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>> GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE, AND WELCOME TO THE OCTOBER 14, 2025, CAROLINE COUNTY COMMISSIONER MEETING, WHICH IS NOW IN ORDER.
THIS MORNING, WE HAVE OUR INVOCATION BY TINA, WIFE OF THE BLIND EVANGELISTS OF PRESTON, AND THAT'LL BE FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
[Call to Order: Invocation, William Tarbutton, “The Blind Evangelist” of Preston, Pledge of Allegiance; Agenda Review]
>> ABA GOD WILL COME TO YOU TODAY IN THE MOST PRECIOUS NAME OF YOUR SON AND OUR SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST.
LORD, WE THANK YOU FOR THIS GATHERING.
FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR HAVING ONE SAFETY GET HERE.
FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY THAT WE STILL HAVE IN THIS COUNTRY TO GO TO YOU AND ASK FOR YOUR BLESSINGS.
ASK FOR YOU TO TAKE CONTROL OF THIS MEETING, FATHER. YOU WILL BE DONE.
YOU CREATED GOVERNMENT, YOU KNOW THE IMPORTANCE, YOU KNOW THAT WE SHOULD FOLLOW YOUR GUIDANCE ON THIS.
FATHER POUR DOWN YOUR WISDOM, YOUR MERCY AND YOUR GRACE INTO THIS ROOM AND INTO THE PEOPLE, THAT MAKE DECISIONS FOR THE GOOD OF OUR COMMUNITY, FOR THE GOOD OF OUR COUNTY.
FATHER, I ASK ALL OF THIS IN THE PRECIOUS NAME OF HIS SON, JESUS CHRIST.
YEP. ON THE OCTOBER 7, 2025, CAROLINE COUNTY COMMISSIONER MEETING.
THE COMMISSIONERS ENTERED INTO A CLOSED SESSION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MARYLAND OPEN MEETINGS ACT, GENERAL PROVISIONS, ARTICLE 3-3 OH FIVE B SEVEN.
THE DISCUSSION PERTAINED TO ONGOING LITIGATION AND COURT AGREEMENTS INVOLVING
[President’s Closed Session Report Out: October 7, 2025]
A PRIVATE CITIZEN AND CAROLINE COUNTY GOVERNMENT RELATED TO ZONING MATTERS.ATTENDEES WERE COMMISSIONERS BARTS, BING AND PORTER.
JENNIFER RIDLEY, PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER STEWART BARREL COUNTY ATTORNEY DANIEL FOX, DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR, CRYSTAL DADS, DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND CODES, COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR KATHLEEN FREEMAN, AND ATTORNEY JESSE HAMICK.
MOVING ALONG, OUR FIRST AGENDA ITEM THIS MORNING IS BOB ZIMMERHF, DIRECTOR AND KENDALL TEAGUE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
[Proclamation for Maryland Economic Development Week-October 20th-24th, 2025]
WITH A PROCLAMATION FOR MARYLAND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WEEK, OCTOBER 20 THROUGH 24TH.I BELIEVE COMMISSIONER BARTS HAS THE PROCLAMATION. YES, I DO.
>> GOOD MORNING, BOB GOOD MORNING CAROL COUNTY.
>> CAROLINE COUNTY PROCLAMATION, MARYLAND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WEEK, OCTOBER 20TH-24TH.
WHEREAS, CAROLINE COUNTY RECOGNIZES THAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS ESSENTIAL TO BUILDING A VIBRANT ECONOMY, SUPPORTING LOCAL BUSINESSES, AND ENHANCING THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL RESIDENTS.
AND WHEREAS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FALTERS INNOVATION, STRENGTHENS OUR WORKFORCE, AND ENCOURAGES COLLABORATION AMONG BUSINESSES, ORGANIZATIONS, SCHOOLS, AND GOVERNMENT TO MEET THE NEEDS OF A GROWING AND EVOLVING ECONOMY.
AND WHEREAS CAROLINE COUNTY HONORS ITS RITUAL HERITAGE WHILE EMBRACING NEW OPPORTUNITIES IN COMMERCE IN INDUSTRY AND AGRICULTURE TO ENSURE A PROSPEROUS AND SUSTAINABLE FUTURE.
AND WHEREAS, MARYLAND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WEEK CELEBRATES THE VISION, HARD WORK AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE BUSINESSES, ENTREPRENEURS, AND WORKERS WHO DRIVE CAROLINE COUNTY'S CONTINUED GROWTH AND RESILIENCE.
NOW, THEREFORE, READ THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF CAROLINE COUNTY, MARYLAND, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM OCTOBER 20 THROUGH 24TH, 2025 AS MARYLAND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WEEK AND ENCOURAGE ALL RESIDENTS TO RECOGNIZE AND SUPPORT THE PEOPLE AND ENTERPRISES THROUGH INNOVATION AND DEDICATION, STRENGTHEN THEIR COMMUNITIES, AND ADVANCE CAROLINE COUNTY SHARED PROSPERITY.
THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF CAROLINE COUNTY, G, TRAVIS BREEDING PRESIDENT, LARRY CE FORTER, VICE PRESIDENT, AND MYSELF, FRANK PARKS COMMISSIONER. THANK YOU, BOB.
THANK YOU KENDALL FOR COMING IN THIS MORNING AND EVERY YEAR, WE DO THIS AND RECOGNIZE ECONOMIC DING WEEK.
I KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
I'VE ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST WE HAVE IT IN SOME CAPACITY BECAUSE IT'S SO MUCH GRANT MONEY AND FUNDING COME THROUGH THERE, AND WE HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE IT'S ACCOUNTED FOR.
BUT ALSO, JUST THE PHONE CALLS THAT YOU GUYS YIELD FOR SMALL BUSINESSES AND, YOU KNOW, ANSWER QUESTIONS ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTY.
A LOT OF TIMES YOU'RE THE FIRST PHONE CALL THAT PEOPLE EVEN GET.
SO LIKE, YOU'RE LIKE THE FACE OF CAROLINE COUNTY,
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THEY GET A SENSE FROM HOW CAROLINE COUNTY IS JUST BY TALKING TO YOU GUYS.SO I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE AND THE TRANSITION OVER TO YOUR NEW OFFICE.
LOOKS LIKE IT'S ALL COMING TOGETHER.
>> THANK YOU, COMISION. APPRECIATE IT.
YES. WE'RE WORKING HARD AS EVER.
I'VE BEEN HERE FOR GOING ON TWO YEARS NOW, AND I'M GETTING MORE AND MORE ENTRENCHED EVERY DAY.
THANKS VERY MUCH TO KENDALL FOR KIND OF HOLDING DOWN THE FORT JUST ABOUT EVERY DAY.
AND YEAH, WE'RE WORKING WITH BUSINESSES THAT ARE INTERESTED IN COMING TO CAROLINE, OR IN SOME CASES, PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY HERE, WHO ARE INTERESTED IN OPENING NEW BUSINESSES.
AND WE ARE VERY MUCH IN THE TRENCHES.
WE'VE GOT SOME PLANS FOR NEXT WEEK.
IT'S A LOADED WEEK. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF EVENTS OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTY.
TOO MANY FOR US TO GO TO, BUT KENDALL IS GOING TO A RETREAT, AND WE ARE PLANNING SOME BUSINESS VISITS FOR LATER IN THE WEEK.
SO WE'LL KEEP YOU POSTED ON THAT.
THANK YOU FOR THE TIME AND FOR THE PROCLAMATION.
>> THIS WEEK, YOU HAVE THE CHAMBER, THE COMMERCE SECRETARY COMING IN, CORRECT?
>> THAT'S RIGHT. THAT'S RIGHT. SO THAT'S THURSDAY? WE HAVE A ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION AND A NUMBER OF BUSINESS VISITS AND VERY INTENSIVE PLANNING, A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH.
SO WE FINALLY HAVE FINALIZED THAT OR ARE DARN NEAR FINALIZING THAT FINALIZE.
AND MOVING ON TO SCHEDULING SOME VISITS NEXT WEEK, TOO.
>>ARE WE GOING TO ARE WE GOING TO CORNER HIM ABOUT THE TECH PARK ORIGINALLY TECH PARK?
>> WE'VE MENTIONED IT. WE HAVE MENTIONED IT.
I'M WORKING PARTICULARLY WITH THEIR FINANCE TEAM, AND I LET CARL ANDERTON, WHO IS ALSO GOING TO BE HERE, KNOW THAT IT WAS PROBABLY GOING TO COME UP, YES.
>> I THINK YOU'VE ALREADY BEEN WARNED.
>> YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY AGAIN?
>> HAPPY TO BE HERE THIS MORNING AND THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
L>> THANK YOU. THANK YOU BOGS YOUR PROCLAMATION. THANK YOU.
DO YOU NEED A PHOTO OR HAVEN'T YOU BEEN DOING THIS FOR THREE YEARS? THERE YOU GO.
>> WE'LL GET. NEXT UP, WE HAVE CHERYL, ROBERT RICK AND BETH.
YOU'LL WANT TO COME FORWARD WITH DISCUSSION OF THE MEETING HOUSE ROAD PROPERTY.
GOOD MORNING. YOU PULL YOU CAN PULL ANOTHER CHAIR UP BETH IF YOU WANT.
NORMALLY, I THOUGHT WE HAD FOUR THERE.
>>GOOD MORNING. HOW'S EVERYBODY DOING? WELL, WE RECEIVED YOUR E MAIL AND YOUR PACKAGE.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO GO THROUGH SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS FOR EVERYBODY THAT'S WATCHING.
WELL, BASICALLY WHAT I WANTED TO DO, I WANT TO GO THROUGH LIKE A QUICK OVERVIEW, AND EACH OF THE MEMBERS OF THE TEAM HERE CAN FILL IN THEIR PERSPECTIVE PART.
BUT WE STARTED NEGOTIATIONS OF LOOKING AT THAT PROPERTY ON MEETING HOUSE ROW ROUGHLY ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO.
IT HAS TAKEN, YOU KNOW, ALL THE AGENCIES, THE EPA, MD ZONING M MEAN WE'VE MET WITH JUST ABOUT EVERY AGENCY THERE IS TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT IF THE PROPERTY IS EVEN USABLE BECAUSE OF THE PRIOR EPA COVENANT THAT'S BEEN PLACED ON THE PROPERTY.
I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT AFTER HAVING DISCUSSIONS WITH THE EPA, THEY'RE WILLING TO WORK WITH US FOR THE USE THAT WE WANT TO DO.
WE HAD TO DEFINE THE USE OF THE PROPERTY.
AND THE USE OF THE PROPERTY WOULD BE PARENTS PLACE FOOD PANTRY, OF COURSE, BEING THERE,
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HAVING A COMMERCIAL KITCHEN AND STUFF THERE, HAVING FOOD AGGREGATION THERE AND HIS HOPE MINISTRY THERE.OH, AND BY THE WAY, HOPEFULLY EVERYONE WILL KEEP THE JOHNSON FAMILY IN PRAYERS WHAT THEY'RE GOING THROUGH, IF YOU DON'T KNOW, STEPH'S MOM IS NOT DOING REALLY WELL. NO AT ALL.
THEY HAD TO META BACKER? YEP LAST NIGHT.
U TO THE NIGHT. UP TO BALTIMORE.SO EVERYONE.
BUT THE USAGE IS AT HALF A HUB.
JUST THINK ABOUT IT, TO TAKE THAT BIG PIECE OF BUILDING, THAT BUILDING, THAT PROPERTY, CLEAN IT ALL UP.
FIX IT ALL UP AND HAVE IT AS A RESOURCE CENTER TO SERVE THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY.
ALL THE AGENCIES THAT CAN COME TOGETHER WILL COME TOGETHER UNDER ONE ROOF, JOIN ENFORCEMENTS TOGETHER, JOIN IN RESOURCES TOGETHER AND PROVIDING A SIGNIFICANT SERVICE TO THOSE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
MAKING SOMEONE FROM A DEPENDENCY LEVEL TO AN INDEPENDENT LEVEL, AND ALSO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT WHERE YOU CAN GET JOB TRAINING, YOU CAN GO OUT ON YOUR OWN.
I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO THROUGH ANOTHER ORGANIZATION AS A MODEL WHERE THE PEOPLE EVEN FROM THE CORRECTIONS FACILITY CAME IN, GOT JOB TRAINING, AND SOME OF THEM WENT OUT AND STARTED THEIR OWN RESTAURANTS, STARTED THEIR OWN BUSINESSES.
SO IT'S ALL ABOUT HAVING A HUB THAT CAN BE THERE TO MAKE SOMEBODY SUSTAINABLE.
AND WE WOULD HAVE LIKE MEETING CLASSROOMS, EDUCATIONAL PIECE, BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT AARONS PLACE DOES RIGHT NOW, WE WORK WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT FOR HEALTHY LIFE, HEALTHY CHOICES AND DIABETES TRAINING.SO YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT.
I KNOW THAT SAYING THAT EVERYONE ALWAYS SAY YOU FOOD IS A MEDICINE.
SO WE WOULD HAVE THAT EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT THERE AS WELL.
IT'S JUST A FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY.
I'M LOOKING TO WORK WITH YOU GUYS.
I'M LOOKING TO GET YOU GUYS BLESSINGS, YOU KNOW, AND ALL THE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO DO BECAUSE WITH THAT, OF COURSE, WE NEED TO DEVELOP FUNDING.
AND THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF ENERGY IS GOING TO BE PUT IN BECAUSE WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW AN ESTIMATE OF MAYBE ABOUT $10 MILLION, , THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO RAISE OVER A PERIOD OF TIME WITH EVERYONE.
WE HAVE COMMITMENTS RIGHT NOW.
THAT WE HOPEFULLY WILL COM THROUGH, THAT THEY HAVE TRUE COMMITMENTS, FOR THEIR SALT COMMITMENTS.WE'RE JUST LOOKING TO BUILD A TRUE TRUE HUB IN CAROLINE COUNTY.
AND THAT'S WHAT THAT PACKAGE IS ALL ABOUT.
OUR NUMBERS ARE EVOLVING AS TO WHAT WE ACTUALLY NEED AS WE LEARN AND EDUCATE OURSELVES.
SO EVEN THOUGH WE SENT YOU OUT A PACKAGE, THAT'S OUR INITIAL PACKAGE, AND WE'RE WORKING ON A MUCH FIRMER NUMBERS AT THIS POINT.
OUR KAREN SETTLEMENT DATE IS ACTUALLY LIKE NOVEMBER 7.
>> WE ASKED THE EPA ASKED FOR AN ADDITIONAL 30 DAYS TO FINISH THEIR STUDY.
SO I HAD OUR ATTORNEY ASKED FOR AN ADDITIONAL 60 DAYS EXTENSION TO COVER THE EPA REPORTS BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THE ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTS COME BACK, THAT WE CAN PUT PEOPLE ON THE PROPERTY.
AND EVERYTHING SAFE, THAT WE DON'T HAVE AN ISSUE THE ELECTRO THEM COMPANY DID WHAT THEY DID.
AND WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS GOOD FOR COMMUNITY.
>> SO IS IT MDE WORKING ON THAT OR THE EPA?
>> EPA RIGHT NOW, WE'RE WAITING FOR THE EPA REMOVAL.
REPORT GOT. YES. WE DO NOT HAVE THAT BACK.
OKAY. AS OF LAST FRIDAY, THEY ASKED FOR AN ADDITIONAL 30 DAYS TO GET THAT DONE.
SO THEN WE HAD TO GET IN TOUCH WITH RUSSELL METALS BECAUSE OUR DUE DILIGENCE PERIOD IS ACTUALLY UP OCTOBER 22.
AND SO WE HAD TO ASK RUSSELL METALS IF WE COULD EXTEND OUR DUE DILIGENCE BECAUSE THE EPA CAME IN AND SAID, WE'RE NOT DONE.
>> AND THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN MIGHT BE AFFECTING THAT AS WELL.
>> BUT, THE BEAUTY OF IT IS, WE WERE ABLE TO SPEAK TO THEM ON THE PHONE, AND THEY DID SAY WITH EVERYTHING THAT WE HAD, THEY DIDN'T SEE AN ISSUE, BUT THEY WANTED TO BE 100% SURE.
ALL THE TESTS, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS KNOW, AND RICK CAN GET INTO THIS A LITTLE BIT DEEPER, BUT THAT PROPERTY HAS BEEN TESTED EVERY TWO YEARS.
AND WELL, I'M GONNA WAIT TIL HE TALKS ABOUT IT, BUT YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND TELL ABOUT THE WELLS.
MY NAME IS RICK CARVER FROM PRESTON, MARYLAND.
I'VE BEEN WORKING REAL HARD ON EVERY PARTICULAR FACET OF THIS PROPERTY.
IT'S 13.7 ACRES, JUST ABOUT 14 ACRES, FOUR SEPARATE PARCELS.
WE HAVE MANY PLANS THAT NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT UP TO COUNTY CODES.
I'VE BEEN WORKING AND BEING IN CONTACT CONSTANTLY WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, WELL DEPARTMENT, AND ZONING.
THE PROPERTY WAS CONTAMINATED WITH VOCS WAY BACK IN THE 80S,
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MID TO LATE 80S, AND I DON'T KNOW TO HOW BIG.I CREATED A PLUME BIG AREA UNDERNEATH THE GROUND.
I DON'T KNOW THE BACKGROUND ON WHO FOUND IT OR HOW IT WAS FOUND, BUT I DO HAVE AND A VERY EXTENSIVE DIGGING IN INVESTIGATION OF THE ACTUAL REPORTS MADE EVERY YEAR TO TWO YEARS, EPA, FEDERAL EPA, MDE DID TESTS.
THEY PUT IN ABOUT 40 MONITORING WELLS, SEVEN TO 20 FEET.
TEST TEST TESTS, LOTS OF FUMES INSIDE THE BUILDING AND THESE VOCS OUTSIDE FROM MOST OF THE WELLS.
OVER THE YEARS, THE VOCS, THE CONTAMINATION STARTED GOING DOWN.
AND IT'S BECAUSE OF THE CURRENT OWNERS WHO DID NOT CONTAMINATE THE GROUND.
THEY OWNED THE GROUND AND THE BUILDING THROUGH A PURCHASE OF A WORLDWIDE CONGLOMERATE THAT THEY ACTUALLY BOUGHT IN RUSSELL METALS ELECTRO THERM WAS PART OF THAT.
SO THEY INHERITED THIS PROBLEM.
THEY NEVER TURNED $1 ON THE PROPERTY, BUT THEY PUT MILLIONS INTO IT.
THEY HAD TO INSTALL A VERY LARGE AND UPGRADED IT, TOO, BY THE WAY, RECYCLING, IF YOU WILL.
THEY HAD TO PUT THIS GREAT BIG PUMPING AND HIGH PRESSURE AIR THING IN, AND THEY DID, AND IT HAD TO RUN 24 HOURS A DAY, AND IT DID FOR WELL OVER A DECADE, WHERE WOULD PUMP FROM THE SHALLOW UNCONFINED AQUIFER.
THEY WOULD PUMP THE WATER. IT WOULD GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS OF AIR INTRODUCING AIR.
THE STILL THE STACK IS STILL OUT THERE.
THE OCS BASICALLY DRY UP VERY EASILY.
THANK GOD. AND THEY RAN THAT, AND RAN IT RAN IT.
THEY STARTED SEEING ALMOST IMMEDIATELY OVER PROBABLY THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF A STOP OF THAT SO CALLED PLUME OF THE CONTAMINATION, AND THEY WERE VERY HAPPY THAT THEY STOPPED IT FROM GOING OFF THE PROPERTY.
THEY CONTAINED IT, AND THEN IT STARTED SHRINKING AND SHRINKING AND GOING AWAY.
AND AS IT WAS GOING AWAY, OVER THE YEARS, THEY KEPT RUNNING THE PUMPS AND THROUGH NATURAL ATTENUATION, THE CERTAIN AREAS WAS GOING AWAY.
TO THE POINT WHERE OVER 10 YEARS AGO, NO TESTS OF THE BUILDING ITSELF WAS NEEDED.
THEY ACTUALLY STOPPED TESTING THE AIR.
>> IT'S GONE. THEY STARTED STOPPING TESTS FROM MANY DIFFERENT MONITORING WELLS.
NOW, AFTER ALL THESE YEARS, THEY'RE DOWN TO TWO MONITORING WELLS, WHICH THEY JUST FINISHED TAKING TWO OR THREE OTHER ONES OUT OF MONITORING THIS PAST MAY, 2025.
THE PUMP WAS ORDERED TO BE SHUT OFF IN 2014, MAYBE, AND IT STILL CONTINUES TO GO AWAY ON ITS OWN THROUGH NATURAL ATTENUATION.
THE DEEP WELL ITSELF IS WHAT THE WATER WAS BASICALLY ALWAYS PROVIDING FOR OPERATIONS, CAME FROM A DEEP WELL CONTAINED DEEP WELL FROM THE PINEY POINT AQUIFER.
THE PINEY POINT AQUIFER STARTS ABOUT 180 FEET, BUT THEY WERE ACTUALLY ABOUT 250 TO 300 FEET, DRAWING FROM THAT.
THE WELL, SOMEHOW, SOME WAY, WE DON'T KNOW, WAS SEALED.
WE WILL HAVE TO PUT A NEW WELL IN, AND WE WILL ONLY USE THE DEEP WELL FROM THE CONFINED AQUIFER.
I'VE WORKED WITH A LOT OF THE DEPARTMENTS IN THE COUNTY, AND WE'RE REALLY HOPING THAT YOU CAN SUPPORT US AS WELL BECAUSE THE PLAN FOR ANY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT REALLY, TRULY IS INCOMPLETE WITHOUT INCLUDING EVERYTHING, THAT'S INCLUDING PEOPLE THAT ARE HUNGRY, PEOPLE THAT ARE HOMELESS.
ALL THE THINGS THAT SHERYL HAS PLANNED TO DO AND THE OTHER PEOPLE FOR THIS BUILDING, THIS PROPERTY, IT'S REALLY PART OF AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR SURE, FROM ITS HEART, I CALL IT THE CAMPUS OF CARING.
I'M A VOLUNTEER, I'M JUST SO HAPPY TO BE PART OF SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
SOME OF THE THINGS THAT IF YOU WONDERED, PLEASE ASK ME ANY QUESTIONS.
I'M GOING TO REALLY QUICKLY GO THROUGH THIS.
THE SHALLOW WELLS ARE FROM ABOUT SEVEN TO 17, MAYBE 20 FEET DEEP.
WE HAVE NO PLANS TO EVER USE ANYTHING FROM THE SHALLOW WELL.
I DON'T CARE HOW CLEAN THEY ARE.
WE ONLY WANT TO USE THE DEEP WELLS.
WE HAVE PLANNED ONCE THE EPA &MDE WILL BE TAKING OVER THE WELLS.
ONCE WE DO GET OUR WELL IN THERE AND THEY DO TAKE ANY MORE TESTS FROM THE SAW IS, WE PLAN ON HAVING IT PROFESSIONALLY SEALED ONCE WE HAVE THE PERMISSION FROM THE EPA.
THE ON-SITE STORMWATER RUNOFF.
I'VE BEEN OUT THERE MANY TIMES.
I HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE WITH THAT MY PAST LIFE.
ALL THE WATER THERE'S NO PUDDLING,
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THERE'S NO BACKING UP.IT'S REALLY, AFTER ALL THESE YEARS, IT'S SOMEONE REALLY DID A GOOD DESIGN ON THE SHEET FLOWS AND ALL OF THE WATER RUNOFF.
ON THE PROPERTIES OF CLOSE TO AN ACRE POND THAT WAS BUILT FOR FIRE SUPPRESSION.
AT SOME POINT IN TIME, THE COMPANY THAT WAS THERE UPGRADED.
THE POND IS STILL THERE, IT'S IN DISREPAIR, BUT THEY STARTED USING GREAT BIG HUGE STORAGE TANKS FOR THE FIRE SUPPRESSION, IF NEEDED.
GREAT BIG WELLS, I MEAN, PUMPS TO PUMP IT.
I'VE MET WITH WATER SUPPRESSION COMPANIES.
THAT'S ONE OF THEIR PLANS, EVERYTHING WE'RE GOING FORWARD WITH.
THE BUILDING IS A BETTER PART OF 80,000 SQUARE FEET.
IT'S MORE ROOM THAN WE CAN PLAN TO USE.
IF YOU'VE GOT SOME PLANS AND SOME IDEAS, CALL SHERYL, BECAUSE WE WANT TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO HELP NOT JUST THIS AREA AND COUNTY, BUT THE STATE, SURROUNDING AREAS.
