May 19, 2026 County Council

[a. Board of Health Update Spring 2026]

[00:00:06]

EVENING. CHAIR CALLS. ORDER. BOARD OF HEALTH UPDATE SPRING 2026. MISS LEVY, HOW ARE YOU TODAY? I'M DOING WELL. HOW ARE YOU? GOOD, GOOD. WHENEVER YOU'RE READY. WONDERFUL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE WITH YOU ALL THIS EVENING. LOOKING FORWARD TO SHARING SOME UPDATES ABOUT SOME THINGS THAT WE HAVE BEEN UP TO AND SOME NEW PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE GETTING STARTED. BEFORE I BEGIN, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES FROM THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. SURE. RANIA NASSAR, DIRECTOR OF POPULATION HEALTH. ANDREA PAPPAS, DIRECTOR OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH. JEN MANGOLD, DIRECTOR OF CLINICAL SERVICES. DOCTOR.

JAMIE SEIBEL, MEDICAL DEPUTY HEALTH OFFICER. JOHN RUSTLIN, DIRECTOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. SARAH, YOU FORGOT HIS TITLE. HOW COULD I FORGET? SARAH MOORE, DIRECTOR OF FAMILY HEALTH. SELENA MERCADO, DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION. AND SILVANA BAKER, DEPUTY HEALTH OFFICER FOR OPERATIONS. SO JUST A QUICK LOOK AT OUR AGENDA. LIKE I MENTIONED, WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS WE'VE BEEN UP TO LATELY. I'M GOING TO JUMP RIGHT IN. SO FIRST, OUR PEACH BOTTOM EXERCISE. I TOUCHED ON THIS BRIEFLY DURING OUR BUDGET PRESENTATION A FEW WEEKS AGO, BUT I AM SO PROUD OF OUR TEAM. LAST MONTH, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, ALONG WITH MANY PARTNERS ACROSS THE COUNTY, PARTICIPATED IN TWO SUCCESSFUL FEMA GRADED EXERCISES RELATED TO THE PEACH BOTTOM FACILITY IN THE EVENT OF A RADIOLOGICAL INCIDENT. SO ONE EXERCISE FOCUSED ON STANDING UP THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER, AND THE SECOND EXERCISE TESTED THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT'S ABILITY TO STAND UP A COMMUNITY RECEPTION CENTER WHERE PEOPLE CAN GO IN THE EVENT OF AN INCIDENT TO DETERMINE IF THEY'VE HAD RADIATION EXPOSURE AND GO THROUGH. DECONTAMINATION OF RADIATION IS DETECTED. SO FOR FEMA, STAFF EVALUATED OUR OPERATION OF THE COMMUNITY RECEPTION CENTER AT FALLSTON HIGH SCHOOL, WE HAD 31 HEALTH DEPARTMENT STAFF. OBVIOUSLY A VERY CLOSE PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR COLLEAGUES AT THE DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY SERVICES AND THE LOCAL HAZMAT TEAM. WE HAD 12 RADIOLOGICAL MONITORING AND DECONTAMINATION STATIONS, AND THE EVALUATORS HAD HIGH PRAISE FOR OUR TEAM AND THEIR TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE AND COORDINATION, AND JUST REALLY SHOWS THAT WE ARE READY IN THE EVENT OF AN INCIDENT. SO IT'S REALLY AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR ROLE IS THIS EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS RESPONSE, AND JUST REALLY WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT STAFF AND OUR PARTNERS. THIS YEAR'S EXERCISE WAS BITTERSWEET, AS IT IS THE LAST PEACH BOTTOM EXERCISE FOR OUR PUBLIC HEALTH. EMERGENCY PLANNER LISA SWANK, WHO PLANS TO RETIRE BEFORE THE NEXT EXERCISE TWO YEARS FROM NOW, AND ALSO DIRECTOR OF EMERGENCY SERVICES RICK AYERS AND DEPUTY DIRECTOR MIKE BERNICK, WHO WILL ALSO BE RETIRING. EXCUSE ME A MINUTE, MISS LEVY. SIR, CAN YOU FIND A SEAT, PLEASE? GO AHEAD. I'M SORRY. NO PROBLEM. SO I JUST WANT TO PUBLICLY THANK THEM FOR THEIR INCREDIBLE PARTNERSHIP AND LEADERSHIP. AND MORE THAN ANYTHING, THEIR COMMITMENT TO ENSURING THAT HARFORD COUNTY IS READY TO RESPOND IN THE EVENT OF A RADIOLOGICAL EMERGENCY. SO WE RECENTLY PARTNERED WITH HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO FACILITATE ACCESS TO VACCINES FOR RISING SEVENTH GRADERS. AT MAGNOLIA MIDDLE, WE HAD 29 STUDENTS VACCINATED WITH TDAP MENINGITIS VACCINE AND HPV VACCINE, AND WE RECEIVED A REALLY POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM THE SCHOOL LEADERSHIP AND STAFF AND ALSO THROUGH THE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS SPECIALISTS, FROM FAMILIES WHO REALLY APPRECIATED THE TIME SAVINGS THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO GET THESE ACCESS, ACCESS, THESE VACCINES IN THE SCHOOL. SO I REALLY WANT TO THANK OUR FANTASTIC CLINICAL TEAM AND THE SCHOOL BASED HEALTH CENTER NURSES WHO MADE ALL OF THAT POSSIBLE. I ALSO WANTED TO SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT THE MARYLAND VACCINE PROGRAM. WE ARE NOW ABLE TO OFFER ADULT VACCINES THROUGH THIS PROGRAM. AND SO ANY CURRENT MARYLAND RESIDENT, AGES 19 OR OLDER, WHO IS UNINSURED OR UNDERINSURED, CAN ACCESS ANY OF THE RECOMMENDED ADULT VACCINATIONS. AND I'VE SHARED THE CONTACT INFORMATION FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO LEARN MORE. AND SO JUST AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY TALK ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT VACCINES ARE TO OUR OVERALL HEALTH. THEY ARE SAFE AND EFFECTIVE, AND THEY ARE OUR BEST PROTECTION AGAINST SEVERE ILLNESS AND PREVENTABLE DISEASE.

AND SO I REALLY ENCOURAGE ANYONE WHO HAS QUESTIONS ABOUT VACCINATION TO REACH OUT TO THEIR PROVIDER OR IF THEY CAN, OF COURSE, REACH OUT TO US AT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. SO I MENTIONED SOME OF OUR NEW PROGRAMING. OH GOSH, SORRY, A LITTLE CLOSE TO THE MICROPHONE.

I MENTIONED SOME OF OUR NEW PROGRAMING. I'M REALLY EXCITED TO SHARE THAT HARFORD COUNTY WAS JUST SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ASSISTANCE AND COMMUNITY INTEGRATION SERVICES PROGRAM. IT'S A MEDICAID PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES PERSON CENTERED HOUSING SUPPORT AND CASE MANAGEMENT FOR INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS OR AT RISK OF HOMELESSNESS. AND SO THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF SERVICES THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THROUGH THIS PROGRAM. ONE IS TENANCY BASED CASE MANAGEMENT THAT WILL HELP INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE CURRENTLY HOUSED REMAIN IN THEIR HOMES THROUGH LINKAGE TO SERVICES AND OTHER SUPPORTS, AND THEN HOUSING CASE MANAGEMENT FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS TO ENTER PERMANENT HOUSING. THIS IS GOING TO BE A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT,

[00:05:06]

SO REALLY EXCITED TO GET THIS OFF THE GROUND. PRIOR TO OUR BEING INVITED TO PARTICIPATE, THERE WERE FOUR PILOT SITES IN THE STATE, AND A FIVE YEAR EVALUATION SHOWED THAT INDIVIDUALS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE PROGRAM HAD A 37% DECLINE IN EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT VISITS, POST ENROLLMENT, AND THAT 77% OF ALL UNSHELTERED PARTICIPANTS WERE IN STABLE AND PERMANENT HOUSING AT THE TIME OF THEIR CASE CLOSURE. SO REALLY WONDERFUL RESULTS FROM THAT PROGRAM. WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO BRING IT TO HARFORD COUNTY, ANOTHER NEW PROGRAM WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT IS THE PATTIE CENTER. THIS IS AN AWARD WE RECENTLY RECEIVED THROUGH THE MARYLAND STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO DEVELOP A PATTIE CENTER IN HARTFORD COUNTY. AND THIS IS GOING TO ALLOW US TO PROVIDE SERVICES THAT WILL SUPPORT THE OPTIMAL DEVELOPMENT OF YOUNG CHILDREN THROUGH PLAY AND LEARNING ACTIVITIES FOR INFANTS AND TODDLERS, AND FAMILY ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES. IT'S GOING TO HELP ADULTS DEVELOP STRONGER PARENTING SKILLS AND CONNECT FAMILIES TO CLINICAL CARE AND COMMUNITY SUPPORTS TO HELP THEM THRIVE.

SO ALSO REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. I KNOW WE TOUCHED ON THIS AGAIN DURING OUR BUDGET REMARKS.

VERY EXCITED. I KNOW NOTHING IS FINAL YET, BUT WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR CONSIDERATION OF THIS REQUEST FOR THE ORAL RABIES VACCINE. WE ARE OPTIMISTIC. AND SO WE HAVE STARTED PRELIMINARY PLANNING FOR THIS PROGRAM. VERY EXCITED TO GET UNDERWAY. I KNOW WE HAD A GREAT PRESENTATION FROM OUR STAFF AT THE FALL BOARD OF HEALTH. JUST WANTED TO SHARE. I KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST AROUND THE RABIES DETECTIONS WITH JUST SHARE THAT WE ARE PRETTY MUCH ON TRACK WITH WHERE WE WERE LAST YEAR IN TERMS OF DETECTIONS, AND THEN WE ARE RECEIVING MORE SUBMITTALS YEAR TO DATE. I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY A RESULT OF THE COMMUNICATIONS THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING. THERE'S A LOT MORE PUBLIC AWARENESS AROUND RABIES. SO BEFORE I CONCLUDE, I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A COUPLE OF MINUTES TO HIGHLIGHT SOME SUMMER SAFETY TIPS AS THE THE WEATHER WARMS UP. PRETTY SIGNIFICANT WARM UP OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS. I KNOW WE'RE ALL LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING OUTSIDE, AND SO WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE STAYING PROTECTED, PARTICULARLY WHEN WE'RE OUT IN THE SUN. YOU KNOW, THE IMPORTANCE OF STAYING IN THE SHADE, WEARING HATS AND SUNSCREEN AND REAPPLYING YOUR SUNSCREEN EVERY COUPLE OF HOURS. AND ALSO, WE WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR HELP IN GETTING THE WORD OUT AROUND WATER SAFETY. UNFORTUNATELY, DROWNING IS A LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH FOR YOUNG CHILDREN. AND SO I KNOW WE ALL WANT TO KEEP OUR KIDS SAFE. AND SO JUST HELPING US GET THE MESSAGE OUT ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF SUPERVISION, HAVING KIDS WEAR LIFE JACKETS, SWIM LESSONS, KEEPING POOLS FENCED IN, AND JUST BEING VIGILANT ABOUT OUR YOUNG PEOPLE. WE'D APPRECIATE THAT. SO I KNOW WE'RE ALL EXCITED FOR SUMMER TICK BORNE DISEASE. NOT AS MUCH TICK BORNE DISEASE CAN OCCUR YEAR ROUND, BUT TICKS UP. I SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON THAT. I CAN TELL DURING THE WARMER MONTHS, APRIL THROUGH SEPTEMBER.

SO JUST ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE CHECKING IF THEY'RE OUT IN WOODED AREAS FOR FOR TICKS, WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING A DISTRIBUTION OF SOME TICK REMOVAL KITS IN THE COMMUNITY SOON. AND THOSE PICTURES ARE FROM A. AS PART OF TICK-BORNE DISEASE AWARENESS MONTH, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH STAFF PARTICIPATED IN A LOCAL TICK COLLECTION EFFORT, AND THE DATA COLLECTED WILL HELP INFORM RESEARCH ON THE SPREAD OF TICK BORNE DISEASES IN THE STATE.

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, MAY IS MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH. I KNOW THAT THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT IS DEAR TO MANY OF YOU ON THE COUNCIL, AS IT IS TO US AT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. AND SO, YOU KNOW, ALL OF US NEED HELP AT DIFFERENT POINTS IN OUR LIVES. AND I JUST WANT TO CLOSE BY REMINDING PEOPLE THAT THERE IS HELP AVAILABLE. YOU CAN CALL US AT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.

THE KLEIN FAMILY CENTER HAS WALK IN SERVICES AVAILABLE EVERY DAY FROM 9 A.M. TO 9 P.M.

AND THE OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH HAS CRISIS RESPONSE SERVICES AVAILABLE 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. THE 988 SUICIDE AND CRISIS LIFELINE IS ALSO AVAILABLE 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, AND THAT'S GOING TO DO IT FOR ME. THANK YOU GUYS FOR YOUR TIME. FIRST OF ALL, LAUREN, LET ME THANK YOU FOR YOUR UPDATE AND BEING AS BRIEF AS YOU ARE. I'M SURE EVERYONE APPRECIATES THAT, BUT WE ALSO APPRECIATE THE JOB THAT YOU DO FOR US EVERY DAY, WORKING WITH THE CITIZENS, WORKING WITH US AS THE BOARD OF HEALTH, AND LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU IN THE FUTURE. COUNCIL. ANYONE? ANY QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? MR. BENNETT? HELLO. GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. I WANTED TO HEAR ABOUT HOW THE I YOU MATTER SYMPOSIUM WENT THIS PAST WEEKEND. I KNOW IT'S PROBABLY TOO SOON TO HAVE PHOTOS AND STUFF IN YOUR PRESENTATION, BUT THAT'S A IT'S TWICE A YEAR, RIGHT? ONCE FOR GIRLS, ONCE FOR BOYS. AND THIS PAST WEEKEND WAS THE BOY EVENT. I WAS JUST CURIOUS HOW IT WENT. IT WENT REALLY WELL. WE HAD

[00:10:01]

HARFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE WAS THERE, NATUREWORKS WAS THERE, SUSQUEHANNA WORKFORCE NETWORK, AMONG MANY OTHERS. REALLY A WONDERFUL EVENT. THIS WAS MY FIRST TIME HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND. UNFORTUNATELY, I HAD COVID FOR THE SYMPOSIUM LAST FALL, SO IT WAS REALLY EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO BE THERE THIS WEEKEND. ON THE STAFF. DID AN INCREDIBLE JOB. COMMUNITY PARTNERS DID AN INCREDIBLE JOB. BOYS HAD A GREAT TIME. WE HAD A LOT OF REALLY POSITIVE FEEDBACK. SO JUST A REALLY WONDERFUL EVENT. THANK YOU. AND IS THERE ANY OTHER PROGRAMING OR UPDATES AS FAR AS MINORITY HEALTH GOES COMING UP OR BEING WORKED ON? ABSOLUTELY. WE ARE ACTUALLY ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN A STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THAT PROGRAM AND REALLY THINKING ABOUT HOW WE CAN WORK MORE CLOSELY WITH PRIORITY COMMUNITIES ON THE HEALTH CONCERNS THAT ARE MOST IMPORTANT TO THEM. AND SO REALLY LOOKING TO BUILD OUT A YEAR ROUND PROGRAMING TO BETTER SERVE COMMUNITIES AND REALLY BE RESPONSIVE TO WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO THEM. THANK YOU. AND MY LAST QUESTION FOR YOU THIS EVENING IS JUST BEFORE YOU CAME ON BOARD, WE HAD A REALLY SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM PASSING OUT GUN LOCKS TO THE COMMUNITY. I THINK THEY HAD THEM ALL CLAIMED WITHIN AN HOUR OF IT BEING AVAILABLE FOR SOMEONE TO RSVP.

AND IT WAS JUST A REALLY GREAT EVENT, AND IT WAS SO ENCOURAGING TO SEE PEOPLE DRIVING. YOU WOULD HAVE THOUGHT IT WAS A SEVEN BREW. ALL THE PEOPLE WHO WERE DRIVING THROUGH.

DO WE HAVE ANY FUTURE PLANS ON DOING THAT AGAIN? BECAUSE CLEARLY THERE WERE MORE PEOPLE WHO WANTED THEM THAN WE HAD AVAILABLE TO GIVE. WE DO. WE ARE WAITING. I'M VERY OPTIMISTIC THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE GETTING FUNDING FOR MORE EXPANDED GUN SAFETY EFFORTS, INCLUDING GUN DISTRIBUTION THROUGH OUR LIBRARY BRANCHES. SO REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.

AND ALSO PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR FIREARM BUSINESSES. SO THE RANGES AND THE RETAILERS REALLY WORKING WITH THEM TO, TO HELP GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT SUICIDE PREVENTION AND THE IMPORTANCE OF, OF GUN LOCKS TO THAT EFFORT. SO WE SHOULD BE HEARING ANY TIME NOW. AND THAT, AND HOPEFULLY I'LL BE TALKING ABOUT THAT IN THE FALL AT OUR FALL BOARD OF HEALTH MEETING. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL YOU'RE DOING WITH THAT. AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE THIS EVENING. THANK YOU, MR. BENNETT. MR. RILEY. YES. GOOD EVENING LAUREN. IF I LIVE IN MORRISVILLE, HOW DO I GET INVOLVED IN A SCHOOL BASED HEALTH CENTER PROGRAM? SO OUR SCHOOL BASED HEALTH CENTERS ARE LOCATED AT AT PARTICULAR SCHOOLS. WHAT IN PARTICULAR ARE YOU LOOKING TO? WELL, I NOTICE THEY'RE ALL IN THE SOUTHERN END. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE DON'T HAVE ONE ON THE NORTHERN END. SO, I MEAN, THAT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING WE CAN TALK ABOUT.

LIKE WHERE I THOSE LOCATIONS WERE IN PLACE. BUT YOU KNOW, EXPANSION OF THOSE SERVICES IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT OR, OR JUST MOVING ONE. THERE'S KIDS UP NORTH TOO.

ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY. AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE FOLKS HAVE SERVICES. SO I HEAR YOU LOUD AND CLEAR. YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING I WOULD BE HAPPY TO TALK ABOUT AND LOOK INTO MORE. I'M NOT REALLY CLEAR ON HOW DECISIONS WERE MADE ABOUT THE LOCATIONS THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY SERVING, BUT THERE IS A PROCESS THAT WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH TO GET APPROVAL THROUGH THE STATE. AND SO OUR EXPANSION OF PROGRAMING, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO. CAN YOU KEEP ME UPDATED ON YOUR PROGRESS ON THAT PROGRESS OR GET ONE IN THE NORTH END? ABSOLUTELY. THANKS. THANK YOU, MR. RILEY. MR. LAUREN, GOOD AFTERNOON. EVENING. I GUESS COUNCILMAN BENNETT SAID SOMETHING ABOUT MINORITIES, BUT I THINK I'M MORE CONCERNED WITH THE PEOPLE THAT ARE LOWER ECONOMIC, NOT JUST MINORITIES, BUT BECAUSE THERE'S ALL KIND OF PEOPLE THAT FALL INTO THE LOWER ECONOMIC THRESHOLD. SO YOU'RE NOT PRIORITIZING ONE OF THE YOU'RE YOU'RE LOOKING MORE AT THE SOCIOECONOMIC OF THE PEOPLE, THE LOWER INCOME AND ALSO.

