Carroll County, MD Board of County Commissioners Open Sessions, 24 Sep 2020

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From YouTube: Board of County Commissioners Open Session Thursday ~ September 24, 2020

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https://www.carrollcountymd.gov/government/commissioners/board-of-carroll-county-commissioners-weekly-agenda/

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All right, good morning, everyone, thursday september, the 24th. This is our last open session.

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Of september, before we move into the month of october, uh the time seems to be really flying by.

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uh A little bit different here today and I'll explain that in a moment as to what we are.

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Attempting to do here uh today is well. Let me let let's do our our um our rise for the pledge. First.

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And uh and our our moment of silence, uh we want to keep all in our thoughts that are on the front.

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Lines as always in this pandemic, we also want to keep all those that are on the front lines of the.

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Flooding and the fires out west, and certainly we had a notable death in the last few days of our.

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Our judge, um our supreme court judge ruth bader ginsburg and uh she's uh lying in state.

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And uh there'll be uh things to honor her for the next few days. So let's keep all of that in.

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Our thoughts this morning, as we do our moment of silence as well so we'd all please rise.

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I pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to.

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The republic for which it stands, one nation, under god, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

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All right thanks everyone, uh as I began to say earlier, we're coming to you in a little bit.

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Different format today and um uh I'll apologize to my colleague, commissioner weaver, this sort of took.

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Him off guard this morning and that's on me and uh my apologies to you, sir. uh That won't happen again.

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uh Of course I've only got two years to do that, so you know maybe I'll be alright in.

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The next two years, um but we are trying to do uh a hybrid method, uh moving forward here in some.

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Fashion and uh as a result of that, we decided today because uh kudos to chris swam.

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And uh his crew, who do an amazing job here of with our technology, uh this is gonna, be different.

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This is not gonna, be business as we normally do it here. uh We've got the plexiglas up, uh but you know.

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The six feet distancing is probably not in play just yet we're not going to be able to have folks.

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Actually come into this room and present that's going to have to all still be done virtually.

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For a while- and we also have to have chris in the room right near us in order to do.

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All of our controls to mute, unmute and so forth. So I'd like our citizens, our staff and everyone just.

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To please bear with us today: uh this is this is indeed a test and we're doing what we can.

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To try to get back to some kind of normalcy, and I made the decision uh and commissioner rossteen.

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Was here with me uh earlier this week that we give this a shot today? uh So commissioner boucher and I.

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Are actually about 12 feet separated this morning and um we're going to give this a go and see if.

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This works and if it does, then we will discuss it between the five of us and come up with some.

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Sort of hybrid method here uh moving forward, and um that's that's where we are right now so.

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Again, I ask for your patience this morning and we'll see how everything goes. Sound, wise.

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And everything else this is all experimental, so we're doing camera angles whatever. This is all.

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You know we're doing the best we can so today is indeed a test, and then the five of us can discuss.

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What we'd like to do moving forward so uh with that being said, uh let's go into priority carol.

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um I also want to mention that we are uh missing one commissioner today, uh commissioner frazier.

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Is on personal business today, and uh he will catch up as all of us do uh when uh when he can.

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With this session, so with that being said, uh I will start this morning with uh commissioner.

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Boucher, who is uh about 12 and a half 14 feet from me and uh we'll start with you.

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Commissioner, uh with priority carol good morning good morning, commissioner, thank you very much and.

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Before you start my priority carol, I want to make mention that commissioner, I just been notified.

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Commissioner, wayne's mother has been hospitalized. I believe she is a broken leg. Please keep her in.

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Your prayers as sauna still has both my parents, that's something I continuously worry about, and.

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The older my parents get the more I'm concerned about their health, especially of broken bones.

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So please keep commissioner lance's mother in your prayers. Thank you. Eric you're welcome.

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Commissioner, this week I had the honor of visiting a construction site in woodbine doing.

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A storm drain repair with kathy burps, who is the rhodes administrative supervisor? I hope I got the.

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Title correct: she recently replaced eric silverman who's, probably spent 30 some years with the county.

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So she has big shoes to fill, but so far so good everyone seems to appreciate her leadership and.

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Our service, we visit the construction site here we go. This is a construction crew led by one. Mr.

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Antoine williams, foreman of rhodes, operation- and it was wonderful to go out and see these guys that.

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There's a guy down in the hole and there's the piece they're replacing they've determined that.

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The brick system and mortar- that's underneath these gratings over time, is exposed to water and.

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Ice and freezing is busting them up so now, they're upgrading the system to a precast, concrete mode.

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Which should last far longer than the old system, so there's miss firts.

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Showing me what they're up to there. So I like to thank all these people and also.

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While I was out there meeting with the guys out in the field, they're very much concerned about.

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Road safety since they're working out there on the roads they want to make sure I mention the.

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People please slow down iraq and construction sites. You know hundreds, maybe even thousands of.

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Construction workers a year get injured or killed out on the road construction.

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Jobs, so please be very much aware of these people they're out there working for you.

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Maintaining their roads and I think, that'll wrap up my priority carol. So thank you very much.

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Thanks eric, uh I will move to uh commissioner weaver commissioner weber good morning.

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Good morning, well, I've had my issues, I guess with roads here in the past week as they're doing some.

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Tar and shipping, my area and uh it is concerned, uh I think, when you look at the uh you know the.

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uh Dust and the uh chips from the roads and people have voiced their concerns to me uh with that, but.

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There's also, the fact is we're trying to extend the life of roads and I'm relying on our roads.

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Crews to at least um uh give us the facts that you know if we can seal these roads and seal the.

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Cracks we can extend the life of those israelis another five to seven years. That is uh tremendous.

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Force- and I asked the people in this area to uh uh just bear with me for a period of time- they sealed.

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A bunch of it it's going away uh the worst of it's over, and hopefully we won't have to put up with.

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Atari chip or any other roads uh issues here for another another 10 years, perhaps or so so.

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um That's my major issue this past week and I spent a lot of time with a lot of people in this.

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Area dealing with these issues, so uh I hope they bear with us and that's about all I have for today.

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Okay, uh commissioner, rosting good morning, um yeah steve when, when you uh talked about this being.

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The last session in september, um I reflected on uh a feeling of when we're on deployments.

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And the feeling is that the days can be very long, but the weeks fly by and that's exactly the way.

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Things have been feeling uh you know where issues come up every day we got to deal with them. They.

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Could be long throughout the day, but then before you know it, the next month is coming up upon us.

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I feel like sometimes we also sound like a broken record.

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In the sense that we focus ourselves on safety- and we continue to share.

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The continued message of wearing a mask social distancing, washing our hands.

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I just ask that we lessen the rhetoric and lessen the uh the sense of listening to the rhetoric.

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That's out there, um and hopefully the newspaper that supports our community will continue to share.

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The message that we're trying to get through this, together by social, distancing wearing a mask and.

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Watching our hands, um I appreciate you mentioning uh supreme court justice, ruth bader ginsburg.

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And she will be lying in state in the capitol tomorrow. The first uh woman to ever lie in.

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State, which you know, unfortunately, is such an honor and unfortunately is done when she.

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Has passed, um but it also reminds me she did pass on the first night of rosh hashanah, which is our.

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uh New year, so those that are celebrating uh the new year with rosh hashanah and yum kippur wishing.

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Everybody a safe fast uh on monday and shinatova. um Lastly, I attended the economic alliance greater.

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Baltimore uh meeting yesterday we said farewell to uh county executive mccarthy, out of cecil county.

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Along with uh mayor jack, young, both will not be at the next session and regardless of how we feel.

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Politically or whatever about anybody that serves the first and foremost feeling is that they.

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Are servant leaders and they are there, putting themselves out there to serve their communities.

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So uh it was nothing, but you know best wishes to the two of them.

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um And again, it's it's nice to participate in the economic alliance, greater baltimore, because.

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It highlights all the great things we're doing here in carroll county. So that's all. I have thanks.

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Okay, thanks doc, thanks ed uh for me just very quickly a couple things, commissioner,.

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Frazier and I attended the uh renaming, if you will, of the westminster branch.

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Of uh the library system on friday, uh they had it uh in the front yard social distance.

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Then everybody had a mask on by the way and uh that there's the broken record part of it. Ed.

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So uh kudos to our library system, they did open back up in a limited fashion. This past monday.

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So you can visit the library, I'm not sure the details as to who they're allowing or how many.

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People they're allowing in you'll, certainly call ahead. If you want to go to your branch.

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But they are back in a limited fashion and they've renamed the westminster branch, uh the davis.

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Library, uh which many of you who grew up here remember, was the original name of the library.

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On main street, um the big white building on the left, as you go up main street uh with the.

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Big pillars: it actually used to be a church uh years ago, and um many of us have fond memories of.

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Walking in and up those marble steps and you could go down- and that was the youth children's section.

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And when you walked up the marble steps or the the steps inside, that was the uh adult library. If you.

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Will- and uh I often mention this and everybody agrees that place had a smell about it. uh It.

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Was a library smell now what a bad smell it was. A library smell uh that was just it's ever ingrained.

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In us, if you spent time there, so uh they decided to honor the the davis family and all of those who.

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Contributed to make sure that we have the first library here in carroll, there's a huge history.

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There um you, commissioner, boucher, if you haven't, read that history, you being the history geek that.

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You are should uh should look at that uh if you haven't already because the the history there.

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Of who, who donated the land and who donated this is, is incredible so check that one out. Thank you.

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But um I want to congratulate our library system, um andrea, uh andrea over there uh burstler our.

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Our our great um executive director led the charge there and then we had a tour. uh A brief tour of.

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What they're doing with uh the commons over there and that's going to be an interesting and very.

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Unique place, so uh I want to congratulate all of them. So so that's that- and I also want to say that.

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Commissioner boucher had his chamber business breakfast this this week, uh without eggs and bacon.

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But buy it yeah, so um you did such a good job uh goucher that you made the headlines.

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In the carroll county times, when I did when I did my breakfast, I wasn't anywhere to be.

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Found in here I don't know, so you obviously did a great job so anyway. Thank you. uh All.

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About communication staying in touch and paying tribute to our business community is important.

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Because um the 30th, I believe, ed, if I'm correct, you're the expert on this still have time to get.

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In on the carol, rebound money and we'll hear from jack here in a moment when we get to that part.

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uh So we'll I'll we'll turn that over to him so uh other than that. um That's all that I've.

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That I've got, I believe we had a couple mako calls this week and um you know we continue.

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To be on top of this thing, as best we can, I know the school board met last night as well, but we're.

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Going to have ed singer on here this morning, so uh without commissioner frazier here we'll let.

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Him give a brief update if he so chooses as to what the decisions were over there last night.

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So with that being said, I'm going to turn it back over to commissioner boucher.

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We have a proclamation in reference to constitution week, so commissioner boucher thank.

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You, sir, and thanks for sharing a local history in the library. If my memory serves me correctly,.

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uh Judge joe getty is really big on carroll county, local history and I think he published a book one.

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So he's always all about advocating their local history, and I also want to thank commissioner.

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Rolsteen, who backed me up with some comments at the chamber breakfast he was able to come in and.

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Update people on the rebound cares project which he had more knowledge than I do on, and he was.

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Very helpful so, commissioner, thank you for that help all right. This proclamation is constitution.

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Week begins 9 17 2020, whereas we, the people, did ordain and establish a constitution for the united.

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States of america to secure the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our prosperity.

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And whereas it is important that all citizens fully understand the provisions, principles and.

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Meaning of the constitution, so they can support, preserve and defend it against encroachment.

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And whereas constitution week provides an opportunity for all americans to learn about.

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And to reflect upon the rights and privileges of citizenship and its responsibilities. And whereas.

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September 17 2020 marks the 233rd anniversary of the signing of the constitution united states by.

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Our nation's founders, and whereas the congress, by a point by a joint resolution of february 29, 1952,.

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Designated september 17th at citizenship day and by joint resolution of august 2nd 1956 requested.

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That the president proclaim the week beginning september 17th of each year as constitution week.

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And it is fitting to accord official county recognition to this important anniversary.

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Whereas all leaders of civic, social and education organizations conduct ceremonies and programs.

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That celebrate our constitution and reaffirm our rights and obligation.

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Obligations as citizens of our great nation now, therefore, we, the board of carroll county.

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Commissioners, do hereby commend the westminster chapter of the sons of the american revolution.

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For lending its leadership to promoting this historic and patriarch observation.

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And preserving our cherished american heritage. Thank you for the honor. Allow me to read that.

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Okay, thanks eric we, we uh we've been doing that quite a few years and in normal times, we'd have.

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Some guests that will come in to uh to back up the proclamation or speak briefly about that. But.

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Obviously, today we were unable to to make that happen, so uh we just want to.

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Pass along to those folks that uh that we are still honoring that, and um I appreciate.

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You reading that, so thanks you're welcome. We did invite mr angler. Oh okay, we did, it doesn't seem.

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To have joined the meeting okay, so we did invite mr angler from the sons of the american revolution.

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But we don't have him on so uh if he comes on a little bit later, we'll try to put we'll try to.

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Get him on, but at this point we don't have him so. Okay, all right uh anything else for priority.

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Carol folks, uh county administrator windham, do you have anything this morning for priority carol.

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And she's nodding. No, so there you go, uh you know, that's the other thing we're going to get.

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You're only going to see either myself or commissioner boucher right now so again,.

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This is a work in progress here, uh we're we're trying to work out bugs and we're we're trying.

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To get to the point, where we'd be able to do something here, hybrid- and it may not happen for.

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A while, but today is again just a test, ladies and gentlemen, it's only a test. So, okay um with that.

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Being said, we've got a huge priority carol uh item here uh and I would ask if uh tom devilbiss would.

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uh Come on board here and tom um we're gonna pay tribute to a gentleman who's been part of carroll.

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County for well, I don't know how many years, if I, if I guess, I'd, probably tick him off this morning,.

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Clay and I actually have a history because we go further back than our uh connection here at county.

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Government clay and I kind of knew each other with the fire service for many many years, and you know.

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There was this little game called softball that that he and I used to throw bats and balls at one.

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Another across the field so anyway um we're paying tribute to a gentleman today, who is the heart and.

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Soul of carroll, county and uh tom, I'm going to turn it over to you. Thank you, commissioners.

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Good morning, yes, we're certainly here to recognize one of carroll, county's carroll, county government.

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Actually, unfortunately, he'll be retiring from service next wednesday.

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um He is a homegrown from manchester area, as you just indicated, um he started actually with.

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The county september 26th of 1983 to get the specifics out upon his retirement next week.

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37 years of service will be uh be what clay has provided to the citizens of carroll county.

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uh He started in permits and inspections, I think, as a permanent expediter. I think that's a fixer.

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Another word for that is the fixer, and then he went through construction agreements coordinator.

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Development system supervisor finally concurrency manager and then in 2005 he landed his his role.

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He has right now, as bureau chief of development review and during that time he actually.

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Took advantage of the county's educational assistance program and got his master's degree.

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In business administration in 1999., so clay has quite a bit of accomplishments. That he's he's had.

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It's safe to say that just about every development project in the county and the municipalities.

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uh Clay has either reviewed or supervised over the past 30 plus years, and that's that's quite quite.

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A wealth of knowledge that clay has somewhere up there um in his in his uh knowledge in his brain.

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uh Bit knowledge demeanor everything that he portrays every day is certainly a model of.

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A true public servant and one that I think carroll county is so full of and blessed.

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With um I want to just point out that clay's dedication experience and his vast knowledge.

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Truly excelled during this recent coven reduction in staff that we we had.

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His ability to maintain the continuity of the services that the bureau development review.

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Provides and actually the department of land and resource management he jumped in and provided.

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So much support to me and the whole department, and it was just an outstanding, unparalleled effort.

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That clay clay performed here in the last six to seven months and I I don't think there's enough.

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Kudos, I can give him uh it really allowed clay and I to get a heck of a lot closer.

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um Because we uh we had very few people, you know here to bounce things off of.

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And and when problems came up we just had to solve them.

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And commissioner austin, as you said, it was just day by day get it done, move on. um So personally.

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um My utmost respect and deep appreciation to clay it's just very hard to convey, in words.

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But it certainly is there so commissioners, please, take your party shots at clay. This is.

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The clay this is clay's getaway week, so please um uh he's up for the he's up for the um the shots.

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Okay, so uh yeah we'll we'll we'll, engage in those shots. Absolutely.

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Let's, let's hear from from my colleagues first before we hear from from mr black, so.

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Let's we weaver's right over top of him, so I'm going to start with commissioner weaver.

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Dick well, I think I first ran to clay, probably 30 some years ago in permits, and you know he had.

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That straightforward style very honest, very open about what the policies were, what we need to do.

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And I have to say um now that I see him in action in a little different role. He still has that same.