EXTENSIVE RENOVATIONS ARE PLANNED, VANDALS HAVE GOTTEN IN, AND IT STRIPPED ALMOST ALL THE WIRING.
EVERY SINGLE SOLITARY HUNDREDS OF LIGHT FIXTURES DESTROYED.
ALL THE PLUMBING HAS BEEN PULLED OUT.
WE'VE BEEN TALKING TO ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS, AND WE'VE CHOSEN A COUPLE, AND WITH PLUMBING.
THAT'S ALL GOING TO BE REPLACED.
I'VE DONE A LOT OF DIGGING IN AND INVESTIGATING, NOT JUST WITH THE WELLS, BUT OUR DISCHARGE, OUR SEPTIC.
WE HIRED AN ENVIRONMENTAL COMPANY TO HELP US, AND WE DID LOCATE A COUPLE OF THE SEPTICS.
ONE WAS TESTS, I WILL BE SUBMITTING IT TO THE COUNTY VERY SOON.
WE JUST GOT IT FINISHED, THE TESTS.
THERE'S LIKE THE TEST THAT HE CAME UP WITH WAS THAT HE WAS EXPLAINING TO ME.
OTHER THAN THE SNAKES THAT WERE AROUND, HE WAS EXPLAINING EVERYTHING TO ME THAT HE REALLY FEELS, AND HE'S GOING TO HELP WITH THE COUNTY, AND THEN THE COUNTY WILL COME OUT AND DO THEIR INSPECTIONS THAT IT'S USABLE BECAUSE IT WAS SO MANY YEARS THAT IT HASN'T BEEN USED.
WE ALSO THE EPA IN A MEETING, THEY ASKED US TO CONSIDER A VAPOR BARRIER IN THE BUILDING.
THERE IS ON THE EPA COVENANT ITSELF.
I'VE READ THE EPA COVENANT, I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND EVERY SINGLE WORD OF IT.
THE VAPOR BARRIER THAT IS TO BE INSTALLED WITH NO GUESSWORK WILL BE FOR ANY NEW BUILDINGS, AND WE HAVE NO NEW BUILDINGS PLANNED, SLATED AT ALL.
HOWEVER, IN THE MEETING THAT WE HAD, THEY DID SUGGEST WE STILL PUT A VAPOR BARRIER. I'VE DONE THE PRICING.
WE'RE GOING TO STILL INSTALL A VAPOR BARRIER IN THE BUILDING.
IT'S NOT THAT BIG OF A DEAL FOR US TO DO.
THE SITING, THE PAINTING, THE CLEANING UP, ALL OF THE GROUNDS OUT THERE.
WE HAVE PLANNED TO AS SOON AS WE CAN GET IN THERE AND START CLEANING THE PLACE UP.
THERE'S A LOT OF CLEANING UP TO DO INSIDE AND OUTSIDE.
>> THERE'S A LOT OF CLEANING UP TO DO, AND KIDS ARE USING IT AS A SKATEBOARDING RIGHT NOW.
THEY BUILT A RAMP INSIDE THE BUILDING BECAUSE CONCRETE FLOORS.
>> THAT'S JUST A QUICK SYNOPSIS.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE OR MIGHT COME UP WITH.
>> THE EPA IS NOT ENTERTAINING LIFTING THE CONSENT ORDER THEN.
THEY ARE JUST TALKING ABOUT ADDING A VAPOR BARRIER TO THE EXISTING BUILDING.
>> THE EPA COVENANT IS VERY RESTRICTIVE.
IT'S A LITTLE SCARY TO HAVE THAT ON YOUR [OVERLAPPING] HOWEVER, WHEN YOU READ IT AND UNDERSTAND, AND I'VE ASKED QUESTIONS FOR MONTHS, THERE IS EVEN WE HIRED A VERY LARGE ENGINEERING COMPANY, HILLIS-CARNES, TO HELP US UNDERSTAND BETTER.
I'VE HAD MANY MEETINGS WITH THEM.
THE REAL RESTRICTIONS IS NOT THE VAPOR BARRIER, IT'S THE WATER.
THEY TOLD US IN OTHER TIMES, THE EPA TOLD US.
AS LONG AS YOU DON'T BREAK OFF A WELLHEAD, AS LONG AS YOU'RE NOT USING THAT WATER.
YOU DO WHAT THE COUNTY INSTRUCTS YOU TO DO AND WHAT YOUR CODE TELLS YOU, WE'RE GOOD TO GO.
>> I THINK THE COVENANT ALSO TALK ABOUT NOT CHANGING DRAINAGE PATTERNS OR REMOVING ANY ASPHALT INCREASE.
THEY ACTUALLY WANT AN IMPERVIOUS SURFACE ON THAT SITE, RIGHT TO PREVENT THE WATER FROM GETTING THROUGH.
I READ IT A WHILE AGO, IT HAS BEEN A YEAR AGO.
WE'RE GOING TO DO WHAT THE SUGGESTIONS ARE.
WE'VE GOT TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT AND WHAT MAKES GOOD SENSE.
>> I WOULD SAY, THOUGH, WHEN WE MET WITH THE EPA, WE COVERED PRETTY MUCH AT THIS LEVEL OF DETAIL THAT WE'RE HAVING TODAY, WHAT WE WERE GOING TO DO ON THE SITE, AND THEY WERE, AS SHERYL SAID.
NOTHING THAT WE'VE HEARD HERE BOTHERS US.
YOU CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PLANS THAT YOU HAVE GIVEN THE CURRENT COVENANTS AND CONDITIONS.
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>> AS FAR AS THE REMOVAL OF THE COVENANT, THEY DID ALSO EXPRESS TO US BECAUSE, AS THE TESTING CONTINUES, IF WE COME UP WITH THREE NEGATIVE TESTS AFTER WE'RE IN THE OWNING PROPERTY, THEY WILL CONSIDER REMOVING IT AT THAT POINT.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT THEY HAVE SAYING THAT'S GOING TO STAY THERE FOREVER, THAT THEY WILL TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
WE CAN REVISIT IT, AND THEY WILL CONSIDER REMOVING.
>> JUST TO ADD, WE'RE USING HILLIS-CARNES AND OTHERS.
WE ALSO HAVE LEGAL INVOLVED HELPING US THROUGH THIS WHOLE PROCESS WITH THAT.
>> WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO WITH EVERYTHING, AND I'VE SPOKEN WITH CRYSTAL'S DADS IN DETAIL.
THE COUNTY DEPARTMENTS HAVE BEEN SO HELPFUL, UNBELIEVABLY HELPFUL, PROVIDING US WITH OLD PERMITS AND STUFF.
IT'S BEEN A REAL INVESTIGATION, WE HAVE A LOT OF TIME, BUT WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO WITH ZONING IS TO UTILIZE THE CAROLINE COUNTY, MARYLAND'S RURAL REVITALIZATION ZONE, IF WE NEED TO.
LOOKS LIKE EVERYTHING WE WOULD LIKE TO DO, WE THINK THROUGH TALKING THAT WE'RE OKAY, LOOKING LIKE WE CAN DO WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO.
>> I THINK THE ONLY THING THAT WOULD BE A STRETCH FROM A ZONING STANDPOINT WOULD PROBABLY BE THE BEDS FOR THE HOMELESS SHELTER IN THE INDUSTRIAL ZONED AREA, WHICH WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, AND WE ARE CLOSE TO COMPREHENSIVE REZONING, WHICH WE COULD TAKE A LOOK AT THAT PROPERTY ZONING.
>> I ATTENDED ONE OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING MEETINGS, SPOKE WITH THEM ABOUT THAT TOPIC, AND THEN SUBMITTED A WRITE-UP TO THEM ABOUT WHAT OUR INTENTIONS WERE FROM A MULTI-TENANT FACILITY PERSPECTIVE FOR THEIR FURTHER CONSIDERATION.
>> UNDER THE RULE REVITALIZATION ZONE, ADAPTIVE REUSE IS SUGGESTED IN THIS MANY TIMES.
THAT'S WHY WHEN IT WAS BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION, WE THOUGHT, WOW, I BROUGHT CRYSTAL DADS BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION.
SHE SAID, HAVE YOUR ATTORNEYS CHECK THIS OUT AND SPECIFICALLY FOR THE SHELTER.
BUT WE'RE GOING TO KEEP DOING AND GOING IN THE DIRECTION, AS YOU SUGGEST, FOR SURE.
>> I'M THRILLED TO HEAR THAT THE COMPANY THAT OWNS THE BUILDING HAS BEEN SPENDING MONEY INSIDE BECAUSE THEY CERTAINLY HAVEN'T BEEN DOING ANYTHING ON THE OUTSIDE.
>> IT'S AWFUL. YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT EPA.
WHAT INVOLVEMENT HAVE YOU HAD WITH THE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT?
>> RIGHT NOW, IT'S WITH THE WELLS MOSTLY ONLY.
REALLY, MDE HAS, AT ONE TIME, THE REPORTS HAVE SHOWN THAT EPA BASICALLY HANDED IT OFF TO MDE.
ANY MORE THINGS THAT MAY COME UP, MDE WOULD BE THE PEOPLE TO CONTACT.
NOTHING'S COME UP NEW OR ANYTHING.
I BELIEVE THE LAST MONITORING WAS OBSERVED, AND ALL REPORTS GO TO BOTH DEPARTMENTS, EPA, FEDERAL, AND MDE, BUT WE ARE LOOKING TO HAVE MORE CONTACT WITH MDE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS.
>> I WOULD STRONGLY SUGGEST THAT YOU DON'T PUT YOURSELF IN A POSITION FOR MDE TO COME BACK AT THE LAST MINUTE, COME UP WITH SOME OFF-THE-WALL THING BECAUSE THEY ARE NOTORIOUS FOR DOING THAT.
WHAT IN THE PAST, WHEN WE'VE HAD I KNOW IN ONE INSTANCE, WE HAD A CHURCH THAT UNFORTUNATELY BURNED, AND WHEN THEY CAME BACK TO REBUILD THE CHURCH, THEY CAME UP WITH CALCULATIONS THAT THE SEPTIC WOULD HAVE TO BE SET UP IN THE BEGINNING, AS IF THE CHURCH WERE OCCUPIED SEVEN DAYS A WEEK AT CAPACITY.
WHAT NUMBERS WOULD YOU USE TO CALCULATE THE SEPTIC?
>> WELL, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AS FAR AS PEOPLE IN THE BUILDING THAT'S TEMPORARY.
FOR THE FOOD AGGREGATION OR THE RESTAURANTS, NOBODY LIVING THERE.
IF AND WHEN WE GET UP AND RUNNING WITH THE SHELTER, THAT NUMBER, THE DISCHARGE NUMBER, WOULD GO UP, AND WE'RE TAKING THAT INTO ACCOUNT NOW.
THE CURRENT DRAIN FIELD, SEPTIC DRAIN FIELD, AND THE ASSESSMENT OF ALL OF THE SEPTIC PARTS.
THE TANKS SEEM TO BE VERY GOOD, LIDS NEED TO BE REPLACED.
THE DRAIN FIELD ITSELF WAS TESTED VERY POSITIVELY, AND RIGHT NOW, THE SIZE OF IT WILL BE FOR 960 GALLONS A DAY.
THAT'S ROUGHLY 48 PEOPLE A DAY.
IF THEY LIVE THERE, WE'RE GOING TO WORK WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO FIND OUT WHAT ARE THE ACTUAL GALLONS PER DAY NEEDED.
THERE IS AN SRA SEPTIC RESERVE AREA,
[00:30:02]
BUT IT'S AN AREA THAT WAS PERMITTED MANY YEARS AGO.WE GOT A LOT OF LAND OUT THERE.
IF WE HAVE TO HAVE ANOTHER SRA, WE'RE ALL ABOUT DOING THAT.
IF THIS SEPTIC DRAIN FIELD CURRENTLY CAN BE ACCEPTED WITH THE COUNTY, IF THEY COME OUT, WE'RE GOING TO GET OUR PERMITS, AND IF THEY COME OUT AND OKAY, OR MAYBE WE ADD ONTO IT OR FIX IT OR WHATEVER.
WE DON'T KNOW AT THIS POINT, BUT WE DO HAVE THAT IN OUR PLANS, AND MDE WILL BE EVERY STEP OF THE WAY, PART OF ANYTHING WE HAVE TO DO WITH DISCHARGE.
I KNOW THAT IF WE GO UP TO ABOUT 4,999 GALLONS AT 5,000 GALLONS A DAY OF DISCHARGE, MDE IS 100% ENGINEERS, BIG, HUGE PROBLEMS, AND MONEY.
WE'RE NOT LOOKING TO DO ANYTHING NEAR THAT SIZE.
WE STILL ARE IN THE INFANCY STAGES OF UNDERSTANDING WHAT WE NEED, AND THE COUNTY'S HEALTH DEPARTMENT, 100% PICKS UP EVERY TIME AND ASKS THIS GUY'S QUESTIONS TO THEM ALL THE TIME.
>> GOOD. FROM A CONCEPTUAL STANDPOINT, WHAT CURRENT SERVICES, LIKE WE MENTIONED, HIS HOPE MINISTRY, WHAT SERVICES AND WHAT BUILDINGS, AND WHAT FACILITIES WILL BE SHIFTED HERE? THAT'S WHERE I'M A LITTLE BIT CONFUSED, WILL ALL OF THESE AGENCIES BE CONSOLIDATED INTO THIS ONE BUILDING?
>> IT'S THREE MAIN COMPONENTS, THREE MAIN PARTNERS, AARON'S PLACE, HIS HOPE MINISTRY, AND THE FOOD AGGREGATION.
THOSE ARE THE THREE MAIN ONES.
AARON'S PLACE WILL BE 100% SHIFTING IN THERE.
HIS HOPE MINISTRY WILL BE 100% SHIFTING IN THERE, EXCEPT FOR SOME OF THE BUILDINGS THEY HAVE.
>> THEY HAVE A SENIOR SHELTER THAT'S CURRENTLY ON THE SITE.
>> THE ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDINGS BACK HERE.
WE GAVE THEM BUILDINGS [OVERLAPPING]
[OVERLAPPING]. IT'S OUT OF THE WESLEY.
IT'S ON THE WESLEY CAMP, BECAUSE THAT'S NOT A YEAR-ROUND SHELTER, SO THEY NEED A PLACE TO BE FOR YEAR-ROUND.
THE OFFICES AND STUFF WOULD STAY, AND THEN THE HOUSING OF THE RESIDENTS WOULD COME OVER TO THIS PROPERTY.
THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING WAS ZONED, EVERYTHING WITH THE SEWAGE, THE WATER DISCHARGE, ALL THAT.
IT SUPPORTS THE OTHER BUSINESSES AS IT CURRENTLY IS, BUT WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WHERE THE BED NIGHTS ARE IN ORDER TO SUPPORT THAT.
>> YOUR ANTICIPATION IS THAT THAT WOULD BE YEAR-ROUND.
STEPHANIE FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS HAS BEEN PLANNING TO CREATE A YEAR ROUND SHELTER.
THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR HER TO DO THAT.
NOW, SHE ALSO IS CONSIDERING THE OTHER SITE THAT'S RECENTLY BECOME AVAILABLE IN DENTON AS WELL, TOO.
BUT RIGHT AT THE MOMENT, WALKING DOWN BOTH PATHS.
>> FOR THE CULINARY CENTER, WE'RE ANTICIPATING MOVING THE COMMERCIAL KITCHEN INCUBATOR PIECE OUT OF THE CULINARY CENTER, JUST BECAUSE WHEN WE PUT IT IN, IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE TEMPORARY, JUST TO SEE PROOF OF CONCEPT.
CURRENTLY, WE HAVE SIX USERS INSIDE THE BUILDING, AND WE ARE UP TO 15 FOOD TRUCKS USING THE FACILITY.
WE COULD MOVE THEM OUT SO THAT THAT COULD GROW FOR FOOD ENTREPRENEURS WOULDN'T WORK OUT VERY WELL.
THEN FOR CAROLINE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AS YOU KNOW, WE PROCESS ABOUT 15,000 POUNDS OF LOCAL PRODUCE, WE WOULD MOVE THAT OUT THERE AS WELL.
WE'RE UP TO 110,000 SUMMER MEALS.
I MEAN, MY GIRLS ARE BUSY ALREADY, SO THAT WOULD MOVE THAT PIECE OUT THERE, TOO.
THEN JUST HELPING WITH THE FOOD AGGREGATION OF THE MID ATLANTIC.
THIS IS A BIG ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY FOR CAROLINE COUNTY IN THE MIDSHORE, FOR PICKUP.
YOU MENTIONED IN YOUR STRATEGIC PLAN, INVOLVEMENT BY KENT QUEEN ANNE TALBOT AND DORCHESTER COUNTY, HOW WOULD THEY BE INCORPORATED INTO THIS? I MEAN, WHAT SERVICES WOULD YOU BE PROVIDING TO THOSE COUNTIES?
>> I LOOK AT THE FOOD AGGREGATION AND EVEN THE FOOD PANTRY, AS I LOOK AT THE FOOD AGGREGATION AS A HUB TO BE ABLE TO PROCESS LOCAL PRODUCE.
IF WE CAN PROCESS LOCAL PRODUCE HERE, WE CAN SHIP IT OUT TO OTHER FACILITIES, OTHER COUNTIES, WE CAN SHIP IT ANYWHERE.
BUT I'VE GOT WITH AMY CULLEY TO FIND OUT WHAT ARE THE PRODUCTS THAT WE WILL WANT TO MOVE AND CORN AND STRING BEING.
WE HAVE NOT GONE TO HANOVER YET TO SEE THEIR OPERATION AS TO WHAT'S GOING ON UP THERE.
BUT WE HAVE SO MUCH BECAUSE I THINK IT'S CRAZY THE PROCESS,
[00:35:03]
I'M A MARYLAND FOOD BANK PARTNER.I LOVE MARYLAND FOOD BANK, SO DON'T GET ME WRONG, BUT WE GET PRODUCE FROM DOWN HERE IN CAROLINE COUNTY.
THEN WHEN THE PANTRIES, I HAVE EIGHT LOCATIONS THAT I DISTRIBUTE FOOD OUT IN CAROLINE COUNTY.
THEN THEY HAVE TO TAKE IT FROM BALTIMORE AND BRING IT BACK TO CAROLINE COUNTY.
WHY DOES IT HAVE TO GO FROM CAROLINE COUNTY TO BALTIMORE TO CAROLINE COUNTY? WHY CAN'T I HAVE IT HERE IN CAROLINE COUNTY AND GIVE IT TO CAROLINE COUNTY? ANY OTHER SURROUNDING COUNTIES COULD COME AND BENEFIT IF THEY CHOOSE TO.
IT ALSO WOULD BE INCOME-PRODUCING TO HAVE A PROFIT TIE BECAUSE WE HAVE TO MAKE THE BUILDING SUSTAINABLE.
WE CAN'T SIT UP AND RELY UPON GRANTS AND FUNDRAISING AND ALL THAT STUFF AS WE DO.
RIGHT NOW, I OPERATE, AND I'M BLESSED WITH 36 VOLUNTEERS.
WE'RE ALL VOLUNTEERS DOING THIS STUFF BUT I KNOW THAT FOR SUSTAINABILITY, WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT WHAT CAN WE DO TO PRODUCE INCOME TO BUILD A SALARY, START PAYING PEOPLE SALARIES, AND DO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PIECE.
WE LOOKED AT WOW, WE CAN DO FOOD AGGREGATION.
WE CAN BRING THIS PIECE IN, AND BENEFIT ALL THE LOCAL FARMERS, DO MO USE WITH THE LOCAL FARMERS, GIVE THEM A REASON WHY THEY WANT TO GROW, WHAT THEY DO.
RIGHT NOW, I WORK WITH MAYBE ABOUT SIX OR SEVEN FARMERS IN CAROLINE COUNTY, BUT BE ABLE TO HAVE SUSTAINABLE MARKETS FOR THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT GOING TO GROW SOMETHING THAT THEY CAN'T SELL.
IT'S POINTLESS. IF WE CAN SHOW THEM THAT WE CAN BRING IN YOUR PRODUCT, WE CAN PROCESS IT, WE CAN WASH IT, REPACKAGE IT, AND WE CAN SHIP IT OUT.
YOU CAN HAVE YOUR TRUCKS COME, AND ONE THING I LOVE ABOUT THAT BUILDING WHEN I FIRST WENT THERE.
I SAID OH, MY GOD, IT'S GOT FOUR LOADING DOCKS, ALL MESSED UP, BUT THEY'RE LOADED OUT THERE.
THAT THE TRACTOR TRAILERS CAN COME IN, AND WE CAN GO ANYWHERE.
AS FAR AS THE OTHER COUNTIES IS FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO HELP SUPPORT AND BENEFIT THE HUB.
>> WELL, I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY, AT SOME POINT, THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME REQUEST HERE, I'M SURE FOR FUNDING FROM AND I JUST NEED TO KNOW THAT THE SERVICES THAT ARE GOING TO BE PROVIDED ARE GOING TO BE FOR CAROLINE COUNTY.
>> IF WE'RE GOING TO BE ASKED FOR MONEY, WELL, I WON'T SAY I LOVE THE OTHER COUNTIES.
BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO SPEND CAROLINE COUNTY MONEY ON OTHER COUNTIES.
BUT THAT'S WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR HERE.
YOU SAID YOUR SETTLEMENT DATE WAS NOVEMBER 7TH?
>> CURRENTLY, BUT WE ASKED FOR A 60 DAY EXTENSION.
I RECEIVED SOME GRANT FUNDING FOR CAPITAL FUNDING.
THEN I TALKED TO SOMEONE TO HELP BRIDGE THE GAP.
BUT LIKE I SAID, THE EPA ASKED FOR ADDITIONAL 30 DAYS TO DO THEIR REPORT.
WE PUSHED IT OUT AND ASKED FOR AN ADDITIONAL 60 DAYS TO COVER THE EPA.
BUT WE'RE STILL UNDER CONTRACT.
IF THE EPA CAN COME BACK, AND NOW I'M GOING TO EMPHASIZE TO RICK MAKE THAT PHONE CALL TO MDE, EVEN THOUGH WE HAD CONVERSATIONS, BUT MAKE ANOTHER PHONE CALL.
NOW THAT WE HAVE THAT TIME PERIOD, IF WE CAN GET THESE ANSWERS BEFORE THE 60 DAYS, THEN WE'RE GOING TO SETTLEMENT.
>> YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM WITH THE 60 DAYS BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT GOING TO SELL THAT BUILDING TO ANYBODY WITHOUT EPA.
>> WHAT IS THE MATTER OF FACT WE MET WITH RUSSEL METALS TWO WEEKS AGO IN A CONFERENCE CALL, AND WE DISCUSSED ALL THIS WITH THIS, AND THEY BASICALLY GAVE US A VERBAL THAT YES, GIVEN WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND WHAT THE REQUESTS ARE, YOU CAN HAVE. [OVERLAPPING]
>> GO ANYWHERE UNTIL YOU GET THE EPA.
>> YEAH. THEY WERE THEY WERE GOOD WITH THAT VERBALLY.
WE WERE WAITING ON AN OFFICIAL LETTER THE LAWYERS ARE HANDLING THAT.
>> I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT I THINK AS WE TALKED BEFORE, I THINK IT'S A VERY WORTHWHILE PROJECT.
I THINK IF NOTHING ELSE, IT'LL MAKE THAT ENTRANCE TO THE TOWN SIGNIFICANTLY MORE BETTER THAN IT IS NOW.
I CERTAINLY CONGRATULATE YOU, I APPLAUD YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS AND ALL THE PEOPLE THAT AND YOU GUYS FOR VOLUNTEERING, I ASSUME YOU'RE VOLUNTEERING, AS WELL, BECAUSE, IT'S TIME THAT YOU'RE GIVING AND EXPERTISE THAT YOU'RE GIVING.
I KNOW GETTING INVOLVED IN THESE THINGS, YOU BECOME OVERWHELMED WITH THEM, BUT THANK YOU FOR VOLUNTEERING AND FOR HELPING.
>> THANK YOU. I WOULD LIKE FOR BETH TO EXPLAIN THE FOOD AGGREGATION PIECE, SO YOU CAN SEE ALL THAT AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.
>> FOOD AGGREGATION DISTRIBUTION.
HELPING OUR SMALL TO MEDIUM SIZED FARMERS TO BE ABLE TO GROW INTO THE NATIONAL MARKET.
