAT THIS PROGRAM HAS GENERATED SO FAR? IT'S, IT'S SOMEWHAT HARD TO, TO TELL AT THIS POINT, AND WE'RE WORKING WITH, WITH THEM.
BUT WHEN WE SIGN THE CONTRACT, THEY, UM, WE RECEIVED A ONE FOR ONE PERFORMANCE GUARANTEE SO THAT WHATEVER, IF WE DON'T REALIZE SAVINGS OVER THE END OF THIS FIVE YEAR PERIOD, UM, THAT EQUALS THE COST OF RUNNING THE CLINIC AND THE COST OF RUNNING THE CLINICS AROUND, UM, AROUND $10 MILLION, AROUND $2 MILLION A YEAR, THAT WILL BE REFUNDED THAT, THAT AMOUNT.
SO, UM, WE REALLY DO THINK THAT THIS
[00:35:01]
IS 'CAUSE 'CAUSE WE JUST, JUST ANECDOTALLY, YOU KNOW, THAT IF A PERSON IS, IS NOT GOING TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM, WE'RE GOING TO URGENT CARE AND THEY'RE GOING THERE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO PAY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SELF-INSURED, SO WE PAY ALL OF THAT COST, WHATEVER THE HOSPITAL URGENT CARE WOULD, WOULD RELAY UPON US.AND THAT DOESN'T EVEN SET ASIDE HOW MUCH WE'RE GONNA SAVE ON THE, UM, AND EVEN THAT SAVINGS DOESN'T INCLUDE WHAT WE'RE GONNA SAVE ON OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND PRE-EMPLOYMENT PHYSICALS.
UM, IT, THIS, IT SHOULD BE, IT SHOULD BE A SIGNIFICANT, SIGNIFICANT SAVINGS.
THE ONLY, THE ONLY ISSUE THAT I SEE IS THAT YOU NEED AN APPOINTMENT, WHEREAS IF YOU GO SOMEWHERE ELSE, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THOSE, YOU DON'T NEED AN APPOINTMENT.
THEY HAVE SAME DAY, SAME DAY APPOINTMENTS, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE ANYTHING IF HEY, I'M, THEY ALSO HAVE E-VISIT, THEY ALSO DO VIRTUAL VISITS.
SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO, DO WE KNOW HOW BUSY THEY ARE THAT THEY CAN'T TAKE WALK-INS? THEY, THEY CAN TAKE WALK-INS.
UM, YOU MAY JUST HAVE TO WAIT A MINUTE.
SO WELL, YOU, YOU GO TO SOME OF THESE OTHER PLACES AND YOU'RE WAITING HOURS.
SO, SO IF YOU'RE WAITING, YES, WE HAVE TO BE WAITING HOURS, YOU KNOW, 45 MINUTES OR SOMETHING.
BUT IT'S ALSO WHERE YOU CAN GO AND GET YOUR PCP, YOUR ANNUAL PHYSICALS.
UM, SO A LOT OF OUR EMPLOYEES HAVE SWITCHED THEIR PCP OR THEIR PCP HAS BECOME CONCIERGE SERVICE, WHICH IS VERY EXPENSIVE.
UM, SO THEY'VE CHANGED THEIR PROVIDER TO BE MARATHON HEALTH KIDS SPORTS PHYSICALS AS WELL.
UH, I'M ON PAGE 2 58 AND UNDER LEGAL SERVICES, CONTRACTUAL, IT SEEMS TO HAVE JUMPED FROM 13,000 TO 113,000.
CAN YOU GIVE SOME INSIGHT FOR WHAT CONTRACTUAL LEGAL SERVICES ARE AND THE NEED FOR THE JUMP? I THINK IN THAT CASE, UM, THERE, THERE'S A NUMBER OF, UM, SORT OF NEW LAWS, NEW THINGS COMING AS THEY RELATE TO LIKE F-S-L-A-F-L-S-A, I GET THIS MYSELF, UM, UH, BOTH FROM THE FEDERAL AND STATE GOVERNMENT.
UM, SO WE THOUGHT WE MAY NEED FOR THAT AND OTHER THINGS MAY NEED TO PUT A LITTLE BIT EXTRA IN THERE JUST TO, YOU KNOW, IN CASE IN CASE IT'S NEEDED.
UM, BUT OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, WE ONLY USE IT IF IT'S NEEDED AND WE HOPE IT'S NOT NEEDED.
YOU KNOW, LIKE EVERYWHERE ELSE IN, IN COUNTY GOVERNMENT, WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, US OR YOU KNOW, COUNTY COUNCIL HAS LEGAL SERVICES.
YOU DON'T WANT TO SPEND IT ALL, BUT IT'S THERE IF YOU NEED IT.
SO, SO DOES ANY OF THAT MONEY RELATE TO THE PASSAGE OF THE UNION BILL THAT YOU'VE GOTTA PUT MONEY AWAY FOR LEGAL SERVICES IF WE HAVE THEM? I MEAN, I REMEMBER TIFFANY, YOU TALKING ABOUT THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE TO HIRE SOMEBODY FOR, FOR THIS.
HAVE WE HAD ANY CASES YET? OKAY.
IS THERE A REASON WHY WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY CASES YET? HAVE THEY COME AND SAID ANYTHING OR IS THERE SO WE CAN EVERYTHING IN-HOUSE, UM, AND WE GO THROUGH THE PAB IF THERE ARE ANY ISSUES.
SO WE HAVE NOT HAD TO GO BEYOND THE PAB AT THIS POINT.
SO DID IS, ARE WE PUTTING IN PLACE ANY STAFF OR ANYTHING IN CASE SOMETHING DOES COME UP THAT WE HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, PAY FOR THAT OUTTA THAT THAT'S NOT PART OF THAT LEGAL SERVICES? OKAY.
I MEAN WE, WELL THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING.
WE HAVEN'T ADDED ANY STAFF, BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, IF, SO IT WAS PART OF THAT LEGAL MONEY THAT YOU PUT AWAY IN ANTICIPATION IF WE HAVE SOME KIND OF A CASE, I THINK IT'S JUST ANTICIPATED IN ANTICIPATION OF A NUMBER OF THINGS AND YES, THAT COULD BE ONE OF A A A MULTITUDE OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
PROCUREMENT BEGINS ON PAGE 1 68.
THE DEPARTMENT HAS TWO DIVISIONS, ONE IN THE GENERAL FUND AND ONE IN THE HIGHWAYS FUND WITH A TOTAL BUDGET OF 15,398,084, WHICH IS AN INCREASE OF 497,191 OR 3.3%.
PROCUREMENT OPERATIONS BEGINS ON PAGE 1 74.
THE DIVISION BUDGET OF 1,381,580 IS AN INCREASE OF 79,977.
PERSONAL SERVICES INCREASES 76,477.
THAT'S THE RESULT OF SALARY ADJUSTMENTS OF 19,374, PARTIALLY OFFSET BY TURNOVER SAVINGS OF 4,856 COLA AND MERIT, TOTALING 52,585.
TEMPORARY SALARIES DECREASED, 10,000 PENSION INCREASES.
10,261 HEALTH BENEFITS INCREASED 12,600.
OP E INCREASES 1,609 AND RETIREMENT HEALTH SAVINGS DECREASES 4,689.
[00:40:01]
THERE'S NO CHANGE IN CONTRACTUAL SERVICES, SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS DECREASES 500 FOR PRINTING BUSINESS AND TRAVEL INCREASES 4,000 FOR TRAINING.AND THERE'S NO CHANGE IN INTERGOVERNMENTAL.
FLEET MANAGEMENT BEGINS ON PAGE 1 78.
THE DIVISION BUDGET OF 1 MILLION 381 580 IS AN INCREASE OF 79,977.
UH, PERSONAL SERVICES INCREASES MM-HMM
THAT'S A RESULT OF SALARY ADJUSTMENTS OF $16.
TEMPORARY SALARIES INCREASED 10,800.
MERIT TOTALING 20 2001 11 PENSION INCREASES 3,376.
HEALTH BENEFITS INCREASED 5,600 AND RETIREMENT HEALTH SAVINGS INCREASED 1037 CONTRACTUAL SERVICES INCREASES 196,300 FOR SOFTWARE RELATED TO THE TELEMATICS SYSTEM.
PARTIALLY OFFSET BY A DECREASE IN HEATING FUEL SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS INCREASES.
182,729 FOR DIESEL FUEL AND GASOLINE, UH, BASED ON ACTUALS AND PROJECTED RATE ADJUSTMENTS.
BUSINESS AND TRAVEL DECREASES 5,001 50 FOR COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH TRAVEL AS WELL AS FOR PROFESSIONAL BOOKS.
AND THAT'S THE OPERATING FOR PROCUREMENT ANSWER.
MORNING, HOW ARE YOU? I'M DOING WELL.
UM, QUESTIONS MS. IMO? GOOD MORNING.
UM, SO I'M ON PAGE 1 77, AND THIS MIGHT BE A SILLY QUESTION, BUT I KNOW WE HAVE $10 MILLION BUDGETED FOR PROPERTY PROCUREMENT IN THIS BUDGET, BUT, UM, SINCE THERE'S NO STAFF DESIGNATED TO PROPERTY PROCUREMENT WHO, WHOSE, UH, DUTY IS THAT? YEAH, THE PROPERTY ACQUISITION FUNCTION OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT WAS MOVED TO THE LAW DEPARTMENT.
SO YOU SEE THE REASON WE KEEP THIS PAGE IN, BECAUSE YOU STILL SEE THE FY 24 AUDITED MM-HMM
SO WE, WE, WE SHOW THAT INFORMATION IN HERE AND THEN YOU'LL SEE STARTING IN FY 25, YOU'LL SEE THAT INFORMATION OVER IN THE LAW DEPARTMENT.
UM, AND THEN NEXT YEAR, NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET, WHEN FY 24 COMES OFF, IT'LL FALL OFF.
ANYONE ELSE? OH, DON'T LET 'EM OFF THAT EASY,
NO, I WILL SAY, AS I'VE SAID MANY, MANY TIMES OVER, UM, YOU GUYS DO AN OUTSTANDING JOB.
THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT.
UM, AND I APPRECIATE, UH, WHEN WE'RE SITTING IN BOARD OF ESTIMATES, THE DETAILS THAT YOU PROVIDE, UH, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT NEW PURCHASES, UM, AND VALUE OF WHAT WE'RE REPLACING.
SO, UH, THANKS FOR, I'LL JUST DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO ONE CAPITAL PROJECT.
SO, UM, IN, IN THE CAPITAL BOOK ON PAGE 63 IS OUR PROJECT FOR GENERAL FLEET REPLACEMENT.
AND FOR NEXT YEAR WE'RE PUTTING 1 MILLION IN PEGO.
UM, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF OTHER PLACES IN THE CAPITAL BUDGET WHERE THERE IS FLEET REPLACEMENT, FOR EXAMPLE, SHERIFF'S OFFICE FLEET REPLACEMENT, DES, FLEET REPLACEMENT HIGHWAYS, FLEET REPLACEMENT.
WE, WE ADDRESS THOSE WHEN, WHEN THOSE DEPARTMENTS ARE HERE.
BUT THE, THE, YOU KNOW, THE FUNCTION OF PURCHASING THE VEHICLES AND SO FORTH IS, IS DONE THROUGH, UH, TIFFANY TIFFANY'S OFFICE, UM, IN FLEET MANAGEMENT.
SO IS THERE ANY QUESTION ON GENERAL FLEET REPLACEMENT OR ANYTHING RELATED? OKAY.
ARE ANY OF THOSE VEHICLES GONNA BE ELECTRIC? NO.
SO WHEN IT COMES TO, UM, ELECTRIC VEHICLES, UM, THE INFRASTRUCTURE RIGHT NOW IS NOT THERE TO SUPPORT THEM.
UM, AND EVEN THE, WHEN YOU'RE WORKING ON THEM, YOU NEED TO HAVE SPECIAL CERTIFICATIONS FOR OUR TECHNICIANS.
UH, THE MAINTENANCE IS A LITTLE BIT HIGHER, THE COST OF THE UNIT IS A LITTLE BIT HIGHER.
UM, AND ALSO ONE THING THAT YOU SOMETIMES DON'T THINK ABOUT IS THE, WHEN YOU HAVE TO, UM, SURPLUS THE BATTERIES THAT ARE IN THEM, IT IS HARD TO FIND A PLACE TO SURPLUS THOSE BATTERIES.
UH, SO AS OF RIGHT NOW, THERE IS NOTHING, UM, ON THE HORIZON FOR EV, BUT WE ARE LOOKING AT HYBRIDS, UH, THIS YEAR TO DO SOMETHING, UH, WITH THE HYBRID UNITS.
ANYONE ELSE? WE GOOD? THANK YOU.
MARCUS, LOOK AT ALL THIS TIME.
YOU HAVE, YOU HAD, YOU THOUGHT YOU WERE GONNA BE TIED UP FOR A WHILE,
[00:45:01]
UH, NEXT IS THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, WHICH BEGINS ON PAGE 2 98.
THE COUNTY IS PROVIDING 5,455,950 FOR FY 27 FOR AN INCREASE OF 299,176 OR 5.8%.
PERSONAL SERVICES INCREASES 34,652.
AND THAT PROVIDES FOR STIPENDS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH EMPLOYEES AND IS INCREASED TO REFLECT ACTUALS.
CONTRACTUAL SERVICES INCREASES 8,253 FOR OFFICE SPACE LEASES AND MISCELLANEOUS INCREASES 256,271 TO PROVIDE FULL FUNDING OF THE AGENCY REQUEST FOR A 4% OVERALL INCREASE TO ALLOW FOR MAINTAINING CURRENT STAFFING LEVELS AND TO COVER COLAS IN LINE WITH THE STATE BUDGET.
AND ADDITIONALLY, THE COUNTY'S PROVIDING $50,000 FOR A NEW ORAL RABIES VACCINE PROGRAM AT THE REQUEST OF THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
THAT'LL TURN IT OVER TO THE GOOD MORNING, LAURA.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE SOME BRIEF REMARKS.
UM, BEFORE I BEGIN, UM, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE MY COLLEAGUES FROM THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, UM, LVNA BALKER, DEPUTY HEALTH OFFICER FOR OPERATIONS.
JAMIE SVE, MEDICAL DEPUTY HEALTH OFFICER, VENA MERCADO, DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES, OUR NEW DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES.
WE'RE DELIGHTED THAT SHE'S JOINED US.
ANDREA PAPPAS, DIRECTOR OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH FRIEND OF THE COUNCIL.
JOHN RELINE, WHAT? DIRECTOR OF WHAT?
SARAH MOORE, DIRECTOR OF FAMILY HEALTH AND RANYA NASSAR, DIRECTOR OF POPULATION HEALTH.
SO I'D LIKE TO THANK COUNTY EXECUTIVE LEY AND HIS ADMINISTRATION FOR INCLUDING OUR REQUEST IN THE PROPOSED FY 27 BUDGET.
I ALSO WANNA EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION TO COUNCIL PRESIDENT VINCENTI AND ALL OF YOU ON THE COUNTY COUNCIL FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION OF THIS REQUEST.
WE'RE REQUESTING A 4% INCREASE OVER OUR FY 26 ALLOCATION.
IT WILL ALLOW US TO SUPPORT COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENTS AND RELATED BENEFIT INCREASES INCLUDED IN THE STATE'S FY 27 BUDGET.
IT ALSO INCLUDES FUNDS TO INITIATE AN ORAL RABIES VACCINE PROGRAM IN HARTFORD COUNTY.
AS YOU MAY RECALL, THIS INITIATIVE WAS PRESENTED BY MY COLLEAGUES BONNIE HARBIN AND LUX AT OUR BOARD OF HEALTH MEETING PA THIS PAST FALL.
AND WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE THIS IMPORTANT PREVENTED PREVENTION EFFORT FORWARD.
THIS IS A CHALLENGING TIME FOR PUBLIC HEALTH.
THE STATE BUDGET FOR FY 27 INCLUDES A $118,000 CUT TO OUR CORE PUBLIC HEALTH FUNDING.
IN ADDITION, THERE'S A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY ABOUT THE FEDERAL FUNDING OUTLOOK.
SO I'M ESPECIALLY GRATEFUL TO SERVE IN A COUNTY THAT RECOGNIZES THAT INVESTING IN PUBLIC HEALTH IS AN INVESTMENT IN THE HEALTH OF HARFORD COUNTY COUNTY FUNDING SUPPORTS CRITICAL OPERATIONS ACROSS OUR DEPARTMENT.
IT FULLY SUPPORTS OUR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH BUREAU, WHICH PLAYS A VITAL ROLE IN PROTECTING RESIDENTS THROUGH EFFORTS RELATED TO RABIES PREVENTION, VECTOR-BORNE DISEASE CONTROL, FOOD SAFETY, AND WATER QUALITY.
IT ALSO SUPPORTS OUR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH BUREAU, INCLUDING THE DEDICATED CLINICIANS, COUNSELORS, AND PEER RECOVERY SPECIALISTS WHO PROVIDE ESSENTIAL MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER SERVICES, GUIDING INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES ON THEIR PATH TO RECOVERY.
IN MY FIRST EIGHT MONTHS IN MY ROLE, THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH NEEDS OF THE COUNTY RESIDENTS, PARTICULARLY OUR YOUNG PEOPLE, HAS COME UP AGAIN AND AGAIN AS A TOP PRIORITY FOR THE COMMUNITY.
WE ARE EXPLORING WAYS TO EXPAND OUR PROGRAMMING AND WORK MORE CLOSELY WITH OUR PARTNER TO BETTER MEET THOSE NEEDS.
WE TAKE OUR RESPONSIBILITY AS STEWARDS OF PUBLIC FUNDS VERY SERIOUSLY, AND WE CONTINUE TO PURSUE OPPORTUNITIES FOR GRANT FUNDING FOR IMPROVED DEFICIENCY IN OUR PROGRAMS AND PROCESSES, AND ENHANCE COLLABORATION WITH PARTNERS TO BE ABLE TO MORE EFFECTIVELY MARSHAL COMBINE RESOURCES TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY.
I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY LAST NIGHT AND THE NIGHT BEFORE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PEACH BOTTOM RADIOLOGICAL EXERCISE.
UM, AND IT REALLY WAS SUCH A CLEAR DEMONSTRATION OF THE POWER OF PARTNERSHIPS IN HARTFORD COUNTY.
I'M SO GRATEFUL TO OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY SERVICES PARTNERS.
I'M SO PROUD OF THE WORK THAT THEY DID OVER THE LAST TWO DAYS IN THAT EXERCISE, WHICH ENSURES THAT WE ARE PREPARED IN THE EVENT OF AN INCIDENT AT THE PEACH BOTTOM FACILITY.
SO BUILDING ON THOSE PARTNERSHIPS IS SOMETHING WE REALLY WANNA FOCUS ON IN THE YEAR AHEAD.
AND ALL OF THAT WORK IS MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH YOUR SUPPORT AND THE STRONG PARTNERSHIPS WE HAVE WITH ALL OF YOU AND WITH COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR COLLABORATION, FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF PUBLIC HEALTH.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND THANK YOU FOR THE TIME, UH, YOU SPENT WITH MY COLLEAGUES AND I, UH, THIS PAST MONDAY, I BELIEVE IT WAS.
UM, AND YOU ANSWERED QUITE A FEW QUESTIONS FOR US THAT DAY.
BUT, UM, AND AS FAR AS JOHN BEING A FRIEND OF THE COUNCIL, I HAVEN'T SPOKEN TO JOHN IN QUITE SOME TIME, WHICH IS A PLEASURE.
I MEAN, REALLY WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY ISSUES AT ALL TO REPORT.
WELL, MAYBE, MAYBE THIS ONE DOES, BUT I HAVEN'T HAD ANY.
SO, UM, IT IS A, IT IS A PLEASURE TO WORK WITH ALL OF YOU TO KNOW ALL OF YOU AND WE'RE
[00:50:01]
GRATEFUL AND BLESSED TO HAVE YOU AT THE HELM RIGHT NOW.SO, UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MS. ROBERT? YES, THANK YOU LAUREN.
UM, QUESTION, UM, WHO'S INCLUDED IN THE TEMPORARY SALARIES THAT I SEE LISTED? UM, ARE THEY JUST, UM, SOME PEOPLE JUST ARE TEMPORARY SALARIED OR, SO THAT IS ACTUALLY FOR, UM, STIPENDS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH EMPLOYEES.
THAT WAS PUT IN PLACE A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO, UM, WHEN THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT WAS FINDING IT DIFFICULT TO, UM, FILL POSITIONS AND, AND KEEP FOLKS ON BOARD.
UM, AND SO THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COUNTY, WE PROVIDE SOME MONEY TO SORT OF POP UP THEIR SALARIES MM-HMM
AND THAT THAT'S WHAT THAT'S FOR.
IT HAS MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN THE RETENTION OF OUR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH STAFF.
SO WE ARE INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL FOR THAT INVESTMENT.
AND THEN THE OTHER THING IS, I KNOW YOU AND I HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT OUTREACHING TO THE COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY THE ONES ON THE SOUTHERN END BECAUSE OF TRANSPORTATION.
UM, DO YOU HAVE THE FUNDING TO BE ABLE TO START DOING THAT? UM, OUTREACH A LITTLE BIT MORE? HAS THAT BEEN ADDRESSED WHEN YOU SO I, I'M STILL WAITING FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS.
I THINK WE HAD TALKED PREVIOUSLY IN ONE OF OUR MEETINGS ABOUT THE RURAL HEALTH TRANSFORMATION PROGRAM FUNDS THAT WE'RE EXPECTING.
AND SO WE ARE EXPECTING A FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT FOR MOBILE HEALTH SERVICES.
I KNOW THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU AND I TALKED ABOUT MM-HMM
UM, AND SO WE'VE HAD SOME PRELIMINARY CONVERSATIONS WITH HIS PARTNERS.
I'M STILL WAITING TO GET SOME MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PARAMETERS OF THAT FUNDING TO REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT WE CAN USE IT FOR.
UM, BUT DEFINITELY WANNA HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH YOU AND, YOU KNOW, CONTINUE OUR CONVERSATION FROM A FEW MONTHS AGO ABOUT HOW WE CAN, YOU KNOW, BEST PROVIDE SERVICES THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
UM, I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO LAUNCH SOME PRETTY GREAT INITIATIVES OVER THE LAST YEAR, ESPECIALLY WITH SOME GRANT FUNDING.
