Carroll County, MD Board of County Commissioners Open Sessions, 26 Jan 2023

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From YouTube: Joint Meeting with Environmental Advisory Council January 26, 2023

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https://www.carrollcountymd.gov

A

I deposit 205 january 26th and we have an opportunity to meet as the environmental.

A

Advisory council and what you see in front of you is the second 60 second board. So it's it's new to.

A

You as well as them being uh know you being new to the to many of them as well. So why don't we.

A

um I think start with introductions. I think sure that that's so my plan, okay for the time, was.

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um Christina we meet every year with the joint meeting with the environmental advisory council.

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Members who are appointed by you all and and the board just to review the accomplishments in the.

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Prior year with our annual report, and also to look ahead at what they'll be working on for the coming.

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Year and just kind of get your concurrence on that, so you have packets. That should include.

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The annual report, which will be reviewed and then the proposed work plan for the coming year.

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And then there's a few other things in there that they thought you might want for your information.

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There's a sheet that's like and at a glance kind of about the eac flyer we have the environmental.

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Stewardship booklet, which we update every other year and has a lot of really good information.

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With environment general facts for things that we have in place here in the county and there.

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Might be some other things in there, so I wanted to we'll go through introductions and then I'll.

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Give you a brief overview of the role of the eac since it's new to most of you and then our.

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Chair will review the annual report. Mr vleck will review the proposed work plan items and we've got.

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Open discussion and you're welcome to cut in any time, so I thought we'd start with introductions.

B

After I gave you that opening spiel okay, I'm craig paskowski, I'm the chair of the eac, I had.

C

Served as the vice chair for the past four years and took over chaired this in january from frank.

C

And chair I lived in I've lived in carroll county for nearly 30 years. I work at a plant nursery.

C

So I've been, you know, involved in small little environmental issues and such through the years.

D

Good afternoon I'm frank vleck um been a member of the eac for nine years now, as craig mentioned.

E

I was the former chair for the last four years, vice chair for two years before that.

E

Resident of carroll county for over 50 years, I also own wakefield valley nursery in new windsor.

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I've known that since 1985., I have a garden center landscaping and do a lot with native.

E

Plants as well that's kind of what brought me to the eac here: great tom hi uh tom scanlon. I'm.

D

A retired uh teacher from carroll county I've been involved informally in a lot of.

D

Environmental initiatives waste not we tried to increase the recycling at farm museum events.

D

Helping hands we pick up litter at the westminster community pond once a month and just at home. My.

D

Wife and I are really involved in getting rid of invasives and replacing them with native plants.

F

Hi, I'm kathleen marasco. I've been in the county for about 15 years now, I'm a.

F

Former geologist and teacher and um I've only been a member for one year, but.

F

That's about it, I'm tamara strobel. This is my second technical meeting. I've just joined.

G

This committee I've lived in carroll county for a little over two years.

G

We own nine acres that we are working to transfer from the invasives back to natives, have wildflower.

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Gardens, we have a greenhouse and a garden vegetable garden, and I work in environmental work.

G

For my day, job and I have an eighth grader at west middle school as well.

H

I'm denise mathias, I'm the administrative assistant for department of land and resource.

H

Management, I'm the administrative support. Okay,.

A

Already yeah, it might be helpful for these guys just because that you're new, mostly new, faces okay.

I

Roberta did you want to go first.

I

I'm the commissioner from district one kenny, kyler district 2., ad rothsteen district, five.

A

Tom gordon county, commissioner of district, three.

J

Mike garan district, four and just let you know some of the districts have changed. You know where.

A

District 2 now has hampstead in manchester and district. One now also has.

A

And the delegation may tweak it slightly this year again because of a couple precincts so.

J

They're they're, going to keep confusing us, keeps us on our toes great.

I

That's a big mess. It is. I have to get that little button with this big pointer, big person. I'm sorry.

B

All right, so the main purpose of the environmental advisory council.

