Jun 16, 2026 County Council

[1. CALL TO ORDER]

[00:00:05]

THREE. GOOD EVENING, CHAIR CALLS THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION DAY 260 20 WOULD ASK YOU TO.

PLEASE JOIN US IN STANDING FOR THE PLEDGE, FOLLOWED BY THE OPENING PRAYER BY COUNCIL MEMBER RILEY. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. YOU BOW YOUR HEADS, PLEASE. HEAVENLY FATHER, THANK YOU FOR THE GIFT OF LIFE AND FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE THE PEOPLE OF OUR COUNTY. WE ASK THAT YOU GUIDE OUR COUNCIL AS THEY GATHER TO DISCUSS MATTERS THAT AFFECT OUR COMMUNITY. MAY OUR INTENTIONS AND OUR ACTIONS BE ROOTED IN GOOD OF THE PUBLIC, NOT IN OUR PERSONAL INTEREST. GRANT US THE WISDOM TO ADDRESS OUR COUNTY CHALLENGES AND TO CRAFT SOUND POLICIES THAT SERVE THE COMMON GOOD. HELP US TO GOVERN WITH COMPETENCE AND EXCELLENCE, TO LISTEN WITH UNDERSTANDING AND GOODWILL, TO SPEAK WITH CLARITY AND RESTRAINT, AND TO SERVE WITH HUMILITY AND GRACE. AND YOUR MOST BLESSED NAME WE PRAY. AMEN. AMEN. THANK YOU, MISTER RILEY. COUNCILMAN, IF I MAY, OR COUNSEL, IF I MAY, I'D LIKE TO TAKE A MINUTE TO WELCOME COUNCILMAN AARON PENMAN BACK TO THE COUNCIL. ON FRIDAY, JUNE 12TH, THE COUNCIL RECEIVED THE HERTFORD COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT'S ORDER, REINSTATING MR. PENMAN AS THE DULY ELECTED COUNCIL MEMBER FOR DISTRICT B, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY. I ALSO WANT TO THANK MISS EMHOFF FOR YOUR SERVICE TO HERTFORD COUNTY FOR A LITTLE OVER A YEAR. YOU DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB. I WANT TO TRULY RECOGNIZE YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DID, ALL THE DUE DILIGENCE COMING IN JUST AHEAD OF THE BUDGET LAST YEAR, YOU DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB. SO I WANT TO THANK YOU AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE NOT ONLY FOR THE CITIZENS OF DISTRICT B, BUT FOR HERTFORD COUNTY. AGENDA NUMBER FOUR, WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK TO YOU. I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE. GO AHEAD. IT'S GOOD TO BE BACK.

IT'S KIND OF SURREAL TO BE BACK. THE GOOD PART IS BOB FORT BOB LOSS. THE SAD PART IS THAT WE ALL PAY. BUT TO MORE POSITIVE NOTES, I WANT TO THANK ALLISON. ALLISON. OVER THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF HAS STEPPED UP IN EXTRAORDINARY DIFFICULT SITUATION. SHE WAS PLACED INTO AN ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE ROLE AMID THE LEGAL CHALLENGES SURROUNDING MY SEAT ON THE HARFORD COUNTY COUNCIL, AND SHE ACCEPTED THAT RESPONSIBILITY WITH CLASS, DIGNITY AND UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO THE PEOPLE OF DISTRICT B. THROUGHOUT HER SERVICE, ALLISON SHOWED GENUINE CARE FOR OUR COMMUNITY. SHE'S APPROACHED EVERY ISSUE WITH THOUGHTFULNESS, RESPECT AND COMPASSION, ALWAYS WORKING TOWARDS WHAT WAS THE BEST FOR THE RESIDENTS THAT SHE REPRESENTED. SHE LISTENED, SHE WORKED HARD AND SHE CARRIED OUT HER DUTIES WITH PROFESSIONALISM AND GRACE. UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES, FEW PUBLIC SERVANTS SERVANTS WOULD EVER FACE. UNFORTUNATELY, ALLISON WAS OFTEN SUBJECT TO UNFAIR CRITICISM AND POLITICAL POSTURING, DRIVEN BY SELF-INTEREST RATHER THAN GENUINE CONCERN. CONCERN FOR THE COMMUNITY. SHE DIDN'T DESERVE THAT TREATMENT. THROUGH IT ALL, SHE STAYED FOCUSED ON SERVING OTHERS AND NEVER LOST SIGHT OF WHY SHE STEPPED FORWARD IN THE FIRST PLACE. TO MAKE SURE DISTRICT B CONTINUED TO HAVE A VOICE. HARFORD COUNTY OWES ALLISON EMHOFF A DEBT OF GRATITUDE FOR HER WILLINGNESS TO SERVE. WHEN CALLED UPON AND FOR HER DEDICATION, SHE SHOWED THROUGHOUT HER TIME ON THE COUNCIL HER LEADERSHIP, CHARACTER AND COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC SERVICE DESERVE TO BE COMMENDED AND REMEMBERED. I'M DEEPLY GRATEFUL FOR EVERYTHING ALLISON HAS DONE FOR OUR COMMUNITY. I'M PROUD TO FOLLOW HER SERVICE ON THE COUNCIL AND EVEN PROUDER TO CALL HER MY FRIEND. THANK YOU, ALLISON, FOR YOUR SACRIFICE, YOUR LEADERSHIP, AND YOUR UNWAVERING DEDICATION TO THE PEOPLE OF HARFORD COUNTY. THANK YOU. AGENDA NUMBER FOUR

[4. PRESENTATION OF PROCLAMATIONS ]

[00:05:02]

THREE. TWO. ONE. THREE. TWO. ONE. THREE. TWO. ONE AND ONE MORE. THREE. TWO. ONE. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU EVERYBODY. ALL RIGHT. LET'S JUST MOVE ON TO THE BEL AIR. WE'RE STILL GOING.

BEL AIR HIGH SCHOOL BOYS LACROSSE REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP. MR. JOHN GIORDANO. YEAH, THEY'RE IN THE BACK. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO THANK ME ON ONE. GIVE ME THE SHORTER GUY NEXT TO ME. SO LET'S SEE. IS IT WORKING? YEAH. ABOUT A MONTH AGO, I GOT A CALL TO SEE IF I WANTED TO COME OUT AND SAY A COUPLE WORDS TO THE BEL AIR HIGH SCHOOL LACROSSE REGIONAL CHAMPIONS OVER AT MCGURK'S. THEY WERE HAVING THEIR ANNUAL PROPERTY. SO I SAID, ABSOLUTELY, AS A BOBCAT GRADUATE, I'M DOWN. OKAY. AS A BOBCAT GRADUATE, I'M GLAD THAT I WAS ABLE TO COME SAY HI AND JUST GET A COUPLE MINUTES TO CELEBRATE. UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAD TO BE HERE AT 6:00, SO I DIDN'T GET TO STAY LONG. BUT I DO HAVE A PROCLAMATION FOR YOU GUYS AND THE REST OF THE TEAM. SORRY, THE REST OF THEM AREN'T HERE, BUT I KNOW A LOT OF THEM ARE PLAYING LACROSSE. EVERYTHING. SO COACH, THANKS FOR COMING. WE APPRECIATE IT. AND THESE ARE THE TWO CAPTAINS. SO ANYWAY, WHERE IS THE BEL AIR HIGH SCHOOL BOYS LACROSSE TEAM DEMONSTRATED EXCEPTIONAL TEAMWORK, DETERMINATION, DISCIPLINE AND SPORTSMANSHIP THROUGH THE 2026 SEASON, PROUDLY REPRESENTING THE COMMUNITY ON AND OFF THE FIELD.

AND WHEREAS THE BEL AIR BOBCATS EARNED THE 2026MPSSAA CLASS TWO A REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP WITH IMPRESSIVE POSTSEASON VICTORIES OVER SEA MOUNTAIN HIGH SCHOOL BY A SCORE OF 7 TO 4, AND NORTH HARFORD HIGH SCHOOL BY A SCORE OF 11 TO 3. AND WHEREAS THE ACHIEVEMENT MARKS THE THIRD

[00:10:04]

AWESOME. COUNCIL MEMBER, IF WE CAN HAVE YOU MOVE THIS WAY. EVERYBODY IN THE BACK. GREAT.

ONE MORE STEP. THAT WAY. WE'RE GOING TO CENTER THIS FLAGS. AWESOME. 321321321 AND ONE MORE.

321. THANK YOU EVERYBODY. ALL RIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO MIAMI TO PLAY. SHE'S GOT A REAL TOUGH.

CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU SIR. THANK YOU EVERYONE. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU GENTLEMEN CONGRATS CONGRATS. COUNCIL WILL NOW BE ACTING IN THE CAPACITY OF THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS AND WILL RETURN TO REGULAR LEGISLATIVE SESSION THEREAFTER. FIVE CONSIDERATION OF PETITIONS,

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

MATTHEW WATSON, MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE HEARING EXAMINER'S RECOMMENDED DECISION DATED MAY 1ST, 2026. I MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE HEARING NOTES FROM MAY. I FORGOT THE DATE OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD. WHAT'D YOU SAY? MAY 1ST, 2026 FOR A CASE NUMBER 6002. THANK YOU. MAY I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. MR. PENMAN? THANK YOU. IT'S BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND, TO UPHOLD THE HEARING EXAMINER'S DECISION ON 6002. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION, MR. PRESIDENT, I JUST WANTED TO HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH THE ZONING APPEALS CASE. I'M FAMILIAR WITH THIS CASE WHEN IT WAS ORIGINALLY BEFORE THE COUNCIL. I HAVE REVIEWED THE FILES IN THE HEARING AS WELL, SO I'M PREPARED TO VOTE ON IT BASED OFF MY KNOWLEDGE AND REVIEW OF THE CASE. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? MR. BENNETT, AS WELL? I WAS ABSENT THE FIRST MEETING OF JUNE, BUT I WAS ABLE TO WATCH ONLINE AND REVIEW THE CASE, AND I FEEL FAMILIAR WITH THE CASE AND COMFORTABLE VOTING ON THIS MATTER. ANYONE ELSE, MISS DIXON, MR. PRESIDENT, I, MRS. ROBERT I MR. PENMAN I MR. GIORDANO NO. MR. RILEY I MRS. I MR. BENNETT I THERE BEING SIX VOTES IN THE

[00:15:02]

[6. SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS]

THANK YOU. COUNTY COUNCIL PRESIDENT VICENTE AND COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERS. IT'S AN HONOR TO BE HERE WITH YOU TODAY, AN OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THE ANNUAL REPORT OF THE JAMES V CAPTAIN JIM MCMAHON COMMISSION ON VETERANS AFFAIRS. WHAT I'LL DO TONIGHT IS I'M GOING TO PRESENT THE HIGHLIGHTS. I'M GOING TO CONCENTRATE MAJOR MAJORLY ON THE EVENTS THAT HAPPEN AND LOOK AT SOME OF THE NEW THINGS. THE REPORT THAT YOU HAVE, THE ANNUAL REPORT THAT YOU HAVE GOES INTO A LOT MORE DEPTH. AND IF YOU WANT ME TO TALK ABOUT ANY OF THOSE THINGS, I'M PREPARED TO DO THAT. BUT AN INTEREST OF TIME, I'LL GO THROUGH AND LOOK AT SOME OF THOSE THERE. LET ME GO HERE. THERE WE GO. I'M GOING TO FOLLOW THIS GENERAL AGENDA HERE AS I GO THROUGH THE DIFFERENT ONES THERE. YEP. OKAY. THE MISSION AND THE VISION. BASICALLY WHAT OUR JOB IS TO PROVIDE RESOURCES TO PROVIDE THOSE CONNECTIONS AND ASSISTANCE TO VETERANS, MILITARY AND THEIR FAMILIES.

I'LL TALK ABOUT HOW WE DO THAT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. OUR MEMBERSHIP DIDN'T REALLY CHANGE THROUGH THE YEAR EXCEPT FOR TWO. COUNCILMAN JOHN GIORDANO WAS NEW, ADDED THERE. AND THEN COLONEL TROY JOHNSON AS THE APG COMMANDER. HE HAS ONE YEAR LEFT IN THE POSITION. OKAY, THE KICK OFF WITH OUR VETERANS RESOURCE FAIR THIS YEAR, WE HAD ABOUT I SAY THIS YEAR, I MEAN, THIS YEAR THAT I'M REPORTING ON HERE, WE HAD ABOUT 800 PEOPLE SHOW UP, WHICH IS ABOUT ABOUT THE SAME AS WE'VE HAD IN THE LAST YEAR. WE HAD 38 VENDORS, WHICH IS A PLUS THREE FROM 2025. AND THAT'S REALLY SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE IF YOU REMEMBER DURING THAT TIME WHAT HAPPENED WAS, WAS GOVERNMENT SHUT DOWN. SO A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS, YOU KNOW, WE HAD TO WORK WITH THEM, SEE WHAT WE COULD DO TO GET THEM TO COME. THE ONLY ONES THAT REALLY HAD TO FEEL A LITTLE BIT DOWN ON WAS VBA WITH THE CLAIMS PEOPLE THERE, BUT WE BACKFILLED THEM WITH OTHER WITH OTHER PEOPLE, WITH THE DISABLED, AMERICAN VETERANS, THE AMERICAN LEGION AND DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AND MILITARY FAMILIES. SO WE BACKFILLED THEM WITH THEM. SO THERE WASN'T ANY DEGRADATION THERE TO WHAT WE WERE DOING. AND THE MAIN THING IS, IS, AS YOU ALL KNOW, IT'S A ONE STOP SHOP. IT'S ONE STOP. PEOPLE CAN COME THERE AND DO A LOT WITHIN THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, AS WELL AS STATE AND FEDERAL. THE OTHER ONE AT THE BOTTOM CORNER, WE HAVE THE WE ALL SERVE HIKE AND THAT'S. IT'S OUR SECOND YEAR OF DOING THIS. WE ALL SERVE HIKE. AND THE PURPOSE OF THAT, WE HAD ABOUT 200 PARTICIPANTS. THE PURPOSE OF THAT IS REALLY TO EMPHASIZE A FAMILY AND CAREGIVER ROLE. WHEN WE SAY WE ALL SERVE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST SUICIDE, WE ALL SERVE. WE ALL SERVE IN PART OF THAT ROLE. AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO BRING OUT. AND WHAT WE FOUND HERE WAS INSTEAD OF HAVING LIKE A RESOURCE FAIR INSIDE OF A ROOM WHERE PEOPLE COME, PEOPLE COME THERE. WE HAVE SOME TABLES SET UP, BUT THEY WALK. THEY WALK ALL THE WAY THROUGH. YOU'LL SEE THE HORSES THERE. CHESAPEAKE THERAPEUTIC RIDING WAS THERE FOR THE KIDS AND WE HAD THE FAMILIES THERE. WE HAVE HOT DOGS. I DON'T KNOW HOW GOOD OF AN IDEAS HAVE HOT DOGS FOR BREAKFAST, BUT WE HAVE HOT DOGS FOR BREAKFAST. AND YOU KNOW, WE GO THROUGH THERE AND DO THAT. AND WE HAD ABOUT 200 PEOPLE SHOW UP AND THEN COUNTY, STATE AND LOCAL VETERANS SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL. A NEW INITIATIVE, THIS YEAR'S MISSION STRONG SUMMIT, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THIS, BUT THIS IS THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AND MILITARY FAMILIES. AND THEY ADDED THAT MILITARY FAMILIES PART ON THERE TO REALLY CONCENTRATE ON THE MILITARY FAMILY, BUT ALSO VETERAN FAMILIES WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, BECAUSE AS THEY WENT OUT AND AS THEY LOOKED, THEY FOUND IN IN SOME CASES, IN SOME OF THE COMMUNITIES, THERE WAS NOT A LINK BETWEEN THE TWO. SO WHAT THIS DID WAS BROUGHT IN ABOUT 80 DIFFERENT PEOPLE THERE FROM DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS AND LOOKED AT ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, THE LEADERSHIP THERE, DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS THERE AS WELL AS THE COUNTY AND THEN WITH WITH THE FEDERAL IN THERE AND SAID, OKAY, HOW DO WE HOW CAN WE WORK BETTER TOGETHER? FOR EXAMPLE, MORALE, WELFARE AND RECREATION WITHIN, WITHIN THE POST? HOW CAN THEY WORK BETTER WITH OUR RECREATION HERE? HOW CAN WE DO THINGS TOGETHER ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE BOARD THERE? GREAT. AND WE'RE THE THIRD COUNTY TO HAVE THAT. IN THE PAST, THEY'VE ALREADY HAD FORT MEADE. THEY'VE HAD A ONE DOWN AT JOINT BASE ANDREWS AND THEN AND HAVE COME HERE. SO IT WAS A HUGE SUCCESS THERE, FOCUSED ON THREE SPECIFIC GROUPS, WHICH WERE THE MILITARY CHILDREN, SPOUSES AND CAREGIVERS, AND THEN TRANSITIONING SERVICE MEMBERS. AGAIN, HOW WHEN SOMEONE COMES INTO THIS COMMUNITY, WHETHER THEY'RE A VETERAN AND WE HAVE VETERANS AND MILITARY, HOW ARE THEY EMBRACED? WHAT DO WE DO? HOW DO WE SET THEM UP, SET THEM UP FOR SUCCESS IN THE SCHOOLS, BUSINESSES ACROSS THE BOARD

[00:20:05]

SOMETIMES YOU GET THOSE BIG FILES, THEY GO THROUGH THEM. SO THAT'S REALLY A BIG THING. WE GOT 120 120 VETERANS SAW SOMEBODY THERE, 50 VETERANS SIGNED UP FOR HEALTH CARE, WHICH IF I COULD. ONE THING I WOULD TELL PEOPLE IS FOR A VETERAN WHO JUST SIGN UP TO GET IN THE VA, BECAUSE WHEN I NORMALLY HEAR ABOUT THEM IS YOU'RE 70, 80, 90 YEARS OLD AND SOMEONE COMES TO ME AND SAYS, I NEED TO GET MY SPOUSE INTO PERRY POINT. I NEED TO GET MY SPOUSE IN THERE. AND IT TAKES A WHILE SIGN IN EARLY AND THEN WE CAN, PEOPLE CAN GET YOU IN A LOT, A LOT EASIER, A LOT QUICKER THAT WAY. THE ANOTHER NEW INITIATIVE, THE VETERAN SERVICE ORGANIZATION, WE CALL IT OPEN MIC. I MENTIONED LAST YEAR WHEN I WAS HERE ABOUT HOW WE WE WOULD GO OUT. WE WENT OUT TO ALL THE DIFFERENT. 16 DIFFERENT VETERANS SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS, SAT DOWN WITH THEM AND LISTENED TO WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME OUT OF IT WAS, YOU KNOW, WE MAY BE THE LEGIONS, WE MAY BE THE VFW, THE MO, THE DAV, EVERYTHING ELSE. BUT A LOT OF TIMES WE DON'T GET TOGETHER AND TALK. WE'RE SILOED. SO HOW ABOUT IF YOU, YOU ALL COUNTY HOLD A SESSION WHERE YOU COME TOGETHER AND WE LET US ALLOW US TO TALK. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING QUARTERLY. WE'RE BRINGING THEM IN. IT'S A HYBRID SESSION BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE SAID THEY. THEY DON'T WANT TO DO THE COMPUTER. THEY WANT TO COME IN.

SO WE COME IN AND OTHER ONES SAY, NO, I DON'T HAVE TIME TO GO IN. WE DO IT THAT WAY. AND AN ADDED BONUS THERE IS THE THE LAST COUPLE OF TIMES THE SECRETARY OF THE VA FOR FOR MARYLAND WAS THERE AS WELL AS THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE. SO THEY'RE HEARING THIS FIRSTHAND.

THESE ARE THE KIND OF THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON RIGHT THEN. SO WE CAN WE CAN TALK ABOUT THOSE. WE CAN WE CAN DISCUSS THEM THERE. AND I MENTIONED LAST YEAR AND THIS, YOU KNOW, AS WELL AS THE SUICIDE PREVENTION CRISIS INTERCEPT MAPPING INITIATIVE IN HARFORD COUNTY IS SOMETHING TO BE PROUD OF BECAUSE THAT OUR CRISIS INTERCEPT MAPPING INITIATIVE IS RECOGNIZED AS THE LEADER WITHIN THE STATE. AND WITHIN THIS PAST YEAR, WE ALSO RECOGNIZED WITHIN THE COUNTRY. WE WERE CALLED ON HARFORD COUNTY TO GO ON THE NATIONAL SAMHSA, WHICH IS A SUICIDE AND MENTAL HEALTH. THE PREVENTION TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING IN HARFORD COUNTY AND DOING SOME THINGS THERE. AND AS YOU ALL KNOW, MARYLAND HAS A REALLY ONE OF THE LOWEST AS FAR AS STATE SUICIDE RATES, BUT STILL ONE IS TOO MANY. AND NO, NATIONALLY, IT'S BROUGHT DOWN FROM 22 TO 17.3. BUT OUR GOAL IS TO KEEP BRINGING THAT KEEP BRINGING THAT DOWN. THE VERSUS NON VSO PARTNER OUTREACH, ANOTHER NEW INITIATIVE. WE HAVE TO GO OUT TO THE VSOS. WE SAID, WELL WHAT ABOUT THE BUSINESSES? WHAT ABOUT THE THE THE SCHOOL? WHAT ABOUT HARFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE? WHAT ABOUT SOME OF THESE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS? THEY DO STUFF FOR VETERANS. LET'S BRING THEM IN. LET'S TALK TO WHAT ABOUT WHAT THEY DO. SO WE'VE ADDED THEM AND WE'RE GOING TO PUT THEM WITHIN OUR WITHIN OUR RESOURCE GUIDE THAT WE PUBLISH. WE HOPE TO TIE THE INTERVIEWS UP BY THE END OF JUNE AND THEN GET ALL THAT, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF, AGAIN, A LOT OF THINGS THAT GO ON WITHIN THE COMMUNITY OUTSIDE OF THE VETERANS SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS. THE. I'LL TALK ABOUT OUTREACH AND SUPPORT. WHAT WE FOUND IS WE DID THE. OF COURSE, WE HAD THE. IN AT EDGEWOOD WITH THE CLAIMS CLINIC, AND BEL AIR HAS OUR VETERANS RESOURCE FAIR. BUT NOW WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT JARRETTSVILLE. SO WE WANT TO COVER AS MUCH AS THE COUNTY AS POSSIBLE. WE WANT TO GO TO THE PEOPLE INSTEAD OF SAYING, OKAY, YOU NEED TO COME TO US NOW. WE STILL GO OUT. WE STILL DO HOUSE CALLS. I CALL IT BOAT CALLS. I HAVE ONE GUY WHO LIVES ON A BOAT GO SEE HIM THERE. BUT WHEREVER, WHEREVER IT MAY HAPPEN TO BE, WE WILL GO THERE. BUT THIS IS KIND OF AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING ALL THESE DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS TOGETHER. WE'RE DOING JARRETTSVILLE THIS YEAR ON JULY 30TH IS WHEN WE'LL HAVE A THING.

