[00:03:25]
OKAY. GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE, AND WELCOME TO THE MARCH 4TH, 2025 CAROLINE COUNTY COMMISSIONER MEETING, WHICH IS NOW IN ORDER. THIS MORNING WE HAVE OUR INVOCATION BY REVEREND DAN GEDMAN OF GLOBAL METHODIST CHURCH OF DENTON.
[Call to Order: Invocation, Rev. Dan Gedman, Global Methodist Church of Denton , Pledge of Allegiance; Agenda Review]
TABLE SO THE MIC PICKS YOU UP? YES. LET US PRAY.WE PRAY TODAY, O LORD, FOR OUR COMMISSIONERS AND ALL WHO ARE PARTICIPATING IN TODAY'S MEETING FOR GOOD DELIBERATIONS, FOR GOOD DECISIONS, FOR WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE AS MAY BE NEEDED TO MAKE THE BEST POSSIBLE DECISIONS FOR OUR COUNTY.
BLESS EVERYONE HERE THIS DAY, O LORD, AND GUIDE THEM AND KEEP THEM.
THIS WE PRAY IN JESUS' NAME. AMEN. AMEN. 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.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SIR. OKAY. DURING THE FEBRUARY 18TH COMMISSIONER MEETING, THE BOARD MET IN CLOSED SESSION TO CONDUCT EMPLOYMENT EVALUATIONS AND TO CONSULT WITH LEGAL COUNSEL REGARDING PENDING LITIGATION UNDER AUTHORITY.
2014 MARYLAND CODE, STATE GOVERNMENT 5B.1 AND 7.
THE ATTENDEES WERE THE COMMISSIONERS KATHLEEN FREEMAN, THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, DANIEL FOX,
[President’ Closed Session Report Out]
DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR STUART BARROW, COUNTY ATTORNEY JENNIFER LEE PIO, AND ROBERT ZIMMERMAN,[00:05:06]
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR. I BELIEVE MARK GABLER WAS ALSO THERE.OKAY. WE WILL NOW HAVE OUR OPENING PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.
IS THERE ANYONE IN THE PUBLIC WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK THIS MORNING? OKAY, I'M BEING SEEN. WE WILL MOVE ON TO OUR FIRST AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS SHANNON HANNAWALD ENDO,
[Public Comment]
WARRIORS OF THE EASTERN SHORE. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING.I BELIEVE COMMISSIONER BARTZ HAS A SPECIAL PROCLAMATION FOR MARCH AS ENDOMETRIOSIS AWARENESS MONTH.
THAT'S CORRECT. WEREN'T YOU ALREADY SITTING THERE? DO YOU WANT TO COME UP HERE? PROCLAMATION MARCH IS ENDOMETRIOSIS AWARENESS MONTH.
WHEREAS AN ESTIMATED 200 MILLION PEOPLE WORLDWIDE HAVE ENDOMETRIAL ENDOMETRIOSIS.
ONE IN EVERY TEN WOMEN HAVE ENDOMETRIOSIS, A DISEASE FOR WHICH THERE IS NO KNOWN CURE.
AND WHEREAS ENDOMETRIOSIS, A THICKENING OF THE LINING OF THE UTERUS.
IT IS A HORMONAL AND IMMUNE DISEASE. IT CAN BE FOUND ON THE OVARIES, FALLOPIAN TUBES, LIGAMENTS SUPPORTING THE UTERUS, AND OTHER AREAS OF THE PELVIC CAVITY, AND MOST RECENTLY FOUND ON THE BRAIN AND LUNGS.
AND WHEREAS ENDOMETRIOSIS CAN ONLY BE DIAGNOSED THROUGH LAPAROSCOPIC SURGERY.
THERE IS NO CURE FOR ENDOMETRIOSIS ONLY TREATMENT.
WHEREAS THE CAUSE OF ENDOMETRIOSIS IS NOT KNOWN BUT IS DUE THOUGHT TO BE HEREDITARY.
AND WHEREAS IT OFTEN TAKES AN AVERAGE OF TEN YEARS TO RECEIVE A DIAGNOSIS OF ENDOMETRIOSIS, AND A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL IS FREQUENTLY INADEQUATELY EDUCATED ON THE DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF ENDOMETRIOSIS.
AND WHEREAS IT IS NECESSARY THAT WE RECOGNIZE THE LACK OF MEDICAL RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND AWARENESS OF A DISEASE THAT AFFECTS SO MANY WOMEN IN THEIR COMMUNITY, WHEREAS ENDOMETRIOSIS IS PRESENT IN CHILDREN AS YOUNG AS EIGHT AND YOUNG WOMEN, WHICH POSES UNIQUE CHALLENGES FOR THIS POPULATION WHO SUFFER NOT ONLY FROM THE SYMPTOMS OF THIS ILLNESS, BUT ALSO FROM THE LACK OF UNDERSTANDING AND THE LACK OF SOCIAL ACCEPTANCE, WHEREAS PEOPLE WITH ENDOMETRIOSIS FACE DISCRIMINATION FROM EMPLOYERS, FRIENDS, FAMILIES, DOCTORS WHILE DEALING WITH THE ONGOING STRESS OF LIVING WITH AN UNPREDICTABLE DISEASE AND AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE.
WHEREAS EMPLOYERS SHOULD SUPPORT THEIR EMPLOYEES WITH ENDOMETRIOSIS BY MAKING ADAPTIONS TO THE WORK ENVIRONMENT SO THAT PEOPLE WITH ENDOMETRIOSIS CAN CONTINUE TO FUNCTION AT WORK AND NOT BE FORCED TO FILE FOR DISABILITY. WHEREAS THE ENDOMETRIOSIS SOCIETY IS A NONPROFIT CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION THAT WAS FOUNDED IN 1980 WITH THE INTENT OF BRINGING AWARENESS TO THE UNDESERVED AND MISUNDERSTOOD POPULATION OF WOMEN.
AND WHEREAS, THE ENDOMETRIOSIS ASSOCIATION, LOCAL SUPPORT GROUP AND THE WARRIORS OF THE EASTERN SHORE AND OTHER GROUPS AROUND OUR COUNTRY HAVE JOINED TOGETHER TO PROMOTE ENDOMETRIOSIS AWARENESS AND SUPPORT, INCLUDING IMPROVED EDUCATION, DIAGNOSIS, RESEARCH AND TREATMENT.
NOW, THEREFORE, WE, THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF CAROLINE COUNTY, DO HEREBY SUPPORT THE NATION AND THE NATION IN PROCLAIMING MARCH 2025 AS ENDOMETRIOSIS AWARENESS MONTH IN CAROLINE COUNTY.
SIGNED J. TRAVIS. BREEDING PRESIDENT. LARRY C PORTER, VICE PRESIDENT.
AND MYSELF. NORMAN FRANKLIN MARSHALL, THIRD COMMISSIONER.
THANK YOU, SHANNON. WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THIS EVERY YEAR FOR YOU, AND WE'RE GLAD TO DO IT.
AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, MY WIFE, SHE SUFFERED WITH IT.
AND I KNOW EVERYTHING YOU'RE SAYING HERE. SHE DEALT WITH IT.
SO I UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM. AND I FULLY SUPPORT THIS EVERY YEAR.
AND I THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING TO DO IT. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I AM ALSO A WIFE, A MOTHER, A FRIEND, A DAUGHTER, AN AUNT.
AND I DECIDED TO START THIS ADVOCACY GROUP FIVE YEARS AGO, BECAUSE ONE OF MY NIECES STARTED GOING THROUGH THE SAME THINGS THAT I WENT THROUGH, AND I REFUSED TO HAVE HER GO THROUGH WHAT I WENT THROUGH, THE WAY THAT I WAS TREATED AND THE WAY THAT I WAS DISMISSED.
WHEN I WAS 15, MY PAIN STARTED. I HAD HORRIBLE MENSTRUAL CRAMPS.
[00:10:04]
I HAD IRREGULAR BLEEDING. ALL OF THE ISSUES THAT WENT ALONG WITH HAVING YOUR PERIOD, AND MY PARENTS KEPT TAKING ME TO THE DOCTORS AND TO THE EMERGENCY ROOMS, AND THEY KEPT SAYING NOTHING WAS WRONG BECAUSE THEY WERE DOING ULTRASOUNDS AND CAT SCANS.AND YOU CANNOT SEE ENDOMETRIOSIS ON AN ULTRASOUND OR CAT SCAN.
WHEN I WAS 17 YEARS OLD, I ATTEMPTED TO TAKE MY OWN LIFE BECAUSE I WAS BASICALLY AT THE POINT WHERE NO ONE WOULD LISTEN TO ME, AND I ALMOST FELT LIKE MAYBE IT WAS IN MY HEAD BECAUSE THE DOCTORS WEREN'T FINDING ANYTHING.
AND NOW THAT I THINK BACK ON IT, I'M VERY GRATEFUL THAT AFTER I ATTEMPTED TO COMMIT SUICIDE, I DECIDED THAT I WAS GOING TO FIGHT THIS, AND I REFUSED TO LET ANY YOUNG GIRL EVER FEEL LIKE THEY'RE IN THE POSITION THAT THAT'S THEIR ONLY OPTION.
BECAUSE AT THAT TIME, I DID FEEL LIKE THAT WAS MY ONLY OPTION.
AND I WILL KEEP FIGHTING, AND I WILL KEEP TALKING ABOUT THIS, EVEN THOUGH IT'S UNCOMFORTABLE FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE TO HEAR BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY WOMEN THAT SUFFER FROM IT, AND THERE ARE MANY WOMEN THAT SUFFER FROM IT THAT DON'T EVEN HAVE IT DIAGNOSED YET.
AND IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT THEY KNOW THAT THEY'RE NOT ALONE.
I HAVE HAD 19 SURGERIES IN TOTAL FOR MY ENDOMETRIOSIS.
I HAD TO GO THROUGH FERTILITY TREATMENTS FOR MY YOUNGEST SON, AND WE LOST A BABY BEFORE HE WAS BORN.
THERE ARE TIMES WHEN I'M NOT THE MOM THAT I WANT TO BE OR THINK THAT I SHOULD BE.
THERE ARE A LOT OF AUTOIMMUNE DISORDERS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH ENDOMETRIOSIS, SUCH AS MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS, RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS, CROHN'S. THE LIST GOES ON AND ON.
THE REASON THAT I BRING THAT UP IS BECAUSE WITHIN THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF, I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH CROHN'S AND I WAS BACK IN THE HOSPITAL WITH DOCTORS DISMISSING ME AGAIN, AND IT TOOK ME BACK TO A VERY DARK PLACE, BACK TO BEING THAT 16 YEAR OLD GIRL WHEN THE DOCTORS WOULDN'T LISTEN TO ME AND I KNEW THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG. THE DIFFERENCE WAS, I WASN'T THAT 16 YEAR OLD GIRL ANYMORE, AND I KNEW TO ADVOCATE FOR MYSELF.
AND I KNOW THAT IF THAT HAD BEEN THEM LAYING IN THAT BED AND THE DOCTORS WERE SPEAKING TO THEM THE WAY THAT THEY WERE SPEAKING TO ME, THAT THAT'S UNACCEPTABLE. SO AS LONG AS THE GIRLS AND THEIR FAMILIES KNOW THAT THEY'RE NOT ALONE, THEY HAVE PEOPLE TO DEFEND THEM AND THAT ARE FIGHTING FOR THEM AND ARE TRYING TO RAISE AWARENESS SO THAT EVERYONE KNOWS WHAT ENDOMETRIOSIS IS, THAT THEY WILL ADVOCATE FOR THEMSELVES AND THEY WON'T FEEL ALONE AND WON'T FEEL LIKE THE ONLY OPTION THEY HAVE IS TO TAKE THEIR OWN LIFE.
I STARTED GO YELLOW FOR ENDO DAY FOUR YEARS AGO, AND THIS YEAR IT'S THIS FRIDAY, MARCH 7TH.
YELLOW PUT A YELLOW LIGHT BULB ON THE OUTSIDE OF YOUR HOUSE.
ANYTHING TO SHOW THE COMMUNITY THAT WE SUPPORT THEM AND THAT THEY ARE NOT ALONE.
ENDOMETRIOSIS DOESN'T JUST AFFECT THE PERSON THAT HAS IT AFFECTS EVERYONE THAT CARES ABOUT THEM.
AND I LEARNED FROM MY NIECES, ACTUALLY, HOW MUCH THEY WERE WATCHING THE WAY THAT I HANDLED THINGS.
AND I'M GRATEFUL THAT THEY SAW THAT I WAS FIGHTING AND DIDN'T SEE THE 16 YEAR OLD ME WHO DIDN'T FIGHT, BECAUSE NOW THEY KNOW THAT THEY CAN ADVOCATE FOR THEMSELVES AND THAT THEY ARE NOT ALONE.
THEY HAVE PEOPLE TO BACK THEM UP. THEY HAVE SOMEONE TO TALK TO IF THEY NEED SOMEONE TO TALK TO.
AND THAT IS THE BIGGEST THING. I HONESTLY WISH THERE WAS A ME 20 YEARS AGO, BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE MAYBE MY OUTCOME MAY HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT, BUT I AM GRATEFUL FOR WHERE IT HAS GOTTEN ME TODAY BECAUSE IT HAS GIVEN ME A VOICE AND IT HAS GIVEN ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO HELP PEOPLE AND THAT IS WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT TO ME. SO AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CONTINUALLY SUPPORTING THIS.
AND YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN AMAZING TO WORK WITH THE PAST FIVE YEARS, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO OUR CONTINUED RELATIONSHIP IN RAISING AWARENESS ABOUT ENDOMETRIOSIS. WELL, THANK YOU, SHANNON. THANK YOU FOR THE ADVOCACY.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB GETTING THE WORD OUT.
AND HOPEFULLY I'M SURE IT IS IMPACTFUL, YOU KNOW, ON SOMEONE'S LIFE.
[00:15:02]
SO, THANK YOU. YEAH. THANK YOU. SHANNON. IT IS AN IMPORTANT THING TO BRING TO ATTENTION AND KEEP SHEDDING LIGHT ON.IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN. YOU TO DO IT AGAIN NEXT YEAR.
YEAH. ALL RIGHT. WE WANT TO GET A PICTURE.