HOW ARE YOU GUYS LOOKING AS FAR AS BEING ABLE TO REAPPLY FOR THOSE GRANTS, UM, FROM THE GUN, UH, LOCKING, UH, SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN THAT YOU GUYS DID TO, I'VE NOTICED A SIGN, I'M GONNA KNOCK ON WOOD, A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN THE RABIES EMAILS THAT WE'RE GETTING
SO I'D LIKE TO BELIEVE THAT OUR RABIES, UM, PACKET VACCINATIONS ARE WORKING.
SO HOW ARE WE LOOKING AS FAR AS LIKE RENEWING THESE GRANTS? SO WE HAVE BEEN VERY, UH, AGGRESSIVE IN OUR PURSUIT OF GRANT FUNDING THIS YEAR.
UM, REALLY TAKING ADVANTAGE OF ANY AND ALL OPPORTUNITIES, ESPECIALLY THOSE OPPORTUNITIES WHERE WE CAN PARTNER WITH OTHER STAKEHOLDERS.
SO WE HAVE A GRANT THAT, UM, IS ABOUT TO GO IN, UM, FOR ADDITIONAL WORK AROUND GUN SAFETY AND SUICIDE PREVENTION THAT WE ARE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT AND WE FEEL, UM, THAT IS LIKELY TO GET FUNDED.
UM, AND THAT WILL, UM, ENTAIL DISTRIBUTION OF GUN SAFETY LOCKS, UM, THROUGH OUR PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM.
SO REALLY EXCITED TO PARTNER WITH THEM ON THAT EFFORT.
I THINK IT WILL ENABLE US TO GET, HAVE MORE REACH INTO THE COMMUNITY, UM, THAN OUR PREVIOUS EFFORT.
UM, I KNOW THAT THE LIBRARIES ARE EXCITED ABOUT THAT AS WELL.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, ALSO LOOKING TO POTENTIALLY PARTNER WITH, UM, GUN RETAILERS AND THE GUN RANGES, YOU KNOW, TO GET WORK WITH THEM TO GET INFORMATION OUT ABOUT THE, THE LOCKS AND, YOU KNOW, THE SUICIDE PREVENTION MESSAGING OUT AS WELL.
UM, SO REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT EFFORT.
AND IN TERMS OF, OF RABIES, AGAIN, SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THIS ORAL RABIES VACCINE PROGRAM.
I THINK IT'S GONNA MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN A DECREASE IN THOSE, UH, RABIES EXPOSURE ALERTS.
AND I WAS TALKING WITH MY COLLEAGUE THIS MORNING ABOUT IT, AND ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S, IT SHOWS, UM, THE BENEFIT OF EDUCATION AND AWARENESS BECAUSE THAT PEOPLE ARE REPORTING WHEN THEY'RE SEEING ANIMALS, RIGHT.
SO I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S THE FLIP SIDE OF IT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE SEE THOSE RABIES EXPOSURE ALERTS JUST BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE GREATER KNOWLEDGE AND AWARENESS.
SO THAT WAS, IT WAS GOOD MEETING THE OTHER DAY AND YOU COULD TELL YOUR POSITIVE ATTITUDE JUST, YOU KNOW, IT RESONATES I'M SURE WITH THE REST OF THE EMPLOYEE.
SO GLAD THAT THINGS ARE GOOD, UM, WITH THE EMPLOYEES.
SO WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THAT.
I'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET SOME MORE INFORMATION ON A COUPLE OF THOSE ISSUES.
SO DO YOU WANT ME TO REACH OUT TO YOU OR TO JOHN AND, AND JUST GO THROUGH THOSE WHEN I HAVE THEM? UM, YOU CAN REACH OUT TO BOTH OF US IF THAT'S OKAY.
MEAN MY, MY FRIEND BACK THERE, YOUR FRIEND JOB, FRIEND OF THE COUNCIL, JOHN, YES.
YEAH, I DON'T SEE HIM LAUGHING.
HE'S ALL THE WAY IN THE BACK AND HE'S HIDING.
SO, BUT, UM, YOU JUST TRYING TO WORK WITH, WITH SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE HAD SOME ISSUES AND EVERYTHING, NOTHING TERRIBLE AND THEY'RE NOT SCREAMING, BUT I, BUT I, I'VE APPRECIATED WORKING WITH JOHN AND EVERYBODY BEFORE AND, AND YOU KNOW, SO I'LL DO, DO THAT.
JUST TRYING TO GET SOME MORE DETAILS WITH THAT.
SO DEFINITELY HAVE TO GET, SO I DON'T KNOW WHY I GET EVERYBODY THAT REACHES OUT TO ME.
I'M SURE THERE'S A REASON, BUT, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER.
UM, SO YOU'RE GETTING EVERYTHING THAT YOU NEED IN THE BUDGET, CORRECT? CORRECT.
SO ARE WE ANYONE ELSE? I, YES, GOOD MORNING.
[00:55:01]
I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS THEY DON'T NECESSARILY OVERLAP.UH, FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, IS THE WATER QUALITY IN HARTFORD COUNTY COMPARED TO THE REST OF THE STATE, IS IT FLAT IMPROVING OR IS IT DIMINISHING OVER TIME? I'M NOT PREPARED TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
I WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT THE DATA TO BE ABLE TO MAKE COMPARISONS ACROSS THE STATE.
I KNOW THAT, UM, I KNOW THAT THE COUNTY HAS MADE SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS IN TERMS OF LOOKING AT WATER QUALITY.
UM, I, I THINK THAT IS A REALLY GREAT INVESTMENT THAT THEY'RE MAKING IN TERMS OF THE PAS WATER QUALITY.
BUT I WOULD HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU.
I'M HAPPY TO TAKE YOUR INFORMATION AND FOLLOW UP.
UH, YOU MENTIONED ABOUT BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROGRAMS SPECIFICALLY FOR YOUTH.
UH, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT SOME OF THOSE INITIATIVES AND WHEN THAT ROLLOUT WILL BE? SURE.
UM, SO WE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, LOOKING TO SECURE, UH, ADDITIONAL GRANT FUNDS.
WE HAVE BEEN IN CONVERSATION, UM, WITH HARFORD COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE TO SEE, UM, ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARTNERSHIP.
WE HAVE, UM, STRENGTHENED SOME COLLABORATION BETWEEN OUR HARM REDUCTION PROGRAMS, UM, AND IN OUR LOCAL ADDICTIONS AUTHORITY, UM, AND SOME OF THEIR PROGRAMS AROUND STUDENT WELLNESS AND, AND STAFF WELLNESS.
UM, SO THAT'S AN AN INITIAL STEP THAT WE'RE TAKING.
AGAIN, WORKING WITH THEM, WE HAVE BEEN MADE AWARE OF SOME GRANT OPPORTUNITIES AND TRYING TO IDENTIFY WHAT ADDITIONAL RESOURCES WOULD BENEFIT THEIR, THAT STUDENT POPULATION.
UM, IN ADDITION, WE ALSO PARTICIPATE CLOSELY WITH HARTFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND THE OFFICE ON MENTAL HEALTH.
UM, THE EFFORTS AROUND THE CONSORTIUM, UNCOORDINATED COMMUNITY SUPPORTS, WHICH IS A MOUTHFUL.
UM, THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT OF FUNDING FOR, UM, CHILD AND YOUTH BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, UM, THROUGH THAT.
AND SO WE ARE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, PARTNERING WITH THE SCHOOLS.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WE COULD PROVIDE ADDITIONAL DETAILS ON THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE BEING FUNDED THROUGH THAT EFFORT.
UM, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THEM OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT THERE ARE QUITE A NUMBER OF PROGRAMS IN THE COUNTY THAT ARE BEING SUPPORTED.
UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE'RE LOOKING FOR ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES IN CONVERSATION WITH THE SCHOOLS, HOW OUR DIRECT, YOU KNOW, MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES CAN BETTER SUPPORT THEIR NEEDS.
MAKING SURE WE HAVE THOSE STRONG LINKAGES TO CARE, UM, AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
UH, THERE'S A NATIONAL PUSH AROUND STI RATES AND DECREASING THOSE MM-HMM
AND OUR SENIOR POPULATION, JUST ACROSS THE BOARD.
DO YOU HAVE THE NUMBERS AS IT RELATES TO HOW WE ARE SHAPING UP IN HARTFORD COUNTY OR, AGAIN, I DON'T HAVE THE DATA WITH ME, I APOLOGIZE.
UM, BUT HAPPY, YOU KNOW, HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP WITH YOU.
UM, YOU KNOW, STI SERVICES A CORE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE PROVIDE THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED, UM, SENIOR POPULATION.
UM, WE HAVE BEEN ENGAGED IN PRETTY IN-DEPTH DISCUSSIONS AROUND OUR OLDER ADULT POPULATION AND THEIR NEEDS.
UM, AND WORKING CLOSELY WITH, UH, UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND UPPER CHESAPEAKE, THE OFFICE ON AGING, DEPARTMENT OF, UH, HOUSING AND COMMUNITY SERVICES, AND, UM, WEST CECIL HEALTH CENTER, UM, AS WELL.
UM, SO TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO, WHERE ARE THE GAPS AND WHERE CAN WE IDENTIFY, UM, YOU KNOW, OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO ENHANCE SERVICES.
UM, WE HAVE PUT AN ADDITIONAL GRANT INTO THE COMMUNITY HEALTH RESOURCES COMMISSION TO, UM, DEVELOP A STRATEGIC PLAN FOR SERVICES FOR OLDER ADULTS.
WE HAVE A HUGE ECONOMIC BOOST IN HARFORD COUNTY WITH THE AMOUNT OF RESTAURANTS, CATERERS, AND FOOD TRUCKS THAT WE HAVE.
AND I AM GRATEFUL THAT IN ORDER TO OPEN AN ESTABLISHMENT WHERE YOU'RE SERVING FOOD, THAT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT MUST COME IN AND GIVE YOU A CERTIFICATE THAT YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR SO THAT YOU ARE WATCHING WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND FOLLOWING ALL THE RULES TO KEEP US SAFE AND HEALTHY.
AS YOU KNOW, IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY, THE MARGINS ARE VERY, VERY SLIM.
AND EVERY CATERER HAS TO APPLY FOR A FOOD LICENSE BEFORE THEY ARE ALLOWED TO CATER ANYWHERE.
AND THAT IS A COST ASSOCIATED WITH THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS.
BUT YOU'VE NOW ADDED FOR EVERY INDIVIDUAL SERVING THAT THEY ARE GOING TO DO A NEW $25 LICENSE.
AND IF YOU DON'T APPLY FOR IT TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE EVENT, THAT INCREASES TO $50.
THERE ARE SOME CATERERS THAT IS THEIR PROFIT.
IF THEY NEED TO PAY THEIR STAFF, THEY CAN'T PAY FOOD COST AND STAFF AND 25 OR $50 EVERY SINGLE TIME THEY HAVE A CATERING JOB IN ALL OF THE FACILITIES THAT WE HAVE ALREADY CITED AS FACILITIES THAT ARE SAFE TO SERVE IN.
I JUST WISH THAT YOU WOULD TAKE ANOTHER LOOK.
IT HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO GET CATERERS TO PARTICIPATE IN ANY EVENTS BECAUSE OF THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS.
I WILL TELL YOU THE TASTE OF HARTFORD HAS 47 CATERERS, AND THAT IS 45, 20
[01:00:01]
$5, AND A COUPLE $50 BECAUSE THEY JUST CAME ON BOARD IN THE PAST FEW HOURS.IT'S BECOME VERY DIFFICULT AND THE CATERERS CAN'T PASS THAT ON TO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HIRING THEM.
WHETHER YOU'RE CATERING AT SWAN HARBOR OR YOU'RE CATERING AT AN EVENT AT WHAT WAS THE RICHLAND BALLROOM OR ELYRIA DERUM OR ROCKFIELD.
IT'S JUST BECOME ALMOST ECONOMICALLY NOT FEASIBLE FOR CATERERS, ESPECIALLY THE SMALL ONES WHO DRIVE THE ECONOMICS OF OUR COUNTY.
I JUST WOULD APPRECIATE IF YOU TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT THAT.
ANYONE ELSE? THIS WILL GO AHEAD AND CONCLUDE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
WE'LL RUN A LITTLE AHEAD LIKE THE FOOD TRUCK.
UM, GOT A DENIM JACKET GO IN MORE CASUAL.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED, UM, WITH IT.
UH, INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY BEGINS ON PAGE 3 0 4.
THE DEPARTMENT HAS TWO DIVISIONS, BOTH IN THE GENERAL FUND WITH TOTAL BUDGET OF 16,211,048 FOR AN INCREASE OF 194,374 OR 1.2%.
THE OFFICE OF ICT BEGINS ON PAGE 3 0 9.
THE DIVISION BUDGET OF 15,433,348 IS AN INCREASE OF 384,523.
PERSONAL SERVICES INCREASES 174,988.
THAT'S THE RESULT OF TURNOVER, SAVINGS OF 75,318, SALARY ADJUSTMENT OF 33,701 AND MERIT TOTALING 182,500 HUNDRED EIGHT.
WORKERS' COMP DECREASED 3,896.
HEALTH BENEFITS INCREASED 21,625.
RETIREMENT HEALTH SAVINGS INCREASED 10,892.
CHIP DIFFERENTIAL, DECREASE 1000, FICA DECREASE 17,795.
CONTRACTUAL SERVICES INCREASES 190,535 AS A RESULT OF OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.
INCREASING 343,360 FOR LEANN ON SERVICES AND PROGRAMMING.
SECURITY SYSTEMS INCREASED 24,500 TO REPAIR AGING EQUIPMENT.
THOSE ARE PARTIALLY OFFSET BY A DECREASE IN SOFTWARE OF 80,325, DECREASE IN OFFICE EQUIPMENT DUE TO A REDUCTION IN CX COSTS OF 50,000, DECREASE IN DATA PROCESSING HARDWARE OF 32,000 BASED ON ACTUALS AND A DECREASE IN TELEPHONE SERVICE OF 16,000.
THERE'S NO CHANGE IN SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS.
BUSINESS AND TRAVEL INCREASES 19,500 FOR TRAINING AND TRAVEL.
AND INTERGOVERNMENTAL DECREASES 500 FOR FLEET POOL CARS.
BROADBAND BEGINS ON PAGE THREE 13.
THE DIVISION BUDGET OF 777,700 IS A DECREASE OF 190,000 1 49.
PERSONAL SERVICES INCREASE 9,851 AS A RESULT OF THE COLA AND MERIT, TOTALING 5,832 PENSION WORKERS' COMP AND HEALTH BENEFITS INCREASED.
2,422 OPE INCREASES 1005 97 CONTRACTUAL SERVICES DECREASED 200,000 FOR OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FOR THE H MAN MAINTENANCE CONTRACT BASED ON ACTUAL EXPENSE HISTORY AND PROJECTED MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE.
AND THERE'S NO CHANGE IN SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS OR BUSINESS AND TRAVEL.
AND THEN THERE ARE A COUPLE CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT WE'LL GO OVER AFTER OPERATING.
UM, YOU COULD DIVE RIGHT INTO CAPITAL ONE NOW.
SO ICT DOES HAVE A CAPITAL PROJECT FOR SAFEGUARDING BUSINESS OPERATIONS.
ON PAGE 70 OF YOUR CAPITAL BOOKS, THERE'S 600,000 IN PEGO COSTS RELATED TO CYBERSECURITY, ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING, DISASTER RECOVERY, AND GOVERNMENT CONTINUITY.
AND THEN THERE ARE CORRESPONDING SAFEGUARDING PROJECTS FOR THE HIGHWAYS AND WATER AND SEWER FUNDS.
THE HIGHWAYS PROJECT IS ON PAGE 3 44 AND ALLOCATES 200,000 IN HIGHWAYS.
PEGO WATER AND SEWER SAFEGUARDING PROJECT APPEARS ON PAGE FOUR 10 WITH 250,000
[01:05:02]
IN PEGO.AND FINALLY, THERE'S A REFRESH PROJECT FOR WATER AND SEWER NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE ON PAGE 4 0 9 WITH 250,000 IN PECO AND ANSWER.
ANY QUESTIONS? UM, GOOD MORNING, UH, GENTLEMEN.
UM, I HAD A QUESTION I FORGOT TO ASK.
WHEN TIFFANY WAS HERE, UH, WORKDAY, WE'VE ALL EXPERIENCED SOME ISSUES WITH WORKDAY.
YOU GUYS, UH, FAMILIAR WITH THAT, I'M SURE.
UH, HOW ARE WE COMING ALONG ON THAT? I KNOW WE, UM, GOT SOME FUNDING FOR SOME EXTRA, UM, I GUESS TECH SERVICE.
SO HOW ARE WE DOING? SO, WORKING WITH, UM, OBVIOUSLY WORKDAY OVER THE YEARS, WE'VE MIGRATED, YOU KNOW, PRETTY MUCH ALL OF OUR FINANCIALS, OUR PAYROLL, HR, PROCUREMENT, ALL OVER TO THE WORKDAY SYSTEM.
UM, WE DO HAVE A, A COMPANY CALLED COLLABORATIVE THAT WE DEAL WITH FOR LEAN ON SERVICES TO SUPPORT THOSE APPLICATIONS.
THEY ALSO WERE THE INTEGRATOR FOR ALL OF THOSE MIGRATIONS FROM THE LEGACY SYSTEMS TO THOSE NEWER SYSTEMS. UM, NOW THAT WE HAVE ALL THESE DEPARTMENTS WORKING TOGETHER, IT'S INTEGRATED SYSTEMS. SO WHAT ONE DEPARTMENT DOES POTENTIALLY COULD AFFECT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
SO WE ARE GOING TO, I GUESS, EXPAND ON THE, THE TYPE OF SERVICES.
SO WE DO HAVE LEAN ON SERVICES, LIKE I SAID, TYPICALLY FOR THE DAY-TO-DAY STUFF OR SPECIAL PROJECTS.
THIS WILL ALSO, UM, GIVE US THE ABILITY TO HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL STAFF ON SITE TO DO MORE COORDINATING WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT ITSELF, UM, COORDINATING THOSE TYPES OF SERVICES.
SO MILER, ARE WE STILL EXPERIENCING ANY ISSUES HERE OR ARE WE GOOD? FOR THE HR STANDPOINT, YES.
I DO BELIEVE WE ARE STILL EXPERIENCING SOME ISSUES.
I DON'T SEEM TO HAVE ANY WITH THE ACCOUNTING SIDE OF THINGS, BUT THE HR, YES.
AND, AND, AND HR, LIKE I SAID, THAT'S, THAT'S THE, THE DEPARTMENT WHERE WE'RE STRUGGLING AT THIS POINT WITH IT.
UM, GETTING THEM UP TO SPEED ON, UM, THE, THE NEW SOFTWARE, UH, TRAINING NEW STAFF THAT'S BEEN HIRED, UM, UNDER THE, UNDER, UM, HUMAN RESOURCES.
UM, SO IT'S GONNA TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME, BUT AGAIN, YOU GOTTA GET THE STAFF TRAINED UP, GET THEM FAMILIAR WITH THE CAPABILITIES OF SOFTWARE, GET THEM TO COMMUNICATE TO US AND THE CONSULTANTS, WHAT, UM, FEATURES, FUNCTIONALITY THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE IMPLEMENTED, AND THEN WORK THROUGH THAT WITH OUR LEGAL HOME SERVICES, WITH THE COLLABORATIVE AND WORKDAY SUPPORT.
UM, CYBER, HOW MUCH ARE WE SPENDING? HOW MUCH ARE WE SPENDING ON CYBER AND ARE WE GETTING ANY ATTACKS THAT, UH, I'M, I'M SURE WE GET HIT ALL THE TIME, NOTHING GETS THROUGH, BUT DO YOU GUYS KEEP A LOG? I MEAN, DO WE KNOW HOW MANY TIMES WE'VE TRIED TO HAVE BEEN BREACHED? AND IS WORKDAY ONE OF THOSE SYSTEMS WHERE THEY COULD SHUT THE WHOLE THING DOWN? OR WHERE THE COMPANY THAT RUNS WORKDAY, IF THEY, IF THEY'RE COMPROMISED AND THEY SHUT THEIR ENTIRE SYSTEM DOWN, HOW DO WE THEN OPERATE ON OUR END? UM, THAT'S A PROBLEM THAT'S, YOU KNOW, PRESENTED WHEN YOU GO TO A, A CLOUD-BASED SERVICE.
UM, IT'S THE RESPONSIBILITY BUILT INTO THE CONTRACT ITSELF.
I MEAN, WE DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THOSE SYSTEMS TO PROVIDE, UM, BACKUPS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
SO YOU'RE REALLY RELYING ON THE DATA SECURITY OF WORKDAY FOR, FOR THAT, THAT ENVIRONMENT, THAT CLOUD-BASED ENVIRONMENT.
UM, INTERNALLY, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A, A PRETTY ROBUST, UM, LAYERED SYSTEM IN PLACE FOR CYBERSECURITY.
UM, TYPICALLY EACH YEAR WE'RE IMPLEMENTING A ANOTHER LAYER OR ANOTHER VENDOR'S, UM, TYPE SERVICE.
SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS YEAR IS OBVIOUSLY WITH AI COMING INTO PLAY, YOU NOW GOT THE BAD GUYS USING AI.
YOU GOT THE GOOD GUYS TRYING TO BLOCK THE BAD GUYS USING AI.
UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT WITH THE, THE EXISTING SOFTWARE APPLICATIONS AND SERVICES THAT WE SUPPORT.
UM, HOW WE INTEGRATE THAT WITH THE, THE NEW AI FUNCTIONALITY THAT'S COMING OUT AND, YOU KNOW, BE MORE PROACTIVE, MORE ROBUST, MORE QUICKLY RESPONDING TO POTENTIAL THREATS.
IS THERE ANY ONE SYSTEM THAT'S MORE VULNERABLE TO BEING ATTACKED THAN ANYTHING ELSE? IS IT LIKE A PAYMENT SYSTEM FOR THE TAXES? IS IT THE, THE WATER AND SEWER? UM, YEAH.
I MEAN, THEY'RE, THEY'RE TARGETING, YOU KNOW, HIGH VALUE SYSTEMS WHERE THEY CAN TYPICALLY GET SOME SORT OF RANSOM OR GET ACCESS TO SOME SORT OF FINANCIAL APPLICATION OR FINANCIAL PAYMENT SYSTEM.
UM, DO WE HAVE RANSOM COVERED IN OUR CYBER? YES, AND THE BIG THING IS, LIKE I SAID, NO BEFORE, WHICH I ASSUME MOST PEOPLE IN HERE ARE GETTING NEW BEFORE TRAINING.
