[00:00:02]
UH, I'D LIKE TO CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.
UH, THIS IS THE JULY 9TH TOWN MEETING OF THE TOWN OF CH MARYLAND.
UM, AND THE FIRST ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS TO SAY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
PLEDGE OF 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 FRAUD.
UM, BEFORE WE BEGIN, I'D LIKE TO TAKE THE ROLE, UM, I AM VICE MAYOR NICOLE BRIER.
I AM ALSO THE COUNCIL MEMBER FOR WARD THREE, AND I AM CHEERING TODAY'S DAY.
TODAY'S MEETING IN MAYOR WATSON'S ABSENCE.
UM, PRESENT, UH, WITH US FROM STAFF, UM, IS MS. AJA PROM, UH, TOWN ADMINISTRATOR DELAINE GALLOWAY, POLICE CHIEF DAVID MORRIS, DEPUTY CHIEF, UM,
JENNIFER KRAUSE, UM, AND TOWN CLERK.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER FROM WARD ONE.
COUNCIL MEMBER FROM WARD FOUR.
COUNCIL MEMBER FOR WARD FIVE PRESENT AND COUNCIL MEMBER FOR WARD SIX PRESENT.
[3. Approval of Agenda]
UM, IT IS NOW TIME TO APPROVE THE AGENDA.COUNCIL, BEFORE I ASK FOR A MOTION, WE DO HAVE AN ITEM THAT WE NEED TO ADD TO THE AGENDA, UM, TONIGHT, UH, WE HAVE, SHOULD WE MAKE A MOTION TO EXCUSE THE MAYOR IF YOU'D LIKE? UM, I WOULD MAKE A MOTION TO EXCUSE THE MAYOR FROM TONIGHT'S MEETING.
COUNCIL MEMBER FRYS MADE A MOTION.
OH, COUNCIL MEMBER TANZI HAS SECONDED.
IT'S A MOTION TO EXCUSE THE MAYOR FROM THIS MEETING.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? GREAT.
ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS? ALL RIGHT.
MAYOR WATSON IS EXCUSED THIS EVENING.
SO FOR THE AGENDA, WE NEED TO MAKE AN ADJUSTMENT.
WE HAVE THE PRIVILEGE TONIGHT OF, UM, SWEARING IN A NEW CHEVROLET OFFICER AND, UM, DOING A PROMOTION FOR ANOTHER, I WOULD REQUEST THAT WE ADD THAT AS, UH, FOUR A.
SO IN BETWEEN APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA AND RESIDENT INPUT.
UM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER ADDITIONS OR CHANGES TO THE AGENDA? GREAT.
IF NOT, I WOULD LOVE A MOTION.
MOVE TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA.
NO MOTION IS MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER MCG.
SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER, WADE, ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE.
ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS? GREAT.
SO ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT, UM, IN BETWEEN ITEMS FOUR AND FIVE, WE WILL HAVE, UH, THE SWEARING IN OF OUR OFFICERS.
[4. Consent Agenda]
ALL RIGHT.UM, WE'LL NOW APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA.
THE ONLY ITEM IN OUR CONSENT AGENDA TONIGHT ARE THE TOWN MEETING MINUTES FROM JUNE 11TH.
UM, THOSE SHOULD BE IN YOUR PACKET.
UM, COUNSEL, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR WOULD SOMEONE LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION? IF WE DO NOT HAVE CONSENT FOR THE CONSENT AGENDA, WE DO NOT HAVE TO APPROVE IT.
WE CAN MOVE IT TO THE NEXT MEETING.
I WILL MOVE TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA.
MOTION IS MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER LELO.
SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER TANZI.
WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS? COUNCIL MEMBER LAG? DID YOU REGISTER A VOTE? UH, AYE.
[00:05:01]
ARE UNANIMOUS.NOW WE'LL MOVE TO SWEAR IN OUR NEW OFFICER AND OUR NEWLY PROMOTED OFFICER.
AND, UH, I, VICE MAYOR, UH, WANT TO INTRODUCE OUR NEW ASSESSOR, OFFICER KYLE GRIFFIN.
HE COMES TO US BY WAY OF MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY WHERE HE PREVIOUSLY SERVED.
UH, THE INTERESTING STORY IS THAT THERE'S ANOTHER OFFICER ON OUR DEPARTMENT AND THE TWO OF THEM ARE VERY CLOSE FRIENDS AND HE GOT TIRED OF APPEARING HOW GREAT THE CHEVROLET POLICE DEPARTMENT IS AND DECIDED THAT HE WAS ONE PART OF THE TEAM.
SO, UH, THE, UH, THE DEPUTY CHIEF DOES WHAT THE DEPUTY CHIEF DOES BEST.
SHE DIGS INTO THE BACKGROUND, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WE ARE HIRING HERE IN CHEVROLET ARE, ARE A GOOD FIT, NOT JUST FOR THIS AGENCY, FOR THIS, FOR THIS TOWN.
SO WE'RE EXCITED TO HAVE TYLER HERE WITH US AND I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO MADAM VICE MAYOR TO DO THE SWEARING IN.
SO, UH, DOES ANYONE YOU'D LIKE TO GO? NO, SIR.
YOU STAND HERE AND I'LL SEE HERE.
THAT WAY THEY CAN SEE IN HERE.
AGREE YOU SOLEMNLY SWEAR OR AFFIRM THAT SOLEMNLY SWEAR AND AFFIRM THAT I WILL SUPPORT THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES.
I WILL SUPPORT THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES.
I WOULD BE
I WILL THE BEST OF MY SKILL AND JUDGMENT TO THE BEST EXECUTE, EXECUTE THE COUNTY ACCORDING TO THE CONSTITUTION AND LAWS OF THIS CASE, ACCORDING TO THE CONSTITUTIONS AND THE LAWS OF THE STATE AND THE CHARTER OF THE TOWN OF JEFFERS, THE CHARTER.
AT THIS TIME I'D LIKE TO ASK, UH, CORPORAL, CORPORAL, UH, VALENCIA TO JOIN ME AT THE PODIUM ALONG WITH HIS BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL WIFE AND BABY DAUGHTER TO BE AW, GOT IT.
I DON'T EVER OUTSIDE VICE MAYOR.
SO THIS EVENING I HAD THE PRIVILEGE AS THE CHIEF OF POLICE AND THE DEPUTY CHIEF.
UH, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT DECISIONS THAT WE MAKE FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE IS WHO TO PROMOTE INTO SUPERVISORY RANKS.
UH, THERE'S ONLY SO MANY RANKS WITHIN ANY POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND WE PLACE A GREAT DEAL OF TRUST IN THE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE NOT ONLY FOR KEEPING OUR COMMUNITY SAFE, BUT FOR SUPERVISING THOSE OFFICERS THAT ARE CHARGED WITH KEEPING OUR COMMUNITY SAFE.
AND THE, AND I WILL, I HAVE ALWAYS SAID THAT THE MOST DIFFICULT RANK OF ANY POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND I DON'T CARE WHETHER IT'S THE 35,000 OFFICERS OF THE NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT OR THE 18 OFFICERS OF THE CH POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE MOST DIFFICULT RANK IS THAT OF SERGEANT.
AND IT'S THAT TRANSITION FROM DOING THE JOB TO SUPERVISING AND INFLUENCING THOSE THAT HAVE TO GET THE JOB DONE AND BEING ABLE TO DO IT
[00:10:01]
IN A WAY THAT I CAN SLEEP COMFORTABLY AT NIGHT AND NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE OFFICERS THAT ARE ON THE STREET BECAUSE WE HAVE GOOD, SOLID, WELL-TRAINED, WELL EXPERIENCED, WELL EQUIPPED POLICE OFFICERS WITH EXCELLENT SUPERVISION.SO WHEN I GOT HERE TWO YEARS, 364 DAYS AGO, UH, THE, THE MOST OF YOU KNOW THAT OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, WAS FACING SOME CHALLENGES, PARTICULARLY AS IT RELATES TO STAFFING.
