[00:00:56]
[1. Call to Order: Invocation]
WE DELAYED THIS FROM 9:00 TO 10:00 DUE TO THE INCLEMENT WEATHER WE HAD, YESTERDAY AND LAST EVENING.SO THE MEETING IS NOW IN ORDER.
AND THIS MORNING WE HAVE OUR INVOCATION BY PASTOR GREGORY BLOCKSTON OF IN GOD WE TRUST OF DENTON.
AND THAT'LL BE FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
OUR FATHER, WHO ART IN HEAVEN, HALLOWED BE THY NAME.
THY KINGDOM COME ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.
LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION, BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM, AND THE POWER AND THE GLORY FOREVER.
GOD, WE PRAY FOR THE PEOPLE OF OUR COUNTY AND FOR THE COMMISSIONERS AND OUR COUNTY JUDGE.
GOD, WE PRAY FOR WISDOM, STAMINA, AND COMPASSION FOR ALL OUR LEADERS, AND WE PRAY FOR HELP, ENCOURAGEMENT, AND LASTING IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE PEOPLE OF OUR COUNTY.
GOD, WE ASK GOD THAT YOU ALLOW US TO BIND TOGETHER AS ONE GOD AND ALLOW US TO SEE THE PURPOSE, LORD.
AND THAT'S TO MAKE THIS COUNTY WHAT YOU DESIRE TO BE, FOR IT TO BE BETTER AND PROSPEROUS.
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.
OKAY. AT THIS TIME WE WILL ENTERTAIN PUBLIC COMMENT.
IS THERE ANYONE IN THE PUBLIC WHO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT BEFORE WE START THE AGENDA? OKAY, NONE BEING SEEN.
[3. Discussion of Greensboro Police Department Community Basketball Program]
BASKETBALL PROGRAM.SO, BRANDON AND AMANDA, DO YOU WANT TO COME FORWARD AND ANYONE ELSE? GOOD MORNING. MORNING.
GOOD MORNING. HOW YOU DOING? YOU GUYS CAN SIT DOWN IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO.
THIS IS OUR OFFICER JAKE SMITH IS JOINING US THIS MORNING.
HOW ARE YOU DOING? GOOD MORNING, OFFICER SMITH.
THANK YOU. SO WE'RE COMING TO YOU TODAY FOR TRYING TO SEEK SOME HELP.
LAST YEAR WE STARTED A BASKETBALL PROGRAM IN THE TOWN OF GREENSBORO.
THERE WAS ABOUT 71 OR 72 THAT STAYED WITH THE PROGRAM FOR THE 12 WEEKS THAT WE HAD IT.
AND, IT WAS ALL GRANT FUNDED AND IT DIDN'T COST PARENTS, KIDS OR ANYTHING, ANY KIND OF MONEY.
WE HAD A LOT OF POSITIVE FEEDBACK.
IT HELPED ENGAGE WITH OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THEY'D STOP IN AND DO SOME ENCOURAGEMENT WITH THE KIDS AND TRY TO INTERACT.
AND, WE ENDED UP AT THE VERY END OF IT.
WE HAD A HELD A TOURNAMENT, RIGHT AT GREENSBORO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AND IT WAS A TWO DAY TOURNAMENT.
[00:05:06]
WE BROUGHT SOME PAPERWORK IN HERE TO SHOW SOME OF, WE DID A LITTLE SURVEY THAT WE TRIED REACHING OUT AND SEE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALWAYS WAYS TO IMPROVE. BUT OUT OF 70 SOME KIDS, I MEAN, WE HAD A GOOD STACK OF THEM THAT THAT FILLED OUT THESE SURVEYS.AND THERE THERE WAS NOT ONE NEGATIVE COMMENT IN ANY OF THEM, WHICH IT WAS.
IT WAS GOOD. BUT IT WAS ALSO BAD BECAUSE WE ALWAYS LIKE CRITICISM.
BUT OUR OUR GOAL IS TO TRY TO HAVE THIS PROGRAM COST NOTHING TO THE PARENTS OR TO KIDS.
A LOT OF PARENTS GET DISCOURAGED.
THERE'S FUNDING OUT THERE, BUT, YOU KNOW, $75, $85, TO SOME PARENTS, THEY JUST CANNOT AFFORD.
SO OUR GOAL IS TO TRY TO GET AS MUCH FUNDING AS POSSIBLE AND KEEP THIS EVENT FREE.
AS OF RIGHT NOW, WE STARTED, ONLINE ADVERTISEMENT.
CHIEF LENNOX HAS REACHED OUT TO OTHER POLICE DEPARTMENTS, AND THEY ARE ALL INTERESTED IN COMING IN ONCE A WEEK OR, YOU KNOW, TAKING TURNS COMING IN ONCE A WEEK TO SPEAK WITH THE KIDS DURING PRACTICES JUST TO ENCOURAGE THEM AND BRING IN THAT POSITIVE POLICE CONNECTION THAT IS LACKING.
JUST TO HELP, YOU KNOW, HAVE THAT, NOT ENFORCEMENT CONTEXT WHERE THEY'RE NOT ONLY SEEING THE POLICE WHEN IT'S A NEGATIVE ATMOSPHERE. WE'RE TRYING TO BRING THAT SENSE OF COMMUNITY BACK, THAT ENGAGEMENT.
AND, OFFICER SMITH IS ALSO INTERESTED IN HELPING WITH THAT.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IS THE FUNDING FOR THAT.
WE'VE ALREADY SECURED THE BUILDING FOR PRACTICES, THE BUILDING FOR THE TOURNAMENT.
THE MANUFACTURER WILL BE OUT OF GOLDSBORO FOR THE JERSEYS.
THEY'VE OFFERED TO DO THE ARTWORK FOR FREE FOR US AS IT'S A COMMUNITY PROGRAM.
WE'VE GOT THE THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE.
WE'RE JUST SEEKING ASSISTANCE WITH THE FUNDING FOR THAT.
AND WE HAVE THE PAPERWORK WITH US.
IF YOU GUYS WOULD LIKE TO REVIEW ANY OF THAT OR IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR US.
WHAT WAS LAST YEAR'S FUNDING? I MEAN, WHAT WHAT WOULD YOU USE THE MONEY FOR? WHAT EXPENSES DO YOU HAVE? THE FUNDING WOULD GO TOWARDS THE COACHES, THE BASKETBALL EQUIPMENT, THE JERSEYS TO WE HAVE THE, THE SITE FOR THE PRACTICES SECURED.
THEY'VE DISCOUNTED THE RATE FOR US.
THEY'VE DISCOUNTED THE RATE FOR US.
BUT WE STILL HAVE TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE FOR THAT.
IT'LL GO TOWARDS WATER BOTTLES AND SNACKS FOR THE CHILDREN AND, A MEAL FOR THE DAYS OF THE TOURNAMENT AS WELL AND EQUIPMENT FOR THE PRACTICES.
AND THE. WE ARE TRYING TO STAY LOCAL WITH THE JERSEY.
SO WE WE'VE REACHED OUT THIS YEAR TO SOME CAROLINE COUNTY BUSINESSES TO HELP SECURE THAT AS WELL.
AND WHAT WHAT IS YOUR TOTAL BUDGET FOR THIS? THE TOTAL BUDGET WE CAPPED AT, IT'S GOING TO COST ABOUT $100 PER CHILD, AND WE ARE TRYING TO PUT A CAP ON AT NO MORE THAN 120 KIDS.
SO YOUR COACHES GET PAID? YES. WELL, IT'S IT'S MINIMUM WAGE.
IT'S HARD ENOUGH FINDING VOLUNTEERS OUT THERE.
WE VOLUNTEER A LOT OF OUR TIME TO MAKE SURE IT'S SUCCESSFUL, BUT IN ORDER TO HAVE DEDICATED COACHES IS JUST A MINIMUM WAGE AND JUST BASICALLY HELPS COVER THE GAS COSTS.
WHEN WOULD THESE FUNDS BE NEEDED? WELL, WHAT'S YOUR TIME FRAME? ABOUT. WE WOULD NEED THE FUNDS THE FIRST WEEK OF FEBRUARY.
THE PROGRAM WILL BE STARTING UP FEBRUARY 27TH.
IT RUNS THROUGH MAY 25TH AND 26TH.
YES. HOW MUCH OF A GRANT DID YOU HAVE LAST YEAR FOR THIS?
[00:10:03]
10,000. AND WHERE DID THEY COME FROM? IT WAS THE THERE WAS A POLICE DEPARTMENT COMMUNITY POLICING GRANT THAT WAS AVAILABLE AT THAT POINT.IT'S NOT AVAILABLE THIS YEAR? NO. BUT THE PROGRAM WAS A SUCCESS AND WE HATE TO LOSE IT.
YET? AGAIN, YOU GUYS ARE OUR FIRST STEP.
SO. AND THAT BEING SAID, I UNDERSTAND THE PROGRAM, UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE GOING HERE.
BUT IF IF GREENSBURG COMES IN AND STARTS THIS PROGRAM, THEN YOU HAVE [INAUDIBLE] PRESTON TO BE NEXT.
OH NO, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT IT COMES TO THE POINT WHERE IS THAT FAIR TO THE TAXPAYER TO PAY FOR PRESTON TO PAY FOR SOMETHING THAT'S GOING ON IN GREENSBORO? RIGHT. WE HAVE KIDS FROM PRESTON THAT ATTEND OUR BASKETBALL PROGRAM.
OKAY. WE HAVE WE HAVE KIDS FROM EACH TOWN ATTEND OUR BASKETBALL PROGRAM.
YEAH. NOW, I'M NOT SAYING NO, I'M JUST, RIGHT.
NO, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT.
THAT IT'S NOT JUST CHILDREN FROM GREENSBORO, RIGHT? NO. AND I WOULD HOPE THAT OTHER TOWNS WOULD SEE THE SUCCESS IN THIS AND ALSO WANT TO PARTICIPATE, EVEN IF IT WEREN'T BASKETBALL.
I THINK PICKLEBALL IS APPARENTLY A REALLY BIG THING.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT IS FOR KIDS, BUT FOR ADULTS IT IS ANYTHING THAT WOULD ENGAGE CHILDREN IN, RIGHT? POLICE OR EVEN COMMISSIONER BASED ATHLETIC ACTIVITIES.
HAVE YOU REACHED OUT TO, LIKE, AS FAR AS THE COUNTY LIKE TO OUR FINANCE OFFICE ABOUT MAYBE THEY CAN HELP FIND THE GRANT OR THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.
THEY HAVE ACCESS TO DIFFERENT OTHER GRANTS.
HAVE YOU TALKED TO THEM? THEY HAVE ACCESS TO DIFFERENT GRANT FUNDING THAT YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT.
AND THEN I PLAN ON MEETING WITH EACH INDIVIDUAL TOWN.
BUT I DON'T WANT TO MISS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THE PROGRAM TO ANYONE.
SO HOW MUCH? SO THAT BEING SAID, IF IF SO, ARE YOU ASKING US FOR OUR AMOUNT TODAY, IF THE COUNTY SAID YES, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE FROM THE COUNTY? $3,000.
HOW MUCH? THREE. THAT'S ALL I GOT.
[INAUDIBLE] I THINK THE THE PROBLEM, FOR ONE, I THINK, IS TIMING. WHEN WE DO OUR BUDGET AND WE'LL BE GETTING WE'LL START OUR BUDGET PROCESS HERE.
AND SO WHEN WE WHEN WE DO OUR BUDGET, WE, WE HAVE AREAS OF THE BUDGET WHERE WE DO FUND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. SO WHAT WHAT ORGANIZATION WOULD THIS BE RUN THROUGH? THE TOWN OF GREENSBORO. SO WE WOULD BE GIVING THE MONEY TO THE TOWN OF GREENSBORO? YES. OKAY.
WE HAVE OUR ACCOUNTING OR AUDITING GUY SITTING OVER HERE.
I MEAN, I KNOW I SAW HIM LOOK, LOOK AT ME.
SO, I DON'T MOST OF THE WE WE DO FUND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS IN OUR BUDGET, RIGHT.
SO TO ME, THIS WOULD BE MORE OF A BUDGET REQUEST FROM US, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE WHEN WE FORMULATE THE BUDGET.
SO THE MONEY IS GIVEN TO THE TOWN.
AND I'M NOT AWARE OF A TOWN RIGHT NOW THAT WE FUND AND NOT.
I THINK YOU GUYS ARE DOING A GREAT A GREAT THING HERE.
AND NOT TO BE THE SCROOGE, BUT I AM THE SCROOGE WHEN IT COMES TO GIVING, BECAUSE I THINK LAST YEAR I VOTED PRETTY MUCH AGAINST EVERY CONTRIBUTION TO NONPROFIT, AND THE ONLY REASON THAT I DID THAT WAS I DON'T FEEL LIKE IT IS CHARITY.
IF I TAKE TAX DOLLARS THAT ARE FORCED TO BE PAID, BY THE COUNTY AND DOLE THAT OUT TO COMMUNITY PROGRAMS, THAT WE DON'T REALLY HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER AUDITING TO KNOW HOW THE MONEY IS SPENT, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
SO MY ARGUMENT IS THAT IT'S A SLIPPERY SLOPE.
[00:15:06]
IN CONTRIBUTIONS TO, TO NONPROFIT THINGS LIKE THIS.SO I THINK IT'S A GREAT PROGRAM.
I LOVE WHAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING.
AND AND WE'LL DO, YOU KNOW, I'LL DO WHAT I CAN TO HELP SUPPORT THE PROGRAM.
BUT I FEEL LIKE, THAT THE COUNTY, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO PUBLIC SAFETY, YOU KNOW, TRANSPORTATION, ROADS, SCHOOLS, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
SO THAT'S WHAT MY CONCENTRATION IS ON WITH THE BUDGET.
BUT HOWEVER THESE GUYS DECIDE TO GO.
I THINK, I THINK THAT PART OF THE PROBLEM IS.
I THINK THAT THIS REALLY MY SUGGESTION TO YOU WOULD BE TO SET THIS UP IN SOME TYPE OF A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION SO THAT IF PEOPLE GIVE MONEY, YOU KNOW, IF, IF SPONSORS OR PEOPLE, THEY'RE GOING TO BE THEY'RE PROBABLY GOING TO BE RELUCTANT TO WRITE A CHECK TO THE TOWN OF GREENSBORO.
RIGHT. WE HAVE THE PROCESS OF PUTTING TOGETHER A NONPROFIT, BUT THAT TAKES TIME.
SO THAT'S THE TIME CONSTRAINT ONE.
IT'S JUST NOT SOMETHING THAT I CAN PRESENT AT THE MOMENT.
BUT I DO HAVE A BASKETBALL PROGRAM THAT PARENTS ARE KIND OF LIKE CALLING US GOING, ARE YOU DOING IT LAST YEAR? WHY AREN'T YOU DOING IT THIS YEAR? WHAT ARE YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR OUR KIDS? YEAH. WELL, MAYBE, CONNECT WITH COUNTY STAFF, AND I'M SURE THE COUNTY'S WILLING.
WE CAN DO SOME RESEARCH TO HELP YOU.
YEAH. AND THEN MAYBE WE CAN WE CAN ASSIST YOU THERE.
NO. AND IT'S IT'S ADVERTISING.
I MEAN, THERE'S PEOPLE IN THE ROOM.
THEY CAN HELP YOU GET THE GRANTS AND JEN CAN POSSIBLY.
CAN WE PUT SOMETHING OUT ON FACEBOOK TO HELP THEM ADVERTISE THIS AS WELL? SO WE'LL HELP EVERY WAY WE CAN.