[Legislative Session Workshop:]
I FORGOT TO BRING UP THAT I WOULD LIKE TO ADD TO OUR ACTION AGENDA THE APPROVAL OF AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TOWN AND THE TOWN OF DENTON AND THE COUNTY TO EXTEND THE TERM OF A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING FOR SHARP ROAD PARK. SO I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ADD THAT TO THE ACTION AGENDA.SECOND. OKAY, SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
AYE. OKAY. THE AYES HAVE IT. WE WILL ADD THAT.
NEXT UP WE HAVE A LEGISLATIVE SESSION WORKSHOP.
[• Emergency Bill Entitled: Police Accountably Board, Administrative Charging Committee, and Trial Board –New Chapter 20]
I BELIEVE WE HAVE TWO BILLS. SO, I HEAR A MOTION TO GO INTO LEGISLATIVE SESSION.SO MOVED. SECOND. MOTION AND SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
AYE. AYE. OKAY. WE ARE NOW IN LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
MR. BARIL, DO YOU WANT TO LEAD US THROUGH THIS DISCUSSION OF THESE TWO BILLS? YES, COMMISSIONER. FIRST OF ALL, I HAVE SOME FOLKS PRESENT HERE FOR THE POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY BILL.
MR. RUST AND THE SHERIFF IS HERE. YOU GUYS WANT TO COME UP TO THE TABLE HERE, OR AT LEAST IN THE FRONT ROW? FOR SOME REASON, WE HAVE CROSSING MICROPHONES AS WELL.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO STRAIGHTEN THAT UP OR SOMEBODY WAS REALLY IMPORTANT.
REALLY WANTED TO BE HEARD. IN 2021, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ABOLISHED THE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS BILL OF RIGHTS AND ENACTED LEGISLATION WHICH REQUIRED EACH COUNTY TO ESTABLISH A POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY BOARD AND AN ADMINISTRATIVE CHARGING IN COMMITTEE AND REQUIRED EACH LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY IN THE STATE TO SET.
UP ITS OWN TRIAL BOARD PROCESS. SO THROWING EVERYTHING OUT THAT WE HAD WORKED WITH FOR MANY DECADES, AND IT WORKED VERY WELL AND HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED THROUGH THE APPELLATE COURTS, THE COUNTIES WERE FORCED TO START FROM SCRATCH WITH VERY POORLY DRAFTED STATE LEGISLATION, AND THE COUNTIES HAVE DONE THE BEST THEY CAN AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS AND IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
KNEE JERK REACTION IN THE LEGISLATION WENT, AS MANY COUNTIES DID, IN THE FORM OF RESOLUTIONS SETTING UP THESE BOARDS, AND WE ARE AT THIS POINT READY TO SUPERSEDE THOSE RESOLUTIONS WITH THIS LEGISLATION.
WE'VE HAD GREAT INPUT FROM SHERIFF BAKER AND RJ HELMER FROM HIS OFFICE.
MR. RUST, WHO'S A FINE ATTORNEY FROM EASTON, HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL.
HE'S BEEN REPRESENTING THE POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY BOARD FOR THESE YEARS.
[00:20:01]
THE SHERIFF HAS HAD SOME GREAT IDEAS ON PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS, WHICH WE HAVE TRIED TO INCORPORATE.SOME OF THE OPTIONS ARE POLICY MATTERS, REALLY, FOR THE COMMISSIONERS TO MAKE RATHER THAN LEGISLATIVELY MANDATED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. SO WE CAN GO THROUGH THIS.
FIRST OF ALL, IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL IF THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THIS DRAFT, WHICH DOES HAVE COMMENTS IN THE RIGHT HAND COLUMN ON IN A COUPLE OF PLACES.
MUCH OF WHAT YOU SEE THERE IS WAS IN OUR ORIGINAL RESOLUTION.
WE HAVE NOT. AND THE AMENDMENTS WE'VE AMENDED THE RESOLUTION TWICE.
SO THERE'S NOTHING REALLY RADICALLY NEW HERE.
THERE'S A COUPLE OF CHANGES THAT I THINK ARE HELPFUL.
ONE IS AND A LOT OF BOARDS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AND THAT IS ATTENDANCE.
THIS DRAFT HAS BASICALLY A MANDATORY ATTENDANCE BY MEMBERS OF THE PAB OR THE ACC THAT IF YOU MISS MORE THAN 25% OF THE MEETINGS IN ANY ROLLING 12 MONTH PERIOD, IT CONSTITUTES AN AUTOMATIC RESIGNATION.
THERE'S THIS DRAFT, ACCORDING TO THIS DRAFT, THERE WOULD BE NO EXCUSED ABSENCES.
IT'S SIMPLY A CASE OF IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO MAKE THE MEETINGS FOR WHATEVER REASONS, WHETHER IT'S HEALTH OR IT'S FAMILY MEMBERS PROBLEMS, IT'S NOT A CASE OF WHERE THE CHAIR IS BEING CALLED UPON TO SAY, OKAY, I GET IT.
I UNDERSTAND YOU'VE GOT THE FLU THAT'S AN EXCUSED ABSENCE AND NOT HAVE ANY WAY TO REALLY ENFORCE THE FACT THAT WE HAVE IMPORTANT BUSINESS TO TRANSACT, AND WE CANNOT AFFORD TO HAVE BOARD MEMBERS THAT ARE GOING TO MISS THAT MANY MEETINGS.
SO THIS IS JUST A SUGGESTION HERE THAT IS NOT MANDATED BY LAW.
THAT IS JUST SOMETHING THAT I THINK THE CHAIRS AND THE AND KIM RADER, WHO IS THE ADMINISTRATOR FOR THESE BOARDS, WOULD APPRECIATE BECAUSE IT BECOMES A REAL BURDEN FOR THE STAFF AND FOR THE CHAIR TO DETERMINE WHETHER THAT SHOULD BE EXCUSED SO IT DOESN'T COUNT AGAINST THE PERSON AS HAVING MISSED, AS IF THEY WERE REALLY HERE.
SO THAT THAT IS ONE OF THE MAIN CHANGES THAT YOU SEE HERE.
THE SHERIFF MAY HAVE A COUPLE OF OTHER COMMENTS ON SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT WE'VE MADE.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. YEAH, WE WERE HERE BEFORE THE COMMISSIONERS A FEW MONTHS AGO IN REFERENCE TO THERE'S SOME ADDED CHANGES TO THAT I HAD REQUESTED ABOUT CALLING OFFICERS BEFORE THE ACC WE HAD WHITTLED THAT DOWN TO, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE A LAST RESORT. AND THEN THERE WERE THINGS THAT THE ACC WOULD REQUEST OF THE POLICE AGENCY IN ORDER TO, TO LIMIT THAT. ALSO, WE HAD WE HAD TERM LIMITS ON INDIVIDUALS ON THE ACC AND THE PAB.
THAT OBVIOUSLY IS A POLICY DECISION, BUT I BELIEVE THAT IF YOU GET AN INDIVIDUAL ON THERE WHO'S WILLING TO SERVE AND THE COMMISSIONERS ARE WILLING TO REAPPOINT EVERY FOUR YEARS, I DON'T REALLY BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD HAVE TERM LIMITS ON THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
AS I EXPLAINED TO THE COMMISSIONERS EARLY ON, I BELIEVE THERE ARE SEVERAL MEMBERS OR A COUPLE OF MEMBERS ON THE ACC NOW WHICH I BELIEVE SHOULD BE GRANDFATHERED IN. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, MOVING FORWARD IF THIS LAW IS PASSED, THEN THEN IT WOULD BE GRANDFATHERED IN.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT. WE DID.
THE BOARD HAS ALSO BEEN SHRUNK DOWN TO BOTH BOARDS WOULD BE A TOTAL OF SEVEN MEMBERS.
THE PAB WOULD BE FIVE, AND THE ACC WOULD BE FIVE.
THREE OF THEM FROM THE PAB SERVING ON THE ACC.
AND THEN THERE WOULD BE TWO OUTSIDE MEMBERS ON THE ACC AND THE PAB.
OKAY. AND THAT ALSO WOULD BE THROUGH ATTRITION.
OKAY. TO THAT POINT IS THIS DOES IS THIS THE MINIMUM AMOUNT OF OR NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT WE WOULD NEED TO SERVE AND DO THIS BY STATE STATUTE? YES, SIR. OKAY. ALL RIGHT.
AND IT WOULD BE FIVE PAB MEMBERS. THREE ACC MEMBERS.
AND HOW MUCH OVERLAP BETWEEN THE PAB AND THE OCC DO WE HAVE WITH ALL THE OCC MEMBERS BE MEMBERS OF THE PAB? NO, IT WOULD BE THREE PAB MEMBERS ON THE OCC.
AND THEN THERE WOULD BE TWO OUTSIDE MEMBERS ON EACH BOARD.
[00:25:02]
THAT'S THE WAY I REMEMBER IT. OKAY. SO IT'S ALL OVERLAP.ALL THE PAB MEMBERS WOULD ALSO SERVE ON THE ACC.
MEMBERS THREE. YEAH. JUST THREE RIGHT. THREE OF THE FIVE WOULD BE ACC MEMBERS.
OKAY. ALL RIGHT. DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING? YEAH. I HAVE A QUESTION THAT GOES OUTSIDE OF THE DOCUMENT THAT WE HAVE HERE.
THERE IS A BILL THAT WE HAVE SUPPORTED, AND I THINK, SHERIFF, YOU TESTIFIED ON REGARDING EXPUNGEMENT OF FROM THE RECORD OF A PERSON WHO HAS BEEN EXONERATED. YES. AN OFFICER.
IS THERE ANYTHING IN THE LAW THAT SAYS THAT WE CAN'T DO THAT OURSELVES? YES, I THINK SO. YES. SO I DON'T CARE. I DON'T CARE WHAT.
I'M THE BILL. THE OFFICER'S RECORD SHOULD NOT REFLECT.
IF THERE HAVE BEEN CHARGES FILED AGAINST HIM, AND HE HAS BEEN FOUND EITHER NOT GUILTY OR THE FINDINGS HAVE BEEN FOUND TO BE UNSUBSTANTIATED. SO WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO DO? WELL, I WOULD STRONGLY AGREE WITH YOU, COMMISSIONER.
I DID SPEAK TO THE BILL'S SPONSOR IN ANNAPOLIS THE OTHER DAY.
HE DOES BELIEVE THAT THE CHANCES OF THE BILL PASSING ARE FAIRLY WELL.
SO I'M HOPING THAT THAT THERE IS SOME BRIGHT LIGHT IN THE ANNAPOLIS THIS YEAR AND SOME COMMON SENSE.
AND THEY DO PASS THIS LEGISLATION. THERE AREN'T ANY BRIGHT LIGHTS IN ANNAPOLIS THIS YEAR.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT. WHERE DOES IT SAY THAT? I BELIEVE THE CURRENT TEXT OF THE STATUTE READS THAT MAY NOT BE EXPUNGED OR DESTROYED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT. AND THAT'S TEXT THAT CAME FROM THE BILL.
WRITERS IN ANNAPOLIS. YES, THAT'S FROM THE STATE LEGISLATURE.
YEAH. WHAT WAS THE LAST LITTLE PART OF THAT FOR YOU? IT WAS, I MEAN IT MAY NOT BE EXPUNGED OR DESTROYED BY A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY, BUT THEY'RE NOT LAW ENFORCEMENT. WELL, THE INVESTIGATION IS PERFORMED BY THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.
AND SO, WHAT? THIS BILL, THIS IS THE BILL THAT THE SHERIFF TESTIFIED IN FAVOR OF, WHICH WE'RE ALL IN FAVOR OF, WOULD EXPRESSLY ALLOW A COMPLAINT THAT HAS BEEN A FINDING OF UNFOUNDED OR EXONERATED BY AN ADMINISTRATIVE CHARGING COMMITTEE, WOULD BE PERMITTED TO BE EXPUNGED AFTER THREE YEARS.
AND THE REASON FOR THE THREE YEARS IS FOR LAWSUITS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, WHICH.
SO WHERE ARE THOSE RECORDS KEPT RIGHT NOW? THE THAT GOES INTO PERSONNEL FILE, RIGHT? IT DOESN'T GO. SO, WE HAVE A SEPARATE SYSTEM FOR INTERNAL OR FOR ADMINISTRATIVE COMPLAINTS.
SO WE HOLD THOSE FILES IN AN ADMINISTRATIVE IA FILE, SO TO SPEAK.
BUT THE OFFICIAL LOCATION THAT YOU WOULD GO TO OBTAIN THAT INFORMATION WOULD BE THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, NOT THE PAB OR ACC. YEAH. WE'RE REQUIRED BY LAW TO KEEP ALL ADMINISTRATIVE SERVERS.
SO, IF YOU WOULD HAVE AN OFFICER WHO DECIDES TO APPLY FOR A FOR A JOB SOMEWHERE ELSE, WHAT WOULD THE PROCESS BE FOR THE FOR THE, FOR THE PLACE THAT HE'S APPLYING TO GET THIS INFORMATION.
THE BIGGEST PROBLEM WITH THIS IS THAT, YOU KNOW, NO, NO OFFENSE TO THE PRESS IN THE ROOM, BUT THE PROBLEM IS THAT SOMEONE COULD COME IN AND SAY, YOU KNOW, THEY COULD DO AN ARTICLE, A ONE-SIDED ARTICLE, AND THEY COULD SAY, WELL, THIS OFFICER HAS HAD 34 COMPLAINTS AGAINST HIM.
RIGHT. SO, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IT GIVES HESITATION TO PROACTIVE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS TO GO OUT THERE AND DO THEIR JOB BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO GET COMPLAINTS AGAINST THEM JUST THE WAY IT IS. RIGHT. THE MORE ACTIVE YOU ARE IN PERFORMING YOUR DUTIES, THE MORE CHANCE YOU KNOW, I MYSELF HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, THE PRODIGY OF THAT, YOU KNOW, OVER THE YEARS.
SO YOU KNOW, BUT UNDER LAY OVER YOU WERE ALLOWED TO HAVE THOSE RECORDS EXPUNGED AFTER A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME, WHICH WAS THREE YEARS. THAT'S WHERE THE THREE YEARS, THE FIRST MISTAKE IN ALL OF THIS WAS THE LABOR BEING ABOLISHED.
THAT WAS THE FIRST, FIRST DIM LIGHT THAT CAME OUT OF AN APPLE.
THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT IS UNDER THE GUIDANCE FROM THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE.