CORRECT. OH, ABSOLUTELY. EVERYBODY IS WELCOME AT THESE EVENTS. YEAH. I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING IN HERE ABOUT THE DENTISTRY THAT I KNOW. WE'VE GOT MAYBE TWO LOCATIONS THAT DO THAT. HOW IS THAT GOING? THAT WAS A COUPLE YEARS AGO. THEY IMPLEMENTED THAT AND THEY ALWAYS SAY GOOD HEALTHY MOUTH AND LEADS TO GOOD HEALTH OVERALL. ABSOLUTELY. ORAL HEALTH IS CRITICAL TO YOUR OVERALL HEALTH. SO WE STILL HAVE OUR DENTAL CLINICS RUNNING LOTS OF DEMAND FOR THOSE SERVICES. WE ARE LOOKING TO EXPAND THEM. WE HAVE BEEN IN CONVERSATIONS WITH THE STATE ABOUT POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES TO DO THAT. IN TERMS OF EXPANDING ACCESS TO FOLKS. RIGHT NOW, WE'RE ONLY SEEING MEDICAID PATIENTS, BUT WE ARE TRYING TO EXPAND ACCESS TO FOLKS WHO MAYBE ARE NOT ELIGIBLE BUT ARE ALSO, YOU KNOW, NOT IN THE SORT OF INCOME ELIGIBLE, RIGHT? THEY HAVE INCOME NEED. AND SO WE, WE, WE KNOW THAT THE DEMAND IS THERE. WE'RE JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE MECHANISM TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THAT. OKAY. AND I THINK I'M STILL WAITING FOR RESPONSE BACK ON MAYBE SOME OF THOSE RESTAURANTS THAT WE WERE WORKING ON. I HAVEN'T TALKED TO YOURSELF OR JOHN, SO I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY STAND, BUT I GUESS WE NEED TO LOOK AT THOSE. BUT SO I THINK, YEAH, JOHN HAD SHARED SOME UPDATES A FEW WEEKS AGO, BUT WE CAN SEE KIND OF WHAT THE CURRENT STATUS. OKAY.

I APPRECIATE THAT. AS LONG AS WE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT OF RESTAURANTS THAT COME IN, SOME

[00:15:06]

SO I DO APPRECIATE THAT. AND AND THEY'LL CALL ME AND I'LL CALL YOU AND WE'LL STAY ON TOP OF THAT. SO APPRECIATE IT. OKAY, GREAT. THANK YOU, MR. JORDAN. ANYONE ELSE? LAUREN, THANK YOU FOR COMING TONIGHT. I'M SURE THAT WE'LL BE REACHING OUT FOR OTHER THINGS AS WELL. THANK YOU AS ALWAYS. APPRECIATE IT. YEP. THIS WILL CONCLUDE THIS UPDATE. AND UNFORTUNATELY WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE A GOOD EVENING. AGAIN, THE CHAIR CALLS THE ORDER FOR PUBLIC HEARING BILL

[a. Bill 26-005 (Moratorium Data Centers) ]

THE LAST TIME THERE WAS A YOUTH COMMISSION ACTIVE IN THE COUNTY, I WAS STILL DEEMED A YOUTH BY THE COUNTY, AND IT WAS, YOU KNOW, IT'S IN OUR LAW THAT WE SHOULD HAVE THIS YOUTH COMMISSION AND IT SHOULD BE FORMED EVERY YEAR. AND SO AFTER I MET WITH THOSE TEENAGERS WHO WERE SAYING, WE REALLY WANT TO GET ENGAGED IN THE COUNTY, WE WANT TO LEARN ABOUT OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT, AND WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS. I STARTED REACHING OUT TO THE ADMINISTRATION MANY TIMES OVER THOSE TWO YEARS, ASKING TO GET THAT STARTED, AND WAS MET OVER AND OVER AGAIN WITH A LACK OF INTEREST TO GET THAT GOING. SO LAST FALL, I INTRODUCED LEGISLATION THAT WOULD HAVE HAD THE COUNCIL TAKE OVER THE YOUTH COMMISSION JUST SO THAT WE COULD GET IT GOING FOR THESE KIDS WHO WANTED TO BE ENGAGED IN OUR COMMUNITY. AFTER WE INTRODUCED THAT LEGISLATION, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE THEN CAME FORWARD AND SAID, I'M GOING TO GET THE YOUTH COMMISSION UP AND RUNNING, AND I'M OPENING UP APPLICATIONS FOR TEENAGERS TO APPLY TO BE ON THE YOUTH COMMISSION. AND THEN WE WERE ABLE TO APPROVE PEOPLE TO BE ON THE YOUTH COMMISSION AND TO HAVE THAT POSITIVE EXPERIENCE AS HIGH SCHOOLERS AND MIDDLE SCHOOLERS. AND SO AT THAT POINT, THE OBJECTIVE OF MY BILL WAS COMPLETE, AND IT WAS NO LONGER NEEDED BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT WASN'T ABOUT HAVING THE COUNCIL GET CONTROL OF THE YOUTH COMMISSION. IT WAS ABOUT GIVING KIDS THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THE YOUTH COMMISSION. SO ONCE WE SUCCEEDED IN GETTING THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE TO GET THAT UP AND RUNNING, I WITHDREW MY BILL FOR THE YOUTH COMMISSION. SO NOW BRINGING THAT STORY TO THIS ISSUE, I'VE BEEN RESEARCHING WHAT'S GOING ON ACROSS OUR COUNTRY. IF DATA CENTERS FOR THE BETTER PART OF THE PAST YEAR AND MEETING WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO TALK ABOUT IT, READING ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING NOT JUST ACROSS MARYLAND, BUT ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND HAVE MORE AND MORE GROWN CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT I READ AND WHAT I SEE. SO WHEN I INTRODUCED THE MORATORIUM AND WELL, FIRST, WHEN I STARTED DRAFTING THE MORATORIUM BACK IN DECEMBER OF LAST YEAR, I HAD NO CLUE ABOUT ANYTHING THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE PROPOSED IN HARFORD COUNTY. AT THAT TIME. I WAS JUST LOOKING AT WHAT WAS HAPPENING ACROSS MARYLAND AND ACROSS OUR REGION, AND SEEING THAT WE HAD WHAT I SAW AS A BIG GAP IN OUR COUNTY CODE OF NOTHING, STATING ANY RULES ABOUT DATA CENTERS. AND SO THAT'S WHY I GOT TO WORK ON THE LEGISLATION AND THEN GETTING IT ONTO A COUNCIL AGENDA AND GETTING IT THROUGH THIS PROCESS. IT JUST HAPPENED THE TIME WITH A LOT OF COMMUNITY AWARENESS OF THIS ISSUE. BUT THE WORK HAD STARTED LONG BEFORE THAT. AND THE REASON I INTRODUCED THE MORATORIUM, VERY SIMILAR TO WHY I INTRODUCED THE BILL ON THE YOUTH COMMISSION, WAS TO START THE WORK ON GETTING THIS ISSUE ADDRESSED, BECAUSE I SAW A GAPING HOLE IN OUR ZONING CODE, AND I KNEW THAT WE NEEDED TO DO WORK TO FIX THIS. SINCE THE MORATORIUM WAS INTRODUCED, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE WAS ABLE TO SEND LEGISLATION OVER TO US AS A COUNCIL ON THE VERY LAST DAY THAT LEGISLATION COULD POSSIBLY BE SENT OVER BEFORE SUMMER RECESS TO HAVE IT GO THROUGH THE PROCESS AND WRAP UP SUCCESSFULLY. AND THAT LEGISLATION, WHICH IS A DIFFERENT BILL THAN THE ONE WE'RE LOOKING AT TONIGHT, WOULD PUT A BLANKET BAN ON DATA CENTERS IN HARFORD COUNTY. HOWEVER, THAT BILL IS NOT EMERGENCY LEGISLATION, WHICH MEANS IF IT WAS TO PASS IN JUNE, THE SOONEST IT WOULD TAKE EFFECT IS SOMETIME IN AUGUST, WHICH IS A TWO MONTH WINDOW, WHICH IS STILL A VULNERABILITY, WHICH IS WHY I'VE STILL HELD ON TO THE MORATORIUM BILL, WHICH IS EMERGENCY LEGISLATION TO

[00:20:02]

YOU DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB REPRESENTING YOUR POSITION, AND I THINK THE POSITION OF MOST OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY, MR. GIORDANO? THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT. SO IF YOU FOLLOW INVESTMENTS, DATA CENTERS ARE ALL THE RAGE. BLACKSTONE DIGITAL RAISED 1.75 BILLION IN ITS IPO. CEREBUS. AND I DON'T KNOW IF I'M SAYING THAT RIGHT OR NOT. OPENED AT $185 THE OTHER DAY AND CLOSED AT 311, UP 68%. THEY'RE NOW VALUED AT $65 BILLION, AND THEY RAISED AN ADDITIONAL 5.5 BILLION. SO THAT TELLS YOU EXACTLY WHERE THE MARKET IS HEADED AND WHY COMMUNITIES LIKE HARFORD COUNTY ARE UNDER PRESSURE FROM MASSIVE DATA CENTER PROPOSALS. MAKE NO MISTAKE, FOLKS, THERE'S A LOT OF MONEY THAT'S OUT THERE POURING IN, AND THEY'RE LOOKING FOR DATA CENTERS WHEREVER THEY CAN PUT THEM, AND THEY WANT TO PUT ONE HERE. SO I STRONGLY SUPPORT BANNING A DATA CENTER IN HARFORD COUNTY. I ALSO SUPPORT BANNING ANY KIND OF POWER FACILITY THAT THEY WOULD TRY TO DO, BECAUSE THAT'S ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT THEY THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO DO BASED ON WHAT GOVERNOR MOORE SAID, IS THEY'D HAVE TO DO THEIR OWN SEPARATE POWER SYSTEM TO RUN THESE DATA CENTERS. SO BUT I THINK IF YOU BAN THE DATA CENTERS, YOU'RE GOING TO BAN THAT. SO JUST JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY'S KEEN ON THAT. SO THE FACILITIES CONSUME ENORMOUS AMOUNTS OF ELECTRICITY AND WATER, REQUIRE MAJOR TRANSMISSION INFRASTRUCTURES, CREATE CONSTANT NOISE CONCERNS THAT CAN PERMANENTLY ALTER CHARACTER OF SURROUNDING COMMUNITY. THE LOW FREQUENCY NOISE GENERATED BY THE DATA CENTERS AND LARGE INDUSTRIAL COOLING SYSTEMS CAN TRAVEL FOR MILES. THEY WERE HERE THE OTHER DAY AND THEY SAID 500FT. THAT'S NOT TRUE. TRAVELS FOR UP TO 3 TO 6 MILES AND PENETRATES THROUGH THE BUILDINGS AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE RESIDENTS AND ANYBODY SURROUNDING THAT. SO SOMEBODY DID POST SOMETHING. THEY SHOWED A DATA CENTER DOWN IN VIRGINIA, AND THE AMOUNT OF NOISE THAT WAS GENERATED FROM THAT, AND

[00:25:01]

YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THE THE, THE EAST COAST. YEAH. DO WE HEAR THEM TALKING ABOUT THE IMPACT OF DATA CENTERS? BUT BUT YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY WANT TO DO? THEY WANT TO ELIMINATE ICE VEHICLES. YOU KNOW WHAT ICE VEHICLES ARE INDUSTRIAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

WESTMORE PUT IN 2035 THAT YOU GOT TO. YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GET RID OF THE YOUR GAS ENGINE.

NOW, THEY'VE KIND OF BACKED OFF ON THAT BECAUSE THE ELECTRIC ISN'T DOING THAT. BUT WHAT ELSE? GAS HEAT FOLKS, YOU GOT GAS HEAT IN YOUR HOUSE OR PROPANE 2035 YOU WANT TO REPLACE THAT GAS HEAT, GUESS WHAT? YOU NEED TO REPLACE IT WITH A HEAT PUMP OR PROBABLY GEOTHERMAL. SO IF YOU WANT TO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT TO DRIVE AN ELECTRIC CAR LIKE COUNCILMAN BENNETT, THAT'S FINE. BUT THAT'S YOUR IT SHOULD BE YOUR CHOICE AND YOU SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO WHAT YOU WANT. SHOULDN'T FORCE ANYBODY TO DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DRIVE OR WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAT YOUR HOME WITH. WE SHOULD BE TRUE, LIKE I SAID. SO ANYWAY, THERE'S SOME MORE STUFF. THERE'S THERE'S PUSHBACK FROM GM, FORD AND HONDA. THEY'RE SCALING BACK THEIR EV PRODUCTION. THEY'VE LOST BILLIONS OF DOLLARS. NOW THEY'RE GOING INTO BATTERY STORAGE. BUT WE DESERVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE. AND HOPEFULLY THIS BILL WILL STICK. BUT I'D LIKE PEOPLE TO ALSO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE SOLAR AND PEOPLE TO DO ANYTHING, NOT JUST SIT AROUND AND SAY, OH GREAT, THE SOLAR IS GOING TO POWER EVERYTHING. IT'S NOT. IT'S NOT THE ANSWER. SO THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT. THANK YOU, MR. GIAN GIORDANO. ANYONE ELSE? MISS DIXON, DO WE HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP? I KNOW THAT'S A CRAZY QUESTION. WE DO, MR. PRESIDENT. WE HAVE ABOUT 46 THIS EVENING. HOW MANY? 46. OH, WOW. OKAY, SO LISTEN, LET'S I GOT TO BE REALISTIC HERE WITH 46 SPEAKERS. AND I'M SURE EVERY ONE OF YOU WITHIN REASON THE SAME COMMENTS. I'M GOING TO

[00:30:01]

AND I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, YOU JUST. I DON'T HAVE TO READ ANY OF THIS NOW, SO. THANK YOU.

SO THAT'S ALL I WANT TO DO IS SAY THANK YOU, BECAUSE I FELT LIKE NO ONE WAS HEARING OUR VOICE AND NO ONE CARED. SO I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU MA'AM. THANK YOU. CALL YOUR NEXT SPEAKER, CANDACE HART, FOLLOWED BY PAUL FALLACI AND GREG FOX. MR. FALLACI. ZIP CODE, PLEASE.

ZIP CODE. IS THAT THE NEW? THAT'S THE NEW. ALL RIGHT. 21001 PAUL FALLACI FROM PERRYMAN. I'M GLAD THAT THE THE LEGISLATION IS ON THERE, AND I WE WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE DATA CENTERS ANYWHERE IN HARFORD COUNTY. JUST GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT. BUILDING AI DATA CENTERS WITHIN FIVE MILES OF RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS CAN IMPOSE REAL LOCAL COSTS, HIGHER POWER BILLS, HEAVIER INFRASTRUCTURE, STRAINED QUALITY OF LIFE IMPACTS. WHILE MOST OF THE BENEFITS FLOW ELSEWHERE, IT'S. IF IT'S CLOSE ENOUGH TO. HERE, IT'S CLOSE ENOUGH TO HURT ELECTRICITY COSTS AND THE SURGE IN DATA CENTERS. AI DATA CENTERS ARE POWER HUNGRY, ESPECIALLY THOSE RUNNING HIGH DENSITY COMPUTING FOR PROGRAMING AND VIDEO. WHEN MANY FACILITIES COME ONLINE IN A SHORT PERIOD, THEY CAN INCREASE DEMAND FASTER THAN GENERATION, AND TRANSMISSION CAN EXPAND. THEY CAN CONTRIBUTE TO UPWARD PRESSURE ON ELECTRICITY PRICES, PARTICULARLY DURING PEAK PERIODS. CAN THEY CAN ACCELERATE THE NEED FOR GRID UPGRADES THAT ULTIMATELY GET PAID THROUGH RATES, FEES OR TAXES. NOT CLAIMING EVERY DOLLAR OF HIGHER FEES IS CAUSED BY DATA CENTERS, BUT FUEL COSTS, INFLATION, GRID RELIABILITY, INVESTMENTS MATTER TO. BUT CONCENTRATION. FAST GROWING LOAD IS A REAL FACTOR. COMMUNITIES SHOULD SCRUTINIZE WITH CLEAR LOCAL DATA. A SEARCH USING CHATGPT, FOR EXAMPLE, TAKES TEN TIMES MORE ENERGY THAN A SEARCH ON GOOGLE. IF THAT SEARCH USES OR MAKES VIDEO, IT'S 50 TIMES THE ENERGY USE, INFRASTRUCTURE STRAIN AND RELIABILITY RISKS. THESE FACILITIES REQUIRE NEW SUBSTATIONS, TRANSMISSION UPGRADES, AND SOMETIMES A NEW GENERATION CONSTRUCTION CAN BE DISRUPTIVE. BUT THE BIGGER ISSUES LONG TERM, WHEN A NEIGHBORHOOD BECOMES ADJACENT TO A MAJOR POWER CONSUMER, THE COMMUNITY INHERITS THE CONSEQUENCES OF GRID CONGESTION, EMERGENCY AILMENTS, CONSTANT

[00:35:04]

BECAUSE THAT HASN'T BEEN DISCUSSED YET. A MODERN DATA CENTER COMPLEX CAN DRAG WITH IT A NEED FOR 12000 ACRES OF SOLAR CELLS. THE STATE HAS A GOAL OF 50% RENEWABLE ENERGY IN FOUR YEARS. WITH THE FEDERAL RESISTANCE TO OFFSHORE WIND, SOLAR IS THE ONLY WAY TO GET THERE. THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CHARACTERIZES A MODERN DATA CENTER AS A TEN ZERO ZERO ZERO SQUARE FOOT BUILDING THAT CONSUMES 100MW OF POWER TO PRODUCE ONE MEGAWATT OF POWER, REQUIRES TEN ACRE SOLAR FIELD, BUT THE SOLAR FIELD ONLY RUNS WHEN THE SUN IS UP. THE DATA CENTER RUNS AROUND THE CLOCK, AND SO YOU REALLY NEED 2.5MW OF SOLAR FIELD TO PRODUCE THE ENERGY NEEDED TO RUN A ONE MEGAWATT DATA CENTER. SO YOU NEED 2500 ACRES TO HANDLE A SINGLE BUILDING. NOW, THE CURRENT TREND IN CONSTRUCTION IS NOT TO BUILD SINGLE BUILDINGS. THE INFRASTRUCTURE COSTS ARE TOO HIGH. SO DATA CENTERS ARE BEING BUILT OUT AS CAMPUSES. SO IF I BUILD A FIVE BUILDING CAMPUS, I NEED 12000 ACRES OF SOLAR CELLS TO OFFSET THE POWER. SO WHEN DATA CENTERS GO ONLINE IN MARYLAND, THE LEGISLATURE HAS A CHOICE ABANDON LONG HELD RENEWABLE ENERGY GOALS OR PAVE RURAL AREAS OVER WITH SOLAR CELLS.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR BILLY BONIFACE, FOLLOWED BY MICHELLE CHRISMAN, PATRICK GAFFNEY AND BILL BAKOPOULOS. GOOD EVENING SIR. NAME IS IT BILLY BONIFACE DARLINGTON 21034. SO THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT AND COUNCIL FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK THIS EVENING. AND THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN BENNETT, FOR YOUR COMMENTS THIS EVENING. I ENCOURAGE THE COUNCIL TO SUPPORT HIM IN WITHDRAWAL OF HIS BILL AND THE AMENDMENTS TO THE COUNTY EXECUTIVES FOR EMERGENCY LEGISLATION. BUT I ALSO ASK THAT YOU CONSIDER ADDING LANGUAGE TO THE BILL THAT DOES NOT ALLOW ANY OF THE LARGE SCALE BATTERY STORAGE FACILITIES TO BE BUILT IN ANY ZONING CLASSIFICATIONS, AS THE ONE BEING PROPOSED IN NORTHERN HARFORD COUNTY, IT IS CLEAR THAT THE CITIZENS OF HARFORD COUNTY DO NOT WANT THESE FACILITIES, PERIOD, AND I'M CONFIDENT YOU'LL SUPPORT US ON THAT IF YOU CANNOT AMEND THE BILL TO DO SO. EMERGENCY LEGISLATION NEEDS TO BE INTRODUCED TO DEAL WITH THAT ISSUE. THAT SAID, I DO NOT FEEL THIS WILL BE THE END OF THE FIGHT TO STOP THIS TYPE OF USES COMING INTO THE COUNTY. IN RECENT YEARS, THE STATE HAS REPEATEDLY OVERRODE LOCAL AUTHORITY IN MANY AREAS, INCLUDING ALLOWING LARGE UTILITY SCALE SOLAR PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN TALKED ABOUT TO BE BUILT ON FARMLAND. REGARDLESS THAT OUR LOCAL ZONING LAWS ONLY ALLOW THESE USES IN GENERAL INDUSTRIAL AREAS. I SEE THE STATE ATTEMPTING TO DO THE SAME WITH THE DATA CENTERS AND BATTERY STORAGE FACILITIES. COUNCILS, MEMBERS OF MOCO, THE MARYLAND ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES, A LOBBYING GROUP THAT WORKS IN ANNAPOLIS ON BEHALF OF THE 23 COUNTIES AND BALTIMORE CITY. I ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO REACH OUT TO LEADERSHIP AND PUT IN AN EMERGENCY TASK FORCE THAT DEVELOPS A STRATEGY TO STOP THE STATE FROM OVERRIDING THE RIGHTS OF INDIVIDUAL COUNTIES TO ALLOW THESE FACILITIES OR NOT, AND REVERSE THE POLICY OF FORCING LARGE SCALE SOLAR PROJECTS IN AREAS WE DON'T WANT THEM. MAKO SHOULD ALSO PARTNER WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, SUCH AS MARYLAND FARM BUREAU, TO ACCOMPLISH THIS. THE MORE VOICES, THE BETTER. HAVING SERVED AS COUNCIL PRESIDENT, I IN THE PAST, I FULLY UNDERSTAND YOU HAVE MANY THINGS TO TAKE UNDER CONSIDERATION AS YOU HEAR THE TESTIMONY THIS EVENING. MR. BONIFACE, PLEASE BRING YOUR COMMENTS TO A CLOSE. THANK YOU. I'M GOING TO ASK YOU ONE THING.