YEAH. WELL, I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS THIS MORNING.
WHERE ARE YOU? WHERE ARE YOU DOING THIS? WHERE'S YOUR WHERE WHAT BUILDING ARE YOU USING? THE GREENSBORO BAPTIST CHURCH FOR THE PRACTICES AND THEN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
OKAY. YEAH, IT'S KIND OF CENTRAL TO EVERYONE.
ALL RIGHT. WELL, THANK YOU GUYS. SOUNDS GOOD.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR COMING IN.
[4.Presentation of Fiscal Year 2023 Audit]
2023 AUDIT.IT'S HARD TO FOLLOW SOMETHING LIKE THAT UP WITH SOMETHING AS BORING AS THIS.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING US AS YOUR AUDITORS AGAIN.
WE DO A RISK BASED AUDIT, AND WE'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR YEARS.
SO WE COME IN, WE ANALYZE CONTROLS, WE DOCUMENT THOSE CONTROLS.
WE MIGHT EVEN TEST SOME OF THOSE CONTROLS.
AND BASED ON THAT AND WHAT WE SEE, WE KIND OF FOCUS OUR AREAS ON WHAT WAS RISKY.
THIS YEAR AS A FIRM, WE REALLY TOOK A STEP BACK.
WE SAID, OKAY, WE DID THAT PROBABLY TEN YEARS AGO, AND WE DO IT EVERY YEAR.
SO A LOT OF WORK WAS DONE BEHIND THE SCENES THAT YOU PROBABLY WON'T EVEN SEE HERE.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO TELL YOU THAT WE DID KIND OF TAKE A FRESH LOOK AT EVERYTHING.
THE GOOD NEWS IS WE KIND OF CAME TO THE SAME CONCLUSION.
YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS HAVE A GREAT STAFF, IN-HOUSE.
SO JUST WANTED TO KIND OF LAY THAT TABLE DOWN HERE.
I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH THIS PRETTY QUICK.
WE GOT A THIS IS A DRAFT RIGHT NOW.
IT WILL BE FINALIZED BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
THE REASON I HAD THAT DRAFT IS, WE HAVE A TECHNICAL REVIEW PROCESS THAT'S NOT DONE.
[00:20:01]
MAYBE SOME COSMETIC THINGS, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, IT SHOULD BE GOOD.SO IF YOU GO TO PAGE 14, I'M ASSUMING YOU GOT A PACKET UP THERE [INAUDIBLE].
I DIDN'T PRINT THE FULL 200 PAGE COPY.
OKAY. WELL THEN I CAN JUST COMMUNICATE IT AND THEN WE CAN.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS FOR ME LATER, YOU CAN YOU CAN TALK TO ME.
SO ON IN IN HERE WE HAVE THE OPINION.
THAT'S THE AUDIT OPINION. THAT'S WHAT YOU PAY US FOR.
IT'S THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF ASSURANCE WE CAN GIVE YOU.
ONE THING YOU'LL NOTE ON THE AUDITOR'S REPORT IS THERE'S AN EMPHASIS ON A MATTER PARAGRAPH.
WE HAD ONE LAST YEAR FOR GASB 87, WHICH WAS LEASES THIS YEAR.
WE HAVE ONE FOR GASB 96, WHICH IS A SUBSCRIPTION BASED IT ARRANGEMENTS.
FORTUNATELY, NONE OF NOTHING YOU HAVE KIND OF FALLS UNDER THAT UMBRELLA.
SO BIG STANDARD CAME IN, BUT LUCKILY NOTHING HAPPENED.
NO, NO EFFECT ON THE FINANCIALS.
WHAT YOU WILL NOTE IS WE'LL HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT ANNUALLY.
AND WE DANNY AND I HAVE TALKED AND SO WE'RE AWARE OF THAT.
SO IF ANYTHING POPS UP WE'LL COMMUNICATE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND IDENTIFY THAT.
SO [INAUDIBLE] MOST OF OUR SUBSCRIPTIONS ARE YEAR BY YEAR CORRECT.
SEEMS LIKE WE'RE ALWAYS VOTING TO RENEW ONE.
SO WE HAVE A GOOD BIT OF OUR OUR LARGER PROGRAMS THAT ARE LONGER THAN A YEAR CONTRACT.
WE HAVE TO DO YEARLY RENEWALS THAT YOU GUYS SEE THE [INAUDIBLE] ISSUANCE.
BUT WE DO HAVE A FEW, WHETHER IT'S OUR CAD SYSTEM THROUGH DES OR OUR FINANCE SYSTEM.
RENEWAL. OR ARE THEY LONG TERM RENEWALS? A LOT OF TIMES THEY ARE UP FRONT WITH A YEAR TO YEAR RENEWAL.
BUT WHEN WE SIGNED A CONTRACT, THEY'LL HAVE, OKAY, THIS IS YOUR FIRST FIVE YEARS [INAUDIBLE].
SO IF IT'S A SMALL LITTLE THING, WE MIGHT RUN THE CAT AND SAY, HEY, IT'S NOT NO ONE.
SO HOW IS A YEAR BY YEAR SUBSCRIPTION SHOWN? IT'S JUST EXPENSE LIKE PREVIOUSLY.
SO IF IT COSTS YOU A THOUSAND BUCKS A YEAR, IT JUST GOES AS AN EXPENSE.
OKAY, OKAY. SO THE NEXT THING IS WE ALWAYS FOCUS ON STATEMENT OF NET POSITION.
SO WHAT THAT IS, IS IF YOU'RE A FOR PROFIT IT'S YOUR BALANCE SHEET.
AND THAT WOULD BE KIND OF LIKE YOUR EQUITY.
THIS IS ALL THE FUNDS MUSHED TOGETHER.
AND IT'S BROKEN OUT AND THAT POSITION IS A GREAT THING TO TRACK OVER TIME.
AND THEN UNRESTRICTED IS $18.2 MILLION.
THE NEXT THING WE LOOK AT IS THE STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES.
AND THE REASON I POINTED THAT OUT IS BECAUSE THAT DOES SHOW A TEN YEAR TREND OF THAT NET POSITION.
FORTUNATELY, SINCE 2015, AT A LOW OF ABOUT $28.2 MILLION, WE'VE CONTINUALLY TO INCREASE.
AND LIKE I SAID, WE ENDED THIS YEAR AT $68.2 MILLION.
SO A NICE LITTLE BUMP THIS YEAR.
AND NET POSITION AGAIN, THAT COULD MEAN FINANCIAL HEALTH, WHICH YOU GUYS HAVE SHOWN THAT OVER THE YEARS, WHICH IS IN LINE WITH THE ECONOMIES AND STUFF OF THAT NATURE. PAGE 38 IS YOUR GENERAL FUND, SHOULD BE IN YOUR EMAIL.
SO THE NEXT THING WE ALWAYS FOCUS ON IS JUST YOUR GENERAL FUND.
THIS GETS RID OF ALL THE OTHER FUNDS.
THIS IS JUST FOCUSES ON ESSENTIALLY THE CORE BUSINESS OF THE GOVERNMENT.
WE LOOK AT FUND BALANCE WHICH IS A DIFFERENT TERM BUT VERY SIMILAR TO NET POSITION.
IT'S KIND OF LIKE THE THE LEFT WHATEVER'S LEFT OVER.
SO FUND BALANCE UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE FOR THE GENERAL FUND IS $28.3 MILLION.
THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT METRICS TO MEASURE THIS.
[00:25:01]
THE GFOA RECOMMENDS A BARE MINIMUM OF 16.6%.I THINK THE COUNTY HAS A RESOLUTION THAT CAN'T FALL BELOW 10%.
AND THAT'S OF YOUR BUDGETED EXPENDITURES RIGHT NOW, WE'RE WE'RE ABOUT 5 TO 6% OR ABOUT 45%.
SO WE'RE ABOVE BOTH OF THOSE MINIMUMS. SO ANOTHER GOOD SIGN.
NEXT THING I ALWAYS FOCUS ON IS YOUR, PROPRIETARY FUNDS.
AND WHAT THEY ARE IS YOUR REC PROGRAMS, YOUR PUBLIC WORKS, BROADBAND SUPPLY AND BASIC LIFE SUPPORT.
SO IN THEORY, THE CHART, THE SERVICES YOU CHARGE COVER THE EXPENSES.
AS A AS A WHOLE YOU'RE OPERATING INCOME OF $632,000.
PARKS AND RECS LOSES A LITTLE MONEY EVERY YEAR.
THIS YEAR, BROADBAND SUPPLY LOST A VERY LITTLE MONEY.
PUBLIC WORKS AND BASIC LIFE SUPPORT DO RUN IN THE BLACK [INAUDIBLE].
ONE THING TO NOTE IN THE FINANCIALS, WE DO TALK ABOUT THE NEW ACCOUNTING STANDARD, GASB 96.
JUST WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT BECAUSE IT'S KIND OF DIFFERENT.
NOTHING REALLY OF OF NOTE THERE.
PAGE 62, WE HAVE OUR CAPITAL ASSETS.
A COUPLE OF YOUR BIG CAPITAL PURCHASES THIS YEAR.
WE SPENT ABOUT $4.3 MILLION ON ROADS.
PUT ABOUT $2 MILLION IN THE VEHICLES, EQUIPMENT, MACHINERY, SOME GENERAL UPGRADES, SOME GENERAL IMPROVEMENTS, INFRASTRUCTURE TYPE STUFF, ABOUT $300,000 FENCING AND ROOFING AND STUFF WITHIN THE NATURE.
SOME OF THAT WAS A BRIDGES, SOME RENOVATIONS GOING ON.
THERE WERE SOME AMBULANCES IN THERE THAT I THINK JUST HADN'T GOT FINALIZED YET.
WE HAVE THE, CAROLINE COUNTY PENSION PLAN.
THAT'S KIND OF UNIQUE TO CAROLINE COUNTY TO HAVE ITS OWN PENSION PLAN.
THAT'S 84% FUNDED, WHICH IS GOOD.
AGAIN, THAT'S NOT THAT'S KIND OF OUTSIDE OF YOUR CONTROL.
THAT'S AT THE STATE LEVEL. AND THEY KIND OF FEED THAT INFORMATION DOWN TO YOU.
THAT'S, 76% FUNDED AT THIS POINT.
OPEB, WHICH IS OTHER POST-EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS, BASICALLY HEALTH INSURANCE FOR RETIREES, THAT'S WELL FUNDED AT 164%, WHICH IS VERY UNUSUAL. AND IT'S A GREAT THING TO HAVE A LOT OF TOWNS AND GOVERNMENTS, DO NOT HAVE THAT FUNDED.
THEY UNDERSTOOD THAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE TIME TO GET THESE STUDIES, GET INTO FINANCIALS AND STUFF.
BUT SINCE THEN, SINCE THE MEASUREMENT DATE OF 6/30/22, YOU GUYS HAVE FUNDED $1.5 MILLION TO THAT.
AND WE JUST STARTED THAT NEW SYSTEM LAST YEAR, I THINK.
CORRECT. YEP. YOU OPENED A TRUST AND STARTED FUNDING THAT RIGHT.
WE VOTED TO FUND IT LIKE ONE OF OUR VERY FIRST MEETINGS OF THIS BOARD, AND WE'LL SAY THAT $1.5 MILLION INVESTMENT WAS GIVEN TO MARQUETTE, WHO ALSO MANAGES OUR PENSION AND OPEB AND HAS DONE PRETTY WELL LIKE THE MARKET HAS OVER THE PAST.
IS IT IS IT FULLY INVESTED OR ARE THEY WORKING IT INTO THE MARKET SLOWLY? SO IT'S WORKED INTO THE MARKET INITIALLY.
SO RIGHT NOW IT'S FULLY INVESTED.
SO THEY'VE ACTUALLY ASKED TO COME IN AND SPEAK WITH YOU GUYS.
AGAIN, I THINK WE CAME IN ABOUT A YEAR AGO WHEN WE WERE AT THE HAPS BUILDING.
I DON'T THINK WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO DO A FULL SPEAKERS]. YEAH, YEAH, BUT, BUT IT IS.
SO IT WAS SLOWLY WORKED IN OVER THE LAST YEAR.
YEP. WE GAVE THEM THAT AND THEY WORKED IT IN.
AND LIKE I SAID IT IS FULLY IN AT THIS POINT.
SO IT WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE IF WE WANTED TO CONTRIBUTE MORE THIS YEAR.
[00:30:02]
WE COULD DO THAT. YEP.AND WE GET WEEKLY UPDATES WITH THOSE ALLOCATIONS AND THE MARKET OF WHERE THEY'RE AT.
SO IF YOU GUYS WANT IT TO BE INCLUDED ON THOSE, WE CAN CERTAINLY SHARE THEM THROUGHOUT.
YEAH. PERFECTLY UNDERSTANDABLE.
YOU KNOW, AND I THINK THE TREASURER FOR DENTON CAME UP WITH THAT AND DID A LOT OF WORK.
BUT WE'RE NOW COMPENSATING COMPENSATING PEOPLE BASED ON YEARS OF SERVICE.
SO IT STABILIZES THOSE COSTS A LITTLE BIT MORE SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A BETTER ESTIMATE ROY, DO YOU HAVE A RECOMMENDATION ON WHAT PERCENTAGE THOSE SHOULD BE AT? I MEAN, WELL, AND I WAS JUST ABOUT TO SAY THAT BASED ON THAT CONVERSATION.
SO SO WHAT HAPPENS IF IT'S 0% FUNDED THEN WHAT HAPPENS EVERY YEAR IS YOU GUYS HAVE TO CUT THE CHECK FOR WHATEVER THAT COST IS TO, TO THE TO EITHER HEALTH INSURANCE, THE PENSION SO ONCE IT GETS FUNDED, IT KIND OF TAKES CARE OF ITSELF.
THAT'LL TAKE CARE OF ITSELF FOREVER.
I MEAN, AND THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE DESIGNED TO DO.
MY I THINK I READ SOMEWHERE THAT IF YOU'RE ABOVE 70%, THAT'S 100% OBVIOUSLY IDEAL, BUT ONCE YOU GET ABOVE 70%, IT KIND OF STARTS TAKING CARE OF ITSELF.
IT'S TAKING ENOUGH OF THE BURDEN OFF OF THE TOWN.
AND AND GRANTED, LET'S BE HONEST, PART OF THAT DEPENDS ON THE MARKET.
I MEAN, IF YOU HAVE A GREAT MARKET, HERE, IT'S 70% IS FINE.
YEAH. IF YOU HAVE A DOWN YEAR YOU NEED OVER 100%.
AND THEN YOU'RE KIND OF AT THE THING.
SO I WILL SAY IN THE COUNTIES I DO AND BIG TOWNS I DO THAT HAVE THESE THINGS AND COUNTIES I'VE LOOKED AT, YOU GUYS ARE WAY MORE FUNDED THAN, THAN MOST.
I WOULD SAY A LOT OF THE OTHER POSTEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT PLANS ARE NOT FUNDED AT ALL.
OBVIOUSLY THE STATE PLAN, EVERY TOWN IS GOING TO BE 76% BECAUSE THEY'RE IN THE SAME FUND.
BUT BEING AT 84% FUNDED, THAT'S FANTASTIC.
SO, THE OTHER TOWNS I HAVE AND GOVERNMENTS, [INAUDIBLE] NO ONE'S EVEN ATTEMPTED TO FUND THAT.
SO THE FACT THAT YOU GUYS ARE TAKING THAT INITIATIVE, I THINK WILL PAY OFF IN THE LONG RUN.
WELL, IT WILL PAY OFF IN THE LONG RUN.
