[1. Call to Order]
[00:00:02]
UH, I AM MAYOR MICAH WATSON, AND I HEREBY CALL TO ORDER THIS PUBLIC HEARING.
THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS WILL BE TO CALL THE ROLE.
UH, I AM HERE TOWN ADMINISTRATOR GALLOWAY IS HERE.
UH, AND I BELIEVE, UH, THE TOWN ATTORNEY, MR. POUNDS IS ON.
UH, IS THE COUNCIL MEMBER FROM WARD ONE PRESENT? COUNCIL MEMBER FROM WARD TWO? YEAH.
HE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER LALO IS PRESENT.
COUNCIL MEMBER FROM WARD THREE.
PRESENT, COUNCIL MEMBER FROM WARD FOUR.
PRESENT, COUNCIL MEMBER FROM WARD FIVE.
I DO NOT SEE YOU, BUT I HAVE TWO DIFFERENT LISTS GOING.
SO IF SOMEONE SEES HIM, IF COUNCIL MEMBER WADE, PLEASE LET US KNOW.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER FROM WARD SIX PRESENT.
SEEING FIVE ELECTED OFFICIALS PRESENT, WE HAVE A QUORUM
[3. Public Hearing]
TO CONDUCT BUSINESS.THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS HEREBY CONVENED FOR THE EXPRESS PURPOSE OF DISCUSSING THE DRAFT CHARTER AMENDMENT.
ONE DASH 25 COUNSEL OF THE TOWN OF CH MARYLAND, CHARTER AMENDMENT RESOLUTION 1 25, UH, CONCERNING THE ANNEXATION OF THE PROPERTIES COMMONLY KNOWN AS HOSPITAL HILL.
I WILL READ THE INTRODUCTION AND THEN WE WILL KICK IT OFF.
A CHARTER AMENDMENT RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN COUNCIL OF CH ENLARGING THE CORPORATE BOUNDARIES OF THE TOWN OF CH BY ANNEXING INTO THE CORPORATE LIMITS OF THE TOWN OF CH LANDS, CONTIGUOUS AND ADJOINING TO THE TOWN'S EXISTING CORPORATE BOUNDARIES.
PROPERTY COMMONLY KNOWN AS HOSPITAL HILL CONSISTING OF APPROXIMATELY 44.1867 ACRES OF LAND IN TOTAL LOCATED GENERALLY HOSPITAL HILL, AKA, THE OLD CHEVROLET HOSPITAL SITE.
THE PUBLISHED, UH, DRAFT CHARTER RESOLUTION IS JUST THAT AT THIS TIME IT IS A DRAFT AND WE ARE HOLDING THIS PUBLIC HEARING IN ORDER TO SOLICIT, UH, ANY RESIDENT AND OTHER STAKEHOLDER INPUT ON THE RESOLUTION.
IT IS A VERY SIMPLE, IN MY OPINION, CHARTER RESOLUTION.
UM, THE ANNEXATION IS VERY, IS FAIRLY STRAIGHTFORWARD AND ANNEXES ESSENTIALLY ALL OF THE PROPERTIES.
UM, NOT ALREADY IN THE TOWN OF CHEVROLET THAT LIE EAST OF THE BALTIMORE, WASHINGTON PARKWAY, AND WEST OF THE TOWN OF, UH, I'M GONNA NOW TURN TO ATTORNEY AND ASK HIM IF HE HAS ANY CORRECTIONS TO WHAT I HAVE SAID OR ANYTHING ELSE HE THINKS THE PUBLIC GENERALLY SHOULD KNOW AT THE OUTSET.
NOW, MR. MAYOR, YOU ARE, UH, UH, YOUR DESCRIPTION IS 100% CORRECT, UH, BOTH AS TO WHAT THE RESOLUTION IS AND WHAT IS INTENDED TO DO AND, UH, THE PURPOSE OF THIS MEETING TONIGHT.
SO, UH, YES, I MEAN, THIS IS A RESOLUTION TO, UH, ANNEX THE PROPERTY KNOWN AS HOSPITAL HILL.
AND, UH, EVERYTHING YOU SAID IS ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
UM, MR. GALLOWAY, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD AT THIS TIME? NO, SIR.
