Aug 22, 2023 County Commissioners Meeting

[00:02:19]

GOOD. HEY, GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.

WELCOME TO THE AUGUST 22ND, 2023 CAROLINE COUNTY COMMISSIONER MEETING.

WELCOME BACK TO THE COURTHOUSE.

FOR THOSE OF YOU WATCHING ONLINE, PLEASE BEAR WITH US AS THIS IS A NEW CAMERA SYSTEM THAT WE ARE TRYING OUT FOR THE FIRST TIME AT THIS POINT. GO AHEAD AND HAVE OUR INVOCATION BY PASTOR DON REYNOLDS OF CALVARY BAPTIST CHURCH.

AND THAT'LL BE FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.

REVEREND, THANK YOU FOR COMING IN.

YES, LET US PRAY.

FATHER, WE COME THIS MORNING AND WE JUST WANT TO PAUSE AND SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR GOODNESS AND YOUR MERCY AND YOUR LOVING WATCH CARE OVER ALL OF US.

[Commissioners Meeting Convenes;]

WE LOOK AROUND AND WE THANK YOU FOR THIS COURTHOUSE AND ITS HISTORY, BUT ALSO, LORD, THE FACT THAT IT HAS BEEN REMODELED AND WE THANK YOU FOR SUCH A

[Call to Order: Invocation- Pastor Don Reynolds, Calvary Baptist Church of Denton; Pledge of Allegiance; Agenda Review]

SO I PRAY RIGHT NOW, LORD, FOR THE DECISIONS THAT WILL BE MADE TODAY AND IN FUTURE WEEKS AND MONTHS AND MAYBE YEARS THAT YOU WILL GIVE GODLY WISDOM TO THOSE WHO ARE SERVING AS COMMISSIONERS.

THANK YOU FOR THESE MEN THAT ARE SERVING AT THE PRESENT.

I THANK YOU FOR THEIR STAFFS AND I THANK YOU FOR THE CITIZENS OF THIS WONDERFUL COUNTY.

LORD, WE AT OUR BEST MISS THE MARK OF WHAT IS EXPECTED.

BUT WE THANK YOU THAT YOU KNEW THAT AND PROVIDED A WAY FOR US TO BE A FORGIVEN PEOPLE.

AND I JUST WANT TO PAUSE AND THANK YOU FOR THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.

WE KNOW THAT YOU, THE ONE TODAY THAT RULES OVER ALL.

SO HELP US TO SUBMIT OURSELVES AFRESH UNTO YOU.

I PRAY THAT ALL OF US MIGHT SEEK YOU INDIVIDUALLY AND TRY TO LIVE IN ACCORDANCE WITH YOUR HOLY WORD. NOW, THANK YOU FOR OUR NATION.

WE THANK YOU FOR THIS PLEDGE THAT WE WILL OFFER.

AND LORD, WE PRAY THAT YOU WILL KEEP US FREE.

WE ASK THIS IN JESUS NAME.

AMEN. AMEN.

THANK YOU, REVEREND. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. REVEREND.

DO YOU HAVE A BREAKFAST THIS WEEKEND THIS SATURDAY? NOT THIS SATURDAY. NOT THIS ONE.

OKAY. YEAH. WHEN WE DO HAVE BREAKFAST, ALL OF YOU AND ANYONE IS INVITED TOO.

[00:05:10]

OKAY. AND SO FORTH.

ALL RIGHT, SO BEFORE.

THANK YOU. BEFORE WE GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT, I DO WANT TO SAY THAT WE ARE STILL WAITING ON THE SEAL.

I THINK THAT'S IS THAT THE LAST THING? AND WE'RE GOING TO GET THE OTHER DISPLAY FIXED.

THE TV CAME IN BROKEN.

SO THERE WILL BE THE AGENDA AND PRESENTATIONS DISPLAYED ON BOTH TVS EVENTUALLY AND WE WILL HAVE THE COUNTY SEAL SIMILAR TO THE ONE THAT WE HAVE AT THE BUILDING BEHIND US.

I BELIEVE IT'S GOING ON THE FRONT OF THE DAIS.

ON THE FRONT? OKAY, SOUNDS GOOD.

ANY PUBLIC COMMENT, REVEREND? YES. I JUST ASSUME WE'VE HEADED UP IN GOD WE TRUST FOR OVER 30 YEARS THAT WILL BE REPLACED?

[Public Comment]

THAT'S OVER THE SEAL AND HALF, RIGHT? YEP. IT WILL BE THERE AS WELL.

SO THANK YOU.

THAT'S OUR NATIONAL ANTHEM.

YEAH. NATIONAL PLEDGE ALSO.

YEP. YEP.

OKAY. ANY PUBLIC COMMENT THIS MORNING? FACILITY IS REALLY NICE.

REALLY NICE EQUIPMENT.

NICE ENVIRONMENT IS NICE.

VERY NICE. GOOD JOB.

THANK YOU. AND JUST TO NOTE, FOR THOSE OF YOU ONLINE, WE WILL NOT BE ACCEPTING ONLINE PUBLIC COMMENT ANYMORE.

THE NEW SYSTEM DOES NOT ALLOW THAT.

SO IN ORDER TO MAKE PUBLIC COMMENT, YOU WILL HAVE TO SUBMIT IN WRITING OR COME INTO A MEETING.

SO OKAY, THAT BEING SAID, WE'LL MOVE ON TO OUR FIRST AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS MR. ANDY HOLLIS, DIRECTOR OF UPPER SHORE AGING, AND JENNIFER NEAL ACREE, DIRECTOR OF SENIOR CENTERS

[Andy Hollis, Director, Upper Shore Aging & Jennifer Neal Acree, Director of Senior Centers]

SO JUST ANDY.

JUST ME.

ANDY TRULY IS JUST ME. HOW ARE YOU THIS MORNING.

OKAY, FINE. THANK YOU, GENTLEMEN.

FRANK. MR. COMMISSIONER BARTZ GAVE ME A LITTLE HEADS UP WHEN HE EXTENDED THE INVITATION.

WHEN I WAS FORTUNATE TO RUN INTO COMMISSIONER PORTER DOWN AT MACO, WHO GAVE ME A LITTLE BACKGROUND AS WELL.

SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT ME TO SAY A COUPLE COMMENTS TO QUEUE IT ALL UP AND THEN YOU ALL CAN GIVE ME SOME DIRECTION AS CONVERSATION IF YOU'D LIKE.

CERTAINLY IF YOU COULD GIVE US THE BACKSTORY OF WHERE WE'RE AT, HOW WE GOT HERE.

SURE. SO IT'S A 12 MONTH BACKSTORY BECAUSE THAT'S THE LENGTH OF TIME I'VE BEEN IN THIS SEAT.

[LAUGHTER] BEFORE I CAME ON BOARD, THERE WAS TALK WITH THE YMCA WITH THE HOPE THAT THEY WERE BUILDING OVER HERE IN DENTON THAT WE CAN CO-LOCATE THE WAY WE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY DOWN IN SAINT MICHAEL'S.

THAT HAS NOT COME TO FRUITION.

SO SINCE MY TIME IN THIS POSITION, WE'VE ALSO LOOKED TO TRY TO CO-LOCATE WITH A NONPROFIT THAT DID NOT WORK OUT FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS.

WE HAVE LOOKED AT THE HALF LOCATION, WHICH IS WHERE WE ARE CURRENTLY.

WE HAVE ABOUT 4500FT² THANKS TO THE COMMISSIONERS GENEROSITY.

THAT WORKS OUT WELL FOR US.

IF THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ANY ENLARGEMENT OF THAT AREA, THAT WOULD BE TERRIFIC.

THE KEY TO THAT IN LARGE PART IS THE KITCHEN, BECAUSE WE OPERATE OUR MEALS ON WHEELS PROGRAM OUT OF THAT.

WE ALSO HAVE A FEW OFFICES BESIDES THE SENIOR CENTER ITSELF THAT OFFERS COUNSELING SERVICES FOR A VARIETY OF THINGS, ESPECIALLY MEDICARE, WHEN INDIVIDUALS HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHICH PLAN OR WHICH OPTION THEY SHOULD PICK.

THERE WAS ALSO COMMISSIONER PORTER HAD MENTIONED TO ME THAT YOU ALL WERE ALSO HAVING A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE DCT BUILDING AND WHETHER THAT WOULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US.

FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, NOTHING IS OFF THE TABLE.

WE ARE LOOKING AT THE GENEROSITY OF THE COUNTY, SO WHATEVER WORKS BEST FOR YOU.

THE ONLY COMMENT THAT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION, THE ONLY CONCERN WAS IT IS A BUSY TRAFFIC AREA THERE.

WHEN YOU HAVE SENIORS IN PARTICULAR, IF THEY'RE DRIVING, WOULD THAT BE A CONCERN? THE MAJORITY, IF NOT ALL OF OUR ATTENDEES CURRENTLY RIDE THE BUS.

SO THAT'S NOT A PROBLEM.

OUR HOPE IS THAT WE GROW THIS PROGRAM AND THAT WE BRING IN MORE PEOPLE WHICH WILL GENERATE MORE TRAFFIC.

SO THAT WAS THE ONLY HESITATION.

THE ONLY OTHER THING I'LL SAY IS THE DEPARTMENT OF AGING AT THE STATE LEVEL DOES HAVE GRANT AND LOAN MONEY AVAILABLE FOR RENOVATION, FOR EXPANSION, FOR CONSTRUCTION, HAS A LOT OF PARAMETERS WITH IT, $800,000 CAP.

BUT THERE ARE SOME OPPORTUNITIES THERE IF WE NEED TO RENOVATE, WHETHER IT'S AT HAPS DCT OR WHEREVER YOU THINK IS BEST FOR US.

FINAL COMMENT IS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PROVIDING THIS SERVICE ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTY SO YOU DON'T DO IT YOURSELF AND YOU'RE VERY KIND AND GENEROUS IN YOUR FUNDING.

SO WE WILL WORK WITH YOU FOR WHATEVER IS BEST FOR THE CITIZENS OF CAROLINE COUNTY.

OKAY. YEAH. HOW MANY SQUARE FEET? I'M SORRY I MISSED THAT.

[00:10:02]

OKAY. THAT'S WHERE WE'RE TOLD FROM YOUR TEAM.

OKAY. INCLUDING THE KITCHEN.

OKAY. YEAH, WE COULD SEE A NUMBER AROUND 6,000 THAT WOULD JUST PROVIDE MORE OPPORTUNITY FOR MEETING SPACE, ESPECIALLY FOR THE SENIORS, PERHAPS EXERCISE THINGS LIKE THAT.

HOW MANY ATTENDEES DO YOU HAVE RIGHT NOW? 15 ON AVERAGE, WHICH IS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE NUMBER, NOR SHOULD IT BE FOR YOU.

SO WHAT WAS IT? DO YOU REMEMBER? WELL, YOU WERE HERE, BUT THE PRE-COVID NUMBER.

YOU DON'T REMEMBER? I DON'T KNOW THE PRE-COVID.

I KNOW IT WAS HIGHER. I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS.

YEAH, WHAT WAS IT? AND THEY ARE ALL TRANSPORTED BY DCT.

YES, SIR. CURRENTLY THE 15 IS THAT IN A SEPARATE FUNDED PROGRAM THROUGH DCT OR IS THAT THROUGH OUR MASS TRANSIT? IT'S THROUGH THE MASS TRANSIT IN THE COUNTY.

OKAY. YOU ALL DO PROVIDE BUS PASSES FOR THOSE SENIORS.

SO YOU SUPPLEMENT THE COST.

OKAY. IT'S ABOUT $4,500, RIGHT? RIGHT. ABOUT 4500.

SO WE SUPPLEMENT THE FARE.

YES, SIR. SO THAT WORKS OUT WELL.

HOW MANY EMPLOYEES DO YOU HAVE AT THE CAROLINA FACILITY? I WANT TO SAY SEVEN.

IT MAY BE EIGHT. OKAY.

AND SOME OF THOSE ARE PART TIME. AND THEN WE HAVE A LARGE NUMBER OF VOLUNTEERS THAT ARE ACTUALLY OUT DELIVERING A LOT OF THE MEALS AS WELL.

HOW MANY MEALS ARE YOU DOING TODAY? I'M SORRY? HOW MANY MEALS ARE YOU DOING EACH DAY? MR. PORTER, I SHOULD KNOW THAT.

AND I DON'T HAVE THAT NUMBER, BUT I CAN GET IT FOR YOU.

IT'S I WILL TELL YOU, WITHIN THE LAST SIX MONTHS, IT HAS GROWN SUBSTANTIALLY TO THE POINT.

AND I'LL PUT IN A PLUG. WE'RE LOOKING FOR MORE VOLUNTEERS TO DRIVE MORE ROUTES, BUT I'LL HAVE TO GET THAT NUMBER FOR YOU.

OKAY. THAT'S DUE TO WHAT? THE CUT OFF FROM THE COVID WHEN THE MONEY WHERE THEY TOOK AWAY FROM.