AND SOMETIMES, I MEAN, OPEB, FOR INSTANCE, WHEN THAT CAME OUT FOR.
WELL, IT'S PROBABLY BEEN 5 OR 6 YEARS AGO NOW.
TIME FLIES WHEN YOU'RE HAVING FUN, RIGHT? THERE WERE SOME SMALLER GOVERNMENTS THAT ACTUALLY, BECAUSE OF THAT, THAT STANDARD, THEY JUST GOT RID OF THE BENEFIT ALTOGETHER.
SO A LOT OF PEOPLE HANDED A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS.
NOT SAYING ONE WAS RIGHT OR WRONG.
I'M JUST SAYING THAT THERE WAS DIFFERENT APPROACHES.
ANYTHING ELSE ON THAT? NO. YOU SAID [INAUDIBLE] SO WITH THE $1.5 MILLION CONTRIBUTION YOU THINK IT'S IT'S AROUND 30%.
OKAY. JUST GOING FOR FURTHER ON, BUDGET TO ACTUAL GENERAL FUND, YOU BEAT REVENUES, BEAT BUDGET BY ABOUT $7 MILLION BUCKS.
THE MAJORITY OF THAT WAS INCOME TAXES.
INCOME TAX REVENUE CAME IN OVER BUDGET, PRETTY SUBSTANTIALLY.
YOU WERE OVER BUDGET AND EXPENSES.
AND THAT WAS MOSTLY BECAUSE OF EMERGENCY SERVICES.
AND THEN, OVERALL, YOU DID BEAT BUDGET BY ABOUT $3.8 MILLION.
[INAUDIBLE] SO THAT'S THE FINANCIALS IN A NUTSHELL.
LIKE I SAID, THIS WILL BE WRAPPED UP BY THE END OF THE MONTH THAT'LL BE ISSUED.
WE'RE A LITTLE DELAYED ON THAT.
WE HAD SOME MISCOMMUNICATIONS WITH ONE OF THE ACTUARIES.
SO THAT KIND OF, HELD US UP A LITTLE.
WE WERE WAITING ON SOME INFORMATION.
WE HAVE SINGLE AUDIT, WHICH WILL BE DONE BY THE END OF FEBRUARY [INAUDIBLE].
THE OTHER THING WE HAVE TO DO IS AUDIT COMMUNICATIONS.
THE, THE LETTER THAT YOU DO, YOU WILL SEE OR IN YOUR EMAIL IS, THIS LETTER, AS AN AUDITOR, I'M REQUIRED TO COMMUNICATE THOSE CHARGED WITH GOVERNANCE. EVERY AUDIT ACROSS THE COUNTRY GETS A LETTER OF THIS MATTER.
NONPROFIT, GOVERNMENT, FOR PROFIT.
IBMS PROBABLY GETTING A LETTER OF THIS THING BECAUSE WE'RE REQUIRED TO COMMUNICATE IT.
AGAIN, GASB 96 WAS NEW THIS YEAR.
WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THAT.
YOU REMEMBER THAT GOES OUT TO AN ACTUARIAL.
[00:35:02]
THEY CRUNCH A TON OF NUMBERS.LOOK AT IT MAKE SURE WE'RE COMFORTABLE WITH IT.
GO FROM THERE. AND THEN GASB 87 WHICH IS THE RIGHT TO USE ASSET.
WE TOUCHED ON THAT A LITTLE THIS YEAR.
I KIND OF GLAZED OVER IT THIS YEAR.
BUT BASICALLY WHAT THAT IS, IS, CERTAIN LEASES, THEY CHANGE THE WAY LEASES ARE HANDLED AND SOME OF THEM ARE ALL OR MOST OF THEM ALL NOW HAVE AN ASSET AND A LIABILITY RELATED TO THAT. BUT THAT, IS A LITTLE BIT OF AN ESTIMATE THERE TOO.
NO DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED PERFORMED DURING THE AUDIT, NO DISAGREEMENTS WITH MANAGEMENT.
I'M TRYING TO LOOK AT THIS ON MY PHONE, BUT MY EYES WON'T LET ME DO IT.
WE. HAVE SOME DEBT REDUCTION COMING UP SOON.
I'D HAVE TO LOOK AT THE SCHEDULE.
SO WHEN WE PUT IN THE REFINANCING OF OUR 2019 BOND, WE TRY TO SCHEDULE.
SO THE FIRST YEAR OR TWO, WE HAD A LARGE CHUNK FALL OFF.
YEAH. JUST FOR BONDS AND LOANS.
WE HAVE ABOUT $32 MILLION ISH OUTSTANDING.
AND OF THAT IT'S IT'S CLIPPED THE PRINCIPAL'S CLIPPING OFF AT 2.6225 FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.
AND THAT'S, PAGE 68, YOUR DEBT MATURITY SO.
NOTHING MAJOR FALLING OFF UNTIL 2020.
A SLIGHT REDUCTIONS UP UNTIL 2027.
YEAH, IT WAS SMALL ADJUSTMENTS DOWN, BUT WE SHOULD HAVE DANNY, THANK YOU TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM FOR ALWAYS BEING READY FOR US.
AND, APPRECIATE YOU GUYS HAVING US AS YOUR AUDITOR.
ROY, WHEN IS IT DUE TO THE STATE? TECHNICALLY DECEMBER 31ST.
OKAY. WE ASKED FOR AN EXTENSION TO THE END OF THIS MONTH.
OKAY. AND WE SHOULD MEET THAT.
WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO ASK FOR ANOTHER EXTENSION.
LIKE I SAID, THE ONLY THING WE HAVE TO DO IS I GOT TO GET THE [INAUDIBLE] GET THAT SIGNED OFF.
AND THEN WE'LL HAVE THE [INAUDIBLE] TO SUBMIT.
BUT THAT'S I DID SEE LEGISLATION IN TO REQUIRE IT TO BE DONE OR YOU LOSE UP TO 20% OF YOUR STATE GRANTS. I THINK SOMETHING I THINK YOU LOSE 20%.
AND THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT A BILL TO INCREASE THAT BEYOND 20%.
FULL CLARITY, FOR ROY'S SAKE AND MYSELF AS WELL.
AS HE HAD MENTIONED, WE RELY ON A LOT OF DATA FROM THE ACTUARIALS.
AND THIS YEAR WE HAD BOTH RELAYED ON THAT PROBABLY OCTOBER, THE INFORMATION TO THEM.
WELL, TWO MONTHS AGO AND YEAH, THEY KIND OF PUMP THE BRAKES THERE.
AND YEAH, WE BOTH HAD A PAUSE WAITING ON THAT LAST BIT OF INFORMATION.
AND I THINK WE'RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
I THINK LAST YEAR WAS LIKE MARCH OR SOMETHING.
LET'S SHOOT FOR ON TIME NEXT YEAR.
YES. THAT IS, THAT IS BY FAR THE GOAL.
YOU GUYS WANT IT DONE BY THEN.
IT'S GOOD TO HAVE IT BEFORE WE MOVE INTO OUR NEXT BUDGET.
SO YEAH I MEAN WE GOT IT BY THEN.
SO DANNY'S GOING TO GET ANOTHER PLAQUE TO HANG ON HIS WALL IN THERE.
AND THEN TWO, IT HELPS YOU WITH INTEREST RATES AND BONDING AND STUFF OF THAT NATURE.
THANK YOU ROY. GOOD JOB DANNY.
SO I HAVE ONE REALLY QUICK QUESTION FOR YOU.
OKAY. LATER ON WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT A, THE SITUATION HAS COME UP WITH THE WE'VE BEEN BATTLING THE ROOF IN GREENSBORO FOR THE LIBRARY.
THERE WAS A BOND ALLOCATION FOR $300,000.
[00:40:03]
IT WAS ISSUED TO REPLACE THE ROOF.AND NOW THEY'RE SAYING THAT THE ROOF DOESN'T HAVE TO BE REPLACED.
THE HVAC SYSTEM HAS TO BE REPLACED, WHICH IS GOING TO BE A REDUCED AMOUNT OF MONEY.
IT'S BEEN FLOATED HERE THAT WE MAY BE ADVANCE THE MONEY.
SO I THINK THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT UNTIL.
SO I PERSONALLY I FEEL LIKE . SO THEY WERE RECEIVING THEY OWNED THE BUILDING.
MRDC OWNS THE BUILDING CAROLINE COUNTY LIBRARY BRANCH OCCUPIES LEASES SPACE.
YEAH. AND THE PROBLEM IS THE ROOF WAS LEAKING AND THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM AND AND HEATING SYSTEM WERE NOT WORKING PROPERLY.
SO IT WAS ASSUMED THAT THE ROOF WAS LEAKING BECAUSE OF A ROOF FAILURE.
SO THAT'S THAT'S THE WHOLE THING AND THE BOND CAN'T BE REALLOCATED.
IT WAS SPECIFICALLY ALLOCATED FOR A ROOF.
NOW THEY'RE SAYING WE WANT TO USE IT FOR HVAC, NOT THE ROOF.
WE'VE DETERMINED THAT THE PROBLEM IS NOT THE ROOF.
AND THEY'RE ASKING US TO FRONT THE MONEY, AND THEN WE'LL BE REIMBURSED BY THE BOND.
AND THEY CAN'T. THEY CAN'T REALLOCATE THE BOND MONEY UNTIL THE BEGINNING OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
SO SO THEY JUST WANT YOU TO FLOAT THE CASH, BUT THEY'LL REIMBURSE THAT AT SOME POINT.
SO BUT I MEAN AND I UNDERSTAND WHAT DELEGATE GRACE IS WORKING ON.
HE WORKED VERY HARD TO GET THIS MONEY FOR THEM.
THEY CAN THEY THINK THEY CAN MAKE IT TILL YOU JUST WAIT TILL THE MONEY IS AVAILABLE.
OKAY. THE ONLY OTHER ENTITY TO DO, I GUESS MRDC COULD FLOAT IT, BUT I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEIR SITUATION IS, BUT I'M, I'M USING I'M SAYING THAT FROM AN AUDITING STANDPOINT, I DON'T THINK THIS IS A GOOD IDEA.
AND I JUST NEED YOU TO SAY YOU AGREE SO WE CAN.
YEAH. I DON'T KNOW IF I, THEY COULD GO GET INTERIM FINANCING OR SOMETHING.
I SEE, WITH A BOARD OF EDUCATION FISCAL YEAR 2023 BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS.
[5. Board of Education Fiscal Year 2023 Budget Adjustments]
PAY NO ATTENTION TO ANY OF THAT YOU JUST HEARD.GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU FOR HAVING US TODAY.
WE ARE HERE TO DO OUR ANNUAL KIND OF TRUING UP OF THE BUDGET.
WE'VE GONE THROUGH OUR, COMPLETED THE FISCAL YEAR, WE'VE GONE THROUGH OUR AUDIT PROCESSES, AND MISS THORNTON IS HERE TO KIND OF WALK THROUGH ITEM BY ITEM FOR OUR CATEGORIES FOR ALIGNMENT AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
AND WE'LL TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION, OBVIOUSLY, WHERE WE'VE HAD TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET AND PREVIOUS YEAR'S BUDGETS, IF THERE'S ANY TRENDS TO REALIGN RESOURCES AS WE MOVE FORWARD. SO WITH THAT, I'LL PASS MISS THORNTON, TO KIND OF WALK THROUGH THE INFORMATION.
AND WE ARE BLESSED TO HAVE A WONDERFUL WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU AND FOR YOU ALLOWING US TO DO THIS AT THE END OF THE YEAR, AS OPPOSED TO HAVING TO COME OVER HERE MULTIPLE TIMES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, WE'RE VERY BLESSED AND THANKFUL.
[00:45:02]
LEFT HAND SIDE ON THE LEFT HAND COLUMN.THIS IS OUR CHART OF ACCOUNTS THAT WE ARE REQUIRED TO USE FOR REPORTING PURPOSES.
THE SECOND COLUMN THAT YOU SEE IS OUR APPROVED FY 2023 OPERATING BUDGET.
AND THE THIRD COLUMN IS THE REVISED BUDGETS AFTER THE TRANSFERS THAT ARE NEEDED.
AS YOU LOOK DOWN THE RIGHT HAND COLUMN AT THE CHANGES THAT ARE NEEDED, THE MOST DRASTIC CHANGE THAT YOU'LL SEE IS A CHANGE IN RESTRICTED REVENUE AND RESTRICTED PROGRAMS. AND THE REASON FOR THIS IS BECAUSE IN FY 2023, WE GOT SEVERAL FEDERAL COVID GRANTS, THE BIG ONES BEING OUR ESSER GRANTS, AS WELL AS OUR MARYLAND LEADS GRANTS.
BUT THESE GRANTS SPAN MULTIPLE YEARS.
SO THESE GRANTS ACTUALLY GO THROUGH SEPTEMBER OF 2024.
SO THEY DON'T END UNTIL OUR FY 25 BUDGET.
SO THAT'S WHY YOU'LL SEE A LARGE CHANGE.
WE HAD TO PURCHASE WI-FI ACCESS POINTS, CHROMEBOOKS, IPADS, ALL SORT OF TECHNOLOGY RELATED NEEDS FOR THE 1 TO 1 DEVICE PROGRAM THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY RUNNING.
THERE WAS ALSO A DEFICIT IN PUPIL TRANSPORTATION.
THIS IS DUE TO, BUS DRIVER SALARIES AS WELL AS INCREASED FUEL COSTS.
AS FAR AS OPERATION OF PLANT, THAT DEFICIT IS MAINLY DUE TO THE PRICE INCREASES ASSOCIATED WITH.
AS YOU KNOW, FY 2023, EVERY TIME WE TURNED AROUND, THEY KEPT INCREASING THE ELECTRIC RATES.
AS FAR AS MAINTENANCE OF PLANT, THERE WERE MAINTENANCE SERVICE CONTRACTS THAT WERE OVER BUDGET.
CAPITAL OUTLAY IS WHERE WE ACCOUNT FOR.
WE ALSO HAD THE GREENSBORO DUTY CENTER THAT CAME OUT OF THIS LINE ITEM.
AS YOU KNOW, WHEN THAT PROJECT ORIGINALLY STARTED, WE HAD NO IDEA THAT COVID WAS GOING TO COME INTO PLAY AND ALL THE INCREASED COSTS THAT WERE GOING TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE GREENSBORO DUTY CENTER.
AND THEN FINALLY, FOR CAPITAL OUTLAY, WE ALSO HAD TO PURCHASE SOME BLEACHERS FOR COLONEL HIGH.
AND THIS WAS A ONE TIME PURCHASE.
SO THEREFORE IT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE OPERATING BUDGET.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THE BOTTOM LINE.
WE HAD ALTHOUGH I JUST WENT OVER THE OVERAGES, WE ALSO HAD WE UNDER EXPENDED IN OTHER LINE ITEMS. SO AT THE END, OUR BOTTOM LINE, WE ENDED THE YEAR WITH A $3.25 MILLION SURPLUS.
WE'RE NOT TRYING TO JUST SPEND MONEY JUST TO SPEND IT.
SO WE WOULD PREFER TO END THE YEAR WITH MONEY ON THE BOOKS.
AND WHERE DOES THAT MONEY GO? THAT MONEY ROLLS INTO FUND BALANCE FOR US TO USE WHEN NEEDED.
WE ARE AS YOU KNOW, WE ARE CURRENTLY IN THE ROOFING BUSINESS.
AND WE ARE PLANNING AHEAD WITH THE ROOF.
