[Call to Order]
[00:00:17]
OKAY. GOOD EVENING LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. WELCOME TO THE MARCH 2026 PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING. THE CAROLINE COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING.
PRESENT TONIGHT ON THE BOARD ARE MEMBERS ROGER MCKNIGHT, KEITH BILBROW, ASSISTANT CHAIRPERSON HANNAH CAULEY, AND MYSELF, THE CHAIRMAN, JEFF JACKSON. WE ARE MISSING ONE. AND WE HAVE VARIOUS MEMBERS OF THE STAFF, THE COUNTY ATTORNEY AND VARIOUS MEMBERS OF THE STAFF THAT ARE HERE THAT ARE INTRODUCE THEMSELVES WHEN THEY SPEAK.
ANYBODY WITH CELL PHONES, PLEASE PUT THEM ON, SILENT OR TURN THEM OFF, AND IF YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST USE YOUR CELL PHONE, THERE'S THE DOOR.
FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS THE
[Goldsboro Materials LLC - Bridgetown Pit Phase 4 Expansion]
GOLDSBORO MATERIAL FINAL SITE PLAN REVIEW, CORRECT? MR. MATT? PRELIMINARY.PRELIMINARY. OH, THAT'S RIGHT.
YEAH, OKAY, FOR THE EXPANSION. WOULD YOU LIKE TO FILL US IN, SIR? ABSOLUTELY. AGAIN, MATT KACZYNSKI, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT REVIEW FOR THE PLANTING AND CODES DEPARTMENT.
I'M HERE TO GIVE YOU A SUMMARY OF THE APPLICATION THAT'S INVOLVED WITH A MINERAL EXTRACTION FACILITY. IT'S AN EXPANSION OF AN EXISTING FACILITY.
GOLDSBORO MATERIALS LLC HAS FILED A SITE PLAN APPLICATION.
ON BEHALF OF THE OWNER, DAVID A. BRAMBLE, INC. IT'S LOCATED AT 15106 OAKLAND ROAD IN GOLDSBORO, ON TAX MAP 9, GRID 16, PARCEL 2. THIS IS NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF OAKLAND ROAD AND CHERRY LANE.
THE EXPANSION ITSELF IS APPROXIMATELY 37.96 ACRES.
APPROVAL OF THIS AREA WOULD BRING THE OPERATION TO A TOTAL OF 133.46 ACRES. THE LAST TIME THAT THIS APPLICATION WAS HEARD, THE BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS. GRANTED WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN PHASE 3 AT THE TIME, BACK IN AUGUST OF 2020, AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION APPROVED THE FINAL SITE PLAN IN DECEMBER OF 2020.
SO WE'RE NOW PROPOSED PHASE 04, WHICH WOULD BE THE FINAL EXPANDED AREA FOR THIS PARCEL. IT WILL ENCOMPASS A PARCEL THAT HAS NOT BEEN PREVIOUSLY PART OF THIS FACILITY. IT'S LOCATED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PARCEL.
IT'S PARCEL 97. IT USED TO BE OWNED BY THE MURPHY'S.
DAVID A. BRAMBLE HAD PURCHASED THAT PARCEL, SO IT'S... IN CHAPTER 175.27.1, ANY PARCEL THAT'S PART OF AN OPERATION WOULD HAVE TO BE CONSOLIDATED, SO THE ENTIRE FACILITY WOULD BE ON ONE PARCEL. SO A PLAT'S REQUIRED. THE APPLICANT HAS SUBMITTED A PLAT. IT'S UNDER REVIEW. AT THIS POINT, THEY'RE AT A PRELIMINARY REVIEW WITH THIS BOARD. I'VE PREVIOUSLY SUPPLIED COMMENTS TO THEM, NOT MANY ITEMS THAT NEEDED TO BE ADDRESSED. I THINK ABOUT EIGHT OR NINE ITEMS. AND THEY'VE ADDRESSED ALL THOSE CONCERNS AND COMMENTS FROM STAFF AS WELL AS FROM THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE. SO, AT THIS POINT, WE JUST RECOMMEND YOU REVIEW AND GIVE A PRELIMINARY RECOMMENDATION TO THE BZA.
FOR THEM TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THEIR SPECIAL USE EXCEPTION APPLICATION. SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME, I'D BE GLAD TO ANSWER THEM NOW. IF NOT, WE CAN OPEN THE FLOOR TO THE APPLICANT TO PRESENT THEIR APPLICATION.
WHAT IS THE PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT WAS... JUST BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE LIVING THERE AND WOULDN'T SELL. SO NOW IT'S BEEN SOLD. CORRECT. AND THEY BOUGHT IT. THEY GOT TO TAKE ALL THE LOT LINES OUT, MAKE IT ONE CONTINUOUS PIECE.
YES. ABANDON ALL THE STRUCTURES, RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT. AND I BELIEVE WHEN WE LOOKED AT THIS, WE'RE IN A WORKSHOP, THEY NEED ALL THE SETBACKS WHERE THEY'VE GOT ALL THESE SETBACKS TAKEN CARE OF. YES, THE APPLICATION DOES CONFORM TO THE SETBACK REQUIREMENTS.
THE PREVIOUS APPLICATION, PHASE THREE, THEY HAD ASKED FOR A SETBACK MODIFICATION ON THE NORTH SIDE, WHERE THE ACCESS ROAD IS, BUT THIS EXPANSION WILL MEET THE 200-FOOT SETBACK REQUIREMENT.
AND ARE THEY GOING TO DO ANY PLANTING ALONG JERRY LANE? SO THEY'VE PROPOSED TO MOVE. WHAT WERE THE PLANTS THAT WERE REQUIRED UNDER PHASE 3, BUT THE BUFFER IS FULLY ESTABLISHED THERE.
THEY PLANTED THAT IN THE 90S, WHEN THIS FACILITY FIRST STARTED OPERATION.
BUT THEY ARE PROPOSING TO REPURPOSE THOSE PLANTS AND PUT THEM ALONG THE BORDER WITH THE EXISTING- IN FRONT OF WHERE THE HOUSE WOULD HAVE BEEN, RIGHT? YES. OKAY. ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD MEMBERS OF MET? ANYBODY HERE
[00:05:08]
FOR THE PROJECT? HOW ARE YOU? HOW ARE YOU, MS. OGILVIE? YES, MA'AM. HOW ARE YOU THIS EVENING? THIS IS THE LATEST, AND THIS WILL BE THE LAST ONE, BECAUSE THIS ENCOMPASSES ALL THE MINEABLE AREA IN THE PARK. IT'S NOT INCLUDED IN BOTH GAPS, SO TO SPEAK. AND SECONDLY, WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. THE APPRAISER AND FOR MR. FERDINAND, WHO IS THE SOUND ENGINEER. BOTH OF THEIR REPORTS WERE SUBMITTED BACK IN APRIL, AND ONE HAS FEDERAL JURY DUTY, AND THE OTHER ONE IS IN PEACE. THEY ARE AVAILABLE IF THE BOARD HAS...GOOD EVENING, CHERYL TONEY WITH LANE ENGINEERING. I BELIEVE MATT GAVE A REALLY GOOD REVIEW OF THE PROJECT. THE PREVIOUS MINING AREA FOR THE PREVIOUS PHASES...
TOTAL MINING PERMIT. I SAID PREVIOUSLY, THIS IS GOING TO BE THE LAST EXPANSION FOR THIS. MR. BRAMBLE, OR DAVID A. BRAMBLE, INCORPORATED, OWNS BOTH PARCELS. THE ONE THAT IS CLOSER TO CHERRY LANE AND THE INTERSECTION WITH CHERRY LANE AND OAKLAND ROAD. THE YEAR IS AN EXISTING HOUSE ON THAT PROPERTY THAT WE ARE TREE PLANTING THERE. THAT IN ORDER TO FILL IN ANY ADDITIONAL CHERRY VEINS, AND SO THEN WE'LL BE ABLE TO COMBINE THOSE TWO. THE EXISTING MINING POND WILL BE ABLE TO EXPAND TO THE SOUTH AND TO THE EAST IN THAT DIRECTION. SO IT WILL NOT BE IMMEDIATELY UP AGAINST THE CHERRY LANE. ALL FACILITIES EXIST ON THE PROPERTY, ON THE MINING PARCEL ALREADY.
SO YOUR MINING PLANT, SCALE, FUEL, ALL OF THAT IS ALREADY... WE ALSO HAVE THE SAME HOURS OF OPERATION, WE'RE NOT SUPPOSING ANY DIFFERENT HOUR DURATION. THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 10 EMPLOYEES THAT WORK THERE ON THE PROPERTY WITH THE EMPLOYEES. AND WE'RE NOT ASKING PER DAY, WE'VE GOT 100 TRUCKS PER DAY, SO THERE WILL BE A CHANGE TO THAT AS WELL. RIGHT NOW, MINING IS CONDUCTED, IT WAS A COMBINATION OF DRY MINING USING EXCAVATORS, AND THE MATERIAL IS ALSO MOVED BY A DIESEL DREDGE OVER TO THE WASH PLANT. THE WASH PLANT WILL STAY IN THE SAME POSITION AND THEN THE DIESEL DREDGE WILL SLOWLY MOVE IN THE DIRECTION. AND THAT MATERIAL IS PROCESSED IN THE VARIOUS SIZES BY THAT.
SO THE ADDITIONAL 37.96 ACRES WILL EXPAND THE LIFE OF THIS MINE. I'M SAYING THAT IT CHANGES. RIGHT NOW, THE WHOLE
[00:10:32]
MINE IS SCREENED VISUALLY BY A CENTURY, ABOUT 75 FEET IN WIDTH FROM CHERRY LANE AND ALSO FROM OAKLAND ROAD. THERE WERE A COUPLE AREAS WHERE THEIR ADDITIONAL PLANTINGS WOULD BE HELPFUL. SO THE PLANTINGS THAT ARE UP ON THAT VAPOR PARCEL, THOSE WILL BE TRANSPLANTED TO THOSE AREAS TO HELP. AND THE ONE ADDITIONAL THING THAT WE ARE PROPOSING IS A 25 FOOT TALL IN BEHIND THE EXISTING TREES.THIS IS WHY WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR ANY WHERE THAT LARGE BERM WILL GO. AND THAT'S GOING TO HELP WITH YOUR NOISE DAMPENING, AS WELL AS THE VISUAL SCREEN.
ADDING AN ADDITIONAL PROTECTION FOR THOSE NEIGHBORS. WHERE ARE YOU GONNA PUT THE BERM? THE BERM'S GONNA GO BEHIND THE TREES, ON THE CHERRY LANE SIDE, AND ALSO ON THE. SO YOU'LL SEE THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN SWITCH A COUPLE EXTRA PAGES HERE, ONE MORE.
AND THEN, IF YOU CAN, ZOOM OUT A LITTLE BIT. SURE, YOU CAN SCROLL DOWN. SCROLL DOWN A LITTLE FURTHER. IT'S A LARGE FILE SIZE, WHICH IS WHY... OKAY, SO YOU CAN SEE THE BURNS. YOU CAN SEE THE EXISTING MINING POND IS CONTINUING ALONG.
BUT A LITTLE, ON THE VERY BOTTOM OF YOUR SCREEN, WE ARE SHOWING SOME BURNS THAT ARE... AND IN FRONT OF THAT, BUFFERED BETWEEN THAT AND CHERRY LANE, IS THAT ESTABLISHED 75 FOOT WIDE AREA OF- THIS WILL BE FURTHER PROTECTED. YES. THIS PIT'S SO OLD, WE DIDN'T HAVE THE 200 FOOT SETBACK. EVERYTHING MEET 200 FOOT SETBACK? THE WHOLE THING? NO. OKAY. YEAH, ON PHASE THREE, THERE WERE SOME ADDITIONAL PARCELS THAT GOT ADDED TOGETHER. AND ALONG THE ENTRANCE ROAD, THE WHOLE ROAD, AND THEY REQUESTED A SETBACK THERE. AND I BELIEVE A PORTION OF THIS EIGHT ACRE PIECE, I THINK THERE WAS A, THE MAIN THING WAS ALONG THE ACCESS ROAD.
FOR THE MOST PART, IT'S ALL 200 FOOT. RIGHT, YEAH. SO THE EXISTING PHASE MINE WAS DONE IN THE 90S. WE DIDN'T REALLY HAVE ANY SETBACK REQUIREMENTS AT ALL. SO THAT'S GOOD, ANOTHER BERM BEHIND THE TREES. YEAH. DEEP.
