Mar 17, 2026 Caroline County Commissioners Meeting

[Call to Order: Invocation, Rev, Gregory Blackston, In God We Trust; Pledge of Allegiance; Agenda Review]

[00:04:30]

HEY, GOOD MORNING EVERYONE AND WELCOME TO THE MARCH 17TH, 2026 CAROLINE COUNTY COMMISSION MEETING, WHICH IS NOW IN ORDER. THIS MORNING WE HAVE OUR INVOCATION BY REVEREND BLACKSTON OF IN GOD WE TRUST, AND THAT'LL BE FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE IF EVERYONE COULD PLEASE RISE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, REVEREND. LET US PRAY. DEAR WISE AND LOVING GOD, WE PAUSE AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS MEETING TO GIVE THANKS FOR THE GIFT OF LIFE, FOR THE HEALTH AND STRENGTH WE ENJOY, AND FOR OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY.

[00:05:04]

BLESS OUR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ALONG WITH ALL LOCAL OFFICIALS WITH WISDOM AS THEY CONSIDER THE ISSUES BEFORE THEM.

GRANT THEM INSIGHT TO UNDERSTAND THE TRUE NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE THEY SERVE AND THE COURAGE TO PURSUE WHAT IS RIGHT AND JUST.

HELP THEM TO WORK TOGETHER WITH RESPECT AND COOPERATION, EVEN WHEN THERE ARE DIFFERENCES OF OPINION.

MAY THEIR DECISIONS BE GUIDED BY FAIRNESS, INTEGRITY, AND A SINCERE DESIRE TO PROMOTE THE WELFARE OF ALL WHO LIVE AND WORK IN THIS COMMUNITY. WE ALSO ASK FOR CLARITY AND WISDOM CONCERNING THE MATTERS ON TODAY'S AGENDA.

MAY THEIR WORK CONTRIBUTE TO PEACE, PROGRESS AND THE CONTINUED STRENGTH OF THIS COUNTY.

IN JESUS NAME I PRAY. AMEN. AMEN. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

REVEREND, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU TAKING THE TIME OUT OF YOUR TUESDAY MORNINGS TO COME IN AND DO OUR INVOCATIONS FOR US.

YEAH, WE DO APPRECIATE THAT.

YES. I THINK. I WAS THERE WITH THE SENATOR WHEN HE DID THE TOUR.

HE TOLD ME THAT SHE TALKED, CHATTED WITH YOU FOR A LITTLE BIT.

YEAH, NICE TO MEET HER. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU FOR COMING IN. YOU TOO.

[President’s Closed Session Report Out]

COMMISSIONER MEETING. THE BOARD MET IN CLOSED SESSION UNDER GENERAL PROVISIONS 3-305(B)(1) TO DISCUSS THE APPLICATION FOR A CAROLINE COUNTY BOARD. STAFF WAS CON WAS DIRECTED TO FOLLOW UP WITH ALL APPLICANTS.

THE ATTENDEES WERE THE COMMISSIONERS STEWART BARROLL, KATHLEEN FREEMAN AND JENNIFER REIBLY.

OKAY, OUR FIRST AGENDA ITEM THIS MORNING IS DEBBIE BOWDEN, PUBLISHER OF CAROLINE REVIEW.

[Debbie Bowden, Publisher, The Caroline Review]

GOOD MORNING DEBBIE. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU.

I DO. I'LL READ IT NOW AND. WHEREAS, JAMES MADISON, THE FATHER OF OUR FEDERAL CONSTITUTION, WROTE THAT "CONSENT OF THE GOVERNED REQUIRES THAT THE PEOPLE BE ABLE TO ARM THEMSELVES WITH THE POWER WHICH KNOWLEDGE GIVES".

AND WHEREAS, EVERY CITIZEN IN OUR PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY HAS AN INHERENT RIGHT TO ACCESS GOVERNMENT MEETINGS AND PUBLIC RECORDS.

AND WHEREAS, AN OPEN AND ACCESSIBLE GOVERNMENT IS VITAL TO ESTABLISHING AND MAINTAINING THE PEOPLE'S TRUST AND CONFIDENCE IN THEIR GOVERNMENT AND IN THE GOVERNMENT'S ABILITY TO EFFECTIVELY SERVE ITS CITIZENS. AND WHEREAS, THE PROTECTION OF EVERY PERSON'S RIGHT OF ACCESS TO PUBLIC RECORDS AND GOVERNMENT MEETINGS IS A HIGH PRIORITY OF THE CAROLINE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.

AND WHEREAS, THE CAROLINE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ARE COMMITTED TO OPENNESS AND TRANSPARENCY IN ALL ASPECTS OF THEIR OPERATIONS AND SEEK TO SET A STANDARD IN THIS REGARD. AND NOW, THEREFORE, THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF CAROLINE COUNTY COMMITS DURING THIS SUNSHINE WEEK, COMMEMORATING THE 275TH ANNIVERSARY OF JAMES MADISON'S BIRTH, AND THROUGHOUT THE YEAR 2026 TO CONTINUE DILIGENTLY TO ENHANCE THE PUBLIC'S ACCESS TO GOVERNMENT RECORDS AND INFORMATION, TO INCREASE INFORMATION PROVIDED ONLINE AND ELECTRONICALLY, AND TO ENSURE THAT ALL MEETINGS OF DELIBERATIVE BODIES UNDER ITS JURISDICTION AND THEIR COMMITTEES, ARE FULLY NOTICED AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. SIGNED THE 17TH DAY OF MARCH 2026, J.

TRAVIS BREEDING, PRESIDENT. LARRY C. PORTER, VICE PRESIDENT.

AND FRANKLIN BARTZ, COMMISSIONER. THANK YOU. A LOT OF BIG WORDS.

YEAH, YEAH, THAT WAS A TONGUE TWISTER THERE. YEAH, I ADMIT I DID NOT WRITE THAT.

I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT CAROLINE COUNTY GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN SINCE I TOOK ON THE ROLE OF PROVIDING NEWS, FREE, ACCESSIBLE NEWS TO THE COMMUNITY. THE GOVERNMENT HERE FOR CAROLINE COUNTY HAS BEEN A PLEASURE TO WORK WITH.

IT'S EASY TO TAKE FOR GRANTED. AND THERE ARE POCKETS OF NOT SO OPENNESS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.

AND SO IT JUST MAKES THE JOB OF REPORTING THE NEWS AND SHARING THAT WITH THE CITIZENS A LOT EASIER.

SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR HAVING THAT CULTURE AND HAVING THE STAFF IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT GETS DONE AND PEOPLE CAN KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.

[00:10:09]

I THINK IT'S, YOU KNOW, GOOD WHEN SHE'S SITTING IN THE CAR, I'M THINKING, YEAH, THAT'S GOOD.

BUT SO KENNEDY, YOU DO A GREAT JOB. AND I'M PROUD OF YOU.

AND SO GOOD MOVE. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR ACKNOWLEDGING HER.

YEAH, YEAH. COMMISSIONER BARTZ. THANK YOU, DEBBIE.

WHAT YOU'VE DONE WITH THE CAROLINA REVIEW AND HOW YOU'VE, YOU KNOW, MADE IT MORE I WANT TO SAY INTERNET VIABLE FOR PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, TO GET THE WORD OUT AND THEY'VE DONE A GREAT JOB IN KENNEDY AS WELL.

SO I MEAN, YOUR WHOLE STAFF, I MEAN, HAS DONE TREMENDOUS.

SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND WE WERE LACKING DEFINITELY LACKING IN A RELIABLE NEWS SOURCE TO GET INFORMATION OUT TO THE CITIZENS.

SO THE SERVICE THAT YOU'VE TAKEN ON BY, YOU KNOW, GOING MORE TO THE NEWS ITEMS I THINK HAS, HAS REALLY HELPED TO INFORM THE CITIZENS OF THE COUNTY AND WHAT'S GOING ON.

AND IT HELPS US GET FEEDBACK FROM THEM BECAUSE ULTIMATELY WE WANT TO, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO SERVE THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE.

I BELIEVE FIRMLY THAT ALL THREE OF US THINK THAT WAY.

AND, YOU KNOW, THESE MATTERS ARE SO COMPLICATED ANYMORE, IT'S DIFFICULT TO ARTICULATE ALL THE DIFFERENT NUANCED THINGS THAT GO INTO THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS. AND I THINK YOU ALL HAVE DONE A GOOD JOB OF DOING THAT AND GETTING THE WORD OUT.

SO WE APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. YEAH. THANK YOU.

THANKS. YEAH.

THANK YOU. ALL THE WAY OVER THERE. CHANGE IT UP, CHANGE IT UP.

SHE DIDN'T GET TO BE IN THE PICTURE. THANK YOU.

YEP. THANKS. THANK YOU. I'M TRYING TO GET CONNECTED.

MY EMAIL WILL NOT CATCH UP HERE.

[Fiscal Year 2027 Capital & Operating Budget Workshop]

AND STACEY STEWART, OUR INTERN FINANCE DIRECTOR, IS HERE.

GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. JUST TRYING TO GET MY COMPUTER CONNECTED.

YEAH, WELL, I HOPE YOU HAVE BETTER LUCK THAN I DO. MY EMAIL WILL NOT UPDATE, AND I SENT MYSELF MY OPERATING BUDGET SPREADSHEET THIS MORNING, AND IT'S NOT COMING THROUGH, SO. NO. SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED. JUST WANT TO START PROVIDING AN UPDATE OF WHERE WE ARE IN THE BUDGET PROCESS AT THIS TIME.

LAST WEEK, YOU HELD YOUR FIRST PUBLIC HEARING TO TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE BUDGET SO FAR.

AND SINCE THAT PUBLIC HEARING, WE'VE HAD SOME SLIGHT CHANGES TO OUR CAPITAL REQUEST AND TO OUR GENERAL BUDGET.

SO I BELIEVE THIS MORNING WE'LL JUST KIND OF GO THROUGH SOME OF THOSE MINOR CHANGES.

AND THEN THAT'LL GIVE YOU TIME TO GO THROUGH THE BUDGETS AGAIN.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS NOW I CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS NOW.

OTHERWISE WE'LL COME BACK NEXT WEEK AND KIND OF DO MORE A LINE BY LINE ITEM OF THE OPERATING AND CAPITAL BUDGET, IF THAT WORKS FOR YOU GUYS. OKAY. DOES THAT WORK? SOUNDS GOOD. OKAY. AS FAR AS OPERATING GOES, THERE WAS NOT MANY CHANGES TO IT.

THERE WAS A SLIGHT ADJUSTMENT TO THE SHERIFF DEPARTMENT FROM THE FIRST BUDGET.

SOME OF THAT WAS ACCOUNTING FOR SOME OF THE POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY GRANTS GOING AWAY AND SOME OTHER CHANGES IN THERE.

SO THERE WAS A SLIGHT INCREASE TO THE SHERIFF'S OVERALL BUDGET.

AND THEN RECREATION AND PARKS ACTUALLY HAD A SLIGHT DECREASE IN THEIR ORIGINAL REQUESTED BUDGET DUE TO SOME STAFFING CHANGES OCCURRING THIS YEAR AS OPPOSED TO NEXT YEAR. OKAY. AND THERE'S REALLY NO OTHER VIABLE OPTION AS FAR AS THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT AND I BELIEVE IN

[00:15:01]

I DON'T THINK WE DISCUSSED THAT AS A BOARD. MAYBE THAT WAS AN INTERNAL CONVERSATION I HAD WITH YOU.

YES, SOME OF THE SHIFTS HAVE CHANGED TO LEGAL.

AS FAR AS KIM'S SALARY, THAT WAS PARTIALLY COVERED BY THE PAB GRANT.

SO NOW HER FULL SALARY IS IN THE OFFICE OF LAW.

BUT THE REPORTING SOFTWARE. THAT'S UNDER THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE RIGHT NOW.

IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THERE WAS SOMETHING IN THE COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE. INITIALLY, LEGAL FEES WERE IN THERE FOR SOME THINGS AND THERE WAS LIKE CELL PHONES AND STUFF FOR CAM WAS IN THERE, BUT THEY'VE CUT SOME OF THAT OUT WHEN WE GOT CUT THIS YEAR IN THE FUNDING.

OKAY. SOME OF THOSE THINGS SHIFTED AND CHANGED.

BUT WE DO HAVE 15,180 FOR PAID EXPENSE IN THE COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE? I'LL HAVE TO DOUBLE CHECK, THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN BEFORE.

I THINK IT'S CLEANER JUST TO HAVE IT ALL. ALL IN.

IN ONE DEPARTMENT. OFFICE OF LAW OR THE LINE ITEM EVEN.

I THINK ON, CAN YOU GO TO THE COMMISSIONERS? COMMISSIONERS LIE.

END OF POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY GRANT. YES. AND INCREASING CONTRACTUAL, CONTRACTED SERVICES, YES. RIGHT. SO I'D LIKE TO SEE WHATEVER CALLS FOR THE END OF THE POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY GRANT THAT'S IN THE COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE MOVE TO THE OFFICE OF LAW.

I THINK THAT MAKES SENSE. I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO GO TO DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS TO TOTALLY UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH WE'RE SPENDING IN ONE PARTICULAR AREA.