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Style you clay, never lose that he's done a great job here in kell, county you're, really.

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Respected by um everybody in the county- and uh I I think you are you're in your retirement, I will.

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Say that uh they expect to learn from people whether it's developers, citizens uh anybody.

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That either got permits or has to go through development review uh is tremendous so enjoy.

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Enjoy life and I think, uh you've earned every uh year of it. So thank you ed, commissioner rostein.

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Well, I think the fur. The first question is, um you all have known each other for 30 plus years. You.

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Commissioner wayne's, commissioner, did you all have hair back then I mean that's kind of you know the.

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The first question I have, but um a lot of things are gonna be said about. You know the service you.

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Provided the selflessness, the three words there are three sentiments I just want to share with.

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You you've been a mentor uh to me uh I'll, be it just in a very short time. I've been here on the.

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Board for a couple years, you've been a very strong mentor, and I appreciate that you continuously had.

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That even keel approach with the discussions that you provide and the guideline guidance.

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And then also the responsiveness, um I've dealt with a lot of staff and I've been on.

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A lot of staffs- and we can only ask for you, know that approach that you provide.

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uh You have been a, I think, a mentor in the way you do things to everyone around you. So from me to you.

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Thank you and 30 plus years. You know it's obvious. Obviously, a love of this community that has kept.

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You around so thank you so much for all you've done and really best wishes on your retirement.

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I I think, commissioner, ross steen really summed it up good. I believe mentorship comes.

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From all kinds of directions- and you provided mentorship to a lot of people over the years.

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I remember when I first met you, I had a constituent meeting in my office. You came in.

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With some other staff members, you laid out maps you're very direct straight forward, no fluff to.

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The point I love it and I know that dealing with constituents have issues with the planning review.

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I think, even if things don't come out exactly the way they want it, they respect your honesty and.

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Straightforwardness and in the end, they're happy with what comes out of it. And that comes from your.

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Years of professionalism and dedication to the county, I hope you get to enjoy your retirement.

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Do some traveling, I don't know if you have grandchildren how many you have but they're always.

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Fun to have, I always say, grandchildren are better than children. They're like rentals. You can return.

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Them so enjoy life to its fullest. God bless and thank you very much for your service to the county.

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Okay, now we're back a little a little delay here, we're trying to get cameras and everything else.

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Engaged here um to me again, it's it's personal here. um I mean I've said this to many of the.

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Employees that we've seen uh ride off into the sunset in the last several months, uh I I I have.

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An incredible amount of of uh respect for clay. He is um he. He is just an incredible, uh an incredible.

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Guy who uh just just found his niche here- and you know a couple of you- have talked about his.

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The way in which he he he works with people uh clay's just got that way about him. That he's.

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Been able to do that and let's be clear, he's in a department that that ain't always easy.

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I gotta tell you uh that can be a challenge, but um I I stuck my head in clay's office yesterday.

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And looked up and saw that the walls were empty and I think that's when it finally hit me that.

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Clay's not going to be in there and he's been a go-to for countless people over the years and.

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As we always do, someone will fill those shoes but they're going to be incredibly.

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Hard shoes to fill clay because um you, you are the prime example of what it takes here in carroll.

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And what it means uh for this county uh to move forward and you've been up and a perfect example.

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That your fingerprints, my friend, are on thousands and thousands of buildings acreage. It might even.

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Reach to every single corner of this county and all points in between so on behalf of the.

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Citizens of carroll county- it is my great honor to say. Thank you, sir, for all that you have done for.

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Everybody in this county- you you are, you are not going to soon be forgotten, you are, you just have.

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Been amazing so uh before we hear from you clay uh roberta, I know that uh you've had the opportunity.

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To work with clay for quite some time as well so I'll, let you uh I'll let you go here well, thank.

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You uh clay, I um I know you both as a citizen and and um as a co-worker in county government and.

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I truly have I just echo the things that tom and the commissioners have said. I uh truly do.

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Appreciate the time if you have given me the education that you've given me.

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Both again as a citizen and a and a co-worker, um you are a true gentleman.

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And um you do imbibe everything that is right about the trial county government. um You are.

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If we had, if we had a poster child for carol down in government, your face should be on it. um If you.

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Will be missed um every day and um you do. I wish you the very very best in your time. Thank you.

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Okay, clay: uh I'm going to turn this over to you.

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And if you want to speak for the next two two and a half three hours baby, the floor is yours.

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Thank you very much, maybe two and a half three hours, uh because I don't like talking a lot.

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um I just want to say I thank you, everyone for all the kind words that you have said uh to touch on.

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Some of the things- it is a lot of the carroll county that I have it always has been, and it is.

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You know it is. This is carroll county. This is where we live. This is you know it. You just want to.

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Make everything you just want to do what you think is best and that's what I always worked for myself.

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What you know just work with integrity- and um you know it's- it's been a pro an incredible privilege.

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To be employed by carroll county commissioners over 37 years, all the board of commissioners.

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And to work on behalf of the citizens and and the businesses of carroll county. And that is.

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The thing that I try to remember every day is the citizens and businesses that we are.

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Working for to try to try to make things, you know what it is. You know the best way.

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That it can be, and also to remember, you know, working with the government.

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Is not always easy, and um whether or not it's through having to make a phone call.

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Sending an email, a letter in or now virtual, it's not easy and everybody. Everybody has a story.

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And you need to treat everybody whether or not they have.

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Whatever their level of skill is whatever their level of employment or wherever their level of.

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Education is every person is important and that's what I try to do and I think that's.

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What the commissioners, you know you know it's just so I just want to again thank the board of.

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Commissioners, all the board of commissioners, um I want to thank you. Five. It's been a privilege.

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Like I said it's, it's just been an opportunity and again tom mentioned, I got my master's. The board.

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Of commissioners provided lots of opportunities, and that is one of the opportunities that I am.

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Very much happy that they did provide that, and um you know I just feel that working for the board.

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Commissioners, it's a great opportunity, so I just want to thank you and all the boards.

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Okay, thanks joy, clay, yeah and also, as far as for my retirement.

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It's I'm going to be um spending as much time as I can with my wife doing things that we try to do.

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On the weekend, we try to cram in on the weekend that now we can do during the week bike riding.

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Hiking going to gardens going to museums, you know doing time together.

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That you know that we're going to be able to do so. That's that's my that is my retirement.

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Well, you and you you'll you'll, I know you'll enjoy yourself clay, uh you, you and your wife.

A

Are special people and um I I just want to again say that it's been an honor.

A

uh Tom I'll give you the last word here or for clay. I don't think this is gonna, be the last.

A

Word, this might be the last word virtually this morning, uh but I believe, there's probably a little.

A

Bit more to come is that right, sir? Yes, I mean. uh Obviously clay is retiring next wednesday and.

E

So I would invite all the the county employees next tuesday we're going to have an.

E

Event out at the farm museum uh under one of the pavilions out there.

E

Again, social distancing and mass uh from 11 30 to one folks can come from the county office building.

E

And from roads and all those allied agencies who had contact to play and can can wish him farewell.

E

And then I think it's from one to three or 130 to three: the uh the surveying community.

E

The municipalities, those folks have been invited, so we kind of separate the groups of people there.

E

But again always recognizing social distancing, but I would encourage people to come and just say a.

E

Farewell to clay um for again, just an incredible uh service, well done well done job. Thank you.

A

Okay, uh clay: we will see you uh next week uh for all the county employees.

A

And all of staff, I know we're supposed to be doing the social distancing thing, but.

A

Put your mask on and go down and say hi to clay before he gets out of here.

A

uh And you know again uh an institution in this building, mr black, that's what you are.

A

And um well done round of applause for uh mr black, please congratulations! Clay.

A

All right we'll be seeing more of him.

A

As the days progress here, um anything else that anyone has for priority carol.

A

um I will say to my colleagues.

A

Well I'll tell you that in closed admin, we'll we'll talk about that in close down.

A

Okay or anything else for priority carol all right, if not we'll move into uh what is always our first.

A

Item on the agenda, and that is uh updates on on covet and the pandemic uh as far as before,.

A

We hear from ed uh as far as our uh activity that we've seen over the last week, uh we were hit kind.

A

Of in between our sessions, if you will, with the uh ability for our restaurants, uh to expand to 75.

A

Of their capacity, um but knowing that that's 75 percent of the capacity based on.

A

On um other numbers, so in other words.

A

It's it it's not as easy as what it sounds, but it did allow them to increase.

A

I was in contact with my colleagues because this was out of the usual way in which we do this.

A

And all of us agreed that, as we have done with everything else, that's come down the pike.

A

During this that we would follow the governor's guidelines from his team to a t and obviously my.

A

Colleagues agreed and we moved on, and I don't know how many restaurants took advantage of that. But.

A

I think they probably will be doing so when they can safely and, as we of course was going to say,.

A

As we see the weather change, but I'm not sure yesterday or today we're seeing the weather change.

A

Because yesterday was like 81 degrees outside, so it was a great night to go out and dine outside. So.

A

Reminder to folks to continue to get out to our restaurants.

A

And support them, while you can and a lot of them are getting heaters. So I'm hopeful we.

A

Can kind of do that all the way through october? Let's keep our fingers crossed on that one. So.

A

Hey steve, you got your go ahead before you uh before it comes on because you brought it up.

D

We have been adhering to our governor's guide guidelines, his executive orders to a t.

D

I think it's by exception, if we don't so, can we establish a a rule in place that when a.

D

Governor provides an executive order that gives us allowances that we will it'll be an automatic.

D

As opposed to you having or us having to collaborate, um and if we can do that, I think.

D

uh It sends a very strong message to the community um that we will continue to push forward.

D

And you know, of course, safety's first, but we will continue push forward. I just think it's.

D

It's less clunky. If we do it that way, um if we're allowed, I don't I mean I think we can do it.

A

I think we can do whatever we want ed, because I think we've given the opportunity, as local.

A

Leaders in each jurisdiction to make the decisions based on what we feel are best for our citizens, so.

A

Why don't you go ahead and make that motion and we'll just roll right along with it and.

A

That'll be official, so so the the motion would be that uh starting now moving forward uh unless.

D

No, we we will adhere to our governor's executive orders.

D

In moving forward with uh you know, activities associated with cobit 19.

D

And that's it I mean I'm not sure how else to to put it.

D

There's no reason for us to come together. We just want to keep going forward so roberta. Is there.

D

Another two cents for me to add, or or mr burke I think that about covers it- um I mean, I think your.

F

Hesitation is because, in case the governor maybe goes the other direction or gives us additional.

F

Leeway you may want, but um you can always uh revisit the topic. So I think at the moment, if.

F

You just leave a blanket that you're going to follow the governor's orders as they come out.

F

For the citizens of carroll county, then then I can find, because you can always.

F

Change it later, because you know in the in the paper when the governor came out and said it.

D

uh I think there were like two or three counties that said that they were adhering to it. Well, we.

D

Were too but you know it took us an extra day of staffing and I don't believe we need to go.

D

Through that extra day of staffing, so I mean that that's you know where I'm coming from.

D

Second, okay, thanks.

A

I got a motion in two seconds. You didn't hear the other second, but I got it in here.

A

Okay, uh any other comments, dick or eric on this particular topic. Hearing, none all those in favor.

A

And eric is giving a thumbs up too, so we're that's unanimous. So we will take that approach as we move.

A

Forward and thank you for that ed, because that kind of makes things a little bit easier because.

A

We're always trying to go through the weeds of open meetings and making sure that you know the.

A

Open meetings, police aren't standing around the corner, wanting to throw hand grenades at us so.

A

um That'll make things a lot easier, so I think we're good. So thank you all right. Anything else.

A

On uh any uh federal or state things that we heard uh in the past week, because I think we we haven't.

A

Heard much all right, I'm going to turn it over to ed singer, our our health director here and.

A

Let him roll with his presentation and ed. I had mentioned earlier that you were at the uh board.

A

Of education meeting last night, I'm not trying to put you on the spot, but I know they discussed.

A

A few things if you just want to touch on that a little bit, because I don't think commissioner.

A

Frazier was there at some point during your report. That would be great, mr singer, good morning.

H

Good morning, commissioners um and I hit the board of education piece last and I didn't stay for the.

H

Entire meeting, um they kind of give me a little dispensation. We we give them a window to have a.

H

Discussion with the health department and then we kind of pop out, but I kind of uh I I do know.

H

What direction they're they're kind of headed and some of the discussions we had last night? We can.

H

Make a brief mention of that. I did want to mention. uh I know you all talked already about the.

H

Expansion to 75 capacity, I've heard from a number of restaurant owners already.

H

And really, I don't know that this makes a huge difference for anybody, because the requirements.

H

That their tables still be spaced by six feet and they have a maximum of six feet. People at.

H

A table and that they can only use every other booth are still in place. I did see.

H

A newspaper uh article this morning that the restaurant association is pushing for uh to be.

H

Able to use barriers as opposed to distancing I I don't know where that'll go but uh realistically.

H

And talking to most of the restaurant owners that I that I've spoken to in the last couple of days.

H

They really don't think that they can get much more capacity in by going from 50 to 75.

H

Because they physically can't space their their tables any further apart and still fit things in.

H

There so it's it's uh well, while it's a move in the right direction and whatnot it really. um I I.

H

Think from what I'm hearing from the businesses, it's really got a minimal impact. Unfortunately,.

H

um One of the things I wanted to discuss briefly this morning is we're starting to see a lot of.

H

Folks getting rapid, antigen tests. I wanted to talk briefly before I get into the statistical data.

H

About um we, the pcr test, it's a viral dna test that we we do at our location and it's available.

H

At a lot of the urgent cares, and also at uh physicians offices that that can be done is kind.

H

Of in the gold standard and and um there's a lot more variability in the uh rapid antigen tests and.

H

I think the thing that I want uh folks to know is when you go to get tested for for cobit some.

H

Of the important things you need to keep in mind is that most employers, the school system.

H

Colleges and things of that nature are not going to accept a negative antigen test as being a valid.

H

Test to return you to work or or school or or whatnot, so um really I want to let the citizens.

H

Know that you really ought to be looking for that pcr test. uh If you can get it, I'm not.

H

Saying that the the um that the rapid antigen test isn't useful in in helping your physician.

H

Make decisions and things of that nature, but most like I said, most schools, uh colleges and and.

H

Employers will only accept a uh pcr test to return to work. The the other issue is is that the state's.

H

Not counting um the rapid pcr test because, because of their variability as confirmed cases, although.

H

We are contact tracing these folks because they're considered to be presumptive positives.

H

The department of health and cdc are recommending that if somebody gets a um it's, a rapid antigen.

H

Test that they follow it up with a pcr test, so to me it just makes common sense that.

H

You just get the pcr test to start with um and the other problem that we're running into and.

H

We've worked this out with our with our urgent cares here in in uh carroll county uh we've.

H

We've established kind of a new relationship we've established, but we've uh reached out to the urgent.

H

Cares here in carroll county to make sure that they're accurately reporting the antigen tests, but.

H

um Some people are getting tested out of the county and some of those urgent cares and some.

H

Of the other jurisdictions are not reporting the results to us. So when we're hearing about some of.

H

These people, who are testing positive, uh we don't already have the information and- and it should be.

H

Being reported electronically, but it's a little harder for us to reach out to these urgent cares.

H

That are not in their own jurisdiction and get them to do. What they're supposed to be doing is.

H

As far as uh reporting is concerned, so I'm going to hit the numbers real, quick and then I'll talk.

H

Briefly about the discussion at the board of education last night, um so just a quick update.

H

uh Here's our our community cases by week that we've uh routinely been reporting to you guys.

H

You can see we kind of hit us, we kind of hit a peak uh the end of august. I I don't know what.

H

Caused that peak uh that that that peak, that we saw there but um we're trending down in.

H

The direction of uh metrics that uh the board of education has been using to look at uh to see if.

H

uh School reopening, uh which could be done safely, uh there's a number of things we're looking at.

H

We talked about state metrics, uh cdc now has some metrics out there and and the metrics I had given.

H

The school system right now those numbers- don't lie within any of those metrics. At this point,.

H

But the uh they're trending in that direction and this week we're actually um we're more than.

H

Halfway through the week and we've, we've only had 16 confirmed cases, so let's hope that they.

H

Continue to move in that direction, uh this is just the 14 day, rolling trend that I share with.

H

You each time we talk about these metrics and it kind of gives you a good view of the.

H

Trends and then uh yes, um you know, since uh I I guess since late.

H

Late may early june, the the the number of deaths we've seen in the in the community have been.

H

Substantially lower than than uh what they, uh what they were when at the peak of the.

H

uh Of the pandemic, uh we did have a couple of uh facility related thefts in the last week.

H

um But they they still um the deaths that we're seeing here in carroll county are rather sporadic.