WE'LL HAVE JARRETTSVILLE MCCOMAS HELPED TO SPONSOR IT. SO WE DO THAT UP THERE. AND THE OTHER ONE I WANT TO OF THESE I WANT TO BRING UP IS THE THE FREEDOM 250 MOBILE MUSEUM.

HOPEFULLY YOU HAD A CHANCE. SOMEBODY HAD A CHANCE TO GO IN THERE AND SEE THAT. I MEAN, THAT WAS JUST OUTSTANDING. OVER 3000 PEOPLE WENT THROUGH THERE. HATS OFF TO POST 39 AMERICAN LEGION POST 39. WHEN IT WAS FIRST ANNOUNCED THAT PEOPLE COULD GO AND DO THESE, THEY DIDN'T WAIT. I KNOW SOME ORGANIZATIONS SAID, WELL, WHERE ARE WE GOING TO HOLD IT? HOW DO WE DO? THEY JUST BOOM. THEY IN TRUE MILITARY FASHION, THEY WENT IN. THEY. THEY WENT OUT AND THEY GOT IT AND SAID, OKAY, NOW WHAT DO WE DO? YOU KNOW, SO WHERE ARE WE GOING TO PUT IT? HOW ARE WE GOING TO MAKE THAT WORK? SO OVER 3000 PEOPLE WENT THROUGH THIS. IT'S A GREAT

[00:25:04]

WE ONLY GO TO ONE COUNTY, YOU KNOW, AND THEN BECAUSE THERE'S ONLY THERE'S SIX OF US IN THE ENTIRE NATION, SO WE CAN'T AFFORD TO KEEP COMING BACK AND BACK, THEY SAID. BUT HARFORD COUNTY HAS BEEN SO HOSPITABLE. YOU GUYS BEND OVER BACKWARDS FOR US. IF THE OPPORTUNITY COMES, WE WILL PUT IN OUR WORD TO SAY WE WANT TO COME BACK. AND NOW YOU PROBABLY KNOW THEY'RE COMING BACK TO HAVE A DECREASE ON JULY 8TH AND NINTH. SO IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN OUT THERE OR EVEN IF YOU HAVE, I THINK IT'S A GOOD, GOOD CHANCE TO GO TO THE STAR CENTER AND, AND SEE THEM THERE. THE LISTENING TO THE THE YOUNG PEOPLE HERE EARLIER TODAY ARE VETERANS REGIONAL TREATMENT COURT, SOME SIMILARITIES IN THEIR, YOU KNOW, WHICH IS WHICH IS GOOD. YOU SEE, IF YOU LOOK IT UP IN THE REGIONAL. I MENTIONED IT LAST YEAR, BUT I THINK IT'S WORTH REPEATING SOME OF THIS. IT'S THE VOLUNTARY COURT SUPERVISED PROGRAM. IT'S JUST AS INVOLVED VETERANS FACING MISDEMEANORS WITH INTENSIVE TREATMENT FROM THE VA.

AND THE KEY THING THERE IS THEY NEED MENTORS. AND WE NOW HAVE A MENTOR, TOM KNAPP HERE FROM THE VETERANS COMMISSION, GOES DOWN THERE, SOMETIMES UP TO THREE TIMES A WEEK, TALKS WITH THEM.

HE HAS A GROUP THAT HE WORKS WITH DOWN THERE. AND SO WE'RE HELPING WITHIN HARFORD COUNTY, AND THERE ARE HARFORD COUNTY PEOPLE THERE TO HELP THEM TO GO THROUGH THIS. INTERESTINGLY, THIS PROGRAM HAS A 2% SYMBOLISM AND 89% OF THE PEOPLE IN THE PROGRAM COMPLETE IT. SO IT'S IT WORKS. IT REALLY IT REALLY WORKS. ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES. I'LL TOUCH ON JUST THE FIRST TWO. THE FIRST WAS KIND OF INTERESTING. THE DISABLED VETERANS, UPLAND BIRD HUNT BY GOD'S OUTDOOR ANGELS. THEY HAD A GENTLEMAN COME TO ME AND HE SAID, YOU KNOW, WE DO THIS, THIS UPLAND BIRD HUNT. WE ALSO GO OUT AND WE DO FISHING IN THE CHESAPEAKE, AND WE HAVE BIG GAME HUNTS IN TEXAS. AND HIS ORGANIZATION IS IN HARFORD COUNTY. HE SAYS, THE STRANGE THING IS NOBODY FROM HARFORD COUNTY APPLIES. SO HE CAME. AND SO WORKING WITH THE ADAPTIVE SPORTS PEOPLE AT THE VA AND HERE WE WERE ABLE TO GET A GROUP TO GO OUT. AND THEY'RE KIND OF THAT THAT ORANGE ORANGE VEST RIGHT THERE ON A WARM WINTER DAY, WHICH WAS A SURPRISE ON A WARM WINTER DAY. AND GO OUT AND DO THAT ALL PAID FOR BY THEM, GO THROUGH EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING IS DONE. AND THE ONLY CONDITION TO IT IS THAT THEY HAVE TO HAVE A 10% OR GREATER COMPENSATION RATING FROM THE FROM THE VA, AND THEY ONLY GO ONCE. SO YOU CAN'T GO ON ONE THERE AND ONE ON THE ON THE ON THE FISHING, BUT IT'S OPEN. WE PUT THIS OUT ON THE DIFFERENT WEBSITES FOR PEOPLE TO GO. HE'S STILL LOOKING FOR PEOPLE. EVERYTHING IS EVERYTHING IS PAID FOR. SO IT'S REALLY, REALLY GOOD FROM HIM. AND THE OTHER ONE, YOU MAY REMEMBER LAST YEAR WHEN I CAME HERE, I TALKED ABOUT A VETERAN THAT WE HAD IN BEL AIR WHO DIED SUDDENLY, AND WE FOUND OUT LATER ON THAT THE WHAT HAD HAPPENED WAS HIS FAMILY SAID THAT THEY DID NOT WANT THE BODY. SO THEY TOOK THE BODY OF THIS VETERAN AND THEY SHIPPED HIM OFF DOWN TO DOWN TO THE THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND MEDICAL SYSTEM FOR DISPOSAL. I TALKED WITH THE DIRECTOR OF THE BALTIMORE VA NATIONAL CEMETERY AND. AND I SAID, WE HAVE WHAT CAN WE DO? WE DO? AND SHE SAID, I GOT IT. SHE PUT THINGS INTO MOTION TO GET HIM FROM THERE. THEY PAID FOR THE COMPLETE CREMATION CEREMONY. AND YOU SEE THOSE TWO PICTURES THERE ON YOUR LEFT. THEY HAD A FULL MILITARY COMMITTAL SERVICE THERE. THEY HAD THE THE WRITERS WERE THERE. THEY HAD EVERYONE FROM THAT VA, FROM THAT CEMETERY CAME OUT FOR LAST RESPECTS TO THIS GENTLEMAN. AND NOW HE IS BURIED, BURIED DOWN THERE. SO MY POINT THERE BEING IS THAT IT REALLY DOES TAKE A COMMUNITY TO WORK TOGETHER. THERE'S SOMETIMES THAT THAT EASY. NO, YOU HAVE TO GO FOR THE HARD. YES. HOW DO YOU HOW DO YOU GET THERE? HOW DO YOU MAKE MAKE THAT THAT HAPPEN? YOU KNOW, AGAIN, MY HAT'S OFF TO MY HAT'S OFF TO HER FOR MAKING, YOU KNOW. SARAH MARLOW, DIRECTOR THERE FOR MAKING THIS MAKING THIS THING WORK. OUR ASSISTANCE REQUESTS ARE UP CONSIDERABLY FROM LAST YEAR, 22% FROM WHERE WE WERE LAST YEAR. YOU KNOW, WHY IS THIS? I THINK IT'S A COUPLE THINGS. ONE IS THAT PEOPLE KNOW THAT THE VETERANS COMMISSION IS OUT THERE, THAT WE CAN HELP PEOPLE. WE HAVE PRETTY GOOD SUCCESS RATE, NOT 100% SUCCESS RATE. BUT AND THE OTHER THING IS THAT WE'RE NOW FINDING THAT THE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AND MILITARY FAMILIES, THEY'LL SEND PEOPLE TO US WHEN THEY CAN'T HANDLE IT. OR. AND ALSO ALONG WITH THAT, WE'LL GET. SOMETIMES THE VA WILL WILL PARTNER WITH US AND SAY, WE HAVE SOMEBODY THEY NEED. THEY NEED SOMETHING. WHAT DOES YOUR COUNTY. BECAUSE THE COUNTY OFFERS A LOT. THEY REALLY. PARTICULARLY WITHIN THE HOUSING AND HOMELESS AND OTHER THINGS, THERE REALLY IS A LOT THAT IS OFFERED. SO WE CAN KIND OF DO THAT. THE SUPPORT THERE THAT GOES, THAT GOES THROUGH. SO WE'RE VERY, VERY PROUD OF, OF DOING, DOING THOSE TYPES OF THINGS. OUR SOCIAL MEDIA COMMUNICATION IS, IS REALLY THE,

[00:30:05]

INSTEAD OF WHY CAN'T YOU HELP ME MORE SO, BUT IT'S IT WAS NICE, NICE TO GET THOSE OUR PARTNER IN SUPPORT KEY THING HERE IS WE HAVE THREE LEVELS OF SUPPORT FEDERAL AND THE STATE AND THE LOCAL. AND THAT'S WHAT WE REALLY HAVE TO. WE ARE REALLY DEPEND ON RIGHT THERE.

NOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU KNOW ABOUT THE MY ARMY POST APP OR MAP AS IT'S CALLED. IT IS A FANTASTIC RESOURCE. ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND HAS A MOST USERS AND HITS OF ANY POST, WHICH IS AMAZING WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY AND WHAT THAT WHAT WE'VE DONE NOW, WE'VE PARTNERED WITH THEM. SO IF YOU GO ON THIS MY ARMY POST, YOU CAN YOU CAN CALL IT UP EITHER ANDROID OR WITHIN IPHONE AND YOU CAN PUT IN ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, WHATEVER POST YOU WANT. AND ONCE YOU DO THAT AND GO IN THERE AND YOU LOOK, YOU CAN SEE WHEN IS THE GATE OPEN, ALL THE SPECIFICS ON EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON. AND WITH THEY JUST TIED IN THROUGH HELLO HARFORD. THEY TIED IN ALL OF OUR EVENTS WITHIN THE COUNTY. SO HERE'S ONE APP THAT HAS EVERYTHING ON IT. SO AGAIN, TROY JOHNSON, THE COLONEL, COLONEL JOHNSON MADE THIS HAPPEN WAS A PRIORITY FOR HIM AND GOT THIS THING DONE. SO WE'RE VERY, VERY HAPPY THAT THAT'S THAT THAT'S ALL THE WAY THROUGH THERE. OUR GOALS FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR, WE WANT TO FINISH OUR OUTREACH, SUCCESSFUL RESOURCE FAIR, AND WE WANT TO IMPROVE OUR CONTINUE TO IMPROVE OUR WEBSITE. SO THOSE ARE THINGS WE JUST WANT TO CONTINUE ON WHAT WE'VE WHAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON. AND THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE THINK THAT WE CAN FINISH WITHIN THE NEXT THE NEXT SIX MONTHS. SO CONCLUSION. WHERE ARE WE? IT'S THE REALLY THE INTERAGENCY AND THE MILITARY COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS THAT BROUGHT US WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW. IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE OUTSTANDING SUPPORT FROM THE COUNTY LEADERSHIP FROM YOU ALL FROM THE COUNTY ORGANIZATION, STATE FEDERAL ORGANIZATIONS WOULD HELP US AND MAKE US MAKE US GO. AND OVER THE PAST YEAR, WE HAVE PROVIDED MORE SERVICES AND HELP MORE VETERANS, REALLY, THAN WE EVER HAVE IN ANY PAST YEARS. I LOOK THROUGH WHAT'S GOING ON. IT'S AGAIN, IT'S A CREDIT TO EVERYBODY. AND IT'S IT'S THAT TEAM OF TEAMS, AS GENERAL MCCHRYSTAL USED TO SAY, YOU HAVE TO HAVE THAT TEAM OF TEAMS, OF PEOPLE WORKING TOGETHER TOWARDS THE SAME GOAL, TOWARDS THE SAME FOCUS. WITH THAT, THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION, AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. SO, SIR, YOU'VE HEARD ME SAY THIS BEFORE AND I STAND BY MY COMMENTS TONIGHT. CLEARLY, YOUR ROLE HAS HELPED THIS ORGANIZATION BE MUCH MORE SUCCESSFUL THAN IT'S EVER BEEN IN THE PAST. I KNOW WHEN I CALL YOU WITH ISSUES, YOU'RE ALWAYS ON IT. YOU ALWAYS HELP THE PEOPLE IN NEED. YOU JUST TALKED ABOUT IT AGAIN WITH A VETERAN THAT PASSED AND NO ONE WANTED TO CLAIM THE BODY.

YOU GUYS FOUND SOMEONE TO HELP GET THAT TAKEN CARE OF. AND THE BOAT CALL. I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT. A BOAT CALL, SOMEONE LIVING ON A BOAT? IS THAT WHAT YOU SAID? YES. WE THERE ARE INHABITED GRACE. THERE ARE SEVERAL LIVE ONS AND A LOT OF THEM ARE VETERANS. AND FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER, THEY DON'T HAVE A HOUSE. THEY LIVE ON A BOAT ALL YEAR ROUND. AND I MAY HAVE TALKED TO YOU ABOUT THIS BEFORE, BUT I'M GOING TO NEED YOUR HELP WITH LOCATING MY FATHER'S DD214. AT SOME POINT. I'D LIKE TO REACH OUT TO YOU AGAIN WITH THAT. OKAY. MR. MR. GINGER, THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT. SO, BOB KNOWN YOU FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS, AND I CAME TO YOU WITH SOME NEEDS FOR SOMEBODY THAT A FRATERNITY BROTHER CALLED AND SAID HIS BROTHER WAS A, YOU KNOW, WAS A VETERAN AND HAD SOME ISSUES. AND I CALLED YOU AND YOU WERE AMAZING GETTING HIM MOVED INTO A PLACE AND EVERYTHING. SO I'M GLAD THAT I'M ON THE VETERANS COMMISSION. AND I KNOW WE, WE WORK TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GOT PEOPLE TO SHOW UP WHEN WE DID THE FARMERS MARKET. I DON'T THINK WE DID IT EARLY ENOUGH. SO I KNOW THIS THIS YEAR COMING UP, I'D LIKE TO GET OUT TWO MONTHS AHEAD OF TIME AND JUST BE THERE. AND JUST BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE CAME UP AND, AND DIDN'T KNOW THAT THERE WAS A, A FAIR AND THEY WERE REAL APPRECIATIVE OF IT. AND, AND I SAW A LOT OF THEM THAT SHOWED UP THAT DAY, AS WELL AS THE GUY THAT YOU HELPED. HE MADE SURE HE CAME TO THAT FAIR JUST TO SAY HI AND SAY, SAY THANK YOU. SO I SEE WHAT YOU DO FOR EVERYBODY, FOR THE COMMUNITY AND HOW MUCH YOU GUYS

[00:35:02]

THANK YOU, MR. PENMAN. THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. BOB, I ALSO WANT TO THANK YOU. I WORK WITH YOU FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS NOW HELPING VETERANS. AND YOU TALK ABOUT A TEAM AND YOU HAVE A GREAT TEAM, BUT YOU'RE A GREAT LEADER. AND I'VE SEEN FIRSTHAND THESE VETERANS AFFAIRS AND THE PROGRAMS THAT YOU BRING IN DISAPPOINTMENT THAT THE VA COULDN'T PARTICIPATE LAST YEAR, BUT HOPEFULLY THIS YEAR THEY WILL. BUT IT'S A TREMENDOUS RESOURCE FOR THEM. AND HAVING SERVED FOUR YEARS IN THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS, I UNDERSTAND WHAT IT TAKES AND WHAT WE NEED IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND THEN FOR THE NEXT GENERATION, MY MY SON IN LAW, STEVEN IS HERE. HE'S AN AIR FORCE VETERAN. THE YOUNGER GENERATION, THE OLDER GENERATION LIKE US, AND EVEN MY SON, MY SON SERVED FOUR YEARS IN THE MARINE CORPS. HE WAS IN HIS SOPHOMORE YEAR OF COLLEGE JUST NOW, AND HE JUST GOT CALLED BACK. HE WAS IN IRR AND HE'S BEING DEPLOYED TO CUBA ON THURSDAY. SO WHEN HE COMES BACK, HE'S GOING TO NEED THESE RESOURCES. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE FOR THE VETERANS. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. BENNETT. HELLO. GOOD EVENING. AND AGAIN, THANK YOU. THESE PRESENTATIONS EACH YEAR AND THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE BETWEEN EACH PRESENTATION IS A TRUE HIGHLIGHT FOR ME OF THESE PAST FOUR YEARS ON THE COUNCIL. I THINK IT'S A TREMENDOUS SUCCESS. EACH THING THAT YOU'VE ACCOMPLISHED, I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT AN ORGANIZATION LOCALLY THAT MIGHT BE WORTH CONNECTING WITH, WHICH IS CALLED UPROOTED CHESAPEAKE. THEY CAME AND PRESENTED TO US AS A COUNCIL, I THINK, IN THE PAST YEAR, AND THEY FOCUS ON SUPPORTING MILITARY KIDS AND HELPING THEM BOTH. YOU KNOW, THE ONES WHO ARE STILL IN THE ACTIVE EVERY TWO YEAR MOVE AND THOSE WHO HAVE SETTLED DOWN INTO HARFORD COUNTY AND HELPING THEM HAVE COMMUNITY AND SUPPORT. AND, YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU SAID, IT TAKES A VILLAGE AND IT IMPACTS THE WHOLE FAMILY SERVICE. SO I THOUGHT I'D LOVE TO SET UP A MEETING FOR YOU TO MEET WITH THE PEOPLE WHO RUN UPROOTED CHESAPEAKE AND SEE IF THERE'S ANY WAY YOU GUYS CAN OVERLAP IN WHAT YOU DO. YES, SIR. ACTUALLY, I MET MEL AND IN THERE, AND SHE WAS A KEY PERSON, AND WE WANT TO DO MORE WITH HER AND HER HUSBAND IN THE THAT THE SUMMIT THAT WE TALKED ABOUT. SO THANK YOU FOR REMINDING ME OF THAT. WE'LL DEFINITELY HAVE TO CONTACT HER AGAIN. YEAH. SHE'S A REALLY AMAZING PERSON. THEY'RE A GREAT EXAMPLE OF LIKE WHAT I CALL BOOMERANG FAMILIES. THERE'S A LOT OF ACTIVE MILITARY FAMILIES WHO COME THROUGH HARFORD COUNTY BECAUSE OF APG, AND THEN WHEN THEY RETIRE, THEY CHOOSE TO COME BACK. AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THEY DID. I TAUGHT THEIR SON WHEN HE WAS IN KINDERGARTEN AND COME MIDDLE SCHOOL. THEY WERE BACK HERE, AND THEY CHOSE TO COME BACK HERE BECAUSE THEY SAW THIS AS A COMMUNITY WORTH BEING IN. AND SO BUT YEAH, I THINK FINDING WAYS TO SUPPORT THOSE MILITARY KIDS IS REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY GO THROUGH SO MUCH. BUT AGAIN, I APPRECIATE ALL THAT YOU DO. THANK YOU SIR. THANK YOU, MR. BENNETT. ANYONE ELSE? SIR, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. SEVEN APPROVAL OF MINUTES PUBLIC HEARING JUNE 9TH,

[7. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]

[8. INTRODUCTION AND CONSIDERATION OF RESOLUTIONS]

HELLO. ALL RIGHT. SO ANNUALLY SO RESOLUTION 1226 ANNUALLY. WE BRING OUR AUDIT PLAN TO THE COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL. THIS PROCESS STARTS EARLIER IN THE SPRING WHEN WE DO A REEVALUATION OF OUR RISK ASSESSMENT. WE WILL LOOK AT ALL THE COUNTY BUSINESS PROCESSES.