WOULD YOU WANT TO LIVE NEXT TO ONE OF THESE THINGS? THANK YOU SIR. GOOD NIGHT. GOOD NIGHT.

[00:40:04]

AND IT UNDERMINES THE STATE'S ENERGY GOALS. TO BE HONEST. DATA CENTERS CARRY INEFFECTIVE TAX INCENTIVES. TAX BREAKS FOR DATA CENTERS DON'T DELIVER THE PROMISED ECONOMIC BENEFITS.

THEY CREATE VERY FEW PERMANENT JOBS AND PROVIDE TOO LITTLE TO NO RIPPLE FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES.

THEY REDUCE LOCAL TAX REVENUES WHILE SHIFTING FINANCIAL BURDENS ONTO COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS. SO I'M CONFIDENT YOU ALL WILL DO THE RIGHT THING. BUT WHAT HAPPENS NEXT IS MARYLAND IS GOING TO SAY, WELL, TOO BAD YOU'RE GETTING ONE. SO SIR, PLEASE BRING YOUR COMMENTS.

YOU NEED TO EQUIP US WITH THE RIGHT WAY TO RESPOND TO THAT. THANK YOU. WE NEED TO KNOW HOW TO DO THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. HAVE A GOOD NIGHT. YOU TOO. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. HOLD ON JUST A MINUTE. NO, HOLD ON JUST A MINUTE. GO AHEAD. SIR. NAME AND ZIP CODE, PLEASE. BILL VASSILAKOPOULOS 21085. GOOD AFTERNOON, GOOD EVENING, GOOD AFTERNOON. WHATEVER IT IS. MY NAME IS BILL VASSILAKOPOULOS. I'M THE OWNER OF MOUNTAIN RANCH GOLF COURSE. AS A TARGET OF THIS LEGISLATION, I THINK IT WOULD BE MORE APPROPRIATE FOR ME TO HAVE MORE THAN THREE MINUTES, CERTAINLY MORE THAN TWO MINUTES, TO EXPLAIN MY CASE. THIS IS A THOUGHTFUL, HIGHLY ENGINEERED, MULTIBILLION DOLLAR NEXT GENERATION INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT AND ONE OF THE LARGEST PRIVATE INVESTMENTS IN MARYLAND HISTORY. THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE HAS SEEN OUR FEASIBILITY STUDY AND OUR DRAWINGS, AND SO HAS THE COUNCIL. YOU ALL KNOW WHAT IT IS, WHAT THIS PROJECT IS AND WHAT IT IS NOT. AND THIS PROJECT WAS FIRST INTRODUCED TO YOU ALL IN SEPTEMBER OF LAST YEAR. I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH WHAT OUR PROJECT IS. YOU KNOW, YOU CAN SEE ALL THAT ON THE WEBSITE, WHICH IS HARTFORD ENERGY.COM, AND IT BREAKS IT ALL DOWN, WHAT IT IS AND HOW IT BENEFITS THE COMMUNITY AND THE TAX REVENUE IT WILL CREATE. AND WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR BLIND TRUST. WE'RE ASKING FOR REAL STANDARDS POWER, WATER, NOISE, AND ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS WRITTEN INTO LAW WITH THE COMMUNITY BENEFIT AGREEMENT THAT IS BINDING ON A RECORD AGAINST THE LAND. THE COUNTY HAS SET THE STANDARD. THE COUNTY SHOULD SET THE STANDARDS FOR ITSELF, WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT WE HAVE PUT FORWARD, AND NOT WAIT FOR THE STATE TO IMPOSE WHAT WE HAVE PUT FORWARD, IMPOSE WHAT WOULD LIKELY BE A LESSER STANDARD THAN MAY TAKE THE MAY NOT TAKE THE NEEDS FOR THE COUNTY INTO ACCOUNT. ONCE THAT HAPPENS, IT WILL BE TOO LATE. PLEASE VOTE AGAINST THIS BILL. SET STRONG LOCAL STANDARDS INSTEAD OF A MORATORIUM OR A BAND. THIS IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PANIC AND POLICY. AND. EXCUSE ME

[00:45:01]

THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK. THANK YOU MA'AM. THANK YOU. JESSICA RILEY HAMMOND, FOLLOWED BY CHRISSY FLATO AND DANNY PAEZ. GOOD EVENING MADAM. NAME AND ZIP. GOOD EVENING, JESSICA RILEY HAMMOND TWO 1015. AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, I'M RUNNING FOR COUNTY COUNCIL. I'M A CANDIDATE HERE IN DISTRICT C. I WANT TO THANK THE COUNCIL FOR BEING ON THE SAME PAGE AS SO MANY RESIDENTS ON THIS ISSUE. I SUPPORT THIS MORATORIUM AND I SUPPORT THE FULL DATA CENTER BAN PROPOSED BY THE COUNTY. EXECUTIVE RESIDENTS HAVE SPOKEN OVER AND OVER ABOUT THE ENORMOUS ENERGY DEMANDS, ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS, NOISE AND IMPACT THESE FACILITIES WOULD HAVE ON OUR COMMUNITIES. THIS ISSUE IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT, WHICH IS WHY I'VE ATTENDED SO MANY DIFFERENT MEETINGS ON IT AND WILL CONTINUE TO SHOW UP. HARFORD COUNTY SHOULD NOT BECOME A SACRIFICE ZONE FOR BIG TECH, FOR BIG TECH, NO TEMPORARY GAINS FOR SOME AND PERMANENT DAMAGE FOR EVERYONE ELSE IN THE ENVIRONMENT. COUNCILMAN BENNETT, I WANT TO SAY THAT I THINK IT'S NICE THAT YOU HAVE AN ELECTRIC CAR. I DIDN'T KNOW THAT ABOUT YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MA'AM. POWERED BY ROOFTOP SOLAR. GOOD EVENING, MA'AM. NAME AND ZIP. CHRISSY FLATO TWO 1085. THANK YOU. I HAVE LIVED IN HARFORD COUNTY MY ENTIRE LIFE.

I GREW UP IN BEL AIR, RIGHT IN HOMESTEAD VILLAGE. WE HAD SIDEWALKS, PUBLIC WATER AND SEWER. WHEN MY HUSBAND AND I GOT MARRIED, WE BUILT A HOUSE ON HIS FAMILY FARM ONLY FARM. I KNEW LIVING IN JOPPA WAS GOING TO BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT FOR ME. THERE WERE NO SIDEWALKS. WHEN WE DON'T HAVE ELECTRICITY, YOU DON'T HAVE WATER AND SEPTIC. BUT IT HAS BECOME MY WAY OF LIFE. I FEED THE BIRDS. I PLANT THE NATIVE PLANTS TO SUPPORT THE POLLINATORS. I ENJOY THE PEACE AND QUIET. I DID NOT MOVE TO JOPPA TO HAVE MY QUALITY OF LIFE LESSENED. I AM ASKING YOU TO WITHDRAW THE MORATORIUM AND PASS COUNTY EXECUTIVE'S DATA CENTER BAN AS EMERGENCY LEGISLATION. DATA CENTERS DO NOT BELONG NEAR RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITIES. MY HUSBAND AND I

[00:50:02]

THANK YOU MA'AM. GOOD EVENING MA'AM. NAME AND GOOD EVENING. DANNY PAEZ TWO 1040. GOOD EVENING COUNCIL. THANK YOU FOR THE TIME TO SPEAK TONIGHT. I WANT TO THANK COUNCILMAN BENNETT FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD AS A PROUD HARFORD COUNTY RESIDENT AND A PROUD ROUTE 40 CORRIDOR RESIDENT, I WANT TO EXPRESS MY SUPPORT AND NEED FOR THIS MORATORIUM. WE NEED TO PROTECT OUR FARMLANDS, OUR WATERWAYS AND OUR RESIDENTS. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT GIVING UP OUR LOCAL LANDS, BUT ALSO NOT DUMPING ANOTHER ITEM ON ROUTE 40 WHERE IF IT'S NOT ON THE LANDS, THIS IS WHERE IT'S GOING TO BE. I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR THE CLEAR SUPPORT YOU HAVE SHOWN TONIGHT TOWARDS THIS MORATORIUM AND THE EVENTUAL BAN, THAT COUNCIL THAT THE COUNTY COUNCIL HAS, THAT THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE HAS PUSHED FORWARD. HAVE A GREAT REST OF YOUR EVENING. THANK YOU, MA'AM. STAFF STEPHANIE FLASH, FOLLOWED BY KATE AND CAITLIN KASLOW, ROBERTA HOWARD AND BRIAN TAWNEY. GOOD EVENING MA'AM, MY NAME IS IT. GOOD EVENING, STEPHANIE FLASH 21047. AS MANY OTHERS HAVE MENTIONED, I ACTUALLY SUPPORT THE COUNTY COUNCIL TO WITHDRAW THIS. 26005 AND ENACT THE EMERGENCY LEGISLATION. SO THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN BENNETT.

AS MANY HAVE EXPRESSED, THERE ARE VERY SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT THE DATA CENTERS AND OUR QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE COMMUNITY. AND WHILE THE ORIGINAL MORATORIUM SERVED ITS PURPOSE, I THINK WE ALL CAN UNDERSTAND WHY EMERGENCY BAN IS NECESSARY CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW.

SO I SUPPORT THE EMERGENCY LEGISLATION BAN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND I WANT TO SAY THAT WE CAN USE THIS THEN TO TAKE THIS TO ANNAPOLIS, IN WHICH I INTEND TO DO. THANK YOU, MA'AM. GOOD EVENING MADAM. HI, CAITLIN KASLOW 21087. I'VE LIVED IN KINGSVILLE MY ENTIRE LIFE. MY PARENTS LIVE TWO HOUSES DOWN FROM ME. I HAVE STRONG TIES TO HARFORD COUNTY. I'M RAISING MY CHILDREN HERE. I GRADUATED FROM JOHN CARROLL UP IN CHURCHVILLE. MY KIDS DO ALL OF THEIR ATHLETICS HERE, AND MY HUSBAND AND I OPERATED OUR SMALL BUSINESS OUT OF FALLSTON FOR A FEW YEARS. I'M ALSO IN THE PROCESS OF ENROLLING MY CHILDREN INTO PRIVATE SCHOOL IN HARFORD COUNTY IN THE FALL. IN ADDITION, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF MY NIECES AND NEPHEWS LIVES HERE IN HARFORD COUNTY. MY HOUSE SITS JUST ABOUT TWO MILES FROM THE PROPOSED SITE OF THE DATA CENTER. THAT PUTS ME WELL WITHIN THE RADIUS OF BEING SUBJECTED TO THE CONSTANT HUMMING AND BEING DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY ANY WATER SHORTAGES OR CONTAMINATION THAT WILL BE CAUSED. MY MY PARENTS AND I WILL HAVE TO MOVE. IF THIS DATA CENTER IS BUILT, MY MOTHER WILL HAVE TO POSTPONE HER RETIREMENT SO THAT THEY CAN QUALIFY FOR A NEW MORTGAGE. I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE WE WILL GO. AS I SAID, EVERYONE LIVES HERE AND MOST OF OUR FAMILY IS NOT IN A POSITION TO JUST MOVE, SO WE'LL HAVE TO LEAVE EVERYONE BEHIND. I'M HERE TODAY TO ASK FOR YOUR HELP.

YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH KINGSVILLE. YOU KNOW IT'S IN DISTRICT B. YOU ALSO PROBABLY KNOW THAT IT'S A SPLIT ZIP CODE. SO WHILE MY HOUSE IS TWO MILES FROM WHERE THEY'RE PLANNING TO BUILD THIS DATA CENTER, IT'S ALSO JUST ABOUT A HALF A MILE OVER THE LINE INTO BALTIMORE COUNTY.

AND SO I AM NOT ONE OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS. NO ONE UP THERE REPRESENTS ME OR MY FAMILY. AND SO MY FAMILY AND MY PARENTS, MY MOTHER WILL SPEAK AFTER ME. LET'S SEE, BOTH OF MY FATHER'S SISTERS WHO LIVE IN KINGSVILLE, MY ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD, OUR ENTIRE TOWN, FIND OURSELVES IN THE HORRIFYING POSITION OF BEING PROFOUNDLY IMPACTED BY THESE DECISIONS, BUT WITHOUT A VOICE. SO I CAN'T STAND HERE AND MAKE DEMANDS OF YOU AS MY PUBLIC SERVANT. I CAN'T THREATEN TO VOTE FOR YOUR COMPETITION IN THE NEXT ELECTION. I'M SIMPLY AT THE MERCY OF YOUR DECISION WITH NO WAY TO HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE. SO I IMPLORE YOU TO PASS THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE'S BAN AS EMERGENCY LEGISLATION, AND DO ANYTHING ELSE YOU CAN DO TO STOP THIS FROM HAPPENING. I URGE YOU TO SEE THE BIGGER PICTURE, BECAUSE WHAT YOU DO HERE TODAY AFFECTS MORE THAN JUST HARFORD COUNTY AND WILL HAVE AN IMPACT MUCH LONGER THAN YOUR TERM. MA'AM. YES, YOU'VE MADE YOUR POINT. WE'VE HEARD YOUR VOICE. YOU DON'T HAVE TO

[00:55:05]

LET'S GET THIS DONE. LET'S STOP THE TALK. LET'S MAKE THIS HAPPEN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. GOOD EVENING SIR. GOOD EVENING. RYAN AMBROSE 21234. GOOD EVENING COUNCIL. MY NAME

[01:00:06]

THE ONES THAT SAID NO DID NOT STOP PROGRESS. THEY JUST WATCHED IT MOVE ELSEWHERE. THAT IS WHERE WE ARE TODAY. DATA CENTERS ARE THE GENERATION, THIS GENERATION'S INFRASTRUCTURE. THEY POWER HEALTH CARE, EMERGENCY SERVICES, BANKING AND SMALL BUSINESSES.

THEY'RE NOT GOING AWAY. THE QUESTION IS WHETHER HARFORD COUNTY WILL BE A PART OF IT OR SIT ON THE SIDELINES WHILE OTHER COUNTIES TAKE THE JOBS AND INVEST. THERE ARE THREE REASONS TO SUPPORT RESPONSIBLE DATA CENTER DEVELOPMENT JOBS, TAX REVENUE AND SMART PLANNING.

FIRST, THE JOBS. THESE JOBS CREATE FAMILY SUSTAINING UNION CAREERS, SUPPORTING APPRENTICESHIPS, TRAINING LOCAL RESIDENTS AND KEEPING YOUNG PEOPLE. HERE IN HARFORD COUNTY, DEVELOPERS SHOULD ALSO SIGN LABOR AGREEMENTS AND COMMIT TO LOCAL HIRING INITIATIVES, SO HARFORD COUNTY RESIDENTS HAVE A REAL PATH INTO THESE JOBS FROM DAY ONE SECOND. AND JUST AS IMPORTANT AS THE TAX IMPACT, DATA CENTERS BRING IN MAJOR PRIVATE INVESTMENT ON HIGH VALUE COMMERCIAL PROPERTY, AND THEY PAY PROPERTY TAXES YEAR AFTER YEAR. THAT STABLE LONG TERM REVENUE THAT THE COUNTY CAN RELY ON. UNLIKE LARGE RESIDENTIAL GROWTH, THEY DO NOT ADD THE SAME PRESSURE ON SCHOOLS AND PUBLIC SERVICES. SO WHAT YOU'RE LEFT WITH IS A NET POSITIVE REVENUE MONEY COMING INTO THE COUNTY THAT CAN HELP FUND SCHOOLS, PUBLIC SAFETY AND INFRASTRUCTURE WITHOUT DRIVING UP TAXES FOR THE RESIDENTS. THAT IS THE KIND OF GROWTH COUNTY SHOULD WANT. STRENGTHEN, STRENGTHEN THE TAX BASE WHILE KEEPING SPENDING UNDER CONTROL.