AND THE TRANSITION WITHIN THIS POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN NOTHING LESS THAN MY HUMBLE OPINION.
UH, BUT THERE ARE ONLY TWO ORIGINAL OFFICERS THAT WERE HERE IN 2023 WHEN I STARTED, AND THAT'S, UH, SERGEANT BY WHO I PROMOTED A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO WHO'S WITH US IN THE BACK.
AND OFFICER VALENCIA, UH, I THINK HE WAS A PFC WHEN I GOT HERE.
UH, WE HAD THE HONOR OF PROMOTING HIM TO THE RANK OF CORPORAL ABOUT A YEAR, A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AGO.
AND THIS EVENING, UH, TO MY HONOR AND THE HONOR OF THE DEPUTY CHIEF TO PROMOTE HIM TO THE RANK OF POLICE SERGEANT.
SO WE HAVE A CERTIFICATE HERE.
UH, THE CERTIFICATE OF PROMOTION PRESENTED TO MARVIN VALENCIA, ID 1730 TO THE RANK OF SERGEANT I WILL READ THIS APPOINTMENT, WILL THEREFORE CAREFULLY AND DILIGENTLY DISCHARGE THE DUTIES OF THE RANK IN WHICH APPOINTED BY DOING AND PERFORMING ALL MANNER OF THINGS THEREUNTO PERTAINING.
AND THIS APPOINTEE IS TO OBSERVE AND FOLLOW SUCH ORDERS AND DIRECTIONS MAY BE GIVEN FROM TIME TO TIME BY SUPERIORS ACCORDING TO THE RULES AND ARTICLES OF THE GOVERNING DISCIPLINE OF THE TOWN OF CH AND THE CHEVROLET POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND WE PRESENT THIS TO SERGEANT VALENCIA WITH ALL OF OUR TRUST AND CONFIDENCE AND GRATITUDE FOR YOUR TAKING ON THE RESPONSIBILITY.
SO, UM, AND I, AND I, AND I'D BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T SAY THAT WE DON'T GET THE, WHERE WE ARE OR WE DON'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, NONE OF US GO WEARING THIS UNIFORM WITHOUT THE LOVE AND SUPPORT OF OUR FAMILIES.
SO I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO OH YOU TO MAKE A FEW COMMENTS THAT'S ON THE SPOT.
I'M, UM, I MEAN IT'S AN HONOR.
OH, SORRY, THIS WAS A MISTAKE,
UM, I MEAN, I'M VERY PROUD OF YOU.
YOU'RE NOT ONLY A GREAT OFFICER IN MY EYES, BUT YOU'RE A GREAT HUSBAND, A GREAT SON, A GREAT BROTHER.
UM, YOU SHOW UP EVERY DAY FOR WORK READY, BUT YOU SHOW UP EVERY DAY FOR ME.
READY? SO, VERY EXCITED FOR THIS NEXT CHAPTER WITH YOU.
UM, AND I JUST WANT YOU GUYS TO KNOW THAT LIKE HE TAKES HIS JOB VERY SERIOUSLY.
HE RESPECTS YOU GUYS, YOUR COWORKERS, ALL OF THEM.
HE JUST LOVES WORKING AND BEING A POLICE OFFICER.
SO YEAH, VERY GRATEFUL THAT HE FOUND LIKE A SECOND HOME AWAY FROM HOME.
SO YEAH, WE'RE GONNA TAKE A SECOND.
UM, SO THAT, UH, OFFICER GRIFFIN AND SERGEANT VALENCIA CAN TAKE A COUPLE OF PICTURES, UM, WITH THEIR COLLEAGUES AND FAMILY AND THEN WE'LL GET TO RESIDENT INPUT.
COUNSEL, DO YOU WANNA DO THIS HERE WITH THE D WE HAVE OUR OFFICERS COME UP, STAND BEHIND YOUR, UH, COMRADES 4, 5 1 2 AND GIVE MAYOR COUNSEL UP HERE WITH THE OFFICER, ANY WIFE.
AND IF YOU COULD JUST GET THE OFFICERS UP HERE WITH, UH, WITH SERGEANT LANCIA AND
[00:15:02]
COME ON IN.THANK YOU COMMUNITY FOR YOUR PATIENCE WITH THAT PROCESS.
UM, NOW BACK TO THE REST OF THE AGENDA.
[5. Resident Input]
UM, THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS RESIDENT INPUT.THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR RESIDENTS, UH, TO PROVIDE THREE MINUTES OF PUBLIC INPUT FOR ANY AGENDA ITEM THAT IS NOT UNDERLINED ON THE AGENDA ALREADY.
UM, THE ONLY ONE RIGHT NOW IS VERIZON COVERAGE.
SO IF YOU HAVE INPUT UNRELATED TO VERIZON COVERAGE, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO COME UP TO THE PODIUM.
UH, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND WARD.
UM, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES, WHICH WILL BE ON THE TIMER.
UH, WE ASK FOR YOUR NAME AND WARD BECAUSE, UH, GENERALLY WE DO NOT PROVIDE ANY RESPONSE FROM THE DAIS.
AND SO KNOWING YOUR NAME AND WARD MEANS THAT WE CAN FOLLOW UP LATER, UM, IF NEED BE WITH ANSWERS OR INFORMATION.
UM, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO TELL US WHAT THE PASSWORD IS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING.
FOR THOSE OF US WHO ARE NEW, I TRIED TO LOG IN AND THAT'S WHY WE HAD THE NOISE.
I JUST SAW A SIGN OVER THERE, BUT IT'S A LITTLE LATE.
AS MUCH AS WE ENJOY AND REAP THE BENEFITS OF OUR YARD PARK AND STREET TREES AND WORK TOWARDS THEIR INCREASE, WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE GREATEST BENEFIT TO OUR CLIMATE IS A HEALTHY FOREST.
A HEALTHY FOREST IS NOT ONLY THE TREES THAT WE SEE ABOVE THE GROUND, IT INCLUDES ALL THAT HAPPENS BENEATH.
A BUSTLING MICROSCOPIC PARTNERSHIP OPERATES BENEATH EVERY FOREST.
TREES, FUNGI, AND SOIL MICROBES ENGAGE IN A VITAL LIFE.
CARBON MINERALS, MINERALS, WATER, AND CHEMICAL MESSAGES ARE CONTINUOUSLY EXCHANGED TO SUPPORT THE ENTIRE ECOSYSTEM.
AND LET'S NOT FORGET THE INSECTS, BIRDS AND ANIMALS THAT POLLINATE THE TREES AND SPREAD THEIR SEEDS.
UNLIKE THE HUMAN DESIGNED PARK OR GARDEN, THE FOREST IS ACCORDING TO ONE FORESTER A BEAUTIFUL MESS.
THE ENTIRE, THE HEALTHY FOREST REGENERATES ITSELF IN EVER-CHANGING CYCLES OF EARTH GROWTH AND DEATH.
AND IT IS THE ENTIRE FOREST THAT SEQUESTERS CARBON CHEVROLET POLICY AS SET OUT IN THIS TOWN'S GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN IS THE ESTABLISHMENT AND PRESERVATION OF A NATURAL AREAS NETWORK, INCLUDING OUR FORESTS.
CHEVROLET'S WOODS ARE BY NO MEANS OLD FORESTS.
MOST OF OUR LAND HAS BEEN THROUGH MORE THAN ONE CLEARING FOR FARMS AND MEADOWS.
OUR OLDEST TREES ARE PROBABLY NO LONGER THE NO OLDER THAN I AM, YET YOUNGER TREES PROVIDE CRITICAL CLIMATE AND ITS ECOLOGICAL BENEFITS BECAUSE OF THEIR RAPID GROWTH.
YOUNG FOREST SEQUESTER CARBON AT A MUCH HIGHER RATE THAN OLD GROWTH AND THEIR HABITATS PROVIDE FOOD BREEDING GROUNDS AND SHELTER FOR WILDLIFE.