BUT THIS FUND BALANCE, IF FOR SOME REASON SOMETHING CREPT UP ON US THAT WE WEREN'T ABLE TO PLAN AHEAD FOR, WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO COME OVER HERE BEGGING FOR MONEY, AND YOU HAVE TO HAVE TO LOOK FOR IT.
SO THAT'S WHY WE TRY TO KEEP OUR FUND BALANCE, AT A GOOD STABLE.
AND RIGHT NOW, OUR UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE IS CURRENTLY AT $9.5 MILLION, WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY 8.4% OF OUR CURRENT OPERATING BUDGET.
OUR TARGET RANGE FOR FUND BALANCE IS 1 TO 10%.
SO WE ARE APPROACHING THE HIGH, WHICH IS WHERE WE WANT TO BE.
WE DON'T WANT TO BE AT THE LOW END OR THE MIDDLE END.
WE PREFER TO BE AT THE HIGH END.
AND ESPECIALLY AT THIS POINT WHERE WE ARE ABLE TO OFFLOAD SOME OF OUR CURRENT OPERATING EXPENSES INTO OUR COVID GRANTS AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT MONEY, WHICH FREES UP MONEY IN OUR OPERATING BUDGET TO PUT US IN A GOOD FISCAL SITUATION GOING FORWARD.
[00:50:07]
WHEN THOSE COVID GRANTS DRY UP.AND WITH THAT, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH THE END OF MY PRESENTATION.
YOU GOT ANYTHING YEAH. NO, THIS IS, QUITE, QUITE, CONSERVATIVE AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, HOUSEKEEPING CONCERNS.
BUT I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
IT KEEPS COMING UP, AND I JUST WANT TO ADDRESS THEM.
YES. IS IS, SUPPORT SERVICES, SALARIES.
I KNOW WITH KERWIN, WITH THE BLUEPRINT.
WE FOCUS ON, YOU KNOW, EARLY DEVELOPMENT AND ALL THAT.
TO NOT TO WE ALL KNOW THAT THEY'RE IMPORTANT.
BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE THEY'RE TAKEN CARE OF.
SO, SO AND COMMISSIONER BARTZ, I CAN ADDRESS A LITTLE BIT OF THAT.
SO OUR SUPPORT SERVICES ASSOCIATION, THEY ARE A NEGOTIATED GROUP, EMPLOYEE GROUP.
THEIR CONTRACT WAS RATIFIED TO BE CLOSED FROM 2012 UNTIL NEXT YEAR.
OKAY. SO THAT HAS BEEN A CLOSED CONTRACT WITH A REQUIRED 1% IN STEP EVERY YEAR.
AND THEN IT'S 1% IN ADDITION TO WHATEVER THE TEACHERS GET.
THEIR CONTRACT COMES OPEN NEXT YEAR FOR US TO NEGOTIATE, TO LOOK AT REVISING THE PAY SCALE.
WE'RE AWARE OF THE INCONSISTENCIES, ESPECIALLY ON THE LOW END.
AROUND THE BLUEPRINT YOU'RE SPOT ON.
THE BLUEPRINT ADDRESSES TEACHERS ONLY AND LEAVES OUT TWO THIRDS OF OUR WORK GROUP.
YEAH. DOES NOT TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION ANY SUPPORT STAFF OR ADMINISTRATION.
ALL PAY RAISES, ALL REQUIRED INCREASES TO SALARIES ARE TO TEACHERS.
AND REALLY, IT'S A NARROWLY CARVED TEACHER.
REALLY, BY THE WAY THEY WROTE IT.
IT'S FOR THE MOST PART IT'S CLASSROOM BASED TEACHERS WITH KIDS ON THE WORKLOAD.
SO WE'RE HOPING THERE ARE SOME CHANGES WITH BLUEPRINT LAW.
SO I AGREE WITH YOU WHOLEHEARTEDLY.
SO WHEN WOULD THE NEGOTIATIONS START? LIKE, I KNOW IT ENDS ON 2025, BUT WHEN? WHEN WOULD YOU START? THEY START THE NEGOTIATIONS.
AS A ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM, THE BOARD IS READY TO BEGIN NEGOTIATIONS.
THE ASSOCIATION IS WORKING ON PREPARING AND GETTING THEMSELVES TOGETHER TO DO THAT.
OUR ASSOCIATION IS AWARE THAT WE'RE READY WHENEVER THEY ARE OKAY TO START THE PROCESS.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY ASKED ME HEY THERE.
THEY'RE READY TO TALK. YEAH. WE'RE WE'RE WE'RE READY.
WE'VE LET THE ASSOCIATION KNOW.
YEP. THAT WAS THE MAIN ONE I HAD.
I MEAN, AND YEAH, I KNOW YOU TOLD ME BEFORE, BUT YOU EXPLAINED IT EVEN BETTER THIS TIME.
SO, THAT'S BASICALLY ALL I HAVE.
IS THAT RIGHT THERE? THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.
I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS.
JUST HOLD ON. AND I'M LIKE, WELL, WE GOT TO DO A BUDGET.
AND THE BIGGEST PART OF THE BUDGET IS RIGHT HERE.
SO, AS SOON AS, AS SOON AS WE KNOW ANYTHING, WE'LL LET YOU KNOW YOU, YOU KNOW ANYTHING, LET US KNOW.
WE SURE WILL. YES, WE CERTAINLY WILL.
WE'RE STAYING IN TOUCH WITH YOUR STAFF.
[00:55:08]
FORMULA IN THE THE BLUEPRINT CALLS FOR ONLY A 1.7% INCREASE OVER LAST YEAR'S BUDGET, WHEN INFLATION IS CURRENTLY STILL RUNNING OVER THREE. AND THAT FACTORS IN NO INCREASES IN HEALTH INSURANCE, WHICH IS 5 TO 7.RIGHT NOW WE'RE HEARING, DOES NOT FACTOR IN ANY PAY INCREASES.
AFTER THIS YEAR, BUDGET INCREASES ROUGHLY FIVE A YEAR, 5% ROUGHLY ON AVERAGE.
BUT THIS YEAR, WE'RE SITTING IN A DIFFERENT POSITION IN OUR COUNTY THAN SOME OF OUR COLLEAGUES ARE AND OTHERS WHO ARE, DISTRICTS THAT TEND TO GET GREATER THAN MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT. BUT YOU'RE STARTING TO SEE A LOT OF THE LARGER SYSTEMS LOOKING AT SIGNIFICANT CUTS IN TEACHING POSITIONS, BECAUSE THAT 1.7% INCREASE IS IT'S A IT'S A IT'S A REGRESSIVE BUDGET, NO MATTER HOW YOU CUT IT, WHEN IT'S ONLY THAT MUCH OF AN INCREASE, WHEN COST OF LIVING IS DEFINITELY A LOT HIGHER, IS EVERY IS EVERY JURISDICTION ONLY SEEING THAT INCREASE OR WHEN THE STATE FORMULA.
YES. FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, COMMISSIONER BREEDING, IF THERE'S EVER GOING TO BE ANY INCREASE BEYOND THAT, IT WILL BE AT THE LOCAL LEVEL WITH THE COMMISSIONERS GOING ABOVE MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT IN THOSE INDIVIDUAL JURISDICTIONS.
RIGHT. AND I UNDERSTAND OUR SITUATION VERY WELL.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE OTHERS HOW MUCH OF AN INCREASE DID YOU GET LAST YEAR? HOW MUCH BIGGER IS THIS CURRENT BUDGET THAN LAST YEAR? IT WAS LIKE 4. SOMETHING.
AND THAT WAS WITHIN. AND THAT WAS IN AN INFLATIONARY PERIOD OF YEAH, YEAH.
ONE OF THE CHALLENGES AND NOT TO GET OFF ON THE TANGENT.
SO I APOLOGIZE SO WHEN THEY FINALLY GOT IMPLEMENTED, WE WERE IN THE MIDST OF COVID AND INFLATION WAS ALREADY RUNNING 8 OR 9 OR WHATEVER.
SO YOU'RE ALREADY POTENTIALLY BEHIND.
YEAH, BUT THE COVID THE COVID FUNDING HAS BEEN THE THAT'S THE LIFESAVER.
AND AGAIN WE'LL WEATHER IT FOR OUR STAFF.
WE'LL FIGURE IT OUT. AND I TRULY I REALLY, TRULY BELIEVE WE WILL.
IT'S JUST GOING TO BE A REALLY TOUGH YEAR TO GET THROUGH.
DO WE KNOW IF WE WENT OVER MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT, WOULD THAT 5% INCREASE IN THE OUTLYING YEARS? WOULD THAT BE ON THE HIGHER AMOUNT THAT WE.
YEAH. IT WOULD THAT WITH THE NEW WAY WITH LOCAL EFFORT OR LOCAL SHARE.
I HONESTLY HAVEN'T DUG DEEP INTO THAT PIECE TO KNOW IF THEY CHANGED IT.
I THINK US USING OUR LOCAL ATTORNEYS TO LOOK AT IT TO GET A BEST INTERPRETATION PROBABLY WOULD HELP.
I KNOW I HAVE AN INQUIRY OUT TO MAKO NOW AS WELL TO SEE IF THEY HAVE THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS.
YEAH. THANK YOU. WE HAVE A, WE HAVE A LEGISLATIVE PHONE CALL TOMORROW MORNING.
SO IF YOU CAN GET ME THAT QUESTION.
OKAY. IN A, AS I ALWAYS SAY, A GREENSBORO FORUM, SO I UNDERSTAND IT.
YEP. I WILL IF THEY LET ME I WILL BRING THAT QUESTION UP AND SEE WHERE WE CAN GO TO GET AN ANSWER.
AND I WOULD CERTAINLY IMAGINE WE ARE NOT THE ONLY COUNTY, GOING THROUGH THIS SITUATION RIGHT NOW.
SO, IF WE'RE NOT THE FIRST TO ASK IT, I'M SURE SOMEBODY HAS ALREADY COME TO THE TABLE.
I'VE BEEN LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE PUT ON THE TAX SUBCOMMITTEE, SO, THAT'S AT 9:30.
SO IF YOU CAN GET THAT TO ME SOMETIME TODAY.
YEAH. AND MY CONCERN WITH THAT IS IF WE GO OVER AND WE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE AT 1.7% INCREASE IS GOING TO BE DIFFICULT COMING OUT OF A FOUR, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, YOU'VE BEEN SCRAPING ANYWAY.
[01:00:04]
ONES STRUGGLING AND SCRAPING TO GET BY.THAT IS THE PROBLEM, RIGHT? WITH THE WAY THE STATE, LAWS, YOU KNOW, IMPACT US IS WE DON'T HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY TO, TO HELP OUT AND DO DO THE RIGHT THING BECAUSE THAT PENDULUM SWINGS BACK THE OTHER WAY, LIKE I SAID, AND IT PUTS US IN A HOLE WHERE THE.
AND WE'VE BEEN IN THAT SITUATION BEFORE.
RIGHT? YOU TALK ABOUT A TIME WHEN YOU WERE EARLY.
AND THE BOARD OF ED GAVE MONEY, AND THAT WAS WHERE THAT WAS WHERE THIS RELATIONSHIP THAT WE TALK ABOUT WAS REALLY, YOU KNOW, WAS REALLY FORGED BECAUSE, I CAN'T RECALL.
I SHOULD BE ABLE TO, BUT I CAN'T RECALL EXACTLY WHAT FISCAL YEAR IT WAS.
BUT, THE BOARD OF EDUCATION RETURNED MONEY AND ALLOWED US TO PUT THAT BACK INTO THE GENERAL BUDGET, WHICH ALLOWED US TO AVOID FURLOUGHS AND LAYOFFS AND PAY BILLS.
SO THAT'S WHERE THAT RELATIONSHIP WAS, WAS, YOU KNOW, REALLY GOT THERE.
SO, I CONTINUE TO TALK TO PEOPLE IN OTHER COUNTIES WHO JUST SAY THEY WON'T EVEN SIT IN THE SAME ROOM WITH THEIR BOARD OF EDUCATION PEOPLE. SO IT'S IT'S NOT THE WAY YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO IT.
SO, BUT I'LL TRY TO FIND THE ANSWER OUT, OKAY.
I JUST HAVE A FEELING IT'S GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T KNOW.
AND THAT'S THE PROBLEM WITH A LOT OF THIS IS THAT THIS, THIS BLUEPRINT GOT PUT IN PLACE, BUT IT ISN'T WORKING AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED.
TRY TO GET THAT ANSWER. WELL, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THIS IS A 1.7% INCREASE THIS YEAR TRYING TO GET TEACHER SALARIES UP TO $60,000 STARTING, CORRECT? YES. AND DEAL WITH ALL THE SUPPORT SERVICES THAT COMMISSIONER BARTZ IS RIGHTFULLY BRINGING UP.
I MEAN, SO A LOT OF THOSE PEOPLE ARE BELOW THE MINIMUM THE NEW MINIMUM WAGE THAT'LL GO IN EFFECT, RIGHT? I MEAN, DO WE STILL WE'RE GOOD.
YOU'RE GOOD THERE AT THE NEW MINIMUM WAGE.
OKAY. BUT THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE JUST MAKING THAT.
BUT MINIMUM IS NOT LIVING RIGHT.
RIGHT. YEAH. AND THESE ARE THESE ARE CUSTODIANS, CAFETERIA WORKERS, INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANTS AT MINIMUM WAGE OR OR ABOVE A LITTLE BIT ABOVE, BUT NOT.
RIGHT. YEAH. AND WHEN YOU HAVE AND THE AND THE LEGAL REQUIREMENT IS TO GET TEACHER SALARIES UP TO $60,000, THERE IS NO LEGAL REQUIREMENT TO, TO BUMP UP THE SUPPORT STAFF WAGES.
SO AND WE'RE GOING TO STRUGGLE.
THAT'S GOING TO EAT UP MOST OF YOUR BUDGET INCREASE.
UNLESS WE CAN, THROUGH NEGOTIATIONS, WORK A MORE AFFORDABLE SOLUTION.
RIGHT. AND THAT SUPPORT STAFF PROVIDES SERVICES THAT ARE JUST AS IMPORTANT.
ABSOLUTELY. AND YOU KNOW, I CAN RECALL WHEN COMPTROLLER FRANCO WAS COMING HERE AND GIVING SILVER HAMMER AWARDS TO THE SCHOOLS FOR BEING SO WELL MAINTAINED, SO, SO CLEAN.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE WE'RE RELYING ON THESE GUYS, ON THESE PEOPLE TO KEEP THE SCHOOLS CLEAN.
AND SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE VERY IMPORTANT.
SO. ABSOLUTELY. AARON, WHAT IS WHAT IS THE REASON FOR THE UNDERSPEND ON INSTRUCTIONAL SALARIES? IS THAT SHORTAGE IN STAFF CURRENTLY OR.
BUT MAYBE WE'LL WHEN WE HIRE SOMEBODY, WE'RE HIRING THEM AT A LOWER LEVEL.
AND WE DON'T NECESSARILY REMOVE THAT MONEY FROM OUR BUDGET BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO BE STRAPPED.
RIGHT. THAT THAT WOULD BE A FULLY STAFFED, FULLY.
BECAUSE IN SOME CASES YOU HAVE PEOPLE WHO AREN'T HOLDING A CERTIFICATION YET TEACHING OR SOMETHING.
RIGHT? OKAY. WHAT'S ENROLLMENT LOOKING LIKE? WE ARE SEPTEMBER 30TH WE WERE A LITTLE BIT BELOW OUR PROJECTION BY NOW WE ARE ABOVE OUR PROJECTION.