WE LOOK TO SEE WHAT THEY ARE, WHAT CAN GO WRONG, HOW BAD CAN IT GO WRONG? WHEN WAS THE LAST

[00:40:01]

WE MAY PERFORM SOME TESTING. WE'RE ALSO GOING TO INCLUDE THE ACCOUNTS PAYABLE AUDIT THERE.

WE'RE LOOKING JUST TO ENSURE THAT ONLY VALID VENDORS AND DEBTS ARE PAID BY THE COUNTY.

SO WE HAVEN'T HAD ISSUES WITH THAT AUDIT IN THE PAST. I THINK RECENTLY WE PERFORMED IN 21 AND 2024, BUT IT IS HIGHER UP ON THE RISK ASSESSMENT. SO WE DO LIKE TO LOOK AT THAT EVERY THREE OR SO YEARS. INCOME TAX REVENUE. WE'RE INCLUDING THAT IN THE AUDIT PLAN. THEY'RE JUST LOOKING TO CONFIRM THAT THE COUNTY'S INCOME TAX REVENUE IS CORRECT. THAT'S ADMINISTRATION ADMINISTERED BY THE STATE OF MARYLAND. SO WE'LL MEET WITH THE REVENUE ADMINISTRATION DIVISION AND PERFORM SOME DATA ANALYSIS. AND AS I SAID, JUST TO ENSURE THE INCOME TAX RECEIVED WAS CORRECT, WE'RE ALSO GOING TO INCLUDE THE FLEET MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT PROCESS.

SO THERE THE FLEET MAINTENANCE CONTRACT. WE'RE MAKING SURE IT'S PROPERLY MONITORED, THAT COSTS ARE BILLED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONTRACT. WE'RE ALSO GOING TO EVALUATE THE EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF THE VEHICLE REPLACEMENT AND UTILIZATION. AND AS A PART OF OUR REASSESSMENT OF THE RISK ASSESSMENT SPEAKING TO MANAGEMENT THERE, THERE. WELL, YOU MAY KNOW THERE WAS A NEW FLEET MAINTENANCE CONTRACT ALSO SINCE WE LAST PERFORMED THAT AUDIT, I THINK IT WAS IN FY 23, THERE WAS A CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP. SO WE WANTED TO INCLUDE THAT IN THE AUDIT PLAN. EMS BILLING CONTROLS THERE JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES REVENUE IS COLLECTED COMPLETELY AND ACCURATELY. SPEAKING TO MANAGEMENT, THEY HAVE HAD A NEW THIRD PARTY BILLER. SO THIS IS SOMETHING WE WANTED TO INCLUDE IN THIS AUDIT PLAN. WE'LL ALSO LOOK AT FISCAL NOTES. WELL NOT LOOK AT FISCAL NOTES. WE'LL PREPARE FISCAL NOTES FOR EVERY PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT'S INTRODUCED BY THE COUNCIL. THAT INCLUDES THE COUNTIES AND THE SCHOOLS. BUDGET WILL PERFORM AN ANALYSIS OF THOSE AS WE DO ANNUALLY, LICENSE ISSUANCE, BILLING AND COLLECTION CONTROLS. SO WE HAVEN'T LOOKED AT THAT IN A FEW YEARS. WE WANTED TO THERE AGAIN, CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP. AND I THINK THERE'S BEEN A CHANGE IN FEE SINCE THE LAST TIME WE LOOKED AT THAT. SO WANTED TO INCLUDE IT ON THIS AUDIT PLAN. WE ALSO HAVE TIME FOR ALLOCATED FOR QUALITY, OUR QA, IP QUALITY ASSURANCE AND IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. SO THAT'S BASICALLY JUST AN EVALUATION OF OUR OWN OFFICE JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE COMPLIANT WITH WHAT WE NEED TO BE. WE HAVE SOME TIME FOR OUR ANNUAL PLANNING AND RISK ASSESSMENT, WHICH BROUGHT US HERE. AND LASTLY, THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX.

THAT'S SOMETHING WE DO EVERY YEAR. WE LOOK AT 3 TO 5 HOTELS AND MAKE SURE THEY'RE PROPERLY REPORTING THE OCCUPANCY TAX TO THE COUNTY. SO THAT'S THAT'S THE AUDIT PLAN. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT'S ON IT. WELL, MISS BROOKS, HOW DO YOU THINK HE DID. THAT WAS PRETTY GOOD. I THINK HE TOLD YOU ALL WHAT'S IN THE RESOLUTION. AND SO IT'S UP TO YOU ALL. DECIDE TO APPROVE THE PLAN. ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. SO WE'RE GOING TO BECAUSE OF TIMING WE'RE GOING TO MOVE THIS RESOLUTION. WE'LL BE CONSIDERED THIS EVENING. SO MAY I HAVE A MOTION PLEASE. COUNCIL PRESIDENT, I MOVE TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 1212-26 PERFORMANCE

[00:45:01]

MR. BENNET, I BEING SEVEN VOTES IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, ZERO NEGATIVE RESOLUTIONS 01226 IS HEREBY APPROVED. MISS BROOKS, IF YOU'LL STAY RIGHT THERE, MR. DELAUGHTER. IF YOU'LL STAY THERE AS WELL. NINE INTRODUCTION OF BILLS. WE HAVE NONE. TEN. INTRODUCTION AND CONSIDERATION OF AMENDMENTS. NONE. 11. CALL FOR FINAL READING OF BILLS. WE HAVE NONE.

12. ENROLLMENT OF BILLS NONE. 13. UNFINISHED BUSINESS. NONE. 14. NEW BUSINESS AUDITOR UPDATE.

[14. NEW BUSINESS]

THOSE REPORTS HAVEN'T BEEN COMING OVER TO THE COUNCIL, BUT MANAGEMENT INDICATED THAT WE'LL DO THAT IN THE FUTURE. WE AUDITED PAYROLL CONTROLS THAT PROCESS WE CYCLE BACK TO FAIRLY FREQUENTLY, BUT IN THE LAST YEAR, THE COUNTY MOVED ITS HR AND PAYROLL PROCESSES INTO WORKDAY, WHICH IS THE COUNTY'S FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. SO WE WANTED TO FOCUS ON THE CONTROLS THAT ARE IN PLACE. SINCE THAT SYSTEM WAS IMPLEMENTED, WE LOOK TO SEE THAT TIME ENTRY DATA WAS MOVING FROM THE TIMEKEEPING SYSTEM TO THE PAYROLL SYSTEM, MAKING SURE THAT PAY RATES APPEARED CORRECT, THAT ALL THE CALCULATIONS THAT THE SYSTEM WAS DOING WORK THE WAY THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO, AND THERE WERE NO ISSUES WITH THAT AUDIT. EVERYBODY'S GETTING PAID WHEN THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO. THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT AUDITS WERE COMPLETED THE LAST TIME I SPOKE TO YOU ALL, BUT WE HAD NOT YET FINISHED THE REVIEW OF AFFILIATED AGENCIES. WE DID GET THAT DONE. THERE WERE NO NOTHING REPORTED IN ANY OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE COUNTY'S AFFILIATED AGENCIES THAT INDICATED THERE WAS ANY MISUSE OF COUNTY FUNDS. SO THAT REPORT COVERED THE FIRE COMPANIES, THE HUMANE SOCIETY. WHAT I'M FORGETTING, ARC AND THE ARC. YEAH. AND THEN ALSO SINCE THEN, THE COUNTY'S SINGLE AUDIT WAS COMPLETED. THAT'S THE COUNTY'S AUDIT OF FEDERAL GRANTS. MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE COMPLYING WITH THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THOSE PROGRAMS. AND THERE WERE NO FINDINGS RELATED TO THAT PROJECT. WE COMPLETED AN EXIT AUDIT RELATED TO RICH TRUITT, WHO WAS THE DIRECTOR OF INSPECTIONS, LICENSING AND PERMITS. THAT PROJECT WAS COMPLETED IN MAY, AND WE FOUND NO INDEBTEDNESS TO THE COUNTY.

WE RECENTLY COMPLETED AN AUDIT OF INSURANCE COVERAGE AND SELF-INSURANCE PROGRAMS. WE DID IT. SINCE I SENT YOU ALL THIS UPDATE, THAT PROJECT IS DONE. WE FOUND THAT THE COUNTY DOES HAVE PROCESSES IN PLACE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT ITS INSURANCE NEEDS ARE, AND REASSESS WHEN THINGS NEED TO CHANGE, AND ALSO FIGURE OUT WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT THE COUNTY CAN DO TO HELP REDUCE ITS RISK AND INHERENTLY REDUCE ITS INSURANCE RATES. THERE WERE NO ISSUES WITH THAT, BUT WE DID FIND THAT THE COUNTY CHARTER REQUIRES THE COUNTY COUNCIL'S APPROVAL ON PERFORMANCE BONDS FOR SOME COUNTY OFFICIALS. SO THE TREASURER AND DEPUTY TREASURER, THE DIRECTOR OF PROCUREMENT AND DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF PROCUREMENT AND THE DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION. THEY ARE BONDED PROFESSIONAL BONDS FOR THE WORK THAT THEY DO. THE COUNTY DOES PURCHASE THOSE BONDS, BUT THEY HAVEN'T TOLD YOU ALL THE COUNCIL WHAT THOSE AMOUNTS ARE.

AND SO THE LAW DEPARTMENT INDICATED THAT THEY WILL START TO SEND YOU ALL THOSE UPDATES ANNUALLY. WE TALKED ABOUT SCHOOL SYSTEM TRAVEL ALREADY, SO I'LL SKIP OVER THAT. WE COMPLETED AN AUDIT OF ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES BILLING AND COLLECTION CONTROLS. THIS

[00:50:04]

ONE WAS THAT THERE WERE A FEW CONTRACTS THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE A FINAL SIGNED DOCUMENT FOR, AND.

AND THERE WAS ONE, I THINK THAT WAS A NON COMPETITIVE BID CONTRACT THAT JUST DIDN'T HAVE THE SUPPORT WE WERE EXPECTING TO SEE. RELATED TO THAT, MANAGEMENT RESPONDED THAT THE THE COUPLE EXCEPTIONS WE FOUND WERE MINOR COMPARED TO THE VOLUME OF CONTRACTS THAT THEY EXECUTE IN A GIVEN YEAR, BUT THAT THEY WILL CONTINUE TO WORK TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE CHECKING ALL THE BOXES THEY NEED TO CHECK ON THAT. THE SECOND ISSUE IN THAT PROJECT WAS RELATED TO SPENDING THAT EXCEEDED THE $25,000 LIMIT THAT THE COUNTY CODE HAS FOR A MORE EXPANSIVE PROCUREMENT PROCESS. THIS IS AN ISSUE WE FOUND IN PRIOR AUDITS, TOO, BUT ESSENTIALLY BECAUSE OF ALL THE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE BUYING THINGS, IT'S VERY POSSIBLE THAT THEY PUBLIC WORKS BUYS, YOU KNOW, $10,000 WORTH OF WHATEVER SERVICE, AND IT'S GOT TO BUY, YOU KNOW, $15,000 OF A SIMILAR SERVICE. THOSE CONTRACT, THOSE PURCHASES MIGHT NOT NECESSARILY BE ASSOCIATED WITH ONE ANOTHER. AND SO IT'S POSSIBLE TO GO OVER THOSE PROCUREMENT LIMITS UNINTENTIONALLY. WE RECOMMENDED THAT MANAGEMENT PUT IN MORE PROCEDURES TO PERIODICALLY REVIEW THOSE SMALLER TRANSACTIONS TO SEE THAT THEY'RE NOT ACCUMULATING TO THE POINT WHERE THEY SHOULD HAVE GONE THROUGH A MORE EXPANSIVE PROCUREMENT PROCESS.

MANAGEMENT'S RESPONSE IS THAT THEY BELIEVE THEY'RE DOING A PRETTY GOOD JOB ON THAT, BUT THEY WILL CONTINUE TO WORK ON IT. OTHERWISE. WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON A PROJECT RELATED TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, LOAN AND GRANT PROGRAMS. THAT PROJECT IS IN PROGRESS, AND HOPEFULLY IT'LL BE WRAPPED UP IN JULY. AND WE'VE STARTED THE PLANNING FOR THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX AUDITS THAT PROBABLY WILL BE REPORTED IN AUGUST. OTHERWISE, PURCHASE CARD AUDITS ARE STILL ONGOING. THAT'S A YEAR ROUND THING. AND OUR LAST AUDIT ADVISORY BOARD MEETING WAS MAY 26TH. THE NEXT ONE WILL BE SEPTEMBER 1ST. AND THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT FOR YOU. I CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE THEM. COUNCIL. ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I JUST AM SO APPRECIATIVE OF THE CHECKS AND BALANCES THAT YOU PROVIDE ALL OF US EVERY DAY. YOUR OFFICE, YOUR TEAM DOES A GREAT JOB. AND CRYSTAL, I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN A MAJOR PART OF IT FOR 14 YEARS.

AND SO AS EVERYONE HAS HEARD IN THE PAST, YOUR LAST DAY IS JUNE 30TH, ACTUALLY, JULY, JULY 3RD.

IS THAT JULY 3RD? MY LAST THIRD WILL BE JUNE 30TH. YES. AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SO APPRECIATIVE OF WHAT YOU'VE DONE AND WE WISH YOU ALL THE BEST IN THE FUTURE. WE YOU'VE HEARD US ALL SAY THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE TURNING THE REINS OVER TO BRAD. AND WE HAVE ALL THE CONFIDENCE IN THE WORLD IN WHAT BRAD'S CAPABILITIES ARE. AND I'M SURE THAT IN A TIMELY MANNER, HE'LL BE LOOKING TO BACKFILL THE POSITION THAT WILL BE OPEN IN THE OFFICE. BUT FOR TONIGHT, I WOULD LIKE YOU TO JOIN ME UP FRONT, COUNSEL. ALL OF US, PLEASE.

HELLO. SO I JUST I'M GOING TO ECHO. OKAY. JUST GOING TO ECHO THE SAME COMMENTS THAT I MADE EARLIER, BUT ALL OF US APPRECIATE THE JOB THAT YOU DO EACH AND EVERY DAY. FOR THE PAST 14 YEARS, I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING WITH YOU 12 OF THOSE 14 YEARS. AND I

[00:55:02]

COUNCIL REQUESTS FOR OUTSIDE COUNSEL. MR. THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YEP. IT'S ALWAYS AN ISSUE. SO THE I SENT YOU GUYS SOME INFORMATION ON THIS. AN ETHICS COMPLAINT WAS FILED DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE ETHICS COMPLAINT. THE COMPLAINANT, THE SUBJECT, THE PARTIES INVOLVED, TYPICALLY THE HARTFORD COUNTY LAW DEPARTMENT UNDER THE ETHICS CODE REPRESENTS THE ETHICS BOARD BY LAW, BECAUSE OF THE SUBJECT MATTER OF THE COMPLAINT, THE LAW DEPARTMENT HAS A CONFLICT AND THEY ARE NOT PERMITTED BY LAW TO REPRESENT THE ETHICS BOARD. SO THEN IT WOULD SHIFT TO THE COUNTY COUNSEL'S OFFICE. LAW OFFICE.

SO, AND AGAIN, DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE COMPLAINT, WHICH HAS TO REMAIN CONFIDENTIAL AT THIS POINT, THE COUNCIL ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HAS A CONFLICT. SO BECAUSE OF THAT, THE REQUEST FOR OUTSIDE COUNSEL IS TO GET A OUTSIDE LAW FIRM TO REPRESENT THE BOARD OF ETHICS.

THEY'RE NOT REPRESENTING THE COUNTY COUNSEL, BUT THE BOARD OF ETHICS IS ONE OF THE BOARDS UNDER THE COUNTY CODE THAT IS REQUIRED TO HAVE LEGAL REPRESENTATION. SO THE I'VE PROVIDED THE BIOS AND THE STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS TO YOU GUYS. GALLAGHER LLP IS THE LAW FIRM. ANATOLY SMOLKIN AND MEGAN CASEY ARE THE TWO PARTNERS THAT WOULD BE REPRESENTING THE BOARD, ALONG WITH ANY ASSOCIATES THAT THEY MIGHT UTILIZE. BOTH OF THEM HAVE PAST GOVERNMENT EXPERIENCE. MISS CASEY USED TO BE AN ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL. IN FACT, SHE WORKED WITH THE COUNTY IN A LAWSUIT NOT THAT LONG AGO, REPRESENTING SOME CLIENTS OF HERS AS AN ASSISTANT AG. MR. SMOLKIN USED TO BE AN ASSISTANT U.S. ATTORNEY. THEY BOTH HAVE VAST GOVERNMENT EXPERIENCE. THEIR FIRM ALSO HAS INVESTIGATIVE EXPERIENCE.

THEY'VE BEEN APPOINTED AS ATTORNEYS FOR STATE COMMISSIONS AND COMMITTEES. THEY'RE HIGHLY QUALIFIED TO HANDLE THIS MATTER. THEY'RE WILLING TO DO IT. AND THAT'S WHAT THE REQUEST IS BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING. THANK YOU. COUNCIL QUESTIONS, MR. PENMAN. I JUST WANT TO SAY IT'S REFRESHING TO SEE THAT THE CODE IS FOLLOWED AND THE REQUEST IS MADE TO THE COUNCIL FOR OUTSIDE COUNSEL. AND JUST TO LET EVERYONE KNOW, BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THIS REQUEST, I WILL BE ABSTAINING FROM THE VOTE. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? MAY I HAVE A MOTION, PLEASE? COUNCIL PRESIDENT MOVE TO APPROVE THE APPOINTMENT OF GALLAGHER LLP AS OUTSIDE COUNSEL. THANK YOU. MAY HAVE A SECOND. SECOND. THANK YOU, MR. RILEY. IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED TO APPROVE OUTSIDE COUNSEL. IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? MISS DIXON? MR. PRESIDENT, I MRS. ROBERT I MR. PENMAN ABSTAIN. MR. GIORDANO I MR. RILEY I MRS. BULL SETTLES I MR. BENNETT I THERE BEING SIX VOTES IN THE AFFIRMATIVE ONE ABSTENTION. THE REQUEST FOR OUTSIDE COUNCIL IS HEREBY APPROVED. EXECUTIVE REQUESTS FOR OUTSIDE COUNSEL, MR. BLOMQUIST. EVENING, SIR. GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL PRESIDENT, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. I'M HERE TO REQUEST OUTSIDE COUNSEL TO ASSIST THE DEPARTMENT OF LAW AND AT. AT THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE'S REQUEST WITH

[01:00:06]

IT'S KIND OF SURREAL TO BE BACK. THE GOOD PART IS BOB FORT BOB LOSS. THE SAD PART IS THAT WE ALL PAY. BUT TO MORE POSITIVE NOTES, I WANT TO THANK ALLISON. ALLISON. OVER THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF HAS STEPPED UP IN EXTRAORDINARY DIFFICULT SITUATION. SHE WAS PLACED INTO AN ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE ROLE AMID THE LEGAL CHALLENGES SURROUNDING MY SEAT ON THE HARFORD COUNTY COUNCIL, AND SHE ACCEPTED THAT RESPONSIBILITY WITH CLASS, DIGNITY AND UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO THE PEOPLE OF DISTRICT B. THROUGHOUT HER SERVICE, ALLISON SHOWED GENUINE CARE FOR OUR COMMUNITY. SHE'S APPROACHED EVERY ISSUE WITH THOUGHTFULNESS, RESPECT AND COMPASSION, ALWAYS WORKING TOWARDS WHAT WAS THE BEST FOR THE RESIDENTS THAT SHE REPRESENTED. SHE LISTENED, SHE WORKED HARD AND SHE CARRIED OUT HER DUTIES WITH PROFESSIONALISM AND GRACE. UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES, FEW PUBLIC SERVANTS SERVANTS WOULD EVER FACE. UNFORTUNATELY, ALLISON WAS OFTEN SUBJECT TO UNFAIR CRITICISM AND POLITICAL POSTURING, DRIVEN BY SELF-INTEREST RATHER THAN GENUINE CONCERN. CONCERN FOR THE COMMUNITY. SHE DIDN'T DESERVE THAT TREATMENT. THROUGH IT ALL, SHE STAYED FOCUSED ON SERVING OTHERS AND NEVER LOST SIGHT OF WHY SHE STEPPED FORWARD IN THE FIRST PLACE. TO MAKE SURE DISTRICT B CONTINUED TO HAVE A VOICE. HARFORD COUNTY OWES ALLISON EMHOFF A DEBT OF GRATITUDE FOR HER WILLINGNESS TO SERVE. WHEN CALLED UPON AND FOR HER DEDICATION, SHE SHOWED THROUGHOUT HER TIME ON THE COUNCIL HER LEADERSHIP, CHARACTER AND COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC SERVICE DESERVE TO BE COMMENDED AND REMEMBERED. I'M DEEPLY GRATEFUL FOR EVERYTHING ALLISON HAS DONE FOR OUR COMMUNITY. I'M PROUD TO FOLLOW HER SERVICE ON THE COUNCIL AND EVEN PROUDER TO CALL HER MY FRIEND. THANK YOU, ALLISON, FOR YOUR SACRIFICE, YOUR LEADERSHIP, AND YOUR UNWAVERING DEDICATION TO THE PEOPLE OF HARFORD COUNTY. THANK YOU. AGENDA NUMBER FOUR PRESENTATION OF PROCLAMATIONS. HARFORD COUNTY TEEN COURT PROGRAM VOLUNTEERS, AND MISS ROBERT. YES. I DON'T KNOW WHO'S HERE FROM THE TEEN COURT. THERE WE GO. MOVE! COUNCIL. I ANSWERED THAT QUESTION. WHEREAS HARFORD COUNTY TEEN COURT SERVES AS A VITAL DIVERSION PROGRAM FOR THE FIRST TIME OFFENDERS IN HARFORD COUNTY, EMPHASIZING EDUCATION,

[01:05:02]

THREE. TWO. ONE. THREE. TWO. ONE. THREE. TWO. ONE AND ONE MORE. THREE. TWO. ONE. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU EVERYBODY. ALL RIGHT. LET'S JUST MOVE ON TO THE BEL AIR. WE'RE STILL GOING.