[00:30:02]
YES, YES. AND EVEN THE ACC AND THE PAB, WE KEEP CONTROL OF THOSE RECORDS NOW, THEIR RECORDS AS FAR AS OUTCOMES, THEY KEEP. BUT WE KEEP THE INVESTIGATIVE FILE, WE DO THE INVESTIGATIONS, AND THEY ARE RETURNED TO US.THEY DO NOT KEEP POSSESSION OF THOSE FILES. WELL, I DON'T WANT TO, I DON'T WANT TO PROLONG THIS, BUT I WOULD SAY WE KEEP AN EYE ON THIS BILL. IF THE BILL PASSES, THEN WE'RE FINE.
IF IT DOESN'T, I'M STILL PREPARED TO GO FORWARD WITH US DOING IT, SO.
YEAH. OKAY. HOLD ON, HOLD ON ONE SECOND. DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANTED TO ADD? I HAD A COUPLE. I GOT A COUPLE OTHER THINGS I WANT TO RUN OVER HERE THOUGH.
YEAH. WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'RE NOT REQUIRING TERMINATION OF ANY EXISTING PERSONNEL ON EITHER OF THESE BOARDS.
OKAY. WHAT WILL HAPPEN IS IN FUTURE APPOINTMENTS, YOU WOULD TAKE THAT INTO.
YOU WOULD TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION. OKAY.
SO IT DOES. OKAY. SO IT DOES MAKE MENTION OF THAT IN THIS CURRENT DRAFT WE HAVE HERE.
SO BEFORE WE TAKE SOME PUBLIC COMMENT HERE, HOW ABOUT REMOVING THE TERM LIMITS? WHAT IS CURRENTLY THE WAY IT'S WRITTEN? THERE ARE TERM LIMITS IN THIS.
THERE'S A LOT OF TRAINING THAT IS REQUIRED BY THE STATE OF MEMBERS OF THE PAB AND THE ACC, ESPECIALLY THE ACC. SO, YOU LOSE THE BENEFIT OF HAVING AND THE COUNTY'S GOT SOME EXPENSES IN GETTING THESE FOLKS TRAINED.
THEY HAVE TO TAKE TIME OFF FROM WORK OR THEIR LIVES TO GO THROUGH THIS TRAINING.
SO, WE'RE LOSING THE BENEFIT OF THAT SORT OF AN UNFORCED ERROR THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO FIND SOMEBODY NEW, PUT THEM ON THEIR PAY FOR THE TRAINING, AND NOT HAVE THE BENEFIT OF SOMEBODY WHO WAS FULLY TRAINED AND HAS ALREADY BEEN ON THE BOARD FOR EIGHT YEARS.
I AGREE WITH THE SHERIFF, AND ANOTHER POINT IN THIS CONVERSATION IS WE'RE CONSIDERING DOING THAT RIGHT NOW WITH THE BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS BECAUSE OF TURNOVER THERE. WE HAVE TERM LIMITS, AND WE HAVE, I BELIEVE TWO OF THE THREE MEMBERS ARE TERM LIMITED OUT.
THEY HAVE THE EXPERIENCE. YOU DON'T REALLY. THAT'S A BOARD.
YOU DON'T REALLY WANT TO HAVE ALL NEW PEOPLE SITTING ON, BECAUSE IT TAKES QUITE A BIT OF TIME TO ACTUALLY GET UP TO SPEED ON REGULATIONS AND STATUTE AND THAT TYPE OF THING. SO I THINK I AGREE, I THINK WE SHOULD REMOVE THE TERM LIMIT CLAUSE, BUT I WOULD CONCUR. I'M ON BOARD WITH THAT. OKAY.
OKAY. SO THAT'S BEEN ADDRESSED. I MEAN, WE'LL FUND THE BOARD.
THE COMMISSIONERS WILL HAVE TO FUND THE BOARD, YOU KNOW, PER STATE LAW ANYWAY.
SO THERE'S NO NEED IN PASSING THAT ON. OKAY. I BELIEVE THAT WAS ALL THE POINTS.
THE ONLY I WILL SAY IS, YES, MR. FOX, HE'S NOT SITTING UP HERE, BUT HE WAS IN THESE DISCUSSIONS AS WELL, REPRESENTING THE COMMISSIONERS. YEAH. OKAY. GOOD DEAL.
GEORGE, DID YOU. CHIEF BACON, DID YOU WANT TO? I JUST NEED YOU TO REMEMBER. YOU KNOW, AS I'M LISTENING TO THIS, I'M HEARING ALL COUNTY, COUNTY, COUNTY. WHATEVER YOU PASS HERE AFFECTS EACH MUNICIPAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.
AND I THINK THAT WE SHOULD HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE WHILE THIS LEGISLATION WAS BEING PROPOSED.
OKAY. I WILL SAY THAT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE SHERIFF HAS AN OFFICE, AND IT'S RUN JUST A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY THAN A MUNICIPAL POLICE AGENCY. POLICE CHIEFS ARE APPOINTED.
SHERIFFS ARE ELECTED. OUR RECORDS BASICALLY ARE RULED BY THE SAME LAW.
BUT THERE ARE RECORDS, RIGHT? SO WHEN YOU'RE WHEN YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT THIS AND DISCUSSING IT, WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT WE'RE NOT JUST DEALING WITH COUNTY.
WE'RE DEALING WITH THREE MUNICIPAL AGENCIES. AND WE PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE HAD A SEAT AT THE TABLE WHEN THAT WAS OKAY. THIS WAS WORKING BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO AFFECT US.
[00:35:09]
WE HAD A BILL IN LAST YEAR TO ALLOW US TO STAND OUR OWN UP, AND THE LEGISLATURE HAD ZERO INTEREST IN.I WOULD SUPPORT THAT 100%. I THINK YOU SHOULD HAVE YOUR OWN.
WELL, AND THE MUNICIPALS AGREE. THE ML ACTUALLY SPONSORED THAT BILL, I THINK.
AND MOST OF THE MUNICIPALS IN IN THE STATE WERE BEHIND IT.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY, THE LEGISLATORS IN ANNAPOLIS, YOU GUYS KNOW YOU'VE BEEN THERE? YEAH. THAT'S ALL ABOUT. YEAH. WELL, I'M NOT OPPOSED TO MAKING THESE AMENDMENTS THAT WE JUST DISCUSSED AND CIRCULATING WITH THE THREE MUNICIPAL DEPARTMENTS, IF YOU DON'T MIND AND GIVE THEM GIVE THEM A COMMENT PERIOD BEFORE MAYBE WE GO WITH OFFICIAL INTRODUCTION.
SURE. I MEAN, WE CAN ALSO AMEND IT DURING THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS, BUT MAYBE IT'S CLEANER.
WE WERE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE AND THEN MOVE FORWARD WITH CIRCULATING IT.
OKAY. CORRECT. DO YOU WANT TO ADD SOMETHING? I JUST HAVE A COUPLE MINOR THINGS.
OKAY. GO AHEAD. IF WE'RE READY. ON PAGE THREE B2.
I DON'T KNOW. I'M COMPARING THAT TO WHAT'S ON PAGE FOUR.
B2 SAME THING. I DON'T KNOW. MAYBE THE SECOND COMMA ON PAGE THREE IS NOT NEEDED BECAUSE TO ME, THE WAY IT READS ADOPT RULES OF PROCEDURE COMMA, WHICH MAY BE AMENDED FROM TIME TO TIME.
COMMA, AS A MAJORITY OF THE PAB MAY DEEM NECESSARY AND APPROPRIATE.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? IT'S SO MINOR, BUT JUST THE WAY I READ IT.
I THINK WE JUST NEED TO REMOVE THE COMMA IN THE FIRST AND.
ADOPT THE RULES OF PROCEDURE AND CONDUCT FOR HEARING THAT PROVIDE PROCEDURAL AND SUBSTANTIVE DUE PROCESS, WHICH MAY AMEND. ARE YOU SAYING JUST TAKE OUT THAT SECOND COMMA RIGHT ON PAGE THREE B2.
YEAH, I UNDERSTAND THAT. YEAH. THAT'S ALL. MAY BE AMENDED FROM TIME TO TIME AS A MAJORITY.
YEAH. OKAY. THAT'S SO GOOD THOUGH. IT'S VERY, VERY, VERY MINOR.
AND THEN KEEP AN EYE ON HER AS A MAJORITY OF THE NATION.
LET'S SEE. THERE WAS ONE OTHER THING. OH. ON PAGE SIX.
SO I GUESS MY ONLY COMMENT IS IF SOMEBODY RESIGNED BY VIRTUE OF NOT ATTENDING OR IF SOMEBODY, FOR WHATEVER REASON, IS NOT ABLE TO CONTINUE TO HOLD THEIR POSITION, DO WE WANT TO HAVE THE WORD SHALL IN THERE THAT THEY'RE STILL A MEMBER? I DON'T KNOW. THAT'S A GOOD POINT, BECAUSE I KNOW WHEN WE HAD THE BRIEF ABSENCE OF AN ACC MEMBER, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANYBODY FILLING THAT POSITION AT THE MOMENT. SO I SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
WHEN THERE WAS THAT GAP, WE. YEAH. OR IT MIGHT BE SOMEBODY.
SO MAYBE THAT JUST NEEDS TO SAY MAYBE, YOU KNOW, WORST CASE SCENARIO, THERE'S AN ETHICS VIOLATION, AND WE'VE REMOVED THEM BUT NOT FILLED IT.
DO WE NEED THE SENTENCE AT ALL THAT THAT'S WHERE I AM TAKING IT OUT.
YEAH, I'M GOOD WITH THAT TOO. YEAH. OKAY. SO, A PERSON, IF WE REMOVE IT COMPLETELY, A PERSON COULD STILL HOLD THAT POSITION, EVEN IF IT. WELL, WE DON'T HAVE TERM, RIGHT.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE A TERM EXPIRATION NOW, SO THEY HOLD IT UNTIL BASICALLY THEY EITHER RESIGN OR YOU RELIEVE THEM, RIGHT? SO IF WE REMOVE THAT, YOU DON'T REALLY NEED THIS STATEMENT.
WELL, IT STILL SAYS IN THERE THAT YOU HAVE TO BE REAPPOINTED EVERY FOUR YEARS.
CORRECT. RIGHT. YES. SO I MEAN, SO I MEAN, THEY WON'T SAY FOREVER, BUT IT'S.
YEAH. YEAH. IT'S TRUE. DO YOU WANT TO JUST CHANGE IT TO MAY TERM.
[00:40:02]
BUT THERE'S NO LIMIT ON THE TERM. YEAH. WE EITHER WE EITHER CHANGE THE SHALL, MAY OR REMOVE IT COMPLETELY.I'LL LEAVE THAT UP TO THE ATTORNEYS. TAKE IT OUT.
YEAH, I JUST DON'T I DON'T WANT IT TO FORCE SOMEBODY TO STAY IN THERE.
ESPECIALLY IF WE DON'T WANT THEM TO STAY IN THERE. YEAH, WELL, I MEAN, I THINK THE COMMISSIONER SHOULD KNOW, TOO. I DON'T BELIEVE THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO REMOVE ANYBODY FROM THE ACC OR THE INDIVIDUAL WHO IS APPOINTED BY THE PAB.
I THINK THAT HAS TO COME FROM THE PAB. AM I CORRECT? STEWART, I AGREE WITH YOU. OKAY.
SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THE COMMISSIONERS ARE AWARE OF THAT. THERE ARE CERTAIN POSITIONS ON THE OCC THAT CANNOT BE REMOVED BY THE COMMISSIONERS, AND THAT'S IN STATE LAW. I MEAN, IT'S AMAZING.
I CAN REMEMBER THIS STUFF WITHOUT NOT LISTENING TO ANYTHING. I KNOW IT SO WELL.
I'M SORRY FOR YOU. YEAH, I KNOW. YEAH, I KNOW.
IT'S LIKE A NIGHTMARE. ONWARD. AND THESE ARE MORE.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE'VE ADDRESSED THESE. I MAY HAVE NOT BEEN PAYING ATTENTION WHEN WE DO, BUT ON PAGE EIGHT AND NINE, IT LOOKS LIKE THERE WERE SOME COMMENTS FROM BOTH SHERIFF BAKER AND OUR STAFF.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE ADDRESS THOSE. BUT THE FIRST COMMENT AT THE TOP OF PAGE EIGHT, I THINK THAT COMMENT IS RELATED TO THE BULLET MEMBERSHIP ON THE INAUGURAL PAB WAS STAGGERED AS FOLLOWS.
SO I DON'T THINK WE COULD CHANGE WHAT HAPPENED IN THE PAST.
I THINK THAT IS WHAT IT IS. YEAH, NO, THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE STAGGERED SO THAT THE BOARD IS SHRUNK, RIGHT? YES. SO? SO THEY WILL WHEN THEIR TERM IS UP, THEN THEY WILL BE DONE.
AND THEN THE BOARD WILL GO DOWN TO FIVE MEMBERS SEVEN.
SEVEN TOTAL MEMBERS FOR BOTH BOARDS. IN THE ORIGINAL RESOLUTION, THE COMMISSIONERS DESIRED TO HAVE AT LEAST ONE RETIRED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER TO BE A MEMBER OF THE PAB. AND WHAT THIS COMMENT IS FROM THE SHERIFF WAS THAT INSTEAD OF MAKING IT MANDATORY, THAT IT BE MAY CHANGED TO MAY.
YOU COULD HAVE A JUDGE. YOU COULD HAVE. THAT WAS THE WHOLE STATEMENT THAT YOU MAY.
YOU MAY HAVE SOMEBODY SUITABLE. YOU KNOW, THAT'S ABSOLUTELY, LIKE I SAID, A RETIRED JUDGE OR, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY ELSE WHO ABSOLUTELY CAN FIT THAT, THAT THAT BILL.
I THINK THE CHIEF WANTS TO SAY SOMETHING. I THINK THE WORD YOU'RE LOOKING FOR IS DESIRABLE, NOT MAY.
WELL, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS. DO WE REALLY HAVE TO TELL OURSELVES NO, HOW TO THINK? YEAH, THAT WAS MY THINKING AS WELL. LET'S JUST I MEAN, WHAT I THINK IS WE JUST STRIKE THAT WHOLE THING AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WE COULD HAVE THREE RETIRED.
I, YOU KNOW? EXACTLY. IT JUST SEEMED LIKE. I DON'T WANT TO HANDCUFF US TO ONE.
I MEAN, WE HAVE LIMITED PEOPLE INTERESTED IN DOING THIS, AND WE WANT TO WE DON'T WANT TO TIE OUR HANDS TO. I MEAN, THIS COULD BE INTERPRETED AS WE COULD ONLY HAVE ONE MEMBER, TOO.
