[00:02:01]
[Call to Order: Invocation, Rev. Ken Clendaniel, Bethlehem Wesleyan Church; Pledge of Allegiance; Agenda Review]
WHICH IS NOW IN ORDER. THIS MORNING, WE HAVE OUR INVOCATION BY REVEREND KEN DANIEL OF BETHLEHEM WESLEYAN CHURCH, AND THAT WILL BE FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.SO IF EVERYONE COULD PLEASE RISE. REVEREND. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, SIR. SO LET'S PRAY TOGETHER. FATHER.
WE COME BEFORE YOU WITH JUST GRATEFUL HEARTS AND THANKFULNESS FOR ANOTHER DAY THAT WE'VE BEEN GIVEN LIFE ANOTHER DAY TO BE ABLE TO LIVE OUT OUR PURPOSE AND THE SIGNIFICANCE THAT YOU HAVE INSTILLED UPON US.
AND SO TODAY, WE ASK FOR YOUR WISDOM, YOUR GUIDANCE, YOUR DIRECTION.
LORD, I PRAY FOR WISDOM AND DISCERNMENT FOR THESE COMMISSIONERS AS THEY LEAD DISCUSSION AND CONVERSATION TODAY, AS THEY MAKE DECISIONS AND AS THEY WORK ON THE ITEMS THAT NEED TO BE TAKEN CARE OF.
WOULD YOU JUST GIVE THEM WISDOM AND DISCERNMENT? I PRAY, FATHER, THAT YOU WOULD HELP THEM, AS WELL AS EACH ONE OF US, TO BE ABLE TO LEAD IN THE WAY THAT JESUS TAUGHT US TO LEAD THROUGH SERVANT LEADERSHIP, THROUGH THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO HUMBLE OURSELVES, TO BE ABLE TO WASH THE FEET OF OTHERS, TO BE ABLE TO CARE FOR OTHER'S NEEDS AS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT THAN OUR OWN NEEDS.
LORD, TEACH US AND HELP EACH ONE OF US TODAY TO LEAD IN THAT SORT OF WAY.
WE JUST LOVE YOU AND PRAISE YOU AND HONOR YOU TODAY.
IN CHRIST'S 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, REVEREND. YES, SIR. THANK YOU, SIR.
I WOULD LIKE TO NOTE THAT COMMISSIONER PORTER IS JOINING US VIA TELEPHONE THIS MORNING.
SO HE IS HERE WITH US. I DO HAVE A REPORT OUT.
DURING THE MARCH 11TH, 2025 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS MEETING, THE BOARD MET IN CLOSED SESSION TO DISCUSS THE PROCEDURE FOR MOVING FORWARD PUBLICLY WITH THE SALE OF DAYSPRING'S TOWNHOME UNDER SECTION 14, AND TO DISCUSS THE UPCOMING SCHEDULING CONFERENCE BETWEEN THE COUNTY AND A PRIVATE CITIZEN UNDER SECTION SEVEN. GENERAL PROVISIONS 3-305B.
THE ATTENDEES WERE COMMISSIONERS, ATTORNEY BARROLL, COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR FREEMAN, DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR, FOX, AND PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER REIBLY. WE'LL NOW HAVE OUR OPENING PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.
[Public Comment]
OKAY. NONE UNSEEN. WE WILL MOVE ON TO OUR FIRST ITEM, WHICH IS APRIL AS CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH. AND IS THERE ANY REPRESENTATIVES HERE FROM CASA CAROLINE, IF YOU'D LIKE TO COME UP TO THE TABLE.[April as Child Abuse Prevention Month]
[00:05:10]
GOOD MORNING, GOOD MORNING, GOOD MORNING. SO I HAVE A PROCLAMATION HERE THAT I WILL READ SAYS NATIONAL CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH. WHEREAS THE SUCCESS AND WELL-BEING OF OUR SOCIETY ARE CLOSELY CONNECTED TO THE CARE AND DEVELOPMENT OF OUR YOUTH, WHO ARE LEADERS OF TOMORROW AND KEEPERS OF OUR LEGACY.AND WHEREAS CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT ARE SERIOUS ISSUES THAT CAUSE DEEP AND LASTING HARM TO AFFECTED CHILDREN, REQUIRING IMMEDIATE AND COLLECTIVE ACTION. AND WHEREAS THE RESPONSIBILITY TO STOP CHILD ABUSE AND CREATE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR CHILDREN REQUIRES COOPERATION BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS, COMMUNITIES, ORGANIZATIONS AND GOVERNMENT AGENCIES.
AND WHEREAS, THE PROMOTION OF EDUCATION, INCREASED AWARENESS AND THE OFFERING OF STRONG SUPPORT SERVICES ARE ESSENTIAL IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CHILD ABUSE AND IN HELPING FAMILIES AND CAREGIVERS.
AND WHEREAS WE REAFFIRM OUR STRONG COMMITMENT TO PROTECTING OUR CHILDREN, STRENGTHENING FAMILIES, AND CREATING A SAFE AND SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY FOR OUR MOST VULNERABLE AND IMPRESSIONABLE CITIZENS, WE PROCLAIM APRIL 2025 AS CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH THROUGHOUT CAROLINE COUNTY, MARYLAND.
SIGNED ON MARCH 18TH, 2025 BY THE CAROLINE COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS J.
TRAVIS BREEDING, PRESIDENT. LARRY C PORTER, VICE PRESIDENT.
AND FRANKLIN BARTZ, THIRD COMMISSIONER. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
YEAH. THANK YOU. I REMEMBER LAST YEAR WE HAD TAKEN SOME PICTURES.
SO IF WE IF WE COULD DO THAT AGAIN, I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IT. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
THANK YOU. CAN I JUST TAKE A MOMENT? I JUST WANTED TO INTRODUCE MYSELF.
I'M NEW TO THE POSITION. I'M DORIS MASON, SO I'M THE NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR CASA.
I JOINED IN FEBRUARY, AND WE JUST REALLY APPRECIATE YOU TAKING OUT THIS TIME FOR US TODAY.
ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU BOTH FOR COMING IN. VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE.
WELCOME TO THE COMMUNITY AND LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU OUT.
AND VICTOR, HE'S ALWAYS PRESENT. YES. VICTOR GIVES US A LITTLE BIT OF A COMIC RELIEF AND YOU KNOW, ALWAYS GOOD TO SPEAK WITH HIM AS WELL. AND I WAS TOLD WE'RE LIGHTING THE CLOCK TOWER FOR BLUE FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL, SO THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT. I WANTED YOU GUYS TO INVITE YOU GUYS TO THE PINWHEEL PLANTING CEREMONY.
IT WILL BE AT THE DENTON WHARF APRIL 16TH AT 3 P.M.
SO OBVIOUSLY EVERYONE IS INVITED AND THERE WILL BE GOOD FOOD. SO GOOD.
COMMISSIONER PORTER, DO YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING OR. NO.
THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO. I APPRECIATE IT.
. ALL RIGHT. MOVING ON TO OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS A FISCAL YEAR 2026 BUDGET
[Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Workshop: FY2026 Operating & Capital Requests]
WORKSHOP FOR THE OPERATING AND CAPITAL REQUESTS.GOOD MORNING. STACY. DAN. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. BEAR WITH US FOR A SECOND OR TWO WHILE WE GET HOOKED UP TO THE TABS HERE. I THINK WHAT? DANNY IS GETTING HOOKED UP HERE.
[00:10:04]
I SHOULD POINT OUT THAT REALLY, A LOT OF THIS IS STILL FLUID AND UP IN THE AIR.I BELIEVE KATHLEEN WAS ON THE ADMINISTRATOR'S CALL YESTERDAY, AND THE DISCUSSIONS, I GUESS, REVOLVED AROUND UNCERTAINTY. THE UNCERTAINTY RIGHT NOW WITH NOT ONLY OUR INCOME TAX REVENUES BUT ALSO COST SHIFTS FROM THE STATE. SO WE REALLY STILL DO NOT HAVE A CLEAR PICTURE OF WHAT KIND OF FISCAL SITUATION WE ARE GOING TO BE IN WHEN WE ACTUALLY STRIKE THE FINAL BUDGET. RIGHT. WE COULD BE. WE COULD BE WHERE WE'RE AT NOW.
WE COULD BE, YOU KNOW, WE COULD EXPERIENCE MORE CALL SHIFTS.
YOU KNOW, WE WERE THINKING THAT THAT PROPOSAL, EVEN THOUGH I BELIEVE WE ALL OPPOSE THAT IDEA, WAS GOING TO CUT THAT DEFICIT BY $1 BILLION. SO NOW THEY'VE GOT TO COME UP WITH THAT.
SO THE FEAR IS THAT IT MAY BE SHIFTED TO THE COUNTIES EVEN MORE SO WE REALLY DON'T KNOW WHERE WE'RE AT, BUT WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO GO THROUGH THIS WORKSHOP.
SO, WE'LL CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR BEST GUESS.
RIGHT. CERTAINLY, THEY HAD A THING SATURDAY, I GUESS A SPECIAL SESSION, I GUESS.
I GUESS NOTHING GOT DONE OVER THERE ALL DAY SATURDAY FOR THE BUDGET, I GUESS.
YEAH, I HEARD THERE WAS A DISCUSSION. THE ONLY OTHER I NEGLECTED TO MENTION.
OKAY. FROM THE BUSINESS TO BUSINESS TAX. SO BUT THAT WAS IT'S VERY MUCH UP IN THE AIR RIGHT.
SO WHAT I THINK WOULD HAVE VALUE TODAY IS TO GO THROUGH OUR CAPITAL BUDGET REVIEW, THE REQUEST.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT WHAT'S FUNDING THE CAPITAL BUDGET, WHAT WE BELIEVE AS OF TODAY IS THERE TO FUND THESE TYPES OF ITEMS AND THEN DEPENDING ON TIME AND APPETITE, WE COULD ALSO TRANSITION OVER TO OPERATING AND SEE HOW THAT GOES.
TO COMMISSIONER BREEDEN'S POINT, THERE'S NOTHING THAT STATES WE HAVE TO LEAVE HERE TODAY.
BEING AT A ZERO BASED BUDGET, WE KNOW A LOT OF THIS IS VERY FLUID.
WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP OUR EYES AND EARS ON A LOT OF THESE ITEMS EVERY DAY.
SO AS WE HIT ON CERTAIN THINGS, YOU MAY HEAR STACY OR I COMMENT ABOUT THE FLUID NATURE OF THEM, BUT WE'LL TRY TO KEEP YOU UP TO DATE WITH THOSE.
AND REALLY ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE ON CERTAIN REQUESTS.
SO WHEN WE DO HAVE HARD NUMBERS EASIER DECISIONS CAN BE MADE.
AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OUR CAPITAL BUDGET, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ITEMS THAT TYPICALLY ARE TANGIBLE ASSETS OVER $5,000 THAT GET CAPITALIZED. SO THEY TYPICALLY HAVE TO HAVE A USEFUL LIFE OF OVER FIVE YEARS.
THERE ARE CERTAIN SMALL EXCEPTIONS TO THAT ON CERTAIN THINGS YOU'LL SEE.
BUT GENERALLY SPEAKING, THESE ARE LET'S SAY, LARGER TANGIBLE ITEMS. SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OUR CAPITAL BUDGET AND WE LOOK AT FUNDING, THERE ARE REALLY TWO LINE ITEMS THAT FUND THE COUNTY'S CAPITAL BUDGET.
THE FIRST IS TRANSFER TAX. SO ANY TIME THERE'S A TRANSFER OF PROPERTY THERE IS A STATE COLLECTED TRANSFER TAX RIGHT HERE AT THE CLERK'S OFFICE NEXT DOOR TO US THAT GETS ALLOCATED OVER TO THE COUNTY AT THE END OF THE MONTH.
AND THAT MONEY IS EARMARKED FOR CAPITAL ITEMS. SO WE'VE BEEN PRETTY CONSISTENT OF COLLECTING ABOUT $800,000 A YEAR THROUGH THAT TAX REVENUE.
AND THEN THE SECOND LARGER LINE IS CAPITAL ALLOCATION.
RIGHT NOW, WE'RE STARTING WITH ABOUT $6.5 MILLION AS THE STARTING POINT OF THAT.
[00:15:05]
WITH THE REQUEST, WE'RE SHOWING ABOUT $10.4 MILLION IN REQUEST.SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE CAN START AT THE VERY TOP AND KIND OF GO DEPARTMENT BY DEPARTMENT.
IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION, WE CAN CERTAINLY ASK SOME OF THE DEPARTMENT HEADS THAT ARE HERE TODAY OR FOLLOW UP WITH THEM AND RESPOND BACK TO THE COMMISSIONERS WITH THE RESPONSE. SO AT THE TOP OF THE LIST, IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER, IT'S JUST REALLY DEPARTMENT BY DEPARTMENT ARE THE CIRCUIT COURT.
SO THE CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE PRICE HAS REQUESTED TWO CAPITAL ITEMS, ONE BEING THE PARKING LOT CONSTRUCTION, WHICH IS AN EXPANSION OF THE BACK PARKING LOT.
AND THEN THE SECOND IS FOR BALLISTIC WINDOWS HERE AT THE COURTHOUSE.
AGAIN, IF IT'S OKAY, WE CAN KIND OF ROLL THROUGH THESE IF THERE'S COMMENTS OR ANYTHING YOU WANT TO MAKE ON THOSE, WE CAN CERTAINLY FOLLOW UP. WE CERTAINLY ARE AT A POINT IN TIME, IF YOU WANT TO YAY AND NAY CERTAIN THINGS, WE CAN MAKE NOTE OF THAT AS WELL. IT'S REALLY AT WHATEVER PACE THE BOARD WANTS TO GO WITH.
THIS YEAR, I THINK WE'RE JUST TOO TIGHT. BUDGET WISE.
SO, I'M A NO. COMMISSIONER PORTER, I AGREE. IN FACT, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS WILL. I SAY THAT WE'VE ALL GIVEN OUR NUMBERS HERE.
I NOTICED THAT THERE IS A DISCREPANCY FOR SOME REASON ON HOT MIX.
YEAH, THAT IS CORRECT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. OKAY.
YEAH. SO WITH THAT, WE'LL JUST KEEP KIND OF SCROLLING THROUGH WITH THAT.
OKAY. KIND OF PACING NATURE. SO NEXT ON THE LIST WE HAVE CORRECTIONS.
IF YOU RECALL, CORRECTION HAD ASKED FOR A REPLACEMENT TRANSPORT VAN AS WELL AS A CONTROL PANEL.
THIS YEAR, WE ACTUALLY HAVE SOME UNSPENT CAPITAL EARMARKED FOR CORRECTION.
I'VE HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THE DEPUTY WARDEN, AND DUE TO THE NATURE AND SEVERITY OF THE CONTROL PANEL CONDITION, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THEM ACTUALLY START THAT NOW. SO YOU SEE THAT LINE ITEM REMOVED FROM THIS YEAR'S REQUEST? SO REALLY, THEY'RE JUST DOWN TO THE ONE TRANSPORT VAN.
FOR CORRECTIONS. OKAY. COMMISSIONER BARTZ, DID YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE VAN? I MEAN, DO YOU DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD GET IT LOOKED AT? YEAH, I THINK WE SHOULD GET IT LOOKED AT. EVALUATED.
WE SPOKE ABOUT THAT THE OTHER DAY. HAVE WE HAVE WE MADE ANY PROGRESS? I HAVE NOT. I WAS GOING TO FOLLOW UP WITH ROBIN ABOUT OUR CONVERSATION.
I JUST HADN'T HAD THE CHANCE TO. I THINK IT SHOULD GO PROBABLY GO TO AN ALIGNMENT SHOP AND, YOU KNOW, IF IT IS A VIBRATION OR SOMETHING AND THE VEHICLE DOES NOT HAVE MANY MILES ON IT.
WELL, AND THE TIMING OF THE BUDGET AND KNOWING HOW LONG WE HAVE.
OKAY. AND IT CAN COME OUT OF CAPITAL RESERVES, RESERVES THAT WE'VE HAD.
RIGHT. YOU CAN. YES. SO, IF NEED BE OUT OF THE SALE OF VEHICLES.
YEAH. SO, OKAY. WOULD YOU SAY IS IN THAT FUND? ABOUT A HALF A MIL. YES, I ACTUALLY PULLED IT.
AT THE END OF FEBRUARY, WHEN WE LAST RAN OUR REPORT, THERE WAS $569,000 IN THERE.
I THINK KNOWING THE CURRENT BUDGET SITUATION AND WHAT WE'RE FACING THIS YEAR; IT WOULD BE WISE TO TAKE SOME OF THAT MONEY TO DO SOME OF THE VEHICLE REPLACEMENTS THAT ARE AGREED UPON IN THIS YEAR.
[00:20:02]
SO TO YOUR POINT, THAT VEHICLE COULD BE ONE OF THOSE IF IT'S CHOSEN, RIGHT? SO WHAT YOU GOT HERE IS ABOUT 400. YOU GOT ABOUT 400,000.YOU'RE TAKING OUT CURRENTLY FROM THE NOTES THAT FROM THE THAT YOU GUYS HAVE PROVIDED.
YES, SIR. YEAH. YEAH. WELL, LET'S DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE ON THIS VEHICLE AND GET AN INDEPENDENT SHOP TO LOOK AT IT, MAKE SURE I MEAN, I'M SURE ANYTHING CAN. IT CAN BE FIXED.
I CAN ASSURE YOU IT CAN BE FIXED. I MEAN, IT'S I MEAN, I KNOW IT'S TEN YEARS OLD, BUT I MEAN, IF IT'S SO IT'S A CHEVROLET. THE ONLY THING I HAVE IS PARTS IS TEN YEARS OLD.