BEL AIR HIGH SCHOOL BOYS LACROSSE REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP. MR. JOHN GIORDANO. YEAH, THEY'RE IN THE BACK. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO THANK ME ON ONE. GIVE ME THE SHORTER GUY NEXT TO ME. SO LET'S SEE. IS IT WORKING? YEAH. ABOUT A MONTH AGO, I GOT A CALL TO SEE IF I WANTED TO COME OUT AND SAY A COUPLE WORDS TO THE BEL AIR HIGH SCHOOL LACROSSE REGIONAL CHAMPIONS OVER AT MCGURK'S. THEY WERE HAVING THEIR ANNUAL PROPERTY. SO I SAID, ABSOLUTELY, AS A BOBCAT GRADUATE, I'M DOWN. OKAY. AS A BOBCAT GRADUATE, I'M GLAD THAT I WAS ABLE TO COME SAY HI AND JUST GET A COUPLE MINUTES TO CELEBRATE. UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAD TO BE HERE AT 6:00, SO I DIDN'T GET TO STAY LONG. BUT I DO HAVE A PROCLAMATION FOR YOU GUYS AND THE REST OF THE TEAM. SORRY, THE REST OF THEM AREN'T HERE, BUT I KNOW A LOT OF THEM ARE PLAYING LACROSSE. EVERYTHING. SO COACH, THANKS FOR COMING. WE APPRECIATE IT. AND THESE ARE THE TWO CAPTAINS. SO ANYWAY, WHERE IS THE BEL AIR HIGH SCHOOL BOYS LACROSSE TEAM DEMONSTRATED EXCEPTIONAL TEAMWORK, DETERMINATION, DISCIPLINE AND SPORTSMANSHIP THROUGH THE 2026 SEASON, PROUDLY REPRESENTING THE COMMUNITY ON AND OFF THE FIELD.

AND WHEREAS THE BEL AIR BOBCATS EARNED THE 2026MPSSAA CLASS TWO A REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP WITH IMPRESSIVE POSTSEASON VICTORIES OVER SEA MOUNTAIN HIGH SCHOOL BY A SCORE OF 7 TO 4, AND NORTH HARFORD HIGH SCHOOL BY A SCORE OF 11 TO 3. AND WHEREAS THE ACHIEVEMENT MARKS THE THIRD

[01:10:04]

AWESOME. COUNCIL MEMBER, IF WE CAN HAVE YOU MOVE THIS WAY. EVERYBODY IN THE BACK. GREAT.

ONE MORE STEP. THAT WAY. WE'RE GOING TO CENTER THIS FLAGS. AWESOME. 321321321 AND ONE MORE.

321. THANK YOU EVERYBODY. ALL RIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO MIAMI TO PLAY. SHE'S GOT A REAL TOUGH.

CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU SIR. THANK YOU EVERYONE. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU GENTLEMEN CONGRATS CONGRATS. COUNCIL WILL NOW BE ACTING IN THE CAPACITY OF THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS AND WILL RETURN TO REGULAR LEGISLATIVE SESSION THEREAFTER. FIVE CONSIDERATION OF PETITIONS, APPLICATIONS, APPOINTMENTS AND NOMINATIONS. ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS, CASE NUMBER 6002.

MATTHEW WATSON, MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE HEARING EXAMINER'S RECOMMENDED DECISION DATED MAY 1ST, 2026. I MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE HEARING NOTES FROM MAY. I FORGOT THE DATE OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD. WHAT'D YOU SAY? MAY 1ST, 2026 FOR A CASE NUMBER 6002. THANK YOU. MAY I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. MR. PENMAN? THANK YOU. IT'S BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND, TO UPHOLD THE HEARING EXAMINER'S DECISION ON 6002. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION, MR. PRESIDENT, I JUST WANTED TO HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH THE ZONING APPEALS CASE. I'M FAMILIAR WITH THIS CASE WHEN IT WAS ORIGINALLY BEFORE THE COUNCIL. I HAVE REVIEWED THE FILES IN THE HEARING AS WELL, SO I'M PREPARED TO VOTE ON IT BASED OFF MY KNOWLEDGE AND REVIEW OF THE CASE. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? MR. BENNETT, AS WELL? I WAS ABSENT THE FIRST MEETING OF JUNE, BUT I WAS ABLE TO WATCH ONLINE AND REVIEW THE CASE, AND I FEEL FAMILIAR WITH THE CASE AND COMFORTABLE VOTING ON THIS MATTER. ANYONE ELSE, MISS DIXON, MR. PRESIDENT, I, MRS. ROBERT I MR. PENMAN I MR. GIORDANO NO. MR. RILEY I MRS. I MR. BENNETT I THERE BEING SIX VOTES IN THE

[01:15:02]

THANK YOU. COUNTY COUNCIL PRESIDENT VICENTE AND COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERS. IT'S AN HONOR TO BE HERE WITH YOU TODAY, AN OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THE ANNUAL REPORT OF THE JAMES V CAPTAIN JIM MCMAHON COMMISSION ON VETERANS AFFAIRS. WHAT I'LL DO TONIGHT IS I'M GOING TO PRESENT THE HIGHLIGHTS. I'M GOING TO CONCENTRATE MAJOR MAJORLY ON THE EVENTS THAT HAPPEN AND LOOK AT SOME OF THE NEW THINGS. THE REPORT THAT YOU HAVE, THE ANNUAL REPORT THAT YOU HAVE GOES INTO A LOT MORE DEPTH. AND IF YOU WANT ME TO TALK ABOUT ANY OF THOSE THINGS, I'M PREPARED TO DO THAT. BUT AN INTEREST OF TIME, I'LL GO THROUGH AND LOOK AT SOME OF THOSE THERE. LET ME GO HERE. THERE WE GO. I'M GOING TO FOLLOW THIS GENERAL AGENDA HERE AS I GO THROUGH THE DIFFERENT ONES THERE. YEP. OKAY. THE MISSION AND THE VISION. BASICALLY WHAT OUR JOB IS TO PROVIDE RESOURCES TO PROVIDE THOSE CONNECTIONS AND ASSISTANCE TO VETERANS, MILITARY AND THEIR FAMILIES.

I'LL TALK ABOUT HOW WE DO THAT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. OUR MEMBERSHIP DIDN'T REALLY CHANGE THROUGH THE YEAR EXCEPT FOR TWO. COUNCILMAN JOHN GIORDANO WAS NEW, ADDED THERE. AND THEN COLONEL TROY JOHNSON AS THE APG COMMANDER. HE HAS ONE YEAR LEFT IN THE POSITION. OKAY, THE KICK OFF WITH OUR VETERANS RESOURCE FAIR THIS YEAR, WE HAD ABOUT I SAY THIS YEAR, I MEAN, THIS YEAR THAT I'M REPORTING ON HERE, WE HAD ABOUT 800 PEOPLE SHOW UP, WHICH IS ABOUT ABOUT THE SAME AS WE'VE HAD IN THE LAST YEAR. WE HAD 38 VENDORS, WHICH IS A PLUS THREE FROM 2025. AND THAT'S REALLY SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE IF YOU REMEMBER DURING THAT TIME WHAT HAPPENED WAS, WAS GOVERNMENT SHUT DOWN. SO A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS, YOU KNOW, WE HAD TO WORK WITH THEM, SEE WHAT WE COULD DO TO GET THEM TO COME. THE ONLY ONES THAT REALLY HAD TO FEEL A LITTLE BIT DOWN ON WAS VBA WITH THE CLAIMS PEOPLE THERE, BUT WE BACKFILLED THEM WITH OTHER WITH OTHER PEOPLE, WITH THE DISABLED, AMERICAN VETERANS, THE AMERICAN LEGION AND DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AND MILITARY FAMILIES. SO WE BACKFILLED THEM WITH THEM. SO THERE WASN'T ANY DEGRADATION THERE TO WHAT WE WERE DOING. AND THE MAIN THING IS, IS, AS YOU ALL KNOW, IT'S A ONE STOP SHOP. IT'S ONE STOP. PEOPLE CAN COME THERE AND DO A LOT WITHIN THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, AS WELL AS STATE AND FEDERAL. THE OTHER ONE AT THE BOTTOM CORNER, WE HAVE THE WE ALL SERVE HIKE AND THAT'S. IT'S OUR SECOND YEAR OF DOING THIS. WE ALL SERVE HIKE. AND THE PURPOSE OF THAT, WE HAD ABOUT 200 PARTICIPANTS. THE PURPOSE OF THAT IS REALLY TO EMPHASIZE A FAMILY AND CAREGIVER ROLE. WHEN WE SAY WE ALL SERVE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST SUICIDE, WE ALL SERVE. WE ALL SERVE IN PART OF THAT ROLE. AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO BRING OUT. AND WHAT WE FOUND HERE WAS INSTEAD OF HAVING LIKE A RESOURCE FAIR INSIDE OF A ROOM WHERE PEOPLE COME, PEOPLE COME THERE. WE HAVE SOME TABLES SET UP, BUT THEY WALK. THEY WALK ALL THE WAY THROUGH. YOU'LL SEE THE HORSES THERE. CHESAPEAKE THERAPEUTIC RIDING WAS THERE FOR THE KIDS AND WE HAD THE FAMILIES THERE. WE HAVE HOT DOGS. I DON'T KNOW HOW GOOD OF AN IDEAS HAVE HOT DOGS FOR BREAKFAST, BUT WE HAVE HOT DOGS FOR BREAKFAST. AND YOU KNOW, WE GO THROUGH THERE AND DO THAT. AND WE HAD ABOUT 200 PEOPLE SHOW UP AND THEN COUNTY, STATE AND LOCAL VETERANS SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL. A NEW INITIATIVE, THIS YEAR'S MISSION STRONG SUMMIT, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THIS, BUT THIS IS THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AND MILITARY FAMILIES. AND THEY ADDED THAT MILITARY FAMILIES PART ON THERE TO REALLY CONCENTRATE ON THE MILITARY FAMILY, BUT ALSO VETERAN FAMILIES WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, BECAUSE AS THEY WENT OUT AND AS THEY LOOKED, THEY FOUND IN IN SOME CASES, IN SOME OF THE COMMUNITIES, THERE WAS NOT A LINK BETWEEN THE TWO. SO WHAT THIS DID WAS BROUGHT IN ABOUT 80 DIFFERENT PEOPLE THERE FROM DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS AND LOOKED AT ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, THE LEADERSHIP THERE, DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS THERE AS WELL AS THE COUNTY AND THEN WITH WITH THE FEDERAL IN THERE AND SAID, OKAY, HOW DO WE HOW CAN WE WORK BETTER TOGETHER? FOR EXAMPLE, MORALE, WELFARE AND RECREATION WITHIN, WITHIN THE POST? HOW CAN THEY WORK BETTER WITH OUR RECREATION HERE? HOW CAN WE DO THINGS TOGETHER ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE BOARD THERE? GREAT. AND WE'RE THE THIRD COUNTY TO HAVE THAT. IN THE PAST, THEY'VE ALREADY HAD FORT MEADE. THEY'VE HAD A ONE DOWN AT JOINT BASE ANDREWS AND THEN AND HAVE COME HERE. SO IT WAS A HUGE SUCCESS THERE, FOCUSED ON THREE SPECIFIC GROUPS, WHICH WERE THE MILITARY CHILDREN, SPOUSES AND CAREGIVERS, AND THEN TRANSITIONING SERVICE MEMBERS. AGAIN, HOW WHEN SOMEONE COMES INTO THIS COMMUNITY, WHETHER THEY'RE A VETERAN AND WE HAVE VETERANS AND MILITARY, HOW ARE THEY EMBRACED? WHAT DO WE DO? HOW DO WE SET THEM UP, SET THEM UP FOR SUCCESS IN THE SCHOOLS, BUSINESSES ACROSS THE BOARD

[01:20:05]

SOMETIMES YOU GET THOSE BIG FILES, THEY GO THROUGH THEM. SO THAT'S REALLY A BIG THING. WE GOT 120 120 VETERANS SAW SOMEBODY THERE, 50 VETERANS SIGNED UP FOR HEALTH CARE, WHICH IF I COULD. ONE THING I WOULD TELL PEOPLE IS FOR A VETERAN WHO JUST SIGN UP TO GET IN THE VA, BECAUSE WHEN I NORMALLY HEAR ABOUT THEM IS YOU'RE 70, 80, 90 YEARS OLD AND SOMEONE COMES TO ME AND SAYS, I NEED TO GET MY SPOUSE INTO PERRY POINT. I NEED TO GET MY SPOUSE IN THERE. AND IT TAKES A WHILE SIGN IN EARLY AND THEN WE CAN, PEOPLE CAN GET YOU IN A LOT, A LOT EASIER, A LOT QUICKER THAT WAY. THE ANOTHER NEW INITIATIVE, THE VETERAN SERVICE ORGANIZATION, WE CALL IT OPEN MIC. I MENTIONED LAST YEAR WHEN I WAS HERE ABOUT HOW WE WE WOULD GO OUT. WE WENT OUT TO ALL THE DIFFERENT. 16 DIFFERENT VETERANS SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS, SAT DOWN WITH THEM AND LISTENED TO WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME OUT OF IT WAS, YOU KNOW, WE MAY BE THE LEGIONS, WE MAY BE THE VFW, THE MO, THE DAV, EVERYTHING ELSE. BUT A LOT OF TIMES WE DON'T GET TOGETHER AND TALK. WE'RE SILOED. SO HOW ABOUT IF YOU, YOU ALL COUNTY HOLD A SESSION WHERE YOU COME TOGETHER AND WE LET US ALLOW US TO TALK. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING QUARTERLY. WE'RE BRINGING THEM IN. IT'S A HYBRID SESSION BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE SAID THEY. THEY DON'T WANT TO DO THE COMPUTER. THEY WANT TO COME IN.

SO WE COME IN AND OTHER ONES SAY, NO, I DON'T HAVE TIME TO GO IN. WE DO IT THAT WAY. AND AN ADDED BONUS THERE IS THE THE LAST COUPLE OF TIMES THE SECRETARY OF THE VA FOR FOR MARYLAND WAS THERE AS WELL AS THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE. SO THEY'RE HEARING THIS FIRSTHAND.

THESE ARE THE KIND OF THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON RIGHT THEN. SO WE CAN WE CAN TALK ABOUT THOSE. WE CAN WE CAN DISCUSS THEM THERE. AND I MENTIONED LAST YEAR AND THIS, YOU KNOW, AS WELL AS THE SUICIDE PREVENTION CRISIS INTERCEPT MAPPING INITIATIVE IN HARFORD COUNTY IS SOMETHING TO BE PROUD OF BECAUSE THAT OUR CRISIS INTERCEPT MAPPING INITIATIVE IS RECOGNIZED AS THE LEADER WITHIN THE STATE. AND WITHIN THIS PAST YEAR, WE ALSO RECOGNIZED WITHIN THE COUNTRY. WE WERE CALLED ON HARFORD COUNTY TO GO ON THE NATIONAL SAMHSA, WHICH IS A SUICIDE AND MENTAL HEALTH. THE PREVENTION TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING IN HARFORD COUNTY AND DOING SOME THINGS THERE. AND AS YOU ALL KNOW, MARYLAND HAS A REALLY ONE OF THE LOWEST AS FAR AS STATE SUICIDE RATES, BUT STILL ONE IS TOO MANY. AND NO, NATIONALLY, IT'S BROUGHT DOWN FROM 22 TO 17.3. BUT OUR GOAL IS TO KEEP BRINGING THAT KEEP BRINGING THAT DOWN. THE VERSUS NON VSO PARTNER OUTREACH, ANOTHER NEW INITIATIVE. WE HAVE TO GO OUT TO THE VSOS. WE SAID, WELL WHAT ABOUT THE BUSINESSES? WHAT ABOUT THE THE THE SCHOOL? WHAT ABOUT HARFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE? WHAT ABOUT SOME OF THESE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS? THEY DO STUFF FOR VETERANS. LET'S BRING THEM IN. LET'S TALK TO WHAT ABOUT WHAT THEY DO. SO WE'VE ADDED THEM AND WE'RE GOING TO PUT THEM WITHIN OUR WITHIN OUR RESOURCE GUIDE THAT WE PUBLISH. WE HOPE TO TIE THE INTERVIEWS UP BY THE END OF JUNE AND THEN GET ALL THAT, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF, AGAIN, A LOT OF THINGS THAT GO ON WITHIN THE COMMUNITY OUTSIDE OF THE VETERANS SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS. THE. I'LL TALK ABOUT OUTREACH AND SUPPORT. WHAT WE FOUND IS WE DID THE. OF COURSE, WE HAD THE. IN AT EDGEWOOD WITH THE CLAIMS CLINIC, AND BEL AIR HAS OUR VETERANS RESOURCE FAIR. BUT NOW WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT JARRETTSVILLE. SO WE WANT TO COVER AS MUCH AS THE COUNTY AS POSSIBLE. WE WANT TO GO TO THE PEOPLE INSTEAD OF SAYING, OKAY, YOU NEED TO COME TO US NOW. WE STILL GO OUT. WE STILL DO HOUSE CALLS. I CALL IT BOAT CALLS. I HAVE ONE GUY WHO LIVES ON A BOAT GO SEE HIM THERE. BUT WHEREVER, WHEREVER IT MAY HAPPEN TO BE, WE WILL GO THERE. BUT THIS IS KIND OF AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING ALL THESE DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS TOGETHER. WE'RE DOING JARRETTSVILLE THIS YEAR ON JULY 30TH IS WHEN WE'LL HAVE A THING.

WE'LL HAVE JARRETTSVILLE MCCOMAS HELPED TO SPONSOR IT. SO WE DO THAT UP THERE. AND THE OTHER ONE I WANT TO OF THESE I WANT TO BRING UP IS THE THE FREEDOM 250 MOBILE MUSEUM.

HOPEFULLY YOU HAD A CHANCE. SOMEBODY HAD A CHANCE TO GO IN THERE AND SEE THAT. I MEAN, THAT WAS JUST OUTSTANDING. OVER 3000 PEOPLE WENT THROUGH THERE. HATS OFF TO POST 39 AMERICAN LEGION POST 39. WHEN IT WAS FIRST ANNOUNCED THAT PEOPLE COULD GO AND DO THESE, THEY DIDN'T WAIT. I KNOW SOME ORGANIZATIONS SAID, WELL, WHERE ARE WE GOING TO HOLD IT? HOW DO WE DO? THEY JUST BOOM. THEY IN TRUE MILITARY FASHION, THEY WENT IN. THEY. THEY WENT OUT AND THEY GOT IT AND SAID, OKAY, NOW WHAT DO WE DO? YOU KNOW, SO WHERE ARE WE GOING TO PUT IT? HOW ARE WE GOING TO MAKE THAT WORK? SO OVER 3000 PEOPLE WENT THROUGH THIS. IT'S A GREAT

[01:25:04]

WE ONLY GO TO ONE COUNTY, YOU KNOW, AND THEN BECAUSE THERE'S ONLY THERE'S SIX OF US IN THE ENTIRE NATION, SO WE CAN'T AFFORD TO KEEP COMING BACK AND BACK, THEY SAID. BUT HARFORD COUNTY HAS BEEN SO HOSPITABLE. YOU GUYS BEND OVER BACKWARDS FOR US. IF THE OPPORTUNITY COMES, WE WILL PUT IN OUR WORD TO SAY WE WANT TO COME BACK. AND NOW YOU PROBABLY KNOW THEY'RE COMING BACK TO HAVE A DECREASE ON JULY 8TH AND NINTH. SO IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN OUT THERE OR EVEN IF YOU HAVE, I THINK IT'S A GOOD, GOOD CHANCE TO GO TO THE STAR CENTER AND, AND SEE THEM THERE. THE LISTENING TO THE THE YOUNG PEOPLE HERE EARLIER TODAY ARE VETERANS REGIONAL TREATMENT COURT, SOME SIMILARITIES IN THEIR, YOU KNOW, WHICH IS WHICH IS GOOD. YOU SEE, IF YOU LOOK IT UP IN THE REGIONAL. I MENTIONED IT LAST YEAR, BUT I THINK IT'S WORTH REPEATING SOME OF THIS. IT'S THE VOLUNTARY COURT SUPERVISED PROGRAM. IT'S JUST AS INVOLVED VETERANS FACING MISDEMEANORS WITH INTENSIVE TREATMENT FROM THE VA.

AND THE KEY THING THERE IS THEY NEED MENTORS. AND WE NOW HAVE A MENTOR, TOM KNAPP HERE FROM THE VETERANS COMMISSION, GOES DOWN THERE, SOMETIMES UP TO THREE TIMES A WEEK, TALKS WITH THEM.