SO IT COULD CAP US AT ONE WHEN WE MAY HAVE MORE THAN ONE.
SO I THINK WE REMOVE THAT COMPLETELY. SO YOU'RE SAYING KEEP F, BUT GET RID OF ONE AND TWO.
GET RID OF ONE. JUST ONE. I JUST. OKAY.
YEAH. I WAS KIND OF THINKING THAT TWO KIND OF IS I THINK TWO YOU GOT TO DO BY LAW.
YEAH. CHIP. IN AN AVERAGE YEAR. DONNIE, HOW MANY COMPLAINTS ARE LODGED IN CAROLINE COUNTY? IT'S REALLY THAT. NOT THAT MANY. I THINK WE HAD SIX LAST YEAR.
LESS THAN TEN. LESS THAN TEN TOTAL? YES. OKAY.
SO YEAH. IT'S NOT IT'S AGAIN, IT'S. THIS IS FOR YOUR AGENCY.
YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS THIS YEAR, KNOCK ON WOOD WE'VE HAD NONE.
SO AGAIN, YOU KNOW IT JUST DEPENDS UPON THE VOLUME.
I THINK THAT THE MORE THINGS ARE PUBLICIZED THE MORE YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, WHEN THIS FIRST STARTED, YOU'RE HAVING A HUGE INFLUX. I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THINGS ARE GOING TO SHRINK OR GROW DEPENDING UPON,
[00:45:06]
YOU KNOW, THE VARIABLES. SO THAT'S AN EXCELLENT POINT FOR EVERYONE TO KEEP IN MIND.I DON'T HAVE THE 2024 NUMBERS, BUT I GOT 2023 HERE.
THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE FIELDED 26,422. CALLS FOR SERVICE GENERATED SIX CITIZEN COMPLAINTS.
IT'S JUST AMAZING. YEAH, AND A TOTAL OF 15 COMPLAINTS IN CAROLINE COUNTY FOR 2023 WITH ALL AGENTS OF THOUSANDS OF INTERACTIONS WITH. IT'S JUST AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE NUMBERS ALWAYS ARE, YOU KNOW, WILL SHOW HOW WELL THESE GUYS DO THEIR JOB.
YEAH. YEAH. COMPARED TO BALTIMORE CITY, WHO HAS 800 AND SOME COMPLAINTS ON A MONTHLY BASIS.
BUT NOT EVEN ANY OF THEM THAT ARE GOING TO GO TO TRIAL, WHICH ARE GOING TO BE PROBABLY THE MAJORITY OF THEM BECAUSE IT'S A UNION SHOP AND ALL THAT GOOD STUFF. SO. YEAH. AND KEEP IN MIND A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC AND A CITIZEN COMPLAINT COULD ALSO BE A DEPUTY HITTING A MAILBOX.
YEAH. THAT ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, NOT A SIMPLE ACCIDENT.
ABSOLUTELY GOES TO THE ACC IF THEY HAD A DELMARVA TELEPHONE POLE.
SEEMS SILLY TO ME, BUT IT IS. SO I'VE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT THIS.
HOW ABOUT IF THEY HIT A DEER? WE SEEM TO HIT QUITE A FEW.
NO DEER? NO. DEAR. SHOULD NOT BE NO ANIMAL RIGHTS.
YOU GET ONE A MONTH, DON'T YOU? YOU GET ONE A MONTH.
WE GET A FEW. QUITE A FEW. KNOCK ON WOOD, DEAR.
YEAH. NO. SO, YOU KNOW, IN THE LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS THIS YEAR, THEY HAVE.
SO, THESE COMPLAINTS COULD NOT I MEAN, WHEN I WAS GOING WITH THAT, SOME OF THESE 15 COMPLAINTS COULD BE SOMETHING AS SILLY AS SOMEONE HITTING A MAILBOX OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. RIGHT. NOTHING MALICIOUS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. AND MOST OF OUR COMPLAINTS ARE VERY MINOR.
THEY'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU WOULD THINK THAT THIS LAW WAS INTENDED FOR VERY SERIOUS, YOU KNOW, USE OF FORCE COMPLAINTS, THINGS LIKE THAT, WHICH IS WHERE IT SHOULD BE.
THOSE COULD BE HANDLED MUCH MORE EFFICIENTLY WITHIN THE AGENCY.
SO, YOU HAVE MADE CALLS WITH DOESN'T HAVE ANY YEAR YOU KNOW ABOUT 11,000.
SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT 50,000 CALLS FOR SERVICE WITH ALL AGENCIES TOGETHER EASILY.
AND YOU'RE AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, 15 COMPLAINTS.
SO THAT'S A VERY AND IF YOU THINK ABOUT THOSE 50,000 INTERACTIONS OR CALLS FOR SERVICE, YOU MIGHT HAVE 3 OR 4 PERSONAL INTERACTIONS WITH PEOPLE IN THIS. SO, IF YOU LOOK AT THOSE NUMBERS, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE LESS THAN PROBABLY A HALF A PERCENT. YEAH. YEAH. SO AS A BUSINESSMAN, WHICH ALL THREE OF YOU ARE ON THE STAGE THERE, YOU KNOW, YOU WOULD THINK WHERE IS THE VALUE IN ALL THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH HERE FOR THIS, THIS LEGISLATION IN CAROLINE COUNTY. SO, YOU GOT ANY MORE PAGE NINE I DON'T THINK YOU'VE ADDRESSED THE COMMENTS THERE AND THAT'S IT.
ALL RIGHT. WHAT'S NINE? OH, JUST THE COMMENTS ON THE SIDE.
AND THIS IS REGARDING HOW SOMEBODY WHO'S FAILED TO MAINTAIN CONFIDENTIALITY. ARE THEY? AUTOMATICALLY REMOVED.
IMMEDIATELY REMOVED. THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO REMOVE.
SO HOW DO YOU FOR YOU ALL TO DECIDE HOW TO. WELL.
I WOULD JUST I MEAN, WHAT I THINK IS YOU WOULD ADD THAT IT WOULD, YOU KNOW, ANY CONFIDENTIALLY VIOLATED CONFIDENTIALITY VIOLATIONS WOULD BE PRESENTED TO THE COMMISSIONERS FOR THEIR DECISION.
EXACTLY. OTHERWISE, IT'S KIND OF OPEN ENDED. WHO MAKES THAT DECISION? ALL RIGHT. THAT'S TRUE. SO, I THINK I THINK YOU ADD IN, YOU KNOW, FAILS TO MAINTAIN CONFIDENTIALITY.
YEAH, I THINK THAT IT SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED, BUT I THINK THAT ANY BREACH OF CONFIDENTIALITY SHOULD BE HANDLED WITH THE SEVEREST OF PUNISHMENT, AND THAT SHOULD BE REMOVAL. AGAIN, I THINK IT SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS AN ACCURATE, ACCURATE. VIOLATION. BUT I DO THINK THAT IT SHOULD BE THE COMMISSIONER'S CALL.
BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT THAT THEY ABSOLUTELY SHOULD BE REMOVED IF THEY'RE VIOLATING THE CONFIDENTIALITY. WELL, PERHAPS WE JUST NEED A STATEMENT THAT SAYS ANY COMPLAINT ABOUT.
[00:50:02]
NOT MAINTAINING CONFIDENTIALITY BE BROUGHT IN FRONT OF THE COMMISSIONERS.YEAH. I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW THE PROCESS THAT YOU ACTUALLY GET THE RIGHT.
YEAH. I DON'T. DO WE NEED TO ADD ANY LANGUAGE THAT OR IS IT OKAY.
YEAH. THAT I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE NEEDS TO TAKE THE LEAD ON INVESTIGATING.
YOU DON'T WANT TO. YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE ALLEGATION IS TRUE.
YEAH. FALSELY ACCUSE ANYBODY. BUT IT CERTAINLY NEEDS TO BE LOOKED INTO.
AND, YOU KNOW, I WOULD SAY SO. THE COMPLAINT WOULD BE BROUGHT TO THE COMMISSIONERS.
THE COMMISSIONERS WOULD THEN HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DETERMINE THE MEANS OF INVESTIGATION.
EXACTLY. YEP. AND MAKE THE FINAL DECISION. YOU KNOW, ONCE THE INVESTIGATION IS RETURNED.
ARE THESE MEETINGS SUBJECT TO OPEN MEETINGS? WHEN YOU GET INTO THE WEEDS OF IT, YOU LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, WHICH AGENCY IT AFFECTED, AND THEN YOU WRITE THEM.
LIKE, IF IT WAS SOMETHING, SOMETHING WITH ONE OF ONE OF THE DEPUTIES.
RIGHT. BY ALL MEANS. THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE SHOULD INVESTIGATE IT. IF IT'S ONE OF MY ONE OF MY POLICE OFFICERS, MY OFFICE SHOULD DIG INTO THAT AND FIND OUT WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND I'M GOING TO TAKE A DIFFERENT STANCE ON THAT. I THINK THAT IT SHOULD BE AN OUTSIDE ENTITY ALTOGETHER THAT INVESTIGATES IT, MAYBE AN ATTORNEY OR SOMEBODY ELSE. BECAUSE I THINK THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST IF IT'S A, IF WE'RE, IF IT'S DEPUTIES BEING LOOKED AT, THEN WE COULD BE SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A GRUDGE OR AN AX TO GRIND.
AND SO, I THINK IT SHOULD BE AN ABSOLUTE, AN OUTSIDE ENTITY THAT THAT INVESTIGATES IT.
THAT'S GOOD. YEAH. YEP. YEP. LEAVE IT UP TO THE COMMISSIONERS.
OKAY. ALL RIGHT. IS THAT IT? OKAY. SO I HAVE ALLOWED A LITTLE BIT OF PUBLIC COMMENT HERE.
BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM. IS THERE ANYBODY WHO'D LIKE TO COMMENT ABOUT THE DISCUSSION THAT WE JUST HAD FROM THE PUBLIC? OKAY. WAS THERE ANYTHING ELSE FROM ANY OF THE PANEL MEMBERS OR ANYBODY HERE? SO THE CONSENSUS IS TO MAKE THE AMENDMENTS THAT WE JUST DISCUSSED CIRCULATE WITH THE THREE MUNICIPAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS FOR THEIR COMMENTS.
IF THEY DO NOT HAVE SUBSTANTIAL COMMENTS, THEN WE'LL GO AHEAD AND DO IT AFTER INTRODUCTION.
RIGHT. THANK YOU. GOOD WITH THAT. ANY COMMENT ON THAT FROM ANYONE.
ALL RIGHT. SOUNDS GOOD. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
[• Emergency Bill Cannabis—Licenses Locations—Restrictions]
AND RESTRICTIONS. SO, STUART, DO YOU WANT TO GIVE US A RUNDOWN ON THIS ONE.WELL BASICALLY IN THIS AMENDMENT IS CRYSTAL. CRYSTAL WILL TELL US.
WOULD YOU SNEAK IN? I'VE BEEN BACK LATE. IT'S HIDING IN THE CORNER.
IT'S AN AMENDMENT TO CHAPTER 175 TO ALLOW CANNABIS FACILITIES UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES AND SUBJECT TO CERTAIN REGS, BY ADDING A NEW SECTION 175 8B TO ARTICLE FIVE SUPPLEMENTARY REGULATIONS, AND BY ADDING TO THE CAROLINE COUNTY TABLE OF USE REGULATIONS AND ATTACHMENT THREE FOR MAKING THIS ACT AN EMERGENCY BILL.
SO IT'S NOT A VERY LONG ONE, BUT THIS. IS SOMETHING THAT BASICALLY IS DICTATED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. AND WE'RE TRYING TO BRING CAROLINE COUNTY INTO LINE WITH WHAT WE'RE BEING TOLD WE HAVE TO DO. CRYSTAL, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO COMMENT? SURE. SO WE'VE DISCUSSED THIS AT A COUPLE OF MEETINGS AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
AND THIS WOULD BE THE CREATION OF ZONING REGULATIONS FOR CANNABIS FACILITIES, AND WHAT YOU HAVE IN THE DRAFT IN FRONT OF YOU WOULD BE CREATING DEFINITIONS FOR DISPENSARIES, GROWERS AND PROCESSORS.
THOSE ARE THE THREE THINGS THAT ARE LICENSED AT THE STATE LEVEL.
AND THEN WE WOULD HAVE SUPPLEMENTARY REGULATIONS FOR THOSE THREE CLASSIFICATIONS.
AND WE PAUSED LAST YEAR BECAUSE THERE WAS A BILL IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, IT WAS HOUSE BILL 805 THAT STATED THAT A LOCAL GOVERNMENT AUTHORITY COULD NOT UNDULY BURDEN BY IMPOSING A ZONING REQUIREMENT OR RESTRICTION ON A PROPERTY BY A CANNABIS LICENSEE THAT WOULD BE MORE RESTRICTIVE THAN THE REQUIREMENTS ESTABLISHED UNDER THIS
[00:55:04]
BILL. AND WHAT THEY, THE BILL STATED WAS THAT A RETAILER RETAIL DEALER WOULD BE CONSIDERED A CANNABIS DISPENSARY OR A COUNTY DISPENSARY, AND WE WOULD HAVE TO TREAT A DISPENSARY THE SAME WAY WE WOULD TREAT A RETAIL DEALER.AND A RETAIL DEALER WAS DEFINED AS A PERSON THAT SELLS ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES.
SO IN OUR CURRENT ZONING THEY ARE PERMITTED BY STATE LAW.
EVER DONE THAT BEFORE? I'M SORRY. HAS STATE LAW EVER DONE THAT BEFORE? NOT THAT I KNOW OF. WE MET THE AUTHOR THE OTHER DAY.
SO, WHAT WE DID IN THE PROPOSED ZONING AMENDMENTS WAS TO ADD THAT CLASSIFICATION FOR SMALL SCALE AND LARGE SCALE DISPENSARIES, IN LINE WITH WHERE WE WOULD ALLOW OUR ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE SALES.
THE THEY ALSO PUT IN THE STATE REGULATIONS, THE SETBACKS THAT WE COULD IMPOSE FOR A DISPENSARY, WHICH WAS THEY COULD NOT BE LOCATED WITHIN 500FT OF SCHOOLS, CHILD CARE CENTERS PLAYGROUNDS, REC CENTERS, LIBRARIES, PUBLIC PARKS, CHURCHES, AND THEN ALSO NOT WITHIN 1000FT OF ANOTHER DISPENSARY.