DEEP. YEAH. SO ULTIMATELY, WE WERE PROPOSING ON THE INTERIOR OF THE SITE, WE'RE NOT... THE ADDITION OF THE BERM, WE FEEL THAT THE MINE IS ALSO NOT IMPACTING TRAFFIC. WE'RE NOT CHANGING THE TRAFFIC FOR THE HOURS. SO WE FEEL THAT THE MINE IN THIS LOCATION WILL NOT HAVE ANY UNIQUE ADVERSE EFFECTS WHEN COMPARED TO THE OTHER MINES IN THE AREA. SO FOR THE NEW PHASE, WE HAVE ADDED TWO PLANS BECAUSE THAT WAS A CONDITION THAT THEY NOT HAVE. NO SATURDAY NIGHT FOR MINING AREA. NO MINING? CAN THEY HAUL OUT? YES. THEY CAN HAUL OUT. THERE'S NO MINING. THEY CAN HAUL OUT.
[00:15:29]
WELL, I THINK, I MEAN, IN THE PACKAGE THAT THEY SUBMITTED, YOU'RE NOT, AND WE GET INTO THIS EITHER TRUCKS OR TRUCKLOADS, BUT IT'S 100, THAT'S PRETTY STANDARD, AND WE SORT OUT THE TRUCK OR TRUCKLOADS, BUT YOU'RE NOT ASKING FOR ANY INCREASE IN THAT, YOU'RE NOT ASKING FOR CHANGING HOURS, YOU'RE JUST... I DON'T MEAN TO MINIMIZE THIS, BUT IF HE'D HAVE SOLD YOU THE PROPERTY 10 YEARS AGO, IT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED 10 YEARS AGO. I MEAN, IT'S JUST A CONTINUATION OF THE PIT THAT'S THERE, AND YOU FINALLY WERE ABLE TO GET THE LAST CORNER. YES, SIR. SO, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? I MEAN, THERE'S JUST A BIGGER HOLE. WE GOT IT. AND IF WE GOT THEM IN OUR PACKAGE, AND AGAIN THAT WE HAD. THERE WAS A REPORT, THERE WAS NO IMPACT ON APPRAISALS, THERE WAS NO IMPACT ON TRAFFIC. YOU'RE NOT ASKING FOR ANY MORE TRUCK TRAFFIC. SO IT'S OR ANY MORE LOADS.THERE'S NOT, AND I THINK, WAS THERE A NOISE REPORT IN THERE? AND IT'S, THE DREDGE ISN'T NEW. YOU'RE ALREADY RUNNING A DREDGE, RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT. SO, THE HOUSES ON THE NORTH SIDE KNOW ABOUT THE DREDGE, AND THE PEOPLE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF CHERRY LANE KNOW ABOUT THE DREDGE.
SO, I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY'S EVER BEEN BOTHERED OR EVEN EVER SEEN A SIGN. SO, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU... WE HAVE NOTHING OTHER THAN...
AND MATT ALWAYS DOES US A REALLY NICE JOB IN PUTTING ALL THIS STUFF TOGETHER. SO THAT WE HAVE PLENTY OF TIME AND TO REVIEW IT AND INFORMATION TO REVIEW. AND THIS IS SOMETHING I LIKE TO ASK, MATT, NO PROBLEMS? NO. LIKE I SAID, OUR PREVIOUS COMMENTS THAT WENT OUT WERE ALL ADDRESSED. TAC MEMBERS DIDN'T HAVE ANY COMMENTS THAT WOULD JUSTIFY ANY NEEDS TO BRING TO THE BOARD.
THEY MAY NOT BE HERE TONIGHT, BUT ANYBODY CALLING IN, COMPLAINING? THE TRAFFIC STUDY WAS DONE FOR PATUXENT MATERIALS, SO IS THAT... MR. GARDNER IS...
ARE THEY DIGGING? ARE THEY THE ONES DIGGING? PATUXENT IS A GOLD BURROW. YEAH. YEAH. AND MATT, THE ONLY APPLICANT? YOU GOT A SPECIAL EXEMPTION, AND THEN, I MEAN, THE FINAL, YOU HAD THE FINALIZATION OF THE LOT LINE REDUCING, WHICH THAT'S. THEY'VE GOT TO GET APPROVAL AND GET THAT ALL TAKEN CARE OF. YEAH, ONCE YOU KNOW IF YOU GO TO THE BZA AND IT GETS APPROVED, THAT'LL JUST BE FINALIZED AS PART OF THE FINAL SITE PLAN. DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YES. OF LEAN ENGINEERING OR... .OUR.
STAFF, PEOPLE. HOW LONG DO YOU THINK YOU CAN DIG IT OUT? HOW LONG IS IT GOING TO BE?
[00:20:09]
ALRIGHT, IF NOBODY'S GOT ANYTHING ELSE, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION. OH, WE'VE GOT TO GO OVER THERE SEVEN THINGS, DON'T WE? YES. OH, THAT'S A DIFFERENT ONE. BECAUSE I'M LIKE, I'M NOT SEEING THEM, AND MATT USUALLY DOES THAT FOR US. OH, YAY, WE GET TO SKIP THAT PART. OH. THAT'S FOR THE NEXT TIME. YEAH, ALL THE COMP PLAN STUFF. BUT, YOU KNOW, AND THEY BASICALLY GOT IT ALL ADDRESSED ANYWAY. I MEAN, THEY'VE DONE THEIR ENGINEERING, THEY'VE DONE THEIR TRAFFIC STUDY. SO NOW THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO DO THE SEVEN THINGS, I WANT TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION.SEE, WE'RE LOOKING FOR A MOTION TO APPROVE THIS, TO MOVE TO PRELIMINARY.
APPROVE THE PRELIMINARY SITE PLAN APPROVAL. I'LL MAKE A MOTION. WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE PRELIMINARY SITE PLAN APPLICATION FOR GOLDSBORO MATERIALS. DO I HEAR A SECOND? I SECOND. WE HAVE A SECOND.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND.
YEP. GOOD LUCK. SO, I DON'T WANT TO MAKE THE BOARD OF ED MAD, BUT I THINK WE WERE ASKED
[2026 CWSP Federalsburg Sewer Service Area Map Amendment]
TO MOVE THE AGENDA AROUND.FLIP THEM. OH. YES. THIS WILL BE SHORT AND SWEET. IT'LL BE SHORT. SO, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE THE AGENDA, IF YOU DON'T MIND, SIR. SO UP NEXT IS THE FEDERALBURG SEWER SERVICE AREA MAP AMENDMENT.
ME, ME. AND WE HAVE A GUEST HERE WITH US. WE DO. SO, PLEASE EXPLAIN THIS TO US. LESLIE GRUNDON, CAROLINE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND CODES. THIS IS A REQUEST FOR A MAP AMENDMENT IN THE COMPREHENSIVE WATER AND SEWER PLAN. IT'S FOR THE TOWN OF FEDERALSBURG SEWER SERVICE AREA. YOU GUYS HAVE THE STAFF REPORT. AND THEN THE GRAPHIC OF THE EXISTING MAP, A CLOSE-UP OF THE PROPERTY IN QUESTION, AND THEN THE PROPOSED MAP CHANGE. ALONG WITH A LETTER FROM THE TOWN OF FEDERALSBURG. THAT EXPLAINS THE PROJECT AND SUPPORTS IT.
THIS IS FOR THE TOWN OF FEDERALSBURG TO EXTEND THEIR SEWER SERVICE TO A PROPERTY ON OLD DENTON ROAD. THE PROPERTY OWNER IS DOING RENOVATIONS TO AN EXISTING HOUSE, INCLUDING SOME EXPANSION. THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS GONE OUT TO THE PROPERTY AND DETERMINED THAT THE EXISTING SEPTIC ISN'T SUFFICIENT, AND NOR DO THEY HAVE A SEPTIC.
ANY ABILITY TO EXPAND THAT SEPTIC AND THAT THE ONLY WAY THAT THIS IS POSSIBLE IS TO CONNECT TO THE TOWN OF FEDERALSBURG SEWER SYSTEM. THE SEWER SYSTEMS SEWER LINE IS ALREADY EXTENDED. THIS IS JUST ABOVE THE TOWN'S BOUNDARY LINE TO THE PROPERTY NEXT DOOR. SO IT WOULDN'T BE A MASSIVE EXTENSION OF THEIR SEWER MAIN, IT WOULD PROBABLY JUST BE A LATERAL.
RIGHT, YEAH. RIGHT NOW, THAT AREA, THAT PROPERTY IS AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE S3 SERVICE AREA. THE TIMING CATEGORIES ARE S1 IS EXISTING SERVICE, S2 IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION, WHICH IS REALLY FOR LARGE PROJECTS THAT ARE TWO OR THREE YEARS, LIKE LAYING A WHOLE NEW SEWER MAIN OR SOMETHING. S3 IS IMMEDIATE PRIORITY. SO THE TOWN ALREADY IDENTIFIED THIS AS A POTENTIAL PROPERTY FOR SOONER RATHER THAN LATER CONNECTION.
BUT THE IMPORTANT THING IS, IT'S NOT LEAPFROGGING ANY OTHER PROPERTIES. IT'S THE NEXT PROPERTY UP. AND WHAT THEY'RE REQUESTING IS TO CHANGE IT TO S1 BECAUSE THIS WILL BE A QUICK PROJECT TO CONNECT IT. SO IN TALKING TO THE TOWN, THEY HAVE PLENTY OF CAPACITY TO CONNECT THIS PROPERTY. THAT IS NOT AN ISSUE. THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS DETERMINED THAT THAT'S REALLY THEIR ONLY OPTION. IT IS CONSISTENT WITH THE COUNTY SEWER PLAN GOALS, AND, IN FACT, ALL OF OUR GOALS. NOT JUST FOR MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S ADEQUATE INFRASTRUCTURE AND PUBLIC FACILITIES. BUT ALSO IT
[00:25:02]
SUPPORTS EXISTING HOUSING, YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO BE IMPROVED. AND CONNECTING IT TO FETTLESBURG'S PLANT, FETTLESBURG'S PLANT IS AN ENHANCED NITROGEN REMOVAL PLANT, ENR PLANT, STATE OF THE ART. SO, GOING FROM AN AGING SEPTIC TO AN ENR PLANT CONNECTION IS A REDUCTION IN THE NITROGEN LOAD TO THE MARSHY HOPE CREEK. SO IT'S SORT OF THREE... BIRDS WITH ONE STONE, ACTUALLY. SO, THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS TO APPROVE THE TIMING, CATEGORY CHANGE AND THE MAP AMENDMENT UP TO THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS FOR THEIR REVIEW AND ADOPTION.AND MAGGIE MCCONNELL, WHO'S THE TOWN'S ASSISTANT TOWN CLERK, IS HERE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS THAT I CAN'T ANSWER FOR HER.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? THIS IS OUT OF TOWN LIMITS. JUST OUT OF TOWN LIMITS. AND I BELIEVE ONCE THIS IS DONE, BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET THIS DONE VIA ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT FOR A WHILE, THEY'LL DISCUSS WITH THEM POTENTIAL ANNEXATION IN THE FUTURE. RIGHT. ARE THEY REQUIRED TO ABANDON THE OLD SEPTIC SYSTEM? THEY WILL BE.
THAT'S A HEALTH DEPARTMENT REQUIREMENT. AND I THINK THAT THIS IS ELIGIBLE FOR A BRF GRANT. WHEN YOU CONNECT A SEPTIC TO AN ENR PLANT, YOU'RE ELIGIBLE FOR FUNDING FROM THE BAY RESTORATION FUND. SO ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS TO DO THAT IS THAT THE SEPTIC SYSTEM BE DECOMMISSIONED, AND THEY EITHER HAVE TO REMOVE THE TANK, CRUSH IT, OR FILL IT WITH CEMENT.
YEP. YEP. SUPPORTS HOUSING IMPROVEMENT. SO IS THIS ADDING IN THREE PARCELS BASED ON THE MAP? NO, IT'S JUST ONE.
OH, IT LOOKS LIKE TWO. IT LOOKS LIKE ONE. IT LOOKS LIKE TWO.
OR IT LOOKS LIKE THREE. THE SYSTEM NEXT 308 DENTON ROAD IS BEING CONNECTED. PARCELS BELOW IT ARE CONNECTED OR THE PARCEL BOTH OF THOSE ARE IN THE S1 SERVICE AREA. OH, I SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. YOU SEE WHAT SHE MEANS? YEAH, I THINK THAT THAT LOWER ONE, THERE'S ONLY ONE PARCEL CONNECTED, ONE HOUSE CONNECTED. THAT MAY BE PART OF, I'LL HAVE TO ASK NATHAN. IT LOOKS LIKE YOU WANT THREE PIECES. IT DOES, BUT THAT'S NOT THE CASE.