UM, WE'VE EXPANDED THE SERVICES ON THAT THIS YEAR, UM, FROM THE TRAINING SIDE OF IT TO A SECOND PACKAGE CALLED FISH R PLUS, WHICH AUTOMATES SOME OF THOSE RESPONSES FROM THE APPLICATION
[01:10:01]
FOR QUARANTINING, UH, SCREENING, UH, POTENTIAL MALWARE, UM, PHISHING EMAILS COMING INTO THE SYSTEM.AND THE THIRD, UM, MODULE IS, IT'S CALLED THE DEFEND PRODUCT THAT WILL AUTOMATE A LOT OF THAT PROCESS.
SO RIGHT NOW IT'S A MANUAL PROCESS.
BOTH OF THESE TWO ADDITIONAL APPLICATIONS WILL AUTOMATE THAT, NOT REQUIRING INTERVENTION FROM, UH, AN IT EMPLOYEE TO EVALUATE THAT.
SO THAT SHOULD TAKE OUR, OUR RESPON OR OUR BLOCKING, DON'T SAY 95% UP TO OVER 99%.
SO THE BIG THING IS THAT TO BLOCK THIS FROM GETTING EVEN INTO THE USER'S MAILBOX, UM, IT ALSO FILTERS OUT A LOT OF THE, UM, SPAM EMAIL ADVERTISEMENT INTO A SEPARATE FOLDER, WHICH, UM, FREES UP SOME OF THE TIME FOR THE EMPLOYEE OF SORTING THROUGH HUNDREDS OF EMAILS A DAY THAT, YOU KNOW, ARE POTENTIAL PHISHING EMAILS OR ADVERTISEMENT.
SO LESS WORK FOR US, LESS WORK FOR US, MORE SECURE FOR THE COUNTY AND THE COUNTY'S INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, THE, THE OTHER PART OF THAT IS WE ARE LOOKING TO EXPAND THAT TO THE FIRE SERVICE SIDE OF THE HOUSE.
UM, WE ALSO SUPPORT OVER 2000 EMPLOYEES WITH FIRE SERVICE.
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO APPLY THE SAME SECURITY PRINCIPLES THAT WE HAVE WITHIN THE COUNTY TO THE FIRE SERVICE SIDE OF THE HOUSE, SINCE THERE IS A, A BIGGER PART OF THE USER COMMUNITY THAN WHAT THE COUNTY IS.
UM, WE DO SEE, YOU KNOW, PHISHING EMAILS OR, AND ALSO THROUGH THE PHONE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE, UM, GETTING REQUESTS TO PROVIDE CERTAIN FINANCIAL TYPES OF INFORMATION OR CONTACT INFORMATION.
SO THE MORE WE CAN EDUCATE THE USER COMMUNITY ON THAT, THE, THE MORE PROTECTED WE ARE IN THE LONG TERM.
UM, THAT, THAT'S THE BIGGEST, BIGGEST THREAT OUT THERE IS PEOPLE VOLUNTARY GIVING OUT INFORMATION TO THE BAD GUYS.
AND WHAT'S YOUR STAFFING LEVEL NOW? ARE, ARE YOU ADEQUATELY STAFFED OR ARE YOU NOT ADEQUATELY STAFFED FOR ALL THIS? UM, WE COULD DEFINITELY USE, UH, ANOTHER POSITION FOR, FOR THE CYBERSECURITY SIDE OF THE HOUSE.
WE WERE, UM, LOOKING FOR A COMPLIANCE TYPE POSITION, UM, FOR AUDITING.
UM, SO WE COULD DO THAT YEAR ROUND, UM, AUDIT AND COMPLIANCE FOR THAT.
UM, SO WE WERE LOOKING FOR A POSITION FOR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES TO TIE TO THERE ARE SENIOR SECURITY ENGINEERS THAT ACTUALLY IMPLEMENT THE WORK.
UM, AGAIN, HAVE A A YEAR ROUND AUDITING PROCESS FOR US JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE DOING WHAT WE'RE WE NEED TO DO, AND THAT IT'S DOING WHAT WE EXPECT THAT IT WOULD DO IN A CERTAIN, UM, SITUATION.
SO IS IT THAT YOU CAN'T FIND THE PERSON OR THAT THE FUNDING'S NOT THERE? IT WAS JUST FUNDING FOR IT.
THAT'S, I SAID, WE ARE WORKING MORE WITH OUTSIDE VENDORS FOR CONSULTING SERVICES TO HELP, UH, FILL THAT PARTICULAR TYPE OF GAP.
UH, SO WHAT ARE WE CURRENTLY DOING, UH, TO TEST OUR SYSTEMS FOR VULNERABILITIES? YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING THAT'S HAPPENING ANNUALLY.
YOU ALSO MENTIONED LOOKING TO HIRE SOMEONE THAT CAN AUDIT.
UH, WHAT ARE WE CURRENTLY DOING TO PROTECT HARFORD COUNTY? UM, WE DO ANNUAL PEN TESTING, PENETRATION VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENTS THROUGHOUT, UM, ALL OF OUR SYSTEMS. AND BASED ON THE RESULTS OF THAT, THEN WE GO THROUGH THE REMEDIATION TO, UM, CORRECT ANY ISSUES THAT ARE FOUND.
WE HAVE ANOTHER PRODUCT CALLED TENABLE THAT, UM, WE USE TO SCAN OUR NETWORK AND OUR NETWORK DEVICES COMPUTERS.
AND THAT IDENTIFIES SOFTWARE VULNERABILITIES, UM, HARDWARE VULNERABILITIES, AND WE WORK TO PATCH THEM ON A, A DAILY BASIS.
UM, WE DO HAVE THE MONTHLY PATCH MANAGEMENT WITH MICROSOFT.
UM, WE PUSH THAT OUT TO THE COUNTY, UM, EMPLOYEES.
WE ALSO, IF THERE'S A, A CRITICAL PATCH OR VULNERABILITY THAT'S IDENTIFIED, THAT GETS PUSHED IMMEDIATELY WITHOUT, UH, USERS HAVING ANY INTERVENTION ON THAT.
WE DO WORK WITH SEVERAL VENDORS MONITORING OUR NETWORKS, UH, SEVEN BY 24 SOC MONITORING OF NETWORK AND NETWORK TRAFFIC.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE A MANAGED SERVICE THAT, UM, WORKS, UH, WITH OUR, OUR MALWARE VENDOR MONITORING AND RESPONDING TO THAT.
SO WE HAVE A PRETTY IN DEPTH, UM, PROGRAM FOR, YOU KNOW, IDENTIFYING AND REMEDIATING, UM, THOSE TYPES OF VULNERABILITIES.
UM, JUST CURIOUS, UH, ARE THERE ANY, UH, INITIATIVES CURRENTLY IN PLACE BY ICT LOOKING AT MAYBE AI, USING AI AS A BUSINESS STRATEGY IN TERMS OF PROCESSES, THINGS LIKE THAT? OR IS THERE
[01:15:01]
SOME SORT OF TASK FORCE OR SUBGROUP THAT MIGHT EVALUATE AI TOOLS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE USED IN THE FUTURE? UH, YEAH, WE, UM, UM, BEEN WORKING WITH LAW, THE LAW DEPARTMENT AND, UH, UH, EFFICIENCY TO, UM, HAVE A DRAFT POLICY FOR USE OF AI WITHIN THE COUNTY.UM, WE JUST RECENTLY SENT OUT A SURVEY TO ALL COUNTY EMPLOYEES, UM, SURVEYING WHAT THEY'RE USING AI FOR, HOW IT'S BENEFITING, UM, IN THEIR DAILY WORK ACTIVITIES.
WE'LL COMPILE THOSE STATISTICS AND, UM, INFORMATION AND TAKE THAT TO BEGIN WITH SOME PILOT TYPE PROGRAMS. UM, WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO IS, I MEAN, WE'RE REALLY NOT GONNA BE DEVELOPING AI SOLUTIONS.
WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT THE APPLICATIONS WE HAVE LIKE WORKDAY AND ENTER GOV AND THOSE LARGER ENTERPRISE APPLICATIONS THAT HAVE AI FEATURES AND FUNCTIONALITY BUILT INTO IT.
AND SEE, UM, HOW WE CAN DETERMINE THEY WOULD BENEFIT THE COUNTY AND START TESTING AND USING SOME OF THAT THAT'S AVAILABLE.
ANYONE ELSE SEEING NO ONE ELSE? THANK YOU.
AND THIS WILL CONCLUDE THE, UH, MORNING SESSION.
WE RETURN AT, UH, TWO O'CLOCK.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED WITH, UH, HARFORD COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
SHERIFF'S OFFICE BEGINS ON PAGE THREE 16.
THE AGENCY HAS SEVEN COST CENTERS ALL IN THE GENERAL FUND.
THE TOTAL BUDGET OF 143,000,170 2007 23 IS AN INCREASE OF 9,705,833, AS WELL AS PEGA CAPITAL FUNDING OF 5.6 MILLION FOR AN OVERALL GENERAL FUND INCREASE OF 12,571,833 OR 9.2%.
ADMINISTRATION AND SUPPORT BEGINS ON PAGE 3 24.
THE DIVISION BUDGET OF 14,817,374 IS AN INCREASE OF 3,680,342.
PERSONAL SERVICES INCREASES 2,701,543 AS A RESULT OF TURNOVER.
SAVINGS OF 62,358, PARTIALLY OFFSET BY SALARY ADJUSTMENTS OF 50,180.
THE FY 27 SHERIFF'S OFFICE WAGE PACKAGE OF 3%, COLA 3% MARKET ADJUSTMENT AND MERIT STEP FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT DEPUTIES, AND A COLA OF 3% AND MERIT OF 2000 FOR CIVILIANS.
UH, AT A COST OF THIS DIVISION OF 487,318, THERE WAS 11 POSITIONS TRANSFERRED INTO ADMINISTRATION AND SUPPORT FROM OTHER DIVISIONS OF THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AT A COST OF 2,179,672.
THERE WERE TWO POSITIONS TRANSFERRED OUT OF ADMINISTRATION AND SUPPORT TO OTHER DIVISIONS OF THE SHERIFF SHERIFF'S OFFICE AT A SAVINGS OF 503,434.
TEMPORARY SALARIES INCREASED 233,276.
PENSION INCREASES 53,806 WORKERS' COMP DECREASE 6,844.
HEALTH BENEFITS INCREASE 22,250.
RETIREMENT HEALTH SAVINGS INCREASES 51,977.
OVERTIME INCREASES 19,358 AND FCA INCREASES 20 2081.
CONTRACTUAL SERVICES INCREASES 193,400.
THAT'S THE RESULT OF SOFTWARE INCREASES, TOTALING 149,554.
TELEPHONE SERVICE INCREASES 76,000 2 74 AND OTHER INCREASES TOTALING $22,022 IN, UH, PERSONNEL RECRUITMENT BUILDING, CUSTODIAL SERVICE, SECURITY SYSTEMS, SPACE AND REAL ESTATE RENTAL COMMUNICATION SERVICE AND OPERATING EQUIPMENT SERVICE.
AND THOSE ARE OFFSET PARTIALLY BY DECREASES TOTAL OF 54,450 IN INTERNET LINE SERVICE, MEDICAL SERVICES, OFFICE EQUIPMENT AND DATA PROCESSING.
HARDWARE SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS INCREASE 90 3005 96 FOR OTHER SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS.
UNIFORM PURCHASE SAFETY EQUIPMENT PRINTING, GENERAL OFFICE SUPPLIES, ANIMAL FOOD SUPPLIES, MEDICAL SUPPLIES AND PAPER.
UM, BASED ON ACTUAL EXPENSE HISTORY.
AND DUE TO THE TRANSFER OF SOME FUNCTIONS FROM PATROL OPERATIONS, BUSINESS AND TRAVEL INCREASES 1000 8 0 3 FOR LODGING, MEALS AND TRAINING DUE TO THE TRANSFER OF SUM FUNCTIONS IN FROM PATROL OPERATIONS AND EQUIPMENT INCREASES 690,000 FOR AN UPGRADE TO THE EXISTING RECORDS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM TO INCLUDE MOBILE FIELD REPORTING.
PATROL OPERATIONS BEGINS ON PAGE 3 28.
THIS DIVISION BUDGET OF 52,819,285 IS AN INCREASE OF 2,937,480.
[01:20:01]
869 283.THAT'S THE RESULT OF TURNOVER.
SAVINGS OF 224,479 PARTIALLY OFFSET BY SALARY ADJUSTMENTS TOTALING 123,126 SHERIFF'S OFFICE WAGE PACKAGE TOTALING 200, EXCUSE ME, 2 MILLION 876 41.
THERE'S 17 POSITIONS TRANSFERRED OUT OF PATROL OPERATIONS TO OTHER DIVISIONS OF THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AT A SAVINGS TO THIS DIVISION OF 3,571,493.
THERE WERE 16 POSITIONS TRANSFERRED INTO PATROL OPERATIONS FROM OTHER DIVISIONS OF THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AT A COST TO THIS DIVISION OF 2,831,736.
TEMPORARY SALARIES DECREASED, 235,605 PENSION INCREASES.
34,841 WORKERS' COMP DECREASES 58,961.
HEALTH BENEFITS DECREASE 89,125.
RETIREMENT HEALTH SAVINGS INCREASES 3,112 OVERTIME INCREASES 16,000 AND FICA DECREASES.
19,669 CONTRACTUAL SERVICES INCREASED 1,057,611.
THAT'S A RESULT OF OTHER INSURANCE INCREASING 995,389 FOR SELF-INSURANCE FUND PER ACTUARIALS.
OTHER INCREASES TOTALING 70,849 FOR SOFTWARE, ELECTRICITY, MEDICAL SERVICES, AND OTHER RENT AND UTILITIES.
AND THOSE ARE PARTIALLY OFFSET BY DECREASES TOTALING 8,000 6 47 FOR OPERATING EQUIPMENT SERVICE, VEHICLE OPERATING EQUIPMENT, AND BUILDING CUSTODIAL SERVICES.
DECREASED 150,623 FOR WEAPONS AND AMMUNITION.
UNIFORM PURCHASE PRINTING, GENERAL OFFICE SUPPLIES, ANIMAL FOOD SUPPLIES, MEDICAL SUPPLIES AND PAPER, UH, BASED ON ACTUALS AND DUE TO THE TRANSFER OF SOME FUNCTIONS TO ADMINISTRATION AND SUPPORT.
AND THIS IS PARTLY OFFSET BY INCREASES IN SAFETY EQUIPMENT, COPIER SUPPLIES, AND AV SUPPLIES.
BUSINESS AND TRAVEL DECREASES 3000 8 0 3 FOR TRAINING, LODGING AND MEALS DUE TO THE TRANSFER OF FUNCTIONS TO ADMINISTRATION AND SUPPORT EQUIPMENT INCREASES.
THAT'S A RESULT OF POLICE CAR PACKAGES INCREASE 140,512 DUE TO A RISING COST TO OUTFIT.
LAW ENFORCEMENT VEHICLES AND AV SUPPLIES AND RADAR EQUIPMENT INCREASED 27,500 FOR THERMAL AND NIGHT VISION GOGGLES AND OTHER EQUIPMENT.
INVESTIGATIVE SERVICES BEGINS ON PAGE 3 32.
THE DIVISION BUDGET OF 17,351,714 IS AN INCREASE OF 1,282,641.
PERSONAL SERVICES INCREASE 1,283,275.
THAT'S THE RESULT OF TURNOVER.
SAVINGS OF 117,752 PARTIALLY OFFSET BY SALARY ADJUSTMENTS OF 59,234.
THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE WAGE PACKAGE TOTALING 900,000 229 8 POSITIONS TRANSFERRED INTO INVESTIGATIVE SERVICES FROM OTHER DIVISIONS OF THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AT A COST TO THIS DIVISION OF 1,792,928.
THERE WERE SIX POSITIONS TRANSFERRED OUT OF THIS DIVISION TO OTHER DIVISIONS OF THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE FOR SAVINGS OF 1,326,831.
WORKERS' COMP DECREASES 18,145.
HEALTH BENEFITS DECREASE 68,000 7 75 TO REFLECT ACTUAL ENROLLMENTS.
OTHER, EXCUSE ME, OPE INCREASES 30 2092.
RETIREMENT HEALTH SAVINGS INCREASES 10,912 FICA DECREASES.
2007 23 CONTRACTUAL SERVICES INCREASES 14,000 7 0 4 FOR SOFTWARE, ELECTRICITY FACING REAL ESTATE, RENTAL SECURITY SYSTEMS, MEDICAL SERVICES BUILDING AND CUSTODIAL SERVICES.
AND THAT'S PARTIALLY OFFSET BY DECREASES IN TELEPHONE SERVICE.
VEHICLE OP OPERATING EQUIPMENT AND HEATING FUEL SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS DECREASE 11,592 FOR SAFETY EQUIPMENT DUE TO ONE TIME FY 26 EXPENSES.
BUSINESS AND TRAVEL DECREASES 3004 3,746 FOR VEHICLE REPAIRS BASED ON ACTUALS.
AND THERE'S NO CHANGE IN MISCELLANEOUS SCHOOL SAFETY BEGINS ON PAGE 3 35.
THE DIVISION BUDGET OF 4,965,002 30 IS A DECREASE OF 315,760.
PERSONAL SERVICES DECREASES 329,632.
THAT'S A RESULT OF SALARY ADJUSTMENTS OF 8,868.
THE FY 27 SHERIFF'S OFFICE WAGE PACKAGE OF 269,000 619 5 POSITIONS TRANSFERRED OUT OF SCHOOL SAFETY TO OTHER DIVISIONS AT A SAVINGS YEAR
[01:25:01]
OF 920,208.AND THERE WAS ONE POSITION TRANSFERRED INTO THIS DIVISION, UH, AT A COST OF 248,195.
PART-TIME SALARIES FOR SCHOOL CROSSING GUARDS DECREASED DUE TO TURNOVER OF 2007 83.
WORKERS' COMP DECREASES 5,583.
HEALTH BENEFITS DECREASED BASED ON ACTUAL ENROLLMENTS OF 18,125.
RETIREMENT HEALTH SAVINGS INCREASES 10,393 OVERTIME INCREASES 54,198 AND FICA INCREASES.
1,140 CONTRACTUAL SERVICES INCREASE 3,130 FOR OFFICE EQUIPMENT AND COMMUNICATION SERVICE SIZE MATERIALS INCREASE 9,660 FOR SAFETY EQUIPMENT FOR VEST REPLACEMENT AND OTHER SAFETY SUPPLIES AND BUSINESS AND TRAVEL INCREASES.
UM, DUE TO HARTFORD GLEN FEE INCREASE, PARTIALLY OFFSET BY A DECREASE IN VEHICLE REPAIR.
CORRECTIONAL SERVICES BEGINS ON PAGE 3 38.
THE DIVISION BUDGET OF 40,755,782 IS AN INCREASE OF 2,354,892.
PERSONAL SERVICES INCREASE 1,720,360.
THAT'S THE RESULT OF TURNOVER.
SAVINGS OF 448,346 PARTIALLY OFFSET BY SALARY.
ADJUSTMENTS OF 149,091, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE WAGE PACKAGE AND 1,893,174.
CORRECTIONAL DEPUTY UNIFORM ALLOWANCE INCREASE TOTALING 20,850.
THERE WAS ONE POSITION TRANSFERRED OUT OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICES TO ANOTHER DIVISION OF THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AT A SAVINGS OF 109,297.
78,093 WORKERS' COMP DECREASES 41,403.
HEALTH BENEFITS DECREASE TO REQUEST ACTUAL ENROLLMENTS AT A SAVINGS OF 52,850.
RETIREMENT HEALTH SAVINGS INCREASES 119,573.
OVERTIME INCREASES 17,850 AND FICA DECREASES 12,562.
CONTRACTUAL SERVICES INCREASE 509,699.
THAT'S A RESULT OF MEDICAL SERVICE INCREASING 331,557 FOR THE DETENTION CENTER.
MEDICAL CONTRACT, ELECTRICITY INCREASES 141,640 AND OTHER INCREASES TOTALING 42,773 FOR HEATING, FUEL, OPERATING EQUIPMENT, SERVICE SECURITY SYSTEMS, AND OTHER INSURANCE.
AND THOSE ARE PARTIALLY OFFSET BY DECREASES TOTAL IN 6,271 FOR COMMUNICATION SERVICE.
OTHER RENT, UTILITIES AND SOFTWARE SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS INCREASE 124,773 AS A RESULT OF SPECIAL PURPOSE MEALS INCREASING 164,779 FOR THE DETENTION CENTER FOOD SERVICE CONTRACT.
OTHER INCREASES TOTALING 18,500 FOR UNIFORM PURCHASE, JANITORIAL SUPPLIES AND LAB SUPPLIES.
AND THEN DECREASES TOTALING 58,506 FOR SAFETY EQUIPMENT AND BUILDING SUPPLIES BASED ON ONE TIME FY 26 EXPENSES.
THERE'S NO CHANGE IN BUSINESS AND TRAVEL AND EQUIPMENT INCREASES.
$60 FOR PORTABLE RADIO EQUIPMENT.
INMATE WELFARE FUND BEGINS ON PAGE 3 42.
THE DIVISION BUDGET OF 1,447,769 IS AN INCREASE OF 67,244.
WHICH PERSONAL SERVICES INCREASED 35,000 1 58.
THAT'S THE RESULT OF TEMPORARY SALARIES INCREASING.
THE FY 27 SHERIFF'S OFFICE WAGE PACKAGE AT A COST OF 8,611 PENSION INCREASES 1,209.
HEALTH BENEFITS INCREASE 24,825.
RETIREMENT HEALTH SAVINGS INCREASES FIVE 19 AND FLIGHT TO INCREASES $30.
CONTRACTUAL SERVICES INCREASES 16,372 FOR OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AND OFFICE.
EQUIPMENT, SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS INCREASES 16,224 FOR SPECIAL PURPOSE MEALS AND UNIFORM PURCHASE, PARTIALLY OFFSET BY A DECREASE IN OTHER SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS.
BUSINESS AND TRAVEL DECREASES 510 FOR PROFESSIONAL BOOKS.
AND THERE'S NO CHANGE IN EQUIPMENT.
UH, LAST DIVISION IS COURT SERVICES, WHICH BEGINS ON PAGE 3 45.
THE DIVISION BUDGET OF 11,015,569 IS A DECREASE OF $301,006.
PERSONAL SERVICES DECREASES 335,000 2 75.
THAT'S THE RESULT OF TURNOVER.
[01:30:03]
THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE WAGE PACKAGE TOTALING 584,113.THERE WERE EIGHT POSITIONS TRANSFERRED OUT OF COURT SERVICES TO OTHER DIVISIONS AT A SAVINGS OF 1,583,215.
THERE WERE THREE POSITIONS TRANSFERRED INTO COURT SERVICES FROM OTHER DIVISIONS AT A COST OF 702,829.