AND I THINK, ARE WE GOING MORE IN HOUSE NOW FOR LEGAL SERVICES FOR.

WELL, YEAH, I'M DOING BOTH. RIGHT. SO THAT ELIMINATES I THINK, SOME THAT WE INITIALLY HAD IN THE GRANT.

SO SOME OF THOSE FUNDS CAN COME OUT OF THERE. RIGHT. SO WE'LL GO THROUGH AND I KNOW I'M SUPPOSED TO CHECK IN WITH SHERIF AS WELL ABOUT LOOKING AT A DIFFERENT PLATFORM OTHER THAN THE IPO BECAUSE OF THE EXPENSE OF THAT, THAT CAME OUT OF THE PAB, RIGHT.

SO THEY'RE LOOKING INTO THAT TOO, TO SEE IF THEY CAN SAVE MONEY THERE TOO, BECAUSE THAT WAS ABOUT 20,000 THAT THE PAB GRANT COVERED FOR SOFTWARE.

AND IT REMIND ME AGAIN WHO WAS USING IT, OR ANY OF THE MUNICIPALITIES USING IT? I KNOW THE DENTON IS I'M NOT SURE ABOUT GREENSBORO.

OKAY. BUT THEY WERE COVERING IT THEMSELVES. THIS WAS JUST FOR THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT'S ID PRO.

RIGHT. OKAY. WELL, THE MUNICIPALITIES ARE USING IT.

THAT'S HOW IT'S GETTING KICKED BACK TO OFFICE OF LAW FOR PROCESSING.

CORRECT. OKAY. I DON'T KNOW, IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW.

THAT WAS THE WHOLE CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD THE LAST MEETING ABOUT PAYING FOR SOFTWARE TO FOR 2 OR 3 COMPLAINTS A YEAR.

RIGHT. YEAH. CHRIS WASN'T IN THE ROOM AND I WAS LIKE, WELL, MAYBE CHRIS CAN COME UP WITH SOME TYPE OF ONLINE THING THAT DOESN'T COST 20,000 A YEAR, BUT. I'LL FOLLOW BACK UP WITH THE SHERIFF. ANYTHING ELSE IN THE OPERATING SIDE? SINCE YOU'VE LOOKED AT THINGS.

YEAH. SO THE NEW, SO I'M SURE YOU PUT THIS IN THERE FOR ME.

SO I'M ASSUMING THIS IS THE LATEST ONE. THE NEW SHERIFF NUMBER IS 649, 65, 6459185, IS THAT CORRECT? LET ME FIND THE SHERIFF ONE HERE. YEAH 6459185.

YES. OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON ANYTHING? SO WE'RE MOVING TO PAB FROM THE SHERIFF TO THE OFFICE OF LAW.

YES. THAT'S WHAT WE'LL DO. ALL RIGHT. NO, NO, NO, NO, FROM THE COMMISSIONERS.

FROM THE COMMISSIONERS. FROM THE COMMISSIONERS. THE TOP LINE UP HERE.

OKAY. WHERE'S HIS END OF. YEAH, IT SAYS HE'S GOT END OF POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY GRANT IN THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT AS WELL FOR THEIR REPORTING.

BUT THAT'S THEIR SIDE OF THE REPORTING THERE.

I GUESS THAT'S THEIR SUBSCRIPTION. WE HAVE MULTIPLE SUBSCRIPTIONS, RIGHT.

SO THE OFFICE OF LAWS SUBSCRIBE TO IT. AND THEN THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT IS ALL.

I WAS TRYING TO FIND SOMETHING. YEAH. NO THAT'S FINE, THAT'S FINE.

BUT I DIDN'T FEEL LIKE WE NEEDED ANY OF THE PAB STUFF IN THE COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE.

NO, I AGREE. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO DID THE SHERIFF'S REQUEST GO UP OR DOWN BASED OFF OF THIS REVISION? IT WENT SLIGHTLY UP.

SLIGHTLY UP. OKAY. THEY REDUCED, IT CHANGED BECAUSE IT WENT FROM TAHOES TO DURANGOS.

YES, THAT'S IN CAPITAL. OKAY. AND THEN ADDED 25,000 FOR A CONTRACTUAL POSITION.

CORRECT, IN THE OPERATING SIDE. OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

ANY OTHER CHANGES OR QUESTIONS? YEAH. THE OTHER CHANGES, LIKE YOU SAID, WERE IN THE CAPITAL SIDE.

[00:20:03]

SO NOW THE TOTAL EXPENSE REQUEST AND CAPITAL IS 10,424,000.

OKAY. WHICH WAS LOWER THAN THE INITIAL ONE. AND THAT WAS THE ONLY CHANGE IN THE CAPITAL. WE DID ALSO ADD UNDER THE NOTES WHETHER WE OWNED OR LEASED THOSE VEHICLES.

SO THAT'S ADDED IN THERE NOW IN YOUR CAPITAL SHEETS.

ARE WE GOING TO ADD IN SEALCOAT AND CRACK SEALING OF THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENTS PARKING LOT? I BELIEVE WE'RE LOOKING AT DOING THAT IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET. OKAY, WITH LEFTOVER FROM THIS YEAR.

OKAY. THE FRONT DOOR FOR THE COURTHOUSE IS THAT, THAT'S IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET? CORRECT. SO WE'LL HAVE THAT LEFT. OKAY. THAT'S REALLY THE LAST MAJOR EXTERIOR PROBLEM OR ISSUE WE NEED TO ADDRESS HERE ON THIS BUILDING. OKAY. DID DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING? NO. OKAY. IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANYTHING, THEN THIS WEEK YOU'RE WORKING ON GOING THROUGH YOUR BUDGETS, PUTTING THEM TOGETHER. I HAVE MINE DONE FOR SOME REASON IT WON'T EMAIL TO ME.

I DID IT ON MY PERSONAL COMPUTER AND TRIED TO EMAIL IT TO THIS COMPUTER, AND IT'S NOT COMING THROUGH.

SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'VE DONE, BUT. WAS THERE A REQUEST FROM THE PDA, THE PUBLIC DRAINAGE? THEY DIDN'T MAKE A REQUEST THIS YEAR? NO. DO YOU KNOW, DID THEY SPEND DOWN THE MONEY WE GAVE THEM TWO YEARS AGO? BECAUSE WE DIDN'T GIVE THEM ANYTHING LAST YEAR. RIGHT, I'D HAVE TO DOUBLE CHECK. I KNOW THEY WERE WORKING ON SPENDING IT DOWN. I'LL HAVE TO DOUBLE CHECK WITH NICOLE TO SEE IF IT'S ALL SPENT. I KNOW IT WAS NOT FULLY SPENT DOWN. CORRECT. EVEN THROUGH THE END OF LAST YEAR.

I MEAN, I KNOW WE, OUR FARM IS IN THE SMITHVILLE AND I WENT TO THAT MEETING AND THEY DIDN'T INDICATE THEY WERE THEY NEEDED ANYTHING THIS YEAR. SO. YEAH. AND THE.

AGAIN, THE DIFFERENTIAL REVENUE NUMBER IS ON HERE SOMEWHERE, I JUST.

WELL, I KIND OF WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THAT THIS BUDGET.

SO IT DOES NOT. THIS SPREADSHEET ASSUMES WE KEEP THE TAX RATE THE SAME, CORRECT? CORRECT. WITH THE REVENUE ESTIMATES. SO, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT DIRECTING STACY TO GO AHEAD AND REDUCE IT BY $0.02 ACROSS THE BOARD, THE REVENUE ESTIMATES.

ASSUMING THAT WE'RE GOING TO REDUCE THE TAX RATE $0.02 FROM 98 TO 96.

THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW. RIGHT 98 FLAT.

I'M FINE WITH IT. YEAH I THINK WE NEED TO EXPLORE IT.

I MEAN, DO WE BUILD IT IN TO. THIS. YEAH. RIGHT.

YEAH, I, YOU HAVE MINE. SO WHAT I DID WAS I, I MADE MY, MY COLUMN BALANCE WITH THE TWO-CENT REDUCTION. OKAY.

AND I DID IT PRIMARILY BY A CAPITAL REDUCTION.

CORRECT. BECAUSE I THINK WE PROBABLY HAVE CAPITAL MONEY, YOU KNOW, THAT WE CAN'T, WE'VE SPENT, WE CAN SPEND, BUT I THINK WE'VE HAD SOME OVER THE YEARS, WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO SPEND. SO I'VE DONE IT DONE MINE THROUGH CAPITAL.

I DIDN'T REALLY CUT. I MEAN, THERE WERE SOME MINOR CUTS IN SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS, BUT I THINK IN THE BEGINNING WE WERE ABOUT 700,000 OFF AND I THINK THE $0.02 WOULD BE EQUIVALENT TO ABOUT 700,000, 360 A PENNY, THREE, ABOUT 360. SO I MADE IT WORK THAT WAY.

I REALLY DIDN'T TOUCH IT, I DIDN'T REALLY CUT A LOT OF THE LINE ITEMS. I JUST DID IT IN MORE OF A CAPITAL. CAPITAL. CAPITAL REDUCTION.

AND WAS ABLE TO GET THERE THAT WAY. OKAY. AS FAR AS THE MUNICIPAL PROPERTY TAX RATE, I LEFT IT THE SAME.

I THINK AT SOME POINT WE'RE GOING TO, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE FORMULA.

YOU KNOW, MY SUGGESTION IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE KNEW IT AS A BUDGETARY LIKE, LIKE WE SET THE PROPERTY TAX RATE FOR THE, THE OVERALL PROPERTY TAX RATE. I THINK MY IDEA WOULD BE TO SET THE DIFFERENTIALS THAT WAY AS WELL.

[00:25:03]

I'LL PROBABLY SIT DOWN AGAIN WITH ROBIN AND MAKE SURE, BUT I THINK WE CAN HANDLE THE CAPITAL REDUCTION WITH WHAT WE HAVE BEING CARRIED OVER EACH YEAR. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO HOPEFULLY. ALL RIGHT.

SO I'LL GO BACK AND REWORK REVENUE WITH A TWO CENT CUT TO TAXES AND GIVE YOU A NEW SPREADSHEET TO WORK ON.

YES. YEAH, I AGREE WITH THAT. OKAY. OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

IF I RECALL, I THINK MY MIND, I NATURALLY, AS I HAVE DONE EVERY YEAR WENT THROUGH AND CUT MORE.

I RECOGNIZE THAT I'M NOT, NOR DO I EXPECT TO GET ALL THE, THE CUTS THAT, THAT I NECESSARILY DO, BUT I REALLY GO THROUGH AND LOOK THROUGH EVERYTHING.

AND I THINK I HAD AT THE CURRENT REVENUE PROJECTIONS, I HAD TEN, A LITTLE OVER $10 MILLION GOING INTO CAPITAL.

SO, BUT WE'LL GO THROUGH THAT NEXT WEEK AND DO THAT.

BUT, MINE THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE REDUCTIONS IN THE SPENDING REQUESTS THAT WE HAD RECEIVED, I WAS ABLE TO ROLL, I THINK IT WAS 10 MILLION.

I STILL CAN'T GET IT TO PULL UP, BUT I THINK IT WAS LIKE 10 MILLION, 20,000 SOMEWHERE IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.

OKAY. OVER TO CAPITAL CAPITAL. SO IF WE REDUCE THAT BY 700,000, WE'D BE AT LIKE THE $9.3 MILLION RANGE GOING OVER TO CAPITAL.

SO. BUT DID DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? NO, I HAVEN'T WORKED ON THIS.

I'VE BEEN READING A BOOK JUST ON THE FINE ON THE FINER DETAILS BEFORE I DELVED INTO THIS.

OKAY, OKAY. GOTCHA. I'LL GO BACK AND MAKE THOSE CHANGES AND SEND THOSE OUT TO YOU GUYS SO YOU CAN HAVE THOSE NUMBERS TO WORK WITH.

AND WE'LL GO FROM THERE. AND THEN NEXT WEEK WE'LL GO LINE BY LINE AND KIND OF GET AN IDEA OF WHERE WE ARE.

OKAY. SOUNDS GOOD. WHEN DOES THE PROPERTY TAX RATE HAVE TO BE SET? IF WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING, IF YOU'RE LOWERING IT, ONLY IF YOU'RE INCREASING TAXES.

SO WE'D HAVE TO HAVE IT SET FOR THE SECOND PUBLIC HEARING, WHICH IS MAY 10TH.

I THINK IT'S MAY 5TH OR SOMETHING. BY THE SECOND PUBLIC HEARING, WE HAVE TO HAVE IT SET FOR THAT IN MAY.

OKAY. BUT WE DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH A SEPARATE PUBLIC HEARING ADVERTISE IF YOU'RE LOWERING.

OKAY. SO WE HAVE RIGHT UP UNTIL MAY 5TH TO ACTUALLY MAKE THE MEETING IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO MAY 5TH TO VOTE.

TO VOTE. SET THE RATE CORRECT. OKAY. AS LONG AS YOU'RE LOOKING AT KEEPING IT THE SAME OR LOWERING IT.

OKAY. YEP. ALL RIGHT. ANYTHING ELSE? NO, I THINK THAT'S IT.

