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CHAIR.[Work Session on April 23, 2026.]
ALRIGHT.I'M CALLING TO ORDER THE APRIL 23RD, 2026 WORK SESSION FOR THE TOWN OF CH.
I'M THE MAYOR, MICHAEL WATSON, THE ACTING TOWN ADMINISTRATOR.
THE TOWN ATTORNEY JASON DELOACH IS PRESENT.
THE TOWN CLERK, THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS.
UH, THE DEPUTY POLICE CHIEF IS ALSO PRESENT.
THE ROLE FOR THE ELECTED COUNCIL MEMBERS IS THE COUNCIL MEMBER FROM WARD ONE.
WE'RE GONNA MARK COUNCIL MEMBER GAR AS PRESENT BOARD.
ALL SEVEN ELECTED OFFICIALS OF THE TOWN OF CH ARE PRESENT AT QUORUM, IS PRESENT SUFFICIENT TO CONDUCT BUSINESS.
AND THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS.
ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
OKAY, COUNSEL, THE NEXT ORDER OF BUSINESS ITEM THREE IS THE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.
UH, WE HAVE AT LEAST ONE ITEM TO REMOVE FROM THE AGENDA, AND THAT IS ITEM FOUR.
AS THE TOWN ADMINISTRATOR WOULD LIKE ADDITIONAL TIME TO COLLECT DOCUMENTS REGARDING THE GRANT REQUEST.
UM, COUNSEL, ARE THERE ANY OTHER CHANGES TO THE AGENDA THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS? IS IT THE WILL OF THE COUNCIL TO LEAVE ITEM SEVEN ON THE AGENDA AND DISCUSS THE G-I-C-M-O-U? OKAY.
HEARING NO INTEREST IN CHANGING THAT, I DON'T SEE ANY, I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY OTHER CHANGES THAT ARE NECESSARY.
IS THERE A MOTION FROM THE COUNCIL TO APPROVE THE AGENDA WITH THE REMOVAL OF ITEM FOUR? UM, WERE YOU INTERESTED IN SETTING ANY TIME LIMITS FOR ANY OF THESE? YES, WE COULD CERTAINLY DO THAT.
UH, WHAT WOULD YOU PROPOSE? UM, I THINK SEVEN, EIGHT, AND NINE ARE THE MOST LIKELY TO BE PROTRACTED.
UM, SHALL WE, 25 MINUTES EACH 20 SEEMS SHORT.
WHAT DO YOU THINK? I MEAN, ULTIMATELY THE MAYOR'S DISCRETION.
HOW ABOUT 25? THAT'LL BE AN ODD NUMBER TO KEEP TRACK OF.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA AS PRINTED WITH THE REMOVAL OF ITEM FOUR AND THE IMPOSITION OF 25 MINUTE TIME LIMITS ON ITEMS? OLD SEVEN, OLD EIGHT AND OLD NINE.
IT'S BEEN MOVED BY THE VICE MAYOR AND SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER TANZI.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION BY THE COUNCIL MEMBERS ON THE MOTION? HEARING NONE.
ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS? THE APPROVAL, THE AGENDA IS APPROVED AND THAT TAKES US DIRECTLY TO ITEM FIVE ON THE PRINTED AGENDA.
THE NAMING OF THE 57 0 1 LANDOVER ROAD PARK, UH, COUNSEL, THIS IS THE, UH, PIECE OF LAND THAT HAS BEEN LOVINGLY RESTORED BY CNPP AND A HOST OF OTHER VOLUNTEERS AS WELL AS TOWN STAFF OVER THE PAST, I GUESS, TWO YEARS.
UH, IT'S LOCATED AT THE INTERSECTIONS OF NEWTON NEWTON AND 57TH AND CHEVROLET AVENUE AND 57TH.
UM, AND, UM, THERE HAS BEEN INTEREST IN THE COMMUNITY IN CHOOSING A NAME FOR THE PARK.
I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE DISCUSS THE IDEA TONIGHT AND IF WE SEEM TO HAVE CONSENSUS TO PUT, UH, THE NAME ON THE MAY 14 TOWN MEETING AGENDA FOR A FORMAL
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ADOPTION COUNCIL MEMBER.WADE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO KICK OFF THE DISCUSSION? OKAY.
IS ANYONE EL UH, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THE, I'M HAVING TROUBLE WITH MY MIC.
UH, IF SOMEONE ELSE SPEAK TO IT, HOPEFULLY I CAN.
I'M LIKE TWO MINUTES AWAY, BUT THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH MY MICROPHONE.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME BACK TO THIS ITEM? SHALL WE JUST SHUFFLE AND GO DIRECTLY TO THE CHARTER AMENDMENT THEN? THAT'S FINE.
YEAH, BECAUSE I KNOW HE, HE HAS SOME DISTINCT I ABOUT THAT.
ANY OBJECT? IF THERE'S NO OBJECTION, I WILL SIMPLY PROCEED TO ITEM SIX AND THEN WE WILL BACKTRACK.
ITEM SIX ON THE AGENDA IS THE LANGUAGE, UH, FOR THE CHARTER AMENDMENT ON CANDIDATE PROHIBITION.
AGAIN, THIS IS NOT THE INTRODUCTION OF A CHARTER AMENDMENT AND THIS IS NOT THE RESOLUTION THAT WOULD DO SO.
WE WILL NOT BE DOING THAT IN A WORK SESSION.
UH, IF WE ARE ALL GENERALLY HAPPY WITH THE LANGUAGE, WE WILL ASK THE ATTORNEY TO GET ALL THAT READY, POSSIBLY FOR MAY 14TH OR POSSIBLY JUNE 11TH OR SOME OTHER WORK SESSION FOR A FIRST READER OF THE CHARTER AMENDMENT RESOLUTION COUNSEL, THIS IS, UM, DESIGNED BY THE BOARD OF ELECTION SUPERVISORS, UH, TO PROHIBIT A CANDIDATE IN AN ELECTION.
AND AGAIN, IT WON'T BE RELEVANT UNTIL 2031 WHEN WE ONCE AGAIN HAVE THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL UP AT THE SAME TIME PROHIBIT A A, AN INDIVIDUAL RESIDENT OF THE TOWN FROM RUNNING FOR TWO OFFICES.
UM, I'M GONNA TURN NOW TO THE BOARD OF ELECTION SUPERVISORS.
I SEE AT LEAST ONE OF THEM ONLINE AND INVITE THEM TO OFFER ANY INTRODUCTORY COMMENTS BECAUSE THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT THEY IDENTIFIED.
ANN CLAIRE, ARE YOU ABLE TO UNMUTE? HI, UH, THIS IS ROBIN.
UM, I HAVE NOT SEEN, OR PERHAPS I HAVE MISSED IT, IF THERE WAS A, A NEW VERSION OF THE AMENDMENT ROLLED OUT.
UM, WE, JUST TO CLARIFY, WE DID NOT CRAFT THIS, UH, AMENDMENT.
WE, WE JUST HAVE, UH, WE ARE JUST TRYING TO GET IT ADDRESSED THAT THIS LOOPHOLE WAS REVEALED LAST ELECTION.
UM, SO IF THERE IS A NEW DRAFT OF THE LANGUAGE, UM, AND CAN IT BE SENT TO ME? YEAH, I CAN, UM, I'LL TELL YOU.
WELL, WE CAN CERTAINLY PROVIDE IT.
I'LL JUST READ IT RIGHT NOW BECAUSE IT'S ONLY THREE SENTENCES.
UM, SO THIS WOULD BE A NEW PARAGRAPH B UNDER, UH, 18.2 FOR CANDIDATES.
UH, PREVIOUSLY THERE HAD ONLY BEEN AN A SECTIONS 1, 2, 3, 4, AND FIVE.
THE NEW SECTION B, ALL NEW LANGUAGE IN THE CHARTER WOULD READ UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES MAY AN INDIVIDUAL BE A CANDIDATE FOR MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBER IN THE SAME ELECTION.
AN APPLICATION FOR CANDIDACY FOR MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBER FOR AN OFFICIAL CANDIDATE IN THE SAME ELECTION SHALL BE NULL AND VOID.
LIKEWISE, ANY APPLICATION FOR WRITE-IN CANDIDACY FOR AN INDIVIDUAL FOR THE OFFICE OF MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBER IN THE SAME ELECTION SHALL BE NULL AND VOID FOR BOTH OFFICES.
UM, UH, IT SEEMS VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT IT WAS BEFORE.
UM, SO I GUESS I, I DON'T REALLY HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD.
CLAIRE, ANYTHING TO ADD AS A, AS A FELLOW SUPERVISOR? NO, I DON'T.
OKAY, MR. DELOACH, UH, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD? I DO NOT.
COUNSEL, ANYTHING TO ADD MR. TANZI? SO THE LAST SENTENCE SAYS IT WILL BE NULL AND VOID FOR BOTH OFFICES.
WOULD THE SAME APPLY IF YOU ARE AN OFFICIAL CANDIDATE? UM, AND IS THAT THE INTENTION THAT IF YOU, IF YOU SUBMIT FOR BOTH, THAT MEANS YOU'RE WRITING FOR NEITHER? CORRECT.
SO WITH THE WRITE-IN CANDIDACY, BECAUSE WHEN YOU HAVE A WRITE-IN CANDIDATE, THEY'RE NOT ON THE BALLOT.
SO THEY HAVEN'T GONE THROUGH THE NORMAL PROCESS OF GETTING ON THE BALLOT.
SO IF SOMEONE, UH, GOES THROUGH THE PROCESS OF BEING PLACED ON A BALLOT AND THEN THERE IS A WRITE-IN CAMPAIGN BY SOMEONE OTHER THAN THAT PERSON, OKAY, THEN IT'S NOT
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FAIR TO NEUTRALIZE OR NULLIFY THE BALLOT.WHEN YOU HAVE SOMEONE WHO HAS A WRITE-IN CAMPAIGN, THAT'S DIFFERENT.
UH, BECAUSE THEY COULD BE, UH, PROFFERING OR, OR SUGGESTING OR MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT WRITE-IN CAMPAIGN ON THEIR OWN FOR BOTH OFFICES.
IF, IF, DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE DISTINCTION? I UNDERSTAND THE DISTINCTION.
I GUESS THE WAY I READ THIS IS IF I SAY I'M GONNA RUN FOR COUNCIL AND I SUBMIT MY STUFF, AND THEN I SAY, ACTUALLY I'M GONNA RUN FOR MAYOR AND I SUBMIT MY, SUBMIT MY STUFF, I'M NOW NO LONGER RUNNING FOR EITHER.
WELL, SO IT, IT SEEMS TO ME THE WAY THIS IS WRITTEN IS THAT IF I PUT MY PAPERWORK IN AS AN OFFICIAL CANDIDATE FOR BOTH, I'M NO LONGER, I CAN NO LONGER RUN FOR EITHER.
THAT'S THEN THAT'S CAPTURED IN THE FIRST SENTENCE.
THAT I THINK I UNDERSTAND, I THINK I UNDERSTAND THE SET, THE, THE WRITE IN ONE.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S WHAT WE INTENDED TO SAY.
THAT SOMEONE CAN'T CHANGE THEIR MIND, EVEN IF IT'S BEFORE THE THINGS GET PRINTED.
LIKE IF I SAY I'M RUNNING FOR COUNCIL AND THEN I DECIDE, OH, ACTUALLY THE, THE MAYOR JUST RESIGNED, I'M GONNA RUN FOR MAYOR.
THAT I, I WE ARE, WE ARE REMOVING THE ABILITY FOR SOMEONE TO DO THAT BEFORE.
WELL, AT ANY POINT, IF I'VE ALREADY SUBMITTED THE FIRST, I CAN NO LONGER RETRACT THAT IT SEEMS, AND SAY NOW I'M RUNNING FOR THE SECOND.
IS THAT, I DON'T THINK THAT WAS THE INTENT OF THE ORIGINAL AMENDMENT, BUT IF THAT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT THE COUNCIL TO CONSIDER, I DON'T, I THINK THEY'RE HEARING THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME.
I THINK THAT'S HOW IT'S WRITTEN IS MY POINT.
THE WAY I READ THIS WAS YOU CAN'T CHANGE YOUR MIND.
YOU CAN'T SAY, ACTUALLY I'M NOT GONNA RUN FOR MAYOR, I'M JUST GONNA RUN FOR COUNCIL.
AND I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO, TO PUT IN.
SO THAT'S, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE AS IT'S WRITTEN, IS THAT WHAT WOULD HAPPEN AND THEN AS MAYOR AND COUNCIL, WE CAN DISCUSS, IS THAT WHAT WE WANT, JOHN, GO AHEAD AND THEN WE'LL GO TO NICOLE.
IF IT WERE BEFORE THE DEADLINE, YOU SHOULD BE, THAT OPPORTUNITY SHOULD BE AFFORDED YOU.
SO, YEAH, SO IF, YOU KNOW, IF THAT, YOU KNOW, IF THAT OPPORTUNITY AROSE AND YOU DECIDED YOU CHANGED YOUR MIND, BUT SO, SO I UNDERSTAND WHAT DAVID IS ASKING.
I THINK MY, SO WHATEVER THIS SAYS, I THINK MY POLICY PREFERENCE IS TO DO WHAT JOHN'S SAYING THAT YOU, YOU CAN ERASE THE FIRST APPLICATION WITH THE SECOND APPLICATION AS LONG AS IT'S BEFORE THE FILING DEADLINE.
I DON'T THINK THE SECOND POINT I'LL MAKE, AND MR. DELOACH CAN CORRECT ME ON THIS, BUT I DON'T THINK WE CAN EVER LEGISLATE SOMEONE GETTING ELECTED AS AN UNOFFICIAL RIGHT.
RIGHT? I MEAN, WE'RE TALKING, I THINK THE DISTINCTION IS BETWEEN A FILED CANDIDATE WHO'S ON THE BALLOT AND AN OFFICIAL WRITE-IN CANDIDATE.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE CAN EVER, I'M NOT SURE HOW YOU LEGISLATE ABOUT SOMEONE GETTING ELECTED AS AN UNOFFICIAL UNCERTIFIED WRITE-IN CANDIDATE.
AND I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE ENTERTAINED ALL THREE CATEGORIES.
VICE MAYOR, UM, I'M REMEMBERING BACK, WE LAST LOOKED AT THIS AT THE FEBRUARY WORK SESSION, AND I THINK SOME OF THE QUESTION WAS ABOUT THE FINAL PHRASE FOR BOTH OFFICES, BECAUSE I THINK YOU CAN READ IT A NUMBER OF WAYS.
AND THE WAY THAT I THINK IT'S MEANT TO READ HERE IS THAT ANY APPLICATION FOR RIGHT IN CANDIDACY FOR AN INDIVIDUAL SHALL BE NULL AND VOID FOR THE OFFICE OF MOY MAYOR OR FOR THE OFFICE OF COUNCIL MEMBER IN THE SAME ELECTION.
SO EITHER ONE THAT YOU DO WOULD BE NULL AND VOID, BUT MAYBE THAT'S WRONG.
MR. DELO, WHAT IF YOU DO BOTH OFFICERS THOUGH? WHAT IF YOU HAVE A WRITING CAMPAIGN FOR MAYOR AND A WRITING CAMPAIGN FOR COUNCIL MEMBER? WELL, YOU CAN HAVE A CAMPAIGN FOR WHATEVER YOU WANT.
YOU JUST CAN'T BE AN OFFICIAL WRITE-IN CANDIDATE.
ARE YOU ASKING MR. DELO, WHAT DO WE DO IF YOU WIN BOTH? WELL, THE QUESTION IS, WE DON'T WANT ANYONE TO BE ABLE TO DO BOTH.
YOU DON'T WANT TO BE ABLE TO SAY, OKAY, I'M GONNA FILE FOR MAYOR.
OH, AND THEN IF I DON'T WIN, UH, WIN THE MAYOR, I'LL STILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO WIN AS COUNCIL MEMBER.
SO I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE SAYING IN NO CIRCUMSTANCE DO WE WANT YOU TO BE AN OFFICIAL CANDIDATE FOR BOTH, EITHER AN OFFICIAL WRITE-IN CANDIDATE OR AN OFFICIAL, UM, YOU KNOW, PRE DEADLINE ON THE BALLOT.
I THINK, UH, THE MAYOR IS ADDING A A THIRD CATEGORY OF WE CAN'T ACTUALLY STOP SOMEONE FROM JUST GOING AROUND SAYING, VOTE FOR ME FOR MAYOR BECAUSE I, I MEAN FOR WHATEVER REASON.
AND SO I DON'T KNOW HOW WE RESOLVE, UH, THAT ISSUE.
IT MIGHT BE A SEPARATE ISSUE, BUT I THINK WE CAN AT THE VERY LEAST SAY YOU CAN'T BE, YOU CAN'T BE EITHER AN OFFICIAL
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CANDIDATE ON THE BALLOT FOR TWO DIFFERENT OFFICES OR AN OFFICIAL WRITE-IN CANDIDATE FOR 2D DIFFERENT OFFICES AND ONE OF EACH AT ONE OF EACH.SORRY FOR SO THAT THEY, THEY THEY ARE FROM THE SAME POOL.
YOU CAN ONLY HAVE A SINGLE, UM, BALLOT PLACEMENT OR WRITE IN OFFICIAL WRITE IN PLACEMENT.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE ARE SAYING.
WE WANT TO FIND THE RIGHT WORDING FOR.
DOES ANYONE, I MEAN, I THINK I AGREE WITH DAVID.
I THINK WE'RE SIDESTEPPING THE ISSUE OF WHETHER YOUR UNOFFICIAL UNCERTIFIED WRITING CANDIDACY GOT YOU ELECTED TO SOMETHING AND WHETHER THAT NULLIFIES YOUR ELECTION TO THE OFFICE FOR WHICH YOU WERE A CERTIFIED CANDIDATE.
I THINK WE'RE SIDESTEPPING THAT ISSUE.
SIDESTEPPING IT, UH, BECAUSE THIS PLUGS 90% OF THE HOLE, THAT IS A DIFFERENT HOLE, SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT HOLE.
WE COULD PLUG THAT OR WE COULD NOT PLUG THAT.
UM, I THINK THE POLICY, AT ANY RATE, LET'S HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC AND THEN, UM, WE WILL CLARIFY OUR POLICY DIRECTION FOR THE ATTORNEY.
UH, AND THEN SEE IF WE MIGHT BE READY FOR MAY OR WHETHER WE WAIT.
I HAVE ONE MORE ADMINISTRATIVE QUESTION.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO ASK YOUR ADMINISTRATIVE QUESTION? YEAH, I JUST, SO THE OTHER, UH, UM, PARAGRAPH THAT'S HIGHLIGHTED IS THAT NEW LANGUAGE? WELL, IT'S ALL NEW LANGUAGE.
SO THE, I MEAN OBVIOUSLY SECTION B WAS DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WE SAW IN FEBRUARY.
AND IS THIS OTHER SECTION IN HIGHLIGHT ALSO NEW FROM FEBRUARY? YES.
BUT AGAIN, IT'S NOT IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT'S NOT CODIFIED.
IT'S JUST, IT'S RIGHT, IT'S EXPRESSING OUR INTENT.
I WILL SAY THE FIRST HIGHLIGHTED PIECE IS, IS CLEAR, VERY CLEAR, YES.
SO THAT LANGUAGE IS CLEAR AND WE JUST NEED TO HAVE PART B BE AN, YOU KNOW, A CLEAR, UH, REFLECTION OF THAT INTENT.
UH, PLEASE APPROACH THE MICROPHONE OR RAISE YOUR HAND ONLINE.
AND YOU HAVE, UM, THREE MINUTES, NAME AND WORD THEN COUNCIL.
I HAVE LIKE FIVE OR SIX CO QUESTIONS.
WHAT WAS IT? THE PREVIOUS ELECTION, EVERYTHING APPLIED NOW, BUT WHEN RETRO, WAS IT RETROACTIVE, LET'S SAY A YEAR AGO, WHATEVER COUNCIL ORIAL ELECTION DOES THE PRESIDENT, I GUESS QUESTION TO, TO DOES WHAT IS BEING DEBATED NOW? WAS IT, UH, BEING FIXED? DOES THAT THE WHOLE, UH, THIS UH, THIS WHOLE, I GUESS YOU WANNA CALL IT A GAP, I BROUGHT IT TO THE ATTENTION OF, SO YOU ARE WELCOME.
ANYWAY, DOES ANYTHING THAT, DOES IT AFFECT ANYONE APPLYING AS A CERTIFIED CANDIDATE FOR A POSITION? YES.
AND, OKAY, SO CLARITY FROM THE MAYOR FOR LIKE 30 SECONDS FROM THE ATTORNEY THAT EVERYTHING THERE WAS WAS NOT FIXED, BUT IT'S, IT DOESN'T MATTER.
IS THAT, IS THAT THE, UH, OPINION? THE ATTORNEY'S NOT GONNA RESPOND TO PUBLIC INPUT.
OH, AND CHANGE THE SUBJECT A LITTLE BIT.
I NOTICED A, ANOTHER MUNICIPALITY HAD A, UH, BUDGET, UH, AND PAPER, NOT ONLINE, WHATEVER.
AND IT'S CONCLUSIVE TO THE TREASURER OF THE TOWN SHALL AND OR WHATEVER, AND THE ADMINISTRATOR, SAME FIGURES AS EVERYONE AGREES.
CAN I GET A COPY OF THE BUDGET 2026 BUDGET IN WRITING A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME BEFORE JUNE, I GUESS JUNE 30TH, BECAUSE I GOT A COPY OF, OF CUOMO MATTER BUDGET RIGHT HERE.
YES, THEY'RE SMALLER, BUT I'M TRYING TO SEE IF SHELBY CAN WALK BACK TO MISTAKES OF OVERSPENDING AND STILL EXPAND WITHOUT BEYOND THEIR, THEIR PURSE, THEIR WALLET.
SO HOW DO YOU PUT THE GENIE BACK IN THE BOTTLE? THAT'S WHY I WAS ATTENDING MEETINGS THERE, FOR EXAMPLE, OVER A MILLION DOLLAR SURPLUS GETS MY ATTENTION, BUT THEIR SERVICES ARE LESS THAN CHEVY.
BUT I'D APPRECIATE IN WRITING THE 2026 BUDGET OF THE TOWN OF CH OH, NOW THE GREEN SPACE.
WELL, THAT, THAT WOULDN'T BE GERMANE TO THE TOPIC AT HAND.
WELL, I APPRECIATE A COPY OF THE BUDGET, IF YOU COULD.
WELL, THAT'S ALSO NOT GERMANE TO THE TOPIC AT HAND.
THIS TOPIC IS THE, UH, CHARTER AMENDMENT FOR THE ELECTION.
WELL, I GUESS YOU, YOU I BROUGHT YOUR ATTENTION.
I DO HAVE PUBLIC INPUT, RIGHT? THREE MINUTES.
YOU JUST EIGHT INTO MY MINUTES NOW.
THE INFRASTRUCTURE, THE GRANT INFRASTRUCTURE.
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UH, OH, I HAVE A QUESTION OF 2026 BUDGET.I DO REMEMBER THE ADMINISTRATOR, UH, THE AUDITOR ON MARCH, 2025, I GUESS IS EARLY MARCH THAT MENTIONED A SURPLUS ON RESTRICTED ACCOUNT OF $6,000,824.
I WAS ALARMED TO FAR THE SEA EVENLY BY JANUARY 1ST, 2026 OF A 5 MILLION ONE HUNDRED FORTY TWO, A HUNDRED FORTY $2,000 BUDGET OFFICIALLY.
AND SO I, I CITE THAT AS I REGULARITIES THAT NEEDED TO BE WITHOUT A FIGHT OUT TIME, A FOYER REQUEST.
IS THERE, OKAY, I'M GONNA TURN TO ROBIN AND ANN CLAIRE AND ASK YOU IF YOUR, YOUR HANDS ARE UP FOR THIS SEGMENT.
UM, JUST WANTED A COUPLE POINTS OF CLARIFICATION.
UM, ONE IS THAT IN THE, UH, IN SECTION A OF THE C 18.2, UM, IT IS SPECIFIED THAT, AND THIS, THAT SECTION IS FOR CANDIDATES WHO FILE BEFORE THE DEADLINE, UH, THAT, THAT, UM, THAT THEY CANNOT RUN FOR MORE THAN ONE OFFICE IN ANY GIVEN ELECTION.