WHEN WE WALK THROUGH CHEVROLET'S PATCHES OF FOREST FOLLOWING WOODWORTH TRAIL, FOR EXAMPLE, WE MOVE FROM CHEVROLET OWNED LAND THROUGH LOTS THAT ARE PRIVATELY OWNED, THOSE OWNED BY THE COUNTY AND BY THE STATE HIGHWAY COMMISSION ADMINISTRATION.
[00:20:01]
PRESERVATION POLICY APPLIES TO ALL THESE LANDS.WE HAVE MAPPED THE FOREST PATCHES WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF BEVERLY TO SHOW THEIR OWNERSHIP.
YOU CAN FIND THE MAP@WWW.GREEN CHEVROLET.ORG AND YOU CAN TALK THE WALK BY VISITING THE CHEVROLET GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE TABLE AT THE WARD ONE COMMUNITY EVENT ON JULY 18TH.
UM, WE DO HAVE A HAND UP ONLINE, SO I'M GOING TO TURN NOW, UM, TO OUR ONLINE, UH, RESIDENT, UH, JOLEN FERGUSON HAS THEIR HAND RAISED, UM, AND THEY MIGHT NEED TO HAVE THEIR VIDEO ENABLED AS WELL AS BE ABLE TO UNMUTE.
UM, ELI, DO YOU SEE JOLY'S VIDEO OR CAN WE PIN JOLYN? GREAT.
I DO HAVE A QUICK QUESTION RELATED TO THE WALKING PATH AND THE PUBLIC WORKS BUILDING.
WHEN IS THAT GONNA OPEN? UM, MS. FERGUSON? WE DON'T USUALLY RESPOND TO RESIDENT INPUT IN THE MOMENT, UM, BUT WE DO HAVE A REPORT LATER IN THE AGENDA ABOUT THAT TOPIC.
UM, IF YOU ARE OKAY TO WAIT UNTIL THEN FOR YOUR ANSWER, OTHERWISE, UM, I CAN SHOOT YOU AN EMAIL AFTER THIS MEETING.
IN THE ROOM, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER RESIDENT INPUT? STATE YOUR NAME AND WARD.
GOOD EVENING IN THE ABSENCE OF MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL.
I'M ELAINE JOHNSON, AWARD SIX RESIDENT.
I'M SPEAKING IN REFERENCE TO THE JUNE 11TH MEETING AND TO DEBUNK THE MIS AND SEXIST CLAIMS THAT HAVE BEEN REFERENCED REGARDING MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL.
THE TOWN BUDGET AND HILL ANNEX SANCTION ARE ARGUABLY THE MOST SIGNIFICANT ACTIONS OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS MUST UNDERTAKE.
EACH OF YOU TOOK AN OATH OF OFFICE TO UPHOLD THE CHARTER, FULFILL THE RESPONSIBILITIES, AND FAITHFULLY EXECUTE THE DUTIES OF YOUR POSITION.
BALANCING FAMILY AND PROFESSIONAL DUTIES MEAN GOING THE EXTRA DISTANCE TO GIVE WEIGHT TO BOTH OBLIGATIONS, NOT ONE IN LIEU OF THE OTHER.
THIS WAS THE FRAMEWORK OF THE DISCUSSION REGARDING THE ABSENCE OF COUNCIL MEMBER FRY.
THE MAYOR SHARED THAT A NUMBER OF OPTIONS WERE GIVEN TO ACCOMMODATE COUNCIL MEMBER FRY, WHO WASN'T ABLE TO ATTEND THE MEETING BECAUSE OF HER DAUGHTER'S GRADUATION, INCLUDING MOVING THE VOTE TO THE END OF THE AGENDA, PROVIDING LINKS AND ACCEPTING A CALL IN.
EVEN IF THAT WASN'T AN OPTION THAT WAS GIVEN, IT IS INCUMBENT UPON THE COUNCIL MEMBER TO SEEK IT OUT.
PLEASE NOTE, IT WAS WELL AFTER THE 8:30 PM WHEN THE VOTE ON THE BUDGET AND ANNEXATION OCCURRED, AND IT TOOK ABOUT FIVE MINUTES.
ADDITIONALLY, IT WAS WELL AFTER 9:00 PM WHEN THE MEETING ENDED.
SO LET ME ADDRESS THE ELEPHANT IN THE RULE WAR SIX CONSTITUENTS HAVE CONSISTENTLY GONE WITHOUT VOTING REPRESENTATION.
HASN'T IT BEEN WELL ESTABLISHED THAT MS. FRY'S BOSS DOES NOT SUPPORT THE BEVERLY HILL ANNEXATION AT THIS TIME AND THEREFORE SHE CANNOT VOTE AS WELL.
WAS IT BECAUSE OF THIS AGENDA ITEM THAT MS. FRY WOULD NOT ALLOCATE THE FIVE MINUTES TO VOTE AT THE BUDGET HEARING? SHE HAD THE LARGEST NUMBER OF RESIDENTS COME OUT TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION TO THE TAX RATE INCREASE.
FURTHERMORE, WE KNOW THAT GRADUATIONS DO NOT OCCUR
[00:25:01]
AT EIGHT O'CLOCK AT NIGHT.FOR THESE REASONS, WE ARE ASKING WHAT'S REALLY HAPPENING.
I COMMEND MR. WADE AND MR. LEG FOR STANDING ON PRINCIPLE AND HOLDING THEIR COLLEAGUES ACCOUNTABLE FOR ANYONE TO DEFLECT FROM THE MATTER.
BY CALLING THESE COUNCILMAN MISOGYNIST, IT'S DEPLORABLE.
IT'S AKIN TO PLAYING THE RACE CARD.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT THE PEOPLE OF WARD SIX HAD NO VOICE ON THE TOWN BUDGET OR SHOVEL HILL RELAXATION AS WE SHOULD.
I AM ON THE PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY COUNCIL.
I REPRESENT THIS ENTIRE COUNTY.
AND DURING THE TIME THAT THE FORMER COUNTY EXECUTIVE MADE THE STATEMENT THAT SHE DID NOT SUPPORT ANNEXATION AT THAT TIME, I SHARED THAT INFORMATION WITH THE TOWN, WHICH IS MY RESPONSIBILITY.
IT WAS NOT NECESSARILY MY OPINION, IT WAS SHARING THE OPINION OF THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO CLARIFY THAT BEFORE ANY OTHER, UM, MISCOMMUNICATION IS MADE HERE.
AND I WOULD ALSO JUST LIKE TO THANK AMY FRY FOR NOT JUST DOING A GREAT JOB FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTY IN HER ROLE AS MY CHIEF OF STAFF, BUT I GOT TO SEE HER TONIGHT, ACTUALLY MAKE THE MOTION TO EXCUSE THE MAYOR FROM THIS MEETING.
I BELIEVE HE'S ON A CRUISE WHERE THEY DO HAVE WIFI WHERE HE COULD HAVE LOGGED IN.
BUT OF COURSE, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYONE HERE WHO THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS A REASONABLE THING ON A FAMILY VACATION.
SO THANK YOU FOR THIS TIME TO SPEAK AND I SEE THE REST OF MY TIME.
I WANNA TALK ABOUT THE TOWN'S RULES OF PROCEDURE AND THE CHARTER AND WHY EVERY RESIDENT SHOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED ON JUNE 11TH.
WHEN RULES ARE IGNORED, APPLIED SELECTIVELY OR DISMISSED AS MEANINGLESS, IT DOESN'T JUST HURT THE PERSON THEY'RE USED AGAINST.
IT MEANS THE RULES ARE ARBITRARY AND WHEN RULES ARE ARBITRARY, NO ONE IS SAFE.
NOT ANY COUNCIL MEMBER, NOT ANY RESIDENT.
IF A STANDARD CAN BE INVENTED AFTER THE FACT AND APPLIED TO ONE PERSON TODAY, IT CAN BE APPLIED TO ANYONE TOMORROW.
AND THAT SHOULD CONCERN ALL OF US.
AT THE JOURNAL 11 MEETING, THIS COUNCIL VOTED NOT TO EXCUSE COUNCIL MEMBER FRY'S ABSENCE THE RULES OF PROCEDURE.