HE HAS A GROUP THAT HE WORKS WITH DOWN THERE. AND SO WE'RE HELPING WITHIN HARFORD COUNTY, AND THERE ARE HARFORD COUNTY PEOPLE THERE TO HELP THEM TO GO THROUGH THIS. INTERESTINGLY, THIS PROGRAM HAS A 2% SYMBOLISM AND 89% OF THE PEOPLE IN THE PROGRAM COMPLETE IT. SO IT'S IT WORKS. IT REALLY IT REALLY WORKS. ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES. I'LL TOUCH ON JUST THE FIRST TWO. THE FIRST WAS KIND OF INTERESTING. THE DISABLED VETERANS, UPLAND BIRD HUNT BY GOD'S OUTDOOR ANGELS. THEY HAD A GENTLEMAN COME TO ME AND HE SAID, YOU KNOW, WE DO THIS, THIS UPLAND BIRD HUNT. WE ALSO GO OUT AND WE DO FISHING IN THE CHESAPEAKE, AND WE HAVE BIG GAME HUNTS IN TEXAS. AND HIS ORGANIZATION IS IN HARFORD COUNTY. HE SAYS, THE STRANGE THING IS NOBODY FROM HARFORD COUNTY APPLIES. SO HE CAME. AND SO WORKING WITH THE ADAPTIVE SPORTS PEOPLE AT THE VA AND HERE WE WERE ABLE TO GET A GROUP TO GO OUT. AND THEY'RE KIND OF THAT THAT ORANGE ORANGE VEST RIGHT THERE ON A WARM WINTER DAY, WHICH WAS A SURPRISE ON A WARM WINTER DAY. AND GO OUT AND DO THAT ALL PAID FOR BY THEM, GO THROUGH EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING IS DONE. AND THE ONLY CONDITION TO IT IS THAT THEY HAVE TO HAVE A 10% OR GREATER COMPENSATION RATING FROM THE FROM THE VA, AND THEY ONLY GO ONCE. SO YOU CAN'T GO ON ONE THERE AND ONE ON THE ON THE ON THE FISHING, BUT IT'S OPEN. WE PUT THIS OUT ON THE DIFFERENT WEBSITES FOR PEOPLE TO GO. HE'S STILL LOOKING FOR PEOPLE. EVERYTHING IS EVERYTHING IS PAID FOR. SO IT'S REALLY, REALLY GOOD FROM HIM. AND THE OTHER ONE, YOU MAY REMEMBER LAST YEAR WHEN I CAME HERE, I TALKED ABOUT A VETERAN THAT WE HAD IN BEL AIR WHO DIED SUDDENLY, AND WE FOUND OUT LATER ON THAT THE WHAT HAD HAPPENED WAS HIS FAMILY SAID THAT THEY DID NOT WANT THE BODY. SO THEY TOOK THE BODY OF THIS VETERAN AND THEY SHIPPED HIM OFF DOWN TO DOWN TO THE THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND MEDICAL SYSTEM FOR DISPOSAL. I TALKED WITH THE DIRECTOR OF THE BALTIMORE VA NATIONAL CEMETERY AND. AND I SAID, WE HAVE WHAT CAN WE DO? WE DO? AND SHE SAID, I GOT IT. SHE PUT THINGS INTO MOTION TO GET HIM FROM THERE. THEY PAID FOR THE COMPLETE CREMATION CEREMONY. AND YOU SEE THOSE TWO PICTURES THERE ON YOUR LEFT. THEY HAD A FULL MILITARY COMMITTAL SERVICE THERE. THEY HAD THE THE WRITERS WERE THERE. THEY HAD EVERYONE FROM THAT VA, FROM THAT CEMETERY CAME OUT FOR LAST RESPECTS TO THIS GENTLEMAN. AND NOW HE IS BURIED, BURIED DOWN THERE. SO MY POINT THERE BEING IS THAT IT REALLY DOES TAKE A COMMUNITY TO WORK TOGETHER. THERE'S SOMETIMES THAT THAT EASY. NO, YOU HAVE TO GO FOR THE HARD. YES. HOW DO YOU HOW DO YOU GET THERE? HOW DO YOU MAKE MAKE THAT THAT HAPPEN? YOU KNOW, AGAIN, MY HAT'S OFF TO MY HAT'S OFF TO HER FOR MAKING, YOU KNOW. SARAH MARLOW, DIRECTOR THERE FOR MAKING THIS MAKING THIS THING WORK. OUR ASSISTANCE REQUESTS ARE UP CONSIDERABLY FROM LAST YEAR, 22% FROM WHERE WE WERE LAST YEAR. YOU KNOW, WHY IS THIS? I THINK IT'S A COUPLE THINGS. ONE IS THAT PEOPLE KNOW THAT THE VETERANS COMMISSION IS OUT THERE, THAT WE CAN HELP PEOPLE. WE HAVE PRETTY GOOD SUCCESS RATE, NOT 100% SUCCESS RATE. BUT AND THE OTHER THING IS THAT WE'RE NOW FINDING THAT THE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AND MILITARY FAMILIES, THEY'LL SEND PEOPLE TO US WHEN THEY CAN'T HANDLE IT. OR. AND ALSO ALONG WITH THAT, WE'LL GET. SOMETIMES THE VA WILL WILL PARTNER WITH US AND SAY, WE HAVE SOMEBODY THEY NEED. THEY NEED SOMETHING. WHAT DOES YOUR COUNTY. BECAUSE THE COUNTY OFFERS A LOT. THEY REALLY. PARTICULARLY WITHIN THE HOUSING AND HOMELESS AND OTHER THINGS, THERE REALLY IS A LOT THAT IS OFFERED. SO WE CAN KIND OF DO THAT. THE SUPPORT THERE THAT GOES, THAT GOES THROUGH. SO WE'RE VERY, VERY PROUD OF, OF DOING, DOING THOSE TYPES OF THINGS. OUR SOCIAL MEDIA COMMUNICATION IS, IS REALLY THE,

[01:30:05]

INSTEAD OF WHY CAN'T YOU HELP ME MORE SO, BUT IT'S IT WAS NICE, NICE TO GET THOSE OUR PARTNER IN SUPPORT KEY THING HERE IS WE HAVE THREE LEVELS OF SUPPORT FEDERAL AND THE STATE AND THE LOCAL. AND THAT'S WHAT WE REALLY HAVE TO. WE ARE REALLY DEPEND ON RIGHT THERE.

NOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU KNOW ABOUT THE MY ARMY POST APP OR MAP AS IT'S CALLED. IT IS A FANTASTIC RESOURCE. ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND HAS A MOST USERS AND HITS OF ANY POST, WHICH IS AMAZING WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY AND WHAT THAT WHAT WE'VE DONE NOW, WE'VE PARTNERED WITH THEM. SO IF YOU GO ON THIS MY ARMY POST, YOU CAN YOU CAN CALL IT UP EITHER ANDROID OR WITHIN IPHONE AND YOU CAN PUT IN ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, WHATEVER POST YOU WANT. AND ONCE YOU DO THAT AND GO IN THERE AND YOU LOOK, YOU CAN SEE WHEN IS THE GATE OPEN, ALL THE SPECIFICS ON EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON. AND WITH THEY JUST TIED IN THROUGH HELLO HARFORD. THEY TIED IN ALL OF OUR EVENTS WITHIN THE COUNTY. SO HERE'S ONE APP THAT HAS EVERYTHING ON IT. SO AGAIN, TROY JOHNSON, THE COLONEL, COLONEL JOHNSON MADE THIS HAPPEN WAS A PRIORITY FOR HIM AND GOT THIS THING DONE. SO WE'RE VERY, VERY HAPPY THAT THAT'S THAT THAT'S ALL THE WAY THROUGH THERE. OUR GOALS FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR, WE WANT TO FINISH OUR OUTREACH, SUCCESSFUL RESOURCE FAIR, AND WE WANT TO IMPROVE OUR CONTINUE TO IMPROVE OUR WEBSITE. SO THOSE ARE THINGS WE JUST WANT TO CONTINUE ON WHAT WE'VE WHAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON. AND THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE THINK THAT WE CAN FINISH WITHIN THE NEXT THE NEXT SIX MONTHS. SO CONCLUSION. WHERE ARE WE? IT'S THE REALLY THE INTERAGENCY AND THE MILITARY COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS THAT BROUGHT US WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW. IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE OUTSTANDING SUPPORT FROM THE COUNTY LEADERSHIP FROM YOU ALL FROM THE COUNTY ORGANIZATION, STATE FEDERAL ORGANIZATIONS WOULD HELP US AND MAKE US MAKE US GO. AND OVER THE PAST YEAR, WE HAVE PROVIDED MORE SERVICES AND HELP MORE VETERANS, REALLY, THAN WE EVER HAVE IN ANY PAST YEARS. I LOOK THROUGH WHAT'S GOING ON. IT'S AGAIN, IT'S A CREDIT TO EVERYBODY. AND IT'S IT'S THAT TEAM OF TEAMS, AS GENERAL MCCHRYSTAL USED TO SAY, YOU HAVE TO HAVE THAT TEAM OF TEAMS, OF PEOPLE WORKING TOGETHER TOWARDS THE SAME GOAL, TOWARDS THE SAME FOCUS. WITH THAT, THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION, AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. SO, SIR, YOU'VE HEARD ME SAY THIS BEFORE AND I STAND BY MY COMMENTS TONIGHT. CLEARLY, YOUR ROLE HAS HELPED THIS ORGANIZATION BE MUCH MORE SUCCESSFUL THAN IT'S EVER BEEN IN THE PAST. I KNOW WHEN I CALL YOU WITH ISSUES, YOU'RE ALWAYS ON IT. YOU ALWAYS HELP THE PEOPLE IN NEED. YOU JUST TALKED ABOUT IT AGAIN WITH A VETERAN THAT PASSED AND NO ONE WANTED TO CLAIM THE BODY.

YOU GUYS FOUND SOMEONE TO HELP GET THAT TAKEN CARE OF. AND THE BOAT CALL. I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT. A BOAT CALL, SOMEONE LIVING ON A BOAT? IS THAT WHAT YOU SAID? YES. WE THERE ARE INHABITED GRACE. THERE ARE SEVERAL LIVE ONS AND A LOT OF THEM ARE VETERANS. AND FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER, THEY DON'T HAVE A HOUSE. THEY LIVE ON A BOAT ALL YEAR ROUND. AND I MAY HAVE TALKED TO YOU ABOUT THIS BEFORE, BUT I'M GOING TO NEED YOUR HELP WITH LOCATING MY FATHER'S DD214. AT SOME POINT. I'D LIKE TO REACH OUT TO YOU AGAIN WITH THAT. OKAY. MR. MR. GINGER, THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT. SO, BOB KNOWN YOU FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS, AND I CAME TO YOU WITH SOME NEEDS FOR SOMEBODY THAT A FRATERNITY BROTHER CALLED AND SAID HIS BROTHER WAS A, YOU KNOW, WAS A VETERAN AND HAD SOME ISSUES. AND I CALLED YOU AND YOU WERE AMAZING GETTING HIM MOVED INTO A PLACE AND EVERYTHING. SO I'M GLAD THAT I'M ON THE VETERANS COMMISSION. AND I KNOW WE, WE WORK TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GOT PEOPLE TO SHOW UP WHEN WE DID THE FARMERS MARKET. I DON'T THINK WE DID IT EARLY ENOUGH. SO I KNOW THIS THIS YEAR COMING UP, I'D LIKE TO GET OUT TWO MONTHS AHEAD OF TIME AND JUST BE THERE. AND JUST BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE CAME UP AND, AND DIDN'T KNOW THAT THERE WAS A, A FAIR AND THEY WERE REAL APPRECIATIVE OF IT. AND, AND I SAW A LOT OF THEM THAT SHOWED UP THAT DAY, AS WELL AS THE GUY THAT YOU HELPED. HE MADE SURE HE CAME TO THAT FAIR JUST TO SAY HI AND SAY, SAY THANK YOU. SO I SEE WHAT YOU DO FOR EVERYBODY, FOR THE COMMUNITY AND HOW MUCH YOU GUYS

[01:35:02]

THANK YOU, MR. PENMAN. THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. BOB, I ALSO WANT TO THANK YOU. I WORK WITH YOU FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS NOW HELPING VETERANS. AND YOU TALK ABOUT A TEAM AND YOU HAVE A GREAT TEAM, BUT YOU'RE A GREAT LEADER. AND I'VE SEEN FIRSTHAND THESE VETERANS AFFAIRS AND THE PROGRAMS THAT YOU BRING IN DISAPPOINTMENT THAT THE VA COULDN'T PARTICIPATE LAST YEAR, BUT HOPEFULLY THIS YEAR THEY WILL. BUT IT'S A TREMENDOUS RESOURCE FOR THEM. AND HAVING SERVED FOUR YEARS IN THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS, I UNDERSTAND WHAT IT TAKES AND WHAT WE NEED IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND THEN FOR THE NEXT GENERATION, MY MY SON IN LAW, STEVEN IS HERE. HE'S AN AIR FORCE VETERAN. THE YOUNGER GENERATION, THE OLDER GENERATION LIKE US, AND EVEN MY SON, MY SON SERVED FOUR YEARS IN THE MARINE CORPS. HE WAS IN HIS SOPHOMORE YEAR OF COLLEGE JUST NOW, AND HE JUST GOT CALLED BACK. HE WAS IN IRR AND HE'S BEING DEPLOYED TO CUBA ON THURSDAY. SO WHEN HE COMES BACK, HE'S GOING TO NEED THESE RESOURCES. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE FOR THE VETERANS. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. BENNETT. HELLO. GOOD EVENING. AND AGAIN, THANK YOU. THESE PRESENTATIONS EACH YEAR AND THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE BETWEEN EACH PRESENTATION IS A TRUE HIGHLIGHT FOR ME OF THESE PAST FOUR YEARS ON THE COUNCIL. I THINK IT'S A TREMENDOUS SUCCESS. EACH THING THAT YOU'VE ACCOMPLISHED, I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT AN ORGANIZATION LOCALLY THAT MIGHT BE WORTH CONNECTING WITH, WHICH IS CALLED UPROOTED CHESAPEAKE. THEY CAME AND PRESENTED TO US AS A COUNCIL, I THINK, IN THE PAST YEAR, AND THEY FOCUS ON SUPPORTING MILITARY KIDS AND HELPING THEM BOTH. YOU KNOW, THE ONES WHO ARE STILL IN THE ACTIVE EVERY TWO YEAR MOVE AND THOSE WHO HAVE SETTLED DOWN INTO HARFORD COUNTY AND HELPING THEM HAVE COMMUNITY AND SUPPORT. AND, YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU SAID, IT TAKES A VILLAGE AND IT IMPACTS THE WHOLE FAMILY SERVICE. SO I THOUGHT I'D LOVE TO SET UP A MEETING FOR YOU TO MEET WITH THE PEOPLE WHO RUN UPROOTED CHESAPEAKE AND SEE IF THERE'S ANY WAY YOU GUYS CAN OVERLAP IN WHAT YOU DO. YES, SIR. ACTUALLY, I MET MEL AND IN THERE, AND SHE WAS A KEY PERSON, AND WE WANT TO DO MORE WITH HER AND HER HUSBAND IN THE THAT THE SUMMIT THAT WE TALKED ABOUT. SO THANK YOU FOR REMINDING ME OF THAT. WE'LL DEFINITELY HAVE TO CONTACT HER AGAIN. YEAH. SHE'S A REALLY AMAZING PERSON. THEY'RE A GREAT EXAMPLE OF LIKE WHAT I CALL BOOMERANG FAMILIES. THERE'S A LOT OF ACTIVE MILITARY FAMILIES WHO COME THROUGH HARFORD COUNTY BECAUSE OF APG, AND THEN WHEN THEY RETIRE, THEY CHOOSE TO COME BACK. AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THEY DID. I TAUGHT THEIR SON WHEN HE WAS IN KINDERGARTEN AND COME MIDDLE SCHOOL. THEY WERE BACK HERE, AND THEY CHOSE TO COME BACK HERE BECAUSE THEY SAW THIS AS A COMMUNITY WORTH BEING IN. AND SO BUT YEAH, I THINK FINDING WAYS TO SUPPORT THOSE MILITARY KIDS IS REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY GO THROUGH SO MUCH. BUT AGAIN, I APPRECIATE ALL THAT YOU DO. THANK YOU SIR. THANK YOU, MR. BENNETT. ANYONE ELSE? SIR, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. SEVEN APPROVAL OF MINUTES PUBLIC HEARING JUNE 9TH, 2026. LEGISLATIVE DAY 26019 JUNE 9TH, 2026. ARE THERE ANY CORRECTIONS TO THE MINUTES? THERE BEING NO CORRECTIONS, THE MINUTES STAND APPROVED. EIGHT INTRODUCTION AND CONSIDERATION OF RESOLUTIONS. MR. JORDAN, PLEASE READ RESOLUTION 01226 INTO THE RECORD RESOLUTION 012-26 PERFORMANCE AND OPERATIONAL AUDITS FISCAL YEAR 2027. INTRODUCED BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT VICENTE, A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY AUDITOR TO CONDUCT OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE AUDITING PROCEDURES, INCLUDING THE FISCAL YEAR 2027 ANNUAL AUDIT PLAN. THANK YOU RESOLUTION 01226, WHICH IS THE ORDER UPDATE. MISS BROOKS, WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME FORWARD? OKAY. GOOD EVENING SIR. HOW ARE YOU, SIR? COUNCIL. I'LL JUST BE LOUD ENOUGH IN CASE THIS IS.

HELLO. ALL RIGHT. SO ANNUALLY SO RESOLUTION 1226 ANNUALLY. WE BRING OUR AUDIT PLAN TO THE COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL. THIS PROCESS STARTS EARLIER IN THE SPRING WHEN WE DO A REEVALUATION OF OUR RISK ASSESSMENT. WE WILL LOOK AT ALL THE COUNTY BUSINESS PROCESSES.

WE LOOK TO SEE WHAT THEY ARE, WHAT CAN GO WRONG, HOW BAD CAN IT GO WRONG? WHEN WAS THE LAST

[01:40:01]

WE MAY PERFORM SOME TESTING. WE'RE ALSO GOING TO INCLUDE THE ACCOUNTS PAYABLE AUDIT THERE.

WE'RE LOOKING JUST TO ENSURE THAT ONLY VALID VENDORS AND DEBTS ARE PAID BY THE COUNTY.

SO WE HAVEN'T HAD ISSUES WITH THAT AUDIT IN THE PAST. I THINK RECENTLY WE PERFORMED IN 21 AND 2024, BUT IT IS HIGHER UP ON THE RISK ASSESSMENT. SO WE DO LIKE TO LOOK AT THAT EVERY THREE OR SO YEARS. INCOME TAX REVENUE. WE'RE INCLUDING THAT IN THE AUDIT PLAN. THEY'RE JUST LOOKING TO CONFIRM THAT THE COUNTY'S INCOME TAX REVENUE IS CORRECT. THAT'S ADMINISTRATION ADMINISTERED BY THE STATE OF MARYLAND. SO WE'LL MEET WITH THE REVENUE ADMINISTRATION DIVISION AND PERFORM SOME DATA ANALYSIS. AND AS I SAID, JUST TO ENSURE THE INCOME TAX RECEIVED WAS CORRECT, WE'RE ALSO GOING TO INCLUDE THE FLEET MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT PROCESS.

SO THERE THE FLEET MAINTENANCE CONTRACT. WE'RE MAKING SURE IT'S PROPERLY MONITORED, THAT COSTS ARE BILLED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONTRACT. WE'RE ALSO GOING TO EVALUATE THE EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF THE VEHICLE REPLACEMENT AND UTILIZATION. AND AS A PART OF OUR REASSESSMENT OF THE RISK ASSESSMENT SPEAKING TO MANAGEMENT THERE, THERE. WELL, YOU MAY KNOW THERE WAS A NEW FLEET MAINTENANCE CONTRACT ALSO SINCE WE LAST PERFORMED THAT AUDIT, I THINK IT WAS IN FY 23, THERE WAS A CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP. SO WE WANTED TO INCLUDE THAT IN THE AUDIT PLAN. EMS BILLING CONTROLS THERE JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES REVENUE IS COLLECTED COMPLETELY AND ACCURATELY. SPEAKING TO MANAGEMENT, THEY HAVE HAD A NEW THIRD PARTY BILLER. SO THIS IS SOMETHING WE WANTED TO INCLUDE IN THIS AUDIT PLAN. WE'LL ALSO LOOK AT FISCAL NOTES. WELL NOT LOOK AT FISCAL NOTES. WE'LL PREPARE FISCAL NOTES FOR EVERY PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT'S INTRODUCED BY THE COUNCIL. THAT INCLUDES THE COUNTIES AND THE SCHOOLS. BUDGET WILL PERFORM AN ANALYSIS OF THOSE AS WE DO ANNUALLY, LICENSE ISSUANCE, BILLING AND COLLECTION CONTROLS. SO WE HAVEN'T LOOKED AT THAT IN A FEW YEARS. WE WANTED TO THERE AGAIN, CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP. AND I THINK THERE'S BEEN A CHANGE IN FEE SINCE THE LAST TIME WE LOOKED AT THAT. SO WANTED TO INCLUDE IT ON THIS AUDIT PLAN. WE ALSO HAVE TIME FOR ALLOCATED FOR QUALITY, OUR QA, IP QUALITY ASSURANCE AND IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. SO THAT'S BASICALLY JUST AN EVALUATION OF OUR OWN OFFICE JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE COMPLIANT WITH WHAT WE NEED TO BE. WE HAVE SOME TIME FOR OUR ANNUAL PLANNING AND RISK ASSESSMENT, WHICH BROUGHT US HERE. AND LASTLY, THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX.