H

I see your bed usage, I think statewide there's it's interesting. The cases seem to be down and.

H

It may be that the the ic, the the um that the hospital bed usage uh is lagging the cases because.

H

We had a little bit of spiking cases, as you saw back with that previous slide and and we've seen.

H

A little bit of uptick in in hospital usage in the state of maryland, but I don't think this is.

H

A a huge thing to be worried about it's just. uh I think that the uh the bed usage in the hospital.

H

Tend to uh lag the lag, the cases again this this uh this slide that we've we've talked about each.

H

Week, community cases by age group still that 18 to 29 year old age group is still where we're.

H

Seeing a lot of these- and you know, I've talked a lot about how people in that age group like to be.

H

Social and things of that nature, the other thing to keep in mind is this: is uh your college age.

H

um Group as well so so going back to college could have. uh It could have some impact on the fact that.

H

We're seeing a lot of cases in this age group and the other thing is, is a lot of these people tend.

H

To work in the service industries, where they're going to have exposure to a lot of people, whether.

H

It's working in a store like walmart or working in a restaurant or things of that nature. Where.

H

Where they could potentially have a lot of exposures, as well as that social interaction that.

H

That this age group tends to have um the next slide is going to say questions, but I'm going to.

H

Real quick just give you uh I'm just going to uh go ahead and end the presentation and.

H

If you guys can help me there in in your tech city and just go ahead and end it for me and.

H

Put me back up on the screen. That'd be great. I always have a problem finding the button.

H

Thanks appreciate the uh technical assistance, so at the board of education meeting last night, we.

H

Talked about um various metrics, the cdc metrics, uh the governor's metrics that he's put out there and.

H

That um and the metrics that I had given to them originally um and we kind of we're comparing those.

H

And talking about about those um it's I explained to the board of ed. This is kind of a balancing act.

H

There's never going to be a no risk situation and uh we've got to figure out what's best for them.

H

As far as being able to provide education to the students um and and what we think is a reasonable.

H

Level of risk, the I think uh the cdc guidance has a has a category where there's a a moderate.

H

Risk of transmission- and I think that, if we're in that range, when the schools are going back, that.

H

That's reasonable um one other thing. One thing I did caution them on I'm a little concerned. I.

H

Know, there's a big push to try to get high school sports restarted and anytime. We start something.

H

New, we tend to see a spike in cases and we have to kind of manage that and and and whatnot and one of.

H

The things I'd be concerned about is, if we wind up trying to do sports at the same time or before we.

H

Try to go back to school, I kind of cautioned them against doing that and I'm not you know. I know.

H

They they were talking last night that uh there's going to be some more state guidance coming as.

H

Far as what the uh mpssaa is going to going to allow- and they want to move forward with that, but.

H

I am concerned that if we reopen schools and we reopen sports at the same time, it's going to.

H

Make it very difficult to manage contact, tracing and and and the potential uh cases that we would.

H

Have and the quarantines we would have with both of those things happening at the same time and.

H

Creating a little bit of a spike force, just as an example I gave them. I said when you know when.

H

Mcdaniel came back, we had a, we had a lump of cases just because we were bringing the kids back to.

H

School and they were testing them all and we had to manage those and it's kind of gradually just.

H

uh Gradually, gotten, better and and we've had fewer cases to manage and fewer quarantines to manage.

H

There's always going to be some cases and some quarantines, but you have to get over that initial.

H

Spike when, when you, uh I guess, essentially rip the band-aid off and and start doing something new.

H

So that that's kind of uh where I see things I know the school system is shooting for a reopening.

H

In the uh in mid-october, so we're going to hope that the trend keeps in the.

H

Keeps in a positive direction with what we're seeing with our numbers right now, I don't know of.

H

Anything that the governor has planned to reopen or or what not, that would would necessarily cause.

H

Us to have a spike, but I didn't anticipate the spike we we saw uh kind of in in the late august.

H

Early september time frame either so we'll have to see where things go but but ultimately I think.

H

That's kind of where things lie at this point, so I'll take any questions you all have for me.

D

Okay and uh two quick questions: one: uh an update on flu flu vaccinations uh your thoughts on that.

D

As we're moving into the season and then has there been any, I know there was uh cdc.

D

Guidelines, I believe, but has there been any state guidelines regarding halloween.

H

So the state hasn't put anything out. um I've seen some really cool stuff out there. Just.

H

You look on the internet, uh some some people have. uh You know, I think everything that I've seen.

H

Whether it's from cdc or whether it's from other uh professional organizations has recommended.

H

Trying to limit the trick-or-treating or trunk or treating but uh there's some ideas out there.

H

About how you can socially distance and and trick or treat- and some of those include things like.

H

You know potentially just leaving uh candy out on the porch, and then you don't have to have.

H

That that close interaction- and you know if you, if you're going to go out and if the kids.

H

Are going to go out, and I realize it's a fun fun uh holiday for kids and everybody's under a lot.

H

Of stress and been locked in there, you know, in their bubbles, for a period of time is to try to.

H

Stick to small groups and avoid the avoid the crowds as much as possible. I've actually seen.

H

One of the things I thought was really cool. Somebody created a a thing where they they.

H

They had a uh essentially kind of like a pipe with a with a skeleton on one end and something.

H

On the other end, and they just dropped the candy down the pipe to the kids and kind of think that.

H

People get creative and come up with ways uh you know. I just want people to keep in mind.

H

You know as much as possible social distancing, and you know if you can't keep six feet. The the.

H

Wear mask and I mean you're going to wear a mask at halloween, but wear a mask that that you know.

H

That limits the spread of droplets, something that would be cloth cloth from.

H

uh From that standpoint, because we don't need to be unnecessarily spreading this more than.

H

Than we need to um back to the flu piece most of the we've reached out to the pharmacies and and.

H

Maggie koontz, our communications person, has been doing a lot of messaging and we've been working.

H

Closely with the hospital and other providers- and I think the flu vaccine is going to really.

H

Still be available through routine means that we've been able to get it out to people.

H

During the year, the the school system is doing uh uh a flu vaccine for for for school-aged kids. That.

H

We we've uh partnered with them and the maryland partnership for prevention, so.

H

That we can uh make that available to students- and I know they've- got the messaging out to.

H

The uh all the parents and all about when those are going to be happening at certain schools.

H

And uh we basically use our our emergency uh pod type operation to uh to to provide those.

H

uh Vaccinations- and I think maggie's messaging me probably trying to tell me a date uh so so the the.

H

Schools is schools in the in the senior centers are actually drive-through clinics. That's what.

H

She's trying to tell me, while I'm on here, so um you know the the message, though, is important and.

H

I I appreciate you bringing that up, commissioner, is that it's it's really important to get your.

H

Flu shot this year, while no flu shots are 100 effective, it does decrease your chance of getting.

H

The flu and it'll cause us less confusion um in in the um in trying to sort out what's covered.

H

And what's the flu and and we don't want to have people unnecessarily in quarantine or isolation,.

H

Because they have the flu and and they and it's coveted, related symptoms. And then we have to rule.

H

Out coven so, and it's not impossible for people to get both of those infections. At the same time,.

H

I I think it's rare, but but we did see last year as uh flu season was ending and this coveted.

H

Was was starting that there were some people who got both of the things at the same time,.

H

So, just because somebody gets the flu doesn't necessarily mean they can't have covet as well.

H

So it's very important: get your flu shot, wash your hands all those things and they're actually.

H

I've seen a couple of studies and I haven't seen anything- that's peer reviewed, but there seemed to.

H

Be some studies from the southern hemisphere that? Because people are wearing face coverings in.

H

In places in the southern hemisphere that the incidence of fluids also uh seem to be decreasing,.

H

um Then, if people want to get more information, they can go to our website. We've got information.

H

About flus and flu clinics there and and we'd be glad to have them take a look at that information.

H

Anything else, commissioners, so I know I think our our uh citizen services is doing a drive through.

A

Flu clinics as well at some of our senior centers, so I'm I think, that's up, I'm not sure.

A

We'll have we'll have um celine or I think it's on there we'll have there's celine's on here.

A

While we're on that topic, celine, you are, you guys are doing that right.

I

Right we are going to have a drive-through flu clinic at each one of our senior centers.

I

It's going to be the week of october 5th through october 9th, and I can push out that flyer over to.

I

Rit folks, in the control room, if they want to post it up, so that you can put that up for people. But.

I

We are going to be doing that um one one day for each center and it will be drive through.

A

Okay, yeah yeah uh chris is nodding. His head he'll have that and then he'll push it out.

A

So that that's good, thank you celine uh any other questions for ed on any of this information.

A

uh Just real quick for me ed the uh did we get any any. Did we get any updates on the guidelines.

A

For visitation at our long-term care facilities or nursing, uh wasn't there going to be something from.

A

Mdh about that I know each of them are doing their own thing kind of, but are we getting.

A

Any guidelines on that well, the the guidelines that were out there before were very restrictive.

H

And I know I've heard from a number of folks, including the delegation and people in the.

H

Community that are concerned were concerned about how restricted the guidelines were from mdh.

H

Cms put out some new guidance and mdh was supposed to be getting something out either.

H

uh Yesterday or today on that- and I I have not yet seen it, but it's uh essentially kind of.

H

Like you guys are following the governor's uh guidelines when he publishes new stuff.

H

I think the mdh guidance will hopefully point back to that cms guidelines which uh try to essentially.

H

Open things up a little bit more for people in the nursing homes for for uh for visitation.

H

um I know that's been a huge problem and you know I I've got some uh personal friends that I know.

H

That are that are disabled and whatnot that are in nursing homes and they've, been essentially in.

H

Isolation for for since since uh january, time frame and it's uh it's weighing very heavy on.

H

Them, and uh so I think it's a very important thing, it's it's not something. You know everybody looks.

H

At the health department, we we as a local health department, do not regulate the nursing homes and.

H

They're they're right regularly at the state level by the office of health care quality.

H

And uh the federal level by by uh cms and medicaid in a lot of ways um we we have provided some.

H

Assistance and guidance to the nursing homes during this pandemic, but you know that that's.

H

That's probably the the authority with those primarily lies at the state level and we're.

H

Just trying to uh to make sure that people have the information and we can try to help facilitate.

H

uh Moving things forward there, so, yes, we are expecting this to change and we are expecting.

H

People to be able to uh begin more visitation in nursing facilities as long as it can be done.

H

uh Obviously, there's gonna be a lot of rules like there is every place else and the visits aren't.

H

Gonna look like what they used to you're, only going to be able to go visit the person and then.

H

You're expected to directly leave, as opposed to wandering around through the facility and.

H

And face masks will be required and that type of thing, but uh we really are trying to get back to.

H

Where, where the folks in the nursing home can get back to a little bit more normal life as well, okay.

A

I appreciate that ned and dick. I didn't know if you had heard that from the veterans advisory.

A

Group or not, but I've heard uh from a couple folks that they have veterans in in some of our.

A

Long-Term care facilities and they're unable to get into there to to at least pay tribute to them.

A

You know we're going to have veterans day coming up in a not too distant future here and.

A

I think it's important that we try to at least do something there. So that's why I'm asking and maybe.

A

On another note, I'm going to have a personal issue with that probably coming up.

A

As well soon so I was just curious last question: I have ed, I know and listen.

A

I appreciate all that the the school system is doing in trying to get back. uh I've heard.

A

A debate lately about whether it's three feet distancing whether it's six feet, distancing.

A

I heard you say last night that you're encouraging school systems to go by that six feet. uh I've got.

A

Several folks in my family, it's no mystery that are involved in the school system.

A

And I think that there's been some because the classrooms aren't big enough that maybe there's.

A

They're kind of pushing that a little bit are we staying with six. Is that what you're saying ed on.

A

That so so, the requirement is both in in the state guidance and the in the requirements clear as much.

H

uh Both in the state guidance and the cdc guidance- and that is it's what it says in those guidance.

H

The six feet as much as can practically be done, and um you know so I mean you gotta. You.

H

Gotta try to keep the six feet as much as we can and from what the feedback I've gotten from the.

H

School system is, they said. Well, there's going to be some places where we can't get exactly.

H

Six feet, but I I'm not aware that they're going three feet anywhere and I guess um right now what.

H

We've got planned is uh the school system had asked if we could come out, I'm going to take.

H

A uh plan and take our pa with me, uh one of our environmental health folks and and me to go out.

H

And uh visit a high school, a middle school and an elementary school to look at how these are set up.

H

And see if we have any recommendations or thoughts on what they're trying to do um and whether we.

H

Have any concerns about it, so we are going to go out we're going to take a look at it, see what it.

H

Looks like on the ground and make sure that you know it at least meets what the intent of this.

H

These requirements are, and I realize we're- not gonna. You know this- isn't a perfect world. The six.

H

Feet's not a perfect necessarily uh solution anyway, it does help us with uh you know what.

H

Considering whether whether we have to quarantine people or not, if we can keep them six feet apart,.

H

That helps us a lot, but uh we're not going to get six feet between every desk. But I I expect.

H

The school system, and, and what they've told me so far is, is that they could get pretty close.

H

um You know you know we're, certainly not having uh three feet between every desk is, is going to.

H

Be something that's really acceptable: we've got to take a look at what they've got set up and and and.

H

Make sure that we think that it meets the intent. But I know uh in talking to the superintendent and.

H

His staff, at least they've, led me to believe that they're they're getting the the six foot.

H

Distance as much as they possibly can and in many classrooms they're going to be able to meet it, but.

H

There's some classrooms where it's going to be close, but they're not going to be able to get.

H

Exactly six feet so we'll take a look at that and we're going to give them advice and and.

H

You know this, this keeps coming back to the same thing. Everybody wants everything to be 100.

H

Safer everybody wants things to be 100 open and we've really got a it's a balancing act. We've.

H

Got to figure out how to make it work best with everything that we've got going on and.

H

um You know we're going to we're going to work with the school system to come up with the best.

H

Solution and try to make it as safe as possible. It's all about mitigation and uh there's no such.

H

Thing as a risk-free environment, but we we want to mitigate um you know one of the things that cdc.

H

Put in there, there were five specific uh things that they they wanted school systems to. Try to do.

H

To mitigate um risk, as things go back and I think we're trying to do all of them, and one of those.

H

That's specifically mentioned is the six foot distancing and it says six foot distancing as much.

H

As is practically possible, so it's it's not going to be possible in every situation, but we're going.

H

To do the best we can to uh to make sure we we can meet that in as many places as possible. Okay and.

A

That's just not, for there I mean it's for here too, we got to make sure that we're adhering to that as.

A

Well, I just wanted to make sure that six feet thing was still the considerable the considered.

A

Distance that we we need to try to do here. So, okay, uh ed eric uh dick any questions for ed singer.

A

All right here, here's nice commission, yep, take care have a good day all right all right with that.

A

uh We will move into uh our coveted relief, the fund plan and all things associated with that.

A

And I'll turn that over to county administrator roberto windham good morning good morning, again.

F

Thank you very much, um nothing much uh to update today in general, the plan remains uh the same.

F

Changes to it, um and so last week you, uh the board, had requested an update from uh jeff.

F

Castingway with regard to all things, um building, construction and um dpw, so he's here as well as.

F

uh Jack library, to give the weekly update on the carol rebound plan, so um both here I'll turn, it.

F

Over to jack first and uh you can hear about carol rebound and then we'll ask mr catherine.

J

Roberta thank you good morning, commissioners. We had a busy week. Last week we had 30 businesses.

J

uh Apply six non-profits and commissioner weaver thank you. We had 44 farms uh apply uh right now.

J

Our total is uh 479 total grants. We awarded 448 business and farms and 31 non-profits to the total.

J

Of uh two million four hundred and ninety one thousand dollars so we're about two million.

J

Five right now, so um we we had 12 last night apply, I don't know the breakdown yet so we're uh we have.

J

Another week to go on 9 30, um but if he keeps us up um we're gonna we're going to be pretty close.

J

To our um you know: 3 million dollars, so you know we're excited about that and we're excited about.

J

The farms coming in so commissioners, thank you for helping me with that and diana uh the restaurants.

J

Are uh we're not seeing any new restaurants, our restaurants, uh we've we've given out about.

J

000 in restaurants, and then our farms, though um it's been spiking, there's about 335 000 on farms.

J

And the rest of us is our is our business. uh We did take it a half a page out in the paper in.

J

Carroll county times, we called all our business partners, all our um we sent out releases to all.

J

The chambers of commerce's last week and we're continuing to do that so we're putting a big.

J

Push on uh this week on on the rebound program, you know- and hopefully uh you know we'll get a.

J

Same record number that we had uh last week and hopefully a little bit more any questions about.

J

Rebound I have another program I want to talk to you about, but any questions about the rebrand.