SAY CLEARLY THAT THE COUNCIL SHALL FAVORABLY CONSIDER EXCUSING ABSENCES.
IT SETS THE STANDARD COUNCIL MEMBER FRY.
SHE GAVE ADVANCE NOTICE AND A REASON.
TWO REASONS WERE GIVEN TO DENY THE EXCUSED ABSENCE.
THE BUDGET VOTE WAS TOO IMPORTANT TO MISS, AND VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION WAS AVAILABLE AND SHE SHOULD HAVE USED IT.
THE TRUTH IS, IS I PROBABLY WOULD'VE LET THIS GO AND WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN HERE TONIGHT IF IT HADN'T BEEN FOR ALL OF THE AFTER THE FACT JUSTIFICATIONS THAT I HEARD ONE.
THE VOTES FOR THE BUDGET AND ANNEXATION WERE HISTORIC.
A WORD THAT APPEARS NOWHERE IN THE MEETING RECORD.
RESIDENTS DESERVE TO KNOW IN ADVANCE HOW COUNCIL MEMBER FRY WILL VOTE.
I SUGGEST THAT THE EASY THING TO DO IS ASK HER HER OVERALL PERFORMANCE WAS A FACTOR THAT WAS, I HEARD THAT A COUPLE OF TIMES WITH NO EXPLANATION ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANT.
EXCUSED AND UNEXCUSED ABSENCES ARE MEANINGLESS ANYWAY.
EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE LEGAL CONSEQUENCES, NONE OF THAT WAS SAID AT THE MEETING.
NONE OF IT IS IN THE RECORD AND NONE OF IT HAS BEEN APPLIED TO ANY OTHER COUNCIL MEMBER.
WHEN THE REASONS KEEP CHANGING AFTER THE FACT, THAT RAISES A SERIOUS QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER THERE WAS A REAL REASON TO BEGIN WITH SAYING, OOPS, MY BAD.
IN A NEWSLETTER A MONTH LATER DOESN'T FIX ANYTHING.
IT IS ON HER RECORD PERMANENTLY.
BECAUSE AN UNEXCUSED ABSENCE DOES NOT COME WITH AN ASTERISK.
IT'S AVAILABLE TO ANYONE WHO WANTS TO USE IT AGAINST HER.
THAT SAME NIGHT, TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE ABSENT FROM PORTIONS OF THE MEETING, BOTH FOLLOWED THE RULES, BOTH GAVE NOTICE AND, AND THE REASON ONE CALLED IN VIRTUALLY AND THEN CHOSE TO STOP PARTICIPATING.
HIS ABSENCE WAS RIGHTFULLY EXCUSED WITHOUT DEBATE.
THE OTHER WAS NOT PRESENT AT ALL AND HER ABSENCE WAS NOT EXCUSED.
SAME RULES TO VERY DIFFERENT OUTCOMES THAT INCONSISTENCY DEMANDS AND EXPLANATION.
IF THIS COUNCIL BELIEVES CERTAIN VOTES ARE IMPORTANT ENOUGH
[00:30:01]
TO REQUIRE SPECIAL PARTICIPATION RULES, THEN CHANGE THE RULES OF PROCEDURE SO THAT THE STANDARDS APPLY EQUALLY TO EVERYONE.MY ASK IS SIMPLE FOLLOW THE RULES OF PROCEDURE AND THE CHARTER IS WRITTEN OR WE WRITE THEM SO THAT THEY ARE CLEAR AND APPLY TO EVERYONE.
WHAT THIS COUNCIL CANNOT DO IS MAKE UP STANDARDS AFTER THE FACT.
USE THEM AGAINST ONE PERSON AND CALL IT GOVERNANCE.
THAT'S NOT WHAT THE RULES ALLOW, AND IT'S NOT WHAT THE PEOPLE THE TOWN DESERVE.
ANYONE ELSE IN THE ROOM FOR RESIDENT INPUT? MS. COME FORWARD, STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR AWARD AND YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
MY NAME IS NATHAN Z I'M A RESIDENT OF WARD SIX.
UM, I'D LIKE TO EXPRESS MY DISAPPOINTMENT REGARDING THE RECENT DECISION TO CONTEST THE EXCUSED ABSENCE OF COUNCIL MEMBER FRY.
IT'S DISHEARTENING TO SEE THE COUNSEL DECLINE IN THE PETTY RHETORIC, WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN A ROUTINE REQUEST, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THAT IT WAS FOR A SIGNIFICANT FAMILY MILESTONE.
I BELIEVE OUR REPRESENTATIVES SHOULD SHOW THE GREATER CONSIDERATION, SHOULD SHOW GREATER CONSIDERATION FOR THE PERSONAL AND FAMILY COMMITMENTS OF THEIR COLLEAGUES.
OTHER THAN THAT, I THINK SUSAN TOOK CARE OF EVERYTHING ELSE I WANTED TO SAY.
HELLO, MY NAME IS MICHELLE MINTON.
I'M A RESIDENT OF WARD THREE AND I'D LIKE TO READ A PREPARED, UM, STATEMENT FROM KAREN DOLAN, WHO'S ALSO A RESIDENT OF WARD THREE.
I'M CONCERNED THAT THE MAYOR AND, UH, OKAY, I'M SORRY, I'M CONCERNED.
THE MAYOR AND THE WARD REPS, PARDON ME, UH, UH, HAVE VIOLATED THE RULES OF PROCEDURE BY IGNORING LONGSTANDING PRECEDENT TO VIEW MEMBERS' REQUESTS OF EXCUSED ABSENCES FAVORABLY.
WHEN COUNCILWOMAN FRY PUT IN HER REQUEST FOR AN EXCUSED ABSENCE, SHE FOLLOWED THE RULES.
SHE WAS TOLD BY THE MAYOR, CONGRATULATIONS.
HOWEVER, AT THE MEETING A WEEK LATER ON THE FLY WOULD TWO MEMBERS SAID THAT HE AND THE MAYOR HAD JUST DECIDED THAT MS. FRY SHOULD PARTICIPATE IN THE VOTE VIA ZOOM BASED ON THEIR OPINION, AS DID WADE OLA HECK.
AND WADE TESTIFIED THAT IT WAS THEIR OPINION GUIDING THEIR VOTE.
AND IN CONTRADICTION TO THE RULES OF PROCEDURE.
AS THIS WAS NOT DISCUSSED IN ADVANCE OR ANY ALTERNATIVES PRESENTED TO WORK OUT WITH MS. FRY, THEY DECIDED TO PUNISH HER ON THE SPOT FOR NOT AGREEING WITH THEIR SUBJECTIVE OPINIONS THAT WERE IN CONTRADICTION TO THE RULES OF PROCEDURE.
THE COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR MAY NOT ACT ON THEIR OWN OPINIONS AND CONTRARY TO RULE AND ACCEPTED PROCEDURES, IF THIS IS ALLOWED TO STAND WHAT'S NEXT, PLEASE REVIEW THIS MATTER.
OKAY, ANY OTHER RESIDENT INPUT? SECOND MS. BARBARA? YES.
AND I'M NOT HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE WIFI
UM, I'M A SOCIAL WORKER, RETIRED, AND, UM, I SPEND A LOT OF TIME ANALYZING BEHAVIOR.
AND I WANT TO SAY THAT I HAVE IN GREAT DETAIL EXPRESSED MY CONCERN TO BOTH MY WARD REPRESENTATIVE AND TO THE MAYOR ABOUT THE PROCESS THAT OCCURRED.
UM, AS A A PERSON WITH SOME CLINICAL BACKGROUND, I ASK THE QUESTION, WHAT'S THE REAL ISSUE HERE? I'M CONCERNED THAT THE ISSUE IS NOT, OR EXCUSED ABSENCE OR NOT TO EXCUSE.
IT HAS TO DO WITH INTERACTION OF THE COUNCIL.
AND I HAVE AT THE VERY BEGINNING, EXPRESSED TO THE MAYOR MY BEST WISHES FOR HIM BECAUSE I KNEW OF A PAIN THAT HAPPENED AS A RESULT OF THE LAST ELECTION.