I THINK THAT INFLATION THE COST OF GOING TO THE GROCERY STORE.

SO INFLATION WE'RE SEEING WITHIN THE THREE COUNTIES, CERTAINLY NOT JUST CAROLINA.

YEAH. SO MINUS THE PRE I CALL IT THE NOT FOOD, BUT GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE MONEY THAT THEY TOOK BACK PRE COVID PLUS THE INFLATIONARY.

YEAH. YEAH.

AND WITH SENIORS IN PARTICULAR, THEY ALSO HAVE MEDICATION COSTS AND THINGS OF THAT SORT.

SO, ANDY, WHAT KIND OF SERVICES ARE YOU PROVIDING TO THOSE SENIORS? ARE YOU PROVIDING THEM A MEAL, JUST LUNCH, OR ARE YOU PROVIDING MULTIPLE MEALS OR? SO THEY'RE ABLE TO HAVE A LIGHT BREAKFAST, BUT A FULL LUNCH.

IT'S A CONGREGATE SETTING THAT'S SHARED WITH MEDICAL ADULT DAYCARE.

AND THEN WE ALSO DO A SEPARATE DELIVERED TO THOSE WHO CAN'T COME INTO THE CENTER.

OKAY. THERE'S NO COST FOR THAT.

WE ASK FOR A DONATION IF THEY'RE ABLE, BUT NOBODY GOES WITHOUT.

BUT YES, SO WE'RE FEEDING THEM AS WELL.

OKAY. AND THEN A VARIETY OF ACTIVITIES, PROGRAMS. WE'RE INCREASING OUR NUMBER OF OUT OF BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES, FIELD TRIPS AND THINGS OF THAT SORT FOR THIS YEAR.

OKAY. WHAT? WHAT KIND OF OF SENIORS ARE THEY LIVING AT HOME BY THEMSELVES, OR ARE A LOT OF THEM LIVING WITH FAMILY MEMBERS? DO YOU HAVE ANY, YOU KNOW, ANY INFORMATION ON WHAT WHAT STATE THEY'RE IN? YEAH, SURE. SO IT'S A MIX.

OKAY. A FAIR NUMBER DO LIVE WITH FAMILY MEMBERS BECAUSE THE COST OF LIVING ALONE PLUS THE CHALLENGES AS YOU AGE.

RIGHT. YOU KNOW, ADDRESSING YOUR OWN NEEDS.

YEAH. SO YOU'RE SEEING BOTH.

BUT AS THE POPULATION GETS OLDER, YOU'RE SEEING A MOVE TOWARD LIVING MORE WITH FAMILY.

FAMILY. OKAY.

SO LIKE IF THE DCT THING DID WORK AND WE COULD MOVE OUT THERE SQUARE FOOTAGE, WHAT WOULD YOU ENVISION LIKE HAVING THERE VERSUS WHAT YOU HAVE NOW? SURE. SO IN TERMS OF SQUARE FOOTAGE, I WAS LOOKING AT FORKLIFTS, WHICH IS ONE OF OUR NEWER BUILDINGS OVER IN TALBOT COUNTY.

THEY HAVE 11,000FT², BUT THAT'S A TWO STORY BUILDING.

IN A PERFECT WORLD, I'D LOVE TO SEE THAT.

BUT IF WE CAN HIT SIX AND 7000FT², COMMISSIONER BARTZ, THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL.

THAT BUILDING IN PARTICULAR HAS THE BAY IN THE BACK.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE COUNTY'S PLANS WOULD BE FOR THAT, BUT IF THAT COULD BE RENOVATED.

I'VE BEEN IN THE BUILDING ITSELF, THE SMALLER OFFICES.

THAT WILL BE SOMEWHAT CHALLENGING IF WE WERE USING THOSE FOR LARGE GATHERINGS AND THERE'S NOT A KITCHEN RIGHT NOW, SO WE'D HAVE [INAUDIBLE].

SO THE KITCHEN WOULD HAVE TO BE A COMMERCIAL KITCHEN.

RIGHT. I MEAN. YES SIR.

SO THAT WAS ONE OF MY QUESTIONS.

I MEAN, IN AN IDEAL WORLD, HOW MANY PEOPLE WOULD WE PLAN FOR? RIGHT. SO IF WE'RE LOOKING AT 15 NOW, IN A PERFECT WORLD, WITHIN 2 OR 3 YEARS, I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT NUMBER DOUBLED.

[00:15:06]

PART OF THE CHALLENGE IS TRANSPORTATION.

PART OF THE CHALLENGE IS DO WE OFFER ENOUGH ACTIVITIES, INTEREST PEOPLE TO BRING THEM OUT? AND IF NOT, WHAT ARE WE MISSING? WHAT IS THIS? WHAT ARE THE SUCCESSES IN OUR OTHER CENTERS? SO WE'RE NOT REPLICATING IN CAROLINE COUNTY.

AND I'LL BE PERFECTLY FRANK, YOU ALL SHOULD BE ASKING US TO DO MORE BECAUSE I'M REALLY FOCUSED ON CAROLINE THIS YEAR AND THAT THOSE NUMBERS JUST AREN'T ACCEPTABLE TO ME.

FOR THE AMOUNT OF MONEY YOU FUND IN THE STATE FUNDS, WE SHOULD BE SEEING A LARGER AMOUNT OF PEOPLE.

SO WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO TO DRAW THEM OUT? MAYBE IT'S A MORE ATTRACTIVE SETTING, I DON'T KNOW.

BUT WE NEED TO GET THAT INFORMATION AND DO MORE.

THE MEDICAL ADULT DAYCARE, AS I'M RECOLLECTING HERE, THAT IS WHERE PEOPLE COME IN FOR THE DAY, IS THAT CORRECT? WHERE IT KIND OF GIVES A LITTLE BIT OF A RESPITE FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE CARING FOR THEM AT HOME? ABSOLUTELY. AND NOT OUR PROGRAM.

BUT WE DO SHARE DINING SPACE.

SURE. OKAY.

AND YOU SAY THERE IS GRANT FUNDING FOR RENOVATION AVAILABLE THROUGH THE STATE UP TO $800,000.

CORRECT. THERE'S A MATCH REQUIREMENT.

THERE'S SEVERAL DIFFERENT REQUIREMENTS THAT I HAVEN'T GONE THROUGH YET.

BUT THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY.

THERE ARE MATCHES.

YES, SIR. AND FROM WHAT I'VE READ, THE STATE HAS NOT BEEN EXTENDING ALL OF THE MONEY IN THAT PROGRAM EVERY YEAR.

SO IT MAY NOT BE AS COMPETITIVE AS I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT.

OKAY, WELL, MAYBE WE CAN HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH DANNY FOX, OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR, OR STACEY STEWART AND HIS OFFICE, WHO'S OUR GRANT COORDINATOR, AND MAYBE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THEM, YOU COULD PUT TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, SOME SOME OPTIONS MAYBE FOR FUNDING HERE.

HAPPY TO DO. IF YOU HAD YOUR CHOICE, WHICH LOCATION WOULD YOU PREFER? PERHAPS, BUT ONLY BECAUSE OF THE TRAFFIC ISSUE.

YOU KNOW, IT'S ALWAYS EXCITING TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD, TO RECONFIGURE NEW SPACE AND EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT, WHICH WOULD BE TERRIFIC.

I'M JUST I'M CONCERNED.

AND ABOUT THE SENIORS COMING IN AND OUT IF THEY'RE NOT ON THE BUS, WELL, MAYBE WE COULD PARTNER.

MAYBE WE COULD THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX HERE AND MAYBE PARTNER WITH A LOCAL CHURCH OR SOMEBODY.

I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT OTHER OPTIONS BUILDINGS THAT MAY BE AVAILABLE AROUND TOWN THAT MAYBE WE COULD COME UP WITH SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, THAT FEELS A LITTLE MORE.

I THINK YOU HAD MADE REFERENCE TO THE FEEL OF GOING TO LIKE THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE.

IT'S NOT VERY WARM AND INVITING.

RIGHT. SO.

RIGHT. CORRECT.

AND I THINK WE HAVE PART OF THAT RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE IT WARM AND INVITING, TOO.

SO IT'S NOT JUST THE PHYSICAL SPACE, IT'S WHAT WE DO WITH IT.

YEAH. AND YOU WERE IN DISCUSSIONS WITH WAS IT A CHURCH OR WAS IT.

YEAH. OKAY. OKAY.

YES, SIR. SO MAYBE HAVE YOU REACHED OUT TO OTHER NONPROFITS OR CHURCHES IN THE COMMUNITY? THAT WAS THE ONLY ONE BECAUSE THEY HAD AVAILABLE SPACE.

OKAY. AND IT MAY SIMPLY BE THAT I'M NOT AWARE OF IT.

SO IF THERE'S MORE OUT THERE, THAT'D BE GREAT, TOO, IF WE COULD KNOW ABOUT THAT.

RIGHT? YEAH. OKAY.

YEAH. ALL RIGHT.

WELL, LET'S LOOK IN.

LET'S DO THE RESEARCH ON THE GRANT FUNDING AVAILABILITY.

GET ALL OF OUR OPTIONS ON THE TABLE.

AND, YOU KNOW, WE'LL ALSO DO SOME COMMUNITY OUTREACH TO SEE IF THERE IS SPACE AVAILABLE SOMEWHERE.

THAT'S FINE. I JUST WANT TO UNDERLINE AGAIN HOW MUCH YOU ALL HAVE DONE FOR THE SENIORS AND PROVIDING THE SPACE AND THE OPPORTUNITY IS REALLY SIGNIFICANT.

SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF WHERE OUR SENIORS ARE LOCATED? THE SENIORS THAT YOU'RE SERVING, ARE THEY FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTY OR ARE THEY LARGELY JUST AROUND DENTON? DO YOU KNOW? ANY OF THE MAJORITY ARE AROUND DENTON SIMPLY BECAUSE THAT'S YOUR MAIN POPULATION HUB, BUT THEY'RE OUT IN THE COUNTY AS WELL.

OKAY. I THINK WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF PULLING THOSE OUT IN THE COUNTY.

YEAH. WELL, YOU ALSO HAVE ONE IN FEDERALSBURG THAT THEY RUN.

THEY HAVE A CENTER.

FEDERALSBURG DOES. WE'RE ABOVE THE TOWN OFFICE IN FEDERALSBURG.

IT'S A SMALLER CENTER.

OKAY. YEAH, WE DO.

NOW, THAT'S A COMPETITIVE GRANT FUNDING EVERY YEAR WITH THE STATE AND WE HAVEN'T HEARD.

BUT I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN SEEING IF WE CAN GROW FEDERALSBURG AS WELL.

YEAH. YEAH.

SO THAT'S ABOVE TOWN HALL.

YES, SIR. YEAH. SO HAVE YOU.

THAT'S GOT TO BE. YOU'VE BEEN IN TALK WITH MEN FOR CHANGE OF USE IN THEIR BUILDING OR.

NO, NO, NO, NO.

OKAY. THEY'RE NOT QUITE. I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE QUITE DONE YET OR NOT.

I HAVEN'T HEARD. I'D BE HAPPY TO LOOK AT IT AGAIN.

FORTUNATE TO HAVE FEDERALSBURG SUPPORTING US SPACE ABOVE IT IS DOESN'T HAVE ANY WINDOWS.

IT'S KIND OF, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE RIGHT THERE BY THE LOT.

IT'S RIGHT DOWN THE ROAD BETWEEN THE LIBRARY AND THE TOWN HALL.

WHERE THE OLD DOLLAR GENERAL USED TO BE, YEAH.

MY BIGGEST CONCERN RIGHT NOW IS THE STATE FUNDING COMING DOWN FOR US.

YEAH, IT'S COMPETITIVE AND WE HAVEN'T HEARD YET WHICH IS UNUSUAL.

THE TOTAL AVERAGE, THE 15 ON AVERAGE THAT YOU HAVE THAT PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM DAILY, DOES THAT INCLUDE FEDERALSBURG OR IS THAT JUST.

[00:20:01]

OKAY. FEDERALSBURG PROBABLY ABOUT 12 TO 15.

IT'S NOT AS BIG AS THEM, BUT DENTON SHOULD BE LARGER.

WE NEED TO GROW THAT NUMBER.

SO YOU HAVE 12 TO 15 IN FEDERALSBURG.

YES. AND SOME OF THOSE ARE PROBABLY DORCHESTER COUNTY RESIDENTS.

I MR. BREEDING. I DON'T KNOW. GOOD QUESTION.

PROBABLY 12 TO 15.

OKAY. AND MR. PORTER I'LL GET YOU THE INFORMATION ABOUT MEALS ON WHEELS.

YEAH, I MEAN, I KNOW OVER THE YEARS WE HAVE SUPPLEMENTED THAT, BUT I THINK IT'S A, YOU KNOW, IT'S AN IMPORTANT PROGRAM. AND THE PEOPLE WHO DELIVER THOSE MEALS ARE HEROES AS WELL, BECAUSE THEY GET THEM.