AND OBVIOUSLY IT'S JUST SITTING THERE. RIGHT? OBVIOUSLY. IN OTHER WORDS, IT'S JUST SITTING THERE. SO WHAT ELSE ARE YOU USING BESIDES THIS VAN? SO WITHOUT SPEAKING FOR THE WARDEN AND HIM NOT BEING HERE, I BELIEVE THEY HAVE TWO MAIN TRANSPORT VANS.
OKAY, SO WHAT'S THE MILEAGE ON THEM? I'D HAVE TO PULL THIS BEING ONE AT THE 22,000.
I WOULD HAVE TO PULL THE OTHER ONE TO SEE WHAT IT IS.
I THINK THEY USE IT FOR THE LONGER TRANSPORTS BECAUSE IT IS NEWER.
MY UNDERSTANDING FROM THEM IS THIS ONE REALLY STAYS IN TOWN, THAT JOCKEYS ARE AROUND THE INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS TO DISTRICT AS WELL AS CIRCUIT COURT, SO IT DOESN'T HAVE HIGH MILEAGE BECAUSE IT REALLY ISN'T TAKING THE HIGH MILEAGE TRIPS.
JUST FOR EVERYBODY'S KNOWLEDGE, THE VAN WAS PARKED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL, I BELIEVE, LAST YEAR, AND DID HAVE A LARGE TRACTOR TRAILER SLIDE DOWN THE HILL AND HIT IT.
SO THEY HAVE RELAYED THAT THERE HAVE BEEN CONSISTENT ISSUES WITH IT SINCE THAT.
SO I THINK THAT'S THEIR JUSTIFICATION FOR THE ASK.
TOTALLY UNDERSTAND WANTING TO GET IT LOOKED AT.
BUT THAT'S A LITTLE HISTORY OF WHAT? SO, WHOSE FAULT WAS IT THAT IT GOT HIT? IT WAS THE COMPANY THAT OWNED THE TRUCK. SO DID WE GET AN INSURANCE CLAIM ON IT? WE DID. YEP. AND IT GOT. SO, WHY DIDN'T WE? THEY GOT FIXED THROUGH INSURANCE CLAIM TO AN OUTSIDE AUTO BODY AND EVERYTHING.
I'M NOT IN THE DETENTION CENTER BUSINESS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
SO IF YOU'RE IF YOU'RE KEEPING 35 DETAINEES, OKAY, AND YOU GOT THREE TRANSPORT VANS, I THINK THERE'S TWO, TWO PLUS THIS ONE, RIGHT? NO, TWO. OH, THAT ONE PLUS THIS ONE.
YES, SIR. OKAY. YEP. ALL RIGHT. SO WE'LL MAKE A NOTE.
I HAVE A NOTE ON THAT ONE. AND WE'LL FOLLOW UP WITH. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL COME BACK.
I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM PLACING THE BAND. IT'S JUST THAT IT'S 22,000 MILES.
ARE YOU GOING? YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN. ALL RIGHT. YEAH, I UNDERSTAND THAT.
YEAH. AWESOME. SO, WHAT'S THE OTHER MAN? WHAT'S THE YEAR ON THAT? AND THE MILEAGE? IT'S A NEWER ONE. I BELIEVE IT'S A, LIKE A 23 OR A 22.
HAD TWO VANS, ONE JUST TO STAY AROUND TOWN AND THEN ONE JUST FOR TO DO THE LAUNDRY.
GET SOME LONGER IN HERE. SO, IT'S A 2023. IT'S NOT, IT DOESN'T HAVE THAT MANY MILES.
CORRECT. IT'S VERY LOW ON MILEAGE. YES, SIR. THAT'S WHERE I HAVE ISSUE.
AND I'M SURE WHAT THEY'LL TELL YOU IS WHAT THEY TOLD ME THAT IT SINCE IT HAS BEEN HIT AND REPAIRED, IT'S BEEN THERE'S BEEN ATTEMPTED REPAIRS ON IT AND IT'S JUST NOT THEY DON'T KNOW IF THE FRAME IS BENT OR SOMETHING, BUT THEY HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH THE BRAKES. THE INSURANCE COMPANY SHOULD HAVE BOUGHT US A NEW VAN. YEAH, BUT I MEAN, THAT'S THEY CAN'T DRIVE IT OUTSIDE OF TOWN, I MEAN.
RIGHT. THAT'S WHY THE MILES ARE SO LOW. IT'S JUST NOT IN THEIR OPINION, ANYWAY.
OKAY. YEAH, I THINK WE. ALL RIGHT. SORRY. SO, WE'LL LEAVE THAT ONE AS IS TILL WE FOLLOW UP.
SO WHAT YOU'LL NOTE NOW IS THE CARDIAC MONITOR.
REPLACEMENTS, WHICH INCLUDE 14 OF THE CARDIAC MONITORS, IS BEING REQUESTED TO BE FUNDED OUT OF THE BLS FUND, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY MONEY GENERATED FROM TRANSPORTS.
WE JUST WANTED TO NOTE THAT TO YOU GENTLEMEN WERE AWARE AND THEN REALLY, THE TWO LINE ITEMS THAT THEY HAVE REQUESTED ARE VEHICLE REPLACEMENTS FOR THE EMS LIEUTENANT AND THE DIVISION CHIEF.
SOME INFORMATION ON THE VEHICLES IS ALSO PROVIDED ON THE RIGHT AS FAR AS MILEAGE AND YEARS.
[00:25:01]
SO. ALL RIGHT, I THINK I'M AT ONE MORE YEAR ON THE VEHICLES BEFORE WE DO REPLACEMENTS.SO NOT THIS YEAR, BUT I'M FINE WITH THE MONITORS COMING OUT OF THE BLS FUND.
DANNY, DO YOU HAVE A BALLPARK NUMBER? HOW MUCH GOES INTO THE BLS EVERY YEAR? IS IT AROUND A MILLION? IT'S. IT'S MORE THAN THAT.
I THINK WHEN WE SAT DOWN, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, THERE'S ABOUT 1.5 OR SO THAT'S BILLED TRANSPORT.
SO AND THAT'S JUST THAT'S JUST COMPILING IN THE FUND RIGHT NOW.
SO WE'RE ONLY GOING TO TAKE ABOUT MAYBE NOT EVEN HALF OF WHAT WE GET IN A YEAR FOR THAT.
CORRECT. THERE ARE YEARLY EXPENSES THAT DO COME OUT OF THAT.
OKAY. THERE'S ABOUT 1.4 MILLION A YEAR THAT GETS TRANSFERRED BACK INTO THE GENERAL FUND FOR OPERATION, AND THEN SOME ONGOING COSTS THAT THE FUND IS PAYING INTO AS FAR AS SUBSCRIPTIONS, MANAGEMENT, SOME DIFFERENT ITEMS. SO IRONICALLY, WE SAT DOWN WITH MARK ACTUALLY LAST WEEK, AND WE'RE TAKING A LOOK AT THE VIABILITY OF THE FUND AND SEEING WHERE THAT'S PACING AND WHAT THE FUND BALANCE SHOULD BE AT OR SOMETHING OF THAT SIZE.
SO WE DO HAVE SOME. SO DOES THIS ON THAT I GUESS MY QUESTION, DANNY, DOES THIS 522,000, DOES THAT NET THE BLS FUND LEVEL IF WE'RE SPENDING ALL OF THE RECEIPTS, OR DOES IT STILL HAVE SOME FUND BALANCE ROLLING OVER IT STILL HAS SOME DECENT FUND BALANCE ROLLING IN.
RIGHT. AND WE FELT AT THIS PACE, IT WAS DEFINITELY IN A SAFE MANNER TO DO THAT.
OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THAT'S ALL I HAD. YEP. DO YOU WANT TO.
NO, I'M FINE WITH THAT. CONTINUING ON, WE'RE NOW DOWN TO FACILITIES. SO TAKING A LOOK AT THE SHEET AND ANYBODY LOOKING AT THE BOARD, YOU HAVE A LOCATION AND THEN AN ITEM AS WELL AS THE COST ASSOCIATED WITH IT. ROBIN AND STAFF HAVE GONE THROUGH THE LIST THIS YEAR AND HAVE ORDERED IT BY PRIORITY.
SO AGAIN, I KNOW ROBIN IS HERE TODAY IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS THAT HE COULD ANSWER FOR YOU.
ALL RIGHT. DO YOU WANT TO I'D LIKE TO LOOK AT SOME OF THIS STUFF. I THINK FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES, I BELIEVE WE HAD IT FUNDED THROUGH PRIORITY SEVEN.
BUT I'D LIKE TO I'D LIKE TO RIDE AROUND AND ACTUALLY PUT EYES ON SOME OF THIS MYSELF.
OKAY. BUT I GUESS. KNOWING THERE WAS SOME GENERAL AGREEMENT ABOUT 1 TO 7.
YEAH. DO WE WANT TO PUT A PLACEHOLDER IN FOR THAT FOR NOW, OR DO YOU WANT TO WAIT TILL WE HAVE SOME TIME TO GO THROUGH SOME OF THE ITEMS? YEAH, I MEAN I'M, YEAH, I'M FINE WITH THE ONE, TWO, SEVEN, BUT LIKE I SAID, I'M WITH COMMISSIONER PORTER.
I JUST WANT TO PUT A COUPLE OF EYES ON IT. SURE.
A COUPLE OF THINGS. I MEAN, THERE'S SOME THINGS ON HERE THAT ARE DEFINITELY. YES. YOU KNOW, SO AT LEAST THE ELEVATOR, THE FRONT DOOR. YEAH.
OUR PRESTON TOWER. YEAH. OKAY. AND THE PRESTON TOWER STOPS AT SEVEN THERE.
RIGHT. BUT I MEAN, THE FLOORING, THE REMODEL, THE CREW QUARTERS.
I'D LIKE TO LOOK AT THAT FLOORING REPLACEMENT.
I'D LIKE TO LOOK AT THAT STUFF. OKAY. WELL, LET'S JUST DS.
OKAY, I THINK I THINK I'M NOT SPEAKING FOR KIM.
KIM, I'M NOT HERE. YEAH, HE APPROACHED US. HE'S TRYING TO GET.
I THINK HE'S TRYING TO LIMIT ALL THE VCT TO THE COUNTY JUST BECAUSE IT'S SO HIGH MAINTENANCE.
ALL RIGHT. WHAT HOW OLD IS THAT BUILDING? DO YOU KNOW? I THINK IT'S A LITTLE OLDER THAN THAT BECAUSE IT WAS.
DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA, COMMISSIONER PORTER ABOUT ROUGHLY WHEN THAT BUILDING WAS BUILT? 15 FEELS 15 I DON'T YEAH, I'M NOT SURE. SO ABOUT TEN YEARS OLD.
THE FLOORING IS ABOUT TEN YEARS OLD. COULD BE.
COULD BE TEN YEARS. OKAY. ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT.
FOR THOSE FEW ITEMS, THE FLOORING AND THE REMODEL OF THE CREW HEADQUARTERS.
[00:30:07]
I WANT TO GO AROUND AND LOOK AT THAT STUFF. SO BUT I GUESS FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES, YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND PUT THEM IN 3.7.OKAY. CONTINUING THROUGH WE HAVE WHAT WE LABEL AS INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND THAT'S REALLY A LOT OF THE ROAD WORK. SO YOU HAVE HOT MIX OVERLAY TAR AND CHIP AND THEN SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR DESIGN AND ENGINEERING OF BRIDGES. KIND OF KNOWING THE, THE NATURE OF CAPITAL AND SOME OF THE OTHER ITEMS DOWN BELOW I THINK TO A PRIOR COMMENT MADE THE HOT MIX IN THIS ITEM IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE WHERE IT GETS BALANCED OUT.
OKAY. SO IF YOU'RE OKAY WITH THAT, WE'LL JUST MOVE ON DOWN TO EQUIPMENT.
DOWN TO. LET ME ASK ROBIN A QUESTION REAL QUICK WHILE WE'RE HERE.
SO WHERE WOULD YOU RATHER SEE US BALANCE IT OUT OF THE TAR AND CHIP OR OUT OF THE ASPHALT? I THINK WE ALL PICK THE ASPHALT JUST BECAUSE IT WAS THE LARGER.
WE JUST GOT NEW CONTRACT FOR THE ASPHALT, AND THERE WAS A DECENT REDUCTION IN THAT COST.
OKAY. YEAH. SO, YOU'D RATHER KEEP THE TAR CHIP WHOLE AND USE THE ASPHALT LINE ITEM TO BALANCE LIKE WE DID? YEAH. YEAH. IT'S A PARTNERSHIP. IS THAT THE ONE? WE CAN ALSO TALK LIKE WE HAD DONE SOME. YES. PROPPING UP TYPE OF WORDS THAT WE WERE DOING OKAY AND WORK ON.
TO THE POINT OF THE CONVERSATION WE EARMARKED AND KIND OF PUT THESE IN THE, THE BUCKETS.
BUT THROUGH JUST HISTORICAL NATURE OF THE PROJECTS, WE HAVE KIND OF EBBED AND FLOWED BETWEEN THEM, DEPENDING IT'S GENERAL FUND MONEY. SO WE HAVE SOME AUTHORITY TO ADJUST AS THE FLEXIBILITY.
OKAY. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. SO WE CAN MOVE ON. YEAH.
WE'LL CONTINUE ON TO PUBLIC WORKS. AND THIS IS REALLY EQUIPMENT.
AND THEN TO THE FAR RIGHT UNDER THE NOTE YOU HAVE PRIORITY ORDER FOR THOSE TWO AGENCIES AS WELL.
SO TO THE PRIOR COMMENT ABOUT SURPLUS FUNDING OF EQUIPMENT THIS WOULD BE A PERFECT PLACE TO TAKE OUT ANY OR PROVE ANY ITEM THAT YOU WOULD WANT TO DO HERE OUT OF THE SURPLUS FUNDING AND NOT HAVE IT COME OUT OF GENERAL FUND CAPITAL.
I HAD ONE OF THE DUMP TRUCK REPLACEMENTS. I GUESS THE SIX WHEELED TRUCK REPLACEMENT WITH A TRI AXLE OUT OF SURPLUS. THE SURPLUS EQUIPMENT FUND. OKAY.
AND I HAD THE HUSQVARNA ZERO TURN COMING OUT OF THE SURPLUS FUND. OKAY. I'M FINE WITH IT ON BOTH OF THOSE.
OKAY. I'M GOOD WITH THAT. OKAY. OKAY.
ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS ON EQUIPMENT AT THIS POINT OR.
I DON'T THINK SO. I THINK I THINK I'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO REPLACE MORE, BUT I DON'T I DON'T SEE IT RIGHT NOW UNLESS WE GET SOME POSITIVE NEWS FROM THE STATE. I'M NOT HOLDING MY BREATH.
NEXT ON THE LIST, WE HAVE OUR RECREATION AND PARKS DIVISION.
INSIDE OF THAT ARE FOR ASKS SOME OF IT BEING POS MATCHING MONEY, TWO PIECES OR, SORRY, A ROOF REPAIR, A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT AND THEN ADDITIONAL MATCHING MONEY FOR FIELD RENOVATIONS AT FEES.
I HAD FUNDING ALL FOUR REQUESTS WITH THE ZERO TURN COMING OUT OF THE EQUIPMENT SURPLUS FUND.
OKAY, I'M FINE WITH THAT. I THINK I'M GOOD. I THINK THE PROGRAM OPEN SPACE THAT THAT'S MATCHING FUNDS, 10% MATCHING FUNDS. RIGHT TO UNLOCK STATE. YEAH.
[00:35:03]
I THINK BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT BILL HB 717 IS GOING TO PASS.WILL REORIENT THE FIELD RENOVATION AS MATCH MONEY FOR THE 440,000.
IT'S 100,000. 100,000 CAN ACTUALLY DROP TO 10,000.
IT WILL STILL NEED THE RIGHT 40,000 FOR THE HOUSE BILL 717.
SO, SOME POSITIVE NEWS. HB 717 THAT DIRECTOR IS REFERENCING IS THE BILL WHERE WE REQUESTED THAT OUR ACQUISITION FUNDS PROGRAM, OPEN SPACE PROPERTY ACQUISITION FUNDS, BE USED AS DEVELOPMENT FUNDS.
SO, IN ORDER TO ACCESS THAT, IF IT DOES, IF THE BILL DOES PASS, WE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR A 10% MATCH TO UNLOCK THOSE FUNDS. SO THE FIELD RENOVATIONS AND THE PROGRAM OPEN SPACE MATCHING FUNDS WOULD BE ROLLED TOGETHER AS THE $50,000 MATCH TO ACCESS APPROXIMATELY A HALF $1 MILLION IN POS FUNDING.
ROOFS ARE CRUCIAL TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T HAVE MOLD AND WATER DAMAGE.
SO I THINK WE'VE GOT TO DO THAT. AND YOU KNOW, I THINK WE SHOULD GET A INDUSTRIAL OR COMMERCIAL GRADE ZERO TURN FOR THE ADDITIONAL GRASS CUTTING THAT THAT RECREATION AND PARKS IS GOING TO HAVE TO DO.
SO, I THINK EVERYBODY'S GOOD WITH THAT. WE'LL.
YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I HAVE. OKAY, GOOD. CONTINUING ON, WE'RE GOING TO GO TO THE FOR EACH PART.
SO, FOR EACH PART HAS THREE REQUESTS THIS YEAR.
IN PRIORITY ORDER HAS SHOWN A WALL DIVIDER, A BACKUP GENERATOR AND A NEW WINDOWS AND DOORS.
I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA LOSE. YEAH. UNFORTUNATELY, I'D LOVE TO HAVE A GENERATOR OUT THERE IN CASE SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, WE NEED THAT, GOD FORBID. BUT, I MEAN, AT THIS POINT IN THE BUDGET, I THINK.
YEAH, WE JUST CAN'T DO IT. WE'RE FUNDING NEEDS, NOT WANTS RIGHT NOW, UNFORTUNATELY.