WHEN THEY TOOK THE SNAPSHOT SEPTEMBER 30TH, WE IN ESSENCE WERE FLAT, BY LAST WEEK WHEN I RAN IT.
WE'RE UP ABOUT 60 KIDS FROM WHERE WE WERE IN SEPTEMBER, AND THAT'S PRETTY MUCH AT EVERY SCHOOL.
YEAH. YEAH, WELL, WE DON'T GET FUNDED FOR THAT.
[01:05:05]
YES. SO THE AVERAGE PREVIOUS THREE YEARS.YOU DON'T SEE AS MUCH FLUCTUATION IF YOU HAVE ONE BIG OR ONE LESS.
HOWEVER IT MAKES IT HARDER TO.
TO COVER THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WELL, GOOD JOB STRETCHING THE DOLLAR AS FAR AS YOU CAN.
IT LOOKS LIKE THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE DOING TO HAVE A SURPLUS LIKE THAT AND AFTER THAT INCREASE.
AND I WANT TO CREDIT OUR BOARD.
OUR BOARD HAS HAD A PRIORITY REBUILD FUND BALANCE.
SO IT'S BEEN A PRIORITY OF THE FIVE MEMBERS TO HELP GET THERE AS WELL.
SO I APPRECIATE THEIR SUPPORT.
AND HAVING THAT CONSERVATIVE LENS ON ON FINANCES.
WELL, WE'LL MISS EATING DINNER WITH YOU TONIGHT.
OH, YEAH, I MOVE, WE APPROVE THE, REVISED, REVISED OPERATING BUDGET.
SECOND. OKAY, MOTION AND SECOND.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
ALL RIGHT, I'M GOING TO TAKE A FIVE MINUTE RECESS HERE.
[01:14:12]
OKAY. WELCOME BACK EVERYBODY.I'LL GO AHEAD AND CALL THE MEETING.
[6.Overview of Caroline “Better Together” Collective Impact Initiative]
OF CAROLINE COUNTY, BETTER TOGETHER COLLECTIVE IMPACT INITIATIVE.I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE.
AND I WANT TO FIRST JUST BRING ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT I AM A FACILITATOR FOR COLLECTIVE IMPACT.
AND IT'S REALLY ABOUT THE OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THIS ROOM AND PEOPLE FROM ACROSS CAROLINE COUNTY WHO SINCE 2021, HAVE BEEN WORKING ON GATHERING TOGETHER TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN COLLECTIVELY WORK TOGETHER TO ADDRESS HOUSEHOLD STABILITY IN CAROLINE COUNTY.
[01:15:09]
AND HONESTLY, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND A HALF, TWO YEARS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS, WE'VE THOUGHT OFTEN ABOUT WHEN THE RIGHT TIME TO COME AND MAKE THIS PRESENTATION TO THE COMMISSIONERS WAS, AND WE REALLY FELT LIKE WE NEEDED TO HAVE OUR DUCKS IN A ROW AND REALLY HAVE GONE THROUGH THE WORK BEFORE WE BROUGHT IT TO YOUR ATTENTION. AND I'M GLAD THAT WE DID THAT, BECAUSE THE CONVERSATION, BEING ABLE TO HEAR THE AGENDA ITEMS THAT WE HEARD, THAT I LISTENED TO YOU GO THROUGH THIS MORNING REALLY POINTS OUT THE IMPORTANCE OF COLLECTIVE IMPACT.WE HAVE TO DEPEND UPON EACH OTHER, AND WE'RE ALWAYS BETTER TOGETHER.
WHEN WE CAN COME TO THE TABLES TOGETHER AND COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS.
DR. SIMMONS GOES BACK EVEN FURTHER THAN THAT.
DR. SIMMONS AND I HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT COLLECTIVE IMPACT SINCE HE WAS AN ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL AT COLONEL RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL, AND I WAS THE SUPERVISOR FOR THE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS IN CAROLINE COUNTY.
ROBIN CAHALL AS THE HEALTH OFFICER, SHE WAS PRETTY NEW AND WAS DEALING WITH COVID, BUT SHE MADE TIME AND SAT AT THAT TABLE AND REALLY HELPED US TO FOCUS IN ON THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH AND WHERE WE NEED TO BE AS A COMMUNITY COLLECTIVELY TO LOOK AT HOW DO WE IMPROVE HEALTH AND OVERALL WELL-BEING FOR OUR FAMILIES. DAVE HARPER IS IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM, VICE PRESIDENT FROM CHESAPEAKE COLLEGE.
WE RECOGNIZE THAT ECONOMIC MOBILITY AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IS REALLY IMPORTANT, AND HE'S LEADING THAT COMPONENT OF THIS WORK AND HAS BEEN AT THE TABLE THROUGHOUT THAT. OF COURSE, HEATHER HARDING AND THE JUDY CENTER HAS BEEN [INAUDIBLE] AND HAVE BEEN REALLY INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING US TO IDENTIFY SOME OF THE ISSUES IN EARLY LEARNING AND CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT, BUT PARTICULARLY LOOKING AT THE CHILD CARE ISSUES THAT WE'RE FACING IN THE COUNTY, THAT I KNOW THAT SHE'S TALKED WITH SOME OF YOU ABOUT.
COMMISSIONER PORTER HAS BEEN ATTENDING THOSE MEETINGS.
SHE HAS ALSO BEEN INVOLVED WITH COLLECTIVE IMPACT.
SHE SERVES ON OUR FOOD STABILITY WORK GROUP, AND THROUGH GREENSBORO CONNECTS, OF COURSE, THEY'RE PROVIDING PANTRY SERVICES WITH ERRANDS. [INAUDIBLE] BUT SHE'S AN INDIVIDUAL THAT I THINK REPRESENTS WHAT COLLECTIVE IMPACT CAN BE WHEN WE BRING EVERYBODY TOGETHER.
BRANDON AND AMANDA, I PERSONALLY AT SHORE STRATEGIES WILL BE MAKING A CONTRIBUTION TO THAT EFFORT, BECAUSE I THINK THAT IS AN EXAMPLE TO ME OF WHAT COLLECTIVE IMPACT LOOKS LIKE.
SO IF WE CAN JUST JUMP THROUGH, WE'RE GOING TO I'M GOING TO GO FAST BECAUSE I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS HAVE SPENT A LOT OF TIME WITH NUMBERS, AND I'M GOING TO JUMP OVER A LOT OF THESE NUMBERS. YOU HAVE THEM IN YOUR PACKETS.
SO IF WE CAN GO TO SLIDE NINE, AND REALLY DIG INTO WHAT COLLECTIVE IMPACT IS, SO CAN YOU GO BACK ONE. OH, NOPE NOPE NOPE.
KEEP GOING BACK. KEEP GOING BACK.
THERE WE GO. OKAY, SO COLLECTIVE IMPACT.
AND IT IS A NATIONAL INTERNATIONAL MODEL OF OF HOW WE CAN ALL WORK TOGETHER.
ONE IS TO HAVE A COMMON AGENDA.
SO LOOKING AT THE SAME DATA ACROSS ALL OF OUR DIFFERENT AGENCIES AND ORGANIZATIONS.
MUTUALLY REINFORCING ACTIVITIES.
SO AGAIN, RECREATION AND PARKS HAS BASKETBALL PROGRAMS. BUT GREENSBORO KNOWS THAT WE NEED MORE BASKETBALL PROGRAMING.
[01:20:03]
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH MEETING THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH NEEDS OF CHILDREN SO THAT THEY ARE SUCCESSFUL IN SCHOOL.THOSE ARE MUTUALLY REINFORCING ACTIVITIES.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE ALSO REALLY FOCUSING ON IS ARE WE MUTUALLY REINFORCING EACH OTHER, WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE COMMUNITY AND NOT DUPLICATING WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE, IN THE, IN THE COMMUNITY AND IN THE COUNTY? ARE WE GETTING THE BIGGEST BANG FOR WHATEVER BUCK IT IS THAT WE HAVE? AND WE KNOW THAT THOSE BUCKS CAN BE LIMITED.
THIS IS THE HARDEST PIECE OF THIS, I BELIEVE, IS MAKING SURE THAT EVERYBODY HAS ALL THE INFORMATION, BOTH FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THOSE THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING WITH COLLECTIVE IMPACT.
SO WE'RE ALL COMING TO THE SAME TABLE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS.
BUT ALSO I WANT TO TURN TO THE PEOPLE TO MY RIGHT, WHO ARE REPRESENTATIVES OF A PROGRAM CALLED GETTING AHEAD, STAYING AHEAD AND OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
CRYSTAL ACTUALLY IS ONE OF THE SUPPORT SERVICES STAFF.
SHE IS A BUS AIDE AND IS HERE TODAY BECAUSE THERE'S NO SCHOOL.
BUT THEY REPRESENT COMMITMENT FROM THE COMMUNITY, SLADE IS THAT RECOVERY HOUSE IN GREENSBORO.
COMMITMENT FROM THE COMMUNITY TO WANT TO BE INVOLVED IN MAKING THESE CHANGES AND HELPING TO COMMUNICATE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT IT IS THAT THEY'RE EXPERIENCE EVERY EXPERIENCING, EVERY DAY, STRETCHING THEIR PERSONAL DOLLARS TO MAKE ENDS MEET.
YOU HEARD YOU KNOW, WE LISTENED TO DR.
SIMMONS AND AARON AND YOU ALL TALK ABOUT WHAT INFLATION LOOKS LIKE.
WELL, IF INFLATION IS IMPACTING OUR ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THAT AND OUR AGENCIES LIKE THAT, WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT HOW THAT INFLATION IS ALSO IMPACTING OUR HOUSEHOLDS AND OUR FAMILIES. IN THE PACKETS THAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU, THERE'S A PAGE, THERE'S THERE'S A THERE'S A PAGE FOR EACH ONE OF THESE DIFFERENT AREAS.
IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, WE'RE FOCUSED IN ON REALLY FIVE DIFFERENT AREAS.
AND YOU HAVE A PAGE FOR EACH ONE OF THESE FAMILY AND WORKFORCE RESOURCES, ECONOMIC MOBILITY AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, QUALITY OF LIFE AND WELL-BEING, AS WE'VE MENTIONED, EARLY LEARNING.
AND OF COURSE, LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION.
EACH ONE OF THOSE AREAS HAS AN ACTION TEAM OF ANYWHERE FROM 5 TO 7 PEOPLE TO 30 PEOPLE ON THE FAMILY RESOURCES ACTION TEAM, AND THEY'RE ALL COMING TO COMMON AREAS WHERE THEY WHERE WE ARE IDENTIFYING THAT THERE ARE NEEDS FOR PEOPLE.
SO IF WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, ACTUALLY POP UP TO THE NEXT ONE IF YOU CAN, AND THE NEXT ONE.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANTED TO POINT OUT IS THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT KEEP COMING UP OVER AND OVER AGAIN, AND I KNOW YOU ALL ARE ALREADY WE ALL KNOW THAT YOU'RE ALREADY WRESTLING WITH THIS TRANSPORTATION AND THE NEED FOR TRANSPORTATION, FOR PEOPLE TO GET TO WORK, FOR PEOPLE TO GET TO DOCTORS APPOINTMENTS, FOR PEOPLE TO GET KIDS WHO MISS SCHOOL, MISS THE BUS TO SCHOOL.
WE HAVE NAVIGATION, WE HAVE RESOURCES IN CAROLINE COUNTY, SOME REALLY GREAT RESOURCES.
THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, CHOPTANK COMMUNITY HEALTH SYSTEM, INCREDIBLE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS, MENTORING PROGRAMS. BUT PEOPLE DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW IN THE COMMUNITY THAT THEY EXIST.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S GROWN OUT OF THIS COLLECTIVE IMPACT WORK ALMOST IMMEDIATELY WAS THAT SHERRI BLADES AND THE LEADERSHIP TEAM AND MYSELF WERE ABLE TO APPLY FOR SOME PRIVATE FUNDING THROUGH AN ORGANIZATION CALLED APHSA.
NO KID HUNGRY AND NO KID HUNGRY.
BUT WE WROTE A GRANT TO SUPPORT A BETTER RESOURCE NAVIGATION AND AND WORKING TOWARD CREATING BETTER OPPORTUNITIES AROUND THAT, IN PARTICULAR, MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE ELIGIBLE FOR PUBLIC BENEFITS THROUGH THE STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ARE ACCESSING THOSE PUBLIC BENEFITS THAT THEY'RE ELIGIBLE FOR, AND THEY'RE GETTING CONNECTED TO THEM.
AND THEN GROWING OUT FROM THAT TO THOSE OTHER RESOURCES YOU MENTIONED NONPROFITS BEFORE.
SO MAKING SURE THAT IF THEY'RE IF THEY'RE STRUGGLING WITH HOUSING STABILITY, THAT THEY'RE CONNECTING WITH THE ORGANIZATIONS IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT CAN SUPPORT HOUSING STABILITY AND THAT HAS RESULTED IN OR WILL.
WE'VE ALSO HAD OPPORTUNITIES FOR SMALLER GRANTS.
THE GETTING AHEAD, STAYING AHEAD PROGRAM THAT I MENTIONED.
[01:25:08]
PLOT THEIR FUTURE AND HOW THEY CAN BECOME MORE STABLE FROM WHEREVER THEY ARE RIGHT NOW.SO EACH ONE OF THESE AREAS IS IS SO DENSE THAT I CAN'T GIVE YOU IN 15 MINUTES.
AND I KNOW I ONLY HAVE 10, BUT I'M PROBABLY GOING TO TAKE 15.
I CAN'T GIVE YOU THE DEPTH OF OF THE WORK, BUT I WOULD BE HAPPY TO SET UP MEETINGS WITH ANY OF THE LEADERSHIP TEAM, WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH IT, WITH MYSELF TO GO INTO MORE DETAIL ON WHAT WE BELIEVE WE CAN HELP TO DO IN CAROLINE COUNTY THROUGH COLLECTIVE IMPACT.
AND WE'VE BEEN HOLDING THESE COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS SINCE MARCH OF 2022.
SO I WOULD INVITE YOU ALL, OUR NEXT ONE IS REALLY GOING TO FOCUS IN ON QUALITY OF LIFE AND WELL-BEING, AND IT'S GOING TO BE HELD AT THE FREDERICK COMMUNITY CENTER ON THE 31ST AT 6 P.M..
I'D INVITE YOU ALL TO COME OUT FOR THAT ONE, BUT I'D ALSO INVITE YOU THAT IF THERE IS ONE OF THESE ACTION TEAMS THAT SPURS YOU IN PARTICULAR TO GET INVOLVED, WE WOULD WELCOME HAVING YOUR EXPERTISE AND AND YOUR LEADERSHIP AT THE TABLE WITH US.
AND I THINK THAT I'LL JUST CLOSE BY MENTIONING THAT ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES THAT THAT WE KNOW WE'RE FACING IN CARE IN CAROLINE COUNTY, LIKE ON THE SHORE, THE STATE AND THE NATION IS HOUSING.
IT COMES UP IN EVERY ONE OF OUR ACTION TEAMS, THE THE COST OF RENTAL PROPERTIES EXCEEDING THE CAPACITY OF PEOPLE WHO ARE SUPPORT SCHOOLS, SCHOOL SUPPORT WORKERS, OR PEOPLE THAT ARE WORKING TWO JOBS BETWEEN WALMART AND WALGREENS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
THEY CAN'T MAKE THESE THEY CAN'T MAKE THESE RENTS.
THIS ISN'T ANYTHING THAT ANY ONE OF OUR ORGANIZATIONS IS EQUIPPED TO DO ON OUR OWN.