THAT'S SOMETHING WE DO EVERY YEAR. WE LOOK AT 3 TO 5 HOTELS AND MAKE SURE THEY'RE PROPERLY REPORTING THE OCCUPANCY TAX TO THE COUNTY. SO THAT'S THAT'S THE AUDIT PLAN. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT'S ON IT. WELL, MISS BROOKS, HOW DO YOU THINK HE DID. THAT WAS PRETTY GOOD. I THINK HE TOLD YOU ALL WHAT'S IN THE RESOLUTION. AND SO IT'S UP TO YOU ALL. DECIDE TO APPROVE THE PLAN. ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. SO WE'RE GOING TO BECAUSE OF TIMING WE'RE GOING TO MOVE THIS RESOLUTION. WE'LL BE CONSIDERED THIS EVENING. SO MAY I HAVE A MOTION PLEASE. COUNCIL PRESIDENT, I MOVE TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 1212-26 PERFORMANCE

[01:45:01]

MR. BENNET, I BEING SEVEN VOTES IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, ZERO NEGATIVE RESOLUTIONS 01226 IS HEREBY APPROVED. MISS BROOKS, IF YOU'LL STAY RIGHT THERE, MR. DELAUGHTER. IF YOU'LL STAY THERE AS WELL. NINE INTRODUCTION OF BILLS. WE HAVE NONE. TEN. INTRODUCTION AND CONSIDERATION OF AMENDMENTS. NONE. 11. CALL FOR FINAL READING OF BILLS. WE HAVE NONE.

12. ENROLLMENT OF BILLS NONE. 13. UNFINISHED BUSINESS. NONE. 14. NEW BUSINESS AUDITOR UPDATE.

ALL RIGHT. SO YOU ALL KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING NEXT YEAR. I'LL LET YOU KNOW WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026. YOU ALL SHOULD HAVE THE UPDATE IN FRONT OF YOU. SO I WILL GO THROUGH THE THINGS THAT HAVE CHANGED SINCE THE LAST TIME I PRESENTED TO YOU ALL BACK IN DECEMBER. MAYBE IT WAS JANUARY. SO WATER AND SEWER BENEFIT ASSESSMENTS. WE LOOKED AT THAT PROCESS TO SEE ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE BILLED BY WATER AND SEWER THAT ARE NOT JUST YOUR REGULAR USE FEES THAT COME ON YOUR REGULAR BILL. WE LOOK TO SEE THAT THOSE AMOUNTS WERE BEING BILLED CORRECTLY, THAT THERE WERE SOME BASIS FOR THE ONES THAT ARE CREATED. YOU KNOW, WHEN NEW DEVELOPMENTS ARE BEING BUILT. WE DIDN'T FIND ANY ISSUES WITH THE AMOUNTS THAT WERE BEING BILLED FOR ANY OF THE USER BENEFIT ASSESSMENTS. AND ALSO PEOPLE WHO SHOULD BE BEING BILLED WERE BEING BILLED. SO THERE ARE NO ISSUES THERE. WE DID FIND, THOUGH, THAT THE COUNTY CODE REQUIRES PUBLIC WORKS TO SEND OVER A SUMMARY TO YOU ALL AS A COUNCIL EVERY YEAR, EXPLAINING THEIR REVIEW OF THE ASSESSMENT AMOUNTS AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY REMAIN CORRECT.

THOSE REPORTS HAVEN'T BEEN COMING OVER TO THE COUNCIL, BUT MANAGEMENT INDICATED THAT WE'LL DO THAT IN THE FUTURE. WE AUDITED PAYROLL CONTROLS THAT PROCESS WE CYCLE BACK TO FAIRLY FREQUENTLY, BUT IN THE LAST YEAR, THE COUNTY MOVED ITS HR AND PAYROLL PROCESSES INTO WORKDAY, WHICH IS THE COUNTY'S FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. SO WE WANTED TO FOCUS ON THE CONTROLS THAT ARE IN PLACE. SINCE THAT SYSTEM WAS IMPLEMENTED, WE LOOK TO SEE THAT TIME ENTRY DATA WAS MOVING FROM THE TIMEKEEPING SYSTEM TO THE PAYROLL SYSTEM, MAKING SURE THAT PAY RATES APPEARED CORRECT, THAT ALL THE CALCULATIONS THAT THE SYSTEM WAS DOING WORK THE WAY THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO, AND THERE WERE NO ISSUES WITH THAT AUDIT. EVERYBODY'S GETTING PAID WHEN THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO. THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT AUDITS WERE COMPLETED THE LAST TIME I SPOKE TO YOU ALL, BUT WE HAD NOT YET FINISHED THE REVIEW OF AFFILIATED AGENCIES. WE DID GET THAT DONE. THERE WERE NO NOTHING REPORTED IN ANY OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE COUNTY'S AFFILIATED AGENCIES THAT INDICATED THERE WAS ANY MISUSE OF COUNTY FUNDS. SO THAT REPORT COVERED THE FIRE COMPANIES, THE HUMANE SOCIETY. WHAT I'M FORGETTING, ARC AND THE ARC. YEAH. AND THEN ALSO SINCE THEN, THE COUNTY'S SINGLE AUDIT WAS COMPLETED. THAT'S THE COUNTY'S AUDIT OF FEDERAL GRANTS. MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE COMPLYING WITH THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THOSE PROGRAMS. AND THERE WERE NO FINDINGS RELATED TO THAT PROJECT. WE COMPLETED AN EXIT AUDIT RELATED TO RICH TRUITT, WHO WAS THE DIRECTOR OF INSPECTIONS, LICENSING AND PERMITS. THAT PROJECT WAS COMPLETED IN MAY, AND WE FOUND NO INDEBTEDNESS TO THE COUNTY.

WE RECENTLY COMPLETED AN AUDIT OF INSURANCE COVERAGE AND SELF-INSURANCE PROGRAMS. WE DID IT. SINCE I SENT YOU ALL THIS UPDATE, THAT PROJECT IS DONE. WE FOUND THAT THE COUNTY DOES HAVE PROCESSES IN PLACE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT ITS INSURANCE NEEDS ARE, AND REASSESS WHEN THINGS NEED TO CHANGE, AND ALSO FIGURE OUT WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT THE COUNTY CAN DO TO HELP REDUCE ITS RISK AND INHERENTLY REDUCE ITS INSURANCE RATES. THERE WERE NO ISSUES WITH THAT, BUT WE DID FIND THAT THE COUNTY CHARTER REQUIRES THE COUNTY COUNCIL'S APPROVAL ON PERFORMANCE BONDS FOR SOME COUNTY OFFICIALS. SO THE TREASURER AND DEPUTY TREASURER, THE DIRECTOR OF PROCUREMENT AND DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF PROCUREMENT AND THE DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION. THEY ARE BONDED PROFESSIONAL BONDS FOR THE WORK THAT THEY DO. THE COUNTY DOES PURCHASE THOSE BONDS, BUT THEY HAVEN'T TOLD YOU ALL THE COUNCIL WHAT THOSE AMOUNTS ARE.

AND SO THE LAW DEPARTMENT INDICATED THAT THEY WILL START TO SEND YOU ALL THOSE UPDATES ANNUALLY. WE TALKED ABOUT SCHOOL SYSTEM TRAVEL ALREADY, SO I'LL SKIP OVER THAT. WE COMPLETED AN AUDIT OF ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES BILLING AND COLLECTION CONTROLS. THIS

[01:50:04]

ONE WAS THAT THERE WERE A FEW CONTRACTS THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE A FINAL SIGNED DOCUMENT FOR, AND.

AND THERE WAS ONE, I THINK THAT WAS A NON COMPETITIVE BID CONTRACT THAT JUST DIDN'T HAVE THE SUPPORT WE WERE EXPECTING TO SEE. RELATED TO THAT, MANAGEMENT RESPONDED THAT THE THE COUPLE EXCEPTIONS WE FOUND WERE MINOR COMPARED TO THE VOLUME OF CONTRACTS THAT THEY EXECUTE IN A GIVEN YEAR, BUT THAT THEY WILL CONTINUE TO WORK TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE CHECKING ALL THE BOXES THEY NEED TO CHECK ON THAT. THE SECOND ISSUE IN THAT PROJECT WAS RELATED TO SPENDING THAT EXCEEDED THE $25,000 LIMIT THAT THE COUNTY CODE HAS FOR A MORE EXPANSIVE PROCUREMENT PROCESS. THIS IS AN ISSUE WE FOUND IN PRIOR AUDITS, TOO, BUT ESSENTIALLY BECAUSE OF ALL THE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE BUYING THINGS, IT'S VERY POSSIBLE THAT THEY PUBLIC WORKS BUYS, YOU KNOW, $10,000 WORTH OF WHATEVER SERVICE, AND IT'S GOT TO BUY, YOU KNOW, $15,000 OF A SIMILAR SERVICE. THOSE CONTRACT, THOSE PURCHASES MIGHT NOT NECESSARILY BE ASSOCIATED WITH ONE ANOTHER. AND SO IT'S POSSIBLE TO GO OVER THOSE PROCUREMENT LIMITS UNINTENTIONALLY. WE RECOMMENDED THAT MANAGEMENT PUT IN MORE PROCEDURES TO PERIODICALLY REVIEW THOSE SMALLER TRANSACTIONS TO SEE THAT THEY'RE NOT ACCUMULATING TO THE POINT WHERE THEY SHOULD HAVE GONE THROUGH A MORE EXPANSIVE PROCUREMENT PROCESS.

MANAGEMENT'S RESPONSE IS THAT THEY BELIEVE THEY'RE DOING A PRETTY GOOD JOB ON THAT, BUT THEY WILL CONTINUE TO WORK ON IT. OTHERWISE. WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON A PROJECT RELATED TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, LOAN AND GRANT PROGRAMS. THAT PROJECT IS IN PROGRESS, AND HOPEFULLY IT'LL BE WRAPPED UP IN JULY. AND WE'VE STARTED THE PLANNING FOR THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX AUDITS THAT PROBABLY WILL BE REPORTED IN AUGUST. OTHERWISE, PURCHASE CARD AUDITS ARE STILL ONGOING. THAT'S A YEAR ROUND THING. AND OUR LAST AUDIT ADVISORY BOARD MEETING WAS MAY 26TH. THE NEXT ONE WILL BE SEPTEMBER 1ST. AND THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT FOR YOU. I CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE THEM. COUNCIL. ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I JUST AM SO APPRECIATIVE OF THE CHECKS AND BALANCES THAT YOU PROVIDE ALL OF US EVERY DAY. YOUR OFFICE, YOUR TEAM DOES A GREAT JOB. AND CRYSTAL, I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN A MAJOR PART OF IT FOR 14 YEARS.

AND SO AS EVERYONE HAS HEARD IN THE PAST, YOUR LAST DAY IS JUNE 30TH, ACTUALLY, JULY, JULY 3RD.

IS THAT JULY 3RD? MY LAST THIRD WILL BE JUNE 30TH. YES. AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SO APPRECIATIVE OF WHAT YOU'VE DONE AND WE WISH YOU ALL THE BEST IN THE FUTURE. WE YOU'VE HEARD US ALL SAY THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE TURNING THE REINS OVER TO BRAD. AND WE HAVE ALL THE CONFIDENCE IN THE WORLD IN WHAT BRAD'S CAPABILITIES ARE. AND I'M SURE THAT IN A TIMELY MANNER, HE'LL BE LOOKING TO BACKFILL THE POSITION THAT WILL BE OPEN IN THE OFFICE. BUT FOR TONIGHT, I WOULD LIKE YOU TO JOIN ME UP FRONT, COUNSEL. ALL OF US, PLEASE.

HELLO. SO I JUST I'M GOING TO ECHO. OKAY. JUST GOING TO ECHO THE SAME COMMENTS THAT I MADE EARLIER, BUT ALL OF US APPRECIATE THE JOB THAT YOU DO EACH AND EVERY DAY. FOR THE PAST 14 YEARS, I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING WITH YOU 12 OF THOSE 14 YEARS. AND I

[01:55:02]

COUNCIL REQUESTS FOR OUTSIDE COUNSEL. MR. THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YEP. IT'S ALWAYS AN ISSUE. SO THE I SENT YOU GUYS SOME INFORMATION ON THIS. AN ETHICS COMPLAINT WAS FILED DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE ETHICS COMPLAINT. THE COMPLAINANT, THE SUBJECT, THE PARTIES INVOLVED, TYPICALLY THE HARTFORD COUNTY LAW DEPARTMENT UNDER THE ETHICS CODE REPRESENTS THE ETHICS BOARD BY LAW, BECAUSE OF THE SUBJECT MATTER OF THE COMPLAINT, THE LAW DEPARTMENT HAS A CONFLICT AND THEY ARE NOT PERMITTED BY LAW TO REPRESENT THE ETHICS BOARD. SO THEN IT WOULD SHIFT TO THE COUNTY COUNSEL'S OFFICE. LAW OFFICE.

SO, AND AGAIN, DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE COMPLAINT, WHICH HAS TO REMAIN CONFIDENTIAL AT THIS POINT, THE COUNCIL ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HAS A CONFLICT. SO BECAUSE OF THAT, THE REQUEST FOR OUTSIDE COUNSEL IS TO GET A OUTSIDE LAW FIRM TO REPRESENT THE BOARD OF ETHICS.

THEY'RE NOT REPRESENTING THE COUNTY COUNSEL, BUT THE BOARD OF ETHICS IS ONE OF THE BOARDS UNDER THE COUNTY CODE THAT IS REQUIRED TO HAVE LEGAL REPRESENTATION. SO THE I'VE PROVIDED THE BIOS AND THE STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS TO YOU GUYS. GALLAGHER LLP IS THE LAW FIRM. ANATOLY SMOLKIN AND MEGAN CASEY ARE THE TWO PARTNERS THAT WOULD BE REPRESENTING THE BOARD, ALONG WITH ANY ASSOCIATES THAT THEY MIGHT UTILIZE. BOTH OF THEM HAVE PAST GOVERNMENT EXPERIENCE. MISS CASEY USED TO BE AN ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL. IN FACT, SHE WORKED WITH THE COUNTY IN A LAWSUIT NOT THAT LONG AGO, REPRESENTING SOME CLIENTS OF HERS AS AN ASSISTANT AG. MR. SMOLKIN USED TO BE AN ASSISTANT U.S. ATTORNEY. THEY BOTH HAVE VAST GOVERNMENT EXPERIENCE. THEIR FIRM ALSO HAS INVESTIGATIVE EXPERIENCE.

THEY'VE BEEN APPOINTED AS ATTORNEYS FOR STATE COMMISSIONS AND COMMITTEES. THEY'RE HIGHLY QUALIFIED TO HANDLE THIS MATTER. THEY'RE WILLING TO DO IT. AND THAT'S WHAT THE REQUEST IS BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING. THANK YOU. COUNCIL QUESTIONS, MR. PENMAN. I JUST WANT TO SAY IT'S REFRESHING TO SEE THAT THE CODE IS FOLLOWED AND THE REQUEST IS MADE TO THE COUNCIL FOR OUTSIDE COUNSEL. AND JUST TO LET EVERYONE KNOW, BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THIS REQUEST, I WILL BE ABSTAINING FROM THE VOTE. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? MAY I HAVE A MOTION, PLEASE? COUNCIL PRESIDENT MOVE TO APPROVE THE APPOINTMENT OF GALLAGHER LLP AS OUTSIDE COUNSEL. THANK YOU. MAY HAVE A SECOND. SECOND. THANK YOU, MR. RILEY. IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED TO APPROVE OUTSIDE COUNSEL. IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? MISS DIXON? MR. PRESIDENT, I MRS. ROBERT I MR. PENMAN ABSTAIN. MR. GIORDANO I MR. RILEY I MRS. BULL SETTLES I MR. BENNETT I THERE BEING SIX VOTES IN THE AFFIRMATIVE ONE ABSTENTION. THE REQUEST FOR OUTSIDE COUNCIL IS HEREBY APPROVED. EXECUTIVE REQUESTS FOR OUTSIDE COUNSEL, MR. BLOMQUIST. EVENING, SIR. GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL PRESIDENT, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. I'M HERE TO REQUEST OUTSIDE COUNSEL TO ASSIST THE DEPARTMENT OF LAW AND AT. AT THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE'S REQUEST WITH

[02:00:06]

AND THE LAW FIRM OUT OF BETHESDA WAS MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE. HAD A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A FEDERAL BENT BEFORE THE FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION THAN THAN A STATE BENT IN PRACTICE. AND WE THOUGHT THE VALUE WAS WITH WITH THIS FIRM. SO WE LOOKED AT WE LOOKED AT THREE OTHER FIRMS, AND WE THOUGHT THIS FIRM OFFERED THE BEST VALUE. AND WE THOUGHT AS A BOUTIQUE FIRM, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO WORK EFFICIENTLY WITH THEM TO ACCOMPLISH OUR OBJECTIVES. SO I'M REALLY GRATEFUL THAT YOU'RE HERE TONIGHT LOOKING FOR THIS.

MY COLLEAGUES AND I HAVE BEEN OUT VISITING FAMILIES THAT HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT DIFFERENT SOLAR PROJECTS ACROSS THE COUNTY, AND I'VE SAID RIGHT ALONG THAT I DIDN'T THINK THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE HANDLED JUST IN HOUSE, THAT WE SHOULD BRING EXPERTS IN. SO I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE TONIGHT, COUNSEL, MR. GIORDANO. SO I WANT TO ALSO THANK YOU. I KNOW COUNCIL PRESIDENT MYSELF WAS ON THE COUNCIL IN 19 WHEN WE OVERTURNED WHEN WE SAID THAT YOU COULDN'T HAVE A SOLAR FARM IN THE PSC COMMISSION CAME IN AND, AND OVERTURNED OUR OUR DETERMINATION OF THAT. AND THEN WE'VE SEEN WHAT'S HAPPENED SINCE WITH THAT. AND THEN I KNOW A COUPLE MORE HAVE POPPED UP AND WE'VE GOT A BUNCH MORE. IT LOOKS LIKE COMING UNTIL, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IN JULY BEFORE THE FEDERAL TAX BREAKS EXPIRE AND THEY'RE JUST GEARING THEM UP.