SO NEXT WE HAVE THE HUMANE SOCIETY WHO HAS TWO TASKS, ONE BEING THE WEBSITE UPDATE AND THE OTHER BEING A BEDROOM RENOVATION THAT THEY HAD DISCUSSED AT THE ROUNDTABLE. UNFORTUNATELY, I DON'T SEE US BEING ABLE TO DO EITHER ONE OF THOSE RIGHT NOW.
OKAY. NEXT, WE HAVE THE BOE. THIS IS OUR LOCAL SHARE FOR THESE TWO PROJECTS, THE FIRST BEING THE HVAC CHILLER SYSTEM AT DENTON ELEMENTARY AND THEN THE SECOND LINE BEING EARLY PLANNING AND DESIGN FOR LOCKERMAN MIDDLE SCHOOL.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS A LOCAL SHARE FOR THOSE TWO PROJECTS.
THE STATE IS FUNDING A LARGER CHUNK OF THIS. BOTH OF THESE ITEMS WERE INCLUDED IN THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN THAT MR. MENGEL PRESENTED, I BELIEVE, 2 OR 3 MONTHS AGO, TO THE BOARD.
SO THESE ARE VERY SMALL, LOCAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO MUCH LARGER PROJECTS.
I BELIEVE IT'S AROUND SEVEN 8%, I THINK LOCAL FUNDS TO UNLOCK 9,092% STATE MONEY.
SO, IT MAKES SENSE FOR US TO, TO SIGN ON TO THESE PROJECTS.
AND I ALSO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT OUR KIDS HAVE GOOD FACILITIES, YOU KNOW, TO GO TO SCHOOL.
AND SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT INVESTMENT.
WE SHOULD DO BOTH OF THESE. YEAH, I MEAN I AGREE.
I MEAN THE PLANNING IS ON FOR THE MIDDLE SCHOOL.
IT WAS IT WAS ENCOURAGED, I BELIEVE, BY THE BY THE STATE TO BEGIN WITH.
SO. YES. YEAH. COMMISSIONER PORTER, DO YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING THERE? NO I AGREE. YEAH. OKAY. OKAY. SO NEXT ON THE LIST, WE HAVE CHESAPEAKE COLLEGES ASK FOR THE QUEEN ANNE'S TECHNICAL BUILDING. SO, THIS BUILDING IS GOING TO BE A THREE YEAR BUILD IF FUNDED BY THE STATE. CAROLINE COUNTY'S TOTAL SHARE OF THE BUILDING COMES IN AT ABOUT $2.7 MILLION OF THE NUMBER YOU SEE ON THE SHEET.
SO WHEN YOU TAKE A LOOK AT CHESAPEAKE COLLEGE, AS ASKED IN THE BOOK, THE FIRST YEAR, THEY'RE ONLY NEEDING ABOUT $180,000 TO FUND THAT PROJECT. A FEAR OR A DISCUSSION THAT WE'VE HAD INTERNALLY IS REALLY NOT SETTING OURSELVES UP FOR FAILURE TO GET INTO FY 27 OR FY 28 AND START LOOKING FOR $2 MILLION TO BUILD A BUILDING THAT THEY'VE ALREADY STARTED.
YEAH, I THINK 2027 AND 28 ARE GOING TO BE MORE DIFFICULT THAN 26.
[00:40:10]
THE FULL COST, MAKE SURE THE MONEY IS THERE SO WE'RE NOT HAVING TO CUT OR SCROUNGE IN 27 OR 28.YES, SIR. LATEST INTEL IS THAT IT IS IN THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET TO FUND IT.
SO CHESAPEAKE COLLEGE AT THIS POINT FEELS CONFIDENT THAT IT'S IN THERE.
SO AND THEN THE OTHER VARIABLE IS THAT ALL THE COUNTIES ACTUALLY SIGN ON TO FUND IT.
THAT WOULD BE THE NEXT HURDLE. HURDLE, RIGHT? IT IS A FIVE COUNTY FUNDED SYSTEM. THREE COUNTIES MUST VOTE TO MOVE FORWARD.
AT THIS TIME. THERE ARE THREE COUNTIES THAT HAVE VOTED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS.
BUT KNOWING THE CURRENT BUDGET SITUATION THAT WE'RE ALL FACING THERE MAY BE RENEWED, RENEWED CONVERSATIONS ABOUT FUNDING. OKAY. ALL RIGHT.
WELL, I THINK WE SHOULD LEAVE IT IN FOR THESE PURPOSES.
I MEAN, JUST TO JUST THINK ABOUT IT. I MEAN, LIKE, EVEN IF, LIKE NEXT YEAR.
LIKE IF WE DID HALF ALLOCATED HALF THIS YEAR, HALF NEXT YEAR.
YOU DON'T THINK THAT'S A THAT IS CERTAINLY FINE.
I THINK RIGHT NOW I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THIS IS A CONVERSATION.
AND WHATEVER WE DO WE MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SOUND ON WHAT WE'RE COMMITTING TO.
SO IF WE DECIDE TO DO 50% NOW AND 50% NEXT YEAR I MEAN, EVERYBODY'S SITTING HERE IN THIS ROOM.
WE KNOW WHEN WE START THE BUDGET NEXT YEAR, THAT'S. YEAH. I MEAN, THAT'S NOT AN ASK.
SO, I MEAN, IF YOU DID HALF THIS, HALF THIS YEAR AND A HALF, IT STILL PUTS YOU DOWN, YOU KNOW, WITHIN REASONABLE, YOU KNOW, EXPECTATIONS, I THINK SO.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU GO AT 1.35 AND THEN YOU TAKE 1.35 AGAIN DIVIDED BY, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SEVEN, CORRECT? 700. I'M SORRY. YEAH. I'M JUST CONCERNED WE MAY NOT HAVE ANY MONEY FOR CAPITAL NEXT YEAR.
SO ALL THIS STUFF HERE JUST GETS DELETED ANYWAY.
CORRECT. AND AGAIN, IF, IF WE SET THE MONEY ASIDE AT WHATEVER PACE OR NATURE AND THE PROJECT DOES NOT GET FUNDED AND THEY DECIDE NOT TO MOVE FORWARD, WE CAN CERTAINLY REALLOCATE AND MOVE THAT MONEY TO OTHER CAPITAL ITEMS. WE WOULD COME BEFORE YOU AND ASK TO ESSENTIALLY DO THAT.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO LET IT SIT OR JUST GO AWAY.
IT WOULD BE SET ASIDE AND USED FOR ANYTHING ELSE.
RIGHT. I WOULD SUGGEST WE LEAVE IT. WE LEAVE IT HERE.
AND WHEN WE GET TO THE FINAL PROCESS HERE ON THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, WE GO BACK AND TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
OKAY. OKAY. I AGREE WITH YOU, COMMISSIONER PORTER.
I THINK IT'S I AGREE, I JUST WANTED TO BRING THIS POINT, THAT'S ALL.
YEAH. IT IS. I MEAN, IT'S A PLACE. YEAH. I WAS THINKING THE SAME THING.
YEAH. I MEAN, I PERSONALLY THINK IT'S A GOOD CONSERVATIVE PLAY TO JUST BUILD IT INTO THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, FUND IT. IF WE'RE GOING TO BE ON THE HOOK FOR IT, LET'S FUND IT.
SO WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT FUNDING ANY OF IT, YOU KNOW, NEXT YEAR.
IT'S EITHER WE DEAL WITH IT NOW OR WE DEAL WITH IT OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
SO YOU KNOW, BUT THAT'S JUST MY THOUGHT. BUT I AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER PORTER.
IT IS A PLACE WE CAN GO. SURE. YEAH. SO I HAVE THAT AS A PLACEHOLDER FOR ALL THREE NOW SHOWING.
AND THEN WE'LL ESSENTIALLY MOVE TO THE LAST APARTMENT SHOWN, WHICH IS THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
AND INSIDE OF THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. YOU'LL ALSO SEE A LINE ITEM FOR ANIMAL CONTROL.
[00:45:03]
IN IT TO HAVE THE DOG. I HAD NOTED REPLACING THE CANINE UNIT WITH THE FUND SURPLUS WITH THE EQUIPMENT SURPLUS FUND, AND I BELIEVE CAPTAIN HELMER, DID YOU LOOK AT THE TRANSMISSION ISSUE ON ACTUALLY, THAT VEHICLE WILL BE PREPARED UNTIL JULY.WE HAD ANOTHER VEHICLE, A SENIOR EXPLORER, GO DOWN WITH THE TRANSMISSION.
THAT IS MORE PRIORITY. SO WE'RE GOING TO FIX THAT NOW.
HOW MANY MILES DID YOU HAVE ON THE OTHER ONE THAT JUST BROKE ABOUT THE SAME.
NO, IT'S IT WAS IT WAS HIGHER MILEAGE. SO THE TRANSMISSIONS IN THE EXPLORERS JUST DON'T HOLD UP.
SO WITH THE ONE THAT IS GETTING REPAIRED NOW, PLUS THAT ONE THAT WOULD MAKE FOR FOUR TRANSMISSIONS.
OKAY. AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE STAYING AWAY FROM THE FORDS NOW.
AT LEAST FOR NOW. YEAH. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. AND IF YOU TALK TO DANNY, I MEAN, WE CAN TAKE IT OUT OF WE CAN TAKE IT OUT OF THIS YEAR'S FUND BALANCE.
RIGHT. TO GO AHEAD AND REPLACE THAT TRANSMISSION IN THE OTHER UNIT.
RIGHT? I MEAN, YOU GO UP SOME YOU KNOW, WE SENT IT TO, I BELIEVE DOUG'S THEY THE TRANSMISSION, YOU KNOW, CAME WITH A BETTER WARRANTY THAN A PUBLIC WORKS WERE TO DO IT.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT WAS JUST A SLIGHT INCREASE. OKAY.
I MEAN, I'M FINE WITH YOU GUYS REPLACING BOTH THE VEHICLES.
NOT DOING YOU ANY GOOD SITTING THERE WITH A MESSED UP TRANSMISSION. SO IF YOU CAN GET BOTH OF THEM DONE, GET THEM. I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT MY TAKE IS. YOU GOOD? I'M GOOD. YOU GO WITH THAT, COMMISSIONER PORTER.
YES. YEAH. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL WORK THROUGH THAT.
YOU GOOD WITH THAT, COMMISSIONER PORTER? YES.
OKAY. SO AS FAR AS CAPITAL GOES, YES. THAT IS ESSENTIALLY ALL OF THE CAPITAL ASSETS THAT WE HAVE AS OF TODAY. AS YOU CAN SEE, THAT LEAVES US WITH ABOUT $3.8 MILLION LEFT TO ALLOCATE. SO I KNOW IN AGAIN, CONVERSATION OF HOW THE ROADS INFRASTRUCTURE BUDGET LOOKS BETWEEN HOT MIX AND TAR AND CHIP, THERE'S ABOUT $3.5 MILLION IN ASSETS THERE.
SO THAT EATS UP GENERALLY ABOUT ALL OF THE REMAINING CAPITAL.
COMMISSIONER BARTZ, I THINK YOU WERE IN THE MIDDLE.
SO WHAT WAS YOUR NUMBER? WHAT WAS YOUR NUMBER? FOR A PLACEHOLDER, AS ALWAYS. IS THAT WHAT YOU SAID? YEAH. MOM WAS TALKING ABOUT THAT. WE HAD THE TOWNSHIP FULLY FUNDED.
I BELIEVE ALL THREE OF US WERE AT A MILLION. FIVE? YEAH, YEAH. MOM WAS 1.61. TALKING ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A YEAH.
HOT MIX OVERLAY. YEP. SO FOR A PLACEHOLDER, IF YOU WANT TO PUT ONE 1615.
YEAH, YEAH. 1615 201201. YOU GOT RIGHT DOWN TO IT.
I LIKE IT. PENCIL GOT SHARP. NOT AS SHARP AS MINE.
NOT MUCH. NOT MUCH. SO, I WAS AT 1,000,683, I BELIEVE COMMISSIONER PORTER WAS AT A MILLION. FIVE. 77? YEP. YEP. YEAH. SO, INDIVIDUALLY, DO YOU WANT ME TO JUST PUT THE SAME NUMBER ACROSS, OR WOULD YOU LIKE THE INDIVIDUAL NUMBERS THAT YOU'VE EACH COME UP WITH?
[00:50:01]
YOU CAN PUT THEM IN INDIVIDUALLY. WHAT OUR INDIVIDUAL NUMBERS WERE.I GUESS I THINK WE WERE PRETTY MUCH IN UNISON.
LOOKS LIKE WE'RE IN UNISON ON EVERYTHING ELSE.
SO AGAIN, JUST FOR CONTEXT AND FINISHING. SO ALL THREE HAVE ABOUT 700 TO $800,000 OF REMAINING FUNDING. AND AGAIN, KNOWING THE DIFFERENCE IN OPERATING BEING CLOSE TO 2 MILLION, I IMAGINE THE INTENT IS THAT'S GOING TO PROBABLY HAVE TO GO BACK TO OPERATING FOR NOW.
I'M GOING TO LEAVE IT AT THIS VERSION. WE CAN GO THROUGH OPERATING, AND THEN WHEN WE GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THAT, START GOING THROUGH THAT EXERCISE OF WHAT THAT BACK AND FORTH IS GOING TO BE.
OKAY. SO RIGHT NOW, WE'RE STILL WITH A $6.5 MILLION CONTRIBUTION FROM THE OPERATING FUND.
WE ARE STILL OVER ANYWHERE FROM 700 TO 800,000.
FOR TODAY OR UNDER? NO, WE'RE UNDER RIGHT NOW.
BUT WE NEED THAT 700 TO 800,000 IN THE OPERATING BUDGET, RIGHT? YEAH. OKAY. YES. SO, WE'RE UNDER RIGHT NOW. BACKWARDS.
YEAH. YEAH. YEAH. ARE WE OKAY TO DIVE INTO OPERATING TODAY? DO WE WANT TO TAKE A QUICK ONCE OVER OR IS THIS SOMETHING WE CAN PRETTY MUCH EVERY TUESDAY FROM NOW ON TILL MAY WE'LL BE HAVING THESE TYPES OF BUDGET WORKSHOPS.
IT'S REALLY JUST DEPENDS ON YOUR GUYS APPETITE FOR ONE DAY OF HOW MUCH YOU WANT TO SIT THROUGH.
I MEAN, THERE'S I MEAN, THERE'S ONLY A COUPLE.
REALLY. WELL, WE CAN WAIT UNTIL COMMISSIONER PORTER IS BACK IN THE ROOM TO GO THROUGH.
YOU THINK COMMISSIONER PORTER, YOU? I'M FINE.
I'M FINE WITH DOING WITH DOING IT TODAY. I MEAN, I THINK, LIKE, I THINK FRANK WAS GOING TO SAY THERE'S ONLY THERE ARE A FEW ITEMS WE'RE OFF. WE'RE NOT IN AGREEMENT WITH. I MEAN, WE MIGHT AS WELL START TACKLING THOSE.
NO, I'M. NO. I'M FINE. OKAY. OKAY. SO AGAIN, WE'LL TRY TO BE AS I DON'T WANT TO SAY QUICK, BUT AS EASY THROUGH THESE AS WE CAN BE. ON OPERATING SIDE, EACH YEAR WE START WITH REVENUE.
SO THIS YEAR, THE CURRENT FORM THAT YOU SEE HAS PROPERTY TAXES BEING HELD AT THE SAME $0.98.
100. AND THE DIFFERENTIALS FOR EACH TOWN BEING HELD THE SAME.
NOTHING HAS BEEN ADJUSTED FOR ANY FEES OR SERVICES.
THAT'S ALL. ALL FLAT AS WELL. WE'RE BASED OFF ACTUAL INCOME TAX.
WE HAVE ESSENTIALLY INCREASED WHAT WE WERE BUDGETING BASED OFF ACTUAL COLLECTION.
BUT WE ARE WRITING IN A $1.1 MILLION REDUCTION BASED OFF OF THE GOVERNOR'S RECOMMENDED CHANGE OR HIS VERSION OF THE BUDGET. AS FAR AS LOCAL AND STATE INCOME TAX COLLECTION CAN GO AND WHAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY DEDUCT OR NOT ITEMIZE ANYMORE. SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, WHEN WE COME DOWN TO THE VERY BOTTOM, WE'RE STARTING THE YEAR AT REVENUE SHOWING ABOUT 77,688,000. SO WHEN WE GO OVER TO THIS OTHER SIDE HERE AND WE LOOK AT REQUEST, YOU'LL SEE THE BOTTOM LINE REVENUE IS THAT CARRIED OVER NUMBER.
SO AS WE START PLUGGING THESE FIGURES IN IT TAKES AWAY FROM THAT.
AND WE'LL FIGURE OUT THE OVER AND UNDER. SO STARTING AT THE TOP WE STOP.
START WITH ALL GENERAL GOVERNMENTAL TYPES OF SERVICES.
SO A LOT OF THESE HERE IN COLUMN E YOU CAN SEE IF THEY ARE ABOVE OR BELOW FLAT.
SO ARE THERE ANY WE WANT TO JUST JUMP TO RIGHT AWAY? AGAIN, I DON'T WANT TO BELABOR AND GO THROUGH ONES. IF YOU GUYS ARE ALREADY IN AGREEMENT THAT WE'RE JUST GOING TO HOLD THE SAME OR HOLD AT THE REQUEST NO. I MEAN, I GUESS YOU COULD JUST FILL IN THE ONES THAT WERE IN AGREEMENT ON [INAUDIBLE] SOMETIMES IS VERY HARD. OKAY, SO WE HAVE COMMISSIONERS BEING THE
[00:55:09]
SAME. THE FIRST ONE THAT WE HAVE HIGHLIGHTED THAT THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION OR, OR CONSENSUS WAS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.SO BASED OFF THE INDIVIDUAL BUDGETS YOU GUYS HAVE PROVIDED IT SEEMS LIKE EVERYBODY IS IN AGREEMENT THAT 311 853 WAS A NUMBER THAT WAS COME DOWN TO. YEAH. YEAH. OKAY.