I WILL JUST, UH, AS A FINAL COMMENT, SAY THAT, UM, THIS IS JUST THE FIRST STEP IN WHAT WILL BE A MULTI-MONTH PROCESS LIKELY STRETCHING THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE SPRING OF 2026, UH, BEFORE THE COUNCIL TAKES A FINAL VOTE, UH, UP OR DOWN ON THIS, UH, CHARTER AMENDMENT ANNEXATION RESOLUTION.
UH, SO THERE WILL BE PLENTY OF TIME, UH, COMING UP.
UH, AS I SAY, OVER THE NEXT MANY MONTHS, THIS WILL NOT BE RUSHED.
THIS WILL BE DRAWN OUT, UH, IN ORDER TO MAXIMIZE, UH, PUBLIC INPUT ON, UH, WHAT IS A FAIRLY SIMPLE, BUT ALSO A FAIRLY MOMENTOUS, UM, ANNEXATION BY THE TOWN.
THE SECOND POINT I WILL MAKE IS THAT THIS IS NOT THE INTRODUCTION.
UH, WE ARE HOLDING THIS PUBLIC HEARING TONIGHT, UH, IN AN ABUNDANCE OF DESIRE TO RECEIVE PUBLIC INPUT.
WE ARE NOT, THIS, THE MAYOR COUNCIL ARE NOT INTRODUCING THIS RESOLUTION TONIGHT OR CONDUCTING A FIRST READER TONIGHT.
[00:05:01]
I ANTICIPATE THERE WILL BE AN INTRODUCTION AND A FIRST READER OF SOME FORM OF THIS DRAFT, UH, IN TWO WEEKS TIME, BUT THAT WILL ULTIMATELY BE UP TO THE COUNCIL.I WILL STOP THERE AND, UH, INVITE ANY COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO WOULD LIKE TO SAY ANYTHING AT THIS TIME.
UH, OR IF YOU PREFER, WE CAN GO DIRECTLY TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
UH, PLEASE, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, UH, PUT YOUR HANDS, RAISE YOUR HAND ON THE ZOOM SO THAT, UH, WE CAN IDENTIFY YOU.
ARE THERE ANY COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, AT THIS TIME WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK BEFORE WE START THE PUBLIC PORTION? SEEING NONE, UH, WE WILL GO TO THE ATTENDEES.
AND THE FIRST HAND, UM, THAT I SEE IS MS. SALLOW, UH, YOUR NAME AND WARD PLEASE.
UM, SO THE FIRST THING, AND I THINK MOST OF US KNOW THAT, UM, THE, WELL, FIRST, THE FIRST THING IS, I'M SO GLAD WE GOT TO THIS POINT ALREADY, SO LET'S MOVE ON.
UM, UH, THE QUESTION OF, UM, UM, THE, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT THAT WE CAN CALL ON FOR THIS, UH, PROPERTY IS NOT THE CHEVROLET, UM, VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT, WHICH HAS BEEN CLOSED SINCE 2010.
SO I HOPE WE WILL GET THAT ONE, UM, FIXED UP.
THE OTHER THING IS, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF REF REFERENCES TO EXHIBIT A.
WILL EXHIBIT A BE THE MEETS AND BOUNDS, UM, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE, UM, THE COURSES AND DISTANCES.
UM, I THINK MR. POUNDS PROBABLY CAN ANSWER THAT.
THE EXHIBIT A IS THE MEETS AND BOUNDS, WHICH WE DO HAVE WITH THE, UH, WE, WE HAVE GOTTEN FROM AN ENGINEER TO PREPARE THAT FOR US.
UM, WHAT WOULD, OKAY, I, I'VE, I'VE GONE THROUGH I CAREFULLY AND, UM, THERE, IF YOU, IF I HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR, YOU KNOW, COPY EDITING OR PHRASING, SOMETHING LIKE THAT, SHOULD I TALK ABOUT THEM NOW OR SUBMIT THEM LATER? UH, I WILL LEAVE THAT UP TO THE MAYOR AS TO, YOU KNOW, HOW YOU, HOW YOU WOULD SUGGEST THOSE.
I THINK THEY PROBABLY END UP COMING TO ME, BUT AS FAR AS THE MECHANISM, I'LL LEAVE THAT UP TO THE MAYOR.