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Is to serve in an advisory role to the board on emerging environmental issues, policies, projects.

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Anything that's related to the environment that you feel you need their advice on.

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Be a lot quicker if I had a button to push.

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And, of course, you don't always have something that they need to be providing advice to you on.

B

So really their secondary role is is to provide a substantial amount of public outreach. Is what.

B

They've actually been doing a lot of, and then they also serve currently as an appeals board.

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For our environmental codes, so things like the force conservation code, when the decision of mr.

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Hein our director is appealed. It goes to this group of three people off of this group. Will.

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Hold the hearing and then um make a decision and then their decision could be appealed to the court.

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So the eac's mission, I know you've been asking for missions for a lot of the groups and.

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Departments so the ac's mentioned is that they're dedicated to promoting environmental stewardship.

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Environmentally, socially, economically responsible recommendations and information to the board and.

B

On environmental issues on what you would expect, I think we've got nine members, nine.

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Seats, I should say we have only seven seats filled right now, probably soon to be only.

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Six, so we have currently two vacant positions and um I don't I've not heard that we have any.

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Applications waiting, um but always looking to fill those just help spread out the workload.

B

Is this? Is this one that traditionally is hard to fill, or does this just an anomaly now.

F

Brenda you might be able to answer that better than I think it comes and goes it does. I've been.

B

Working with the eac since 2011. and like we will just fill all the seats and then.

B

Suddenly somebody leaves you know, yeah rarely full for very long, but we had a couple. People.

C

Just move out of the state yeah yeah, you know so that's I mean it's not like. They.

C

Didn't like serving or anything but or positions, they're not dedicated to areas within the county.

A

But you try to be diverse. You try to represent diverse interests rather than locations, but again.

B

When you, you know beggars, can't be choosers, we don't have very many people interested right. So.

G

You kind of take you, don't you don't tend to look at those things when you don't have very.

B

Many people applying it as it is their she's just thinking about are there positions or specialties.

A

Or areas of concentration that would be beneficial for you to have on the board right now.

C

You know we frank and I both have nursery.

C

My guess background kurt who's, not here, is going to be the vice chair, he's a geologist hydrologist.

C

He works in weather right meteorologists right, so um I I'm not sure. Where else yeah I mean.

C

Certainly anybody's background sure you know anybody's background is, is worth input yeah.

B

And it's been my experience that you know you can have a certain representation of interest.

B

But as the projects change that they work on, the need for different backgrounds will change anyway.

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So it's hard to have a representation of interest from every possible. You know perspective or aspect.

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Of environmental issues when keeps changing what what issues they need to address so anyway, there.

B

Are four-year terms I serve as the secretary and staff liaison we meet the third wednesday of every.

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Month and of course, we also do special events like we attended the environmental symposium.

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Has had a booth there in november and also help out occasionally with some of the public outreach.

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Events, we do have a set of bylaws that address the frequency of meetings when agendas need to.

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Be posted terms of officers and and then, if people aren't showing up to meetings, you know possibility.

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To remove, if you miss too many etc. So our projects need to be unique to the eac, and in that I mean.

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Somebody else shouldn't be doing the same thing. We don't have the space to be doing redundant, work.

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So unique to the ac supplement or support what staff is already doing again, trying.

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Not to be redundant and help to inform and support the board and also the public.

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You know: we've got this process where we do the we review the work plan with you. We kind.

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Of go through the projects that are in the work plan throughout the course of the year with our through our regular meetings and research, develop whatever the product is at.

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The work plan specifies and then, in the end of the year we put together an annual report.

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That says: here's the things that we accomplished this year and and that also helps to fulfill the.

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Requirements of chapter 131, which creates the ac that says we need to report to you annually.

B

So some of the recent and past topics that we've had is litter. Last year we did two pieces on.

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Litter us we've done a number of solar project pieces tree planting. We did homeowner de-icing.

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And salt management salt management, because it includes water, softeners, expanded polystyrene,.