TO HAVE SOME PROCESS THAT THE COUNCIL CAN ADDRESS THE DIFFERENCES THAT ARE GLY OBVIOUS, I AGAIN ASK THAT THE COUNCIL FIND SOME WAY TO EXPRESS THEIR REAL CONCERNS ABOUT THEIR RELATIONSHIPS SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF A PUBLIC PROCESS, UH, ADDRESSING, UM, HOW THIS TOWN WORKS.
I DO NOT HAVE PREPARED REMARKS TONIGHT, BUT I AM HAD NOT PLANNED TO SPEAK, BUT AFTER HEARING THIS FEEL, I HAVE TO, UM, FOR ME, THIS WAS, UM, A MATTER OF COUNCIL MADOCK RESPONSIBILITY AND TRANSPARENCY.
AND I UNDERSTAND WHAT MS. PRUDENT HAS SAID, AND I TAKE THAT UNDER CONSIDERATION.
[00:35:01]
BUT I BELIEVE THAT THE, UH, TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT CHOSE A COURSE OF ACTION, THAT THEY FELT VERY STRONGLY AND AS DO MANY PEOPLE IN TOWN ABOUT THE RESPONSIBILITY OF COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, TO THEIR CONSTITUENTS AND TRANSPARENCY.I THINK PEOPLE CAN DISAGREE WITH THEIR OPINION.
UM, BUT I THINK THE CHARGES OF SEXISM AND I, I JUST THINK WHAT HAPPENED ON THE EXCHANGE WAS AWFUL.
AND I THINK THAT, UM, SHOVELING IS ABOVE THAT.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, BOTH THESE GENTLEMEN WHO I ADMIRE GREATLY, THEY TOOK A STAND.
YOU CAN DISAGREE WITH THAT STAND.
YOU CAN CHANGE THE RULES, BUT WHAT HAPPENED AFTERWARDS IS, DOES REFLEX EARLY ON, EVERYBODY IN THIS TOWN, AND I, AGAIN, I ADMIRE COUNCIL MEMBER WAYNE.
I'VE KNOWN COUNCILOR HICK FOR MANY YEARS.
THESE ARE MEN OF INTEGRITY AND WHAT THEY WERE SUBJECTED TO FOR VOICE AND OPINION AND TAKING A STAND WAS ABSOLUTELY, TOTALLY A HEAR ME.
LET ME PRESS THE BUTTON AGAIN.
COULD YOU PRESS THE BUTTON? HELLO? IT'S GREAT.
MAYBE IT'S NOT HEARING, IT'S NOT
I DO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE FROM RUNNING BRAIN AND I'M NOT COVERED BY, IF I WERE THAT THING WHERE THERE WOULD BE A PROBLEM, I TOLD YOU I WAS AN ACCESSIBILITY ADVOCATE.
RED GREEN A PROBLEM, BUT NOT FOR ME.
BETHANY
UM, IF BY FAVORABLY CONSIDER YOU MEAN ROBERT STAMP, THEN THAT LANGUAGE NEEDS TO BE CHANGED TO APPROVE.
IF BY FAVORABLY CONSIDER YOU MAY CONSIDER AND GIVE THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT, THEN THAT LANGUAGE NEEDS TO BE CHANGED, ONE OR THE OTHER.
BUT IF WE CAN'T AGREE ON WHAT FAVORABLY CONSIDERED MEANS, THEN IT SHOULD NOT BE THERE.
UM, AND THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED AROUND HERE AND I'VE GONE OUT AGAIN, BUT THAT'S ALL I'VE GOTTA SAY.
ANYWAY, I THINK IT WAS STILL WORKING.
THE INTERPRETER, WAS IT STILL INTERPRETING? I THINK IT'S WORKING NOW.
MY NAME IS BETH MACKENZIE, WARD SIX.
I AM HERE TO ALSO TALK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED EARLIER OR LAST MONTH, I GUESS AT THIS TIME, THE BUDGET PROCESS IS NOT A ONE NIGHT EVENT.
THE BUDGET VOTE IS NOT A ONE NIGHT EVENT.
THIS WAS A SIX MONTH EVENT THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON THROUGH COUNTLESS MEETINGS, COUNTLESS DISCUSSIONS.
SO THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT NIGHT IS NOT THE IMPORTANT THING.
AND THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE SIX MONTHS PROCEEDING, COUNCIL MEMBER F FRY HAS BEEN KEEPING HER CONSTITUENTS IN THE LOOP FOR THROUGH WHATSAPP, THROUGH NEWSLETTERS, JUST THROUGH, UH, FACEBOOK, THROUGH EVERYTHING.
SO THROUGHOUT THAT TIME, WARD SIX HAS BEEN VERY WELL REPRESENTED AND VERY WELL COMMUNICATED WITH THE, HER PRESENCE AT OR NOT AT, AT THE EVENT DID NOT CHANGE THE OUTCOME OF THE VOTE.
SHE WAS ABLE TO BE IN PART OF THE PROCESS AND PUT HER INPUT THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS THROUGHOUT THE TIME SO THAT, THAT NIGHT, THE CULMINATION OF LOTS AND LOTS OF WORK WAS STILL ABLE TO GO THROUGH.
ANYONE ELSE IN THE ROOM OR ONLINE? OKAY.
UM, I ALSO DO NOT HAVE PREPARED REMARKS, BUT MADE A FEW NOTES.
HOPEFULLY I COULD BE COHERENT HERE.
UM, IT'S REALLY GOOD TO SEE SO MANY PEOPLE HERE.
[00:40:01]
UM, IT'S A HEALTHY SITUATION WHEN PEOPLE HAVE OPEN DISCOURSE.TALK ABOUT THEIR AGREEMENTS AND DISAGREEMENTS.
UM, AND I JUST WANNA ECHO SOME THINGS THAT PEOPLE SAID EARLIER.
UM, IT IS ONE THING TO DISAGREE OR AGREE.
UM, IT'S ANOTHER THING TO HAVE VICIOUS PERSONAL ATTACKS AND THAT JUST REALLY HAS NO PLACE AND IS NOT GONNA MOVE US FORWARD.
UM, AND I THINK PEOPLE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT COUNCIL MEMBER, ICK, WHO HAPPENS TO BE MY COUNCIL MEMBER, DID NOT ACT ALONE.
SO IF THE COUNCIL MEMBER HAD LOTS OF PEOPLE COME UP TO HIM AND SAY THEY'RE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE BUDGET, AND CONCERNED ABOUT THE ANNEXATION CONCERNED PEOPLE THAT THE OTHER COUNCIL PEOPLE WEREN'T GONNA BE THERE, HE WASN'T ACTING ALONE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, HE'S REPRESENTING HIS WARD AND, AND HE'S ATTACKED PERSONALLY THAT, THAT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE EITHER.
UM, IT, AND ANOTHER THING I JUST WANNA POINT OUT, WHICH IS OTHER PEOPLE HAVE, IS THAT HE DID IT IN AN OPEN AND TRANSPARENT FASHION.
WHETHER YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH HIS ACTIONS, HE EXPLAINED WHY HE MADE THE CHOICE THAT HE MADE AND HE WAS OPEN AND TRANSPARENT ABOUT IT.
UNFORTUNATELY, SOMETIMES IT SEEMS THAT PEOPLE, UM, IN TOWN AREN'T TRANSPARENT AND TAKE ACTIONS AND THEN YOU FIND OUT LATER THAT, UM, YOU'VE BEEN IN THE DARK.
I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER WADE'S, UM, EVENT, WHICH I ATTENDED LAST YEAR.
AND SPEAKING OF A LACK OF TRANSPARENCY AT THE LAST MINUTE, UH, THERE'S PLENTY OF TIME 'CAUSE HE WAS PLAYING FOR MONTHS AND MONTHS AND MONTHS AT THE VERY LAST MINUTE.
UM, THERE WERE ALLEGATIONS THAT HE WAS VIOLATING TOWN POLICY AND USING TOWN RESOURCES WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION, EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS NO POLICY.