YOU WANNA ANSWER THAT, MIKE? YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK IT'S, IF, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO USE SOME OF YOUR THREE MINUTES NOW, YOU'RE WELCOME TO, YOU WILL PROBABLY ALSO, YOU KNOW, EFFECTIVELY PROBABLY ALSO BE BEST SERVED BY ALSO EMAILING THEM.
I'M NOT GONNA USE MY THREE MINUTES FOR THAT.
UM, THERE, THERE IS ONE THING THAT, UM, I THINK NEEDS TO, TO BE LOOKED AT, AND IT'S WHERE THE TAKE A LOOK, THE MAP, UM, WHERE LYDELL ROAD AND PEPSI PLA PLACE MEET MM-HMM
THE, UM, THE ANNEXATION WILL TAKE IN A LITTLE PIECE ALONG THAT EFFECTIVELY MAKING PEPSI PLACE, BRINGING PEPSI PLACE INTO THE TOWN WHERE IT WASN'T IN THE TOWN BEFORE, BUT THERE'S A DISCREPANCY BETWEEN THE, UH, LAYOUT AS SHOWN ON THE, THE JOHNSON MAP, WHICH WAS PART OF THE ANNEXATION.
UM, AND THE PG ATLAS, THE LITTLE TRIANGLE, WHICH ACCORDING TO PG ATLAS, IS WITHIN THE RIGHT OF WAY OF THE BELONGS TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE.
UM, AND ACCORDING TO THE JOHNSON MAP, IT'S WITHIN THE CURRENT BOUNDARIES OF THE TOWN OF SHE.
AND WE DON'T WANNA MAKE A MISTAKE THERE.
I CANNOT FIGURE OUT WHICH IS THE RIGHT WAY.
UM, THE OTHER THING IS, AND THIS IS GOING A LITTLE BIT BEYOND WHAT THE, THE SCOPE OF TONIGHT'S MEETING, BUT, UM, I'M CALLING YOUR ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT, UM, ALL OF THE LAWS OF CHEVROLET
[00:10:01]
WILL BE APPLICABLE TO THE, UM, WHATEVER GOES ONAND THAT IS A GOOD REMINDER THAT OUR GENERAL HOPE IS THAT THE DEVELOPMENT THAT IS WHATEVER GOES ON THE PROPERTY, UM, AND ITS RESIDENTS WILL CONSIDER THEMSELVES PART OF CH NOT JUST IN CH MM-HMM
I DID MY THREE MINUTES, I THINK.
AND YES, PLEASE, DEFINITELY, PLEASE DO FOLLOW UP WITH AN EMAIL.
UM, WE WILL TAKE DOWN THE NOTE ON THE, UM, LIDDELL AND PEPSI, YOU KNOW, PROPERTY WEDGE, UH, TO CHECK THAT.
BUT PLEASE, UH, FEEL FREE TO FOLLOW UP WITH US.
UM, THE NEXT, UH, PUBLIC INPUT COMES FROM MR. PRICE, YOUR NAME AND WARD, SIR.
UH, IS, IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT, UH, THE FINAL EFFORT TO ANNEX IN WILL HAVE TO GO TO THE COUNTY COUNCIL AND THEY WILL VOTE ON IT.
IS THAT CORRECT? NO, SIR, THAT'S NOT CORRECT.
COULD YOU TELL ME WHAT THE PROCESS IS BEFORE FOR APPROVAL OF THIS ITEM? UM, WELL, I WILL HAZARD A GUESS, AND THEN MR. POUNDS, UH, WILL CORRECT, UH, BUT, UH, THIS WILL BE INTRODUCED, THIS RESOLUTION WILL BE INTRODUCED BY THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
UH, IT'LL BE, HAVE A FIRST READING, A SECOND READING, A PUBLIC HEARING, UH, AND A THIRD READING, NOT NECESSARILY IN THAT ORDER.
UM, PERHAPS THE SECOND PUBLIC HEARING, IF THAT'S THE WILL OF THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
AND THEN IT WILL BE ADOPTED BY THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
AND THEN, UM, IF IT, UNLESS THERE IS A LEGAL INTERVENTION, UH, BY ANY OF THE RESIDENTS OR PROPERTY OWNERS, WHICH IS NOT RELEVANT HERE OR BY CHEVROLET'S CURRENT RESIDENTS, IT WILL BE EFFECTIVE, I BELIEVE, 40 DAYS AFTER ADOPTION.