6,558 WORKERS' COMP DECREASES.
6,000 6 0 1 HEALTH BENEFITS DECREASE TO REFLECT ACTUAL ENROLLMENTS AT A SAVINGS OF 69,600.
OP E INCREASES 70 1060 RETIREMENT HEALTH SAVINGS INCREASES 2,583 AND FICA DECREASES.
1000 9 0 4 CONTRACTUAL SERVICES INCREASES 1,327 FOR INTERNET LINE SERVICE AND OFFICE EQUIPMENT PARTIALLY OFFSET BY DECREASES IN OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.
SOFTWARE AND SECURITY SYSTEMS. SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS INCREASE 33,644 FOR SAFETY EQUIPMENT FOR REPLACEMENT VEST, PAPER SUPPLIES AND JANITORIAL SUPPLIES AND BUSINESS AND TRAVEL DECREASES.
DO YOU WANT ME TO HOLD OFF ON THAT COURT? UM, YEAH, WHY DON'T WE HOLD OFF 'CAUSE THIS IS A LOT TO TAKE IN.
UH, THANK YOU FOR HAVING US ONCE AGAIN.
UM, I'D LIKE TO SAY IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE BACK, BUT ANYTIME WE JUST WRAPPED UP THE MARYLAND LEGISLATIVE SESSION, UH, IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS COUPLED WITH THIS BUDGET SESSION, HAVE BEEN CHALLENGING TO SAY THE VERY LEAST.
UM, SO I DO WANNA REITERATE JUST STARTING OUT HERE, A FEW THINGS THAT MR. LLOYD, UM, COVERED IN GREAT DETAIL AND VERY APPRECIATIVE FOR HIM AND HIS STAFF'S WORK.
UM, HOWEVER, WHEN YOU GO OVER THE TOTALS, THE NUMBERS IN TOTAL, UM, LOOKING AT, UH, WHAT HE COVERED THERE, BUREAU BY BUREAU AND DIVISION BY DIVISION, UM, TAKE INTO ACCOUNT OUR WAGE PACKAGE INCREASE, UH, ARE NEARLY 82.5% OF THE INCREASE THAT IS, UH, COMING TO THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE THIS YEAR, THE 9.7 MILLION.
UM, AND HOW IMPORTANT THAT WAGE PACKAGE IS, THE IMPORTANCE OF TRYING TO MAINTAIN, MAINTAIN COMPETITIVENESS WITH THOSE AGENCIES THAT WE COMPETE WITH TO HIRE, HIRE RECRUITS, UH, PARTICULARLY IN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CORRECTIONS, UH, BUT ALSO IN OUR CIVILIAN STAFF AS WELL.
UH, JUST CONTRARY TO WHAT MIGHT BE OUT THERE, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS OUT THERE SPECIFICALLY.
UM, BUT THIS IS NOT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SALARY STUDY.
UH, THE SALARY AND STUDY, IN FACT THIS YEAR WAS DELAYED GETTING STARTED, UNFORTUNATELY, BY THE ADMINISTRATION EITHER ACCIDENTALLY OR INTENTIONALLY.
UM, HOWEVER, IT WAS SLOW IN GETTING STARTED AND IT WAS NOT CONCLUDED IN TIME FOR THE BUDGET TO BE SENT OVER THE PROPOSED BUDGET TO BE PREPARED AND SENT OVER.
I HAVE MY SUSPICIONS AS TO MOTIVATION OF THAT.
BUT WHAT WE DO KNOW FROM THE COMPLETED SALARY STUDY, AND I SAY THE COMPLETED SALARY STUDY, IS THAT WE HAVE FALLEN BEHIND AS SUSPECTED.
WE HAD FALLEN BEHIND, UH, IN LAW ENFORCEMENT.
MORE SO, UH, THAN IN CORRECTIONS.
THOSE AGENCIES, AGAIN, THAT WE COMPETE WITH FOR OUR WORKFORCE.
UM, THE PAY RAISES THAT ARE PROPOSED BY THE EXECUTIVE PART OF THIS PACKAGE, THE THREE, THREE AND THREE WILL GO A LONG WAY INTO ADDRESSING THE SHORT, UH, COMINGS.
BUT AGAIN, IT'S WITH THAT AND THE ASSOCIATED COST, IT'S 82.5% OF OUR INCREASE.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY AT THE END OF COLLECTIVE BARGAINING, UH, WE HAVE NO AGREEMENT WITH THE ADMINISTRATION BETWEEN THE DEPUTY SHERIFF'S UNION, THE SHERIFF AND THE ADMINISTRATION, NOR THE CORRECTIONAL ASSOCIATION, THE SHERIFF AND THE ADMINISTRATION.
UH, AS WE GO INTO THIS PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS, UM, YOU COUPLE THAT WAGE PACKAGE INCREASE WITH ASSOCIATED BENEFITS, UH, ALONG WITH OUR CONTRACTUAL INCREASES AT THE JAIL.
AND IT COST INCREASES THAT AGAIN, MR. LLOYD DID A GREAT JOB OF COVERING BUREAU BY BUREAU, BUT THAT'S ANOTHER ALMOST 15.5%.
SO YOU LOOK AT THAT TOGETHER, OUR WAGE PACKAGE AND UNCONTROLLED, UM, INFLATION, IF YOU WILL.
IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN TO THE GAS PUMP RECENTLY, IT'S EVERYTHING COST A LITTLE MORE.
UM, THAT'S ROUGHLY 99% OF WHAT YOU SEE, UH, IN OUR INCREASE FROM LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR.
SO, UM, WHEN THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE PUTS OUT A MESSAGE, AS HE DID TODAY, TRYING TO INFER THAT THE BUDGET IS BLOATED SOMEHOW AT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, UM, I TAKE EXCEPTION TO THAT AND I HAVE HIS CHARTS.
UM, TODAY HE WAS KIND ENOUGH TO SHARE THE COUNTY'S WEBSITE THAT HARFORD COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE HAS REALIZED A 25% TOTAL INCREASE IN FUNDING DURING HIS FOUR YEARS AS COUNTY EXECUTIVE.
THIS IS THE GRAPHIC THAT'S UP ON THE, UH, COUNTY'S WEBSITE PRESENTLY.
UH, IF YOU GO, UH, AND I, I CAN SIT
[01:35:01]
DOWN WITH ROBBIE LATER AND LOOK AT THE NUMBERS.HOWEVER, MY NUMBERS, UM, THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO COME UP WITH SO FAR SHOW THAT DURING MR. KALEY'S FOUR YEARS AS COUNTY EXECUTIVE, THE COUNTY HAS GROWN 19.4% WITH THIS PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FY 27.
AND THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE GROWTH HAS BEEN 21.2.
UH, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE DISPARITY IS BETWEEN THE 21.2 AND THE 25.
UM, HOWEVER, OUR, OUR GROWTH IS PRETTY MUCH IN LINE WITH THAT OF THE COUNTY'S GROWTH.
DES AND I'M NOT SAYING IT'S UNNECESSARY 'CAUSE I'M SURE THAT'LL COME BACK UP TO THE SHERIFF'S SAID THIS.
I'M NOT SAYING IT'S UNNECESSARY, IT'S COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY, BUT THEIR GROWTH IS 64%.
THE STATE'S ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IS 32%.
I'M NOT SAYING IT'S UNNECESSARY.
AND THE SCHOOLS AT 14.7% WELL BEHIND THE COUNTY GROWTH.
UM, YOU CANNOT JUST THROW A NUMBER OUT THERE AND SAY THAT 25% HAS MEETING WITHOUT GIVING IT SOME CONTEXT.
THAT IS A, UM, UH, EFFORT TO SWAY PUBLIC OPINION.
AND AGAIN, I THINK IT'S TO BRING THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE INTO A LEVEL OF DISREPUTE AND IT'S, UH, UNBECOMING OF THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE.
THE SECOND SLIDE THAT HE SHARED TODAY WAS THIS ONE SAYING THAT THE AVERAGE SALARY FOR DEPUTIES IS 113,700.
UM, IF YOU DIDN'T SEE THAT ALSO ON THE COUNTY'S WEBSITE, UM, I HAD JENNIFER POOL, UH, DEPUTY RANK THROUGH SENIOR DEPUTY RANK.
SO THAT INCLUDES DEPUTIES, UH, DEPUTY FIRST CLASS AND SENIOR DEPUTIES.
THOSE ARE THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO WORK THE ROAD.
YES, YOU CAN GET INTO THE ADMINISTRATION, YOU CAN GET INTO SUPERVISION, YOU CAN GET INTO COMMAND, AND YOU CAN PAINT A PICTURE THAT IS NOT LEGITIMATE.
UM, AND I SAW ONE COMMENT WHERE A TEACHER, I, I BELIEVE A TEACHER, SAID THE TEACHERS DON'T MAKE THAT.
WELL, DEPUTIES WHO ARE SERVING OUR COMMUNITIES DO NOT MAKE THAT.
THE AVERAGE SALARY FOR A DEPUTY ACROSS THOSE RANKS IS 87 4.
87 4 IS A GOOD AVERAGE SALARY.
BUT WE HAVE SEEN THROUGH POLICE REFORM, UH, THROUGH THE YEARS, THROUGH INFLATION, THE SALARIES, UH, AS AS OUR LEGISLATURE HAS WORKED HARD TO DISCREDIT THE MEN AND WOMEN OF LAW ENFORCEMENT, UH, AND CORRECTIONS.
BUT MORE SO LAW ENFORCEMENT, THAT THE POOL OF MEN AND WOMEN COMING INTO THIS PROFESSION IS LESS AND LESS AND THE SALARIES ARE BEING DRIVEN BASED ON DEMAND.
AND EVERY AGENCY ACROSS THIS STATE IS IN A BIDDING WAR WITH INCENTIVES AND SALARIES TO TRACK, UH, THE FEW MEN AND WOMEN THAT ARE OUT THERE.
AND OUR SALARY STUDY, AGAIN, SHOWS THAT WE ARE AT A MARKET LEVEL, THAT WE ARE TRYING TO STAY AT A MARKET LEVEL RATE OF COMPETITIVENESS THAT WE HAVE FALLEN BEHIND.
AND AGAIN, I AM APPRECIATIVE THAT THE COUNTY EXECUTIVES PROPOSED INCREASE WILL MAKE UP A LOT OF GROUND IN THAT.
BUT WE ARE NOT ABLE TO IMPLEMENT THE SALARY STUDY THAT WAS COMPLETED BECAUSE OF THE DELAYS ON BEHALF OF THE ADMINISTRATION.
SO ADDING SOME CONTEXT TO ALL OF THAT, UH, I THINK MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHAT WAS FUNDED IS AGAIN, UH, WE HAVE THIS, THIS BUDGET OVERALL.
YOU ARE TRANSFERS IN AND OUTTA DIFFERENT THINGS.
BUT THIS, UH, BUDGET INCREASE TO THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, 99% IS BETWEEN SALARY AND BENEFITS AND WAGE PA, UH, THE, UH, IT AND OTHER UNCONTROLLED COSTS.
UM, SUCH AS THE JAIL CONTRACTS.
THAT'S BASICALLY 99% OF OUR INCREASES, WHICH MEANS THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE HAS LESS THAN 1%, UH, THROUGH THIS STATE OF INFLATION.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE CPI WAS LAST YEAR, BUT WE HAVE ABOUT 1% OF GROWTH IN OUR BUDGET, WHICH AGAIN, I CREDIT MY BUDGET, UH, DIRECTOR JENNIFER SITTING BESIDE ME AND HER WHO, WHO HER AND HER STAFF AND MY COMMAND STAFF DO AN EXCELLENT JOB OF MAKING SURE THE TAXPAYER'S DOLLARS ARE USED EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY.
SO, UM, WITH THAT, I THINK MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHAT WAS FUNDED IS WHAT WAS NOT FUNDED.
UH, AND WE'RE GONNA, I KNOW WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT CAPITAL.
WE CAN TALK ABOUT A FEW OF THOSE PROJECTS.
UH, MANY OF THOSE PROJECTS ARE REPEAT YEAR AFTER YEAR, WHERE THE COUNTY HAD GROWTH OF, I BELIEVE ALMOST 9% THIS YEAR.
AND WE KNOW THAT THERE WAS AN ADDITIONAL SAVINGS FUND STARTED, I FORGOT WHAT'S THE NAME FOR IT? REVENUE REVENUE STABILIZATION FUND.
UH, MANY OF THESE CAPITAL PROJECTS, UH, COULD HAVE BEEN FUNDED THIS YEAR.
AND I'M DISAPPOINTED THAT, UH, THEY WERE NOT WITH THAT SORT OF, UH, ADDITIONAL INCOME AT THE HANDS OF THE ADMINISTRATION.
UH, AGAIN, WE'LL COVER 'EM AND, AND THEY'RE ON REPEAT YEARS AGAIN, JUST BECAUSE, UH, IT'S IN NEED OF THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
IT'S IN NEED OF THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE OUT THERE, PARTICULARLY THE TWO SRT, UH, THE, THE ROOK VEHICLE AND THE SECOND, UH, ARMORED BEARCAT VEHICLE THAT WE HAVE REQUESTED FOR MULTIPLE YEARS.
THESE ARE LIFESAVING TOOLS, UM, THAT PROTECT OUR DEPUTIES WHEN THEY'RE OUT THERE IN THE WORST OF CIRCUMSTANCES.
AND, UH, TO DENY THOSE TOOLS YEAR AFTER YEAR DOESN'T MEAN THE NEED GOES AWAY.
[01:40:01]
CAN DOWN THE ROAD.SADLY, I BELIEVE THE ADMINISTRATION TAKES A STANCE OF LET'S WAIT TILL SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS WHEN THEY'RE LOOKING AT LAW ENFORCEMENT.
WE SAW THIS IN BALTIMORE COUNTY, UH, WITH THE LITUM, UH, THE EVENTS THAT LED UP TO THE LITUM SHOOTING TWO POLICE OFFICERS AND THEN COMING HERE TO HARTFORD COUNTY, UH, WHERE WE WERE LEAPS AND BOUNDS IN FRONT OF THEM, UH, WITH OUR SRT, WITH OUR SWAT WITH OUR EQUIPMENT, UH, BECAUSE THEY HAD BEEN ALLOWED TO DETERIORATE.
A FINE TEAM HAD BEEN ALLOWED TO DETERIORATE.
AND AFTER THEY HAD TWO POLICE OFFICERS SHOT, THEY OPENED THE CHECKBOOK AND START SPENDING.
SOME OF THESE THINGS HAVE TO BE PAID FOR PROACTIVELY UPFRONT.
AND I'M NOT HIDING FROM THE FACT THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT EQUIPMENT TECHNOLOGY HAS BECOME EXPENSIVE.
UM, MORE IMPORTANTLY, UH, NO PERSONNEL, YOU KNOW, YOU ALL WERE PROVIDED THE PERSONNEL NEEDS EACH YEAR FOR MY 10, WELL, I BELIEVE FOR 10, AT LEAST THE LAST 10 OF MY 12 YEARS.
UM, THIS YEAR'S REPORT WAS SENT TO YOU IN OCTOBER 50 PAGES LONG OF WHAT PERSONNEL, UH, NEEDS ME AND MY COMMAND STAFF HAVE IDENTIFIED.
UH, MR. CALEY FUNDED 10 DEPUTIES TOWARDS THE CENTRAL PRECINCT AND TRAINING ACADEMY BUILD OUT IN HIS FIRST YEAR IN OFFICE.
UM, HE DID FOUR SROS, SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS THE SECOND YEAR, UH, FOR THE CITY OF ABERDEEN.
UH, AND THEN TRANSITIONED THOSE FOUR POSITIONS OVER TO THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE LAST YEAR.
OTHER THAN THAT, THERE HAS BEEN NO GROWTH.
AND I HEARD HIS, UH, TESTIMONY IN HERE ON HIS OWN BUDGET AND THE LAW DEPARTMENTS.
HE CAME FOR THE COUNTY ATTORNEY AND I HEARD HIM TALK ABOUT HOW BUSY THE, THE, THEY HAVE MORE ATTORNEYS IN THERE THAN THEY'VE HAD IN THE PAST, BUT HOW BUSY THEY ARE AND HE WANTS TO ADD TO A 15 PERSON OPERATION 'CAUSE THEY'RE SO BUSY.
THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE IS THE LARGEST SHERIFF'S OFFICE IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND.
A NEARLY 700 PERSON OPERATION, UM, WITH POPULATION GROWTH AND CALLS FOR SERVICE.
AND THE DEMANDS THAT COME WITH POLICE REFORM AND THE TECHNOLOGY OUR PERSONNEL NEEDS HAVE INCREASED.
UH, YOU AGAIN, HAVE ALL SEEN THAT THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE HAS SAID THROUGH HIS LACK OF FUNDING FOR EVEN ONE ADDITIONAL CIVILIAN PERSON, UH, POSITION OR THE SWORN POSITIONS, BOTH IN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRECTIONS, UH, IN DURING HIS FOUR YEARS, OTHER THAN THE ONES I JUST NOTED, THAT THESE AREN'T IMPORTANT.
MY COMMAND STAFF HAS SAID THEY'RE IMPORTANT.
UM, YOU HAVE SEEN WHAT THEY ARE WITH THE JUSTIFICATION AS HE HAS, AND HE HAS DECIDED NOT TO FUND A SINGLE ONE, BUT HE'S CONCERNED THAT THE LAW DEPARTMENT GETS SOME ADDITIONAL HELP 'CAUSE THEY'RE SO BUSY.
UM, I FIND THAT EGREGIOUS THINKING IT IS WHAT IT IS.
UM, HOWEVER, HERE WE SIT WITH, I, I KNOW THAT JUDGE CURTIN WAS IN HERE, UH, AND SHE SPOKE ABOUT, AND I, I THINK I MIGHT BE GETTING A QUESTION ABOUT THAT, SO I'LL JUST ANSWER IT UP FRONT.
SHE SPOKE ABOUT THE FOUR TEMPORARY DEPUTIES THAT WE ASKED FOR, FOR COURT SERVICES BECAUSE OF 18 OFFICE STREET AND THE COURTHOUSE.
UH, AND SHE SAID THAT THE SHERIFF DIDN'T PROVIDE THOSE POSITIONS.
I CAN'T PROVIDE POSITIONS THAT ARE UNFUNDED.
I CAN'T MAKE THINGS HAPPEN LIKE THAT.
I'M, I I LIKE TO SAY I'M GOOD AT THE JOB THAT I'VE BEEN ENTRUSTED TO DO.
AND IF ANY OF YOU HAVE AN IDEA HOW TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN WITH ZERO FUNDING FROM THE ADMINISTRATION, I AM HAPPY TO SIT DOWN AND, AND HAVE A LONG CHAT WITH YOU.
UH, BUT THOSE FOUR POSITIONS WERE REQUESTED NOT JUST THIS YEAR, BUT THE YEAR BEFORE.
THERE'S LEGISLATION THAT HAS BEEN PROPOSED THE LAST TWO YEARS IN ANNAPOLIS TO MANDATE THE LEVEL OF FUNDING TO THE COURTS, UH, FOR, FOR THE COURTS, UH, PARTICULARLY THE CIRCUIT COURT.
AND AGAIN, $670,000, I BELIEVE IS THE COST FOR THOSE FOUR POSITIONS.
JUDGE CURTIN TOLD YOU THEY'RE NEEDED.
THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE SAID, NO, THEY'RE NOT NEEDED THROUGH HIS LACK OF FUNDING OF $670,000.
AND KEEP IN MIND, IF WE GOT THAT MONEY, THESE ARE MONTHS AWAY BEFORE WE CAN HIRE AND TRAIN THEM.
UM, BUT HE SAID, NO, THE BUDGET NOW RESTS WITH YOU TO MAYBE, UH, FIND THAT FUNDING AS YOU DID LAST YEAR FOR SEVERAL CRITICAL NEEDS OF THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
SO WITH THAT, UM, I DID, I DID WHEN, UH, BEN WENT THROUGH IT, AND IT'S NOT, I JUST WANT SAY WHEN HE GOT THE SCHOOL SAFETY ONE AND, UH, HE SAID FIVE POSITIONS WERE TRANSFERRED OUTTA SCHOOL SAFETY.
UH, KIND OF LIKE, WAIT A MINUTE.
WE DIDN'T TRANSFER ANYBODY OUT OF THE SCHOOLS.
SO I, I WANNA BE CLEAR THAT IN EACH BUDGET SECTION HE TALKED ABOUT THAT TRANSFERS IN AND OUT.
UH, THOSE ARE JUST MOVES OF PERSONNEL WHO ARE THERE AND OTHER PEOPLE COME IN.
WE HAVE NOT SHORTED SCHOOL SAFETY, ANY OF THE POSITIONS, INCLUDING THE FOUR THAT CAME TO US, UH, LAST YEAR BACK WHEN ABERDEEN RESUMED.
I KNOW THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE IS OUT THERE SAYING HE'S AT ITS SEVEN ARMED SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS DURING HIS TIMES COUNTY EXECUTIVE.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT MATH COMES FROM.
I THINK HE'S COUNTING THE INITIAL FOUR.
AND THEN HE'S COUNTING THE SAME THREE PEOPLE THAT NOW CAME TO OUR BUDGET.
SO I THINK HE'S KIND OF DOUBLE COUNTING.
UM, BUT WE'VE HAD FOUR SROS ADDED AS OF LAST YEAR
[01:45:01]
THROUGH ABERDEEN.AND WHEN WE GOT 'EM BACK, THEY, THEY REMAINED ASSIGNED IN THAT, UH, UNIT.
WE MAINTAIN A SCHOOL RESOURCE DEPUTY IN EVERY HIGH SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL OUTSIDE OF THE MUNICIPAL AREAS, AND AS WELL AS A ROTATION THROUGH THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PROGRAM WITH THE SAME STAFFING LEVEL.
PLUS THOSE ADDITIONAL, UH, THAT CAME OVER TO US FROM ABER BACK FROM ABERDEEN.
SO WITH THAT, I THINK I'M GOING TO CONCLUDE AND TAKE ANY QUESTIONS OR MOVE ON TO CAPITAL, HOWEVER YOU WISH.
UM, SO NO, JEFF, YOU WERE VERY THOROUGH.
THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT.
BUT VIA OF CALLS, WHAT'S THAT NUMBER WE JUST GAVE YOU AS WE'D LIKE TO, UM, YOUR, THE ANNUAL REPORT AND I DIDN'T KEEP A COPY FOR ME.
I DON'T KNOW OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD WHAT THE VOLUME OF CALLS ARE, WHAT THE OVERALL NUMBER IS.