GOING DOWN ALL THE WAY FROM ELECTIONS DOWN TO GENERAL SERVICE.
IT LOOKS LIKE EVERYBODY HAD ESSENTIALLY THE SAME FIGURE.
THE NEXT ONE THAT HAD ANY ADJUSTMENT TO IT WAS OFFICE OF TECHNOLOGY.
SO IN CONVERSATION BETWEEN CHRIS, KATHLEEN AND I AND THE OTHER DEPARTMENT HEADS THE OFFICE OF TECHNOLOGY HAD AN INCREASE FOR GPS TRACKING OF ALL COUNTY ON LIGHT DUTY VEHICLES WHICH CAME IN ABOUT $45,000.
THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THE DEPARTMENT HEADS AND ADMINISTRATION NOW IS TO TAKE THAT OUT AS WELL, AS CHRIS HAS GOT SOME ACTUAL COSTS ON SOME LICENSING THAT HAS REDUCED HIS BY 30,000.
SO TAKING BOTH OF THOSE ITEMS OUT HIS NEW ASK IS REALLY AT 1249 531.
SO, I'M GOING TO THROW THAT IN THERE AS WELL.
OKAY. THE NEXT TOP THREE ITEMS HERE, AS NOTED, ARE ALL GRANTS THAT ARE FUNDED BY THE STATE FOR PROGRAMS OFFERED HERE IN THE COURTHOUSE ON THE SECOND FLOOR.
NEXT ITEM THAT HAS A LITTLE ABOVE ASK THAT HAS A DIFFERENCE IS THE CIRCUIT COURT.
SO, JUDGE PRICE IS CURRENTLY REQUESTING AN ADDITIONAL POSITION, WHICH WOULD BE A JUDICIAL ASSISTANT.
I AGREE, I THINK THAT MAY BE ONE SPOT I WOULD BE WILLING TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT IF WE MAKE AN ADJUSTMENT ON THE CHESAPEAKE COLLEGE BUILDING, BUT NOT YEAH, IT'S JUST A IT'S ANOTHER WOULD BE ANOTHER RECURRING COST BUILT INTO THE BUDGET.
AND I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT ADDING ANY ADDITIONAL RECURRING COSTS RIGHT NOW WITH NEW POSITIONS.
SO, AND I MEAN PLUS TWO WITH THE ASSESSMENT AND TAXATION THAT THAT TAKES I MEAN THAT'S, THAT'S TWO THAT'S TWO POSITIONS RIGHT THERE, 146,000 THAT WE HAD TO PAY FOR. YEAH. YEAH. YEAH.
SAY IT WILL BE. BUT YEAH, I GUESS SO IF IT IF THAT'S THE CASE, WE HAD NO SAY OVER LIKE THEY CAN HIRE ANOTHER POSITION THERE IF THEY WANTED TO AND WE'D HAVE TO BE, WE'D HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. YEP.
NECESSARILY. YES. WE ARE ALLOCATED ON A PERCENTAGE OF THEIR BUDGET.
SO IF THE STATE AND THEIR SUPERVISORS THERE APPROVED THAT, THEY WANTED TO EXPAND BY ONE POSITION AND THEY WERE APPROVED BY THE STATE, THEN WE WOULD BE ON THE HOOK FOR WHATEVER OUR SHARE PERCENTAGE WOULD BE.
YEAH. THE NEXT KIND OF SECTION THAT LOOKS LIKE EVERYBODY IS IN AGREEMENT ON IS THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND THE ASK, THERE'S REALLY NOT TOO MUCH CHANGE THERE BASED OFF THE, EXCUSE ME, THE ABOVE FLAT.
SO WE'LL START WITH LOW SAP. LOW SAP WAS REQUESTED TO DROP THE YEARS OF OR THE AGE TO BE ELIGIBLE, DOWN FIVE YEARS TO 55. IT LOOKS LIKE GENERALLY ALL THREE ARE IN AGREEMENT TO NOT GO FORWARD WITH REDUCING THE AGE. YEP. CORRECT. I AM NOT IN FAVOR OF REDUCING OF ADJUSTING THE AGE OR THE $15,000 CONTRIBUTION. I THINK THE LOW SIDE PROGRAM IS FUNDED ADEQUATELY, AND I'M NOT INTERESTED IN LOWERING THE AGE.
SO THE 15,000 I THINK WAS JUST LEFT OVER FROM THIS YEAR.
THEY HAVE ASKED. THAT'S THE WAY I WAS EXPLAINING TO IT, BUT I MIGHT BE WRONG. THEY HAVE ASKED THAT THE 251 NUMBER YOU SEE ME PACING IN IS TO HOLD THE BENEFIT AT THE SAME. SO IF THERE WERE AN UNDERSPEND OF THAT AND THEY ONLY SPENT, SAY,
[01:00:01]
246 WE WOULD TAKE THAT DIFFERENCE AND SET IT ASIDE INTO THE FUND.THE 15 WOULD BE ABOVE AND BEYOND THAT SEPARATE.
SO YEAH. OKAY. SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS WHATEVER'S LEFT OVER AUTOMATICALLY GOES BACK INTO THE FUND.
TECHNICALLY, NO, WE HAVE NOT BEEN DOING THAT THERE.
ASK THIS YEAR WAS AN ADDITIONAL THAT. YEAH. YES.
OKAY. SO BUT THAT'S WHAT THEY WERE ANTICIPATING AROUND 15,000.
NOW, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE 15 WOULD BE ABOVE AND BEYOND NEW MONEY.
WE WOULD SET ASIDE NOT CONSIDERING ANY OVERAGE OR UNDERAGE.
OKAY. ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT. BUT TO COMMISSIONER PORTER'S POINT, THE FUND IS.
OH, I TOTALLY AGREE ON THAT HUNDRED PERCENT. YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB WITH THAT, DAN.
NO, NO. YOU GUYS. YEAH. MADE THE MONEY GO INTO IT HAS DONE WONDERS.
FIRE COMPANIES. RIGHT NOW THE FIRE COMPANIES HAVE REQUESTED A 10% INCREASE IN ALLOCATION.
IT LOOKS LIKE I HAVE THREE DIFFERENT. YOU DO HAVE THREE DIFFERENT NUMBERS HERE ON THAT.
SO I WAS AT 5%. I MEAN, I KNOW THOSE GUYS PROVIDE AN INVALUABLE SERVICE, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT THEY DO, BUT I JUST I JUST FELT LIKE, YOU KNOW, IT'S TIGHT.
WE'VE DONE 10% INCREASES, I BELIEVE, OVER THE LAST 5 TO 6 YEARS.
SO THAT'S A 50 TO 60% INCREASE IN FUNDING. AND I JUST FELT LIKE, YOU KNOW, IN LIGHT OF THE, THE FISCAL SITUATION, THAT 5% WOULD BE ENOUGH THIS YEAR.
SO THAT'S WHY I WAS AT FIVE, ACTUALLY, BETWEEN YOU AND LARRY AT 10%.
RIGHT. JUST, YOU KNOW, SO YOU GOT THREE DIFFERENT NUMBERS.
SO ONE OF US IS GOING TO HAVE TO MOVE. AND, YOU KNOW, LARRY, HE PUT THE PROPERTY TAX CREDIT, WHICH I THINK THAT'S A CONVERSATION TO HAVE. BUT I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S THE CONVERSATION THIS YEAR OR NOT.
WELL, WHY DON'T YOU LET COMMISSIONER PORTER YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT YOURS WHERE YOU WERE AT? YEAH, I YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK THAT YOU KNOW, I'M LOOKING AT THIS FROM A PUBLIC SAFETY STANDPOINT, AND I JUST, I JUST BELIEVE, AND I KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE CONTROVERSIAL.
AND AS YOU KNOW, I'M USING SOME OF MY SOME OF THE TAX DIFFERENTIAL FROM THE TOWNS TO HELP BALANCE THIS, BUT EVERY, EVERY EXPENSE THAT WE HAVE HAD PUSHED DOWN TO US FROM THE, FROM THE STATE LEVEL.
I ALSO AFFECTS SERVICES TO THE TOWNS. I MEAN, THE ASSESSMENT OFFICE DOES, TEACHERS DO.
AND WE HAVE ALSO HAD TO SET UP THESE POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY BOARDS, WHICH INCLUDE THE TOWNS.
I HONESTLY THINK THAT THE DIFFERENTIAL FORMULA IS OBSOLETE, AND I THINK WE SHOULD TALK ABOUT DOING AWAY WITH THAT AND THEN HAVING THE DIFFERENTIAL BE A BUDGETARY DECISION EACH YEAR. SO I'M PREPARED TO, I MEAN, THE POLICE DEPARTMENTS OBVIOUSLY SERVE THE TOWNS JUST AS MUCH AS THEY SERVE THE COUNTY. AND I THINK WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO A TO A PUBLIC SAFETY THING, I'M PREPARED TO FUND THESE GUYS AND, AND LET THE TOWNS, SOME OF THE TOWNS THAT WE GIVE DIFFERENTIAL TO HELP SUPPORT THEM AS WELL. I KNOW SOME TOWNS INDIVIDUALLY HELP THEM.
I UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT THAT'S KIND OF THE WAY I'M LOOKING AT IT.
I'M NOT, I'M NOT GOING TO LIVE AND DIE ON THE, ON THE PENSION OR THE PROPERTY TAX THING, BUT I'M WILLING TO MAKE A GOOD FAITH EFFORT TO, TO START, I THINK, DANNY, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, WAS THIS $250, I BELIEVE, FROM THE NUMBER THAT WE HAD.
IT WAS AROUND 250 OR 300. YEAH. COULD BE PROVIDED FOR ABOUT 50,000.
SO, I MEAN, I'M WILLING TO START THAT CONVERSATION, BUT YOU KNOW, I'LL CERTAINLY I'LL CERTAINLY GO WITH WHAT YOU GUYS SAY. AND IF THE, YOU KNOW, THE HOW THE VOTE IS HELD.
BUT I JUST THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE KEEP FUNDING THE FIRE COMPANIES BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT WHEN IT COMES TO WORK THAT'S DONE, YOU KNOW, TO NOT ONLY PERFORM THE SERVICE BUT TO TRY TO, YOU KNOW, GO OUT AND RAISE MONEY.
AND IT'S HARD. I'M NOT. I'M NOT INTERESTED IN ADJUSTING.
I THINK, AGAIN, THE LOW SHOT IS WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE.
AND THE TRAINING, I'LL DO AWAY WITH THAT, BUT.
[01:05:05]
AND I'M NOT GOING TO, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, I'M NOT GOING TO FALL ON THE SWORD HERE FOR THE PROPERTY TAX.BUT I THINK AT $250 IS SOMETHING WE SHOULD CONSIDER.
BUT THAT'S KIND OF THE WAY I FEEL, RIGHT? DID YOU DID YOU WANT TO CLARIFY WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING ON THE DIFFERENTIAL SIDE? HOW MUCH HOW MUCH OF A CHANGE THERE. ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT? I THINK IT WAS $0.01. AND I THINK DANNY CAME UP WITH A NUMBER OF, I THINK.
WAS IT 107,000, DANNY? YES. YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT.
SO, THE FIGURE THAT I HAD COME UP WITH IS ESSENTIALLY REDUCING EACH TOWN'S DIFFERENTIAL BY $0.01.
AND THAT WOULD ESSENTIALLY INCREASE OUR PROPERTY TAX REVENUE BY 107 280.
GOTCHA. OKAY. YEAH, I AGREE WITH YOU, COMMISSIONER PORTER ON A DIFFERENTIAL.
I MEAN, THEY'RE THE ONES THAT THEY GET HIT THE MOST.
SO, I MEAN, I WOULD ENTERTAIN A, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THAT, TOO, IS THE DIFFERENTIAL.
YEAH. AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT ELIMINATING IT.
I'M TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ONE $0.01. AND AGAIN, THE SERVICES THAT WE'RE PROVIDED THAT WE ARE BEING REQUIRED TO PAY FOR FROM AN ADDITIONAL STANDPOINT, FROM THE STATE, ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE'RE BEING ASKED TO DO ARE SERVICES THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, AFFECT THE TOWNS.
AND I KNOW, I KNOW THE PAB WAS USED. I KNOW THERE WAS GRANT MONEY FOR THAT, BUT I THINK WE'VE ALL KIND OF KNOWN IN THE BACK OF OUR MINDS, THOSE GRANTS ARE GOING TO GO AWAY AND WE'RE GOING TO END UP FUNDING THE POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY BOARDS.
AND WE'VE ALREADY BEEN THROUGH, YOU KNOW, THE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THESE CASES ARE BROUGHT, YOU KNOW, THROUGH MUNICIPALITIES. BUT YET THERE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE ANY TYPE OF THOUGHTS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE TOWN SETTING UP THEIR OWN. THEY MAY WANT TO AND I WOULD BE 100% IN AGREEMENT IN AGREEANCE WITH THAT.
BUT I DON'T THINK THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. SO ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT ARE GETTING SHOVED TO US ARE THINGS THAT ALSO ARE SERVICES, INCLUDING THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS. YEAH. AND I DON'T I DON'T DISAGREE, YOU KNOW, WITH ANYTHING YOU GUYS ARE SAYING.
I KNOW THE DIFFERENTIAL FORMULA WAS BASED OFF OF POLICE PROTECTION, BUT YOU ALSO HAVE TO LOOK AT OR AT LEAST I'M LOOKING AT THIS FROM A STANDPOINT OF TOWNS, YOU KNOW, TAKE CARE OF ROADS THAT THE COUNTY DOESN'T HAVE TO IN MANY CASES THEY DO TRASH COLLECTION.
SO, THE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT USING THE HOTELS AS MUCH AS, AS RESIDENTS OUT IN THE COUNTY.
PLANNING AND CODES, ZONING, ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE IN LARGE PART HANDLED AT THE TOWN.
SO, I MEAN, I DON'T DISAGREE WITH WHAT YOU GUYS ARE SAYING.
I MEAN, ABSOLUTELY, THERE ARE SHIFTS DOWN TO US.
BUT I FEEL LIKE IF WE CAN, IF WE CAN SHARPEN OUR PENCILS ENOUGH TO DO THIS WITHOUT CHANGING THE DIFFERENTIAL, THAT'S WHAT MY APPROACH WOULD BE. BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M THE SAME WITH YOU.
YOU KNOW, WE ALL SIT UP HERE NEXT TO EACH OTHER AND WHATEVER THE VOTE IS, I WILL, YOU KNOW, I'LL HAPPILY, YOU KNOW, GO ALONG WITH. SO, YEAH.
AND ONE MORE, ONE MORE THING. TRAVIS, I ALSO, I THINK THAT WE TAKE A LOOK AS WELL AT THE AMOUNT OF SERVICE THAT WE PROVIDE TO THE TOWNS WHEN IT COMES TO THROUGH LESLIE'S WORK.
I ASK AND I'M OUT OF TOWN, AND IT'S MY FAULT BECAUSE I'M NOT THERE.
BUT, I MEAN, I BELIEVE IF WE HAD, I'M SURE IF WE ASKED LESLIE TO COME UP WITH THOSE NUMBERS, SHE'D BE ABLE TO DO IT BEFORE THIS MEETING WAS OVER.
BUT WE ALSO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO THOSE TO THOSE TOWNS WHEN IT COMES TO THOSE TO THOSE SERVICES.
SO, THIS IS NOT A THIS IS NOT A TOWN FIGHT FOR ME.
I'M NOT LOOKING FOR A FIGHT. I'M JUST LOOKING FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR WHAT'S REALISTIC HERE IN MY MIND.
[01:10:02]
AND AGAIN, IF THE DECISION IS MADE TO DO THIS ANOTHER WAY, I AM FINE WITH THAT.SO. BUT, I MEAN, I JUST THINK THAT AT SOME POINT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE A REAL ANOTHER SERIOUS LOOK AT THIS AND YOU KNOW, DETERMINE HOW WE'RE HOW WE'RE GOING TO GO IF WE CAN GET TO THE FUNDING FOR THE FIRE COMPANY WITHOUT THE WITHOUT THE DIFFERENTIAL BEING AFFECTED.
THAT'S FINE. I'M FINE WITH THAT. BUT I'M LOOKING AT ALL SOURCES HERE.
SO I THINK DANNY MIGHT HAVE A NUMBER FOR US AS FAR AS GRANTS.
SO I CAN CERTAINLY FOLLOW UP WITH THE EMAIL AND SEND THIS OUT.
BUT AFTER WE HAD THE CONVERSATION, COMMISSIONER PORTER, LESLIE WAS ABLE TO PUT TOGETHER A LITTLE BREAKDOWN FROM REALLY, IT LOOKS LIKE GOING ABOUT FOUR YEARS BACK AND AGAIN, JUST BACK OF THE ENVELOPE MATH, ADDING UP ALL OF THE TOWN GRANTS THAT SHE'S RECEIVED OR ASSISTED IN RECEIVING. IT'S OVER $5 MILLION. AND LIKE I SAY, THE PAST 4 OR 5 YEARS, A LOT OF IT BEING THE TOWN OF GREENSBORO AND THE WASTEWATER FACILITY. YOU HAVE RIDGELY, HENDERSON, HILLSBORO AND THEN SOME OTHER HAZARD MITIGATION AND FLOOD MITIGATION PROJECTS THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN FEDERALSBURG AND HERE IN DENTON AS WELL.
BUT IF THOSE KICK BACK UP, THAT NUMBER CONTINUES TO GROW.
SO. YEAH. AND I AM FINE WITH THAT AND I'M GLAD AND I'M HAPPY THAT LESLIE IS ABLE TO DO THAT. AND I THINK SHE DOES AN INCREDIBLE JOB IN, IN HELPING.