I THINK IT'S JUST THE WAY THAT THE... THE SERVICE AREAS? YEAH, I THINK THEY'RE JUST OVERLAPPED. BECAUSE IT IS JUST ONE PARCEL BETWEEN IT AND THE TOWN BOUNDARY. SO WE NEED TO CORRECT THAT. SO IF THEY HAVE PLENTY OF CAPACITY, WHY NOT ADD MORE? BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVEN'T REQUESTED IT.
YOU KNOW, THAT'LL BE UP TO THE TOWN TO DECIDE. AND USUALLY TO EXTEND A SEWER LINE TO PROPERTIES THAT ARE ALREADY SERVED, EVEN BY SEPTIC, TO GET FUNDING TO DO THAT, LIKE GRANT FUNDING TO DO THAT, THERE HAS TO BE LIKE A CRITICAL NEED, LIKE ACTIVELY FAILING SEPTICS.
THIS ONE ISN'T FAILING, IT'S JUST NOT SUFFICIENT TO SERVE THE RENOVATIONS OF THE PROPERTY. 308 IS THE SECOND ONE IN. IT IS. THERE'S ANOTHER HOUSE BEFORE. SO THE FIRST ONE IS ALREADY CONNECTED.
ALREADY CONNECTED. WHAT ARE THEY ADDING? A ROOM? IT IS...
WE'RE ADDING... LAUNDRY ROOM AND A HALF BATH ARE PROBABLY WHAT'S TRIGGERING THIS SEPTIC REQUIREMENT. AND THEN THEY'RE ADDING ANOTHER BEDROOM ON THE SECOND FLOOR. THAT'S EXACTLY IT. YEAH. I MEAN, THEY GOT PLENTY OF CAPACITY.
YEAH. AND IT'S MOVING WHERE THE STATE WANTS TO GO, RIGHT? YEAH. OFF SEPTIC SYSTEM. AND THEY'RE LITTLE LOTS, ANYWAY.
YEAH, THEY DON'T HAVE AN ALTERNATIVE IF SEPTIC ISN'T...
THEY CAN'T PUT A BIGGER SEPTIC SYSTEM IN BECAUSE IT'S JUST A LOT SIZE. YEAH, AND THAT'S THAT'S GOING TO BE IN YOUR GROWTH AREA ANYWAY, RIGHT? WELL, THAT'S AN AREA
[00:30:06]
WHERE THEY... IT'S IN ONE OF THEIR, IN THEIR OLD COMP PLAN ANNEXATION AREAS, POTENTIAL ANNEXATION AREAS.THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE LIKE FOUR OR FIVE DIFFERENT AREAS AND THIS IS ONE OF THEM. AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHY IT'S S3, JUST FOR THAT REASON. SO IT'S POISED TO BE CONSIDERED A PRIORITY WHEN THEY DO, OR WHEN THE NEED ARISES, LIKE NOW. SO THE NEXT STEP WOULD BE, IF YOU ALL APPROVE THIS, WHICH I'M RECOMMENDING, IT WILL GO UP TO THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS FOR A WORKSHOP AND THEN BE ADVERTISED. BECAUSE IT'S AN AMENDMENT. EVEN THOUGH IT'S JUST A MAP AMENDMENT, IT'S AN AMENDMENT. SO IT WOULD GO TO A PUBLIC HEARING AND THEN, BASED ON THAT, BE ADOPTED, HOPEFULLY. AND I GOT SCHOOLED ON ALL THIS AT THE WORKSHOP BECAUSE IT'S LIKE, WHY ARE WE LOOKING AT THIS? I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS MY QUESTION. WHY ARE WE LOOKING AT THIS? BUT THE COUNTY IS THE ONE THAT MAINTAINS THE MASTER SEWER PLAN, THE WHOLE COUNTY. ALL COUNTIES ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR OVERSIGHT, NOT LIKE ENFORCEMENT OR ANYTHING, BUT JUST TRACKING AND KEEPING A CURRENT INVENTORY OF WHO'S GOT SEWER GOING, WHERE AND WHAT OR TWO. IT BASICALLY COMES DOWN TO THE STATE WANTS TO GO TALK TO ONE PERSON, THEY DON'T WANT TO TALK TO EVERY TOWN IN TOWN. AND SO THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TO LOOK AT IT AND HAVE AN IMPACT ON OTHERS. ANYBODY GOT ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? ANY MORE QUESTIONS? NO MORE QUESTIONS.
APPROVE OR RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE FELDSBERG SEWER SERVICE AREA MAP AMENDMENT TO CHANGE THE S3 ON 308 ON DENTON ROAD IN FELDSBERG TO S1 CATEGORY. AND FORWARD THIS RECOMMENDATION TO THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS FOR THEIR REVIEW AND APPROVAL. I SECOND. THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. AYE. ALL OPPOSED, SAME. THANK YOU.
[North Caroline HS Priority Funding Area]
MA'AM. NOW, LET ME GO BACK UP HERE. LOOK AT THIS. AND WE'RE GOING TO GO TO SCHOOL TONIGHT, LITERALLY.YEAH, GET OUT. OKAY, SO. I DON'T HAVE MY AGENDA BECAUSE I'VE BEEN BUSY SCROLLING THROUGH ALL THIS STUFF. SO, JEFF, THERE YOU GO. OKAY. SO THE NEXT THING ON THE AGENDA IS THE NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL PRIORITY FUNDING AREA REQUEST. WHO'S GOING TO GIVE THE STAFF REPORT? THERE YOU GO. PLEASE TELL US WHAT WE'RE DOING. HI, WILL. HELLO. NOW, THERE'S BEEN A COUPLE OF TIMES OVER THE LAST YEAR THAT WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT PRIORITY FUNDING AREAS AS A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
[00:36:39]
AND THIS WILL HELP THEM WHEN THEY'RE LOOKING FOR STATE FUNDING, ANY KIND OF FUNDING, BECAUSE PRIORITY FUNDING AREA MEANS IT IS A PRIORITY PRIMARILY FOR INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING AND CONSTRUCTION TO SUPPORT LOCAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND FACILITIES, WHICH THEY ARE. IT DOESN'T GUARANTEE IT, BUT IT LETS YOU APPLY FOR IT.IT PUTS YOU IN THE COMPETITION FOR FUNDING, AND IT HELPS A LOT.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE FIRST...
WELL, FOR US TONIGHT, IT'S NOT ABOUT THE PLANS. IT'S JUST ABOUT, HEY, STATE, WE WANT TO PUT THIS TOP OF THE LIST.
AND MY QUESTION IS, WHY HAVEN'T WE DONE IT BEFORE WITH ALL THE SCHOOLS? WHY ISN'T EVERY SCHOOL DESIGNATED AS A PRIORITY FUNDING AREA? THEY WENT TO, THEY LOOKED AT ZOOM THAT THOSE WOULD BE, THEY ALSO
[00:40:01]
DESIGNATED IN- THANK YOU.THERE'S NO GUARANTEE WE'LL GET IT, BUT THAT'S THE PROCESS.
YOU CAN'T GET IT IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT. SHOULD WE ASK FOR ALL OF THEM NOW, OR DO THEM ONE AT A TIME? WE'RE GOING TO COOK A BIG CAKE. WE'RE ONLY A FEW MONTHS AWAY FROM IT. I JUST DIDN'T, I MEAN, IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THIS THING OF DOING THINGS OVER AND OVER. KNOCK IT ALL OUT AT ONCE. THREE YEARS, LET'S DO IT AGAIN. WELL, YOU DO WANT TO GO BACK AND VERIFY THAT THEY ARE SEXY. YEAH. WELL, I MEAN, THAT'S, I THINK, THIS IS THE SCHOOL THEY'RE GOING TO BUILD NOW. RIGHT.
WHEN WE GET INTO REVISITING... AND I MEAN, THAT WAS MY FIRST, THAT WAS MY FIRST MINDSET WHEN I SAW THIS, I'M LIKE, WHY ARE ALL THE SCHOOLS...
IT'S WHAT WE DO, WHY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT, IT'S A SCHOOL, WHY ARE ALL THE SCHOOLS... THE TOWNS. YEAH. SO REALLY, IT WOULD BE- COLONEL RICHARDSON. AND ANY OTHER- DERRICKSON AND SUPERINTENDENT STATE. THAT WOULD BE SOMEBODY ELSE'S PROBLEM. LIKELY NOT MINE. BUT LACHMAN REALLY IS THE... ...COMMISSIONER'S...
.THINGS. GO RIGHT, AND I'M GOING TO BE OPTIMISTIC. IF THINGS GO RIGHT, WE COULD BE OPENING IT. THAT'S THE IMPORTANT PART. WHEN WE FOUND OUT ABOUT THE PFA OPPORTUNITY AND THIS REALLY, WE GOT TO FIND OUT. NO, I MEAN, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE, SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE. BUT, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? SUPERINTENDENT'S HERE. RECORD OPERATIONS. WELL, WE'RE KIND
[00:45:01]
OF LATE. SO, LIKE SHE SAID, WE'RE NOT GONNA WRESTLE WITH THEM FOUR FANS. I THINK WE HAD A WORKSHOP ABOUT, WE KINDA HAD ALL THIS OUT ON THE TABLE, SO. WHO DECIDES THE FINAL PLAN? HOW LONG DOES THIS PROJECT OR PROCESS TAKE? CAN YOU SIGN THAT LETTER? YES. FIVE MINUTES? IT'S READY.IS IT READY? AND ON THE STATE LEVEL, I MEAN, YOU HAVE A LETTER WRITTEN THAT'S GOING TO SOMEBODY. IT'S READY TO GO. I MEAN, IS IT LIKE THE BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS, OR WHO GETS TO SAY, OH YEAH, THAT'S IT? WHO GETS TO MAKE THAT DECISION? FOR THE STATE. MDP. YEAH, FOR THE STATE. DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING. AND THE INTERAGENCY OF SCHOOLS. SO WE'VE MADE SURE THAT EVERYBODY ALONG THE LANE, WE'VE GOT PLENTY OF PEOPLE.
SO WHAT WE'LL DO IS BE IN TOUCH WITH MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING WITH HER LETTER. THEY'LL ADD IT TO THEIR PFA MAP LAYER, AND WHEN ANY FUNDING AGENCY GOES TO CHECK THAT, THEY'LL LOOK TO SEE IF THEY ARE IN A MAP. PFA LAYER. SO THAT WILL BE. OUR FOLLOW-UP IS TO PESTER THEM DAILY UNTIL IT'S PART OF THE LAYER.
YEAH. AND I THINK YOU SAID, 57 ACRES, THAT'S A WHOLE, THAT'S A WHOLE CAMPUS. THAT'S THE WHOLE PROBLEM. TRAVIS AND WHEN I SPOKE WITH HIM, COMMISSIONER BREEDING THIS AFTERNOON, GOING OVER THE AGENDA, SAID THAT HE WAS IN FAVOR.
BUT HE DID NOT SAY THAT IT NEEDS TO COME TO HIM. I CAN ALREADY SAY IT'S NOT REQUIRED TO GO TO THEM BECAUSE IT'S JUST A LETTER. AND THEY'RE WELL AWARE OF THE PROJECT AND IN SUPPORT OF THE PROJECT.
SO, AND THERE'S NO REQUIREMENT FROM THE STATE TO HAVE A LETTER FROM THEM. I DON'T WANT TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT EITHER. DO YOU FEEL THE NEED FOR IT TO GO? I MEAN, YOU'VE TALKED TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE COMMISSION. THEY'RE IN SUPPORT OF IT. I DON'T KNOW ANY COMMISSION PRIORITY FUNDING AREA FOR A SCHOOL. SO I DON'T THINK YOU NEED TO GO TO COMMISSIONERS. IF IT DOESN'T HAVE TO, THAT'S JUST MORE TIME. THAT'S JUST MORE TIME. YOU CAN SEND THIS TOMORROW. YES. AND THEY WILL BE COPIED ON IT, SO THEY'LL BE AWARE THAT IT'S.
YEAH. ANYTHING ELSE? EMOTION? I MOTION THAT WE SIGNED THE LETTER. TO MAKE NORTH HIGH A PRIORITY? MAKE NORTH CAROLINA HIGH A PRIORITY? THERE'S A MOTION. SECOND. MOTION. WE'RE GOING TO PUT A HAND TO IT.