AND HOW MANY ROAD DEPUTIES, UH, BASICALLY IN LAW ENFORCEMENT COUNT OUT THE, THE TEMPS? YOU HAVE ABOUT THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY, THREE HUNDRED SIXTY LAW ENFORCEMENT DEPUTIES, THE MEN AND WOMEN.
BUT OF COURSE THEY'RE BROKEN INTO DIFFERENT UNITS.
UH, CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS, UM, SCHOOL POLICING, COMMUNITY POLICING, TRAFFIC, UH, TRAFFIC'S ANOTHER AREA WHERE WE'VE ASKED FOR ADDITIONAL HELP FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS AND THERE'S BEEN ZERO FUNDED OUR NUMBER ONE COMPLAINT ACROSS, UH, THE COUNTY IS SPEEDERS.
AND WE HAVE, AS YOU ARE AWARE AND AS THE JUSTIFICATIONS IN THE REPORT THAT I SEND OVER EVERY YEAR, UH, WE HAVE FOUR AND A SUPERVISOR TO ACCOUNT FOR ALL OF THE TRAFFIC COMPLAINTS WE GET, ALONG WITH MANY OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES.
UM, SO WHAT'S ACTUALLY ASSIGNED TO PATROL? I DON'T HAVE, I CAN GET YOU THAT EXACT NUMBER TO THE TWO PRECINCTS THAT ACTUALLY COME OUT WHEN SOMEONE PICKS UP THE PHONE AND CALLS NINE ONE ONE.
BUT, UH, I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT NUMBER.
UM, BUT WE'LL GET YOU THAT NUMBER.
AND YOU'RE CORRECT, UH, JUDGE CURTIN WAS HERE, UH, FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW TALKING ABOUT SECURITY FOR THE MATTRESS'S OFFICE AND OTHER THINGS.
UM, AND YES, WE KNOW WHAT THE FUNDING NUMBER IS, BUT YOU TOUCHED ON THE TIMEFRAME THAT YOU NEED.
ONCE YOU GET THE FUNDING, HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO FILL THOSE POSITIONS? OUR BACKGROUND, BECAUSE WE HOLD EVERY POSITION, LAW ENFORCEMENT, SWORN CORRECTIONS SWORN AND OR CIVILIANS TO A COMPLETE BACKGROUND CHECK.
IT TAKES MONTHS, YOU KNOW, IN THE BEST CASE, THREE OR FOUR MONTHS ONCE YOU HAVE THE HIRING WINDOW, WHICH IS 30 DAYS.
SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT SIX MONTHS TO GET SOMEBODY IN THE DOOR.
UH, GENERALLY THE POSITIONS AT THE COURTHOUSE, YOUR SECURITY HERE, THE SECURITY OVER AT THE COUNTY EXECUTIVES BUILDING ARE ALL GENERALLY RETIRED, UH, DEPUTIES FROM ANOTHER POLICE AGENCY.
UM, SO THEY DON'T REQUIRE, IF WE CAN GET 'EM WITHIN THREE YEARS OF THEIR SEPARATION, UH, WE CAN, THEY DON'T HAVE TO GO TO A WHOLE NOTHER POLICE ACADEMY.
SO WE CAN NORMALLY GET 'EM IN UNIFORM AND ON A POST, UH, MUCH QUICKER.
BUT WE'RE STILL TALKING EIGHT MONTHS.
UH, THEY STILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH CERTAIN TRAINING ONCE THEY'RE REHIRED, BUT NOT A FULL ACADEMY.
SO YOU'RE PROBABLY TALKING EIGHT MONTHS IF THERE'S SOMEONE WAITING TO APPLY.
AND DO WE HAVE A CLASS STARTED NOW THAT IS NOT AFFECTED BY THE CLASS, BUT WE DO HAVE A CLASS, UH, LAW ENFORCEMENT CLASS IN RIGHT NOW THAT WAS HOPED TO HAVE BEEN TWICE AS BIG.
UH, THE RECRUIT PROCESS THAT WENT ON FOR THAT WITH THE INCENTIVES DID NOT GIVE US THE NUMBERS THAT WE NEEDED.
UH, WE WERE PLANNING ON RUNNING ONE ACADEMY THAT WOULD GRADUATE THIS FALL.
AND OF COURSE ONCE THEY GRADUATE, THEY HAVE 12 WEEKS OF FIELD TRAINING.
SO THOSE DEPUTIES THAT ARE IN THE ACADEMY ARE NO GOOD TO ME, TO MY COMMAND STAFF, TO THE CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTY UNTIL EARLY IN 27 BECAUSE WE WERE NOT ABLE TO FILL THAT ACADEMY.
WE ACTUALLY NOW HAVE TO RUN A SECOND ACADEMY THIS YEAR.
THAT'S GOING TO START ALMOST THE MINUTE THIS ONE GRADUATES.
WE'RE GONNA START ANOTHER ONE.
UH, WE GENERALLY HAVE RUN ONE A YEAR SINCE I'VE BEEN SHERIFF.
UH, BUT THIS ONE'S GONNA REQUIRE TWO, WHICH IS MORE DEMAND FOR TRAINING SPACE, MORE, MORE DEMAND ON OUR, ON OUR STAFF THAT HAS TO, UM, HAVE A SECONDARY ASSIGNMENT, ANCILLARY DUTY OF DOING TEACHING.
SO ALL THAT BECOMES DOUBLED OVER THE COURSE OF HAVING TWO ACADEMIES.
UM, AND THE RECRUIT NUMBERS FOR THE RECRUITMENT THAT'S JUST CLOSED IS FRANKLY TERRIBLE.
I THINK WE HAD 150 PUT IN FOR IT.
AND THESE ARE GENERALLY WHAT WE SEE THAT 150 IS NOT A BAD NUMBER.
UM, BUT GENERALLY WHAT WE SEE IN THE FIRST THING, WHICH IS SHOWING UP FOR THE PT AND THE WRITTEN TEST, THE PHYSICAL TESTING AND THE WRITTEN TEST, THERE'S ABOUT HALF OF THOSE WHO SAY THEY'RE COMING ACTUALLY.
SO, SO WE GET ABOUT HALF OF THOSE THAT APPLY WILL TELL US THEY'RE COMING.
SO THAT 70 BECOMES 75 TO 80, AND THEN WE GET 30 TO 40 THAT SHOW UP.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE EXPECTING IN A COUPLE WEEKS.
AND RIGHT NOW WE HAVE 12 HARD VACANCIES AND WE HAVE A CLASS OF 12 IN THE CLASS, I THINK, UM, IS, UM, WE HAVE 12.
WE HAVE SOME ALLIED AGENCIES IN THERE, BUT WE HAVE 12 IN THE CLASS.
SO THAT'S IN TOTAL 24 POSITIONS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT.
SOMEWHERE THAT ARE CARRYING A VACANT.
MIGHT BE IN NORTHERN, MIGHT BE IN SOUTHERN, MIGHT BE IN CID, MIGHT BE IN DOMESTIC
[01:50:01]
VIOLENCE, COULD BE IN COMMUNITY POLICING, BUT WE HAVE TO CARRY 16, UH, WHATEVER WHAT I JUST SAY, 24 POSITIONS ON THE ORG CHART VACANT FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.GENERALLY, YOU'RE LOOKING AT, WELL, MORE THAN WELL OVER A YEAR BETWEEN RECRUITMENT TRAINING AND FIELD TRAINING TO GET A DEPUTY THROUGH THE HIRING PROCESS THROUGH THE POLICE ACADEMY AND ON THE ROAD.
AND JENNIFER WAS KIND ENOUGH TO COME UP WITH THE, UH, NUMBER OF PATROL POSITIONS AT ONE 60.
SO ABOUT HALF OF OUR COMPLIMENT IS DEDICATED TO PATROL.
UM, AND I, I KIND OF WANT TO PIGGYBACK OFF OF, I'M GLAD YOU MENTIONED ABOUT THE COURT STAFF 'CAUSE OF SOMEONE WHO'S BEEN IN THE COURT, UH, ESPECIALLY THE CIRCUIT COURT ESPECIALLY, UM, THE REASONING BEHIND ASKING FOR THOSE ADDITIONAL COURT STAFF, UM, FOR OUR MAGISTRATES.
AND, UH, BECAUSE I GUESS PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT THE DOMESTICS ARE PROBABLY THE WORST CASE THAT OCCUR IN A COURTHOUSE MORE THAN A CRIMINAL MATTER.
UM, 'CAUSE I'VE SEEN THAT FIRSTHAND.
UM, AND SO KIND OF SHOCKED IT'S STILL NOT IN THERE, UM, FROM ADVOCATING FOR THAT LAST TIME BECAUSE THAT YOU DON'T WANNA BE REACTIVE TO SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS IN THE COURTHOUSE, UM, FOR SURE.
UH, AND, UH, THE, THE DOMESTIC CASES CARRY A LOT MORE OF EMOTION TO 'EM.
SO, UM, I CAN SEE THAT BEING A PROBLEM.
I DID HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT, UM, WHAT IS OUR STARTING SALARY AND HOW IS THAT COM COMPARABLE TO THE OTHER COUNTIES THAT ARE AROUND US? LIKE, ARE WE STILL BEING ABLE TO A ASK FOR LIKE A COMPETITIVE PACKAGING OR ARE WE STILL BELOW WE THE SALARY STUDY RESULTS AND, AND THE ENTRY LEVEL, THE ENTRY LEVEL SALARY, UM, WAS MORE ON PAR WITH THOSE JURISDICTIONS THAT WE COMPETE WITH.
UM, BUT OVERALL, UH, THAT'S WHAT THE SALARY STUDY SHOWED US IS THAT WE WERE MARKEDLY BEHIND.
UM, AND AGAIN, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE HAS, UM, PROPOSED, HAS OFFERED UP A PROPOSED BUDGET THAT OFFERS A, UM, A, A BIG STEP FORWARD TO THREE, THREE AND THREE, UH, 3% STEP, 3% COLA AND 3% OR MERIT AND 3% DEFERRING.
UM, WE WILL GO A LONG WAY INTO ADDRESSING THAT SHORTCOMING.
UM, BUT UH, UH, THE, THE POOL, THE, EVERYONE IS SEEING IT.
YOU KNOW, I, AND I'VE SAT HERE THE LAST TWO YEARS AND TALKED ABOUT IT.
UH, WE ESCAPED THE EARLY YEARS OF THE, THE DOWNTURN.
HOWEVER, UH, I I THINK THAT PEOPLE HAVE SEEN THAT, UH, MAYBE POLICING ISN'T GETTING THE SORT OF ATTENTION THAT IT USED TO GET IN HARTFORD COUNTY, THE VALUE OF OUR POLICE OFFICERS, AND CERTAINLY NOT BY ME OR MY ADMINISTRATION.
UM, BUT, UH, WE ARE NOT GETTING THE NUMBERS THAT WE GOT.
AND, AND I'LL BLAME IT ON THE LEGISLATURE AS WELL.
THEY'VE, THEY'VE BEEN KEEN ON COMING UP WITH MORE BILLS THAT, UH, TARGET POLICE.
UH, AND, AND I'VE SAID IT, I'VE NOT BEEN BASHFUL ABOUT IT, THAT ARE PRO CRIMINAL AND, AND TARGET POLICE AS, AS THE BAD GUYS.
IT'S NOT A PROFESSION THAT YOU HAVE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN WERE MEN AND WOMEN STRIVING TOWARD LIKE THEY DID AT ONE POINT IN TIME.
AND HOPEFULLY, UH, THIS STATE WILL SEE THE ERROR OF ITS WAYS AND, UM, WE WILL PUT INTO INVESTMENT INTO THE, THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO GO OUT THERE AND DO IT.
BUT AS LONG AS THESE JURISDICTIONS THAT, UH, CAN AFFORD TO CONTINUE TO RAISE SALARIES, UM, WHAT I I'VE SAID THIS IN HERE BEFORE, THE, THE SALARIES THAT OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT MEN AND WOMEN ARE MAKING TODAY.
I CAN'T BELIEVE FROM A PERSON WHO CAME ON, AND I'M SURE JIM, SAME WAY FROM YOUR YEARS BACK, CANNOT BELIEVE, UH, WHAT THEY MAKE TODAY.
I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT WAY BACK.
UM, BUT THEY HAVE GOTTEN QUITE EXPENSIVE.
IT'S BECOME SO PROFESSIONAL AND SO SPECIALIZED.
UH, WHEN YOU DRIVE PEOPLE OUT OF THE MARKET, THE DEMAND BECOMES GREATER.
AND IT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE SEEING.
UM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU, YOU WANT TO DRAW AN ANALOGY, YOU CAN DRAW IT TO WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE, UH, IRAN AND THE STRAIGHT OVER THERE.
WHEN YOU CUT THE SUPPLY, THE PRICE GOES UP.
AND WHEN THEY CUT THE SUPPLY OF MEN AND WOMEN COMING INTO THIS PROFESSION, THE, THE, THE, THE COST GOES UP AND, UH, THE, THE INCENTIVES, YOU KNOW, WE'RE AT A $10,000 INCENTIVE FOR MEN AND WOMEN TO COME HERE.
AND I JUST SAW ONE FROM, I SAID, SALISBURY IS NOW AT 50.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE PRICED OUT OF TRYING TO COMPETE WITH SOME OF THESE AND WE, WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN COMPETITIVENESS OR WE'RE GONNA SEE WHAT WE, WHAT WE JUST WITNESSED.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE WEREN'T ABLE TO FILL THE ACADEMY CLASS TO GET IT STARTED, AND NOW WE HAVE TO DO A SECOND ENTIRE ACADEMY IF WE COULD EVEN FILL IT WITH THAT.
UM, AND WE'RE NOT GETTING LATERALS AT ALL.
UM, THAT'S A PROCESS THAT WE'VE TRIED.
UM, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT GETTING LATERALS.
SO LONG-WINDED ANSWER TO YOUR VERY SHORT QUESTION.
I BELIEVE OUR ENTRY LEVEL SALARIES ARE COMPETITIVE, UM, UH, BEHIND PROBABLY SOME OF THE BIGGER AGENCIES, BUT COMPETITIVE, UH, BUT AS YOU GO UP THE CHAIN, UM, IT WAS OFF.
BUT THIS, THIS PAY RAISE WILL GO, UH, WAYS TO, UH, ADDRESSING THAT.
AND YOUR NUMBERS FOR THE CORRECTIONAL
[01:55:01]
OFFICERS, ARE THEY BETTER? UM, WE'VE BEEN DOING MUCH BETTER ON THE CORRECTION SIDE.AND I THINK THAT THEY HAVE NOT BEEN DEMONIZED NEARLY AS MUCH.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO ATTACK THE JOB, THE MEN AND WOMEN DO TO PROTECT, UH, THOSE THAT ARE IN OUR CARE AND CUSTODY.
AND THAT'S SAD BECAUSE IT COULD NOT BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH OF THE GREAT JOB THAT OUR CORRECTIONAL STAFF, UM, DOES.
THE WARDEN COULDN'T BE HERE TODAY, NOR THE ASSISTANT WARDEN, BUT CAPTAIN JENKINS IS HERE FROM CORRECTIONS AND, UM, THE JOB THAT THEY DO UP THERE IS JUST REMARKABLE.
I'M ALWAYS HAPPY TO WALK THROUGH THE HLA AND OUR CITIZENS POLICE ACADEMY AND, UH, SHOW THEM WHAT A GREAT FACILITY WE HAVE, UH, THE AMOUNT OF MENTAL HEALTH, THE AMOUNT OF, UM, PHYSICAL, UM, HEALTH CHALLENGES, A A ALONG WITH SUBSTANCE ABUSE CHALLENGES.
AND THEN YOU GET INTO JUST THE STRAIGHT OUT CRIMINALS.
UH, THE WAY THAT THAT FACILITY IS RUN, UH, FROM THE, FROM ME, BUT FROM THE WARDEN DOWN, IS EXCEPTIONAL.
AND I'M GLAD THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO FILL THOSE NUMBERS QUITE A BIT.
UM, BUT WE'RE, I THINK RIGHT NOW WE'RE AT 12 VACANCIES.
WE HAVE SEVERAL PEOPLE IN THE HIRING PIPELINE.
UM, THERE ARE, WE'RE, WE'RE OUR, ONE OF OUR BIGGEST ENEMIES.
'CAUSE FOR THIS NEXT LAW ENFORCEMENT CLASS, PRESENTLY, I, IT WAS NINE, BUT I THINK IT'S DOWN TO SIX OF THE CORRECTIONAL DEPUTIES WANT TO MOVE OVER TO LAW ENFORCEMENT.
SO WE HELP OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT SIDE WHILE WE KIND OF SHOOT OURSELVES IN THE FOOT ON THE CORRECTIONS SIDE.
SO, UM, KIND OF WHAT YOU'VE BEEN TOUCHING ON THIS WHOLE TIME, SO ON MOST OF THE, UM, SALARY AND, UM, LIKE BREAKDOWNS OF THE NEXT YEAR, I'M CONCERNED TO SEE SO MANY, UH, COST SAVINGS ON TURNOVER.
UM, SO WHEN PEOPLE END UP LEAVING THEIR POSTS WITH HARFORD COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, IT, ARE THEY GOING LATERAL OR ARE THEY BEING PROMOTED? ARE THEY RETIRING? WHAT IT, WHAT ARE THE TRENDS? WELL, I, I THINK WHEN YOU SEE THAT IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT A BAD THING.
IT'S JUST A, A FACT OF LIFE THING WHERE SOMEONE'S RETIRING AT THE END OF THEIR CAREER.
AT THE VERY TOP OF WHICHEVER STEP, WHICHEVER RANK THEY'RE IN.
AND THEN YOU GET A DEPUTY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SCALE.
SO THAT'S WHERE THE COST SAVINGS IS, REALIZE THAT.
SO IT'S, IT'S MAINLY LIKE A NATURAL YES.
THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY A BAD THING.
DO WE HAVE, UM, IS THERE A POT OF OFFICERS? IS THERE A POT OF OFFICERS OR A GROUP OF OFFICERS THAT HAVE MADE LATERAL MOVES? OR, ONCE YOU'RE IN HARTFORD COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, YOU TYPICALLY STAY AS LONG AS IT'S VOLUNTARY.
WE HAVE NOT HAD A, A, A GREAT ISSUE.
WE'VE HAD A COUPLE GO ON TO FEDERAL CAREERS.
WE'VE HAD A COUPLE, UH, LEAVE TO GO, UH, LOCAL.
UM, I THINK ONE RECENTLY WENT TO HOWARD OR BACK, WENT BACK TO ONE, WENT BACK TO BALTIMORE COUNTY, ONE WENT BACK TO BALTIMORE CITY, UM, ABERDEEN.
UM, SO I, I, I, THERE WAS A POINT IN TIME WHERE WE DID NOT SEE THAT AT ALL.
WE JUST HAD A DEPUTY, UM, CALL IT A DAY AFTER, I THINK IT'S 10 YEARS OR SO, HE'S GOING INTO THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
UH, AGAIN, IT'S NOT THE, YOU KNOW, PERSONAL CHOICE, BUT NOT SOMEONE TO SELL.
IT'S NOT A CAREER THAT PEOPLE ARE COMING TO IN THE SAME VOLUME THEY DID AT ONE TIME.
AND I KNOW YOU GUYS DO, UM, YOU HAVE SOME GREAT PROGRAMS, ESPECIALLY WITH LIKE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL KIDS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
AND I AGREE, SOCIETY WISE, WE DON'T NECESSARILY, UM, HAVE AS MUCH FOCUS ON A LAW ENFORCEMENT LIFE AS WE, AS OUR COUNTRY ONCE DID.
UM, HAS THERE BEEN ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT POSSIBLY EXPANDING OUTREACH TO EVEN YOUNGER KIDS? I KNOW WE TALK A LOT ABOUT OUTREACH TO HIGH SCHOOLERS AND STUFF LIKE THAT, BUT I WOULD, AND I, AGAIN, HAVING THE SROS AND UM, IS A GREAT ADDITION TO OUR SCHOOLS, BUT I WOULD ALMOST BE CURIOUS TO HAVE MORE OF A, THESE ARE PEOPLE IN YOUR COMMUNITY.
THESE ARE PEOPLE IN YOUR VILLAGE, AND YOU COULD BE ONE, ONE DAY.
UH, I WILL SAY, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING THAT EVERYONE ELSE HAS TRIED AND THEN SOME, UM, I, I, I ASSEMBLED A, UH, HIRING GROUP, UM, TRYING TO FOCUS ON NUMBERS AND THE DIVERSITY OF THE OFFICE.
UM, AND AFTER A FEW YEARS OF THAT, WE HAD REALLY NO IMPROVEMENT IN OUR OVERALL NUMBERS EITHER WAY.
UM, WE OFFERED THE 10,000, I THINK IT STARTED AT FIVE, AND THEN WE WENT UP TO $10,000 INCENTIVE.
WE OFFER A $1,000 EMPLOYEE INCENTIVE FOR FINDING US, UH, A MAN OR A WOMAN TO APPLY.
AND THEN THEY GET, THEY GET THROUGH THE BACKGROUND.
THAT EMPLOYEE HAS THAT INCENTIVE.
UM, AND I RECENTLY, WELL PROB PROBABLY WITHIN THE LAST YEAR, MOVED ALL OF OUR RECRUITING UNDERNEATH OF CHRISTIE HOPKINS, THE DIRECTOR OF OFFICE OF MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS, WHO'S HERE WITH ME TODAY.
HER AND HER STAFF, UH, TO FOCUS MORE FROM A MARKETING STANDPOINT.
AND, UM, UH, SHE HAS DONE, HER AND HER STAFF HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB REACHING OUT TO SO MANY, UH, VENUES.
I KNOW THAT THEY WERE AT THE COLLEGE LAST WEEK.
UM, WE'RE WILLING TO GO ANYWHERE AND DO ANYTHING, AND WE'RE TRYING
[02:00:01]
EVERYTHING THAT EVERYONE ELSE IS DOING.UM, BUT WE ARE NOT SEEING THE RESULTS.
UM, COUPLE THINGS, UM, DISTRACTED DRIVING.
UH, DOES THAT INCLUDES, UH, PEOPLE ON CELL PHONES? YES, BECAUSE I DO SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE ON THEIR CELL PHONES TEXTING ALL THE TIME.
THAT'S STILL ONE OF THE BIGGEST CAUSES OF ACCIDENTS IN MY WORLD.
AND I SEE THERE WAS 836 REPORTED CRASHES.
IS THAT UP DOWN FROM PRIOR YEARS? OVERALL CRASHES, I THOUGHT WERE DOWN LAST YEAR.
UH, BUT I WILL SAY YOU'RE A HUNDRED PERCENT RIGHT.