AND I THINK WE SHOULD I'M NOT IN ANY WAY, YOU KNOW, SAYING WE SHOULDN'T DO THAT.
AND I'M SURE YOU COULD PROBABLY ADD IN A LOT MORE TO THAT NUMBER IF YOU JUST TOOK, YOU KNOW, THE THINGS THAT SHE SAVED THEM WHEN IT COMES TO, TO MONEY.
SO, THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING. YEAH. I APPRECIATE ALL THAT.
AND I CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND YOUR POSITION. BUT JUST SO FOR THIS EXERCISE AND KIND OF THE FIRST VERSION OF WHERE WE'RE AT, JUST TO CONFIRM. SO, THE TRAINING I BELIEVE WERE ALL THREE ON A NO AT THIS TIME FOR THE 20,000.
I THINK I WOULD ENTER JUST ENTER OUR DIFFERENT NUMBERS.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO COME TO A CONSENSUS TODAY.
WE'VE GOT ONE MORE PUBLIC HEARING. SO, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY CAN COME IN AND CHEW ON OUR EARS AND MAYBE THEY'LL SWAY ONE OF US ONE DIRECTION OR THE OTHER. SO, THAT'S ESSENTIALLY THE VERSION THAT I POSTED IN THERE WAS THE 50 FOR COMMISSIONER PORTER, THE OTHER TWO BEING A NO AT THIS TIME. LIKE I SAID, THIS IS THIS IS ALL UP IN THE AIR, TOO.
WE I MEAN, WE MAY BE CUTTING MORE. YET THIS WILL NOT BE THE LAST TIME WE TALKED.
NO, NO. FLUSH. FLUSH. FLUSH. I WOULD JUST. I WOULD JUST COMMENT.
BASED ON WHAT I'M READING AND HEARING, WHICH I THINK IS THE SAME THING YOU AND YOU GUYS ARE AS WELL.
I THINK IT'S GOING TO GO UP. I DON'T THINK WE'VE SEEN THE REAL NUMBER YET.
YOU KNOW, BECAUSE AS THEY START ELIMINATING THEIR, YOU KNOW, AS MR. BREEDING SAID, THE BUSINESS TAX, THEY GOT TO FIND THAT MONEY FROM SOMEWHERE.
AND I JUST HAVE A FEELING IT'S GOING TO KEEP GETTING SHOVED DOWN.
IT'S GOING TO INCREASE, IN MY OPINION. YEAH. I HOPE NOT, BUT I AGREE WITH YOU.
BUT SOME JURISDICTIONS ARE IN A LOT WORSE SHAPE THAN WE ARE.
SO. RIGHT. BUT OKAY. CONTINUING ON, THE NEXT LINE ITEM THAT I HAD WITH SOME DIFFERENCE FROM THE REQUEST WAS CORRECTIONS. I BELIEVE ALL THREE HAD COMMENT THAT DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE POSITION, THIS YEAR WAS A NO.
[01:15:05]
AT THIS POINT. YEP. WE'D ALL AGREED TO NOT FUND THAT ADDITIONAL POSITION.YEP. SO CONTINUING DOWN, I HAD DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY SERVICES.
I THINK THERE WAS A CONSENSUS FROM ALL THREE THAT THE REQUEST WAS FINE TO STAY AT THAT NUMBER.
THERE. NEXT, I HAD THE HUMANE SOCIETY. THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF DIFFERENCE THERE.
I BELIEVE COMMISSIONER BREEDING, YOU HAD REMAINED WITH THE SAME 5% FOR THE HUMANE SOCIETY AS, LIKE THE FIRE COMPANY. COMMISSIONER BARTZ, I KNOW YOU JUST STOOD UP FOR A MINUTE.
HAD A LITTLE BIT OF A LOWER NUMBER. DO WE WANT TO HOLD OFF ON.
YEAH, LET'S COME BACK TO THAT. WHEN? WHEN FRANK GETS BACK IN THE ROOM.
WE'LL COME BACK TO THAT ONE. SO JUST LOOKING ALL THE WAY DOWN.
LIQUOR LICENSING, PUBLIC WORKS FOR ALL THE DEPARTMENTS.
I BELIEVE THERE WAS A CONSENSUS THAT EVERYBODY WAS FINE WITH THE LIQUOR LICENSING.
YES. IS THAT SOMETHING WE CAN LOOK AT, THE LICENSING FEE, OR WAS THAT DONE AT THE LEGISLATURE.
YOU HAVE TO DO THAT NEXT YEAR. OKAY. ALL RIGHT.
WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT SOME SLIGHT INCREASES IN THE FEES WE HAVE CONTROL OVER, LIKE APPLICATION FEES AND THINGS LIKE THAT THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY COVERING EXPENSES. OKAY. WE CAN ADJUST THAT SCHEDULE THIS FISCAL YEAR.
OKAY. YEAH. I MEAN, I JUST I DON'T WANT TO SOUND LIKE I WANT TO JACK UP FEES AND ALL THAT, BUT I THINK I THINK THE FEES SHOULD COVER THE EXPENSES.
I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD BE SUPPLEMENTING, YOU KNOW, LIQUOR LICENSING THROUGH GENERAL FUND TAX COLLECTIONS AT THE COMMUNITY LEVEL. I THINK THIS IS ONE PARTICULAR CASE WHERE THE FEES SHOULD ACTUALLY COVER THE COST FOR ADMINISTERING THE PROGRAM.
SO LET'S JUMP BACK TO THE HUMANE SOCIETY. MR. BARTZ. YOUR NUMBER WAS DIFFERENT. 385. OKAY. JUST 4000 DIFFERENCE.
OKAY. I'M FINE WITH THE FOUR. OKAY. I'M GOOD.
ALL RIGHT. LET'S SAY WE GOT THROUGH PUBLIC WORKS JUST REMAINING THE SAME.
WE HAVE MOVED ON TO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. REALLY? THE SMALL ASK OF 2% WAS THE ONE THING THAT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAD REQUESTED, AND THAT'S TO MAINTAIN OUR REQUIRED SHARE OF THEIR CORE FUNDING. I BELIEVE ALL THREE HAD THAT IN WE NOW GET ON TO WHAT WE CONSIDER OUR SOCIAL SERVICES.
SO, THE FIRST ONE BEING OFFSHORE AGING. I BELIEVE TWO HAD 5%.
AND I BELIEVE COMMISSIONER BARTZ WAS DOWN TO FOUR ON THAT ONE AS WELL.
THEY HAD A LITTLE BIT OF A LOWER NUMBER. OKAY.
I WAS JUST I WAS JUST STICKING WITH THE CONSISTENT FIVE, BUT I'M FINE WITH THE FOUR.
OKAY. I'M OKAY WITH FOUR AS WELL. OKAY.
NEXT, WE HAD DELMARVA COMMUNITY SERVICES. THEY HAVE BEEN AT THE 85,000.
YOU SEE THE ASK OF 157,000. SO I DID MEET. LET ME LET ME SPEAK TO THIS ONE A LITTLE BIT, DANNY.
SO I DID MEET WITH ANDY HOLLIS LAST WEEK. I ASKED HIM TO COME IN AND JUST HAVE A BRIEF DISCUSSION WITH HIM ABOUT THE REQUEST. AND, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY, I LAID OUT THAT I DIDN'T THINK WE COULD DOUBLE OUR ALLOCATION TO THEM, ESPECIALLY IN, IN THIS BUDGET CLIMATE.
SO I ASKED HIM TO GO BACK AND TAKE A LOOK. THEY HAD BEEN MATCHING STATE AND FEDERAL DOLLARS.
[01:20:04]
CONTRIBUTIONS TO TRANSPORTATION. AND DCS HAD BEEN DOING THAT THROUGH ARPA FUNDS.THEY HAVE BEEN USING ARPA FUNDS BECAUSE WE WERE SHORT FUNDING OUR LOCAL OBLIGATION.
SO, I ASKED HIM TO GO BACK AND TAKE A LOOK AT BASICALLY BREAK POINTS IN THEIR BUDGET OR MILESTONES.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE CORRECT TERMINOLOGY I SHOULD BE USING HERE IS, BUT NO BREAK POINTS IN THEIR BUDGET THAT MADE SENSE FOR US TO FUND, TOO. I DIDN'T WANT TO BE 2 OR $3000 SHORT OF UNLOCKING, YOU KNOW, MATCH MONEY FROM THE STATE OR THE FED, OR BE 2 OR $3000 OVER. I THINK IT MADE SENSE TO ACTUALLY BUDGET AND MAXIMIZE WHAT WE COULD ACCESS AND, AND STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDS. SO, HE HAS NOT GOTTEN BACK TO US YET, BUT AS A PLACEHOLDER, I JUST SUGGESTED WE GO WITH 95,000. SO THAT'S WHERE THAT NUMBER CAME FROM.
THAT IS FLUID. IT COULD GO UP, COULD GO DOWN.
I THINK WE'RE WAITING ON MORE INFORMATION FROM ANDY RIGHT NOW.
SO, THANK YOU, SIR. YEAH. SO IF YOU GUYS ARE GOOD, THAT'S WHERE THE 95 CAME FROM.
OKAY, I'M GOOD WITH THAT. THANK YOU, TRAVIS, FOR DOING THAT.
THANK YOU FOR WORKING WITH ME. YEAH, AND I'LL KEEP YOU POSTED.
WHENEVER WE GET A RESPONSE FROM HIM, WE'LL SEND IT.
YOU KNOW, I'LL MAKE SURE YOU GUYS ARE BOTH COPIED ON IT, SO.
AND THEN THE OTHER ITEMS, I'LL JUST GO AHEAD AND BREAK INTO IT.
I HAD, YOU KNOW, TAKEN MY TYPICAL POSITION, WHICH IS I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT THESE VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATIONS DO, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATIONS AND NONPROFITS IN THE COUNTY THAT WE DON'T GIVE MONEY TO.
I STICK WITH MY POSITION THAT I FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, OUR JOB IS TO PROVIDE PUBLIC SAFETY PAVE THE ROADS AND THE CRITICAL SERVICES, AND I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T FEEL LIKE WE HAVE REALLY GOOD ACCOUNTING ON HOW THESE ORGANIZATIONS SPEND THE MONEY. ALTHOUGH I DO FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, THEY DO SPEND IT FOR GOOD IN THE COMMUNITY.
BUT MY POSITION IS THE SAME. IT'S BEEN THE LAST TWO YEARS THAT I DON'T I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD FUND ANY OF THEM, BUT I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE DIFFERENT POSITION THERE.
SO, SOME I DID, I FELT WE COULD CONTRIBUTE TO IT AND OTHERS I JUST STRUCK OFF.
SO. AND I CAN TELL YOU WHICH ONES I DID. I DID.
IF YOU WANT ME TO GO DOWN THE LIST. DANNY. FOR ME? YES. MARTIN'S HOUSE WAS A ZERO. HUMAN SERVICE COUNCIL WAS ZERO.
HIS HOPE MINISTRIES WAS FIVE, AARONS FIVE, CASA FIVE BIG BROTHERS, BIG SISTERS.
AND YOUR FAMILY WAS FIVE. I MEAN, THE MINISTRY OF FAMILY VIOLENCE IS THAT'S FUNDED FROM THE STATE, RIGHT? $6,300 AND THEN ZERO ON POSITIVE STRIDERS AND THE MEN FOR CHANGE.
I STUCK WITH FIVE. OKAY, JUST ONE QUICK NOTE.
THE MID SHORE FAMILY VIOLENCE. THAT IS ACTUALLY A WHAT IT IS.
WE COLLECT MARRIAGE LICENSES ACTUALLY WITH THE FEE FOR THAT.
AND THAT HAS TO GO TO THEM FOR THE PROGRAM SERVICE.
SO THAT THAT'S WHY YOU SEE DOLLAR IN DOLLAR OUT ON THAT.
THAT'S WHY YOU DIDN'T CUT THAT ONE ON MINE. YEAH.
WE GOTTA DO IT. SO, YOU TAKE THE MONEY FROM THE MARRIAGE LICENSE, AND YOU GIVE IT BACK TO IT'S LIKE A FAMILY VIOLENCE. FAMILY VIOLENCE. IRONIC TYPE THING.
YEAH. WELL, I THINK ALL MINE. YOU KNOW, I WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE MINE AT THIS POINT AND I'M GOING TO GO BACK AND TALK TO SOME OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY HAVE A SOURCE OF ANY OTHER INCOME.
ALL RIGHT. IT'S NOT A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF MONEY TO GET ALL TOGETHER.
[01:25:02]
AND I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A GREAT, YOU KNOW, BUDGET KILLER.BUT I GIVE ME SOME MORE TIME ON THOSE. WELL, IT MAY MEAN IT MAY MEAN A LOT TO THEM.
YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO SOFTEN MY HEART ON THAT ONE A LITTLE BIT.
LARRY. LARRY. AND LOOK AT IT, I. I WAS GOING MORE OUT OF IT, I THINK.
WAS IT. TALBOT COUNTY WAS IT. THEY WERE OUT OF.
SO YOU HAVE SOME UNDERSTANDING OF THAT. DO WE KNOW? ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN TO KNOW WOULD BE LIKE BIG BROTHERS, BIG SISTERS.
HOW MANY ACTUAL YOU KNOW, CONTACTS WE HAVE OR HOW MANY OF THESE KIDS ARE IN CAROLINE COUNTY? I GUESS I COULD REACH IT. I'LL REACH OUT TO THEM TO FIND OUT.
I JUST THINK IT'S A GOOD QUESTION. I KNOW STACY'S TABBING THROUGH THE BOOK RIGHT NOW.
WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK AND SEE IF THAT INFORMATION IS IN THERE OR HOW THEY.
SHOW THAT. AND IF NOT, WE CAN ASK. I THINK I SHOULD REITERATE, I REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THEY DO IN THE COMMUNITY, AND I WOULD CERTAINLY ADVOCATE FOR ANYONE TO DONATE TO ANY OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS.
IT'S JUST, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE CONFISCATED ESSENTIALLY THROUGH TAXES.
BUT KEEP TALKING. YOU MIGHT SWAY ME TO JUST, YOU KNOW.
I DON'T KNOW. WELL, WE'LL SEE. AND THE STATE? LOOK, THE STATE IS I THINK THE GOVERNOR HAS MADE IT CLEAR THAT HE WANTS TO FUND THESE TYPES OF PROGRAMS, CONTINUE TO FUND AND, YOU KNOW, IN SOME CASES ON THE BACKS OF THE COUNTIES BY PASSING DOWN EXPENSES.
SO, I MEAN, IF THIS IF THIS MONEY CAN BE OBTAINED THROUGH PROGRAMS AT THE STATE LEVEL, THEN, YOU KNOW, IS IT NECESSARY FOR US TO DUPLICATE, YOU KNOW, THE SERVICE HERE.
BUT YEAH, I THINK IN SOME CASES NOW WITH I THINK WITH PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, I BELIEVE THERE WAS SOME PROPOSED CUTS IN THOSE AREAS.
SO I DON'T KNOW, I MEAN, TO COMMISSIONER PORTER'S POINT, IF WE HAD TO LOOK AT POSITIVE STRIDES, WE COULD CERTAINLY I'M WILLING TO DO THAT. SO.
BUT I GUESS FOR PURPOSES, I GUESS JUST PUT IN WHAT WE HAVE AND THEN THE ONES THAT COMMISSIONER PORTER AND COMMISSIONER BARTZ AGREE ON WOULD BE FUNDED. SO YES, AND THAT I THINK THE CURRENT VERSION SHOWING ON THE SCREEN IS OKAY, IS THAT CURRENTLY AND THIS IS FLUID, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT CAN BE REVISITED AS WELL.
SO CONTINUING THROUGH, WE HAVE OUR PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION, LOCAL BOWIE AND CHESAPEAKE COLLEGE A LOT, IF NOT ALL OF IT IS STATE MANDATED TO SOME LEVEL.
SO THAT'S BEEN COPIED OVER. CHESAPEAKE COLLEGE IS, AS WE MENTIONED PRIOR.
SO, NOTE THE CALL SHIFTS HERE THE BOTTOM THREE ITEMS. SO, THE BOARD OF EDUCATION ALLOCATION IS GOING FROM 17.1 MILLION TO 19 MILLION.
STAYS THE SAME AS LAST YEAR. EXCEPT FOR IF HOUSE BILL 352 PASSES.
IS THAT DEBORAH? YES. OKAY. YES. THAT WOULD SHIFT AN ADDITIONAL HALF $1 MILLION TO THE COUNTY.
AND THEN ALSO THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE SHIFT. AND WHAT IS THE NONPUBLIC PROGRAMS SHIFT? MY UNDERSTANDING OF THAT IS THE NONPUBLIC SCHOOLS.
SO ANY FACILITY THAT YOU'RE PAYING LIKE ANY PRIVATE EDUCATION THERE'S A SMALL SHARE OF THE COST WITH THAT, TOO. AND THEN ALSO THERE'S A REDUCTION ON OUR INCOME SIDE NOT SHOWN HERE.
[01:30:05]
SO JUST THE COUNTIES THAT RECEIVE DISPARITY GRANTS.WHEN THE ORIGINAL 50% SHIFT OCCURRED DURING THE O'MALLEY ADMINISTRATION, WHEN THE STATE THE LAST TIME THE STATE WAS IN FISCAL DIRE STRAITS, THEY SHIFTED 50% OF THE TEACHER RETIREMENT ON TO THE COUNTIES.
THE COUNTIES THAT RECEIVED DISPARITY GRANT FUNDS FROM THE STATE RECEIVED A SUPPLEMENT TO OFFSET THAT 50% COST. GOVERNOR MOORE HAS PROPOSED PHASING THAT SUPPLEMENT OUT OVER TWO YEARS.