THIRD. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION FOR NORTH CAROLINA HIGH'S PRIORITY FUNDING AREA RECOMMENDATION, SAY AYE. RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND.
AYE. ALL OPPOSED, SAME. THERE YOU GO. THERE YOU GO.
[Update on Comprehensive Plan]
MORE THINGS. THANK YOU. SO, OUR TIMELINE FOR THE... NEXT MONTH.[00:50:44]
OKAY. THE MUNICIPALITIES ASSOCIATION. IF WE WANT TO TRY TO PUT TOGETHER...THE TOWN MANAGERS CAN SPEAK FOR THEIR COMMISSIONERS? GENERALLY, YES. AND THEY, IN HALF THE TOWNS, THEY WILL BE DOING THE COMP PLAN UPDATES.AND HALF THE TOWNS HAVE A CIRCUIT RIDER, TOWN MANAGER, AND IT'S THE SAME PERSON. SO, YOU COULD GET FIVE KNOCKED OUT IN ONE NIGHT. THE SMALL TOWNS, THE LARGER, YOU KNOW, PRESTON AND DENTON AND GREENSBORO AND GOLDSBURG, WELL, AND FEDERALSBURG, MAYBE THAT'S A CALL TO THE TOWN ADMINISTRATOR OR MANAGER TO SAY, YOU KNOW, YOUR CALL. DO YOU WANT TO HAVE A, DO YOU WANT COMMISSIONERS? OR BOTH OF YOU, OR ONE OF YOU? AND I THINK MOST OF THOSE TOWN MANAGERS WOULD BE AMENABLE TO AN EVENING MEETING. NOT NECESSARILY DURING THE DAY. I THINK THEY'D BE OKAY WITH THAT. AND YOU'RE GOING TO DO THEM ALL TOGETHER? EVERYBODY HERE? I WOULD SPLIT THEM UP.
BUT IF YOU GET THE MRDC CIRCUIT RIDER TOWN MANAGER, WHICH IS TEMPLEVILLE, HENDERSON, MARYDELL, HILLSBORO, AND GOLDSBORO, PROBABLY YOU COULD DO THEM ALL IN ONE DAY. WHO IS THAT? JEANETTE DELUTE. THE OTHER QUESTION IS WHERE OUR DENTON'S COMP PLAN IS FINISHED. I DON'T, I KNOW GREENSBORO HAS BEEN TALKING ABOUT TRYING TO GET IT STARTED. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT ANY OF THE OTHERS. I KNOW MAGGIE SAID THAT THEY'RE KIND OF GEARING UP FOR IT. I KNOW NONE OF THE FIVE SMALL TOWNS HAVE STARTED. HOW ABOUT RIDGELY? DON'T KNOW ABOUT THEM. FORGOT ABOUT RIDGELY. SO WE'RE JUST LOOKING FOR INPUT FROM THEIR TOWN THAT MIGHT INTERFERE OR... WELL, PART OF IT WAS WE WERE LOOKING AT HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES AND, YOU KNOW, GROWTH AREA IDEAS.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS, WHAT THEIR THOUGHTS ARE, WHAT THEY WANT. YOU KNOW, SOME OF THEM, I REMEMBER... PRESTON DID NOT PARTICULARLY WANT TO HAVE ANY MORE REAL POP, NOT, THEY DIDN'T WANT TO COURT POPULATION GROWTH AND ENABLE POPULATION GROWTH. AND RIDGELY IS A LITTLE BIT IN THAT BOAT.
AND BOTH OF THOSE ARE BECAUSE OF SEWER SYSTEM LIMITATIONS.
THEY JUST DON'T HAVE THE CAPACITY FOR IT. SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY, YOU KNOW, WE NEED AN ANSWER. IT'S MORE OF, KNOW HOW'S THAT GOING? YOU KNOW, HOW ARE YOU LOOKING? ARE YOU GOING TO TRY AND GET SOME FUNDING FOR CAPACITY? ARE YOU HAVING ANY LUCK WITH THAT? ARE YOU, YOU KNOW, JUST THE KIND OF CONVERSATIONS THAT THEY WOULD
[00:55:01]
BE HAVING INTERNALLY ALSO, JUST TO GET A FEEL FOR IT. IT WOULD ALSO BE INTERESTING TO ASK THEM ABOUT SOLAR DEVELOPMENT. I KNOW MERIDEL IS GRAPPLING WITH A DEVELOPER WANTING TO TAKE MAIN STREET PROPERTIES AND TURN IT INTO A SOLAR FIELD. I KNOW THAT THERE'S A COUPLE WHO ARE KIND OF DEER IN HEADLIGHTS. GREENSBORO HAS ONE. YEAH. ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAD THOUGHT ABOUT TALKING TO THEM ABOUT WAS THEM ADOPTING THE SAME KIND OF AG PRESERVATION FUND THAT WE STARTED, WHERE IF A DEVELOPER DOES COME IN, HE HAS TO PAY INTO IT, WHETHER OR NOT THEY WANT TO USE THAT TO PRESERVE LAND OR TO SUPPORT NON-SOLAR DEVELOPMENT, LIKE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT, EITHER IN INFRASTRUCTURE.MONEY OR SOMETHING THAT COULD HELP THEM, BUT SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES THAT WOULD BENEFIT THEM. BUT MOSTLY, I THINK IT'S WHAT ARE THEIR PLANS FOR GROWTH, HOW ARE THEY LOOKING AT GETTING INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING TO SUPPORT ANY KIND OF GROWTH, DO THEY WANT ANY KIND OF GROWTH, BECAUSE WE KIND OF PUT ALL OUR GROWTH EGGS IN THEIR BASKET, I MEAN, FOR DENSER DEVELOPMENT. AND IS DENSE DEVELOPMENT SOMETHING THEY'RE AMENABLE TO? ARE THEY LOOKING AT ENABLING MORE TOWNHOUSES AND APARTMENTS LIKE WE'RE GRAPPLING WITH IN OUR PFA VILLAGES? ALLOWING DENSER DEVELOPMENT, IS THAT SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, JUST THOSE KIND OF CONVERSATIONS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT I NEED TO DO WITH ACCESSORY DWELLINGS. YOU KNOW, ALL OF THEM HAVE THE ABILITY TO PUT GARAGE APARTMENTS IN.
TAKE A WHOLE HOUSE, BUST IT INTO TWO APARTMENTS. RIGHT.
WHICH I THINK MOST OF THEM ALREADY ALLOW THAT, ESPECIALLY IN THEIR TOWN CENTERS, WHICH IS ALMOST ANYTHING GOES, YOU KNOW, COMMERCIAL, RESIDENTIAL. I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO TRY TO PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER. I MEAN, I KNOW IT'S NOT GOING TO BE AN EASY TASK. SO MAYBE WE SHOULD DO SOMETHING IN THE EVENING AND JUST...
SOME KIND OF REPRESENTATION FROM THEIR TOWN. WHOEVER THEY PREFER TO SEND AS THEIR SPOKESPERSON.
YEAH. YEAH, BECAUSE IF YOU GET ALL OF THEM HERE, WE'LL BE HERE UNTIL MIDNIGHT.
WELL, NOT ONLY THAT, BUT THEY'RE DIFFERENT. THE SMALLER TOWNS ARE DIFFERENT THAN THE LARGER TOWNS. YEAH. I THINK ONE-ON-ONE IS A GOOD APPROACH. AND EVEN WHEN YOU GET THE MRDC CIRCUIT RIDER, PLANNER OR MANAGER, SHE CAN TALK ABOUT ALL OF THEM. AND THAT'S KIND OF AN OUTLIER, BUT THE OTHERS ARE BIG ENOUGH THAT YOU COULD PROBABLY SPEND AN HOUR OR TWO.
COULD YOU TAKE RIDLEY AND PRESTON AND DO THEM, OR MAYBE RIDLEY AND GREENSBORO, BECAUSE ACTUALLY THEY'RE NEXT TO EACH OTHER. THEY ARE. OR WOULD YOU JUST DO THEM INDIVIDUALLY? I WOULD LEAN TOWARDS INDIVIDUALLY. OKAY.
BECAUSE EACH OF THEM HAVE UNIQUE... CHALLENGES, LET'S PUT IT THAT WAY. THE LARGER TOWNS. THE FIVE SMALL ONES COULD BE LITERALLY ONE NIGHT. RIGHT. AND THEN THE OTHER FIVE WOULD BE, AND WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT DOING THIS BEFORE JUNE, ARE WE? LET ME REPHRASE THAT.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO THIS BEFORE JUNE, ARE WE? I THINK THAT WAS THE PLAN. WHAT WAS THE PLAN? MARCH. WHAT? THIS IS MARCH. WELL, YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH TIME.
I KNOW, IT AIN'T THAT LONG AWAY.
BEFORE. WELL, I GUESS THE QUESTION WOULD BE, HOW MUCH WOULD IT IMPACT ANY OF OUR PLAN? THEIR ANSWERS.
AND HONESTLY, I EXPECT THAT BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T, MOST
[01:00:01]
OF THEM HAVE NOT REALLY DELVED INTO THEIR COMP PLAN. AND THESE KINDS OF DISCUSSIONS, WE MIGHT BE THE FIRST TIME THEY ACTUALLY START THINKING ABOUT THESE DISCUSSIONS. THEY MAY END UP ASKING US MORE QUESTIONS THAN WE ASKED THEM.EXACTLY. I MEAN, IT'S A GOOD WAY TO HELP LAUNCH THEM INTO THEIR COMP PLANS. WHAT DOES A TOWN HAVE TO DO TO EXPAND? ANNEX LAND.
FROM THE COUNTY? YES. WELL, FROM THE PRIVATE LANDOWNERS WHO... SO I CAN... RIGHT. SO, IN OTHER WORDS, MY TOWN, I CAN GO TO MY NEXT-DOOR NEIGHBOR AND SAY, I WANT TO BUY YOUR PROPERTY, AND THEN I'M GOING TO ANNEX IT IN TOWN. WELL, NO, YOU GO TO THE TOWN AND SAY, I WANT TO BUY THAT PROPERTY, WOULD YOU ANNEX IT IN? AND THEN THE TOWN WILL SAY, SHOW ME SUPPORT. THE TOWN, THERE'S A WHOLE STRING OF REQUIREMENTS THAT THEY HAVE TO DO. I'VE GOT 500 ACRES THAT I WANT TO ANNEX IN. YOU GO TO GREENSBORO. AND THE COUNTY IS NOT GONNA HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT IT. THEY HAVE ONE THING TO SAY ABOUT IT. WHEN THE TOWN AGREES TO ANNEX THE LAND, THE TOWN COMES TO THE COUNTY AND SAYS, WE WANNA ANNEX THIS LAND, RIGHT NOW, IT IS ZONED R.
WE'RE GONNA ANNEX IT INTO TOWN AND MAKE IT R3. ARE YOU OKAY WITH THAT? AND THE COUNTY, BECAUSE IT'S A CHANGE IN ZONING, EVEN THOUGH IT'S GOING FROM COUNTY TO MUNICIPAL, DOES HAVE A. IT'S SORT OF LIKE A RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL TO SAY, YES, WE'RE FINE WITH IT, OR NO, WE'RE NOT. IF THE COUNTY SAYS WE DON'T WANT IT TO BE CHANGED TO R3, THEN THE ZONING CANNOT BE CHANGED FOR FIVE YEARS. SO IT HAS TO SIT FOR FIVE YEARS. YOU WAIT ON THAT. AFTER FIVE YEARS, THEN THEY CAN CHANGE IT.
BUT THAT IS A DETERRENT FOR SPRAWL DEVELOPMENT, I SUPPOSE. IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE, ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE IN A STATE WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO WAIT ON THAT. I CAN'T THINK OF ANY TIME THE COUNTY... AND THE LAST TIME FEDERAL STATION REQUESTS, FEDERALBURG WAS ONE.