AND IN ADDITION, UH, THE ACTIONS OF CH GETS SENT TO BOTH THE, UH, COUNTY AND ALSO THE STATE FOR THEIR REVIEW AND, UH, COMMENT AFTER THAT TIME.
BUT IT DOES NOT GO TO THEM FOR APPROVAL PRIOR TO THE VOTE.
AND THEY WILL ONLY COMMENT AS TO THE LEGALITY, PRIMARILY WITH THE STATE PLANNERS TO MAKE SURE THERE ARE NO ISSUES DEALING WITH IT AT THE STATE LEVEL OR, UH, OR THE ISSUES THAT WAY.
BUT, UH, YES, EVERYTHING THE MAYOR SAID IS, UH, IS ABSOLUTELY CORRECT, AND LIKE I SAID, WITH THOSE ADDITIONAL STEPS AT THE END FOR, TO MAKE SURE THAT INDEED EVERYTHING WAS LEGAL AS TO HOW IT WAS DONE.
SO THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS AT THE VERY, VERY END.
SO ONCE WE PASS THE ORDINANCE TO SAY THAT, UH, WE HAVE ANNEXED THIS AREA, UH, THAT'S IT.
NOBODY CAN SAY, UH, UH, NO, NOBODY HAS INPUT IN IT OTHER THAN THROUGH A LAWSUIT OR SOMETHING.
UH, AND LIKE I SAID, UNLESS THE, THE STATE OR THE COUNTY BELIEVES THAT SOME THERE WAS A MISTAKE MADE, BUT, UH, BASICALLY THAT IS CORRECT.
ONCE THE TOWN ANNEXES AND ALL THE VOTES ARE APPROVED, THEN, UM, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT ANY, YOU KNOW, INDICATION THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM, THEN IT IS ADOPTED.
UM, NOT, I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER HANDS UP AT THIS TIME, SO I WILL MAKE ANOTHER CALL FOR INDIVIDUALS TO RAISE YOUR HAND IN ZOOM.
UH, IF YOU CANNOT RAISE YOUR HAND, UH, GIVE US A SHOUT.
UM, I SEE MS. ABBOTT, SO WE WILL GO TO HER NEXT, AND THEN IF THERE ARE NO OTHER PUBLIC INPUT, WE'LL GO BACK TO THE COUNCIL.
OH, AND I SEE MR. FRIESEN, UH, MS. ABBOTT, YOU ARE FIRST YOUR NAME AND WARD, AND YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
HI, I AM KATE ABBOTT, AND I'M IN WARD ONE.
AND I WAS WONDERING, UM, WHAT HAS BEEN DONE? I KNOW THE QUESTION WAS POSTED, HAS ANYBODY LOOKED TO SEE WHAT, UH, ADDITIONAL COSTS WOULD BE INCURRED AND WHAT ADDITIONAL REVENUES? I MEAN, THE PROS AND CONS OF, OF ANNEXING THE EXTRA SPACE.
WE ALL SEEM TO BE ALL PRO, BUT THERE MIGHT BE OTHER SIDES OF THE STORY.
THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE FOR YOU IS ABOUT BLADENSBURG.
UH, THEY TRIED TO ANNEX IT, UH, CLEARLY THEY DID NOT.
UM, IS, YOU KNOW, IS IT POSSIBLE THAT ANOTHER, UH, TOWNSHIP NEARBY COULD TRY TO ANNEX THE SPACE? AND THERE WAS A THIRD QUESTION, WHICH I DON'T RECALL, BUT PERHAPS BY THE TIME YOU FINISH ANSWERING, I'LL REMEMBER WHAT IT IS,
I'LL TACKLE THE FIRST ONE, WHICH IS, I MEAN, THE SECOND ONE FIRST, WHICH IS, I DON'T THINK SO.
[00:15:01]
POSSIBLE THAT, UH, A NEIGHBORING MUNICIPALITY, UH, COULD BE OPPOSED TO OR TRY TO OPPOSE BEVERLY'S ANNEXATION, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE THEY WOULD HAVE, UH, ANY BASIS TO DO SO.UM, THERE ARE, WE WOULD HOPE, UH, A, WE WOULD, WE WOULD EXPECT TO HAVE A MORE AIRTIGHT CASE THAN BLADENSBURG DID.