THE DISTRACTED DRIVING, AND IT'S TERRIBLE.
YOU, YOU COULDN'T MAKE IT OFF THIS PARKING LOT WITHOUT SEEING PROBABLY FIVE PEOPLE GO BY, UH, ON THEIR PHONE.
AND AGAIN, I, I GO BACK TO, YOU KNOW, I HAVE A BIG OFFICE, YOU KNOW, THE OFFICE OF SHERIFF, BIGGEST ONE IN THE STATE, AND I REALIZE THAT.
UM, BUT WHEN YOU ALLOT THE PEOPLE OUT TO THE NEEDS THAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS, WE HAVE FOUR PEOPLE IN THE TRAFFIC UNIT WITH A SUPERVISOR.
AND I'VE ASKED FOR THE SEVERAL LAST YEARS FOR JUST TWO ADDITIONAL DEPUTIES TO BE, AND AGAIN, DEPUTIES AREN'T CHEAP.
AND, AND WE HAVE TO ALSO FIND THEM.
BUT I'VE ASKED FOR TWO ADDITIONAL PEOPLE FOR THE TRAFFIC UNIT BECAUSE WE GET COMPLAINTS OF SPEEDERS FROM EVERY CORNER OF THIS COUNTY.
UM, ALONG WITH THOSE, UH, CONCERNS ABOUT DISTRACTED DRIVING OR IMPAIRED DRIVING, UH, EVERYBODY WANTS A DEPUTY OR A POLICE OFFICER IN, IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND THE DAYS OF IT BEING THE STATE POLICE ARE BEHIND US.
IT NEEDS TO BE US OR THE, THE MUNICIPAL AGENCIES IN TOWN.
THEY STILL WORK TOGETHER ONCE A WEEK.
UM, THE TRAFFIC TASK FORCE GETS TOGETHER AND GOES OUT AND FOCUSES JUST ON THOSE SPEEDING AND DISTRACTED DRIVING, UH, SORTS OF VIOLATIONS TO SEND THAT MESSAGE THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE REPERCUSSIONS.
UH, BUT THE VOLUME DOESN'T MEET THE, THE SIZE OF THE TRAFFIC UNIT THAT WE HAVE DOESN'T MEET THE DEMANDS THAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS.
AND THEN I SAW SOMETHING HERE, THAT DRUG DRIVING ARREST, DOES THAT INCLUDE PE, IS THAT INCLUDING PEOPLE THAT ARE PULLED, UH, TESTED NOW FROM, CAN YOU TEST FOR MARIJUANA OR IS IT JUST DRUGS IN GENERAL? YOU CAN, YOU CAN ARREST, YOU COULD BE IMPAIRED BY, UM, USING CANNABIS.
UH, BUT YOU CANNOT, YOU CAN'T TEST FOR IT.
THERE'S NO BREATH, STILL NO TEST FOR IT.
YOU HAVE TO BRING OUT A DRUG RECOGNITION, EX DRUG RECOGNITION EXPERT, AND THAT'S A SPECIALIZED POLICE OFFICER.
THERE'S ONLY A FEW IN THE COUNTY.
I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT NUMBER.
UM, BUT OFTEN WE DON'T HAVE ONE ON DUTY, SO WE'LL REACH OUT TO ONE OF THE MUNICIPAL AGENTS.
IT'S ALMOST LIKE CALLING FOR A CANINE DOG.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S EIGHT OR NINE CANINES IN THE ENTIRE COUNTY.
THERE'S PROBABLY EIGHT OR NINE DRES.
YOU JUST GET 'EM, IF YOU GET LUCKY, YOU HAVE SOMEBODY WHO THINK'S IMPAIRED AND YOU NEED A DRE.
YOU JUST GOT THE HOPE ONE'S EITHER WORKING OR AVAILABLE FOR CALLOUT.
AND THEN THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS, DO YOU GUYS, DOES THE DEPUTIES USE GLOCKS? YES.
SO WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN MOVING FORWARD WITH THE, WE WERE, THE LAW THAT THEY PASSED WITH THE GLOCKS, WILL THAT AFFECT LAW ENFORCEMENT WAS EXEMPTED IN THE BILL EXEMPT.
UM, WHAT'S THE AVERAGE RESPONSE TIME FOR DEPUTY BE SET OUT? NOT, I, I DON'T HAVE THE AVERAGE RESPONSE TIME.
WE'RE WORKING WITH A COMPANY NOW CALLED CORONA SOLUTIONS THAT WILL DO A LOT OF THINGS.
THEY'RE HAVING ISSUES TYING INTO THE CAD THAT WOULD GIVE US THAT SORT OF DATA.
UM, I CAN TELL YOU EVERY MAJOR CALL WE'VE BEEN ON THE SCENE, IF NOT LESS THAN A MINUTE, WITHIN A MATTER OF MINUTES.
UM, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, THE DEPUTIES ARE ASSIGNED OUT THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY AND PATROL SECTORS, UM, BASED ON THE CALL VOLUME IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE RESPONSE TIMES ARE AS MINIMAL AS POSSIBLE.
ANYONE ELSE? MR. RILEY? YEAH, SHERIFF, JUST CURIOSITY.
I KNOW IT, BEING IN LAW ENFORCEMENT, WE HAD A LOT OF TOOLS.
K NINE WAS A SQUAD THAT WE HAVE.
DO WE HAVE AN ALLIGATOR SQUAD IN, UH,
WE HAD ANOTHER TOOL WE'RE USING IN OUR GA WE HAVE ANIMAL CONTROL, AND I GOTTA SAY YOU, THAT THAT'S A SMALL UNIT.
WE'VE ASKED FOR AN ADDITIONAL PERSON FOR THEM.
AM I RIGHT? SHE'S LOOKING OR THERE FOUR IN THE SUPERVISOR.
UH, THOSE MEN AND, AND IT'S MOSTLY WOMEN.
UH, THEY, THOSE OFFICERS RESPOND TO EVERY CORNER.
IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE FOR DOMESTIC, UH, ANIMALS, DOGS, CATS AND SUCH.
THEY HAVE DONE EVERYTHING FROM SNAPPING TURTLES TO DEER IN A SWIMMING POOL TO THE ALLIGATOR, UM, AN EAGLE.
THEY HAVE, THEY DO A REMARKABLE JOB.
AND THEY ARE CERTAINLY UNSUNG HEROES IN THIS COMMUNITY, BECAUSE OFTEN ALL THOSE OTHER ANIMALS, LIKE THE ALLIGATORS SHOULD BE NATURAL RESOURCES N RRP OUR STATE PARTNERS.
[02:05:01]
UM, BUT AS WE KNOW, YOU KNOW, IN, IN MY FORMER ORGANIZATION, THE STATE POLICE, THEY ARE NOT STAFFED TO THE LEVEL THAT THEY NEED TO BE IN ORDER TO MEET, UH, THE DEMANDS OF THEIR, UM, AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY.AND HERE, YOU KNOW, OUR ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICERS ARE, ARE READY TO GO ON A MOMENT'S NOTICE.
AND THEY, THEY'VE SEEN IT ALL AND DONE IT ALL.
WE DO NOT HAVE A ALLIGATOR UNIT,
ANYONE ELSE? MR. TS? SHERIFF, I NOTICED, UH, THE ANIMAL CONTROL NUMBERS THAT WE'RE SPEAKING OF HERE, 2,900, IS IS THAT A HIGHER NUMBER OR IS THAT, THAT SEEMS TO ME LIKE THAT'S AN AWFUL LOT OF CALLS.
I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THE NUMBER'S UP OR DOWN.
SO, UH, I MEAN, I KNOW SOME PEOPLE, THEY SEE A DOG RUNNING ACROSS THE ROAD SOMEWHERE AND THEY CALL ANIMAL PATROL.
AND PROBABLY NONE OF THEIR BUSINESS.
SO IT, IT COULD BE AN INJURED DOG, INJURED ANIMAL OF ANY SORT, BUT AGAIN, IT SHOULD BE DOMESTIC.
UM, IT COULD BE A DOG BY, SO THERE THEY DO A REMARKABLE DOG JOB SIZE OF THE UNIT.
UH, THERE'S SIX CAPITAL PROJECTS, AND YOU CAN REFER TO THE SUMMARY ON PAGE 91 OF THE CAPITAL BOOK.
UM, SO THE FIRST ONE UNDER THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE IS THE, UM, DETENTION CENTER FACILITY REPAIR UPGRADES WHERE THERE'S 4,250,000 IN COUNTY BONDS.
NEXT IS THE SHERIFF'S FLEET REPLACEMENT, 1,500,000 IN PEGO, THE INTEGRATED PUBLIC SAFETY TECHNOLOGY AND EVIDENCE SOLUTIONS PROJECT.
THERE'S 3,336,000 IN PEGO WITH ADDED FUNDING, UH, FOR NEXT YEAR TO EXPAND BODY-WORN CAMERAS TO CORRECTIONS DEPUTIES IS INCLUDED IN THAT 3.3 MILLION.
NEXT IS MOBILE DATA TERMINAL REPLACEMENT WITH 200,000 IN PEGO NORTHERN PRECINCT CAMERA PROJECT, 400,000 IN PEGO AND RAPID DNA ANALYSIS PROJECT WITH 180,000 IN PEGO, UH, FOR A TOTAL OF 5,616,000 IN PEGO AND 4,250,000 IN COUNTY BONDS.
ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON CAPITAL? MR. PARISH, DID YOU EVER GET ACCESS TO THE CAMERAS THAT WERE PUT ON THE MOM RIO? NO.
UM, AND THEN WE, I'M SORRY, CYNTHIA.
UM, DO THE CORRECTIONS OFFICERS CURRENTLY NOT HAVE BODY WOR CAMERAS? UH, THEY DO NOT.
I BELIEVE THIS WAS OUR SECOND YEAR, OR THIRD, I BELIEVE IT, I THINK IT WAS THE SECOND, I THINK IT'S SECOND OR THIRD YEAR OF US ASKING FOR THIS FUNDING, UM, TO EXPAND BODY CAMERAS INTO OUR CORRECTIONAL DEPUTIES TO THE SWORN STAFF AT THE JAIL.
AND, UM, I, I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT PROJECT MOVE FORWARD.
SO BY ADDING MORE BODY WOR CAMERAS, AND WE NEED MORE PEOPLE TO REVIEW THE FOOTAGE THAT, THAT WILL LIKELY BE IN NEXT YEAR'S REQUEST, WHICH MEANS SINCE THE ZERO WERE FUNDED THIS YEAR, THE 50 PAGE REPORT YOU ALL SAW, UM, WHEN I SUBMITTED NEXT YEAR, UH, WILL BE 51 PAGES.
SO THAT'S A DIFFERENT AGENCY WHO, WHO REVIEWS THAT BEFORE COURT, CORRECT? UM, WELL, IF THERE WAS A CRIMINAL ACT THAT HAPPENED WITHIN THE JAIL THAT ANY CAMERA FOOTAGE, ANY CAMERA FOOTAGE, INCLUDING THIS CAMERA THROUGHOUT THE FACILITY, WOULD BECOME EVIDENCE.
UM, AND IT WOULD HAVE TO BE VETTED THROUGH ONE OF OUR, UH, BODY CAMERA, UH, ANALYSTS, SPECIALIST SPECIALIST.
UM, AND IT IS, JENNIFER CONFIRMED IT'S OUR THIRD YEAR OF ASKING FOR THE FUNDING.
SO IT WASN'T FUNDED THE TWO YEARS? NO, I SAYING WE WERE, WE ASKED FOR THREE OF THE SPECIALISTS.
OH, THIS YEAR THAT WE DID ASK FOR THREE ADDITIONAL BODY-WORN.
SO HOW, HOW MANY HUMAN BEINGS DID YOU WEAR AND HAVE THIS, HOW MANY CAMERAS DID YOU YOU UP FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT? EVERY DEPUTY GETS TWO CAMERAS BECAUSE, UH, THEY LAST SO LONG.
IF THE BATTERY DIES, THEY CAN SWAP IT OUT FOR CORRECTIONS.
IT WOULDN'T, BECAUSE THEY'RE IN THE FACILITY, THEY'D BE ABLE TO SWAP OUT THERE.
SO IT'D BE ONE PER AND I BELIEVE, UM, 160, ROUGHLY, I THINK WE WERE ADDING A HUNDRED, 150 OR 160.
SO THEY, THEY COULD BE GOT BY PERSONNEL IF THEY'RE NOT SHARED? NO, THEY WOULD, THESE COULD BE SHARED.
WELL, THEY WOULD BE A SIGN, BUT THEY COULD BE RECHARGED.
ANYONE ELSE? SO, EARLIER IN THE CONVERSATION YOU TALKED ABOUT, UM, THE SUCCESS THAT THE COLLEAGUES, COUNCIL COLLEAGUES HAD IN ADVOCATING ON YOUR BEHALF WITH,
[02:10:01]
UM, ITEMS THAT WERE IN YOUR NEEDS ASSESSMENT THAT WERE NOT PROVIDED LAST YEAR.UM, WE DID NOT FUND THAT OURSELVES.
WE HAD TO REQUEST THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
UM, AND I THINK THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE THAT CONVERSATION THIS YEAR, UH, WITH THE, UM, JUDGE CURTIN'S REQUEST FOR SECURITY, UH, AT OFFICE STREET.
SO, AND MY ONLY POINT OF THAT WAS I UNDERSTOOD, AND, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH JUDGE CURIN KNOWS IN THE PROCESS.
SHE KNOWS THAT I ASKED FOR THE PEOPLE THAT I BELIEVE THE PEOPLE ARE NEEDED.
UH, BUT WHEN SHE WAS HERE BEFORE YOU, SHE SAID SHERIFF GAYLER, AND YEAH, THE ONLY WAY I CAN DO 'EM IS TO PULL 'EM FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE.
AND IF THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE WANTS TO GIVE UP HIS SECURITY OR YOU WOULD LIKE TO GIVE UP YOURS, UM, I CAN MOVE HIM THERE.
BUT OTHERWISE I DON'T HAVE THE PEOPLE TO MOVE.
JUDGE CURTIN IS FULLY AWARE OF THE PROCESS.
AND, UM, UH, WE WILL CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE, UH, FOR BOTH OF YOU.
UH, WELL, THIS CONCLUDES THIS, UH, PART OF THE WORK SESSION.
SO I'LL JUST GET STARTED HERE WITH EMERGENCY SERVICES.
EMERGENCY SERVICES BEGINS ON PAGE 3 48.
THE DEPARTMENT HAS EIGHT DIVISIONS ALL IN THE GENERAL FUND.
TOTAL BUDGET IS 59,701,992, WHICH IS AN INCREASE OF $4,420,001 OR 8%.
THERE'S ALSO 2.3 MILLION IN PEGO PROJECTS.
THE FIRST DIVISION, UH, IS ADMINISTRATION.
THE DIVISION BUDGET OF 2,973,915 IS AN INCREASE OF 246,405.
PERSONAL SERVICES INCREASES 133,205.
THAT'S A RESULT OF SALARY ADJUSTMENT OF 5,493, CHANGE IN GRANT OFFSET OF 12,563 COLA AND MERIT, TOTALING 65,200 HUNDRED SIX.
6,831 PENSIONS INCREASED 12,319.
HEALTH BENEFITS INCREASE 37,175.
RETIREMENT HEALTH SAVINGS INCREASES 14,034 AND FICA INCREASES 697 CONTRACTUAL SERVICES INCREASES 115,500 FOR OPERATING EQUIPMENT SERVICE, UH, ELECTRICITY BUILDING AND CUSTODIAL SERVICES AND OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.
SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS DECREASED 12, UH, 2,300 FOR DELIVERY CHARGES AND MAILING.
AND THERE'S NO CHANGE IN BUSINESS AND TRAVEL EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION CENTER BEGINS ON PAGE 3 58.
DIVISION BUDGET OF 12,213,239 IS AN INCREASE OF 432,917.
PERSONAL SERVICES INCREASES 703 517 TURNOVER, SAVINGS OF 133,470, SALARY ADJUSTMENT 15,873 AND MERIT, TOTALING 419,593.
SALARIES INCREASED, 45,000 PENSION INCREASES.
WORKERS' COMP DECREASES 7,312.
HEALTH BENEFITS INCREASE 2,550.
RETIREMENT HEALTH SAVINGS INCREASES 68,045 OVERTIME INCREASES 200,000 FICA INCREASES.
CONTRACTUAL SERVICES DECREASED 200 280 3,750 FOR EMERGENCY REPORTING SYSTEM, TELEPHONE SERVICE AND COMMUNICATION SERVICE DUE TO ONE TIME FY 26 EXPENSES.
THERE'S NO CHANGE IN SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS.
BUSINESS AND TRAVEL INCREASES 13,150 FOR TRAINING SEMINARS FOR FIRE AND RESCUE ONLINE TRAINING, AS WELL AS IN, UH, FOR MEALS FOR OVERTIME MEAL ALLOWANCE.
AND THERE'S NO CHANGE IN MISCELLANEOUS SUPPORT SERVICES BEGINS ON PAGE 360 2.
THE DIVISION BUDGET OF 3,244,517 IS AN INCREASE OF 114,620.
THAT'S THE RESULT OF SALARY ADJUSTMENT OF 2001 77 COLA AND MERIT, TOTALING 33,672.
PENSIONS INCREASED 5,000 4 75 WORKERS' COMP DECREASES 1001 45.
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HEALTH SAVINGS INCREASES.3,659 CONTRACTIONAL SERVICES INCREASED 63,250.
THAT'S THE RESULT OF COMMUNICATION SERVICE INCREASING 40,000 FOR MOTOROLA ANNUAL MAINTENANCE CONTRACT.
AND THEN OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, HEATING FUEL SPACE AND REAL ESTATE RENTAL INCREASE BASED ON ACTUALS.
PAR PARTIALLY OFFSET BY DECREASES IN OPERATING EQUIPMENT SERVICE, EMERGENCY REPORTING SYSTEM, AND TELEPHONE SERVICE FOR NET COST OF 23,250.
AND THERE'S NO CHANGE IN SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS OR BUSINESS AND TRAVEL.
VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANIES BEGINS ON PAGE 360 6.
UM, SINCE THEY'RE COMING IN NEXT, I'LL HOLD OFF ON THE DETAILS, BUT I'LL JUST MENTION THAT THE OVERALL FUNDING OF 12.5 MILLION IS AN INCREASE OF 918,147.
NEXT IS EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES, WHICH BEGINS ON PAGE 360 8.
THE DIVISION BUDGET OF 27,650,053 IS AN INCREASE OF 2,808,865.
PERSONAL SERVICES INCREASED 1,825,189.
THAT'S THE RESULT OF SALARY ADJUSTMENT OF 41,990.
TURNOVER SAVINGS OF 28,768 COLA AND MERIT, TOTALING 736,703.
TEMPORARY SALARIES DECREASED 300,000 EMS. UH, EMPLOYEE RETENTION INCENTIVE FOR ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES DECREASES BY 100,000, UH, BASED ON LENGTH OF SERVICE SCHEDULE PENSIONS INCREASE 102,668 WORKERS' COMPENSATION DECREASES 28,682.
HEALTH BENEFITS DECREASE 264,200 OPPE INCREASES 1,630.
RETIREMENT HEALTH SAVINGS INCREASES 70 1036 OVERTIME INCREASES ONE 1,500,000 AND FICA INCREASES 92,812.
CONTRACTUAL SERVICES INCREASE 897,676.
THAT'S A RESULT OF AN INCREASE, UM, OF 653,676 FOR EMS CONTRIBUTION TO THE SELF-INSURANCE FUND PER ACTU ACTUARIALS AN INCREASE OF 550,000 FOR EMS BILLING BASED ON ACTUAL EXPENSE HISTORY.
AND THOSE ARE OFFSET PARTIALLY BY A DECREASE OF 306,000 FOR TRAINING, WHICH WAS MOVED, UH, TO THE BUSINESS AND TRAVEL CHARACTER APPLIES AND MATERIALS DECREASES 20,000 FOR SAFETY EQUIPMENT DUE TO ONE TIME FY 26 EXPENSES.
BUSINESS AND TRAVEL INCREASES 106,000 FOR TRAINING THAT WAS MOVED FROM CONTRACTUAL SERVICES.
AND THEN THERE'S NO CHANGE IN MISCELLANEOUS.
SPECIAL OPERATIONS BEGINS ON PAGE 3 72.
THE DIVISION BUDGET OF 915,816 IS A DECREASE OF 20,953.
PERSONAL SERVICES DECREASES 3,453.
THAT'S THE RESULT OF SALARY ADJUSTMENTS OF $29.
2,885 WORKERS' COMP DECREASES.
HEALTH BENEFITS DECREASED BASED ON ACTUAL ENROLLMENTS OF 17,775.
RETIREMENT HEALTH SAVINGS INCREASES 519 CONTRACTUAL SERVICES DECREASES 10,200 FOR SPACE AND REAL ESTATE RENTAL, PARTIALLY OFFSET BY AN INCREASE IN ELECTRICITY BASED ON RATE PER PROJECTIONS.
SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS DECREASES 7,300 FOR HARDWARE AND MAINTENANCE SUPPLIES, PARTIALLY OFFSET BY AN INCREASE IN SAFETY EQUIPMENT.
THERE'S NO CHANGE IN BUSINESS AND TRAVEL OR MISCELLANEOUS RESCUE SUPPORT BEGINS ON PAGE 3 76.
THERE'S A REDUCTION OF 80,000 DUE TO ONE TIME FY 26 BUDGETED EXPENSES.
AND THEN THE LAST DIVISION IS NATURAL DISASTERS, WHICH BEGINS ON PAGE 3 78.
THE DIVISION BUDGET OF 160,000 IS NO CHANGE FROM FFY 26 AND PROVIDES FOR OVERTIME COSTS AND FOR DISASTER ASSISTING GRANTS.
WHENEVER YOU'RE READY, SIR, IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE? UM, I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE TODAY AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.
SO I'M GOING TO, I'M GONNA, UM, ASK THE SAME QUESTION THAT I ASKED THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE WHEN HE WAS SITTING HERE LAST WEEK.
UH, WITH YOU LEAVING IN 42 YEARS OF SERVICE AND MIKE, YOU LEAVING THE 31 AND A HALF YEARS OF SERVICE, WHAT IS THE PROCESS? HAVE YOU STARTED LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO FILL THE VOID? AND I KNOW JOEY'S SITTING
[02:20:01]
THERE, BUT HAVE YOU STARTED THAT PROCESS? I KNOW THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE IS ACTIVELY LOOKING AT PEOPLE TO FILL THE POSITIONS, BUT I'M NOT GOING TO SAY ANY MORE THAN THAT.BUT I DO KNOW, SIR, THAT HE IS LOOKING AT POSITIONS.