AND THIRD, THESE PROJECTS CAN BE BUILT THE RIGHT WAY WITH CLEAR RULES, STRONG STANDARDS, STANDARDS AND THOUGHTFUL PLANNING SO THE COMMUNITY KEEPS CONTROL WHILE STILL CAPTURING THE BENEFIT. CONCERNS ARE FAIR, BUT THE ANSWER IS NOT. A PERMANENT BAN IS SMART PLANNING AND RESPONSIBLE OVERSIGHT. BECAUSE IF WE TURN AWAY FROM THIS ENTIRELY, THE JOBS DON'T DISAPPEAR AND NEITHER DOES THE REVENUE. IT JUST GOES SOMEWHERE ELSE. ELSE IN HARFORD COUNTY LOSES BOTH. SO I ASK THIS COUNCIL TO TAKE A BALANCED APPROACH. THANK YOU SIR. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING MA'AM. MY NAME IS TINA MURPHY KEAN 21078. I'M READING A STATEMENT THAT WAS PREPARED BY TIM MURPHY RUNNING FOR COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICT C MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. MY APOLOGIES FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO BE PRESENT TONIGHT, BUT REGARDLESS OF MY GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION, I FELT IT IMPORTANT TO HAVE MY WARNING TO BE HEARD. ALTHOUGH I AM COMPLETELY AGAINST THE DATA CENTER IN HARFORD COUNTY. I WEAR AN OUTRIGHT BAN WILL LEAVE US LEGALLY VULNERABLE IN THE FUTURE. YES, WE LIVE IN HARFORD COUNTY, BUT THAT MEANS WE ALSO LIVE IN MARYLAND. AS MOST OF YOU SHOULD BE AWARE, THE UTILITY RELIEF ACT HAS BEEN SIGNED INTO LAW. THIS MEANS THE BAN WILL BE OVERTURNED AND WE WILL BE LEFT DEFENSELESS. THE BILL ESSENTIALLY GIVES THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION TO DEEM OUR BAN UNLAWFUL. IN THE BILL, THEY HAVE LEGALLY CODIFIED SMALLER AND MID-SIZED DATA CENTERS AS CRITICAL ENERGY GRID PARTICIPANTS. THEY LOWERED THE THRESHOLD TO DEFINE LARGE CAPACITY ENERGY RESOURCES, DOWN FROM 100MW TO 25MW, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE SOME BUSINESSES AND THE PERMIT INDUSTRIAL CORRIDOR, FURTHER MUDDYING THE WATERS BETWEEN WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE AND WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO PREVENT. DUE TO NEW REGULATIONS AND DEFINITIONS, THEY WILL CITE LEGAL THE LEGAL PRECEDENT BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF WASHINGTON COUNTY VERSUS PERENNIAL SOLAR. THEY WILL USE THE 50 SITE MANDATE AND THE RELIEF ACT TO ARGUE BLANKET BANS, ACTIVELY SABOTAGE AND MANDATE PASSED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. THE CHERRY ON THE TOP WILL BE THEM USING THE CLEAN ENERGY INCENTIVE TO PUT DATA CENTERS UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION. IF WE CHOOSE THE ILLUSION OF A TOTAL BAN, WE SURRENDER OUR SEAT AT THE TABLE. LET'S NOT WAIT FOR THE STATE TO OVERRIDE A BAN. LET'S ALTER THE RULES OURSELVES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MA'AM. SAMUEL. SANDSTONE, FOLLOWED BY RICO ALBA CARRIES AND JAMES VALENTINE. GOOD EVENING SIR. NAME AND ZIP. SAMUEL SANTONI 21015. I CURRENTLY WORK AT A PREFABRICATION PLANT IN FREDERICK, MARYLAND. IT'S 2000 SQUARE FOOT. IT IS A JOB FOR CLOSE TO 200 PEOPLE. IT SUPPORTS THE GROWING DATA CENTER INDUSTRY, AND I HOPE

[01:05:04]

LISTENING TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS HERE TONIGHT, I HEAR A LOT OF FEAR AND A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY.

AND AS A RESIDENT OF HARFORD COUNTY, I EMPATHIZE WITH THAT. BUT I HAVE A DIFFERENT SET OF FEARS. I'M AFRAID THAT WE WILL FALL BEHIND REGIONALLY AS OTHER COUNTIES DO, DEVELOP THIS INFRASTRUCTURE AND USE THIS TAX REVENUE. I'M AFRAID WE WON'T BE ABLE TO GIVE OUR PUBLIC SECTOR WORKERS THE RAISES THEY DESERVE. AND HARFORD COUNTY SCHOOLS WILL CONTINUE TO BE UNDERFUNDED THAT MANY OF OUR GRADUATING SENIORS, WHO ARE BEING TOLD THEY SHOULD CONSIDER A CAREER IN THE TRADES, WON'T HAVE A JOB TO GO TO, AND CERTAINLY NOT HERE LOCALLY. I'M AFRAID THE ONLY JOBS WE WILL HAVE TO OFFER OUR YOUNG PEOPLE ARE ONES IN AN AMAZON WAREHOUSE, WHICH WE SEEM TO HAVE DETERMINED ARE SUPERIOR TO AMAZON DATA CENTERS. I'M AFRAID WE'RE OVERLY RELIANT ON A P G AND THE FEDERAL JOBS, WHICH ARE BEING CUT AND THREATENED EVERY SINGLE DAY. MOSTLY, I'M AFRAID THAT THIS DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE IS THE NEW ECONOMY, AND WE ARE GOING TO MISS OUT ON IT. I THINK IT MAKES SENSE TO DECIDE WHERE AND HOW WE CAN BUILD THIS INFRASTRUCTURE. AND IF WE NEED TO PAUSE TO DECIDE THAT, BY ALL MEANS, SO BE IT. BUT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO USE IT TO OUR ADVANTAGE AS A COUNTY. WE CAN USE IT TO FULLY FUND OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT, TO BUILD NEW SCHOOLS, OR TO LOWER OUR PROPERTY TAXES. I REJECT THE PREMISE THAT WE'RE NOT SMART ENOUGH OR COLLABORATIVE ENOUGH TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO LEVERAGE THAT INDUSTRY. BY VOTING TO PERMANENTLY BAN THIS INDUSTRY, YOU'RE LOCKING HARFORD COUNTY INTO THE ECONOMIC LANDSCAPE OF YESTERDAY. PRESIDENT JFK ONCE SAID, TIME AND THE WORLD DO NOT STAND STILL. CHANGE IS THE LAW OF LIFE, AND THOSE WHO LOOK ONLY TO THE PAST OR THE PRESENT ARE CERTAIN TO MISS THE FUTURE. I DON'T WANT TO SEE HARFORD COUNTY MISS THE FUTURE. AND TO THE OTHER GENTLEMAN, I'M A HARFORD COUNTY RESIDENT. I'M A UNION MEMBER. I DON'T SEE THE GREEN FOR MYSELF, THE TAX REVENUE FOR THE COUNTY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU SIR.

GOOD EVENING SIR. NAME AND JAMES VALENTINE 21040. I'M IN. I'M OPPOSED TO THE MORATORIUM AND THE BAND BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN COMMON SENSE REGULATIONS SET UP BY THE COUNTY MEMBER AND THE ZONING BOARDS AND ALL ARE IMPORTANT. AND IF WE DON'T TAKE IT UPON OURSELVES, WE FORGET THE LESSONS OF THE PAST. I-95, THE ROUTE 24 CORRIDOR WITH THE ENVELOPE. DO WE NOT REMEMBER HOW THERE WERE NOT GOING TO BE NO BUILDING ON ROUTE 24, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN IT HAPPENED EVERYWHERE? HOW 95 WASN'T GOING TO GO UP THROUGH HARFORD COUNTY, BUT THERE IT IS. DO YOU THINK THAT THE DATA CENTER, WHICH IS AN INFRASTRUCTURE THING THAT IS REQUIRED ALL OVER THIS COUNTRY BECAUSE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND ALL THE STATES IN THIS COUNTRY HAVE DECIDED THAT DATA CENTERS ARE SOMETHING THAT WE NEED AND WE MUST HAVE AND ARE ESSENTIAL TO OUR NATIONAL SECURITY, THAT THAT BY US PUTTING A BAN ON IT, WE'VE OPENED OURSELVES UP TO BEING TAKEN OVER BY PEOPLE WHO DON'T LIVE HERE. OKAY. I HAPPEN TO BELIEVE IN BUILDING, BUT BUILDING SENSIBLY AND BUILDING WITH COMMON SENSE IN THE RIGHT LOCATIONS TO DOING THE RIGHT JOB OF CARRYING THE MESSAGE THAT DATA CENTERS DO, AND WILL BE AROUND FOR A LONG, LONG TIME TO COME. NO ONE THOUGHT THAT THE WHEEL WAS GOING TO BE REPLACED. THE WOODEN WHEEL WAS GOING TO BE REPLACED BY A STEEL WHEEL IN 1906. BUT IT WAS. NOBODY EVER THOUGHT THE MA AND PA TRAIL WOULD BE A PLACE YOU WALK AND NOT RIDE ON A TRAIN. BUT IT WAS. AND WHERE WE'RE HEADING BY NOT STANDING UP AND HAVING YOU GENTLEMEN, LADIES UP THERE SITTING DOWN AND SAYING, A BAN OPENS THE DOOR WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE TOLD WHAT TO DO. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WE NEED TO BE CLOSING OUR EYES AND STICKING OUR HEAD IN THE SAND, AND LETTING SOMEONE ELSE DECIDE HOW HARFORD COUNTY WILL OR WILL NOT, AND HOW THEY WILL ALLOW IT TO BE BUILT, AND HOW THE NEW TECHNOLOGIES CANNOT BE ENFORCED TO MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN THAT WORKS IN AN EVEN BALANCE OF GETTING WHAT WE NEED. AT THE SAME TIME, TAKING CARE OF WHAT WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR RAY BAKER, FOLLOWED BY SANDY MAGNUS AND TYRONE FERRANS.

[01:10:16]

AND IT IS NO INTEREST OF LABOR TO EVER BE ADVERSARIAL TO THAT, BECAUSE LABOR IS OF THE COMMUNITY. AND WHILE FOLKS ARE COMMUNICATING THE SINCERE AND SERIOUS OPPOSITION TO BEING WHAT THEY PERCEIVE TOLD, WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO THEM. WHILE THEY'VE HEARD REPEATEDLY FROM THE HARFORD COUNTY RESIDENTS WHO DRIVE TWO HOURS JUST TO GO TO WORK, I WANT TO REMIND FOLKS THAT I REPRESENT THE THOUSANDS OF MEMBERS OF OUR CONSTRUCTION TRADES THAT LIVE IN HARFORD COUNTY, THAT ARE EXCITED TO DO WORK IN HARFORD COUNTY, THAT ARE EAGER TO BE ABLE TO BUILD IN HARFORD COUNTY. AND WE ARE INTERESTED IN BEING COLLABORATIVE PARTNERS IN HOW WE CAN MOST EFFECTIVELY DO THAT, SO THAT WHEN THE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE GRADUATING FROM HIGH SCHOOL, WE CAN ENROLL THEM INTO OUR APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS WHEN THOSE WHO ARE LOOKING FOR WORK, AS MY COLLEAGUE RICO ALLUDED TO, ARE NO LONGER ARE INTERESTED IN WORKING IN THE AMAZON FACILITY, CAN HAVE SOME PLACE THAT THEY CAN BUILD THAT THEY CAN BE PROUD OF. WE ARE INTERESTED IN BEING COLLABORATORS IN DOING SO. UNFORTUNATELY, A BAN DOES NOT ALLOW FOR THAT. WHILE WE RECOGNIZE THE SENSITIVITIES OF WHAT THE CONCERNS MAY BE, WE THINK THAT THERE IS A BETTER AND MORE EFFECTIVE COLLABORATIVE APPROACH THAT CAN ENSURE THE GOOD PAYING, FAMILY SUSTAINING UNION JOBS THAT WE PROVIDE FOR FOLKS ARE AVAILABLE TO US AND ARE OPPORTUNE TO US, BUT SO LONG AS WE COMMIT TO A BAN, WE WILL NOT ALLOW FOR THAT TO HAPPEN. LASTLY, I KNOW A NUMBER OF US, MYSELF INCLUDED, ARE DEEPLY SENSITIVE TO OUR RISING ENERGY COSTS.

UNFORTUNATELY, BECAUSE OF THE STRUCTURE OF THE WAY THAT WE EXIST, THAT WHEN WE SELL, PEOPLE KNOW THOSE FOLKS GO ACROSS THE LINES TO PENNSYLVANIA. SOMETIMES THEY GO ACROSS THE LINE TO VIRGINIA, AND WE ARE STILL LEFT WITH THE BURDEN OF THE PAIN. WE ARE INTERESTED THAT IF DATA CENTERS ARE GOING TO COME, AND IF YOU ALL BELIEVE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO FUNCTIONALLY SOCIALIZE THE PAIN, THEN THROUGH GOOD JOBS, WE CAN SOCIALIZE THE PROFIT.

BUT AS IS AND WITH ABANDON A MORATORIUM, WE ARE LOOKING TO SOCIALIZE THE PAIN, BUT PRIVATIZE THE PROFIT. FOR FOLKS OUTSIDE OF HARFORD COUNTY, WE WOULD LOVE TO BE COLLABORATORS, AND WE HOPE THAT YOU GUYS WOULD RECONSIDER A PERMANENT BAN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SIR. GOOD EVENING, SIR TYRONE FERENCE 21001. AND UNLIKE SO MANY OF THE PEOPLE HERE TONIGHT, I WASN'T BORN AND RAISED IN HARFORD COUNTY. I WAS ABLE TO BUY A BEAUTIFUL HOME HERE WITH THE MONEY I EARNED AS A UNION ELECTRICIAN. I'M LIKE. SOME OF THE SPEAKERS BEFORE ME ARE EMPLOYED IN FREDERICK. I DON'T DO THE COMMUTE. I STAY IN A HOTEL ALONG WITH A LOT OF OTHER.

MY COWORKERS SPENDING OUR MONEY IN FREDERICK DURING THE WEEK, VISITING THEIR, YOU KNOW, PATRONIZING THEIR RESTAURANTS AND THE STORES. BUT SO I SPEAK FROM A SELFISH PLACE. MY DAUGHTER AND MY SON HAVE FOLLOWED ME INTO THIS INDUSTRY, AND I WASN'T AGAINST THE MORATORIUM. WHAT I, WHAT I WAS HOPING IT WOULD BE USED FOR IS LEGISLATORS TO DO SOME. TO WRITE LEGISLATION THAT WOULD ENSURE THAT THE DATA CENTER CONSTRUCTION WOULD BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, BECAUSE IT DOES HAS ITS PROS AND IT HAS ITS CONS. BUT MAYBE REACH OUT TO A PLACE, ANOTHER COUNTY LIKE FREDERICK AND SEE WHAT THEY WOULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY. BEING AT THE STATE HAS THE ABILITY TO OVERRULE THIS BAN. MAYBE IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU COULD STILL DO BECAUSE I DO LIVE HERE. MY KIDS DO GO TO THE HARFORD COUNTY SCHOOLS IN ABERDEEN, AND I WOULD HOPE THAT IF WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A DATA CENTER, THAT WE CAN MAKE IT SO THAT IT BENEFITS US AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SIR. CALL YOUR NEXT SPEAKER, SANDY MAGNUS, FOLLOWED BY MICHAEL OAKES AND JULIA RUSIN. I DON'T THINK MISS MAGNUS IS HERE. MICHAEL OAKES, JULIA RUSIN, FOLLOWED BY TAMMY WAINWRIGHT. OKAY. MISS WAINWRIGHT'S COME TO THE MIC. GOOD EVENING, MA'AM. MY NAME IS IT? GOOD EVENING, TAMMY WAINWRIGHT 21001. I AM A CANDIDATE FOR COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICT F. AND I SUPPORT A TOTAL BAN ON DATA CENTERS. I WANT TO REMIND THE COUNTY COUNCIL THAT I HAVE STOOD HERE

[01:15:07]

THOSE ARE THE KIND OF ISSUES THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED THROUGH UPDATED ZONING AND LAND USE POLICIES. INSTEAD, ONCE AGAIN, THE COUNTY IS REACTING TO A CRISIS OF ITS OWN MAKING.

HARFORD COUNTY CANNOT KEEP GOVERNING IN CRISIS MODE, MOVING ONLY WHEN RESIDENTS ARE ALREADY THREATENED. AN EMERGENCY ACTION IS THE LAST OPTION LEFT. THE PUBLIC DESERVES A GOVERNMENT THAT SEES WHAT IS COMING AND ACTS BEFORE THE DAMAGE IS DONE. IF THE COUNCIL DOES NOT PLAN BEFORE THE CRISIS, THEN THE CRISIS WILL PLAN FOR YOU. AS IN THE PROPOSED DATA CENTER ON A P G THAT COULD POSSIBLY BE RUNNING ON NUCLEAR POWER, DOES THE COUNTY COUNCIL HAVE AN ANSWER FOR THAT? THANK YOU. THANK YOU MA'AM. BRIANNA COLEMAN, FOLLOWED BY PAULA AYDIN, RICH RIVERA, AND CAROL MCCARTHY. CALL YOUR SPEAKERS AGAIN IN ORDER. BRIANNA COLEMAN, PAULA AYDIN, RICH RIVERA, AND CAROL MCCARTHY, MISS EDDIE. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL PRESIDENT VICENTE, AND GOOD EVENING TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.

I'M PAULA ETTING. MY ZIP CODE IS 21014. I AM CURRENTLY THE MAYOR OF THE TOWN OF BEL AIR SINCE 2023 AND ON THE BOARD SINCE 2021, AND CURRENTLY A CANDIDATE FOR COUNCIL DISTRICT C. I'M HERE TO LET HARFORD COUNTY KNOW WHAT THE TOWN OF BEL AIR HAS DONE. LAST NIGHT WE ALSO INTRODUCED LEGISLATION AUTHORED BY COMMISSIONER JAKE TAYLOR TO BAN SPECIFICALLY DATA CENTERS IN THE TOWN OF BEL AIR. AND YOU MIGHT SAY, THERE'S NO WAY A DATA CENTER COULD BE JAMMED INTO BEL AIR. BUT I CURRENTLY CARRY IN MY POCKET A SMALL COMPUTER KNOWN AS MY CELL PHONE THAT USED TO REQUIRE AN ENTIRE BUILDING. SO IF THEY GET SMALLER, WE HAVE SOME LARGE PIECES OF LAND. THAT OLD DISTRICT COURT BUILDING THAT THE STATE IS LOOKING TO ABANDON, AS WELL AS THE MALL. SO WE SAY, WHY WAIT? WE ARE GOING TO BAN IT NOW. WE DON'T WANT TO TAKE ANY CHANCES. I CERTAINLY AM HAPPY TO HEAR THAT BILL 26005 IS GOING TO BE WITHDRAWN. I URGE THE COUNTY COUNCIL TO APPROVE THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE'S BILL BANNING DATA CENTERS ENTIRELY, AND I SUPPORT THAT BEING DONE AS EMERGENCY LEGISLATION. OUR LAW SHOULD BE CLEAR IF WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS BAN A DATA CENTER, THEN THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE SHOULD DO. WE CAN'T AFFORD TO BE GUINEA PIGS FOR DATA CENTERS HERE IN HARFORD COUNTY, WITH THEIR HIGH ELECTRICAL DEMANDS, THEIR SUBSTANTIAL WATER USAGE, THEIR NOISE, AND THE SIGNIFICANT INFRASTRUCTURE REQUIREMENTS THAT COME ALONG WITH THEM. COUNCILMAN TONY GIORDANO HAS HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD. THE STATE DOES WANT US TO BE CALIFORNIA. THEY HAVE DONE A LOT OF THINGS TO TAKE AWAY LOCAL CONTROL. THEY HAVE ORDERED AN ANALYSIS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL, ENERGY AND ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF DATA CENTERS THAT'S DUE ON OR BEFORE SEPTEMBER THE 1ST, 2026, THAT REPORTS TO THE GOVERNOR AND THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. I'M GOING TO BE WATCHING AND WAITING VERY CLOSELY FOR THAT REPORT. MY INTENTION IS TO REVIEW THAT, TO EVALUATE WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE COUNTY AND THE TOWN OF BEL AIR, AND DO WHAT I CAN TO CONTINUE TO BAN DATA CENTERS FROM COMING HERE. THE STATE CAN TRY THEIR MIGHTIEST. BUT OF COURSE, IF ALL OF THE STATE RISES UP AND SAYS, WE DON'T WANT DATA CENTERS HERE, I THINK WE HAVE A SHOT. SO I THINK YOU'RE ON THE RIGHT PATH. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU MA'AM.