MR. POUNDS, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD? NO, THAT'S 100% CORRECT.
UH, I, I, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY, WHAT BLADENSBURG TRIED TO DO WAS SO UNUSUAL.
UH, I DON'T SEE ANYBODY REALLY TRYING TO PULL THAT AGAIN.
UH, ON THE, ON YOUR FIRST POINT ABOUT THE COST, YES, WE ARE, UH, WE ARE TRACKING THE COSTS, UH, OR THE COSTS AND BENEFITS OF ANNEXING THE PROPERTY.
UH, OUR EXPECTATION IS THAT THE FINAL BUILD OUT OF THE PROPERTY WILL BE LARGELY LIKE THE CURRENT PLAN, WHICH WOULD BE PREDOMINANTLY RESIDENTIAL.
UH, UH, SOME OF THOSE SERVICES WILL BE HANDLED BY, UH, THOSE BUILDINGS.
SOME OF THOSE SERVICES WILL NEED TO BE PROVIDED BY TAXPAYERS.
UM, UH, AND THEN OF COURSE THERE WILL BE A COMPER COMMERCIAL ELEMENT, UM, A SMALL COMMERCIAL ELEMENT TO, UH, THE PROPERTY.
SO I THINK, UM, AGAIN, THAT'S A POLICY DISCUSSION THAT WE WILL HAVE, UM, AT PUBLIC MEETINGS OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
BUT I THINK, UH, YES, WE ARE CAREFULLY CONSIDERING THE COSTS AS WELL AS THE, UH, THE REVENUE BENEFITS AND THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS, UM, THAT WILL COME WITH ANNEXATION.
I BELIEVE THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR TODAY.
WE CAN CUT, YOU CAN RAISE YOUR HAND AGAIN IF YOU COME UP WITH THE THIRD QUESTION.
UH, MR. FRIESEN, YOUR NAME AND WARD, AND YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
UH, THIS IS MARK FRIESEN, WARD ONE.
UM, MY QUESTION WAS IN RELATION TO TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, UM, AND MAYBE THIS IS FURTHER OR PROCESS, UM, IF AND WHEN, UH, HOSPITAL HILL GETS, UM, ANNEXED.
DOES, IS THE DECISION OF IF IT'S ONE WARD OR MORE GET DECIDED FURTHER ALONG, OR IS THAT, UH, OR IS THAT, UM, PART OF WHEN WE ANNEX IT, WE DETERMINE WHETHER, HOW IT INCORPORATES INTO, UM, INTO CH YEAH, GREAT QUESTION.
I THINK, UM, I THINK WE WILL HAVE TO MAKE A POLITICAL DECISION AS A COUNCIL, UH, ABOUT WHAT WARD IT IS IN.
I THINK IT'S PROBABLY GOING TO BE IN WARD ONE BECAUSE I DON'T, UM, IT'LL PRO PREDOMINANTLY BE A BUDDING WARD.
UH, I THINK THE LEGAL QUESTION THAT WE WILL NEED TO RESEARCH IS WHETHER WE, WHETHER OR AT SOME POINT WOULD WE NEED TO DO A MID, UM, KIND OF A MID DECADE REDISTRICTING, UH, BECAUSE OF THE NEW, UM, UH, BECAUSE OF NEW RESIDENTS, BUT, UH, THERE WILL NOT BE ANY RESIDENTS ON THAT PROPERTY FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
UH, SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK YOU ACCURATELY POINT OUT, WE NEED TO RESEARCH AND HAVE A PLAN FOR.
BUT, UM, WE WILL NOT BE ANNEXING ANY RESIDENTS, UH, BECAUSE THERE'S NO ONE THERE.
AND, UH, IF, IF YOU ASSUME THAT, LET'S SAY SOMETIME IN THE SECOND HALF OF 2026, THE ANNEXATION IS LEGALIZED OR FINALIZED AND, AND BECOMES TRUE, THERE ARE AT LEAST IN MY OPINION, AN ADDITIONAL 24 MONTHS BEFORE A HUMAN BEING MOVES INTO THEIR UNIT.
BALLPARK, DID YOU HAVE, UH, ANOTHER QUESTION OR, UM, DID I CUT YOU OFF? GO AHEAD.