SO WHEN WILL THE WHEN WILL THEY START DOING WORK? AS SOON AS AS SOON AS I IF THE COUNCIL APPROVES, AS SOON AS I GET AN AGREEMENT. I MEAN, I'VE ALREADY SPOKEN TO THEM ALREADY. SO WITH THE NEXT WEEK OR SO. YES. OKAY. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. I'M ALSO APPRECIATIVE OF HIRING COMPETENT OUTSIDE LEGAL ADVICE TO REPRESENT HARFORD COUNTY. I WONDER, THOUGH, THAT IF WE HAD A LAW DEPARTMENT THAT WAS FOCUSED ON THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE COUNTY, WOULD WE ACTUALLY NEED THAT? AND IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, JUST A FEW SHORT YEARS AGO, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE SAID PROBABLY WHERE YOU ARE OR MAYBE WHERE MR. OVERBAY IS, AND SAID THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A STATE OF THE ART LAW OFFICE AND WE WILL NOT NEED TO HIRE OUTSIDE COUNSEL. AND HERE WE ARE, THREE YEARS INTO IT WITH OVER $1 MILLION IN OUTSIDE COUNSEL. AGAIN, I'M APPRECIATIVE THAT WE'RE GOING TO HIRE COMPETENT OUTSIDE

[02:05:05]

THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. ANYONE ELSE, MR. BENNETT? HELLO. GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US. I HOPE YOU'RE DOING WELL. IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE'VE SEEN YOU. I JUST WANTED TO ASK WHAT? I KNOW THE LETTER SAYS $300 PER HOUR FOR THE WORK PERFORMED. HOW MANY BILLABLE HOURS ARE YOU EXPECTING MONTHLY, OR ARE YOU ANTICIPATING THAT? AND THE SCOPE OF THE WORK? YOU KNOW, HOW INTENSIVE IS THE. AND I'M NOT I'M NOT REALLY PREPARED TO GIVE YOU A. AN ANSWER THAT I HAVE A LOT OF CONFIDENCE IN. I MEAN, AGAIN, I'VE, I'VE FAMILIARITY WITH A LOT OF THE PROBLEMS AND THINGS WITH THESE. THERE'S A THERE'S A BIG PSC DOCKET. WE WANT TO. WE WE DON'T WANT TO JUST BE A COMMONER. WE WANT TO BE A PARTY. AND PART OF IT DEPENDS HOW THINGS EBB AND FLOW. IN OTHER WORDS, THE REGULAR. AS AGAIN, AS I SAID, THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES JUST PROMULGATED THE REGULATIONS. WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF GOING OVER THOSE. THEY MAKE SOME CHANGES. AND SO WHEN YOU'RE ENGAGED IN AN ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEEDING, IT'S VERY HARD TO PREDICT BECAUSE. AND WHEN YOU'RE ENGAGED IN A LAW THAT'S CONSTANTLY CHANGING AS WELL AS REGULATIONS THAT ARE CONSTANTLY CHANGING, IT'S HARD TO PREDICT. YOU KNOW, ALSO, AS I SAID IN, YOU KNOW, I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE AND I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER RILEY MOST RECENTLY, BUT I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE EXPRESSED INTEREST IN LOOKING AT THE LAW AS A RESULT OF CHANGES IN THE LAW. WE CERTAINLY WANT TO DO THAT. I CERTAINLY WANT TO HAVE A SOUNDING BOARD OF PEOPLE THAT ARE THAT THAT REALLY SPECIALIZE IN THIS AREA, BOTH FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL STANDPOINT AS WELL AS FROM THE LAND USE STANDPOINT. AND SO THERE'S SO MANY MOVING PIECES AND SO MUCH CONSTANT CHANGE THAT THAT THAT'S WHY WE THINK THERE'S VALUE IN DOING THIS. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO MONITOR IT. WE'RE GOING TO, WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO DO AS MUCH AS WE CAN. BUT I REALLY AT THIS AT THIS JUNCTURE, I'M NOT PREPARED TO GIVE YOU A SOLID ANSWER ON THAT. BUT YOU IMAGINE THEM TO BE MORE OF A SOUNDING BOARD FOR THE WORK THAT YOU ALL, AS A LAW OFFICE, ARE DOING, OR DO YOU IMAGINE THEM BEING FRONT FACING IN THAT WORK? I, WITH RESPECT, IF PROCEEDINGS PROGRESS BEFORE THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION, I WOULD LIKE THEM TO BE OUT FRONT BECAUSE. BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE SOMEONE THAT IS WELL REGARDED BY THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION. YOU GET A BETTER EAR, YOU GET BETTER RESULTS WITH WITH RESPECT TO CHANGES TO OUR LAW, INTERACTION WITH YOU, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY THEY'LL BE AVAILABLE TO THE EXTENT THAT WE MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS. AND AND YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BASIS FOR THAT RECOMMENDATION THAT THEY'RE THEY'RE MORE SUITED TO ANSWER. BUT THAT'S SOMETHING WE REGULARLY DO AND WOULD IMAGINE CONTINUING TO REGULARLY DO. AND THEN DO YOU DO YOU IMAGINE HAVING A CAP ON HOW MUCH OUT OF YOUR OFFICE YOU'LL SPEND ON THIS WORK? OR, YOU KNOW, JUST TRYING TO IMAGINE IF IT GETS TO BE A, YOU KNOW, 500 BILLABLE HOURS, YOU KNOW, LIKE, YOU KNOW, TO WHAT EXTENT ARE WE PREPARED TO, TO, TO PAY FOR THAT? YES, I, WE, WE WILL GO IN INCREMENTS IN TERMS AS WE HAVE DONE BEFORE. AND I THINK I BELIEVE EVEN THOUGH WE GOT APPROVAL, I CAN'T REMEMBER IF WE WENT TO THE BOARD OF ESTIMATES LAST TIME OR NOT, BUT WE WILL DO IT IN INCREMENTS, AS WE HAVE WITH OTHER OUTSIDE COUNSEL. IN OTHER WORDS, $50,000. LET'S SEE WHERE WE ARE.

LET'S EVALUATE. COME BACK. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I APPRECIATE YOU ANSWERING MY QUESTIONS. ANYONE ELSE? I THINK IT IS MORE THAN FAIR THAT AT SOME POINT WE GET A REPORT BACK.

I MEAN, I KNOW YOU CANNOT PUT AN ESTIMATE OUT THERE AND WHAT IT'S GOING TO COST. I MEAN, IT'S IT'S OVERWHELMING AND CONTINUING TO GROW. AND COUNCILMAN JIM JORDAN, WHO FORGOT TO MENTION THAT WE EVEN TRIED TO PUT SETBACKS AND BUFFERS IN PLACE IN THE PLANNING OF THE SERVICE COMMISSION. PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION THREATENED TO SUE US.

SO THEY THREATENED. AND THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY KEEPS MAKING CHANGES, RIGHT. AND KEEPS TAKING LOCAL LAND USE POWER AWAY FROM US. YES, WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH THOSE MOVING TARGETS, AND I KNOW THAT IT IS. IT IS MOVING ALL ACROSS THE COUNTY, BUT HEAVY IN COUNCILMAN RILEY'S DISTRICT RIGHT NOW. SO ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? MISS DIXON? I'M SORRY. WE NEED A MOTION.

COUNCILOR. PRESIDENT, I MOVE TO APPROVE THE APPOINTMENT OF THE LAW OFFICE OF G. MACY NELSON,

[02:10:04]

ZONING HEARING EXAMINER FOR MR. KEHOE. MAY I HAVE A MOTION? COUNCIL PRESIDENT MOVE TO APPROVE THE CONTRACT RENEWAL FOR ROBERT KEHOE JR. WE HAVE A SECOND. SECOND. THANK YOU, MR. RILEY. BEEN MOVED IN SECOND TO APPROVE MR. KEHOE'S ZONING HEARING EXAMINER'S CONTRACT. IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION, MISS DIXON? MR. PRESIDENT, I MRS. ROBERT I MR. PENMAN, MR. JOHN GIORDANO I MR. RILEY I MRS. ABSTAIN. MR. BENNETT I THERE BEING SIX VOTES IN THE AFFIRMATIVE ONE ABSTENTION THE FISCAL YEAR 20 EXCUSE ME, THE FISCAL YEAR 27 CONTRACT FOR THE ZONING HEARING EXAMINERS HEREBY APPROVED PEOPLE'S COUNCIL. MR. BRIAN YOUNG MAY HAVE A MOTION.

COUNCIL PRESIDENT, I MOVE TO APPROVE THE CONTRACT RENEWAL FOR BRIAN YOUNG. THANK YOU, MADAM. SECOND. SECOND. MR. RILEY, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED TO APPROVE PEOPLE'S COUNCIL AGAIN. ANY DISCUSSION, MISS DIXON? MR. PRESIDENT, I MRS. ROBERTS I MR. PENMAN, MR. GIORDANO I MR. RILEY, MRS. I MR. BENNETT I THERE BEING SEVEN VOTES IN AFFIRMATIVE ZERO NEGATIVE. THE FISCAL YEAR 27 CONTRACT FOR THE PEOPLE'S COUNCIL IS HEREBY APPROVED AND AND I HAVE TO SAY THAT WE'RE VERY, VERY BLESSED TO HAVE BOTH THESE GENTLEMEN IN THESE POSITIONS. THE AMOUNT OF INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE THAT THEY BOTH HAVE IS VERY

[15. COMMENTS AND INPUT FROM ATTENDING CITIZENS ]

THEIR MEANING, HE SAID, IS NOT TO BE SOUGHT FOR IN METAPHYSICAL SUBTLETIES WHICH MAY MAKE ANYTHING MEAN, EVERYTHING OR NOTHING. AT PLEASURE. JEFFERSON KNEW THAT THE RULE OF LAW WOULD BE SHORT LIVED IN OUR LAND IF OUR LAWS WERE NOT UNDERSTANDABLE TO EVERYONE, AND IF THEY WERE NOT RIGOROUSLY INTERPRETED BY OUR COURTS SEEKING THEIR MEANING FROM THE WORDS OF THE LAW THEMSELVES, HARFORD COUNTY'S CHARTER IS OUR LAW. IT SAYS THAT NO INDIVIDUAL CAN SIT ON THE COUNTY COUNCIL WHILE ALSO WORKING FOR THE STATE OF MARYLAND, HARFORD COUNTY OR ANY MUNICIPALITY WITHIN HARFORD COUNTY. COMMON SENSE SAYS THIS WAS INTENDED TO MINIMIZE ANY CONFLICT OF INTEREST WHICH MIGHT HINDER GOOD GOVERNMENT.

THIS IS IMPORTANT AS MANY PUBLIC SECTOR EMPLOYEES ARE MEMBERS OF A UNION. A TEACHER OR DEPUTY WILL ALWAYS BE SWAYED TO VOTE IN THE WAY THAT BEST BENEFITS THEIR UNION. THE TAXPAYER BE DAMNED. REGARDLESS. IN NOVEMBER 2022, A LOCAL SCHOOL TEACHER, JACOB BENNETT, RAN FOR AND WAS ELECTED TO A SEAT ON THE HARFORD COUNTY COUNCIL. BUT UPON WINNING, HE REFUSED TO RESIGN FROM HIS TEACHING POSITION. THE PLAIN ENGLISH OF OUR COMMON SENSE LAWS DID NOT SUIT HIM. A DEPUTY SHERIFF, AARON PENMAN, WAS ALSO ELECTED TO THIS COUNCIL. THE WORDS OF OUR CHARTER WERE PLAIN ENOUGH FOR HIM TO UNDERSTAND, AND SO HE RESIGNED HIS POSITION AS A DEPUTY BEFORE TAKING HIS SEAT. COUNTY EXECUTIVE CASSIDY ALSO UNDERSTOOD THE COMMON SENSE OF OUR LAWS. HE STOOD IN DEFENSE OF THEM, DENYING MR. BENNETT ACCESS TO HIS OFFICE.

THE CASE THEN WENT TO COURT. THE CIRCUIT COURT UNDERSTOOD THE COMMON SENSE OF OUR LAWS THAT A CONFLICT OF INTEREST EXISTED. IF MR. BENNETT CONTINUED HIS EMPLOYMENT AS A TEACHER. THUS, THE CIRCUIT COURT RULED THAT MR. BENNETT WAS IN VIOLATION OF OUR LAWS.

THEN MR. BENNETT APPEALED TO THE MARYLAND SUPREME COURT. THAT COURT UNFORTUNATELY PREFERRED METAPHYSICAL SUBTLETIES WHERE OUR LAWS COULD MEAN ANYTHING, EVERYTHING OR NOTHING. EVEN THOUGH HIS PAY VOUCHER SAYS HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, MR. BENNETT MIGHT NOT KNOW EXACTLY WHO HE WORKED FOR. IT MIGHT BE THE COUNTY, IT MIGHT BE THE STATE, MAYBE EVEN SOME INDEPENDENT AGENCY. IT PLEASED THE COURT TO IGNORE THE PLAIN ENGLISH AND COMMON SENSE OF OUR LAWS. MR. BENNETT REMAINED A TEACHER, AND MR. PENMAN RESUMED HIS DUTIES AS A DEPUTY. LATER, MR. PENMAN WAS REMOVED FROM THE COUNCIL FOR WHAT WAS CALLED AN ETHICS

[02:15:04]

THIS WOULD NOT DRASTICALLY INCREASE THE WORKLOAD ON EMPLOYEES, AND WOULD BE TREMENDOUSLY BENEFICIAL TO OUR COMMUNITY. FOR MISSING PETS. THE SCANNER IS HOVERED AROUND OVER THE ANIMAL, WHERE IT MAY BE CHIPPED BETWEEN THE SHOULDER BLADES AND GIVES YOU A NUMBER THAT YOU MAY WRITE. ONCE THE MICROCHIP IS DETECTED, DPW CAN THEN REMOVE THE ANIMAL CARCASS, TAKE IT TO THE HUMANE SOCIETY DURING THEIR HOURS, AND HAVE IT COMMUNALLY CREMATED AFTER ATTEMPTING TO LOCATE THE OWNER. IF THE HUMANE SOCIETY IS CLOSED, OR IF IT'S AFTER HOURS AND LOCATION WOULD BE TO TAKE IT TO THE BEL AIR ANIMAL ER, AN ANIMAL CONTROL WILL BE CONTACTED TO HAVE IT TRANSPORTED TO THE HUMANE SOCIETY THE NEXT DAY. SCANNERS COST BETWEEN 35 AND $100 AND CAN BE PURCHASED EASILY ON AMAZON. THIS WOULD ENSURE THAT PET PARENTS WOULD GET CLOSER TO FINDING IF THEY WERE MISSING OR UNACCOUNTED FOR. CURRENTLY, DPW REMOVES CARCASSES AND ANIMAL CONTROL HAS THE SCANNERS, BUT IT WOULD MAKE SENSE FOR DPW TO HAVE SCANNERS SINCE THEY'RE THE ONES REMOVING CARCASSES. THANK YOU, THANK YOU MA'AM. NAME AND ZIP. LINDA STEIN, FLINT 21015. I'M HERE SPEAKING ABOUT NO DOUBLE DIPPING SPECIFICALLY, NO ONE THAT IS PRESENTLY EMPLOYED AS A HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS TEACHER STAFF MEMBER AND NO ONE WHO IS EMPLOYED AS A DEPUTY IN HARFORD COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE SHOULD BE SERVING ON THIS COUNCIL AS YOU ARE BEING PAID THROUGH HARFORD COUNTY GOVERNMENT AND YOUR JOB DIRECTLY CONFLICTS WITH COUNCIL DUTIES AS THE ABILITY TO VOTE ON BUDGETS AND MATTERS PERTAINING TO BOTH AREAS. OUR CHARTER HAS BEEN RESPECTED FOR MANY YEARS AND I'M VERY DISAPPOINTED IN TWO CURRENT COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO HAVE DISRESPECTED IT. I GUARANTEE YOU THAT I WILL WORK TO STOP THAT AND ENSURE OUR CHARTER IS VERY CLEAR ABOUT THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST. WE HAVE EXAMPLES OF PROVEN. THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST IN. IN READING MANY OF THE EMAILS OF COUNCILMAN BENNETT TO SUPERINTENDENT BOESEN AND BOESEN SAID THAT BENNETT WAS INTERMINGLING HIS ROLES AS TEACHER AND COUNTY COUNCILMAN, AND BENNETT CLEARLY STATED THAT HE WEARS BOTH HATS. YOU CAN'T DO THAT. WE NOW HAVE A DEPUTY BACK ON THE COUNCIL

[02:20:05]

THEY HAVE SEVEN FIXED ROUTES AND THEY ALSO HAVE A DEMAND RESPONSE. BUSSES. WE MUST QUESTION THE MENTAL CAPACITY OF COUNCIL LEADERSHIP AND MEMBERS WHO CAN'T SEEM TO REMEMBER THAT THEY SUPPORTED THIS FOR MANY YEARS, AND THEN SUDDENLY CLAIM IT'S ABOUT GETTING PEOPLE FROM BALTIMORE WHEN HE KNOWS FULL WELL IT DOESN'T. THE BUS MAY GET PEOPLE TO THE TRAIN STATION, BUT IT ISN'T SERVING BALTIMORE. IT PROVIDES A MUCH NEEDED CRITICAL SERVICE TO OUR HARFORD COUNTY CITIZENS. STOP WITH THE FALSE MAILERS AND TEXTS, ALL THAT SHOWS THAT YOU KNOW BEST HOW TO WASTE MONEY INSTEAD OF BEING FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE AND TRUTHFUL WITH HARFORD COUNTY CITIZENS. THANK YOU, MATTHEW BROWN. GOOD EVENING, SIR MATTHEW BROWN 21015. I WAS GOING TO END THIS TIME WITH A POSITIVE NOTE, BUT I HAVE TO CORRECT THE RECORD FOR THE PEOPLE. 1819 MALLOC VERSUS MARYLAND ESTABLISHED A THING KNOWN AS FEDERAL SUPREMACY, MEANING THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT LAWS SUPERSEDES THE STATE. THE STATE VERSION OF THIS HAPPENED IN 1868. MARION VERSUS MOODY EXECUTORS, WHICH DEEMED THAT THE POWER OF A COUNTY IS EXPRESSLY GRANTED BY THE STATE NECESSARILY IMPLY POWERS BY SAID STATE. IF THERE'S ANY REASONABLE DOUBT WHETHER A COUNTY LAW HAS ANY JURISDICTION OR POWER, YOU TURN TO THE STATE ALSO MUNICIPALITIES AS WELL. IN 1907, WHICH THE COURT SAID, MISSISSIPPI CITY CORPORATIONS ARE POLITICAL SUBVERSION OF THE STATE, CREATED AS CONVENIENT AGENCIES FOR EXPRESSIONS SUCH AS GOVERNMENT POWERS IN THE STATE THAT MAY BE ENTRUSTED TO THEM. THE STATE MAY MODIFY WITHDRAWAL ALL POWERS. THE STATE IS SUPREME AND ITS LEGISLATIVE BODY CONFORMING ITS ACTIONS TO THE STATE'S CONSTITUTION MAY DO SO AT WILL, UNRESTRAINED BY ANY PROVISIONS OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES, MEANING THE HARFORD COUNTY CHARTER IS ONLY AS IMPORTANT IF IT DOESN'T CONFLICT WITH THE STATE LEGISLATURE OR STATE LAW. THE STATE AND THE GOVERNMENT IS A PROCESS JUDICIAL, LEGISLATIVE AND EXECUTIVE. THE JUDICIAL MADE THEIR POINTS. THEY HELD THE CASE, AND THEY CAME IN AN OUTCOME. THAT'S HOW GOVERNMENT WORKS. GOVERNMENT IS A PROCESS, AND IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE PROCESS, THAT IS FINE. BUT WHEN THINGS ARE ON THE UP AND UP, YOU CAN'T REALLY ARGUE OF ANYTHING BEING MALCONTENT OR MALICIOUS. THEY LITERALLY DID THEIR JOBS. NOW FOR THE POSITIVE NOTE, I WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THE THREE O'S OR OUR HOME, OUR HARTFORD, OUR LAND GOT THAT BACKWARDS IN TERMS OF THE ABILITY THEY WERE ABLE TO SHOW IN THE DATA CENTER SAGA OF REALLY GALVANIZING THE PEOPLE AND GETTING THEM INTO THESE SEATS AND MAKING THEIR VOICES BE HEARD. BUT I DON'T WANT TO STOP THERE. THAT SHOULD BE A RALLYING CRY TO GATHER ALL OF HARFORD COUNTIES TOGETHER FOR MULTITUDE OF ISSUES GOING ON IN THE COMMUNITY AS SPOKEN JUST NOW. TRANSPORTATION, THE WATER CRISIS, A FEW OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES THAT PLAGUE EVERYONE IN THE COUNTY.

THEY CAN BECOME A PACK. THEY COULD BE A NEXT WAVE OF POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT FOR ALL OF HARFORD COUNTY AND SHOW THE POWER OF CITIZENSHIP, BECAUSE THE FEELINGS OF GOVERNMENT AND THE FEELINGS OF BEING INVOLVED ARE AT AN ALL TIME LOW. MANY PEOPLE FROM EITHER THIS COUNCIL OR PREVIOUS COUNCIL AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL HAVE CAUSED THAT TO BE THE CASE, BUT THEIR EFFORTS IN JUST TWO MONTHS SHOW YOU THE CITIZENS STILL HAVE POWER. CITIZENS STILL HAVE THE ABILITY TO GARNER CHANGE, AND EVEN THESE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO YOU MAY OR MAY NOT DISAGREE WITH ME PERSONALLY AS WELL. THEY DID THEIR JOB, THEIR VOICES WERE HEARD, AND THEY DID

[02:25:05]

GOVERNMENT CAN BE BORING. BUT WHEN WE ALL DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE, OUR CIVIC DUTIES, GOVERNMENT CAN WORK. GOVERNMENT CAN BE BELIEVED IN AGAIN. WHICH IS WHY I WANT TO SIGN OFF BEFORE THE END OF THE SUMMER TO REMEMBER YOU GUYS DO YOUR CIVIC DUTY, EARLY VOTING ACTION VOTING NEXT WEEK. DO YOUR CIVIC DUTY. LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD. BECAUSE WHEN YOUR VOICES ARE HEARD, LAWS CAN BE CHANGED AND BANS CAN HAPPEN. THANK YOU, THANK YOU SIR. THERE ARE NO

[16. BUSINESS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS]

AND SO JOPPA AREA RIGHT NOW, TO BE IN, TO BE MORE PRECISE, IS WHERE I'M GETTING THE COMPLAINTS FROM CONSTITUENTS. SO I HAD A MEETING WITH THEM. WE TALKED ABOUT HOW TO GET RID OF THEM, HOW TO STOP THEM. THERE IS A LINK ON THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE'S MARYLAND SITE BECAUSE THE GOVERNOR WANTS TO TRACK IT ACROSS THE STATE. AND IF YOU SEE ONE, YOU CAN LOG IT IN. THEY'RE TRYING TO TRACK THEM. THEY'RE ALSO TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE BEST WAY TO GET RID OF THEM. SO WE'RE GOING TO BE WORKING TOGETHER TO LOOK AT THAT ACROSS THE BOARD. CECIL COUNTY HAS ONE WAY. BALTIMORE COUNTY DOES THE SPRAYING THING.