.WHERE? THEY WERE DOING A ZONING CHANGE AND WE DID NOT HAVE ANY... WE WAIVED OUR RIGHT TO HOLD THE ZONING. AND THAT'S WHAT WE DO. WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO IT. AND THEY COME TO US, ESSENTIALLY, TO SAY, WOULD YOU PLEASE WAIVE THAT? AND AS FAR AS I KNOW SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, WE HAVE EVERY TIME AGREED TO WAIVE IT. I DON'T THINK WE EVER HAVE. IF ONE OF THESE TOWNS GOT, LET'S JUST START ANNEXING GROUND, WE'LL MAKE SOME MONEY. THEN THE COUNTY CAN GO, HOLD ON A MINUTE, HOLD ON. HOLD ON, IS THIS WHAT YOU REALLY WANT TO DO? WHAT ARE YOU DOING? I MEAN, YOU WANT 500 ACRES HERE, YOU WANT ANOTHER 500. WHAT ARE YOU DOING? RIGHT, WELL, AND THE TOWN, AND IT WOULD REALLY BE, IF THERE WAS A DEVELOPER WANTING TO DO SOMETHING, THEN THE TOWN WOULD REQUIRE THE DEVELOPER, AND THE STATE REQUIRES THIS AS PART OF ANNEXATION, TO HAVE A FINANCIAL PLAN, A DEVELOPMENT PLAN, SHOW US WHAT YOU'RE DOING, HOW YOU'RE GOING TO SUPPORT IT, WHERE YOU'RE GETTING YOUR MONEY. THE TOWN WOULD REQUIRE THAT BECAUSE THE TOWN DOESN'T WANT TO HAVE SOMETHING GO BELLY UP AFTER ALL THAT EFFORT. AND THE COUNTY WOULD LOOK AT THAT, TOO. AND IF YOU REMEMBER, THAT ALSO HAPPENED WITH WEST STANTON WHEN THEY HAD THOSE DEVELOPER PLANS TO DO THE 55 PLUS COMMUNITY. WHEN THEY ANNEXED ALL OF THOSE PARCELS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RIVER. AND THEN AQUA CON WHEN THEY WHEN PETTLESBURG, ANNEX THAT BIG FARM INTO TOWN. THEY HAD TO HAVE A BUSINESS PLAN, THEY HAD TO SHOW WATER AND SEWER NEEDS, THE TOWN HAD TO SHOW WHAT THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE TO DO TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE THOSE. SO IT'S IT'S A BIG DEAL, AND YOU ALSO, I THINK THERE'S A STEWARD. IS THERE A REQUIREMENT THAT 25% PERCENT AT LEAST OF THE POPULATION OF THE EXISTING MUNICIPALITY HAS TO APPROVE THE ANNEXATION? I DON'T KNOW, RIGHT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, I WANT TO SAY THAT. THEN THE TOWN HAS TO DO LIKE A REFERENDUM, AND 25% OF, I THINK THE WHOLE TOWN HAS TO AGREE TO IT AS WELL. I MIGHT BE WRONG ON THAT PERCENTAGE, BUT I THINK THERE IS A REQUIREMENT FOR THAT, SO YOU CAN'T JUST SKIP OUT AND GET AN ANNEXATION. IT TAKES WORK, BUT IT'S NOT IMPOSSIBLE. NO, NO. BUT WITH BIG DEVELOPMENTS, IF THE TOWN MISSES A FEW STEPS, IT'S ACTUALLY YOU GET TO REVIEW IT. WELL, AND WE DID THAT WITH AQUACON BECAUSE THEY WERE PROPOSING TO TAKE SO MUCH OF THEIR WATER AND SEWER CAPACITY THAT WE ACTUALLY, I SAT DOWN WITH THEM AND SAID, DO YOU REALIZE ONCE YOU GIVE THAT AWAY, YOU DON'T GET IT BACK EVER? AND THEY HAD... SORT OF THOUGHT ABOUT IT.
BUT YEAH, THE COUNTY CAN DO THAT.
BUT THE ONLY, THE ONLY THING WE COULD REALLY DO IS BLOCK THE ZONING CHANGE. FOR FIVE YEARS? FOR FIVE YEARS. WE CAN'T REFUSE TO ALLOW IT. THE STATE MIGHT BE ABLE TO, BUT I'M NOT EVEN SURE ABOUT THAT. I MEAN, I'M SURE MANY A TOWN HAS DONE AN ANNEXATION THAT THEY REGRET DOWN THE ROAD. BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S THEIR MISTAKE TO MAKE, I GUESS. WELL, THAT'S A COMP. I MEAN, THAT'S A COMP PLAN.
THAT'S GROWTH AREAS. THAT'S ALL, I MEAN,
[01:05:02]
YOU SHOULD BE ANNEXING ACCORDING TO YOUR COMP PLAN.EXACTLY. ACCORDING TO YOUR GROWTH AREA. YOU SHOULD ALREADY BE THINKING ABOUT THAT. AND WHAT YOU WANT... WANT THERE? AND MOST OF THE TOWNS HAVE THAT, AND FEDERALSBURG IS PRETTY IN-DEPTH. THEY HAVE THEIR FIVE MAPPED, YOU KNOW, AREAS OF POTENTIAL ANNEXATION AND WHAT THEY WANT IN EACH ONE. YOU KNOW, THIS IS GOING TO BE MOSTLY INDUSTRIAL, THIS IS GOING TO BE A MIX, THIS IS GOING TO BE ALL RESIDENTIAL. AND THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT OVER TIME, THEY MAY ADJUST THOSE A LITTLE BIT, DEPENDING ON HOW INTERNAL DEVELOPMENT IS GOING, BUT MOST TOWNS CONSIDER THAT A LOT. AND IN THEIR COMP PLAN AND THEIR LAND USE ELEMENT, THEY SHOW PROPOSED GROWTH OR ANNEXATION AREAS AND THE PRIORITY AT WHICH THEY WANT TO ANNEX.
IT'S AT LEAST 25% OF THE REGISTERED VOTERS IN THE AREA TO BE ANNEXED, NOT THE MUNICIPALITY. OKAY, SO.
SO WHEN YOU'RE AT THE 500 ACRE FIELD, IT'S LIKE, COOL. AIN'T NOBODY SITTING THERE. YEAH.
SO, NOT THE RESIDENTS OF THE TOWN. THAT DOES SEEM KIND OF ARBITRARY. ARBITRARY AND CAPRICIOUS. OUR FAVORITE WORDS. ON A GOOD DAY, THEY'D ALL LIKE IT, ON A BAD DAY, THEY WOULDN'T LIKE IT. SO, YEAH. IT'S A BIG, THE FLOW CHART FOR MUNICIPAL ANNEXATION IS THE CRAZIEST THING YOU EVER SAW. IT'S A NIGHTMARE. WHY IS THAT? I MEAN, IT SEEMS CRAZY. IT'S VERY COMPLICATED BECAUSE THE STATE DREW UP THE FLOW CHART. THAT'S WILD. AND THEY COULDN'T, IT'S LIKE THEY COULDN'T HELP THEMSELVES. THEY COULD NOT HELP THEMSELVES. IT GOES DOWN. I'LL BRING IT TO THE NEXT MEETING, JUST FOR A LAUGH. THAT'S JOB JUSTIFICATION. OH, MY GOD.
OKAY. WELL, YOU JUST LET US KNOW. WELL, WE COULDN'T DO A GO TO ANOTHER TOWN ON A REGULAR PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING NIGHT. YEAH, IT WOULD BE IN ADDITION TO IT. AND IF AN AGENDA IS FAIRLY OPEN, THERE'S NO REASON WHY WE COULDN'T DO IT ON A PLANNING COMMISSION.
YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY. TRY TO UTILIZE THE TIME THAT WE'RE HERE. THAT WAS MY QUESTION. IF WE ALL GO TO ANOTHER MEETING, WE CAN'T HAVE A QUORUM. SO WE KIND OF ARE RESTRICTED TO...
ON A REGULAR MEETING NIGHT, THEN WE'RE OKAY. RIGHT.
BECAUSE WE'RE ALL HERE. AND I'M SURE EVERYBODY WOULD LIKE TO HEAR SOME OF THIS. WELL, YOU COULD ACTUALLY, YOU COULD DECLARE A SPECIAL MEETING AND BE ABLE TO DO THAT, COULDN'T YOU, STUART? YEAH, YEAH. THE COMMISSIONERS DO. DO IT EVERY TIME WE HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING, FOR EXAMPLE, ON THE BUDGET.
RIGHT. YEAH. SO IT WOULD JUST BE AN EXTRA. BUT I DON'T SEE WHY WE COULDN'T, DEPENDING ON THE SCHEDULE, HAVE IT AS A PART OF A REGULAR. IF YOU LOOK AT THE AGENDA, AND WE HAVE A LIGHT AGENDA.
RIGHT. YOU KNOW, WE TAKE A BREAK FROM SOLAR PANELS AND SAND BITS, AND WE WOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO. AH. AH. AH. WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN THE PIPELINE FOR? GRAVEL, PISS AND SALT. APRIL AND MAY. GRAVEL, PISS AND SALT.
ANYTHING COMING CLOSE FOR APRIL OR MAY? FOR MAY. WELL, APRIL, SHE WON'T BE HERE. AND APRIL IS IN TEN MINUTES. I MEAN, THIS COULD COME BACK FOR A FINAL IN MAY. THIS BRIDGETOWN PIT. WELL, AGAIN, THAT'S NOT... I'VE GOT TO...
WE'VE GOT A CPCN SOLAR APPLICATION IN. THAT COULD POSSIBLY BE NEXT MONTH, BUT... OLIVIA WON'T BE HERE IN APRIL. AND MAY, WE'LL BE WRAPPING UP THE LAST OF OUR CHAPTER ELEMENTS. SO JUNE SEEMS LIKE A LOGICAL START, WHAT DO YOU THINK? WHY NOT? AND MUNICIPAL PLANS, I DON'T THINK ARE DUE UNTIL POSSIBLY THE END OF 2027, BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S GOT A LATE START. AND CENSUS AND
[01:10:02]
WATER DATA, I KNOW FOR A FACT, IS NOT AVAILABLE.SO, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO JAM IT ALL IN RIGHT NOW, AND I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO MATERIALLY CHANGE OUR DRAFT.
PLAN BEFORE IT GOES TO THE STATE. SO WE DON'T HAVE TO FEEL LIKE WE GOT TO CRAM THEM ALL IN ON TOP OF EACH OTHER. THANKS OLIVIA.
NO, BECAUSE WE GOT, I MEAN, THESE THINGS CHANGE YOU ALL, DONE? YEAH. THAT'S GOOD.
[2026 Water Resources Chapter]
YAY. THE WATER RESOURCES CHAPTER. SO YOU ALL HAVE THE FIRST HALF OF THE WATER RESOURCE CHAPTER. THE FIRST HALF? I KNOW, I'M SORRY. I KNOW, I KNOW. AND I'M CHOPPING IT WAY DOWN FROM THE LAST PLANS CHAPTER, BUT IT'S STILL HUGE. THE CHAPTER IS ESSENTIALLY TWO SECTIONS, WATER RESOURCES AND WATER QUALITY. AND WHAT YOU HAVE IS THE WATER RESOURCES SECTION. SO WATER RESOURCES ENCOMPASSES WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE, WHERE DO WE GET OUR WATER? SURFACE WATER AND GROUND WATER.AND THEN THE WATER QUALITY SECTION, WHICH IS, YOU ALL WILL GET IN APRIL, IS WHAT KIND OF IMPACT IS OUR LAND USE HAVING ON RIVERS AND STREAMS, SURFACE WATER POLLUTION GENERALLY. SO WE'RE STARTING OUT WITH THIS FIRST HALF, THE WATER RESOURCES HALF, AND I KNOW IT'S A LITTLE CONFUSING IN THE OBJECTIVES TO REACH THE GOAL ON PAGE ONE. IT HAS THE OBJECTIVES FOR BOTH WATER RESOURCES AND WATER QUALITY, BECAUSE EVENTUALLY, THESE TWO PIECES WILL BE TOGETHER IN ONE CHAPTER. SO YOU'VE GOT THE GOAL OR THE OBJECTIVES FOR BOTH THOSE SECTIONS.
HOWEVER, WE'RE ONLY ADDRESSING THE WATER RESOURCES PART, PART ONE. SO, AT THE END, THE IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES ARE JUST FOR THE WATER RESOURCES PART.
OKAY? WHEN WE GET INTO THE WATER QUALITY SECTION, THE IMPLEMENTATION GOALS WILL BE IN THAT FOR WATER QUALITY.
SO... DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? SO IT'S ALL IN YOUR CHAPTER TWO, JUST LIKE A TWO-PART? IT'S ALL GOING TO BE IN CHAPTER TWO.
YEAH, OKAY. ALL I'VE GIVEN YOU IS THE FIRST HALF BECAUSE I'M STILL WRITING THE SECOND HALF.
AND YOU WOULD HAVE GOTTEN 60 PAGES. SO YOU'VE ONLY GOT 20.