UH, THAT WAS, THAT WAS THE, UH, THAT WAS THE ANSWER WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
I GUESS THE, UH, THE, THE SECOND PART, AND THIS IS PROBABLY BEYOND THE SCOPE OF THIS SPECIFIC MEETING, IS WHAT IS THE IMPACT ON THE METHODOLOGY FOR DECIDING WHETHER THE STREETS GET OPEN FROM LOCKWOOD OVER INTO HOSPITAL HILL? UM, I ASSUME THAT IS BEYOND THE SCOPE, BUT, UH, IT IS CERTAINLY WHAT I'M LOOKING TO FIND OUT.
I DON'T THINK IT'S NECESSARILY BEYOND THE SCOPE OF THE MEETING.
UM, SO ABSOLUTELY, I THINK, UH, IT IS BEYOND THE SCOPE OF THE RESOLUTION, UM, BECAUSE THE RESOLUTION, UH, AS YOU KIND OF ALLUDED TO, DOES NOT ANSWER ANY OF PROBABLY THE THORNIEST QUESTIONS.
UH, FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS, UH, DETAILED ALLOCATION OF PUBLIC SERVICES, UH, STREET OPENINGS, OTHER KINDS OF NON VEHICULAR CONNECTIONS, UM, STORM WATER, UH, THOSE ARE ALL ISSUES, UH, THAT ARE MUCH MORE COMPLICATED THAN, UH, THIS KIND OF CUT AND DRY, UH, ANNEXATION RESOLUTION.
[00:20:01]
AND SO I DON'T THINK THAT THE ANNEXATION, UH, EITHER WAY CHANGES THE DYNAMICS FOR OPENING THE ROADS, FOR EXAMPLE.I THINK THE OPENING THE ROAD, THE QUESTION OF WHETHER OR NOT TO OPEN THE ROADS WILL HAVE TO BE ANSWERED WHETHER THOSE PARCELS ARE IN THE TOWN OF CHEVROLET OR NOT, BECAUSE THE DEVELOPMENT WILL BE THERE.
UH, THE DEVELOPER WILL, WILL CONTINUE TO SEEK THE OPENING OF THE ROADS, UM, AGAIN, WHETHER THEIR DEVELOPMENT IS IN CH OR ADJACENT TO CHEVROLET.
I, I'M, I'M JUST GRATEFUL THAT, UH, WE HAVE KIND OF AN ORDERLY METHODOLOGY, UM, FROM BEING FROM THIS ANNEXATION.
I THINK THIS IS, UH, THIS IS HELPFUL AND I'M GRATEFUL.
UH, I BELIEVE ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFULLY PROMOTED.
IF PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF ANYONE IS OUT THERE AND NOT A PANELIST.
YOU PLEASE SHARE YOUR NAME AND WARD AND YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR AND COUNSEL FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
THIS IS DENISE RYAN, I'M IN WARD ONE.
UM, I'VE BEEN TRYING MY BEST TO PAY AS CLOSE ATTENTION TO THIS AS I CAN, BUT I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED.
AND THAT IS, I THOUGHT THAT BEFORE ANNEXATION COULD OCCUR, WE NEEDED THE APPROVAL OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS.
IS THAT CORRECT? WELL, GENERALLY, YEAH, GENERALLY SPEAKING, YES.
UH, SO, SO, SO CON ANNEXATION IS GENERALLY A TOWN CAN GENERALLY ONLY ANNEX, UM, EXISTING PROPERTIES OR DEVELOPED PROPERTIES IF THEY HAVE SOME COMBINATION OF THE APPROVAL OF THE VOTERS WHO LIVE THERE AND THE PROPERTY OWNERS, UH, EVEN IF THEY'RE NON-RESIDENT PROPERTY OWNERS THERE.
UM, THE SIMPLICITY OF THIS SITUATION IS THAT WE HAVE NO RESIDENCE OF ANY KIND, UM, NO HUMAN RESIDENCE CURRENTLY.
AND, UH, WE HAVE, UH, ONLY A GOVERNMENTAL PROPERTY OWNER.
WE HAVE NO PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS.
SO, IN A SENSE, THE PROPERTY RIGHTS ASPECT OF WHAT I JUST SAID DOESN'T APPLY IN THE SAME WAY AS IF THIS WERE OWNED BY A COMPANY OR A NUMBER OF RESIDENTS OR SO, MR. BROWNS, DOES THAT SOUND OKAY? NO, EXACTLY.