UNLESS YOU GUYS HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS. NOPE.

A LOT OF NUMBERS. YEAH. YEP. OKAY. THANK YOU, STACEY, I KNOW YOU'RE.

PULLING THE WAGON HERE FOR A WHILE. THANK YOU FOR KEEPING US UP TO DATE.

YOU'RE WELCOME. OKAY, NEXT UP, WE HAVE A SCHEDULED LEGISLATIVE

[Legislative Session:]

SECOND. MOTION SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, SAY AYE.

AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED? THE AYES HAVE IT. SO WE HAVE THE THIRD READING AND POTENTIAL TO AMEND OR ENACT THREE LEGISLATIVE

[Legislative Bill #2026-001—Zoning Map Corrections]

THANK YOU. PRESIDENT BREEDING. ALL THREE OF ALL THREE OF THESE BILLS ARE ON THE EXACT SAME SCHEDULE.

THEY WERE ALL INTRODUCED ON FEBRUARY THE 10TH WITH THEIR FIRST READING.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING WAS PUBLISHED MARCH THE 7TH.

THE SECOND READING AND THE PUBLIC HEARING WERE ALL HELD ON MARCH THE 10TH.

AND WE'RE HERE TODAY ON THE 17TH FOR THE THIRD READING, WITH THE POTENTIAL TO AMEND OR ENACT THESE BILLS.

THE FIRST BILL IS LEGISLATIVE BILL NUMBER 2026-001.

AND THIS IS AN ACT TO CREATE NEW SECTION 175-202 ENTITLED ZONING MAP CORRECTIONS IN ARTICLE XXII (AMENDMENT PROCEDURES) OF CHAPTER 175 - ZONING OF THE CODE OF PUBLIC LOCAL LAWS OF CAROLINE COUNTY, MARYLAND, TO PROVIDE AN ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE FOR THE PLANNING DIRECTOR TO CORRECT MINOR TECHNICAL OR CLERICAL ERRORS IN THE ZONING MAPS OF CAROLINE COUNTY. AND I DO NOT BELIEVE WE'VE HAD ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS BILL.

OKAY, IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION OR COMMENTS IT EITHER ONE OF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD FOR THIS LEGISLATIVE BILL?

[00:30:08]

SO MOVED. SECOND. MOTION AND SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

AYE. AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED? THE AYES HAVE IT.

[Legislative Bill #2026-002—Mini Storage Village Center Zoning District]

AND THIS IS AN ACT TO AMEND THE CAROLINE COUNTY TABLE OF USE REGULATIONS, 175 ATTACHMENT 3-2 - OF CHAPTER 175 - ZONING, TO ADD WAREHOUSE, MINI-STORAGE FACILITIES AS A PERMITTED USE BY SPECIAL USE EXCEPTION IN THE VC, VILLAGE CENTER ZONING DISTRICT. AND TO ADD NEW SUPPLEMENTARY REGULATIONS ESTABLISHING THE CRITERIA FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS. OKAY. I DON'T BELIEVE WE'VE HAD ANY PUBLIC COMMENT.

OKAY. NOTHING ELSE ON THIS ONE. I TOTALLY AGREE WITH, I SHOULD SAY, ALL OF THESE LEGISLATIVE BILLS, BUT THIS ONE IN PARTICULAR, BECAUSE IT GIVES MORE CONTROL TO PROPERTY OWNERS.

IT ADDS ANOTHER USE INSIDE OF A ZONING DISTRICT TO ALLOW PROPERTY OWNER TO USE THEIR PROPERTY AS THEY SEE IT WILL BEST BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY AND, AND YOU KNOW, PROVIDING ADDITIONAL SERVICES.

SO ANYTIME THAT WE CAN EXPAND PROPERTY OWNERS ABILITIES TO UTILIZE THEIR PROPERTY, I'M FOR IT IF IT DOESN'T HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON A NEIGHBOR.

SO I THINK THIS IS A GOOD BILL. IT SHOULD BE, YOU KNOW, CAUTIOUSLY APPROACHED BY THOSE AFFECTED BECAUSE THEY STILL ARE SUBJECT TO MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND OTHER STATE REGULATIONS.

SO EVEN THOUGH THIS OPENS THE DOOR AT A LOCAL LEVEL, THERE STILL MAY HAVE SOME HURDLES AT THE STATE LEVEL.

THEY MAY HAVE TO GET OVER, SO, BUT. I MEAN, THIS HELPS A CITIZEN THAT MIGHT BE LOOKING FOR ADDITIONAL REVENUE STREAM RETIREMENT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT COULD HELP OFFSET THEIR INCOME. WHETHER LAND WAS REALLY NOT REALLY, YOU KNOW, GOOD AT THE TIME FOR SOMETHING ELSE, BUT IT COULD BE USED FOR THIS. SO IT COULD REALLY HELP CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS.

BENEFITS OF THE COUNTY AT LARGE BY PROVIDING AN ADDITIONAL SERVICE AND INCREASING THE TAX BASE.

SO NO QUESTIONS. ALL RIGHT. I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ENACT LEGISLATIVE BILL 2026-002.

SO MOVED. SECOND. MOTION AND SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

AYE. AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED? THE AYES HAVE IT.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST, LEGISLATIVE BILL NUMBER 2026-003.

[Legislative Bill #2026-003—R-3 & Townhouses Text Amendment]

AN ADDITION OF TOWNHOUSE SUPPLEMENTARY REGULATIONS BY: (1) AMENDING SECTION 175-8 (WORD USAGE) IN ARTICLE II (DEFINITIONS) OF CHAPTER 175 - ZONING OF THE CODE OF PUBLIC LOCAL LAWS OF CAROLINE COUNTY, MARYLAND. TO ADD THE DEFINITION OF TOWNHOUSE DWELLING UNDER THE TERM "DWELLING".

(2) AMENDING BY INTERLINEATION SECTION 175-12A OF THE CODE TO ADD "R-3, MULTIPLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT" AS A PRIMARY ZONING DISTRICT OF CAROLINE COUNTY.

(3) AMENDING BY INTERLINEATION SECTION 175-12B (RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS) OF THE ARTICLE V "SUPPLEMENTARY REGULATIONS" OF THE CODE. (5) AMENDING BY INTERLINEATION THE CAROLINE COUNTY TABLE OF USES 175 ATTACHMENT 03:1 TO ADD "TOWNHOMES" AS A PERMITTED USE IN THE R-3 DISTRICT AND SUBJECT TO SITE PLAN APPROVAL IN THE V-C DISTRICT; AND AMENDING BY INTERLINEATION IN THE CAROLINE COUNTY TABLE OF GENERAL DESIGN REGULATIONS 175 ATTACHMENT 4:1 TO ADD THE DESIGN REGULATIONS FOR THE R-3 DISTRICT.

OKAY, THIS ONE'S A HOUSE CLEANING BILL REESTABLISHING A ZONING DISTRICT THAT WE DIDN'T KNOW WHEN WE TOOK IT AWAY THAT WE WERE MAKING A MISTAKE, ESSENTIALLY. SO BUT ANYWAY, ANY ANY OTHER COMMENTS? YEAH, I JUST HAVE A QUESTION. I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THIS, BUT MATT, WHERE WOULD WE HAVE R-3 ZONING DISTRICTS IN THE COUNTY? TYPICALLY ADJACENT TO THE TOWNS.

SO IN ORDER FOR THIS TO TAKE PLACE, THERE WOULD HAVE TO BE THERE WOULD HAVE TO BE AN ANNEXATION AND THERE WOULD HAVE TO BE EXTENSION OF WATER AND SEWER, CORRECT? NOT NECESSARILY. IT JUST, IT DEPENDS ON WHAT THEY CAN GET APPROVED IN THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT FIRST.

[00:35:07]

NEVER. SO, I MEAN, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THIS.

I'M JUST I DON'T WANT TO MISLEAD PEOPLE AND THINK THAT WE'VE GOT SOME AREAS IN THE COUNTY THAT ARE ZONED FOR TOWNHOUSES, AND YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO BUILD TOWNHOUSES ON WELL AND SEPTIC THAT.

I DON'T THINK THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. AND I DON'T ENVISION THE STATE OF MARYLAND ALLOWING YOU TO BUILD THEM ON A WELL AND SEPTIC SYSTEM.

SO I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE CLEANUP. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT COMMENT.

WELL, WE ONLY, I THINK, MATT, WE ONLY HAVE ONE AREA ZONED R THREE RIGHT NOW, AND THAT'S WHERE DAYSPRING TOWNHOMES IS.

CORRECT, I BELIEVE. SO THAT'S THE ONLY ONE I KNOW OF.

RIGHT. SO WE HAVE NOTHING ELSE. NOW WE ARE GETTING READY TO ENTER INTO COMPREHENSIVE REZONING, PROBABLY IN WHAT, FOUR YEARS? SOMEWHERE IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.

THREE YEARS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S THE SCHEDULE. HOPEFULLY NEXT YEAR WE CAN START WORKING ON THAT.

OKAY. BUT I DON'T SEE US ADDING R-3 ZONING ANYWHERE.

AND THAT WOULD HAVE TO ANY ZONING CHANGE LIKE THAT WOULD ULTIMATELY HAVE TO BE APPROVED.

RECOMMENDATION FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION, BUT APPROVED BY THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS.

SO WE'RE NOT ADDING ANY R-3 WITHOUT IT COMING TO US ANYWAY.

BUT YEAH, TO YOUR POINT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, YOU KNEW THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION.

THERE'S NO WAY THERE'S NO WAY YOU'RE BUILDING ON SOMETHING.

SO AND EVEN IF THEY, THEY COULD DO IT WITHOUT BEING ANNEXED, BUT THEY WOULD HAVE TO, THE PROPERTY OWNER WOULD HAVE TO HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH THE TOWN TO SERVE. THERE WOULD HAVE TO BE AN EXTENSION OF, OF UTILITY WATER AND SEWER UTILITIES TO THAT SITE.

CORRECT. AND THEY WOULD HAVE TO WORK OUT WHATEVER THEY'RE GOING TO PAY. NORMALLY I THINK WE NEED I THINK I RECALL THAT WHEN THE TOWNS EXTEND UTILITIES, THEY PAY A DOUBLE RATE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, BUT IT WOULDN'T BE DONE ON WELL AND SEPTIC.

I DON'T, IF THEY IF THEY CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THAT, I'M ALL IN.

AND REALLY THIS WAS BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION BECAUSE OF THE SALE OF DAYSPRING TOWNHOMES.

RIGHT. SO. RIGHT. SO THAT'S MY ONLY QUESTION.

ANY QUESTION? NO, I'M GOOD WITH THIS. ALL RIGHT.

MAKE A MOTION. CLEAN UP SOME, CERTAIN THINGS.

SO I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE LEGISLATIVE BILL 2026-003 SECOND.

MOTION AND SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, SAY AYE.

AYE. AYE. AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED? THE AYES HAVE IT.

THANK YOU. MOVE WE GO BACK TO. WELL, REAL QUICK BEFORE WE DO THAT STEWART.

[2026 State Legislative Bill Discussion]

WHAT DO WE HAVE ON THE LEGISLATIVE OUTLOOK. WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT AFTER THE.

THESE ARE THE ONLY THREE WE HAVE ACTIVELY GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS, CORRECT? AT THE MOMENT, YES. OKAY. WE HAVE. SO WE'RE WORKING ON A TRASH ORDINANCE, CORRECT? PROPERTY MAINTENANCE. RIGHT. WE CALL IT THE PROPERTY MAINTENANCE.

AND THAT'S TO DO WITH THE ACCUMULATION OF GARBAGE AND RUBBISH.

AND WE'RE GOING TO START THERE AS OPPOSED TO DOING SOME BIG COMPREHENSIVE PROPERTY MAINTENANCE CODE.

WE'RE GOING TO START SMALL AND SIMPLE. AND ON THE NO BRAINER THINGS LIKE YOU CAN'T PILE HOUSEHOLD GARBAGE IN YOUR YARD, RIGHT? RIGHT. AND I THINK THAT SOME OF THE INTENT THERE IS TO PREVENT THE ACCUMULATION OF IT SO THAT WHEN PERHAPS PEOPLE ARE NOT WATCHING YOU LIGHT FIRE TO IT AND YOU BURN YOUR HOUSEHOLD GARBAGE AND RUBBISH THAT WAY.

RIGHT. WHICH IS ANOTHER BILL THAT WE ARE WORKING ON AND WE'LL BE PRESENTING VERY SHORTLY IS PREVENTING THAT BURNING OF HOUSEHOLD RUBBISH AND GARBAGE. WE'VE HAD SOME ABUSE OF THAT IN THIS COUNTY RECENTLY.

AND IT TOOK A YEAR FOR THE MARYLAND HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO BASICALLY ADDRESS THE ISSUE AND GET TO A POINT WHERE WE COULD FORCE THE PERSON WHO WAS DOING IT TO CLEAN IT UP AND POTENTIALLY STOP, BUT.

RIGHT. THE STATE MOVES MORE SLOWLY THAN WE THINK WE CAN AT THE COUNTY LEVEL TO PROTECT THE CITIZENS FROM ABUSES LIKE THAT.