SO, TO REITERATE, THE GOALS OR THE OBJECTIVES ON THE FIRST PAGE ARE FOR BOTH WATER QUALITY AND AND WATER RESOURCES. THE IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES ARE JUST FOR THE WATER RESOURCES. THE IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES FOR WATER QUALITY WILL BE IN THAT SECOND HALF THAT YOU'RE GOING TO GET IN APRIL. WHEN WE HAVE DONE THAT HALF, YOU WILL HAVE DONE THE WHOLE CHAPTER, AND IT'LL ALL COME TOGETHER AS ONE CHAPTER. SO THE OBJECTIVES ARE PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD. THE GOAL IS ALREADY ESTABLISHED BY THE STATE THAT THEY WANT SAFE AND ADEQUATE WATER. DRINKING WATER SUPPLIES AND HEALTHY WATERWAYS.
SO THEY'VE KIND OF ALREADY SET UP WHAT THE GOAL HAS TO BE FOR THIS CHAPTER. SO OUR OBJECTIVES ARE LISTED THERE TO ACHIEVE THEM, AND THEY'RE LIKE THE OTHERS. THEY'RE VERY BROAD, AND THEN THE IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES ARE THE MORE SPECIFIC IDEAS TO HELP ACCOMPLISH THE OBJECTIVES.
OBVIOUSLY, WE'RE PROTECTING WATER RESOURCES FROM POLLUTION. DOING WHAT WE CAN TO RESTORE AND PROTECT WATER QUALITY AND MEET WATER QUALITY REQUIREMENTS. THEY ARE ESTABLISHED IN THE LAW, IN THE FEDERAL CLEAN WATER ACT, WHICH IS MANAGED BY EPA.
BUT AT THE STATE LEVEL BY MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT. WE'RE ALSO REITERATING THE HABITAT PROTECTION THAT WE HAVE IN OUR RESOURCE CONSERVATION.
PRIORITY PRESERVATION AREA GOALS, WHICH KIND OF GOES HAND IN HAND WITH WATER QUALITY, BECAUSE SO MUCH OF OUR HABITAT IS IN PROXIMITY TO RIVERS AND STREAMS. THE RECOMMENDED GOALS FROM THE STATE ARE TO LOOK AT ALTERNATIVE OR ENVIRONMENTAL STORMWATER PRACTICES WHEREVER POSSIBLE, AND THE STORMWATER LAW FOLLOWS THAT UP WITH THE SAME KIND OF ENVIRONMENTAL SITE DESIGN REQUIREMENTS. SO A LOT OF THESE ARE SORT OF ALREADY THE OBJECTIVES,
[01:15:02]
ALREADY WRITTEN AND EXPLICIT REQUIREMENTS IN STATE LAW, AND WE'RE SIMPLY REPEATING THEM THAT THEY ARE ALSO WHAT OUR OBJECTIVES ARE, TOO.IN THE CHAPTER, WE GO INTO GROUNDWATER SOURCES, WHICH ARE AQUIFERS CONFINED AND UNCONFINED. THE ONLY UNCONFINED AQUIFER IN CAROLINE COUNTY IS THE COLUMBIA, AND IT'S A HUGE AQUIFER. IT GOES FROM NORTH OF US, NORTHWEST OF US, ALL THE WAY THROUGH SALISBURY AND ALMOST TO THE BEACH. IT'S PRETTY SHALLOW HERE. IT MOVES THROUGH THE COUNTY, KIND OF GOING FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST, AND THE FURTHER SOUTH AND EAST THE COLUMBIA GOES, THE DEEPER IT GETS. SO IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY, ALL THE WAY DOWN TO, I GUESS, BEDELLSBURG AREA. IT'S FAIRLY SHALLOW, AND BECAUSE IT'S SHALLOW, ANYTHING THAT, AND NOT CONFINED, MEANING THERE'S NO BEDROCK TO PROTECT IT FROM WHAT COMES FROM ABOVE. SO RAINWATER IS GETTING IN THERE, RUNOFF FROM FARM FIELDS AND STREETS CAN TRICKLE DOWN AND GET INTO THAT AQUIFER. SO IT'S PRIMARILY RECOMMENDED FOR USE FOR AG. BECAUSE AG IS OKAY WITH ANY THAT KIND OF THING.
AND THERE'S NOT A LOT OF INDUSTRIAL USES AROUND HERE THAT WOULD POLLUTE IT TO MAKE IT HARMFUL, EVEN FOR AG. THE MYSTERY IS HOW MANY OLD WELLS ARE IN THE COLUMBIA. AND THERE'S PROBABLY A FAIR AMOUNT. THERE'S NO REQUIREMENT FOR INDIVIDUAL...
.TO. TRACK THEIR USAGE. OLD RECORDS ARE GONE FOR A LOT OF THE OLD UNKNOWNS OF HOW MANY DRINKING, YOU KNOW, INDIVIDUAL WELLS ARE IN THE COLUMBIA, BUT THE ASSUMPTION BY THE STATE IS PROBABLY A FAIR AMOUNT. BUT THE STATE DOESN'T KNOW EITHER. MOST OF THE RESIDENTIAL WELLS...
INDIVIDUAL WELLS ARE IN THE CONFINED AQUIFERS, THE AQUIA OR THE PINEY POINT, THE FREDERICA AND THE CHESWOLD ARE THE FOUR BIG AQUIFERS THAT ARE USED HERE IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE COUNTY. AND WE GO INTO THAT DISCUSSION FOR EACH OF THOSE AQUIFERS.
FORTUNATELY, STATE DATA ON THE CONDITION OF THE AQUIFERS. IN TERMS OF BOTH THE VOLUME OF WATER AVAILABLE AND PROJECTED FOR THE FUTURE AND THE QUALITY OF THE WATER IS ALL GOOD FOR OUR AQUIFERS THAT WE'RE USING.
THE AQUIA HAS SOME ISSUES WITH SALTWATER INTRUSION ALONG SHORELINES. QUEEN ANNE'S COUNTY, KENT ISLAND, HAS ALREADY GOT SOME EVIDENCE OF SALTWATER INTRUSION THERE, AND ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, I THINK, HAS A PRETTY BIG PROBLEM WITH IT. I THINK YOU GUYS KNOW HOW AN AQUIFER WORKS. YOU KNOW, THE WATER LEVEL IS LIKE THIS, AND AS WATER IS WITHDRAWN, THERE'S A CONE THAT FORMS FROM THE PULLING OUT OR THE WITHDRAWAL OF WATER. AND WHEN THAT CONE GETS TO A CERTAIN POINT, IT'S CALLED THE CONE OF DEPRESSION. THE STATE REQUIRES THE WATER USER TO START LOOKING FOR ANOTHER SOURCE, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S AN URBAN AREA.
CAROLINE COUNTY DOESN'T HAVE ANY KIND OF MAJOR USER TO THAT DEGREE. I THINK WHEN, A GOOD EXAMPLE IS PATUXENT NAVAL AIR STATION, WHICH PULLS FROM, I THINK, THE PINEY POINT. THEY HAVE A TREMENDOUS CONE OF DEPRESSION AND PLACES LIKE ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY ARE COMPETING WITH THEM, USING THE PINEY POINT AND THE AQUIA FOR WATER USE. AND I THINK PATUXENT'S GOING TO WIN. SO ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY HAS TO START LOOKING AT THE DEEPER AQUIFER AS A POTENTIAL NEW SOURCE OF WATER. BECAUSE YOU CAN'T, ONCE IT GETS BELOW A CERTAIN POINT, THE STATE REQUIRES THAT YOU STOP SO THAT IT CAN REGENERATE AND COME BACK UP TO NORMAL LEVEL BEFORE YOU START USING IT AGAIN. THAT DOES NOT IMPACT US. OUR AREAS OF THESE AQUIFERS ARE NOT THREATENED, AND THE STATE ZONE DATA INDICATES THAT THE WATER IS PLENTIFUL AND IN GOOD SHAPE THROUGH 2050 PROJECTIONS, AND LIKELY BEYOND. THERE'S BILLIONS OF GALLONS OF WATER.
SO REALLY, THE ONLY POTENTIAL WORRY IS HOW MANY RESIDENTIAL WELLS ARE IN THE COLUMBIA AND WHAT? WHAT KIND OF IMPACTS COULD THEY POTENTIALLY BE GETTING FROM MOSTLY AG FERTILIZER PERMEATING INTO THAT AQUIFER? BECAUSE THERE'S NO REAL PROTECTION OF IT. BUT THE STATE HAS NOT TRACKED ANY, LIKE MASSIVE HEALTH ISSUES FROM OUR AREA THAT INDICATE THAT THAT'S A PROBLEM. BACK IN 2016, THE STATE PROPOSED SETTING UP SOME KIND OF A DATABASE TO TRACK AND...
[01:20:02]
OF HOW MANY WELLS ARE USING THE COLUMBIA. AND THEIR TARGET WAS TO HAVE THAT SET UP AND DONE BY 2021. AND THEN THEY MOVED THAT TO 2023, AND THEY STILL DON'T HAVE IT. AND NOW THE OTHER ISSUE, THEY HAVEN'T BEEN TRACKING WATER USE AS WELL AS THEY USED TO. AND I ASSUME THAT THAT'S A LACK OF STAFF TO DO IT. BUT THE MOST RECENT WATER DATA I COULD USE WAS 2015, WHERE THEY ACTUALLY HAD RESIDENTIAL DOMESTIC WELLS, PUBLIC WATER SUPPLIES, INDUSTRIAL WATER SUPPLIES, AGRICULTURE AND MINING WERE ALL BROKEN OUT WITH A MILLION GALLONS PER DAY USAGE FIGURES.AND THEN IN 2020, WHICH WAS THE NEXT ITERATION OF GROUNDWATER REPORTING, THEY SWITCHED FROM GOING COUNTY TO COUNTY AND MADE THE DATA WATERSHED TO WATERSHED. AND WATERSHEDS GO ACROSS COUNTY LINES. SO I CAN GET WATERSHED LEVEL DATA FOR 2020 WATER USES, BUT SOME OF OUR DATA IS GOING TO INCLUDE QUEEN ANNE COUNTY USAGE, AND TALBOT COUNTY, AND DORCHESTER, AND I CAN'T, YOU CAN'T TEASE OUT WHOSE IS WHAT. SO MY DATA IS 2015, AND I USED 2000 TO SHOW SOME KIND OF COMPARISON OF EITHER A MAJOR INCREASE OR A MAJOR DECREASE, AND THERE WEREN'T ANY MAJOR.
IN EITHER DIRECTION. SO HOPEFULLY THE NEXT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN WILL HAVE CURRENT WATER DATA. AND I'M CHECKING BACK AS OFTEN AS I CAN OR WILL TO SEE IF THEY'VE DONE WHAT THEY SO THEY WERE GOING TO DO THAT THEY IDENTIFIED THEY NEEDED TO DO. SO IS THAT THEIR MDE? YEAH. THEY GET, THEY SHARE A LOT OF THEIR DATA.
I SHOULDN'T BLAME IT ON JUST MDE. IT'S USGS, THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. AND I KNOW THEY'VE BEEN SHOCKED A LOT.
AND MOST OF MDE'S INFO COMES FROM A LOT OF THE DATA THAT USGS HAS ON AQUIFERS AND WATER USAGE.
THERE'S STILL A HUGE HOLE FOR RESIDENTIAL, DOMESTIC...
INDIVIDUAL WELLS BECAUSE ANYBODY HAVE A WELL THAT IS REPORTING THEIR USAGE? ANYBODY HAVE A WELL? EXACTLY. SO I DON'T KNOW HOW, WITHOUT REQUIRING IT OF PRIVATE WELL OWNERS, THEY WILL EVER CAPTURE IT.
THEY HAD, THEY DID HAVE SOME DATA BACK IN 2000 ON DOMESTIC WELL USERS, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT IT WAS. I DON'T THINK WE HAD ANY. SOME COUNTIES MAY REQUIRE IT, I'M NOT SURE. BUT WITHOUT THAT, YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE THE WATER IS COMING FROM, WHETHER IT'S THE COLUMBIA OR A DEEPER AQUIFER, AND YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH THEY'RE PULLING FROM THEM. AND I TRIED TO FIND OUT IF THE REASON THEY HAVEN'T DONE THOSE STUDIES IS BECAUSE THEY REALIZED THERE'S SUCH A SMALL AMOUNT OF INDIVIDUAL DOMESTIC WELLS.