SO, SO THAT SCENARIO IS ALREADY COVERED BY THAT LANGUAGE.
IT'S IN, IT'S IN NUMBER FIVE SECTION NUMBER FIVE UNDER SECTION MM-HMM
UM, SO REALLY WE ARE JUST LOOKING TO PLUG THE LOOPHOLE OF SOMEONE WHO IS ALREADY ON THE BALLOT AND THEN FILING TO BE A CERTIFIED WRITING CANDIDATE.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I, I REMEMBER AT THE LAST WORK SESSION AT WHICH THIS WAS DISCUSSED, THERE WAS, UH, A, A DESIRE EXPRESSED TO, TO SIMPLIFY IT DOWN.
AND IF THAT IS ONE WAY THAT YOU WANT TO, YOU KNOW, REMOVE SOME OF THE LANGUAGE, UM, THAT THAT IS POSSIBLY ONE WAY TO SIMPLIFY IT DOWN.
WE WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FOR PLUGGING THAT ONE SCENARIO.
UM, THE, THE SIDE ISSUE THAT WAS BROUGHT UP ABOUT, UH, CONCERN ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS IF SOMEONE IS NOT A CERTIFIED WRITE-IN CANDIDATE AND THEY ARE ON THE BALLOT, BUT THEY MOUNT A WRITE-IN CAMPAIGN AND WHAT HAPPENS IF THEY WIN, ET CETERA.
UH, THE BOARD OF ELECTION SUPERVISORS, UH, WAS RECENTLY READING UP ON SOME LANGUAGE IN THE MARYLAND STATE LAW WHERE, UM, ONLY CERTIFIED WRITE-IN CANDIDATES CAN BE CONSIDERED TO BE, UH, TALLIED IN THE FINAL RESULTS.
UM, SO THAT, THAT IS SOMETHING, UM, WE ARE PONDERING AS YOU KNOW, THAT THAT WOULD SUPERSEDE OUR CODE.
UM, AND I BELIEVE ANN CLAIRE HAS HER HAND RAISED, SO TO PROBABLY SPEAK TO THAT POINT BECAUSE SHE IS THE ONE WHO HAS RESEARCHED THIS TOPIC.
UM, SO JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT UP AS SOME, SOME THINGS TO CONSIDER.
UH, ANN CLAIRE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK NOW? YEAH, I WANT INDEED WANTED TO SPEAK TO THAT POINT THAT LAST YEAR WHEN WE WERE DISCUSSING, UM, UN CERTIFIED RIGHT INS, I SAW IN THE AMERICAN ELECTION LAW THAT THERE IT IS ALREADY COVERED.
UM, AND WE ASSUME THAT IT THEN ALSO COUNTS FOR US THAT IF SOMEBODY IS NOT CERTIFIED RIGHT IN, THEY WON'T OFFICIALLY BE TALLIED.
WE'LL STILL COUNT EVERYTHING, BUT IT WON'T BE OFFICIALLY TALLIED AND IT CANNOT OFFICIALLY WIN, UM, THE ELECTION.
SO IT'S NOT, ALRIGHT, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
I DON'T THINK THAT THE MARYLAND LAW APPLIES TO MUNICIPALITIES AND CERTAINLY IN THE TOWN OF CH IT IS WELL UNDERSTOOD THAT A CANDIDATE CAN RUN AS AN UNOFFICIAL THAT, THAT SOMEONE CAN GET, BE, BE ELECTED TO AN OFFICE BY, BY WRITE-IN VOTES, EVEN IF THEY WEREN'T CERTIFIED PRIOR TO THE FRIDAY.
SO I THINK IT CAN STILL HAPPEN HERE.
UH, THAT MAY BE SOMETHING ELSE WE WANNA INVESTIGATE BECAUSE IT'S CERTAINLY, I DON'T THINK BEEN COMMON PRACTICE TO, UH, APPLY THAT PROVISION OF THE MARYLAND LAW TO CH OR, OR POSSIBLY ANY OF THE OTHER 161, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT FOR SURE.
UH, ARE THERE OTHER, IS THERE OTHER PUBLIC INPUT? YOUR NAME WARD AND YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
THANK YOU, MAYOR LARRY AZI, WARD ONE.
UM, ON THE FIRST PAGE, THE HIGHLIGHTED, WHEREAS I WOULD SUGGEST ONE TO JUST, UH, THERE ARE ERRORS OF CAPITALIZATION, UM, JUST TO HAVE CONSISTENCY THROUGHOUT.
THE OTHER THING IS, UM, THAT WHEREAS IN MY OPINION SHOULD END, UM, THERE SHOULD BE NO, AND, AND THE PARAGRAPH BELOW SHOULD BE REMOVED.
IT'S REPETITIVE, SO THEN MAKING THAT SUGGESTION,
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UM, IT'S ARRANGED DIFFERENTLY, BUT IT'S THE SAME CONTENT.UM, THEN WHEN, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, ON THE NEXT PAGE, THE HIGHLIGHTED SECTION, IF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, UM, THAT'S LISTED IN FIVE IS TO FOLLOW THROUGH THAT NO PERSON MAY BE A CANDIDATE FOR MORE THAN ONE OFFICE AT ANY ONE ELECTION.
AND THEN THE IDEA OF A CERTIFIED WRITING CANDIDATE, UM, I THINK IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL TO SAY HOW THAT WOULD BE HANDLED, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, NOT TO MAKE MORE WORK ON THE, ON THE BOARD, UM, OF ELECTION SUPERVISORS, BUT THAT PRIOR TO THE DEADLINE, UM, THAT THE PARTY WOULD BE NOTIFIED AND WOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY UP UNTIL THE DEADLINE TO CHOOSE ONE OFFICE AND IF NOT BOTH WOULD BE VOID.
UM, SO THAT THEN IS GIVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THAT DECISION THAT, UH, AS I UNDERSTOOD COUNCIL MEMBER TANSEY WAS BRINGING FORWARD IN THAT.
AND SAME FOR THE WRITE-IN, UM, UM, CANDIDATE THE OFFICIAL OR HOWEVER WRITE-IN CANDIDATE.
SO THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IT SAYS NO MAY RUN, BUT IT, IT DOESN'T TELL YOU WHAT HAPPENS.
SO HERE WE SAY THAT THEY'RE BOTH NULL AND VOID, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO, IF SOMEBODY HAS CHANGED THEIR MIND, TO HAVE THAT NOTIFICATION AND THAT RESPONSE TO THAT NOTIFICATION.
OH, AND ONE MORE THING I WOULD ADD.
I DON'T KNOW WHO'S DOING THE RESEARCH ON THIS, BUT I WOULD FORMALLY ASK OUR TOWN ATTORNEYS TO DO THE RESEARCH ACROSS MUNICIPALITIES ON THIS.
AND THE FIRST PLACE THAT I WOULD GO, QUITE HONESTLY WOULD BE THE MARYLAND MUNICIPAL LEAGUE FOR ASSISTANCE ON THIS.
THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE THERE FOR.
AND THEY DO A VERY GOOD JOB OF GUIDING, UM, FOR THESE ISSUES.
ANYONE, ANY FURTHER PUBLIC INPUT ON THIS, UH, LANGUAGE? SEEING NONE, UH, COUNSEL, I THINK WE ARE CLEAR THAT, UH, WE DO WANNA PROCEED WITH A SECTION B AND THAT THAT SECTION B SHOULD TO THE EXTENT NECESSARY GIVEN FIVE, CLARIFY THAT YOU CANNOT BE CERTIFIED AS A WRITING CANDIDATE IF YOU'RE ALREADY ON THE BALLOT FOR AN OFFICE.
AND I THINK I HEARD A CONSENSUS THAT YOU OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO REPLACE YOUR PREVIOUS OR WITHDRAWAL OR WHATEVER THE VERB IS, YOUR PREVIOUS APPLICATION WITH A NEW APPLICATION PROVIDED IT'S DONE BY FIVE O'CLOCK ON THE 45 DAY DEADLINE.
IS THAT, THAT THEY WILL BE NOTIFIED AS WELL, RIGHT? IS THAT, I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID AS WELL, NOTIFIED.
SO IF SHE, THEY PUT IT IN THE APPLICATION IN YEAH, THE TOWN WILL NOTIFY, HEY, YOU HAVE PUT BOTH IN, WILL NOTIFY YOU THAT YOU HAVE THAT RIGHT, THAT YOU WOULD BE NOTIFIED THAT YOU HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION AFFIRMATIVELY IN WRITING TO THE BOES BY FIVE O'CLOCK ON THAT 45 DAY LIMIT, WHICH IS GENERALLY A FRIDAY FOR US.
BUT IS IF THAT, AND IF, IF ALL, IF EVERYONE'S GOOD WITH THAT, MR. DELO, I'M GONNA ASK YOU TO TAKE THAT BACK AND VERIFY THAT THIS IS GOOD TO GO.
AND IF WE ARE IN GOOD SHAPE, THEN WE WILL PUT IT ON A TOWN MEETING AGENDA FOR FIRST READER.
I DON'T FEEL LIKE THIS NEEDS TO BE DONE BEFORE THE BUDGET, SO WE CAN PROBABLY MAKE IT JULY OR AUGUST 1ST READER.
SO I THINK THAT CONCLUDES THIS ITEM.
LET US NOW GO BACK TO ITEM FIVE ON THE PRINTED AGENDA.
AND MR. WADE, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
UH, I DO APOLOGIZE FOR RUNNING A LITTLE LATE.
UH, ACTUALLY MY DAY JOB, I WAS DOING MY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, WHICH I ALWAYS DO, SO, UM, BUT THANK YOU, UH, REGARDING HOW ALLOWING US TO HAVE THIS ON THE FLOOR.
UM, AS WE KNOW, UM, THAT WE HAVE THE PROPERTY AT ONE POINT WAS A DUMPING GROUND THAT NOW THANKS TO OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS AS WELL AS VOLUNTEERS THAT, UM, IT'S NOW A AMAZING, UH, PARK, ESPECIALLY ON, AGAIN, THAT SIDE OF WARD ONE IS ALSO A SIDE THAT I LIVE ON AS WELL.
UM, WE ARE, UH, WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT THE OPPORTUNITIES THERE TO NAME THE PARTICULAR PART.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, DISCUSS, SORRY, I WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS THE, UM, NAMING OF THE PART TO THE, UH, FORMER CHIEF WHO WAS, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN CHIEF WHO ACTUALLY LIVED, UM, ON THAT SIDE AS WELL.
HIS NAME WAS MR. GILBERT JONES.
AND, UM, HE CAME TO MY RECOLLECTION, UM, TWO YEARS AGO ACTUALLY, UH, WHERE HE PASSED AWAY TWO YEARS AGO IN JUNE OF 2023.
[00:30:01]
ARE COMING UP ON THE TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARY, IRONICALLY, OF HIS PASSING, UM, AGAIN, SHOWS OF HIS TIME OF LEADERSHIP, I BELIEVE FROM UNDER HISTORY THAT I WAS PROVIDED THAT, UM, HE WAS A ASSET TO THE TOWN AND, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY HE WAS A RESIDENT OF SHELBY AS WELL, NOT JUST BEING THE CHIEF, UH, MAKING HISTORY, UM, THAT ASPECT.SO I THINK IT WOULD REALLY COMMEND, UM, NOT ONLY HIS TERM HERE AS OFFICIAL, UH, EMPLOYEE AND CHIEF OF, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY, BUT ALSO A RESIDENT THAT LIVED A COUPLE BLOCKS FROM THERE AS WELL.
SO AGAIN, MR. GILBERT JONES, UM, WOULD BE MY SUGGESTION.
AND, UM, MOVING FORWARD WITH NAMING THAT THE PARK OVER THERE, F 57 0 1 I YIELD BACK.
COUNSEL, ANY OTHER IDEAS YOU WOULD LIKE TO THROW INTO THE HOPPER VICE MAYOR? UM, NOT AN IDEA SO MUCH AS A QUESTION.
UM, I DON'T THINK I WAS ON COUNCIL WHEN WE FORMALLY NAMED THIS BUILDING.
UM, WHEN WE'RE NAMING THINGS, UM, WHO DOES THE RESEARCH AND WHAT DEPTH OF RESEARCH DO THEY DO INTO THE PEOPLE WE ARE NAMING FOR? BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE THERE HAS BEEN A HISTORY HERE AND EVERYWHERE OF NAMING THINGS FOR PEOPLE WITHOUT SORT OF DIGGING A LITTLE DEEPER AND THEN FINDING OUT LATER THAT THEY DEFINITELY SHOULD NOT HAVE HAD SOMETHING NAMED AFTER THEM.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT THAT'S THE CASE HERE.
I'M JUST SAYING GENERALLY HOW DOES THAT GET AVOIDED AND, AND WHO DOES THAT.
SO I WILL SAY IT'S PROBABLY DONE WITH VARYING DEPTH.
WE WILL CERTAINLY DO, UH, WE'LL ASK, WE'RE IN NO RUSH HERE.
SO I, I WILL ASK THE TOWN ADMINISTRATOR TO DO A DEEP DIVE ON THE QUESTION AND UM, FIND OUT WHAT HE CAN FIND OUT, UH, ON CHIEF JONES.
I THINK, UM, I WILL JUST ADD ONE OTHER POINT IN A DEBATE.
UM, WE'RE, WE ARE NAMING A LOT OF STUFF AFTER DUDES.
WE HAVEN'T NAMED ANYTHING AFTER A WOMAN, SO PROBABLY NEED TO FIND A WOMAN WHO'S BEEN IMPORTANT TO CH HISTORY TO NAME SOMETHING AFTER.
'CAUSE WE GOT A PAVILION AND THEN WE GOT THIS OTHER THING AND THEN WE GOT THIS BUILDING AND NOW WE GOT THIS BARK.
AND THEY'RE ALL MEN, UH, MR. WADE.
YEAH, UH, I KNOW WE DO HAVE A NEW INITIATIVE WITH THE CHEVY HISTORY.
HISTORIC, UH, GOT THE OFFICIAL NAME.
THEY, THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD SOURCE.
UH, AND WE HAVE AMAZING SOURCE, UH, STANDING BEFORE US THAT MIGHT KNOW AS WELL.
BUT, UM, I DEFINITELY, CAN YOU SPEAK TO, UH, VICE MAYOR SAYS SHE WASN'T ON COUNCIL.
WHAT WAS THE PROCESS WITH THE NAMING OF THE, UH, OTHER BUILDINGS? HOW DID THAT WORK? YEAH, I THINK, UH, I THINK IT'S TRUE THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE A PROCESS.
SOME NAMES WERE THROWN OUT AND THERE WAS CONSENSUS AROUND IT.
DID YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING? NO, I AGREE.
I THINK, UM, IT WAS SIMILAR TO WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW, UM, BUT IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR US TO HAVE SOME SORT OF PROCESS.
UM, 'CAUSE JUST AS A REMINDER IN OUR, IN DEFENSE OF, UM, SUPPORT OF BLACK LIVES, IT DOES SAY THAT THE TOWN OF CH WILL REVIEW THE NAMES OF MONUMENTS, TRAILS, BUILDING STRUCTURES AND ENTITIES TO ENSURE THE NAMES OF WHITE SUPREMACISTS ARE REMOVED AND AFOREMENTIONED ARE RENAMED.
SO, UM, IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE A PROCESS OF THAT WAY.
IF PEOPLE ARE LIKE, HOW DID THAT HAPPEN? THEY KNOW THAT WE ALL FOLLOW AND WE FOLLOW THE SAME ONE, YOU KNOW, TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY.
AND WE DON'T HAVE, AS SOME COMMUNITY, LARGER COMMUNITIES HAVE LIKE A, A, A RESIDENT PANEL OF EXPERTS THAT DO THIS SORT OF THING.
UM, ALRIGHT, WE'RE VERY OPEN, I THINK, TO OTHER IDEAS, UH, BESIDES CHIEF JONES.
BUT, UH, LET US GO TO THE PUBLIC THEN SINCE COUNCIL SEEMS SATISFIED.
UM, I ACTUALLY LIKE THE IDEA THAT COUNCIL MEMBER WADE HAS PREFERRED, BECAUSE AGAIN, HE DOES, HE DID LIVE THERE.
UH, AND ALSO WAS A, OUR FIRST BLACK, LIKE A FIRST, WHICH IS, UM, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT IS A, LIKE A, AS A TRAILBLAZER, UM, BUT ALWAYS GOOD TO DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE SO THAT THAT BECOMES JUST OUR STANDARD PROCESS.
NAME YOUR WARD AND YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
UM, I APPRECIATE THE MAYOR'S CONCERN.
UM, BUT IN THIS CASE, I HAVE TO SAY THAT I WOULD CERTAINLY RECOMMEND THAT THIS PART BE NAMED AFTER A VERY OPEN AND PUBLIC DISCUSSION.
BUT I THINK CHIEF JONES, UH, WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN MANY THINGS IN THIS TOWN THAT WERE GOOD.
AND I THINK IT'D BE WONDERFUL TO NAME HIM, NAME THIS PARK AFTER HIM, PARTICULARLY SINCE HE LIVED IN THAT SECTION
[00:35:01]
OF WARD TWO AND SERVED THIS TOWN FOR MANY YEARS, BOTH IN, UM, PUBLIC WORKS AS WELL AS, UH, THE POLICE CHIEF.WHOEVER, WHOEVER WE NAMED THE PARK FOR, WE WILL ALSO HAVE A PUBLIC PROCESS FOR MAKING THE PLAQUE, UH, THAT WE WILL HOPEFULLY PUT ON THE FENCE OR ON A POST.
IS THERE ANY OTHER PUBLIC, UH, INPUT? OH YES, THERE IS AN INDIVIDUAL ONLINE.
CARMEN JONES, ARE YOU ABLE TO SPEAK? YES, I AM ABLE TO SPEAK.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
UH, YES, THIS IS IN REGARD TO THE ITEM ON THE AGENDA FOR CH GIVES BACK IN REGARD TO THE GRANT REQUEST THAT WAS REMOVED FOR THE AGENDA.
UM, I WANTED TO FOLLOW UP WITH YOU ALL AND JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR THE COUNCIL FOR, UM, CONSIDERATION BEING THAT, UM, YOU WERE TOLD THAT IT WAS SUBMITTED INCOMPLETE AND, UM,
UM, AND WE WERE, WE WERE NOT PREVIOUSLY INFORMED ABOUT THE DOCUMENTATION THAT THE DOCUMENTATION WAS MISSING.
UM, AND THAT IS ON US, WE TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THAT.
BUT HOWEVER, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HERE THIS EVENING VIRTUALLY TO, UM, PROVIDE YOU WITH THE GRANT APPLICATION THAT THAT IS ITEMIZED BUDGET TOTAL.
UM, THIS IS A REAL EVENT THAT WE'VE ALREADY, YOU KNOW, STARTED TO GET THE WHEELS TURNING ON.
UM, WE HAVE CONFIRMED TALENT, CONFIRMED SPECIALISTS AND, AND A VIDEOGRAPHER.
UM, WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR SPECIAL TREATMENT, WE'RE JUST ASKING FOR DOCUMENT TO THE COMMUNITY FOR, YOU KNOW, THE ENRICHMENT OF THE COMMUNITY AND WE WOULD LOVE THE CHANCE TO APPROVE THAT.
SO, MAYOR AND YOU KNOW, OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS, WERE ASKING IF WE CAN THEN SUPPORT THE GRANTS.
UH, WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A DIFFERENT AGENDA ITEM CURRENTLY.
UH, WE WILL CONTINUE TO CHECK WITH THE TOWN ADMINISTRATOR TO SEE IF, UH, IT IS POSSIBLE TO MOVE FORWARD.
I DON'T EXPECT WE WILL BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE GRANT REQUEST AT THIS WORK SESSION.
SO I THE GRANT, BECAUSE LOOKED LIKE THE EVENT WAS FOR JUNE, RIGHT? UM, BUT, BUT, UM, CARMEN, JUST SO THAT, YOU KNOW, TYPICALLY AT THE WORK SESSION, WE DON'T VOTE ON IT.
WE DISCUSS IT AND THEN IT'S AT THE TOWN MEETING THAT WE WOULD APPROVE IT EITHER WAY.
SO, UM, I THINK WHAT IT WAS WAS THAT THE TOWN ADMINISTRATOR, UM, BECAUSE HE IS OUT OF TOWN RIGHT NOW, WASN'T ABLE TO LOOK AT IT.
SO I IMAGINE WE COULD GET A RECOMMENDATION AT THE TOWN MEETING POTENTIALLY.
YEAH, I DON'T THINK TWO WEEKS FROM NOW.
SO WITHIN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS, WHICH IS THE NORMAL, THE NORMAL TIMELINE WE WOULD NORMALLY FOLLOW.
YEAH, THAT'S A VERY GOOD POINT.
WE WOULD NOT HAVE REPROVED IT TONIGHT ANYWAY.
SO TONIGHT DISCUSSION WE CAN DISCUSSION.
SO PERHAPS WE, GIVEN THE DESIRE TO DO A SUMMER EVENT, PERHAPS WE CAN SPEED UP OUR PROCESS SO THAT ON MAY 14TH WE DO IT ALL, UH, AT THE MAY 14TH TOWN MEETING.
VICE MAYOR, I HOPE IT'S ABOUT THE NAME.
I'D BE IN FAVOR OF INSTEAD OF HAVING IT ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, HAVING IT JUST AS ITS OWN ITEM AT THE TOWN MEETING IN TWO WEEKS.
AND THEN WE CAN DISCUSS AND VOTE.
THREE WEEKS ACTING TOWN ADMINISTRATOR.
OR MAYBE PERHAPS THE, THE CLERK IS, IS TAKING IT FOR THE AGENDA.
ALRIGHT, WE BACK ON THE NAMES.
I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND I WILL TALK TO YOU GUYS IN THREE WEEKS.
IS THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THE OTHER, UH, ON ON ON THE RECOMMENDATION, WE HAVE ONE RECOMMENDATION ON THE FLOOR, WHICH IS FOR CHIEF JONES.
YOU HAVE YOUR NAME AND WARD AND YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
CAN I DO LIKE A MINUTE FOR THE, OKAY.
SEAN PATRICK MCGUIRE, WARD TWO ACROSS THE STREET FROM YOUR MAYOR.
THE NASSAU IS NAMING A TELESCOPE.
AND SO AS A FEMALE, AS A NAMING FOR THE, UH, PARK, MAYBE IT
[00:40:01]
SHOULD BE SOMEONE NEUTRAL, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE, HERE'S WHERE HE WAS SIX.I UNDERSTAND HE WAS HERE PASSED.
I APOLOGIZE TO SAY IT LIKE THAT, BUT IT WOULD JUST SAY, HOW ABOUT SOMEONE, THERE WASN'T A SHELBY RESIDENCE.
IT WOULD LIKE A NEUTRAL PARTY.
IT'S LIKE YOU'RE POINT IN THE PARK.
IT'S NOT LIKE IT'S A NEUTRAL PARTY.
IT'S NOT SOMEONE HE WAS HERE AND SO HERE'S HIS PARK.
THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY.
NOT MAKING A MOTION OUT OF IT.
SO A NEUTRAL PARTY, A FULL, A FEMALE, UH, NAMING A NATIONAL TELESCOPE THAT WILL SOON BE LAUNCHED BY FIRST NAME NANCY.
IT'S A WOMAN, SO WE'RE STILL ON NAMES.
HOW ABOUT HER AND I DO NOT KNOW HER LAST NAME, BUT YOUR CRACKS TO, UH, RESEARCH FIND OUT.
BUT YOU'RE GONNA LAUNCH A, A SATELLITE OR A TELESCOPE, UM, NAMING.
SO SHE ALSO HAS A PARK OR MAYBE NOT SO, UH, IN HER NAME, I GUESS ONLY WITH THAT.
UH, COUNSEL, WHAT IS YOUR PREFERENCE FOR THE TIME? DID YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP? I WAS JUST ALSO GOING TO MENTION THAT FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER MAR LEE, NETTLE SIMPSON IS A WOMAN AND IS FROM THAT WARD AND WAS THE FIRST, UH, BLACK WOMAN COUNCIL MEMBER FROM WARD ONE.
ANYWAY, IF WE'RE LOOKING FOR WOMEN, JUST WANTED TO THROW THAT OUT THERE.