THEY GET THEM TO THE PEOPLE 100%.

ALL DIFFERENT. I AGREE.

IT CAN BE REWARDING TOO.

YEAH. YEAH. IT'S A GOOD THING.

YOU DEVELOP FRIENDSHIPS AND CONNECTIONS.

YEAH. YEAH. AND SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE ARE OLDER THAN THE PEOPLE THEY DELIVER TO.

THAT IS TRUE. IN SOME CASES THAT IS THE TRUTH.

BUT I MEAN, THEY STILL GET THE JOB DONE.

AND I KNOW MR. AND MRS. ASHIE IN PARTICULAR WERE VERY, VERY ACTIVE IN THAT AND TOOK A GREAT AMOUNT OF PRIDE AND RESPONSIBILITY IN WHAT THEY DID.

SO YEAH, WE HAVE A FEW COUPLES THAT GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY, SO IT'S WONDERFUL.

REALLY WONDERFUL. YEAH.

ANOTHER THING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN, I GUESS YOU COULD SAY WE'RE IN DISCUSSIONS.

I THINK WE NEED TO REACH OUT TO DCT TO GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE ARE HEADING WITH OUR TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM.

BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE CONSENSUS OF THE THREE OF US IS, IS THAT WE NEED TO GO TO A MORE ON DEMAND SYSTEM.

I DON'T THINK THE ROUTE SYSTEM WORKS IN CAROLINE COUNTY.

SO THE TRANSITION PERIOD FROM THE ROUTE SYSTEM TO THE ON DEMAND MAY BE PAINFUL FOR THE PEOPLE WHO UTILIZE THE ROUTE SYSTEM.

SO I WOULD ALSO BE CURIOUS TO KNOW ROUTES, LOCATIONS, BECAUSE IF WE DO PURSUE THAT, WE MAY HAVE TO HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT ABOUT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT ASSISTING US, BECAUSE IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT PICKS UP SENIORS NOW FOR THEIR PROGRAM WITH THEIR BUSSES.

THE FULL DAY, FULL DAY DAYCARE.

YES, RIGHT. SO IT MAY BE A SITUATION, BUT IN ORDER TO HAVE A INFORMED CONVERSATION WITH THEM, I THINK IT'D BE IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHERE THESE SENIORS ARE THAT ARE CURRENTLY BEING PICKED UP.

SURE. TO SEE IF IT IS TOO IF IT WOULD BE TOO ONEROUS, YOU KNOW, FOR THEM TO TO PICK UP THAT ROUTE.

SO I DON'T WANT TO STEP OUT OF MY LANE, BUT I WILL FOR JUST A MINUTE.

SO OVER IN TALBOT COUNTY, WHERE I USED TO BE IN GOVERNMENT, SO DCT IS NOW PROVIDING A MOBILITY ON DEMAND PROGRAM MOD, MOD AND IT IS DOOR TO DOOR.

IT'S LIKE AN UBER SERVICE BECAUSE IN A RURAL COUNTY THE FIXED TRANSPORTATION LINES DON'T NECESSARILY SERVE.

TALBOT HAS A LOT MORE DESTINATIONS THAN WE DO.

I MEAN, WE DON'T.

UNDERSTOOD, YOU KNOW, BUT IN TERMS OF JUST RURAL TRANSIT, NATIONWIDE MOBILITY ON DEMAND PROGRAMS ARE WHERE THE FUTURE IS AT.

THAT IS WHAT PEOPLE ARE MOVING TO.

SO I'M SIMPLY SAYING, WHETHER YOU WORK WITH DCT OR NOT, THERE IS A PROTOTYPE OUT THERE THAT'S BEING USED IN ANOTHER COUNTY AND WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT IT.

IT WOULD HELP OUR SENIORS TREMENDOUSLY.

YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE GREAT.

SO I HEAR YOU LOUD AND CLEAR.

NO, I'M JUST CONCERNED ABOUT THE TRANSITION PERIOD, THE PAIN.

AND I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE ANYBODY HANGING.

YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE ANYBODY.

WE HAVE ENOUGH TIME. WE'LL FIGURE IT OUT.

OKAY? YEAH. THANK YOU.

YEAH. I MEAN, ANY IDEAS YOU HAVE TO HELP US MITIGATE THOSE EFFECTS WOULD CERTAINLY OF THAT TRANSITION WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.

GREAT. ALL RIGHT.

GOT ANYTHING ELSE? I'M GOOD.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU DO.

YEAH. THANK YOU.

OKAY. NEXT UP ON THE AGENDA, WE HAVE A MID-SHORE REGIONAL LANDFILL DISCUSSION WITH MR. DANNY FOX, OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR.

GOOD MORNING, GENTLEMEN.

[Mid Shore Regional Landfill II Discussion]

SO IF WE WANT, LET'S DO A QUICK UPDATE OF THE MEETING THURSDAY THAT WE HAD SO THE PUBLIC AND EVERYONE IN THE ROOM IS KIND OF AWARE OF WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THE DISCUSSION FOR THE LANDFILL AND THEN WE CAN GO INTO ANY QUESTIONS OR FURTHER DISCUSSIONS THERE.

SO FOR EVERYONE'S KNOWLEDGE, THURSDAY DOWN AT MACO, THE COMMISSIONERS HAD A CHANCE TO MEET WITH MES AND RECEIVE ESSENTIALLY A PROPOSAL FROM MES IN CONJUNCTION WITH A THIRD PARTY FINANCIAL COMPANY OF A

[00:25:08]

IN THE PROPOSAL, THE DOLLAR VALUE ESSENTIALLY WOULD BE $2 A TON ON YEARS 2024 TO 2031 AND THEN ESCALATING TO $4 A TON GOING FROM YEAR 2032 TO 2043.

TO PUT THAT INTO PERSPECTIVE, WE'RE ROUGHLY TAKING IN ABOUT 140,000 TONS A YEAR.

SO $2 A TON FOR THE FIRST COUPLE OF YEARS WOULD MAKE THE HOST PAYMENT ROUGHLY $280,000 AND THEN POST 2031, IT WOULD GO UP TO $560,000 BEING THE $4 FEE.

IN THE DISCUSSION I KNOW WE HAD SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT SOME OF THE FINANCIALS AND THE NUMBERS THAT WERE BEING PRESENTED.

I THINK IN SCENARIOS LIKE THIS, IT IS CERTAINLY HARD OR SOMETIMES COMPLICATED TO PROJECT OUT 19 YEARS OF FINANCIALS, ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE SAY, DEPENDING ON WHAT YOU'RE CONSIDERING.

SO WE HAVE COPIES IF ANYBODY WANTS TO LOOK THROUGH OF THE PROPOSAL.

BUT I THINK WITH THAT, WE AS A BOARD NEED TO DISCUSS OUR THOUGHTS ON THIS AND SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE WE WANT TO ADDRESS WITH MES AS FAR AS FOLLOW UP AND THEN SEE IF WE WANT TO EVENTUALLY TAKE A PROPOSAL TO THE OTHER THREE COUNTIES FOR A DISCUSSION OF WHAT THIS HOST FEE MAY LOOK LIKE.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

SO I MADE THIS SPREADSHEET TO KIND OF LAY THESE OPTIONS OUT TO KIND OF BREAK IT DOWN.

SO I'VE GOT SIX COLUMNS HERE.

THE FIRST TWO COLUMNS ARE SCENARIO ONE.

SO THAT $2 WOULD SHOW UNDER THE $2 THAT SHOWS MID-SHORE REGIONAL LANDFILLS NET CHANGE IN POSITION AFTER THEY PAY US THE $2.

SO AND ALL OF THESE NUMBERS ARE BASED ON JUST THE.

WHAT IS IT? WHAT'S THE PROPER TERMINOLOGY, DANNY? THE REFINANCING OF THE DEBT, ESSENTIALLY OR EXTENDING THE LANDFILL TO ITS FULL CAPACITY.

YEAH. SO THERE ARE.

AS OPPOSED TO JUST AN ARTIFICIAL TIME DEADLINE.

SO IT'S ACCRUING IT'S BASICALLY ACCRUING THE CAP AND CLOSURE FEE.

CORRECT. SO THERE ARE TWO PIECES THAT THEY'RE KIND OF OUTLINED IN THIS.

YOU HAVE THE CLOSURE/ POST CLOSURE CARE ACCRUAL.

SO ESSENTIALLY THERE'S FUNDS EACH YEAR BEING SET ASIDE FOR THE POST CLOSURE FOR THE MONITORING THE.

AND I'M GOING TO READ STRAIGHT FROM THE PFM ANALYSIS.

SO THE TOTAL COST ACCRUED ANNUALLY FOR 2024 TO 2042 IN THE SCENARIO THAT'S BEING PRESENTED IS $848,000. THIS IS COMPARED TO 2022 NUMBER, WHICH WAS 1.5 BEING SET ASIDE.

SO ESSENTIALLY EACH YEAR AN ACTUARIAL OR AN OUTSIDE COMPANY IS PUTTING THAT FIGURE TOGETHER, SEEING WHAT THAT ACCRUAL COST WILL BE.

AND BASED OFF THIS, THEY'RE SEEING THAT THAT WOULD GO DOWN POSSIBLY 1.5 DOWN TO $848,000.

SO THAT'S ONE PART OF THE SAVINGS AND OR REDUCTION.

AND THEN THE OTHER PART IS THE DEBT THAT YOU WERE ALLUDING TO OF THE REFUNDING.

BUT THEN THERE WAS THERE WOULD ALSO BE NEW DEBT ISSUED IN 2027, ESTIMATING ABOUT 17.3 MILLION TO CONSTRUCT CELL ONE AND CELL FIVE TO CONTINUE THE LIFE OF THE LANDFILL.

SO THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF SAVINGS FOR US KEEPING THE LANDFILL UNTIL IT IS FULL OR 2043 IS $14,763,000.

SO WHAT WE LOOKED AT EARLIER WAS ESSENTIALLY THE NET POSITION THAT THEY'RE GOING OFF OF WITH THE SCENARIOS.

AND IF YOU TAKE THE NET POSITION BUILDING IN THE TWO MODELS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT WITH THE THE DEBT, THE ACCRUAL, THE 14.73 IS THE TOTAL ACROSS THAT.

YES. OKAY.

[00:30:01]

SO IN SCENARIO ONE WITH A $2 HOST FEE PAID TO CAROLINE, WE WOULD RECEIVE 9.1 MILLION OVER THE NEXT 19 YEARS.

19 YEARS. CORRECT.

AND THE MID-SHORE REGIONAL LANDFILL WOULD KEEP 5.6 MILLION OF THOSE SAVINGS? BASED ON THEIR NUMBERS.

YES, THAT IS THE NET POSITION THAT WOULD BE CUMULATIVELY ADDED AT THE END OF THE 19 YEARS.

YES. OKAY. AND THEN IN SCENARIO TWO, WE HAVE A $2 HOST FEE NOW THROUGH 2031, WHICH WOULD RUN US THROUGH OUR CONTRACTUALLY OBLIGATED TIME PERIOD TO HOST THE LANDFILL.

YES, SIR. AND THEN AFTER THAT DATE, IT WOULD JUMP TO $4 A TON HOST FEE.

IN THAT SCENARIO OF THE 14 POINTS OR $14,763,000 IN SAVINGS CAROLINE WOULD RECEIVE $8,960,000 OVER THE 19 YEAR PERIOD, AND THE LANDFILL GROUP WOULD RECEIVE $5,803,000.

SO WHAT I'M PROPOSING IS I RAN A SCENARIO WHERE CAROLINE, WHICH IS THE SCENARIO ALL THE WAY TO THE RIGHT, WHICH WOULD BE $4 NOW, $6 AFTER 2031.

THEN CAROLINE COUNTY OVER THE 19 YEAR PERIOD WOULD RECEIVE $14,560,000 AND THE LANDFILL WOULD RECEIVE $203,000. SO BASICALLY ALL OF THE SAVINGS ASSOCIATED WITH THE EXTENSION OF THE LANDFILL WOULD IN FACT STAY HERE IN CAROLINE COUNTY IS THE WAY WE'RE INTERPRETING THE REPORT.

SO YEAH, THAT'S THE SCENARIO.

I THINK WE PROPOSE TO THE OTHER COUNTIES AND SEE IF THEY ARE WILLING TO AGREE TO THAT.

AND THEN WE MAKE NO PROMISES THAT IT IS PENDING A PUBLIC HEARING WHERE WE CAN RECEIVE PUBLIC COMMENT BEFORE WE MAKE A FINAL DECISION.

BUT I THINK WE NEED TO ASK THEM FOR PERMISSION NOW.

THESE NUMBERS DO NOT WE CAN FIND NO EVIDENCE WHERE THEY TAKE INTO ACCOUNT UTILIZING THE USEFUL LIFE OF THE EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE ALREADY PUT IN PLACE.