[00:40:04]
WE HAVE RELATIONSHIP WITH CHESAPEAKE AG INNOVATION CENTER WHERE THEY CAN COME AND GET TRAINING, HELP WITH GAP CERTIFICATION, SO THEY CAN SELL NATIONAL MARKET.AGGREGATION CENTER, NOT JUST FOR PRODUCE, BUT DOING IQF PROCESSING INTO SMALLER PACKS FOR INSTITUTION, BUT ALSO POSSIBILITY OF BLUECAT FISH BEING A PICK UP SITE.
WE'VE BEEN TALKING WITH 4P FOODS, WHICH IS OUT OF VIRGINIA, BUT THEY HAVE A GRANT TO HAVE A SPOKEN AND WHEEL MODEL OF PICK UP THROUGH THE MID ATLANTIC.
THEY'RE LOOKING FOR AN EASTERN SHORE HUB.
WE'RE HOPING THAT HUB WILL BE US WHERE THEY WILL PICK UP AND TRY TO FOR FOOD RESILENCY IN THE REGION, WHERE THEY'RE MOVING PRODUCE THAT WE NEED THAT WE DON'T GROW, AND THEY'RE SENDING PRODUCE OUT THAT WE GROW THAT OTHER PEOPLE NEED.
WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT PIECE OF IT, VALUE ADDED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A FOOD LAB FOR PEOPLE TO COME AND EXPERIMENT WITH THEIR FOOD TO FREEZE DRYING, THOSE OTHER PROCESSING, FERMENTATION, OTHER WAYS TO PRESERVE THE FOOD.
I ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, THE FARMERS GROWING WHEN WE'RE NOT IN SCHOOL. IT'S REALLY HARD.
IT HAS TO COME TO US PROCESSED AND HAS TO COME TO US PRESERVED IN SOME FORMAT, I THINK THERE'S A BIG NEED FOR THAT THROUGHOUT.
I THINK MARYLAND FOOD BANK IS VERY INTERESTED IN THAT TOO OF TAKING WHAT THEY'RE GLEANING, TURNING IT IN, SO THEY CAN SERVE A FRESH FROZEN YEAR ROUND VERSUS CANNED JUST FOR HEALTH.
FOR LOCAL FARMERS, WE'RE LOOKING AT HAVING AVAILABILITY OF COLD STORAGE, WE ALL KNOW COLD STORAGE.
WHENEVER YOU'RE SITTING IN A MEETING, THEY TALK ABOUT FOOD RESILIENCY OR VERSES COLD STORAGE IS THE ISSUE.
WE'VE HAD PLENTY OF COLD STORAGE THERE AS WELL.
HELPING PEOPLE WITH THE COMMERCIAL KITCHEN INCUBATOR GET VALUE ADDED PRODUCTS TO BE ABLE TO SELL TO IF ANYBODY'S FAMILIAR WITH UNION KITCHEN, BUT THEY CAN TAKE A PRODUCT AND HELP THEM MAKE IT INTO A MILLION DOLLAR BUSINESS.
WE WOULD LIKE TO TRY TO DO THE SAME THING HERE.
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT THAT SHAW WAS SPEAKING OF IS TO TAKE OUR DISPLACED YOUTH, I WOULD LOVE FOR WOMEN DETENTION CENTER TO BE ABLE TO COME OUT.
THERE'S NO PROGRAMS FOR WOMEN.
THERE'S A LOT FOR MEN TO GO OUT FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW, WE SEND OUT FROZEN MEALS DURING OUR SUMMERTIME FOR OUR KIDS.
WE ALSO DO IT FOR SENIORS TO BE ABLE TO DO MORE PRODUCTION OF THAT SO THAT PEOPLE CAN GET A WHOLESOME MEAL THAT HAS A LOT OF LOCALLY SOURCED ITEMS IN THAT MEAL.
TALKED ABOUT HAVING A BUSINESS CENTER, SO PEOPLE WOULD HAVE A PLACE.
A LOT OF TIMES A FARMER OR SOMEONE IN A FOOD BASED BUSINESS DOESN'T HAVE A PLACE FOR COMPUTER ACCESS OR OFFICES TO BE ABLE TO COME INTO CONFERENCES, ROOMS, AND CLASSROOMS FOR TRAINING.
THEN JUST TALKED ABOUT MAKING THIS SO THAT IT'S LIKE, WE'RE WORKING WITH THE CLIMATE CONTROLLED MUSHROOM CURRENTLY, AND TO BE ABLE TO TAKE THAT AND BRAND IT FOR THE SURE.
HAVE US BRANDED, WHERE WE'RE TAKING NUTRACEUTICAL GRADE MUSHROOMS, AGGREGATING ONE AREA TO DO POWDERS OR TINCTURES, WHICH IS A HUGE NATIONAL MARKET CURRENTLY.
I THINK WE'LL BE FOR A LONG TIME, BUT WE'VE ALREADY STARTED THAT PROCESS, BUT THIS WILL GIVE IT A HOME TO BE ABLE TO AGGREGATE TO.
>> I THINK YOU GOT AN AMBITIOUS PROJECT, BUT YOU'VE GOT AMBITIOUS PEOPLE.
>> BUT VERY AMBITIOUS, A LOT OF AMBITIOUS PEOPLE, A LOT OF ENERGY A LOT.
>> IT'S MY LAST ROUND JUST SAYING AT LAST TO THE WORLD. [LAUGHTER]
>> I WOULD LIKE TO GO OUT ON A TOUR, I'LL MEET YOU OUT THERE.
THAT'S YOUR PLEASURE. SHOW YOU ROUND.
IT'LL BE GREAT FOR YOU TO SEE THE BEFORE.
>> WHERE WE PICK UP A $10 MILLION CHECK? THAT'S MY [INAUDIBLE] [LAUGHTER]
>> THAT'S A TOUGH PART. [OVERLAPPING] FRUGAL WITH MY OWN MONEY, AND I'M REALLY TIGHT WITH THE COUNTY'S MONEY.
>> YES, WITH THE AMBITIOUS PROJECT, OF COURSE, IS AMBITIOUS FUNDING FUND RAISING, WE'RE LOOKING TO START OFF OUR COMMITTEE FOR A CAPITAL CAMPAIGN.
BUT I HAD MADE A LIST IN THE AGENDA OF SOME OF THE FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES THAT I DON'T KNOW, WHERE THEY ARE, WHAT YOU GUYS CAN DO, WHAT YOU CAN'T DO WITH THE CANNABIS FUNDING, THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT.
HE JUST SPOKE TO US ABOUT THAT, LEGISLATIVE THE BOND FUNDING.
WE'RE GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS AND LIKE WE SAID, WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO RAISE A LOT OF
[00:45:01]
MONEY IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT AVENUES IN DIFFERENT WAYS, AND WE HAVE THE TEAM TO DO IT.I KNOW THAT. I KNOW WE HAVE THE TEAM TO DO IT.
BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO ME IS, DO WE HAVE THE COMMISSIONER SUPPORT IN THIS PROJECT, BECAUSE WITHOUT YOUR SUPPORT THAT'S HARD.
IT REALLY IS, AS TO WHAT AVENUES WE CAN TAKE.
WE WANT TO COME HERE AND LET YOU KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING.
I DROPPED SOMETHING OFF EARLIER DURING THE YEAR, BUT I KNEW THAT I WOULD BE COMING BACK WHEN I GOT MORE DETAIL AS TO WHERE WE ARE, AND WE'RE THERE.
WE'RE RIGHT AT THE DOOR RIGHT NOW.
THERE'S A COUPLE OF LITTLE EYES THAT NEED TO BE DOTTED TO GO THROUGH, BUT WE'RE THERE.
I'M HERE ASKING FOR THE COMMISSION SUPPORT AND ANY MONEY THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
>> HOW MUCH YOU GOT ON ME? [LAUGHTER]
WELL, YOU CERTAINLY HAVE MY SUPPORT.
JUST QUICKLY, I MEAN, ONE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE THE CANNABIS MONEY, IT'S OCTOBER, AND WE'VE BEEN TOLD THAT IN OCTOBER, YOU MAY BE ABLE TO UPDATE US TODAY, BUT I MEAN, WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR IT TO BE TO GET DIRECTION, HOW THIS MONEY CAN BE SPENT.
BUT, THERE ARE, I THINK, AVENUES LIKE LIKE THROUGH BOB.
I MEAN, WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK AT THOSE, BUT I THINK IT'S A GREAT PROJECT, AND I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WILL BENEFIT EVERYONE INVOLVED.
>> FORGIVE ME FOR NOT KNOWING THE ACRONYM, BUT IS THERE STILL TIME TO GET IT ON THAT LIST?
>> YEAH. WHAT DOES IT STAND FOR? DO YOU KNOW SEDS IT HELPS ME WHEN I KNOW WHAT IT STANDS FOR REMEMBER.
>> [INAUDIBLE] IT ALL GOES THROUGH THE MORE REGIONAL COUNCIL.
THE MIHORE REGIONAL COUNCIL HAS THE ULTIMATE SAY AS TO WHETHER OR NOT PROJECTS END UP ON THE SEDS.
WE CAN WORK OUT [INAUDIBLE] AND WORK TOWARD THAT.
>> COMMISSIONER BARTS, YOU'RE OUR MIDSORE REGIONAL COUNCIL, REPRESENTATIVE, SO I SUGGEST YOU START CHIPPING OVER THERE.
>> THAT'S IN TWO WAYS. WE'RE ACTUALLY HAVING A SEDS MEETING IN TWO WEEKS.
IS THE FIRST IS THE SEDS MEETING FOR A YEAR.
>> BUT THERE'S SOME INFORMATION THAT WE NEED.
>> THAT MEETING IS TO GO OVER PROJECTS THAT ARE ALREADY ON THERE.
SEE IF ANYTHING CAN BE CHANGED OR PERHAPS.
>> ONE'S TAKEN OFF, ONE'S TAKEN ON, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THEN THEY DO A FINALIZATION ON THE SEDS.
THEY HAVE TWO SEDS MEETINGS, ONE THAT YOU SAY, HEY, THIS IS A PROJECT THAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
THIS ONE'S PROBABLY GOING TO BE SCRATCHED OFF, AND THEN THEY FINALIZE EVERYTHING.
BUT WOULD STILL TALK ABOUT IT AND GET UP WITH SCOTT AND SEE WHERE WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD TO GET ON THAT LIST. YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
THIS FIRST MEETING IS LOOKING AT WHAT'S ALREADY ON THERE [OVERLAPPING] YOU HAD MEET UP OPPORTUNITY TO ADD NEW THINGS.
AGAIN, AS LONG AS WE DON'T DROP IT, WE'VE GOT TIME.
THE NEXT MEETING FOR POTENTIAL NEW PROJECTS IS LIKELY TO THE END OF DECEMBER.
>> WE HAVE MET WITH SCOTT WARNER IN THE SUMMERTIME TO MAKE HIM AWARE OF WHAT WE WERE DOING CONNECTED WITH BOB.
WE DID A FIRST PASS OF WHAT THE SEDS PROGRAM OVERVIEW REQUIRES TO BE ABLE TO BE CONSIDERED.
RIGHT NOW WE'RE IN REVIEW OF THAT DOCUMENT.
>> THE ONLY THING I HAVE IS AS FAR AS THE LEGISLATIVE BOND.
HAVE YOU TALKED TO ANY OF THE LOCAL DELEGATION AND TRIED TO GET THEM ON BOARD?
WE DID SPEAK TO THEM ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO, BUT NOW BOB ZIMBEROFF JUST LET ME KNOW THAT NOW IS THE TIME TO ACTUALLY DO THAT AGAIN.
I REACHED OUT TO SENATOR HERSHEY AS WELL ABOUT THE CAPITAL GRANT THROUGH PUBLIC WORKS IN CASE THE BOND FUNDING ISN'T COMING THROUGH THIS YEAR. THAT'S HOW.
>> GETTING A LEGISLATIVE BOND IS VERY HARD.
A LOT OF PEOPLE SIGN UP, BUT THEY DON'T EVER THEY DON'T EVER GET IT, SO YOU HAVE TO GET THEM ON YOUR SIDE, SO.
>> I MET WITH MR. MONTS PROBABLY SIX WEEKS AGO.
HE ENCOURAGED US TO LOOK AT ALTERNATIVES.
HE SAID, YOU CAN SUBMIT, BUT HE SAID EXACTLY WHAT YOU JUST SAID, MR. BORIS. THINGS ARE PRETTY TIGHT.
>> I DON'T EVEN HAVE SECRETARY BUDGET RIGHT NOW.
THERE'S A WHOLE ANOTHER LAYER TO THAT.
>> THE COMMUNITY BLOCK GRANT? YOU GUYS GET INVOLVED WITH THAT?
>> I THINK THAT DOESN'T COME UP TO THE SCREEN?
[00:50:02]
>> CORRECT. IT'S ON HOLD RIGHT NOW.
>> WELL, I THINK WE WOULD BE ASKED FOR LETTERS OF SUPPORT FOR THAT.
WE'VE DEALT WITH IT, BUT EVERYTHING THAT I'M HEARING IS THAT THE STATE BUDGET IS NOT GOOD.
YEAH. IT'S GOING TO GET WORSE.
IF YOU NEED ANYTHING FROM US, IT SOUNDS LIKE STAFF HAS BEEN VERY RESPONSIVE AND WE APPRECIATE THAT.
I THINK THERE MAY BE A FEW CHALLENGES WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, PROBABLY WITH THE SEPTIC AND MAYBE SOME CHALLENGES WITH ZONING, BUT I THINK WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT ANYTHING THAT WE NEED TO DO LEGISLATIVELY TO MAYBE OPEN UP SOME MORE CAPABILITY INSIDE OF THAT SPECIFIC ZONING DISTRICT TO ALLOW YOU TO DO WHAT YOU GOT TO DO, OR WHAT YOU WANT TO DO. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU. GOOD LUCK. THANK YOU. [OVERLAPPING]
>> GUYS, GOOD. LET'S TAKE A FIVE MINUTE RECESS.
[00:56:51]
THE MEETING IS NOW BACK IN ORDER, AND WE ARE MOVING ALONG TO OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS STEVE HURLOCK, COMMUNICATION DIVISION CHIEF, TROY PLUTSCHAK, COMMUNICATIONS LIEUTENANT, DANIEL FOX, OUR DEPUTY COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, AND MARK SHERIDAN, DIRECTOR OF DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY SERVICES.WE'RE DISCUSSING THE RADIO REPLACEMENT PLANS.
I'LL LET WHOMEVER OF YOU WANTS TO TAKE IT AWAY.
>> I'LL START OFF. [LAUGHTER] NOT THAT I WANTED TO, BUT I'LL START OFF.
NOT HERE TODAY TO HAVE YOU CUT A CHECK FOR US, OBVIOUSLY.
WE WANTED TO SIT DOWN AND HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT REPLACING THE PUBLIC SAFETY RADIOS IN THE COUNTY.
[Discussion of Meeting House Road Property]
WE KNOW THAT IT'S A HUGE FINANCIAL BURDEN, BUT IT'S BECOME TIME TO START LOOKING INTO THE REPLACEMENT OF THESE RADIOS.WE'VE BEEN ON THE MARYLAND FIRST SYSTEM FOR TEN YEARS NOW.
THE AVERAGE LIFESPAN OF A RADIO IS ABOUT FIVE TO SEVEN.
THE TECHNOLOGY THAT'S INVOLVED WITH THEM, THAT'S EVER CHANGING.
LIKE A LAPTOP OR YOUR PHONE, GOT TO BE REPLACED EVERY SO OFTEN.
WE JUST WANTED TO HAVE A DISCUSSION.
WE PUT A LITTLE BIT OF A PLAN TOGETHER.
YOU GUYS SHOULD HAVE A COPY OF THAT.
JUST TALKS ABOUT WHERE WE STARTED IN 2015 WITH THE MARYLAND FIRST SYSTEM, THE AMOUNT OF RADIOS THAT ARE OUT IN THE COUNTY BETWEEN DES, DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS, THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANIES, COUNTY EMS, TO BE A PUBLIC WORKS.
THERE'S A HOST OF RADIOS OUT THERE THAT WE MAINTAIN.
TROY IS PRETTY MUCH OUR PRIMARY PERSON WHO PROGRAMS THE RADIOS.
HE DOES MOST OF THE TECHNICAL WORK.
THERE'RE A RADIO SYSTEM MANAGER.
WE'VE GOT A EXCELLENT WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM AND THEIR ASSISTANT MANAGER.
WE ALSO HAVE A EXCELLENT WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE MOTOROLA SHOP OUT OF SALISBURY.
WE HAVE QUESTIONS, WE CALL THEM.
THEY ANSWER RIGHT AWAY MOST OF THE TIME.
BUT WE JUST WANTED TO START A DISCUSSION.
THIS COULD BE A ONE TIME PURCHASE.
IT COULD BE OVER THE COURSE OF A COUPLE OF YEARS.
IT DEPENDS ON THE DIRECTION THAT YOU TELL US TO GO.
WE'VE GOT ON PAPER, AND WE'VE TRIED TO TRIM AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
I THINK YOU GUYS SHOULD HAVE A LARGER VERSION OF THIS SPREADSHEET?
>> THAT SHOULD SAY 3.7 MILLION.
THAT IS JUST FOR PORTABLE RADIOS AND CONSOLES FOR THE 911 CENTER,
[01:00:12]
THE CHARGERS FOR EACH OF THE TYPE OF RADIOS, AND THEN THE BASE STATION RADIOS THAT ARE THERE'S A FEW AT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, AND THEN EACH FIRE STATION HAS ONE.>> STEVE, WHY DON'T YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT THIS NEW SYSTEM, THE ADDITIONAL CAPABILITIES THAT IT HAS CURRENTLY OVER OUR EXISTING? WHAT WILL THIS NEW SYSTEM DO THAT OUR EXISTING SYSTEM DOES NOT?
>> THESE ARE LTE CAPABLE RADIOS, SO IF WE'RE OUTSIDE OF THE MARYLAND FIRST FOOTPRINT, WHICH IS HAPPENS WHEN WE GO INTO DELAWARE QUITE A BIT, EITHER GOING TO THE HOSPITALS OR FOR FIRE INCIDENTS, MARYDEL, GOLDSBORO GREENSBORO, GOING THAT WAY.
THE LTE WOULD PICK UP, IT'S LIKE CELL PHONE CONNECTION.
THAT'S ONE. SEE WHAT AM [OVERLAPPING]
>> WE ALSO HAVE WI-FI CAPABILITY AS WELL.
>> WHAT'S THE GPS TRACKING CAPABILITY? IT DOES TRACK WHERE THE ACTUAL LOCATION OF THE RADIO IS?
>> 100%. WE ACTUALLY HAVE TWO THAT WE WERE TESTING.
YOU CAN BRING THE MAP UP AND I CAN ACTUALLY SEE EXACTLY WHERE HE'S AT AND IT SHOWS YOU PRETTY MUCH PINPOINT.
IF I HAD THE RADIO TURN IT ON, IT WOULD ALMOST PRETTY MUCH PICK UP THIS ADDRESS AND PINPOINT WHERE IT'S AT.
>> IT HAS TO BE ON IN ORDER FOR THE GPS TO WORK, ANYTHING, BUT IT'S OKAY.
>> THOSE ARE THE MAIN THINGS? [OVERLAPPING]
>> THE CONSOLES WILL ALSO BE ABLE TO TALK TO SCHOOL BUSES. [OVERLAPPING]
>> CONSOLE WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED.
WE HAVE A WAY THAT WE CAN DO THAT.
WHEN THE SCHOOL BOARD WENT LOOKING FOR A NEW SYSTEM, THE SALESMAN FOR WHATEVER REASON, DIDN'T TELL THEM THAT WE WERE ON A 700 MEGAHERTZ STATEWIDE SYSTEM.
THEY HAVE SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT AND WE LOST THAT CAPABILITY OF TALKING TO THE BUSES.
WE TALK TO THE SCHOOLS, BUT WE CAN'T TALK TO THE BUSES.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT COULD BE INCORPORATED IN THIS IF WE DO THE UPGRADE.
>> THIS IS A VERY THOROUGH REPORT.
I APPRECIATE YOU JOHN PUT IT TOGETHER. WAS A GOOD READ.
ONE JUMPED OUT OF ME, 35 APX 6000 AT MARYDEL VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY.
WHY DO WE HAVE 35 OF THEM THERE, AND NO OTHER FIRE DEPARTMENT IS EVEN CLOSE TO HALF THAT?
>> YOU'RE IN THE REPLACEMENT PLAN.
>> RADIO BREAKDOWN SHEET, PAGE 4.
>> ACTUALLY THOSE AREN'T THE ONES THAT WE OWN.
WE ONLY OWN, I'M GOING TO SAY TEN OR 12 RADIOS OUT THERE.
>> THE MAJORITY OF THOSE IS OWNED BY MARYDEL?
>> YEAH. THEY ACTUALLY PURCHASED.
>> BUT WE WANT TO INCORPORATE HOW MANY RADIOS WE ACTUALLY TOUCH THERE.
>> THIS IS NOT HOW MANY WE'RE PURCHASING.
THIS IS JUST HOW MANY YOU WILL. [OVERLAPPING].
>> YOU'RE PURCHASING WOULD BE ON THIS.
>> THIS WAS JUST AN INVENTORY, WHAT WE MAINTAINED.
>> DO SOME OF THESE FIRE COMPANIES HAVE MORE RADIOS THAN WHAT IS DEPICTED ON THIS?
>> ONLY IF THEY'VE PURCHASED EXTRA RADIOS ON THEIR OWN.
BUT THEY ALL RECEIVED, WHEN WE FIRST DID THIS, ANY LARGER APPARATUS RECEIVED TWO PORTABLE RADIOS AND A MOBILE AND AN AMBULANCE GOT ONE AND THEN AND ON A REAR HEAD FOR THE BACK.
LIKE A BRUSH TRUCK OR UTILITY, A BOAT, THEY ONLY GOT ONE RADIO.
THERE WAS A STANDARD SET IN 2015 WHEN WE DID THIS.
>> WE'RE NOT LOOKING TO PURCHASE ANY ADDITIONAL FOR OTHER SEATED PHYSICIANS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. WE'RE NOT RIGHT NOW.
>> THE NEWER STYLE WILL ACTUALLY LET US DO OVER THE AIR PROGRAMMING AS WELL.
INSTEAD OF SPENDING AN EIGHT HOUR TO 10 HOUR DAY, DEPENDING ON WHAT STATION ON THAT TO PROGRAM RADIO IS THE ONLY THING I PHYSICALLY HAVE TO TOUCH IS THE MOBILES AND THEN OTHERWISE, JUST TURN ON AND PRESS THE "OKAY" BUTTONS ON THE BOARDROOM AND IT WILL DO ITS OWN THING AND IT'S DONE.
>> THE STATIONS THAT ARE LISTED HERE, THE VARIOUS VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENTS, ON THE BIG SHEET?
>> THE APX AND AUTHORITIES ARE MOUNTED IN FIRE TRUCKS OR?
[01:05:06]
>> NO. THESE ARE ALL PORTABLE RADIOS.
IT'S CONFUSING BECAUSE THEY'RE A MOBILE RADIO IS STATIONARY, WHICH BACKWARDS, BUT A PORTABLE RADIO IS SOMETHING THAT'S IN A CHARGER OR POLICE OFFICER CARRIES WITH THEM.
>> THOSE ARE FOR FIRE PLACE, ESSENTIALLY IS WHAT.
IT WOULD REPLACE THE 1,900 SO WE HAVE NOW.
>>WHICH IS WHY THEY'RE LIKE, HALF THE PRICE OF N70.
>> THE N70 IS IS YOUR EMS AND APX VERSION IS YOUR.
>> NONE OF THESE ARE VEHICLE MOUNTED THEN?
>> ALL THE PUBLIC WORKS RADIOS.
>> NO. WE'RE NOT DOING MOBILES.
MOBILE AND RADIOS IS NOT NEW MOBILE RADIO.
WE'VE ASKED NUMEROUS TIMES TO SEE IF FUTURE WITHHOLDING.
THE ONLY THING THEY'RE REPLACING WOULD BE TO A BM MODEL, WHICH WE HAVE AM MODELS, AND THEN BM AS THEY PROGRESS THROUGH THE YEARS.
>> THE NONE OF THESE ARE MOBILE? [INAUDIBLE]
>> NO. WE ACTUALLY HAD IN THE SHEET, WHAT IT WOULD COST IF WE DID MOBILES.
I THINK IT'S IT'S ACTUALLY IT IS ABOUT ANOTHER 780 OR 83,000 TO DO MOBILES AS WELL.
>> THAT'S IN THAT GREEN SECTION GREEN TO THE RIGHT OF THE SPREADSHEET.