MR. MAYOR, YOU ARE A HUNDRED PERCENT CORRECT AND I FEEL LIKE YOU'RE TAKING MY JOB.
UH, YOU KNOW, REALLY, BUT, UH, NO, YOU ARE OUTLINING IT AND YOU KNOW, 100% CORRECTLY.
SO THEN, DO WE HAVE THE BLESSING OR ENDORSEMENT OF THE COUNTY TO, UM, ANNEX PROPERTY? WELL, THAT, YEAH, I, SO I, THAT'S A COMPLICATED QUESTION, BUT I DO NOT, MY BELIEF IS THAT WE WILL NOT FACE ANY OPPOSITION FROM THE COUNTY IN BRINGING THEIR PARCEL OF LAND INTO THE TOWN'S CORPORATE LIMITS.
SO THEN THIS IS AN EXERCISE TO SHOW WHETHER OR NOT THE, THE TOWN OF CH APPROVES OR DISAPPROVES IN CHANGING OUR CHARTER TO ANNEX THIS PROPERTY.
I MEAN, THERE IS A, A, A, EVEN, EVEN IN, IN AN ANNEXATION AS SIMPLE AS THIS ONE WHERE THERE'S NO HUMAN RESIDENCE AND NO NON-GOVERNMENTAL OWNERS, UH, IT IS STILL A LENGTHY LEGAL PROCESS.
UH, AND, UH, THIS HEARING AND THE SUBSEQUENT HEARINGS ARE BEING HELD BY THE COUNCIL BECAUSE WE ARE CONCERNED, FIRST AND FOREMOST ABOUT CH RESIDENTS VIEWS OF WHETHER THESE PARCELS SHOULD BE IN TOWN.
I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER HANDS, SO I'M GONNA PULL A CALL OUT FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO WOULD, UH, IF THERE'S ANY COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, INCLUDING, UM, MR. GALLOWAY OR MR. POUNDS, UH, IF YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS THAT YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE, AND THEN, UM, AGAIN, UH, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, FEEL FREE TO CONTINUE TO TRY TO RAISE YOUR HANDS.
UM, IN THE NEXT FEW MINUTES, ARE THERE ANY COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, WHO WOULD LIKE TO COME IN AT THIS TIME? OKAY, SEEING NONE.
UH, MR. GALLOWAY, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD FOR PUBLIC CONSUMPTION AT THIS TIME? NOTHING TO ADD FOR, FOR RIGHT NOW.
[00:25:01]
MR. POUNDS, ANYTHING TO ADD? NO, JUST AS A FOLLOW UP, WHAT YOU SAID, MR. MAYOR, THAT WE WILL BE HAVING OTHER PUBLIC HEARINGS ABOUT THIS IN THE FUTURE AND, UM, THIS IS JUST MORE OF AN INFORMATIONAL, UH, SESSION TONIGHT, BUT WE WILL BE FURTHER DISCUSSING THIS AND BRINGING IT BEFORE THE PUBLIC.UM, I THINK, UH, SO PUBLIC, I THINK THAT THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL ARE LIKELY, YOU WILL LIKELY SEE THIS ON THE DECEMBER 18TH TOWN MEETING AGENDA, UH, AS AN INTRODUCTION AND FIRST READER.
UH, IT MAY BE DIFFERENT THAN THIS DRAFT.
SO, UH, BECAUSE THE PURPOSE OF THIS DRAFT WAS REALLY TO SPARK THIS DISCUSSION TONIGHT, UM, IT WILL BE SUBSTANTIALLY SIMILAR TO THIS.
UH, AS I SAID, TONIGHT IS NOT AN INTRODUCTION.
I EXPECT DECEMBER EIGHTEENS TOWN MEETING WILL BE, UH, THE FORMAL INTRODUCTION.
UH, AND, AND THE DRAFT WILL NO LONGER SAY DRAFT, AND IT WILL BE THE DOCUMENT THAT WE PROCEED, UH, WITH.
UM, AGAIN, WE WILL NOT BE ADOPTING IT IN DECEMBER BECAUSE THAT WOULD NOT BE FOLLOWING THE LEGAL PROCESS.
THERE WILL BE AT LEAST THREE READERS, UH, THOSE MAY BE SPACED OUT.