WHAT IS THE, WHAT IS YOUR PREFERENCE FOR TIMELINE? I MEAN, WE HAVE A LOT GOING ON.
YEAH, I WOULD HOPE THAT, UH, AT LEAST BY MIDSUMMER, SUMMERTIME, SO WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT IT'S, UH, MID TO END SUMMERTIME.
SO, UM, IT'S GOOD LIGHT OUTSIDE AND I KNOW THAT I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROCESS IS OF ACTUAL GETTING A PLAQUE OR WHATEVER FOR THAT AS WELL, BUT I WOULDN'T WANT HIM TO GO INTO THE WINTER TIME.
MAXIMIZE THE, SO LET US PLAN TO VOTE THIS SUMMER.
UH, AND THEN WE, THE TOWN ADMINISTRATOR WILL HAVE TO ADVISE ON HOW QUICKLY HE CAN ORGANIZE A DEDICATION, UH, INCLUDING A PLAQUE, BUT PRESUMABLY 90 DAYS OR SO.
LET US TENTATIVELY PUT THIS ON THE JULY TOWN MEETING.
HOW ABOUT THAT FOR APPROVAL? WELL, WE HAVE MAY, JUNE, WELL NOT, WE HAVE TWO TOWN MEETINGS COMING UP.
SO YOU LITERALLY WILL HAVE, IT DOESN'T TAKE THAT MUCH RESEARCH TO FIND OUT IS AFTER IT WAS, IF THERE'S ANY ISSUES OR ANY NOMINATIONS FOR THAT MATTER.
IT'S UP TO IF YOU, IF YOU JULY, THEN YOU SAY ANOTHER 90 DAYS AFTER THAT AUGUST, SEPTEMBER POSSIBLE OCTOBER.
I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW LONG IT TAKES TO ORDER A PLAQUE.
AND, AND LIKE PLAN A DEDICATION CEREMONY IF YOU GUYS WANNA VOTE IN MAY OR JUNE.
I'M JUST SAYING WE GOT KIND OF A LOT OF OTHER STUFF TO DO THAT, THAT THOSE MONTHS, THERE'S NO 90 DAYS FOR.
WE'RE NOT WHATEVER WE VOTE ON.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO WAIT 90 DAYS THOUGH, RIGHT.
IT DOESN'T, WE JUST NEED A PLAQUE AND A CEREMONY AND RIGHT.
THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN IN, IN A WEEK.
WE WILL BE APPROVING THE BUDGET AND THEN NAMING THE PARK.
JUNE WORK SESSION THEN PLEASE.
UH, ALRIGHT, THAT TAKES US TO ITEM SEVEN, THE GIC DISCUSSION FOR WHICH WE INSTITUTED A 25 MINUTE TIME LIMIT.
UH, I'M GONNA TURN TO OTHERS WHO ON THE COUNCIL WHO CAN INTRODUCE THE MOU, THE WORKING DRAFT OF THE MOU MR. TANZI, IS THAT YOU? THAT'S ME.
SO, UM, THE GSC WORK, UH, GROUP HAS BEEN MEETING FOR SEVERAL MONTHS NOW SINCE THE FALL, SO ABOUT SIX MONTHS NOW.
AND WE FIRST, UH, MET TO DISCUSS, UH, WHAT THE TOWN'S NEEDS WERE AND WHAT, UH, MODELS MIGHT WORK FOR, UH, REESTABLISHING A POSITIVE, PRODUCTIVE WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CH GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE.
ONE OF THE MODELS THAT CAME UP PRETTY EARLY WAS THAT, UM, I, I HATE SAYING THIS OUT LOUD 'CAUSE OF HOW IT'S PRONOUNCED, BUT HDA GRACE, UM, HAS A MODEL WHERE THEY HAVE A, UH, LOCAL NONPROFIT THAT SERVES AS THEIR GREEN TEAM.
UM, IT IS NOT AN OFFICIAL ADVISORY BODY IN THE, IN THE TRADITIONAL SENSE IN CH BUT THAT THEY HAVE
[00:45:01]
MOUS, UH, ESTABLISHING A WORKING RELATIONSHIP AND SPECIFIC, UH, SCOPES OF WORK.SO I STARTED READING THOSE AND WE STARTED DISCUSSING THOSE AS A WORK GROUP AND UH, WE DECIDED TO MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION, UM, MOSTLY BECAUSE WE LEARNED THAT IN 2023, I BELIEVE THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE DID INCORPORATE AS A 5 0 1 C3 NONPROFIT, WHICH MEANT, UM, SIMPLY RESTORING ITS PREVIOUS STATUS, UH, AS A TOWN ADVISORY BODY CREATED ENTIRELY BY MAYOR AND COUNCIL DID NOT SEEM TENABLE.
SO WHAT CAME OF THAT IS THE, UM, WORKING DRAFT OF A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING THAT'S BEFORE YOU.
THE GOAL WAS TO SET UP, UH, A CLEAR SCOPE OF WHAT THE RELATIONSHIP GOVERNS, UH, TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THE COMMITTEE, THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE WOULD DEVELOP AND SUBMIT RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
BUT THAT FINAL, UH, DECISIONS WERE WITH THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL THAT THEY WOULD BE TREATED LIKE AN ADVISORY GROUP, MEANING HAVING A LIAISON IN A TIME TO, UH, ON THE AGENDA TO, TO GIVE UPDATES LIKE WITH THE OTHER ADVISORY GROUPS.
UM, BUT WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT THEY ARE AN INDEPENDENT NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.
AND THAT, UH, THAT RAISES SOME QUESTIONS THAT I'LL SPEAK TO IN A MOMENT.
ONE OF THE WAYS WE TRY TO DEAL WITH THAT, TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THEY DO NOT SPEAK FOR THE TOWN, IS TO INCLUDE IN THE MOUA SIGNATURE THAT THEY WOULD USE, THAT THEY WOULD SIGN COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE CHEVROLET INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE, A MARYLAND 5 0 1 C3 NONPROFIT WITH SOME OTHER DETAILS, UM, THAT WE INCLUDED, INCLUDING THEIR WEBSITE.
BUT THE GOAL THERE IS THAT IT MAKES IT CLEAR THAT WHEN THEY SPEAK TO, UH, THIRD PARTIES, THAT THEY'RE NOT SPEAKING FOR THE TOWN.
WE, IF YOU LOOK AT SECTION SEVEN, CONFLICT AWARENESS AND LEGAL MATTERS, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO AGREE ON SOME OF THE LANGUAGE, BUT THIS IS WHEN WE REALIZED WE WOULD NEED, UH, TIME WITH THE TOWN'S COUNSEL, UH, LEGAL COUNSEL TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE WORD THIS.
I'LL SPEAK TO THAT IN A LITTLE BIT.
UH, MAINTAINING THE RELATIONSHIP IS BOTH TO COME UP WITH A, UH, SORT OF CONFLICT RESOLUTION LADDER THAT THINGS START WITH THE LIAISON AND THEN, UH, YOU KNOW, A MEETING FACE-TO-FACE, BUT IT, UH, MAINTAINS THE OPTION AS A LAST RESORT THAT EITHER PARTY MAY TERMINATE THIS MOU.
AND THEN WE ADDED A TERM AND REVIEW JUST SORT OF AS A MATTER OF COURSE, THE THREE THINGS THAT ARE, UM, UNRESOLVED, I TRY TO ADDRESS IN A NEUTRAL WAY IN THE NOTES UPON SUBMISSION ON THE LAST PAGE, PAGE 21 IS PRINTED.
UM, THE FIRST IS THAT WE HAD HAD AN EARLIER DRAFT DISCUSSING THE REQUIREMENT TO RESIGN IF A COMMITTEE MEMBER, UH, BECAME PARTY TO LEGISLATION INVOLVING THE TOWN, OR A MATTER OF WHICH THE TOWN HAS A DIRECT LEGAL INTEREST.
AND, UM, THE SECOND, UH, ESTABLISHED THAT CONDUCT BY COMMITTEE OR ITS MEMBERS CREATING A CONFLICT WITH THE TOWN'S LEGAL INTEREST COULD BE CONSIDERED GROUNDS FOR TERMINATION OF THE MOU.
THE REASON THIS, UH, WAS LEFT OUT OF THE DRAFT IS THAT IT WASN'T CLEAR IF IT WAS ENFORCEABLE, IF THE LANGUAGE LIKE DIRECT LEGAL INTEREST WAS, UM, YOU KNOW, LEGALLY MEANINGFUL AND WHETHER OR NOT US REQUIRING THIS IN THE MOU IS THE PROPER PLACEMENT OR IF IT WOULD BE A REQUIREMENT IN THE BYLAWS.
BUT THEN IF THAT WAS A REQUIREMENT, WHERE WOULD THAT BE ADDRESSED? SO SOME OF THE DISCUSSION TODAY I'M SURE WILL BE BROAD, BUT SOME WILL BE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHETHER OR NOT THAT IS AN APPROPRIATE, UH, REQUIREMENT.
AND IF IT IS WHERE IT WOULD GO THOUGH E EVENTUALLY THAT WILL COME DOWN TO A, A DISCUSSION WITH THE LAWYERS.
THE SECOND TOPIC WAS COM, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS TO EXTERNAL BODIES.
SO WE SAID THAT SUBMISSIONS TO EXTERNAL GOVERNMENT BODIES REQUIRE THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL AUTHORIZATION.
UM, SO THE QUESTION HERE WAS DO WE SUBMIT THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATIONS WITH OUR SUBMISSION? THE DISCUSSION IN THE GROUP WAS THAT THAT WAS A PRIOR PRACTICE THAT WHENEVER THE TOWN SUBMITTED SOMETHING TO AN EXTERNAL GOVERNMENT BODY, THAT WE ALSO INCLUDED THE PLANNING BOARD RECOMMENDATIONS AND THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS.
[00:50:02]
SO I JUST WROTE THAT AS A NOTE.I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THE HISTORY WELL ENOUGH TO SPEAK TO IT, BUT THAT IS, UH, A TOPIC TO SETTLE.
AND THEN FINALLY IS WHAT COMMITTEE COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE PUBLIC, UH, WILL BE FOLLOWING TOWN DECISIONS? SO WE SAID THAT THE COMMITTEE MAY CONTINUE TO ADVISE THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL FOLLOWING A TOWN DECISION, BUT THEY HAD PROPOSED OTHER LANGUAGE, ALLOWING THEM TO CONTINUE TO, UM, COMMUNICATE WITH AND EDUCATE THE PUBLIC.
THE UNRESOLVED QUESTION IS HOW MUCH THE COMMITTEE AND ITS MEMBERS HAVE LIMITED THEIR ABILITY TO DISCUSS DISAGREEMENTS WITH THE TOWN DECISIONS BY ENTERING INTO THIS MOU, UH, BY SIGNING THE COMMITTEE IS AFFIRMING THAT IT FUNCTIONS AS AN ADVISORY BODY.
UM, ALL PARTIES AGREE THAT THE TOWN DECISION DOES NOT SILENCE THE COMMITTEE OR PREVENT IT FROM CONTINUING TO DISCUSS MATTERS WITH ITS WITHIN ITS MISSION.
THE HARDER QUESTION IS WHERE THIS LINE FALLS BETWEEN THAT AND CONDUCT INCONSISTENT WITH AN ADVISORY ROLE AND THE CONSTRUCTIVE RELATIONSHIP THIS MOU IS INTENDED TO ESTABLISH.
SO WE DID NOT COME UP WITH LANGUAGE FOR THAT.
THE EXAMPLE WE USED TO THINK A PURPOSELY, UM, RIDICULOUS EXAMPLE WAS IF THERE WAS SOME 200 YEAR OLD TREE AT THE END OF A STREET THAT THE TOWN WANTED TO, UM, EXTEND, UH, AND WE HEARD ADVICE FROM THE COMMITTEE AND THEN CONTINUED TO, UH, PROPOSE EXTENDING THE ROAD, IS THEIR ONLY OPTION TO CONTINUE TO SPEAK DURING TOWN MEETINGS TO US OR CAN THEY, UH, YOU KNOW, OR DO WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO LIMIT THEIR MEMBERS FROM ENGAGING WITH THE PUBLIC SAYING, YOU KNOW, SAVE THIS TREE.
SO THAT IS ANOTHER, UM, MATTER THAT MIGHT BE SOLVED BY TOWN COUNCIL.
UM, MEANING THE, THE LAWYERS, BECAUSE IT MIGHT BE THAT THAT'S AN IMPOSSIBLE THING TO REQUIRE, UM, OR ENFORCE IN AN MOU, BUT THE SECTION EIGHT, UM, ESCALATION, UM, AND RIGHT TO TERMINATE STILL EXISTS.
IF, IF THAT PROVED TO BECOME, YOU KNOW, NO LONGER A CONSTRUCTIVE RELATIONSHIP.
THANK YOU ALL FOR, UH, THANK YOU AND ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE GROUP FOR A LOT OF WORK ON THIS.
ARE THERE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL THAT WANNA SPEAK BEFORE WE GO TO THE PUBLIC? ALRIGHT, WE'LL LET US DIVE INTO THE PUBLIC INPUT THEN.
IS THERE ANY PUBLIC INPUT ON THE WORKING DRAFT OF THE MOU OH, SEAN MCGUIRE WAR TWO? WHAT DO YOU MEAN TERMINATE? YOU MEAN I NOT KILL THEM, BUT YOU MEAN THEY'RE NO LONGER SERVE IN THAT POSITION AS A 5 0 1 WHATEVER NONPROFIT.
NOT, CAN YOU GO BACK QUICKLY? WHAT IS THE 5 0 9 CD, WHATEVER THAT DOES VERSUS THE 5 0 1 VERSUS WHATEVER OTHER NONPROFIT CAN YOU EXPLAIN AND WHAT INFLUENCE THEY'LL HAVE ON THE DECISION AND TERMINATE MEANING YOU'RE NO LONGER ALLOWED TO BE IN THAT COMMITTEE.
YOU CAN NO LONGER IF YOU DISAGREE, IT IS YOUR OPINION, BUT IF YOU SAY SOMETHING, IT COULD BE LIABLE, I GUESS, AGAINST THE TOWN.
SO TERMINATE HAS INTERESTING DEFINITION OF TERMINATES.
SO, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, DAVID, UH, UH, TIMELY.
IS THERE ANY OTHER PUBLIC INPUT ON THE DRAFT MOU WORKING DRAFT? I, GOOD EVENING.
UM, FIRST, UM, THANK YOU TO DAVID, JOHN, AND CHARLIE.
UM, IT'S ACTUALLY BEEN A WONDERFUL WORKING RELATIONSHIP AND, YOU KNOW, SPEAKING FOR MYSELF, UM, I'VE ENJOYED AND WE'VE GOTTEN TO KNOW EACH OTHER, UM, BETTER.
AND MY ULTIMATE GOAL, UM, HONESTLY WITH THIS MOU IS THAT IT ENDS UP NOT BEING NEEDED THAT FIVE YEARS FROM NOW.
WE HAVE TO REMIND OURSELVES TO REVISIT IT.
UM, WHAT I APPRECIATE IS THE WORK DONE TO RESTORE A POSITIVE WORKING RELATIONSHIP, UM, TO ADDRESS A COUPLE OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT FORWARD.
UM, I'LL JUST REMIND EVERYONE THAT SOMETIMES WE TRY TO LIMIT THINGS.
WE TRY TO LEGISLATE HOW TO BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR.
IT'S VERY, VERY DIFFICULT TO DO THAT AND IT OFTEN GETS IN THE WAY OF THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS.
SO JUST TO KEEP IN MIND, IF THE IDEA IS THAT A COMMITTEE BE THAT ACTING IN AN ADVISORY BODY OR AS ANY OTHER COMMITTEE IN TOWN, UM, IS RESTRICTED FROM CONTINUING TO INFORM AND ENGAGE THE PUBLIC, THAT CIRCUMVENTS THAT ACTUALLY STRANGLES THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS.
[00:55:01]
AND I THINK ANYBODY, EVERYBODY SITTING UP AT THE DIOCESE IS ABLE TO OWN THE DECISIONS THEY MAKE AND ABLE TO ABSORB THE FACT THAT COMMUNITY WILL CONTINUE TO ENGAGE.SO JUST TO BRING THAT FORWARD, UM, WE HAVE EXPLORED, UM, LANGUAGE WITHIN OUR BYLAWS AND REALLY FEEL THAT THAT'S THE BEST PLACE FOR THAT LANGUAGE TO LIE BECAUSE IT ACTUALLY, AS AN INDEPENDENT BODY, IT'S UP TO THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE TO SET OUT HOW ITS MEMBERS BEHAVE, YOU KNOW, AND, AND HOW THEY, WHAT THE STANDARDS WE HAVE.
AND THEN THE SAME AS ANY OTHER ORGANIZATION, THOSE BYLAWS ARE SUBMITTED TO THE TOWN.
AND FOR THAT TO BE IN THE MOU TO BE SUBMITTED YEARLY AND IF THERE'S ANY VARIATION OR AMENDMENT TO THOSE BYLAWS FOR THERE TO BE THAT NOTIFICATION SO IT CAN BE REVIEWED.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I REALLY APPRECIATE IS IN SECTION EIGHT THAT THE IDEA THAT THIS, THAT DECISIONS ARE NOT MADE BY IMPERIAL FIAT DECISIONS ARE MADE BY WORKING TOGETHER THE MAGIC OF THE ROLE OF THE LIAISON TO BE ENGAGED AND TO SERVE AS THAT CONDUIT BACK AND FORTH.
AND THEN ALSO THAT DECISIONS ARE, ARE MADE WITH THE BEST OF INTENT OF SORTING THROUGH AND HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLAIN.
I'LL CLOSE BECAUSE I DON'T WANNA GO OVER TIME.
UM, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT AND VERY VALUABLE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO HAVE BENEFIT OF WORKING WITH THE TOWN ATTORNEYS, WITH COUNSEL ON SOME OF THESE THINGS BECAUSE WITHOUT OUR VOICES IN THE ROOM, THERE'S THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THINGS TO BE MISUNDERSTOOD AND TO COME TO, UM, A YELL AT CONCLUSION THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE FOR THE MOU.
SO JUST REINFORCING WHAT, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER TAHANY HAS BROUGHT FORWARD IN THAT REGARD.
IS THERE OTHER PUBLIC INPUT ON THE WORKING DRAFT? UH, JULIA MOSLEY, WARD TWO.
UM, JUST A, A COUPLE OF THINGS.
FIRST OF ALL, UM, WHILE IT MAY SEEM LIKE WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR MONTHS, WE'VE REALLY ONLY HAD THREE MEETINGS, I BELIEVE.
SO IT'S NOT LIKE WE'VE BEEN MEETING WEEKLY.
UM, I THINK IF WE PERHAPS HAD HAD ONE MORE MEETING, SOME OF THIS MIGHT HAVE BEEN CLARIFIED BEFORE, IT STILL HAS TO GO TO THE ATTORNEY BEFORE IT COMES BACK TO THE COUNCIL.
BUT I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER LUKE HICK, COUNCIL MEMBER TANZIE, WHO WAS UNFORTUNATELY STUCK WITH A LOT OF THE WRITING COUNCIL MEMBER GARCE AND UM, OF COURSE OUR WORKING GROUP.
UM, OUR GOAL, UM, IS TO GET BACK TO WHERE WE WERE A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO, BUT HAVE IT CLARIFIED FOR THE FUTURE, NOT JUST FOR OUR COMMITTEE, BUT FOR I BELIEVE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER TANZI BROUGHT UP ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS THAT HE WANTED THIS GENERIC ENOUGH THAT IT COULD BE USED FOR OTHER COMMITTEES AS WELL.
UH, WE MAY NEED ANOTHER MEETING BEFORE IT GOES TO THE, UH, THE ATTORNEY, BUT AGAIN, THE, THE MEETINGS WERE PRODUCTIVE, UM, PLEASANT, INFORMATIVE ON BOTH SIDES AND, UM, AND REALLY QUITE GOOD.
ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS FROM COUNSEL? DID YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP? YEAH, ARE WE DONE? I MEAN, WE CAN PAUSE.
NO, YOU, I I WAS JUST MEANING TO AFTER MR. SMITH, DID YOU WANNA COME UP AND THEN IF ANYBODY ELSE, UH, PLEASE QUEUE UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT YOUR NAME, WARD AND YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
YEAH, DAN SMITH AND WARD ONE, JUST ONE, UM, SMALL ITEM HERE THAT I THINK IN THE, THE MATTER OF WHETHER THE RECOMMENDATIONS GO FORWARD WITH THE FORMAL RECOMMENDATION OF THE TOWN, WHETHER THE, THE DOCUMENTS FROM GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE OR PLANNING BOARD OR OTHERS, WHETHER THEY GO FORWARD, I WOULD THINK THAT THE TOWN WOULD WANT TO SEND THEM FORWARD.
UM, THEY'RE PUBLIC DOCUMENTS OR IN THE PUBLIC RECORD IN ANY CASE, BUT BY SENDING THEM FORWARD, IT SHOWS THAT THIS IS A BODY OF DELIBERATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ARE EVALUATED AT HOME BY THIS COUNCIL AND THEN ARRIVED AT THIS DECISION.
AND THEN WE CARRY THIS FORWARD AND SHOW, I THINK THAT PUTS THE COUNCIL ACTUALLY IN A STRONGER POSITION.
SO THE DELIBERATIVE BODY THEN SAYS, OH, WE SEE THERE WERE, THERE'S A RANGE OF OPINION HERE AND HERE'S WHERE YOU LANDED.
SO WE APPRECIATE YOUR DELIBERATIVE
[01:00:01]
THOROUGHNESS OF THIS AND IF YOU DIDN'T SEND IT FORWARD, IT'S ON THE PUBLIC RECORD.WELL THEN ANY INDIVIDUAL OR OTHERS COULD SUBMIT THAT AND SAY, THIS WAS A MINORITY OPINION, BUT WE THINK IT MERITS CONSIDERATION.
AND I THINK THAT WOULD HAVE MORE WEIGHT AND TO KIND OF BOG THE PROCESS DOWN.
SO I THINK IT WOULD ACTUALLY BE IN THIS INTEREST OF, OF THE BODY TO SHOW, YOU KNOW, BRING FORTH THE MINORITY REPORTS, UM, IN THAT WAY.
IS THERE OTHER PUBLIC INPUT, UH, BEFORE WE GO BACK TO THE COUNCIL? YES MA'AM.
YOUR NAME, YOUR WARD AND YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
UM, I JUST WANTED SAY THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THE, UM, UH, WORKING GROUP, UH, MY COLLEAGUES AND COLLEAGUES ON, ON THE COUNCIL, UM, AND, UM, WE'RE VERY MUCH LOOKING FORWARD TO A FURTHER MEETING AND TO MEETING WITH THE, UM, WITH THE TOWN ATTORNEYS TO COMPLETE THE JOB.
OKAY, LET, WE, WERE GONNA GO TO THE VICE MAYOR BRINER AND THEN JOHN, GO AHEAD.
UM, ONE IS THAT I HAVE CONCERNS, UM, ABOUT RESIDENTS WORKING DIRECTLY WITH THE TOWN ATTORNEY.
I FEEL LIKE THAT HAS NOT WORKED WELL FOR US IN THE PAST WHEN THAT HAS HAPPENED AND UM, ATTORNEYS ARE EXPENSIVE.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE REALLY TAKING A LOOK AT THAT AND THINKING ABOUT IT.
BUT, UM, SORT OF MORE BROADLY, UM, LAST YEAR, I THINK IT WAS LAST YEAR, UM, THE COUNCIL VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO ADOPT, UM, THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE RULES AND GUIDELINES.
UM, AND SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CREATING AN MOU THAT WOULD WORK FOR OTHER COMMITTEES AND AND BODIES, WE ALREADY HAVE A DOCUMENT THAT'S BEEN ADOPTED THAT'S MEANT TO DO A LOT OF THIS.
MOU COVERS A LOT OF THAT IN TERMS OF PROVIDING, UM, SORT OF ACCESS AND PLATFORM TO THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE.
UM, BUT DOES NOT INCLUDE OBVIOUSLY BECAUSE OF, OF THE NATURE OF THE GROUP, THE OVERSIGHT THAT THE TOWN WOULD HAVE IN THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE POLICY.