GOOD EVENING SIR. NAME IS IT. GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS RICHARD RIVERA. THE ZIP CODES TWO 1015. I JUST WANT TO START OUT BY SAYING THAT I'M AGAINST THE DATA CENTER IN IN JOPPA. LIKE MANY OF THE RESIDENTS HERE, HOWEVER, I AM NOT AGAINST AN ALL OUT BAN. I

[01:20:03]

GOOD EVENING MA'AM. NAME IS CAROL MCCARTHY. TWO 1085. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS CAROL MCCARTHY. AND AS SOME OF YOU MAY KNOW, I HAVE BEEN THE GENERAL MANAGER AT MOUNTAIN BRANCH FOR ALMOST 25 YEARS. I KNOW THE PROPERTY. I KNOW OUR NEIGHBORS. I ALSO KNOW BILL AND GUS VASSILAKOPOULOS. I WILL MAKE ONE CORRECTION BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF MISINFORMATION THIS EVENING. BUT BILL VASSILAKOPOULOS MOST CERTAINLY DOES LIVE IN HARFORD COUNTY. IN FACT, HE LIVES ON THE PROPERTY, SO HE ACTUALLY HAS A HOME ON THE PROPERTY. SO HE DOES NOT LIVE IN WHITEMARSH. SO I JUST THOUGHT I'D POINT THAT OUT. I'M STANDING BESIDE THEM TONIGHT BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN WHAT THE PROJECT MEANS FOR OUR COMMUNITY. YOU'VE HEARD A LOT OF FEARS TONIGHT AND I'M HERE. I'M HERE TO PRESENT THE SIMPLE FACTS. WE ARE PROPOSING A COMMUNITY, A COMMUNITY BENEFITS AGREEMENT. THIS IS NOT A LIST OF PROMISES. IT IS A LEGALLY BINDING CONTRACT THAT RUNS WITH THE LAND. IT'S PERMANENT. NO SITE DEVELOPMENT CAN HAPPEN UNTIL THIS IS RECORDED IN THE LAND RECORDS OF HARFORD COUNTY. HERE'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE LEGALLY COMMITTING TO AND I WILL REPEAT LEGALLY, NUMBER ONE LOCAL JOBS. AND I'M GOING TO CUT THIS THE DETAILS BACK, OBVIOUSLY, BECAUSE WE NOW HAVE TWO MINUTES. NUMBER TWO, LAND PRESERVATION. I WILL ELABORATE ON THAT ONE. A 5 TO 1 PRESERVATION RATIO FOR EVERY ACRE THAT IS DEVELOPED PERMANENTLY PRESERVED FIVE ACRES TOTALING ROUGHLY 1400 ACRES OF FARMLAND AND OPEN SPACE. NUMBER THREE, EDUCATION, FULLY FUNDING PARTNERSHIPS WITH HARFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE, K-12 LITERACY PROGRAMS AND LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL TRADE APPRENTICESHIPS. NUMBER FOUR, FIRST RESPONDER SUPPORT. NUMBER FIVE, TAXPAYER PROTECTION.

PERSONALLY COVERING THE COST OF THE ROAD INTERSECTION. STORMWATER IMPROVEMENTS ZERO COST TO THE TAXPAYER. NUMBER SIX COMMUNITY GUARANTEES. I DIDN'T INTERRUPT ANYBODY ELSE.

A BINDING PROPERTY. YOU'RE DONE. YOU'RE DONE. TWO MINUTES. EXCUSE ME, EXCUSE ME, EXCUSE ME.

I'M TRYING. I'M TRYING TO MANAGE THIS AS BEST I CAN. I KNOW IF WE HAVE ONE MORE OUTBURST. I'M GOING TO CLEAR THE CHAMBER. WE'LL COME IN ONE AT A TIME AND SPEAK, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT ME TO DO. ALL I'M ASKING YOU IS TO BE RESPECTFUL FOR THE PERSON SPEAKING THE SAME WAY. YOU WOULD WANT THEM TO BE RESPECTFUL TO YOU. THANK YOU MA'AM, THANK YOU. EXCUSE ME.

HER TIME IS UP BECAUSE YOU INTERRUPTED HER. GO AHEAD, MA'AM, AND IF YOU WANT TO ARGUE WITH ME, PLEASE DON'T. NUMBER SIX. I'LL BE BRIEF. COMMUNITY GUARANTEES A BINDING PROPERTY VALUE PROTECTION PROGRAM, PUBLIC ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING, AND AN ANNUAL COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND FOR THE COUNTY TO SPEND. SCHOOLS, PARKS AND PUBLIC SAFETY. BILL AND GUS ARE OFFERING A LEGALLY BINDING FRAMEWORK TO ELEVATE THIS COUNTY. GO AHEAD AND BRING YOUR COMMENTS TO A CLOSE. I WOULD JUST SAY, PLEASE DON'T BAN AN OPPORTUNITY THAT DELIVERS THIS MUCH. THANK LOOSELY. LOOK AT THE FACTS. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, SIR TODD ECKLEY 21084.

[01:25:02]

AND I'M IN THE PROCESS OF BUILDING A HOUSE IN FALLSTON, RIGHT NEAR THE AREA. SO I'M ALSO OWNER OF SM MECHANICAL AND I'M PRESIDENT OF HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING CONTRACTORS OF MARYLAND, WHERE WE CURRENTLY HAVE OVER 400 STUDENTS IN OUR APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM, INCLUDING AT HARFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE. WE HAVE NO PROBLEM FINDING JOBS FOR OUR PEOPLE, WITH OR WITHOUT THESE DATA CENTERS. THE WAY THAT I'VE ALWAYS LOVED HARFORD COUNTY WHEN I'VE MOVED HERE, WHICH I'VE LIVED HERE FOR 27 YEARS NOW, AND I'M PLANNING ON DYING HERE. THAT'S HOW MUCH I LOVE THIS COUNTY. PART OF IT IS BECAUSE OF HOW MUCH OF A BALANCE THERE IS. IT'S GREAT TO BE ABLE TO LIVE CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE CITY. IF I WANT TO GO TO THE CITY, BUT NOT BE SO CONGESTED. AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE SO GREAT ABOUT THIS COUNTY, LIKE THE WETLANDS, WHICH JUST RECENTLY CLOSED, AND NOW THAT'S GOING TO BE VERY, VERY OVERPOPULATED AND PUT A LOT OF STRAIN ON US. WE'RE ALSO POTENTIALLY LOSING MOUNTAIN BRANCH, WHICH IS GOING TO PUT A LOT MORE CONGESTION AND STRAIN ON THE TRAFFIC THAT WE CURRENTLY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH INFRASTRUCTURE FOR, WHICH IS GOING TO AFFECT ME PERSONALLY.

THE OTHER SPIN THAT I WANT TO PUT ON THIS THAT PEOPLE AREN'T THINKING IS IT'S GOING TO BE ANOTHER INCREASE OF AN INDIRECT TAX THAT PEOPLE AREN'T REALIZING. WHEN I SAY THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING INTO THE TRADES RIGHT NOW, THEY HAVE THE OPTION OF STAYING LOCAL AND WORKING FOR SMALL BUSINESSES LIKE MINE, AND ALSO GOING FAR IF THEY WANT TO GO FOR THE UNION BENEFITS THAT GO WITH IT AND THEY HAVE TO TRADE OFF, THEY HAVE TO TRADE TO TO DRIVE FURTHER, YOU KNOW, FOR THOSE EXTRA BENEFITS THAT THEY GET, OR THEY CAN STAY HOME AND THEY CAN WORK FOR A COMPANY LIKE MINE AND A LOT OF OTHER SMALL BUSINESSES. IF A DATA CENTER COMES, IT'S GOING TO ABSORB A LOT OF OUR JOBS TO WHERE THEY ARE GOING TO POACH OUR EMPLOYEES. AND THEN THAT INDIRECT TAX, WHICH MOST PEOPLE AREN'T REALIZING, IS THINK ABOUT HOW MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE IT IS TO HAVE AN HVAC SYSTEM CHANGED OUT IN YOUR HOUSE, OR PLUMBING WORK DONE. IT IS LITERALLY DOUBLED SINCE COVID BECAUSE WE LOST A LOT OF OUR WORKFORCE. IF WE HAVE OUR EMPLOYEES POACHED, I CAN GUARANTEE YOU THAT EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE DOING RIGHT NOW THAT YOU'RE ALREADY COMPLAINING FOR ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT THAT HAS GOTTEN OUTRAGEOUSLY EXPENSIVE, TO THE POINT THAT YOU CAN'T AFFORD IT. ON TOP OF YOUR OUTRAGEOUSLY HIGH UTILITY BILLS, YOU WILL BE PAYING MUCH, MUCH MORE FOR EVERYDAY SERVICES THAT SMALL BUSINESSES LIKE MINE PROVIDE BECAUSE WE WILL HAVE TO OVERPAY OUR EMPLOYEES TO KEEP THEM, WHICH WILL INDIRECTLY RESULT IN HIGHER FEES FOR YOU TO LIVE IN YOUR OWN HOMES.

THANK YOU SIR. GOOD JOB, STEPHANIE HANDLER, FOLLOWED BY MICHAEL MORAWSKI AND JOE MARVIN SHIFLETT.

SOME PEOPLE ARE STILL OUTSIDE. STEPHANIE HANDLER HI. THAT'S ME. GOOD EVENING MA'AM.

NAME AND ZIP. YEAH. STEPHANIE HANDLER 205. OH, I'M GLAD THAT IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE IN CONCURRENCE SO FAR WITH THE DATA CENTER. I AM AN ENGINEER WHO IS FINALIZING MY EDUCATION THIS YEAR FOR SYSTEMS ENGINEERING. I, OF COURSE, IS A HOT TOPIC IN THE FIELD WHERE I WORK AND MY ACADEMIC STUDIES. ONE THING I'VE LEARNED REPEATEDLY IN MY STUDIES THROUGHOUT MY TRAINING IS THE SAME THING THAT ANTHROPIC CEO DARIO AMADI STATED IN 2025. WE HAVE NO IDEA HOW AI WORKS. WHICH LEADS ME TO ASK, WHY SHOULD WE EVER CONSIDER BUILDING A FORTRESS FOR THIS INVADER WITH POTENTIAL CAPABILITIES WHICH WE DO NOT YET FULLY COMPREHEND? VIRGINIA JOINT LEGISLATIVE AUDIT AND REVIEW COMMISSION IN 2024 DID A STUDY THAT FOUND WHILE THE DATA CENTER INDUSTRY IS ESTIMATED TO CREATE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF

[01:30:04]

THANK YOU MA'AM, THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING SIR. OH. I'M SORRY. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS MICHAEL MORAWSKI. I LIVE IN THE AREA CODE OF 21009. I'M GLAD THAT WE GOT THIS OPPORTUNITY TONIGHT, BECAUSE THIS IS ONE OF THE FEW TIMES I THINK BOTH PEOPLE, NO MATTER WHICH WAY THEY GO, THIS IS SOMETHING WE ALL AGREE ON. THERE HAS BEEN NOTHING IN THE PAST TEN YEARS THAT THE MAJORITY OF WHATEVER POLITICS YOU FOLLOW, WHERE THEY ACTUALLY BELIEVE IN THE SAME THING I, I GREW UP HERE. I'VE BEEN HERE FOR 35 OF MY 40 YEARS. I LIVE REAL CLOSE TO SINGER ROAD. I CAN TELL YOU. I USED TO GO DOWN TO THE SINGER PARK, PLAY BASEBALL IN THAT FIELD, PLAY BASKETBALL IN THAT COURT. I USED TO GO TO JERUSALEM MILL. I CAN'T IMAGINE SEEING THAT BLACKSMITH DOING HIS PRESENTATION AND HEARING A LOW ELECTRIC HUM. NOTHING ELSE WOULD TAKE YOU OUT OF THAT ENVIRONMENT QUICKER THAN OR THE 1700 ENVIRONMENT, QUICKER THAN A SOUND OF ELECTRICITY CRACKLING. NOT ONLY THAT, BUT THIS COULD BE A HARBINGER OF THINGS TO COME. IF WE GIVE IN AND GIVE IN TO THESE NEW INDUSTRIAL TECH BUILDINGS, WHAT'S GOING TO BE NEXT FOR US? MOST OF THE PEOPLE ALREADY COMMENTED ON THE FACT THAT IT'S A RESOURCE VAMPIRE. IT DOESN'T REALLY BENEFIT THE PEOPLE WHO WILL BE AFFECTED. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE AREAS OF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE AREAS OF ABINGDON, JOPPA, FALLSTON, EDGEWOOD AND KINGSVILLE. THOSE SURROUNDING AREAS HOLD THEIR PEACE AND QUIET VERY NEAR AND DEAR. SO ANYTHING THAT'S GOING TO COMPROMISE THAT I AM STRONGLY AGAINST NOW, I MEAN, SOME OF THE PEOPLE HAD POINTS ON WHY NOT AN OUTRIGHT BAN WOULD BE A BE A GOOD THING, BUT WE DEFINITELY NEED TO DISCUSS IN A MORE LONG TERM ABOUT THE BENEFITS AND THE, YOU KNOW, THE NEGATIVES AND THE POSITIVES OF, OF BUILDING PROJECTS SUCH AS THIS. NOT ONLY THAT, BUT IT'S IT WAS ALREADY MENTIONED THAT THAT'S A MOUNTAIN ROAD. THAT'S A ONE LANE ROAD THAT'S GOING IN AND OUT. IT IS NOT GOING TO HELP ALLEVIATE TRAFFIC. IT'S GOING TO MAKE IT WORSE DAY AND NIGHT WITH NOTHING BUT LOUD NOISE. AGAIN, I CAN'T IMAGINE WATCHING A BALL GAME AT SINGER PARK AND JUST SEEING THIS BIG, UGLY BUILDING RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM KIDS PLAYING BALL.

SO IN SUMMATION, A SHINY NEW TOY FOR OUR SOUL IS NOT THE WAY TO GO, SIR. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, AND EVERYONE FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK TONIGHT.

I'M THE NEW KID ON THE BLOCK. I'VE ONLY BEEN HERE FOR TWO YEARS, BUT IT'S MY FAVORITE PLACE IN THE WHOLE WORLD. SO I'M GOING TO WRITE TO YOU JUST WHAT I. I'M GOING TO READ YOU.

EXCUSE ME? WHAT I WROTE WHEN I FOUND OUT. I NEED YOUR NAME AND ZIP. I'M SORRY. EXCUSE ME. MY NAME IS JAMES MARVIN SHIFFLETT 21085. MY BACKYARD IS MOUNTAIN BRANCH. THEY WANT TO TURN THE 265 ACRE AGRICULTURAL PROPERTY NEXT TO OUR HOME INTO A MEGA DATA CENTER CAMPUS. WE BOUGHT THIS PLACE TO FEEL LIKE WE WERE SAFELY NESTLED IN THE WOODS, LIKE OUR LITTLE PIECE OF PARADISE COULD BE SOMEHOW PROTECTED FROM THE SAVAGE ONSLAUGHT OF PROGRESS I'VE SPENT THE PAST TWO YEARS GIVING EACH MOMENT OF MY FREE TIME I HAVE TO. CULTIVATING MY YARD FOR MY COMPOST PILE TO MY MILKWEED PLANTS. I'VE DEDICATED THIS HALF ACRE PROPERTY TO EARTH, AND I'VE SWORN TO USE THIS PLACE TO PROTECT HER. HOW NAIVE. I MUST HAVE SEEMED TO BELIEVE THAT MY HALF ACRE SANCTUARY COULD SOMEHOW BALANCE THE INDIFFERENCE OF GREED.

TODAY MY EYES WERE VIOLENTLY THRUST OPEN TO HOW LITTLE REGARD THE CAPITALISTS HAVE FOR BEAUTY AND FOR NATURE. TODAY I FOUND MYSELF ON THE LITERAL FRONT LINES OF A FIGHT I WAS NOT EVEN AWARE EXISTED. IT ALL STARTED WHEN MY NEIGHBOR ASKED IF I WANTED A NO DATA SIGNS IN HARFORD COUNTY SIGNED TO PUT IN MY YARD AND TO BE HONEST, I THOUGHT THE SIGNS WERE KIND OF

[01:35:01]

I WAS EXCITED, BUT SURPRISED BY THE NEIGHBORHOOD INTEREST IN FIGHTING OFF THESE. WHAT I THOUGHT TO BE IMAGINED DATA CENTERS. BUT DEEP INSIDE OF ME, AS THIS KID WHO STILL WANTS A BETTER WORLD, WHO LOVES A FIGHT LIKE THIS. SO I THOUGHT, THIS IS RIGHT UP MY ALLEY. I BEGAN TO REALIZE, THOUGH, THAT AS THEY TALK, THE PARADISE THAT ENVELOPS MY PROPERTY IS GROUND ZERO FOR THIS POST-INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGICAL WASTELAND OVER WHICH WE ARE FIGHTING. THIS IS MY FIGHT. IT'S A GOLF COURSE. NOW, TO BE CERTAIN, GOLF COURSES AREN'T FRIENDS OF CONSERVATION, BUT A 265 ACRE GOLF COURSE COVERED IN CREEKS, TREES AND GRASS IS FAR MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY THAN AN EQUALLY SIZED DATA CAMPUS. I AM ASTOUNDED THAT THIS IS WHERE I FIND MYSELF IN LIFE, THAT MY BACKYARD IS SURROUNDED BY A FOREST BUFFER BEFORE BECOMING A GOLF COURSE IS SOME FANCY STUFF. MY DUNDALK BORN EMBRACE SELF NEVER IMAGINED POSSIBLE. JAMES, I HATE TO STOP BUT I HAVE TO. I WILL, I WILL NOT CONCLUDE EXCEPT TO SAY THAT THIS IS THIS IS MY HEAVEN. MY WIFE IS A TEACHER AND I'M A TEACHER AND THIS IS. I HAVE TO STOP. BUT WHAT I WOULD. WHAT I WOULD LIKE YOU TO DO IS SEND YOUR COMMENTS TO MISS DIXON. YOU HAVE THEM TO WHERE YOU CAN SEND THEM. SEND THEM TO HER. THANK YOU SIR, THANK YOU. LISA MATHIS, FOLLOWED BY JUSTINE, JUSTINE HENDRIX AND TERRY MCGUIRK. GOOD EVENING MA'AM. MY NAME IS LISA MATHIS. TWO 1085. I HAVE TO CONFESS, I WAS HOPING YOU WEREN'T GOING TO CALL MY NAME AT THIS POINT, BUT I HAD A LOT OF THINGS TO SAY. BUT SOME PEOPLE HAVE SAID THEM. I WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT THAT THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THERE IS GOING TO BE POLLUTION FROM THE DATA CENTER. YOU CAN'T ARGUE THAT IN ANY PRETTY KIND OF WAY. THERE IS GOING TO BE NOISE, THERE'S GOING TO BE WATER USAGE, THERE'S GOING TO BE WATER POLLUTION, AIR POLLUTION, LIGHT POLLUTION, ALL OF THAT. I SAW THE WEBSITE FOR THE MOUNTAIN BRANCH DATA CAMPUS. IT'S A VERY PRETTY LITTLE WEBSITE. HE WRITES A PRETTY LITTLE STORY, BUT LEAVES OUT A LOT OF DETAILS.

IT SAYS THEY'RE NOT GOING TO USE ANY PUBLIC WATER OR SEWER. DOES THAT MEAN YOU'RE GOING TO USE A. WELL, I LIVE ACROSS THE STREET. I CAN THROW AN EGG FROM MY MAILBOX ONTO MOUNTAIN BRANCH.

YOU CAN'T TELL ME THAT THE AMOUNT OF WATER THEY NEED ISN'T GOING TO AFFECT ME. I'VE SEEN MULTIPLE HOMES ON MY STREET GET NEW WELLS IN THE LAST FEW YEARS. IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S AN ISSUE.