WE DON'T HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE, WE DON'T HAVE THE EXPERIENCE, AND WE DON'T HAVE A HOUSING AUTHORITY TO TURN TO, TO SAY, HOW DO WE FIX THESE PROBLEMS? SO THE FAMILY RESOURCE ACTION TEAM HAS A HOUSING STABILITY GROUP THAT'S BEEN MEETING, AND WE'VE IDENTIFIED WHAT THE ISSUES ARE, BUT WE ARE NOT IDENTIFYING THE SOLUTIONS.
AND WE ARE GOING TO KEEP WORKING TO IDENTIFY THOSE SOLUTIONS.
WHEN WE LOOK OUT THE WHEN WE LOOK OUT ON THE ROAD AND WE KNOW THAT THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO SADLY ARE, FOR WHATEVER REASON, ARE HOMELESS TODAY THAT ARE OUT AND SLADE HAS BEEN IDENTIFYING PEOPLE WHO ARE STAYING IN THE WOODS AT AS SOMETHING THAT'S HAPPENING HERE.
WE HAVE MORE PEOPLE THAT NEED HOUSING THAN WE HAVE HOUSING THAT THEY CAN AFFORD.
WHAT I SAW LAST NIGHT, I MEAN, I I'M GOING TO SPEAK BLUNTLY HERE.
THE STATE IS THE ONE CAUSING THE ISSUE WITH REGULATIONS.
THEY DRIVE THE COST OF CONSTRUCTION UP WITH STORM WATER MANAGEMENT.
WITH ENERGY EFFICIENCY, WITH SPRINKLERS, SAFETY, YOU NAME IT.
I MEAN, I'LL GIVE YOU EXAMPLES OF THE LEGISLATION.
ONE IS TO MOVE THE REVIEW PROCESS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING UP IN YOUR LOCAL REVIEW PROCESS.
THAT'S WHAT THEY THINK THE SOLUTION IS.
IT'S NOT ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH.
IT'S NOT LESSENING THE REGULATIONS ON SEPTIC SYSTEMS SO THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY BUILD A HOUSE SOMEWHERE OR DO AWAY WITH THE EXPENSE OF A SPRINKLER SYSTEM, OR CUT BACK THE AMOUNT OF INSULATION SO THE PROPERTY IS ACTUALLY AFFORDABLE TO BUILD.
[01:30:04]
IT'S IT IS A STATE AND FEDERAL ISSUE AND THEY ARE THE ONES THAT NEED TO ADDRESS IT.AND THE PROBLEM IS THEY'RE NOT.
AND THAT'S WHY THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHY WE'RE BEATING OUR HEADS AGAINST THE WALL HERE.
BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT, YOU KNOW, IN MY PRIOR LIFE, MY BUSINESS WAS DEVELOPING AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND MY QUESTION FOR HIM IS GOING TO BE, ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE FOUND TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR ELDERLY, WHICH WE BUILT A NUMBER OF, OF COMPLEXES, WAS THE LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT PROGRAM, THE LOW INCOME, THE LOW INCOME INCOME HOUSING TAX PROGRAM. THE LAST YEAR THAT WE BUILT A PROJECT, YOU ACTUALLY THERE'S A THERE'S A QUALIFIED APPLICATION PROCESS WHERE YOU GET POINTS AND YOU'RE COMPETING ALL OVER THE STATE OF MARYLAND FOR THESE CREDITS, WHICH ARE VERY LUCRATIVE AND VERY HARD TO GET.
THERE ARE BUSINESSES THAT FORMED TO SIMPLY APPLY AND COMPETE FOR THE CREDITS.
IF YOU WERE GOING TO BUILD A A PROJECT USING THE TAX CREDIT PROGRAM IN A RURAL COUNTY FOR ELDERLY HOUSING, YOU GOT POINTS DEDUCTED.
YOU WERE PENALIZED FOR FOR SUBMITTING THAT APPLICATION.
WE HAD A PROJECT WHERE WE WANTED TO DO A RENOVATION.
THE APPLICATION, THERE WERE FOUR PROPERTIES, PROJECTS THAT WERE FUNDED.
DO YOU SO SO I'M GOING TO ASK THE QUESTION OF HIM IF THAT POLICY IS STILL IN PLACE, BECAUSE IF IT IS, I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANYTHING ELSE FROM THEM ABOUT WHY AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS NOT BEING BUILT, BECAUSE IF WE'RE GOING TO BE PENALIZED FOR BEING A RURAL COUNTY, THEN I WON'T USE TELL YOU WHAT I THINK. BUT I MEAN [INAUDIBLE] THAT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE TO ME.
AND I CAN TELL YOU FROM, FROM, FROM EXPERIENCE THAT HAPPENS.
SO ALL OF THESE WONDERFUL PROGRAMS THAT GET INVOLVED, THAT GET INTRODUCED WITH ALL THESE ACRONYMS THAT NOBODY EVER UNDERSTANDS, AREN'T ACCOMPLISHING ONE THING IF THEY START PUTTING YOU AT A DISADVANTAGE.
I HAVE A I WROTE ON A PIECE OF PAPER AND I HAVE ABOVE MY COMPUTER RIGHT NOW A THING THAT JUST A STATEMENT, THAT PLACE IS AN EQUITY ISSUE, THAT WE HAVE AN EQUITY ISSUE BECAUSE WE ARE IN A RURAL COMMUNITY.
AND I THINK THAT THAT ABSOLUTELY SPEAKS TO IT.
AND IT WOULD BE MY HOPE THAT SECRETARY DAY, WHEN YOU ASK HIM THAT QUESTION, THAT HE ADDRESSES IT AND SAYS NO, BECAUSE THERE IS ALSO A PUSH ON THE AT THE STATE LEVEL AND FEDERAL LEVEL THAT THERE IS MORE OF AN ATTENTION GIVEN TO RURAL.
BUT I AGREE, I'M I PERSONALLY HAVE NOT SEEN THAT HAPPEN.
BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT WHEN I, WHEN I TRAVELED TO THAT MEETING, THAT'S WHAT I WAS TOLD AND WHAT I WAS SHOWN, AND THE CONCENTRATION WAS GOING TO BE AFFORDABLE HOUSING BUILT IN URBAN AREAS, CITIES, WE WEREN'T BIG ENOUGH.
I MEAN, I CAN TELL YOU THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS.
I OFTEN TELL PEOPLE, IF YOU GO PUT YOUR NAME ON A WAITING LIST FOR AN APARTMENT, IF YOU'RE IF IF I GO IN AT NOON AND YOU GO IN AT ONE, THAT COULD BE A THAT COULD BE A PERIOD OF YEARS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO WAIT BECAUSE THEY DON'T TURN OVER AND YOU HAVE TO GO BY THE WAITING LIST.
AND, COMMISSIONER BREEDING, I DO RECOGNIZE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HAVE, AS I'VE GROWN IN MY OWN KNOWLEDGE OF THIS, JUST BECAUSE OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING WITH COLLECTIVE IMPACT, I RECOGNIZE THAT IT IS THE TYPE OF ENVIRONMENT WE NEED ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION, BUT IT IS THOSE TYPES OF THINGS THAT ACTUALLY ARE HAVING AN IMMEDIATE, DIRECT IMPACT ON THE WELL-BEING OF SOME OF THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE MAY NEED TO LOOK ENVIRONMENTALLY LONG TERM, BUT IMMEDIATELY WE HAVE NEEDS THAT NEED TO BE FILLED.
[01:35:01]
WE HAVE A CRISIS.THE LAST PROPERTY THAT WE DID, WE COULD DO HALF THE UNITS THAT WE STARTED WITH IN THE BEGINNING.
IN OTHER WORDS, WE COULD DO 40 UNITS.
AND THAT WAS BECAUSE OF INCREASED BUILDING COSTS.
THAT WAS BECAUSE OF OF IMPACT FEES.
SO THE IMPACT FEES GOT PUT IN.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S IT'S THERE ARE A LOT OF FACTORS TO IT.
[INAUDIBLE] DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA RIGHT NOW HOW MANY SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN WE HAVE HOMELESS IN THE COUNTY? WELL, HOMELESSNESS IS AN INTERESTING THING TO DEFINE, AND IT'S DEFINED DIFFERENTLY FOR STUDENTS THAN IT IS FOR ADULTS OR PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING ROUGH.
I WOULD CALL SO YOU HAVE MCKINNEY-VENTO KIDS, WHICH IS RUNNING ABOUT 80 KIDS, WHICH MEANS THEY COULD BE THEY COULD BE TRADITIONALLY HOMELESS, WHICH MEANS THEY'RE SLEEPING ON THE STREET OR THEY'RE IN A SHELTER.
BUT IT ALSO MEANS AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.
IT ALSO MEANS THEY CAN BE COUCH SURFING.
THEY CAN BE STAYING WITH FAMILIES, THINGS LIKE THAT.
HOW MANY OF THOSE DO YOU THINK WE HAVE? 80. ABOUT 80.
YOU'RE ACTUALLY DOWN A LITTLE BIT NOW FROM WHERE WE WERE A YEAR AGO.
I MEAN, THAT'S HOMELESS TO ME.
I MEAN, IF YOU'RE BOUNCING AROUND FROM FRIENDS COUCHES TO COUCHES, THAT'S HOMELESS.
BECAUSE WE RECOGNIZE THAT IF KIDS AREN'T STABLE IN THEIR HOMES, THEN THEY CAN'T BE SUCCESSFUL IN SCHOOL, WHICH MEANS THAT WHATEVER ISSUES THEY'RE HAVING RIGHT NOW IN THEIR HOMES ARE MORE LIKELY TO CONTINUE GENERATIONALLY.
HOW MANY YEARS IS THIS GOOD FOR? TWO YEARS.
WELL, TWO YEARS WITH AN EXTENSION.
I PARDON ME, BUT I'VE DONE THE RESEARCH ON.
THIS FROM ONE UNDERSTANDING $600,000 OF THIS IS GOING TO SALARIES VERSUS OUT OF THE $750,000.
IT'S GOING TO SALARIES WITH DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS.
BUT DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES IS THE LEAD AGENCY ON IT.
YES. SO THAT'S THE ONLY ISSUE I HAVE HERE.
IT'S TOTALLY UP TO YOU HOW YOU HOW YOU DO IT BECAUSE CAROLINE COUNTY DOESN'T I MEAN, AS FAR AS US, YOU'RE HANDLING IT, BUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU TAKE $750,000 AND THE MAJORITY OF IT GOES TO SALARIES, IT JUST IT JUST PUZZLES ME A LITTLE BIT INSTEAD OF GOING OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY.
YEAH. SO SO WHAT I'M ASKING IS FOR THE SALARIES FOR THE PEOPLE, FOR THE SALARIES.
SURE. SO THERE IS ABOUT A THIRD OF IT IS GOING TO CHESAPEAKE MULTICULTURAL RESOURCE CENTER.
AND IT'S SPECIFICALLY TO WORK WITH INDIVIDUALS, INDIVIDUALS IN THE FEDERALSBURG AREA WHO ARE UNSTABLE AND MANY OF WHO ARE ARRIVED FROM HAITI.
SO THEY ARE LEGALLY IN THE COUNTRY.
AND THEY'RE ALSO IN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM AND, YOU KNOW, GROWING THAT'S A GROWING POPULATION.
SO ABOUT OVER THE COURSE OF THE TWO YEARS, ABOUT $300,000 OF IT WILL GO TO SUPPORT THAT PROGRAM.
AND THEIR THEIR POSITIONS ARE REALLY TO ASSIST INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE IN AN UNSTABLE SITUATION WITH CONNECTING WITH THOSE RESOURCES THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT CAN BE HARD TO CONNECT WITH.
THEY KNOW WHAT THE RESOURCES ARE.
[01:40:01]
SUPPORT TO ACTUALLY ENGAGE WITH THAT ORGANIZATION OR AGENCY.AND ONE OF THE REALLY EXPLICIT PIECES OF IT IS, IS THAT THE INDIVIDUALS IN THOSE POSITIONS NEED TO BE ALSO NAVIGATING OFF OF PUBLIC BENEFITS THEMSELVES SO THAT THEY HAVE WHAT IS NATIONALLY BEING CALLED PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE OR PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERTISE.
SO THEY'VE GONE THROUGH THE MD, THINK SNAP PORTAL AND AND WORKED WITH THAT PORTAL.
WE HAVE NOT FILLED THE SECOND POSITION YET.
YOU KNOW, EVEN IN EVEN OUR ENGLISH SPEAKING POPULATIONS, SOMETIMES THEIR LITERACY LEVELS, THEIR TECHNOLOGY, THEIR BOTH THEIR EXPERTISE ON TECHNOLOGY AND THEIR ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY IMPACTS THEIR ABILITY TO TO ACCESS THOSE RESOURCES THAT CAN HELP THEM STABILIZE THEIR HOUSEHOLD, APPLY FOR JOBS, DO ANY OF THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
SO IT'S ALSO CONNECTING THEM TO THOSE TYPES OF RESOURCES.
I MEAN, THERE ARE SOME PERMANENT OUTCOMES THAT WE HOPE TO GET FROM THIS FUNDING AS WELL.
WE'RE DOING A REDESIGN OF THE MY FAMILY NEEDS INFO RESOURCE DIRECTORY.
BUT THERE IS FUNDING IN THAT $750,000 TO CONTINUE IT AND CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THAT, EITHER THROUGH A CONTRACT WITH THE LIBRARY OR AN INDIVIDUAL ORGANIZATION, PERHAPS A BUSINESS THAT MIGHT BE BROUGHT IN TO DO THAT THAT'S STILL UNDER THE WORKS.
SOME OF IT IS GOING TO SUPPORT THOSE ENTITIES THAT ARE DOING IT AND BUILDING OUT SOME, SOME DIFFERENT HUB AREAS WHERE THESE SERVICES CAN BE PLACED WITHIN COMMUNITIES SO THAT THE RESOURCE NAVIGATORS AND OTHER COMMUNITY PARTNERS, SOME OF WHOM ARE REPRESENTED HERE, WILL BE ABLE TO HAVE AN HAVE A LOCATION WHERE THEY CAN WORK WITH FAMILIES CLOSER TO THEIR HOMES.
AND WE'RE HOPING THAT OVER THOSE TWO YEARS TO BUILD OUT A HUB STRUCTURE THAT ALLOWS US TO HAVE LOCAL SUPPORTS, LOCAL RESOURCES IN COMMUNITIES THAT ARE EASIER TO TO ACCESS.
SO WE RECOGNIZE THAT TRANSPORTATION IS A PROBLEM, BUT SOMETIMES IT CAN BE EASIER TO HAVE TO GET 2 MILES THAN TO GET 15 MILES OR 5 MILES AND TO GET 15 MILES. YEAH, WE UNDERSTAND TRANSPORTATION IS THE BIGGEST.
I KNOW THAT IS THE BIGGEST FACTOR IN CAROLINE COUNTY IS TRANSPORTATION BY HANDS DOWN.
SO, MULTICULTURAL CENTER IS THAT IS IN EASTON? THEIR THEIR MAIN OFFICES ARE LOCATED IN EASTON.
THEY HAVE BEEN OPERATING OUT OF CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE IN FEDERALSBURG, OCCUPYING SOME SPACE THERE TO PROVIDE DIRECT SERVICES TO THE HAITIAN CREOLE POPULATION FOR A LITTLE OVER A YEAR NOW.
THIS GRANT EXPANDED THEIR SERVICES FROM TWO DAYS A WEEK TO FOUR DAYS A WEEK.