SO IT FEELS LIKE IT'S GOT ONE SORT OF TYING OF, OF THE FORK BUT NOT THE OTHER.
UM, AND SO, UH, YEAH, I'M JUST WONDERING ABOUT IS THIS MOU MEANT TO TAKE THE PLACE OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE RULES AND GUIDELINES? LIKE WHAT, WHAT IS THE GOAL THERE AND WHAT ARE THE SORT OF, WHAT IS THE THINKING THERE? 'CAUSE IT FEELS, UM, LIKE THERE'S AN IMBALANCE.
SO, UM, I THINK THAT THE MEETINGS THAT WE HAD AS TO PARAPHRASE, JFK WAS SORT OF THE GREATEST ASSEMBLY OF TALENTS SINCE JEFFERSON DINED ALONE.
UM, I MEAN WE HAD, UH, YOU KNOW, TWO FORMER MAYORS AND THE LONG TENURED ME, UH, CHAIR OF THE GIC AND DAVID AND MYSELF AND CHARLIE WHO, AND WE ALL BROUGHT SOMETHING TO THE TABLE AND WE ALL WORKED VERY WELL TOGETHER.
AND IT WAS, WE SAT THERE AND WE SAID, THIS IS SOMETHING WE NEED AND THIS IS SOMETHING WE WANT.
AND YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING WE CAN GIVE YOU AND THIS IS SOMETHING WE HAVE TO DO AND THIS IS SOMETHING WE HAVE TO GET AND THIS IS SOMETHING WE CAN PUT HERE AND THIS IS SOMETHING WE CAN TAKE AWAY.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE CAME UP WITH THIS DOCUMENT AND SO WHEN I WENT INTO THIS AND I SAID, WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD AT THE END OF THE DAY AND WE NEED TO REBI REBUILD AND WE NEED TO REPAIR THIS RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE GIC AND THE TOWN.
AND WHATEVER HAPPENED HAPPENED, AND WE NEED TO START FROM HERE AND MOVE FORWARD.
WHATEVER HAPPENED, HAPPENED, AND WE'RE GONNA START FRESH AND GO FORWARD FROM HERE.
SO WHATEVER WE APPROVED IN THE PAST IS IN THE PAST AND THIS DOCUMENT HERE THAT WE ALL HAVE AGREED UPON, AND WE WILL GET THE BLESSINGS OF ALL LAWYERS, WILL GET US TO A NEW POINT A AND WE WILL GO FORWARD FROM HERE.
UH OH, WELL YOU'RE BOTH REPEATS.
[01:05:01]
NO, YOU'RE GOOD.OH, GO AHEAD AND THEN WE'LL GO TO DAVID AND THEN NICOLE.
UH, THANK YOU FOR EVERYBODY WAS THAT WAS, UM, A PART OF THIS.
I KNOW THIS IS VERY DIFFICULT.
UM, AS MENTIONED BEFORE, JUST ECHOING WHAT COUNCILMAN IC MENTIONED, UM, WE DO HAVE TO MOVE FORWARD, UM, WITH WHAT WE'RE DOING.
WE KNOW THAT THE GIC IS AN ASSET TO THE TOWN AND WE DO KNOW THAT WE DO HAVE, UH, GUIDELINES THAT WE HAVE TO MOVE BY, BUT, UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO MOVING FORWARD, FORWARD AND, UM, WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE WHAT IT IS.
SO, UM, VICE MAYOR, I APPRECIATE YOUR, UM, SECOND POINT, UH, MAKE SURE I'M NOT MISATTRIBUTING THAT.
SO THE GOAL WAS NOT TO REPLACE THEM.
SO THE FIRST SENTENCE IN SECTION FIVE IS FOR PURPOSES OF COORDINATION WITH THE TOWN, THE COMMITTEE WILL BE AFFORDED THE SAME PRIVILEGES AND COMMITMENTS APPLICABLE TO TOWN ADVISORY GROUPS WHILE REMAINING IN INDEPENDENT NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION.
SO THE GOAL, UH, AND MAYBE IT WAS ACHIEVED AND MAYBE IT WASN'T, BUT THE GOAL WAS TO SAY WE ARE CREATING A RELATIONSHIP WITH A BODY, ADMITTEDLY, THAT WE DID CREATE, BUT IS NOW A SEPARATE LEGAL THING, UM, THAT IS LIKE THAT OF THE OTHER ADVISORY GROUPS.
WHAT, UH, JULIA WAS SPEAKING TO EARLIER IS I TRIED TO MAKE IT VERY CLEAR.
I DO NOT WANT TO BE CREATING, I WANT TO CREATE A UNIQUE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE, BUT I DO WANT, DO NOT WANT TO CREATE UNIQUE RULES FOR THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE OTHER THAN THOSE MADE NECESSARY BY THE FACT THAT THEY ARE AN INDEPENDENT LEGAL BODY AT THIS POINT.
SO SOMEONE BROUGHT UP THAT THE CHEVROLET COMMITTEE IS NOT A REGULAR, UM, YOU KNOW, APPOINTED BODY, UH, LIKE PLANNING BOARD IS.
I DON'T KNOW THE HISTORY OF THAT, AND I'LL ADMIT NOW THAT I DID NOT DO ANY FURTHER RESEARCH INTO THAT POINT.
BUT THE GOAL IS THAT YOU END UP WITH A RELATIONSHIP, SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WHERE IT'S UNDERSTOOD THAT THEY'RE GOING TO WORK IN THIS CAPACITY.
AND THEN IF THAT IS NO LONGER, I MEAN, THAT'S WHY A LOT OF WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT WAS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT DOESN'T WORK IN THAT CAPACITY THAT WE, WE ARE NOT GIVING A PERMANENT STATUS BECAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT THE PLANNING BOARD HAS, BUT IT'S BECAUSE IT'S CREATED ENTIRELY BY US.
WE CAN REARRANGE IT AND RECONSTRUCT IT.
UM, IF THAT'S NO LONGER A PRODUCTIVE RELATIONSHIP.
SO WE HAD TO COME UP WITH SOME MORE LANGUAGE BECAUSE THEY ARE IN, AT THIS POINT, A, A SEPARATE LEGAL ENTITY.
WHAT DO WE DO WHEN IT'S NO LONGER SERVING THE TOWN'S INTEREST, HYPOTHETICALLY? OKAY.
WE ARE SHORT ON TIME, BUT GO AHEAD.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO SAY TO, UH, ANSWER COUNCIL MEMBER LALOUX'S POINT, UM, I DON'T THINK I WAS BRINGING WHAT'S IN THE PAST BACK UP.
I THINK WHAT I'M SAYING IS IF THIS BODY HAS A SET OF RULES AND GUIDELINES THAT HAVE BEEN APPROVED, UM, AND ADOPTED, THEN WE SHOULD HOLD TO THAT.
AND I THINK WE DON'T WANNA SAY WHAT'S IN THE, WHAT WAS AGREED TO BY A PREVIOUS COUNCIL DOES NOT MATTER NOW, ESPECIALLY WHEN A LOT OF THIS COUNCIL WAS THAT COUNCIL.
UM, BECAUSE THEN WHAT ARE WE DOING UP HERE BUT DOING THINGS THAT WON'T MATTER TO THE NEXT GROUP.
UM, AND SO FOR ME, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BEING CLEAR ABOUT WHAT ARE THE POLICIES THAT ALREADY EXIST, HOW ARE THEY, UM, INFORMING WHATEVER WE'RE DOING NOW, AND WHERE ARE THE PLACES WHERE RATHER THAN MAKE SOMETHING NEW, WE GO BACK TO THE POLICY THAT'S IN PLACE AND ADJUST IT AS NEEDED.
UM, SO THAT WAS THE POINT I WAS MAKING.
COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER FRY.
UM, TO THE VICE MAYOR'S POINT, POLICY AND PROCEDURE IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME.
UM, THE FACT IS THAT WE DO HAVE A RESOLUTION THAT WAS PASSED AND TO WHAT MR. SMITH WAS SAYING IN THAT, UM, WHATEVER WE DO HERE WILL BE DOCUMENTED SO THAT IT CREATES HISTORY AND PEOPLE CAN LOOK BACK AND SEE WHAT WAS THE INTENT, WHAT HAPPENED, HOW DID THEY GET THERE, THAT KIND OF THING.
UM, SO I DO THINK THAT THIS MOU SHOULD INCLUDE SOME OF THAT HISTORY.
UM, FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE, I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT WE REMEMBER WHAT THE HISTORY IS BECAUSE WE NEED TO LEARN FROM THOSE MISTAKES THAT WE MAY HAVE HAD.
WE ALSO NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THE POSITIVE THINGS THAT
[01:10:01]
HAVE COME FROM THEM STAY WITH US TOO.UM, AND SO I, I DO WANNA MAKE NOTE OF ONE THING AND IT IS THAT, UM, THERE IS A LOT OF THINGS WRITTEN ABOUT THE FACT THAT THIS GROUP, UH, WHICH WAS A, I BELIEVE ON THE OCTOBER 13TH, 2011, SHE TOWN COUNCIL MEETING WAS ESTABLISHED AND APPOINTED.
UM, IT WAS ALSO REITERATED IN A RESOLUTION IN 2017 THAT THIS WAS AGAIN A CHEVROLET TOWN COUNCIL ESTABLISHED TOWN ADVISORY BODY.
UM, I WILL SAY ALSO LATER IN JUST DEALINGS WITH OUTSIDE OF THE TOWN, UH, THERE WAS A LETTER WRITTEN TO THE RDA FROM FORMER MAYOR LAYLA AZI ON JUNE, UH, SENT, CIRCULATED TO COUNSEL ON JUNE 7TH, 2021, UM, TO BE SENT OUT ON JUNE 9TH, 2021.
THAT IN FACT, I, I WILL READ IT FOR YOU.
IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT ANY APPLICANT EXPRESS CLOSELY COMMIT TO WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE TOWN OF CH OUR ADVISORY BODIES IN INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE AND PLANNING BOARD, SIMILAR LANGUAGE AGAIN, UH, JANUARY 9TH, 2023 TO THE CLEAN WATER PARTNERSHIP, UH, FROM SHEILA SALO.
THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE ACTS AS AN ADVISORY BODY TO THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
I'M NOT TRYING TO REHASH THE PAST.
I DO THINK THAT WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD, BUT I THINK THAT IT WAS VERY CLEAR THAT THIS BODY WAS AN ADVISORY BODY.
WE HAVE NEVER EVER ASKED YOU NOT TO ACT INDEPENDENTLY.
WHAT WE WANT IS YOUR EXPERT ADVICE, WHICH IS INDEPENDENT OF THE TOWN, WHICH WOULD GIVE US WHAT YOU THINK IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE TOWN BECAUSE WE ARE NOT EXPERTS UP HERE.
AND THAT'S WHAT IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN.
AND THAT WAS WHAT WAS EXPECTED.
AND BECAUSE THOSE EXPECTATIONS WERE NOT BEING MET, THAT IS WHERE WE CAME AND WE HIT, I DON'T WANNA SAY A WALL, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE BEST WORD IS, BUT THAT IS WHERE WE HAD THE ISSUES BECAUSE WE WERE NOT GETTING THE COOPERATION.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE REMEMBER THAT BECAUSE WHAT CHANGED THAT NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU DON'T WANNA BE AN ADVISORY BODY.
NOW WE HAVE NEW LEADERSHIP AND WE'RE TRYING TO MOVE FORWARD, THAT'S FINE.
BUT THAT DOES NEED TO BE PART OF THIS.
AND WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND BECAUSE IF WE ARE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH SOMETHING DIFFERENT, THEN THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE ADOPTED NEED TO BE REPEALED.
THAT'S HOW ORGANIZERS WORK AND THAT IS OUR JOB.
WE CAN DO THAT AND THAT'S FINE, BUT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ACKNOWLEDGE IT, THAT WE KNOW WHAT WE'VE GONE THROUGH, WE REMEMBER THAT, AND THEN WE FIGURE OUT HOW TO BEST MOVE FORWARD AND TO AVOID THIS WITH ANY OF OUR TOWN ADVISORY BODIES.
UM, AND THEN ALSO TO MAKE SURE THAT A LOT OF THESE DOCUMENTS AND SO FORTH ARE EASILY ACCESSIBLE BECAUSE I COULDN'T FIND SEVERAL OF THEM AFTER I HAD FOUND THEM LIKE YEARS AGO.
SO I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TOO BECAUSE I THINK ALL OF US IN HERE TRY TO DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE.
WE DO TRY TO GO BACK AND LOOK TO SEE, HEY, WHAT HAPPENED? BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT, WE DO A LOT.
I KNOW THAT THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE HAS DONE A TON OF WORK AND THROUGH THAT THINGS CAN GET LOST.
AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE DOCUMENT THOSE THINGS AS WELL.
SO I WOULD LIKE THAT TO BE INCLUDED IN ANYTHING THAT WE HAVE MOVING FORWARD.
I DON'T KNOW IF THE MOU IS THE RIGHT INSTRUMENT.
UM, AND THAT'S WHERE I THINK, UH, MR. DELO WILL HAVE TO COME IN AND TALK TO US ABOUT.
UM, BUT THIS DOES CHANGE THE TONE AND TENOR.
AND THEN AT THE SAME TIME, WHAT HAPPENS IF ONE OF OUR OTHER ADVISORY BODIES WANTS TO GO DO THE SAME? I'LL ALSO SAY ONE LAST THING IS THAT THERE, NOWHERE IN OUR CHARTER SAYS THAT A 5 0 1 C3 CANNOT BE AN ADVISORY BODY.
SO COUNSEL, HOW SHALL UM, WE PROCEED MR. MR. MAYOR IF, IF I MAY? YES, UH, UM, MR. GALLOWAY DID WANT ME TO FORM COUNSEL THAT HE ONLY RECEIVED THIS DOCUMENT AS RECENTLY AS YESTERDAY AND NEITHER HIM NOR MR. DELO HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO ACTUALLY LOOK AT IT AND GIVE IT A FULL REVIEW SO THAT THEY CAN PROVIDE THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL COUNCIL GUIDANCE, UH, TO INCLUDE SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT WERE OFFERED BY, UH, VICE MAYOR BRINER AS IT RELATES TO MR. DELOS RESPONSIBILITY TO THE TOWN AS THE TOWN REPRESENTATIVE.
HE REPRESENTS THE TOWN AS THE TOWN ATTORNEY.
SO HE JUST WANTED ME TO MAKE THAT, UH, INFORMATION AWARE, UH, MAKE YOU AWARE OF THAT.
[01:15:01]
SO THERE IS STILL WORK TO DO.UM, SHALL WE REVISIT THIS AT THE MAY WORK SESSION OR AT THE SUMMER WORK SESSION? WHENEVER WE SCHEDULE IT? WE ARE OUT OF TIME ON THIS TOPIC.
I WAS JUST GONNA OFFER YOU HAVE A DATE, LIKE A MONTH AND A NUMBER LATE MAY, JULY AND THEN A DATE AND THEN A NUMBER? NO.
SO I MEAN, MAYBE WE WON'T BE READY IN A MONTH AND WE DECIDE TO DISCUSS THIS AT ANOTHER, AT THE SUMMER WORK SESSION, WHICH IS SOMETIME IN JULY.
SO I DON'T HAVE A STRONG OPINION ON EITHER OF THOSE.
I JUST WANT TO KNOW IF WE NEED TO GET SOMETHING FROM THE TOWN ATTORNEY BEFORE WE CAN MOVE FORWARD AT ALL OR IF SURE.
WE CAN TRY TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT SOME OF THE, THE COMMENTS THAT WERE GIVEN.
BUT IF WE NEED TO GET SOMETHING FROM, UH, THE TOWN ATTORNEY, THEN IT SEEMS THAT'S THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS.
AND THEN DEPENDING ON HOW LONG THAT THAT TAKES, UM, AND I DON'T, YOU KNOW, IN MY SUGGESTIONS AT THE END, I SUGGESTED ADJUSTED INVOLVING BOTH PARTIES IN THAT WORK.
I DON'T KNOW IF THE FIRST PASS NECESSARILY HAS TO HAVE THAT, 'CAUSE THIS ISN'T TRYING, I ASSUME THIS IS NOT TRYING TO COME UP WITH FINAL LANGUAGE.
THIS IS TRYING TO ASK SOME OF THE, THE MACRO QUESTIONS THAT COME NATURALLY TO THE TOWN ATTORNEY THAT WERE RAISED TONIGHT.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHEN WE PUT IT ON THE AGENDA, I'D BE A LITTLE SURPRISED AT THIS POINT IF IT'S DONE BY NEXT WORK SESSION.
I ALREADY WROTE DOWN JULY WORK SESSION.
SINCE IT SEEMS, UH, TO BE COMPLICATED ENOUGH, WE WILL CONSIDER IT THEN AT THE EARLIEST.
ON TO ITEM EIGHT, POLICY COMMITTEE UPDATES.
THIS IS THE, UH, DRAFT OF THE, HOW SHALL WE SAY, RULES THAT WE WOULD PROPOSE GOVERN ELECTED OFFICIALS, MEANING THE SEVEN OF US' USE OF TOWN RESOURCES FOR COMMUNITY EVENTS.
WHO WOULD LIKE TO LEAD THIS ONE OFF? AND WE ALSO AGREED TO A 25 MINUTE LIMIT.
DO YOU WANNA START, DOES SOMEONE ELSE FROM THE POLICY COMMITTEE WANNA START? I MEAN, I CAN BY SAYING IT'S KIND OF OUT OF THE POLICY COMMITTEE'S HANDS AT THIS POINT.
UM, I THINK I WISH THAT THE DRAFT THAT WE HAD INCLUDED THE COMMENTS YEAH.
BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE THOSE WERE PRETTY KEY.
UM, AND WE CAN SEE THEM IN THE WORD DOC, BUT THEY'RE NOT HERE IN THE PACKET.
I MEAN, I THINK WE'VE COME A LONG WAY.
I WILL SAY I THINK, UM, I THINK, UH, WE PROBABLY NEED TO FIGURE OUT THE NUMBER IF THE, IF WE'RE GONNA PUT A NUMERICAL CAP ON THE NUMBER OF EVENTS, IF WE'RE GONNA PUT A DOLLAR CAP ON IT.
UM, IF WE'RE ONLY REALLY TALKING ABOUT FY 27, IS IT, THERE'S PROBABLY A GLOBAL CAP THAT WILL BE DICTATED BY WHATEVER'S IN THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT PORTION OF THE BUDGET FOR 27.
UM, SO WHILE WE DON'T HAVE TO WRITE DOWN A GLOBAL CAP, THERE WILL EFFECTIVELY BE A GLOBAL CAP BECAUSE THERE WON'T BE ANY, UM, BECAUSE THERE'LL BE A LIMITED AMOUNT OF BUDGET, UH, ON THAT SIDE.
I THINK WE'VE GONE A LONG WAY TO MAKING THESE EVENTS ONCE APPROVED BY THE TOWN ADMINISTRATOR TOWN EVENTS, JUST LIKE THE EASTER EGG HUNT OR DUMPSTER DAY SATURDAY, OR THE TREE PLANTING THAT'S TOMORROW AT CHEESE PARK.
UM, AND THEREFORE A LOT OF OTHER THE, LET'S SAY RESTRICTIONS THAT APPLY TO CPRC WHEN THEY'RE DOING THE EASTER EGG HUNT APPLY TO, UM, THE ELECTED OFFICIAL OR ELECTED OFFICIALS WHO ARE SPONSORING, UH, HEADLINING, ORGANIZING, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL AT THIS PARTICULAR, THEIR PARTICULAR EVENT.
COUNCIL MEMBER WADE, DO YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP? YEAH.
JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, YOU MENTIONED THIS IS A DOCUMENT JUST FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR? OR IS THIS IS A PERMANENT DOCUMENT? NO, NO.
I MEAN IT'S A PERMANENT, IT WOULD BE A PERMANENT POLICY.
THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION.
UH, I THINK IT'S FINE TO OUTLINE, LET'S SAY A PER EVENT LIMIT.
LIKE UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WOULD AN ELECTED OFFICIAL BE ABLE TO, UH, SPONSOR A TOWN EVENT THAT INCURRED MORE THAN X DOLLARS OF TOWN RESOURCES.
I WAS SIMPLY SAYING THAT THE EFFECTIVE GLOBAL CAP ON THIS WILL BE DETERMINED WHAT, YOU DON'T HAVE TO PUT IT IN HERE
[01:20:01]
'CAUSE IT WILL BE DICTATED BY THAT LINE ITEM IN THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT BUDGET FOR THAT FISCAL YEAR.YEAH, JUST TO FOLLOW UP, I KNOW, UH, THANK YOU MAYOR COUNCIL.
IN THAT LAST, UH, TOWN MEETING WE PASSED, UH, THE, UH, TO MOVE FORWARD WITH MY PARTICULAR EVENT.
UM, I DID NOT KNOW PRIOR TO THAT DAY THE COST ASSOCIATED WITH FOUR INDIVIDUALS.
I DID, I THINK IT WAS 1600, UM, FOR FOUR INDIVIDUAL TO TOWN.
UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT PERSONALLY FOR ME WHO, WHO PRIDE MYSELF ON BEING FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE, THAT THAT WOULD NOT BE ACCEPTABLE, ESPECIALLY DURING THE, THE TIMES THAT WE ARE IN NOW.
UM, SO I DID DISCUSS WITH, UH, THE TOWN ADMINISTRATOR THAT IT WILL DEFINITELY HAVE TO BE SOMETHING THAT IS AT MINIMUM HALF OF THAT.
UM, I KNOW THAT, UM, I'M NOT SURE WHO DID, BUT PUT IT UNDER THE, UM, CURRENT DOCUMENT AS $2,000 AGGREGATE FOR, I, I SUGGEST THE AGGREGATE FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR FOR UP TO, UH, THREE EVENTS, MENTIONING THREE EVENTS BECAUSE YOU COULD PARTNER, SAY WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, UM, OR ANY OTHER ORGANIZATION.
SO I DON'T THINK THAT REALLY, IT'S NOT MORE IMPORTANT IN THE NUMBER EVENTS, IT'S THE AMOUNT OF MONEY, UM, THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
UM, SO I, I WOULD PREFER TO LOOK AT THE NUMBER BETWEEN 800 TO $1,000 PER INDIVIDUAL FOR THE ENTIRE, AGAIN, I KNOW WE, IT SAID CALENDAR YEAR, BUT I LOOKED AT IT MORE AS THE FISCAL YEAR BECAUSE WE WORK ON THE FISCAL BUDGET AS WELL.
SO IT WOULD BE SOMETHING, UM, PROPOSING EIGHT UP TO THREE EVENTS PARTNERING WITH ANY TOWN ENTITY FOR A TOTAL OF 800 TO $1,000, UM, FOR, UH, THE FISCAL YEAR FOR THAT.
SO LET'S START WITH THE MONETARY ASPECT AND NUMBER EVENTS FOR THAT.
AGAIN, I DON'T THINK IT'S THE NUMBER EVENTS IS MORE AS THE LEVEL OF MONEY THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
'CAUSE THE EVENT, UM, MIGHT COST $50 OR A HUNDRED DOLLARS TO DO.
I'M JUST THROWING IT OUT THERE.
BUT, UM, IF IT BENEFITS, IT HAS A PURPOSE, LET IT HAPPEN.
VERSUS THE MONETARY, THE MONETARY, UM, EXPENSE ASSOCIATED ASSOCIATED WITH THAT FOR THE FISCAL YEAR.
YOU'RE SAYING 800 TO A THOUSAND PER ELECTED OFFICIAL OR FOR AN, FOR AN ELECTED OFFICIAL.
WITH THE AGGREGATE OF THAT MEANING UP, YOU KNOW, UP TO THREE EVENTS.
IF, IF WE DO NEED TO DO A, UM, A AMENDMENT TO THE VOTE OF, OF, I THINK WE SHOULD, FOR MY EVENT THAT WAS PASSED, IT WAS VOTED, UM, MEAN UNANIMITY AS FOR $1,600.
AND I TOLD AGAIN, TOLD MR. GALLOWAY THAT THAT IS NOT, I DON'T FEEL EVEN HALFWAY COMFORTABLE, UH, WITH UH, DOING THAT FOR MY PARTICULAR EVENT.