>> WE FIGURED IT WAS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE COULD DO OR WE HAVE SOME SPARES ALREADY THAT WE COULD REPLACE OUT.
IF WE NEED TO PURCHASE, WE COULD POSSIBLY STEVE DO IT OUT OF OUR EQUIPMENT BUDGET IF WE NEEDED ONE OR TWO A YEAR TO REPLACE THOSE EVENTUALLY.
>> DANNY, WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ON THE TIMELINE FOR THIS? AS FAR AS FINANCIALLY, WILL BE THE BEST WAY TO HANDLE THIS?
>> THIS IS THE BIG QUESTION AND WHY WE REALLY WANTED TO SIT DOWN TODAY AND TALK ABOUT TIMING AND FUTURE COST OF THE RADIOS.
IF YOU REMEMBER BACK OR SEEN THE DOCUMENTS FROM 2015, THE COUNTY DECIDED TO ESSENTIALLY LEASE ON THE RADIOS OVER A 10-YEAR LIFE.
WE PAID THAT OFF WHEN WE DID OUR BOND IN 2019, SO WE'RE OUT OF THAT NOW.
STEVEN TROY HAVE BEEN MEETING WITH MOTOROLA AND GOING THROUGH WHAT THE COST WOULD BE, AND THAT HAS BEEN GOING UP AND DOWN AS THEY COMMUNICATE AND CHANGE AND FIGURE OUT WHAT'S RIGHT TO DO, SO THE NUMBER THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH NOW TO DO A FULL REPLACEMENT IS THE ROUGHLY 3.73, 3.8 THAT YOU SEE IN RED ON THE TOTAL OF THE CALCULATIONS THERE.
IF YOU REMEMBER BACK TO THE BUDGET.
>> [INAUDIBLE] THE SPREADSHEET.
>> [OVERLAPPING] I THINK THE BIG ONE WAS A VERSION OF PROBABLY TWO MONTHS AGO OR SO THEY LIKE I SAID.
>> WALK THIS ONE AROUND, I THINK THE ONE WHEEL.
>> THEY WERE 37 ON ON SPREADSHEET.
>> FOR FY 26, THE COMMISSIONERS DECIDED TO SET ASIDE 906 THAN DOLLAR IN THE CAPITAL PLAN FOR THIS FUTURE RADIO PLACEMENT.
WE ARE EXPECTING FROM MOTOROLA, THIS COST THAT 3.7 TO GO UP FIVE TO 8% FROM JANUARY, AND WHAT THEY'RE TELLING US IS ESSENTIALLY, EVERY YEAR, YOU GUYS KICK THIS.
YOU'RE PROBABLY GOING TO TAKE FIVE TO EIGHT TO 10% COST INCREASE.
>> ALL OF THESE PORTABLES ARE PRETTY MUCH THE SAME AGE AS ALL THE MOBILE RADIOS.
WE WENT WE SWITCHED TO THE SYSTEM IN 2015.
ALL OF THIS EQUIPMENT WAS PURCHASED IN 2015.
>> MOST OF IT, YES. THERE'S BEEN SOME DIFFERENT MODEL VERSIONS THAT HAVE COME OUT, BUT FOR THE MOST PART, YES.
>> I THINK I SAW IN YOUR DOCUMENT UNLESS I READ IT INCORRECTLY THAT WE'RE STILL UNDER WARRANTY ON ALL OF THESE UNTIL 2026, IS THAT RIGHT OR WRONG? WE PURCHASED A WARRANTY, A 10-YEAR WARRANTY AND MOTOROLA NO LONGER DOES THAT ANYMORE?
>> OUR MAINTENANCE PLAN. THEY DON'T GO OUT 10 YEARS.
THEY'LL DO UP TO SEVEN, AND THAT MAINTENANCE PLAN COVERS ALL THE CONSOLES OF THE 911 CENTER AS WELL.
>> ALL THE RADIOS IN QUESTION.
[01:10:01]
BUT THAT WHEN DOES THAT MAINTENANCE PLAN?>> NO, I SAW IT SOMEWHERE WHERE I READ IT.
>> THERE IT IS. I DID MAGNIFYING.
>> I DON'T HAVE ONE, I WAS TRYING TO FIT IT ON THE PAGE.
BUT WE ARE PDF, SO WHAT DO WE HAVE? IT HAS ADVANCE PLUS AND THEN IT HAS SUA2, AND THEN WE'VE GOT MULTI YEAR DISCOUNTS FOR BOTH OF THOSE.
WHAT IS THIS? THIS IS NOT A WARRANTY.
IT'S JUST LIKE A SUBSCRIPTION PLAN WHERE THEY SUPPORT BOTTLES.
>> IF YOU CAN SEE IT, THE COST GOES UP INCREMENTALLY EVERY YEAR THROUGHOUT THAT 10-YEAR PLAN.
>> WE WOULD JUST OPT-OUT OF THAT FOR THESE HOW'S THIS WORK THEN? YOU GOT ANY IDEA?
>> WE WOULD BASICALLY START A NEW ONE WHEN WE PURCHASED THE RADIOS.
>> DOES THE COST GO DOWN FOR GOING INTO THE NEW RADIO?
>> THAT'S A QUESTION THAT I WOULD HAVE ASKED THE SALESMAN.
>> IT SHOULD BECAUSE THE EQUIPMENT'S BRAND NEW.
IT LOOKS LIKE AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS ONE, IT WAS 72,000 BACK IN OCTOBER OF 2018, AND THEN IN JULY OF 2027, IT'S GOING TO BE 200,000, SO WE'RE GOING FROM ABOUT 73,000 TO 200,000.
>> AS THE EQUIPMENT AGES IN THE INPUT.
DO YOU HAVE TO TRADE THE RADIOS IN THAT WE HAVE NOW? LET'S SAY WE DID THIS HYPOTHETICAL, AND YOU CAN THROW SOMETHING AT ME IF THIS IS A CRAZY IDEA.
BUT IF WE DID DS IN THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, COULD WE KEEP SOME OF THOSE RADIOS AND USE THEM IF PUBLIC WORKS 25 TEARS UP AND WE COULD BACKFILL BECAUSE MOTOROLA IS NOT GOING TO SUPPORT THE RADIOS ANYMORE.
LIKE IF A BUTTON GETS STUCK OR SOMETHING BREAKS.
>> FLEET OR THE AN MODEL, AND THAT'S WHAT THEY HAVE DECIDED END OF LIFE IS WAS TWO YEARS AGO, SO THEY'RE NOT SUPPORTING, HARDER TO FIND PARTS, THAT STUFF.
RIGHT. BUT WE DO HAVE SOME BN MODELS THAT WE COULD USE FOR THAT PURPOSE.
WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF THOSE MOST OF OUR FLEET IS THE AN MODEL.
>> WE COULD DO ALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS.
SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND DS AND LEAD PUBLIC WORKS AND CORRECTIONS OUT FOR RIGHT NOW.
>> IT CAN BE A PHASED APPROACH, YES.
>> I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE KIND OF WANTED TO WEIGH IN A LITTLE BIT WITH THE FUNDING.
WE HAVE, I'M GOING TO SAY $900,000 SET ASIDE ALREADY IN THE CAPITAL BUDGET FOR THIS.
WE'VE BEEN SETTING MONEY ASIDE AND WHAT WE'VE BEEN LISTING AS FUTURE CAPITAL INFRASTRUCTURE.
WE KNOW WE'RE GOING TO HAVE WORK IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, PROBABLY A DETENTION CENTER, THIS PROJECT.
DOES IT TAKE A CHUNK OUT IN THIS FISCAL YEAR, GET AHEAD OF THE FIVE 8% INCREASE, MAYBE TO A SECOND PHASE IN THE FY 27 BUDGET, WE CAN SET MONEY ASIDE THEN.
I THINK FOR US, WE DIDN'T WANT TO COME FY 27 GO.
WE NEED $4 MILLION NOW AS THE PRICE HAS GONE UP AND KEEP PERPETUALLY HAVING THAT NUMBER CLIMB?
>> THAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF TRYING TO COME IN HERE TODAY JUST TO HAVE THE DISCUSSION AND SEE WHAT YOUR WISHES ARE AND WHERE WE CAN GO FROM HERE.
>> WE'VE TALKED SEVERAL TIMES.
I'VE TALKED TO STEVEN TROY DANNY JUST DON'T WANT TO BE HIT WITH THE BURDEN ALL ONE TIME THE FOUR MILLION.
>> WHAT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE FOUR MILLION IS NOT GOT TO TOUCH IT BECAUSE THIS ISN'T WE'RE NOT EVEN TALKING ABOUT THE MOBILES.
>> FROM WHAT THEY'VE TOLD US, THEY ARE NOT COMING OUT WITH A NEW MOBILE MODEL IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS, SO THAT'LL BE PUSHED OUT A FEW YEARS AWAY.
>> IF WE NEED THAT ADDITIONAL CAPABILITY.
>> BUT WHAT'S SAD ABOUT THIS IS THAT AND I KNOW I WAS HERE IN 2015 AND I SAID THAT SAID THIS, THEN I'LL SAY IT NOW.
IT'S AMAZING TO ME THAT THIS IS A MONOPOLY.
YOU GOT NOWHERE ELSE TO GO TO GET COMPETITIVE PRICES.
>> WE COULD GET BECAUSE WE'RE ON A P25 SYSTEM, WE COULD GET ANOTHER VENDOR.
BUT THEN THAT REQUIRES MORE WORK ON OUR END, I GUESS.
[01:15:05]
TROY OR I WOULD HAVE TO LEARN DIFFERENT PROGRAM, AND THEN YOU'RE MAINTAINING TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF RADIOS.>> IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO GET IT.
WE SIT HERE EVERY TIME AND THEY SAY, IT'S GOING TO GO UP THIS MUCH, AND IT'S GOING TO GO UP THIS MUCH, AND YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO THIS.
WE'RE BEING DICTATED TO BY THIS COMPANY, AND WHEN I ASKED THIS QUESTION BACK WHEN WE HAD THE PEOPLE IN FRONT OF US YEARS AGO, THEY WERE LIKE YOU CAN GO OUT AND GET PRICES ON OTHER RADIOS, BUT WE HAVE THE RIGHTS TO THE TRANSMISSION, SO THEY CAN'T USE THAT.
HOW THAT HAS EVER BEEN ALLOWED TO HAPPEN, I'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO TELL YOU.
>> THAT'S WHAT'S CHANGED WITH THE P25, WHERE ANOTHER LIKE A HARRIS RADIO CAN BE USED OR A GBC, KENWOOD CAN BE USED ON THE SYSTEM TO MAINTAIN DIFFERENT PROGRAMMING SYSTEMS AND THAT TYPE OF THING, BATTERIES THAT TYPE OF THING.
>> THE ONE QUESTION THAT WE WERE TRYING TO GET TO BEFORE WAS EVERYONE WE'LL BE ON THE SAME FREQUENCY, CORRECT? EVERYBODY WILL BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER THROUGH AGENCIES, FIRE COMPANIES, DES, PUBLIC WORKS?
>> RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE OTHER THAN THE BUSES NOT BEING ABLE TO TALK TO US.
THEY'RE THE ONLY BUT CAN TALK TO THE SCHOOL BOARD, WHICH THEN CAN RELAY.
>> WHAT CAN WE DO TO GET THE BUSES INVOLVED?
>> THAT WOULD BE WITH OUR COUNSEL A GREED.
>> IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT ASTOUNDED ME WHEN WE HAD THESE PEOPLE IN HERE WAS, THERE WERE DEAD SPOTS.
I KNOW ONE OF THE DEAD SPOTS WAS UP NORTH AT WALKER'S STORE, WAS A DEAD SPOT.
HOW CAN YOU CHARGE THIS MONEY AND STILL HAVE DEAD SPOTS.
IF WE'RE GOING TO PAY THIS MONEY, THERE ARE NOT GOING TO BE ANY DEAD SPOTS.
>> UNFORTUNATELY, THERE'S DIFFERENT VARIABLES, BUILDINGS, METAL BUILDINGS, WE ONLY HAVE THREE TOWER SITES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, AND I DON'T THINK WE WANT TO GET IN THE BUSINESS OF PUTTING MOVES UP BECAUSE THAT'S A COUPLE MILLION AT A TIME.
BUT THERE'S GOING TO BE PLACES WHERE WE MAY HAVE SOME COVERAGE THAT'S NOT AS GOOD AS OTHER PLACES WE TESTED IN WALKERS NUMEROUS TIMES AND DIDN'T HAVE ANY ISSUES.
BUT SOME OF THIS STUFF IS DEPENDENT ON THE WEATHER, SOME OF IT'S DEPENDENT ON THE BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.
COULD BE WHERE THE PERSON HAD THE RADIO AT THE TIME.
THERE'S DIFFERENT DIFFERENT VARIABLES WHEN IT COMES TO THAT.
BUT WE DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE WHEN WE HEAR THOSE COMPLAINTS AND WE TRY TO GO OUT AND FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN CERTAIN AREAS, WHICH WE KNOW THAT A COUPLE OF SCHOOLS HAVE A FEW AREAS.
THIS WITH THE WI-FI CAPABILITY WOULD HELP THAT.
TROY HAS ALREADY TALKED TO THE IT GUYS AT THE BOARD OF ED TO LOOK INTO WI-FI CONNECTION.
>> EMERGENCY CONNECTION, SO EVERY SCHOOL WILL HAVE THE SAME WI-FI CAPABILITY SO IT'D BE JUST FOR EMERGENCY RADIO, SO WHEN THEY GO IN THERE THAT RADIO PICK UP THAT WI-FI RADIO OFF TO GO OR IF IT'S IN AROUND THE BUILDING.
PROBABLY THEY TOLD ME BY JULY THEY SHOULD HAVE THAT PRETTY MUCH SET UP.
THEY WERE WORKING ON UPGRADING THEIR STUFF.
>> THAT SHOULD HELP WITH ANY COVERAGE ISSUES, AND THE LTE CAPABILITY, THE CELL PHONE CAPABILITY, ALL THAT COMES INTO PLAY WITH THESE.
>> WE HAVE MADE SURE THAT EVERY SINGLE RADIO THAT WE HAVE THAT WE'RE BUYING IS LEGITIMATE, AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY PEOPLE HAVING RADIOS THAT WE DON'T NEED, CORRECT? BECAUSE WE'VE ALL HEARD THESE HORROR STORIES ABOUT CELL PHONE ACCOUNTS WHERE PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHERE THE CELL PHONES ARE AND THAT TYPE OF THING.
>> I CAN REASSURE YOU I TOUCH EVERY PORT.
>> I DON'T ACTUALLY, WHEN I TOUCH IT, IT GETS MARKED IN OUR SET AND I DON'T NEED ANY MORE PAPERWORK.
I JUST WANT TO KNOW THAT TROY AND YOU ARE ON TOP OF THAT.
>> I HAVE TO PUT MY HANDS ON EVERY RADIO TO UPGRADE, WHETHER IT BE FIRMWARE OR CO PLUG UPGRADES FOR DIFFERENT NEW CHANNELS AND STUFF LIKE THAT, SO I HAVE PHYSICALLY.
MY FINGERS FROM TAKING MIKES OFFS THE TIME I GET DONE.
>> WHAT'S YOUR THOUGHTS ON PURCHASING, DANNY, TO GET BACK TO THAT?
>>YEAH, I THINK MY PERSONAL TAKE, AND AGAIN, STEVE, MARK SPEAK FOR THE DEPARTMENT.
I THINK WE SHOULD PROBABLY TAKE A BITE OUT OF THIS WITH THE MONEY THAT WE DO HAVE SET ASIDE FOR THIS PROJECT.
>> WHAT WOULD BE THE FIRST PLACE?
>> TO STEVE'S POINT, THE COUNCILS AND THEN ANY OF THEM I WOULD SAY
[01:20:03]
HIGHER PRIORITY RADIOS OR THE PORTABLES BEING FIRE COMPANIES [OVERLAPPING]>> THAT'S 810, SO THAT PRETTY MUCH WIPES IT OUT.
>> THAT'S GOING TO TAKE MOST OF THE 906 THAT YOU HAVE SET ASIDE.
>> ARE WE DOING WORK ON THOSE CONSOLES RIGHT NOW? SOMETHING DIFFERENT UPGRADES.
I THOUGHT I READ SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
>> THE STATE IN MARYLAND JUST DID AN UPGRADE WITH THEIR SYSTEM, AND WE HAD TO GET NEW CPUS.
THAT WAS DONE BACK WHEN WE RENOVATED THE 91 SET.
>> BASICALLY, IT WAS JUST A CHANGE IN A CPU OUT.
>> A CLEANUP OF THE ENVIRONMENT.
>> ARE THE CONSOLES STILL NOT SUPPORTED? ARE THEY NOT GOING TO BE SUPPORTED WITH MOTOROLA? IS IT JUST THE PORTABLES ITSELF.
I DON'T KNOW. THE COUNCIL REALLY ALL WE'RE DOING IN HERE IS THE ABILITY TO TALK TO THE BRASSES WITH THE COUNCIL BECAUSE YOU DON'T NEED GPS TRACK.
>> THE COUNCIL ESSENTIALLY IS WHAT THAT IS.
BUT THE COUNCILS THEMSELVES, THE 810 IS ACTUALLY THE UPGRADE, SO INSTEAD OF A 2007 MODEL, WE'RE GETTING BECAUSE WE'RE ACTUALLY FOUR MODELS BEHIND.
THIS IS ACTUALLY WHAT BE CALLED AXIS, AND IT'S A UPGRADE AND IT'S A DIFFERENT VERSION OF WHAT WE HAVE.
IT'S MORE OR LESS THE SAME THING AS A MODEL.
>> THEY WERE OUT PRIOR TO US ON THE [OVERLAPPING].
>> THEY'VE BEEN ON THE SAME ONES SINCE.
>> THERE'S BEEN UPGRADES SOFTWARE AND FIRMWARE. [OVERLAPPING]
>> BUT IT'S THE SAME HARDWARE.
>> IT'S GOING TO GIVE US ABILITY TO TALK TO THE BUSES AND BRAND NEW CONSOLES THAT ARE OVER 20 THEY'RE WHAT 15 YEARS?
>> YOU'LL AGREE THAT THAT WOULD BE YOUR FIRST PRIORITY?
>> THE CONSOLES, AND THEN WE MOVE ON TO WHAT RADIOS DO WE WANT TO DO RIGHT NOW? WHO'S AT THE TOP OF THE LIST FOR RADIO REPLACEMENT?
>> I WOULD SAY THAT DES, AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS SHERIFF'S OFFICE OR LAW ENFORCEMENT.
>> THAT'S PRETTY MUCH [LAUGHTER] [BACKGROUND].
>> TALKING ONE, TWO, THREE, OR JUST ONE AND TWO.
I WAS GOING TO SAY THAT WOULD BE THE.
>> IT LEAVES OUT CORRECTIONS IN PUBLIC WORDS.
>> WHICH PART AGAIN THE [INAUDIBLE] [OVERLAPPING].
>> WHAT I'M ASKING IS FOR COMMISSIONER.
SO WE'RE GOING TO DO IT AT ONE.
YOU RECOMMEND ONE PHASE, TWO PHASE, THREE PHASE, ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR.
>> I WOULD SAY, PROBABLY THREE.
>> BECAUSE, WE CAN CAPTURE LIKE SAY, WHATEVER WE KIND OF HASH OUT THE DAY IN FY 26 THAT'S SET ASIDE, AND THEN YOU CAN PLAN FUTURE BUDGETS TO ALLOCATE FOR THAT.
>> I DON'T KNOW HOW THE LOGISTICS WORK, BUT IS IT POSSIBLE TO JUST PUT ONE OF THESE NEW PORTABLES IN EACH ONE OF THE MOBILE, LIKE, THE FIRE TRUCKS AS OPPOSED TO DOING ALL 400 OR 142 OF THEM AT ONE TIME, OR DOES THAT NOT MAKE SENSE TO HAVE NEW EQUIPMENT IN WITH SOME OF THE OLDER STUFF? IS THAT WAY YOU'VE GOT THE GPS TRACKING AT LEAST ON ONE RESPONDENT AND THE LTE COVERAGE AT LEAST ON ONE RESPONDENT ON THE TRUCK?
>> JUST DUE, ME PERSONALLY, I THINK, DUE TO OPERATIONAL THEY OPERATE WAY DIFFERENT THAN THE CURRENT MODELS.
AND SOME OF OUR VOLUNTEERS STRUGGLE WITH THE CURRENT MODELS.
I THINK YOU DO ANOTHER MODELING ON THEM IS GOING TO BE.
>> THE TWO DIFFERENT RADIOS THAT OPERATE?
>> YEAH. THEY'RE THEY'RE GOING TO BE A WHOLE DIFFERENT.
>> IT'LL BE A CHALLENGE FOR DES AND THE CCS.
>> IT'S DEFINITELY IT'S TAKEN SOME TIME FOR ME TO GET USED TO THE WAY THEY OPERATE AND THINGS ARE DIFFERENT WITH THEM.
>> PHASE AND WISE, DO WE DO CONSOLES? DES AND SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT RIGHT NOW, FIRE DEPARTMENTS NEXT YEAR.
AND THEN PUBLIC WORKS AND CORRECTIONS A YEAR?
THEN WE CAN DO OBVIOUSLY THE MESSAGING TO THE DEPARTMENTS AS WELL.
IF THEY HAVE THEM IN HOUSE, WORKING THROUGH DES, THEY CAN PROBABLY WORK OUT A LOT OF THE BUGS AND KINKS WITH THEM INTERNALLY BEFORE WE'RE ROLLING THEM OUT ON THE STREET, EVEN THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE WILL BE NEXT DOOR THERE OR IN HOUSE.
>> ESPECIALLY WITH THEM OPERATING ON EVERY DAY BASIS WITH THE EMS, THAT WOULD BE PRETTY GOOD.
>> WE CAN RETAIN SOME OF THE OLDER ONES TO KEEP THEM AS BACKUPS TO SWAP OUT IF WE DO.
>> COVER IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS,
[01:25:01]
BECAUSE THERE'S NO TREAT THE.>> WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS IN FOUR PHASES.
>> THREE, YEAH. OKAY, SO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WILL BE WITH PUBLIC WORKS AND DOC?
>> NO CONSOLES, THE WAY I JUST [OVERLAPPING].
>> CONSOLE WOULD YOU SAY DES AND SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, THEN YOU SAID THEN DO THE FIRE.
>> FIRE DEPARTMENTS, AND THEN THE THIRD PHASE WOULD BE PUBLIC WORKS AND [INAUDIBLE].
>> OKAY, SO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS IN WITH THE DES AND THEN.
>> NO. FIRE DEPARTMENTS ARE ON THEIR OWN NEXT YEAR.
>> OKAY, SO DES IS WITH PHASE ONE?
BASICALLY, ALL DES AND THE SHERIFFS DEPART.
>> I GOT YOU. WE DRAG THAT ONE?
>> WELL, LIKE I SAID, NEXT YEAR WON'T BE TOO BAD, BUT IT'LL BE THE YEAR AFTER.
>> WE'LL BREAK THIS SPREADSHEET DOWN MORE ALSO AS PART OF THE PHASES.
>> THAT GIVES YOU AN IDEA WHERE WE'RE AT.
THAT'S GOING TO PUT PHASE ONE AT SO ROUGHLY 1.5, 1.7 MILLION, I'M JUST KIND OF SPIT BALLING HERE.
>> BECAUSE YOU WOULD HAVE THE 881 THAT ARE FALLING UNDER THE APX AND 70S FOR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE DES.
THAT'S ABOUT 1.6, 1.7, AND THEN FIVE OTHER THE DES HAS OF THE XCS.
>> VERY GOOD POINT ALL [INAUDIBLE]
>> PHASE ONE IS GOING TO BE 2 MILLION.
>> YOU GOT TO HAVE THE CHANGE. YEAH.
>> IN REALITY, THE FUNDING MECHANISM FOR THAT IS, WE WOULD USE THE 906 [INAUDIBLE] [OVERLAPPING]
>> THESE ARE GOING TO LAST AS LONG AS I'M GOING TO BE COMMISSIONER, RIGHT? [LAUGHTER]. EVEN IF I'M LUCKY ENOUGH LONG YOU'RE [BACKGROUND] [OVERLAPPING].
>> HALF OF IT YOU'RE GOING TO DO HAND.
>> AGAIN, NOW THAT WE HAVE SOME KIND OF DIRECTION WITH THIS AND HAVE AN IDEA, STEVE TROY AND I AND MARK CAN CLEAN UP THE SPREADSHEETS, PROBABLY MAKE A THREE TIME MODEL WITH EACH YEAR.