ONLY RECENTLY HAS THE CIRCUIT COURT GRANTED THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT'S REQUEST FOR A COURT ORDER, WHICH THE PROPERTY OWNERS ARE IN CONTEMPT OF, AND SO THEY'RE STILL TRYING TO GET THAT PROCESS COMPLETED AFTER ALL THIS TIME.

YEAH. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS AS EVERYONE KNOWS, I'VE BEEN PUSHING THE BURNING TRASH, ADDRESSING THAT ISSUE BECAUSE OF WHAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING.

AND I THINK THROUGH THE GARBAGE ACCUMULATION BILL THAT, YOU KNOW,

[00:40:03]

CONTRARY TO WHAT EVERYONE WOULD THINK. AND YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A 300-ACRE FIELD AND YOU HAVE A BURN BARREL, I DON'T WANT TO, I DON'T WANT TO TELL YOU, YOU CAN'T, YOU KNOW, DO THAT IF YOU CAN DO IT SAFELY.

HOW WOULD YOU EVEN KNOW? YEAH, I MEAN, SO STEWART AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT REMOVING THE BURNING OF TRASH OUT OR AT BEST, WE'RE PREEMPTED BY STATE LAW ANYWAY, SO WE HAVE TO, WE WOULD HAVE TO ALLOW.

IT IN ACCORDANCE WITH HOW THE STATE STATUTE ALLOWS BURNING TO TAKE PLACE, CORRECT? YES, YOU HAVE SOME LEEWAY THERE BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO ABATE NUISANCES.

SO SOMEONE BURNING SOMETHING IN SUCH A WAY AS WE HAD AT WORK, WHERE IT IS A NUISANCE AND A HEALTH HAZARD TO ADJOINING RESIDENCES, YOU HAVE THAT ABILITY TO LEGISLATE THAT.

SO IT IS AN INTERESTING SITUATION HERE WHERE YOU'VE GOT THE STATE COMMAND SAYING ONE THING.

AND I CHECKED WITH ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OVER AT THE STATE OFFICE, AND I'M TALKING ABOUT ANNAPOLIS NOT HERE LOCALLY.

AND THE QUITE FRANKLY, THEY SAID, BECAUSE I QUESTIONED THE AUTHORITY.

THERE'S NOTHING IN THE STATUTES THAT GIVES THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH THE PERMISSION TO PROMULGATE A COMAR REG THAT ALLOWS BURNING OF HOUSEHOLD TRASH. SO I SAID, WHERE DID THAT COME FROM? AND THEY ADMITTED THAT IT WAS JUST SOMETHING THAT THE SECRETARY HAD THROWN OUT THERE, HAD BEEN THERE FOR YEARS.

AND COUNTIES ARE FREE TO IGNORE IT. SO. SO IT'S INCOME OR IT'S IN COMAR.

AND THE REGULATORY AGENCY KIND OF TOOK THE LEEWAY TO PUT IT IN THERE WITHOUT ANY STATUTORY AUTHORITY.

IT'S THAT'S HOW REGULATIONS GET THROWN OUT BY JUDGES IS WHEN THE SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OVERPLAYS HIS HAND AND PROMULGATES THINGS THAT HE HAS NO STATUTORY AUTHORITY TO DO.

INTERESTING. WELL, I THINK FOR SIMPLICITY'S SAKE, IF WE ADDRESS IT THROUGH THE ACCUMULATION OF TRASH AND THE PROPERTY MAINTENANCE CODE, WE COULD PROBABLY REMOVE IT TOTALLY FROM THE BURN ORDINANCE.

AND THEN THE BURN ORDINANCE THAT WE WOULD PASS WOULD JUST GIVE THE COMMISSIONERS THE AUTHORITY TO INSTITUTE A BURN BAN COUNTYWIDE IN DROUGHT CONDITION.

BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE DON'T HAVE THAT. YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE IT SHORTLY.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO THOSE ARE TWO SEPARATE THINGS.

SO WHEN WE SAY TRASH RIGHT. ARE WE GOING TO SAY HOUSEHOLD TRASH OR JUST TRASH IN GENERAL? BECAUSE AS WE WERE TOLD LAST WEEK AND WE ALL KNOW ABOUT THE SITUATION WITH CONSTRUCTION TRASH THAT ACCUMULATED ON SEVERAL PROPERTIES. PARTICULARLY THAT ONE OUTSIDE OF RIDGELY.

YES. SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE SAY TRASH, YOU KNOW, LIKE WHEN YOU SAY HOUSEHOLD TRASH, RIGHT.

THEN IF WE HAVE THAT BILL, JUST HOUSEHOLD TRASH, THEN SOMEBODY CAN SAY, WELL, THIS DOESN'T SAY CONSTRUCTION TRASH THAT HAS BEEN ACCUMULATED FOR YEARS AND PROPOSES A POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD AT ANY TIME, YOU KNOW? SO I WOULDN'T LIKE TO SAY BE SPECIFIC AND SAY HOUSEHOLD TRASH.

I WOULD LIKE TO SAY LIKE JUST THE BREEZE IN GENERAL HOUSEHOLD.

YEAH, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. I CAN GIVE YOU THE DEFINITIONS THAT CRYSTAL AND I ARE USING AT THE MOMENT.

I TALKED TO HER THE OTHER DAY AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT A COUPLE, YOU KNOW, TO ADDRESS THE CONSTRUCTION DEBRIS AS WELL.

SO. OKAY, I BELIEVE THESE DEFINITIONS COME OUT OF THE INTERNATIONAL BUILDING CODE.

AND WHAT WE HAVE IS GARBAGE DEFINED AS ANIMAL OR VEGETABLE WASTE RESULTING FROM THE HANDLING, PREPARATION, COOKING, AND CONSUMPTION OF FOOD.

THAT'S GARBAGE. RUBBISH, COMBUSTIBLE AND NONCOMBUSTIBLE WASTE MATERIALS EXCEPT GARBAGE, INCLUDING PAPER, RAGS, CARTONS, BOXES, WOOD, RUBBER, LEATHER, TREE BRANCHES, YARD TRIMMINGS, TIN CANS, METALS, GLASS, CROCKERY AND OTHER SIMILAR MATERIALS.

OKAY. THIS IS SCHEDULED FOR A WORKSHOP APRIL 7TH.

OKAY. WE'LL BE ABLE TO DISCUSS IT. DEEPER INTO THAT THEN.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT. IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE ON THE RADAR RIGHT NOW?

[00:45:04]

MY ONLY THOUGHT WITH THAT ONE IS, YOU KNOW, WE CAN TALK ABOUT THIS MORE WHEN WE WORKSHOP THAT ONE WOULD BE AND MAYBE WE CAN ADD IT ON IS JUST DOING A COMMERCIAL PROPERTY REGISTRY. AS OPPOSED TO. YOU COULD, THE ONLY REASON YOU MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER MORE THAN JUST COMMERCIAL IS BECAUSE OF THE FORECLOSURES. AND BASICALLY ABANDONMENTS OF RESIDENCES IN RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS, WHICH IS A BLIGHT AND WHICH IS A REAL PROBLEM FOR THE NEIGHBORING PROPERTIES. AND THAT'S WHY YOU MIGHT WANT TO SCOOP THAT IN WITH THE COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES.

WELL, WHEN I WAS SPEAKING WITH CHRIS THE OTHER DAY, SHE WAS SAYING LIKE THE, THE WAY WE DO THIS IS STACK.

IT'S LIKE START HERE. THEN IT COULD BE EASILY ADDED OVER TIME.

YEAH, YEAH, THAT'S ENTIRELY UP TO YOU. NO, I MEAN, WELL, IT IS A WAY TO ADDRESS THOSE, THE FEW.

YOU GET ONE DONE, THEN YOU MOVE TO THE NEXT ONE.

YOU CAN ADD IT ON TO THAT. RIGHT. YEAH. THAT WAY YOU DON'T GET A FLOOD OF PROPERTIES THAT YOU'RE REGISTERING ALL AT ONE TIME.

YEAH. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. SOUNDS GOOD. SO WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO WORKSHOPPING THOSE THREE BILLS.

SO ALL RIGHT. MOTION TO GO BACK TO OPEN SESSION.

SECOND. MOTION AND SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, SAY AYE.

AYE. AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED? THE AYES HAVE IT.

LEGISLATIVE BILL UPDATE. YEAH, WE'VE TAKEN A LITTLE BIT OF PAUSE.

WE'LL GO BACK TO OUR BILL REVIEW. THURSDAY, RIGHT JEN? I DID WANT TO MENTION WHILE I HAVE THIS TIME THE EMPHASIS ON BILLS THIS YEAR SEEMS TO BE ON HOUSING SINCE WE'VE JUST FINISHED TALKING ABOUT HOUSING.

I MEAN, IT SWITCHED FROM ENERGY LAST YEAR TO HOUSING THIS YEAR.

AND I HAD ABOUT A 2.5-HOUR CONVERSATION LAST NIGHT WITH A PERSON WHO'S INVOLVED WITH THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE, WORKING WITH HOUSING AND HAVING BEEN IN THE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS.

I POINTED OUT SOME THINGS I THINK ARE IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND.

WE, THE, WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT GENERATION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

AND I THINK THAT THAT'S GOING TO FALL INTO TWO CATEGORIES.

IT'S GOING TO IT'S GOING TO FALL INTO MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING, WHICH WE'VE SAID IS PRIMARILY GOING TO BE BUILT IN THE MUNICIPALITIES AND SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES, YOU KNOW, IF POSSIBLE, WITHIN THE WITHIN THE COUNTY.

AND I TRIED TO EXPLAIN, I THINK THE PROBLEM IS THAT, AS USUAL, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO BE, YOU KNOW, NEGATIVE ON THIS THING. BUT I MEAN, ON ONE HAND, YOU'RE TRYING TO GENERATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

ON THE OTHER HAND, THE STATE HAS IMPOSED OVER THE YEARS CONSTRUCTION GUIDELINES, GREEN ENERGY REQUIREMENTS, REGULATORY THINGS, BLOW DOOR TESTS, SPRINKLERS.

YOU'VE DONE EVERYTHING THAT YOU CAN DO TO MAKE IT MORE EXPENSIVE TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

AND THEN YOU WANT TO TURN AROUND AND WONDER WHY WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH AFFORDABLE HOUSING. I MEAN, IF YOU LOOK AT THE DEVELOPMENT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE COUNTY, IT'S GOING TO BE AGAIN, IT'S GOING TO BE ON WELL AND SEPTIC. THE, DOES ANYBODY WANT TO ARGUE THAT THE WELL AND SEPTIC REQUIREMENTS HAVE BECOME MORE STRINGENT OVER THE YEARS, AND IT'S BECOME MORE DIFFICULT TO BUILD HOUSES, YOU KNOW, WITH THE CURRENT WATER AND SEWER REGULATIONS.

SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S A PROBLEM WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WHEN WE FIRST STARTED BUILDING, WE COULD BUILD ABOUT 32 APARTMENTS FOR A MILLION-AND-A-HALF-DOLLAR MORTGAGE.

THE LAST ONE WE DID 7 OR 8 YEARS AGO WAS 18. YOU CUT THEM IN HALF BECAUSE OF THE EXPENSES THAT WERE ASSOCIATED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT. SO IF YOU'RE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE GOING TO PUSH FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND THERE'S NO QUESTION WE NEED IT. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE PEOPLE LIVING IN CAMPERS.

WE KNOW THAT. WE HAVE PEOPLE LIVING IN CAMPERS WITH EXTENSION CORDS RUNNING ACROSS THE YARD.

YOU CAN MAKE THEM GET OUT. WHERE ARE THEY GOING TO GO? WHERE ARE THEY GOING? RIGHT. I DON'T KNOW. THEY'RE GOING TO GO TO ANOTHER CAMPER OR THEY'RE GOING TO MOVE IN WITH ANOTHER FAMILY OR SOMETHING.

BUT IT JUST SEEMS COUNTERPRODUCTIVE TO ME THAT WE HAVE ALL THESE BILLS THAT ARE ENCOURAGING.

THAT'S ALL I HEAR. THE BAMBY BILL, THE THIS BILL, THAT BILL, THAT BILL, THEY ALL HAVE THESE RIDICULOUS ACRONYMS.

[00:50:02]

YOU KNOW, AND LOOK, THEY'RE NICE PEOPLE. THEY'RE GOOD PEOPLE.

BUT I STILL HAVE NEVER GOTTEN AN ANSWER TO MY QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER WHEN THEY QUALIFY FOR EXAMPLE, LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT PROPERTIES, YOU, YOU'RE COMPETING IN A POINT SYSTEM.

AND I STILL HAVE NEVER GOTTEN CONFIRMATION THAT IF YOU TRY TO DO A PROJECT ON THE EASTERN SHORE, YOU'RE DEDUCTED POINTS, YOU'RE PENALIZED FOR TRYING TO BUILD SOMETHING IN A RURAL AREA.

I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S STILL THE CASE, BUT NOBODY CAN TELL ME.

I'VE ASKED SECRETARY DAY, I'VE ASKED CHUCK COOK.

I'VE ASKED ALL THESE, AND THEY'RE ALWAYS GOING TO GET BACK TO ME UNLESS THEY UNLESS I FORGOT THEY HAVEN'T BEEN BACK TO ME.