C

Thank you, jack, for what you've been doing. I know I sent a lot of people to you.

C

I hope uh hope it works. uh Commissioner, it's been working, uh it's it's interesting to read.

J

Read about all the farms. Thank you.

A

All right jack, you can roll right into the next one if you'd like I'm, not getting any.

A

Questions from my colleagues so go ahead. uh What we'd like to do at the farm museum is.

J

We want to do uh uh free admission on fridays on on the um every friday. We want to open it up like.

J

We're doing right now the outside tours uh play on the playgrounds or bring your own picnic lunch.

J

We still want to do. We ran us all this by um you know ed singer and he he has approved this.

J

But we want to do something new on friday night bites. It's called on october to 9 16, 23 and 30.

J

To have three to six thirty: um after school, uh we would have a couple food trucks there.

J

Some families are in a rush, they could come and pick up dinner. We would still.

J

Give the outside tours and we would have the playground open and then on the uh on the 30th.

J

We would have people driving by. We would give free pumpkins for children under 12.. They can.

J

Come in costume if they want, but they don't have to, but that would be a free friday. Also.

J

uh Like I said, we ran it by ed singer and we thought we could get more people in the in.

J

The farm museum, social discipline, discipline and also uh we won't have any large groups.

J

Just wanted to kind of give you an update and if you had any comments about this, but we're.

J

Kind of excited about you know, opening up the farm museum. You know to to more of the public.

K

Yeah children- I I said personally, I think it's a great idea um any opportunity. We can continue.

D

To highlight you know uh the farm museum, I guess, and the food trucks seem to be really working. You.

D

Know at the fire stations at uh all the different places, food trucks seem to be the in thing to do.

D

To getting uh to getting meals on you know and moving away um can we use any cares, act funding.

D

For these type of activities uh was the farm museum. um You know really challenged on the.

D

During this pandemic, and can uh we use it for advertisement or for um I don't know I I know.

D

The food trucks are eligible, and you told me that for here's that funding, so we want to make.

D

Sure that they're aware of it, but uh is there any cares, act funding that we can use for this.

D

Or would this be coming out of our budget? Well, it won't be coming into our budget and.

J

um We're not we're not applying for the uh cares act funding, but we are getting sponsors for this.

J

So it won't be, uh you know, we're big on getting sponsors for everything we do. You know under the.

J

Umbrella of economic development, including the farm museum, so we're we're going to have.

J

Sponsors for the pumpkins and for everything else and we will charge a fee to the food truck so.

J

Hopefully we make a couple dollars here, but that's not our criteria. Our criteria is to get the.

J

Children out here and the families out here, but um we're we're out real we're out now trying to get.

J

Sponsors and I think we're going to be successful as far as the lost income at the farm museum.

J

uh We ran it by debbie and roberta and it just doesn't fall under the scenario. But.

J

This program um won't be in any out of pocket for the county. The sponsors will, you know.

J

Pay for it. No, no, and I appreciate the sponsors it's a great idea, but even with the sponsors.

D

Using care funds for the sponsors for additional marketing, you know whether it's banners or.

D

Something um don't know if that's doable or if it's you know not worth the squeeze, but uh you.

D

Know I mean I appreciate sponsors, um but I know that funding can be used for their marketing. So if.

D

We put banners out there that they're sponsoring it may also uh entice them to sponsor. um I don't.

D

Know just just thinking through this a little bit but bottom line and I'll stop talking great idea.

J

Well, we will we'll check with uh debbie and roberta and.

J

um Wait we're anytime, we can uh squeeze money out of care's fun, we're right there for it.

J

um You know we're running by them, but we're always looking for the squeeze. Thank you for your comment.

A

All right any other questions for jack from eric dick.

A

Any other things for yep eric eric's coming in here with one.

B

Go ahead, mr lyburn. If an adult shows up dresses shippy the chipmunk, can he get a free pumpkin.

J

uh That's that's a question. I know that I don't know we have to run up.

J

By the committee um is that going to be your costume, I mean you know.

B

I appreciate everything I think, there's a very good, innovative ideas that that brings together.

B

That sense of community and getting people out, so I commend you and your staff at the farm.

B

Museum, thank you for what you're doing. Thank you. Thank you all right. Anything else for jack.

A

All right keep up the good work down there. Jack carol, rebound his deadline is september. The 30th.

A

Which is next monday, tuesday monday, I don't know tuesday, whatever wednesday wednesday, I was close.

A

I was that was this close. This is next week. Okay, there, oh yeah, it's wednesday. Okay! Thank you. All.

A

Right, roberta uh who's. Next, you got jeff coming up um jeff casting away if you'll um update the.

F

Commissioners, on where we stand with the various building construction projects, please thank you.

L

Yes, uh definitely so, commissioners, um as you know, we've been working close with the architect.

L

Engineers to ensure that we we're constructing safe areas to provide proper separation.

L

For our staff, in their work, environments, staff and citizens and visitors alike,.

L

uh Once it's, you know, one of the biggest challenges that we face is revolve around.

L

Hvac airflow to work on. We need to provide proper flow of fresh air without pushing large amounts of.

L

Air volume across areas they carry vapors. Our engineers have been working hard.

L

With building construction to staff, the construction staff to order long lead up.

L

Long lead items and to ensure that we meet the deadlines before the cares. Funding runs out.

L

As I go to explain these projects, I just want to let you know, as our building construction.

L

Staff has built into our schedules some additional time into each of the schedules to allow for any.

L

Of the unknowns that we may encounter encounter as we were, as the renovation process continues,.

L

First, we'll start with our secondary emergency communications center.

L

um As you know, that project is uh a 1700 square foot renovation. uh We have plans.

L

That are in for to submit for permits on 9 30, which will be next wednesday. There's no remains.

L

Construction estimate, um the construction estimates should be completed by the 14th.

L

Of october, um we'll come to you in front of the borders, be on the 15th for concurrence for the.

L

Award of the contract and in order to proceed on the 19th of october to start construction.

L

And we help with using occupancy by the 18th of december for that work to be complete.

L

uh Then, and that's that will provide us a large amount of space in order to get the.

L

Proper separation of all the uh 9-1-1 workstations there's to be required, as this staff does work, 12.

L

Hours, 12-hour shifts and spend a lot of close time together um as a result of that project.

L

We had to remove, we had to move multiple staff members out of the county office building into.

L

Another facility, and that will uh that's- requires us to build out a current open space into uh some.

L

Offices- and that is also that's going to be uh in front of the board on the 8th of october bid.

L

Award uh notes to proceed on the 12th of october and use an occupancy by the 18th of november.

L

Last one is the uh the entranceway the county office building. um As you know, currently, citizens.

L

Must enter in the building and cross or stand next to each other as they're as people are entering.

L

And exiting we have no way to properly separate the inbound and outbound flow in a healthy and.

L

Safe manner, the renovation will change the flow of inbound and outbound foot traffic.

L

Touchless doors addition, addition of additional uh temperature kia temperature badge and bill.

L

Paying kiosks and changing the airflow patterns to prevent spread of neighbors? We are anticipating.

L

The current main entrance of the building will move to the lower hearing room entrance, 003 or.

L

As a lot of people know it as reagan room during the week of october 19th, this will be a two-month.

L

Relocation to allow the demolition of the current infrastructure and reconstruction to happen in a.

L

Manner that is safe for both staff and the public uh uh planned uh bill payment and permits area.

L

The plan bill payment and permit area drop-off that we currently have to make at the main.

L

Entrance uh will be relocated to that same entrance down there with double o3 or by the.

L

Public hearing, room uh sheriff and information staff personnel will be set up in the lower level.

L

Lower level to assist step citizens as they come in for the meetings um we plan on.

L

To be in front of the board on the 15th of october for concurrence of the award of contract. For that.

L

Project notice to proceed on the 19th of october and use an occupancy no later than december. 18Th.

L

We do have some long lead items that have already been ordered.

L

By staff and between six to eight weeks for delivery, uh so we that's already been in place so.

L

uh That should help move up the construction date. uh Signage will also be put out and we will have.

L

Public information uh public press releases uh about the closing and relocation of our entrance.

L

uh We'll start, probably within the next week, uh in going out on a weekly basis to let the public know.

L

The changes that will be happening at the building, with plenty of signage, to direct everybody to the.

L

Park to that area in relocation of some parking spaces uh open up some visitor parking areas.

L

On the side of the building, that's typically not that's not there. Now uh the last project is our uv.

L

Lighting for the hvac systems uh contractor walkthrough was completed a couple days ago.

L

The materials are on order, there's about an eight week, delivery time um right now, in october, the.

L

Month of october, that contractor is going to come in clean all the coils, adding electrical.

L

Connections that are needed and perform any work that they possibly can get completed before the.

L

Delivery of those uv systems november third, is the ins. Is the estimated installation start date.

L

uh The phase two uv systems, which would be the college, senior centers libraries, uh those uv.

L

Systems have been ordered and the next uh will be the contract getting the contractor on board.

L

And coming to you for concurrence for the contract to perform that work, the goal is to have the.

L

Same contractor do the work as doing phase one. But if time, if staffing concerns or timelines.

L

Seem like they're not going to be met, we may have to go to another source.

L

And that's it nope. Thank you. Jeff questions. Just the questions for jeff.

A

You must be doing a good job jeff, that's all I got to say I don't know nobody's, got any questions so.

A

Hey I'll, take it thanks! No, but if anybody in the same things, if anybody has any questions.

L

I mean you know, reach out anytime. We we know where you work. I will say this, I I uh I hung.

A

I was loitering in the lobby uh a day or two ago and watching the coming and goings of our citizens.

A

As they need to get in for appointment only and by the way we are still appointment only but.

A

Whoever found that uh that pad that automatically takes your temperature, that's on that pedestal.

A

That was priceless that that piece of equipment right there is worth its weight in gold. uh It.

A

Even tells you to take your mask off or tells you to put your mask on. It reminds it's a very.

A

Interesting device so kudos to to you guys when it comes to that kind of stuff to the uv.

A

Lighting everything that you're doing here, I I got to tell you you are on top of this.

A

Unlike any jurisdiction in this in the state, and- and I just want to make make it a point that.

A

Our citizens are very safe when they come into this building, buy appointment only, but when they.

A

Come in they're, very safe, so well done to you guys, keep up the good work, any other questions for jeff.

A

Okay, roberta, what else do you have.

F

That was it, um you know nothing else. um I think really changing in the plan. At this point once.

F

Rebound is over, um staff is assessing where, where we stand all the time um that we'll.

F

Have a better idea of where we stand in terms of what we've spent so far in the next few weeks.

F

And we'll be back with your recommendations on um some changes to the plan in life of the university.

A

Okay, all right we're having we're having some interesting technical difficulties with some of.

A

The slowness so bear with us, ladies and gentlemen, as we go through this, so I would be remiss if I.

A

Didn't also say that our sheriff deputies that are on duty in our lobby are doing an amazing job. As.

A

Well, they are up out of their chairs immediately when somebody comes to the door. So it's.

A

We we got it together here, folks, we're doing a good job latest before we get off of covid. I.

A

Just got this from the state of maryland seven day, positivity rate drops to a record low, 2.57 percent.

A

That um that's maryland, that's the average positive. That's the lowest level reported.

A

Since the pandemic began, so that's good news. The uh the case rate maryland's case rate.

A

Is now at 8.1 out of 100 000 today, that's the lowest that it's been since july, 11th.

A

Positivity rate below 5 and 23 of 24 jurisdictions below 3.5 percent and 18 jurisdictions. That's good.

A

News 349 total current hospitalizations, including 268 acute beds and 81 icu beds,.

A

And the weekly unemployment claims are at an all-new low.

A

They are are 9.185 9185 today, which is the lowest number of weekly claims since march the 14th, so.

A

The state is doing well we're doing well and I'm a glass half full half empty kind of guy.

A

And the reason we're doing well is because all of you, our citizens, are wearing these.

A

You're, distancing and you're washing your hands, I'm not going to keep going on that enough said.

A

So that's all I think we have for covid anything else on on from my colleagues.

A

We're going to move on. Thank you.

A

Next up is uh approval to whoop nope. I skipped ahead. Sorry public hearing on the cdb.

A

Cdbg, community development block grant coveted round two and I believe, celine.

A

Is on here celine good morning and so is deb stanford, so I'll turn it over to you. Celine.

A

And, of course, we're having a public hearing, so we got that guy named tim burke is on here too.

A

Or he might, he might be or he is or I don't know yes there he is there, he is there. He is so.

A

Tim as always with public hearing I'll, give it to you first and then we'll turn it over.

A

So, mr burke, good morning good morning, commissioners and our vast viewing audience.

M

uh Today we're having a virtual public hearing, uh the sole purpose of which is to notify the public.

M

Of the county's intent to apply for a community development block grant round two funding and we.

M

Want to accept public comment in the uh we have a phone line and some links set up if people had.

M

Intended to make public comment today, I note that the.

M

Hearing was advertised in the carroll county times on september 18 2020. with us as you've stated.

M

Commissioner, lance deb stanford our grants, manager and celine steckel, our director of department of.

M

Citizen services- and they are going to give you a short summary of what we hope to accomplish today,.

I

Okay and good morning again folks, um we wanted to let you know a little bit about our intent.

I

For this application, and as the director of citizen services, I represent the county.

I

For services for housing and community connections, the local management board.

I

For families and children, aging and disabilities, and also veterans services under this cdbg grant.

I

It's under the cares act. The maryland department of housing, community development has released.

I

Over 16 million dollars in cdbg funding for non-entitlement and entitlement communities.

I

And later released an additional 5.2 million dollars to be distributed, distributed through.

I

The same application process for non-entitlement jurisdictions only which carroll county falls into.

I

Only applications from county governments will be eligible for this funding.

I

The county is preparing an application for the department of citizen services to meet.

I

The national objective, which is better to benefit low to moderate income persons.

I

Activities for this round of funding have been limited to eviction prevention. Only.

I

And must be implemented in response to the loss of income due to covet 19. the county.

I

Government has a manager has the managerial and fiscal capacity to administer this program and.

I

Will not be using a sub grantee for this round of funding. The county will continue, though, to.

I

Partner with human services, programs of carroll county for referrals and eligibility screenings.

I

I wanted to talk a little bit about the impact that cobit 19 has had on our community.

I

As well as the state in general, the economic impact that has that covet 19 has had has.

I

Affected renters across maryland, in a way that we have never experienced, we are seeing people.

I

From across the state, and especially in carroll county that we have not seen before coming in and.

I

Seeking assistance the national, low-income housing coalition has produced estimates.

I

Of rental assistance needs due to covid by the throughout the state. Currently, they estimate.

I

Over 223 000 renters in maryland will need assistance if you extrapolate carol's data.

I

The need that is based on the number of rental renters in carroll county relative to the state.

I

We estimate that there are around 3, 128, renters or 2 percent of the population that currently need.

I

Rental assistance, the county and human services program incorporated, which is our community action.

I

Council have a very strong working relationship with county landlords and are involved with the.

I

County landlord association in july, when the initial eviction moratorium was coming to an end.

I

The hsp surveyed, the county, landlord association on the need for rental assistance of their tenants.

I

um That were impacted by cobit 19. of the 122 respondents over 50 of them reported having.

I

Tenants who owed more than four thousand dollars in arrears to them and that total of a rental.

I

Arrears came to 483 000. It is important to note that this survey that we had done.

I

Only represented 122 runners, which is a tiny fraction of our county's renters, the.

I

2018 american community survey data shows that of the 6 60 450 housing units in carroll, 16 of those.

I

Are rentals or 909 919 households? The survey of landlords only captured the need of the of.

I

112 renters or just one percent 122 renters, rather just one percent of the county's rental households.

I

And that one percent had a need for almost five hundred thousand dollars in assistance.

I

So initially we had come before the board of county commissioners.

I

For additional for funding for rental arrears for the from the coronavirus relief fund- and we.

I

Were granted that five hundred thousand dollars, we have started that program on september 1st.

I

And of that program already we have seen a need for over 180 000 to be dispersed between that.

I

Time and now so to address this, we understand there's additional need and that will go far.

I

Beyond that initial 500 000, so to address this, we have identified populations and conducted outreach.

I

With our other community partners, who administer addiction, prevention programs and through our.

I

Outreach, the county has identified additional eviction, prevention needs and we are proposing.

I

Administering an eviction prevention program with an additional 550 000 of this cdbg cobia.

I

Round two program funding that would also include hiring a contractual housing stability coordinator.

I

We would like to also point out that what we would accomplish with this additional funding.

I

Would be to prevent 125 households from being evicted from rental units in carroll, county.

I

It would assist landlords who have potentially been operating their businesses.

I

Without rent for the past up to nine months, and it would also prevent eviction during a pandemic.