I APPRECIATE THAT SOME PEOPLE WANT TO HAVE A TEMPORARY JOB, A 2 OR 3 YEAR JOB, BUT AT WHAT COST? AT WHAT COST TO THE COMMUNITY THAT THAT SURROUNDS MOUNTAIN BRANCH? I THINK WE'VE BEEN GOOD NEIGHBORS. I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY HOODLUMS DOWN THERE, YOU KNOW, MESSING UP THE HOLES OR, YOU KNOW, THROWING STUFF ON THE THE PUTTING GREENS. WE'VE BEEN GOOD NEIGHBORS AND WE'RE NOT GETTING IT BACK. ONCE YOU DEVELOP PROPERTY IN HARFORD COUNTY, YOU NEVER GET THE GREEN BACK. IT'S GONE. AND I'D JUST LIKE TO END SAYING THAT MORE PEOPLE WILL BE HURT BY THIS THAN PEOPLE THAT WILL BENEFIT. THANK YOU MA'AM. GOOD EVENING MA'AM. JUSTINE HENDRIX 21078. I AM IN SUPPORT OF THE MORATORIUM BILL, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT IT GOES FAR ENOUGH. AND SO I'M ALSO IN SUPPORT OF THE FULL BAN WITH THE AMENDMENTS TO MAKE IT TAKE EFFECT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

TO ECHO WHAT A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE SAID. WE DON'T NEED A DATA CENTER IN HARFORD COUNTY.

THE STATE OF MARYLAND IS 95% IN A DROUGHT RIGHT NOW, SO IT WOULD BE IRRESPONSIBLE TO APPROVE ANY KIND OF CONSTRUCTION OR BUILDING THAT WOULD SIGNIFICANTLY USE THESE RESOURCES. I EMPATHIZE WITH THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE TO DRIVE TO WORK. I DRIVE TO DELAWARE FOR WORK, BUT DELAWARE ALSO JUST SHUT DOWN A DATA CENTER PROJECT ON THE BASIS OF ENVIRONMENTAL GROUNDS. SO THE IDEA THAT WE WOULD BE LEFT BEHIND BY OTHER COMMUNITIES DOES NOT, DOES NOT

[01:40:01]

AND SO WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY NOW TO NOT GO DOWN THAT ROAD. SO THAT'S WHY I SUPPORT THE MORATORIUM AND I SUPPORT THE FULL BAN. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING MA'AM. TERRY MCGUIRK TWO 1015. I'M A FIFTH GENERATION HARFORD COUNTY, BORN AND RAISED ON THE HISTORIC OLNEY FARM, WHICH IS STEPS AWAY FROM WHERE THEY'RE PLANNING THIS DATA CENTER. I'M TAKING A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENT APPROACH. WE'VE ALL TALKED ABOUT HOW IT'S AFFECTING THE AREAS AROUND US. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE THE POLLUTION, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT ALL OF THAT. AND I ABSOLUTELY AGREE WITH IT. I WANT TO QUOTE SOMEBODY WHO KIND OF IS KNOWN TO BE A LITTLE SMART. AND IF I CAN SAY ALL THE BIG WORDS HE WROTE CORRECTLY, I'LL BE VERY HAPPY. THIS IS A QUOTE FROM EINSTEIN. I BELIEVE THE AN ABOMINABLE DETERIORATION OF ETHICAL STANDARDS STEMS PRIMARILY FROM THE MECHANIZATION AND THE DEPERSONALIZATION OF OUR LIVES, A DISASTROUS BYPRODUCT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY. WE AS HUMANS TEND TO GO HEAD FIRST INTO THINGS WITHOUT REALLY LOOKING AT THE CONSEQUENCES. JUST A COUPLE SIMPLE EXAMPLES OF THAT. JUST IN OUR SOCIETY IN THE PAST FEW YEARS, GIVING EVERYBODY A CELL PHONE SMARTPHONE, LET'S OH, SCREEN TIME. THAT'S GOOD. THINK OF WHAT IT'LL DO FOR OUR KIDS.

LET'S THROW THE SCREEN TIME IN ALL THE SCHOOLS. OH, NOW RESEARCH IS SHOWING THAT OUR KIDS ARE HIGHLY DISTRACTIBLE. THEY'RE THEY HAVE POORER COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING. THEIR TEST SCORES HAVE DECREASED, THEIR MEMORY SKILLS HAVE DECREASED, THEIR LANGUAGE SKILLS HAVE DECREASED. WHAT ARE WE DOING? WE NEED TO PUT HUMAN HEALTH ABOVE EVERYTHING ELSE.

DATA CENTERS ARE NOT WORTH IT. HEALTHY HUMANS NEED CLEAN AIR. WE NEED WATER, NOT JUST CLEAN WATER. GREEN SPACES TO BE ABLE TO LOOK OUT, GREEN SPACES TO BE ABLE TO LOOK OUT INTO THE SKIES AND SEE THE STARS. TO LISTEN TO THE SPRING PEEPERS. TO. OH AND OH, SORRY TO LISTEN TO THE SPRING PEEPERS AND THE BIRDS. ONCE WE SELL OUR HEALTH AND OF OURSELVES. PLEASE BRING YOUR COMMENTS TO A CLOSE, MA'AM. AND THE HEALTH OF OUR LAND TO THE DATA CENTERS. WE NEVER GET IT BACK. IT'S NOT WORTH IT. THANK YOU MA'AM. THANK YOU, KATE PERRY, FOLLOWED BY ELLIOT HONECKER AND BILL MONTANARI. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING, KATE PERRY. 21085. AND THAT WAS MY SISTER WHO JUST SPOKE. WE BOTH GREW UP ON OLNEY FARM ALONG WITH A COUPLE OF MY COUSINS HERE AS WELL. SO THERE ARE OVER 60 LEGACY FARMS THAT HAVE BEEN CONTINUOUSLY OPERATED BY THE SAME FAMILIES FOR OVER 100 YEARS. THESE FARMS ARE WHAT HARFORD COUNTY WAS BUILT UPON.

THESE 60 FARMS. MY GRANDMOTHER GREW UP ON OLNEY FARM. ONLY FARM IS ONE OF THOSE 60. MY GRANDMOTHER GREW UP THERE. MY FATHER GREW UP THERE. I GREW UP THERE. AND NOW MY FOUR CHILDREN ARE GROWING UP HERE. THIS FARM IS NOT JUST WHERE WE LIVE, IT'S WHERE THE GENERATIONS LEARNED WHAT HARD WORK MEANS, WHERE CHILDREN RAN THROUGH FIELDS, WHERE FAMILY ROOTS WERE PLANTED DEEP. WE'RE NOT ALONE. THIS IS TRUE OF OUR OF OUR NEIGHBORS, TOO. THESE ARE NOT JUST PROPERTIES ON A MAP. THESE ARE HOMES, PROTECTED FARMLAND, HISTORIC PLACES, AND THE HEART OF A COMMUNITY THAT HAS BEEN CAREFULLY PRESERVED FOR GENERATIONS. THIS IS WHY PEOPLE CHOOSE HARFORD COUNTY, RIGHT? THEY CHOOSE IT BECAUSE IT'S PRETTY. THERE'S FARMLAND. IT'S BEAUTIFUL. NOT FOR CONTRACT BECAUSE CONSTRUCTION JOBS ARE CLOSE. MY HUSBAND WORKS IN CONSTRUCTION AND HE DRIVES. HE DRIVES TO WORK. HE DIDN'T CHOOSE TO LIVE HERE, OR HE DOESN'T WANT TO STAY HERE BECAUSE JOBS ARE CLOSE. HE LIKES IT BECAUSE IT'S BEAUTIFUL.

TEMPORARY JOBS DON'T JUSTIFY PERMANENT DAMAGE. OUR FARM. OUR FARM IS PROTECTED UNDER THE

[01:45:05]

HELLO. MY NAME IS ELLIOT HONAKER. TWO 1040 IS MY ZIP CODE. I'M RUNNING FOR STATE DELEGATE IN DISTRICT 34 A PRETTY MUCH EVERYONE HAS SAID THE SAME THING THAT I WAS GOING TO SAY TONIGHT. BUT WHAT I WILL SAY IS THIS. ABOUT FOUR WEEKS AGO, I WAS CONTACTED BY THE OUR LAND, OUR HOME, OUR HARFORD GROUP. THEY SENT ME A VIDEO, PRETTY MUCH A VIDEO IN STERLING, VIRGINIA, SHOWING THE HUMMING NOISE COMING FROM THIS DATA CENTER. AND THEN YOU HAD CERTAIN PEOPLE SAYING, WELL, THAT CAN'T BE THE CASE. THERE'S NO WAY THIS IS FAKE INFORMATION.

NO, TALK TO THE CITIZENS, TALK TO THE PEOPLE IN VIRGINIA. THEY WILL TELL YOU THAT THIS DOES HAPPEN. YOU CAN'T SAY IT'S FAKE AND YOU CAN'T SAY I'M PRO DATA CENTER, BUT THEN YOU'RE AVOIDING WHAT THE RESIDENTS ARE CARING ABOUT. THIS IS THE COMMUNITY. I'M SO HAPPY THAT EVERYONE HAS CAME TOGETHER IN POSTING THAT VIDEO. I'VE RECEIVED OVER 400 000 VIEWS OVER 2000 LIKES, OVER 3000 COMMENTS, AND THAT IS A GOOD RESEMBLANCE THAT THE COMMUNITY IS IN WORK, THAT WE ARE ALL TOGETHER ON ONE ISSUE NOW, WHAT HAPPENS NEXT AFTER THE COUNTY COUNCIL WILL APPROVE THIS BAN AND THEY'LL GO FORWARD WITH IT? MORE THAN LIKELY IT'S GOING TO FALL ON THE STATE. AND WHAT WE HAVE TO DO NEXT IS THE PRESSURE YOU GUYS HAVE GIVEN THE COUNCIL, GIVE TO YOUR DELEGATES, GIVE TO YOUR STATE SENATORS, SENATORS AND LET THEM KNOW LOUD AND CLEARLY YOU DON'T WANT THIS. THEY'RE TRYING TO AVOID IT RIGHT NOW. THEY'RE TRYING NOT TO TALK ABOUT IT IN THEIR CAMPAIGN. MAKE IT LIKE THIS GHOST ISSUE. THAT'S ONLY A COUNTY COUNCIL ISSUE. NO, THIS WILL END UP BEING A STATE ISSUE. PERRYMAN RESIDENTS TALK TO THE JOHNSONS. EVERYONE TALK TO THE YOUR LOCAL POLITICIANS. LET THEM KNOW HOW YOU FEEL. DON'T LET THIS SNOOP OVER. WE HAVE PUT UP A GOOD FIGHT, BUT KEEP IT GOING. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THANK YOU. SOMEONE SAY SOMETHING NOW. BILL MONTGOMERY 21015. I TOTALLY SUPPORT THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE'S LEGISLATION. ENCOURAGE YOU GUYS. TOTAL BAN. THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO MAKE.

PAT SMILE. I JUST WANT TO SAY DITTO. YOU DID A GREAT JOB. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THERE REALLY IS A 5 TO 6 MILE RADIUS WHERE YOU CAN HEAR THIS NOISE AS IF THOSE OF YOU WHO WERE HERE LAST WEEK, YOU HEARD THE LADY WAS SPEAKING. SHE HAD THE NOISE ON HER PHONE. THAT WAS A GOOD DEMONSTRATION. THERE ARE A LOT OF FREQUENCY EFFECTS. HUMAN BEINGS ARE AFFECTED BY FREQUENCY, AND THIS NOISE IS A FREQUENCY. AND THERE ARE STUDIES OUT THERE THAT SHOW THAT CERTAIN FREQUENCIES CAN HARM HUMANS. CERTAIN FREQUENCIES CAN AID IN HEALTH AND RECOVERY. SO MY QUESTION IS, EVERYBODY WILL LOOK AT SOME OF THIS RESEARCH THAT'S BEEN GOING ON. THE FREQUENCY CAN BE DAMAGED IN HUMANS AS WELL AS WILDLIFE AS WELL AS NATURE IN AND OF ITSELF. SO THERE'S SOMETHING THAT NOBODY'S REALLY BROUGHT UP. I JUST THOUGHT I'D THROW IT OUT THERE. THE DATA CENTERS ARE TODAY'S TECHNOLOGY FLAVOR DU JOUR. SO PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, OH, WE GOT TO GET ON BOARD. IT'S RIGHT NOW. IT'S RIGHT HERE. IT'S WHAT'S GOING ON. LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING. AND I'VE SEEN IT. I'VE LIVED LONG ENOUGH TO KNOW THERE'S ALWAYS SOMETHING ELSE THAT COMES ALONG TECHNOLOGICALLY THAT SUPPLANTS WHAT IS CURRENTLY POPULAR RIGHT NOW WITH PEOPLE IN TECHNOLOGY. SOMETHING ELSE WILL COME ALONG, IT'LL BE BETTER, AND IT WILL SUPPLANT IT. AS FOR THE LABOR UNION GENTLEMAN THAT WAS UP HERE, I CAN ONLY SAY ONE THING. IT'S A QUOTE FROM MY FATHER. NO ONE OWES YOU A LIVING. AS FOR THE STATE, WE'LL DEAL WITH THEM WHEN WE GET TO IT. LET'S LOCK THIS DOWN, CAP IT OFF AND IT WE'LL DEAL WITH THE STATE OF THE STATE EVEN BECOMES A PROBLEM. LAST WEEK I MENTIONED THAT FOR ALL OF YOU UP THERE, AND I'VE BEEN A BIG STUDENT OF HISTORY SINCE THE AGE OF 12.

AND MANY TIMES IN LIFE, THERE CAN BE A LEGACY MOMENT. AND THIS IS THAT LEGACY MOMENT. AS

[01:50:03]

FINLAND, FOR EXAMPLE, HAS BUILT THEM UNDERGROUND AND USED THE EXTRA HEAT TO HEAT HOUSING AND OTHER MANUFACTURING AND BUSINESSES THAT ARE LOCATED ABOVE. IF YOU'RE BUILT UNDERGROUND, WE DON'T SEE IT. WE MOSTLY DON'T HEAR IT. IT IS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 50 AND 60 DEGREES UNDERGROUND. YOU DON'T HAVE TO COOL IT SO MUCH, AND IT IS EXEMPT FROM A LOT OF SECURITY RISKS, STORMS, DRONES, WHATEVER UNDERGROUND THAT NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERED. IT'S BEING DONE PARTS IN THIS COUNTRY. THEY'RE BUILDING THEM IN OLD MINES, ALSO UNDERGROUND. LET'S CONSIDER THAT. THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT HAS TO BE DECIDED FOR MOUNTAIN BRANCH, WHERE I AM WITHIN EARSHOT OR NOT. IT NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERED, THOROUGHLY DEVELOPED, AND WE NEED THE COMMUNITY PLANNING, THE URBAN PLANNING. I'M ALSO LIVE VERY CLOSE TO HARTFORD GLEN. I CAN WALK TO HARTFORD GLEN FROM MY FRONT DOOR. THIS IS A PARK OWNED BY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WHERE FIFTH GRADERS DO FIELD TRIPS, AND IT IS WITHIN EARSHOT OF THIS. I PERSONALLY MONITOR BLUEBIRD HOUSES IN THERE. IT IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL GEM TO THINK OF ALL OF OUR STUDENTS TAKING FIELD TRIPS TO HARFORD GLEN, WHERE THE TEACHERS ARE SPEAKING OVER THE HUM OF A DATA CENTER THAT ARE DISRUPTING THE WILDLIFE IS A BIG NO FOR ME. THANK YOU, THANK YOU MA'AM. THERE ARE NO MORE SPEAKERS, MR. PRESIDENT. OKAY. WITH WITH NO MORE SPEAKERS, THIS WILL CONCLUDE THIS PUBLIC HEARING, AND THIS WILL BE CONS

[1. CALL TO ORDER ]

[Additional Item]

[01:55:01]

AND WE WANT TO CONGRATULATE YOU ON YOUR APPOINTMENT FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD. AND I KNOW THAT WE HAD TALKED ABOUT YOU POSSIBLY SAYING A FEW WORDS. SO IF YOU'LL SPIN AROUND. GOOD EVENING. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO SAY IT COULDN'T BE AT A BETTER TIME WITH AMERICA. 250 IT'S A TESTAMENT TO THIS GREAT COUNTRY THAT I'M STANDING HERE AND SEATED AS A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER, AS A YOUNG CHILD THAT CAME HERE IN 1975, DIDN'T SPEAK THE LANGUAGE, DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING EXCEPT FOR THE CLOTHES ON OUR BACKS, AND THAT I COULD BECOME A TEACHER THROUGH OUR PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM. AND A 51 YEAR RESIDENT OF EDGEWOOD AND ON TO HAVE A 26 YEAR CAREER WITH HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. SO I CHOSE TO SHINE AGAIN WITH HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN THIS CAPACITY. BUT IN ORDER FOR THIS TO HAPPEN, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A FEW MOMENTS TO ACKNOWLEDGE HOW THIS CAME TO BE. SO FIRST ORDER IS FOR COUNCILMAN ROBERT, WHO GAVE ME THE NUDGE TO APPLY AND THEN TO COUNCIL COUNTY EXECUTIVE CASSILLY FOR THE NOMINATION AND OF COURSE, FOR THIS COUNCIL FOR COUNCILMAN TONY G. IF I MAY SAY THAT, FOR THE NOMINATION. AND, OF COURSE, COUNCIL PRESIDENT VINCENTE FOR HIS SUPPORT. THE SECOND BY COUNCILMAN RILEY AND THE VOTES FROM EACH OF THE BOARD MEMBERS, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS HERE. SO I THANK YOU FOR THAT. I'M GRATEFUL, AND I WILL. I TOOK AN OATH TO SERVE THE CITIZENS OF THE COUNTY AND TAKE MY OATH SERIOUSLY. SO I THANK YOU FOR THAT. SO, YES, GO AHEAD. IT'S A GOOD MOVE. SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY, I KNOW THAT ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH YOU OVER THE YEARS. I KNOW JUST GETTING ELECTED IN 2014, 2015, I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET YOU AND WORK ON SEVERAL DIFFERENT PROJECTS, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE STARTED OUR ROUTE 40 REVITALIZATION PROGRAM COMMITTEE AND SO BEEN A STRONG FAN OF YOURS EVER SINCE. YOU'RE A DOER, THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT. THE CHARLIE RILEY FOUNDATION TALKS ABOUT DOERS, AND YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY A DOER, YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. SO MR. JANJANIN, SO I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH BANG FOR THE LAST YEAR INTENSELY ON THE SPRING NATIONALS THAT WAS JUST HELD DOWN AT FLYING POINT PARK MARINA. AND WE HAD A GREAT EVENT. SHE'S GREAT ORGANIZER. WHEN I HEARD THAT SHE WAS RUNNING AND I SAW COUNCILWOMAN ROBERTS COMMENTS, COUNCILWOMAN COUNCILMAN BENNETT'S COMMENTS, YOU KNOW, ABOUT THE SCHOOL BOARD AND THAT I KNEW YOU FOUND OUT ALL YOUR HISTORY ABOUT THAT. SO GLAD THAT WE HAVE YOU ON THERE. AND IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE WORKING WITH YOU. AND WE LOOK FOR GREATER THINGS FOR NEXT YEAR'S SPRING NATIONALS. IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN A HYDROPLANE BOAT RACES, YOU KNOW, PREPARE NEXT YEAR. THEY WERE PHENOMENAL. THE BOATS WERE GOING 175 MILES AN HOUR, AND IT'S A PLACE TO GO SEE THEM. WE DON'T HAVE TO GO TO FLORIDA. THANK YOU, MISS ROBERT. YES, I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THEM A LOT IN OUR COMMUNITY AND SHE DOES A LOT FOR OUR COMMUNITY, AND SHE'S VERY ACTIVE AND KNOWING HER BACKGROUND AS AN EDUCATOR, PRINCIPAL AND WHAT SHE HAS DONE FOR KIDS. OH, IT'S NOT ON WHAT SHE'S DONE FOR KIDS. YOU KNOW, WHEN SHE SAID, WELL, I'M THINKING ABOUT THIS AND I WAS LIKE, WELL, GO FOR IT. AND THAT'S HOW THE CONVERSATION WENT BECAUSE I THINK SHE'D BE A GREAT ASSET TO THE BOARD. SO CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN, MISS EMHOFF. I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR STEPPING UP. OH HOLD ON. I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR STEPPING UP. YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN THERE'S BEEN SO MUCH THAT OUR HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAS GONE THROUGH THIS YEAR. AND IT HAS BEEN SO REASSURING TO SEE SOMEONE OF, OF YOUR INVOLVEMENT BEING WILLING TO STEP UP AND, AND TAKE THE TIME AND LEARN THE STEPS AND LEARN THE PROCESSES AND MAKE IT BETTER. AS A PARENT, I FEEL SO MUCH MORE CONFIDENT KNOWING THAT YOU ARE YOU ARE ON OUR BOARD OF EDUCATION NOW. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MISS EMHOFF. MISS. THANK YOU. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR STEPPING UP TO THIS POSITION. AND WHEN I SAW YOUR NAME COME ACROSS, I WAS GRATEFUL. SO THANK YOU, MR. BENNETT. YEAH. I ECHO EVERYONE ELSE'S REMARKS, AND I THINK IT'S A TESTAMENT TO THE ROLE WE AS A COUNCIL PLAY IN THE APPROVAL PROCESS, BECAUSE IF WE HAD NOT BEEN SELECTIVE IN WHO WE APPROVED, WE COULD HAVE NEVER ENDED UP WITH YOU. AND I THINK IT'S FAIR TO SAY YOU'RE

[02:00:01]

AGENDA NUMBER FOUR. PRESENTATION OF PROCLAMATIONS. WE HAVE NONE THIS EVENING. FIVE

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

[7. APPROVAL OF MINUTES ]

LEGISLATIVE DAY 25-015 MAY 12TH, 2026. FISCAL YEAR BUDGET PUBLIC HEARING MAY 13TH 2026. ARE THERE ANY CORRECTIONS TO THE MINUTES? THERE BEING NO CORRECTIONS TO MINUTES STAND APPROVED. EIGHT. INTRODUCTION AND CONSIDERATION OF RESOLUTIONS WE HAVE NONE. NINE.