SO ALL THESE THINGS THAT WE TALK ABOUT, WE TALK ABOUT IN AN ABSTRACT, BUT NOBODY REALLY WANTS TO SIT DOWN AND SAY, WHY? WHY IS IT COSTING MORE? IT'S COSTING MORE.

YOU KNOW, IF YOU GOT A IF YOU GOT TO BUILD A HOUSE AND DO A BLOWER DOOR TEST ON IT, I MEAN, IT'S THESE THINGS THAT, THAT I JUST WISH SOMEBODY WOULD, YOU KNOW, SIT DOWN AND TAKE A LOOK AT.

SO THAT'S IT FOR ME. I MEAN, I USE MY, THIS TIME, BUT I MEAN, BUT I WAS ON LAST NIGHT FOR ABOUT 2.5 HOURS AND HE KEPT SAYING, OH YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT, THAT'S RIGHT. AND I'M LIKE, LOOK, MAN, I'M JUST A POOR OLD DUMB GUY HERE FROM GREENSBORO. YOU GUYS ARE SMARTER THAN ME. YOU OUGHT TO BE FIGURING THIS OUT BECAUSE YOU CAN COME UP WITH ALL THESE NAMES, BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING UNLESS YOU'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO MAKE IT AFFORDABLE FOR THE DEVELOPER AND FOR THE PERSON THAT'S GOING TO BUY THE UNIT.

IT'S GOT TO BE A MATCH. IT'S GOT TO BE SOMETHING THAT'S, THAT'S THAT'S ABLE TO BE BUILT.

WE'VE TALKED OVER THE YEARS ABOUT SWITCHGRASS.

WE'VE TALKED ABOUT ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT YOU COULD USE FOR SEPTIC SYSTEMS. AND THE ANSWER IS, WELL, WE DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE GOING TO WORK WELL, HOW DO YOU KNOW THEY'RE NOT GOING TO WORK IF YOU DON'T TRY THEM? HOW DO YOU KNOW THEY'RE NOT GOING TO WORK IF YOU DON'T TRY TO SEE IF THEY'RE GOING TO WORK? YOU CAN SIT HERE ALL DAY AND SAY THEY'RE NOT GOING TO WORK. I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE GOING TO WORK OR NOT, BUT THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO HAVE TO BE DONE TO MAKE IT MORE AFFORDABLE TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING. YOU CAN USE IT BOTH.

YOU CAN USE AFFORDABLE AND AFFORDABLE IN THE SAME SENTENCE.

AND UNTIL THAT HAPPENS, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE WHEN'S THE LAST, WHAT'S THE LAST MULTI-FAMILY PROJECT WE HAD BUILT IN THIS COUNTY? I DON'T REMEMBER WHEN IT WAS. RIGHT. YEAH. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, SO I JUST MEAN, YOU JUST HAVE TO BE REALISTIC ABOUT IT. WELL, RIVER WOODS, WE DID THE SITE WORK OUT BY MCDONALD'S.

THAT WAS AN EXPANSION. THAT WAS A RENOVATION AND A NEW.

EXPANSION. BUT THAT'S BEEN TEN YEARS AGO, RIGHT? PROBABLY, I DON'T KNOW. SO I MEAN, SO I MEAN, I'M JUST SAYING WE NEED AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THIS COUNTY.

AND I PUSHED THE DIRT. I DIDN'T BUILD IT. I MOVED THE DIRT AROUND AND RAN UTILITIES.

BUT WE NEED, THERE'S NO QUESTION I DON'T THINK ANYBODY'S GOING TO ARGUE ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE NEED AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

BUT HOW DO YOU GET THERE? AND HOW DO YOU GET THE FINANCING IN PLACE.

AND HOW DO YOU MAKE IT WHEN YOU SIT DOWN TO DO A BUDGET, HOW DO YOU BUILD IT AND HOW DO YOU MAKE IT WORK, ONCE IT'S BUILT AND YOU HAVE TO WORK WITHIN THE PARAMETERS OF PROPERTY TAXES, WATER AND SEWER AND ALL OF THESE EXPENSES ASSESSMENTS, RIGHT? AND ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT GO UP BECAUSE ONCE THEY'RE BUILT, YOU'VE GOT TO STRUCTURE IT SO THAT IT'S GOING TO WORK AND YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO INCREASE RENTS AND YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO KEEP INCREASING YOUR REVENUE JUST LIKE WE DO HERE.

SO THAT'S AND THEY'RE ONLY MAKING IT WORSE. I RECENTLY HAD A CONVERSATION WITH A CIVIL ENGINEER THEIR MDE IS IN THE PROCESS OF REDOING THEIR STORMWATER DESIGN MANUAL AGAIN, MAKING IT MORE STRINGENT. SO NOW THESE STORMWATER RETENTION FACILITIES THAT YOU SEE EVERYWHERE, YOU KNOW, IT STARTED OUT WHEN I STARTED DOING THIS 26 YEARS AGO, WE DUG PONDS AND ALL YOUR STORMWATER RAN INTO A POND, WENT INTO OUTFALL STRUCTURE AND LEFT. WELL, NOW WE HAVE MICRO BIO RETENTION, GRAVEL, WETLANDS INFILTRATION BASINS, AND THEY ALL HAVE STONE AND MEDIA AND THEY'RE EXPENSIVE.

WELL, THE NEW STORMWATER REGULATION, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT MDE IS PUTTING OUT IS GOING TO INCREASE THE SIZE OF THE STORM THAT YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO TREAT. SO THAT'S ONLY GOING TO MAKE THOSE RETENTION FACILITIES AND TREATMENT FACILITIES MORE EXPENSIVE TO BUILD.

[00:55:06]

IT RAN INTO STORM DRAIN AND DISCHARGED. THERE WERE NO TREATMENT FACILITIES. SO IT WENT FROM THAT TO SPENDING 50, $60,000 ON MAYBE A 40-UNIT APARTMENT COMPLEX TO NOW YOU'RE SPENDING 400,000, YOU KNOW, AND THEY WANT TO INCREASE IT EVEN MORE.

SO THOSE ARE ALL COSTS THAT GO IN TO. AND HEAVEN FORBID, IF YOU'RE NEAR A CRITICAL AREA.

RIGHT. AND, AND, AND. I'M NOT SAYING IT'S NECESSARILY A BAD THING TO NOT PROTECT THE BAY OR TO TRY TO PROTECT THE BAY, BUT THERE ARE BALANCES IN EVERYTHING. THERE'S GIVE AND TAKE.

AND YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU WANT TO PROTECT THE BAY AT THE COST OF HAVING A MILLION HOMELESS IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND.

I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW, THERE'S TRADE OFFS. THERE'S, THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, IN EVERY DOLLAR IT TAKES YOU TO DEVELOP AND BUILD THAT APARTMENT COMPLEX IS A DOLLAR THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GET IN REVENUE TO OPERATE.

THAT'S JUST I MEAN, THAT'S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE.

I MEAN, SO. BUT THE STATE HAS DECIDED TO YOUR POINT TO COME IN AND PREEMPT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND SAY COUNTIES ARE THE PROBLEM BECAUSE YOUR ZONING ORDINANCES DON'T ALLOW MULTIFAMILY HOUSING IN SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING ZONING AREAS.

SO NOW THEY WANT TO TAKE COMMUNITIES WHERE EVERYBODY HAS ONE ACRE AND, YOU KNOW, IN A RANCHER AND BUILD A, A APARTMENT COMPLEX IN THE MIDDLE OF IT. AND IT'S THE COUNTY'S FAULT THAT THERE'S A SHORTAGE OF HOUSING.

IT'S NOT THE STATE'S FAULT. RIGHT? I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT THESE BILLS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. IT'S THE PRE IT'S THE PREEMPTION MANIA.

IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU GET PREEMPTED ON SOLAR.

AND NOW THEY WANT TO PREEMPT ON HOUSING. RIGHT.

AND PRETTY SOON, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO SET UP HERE AND TELL YOU WHAT THE WEATHER'S LIKE OUTSIDE BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GOING TO WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO.

I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE IF WE'RE PREEMPTED ON THIS, WE'RE IN THE NEXT YEAR.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO PREEMPT YOU ON, BUT AND THAT JUST SEEMS TO BE, YOU KNOW, WHERE WHERE WE'RE HEADED. IF WE DON'T LIKE THE FORM OF GOVERNMENT THAT YOU HAVE.

IF WE DON'T LIKE YOUR ELECTION. SYSTEM. SYSTEM, WE'RE GOING TO WE'RE GOING TO PASS A BILL THAT'S GOING TO SAY, YOU GOT TO CHANGE IT. AND IF WE DON'T LIKE THE FACT THAT YOU'RE A CODE HOME RULE COUNTY, WE WANT ALL YOU GUYS TO BE CHARTER COUNTIES.

WE'RE JUST GOING TO PASS A BILL THAT'S GOING TO TELL YOU THAT WHAT YOU GOT TO DO. SO I MEAN, YOU KNOW, SORRY, BUT THAT'S WHAT I'M SEEING HERE.

AND IT'S FRUSTRATING TO. WHEN'S YOUR CALL WITH STEVE AND BRUCE? IS THAT. THURSDAY. THURSDAY. DID THEY UPDATE ON THE VOTER'S RIGHTS BILL? ANYTHING ON IT? I'D HEARD IT WASN'T MOVING. I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING.

I GOT SOME KIND OF A UPDATE. I THINK IT'S STILL IN COMMITTEE.

OKAY, I THINK SO. I THINK IT RAN INTO SOME TROUBLE.

THEY'RE CONCERNED WITH THE AUTOMATIC LEGAL FEES BEING THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE LOCAL JURISDICTION, WHETHER IT BE MUNICIPALITY OR A COUNTY. AND WHAT WAS IT? NO NOTICE OF SUIT FROM THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE.

WERE THE TWO. YEAH. HANG UPS THAT THEY HAD WITH IT.

SO IT MAY, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S NOT GOING TO GO AWAY.

I MEAN, IF IT GOES AWAY, THIS LEGISLATION, LEGISLATIVE SESSION, IT'S DEFINITELY GOING TO COME BACK NEXT.

SO I THINK IT'S SOMETHING WE PROBABLY NEED TO TALK ABOUT, MAKING SOME SUGGESTIONS TO MACO ON THINGS THAT WE CAN LIVE WITH, BECAUSE UNFORTUNATELY, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GIVE THEM SOMETHING AT SOME POINT. THAT'S JUST THE NATURE OF WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.

MACO TOOK AN OPPOSITION POSITION ON IT. BUT YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I MEAN, I'M NOT SURE HOW MANY THERE WAS 1500 SENATE BILLS AND 900 HOUSE BILLS AND THAT WAS A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, SO I'M SURE.

WHEN'S THE DO YOU KNOW WHEN THE DEADLINE IS THE FILING DEADLINE CROSSOVER.

AND NOT NONE OF THE THREE OF US ARE AGAINST VOTERS RIGHTS.

THAT'S NOT THAT'S NOT WHAT OUR ISSUE WAS. OUR ISSUE WAS THEY TOOK THE FEDERAL VOTERS RATE STATUTE OF WHAT, 60 SOMETHING, 67, 76 SOMEWHERE IN THERE. AND THEY TOOK PROVISIONS THAT WERE IN THE FEDERAL LAW AND TOTALLY CHANGED. I THINK I THINK THE FEDERAL LAW.

MR. HAMMOND POINTED IT OUT TO ME. HE REVIEWED IT FOR ME.

SO I CAN'T TAKE CREDIT FOR READING THIS AND UNDERSTANDING ALL THIS.

BUT THE FEDERAL LAW INSINUATES THAT THE DISENFRANCHISED VOTING POPULATION WOULD HAVE TO BE COMPACT.

AND IN ONE PARTICULAR AREA AND THIS PROPOSED STATE LEGISLATION WOULD SAY, YOU CAN'T EVEN LOOK

[01:00:01]

AND YOU COULDN'T JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, TO FIX A DISENFRANCHISED, OR TO DETERMINE THAT SOMEBODY DISENFRANCHISED, YOU CAN'T JUST LOOK AND SAY, HEY, THEY'RE COMPACT IN ONE AREA.

YOU HAVE TO IGNORE THAT AND LOOK AT THE ENTIRE JURISDICTION.

AND YOU KNOW, WE WERE REALLY HUNG UP ON IF WE MADE ANY CONCESSIONS, WE WOULD HAVE TO BE ON THE HOOK FOR ALL THE ATTORNEY'S FEES FOR BOTH SIDES.

AND WHAT WAS THE OTHER THING? PLAINTIFFS AND WITNESSES AND EVERYTHING.

YEAH. NO NOTIFICATION. THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE COULD SUE A MUNICIPALITY OR COUNTY FOR A PERCEIVED BIAS AND THERE WOULD BE NO NOTIFICATION FOR THAT. SO JUST SOME THINGS WITH THAT ONE. AND I MEAN, IT'S LIKE, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, YEARS AGO, I MEAN, THIS COUNTY HAS MADE A DETERMINATION THAT IT WANTS TO BE.

AND I THINK IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO TO BE A CODE HOME RULE COUNTY.