SO THOSE ARE CALLED OUT IN THE IN OUR PROPOSED ZONING REGULATIONS FOR THE CANNABIS DISPENSARIES, GROWERS AND PROCESSORS. THE ONLY THING THAT COME OUT OF THAT HOUSE BILL LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION FOR SPECIFICALLY FOR GROWERS, IT STATED THAT A POLITICAL SUBDIVISION COULD NOT ADOPT AN ORDINANCE THAT WOULD ESTABLISH ZONING REQUIREMENTS THAT WOULD, FOR A LICENSED GROWER, CULTIVATING CANNABIS EXCLUSIVELY OUTDOORS IN AN AREA ZONED ONLY FOR AGRICULTURAL USE. OUR DETERMINATION HAS BEEN THAT CAROLINE COUNTY DOES NOT HAVE A STANDALONE AGRICULTURAL ZONING THAT RESTRICTS AG ONLY USES WITHIN THAT DISTRICT. WHAT WE HAVE IS IN OUR RURAL DISTRICT THAT DOES PROVIDE FOR OUR AGRICULTURAL USES, AMONG OTHER USES, INCLUDING RESIDENTIAL. SO OUR DETERMINATION HAS BEEN THAT WE DON'T HAVE AN AGRICULTURAL USE ONLY ZONING DISTRICT.
THEREFORE, WE WOULD HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DETERMINE WHERE WE WOULD ALLOW GROWERS AND PROCESSORS.
SO IN THE PROPOSED ZONING REGULATIONS, YOU'LL SEE THAT CANNABIS GROWERS AND PROCESSORS ARE PROPOSED TO BE IN THE I-2 INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT. AND THE SUPPLEMENTARY REGS THAT WOULD GO ALONG WITH THAT WOULD STATE THAT BOTH GROWERS AND PROCESSORS ARE NOT TO BE LOCATED WITHIN 1200 FEET OF SCHOOLS, RELIGIOUS FACILITIES, PUBLIC OR NONPROFIT PARKS, REC AREAS, PLAYGROUNDS, CIVIC CENTERS, CLUBS, LIBRARIES REGISTERED FAMILY DAYCARES, AND GROUP DAYCARES.
SO THERE'S A 1200 FOOT SETBACK FOR THOSE ENTITIES.
AND THEN ALSO THAT'S THE MAXIMUM ALLOWED BY THE STATE CODE.
CORRECT. AND THEN WITH THE ALSO WITH THE GROWERS AND PROCESSORS, THEY COULD NOT BE LOCATED WITHIN 600FT OF A RESIDENTIAL ZONING DISTRICT, WHICH WOULD BE OUR R1, R2, AND MOBILE HOME. BECAUSE WE DO HAVE RESIDENCES IN THE RURAL DISTRICT.
BUT IF YOU CAN'T MEET THAT 300 FOOT, IT STILL HAS TO BE WITHIN 600FT OF THE RESIDENCE.
IT WOULD STILL HAVE TO BE A MINIMUM OF 600FT FROM THE RESIDENCE, OR THE 300FT FROM THE PARCEL LINE, IF THEY CAN MEET THAT. AND THEN, OF COURSE, THE REST OF THE SUPPLEMENTARY REGULATIONS WOULD SAY YOU'D STILL BE REQUIRED TO COMPLY WITH ANY OTHER BUFFERS AND SETBACKS IN THE ZONING ORDINANCE, AS WE WOULD WITH OTHER STRUCTURES, AND THAT WE WOULD IMPOSE THESE AT THE POINT WE HAVE A COMPLETED APPLICATION.
SO, IF SOMEONE WERE TO ESTABLISH A PARK, A CHURCH OR SOMETHING, AFTER SOMEONE HAS ACTUALLY SUBMITTED AN APPLICATION THAT'S UNDER REVIEW THAT WOULDN'T BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION FOR THE SETBACKS AT THAT POINT.
IT WOULD ONLY BE WHAT'S BEEN PERMITTED AND ESTABLISHED AT THE TIME WE THEY WOULD APPLY.
IT'S TO HEAD OFF SOMEBODY TRYING TO BEAT THE FACILITY BEING ALLOWED BY SUDDENLY SAYING, I'VE GOT A CHURCH HERE OR I'VE GOT I'VE GOT A DAYCARE CENTER. RIGHT. SO CRYSTAL, WHAT ACTUAL WHAT ACTUAL ROOM DO WE HAVE?
[01:00:04]
CAN THESE DISTANCES BE INCREASED FOR THE PROCESSORS AND THE GROWERS? YES. NOT WITH THE DISPENSARIES. THE DISPENSARIES ARE IN THE STATE LAW.I'M SORRY. YES. JUST THE DISPENSARIES. SO WHAT? WHAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR ME? AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS IF WE COULD DO THIS, BUT I THINK WE'RE EVENTUALLY GOING TO HAVE TO DO IT ANYWAY.
WOULD BE. TO HAVE SOME KIND OF A MAP OF THE COUNTY THAT WOULD INDICATE AREAS THAT WOULD BE ALLOWABLE FOR THESE DIFFERENT CLASSIFICATIONS IF WE COULD COLOR CODE THEM OR SOMETHING.
AND, I MEAN, IT WOULD BE EASIER FOR ME. AND I THINK EVENTUALLY WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PROBABLY COME UP WITH SOMETHING LIKE A ZONING MAP OR SOMETHING FOR ANYONE WHO'S GOING TO APPLY. SO COULD WE, AS WE WORKSHOP THIS COULD YES, WE CAN PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER TO HELP GIVE A BETTER VISUAL OF HOW THAT WHERE THOSE AREAS ARE AND WHAT THE SETBACKS LOOK LIKE. I ALWAYS EQUATE FEET BY BASEBALL STADIUMS. WORDS THAT WERE 500FT IS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHERE YANKEE STADIUM IS, YOU KNOW.
SO I MEAN, I THINK I'D LIKE TO IF WE, IF WE COULD DO THAT, BUT I THINK AND IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, IN ORDER TO THE. THE DISPENSARY LICENSES ARE ISSUED FROM A STATEWIDE.
YES. SO A PERSON WOULD HAVE TO RECEIVE STATE PERMISSION TO HAVE A DISPENSARY BEFORE WE WOULD PERMIT IT FOR ZONING. SO ONCE THAT PERSON COMES IN WITH A STATEWIDE DISPENSARY PERMIT, THEN WE'RE OUT OF THAT PROCESS.
BUT THEN WE WOULD DETERMINE WHERE IT CAN GO. CORRECT.
AND THAT IT MEETS THE PROPER SETBACKS. IS THAT THE SAME WITH GROWERS AND PROCESSORS? YES. SO WE'RE NOT IN THE LICENSING BUSINESS? NO.
WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH ANY OF THAT. NO.
OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THAT'S ALL I HAVE ON THE ZONING DISTRICTS.
CRYSTAL. I COULDN'T FIND IT. WHAT'S THE [INAUDIBLE] .
IF IT'S A MAJOR SITE PLAN, IT WOULD GO TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOR APPROVAL.
AND THEN THE E IS SUBJECT TO A SPECIAL USE EXCEPTION.
OKAY. WOULD THERE BE A POSSIBILITY OF APPEALING THESE AS WELL? SO THERE IS AN APPEAL PROCESS THROUGH THE BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS.
SO IN IN OUR PROVISIONS, IF YOU WERE LOOKING TO DO A LARGE SCALE, LARGE SCALE DISPENSARY, THAT WOULD BE OVER 3000FT² OF GROSS FLOOR AREA.
AND SORRY, CAN I ASK? SURE. SO DO WE AT THIS AT THIS TIME? DO WE HAVE ANY LICENSED DISPENSARY? MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE STATE ISSUED ONE LAST YEAR AND THAT IS CURRENTLY BEING LOCATED IN THE TOWN OF FEDERALSBURG. IN TOWN. IN THE TOWN, A DISPENSARY? YES. HOW ABOUT GROWING AND PROCESSING? I AM NOT AWARE OF ANY THAT HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR US.
IT'S A REGION. IT'S NOT SPECIFIC PER COUNTY. THE NUMBER OF LICENSES THAT THEY'RE ALLOCATING, IT'S BY A REGION ON THE EASTERN SHORE. I'M NOT SURE HOW MANY COUNTIES ARE ENCOMPASSED IN THAT WHEN THEY GRANT THOSE LICENSES EACH CYCLE.
AND THE REASON THIS IS AN EMERGENCY LEGISLATION, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, IF WE DID GET AN APPLICATION, WE WOULD HAVE NO WAY TO PROCESS IT. CORRECT? WE DON'T HAVE.
SO WE REALLY NEED TO GET THIS STOOD UP IF AT ALL POSSIBLE.
AND WHO'S APPLIED? OKAY. THAT'S HOW FAST CAN WE GET OUR MAP PULLED TOGETHER.
I WILL REACH OUT TO MEGAN AND SEE IF I CAN GET HER WORKING ON THAT.
OKAY, SO REALLY WE'RE JUST GOING TO BE DEALING WITH GROWERS AND PROCESSORS.
SO, DISPENSERS ARE PRETTY MUCH GOING TO BE IN THE COMMERCIAL.
[01:05:03]
CORRECT. YEAH, YEAH, THEY WOULD HAVE TO BE IN A COMMERCIAL ZONING DISTRICT, JUST LIKE A RETAIL STORE WOULD, AND MEET ALL THE STATE IMPOSED SETBACKS AND HOURS MATCHES WHAT'S IN THE STATE.SO, YEAH. AND THAT IS FOR DISPENSARIES. THEY STILL HAVE TO REMAIN 500FT FROM YOUR CHURCHES, YOUR SCHOOLS, YOUR PARKS, DAYCARES. AND THEN THEY HAVE TO BE NO CLOSER THAN A HALF A MILE FROM ANOTHER CANNABIS DISPENSARY.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE NO MORE THAN THEY HAVE TO MAINTAIN 100 FOOT SEPARATION WITH A RESIDENTIAL ZONING DISTRICT WITH A DISPENSARY. AND THOSE ARE THE SETBACKS THAT ARE IN THE STATE BILL.
QUESTION. DOES IT MAKE SENSE? IS IT PRUDENT FOR US TO ADD LANGUAGE IN OUR CODE THAT INDICATES THAT THIS IS DICTATED BY STATE CODE, SO THAT 15 YEARS FROM NOW, WHEN SOMEONE ELSE IS SITTING IN THIS CHAIR SAYING, WHY ARE THESE SETBACKS WHAT THEY ARE? WE HAVE A LITTLE BLURB IN THERE THAT SAYS, AS THE COUNTY ATTORNEY AT THAT TIME, YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO BACK. YES, WE CAN ADD SOME LANGUAGE THAT MAKES IT CLEAR THAT THIS IS MANDATED BY THE STATE, BECAUSE THIS IS A FIRST. YEAH. SO, IF THE STATE AMENDS THEIR REGULATIONS, SHOULD WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT SAYS, WELL, THAT'S A GOOD REASON TO HAVE IT IN THERE AS WELL? EXACTLY. AS AN ALARM BELL IN CASE THE STATE MADE AN AMENDMENT.
YEAH. YEAH. THERE'S A RISK WHEN YOU SAY THAT WHATEVER THE STATE CHANGES IN THE FUTURE, WE AUTOMATICALLY CHANGED TO THAT IN THIS ORDINANCE? THERE'S A DANGER IN THAT.
THERE'S BEEN THE ISSUE IN COURT WOULD BE HOW COULD YOU HAVE ACTUALLY LEGISLATED THAT CHANGE PROSPECTIVELY INSTEAD OF IN OTHER WORDS, YOU DIDN'T ACTUALLY EXAMINE WHAT THE NEW STATE LAW IS AND AGREE TO THE CHANGE YOU AGREED IN ADVANCE WITHOUT CONSIDERATION OF IT.
RIGHT. SO IT'S A NUANCE THAT I WOULD PREFER THAT WE DON'T SAY THAT WHATEVER THE STATE IMPOSES, WE THAT WE OUR ORDINANCE AUTOMATICALLY BY OPERATION OF LAW CHANGED.
MY GUESS WOULD BE THAT ANYTHING THAT'S CHANGED BY THE STATE WILL BE MANDATED TO THE COUNTIES ANYWAY.
BUT OKAY, I SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. OKAY. ALL RIGHT.
ON THE LAST BILL, I ALLOWED PUBLIC COMMENT REGARDING OUR DISCUSSION ON THE BILL ITSELF, IS THERE ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO PUBLIC OR IN THE PUBLIC WHO WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT AT THIS TIME? OKAY. NONE SEEN. ALL RIGHT.
SO WE WILL MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT. AND THAT SHOULD BE OKAY FOR INTRODUCTION AFTER.
RIGHT? YES. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. I BELIEVE THAT THAT IS WITH YOU, THAT YOU'VE SEEN THE STACK OF PAPERS WE GET TO READ EVERY WEEK, RIGHT? YEP.
OKAY. BUT THEY'RE ZONED INTO THE TOWN ITSELF.
OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. THAT IS ALL WE HAVE ON THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION WORKSHOP. SO, DO I HEAR A MOTION TO CLOSE THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION? SO MOVED. MOTION SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
AYE. OKAY. WE ARE NO LONGER IN LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
NEXT AGENDA ITEM IS A LEGISLATIVE UPDATE FROM THE SESSION IN ANNAPOLIS.
[Legislative Session Update]
SO, COMMISSIONER PORTER. YEAH. THE BILLS HAVE CALMED DOWN SOME. WE COMMISSIONER BRADY AND I TRAVELED TO ANNAPOLIS FRIDAY TO PRESENT TESTIMONY ON.IF I REMEMBER THEM, HB HOUSE BILL 1036 AND SENATE BILL 931.
DOES THAT SOUND RIGHT? SOUNDS RIGHT. THOSE NUMBERS AND AFTER PROBABLY 5 OR 6 HOURS, WE WERE ALLOWED TO TESTIFY. WELL, YOU GOT TO GO A LOT SOONER THAN I DID.
YEAH. SO? SO, THEY SAID. RIGHT. SO THIS WAS ON THE SOLAR PANEL ISSUE WITH PREEMPTION OF THE STATE IN THREE AREAS. NUMBER ONE WAS SITING.
[01:10:04]
NUMBER TWO WAS TAXATION. AND NUMBER THREE WAS DECOMMISSIONING.BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE BATTERY AND BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE.
SO I THINK. THE PANEL OF IT WAS IT WAS BEFORE THE JOINT HOUSE AND SENATE.