AND WHAT? SO WE WOULD LOSE $342,554 THIS YEAR AND NEXT YEAR, AND IT WOULD BE CUT NEXT YEAR, AN ADDITIONAL 342,000. YEAH. SO, TO YOUR POINT, THE SUPPLEMENT OR GRANT BETWEEN DISPARITY AND TEACHER RETIREMENT THIS YEAR, LOOKING AT THE SCREEN, WE'RE LOSING $519,000.
YEAH. IN REVENUE. YEAH. JUST TO JUST TO KIND OF PAINT THE FULL PICTURE HERE.
AND THE DISPARITY GRANT CUT IS THAT IS IT YOUR UNDERSTANDING THAT THAT IS A WEALTH? I KNOW THE DISPARITY GRANT IS WEALTH DRIVEN. SO IT BRINGS CAROLINE COUNTY'S INCOME TAX RECEIPTS UP TO WITHIN 80% OF THE STATE AVERAGE PER CAPITA.
RIGHT. IT'S 75 GO OFF OF. SO ESSENTIALLY, WE WILL FALL AT JUST A 65 STATE AVERAGE AT 75.
AND THEY GIVE US A GRANT PER CAPITA TO MAKE THE DIFFERENCE.
YEP. THAT GAP NOW HAS JUST TIGHTENED SLIGHTLY, WHICH CAUSES US TO LOSE OUR PER CAPITA.
SO IT'S NOT A PROPOSED CHANGE IN THE FORMULA.
IT IS JUST THAT EITHER CAROLINE COUNTY HAS GOTTEN MORE WEALTHY COMPARED TO THE STATE AVERAGE, OR THE STATE HAS GOTTEN LESS WEALTHY. CORRECT.
OKAY. YES. AND THAT HAS BEEN A GIVE AND TAKE EACH YEAR, DEPENDING ON HOW WE FALL.
BUT HISTORICALLY SPEAKING, I THINK THE LAST TWO YEARS NOW WE'VE SEEN SIGNIFICANT LOSSES IN THAT.
RIGHT. OKAY. ONE THING THAT I JUST WILL MENTION, WE'RE BACK ONTO THE EXPENSE SIDE.
IT IS DHL'S RECOMMENDATION AT THIS TIME TO ACTUALLY CHANGE THAT TO 100%.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE FLUID NATURE OF THINGS, WE VERY WELL COULD SEE THIS.
509 5201 12 112 DOUBLE, IF THEY GO THROUGH AND DECIDE TO DO 100% OF THAT, WHICH AGAIN, VERY WELL COULD BE LIKELY. SO RIGHT NOW THIS IS WHAT WE KNOW OR WHAT'S ACTUALLY IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
YEAH, 550,000 EITHER OUT OF OPERATING OR CAPITAL.
YES, SIR. OKAY. SO CONTINUING ON WITH EDUCATION, WE HAVE CHESAPEAKE COLLEGE.
AS WE MENTIONED, THE COLLEGE IS FUNDED BY THE FIVE COUNTY SYSTEM.
AS LONG AS THREE COUNTIES VOTE TO FUND THE INCREASE OR REQUESTED INCREASES BY THE COLLEGE, WE ARE ON THE HOOK FOR OUR SHARE. SO THE COLLEGE HAS REQUESTED A 5% INCREASE.
IRONICALLY, FOR US, OUR ENROLLMENT HAS INCREASED AS WELL.
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT BY PERCENTAGE, OUR NUMBER IS INCREASING WELL ABOVE THE 5% BECAUSE OUR SHARE OF THE FULL TIME ENROLLED STUDENTS IS GOING UP. SO OTHER COUNTIES MAY SEE LOSSES OR A REDUCTION.
UNFORTUNATELY, THIS YEAR WE ARE EATING THE BULK OF THE INCREASE.
SO AGAIN, IF THREE COUNTIES VOTE AND EVEN IF WE SAY NO, WE'RE STILL OBLIGATED TO PAY THAT.
SO, CONTINUING ON, WE HAVE THE LIBRARY SYSTEM, WHICH I BELIEVE EVERYBODY WAS AT THE SAME FOR. WE HAD RECREATION AS WELL. PARKS, THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF DIFFERENCE THERE.
THERE'S BEEN A REQUEST FOR A SMALL INTERNAL REORGANIZATION IN THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.
EXCUSE ME. AND I BELIEVE THE LEVEL OF THE REQUEST WAS A LITTLE DIFFERENT AMONGST THE THREE.
AND I THINK I JUST I CAME UP WITH A LITTLE DIFFERENT STEP AND GRADE CHANGE TO KIND OF SPLIT IT
[01:35:04]
IN HALF. SO THAT'S WHERE THE NUMBER CAME FROM.OKAY. I WOULD BE OKAY WITH THAT. LOOKS LIKE I'M THE ODD GUY OUT, BUT I'LL BE OKAY WITH THAT.
OKAY AS WELL. I THINK IT WAS JUST NOT I DON'T THINK WE TOOK IT UP ALL THE WAY TO THE GRADE.
I FORGET WHAT ONE GRADE DIFFERENCE IS. OKAY. THE STEPS.
AND THEN IT WAS ONE GRADE LOWER THAN WHAT WAS PROPOSED.
SO. OKAY. I HAVE ARTS COUNCIL THAT ALL THREE, I BELIEVE, ARE AT THE SAME WHEN WE GET DOWN TO EXTENSION SERVICE AGAIN, WE HAVE A REALLY QUASI-GOVERNMENTAL, SOMEWHAT STATE FUNDED ORGANIZATION THAT WE HAVE OBLIGATIONS TO PROVIDE OUR SHARE OF COLAS AND CONTRACTUAL INCREASES, TOO. SO ALL THREE HAD THAT AT THE 203. HOW MUCH WAS THE OFFICE RENT INCREASE? IT IS IN THE BOOKS. ALL RIGHT. I'LL LOOK AT THAT.
WE HAD IT. STACY WILL FLIP IT FOR. OKAY. CONTINUE THROUGH.
WHILE SHE'S LOOKING AT THAT, WE HAVE SOIL CONSERVATION.
THEY'VE ASKED FOR $50,000 TO DO MATCHING ASSISTANCE TO PDA, THE PUBLIC DRAINAGE TAX DITCHES FOR THOSE THAT KNOW THEM. IT LOOKS LIKE ALL THREE HAVE THAT DOWN TO ZERO WITH THIS YEAR.
YEAH, THAT WAS SOMETHING WE ADDED BACK IN 2024.
AND I THINK WITH THE BUDGET PROBLEMS I THINK WE JUST GO BACK AND THERE'S FUNDS LEFT OVER.
SO YES. OKAY. GET BACK TO THE EXTENSION SERVICE.
2500 IS WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR. FOR INCREASED RENT.
MID-SHORE REGIONAL COUNCIL STAYING FLAT AT 15,000 DEBT SERVICE.
THAT NUMBER IS TO THE PENNY. WHAT? WE ARE OBLIGATED TO PAY ON OUR EXISTING DEBT AND OBLIGATION.
I HAVE INTERNAL IN LIEU OF BANK STOCK AND THEN A TOWN PLANNING GRANT REMAINING THE SAME.
AND THEN IT LOOKS LIKE CONTINGENCY. EXCUSE ME.
AS A WHOLE. EVERYBODY WAS LOOKING TO TAKE THAT DOWN TO 350.
ALL RIGHT. SO, SKIPPING CAPITAL ALLOCATION. BECAUSE AGAIN, THAT BEING THE NUMBER THAT MAKES UP THE DIFFERENCE HERE WE HAVE TRANSFERS, THE FIRST BEING THE FOUR H PARK AND WHAT WE NEED TO TRANSFER IN EACH YEAR TO COVER THEIR ONGOING OPERATING COST, AS WELL AS GEORGETOWN WATER SYSTEM AND WHAT NEEDS TO BE TRANSFERRED OR BUDGETED TO COVER THE COST OF THE WATER SYSTEM THERE.
SO, THE JAMESTOWN WATER SYSTEM, THAT MAY BE SOMETHING WE NEED TO REVISIT, TOO.
I NOTICED THAT THAT LINE ITEM HAS DOUBLED FROM 25 MORE THAN DOUBLED.
WE'VE DONE A LOT, OF LOT OF WORK IN JAMESTOWN, A LOT OF IMPROVEMENTS.
I DON'T KNOW HOW FAIR IT IS TO THE REST OF THE COUNTY TO BE SUBSIDIZING THE WATER SYSTEM THERE.
SO, OKAY. I WOULD AGREE. I WOULD AGREE WITH THAT 100% BECAUSE.
I CAN RECALL BACK WHEN WE WERE, YOU KNOW, REQUIRED TO DO THAT.
AND THE FEELING WAS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAD SOME PEOPLE COME IN WHO SAID THIS WAS JUST SOME KIND OF A PLAN SO THAT WE COULD CHARGE PEOPLE MONEY AND THEN THEY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO PAY IT, AND WE'D BE ABLE TO GO BACK AND TAKE THEIR HOMES. THAT WAS NEVER OBVIOUSLY THE PLAN, BUT I THINK WE'VE AT LEAST GOT TO CHARGE WHAT IT'S COSTING US TO PROVIDE THAT SERVICE.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN AN INCREASE IN THAT FOR SINCE IT STARTED.
TO BE HONEST. AND I DON'T KNOW THAT WE COULD DO IT ALL IN ONE YEAR.
I THINK WE SHOULD AT LEAST LOOK AT COVERING OUR COSTS. SO ABSOLUTELY, YES, I AGREE WE CAN PULL THAT INFORMATION AND INCORPORATE THAT RECOMMENDATION OR CHANGE INTO THE FEE CHART THAT WILL WORK ON WITH CRYSTAL FOR THE LIQUOR LICENSING.
[01:40:01]
OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO AGAIN, REALLY COMING DOWN TO THE END AGAIN, THERE'S SOME SLIGHT VARIATION OF HOW MUCH IS LEFT RIGHT NOW THAT'S CONSIDERED SAVINGS.SO GOING BACK TO CAPITAL NOW WE HAVE CAPITAL ALLOCATION WHICH WAS AT $6.5 MILLION.
SO IN THEORY, WHATEVER LEFT HERE IS WHAT EACH ONE OF YOU COULD TRANSFER IN TO COVER THE, THE CAPITAL NUMBER. AND THEN THAT WOULD TAKE AWAY THE DIFFERENCE OR THE OVERAGE THAT OR THE EXCESS MONEY THAT WAS IN CAPITAL? SO, DO YOU WANT TO JUST PENCIL IN THOSE NUMBERS FOR RIGHT NOW? YES. WILL THIS BE ADVERTISED BEFORE THE OR POSTED BEFORE THE NEXT PUBLIC HEARING? IT WILL. SO ESSENTIALLY JUST FOR PROCESS, WE'LL GO THROUGH THIS A COUPLE MORE TIMES AS THINGS CHANGE.
BUT ONCE WE GET TO AN AGREED UPON PROPOSED, WHETHER THERE'S 2 OR 3 VOTES TO IT, WE'LL PUBLISH, HAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING, IT WILL BE AVAILABLE ONLINE HANDOUTS, AND THAT PEOPLE CAN COME IN AND COMMENT.
OKAY. AT THAT TIME. SO AGAIN, MEANS THAT EACH ONE IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT HERE.
I'LL BE HERE 20 MINUTES PLAYING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN IT TO GET EACH ONE TO BALANCE OUT.
BUT YEAH I KNOW LIKE LOOKING AT THE CHART HERE LIKE COMMISSIONER BARTZ IS VERSION.
SO IF HE AGAIN IS DOWN TO ZERO WITH TRANSFERRING THAT AMOUNT OVER TO CAPITAL ALLOCATION AND WE COME BACK OVER TO CAPITAL, WE NOW CHANGE THAT NUMBER THERE.
AND HE'S NOW DOWN TO A ZERO BALANCE BUDGET WITH OPERATING IN CAPITAL.
SO, I THINK FOR WHAT WE HAVE, STACY AND I WILL WORK ON CLEANING THESE UP, GETTING AN AGREED UPON KIND OF COLUMN AND THEN GETTING THAT SENT BACK OUT TO THE BOARD. SO YOU GUYS HAVE A VERSION TO WORK WITH AND THEN BRING THAT FORWARD AT THE NEXT WORKSHOP TO CONTINUE ON OR WAIT TO CHANGE UNTIL THE STATE CHANGES THINGS.
YEAH. SO. YEP. OKAY. I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ANY MORE INFORMATION BEFORE THE NEXT WORKSHOP, BUT DON'T THINK WE WILL EITHER. I DON'T KNOW IF WE'LL HAVE ANY BEFORE WE HAVE TO STRIKE THE BUDGET.
CORRECT. I WILL JUST SAY ONE THING. THIS IS JUST REALLY IN TIMING.
SO BEFORE WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A CONSTANT YIELD ADVERTISEMENT.
THAT WOULD SAY WE WERE GOING TO HOLD THE TAX RATE AT THE SAME $0.98.
IT'S ABOVE CONSTANT YIELD. WE DO NOT HAVE TO DO THAT ANYMORE.
SO, IF THERE WAS A AN AGREED UPON CHANGE TO THE DIFFERENTIAL, THAT WOULD BE AN INCREASE.
RIGHT. AND THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE AN ADVERTISEMENT, SEPARATE PUBLIC HEARING.
AND WE WOULD NEED TO BUILD THAT INTO OUR SCHEDULE.
SO I WOULD NEED TO KNOW SOONER THAN LATER SO I CAN WORK ON THE ADVERTISEMENT, HAVE THE STATE APPROVE IT, GET IT IN THE PAPER AND TIME IT OUT FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING.
SO DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE DEADLINE IS FOR THAT DECISION? OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, I WOULD HAVE TO PULL THE PACKET THAT THE STATE GIVES US WITH THE DATES.
I CAN'T RECALL AT THIS VERY MINUTE. OKAY. I BELIEVE WE HAVE TO GIVE THEM THE FINAL NUMBER.
SO WE WOULD PROBABLY NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MID-APRIL IS MY GUESS THAT WE WOULD WANT TO DO THAT.
WHEN'S THE SESSION END? I DON'T KNOW, IT'S APRIL OR SOMETHING.
YEAH, IT MAKES IT TOUGH WITH NOT KNOWING. YEAH.
I MEAN, HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO SET OUR TAX RATES IF WE DON'T KNOW IF WE COULD GET IT EASILY, GET ANOTHER HALF $1 MILLION DUMPED ON US? YES, WE'LL REVIEW THE DATES AND PUT TOGETHER LIKE A HYPOTHETICAL CALENDAR OF DROP DEAD. NEED TO KNOW IF WE WANTED TO DO SOMETHING BY IT DEFINITELY IS.
IS THAT THE ONLY THING YOU'RE AWARE OF RIGHT NOW THAT IS NOT FACTORED INTO THIS BUDGET? SO YOU FACTORED IN THE GOVERNOR'S INCOME TAX RESTRUCTURING THERE.
[01:45:04]
BEAR WITH ME FOR ONE SECOND WHILE HE'S LOOKING STEWART AND I BOTH LOOKED IT UP.IT'S APRIL 7TH. OKAY, SO THAT GIVES US A WEEK.
IT MAY BE A LITTLE LAXER WHAT WE CAN DO, BUT.
ALL RIGHT, WE'LL GET US THAT, GET US THAT DATE, DANNY.
CERTAINLY, SHARE THAT WITH US. SO COMMISSIONER PORTER AND COMMISSIONER BARTZ KNOW, AND I KNOW.
I THINK I THINK I'M GOING TO BE A NO ON THE DIFFERENTIAL, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, CHANGING IT.
BUT YEAH. SO IT ALL DEPENDS. I MEAN, EVERYTHING'S GOT TO BE ON THE TABLE RIGHT NOW.
SO NOT TO GO INTO A LONG LIST OF 10 OR 20 THINGS THAT WE'RE KEEPING OUR EYE ON.
BUT ONE OF DHL'S RECOMMENDATIONS I HAD NOTED, TOO, WAS A REDUCTION IN THE STATE AID POLICE PROTECTION GRANT TO THE POLICE AID THAT WE GET FOR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. SO, DEPENDING ON HOW THAT FALLS, I HAD A NOTE OF ABOUT 173,000 ON THAT.
HOW ABOUT THE PAB GRANT? DO WE KNOW? HAVE WE BEEN RELEASED YET? I CHECKED THE SITE EVERY DAY, SO WE HAVE NO IDEA YET.
YEAH. OKAY. SO, THIS WAS COMING OUT IN MARCH, BUT THAT'S ONE IF IT'S NOT RELEASED YET, CHANCES ARE THEY'RE LOOKING AT THEY'RE ABOUT A MONTH BEHIND RELEASING THINGS BECAUSE ALL THE OTHER ONES FOR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE JUST GOT RELEASED NOW AND THEY'RE USUALLY POSTED IN FEBRUARY, SO. OKAY.
TRAVIS, CAN I. CAN I MAKE A QUICK COMMENT HERE ON THE BUDGET? YOU KNOW, I THINK EVERYONE SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE, YOU KNOW, WE ARE WORKING ON THIS THING TO BALANCE THIS BUDGET WITH THE CURRENT PROPERTY TAX RATE OF $0.98.
AND I THINK THAT IS I HAVE EVERY INTENTION OF DOING THAT.
BUT I THINK THAT SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE, I'VE HAD THIS QUESTION ASKED OF ME MANY TIMES.
WHAT? WHY DON'T YOU JUST NOT DO IT? WHY DON'T YOU JUST NOT PAY WHAT THEY'RE TELLING YOU? AND I HONESTLY BELIEVE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD PROBABLY START LOOKING AT WHAT WHAT HAPPENS OR WHAT THE RAMIFICATIONS ARE IF WE DON'T DO THAT. BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH LONGER, WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, BALANCE A COUNTY BUDGET IN LIMBO OF NOT EVEN KNOWING WHAT THE STATE IS GOING TO PUSH DOWN TO US. AND I DON'T KNOW ABOUT ANYBODY ELSE, BUT I'M TIRED OF IT.