THAT'S A DECISION THAT SHOULD BE MADE BY THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE WITHIN THIS COUNTY, NOT SOME SENATOR FROM PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY TO TELL US WHAT WE OUGHT TO BE.

EVERY YEAR THERE'S A BILL THAT'S INTRODUCED THAT IS GOING TO MANDATE THAT ALL COUNTIES BECOME CHARTER COUNTIES.

I MEAN, WE THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. I MEAN, IT'S ALMOST LIKE WE'RE THEY'RE COMING ALONG AND SAYING, WELL, SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW, DECIDES EVERYBODY OUGHT TO BE A CHARTER COUNTY.

SO WE'RE GOING TO PUT A BILL IN AND IT NEVER GOES ANYWHERE.

BUT I'M NOT SAYING IT'S NOT GOING TO. I MEAN, THERE'S A BILL IN THERE RIGHT NOW.

I DON'T LOOK, I DON'T WANT TO GET TOO CARRIED AWAY HERE, BUT THERE'S A BILL RIGHT NOW THAT I READ THE THE OTHER NIGHT THAT IS SAYING THAT NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS WOULD BE PROHIBITED FROM USING THEIR SERVICES TO DO ANYTHING THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH ISRAEL.

NOW, I DON'T KNOW. I MEAN, I DON'T I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE'RE COMING FROM WITH THAT.

I JUST, BUT I MEAN, IT'S GETTING MORE AND MORE AND MORE WHERE THE STATE IS GOING TO TAKE OVER EVERYTHING.

THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE OVER ZONING. THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE OVER YOU KNOW, SITING FOR SOLAR, THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE OVER. AND I'M SERIOUS THAT WE'RE GOING TO REACH A POINT WHERE WE'RE JUST GOING TO SET UP HERE AND SAY THE WEATHER IS NICE AND MEETING ADJOURNED.

MEETING ADJOURNED. AND HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A GOOD DAY.

AND THAT'S NOT THE WAY IT SHOULD BE. I MEAN, YOUR LOCAL OFFICIALS SHOULD BE MAKING LOCAL DECISIONS.

AND SO I'LL SHUT UP ON THAT. ALL RIGHT. OKAY, WELL.

[Action Agenda]

SOUNDS GOOD. THE NEXT ONE IS AN ACTION ITEM I'VE GOT TO RECUSE MYSELF FROM FOR OBVIOUS REASONS.

OKAY, I'M GOING TO STEP OUT. DON'T TALK TOO BAD ABOUT ME.

I'M GOING TO SAY BAD STUFF ABOUT YOU WHILE YOU'RE GONE.

OKAY. THE ACTION AGENDA ITEM IS PURCHASE ORDER 2026-400.

IT IS TO J. RICHARD BREEDING EXCAVATING, FOR PHASE 1 OF THE NORTH COUNTY REGIONAL PARK, AND THE AMOUNT OF THE BID IS $2,390,104.77. ANY QUESTIONS? JAMIE. SO JUST FOR THE RECORD THE ORIGINAL BIDS WERE 3 MILLION, 4 MILLION AND 3.7 MILLION.

CORRECT. AND THEN, BUT THAT WASN'T IN OUR BUDGET.

CORRECT. AND SO WE REMOVED THE RESTROOM BUILDING, WHICH WILL PROBABLY CONSTRUCT AT A LATER TIME.

WE'RE GOING TO DO A PRECAST BUILD, BECAUSE THE BUILD FROM ALL THE VENDORS PERSPECTIVES WERE, WERE VERY HIGH. OKAY. YEAH, I SEEN THAT. AND THEN INSTEAD OF TURF, WE'RE GOING TO GO WITH INSTEAD OF SOD, WE'RE GOING TO GO WITH THE SEATING ASPECT. CORRECT.

OKAY. SO THAT BRINGS IT DOWN TO 2.3. WELL TWO, ALMOST 2.4 MILLION.

THE SECOND BID WAS 3.2 AND THE THIRD BID WAS JUST UNDER $3 MILLION AT J.

BREEDING. JAMES BREEDING BEING THE LOWEST ONE.

SO DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING COMMISSIONER. I DON'T, YOU'VE REVIEWED ALL OF THIS, I MEAN.

SO MOST OF THIS IS ALL FEDERAL MONEY, CORRECT? FEDERAL, FEDERAL AND STATE. BOTH. YEAH. YEAH.

SO I JUST WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW. THERE'S LESS THAN 10% OF LOCAL MONEY INVESTED IN THIS ENTIRE PROJECT.

RIGHT. SO THE COUNTY'S NOT SPENDING THE FULL, YOU KNOW, $2.3 MILLION.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT. I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING. THIS IS.

YOU'VE BEEN WAITING A LONG TIME FOR THIS. COMMISSIONER PORTER. YEAH, YEAH, I'VE AGED A LOT,

[01:05:04]

ABSOLUTELY. GOOD. SO I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE.

P0 2026-400. I'LL SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE.

AYE. AYE. SO MOVED. SOMEBODY WANT TO TELL TRAVIS HE CAN COME BACK IN? I THINK YOU RAN AWAY FROM HOME. THANK YOU. JAMIE, I KNOW THIS TOOK A LOT.

A LOT OF A LOT OF WORK AND A LOT OF LARRY PHONE CALLS AND.

A LOT OF HURRY UP AND WAIT. YEAH.

THIS WILL BE MINE. SO WHEN DO WE PLAN ON BREAKING GROUND? YEAH. I MEAN, A ROUGH TIMELINE ABOUT A MONTH.

OKAY. A MONTH AND A HALF. REMEMBER, THAT WORTHLESS CONTRACTOR WILL GET THERE.

I MEAN, I DIDN'T WANT TO SAY ANYTHING. YEAH, WE BETTER GET THIS GUY OUT THERE MOVING, MAN.

ALRIGHT, MR. PRESIDENT, I'LL TURN THE MEETING BACK OVER TO YOU. OH, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

[Consent Agenda]

WE'VE BEEN BUILDING SINCE 2021, AND WE'VE HAD HEAT ISSUES IN THE PROCESSING AREAS IN 2022.

SO I SPENT A LOT OF TIME. WELL HOPEFULLY 2027 WOULD BE BETTER.

YEAH. AND WE HAVE THE FUNDS. THIS IS WELL WITHIN THE FUNDS THAT WE RECOVERED FROM THE DESIGN.

LITIGATION. YEAH. TO CORRECT THE ISSUE. I WAS ASKING THIS MORNING BEFORE THE MEETING, LIKE THEY REQUESTED, YOU KNOW, WHY WE'RE SPENDING THAT. I WAS LIKE, WELL, WE GOT, WE'RE NOT PAYING ANYTHING COME OUT OF LITIGATION. SO WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, NO MORE, YOU KNOW, NOT TAXPAYER MONEY.

WELL, IT CAME OUT OF A SETTLEMENT. YEAH. WE DIDN'T ACTUALLY.

GET TO FINISH THE CONCRETE ONCE THEY REPORT. YEAH.

OKAY. A LITTLE BIT MORE ON TOP OF THIS, SO. YEAH.

OKAY. GUYS DON'T NEED HEAT OVER THERE. DO YOU MOVE AROUND? ALL RIGHT. IS THERE A YOU NEED A MOTION? YES, SIR.

I WOULD MOVE WE APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA. SO SECOND.

OKAY. MOTION AND SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE.

ALL THOSE OPPOSED? THE AYES HAVE IT. COUNTY ADMINISTRATORS REPORT.

[County Administrators Report]

IT'S BEEN VERY CRAZY THIS WEEK. I THINK WE'VE HAD SUMMER WEATHER, WINTER WEATHER.

AND I'M JUST LOOKING AT OUR DAILY UPDATE FROM DES AND IT LOOKS LIKE FLURRIES ARE POSSIBLE TODAY.

BUT THE BIG NEWS WAS THE BAD STORM THAT CAME THROUGH LAST NIGHT.

OUR DAMAGE ASSESSMENT TEAMS ARE RIGHT NOW ACTUALLY CURRENTLY OUT LOOKING AT THE AREAS THAT WE'RE AWARE OF THAT WERE SEEM TO HAVE BEEN HIT HARD I THINK ORIGINALLY.

GOLDSBORO, GREENSBORO IN PARTICULAR, HOLSINGER LANE.

SO WE HAVE DAMAGE ASSESSMENT TEAMS OUT THERE RIGHT NOW AND THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL BE COMING TO TAKE A LOOK AT SOME POINT ALSO.

THE REPORT FROM THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT AS OF THIS MORNING, I THINK YOU ALREADY HEARD IS THAT ALL ROADS ARE OPEN.

AND THEN YESTERDAY YOU PROBABLY SAW WE DID DO I DID ANNOUNCE A LIBERAL LEAVE FOR THE AFTERNOON.

NOW, THE WEATHER WASN'T TERRIBLE AT THAT POINT IN TIME. I WAS MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE SCHOOLS AND DAYCARES WERE CLOSING, AND SOME PARENTS NEEDED TO GET HOME AND GET THEIR KIDS AND MAKE SURE THEIR PROPERTY WAS SECURED, SO. DAYSPRING UPDATE. THE PURCHASER HAS REQUESTED A TWO-WEEK EXTENSION FOR THEIR DUE DILIGENCE PERIOD. THIS IS MOSTLY BECAUSE WE ARE STILL COLLECTING INFORMATION AND GIVING IT TO THEM AS FAST AS WE CAN.

ONE OF THE THINGS THEY'RE LOOKING FOR RIGHT NOW AND WE DO NOT HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION JUST YET.

IN FACT, WE HAVE A MEETING TODAY WITH STACIE AND I AND STUART'S INVITED TO TALK ABOUT THIS WAS THE BROKEN PIPES AND THE FLOODING, THAT FLOOD DAMAGE THAT HAPPENED IN, I THINK TWO OF THE UNITS IN THE LAUNDRY ROOM AND SOME OTHER SPACE.

SO THEY ARE WANTING TO KNOW THE EXTENT OF THAT DAMAGE AND WHERE WE ARE WITH OUR INSURANCE CLAIM.

SO WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT. LET'S SEE, DETENTION CENTER, WE HAVE NOW RECEIVED THREE

[01:10:05]

SO I'LL BE MEETING WITH WARDEN SCOTT AND DEPUTY WARDEN DIXON TO GO OVER THOSE.

AND THEN WE'LL BRING BACK TO YOU A DISCUSSION ABOUT WHERE WE'RE GOING TO GO FROM HERE AND HOW THAT PROCESS IS GOING TO LOOK, WHAT OUR NEXT STEPS ARE. AND THEN THE LAST THING IS JUST A QUICK FYI, THE CHESAPEAKE COLLEGE BUDGET MEETING HAD TO BE RESCHEDULED BECAUSE THERE WAS A CONFLICT IN ONE OF THE OTHER JURISDICTIONS. SO YOU ALREADY HAVE A SCHEDULING UPDATE INVITE ON YOUR CALENDAR, BUT IT'LL BE APRIL 23RD THE FOLLOWING WEEK. I GUESS THERE IS JUST ONE OTHER THING, AND THIS IS PARTIALLY POSSIBLY RELATED TO THE DETENTION CENTER, BUT ALSO OFFICE SPACE.

I'LL BE MEETING WITH HIS HOPE MINISTRIES AND ALONG WITH ONE OF YOU RIGHT NOW, COMMISSIONER BREEDING, IS ON THE EMAIL, BUT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE I DON'T THINK, COMMISSIONER BREEDING.

BUT ANYWAY, MEETING WITH STEPHANIE JOHNSON AND ABOUT THE PROPERTY ACROSS THE STREET THAT THEY'RE CONSIDERING SELLING AND WHETHER OR NOT WE ARE INTERESTED IN REACQUIRING THEM. THAT SHOULD BE HAPPENING BY NEXT WEEK.

OKAY. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER OPEN DISCUSSION PERIOD.

[Commissioners Open Discussion]

FRIDAY NIGHT ME AND ALONG WITH COMMISSIONER PORTER HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND THE FULL RACE BANQUET THEIR AWARDS BANQUET.

AND IT'S ALWAYS VERY WELL ATTENDED AND ALWAYS VERY WELL DONE.

SO CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE VOLUNTEERS AND THE FOR THOSE THAT RECEIVE AWARDS, THEY WORK ALL YEAR LONG FOR THEIR PROJECTS AND THEY RAISE MONEY, YOU KNOW, FOR THEIR PROJECTS. YOU KNOW, HELPS THEM WITH THEIR COLLEGE AND MOVE ON TO THIS YEAR'S PROJECTS.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT, BUT DID YOU GUYS, LIKE WE ALL GOT TO KENNY FENDER PAVING.

THAT'S FINE. GO AHEAD. YEAH, I DIDN'T HAVE IT.

I WAS GOING THROUGH MY EMAILS. KENNY THE STATE EMAILED US A LIST FOR PAVING COMING UP THIS YEAR.

IT'S JUST TENTATIVE, SO IT COULD CHANGE. SO IT'S MARYLAND 16 FROM THE 404 LINE TO THE DELAWARE STATE LINE.

IT'S 2.5 MILES. MARYLAND 307 FROM MARYLAND 313.

IT'S JUST A SMALL PATCH. MARYLAND 314 FROM KELLER ROAD TO DELAWARE STATE LINE.