HAVE AN IDEA FOR HOW THAT'S GOING TO RULE OUT MONEY.
>> WHAT WOULD BE YOUR TIMELINE, TROY? LIKE, SO LIKE RIGHT NOW, SAY, HEY, WE'RE GOING TO GO WITH IT.
SO WHAT WOULD BE, LIKE THE TIMELINE TO THE CONSOLE AND THE SHARES DEPART? FOR YOU TO GET THAT DONE?
>> I WOULD SAY CONSOLE, THAT'S GOING TO DEPEND ON MY ROLE COMING IN JUST GETTING THAT LINED UP AND ALSO WEARING OUR PRODUCT, I WOULD SAY I'M SAYING FIRST YEAR JUST FOR BETTER AT PHYSICALLY GIVING THEM OUT AND AND READY TO ROLE BECAUSE SHOW ME TRAINING ON AND [OVERLAPPING].
>> IT HAS TO BE SOME TRAINING THOUGH.
>> AS FAR AS YOUR OPERATIONS, WHAT WOULD BE LIKE? WOULD IT BE THE HANG UP? LIKE, AS FAR AS, LIKE, HEY, WE'RE GOING TO CONSOLE? IT WOULD STILL BE THERE, SO YOU STILL OPERATE NORMALLY OR BE LIKE.
>> WE'VE GOT SIX POSITIONS, SO WE'D PROBABLY TAKE THREE DOWN AT A TIME.
>> THEN GO TO THE NEW, AFTER TRAINING.
>> IT WOULDN'T STOP ANY OPERATION? [OVERLAPPING]
>> LIKELY WENT TO TALA COUNTY OR SOMETHING?
>> EACH CONSOLE OPERATES BY ITSELF.
THEY'RE ALL DOWN. WE CAN STILL OPERATE OFF THE.
NOW, THE OLDER SYSTEM PRIOR TO THAT WAS NOT SET UP LIKE THAT AND IT WAS ACTUALLY ALL THE SAME S ONE WENT DOWN, THEY'RE ALL DOWN.
>> THEY'VE MADE SOME CHANGES THERE.
>> IT'S NOT FUN WHEN EVERYTHING GOES.
>> ESPECIALLY WHEN SOMEBODY'S NEEDS.
I'M SAYING FIRST OF THE YEAR TIME YOU DID TRAINING, AT LEAST WE HAVE TO UPDATE CODE PLUGS FOR ALL THOSE RADIOS FOR DES AND SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
I'M ACTUALLY WORKING ON SOME UPDATES BECAUSE OF NEW STUFF THROUGH THE.
>> WHAT'S THE $10,000 RADIO DO THAT THE 5,000 THEN?
>> THE XE MODEL? YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE XE VERSUS THE N 70, MORE OR LESS THE FIRE MODEL.
IT HAS BIGGER KNOBS ON IT FOR GLOVED HANDS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
>> EVEN LIKE THE N 30 BETWEEN N 30 AND THE 70S?
>> THE N 70S WILL TALK OUTSIDE OF THE SYSTEM, TOO.
N 30S WILL NOT AS FAR AS, LIKE, GOING INTO DELAWARE THAT THEN 30S AREN'T CAPABLE OF.
LIKE THAT'S WHY WE GOT THOSE FOR PUBLIC WORKS BECAUSE THEY'RE TYPICALLY NOT GOING OUTSIDE THE COUNTY FOR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, YEAH.
>> FOR AS MUCH MONEY [OVERLAPPING]
>> YOU HAVE 12 BROADCAST. [LAUGHTER]
>> THEY'RE NOT A MORE OR LESS.
>> WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THE 12M DES?
>> THEY'RE ASSIGNED TO DIRECTOR, MYSELF, AT ALL THE DIVISION CHIEFS TO LIEUTENANTS.
[01:30:01]
>> THE 30S, WE DO THEIR LOAN PROGRAM.
WHETHER ACTUALLY SOAPBOX DERBY, THEY COME AND GET 5 OR 6,1000 CURRENTLY.
YEAH. FOR EVENTS MORE OR LESS.
>> OR LOANERS FOR LIKE FIRE POLICE FIRE HAS AN ISSUE.
>> I WAS READING ON IT. COULDN'T SEE IT.
>> CAN YOU TAKE YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE NOW OR NO.
BUT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO TALK TO CHINA [LAUGHTER].
>> WE DO HAVE A LOT OF INTEROPERABILITY.
I MEAN, THAT'S FOR BEING, YOU KNOW, KIND OF WHERE WE ARE.
WE GOT INTEROPERABILITY COMPLETELY WITH DELAWARE, PRETTY MUCH ACROSS THE STATE IN DIFFERENT AREAS, NOT EVERYWHERE, BUT WE CAN GO ACROSS THE STATE AND TALK IN DIFFERENT COUNTIES.
>> WITH LED ACTUALLY GO YOU COULD SIT IN TEXAS IF YOU WANTED AND TALK BACK IF WE HAD TO.
>> BUT THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS HAVE THAT CAPABILITY NOW WITH OTHER COUNTIES IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE,.
>> WE ARE PRETTY, WE'RE PROBABLY SET UP A LOT BETTER THAN SOME OF THE OTHER COUNTIES AS FAR AS INTEROPERABILITY GOES.
>> WE WERE ACTUALLY ONE OF THE ONLY COUNTIES THAT WAS ACTUALLY READY FOR DELAWARE'S RADIO CREED ON THEIR END.
>> WE ARE THE ONLY COUNTY DOESN'T HAVE A DEDICATED RADIO SHOP.
SO THANK YOU DETROIT FOR THAT.
>> THAT THE OTHER COUNTIES WEREN'T PREPARED AND HAVE THEIR OWN RADIO SHOP.
>> SOUNDS GOOD. THANK YOU, GENTLEMEN.
>> THANKS FOR DOING. WHAT'S THE NEXT.
WE'LL SEE A PURCHASE ORDER FROM MOTOROLA.
>> WE'LL FOLLOW UP WITH A BREAKDOWN TO GET YOU A BREAKDOWN.
>> YOU ONE YEAR TWO YEAR THREE PRICES.
DO HAVE TO GET, SAY A PURCHASE ORDER CUT FOR MOTOROLA FOR THAT AMOUNT.
I'LL COME BACK ON THE AGENDA AS WELL WHEN THAT TIME COMES ALIGNED.
>> NEXT UP, WE HAD A DISCUSSION ON THE VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY PROPERTY TAX CREDITS.
[Discussion on Volunteer Fire Company Property Tax Credits]
>> WOULD YOU, YOU CAN SIT RIGHT HERE.
>> SHE'S GOT HER SPEECH ALL PREPARED FOR YOU.
YOU'RE GOING TO SIT BACK. I SAID SHE'S WORKED 30 YEARS A COUNTY AND NEVER BEEN TO A COMMISSIONER MEET.
>> NEVER BEEN TO A COMMISSIONER MEET.
>> WELL, THANK YOU FOR COMING TOGETHER.
>> I ASKED FOR THIS TO BE PUT ON THE AGENDA BECAUSE I JUST WANT TO KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING AND WE TALKED ABOUT IT A LITTLE WHILE AGO, AND I DON'T WANT IT TO DIE BECAUSE, I'VE KIND OF COMMITTED TO THE FIRE COMPANIES THAT WE WOULD, CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT IT.
DANNY, THE CHART THAT WE HAVE HERE FOR THE CREDIT AMOUNTS.
THIS IS FOR US, RIGHT? THIS IS A PROJECTION FOR CAROLINE COUNTY.
>> YES, IT IS. MATT, WHO WAS ALSO IN ATTENDANCE WITH THE MEETING, HAD WORKED WITH KELLY TO DERIVE ESSENTIALLY 109 INDIVIDUALS, IF WE'RE LOOKING AT LAST YEAR, WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE PROPOSED CREDIT WITH THE QUALIFICATIONS AND CRITERIA THAT THEY'RE PROPOSING.
TAKING THAT 109 AND THEN PROJECTING THAT INTO A CREDIT AMOUNT IS THE TABLE THAT YOU SEE IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY.
I WILL SAY THIS WOULD BE A CREDIT ON THE COUNTY PORTION OF THE TAX ONLY THAT WE LEVY.
NOT EVERYBODY HAS A $2,500 COUNTY PORTION.
AS THAT NUMBER ESCALATES, WE DIDN'T PULL ALL 109 BILLS AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THEY CAP AT.
IT COULD POSSIBLY BE LESS THAN THE NUMBER YOU SEE THERE, BUT ESSENTIALLY, IT'S A WORST CASE SCENARIO IF EVERYBODY QUALIFIED FOR THAT FULL AMOUNT.
>> KELLY, BRIEFLY, HOW DID WE ARRIVE AT 109? WHAT CRITERIA DID YOU USE THERE?
>> I USED 2023, 2022, AND 2021 DATA.
IF THEY HAD A CERTIFIED YEAR, OF THREE YEARS, THEY WERE PUT ON A LIST.
THEN I WENT THROUGH AND LOOKED AT THEIR ADDRESS AND
[01:35:03]
VERIFIED THAT IT WAS A CAROLINE COUNTY ADDRESS.FROM THERE, I SENT IT TO BRANDY BOYD, WHO, I BELIEVE, WORKED WITH MATT MARINE, AND THEY VERIFIED WHETHER THEY OWNED A PROPERTY IN CAROLINE COUNTY.
>> THESE ARE ALL PROPERTY OWNERS?
>> DANNY, I MEAN, THERE'S A PROCESS HERE THAT HAS BEEN DESCRIBED.
THERE'S ALWAYS PAPERWORK TO BE DONE AND RECORDS TO BE TRACKED AND EVERYTHING HERE.
IF YOU WANT TO WALK THROUGH THE PROCESS THAT WAS INITIALLY PROPOSED.
I HAVE BRANDY A MATTER HERE, TOO, IF THEY WANT TO COMMENT ON THAT AS WELL.
I BELIEVE THE PROCESS IS THE SAME THAT QUEEN ANESS PROCESSING AND LEVERAGING.
ESSENTIALLY, THERE WOULD BE AN APPLICATION.
IF I WERE THE MEMBER OF THE COMPANY AND FEEL THAT I HAVE MET THE YEARS OF SERVICE, I OWN MY HOUSE.
I WOULD MAKE A ANNUAL OR SORRY, AN APPLICATION TO THE FIRE EMS ASSOCIATION.
THEY WOULD REVIEW THE APPLICATION WITH THE DATA THAT KELLY HAS THAT STATES.
THEY VERIFY THAT I DANIEL FOX OWN 109 MARKET STREET, WHATEVER.
THEY WOULD ESSENTIALLY COMPILE THE LIST OF ALL 109 ELIGIBLE PROPERTIES.
THEN THAT WOULD BE FORWARDED TO COUNTY FINANCE THAT WOULD THEN BE APPLIED TO THE BILL.
WE WOULD HAVE TO UNFORTUNATELY, MANUALLY GO INTO THE 109 PROPERTIES.
CREATE A NEW CREDIT CODE AND APPLY THE AMOUNT THAT WOULD BE APPLICABLE FOR THAT YEAR.
THE BACK AND FORTH WOULD BE BETWEEN FINANCE, MYSELF, MY TAX MANAGER, WITH THE ASSOCIATION.
BUT ALSO THE CONTINUED CONNECTION WITH KELLY AND DES FOR VERIFICATION OF THE YEARS AND THE DATA THAT THE FIRE COMPANIES ARE PROVIDING TO HER.
I KNOW KELLY IS A LOT FRO HANDS ON IN THAT THAN I AM.
I SAY, IF THERE'S ANYTHING YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT HOW SHE'S COMPILING THAT INFORMATION, THE TIME SHE'S DOING, DO THAT.
A LOT OF IT IS WITH THE LOSAP PROGRAM AS WELL.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A DUPLICATION FOR AN ALREADY EXISTING PROGRAM.
>> WHEN YOU SAY CERTIFIED, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT CERTIFIED FOR LOSAP?
>> IT'S UP TO THE INDIVIDUAL THAT'S IN LOSAP TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR PAPERWORK'S IN ORDER, RIGHT, IS THAT CORRECT? AND THEN YOU VERIFY?
>> IT WOULD BE THE SAME PROCESS.
>> TWO A DEGREE, I THINK THE DIFFERENCES YOU HAVE.
AGAIN, THIS MODEL THAT'S PROPOSED, THEY'RE MAKING THE APPLICATION TO THE ASSOCIATION.
IT'S NOT LIKE THEY'RE COMING TO FINANCE TO MY COUNTER OR GOING OUT THE DES WITH THAT.
THEY'RE PREPARING AND GIVING IT TO FIRE EMS ASSOCIATION.
WHICH IS TAKING THE SAME DATA SIMILARLY AND LOOKING AT IT.
THEY ARE THE ONES THAT [OVERLAPPING].
>> ONCE IT GETS TO YOU, IT HAS ALREADY BEEN CERTIFIED BY THE FIRE ASSOCIATION.
THE LOSAP COORDINATORS, THE LOSAP REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE FIRE COMPANIES AND SO ON.
ONCE IT GETS TO YOU, THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS IS PRETTY MUCH DONE.
THEN YOU JUST HAVE TO APPLY IT TO THE TAX BILL.
>> IN THE PROPOSED MODEL, YES.
THEY ARE THE CERTIFYING AGENCY OF THAT.
>> THOSE PEOPLE ARE CERTIFIED UNDER THE PENALTIES OF ALL THE THINGS THAT APPLY IF SOMEONE MAKES A FALSE CERTIFICATE.
WE'VE GOT THINGS INTO PLAY AS FAR AS THAT'S CONCERNED.
>> I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
I JUST THINK THAT, WE'RE, BELIEVE IT OR NOT.
WE'RE NOT FAR FROM TALKING ABOUT BUDGETS AGAIN.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS ON THE RADAR.
THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT I'M GOING TO SUGGEST THAT WE CONSIDER WHEN IT COMES TO BUDGET TIME.
THIS APPLIES TO COUNTY, TO TOWNS OR ON THEIR OWN, WHETHER THEY WANT TO DO THIS OR NOT.
BUT I JUST WANT TO KEEP THIS TOPIC ON EVERYBODY'S MIND AND NOT HAVE IT SLIP THROUGH THE CRACKS.
THAT'S MY PURPOSE FOR DRAGGING EVERYBODY IN HERE.
>> CERTAINLY. IF YOU DON'T MIND SAYING.
THE FIRE EMS ASSOCIATION HAS A SAY, PROPOSED BILL.
THIS WOULD HAVE TO BE INTRODUCED AND GONE THROUGH THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS WITH LEGAL AND ESSENTIALLY BE ADDED INTO OUR TAX CHAPTER WITH A PROVIDED CREDIT.
[01:40:05]
JUST LIKE WE DID INITIALLY WITH SENIOR CREDIT OR ANY OF THE OTHER COUNTY OFFERING CREDIT.IT WOULD BE A TIME CONSUMING PROCESS, OBVIOUSLY, TO GET THROUGH THE LEGISLATIVE COUNTER.
THIS IS NOT TO YOUR POINT, MR. REPORTER, A DECISION THAT WE CAN MAKE ON MAY 1.
THINK THAT JULY 1, IT'S GOING TO BE ON THE BILLS.
>> WHAT WOULD BE THE PREPARATION TIME FRAME STORED AS FAR AS THE BILL?
>> IT WOULDN'T, IF IT WAS ONE OF THE PRIORITIES, WHICH I'M ASSUMING IT WOULD BE.
WE WOULD BE ABLE TO GET A BILL DRAFTED, AND I SUSPECT WITHIN A WEEK.
>> TWO COUNTIES TOUCHING US ALREADY HAVE EXISTING LANGUAGE.
THEY HAVE PLACED IT IN THERE, SO I THINK THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF IT ARE HERE TO WORK WITH IF THAT'S THE DIRECTION TO DO IT.
>> YOU WOULD JUST HAVE CHANGED THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS.
>> CORRECT. SOME OF THE COUNTIES HAVE DONE PHASE INS OF YEARS AND THE DOLLAR AMOUNT.
I SAY THAT'S COMPLETELY UP TO YOU GUYS WITH HOW THAT PROCESS AND HOW YOU WANT THAT NUMBER TO LOOK, BUT THAT'S ALL.
>> JUST FOR THE RECORD, KELLY, THIS IS, WHEN YOU SAY 109.
THAT COULD BE LIKE A MAN AND A WHITE.
THEY'RE BOTH IN THE FIRE SERVICE.
BUT THAT JUST COUNTS AS ONE OF THE 109, CORRECT? WE'RE NOT DOING [OVERLAPPING].
>> WE ELIMINATED THE SPOUSE ONE PERSON IN THE HOUSE?
>> I JUST WANT THAT TO PEOPLE WOULD KNOW THAT IT'S NOT DUPLICATE TAX CREDITS.
>> THIS IS 109 PEOPLE WHO OWN PROPERTY [OVERLAPPING].
IN CAROLINE COUNTY AND HAVE MET THE CERTIFICATIONS AND [OVERLAPPING].
>> I WILL JUST GO OUT ON A LIMB HERE AND SAY IT TO ME.
KELLY SPENDS A LOT OF TIME KEEPING TRACK OF THIS INFORMATION FOR LOSAP AND THIS.
I JUST I DON'T WANT IT TO GO WITHOUT BEING SAID THAT.
WE DO HAVE A HAND IN THIS AND A TIME COMMITMENT.
AGAIN, I DON'T WANT TO MAKE IT SOUND LIKE IT'S NOT PROCESS.
IT IS CUMBERSOME FOR DES AND KELLY ON BOTH ENDS.
EVEN THE EXISTING LOSAP, IT'S A BIG UNDERTAKING FOR HER, HIM AND MARK SHOP.
NOT TRYING TO DETER, SAY ANYTHING AGAIN [OVERLAPPING].
>> THAT'S WHY SHE'S ATTENDING HER FIRST?
>> CORRECT [LAUGHTER]. YES. THIS IS A BIG PROCESS.
>> NO OFFENSE TO MATT OR BRANDY CAUSE I'M A VOLUNTEER FIREMAN IN SUSSEX AND SO I GET IT.
YOU SOMETIMES YOU TAKE FOR GRANTED WHAT THEY HAVE.
BUT KELLY DOES A LOT OF WORK FOR THE FIRE SERVICE TO HELP THEM.
STAY ON TRACK WITH LOSAP AND TRACK AND ALL THAT.
>> ARE ALL THE FINANCIAL REPORTS COMING IN FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE GETTING?
>> YES AND, I'LL SPEAK ON TWO THINGS RIGHT NOW.
THAT WE HAVE THE FINANCIAL REPORTS THEY GIVE TO US EACH YEAR IN REGARDS TO STATE AND COUNTY FUNDING.
THEN YOU HAVE ACTUAL FIRE REPORTS THAT ARE DUE TO THE STATE'S FIRE MARSHALS OFFICE.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE TWO FIRE COMPANIES WHO ARE DELINQUENT IN THEIR STATE FIRE REPORTS.
>> DOWN TO ONE NOW. THANK YOU.
WE HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED FROM THE STATE OF THIS.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE FIRE CHIEF ASSOCIATION TO ADDRESS THAT, BUT THEY WILL NOT RECEIVE OR WE PUT IT THIS WAY.
THE STATE WILL NOT PROVIDE THEIR FIRE AID TO ANY OF THE FIRE COMPANIES UNTIL ALL OF THEM ARE COMPLIANT OR.
>> IT SEEMS EVERY YEAR THAT I'VE BEEN HERE, WE'VE GOT INTO.
>> IT'S BEEN MORE RECENT AS WELL.
>> THIS MAY BE ANOTHER INCENTIVE TO GET THOSE REPORTS IN.
BECAUSE I WOULDN'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM, INCLUDING IN THIS BILL SAYING THAT ALL REQUIRED REPORTS MUST BE FILED BY THE FIRE COMPANY BEFORE THESE CREDITS WOULD BE IMPLEMENTED.
I GOT NO PROBLEM IN DOING THAT BECAUSE LOOK, PEOPLE KNOW I DO NOT LIKE TO GIVE MONEY AWAY.
I KNOW COMMISSIONER BREEDING DOESN'T, AND I KNOW COMMISSIONER BART DOESN'T.
BUT ALL THE IT'S NOT TOO MUCH TO ASK TO HAVE REPORTS FILED WHEN THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE FILED IN ORDER TO BENEFIT MEMBERS OF THE FIRE COMMISSION.
I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH PUTTING THAT IN THIS LETTER.
>> LIKE MARCO, I SAY THE A CHILD BEEN INVOLVED WITH BY LOCAL FIRE COMPANY AS WELL AND A BIG ADVOCATE.
BUT WE DO STRUGGLE WHEN IT COMES TO REPORTING TIME FOR THE FINANCIALS.
I GOT TO BE COMPLETELY UPFRONT.
[01:45:02]
STACY AND MY OFFICE HANDLES ALL OF THAT, AND IT IS A MONTH OR TWO OF PULLING TEETH. IF THERE'S ANY [OVERLAPPING].>> WE'RE CREATING. THIS IS GOING TO CREATE A LOT MORE WORK FOR YOUR OFFICE.
HOW MUCH TIME IS IT GOING TO TAKE TO ISSUE THESE CREDITS? 109, YOU SAY FIVE MINUTES.
>> THERE'S 500 OVER FIVE COUPLE OF HOURS.
>> ESSENTIALLY, WE'LL HAVE TO DIVIDE IT UP WITH SOME OF THE OTHER CREDITS THAT WE DO TO STAFF ON ON SITE.
THEY'LL HAVE TO INDIVIDUALLY LOOK UP EACH PROPERTY, SEE WHAT THEIR COUNTY PORTION IS.
AGAIN, IF YOUR COUNTY TAX IS ONLY $1,300 OR WHATEVER THAT NUMBER.
YOU GOT TO MATCH THAT UP. AGAIN [OVERLAPPING].
>> I'LL TAKE YOUR TIME, ONCE YOU GET A SYSTEM SET UP ONE TIME.
>> NO. IT'S DIFFERENT FOR YOU [OVERLAPPING].
>> WE'LL HAVE TO GO CHANGE THAT.
>> IT GOING TO TAKE SOME WORK.
>> THE SMALLER CREDITS, AGAIN, JUST SPEAKING FROM EXPERIENCE, $100 CREDITS ARE EASY TYPICALLY EVERYBODY BILL.
AGAIN, JUST DEPENDS ON THE LEVEL OF CREDIT THAT YOU GIVE AND HOW MUCH WE MAY HAVE TO RESEARCH ON EACH PROPERTY TO MAKE SURE IT DOESN'T EXCEED WHAT THAT TAX PORTION IS.
>> THE SENIOR TAX CREDIT, YOU HAVE TO DO THE SAME THING EVERY YEAR, TOO?
>> I'M JUST, HOW MANY JUST TO FALL PARK.
HOW MANY SENIOR TAX CREDITS YOU DO A YEAR?
>> THERE'S A COUPLE HUNDRED. IT'S A POST.
THEY QUALIFY THROUGH THE STATE THOUSANDS, [OVERLAPPING] I THINK IT'S GETTING CLOSE TO THAT.
>> BUT TO BE CLEAR, WE'RE NOT DENTIST UP HERE.
WE'RE NOT PULLING TEETH TO GET REPORTS.
IF YOU CAN COMMUNICATE THAT TO THE FIRE COMPANIES. I'M TELLING YOU.
>> MAC AND I PRETTY CONSTANT COMMUNICATION [OVERLAPPING].
>> HAS BEEN HAD NUMEROUS TIMES ESPECIALLY TWO MONTHS NON COMPLIANT COMPANIES.
ANOTHER ONE HAS SOME ONGOING PERSONNEL MATTERS THAT ARE ATTEMPT TO STRAIGHT [INAUDIBLE]?
>> WELL, THEY NEED TO GET THEM SOLVED.
THE [OVERLAPPING] FIRST TIME SOMEBODY COMES IN AND IT DOESN'T GET CREDIT THAT THEY'RE ENTITLED TO.
THAT MIGHT SPUR THEM, YOU KNOW, TO MOVE A LITTLE BIT FASTER.
BUT, LOOK, I KNOW THAT THIS IS A NEW.
I KNOW THAT'S SOMETHING THAT [INAUDIBLE].
>> HOW MUCH DO YOU GUYS WANT TO DO HERE? BECAUSE, WHAT'S ONE SET ON THE PROPERTY TAX? 250,000?
>> THAT'S OFF THIS CURRENT YEAR IS COSTON FIELD.