I

That would reduce the spread of disease as addicted households have no choice but to.

I

Double up with family or friends as they or enter a homeless shelter, it would also.

I

Prevent evictions and provide stability in a less costly and less traumatic way.

I

And allow um than it would be if we had to restore someone who who had just lost their housing.

I

So with that, um I would also state that we are going to be um posting.

I

A copy of our application on our county website, um beginning on 5 pm.

I

On the 25th of september, so that the people would like to review the application they have the.

I

Ability to do that and at this point I'd like to turn it over to debbie if she has any additional.

I

Comments to add, I couldn't find my mouse either. um No, I'm fine. I think that that covered both.

N

What we think the need is, and it's a reasonable request from cdbg. um I think our need will be.

N

Greater than that, but we need to keep the request reasonable to the state if they.

N

Have funds in the back end, we may be able to ask for additional funding if we have a greater need.

D

Celine you mentioned.

D

Rental assistance for uh residents and small businesses. I wasn't aware of that. This.

D

Is also supporting small business? No, it's not supporting small business. The guy just not here.

D

Say that again it's just for for uh uh renters, it's not for small businesses.

I

This is just for individuals, okay, renters, uh residential renters, correct, okay, okay,.

N

And commissioners have to meet income eligibility.

N

So we're following hud guidelines for moderate um up to 80 percent of our median income.

N

But which is really broader than what we usually do with rental assistance, usually we just.

N

Assist very low income folks with this, so it is broadening that to other folks in the jurisdiction.

A

All right any other questions for celine. Oh wait a minute any yeah before we get.

A

To a public hearing or to the public part of any other questions for celine or deb.

A

All right, mr burke, commissioners, this is a virtual public hearing.

M

I don't believe we have any virtual participants here to comment on the proposal.

M

So, mr president, it's appropriate to close the public hearing at this time.

D

A

I didn't hear him say that again ed, I'm sorry say that again.

A

We're not sure our feeds here, our feeds here are really kind of wonky right now,.

A

So we're working on it go ahead. Try that again, okay, I'll move that to board of commissioners.

D

Close the public hearing and leave the record open till september 30th 2020.

A

Eric seconded okay, commissioner boucher, second, that any uh anna other thoughts on this.

A

All right public hearing is closed and open uh until that was unanimous decision.

A

To close the public hearing by the way and leave it open until september, the 30th anything else on this celine before we move to the application part of it.

I

No, I don't have anything more at this point unless you had further questions.

A

Okay hearing nothing: let's move to that requesting approval to submit.

A

The application and accept the award for the cdbg grant, so I don't guess, there's a whole.

A

Lot to say here, celine other than procedurally right correct. So um obviously I just reviewed.

I

Most of the detail of the grant, and now we are here uh formally to ask for the approval to make.

I

Application and accept the award for the community development block, grant coveted round two.

I

As you know, the cdbg is providing this funding assistance. This is the round two.

I

We have spoken in public session before with you about that. We were waiting for.

I

um We were not sure initially that they were going to earmark this uh for one specific purpose or for.

I

Multiple activities but, as we have noted, it is only for eviction prevention for this round and.

I

We feel that we have the capacity as the county and citizen services to administer this funding.

I

This funding would allow for six consecutive months of rental assistance for current month. The.

I

Current month and the arrears um it would help low and moderate income county citizens who are having.

I

Difficulty paying their rent due to covet-related loss of income, which is very important. It has to.

I

Be covered related um and it would allow them to stay housed and what we are seeking is an.

I

Additional five hundred thousand dollars for eviction prevention and then fifty thousand.

I

Dollars of administrative um funding for oversight of the grant and then a housing stability.

I

Position there is no required county match for this funding, so the total grant request that.

I

We would be going before before them uh would be for five hundred and fifty thousand dollars.

I

um And debbie did you have any additional information you wanted to share.

N

No thanks: okay,.

A

Eric's eric's itching over here he's got you're on eric, even though you can't see yourself.

B

I want to do the motion for this, but real quick. I remembered a. I got a technical question for mrs.

B

Steckel I had a uh a phone call last night about a landlord who had a tenant pass away and the.

B

Tenant had applied for this assistance, and now the landlord is not sure whether the back rent will.

B

Be compensate or not, and I had instructed them to contact your office because I think that has to do.

B

With the language of the law, but I think that's something that maybe your staff can look into.

B

Because with elderly citizens, receiving assistance and some landlords have these as tenants.

B

How this comes into play- and I want to make sure that the landlords have a clarification, that if a.

B

Tenant passes away whether or not the back rents will be covered or not, because I think it gets.

B

A little complicated, but if someone can look into that I'd appreciate and keep the landlords posted.

B

And with that, I move that the board of commissioners approved the application submission.

B

And award acceptance for the community development block grant covet round two.

C

A

Okay got a motion and second on that and celine you'll handle that request from.

A

Commissioner boucher correct, we will, and just so you're aware, commissioner, we have already.

I

Been in touch with that landlord and just for clarification for the public, these funds are for.

I

The tenants, even though the allocation is paid directly to the landlord.

I

Through the program they are tied to the tenant, so if the tenant passes away, that allocation would.

I

Not be able to be granted for that landlord at that point so, but we have been in touch with this.

I

This individual landlord regarding this, so thank you for the referral. Thank you.

A

Okay, I've got a motion and second on this.

A

On this, cdbg grant application and award acceptance all those in favor.

A

And that's unanimous celine. Thank you deb. Thank you very much. Thank you. Commissioners.

A

All right moving forward here, we're going to have a briefing on an annexation.

A

In manchester, annexation number 39 actually uh of the liberty, property, lippy property. Having trouble.

A

Here this morning, um so with that I'll turn it over to linda eisenberg and her team and she'll.

A

Introduce those as they come on board linda good morning, good morning nurse, if you're, okay, with.

O

Me keeping my camera. I keep having glitches too saying that I don't have enough bandwidth. So if.

O

You're, okay, with I'm just going to be verbal and claire stewart, um our planner in the department.

O

Will also be presenting these with the annexation, so this is manchester annexation number 39, the.

O

Lippy property today we're here before you to brief you on the annexation.

O

And the zoning waiver- this was heard by the planning and zoning commission on september 15th.

O

And they are following, they are affording you a favorable recommendation for both the annexation.

O

And the zoning waiver today is just an informational briefing and we'll come.

O

Back before you uh to request a letter of comment be sent to the town, as we always do, as well as an.

O

Official action of the zoning waiver by the ward. So with that I'm going to have claire present to.

O

You the annexation, claire morning, commissioners, chris, do I have the ability to screen share.

E

Yep, you have you've been given present you're the presenter.

P

K

Just like planning zoning, um can you see my screen right now? No just go to.

E

Screen and share your screen: it's on the bottom gotcha; okay, all right! How about now.

A

We got you yeah, okay,.

P

Let me enlarge it.

P

Okay, so um good morning, as linda said, I am here to brief you on manchester's um annexation number.

P

35, this is also known as the lippy property. So, on august 5th we received a request to comment.

P

Prior to the town council's scheduled public hearing, and that is scheduled for october 13th,.

P

So this request is for a little under 26 acres of a 35 acre parcel.

P

And it is owned by woodhaven building and development incorporated.

P

So the requested annexation is outlined in blue um we're located off of route 30. um in as part.

P

Of an unincorporated enclave, the corporate limits are outlined in red and are hatched. So this small.

P

Portion that is not hatched is unincorporated along with some area to the south. Here.

P

Parcel 35 extends out to this dashed line. As I said before, this is a 35 acre parcel.

P

These nine acres were incorporated as part of manchester's annexation. One and three.

P

So the petitioner also owns um this lot directly to the earth. This undeveloped.

P

Land directly to the south here um known as old town. This is a plot of 40 lots from 1978.

P

There's one residential dwelling unit on the property with access from route 30.

P

And then here is southwestern avenue it's on alternative access point to the property.

P

Located towards the west across route 30, we have manchester valley high school to the north. We have.

P

An auto body shop and then st bartholomew's church there is undeveloped land to the north.

P

South and west, surrounded by residential and then to the southwest here, is grace bible, church.

P

So the county zoning we have um 17 and a half, I'm sorry 18 and a half acres of r 10 000.

P

About five and a half acres of conservation, zoning and then 1.5 acres of c2, commercial, medium zoning.

P

The town proposes um about 24.5 acres of residential 20 000, so that would overlay.

P

The county's r, 10, 000 and conservation, so everything that you see in orange and green.

P

And then 1.5 acres of their business, local zoning, which would overlay our commercial mediums.

P

And because the or 20 000 uh proposed zoning is more dense than the conservation sounding, it's.

P

About six times more denser, uh a zoning zoning weaver has been requested by the petitioner.

P

So we are located within the town's municipal growth area.

P

And the property has a future land use of medium density, residential in the manchester comp plan.

P

We requested review and comment from these agencies. We did receive two comments from.

P

The department of transportation, sha and then the maryland department of planning.

P

So sha commented that access to and from the annexation site were improvements to route.

P

30 as a result of development will require an sha access permit and any development.

P

Constructed prior to an access permit should be accessed through the local railway network.

P

And the town is aware and has received a copy of these comments.

P

And mdp staff noted um the inconsistency with the town's proposed r20 000 zoning and the county's.

P

Conservation, zoning and recommended that the town keep a zoning waiver from the county commissioners.

P

um They also noted that uh the proposed annotation area is within the um county. Certified party.

P

Funding area and is eligible to um eligible to retain that pfa designation in the municipality.

P

So, as linda said, at their september 15th meeting, the planning and zany commission voted to send.

P

A favorable recommendation of the annexation and zoning waiver to the county commissioners.

P

And before we move forward, I want to address any questions that you have.

O

Also clarify, may there are representatives from the town of manchester here today, michelle wilder.

D

Claire very, very good briefing um for the good of the group and those that could be listening.

D

When you refer to our 10 000 or 20 000 medium density residential, can you be a little bit more.

D

Specific on what that actually entails sure, so the the r10 000, um the r twenty thousand is roughly.

P

uh Two units per acre, the r ten thousand, is um roughly four units per acre.

P

Residential building units does it also allow for clustering of homes to be put into those.

D

R 20, 000 or 10 000 areas um when michelle wilder is on the line um with the town, because that will.

P

Be under the town zoning code, she she could probably answer that for you, okay, because.

D

Yeah and I I would appreciate that because again for the good of the audience and for.

D

Good of us is our 10 000 r, 20 000. The units per acre are not necessarily the end of the day.

D

Situation because clustering can be potentially available, so, yes, we can get that that'd be good.

P

Michelle are you on the line? I am, can you hear me? Yes, I can't get the camera working, but I can talk.

Q

um The town of manchester does allow for clustering if the applicant can provide.

Q

uh Open space in exchange for the ability to cluster, but it does not allow them to increase.

Q

The number of units that they could have gotten with a um a regular layout, if that makes any sense.

Q

Did that answer your question.

D

Ed yeah, if you can say a little more time, because it sounds like almost that you said that.

D

Clustering is not available um at first. You said it was, but um I guess say one more time.

D

uh Okay, clustering is available if the applicant can provide a certain percentage of open usable.

Q

Space in place, I mean in lieu of them clustering. However, the planning and zoning commission has to.

Q

Approve the cluster and it does not increase the density of the development in units.

D

Okay, now and- and I understand that now for the good of the group um since I throughout the.

D

Term clustering, can you define what clustering means and what it would mean in this situation,.

Q

Clustering means that you take the number of developed units that you can do on that property.

Q

And you can move them closer together and change the zoning from half acre to a little smaller to.

Q

Make infrastructure cost less as long as you can provide something in return for that back to us.

D

K

So the only question in this go ahead: dick go ahead. One question in this thing.

C

What about traffic and access to route 30, I mean dumping, you know 40 more cars onto there. It's a.

C

Kind of a mess in that area due to high school anyway, has that been considered by the town.

Q

Yes, that was some of our comments from the planning and zoning commission to the council and.

Q

I'm sure that will be something discussed during the public hearings. One of the comments that the.

Q

Planning commission did request or kind of suggest that they insist upon is if there was to be any.

Q

Connection to 30 we'd like to see it somehow come into the same intersection as maple grove, road.

Q

So that we could eliminate another access spot on 30 without a light.

A

That answer your question, dick.

A

Okay, what bottom line what's the potential for the number of units that are going into this area.

P

Michelle did you want to go ahead and answer that for them.

Q

Sure at this time the applicant is requesting 40.

Q

40 residences in that parcel combined with the old town parcel, they want to combine them all.

Q

Due to a lot of environmental restrictions on those properties- and um I believe as max.

Q

Requested is 40., okay, yeah, that's kind of why. I asked the question because I'm about.

A

Isn't there some isn't there a stream or something on that property? Yes,.

A

Yeah, that's what I thought. Okay seems like a lot for that, but, okay, I I'm sure planning.

A

And zoning probably vetted all these answers already right, yeah they have this. They put.

Q

It together in their comments to send to the mayor and council, okay and infrastructure wise.

A

The town is, is, is okay, I would assume I mean back to dick's question. You know increase of traffic.

A

uh Law enforcement, fire ems- all of that you guys are- are good with 40 more units. In there there was.

Q

um In our annexation plan it is discussed in there that there's possibility that we would need to.

Q

Increase our office, an officer, I did get comments from fire and, like I said this is all not really.

Q

Been discussed with the council yet until that public hearing and I'm not sure which, whether.

Q

They're, truly in favor of this or not, I can't speak for them. Okay, all right! Well, knowing knowing.

A

You guys in manchester, like I do uh michelle. I know you guys are all over all those, because that.

A

That, knowing who the folks are here, I know you're you're, making a you're making sure that those.

A

Important issues are being discussed, so I you know I just at picturing it in my mind, of of putting 40.

A

More units there, and maybe that's kind of where commissioner weaver was going with his question.

A

Seems to be a lot, because that's that that's a lot of traffic and a lot of need there. That's.

A

All that's why I'm asking these questions so, yes, traffic is definitely one of the main concerns.

A

Okay, all right, what and claire do you have anything else? I mean today's just a briefing.

A

uh It gives us a chance to kind of absorb this and then you'll be back.

A

Before us at some point, I know so yes october 1st, we're scheduled for.

P

um Discussion and decision, and hopefully we'll send out a comment letter to the town.

A

Okay, the other question: does the town claire get the questions that we just asked today.

P

um They do not, we can incorporate them into the comment letter. It's it's uh the comment.

P

Letter is typically um any uh any comments that we received, so it would include um sha's comments.

P

On access to and from route 30 it'll include um the zoning waiver. um We if we have.

P

If there are concerns about infrastructure, um we can, we can include any additional comments. Yeah.

A

I'm seeing nodding from my colleagues that I think it's important to to include our questions because.

A

You know dick had a excellent question on the traffic and I'm I'm concerned about fire ems.

A

And law enforcement and what the impact will be on that. So, if you could include those as.

A

Part of our discussions, of course, michelle's on here she hears it, but just include that.

A

So it's kind of official on the record. I think that would be the best way to go here.

O

Of course, so we'll draft a comment letter up for your review prior to.

O

The meeting next week will be when we come back for that comment letter, including the request. Okay,.

A

All right anything else, claire, that's it today. Thank you all right, thanks thanks.

A

Claire thanks linda, thank you thanks for being on michelle appreciate it you're welcome. Thank you.

A

Okay, uh we're gonna move forward now with a budget discussion and uh we're going to bring.

A

In ted uh to talk about this- and I I suppose this is precipitated by the fact that all of us.

A

Had decided that at some point in the september october-ish area eric right, sir, we we're gonna.

A

Revisit to maybe revisit is that the right I mean we were gonna revisit to revisit. Maybe.

A

But uh before we I mean that's part of this discussion, obviously.

A

But included in this, we wanted to get an update on on where we were.

A

With with the budget too so uh ted, I'm gonna turn this over to you uh for the briefing.

A

Here so good morning, third green button down: yes, okay, I'm just trying to get my screen up.

R

um Okay, all right enough of this happy stuff. uh Mr doom and gloom is here.

R

um Okay, you do see my screen right.

S

We are reading your emails yeah. I just uh I don't know what I did here.

R

Yeah, how do I get this back up.

F

Click on your powerpoint close, your powerpoint.

F

The best budget director in the state- maybe not the best technician, though.

A

Okay, yeah, just you can use that ted because we can see that it's just got some surrounded.

A

Stuff yeah we'll just find a new slide or not new slide. You know go to.

F

Like you would in normal, like slideshow yeah.

R

Okay, right yep, not my highest level of confidence.

R

Okay, so uh yes, when we adopted the budget, the fiscal year, 21 budget.

R

There was conversation among the commissioners about reopening the budget sometime in the fall.