AND MARYLAND 331 FROM BROOKS AVENUE TO PAYNE ROAD DOWN IN PRESTON.

SO REMEMBER THE FOUR. SO IT'S APPROXIMATELY ABOUT.

SO THAT'S THREE. WELL, THE FIRST TWO ARE PATCHING.

YEAH, IT'S JUST PATCHING. YEAH. SIMILAR TO WHAT THEY DID AT THE END OF ROUTE 16.

HARMONY ROAD FROM 404 BACK TO WILLISTON. SO IT'S ROUGHLY ABOUT FIVE MILES OF PATCHING.

IT'S NOT EVEN GOING TO TOUCH REALLY WHAT WE NEED AT ALL.

IT'S JUST PUTTING A BAND AID ON. WHERE'S THE WHERE'S 314? THAT'S GOING TO HARRINGTON. HARRINGTON. WHITELEYSBURG ROAD.

OKAY. YEAH. AND THEN 331 FROM THAT'S DOWN IN PRESTON, RIGHT FOLKS TO PAIN.

SO THAT MUST BE RIGHT THROUGH TOWN. YEAH. I'M NOT SURE WHERE FOLKS ROAD IS.

OKAY. SO IT'S THE ROAD RIGHT THROUGH TOWN. IT'S BAD IN FRONT OF THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND ALL THAT.

IT IS BAD. SO THAT'S THE UPDATE. BUT THERE'S A LOT OF ROADS THAT ARE.

OH YEAH. THAT NEED IT. AND THAT'S ALL WE'RE GETTING.

SO WE'LL STAY ON THEM ABOUT THAT. BUT. YEAH, AND LIKE I SAID, THE FIRST TWO WAS JUST PATCHING.

SO THAT'S NOT EVEN A COMPLETE. YEAH. I MEAN THEY'RE GOING TO PATCH.

I MEAN, THE BIGGEST PROJECT'S TWO AND A HALF MILES AND THAT'S PATCHING.

SO THAT'S NOT EVEN. YEAH. IT'S NOT EVEN, YOU KNOW, REALLY FIXING ANYTHING.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL I GOT. COMMISSIONER PORTER. YEP.

4H BANQUET WAS GOOD. I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT YOUR WIFE DIDN'T WANT TO SPEND HER BIRTHDAY AT FOUR H DINNER.

BUT THAT'S THE ONLY REASON WHY I MISSED IT. I WASN'T GOING TO MAKE MY WIFE.

YEAH, WELL, I'VE BEEN THERE. SHE PUTS UP WITH ENOUGH.

WERE YOU TRYING TO SAY. SHE DOES. OH, IT'S FINE, IT'S FUN, BUT IT'S A LONG BANQUET.

YEAH. WHAT TIME DID YOU GUYS GET OUT OF THERE? I STARTED AT SIX. YEAH. YEAH I GAVE THE BIG SPEECH.

I DID. FRANK. HE WAS VERY ELOQUENT WHEN HE SPOKE.

VERY POLISHED. THE. SORRY I MISSED IT. JUST MENTIONING THE PAVING ONE OF THE INTERESTING BILLS AND TALKING ABOUT THAT IS HOW THEY'RE GOING TO HANDLE HIGHWAY USER REVENUE GENERATED BY ELECTRIC VEHICLES.

IT'S GOING TO BE A WAY INTERESTING NUT TO CRACK THERE BECAUSE YOU KNOW, AND I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER IS GOING TO BE TO THAT, BUT YOU KNOW, AS, AS ANOTHER, ANOTHER THING THAT HAS DRIVEN UP THE COST TO GO BACK TO MY AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS THE REQUIREMENT THAT THEY'RE GOING TO TALK

[01:15:09]

SO THAT'LL RUN THE PRICE UP A LITTLE BIT AS WELL.

BUT NOW CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 4H KIDS. THEY, THEY DO, THEY, THEY WORK HARD.

AND THAT IS A, THAT'S A REALLY STRONG ORGANIZATION WITH A REALLY STRONG GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS.

I MEAN, I THINK CHARLOTTE BROWN HAD BEEN INVOLVED FOR 26 YEARS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

AND I MEAN, I KNOW SHE GIVES EVERYTHING SHE'S GOT TO IT.

AND I REALLY COMMEND THOSE PEOPLE FOR, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH THOSE KIDS AND THOSE PROGRAMS. SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU. OKAY, I DID RECEIVE A LETTER FROM THE ACTING SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION, CATHERINE THOMPSON REGARDING OUR LIST OF PRIORITIES THAT WE BROUGHT UP TO THE STATE AT OUR CTP MEETING. SHE WON THE COMPREHENSIVE RESURFACING OF MARYLAND 313 FROM MARYLAND 404 TO FEDERALSBURG, WHICH IS HIGHWAY, INCLUDING REPAIRS TO PAVEMENT, SHOULDERS AND STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE, SHE SAID.

DISTRICT TWO HAS INCLUDED THIS WORK ON A LIST OF FUTURE PROJECTS AND WILL MONITOR REPAIRS AS NEEDED UNTIL SCHEDULED.

OUR SECOND REQUEST WAS FOR THE COMPLETION OF THE RESURFACING PROJECT ON MARYLAND ROUTE 16 FROM LAKE DRIVE TO 404, SAID SATH, DISTRICT TWO, COMPLETED PATCHING OF THIS SEGMENT IN LATE 2025, SO THEY ADDRESSED THAT CONCERN.

GENERAL RESURFACING, SHOULDER REPAIR, DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENT AND SIGNAGE UPGRADES ACROSS CAROLINE COUNTY STATE ROAD NETWORK.

THEY SAY THAT THEY HAVE COMPLETED PLANS TO PURSUE MILLING, GRINDING AND RESURFACING AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS IN CAROLINE COUNTY.

AND THEN IT GOES ON TO STATE THE ROADS THAT COMMISSIONER BARTZ JUST POINTED OUT, BY THE FALL OF 2027.

OUR FOURTH REQUEST WAS FOR THE WIDENING OF 404 FROM, TO FOUR LANES FROM HARMONY ROAD TO MARYLAND, ROUTE 16 EAST, WHICH WOULD BE GREENWOOD ROAD.

SO FROM 16 ROUTE 16 TO ROUTE 16 THEY HAVE STARTED ON THE PEL STUDY FROM, IN THAT LOCATION. AND THEY ANTICIPATE THE COMPLETION OF THE PEL STUDY BY THE WINTER OF 25-26.

THE ADDITION OF A NORTHBOUND LEFT TURN LANE AT MARYLAND 18 AND HARMONY ROAD HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS A PRIORITY FOR PROJECTS. FOR SATH, ONCE THE REPORT IS PUBLISHED.

I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THERE IS NO MARYLAND 18.

THEY MUST HAVE BEEN 16. 18. THAT IN QUEEN ANNE.

YEAH. THEY MUST MEAN 16 AND HARMONY ROAD. REBUILD AND RESURFACE MARYLAND 454 WHICH IS MARYDELL TO TEMPLEVILLE. DISTRICT TWO HAS INCLUDED THIS IN A LIST OF FUTURE PROJECTS AND WILL MONITOR REPAIR AS NEEDED UNTIL SCHEDULED.

I MEAN, IT IS. MATT, YOU'VE BEEN ON THE ROAD? WHEW. YEAH, THAT ONE NEEDS IT BAD. SO WE DID.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON THERE. REBUILD AND RESURFACE MARYLAND 313 FROM GREENSBORO TO GOLDSBORO.

SATH RESURFACED 313 FROM THE CHOPTANK RIVER TO MARYLAND 287 IN THE SUMMER OF 2023.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT. OKAY. AND THEN RESTRIPE OIL CITY LIGHT TO ADD A RIGHT TURN LANE.

IT JUST SAYS THEY COMPLETED THE CONSTRUCTION OF A TRAFFIC SIGNAL IN OCTOBER.

SO THEY DIDN'T ADDRESS THAT ONE. SO WE MIGHT HAVE TO FOLLOW UP WITH HER AND SAY WE'RE REQUESTING STRIPING.

TO DO OUR UPDATED. OKAY. SO THAT'LL BE COMING UP.

ROAD SHOW. WHEN'S THE ROAD SHOW? OH, THAT'S NOT.

YEAH, IT'S FALL. WE SUBMIT IN SPRING. THE NEXT ONE WE MAKE A LOOK.

I MEAN, WE PUT IN PRETTY MODEST REQUESTS OTHER THAN NATURALLY THE DUALIZATION OF 404, WHICH WE ASKED FOR EVERY TIME.

BUT THE REST OF THE STUFF WAS PRETTY MODEST. TRUST FUND REVENUES ARE DOWN. TRANSPORTATION TRUST FUND REVENUES.

AND I DON'T, I'LL JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT. YEAH, THEY COULD PROBABLY BE DOING MORE, BUT PRIORITIES ARE NOT, DON'T ALIGN WITH OURS. WELL, WE.

[01:20:01]

YEAH. I MEAN, KENNY, KENNY FENDER IS PROBABLY THE MOST, I DON'T KNOW, HE'S ONE OF THE MOST RESPONSIVE STATE, YOU KNOW, AGENCY PEOPLE. I MEAN. I DID TALK TO HIM EARLIER LAST WEEK, I THINK IT WAS LAST WEEK.

THEY ARE MOVING FORWARD WITH SPLIT PHASING THE LIGHT AT 16 AND DOUBLE HILLS ROAD.

SO YOU HAVE THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC ISN'T GOING AT THE SAME TIME, SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE LESS ACCIDENTS THERE AS A RESULT OF THAT.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF HEAD ON. PEOPLE DON'T. WHEN THE LIGHTS TURN GREEN, THEY FORGET THEY'VE GOT TO YIELD TO TRAFFIC GOING STRAIGHT ACROSS.

SO THEY ARE LOOKING AT SPLIT PHASING THAT LIGHT AND IT IS ON THEIR RADAR AND IT IS GOING TO HAPPEN.

SO CAN I MENTION ONE MORE THING? I THINK WE'VE ALL HAD SOME INDIVIDUAL CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE NORTH COUNTY SEWER PROJECT. AND I THINK WE'RE, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT MEETING IS COMING UP AND WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO HAVE SOME DECISIONS TO MAKE HERE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW WE'RE GOING TO HANDLE THE TOWN'S BEYOND GOLDSBORO, HENDERSON, MARYDEL AND TEMPLEVILLE.

SO KEEP THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'LL KEEP THAT ON THE RADAR AND, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THAT I THINK THE DECISION WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE IS HOW MANY PROPERTIES ARE AFFECTED IN THOSE TOWNS AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH SOMEHOW EITHER.

SOUNDS TO ME LIKE WE WOULD EITHER HAVE TO PUT A SEPARATE SYSTEM IN FOR EACH ONE OF THOSE OR DO SOMETHING.

BUT I MEAN, THAT'S A CONVERSATION WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE HERE PRETTY, PRETTY, PRETTY SOON.

WELL, YOU KNOW, ONE GOOD THING ABOUT GOING THROUGH THIS EXERCISE OF GETTING ELECTED OR REELECTED EVERY FOUR YEARS IS THAT YOUR THOUGHT PROCESSES GET, YOU KNOW. TURNED ON AND YOU START TO THINK ABOUT DIFFERENT STRATEGIES FOR THE COUNTY MOVING FORWARD. AND, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE QUESTION HAS BEEN AROUND HOUSING QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED HAVE BEEN AROUND HOUSING.

AND I THINK IT'S VERY FORTUNATE IN SOME WAYS THAT THE COUNTY HAS BEEN ABLE TO STAY LARGELY OUT OF THE SEWER AND WATER DELIVERY ER ARENA FOR SO MANY YEARS.

I MEAN, WE HAVE THE ONE SMALL SYSTEM IN JONESTOWN THAT WAS FORCED UPON US BY A CONSENT ORDER, BUT OUTSIDE OF THAT, WE DO NOT DO ANY SEWER AND WATER.

BUT I THINK WITH THE DIRECTION THAT THE STATE HAS BEEN HEADING FOR DECADES NOW, GETTING AWAY FROM ONSITE DISPOSAL SYSTEMS, SEPTIC SYSTEMS. I THINK, YOU KNOW, IN ORDER FOR US TO CONTROL, IN ORDER FOR WHOEVER'S SITTING IN THESE THREE SEATS TO CONTROL THE DESTINY OF THE COUNTY, I THINK WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO AT SOME POINT GET IN THE WATER AND SEWER GAME.

OTHERWISE, WE ARE TOTALLY BEHOLDEN TO THE MUNICIPALITIES FOR ANY TYPE OF GROWTH.

WHAT KIND OF GROWTH? SO WE'VE EITHER GOT TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO STRENGTHEN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE MUNICIPALITIES, OR INFLUENCE DECISION MAKING INSIDE THE MUNICIPALITIES TO GAIN MORE CONTROL OVER WHAT KIND OF DEVELOPMENT AND WHERE IT HAPPENS, OR WE'VE GOT TO GET IN THE WATER AND SEWER GAME PROBABLY TO HAVE THAT KIND OF CONTROL IF WE WANT IT.