>> DORCHESTER IS DOING A $500.
QUEEN HAN IS DOING THE FULL 2,500?
>> THOSE ARE THE [OVERLAPPING].
>> [INAUDIBLE] IT DOESN'T DO ANYTHING.
I DON'T KNOW [OVERLAPPING] [BACKGROUND].
>>I KNOW DORCHESTER DOESN'T HAVE A LOST THAT.
WHAT'S TALBOT DOING?I DON'T KNOW.
>>TALBOT HAS LOSE THAT [OVERLAPPING].
>> THEY ONLY GIVE LIKE $5,000 [INAUDIBLE] [BACKGROUND].
>> TO MOVE IN. THEY DON'T DO A YEARLY OFF.
>> BUT THEIR PROPERTY TAXES ARE SO LOW ANYWAY.
>> WELL, I THINK THE AMOUNT WOULD BE DECIDED.
IT'S A BUDGETARY NUMBER ONCE [INAUDIBLE] [OVERLAPPING].
>> THEY WILL HAVE TO SET THE LEGISLATION?
>> CORRECT. THE AMOUNT [OVERLAPPING].
>> ONCE THE LEGISLATION IS PASSED, THEN THE AMOUNT WOULD BE ISN'T PERMANENT?
>> CORRECT. IT'S ESTABLISHED IN LEGISLATION.
THE WAY AGAIN, QUEEN ANESS AND DORCHESTER HAVE DONE IT, THEY'VE ESTABLISHED PER YEAR, THE AMOUNT.
IF YOU WANTED TO CHANGE THAT AMOUNT, YOU WOULD HAVE TO CHANGE THE LEGISLATION WHICH [BACKGROUND] WOULD BE AN AMENDMENT AND GO THROUGH THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS.
IT WOULD BE THE THREE MEETINGS PUBLIC HEARING, ALL OF THAT.
I THINK FOR US, IT WOULD IT WOULD HELP IN THE BILL TO HAVE SOMETHING IDENTIFIED.
I KNOW IT'S HARDER TO STATE, BUT IT WOULD PREVENT YOU FROM CREATING THE BILL AND THEN COMING BACK IN MARCH AND APRIL AND TRYING TO AMEND IT AGAIN TO [OVERLAPPING]
>> MR. EBLING, YOU WANT TO ADD SOME?
>> WELL, MY QUESTION WAS, I THINK I WAS FOLLOWING MR. PORTER, AND THAT WAS IF IT WAS EBLING LEGISLATION.
THEN ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, THE COMMISSIONERS AGREE ON HOW MUCH THE TAX CREDIT WOULD BE.
WOULD THAT MAKE BETTER SENSE THAN HAVING TO CHANGE THE LEGISLATION JUST, IF YOU WANTED TO AMEND THE AMOUNT OF THE TAX CREDIT?.
>> WE COULD DO THAT. IT'S A BUDGET DECISION.
[01:50:03]
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT YOUR BUDGET AND SAY, WHAT CAN WE AFFORD TO DO? BASED ON THE INFORMATION YOU'VE GOT.>> I THINK AS LONG AS LEGAL CAN DRAFT IT TO BE IN LINED WITH THAT THOUGHT PROCESS THEN.
>> MODESTLY, I WAS THINKING ANY LITTLE BIT WOULD HELP.
I WASN'T THINKING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS HERE COMMISSIONER BREEDING, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
>> CORRECT ME IF I WRONG, BUT ANY LITTLE BIT HELP, IT'S A START. THAT'S JUST MY THOUGHT.
>> DO ALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS POST HOW MANY POINTS YOU RECEIVED FOR A CALL RIGHT UP ON THE WALL IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, SO YOU CAN VERIFY.
>> BY BY MAY 1ST, OUR OFFICE HAS THE POINTS THAT HAVE BEEN TURNED IN FOR THE PRIOR YEAR SENT OUT TO THE PRESIDENT AND THE LO STAT COORDINATOR FOR THAT FIRE COMPANY.
THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE THE LO STAT PROGRAM POSTED FOR 30 DAYS.
THEY HAVE UNTIL JUNE 30TH TO DO AN APPEAL.
>> THAT IS UP TO THE INDIVIDUAL FIRE COMPANY COORDINATOR, THE LSAP COORDINATOR WITHIN THE FIRE COMPANY.
>> I THINK MOST OF THEM ARE DOING MONTHLY, RIGHT, KELLY, THE WAY THE WORDING.
>> I THINK WE SHOULD PROBABLY MAKE IT.
I THINK IT'S HARD TO KEEP TRACK OF ALL OF THAT.
IF YOU'RE A BUSY PERSON TO KEEP TRACK AND GO BACK AT THE END OF THE YEAR AND LOOK IT.
IT SHOULD PROBABLY BE POSTED, REQUIRED TO BE POSTED SOMEWHERE MONTHLY.
>> WELL, I THINK SOMETHING WE'LL HAVE TO WORK THROUGH WITH THIS AND TALKING TO KELLY IS THE TIMING.
FOR US TO HAVE THE INFORMATION AND HAVE THE THE LIST OF INDIVIDUAL PROPERTIES THAT WOULD QUALIFY, MY OFFICE WOULD PROBABLY NEED TO HAVE THAT AROUND LIKE, MAY 15TH.
IF THEY'RE FINALIZING THE LIST AND ALLOWING PEOPLE TO APPEAL FURTHER INTO JUNE, ME TIMING THAT REPORT COMPLETION THEY WOULD NEED TO HAVE IT TO PROVIDE THIS LIST.
>> THIS IS WHAT I'M GETTING AT.
YOU'RE CHANGING THE WHOLE POINT CONCEPT WITH THIS.
INSTEAD OF A 20 YEAR REWARD RIGHT FOR 20 YEAR.
>> TWENTY FIVE. INSTEAD OF A 25.
WITHIN THREE YEARS, YOU GOT A PROPERTY TAX.
IT'S HARD TO ENVISION EVER GETTING A PAYOUT IN 25 YEARS, BUT IF PEOPLE MAY BE MORE VESTED IN THE POINT SYSTEM IF IT WORKS, AND THE HUNDRED NINE IS PROBABLY GOING TO GO UP IF THIS WORKS.
BECAUSE THAT'S THE WHOLE IDEA TO TRY TO GET MORE PEOPLE TO VOLUNTEER.
>> IT'S AN INCENTIVE FOR PEOPLE TO VOLUNTEER.
>> GET THE YOUNGER. THEY'RE VESTED IN THE LSAP WHERE THE YOUNGER PEOPLE COULD CARE LESS ABOUT THAT.
>> I ALSO HEAR THAT A LOT OF THE PAID GUYS RUN A LOT OF THE GUYS WHO AREN'T PAID OUT OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS AS WELL.
YOU CAN SPEAK FOR EVERY PAID FIREFIGHTER.
THEY DON'T DO THAT. [LAUGHTER]
>> I GIVE A LOT OF CREDIT BECAUSE IT SAVES THIS COUNTY A LOT OF MONEY, AND IT TAKES A LOT OF EFFORT AND A LOT OF VOLUNTEER TIME FROM EVERYBODY.
I ALSO KNOW THAT NOBODY IS UNFALABLE.
THAT'S FAMOUS FOR DOING THAT, I THINK BY THIS POINT.
>> I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH STARTING THIS OUT, CONSIDERING THE 250.
I DON'T THINK IT MAKES MUCH SENSE TO GO PUT A BIG NUMBER, BUT I WOULD LIKE IT TO BE ABLE TO BE ADJUSTED, IN THE FUTURE BY FUTURE BOARDS IF THEY FEEL IT NEEDS TO INCREASE OR IT NEEDS TO GO UP.
BUT IT'S SOMETHING. I THINK IT STARTS THE CONVERSATION.
AS YOU SAID, YOU CAN TELL SOMEBODY, WELL, WHEN YOU TURN 60, YOU'RE GOING TO GET A COUPLE HUNDRED BUCKS A MONTH, AND IF THEY'RE 19.
[LAUGHTER] I THINK IT IS A START.
>> I DON'T EVEN CARE IF WE GET THAT FAR.
I JUST WANT TO KEEP THE CONVERSATION MOVING.
KEEP CONTINUING, BUT I DON'T WANT TO REACH A DEADLINE WHERE WE SAY, WE'RE PAST THE DEADLINE WHERE WE CAN ENACT THIS.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS TRYING TO AVOID.
>> I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE IT POSTED SO THAT A VOLUNTEER CAN LOOK AND TRACK ON THE MONTH, MAKE SURE THEY GOT CREDIT FOR A CALL OR SOMEONE ELSE CAN SAY ACTUALLY, NO, YOU DIDN'T.
[01:55:02]
YOU JUST SHOWED UP 10 MINUTES AFTER THE TRUCK LEFT AND WROTE YOUR NAME DOWN OR WHATEVER.THAT EVERYBODY'S KEEPING EYES ON IT.
I THINK IF IT'S POSTED MONTHLY AS OPPOSED TO JUST A REVIEW PERIOD AND APPEAL PERIOD AT THE END OF THE YEAR, I THINK THAT WOULD BE BETTER.
>> WELL, I CAN TELL YOU FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.
THE RECORD KEEPING IS A LOT BETTER NOW THAN IT WAS IN 1986.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT. IT'S COME A LONG TIME.
>> I'M ON LSAP. I SEE THAT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEN AND NOW.
>> BUT I THINK THAT SHOULD BE LOOKED AT.
I THINK THE APPLICATION SHOULD PROBABLY COME TO THE FINANCE.
WHERE DO YOU THINK THE APPLICATION FOR THE CREDIT SHOULD GO?
>> I THINK PERSONALLY, THERE NEEDS TO BE A HAND OF DS IN THIS.
>> TO LOSAP. WE WORK HAND IN HAND WITH KELLY WITH ISSUING THE CHECKS AND KEEPING UP WITH ALL THE REQUIRED PAPERWORK.
I THINK THERE SHOULD BE SOME TYPE OF COMPLIANCE ASPECT THAT DES.
AGAIN, BEFORE THE ASSOCIATION JUST SENT IT OVER TO FINANCE.
I DON'T KNOW IF JOHN DOE DOES HAVE HIS THREE YEARS OR NOT.
KELLY WOULD PROBABLY BE A GOOD SOUND CHECK.
>> THERE'LL BE DETAILS THAT WE WORK OUT.
THOSE THINGS WE WORK OUT, BUT I AGREE THAT KELLY SHOULD BE OR HER POSITION SHOULD BE THE CERTIFYING POINT.
>> BECAUSE WHEN YOU DAN, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO REALLY HAVE THE TIME TO VERIFY WHETHER SOMEBODY'S BEEN THERE THREE YEARS.
>> I DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION, RIGHT? I HAVE TO GO TO KELLY TO EVEN FIND THAT INFORMATION.
>> THEY'LL BE HEARINGS ABOUT THIS, AND WE MAY HAVE PEOPLE SHOW UP AND SAY, WELL, WE DO YOU GIVING IT TO YOU.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO EXPLAIN THIS.
I UNDERSTAND THERE'S GOING TO BE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THIS.
>> I DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE ANYBODY WHO'S OPPOSED TO IT.
>> WELL, I THINK WHAT WE MAY HAVE IS OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WHO COME IN AND SAY, WELL, IF YOU'RE GOING TO GIVE IT TO THESE GUYS, WHY DON'T YOU GIVE IT TO US? I THINK THOSE ARE THE QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE.
>> PEOPLE'S PROPERTY TAXES HAVE GONE UP EXPONENTIALLY OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, AND THE ASSESSMENTS HAVE GONE UP.
I'D LIKE TO TRY TO PROVIDE RELIEF FOR EVERYONE.
I UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE TRYING TO REWARD THE SACRIFICE THAT THESE VOLUNTEERS ARE MAKING AND TRYING TO USE THIS AS A RECRUITING TOOL TO GET MORE VOLUNTEERISM.
LET'S KEEP THE DISCUSSION GOING. WE CAN GET THE OTHER.
>> I CAN FORWARD YOU OVER THE DRAFT VERSION THAT THEY'VE PROVIDED.
I'VE TAKEN A COUPLE OF THOSE FOR THAT ALL? WHAT IN CONTEXT FOR THAT.
>> NEXT UP, WE HAVE A LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO GO ON A LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
MOTION SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
>> AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED. THE AYES HAVE IT.
WE'VE HAD A REQUEST THAT WE DO THE AG LAND PRESERVATION FUND BILL FIRST.
IF WE COULD DO THAT, MAKE THAT CHANGE.
THAT WOULD BE LEGISLATIVE BILL 2025-011, AND THIS IS THE THIRD READING POTENTIAL ENACTMENT FOR THAT BILL.
>> CORRECT. THIS BILL WAS INTRODUCED BACK ON SEPTEMBER 23RD.
THE PUBLIC HEARING WAS 7TH OCTOBER, AND TODAY, WE'RE HERE FOR THE THIRD READING AND THE POTENTIAL TO AMEND OR ENACT IT TODAY.
LEGISLATIVE BILL NUMBER 2025-011 IS AN ACT FOR THE PURPOSE OF CREATING A FUND TO RECEIVE PAYMENTS OF COMPENSATORY PRESERVATION CONTRIBUTIONS TO CAROLINE COUNTY, WHEN SOLAR ENERGY GENERATING STATIONS AND ENERGY STORAGE DEVICES ARE DEVELOPED ON AGRICULTURAL LAND, WHICH IS CLASSIFIED BY THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AS EITHER PRIME FARMLAND, SOIL WITH THE HIGHEST PRODUCTIVITY FOR PRODUCING FOOD CROPS, AND THUS OF NATIONAL IMPORTANCE FOR PRESERVATION AS FARMLAND OR FARMLAND OF STATEWIDE IMPORTANCE, THE SECOND HIGHEST LEVEL OF PRODUCTIVITY.
SOIL, WHICH IS OF STATEWIDE IMPORTANCE FOR FOOD PRODUCTION.
[02:00:03]
TO PROVIDE THE METHOD OF CALCULATING THE AMOUNT OF THE COMPENSATORY PRESERVATION CONTRIBUTIONS.TO PROVIDE THAT MONEY IN THE AGRICULTURAL LAND PRESERVATION FUND MAY ONLY BE USED FOR THE PURCHASE OF DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS ON AGRICULTURAL LAND IN CAROLINE COUNTY THROUGH THE PURCHASE OF AGRICULTURAL LAND PRESERVATION EASEMENTS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THOSE ACQUIRED BY THE MARYLAND AGRICULTURAL LAND PRESERVATION FOUNDATION, PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 2, SUBTITLE 5 OF THE AGRICULTURE ARTICLE OF THE ANNOTATED CODE OF MARYLAND.
THAT ALL MONEY IN THE AGRICULTURAL LAND PRESERVATION FUND MAY ONLY BE USED WITH A WRITTEN APPROVAL OF THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF CAROLINE COUNTY.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE RECEIVED ANY ADDITIONAL PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS AT ALL.
>> NO, BUT PLANNING COMMISSION DID DISCUSS IT.
I BELIEVE WE HAVE SOME PEOPLE HERE WHO MIGHT WANT TO GIVE US AN UPDATE ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION DISCUSSION, HANNAH, CRYSTAL, LESLIE? HANNA IS OUR VICE PRESIDENT.
>> I'M SORRY. VICE CHAIR OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
>> USED TO BE THE CHAIR OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
I'VE DONE ENOUGH TALKING, GUYS WANT TO GIVE US AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S DISCUSSION WAS ABOUT.
>> WE TOOK THIS TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION LAST THURSDAY, AND HANNA WAS ABLE TO HAVE THE QUEEN ANNE'S COUNTY MOUTH PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR ATTEND THE MEETING TO GIVE US SOME INFORMATION ON WHAT QUEEN ANNE'S COUNTY HAS DONE AND GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THEY'RE FOLLOWING THE MOUTH PROCESS AND HAD ALSO LEARNED AT THE MEETING THAT QUEEN ANNE;S COUNTY, APPROXIMATELY THREE YEARS AGO, ADOPTED A ADMINISTRATIVE FEE THAT THEY CHARGE ANNUALLY FOR THEIR SOLAR PROJECTS AND HAVE BEEN DOING THAT FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS.
BUT WE WERE ABLE TO GAIN A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THEY'RE FOLLOWING IT.
MOUTH PRODUCES ANNUALLY TO EACH COUNTY THE AVERAGE FAIR MARKET VALUE PER ACRE BASED ON THE APPLICATIONS THAT WE SEND UP.
THOSE APPRAISALS ARE CONDUCTED BY INDEPENDENT APPRAISERS THAT ARE FARMED OUT BY THE DEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES.
THE COMBINATION OF THOSE APPLICATIONS, LET'S JUST SAY IT WAS 15 THAT WE SENT UP.
THAT AVERAGE IS PROVIDED TO EACH COUNTY AND THAT IS FOR LAND ONLY DOES NOT INCLUDE THE STRUCTURES.
THEY ARE TAKING THAT AMOUNT FOR QUEEN ANNE'S COUNTY AND CHARGING 75% OF THE ACREAGE THAT IS CLASS 1 SOILS ONLY.
THEY'RE LOOKING AT CLASS 1 SOILS ONLY, WHICH IS A LIMITED AMOUNT.
SO FAR, THEY'VE HAD THREE FARMS THAT HAVE COME IN THAT HAVE BEEN REQUIRED TO PAY THE COMPENSATORY FUND.
THERE WAS DISCUSSION AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF LOOKING AT FOLLOWING THAT SAME PROCESS, BUT NOT JUST LIMITED TO CLASS 1 SOILS, BUT CLASS 1 AND CLASS 2 SOILS, WHICH, I BELIEVE, DOES FOLLOW PREDOMINANTLY ARE WHAT WE'VE DESIGNATED AS VITAL FARMLAND, THE PRIME AND THE STATEWIDE IMPORTANCE.
BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT IS DEFINED IN COR THAT WOULD BE A BETTER WAY TO LOOK AT IT IF WE CAN DEFINE IT ON SOMETHING THAT'S ALREADY IN C BY THE SOIL TYPES.
WHAT ELSE WAS IT? THEY WERE ONLY DOING IT ON THE ACREAGE.
THEN THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION WAS THAT IT WOULD BE FOR THE ENTIRE PROJECT AREA, 75% BASED ON MOUTHS FAIR MARKET VALUE PER ACRE.
>> THE PLANNING COMMISSION BASICALLY RECOMMENDED THAT WE USE THE MOUTH EASEMENT PROCESS FOR THE APPRAISAL.
IT IS BELIEVED THAT MOUTH, EVEN AT A REDUCED AMOUNT OF FUNDING WILL STILL BE AROUND BECAUSE IT IS FED BY THE AGRICULTURAL TRANSFER TAX.
>> THERE'S REALLY NO WAY TO ABOLISH THE PROGRAM.
IT'S ALWAYS GOING TO HAVE SOME STATUTORY REVENUE SOURCE, EVEN THOUGH IT MAY BE GREATLY DIMINISHED.
THE ASSESSMENTS ARE BASED ON EACH APPLICATION.
[02:05:03]
THE FARM THAT MUTH GENERATES IS BASED OFF EVERY SINGLE APPLICATION.THEY'RE ALWAYS GOING TO HAVE APPLICATIONS, NO MATTER THE FUNDING LEVEL.
THEY MAY JUST BE IN A SITUATION WHERE A LOT OF THOSE APPLICATIONS DON'T GET FUNDED OR OFFERS MADE.
BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH REVENUE, BUT THERE SHOULD BE A LARGE ENOUGH SAMPLE POOL OF APPLICANTS TO ALWAYS GET A RELATIVELY ACCURATE ASSESSED VALUE.
THAT WAS WHY THE RECOMMENDATION WAS MADE TO GO WITH MOUTH.
THE 75% FEE IS BASED ON THE MAXIMUM THAT MOUTH WILL PAY OUT, WAS THAT RIGHT, HANNAH?
>> THAT WAS THE MAXIMUM THEY WOULD PAY OUT.
HANNAH, IF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHY YOU FEEL LIKE THAT PROCESS WOULD BE THE BEST FOR US TO ADOPT.
>> QUITE FRANKLY, TAKE THE LEG WORK OUT OF THE COUNTY, IT'S ALREADY DONE FOR YOU.
WE HAD A LIST POSTED TO US FROM DONNA THAT CAME THURSDAY OF ALL THE COUNTIES FROM THE LAST CYCLE OF 24, AND FOR EXAMPLE, CAROLINE COUNTY IT WAS $7,284 AND 95 CENTS.
SEVENTY FIVE PERCENT OF THAT WOULD ROUGHLY $5,400.
>> IF IT'S 50 ACRES, THE WHOLE 50 ACRES.
>> THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATION WAS THAT IF ANY PORTION OF THE PROJECT AREA AFFECTED CLASS 1 OR CLASS 2 SOILS.
>> THE COMPENSATORY FEE GOT CHARGED ON THE ENTIRE PROJECT AREA.
THAT WAS THE PLANNING COMMISSIONS.
>> THAT'S WHAT'S ALREADY STATED IN THE BILL.
>> WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CLASS 1 AND CLASS 2 AND PREFERRED FARM LAND AND.
>> CLASS IT'S MOSTLY BASED ON DRAINAGE, ACTUALLY, HOW THE SOILS DRAIN IS A BIG DETERMINATION OF THE CLASS IT IS.
THE HIGHER THE RE ACRES MORE PRODUCTIVE THE LAND IS.
MY ASSUMPTION IS CLASS 1 HAS A HIGHER PROPORTIONAL ACRE PRODUCTIVITY THAN CLASS 2 DOWN TO CLASS 5.
>> WE WOULD BE PICKING UP THE POTENTIAL TO COLLECT ON MORE LAND IF WE WENT CLASS 1 AND CLASS 2.
THAN WE WOULD IF WE DID PREFERRED AND OR SECONDARY?
>> BETWEEN CLASS 1 AND CLASS 2, THAT'S ALMOST EVERY ACRE IN THE COUNTY HAS ONE OR THE OTHER OR BOTH.
THE QUEEN ANNE'S COUNTY MOUTH PERSON RECOMMENDED THEY ONLY DO CLASS 1, BUT THEY RECOMMENDED WE INCLUDE CLASS 2, AND THEY ONLY DO THE ACTUAL SOILS AREA.
THEY RECOMMENDED WE DO THE PROJECT AREA.
THEY DON'T GO THAT FAR, BUT THE BUT THEY RECOMMENDED WE DO BECAUSE BOTH OF THOSE THINGS ARE IN COMMON FOR THE MOUTH FORMULA.
>> WELL, MY CONCERN IS YOU ARE MUCH MORE OPTIMISTIC THAN I AM ABOUT MOUTH.
>> MOUTH CAN'T GO AWAY BECAUSE OF THE EXISTING EASEMENTS THAT ARE ALREADY.
>> I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT I'M TELLING YOU THAT THERE IS GOING TO BE THE POSSIBILITY IN THE FUTURE TO ELIMINATE FUNDING FOR THE MOUTH PROGRAM FOR FUTURE FUNDING.
I KNOW THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PAY THE PEOPLE THEY'VE ALREADY GOT EASEMENTS WITH. I UNDERSTAND THAT.
IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE NOW, I'M GOING TO TELL YOU THAT IF THIS CURRENT ADMINISTRATION IS REAL IN THE NEXT EIGHT YEARS, IT'S GOING TO GO AWAY.
THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE INTERESTED IN PRESERVING FARM LAND.
>> IF THAT HAPPENED, THERE'S A PROVISION IN HERE TO MOVE TO THE COUNTY GETTING TO APPRAISALS OF OUR OWN IF MOUTH GOES AWAY.
>> MY QUESTION IS, WHY WOULDN'T WE DO THAT IN THE FIRST PLACE? WHY WOULDN'T WE GO WITH THE APPRAISALS IN THE FIRST PLACE?
>> WHY WOULDN'T WE GO WITH THE PLAN THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE WITH THE.
>> TWO APPRAISALS. THE SOLAR COMPANY PAYING FOR THE TWO APPRAISALS, AND WE TAKE THE AVERAGE OF THOSE.
>>> I THINK THE POINT WAS THAT MLP ALREADY DOES THAT FOR US.
THOSE ARE CERTIFIED AND APPROVED BY STATE OF MARYLAND.
IT'S LESS WORK ON OUR PART. IT'S ALREADY DONE.
>> WHO'S GOING TO FACILITATE IT IN THE COUNTY?
>> THOSE APPRAISAL NUMBERS ARE BASED ON A MUCH WIDER POOL OF FARMS BEING LOOKED AT.