AND I'M SURE I THINK I KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER WOULD BE.
THEY WOULD JUST SIMPLY COLLECT OUR INCOME TAX AND HOLD IT.
OKAY. I MEAN, IF THAT'S WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.
BUT THESE THINGS ARE BECOMING MORE AND MORE UNREASONABLE AS EVERY DAY GOES BY.
AND, YOU KNOW, FOR US TO HAVE THESE GUIDELINES AND ADVERTISING GUIDELINES WHEN, WHEN, YOU KNOW, THAT DOESN'T REALLY SEEM TO APPLY TO THE STATE.
THERE'S GOING TO COME A TIME, I'M AFRAID, THAT THERE'S GOING TO COME A TIME WHEN WE'RE JUST GOING TO SOME GROUP OF COMMISSIONERS OR US ARE GOING TO JUST HAVE TO SAY, WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO THIS. AND YOU KNOW, AND I JUST THINK AS THESE THINGS BECOME MORE AND MORE UNREASONABLE YOU KNOW, I'M READING ABOUT THINGS THAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT DOING NOW THAT JUST DON'T MAKE ANY SENSE, THAT ARE COSTING MONEY. WE SHOULD PROBABLY START DOING A LITTLE BIT OF EXPLORING ON WHAT HAPPENS IF WE DON'T COMPLY.
SO I MEAN, WE GET WHEN WE GET TO THAT POINT, WHAT'S THE POINT OF US EVEN BEING THE PASTOR OF YOU'RE GOING TO YOU'RE GOING TO COLLECT TAXES IN OUR NAME AND TELL US HOW TO SPEND IT IN OUR NAME.
THEN JUST DO IT YOURSELF. SO, I MEAN, WE'RE GETTING WE'RE GETTING REALLY CLOSE TO THAT POINT WHERE THE INCOME TAX RECEIPTS THAT THE STATE COLLECTS ON OUR BEHALF OR ARE MANDATED HOW IT'S SPENT. SO, AND YEAH, AND I THINK THAT PART OF THE PART OF THE PROCESS OR PART OF THE PLAN HERE IS TO FORCE US TO RAISE THE PROPERTY TAX RATE INSTEAD OF THEM.
RIGHT. AND I'M NOT SURE I'M PREPARED TO DO THAT, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.
SO I MEAN, I JUST WANT TO PUT THAT I MEAN, WE'RE SITTING HERE GOING THROUGH THIS ENTIRE PROCESS BASED ON THE FACT THAT WE ARE GOING TO HOLD THE TAX RATE WHERE IT IS JUST LIKE IT'S BEEN DONE, I THINK, FOR THE LAST 8 OR 9 YEARS.
[01:50:09]
TO PAY FOR THINGS THAT ARE OUT OF OUR CONTROL.WHAT'S PLAN B HERE? BECAUSE THIS ISN'T GOING TO STOP.
AND EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THAT ONCE THIS THIS IS THE NOSE UNDER THE TENT.
OR WE ALL KNOW WHAT THE BLUEPRINT FOR DISASTER IS DOING TO US.
SO THESE COSTS ARE NOT GOING TO GO DOWN. THEY'RE ONLY GOING TO GO UP.
AND I JUST THINK WE'VE GOT TO BE PREPARED FOR WHAT THE NEXT MOVE IS.
I MEAN, WE'VE ALREADY SEEN 25, 35% INCREASES IN PROPERTY TAX ASSESSMENTS THAT HAVE RESULTED IN 25 TO 35% INCREASES IN PROPERTY TAXES TO COMPOUND THAT, WITH A RATE INCREASE WOULD BE CRAZY, YOU KNOW? SO YEAH, IT'S PUT US IN A VERY DIFFICULT SPOT, AND YOU GOTTA, YOU KNOW, YOU ALSO GOTTA FACTOR IN THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ABOUT THE MIDDLE OF THE STATE AND AT PROPERTY TAX RATE, AND WE'RE ALREADY HIGHER THAN ALL OF OUR SURROUNDING JURISDICTIONS EXCEPT FOR DORCHESTER. YOU KNOW, YOU GO TO KENT AND SUSSEX AND DELAWARE.
WE'RE MUCH HIGHER THAN THEIR RATES. WE'RE MUCH HIGHER THAN TALBOT AND QUEEN ANNE BECAUSE OF THEIR ASSESSABLE BASE BEING SO MUCH, SO MUCH MORE VALUABLE THAN OURS. YOU KNOW, DORCHESTER BEING THE ONLY OUTLIER.
THAT'S $0.02, I BELIEVE, $0.02 HIGHER THAN WE ARE.
SO, AND I THINK I THINK THE LAST TIME THAT WE WHEN I WAS IN TALKING WITH DANNY, WE LOOKED AT IT.
AND IF DANNY IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, WE WERE 14TH.
IS THAT CORRECT? YES, SIR. YES. OUT OF 24. AND.
AND IF YOU ADD THE TAX DIFFERENTIAL, IF YOU AVERAGE THAT INTO THE TOWNS, I THINK WE'RE CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, IN THE LOWER QUARTER. SO BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME COUNTIES THAT DON'T GIVE ANYTHING LIKE WORCESTER OR WICOMICO DOESN'T GIVE.
RIGHT. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT WORCESTER, BUT AND I MEAN, YOU KNOW, AGAIN AND I KEEP SAYING THIS, BUT I MEAN, PEOPLE IN THE IN CAROLINE COUNTY DON'T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT THE STATE.
THEY WANT TO HEAR ABOUT US, WHAT WE'RE DOING.
AND, YOU KNOW, IF THIS COMES TO A POINT WHERE WE ABSOLUTELY CANNOT BALANCE THIS BUDGET WITHIN THE CURRENT, WITHIN THE CURRENT TAX RATE, WE'RE GOING TO BE THE ONES THAT ARE GOING TO HAVE TO EXPLAIN IT.
IT'S EITHER GOING TO BE RAISED PROPERTY TAXES IN THE FUTURE BECAUSE OF STATE COSTS BEING SHIFTED, OR IT'S GOING TO BE, NO, WE'RE GOING TO HOLD OUR PROPERTY TAX RATE AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO ACCEPT THOSE COST SHIFTS.
RIGHT. THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE'RE HEADED AS FAR AS I CAN SEE.
YEP I AGREE. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. WELL THANK YOU.
YEAH. THANK YOU. GENTLEMEN, IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT COMES UP OR YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU WANT FOLLOW UP INFORMATION ON, JUST LET US KNOW AND WE'LL GET IT TOGETHER FOR THE NEXT MEETING. WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE US COME TO CONSENSUS BEFORE THE NEXT BUDGET HEARING, PUBLIC HEARING OR BEFORE THE PUBLIC HEARING? YES, THAT WOULD BE THE REQUEST. BY OUR OWN CODE.
WE HAVE TO ADVERTISE A ZERO BUDGET HEARING, SO WE HAVE TO.
CORRECT. ALL RIGHT. AND WHEN IS THAT HEARING? THAT MAKES ME SICK. YEAH. ALL RIGHT, SO WE GOT SIX.
SO, I THINK IT'S EITHER TEN BUSINESS DAYS OR TEN DAYS BEFORE THAT.
WE HAVE TO HAVE IT AVAILABLE FOR ADVERTISEMENT.
SO WE WOULD NEED TO KNOW LIKE SAY PROBABLY THAT LAST WEEK OF APRIL SOME.
ALL RIGHT. WHEN DID YOU SAY THE APRIL 7TH. YEAH.
SO I WOULD SAY WE WOULD SCHEDULE IT FOR THAT NEXT TUESDAY WHEN WE WOULD ACTUALLY RECONCILE OUR LIST.
WE'LL TRY TO GET US SOME FINAL OFFER UNLESS SOME MAJOR DEVELOPMENT OCCURS BETWEEN NOW AND THEN.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD SHOOT FOR WHATEVER MEETING DATE BEFORE.
I THINK FOR NEXT TUESDAY; IT WILL PROBABLY BE WISE JUST TO LEAVE THIS AS IS.
[01:55:05]
AND MAYBE WE'LL BRING THE FEES FOR SERVICES THAT WE TALKED ABOUT AND FINALIZE THOSE, SO WE KNOW WHERE WE SIT.YEP. WE CAN DO THAT AS WELL IN TIME. SO, APRIL 7TH IS A MONDAY, BY THE WAY.
OKAY. GOOD TO KNOW. OKAY. BUT THERE'S TALK OF EXTENDING THE SESSION AS WELL.
RIGHT. THEY COULD. THAT'S THE LONGEST THEY CAN EXTEND IS MAY 7TH.
A MONTH LATER. WELL, THEY WOULD HAVE TO STATUTORILY GIVE US AN EXTENSION ON OUR BUDGETS.
RIGHT. WELL, SO OUR BUDGET IS SELF-IMPOSED. THAT'S, IT'S IN OUR CODE OF WHEN WE HAVE TO APPROVE THAT, THE ONLY THING WE HAVE TO COMPLY WITH THE STATE IS GIVING THEM OUR TAX RATES.
OKAY. SO, WE'LL GET THE DROP DEAD DATES. WE'LL PUT IT IN A SCHEDULE AND SEND IT OUT AN EMAIL.
SO EVERYBODY HAS THAT, AND WE CAN ALIGN THAT WITH THE CALENDAR.
YEAH. DANNY, JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY, THIS IS JUST A THOUGHT THAT OCCURRED.
IS IT POSSIBLE? DO YOU THINK WE COULD AMEND OUR ORDINANCE TO MAKE IT TO GIVE US BASICALLY A 30 DAY PERIOD OF TIME AFTER THE STATE CLOSES SESSION? SO, THAT'S A, IT'S NOT A DATE, YOU KNOW, ON A CALENDAR PER SE, EVERY YEAR. CORRECT. SO I GUESS LET ME JUST CLEAR UP MY FIRST STATEMENT.
SO THE PUBLIC HEARING, WE HAVE TO ADVERTISE AS A ZERO BASED BUDGET.
THAT DOES NOT MEAN WE HAVE TO PASS THAT BUDGET.
SO AS LONG AS WE ADVERTISE A VERSION THAT SAYS THIS IS A PROPOSED ZERO BUDGET, YOU CAN CONTINUE TO AMEND IT PAST THAT MAY DATE WITH WHAT THE STATE HAS. OUR CODE DICTATES THAT WE MUST APPROVE A BUDGET.
I THINK IT'S THE SECOND TUESDAY IN JUNE. RIGHT.
AND WE CAN ALSO AMEND THE BUDGET AFTER IT'S APPROVED.
THE BUDGET WE CAN KEEP ADJUSTING BASED OFF THE STATE.
JUST KNOW ONCE YOU PASS THAT DATE IT'S NOT YOU CAN'T INCREASE THE TAX RATE.
SO BUT AGAIN WE'LL LAY THAT ALL OUT. SO REALLY MIDDLE OF JUNE IS WHEN WE HAVE TO APPROVE THE BUDGET. RIGHT. SO YEAH. BUT TO STUART'S POINT, IN A SITUATION LIKE THIS, AS OPPOSED TO GOING BACK, BECAUSE IF WE AMEND IT, WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH A FULL ADVERTISING PROCESS AND ALL THAT.
I THINK IT WOULD I THINK IT'D BE CLEANER FOR OUR CODE TO SAY, THIS IS THE DATE.
UNLESS OR YOU KNOW THAT WITHIN 30 DAYS OF THE OF THE END OF THE ASSEMBLY, GENERAL ASSEMBLY AGAIN.
SO IF THEY PUSH TO MAY 7TH, AND EVEN IF WE SAY 30 DAYS PASS MAY 7TH, OUR CODE IS ALREADY PASSED, THAT WE'RE SECOND TUESDAY IN JUNE. SO IT WOULDN'T GET US ANY MORE DAYS THAN WE ALREADY HAVE, RIGHT? AT LEAST FROM MY MATH IN MY HEAD, AND IT'S A STATUTE AT THE STATE LEVEL THAT REQUIRES THE TAX DIFFERENTIAL OR, I'M SORRY, THE TAX RATE TO HAVE BEEN ASCERTAINED, ADVERTISED, PROPOSED.
WHAT ABOUT PUTTING A BILL IN THAT TAKES THE HEAT OFF THE COUNTIES USING THE SAME CONCEPT I HAD, WHICH IS THE COUNTIES DON'T HAVE TO SET THAT RATE UNTIL SO MANY WEEKS OR DAYS AFTER THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY IS FINISHED.
I DON'T DISAGREE WITH YOU. I JUST THINK GETTING 23 OTHER JURISDICTIONS TO AGREE ON A TAX RATE.
AGAIN, IT TAKES A PROCESS AND TIME FOR THE STATE TO GET THE TAX ROLL TO US, TO BUILD THE BILLS, TO HAVE EVERYTHING MAILED OUT IN THE MAIL BY JULY 1ST.
SO, FROM OUR EXPERIENCE IN WHAT THEY DO, THE RATE IS REALLY GETTING TO THE END OF WHAT WE CAN PLAY WITH AS FAR AS DAYS GO. AGAIN, I'M NOT SAYING THAT THERE'S NOT SOMETHING WE CAN ENTERTAIN.
I JUST I DON'T SEE ANYBODY REALLY ENTERTAINING THAT OR ALLOWING THAT NOT ONLY THROUGH, BUT THAT'S JUST, WELL, THEY'RE GOING TO DRAG US ON THIS LONG AND KEEP DOING THIS KIND OF SHIFTING.
THEY MIGHT HAVE TO ENTERTAIN IT BECAUSE OTHERWISE HOW ARE WE? YOU KNOW. BUT ALL RIGHT, WELL, WE CAN GET THROUGH.
WE CAN GET THROUGH THIS YEAR. WE'LL SEE HOW IT SHAKES OUT.
AND MAYBE NEXT, IF IT BECOMES THAT BIG OF AN ISSUE, MAYBE WE HAVE TO PUT SOMETHING IN FOR THE NEXT SESSION, YOU KNOW, TO GIVE US SOME MORE FLEXIBILITY. LET'S TRY.
ALL RIGHT. GOOD. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, GENTLEMEN.
YEP. THANK YOU. DANNY. STACY. YEP. THANKS, STACY.
OKAY. NEXT, WE HAVE A LEGISLATIVE SESSION. DO I HEAR A MOTION TO GO INTO LEGISLATIVE SESSION? SO MOVED SECOND MOTION TO SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[02:00:01]
AYE. AYE. OKAY. THE AYES HAVE IT. MR. BARROLL, DO YOU WANT TO TAKE OFF HERE?[Legislative Session:]
THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER. YES, WE ARE HERE FOR THE SECOND READING AND THE PUBLIC HEARINGS FOR DOUGLAS LEGISLATIVE BILL, 2025-001. AND THIS BILL WAS INTRODUCED LAST TUESDAY, THE 11TH.THIS WAS PUBLISHED IN THE STAR DEMOCRAT. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT THE CAROLINE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WILL HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING ON LEGISLATIVE BILL 2020 5-001, AN ACT FOR THE PURPOSE OF COMPLYING WITH RECENTLY ENACTED STATE LAW BY AMENDING CHAPTER 175 OF THE CODE OF PUBLIC LOCAL LAWS OF CAROLINE COUNTY TO ALLOW CANNABIS FACILITIES UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES AND SUBJECT TO CERTAIN REGULATIONS, INCLUDING SETBACKS, BY ADDING A NEW SECTION 175-8B TO ARTICLE FIVE SUPPLEMENTARY REGULATIONS, AND BY ADDING TO THE CAROLINE COUNTY TABLE OF USE REGULATIONS, WHICH, BY THE WAY, IS BASICALLY PART OF OUR CODE THAT HAS A GRAPH ALMOST OF ALL OF OUR DISTRICTS. AND WHAT ARE THE USES THAT ARE POSSIBLY GOING TO COME INTO THE DISTRICTS AND WHETHER THEY'RE PERMITTED OR PROHIBITED, OR YOU NEED A SPECIAL USE EXCEPTION. SO, AMENDING THE TABLE OF USE REGULATIONS, WHICH IS 175, ATTACHMENT 3.4 PROVISIONS FOR CANNABIS DISPENSARY, SMALL SCALE CANNABIS DISPENSARY, LARGE SCALE CANNABIS GROWER AND CANNABIS PROCESSOR. AND MAKING THIS ACT AN EMERGENCY BILL.
WE ARE SIMPLY BRINGING CAROLINE COUNTY INTO CONFORMITY WITH THE STATE REQUIREMENTS.
I GUESS WE SHOULD ASK JEN. FIRST OF ALL, HAVE WE RECEIVED ANY PUBLIC COMMENT, AND NO ONE HAS SIGNED UP TODAY TO TESTIFY? OKAY. WELL, DO I HEAR A MOTION TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING? I THINK WE HAVE. WE OFFICIALLY SHOULD DO THAT.
CORRECT. OKAY. SO, MOVED. ALL RIGHT. SECOND. SECOND.
OKAY. MOTION TO SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
AYE. AYE. OKAY. THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OPEN FOR LEGISLATIVE BILL 2025001.
IS THERE ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK WHO HAS NOT SIGNED UP OR SUBMITTED WRITTEN TESTIMONY? THEY DO NOT SEE ANYONE. SO, WITH THAT, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
SO MOVED. SECOND. MOTION AND SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
AYE. AYE. OKAY. PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED.
NEXT, BILL. COMMISSIONER, I'D LIKE TO. BEFORE WE LEAVE CANNABIS ALTOGETHER, I'D LIKE TO JUST REITERATE THAT THIS PROPOSED ORDINANCE INCLUDES A PREAMBLE TO SECTION 175, DASH 48, WHICH MAKES IT CLEAR THAT THESE PROVISIONS ARE AN EXERCISE BY THE COUNTY OF THE AUTHORITY REMAINING TO IT TO REGULATE CANNABIS FACILITIES AS PRESCRIBED IN THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AND CANNABIS ARTICLE.