AND I THINK HONESTLY, THERE WAS SOME, SOME VALUABLE TESTIMONY ISSUED ON BOTH SIDES.
I THINK THERE WERE PROBABLY MORE PEOPLE OPPOSING THE BILL THAN THERE WAS IN FAVOR OF IT.
BY NUMBERS. AND SINCE THAT TIME, WE HAVE RECEIVED SOME PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE BILLS FROM THE MARYLAND ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES.
I THINK WE'RE STILL IN THE, YOU KNOW, PROCESSING PERIOD OF THOSE.
YOU KNOW, STUART, YOU LOOKED AT THEM AS WELL.
I'M NOT GOING TO SPECULATE ON WHETHER WE'RE GOING TO GET ANYTHING.
I THINK WE'RE MY GUESS IS SIMPLY THAT WE'RE GOING TO PROBABLY GET SOME RELIEF IN THE TAXATION AND DECOMMISSIONING AREAS. I'M NOT SURE. I'M NOT SURE THEY'RE GOING TO GIVE UP SITING AUTHORITY.
AND THE REASON THAT WE WERE GIVEN WAS BECAUSE OR THE REASON IT WAS STATED BY THE AUTHOR OF THE BILL, SPONSOR OF THE BILL WAS THAT THERE WERE A NUMBER OF COUNTIES IN THE STATE WHO WERE, I GUESS, IN HIS WORDS, ZONING SOLAR OUT OF THEIR COUNTIES.
THEY DID NOT WANT IT. SO THEY WERE IMPOSING SOLAR ZONING THAT WAS THAT WAS KIND OF PROHIBITING IT.
OUR POINT, ALONG WITH OTHER, YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF LIKE WHEN YOU HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THE PEOPLE I THINK, WHO ARE DOING WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO ARE THE ONES THAT SHOW UP.
THE ONES THAT AREN'T DON'T SHOW UP. SO YOU KNOW, WE POINTED OUT THAT CAROLINE HAD BEEN VERY PROACTIVE IN ESTABLISHING AN ORDINANCE BACK IN 2017. WE HAD SET ASIDE ACREAGE YOU KNOW, THAT ORDINANCE HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED THROUGH A LOT OF WORKSHOPS WITH ALL INTERESTED PARTIES.
I THINK FREDERICK COUNTY HAD DONE SOME WORK AS WELL.
SO THE SPONSOR OF THE BILL WAS BASICALLY OUR.
OUR POINT WAS, WHY CAN'T THE COUNTIES WHO HAVE BEEN COLLABORATIVE ON THIS ISSUE BE CARVED OUT OF THIS BILL AND STILL RETAIN SITING APPROVAL? BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT IS GOING TO WORK.
SO I DON'T EVEN THINK IT'S BEING PROPOSED. YEAH.
THE I MEAN, WE BROUGHT IT UP, BUT HE, THERE'S NO THE THING ABOUT THIS IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE SPONSOR OF THE BILL WAS VERY CLEAR, AND I THINK HE'S CORRECT. THERE WOULD BE THERE WOULD NOT BE ANY SOLAR PANELS IN THIS COUNTY IF FARMERS DID NOT AGREE AND LEASE OR SELL THEIR PROPERTY TO SOLAR COMPANIES. THAT'S TRUE. THAT'S A TRUE STATEMENT.
THERE IS NO THERE IS NO POSITION HERE AT THIS POINT OF EMINENT DOMAIN.
IN FACT, AFTER TESTIMONY FROM A YOUNG LADY, I THINK SHE WAS 13 WHO DID A REALLY GOOD JOB FARM FAMILY REPRESENTATIVE OF A GENERATIONAL FARM FAMILY IN THIS COUNTY. HE WAS VERY ADAMANT, FOR THE RECORD, THAT THERE WOULD NEVER BE EMINENT DOMAIN AS LONG AS HE HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT. AND I, I TAKE HIM AT HIS WORD FOR THAT.
BUT I THINK THAT THEY KEEP REFERRING BACK TO THE BILL OR TO THE COURT CASE, WASHINGTON COUNTY VERSUS THE STATE OF MARYLAND, WHICH THEY SAY, AND I LOOK, I'M NOT A LAWYER.
I WISH I WAS, BUT PERENNIAL. IT WAS WORSE, I THINK, AGAINST PERENNIAL.
SO THAT'S LAW I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE GO FROM THERE, BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD HEARING.
I THOUGHT WE WERE ABLE TO KIND OF INTERACT WITH OTHER COUNTIES AND TALK TO OTHER COUNTIES.
BOTTOM LINE IS, I'M NOT SURE UNTIL WE LOOK AT THE AMENDMENTS AND SEE WHERE WE CAN GO.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO REALLY KNOW WHERE WE ARE. THE TAXATION IS A BIG PART BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AS THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET MOVES FORWARD AND ABOUT 145 MILLION GETS SHIFTED, DOLLARS GETS SHIFTED TO THE COUNTIES FROM THE STATE.
[01:15:09]
WE GOT TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO COVER THOSE COSTS.SO, YOU KNOW, WE'LL KEEP IN MIND, YOU KNOW, WE'LL KEEP REVIEWING THE AMENDMENTS.
I'M NOT SURE, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU. MAYBE SOMEONE DOES WHAT THE PROCESS IS, WHETHER THEY WILL GO BACK AND VOTE ON THE AMENDMENTS OR HOW THAT WORKS, BUT THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE IN THE PROCESS OF WORKING ON AMENDMENTS NOW WITH THE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE LEADERS.
WELL, I THINK I PROBABLY BREAK SOME NEWS HERE.
I THINK THEY DRAFTED THIS BILL WITH A TOTAL IN MIND.
I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED. THAT'S JUST SPECULATION ON MY OPINION.
AND I THINK WE'RE GOING TO GET HOSED. AND WE ARE GETTING HOSED ACTIVELY RIGHT NOW WITH THESE AMENDMENTS, BECAUSE THE AMENDMENTS WE'RE GOING TO WALK AWAY THINKING, OH, WE GOT SOMETHING OUT OF THE DEAL.
AND WE STILL TOTALLY GET PREEMPTED BY THE STATE AS FAR AS CITING EVERYONE THAT WAS IN THAT HEARING ROOM, TESTIFYING AGAINST THAT BILL WAS SAYING, DO NOT STRIP THE COUNTIES OF LOCAL ZONING AUTHORITY.
YOU CAN CATCH ZONING. GOODBYE. SO EVERYONE WHO TOOK TIME OFF FRIDAY TO GO OVER THERE AND IMPLORE THOSE DELEGATES AND SENATORS TO ALLOW THE COUNTIES TO HAVE CONTROL OVER THIS, WASTED THEIR TIME, INCLUDING US.
YEAH. I AND, YOU KNOW I THINK MAKO IS GOING TO BACK AWAY.
I KNOW THEY PROBABLY WEREN'T HAPPY WITH MY TESTIMONY BECAUSE I SAID THE COUNTIES THAT HAVE MADE SACRIFICES AND TRIED TO BE GOOD PARTNERS WITH THE STATE, WHETHER WE BELIEVE IN RENEWABLE ENERGY OR NOT.
THERE WERE MULTIPLE COMMITTEE MEMBERS WHO OBVIOUSLY HAD DISDAIN FOR US BECAUSE THEY PERCEIVED US RURAL COUNTIES AS A SOLAR CONSPIRACY THEORISTS WHO DID NOT BELIEVE IN THE VIABILITY OF SOLAR.
SO THEREFORE, WHY WOULD THEY PAY ANY ATTENTION TO US? THEY ALSO PAINTED THEMSELVES AS PERSONAL PROPERTY, RIGHT? PROTECTIONISTS, WHICH IS TOTAL RIDICULOUSNESS.
I MEAN, IT IS WHAT ZONING IS. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT ZONING DOES.
IT IS A CONFISCATION OF PERSONAL PROPERTY RIGHTS.
YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T YOU DON'T GET TO DO WHAT YOU WANT.
AND IT'S IN THE NAME OF THE GREATER GOOD OF THE COMMUNITY.
BUT BECAUSE THE SOLAR INDUSTRY FEELS THAT WE'RE BEING TOO ONEROUS, YOU KNOW, GET NOW WE NEED TO GET OUT OF THE OUT OF THEIR WAY, YOU KNOW, OUT OF THE STATE'S WAY IN MEETING ITS RENEWABLE ENERGY GOALS.
A LOT OF THE TESTIMONY WAS REVOLVED AROUND FOOD SECURITY.
A LOT OF THE FARMERS SAID, YOU'RE NOT IN SO MANY WORDS.
BUT WHAT THEY WERE GETTING AT WAS YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE AN ENERGY PROBLEM.
AND IN AN ATTEMPT TO SOLVE THAT PROBLEM, YOU'RE GOING TO CREATE ANOTHER PROBLEM IN FOOD SECURITY WHICH FELL ON DEAF EARS. I DON'T THINK THEY WANTED TO HEAR IT. SO, THE ONLY WAY TO REALLY BALANCE THIS ISSUE IS TO HAVE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS INVOLVED IN DETERMINING THE SITING.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, TO GIVE TALBOT COUNTY A LOT OF CREDIT.
I THINK THEIR POINT SYSTEM WAS A NOBLE ATTEMPT AT DOING THAT.
AND I REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTING SOME FORM OF THAT HERE TO BALANCE THE RENEWABLE ENERGY GOALS OF THE STATE WITH THE NEED TO PROTECT PRODUCTIVE AG LAND.
AND THIS BILL TAKES ALL OF THAT AWAY. SO, I CAN TELL YOU WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
THIS BILL IS GOING TO PASS. WE WILL RETAIN SOME HIGHER LEVEL OF TAXING AUTHORITY.
MAYBE THE DECOMMISSIONING BOND MIGHT HAVE TO BE POSTED AT 100%.
[01:20:05]
BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE WILL PROBABLY BE REMOVED.AND SITING IS GOING TO GO EVERYWHERE. THE EASTERN SHORE AND CAROLINE COUNTY IS GOING TO BE COVERED UP WITH SOLAR PANELS AS A RESULT OF THIS BILL PASSING. IF THE FEDERAL SUBSIDIES, IF THERE ARE ENOUGH SUBSIDIES THERE, AND THE THREE OF US SITTING HERE ARE GOING TO GET BLAMED EVERY TIME ONE GOES IN, WE'RE GOING TO GET BLAMED BECAUSE EVERYONE PERCEIVES US AS HAVING THE AUTHORITY OVER SITING.
AND I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU'RE EVER GOING TO GET THAT MESSAGE OUT.
ENOUGH. WELL, PART OF MY ENOUGH OF A RANT. PART OF MY TESTIMONY WAS THAT, AND I'LL BE VERY CLEAR, THE ORDINANCE THAT WAS PASSED WITH THE 2000 ACRES WAS DONE UNDER MY WATCH.
IT WASN'T REALLY DONE THROUGH COMMISSIONER BREEDING AND COMMISSIONER BART'S.
MY POINT TO THEM WAS WE PASSED THIS ORDINANCE, AND IF WE GO OVER THAT LIMIT, I'M THE GUY THAT PEOPLE CAN YELL AT IN THE GROCERY STORE, RIGHT? THEY DON'T THEY DON'T KNOW THE STATE PEOPLE. THEY DON'T KNOW WHO THEY ARE.
AND I CAN STAND THERE ALL DAY AND SAY, WELL, IT'S NOT MY FAULT.
I THINK THE OTHER PROBLEM IS THE OTHER THING THAT I WAS ABLE TO, I THINK, AT THE GREAT CHAGRIN OF THE SPONSOR OF THE BILL TO SAY DURING THE DURING THE HEARING, HE REPEATEDLY SAID, WE ARE NOT TAKING FARMLAND BECAUSE THE MINUTE THAT THAT SOWER LEASE IS UP, YOU CAN GO RIGHT BACK AND FARM THAT LAND.
YOU CAN'T. YEAH, THAT'S YOU CAN'T DO IT. AND ANYBODY WHO WANTS I'VE NEVER TALKED TO A FARMER YET WHO SAYS YOU CAN COVER ACRES OF LAND WITH SOLAR PANELS AND PULL THOSE SOLAR PANELS UP AND GET YOUR TRACTOR OUT THERE AND START PLOWING.
YOU CAN'T DO THAT. THE OTHER CONCERN WAS GENERATIONAL FARMING.
I MEAN, IF A LEASE ON A PROPERTY IS FOR 25 YEARS.
WHAT IS THAT GENERATION OF FARMERS SUPPOSED TO DO FOR 25 YEARS? ARE THEY SUPPOSED TO GO GET A JOB SOMEWHERE AND WORK FOR 25 YEARS, THEN COME BACK AND BECOME FARMERS AGAIN? YOU'RE GOING TO LOSE THAT GENERATION OF FARMERS.
THIS ALL HAS A RIPPLE EFFECT, BUT I DON'T THINK THEY CARE, BECAUSE AT THE SAME TIME THAT THEY ARE PASSING THIS ORDINANCE, THEY'RE CLOSING DOWN COAL GENERATION AND FUEL, FOSSIL FUEL GENERATION, ELECTRIC PLANTS.
THEY'RE EITHER PAUSING OR FOR THE TIME BEING, ELIMINATING CRYSTAL IF I'M NOT CORRECT.
AG PRESERVATION FUNDS. SO, YOU'RE NOT ONLY ON ONE HAND COVERING UP ACRES OF LAND WITH SOLAR PANELS, SOLAR PANELS. YOU'RE NOT PROVIDING THE LAND TO PRESERVE AGRICULTURE ANYMORE.
I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE IT'S A COINCIDENCE. I DON'T THINK SO.
BUT MAYBE IT IS. BUT I MEAN, THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE FACING HERE, BUT I, YOU KNOW, LOOK, I WANT TO BE, I WANT TO BE OPTIMISTIC, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT SITING OR ZONING, THEY'RE EVER GOING TO GIVE THAT UP. I JUST DON'T THINK THEY'RE GOING TO.
AND I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE LEFT THERE THINKING THAT MAYBE THEY WOULD.
A LOT OF THE PEOPLE WHO TOOK TIME OUT OF THEIR DAY TO GO OVER AND TESTIFY ON FRIDAY.
I MEAN, I DIDN'T, BUT I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WENT OVER THERE AND PUT THE EFFORT FORWARD TO DELIVER THAT MESSAGE THOUGHT THAT MAYBE IT WOULD ACTUALLY BE ENTERTAINING. BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO THE TERM THAT WAS USED BY, BY ONE OF THE PEOPLE ON THE I THINK ONE OF THE SPONSORS WAS UNNECESSARY ZONING THAT WE HAD DONE.