THESE NUMBERS ARE SOLELY BASED, AS BEST WE CAN TELL, ON RESTRUCTURING OF THE DEBT AND THE CAP AND CLOSURE ACCRUAL.

YES. SO WE'RE NOT EVEN FACTORING IN THIS NUMBER.

WE'RE NOT EVEN FACTORING IN RUNNING OUT THE SCALE HOUSE TO ITS USEFUL LIFE, RUNNING OUT THE MAINTENANCE BUILDING TO ITS USEFUL LIFE, THE PAVING, ALL OF THOSE OTHER ASPECTS. THAT'S NOT FACTORED INTO THIS.

AND I THINK THAT BROUGHT UP THE QUESTIONS OF.

RIGHT. AND THESE NUMBERS WERE PUT TOGETHER BASICALLY IN USING A CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT.

THEY USE THE FINANCIAL NUMBERS FROM LAST YEAR.

IT LOOKS LIKE IT LINES UP WITH ABOUT 2022.

OKAY. I KNOW POST THE MEETING THAT WE ALL ATTENDED, WE HAD THE MEETING WITH THE OTHER COUNTIES AND MES AND THEY WERE REVIEWING THEIR 2023 NUMBERS WHICH HAVE SOME CHANGES INTO THIS.

BUT THEY WEREN'T AUDITED YET SO THEY COULDN'T.

CORRECT? YEP.

SO LIKE YOU SAID, THIS IS REALLY TAKING THAT 2022 YEAR RUNNING IT OUT FOR THE 19 YEARS OBVIOUSLY WE'VE HAD THIS DISCUSSION, THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME INCREASE IN EXPENSE POSSIBILITY OF INCREASE IN REVENUE.

WE DON'T KNOW.

FEES CHANGE WHAT'S GOING TO COME IN, WHAT TYPE OF REGULATORY ACTIONS ARE GOING TO BE TAKING THAT MAY INCUR COST.

SO THEY'RE NOT FACTOR IN INFLATION AND INFLATION.

IT'S JUST THE STRAIGHT LAST YEAR'S NUMBERS.

CORRECT. SO THERE'S A LOT OF VARIABLES THAT MAKE IT VERY HARD TO SAY PROJECT OUT 19 YEARS, 19 YEARS OF THIS.

BUT THE NUMBERS THAT WE HAVE IN THE PACKET THAT WAS PASSED OUT IS ESSENTIALLY TAKING IN THE ACCRUALS, THE RESTRUCTURE OF THE DEBT.

AND THEN LIKE SAY YOU CAN LOOK AT THE PAGE FIVE AND PAGE SIX AND THEY HAVE A ESSENTIALLY A PUBLISHED NET POSITION THAT THEY'RE FINISHING FOR THE YEAR.

SO THE FIGURE THAT COMMISSIONER BREEDING IS KIND OF SPEAKING ON IS THAT REAL NET POSITION.

ARE THEY FINISHING THE YEAR TO THE GOOD, TO THE WHOLE AND LOOKING THROUGH THIS SOME OF THE YEARS, ESPECIALLY EARLIER AND THEN LATER IN THE

[00:35:02]

YOU HAVE YEARS THAT ARE IN THE MIDDLE.

WE IF YOU LOOK AT THE CHART THAT I DID 2032, IT'S NEGATIVE HALF $1 MILLION DOLLARS.

SO THEY'RE GOING TO LOSE A HALF A MILLION AS PROJECTED.

SO BUT THE GOOD YEARS PRIOR TO AND AFTER SHOULD EVEN THAT OUT.

SO YOU HAVE YEARS THAT ARE GOING TO HAVE LET'S SAY ADDITIONAL DEBT PAYMENTS HAVE DIFFERENT PIECES IN THEM THAT DO RUN IT INTO A NEGATIVE ON CERTAIN YEARS. THE THOUGHT BEING THAT CUMULATIVELY YOU'RE STILL ZEROING OUT AT THE END.

IS THERE ANOTHER WAY YOU CAN THINK OF TO DO THIS OTHER THAN THROUGH TIPPING FEE? A HOST FEE THROUGH TIPPING FEE.

HONESTLY, THE BULK OF THE REVENUE COMING IN, I MEAN, BASED OFF WHAT I KNOW OF THE LANDFILL, I DON'T KNOW ANY OTHER OPPORTUNITY TO INCUR ADDITIONAL REVENUE SUBSTANTIALLY THAT WAY.

SO I WOULD BE INTERESTED.

ONE THING I WOULD LIKE TO GET FROM MES AS FAR AS OPERATION OF THE LANDFILL IS, I KNOW IN THE REPORT THAT YOU WERE PROVIDED AFTER OUR MEETING, THERE WAS A COMPARISON IN OPERATING REVENUE FROM 2022 TO 2023.

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT FOR LIKE THE LAST FIVE YEARS TO GET A GOOD IDEA, BECAUSE IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE TIPPING FEE AT THE LANDFILL HASN'T BEEN INCREASED IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS. SO I WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT THAT AS WELL.

YEAH, WE CAN, CERTAINLY.

BUT THIS IS ALL INDEPENDENT OF TIPPING FEES OF ALL THE OTHER STUFF.

THIS ANALYSIS WAS JUST DONE ON THE CAROLINE MAXIMIZING ALLOWING THE MAXIMIZATION OF THE SPACE IN THE EXISTING LANDFILL.

CORRECT. SO JUST IN RELATION TO THAT, YOU HAVE THE OPERATING REVENUE STARTING AT 8.9 MILLION FOR 2024 AT 2043, 8.9 MILLION, THAT NUMBER STAYS CONSTANT, LIKE SAY THE OPERATING EXPENSE STAYS CONSTANT.

THE ONLY THING THAT'S CHANGING IS CLOSURE ACCRUALS, PLUS THAT, OKAY, OUR TRANSPORTATION FEES.

I MEAN, IF WE WERE NOT TO KEEP THIS IN CAROLINE ARE THE TRANSPORTATION FEES FOR US TO TRANSPORT TO QUEEN ANNE'S COUNTY CALCULATED IN HERE ANYWHERE. NO, THEY ARE NOT.

OR THE HODO FEES.

SO, I MEAN, THESE ARE SAVINGS.

BUT IN ADDITION TO THESE SAVINGS, WE WOULD ALSO, SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE, HAVE TO CALCULATE WHAT IT WOULD COST US TO TRANSPORT THE TRASH TO QUEEN ANNE COUNTY.

CORRECT. YES. WE WOULD HAVE OUR LIABILITY TO PAY OUR SERVICE TO HAVE THAT TRANSPORTED UP TO.

SO I THINK MES GAVE US A PROJECTION ON THAT.

YEAH, LIKE 400,000.

I THINK IT WAS A LITTLE UNDER 400,000, IF I REMEMBER 360.

BUT I THINK THAT WAS JUST TRANSPORTATION COSTS.

I DON'T THINK THAT INCLUDED OPERATING THE HOTELS TAKING OVER OPERATION, WHICH.

WELL, WE OPERATE TWO ALREADY, BUT THE ONE AT THE LANDFILL IN RIDGELY IS INCLUDED OR IS OPERATED BY MES, CORRECT? CORRECT. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

YEAH. SO SO YOU'RE GOING TO YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE WHEN YOU PUT YOUR YOUR TRASH IN THE BACK OF YOUR PICK UP TO HAUL IT, YOU'RE GOING TO HAUL IT TO QUEEN ANNE. IF WE DON'T KEEP IT HERE.

WELL, I'M TOLD WE HAVE THE TWO, BUT I'M TALKING ABOUT THE HOLLY ROAD.

CORRECT. IT'S EITHER THAT OR WE WOULD HAVE TO FUND IN 2031.

WE WOULD HAVE TO FUND ANOTHER HODO SITE.

RIGHT. [INAUDIBLE] TO MAYBE RUN OUT OF THE WAY IT IS NOW.

SO YOU'RE RIGHT AT THE CONTRACT.

OKAY. SO DO WE WANT TO DO MORE RESEARCH ON THIS? MR. BARTZ, WHAT'S YOUR THOUGHTS? DO WE WANT TO MAKE AN OFFER TO THE OTHER COUNTIES AT THIS POINT? I KNOW I KNOW THAT THERE IS A BIT OF A SENSE OF URGENCY BECAUSE QUEEN ANNE AND MES HAVE TO START PERMITTING FOR THE NEXT LANDFILL IF THAT IS THE CASE.

DANNY, DO YOU FEEL LIKE WHAT COMMISSIONER BREEDING HAS LAID FORTH BEFORE IN FRONT OF YOU, YOU FEEL THAT'S A PRETTY FAIR ASSESSMENT? SO I KIND OF YEAH, I'LL SAY I'M A VERY BLACK AND WHITE NUMBERS PERSON.

[00:40:01]

YEAH, EXACTLY. SO I MEAN, OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE TODAY, I MEAN, WHAT WE CAN GO OFF OF, I MEAN, THE NUMBERS MAKE SENSE. I MEAN, IF WE TRULY FEEL THE SAVINGS AN THE ACCRUALS AND THE DEBT ARE CONSIDERED SAVINGS THAT WE'RE CREATING, DO THIS, THEN YES, THAT'S THE NUMBER AND SOMETHING THAT WE'VE COMMISSIONER BREEDING AND I HAD A DISCUSSION YESTERDAY ABOUT. MES HAS KIND OF MENTIONED.

SO MES IS CONTRACTED BY THE FOUR COUNTIES TO PROVIDE THIS SERVICE.

IF MES FINISHES IN A HOLE OR HAS A SHORTFALL AND THEY NEED FUNDING, THEY COME BACK TO THE FOUR COUNTIES AND SEEK FUNDING TO SUPPLEMENT THAT.

IN THE SENSE THAT SAVINGS WOULD BE LEFT ON THE TABLE FOR MES TO HOLD ON TO.

AND I DON'T WANT TO SAY EXPECTATION THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE A HOLE OR SOME TYPE OF SAVINGS IS REALLY THE SAVINGS THAT WE'RE OR THE BOARD IS SAYING THEY WANT TO KEEP.

IF THEY COME BACK, IF MES COMES BACK AND SAYS, HEY, THERE'S A SHORTFALL THAT'S SPREAD OUT AMONGST THE FOUR COUNTIES, IT'S NOT SPREAD OUT AMONGST THE FOUR COUNTIES.

IF IT'S COMING OFF THE SAVINGS THAT WE'RE CREATING.

SO THERE'S ALSO, I MEAN, A A FEELING THERE OF I DON'T WANT TO CALL IT FAIRNESS, BUT DO WE FEEL THAT IT'S OUR OBLIGATION TO CUT OUR SAVINGS TO SAVE THE OTHER THREE COUNTIES FOR NOT HAVING TO PAY IN LATER YEARS? I, I KNOW THAT WAS A LONG ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION, BUT SAY, MES DID COME BACK JUST HYPOTHETICALLY AND SAID, HEY, WE HAVE A SHORTFALL HERE THEN, BUT WE WOULD HAVE TO DO AUDIT THEIR BOOKS, OBVIOUSLY, AND SEE WHERE THE SHORTFALL LIES AND HOW THEY COME UP WITH THAT SHORTFALL. AND YEAH, FORTUNATELY WE SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, WE HAVEN'T HAD TO GO THROUGH THAT.

I WOULD IMAGINE THERE WOULD BE FAIR VERIFICATION PAYING SOMEBODY MONEY.

I MEAN. CORRECT. THERE WOULD BE SOME VERIFICATION OF YEAH, YOU KNOW, OF THAT.

AND THEN THERE WOULD BE, I ASSUME, SOME PRORATION OF PAYMENT AMONGST THE COUNTIES.

SO MY TAKE IS I SAY WE CRUNCH THESE NUMBERS JUST A LITTLE BIT AND MAKE THE OTHER FOUR COUNTIES AN OFFER.

THAT'S WHERE I AM. BASED ON YOUR ANALYSIS HERE, I WOULD AGREE.

I THINK, YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY WHAT THIS BOILS DOWN TO IS US PUTTING TOGETHER A DEAL THAT WE ARE GOING TO PRESENT TO THE TAXPAYERS AND WE'RE GOING TO PRESENT TO THOSE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THAT AREA WHO WERE TOLD THAT THIS LANDFILL OPERATION WAS GOING TO END IN 2031.

AND THE THE LAST PUBLIC HEARING THAT WE HAD, I THINK THE DIRECTION THAT I GOT FROM THE PEOPLE WHO WERE IN THAT MEETING WAS COME BACK AND TELL US WHAT THE NUMBERS ARE.

AND, YOU KNOW, WE'LL GO FROM THERE.

I MEAN, IT'S OUR DECISION, BUT WE'RE ACTUALLY MAKING THIS DECISION ON THE BACKS OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTY WHO WERE TOLD SOMETHING THAT I'M SURE WAS THE ABSOLUTE PROJECTED TRUTH AT THE TIME.

BUT, YOU KNOW, SITUATIONS HAVE CHANGED HERE WITH RECYCLING AND HOW TRASH IS HANDLED.