AND THEY'RE GENERALLY... NOT HEAVY USERS, THAT THEY'RE NOT TOO WORRIED THAT IMPACTS TO THE AQUIFERS ARE GOING TO KILL THE AQUIFERS, ALTHOUGH THEY SHOULD BE WORRIED ABOUT PUBLIC HEALTH. SO I'M THINKING THAT THEY JUST HAVEN'T PRIORITIZED IT BECAUSE THEY'RE REALIZING IT'S REALLY NOT A HUGE WITHDRAWAL ON AQUIFERS THAT HAVE BILLIONS OF GALLONS OF WATER. YOU HAVE TO REPORT IT. SO ANYBODY WHO HAS A GROUNDWATER APPROPRIATION PERMIT HAS TO REPORT HOW MUCH WATER THEY'RE WITHDRAWING.
THEY HAVE TO DO THE AVERAGE AMOUNT AND THEN I THINK THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT. DO YOU GUYS HAVE ONE? WE DO JANUARY 31ST EVERY YEAR. THERE YOU GO. AND WHOEVER'S IN THAT DEPARTMENT, IT'S AWFUL. IT'S AWFUL. YEAH, YOU KNOW WHAT, THOSE PEOPLE... YOU CAN NEVER TALK TO ANYBODY. YOU NEVER GET A RESPONSE FROM AN EMAIL.
YOU BETTER HAVE THAT REPORT IN JANUARY 31ST. I CAN VOUCH FOR IT. I'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET ANYBODY... BELIEVE ME, THAT'S A SORE SUBJECT. WELL, AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT THEY'RE CERTAINLY NOT REPORTING IT BECAUSE THE MOST RECENT DATA I COULD GET WAS 2015. AND EVEN IF I WAS GOING TO TRY AND JUST GIVE YOU GUYS WATERSHED USAGE, THE MOST RECENT OF THAT IS 2020. SO THE STATE DOES A GROUNDWATER REPORT EVERY THREE YEARS AND I HAVE INFO ON THAT FROM THE 22. ACTUALLY, THE LAST ONE, I THINK, WAS 2023, I CAN'T REMEMBER IF IT'S 2023 OR 2021 ANYWAY. BUT THAT'S VERY GENERAL AND IT DOESN'T REALLY GO INTO A LOT OF DETAIL ON USAGE. IT'S MORE ABOUT THE AQUIFERS THEMSELVES AND WHAT SHAPE THEY'RE IN. AND DO WE HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT WATER SUPPLY AND WHO'S GOING TO HAVE PROBLEMS. THE ONLY AREAS I SAW IN THE STATE REPORT WERE ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, POTENTIALLY QUEEN ANNE'S COUNTY AT KEN ISLAND, OCEAN PINES, WHO NEEDS TO WORRY, AND THE SOUTHERN PART
[01:25:01]
OF SOUTHERN MARYLAND. MOST SOUTHERN PART, WHERE PACS, NAVAL AIR STATION, IS WITHDRAWING UNGODLY AMOUNTS OF WATER. I DON'T KNOW WHY.AND THEN THE ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY SIDE OF THE BAY, WHERE BECAUSE OF THE BAY AND THE SHORELINE AND THEIR HEAVY USERS, WHEN YOU DRAW DOWN AN AQUIFER, NOT ONLY ARE YOU CREATING THAT, BUT IT'S PULLING IN SALTWATER FROM THE COAST. SO IT'S A DOUBLE, WHAMMY.
BUT THAT'S ONLY ALONG COASTLINES. THAT'S WHY OCEAN PINES IS HAVING TROUBLE, BECAUSE THEY'RE RIGHT THERE BY THE WATER. THE FURTHER IN YOU GO, THE LESS. SALTWATER INTRUSION IS A PROBLEM, AND IT IS NOT A PROBLEM AT ALL WHERE WE ARE, EVEN IN AQUIFERS, WHERE IT IS A PROBLEM ON THE COASTLINE. SO THE GOOD NEWS FOR WATER RESOURCES IS WE'RE IN GOOD SHAPE. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF ANYBODY'S GOING TO TRY AND FIND OUT ABOUT THE SAFETY OF DOMESTIC WELLS IN COLUMBIA, JUST BECAUSE I... I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF OLD WELLS THAT PROBABLY ARE.
IF YOUR WELL IS 100 FEET, YOU'RE PROBABLY IN THE COLUMBIA. IF IT'S 400 FEET, YOU'RE PROBABLY IN THE PINEY POINT OR WHATEVER, THE DEEPER, CONFINED AQUIFER IS. SO YOU'RE IN A CONFINED AQUIFER, YEAH.
IT ISN'T UNTIL YOU GET INTO THE SOUTHERN, SOUTHERN END OF THE COUNTY THAT THE COLUMBIA BECOMES PRETTY DEEP, LIKE BEYOND 200 AND 300 FEET.
AND IN SALISBURY, THE COLUMBIA GOES ALL THE WAY, LIKE I SAID, ALMOST TO THE BEACH. IT'S HUNDREDS OF FEET, AND THE CITY OF SALISBURY DRAWS ALL THE WAY TO THE BEACH. DEEP, THERE'S ACTUALLY, IT'S CALLED A PALEO CHANNEL. I MEAN, IT'S PREHISTORIC. PALEO WATER PLANT. RIGHT, AND THEY HAVE AN ORDINANCE. THEY HAVE A, THE CITY OF SALISBURY, AND I'M SURE WICOMICO COUNTY HAS IT TOO, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S SUPPLYING A LOT OF WICOMICO AREAS, AN OVERLAY DISTRICT, THAT IS THE PALEO CHANNEL OVERLAY DISTRICT, WHERE THEY DON'T LET CERTAIN INDUSTRIAL USERS, AG USERS, BECAUSE THE COLUMBIA ISN'T PROTECTED BY BEDROCK. SO EVEN THOUGH IT'S HUNDREDS OF FEET DEEP, YOU DON'T WANT ANYTHING GETTING DOWN INTO THERE BECAUSE THAT'S THEIR CITY DRINKING WATER. SO THEY HAVE A VERY PROTECTIVE ORDINANCE ON THAT AREA THAT IS SERVED BY THE COLUMBIA. BUT AT THAT POINT, IT'S SUPER, SUPER DEEP, AND THEN I THINK IT COMES UP AGAIN AS YOU GET CLOSER TO THE BEACH. SO THE IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES FOR WATER QUALITY ARE KIND OF OBVIOUS. MATT, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU EVEN ARE ASKED TO DO ANY, WHEN YOU DO A LARGE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW, ANY IMPACTS TO THE AQUIFER OR TO WATER SUPPLIES. DOES THE STATE? DON'T ADD THAT. DID YOU JUST MAKE A FACE? JUST RUNNING DRY. WHAT ABOUT WELLHEAD? PROTECTION AREAS. DO YOU, I KNOW THE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT WHEN THEY'RE LOOKING AT THAT, YES, SO THIS THE STATE, THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, NOT US, DOES HAVE WELLHEAD PROTECTION AREAS FOR RESIDENTIAL, DOMESTIC WELLS. AND I GUESS FOR ANY OTHER KIND OF WELL USE WHERE THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS YOU CAN'T DO RIGHT AROUND IT.
THE WELL, WHETHER IT'S A SHALLOW OR DEEP WELL. SO THOSE ARE IN PLACE AT THE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH REVIEW LEVEL. AND JUST LIKE WE KIND OF DID THIS WITH AQUACON, WHERE IF WE GET A PROPOSAL FOR SOMETHING THAT IS A MASSIVE WATER USER LIKE, LIKE AQUACON WAS SEVEN MILLION GALLONS, WHICH IS QUITE A LOT OF WATER. THEY WERE PULLING IT, THEY HAD THEIR OWN WELLS, THEY WERE USING THE TOWNS, AND THEN THEY WERE DISCHARGING TO THE MARSHY HOPE. WE DID LOOK INTO THAT, AND WE DID. I DON'T KNOW IF PROTEST IS THE WORD, BUT WE QUESTIONED IT AND WANTED SOME KIND OF VERIFICATION THAT THE TOWN WAS AWARE OF IT, THE STATE WAS AWARE OF IT, THE RIVER KEEPER, YOU KNOW. SO WE KIND OF DO THAT FOR A REALLY MAMMOTH USER ALREADY. WE JUST DON'T GET THEM VERY OFTEN.
THAT'S THE ONLY ONE I KNOW OF.
THAT WAS GINORMOUS. BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD CONSISTENTLY DO, IS IF IT IS A VERY LARGE WATER USER, AND I'M THINKING DATA CENTER, THAT WE WOULD DIG INTO WHAT THE IMPACT OF THAT WOULD BE TO SHALLOWER WELLS IN THE AREA. AND THEN IF IT'S AN AQUIFER, A DEEP AQUIFER, IS IT SOMETHING THAT COULD POTENTIALLY IMPACT THAT? AND COORDINATING THAT EFFORT WITH MDE IS ANOTHER. POTENTIAL STRATEGY, NOT THAT YOU CAN GET A HOLD OF THEM, BUT IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD WANT TO AT LEAST ATTEMPT TO DO WHEN WE GET A REALLY LARGE WATER USER. AND THEN WHEN WE DO GET GROUNDWATER APPROPRIATION
[01:30:03]
PERMIT DATA, AND WE GET THAT KIND OF INTERMITTENTLY FROM THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, WHEN THEY GET LARGE REQUESTS, USUALLY FOR AGRICULTURE, THEY DO SHOOT THEM OVER TO US. JUST TO TAKE A LOOK. DO WE COORDINATE WITH THEM, ESPECIALLY IF WE START TO SEE A TREND OF A LOT OF BIG WATER USERS, LIKE, IS ANYBODY TRACKING THE COLLECTIVE IMPACT ON THAT? SO THOSE ARE SOME OF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS.THE OTHER IS THE POTENTIAL FOR SURFACE WATER, YOU KNOW, RIVERS AND STREAMS. THERE'S A LOT OF AG USERS WHO TAP INTO SURFACE WATER. THAT'S UNDER A PERMIT, TOO. I THOUGHT THERE WERE MORE SURFACE WATER AG PERMITS THAN GROUNDWATER, BUT IT'S THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
GROUNDWATER. I THOUGHT IT WAS, IT'S NOT THAT, IT'S MAYBE A THIRD MORE THAN THE SURFACE WATER USERS. BUT WHEN YOU GET A REALLY LARGE USER THERE, YOU TEND TO IMPACT STREAM LEVELS, WHICH TENDS TO SCREW UP WATER QUALITY AND HABITAT AND AQUATIC LIFE. SO THE STATE IS ALLEGEDLY PAYING ATTENTION TO THAT. AND WE DO, LIKE I SAID, GET SOME OF THE LARGER GROUNDWATER APPROPRIATION REQUEST PERMITS.
AND WE DO PAY ATTENTION TO THEM, AND WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
TO TRY AND KEEP AN EYE ON IF THERE'S ANY UPWARD TREND.
AND IF WE GET A DATA CENTER REQUEST, WE SHOULD BE ALL OVER THAT. BECAUSE THEY ALLEGEDLY USE A TON OF WATER FOR COOLING. SOME OF THAT'S CHANGING. I HEARD THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO RECIRCULATING SYSTEMS. YEAH. THE PROBLEM IS IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG, AND THIS WAS THE PROBLEM WITH AQUACON, THEY HAD. IT WAS A 7 MILLION GALLON OPERATION.
THROUGH EIGHT HUGE TANKS AND IT WAS RECIRCULATING, AND THEY ONLY NEEDED TO KIND OF BEEF IT UP A LITTLE BIT.
BUT IF SOMETHING WENT WRONG IN THAT SYSTEM, THEY HAD TO DUMP THE ENTIRE SYSTEM AND REFILL IT, OR THEY WOULD LOSE ALL.
THEY'RE DEALING WITH, THAT WAS FISH, RIGHT? YES, THAT WAS FISH. SO IT DEPENDS ON IF A SYSTEM GOES DOWN OR, FOR SOME REASON, HAS TO GET RID OF THEIR WATER. ARE THEY GOING TO NEED TO... GET IT ALL, TAKE 7 MILLION GALLONS FROM A WATER SOURCE. THAT COULD POTENTIALLY IMPACT EVERYBODY AROUND THEM TO GET BACK UP AND GOING. SO WHEN YOU GET A DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT OR A REVIEW, I WOULD DO WHAT WE DID TO AQUACON, WHICH IS, WELL, WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU HAVE TO DO THAT? BECAUSE ORIGINALLY, RYAN SHOWALTER SAID, OH, THAT NEVER HAPPENS. AND THEN WHEN I PRESSED HIM ON IT, HE SAID, IT COULD HAPPEN ONCE OR TWICE A YEAR. OH, MY GOSH.