ANY GIVEN ROUND, IT'S PROBABLY ANYWHERE FROM A DOZEN TO 20.
THEY'VE DONE APPRAISALS TO THAT DEGREE ON THOSE FARMS. WHEREAS IF I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WOULD COST TO GET APPRAISALS ON 10-20 FARMS FOR OUR OWN PURPOSE.
>> [OVERLAPPING] HOW MUCH HOW MUCH
[02:10:02]
LEGAL ADVICE DO YOU FEEL LIKE GIVING US AN OPEN SESSION? [LAUGHTER]>> I THINK IT'S FINE. I HAVE A THRESHOLD QUESTION THOUGH, WHICH IS ASSUMING THAT THE FUNDING IS SUSPENDED, FOR MOUTH EASEMENTS OR IT'S GREATLY REDUCED IN THE FUTURE.
IS IT LIKELY THAT THEY'LL STILL BE GETTING THAT POOL OF NUMBERS OF APPLICANTS? IF SO, EVEN THOUGH THE APPLICANT KNOWS IT'S PROBABLY A WASTE OF TIME, IS MOUTH GOING TO ACTUALLY GO THROUGH THE APPRAISAL PROCESS? IF THEY GET 20 APPLICATIONS AND THEY KNOW THAT THEY THEY'RE ONLY GOING TO BE ABLE TO MAYBE ISSUE ONE OR TWO EASEMENTS.
ARE THEY GOING TO APPRAISE ALL 20 APPLICANTS?
>> AS LONG AS THEY'RE OPERATING, THEY'RE REQUIRED TO.
BUT THAT'S WHY WE HAD THE BACKUP IF THEY DON'T.
>> THE MOUTH PROCESS, IF I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING IT, IF I'M NOT, BECAUSE IN FULL DISCLOSURE, WE OWN A FARM THAT WE HAVE DONE A MOUTH APPLICATION FOR.
WE SPECIFIED A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY PER ACRE THAT WE WERE REQUESTING. RIGHT?
>> YOU'RE SAYING THAT IT'S THE DETERMINATION IS THAT BECAUSE THIS INFORMATION IS ALREADY AVAILABLE, THAT'S YOUR RECOMMENDATION, AND WHY THE 75%.
>> THE MAL FORMULA LIMITS IT TO 75% OF THE APPRAISED VALUE.
>> WHY WOULDN'T WE WANT TO BE COMPENSATED OR, DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR OF LAND THAT'S BEING TAKEN OUT OF FARM PRODUCTION?
>> I KNOW THAT'S THE HIGH TARGET, BUT ESPECIALLY TALKING TO QUEEN ANNE'S COUNTY LAST WEEK, THERE'S A RISK INVOLVED IN GOING TO A POINT WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE SHUT DOWN.
BY THE STATE AS IT BEING UNREASONABLE.
THE MOUTH FORMULA, WHICH CAPS IT AT 75% IS ACTUALLY IN LAW.
IT'S ALREADY AN IMPROVED STATE WAY OF GETTING COMPENSATED FOR LOSS OF AGRICULTURAL LAND.
IF SOMEONE WERE TO ARGUE IT OR TRY TO TAKE US TO COURT FOR IT, IT WOULD BE HARD FOR THEM TO WIN BECAUSE THE STATE IS ALREADY ALLOWING THAT PROCESS WITH THE MOUTH PROCESS.
THAT'S THE THINKING BEHIND THAT.
THAT IT'S A MORE CERTAIN, LESS RISKY WAY TO TAKE TO BE ABLE TO GUARANTEE THAT WE GET A COMPENSATORY FUND.
>> IF WE GET INTO THE PROCESS, THEN IT WORKS AND WE HAVE NO PUSHBACK.
>> QUEENS COUNTY SO FAR HAS GOTTEN NO PUSHBACK, EITHER FROM THE STATE OR FROM DEVELOPERS.
IN THE END YOU DO WANT TO BE ABLE TO GET MONEY TO PUT FARMS UNDER PERMANENT EASEMENTS.
>> BUT THEY'VE ONLY CHARGED IT ON A COUPLE OF ACRES.
>> WE'RE GOING WE ARE GOING A LITTLE FARTHER THAN THEY ARE TO TRY AND GET MORE.
>> LET ME ASK YOU THIS. WHERE DOES THIS PROCESS, SOMEBODY WITH A SOLAR FARM WANTED TO DO A SOLAR FARM, AND THEY WENT THROUGH THIS WE FILED THE MOUTH PROCESS AND SAY, THIS IS THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT'S GOING TO BE DETERMINED.
WHERE WOULD THAT MONEY GO? WOULD IT GO TO MOUTH OR INTO OUR OWN FUND?
>> IT WOULD GO INTO THE FUND THAT WE'RE GOING TO ESTABLISH.
>> WE'RE JUST FILING THE MOUTH PROCESS, BUT WE'RE GOING TO RETAIN THE FUNDS. [OVERLAPPING]
>> OURSELVES. [OVERLAPPING] THAT'S WHAT I'M WORRIED ABOUT IS LIKE, WHO'S RETAINED THE FUNDS? YOU'RE NOT GIVING THE FUNDS TO MOUTH.
>> BUT THE QUESTION HAS RISEN ABOUT WHETHER WE WOULD USE THIS MONEY TO SUPPLEMENT OUR CONTRIBUTION TO MOUTH.
>> THAT'S OUR DECISION. [OVERLAPPING]
>> WE WOULD USE IT FOR OBTAIN EASEMENTS, HOWEVER WE CHOOSE TO OBTAIN THAT.
>> WE HAVE TO COME UP WITH THAT PROCESS.
>> EITHER OURSELVES, OR WE GIVE IT TO THE MOUTH PROCESS AND ADD THE MONEY THAT GOES TO CAROLINE BROWN.
>> I DON'T WANT TO GIVE ANYTHING.
>> I AGREE WITH THE 75% BECAUSE ON THIS COMMISSION REVIS POINT, I DON'T WANT TO SET UP A RED FLAG WITH THE STATE.
I DON'T WANT TO SAY, HEY, BECAUSE IT WILL.
IT'S ALMOST POSITIVE THEY WILL.
THAT'S WHERE I'M FINE WITH THE 75, AND I LIKE THE FACT THAT WHERE I TALKED ABOUT LAST WEEK IS, HEY, IF IT AFFECTS ONE ACRES, THEN IT AFFECTS ALL ACRES.
NOT WHERE THAT ONE WHERE WE'RE SAYING, HEY, IF 50 ACRES OF IT 35 IS HERE.
>> I UNDERSTAND. I'M NOT GOING TO SIT HERE AND ARGUE ALL DAY.
I APPRECIATE, BUT MY FINAL POINT WILL BE, AND THEN I'LL STOP.
OUR GOAL HERE IS TO PRESERVE FARMLAND.
IF WE'RE PRESERVING ONE ACRE OF FARMLAND, 75% OF THAT LAND IS NOT GOING TO BE TAKEN OUT OF PRODUCTION,
[02:15:04]
100% OF THAT ACRE IS GOING TO BE TAKEN OUT OF PRODUCTION.LOOK, IF YOU WANT TO TELL ME THAT YOU THINK THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN GET DONE WITHOUT, A FIGHT OR BEING PREEMPTED, I THINK IS COMING ANYWAY.
I THINK THERE'S GOING TO BE A FIGHT ANYWAY, AND THERE'S GOING TO BE ONCE THE LEGISLATURE FINDS OUT WE'RE DOING THIS, THEY'RE GOING TO COME BACK AND TRY TO STOP US. I CAN TELL YOU THAT.
>> WELL, TO YOUR POINT ABOUT THE 75% COMING OUT, WE'RE NOT ACTUALLY PURCHASING THE PROPERTY FROM SOMEONE ELSE.
IF 75% OF THE VALUE OF THE LAND SHOULD BE MORE THAN ENOUGH TO PURCHASE A ONE FOR ONE EASEMENT ON SOMEBODY ELSE.
FOR EVERY ACRE THAT WE LOSE TO SOLAR, 75%, THE VALUE OF THAT LAND SHOULD BE ENOUGH MONEY TO PURCHASE YOUR ACRE OF EASEMENT FROM YOU FOR YOUR PROPERTY TO STAY IN AG, YOU UNDERSTAND? IN OTHER WORDS, WE'RE NOT PAYING A LAND OWNER WHO REALLY WANTS TO CONTINUE TO FARM AND PUT HIS FARM INTO AG LAND PRES.
WE'RE NOT PAYING HIM 100% OF WHAT THE FARMS WERE.
PROBABLY TRUTH BE TOLD, A LOT OF EASEMENTS ARE PROBABLY PURCHASED FOR 40-50% OF THE VALUE.
REALLY, YOU MAY BE APPROACHING 1.5 TO ONE PRESERVED FOR EVERY ACRE LOST.
I KNOW WE DON'T WANT TO LOSE ANY, BUT IF THE GOAL IS ONE FOR ONE, 75% SHOULD BE MORE THAN ENOUGH TO DO THAT.
>> I THINK A FARMER WOULD BE ENTICED SAY, HEY, SOLAR OR 75% OF WHAT I THINK THEY WOULD TAKE THE 75%.
[OVERLAPPING] THE MONEY THAT THAT YOU'RE
>> I'M SIMPLY TRYING TO BUILD THIS FUND AS FAST AS WE CAN AND GET AS MUCH MONEY AS WE CAN, BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO TAKE A LOT OF MONEY TO OUTBID OR TO OUTMANEUVER THE SOLAR COMPANIES, BECAUSE WE'RE ONLY DOING THIS ONE TIME.
WE'RE NOT DOING THIS OVER A 25 YEAR PERIOD, LIKE THEY'RE PROMISING TO DO.
>> I BELIEVE ONE OF THE FARMS THAT CHERRY WOOD WAS ON WAS PURCHASED FOR LIKE MOST 17,000 AN ACRE.
>> WELL, AND WE HEARD LAST WEEK AT THE PUBLIC MEETING FROM A FEW FARMERS WHO SAID THEY INTENDED NOT TO SELL OUT TO SOLAR, BUT THEY WANTED AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE MOUTH EASEMENT PROCESS THAT WASN'T QUITE AS COMPLICATED, AND THEY WELCOME AN OPPORTUNITY.
[OVERLAPPING] IT CAN ONLY HELP TO DO IT.
>> WE GOT TO GIVE THE DIRECTION HERE.
WE CAN PASS THE ACT, VOTE TO PASS WHAT WE HAVE, OR WE CAN DIRECT CRYSTAL AND STEWART TO AMEND IT AGAIN TO INCORPORATE THE CHANGES RECOMMENDED BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
>> I WILL AGREE I WILL MOVE, OR I'LL AGREE TO IMPLEMENT THE CHANGES RECOMMENDED BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION. I SECOND.
IT WAS [LAUGHTER] [OVERLAPPING].
>> I THOUGHT HE MADE A MOTION.
>> WELL, I WILL MOVE THAT WE INCORPORATE INTO THE LEGISLATIVE BILL, THE RECOMMENDED CHANGES BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION WHEN IT COMES TO SECTION 75-4.
THAT'S THE CALCULATION OF COMPENSATORY PRESERVATION.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. EVERYTHING ELSE IS GOING TO STAY THE SAME.
>> WELL, WE'RE GOING TO AMEND THE VITAL FARM.
WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THE VITAL FARM.
REFER TO IT AS CLASS 1 AND CLASS [INAUDIBLE] [OVERLAPPING]
>> WELL, THAT WAS A RECOMMENDATION BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
>> THAT WOULD INCORPORATE [OVERLAPPING]
>> TECHNOLOGY THE PRIME FARMLAND AND FARMLAND OF STATEWIDE IMPORTANCE.
>> BECAUSE IT COINCIDES WITH [INAUDIBLE]
>> I HAVE A MOTION AND [OVERLAPPING] ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
>> ALL THOSE OPPOSED. THE AYES HAVE IT, AND THAT'LL BE ON NEXT TUESDAY FOR FOURTH READING AND POTENTIAL ENACTMENT. THANK YOU.
>> I GUESS YOU DON'T HAVE TO READ IT AGAIN.
>> YOU'RE WELCOME. [OVERLAPPING]
>> REALLY, WE SHOULD. MY OPINION, WE SHOULD READ IT A SUMMARY OF WHAT BILL THEN LOOKS LIKE.
IT SHOULD ALSO BE PUBLISHED AS SOON AS WE'VE GOTTEN IT DRAFTED AND CERTAIN THAT EVERYBODY'S COOL WITH IT, GET IT OUT TO THE PUBLIC.
THAT'S AND THERE SHOULD BE WRITTEN COPIES HERE IN THIS ROOM TO HAND OUT TO THE PUBLIC WHEN YOU VOTE TO ENACT.
>> OR GET IT POSTED ONLINE BEFORE WE VOTE.
>> THE LAW SAYS, YOU HAVE COPIES HERE.
>> AS LONG AS WE GET IT BY FRIDAY, WE CAN.
GET ALL THAT POSTED RIGHT AWAY.
>> SOUNDS GOOD. THANK YOU. [OVERLAPPING]
>> HANNAH. THANK YOU AGAIN [OVERLAPPING] FOR YOUR TIME. YOU GIVE US THANK YOU.
[02:20:06]
>> THEN WE'LL MOVE ON TO LEGISLATIVE BILL 2025-010 TO MODIFY THE COMPOSITION OF THE COMMITTEE OF AGRICULTURAL RECONCILIATION.
>> YES, INDEED. BILL 2025-010 WAS INTRODUCED BACK ON SEPTEMBER 23.
THE SECOND READING AND PUBLIC HEARING TOOK PLACE ON OCTOBER 7.
WE'RE HERE FOR THE THIRD READING WITH THE POTENTIAL TO AMEND OR ENACT.
IF IT GOES THROUGH TODAY, IT WOULD HAVE AN EFFECTIVE DATE OF NOVEMBER THE 29TH.
THIS IS AN ACT FOR THE PURPOSE OF REPEALING SUBSECTION B OF SECTION 149-4, CREATION OF CAROLINE COUNTY AGRICULTURAL RECONCILIATION COMMITTEE.
OF CHAPTER 149, RIGHT TO FARM, OF THE CODE OF PUBLIC LOCAL LAWS OF CAROLINE COUNTY, MARYLAND, AND REENACTING THE SAME WITH AMENDMENTS TO MODIFY THE REQUIRED COMPOSITION OF THE COMMITTEE BY DELETING THE REQUIREMENTS THAT TWO MEMBERS BE FROM THE AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITY.
AT LEAST ONE MEMBER BE FROM A MUNICIPALITY, AT LEAST ONE MEMBER BE FROM THE CAROLINE COUNTY BOARD OF REALTORS, AND ONE OTHER MEMBER FROM THE COMMUNITY NOT ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN AGRICULTURE.
AND ADDING THE REQUIREMENT THAT ALL MEMBERS MUST BE RESIDENTS AND CITIZENS OF CAROLINE COUNTY AND PROVIDING THAT THIS TITLE BE DEEMED A FAIR SUMMARY OF THIS PUBLIC LOCAL LAW FOR ALL PURPOSES.
>> I'M ASSUMING WE'VE RECEIVED NO COMMENT ON THIS.
BASICALLY, ALL WE'RE DOING IS REMOVING THE CRITERIA FOR MEMBERSHIP, AND WE CAN APPOINT ANYBODY TO BE ON THE RECONCILIATION BOARD.
THAT WAY, WE DIDN'T HAVE TO STICK TO TWO FARMERS, A REALTOR, A PERSON FROM A MUNICIPALITY, WE'RE JUST SAYING, YOU GOT TO BE CITIZENS FOR THREE YEARS, OR RESIDENTS FOR THREE YEARS OF CAROLINE CAMP.
>> I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO ENACT THE LEGISLATIVE BILL 2025-010.
>> ALL OF THOSE OPPOSED? YEAH, AYES HAVE IT.
WE'RE ON TO THE FIRST READING AND INTRODUCTION FOR TWO BILLS.
>> INDEED, THIS IS LEGISLATIVE BILL NUMBER 2025-012.
THIS DEALS WITH CHAPTER 175 ZONING AMENDMENTS TO SECTION 175-8, WHICH IS TERMS DEFINED, REPEAL AND RE ENACTMENT OF SUBSECTION A OF SECTION 175-46, WHICH IS SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMS, ENACTMENT OF A NEW SUBSECTION J OF SECTION 175-46, ENACTMENT OF NEW SECTION 175-46.1, ENTITLED SOLAR ENERGY GENERATING STATIONS COMPLIANCE WITH THE MARYLAND RENEWABLE ENERGY CERTAINTY ACT, AND AMENDMENT TO THE CAROLINE COUNTY TABLE OF USE REGULATIONS.
BASICALLY, THIS IS AN ACT TO BRING US INTO COMPLIANCE WITH THE STATES RENEWABLE ENERGY CERTAINTY ACT THAT'S REQUIRED BY SENATE BILL 931 AND HOUSE BILL 1036.
WE ARE ADOPTING SUPPLEMENTAL USE REGULATIONS FOR SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMS SMALL SCALE AND SOLAR ENERGY GENERATING STATIONS UTILITY SCALE IN CAROLINE COUNTY.
WE'RE DEFINING KEY TERMS FOR SUCH USES.
WE'RE IMPLEMENTING THE REQUIREMENT OF A PAYMENT.
OF A COMPENSATORY PRESERVATION CONTRIBUTION, SUCH AS WE JUST DISCUSSED IN A SEPARATE BILL CREATING THAT FUND, AS DEFINED IN CHAPTER 75, WHICH IS THE NEW CHAPTER, WHICH WILL SET FORTH ALL THE CRITERIA FOR THE AGRICULTURAL LAND PRESERVATION FUND.
THESE PAYMENTS WOULD BE TO THE COUNTY WHEN SOLAR ENERGY GENERATING STATIONS AND ENERGY STORAGE DEVICES ARE DEVELOPED ON CERTAIN LAND, AND GENERALLY REGULATING ADDRESSING AND PROVIDING FOR SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMS, SMALL SCALE, AND SOLAR ENERGY GENERATING STATIONS UTILITY SCALE, AND TO AMEND THE TABLE OF USE REGULATIONS, CHAPTER 175, ATTACHMENT 3.
TO PROVIDE THAT SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMS, SMALL SCALE, AND SOLAR ENERGY GENERATING STATIONS UTILITY SCALE ARE PERMITTED IN ALL ZONING DISTRICTS, SUBJECT TO SITE PLAN REVIEW, AND TO DELETE ALL REFERENCES TO THE TERMS RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES AND SOLAR POWER PLANT.
WE'RE TRYING TO BRING OURSELVES INTO LINE WITH WHAT THE STATE A IMPOSED AS A STATEWIDE BASICALLY LIBERATION OF WHERE SOLAR STATIONS CAN GO IN ANY COUNTY.
WE ARE AMENDING CERTAIN DEFINED TERMS, DELETING CERTAIN EXISTING DEFINED TERMS, REPEALING AND REENACTING SECTIONS, AND IN GENERAL, WE ARE DOING OUR VERY BEST TO PROTECT
[02:25:01]
CAROLINE COUNTY WITHIN THE CONFINES OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN LEFT WITH BY THE STATE LEGISLATION.>> YES. WHAT MR. BARREL SAID IS CORRECT.
WE'RE BASICALLY TAKING OUR CURRENT SOLAR REGS AND ALIGNING THEM WITH THE STATES AND ADDING IN THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE COMPENSATORY FUND.
>> YOU GET ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT. NO?
>> I WOULD MAKE A MOTION THEN TO ACCEPT THE FIRST READING AND PROCEED WITH THE LEGISLATIVE CALENDAR THAT HAS BEEN PRESENTED TO US.
>> I WAS GOING TO SAY AND THAT CALENDAR WOULD BE THAT WE WOULD HAVE THE SECOND READING AND PUBLIC HEARING ON THE 21ST, A WEEK FROM TODAY.
WE WOULD HAVE THE THIRD READING WITH THE POTENTIAL TO ENACT OR AMEND ON THE 28TH.
IF PASSED ON THAT DATE, IT WOULD HAVE AN EFFECTIVE DATE OF DECEMBER 13.
>> ALL THOSE OPPOSED. THE AYES HAVE IT.
LET'S DO A FIVE MINUTE RECESSIVE. I WON'T HAVE A QUORUM.
[02:33:42]
>> CALL THE MEETING BACK TO ORDER.
WE ARE ON LEGISLATIVE BILL 2025-013, AMEND THE WASTEWATER FACILITY.
[Legislative Session:]
>> YES. WE'RE HERE FOR THE INTRODUCTION AND FIRST READING OF THAT BILL.
THIS IS AN ACT TO AMEND SUBSECTION C OF SECTION 175-29 WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITIES OF ARTICLE 5 SUPPLEMENTARY REGULATIONS OF CHAPTER 175 ZONING, OF THE CODE OF PUBLIC LOCAL LAWS OF CAROLINE COUNTY BY REPEALING AND REENACTING THE SAME WITHOUT SUBPARAGRAPHS 3 AND 4.
THUS, ELIMINATING FROM SECTION 175-29, THE REQUIREMENTS THAT ONE, THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY AND THE GENERATING FACILITY IT SERVES BE OPERATED AND OWNED BY THE SAME PERSON OR ENTITY.
AND TWO, THE FACILITY IS NOT A SHARED FACILITY AS DEFINED BY EITHER, SECTION 9-1110A4 OF THE ENVIRONMENT ARTICLE OF THE ANNOTATED CODE OF MARYLAND.
OR COMAR 26.04.05.01 FOR A NON-ACCESSORY WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY TO BE PERMITTED IN THE R RURAL ZONING DISTRICT BY SPECIAL USE EXCEPTION.
[02:35:08]
>> ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS ONE, COMMENTS, COMMISSION PORTER?
>> CAN YOU GIVE ME A LAYMAN'S EXPLANATION ABOUT WHAT THIS MEANS?
>> THIS IS BASICALLY AMENDING A GRANDFATHERING ORDINANCE THAT WAS PASSED WHICH ALLOWED A FACILITY THAT OTHERWISE WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO EXIST IN THE OUR DISTRICT TO BE ALLOWED TO BE PERMITTED IF IT MET CERTAIN CRITERIA.
THE CRITERIA, THE MAIN ONE WAS THAT WITHIN THE PRIOR FIVE YEARS OF ITS APPLICATION, IT ALREADY HAD HELD AT ONE TIME A WASTEWATER DISCHARGE PERMIT FROM THE STATE, SO THAT IT WOULD BE ONE WHERE IT HAD BEEN PRE-EXISTINGLY PERMITTED AND THEN CEASED OPERATION, AND THEN EITHER THE ORIGINAL OWNER OR NEW OWNER COMES IN AND SAYS, CAN I REINSTITUTE WHAT WAS ALREADY BEING DONE ON THIS PROPERTY AT ONE TIME.
THE GRANDFATHERING PROVISION WAS DESIGNED TO ALLOW SOMEONE WHO HAD HERD THAT SITUATION TO GET IT AGAIN, ASSUMING THEY MET STATE REQUIREMENTS, BASICALLY.
THERE WAS REFERENCE IN THE ORIGINAL GRANDFATHERING ORDINANCE TO FOUR CRITERIA BASICALLY THAT YOU HAD TO MEET, AND IT'S REDUNDANT TO REQUIRE OR TO STATE THAT IT CANNOT BE A SHARED FACILITY OR SOMETHING THAT'S NOT OWNED BY THE SAME ENTITY BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT'S IN OUR COMPREHENSIVE WATER AND SEWER PLAN.
COMAR, IT'S IN STATE REQUIREMENTS.
IT'S NOT NECESSARY FOR CAROLINE COUNTY TO HAVE THIS IN THERE, AND WE THINK IT JUST SIMPLY COMPLICATES THE LANDSCAPE FOR SOMEONE WHO MAY BE APPLYING FOR THAT GRANDFATHERING PERMIT.
>> THEY WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE PERMITTING PROCESS AND THROUGH BOTH COUNTY AND MDD.
>> OUR CURRENT WATER AND SEWER PLAN ALREADY STATES THAT YOU CANNOT HAVE A SHARED FACILITY, SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO RESTATE IT HERE IN THE ZONING ORDINANCE.
THEN ESSENTIALLY, WE WERE SAYING THAT YOU HAD TO HAVE THE SAME OWNER OF THE GENERATING FACILITY AS THE OWNER OF THE TREATMENT FACILITY.
COMAR ALREADY REGULATES THAT AND DETERMINES WHO THAT AUTHORITY IS WITH.