AND BUT IT'S GOT TO BE IT'S GOT TO BE A DEAL OR IT'S GOT TO BE A MONEY SAVINGS AND IT'S GOT TO BE A REVENUE STREAM THAT IS GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE FEEL IS NECESSARY TO TAKE ON THIS BURDEN.

YOU KNOW, WHAT I'VE HEARD AND MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS HAVE HEARD IS THAT WE NEED TO LOOK FOR WAYS IN THIS COUNTY TO GENERATE REVENUE THAT IS NOT GOING TO INVOLVE INCREASING THE PROPERTY TAX RATE.

THIS IS A WAY TO GENERATE SOME REVENUE.

THE QUESTION IS, YOU KNOW, IS IT VIABLE AND IS IT FAIR AND DOES IT MAKE SENSE TO THE PEOPLE? SO THAT'S WHERE WE ALWAYS FALL, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE QUESTION IS.

BUT I WOULD SAY THAT WE PUT OUR BEST OFFER ON THE TABLE AND GO FROM THERE.

BUT THERE IS A SENSE OF URGENCY BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE IS SOME ENVIRONMENTAL WORK THAT NEEDS TO GET STARTED IN CASE THE LOCATION OF THE LANDFILL IS GOING TO SWITCH TO QUEEN ANNE COUNTY.

CORRECT? RIGHT.

SO I MEAN, I SAY WITHIN YOU THINK WE CAN HAVE IT IN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS.

WHAT'S THAT? THIS.

WELL, WE'VE DONE WITH THE INFORMATION THAT MES HAS PROVIDED US.

[00:45:02]

I MEAN, IF WE WANT TO LOOK INTO AND GET INTO THE DISCUSSION ABOUT DEPRECIATION ON THE REST OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S ALREADY BEEN INSTALLED, WE CAN DO THAT.

BUT BASED ON THE FINANCIALS THAT THEY HAVE PROVIDED US 14.5 MILLION OR ACTUALLY 14.8 MILLION IS THE TOTAL NUMBER.

I MEAN, IN MY PROPOSAL HERE, 4 AND 6, IT LEAVES $200,000 FOR THE THREE COUNTIES FOUR COUNTIES TO OPERATE OFF OF. BUT THE 14.56 THAT THEY ARE PROJECTING WOULD ALL COME TO CAROLINE AND THAT WOULD BE $560,000 A YEAR, ROUGHLY BASED ON TONNAGE TONNAGE WAS UP THIS YEAR, 146,000 TONS AS OPPOSED TO 140. SO THESE ARE BASED ON 140,000 TONS A YEAR IS 560,000 A YEAR TO THE COUNTY THROUGH 2031.

AND THEN IT WOULD JUMP UP TO 840,000 A YEAR FROM 2032 THROUGH THE COMPLETION OF THE LANDFILL IN 2043.

AND, YOU KNOW, I GUESS WE YOU KNOW, MY THOUGHT IS TO MAKE THAT OFFER TO THE OTHER COUNTIES, SEE IF THERE IS A CONSENSUS TO DO IT.

AND THEN WE HOLD THE PUBLIC HEARING IF THERE IS IF THERE'S NOT, THEN THE LANDFILL MOVES TO QUEEN ANNE'S COUNTY.

RIGHT. UNLESS YOU GENTLEMEN WANT TO GO BACK TO THE TWO AND FOUR OR SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE.

I MEAN, I THINK I MEAN, WHAT WE LAID OUT FROM DAY ONE WAS WHATEVER SAVINGS WAS GOING TO STAY HERE.

AND I THINK THIS SCENARIO, WHATEVER THE SAVINGS ASSOCIATED WITH THE EXTENSION, WOULD STAY HERE.

I DON'T LIKE THE TWO AND FOUR NUMBER, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.

NO, I THINK I AGREE.

AND THANK YOU FOR GOING THROUGH DOING ALL THIS, BUT I THINK WE MAKE THAT PROPOSAL.

OKAY. THAT'S MY RECOMMENDATION.

THEN WE GO BACK AND AND HAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND TALK TO THE PEOPLE.

YEAH. ALL RIGHT. WELL, LET'S HAVE A VOTE.

LET'S HAVE A VOTE.

I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE OFFER THE $4 PER TON HOST FEE THROUGH 2031 AND THEN A $6 HOST FEE THROUGH 2031 TO 2043.

WE MAKE THAT OFFER TO THE OTHER THREE COUNTIES IN THE AGREEMENT, SPECIFICALLY TALBOT, QUEEN ANNE AND KENT.

AND WE WILL MOVE MOVE ON FROM THERE.

IF THEY DO AGREE TO THAT, THEN WE WILL HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING.

IF THEY DON'T, THEN WE JUST SAY THAT THE LANDFILL WILL MOVE TO QUEEN ANNE'S COUNTY AS PROPOSED.

YEP. SECOND.

MOTION AND SECOND. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT, LET'S HAVE A VOTE.

ALL IN FAVOR. SAY AYE.

AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED.

ALL RIGHT, I'LL WORK WITH STEWART AND WE'LL GET A GAME PLAN TOGETHER ON HOW TO ADDRESS THIS.

SO THANK YOU, GENTLEMEN.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, DANNY.

DANNY ALSO, IF YOU DON'T MIND, SEND AN EMAIL OUT TO MES JUST ASKING THEM FOR THAT EXPENSE FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS, THAT SAME BREAKDOWN THAT YOU WERE GIVEN. YEAH, AT THE ADMINISTRATOR'S MEETING.

YEAH, I CAN.

WE MAY HAVE IT. WE PROBABLY ALREADY HAVE IT.

I'LL LOOK THROUGH THE 2021 FINANCIALS AND SEE TYPICALLY THEY DO THREE YEARS, SO WE MIGHT HAVE TO ASK FOR A YEAR OR TWO PAST THAT.

OKAY. I CAN CERTAINLY GET THAT FROM THEM.

JUST TO TRACK THE INCREASE IN EXPENSES AS COMPARED TO REVENUES, YOU KNOW, THE SAME THING.

YEAH, WE'LL DO A PERCENTAGE ACROSS.

YEP. SOUNDS GOOD. THANK YOU, GENTLEMEN.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

OKAY. CONSENT AGENDA.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS ABOUT ANYTHING ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? [INAUDIBLE]. I KNOW.

YOU TOLD ME IT'S ABOUT THE SIZE OF A NOTEBOOK.

CAN YOU TAKE YOUR HANDS? I MEAN, JUST GIVE ME A.

IT'S 18 TALL BY 26 WIDE.

OKAY, YOU.

DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT IT WAS USED FOR? FOR THAT? I HAVE NO IDEA.

IT WAS FOR YOU NEED TO IF YOU'RE GOING TO SPEAK, YOU NEED TO COME UP.

I'M SORRY. I'LL HAVE TO HAVE A MIC TO PASS AROUND.

[Consent Agenda:]

IT'S 18 INCHES BY 26.

18 TALL, 26 WIDE IS BOUGHT WITH STATE GRANT MONEY FOR THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT SPECIFICALLY.

[00:50:04]

SO THEREFORE IT HAS TO GO THROUGH OUR SURPLUS PROGRAM.

AND I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT WAS USED FOR THE ONE.

IT'S AT YOUR YARD. IT'S IN MY YARD NOW.

YEAH. THEY'VE PURCHASED ANOTHER ONE THAT'S NOT QUITE A FULL SIZE, BUT IT'S DEFINITELY SIGNIFICANTLY BIGGER THAN THE ONE THEY HAD THE PREVIOUS ONE.

HEALTH DEPARTMENT DID? YES.

WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE DISPOSAL OF SURPLUS EQUIPMENT.

I THINK THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT THE PAINT TRUCK.

YES. SO AS I'M SURE EVERYBODY IS AWARE, THE COMMISSIONERS WE OWN IN CONJUNCTION WITH QUEEN ANNE'S COUNTY, THE PAINT TRUCK, IT'S CO-OWNED FROM BOTH COUNTIES.

THEIR NAME IS ON THE TITLE.

THEY NO LONGER USE IT.

THEY HAVE NOT USED IT FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS NOW.

WE USED IT LAST YEAR BECAUSE WE HAD TO GET SOME STUFF DONE.

IT COST US A PRETTY GOOD CHUNK OF CHANGE TO GET IT BACK UP INTO THE ORDER THAT IT NEEDED TO BE TO SPRAY.

THE BEADER, WHICH IS THE GLASS BEADS THAT GO IN THE PAINT.

IT DOES NOT WORK.

WE HAVE NOT PUT ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDS INTO IT AT THIS TIME TO TRY TO GET THAT TO WORK.

AND FRANKLY, WE DON'T HAVE THE CREWS.

NEITHER COUNTY HAS ENOUGH CREWS EVEN COMBINED TO DO A FULL PAINT OPERATION ANYMORE.

SPEAKING WITH QUEEN ANNE'S COUNTY, THEY HAVE CONTRACTED ALL THEIRS OUT.

LAST YEAR WE DID THE SAME.

WE ADDED PAINT TO ONE OF OUR [INAUDIBLE] CHIP CONTRACTORS.

SO THEY WE CAN USE THEM ANY TIME WE NEED.

THE SAVINGS THERE IS STILL A MINOR AMOUNT OF SAVINGS.

DOING IT OURSELVES.

BUT WITH THE WAY THIS TRUCKS GOING THROUGH PARTS AND BROKEN DOWN AND NOT RELIABLE, THE SAVINGS REALLY ISN'T WORTH THE BANG FOR THE BUCK.

SO IT'S I'M SUGGESTING AND COMMISSIONER BREEDING AND MYSELF BOTH SPOKE WITH MR. [INAUDIBLE] FROM QUEEN ANNE'S COUNTY, AND THEY ARE IN AGREEMENT THAT WE NEED TO GO AHEAD AND PROBABLY GET RID OF IT WHILE IT'S STILL AT LEAST RUNS AND COULD POSSIBLY GET SOME MONEY FOR THE TRUCK.

SO WHAT I'M ASKING TODAY IS FOR THE BOARD TO JUST AGREE THAT IT'S TIME TO GET RID OF A HALF MILLION DOLLAR PIECE OF EQUIPMENT AND GET BACK WHAT WE CAN GET BACK OUT OF IT.

OKAY. SO WE WILL EITHER HAVE TO YOU JUST WANT TO VOTE ON THAT SEPARATELY.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

YES. YOU WANT TO MAKE A MOTION? I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE BE IN CONTACT WITH QUEEN ANNE'S COUNTY ON A MUTUAL AGREEMENT TO DISPOSE OF THE PAINT TRUCK.

THAT'S MUTUALLY OWNED BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTIES.

OKAY. I WOULD HAVE I WOULD HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT.

WE'LL SPLIT THE MONEY.

I'M GOING TO NEED TO TALK TO DANNY ABOUT HOW THAT GOES DOWN.

LIKE I SAID, THERE ARE NAMES ON THE TITLE.

OUR NAME IS NOT. SO I'LL LET DANNY WE'LL WORK WORK TOGETHER WITH FINANCE TO FIGURE OUT HOW THAT'S GOING TO GO DOWN.

ALL RIGHT. WELL, LET'S AMEND THE MOTION TO ADD AS LONG AS WE AGREE TO SPLIT THE MONEY.

GREAT. 50/50.

THERE YOU GO. ALL RIGHT.

SO WE HAVE A MOTION TO SELL THE PAINT TRUCK AND SPLIT THE MONEY 50/50 WITH QUEEN ANNE'S COUNTY.

DO I HEAR A SECOND? SECOND.

ALL RIGHT. MOTION AND SECOND.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR. SAY AYE.

AYE. ALL OPPOSED.

THE AYES HAVE IT. OKAY, LET'S GO BACK TO THE CONSENT AGENDA NOW.

I WILL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA WITH THE ORIGINAL ITEMS. SECOND MOTION AND SECOND.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

AYE. AYE, AYE.

I JUST HAVE A QUICK QUESTION.

MR. MCKNIGHT HAS AGREED TO BE.

YES. OKAY.

YES. IN MY WHILE WE WERE AT THE MARYLAND ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES, HE CAME INTO THE DEPARTMENT AND SAT DOWN WITH LESLIE AND WENT OVER THINGS WITH HER.

SO EVERYTHING WAS GOOD.

GOOD, GOOD. ALL RIGHT, SO THE VOTE STANDS UNANIMOUS.

OKAY. OKAY.

[00:55:04]

[County Administrator’s Report]

THIS MEETING. YOU WANT TO GO FIRST? MACO WAS WAS JAM PACKED, AT LEAST FOR THE OFFICE OF LAW DOWN THERE.

I ATTENDED THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR'S LUNCH MEETING ON THURSDAY, AND A LOT OF DISCUSSION ENSUED WITH SOME OF THE COUNTIES. USING EVERSIDE HEALTH, WHICH USED TO BE PALADINA HEALTH, WHICH IS AN EMPLOYER SPONSORED HEALTH CARE FLAT FEE PER MEMBER PER MONTH, SOMETIMES ON SITE, SOMETIMES NEAR SITE, SOMETIMES VIRTUAL CARE OPTIONS FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES.