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Simply use plastic bags, and so you can see here. These are some of the recent products. Last year.

B

We had two public outreach pieces, the first two and then the second one was the last one.

B

Was actually report to the board that I gave some background on litter in the county and this this.

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Was something that that the board requested at the meeting last year so gave some background.

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On letter and some options that the board could consider for a dressing letter in the county and.

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So we tend to when we do reports provide the board with options and then you can. You know.

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Direct staff or whoever's appropriate to further pursue any options. If that is what you desire.

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Some more work and again the environmental stewardship booklet. I have in your packet and.

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We'll be updating that this year, because we do it every two years.

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And this the one in the middle, which you also have is kind of like a little quick reference guide for.

B

That and then the tree planning resource is just another example of work. That's been done recently.

B

Recurring work again: the environmental stewardship booklet, the annual report, the work plan and then.

B

Every other year we also go through a process for environmental action awards, so we take nominations.

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Review the nominations and rank them and come up with winners, and then we want. We.

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Have a joint presentation of awards ceremony that when I say joint the commissioners and.

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The eac together have traditionally presented those awards, the last. At the last time we had.

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Someone donate a 500 scholarship for the student winner and then we had some gift cards that were.

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For the other two categories of winners, so that was actually very nice and helps to.

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Promote awareness of environmental issues and recognition for what people are doing better.

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Oh, look: here's my side, I'm ahead of myself. You can see the categories there, so this is another.

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One of those years where we hold this process in the past commissioner rossi, don't remember.

B

We've had a ceremony that suggests dedicated to the awards presentation this year. We will be.

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Wrapping that into the environmental symposium in november, so we'll have a greater captive audience.

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And you know, hopefully, the people who are winning these awards will get better recognition and more.

B

You know recognition of the issues that they've been working on.

B

So I mentioned the environmental symposium. um The ac has held a couple workshops for.

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Homeowners and businesses on various issues and have had tree planting ceremonies in the past.

B

We've worked on legislation in the past, it's been a while, but they provided the initial.

B

Recommendations before solar, any solar at all, was ever in our zoning code, and this is back in 2014.

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um And then they also provided recommendations for the accessory solar provisions.

B

So again, this is a while ago, but the kind of work that they've done I've already.

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Mentioned these, the zoning text, amendment for the community, solar that booklet after.

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It was put together was run through them for review, and then we have a website.

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Can't read it very well, but you can see that on the left side, there's quite a few.

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Different pages that are included in this and a lot of resources available, and we have a qr code.

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And just my contact information, that's in your packets there. So that's just the basic overview.

B

Of what the eac does, I think we will have craig then review that and report with you.

B

And that will give you a better idea on some of the details of what we've done in the past year.

C

Okay, yeah um last year, 2022 was uh pretty busy year for us, um and brenda touched on a couple of.

C

The things that we accomplished, notably, is this um literal litterless, uh guide and educational piece.

C

That we put together- and I think that's a good example of of how we work and we work with the.

C

Commissioners, because this came out of a similar meeting that we had with the board, I think was it.

C

Two years ago might have been, or even last year too last year, yeah, okay, um this meeting last year.

C

um From concerns that the the board had, with the amount of litter in the county,.

C

They asked us to kind of look into it, see what some of the sources were and potential options.

C

That the board can take to address it so say the two things that came out of that.

C

Was this uh uh outreach? You know public outreach and it's kind of just two sides.

C

With tips for residents, what they can do to, you know avoid contributing to later a.

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Lot of resources in there, as far as contacts for groups that do litter, pickup or reporting litter.

C

um So I think that's eye-catching and the other part that came out of that is our.

C

um From a piece that we presented, frank presented to the board last november,.

C

Which is kind of filled with a lot of data and information that the board can digest and not.

C

Recommendations but just potential actions you know and pros and cons to those actions.

C

You know to address letter. um This is it's certainly something. That's I'm interested.