IT COULD BE NOT AS ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT CAN BE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY. ON JUNE 12TH, I ATTENDED THE SUSQUEHANNA WORKFORCE NETWORK BOARD MEETING. THE SPEAKER SPOKE ABOUT AI IN THE WORKFORCE AND STATED HOW THEY FELT THAT AI COULDN'T TAKE OVER THE REAL PERSON EXPERIENCE, BUT COULD BE A SUPPLEMENT TO THAT, AND KIND OF QUOTED ABOUT HOW ATMS ORIGINALLY CAME OUT AND EVERYONE THOUGHT THEY WERE LOSING THEIR JOBS. BUT IN FACT, ACTUALLY MORE BANKERS WERE HIRED TO BE ABLE TO GIVE PERSONAL. EXPERIENCES TO THE PEOPLE AND THE PUBLIC. THEN I WENT OVER. SAME, SAME LOCATION TO EDUCATION AND SCHOLARSHIP BREAKFASTS FOR OUR YOUTH, WHO ONCE AGAIN RECEIVE MONEY FOR THEIR EDUCATION AND SERVICE IN THE COMMUNITY. I THEN WENT TO HOPE IN A SADDLE BECAUSE I MISSED THE GRAND OPENING TO GET A PRIVATE TOUR AND LOOK AT THE WORK THEY'RE DOING. THEY ARE DOING SUCH GREAT WORK WITH HORSES AND TRAUMA, AND THEY'RE DOING ALL SORTS OF WORK WITH CHILDREN, WORK WITH VETERANS, WORK WITH FAMILIES. THEY WANT TO ASSIST MORE WITH OUR FOSTER YOUTH. AND WE DISCUSSED EVEN WORKING WITH FIRST RESPONDERS. THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE HEARD IS A GREAT PROGRAM FOR FIRST RESPONDERS. AND THEY ACTUALLY OFFER HORSE YOGA. SO HORSES ARE TRULY THERAPEUTIC. I FELT THERAPEUTIC AFTER I LEFT THERE, AND SHE EXPLAINED EXACTLY WHY THAT IS. AND THEN THAT EVENING I WENT TO KEEP KIDS ROLLING CAMPAIGN BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB IN EDGEWOOD. THEY WANTED 100 DONATED BIKES, TRIKES, SKATEBOARDS AND SCOOTERS, AND THEY ACHIEVED THEIR NUMBER. I WATCHED BOYS AND GIRLS LITERALLY COME INTO THE GYM, PICK OUT THEIR BIKE THAT THEY WANTED, AND ROLL OR RIDE OUT OF THE GYM. AND AS THE CEO STATED, A BIKE IS JUST NOT A TOY. IT'S A CHILD'S FIRST TIME BEING RESPONSIBLE, YET

[02:30:03]

AND I THOUGHT THAT THAT IS A GREAT QUOTE THAT HE HAD MADE. AND ON SATURDAY, I ATTENDED FLAG DAY AT HARTFORD SQUARE, WHERE MR. BROWN CAME AND DID A GREAT PRESENTATION ON THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND HOW THAT PANNED OUT WORD BY WORD. AND THAT WAS JUST AMAZING FOR THE PUBLIC WHO ATTENDED TO HEAR. AND SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, FINALLY, I'D LIKE TO WISH EVERYONE A VERY HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SAFE SUMMER. THERE ARE MANY ACTIVITIES THAT I CAN SEE THAT ARE GOING ON IN THE COUNTY, AND I'M SURE I WILL SEE ALL OF YOU THERE. THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT. THANK YOU, MISS ROBERT. MR. PENMAN. THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. THE COURTS HAVE SPOKEN. THE ATTEMPT BY THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH TO REMOVE A DULY ELECTED MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL WAS WRONG. THIS WAS NEVER JUST ABOUT ONE COUNCIL MEMBER. IT WAS ABOUT WHETHER THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH COULD USE GOVERNMENT POWER, TAXPAYER FUNDED LAWYERS, THE COURT SYSTEM TO OVERRIDE THE WILL OF THE VOTERS AND INTERFERE WITH THE CO-EQUAL BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT. WE TALKED ABOUT GOVERNMENT. MARYLAND'S CHARTER GOVERNMENT SEPARATES THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH IN THE LEGISLATIVE POWER ON PURPOSE. THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE IS NOT THE COUNTY COUNCIL, AND THE COUNCIL DOES NOT ANSWER TO THE EXECUTIVE. THE SEPARATE SEPARATION PREVENTS THE CONCENTRATION OF POWER AND PROTECTS THE VOICES OF THE PEOPLE WHO VOTE. YET UNDER THIS ADMINISTRATION, THE CASTLE ADMINISTRATION, THAT LINE HAS BEEN BLURRED AGAIN AND AGAIN WITH THIS COUNCIL, WITH THE COUNTY AUDITOR, WITH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, AND EVEN WITH THE STATE'S ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, THE VOTERS OF DISTRICT B ELECTED THEIR REPRESENTATIVE IN A FREE AND OPEN ELECTION. INSTEAD OF LETTING VOTERS DECIDE, THE ADMINISTRATION TRIED TO REMOVE THE REPRESENTATION THROUGH 16 MONTHS OF LITIGATION, THE COURT SAID NO. IN RESTORED THE VOTERS CHOICE. BUT AT WHAT COST? THE PRINCIPLE IS SIMPLE ELECTED OFFICIALS DON'T GET TO REMOVE OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS FOR DISAGREEING WITH THEM OR REFUSING TO FALL IN LINE. THAT POWER BELONGS TO THE PEOPLE, NOT THE POLITICIANS, NOT THE BUREAUCRATS, NOT THE GOVERNMENT ATTORNEYS. THIS RULING IS A VICTORY FOR EVERY HARFORD COUNTY RESIDENT. IT REAFFIRMS THAT THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH DOES NOT CONTROL THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH IN THE. POLITICAL DISAGREEMENT IS NOT A LICENSE FOR LEGAL WARFARE. THE COURTS CONFIRMED WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN OBVIOUS FROM DAY ONE THAT I LEGALLY AM QUALIFIED TO SERVE BOTH AS A DEPUTY SHERIFF AND ALSO A COUNCIL MEMBER. MORE IMPORTANTLY, THEY CONFIRMED WHO HAS THE FINAL SAY IN WHO REPRESENTS THE PEOPLE, THE VOTERS, NOT THE GOVERNMENT INSIDERS. NOW TO THE COST. THE ADMINISTRATION HAS USED THE LAW DEPARTMENT AND OUTSIDE COUNSEL TO FIGHT POLITICAL BATTLES, TARGET ELECTED OFFICIALS AND PUSH LEGAL THEORIES. THE COURTS KEEP REJECTING IN FY 2025 AND FY 2026 ALONE, THE HARFORD COUNTY SPENT MORE THAN 856,000 ON OUTSIDE LEGAL SERVICES OVER A MILLION IF YOU ADD IN THE YEAR BEFORE, DESPITE PROMISES THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER THAT THE GROWING LAW DEPARTMENT WOULD REDUCE THAT NEED, THE LAW DEPARTMENT. THAT IS PROBABLY THE LARGEST LAW DEPARTMENT IN THE ENTIRE COUNTY. MANY RESIDENTS BELIEVE THE LAW DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN WEAPONIZED.

AND WHEN GOVERNMENT ATTORNEYS ARE USED TO CHALLENGE VOTERS, TARGET OFFICIALS AND CHASE PERSONAL LEGAL AGENDAS, TAXPAYERS FOOT THE BILL. THE SAME ADMINISTRATION THAT PROMISED FISCAL DISCIPLINE KEEPS LOSING CASES. IT SPENDS MONEY ON. THE COUNTY LOST.

JACOB BENNETT IT LOST. IN MY CASE, IT LOST THREE SEPARATE PUBLIC RECORDS FOR EMPIRE'S AND WAS FOUND IN VIOLATION OF VIOLATING THE LAW. AND THE COUNTY ATTORNEY, JEFFERSON BLOMQUIST, WHO WE HEARD FROM TONIGHT, LOST HIS OWN PENSION CASE AS HE REPRESENTED HIMSELF ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTY, IN WHICH HE ARGUED HE SHOULD BE EXEMPT FROM THE VERY RETIREMENT SYSTEM THAT EVERY OTHER EMPLOYEE IN THE COUNTY IS REQUIRED TO JOIN. IN AN ARGUMENT THAT WAS REJECTED IN THE APPELLATE COURT. AT SOME POINT, THIS STOPS BEING LEGAL.

STRATEGY BECOMES A FAILURE OF GOVERNMENT. IN MY CASE ALONE, BLOMQUIST AND A LAW DEPARTMENT

[02:35:02]

THEY REPRESENTED ME IN THIS PROFESSION WITH DISTINCTION AND CAME OUT VICTORIOUS. HARFORD COUNTY TAXPAYERS DESERVE BETTER THAN LAW FOR LAW. FAIR. EXCUSE ME. LAW DEPARTMENT THAT SERVES THE PEOPLE AND RESPECTS THE SEPARATION OF POWERS AND THE GOVERNMENT FOCUS ON RESULTS RATHER THAN POLITICAL VENDETTAS. BUT NOW IT'S TIME TO MOVE FORWARD. I UNDERSTAND THAT TO FOCUS ON PUBLIC SAFETY, STRONGER COMMUNITIES, ACCOUNTABLE GOVERNMENT. IMAGINE THAT. AND FAITHFULLY SERVING THE PEOPLE WHO PUT THEIR TRUST IN US. THAT'S ALL I HAVE, MR. PRESIDENT. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. MR. JANARDHANA THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT. SO ON FRIDAY, JUNE 12TH, MYSELF, A COUPLE OTHER COUNCIL PEOPLE, WE WENT TO CRABBY AX AND THEY HAD A GRAND REOPENING. THEY NOW HAVE A KITCHEN AND BAR. SO IF YOU WANT TO THROW AN AX, GO TO CRABBY AX. SO UPCOMING EVENTS, EVERYBODY KNOWS 4TH OF JULY IS COMING. AND THEN SOMETHING I'M GOING TO WORK ON AND SEE IF IT'S A POSSIBILITY. BUT LOOK AT SOME KIND OF A TAX BREAK FOR OUR VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT. MAYBE WE CAN LOOK INTO SEEING WHAT A TAX BREAK WOULD BE LIKE SOME OF THE OTHER COUNTIES HAVE FOR VOLUNTEER FIRE, EMS, AND THEN FINALLY, COUNCIL PRESIDENT, AS EVERYBODY KNOWS, I'VE BEEN SAYING THAT DOUBLE DIPPING IS A BAD IDEA. COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE SUPPOSED TO REPRESENT THE PEOPLE. BUT WHEN A COUNCIL MEMBER ALSO COLLECTS A PAYCHECK FROM A SCHOOL SYSTEM, THEY WEAR TWO HATS. WHEN THE CITY THEY SHOULD ONLY BE WEARING ONE, AND THEY'RE VOTING TO REPRESENT THE CITIZENS OR THEIR EMPLOYER. THAT'S WHY TWO WEEKS AGO, I ASKED COUNCILMAN BENNETT IF HE WAS PLANNING TO VOTE FOR THE BUDGET AND THE AMENDMENT, CUTTING FUNDS FROM THE COUNTY SERVICES TO GIVE MORE MONEY TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. HE DIDN'T ANSWER ME AT THE TIME. NOW I HAVE THE ANSWER IN HIS OWN WORDS, IN AN EMAIL THAT HE WROTE IN 2024 TO HIS BOSS, SUPERINTENDENT SEAN BOLSON, AND POSTED BY A THIRD PARTY ON SOCIAL MEDIA TODAY, MR. BENNETT WROTE I WORK HARD AND I QUOTE, I WORK HARD TO SUPPORT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM WITH BOTH HATS THAT I WEAR. SOMETIMES MY SUPPORT COMES IN THE FORM OF CRITICISM. SOMETIMES IT COMES IN THE UNION ACTIVISTS ADVOCACY, ADVOCACY, AND SOMETIMES IT COMES IN BUDGETARY ACTION. LET ME SAY THAT AGAIN. SOMETIMES IT COMES IN BUDGETARY ACTION. NOW IMAGINE A COUNTY COUNCIL MADE UP ENTIRELY OF TEACHERS WHO WILL THEY AIM TO PLEASE THEIR BOSSES OR THE PEOPLE? DON'T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT. READ MR. BENNETT'S WORD FOR YOURSELF. I HAVE MR. BENNETT'S LETTER I'M GOING TO MAKE PUBLIC IN A RESPONSE TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT, AND I'M GOING TO READ IT INTO THE RECORD. HELLO, DOCTOR BOLSON, I WANT TO REACH OUT TO YOU ABOUT AN INCIDENT INVOLVING YOUR STAFF. MY LEGISLATIVE AIDE WAS AT AN EDUCATION FOUNDATION ANNUAL BREAKFAST ON BEHALF. DUE TO ME BEING AT MY DAY JOB TEACHING KINDERGARTEN AT OLD POST. DURING YOUR REMARKS, YOU COMMENTED ON IMPROVEMENT IN THE MCAT SCORES THIS PAST YEAR, WHICH I'VE SEEN ON THE MARYLAND REPORT CARD AND THANK. THINK IT'S WORTH CELEBRATING IN THE MOMENT YOU SHARED, A MEMBER OF YOUR STAFF LEANED OVER TO MY LEGISLATIVE AIDE AND SAID, SEE, CAN YOU PLEASE TELL YOUR BOSS? THAT MADE HEATHER EXTREMELY UNCOMFORTABLE? AND SHE RESPONDED, READING INSTRUCTION DOESN'T HAVE TO DO WITH MY WORK IN THE COUNCIL OFFICE. I FIND THIS REMARK EXTREMELY DISRESPECTFUL, UNPROFESSIONAL, DEMEANING TO ME. IT SHOWS THAT THIS PERSON ONLY SEES ME AS SOMEONE WHO COMPLAINS FOR THE SAKE AND ONLY. THEY DO NOT RESPECT FOR THE WORK THAT I DO FOR THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, NOR MY

[02:40:03]

THANKS. I'M SURE MOST OF YOU AND THOSE WATCHING AND US UP HERE ON THE DAIS CAN'T WAIT TILL NEXT TUESDAY IS OVER WITH. I APPRECIATE THE THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE EXECUTIVE GETTING TOGETHER A BATTERY ENERGY AND SOLAR PROJECT WORKGROUP. I'VE WORKED WITH THEM LAST WEEK, AND WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING THAT THROUGH THE SUMMER. AND I HOPE EVERYBODY HAS A SAFE AND FUN SUMMER. THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. THANK YOU, MR. RILEY. MISS. THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT, I WANTED TO GIVE AN UPDATE ON THE GREENWOOD GREEN RIDGE WATER. MY OFFICE DOES REMAIN ACTIVELY ENGAGED WITH MARYLAND AMERICAN WATER REGARDING THE WATER CONCERNS, AND I HAVE A MEETING SCHEDULED WITH THE COMPANY IN EARLY JULY. I ENCOURAGE RESIDENTS TO SEND ME ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS THAT THEY HAVE, AND I WILL ADDRESS THEM AT THAT TIME, ALTHOUGH WE'LL BE ON SUMMER RECESS, I WILL BE IN MY OFFICE AND COMMITTED TO WORKING AND SERVING MY DISTRICT. I WISH EVERYONE A VERY SAFE, HEALTHY AND HAPPY SUMMER. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, MISS MR. BENNETT. HELLO. GOOD EVENING. GOOD TO BE WITH EVERYONE. REAL QUICK I'LL JUST ADDRESS THE FELLOW COUNCILMAN'S REMARKS TOWARDS ME FROM THAT TWO YEAR OLD EMAIL IN WHICH I WAS HAVING A DISAGREEMENT WITH THE FORMER SUPERINTENDENT SUPERINTENDENT OF THE TIME ABOUT READING INSTRUCTION. I THINK, IF ANYTHING, THAT EMAIL SHOWS THAT I'M NOT BLINDLY LOYAL TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, THAT I'M WILLING TO STAND UP FOR WHAT'S BEST FOR CHILDREN, WHICH IS WHAT I SAID I DO IN THAT EMAIL IN ALL FACETS OF MY LIFE, WHETHER IT'S ADVOCATING FOR SCHOOL FUNDING OR IT'S ADVOCATING FOR CHANGES AND REFORMS WITHIN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, I'M ADVOCATING FOR CHILDREN. AND WHETHER I WAS A SCHOOL TEACHER OR NOT. I HAVE A DAUGHTER AT HOME, AND I PLAN TO ADVOCATE FOR HER IN THE LIFE THAT SHE DESERVES. AND THERE'S NO CONFLICT AND INTEREST IN TAKING CARE OF CHILDREN. AND THEN I JUST WANT TO SHARE THAT I ATTENDED THE LAW ENFORCEMENT TORCH RUN FOR SPECIAL OLYMPICS. I WANT TO ESPECIALLY THANK DEPUTY CHIEF ALTON FOR ALL HE DOES FOR SPECIAL OLYMPICS EVERY YEAR. HE'S BEEN A SUPER PLUNGER IN THE PAST, WHERE HE DID A PLUNGE EVERY HOUR FOR 24 HOURS TO SUPPORT SPECIAL OLYMPICS.

AND EVEN NOW, AS DEPUTY CHIEF, HE CONTINUES TO SUPPORT SPECIAL OLYMPICS. EVEN WITH ALL THE ADDED DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES HE HAS NOW. AND I THINK IT REALLY SHOWS HOW DEEP HIS COMMITMENT IS TO SPECIAL OLYMPICS. IT'S NOT JUST SOMETHING HE DOES BECAUSE HE HAS TO, BECAUSE OF WORK. IT'S SOMETHING THAT HE FEELS DEEPLY PASSIONATE ABOUT AND I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING DEPUTY CHIEF ALTON AND ALL OF HAVE DECREASED POLICE DO FOR OUR COMMUNITY. I ATTENDED THE ABINGDON CAB MEETING THIS PAST WEEK, AND I ALWAYS APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATIONS WE HAVE AT CAB MEETINGS. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME UP IS THESE ELECTRIC BIKES THAT KIDS ARE RIDING YOUNGER AND YOUNGER. THERE'S A LOT OF CONCERNS AROUND THESE BIKES. YOU KNOW, SOME OF THEM HAVE BUILT IN SPEED LIMITS, BUT YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, HACK YOUR BIKE TO BREAK THROUGH THOSE SPEED LIMITS. AND THEN 12 YEAR OLDS ARE GOING DOWN THE STREET 45MPH ON A BIKE WITH A BICYCLE HELMET, WHICH IS NOT GOING TO KEEP THEM SAFE IF THEY FALL.

AND THE SHERIFF DEPUTY WHO IS WITH US THAT NIGHT, DID SHARE ABOUT TWO CHILDREN WHO WERE TANDEM RIDING AN E-BIKE AND FELL AND WERE MAJORLY HURT AND HAD TO TO, YOU KNOW, GIVE

[02:45:02]

SO THAT WAS REALLY COOL. AND I ENCOURAGE YOU TO STOP BY THE MOORE HOUSE AND HAVE DE GRACE AND SEE THAT THERE'S A LOT TO CELEBRATE COMING UP. JUNETEENTH IS THIS FRIDAY. AND I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO TAKE THAT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE AND TO LEARN, AS THIS IS A HOLIDAY THAT IS STILL NEW TO MANY IN THE COMMUNITY, WHILE OTHERS HAVE BEEN CELEBRATING IT FOR&A LONG TIME. FATHER'S DAY IS COMING UP THIS WEEKEND. I'M VERY EXCITED FOR FATHER'S DAY.

YOU KNOW, MY DAD WAS IN THE PEACE CORPS IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, AND HE WOULD JOKE ABOUT HOW THE PRIEST WOULD CELEBRATE MOTHER'S DAY AND SAY HOW SPECIAL MOTHER'S DAY WAS, AND THEN THE FATHER'S DAY SERMON WOULD ROLL AROUND AND THE PRIEST WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT'S SO SPECIAL ABOUT FATHERS, MOTHERS? AND HE WOULD GIVE THE MOTHER'S DAY SERMON ALL OVER AGAIN. BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE CELEBRATE THOSE WHO COMMIT TO RAISING OUR CHILDREN AND BRINGING THEM UP. RIGHT? AND THEN LASTLY, I WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL IS COMING UP THIS WEEK ON THURSDAY. YOU KNOW, I WAS VERY LUCKY IN THE MY DAY JOB TO TAKE MY STUDENTS ON A FIELD TRIP TODAY, WHICH WAS A LOT OF FUN. WE WENT TO THE DISCOVERY CENTER IN WATER'S EDGE, AND THEN WE CAME BACK AND CELEBRATED OUR FIFTH GRADERS WHO ARE MOVING ON TO MIDDLE SCHOOL NEXT YEAR. BUT IT WAS A VERY SPECIAL DAY. AND, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A SPECIAL WEEK, BUT I ALSO WANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE A REALLY HARD WEEK FOR THOSE IN THE ROY WILLIAMS COMMUNITY. AFTER EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED TODAY.

AND I JUST HOPE THE STAFF THERE AND THE CHILDREN THERE KNOW THAT THEY ARE IN MY THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS AS THEY NAVIGATE THE EVENTS THAT TOOK PLACE TODAY AT THEIR SCHOOL, AND I JUST HOPE THEY HAVE THE SUPPORT OF THE COMMUNITY. AND I HOPE WE ALL TAKE PAUSE BEFORE WE COMMENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA WITH A QUICK JOKE OR A QUICK JAB, OR A QUICK POLITICAL POINT TO RECOGNIZE. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CHILDREN. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ADULTS WORKING IN A BUILDING. AND, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULDN'T BE SO QUICK TO JOKE ABOUT SOMETHING LIKE PEOPLE GETTING HURT. AND THEN I KNOW I SAID LASTLY, BUT I DO WANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT ELECTION DAY IS A WEEK FROM TODAY. ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO VOTE. THE SEATS WE SIT IN DO NOT BELONG TO US. THEY'RE OUT THERE ON LOAN FROM THE COMMUNITY. AND YOU KNOW, WHOEVER COMES INTO THESE SEATS NEXT, I HOPE WE'VE DONE THE WORK TO TAKE CARE OF THEM. AND I HOPE THAT WHO COMES NEXT CONTINUE THAT WORK OF TAKING CARE OF THEM SO THAT WE CAN TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. BENNETT. 17 BUSINESS

[17. BUSINESS FROM THE PRESIDENT ]

[02:50:06]