AND THE SAVINGS SUPPOSEDLY WERE QUITE SUBSTANTIAL.

I ALSO HAD NICE TALKS WITH ADMINISTRATORS, [INAUDIBLE], AND SHELLY HELLER FROM KENT.

AND OF COURSE, WE HAD THE MAYOR'S MEETING REGARDING THE LANDFILL.

HE MET WITH MDOT SECRETARY PAUL WEIDENFELD, DISCUSSED DUALIZING 404 RIVER ROAD AND THE LIGHT AND EMPHASIZED THAT THE COUNTY WAS IN FAVOR OF THE WOOD FARM APPLICATION FOR ACCESS ONTO THE STATE'S PORTION OF LOG CABIN ROAD.

AND OF COURSE WE WE HAD THE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRI COUNTY REGIONAL DETENTION CENTER.

AND WE'RE APPARENTLY RIGHT NOW WE'RE TRYING TO ARRANGE DATES FOR A TRIP DOWN TO INSPECT THE PAMUNKEY, VIRGINIA TRI COUNTY REGIONAL DETENTION CENTER AND LEARN WHAT WE CAN FROM IT AS WE BEGIN THE DRAFTING PROCESS FOR THE CREATION OF WHAT WOULD BE AN AUTHORITY. CREATED BY THE THREE COUNTIES.

RIGHT. IT WAS A VERY CONSTRUCTIVE MAKEUP.

WE HAD A LOT OF MEETINGS MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS ON A LOT OF DIFFERENT ISSUES.

SO, KATHLEEN, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING? I DO NOT HAVE ANYTHING.

I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE GOING TO IF THINGS OKAY. WE'RE GOOD.

EVERYTHING'S RUNNING SMOOTHLY.

DANNY YOU MIGHT HAVE COME FORWARD.

YEP. YEP. GOT TO GET USED TO THIS, I GUESS.

SO I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF EXPAND ON THE CONVERSATION ABOUT DCT AND LAST COMMISSIONERS MEETING.

I WAS DIRECTED TO TALK TO DAVIS BOWEN AND FRIEDEL, WHO HAS BEEN THE ENGINEERING COMPANY THAT WE'VE USED TO DO THIS RENOVATION AND OTHERS.

SO PEYTON, WHO'S BEEN WORKING ON THE PROJECT, HAS MET WITH COUNTY DEPARTMENTS ALREADY, SUCH AS H.R.

LAW, EMS CERTAIN ONES THAT WERE PLAYERS AND POSSIBLE RENOVATIONS, BUT THEY HAVE NOT MET WITH THE SENIOR CENTER.

SO IF WE WANT TO ENTERTAIN OR GO INTO DISCUSSION ABOUT POSSIBLY MOVING THE SENIOR CENTER, I THINK PROBABLY HAVING THE ENGINEERING COMPANY MEET WITH ANDY AND HIS STAFF AND FIND OUT WHAT THEY FEEL THEIR NEEDS ARE.

I KNOW ANDY HAD MENTIONED SIX OR 7000FT².

PEYTON TYPICALLY PROVIDES AN UNBIASED OPINION OF WHAT THEY FEEL THE NEED WOULD BE FROM AN ENGINEERING ASPECT.

SO DEPENDING ON HOW YOU GUYS WANT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS, WE CAN GET A COST PROPOSAL PUT TOGETHER FROM DAVIS BOWEN AND ENTER IN THAT OR PUT THAT ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, BUT THAT'S TOTALLY UP TO THE BOARD'S DISCRETION OF WHAT YOU GUYS WANT TO DO NEXT, STEP WISE.

[County Commissioners Open Discussion Period]

I THINK WE COULD WAIT.

LET'S WAIT A WEEK OR SO AND SEE IF WE CAN DO ANY COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND SEE IF ANYONE ELSE IS POTENTIALLY INTERESTED IN PARTNERING WITH THEM. WITH THEM.

MAYBE ANOTHER NONPROFIT IN THE AREA.

SO BUT WE WILL DO THAT.

HAVE YOU MADE ANY HEADWAY ON THE VAN ISSUE FOR PARKS AND RECREATION? NO, WE HAVE NO MERCEDES, NO MERCEDES.

I KNOW NICOLE HAS BEEN REACHING OUT AND TALKING TO MULTIPLE DIFFERENT DEALERS.

IT SEEMS LIKE THE ANSWER WE GET.

I KNOW I TALKED TO THE SHERIFF THE OTHER DAY.

PEOPLE HAVE THEM ON THE LOT, BUT THEY'RE ALREADY SOLD THERE ARE ORDERS THAT PEOPLE HAVE MADE OVER A YEAR AGO THAT ARE STARTING TO COME IN.

SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO KEEP LOOKING.

BUT NO PROGRESS AS OF NOW.

OKAY. YEP.

[01:00:01]

ALL RIGHT. YES.

AT THIS POINT, WE WILL GO TO COUNTY COMMISSIONER, OPEN DISCUSSION PERIOD.

MR. PORTER. I WILL REITERATE WHAT STEWART SAID.

I THINK THE MACO MEETING WAS A BUSY COUPLE OF DAYS.

I THINK WE MADE SOME PROGRESS.

GOT TO MEET GOVERNOR MOORE FOR THE FIRST TIME.

HE INDICATED THAT HE WAS GOING TO DO A CABINET MEETING FROM EACH COUNTY AND THAT CAROLINE WOULD BE SCHEDULED SOON.

THAT WILL BE INTERESTING.

I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA FOR HIM TO HAVE THEM IN THE DIFFERENT COUNTIES.

SO WE WOULD ALL GET A CHANCE TO SEE HOW THAT OPERATES AND MEET.

I THINK WE'VE MET SOME OF THE SECRETARIES, BUT WE WOULD SOON GET TO MEET THE REST OF THEM.

SUMMERFEST WAS A, AS USUAL, COMPLETE SUCCESS.

I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE WORKED VERY HARD.

JEN, THANK YOU.

YOU KNOW, TO PULL THIS TOGETHER UNDER SOME TRYING CIRCUMSTANCES.

I DON'T THINK ANYBODY WHO ATTENDED SUMMERFEST WOULD HAVE EVER KNOWN THAT EVERYTHING WASN'T, YOU KNOW, COMPLETELY, YOU KNOW, THE WAY IT IS EVERY YEAR.

BUT I THINK IT WAS A GOOD TURNOUT.

WEATHER COULDN'T HAVE BEEN ANY BETTER.

FIREWORKS WERE GREAT AND HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO A NUMBER OF PEOPLE AS YOU WALKED AROUND.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO ALL THE VOLUNTEERS WHO WORKED VERY HARD TO PULL THAT OFF.

I TALKED TO A COUPLE PEOPLE WHO HAD BEEN THERE.

IT WAS THEIR FIRST TIME AND THEY WERE AMAZED AND SAID THEY'D BE BACK.

SO JOB WELL DONE TO EVERYONE.

I GOT TO DUNK THE SHERIFF.

OH, YOU DID? YEAH, I DID.

AND HE WAS COMPLAINING THAT HE HURT HIS TOE AND THE SPEAKING OF THE SHERIFF, IS IT MAJOR HENNING? NOW? I LOSE TRACK OF HIS, IS RETIRING.

AND SO I WANTED TO MENTION TO THANK HIM FOR ALL OF HIS HELP THROUGHOUT THE, YOU KNOW, THE TRANSITIONS BETWEEN THE COMMISSIONERS AND THE ELECTIONS AND THE SHERIFF.

JAMES HAS ALWAYS BEEN A VERY STEADY PERSON TO GO TO.

AND, YOU KNOW, HE'S DONE A HE'S DONE A VERY GOOD JOB AND WISH HIM WELL IN HIS COMING CAREER.

I HAD A MESSAGE FROM A GENTLEMAN AND I'LL BRING THIS UP LATER ON ABOUT A BUSINESS IN FEDERALSBURG THAT IS NOW CELEBRATING ITS 58TH YEAR.

SO I'M GOING TO REACH OUT TO THEM AND ASK THEM TO GET SOME MORE INFORMATION TO YOU JEN AND I THINK WE COULD PROBABLY WE SHOULD RECOGNIZE THEM.

AND I KNOW IT'S RIGHT ON MAIN STREET AND IT'S BEEN THERE FOR 58 YEARS.

AND THAT'S A VERY GOOD TRACK RECORD AND EXAMPLE OF SUPPLYING GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE AND BEING AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE COMMUNITY.

I DID TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO THROUGH THE HOUSING, THE SURVEY THAT WAS DONE, CUSTOMER SERVICE.

I THINK IT WAS KIND OF A MIXED BAG WITH PEOPLE WHO WANT THE COUNTY TO REMAIN EXACTLY THE WAY IT IS AND DON'T WANT ANY CHANGE AND PEOPLE WHO WANT THE ENTIRE COUNTY TO CHANGE. SO THAT'S WHAT YOU GET WITH SURVEYS.

BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS, YOU KNOW, PRETTY, PRETTY WELL.

THE RESPONSES WERE THERE WERE A GOOD NUMBER OF RESPONSES.

IT WAS INTERESTING, SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT WERE IN THOSE SURVEYS DEALT WITH THE MUNICIPALITIES, WHICH I SOMETIMES THINK PEOPLE DON'T DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE MUNICIPALITIES AND THE COUNTY.

BUT HOUSING SEEMED TO BE A CONCERN.

SO WE'RE MOVING FORWARD A LITTLE BIT SLOWLY, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT AT A TIME TOWARD RESOLVING SOME OF THOSE.

BUT I THOUGHT OVERALL PEOPLE SEEMED TO BE FAIRLY SATISFIED WITH LIVING HERE.

AND, YOU KNOW, AS I SAID, SOME PEOPLE WANT EVERYTHING CHANGED AND SOME PEOPLE DON'T WANT ANYTHING CHANGED.

[01:05:04]

AND SINCE YOU BROUGHT THAT UP, THE SURVEY IS STILL OPEN.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

SO. RIGHT.

OKAY. I THINK THAT'S ALL I HAVE, MR. PRESIDENT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

COMMISSIONER BARTZ. YES, I JUST WANT TO REITERATE THE MACO THING.

HAD A VERY PRODUCTIVE MEETINGS ON MEETINGS, CLASSES.

THE MEETINGS THAT WE HAD WERE VERY EXCEPTIONAL.

I THOUGHT IT WAS ALL VERY INFORMATIVE.

CONCERNS AROUND THE STATE ON EVERYTHING FROM EDUCATION TO I MEAN, YOU NAME IT, EVERYBODY, EVEN THE BIG COUNTIES, HAVE CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE AND YOU KNOW, AMAZING TO FIND THAT OUT.

I DID HAVE A CHANCE TO MEET SECRETARY KURTZ, WHICH IS THE DNR, DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES HAD SEVERAL COMPLAINTS.

I HAVE, AND COMMISSIONER BREEDING'S HAD A FEW.

I'M SURE LARRY'S PROBABLY HAD SOME OVER THE YEARS OF DEBRIS UP IN THE NORTHERN CHOPTANK FROM ABOUT A MILE NORTH OF DENTON, WHERE IT STARTS TO NARROW DOWN WITH LIMBS AND TREES.

AND IT'S BLOCKING THE WATERWAY WHERE, YOU KNOW, KAYAKERS AND BOATERS, EVEN IN LOW TIDE, CAN'T NAVIGATE.

SO HE REACHED OUT TO THEM ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IF THERE'S A PROGRAM WHERE THEY CAN COME, THEY USED TO CLEAN IT UP YEARS AGO.

BUT SEE IF THERE'S SOMETHING THEY DID CONTACT ME.

I'M EMAILING THEM TODAY AND JUST SEE IF THERE'S ANY PROGRAMS OR SOMETHING THEY CAN ASSIST WITH ON THAT END OF IT.

SO EVERYBODY WE TALKED TO WAS VERY RESPONSIVE AND, YOU KNOW, SEEM WILLING TO HELP AND DO WHATEVER THEY CAN DO.

SUMMERFEST'S IT WAS AMAZING CROWD.

I MEAN, JUST EVERYBODY JUST SEEMED LIKE THEY WAS HAVING A GREAT TIME.

I MEAN, IT WAS JUST, YOU KNOW, IT WAS AMAZING.

SO AND THE LAST THING I HAVE, RYAN ON THE COUNTY BUSSES ARE WE THE COUNTY BUSSES, ARE THEY ALL DONE FOR SCHOOL? I KNOW WE'RE ONLY A COUPLE OF WEEKS OUT, BUT.

THE BUS INSPECTIONS THIS MORNING.

BUT BUS INSPECTIONS ARE THIS MORNING.

BUT THE ONES THAT ARE COUNTY OWNED, THEY'RE ALL? OH, YEAH, THEY'RE DONE.