C

In and I don't know if it's more in my head since we did this and partly because.

C

It's winter and you can see more of it, but it's probably more of an issue than you. You realize.

I

So, like generally, I think that's pretty clever the literalists handouts and everything I is.

I

There anything like this or similar to this that goes out to either schools or is put in parks.

I

For visitors, it's available at libraries right, county offices, yeah online, it's it.

B

We post everything, typically I'll, send hard copies to the libraries um but generally like.

B

The school system, we need to go through cary gaddis for anything that that gets sent to.

B

Them and I will send her the electronic copy and ask her if you know to share it. But after that.

B

It's up to them what they do with it and do we do anything with the parks we have handouts at.

I

The parks for visitors who are interested in you know maybe being a little more environmentally.

I

Friendly toward the parks, or I have sent them to bear, branch and piney run nature center before but.

B

For example, cape horn- there is no place to put something like that, so two of our parks.

E

Are staffed so what about like a uh small bulletin board or something he's like when.

I

You enter like a trail at a national park. There's like a like a board like yes, some.

I

Something like that I mean is that is that feasible to put up something like that. There.

I

I would think for sure absolutely, and maybe it's something that we can reach out to some boy scout.

K

Troops, because that might be an interesting eagle scout project for for some scouts. Chris, that's a.

I

Good idea, I know uh over the past summer there's that reading in the parks program.

I

Where they set up those like bookstations and that's that's a good idea. Chris yeah.

E

I know I've been a big proponent in the last several years about getting stuff like this.

E

Into the schools and brenda's always said she has to check with public schools, we just can't.

E

Go in there and right give them to them, for whatever reason that's was beyond me, but I'm.

E

I agree with you: 100, I'm a big proponent, you teach the kids, not the litter and that's going.

E

To eliminate the problem at the source, so you know we continue to work on that and try to.

E

Partner as best we can with the schools for that, so just I've. You know growing up where I.

I

Did with my mom and my dad, they were always very conscious of conscious about you know, respecting.

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The environment, respecting wherever you were, because it is a matter of respect period, right.

I

um But also I remember going through elementary school and receiving like a.

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Number of materials and things and things that stick with you through your life and.

I

um And then that's why I brought that up, but thank you very much.

J

And I'll ask um mrs herbert and it they do have a pretty strict policy. I I for our wrestling program.

J

I would always take stuff there, and sometimes I just took it and because it was so hard to get it.

J

Approved but um there should be a community table in the lobby that you can put stuff on for two or.

J

Three weeks, that's pretty open I'll, ask her and get back to you guys. If that's if there's a way.

J

I love care, she's, good and but they do have pretty strict policies and of course the problem is if.

J

They let one then, what about the other and and they got down to park and rec. So I think you can.

J

Only do three a year or something they're pretty strict, but there is that community table where.

J

Like you say, kids grab it and so I'll ask. But you know: okay yeah. I think the more we can get.

C

This out, you know the better and just put it in people's. You know consciousness. You know.

C

Be mindful of it another topic, because you mentioned somebody mentioned evasive species.

A

I recently had a town hall um a couple weeks ago and a couple are very interested about the.

A

Invasive species over the liberty, reservoir right and then also planting by the um by the.

A

Tower across from century high school there's a problem there to build a monarch, butterfly type of.

A

Area whatever I'm not even sure what you call it habitat habitat, that's a good word, yeah.

A

um So I think you've been in touch with them right. Chris.

K

Yes, yeah we're working currently working on an mou with the county attorney's office just to.

K

Protect everybody from any activities and we're working on scheduling, meeting with them just to.

K

Go over exactly what they want to do, establish boundaries and and so on so yeah, so the habitat.

A

Then for the evasive species, because I think one of you said about replacing invasive species with.

A

Plants that you want in your yards, you know, I don't know if we have a guide or something like.

A

That getting community input they seem to be very when we get to the work plan. You'll see yeah we're.