UH, SO, YOU KNOW, LET'S TALK ABOUT OPENING TRANSPARENCY.
UM, SO ANYWAY, UM, THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF THE THINGS I WANTED TO SAY.
AND, YOU KNOW, THIS MIGHT BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVISE RULES AND PROCEDURES, BUT LET'S KEEP THE PERSONAL AND VICIOUS ATTACKS OUT OF IT AND LET'S ALL TRY TO, I, I THINK AS, UH, CHIEF MORRIS, UH, ELOQUENTLY EXPLAINED EARLIER ABOUT THE STANDARDS THAT HE EXPECTS OFFICERS TO HOLD THE VALUES, I THINK WE CAN ALL HAVE COMMON VALUES AND NOT RESORT TO, UH, A HO ATTACKS.
SO, OH, AND ONE OF THEM, UM, I'VE HAD LONG TERM RESIDENTS TELL ME THAT THERE ARE CERTAIN COUNCIL MEMBERS, THERE ARE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO, WHEN THEY SEE THEM COMING, WHEN THE, WHEN THEY SEE THEIR COUNCIL MEMBER COMING, THEIR COUNCIL MEMBER TURNS THEIR HEAD AND WALKS AWAY AND WON'T LOOK AT THEM.
SPEAKING OF BEING OPEN AND TRANSPARENT, SO LET'S ALL TALK ABOUT GETTING ALONG.
ANY OTHER RESIDENT INPUT IN THE ROOM? ALRIGHT, UM, IF NOT, MADAM CLERK, I BELIEVE YOU HAD SOME THINGS YOU NEEDED TO READ.
COULD COUNCILMAN RESIDENCE? I HAVE TWO, UM, RESIDENT INPUTS THAT WERE SUBMITTED VIA EMAIL.
THE FIRST ONE IS DANA HOLMAN, WARD II, AND SHE SAYS, I AM SENDING THIS NOTE FROM GHANA.
I'M TRAVELING, SO I'M NOT ABLE TO ATTEND A MEETING TO REGISTER MY CONCERN AND DISAPPROVAL IN PERSON OVER MARKING COUNCIL MEMBER FRIGHT ABSENT FROM THE VOTE DUE TO ATTENDING HER DAUGHTER'S GRADUATION.
THE VOTE REGISTER REGISTERED BY MALE MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL AND UP TILL BY THE MAYOR IS ONE.
THAT ONE IS ONE THAT ONE MIGHT HAVE EXPECTED IN THE 1950S, BUT CERTAINLY NOT ON THE 21ST.
THE VOTE WAS SHOCKING TO ME AS A WOMAN WHO HAS SERVED HER COMMUNITY AND NATION WHILE ALSO RAISING A FAMILY AND RUNNING A HOUSEHOLD.
THE INSENSITIVITY OF THE VOTE AND THE COMPARISONS DRAWN BY THE MEN TO THEIR OWN SITUATIONS ILLUSTRATED A LEVEL OF PATRIARCHY THAT IS AN AFFRONT TO WOMEN AND GIRLS.
I EXPECT ALL MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL TO STAND UP FOR THE FAMILY VALUES THAT COUNCIL MEMBER FRY DID IN MAKING HER DECISION TO ATTEND HER DAUGHTER'S MILESTONE MOMENT.
SHE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN PENALIZED AS A RESULT.
THE NEXT ONE IS DENISE KINSLEY KERRIGAN, WARD ONE.
I'M SENDING THIS EMAIL TO VOICE MY SUPPORT FOR C AND FRY AND VICE BRINER REGARDING THE EXTREMELY UPSETTING EVENTS THAT OCCURRED AT THE TOWN MEETING ON JUNE 11TH, 2026.
I WOULD LIKE TO START BY STATING TWO THINGS.
MY MO, MY MOTHER AND GRANDMOTHER ALWAYS TOLD ME, IF YOU CAN'T SAY SOMETHING NICE, DON'T SAY ANYTHING AT ALL.
WHILE I OFTEN REMIND MYSELF OF THESE WORDS, I'M SURE I'VE PROBABLY BEEN GUILTY OF FORGETTING FROM TIME TO TIME, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO BELIEVE I HAVE.
[00:45:01]
TO DIMINISH AND COMPLETELY DISRESPECTED SOMEONE IN A PUBLIC FORUM.AND AS A PART OF A PUBLIC RECORD, THE WORDS AND ACTIONS OF COUNCIL MEMBER HICK AND COUNCIL MEMBER WADE REGARDING THE MOTION TO EXCUSE COUNCIL MEMBER FRY FROM ATTENDANCE AT THE MEETING WERE SHOCKING.
THEY TRIED TO DIMINISH HER AND GIVE HER, GIVE THE IMPRESSION THAT SHE DID NOT CARE ABOUT THE BUDGET OR HER CONSTITUENTS INWARD.
SIX AT THE, AND AT THE TIME SHE MADE SURE THEY NOTED HOW COMMITTED THEY WERE TO THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES, CONSTITUENTS, AND WHAT GREAT PARENTS THEY ARE.
CM FRY HAD ATTENDED ALL OF THE BUDGET MEETINGS PRIOR TO THIS EVENING.
THIS WAS A THIRD READING FOR THE BUDGET, I BELIEVE AS TO HER DEDICATION TO HER CONSTITUENTS AND THE TOWN.
THERE IS NO, THERE CAN BE NO QUESTION.
SHE SHOWS UP ADVOCATES FOR AND SUPPORTS THIS TOWN WITHOUT HESITATION.
SHE HAD BEEN, SHE HAD GIVEN MAYOR WATSON SEVERAL DAYS NOTICE, AND SHE WOULD NOT BE, THAT SHE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO ATTEND THIS MEETING DUE TO A FAMILY EVENT.
THERE WERE NO MEN, NO, THERE WAS NO MENTION THAT THIS WOULD POSE A PROBLEM.
HER ABSENCE DID NOT AFFECT THE OUTCOME OF ANY VOTES HER OR HER DECISIONS MADE OR DECISIONS MADE AT THE MEETING.
IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT PRETTY MUCH WITHOUT FAIL, COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE GRANTED EXCUSE ABSENCES FOR MEETINGS.
SOUND RECORDS COULD EASILY BE EASILY VERIFIED.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS WAS AN IMPORTANT MEETING, BUT I LIKE TO BELIEVE ALL THAT ALL TOWN MEETINGS ARE IMPORTANT.
OTHERWISE, THERE WILL BE NO NEED FOR A MEETING.
THEREFORE, TO SEE THE GLOW AHEAD AND WA ARGUMENTS NO ONE SHOULD BE GRANTED AN EXCUSED ABSENCE AND THAT IS JUST RIDICULOUS.
I APPLAUD VICE MAYOR BRINER AS SHE TRIED TO INSERT REASON TO INTO THE DISCUSSION.
I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A, I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN AS DIPLOMATIC AND REASONABLE AS HER.
THANK YOU VICE MAYOR BRIAN, FOR YOUR PROFESSIONALISM AND COMMITMENT TO THIS WARD, TO THIS TOWN IN WARD THREE.
SORRY IF I SAID SHE WAS IN WARD ONE BEFORE TO WARD THREE.
I HAVE NO IDEA WHY C MLA COUNCIL MEMBER WADE AND LALO HECK FELT THE NEED TO TRY TO TRY AND PUBLICLY HUMILIATE AND DIMINISH COUNCIL MEMBER FRY.
THEY WASTED THE TOWN'S TIME AND ENERGY WITH THEIR PETTY ACTIONS.
I'M GLAD THAT THE MAYOR DID ISSUE A STATEMENT IN THE JULY NEWSLETTER.
BUT TO REPEAT HIS WORDS, WE SHOULD HAVE SPOKEN UP DURING THE DISCUSSION THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN TRUE LEADERSHIP.
I'M VERY GLAD THAT THERE, THERE ARE RESIDENTS THAT DEDICATE THEMSELVES TO PUBLIC SERVICE BY RUNNING FOR ELECTED OFFICE.