WE WOULD JUST REMOVE THAT ABILITY AND BASICALLY POINTING TO COMAR AND POINTING TO OUR WATER AND SEWER PLAN FOR ANY APPLICATION WE WOULD RECEIVE FOR A WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLAN.
WE DID THE SAME WITH THE SOLAR REGS, AGAIN, POINTED TO THE STATE, SO THAT WAY, WE WOULD NOT HAVE TO GO BACK AT A LATER DATE IF THE STATE WERE TO CHANGE THEIR REGULATIONS AND HAVE TO CHANGE OURS TO MATCH.
>> DO YOU HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS.
>> I WOULD MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ACCEPT THE FIRST READING AND INTRODUCTION OF LEGISLATIVE BILL 2025-013, AND MOVE FORWARD WITH THE LEGISLATIVE CALENDAR AS PROPOSED, WHICH HAS THE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON OCTOBER 18TH, SECOND READING AND PUBLIC HEARING ON OCTOBER 21ST, THIRD READING, AND POTENTIAL AMENDMENT OR ENACTMENT, OCTOBER 28TH, AND AN ANTICIPATED EFFECTIVE DATE OF DECEMBER 13TH.
>> ALL THOSE OPPOSED? THE AYES HAVE IT. LET'S SKIP OVER TO THE CONSENT AGENDA RIGHT NOW IF THAT'S ALL EIGHT IN COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR REPORT.
>> WANT TO GO OUT OF LEGISLATIVE?
>> COULD WE GO BACK INTO OPEN SESSION.
>> SECOND MOTION AND SECOND, ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
>> ALL THOSE OPPOSED. THE AYES HAVE IT.
NOW, OUT OF THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
>> UNFORTUNATELY, I DON'T HAVE THAT MUCH [LAUGHTER].
WE WRAPPED UP INTERVIEWS FOR HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR LAST WEEK,
[County Administrator’s Report]
AND WE'RE NOW IN THE PROCESS OF SELECTING A CANDIDATE AND MOVING THAT FORWARD.I DID WANT TO MENTION, I BELIEVE BOTH COMMISSIONER BRADING AND I RECEIVED A TEXT MESSAGE FROM MAYOR ABNER OF FEDERALSBURG, THAT THEY ARE DOWN ADDITIONAL STAFF.
I THINK THE LAST RESIGNATION THEY RECEIVED WAS
[02:40:04]
SOMEBODY WHO WORKED IN THE OFFICE WHO HANDLES THEIR PAYROLL AND BILLING.SHE ASSURED US THAT THEY HAVE THAT COVERED AND INDICATED THAT SHE MIGHT BE LOOKING TO THE COUNTY FOR SOME ASSISTANCE WITH PERMITTING.
SHE SPECIFICALLY MENTIONED PERMITTING.
>> THERE'S ONE LARGE COMMERCIAL PROJECT THAT'S IN THE MIDDLE OF SITE PLAN REVIEW RIGHT NOW, I THINK, AND SHE MAY WANT SOME ASSISTANCE AND REVIEWING THAT AND PERMIT ISSUANCE AND ALL OF THAT STUFF TO MAKE SURE.
COMMISSIONER PORTER, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING?
>> NOT REALLY. I ATTENDED THE TAIL END OF THE FEDERALSBURG FIRE COMPANY ANNIVERSARY EVENT.
>> THE ONLY THING I HAD WAS, I WAS APPROACHED YESTERDAY BY ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE SONS AMERICAN LEGION POST 29 OR SQUADRON 29 HERE IN DENTON, ABOUT A MONUMENT THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO PURCHASE AND PLACE, I THINK, OVER HERE BY THE OTHER MONUMENTS THAT WE HAVE ON THE COURTHOUSE GREEN.
THAT IS APPROXIMATELY 44" TALL, BLACK POLISHED GRANITE WITH THE TOP ETCHED WITH A COLORED AMERICAN FLAG.
THEY WANT TO PLACE ON THE MONUMENT, WE THE PEOPLE OF CAROLINE COUNTY, MARYLAND, DO COMMEMORATE THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING OF OUR NATION ON THIS DAY, JULY 4TH, 2026.
THEN ALSO HAVE JULY 4TH, 1776, WITH A SONS OF AMERICAN LEGION EMBLEM AND SONS OF AMERICAN LEGION WORDING AT THE BOTTOM.
THEY WOULD LIKE TO COME INTO NEXT TUESDAY'S MEETING AND MAKE A FORMAL PROPOSAL, I THINK, WITH A LITTLE BETTER SKETCH OF THE MONUMENT IF WE ARE WILLING TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT THAT.
>> I DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEMS. [OVERLAPPING]
>> I WILL LET THEM KNOW THAT THEY CAN COME IN AND DO THAT.
DID YOU GET ANYTHING BACK FROM FRANK?
>> LET'S JUST APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA.
THEN ANY QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, COMMENTS ABOUT ANYTHING ON THE CONSENT AGENDA?
[Consent Agenda]
DOES ANYBODY KNOW, DANNY? DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE TYLER TECHNOLOGIES CAD MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE? WHAT IS NOT REALLY SURE?>> JUST LIKE ANY OF OUR ERPS OR SOFTWARE, THEY'RE YEARLY SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES TO ESSENTIALLY.
>> THAT'S A HECK OF THE SUBSCRIPTIONS.
>> IT IS ONE OF OUR LARGEST ONES, AND IT'S ESSENTIALLY TO RUN THE PROGRAM TYLER TECHNOLOGIES THAT DOES THE DISPATCHING SYSTEM.
IT'S THE LARGEST ONE FOR ANY OF THE SOFTWARES.
>> THE MOU WITH THE TOWN, THAT'S WHAT WE'VE ALREADY REVIEWED AND SIGNED, CORRECT ON DOUBLE HILLS?
>> YES. I'VE CIRCULATED, I THINK, PROBABLY 2 OR 3 TIMES THE COPY THAT'S ON THE AGENDA.
THIS BOARD HAS NOT FORMALLY SIGNED OR APPROVED THAT.
IT WENT TO THE TOWN OF DENTON LAST WEEK AND THEY APPROVED FIRST AND NOW IT'S COME BACK HERE FOR FINAL SIGNATURE.
BOTH PARTIES HAVE REVIEWED IT, BOTH SETS OF ATTORNEYS AS WELL.
>> I WILL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA.
>> AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED, THE AYES HAVE IT.
NOW WE HAVE OUR PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.
IS THERE ANYONE IN THE PUBLIC WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK? NONE SEEN. I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
>> CAN WE GET A QUICK UPDATE ON THE CHABERTON SOLAR PROJECT? I KNOW THERE WAS THE ONE IN GREENSBORO.
[02:45:01]
THE CIRCUIT COURT OVERRULED, WAS IT THE BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS IN GREENSBORO OR BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS? THAT IS MOVING FORWARD.ACTUALLY, I SPOKE AT THAT BECAUSE WE OWN A PROPERTY THAT IS WITHIN THE DISTANCE OF THAT.
ACTUALLY, THAT'S NOT A BAD PLACE FOR IT TO GO.
IT'S AN INDUSTRIALLY ZONED PROPERTY.
THEN HOW ABOUT THE FEDERALSBURG? THAT WAS CHABERTON AS WELL.
THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION HAS NOT MADE A RULING ON THAT AT THIS POINT.
>> BRIEFING WERE FILED IN SEPTEMBER 16TH, FINAL BRIEFINGS.
>> JUST FOR MY INFORMATION, IS THAT SOIL THAT IS INVOLVED IN THAT PROJECT, WOULD IT BE CLASSIFIED TIER 1 OR TIER 2?
>> I CAN'T TELL YOU BUT IF I CAN FIND OUT AND TELL YOU BECAUSE WE WEREN'T LOOKING AT IT FROM THE LOSS OF FARMLAND, WE WERE LOOKING AT IT FROM LOSS OF RESIDENTIAL LAND BUT I'LL CHECK.
>> THAT WAS ONE OF THE REASONS THAT I REALLY WANTED TO CONTINUE TO EXPLORE THE APPRAISAL APPROACH BECAUSE THE APPRAISAL OF THAT PROPERTY WOULD HAVE BEEN DONE AS DEVELOPABLE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY.
YOU SEE WHAT I MEAN? BECAUSE WE'RE NOT ONLY LOSING FARMLAND, WE'RE LOSING [OVERLAPPING]
>> ANY DEVELOPMENT. IF WE WENT WITH THE TWO APPRAISALS, IT WOULD HAVE MORE SIGNIFICANTLY VALUED THAT LAND, I THINK, FROM AN APPRAISAL STANDPOINT, BECAUSE IT WAS IN A GROWTH AREA, AND IT DID HAVE THE AVAILABILITY TO BE DEVELOPED WITH WATER AND SEWER.
>> WE'RE STILL PROPOSING TO ONLY USE THE FAIR MARKET VALUE APPRAISALS.
>> BUT IT WOULD BE APPRAISED AT A HIGHER VALUE BECAUSE THAT LAND SHOULD NOT BE APPRAISED AS AGRICULTURE, IT SHOULD BE APPRAISED AS DEVELOPABLE PROPERTY.
>> THAT'S FAIR MARKET VALUE, HIGHEST AND BEST USE WHICH IS THE HIGHEST DOLLAR VALUE AMOUNT PER ACRE, AND THAT'S WHAT THIS PROPOSES.
>> YES. MALPF IS NOT [INAUDIBLE]
>> MALPF IS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT.
THEY FACTOR IN AGLAND VALUE AND FAIR MARKET VALUE.
WE'RE JUST USING FAIR MARKET VALUE.
THEY MAKE THEIR ULTIMATE OFFER [OVERLAPPING]
>> HOW ARE WE GOING TO ARRIVE AT A COMPENSATION ON THAT LAND?
>> YOU MEAN GOING FORWARD WITH THIS LEGISLATION?
>> WE EITHER USE THE MALPF CALCULATION PER ACRE, WHICH IS FAIR MARKET VALUE.
THAT IS NOT FACTORING IN AG VALUE.
IT'S JUST FAIR MARKET VALUE, HIGHEST AND BEST USE ON THE ACREAGE THAT IS THE PROJECT AREA, A LITTLE BIT OF DISTURBANCE FOR THE PROJECT AREA ON THE TOTAL PROJECT.
>> IF IT IS CLASS 1 OR CLASS 2 SOIL SO WE'RE USING 7,200 AN ACRE.
>> IF IT IS CLASS 1 OR CLASS 2 SOIL ANYWHERE ON IT, WHICH IS MOST OF THE TIME.
>> BUT TO HIS POINT, THERE IS NOT BEING FARMED, SO THERE WOULD BE NO SOIL CLASSIFICATION ON THAT PROPERTY PROBABLY.
>> THERE WILL BE A CLASSIFICATION.
>> THERE COULD CONCEIVABLY BE FARMED.
THERE'S NOTHING THAT WOULD PREVENT IT FROM BEING FARMED.
IT'S A LOSS OF POTENTIAL RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT AND POTENTIAL FARMLAND.
>> WELL, IN HINDSIGHT, IF YOU LOOKED AT THE CHERRYWOOD PROJECT OUTSIDE GREENSBORO, THAT ENTIRE PARCEL WAS IN THE GROWTH AREA OF THE TOWN.
>> THE PART UP AGAINST GREENSBORO?
>> THAT WAS POTENTIALLY RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT.
>> BY THE WAY, WORCESTER COUNTY IS IN A SIMILAR SITUATION RIGHT NOW.
THEY ARE CONTESTING AN APPLICATION BY CHABERTON TO DO EXACTLY THE SAME THING OUTSIDE OF BERLIN.
>> [INAUDIBLE] POTENTIAL ACQUISITION OF [INAUDIBLE]?
>> THE JUDGE FOR THE WORCESTER COUNTY CHABERTON CASE HAPPENS TO BE THE SAME JUDGE AS WE HAVE IN THE FEDERALSBURG CHABERTON CASE.
WORCESTER COUNTY IS CLOSELY MONITORING WHAT HAPPENS TO US.
WE'RE AHEAD OF THEM IN THE PROCESS.
>> TO BE CLEAR, THERE WILL BE NO COMPENSATION COLLECTED
[02:50:07]
ON THE FEDERALSBURG CHABERTON PROJECT UNLESS WE DETERMINE IT'S TIER 1 OR TIER 2 LAND.>> ARE YOU SAYING BECAUSE IT'S ZONED R1 FOR RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT. IT'S NOT R.
>> YEAH, BUT NONE OF THAT WOULD MATTER.
IF IT HAS CLASS 1 OR CLASS 2 SOILS ON IT, YES, WE WOULD, NOT IF IT DOESN'T.
>> THAT'S RIGHT. IT'S ACROSS SOIL ZONING DISTRICT SO IT WOULD HAVE TO HAVE.
>> IF IT'S GOT CLASS 1 OR CLASS 2.
>> IF IT'S CLASS 1 AND CLASS 2.
>> WE'D HAVE TO LOOK AT A MAP.
>> IT'S GOT FAIR MARKET VALUE.
>> RIGHT NOW, IT'D BE 75% OF $7,200 AN ACRE.
>> WELL, BUT IF IT'S APPRAISED AS [OVERLAPPING].
>> FAIR MARKET VALUE IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE THE HIGHEST BEST USE.
>> IF AN APPRAISER GOES IN THERE, LOOKS AT THAT PROPERTY AND SAYS, THIS IS LAND THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE DEVELOPED.
IT'S IN THE GROWTH AREA OF THE TOWN.
IT HAS WATER AND SEWER AVAILABLE, THEN THE HIGHEST USE OF THAT WOULD BE TO DEVELOP IT AS HOUSING.
>> IT WOULD HAVE TO BE WHAT'S POSSIBLE AND SO IT WOULD HAVE TO BE HOUSING.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE CAPTURING BECAUSE WE VERY WELL MAY END UP HAVING OTHER LAND IN THE GROWTH AREAS OF TOWNS THAT WILL FALL INTO THAT CATEGORY AS WELL.
IN THAT CASE, THE HIGHEST [OVERLAPPING]
>> EXACTLY. THE HIGHEST AND BEST USE OF THAT LAND IS GOING TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE FROM AN APPRAISED VALUE THAN FARMLAND.
>> I AGREE WITH YOU, WE'RE LEAVING A LOT ON THE TABLE BY DOING IT THIS WAY.
>> WELL, IT HAS TO BE. HIGHEST AND THE BEST USE HAS FOUR CRITERIA, WHAT IS LEGALLY POSSIBLE.
THEY HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT IS ALLOWED TO BE DONE BASED ON THE ZONING.
FINANCIALLY THERE HAS TO BE A PROOF OF WHAT YOU COULD GET FINANCIALLY FOR IT PER ACRE.
PHYSICALLY POSSIBLE SO WHAT'S THE DIRT AND THE ROCK SITUATION AROUND THOSE.
THE FOURTH ONE IS YOU LOOK AT THE OTHER THREE, AND THE ONE WITH THE HIGHEST DOLLAR VALUE IS THE HIGHEST AND BEST USE.
BUT IT HAS TO BE LEGALLY POSSIBLE SO THAT'S REZONING [INAUDIBLE].
BUT SOMEBODY LOOKING IN THE R COULD LOOK AT THE AG VALUE AS ONE POTENTIAL USE, BUT ALSO LOOK AT RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT, EVEN IF IT'S JUST FOUR LOTS.
YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO COME UP PRIOR BASED ON WHERE YOU ARE.
>> BUT I THINK WHAT COMMISSIONER PORTER IS GETTING AT IS THE PROCESS THAT WE'RE USING TO DEVELOP THE BASELINE FOR THE COMPENSATORY FEE, IS AN AVERAGE OF ALL APPRAISALS COUNTYWIDE.
TO HIS POINT, THE CLOSER YOU GET TO A MUNICIPALITY WHERE YOU'VE GOT SEWER AND WATER UTILITIES TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WHERE THE PROPERTY IS ACTUALLY WORTH DOUBLE OR TRIPLE THAT, WE'RE NOT FACTORING THAT IN THE WAY WE'RE DOING IT THROUGH MALPF.
>> WELL SOME OF THE MALPF [INAUDIBLE].
THOSE FARMS ARE ALL OVER THE PLACE.
SOME OF THEM ARE TOWARDS TOWN AND SOME OF THEM ARE [INAUDIBLE]
>> THE OTHER PROBLEM WITH THE MALPF IS IT LAGS A YEAR BEHIND TOO.
I DON'T THINK 7,200 IS ENOUGH, AND THAT'S THE NUMBER RIGHT NOW, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE'VE GOT.
>> DOES THE LANGUAGE [INAUDIBLE]
>> WOULD WE BE BETTER OFF SAYING THAT I DON'T KNOW.
>> I THINK I FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE WITH THIS AS A START.
I SHARE YOUR OPINION THAT IT'S NOT ENOUGH.
WE WENT BACK AND FORTH AT LENGTH DURING THE PLANNING COMMISSION, AND WE JUST SETTLED ON THAT, I KNOW WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT REASONABLE, BUT THIS IS MORE REASONABLE AND LIKELY TO NOT BE CHALLENGED APPROACH.
>> WE COULD ADD THE GREATER OF THE MALPF APPRAISAL, I DON'T KNOW.
>> EVEN LOOKING AT THE 75% OF WHAT IS THE FY24 AVERAGE PER ACRE AMOUNT, AND IT'S OVER 5,000 AN ACRE, WHICH IS AT LEAST COMPETITIVE RIGHT NOW WITH SOME OF THE OFFERINGS FROM SOLAR DEVELOPERS, WHICH ARE GENERALLY BETWEEN 2500 AND 3500.
I AGREE THAT I THINK WE'RE GOING TO DO BETTER THAN A LITTLE OVER AN ACRE OF VALUE THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO USE TO PURCHASE PERMANENT EASEMENTS.
[02:55:06]
I THINK WE'RE ON THE GOOD SIDE.WE'LL FIND OUT WITHIN A YEAR OR TWO, HOW MUCH STEAM WE'RE GAINING AND CAN ALWAYS REVISIT IT.
>> HOW MANY PROJECTS DO WE HAVE THAT ARE IN THE PIPELINE RIGHT NOW WILL QUALIFY FOR US TO COLLECT SOMETHING?
>> FIVE BECAUSE TO START, WHERE DO WE PUT THAT AS BEING RETROACTIVE?
>> FINAL SITE PLAN APPROVAL, WON'T IT?
>> WELL, IN A BILL, WHAT WE MEAN BY THAT IS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE BILL TO PENDING PIPELINE, IF YOU WILL, PROJECTS.
IS IT GOING TO BE RETROACTIVELY APPLIED TO SOMEONE WHO'S ALREADY STARTED THE PROCESS IN THE COUNTY, OR IS IT PROSPECTIVE, WHICH MEANS IT WILL ONLY AFFECT APPLICATIONS COMING FORTH AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF IT?
>> AS MUCH AS I HATE TO SAY THIS, I THINK IT WOULD HAVE TO BE PROSPECTIVE.
I'M NOT SURE IF SOMEBODY ALREADY HAS APPROVAL AND THEY'VE ALREADY FIGURED THEIR COSTS, I'M NOT SURE.
I DON'T KNOW. I'M WILLING TO CERTAINLY DO IT, BUT I THINK WE COULD GET CAUGHT ON THAT ONE TOO.
>> MARYLAND IS A LATE VESTING STATE.
>> WHEN IT COMES TO WHEN YOU'RE CONSIDERED VESTED.
>> YOU'RE NOT VESTED JUST BECAUSE YOU APPLIED.
>> LISTEN. YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET ANY ARGUMENT FROM ME IF WE CAN GO BACK BUT WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT GETTING SHOT DOWN ON THIS THING, AND I THINK I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S NOT SOMETHING.
WHAT WOULD YOUR GUESS BE OF ALL OF THE PROJECTS THAT ARE IN PROGRESS RIGHT NOW, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THAT LAND WOULD HAVE FALLEN INTO THE TIER 1 OR TIER 2 LAND? DO YOU HAVE ANY CLUE?
>> I HAVE NO IDEA. BUT JUST LOOKING AT OUR TIER 1 AND TIER 2 SOIL, WE HAVE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF THAT.
>> HERE'S THE OTHER THING TOO.
>> [OVERLAPPING] COUNTY IS EITHER ONE OR THE OTHER OR BOTH.
>> PLANNING AND CODES HAS BEEN NOTIFYING APPLICANTS THAT WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF REVISITING THIS AS WELL.
WHEN THEY CAME IN, THEY ARE TELLING THEM, HEY, THEY'RE DEBATING IMPOSING A FEE SO THEY KNOW ABOUT IT.
>> GOOD. THE NEXT STEP IN THIS IS GOING TO BE TO COME UP WITH A PLAN ON HOW TO DISTRIBUTE THIS MONEY.
WHAT PROCESS ARE WE GOING TO USE FOR A FARMER TO APPLY?
>> RIGHT NOW, WE JUST DEPOSIT IT INTO THE FUND THAT WOULD BE USED FOR HOWEVER THE COUNTY COMMISSIONER ALLOWS.
IT COULD BE USED FOR PRESERVATION.
>> ACCORDING TO DONNA AT THE LAST MEETING, SHE SAID THAT THE MORE THE COUNTY CONTRIBUTES, WHEN IT WAS FUNDED, THAT WAS MORE STATE DOLLARS THAT IT UNLOCKED BECAUSE A PORTION OF THE 5% AG TRANSFER TAX GOES INTO A POT OF MONEY, AND THEN IT'S USED AS MATCH DOLLARS.
IS THAT WHAT SHE SAID OR WAS IT THE STATES GENERAL FUND CONTRIBUTION WAS USED AS THE MATCH DOLLAR?
>> IT'S DIVIDED INTO 50%, AND EVERYONE GETS THE 50% POT.
BUT IF YOU'RE A CERTIFIED COUNTY, YOU ALSO GET [OVERLAPPING].
>> WE'RE NOT THINKING ABOUT TAKING THIS FUND AND ESTABLISHING OUR OWN.
>> NO, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO, WE COULD.
>> BUT YOU MIGHT GET MORE BANG FOR YOUR BUCK TO HAVE IT BE PART OF MALPF BECAUSE IT'S CASH.
>> WELL, I UNDERSTAND THAT BUT AGAIN, I'M GOING TO GO BACK TO MY RESERVATIONS ABOUT MALPF.
>> THEY'RE AN INDEPENDENT BOARD.
THEY'RE NOT A STATE AGENCY BECAUSE I THOUGHT THE SAME THING YOU DID.
DIDN'T SHE SAY THEY'RE A FOUNDATION.
THEY'RE NOT STATE EMPLOYEES. IT'S NOT A STATE.
>> NO, BUT I THINK THEY'RE TUCKED SOMEHOW INTO DNR.
>> I'M NOT 100% POSITIVE THEY ARE A FOUNDATION.
>> BUT IF AT SOME POINT, SOMEBODY DECIDES TO SET UP OUR OWN AND WE GOT A WHOLE OTHER CAN OF WORMS.
>> IT WAS PITCHED TO ME LIKE THAT THEY'RE INDEPENDENT.
>> ARE THE STAFF STILL EMPLOYEES?
>> I THINK THE STAFF ARE STILL EMPLOYEE.
>> RURAL LEGACY, WHAT IS THAT?
>> THAT MARYLAND ENVIRONMENTAL TRUST RURAL LEGACY, THAT'S UNLIMITED AND PERMANENT.
THERE'S MULTIPLE PERMANENT PROGRAMS WE CAN LOOK AT AND SEE IF THEY'RE PUTTING MONEY IN, AND IF THERE'S AN ELIGIBILITY TO DO THAT.
>> BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WHATEVER WE PUT IN COMES BACK HERE.
>> YES, YOU DO. YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE IT'S PERMANENT ALSO.
[03:00:05]
>> I WAS JUST WONDERING, I WONDER IF YOU REALLY WANTED TO GET CREATIVE, YOU MIGHT TRY TO SET IT UP NOT JUST A ONE TIME PAYMENT, BUT ON A ANNUAL BASIS.
[OVERLAPPING] THAT'S WHAT'S ATTRACTIVE TO SOME FARMERS TO SAY, I DON'T WANT JUST ONE LUMP SUM.
I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT LIKE THE SOLAR COMPANIES ARE PROMISING.
MY QUESTION IS SIX YEARS INTO THIS 25 YEAR DEAL, WHAT IF THE SOLAR COMPANY RUNS OUT OF MONEY? I THINK THAT'S THE THING WE'RE ALL LOOKING AT, WHICH I THINK IS GOING TO HAPPEN.
>> I MAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
>> ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
>> AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED. THE AYES HAVE IT.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.