D

Going to touch on that hair a little bit, I'm glad you brought that up. You know it's in there. Okay.

E

Weaver proposed it last year, don't go there.

A

Who that is anymore, so I don't there's somebody last year, yeah, okay, I apologize.

B

Great minds right, we were nine. Now I was talking about this group support. Commissioner weaver. We.

J

All bashing I I started first grade with him, so the joke is I've known him longer than his wife.

J

Has you know, I don't know where that is that good or bad? I don't know he started when the.

A

Wheels were square, you know, that's right, all right go ahead. Where are we at okay, the uh one of the.

C

Other main things we did uh accomplished last year is this uh guide to salt management. That's.

C

For homeowners residents um again that it kind of came out too the assault in waterways, streams.

C

And such is a very big issue um for wildlife and water quality water quality right. So this.

C

um Which is there also helped us towards uh this meeting with some requirements for our.

C

Stormwater management permits, and unfortunately, this uh this year, um I'm not sure too many people.

C

Have been able to use this because it's been so warm so but there's still time.

C

That was also presented to the other board uh previous board by frank in the fall.

C

um Then one of the other things we uh accomplished I worked on was uh with the maria myers.

C

And the recycling department there was updating the uh the guide to the waste management and.

C

Recycling, that's a pretty thick guide. That's, I think, that's mostly online. I don't know if.

C

I'd see that too often yeah generally the hard copies she provides at public outreach events.

B

But it is online yeah, and that was just more like tinkering with some things and updating.

C

uh Items in it to make it maybe a little more, um I guess reader friendly and flow a little better.

C

All right, so that was uh that was also completed in in the fall and presented to the board.

C

One of the things here now it's listed, um we did because these are all items that were in.

B

The work plan and we're telling you the status of them at this point right. This one will roll over.

C

uh To 2023 uh it's a residential, gray, water, it's something that we've been waiting uh on. The state.

C

To provide some guidelines and some regulations um with that, so we're still waiting foreign.

C

The environmental action awards we did not present that last year, but we did start.

C

Towards the end of last year, kind of touching base with some of the um uh companies and and.

C

People that are going to be maybe donating uh prizes in those categories, and we also.

C

um Decided to to move the event where we present the awards for that to that symposium.

C

That brenda talked about which we think will increase. You know participation in it.

C

And exposure for it, so I think that's a good move and last year last time we did it 2021 we we did.

C

Have a lot more, it seemed um um applications and submissions for it. So that's a good sign.

C

Essentially, the rest of the report just covers.

B

That the action that they took on these- and you know completing all of this and then the last page.

B

Goes over the membership status, which we kind of talked about in the.

B

um Yeah right yeah, I'm again I just became chair officially in january.

C

Two years see, congratulations on that.

A

Okay, [applause], you want to move on to frank. The work plan should be in your packet and you know.

B

The first page is just a bunch of background stuff, so really the second page where the table is is.

B

Where the the key projects that frank will just go over with you real quick to familiarize you.

B

With what we're proposing to work on okay, we have a little bit lighter of uh work well considerably.

E

Lighter workload than last year, we got a lot accomplished last year, as craig just went over.

E

um The first thing we're going to be doing this year and we look to have this done probably by.

E

The summer to the end of summer of 2023, we do this. Every tiers update the environmental stewardship.

E

Book this is by far, I think, the best piece that our group and brenda has ever put together.

E

This basically is a great show-off piece for carroll county, um not only for the people in.

E

Carroll county, but for the state delegation and everybody in the state, the show what we've done.

E

In carroll county um to improve the environment, it's a good resource, yes, very good resource. It.

E

Covers everything from ag preservation to solar to litter, to recycling I mean we're going to update.

G

With a lot of the new pieces, see how parks are dumb, we accomplished last year, so um most of it's.

E

Going to be fairly similar, the numbers will change. Brenda gets them updated from county staff um like.

E

Ag preservation will add the amount of acres that have been preserved in the last two years, since we.