I KNOW I DON'T HAVE THAT COURAGE AND SELF-ASSURANCE.
I DO KNOW THAT THE TOWN OF CHEVROLET CAN BE VERY CRUEL TO OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS AT THAT MEETING.
THERE WAS A HUGE DOUBLE STANDARD ON DISPLAY THANKS TO COUNCIL MEMBER LOLO HECK AND WAIT.
C COUNCIL MEMBER FRY'S REQUEST WASN'T, WAS JUST, WASN'T IMPORTANT ENOUGH FOR AN EXCUSE ABSENCE THAT IS VERY SAD AND CONS CONDESCENDING.
I HAVE NO IDEA THE MOTIVATIONS FOR THE COMMENTS AND THE ACTIONS OF COUNCIL MEMBER LALOW HECK AND WADE, BUT THEY SEEM VERY VINDICTIVE AND EXTREMELY PETTY.
[6. Committee Reports]
WE'LL NOW MOVE ON TO COMMITTEE REPORTS.UM, RECREATION COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER WADE.
UH, CURRENTLY THERE IS NOTHING ON THE BOOKS THAT IS SCHEDULED FOR REC COUNCIL.
THERE IS, UH, PICKLEBALL, I THINK ASHLEY'S GOING ON TONIGHT.
UM, BUT, UH, THERE'S NO EVENTS THAT'S CURRENTLY GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
WE ARE, I BELIEVE WE'RE SCHEDULED ALL FOR THE NEXT, UH, TWO MONTHS FOR MEETING I YIELD BACK.
ANY QUESTIONS? UM, C DAY COMMITTEE, COUNCIL MEMBER LUECK, UH, CHEVROLET DAY IS MOVING BY ALONG WILL I THINK INSIDE 60 DAYS AT THIS POINT, OR COMING IN.
IT'S 9 26 26 AND A LITTLE OVER.
SO, UM, BUT YEAH, THE, THE, UH, THE PERSON IN CHARGE OF THE PARADE COMMENTED TONIGHT.
WE WERE AT THE HOMETOWN HEROES, UH, CEREMONY.
THAT LOOKS LIKE THE PARADE MAY LAST LONGER THAN AN HOUR.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT, WE'RE PUTTING PEOPLE IN THE PARADE LEFT AND RIGHT AND WE'RE LOOKING FOR CHEVROLET'S OLDEST VETERANS AFTER, YOU KNOW, AFTER THE HOMETOWN HEROES, UH, CEREMONY TONIGHT.
SO, UM, WE STILL HAVE A WHOLE WEEK OF EVENTS STARTING, UH, THE WEEK BEFORE ON THE 18TH.
AND, UH, WE'RE LOOKING FOR ALL SORTS OF INVOLVEMENTS.
SO IF THERE'S SOMETHING YOU'D LIKE TO DO, PLEASE REACH OUT TO ANYBODY ON THE CHEVROLET DAY COMMITTEE.
ANY QUESTIONS? UM, DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? WELL, IT'S MORE STATEMENT.
[00:50:01]
WE TALKED ABOUT IN THE PAST SOMEONE SUGGESTED ABOUT, UM, GIVING THE OPPORTUNITY FOR ESPECIALLY FORMER MAYORS, BUT EVEN COUNCIL MEMBERS TO BE A PART OF THE CELEBRATION.SOME ASPECT, WHETHER IT'S THE PARADE OR ANY OTHER FASHION.
HAS THAT BEEN FURTHER DISCUSSED? UM, WE, WE ACTUALLY DID HAVE A, UH, MEETING THE OTHER NIGHT AND IT IS HOPED ANTICIPATED THAT, UH, OBVIOUSLY THE ENTIRE MAYOR AND COUNCIL WILL START OFF THE PARADE.
UM, THAT WE WILL MARCH AND THEN OBVIOUSLY WE WILL GO INTO THE REVIEWING STAND AND THEN THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL WILL HELP TO VOTE ON THE VARIOUS GROUPS THAT ARE IN THE PARADE BECAUSE THERE ARE PRIZES THAT ARE GOING TO BE GIVEN OUT.
SO, UM, WE ARE BEING THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL IS BEING ASKED TO JUDGE ON THE VARIOUS GROUPS THAT ARE GOING TO BE IN THE PARADE.
UM, THERE'S BEEN SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT IF YOU ARE WEARING SEVERAL HATS, YOU KNOW, IS THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL HAS TO DUCK OUT AND THEN RUN TO ANOTHER POINT OF THE PARADE, YOU KNOW, BUT, UM, SO YEAH, SO DEPENDING ON HOW MANY ROLES OR HATS YOU ARE GOING TO WEAR IN THE PARADE, YOU KNOW, WHETHER OR NOT YOU HAVE TO HOP INTO A GOLF CART AND RUN TO A DIFFERENT PART OF THE PARADE.
BUT YES, UM, WE ARE HOPING IT IS BEING HOPED THAT THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL STARTS THE PARADE AND, UH, THEN SITS IN THE REVIEWING STAND TO JUDGE THE REST OF THE PARADE.
I WAS I JUST A FOLLOW UP, I WAS JUST ASKING ABOUT LIKE FORMER MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS BEING A PART OF THAT AS WELL.
YES, THEY, UH, I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT MAYOR MOSLEY WILL BE THERE.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PRICE WILL BE IN THERE.
THERE'S GOING TO BE A TROLLEY OF THE OLDEST TOWN RESIDENTS AS WELL AS THE OLDEST OF THE FORMER MAYORS AND MEMBERS OF COUNCIL WILL BE IN ONE OF THE TROLLEYS THAT IS BEING RENTED FOR THE DAY.
UM, PLANNING BOARD COUNCIL MEMBER TANZI? UH, YES.
AND JUST SO NO ONE IS SURPRISED, I AM AT CAMP ROSS IN GOSHEN, VIRGINIA, A CUB SCOUT CAMP, AND THIS WEEK'S THEME IS A SPACE THEME AND APPARENTLY THE KID GETS SOMETHING FOR CATCHING ONE OF THESE GUYS AND SCREAMING TRACKING DEVICE.
SO IF YOU HEAR THAT IN THE BACKGROUND, THAT'S WHAT THAT MEANS.
UM, SO, UH, PLANNING BOARD DID MEET YESTERDAY.
UH, THEY ARE PREPARING TWO, UM, STATEMENTS THAT THEY WILL SHARE WITH THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
UH, ONE IS RECOMMENDATIONS ON, UH, THE REPLIES TO A COUNTY QUESTIONNAIRE ABOUT ACCELERATE ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT REGULATIONS.
UM, THERE WAS GENERALLY CONSENSUS IN THE PLANNING BOARD, UM, AND WHERE THERE WAS DISAGREEMENT, THOSE ARE BEING NOTED.
UH, THAT IS NOT QUITE AS PRESSING AS THE SECOND STATEMENT, WHICH IS, UM, COMMENTARY THEY WOULD LIKE US TO SUBMIT TO THE COUNTY ON REGARDING THE PORT TOWN PRELIMINARY PLAN.
UH, OBVIOUSLY THAT IS NOT THE CHEVROLET, UH, SECTOR GREATER, UH, CHEVROLET SECTOR PLAN, BUT IT IS ADJACENT AND SO THERE'S SOME COMMENTARY ON HOW THOSE PLANS INTERACT.
THINGS LIKE, UH, BORDER UH, ZONING RECOMMENDATIONS ALONG ITS EDGE AND ITS EDGE IS ADJACENT TO OURS.
UH, MAKING SURE THAT THOSE ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, IN, UH, CONSISTENT.
SO, UH, THEY'RE TRYING TO PREPARE THAT, UH, IN SHORT ORDER SO THAT I CAN SHARE IT WITH THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL SO THAT WE CAN SUBMIT THAT WHILE THE PRELIMINARY PLAN IS STILL BEING, UH, DISCUSSED AT THE COUNTY LEVEL.