INTRODUCTION OF BILLS WE HAVE NONE. TEN. INTRODUCTION AND CONSIDERATION OF AMENDMENTS.

[10. INTRODUCTION AND CONSIDERATION OF AMENDMENTS]

AMENDMENT NUMBER THREE ON PAGE ONE AFTER LINE 17, INSERT THE FOLLOWING SECTION THREE AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED THAT AS AN EMERGENCY ACT, THIS ACT SHALL TAKE EFFECT ON THE DAY IT BECOMES LAW. DUE TO THE NATURE OF THESE AMENDMENTS, COUNCIL IS GOING TO CONSIDER THEM THIS EVENING. AMENDMENTS TO BILL 26011 ZONING DATA CENTERS MAY HAVE A MOTION. COUNCIL PRESIDENT, I MOVE TO APPROVE AMENDMENTS ONE, TWO AND THREE TO BILL 26-01. THANK YOU. MAY HAVE A SECOND. SECOND. THANK YOU, MR. RILEY. BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND, TO APPROVE THE AMENDMENTS ONE THROUGH THREE TO BILL 26011. ANY MORE DISCUSSION, MISS IMHOF? I THINK EVERYONE ON THIS COUNCIL AND EVERYONE IN THIS COMMUNITY HAS HEARD ALL OF THE CONCERNS WE'VE ALL HAD TO DO OUR INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH. AND THE REALITY IS, IS, AS I'VE SHARED WITH MANY OF YOU, THIS PROBLEM DID NOT START HERE IN THE SOLUTION CANNOT END HERE. IT IS CRUCIAL TO BE ABLE TO ENGAGE WITH OUR STATE LEGISLATURES TO ENSURE THAT WE DON'T GET STEAMROLLED, LIKE MANY OF US HAVE ALREADY BEEN. IN REGARDS TO THE SOLAR FARMS, I'M A BIG BELIEVER IN SMALL

[02:05:03]

AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE HOPING TO DO WITH THIS LEGISLATION. BUT AS I SHARED, I THINK IT'S SUPER IMPORTANT FOR US TO GET INVOLVED WITH LOBBYISTS AND TALK IN ANNAPOLIS.

I'VE ALREADY BEEN IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE PEOPLE'S COUNCIL BECAUSE RIGHTS ARE BEING INFRINGED UPON. AND SO AT THIS POINT, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T LOSE STEAM, BUT REFOCUS THAT ENERGY AND MAKE SURE THAT OUR LAND STAYS OUR LAND. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MISS IMHOF. ANYONE ELSE? MR. BENNETT, I JUST WANT TO THANK MISS ALLERGY AGAIN. YOU KNOW SO MUCH OF WHAT WE DO AS A COUNCIL ONLY FUNCTIONS BECAUSE OF THE STAFF WHO ARE IN THE BUILDING FIVE DAYS A WEEK AND ANSWERING OUR PHONE CALLS IN THE EVENINGS AND ON THE WEEKENDS. I DON'T THINK THE PUBLIC OR EVEN SOMETIMES US AS A COUNCIL, APPRECIATE JUST THE TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF RESEARCH AND DEDICATION THAT THE ROLE OF COUNCIL ATTORNEY TAKES ON, AND OUR LEGISLATIVE DRAFTER TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T MESS THINGS UP BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE COULD DO OUR BEST. BUT IF WE DON'T HAVE SOUND LEGAL GUIDANCE, WE MESS SOMETHING UP AND THINGS GO WRONG. SO AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO THANK MISS ALLEGY, HER TEAM AND THE ENTIRE TEAM WHO WORK IN THIS BUILDING FIVE DAYS A WEEK, BECAUSE WITHOUT THEM, THIS WORK WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE. I COULDN'T AGREE MORE. ANYONE ELSE, MISS DIXON, MR. PRESIDENT, I, MRS. ROBERT I, MRS. EMHOFF, MR. GIORDANO, I MR. RILEY. HI MRS. WILSON I MR. BENNETT I SEVEN VOTES IN THE AFFIRMATIVE ZERO AND A NEGATIVE AMENDMENTS ONE THROUGH THREE TO BILL 26011 ARE HEREBY APPROVED. MR. GIORDANO, PLEASE READ AMENDMENTS TO BILL 2606 INTO THE RECORD. AMENDMENTS ONE AND TWO TO BILL 26-006. ANNUAL BUDGET AND APPROPRIATION OF ORDINANCE INTRODUCED BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT VINCENTI. AMENDMENT ONE ON PAGE 11. LINE FIVE. STRIKE 1,290,522 AND SUBSTITUTE 1,040,522.

AMENDMENT TWO ON PAGE 36 IN LINE 16. STRIKE 10 MILLION IN SUBSTITUTE 5 MILLION. THANK YOU.

[11. CALL FOR FINAL READING OF BILLS]

I'M SORRY. I THOUGHT WE JUST PULLED IT SECOND. YEAH. I'LL SECOND. I'LL SECOND IT. YEP.

EXHIBIT B OF HOW IMPORTANT? MR. 26005 WAS AMENDED LAST WEEK. SO BECAUSE OF THAT BECAUSE COUNCIL TOOK ACTION, IT'S NOW YOUR BILL AS A BODY AND GOT TO ACTUALLY BE A MOTION TO WITHDRAW THE BILL. THAT'S ALL. SO HE MOVED IT. IT WAS SECONDED DISCUSSION AND VOTE. YEAH. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? MISS DIXON? MR. PRESIDENT, I MISS MRS. ROBERT I MRS. EMHOFF, I MR. GIORDANO HI MR. RILEY I MRS. I MR. BENNETT I BEING SEVEN VOTES IN AFFIRMATIVE ZERO IN A NEGATIVE BILL 26005 HAS BEEN PULLED. 12 ENROLLMENT OF BILLS. WE HAVE NONE. 13 UNFINISHED BUSINESS.

[14. NEW BUSINESS]

WHEN WE APPROVE THE BUDGET, WE PUT OUR EXPENDITURES INTO SPECIAL FUNCTIONS WHERE WE'RE GOING TO SPEND THAT MONEY. YOU KNOW, IN A PERFECT YEAR, WE'D BE SPOT ON. BUT THAT RARELY HAPPENS. SO AT, YOU KNOW, MIDWAY THROUGH THE YEAR AND THEN TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR, WE LOOK WHERE WE HAVE SHORTFALLS AND WHERE WE HAVE OVERAGES AND WHERE WE NEED TO MOVE SOME FUNDS. THIS YEAR OBVIOUSLY WAS A BIG SNOW YEAR, SO WE HAVE TO TAKE SOME MONEY FROM OTHER AREAS WHERE WE HAD SOME VACANCIES AND MOVE THAT MONEY THERE. WE'VE ALSO SEEN AN INCREASE IN OUR WAIVER EXPENSES FOR DUAL ENROLLMENT AND SENIORS, AND WE'VE ALSO FELT THE NEED TO INCREASE SOME OF OUR COLLEGE SPONSORED SCHOLARSHIPS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE STUDENTS THAT WE'RE SERVING. THANK YOU. ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, MISS JACKSON? THIS IS THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE DO ON A REGULAR BASIS WHEN NEEDED. SO I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO TAKE ACTION ON THIS EVENING. SO MAY I HAVE A MOTION? COUNCIL PRESIDENT, I MOVE TO

[02:10:04]

SECOND. IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED TO APPROVE THE BUDGET TRANSFER. IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? MISS DIXON? MR. PRESIDENT, I MRS. ROBERT I, MRS. EMHOFF, MR. GIORDANO, I MR. RILEY, MRS. I MR. BENNETT I BEING SEVEN VOTES IN THE AFFIRMATIVE ZERO AND A NEGATIVE.

THE FISCAL YEAR 26 BUDGET TRANSFER IS HEREBY APPROVED. THANK YOU, MR. JACKSON. THANK YOU. 2026 SUMMER SESSION. THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION FOR COUNCIL WILL BE ON JUNE 16TH, 2026. WE HAVE NO MEETINGS IN JUNE, JULY OR AUGUST, AND COUNCIL WILL RECONVENE ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2026. IF THE COUNCIL SO CHOOSES. SO MAY I HAVE A MOTION? COUNCIL PRESIDENT. I MOVE TO APPROVE THE 2026 LEGISLATIVE SESSION DAY SUMMER SESSION. THANK YOU.

MAY I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND? THANK YOU, MR. RILEY. IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED TO APPROVE THE SUMMER SESSION. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION, MR. BENNETT? I JUST WANT TO SAY, ESPECIALLY NOW, THIS WILL BE MY FOURTH SUMMER ON THE COUNCIL. HOW CRUCIAL THIS SUMMER RECESS IS FOR ALL OF US. IT'S NOT A BREAK, BUT IT'S TIME FOR US TO RESEARCH. IT'S TIME FOR US TO MEET WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS. IT'S TIME FOR US TO CATCH UP ON THE EVER MOVING TREADMILL THAT IS COUNTY COUNCIL, AND PREPARE FOR THE FALL SO THAT WE ARE ABLE TO NOT JUST BE REACTIVE TO THE MOMENT, BUT BE PROACTIVE WITH LEGISLATION AND ACTION THAT WE WANT TO CARRY OUT THROUGH THE FALL AND INTO THE REST OF THE YEAR. THANK YOU, MR. BENNETT. AND I THINK IT'S WE'VE SAID THIS BEFORE, BUT THE OFFICE REALLY DOES NOT STOP. THE OFFICE IS OPEN EVERY DAY.

COUNCIL MEMBERS, THEIR AIDES, THEIR STAFF ARE IN PLACE TAKING CALLS, RESPONDING TO ANY TYPE OF ISSUES. SO THE ONLY THING WE'RE NOT HERE SITTING ON A DESK, BUT WE'RE WORKING EVERY DAY. MISS DIXON, MR. PRESIDENT. HI, MRS. ROBERT. HI, MRS. EMHOFF, MR. GIORDANO. HI, MR. RILEY, MRS. ROSADO, MR. BENNETT, I THERE BEING SEVEN VOTES IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, ZERO NEGATIVE.

THE COUNCIL 2026 SUMMER SESSION SCHEDULE IS HEREBY APPROVED. FISCAL YEAR 27, CITIZENS BUDGET ADVISORY BOARD, MR. PARRISH. MR. TIBBS, I BROUGHT A COUPLE WITH ME THIS YEAR. I SEE THAT, MISS LYNCH. AND BEFORE YOU START, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ROLE THAT YOU ALL PLAY. THROUGHOUT THE BUDGET PROCESS. WE RECEIVE THIS BUDGET ON APRIL THE 15TH BY CHARTER EVERY YEAR, AND OUR WORK SESSIONS STARTED, I BELIEVE, ON THE 23RD. IF I'M NOT WRONG, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, AND A $1.5 BILLION BUDGET, IT'S A LOT OF WORK TO GO THROUGH IT. SO WE REALLY APPRECIATE THEIR HELP. SO, MR. PARRISH, WHENEVER YOU'RE READY. DITTO, DITTO. SO I HAVE JUST A QUICK INTRODUCTIONS, MR. LYNCH AND MR. ROBERT TIBBS HERE WITH ME THIS EVENING. TWO OTHERS REPRESENTING THE BOARD OF US THAT THAT HELPED ALL OF YOU OUT. SO I DO APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR REPRESENTATIVES AND ALL THE WORK THAT THAT THEY PUT INTO THIS AND PUT INTO THIS REPORT ITSELF. SO GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL PRESIDENT, MEMBERS OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SUBMIT THIS REPORT. THE MEMBERS OF THE CITIZENS BUDGET ADVISORY BOARD ARE PROUD TO HAVE BEEN APPOINTED FOR FISCAL YEAR 27. WE FEEL IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THE CITIZENS OF HARTFORD COUNTY TO KNOW THAT WE ARE A BOARD CONSISTING OF INDIVIDUALS FROM MANY DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS, ALL WITH KNOWLEDGE, FAMILIARITY AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE COUNTY BUDGETING PROCESS. OUR MEMBERS BRING EXPERIENCE IN REAL ESTATE, AGRICULTURE, EDUCATION, EMERGENCY SERVICES, GOVERNMENT, BUSINESS, BANKING, ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE. THE COUNTY ENTERS FISCAL YEAR 27 IN STRONG FINANCIAL POSITION RELATIVE TO PRIOR YEARS. REVENUES CONTINUE TO PERFORM ABOVE EXPECTATIONS, INCREASING BY APPROXIMATELY 8.3% THIS YEAR. INCOME TAX, WHICH TYPICALLY GROWS AT A RATE OF APPROXIMATELY 6%, EXPERIENCED AN INCREASE OF 17% IN FISCAL YEAR 26. THE CREATION OF THE REVENUE VOLATILITY FUND FURTHER DEMONSTRATES THE ADMINISTRATION'S RECOGNITION OF THE SUSTAINED GROWTH AND SHOULD PROVIDE A SAFEGUARD AGAINST POTENTIAL REDUCTIONS IN STATE FUNDING. WHILE THESE TRENDS ARE ENCOURAGING, WE CAUTION AGAINST ASSUMING THAT THIS LEVEL OF GROWTH WILL CONTINUE INDEFINITELY AND ENCOURAGE PRUDENT, LONG TERM PLANNING. WE

[02:15:02]

KEEPING OUR JUDICIAL SYSTEM EMPLOYEES SAFE SHOULD BE A BUDGET PRIORITY AND CONSIDERING HOW TO ADDRESS THESE NEEDS, WE BELIEVE THERE ARE SEVERAL OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THE CURRENT BUDGET FRAMEWORK. WE RECOMMEND REDUCING FUNDING ALLOCATED FOR SITE ACQUISITION.

AT THIS TIME, NO SPECIFIC PROPERTIES HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED FOR A PROPOSED SCHOOL IN THE ABERDEEN TO HAVE A DECREASE AREA, AND AS SUCH, THE CURRENT LEVEL OF FUNDING APPEARS PREMATURE. ADDITIONALLY, WE ENCOURAGE THE COUNTY TO MORE CONSISTENTLY UTILIZE BOND FUNDING FOR APPROPRIATE CAPITAL PROJECTS. PAY AS YOU GO FUNDING IS BEST SUITED FOR SMALLER PROJECTS WITH A USEFUL LIFE OF LESS THAN TEN YEARS. LEVERAGING BOND FUNDING, WHERE APPROPRIATE, WOULD REDUCE THE IMMEDIATE BURDEN ON CASH RESERVES. AS HAS BEEN STATED, THE PRIORITY SHOULD BE TO INVEST IN PEOPLE, NOT BUILDINGS. WE ALSO SUPPORT THE CONTINUED PRACTICE OF ALLOCATING LAW DEPARTMENT COSTS TO THE DEPARTMENTS THEY SERVE, RATHER THAN EXPANDING THAT DEPARTMENT'S STANDALONE BUDGET. THIS APPROACH MORE ACCURATELY REFLECTS THE COST OF SERVICES ACROSS GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS. FOR LARGER CAPITAL INITIATIVES SUCH AS THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT CENTER, WE RECOMMEND SPREADING COSTS OVER MULTIPLE YEARS. THIS APPROACH ALLOWS THE COUNTY TO MANAGE FINANCIAL IMPACT MORE EFFECTIVELY, WHILE STILL ADVANCING IMPORTANT LONG TERM PROJECTS. LOOKING BEYOND THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, THERE ARE SEVERAL LONG TERM CONCERNS THAT WARRANT CONTINUED ATTENTION RETENTION OF EMPLOYEES, PARTICULARLY IN PUBLIC SAFETY ROLES, REMAINS AN ONGOING CHALLENGE. ADDITIONALLY, THE CAPITAL COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH AGING SCHOOL INFRASTRUCTURE WILL REQUIRE SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN THE COMING YEARS. THE POTENTIAL FUTURE TRANSITION OF VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENTS TO MORE CAREER BASED STAFFING MODELS IS ANOTHER ISSUE THAT WILL HAVE BOTH OPERATIONAL AND FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS. IN CLOSING, WE APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE THE

[02:20:04]

[15. COMMENTS AND INPUT FROM ATTENDING CITIZENS ]

ADVANCED A CRUCIAL ROUND BY SPELLING EUPHEMISM CORRECTLY. EPHEMISM. IT SEEMS THAT THE COUNCIL PRESIDENT BELIEVES IN GOVERNING BY EUPHEMISM. HE. HE CALLS THINGS BY PLEASANT WORDS THAT ARE MISLEADING, THAT DON'T REALLY CONVEY THE FACTS. FOR EXAMPLE, A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO WHEN HE HAD THE REPORT THAT JUDGE EMORY PLIT WAS NOT ABLE TO BE THE FILL IN HEARING EXAMINER, HE SAID, BECAUSE OF HIS HEALTH. THAT IS NOT WHY THE REASON HE CAN'T SIT ON ANY BENCH IS THAT HE WAS REMOVED FROM THE BENCH FOR UNETHICAL CONDUCT AFTER HE WAS RETIRED, BUT HE CONTINUED TO SIT AS A SENIOR JUDGE. IT WAS NOT ILL HEALTH THAT WAS PREVENTING HIM TO DO IT. NOW, ANOTHER EUPHEMISM THAT'S BEEN PRESENTED HERE IS THAT PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO SAY THEIR ADDRESSES ANYMORE WHEN THEY SPEAK TO THE COUNTY COUNCIL, BECAUSE IT MIGHT MAKE THEM UNCOMFORTABLE, THE COUNCIL PRESIDENT SAID. BUT THAT IS NOT WHY. THE REASON THAT PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO GIVE THEIR ADDRESSES ANYMORE IS BECAUSE IT IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL TO DEMAND IT OF THEM. AND I TOLD HIM THAT QUITE A WHILE AGO. I MEAN, MONTHS AGO, I SAID, YOU CANNOT REQUIRE CONTENT OR YOU CANNOT REQUIRE US TO TELL OUR ADDRESSES BECAUSE IT'S UNCONSTITUTIONAL. IT VIOLATES THE FIRST AMENDMENT. AND HE IGNORED ME. BUT THEN SEVERAL WEEKS AGO, A COMMENTATOR ON FACEBOOK NAILED HIM WITH IT AND SHOWED ME AND ANOTHER WOMAN BEING REQUIRED TO GIVE OUR ADDRESSES BEFORE WE REQUIRED TO SPEAK. WE WERE ALLOWED TO SPEAK.