E

Last put this out and um it's just something that needs to be updated every year, but this is by far.

E

A fantastic piece, if you guys haven't read through it or looked through it, you know a little light.

E

Reading um that'll show you everything: the carroll county has done for the gooding environment over.

E

The years going back several years add something to that one of the reasons it was put together to.

B

Begin with is because, for many many years you know other counties, environmental groups, the state look.

B

At carroll county from the outside- and you know, never really recognized all of what carroll county.

B

Was doing I mean we're at carroll county we're backwards right, so the idea was that this really.

B

Shows everything that carroll county is doing to promote good environmental stewardship and we've.

B

Really seen a change in attitude from some of those outside sources, you know, since this has been.

B

I'm not saying it's just because of this, but you know, but that's why it was put together and this.

B

Is provided to the delegation each time as well so that they have it as a resource when they're.

B

Reviewing proposed legislation and need that sort of background information, yeah there's certainly.

E

Nothing wrong with tooting your own horn when we have a great county here, so we need to promote it.

E

um Second, off uh the environmental action awards, we do these every two years.

E

um We got some prep work done on that um last year, we decided to change this up with the timing. This.

E

Year, normally, we would start accepting nominations in january and have nominations and the first of.

E

March with the winners being voted on um usually in march and then april, we would present the wards.

E

This year we decided to do things a little bit differently, we're going to open up the nominations.

E

On earth day, which is in april, let the nominations go through end of july end of july vote on them in.

E

August and then we will present the awards at the environmental symposium which we have in. Usually I.

E

Think it's going to be november sometime in the fall right, we needed to close the gap in time.

B

Between the awards being the deadline for the awards and when they were presented well felt.

E

Like in the past, we were, it was too compressed of a time cycle to do this, to do it properly.

E

Especially since we revamped the whole awards process several years ago, this is going to open.

E

It up longer period of time, hopefully we'll get more nominations to sift through and the awards.

E

Will most importantly, be at a much larger venue? As brenda said earlier, said, the award winners.

E

Will have more recognition, there'll be more people, they are more awareness. So hopefully this thing.

E

Builds and snowballs in the years going forward, if I could jump in just for a second we've mentioned.

K

The environmental symposium a couple times, not sure if all of you are familiar with with what.

K

That event was, and is so last year in an effort to reach out to the public public citizen groups that.

K

Volunteer groups that do things like pick up trash and and clean streams and and and things like that,.

K

um We wanted to reach out to those groups and offer support from how can the county help you.

K

Do the actions in your community that you're passionate about, and we also wanted to provide.

K

A venue where those groups can interact with each other and maybe there's I hate to use the word.

K

Synergy but synergy of that they can work together and and co-benefit each other. So we put together.

K

This environmental symposium, which we held over at the community college and invited all of the.

K

Non-Profit type groups that we could come up with that that operate in the county and basically gave.

K

Them a table to set up whatever they wanted to set and set up, invited the public to come out and and.

K

Meet with them and and allow them to interact with each other and we interacted with them. We also in.

K

Order to create the to increase the draw um to the event we held a competition for recycled art.

K

And you may have noticed in the lobby of the of the building here on the giant statue cardboard.

K

Statue that was one of the um the submissions and there's a display case. There was a couple of the.

K

Other submissions, so we had somewhere around 30 students that submitted artwork to be voted on.

K

And during the course of the of the morning, we had over 150 votes for the um for the different.

K

Pieces of art, so we thought it was a huge success. We had quite a few people there and we've gotten.

K

A lot of really positive feedback from from the participants, both the students teachers, as well as.

K

The community groups, so our intent, is to hold that event again. Have the second annual environmental.

K

Symposium, this fall and do the same thing and, as we've mentioned, provide use that as a venue to to.

K

Promote the environmental action awards and and give the award at that point so just wanted to.

K

In case you hadn't heard and weren't aware of it, that's that was the event that we had.