I MEAN. I KNOW YOU'RE SHORT STAFFED, BUT AS SOON AS INSPECTION IS DONE TODAY, THEY'LL BE DONE.

OKAY. UNLESS THEY HAVE AN ISSUE, THEN IT'D BE CORRECTED THEN.

OKAY. IT'LL BE DONE.

ALL RIGHT. YEAH, I THINK THAT'S IT FOR ME.

OKAY. I DID HAVE A QUESTION.

THE MID-SHORE REGIONAL COUNCIL MONEY.

WHAT WERE THE QUESTIONS THAT THEY HAD ARE WE.

THEY JUST WANTED TO ELABORATE ON WHERE WE WERE DIRECTING THE MONEY.

EVERYBODY WAS FINE WITH IT, BUT THEY JUST WANT A LITTLE MORE EXPLANATION ABOUT THE MARINA AND THE INDUSTRIAL PARK IN DENTON.

OKAY. JUST TO EXPAND ON IT, WE'RE KIND OF JUST KEEPING IT SIMPLE.

I TALKED TO SEVERAL PEOPLE ON THE BOARD.

THEY WERE FINE WITH IT, AND I EXPLAINED TO THEM WHAT WE WERE DOING AND THEY SAID, IF YOU CAN JUST WORD IT REAL SIMPLE LIKE THAT, IT SHOULDN'T BE AN ISSUE.

BUT I GOT AN EMAIL BACK FROM SCOTT AND I THINK THE MAJORITY OF THE BOARD IS THEY'RE FINE WITH IT.

I THINK JUST A COUPLE JUST NEED THAT LITTLE BIT OF SIMPLE EXPLANATION.

BE FINE. OKAY.

THAT MAJORITY. AND DEBBIE IS WORKING ON THAT.

YES. OKAY.

YEAH. OKAY.

RYAN, CAN YOU COME UP FOR A SECOND REAL QUICK? SORRY TO PUT YOU ON THE SEAT HERE.

I'M SORRY. THE TREE TRIMMING.

WHERE ARE WE AT WITH THAT? WE'RE GETTING CLOSE TO A LOT OF FARMERS RUNNING AROUND WITH A LOT OF BIG EQUIPMENT ON THE ROAD.

SO HAVE WE GOT ARE WE MAKING ANY PROGRESS THERE WITH THE CONTRACT? WHERE IS THAT AT? DID WE.

I THOUGHT IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE IN FRONT OF YOU THIS MORNING.

OH, OKAY. IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE IN FRONT OF YOU THIS MORNING.

OKAY. I WILL DIG UP WITH THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND FIND OUT WHAT'S GOING ON.

OKAY, SO WE'RE.

WE'RE READY TO GO THERE.

I DO. I DO KNOW IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE IN FRONT OF YOU LAST WEEK, BUT THE CONTRACTOR HAD A RED FLAG THROUGH THE STATE OF MARYLAND WITH TAX ISSUE.

SO HE HAD TO GET THAT CLEARED UP BEFORE WE COULD FINALIZE THAT PIECE OF IT.

THAT'S WHY IT WAS DELAYED ONE WEEK.

BUT I KNOW THAT HAS BEEN CLEARED UP.

AND I WILL FIND OUT IF YOU HANG AROUND HERE THIS MORNING, I CAN GET IT TO YOU BEFORE YOU LEAVE TO SIGN.

WELL, DO WE WANT TO TAKE A RECESS AND TRY TO FIND IT OR SO WE CAN GET IT? I MEAN, YOU'RE RUNNING EARLY.

YOU DON'T WANT TO. YEAH.

ONLY AN HOUR MEETING.

COME ON. WE GOT. WE GOT ALL THIS NEW CAMERA STUFF.

WE GOT TO HAVE A LONG ONE. [LAUGHTER] I'M JOKING.

ALL RIGHT, LET'S TAKE A RECESS FOR FIVE MINUTES, SEE IF WE CAN COME UP WITH.

[01:21:35]

[01:21:38]

[01:21:48]

IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS CONTRACT? YEAH, THE 4,200 LUMP SUM.

WHAT ROADS DOES THAT DETAIL? THAT IS ONLY THAT IS HOW WE BID THE PROJECT.

IT WAS FOR BID PURPOSES ONLY FOR THE YEARLY CONTRACT AND IT WAS FROM ON AMERICAN CORNER ROAD, FROM STATUM AROUND THE BEND.

WE LAID FLAGS OUT FOR THEM TO GIVE THEM A BENCHMARK ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ROAD STRAIGHT UP.

SO IT'S ONLY FOR BID PURPOSES TO BECOME THE TREE TRIMMER FOR THE COUNTY.

SO JUST THAT AREA, IT WAS JUST THAT ONE.

AND WE WILL MOVE TO OTHER HOTSPOT AREAS AROUND THE COUNTY AND GET PRICING AND.

CORRECT. RIGHT.

OKAY. CORRECT. AND SO THAT PRICE AT WAS THAT 300 AN HOUR.

THAT IS ONLY FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES.

EMERGENCY SERVICES, THAT IS ONLY FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES.

SO IF WE HAVE A HURRICANE COME THROUGH TORNADO OR WHATEVER, IT'S ONLY TO PROVIDE EMERGENCY SERVICES LIKE THAT.

EVERYTHING ELSE, THEY'RE GOING TO GIVE US A PRICE PER LOCATION.

AND THEN WE EITHER AGREE WITH THE PRICE OR WE WON'T AGREE WITH THE PRICE AND MOVE FORWARD.

SOUNDS GOOD. WHEN CAN THEY START? TODAY. ALL RIGHT.

THEY'RE READY TO GO. THAT'S MY SENSE OF URGENCY WITH THIS.

[LAUGHTER] BETTER THAN TWO WEEKS FROM NOW.

RIGHT.

COMMISSIONER PORTER ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY. THE ONLY THING THAT I WILL BRING UP, I HAVE HAD CITIZENS MENTION, AND I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S ALWAYS OUR CONTRACTORS.

IT MAY BE CHOPTANK ELECTRIC'S OR DELMARVA POWER'S ABOUT FLAGGING AND ROAD SIGN POSTING AHEAD OF WORK ZONES. SO JUST REITERATE TO THEM THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WANT THE SIGNS SPACED OUT.

MAYBE YOU COULD GET IT MAY BE HELPFUL FOR SOMEBODY AT PUBLIC WORKS JUST TO GO ON THE STATE'S WEBSITE AND PULL STANDARD.

THEY HAVE THOSE STANDARDS AND JUST USE THE 45 MILE PER HOUR STANDARD AT ALL OF OUR COUNTY.

I DON'T THINK WE HAVE A COUNTY ROAD WHERE THE SPEED LIMITS OVER 45 DO WE? NO. SO I WOULD JUST USE IT.

I WOULD USE IT BLANKET FOR ALL PROJECTS AND JUST ASK THEM TO POST IT AT THE RIGHT DISTANCE.

AND IF YOU COULD HAVE STAFF CHECK AND MAKE SURE THE SIGNS ARE WORK WITH THEM.

ABSOLUTELY. YES, 100%.

OKAY. THIS MORNING I HAD A COMPLAINT THIS MORNING WE DIDN'T HAVE CONES OUT GOING DOWN CENTRAL AVENUE.

YEAH, PER FEDERAL LAW, WE HAVE A TEN FOOT TRAVEL LANE.

RIGHT. YOU CAN'T DO THAT.

THE IS NOT WIDE ENOUGH TO PUT A ONE FOOT CONE DOWN PLUS A 12.

YOU KNOW, IT JUST DOESN'T ALLOW US TO BE WITHIN FEDERAL GUIDELINES.

RIGHT. SO BECAUSE IT'S UNDER 50 MILE AN HOUR, WE CAN GO WITHOUT THE CONES.

SO IT TAKES A LOT OF EDUCATION ON BOTH SIDES.

BUT ABSOLUTELY, WE WILL FIND A STANDARD AND RUN WITH IT.

OKAY. JUST THE BEST WE CAN.

I KNOW OUR ROADS ARE NARROWER THAN THE STATES, BUT LET'S DO THE BEST WE CAN TO POST THERE.

SO, OKAY, SO WE HAVE THIS CONTRACT.

DO WE HAVE A PURCHASE ORDER NUMBER OR WE'RE JUST GOING TO APPROVE.

OKAY. SO WE'LL JUST APPROVE THIS CONTRACT FOR TREE TRIMMING SERVICE ON AMERICAN CORNER ROAD.

YOU WILL KEEP US INFORMED OF THE PRICING ON THE OTHER LOCATIONS IF YOU WOULD LIKE.

SO, YES, SIR, PLEASE DO THAT.

ABSOLUTELY. LET US KNOW, YOU KNOW, AS THOSE PRICING COMES IN.

ABSOLUTELY. NOW, I DO HAVE A RUNNING LIST OF HOT SPOTS.

[01:25:01]

WELL, THAT'S WHAT YOU GUYS HAVE ALREADY GIVEN ME.

OKAY. SO IF YOU HAVE ANY MORE, PLEASE FEEL FREE.

I DON'T REMEMBER ALL OF THEM. WELL, WE'VE GOT THEM WRITTEN DOWN.

SO EVERY TIME YOU SEND ONE, WE HAVE WRITTEN DOWN.

SO WE'RE GOING TO GO FROM. MARSH CREEK ROAD.

I KNOW WAS ONE A SPOT THERE.

OLD DENTON ROAD. I DID HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT OLD DENTON ROAD, SO WE TRIMMED THAT UP AND THE PERSON THAT COMPLAINED TO ME SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY REALLY APPRECIATED IT AND EVERYTHING, BUT THERE WERE STILL WIRE BRANCHES OVER TOP OF THE WIRES.

AND I SAID, WE DON'T REALLY HAVE THE CAPABILITY OF GOING UP AND CUTTING OVER.

THAT SHOULD FALL ON THE UTILITY PROVIDER, RIGHT? CORRECT. SO CAN WE FIND OUT WHOSE THOSE ARE ON OLD DENTON ROAD? ABSOLUTELY. CAN YOU LET ME KNOW? THE PERSON'S WILLING TO CALL THEM SO THEY'LL MAKE THE CALL TO THEM IF YOU WANT.

BUT IF YOU CAN FIND OUT WHO THOSE UTILITIES BELONG TO ON OLD DENTON ROAD DOWN BY THE BRIDGE.

IT'S ONE OF TWO. SO. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

YEAH. LET ME KNOW. AND IF WE WANT TO MAKE A CALL TO THEM AND I'LL ALSO LET THE RESIDENT KNOW SO THEY CAN REACH OUT TO THEM AS WELL.

ABSOLUTELY. SQUEAKY WHEEL GETS THE GREASE, RIGHT? SO YEAH, BUT I MEAN, THERE ARE ISSUES.

WE NEED TO GET THEM TRIMMED BACK.

BUT YEAH, THE MORE PEOPLE THAT CALL AND ASK FOR THAT SERVICE, THEY ASK FOR IT TO GET TAKEN CARE OF.

ALSO HAD BROUGHT UP TO ME THAT DORCHESTER IS USING THEIR FLAIL BOOM MOWER TO TRIM A LOT OF THEIR STUFF BACK AND IT SEEMS TO BE WORKING DOWN IN DORCHESTER.

CAN YOU REACH OUT TO DAVID AND SEE WHAT THEY'RE DOING DOWN THERE? AND SAME THING WE ARE.

IS THAT RIGHT WE HAVE ONE. IT WAS NOT A IT'S NOT A GRASS FLAIL.

IT'S FOR TRIMMING TREES.

FOR TRIMMING TREES WE'RE USING ALMOST EVERY DAY.

OKAY. AS MUCH AS WE CAN.

AS LONG AS I HAVE STAFF TO RUN IT.

YEAH, IT'S GOING.

OKAY. SO WE ONLY HAVE ONE.

AND COMMISSIONER BARTZ ASKED ME THE OTHER DAY ABOUT OUR OTHER MOWERS FOR GRASS MOWING.

ALL THAT STUFF IS ORDERED.

WE DON'T HAVE ANY FLAIL MOWERS IN THE COUNTY YET, SO YOU KNOW, THAT STUFF IS A YEAR OUT.

RIGHT. SO ONCE YOU THIS BOARD CAME ON BOARD, WE CHANGED OUR AVENUE.

WE EVEN HAD SOME NEW ROTARIES BRAND SPANKING NEW THAT WE SENT BACK AND EXCHANGED FOR FLAIL MOWERS.

OKAY. SO BUT WE'RE STILL OPERATING ROTARY.

WE'RE STILL OPERATING ROTARIES UNTIL WE CAN GET THEM ACTUALLY IN STOCK.

EXCEPT FOR THE ONE FLAIL THAT'S MOWING TREES.

THAT'S MOWING TREES. OKAY.

IT'S GOT HAMMERHEADS AND NOT GRASS HEADS ON IT.

IT'S TREES, TREES, TREES.

I THINK OUR PHONES ARE GOING TO BE BLOWING UP ABOUT TREES.