R

Basically, what I'm doing here is telling you what we know which isn't a lot and I think the the end.

R

Message from me is, I don't think, there's any basis for us to do anything. We haven't already done.

R

So uh covet impacts fiscal year, 21 and and beyond. First, let's talk a little bit about fiscal year.

R

20 the year that just ended a little bit of good news, but don't get too excited about that.

R

Revenues- and these are all tentative numbers- our our financial audit- isn't over yet, but these.

R

All ought to be pretty close to where we're gonna end up, we're actually expecting to be.

R

Almost three million dollars above budget for revenues- that's not what you heard from me as.

R

We were building the budget last year, I'm going to come back to this on the next slide.

R

Expenditures, we think we're going to save about 13 million dollars against budget.

R

A few big reasons for that: first door: net fiscal year 20 the commissioners acted to.

R

Reduce spending we had a favorable snow and ice year, so we didn't spend a lot of money on that.

R

And the shutdown in some ways actually saved us money, there's money we might have spent.

R

That we didn't because of the shutdown. So the combination of revenues in excessive.

R

Budget and expenditures under budget we're estimating 15.7 million dollars from fiscal year.

R

Now, four million of that is already planned for fiscal year 22.. That's that one percent.

R

That we assume is always going to be available when we build into our.

R

Our projections now, you might remember a couple years ago, I was talking to you about.

R

My desire to move us away from assuming that one percent and I still believe it's the right.

R

Thing for us to do, but clearly now is not the right time to try and make that change.

R

So 15.7 minus the 4 million already planned would leave you with 11.7 million dollars of.

R

New unassigned fund balance, we have an existing 18 million assigned fund balance. That's a bigger.

R

Number than you've heard in the past. The reason that's bigger is number one in the fiscal year.

R

21 budget process, you didn't use any of our unassigned fund balances. So what we had we held.

K

On to, and uh that was very conscious decision to maintain as much flexibility as we could.

R

For what was coming our way and the other reason is you unassigned, some money that we had built.

R

Into our six-year plan, where we had said we're going to use unassigned fund balance sometime in.

R

The future we pulled all that back again with the idea of building flexibility and a side.

R

Benefit of that, when you look at our operating plan now I would say you get a true picture of.

R

How our plan is set up right now, where the use of unassigned fund balance before would have.

R

Masked some of what was going on so we have a new new 11.7 added to an existing 18 million.

R

Leaving us with an unassigned fund balance of 29.7 million dollars. Now I know you see.

R

30 million dollars sitting there and your minds probably uh quickly start to move to things that.

R

You would like to get accomplished. I'm gonna, I'm gonna, ask you to try and shove those thoughts out.

R

I'm gonna argue we need to hang on to this money. This is our life raft.

R

I said I would talk a little bit more about fisking or 20 revenues and why they don't look like what I said. They might look like.

R

We had actually told you that we could see losses of up to four million dollars a month as we went.

R

Through uh the shutdown- and we we said, we might see for the year, 15 million dollars below budget.

R

I just told you we think we're gonna be about three million dollars uh in excess of a budget, so.

R

Why why is that? What what changed the biggest change is is income tax that was the biggest.

R

Part of what we saw is the potential downturn and the reason why uh we're suggesting a little.

R

Bit more, instead of a good bit less, I'm not going to suggest that I totally understand.

R

What is going on with income tax and on friday, I met with people like me from across the state.

R

And all of us at some extent scratching our heads over what's going on and trying to make.

R

Some sense of this there are a few things we can point to now. First, um we did actually see a dip.

R

In income tax distributions for what we think of as our current distributions, the.

R

Money that's coming in from withholdings as we go through the year that went down not as much.

R

As we thought it might, but it did go down the reason. Income tax is going to come in over budget.

R

Is because of significant increases in reconciling distributions? This is money related to.

R

Previous tax years- so this tells us nothing about what's happening today- is just the state getting.

R

Balanced out with us on what we received in the past versus what we should have received.

R

One thing that clearly is in the mix here was the federal aid.

R

When we talked about losses that could come about because of the shutdown.

R

There was no attempt to build the impact of federal aid into those numbers. Now the federal.

R

Government did come through with aid and clearly one important piece to that to this picture.

R

Is the extra unemployment payments uh people continue to repay, receive money and continue to.

R

Pay taxes on that money so, to the extent that that came in money we might have lost, hasn't been lost.

R

uh I think the big idea here to hang on to with income tax is, I and and others are still.

R

Convinced that this is largely a timing issue, the concerns we had are still the same concerns.

R

uh We just haven't felt them yet. The recognition tax is a little bit different story.

R

We made an assumption that people were going to stop trying to buy houses.

R

The people weren't going to be out shopping and we built in some decrease in recreation. We assumed a.

R

Slowdown in the housing market, it didn't happen, in fact, we're actually seeing recreation come in.

R

At higher levels than we would typically expect.

R

There were some other pieces in the mix. Now you might remember, we had a negative impact.

R

From the 9-1-1 fee, when the state made that change we built in an assumption of.

R

What we were going to get- and it didn't turn out to be that much that had nothing to do with.

R

Covid, but it plays into these numbers. Another big impact to us was our investment income.

R

That was a very direct result of covid and the changes in the federal interest rates and then.

R

There are smaller pieces but important enough to matter things like admissions and amusements.

R

Wine festivals, some of our park fees, those are down because of what's going on.

R

Now, let's look at fiscal year 21 the year we're in.

R

Now, first, some actions uh big one: the commissioners adopted 21 budget. That was a little.

R

Bit smaller than our fiscal year 20 budget, I think that was absolutely a prudent thing to do facing.

R

As much uncertainty as we had, it was hard to argue for building in increased costs and arguably.

R

We could have gone for an even smaller budget and it might have made sense for us to do the problem.

R

With doing that is that would have required us to start making ongoing changes to services.

R

And service levels, while we were still facing an uncertain situation even now, we don't know.

R

What we're going to have to do- and we were you know six months ago with that same.

R

Uncertainty we're being careful with our fy21 expenditures, but there's not a lot to.

R

Gain here because remember we didn't increase the budget, so there's a lot of not a lot of new.

R

Money to say, what's, let's not spend that and I said we adopted a smaller budget in 21 to 20.

R

Now the school system, with negatives of effort, actually still got an increase, so everything.

R

Else actually went down even a little bit more than that might feel like. We are carefully.

R

Reviewing positions as they become open, not every position that has come open has has been filled.

R

We are in a process an ongoing process of evaluating opportunities to reduce.

R

Expenditures, if we need to do that.

R

It's really important to understand if we need to make any significant change, that will mean.

R

Evaluating do we stop providing certain services that we're providing today? Do we do reduce levels.

R

Of service positions connected to those services would have to go away. There's no money to go to.

R

To make significant change that isn't tied to this idea of what services are we going to offer.

R

Now, back to that, 30 million dollars bonus in fund balance. If we need to act, those reserves are.

R

Going to give us time to carefully consider our options a much better place to be than having to.

R

Hurriedly make expenditure side cuts to get the budget balanced prospects for 21.. You know what.

R

What can we say about what's coming in 21 and the big answer is we still have nothing hard.

R

Very little hard data to go on, we are still facing a lot of uncertainty.

R

Property tax, I would say, isn't likely to be a concern for us in fiscal year. 2021.

R

There are things that we're keeping an eye on, though you know empty buildings. You know if, if.

R

Businesses clamps close down. Do you get enough empty buildings that that starts to be a concern.

R

On assessments, that's more likely to be an impact on 22 and beyond. If that would happen, though,.

R

Reduced footprints, you know we hear stories of companies.

R

Saying you know we don't need 10 000 square feet anymore, 5 000 square feet.

R

We'll do it what we will be the impact on the commercial property assessments and then our base.

R

Tax appeals, we have to wonder, will some people say things have changed. My my tax.

R

Assessment is now wrong. One thing that maybe will help us is: we see businesses starting to.

R

Look at building space in a new way, and one thing that was interesting to me is amazon- is looking.

R

At non-traditional sources spaces the kind of places we might think of as a store to walk into.

R

To use as a partial inventory holding place to get closer to where they need things.

R

Income tax remains a big concern this. This is the big one.

R

For us I told jeff y20 was very hard to understand. um I don't I don't know anybody.

R

Who thinks that they have a good handle on what is going to happen to us with 21. my feeling.

R

Is is widely shared across the state, though, that we are still going to feel an impact in income tax.

R

You know the questions just remain: when do we feel it and how big does it get.

R

uh Recreation tax is not the same concern to me right now that it was when we were.

R

Putting the budget together, but that could still change.

R

And that's very much tied to what goes on with the housing market. Then there are other revenues again.

R

Relatively small impact, because the same things I mentioned before uh the longer we're dealing with.

R

Cobid, the longer we'll be missing out on revenue from admissions and amusements in our parks.

R

If this goes to the next wine festival in september, it would have an impact.

R

We don't want to forget that regular life continues on if we have a bad snow or ice.

R

Here we're going to have to deal with that. Are there unexpected expenditures that we haven't.

R

Built into our plan- and you might say well what would those be, and my answer is, I don't.

R

Know because that's the whole point, it could be something unexpected we haven't planned for it.

R

And then mid-year state cuts, I think, need to be on our mind now. The board of public works has.

R

Significant authority to cut the state budget, including money, that's coming to carroll county.

R

They already went through one round of cuts, backed away from a few things, but.

R

There's nothing to prevent them from coming back again and connected to that. I heard recently the.

R

State board of reverend estimates right now is suggesting about an 800 million dollar shortfall.

R

In revenue for fiscal year, 21. uh that could prompt the board of public works to more action.

R

Prospects for 22 and beyond another important idea. I don't think anybody should be thinking.

R

That this is a short-term concern for us. This is this problem will continue in some way for.

R

Some number of years property tax- the longer code- continues the more inclined I would be.

R

To start worrying again, are we going to see an impact for property tax so for 21.

R

I don't think it's a problem, but if this doesn't end in 22, I start to question that.

R

Income tax, the longer code that goes on the greater my concerns, become here.

R

How many businesses close how many people lose their jobs? How many people can't find new jobs.

R

Recreation tax, same story as property tax.

R

Other revenues every day that kova continues we're losing revenues, small that they are.

R

The state, I believe, has a more difficult problem than we do.

R

I have plenty of concerns about where we are, but their situation is even worse.

R

As we've talked about many times when the state has a budget problem, that's a problem for us.

R

Oh yeah and in 22 the current board of revenue estimates.

R

uh Is a 3.4 billion dollar shortfall for fiscal year 22.

R

This is an idea that just popped up for me recently. I hadn't thought about it before.

R

But uh with what's going on in schools in covid, you know some people are pulling their kids out.

R

Of school public schools and putting them in private schools, because they're handling.

K

Things differently or people are just pulling them home and saying I'm going to homeschool.

R

State funding for schools is largely driven by enrollment.

R

If enrollment goes down, state funding to the schools will go down.

R

And, of course, they have nowhere else to turn than other than to their county funding sources.

R

I've said this a number of times already. I want to put it up big on the screen here. Huge uncertainty.

R

Remains and uh part of my worry on this is, I think, with all of us. It's been going on long enough.

R

That, even though, fundamentally nothing much has changed it just it's hard, not.

R

To start getting to it after a while and as we start making things feel more normal.

R

I don't want to lose the idea that, right now we don't really know anything new about.

R

This whole code situation and what its impact is going to be on us yet.

R

So I wanted to try to quantify this for you in some way now. First, a reminder.

R

This is our our six-year operating plan as it exists right now. This is what you adopted in may.

R

And the big thing I want to point out is even before we talk about any of this covet stuff when.

R

You look out to the last two years of your plan. We already have negative numbers in the bottom line.

R

That's saying we have expenditure plans in place and we don't have enough revenue planned.

R

To cover those expenditures, something will need to change, and it's not just about those.

R

Two years, this is, as things stand, if nothing changes, this is a growing problem. The number.

R

The negative number in fiscal year 27 will be larger than the negative number in fiscal year. 26.

R

Okay, I'm going to try to give you a sense of what could happen. I want to emphasize.

R

I'm saying what could happen, I I don't have any way to tell you what will happen.

R

What we're going to try and lay out here for you is what seems like a range.

R

Of possibilities that have reasonable likelihood with the things that the information we have today.

R

These next two slides are based on work that the board of revenue estimates did at the state level.

R

They have access to a lot more data than we do and they have a lot more resources to put into trying.

R

To figure these things out, I'm not going to spend time going into how they did it. I'm going to say.

R

They drew certain, I don't want to say conclusions because again, they're not saying what's going.

R

To happen, but uh they built certain reasonable assumptions of what could be in our future. Now the.

R

Try and get to a point through here: okay, yeah.

R

Okay, we're showing four years.

R

You should not take that as me saying this impact will be over in four years. I don't know that.

R

But uh we had to get, we had to give you some timeline to look at.

R

When you see these bluish gray kind of bars here.

R

That is what I'll call the bad scenario we're saying. There will be a negative impact to us.

R

In fiscal year, 21, that would be something like 17 or 18 million dollars of lost revenue.

R

Dropping to maybe nine in fiscal year 22 and then actually returning to a positive in 24.

R

Under the assumptions we made, the even worse scenario would be adding this gold.

R

To this gray, so now, instead of just looking at this, this gray here.

R

You add on this gold and then look at this entire total. So now, instead of 17 or 18 million dollars,.

R

We're looking at a 24 million loss now the big thing that changes between the bad scenario.

R

And the even worse scenario is in the bad scenario: 22 is not as big a problem as 21.

R

In the even worse scenario, 22 is a worse problem than 21. and there's a lot behind that. But two of.

R

The big things would be no assumption that there is additional federal aid and, of course, if they.

R

If the federal government comes with more money now, some of these things are going to change.

R

This assumes that there's not more help coming and the other is if kova goes on long enough. That.

R

Some of those things I talked about businesses continue to close job losses. Mount people can't.

R

Find jobs the situation will get worse before it gets better and then for this four-year.

R

Picture we made pretty arbitrary assumptions of just working our way back out from that point,.

R

But remember: we've talked about you know the great recession and our initial assumptions that that.

R

Would be short-lived and how a decade later, we still haven't really shaken ourselves. Free of the.

R

Great recession, I'm not going to make an argument that we're not going to be facing the same kind of.

R

Problem with what's happening today, it could be the decade from now we're still going to be.

R

Talking about the lingering effects of this, but we don't know enough to try and lay that out in.

R

That kind of detail okay, so this is the possible revenue loss scenarios and again I want to point.

D

Out you know, I told you bad and even worse, I can't tell you that things won't end up better than this.

R

Maybe they will it's possible, but I also can't tell you that this is the worst case. It could be.

R

That things are worse than we put up up here. What we've given? You is a range of likely possibilities.

K

Now I'm going to add to that same graph. What would we do about this.

R

So over here you see that loss we've been talking about this big blue bar here.

R

Is use of your unassigned fund balance that 30 million dollars? I told you about.

R

So my message to you here is, unless things get really really bad.

R

We can we can manage through fiscal year 21. with that reserve that you have in hand you would not.

R

Be forced into making quick decisions on how to cut expenditures, and this is a really big deal.

R

To be able to take the next year or part of the next year to carefully think through what are our.

R

Priorities, what are the things that we most need to hang on to? What are the things that become most.

R

Expendable, even if not desirable, to stop the most expendable. If you have to do something, that's a.

R

Much stronger place to be than having to say okay in the next two weeks. We need to figure this out.

R

Now, in saying that, I think that gives us some comfort. We don't want you to take too much comfort.

R

From it remember by the time, you're adopting your budget, our biggest question mark income.

R

Tax, you still will only know about half of what is going to happen for fy21. We will have nowhere.

R

Near as much information as we will want to have to make decisions about fiscal year, 22 and beyond.

R

Our first distribution will be at the end of november. If that goes down a lot, that will be an.

R

Indicator, I think that okay, the impact we've been waiting for is here, and I think that probably will.

R

Trigger actions on our part to say: okay, we need to start talking about what are we going to change.

R

For fiscal year 22 and beyond, if there's not a big impact to november, I'm still left to think.

R

That doesn't tell us anything. It still just leaves us with the same uncertainty we have today. Now, if.

R

We look to fy22 and they're saying if we get into the even worse scenario, you know, even if it's not.

R

All the way down to the bottom of this once we get past this blue here, if we're anywhere down here.

R

We're left now to start making other decisions to make this work to balance out our budget.

R

And that brings us back to the idea of looking at services and service levels.

R

um I'll go back to 21 again, I don't believe we can wait until 22 to see everything we we're hoping to.

R

See before we can start making those decisions, I think you really need to be thinking in terms of.

R

When you adopt the fiscal year 22 budget, we have to be doing it consciously considering.