I WAS INVOLVED WITH CHESAPEAKE MULTICULTURAL RESOURCE CENTER WHEN THEY WERE FIRST FOUNDED.
I WAS ONE OF THE FIRST BOARD MEMBERS, AND THE IDEA WAS ALWAYS THAT THEY WOULD BE A REGIONAL ENTITY, THAT THEY WOULD SERVE THE BROADER COMMUNITY, THE MID-SHORE AND NORTHERN SHORE COMMUNITY, IN HELPING TO ENGAGE RECENT IMMIGRANTS TO OUR COMMUNITIES AND SUPPORT IN PARTICULAR, REALLY TO SUPPORT CHILDREN COMING INTO OUR SCHOOL SYSTEMS. IT JUST TOOK THEM A WHILE LONGER TO GET UP TO THE POINT WHERE THEY'RE ABLE TO GET IN.
AND CAROLINE IS THE FIRST IS REALLY THEIR FIRST OUTGROWTH.
SO BASICALLY, WHAT I'M HEARING IS OUT OF THIS GRANT MONEY, IS THERE ANY LOCAL NONPROFITS EVEN GOING TO GET ANY FUNNEL, ANY OF THIS THROUGH THEM? LIKE, LIKE AARON'S PLACE, HIS HOPE MINISTRIES, ANYTHING? ARE THEY GOING TO RECEIVE ANY OF THIS, LIKE THROUGH THROUGH ANY OF THEM? I MEAN, I THINK THAT THERE ARE PROBABLY WAYS THAT THAT COULD BE LOOKED AT AND WE COULD GO BACK AND SPEAK WITH SHERRY ABOUT HOW WE CAN DO THAT.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS WITH THE RESOURCE NAVIGATION COMPONENT IS THAT WE ARE WE ARE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE CONNECTING THE CLIENTS TO THOSE PROGRAMS TO BE ABLE TO RECEIVE THEIR SERVICES.
IT ALSO I THINK, I THINK IT GIVES US A PLATFORM THIS GRANT.
[01:45:10]
THE AGENCIES THAT ARE THEN SUPPORTING THOSE PROGRAMS IN THE COMMUNITY.WE HAVE OTHER PUBLIC MAYBE MAYBE THE RESOURCE NAVIGATOR IS THERE ONE DAY A WEEK, AND ADULT EDUCATION AND GED ARE HAPPENING IN THE EVENING AT THAT LOCATION, THAT THERE WOULD NEED TO BE SOME INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORTS FOR THAT, THAT WOULD NEED TO GO THROUGH THE NONPROFITS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO I SEE THIS AS A PLACE WHERE WE START FROM AND WE CAN BUILD FROM AND CAN BRING AGAIN.
IT COMES OUT OF COLLECTIVE IMPACT.
IT BRINGS EVERYBODY TO THE TABLE TO TALK ABOUT THIS, AND I APPRECIATE THAT YOU'RE BRINGING THIS UP, COMMISSIONER BARTZ, BECAUSE I THINK IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'LL NEED TO BRING BACK TO THE TABLE TO DISCUSS.
ALL RIGHT. WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
AND THANK YOU TO EVERYONE IN THE ROOM FOR YOUR TIME.
THANK YOU. OH, I DID WANT TO GIVE ONE SPECIAL SHOUT OUT.
AND SHE WAS RECOGNIZED YESTERDAY WITH A MARTIN LUTHER KING, AWARD FOR THE WORK THAT SHE'S BEEN DOING IN CAROLINE COUNTY AROUND BUILDING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. SO CONGRATULATIONS.
[7.Update on Caroline County’s Hazard Mitigation Plan]
JONES, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.GOOD MORNING. SO WE ARE REQUIRED EVERY FIVE YEARS TO UPDATE OUR HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN.
AND I'M ALSO REQUIRED BY LAW TO GIVE THE GOVERNING BODY AN UPDATE.
SO WE'RE HERE JUST TO TAKE ABOUT FIVE MINUTES.
OKAY, SO, AS I STATED EVERY FIVE YEARS, THIS IS REQUIRED BY THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY.
THE NEW PLAN WILL BE OBVIOUSLY FOR 24.
THERE IS A COMMITTEE OF VARIOUS PEOPLE PUT TOGETHER THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
THIS INCLUDES, PEOPLE FROM OUR OWN DEPARTMENTS, PUBLIC WORKS, PLANNING, HEALTH DEPARTMENT, THOSE, AND THEN PEOPLE FROM THE COMMUNITIES AS FAR AS THE TOWN.
SO THE TOWNS ARE REPRESENTED TOO, BECAUSE THIS IS A COUNTYWIDE PLAN.
THE INITIAL KICKOFF WAS IN JULY 19TH, AND THAT INCLUDED OUR SORT OF LIKE, HERE'S OUR PLAN.
NOW, WHAT HAVE WE ACCOMPLISHED? AND STARTED LOOKING AT THE THINGS, THE MITIGATION PROJECTS THAT THEY HAVE PICKED, WHERE WE STAND, HAVE WE COMPLETED, DO WE NEED TO FORWARD THOSE TO THE 24 PLAN AND SO FORTH? SMITH PLANNING AND DESIGN WAS SELECTED AS OUR PERSON TO SORT OF ORCHESTRATE THE PLAN, REWRITE THE PLAN FOR US.
SINCE THEN, WE'VE PUT PUBLIC COMMENT OUT.
WE WANT THE PUBLIC TO COMMENT ON IT.
SO AND ON THE COUNTY'S, TO TRY TO GET INPUT.
THIS WEEK, SHE, MICHELLE KING, WHO WAS OUR REPRESENTATIVE FROM SMITH PLAN, HAS SCHEDULED A SOCIAL EQUITY MEETING, WHICH INCLUDES, LIKE, PUBLIC HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES, TO LOOK AT THAT ASPECT OF THE PLAN, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ADDRESS THOSE.
A LOT OF THESE THINGS ARE ALL REQUIRED BY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, FOR OUR PLAN.
THERE'S A TENTATIVE MITIGATION WORKSHOP ON THE 25TH OF JANUARY, WHICH WILL BE BROKEN DOWN INTO FOUR TASK GROUPS, TWO OF THOSE COMMITTEE MEMBERS TO LOOK AT VARIOUS AREAS OF THE PLAN.
THEN THERE WILL BE AN ONLINE MITIGATION SURVEY.
THAT WILL GO OUT TO 29TH OF JANUARY AND WILL BE UP THROUGH FEBRUARY 9TH.
[01:50:04]
AFTER THAT, IT'S SUBMITTED TO FEMA FOR THEIR REVIEW AND ADOPTION.WE WILL GET A LETTER OF APPROVAL.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE WE STAND.
SO WHEN IS IT, WHEN'S IT DUE TO BE DONE? ANYTIME IN THE 24 CALENDAR YEAR, WILL WILL SUFFICE.
AS THINGS GO RIGHT NOW, IT SHOULD BE SOMETIME.
WE SHOULD BE COMING TO THIS BODY.
BECAUSE BY THE TIME FEMA HAS THEIR TIME TO REVIEW IT, COMMENT ON IT.
YEAH. AND [INAUDIBLE] HAS 30 DAYS ONCE THEY GET IT TO REVIEW IT, TO SAY YOU HAVEN'T MET THIS CRITERIA OR SOMETHING WE HAVE TO MEET, DOES IT HAVE TO BE DONE BY JULY 1ST [INAUDIBLE]. NO, I DON'T THINK SO.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S A DROP DEAD DEADLINE OKAY.
IT JUST HAS TO BE SOMETIME, IN THIS 24 CALENDAR YEAR, BY THE END OF THIS YEAR.
OKAY. YEAH. AND WE'LL MEET THAT ONE MORE TO MEET THAT.
OKAY. SO UNLESS YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OF US, THAT'S ALL OUR TIME WE'RE GOING TO TAKE FROM.
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, GENTLEMEN.
WAITED ALL THAT TIME FOR THIS.
YEP. ALL RIGHT, NEXT UP, WE HAVE A LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
WE GO TO LEGISLATIVE SESSION, SECOND.
WE'RE NOW IN LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
SO COUNTY ATTORNEY STEWART BARROLL IS NOT HERE THIS MORNING.
[8. Legislative Bill #2024-002, Chapter 175— Zoning—Streams and Stream Buffers]
I CAN READ IT ALL FOR CRYSTAL SPEAKERS]. SO WE'RE HERE FOR THE FIRST READING OF LEGISLATIVE BILL 2024- 002, WHICH WILL BE CHAPTER 175 ZONING STREAMS AND STREAM BUFFERS.SO IT LOOKS LIKE OUR FIRST READING OBVIOUSLY WILL BE TODAY, JANUARY 16TH.
IF EVERYTHING GOES ACCORDINGLY, WE WILL DO THE THIRD READING AND POTENTIAL AMENDMENT SLASH ENACTMENT ON FEBRUARY 13TH, WHICH WOULD LEAVE A ANTICIPATED EFFECTIVE DATE OF MARCH 29TH.
SO AGAIN, LEGISLATIVE BILL 2024-02 CHAPTER 175 ZONING AND STREAMS. STREAMS AND STREAM BUFFERS.
SUMMARY AN ACT TO REPEAL AND REENACT WITH AMENDMENTS, THE STREAMS AND STREAM BUFFERS S ECTION OF 17540 OF CHAPTER 175 ZONING OF THE CODE OF PUBLIC LOCAL LAWS OF CAROLINE COUNTY, MARYLAND, FOR THE PURPOSE OF REVISING STREAM BUFFER REQUIREMENTS FOR PERENNIAL AND INTERMITTENT STREAMS BY REPEALING AND REPLACING REQUIREMENTS FOR STREAMS AND STREAM BUFFERS.
AND SECTION 175-40 OF CHAPTER 175-ZONING OF CODE OF PUBLIC LOCAL LAWS OF CAROLINE COUNTY, MARYLAND, AND WITH THAT THE PURPOSE OF REVISING THE STREAM BUFFER REQUIREMENTS FOR PERENNIAL AND INTERMITTENT STREAMS WOULD BE REVISED DOWN TO 50FT.
WITH THAT, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, WE WOULD, DEFER TO CRYSTAL.
ALL RIGHT. GOOD MORNING, COMMISSIONERS.
GOOD MORNING. IN YOUR PACKAGE, YOU HAVE THE BRIEFING THAT GIVES YOU THE BACK STORY.
AND THAT INCLUDED OUR STREAMS AND STREAM BUFFERS.
AND IN 1998, WE CHANGED OUR ZONING REQUIREMENTS TO REQUIRE A 25 FOOT SETBACK FOR INTERMITTENT STREAMS AND A 50 FOOT SETBACK FOR PERENNIAL STREAMS MOVING.
I'M SORRY. YES, 100 FOOT FOR PERENNIAL STREAMS MOVING FORWARD.
BUT WE DID NOT MAKE THAT CHANGE IN OUR ZONING CHAPTER.
ALL RIGHT. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS I DON'T KNOW.
[01:55:02]
ALL RIGHT. GOOD TO GO.SO THERE'S OUR INTRODUCTION AND FIRST READING.
SO THIS WILL COME BACK UP FOR A SECOND READING AND PUBLIC HEARING ON JANUARY 23RD.
SO WITH THAT, DO I HEAR A MOTION TO CLOSE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
[INAUDIBLE] OKAY, ON TO THE CONSENT AGENDA.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, DISCUSSION ABOUT ANY ITEM ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? COMMISSIONER PORTER, I DON'T.
ALL RIGHT. WITH THAT, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA.
[9. Consent Agenda:]
SECOND. MOTION AND SECOND.COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR'S REPORT.
[10. County Administrator’s Report]
YES. WE.WE MET WITH DES TWO WEEKS AGO, AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE ANOTHER DES MEETING TOMORROW.
LAST WEEK, WE HAD SOME VERY POSITIVE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS STAFF WHO I THINK HAVE REALLY STEPPED UP IN RECENT WEEKS AND JUST WANTED TO HEAR FROM THEM.
WE HAD SMALL GROUP MEETINGS, SO IT WAS TO KIND OF, I WON'T SAY LONG DAYS, BUT TWO HALF DAYS.
BUT THE ISSUES THEY'RE BRINGING UP ARE EXACTLY WHAT YOU WOULD EXPECT AND WHAT WE'VE ALREADY HEARD.
SO WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THOSE.
AND I THINK, I THINK I SEE SOME, YOU KNOW, POSITIVE DIRECTIONS FOR THAT DEPARTMENT.
ALL RIGHT. JUST ONE QUICK UPDATE.
HE HAS PUT TOGETHER THREE PROPOSALS FOR THE DCT BUILDING.
SO WHEN I RETURN AFTER THIS MEETING, I WILL CIRCULATE THE PLANS, WITH YOU ALL AGAIN.
SO ALL OF IT CAN BE CHANGED, MODIFIED.
BUT I'LL SHARE THOSE PLANS WITH YOU AND LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING ANY COMMENTS.
SO WE CAN GET MOVING ON THAT RENOVATION.
WE CAN SEND THOSE ON WITH THE LETTER STATING WHAT OUR PLANS ARE.
AND YES, I THINK THAT WOULD BE THE THE PLAN.
COUNTY COMMISSIONER URBAN DISCUSSION PERIOD.
COMMISSIONER BARTZ, DO YOU WANT TO GO FIRST?
[11.County Commissioners Open Discussion Period]
JUST ATTENDED THE MARTIN LUTHER KING, CEREMONY YESTERDAY.BUT I DID ATTEND THE, SPEAKING PORTION OF IT.
IT WAS VERY WELL ATTENDED BY A LOT OF, CAROLINE COUNTY CITIZENS AND IN OTHER AREAS AS WELL, NOT JUST CAROLINE COUNTY. [INAUDIBLE].
ALL RIGHT, COMMISSIONER PORTER.
I ATTENDED AS WELL FOR SOME OF IT.
BEEN SPENDING A GOOD AMOUNT OF TIME ON THE, ON THE ZOOM CALLS, AND IT'S A BUSY, BUSY TIME FOR, BILLS TO BE INTRODUCED. I THINK I SEE AN EMAIL HERE FROM, THAT I THINK WAS SENT TO.
YEAH, I'M GETTING A FLURRY OF THEM.
YEAH. BRUCE, ABOUT TESTIFYING ON OUR ON OUR BEHALF REGARDING THE CHARTER BILL.
I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH HIM DOING THAT.
THE BILL PROCESS IS JUST COMING IN.
I MEAN, IT'S SO FAST, IT'S HARD TO KEEP UP WITH IT, BUT I'LL TRY TO.
[02:00:07]
TO, TO AFFECT US.CRYSTAL AND BETH, MAYBE ABOUT THIS.
THERE'S APPARENTLY SOME TYPE OF MOVE ON THE CRITICAL AREAS COMMISSION WHICH WHICH I'M ON AND I'LL PROBABLY TRY TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS TO INCREASE THE BUFFERS TO 250FT ON FARMLAND.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHERE THIS IS COMING FROM, BUT IT WAS BROUGHT UP LAST NIGHT BY BUDDY HANS.
NO ONE SEEMED TO KNOW A LOT ABOUT IT, BUT, I DON'T KNOW WHEN THE NEXT MEETING OF THAT IS, AND BUT I WILL TRY TO, YOU KNOW, FIND OUT THEY WERE GOING TO DOMINIC DOM WAS GOING TO TRY TO KIND OF RESEARCH IT AND FIND OUT.
BUT I'M HEARING THAT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE.