SO NUMBER ONE, MAYOR, SHOULD WE, UM, HAVE THE AMENDMENT TO THAT VOTE FOR THAT, THAT IT'S NOT AT THE PRICE, THE PRICE POINT OF $1,600.
OKAY, SO YOU'RE SUGGESTING, I MEAN, TO A TWO, I'M TALKING ABOUT TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
THINGS, AGAIN, YOU ALL PASSED TO DO MY EVENT, RIGHT? 'CAUSE OF THE FACT, WHICH WOULD THANK YOU AGAIN, SUGGESTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER FRY BECAUSE MY EVENT'S COMING UP IN JULY.
WE DON'T KNOW WHEN THIS POLICY IS GONNA BE DONE.
IT WAS PASSED WITH A $1,600 BUDGET.
SO THAT'S ONE ASPECT THAT NEEDS TO BE, UM, UH, CHANGE.
'CAUSE I'M NOT GOING, I DON'T WANT TO PLAN ON SPENDING $1,600 A TOWN'S MONEY, THAT ASPECT.
AND THEN RIGHT NOW, CURRENTLY IT MENTIONS A TOTAL AMOUNT OF $2,000 YEAH.
BUT I, I SUGGEST IT THE FISCAL YEAR 'CAUSE WE WORK ON THE FISCAL ASPECT.
MY SUGGESTION IS TO MAKE IT BETWEEN 800 TO A $1,000 FOR THE ENTIRE FISCAL YEAR FOR EACH, UH, UH, PERSON.
UM, JUST A QUICK ANSWER, UH, TO THE FIRST PART.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR, UM, FISCAL AWARENESS AND RESPONSIBILITY.
I DON'T THINK THE MOTION SPECIFIED A DOLLAR AMOUNT, SO I DON'T THINK THERE'S A NEED TO DO AN AMENDMENT.
I THINK IT WAS PHRASED TO BE AT THE DISCRETION OF THE TOWN ADMINISTRATOR.
WELL, THE RESPOND TO THAT WE DID BECAUSE I, I SPEAK DISTINCTLY AS THE, UM, TOWN ADMINISTRATOR.
THE AMOUNT HE LITERALLY TOLD US IT WOULD COST $1,600.
SO I JUST WANTED TO KNOW, I I WANT IT ON RECORD
SO THAT WAS, THAT WAS MENTIONED AMONG THE VOTE THERE.
SO I, I I PREFER TO HAVE THAT, UM, DOCUMENTED.
WHY DON'T WE CHECK WITH THE TOWN ADMINISTRATOR WHEN HE GETS BACK AND IF THERE, IF IT, IF WE DID PASS 1600 WILL UM, PASS A NEW MOTION ON MAY 14TH.
[01:25:01]
THAT WORK? THAT'S FINE WITH ME.FIRST I'LL SAY THERE WERE THREE SECTIONS THAT WERE DELETED, UH, THAT I THINK ARE IMPORTANT AND NEED TO BE INCLUDED IN SOME WAY.
UM, UNDER SECTION FIVE ELECTION RULES, THERE HAD BEEN A PARAGRAPH OR TWO THAT SAID TOWN RESOURCES MAY NOT BE USED FOR ELECTED OFFICIAL INITIATED EVENTS DURING THE PERIOD OF 90 DAYS BEFORE AN ELECTION IN WHICH THE OFFICIAL IS A CANDIDATE.
IF AN ELECTED OFFICIAL BECOMES A CANDIDATE FOR ANOTHER ELECTED OFFICE, THE SAME RESTRICTIONS APPLY.
AND THEN UNDER SIX, UH, ISN'T THAT ON PAGE 14? THAT'S, SORRY, I'M, ISN'T THAT ON THE TOP OF PAGE 14? THE 90 DAY RULE, INCLUDING COUNTY? I'M LOOKING AT WHAT I PRINTED OUT.
'CAUSE I PRINTED OUT THE COMMENTS.
SO NOW I'M FLIPPING BETWEEN WHAT IS HERE.
I THINK RIGHT BEFORE SIX PROMOTION OF EVENTS, THERE'S A PARAGRAPH C THAT STILL TALKS ABOUT THE 90 DAY RULE.
SO YOU WANT IT BACK IN? OH, I'M NOT SAYING IT HAS TO BE THOSE EXACT, UH, PLACEMENT OR WORD, BUT I THINK OKAY, THIS IS A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT, UM, BUT YOU WOULD LIKE A, YOU WOULD LIKE A COOLING OFF PERIOD? WELL, YES.
UM, THOUGH REALLY I WANTED TO DISCUSS IT.
IT'S JUST IT WAS DELETED AND WITHOUT DISCUSSION.
I THINK THAT THERE IS A, A REAL QUESTION THERE.
'CAUSE WE HAVE ELECTIONS EVERY TWO YEARS, RIGHT? SO IF WE SAY 90 DAY PERIOD, THEN THAT MEANS THERE ARE NO, NO MORE SPRING EVENTS, UM, WHICH MIGHT, UH, OR AT LEAST NOT ANNUAL SPRING EVENTS.
SO THAT I THINK IS WORTH DISCUSSING.
UH, AND MAYBE THIS IS JUST MOVED AND I, I JUST LOOKED AT THE FACT THAT IT WAS DELETED, BUT UNDER UH, SIX, THEY HAD HAD MATERIALS MUST CLEARLY STATE THAT THE EVENT IS HOSTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER NAME OR MAYOR NAME AND NOT AN OFFICIAL, UH, I UNDERSTAND WHY THAT'S GONE.
UH, OFFICIAL TOWN LOGOS MAY NOT BE USED.
CAMPAIGN LOGO SLOGANS OR IMAGERY MAY NOT APPEAR ON PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS.
I MEAN THAT WOULD NO LONGER APPLY BECAUSE THE EVENT IS AN OFFICIAL TOWN EVENT.
SO I CAN HAVE A CAMPAIGN EVENT PAID FOR BY THE TOWN RIGHT BEFORE THE ELECTION.
NO, YOU CAN'T, DELAINE IS NOT GONNA APPROVE YOUR CAMPAIGN EVENT AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL SPONSORED COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EVENT.
ONCE HE APPROVES YOUR, YOUR PROPOSAL AS AN OFFICIAL, UH, ELECTED OFFICIAL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EVENT, IT BECOMES A TOWN EVENT.
JUST LIKE THE EASTER EGG HUNT.
SO YOUR POINT IS THAT IF DELAINE OR WHOEVER HIS TOWN ADMINISTRATOR APPROVES IT, THEY'LL HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION ABOUT ALL POSTERS.
I'M GOING TO USE ALL HAND NOTES, I'M GOING TO USE ALL SPEECHES I'M GONNA GIVE THAT THEY COULD DETERMINE IF THIS IS A POLITICAL EVENT VERSUS A COMMUNITY EVENT.
I MEAN THE TOWN THEN BEGINS ADVERTISING THE EVENT AS AN OFFICIAL EVENT.
I MEAN, I'M NOT SURE HOW MUCH CONTROL THE TOWN REALLY THE TOWN ADMINISTRATOR REALLY HAS OVER WHAT CARRIE WAS DOING AT THE EASTER EGG HUNT.
WHO KNOWS WHERE THAT BUNNY'S BEEN.
YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? LIKE THE EXPECTATION IS THAT HE HAS AN AGREEMENT WITH CPRC, BUT THEY'RE NOT RUNNING FOR ANYTHING.
THEY'RE NOT RUNNING FOR ANYTHING, BUT THEY'RE EXECUTE, THEY'RE USING TOWN RESOURCES TO EXECUTE A COMMUNITY EVENT WITHOUT ADULT SUPERVISION.
I KNOW, I'M JUST SAYING THAT THE, THE THING ETHICAL QUESTION I HAVE TO HOLD MOST DEARLY IS THAT WE ARE NOT GIVING FURTHER INCUMBENT ADVANTAGE TO BEING AN INCUMBENT.
I THINK THAT WAS, I AGREE WITH YOU.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE JUSTIFICATIONS FOR THE 90 DAY COOLING OFF PERIOD.
SO THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S THERE.
AND ALSO THE ETHICS, AND AGAIN, MAYBE THIS MOVED, I'M JUST LOOKING AT THE COMMENTS THAT, UH, THERE HAD BEEN A STATEMENT ABOUT ETHIC COMMITTEE MAY PROVIDE ADVISORY OPINIONS, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
SO MY, MY, I WANT TO ENCOURAGE COMMUNITY EVENTS.
UH, CH HAS A LOT OF THEM, A LOT OF THEM ARE ENABLED BY, YOU KNOW, OUR VERY SUBSTANTIAL, UM, VOLUNTEER, UH, POPULATION.
UM, SO I, I THINK MY SECOND POINT WILL HELP INFORM THE FIRST, I PERSONALLY DON'T THINK THERE SHOULD BE A DOLLAR AMOUNT IN THIS.
I THINK WE ARE THEN BINDING OURSELVES TO PERPETUAL, UH, FISCAL ALLOCATION.
AND I PREFER SOME LANGUAGE THAT SAYS THIS IS ABOUT GUIDING WHAT WE CAN DO
[01:30:01]
DEPENDING ON WHAT'S IN THE FISCAL BUDGET FOR THE LINE ITEM WE CREATE FOR THIS OR THAT WE DECLARE THAT THIS COMES FROM.AND I AM, I AM PRETTY OPEN ACTUALLY TO HOW THAT COULD BE INTERPRETED.
THAT COULD BE A BUCKET THAT PEOPLE PULL FROM, UM, WITH A CAP BEING ONE SEVENTH OF IT OR WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, FRACTION YOU WANT.
BUT I, YOU KNOW, THE LAST TIME WE CONVENED, WE TALKED ABOUT A VERY REAL BUDGET DEFICIT.
AND SO I, I DON'T LIKE THE IDEA THAT WE ARE GOING TO PERMANENTLY STATE THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE THERE NO MATTER THE FINANCIAL REALITY.
AND TO YOUR POINT, WE HAVE A FORMULA FOR COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, FOR ELECTED OFFICIAL TRAVEL AND CONFERENCES.
AND IT DOESN'T SAY IT HAS TO BE 20,000.
WHAT IT SAYS IS THE PERCENTAGES.
SO I'M SAYING THAT THIS, THIS SHOULD BE MORE OF, UH, THAT KIND OF BREAKDOWN AND THEN WE CAN DECIDE ON ANY GIVEN YEAR, HEY, DO WE NEED TO LEAN MORE ON VOLUNTEERS OR DO WE HAVE YEAH, THE RESOURCES WE JUST CUT THE YEAH, GO AHEAD.
ONE, ONE OF THE IMPETUSES
AND WHAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE IS THAT THEY'RE NOT MAKING JUDGMENT CALLS THAT WOULD REQUIRE THEM TO SAY NO TO THEIR BOSS IN A WAY THAT MIGHT NEGATIVELY IMPACT THEM.
SO AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE CODIFYING THESE KIND OF GRAY AREA DECISIONS SO THAT A TOWN ADMINISTRATOR IS NOT THINKING, WELL, THIS ISN'T REALLY RIGHT, BUT IF I SAY NO TO THIS PERSON, THAT MIGHT NEGATIVELY IMPACT ME.
UM, SO JUST TRYING TO FIND THOSE GRAY AREAS AND CLARIFYING THEM TO AVOID THAT.
UM, MY SECOND POINT IS, IS RELATED TO SOMETHING COUNCIL MEMBER TANZI SAID, WHICH IS ABOUT THE DEFINITION OF A TOWN EVENT.
UM, BECAUSE I DO THINK THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AND SAY THE CPRC SPRING FESTIVAL.
AND I FEEL LIKE IF I, UH, AS WARD THREE COUNCIL MEMBER WHO WANT TO DO AN EVENT, UM, TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY, AND IT IS NOT IN MY WARD AND IT IS SERVING A PURPOSE THAT IS VERY SIMILAR TO OTHER EVENTS, UM, LIKE CH DAY AND IT IS OF A, A SIZE AND SCOPE THAT IT REQUIRES TOWN SUPPORT.
THE ONLY REASON TO SAY THAT THAT IS A WARD THREE EVENT IS TO HIGHLIGHT MYSELF AS COUNCIL MEMBER OF WARD THREE.
BECAUSE OTHERWISE IT'S TOWN SUPPORTED.
IT'S NOT HAPPENING IN WARD THREE.
IT'S NOT SPECIFIC TO WARD THREE.
IT'S SIMILAR TO OTHER EVENTS THAT ARE NOT WARD SPECIFIC.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE CLARITY AROUND TOWN EVENT.
'CAUSE I FEEL LIKE THAT I'M, I'M STILL UNCLEAR ON WHAT THE DEFINITION IS OF TOWN EVENT, I GUESS.
I'LL JUST QUICKLY ANSWER THAT.
A TOWN EVENT IS WHATEVER THE TOWN ADMINIST, LIKE EVERYTHING THE TOWN ADMINISTRATOR DOES AND PUBLISHES IS A TOWN EVENT.
EVERYTHING THAT I GET AN EMAIL ABOUT AND A TEXT MESSAGE ABOUT IS A TOWN EVENT.
THE TOWN ADMINISTRATOR HAS PUT HIS IMP PERIMETER ON IT, WHETHER IT'S THE TREE PLANTING TOMORROW OR, OR WHATEVER.
I MEAN, EVERY EVENT THAT THE GOVERNMENT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT OTHER WORD TO USE GUT DOES, IS A IS AN OFFICIAL TOWN EVENT AND THEREFORE HAS ALL THE, THE INSURANCE COVERAGE AND, AND AND WHATNOT.
I THINK THE QUESTION HERE IS, WELL, MR. GALLOWAY MAKES THE DECISIONS ABOUT WHETHER WE'RE GONNA HAVE A TREE PLANTING ON FRIDAY IN, IN CHEESE PARK AND WHETHER THE TOWN CAN AFFORD IT BECAUSE HE'S GOT VISIBILITY ON ALL THAT.
WHAT WE, TO YOUR POINT, WRITING IT DOWN IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE, UH, THESE EVENTS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ARE NOT GENERATED BY THE TOWN ADMINISTRATOR AND HE WOULD NOT NECESSARILY BE IN A POSITION TO SAY NO TO IT LIKE HE WOULD TO THE TREE PLANTING IN CHEESE PARK.
UH, OKAY, I THINK WE'RE WITH JOHN AND THEN WE'RE GONNA QUICK, I THINK WE'RE GONNA STOP THERE AND GO TO THE PUBLIC 'CAUSE WE'RE ALMOST OUT OF TIME, JOHN.
SO I THINK WHAT WE DID FOR COUNCIL MEMBER WADE LAST MONTH WAS DELIBERATIVE.
WE THOUGHT ABOUT HIS EVENT BECAUSE HE HAD THOUGHT ABOUT HIS EVENT AS A TOWN EVENT FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE PUBLIC, NOT JUST HIS WARD FOR THE PUBLIC AND FOR CH AS A WHOLE, THIS DOCUMENT IS
[01:35:01]
RESTRICTIVE FOR ALL OF US BECAUSE IT IDENTIFIES WHAT WE HAVE TO DO WITHIN A SET OF RESTRICTIONS.AS TOWN EVENTS, WE CAN ONLY SPEND A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY.
WE CAN ONLY DO IT WITHIN A CERTAIN NUMBER OVER THE COURSE OF A YEAR.
IF WE AS COUNCIL MEMBERS WITHIN OUR CERTAIN SKILLSET, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MEETING WITH OUR WARD RESIDENTS, AS I DO WITH MY TRIANGLE TALKS OR WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, WHETHER A WARD TWO BLOCK PARTY OR WHETHER DAVID WANTS TO ENGAGE WITH WARD FOUR THROUGH THEIR CIVIC ASSOCIATION.
OR IF, YOU KNOW, THE VICE MAYOR WANTS TO DO IT WITH, YOU KNOW, HER RESIDENCE AND HOWEVER SHE CHOOSES TO DO THAT.
OR IF CHARLIE WANTS TO DO IT WITH A WARD, WALK THROUGH THE APARTMENTS, THEY BRING IT TO THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL WITHIN A SPECIFIC SET OF TIME.
AND WE DON'T NEED THIS DOCUMENT BECAUSE WE SIT WITH THIS BODY AND WE DELIBERATE AND WE BRING IT TO THE TOWN ADMINISTRATOR AND WE DON'T NEED TO SET UP, WE SET A BUDGET FOR EACH SPECIFIC EVENT AND WE DON'T HAVE TO SAY, WELL HOW MANY EVENTS HAVE YOU HAD THIS YEAR? YOU KNOW, WE CAN DO IT WITHOUT THIS DOCUMENT.
I THINK THAT'S A WAY TO DO IT.
I HADN'T THOUGHT ABOUT IT THAT WAY.
IS THERE ANY PUBLIC INPUT ON THIS? UH, WE'RE GONNA CALL THIS A WORKING DRAFT AS WELL, UH, FOR THE, UH, POLICY.
UH, I JUST WANT TO, UH, KEEP IT ON THE RECORD THAT, UH, WAR LOGS AND NOT, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, DOES NOT COST ANY MONEY FOR US TO, UH, TO DO A AWARD WALK.
IT'S STRICTLY THROUGH INVITATION AND, UM, AND COLLABORATIVE THROUGH THE TOWN WITH THE ONGOING ISSUES WITH UH, CHEVROLET STATION APARTMENTS.
I JUST WANT THAT TO GO ON RECORD.
AND YOU CERTAIN, I MEAN, IF, IF YOU AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL WANTED TO UNDER THIS POLICY HAVE A COUNCIL MEMBER GARCES EVENT IN YOUR WARD, YOU COULD, AND YOU WOULD, YOU COULD RECEIVE COUNCIL MEMBER, YOU COULD RECEIVE TOWN SUPPORT FOR THE EVENT.
BUT YES, THE WARD WALKS DO NOT COST ANYTHING.
UH, OKAY, ANYTHING ELSE FROM THE COUNCIL BEFORE WE GO TO THE PUBLIC? YES.
UH, JUST TO ANSWER, UH, COUNCILMAN TANZI, IT, UH, IF YOU LOOK AT, UH, NUMBER FOUR, IT COVERS THE CAMPAIGN ASPECT, THE POLITICAL ASPECT OF THINGS THERE.
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WAS TAKEN OUT.
EVENT GUIDELINES, IT TALKS ABOUT POLITICAL ENDORSEMENTS, CANDIDATE PROMOTION ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING TO SUPPORT A POST CANDIDATE BALLOT.
MEASURE RESTRICTION APPLIES TO ALL CANDIDATES AND POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS.
EVENTS SUPPORTED BY THE TOWN RESOURCES SHOULD FOLLOW THESE GUIDELINES.
SO I MEAN, AGAIN, TO TO DAVID'S POINT, IF YOU COLORED OUTSIDE THE LINES, YOU WOULD BE OPENING YOURSELF UP TO BEING SANCTIONED.
I THINK THAT WASN'T REMOVED FROM THERE.
AND ONE OTHER FOLLOW UP ABOUT THE 90 DAYS, AGAIN, I'LL GO ON RECORD AGAIN.
WE ARE COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR NOT, UH, THREE LESS THAN THREE MONTHS OUTTA THE YEAR.
WE STILL GOTTA DO OUR JOB, UH, 90 DAYS PRIOR TO ELECTION.
IF YOU DON'T, YOU MIGHT GET ELECTED OUT OF IT.
AND ALSO, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, PUTTING POLITICAL INFORMATION, UM, WE DO ON OUR NEWS, I LOOKED IT UP ON OUR NEW NEWSLETTERS, WE HAVE QR CODES.
I SAW ONE RIGHT BEFORE EVERYONE'S ELECTION.
THE QR CODE GOES TO INDIVIDUAL WEBSITES.
IT GOES TALK ABOUT DONATING POLITICAL FACES AND EVERYTHING.
THIS IS ON THE OFFICIAL TOWN, UH, NEWSLETTER AND WEBSITE.
SO THAT QR CODE, YOUR WEBSITE IS ON IT.
SO THAT'S POLITICAL IN ITSELF.
AND IT CLEARLY HAPPENED RIGHT BEFORE OUR MOST RECENT ELECTION THAT WE HAD IN, I HAD MINE ON THERE AS WELL.
SO I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT.
BUT IF WE, IF WE GOING, IF WE GOING TO HAVE THAT, THAT SHOULD BE ACROSS THE BOARD.
SO ACROSS THE BOARD, AND I DON'T THINK ANYONE'S COMPLAINED ABOUT IT AT ALL, BECAUSE IT TAKES YOU TO YOUR WEBSITE.
IF I'M A NEW PERSON IN TOWN, HEY, YOU'RE MY WARD, MY WARD SIX REPRESENTATIVE AND OR WHATEVER WARD IT IS, AND I DON'T KNOW THAT MUCH ABOUT IT, YOU, I CAN GO TO YOUR WEBSITE, SEE WHAT YOUR ISSUES ARE, SEE WHAT YOU STAND FOR, AND I CAN GET MORE INFORMED AND SEE WHAT YOU DO, WHAT YOU'VE DONE IN COMMUNITY, WHETHER YOU'RE PICTURES, SO ON AND SO ON.
I THINK THE, OUR RESIDENTS ARE SMART ENOUGH TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE, THE TWO REGARDING THAT, UM, GOING FORWARD WITH THAT.
[01:40:01]
WE'RE, WE'RE ELECTED OFFICIALS, UH, FOR OUR ENTIRE TIME.SO IF IT IS A SITUATION, IF WE DO, IF WE COME TO A MEETING HERE OR HAVE HOST ANYTHING ELSE HERE, WE'RE STILL ON AS FAR AS BEING UH, UH, UH, ELECTED OFFICIAL.
SO I THINK SAME THING WOULD APPLY TO BEING, UH, HAVING AN EVENT AS WELL.
ARE YOU SURE IT'S MORE IMPORTANT THAN HEARING FROM THE PUBLIC? COME ON.
I MEAN, JUST TAKE A, TAKE A SECOND TO THINK.
NO, YOU WANNA COME IN AFTER? SURE.
WE'LL SEE IF WE HAVE TIME THEN.
DOES ANYONE ON THE PUBLIC WISH TO SPEAK ON THE, UH, WORKING DRAFT? OKAY.
MAYBE IT'S A, A QUESTION OF FINE TUNING THE GUIDELINES, BUT THEY DO MATTER AND THEY APPLY ALSO TO YOU, BUT ALSO TO THE ADMINISTRATOR WHO WILL MAKE THE FINAL DECISION OR A CLARITY FOR THE TOWN ATTORNEY WILL SAY, OH, THIS IS, BUT THIS IS RIGHT, THIS IS WRONG.
SO THROWING OUT THE VALUE OF BABY WITH A BATH BOY DOESN'T MAKE SENSE, BUT FINE TUNING IT JUST RIGHT.
WELL, GOOD LUCK, BUT IT'S NECESSARY TO START THE PROCESS.
OR YOU LITERALLY CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT IF YOU HAVE NO GUIDELINES, OR I'LL DECIDE ON THE SPOT, OH, THIS APPLIES.
SO THIS DOESN'T APPLY TO ME 'CAUSE I FEEL LIKE IT SHOULD BE WHAT I WANT.
SO TRY TO REMOVE THAT FROM THE DIFFICULTY.
SO GOOD LUCK AND I'LL, THE ADMINISTRATOR WILL MAKE A DECISION, WELL, HE'S NOT ELECTED OFFICIAL, SO HE HAS TO ACT ON THE GUIDELINES AND NOT PERSONAL RELATIONS OR FRIENDSHIPS OR WHATEVER, BUT A SORT OF NEUTRAL GUIDELINE AND BASED ON THE GUIDELINES, AND THEN MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION.
OR HE'LL SAY, OH, I FAVOR HER, I FAVOR HIM.
OR I'M FA OH, I DON'T LIKE HER, BUT I'LL GIVE HER A FEW JUST TO KEEP HER HAPPY OR HIM HAPPY OR HAVE, THEN THERE'S SAY EGO, SO I FACTS THEN, BUT YOU ARE WORKING FOR THE TOWN.
BUT YES, I UNDERSTAND IT'S A, IT'S 360 BUT MINUS THE HOLIDAYS.
IT'S, IT'S NOT JUST THREE MONTHS A YEAR.
I THOUGHT IT WAS GONNA BE A THOUSAND DOLLARS PER EVENT, SO 3000.