WE HAD DONE UNNECESSARY ZONING. AND I'M SITTING THERE THINKING ABOUT ALL THE HOURS THAT WERE SPENT SITTING IN HERE WITH PUBLIC HEARINGS AND WORK GROUPS AND GETTING SCREAMED AND YELLED AT. THAT WAS UNNECESSARY.
WE IF WE HAD NOT DONE ONE THING, IF WE HAD JUST SAID, NOPE, WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE SOLAR PANELS IN THIS COUNTY, WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO IT. WE WOULDN'T BE IN ANY DIFFERENT SITUATION TODAY THAN DOING WHAT WE DID.
[01:25:07]
SO KEEP THAT IN MIND. ALL THE WORK THAT WAS DONE STUDIES, WORK GROUPS, PANELS.YOU KNOW, ALL OF THAT WAS FOR NOTHING. AND I DON'T KNOW WHY ANY FUTURE GROUP OF COMMISSIONERS, FRANKLY, WOULD TRY TO TAKE A PROACTIVE POSITION ON ANYTHING ANYMORE.
THERE WAS A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WERE SAID EARLY IN THE SUPPORT TESTIMONY, ONE OF WHICH WAS A WITNESS TESTIFIED THAT 1% IT WAS ESTIMATED THAT ONLY 1% OF THE STATE'S AGRICULTURAL LAND WOULD NEED TO BE CONVERTED TO SOLAR TO MEET THE STATE'S RENEWABLE ENERGY GOAL. I USED THAT AS A PART OF MY TESTIMONY. I SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT WAS MENTIONED IN THAT CAROLINE COUNTY WAS FAST APPROACHING 2%.
YOU KNOW, SO THAT STATEMENT, AT LEAST IN OUR JURISDICTION, WAS INCORRECT.
AND THEN I ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE PERENNIAL SOLAR PREEMPTION CASE AND THE WAY IT HAD BEEN EXPLAINED TO ME BY MR. BARROW THAT, YOU KNOW, ESSENTIALLY THE WAY THE SYSTEM WORKS RIGHT NOW.
AND WE PARTICIPATED IN THIS. I PARTICIPATED IN THIS LAST NIGHT.
WAS EVERY TIME A SOLAR APPLICATION IS MADE, A PUBLIC UTILITY LAW JUDGE IS ASSIGNED TO ADJUDICATE THAT APPLICATION. AND THE COUNTY GETS AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE ITS ARGUMENTS ABOUT WHY ITS ORDINANCES OR ZONING ORDINANCES SHOULD APPLY TO THAT APPLICATION EACH AND EVERY TIME AN APPLICATION IS HEARD.
SO, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW IT'S UP TO A PUBLIC UTILITY LAW JUDGE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT OUR ZONING ORDINANCES WOULD APPLY ON A CASE BY CASE TO EACH INDIVIDUAL PROJECT WITHIN THE COUNTY.
WAS THAT FOR JURISDICTIONS SUCH AS OURS, WHO HAD BEEN RESPONSIBLE AND HAD ALLOWED SOLAR DEVELOPMENT, THAT WE BE GIVEN SPECIAL CONSIDERATION AND ACTUALLY RETURN SOME AUTHORITY TO US, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY WE HAD USED IT RESPONSIBLY, THAT AUTHORITY AND YOU KNOW, THAT NOTHING THERE.
BUT I DON'T THINK MAKO I MEAN, THEY DIDN'T LET ON, BUT I THINK THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE A UNIFIED MESSAGE AS OPPOSED TO A MESSAGE OF, YOU KNOW, CARVE A COUPLE OF US OUT, BUT I DON'T KNOW.
YEAH. SO THAT'S THE THAT'S THE STORY. BE READY FOR SOLAR.
THAT'S THE THAT'S THE MESSAGE BECAUSE IT'S COMING.
SO, JEFF, DID YOU WANT TO. YES. A COUPLE OF THINGS.
I COMMEND YOU ALL FOR YOUR EFFORTS. I THINK IT WILL HAVE SOME EFFECT.
THE OTHER THING I WANT TO POINT OUT IS I BELIEVE THE COUNTY IS DOING 160 OR APPLICANTS 160 PERC TESTS THIS YEAR. SO IF YOU ASSUME THAT EACH ONE OF THOSE IS PROBABLY AN ACRE OR MORE, THAT'S A FEW HUNDRED ACRES WE'RE LOSING FROM AGRICULTURE, WHICH WILL NEVER RETURN TO AGRICULTURE.
ON TOP OF THE SOLAR. AND I TOO WANT THE AGRICULTURE TO BE VIABLE IN THE COUNTY.
I MEAN, IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT EVEN IF YOU LIVE IN TOWN, YOU KNOW, YOU LIKE TO DRIVE OUT AND YOU SEE THE, YOU KNOW, FRESH CORN COMING UP OR THE SOYBEANS.
YOU KNOW, I THINK TALBOT COUNTY DEFINITELY IS IN DANGER.
AND WE ARE TWO OF THE SITUATION, WHERE THEY'RE PAVING PARADISE TO PUT UP A PARKING LOT.
AND YOU KNOW, I SEE ALL THE LAND THAT THE STATE TOOK FOR 404 WIDENING AND CERTAINLY ROUTE 50, THEY'VE GOT A BIG MEDIAN STRIP. THEY'VE GOT STRIPS ON BOTH SIDES.
WHY DON'T THEY PUT SOLAR UP THERE? I MEAN, I'M NOT DEFINITELY SAYING I WOULD LOVE TO SEE IT, BUT, YOU KNOW THEY SHOULD THEY OWN PLENTY OF LAND STATEWIDE.
MY OTHER QUESTION WOULD BE, IS I MEAN, I CERTAINLY OUR LAND VALUES ARE LOWER THAN MONTGOMERY COUNTY.
I'M WONDERING HOW MANY OF THESE FACILITIES ARE GOING IN MONTGOMERY AND PRINCE GEORGE'S AND, YOU KNOW, THOSE AREAS. I'M SORRY. I KNOW THOSE ARE JUST SHOTGUN THINGS, BUT IT'S JUST STUFF I'M THINKING.
[01:30:04]
SOLAR OUT OF THEIR AG PRESERVE. SO I THINK THAT WAS THAT WAS WHAT THEY USED FOR JUSTIFICATION.BUT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU USE THAT FOR JUSTIFICATION, I THINK MY ARGUMENT THAT THE COUNTIES WHO HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE SHOULD GET A SPECIAL CARVE OUT. RIGHT. BUT SO, I QUESTION THAT MOTIVATION.
I'LL PUT IT THAT WAY. I QUESTION A LOT OF STUFF, THOUGH, IN FAIRNESS TO CHAIRMAN.
SO NOW HERE'S A QUESTION. IF A FARM IS IN AG PRESERVATION, NO, CANNOT PUT SOLAR ON IT AT THIS POINT SO FAR. YEAH. SO FAR AT THIS POINT. BUT YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE OTHER THING.
BUT, YOU KNOW, AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL, YOU GET DRAWN LAST.
I MEAN, COME ON, SERIOUSLY, FORGET MY NAME AND PUT ME LAST ON THE LIST AND THEN GIVE ME TWO MINUTES, YOU KNOW. AND COMMISSIONER PORTER GOT TWO MINUTES AS WELL.
AND I WASN'T THE ONLY ONE. JIM MORAN FROM QUEEN ANNE'S COUNTY GOT OVERLOOKED.
RON FITHIAN FROM KENT COUNTY GOT OVERLOOKED. SO YOU WERE SIGNED UP? I KNOW I WAS SIGNED UP. THEY CALLED JIM'S NAME.
THEY DIDN'T CALL MINE. BUT JIM WAS. COMMISSIONER MORAN WAS NEAR THE END.
AND I NEVER HEARD RON FITHIAN'S NAME, SO MAYBE HIS WAS RIGHT NEXT TO MINE, SO.
I DON'T KNOW, TOO LATE TO SUCCEED. YEAH, IT'S TOO LATE FOR THAT.
BUT DID YOU HAVE ANY OTHER BILLS YOU WANTED TO HIT ON? I DON'T THINK SO. WE SPENT MOST OF OUR TIME ON THAT ONE.
YEAH? YEAH, YEAH. YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING? YOU'RE BEING AWFUL QUIET.
ALL RIGHT. GOOD. ALL RIGHT. WELL, LET'S MOVE ON TO THE CONSENT AGENDA, THEN.
[Consent Agenda]
IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS ABOUT ANYTHING ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? I DO, I HAVE IN THE BRIEFING THAT WE HAD ABOUT THE GRASS CUTTING CONTRACT, THERE WAS A COMMENT THAT SAID THE COUNTY HAS EMPHASIZED THE NEED FOR IMPROVED SERVICE QUALITY, PARTICULARLY IN ENSUING ENSURING EVEN CUTS, PROPER DEBRIS REMOVAL AND APPROPRIATE MOWER SETTINGS.IF, I MEAN, WAS IT I'M ASSUMING THIS WAS A COMPETITIVE BID, RIGHT? DID WE RECEIVE OTHER I THINK IT WAS COMPETITIVE BID LAST YEAR.
I THINK IT WAS A REMINDER TO THE CONTRACTOR. WELL, I MEAN, IF WE HAVE TO REMIND HIM, WHAT WHY ARE WE IS THE RECOMMENDATION TO EXTEND THIS INSTEAD OF ALL OF THIS? YES, YES. BUT IT'S A REMINDER TO THE CONTRACTOR THAT THOSE THINGS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO US.
I THINK THE COST, THE COST DIFFERENCE IS JUST TOO MUCH TO.
ALL RIGHT. WELL, I, YOU KNOW, IT'S A LOT OF MONEY.
SO, IF WE GOT TO REMIND THEM TO DO STUFF, HOW MANY TIMES DO WE REMIND THEM? I GUESS THAT'S MY QUESTION, BUT I THINK THE STEP UP TO THE NEXT HIGHEST BIDDER WAS CONSIDERABLE LAST TIME.
YEAH. SO YOU KIND OF YOU DEAL WITH A LITTLE BIT, I GUESS.
I DON'T THINK I HAD ANYTHING ELSE AT THIS POINT.
OKAY. DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING, MR. BARTZ? I JUST WANT TO KNOW.
ALL RIGHT. I HEAR A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA, THEN.
SO. MOVED. SECOND. MOTION AND SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
AYE. THE AYES HAVE IT. ON TO OUR ACTION AGENDA.
[Action Agenda]
FIRST UP, WE HAD THE CHESAPEAKE COLLEGE AWARD OF CONTRACT CONSOLIDATION.WHAT? CONSULTATION FOR TEN YEARS. FACILITY MASTER PLAN AND USE OF FUND BALANCE.
WHO KNOWS ABOUT THIS? DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR. MY EYES ARE ON YOU.
YOU'RE THE MONEY MAN. SO, AT THE BUDGET ROUNDTABLE, KAREN SMITH FROM CHESAPEAKE COLLEGE HAD APPROACHED BOTH KATHLEEN AND I ABOUT A USE OF FUND BALANCE REQUEST AND LATER SENT OVER THE MEMORANDUM ATTACHED TO THE AGENDA BRIEFING.
[01:35:01]
THE LONG AND SHORT OF THE REQUEST IS THE COLLEGE IS LOOKING TO ENTERTAIN AND START A CONTRACT FOR A CONSULTANT TO DO A TEN YEAR MASTER PLAN.THEY WOULD LIKE TO BREAK UP THE FUNDING BETWEEN FUND BALANCE AND THEN A $75,000 APPROVED ATHLETICS MASTER PLAN THAT THEY HAD IN THEIR FY 25 CAPITAL BUDGET. SO THE LONG AND SHORT IS THEY NEED $167,550 TO MAKE UP THE REST OF THE CONTRACT, AND THEY WOULD LIKE TO USE FUND BALANCE TO DO THAT.
SO THE USE OF FUND BALANCE. BLESS YOU. JUST LIKE THE APPROVAL OF THEIR BUDGET AND ANY OTHER FINANCIAL MATTER IS VOTED ON BY THE FIVE SUPPORTING COUNTIES. SO, I BELIEVE THEY'VE GONE TO KENT TALBOT AND HAVE RECEIVED FAVORABLE OF VOTES AND ARE JUST GOING THROUGH THE OTHER JURISDICTIONS AS WELL.
LOOKING TO SEEK APPROVAL FOR USE OF FUND BALANCE FOR THE PLAN.
ANY IDEA? SO IT'S TO HIRE A 250 SOME THOUSAND DOLLARS TO HIRE A CONSULTANT, TO DO A MASTER PLAN? OF WHAT MY UNDERSTANDING FROM READING THE MEMORANDUM IS A TEN YEAR CAPITAL FACILITIES PLAN, SO I'M NOT TOO SURE HOW DETAILED OR WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, BUT I IMAGINE IT WOULD HAVE TO BE PRETTY THOROUGH FOR A $250,000 PLAN.
THIS IS SOMETHING THEY PUT OUT TO BID ON THE BACK OF THE PAGE.
IT LOOKS LIKE THEY RECEIVED SIX PROPOSALS, AND THEY ARE RECOMMENDING THE TWO AWARD, THE SECOND LOWEST TO DESIGN COLLECTIVE OUT OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND. OUTSIDE OF THAT, THAT IS REALLY ALL THAT I KNOW OF THE SUBMISSION. IT'S GOING TO TAKE TEN MONTHS TO IMPLEMENT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS TO SUPPORT THE OLD MISSION AND EDUCATION PLANS AS A COLLEGE. A TEN MONTH STUDY.
AND THEY WERE ALL THE LOWEST WAS 240. THE HIGHEST WAS 258.
IT LOOKS LIKE THEY CHECKED A NOTE THAT THEY DID THAT IN HOUSE.
THEY HAVE A NOTE FOLLOWING SAYS THE TEN YEAR FMP.
SO, IT LOOKS LIKE MARCH 1ST, 2016. TEN YEARS ON, THAT WOULD BE NEXT YEAR 20 CALENDAR 2026 THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO PROVIDE THIS PLAN TO THE MARYLAND HIGHER EDUCATION COMMISSION. SO THIS IS MY GUESS, IS THIS IS PROBABLY SOMETHING THEY HAVE TO DO IN ORDER TO COMPLY WITH APPLYING FOR STATE FUNDING. I WOULD HAVE MY EDUCATED GUESS WOULD BE, YES, THAT IT'S TIED TO PROVIDING IT TO A STATE ENTITY.