SO, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN GIVEN A LOT OF THOUGHT TO, YOU KNOW, DO WE REALLY WANT THAT KIND OF EXPANSION OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT? AND, YOU KNOW, I HONESTLY, I DON'T KNOW WHERE I COME DOWN ON IT YET, BUT I FEEL LIKE AT SOME POINT AT LEAST MAYBE WEST DENTON, I THINK IT'S TIME THAT THE COUNTY PROBABLY ADDRESS THAT ISSUE.

AND WE COULD SEE REALLY SOME TAX BASE GROWTH IF WE ARE ABLE TO MAKE SOME INVESTMENTS IN THOSE AREAS.

YOU KNOW, NORTH COUNTY BEING ONE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.

AND THEN ALSO, YOU KNOW, WEST DENTON ARE A COUPLE AREAS THAT REALLY JUMP OUT AT ME AS AREAS THAT IF WE DECIDED TO GET IN TO DOING SOME WATER AND SEWER DELIVERY WE COULD, YOU KNOW, INFLUENCE WHAT HAPPENS IN THOSE AREAS OF THE COUNTY.

BUT LIKE I SAID, IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO TAKE A LOT OF THOUGHT.

WELL, THE NORTH COUNTY SEWER PROJECT IS ONE THAT HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, IN PLACE FOR A LONG TIME.

AND I THINK THE INITIAL PROBLEM WITH GOLDSBORO, ALTHOUGH IT HASN'T BEEN DONE TO THE EXACT SATISFACTION OF EVERYBODY THERE FROM A BILLING STANDPOINT, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT.

BUT IT HAS ADDRESSED THAT PROBLEM GOING BEYOND.

BUT GOLDSBORO, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, AND YOU CAN HELP ME OUT, WAS UNDER A CONSENT ORDER.

[01:25:06]

ABOUT? I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE POPULATION OF HENDERSON IS, BUT I CAN'T, I DON'T, I MEAN, I DON'T MEAN, DO YOU KNOW OFFHAND HOW MANY HOUSES THERE ARE IN IN HENDERSON? SO I MEAN, THEN YOU GET TO TEMPLEVILLE AND THEN YOU GET TO MARYDEL.

SO. BUT INSIDE OF THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW HOW MANY HAVE FAILING? EXACTLY. AND, AND I THINK THE, MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE WE DO SOME PRELIMINARY RESEARCH ON OUR OWN BECAUSE FROM WHAT I GATHER FROM TALKING WITH LESLIE, WHO I BELIEVE PROBABLY KNOWS MORE ABOUT THIS THAN ANYBODY ELSE, THE RULES HAVE KIND OF CHANGED.

AND IF YOU START ONCE YOU START TAKING MONEY FROM THE FROM THE DIFFERENT FEDERAL AND STATE ENTITIES, YOU GOT TO BUILD A PLAN. IT ISN'T LIKE YOU CAN TAKE MONEY AND STUDY IT AND DECIDE WHETHER YOU'RE GOING TO BUILD IT.

IF YOU TAKE THE MONEY, YOU GOT TO BUILD IT. AND WHEN YOU BUILD IT, YOU GOT TO OPERATE IT.

AND WHEN YOU OPERATE IT, YOU GOT TO HIRE PEOPLE.

AND WHEN YOU HIRE PEOPLE, YOU GOT TO PAY THEM.

SO THAT'S WHERE THIS ALL COMES DOWN. SO IF WE HAVE A SITUATION WHERE, HOW DO WE JUDGE THAT BETWEEN.

DOUG HAS A SEPTIC SYSTEM, IF YOUR SEPTIC SYSTEM GOES BAD, WHO PAYS TO REPLACE THAT? YOU DO. SO WHERE DO WE REACH THE POINT HERE WHERE WE SAY, WHO'S GOING TO PAY FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR FIXING OR REPLACING FAILING SEPTIC SYSTEMS? AND IS THE JUICE WORTH THE SQUEEZE HERE? AND I HATE TO SAY THAT, BUT I MEAN, HOW MANY ARE WE, HOW MANY PROPERTIES ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? AND, YOU KNOW, I HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS WITH ROB AND KAY [INAUDIBLE] ABOUT IT.

AND I THINK THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE THE, THEY DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO GO BACK AND KIND OF DO SOME RESEARCH TO SEE WHO HAS HOLDING TANKS AND THAT TYPE OF THING.

BUT THERE'S GOT TO BE A COST BENEFIT RATIO HERE.

AND BECAUSE IT'S EXPENSIVE TO RUN PLANTS, WE KNOW THAT FROM JONESTOWN.

AND SO I THINK THERE'S GOT TO BE SOME RESEARCH, BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH TIME WE, I THINK WE GOT TO MOVE AND WE GOT TO DECIDE, YOU KNOW, WHICH DIRECTION WE'RE GOING TO GO. YOU KNOW, I KNOW, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN SOME TALK ABOUT INCORPORATING THE TRAILER PARKS INTO THE, YOU KNOW, PLANTS INTO THAT IT WOULD OPEN UP DEVELOPMENT.

OBVIOUSLY, IT WOULD OPEN UP DEVELOPMENT. IF IT'S STRUCTURED PROPERLY RIGHT NOW, THE LINES THAT GO FROM GREENSBORO TO GOLDSBORO ARE RESTRICTED FOR DEVELOPMENT, CORRECT? I MEAN, IT'S.

THE FUNDING SOURCES THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TO, TO ADDRESS THE FAILING SEPTIC ISSUES WOULD HAVE THE SAME RESTRICTIONS.

THE ONLY IT'S RIDICULOUS. AND THIS IS THE OTHER ARGUMENT BACK TO YOUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

YOU KNOW, TALK STATEMENT EARLIER WAS MDE AND USDA DON'T REALLY COVER THE DEVELOPMENT OR EXPANSION ASPECT. THEY JUST WANT TO FUND RESOLVING PROBLEMS. FIXING THE SYSTEM. RIGHT, NOT. AND AS A RESULT, IF YOU TAKE THEIR MONEY, YOU CAN HOOK TO IT FOR EXPANSION, SO. SO YOU'VE GOT THAT LINE THAT RUNS FROM GREENSBORO TO GOLDSBORO.

AND NOBODY CAN HOOK. AND NOBODY CAN HOOK INTO IT. SO I MEAN, THAT'S.

UNLESS THEY HAVE A FAILING SEPTIC, I WAS GOING TO SAY. AND NOT ONLY THAT, EVEN WHEN WE WERE WORKING ON THE FIRST PHASE OF THIS PROJECT, WE CONTEMPLATED THE COUNTY PUTTING IN MORE DOLLARS TO HAVE LARGER PIPES OR MAKE IT SO THAT IT COULD BE EXPANDED IN THE FUTURE.

THAT WAS A NO DEAL FOR THE FUNDERS. WE COULDN'T EVEN SIZE IT AND PAY THAT EXTRA TO FOR FUTURE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT.

SO THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING EARLIER ABOUT BEING COUNTERACTIVE.

YOU KNOW, YOU'RE SAYING, OKAY, IT'S DIFFICULT TO BUILD SINGLE FAMILY HOMES ON SEPTIC SYSTEMS. YOU GOT A LINE THAT'S RUNNING RIGHT DOWN THE ROAD, BUT YOU CAN'T HOOK TO IT.

THINK ABOUT THAT. I MEAN, IT DOESN'T, YOU KNOW.

SO, BUT AGAIN, I MEAN, I THINK THIS IS A, THIS IS A DECISION THAT'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE MADE AND IT'S GOING TO BE A TRICKY ONE.

SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO, I THINK THAT MEETING IS COMING UP SOON.

THE NORTH COUNTY SEWER MEETING, SHE. LESLIE TOLD ME.

WE VOTED TO EXTEND IT BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY OR TO DELAY OR POSTPONE THE NEXT MEETING.

OKAY. BUT I'LL KEEP YOU, I'LL KEEP YOU IN THE LOOP BECAUSE I'M THE REPRESENTATIVE ON THAT.

RIGHT. LAST THING I HAD WAS THE LIGHTS ARE BEING DELIVERED FOR SHARP PARK TODAY.

WEATHER HAS NOT BEEN COOPERATING AT ALL FOR ANY, YOU KNOW, FURTHER WORK.

I THINK PUBLIC WORKS DID GO OUT AND STABILIZED.

[01:30:01]

THEY'RE SETTING THE BASES AND GETTING STARTING TOMORROW.

OKAY, SO WE SHOULD BE MOVING AGAIN THERE. AND THE WEATHER LOOKS GOOD AFTER AFTER TOMORROW OR AFTER WHAT WE RECEIVED LAST NIGHT.

SO I WANT TO COMMEND PUBLIC WORKS. I'M SURE YOU HAD PEOPLE OUT LAST NIGHT CLEANING UP STORM DAMAGE, SO I APPRECIATE THOSE GUYS. AND THE BATTLE THAT THAT YOUR DEPARTMENT, ROBIN HAS BEEN FIGHTING THE LAST MONTH OR SO WITH MOTHER NATURE.

SO I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF OVERTIME HOURS PUT IN AND MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT GOING OUT AND GETTING TREES.

THAT'S NOT THE SAFEST TASK TO BE OUT WITH A CHAINSAW IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT TRYING TO GET TREES OFF THE ROAD.

SO APPRECIATE YOUR DEPARTMENT AND PUTTING THOSE HOURS IN TO GET THE ROADS OPEN.

I'M ASSUMING BUSSES WERE ABLE TO GET THROUGH.

WE HAD A LOT OF STUFF DOWN ON HOLLY AND HOLSINGER LAST NIGHT.

LIKE 5:00 THIS MORNING. SO HOLLY WAS THE WORST.

BUT YEAH I DID CHECK IN WITH MARK. I SAW THE FACEBOOK.

ACTUALLY, MY WIFE WOKE ME UP LAST NIGHT AND SAID, THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON.

EVERYBODY'S POSTING ON FACEBOOK. THERE'S TREES DOWN EVERYWHERE.

SO I DID TEXT MARK SHERIDAN, THE ES DIRECTOR.

MARK GOT BACK TO ME AND SAID THERE WERE NO INJURIES THAT HE WAS AWARE OF AND JUST HAD A LOT OF DAMAGE.

SO VERY FORTUNATE WE GOT THROUGH THAT ONE. SO I TOUCHED BASE WITH HIM.

HE WAS PRETTY MUCH ON THE MARK WITH HIS TIMING ON THIS, ON THAT THING.

SO YEAH. DOUG, DO YOU HAVE DAMAGE? WE HAD MINIMAL, I THINK MY NEIGHBORS TWO HOUSES DOWN.

I'M PRETTY SURE TORNADO CAME THROUGH. YEAH. TORE THEIR FENCE UP AND RIVER ROAD WHERE IT TURNS TO DIRT.

THAT GENTLEMAN THERE HAS GOT, LIKE, SIX TREES DOWN.

THAT'S JUST WHAT I SAW WHEN I GOT HOME THIS MORNING.

OKAY, SO YOU SAID THE TORNADO PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE ASSESSING.

YEAH. SO OUR PLANNING AND CODES DEPARTMENT IS ACTUALLY OUR DAMAGE ASSESSMENT TEAM.

SO THEY'RE GOING OUT TODAY I THINK WITH DOUG AND MARK ARE GOING OUT WITH THEM.

I ALREADY GOT A REPORT FROM KRYSTAL ON HOLLY ROAD, THERE'S A BUILDING DOWN.

A HORSE TRAILER OVERTURNED SOME. SO THERE WAS SOME STUFF THERE.

AND THEN NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL BE COMING ALSO.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT. YOU GUYS GOOD. THEN WE'LL HAVE OUR PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.

[Public Comment]

SO CERTAINLY TAKE THIS TIME IF YOU ALL WANT TO TALK ABOUT YOUR BUDGET REQUESTS IF NEED BE.

IF NOT THANK YOU FOR SITTING THROUGH IT WITH US, BUT IS THERE ANYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE WHO'D LIKE TO SPEAK? OH, YOU'RE JUST HERE BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO DO TODAY, OR WAS IT. ALL RIGHT.

ALL RIGHT, EVERYONE SEE YOUR HANDSOME FACE. YEAH, WELL, GOOD LUCK WITH THAT.

WELL, THEN AFTER WE MAKE THIS MOTION, WE DO HAVE A CLOSED SESSION.

WE'LL TAKE A RECESS. BUT IF I COULD HAVE A MOTION TO GO INTO CLOSED SESSION UNDER MARYLAND CODE GENERAL PROVISION 3-305(B)(7) TO RECEIVE

[Closed Session]

THE COMMISSIONERS DO NOT WANT TO WAIVE THE ATTORNEY CLIENT PRIVILEGE.

COMMISSIONER, MAY WE ADD ONE OTHER REASON FOR IT IS TO RECEIVE AN UPDATE ON A LITIGATION MATTER THAT IS IN COURT.

OKAY. AND THEN THREE, TO ALSO RECEIVE AN UPDATE ON PENDING LITIGATION.

MOVE TO GO TO CLOSED SESSION. SECOND. MOTION AND SECOND.

NEED A ROLL CALL VOTE. COMMISSIONER PORTER? AYE.

COMMISSIONER BREEDING? AYE. COMMISSIONER BARTZ? AYE. THANK YOU.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.