THEY MAY NOT BE IMMEDIATELY RIGHT AFTER EACH OTHER.
AND THERE WILL ALSO BE AT LEAST ONE MORE, UH, PUBLIC FORMAL PUBLIC HEARING SUCH AS THIS AND POSSIBLY A SECOND ADDITIONAL PUBLIC HEARING, UH, DEPENDING ON RESIDENT FEEDBACK AND, AND THE WILL OF THE COUNCIL.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS FOR THIS EVENING? IF YOU ARE TRYING, MS. SALO, YOUR HAND IS, IS UP.
IS IT STILL UP? IT'S AGAIN, UP
UM, I'M, I JUST WANTED TO KNOW, I, I WAS VERY PLEASED TO SEE THAT, UH, THE, IT WAS POSSIBLE TO, UM, TO SEE THE TRANSCRIPT ALONG SIDE THE REGULAR SCREEN.
UM, BUT CAN WE GET A COPY OF THAT? ACTUALLY, I, THERE'S NO WAY FOR, FOR, UM, THE USER, THE
UM, I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH HOW THE TRANSCRIPT WORKS.
UH, I WILL PASS THAT MESSAGE TO MR. GALLOWAY, OR HE'S PROBABLY LISTENING, UM, EITHER WAY.
BUT, UM, I WILL, I WILL ASK ABOUT THE TRANSCRIPT.
I'M LOOKING FOR COUNCIL MEMBER WADE, BECAUSE I BELIEVE HE HAD SOMETHING COME UP, BUT WAS GOING TO JOIN US.
OH, HE IS? UH, OH, I THINK HE'S A PANELIST.
WANNA MAKE SURE HE HAS AN OPPORTUNITY.
AND HE HAS THIS, HE, OH, HE HAS HIS HAND UP AS AN ATTENDEE.
I'M GONNA TRY TO PROMOTE HIM AND THEN I'LL GIVE ONE FINAL CALL TO THE COUNCIL TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY, UM, IF THERE ARE ANY FINAL COMMENTS BEFORE WE ADJOURN THIS HEARING.
COUNCIL MEMBER, WADE, I WAS SIMPLY MAKING ONE FINAL CALL FOR ANY PUBLIC INPUT.
UM, I CAN SHARE, I CAN UPDATE YOU ON THAT, UH, OFFLINE, AND THEN ALSO A FINAL CALL TO ANY COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO WANTED TO MAKE ANY COMMENTS BEFORE WE ADJOURN THIS HEARING.
UH, AGAIN, EXCUSE ME, MAYOR AND COUNCIL FOR, UH, BEING A LITTLE TARDY, UNFORTUNATELY, HAD A LITTLE FAMILY EMERGENCY, HAD TO TAKE CARE OF.
BUT, UM, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE OPPORTUNITY FOR, FOR RESIDENTS TO, UH, VOICE YOUR OPINIONS REGARDING SOMETHING THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO EVERYONE IN THE TOWN, UH, GOING FORWARD.
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO, UH, DISCUSS THIS VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE GOING FORWARD.
AND THAT REMINDS ME TO REMIND THE PUBLIC TO ALSO FEEL FREE TO EMAIL YOUR, UH, COMMENTS, UH, AND FEEDBACK EITHER TO TOWN CLERK AT CH FOR THE FORMAL RECORD, UM, OR ALSO OF COURSE TO, UH, YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER AND ME, UH, AS YOU'RE ABLE, UH, TO PROVIDE US, UH, YOUR, UM, YOU KNOW, YOUR DIRECT FEEDBACK.
BUT IF YOU WOULD LIKE SOMETHING FORMALLY IN THE RECORD, PLEASE ALSO COPY, UH, OR SEND IT TO TOWN CLERK@CHEVROLETMD.GOV.
COUNSEL, ARE THERE ANY FINAL COMMENTS? ALL RIGHT.
HEARING NONE, UH, IS THERE A MOTION TO ADJOURN THIS PUBLIC HEARING? MOTION TO ADJOURN? ADJOURN.
SECOND, UH, A MOTION MADE BY VICE MAYOR BRENER.
WAS THAT SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER FRY? YES.
UH, THERE'S BEEN A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
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ANY ABSTENTIONS? THE MOTION PASSES.COUNSEL, WE WILL RECONVENE AT SEVEN 30 FOR SESSION.