BUT WE'LL DEFINE, SO WE DON'T SAY, OH, I'LL DECIDE THIS.
SO AS LONG AS WHAT IS FAIR AND JUST RIGHT, NO EGO, WHAT IS FAIR, AND JUST FOR EVERYONE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
ARE THERE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WOULD LIKE TO COME IN ON THIS WORKING DRAFT OF THE UH, YEAH, GREEN LIGHT, UM, LARRY
WHAT YOU BROUGHT FORWARD TAKES THAT OUT OF THAT.
UM, AND IT MAKES IT FOR MAYOR AND COUNCIL TO OWN.
AND I THINK THERE'S BENEFIT TO THAT.
UM, WHAT UNFORTUNATELY DOES HAPPEN THAT I THINK SEAN BROUGHT UP IS, CAN MAYOR AND COUNCIL PLAY NICE WITH EACH OTHER? IT DOES IT BECOME A PERSONALITY GAME? DOES IT BECOME A POPULARITY GAME? AND I'D LIKE TO SAY IT DOESN'T, BUT I MEAN, WE'VE ALL SEEN EVIDENCE THAT IT DOES.
SO, UM, I, I ENCOURAGE, UH, MAYOR AND COUNCIL JUST TO MAYBE THINK THROUGH THAT.
THINK ONCE AGAIN, ARE WE TRYING TO, THIS CAME ABOUT BECAUSE A WRONG WAS DONE TO COUNCIL MEMBER WADE AND, AND TO THE COMMUNITY, UH, IN, IN THE WAY HIS EVENT WAS HANDLED.
AND THAT LED TO THE NEED TO TRY TO LEGISLATE BEING GOOD, UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND KIND WITH EACH OTHER.
UM, SO IF THERE IS A WAY TO STEP THIS BACK RATHER THAN TRYING TO, YOU'RE, YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET EVERYTHING IN HERE.
UM, JUST, JUST TO THINK THAT THROUGH AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER OCK FOR BRINGING FORWARD THAT POSSIBILITY.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC? I THINK MS. SALO WILL BE OUR LAST CONTESTANT ON THIS TOPIC.
AND THIS IS REALLY NAIVE, UM, STATEMENT, BUT I THINK I HEARD THAT THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT HOW CAN YOU
[01:45:01]
DISTINGUISH AWARD THREE, LET US SAY, UM, UH, EVENT FROM A TOWN EVENT.AND ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY IS THIS IS A TOWN EVENT ORGANIZED BY OUR WONDERFUL WARD THREE.
FRANK, JUST WANT TO, UH, MAKE A DISTINCTION.
I THINK, UH, THE QR CODES IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING WE ALL HAVE AVAILABLE TO US EQUALLY, BUT TO, I THINK THIS WAS NICOLE'S POINT EARLIER THAT AT SOME POINT IF WE DON'T PUT A BLACKOUT, THEN DELAINE IS PUT INTO A POSITION WHERE HE HAS TO SAY, WHICH OF THESE DO I APPROVE? I JUST GOT SEVEN REQUESTS FOR THE LAST FEW WEEKS BEFORE THE ELECTION.
SO EVERYONE WANTS ONE BECAUSE IT'S RIGHT BEFORE AN ELECTION.
SO WHICH ONES DO I APPROVE? RIGHT? AND IS IT FIRST TO SUBMIT? DOES THAT MEAN I COULD SUBMIT ONE TODAY FOR, FOR NEXT JUNE, YOU KNOW, NEXT END OF APRIL.
RIGHT? THEN THAT ALSO SEEMS LIKE A WEIRD, WEIRD REALITY REALITY TO HAVE CUR CREATED.
SO THAT'S WHY I THINK THE BLACKOUT DATE, YOU COULD STILL HAVE ALL THE EVENTS YOU WANT, JUST DON'T SPEND ANY TECH, YOU KNOW, TAXPAYER DOLLARS ON IT.
SO COUNSEL WHERE, OH, GO AHEAD.
YOU HAVE THE LAST WORD AND THEN WE'RE GONNA FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO NEXT.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY IF ANY OF OUR STUFF IS GOING TO ANY OF OUR CAMPAIGN STUFF, IT SHOULD NOT.
SO WE SHOULD BE MAKING SURE AND IF IT DOES, WE SHOULD LET THE COMMUNITY KNOW THAT IT HAS BEEN THERE, IT SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN THERE.
WE'RE MAKING SURE NOW AT THIS POINT THAT IT'S NOT GOING TO BE, 'CAUSE WHEN YOU KNOW BETTER, YOU DO BETTER, RIGHT? SO IF THAT IS NOT SOMETHING WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE ACTIVELY PUTTING ON THOSE THINGS.
SO I KNOW, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WANNA LIKE PUT ON OUR ETHICS COMMUNITY, JUST KIND OF TAKE A LOOK AT THE STUFF THAT WE'RE PUTTING ON OUR, UM, OUT THE NEWSLETTERS OR WHEREVER THE OTHER THINGS MAY GO.
BUT I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S PRETTY CLEAR THAT WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE DOING IS THE CAMPAIGN STUFF AND OUR OFFICIAL STUFF ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE MIXED OR MINGLED.
AND I THINK RIGHT NOW THE ONLY OFFICIAL COMMUNICATIONS THAT WE USE ARE THE NEWSLETTER.
SO YOU ALL HAVE 18 WORDS IN THE NEWSLETTER AND I HAVE TWO OR THREE PAGES TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT.
AND, UH, BUT IT IS, IT'S USEFUL TO, IT'S A GOOD REMINDER TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT THOSE, UM, ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE SAYING IN THAT BECAUSE IT IS TAXPAYER FUNDED COMMUNICATION.
UM, OKAY, SO I THINK WE ARE, UM, NOT CLOSE TO ADOPTING THIS.
I DON'T KNOW THAT I WANT TO USE MAY WORK SESSION TIME ON IT.
UM, SO SHALL WE SAY THE JULY WORK SESSION WE WILL CONSIDER COMING BACK TO IT.
WE CAN CERTAINLY CHANGE OUR MIND.
UM, THERE'S NO COMMITMENT THERE, BUT UH, WE ARE NOT PUTTING ON THE MAY 14TH AGENDA.
YOU HAVE A THOUGHT? I HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY COMING BACK TO IT? ARE WE MEANT TO CONTINUE TO COMMENT ON IT UNTIL THEN? ARE WE THINKING ABOUT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HICK'S IDEA? WHAT IS, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? I MEAN, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
SO, UH, RATHER THAN BRINGING THE SAME DOCUMENT BACK, WOULD YOU LAW LIKE TO TAKE ANOTHER CRACK AT THE ONLINE VERSION? WOULD YOU LIKE TO, UM, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE, DO YOU HAVE, DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO? OR SHALL WE HAVE THAT CONVERSATION IN JULY? MAYBE WE CAN HAVE THAT IN JULY.
'CAUSE WE'LL KNOW WHAT THE BUDGET IS TOO.
SO WE'LL COME BACK TO JULY WORK SESSION WITH A FRESH, UH, FRESH EYES ON THE QUESTION.
UM, OF, AND UM, YES, AS AN ADDENDUM ON MAY, WE WILL MAKE SURE BY MAY 14TH WE HAVE ANSWERED THE MAIL ON THE $1,600 QUESTION.
OKAY, MOVING ON TO EASIER TOPICS SUCH AS THE PROLOGIS $10,000
OKAY, SO WHERE WE ARE HERE COUNSEL, IS THAT WE OWE AN ANSWER TO THE PROLOGIS QUESTION FROM 2023.
UM, THE BLUFF IS THAT WE SIGNED AN AGREEMENT WITH PROLOGIS, UH, ABOUT THREE AND A HALF YEARS AGO-ISH, UH, TO BY WHICH THEY WOULD PROVIDE $10,000
[01:50:01]
TO THE TOWN AND THE TOWN WOULD SPEND IT ON A SPECIFIC, ON, ON A PURPOSE, UM, ON AN ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT OR PURPOSE RECOMMENDED TO THE TOWN AND MAYOR BY THE GIC.THAT'S WHAT THE BLUFF OF THE LANGUAGE IN THE AGREEMENT SAYS A FEW MONTHS LATER, THE GIC PROVIDED A RECOMMENDATION THAT THE MONEY SHOULD BE USED, UH, TOWARDS THE PURCHASE OF SIX LOTS ON PAPER, WAYNE STREET OR SOUTH OF ARBOR STREET.
NO ONE EVER THOUGHT THE $10,000 WOULD BUY SIX LOTS.
IT WAS TO GO TOWARDS THE EVENTUAL GOAL OF PUBLIC OWNERSHIP OF THE SIX LOTS.
SO COUNSEL, WE NEED TO ANSWER THE MAIL, UM, WITH PROLOGIS AS TO WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE $10,000.
WHAT DID YOU ALL SPEND IT ON? WE HAVE TWO OPTIONS AS I SEE THEM.
AND IT'S JUST MY, YOU, YOU DON'T ALL HAVE TO AGREE WITH ME.
ONE OPTION IS TO SAY WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO USE THE MONEY TO BUY TWO SPECIFIC LOTS AND THAT'S WHAT THE MONEY WILL BE USED FOR, PERIOD.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN THIS MATTER.
THE OTHER OPTION WOULD BE TO ASK GIC TO GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD TO, TO FINALLY ANSWER THEIR RECOMMENDATION AND SAY THANK YOU FOR THE IDEA.
WE THINK THE 10,000 SHOULD BE SPENT ON SOMETHING ELSE.
DO YOU HAVE ONE OR TWO OR THREE OTHER IDEAS FOR OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT OR PURPOSE THAT WE COULD USE IT FOR? I MY ONLY COLOR.
SO THAT'S HOW I SEE THE QUESTION.
I THINK WE NEED TO ANSWER THE QUESTION IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.
IT SEEMS TO ME OPTION A IS THE EASIER ONE, UH, SINCE WE ARE INDEED PROCEEDING DOWN THAT ROAD.
BUT I OPEN IT UP TO YOU FOR DISCUSSION AND THEN WE'LL SEE IF THERE'S PUBLIC INPUT.
DOES ANYONE ON THE COUNCIL, MR. TANZI? THANK YOU.
UH, SO MY READING OF THE LANGUAGE WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, OR AT LEAST ALLOWED FOR WHAT YOU CALLED OPTION TWO.
UM, BECAUSE I DID ENGAGE WITH, UH, THE COMMUNITY IN THE OLD FOURTH WARD ON THE OTHER SIDE OF ROUTE 50, WHICH IS CLOSEST TO PROLOGIS, AND ASK THEM WHAT TYPE OF GREEN INITIATIVES THEY WOULD LIKE TO SPEND MONEY ON, UH, IF THAT WAS POSSIBLE.
UH, TWO REALLY THREE IDEAS CAME UP.
UH, ONE WAS THAT THE HIKING TRAIL IN BOYD PARK IS, UM, IN POOR SHAPE.
SO, UH, IMPROVING THAT SO THAT MORE PEOPLE CAN MAKE USE OF IT.
THEY USED THE WORD ACCESSIBLE THAT THEY DID NOT MEAN, I DON'T THINK EXACTLY A DA ACCESSIBLE, BUT THAT IT IS BUMPY ENOUGH THAT SOMEONE SAID THEY CANNOT, UH, MAKE IT THROUGH SAFELY.
UM, SOMEONE RAISED THE POSSIBILITY OF USING THE MONEY TO PREPARE THE SITE FOR A PROSPECTIVE CHEVROLET SIGN AS YOU ENTER THE OLD FOURTH WARD SINCE, UH, THEY UNDERSTOOD THAT THE SITE ITSELF NEEDED SOME TENDING TO, UH, BEFORE IT WOULD BE, UM, YOU KNOW, USABLE.
AND THEN FINALLY PEOPLE SAID THAT SOME OF THE, UM, TREES IN GREENERY ARE OVERGROWN IN BOYD PARK TO THE POINT THAT IT IS RESTRICTING AVAILABLE PARKING.
AND SINCE PARKING IS A TOP, UH, CONCERN IN UH, BOYD PARK, THEY THOUGHT THAT IT COULD BE USED TO ADDRESS, UH, THAT MATTER TO THE EXTENT THAT IS POSSIBLE.
SO I WANTED TO PUT THOSE FORWARD AS, UM, DISTINCT IDEAS I HEARD FROM RESIDENTS WHO ARE NEAR THE PAR LARGEST BUILDING AND HOW THEY THINK, UH, THEY COULD BENEFIT FROM GREEN SPENDING.
UH, ANY OTHER, ANYONE ELSE ON COUNCIL VICE MAYOR? UM, YES, THANK YOU.
UM, SIMILARLY TO COUNCIL MEMBER TANZI, MY PREFERENCE WOULD BE TO CHOOSE A USE OF THIS MONEY THAT, UM, ADDRESSES ISSUES IN THE OLD FOURTH WARD SINCE THEY ARE BY FAR THE MOST IMPACTED BY THE PROLOGIS DEVELOPMENT.
UM, AND MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT FUNDS THAT COME FROM PROLOGIS ARE MEANT TO AMELIORATE OR OR TO MEDIATE THOSE EFFECTS THAT ARE HAPPENING, UM, TO THE OLD FOURTH WARD.
WHETHER THOSE FUNDS ARE COMING DIRECTLY FROM PROLOGIS OR THROUGH A MORE KIND OF WINDY PATH.
UM, THE OTHER, THE OTHER NOTE I WANNA MAKE IS, IS A RECOMMENDATION TO USE THE $10,000
[01:55:01]
TOWARDS SOMETHING ELSE THAT COSTS A LOT MORE THAN $10,000 IS A RECOMMENDATION FOR MORE THAN $10,000.AND SO, UM, I FEEL LIKE THAT'S TRICKY BECAUSE THAT'S A RECOMMENDATION FOR THE TOWN TO SPEND A LOT OF MONEY, NOT JUST THE MONEY THAT IS SORT OF BEING PROVIDED.
I MEAN, I I WILL SAY JUST ON YOUR FIRST POINT, THAT SOUNDS FINE, BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT IT SAYS IN THE AGREEMENT, RIGHT? I MEAN, I'M FINE SPENDING IT IN THE OLD FOURTH WARD.
THERE'S CERTAINLY AMPLE WORK TO, WE COULD SPEND MANY, MANY DOLLARS THERE, BUT THERE'S NOTHING IN WRITING THAT WE SIGNED THE TOWN SIGN THAT SAID THE MONEY SHOULD GO TO THOSE MOST IMPACTED OR WHO LIVE MOST CLOSEST TO THE, TO THE BUILDING.
UM, I GUESS TO ANSWER THAT, MY HOPE WOULD BE THAT THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE WOULD TAKE THAT UNDER STRONG CONSIDERATION IN MAKING THEIR RECOMMENDATION THAT THE OLD FOURTH WARD IS THE MOST SEVERELY IMPACTED BY THIS.
AND THAT PERHAPS IN CONSIDERING, UM, WHATEVER RECOMMENDATION THAT THEY WOULD PRIORITIZE THE OLD FOURTH WARD.
ALRIGHT, OTHER COUNSEL COMMENTS, MR. LELO AHEAD.
UM, SO I'M JUST LOOKING OVER THE INFORMATION THAT WAS ALSO GIVEN TO US TONIGHT.
AND SO I WOULD BE INTERESTED TO HEAR WHAT MR. SMITH HAS TO SAY TOO.
AND SO SORT OF PICKING UP ON WHAT THE VICE MAYOR SAID TO, WHILE WE PRESUMABLY COULD USE SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDS BECAUSE, SO WE'VE NOW HAD THIS MONEY SINCE PRESUMABLY 2023 AND WE WOULD EXPEND SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDS AT SOME POINT DOWN THE ROAD.
AND SO I'M ASSUMING, I'M MAKING THE ASSUMPTION THAT THIS MAP HERE INDICATES THAT THERE ARE, THESE PROPERTIES HAD BEEN IDENTIFIED BY BOTH THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE.
UM, AND YEAH, THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE RIGHT AND THAT'S WHAT THIS IS WHEN WE HEARD FROM A GREAT NUMBER OF THE COMMUNITY LAST MONTH THAT THERE ARE SOME PROPERTIES IN ADDITION TO THE ONES THAT WE IDENTIFIED LAST MONTH THAT I JOINED, THE ONES THAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED FOR PURCHASE THAT WE COULD CERTAINLY THINK ABOUT TRYING TO ACQUIRE WITH THIS MONEY AS WELL.
UH, OKAY, LET'S GO TO THE PUBLIC AND SEE IF THERE IS ANY PUBLIC INPUT ON HOW THE TOWN SHOULD ANSWER THE PROLOGIS $10,000 QUESTION.
UM, I'M NOT GOING TO ADDRESS THAT DIRECTLY.
I'M GOING TO ADDRESS THE MAP 'CAUSE I MEANT MAP.
UM, THE MAP SHOWS THE WHOLE RANGE OF THE, UM, PROPERTIES THAT RUN ALONG THE, THE NORTHERN PART OF, UH, ROUTE, UM, ROUTE 50.
UM, AND IT INCLUDES FROM WEST TO EAST PROPERTY THAT BELONGS TO, UM, TO THE TOWN OF CHEVROLET.
AND THEN WE COME TO THE, THOSE, THE, THE PROPERTIES OUTLINED IN RED ARE THE ONES THAT BELONG TO THE TOWN CHEVROLET.
THEN WE COME TO THE PROPERTIES THAT ARE PRIVATELY OWNED.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THE, UM, THE TWO LOTS THAT COME IN, THERE'S SIX LOTS THAT COME INTO SETS OF TWO.
UM, SO THE TWO LOTS THAT NOW BELONG TO MR. HARPER ARE ADJACENT TO THE PROPERTY THAT IS, UH, CALLED MCG RIVER SPRING PARK, UM, THAT IS OWNED BY THE TOWN OF SHELEY.
AND THEN WE HAVE TWO OTHER, UM, TWO OTHER, UM, PROP, UH, PRIVATE PROPERTIES THAT ARE SIMILAR TO THAT OF MR. LER.
ALL OF THE PROPERTIES THAT ARE, I BELIEVE IN GREEN ARE PROPERTIES THAT ARE OWNED BY THE PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY.
NOW, BACK IN 2017, UM, THE TOWN
[02:00:01]
PUT IN A, UH, A LETTER OF INTENT TO THE COUNTY SAYING THAT THEY WOULD BE INTERESTED IN, UM, OBTAINING THESE PROPERTIES AS SURPLUS.UM, MR. UM, I'M SORRY, MR. GALLOWAY ATTEMPTED TO FIND OUT.
UM, AND I DISCOVERED THAT WHATEVER LETTER HAD BEEN SENT HAD HAD DISAPPEARED.
SUBSEQUENTLY IN 2023, THE, UM, THE COUNTY CHANGED THE WAY IT DEALT WITH IT DEALS WITH, UH, SURPLUS REAL ESTATE AND NOW IT'S IN THE HANDS OF THE RDA.
SO IF YOU WANTED TO PUT IN A LETTER OF INTENT, UM, THAT WOULD BE, SORRY, TAKE ANOTHER 20 SECONDS.
THAT, THAT WOULD BE THE, THE, THE, UM, THE AGENCY TO CONTACT.
UM, ANYWAY, JUST IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE MAP, YOU SEE ALL OF THESE, THE PROPERTIES THAT, THAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED TOGETHER AS PROPERTIES THAT WE WOULD WANT TO, TO, UH, PROTECT FOR THEIR GREEN, UM, PROPERTIES.
SO I AGREE YOU WITH THAT AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU SHOULD BE THINKING OF.
THAT'S THE BACKGROUND OF WHAT, HOW YOU SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT THIS 10,000.
ARE THERE OTHER, IS THERE OTHER PUBLIC INPUT ON HOW TO ANSWER THE $10,000 QUESTION? OKAY.
SPENDING ON THE, THE NON-RESTRICTED FUNDS TO MAKING APPROACHES FROM THE, I GUESS FROM THE COUNTY.
LET'S, BUT LET'S NOT MAKE A, MAKE A DEAL BUT NOT MAKE A DEAL TO, YOU KNOW, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE TOWN AT THE SAME TIME IN THE NAME OF FINDING GREEN SPACE.
AND OF COURSE MAKING SURE THE 2000, UH, NICE LITTLE PROJECTS TOO ARE FUNDED.
SO MAYBE IT'S MORE THAN JUST $10,000 AND MAYBE BOY PARK SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE PROBLEM.
IS IT ON SHELBY? IS IT PROPERTY THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN CARE OF? THAT'S ON SOUND, SHELBY.
SO THE, THE WORK DEPARTMENT SHOULD HAVE DEALT WITH THE PROBLEM FIRST.
DOES THE, A PUBLIC CO A PRIVATE COMPANY TO SAY, PLEASE CAN YOU DEAL WITH THE BRUSH CAUSING A, A POTENTIAL TRAFFIC ERRORS OR PEDESTRIAN PROBLEMS? CAN YOU FROM THE TOWN, CHING? MAYBE, MAYBE NOT.
IF BOYD PARK IS PART OF THAT AREA IS PART OF SHOVELING, MAYBE IT'S UNDER, UH, OVER BRUSHED AND NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH BY THE WORK DEPARTMENT.
SO IT'S ALREADY BUDGETED, I THINK AS FAR PART OF THE WORK DEPARTMENT BUDGET.
SO NUMBER THREE, I GUESS A 10,000 MAYBE A DOWN, UM, DOWN PAYMENT, UM, FOR PURCHASES OF PROPERTY FOR GREEN REASONS OR MAYBE HOLDER PRODUCT.
UH, MAYBE WE CAN LIGHT INDUSTRY, BUT MOSTLY OUR GREEN SPACE OBVIOUSLY.
BUT THE IDEA OF HYDROPONICS, IT'S AN IDEA, BUT MOSTLY GREEN SPACE.
OBVIOUSLY PEOPLE WANT GREEN SPACE, BUT MORE THAN $10,000 AND THE WORK DEPARTMENT GETS THE PROBLEM THAT THIS COMPANY HAS BROUGHT UP THAT NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH NEAR BOYD PARK.
SO I'M HERE TO SAY, WAKE UP HERE I AM.
I WILL TRY TO BE BRIEF, UH, DURING MOSLEY WARD TWO.
UM, AS YOU LOOK AT THAT MAP, SOMETHING I DIDN'T REALIZE UNTIL SOME OF THE RESEARCH WAS THAT EVEN IF YOU ACQUIRE, UM, MR. LERS TWO LOTS, THAT STILL DOES NOT PREVENT DEVELOPMENT OF THE REST.
AND I THINK EACH CASE SHOULD BE LOOKED AT CAREFULLY.
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, THE THE, UM, THE ACCESS TO THE BOYD PARK PLAYGROUND, THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL CORRECTLY, IN MY MIND, UM, FAR EXCEEDED THEIR BUDGET THIS YEAR TO, TO MAKE THAT WORK CORRECTLY.
YOU ARE TO BE COMMENDED FOR THAT.
I THINK EACH PARK, EACH AREA, UM, YOU'RE TO BE COMMENDED FOR THE KILMER STREET PARK IN ARBORETUM.
THERE'S AN OLD ADAGE THAT GOD'S NOT MAKING ANY MORE LAND.
[02:05:01]
I THINK RIGHT NOW, UH, THIS IS JUST MY OPINION, NOT AN OFFICIAL OPINION OF THE GIC.UM, IS THAT, THAT PROP, THOSE LOTS ALONG ROUTE 50, UH, WE ARE IN DIRE NEED TO PROTECT THEM.
I DID NOT, I THOUGHT THAT THE PURCHASE OF MR. KELLER'S TWO LOTS WOULD MAKE IT FAR MORE DIFFICULT TO DEVELOP.
I WAS HORRIFIED TO FIND OUT THAT'S NOT THE CASE.
SO I'M JUST ASKING YOU TO KEEP THAT IN MIND, UH, WHEN YOU'RE WEIGHING WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO.
AND ALSO, I GUESS THE GIC THIS WAS BEFORE MY TENURE IN GIC WAS NEVER IT, OUR RECOMMENDATION, THERE WAS NEVER A RESPONSE FOR YEARS.
WE WERE NEVER, THE TOWN NEVER RESPONDED TO US.