C

Said actually, the eac had a table there that brenda had set up, and uh you know.

C

So we had people stopping by and um I you were there already, but when I walked in.

C

um I was pleasantly surprised and kind of like oh yeah,.

C

It was covered with the material that we've done through the years and it kind of sunk in just how.

C

Much you know we've had we have accomplished. You know over in my time, at least before that, so it.

C

Was pretty impressive and we had a pretty good turnout for you know for being the first event.

E

Chris thanks, yes appreciate it.

E

Okay, uh the third item on our agenda for the coming year, commissioner rothstein uh I'm gonna.

E

Do a public outreach piece for invasive native invasive species, invasive weeds, so on and so forth.

E

um It was suggested to us by um previous board of commissioners by a commissioner with the last.

E

Name began with w and we won't mention we won't get specific, but uh one of them requested. We look.

E

At this, so uh it's a good thing. We have quite a few people on the eac here now who were very in.

E

Tune to that, so we should be able to get a real nice thorough piece for that. We hope to have that.

E

Completed by the end of the calendar year there so did you have any other. No, I think that's great. I.

A

Mean I'm getting a lot of uh you know interest in that. Just from that town hall, I was like okay, this.

A

Is a good topic you know to to address so yeah? I I appreciate you all following up with that. Well,.

E

It's a national topic too, when the topic gets big in the state. um Something's come into more.

E

And more me, being in that business, I see more and more of it, it's very much becoming the forefront.

A

um Yes, so I think it's good. We touch on it locally here, yeah in carroll, county.

E

uh Finally, um go ahead, I was just gonna say I should point out that it doesn't.

B

Specify this year, but we are talking about plants.

B

Yeah, I know we got like the spotter lanternfly issues: yeah yeah, I'm talking yeah.

A

We are talking about plants.

E

uh Finally, is craig had touched on, we've been, this has been on our agenda, our work plan for the last.

E

Several years the residential gray warner carroll county um we've been on on the back burner with it.

E

Since 2018 uh just waiting for some regulations to come from the state level for us to give us.

E

Some ideas what to work on so um really. No, we keep it on the agenda item every month,.

E

We usually it's a two-second agenda item, so you pass right on over it so that that's in a holding.

E

Pattern we'll see how how uh secretary mdie md I mean he's- maybe she she comes from california, yeah.

A

And um yeah so we'll see how aggressive she is um with this administration, I'm where they're going.

A

To push but there's definitely things you know. We talked about solar and other things that they're.

A

Pushing hard- and I would expect this to be- you know- push pretty hard by her by her. So let's see.

E

And that pretty much concludes the uh items we have on the work plan, I'll turn it back.

E

Over to craig, then at this point: okay, um do you you all have any questions at this point, yeah.

J

The appeals does that happen, often no no right yeah. So I can speak to that for four yeah. Three.

K

Total three yeah, so um to my knowledge, um we've only had three since the environmental codes.

K

Have been put in place- and perhaps roberta remembers one previous, but I certainly do not.

K

um One was an appeal of our previous director's decision and then to have been of mine all.

K

Three of the appeals have been upheld by the board by code. If someone wants to appeal one.

K

Of my decisions uh really- and these are typically related to variances and such.

K

um The um the decision is yours as to whether you want to hear as a board the.

K

um The appeal or, if you want to designate to another board, to hear it in your stead and so.

K

Because these have been environmental in nature, we decided when we had the first one a couple.

K

Years ago, that we would ask the this board uh or this council to to hear those. It's entirely your.

K

Decision, uh if you want to hear them, but my hope is that we're not going to hear anymore [laughter].

F

And that's a decision you make each time an appeal comes across, so it's not.

F

Something you have to decide in advance.

C

Okay! Okay, so if there are any other issues, environmental related or concerns that you.

C

Have I guess now would be the time to to voice them foreign.

B

That's not to say that any time during the year, you don't have to wait to next year's work plan.

B

If something comes up in the middle of the year, of course, you always can add a project.