OKAY. THANK YOU. THE NEXT. BILL THAT WE ARE HERE FOR IS LEGISLATIVE BILL 20.
I'M SORRY, 2025-002, WHICH IS AN ACT CONCERNING PERMIT DENIALS BY THE ZONING ADMINISTRATOR. THIS BILL WAS INTRODUCED LAST TUESDAY, THE 11TH OF MARCH.
TODAY IS THE SECOND READING AND THE PUBLIC HEARING.
THE NOTICE OF THE PUBLIC HEARING WAS PUBLISHED LAST SUNDAY IN THE STAR DEMOCRAT.
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT THE CAROLINE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WILL HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING ON LEGISLATIVE BILL 2025-002 NEW SECTION 194 PERMIT DENIALS OF ARTICLE 21 OF CHAPTER 175, ZONING AN ACT FOR THE PURPOSE OF AUTHORIZING THE ZONING ADMINISTRATOR TO DENY PERMITS TO OWNERS OF PROPERTY IN CAROLINE COUNTY WHICH HAVE EXISTING AND UNABATED VIOLATIONS OF STATE LAW OR THE CODE OF PUBLIC LOCAL LAWS OF CAROLINE COUNTY, AND MAKING THIS ACT AN EMERGENCY BILL BY ADDING TO THE CODE OF PUBLIC LOCAL LAWS OF CAROLINE COUNTY, NEW SECTION 194 OF CHAPTER 175. ZONING. THE PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE HELD ON THE ABOVE ITEM ON TUESDAY, MARCH 18TH, 2025, BEGINNING AT 9:15 A.M. IN ROOM 106 OF THE CIRCUIT COURTHOUSE, LOCATED AT 109 MARKET STREET,
[02:05:04]
DENTON, MARYLAND. 21629. TO SUBMIT COMMENTS IN WRITING EMAIL ADDRESS GIVEN VERSE SORRY VISIT AND THE WEBSITE IS GIVEN OR MAILED TO 109 MARKET STREET, ROOM 123, DENTON, MARYLAND 21629. PERSONS WITH A DISABILITY NEEDING REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION TO SUBMIT TESTIMONY SHOULD CONTACT THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OFFICE AT 410 4790660. JEN HAS ANY. THERE HAS BEEN NO PUBLIC COMMENT RECEIVED, AND NO ONE HAS SIGNED UP.OKAY. ALL RIGHT. I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON LEGISLATIVE BILL 2025002.
SO MOVED. SECOND. MOTION TO SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[• Legislative Bill #2025-002, New Section 194—Permit Denials of Article XXI of Chapter 175—Zoning]
AYE. AYE. HI. OKAY, THE AYES HAVE IT. IS THERE ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK IN REGARD TO LEGISLATIVE BILL 2025002? OKAY. I SEE NO ONE, AND WE HAVE NO TESTIMONY TO READ INTO THE RECORD.SO I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO CLOSE THIS PUBLIC HEARING.
SO MOVED. SECOND. OKAY. MOTION TO SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
AYE. THE AYES HAVE IT. PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED.
OKAY. THANK YOU. DO I HEAR A MOTION TO CLOSE THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION? SO MOVED. SECOND. MOTION AND SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
AYE. AYE. WE ARE NOW OUT OF LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
MOVING ON TO THE CONSENT AGENDA. COMMISSIONER PORTER, DID YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, CONCERNS,
[Consent Agenda]
COMMENTS ABOUT ANYTHING ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? I DID NOT. GOOD. MR. BARTZ. THE ONLY THE ONLY THING I HAD FOR THE SHERIFF AND CAPTAIN HELMER WOULD BE THE POLICE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION GRANT.I BELIEVE THAT'S FOR TYLER SOFTWARE. TO OR OR.
I'M SORRY. THE THE STATE CRISIS INTERVENTION PROGRAM GRANT IS FOR THE TYLER SOFTWARE.
I'M STARTING TO LEARN ABOUT THESE SOFTWARE PROGRAMS AND AND REOCCURRING COSTS HERE.
SO MY ONLY CONCERN WOULD BE THE MAINTENANCE MAINTENANCE COSTS MOVING FORWARD AND POTENTIAL FISCAL IMPACTS AND OUTLYING YEARS.
SO I'M OKAY WITH THIS GRANT, BUT JUST KNOW THAT WE BUY THE SOFTWARE.
WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO FUND THE MAINTENANCE IF THERE'S NOT GRANT FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR THAT.
SO BUT THAT'S THAT'S REALLY THE ONLY THING I HAD WITH THIS.
SO DON'T THROW YOUR OLD PROGRAM OF TRACKING THIS KIND OF STUFF AWAY, BECAUSE YOU MIGHT HAVE TO GO BACK TO IT OR FIND A WAY TO FUND IT. ALL RIGHT. SO I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA.
SECOND. MOTION. AND SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
AYE. OKAY. THE AYES HAVE IT. WE HAVE TWO ACTION ITEMS.
[Action Agenda]
EXCLUSIVE LISTING AND COMMISSION AGREEMENT FOR THE USE OF SALE OF IMPROVED UNIMPROVED PROPERTY WITH KELLER WILLIAMS. MR. BARROLL YOU WERE ABLE TO REVIEW THAT AND REVIEWED IT, IT'S PERFECTLY IN ORDER.IT'S ALMOST WORD FOR WORD FOR THE STANDARD LISTING AGREEMENT WHICH THE STATE USES.
OKAY. ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS. OKAY. SO NO HEARTBURN THERE.
THIS WILL ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH KELLER WILLIAMS TO LIST DAYSPRING TOWNHOMES FOR SALE.
SO I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONTRACT WITH KELLER WILLIAMS. SO, SECOND. OKAY. MOTION. AND SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
AYE, AYE. THE AYES HAVE IT UNANIMOUSLY. AND THEN THERE'S ALSO AN APPOINTMENT OF CONSTRUCTION TRADES BOARD. I BELIEVE THIS IS MATT BREEDING. JUST FOR THE RECORD, I BELIEVE I'M EXTREMELY DISTANTLY RELATED TO MATT. SO THERE. I DON'T PERCEIVE ANY CONFLICT HERE.
I THINK I'VE TALKED TO MATT A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT TIMES, YOU KNOW, IN THE LAST TEN YEARS.
SO REALLY, NO, NO CONFLICT WITH ME HERE AS FAR AS I PERCEIVE.
SO OKAY. DO YOU DO YOU WANT TO MAKE. I MAKE A MOTION.
[02:10:03]
WE APPROVE. MR. MATTHEW BREEDING FOR THE CONSTRUCTION TRADE BOARDS.OKAY, SO SECOND MOTION AND SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
AYE, AYE. AYES HAVE IT UNANIMOUSLY. COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR'S REPORT.
[County Administrator’s Report]
I ONLY HAVE ONE THING TO REPORT OUT TODAY. BECAUSE I KNOW WE HAVE A LONGER DISCUSSION COMING UP, BUT I'LL BE WORKING WITH THE WITH DOCTOR SIMMONS AND THE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND MR. BILL MENGEL ON THE EDUCATION SPECIFICS. EXCUSE ME.EDUCATION SPECIFICATIONS COMMITTEE FOR THE NEW LOCKERMAN MIDDLE SCHOOL, WE ANTICIPATE HAVING 5 OR 6 MEETINGS TO LOOK AT THE SPECIFIC CRITERIA FOR THE SPACE IN THE BUILDING AND THE RELATIONSHIP OF THAT SPACE TO OUTDOOR FIELDS AND OTHER THINGS THAT ARE NEEDED FOR THE NEW SCHOOL.
AND TO BE CLEAR, THIS HAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH THE LOCATION.
IT'S JUST THE BUILDING ITSELF AND THE SPECIFICATIONS. SO IT'S A NECESSARY STEP THAT WE GO THROUGH.
AND OUR FIRST MEETING WILL BE ON MARCH 24TH. OKAY.
SOUNDS GOOD. STILL CRICKETS ON THE DETENTION CENTER.
YES. OKAY. OKAY. COUNTY COMMISSIONER. DISCUSSION, PERIOD. COMMISSIONER BARTZ, DO YOU WANT TO GO FIRST?
[County Commissioners Open Discussion Period]
THE ONLY THING I HAD WAS OH, ROBIN ON THE TAR AND CHIP IN HOT MIX OVERLAY.AND THE ASPHALT. WHERE DO WE WHAT'S THE CRITERIA ON WHAT ROADS GET DONE? I MEAN, DO WE HAVE A SET SCHEDULE LIKE TAR AND CHIP? AND THEN THE CERTAIN ROADS THAT NEED THE THE HOT MIX OVERLAY DONE, THE SHOULDERS DONE.
I'VE REASON WHY I'M ASKING HAD A COUPLE PEOPLE ASKED ME ABOUT THE HOT LICKS.
WHERE THE SHOULDERS WITH THE HOT MIX OVERLAY.
HOW HOW THEY'RE ROADS. THAT WAS A LITTLE BIT OF A PROGRAM.
STARTED A LITTLE BIT PRIOR TO ME. ALSO, DAVID AND WE HAVE REEVALUATED THE USE OF SOME OF THOSE HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT MOVING FORWARD. HE AND I KIND OF AGREED ON A FEW THINGS.
WE HAVE A LOT OF CHICKEN HOUSES IN THE COUNTY.
THERE'S ENTRANCES ARE BREAKING DOWN PRETTY BAD.
SO, YOU KNOW, ANY SPOTS THERE? THERE'S A COUPLE OTHER AREAS.
BUT I WILL SAY THAT LIGHT BLADES AND DAVID JUST FINISHED UP ABOUT A 700 MILE RIDE IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS TOGETHER, EVALUATING EVERY STRETCH OF ROAD AND FROM THAT, WE'RE FORMULATING A TACTIC ON.
YEAH. ONE, ONE BROAD ATTENTION WAS THE HIGNETT ROUTE WHERE WHEN THEY DID THE WILLISTON BY, YOU KNOW, THE WILLISTON BRIDGE AND THE ROADS THERE GOT HIT PRETTY HARD.
BUT I KNOW THERE'S PROBABLY THERE'S MORE. I MEAN SO I JUST WAS CURIOUS ABOUT THAT.
YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY ROADS THAT ARE IN BAD SHAPE.
AND THEN THERE'S, YOU KNOW, INSIDE CURVES. A LOT OF PLACES, I'M SURE YOU SEE THEM, TOO, YOU KNOW, INSIDE CURVES OR WHERE BAD SPOTS ARE THE, YOU KNOW, THE LARGER TRUCK TRAFFIC BUSINESSES AND CHICKEN HOUSES.
AND SO WE'RE WE'RE PROBABLY START FOCUSING ON THOSE A LITTLE BIT MORE AND THEN DEVELOPING A WORKING TOGETHER WITH THE PAVEMENT AND TAR AND CHIP TO EVEN WEDGE AND LEVEL SOME ROADS, YOU KNOW, AND THEN QUICKLY COME BACK BEHIND THAT WITH THE TORRENT CHIP.
SO, LIKE, HOLLY ROAD'S A PRETTY ROUGH ROAD, BUT IT'S NOT IN BAD SHAPE.
IT JUST NEEDS TO BE LEVELED OUT. SO WE'LL GET THE TWO CONTRACTORS TO WORK TOGETHER ON, YOU KNOW, WEDGING LEVELS IN SOME ON SOME ROADS AND THEN TURN CHIP OVER TOP OF THAT.
AND MIZ IS GETTING READY TO PAVE. YES. PART OF RIVER.
AND WHAT'S IS IT? HOLLY. HOLLY OKAY. PART OF HOLLY.
YEAH. SO YOU KNOW SO THAT SHOULD BE THIS SUMMER SOMETIME.
THAT'S THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN TOLD. YES. OKAY.
AND MOWING. WHEN WHEN ARE THE TIMELINE FOR THAT TO START MOWING? WE HAVE ALL THE MOWERS IN THE SHOP RIGHT NOW BEING SERVICED, AND THEY WILL BE HITTING THE ROAD PROBABLY NEXT WEEK.
OH, OKAY. WE'VE HAD SOME IN AND OUT ALL, ALL WINTER, YOU KNOW.
BUT YEAH, THEY WERE ALL PUT IN THE SHOP LAST WEEK.
AND MOST OF THEM ARE COMPLETE AND SHOULD BE OUT STARTING NEXT WEEK.
OKAY. SO WELL. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT THING WOULD BE TO FREEZE SOME OF THE TREES THAT ARE GROWING THE SMALLER STUFF BEHIND SIGNS OR AROUND TELEPHONE PEDESTALS, POLES, AREAS THAT ARE GOING TO IF WE DON'T TAKE CARE OF THEM SOON, THEY'RE GOING TO BE TREES GROWING OUT IN THEIR RIGHT OF WAYS.
NO NO NO NO NO. I MEAN, FRANK HITS ME WITH IT OCCASIONALLY AND YOU KNOW, AND DAVE AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT THAT, AND I TOLD HIM THAT'S GOING TO BE THE NEXT THING THAT KIND OF. IT'S JUST THE ONE THING PEOPLE SEE. YEAH. AND BECAUSE WE WERE USING THE PULL BEHIND MOWERS AND YOU GO AROUND THE
[02:15:06]
SIGN AND STUFF ON THE BACKSIDE, CREWS WITH THEIR FLAILS, IT WON'T BE AS MUCH, BUT WE'RE WORKING TO SOME OF THEM ARE SO BIG, YOU'RE PROBABLY GOING TO HAVE TO PULL THEM OUT WITH THE EXCAVATOR. RIGHT. OR IN SOME CASES POSSIBLY.YEAH. SO WE'RE WORKING TO ADDRESS THOSE. START TO THAT'S THE ONE THING FIGURE OUT A TACTIC IS WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT THEIR COUNTY TAXES AND ASSESSMENTS, THEY ALWAYS FOLLOW ALONG WITH THE, WITH THE, WITH THE GRASS AND THE TREES AND THE ROADS.
AND THAT'S THE ONLY THAT'S THE FIRST THING THAT THEY PUT TOGETHER WITH.
WELL, IT'S REALLY I MEAN IT'S WHAT EVERYBODY USES.
YOU KNOW, IT'S THE ONE THING THAT KNOCK ON WOOD WITH SOME APPROVALS RECENTLY AND WE HOPEFULLY GET AN OFFER OUT IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. WE'LL BE FULLY STAFFED IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS AND PUBLIC WORKS.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE OUR TWO TEAM LEADERS IN PLACE.
WE HAVE THE TWO DIFFERENT CREWS IN PLACE, NORTH AND SOUTH.
AND WE'RE DEVELOPING, YOU KNOW, PLANS ON HOW TO TACKLE A LOT OF THIS STUFF.
SO. YEAH. GOOD DEAL. THANK YOU. YEAH. THANKS.
THAT'S ALL I GOT. OKAY. COMMISSIONER PORTER, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING? THE ONLY THING THAT I WOULD MENTION WOULD BE, IT LOOKS LIKE THAT THERE HAS BEEN SOME MOVEMENT ON THE SOLAR BILLS.
SO I KNOW JEN HAS BEEN WORKING ON TRYING TO GET SOME CLARIFICATION ON WHAT THE MAKO AMENDMENTS WILL MEAN FOR US GOING FORWARD. SO IF WE CAN CONTINUE TO WORK ON THAT, THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD BE THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
AND THAT'S PRETTY MUCH ALL I GOT. THANKS FOR ACCOMMODATING ME TODAY.
I'LL BE BACK NEXT TUESDAY. SO. ALL RIGHT. WELL SAFE TRAVELS.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US BY PHONE. SO LIKE I SAID, I DID MEET WITH ANDY HOLLIS LAST WEEK.
YOU KNOW, WE BRUSHED ON THAT. I REALLY APPRECIATE ANDY COMING OVER AND SITTING DOWN WITH MYSELF AND KATHLEEN AND DANNY YOU KNOW, JUST SO WE COULD LAY OUT OUR POSITION AND HOPEFULLY GET A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION FROM HIM.
TO COMMISSIONER PORTER'S POINT ABOUT THE SOLAR BILL.
I THINK THOSE AMENDMENTS ARE STILL UP IN THE AIR.
JEN GOT US A SHORT SYNOPSIS ON WHAT THEY MEANT.
AND THEN STEVE WISE IS IS LOOKING AT THAT AS WELL FOR US.
I KNOW THEY DID ADD A DEFINITION FOR PRIORITY PRESERVATION AREAS, BUT IT'S NOT CLEAR WHAT WHY THAT DEFINITION WAS ADDED IF THEY'RE NOT GOING TO REFERENCE IT IN THE NEW STATUTE. SO WHY WOULD YOU ADD THE DEFINITION IF YOU WEREN'T GOING TO EITHER PROHIBIT IT IN THE PRIORITY PRESERVATION AREA OR CAP IT AT SOME AMOUNT. SO I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT'S HEADED.
I DON'T THINK, JEN, YOU COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING THAT IT DEFINED PRIORITY PRESERVATION AREAS, BUT IT DIDN'T REFERENCE IT ANYWHERE IN THE BILL.
SO MAYBE THAT'S A AMENDMENT IN PROCESS THAT WE HAVEN'T SEEN YET.
SO OKAY, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH ALL I HAD.
OUR CLOSING PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. IS THERE ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK CLOSING.
[Public Comment]
OKAY. NONE SEEN. I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO GO INTO CLOSED SESSION TO DISCUSS THE APPOINTMENT,[Closed Session: Discussion of Appointment, Employment, or Assignment of County Employee (s), General Provisions Article § 3-305 (b) 1]
EMPLOYMENT OR ASSIGNMENT OF A COUNTY EMPLOYEE UNDER GENERAL PROVISIONS.ARTICLE 3305 B1. SO MOVED. OKAY. SECOND. MOTION AND SECOND.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.