UH, BECAUSE I WAS, I WAS, UH, I GUESS AT THE, THE, UH, FOR, UH, FOR CHIEFS ASSOCIATION.
AND, UM, I ASKED THAT QUESTION THERE, HAD THAT PROCESS STARTED.
AND OF COURSE, NO ONE KNEW THE ANSWER.
AND, UM, UNBEKNOWNST TO ME, UH, LATER ON THAT EVENING, THEY FOUND OUT THAT YOU WERE LEAVING AS WELL.
SO, UH, IT EVEN I THINK, MAKES IT MORE OF A, UH, IMMEDIATE ISSUE FOR SURE.
AND I DID ASK THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, UH, FOR THE PROCESS TO MOVE ALONG, UM, SMOOTHLY, IS THAT WHEN HE'S IN THAT PROCESS LOOKING AT PEOPLE, CANDIDATES FOR THE FUTURE, HE SHOULD INVOLVE THIS BODY.
'CAUSE THIS BODY HAS TO CONFIRM 'EM, AND THIS BODY SHOULD BE INVOLVED FROM THE GET GO, NOT AT THE END.
SO I HOPE HE LISTENS AND PAYS ATTENTION.
UM, AND WITH THAT, UM, QUESTIONS, ANYONE? MR. ANA WHO FILED FIRST
SO WHEN ARE YOU LEAVING JULY 1ST, MIKE, WHEN ARE YOU LEAVING? JULY 1ST.
OH, JOE, WHEN YOU LEAVING?
UM, ANYONE ELSE? YEAH, MR. MR. MR. TIBBS ON THE EMS BILLING PROCESS.
HOW ARE WE ON COLLECTING THOSE? UH, WE'RE DOING REALLY WELL.
UM, WE, WE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE PREVIOUS BILLING COMPANY AND, UM, MR. TIBS, WHEN WE WENT TO THE NEW BILLING COMPANY, UH, IN NINE MONTHS, UH, FROM JULY OF 25 TILL THE END OF MARCH OF 26, UH, WE'VE BROUGHT IN 8,136,000, UH, ON EMS BILLING.
UM, AND, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S A LOT BETTER THAN WHERE WE WERE WITH THE PREVIOUS BILLING COMPANY.
UM, HOW MUCH WAS THE ACTUAL BILLING THOUGH? AND THEN WHAT DID YOU COLLECT? THAT'S WHAT I'M, SO THE BILLING, WHAT WE HAD TO PAY THE BILLING COMPANY DURING THAT SAME TIMEFRAME WAS 439,000.
SO I'M, I CAN'T, I MEAN, WE BROUGHT IN 8,136,885 AND WE PAID THE BILLING COMPANY 430.
UH, HOW MANY OF THOSE BILLS WERE NOT PAID? THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO, I'LL HAVE TO GET BACK WITH YOU ON THAT ANSWER.
I DON'T REALLY, YEAH, AND I, I MEAN, THIS IS, THIS IS ALWAYS THE CHALLENGE.
I KNOW WITH EMS BILLING, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE MADE A LOT OF STEPS IN ORDER TO BOTH WORK WITH, UM, UPPER CHESAPEAKE AS FAR AS PROVIDING, YOU KNOW, DATA TO US.
BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES WHAT HAPPENS IS PEOPLE, UM, THEY'RE TRANSPORTED, UM, BUT THAT IF WE DON'T HAVE THEIR INSURANCE INFORMATION, THEY'RE NOT KIND OF ABLE TO DIRECTLY DEAL WITH THE INSURANCE.
IT GOES TO THE PATIENT AND THEN MAYBE THE PATIENT DOESN'T SEND IT TO THEIR INSURANCE AGENCY.
SO WE ARE, WE, WE NOW HAVE ARRANGEMENTS TO, TO, UM, UM, THAT WE ARE GETTING INFORMATION DIRECTLY FROM, UM, FROM UPPER CHESAPEAKE.
WE WERE ALSO WORKING, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, WITH THE, THE PARAMEDICS THEMSELVES TO TRY TO GET THE INFORMATION, YOU KNOW, WHEN, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN THEY'RE, UH, WHEN THEY'RE DOING THE, WHEN THEY'RE DOING THE TRANSPORTS.
AND WE HAVE, WE HAVE ALWAYS STATED THAT WE DON'T DO AGGRESSIVE BILLING.
WE DON'T, WE DON'T GENERALLY SEND PEOPLE TO, TO, TO COLLECTIONS.
UM, SO WITH SOME FORMS, YOU KNOW, WE ARE DOING, YOU KNOW, QUITE WELL, WHETHER, WHEN IT'S, WHEN IT'S INDIVIDUALS WHO GENERALLY HAVE INSURANCE, AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'RE DEFINITELY TRYING TO GET RID OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO JUST DON'T FOLLOW THROUGH VERSUS THOSE WHO DON'T HAVE, WHO, WHO DON'T HAVE INSURANCE.
UM, YOU KNOW, BUT WE'RE UP TO ABOUT $10 MILLION A YEAR IN, UM, EXPECTED, EXPECTED BILLINGS PLUS ANOTHER 2 MILLION IN A, IN A GRANT.
THE STATE OF MARYLAND DOES, IN ORDER TO HELP US OFFSET THE COST DIFFERENTIAL BETWEEN ME, MEDICAIDS PAYS VERY, VERY POORLY.
IT'S ONLY LIKE A HUNDRED DOLLARS.
UM, BUT WE'RE GETTING ABOUT $2 MILLION FROM THERE, SO ABOUT $12 MILLION.
SO IT, WHILE WE DON'T FULLY COVER, UM, OUR, OUR OPERATIONS, THAT GAP HAS, HAS REALLY SIGNIFICANTLY BEEN CLOSED.
IT'S, UH, IT'S NOT QUITE AN ENTERPRISE FUND, BUT IT'S, IT'S, UH, IT'S, IT'S LARGELY THOUGH, UH, PAYING A GOOD SHARE OF ITS, OF ITS WAY.
I KNEW IT WAS WAY OUT EARLIER AND THAT, THAT, I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT IT'S GETTING CLOSER.
MY FIRST QUESTION IS, WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN EMT AND A PARAMEDIC? WELL, AN EMT CAN DO BASIC LIFE SUPPORT, UH, ON A PATIENT WHERE A PARAMEDIC CAN DO
[02:25:01]
ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT AND DO A LOT OF THE SAME FUNCTIONS THAT ARE DONE IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM.THEY CAN, UH, GIVE THE PATIENT, UH, MEDICATION, DRUGS.
UH, THEY HAVE THE ABILITY IF SOMEBODY'S IN CARDIAC ARREST, TO DEFI THE PATIENT TO TRY TO GET THEIR HEART STARTED AGAIN.
UM, AND WE'RE, UH, I, I WANNA GIVE KUDOS TO OUR MEDICAL DIRECTOR, DR.
SWORD, BECAUSE HE'S AT THE CUTTING EDGE, UM, IN MARYLAND.
UH, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE HAVING OUR PARAMEDICS IN THE FIELD DO A LOT OF THINGS THAT OTHER JURISDICTIONS HAVEN'T EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT DOING YET.
IN THE LAST YEAR, WE STARTED GIVING WHOLE BLOOD.
UM, WE HAVE A CONTRACT WITH SINAI HOSPITAL OUT OF BALTIMORE.
AND, UM, WE'RE, WE'VE SAVED, UM, I THINK THE LAST COUNT OF OVER A HUNDRED LIVES SINCE WE IMPLEMENTED WHOLE BLOOD.
AND, UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY THE DIFFERENCE.
THE PARAMEDICS CAN DO A LOT MORE TO THE PATIENT THAN A EMT COUNT.
ADDITIONALLY, UM, I LOOKED AT YOUR NUMBERS FOR FY 27, AND THERE ARE 74 BODIES IN EACH OF THOSE, UM, CLASSIFICATIONS.
AND I TOOK THE, AN AVERAGE OF, NOT EVERYBODY MAKES THE SAME, BUT I AVERAGED IT OUT SO THAT THEY MADE THE SAME.
AND I MADE A COMPARISON, UM, AGAINST BALTIMORE CITY OF THREE YEARS OF SERVICE THROUGH THE EXACT SAME JOB TITLE.
OBVIOUSLY OURS CAN ONLY HAVE THREE YEARS OF SERVICE.
'CAUSE THAT'S WHEN WE STARTED THE PLAN.
WE SAID AT THAT TIME THAT AFTER FIVE YEARS, 10 YEARS AND 15 YEARS, THAT THERE WOULD BE INCENTIVES TO STAY.
NOBODY HAS REACHED THAT FIVE YEARS.
I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT WE ARE LOSING PEOPLE THAT HAVE KNOWLEDGE, HAVE BEEN TRAINED, KNOW OUR STREETS, KNOW OUR COMMUNITY, THAT IF WE DON'T RECOGNIZE THAT FINANCIALLY, WE'RE GOING TO BE IN A TERRIBLE POSITION WHERE WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE ENOUGH TO STAFF OUR ENTIRE AMBULANCE CENTER.
ALSO, AS WE LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING A COUNTY PAID, WHATEVER YOU LOOK AT IS FIRE SERVICE.
I THINK WE WANT THE FIRE SERVICE TO KNOW THAT THE COUNTY IS, HAS THEIR BACKS AND THAT THEY WOULD BE PAID FAIRLY AND ACCORDINGLY.
UM, I BROUGHT THIS UP TO, TO THE WHOLE COMMITTEE, AND I SENT THIS TO SOME OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND JUST, I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I REALLY FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO FUND THE EXISTING EMTS AND PARAMEDICS, SO WE'RE NOT LOSING THEM TO OTHER COUNTIES.
I'LL SAY, UM, AND I THINK IT WAS MENTIONED THE FIRST DAY OF THIS SESSIONS, WHICH SEEMS LIKE FOREVER AGO, BUT THAT LIKE, UM, THAT WE ARE IN THE, IN THE MIDST OF A, OF A PAY AND CLASSIFICATION STUDY FOR COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
IT'S BEEN A COUPLE DECADES, DECADES SINCE THAT'S HAPPENED.
AND OBVIOUSLY SINCE THEN WE'VE ADDED THE EMS COMPONENT TO COUNTY GOVERNMENT, UM, EMS POSITIONS, PARAMEDIC, EMT, AND ADDITIONAL, YOU KNOW, LEADERSHIP BATTALION CHIEF POSITIONS AND THAT SORT OF THING, UH, ARE BEING LOOKED AT AND COMPARED TO OTHER COUNTIES.
SO I'M SURE THAT THE END RESULT OF THAT WILL BE SALARIES THAT ARE COMPETITIVE WITH NEIGHBORING COUNTIES.
UH, YEAH, AND, AND I HOPE SO AS WELL.
THAT'S WHY I RAISED THE QUESTION.
UM, BUT YOUR BOOTS ON THE GROUND TODAY.
HOW ARE WE DOING WITH RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION? SO, UH, JUST LIKE THE SHERIFF SAID OF AS FAR AS TRYING TO HIRE DEPUTIES, UH, THERE'S ONLY SO MANY PARAMEDICS IN THE STATE TO GO AROUND.
UM, AND, UM, AND, AND WE'RE ALL COMPETING FOR THE SAME PEOPLE.
AND, UM, I, I, I, WE HAVE CURRENTLY NINE VACANT POSITIONS IN OUR EMS AND, UM, WE'RE ACTIVELY, UM, TRYING TO FILL THEM.
THE GOOD THING ABOUT, UH, WHAT WE HAVE SET UP WITH HUMAN RESOURCES IS WE, WE KEEP THE POSITION OF PARAMEDIC OPEN ALL OF THE TIME.
SO ANYTIME A PARAMEDIC LOOKS AT HARTFORD COUNTY'S WEBSITE, THEY CAN SEE THAT THEY CAN APPLY TO BE A PARAMEDIC.
AND THAT'S WORKED REALLY WELL FOR US.
AND, UM, BUT, UM, BUT WE ARE THERE, THERE IS A SHORTAGE STATEWIDE FOR PARAMEDICS.
WE HAVE A, WE DID REALLY WELL WITH OUR TRAINING PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE WITH HARTFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
UM, AND ANY OF OUR EXISTING EMTS THAT WANT TO PROMOTE TO PARAMEDIC, ALL THEY HAVE TO DO IS GO TO HARTFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
UM, I THINK THE FIRST YEAR WE GRADUATED LIKE AROUND 15 OF OUR EMTS TO PARAMEDIC THIS YEAR ABOUT THE SAME.
SO THAT'S BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL.
I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THAT HAVE STARTED
[02:30:01]
IN HARTFORD COUNTY AS AN EMT WOULD PREFER TO STAY IN OUR COUNTY.BUT WE HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE COMPENSATED CORRECTLY.
AND I, I, I THINK HAS BEEN SAID, I HOPE THE PAY STUDY WILL DO THAT.
AND, UM, I REALLY PROUD OF OUR EMS CREWS.
WE ALL ARE VERY PROUD OF THEM.
UM, WE SAW YESTERDAY, I THINK IT WAS, OR A DAY BEFORE WHERE CECIL COUNTY IS, UH, LIKE A 9% INCREASE IS WHAT WE HEARD.
SO, I MEAN, I THINK THAT IS OVER A PERIOD OF THREE YEARS THOUGH WOULD BE OKAY.
SO, UM, I MEAN, I'M, I THINK IF, AND, AND WE'RE TRYING TO LET OUR CREWS KNOW THAT, I MEAN, I THINK, UH, YES, IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE GIVEN A 9% RAISE, BUT I THINK IT'S OVER A PERIOD OF THREE YEARS.
WHAT ABOUT CALL TAKERS, DISPATCHERS, UM, CALL TAKERS? UM, NOT QUITE THE SAME CHALLENGE.
WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT APPLY TO WORK IN THE 9 1 1 CENTER.
OUR CHALLENGE IS GETTING THEM TRAINED.
UM, IT'S VERY STRESSFUL, UH, ENVIRONMENT.
UM, I MEAN, IT'S LIKE ONE, A CALL TAKER TAKES ONE CALL AFTER ANOTHER CALL AFTER ANOTHER CALL.
AND, AND, AND AS I TELL PEOPLE, MOST PEOPLE THAT CALLED 9 1 1 AREN'T CALLING TO TELL YOU THEY'RE HAVING A GREAT DAY.
AND OUR CALL TAKERS HAVE TO TAKE THOSE TYPE OF CALLS ALL DAY LONG.
AND, UM, IT'S, UM, WE HAVE A VERY GOOD PROGRAM IN PLACE, UM, TO TRY TO TRAIN THESE PEOPLE.
BUT, UM, IT'S, IT'S JUST HARD.
I MEAN, I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE, WHEN THEY APPLY FOR THAT JOB, THEY THINK THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE APPLYING FOR AND THEN WHEN THEY GET IN THERE THAT IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A LOT MORE THAN WHAT PEOPLE RECOGNIZE.
MR.
OH, PARAMEDIC IS WHAT I MEANT.
SO 60 P PARAMEDIC, I THINK WITH THEIR BUILDING OVERTIME IS 60 60.
IS THERE ANY KIND OF A BONUS FOR THEM TO SIGN ON? LIKE THE SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES FOR ANYBODY COMING, THERE'S BONUS FOR THAT TOO.
IS THE, IS THE BONUS IMMEDIATE OR DO THEY HAVE TO STAY A YEAR OR TWO YEARS? IS THERE LIKE A STEP BONUS? YOU KNOW, THEY GET ONE WHEN THEY START AND ONE, IF THEY STAY PROBATION, THEN THEY GET IT.
THERE, THERE'S THE SIGN-ON BONUS THAT THEY GET RIGHT AFTER THEY CLEAR PRO PROBATION.
UM, AND THEN THEY'RE ELIGIBLE FOR A FIVE YEAR AND INCENTIVE, UM, RETENTION BONUS, 10 YEAR BONUS AND A 15 YEAR BONUS.
SO WE DON'T KNOW, ARE WE LOSING ANY OF THESE, UH, PARAMEDICS RIGHT NOW TO OTHER JURISDICTIONS? YEAH.
PRIOR TO THE FIVE YEARS BECAUSE SOMEBODY ELSE IS COMING IN AND PAYING THEM MORE, GIVING THEM A BIGGER BONUS.
WE LOSE PEOPLE LOSING JURISDICTIONS.
IF A NEIGHBOR IN JURISDICTION OFFERS A $5,000 BONUS, SOMETIMES OUR PEOPLE WILL TALK FOR A 5,000 BONUS.
AND, AND THEY MAY HAVE JUMPED HERE FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE TO GET TO GET OUR BONUS.
AND WHAT'S THE EMT STARTING? SALARY? 53.
ANYONE ELSE? LISTEN, UH, YOU WANNA GO TO CAPITAL? YEP.
UH, SO THE CAPITAL SUMMARY, UH, IS ON PAGE 91.
SO THE DES PROJECTS ON THIS SHEET ARE, UH, THE DES FLEET REPLACEMENT 1,500,000 IN PEGO.
NEXT IS THE EMS SAFETY EQUIPMENT WITH 300,000 IN PEGO.
THE MOBILE AND PORTABLE RADIO SYSTEM UPGRADE, THAT'S 2.5 MILLION IN COUNTY BONDS, PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNICATION IN BUILDINGS, WHICH IS 500,000 IN PEGO.
AND THEN PUBLIC SAFETY COMPLEX, 1.5 MILLION IN COUNTY BONDS.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THE CAPITAL MS. IMO? UM, I AM ON PAGE 93, AND THIS MIGHT BE A SILLY QUESTION, BUT HOW MANY BALLISTIC VESTS DO OUR EMS STAFF NEED AND WHO WEARS THEM? UM, EACH, EACH ONE OF OUR EMS PROVIDERS HAS TO BE CUSTOM FIT.
SO IT'S ONE FOR EACH ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT RIDE OUR AMAL.
AND DO THEY WEAR 'EM AT ALL TIMES OR A SPECIFIC SITUATION? SO THEY ASKED ME LAST YEAR IF THEY COULD NOT WEAR 'EM ON EVERY CALL.
IT SEEMS BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY, THEY ARE.
AND WHEN THE HOT WEATHER COMES, UM, THEY, THEY CAN BE ALMOST UNBEARABLE.
BUT I I, I TOLD THEM ON THE CALLS THAT I EXPECT THEM TO PUT 'EM ON WHEN THEY GET DISPATCHED MM-HMM
AND I THINK THEY'VE LISTENED TO ME.
UM, AND, UH, THEY, OUR DISPATCH CENTER DOES A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF MAKING SURE OUR CREWS KNOW WHAT CALLS THEY'RE GETTING DISPATCHED FOR, AND AS LONG AS THEY PUT THEIR BULLETPROOF VEST ON BEFORE THEY GET TO THE SCENE ON THOSE CALLS, I, I WAS OKAY WITH THAT.
I UNDERSTAND WHY WE NEED THEM.
[02:35:01]
I JUST DIDN'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT.SO, AND UNFORTUNATELY YOU DON'T KNOW YOU NEED IT UNTIL YOU'VE ALREADY BEHAVE.
UNFORTUNATELY IN THE WORLD WE LIVE IN, PEOPLE ARE ANY, ANYBODY IN PUBLIC SAFETY AS A TARGET.
I MEAN, JUST SIT AND THINK ABOUT THIS A MINUTE.
THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING TO HELP YOU AND THEY GOTTA PROTECT THEMSELVES WITH A BULLETPROOF VEST.
I JUST WANNA SAY, UH, THANKS TO THE EMTS, PARAMEDICS, THEY, UH, WHEN I CALLED, THEY WERE THERE IN LIKE A MINUTE TO TWO MINUTES.
SO IT WAS, UH, REASSURING ALSO THAT THEY COULD, UH, HELP GET RID OF MY PAIN, UH, IMMEDIATELY.
UM, YOU KNOW, THEY KEPT ME OUT IN THE DRIVEWAY FOR LIKE 15, 20 MINUTES, BUT, UH, IT WAS GOOD THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO EASE THE PAIN BEFORE I GOT TO THE HOSPITAL.
AND I THINK, UH, BEFORE WE CLOSE, WE WANT TO THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR SERVICE.
UM, NOW GOODBYE TO SEE YOU LATER.
SO RICK, I'M NOT GONNA RECOGNIZE YOU WITHOUT THAT UNIFORM ON
WE WANNA GET ONE MORE MESSAGE FROM
THIS IS RICK ERROR PARALLEL MESSAGE.
SO, UM, LIKE THE POLICE DO THE RETIREMENT MESSAGES RIGHT? THE SIGN OFF.
TOM, HOW ARE YOU? ALRIGHT, GOOD AFTERNOON.
ARE YOU BY YOURSELF? NO, I'M MY, OUR, OUR SECRETARY IS HERE.
SO I COULD, UH, JUST RUN US THROUGH THE, THE, THE BOOK NUMBERS BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO PRESIDENT CHE.
UM, VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANIES BEGINS ON PAGE 360 6.
THERE'S TOTAL COUNTY FUNDING OF 12,544,452 FOR AN INCREASE OF 918,147 OR 7.9%.
THERE'S ALSO PEGO PROJECT FUNDING TOTALING 1.2 MILLION FOR AN OVERALL COUNTY OPERATING BUDGET INCREASE OF 9.1%.
PERSONAL SERVICES DECREASES 580 2008 59 FOR VOLUNTEER FIGHTER FIREFIGHTERS, PENSION, OR SAP.
AND THAT'S BASED ON ACTUARIALS CONTRACTUAL SERVICES DECREASES 11,000.
UH, THAT'S THE RESULT OF OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES INCREASING 114,000 FOR HOSE AND PUMP TESTS.
WORKERS' COMPENSATION INSURANCE DECREASES 90,000 BASED ON ACTUARIALS AND TELEPHONE SERVICE DECREASES 35,000 BASED ON ACTUAL EXPENSES FOR A VL EQUIPMENT AND VOLUNTEER FIRE VEHICLES BUSINESS AND TRAVEL INCREASES 39,000 7 95 FOR ONLINE FIRE AND RESCUE TRAINING.
AND THEN MISCELLANEOUS INCREASES 1,472,211.
THAT IS FOR THE, THE ALLOTMENT FUNDING DISTRIBUTED TO VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANIES FOR DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS, WHICH INCREASES 909,685 OR 12% TO A TOTAL BUDGET OF 8,490,396.
UH, ALSO FUNDING FOR VOLUNTEER FIRE AND EMS ASSOCIATION FOR OPERATIONS AND PROGRAMS INCREASES 102,526 TO A TOTAL OF 327,007 80.