I DON'T KNOW HOW WE GO ABOUT DOING THAT, BUT, IT'S IT'S APPARENTLY IT'S APPARENTLY BREWING OUT THERE, SO, I'LL HAVE TO KEEP AN EYE ON THAT, SO WE'LL DO OUR BEST JEN'S WORKING HARD ON LOOKING AT THE BILLS, AND WE'LL DO OUR BEST TO KEEP YOU UP TO DATE ON WHAT'S WHAT'S COMING.
OTHER THAN THAT, THAT'S. THAT'S ALL I HAVE.
THE ONLY CRITICAL AREA BILL I'VE SEEN IS THAT ENFORCEMENT.
IT'S THE ENFORCEMENT. AND IT'S.
YEAH, I MEAN, WE TALKED ABOUT THAT LAST NIGHT.
THAT JUST GIVES THEM A LITTLE BIT MORE ENFORCEMENT, BUT.
RIGHT. BUT HE BROUGHT IT UP AND I HAD HEARD IT KIND OF THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE TOO.
IT'S OBVIOUSLY NOT SOMETHING WE'RE GOING TO SUPPORT BUT WE'LL SEE.
I WAS ON A CALL YESTERDAY WITH THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION, PAUL WIEDEFELD, AND HE I'M ASSUMING IT WAS MADE PUBLIC. HE TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE GOING TO ANNOUNCE IT THIS MORNING, I THINK AROUND NINE, THAT THE, THE GOVERNOR HAS DECIDED TO GO INTO THE RAINY DAY FUND TO MAKE OUR, ALL COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL TRANSPORTATION WITH A HIGHWAY USER REVENUE FUND.
I'M SORRY, I WAS LOOKING FOR THAT TERM, THE HIGHWAY USER REVENUES, TO FULLY FUND THAT.
BUT THEY DID DECIDE TO GO IN AND, AND MAKE SURE THAT FUNDING WAS AVAILABLE FOR THOSE, LEGISLATIVE ESSENTIALLY, THEY WERE ALL LEGISLATIVE PROMISES THAT WERE GOING TO REQUIRE LEGISLATIVE CHANGE IF THEY WERE GOING TO REDUCE THE FUNDING ANYWAY.
SO, BUT THEY DID DECIDE TO WITHDRAW THAT PROPOSAL TO SHORT FUND THOSE.
SO, THAT'S GOOD NEWS FOR OUR BUDGETING PURPOSES.
THE OTHER THING WAS, WE APPROVED IN THE CONSENT AGENDA THE EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT FOR BOB ZIMMER.
SO HE IS OFFICIALLY OUR NEW ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM DIRECTOR AT THIS POINT.
WHEN DO YOU START, BOB? 8 A.M. TOMORROW.
THANK YOU. YEAH. SO, BOB, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
SO, WITH THAT, I'M SURE I'M FORGETTING SOMETHING, BUT, YEAH, I'LL LEAVE WITH THAT.
IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT AT THIS POINT? OKAY. I WILL ADD, I KNOW, I TRY TO STAY OFF THE SOCIAL MEDIA AS MUCH AS I POSSIBLY CAN, BUT I HAVE NOTICED THAT THE TOWN ORIGINALLY, THERE IS SOME MISINFORMATION AND UPROAR GOING AROUND ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THIS HEARING IS ON JANUARY 23RD.
AND I STARTED TO WORK ON SOMETHING.
[02:05:09]
TO KIND OF NAVIGATE THROUGH THIS ISSUE.SO OTHER THAN THAT, WE'LL WORK ON THAT.
SO I THINK THERE'S SOME KIND OF KIND OF MISCONCEPTION HERE THAT WE'RE.
WE'RE IN FAVOR OF THIS, WHICH, I MEAN, WE'RE NOT.
AND, BUT I, YOU KNOW, I WILL TELL YOU THAT IN MY IN MY TIME THAT I'VE BEEN HERE, I DON'T THINK THERE'S BEEN ANY MORE TIME, STAFF TIME, GENERAL WORKING TIME THAT'S BEEN SPENT ON ANY ISSUE THAN THAN THERE'S BEEN SPENT ON THIS.
SO, I MEAN, I KNOW THERE'S SOME FEELINGS OUT THERE.
WE'RE NOT WORRIED ABOUT IT, BUT IT IT HAS BEEN VERY, VERY MUCH ON EVERYONE'S MIND.
AND THERE HAS BEEN A TREMENDOUS NUMBER OF MEETINGS AND, YOU KNOW, THAT HAVE BEEN THAT HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED AND, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO ADDRESS THIS, BUT. WELL, I'LL GO AHEAD AND READ KIND OF WHAT I, WHAT I PUT TOGETHER HERE REALLY QUICKLY TO, TO TRY TO BRING EVERYBODY UP TO DATE.
SO, WE, WE SCHEDULED THE CAROLINE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS HAVE SCHEDULED A PUBLIC HEARING ON JANUARY 23RD, 2024 TO RECEIVE COMMENTS ON THE STORAGE OF DISSOLVED AIR FLOTATION OR DAF IN CAROLINE COUNTY.
IT WAS BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION, SEVERAL WEEKS AGO THAT LIVESTOCK MANURE STORAGE FACILITIES.
SO ESSENTIALLY MANURE STORAGE PITS FROM FROM DAIRY OR BEEF CATTLE OPERATIONS, HAD BEEN REPURPOSED FOR AND BEING USED FOR THE STORAGE OF DAF.
THE STORAGE WAS CAUSING A NUISANCE TO NEIGHBORS, SO THE COUNTY PUT A MORATORIUM INTO EFFECT.
IT SEEMS EVIDENT THAT THE STATE ONLY REGULATES THE THE PRODUCTION AND THE APPLICATION OF DAF, AND THAT IT IS THE COUNTY'S RESPONSIBILITY TO REGULATE THE STORAGE. AND A LOT OF THIS ISSUE STEMS FROM THEY DIDN'T NOTIFY US THAT IT WAS OUR TERRITORY.
THEY JUST STARTED PUSHING THIS STUFF OUT INTO THE COUNTIES.
SO WE WERE TOTALLY OBLIVIOUS TO WHAT WAS GOING ON.
SO THE ESSENTIALLY THE COUNTY IS, IS READY TO CREATE THOSE REGULATIONS AND IS SEEKING PUBLIC INPUT INTO THAT PROCESS. SO WHAT WHAT OUR REGULATIONS SHOULD BE THAT WE PUT IN PLACE IS ESSENTIALLY WHAT THIS HEARING IS ABOUT.
SO IT'S NOT ABOUT POULTRY MANURE.
WE ARE NOT ADDRESSING CHICKEN COMPOSTING OR CHICKEN MANURE OR OTHER THINGS.
BUT, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE AFTER HERE.
SO THE PUBLIC HEARING, I'LL BRING THIS UP SINCE I WON'T BE HERE NEXT WEEK.
THE PUBLIC HEARING, IT WAS MY INTENTION THAT YOU WOULD HAVE, WE WILL DO SOME KIND OF A PRESENTATION FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING, AND THEN YOU'LL OPEN IT UP FOR COMMENT, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE MORATORIUM, OPEN IT UP FOR COMMENT, AND THEN WE'RE JUST.
AND THAT'S IT. WE'RE NOT TRYING TO WORK SESSION ANYTHING THERE.
WE'RE JUST SIMPLY TAKING COMMENTS BASED ON WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION WISE.
CORRECT? YEAH, I THINK I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL WITH TO HAVE A TIMELINE.
YOU KNOW, THIS WAS FIRST BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION BY MR. MRS. WOODWARD, AND I THINK IT WAS RIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, THE MEETING RIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS.
SINCE THAT TIME, YOU KNOW, WE WE'VE ADOPTED A MORATORIUM.
WE HAVE A PROPOSED SECOND MORATORIUM THAT'S COMING THAT'S COMING ALONG.
I MEAN, I THINK WE NEED TO LET PEOPLE KNOW WHAT THE PROCESS HAS BEEN HERE.
ALL OF THAT IS INCLUDING HOLIDAYS THAT WE'RE TAKING.
BUT, I MEAN, IT'S CERTAINLY IT'S CERTAINLY IT'S A COMPLICATED SUBJECT BECAUSE, YEAH, BUT WHAT I THINK I THINK WE GOT TO GET SOME INFORMATION OUT BECAUSE SOME OF THE STUFF I'M READING JUST I DON'T EVEN KNOW.
WELL, YOU KNOW, LOOK, WE THIS OCCURS THROUGH THE CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR HOLIDAY.
[02:10:09]
WE'RE PREEMPTED BY THE STATE.AND ONE OF THE THE MAJOR POINTS THAT I NOW UNDERSTAND IS THAT IF IF REGULATORY TERRITORY IS OCCUPIED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OR THE STATE, WE ARE PREEMPTED AND THEREFORE WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO CHANGE THOSE UH REQUIREMENTS. BUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE HAVE FOUND IS THAT THIS IS TOTALLY, THE WILD WEST.
IT IS UP TO US TO COME UP WITH REASONABLE A REASONABLE STORAGE SOLUTION HERE.
AND WHERE I HAVE SETTLED IS NO OPEN AIR STORAGE IN THE COUNTY, PERIOD.
I'M NOT SPEAKING FOR THE OTHER TWO COMMISSIONERS HERE.
SO COMMISSIONER BREEDING MYSELF, I BELIEVE THAT I DO NOT WANT ANY OPEN AIR STORAGE, AND I WANT IT ONLY IN THE I-2 INDUSTRIAL AREA BECAUSE I BELIEVE IT'S AN INDUSTRIAL PRODUCT.
SO I THINK WE CAN MAKE A PROVISION SIMILAR TO WHAT WICOMICO DID, THAT YOU CAN STORE IT FOR A MAXIMUM OF 45 DAYS ON A PROPERTY THAT IT IS ACTIVELY BEING APPLIED TO.
SO I'M FINE WITH THAT PROVISION.
BUT OTHERWISE, ANY STORAGE NEEDS TO BE IN A CLOSED CONTAINER.
AND IN THE I INDUSTRIAL [INAUDIBLE] I BELIEVE IT'S I-2 IS IT I, I-2 AREAS OF THE COUNTY.
SO THAT'S MY POSITION RIGHT NOW.
AND THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO PRESENT TO THE PUBLIC ON JANUARY 23RD.
DO THEY HAVE ANY ISSUES WITH THAT? DO THEY THINK IT'S TOO STRINGENT? DO THEY THINK IT'S TOO RELAXED? YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO BE REALLY CAREFUL ABOUT BANNING IT AND NOT MAKING A REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION EITHER AND SETTING REASONABLE RULES SO WE DON'T GET CHALLENGED, YOU KNOW, OR OVERTURNED.
AND I THINK, I THINK THE I AGREE WITH THAT.
AND I THINK I WOULD EVEN LIKE TO SAY THAT EVEN IF IT DOES GO INTO A ZONING, CLASSIFICATION, THERE STILL WOULD BE PUBLIC INPUT.
I STILL WANT I STILL WANT THERE TO BE PUBLIC HEARINGS.
I STILL WANT THERE TO BE PUBLIC INPUT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE CRUCIAL THING FOR ME IS, AND I HOPE I DON'T WANT ANYBODY WALKING OUT OF THAT MEETING THINKING THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE SOME KIND OF A MAGIC WAND THAT'S GOING TO THAT THEY'RE NEVER GOING TO SMELL ANYTHING AGAIN.
THIS STUFF HAS BEEN USED IN FIELDS FOR A LONG TIME.
AND IT IS IT IS A BENEFIT TO FARMERS.
IT IS A SOIL AMENDMENT THAT IS BENEFICIAL TO FARMERS.
AND, YOU KNOW, THIS WAS BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION BY THE FACT THAT IT WAS BEING USED BY SOMEONE WHO DID NOT GO THROUGH THE PERMITTING AND APPROVAL PROCESS, AND WE'RE DEALING WITH THAT AS WELL.
AND DAF IS THE GROUND, IN THE GROUND IS CONTROLLED BY THE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND THE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AS PART OF THE NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT, PROGRAMS FOR FARMERS.
SO THEREFORE WE ARE PREEMPTED.
WE ARE ONLY, ONLY, ONLY TALKING ABOUT STORAGE OF THIS MATERIAL.
SO THE FIRST TIME SOMEBODY GOES OUT AND SMELLS COW MANURE, I DON'T WANT A PHONE CALL BECAUSE I'LL TAKE A PHONE CALL FROM THEM, BUT THEY AREN'T GOING TO LIKE WHAT I'M GOING TO TELL THEM. SO, BUT WE JUST HAVE TO BE VERY CLEAR.
YEAH, I IT'S UNFORTUNATE, BUT LOOK FORWARD TO THE HEARING.
AND I THINK I UNDERSTAND THERE'S A PETITION GOING AROUND.
I HAVEN'T SEEN IT, BUT I IF IT SAYS WHAT WE JUST SAID, I'LL SIGN IT BECAUSE THE PETITION AND THE PUBLIC INPUT IS WHAT IS GOING TO BE HELPFUL TO US.
AND AND THAT'S WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
THE OTHER THING IS THE TOWN OF RIDGELY.
SO THE STUFF THAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW, THIS IS THE IRONIC PART.
[02:15:05]
AND THEN WE'RE GETTING FLACK, LIKE WE'RE NOT LIKE WE TOLD YOU, LIKE, ACTUALLY THIS IS OUT THERE BECAUSE WE.YEAH, THE COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE HAS LAID IT OUT THAT THIS IS A POSSIBILITY.
NOBODY HAS CAME IN AND MADE AN APPLICATION TO START DOING ANYTHING THERE.
WE HAVE NOT HAD ANY PERMIT REQUESTS, NO FORMAL REQUESTS.
IT'S ALL SPECULATION AT THIS POINT THAT THAT'S WHAT THAT FACILITY COULD POTENTIALLY BE USED FOR.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO GET AHEAD OF IT.
THE FIRESTORM WAS CREATED BY US, AND NOW WE'RE THE ONES GETTING BURNED IN IT.
AND AS FAR AS FAR AS THE RIDGELY TOWN COMMISSIONERS, THEY HAVE BEEN I MEAN, TWO OF THE PEOPLE WHO TESTIFIED OR SPOKE AT THE HEARING THAT WE HAD WHEN WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THIS, WHEN THE DENALI REPRESENTATIVE WAS HERE, WAS THE RIDGELY PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR AND AND POOCH BUCKLE, WHO IS ORIGINALLY TOWN COMMISSIONER.
THEY SPOKE ABOUT THE PROBLEMS AND THE, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY SAW AS THE DANGERS OF THIS.
THEY HAVE BEEN PROACTIVE ON THIS AS WELL.
ABSOLUTELY. BECAUSE THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM.
BUT AND AS FAR AS JURISDICTION, IF IT'S IN THE TOWN, IT'S IT'S THE TOWN'S JURISDICTION.
IF IT'S IN THE COUNTY, IT'S THE COUNTY'S JURISDICTION.
SO BUT THEY HAVE BEEN IN MY OPINION, THEY HAVE BEEN PROACTIVE ON THIS.
AND AND THEY'RE AWARE OF THE, OF THE, YOU KNOW, COMPLICATIONS HERE.
WELL, WITH THAT, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO GO INTO CLOSED SESSION UNDER GENERAL PROVISIONS.
[13. Closed Session: To Consult with Counsel to Obtain Legal Advice]
ARTICLE 3-305B, SUBSECTION 7, TO CONSULT WITH COUNSEL TO OBTAIN LEGAL ADVICE. SO MOVED.MOTION. AND SECOND. WE'LL DO A ROLL CALL VOTE HERE.
AYE, AYE. MR. BARTZ. AYE. MR. BREEDING. AYE.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.