YEAH. AND PLEASE JUST CONTINUE TO SEND ME HOTSPOTS, YOU KNOW, THAT WAY WE KNOW WHAT THE COUNTY WANTS BECAUSE PEOPLE JUST AVOID, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T CALL US, THEY CALL YOU GUYS.

AND THAT'S HOW WE KNOW.

I TOLD YOU ABOUT BIRDSVILLE A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.

YES, IT'S THE WHOLE TOWN.

YES. YEAH. OVERGROWN MESS.

YEP. OKAY.

THEY'RE ALL DONE.

OKAY. THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR YOU.

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU. WE GOT A VOTE ON THIS, RIGHT? YEAH. OKAY.

THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE TREE TRIMMING CONTRACT.

SO MOVED. SECOND.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? SAY AYE? AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED.

THE AYES HAVE IT. OKAY.

I THINK I'LL GO AHEAD AND DO MY COMMISSIONER OPEN DISCUSSION PERIOD AT THIS POINT.

WAS VERY GLAD TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MACO CONFERENCE.

I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY CONSTRUCTIVE.

I GOT TO MEET A LOT OF THE DIFFERENT SECRETARIES.

GOT TO STAY.

UNFORTUNATELY, I MISSED THE FIRST DAY OF SUMMERFEST BECAUSE I STAYED DOWN AT MACO WITH THE OVERLAP.

BUT I DID GET TO HEAR THE GOVERNOR'S SPEECH CLOSING REMARKS IN WHICH HE SPOKE A LOT ABOUT FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY AND THE FISCAL BELT TIGHTENING THAT THE STATE IS GOING TO HAVE TO DO BECAUSE OF THE PROJECTED BUDGET SHORTFALLS THAT ARE LOOMING MOSTLY IN CONJUNCTION WITH BLUEPRINT /KERWIN, SLASH, WHATEVER ELSE THEY'RE CALLING IT TODAY, THAT A LOT OF COUNTIES, A LOT OF THE RURAL COUNTIES REALLY SEEM TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT, HEARD A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS THAT MAY GO ABOUT BLUEPRINT.

I THINK WE WERE ONE OF THE FEW COUNTIES, IF NOT THE ONLY COUNTY IN THE STATE THAT ACTUALLY SAW OUR BOARD OF ED CONTRIBUTION DECREASE LAST YEAR. NOW, THIS BOARD DECIDED TO HOLD THE BOARD OF ED HARMLESS AND FLAT FUND, BUT PRETTY MUCH EVERY OTHER COUNTY IN THE STATE SAW SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT THEY HAD TO CONTRIBUTE TO THEIR BOARDS OF EDUCATION.

I DO NOT FEEL LIKE WE WILL BE THAT LUCKY IN THE FUTURE.

I THINK WE ARE GOING TO GET HIT AS HARD AS EVERYONE ELSE.

[01:30:01]

THAT PUT US IN THE POSITION THAT WE WERE PUT IN THIS YEAR.

AND I THINK DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS A LOT OF COUNTY EMPLOYEES PROBABLY WERE DISHEARTENED BY THE TIGHT APPROACH AND THE BUDGET CUTTING THAT I REALLY PUSHED FOR.

AND I ALSO PUSHED FOR THROUGH OUR 501.

CONTRIBUTIONS TRYING TO REDUCE THOSE.

AND I AM REALLY CONCERNED.

I KNOW WE WERE IN A VERY GOOD PLACE THIS YEAR.

WE THE PICTURE THAT I SEE IS THAT WE'VE GOT TO MAKE SOME CAPITAL INVESTMENTS IN OUR ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE IN OUR BUILDINGS. SO I'M GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE AND VERY TIGHT WITH SPENDING.

AND BECAUSE OF THESE PROJECTED INCREASES IN STATE MANDATES THAT I THINK WE'RE GOING TO BE FACING IN OUTLYING YEARS.

THE LAST THING I WANT TO DO IS, YOU KNOW, NOT BE ABLE TO FUND THE OPERATION OF GOVERNMENT, MOVING THE ESSENTIAL OPERATIONS THAT WE NEED TO HAVE HERE IN THE COUNTY.

SO I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND THE PICTURE THAT I GOT FROM THE REST OF THE STATE.

THERE WAS ACTUALLY A REPRESENTATIVE FROM ANOTHER COUNTY, I WON'T MENTION THE COUNTY OR THE NAME OF THE PERSON, BUT THEY SUGGESTED THAT THE WAY TO FIX BLUEPRINT WAS TO LOBBY THE STATE TO ALLOW US TO RAISE INCOME TAXES EVEN HIGHER.

WHICH, YOU KNOW, THAT JUST GOES TO SHOW YOU THE IDEOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE VAST MAJORITY OF MAYBE THE RESIDENTS, ONLY A FEW COUNTIES, BUT THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE RESIDENTS OF THE STATE COMPARED TO WHAT OUR IDEOLOGY AND OUR TRAIN OF THOUGHT HERE ON THE SHORE AND IN THE MORE CONSERVATIVE COUNTIES ARE, YOU KNOW, BLUEPRINT IS GOING TO EXTEND PRE K TO THREE AND FOUR YEAR OLDS AND IT'S GOT TO BE PROVIDED BY A CERTIFIED TEACHER MAKING A MINIMUM OF $60,000.

WE DON'T HAVE THE FACILITIES.

BUILDINGS TO HOUSE THEM IN.

WE TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THE BOARD OF ED THIS YEAR HIRED UNCERTIFIED TEACHERS BECAUSE THEY CAN'T GET ENOUGH CERTIFIED TEACHERS.

SO WE'RE INCREASING THE DEMAND.

YES, WE'RE INCREASING THE STARTING SALARY ALMOST TO A POINT WHERE THESE LOCAL JURISDICTIONS ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD IT.

BUT IT'S UNIVERSAL CARE.

CRADLE TO GRAVE IS ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE.

AND THIS IS THE FIRST STEPPING STONE TOWARDS IT.

AND EVEN THOUGH I DON'T BELIEVE IN IT, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO BE FORCED TO IMPLEMENT IT.

I MEAN, COMMISSIONER PORTER HAS BEEN HERE A LOT LONGER THAN ME.

HE'S BEEN STUCK IMPLEMENTING THINGS THAT HE'S DISAGREED WITH FOR 12 YEARS.

AND THESE ARE BIG TICKET ITEMS. THE OTHER THING, THE OTHER SEMINAR THAT I WAS ABLE TO SIT IN ON AND REALLY CONCERN ME IS THE PAID FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE ACT.

SO ESSENTIALLY, WE ARE STARTING ANOTHER WORKMAN'S COMP FUND THAT WILL BE ADMINISTERED BY THE STATE WHERE EVERY EMPLOYEE HAS TO CONTRIBUTE 0.6% OF THEIR PAY INTO THE STATE RUN FUND.

AND AN EMPLOYER LARGER THAN 15 EMPLOYEES HAS TO CONTRIBUTE 0.6%.

SO IT'S A 50/50 SPLIT, THE 1.2% COMING FROM THE EMPLOYER.

IF YOU'RE BIGGER THAN 15 AND THE EMPLOYEE, THAT TAX IS GOING TO START, IT'S A TAX.

IT'S GOING TO START TO BE COLLECTED OCTOBER 1ST OF 2024, AND IT WILL BE COLLECTED ALL THE WAY UNTIL, I BELIEVE, JANUARY 1ST OF 2026 BEFORE THE FIRST BENEFIT WILL EVER BE PAID OUT.

SO THIS TAX IS GOING TO BE COLLECTED FOR THAT TIME FRAME ON EVERY EMPLOYEE AND FROM EVERY EMPLOYER FOR THAT PERIOD OF TIME BEFORE THE BENEFIT WILL START TO BE PAID.

AND IT'S 12 WEEKS, YOU WILL GET 12 WEEKS OFF WITH PAY.

THERE IS A FORMULA.

I THINK THE CAP IS $1,000 A WEEK.

THE FORMULA SOMEONE MAKING ABOUT $52,000 A YEAR WILL RECEIVE, I BELIEVE IT WAS $863 A WEEK.

SO OR IT'S 80.

NO, IT WAS 85.6% OF THEIR PAY.

SO IF YOU'RE MAKING $52,000, THE FORMULA WORKS OUT TO WHERE YOU RECEIVE 85.6% OF YOUR PAY.

[01:35:06]

WE ALREADY HAVE LABOR SHORTAGES NOW.

IF IT IS ABUSED, IT'S GOING TO BE THAT MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TO KEEP STAFFED FOR SMALL BUSINESSES AND LARGE BUSINESSES.

SO THERE ARE SOME TROUBLING THINGS THAT ARE COMING.

AND YOU KNOW, THAT PART OF THE CONFERENCE REALLY CONCERNED ME, YOU KNOW, MEETING PEOPLE, NETWORKING, PUTTING FACES WITH NAMES. I THINK ALL OF THAT WAS GOOD.

BUT I WAS VERY WORRIED WHEN I LEFT THERE WITH THE STATE, THE DIRECTION THAT THE STATE IS MOVING IN WITH THESE MANDATES. SO ANYWAY, YEAH, I WILL ADD A LITTLE BIT ON THE BLUEPRINT . PART OF THE PROBLEM AS I SEE IT IS EXTENDING THIS CARE TO TWO AND THREE YEAR OLDS.

AND THE PROBLEM I THINK THAT WE'RE FACING IS THE LACK OF DAYCARE, LICENSED DAYCARE.

I'VE BEEN OUT OF THE, YOU KNOW, NEEDING A DAYCARE FOR A WHILE.

BUT, I MEAN, IT'S IN TALKING WITH PEOPLE, IT'S THE REGULATIONS, THE REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS HAVE REALLY INCREASED SINCE COVID.

AND SO IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE PUTTING THE RESPONSIBILITY ON US TO PROVIDE THE SERVICE.

BUT THEN ON THE OTHER HAND, WE'RE MAKING THE SERVICE HARDER TO PROVIDE, AND THAT'S CONCERNING.

AND I GOT I'VE BEEN TALKING TO A LOT OF PEOPLE ABOUT IT.

AND THE INITIAL ANSWER I GOT WAS, WELL, THE OLDER PEOPLE WHO WERE PROVIDING DAYCARE KIND OF DECIDED THEY DIDN'T WANT TO DO IT ANYMORE.

I'M NOT SURE THAT I BUY THAT ANSWER, I THINK THAT WE ARE, YOU KNOW, THE REGULATORY PROBLEMS ARE MAKING PEOPLE SAY, I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS.

I CAN'T DO THIS. I CAN'T TURN MY HOME INTO A SCHOOL, YOU KNOW, AND MEET ALL THE REQUIREMENTS.

SO WE'VE GOT TO GO ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.

THE OTHER QUICK THING IS, ON WEDNESDAY, WE MET WITH THE MACO MEMBERS, INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS TO TALK ABOUT LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVES, AND WE WERE ABLE TO NARROW DOWN ABOUT 20 TO ABOUT 10.

BUT WE WERE SUCCESSFUL IN KEEPING THE BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE INITIATIVE AS ONE OF THOSE.

IT WASN'T AN EASY SELL.

BUT I MEAN, IT WAS I THINK EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS KIND OF WHERE WE'RE HEADED HERE.

AND I APPRECIATE VERY MUCH THE SUPPORT OF THE PRESIDENT OF MACO, CALVIN BALL FROM HOWARD COUNTY.

AND, YOU KNOW, HE I THINK HE UNDERSTANDS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.

SO THAT WILL BE A MACO INITIATIVE.

AND THESE ARE THE INITIATIVES THAT ARE FORWARDED ON TO THE GOVERNOR FOR HIM TO CONSIDER.

SO. YOU KNOW, WE GOT TO KEEP PUSHING ON THIS.

WE HAVE TO KEEP, YOU KNOW, KEEP REMEMBERING WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE AS FAR AS PROTECTING OUR FIRST RESPONDERS.

BUT IT IS BECOMING A TOPIC THAT'S MORE AND MORE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT MORE ALL THE TIME.

SO BUT I THINK IT WAS GOOD.

I THINK IT WAS GOOD COUPLE OF DAYS.

THANK YOU.

MR. BARTZ ANYTHING? YOU KNOW, I SPOKE ABOUT THE MACO A WHILE AGO.

IT WAS. YEAH.

SO I WANT YOU GUYS ON THAT.

THANK YOU. TO STAFF. I WILL REITERATE ON WHAT MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS SAID.

THANK YOU TO STAFF FOR RUNNING ANOTHER FLAWLESS SUMMERFEST AND REALLY ENJOYED THE TIME I GOT TO SPEND OUT AT SUMMERFEST SATURDAY EVENING.

SO THANK YOU ALL FOR THE WORK YOU PUT IN.

WITH THAT, I'LL GO AHEAD AND OPEN IT UP TO PUBLIC COMMENT.

IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? NOPE. OKAY.

DO I HEAR A MOTION TO ADJOURN? SO MOVED. SECOND, ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE? AYE.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.