FUNDING FOR BFC STAFFING INCENTIVE GRANTS INCREASES 200,000 TO A TOTAL OF 660,000 FUNDING FOR OTHER COUNTY DIRECTED GRANTS INCREASES 60,000 TO A TOTAL OF 235,000.
THERE'S NO CHANGE IN FUNDING FOR MICROSOFT OFFICE 365 FUNDING FOR STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM DECREASES 50,000 TO TO 300,000 BASED ON ACTUAL EXPENSES.
THERE'S NO CHANGE IN FUNDING FOR THE LADIES AUXILIARY LEGACY PROGRAM.
NO CHANGE IN FUNDING FOR THE A LS REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM AND NO CHANGE IN FUNDING FOR VFC RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION PROGRAMS. AND THERE'S NEW FUNDING ADDED FOR CANCER SCREENING FOR VFC PERSONNEL AT A COST OF 250,000.
UM, THEN THERE'S THREE CAPITAL PROJECTS.
SHOULD I JUST HIT THOSE NOW? SURE.
UH, AGAIN, REFER TO PAGE 91 OF THE CAPITAL BOOK.
SO THE VOLUNTEER FIRE PROJECTS ON THIS PAGE VERSUS IS THE PUBLIC SAFETY EQUIPMENT PROJECT, WHICH IS 735,000 IN PEGO, AND THAT'S UP FROM 500,000 THIS FISCAL YEAR.
AND THE DIFFERENCE PROVIDES FOR NEW STANDARDIZED TURNOUT GEAR.
UH, ALSO THE VFC FACILITY REPAIR PROJECT, 500,000 IN PEGO FOR MAJOR MAINTENANCE PROJECTS.
[02:40:01]
IS THE WHITE FOR VOLUNTEER FIRE, UH, COMPANY NEW STATION.UH, AND FOR NEXT YEAR WE ARE ADDING 13.8 MILLION IN COUNTY BONDS, BRINGING THE TOTAL PROJECT COST TO 23 MILLION.
THAT I WILL TURN IT OVER TO THE ASSOCIATION.
COUNCIL PRESIDENT VINCENTI MEMBERS TO COUNCIL, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE TODAY AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE RELATIVE TO OUR PROPOSED BUDGET FOR F 5 27.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, TOM, THERE, THERE'S A LOT GOING ON WITH THE FIRE SERVICE, UH, WHERE WE'RE HAVING A MIX OF CAREER AND VOLUNTEER, BUT OUR VOLUNTEERS ARE STILL OUR BACKBONE AND WE NEED TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP THEM INTERESTED, UH, WITH ALL SORTS OF RECOUPMENT AND RETENTION EFFORTS.
UM, WE ALL KNOW THAT A FULL-TIME PAID FIRE SERVICE IS PROBABLY OUT OF OUR TOUCH FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
UH, AND I KNOW YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB, UH, WITH THE, UH, BLEND THAT YOU HAVE NOW IN ABINGTON AND I ASSUME OTHER PLACES.
UM, WAS IT 30 AT ABINGTON? I THINK, UH, I BELIEVE SO.
I, I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT NUMBERS IN FRONT OF ME, BUT, UH, PRESIDENT ERWIN FROM ABINGTON IS HERE.
HE WAS, HE PROBABLY ABLE TO ANSWER THAT A MUCH BETTER THAN I CAN.
UM, BUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT LO SAP, I KNOW THAT, UH, THEN COUNCILMAN WOODS AND I WORKED VERY CLOSE TO MAKE SOME REVISIONS TO LOS SAP, AND IT'S BEEN SEVERAL YEARS AGO NOW.
UM, IS IT TIME FOR ANOTHER OAP ENHANCEMENT? I THINK SO.
IF, IF THE COUNTY AND I, I KNOW THE COUNTY IS COMMITTED, UH, ON EVERY ANGLE TO MAINTAIN AND TO ENHANCE THE, UH, SUSTAINABILITY OF THE VOLUNTEER FORCES, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUALLY LOOK AT THAT ON A REGULAR INTERVAL TO SEE IF WE ARE KEEPING PACE WITH NEIGHBORING JURISDICTIONS AND TO TRY TO INCREASE THE TENURE OF FOLKS THAT SERVE IN THIS BUSINESS.
BECAUSE AS THE SHERIFF POINTED OUT, AS RICK POINTED OUT, IT'S GETTING TOUGHER AND TOUGHER TO RECRUIT BECAUSE OF THE DEMANDS OF EVERYTHING ELSE.
I MEAN, WE'RE IN A MUCH DIFFERENT SITUATION.
UH, OBVIOUSLY WE DON'T OFFER A PAY SCALE, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SOMETHING THAT'S TANGIBLE THAT ALLOWS THE FOLKS TO LOOK FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 YEARS TO SEE IF THERE IS SOMETHING ON THE TABLE FOR THEM AFTER THEY'VE GIVEN DECADES OF SERVICE TO THIS COUNTY.
SO I HAVE A PIECE OF LEGISLATION IN MY OFFICE RIGHT NOW THAT I'M LOOKING AT THAT I'LL BE CONTACTING YOU ON FOR INPUT AS WELL AS, AS OTHER PEOPLE AS WELL.
UM, I KNOW THAT WE CHANGED, UH, THE YEARS AGE AND I KNOW THAT WE CHANGED THE AMOUNT.
UM, AND I'VE WORKED WITH THE AUDITOR NOW I PLAN ON HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH ROBBIE, UM, DOWN THE ROAD, UH, TO SEE WHAT WE CAN AND CAN'T DO AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
UM, BUT I, I JUST KNOW THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD VOLUNTEERS SINCE TIME BEGAN.
AND, UM, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS, UH, JUST RECENTLY.
YOU GUYS PROBABLY HAVE A BETTER IDEA THAN I DO, BUT I HAVE NO IDEA.
BUT A FULL-TIME PAID FIRE SERVICE WOULD COST THIS COUNTY.
I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW TO, AND IT'S PROBABLY, IT'S NOT A GOOD COMPARISON BECAUSE IT IS A, UH, IT IS A MULTI-TIERED SYSTEM.
AND IF YOU LOOK JUST TO THE SOUTH OF GUNPOWDER IN BALTIMORE COUNTY, JUST TO FUND A CAREER COMPONENT ON AN OPERATING BASIS ANNUALLY IS OVER 200 MILLION.
UM, THE CLOSEST COMPARISON THAT WE CAN UTILIZE IN DATA TODAY WOULD BE CARROLL COUNTY.
UH, THEY ARE IN THE PROCESS OF FORMING.
THEY HAVE FORMED A CAREER COMPONENT TO THEIR SYSTEM.
THEY ARE PROBABLY THE CLOSEST, IF WE LOOK AT COMPARISON OF APPLES TO APPLES, UH, THAT THEY ARE GOING THROUGH SIGNIFICANT GROWING PAINS RIGHT NOW.
THEY'RE PUTTING CAREER PEOPLE ON VOLUNTEER UNITS.
THE COUNTY OWNS, CARROLL COUNTY OWNS NO CAREER APPARATUS OR STATIONS AT THIS POINT.
UM, SO I THINK EVERYTHING'S ON THE TABLE FOR WHERE WE GO.
UM, I THINK WHAT WE DON'T WANNA SEE, BOTH FROM MY SIDE OF THE
AND WE'LL SAY THAT COMPANY A WAS PAYING $2 AN HOUR MORE THAN COMPANY B, AND ONE WEEK YOU HAD A PLETHORA OF PEOPLE AT COMPANY A 'CAUSE THEY WERE GETTING $2 AN HOUR MORE.
THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN COMPANY B SAYS, OH, WE'RE GONNA JUMP OUR SALARY UP $3 AN HOUR.
WELL GUESS WHAT? NOW, COMPANY A ISN'T, IS IN A WORLD HURT BECAUSE OF THAT.
AND THE NEW WHITEFORD STATION, UM,
[02:45:01]
ACTIVITY CENTER COMBINATION.THAT'S GONNA BE, UH, A ANOTHER BLEND OF CAREER AND VOLUNTEER.
WELL, I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE MODEL'S GONNA LOOK LIKE FOR RIGHT NOW.
IT'LL BE THE EXISTING STAFF AT THE, AT THE WHITEFORD STATION THAT WILL MOVE INTO THAT FACILITY.
UM, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, AS HAS BEEN MENTIONED HERE PREVIOUSLY TODAY, AS WE LOOK AT WHAT HARTFORD COUNTY'S GONNA LOOK LIKE FROM A FIRE RESCUE SERVICE GOING FORWARD, I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY IN THIS ROOM HAS THE ANSWER TO THAT RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY FACTORS THAT COME INTO PLAY.
WE HAVE RE WE ARE PRETTY RESOURCE, UH, HEAVY IN THIS COUNTY WHEN IT COMES TO APPARATUS AND AND STATIONS.
HOW DO WE BALANCE RHETORICAL QUESTION, HOW DO WE BALANCE THAT WITH ADEQUATE STAFFING FOR TIMELY AND EFFICIENT RESPONSE? I THINK WE'VE COME A LONG WAY IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.
OUR VOLUNTEERS ARE DOING AN OUTSTANDING JOB WITH STAFFING IN MOST CASES.
UM, OUR, OUR NUMBERS ARE RESPONSE TIMES ARE WEIGHED DOWN, WHICH IS ALWAYS A PLUS.
UM, BUT WE CAN ALWAYS BE BETTER.
WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING AT MODELS, WHAT'S GONNA WORK BEST FOR HARTFORD COUNTY BECAUSE I THINK WHAT WORKS BEST FOR HARTFORD COUNTY IS NOT WHAT IS BEST FOR CECIL HOWARD AND ARUNDEL OR ANYBODY ELSE.
IT'S GONNA TAKE COLLABORATIVE EFFORT.
UM, ONE OF YOUR CAPITAL PROJECTS, I HEARD YOU TALK ABOUT GEAR.
IS THAT TURNOUT GEAR? YES, SIR.
AND TELL EVERYBODY HOW MUCH A SET OF TURNOUT GEAR IS WITHOUT THE HELMET STUFF.
WITHOUT THE HELMET, YOU'RE PROBABLY LOOKING AT ABOUT 4,800 TO 5,000.
THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE SELF-CONTAINED BREEDING APPARATUS, WHICH IS AN ADDITIONAL, GIVEN TODAY'S ENVIRONMENT PROBABLY BETWEEN 10 AND 12,000 PER UNIT.
THAT'S ONE BOTTLE, ONE HARNESS, AND ONE MASK.
THIS IS, AS THE SHERIFF SAID, THIS ISN'T A CHEAP BUSINESS.
UM, I THINK I'LL TAKE A BREAK FOR A MINUTE.
MR. TBS, WHAT DID A SET OF TURN OUT YOUR TURN COST IN YOUR DAY? I REMEMBER WHAT THE FIRST ONE COST WHEN I BOUGHT IT.
TOM, YOU'RE SHOPPING AT THE WRONG PLACE.
I WILL SAY THIS, THE REASON IT COSTS SO MUCH TODAY IS BECAUSE IT'S GOT FIRE DEPARTMENT ATTACHED TO IT.
IT'S LIKE, IT'S LIKE APPARATUS BECAUSE IT IS SPECIALIZED EMERGENCY VEHICLES.
AND BEFORE YOU ASK, THERE'S A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE TACTICAL BEFORE YOU ASK YOUR QUESTION.
THE OTHER THING IS, IS THAT NOW BECAUSE OF THE CANCER SCREENING, WE HAVE TO HAVE TWO SETS OF GEAR PER FIREFIGHTER.
ONE THAT'S DIRTY BEING CLEANED AND ONE THAT'S READY TO GO.
MR SII GUESS THIS IS PROBABLY A ONE FOR BEN.
THE PERSONAL SERVICE DECREASES OF 582,000.
UH, IT SAYS, UH, BASED ON ACTUAL, IS THAT BECAUSE WE'RE NOT FUNDING IT AS MUCH? OR IS THAT BECAUSE WE'RE NOT PAYING OUT AS MUCH? WELL, NO, EACH, SO EACH YEAR WE DO AN ACTUARIAL, UH, ANALYSIS BASED UPON YOU HOW, UM, HOW MANY BENEFITS WE'RE PAYING OUT, HOW MANY BENEFITS WERE EARNED, BUT THEY'RE GONNA BE PAID OUT LATER.
HOW WE DID ON OUR INVESTMENTS, AND A LOT OF THIS IS WE'VE HAD SOME REALLY GOOD INVESTMENT YEARS, UM, THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, STOCK MARKET'S BEEN UP AND SO THAT, SO AS, AS WHEN THOSE, WHEN THE STOCK MARKET KIND OF PERFORMS BETTER THAN, THAN THE 7%, UM, IT CAN MAKE THE NUMBER, IT CAN MAKE THE NUMBER GO DOWN, BUT BY THE SAME TOKEN, IF THE MARKETS GO DOWN, YOU HAVE TO PUT MORE MONEY IN.
WELL, I WAS JUST WONDERING IF MAYBE SOME OF THESE PEOPLE THAT HAD SIGNED UP OR FALLING OUT ON THEIR LOSE THAT POINTS AND WERE NOT BEING IN THERE.
THAT WAS YEAH, I MEAN YOU DO HAVE, I, YOU KNOW, AND I HAD, I WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE EARNING POINTS, UH, EARNING THEIR 50 POINTS, UH, YOU KNOW, 10 YEARS AGO VERSUS, VERSUS THIS YEAR.
UM, I THINK THE NUMBER OF OF PEOPLE WE WERE, THAT WE'VE BEEN PAYING OUT IS, HAS BEEN PRETTY CONSISTENT.
UM, BUT AGAIN, ALL THAT STUFF GOES INTO, UH, THE BIG MATH EQUATION AND, AND IT, THEY, THEY SPIT OUT A NUMBER AND THEY SAY, YOU NEED TO PUT THIS AMOUNT IN.
AND THIS COUNTY HAS ALWAYS PUT IN EXACTLY WHAT THE ACTUARIALS SAY SO THAT WE'RE NOT PUSHING THIS OBLIGATION ONTO LIKE A FUTURE TAXPAYER SO THAT THEY'RE NOT PAYING FOR FIRE SERVICE THAT WAS PROVIDED IN IN 2026, YOU KNOW, WHO'S EVER PAYING TAXES IN 2040? I UNDERSTAND THAT.
I I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF SOME OF OUR VOLUNTEERS WERE MAYBE WORKING FOR VOLUNTEERING FOR FIVE YEARS, WHICH WE PAID FOR AND THEN THEY DROP OUT.
AND THAT'S WHERE I WAS WONDERING IF THAT'S PART OF THIS OR IF IT WAS.
IT'S ALL, IT'S ALL, IT'S IT'S, IT IS, IT IS ALL A PART OF IT.
WE DO LINK OUR, WE, WE, WE HAVE THAT TUITION, UM, THAT LOAN, UH, FOR LOAN FORGIVENESS, UH, DEAL WHERE WE'RE DOING UP TO 20,000, UM, 20,000, UH, DOLLARS TOTAL.
UM, THAT'S A GREAT WAY FOR SOMEBODY TO GET KIND OF STARTED INTO THE PROGRAM AND THEN, THEN HOPEFULLY IF THEY GET FOUR OR FIVE YEARS THAT WAY, THEY'RE LIKE, WELL, I'VE ALREADY GOT FOUR OR FIVE YEARS, MAYBE I'LL STICK WITH IT AND, AND KEEP ON AND THEN I'LL GET SOME MONEY IN THE FUTURE.
SO ROBBIE, OUR COMMITMENT TO LO
[02:50:01]
SAP THIS YEAR IS A MILLION DOLLARS.YEAH, IT'S PROBABLY, THAT'S PROBABLY, IS THAT WHAT THE NUMBER IS? UM, WHAT'S THE UM, THAT MIGHT JUST BE THE CHANGE.
YEAH, ABOUT A MILLION, 1 MILLION, 81,000.
AND IS THE NUMBER OF RECIPIENTS LIKE 700 AND SOMETHING? UH, LET ME SAY THAT'S, THAT'S IN THE, IN THE ACT FOR AT LEAST THIS WILL BE FROM 20 20 25.
LET'S SEE, LOS HAD, UM, 763 EMPLOYEES CURRENTLY RECEIVING BENEFITS.
UM, ANOTHER 300, UM, AND 12 THAT ARE NO LONGER, UM, GETTING, YOU KNOW, UM, ACTIVE EARNING EARNING BENEFITS, BUT THEY'RE GONNA RECEIVE A A, A BENEFIT IN THE, IN THE FUTURE.
AND THEN WE HAVE 827, UM, PEOPLE THAT ARE CURRENTLY GETTING BENEFITS, UH, GETTING THEIR 50 POINTS A YEAR.
AND THEN THE OTHER THING I NOTICED IN YOUR, UH, REPORT HERE IS SOMETHING CALLED FIRST DUE.
WHAT IS, EXPLAIN THAT FIRST DO IS A APPLICATION THAT CAN BE INSTALLED.
THEY'RE ONE OF MANY VENDORS THAT CAN BE INSTALLED ON A MEMBER'S CELL PHONE TO GIVE THEM EARLY ALERTS TO COME DIRECTLY FROM OUR CAD AND OUR RECORDS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM ON AN, ON A PENDING CALL.
UM, IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT.
UM, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE CURRENT VENDOR THAT PROVIDES A SIMILAR SERVICE TO US.
THERE HAVE BEEN CHALLENGES WHEN WE RECEIVED, UH, ON THE 1ST OF JANUARY, WELL, WE, WE KNEW AHEAD OF TIME THAT THE NATIONAL FIRE INCIDENT REPORTING SYSTEM, WHICH IS A MANDATE THAT WE ARE ALL REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE IN, IT'S NOT OPTIONAL.
UM, THE, THE FORMAT, THE PLATFORM SWITCHED TO WHAT THEY CALL THE NOW, NOW THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE INFORMATION SYSTEM.
IT CHANGED THE WAY WE DO BUSINESS FROM A REPORTING MECHANISM.
IT WAS NO FAULT OF THE COUNTY, IT WAS NO FAULT OF THE STATE.
IT WAS A FEDERAL MANDATE THAT CAME DOWN ON HOW REPORTS WERE GENERATED, HOW INFORMATION WAS BOTH IMPORTED AND EXPORTED.
AND IT CREATED A LOT OF PROBLEMS. SO WE'VE HAD ENDLESS CONVERSATIONS WITH THE CURRENT VENDOR FOR THE APP.
UM, THEY WERE ABLE TO MEET AND ADDRESS, OH, PROBABLY 80% OF THE ISSUES THAT WE HAD.
THERE ARE STILL A FEW OUTSTANDING ISSUES.
THERE'S A FEW THAT WE DON'T THINK THEY'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO RESOLVE.
UH, I KNOW, AND I DON'T WANNA SPEAK FOR ANY OTHER DEPARTMENT.
UM, WE'VE HAD INTERNAL DISCUSSIONS AS TO WHAT IS GOING TO BEST SERVE US AS FAR AS MEMBER ALERTING ADEQUATE RECORDS MANAGEMENT IN THE FUTURE.
SO WE FELT IT WAS OUR TIME TO DO DUE DILIGENCE AND TALK TO OTHER VENDORS TO SEE IF THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE OUT THERE THAT WOULD WORK JUST AS WELL, IF NOT BETTER, AND ALLEVIATE SOME OF THESE LOG JAMS THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY HAVING.
UM, WELL I, ONE OF THE THINGS TOO THAT I WANTED TO COMMENT ON, AND I'M SURE THAT MY COLLEAGUES ALL KNOW THIS, BUT IT'S AMAZING TO ME WHEN WE TALK ABOUT QUICK RESPONSE, TALKING ABOUT JURISDICTIONS WORKING TOGETHER, DEPARTMENTS RESPONDING TOGETHER FOR CALLS.
UM, AND SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, THE SECOND OR THIRD DUE ENGINE IN IS FROM A A, A FIRE COMPANY THAT'S SEVERAL MILES AWAY.
BUT BECAUSE OF THE ACTIVITY OR THE VOLUNTEERS OR THE AMOUNT OF MANPOWER THEY SEEM TO GET, YOU KNOW, ALL OVER THE PLACE.
SO IT'S JUST, UH, I REMEMBER, UH, WHEN MY SHOP CAUGHT ON FIRE YEARS AGO, UM, MY FIRST DUE COMPANY'S LEVEL AND THEY SHOWED UP FIRST WITH A DRIVER AND ONE PERSON ON THE TRUCK.
THE SECOND TRUCK IN WAS FIVE 12 OUTTA H GRACE WITH ABOUT SEVEN OR EIGHT GUYS ON IT.
AND THEN ABERDEEN RAY BY AND THEN MORE LEVEL UNITS.
BUT, UM, THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT HAS OPERATED, UH, HERE FOR, FOR A LONG, LONG TIME, WHICH IS AMAZING TO ME.
I THINK, I THINK IT BEARS NOTE, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE AWARE OF THIS, BUT I WILL GO BACK FIVE, EVEN 10 YEARS AGO, IT WAS UNHEARD OF FOR THIS COUNTY TO PROVIDE FIRE SUPPRESSION SUPPORT TO THE CITY OF BALTIMORE.
IT IS BECOMING A VERY FREQUENT OCCURRENCE NOW.
I'M NOT SITTING HERE COMPLAINING.
UH, I THINK IT'S UNIQUE THAT WE ALL REALIZE THAT NONE OF US ARE AN ISLAND THAT, UM, JUST TODAY'S THURSDAY, I GUESS IT WAS TUESDAY AFTERNOON, WE TRANSFERRED AN ENGINE AND A TOWER OUTTA HARTFORD COUNTY TO FILL IN BALTIMORE CITY.
[02:55:01]
GOT A GREAT WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH ALL, ALL OF OUR MUTUAL AID PARTNERS AND WE'VE HAD SUPPORT FROM BALTIMORE CITY HERE ON SOME NON-EMERGENCY EVENTS AND SOME EMERGENCY EVENTS.SO AGAIN, WE'RE WORKING JOINTLY, WE'RE DOING THINGS THAT WERE NOT EVEN REMOTELY THOUGHT OF EVEN FIVE YEARS AGO.
SO EVERYBODY NEEDS TO REALIZE WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.
AND EARLIER WE TALKED TO THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE ABOUT THEIR CALL VOLUME AND YOUR CALL VOLUME HERE IN THE COUNTY BETWEEN FIRE AND EMS IS 40 SOME THOUSAND IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, RIGHT? CORRECT.
SO IT'S JUST, IT'S OVERWHELMING.
YOU GUYS DO AN OUTSTANDING JOB.
UM, AND WE NEED TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO SUPPORT ALL OF YOU.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
THIS WORK SESSION, RIGHT? THIS IS THE LAST ONE, RIGHT? YAY.