B

K

They may reach out to you all. Where do you guys meet room 204? Do you do you ever get any public.

J

Any outsiders there is it just pretty much you guys rarely we used to meet down here, but because.

B

We rarely have any public. Yes, we we just started meeting up in 204 where we could project right.

B

On the screen and do our work and use less paper, because it's on the screen and typically when we.

B

Tend to get people coming out is generally only if we're working on a contentious issue, so there.

B

Was a point where, when they were working on the environment, the expanded polystyrene report and.

B

They had representatives of environmental groups and the polystyrene industry and all come in and.

B

Get presentations so that they were better informed for the report. They were putting.

B

Together for the board, then we had a few more people, but it's not like the place was filled.

C

Our meeting next month is an evening meeting.

C

um Most of the time we meet during the day once a month, and we have a couple two or three three.

F

Night meetings, um four: to make it more, um you know easier if the public wants to attend.

B

And they will be virtual, because we I had gotten some inquiries from the public asking if it could.

B

Be virtual because it would be easier for them to attend it, so the evening meetings will be virtual.

A

Okay, okay, what else? No, I got nothing um anything from.

J

I've got it yeah. This is a dumb question. um You're one of your first slides, you showed uh like a.

J

Meandering stream, what what happened to those it seems like I don't know the 90s. They were adding.

J

Them to every project- and you had logs- and you had this like when uh pick for, went in down in.

J

Baltimore mdot went in down next to the airport. They always had that added in that's gone away.

J

Totally, no, no, it hasn't gone away. So yeah stream restoration is still a very prevalent uh practice.

K

uh What's interesting, though, is that there there seems to be a little bit of a shift in the in the.

K

Industry, um specifically from environmental groups that are looking to shift away from it.

K

um We've had some comments. uh I I hate to keep saying that we're going to come before you and.

K

Talk about npds, but I promise you we are and that stream restoration is a key component of that and.

K

uh When we had our our new permit issued, we had public comment from from citizens who said string.

K

Restoration should be taken off the table that they don't agree with it. The primary concern being.

K

Is that, um in order to restore that stream, you often have to disturb a lot. So there are a lot of.

K

Trees that have to be taken down to re-grade the stream, and then you plant it back and so on. So in.

K

Yeah 20 years, maybe you have back what you hadn't lost, but in the interim there's that there's the.

K

Question is whether it's worth the uh the juice is worth the squeeze. So uh it's interesting that.

K

That the environmental community is is shifting a little bit. From that perspective, it seems to I.

J

Mean you guys seen it um you want ponds, you don't want ponds, you want water standing, you don't want.

J

Water standing, we we created a brand new stream down in rockville off goody drive and to me that's.

J

Maybe more acceptable down at m no down at hikvah. We had to reroute a stream and put in and and.

J

I understand the objections it seemed like we were stirring up more than we were solving, but it was.

J

On the plans we had to do it so, but but that's why I wondered if it had gone away or no and actually.

K

um Fingers crossed and about if I had to guess six weeks or so we'll hopefully before be before.

K

You for approval to award one of our projects, which is a stream restoration project in the.

K

Brynwood subdivision, and it's one where um one of the driving forces there is that the.

K

Subdivision was constructed, pre-store water management regulations, and so there are a.

K

Couple of property owners that have complained about flooding and so the only way that we've.

K

We've figured out to help them out with the flooding side, is to do a storm drain project.

K

In conjunction with the department of public works and also a stream restoration project,.

K

And so we are currently working on putting together the bid specs for that and hopefully.

K

In the next week or so, that'll be put out to bid, and obviously it takes time to put that.

K

All together, but again I would estimate six weeks or so we would hopefully before you to award that.

A

Okay, relevant question: good, okay, anything else seaweed. Thank you cut down the amount.

B

Of time that, thank you, thank you good. I just need a motion to adjourn.

J

I'll make a motion to adjourn it motion. Second, all in favor I.