SO I GUESS IF AT SOME POINT THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL ARE GOING TO ASK FOR DIFFERENT RECOMMENDATIONS, I GUESS WE WOULD NEED TO KNOW WHAT THE TOWN IS DOING FIRST WITH MR. KELLER'S LOTS BEFORE WE COULD EVEN BEGIN TO THINK OF A DIFFERENT RECOMMENDATION.
SO, UH, FIRST OF ALL, THANKS FOR BRINGING THIS UP.
UM, SECOND, UM, I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED WHATSOEVER THAT THIS WAS OCCURRING.
AND THIRD, IT'S VERY CLEAR THAT THERE IS A SUBSTANTIAL FACTUAL RECORD BEHIND ALL OF THIS, WHICH MANY OF YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT.
AND I APOLOGIZE IF THAT'S MY FAULT.
HOWEVER, I WOULD LIKE TO REFER, UH, IN ONE TO ONE THING WHEN THE, WHEN, WHEN THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PROCESS.
UM, AND I'M HAPPY TO COME BACK AT ANOTHER TIME.
I THINK I'M VERY UNCOMFORTABLE BEING ON THE CLOCK FOR THIS KIND OF A DISCUSSION.
AND I THINK THAT'S VERY UNFAIR AND UN AND UNNECESSARY.
AND, UM, I, I WOULD LOVE TO GO INTO DETAIL FURTHER, PROVIDE BACKGROUND INFORMATION SO THAT YOU CAN REVIEW THAT AND THEN WE COULD DISCUSS IT FURTHER.
BUT JUST A COUPLE OF HIGHLIGHTS.
ON APRIL 28TH, 2024, I PROVIDED ALL THE COUNSEL AND TO, UM, MR. GALLOWAY A DOCUMENT REVIEWING THE WHOLE HISTORY OF THE PROLOGIS DESTRUCTION OF FOUR ACRES OF FLOODPLAIN TREES NEEDLESSLY.
THE IMPACTS OF THAT ARE SUBSTANTIAL.
THEY GO FAR BEYOND WORD FOUR FAR BEYOND WORD FOUR.
UM, THE SETTLEMENT INCLUDED SUBSTANTIAL FUNDS THAT WENT DISTRIBUTED TO FOUR DIFFERENT PARTIES.
ONE OF THE FIRST OFFERS OF FUNDS WAS TO THE TOWN OF CH FOR $76,000 TO PUT A GREEN ROOF ON THIS BUILDING.
ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WITH THE PROLOGIS DEVELOPMENT WAS THAT THEY CAME IN SO LATE IN THE PROCESS TO GET COMMUNITY INPUT.
WE COULD NOT WEIGH IN ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS WE THOUGHT SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCORPORATED, LIKE A GREEN ROOF, SOLAR PANELS.
THIS ISN'T THE FLOOD PLAIN THAT'S UNDER HIGH STRESS FOR LOWER BEAVER DAM WATERSHED.
WE HAVE CHRONIC FLOODING THAT SHUTS DOWN ROUTE 50 BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF INFILTRATION THAT'S CAUSED BY A SYSTEM OF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT THAT IS STRUCTURALLY FLAWED.
IT IS RACIST, IT IS HAS CAUSED PROBLEMS HERE AND IN THESE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED SINCE 2020 BY THE PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMISSION THAT SPECIFICALLY IDENTIFIED THIS AREA.
AND YET THIS HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED BY OUR COUNTY COUNCIL IN A MEANINGFUL WAY.
IT'S NOT BEEN ADDRESSED BY THE PARK AND PLANNING.
AND SO IT IS ON THE INCUMBENT OF, ON SOME OF THE CITIZENS TO USE THE AVENUES OPEN TO US TO SPEAK UP FOR THE PEOPLE AND THE RESIDENTS.
SO I'M SAYING THE TOWN REJECTED $76,000 FOR GREENWOOD SAYING, SORRY, THIS IS THREE AND A HALF YEARS AGO.
THIS BUILDING DESIGN IS TOO FAR ALONG.
[02:10:01]
WE'VE ALREADY GOT SOME STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING DONE.WE WOULD HAVE TO SPEND, WE'D HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD.
IT WOULD DELAY THIS BUILDING TO DO THAT.
SO THAT 76,000 IS AT THE CHESAPEAKE BAY TRUST.
THEY HAVE A GRANT OUT RIGHT NOW LOOKING FOR A GREEN ROOF OPPORTUNITY FOR A DEMONSTRATION PROJECT IN A FLOODPLAIN.
AND THEN JUST, I'M NOT GONNA GO ON FOREVER, BUT JUST ONE THING.
WARRANT FOR JOE'S GOT A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF MONEY AND WE BEGAN THERE A SUSTAINABLE TREE PLANTING PROGRAM THAT IS FLOURISHING TO THIS DAY.
THE IDEA IS LET'S NOT TAKE THIS MONEY AND DO ONE-OFF TREE PLANTINGS AND BE DONE WITH IT.
LET'S CREATE PROGRAMS THAT WILL GO ON AND WE'LL LIVE, IT'LL HAVE IMPACTS.
NOW I COULD, NEXT TIME I'LL COME BACK AND I'LL BRING YOU THE DOCUMENTATION OF HOW MANY OF THOSE TREES AND HOW MUCH MONEY THAT VALUE IS TO THE TOWN OF CH INCLUDING TO BOYD PARK, INCLUDING TO STREET TREES ON, IN WARD FOUR, INCLUDING TO STREET TREES THROUGHOUT CHEVROLET, INCLUDING IN WARD ONE, THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PARKWAY.
AND WE HAD A THOUGHTFUL WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT SAYING SOME OF THE NEXT GRANTS THAT THIS MONEY HELPED ENABLE THEM TO GET COMING FROM THE STATE 5 MILLION TREE URBAN TREE PLANNING PROJECT THAT CAME OUT OF THE CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION PLAN THAT, UH, SENATOR PENSKE GOT THROUGH FORMER RESIDENT CH SOME OF THOSE FUNDS WENT TO A GRANT PROGRAM THAT WERE USED IN CH BUT BECAUSE IT WAS MEANS TESTED, IT HAD TO BE IN SOCIAL IMPACT AREAS.
THERE'S SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT JUST CANNOT MAKE EYE CONTACT AND, AND ARE, YOU'RE FINE TO DO YOUR OTHER BUSINESS, THAT'S FINE.
BUT IT'S, IT'S NOTICED, IT HURTS HOW I ABSORB INFORMATION, SIR, MAY NOT BE THE WAY THAT YOU DO.
I'M A GUY WHO ALSO SOMETIMES JUST IS CONSTANTLY TAKING NOTES.
IT'S A WAY TO REINFORCE IT IN MY BRAIN.
SO I APOLOGIZE FOR, UH, OVERSTEPPING THAT.
UH, BUT LET ME JUST SAY THAT ON THE, UH, ON THESE TREE PLANTING THINGS.
SO THE STATE PROGRAM HAS SOME AREAS OF CH THAT DON'T QUALIFY BECAUSE WE'RE NOT ECONOMICALLY IMPACTED AS WE ARE IN SOME OTHER AREAS.
SO WE SAID TO THE TOWN, WE CAN PLANT YOUR TREES IN THOSE AREAS, AND THEN WE HAVE THE MONEY IN THE BUDGET CAN GO TO THE AREA, THE OTHER AREAS.
SO WE HAVE MORE LIFTING UP THE WHOLE THING.
SO I'M, I WILL JUST CONCLUDE BY SAYING WHEN THIS DISCUSSION WITH, IN THE LITIGATION CAME TO A DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW MUCH MONEY AND WHAT SHOULD IT GO FOR, THE VERY FIRST THING I ASKED FOR, AND, UM, I CAN SUBMIT THIS FOR THE RECORD AS A DOCUMENT FROM MR. TOM HOWLER, THE ATTORNEY FOR PRO LODGES THAT MANY OF YOU KNOW, WELL MARCH 31ST, 2021.
MR. HOLLERER, WHAT ARE THE COMMITMENTS THAT PROLOGIS HAS MADE AND IS MAKING TO THE TOWN OF CH BECAUSE WE WANT TO BE CLEAR, NONE OF THIS ADDITIONAL SETTLEMENT SHOULD BE TAKEN AWAY FROM THE RIGHTFUL, UM, COMMUNITY BENEFITS THAT HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED AND NEGOTIATED.
THIS IS NOT TO RAID THAT MONEY.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ADDITIONAL FUNDS.
THE LIST, AND I'LL JUST REAL QUICK, UH, PROLOGIS HAS AGREED TO DESIGN INSTALL TRAFFIC CALMING DEVICES IN THE STREETS OFF OLD FOURTH WAR, UH, HAVE AGREED TO FUND THE INSTALLATION OF SIGNAGE, IDENTIF SIGNAGE, IDENTIFYING THE OLD FOURTH WARD COMMUNITY.
THEY AGREED TO INSTALL ENHANCED PLANTINGS ON LOT 12 OUT LOT EIGHT.
THERE'S MORE ON THIS, BUT THIS, THOSE ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS.
THEY'RE DESIGNING, INSTALLING A TRAFFIC SIGNAL AT SHERIFF ROAD AND CLAYBROOK ROAD.
THEY PERFORMED AN OPERATIONAL ANALYSIS OF TRAFFIC ALONG COLUMBIA PARK ROAD THAT THE TOWN REQUESTED.
THEY'RE PROPOSING TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL LANE NORTHBOUND OVER US AT ADDITIONAL LANE OVER US 50 TO REDUCE THE TRAFFIC DELAYS.
THIS WAS THE MOST EFFECTIVE IMPROVEMENT IDENTIFIED BY THE OPERATIONAL ANALYSIS THAT'S FROM MR. HALLER.
THEY'RE STUDYING THE POSSIBILITY OF ADDING A SOUTHBOUND THROUGH LANE ON COLUMBIA PARK ROAD AT THE METRO ENTRANCE.
[02:15:01]
THIS WAS ALSO RECOMMENDED BY THE OPERATIONAL ANALYSIS, BUT HAS LESS BENEFIT THAN THE EXTRA LANE OVER THE BRIDGE.INSTALLATION WILL DEPEND ON COST GOES ON.
THEY AGREED TO DONATE 1.3 ACRE PARCEL OUTLAW EIGHT OF THE TOWN THAT'S COMING.
BUT I WOULD URGE YOU TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT THIS CONDITION OF THE STREAM AND THE ERODING BANK ON BOYD PARK BEFORE THEY DONATE THAT PROPERTY.
UH, AND THEY'VE AGREED TO INSTALL ALL, ALL OF THE EV INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE PARKING LOT FOR THE AMAZON VANS TO BE ALL ELECTRIC.
ONCE THAT OCCURS WITH THE FLEET, WHICH STILL WE'RE WAITING ON, THEY'RE WORKING WITH THE TOWN TO ENCOURAGE METRO TO NOT REDUCE SERVICE TO THE CHEVROLET METRO.
THEY'VE INSTITUTE A COMMUNITY WORKFORCE INITIATIVE.
SO WHAT I'M WONDERING IS WHY ARE WE HERE TALKING ABOUT THIS $10,000 AND WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THE UNFULFILLED COMMITMENTS BY A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR CORPORATION IN THEIR BACKYARD.
AND THESE ARE PAST COMMITMENTS.
SO I GUESS I WOULD JUST SAY, AND WHAT I PUT IN MY LETTER OF TO, I WANTED TO CLEAR UP, TRY TO REMOVE MYSELF FROM THE CONTROVERSY BETWEEN GIC AND THE TOWN.
I WANTED TO REMOVE THAT BECAUSE WHEN THE LITIGATION OCCURRED, WHEN, WHEN IT WAS CLEAR THAT I COULD NOT ABIDE THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE GIC IN THE TOWN TO GO ALONG AND ALLOW AND NOT SPEAK UP AGAINST THIS, I WITHDREW FROM THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE AND, UM, AND I DID THAT.
SO I WANTED TO GO ON THE RECORD AND SHOW HOW THAT OCCURRED.
AND IT WAS YEARS LATER THEN I WENT BACK ON.
BUT, SO THE HISTORY WAS IN THIS DOCUMENT AND JUST ONE OF THE THINGS I SAID WAS, UM, AND IT WAS UNFORTUNATE THAT, YOU KNOW, I, I APPLAUD THE TOWN FOR SOME ADDITIONAL THINGS.
SO GETTING FUNDING FROM POOR LODGES TO DO THE RESTROOM RENOVATIONS AND THE REC THERE, UM, IT WAS UNFORTUNATE THEY WENT WAY OVER BUDGET AS THEY REPORTED AT THE TOWN MEETING ON, UH, THE 13TH OF APRIL THREE YEARS AGO, THAT THEY HAD A $1.5 MILLION OVERRUN FOR THE SIGNAL LIGHT AT SHERIFF ROAD.
BUT THEN THEY SORT OF TOOK IT.
BUT I, I GUESS I WOULD SAY, ISN'T IT APPROPRIATE FOR LARGE BUSINESSES THAT CLEARLY IMPACT THIS COMMUNITY THAT TO BE GOOD NEIGHBORS, THERE SHOULD BE ONGOING GIVING IN RELATIONSHIPS.
WHAT PROJECTS AND TO WHAT EXTENT ARE AMAZON OTHER TENANTS OF, UH, TENANTS OF PROLOGIS AND THE OTHER PROPERTIES, RIGHT? WHAT DEGREE DO THEY HAVE ONGOING CIVIC IMPROVEMENT COMMUNITY IMPACTS OF PROJECTS THAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO DISCUSS? ALRIGHT, THANK YOU.
ARE, I THINK, UH, LET'S LET MS. RAZI MAKE THE FINAL PUBLIC INPUT ON THIS TOPIC AS WE ARE OUT OF TIME ON IT, AND WE WILL PLOT A PATH FORWARD.
SO, UM, MR. TANZI AND I THINK, UM, MS. BRIER, UM, THIS IS, UH, MS. BRIER BROUGHT UP, UM, RETHINKING HOW TO SPEND THIS MONEY.
UM, I HAVE THE SAME LIST UP THAT DAN JUST SHARED.
I, UM, HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO BE MAYOR AND A LITTLE BIT OF THE CURSE TO BE MAYOR WHEN THIS HAPPENED.
AND EVERYTHING THAT DAN LISTED, UM, WERE THINGS THAT THE TOWN WORKED TO MAKE SURE PROLOGIS HAD IN WRITING SO THAT THE TOWN COULD HOLD PROLOGIS TO ACCOUNT THAT RESPONSIBILITY CONTINUES WITH YOU.
UM, AND I I REALLY ASK FOR YOU TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT.
SO A LOT OF WHAT WAS BROUGHT UP, UM, BOTH FROM THE TOWN AND FROM THE FOURTH WARD CIVIC ASSOCIATION, WAS TO DIRECTLY ADDRESS THE IMPACT ON THE OLD FOURTH WARD.
AND THERE WAS A WHOLE BUNCH OF PLANTING TO HELP WITH SCREENING, TO HELP WITH AIR QUALITY, TO HELP WITH LIGHT, TO HELP WITH NOISE.
THERE ARE A WHOLE BUNCH OF IMPROVEMENTS MADE.
SO IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WHERE THIS $10,000 SHOULD GO, I SAY, LOOK AT THIS MAP, THE AREA THAT IS IN DANGER, THE AREA THAT IS SUFFERING IS NOT OUT LOT B, ALTHOUGH PEOPLE SHOULD BE LOOKING AND SEEING WHAT HAS DIED IN THE MEANTIME, WHAT NEEDS TO BE, YOU KNOW, REDONE IN THE MEANTIME.
[02:20:01]
BUT IT IS TO SAVE THIS GREEN SPACE, NOT BECAUSE PEOPLE WANNA GO AND HUG TREES, HOWEVER LOVELY THAT IS.IT'S BECAUSE THIS GREEN SPACE IS AN ESSENTIAL BUFFER FOR SOUND, FOR AIR QUALITY.
THE ABSORPTION WITHIN THIS VEGETATED AREA IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE AMOUNT OF DIESEL PARTICULATES OUR, OUR COMMUNITY IS FACING.
AND SO THIS IS THAT PROTECTION ON THIS SIDE.
THE METRO IS THE PROTECTION ON THE NEXT SIDE, AND THEN THE PEPCO LAND LEADING OVER INTO, UM, THE OLD FOURTH WARD AND THEN OUTLAW B.
SO THIS $10,000 IS A DROP IN THE BUCKET.
I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT IT WAS ALSO ACKNOWLEDGING THERE HAS NEVER BEEN AN EFFORT AS LARGE AS THAT AT, UM, AN UPPER MARLBOROUGH SAYING, YOU SHALL NOT PASS.
AND SO IT WAS ABSOLUTELY TO TAKE THIS ON AND SAY, HAVE THIS MONEY GO TOWARD THIS.
I AM NOT SPEAKING FOR THE ENTIRE GIC, BUT IF YOU COME BACK AND THE VOICE THAT I'LL HAVE IN THIS PROCESS, IF YOU COME BACK SAYING, TELL US SOMETHING ELSE TO DO WITH THE 10,000 WILL BE, I WANT $10,000 TO GO TO LEGAL AID AND RESEARCH TO BE ABLE TO PLACE THIS ENTIRE GREEN SPACE.
THAT MEANS THE PART OWNED BY THE STATE, THE PART OWNED BY THE COUNTY, UM, THE PART OWNED BY, UM, PRIVATE LOTS INTO A PUBLIC TRUST TO PROTECT THIS GREEN SPACE.
SO IF YOU DON'T WANT IT TO BE FOR THE LOTS, THAT WOULD BE WHAT I WOULD ASK.
UM, AND I HOPE THAT WE WOULD BRING FORWARD.
ALRIGHT, COUNSEL, WE'RE BACK AT THE TABLE, UH, TO FIGURE OUT W HOW WE WILL MOVE FORWARD TO ANSWER THIS THREE-YEAR-OLD QUESTION, MR. WADE.
YEAH, THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION.
THAT'S SOMETHING I DIDN'T, DID NOT HAVE BEFORE.
DEFINITELY WOULD LOVE TO GET A COPY OF THAT INFORMATION.
UM, MR. SMITH, JUST TO, UH, PIGGYBACK ON WHAT HE SAID ABOUT JOE'S EMPORIUM, UM, MOVEMENT, UM, I ACTUALLY WORKED WITH HIM DURING THE, THE DAY AND BROOKE, WHO'S THE, UH, DIRECTOR ACTUALLY MENTIONED ABOUT THE TREES AS WELL, THE GRANT FOR THAT.
SO, UH, THANK YOU FOR MENTIONING THAT.
HOPE WE CAN MAXIMIZE THAT AS WELL.
BUT, UM, WE DEFINITELY, UH, APPRECIATE ALL THE COMMITMENT AND THE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE DONE, UH, REGARDING THIS PARTICULAR MATTER AND, UM, HOPE WE COME TO A RESOLUTION REGARDING THIS PRETTY SOON.
ALRIGHT, COUNSEL, UH, I'M NOT HEARING, WELL, LET ME PUT IT, FRAME IT POSITIVELY.
WHAT I AM HEARING IS A DESIRE TO ANSWER THE GIC WITH A, UH, THANK YOU.
UH, AT LONG LAST WE ARE RESPONDING AND WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING ALTERNATIVE PARAMETERS FOR AN ALTERNATIVE RECOMMENDATION.
I'LL JUST ADD THAT I DON'T WANT TO LIMIT IT TO WHAT I SUGGESTED.
THOSE WERE IDEAS THAT THAT CAME UP, BUT THERE MIGHT BE A, AN IDEA I, I DON'T HAVE, UM, OR THAT HASN'T BEEN EXPRESSED YET, BUT THAT COULD BE A GREAT IDEA IN.
BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT, WELL, I VERY MUCH AGREE WITH THE GOAL OF PROTECTING THIS TRAIL AND PARK THAT UH, THIS $10,000 I THINK SHOULD BENEFIT THE OLD FOURTH WARD.
AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE THAT AS A PARAMETER, MY READING OF THIS LANGUAGE AS I'M NOT SURE IF, IF CONDITION IS THE RIGHT WORD, BUT, UM, BUT TO SAY THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME OTHER IDEAS SO THAT WE CAN DELIBERATE AMONGST THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, I WOULD ASK THAT, UH, FIRST LEMME SAY I THINK IT'S, UH, IMPORTANT THAT WE ACKNOWLEDGE OUR INTENT IN THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING, BUT IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE IMPACT BECAUSE SOMETIMES OUR INTENT AND OUR IMPACT ARE NOT THE SAME.
UM, AND THROUGH IT ALL, I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT WHAT HAS HAPPENED HERE IS THAT THE OLD FOURTH WARD HAS GOTTEN THE SHORT END OF SICK.
WHETHER IT'S FROM NOT GETTING SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THEY WERE PROMISED, UM, AND FOR OTHER THINGS BECAUSE THEY CONTINUE TO LIVE WITH THE REPERCUSSIONS OF HAVING THIS, UH, AMAZON RIGHT THERE AND THE TRAFFIC AND ALL THE OTHER GOOD STUFF.
[02:25:01]
GIC WHEN THEY BRING BACK THE RECOMMENDATIONS, IT CAN DEFINITELY STILL INCLUDE THIS AS ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THE FOLKS IN THE OLD FOURTH WARD, UM, AS THE PEOPLE WHO ARE IMPACTED BY IT, UH, WHILE I KNOW WE HAVE EXPERTS IN THE ROOM WHO, UH, WITH THEIR EXPERIENCE WOULD LIKE TO ADVISE WHAT THEY THINK WOULD BE BEST, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO HEAR FROM THE PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN IMPACTED AS TO WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE.I DON'T KNOW IF IT WILL GO FAR OR IT'LL ACHIEVE THE THINGS THAT THEY WANT, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TOO THAT AS WE SEE THESE IMPACTS ON THE NORTH FOURTH WARD, THAT THE GIC CONTINUE BEYOND THIS $10,000 ISSUE, WORK WITH THE OLD FOURTH WARD TO CONTINUE TO SEE IMPROVEMENTS IN WAYS THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THOSE THINGS THAT ARE TRYING TO CONTINUE TO COME IN INTO THOSE INDUSTRIAL AREAS, UM, DO NOT CONTINUE TO CREATE MORE HARM FOR THEM.
SO THAT, THAT WOULD BE THE ONLY THING THAT I ASK.
I'M NOT SAYING TO COMPLETELY TAKE THIS OFF THE TABLE, BUT THAT THEY'RE BRING BACK A LITTLE BIT MORE AND THAT THEY HAVE SOME ROBUST CON CONVERSATIONS WITH THE OLD FOURTH BOARD.
ANYONE ELSE? ALRIGHT, IF YOU HAVE WORDING IDEAS, SEND THEM TO ME AND I WILL ANSWER THE MAIL WITH, UH, THE GIC AND WE WILL HOPE THAT, UH, THEY ARE ABLE TO SEND US RECOMMENDATIONS EXPEDITIOUSLY.
UM, THE LAST THING I'LL SAY IS NEVER LIKED PROLOGIS.
ALWAYS THOUGHT IT WAS A BAD IDEA.
THAT'S WHY I VOTED AGAINST IT.
I DON'T GET A LOT OF THINGS RIGHT, BUT THAT'S ONE OF THE CONSISTENTLY RIGHT THINGS THAT I'VE GOTTEN EVERY, AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR I THINK GOD ALMIGHTY, THAT I VOTED NO ON WELCOMING THEM TO OUR COMMUNITY.
OKAY, I WILL NOW GO ON TO ITEM 10, WHICH IS THE CH ENTRANCE SIGN AT 64TH AVENUE.
UM, YEAH, SO THIS IS AT COLUMBIA PARK ROAD AND 64TH AVENUE.
UM, THIS HAS BEEN FLOATED FOR A LONG TIME.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, I I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY PUBLIC OPPOSITION TO THE IDEA OF HAVING A SIGN NEAR THE INTERSECTION.
UM, GENERALLY SPEAKING, IT IS IN THE CAPITOL PLAN, UH, FOR GENERALLY, UH, I THINK WE CALL IT A GREEN SPACE IMPROVEMENT AND WELCOME SIGNS.
UH, LAST YEAR THERE IS NO MONEY IN THE FY 26 PLAN FOR IT, BUT IT IS, THERE IS MONEY IN THE 27 PLAN FOR IT.
I SUSPECT THAT WILL NEED TO BE TAKEN OUT GIVEN OUR LAST BUDGET DISCUSSION.