THERE ARE FUNDING AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
IT'S A PRETTY, PRETTY DRAWN RENDERING. DID YOU DO THAT? WHAT'S THAT? THAT'S THE ONE THAT THEY SENT A LINK TO.
THIS IS HOWARD COUNTY'S COLLECTIVE PLAN THAT THEY THIS COMPANY THAT THEY HIRED DESIGNED.
SO, IT SHOWS US ALL THE BUILDINGS THAT ARE GOING TO COME AND ASK US FOR MONEY TO BUILD? YES, YES, YES, IT IS REQUIRED BY LAW. YES. I JUST WANTED TO BUILD SOME NEW DUGOUTS I BUILT.
I HELPED BUILD THOSE WHEN I PLAYED THERE. SO IT'S TIME FOR NEW DUGOUTS.
THEIR BASEBALL FIELDS. SO. WELL, I MEAN, IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S ALL ADDED IN THE SPORTS FIELDS.
EVERYTHING ELSE, THEY LOOK LIKE THEY COVERED A WHOLE THE WHOLE AREA.
250,000, I HOPE SO. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO? I MOVE WE APPROVE THE USE OF FUND BALANCE FOR THIS PROJECT.
I'LL SECOND THE MOTION. ALL RIGHT. MOTION. AND SECOND.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED? AYE. AYE. ALL RIGHT. FRANK AND I ARE GOING TO BE DIFFICULT.
WE'LL BE THE LONE ONES. AND THEN WE HAD AN AGREEMENT TO EXTEND THE
[01:40:04]
TERM OF MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING.THIS IS FOR THE SHARP ROAD PARK. WE ENTERED INTO A MEMORANDUM WITH THEM MARCH OF 2019.
OUR MARCH 19TH OF 2024, AND IT'S ABOUT TO EXPIRE MARCH 19TH OF 2025.
SO THIS DOCUMENT WOULD EXTEND THAT MEMORANDUM FOR ANOTHER YEAR OR UNTIL CLOSING.
OR UNTIL CLOSE, WHICH SHOULD BE CLOSE. WE'RE CLOSE TO THAT, I THINK, AT THIS POINT.
SO IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING? EXTENSION? NO. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING EXTENSION AND SEND IT OVER TO THE TOWN OF DENTON FOR THEIR EXECUTION.
SO MOVED. ALL RIGHT. I'LL SECOND. MOTION TO SECOND.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. LET'S HAVE IT.
COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR'S REPORT. I HAVE AN UPDATE FOR YOU ON THE REGIONAL DETENTION
[County Administrator’s Report]
CENTER. NOT A SUBSTANTIVE UPDATE. BUT LAST WEEK COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TODD MANN AND SHELLEY HELLER, AND I HAD SOME CORRESPONDENCE BACK AND FORTH ABOUT THE BUDGET REQUEST AND THE LETTER THAT TODD HAD REQUESTED THAT WE SIGN. SO MY MESSAGE TO THEM WAS, I DIDN'T FEEL IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR US TO SIGN THAT LETTER TO THE STATE. IT WAS PRETTY STRONGLY WORDED.I HAVE NOT HEARD BACK FROM EITHER SHELLEY OR TODD ABOUT THAT.
HOWEVER, I UNDERSTAND THAT QUEEN ANNE'S COUNTY HAS REACHED OUT TO WARDEN SCOTT AND DEPUTY WARDEN DICKSON LOOKING FOR NUMBERS TO PULL TOGETHER OUR BUDGET. SO WE VIA THE DETENTION CENTER STAFF HAVE PROVIDED SOME INFORMATION.
I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING YET, SO I'M NOT SURE WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE LETTER.
BUT IT. I GUESS I'LL INFER THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON PUTTING TOGETHER SOMETHING FOR US.
OH, RIGHT. I WAS LIKE, REGARDLESS. THEY WERE, FOR THEY HAD ALL THE INFORMATION TO US, RIGHT? RIGHT. WHEN'S THE WHEN'S THE DEADLINE TO HAVE THIS IN? WELL, SO THIS YEAR MARCH 1ST WAS THE DEADLINE.
AND THAT IS WHY THEY NEEDED TO GET THE LETTER IN.
SO, I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. BUT THEY ARE LOOKING FOR INFORMATION FROM OUR DETENTION CENTER.
SO. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. AND I THINK THAT'S ALL I HAVE TODAY.
OKAY. COUNTY COMMISSIONER. OPEN DISCUSSION. PERIOD.
[County Commissioners Open Discussion Period]
COMMISSIONER BARTZ. I JUST WANT TO THANK COMMISSIONER PORTER AND COMMISSIONER BREEDING FOR THEIR EFFORTS THAT THEY EXPRESSED ON THE SOLAR BILLS THAT THEY HAD. YOU KNOW, WHENEVER THEY WERE FRIDAY, I DIDN'T GO AND OTHER COMMITMENTS, BUT I WANT TO THANK YOU GUYS FOR DOING THAT. I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.NO. I'M JOKING. NO, IT WAS IT WAS GOOD. YEAH.
I HAD A GREAT ATTENDANCE THERE. AND OF COURSE, THAT WAS THE HOT TOPIC OF THE NIGHT.
WAS SOLAR WAS THE HOT TOPIC AT THE FARM BUREAU.
THAT'S ALL EVERYBODY WANTED TO TALK ABOUT WAS SOLAR, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT.
AND EVERYBODY WAS PRETTY WELL AGAINST IT. I DIDN'T HEAR ANYBODY THAT WAS A NO.
SO THAT'S ABOUT ALL I GOT. THE DELEGATE GRACE TALKED ABOUT THE TAXATION, THE PROPOSED TAX CHANGES. YEAH. EVERYTHING. INHERITANCE TAX AND YEAH, EVERYTHING WAS COVERED.
I MEAN, EVERY BILL, I MEAN, THE FARM BUREAU COVERED EVERY BILL THAT WAS IN THERE.
[01:45:09]
TAX THAT THEY WERE IMPLEMENTING, WHICH, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF US WOULDN'T BE AFFECTED BY THAT. I MEAN, MORE TALBOT COUNTY THAN US. SO EVERY, EVERY PRETTY WELL LEGISLATIVE ASPECT THAT WAS COVERED FRIDAY NIGHT AT THE FARM BUREAU, SOME SPEAKER COVERED EVERY BIT OF IT.YEAH. I TALKED ABOUT OUR HOW WHICH WASN'T COVERED BY THE DELEGATES.
I SPOKE ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF WHERE THE STATE SAYS THAT THEY'RE MAKING BUDGET CUTS.
RIGHT. SO AND TOLD THEM, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY WHAT THE STATE WAS PUTTING ON US TAX ASSESSMENT OFFICE, THE TEACHERS' PENSION INCOME TAX THAT WE'RE LOSING IF THE PROPOSED INCOME TAX LAW TAKES EFFECT.
I COVERED THAT'S WHAT I COVERED IN MY ASPECT.
OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WELL, THANK YOU. OPPORTUNITIES.
THOSE ARE ALL OPPORTUNITIES. YEAH. FLEXIBILITY OPPORTUNITIES TO BE MORE FLEXIBLE.
GIVING US FLEXIBLE OPTIONS. YEAH. COMMISSIONER PORTER.
THANK YOU FOR EVERYBODY FOR PULLING THAT INFORMATION TOGETHER.
I THINK IT'S AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN THIS BUDGET, I DON'T I DON'T THINK ANYBODY I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER SEEN A YEAR THAT HAS BEEN MORE UNSETTLED ABOUT WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYBODY RIGHT NOW WHO KNOWS WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
SO BUCKLE UP. IT'S GOING TO BE IT'S GOING TO BE A TOUGH BUDGET YEAR.
AND ANYTHING THAT YOU HEAR THAT IS GOING TO GET PUSHED DOWN TO THE COUNTIES, IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN VERY, VERY CONCERNED ABOUT RECOMMENDATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE BY THE DEPARTMENT OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES ABOUT OPEN SPACE MONEY PROGRAM. AG PRESERVATION MONEY. AND I THINK WE'RE GOING WE ARE NOW BEGINNING TO SEE SOME OF THE EFFECTS OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CUTS AS WELL.
SO IT'S GOING TO BE A TOUGH YEAR. THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF THINGS, I THINK, THAT PEOPLE ARE EITHER PLANNING ON OR ARE IN PROGRESS DOING THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO. WE MIGHT AS WELL START TALKING ABOUT THAT RIGHT NOW BECAUSE YEAH, IT'S GOING TO HAVE A TREMENDOUS IMPACT ON THE COUNTIES.
BUT I COULDN'T TELL YOU SITTING HERE RIGHT NOW WHAT THE WHAT THE STATE IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE.
I THINK THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF CONTROVERSIAL BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE HOUSE AND SENATE.
I THINK THEY'VE DUG THEIR HEELS IN. ONE THING THAT I DID HEAR THE OTHER DAY WAS THAT THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE HAS SAID THERE WILL BE. NO, THEY WILL NOT. ADDRESS BLUEPRINT.
AND THE ONE THING THAT'S DRIVING THAT $3 BILLION BUDGET DEFICIT IS OFF THE TABLE.
I'M NOT SURE WHERE TO GO FROM THERE. GOOD LUCK TO THEM.
BUT THAT'S ALL. THAT'S ALL I GOT. THANKS. RIGHT.
I ACTUALLY WENT UP AND TAPPED HIM ON THE SHOULDER A COUPLE OF TIMES AND SAID, COME ON, LET'S GO.
I'VE HAD ENOUGH. AND HE SAID, NO, WE'VE WAITED THIS LONG.
YOU'RE GOING TO TESTIFY. SO, I DID STICK IT OUT.
SO BUT ANYWAY, THEY FOUND IT, I GUESS. I WILL SAY THAT ALSO LAST WEEK WE DID RECEIVE UPDATED DLS BUDGET PROJECTIONS ON OUR BLUEPRINT NUMBERS.
SO THERE AND I PUT VERY LITTLE FAITH IN THESE NUMBERS THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY ACCURATE.
I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF VARIABLES THAT GO INTO THE GENERATION OF THESE NUMBERS, BUT WE ARE LOOKING THIS YEAR AT A $1.8 MILLION INCREASE IN ADJUSTED LOCAL SHARE, WHICH IS THE FORMULA THAT CALCULATES THE AMOUNT OF MONEY, THAT ACCOUNT THAT THAT CAROLINE COUNTY HAS TO
[01:50:06]
CONTRIBUTE TO THE BOARD OF ED BUDGET. SO WE'RE GOING FROM 18.5 MILLION IN OUR CURRENT FISCAL YEAR TO 20.4 MILLION.THAT'S A $1.8 MILLION INCREASE. KEEP IN MIND THAT WE'RE PROJECTING ABOUT A $2 MILLION INCREASE IN PROPERTY TAX REVENUE AND A FLAT INCOME TAX REVENUE INCREASE. SO, IT'S PRETTY SAFE TO SAY THAT ALL OF OUR INCREASED REVENUE PROJECTIONS YEAR OVER YEAR ARE GOING TO BE CONSUMED BY STATE SHIFTED MANDATES OR INCREASES IN LOCAL EDUCATION, MANDATORY SPENDING INCREASES NEXT YEAR. THE PROJECTION IS A $1.1 MILLION INCREASE BETWEEN FY 27 AND THEN 28, ANOTHER 1.1 MILLION BETWEEN 28 AND 29. WE GET A LITTLE BIT OF A BREAK, AND IT'S ONLY A $1 MILLION INCREASE BETWEEN 29 AND 30. WE ARE LOOKING AT A $2.2 MILLION INCREASE.
SO THERE'S A BIG JUMP BETWEEN FY 29 AND 2030 AND BEYOND THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU REALLY CAN'T PUT A LOT OF FAITH IN THOSE PROJECTIONS, BUT IT ENDS UP WITH US CONTRIBUTING $30 MILLION BY THE YEAR, OR 29.1 MILLION BY THE YEAR 2034. JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA. SO WE'RE AT ABOUT WE'RE AT ABOUT 20 MILLION THIS FISCAL YEAR.
SO TO COMMISSIONER PORTER'S POINT WE ARE QUICKLY DRIVING TOWARDS A CLIFF THAT WE ALL KNOW IS UNSUSTAINABLE AND WE ARE UNWILLING TO CHANGE COURSE.
SO. ON A MORE POSITIVE NOTE, WE DID RECEIVE SITE PLAN APPROVAL FOR THE SHARP ROAD PARK. IT ALL RUNS TOGETHER.
WHEN WAS THAT, JAMIE? LAST TUESDAY. WEDNESDAY.
TUESDAY. WEDNESDAY NIGHT. SO, THERE IS A BRIGHT SPOT.
I DO BELIEVE THE BILL FREEING UP PROGRAM OPEN SPACE MONEY FOR FROM ACQUISITION TO DEVELOPMENT.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT WILL BE IMPACTED BY THE DLS REVISIONS TO THE POS.
AND THERE'S ALSO BEEN A PRETTY CONCERNING RECOMMENDATION FROM DLS TO BASICALLY REMOVE ALL PROGRAM OPEN SPACE ALLOCATIONS AS WELL AS LAND PRESERVATION. AND OTHER LAND PRESERVATION, LAND PRESERVATION FUNDING APPALLS FOR FOUR YEARS. SO THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE THAT'S BEING CONSIDERED.
BUT ANYWAY, SO COMMISSIONER PORTER AND I DID MAKE IT BACK FROM ANNAPOLIS IN TIME TO GET A PLATE OF FOOD FROM THE FARM BUREAU BANQUET THAT OUR WIVES. TWO CRAB BALLS AND TWO SHRIMP.
YES, IT WAS MORE THAN TWO. I THINK IT WAS FOUR SHRIMP ON A PLATE, BUT.
WELL, RACHEL DID BETTER FOR YOU THAN ME. I WILL, I WILL MENTION THAT OUR WAIT TIME ON TESTIFYING.
WE DIDN'T BREAK OUR RECORD. IT WAS NINE HOURS FOR THE DAFFODIL FOR THE DAY.
YEAH. WE DIDN'T. WE WERE THERE. IT WAS SHORT.
YEAH. SO ANYWAY. ALL RIGHT. WITH THAT IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT AT THE CLOSE HERE?
[Public Comment]
OKAY. NONE BEING SEEN. I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN.SO MOVED.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.