YEAH. NEVER HAPPENS. YEAH, SO YOU HAVE TO SPECIFICALLY ASK THOSE QUESTIONS. SOMETIMES.
SPECIFICALLY. IT COULD HAPPEN ONCE OR TWICE A YEAR.
TO RECIRCULATE, YOU'RE GOING TO LOSE IT, YEAH. WELL, THEIR WHOLE COOLING SYSTEM IS CHANGING. SO, I MEAN, I THINK THEY STARTED OUT WITH... ARE THEY DOING AIR? THEY'RE DOING DIFFERENT TYPES OF STUFF. YEAH. SO AS THAT EVOLVES, HOPEFULLY IT'S NOT SUCH A BIG THREAT TO THE WATER SUPPLY.
EVAPORATORS, COOLERS. SO THINGS LIKE THAT, IT'S JUST A LITTLE, YOU KNOW, A BELL SHOULD GO OFF IN OUR HEADS TO DOUBLE CHECK IF IT'S A REALLY HEAVY USER. THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT IMPACTING BY ACCIDENT OR WITHOUT THOUGHT, NEARBY USERS, ESPECIALLY WELLS OF, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE AROUND. AND I THINK THAT'S IT FOR THIS. DID YOU ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? NO, THAT'S A LOT OF INFORMATION. NO? NO, I THINK IT'S QUITE... WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER WORKSHOP ON THE SECOND PART. YEAH, THE SECOND ONE. I MEAN, THE SECOND ONE'S WORSE. THE WORKSHOP WAS INTERESTING. WE LEARNED ABOUT THIS AQUIFER AND THAT AQUIFER. YEAH, IT WAS VERY... I LEARNED A LOT.
YEAH, WE'RE TRYING TO DO, IT'S REALLY HARD TO FIND A 2D GRAPHIC OF THE AQUIFERS. IT'S ALL LIMITED, BUT NATHAN HAS FOUND DATA THAT HE THINKS, ACTUAL, LIKE MAPPED DATA OF AQUIFER LOCATIONS AND THEIR BEDROCK BEDS. IN PROXIMITY TO THE SURFACE, THE OCEAN, AND THE BAY. AND HE'S TRYING TO PUT TOGETHER A 2D GRAPHIC THAT DOES A BETTER JOB. I DID FIND SOME OLD USGS. SURVEYS.
FOR THE PINEY POINT THAT SHOWED A MAP OF THE COUNTY, IT'S LIKE 18TH GENERATION XEROX COPY OF, AND THE DEPTH OF THE PINEY POINT FROM THE SURFACE ALL THROUGH THE COUNTY. AND IT'S GENERALLY, THE MOST COMMON NUMBER WAS 300. SOME FEET. IT GOT UP INTO THE 200S TO THE NORTH, I THINK. BUT TO ME, THE REALLY INTERESTING ONE WAS THE
[01:35:02]
COLUMBIA, HOW IT STARTS OUT SO SHALLOW AND THEN BECOMES VASTLY DEEP AS IT MAKES ITS WAY. .TO.THE COAST. THAT WAS PRETTY INTERESTING.
BUT IT'S VERY UNNERVING TO KNOW. IT'S LIKE 50 TO 100 FEET FROM THE SURFACE, AND PEOPLE HAVE WELLS, YOU KNOW, THAT ARE MAYBE 100 FEET DEEP. WELL, MDA STARTED LIKE AN ONLINE PORTAL, LIKE TO... TURN IN YOUR WATER APPROPRIATION NUMBERS, AND MAYBE THEY'LL HAVE SOME BETTER DATA. WELL, I'VE BEEN CALLING, EMAILING. I LITERALLY WENT DOWN THE ENTIRE CONTACT LIST. I STARTED WITH, LIKE, A COUPLE PEOPLE BECAUSE I WANTED TO BE POLITE, AND THEN I JUST KEPT ADDING.
AND MY LAST ONE WAS, LIKE, 28 PEOPLE. I WAS LIKE, IS ANYBODY THERE? YEAH. I HAVE THE WRONG EMAIL. THEY DON'T ANSWER THE PHONE. I WAS SENDING THEM, YOU KNOW, SCREENSHOTS OF WHAT THEY SAID THEY WERE DOING, AND I JUST WANT THAT. JUST SEND ME A LINK. NOTHING. NOTHING.
NOLIS.ORG, NOT .COM. YEAH, SO THAT'S KIND OF DISAPPOINTING.
IT'S YOUR LAST LITTLE CALL ONE DAY. I KNOW, WE COULD GO THERE. IT WOULD FEEL TRUE. WHAT CALMED ME DOWN WAS I WENT BACK TO, LIKE 2015 OR 17 AND READ. THE GROUNDWATER REPORTS THAT THEY ARE REQUIRED TO ISSUE EVERY COUPLE OF YEARS. TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY WORRYING TREND IN THE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE AQUIFERS WE HAVE.
AND THE ONLY THING THAT POPPED UP WAS THE AQUA NEAR THE SHORELINE OF THE BAY AT PENN ISLAND IN ANNE ARUNDEL. AND THEN, I CAN'T THINK OF IT. THE TWO AQUIFERS THAT OCEAN PINES USES, THOSE ARE THE ONLY TWO THAT SHOWED ANY KIND OF SALTWATER INTRUSION. AND NOT EVEN LIKE, WELL, ANNE ARUNDEL, YES, PLEASE.
BUT NOTHING FOR US AND ALL OF THE ONES THAT WE USE. IT ACTUALLY SPECIFIED THAT AS YOU GET TOWARDS THE CENTER OF THE EASTERN SHORE, THAT THE WATER IS PLENTIFUL, IT'S CLEAN, THERE'S ZERO IMPACT FROM SALTWATER INTRUSION. IT'S NOT EVEN CREEPING FROM THE SIDES INTO THAT AREA. PLENTIFUL FOR DECADES. AND THAT AFTER SEEING THAT TREND ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE LATEST ONE, I FELT LIKE, OKAY. WE CAN SAY OUR WATER RESOURCES ARE ADEQUATE FOR THE MODEST AMOUNT OF GROWTH WE'RE PROJECTING FOR THE COUNTY. I'M SURE YOU DON'T WANT TO FILTER UP TO MBE. OH, I'D LOVE TO. START KNOCKING ON DOORS. I KNOW. I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE. THE ONLY OTHER THING I THINK I MIGHT TRY, WHICH IS NOT FRIENDLY BUT IS A FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST FOR THE DATA, WHICH WON'T MAKE ME ANY FRIENDS EITHER. HAVE YOU TALKED TO ANYBODY FROM OTHER COUNTIES? NO, I'VE LOOKED AT OTHER PLANS, AND THEY DON'T HAVE ANY DATA.
AND I KNOW WHY, BECAUSE IT'S NOT THERE. I MEAN, I HESITATED TO PUT IN 2015, BECAUSE THAT IS 10-PLUS YEARS OLD. BUT WE HAVEN'T HAD A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF POPULATION OR ANY OTHER KIND OF GROWTH SINCE 2015. SO I'M SURE IT'S... SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE.
IF I WERE ANOTHER COUNTY THAT HAD A LOT OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT, I SURE WOULDN'T USE 2015 DATA.
AND, IF ANYTHING, THE ONLY THE ONE TREND I DID NOTICE THAT I WAS LIKE, HUH? WAS THE PUBLIC SYSTEMS, PUBLIC WATER SYSTEMS, WHICH IS THE TOWNS. THEIR USAGE WENT DOWN A LITTLE BIT. AND I KNOW THAT THEY ALL TRACKED FOR POPULATION. WELL, NO, THEY LOST POPULATION, AND THE CENSUS SHOWED THAT, TOO. WELL, AND THE OTHER THING IS, AND I WENT LOOKING TO SEE IF THAT WAS A REASON, AND I TALKED TO THEM. TO MATT, THAT IN THE TIME SINCE OUR LAST COMP PLAN, WATER EFFICIENT FIXTURES AND SYSTEMS ARE A LOT MORE COMMON NOW THAN THEY WERE SINCE 2000. BECAUSE MY COMPARATIVE DATA IS 2000.
I'VE GOT 2015 AND 2000. SO THAT MAY EXPLAIN. SOME OF THE DROP IN THE DOMESTIC WATER SUPPLY USAGE IS THAT PEOPLE HAVE WATER EFFICIENT FIXTURES. AND I ASKED MATT, IS IT REQUIRED TO HAVE THAT? AND HE SAID, NO. IT'S JUST EVERYBODY'S MAKING IT. RIGHT, BUT YEAH, YOUR WASHING MACHINE IS A SAVER, YOUR SHOWER HEADS, LOW FLOW. AGAIN, YOU HEAR PEOPLE TALK ABOUT IT IN REGARDS TO THE WATER BILL.
AS THE WATER BILL GOES UP, YOU LOOK AT THAT MORE EFFICIENTLY.
RIGHT, YOU'RE MORE CAREFUL WITH YOUR WATER USE. YOU CAN EVEN HAVE CHOICES ON TOILET FLUSHES FOR A LITTLE WATER OR A LOT OF WATER. SO THAT'S WAY MORE PREVALENT NOW. SORRY TO GET SO PERSONAL. NO, BECAUSE WE CHANGED IT IN OUR HOUSE IN GREENBORO. AND EVEN FAUCETS ARE NOW MOTION SENSORS. NOBODY'S LEAVING THEM ON. ROYAL FARMS HAS IT IN THEIR BATHROOM.
THAT'S RIGHT. YEAH, SO THAT COULD EXPLAIN SOME
[01:40:01]
OF THE LESS. LETTER, SOMEONE TO LOWER WHAT IT IS, AND IT'S NOT A TON, AND THAT COULD MAYBE THAT, BETWEEN THAT AND SLIGHTLY LOWER POPULATIONS FROM 2000 AND 2010, I THINK, IS ENOUGH TO EXPLAIN THAT SLIGHT DOWNWARD TREND. ANY QUESTIONS? AND PEOPLE FIXING LEAKS WHEN THEIR WATER BILL WENT UP. OH, I KNOW.YOU'VE GOT A LEAK THAT YOU'VE NEVER WORRIED ABOUT. ALL RIGHT.
DO WE HAVE TO MAKE A MOTION? MAKE A MOTION. I WILL MAKE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE WATER RESOURCE CHAPTER, AS REPORTED. PART ONE. THE PART ONE. PART ONE. AS PRESENTED TO US BY MS. GRUNION. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. MOTION AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED? THERE YOU GO. THANK YOU. YOU
[Information and Discussion]
CAN WORK ON PART TWO. MOVE ALONG. ME, Z.A., NO UPDATE.DEPARTMENT UPDATE. FIRE BURNING REGULATIONS AND REGULATIONS ON THE ACCUMULATION OF GARBAGE AND TRASH. NOW WE'RE GONNA START ENFORCING GARBAGE BURNING. JUST WANNA LET YOU KNOW, MY 95 YEARS, THAT BURNED BARREL. I'VE HAD ONE. 50 YEARS, 55 YEARS. I'M NOT GOING TO BE THE ONE TO TELL YOU THAT. HECK, NO, SHE'S NOT. JUST EARN ALL WE GET. THAT'S RIGHT. WELL, I MEAN, I STILL, I MEAN, AND SHE'LL TELL YOU TO BRING MY BRIDGE. YEAH, WE'RE WORKING. IT'LL BE PRETTY BUSY, MARCH AND APRIL. THAT'S PROBABLY FINE. OH, YEAH. WE'LL MEET ON THE COAST. OH, YEAH.
SUMMER'S COMING. OKAY. OPEN DISCUSSION? WE'VE DISCUSSED EVERYTHING THAT WE WANTED TO DISCUSS. AND THEN SOME.
WE'RE UNDER A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING.
ALREADY? ARE WE? IT'S BEEN HOT IN MY HEAD. IT WAS HOT TODAY. I THINK WE NEED TO GO HOME. IT'S SUPPOSED TO SNOW TOMORROW NIGHT, YEAH.
IT'S SUPPOSED TO SNOW TOMORROW NIGHT. COME ON. I GUESS. A LITTLE SNOW WILL
[Meeting Adjourns]
COME WITH SOMEBODY. ALL RIGHT.OH. MOTION TO ADJOURN. ALL IN FAVOR. AYE. WILL YOU PLEASE TURN THAT OFF?
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.