WELL, SOMEBODY MUST HAVE INFORMED HIM THAT THAT COMMENTATOR ON FACEBOOK WAS, IN FACT CORRECT LEGALLY. SO HE DIDN'T IGNORE THAT. HE JUST IGNORED ME BEFORE. SO NOW WE GIVE OUR ZIP CODES. BUT THAT DIDN'T START UNTIL, WHAT WAS IT LAST WEEK? HE REQUIRED FOR AN ADDITIONAL WEEK OR TWO THAT PEOPLE STILL GIVE THEIR ADDRESSES, EVEN THOUGH HE KNEW BETTER. EVEN IF HE DIDN'T BELIEVE ME, HE CAME TO UNDERSTAND IT'S UNCONSTITUTIONAL TO REQUIRE PEOPLE TO GIVE THEIR ADDRESSES. FURTHERMORE, IT'S UNCONSTITUTIONAL TO SAY THAT PEOPLE CAN ONLY SPEAK ABOUT THIS TOPIC AND NOT THAT TOPIC, AND THEY'RE STILL DOING THAT. SO I RECOMMEND THAT WE REQUIRE CONSTITUTIONALITY TO BE

[02:25:05]

TWO 1015. A PROPERTY'S VALUE IS DETERMINED BY THE BUNDLE OF RIGHTS ASSOCIATED WITH IT, LARGELY THE RIGHT TO USE THE PROPERTY. THE RIGHT TO USE PROPERTY IS LIMITED BY THE ZONING CODE. PURPOSE OF THE ZONING CODE IS SUCCINCTLY STATED IN AMBLER REALTY VERSUS VILLAGE OF EUCLID. KEEP THE PIG IN THE BARNYARD, NOT IN THE PARLOR. IN HARFORD COUNTY, PERMITTED USES ARE PRESCRIBED IN THE ZONING CODE. PROPERTY USES ARE PERMITTED AS OF RIGHT BY SPECIAL DEVELOPMENT, SPECIAL EXCEPTION OR TEMPORARY USE. ANY USE NOT THEREBY DESCRIBED IS PROHIBITED. THERE IS A SEPARATE CASE FOR NONCONFORMING USES. A USE PERMITTED BY SPECIAL EXCEPTION IS PRESUMED TO BE COMPATIBLE WITH USES PERMITTED AS OF RIGHT IN THE AREA AND BY LAW MUST BE AWARDED IF ALL REQUIREMENTS ARE MET AND IS NO WORSE AT THE LOCATION THAN ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE DISTRICT. SPECIAL EXCEPTIONS ARE AWARDED FOR THE PRINCIPAL PERMITTED USE IDENTIFIED BY THE APPLICATION AND SITE PLAN. SUBMITTED ACCESSORY USES CUSTOMARILY ASSOCIATED WITH THE PRINCIPAL USE ARE PERMITTED AND MUST ALSO BE SHOWN ON THE APPLICATION AND SITE PLAN. THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS HAS ORIGINAL JURISDICTION OVER SPECIAL EXCEPTIONS. THE SPECIAL EXCEPTION INURES THAT IS, RUNS WITH THE PROPERTY, NOT THE PROPERTY OWNER. THERE MAY COME A TIME WHEN A PROPERTY OWNER, USING A PROPERTY AS A PERMITTED USE BY SPECIAL EXCEPTION, DECIDES TO CHANGE THE USE OF THE PROPERTY. ANY MATERIAL USE AND MATERIAL CHANGE IN USE MUST BE APPROVED BY THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS. THE OWNER WOULD SUBMIT AN APPLICATION WITH THE SITE PLAN. DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND ZONING WOULD REVIEW AND DETERMINE WHETHER THE PROPOSED USE IS PERMITTED. IF NOT PERMITTED, WOULD THEN USE THE NORTH AMERICAN INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM NAICS CODE TO DETERMINE WHETHER THERE IS A MATERIALLY SIMILAR USE IN THE DISTRICT. IF THERE IS THE REGULATIONS GOVERNING THAT MATERIALLY SIMILAR USE APPLY AND THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS WOULD HEAR THE CASE. IF THERE IS NO MATERIALLY SIMILAR USE, THEN THE USE SHALL BE DEEMED PROHIBITED, A PROHIBITED USE IN THAT DISTRICT AND THE PROCESS ENDS THERE. DISTILLING ALL OF THIS, THE PROPOSED USE CHANGE OF USE AT MOUNTAIN BRANCH GOLF COURSE REQUIRES A ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS APPROVED CHANGE OF USE. THE DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND ZONING WOULD FOLLOW THE PROCESS CITED ABOVE. THE PROPOSED CHANGE OF USE IS NOT LISTED IN THE PERMITTED USE CHART. THE PROPOSED USE IS NAICS CODE 5182 TEN. THERE IS NO MATERIALLY SIMILAR USE IN THE PERMITTED USE CHART. THE PROPOSED USE A DATA CENTER IS A PROHIBITED USE UNDER THE EXISTING CODE AND THE PROCESS ENDS. NO CHANGE OF USE. IT DOES NOT MATTER HOW MUCH LIPSTICK IS ON THAT PIG, IT DOES NOT BELONG IN THE PARLOR. ENFORCE THE ZONING CODE. KEEP THAT PIG IN THE BARNYARD. GOOD NIGHT. GOOD NIGHT. JOHN. HOW AM I? GOOD EVENING MA'AM. GOOD EVENING. NAME AND ZIP. SANDY MAGNUS TWO 1015. GOOD EVENING. COUNCIL PRESIDENT AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. I'M HERE TO SAY I HEAR EVERYONE SAY, IF YOU WANT TO DO SOMETHING, PRESERVE A FARM. BUT DO YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU PRESERVE A FARM? THE COUNTY AND THE STATE GET PERMANENT EASEMENTS ON YOUR FARMS FOREVER.

OTHER PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE ARE VERY RESTRICTIVE AS WELL. WE SIGNED OUR EASEMENT IN 2001 FOR 18 YEARS WITH THE MARYLAND STATE EASEMENT, WE WERE NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE PUBLIC ON OUR

[02:30:04]

SOME ARE APPROVED FOR A LITTLE OF THIS, YET OTHERS ARE APPROVED FOR ANYTHING. SOME ARE EVEN SELLING PRODUCTS THAT MAYBE ARE NOT ONLY THEIRS, AND THEY DIDN'T RAISE THEM TO A CLOSE. I HAVE MORE, SO I WILL GIVE THIS TO YOU GUYS. I THANK YOU, BUT WE'VE HAD ISSUES AT THE BEL AIR FARMERS MARKET AND THE MARKET MAY HAVE TO MOVE AFTER 50 YEARS. BRIANA COLEMAN.

GOOD EVENING MA'AM. GOOD EVENING. IT'S NICE TO SEE YOU ALL AGAIN. BRIANA COLEMAN 21047.

I'D LIKE TO THANK MY COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE, MISS IMHOFF, FOR EXPRESSING HER SUPPORT FOR THE BILLS REGARDING DATA CENTERS. WITH THAT BEING SAID, I'M ALSO HERE TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT. IN LAST WEEK'S COUNCIL MEETING, MISS IMHOFF USED HER TIME TO THANK THE CITIZENS FOR SHOWING UP, WHICH I HAVE NO ISSUE WITH. THE ISSUE I HAVE AND I'M HERE TO GET ON RECORD, IS DISTRICT THREE HAS SHOWN UP FOR YEARS. YOU SAID, QUOTE, UNFORTUNATELY, IT NORMALLY DOESN'T HAVE TO GET TO A POINT WHERE PEOPLE ARE SUPER CONCERNED AND UPSET AND FEELING NOT HEARD TO SHOW UP THE PEOPLE. MISS IMHOFF, YOUR CONSTITUENTS CONTINUE TO EXPRESS CONCERNS FOR MANY ISSUES FACING OUR COMMUNITY, AND THERE IS NOT PROACTIVE ACTION AS SEEN BY LEGISLATION INTRODUCED FOR DATA CENTERS BY COUNCILMAN BENNETT. AND I'M SHOCKED IF I HEARD THIS CORRECTLY IN MY WAY HERE, BUT I HEARD THE STATEMENT THAT THE COUNCIL LEARNED OF THIS LAST SEPTEMBER. I EMAILED MISS IMHOFF LAST WEEK TWICE. I'M REALLY GOOD AT SENDING EMAILS ONCE TO SUBMIT MY SUPPORT FOR THE DATA CENTER LEGISLATION, WHICH YOU NEVER RESPONDED TO, AND ANOTHER ASKING IF YOU WERE AWARE OF THE HISTORY OF DISTRICT THREE, WHICH YOU DID RESPOND TO, BUT YOU DIDN'T ANSWER THE QUESTION. DISTRICT B HAS FILLED THESE SEATS TO GET LEGISLATION TO PROTECT OUR COMMUNITY MANY TIMES, AND UNFORTUNATELY, IT'S ALWAYS CITIZEN DRIVEN. WE'VE HAD TO RELY ON OTHER REPRESENTATIVES OR THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE ACROSS THE STREET TO REPRESENT US. AND HERE WE ARE AGAIN WITH LEGISLATION FOR AN ISSUE IN DISTRICT B, THE COMMUNITY YOU HAVE REPRESENTED REPRESENTED FOR OVER A YEAR, INTRODUCED BY

[02:35:01]

[16. BUSINESS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS]

SO IT'S IT'S GROWN EACH YEAR. THE CROWD WAS AMAZING. SO I THINK ALL THE KIDS HAD A GREAT TIME. I WISH I COULD HAVE DONE THAT WHEN I WAS YOUNG. AND THEN I SPLIT MY TIME AND WENT OVER TO THE SPRING NATIONALS OVER AT FLYING POINT PARK AND WATCH THE POWERBOAT RACES AND WATCH SOME OF THE BOATS GO 120 TO 175 MILES AN HOUR. IT WAS FREE TO GET IN THIS YEAR. THEY HAD GREAT CROWDS. THEY HAD VENDORS. SO THAT WAS THAT WAS PRETTY GOOD. I'M MEETING TOMORROW.

FOREST HILL JARRETTSVILLE NORTHVILLE, WHITEFORD. IT'S GOING TO BE AT NORTHVILLE VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY. MONDAY, MAY 25TH IS THE ANNUAL MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONY BE HELD AT SHAMROCK PARK FROM 10:30 A.M. UNTIL 12. I WISH EVERYBODY A HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY AND I DIDN'T GET AN EMAIL UNTIL THE END OF MARCH FROM BILL AT MOUNTAIN BRANCH TELLING ME THAT THERE WAS A PLAN FOR A DATA CENTER JUST SO I SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. MR. RILEY. YES. I WAS GOING TO MENTION THE THE CAD MEETING. IT'S IMPORTANT THAT FOLKS UP NORTH COME OUT FOR THAT. WE'RE NOT ONLY HAVING SOLAR ISSUES UP THERE WITH, AGAIN, THE STATE TRYING TO TAKE OVER OUR ZONING, BUT ALSO WE GOT A BATTERY STORAGE THAT THEY WANT TO PUT UP NORTH. I WAS KIND OF CONCERNED, SOME YOUNG MAN DURING THIS ROUND THAT SAID LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION, BUT WE COULD SEND IT UP NORTH. WE DON'T WANT IT UP NORTH EITHER. WE DON'T WANT NO DATA CENTERS IN HARFORD COUNTY, PERIOD, WHETHER THEY'RE AN A, B, C, D, E OR F. THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. THANK YOU, MR. RILEY. THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT.

THE CHURCHVILLE CRESWELL FOUNTAIN GREEN COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD MEETING IS THIS THURSDAY AT 630. IT WILL BE HELD AT THE CHURCHVILLE REC CENTER ON LEVEL ROAD. ABERDEEN HAS SEVERAL EVENTS COMING UP, INCLUDING THE TOWER ROCKS TWO DAY MUSIC FESTIVAL ON JUNE 6TH AND SEVENTH, AND THE FREEDOM FIVE K RUN AND WALK ON JUNE 27TH. THERE ARE LOTS OF FAMILY FUN ACTIVITIES IN CELEBRATION OF AMERICA'S 250TH ANNIVERSARY. PLEASE HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MISS ADAMS. MR. BENNETT. OH, HELLO. GOOD EVENING. IT'S GOOD TO BE WITH YOU ALL THIS EVENING. IT'S BEEN A LONG NIGHT. I DO WANT TO CONGRATULATE DOCTOR DIANE MACK, WHO JUST EARLIER THIS EVENING WAS APPOINTED THE SUPERINTENDENT FOR CPS. I ALSO WANT TO DOCTOR GEHRINGER FOR PUTTING HERSELF OUT THERE AND BEING A PART OF THAT PROCESS. IT'S HARD TO GO THROUGH A PUBLIC PROCESS LIKE THAT, KNOWING THE RISK THAT YOU MIGHT NOT BE THE PERSON CHOSEN. BOTH ARE AMAZING EDUCATORS IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND I THANK THEM FOR THEIR TO MISS COLEMAN'S REMARKS. I WAS VERY THANKFUL BECAUSE I WAS VERY CONFUSED HEARING THE GENTLEMAN FROM MOUNTAIN BRANCH'S COMMENTS TONIGHT, MY LEGISLATIVE AIDE, BROKEN ANKLE AND ALL RAN UPSTAIRS AND WAS ABLE TO FIND THE FIRST EMAIL WE RECEIVED FROM THE GENTLEMAN, WHICH WAS ON MARCH 31ST, IN WHICH HE'S SHARING WITH US HIS PREVIOUS COMMUNICATION WITH THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE, WHICH WAS AN EMAIL ON MARCH 30TH WHERE HE SAID, GENTLEMAN, FOLLOWING UP ON OUR PREVIOUS CONVERSATIONS ABOUT MOUNTAIN BRANCH DATA CENTER. SO I THINK IT'S VERY POSSIBLE THAT THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE HAS BEEN MEETING WITH MOUNTAIN BRANCH ABOUT A POSSIBLE DATA CENTER FOR MANY MONTHS, AS WOULD BE EVIDENCED BY THIS EMAIL. I THINK IT'S VERY POSSIBLE THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE IS MEETING WITH MANY PROPERTY OWNERS IN

[02:40:03]

IT'S RIDICULOUS. AND WE'RE ASKING FOR HIGHER FOOTAGE SO THE BOATS CAN GO THROUGH AND THAT WE CAN HAVE MORE BOAT TRAFFIC AND NOT ONLY JUST OF RESIDENTIAL BOATS, BUT LIKE MORE COMMERCIAL BOATS THAT NEED TO GET THROUGH. SO THAT IS ONE THING. AND THAT IS DUE BY JUNE 11TH. IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE SURVEY, PLEASE REACH OUT TO OUR OFFICE. WE DO HAVE THAT. AND ALSO TODAY, AS THE FIGHT HAS HAPPENED FOR RIDGELEY RESERVED FOR SO LONG, THERE WAS A LAWSUIT AND THAT LAWSUIT HAD A SETTLEMENT TODAY FOR $4.1 MILLION. AND WE HAVE BEEN FIGHTING FOR A VERY LONG TIME. AND THAT MONEY IS GOING TO GO BACK TO COMMUNITIES. AND SO THEY'RE LOOKING AT REMEDIATING REMEDIATION PROJECTS TO IMPROVE WATER QUALITY AND RESTORE AQUATIC HABITATS IN THE FOSTER BRANCH AND GUNPOWDER RIVER. THIS WILL INCLUDE COMPETITIVE GRANTS TO NONPROFITS, COMMUNITY ASSOCIATIONS, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS FOR PROJECTS DESIGNED TO IMPROVE WATER QUALITY AND RESTORE AQUATIC HABITATS IN THE WATERSHED. I LIKE WHAT SECRETARY MCQUEEN SAID. THESE VIOLATIONS WERE NOT MINOR. THEY WERE REPEATED, THEY WERE PREVENTABLE, AND THEY CAUSED REAL HARM TO THE GUNPOWDER RIVER AND THE COMMUNITIES THAT DEPEND ON IT. AND THAT IS WHY THEY WENT THE WAY THEY DID. AND I HAVE TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE GUNPOWDER RIVERKEEPER AND THE GUNPOWDER CONSERVATORY. WE HAVE ALL BEEN WORKING TOGETHER. TOMORROW WE ARE WORKING ON DAVE'S COVE, STILL WITH THE BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS. WE'VE SENT OUR LETTERS IN. WE'VE TIGHTENED THAT LEASE UP. IF THAT LEASE. AND THIS IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN ASKING FOR, FOR RIDGLEY RESERVE WITH THAT LEASE. IT ENDS IN DECEMBER 31ST, 2029.

IF THEY FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE LEASE THE NEXT DAY, THEY GET CHARGED $5.1 MILLION. THAT'S THE WAY IT SHOULD OPERATE. AND PEOPLE SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT THE PENALTIES SHOULD AFFECT THE BUSINESS. AND SO WHEN IT AFFECTS YOUR BUSINESS, YOU REALIZE TO DO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO MAKE THAT WORK. SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, EVERYONE HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND. THANK YOU, MISS ROBERT. MISS IMHOF, GOOD EVENING. SO ON MAY THE 14TH, I WAS ABLE TO ATTEND THE ABINGTON EMERTON COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD MEETING ON MAY THE 16TH, I WAS.

IT WAS MY PLEASURE TO CELEBRATE THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE KIDDY ACADEMY OF ABINGTON.

DURING THE CELEBRATION, I WAS HONORED TO PRESENT THE PROCLAMATION. RECOGNIZING THEIR DECADE OF DEDICATION AND PROVIDING QUALITY EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND SUPPORTING FAMILIES THROUGHOUT THEIR COMMUNITY. WHAT'S REALLY REMARKABLE ABOUT THE KIDDY ACADEMY OF ABINGTON IS IT'S NOT JUST A CHILD CARE CENTER. THIS IS A CORPORATION THAT IS TRAINING OUR FUTURE TEACHERS. THEY OFTEN HAVE SO MANY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO GO THERE TO

[02:45:04]

[17. BUSINESS FROM THE PRESIDENT]

[02:50:03]