R

What what do we feel like we can adopt in a fiscal year, 22 budget.

R

And then, of course, that will have implications for 23, 24 and and so on.

R

Now not everything is about coveted. There are other things we need to be thinking about that.

R

Are there with or without, as I pointed out to you, our operating plan is already unbalanced.

R

Even if our coveted problem disappeared tomorrow, we still have that to deal with.

R

How do we, how do we bring our plans for providing services and facilities and infrastructure.

R

Back into line with the revenue we believe will be available at some point. We will have.

R

To make choices either to create more revenue or to make expenditures go away.

R

I mentioned this earlier but too important to forget.

R

The state's plan is unbalanced and their problems will become our problems.

R

Solid waste enterprise fund we've been talking a lot about this in recent months.

R

Without a solution other than drawing on growing general fund subsidies, this will continue to.

R

Have a growing impact on your operating plan, a growing negative impact on your operating time.

R

Firing ems, we're starting down that road and creating this new department.

R

We do not have anything built in to our plan other than the director and an assistant.

R

Work is happening right now, trying to determine how will this work? What will.

R

We be able to do with money that you were already making available for these purposes.

R

uh But I think it would be way premature for me to suggest to you that we won't have to find.

R

More money, if we do it's not in our plan, that's going to make things even more difficult.

R

You just added 2911 positions to provide support to westminster. Those are not budgeted. They're.

R

Not in our plan and you've been having ongoing conversations about four positions for 9-1-1.

R

That haven't been dealt with and the two you added do absolutely nothing to relieve.

R

The need for the four that you've been talking about. This is not in our plan.

R

And then uh just a reminder, you know not to pile on, but you know in the last budget process.

R

As part of you're trying to balance things out, you reduced um funds, capital funding.

R

To roads, facilities and I.t facilities in I.t in an ongoing way, and we didn't do that with any idea.

R

That need had gone away. I mean this. Was this? Was expenditure side driven? How do we make things work.

R

Now, of course, this is not the whole list of things we.

R

Have to be thinking about and being concerned about, but some of the the big ones.

R

All right so putting all that together we didn't get hurt in fiscal year. 20., that's good!.

R

But I don't think this should lead you to in any way get comfortable about. What's coming.

R

In our future, that uncertainty remains uh any any prospects I see for upside.

R

Are are much much smaller than the prospects for downside from where we are right now.

R

That's what I wanted to share with you: we can talk about whatever you would like. If you again.

R

Like think, my big message here is, you know if there were, if there was still any thinking.

R

That uh we can do it something more in the fiscal year 21 budget than we have.

R

I I really don't believe that we have that opportunity.

A

Okay, we're gonna we're gonna drop that screen, so we can see everybody here.

A

Thank you ted uh comments, questions from my colleagues for ted or deb, who was on here as well.

A

I'll open up the floor here a lot to think about a lot to take in uh and.

A

You know we have our work cut out for us. There's no doubt, and I think the biggest word that we get.

A

Out of here is uncertainty, that's where we are on the edge of our seats, so um eric you've got your.

A

Thank you go ahead, mr lance ted. As always. Thank you very much. I try to lay a little bit of.

B

Groundwork for this presentation for you at the chamber meeting and thankfully the press covered.

B

A little bit- and I mentioned at the chamber meeting for people to tune into this and find out.

B

uh My question is about the the november revenue distributions when, in november.

B

Will we have those figures and after you have those figures, will you come back in front of.

B

Us and give us an update on that as well. uh It comes right at the end of november, and I.

R

I typically update you all with um an email after we get those distributions, but given the.

R

Circumstances, if you'd, like me to you know, come to a meeting to talk about it. Absolutely. Thank you.

C

Ted thanks for the good news with the new fund balance. I was expecting this.

C

To be much worse than what you indicated, it does give us a little bit of a cushion.

C

But the bad news is that cushion may not last long, so uh I I agree with commissioner wayne said.

C

I guess the uncertainty is our worst uh enemy at this time, but we could be in a lot worse situation.

C

The fact that we do predict doubt uh five years in the future is kind of keeping us grounded at.

C

This point- and um I don't know how we um equate to other jurisdictions uh in this whole thing, but it.

C

Looks like we are at least somewhat prepared, we're preparing for the worst case in the future and.

C

We may be in a little better situation to handle than so on, so thank you.

K

Ed yeah, I think, just echoing uh a little bit what's been said, the five-year plan definitely.

D

Works, I mean that's what I'm used to uh from my experience with the military. The palm process is.

D

A five-year- and it allows us to absorb some of these challenges um secretary rumsfeld, is very.

D

Well known for saying the unknown of the unknowns and that's kind of where we're at and uh you laid.

D

That out pretty well for us uh for us this morning, so um good work, it you know it it's as clear as.

D

It can be, and you uh provided it as clear as it can be for today. um So and I I appreciate.

D

You emphasizing the fact that we do have um the availability to act and not just react.

D

By leaving that on uh funded uh on the science balance alone, um so we just have to be, you know.

D

Mature about doing that to allow us to act if necessary, so good job.

A

So for for me, just a couple comments here, um number one. I remain.

A

Very skittish about anything moving forward and it might have to do with the amount of of.

A

The amount of meetings that I've been attending at the mako level.

A

uh We heard from the comptroller and ted I know you're in on these meetings as well, but we heard.

A

From the comptroller about two weeks ago, and uh if there was anything doom and gloom, it was.

A

Doomy and gloomier than than ted, so you know- and that comes right from the top.

A

The other thing that I think we need to keep in mind here is and ted. You can correct me.

A

If I'm wrong on this, but the state aid that we receive is the majority of it is for education.

A

We we get very little other than that the percentages are are.

A

Are not there on other areas? So when we're talking about a possible uh ramification or.

A

The trickle-down effect that occurs because the state's going to have uh trouble- that's really.

A

That that's something to keep in mind because, with the exception of education, we're not.

A

Getting a lot of state aid so what little we get cutting that is extremely troubling.

A

Right, yes, you're exactly right and because there's not a whole lot of.

R

Money coming to us, my bigger concern is actually the passing on of costs to us.

R

You know uh the state is paying something today and they'll say counties. It's your job tomorrow.

R

And the I'm not I'm not predicting this, but the obvious example would be some years ago. They sent.

R

Us part of the cost of teacher pensions. They could decide to send us a larger part of that that cost.

A

Yeah, I think, we've you know and and the things that are going on over.

A

In annapolis, when it comes to that- and this is I'm not.

A

Not here to make a statement or faulting anyone on it, but you know a prime example is the fact that.

A

The way in which they're trying to make some of these cuts also has me shaking my head.

A

I brought up to you guys about three or four weeks ago about the helicopter, the.

A

One of the ships from the the troopers that was it was cut, and you know that was kind.

A

Of slid in underneath the radar uh fire and ems from across the state uh resounded a huge.

A

uh Please no and that's happening as we speak, we're down one ship now and there are counties.

A

That are going unprotected with with one of those ships and that's that's just unacceptable.

A

But I know that there's got to be cuts that are made. So my point here is the fact that.

A

When they start making these cuts, we don't know where they're coming from and that's troubling. So.

A

I I sort of led this charge a little bit to try to get the seed planted in the rest of.

A

Your minds that we would need to revisit this with the possibility of reopening.

A

I don't want to make that decision today, because there's only four of us here and out of respect.

A

For commissioner frazier, I don't think we should do that at all, but when he has a chance to see.

A

This presentation- and he will- I think, he'll agree that I think holding a line here until we begin.

A

Again in march, which will be here like that is probably the the the action here but again I.

A

Don't want to, I don't want to do that until dennis is here. So your thoughts on that gentleman, dick.

C

I I kind of agree with you, but I think one thing came out of this presentation. We have.

C

The ability with the solid waste enterprise fund, to make changes and start working on it.

C

And if nothing else that I heard in this, I think that's one, that we have to really start focusing.

C

On in the next couple months, to have a good plan uh to get that down, and that would help that would.

C

Help us- and I know we're working on it somewhat, but roberta. I would hope this would be our.

C

Priority in the next several months uh to help get this budget uh squared away for future.

F

Step um is working on that, since their presentation on the assistant benefit charge.

F

Commissioners last this was last end of last month, beginning of this month,.

F

um Staff has been working on um putting together some recommendations and maybe back into the boy.

D

And dick you've been you've been pushing this rightly so for a while.

D

um I I guess my question and I just don't know you know because of my not lack of understanding.

D

If we focus on that, does that cause us to have to open up the rest of the budget.

D

um Or can we do this divorce from the budget and I I don't know? Yes, you can act on.

R

Or you can act on a system benefit charge separate from the budget process. Now there.

R

Might be other things that you would consider that the answer would be different. Okay,.

A

Okay, anything eric anything: okay, eric's, good, ed, dick you good here, okay,.

A

Roberta, if you will I'd like to put this back on the agenda.

A

It just to make it official, maybe that we're not we're going to hold the line here.

A

Until we begin because we kind of said we were going to revisit revisiting so I'd kind of like.

A

To maybe put that to bed if we can, but I won't do it until we have all five here.

A

So if maybe we could kind of put it in somewhere in next week's agenda just to so we can get.

A

Commissioner frazier, we don't have to do the whole presentation again because dennis will see it.

A

We all know how dennis operates: he'll he'll be watching and he'll be looking at this. I think.

A

We need the discussion of all five of us in order to say: okay, we're just officially now rolling on.

A

Or do we want to reopen, and I think we all know what we want to do here, but again.

A

Let's wait for dennis and put that in next week: okay, okay, everybody good all right ted! Thank you.

A

Deb, especially thank you, because ted wouldn't have been able to get the presentation that would have.

A

Been for you, so let's be clear about that one. uh So we we appreciate your your help on all that.

A

And more more to come, and thank you ted you you uh you, you mentioned doom and gloom, but it let's.

A

Let's, let's change that to reality, because that's what it is not doom and gloom. So, even though you.

A

You threw the bathroom door up against me and almost spilled my coffee this morning.

A

I still appreciate everything you do for us ted, so there you go all right uh with that being said,.

A

We're gonna move on. We have a couple more items here and the first one is the annual renewal.

A

Of the gis, software maintenance and support and that's the department of technology services.

A

And our director, mr ripper, is on here mark good morning good morning, commissioner.

T

So I'll let mike go ahead first and introduce the sorry sorry, I didn't mean to ditch you mike.

A

Good good, so before we begin, let's turn it over to mike myers from purchasing to make the.

A

The formal presentation mike myers good morning good morning, commissioners yeah we'd, like to.

S

Receive your approval toward the contract for the annual renewal of the gis, software maintenance and.

S

Support to esri and the not to exceed amount of forty one thousand three hundred dollars.

T

Okay, um commissioners, this is uh the annual renewal, it's something we do every year.

T

The price is in line with, what's been there in the past. I do with have with me today uh mr tom douff.

T

Who is the manager of the gis department here in the county? In case you had any questions for him.

T

On the usage, the software package is used by about eight different departments on a regular basis for.

T

A variety of things in um planning, 9-1-1 and other areas, so there are any questions. I'd.

T

Be happy to ask them, or tom might step in and out answer them any questions for mark or tom.

B

Technical from me look it. This is very, very important work. The gis part of this.

A

Is critically important and mark you mentioned public safety, that's just one of the areas, but.

A

That may be especially important as we as we uh need to move forward here, so that was.

A

That was really put front and center when we were going through the next gen 9-1-1 discussion.

A

uh Down in annapolis over the last year or two, you got to have that gis support and.

A

Tom, we appreciate all that you do down there to make sure that that works so.

A

Kudos to you uh with that I'll make the motion that we award the contract for the annual renewal.

A

Of the gis, software maintenance support to esri in the not to exceed amount of 41 300.

A

Second got a second from commissioner boucher, any other questions, all those in favor.

A

Unanimous: okay, moving on microsoft, office, 365 and exchange subscription renewal. Mr myers.

S

Receive your approval toward the contract for the microsoft office, 365 and exchange.

S

Subscription renewal with a computer discount warehouse in the total amount of 195.

S

378.72, okay, commissioners: this is another annual renewal. Again it's in line with what we've been.

T

Paying in the past, um this is the software that we that everybody in the county uses.

T

It's the email, word, processing, spreadsheets and other applications that.

T

People use in order to do their daily tasks and something you need to have today. I have with me, mr.

T

uh Dell, who is our networking manager and ms bobby savilisky,.

T

Who is in charge of the client services area, if you had any additional questions beyond that.

A

Questions for sixten or bobby or mark.

A

Is this annual mark is this? The is this a year? Am I reading? Yes, this is an annual.

T

So we no longer own the software. We actually are doing what we call a lease on software.

T

Which is pretty standard nowadays, um there was a point in time 20 years ago,.

T

Where you actually used to go out and buy the packages and have to upgrade them one.

T

Of the big advantages to the lease is that the software is always up to date,.

T

And is always getting the security patches that it needs to help, keep us safe on our network. Okay,.

B

I'll make the motion all right. I moved the board of commissioners award to contract.

B

For the microsoft office, 365 and exchange subscription renewal.

B

To computer discount warehouse in the amount, 195 378 dollars and 72 cents.

C

Second, a little slow today, weaver all right.

A

Okay, whatever all right uh any other questions for sixth and bobby or.

A

Mark on this one, all those in favor.

A

That's unanimous, thank you on weber, day yeah. Thank you uh thanks mark. Thank you.

A

Sixten for all you do and thank you bobby. We couldn't do these things without you and.

A

You know I'm I'm uh electronically challenged as it is and of all people bobby knows that so.

A

We appreciate your help. Thank you. Thank you.

A

All right, let's move into public works, bid approvals for water valve bolts group, one.

A

Mr myers, all right, yes, now we'd like to uh receive your approval award a contract for.

S

The uh replacement of water valve bolts in 19 locations within the eldersburg estates.

S

um What are this or water area? We like to work that hdi contractors uh we went.

S

Out to bid received two bids and hdi was the lowest in the amount of for.

S

Thirty, six thousand eight hundred and fifty five dollars, mr watcher you're, muted, unmute.

U

How about that good morning? Congratulations um just to let you know the the general information.

U

That I present for this agenda item will also apply to the next item. Item number 10.. um As for.

U

A similar project that was presented to this board for approval in may of 2019 water valves installed.

U

Throughout the county and the region, during the periods of heavy construction in the 1980s and 90s.

U

Included cast iron bolt connections to water mains. This problem is not exclusive to carroll county.

U

By any means, as we have experienced all too often cast iron water belt, bolts, rust over time and snap.

U

And fail both unexpectedly as well as when the water valve is being turned for maintenance or.

U

For a system need, um in fact, our most recent water main break several months ago near the southern.

U

Intersection of johnsville road in maryland, 32 was caused by the sudden failure of cast.

U

Iron bolts on a water valve assembly, um these bolt failures are a continuing challenge for the bureau.

U

Lack of confidence in the in the integrity of the cast iron bolts limits.

U

Our our routine maintenance activity, um it is estimated that approximately 30 percent.

U

Or 1100 of the 4300 water valves in the freedom district were installed with cast iron bolts.

U

This project is an ongoing, proactive approach to to replace the cast iron water valve bolt.

U

Assemblies with stainless steel bolts, uh as mike said, the current water valve project groupings are.

U

Within eldersburg estates, as for other bureau projects, the subject water valve assembly.

U

Locations were divided into meaningful roadway groupings to generate both contractor interest.

U

And competitive bids, this agenda item includes the award of the contract for group, one the scope.

U

Of group for group, one includes the replacement of bolts and the associated pavement rehab work.

U

On a total of nineteen water valve assemblies on tidings road, the average cost per location.

U

Is nineteen hundred dollars- and this is very consistent with previous uh costs- any questions.

D

I'll make the motion board commissioner's award contract for the replacement of water valves, bolts.

D

At 19 locations within eldersburg estates of the freedom district service area to hti contractors.

D

The amount of thirty six thousand eight hundred fifty five dollars second sergeant feature.

A

It just it just take you just gotta, you gotta poke him. I thought he was slow. Now he's getting fast.

A

All right all right, I got a motion in second all those in favor, unanimous.

A

Next up is groups two and three for water valve bolts, mike yep, so a continuation of the.

S

Lease agenda item: we did this in three different groups, so we'd like to award groups two and three.

S

um For this one to mid-atlantic utilities, in the total amount of ninety thousand.

S

Four hundred thirty-five dollars um you can see from the briefing paper mid-atlantic was the low.

S

Bidder on groups two and three so we'd like to combine this into one contract for the.

S

Total amount of ninety thousand four thirty five.

U

uh Commissioners, this the scope of work for groups, two and three- includes the.

U

The replacement of bolts and the associated payment rehab work on a total of 43 water.

U

Valve assemblies on nine different roadways within the community, the average cost per.