UM, AND SO THEN THE QUESTION BECOMES ONE, YOU KNOW, TECHNICALLY DO YOU WANNA LEAVE IT IN THE CIP WITH NO DOLLARS ASSIGNED TO IT? THAT'S OKAY.
BUT I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER TANZI AND I'LL TURN TO YOU.
UM, PERHAPS THERE ARE SOME CREATIVE WAYS THAT WE CAN ASK THE TOWN ADMINISTRATOR TO PROCEED OUTSIDE OF A BUDGET APPROPRIATION.
UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT I HAVE, UH, SO MANY CREATIVE WAYS.
I KNOW WE HAVE SOME, UM, UNSPENT MONEY IN THE, UM, ACQUISITION FUND, UH, FOR FISCAL YEAR 26.
I DID BRING THIS UP AT THE LAST WORKFORCE ETHICS ASSOCIATION MEETING TO GAUGE A SENSE OF INTEREST IN IT AND THE GENERAL SENSE WITH THAT THEY WOULD LIKE IT.
UM, THOUGH I WILL SAY I DID NOT SPEAK TO THE SCALE OF THE SIGN.
I JUST SAID A SIGN AND THEY, UH, THE DESCRIPTIONS THAT WERE GIVEN BY OTHERS WERE MORE LIKE, UH, THE MORE MODEST SIGN THAT IS ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE OLD FOURTH WARD WHEN YOU GO TO MARBLE WOOD.
SO, UM, I WOULD LOVE TO GET A SENSE OF WHAT WORK WOULD BE NEEDED, HOW THAT LAND WOULD NEED TO BE PREPARED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THIS SINCE IT IS ALONG THE CREEK, UH, THERE.
UM, AND IF WE COULD CONSIDER THAT AS A SEPARATE ITEM WHERE WE ARE PREPARING THE SITE, EVEN IF WE DON'T HAVE THE FULL FUNDING FOR PUTTING IN A SIGN NOW, BUT I ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE WHO KNOW THOSE PARTICULARS BETTER THAN I DO, UH, CAN SAY THAT THAT WOULD BE ENDURING WORK.
THERE'S NO POINT DOING IT AND THEN FINDING OUT THAT FIVE YEARS LATER THAT IT'S BEEN UNDONE BECAUSE WE DIDN'T, YOU KNOW, COMPLETE IT.
UH, SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS FEASIBLE TO, TO SPLIT IT UP SO THAT WE CAN FIND, UM, YOU KNOW, MISCELLANEOUS FUNDS TO, UH, TO MOVE
[02:30:01]
FORWARD WITH THAT.WAS IT GENERALLY UNDERSTOOD THAT YOU WERE ALL TALKING ABOUT THE LAND ON THE SINGLE FAMILY HOME SIDE OF 64TH AND NOT ON BOYD PARK SIDE? I THINK THE ASSUMPTION HAS BEEN THE BOYD PARK SIDE.
YOU WOULD SEE IT MORE PROMINENTLY WHEN YOU'RE COMING OFF OF ROUTE 50 RATHER THAN FROM THE OTHER SIDE BECAUSE IT WOULD BE ON YOUR RIGHT.
UM, AND FACING, I ASSUME DIAGONALLY TOWARDS YOU.
UH, BUT WE DID NOT GO INTO THAT LEVEL OF, OF, I UNDERSTAND.
NO, THAT'S, THAT'S HELPFUL AND THAT DOES MAKE MORE SENSE TO ME.
UH, COUNSEL ANY COMMENTS BEFORE WE ASK THE PUBLIC? YEAH, I'LL JUST SAY GENERALLY I THINK THIS IS A GREAT IDEA AND I WOULD LOVE AT THE END OF THIS EVENING TO ASK THE TOWN ADMINISTRATOR TO LOOK INTO GRANTS AND SO FORTH FOR DESIGN DURING FY 27.
UM, WE'RE GONNA NEED A CHARETTE OR TWO.
IT GIVES ME A CHANCE TO USE CHARETTE AND UM, BECAUSE THERE WILL BE, YOU KNOW, IS IT GONNA BE VERY IMPORTANT TO HAVE SEVERAL COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT SESSIONS? UM, IS THERE ANY PUBLIC INPUT ON PROCEEDING TO TRY TO GET US CLOSER THIS COMING YEAR TO A ENTRANCE SIGN AT 64? BE IN CONTACT WITH PROLOGIS, THEY MADE A COMMITMENT.
MAKE THEM FOLLOW THROUGH ON IT.
THAT'S MY THANK YOU LE WARD ONE.
SEAN, PATRICK WARD II FOR LOGICS.
WHO ARE THEY? I MEAN, OTHER THAN THEY'RE INCORPORATION, WHATEVER.
AND THEY DID, THEY DECIDED, I'M GONNA CLEAR CUT THIS COME REMINDS ME OF SOMEONE, OWNER OF KINS, HE WANTED TO CLEAR CUT SPACE TO THE POTOMAC AND HE DID IT.
I KNOW IT'S ILLEGAL, BUT I'LL STEP AND WALK BACK AS A COMMENTARY.
WELL, HOW ABOUT THEY PAY FOR IT? YOU KNOW, I SAY, YOU KNOW, A GOOD NEIGHBOR POLICY AND MAYBE IT'S A MILES.
IT'S NICE NOW PAYMENT, BUT COULD YOU UP IT A LITTLE BIT MAYBE AND MAYBE CHANGE, OH, IT'S ONLY FOR YOU ROOFS, WHATEVER.
SORRY TO SAY IT LIKE THAT, BUT MAYBE CHANGE THE REASON FORWARD REQUEST FOR A LITTLE HELP FOR YOUR, YOUR NEIGHBOR, YOUR LOCAL MUNICIPALITY, MAYBE THAT KIND OF THING.
NOW THAT'S NOW COMMENTARY ABOUT WHAT I HEARD DAN SMITH.
IT'S JUST MORE LIKE CAUGHT LUNCH OF THE COUNTY JUST AND MAYBE THE TOWN DIDN'T FIGHT ENOUGH AND SAY, OR WE'RE GONNA LIMIT THE COMMENTS TO THE SIGN.
BUT I STILL, IT'S PUBLIC INPUT SO I'M JUST GONNA SAY NO, IT'S LIMITED TO THE SIGN.
MAKE SURE THE TOWN, MAKE SURE THE TOWN GETS REIMBURSED FOR LIKE 50 GRAND INSTEAD, WHATEVER.
OH, AND, AND DON'T FALL ASLEEP FOR ANY OTHER REASONS.
DON'T FOR RESIDENTS, DON'T FOR YOURSELF.
OH, I'M GETTING MONEY SO I'LL JUST KEEP THE SEAT WARM AND NOT DO MY JOB.
SEEING NO OTHER PUBLIC INPUT ON THE SIGN, WE ARE ONTO THE KELLER UPDATE.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS EVENING THIS IS A MR. BRAMAN AND A MS. BARNHART ITEM.
COUNSEL, UM, THOMAS, MS. BARNHART IS WITH US, UH, THIS EVENING.
UM, THE COVER TEAM DEC UM, DECIDED NOT TO ATTEND THIS EVENING.
UM, AND, BUT WE DID GET AN UPDATE FROM THEM, UH, EARLIER TODAY AND THEY CONTINUED TO BE COMMITTED AND WORKING FORWARD.
AND I'M GONNA LET MS. BARNHART, UM, GIVE AN OVERVIEW.
UM, SO AS MR SAID, UH, WE MET WITH KELLER THIS MORNING, GOT AN UPDATE ON THE PROJECT.
UM, SO KELLER HAS CONTINUED TO WORK ON ADDRESSING THE PUNCHLESS ITEMS THAT THE TOWN AND CPJ IDENTIFIED BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE BUILDING.
UH, SHIELDS FOR OR SHIELDS HAVE BEEN INSTALLED ON FIVE LIGHT FIXTURES THAT ARE LOCATED ON THE BUILDING FACING THE FIELD AREA AND THE RESIDENCE HOMES.
UM, REGARDING THE GRASS STABILIZATION AT THE TOP OF THE HILL IN FRONT OF TOWN HALL AND ALONG THE DRIVEWAY DOWN TO THE ELY BUILDING, UM, THE SEDIMENT CONTROL INSPECTOR GAVE PERMISSION FOR THE REMOVAL OF THE SILT FENCE, BUT NOTED THAT THERE WERE AREAS THAT DID NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS FOR FINAL STABILIZATION, WHICH NEEDED TO BE ADDRESSED.
KELLER HAS REMOVED THE SILT FENCE AND AERATED THE SOIL.
TOP SOIL WOULD BE PLACED IN THE BARE AREAS, UH, THAT HAD RECEIVED HIGH FOOT TRAFFIC.
THE AREAS WILL ALSO THEN BE HYDRO SEEDED FOLLOWING THE HYDRO SEEDING.
[02:35:01]
HAVE TO BE FENCED IN ORDER TO KEEP FOOT TRAFFIC OFF THE AREAS WHILE THE GRASS GERMINATES AND GROWS.UM, THE FENCE THAT WILL BE PLACED AROUND THIS AREA IS, UH, A PLASTIC SAFETY FENCE, UM, VERY SIMILAR TO THE PREVIOUS SAFETY FENCE THAT WAS OUT THERE THAT WAS BRIGHT ORANGE IN COLOR.
HOWEVER, THE SAME TYPE OF FENCE IS AVAILABLE IN A GREEN COLOR, UM, WHICH WE HAVE REQUESTED THAT THEY USE INSTEAD.
AND THEY HAVE AGREED TO DO THAT.
UH, THERE ARE TWO KEY KEY AREAS OF WORK THAT REMAIN TO BE COMPLETED.
UH, THIS INCLUDES COMPLETING THE INSTALLATION OF THE EQUIPMENT IN THE MAINTENANCE GARAGE AND THE FIX FOR THE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT STRUCTURES AND THE ASSOCIATED GRADING FOR THE FIELD.
BOTH OF THESE ITEMS ARE WAITING FOR THE DESIGN ENGINEER TO COMPLETE THEIR PART, UH, AND SEND THE INFORMATION TO KELLER FOR THE COORDINATION WITH CH AND CPJ TEAM, UH, AS WELL AS WITH THEIR SUBCONTRACTORS.
KELLER'S EXPECTING TO RECEIVE THIS INFORMATION BY THE END OF THIS WEEK AND INTO THE BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK.
THAT'S CURRENTLY THE UPDATE OF WHERE THEY'RE AT.
UH, WHAT WEEKS OR MONTHS, UH, IS THE GREEN PLASTIC FENCE COMING BACK? UH, THEY'RE LOOKING TO HAVE THE TOP PRO BROUGHT IN, UM, INTO THE BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK.
THEY DID NOT GIVE US AN EXACT DATE WHEN THEY'RE GONNA DO THE HYDRO SEEDING AND THEN NEED TO INSTALL THE FENCE, BUT I WOULD ASSUME IN THE FAIR, UH, THE FAIRLY NEAR FUTURE.
AND AND HOW LONG DOES THAT USUALLY LAST? UH, 60 DAYS.
IT DEPENDS ON THE, HOW LONG IT TAKES TO GET THE GRASS TO GROW AND, UH, STABILIZE THERE.
UH, KELLER WILL BE, UM, HAVING A PERSONNEL COME BY AND HOOK UP A SPRINKLER SYSTEM TO WATER IT SO THAT IT HELPS ENCOURAGE THAT GRASS TO GROW AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
UM, BUT IT WILL DEPEND ON THAT.
THANK YOU FOR THAT MR. BRAMAN.
ANYTHING TO ADD? UM, NO, NOT AT THIS TIME, BUT WE'RE GONNA COOPERATE WITH THEM ON THE WATERING BECAUSE THAT'S, I THINK ONE OF THE ISSUES AND THE TOP SOIL I THINK ALSO IS ONE OF THE ISSUES WHY WE DIDN'T GET THE GROWTH OR THEY DIDN'T GET THE GROWTH THAT THEY NEEDED.
AND CERTAINLY THEY'RE GONNA BE USING THE TOWN'S WATER BECAUSE THE BUILDING'S RIGHT THERE.
UM, HOW IS THE BUILDING HANDOVER LOOK WITH RESPECT TO, WELL, I MEAN, UH, TURNOVER WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE 12TH OF MAY AT LAST NINTH, 12TH, 14TH.
I BELIEVE AT THE LAST MEETING THEY INDICATED THE END OF MAY AT THIS POINT.
UM, I BELIEVE WE'RE STILL TRACKING WITH THAT.
UM, ALTHOUGH, UM, MS. BARNHART AND I HAVE DISCUSSED, UH, SOME POTENTIAL PERMIT ISSUES THAT UM, THEY MAY RUN INTO THAT MAY EXTEND THAT TIME OR IT MAY EXTEND THEIR PROJECTED TIME WITHIN THAT TIME.
UM, WE'RE LOOKING TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO ASSIST, BUT WE'RE NOT TAKING RESPONSIBILITY.
YEAH, NO, I APPRECIATE THAT AND I APPRECIATE YOU OFFERING TO SPEND YOUR TIME TO HELP THEM DO WHAT THEY SHOULD ALREADY HAVE DONE.
WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO DO THAT ALL ALONG.
WELL I DO WANNA SAY ON A POSITIVE NOTE, IT'S GOOD THAT THE PARKING LOT CAN BE USED FOR T-BALL AND OTHER ACTIVITIES THAT THIS BUILDING'S PARKING LOT, THE PUBLIC PART, UM, THAT I THINK HELPS ALLEVIATE A LOT OF IT.
UM, FRANKLY, THE AREA LOOKS BETTER.
I MEAN THE FENCE IS GONE SO IT LOOKS MORE LIKE A COMMUNITY CENTER.
AND OF COURSE I'M HUGELY GRATEFUL FOR THE, UM, UH, WHAT'S THE BANISHMENT OF THE RED PLASTIC FENCE.
SO THAT'S ALL POSITIVE THINGS THAT I JUST WANTED TO PUT OUT THERE.
COUNSEL, ANY QUESTIONS FOR ROBIN OR STEVE? ALRIGHT, THANK YOU FOR KEEPING AT IT.
OKAY, COUNSEL, WE ARE ONTO THE TOWN ADMINISTRATOR'S UPDATE ACTING TOWN ADMINISTRATOR MORRIS.
COUNSEL, IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, I'LL JUST HIT THE HIGHLIGHTS OF FINANCIAL DISCLOSURES FOR 2025 ARE DUE TO THE ETHICS COMMISSION BY MAY 15TH.
I BELIEVE MS. RICHARDS HAS ALREADY PROVIDED MAYOR COUNSEL WITH THE DOCUMENTATION.
UH, THERE'S A PUBLIC HEARING ON CHEVROLET HILL IS SCHEDULED FOR THURSDAY, MAY THE 14TH AT 10:00 AM AND THE PROPOSAL INCLUDES THE DEVELOPMENT OF TOWNHOUSES, MULTI-FAMILY UNITS, COMMERCIAL SPACE IN A HOTEL.
MR. GALLOWAY WILL GIVE AN UPDATE ON THE BIKE TRAIL AT THE MAYTOWN MEETING AS IT RELATES TO THE DRAFT AND SCOPE AND COST ESTIMATES.
UH, ELECTION POLLING, UH, THIS IS IMPORTANT, UH, CONSIDERING THE THE YEAR THE JUDITH P HOYER BUILDING HAS BEEN CONDEMNED.
SO THOSE THAT WERE ASSIGNED TO VOTERS FOR,
[02:40:01]
UH, JUDITH P HOYER HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED TO BLADENSBURG ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN THE MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM.UH, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, UH, MS. RICHARDS WILL BE COORDINATING YOUR, UH, COUNSEL PHOTOS AND A PHOTOGRAPHER HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED.
AND THERE'S A SERIES OF EVENTS THAT ARE COMING UP THIS WEEKEND.
UH, CERTAINLY THE ARBOR DAY EVENT, WHICH IS SCHEDULED FOR TOMORROW AT 11 AT GAS PARK.
OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT WILL BE OVERSEEING THAT IN ASSISTING.
UH, WE WELCOME ANYONE TO COME OUT THAT, UH, IS INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING.
THERE'S ALSO A LARGE FUNERAL EVENT AT ST.
AMBROSE TOMORROW, BEGINNING AT 11:00 AM AND EXTENDING INTO THE AFTERNOON WITH BOTH THE FUNERAL AND THE REPASS.
AND ON SATURDAY, THE TOWN IS HOSTING THE DUMPSTER DAY.
I'M ASSUMING PROVIDED THE WEATHER COOPERATES IT'S HAPPENING.
I'VE BEEN TOLD IT'S HAPPENING.
UH, LIKEWISE, THE WARD FOUR CIVIC ASSOCIATION HAS A COMMUNITY DAY EVENT, UH, ON SATURDAY FROM 12 TO TWO, AND THAT'S AT BOY PARK.
UH, AND, UH, SHREDDING A DAY EVENT COMING UP ON MAY THE SECOND AND THE REST OF THE DETAILS ARE IN THE REPORT.
ANY QUESTIONS, COUNSEL, ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE TOWN ADMINISTRATOR ACTING? UH, NO.
THANK YOU FOR RUNNING DOWN THE BLADENSBURG ELEMENTARY QUESTION.
UH, JUST TO CLARIFY THEN EVERYONE, EVERYONE IN TOWN WILL BE VOTING AT BLADENSBURG EXCEPT FOR THE FOLKS THAT VOTED SPELMAN.
YOU GUYS STILL VOTE AT SPELMAN O FOURTH WARD VOTES AT BLADENSBURG WEST SIDE VOTES AT BLADENSBURG FAR WEST SIDE VOTES AT BLADENSBURG ON JUNE 23RD.
PRIMARY, UH, ANY WHAT UNLESS YOU VOTE EARLY.
OH, UNLESS YOU VOTE EARLY, YES.
BUT THAT YOUR ELECTION, THAT IS YOUR ELECTION DAY PRIMARY, UH, SITES.
WE WILL PUSH THAT INFORMATION OUT TO TOWN RESIDENTS.
UH, IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS FOR THE TOWN ADMINISTRATOR GOING ONCE, GOING TWICE.
THIS IS NOT A TOPIC OF PUBLIC INPUT.
COUNCIL MEMBER GARIS OR COUNCIL MEMBER FRY GAR.
MR. GARIS, UH, DO YOU HAVE AN UPDATE ON GO AHEAD, SIR.
UH, YEAH, UM, UH, AT THIS TIME I, I REALLY DON'T HAVE IT A FULL UPDATE ON EVERYTHING THAT'S, THAT I'VE, UH, BRIEFED YOU GUYS REGARDING CHEVROLET STATION APARTMENTS IN THE AC UH, SITUATION.
UM, BUT, UH, I DO WANNA SAY THAT TOMORROW THERE IS, UH, AWARD WALK.
UM, AND I WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND MY INVITATION TO, UM, TO EVERYONE ELSE IN THE, YOU KNOW, IN THE RESPECTFUL, UH, WARDS TO COME OUT AND, UM, JUST, YOU KNOW, JUST WALK WARD FIVE AND SIX AND UM, YOU KNOW, AND GET TO MEET THE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, APARTMENT COMPLEX MANAGEMENT THAT OVERSEES, UH, WARD FIVE, UH, SHIRLEY STATION APARTMENTS AND WARD SIX AS WELL.
UH, WE'RE MEETING UP AT THE VISITOR'S PARKING LOT.
UM, SO YEAH, THAT'S, UM, PRETTY MUCH ALL I HAVE.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR COUNCIL MEMBER GARZA FOR COUNCIL MEMBER FRY? OKAY, THEN WE ARE ON TO ITEM 14, TOWN MEETING AGENDA AND FUTURE REQUESTS COUNSEL FOR THE 14TH OF MAY.
OKAY, SORRY, BACKING UP A STEP Y'ALL HAVE NEXT THURSDAY OFF, SO ENJOY YOURSELVES.
WE'RE BACK ON MAY 7TH FOR A TAX HEARING, UH, AND A BUDGET HEARING BUDGET REVIEW SESSION.
UH, THEN ON THE 14TH AS OUR REGULAR TOWN MEETING, WE WILL HAVE THE BUDGET ORDINANCE INTRODUCTION.
WE WILL DO THE THIRD READER AND ADOPTION OF THE ANNEXATION ORDINANCE.
I GUESS IT IS CHARTER AMENDMENT RESOLUTION.
AND THEN I THINK THERE WAS A BIKE TRAIL UPDATE POSSIBLY AS PART OF THE TOWN ADMINISTRATOR'S REPORT.
I DO NOT HAVE ANYTHING ELSE FOR THE 14TH, ALTHOUGH THOSE ARE TWO BIG ITEMS. IS IT SEVENTH, UH, IS THAT SIX 30 OR SEVEN 30 I BELIEVE MS. RICHARDS, THE PUBLIC HEARING IS ADVERTISED FOR SIX 30.
SO THE LEGALLY REQUIRED, UH, TAX, UH, WHY CAN'T I THINK OF THE NAME OF IT? THE, UM, CONSTANT, CONSTANT YIELD TAX HEARING.
UH, CONSTANT YIELD TAX HEARING IS SIX 30 ON THE SEVENTH.
UM, TWO THINGS THAT I HAVE OUTSTANDING.
[02:45:01]
ONE IS WHETHER WE'VE RESCHEDULED VERIZON TO COME BACK AS THEY WERE MEANT TO.UM, AND THE SECOND I HAVE ON HERE CAR MEETUPS, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S AN OLD AGENDA ITEM OR NOT.
I, I BELIEVE ON THE SECOND ITEM, I BELIEVE BELIEVE CHIEF MORRIS ADDRESSED THAT IN HIS POLICE REPORT.
THE DEPUTY CHIEF ADDRESSED IT AT THE LAST MEETING.
AND I IMAGINE IT WILL STILL BE A PROBLEM.
SO SHE LIKELY WILL ADDRESS IT AGAIN IN HER REPORT ON THE 14TH, UNFORTUNATELY.
YEAH, AND, AND I SENT MAYOR COUNSEL SOME INTELLIGENCE REPORTS THAT WE RECEIVED FROM PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, UH, PRIOR TO LAST WEEKEND.
UH, BUT YEAH, THEY'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE A PROBLEM AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY AND KEEP MAYOR COUNCIL INFORMED SO THAT WE CAN KEEP THE COMMUNITY INFORMED OF AREAS THAT THEY MAY NEED TO AVOID.
AND ON YOUR FIRST POINT, I JUST WROTE DOWN VERIZON FOR THE 14TH, SO LET US CHECK WITH MR. GALLOWAY AND SEE IF HE CAN MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
I THINK THERE'S ROOM ON THE 14TH, UH, IF HE CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN.
ANYTHING ELSE FOR THE 14TH OR THE 28TH, WHICH WOULD BE THE WORK SESSION.
THAT WILL BE THE SECOND READING OF THE BUDGET ORDINANCE EVEN THOUGH IT'S A WORK SESSION.
BUT I'M NOT TRACKING ANYTHING ELSE AT THIS TIME.
UM, WE WILL HAVE A JUNE TOWN MEETING ON THE 11TH I THINK IT IS.
AND THEN WE WILL STOP ME IF I'M WRONG OR YOU DISAGREE.
CANCEL THE JUNE WORK SESSION AND THEN WE WILL HAVE A WORK SESSION AT A TIME TO BE DETERMINED IN JULY AND THEN, OR JUST DO THE REGULAR THURSDAY IN JULY DEPENDING ON PEOPLE'S TRAVEL SCHEDULES.
AND THEN WE CAN TALK LATER ABOUT AUGUST.
AGAIN, HEAVILY DEPENDENT ON VACATION SCHEDULES.
ANY DISAGREEMENT WITH THAT OR CONCERNS? ALRIGHT, I THINK THAT TAKES US ITEM 15.
SO MOVE, I GOT A MO MOTION FROM COUNCIL MEMBER WADE SECOND.
THERE'S A SECOND FROM THE VICE MAYOR TO ADJOURN.
IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION FROM THE COUNCIL'S VICE MAYOR? I JUST WANNA SAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MR. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE.
UM, OH, HE'S 462 AND GOING STRONG GETS ME PAID, SO THANK YOU.
ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
ANY OTHER DEBATE ON THE MOTION TO ADJOURN? HEARING NONE.
ANY ABSTENTIONS IF PASSES SIX ZERO.