U

Location for these two uh groupings is uh 2100 again, it's very very consistent with previous.

U

Unit costs, the reason for the difference be uh with that for item number. Nine is.

U

Expanded payment rehab work, the the patches are slightly larger for groups two and three.

U

Any questions I'll move the board of commissioners award contract for the replacement of water.

D

Valve bolts, I have a total of 43 locations within eldersburg states of the freedom district service.

D

Area to mid-atlantic utilities incorporated in the overall amount of ninety thousand four hundred.

D

Thirty five dollars. Second, I wouldn't need no try yeah, don't even try anymore eric just let it go.

A

Let it go, got a motion in second all those in favor. Okay, that's unanimous, bear haven well,.

A

Conceptual design mike, we would now like to uh request your approval award, a contract for the.

S

Conceptual design of the replacement of the fair haven well house in the freedom district.

S

Water area to cbm smith in the amount of 38 400 background information with regards to.

U

Those project, commissioners, the fairhaven well, is located on the east side of maryland 32 just.

U

North of sykesville, it is a supplemental source of raw water for the freedom district service area.

U

The average daily water use for the freedom service area ranges between.

U

1.9 and 2.2 million gallons, as you are aware, the the the vast amount of this water is drawn from.

U

The reservoir and is then processed by the freedom, water treatment plant, the maryland department of.

U

The of the environment permit permit for the fair haven well allows the county to withdraw a daily.

U

Average of approximately 227 000 gallons, this definitely supports the bureau's goal of the 20.

U

Redundant water supply, the fair haven, wheelhouse and the equipment needed to process the raw.

U

Groundwater into finished drinking water has been in service since june of 2000 and has.

U

Reached the end of its useful service life, the warehouse was taken offline in late 2019.

U

As a precaution due to safety concerns with the chlorine and the fluoride chemical feed systems,.

U

With the overall condition of the wellhouse, it was determined that it would be fiscally.

U

Prudent to work towards an overall overall replacement upgrade rather than a piecemeal.

U

Repair approach, as mike said, the award of this contract is.

U

For the conceptual design of the replacement wellhouse and will include information.

U

Regarding the replacement building chemical feed systems for chlorination fluoridation.

U

And anti-corrosion piping metering, controls and site layout upon county approval. This information.

U

Will be used as the basis for the construction drawings for the replacement project itself.

D

Any questions is this: on um state property: this is on property that we released from a church.

U

In the sykesville area, uh I'm not sure what what the name of the church is, but we have a.

U

20 20 or a 40 year lease with that church we pay it pay an annual rate uh rental for the problem.

D

Okay, um I'm sorry, I think I just real quick I'd like to know what that church.

D

Is just for my own identification but okay I'll follow up with you.

C

Yeah, it's 82 million gallons out of an aquifer. Is that have the recharge ability for that.

C

Amount of water that aquifer I mean, does it go down or has it been able to recharge.

U

um As as far as as that question goes, commissioner weaver with respect to the mde permit, um uh they.

U

They have to have a comfort level with the grant, with the aquifer being recharged. um They would not.

U

Have granted us the ability to draw that quantity of water out of it with respect to that question,.

D

I'll make the motion board commissioner's award contract.

D

For the conceptual design of the replacement, fair haven well house to cdm smith in the.

D

Amount of thirty eight thousand four hundred dollars. Second, I've got a motion and second.

A

All right any other comments on this one, all those in favor, unanimous thanks, you and finally,.

A

Construction inspection services for the liberty, lake drive water main and looping mike. Thank you.

S

Yep we'd like to request your approval to contract for the construction inspection services for the.

S

Liberty, lake project to whitman reikart and associates in the total amount of 26 731.

A

Andy you're, muted again, that's embarrassing! That can't happen again.

U

We all do it. The uh the board approved the contract for construction of this project, the ecm.

U

Corporation two weeks ago, during open session, the scope of that of the scope of this project.

U

Includes the the replacement of existing portions of the cast iron water mains and the completion.

U

Of the water main loop by adding a missing 300 foot segment, this agenda item is for the the.

U

Remaining component of the project- construction, inspection services, with this being the bureau's.

U

First, interaction with ecm corporation third-party construction inspection services will ensure that.

U

The project has constructed the county standards in the we. We anticipate that the construction.

U

Project will begin by mid-october and will take approximately six to eight weeks to complete.

D

Bottom line: let's finish what we started: I'll move the board of commissioners award contract.

D

For construction inspection, services for liberty, lake drive border main and looping project in what.

D

To whitman report and associates llp in the amount of 26 731 dollars. Second, all right got a motion.

A

In a second, what are you doing? Boucher? I was sleeping, okay, geez, all right, all those in favor.

A

That's unanimous mike andy. Thank you very much. Thank you. Commissioners. All.

A

Right that gets us to the end of our agenda. We've got uh open admin now.

A

And uh the first thing on our agenda for open admin, I'd like to pull linda eisenberg back in.

A

For a brief explanation on a census event, that's coming up linda all right good afternoon again.

O

Commissioners, so we have only six more short days left in the 2020 count of the decennial census and.

O

With the libraries reopening the finksburg library on friday september, 25th we'll be hosting the.

O

Monty laster and the oyster quartet at the finksburg library, this will be a social distance.

O

Open air event outside where people either be sitting in their vehicles or spread out.

O

On the field, at the things for library, in order to continue to get the word out on the census and get.

O

The maximum count possible for carroll county. We still have some opportunities within our ranks too.

O

To fund another ice cream, social, so piggybacking off their event, that they're already hosting.

O

We are going to um with your concurrence, bring the cal truck back out again and our census materials.

O

And census tablets for those who have not taken the census yet to have yet another opportunity.

O

And we wanted to make sure that we came before you today. Sorry it's at the last minute. We were.

O

Just able to coordinate things timing-wise with the library, listen, I'm all in favor of this event,.

A

At the finksburg library, with one exception, I want weaver to be a part of the quartet.

C

That may not be a good idea for the they're.

C

I don't think I safe bring the cows for the milk, well, we're that there or that okay.

A

Yeah, I think we're good there linda that that's fine again, the deadline is the 30th.

A

Right for now, the official end of the count correct: okay, real quickly, miss eisenberg work.

B

Was my two small municipalities able to get their numbers up in the end.

O

um So union bridge did end up and they had they had already surpassed their 2010 numbers.

O

Unfortunately, new windsor has not surpassed their 2010 numbers, um hopefully maybe in these last six.

O

Days, we've continued to work with them to come up with ideas to continue to push the ward out in.

O

The municipality so we'll keep uh giving them the old college chart for the remaining six days left.

B

Well, I appreciate the update, we'll have to go out and kick the bushes to get some more rabbits.

O

Absolutely all right! Thank you, commissioners. Okay, thanks thanks, linda, you know eric you.

A

In a chipmunk suit, with one of those spinning signs that says, get counted at the intersection.

A

There, high street and and the and like the furniture salesman, that's what I'm thinking.

A

So, let's just put it out there all right, very good, all right, open admin, um just a couple things.

A

Well, a couple things from me: there was a we're having that event for clay.

A

On next tuesday right is it tuesday? Yes, we we do have a proc, so would noon work for you guys.

A

Out there does that work, I'd like to get the majority of us together.

A

At noon out there for some photo ops and whatever is that work, ed, ed and dick that work for you.

A

Okay, okay and I'll be in touch with dennis to to make sure we can get him in that too.

A

I'm not sure when he's coming back but I'll get I'll get in touch with him.

A

Before this next item roberta, you have anything for open admin all right. The last thing that I.

A

Have for open admin is I want to discuss this. What we've done today here with this with.

A

With this testing of this room to try to get us into some sort of resemblance of a hybrid approach,.

A

uh And I again I had touched base with with you ed. You were actually here when we talked about.

A

This dennis was was on on the road uh and dick. I apologize to you again, my friend, that I did not.

A

uh Reach out to you personally, to tell you that we were gonna, try to test this system today, that's on.

A

Me- and I won't let that happen again, um I I don't know how it I'm not sure how it worked. I know that.

A

It's a little bit funky in here, because, while the public's seeing us on the big cameras, eric you're.

A

Not seeing yourself on your camera, so that's something we gotta, because it's kind of nice.

A

To be able to to to follow along with yourself a little bit yeah so that I know that was throwing.

A

You off a little bit and he was trying to so. We we we've got some things to iron out and uh we're.

A

Not going to be able to have presenters in this room anytime soon, it's not set up for that, and.

A

We're not going to be able to get public comment anytime soon in here. It's not set up for that. So.

A

The emphasis here was trying to get some of us in here to maybe get back to some sort of normalcy.

A

I'm going to stop talking, we had some. We had some issues here today and we've got some things to.

A

Work out thoughts from you three guys. Well, I think this was a great step. I try to explain.

B

The constituents we're taking baby steps and it was really important, very important to do.

B

This and probably the bugs we have instead of a full-blown board meeting of all of us here.

B

And have all these glitches so hopefully we'll get all the little glitches worked out, and I.

B

Think it'll work out. Well, I think it's reassuring to the public too. I think my colleagues and I.

B

You know always emphasize we're like brothers and there's a certain dynamic that takes place with us.

B

And I'm looking forward to slowly, but eventually getting back into that situation. I appreciate you.

B

Taking initiative also a big shout out, goes to the department of public works.

B

Setting us up and the I.t people trying to arrange this- we haven't done this before so I'm looking.

B

Forward to everyone being understanding about the steps we're taking and uh commissioner lance, I.

B

Appreciate you taking the initiative on this and we'll get the bugs worked out ed dick. You know.

C

Yeah, it's uh it's got some bugs to it and uh problems, but one thing we don't have a.

C

Large staff to deal with here to meet and it's it's a step in the right direction,.

A

All right so we'll we'll talk amongst ourselves to see you know. Maybe we can get a ed or dick. You.

A

In here or dennis next week, and you know what, if we leave dennis out again well, there's that.

A

I mean, uh but maybe just to kind of rotate through and you know I'll I'll stay home or.

A

I mean for that matter. We could be in our offices too, but I'd like to try to rotate.

A

Some of the folks through here just to try to get us a feel for this before we come back in and I'll.

A

Be clear, we do have the the plexi glass between us eric as we sit here today and ed. You saw it.

A

When you were in here the other day, uh we're we're challenged with the six foot.

A

Distancing thing: if we sit like we are, but we do have that level of protection.

A

In place right now, so I'm not sure how we're ever gonna anytime soon be able to go whoop and all.

A

Five of us are at the dais. That's the thing that we're gonna have to deal with here, but we'll work.

A

Those out and we'll maybe we'll kind of rotate through here as we can. I think the plexiglas.

B

Is a good example for, like restaurants, some innovative ideas that eventually evolve out into.

B

The public sector, private sector, okay, all right, very good and uh honestly, the biggest challenge.

D

Is uh you know having to be wearing pants and shoes and socks I mean going into the house.

D

Just saying I mean I gotta go to cleaners now and actually get my clothes cleaned. I mean, but.

D

That's okay! I'm a team player. Pajama bottoms are not acceptable exactly as as uh chris swam just.

A

Alluded to you could probably still get away with that in here. Rostine, I'm not sure how you're gonna.

A

Get from your office to here, but but you could probably what's the matter weaver, don't don't.

D

Tempt me don't don't put the challenge out there. Images were not good yeah, please, no boxer breeze.

A

All right all right- uh and you know, and everything that we're doing here we're.

A

Listen folks we're trying we're doing the best we can and kudos to our staff, because our staff.

A

Working hard here and they're, taking the necessary precautions as well uh in order to be able to.

A

Maintain their existence in this building, as we try to get back to normal, so we're doing.

A

The best we can and maybe we'll rotate through this for a while until we get the hang of it.

A

And then we'll go from there all right anything else for open admin before we get into agendas.

D

Steve I have one, and that is on sunday remembering our heroes, the uh carol hospice is doing their.

D

Luminary events and they do it every year. um It is a big challenge this year to do it. uh It.

D

Starts, I think it's six 6 30 and um they're gonna. Let the luminaries go um at 7 30 with a moment of.

D

Reflection and prayer, it will be at the hospice um on stoner avenue um it's. It is focused on.

D

Veterans that have passed and have gone uh so they usually get a good crowd. It's just.

D

Something special uh you know just another way in and because you mentioned you know, veterans.

D

Earlier on, I was gonna punch it in there, but you know just if we can highlight it. I think that.

D

That's a good thing so uh sunday evening um at the hospice. So, okay and there's no ceremony this.

C

Year, it's just more of a drive-through uh that type of thing to uh honor: okay, yeah, that good.

A

Okay, dick cause, I was gonna, ask that question thanks: okay, are there? Are there specific times.

F

It's um and I know celine has and they have the uh the flyer, but it's um began placing luminaries.

D

At 6 00 p.m, a brief moment of reflection and prayer at 7 30 to personalize. You know and.

D

But there is like um commission weaver said there is no actual ceremony for this. So.

A

Okay, all right, if celine's got that we'll have her contact chris you'll be in contact with him.

A

And we'll push her we'll push that out: yeah we'll push the lien right, yeah, okay, eric commissioner.

B

Wants real, quick, I don't want to upset the people down mount airy in the volunteer fire department.

B

But real quickly this weekend is their duck. Derby, union bridge said an example was successful, so.

B

Now the mount airy volunteer fire department is also doing a dup derby event this weekend.

B

I'm sure you can probably go into the mountain area volunteer fire department website.

B

Or the town itself and get some information get some sponsorship on ducks. It's a really.

B

Good family event: it's a very innovative way for the fire department to raise funds. So if you can.

B

Get down to mount airy and register a little ducky for the duck derby. Thank you.

A

Please tell me: you don't have a duck suit, I don't have a duck suit, but you're giving me ideas now.

A

Okay, all right anything else: let's run quickly run down through the agendas the week of september, the.

A

28Th uh the first thing comes up on wednesday: the 30th 6 pm planning and zoning commissioner rostein.

A

That's virtual: on thursday october, the 1st we go into open session, we're going to get uh our.

A

Usual coved activity, uh carroll, county board of elections, approval for an application of coveted.

A

Relief funding there we're going to revisit the manchester annexation the wioa title, one.

A

Carroll county grant funds for adult dislocated workers from um economic development, we're gonna.

A

Do some public works purchases when it comes to motor oil, antifreeze, janitorial services, private.

A

Landowner tree planting from land and resource management also gillis falls tree planting.

A

Department of technology services, dell tablets for fire departments and then we're going to discuss.

A

The adoption of the proposed creation of chapter 37 of our department of fire and ems, which is as.

A

A result of the work that's been going on and the public hearing that we had last week, they'll prob.

A

They'll be another agenda item or two. I know we're going to look at the budget again about whether.

A

We're revisiting or not and we'll put that on there and at 12 30 we're going to have to be ready.

A

To do our virtual consolidated transportation tour with mdot sha and the folks there that's.

A

Always you know a thing, that's very important to our transportation needs here in carroll.

A

Saturday, the third commissioner rostein, has an eagle scout ceremony at saint stephen's.

A

Angelicon church in eldersburg, that's at six pm and commissioner weaver has the podcast.

A

All right october, the 5th monday october, the 5th commissioner rusteen, has another eagle scout at.

A

Freedom park in sykesville at 6, 30 p.m, wednesday, the 7th carroll county, career and technology.

A

Center groundbreaking ceremony at 3 p.m. The five of us will be appearing there and then at 6 p.m.

A

Commissioner, ross teen has a planning and zoning commission work session.

A

Thursday, to 8th open session again uh we're going to go into all things: cobiad, we have uh heat pumps.

A

At north carol library and that's the only agenda item we have that day, but of course that will grow.

A

As well and commissioner frazier has podcasts for that week, additions or corrections to any of that.

B

No sir, all right anything else. On your end, roberta.

A

All right, I want to thank chris swam who's, been seated here in front of us today. Operating.

A

The camera and the keyboards and everything else and his team too, because we were experiencing a.

A

Little technical difficulty there, so your guys were on it. So we appreciate that chris. This is a.

A

Work in progress from this room and we're going to continue to do that um ed, dick eric. I just want to.

B

Sincerely appreciate your leadership on trying to get this up and moving, and then we have glitches.

B

I think we're moving in the right direction, so thank you very much ed all good thanks.

A

Weaver, you got anything you want to make a second on anything.

K

I moved all right, weaver made the uh motion to adjourn. I believe, commissioner rossteen.

A

Came flying in with the second, although he's very distraught about the way in which that came down.

A

Everybody have a safe weekend. It's fall now officially be safe out. There continue to do.

A

What you're doing do not become complacent we're getting to the end of this tunnel. Ladies and.

A

Gentlemen, work together, we'll get there all those in favor see you next week. Thank you very much.

A