UM, OTHERWISE IT WAS JUST UPDATES ON, UH, THE PILOT TERMS AND OTHER THINGS THAT WE HAVE DISCUSSED REGULARLY.
THEY ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE TOWN ADMINISTRATORS, UM, TRAIL UPDATE BECAUSE THEY ARE HOPING TO, UH, TO GET THAT AND I'VE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GIVE THEM ANY MATERIAL, SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT AS WELL.
THAT IS ALL, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER TANZIE, WHEN YOU SAY IT'S SHORT ORDER, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO GO ON A WORK SESSION AGENDA SOON? UM, PARTICULARLY THE PORT TOWNS PLAN.
SO, UH, WE WERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE DEADLINE FOR THAT AND WE DID NOT DO THAT BY THE END OF THE MEETING, BUT I WAS JUST LOOKING UP OUR, UM, OUR NEXT SESSIONS AND I TOLD THEM THAT I WOULD, UH, GIVE THIS UPDATE AND SUGGEST THAT IT BE ADDED TO THE WORK SESSION AGENDA IN JULY.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR COUNCIL MEMBER TANSEY? BOARD OF ELECTIONS? UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE ARE ANY UPDATES MR. BRODEN, YOU'RE HERE FOR A DIFFERENT REASON.
[00:55:01]
ALRIGHT.ARE THERE ANY REPRESENTATIVES FROM THAT BODY? NOPE.
WE JUST HAD A FABULOUS CEREMONY, GREAT CEREMONY THIS EVENING.
AND CHEVROLET YOUTH PROGRAMS, IS MS. WHITE ONLINE OR NO UPDATES? NO UPDATES.
ALRIGHT, THAT WRAPS US UP FOR COMMITTEE REPORTS.
UM, NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS VERIZON COVERAGE.
IS THERE SOMEONE ONLINE HERE FOR US OR, SO THE VERIZON REPRESENTATIVE DID CONFIRM THAT THEY WILL BE HERE, BUT WE'RE NOT SEEING THEM AVAILABLE ONLINE.
UM, I'M GOING TO HAVE STAFF CHECK ONE MORE TIME.
UM, SO GIMME ONE MOMENT PLEASE.
UH, UH, VICE MAYOR, I WAS JUST INFORMED THAT THE REPRESENTATIVE IS NOT, UH, ONLINE.
WE'LL HAVE EVEN STRINGER WORDS FOR THEM WHEN THEY DO SHOW UP AT A MEETING AT SOME POINT.
UH, JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, THEY DID CONFIRM THAT THEY WOULD BE IN ATTENDANCE.
[8. Bike Trail Update ]
ALRIGHT, SO WE ARE GOING TO SKIP AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SEVEN AND GO RIGHT ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, WHICH IS A BIKE TRAIL UPDATE.SO MAYOR, UM, I KNOW, UH, VICE MAYOR, UM, BRIER, I DO KNOW THAT, UH, COUNCILMAN BAT TANZI HAS INDICATED THAT THEY'RE EXCITED ABOUT, UH, THIS UPDATE.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO GIVE AN EXTENSIVE UPDATE JUST DUE TO, THERE'S STILL SOME MEETINGS, UH, THAT HAS TO TAKE PLACE WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK, WEEK AND A HALF.
UH, SO YOU WILL RECEIVE A MORE EXTENSIVE UPDATE IN THE AUGUST MEETING, BUT, UH, THE PERSON THAT IS TAKING THE BIKE TRAILS, ALL OF THE BIKE TRAILS BY THE HORN, UH, AS FAR AS WORKING WITH THE, UH, STATE, UM, AND WORKING NOW WITH, UH, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ON, ON OUR FEDERAL ARAMARK HAS BEEN MS. AAM.
SO I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO MS. PALM SO THAT SHE CAN GIVE JUST A BRIEF UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE NOW.
AND, UH, WE'LL GIVE A MORE, UM, IN, IN DEPTH UPDATE AT THE AUGUST MEETING.
SO I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT WE ARE MAKING PROGRESS ON THIS.
WE ACTUALLY JUST FINALIZED OUR CONSULTANT SCOPE, UM, AND SUBMITTED IT TO MDOT FOR REVIEW.
ONCE MDOT HAS REVIEWED AND GOTTEN BACK TO US, WE'LL BE IN THE PROCESS OF EXECUTING OUR AGREEMENT WITH MDOT AND WE'LL ALSO BE ABLE TO EXECUTE OUR CONSULTANT AGREEMENT AT THE SAME TIME.
SO ONCE BOTH OF THOSE HAVE BEEN PUT IN PLACE, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND HAVE OUR MEETING WITH ALL OF THE STAKEHOLDERS TO GET EVERYBODYS UP TO DATE AND ON BOARD WITH WHAT THE SCOPE, WHAT THE, UM, CURRENT SCOPE LOOKS LIKE.
SO AT THAT POINT, UM, COUNCIL MC TANZIE, I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS.
THAT'S, THAT, IT'S GONNA HAPPEN SOON.
SO TBD, BUT IT'S, IT'S MOVING ALONG.
ANY QUESTIONS FROM COUNSEL ON THAT? ALRIGHT, GREAT.
[9. Prince George's County CDBG Urban County Cooperation Agreement (FY 2027 2029)]
UM, THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS AN ACTION ITEM.IT'S ON THE PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, CDBG, URBAN COUNTY COOPERATION AGREEMENT.
MR. GALLOWAY, CAN YOU GIVE US SOME CONTEXT? YES.
UH, I PROVIDED YOU ALL, UH, LAST WEEK A, UH, MEMORANDUM, UH, WITH THE PROS AND CONS AND WHAT MY OVERALL RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE.
THIS IS A SUMMARY OF THE ADVANTAGES AND CONSIDERATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE CONTINUING THE TOWN SOPHISTICATION UNDER PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT, URBAN COUNTY PROGRAM FOR A FEDERAL FISCAL YEAR 2027.
AS YOU ALL KNOW, UM, IT WAS INDICATED TO ME, UH, WHEN I FIRST ARRIVED THAT WE WERE TOO RICH TO RECEIVE CDBG FUNDS, UM, AT THE TOWN OF CHEVROLET WAS TOO RICH TO RECEIVE THEM.
UM, JUST BASED OFF OF A LITTLE BIT OF RESEARCH, WE WENT AHEAD AND APPLIED FOR FUNDS AND WE WERE AWARDED SHORTLY THEREAFTER.
UM, THERE ARE CERTAIN AREAS IN THE INCORPORATED IN, WITHIN THE TOWN OF CHEVROLET THAT, UH, THAT ARE ELIGIBLE IN RECEIVING THE FUNDS AND WE APPLY, UH, AS WE SEE FIT.
UM, WE'VE MADE A LOT OF IMPROVEMENTS SUCH AS INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS, ROAD IMPROVEMENTS, SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS.
WE'VE, UH, THE LIST GOES ON, UH, LATER ON TODAY AND THE PUBLIC WORKS REPORT, WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT
[01:00:01]
A-C-D-B-G, UH, GRANT THAT WILL BE RESURFACING ALL OF THE COURTS AT DELOITTE PARK IN WHICH WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT.SO THIS IS JUST ACKNOWLEDGING THAT WE WANT TO CONTINUE THE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COUNTY AND, UM, VICE MAYOR AND COUNCIL, IF YOU ALL, UH, IT'S MY RECOMMENDATION THAT WE MOVE FORWARD, UH, WITH CONTINUING THE PARTNERSHIP WITH, UH, PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, UM, IN THIS PROCESS.
SO I'LL NEED A VOTE IN FAVOR AND TO GIVE ME THE DIRECTION TO EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT WITH PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY.
AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MS. PROM BECAUSE THIS IS ANOTHER GRANT AS PART A PORTION OF HER JOB IS MANAGING GRANTS AS THE GRANT ADMINISTRATOR AND SEE IF MS. PROM HAS ANYTHING ELSE TO INCLUDE.
UM, NO, I FEEL LIKE YOU COVERED IT PRETTY WELL, BUT I DID JUST WANNA POINT OUT THAT WE'VE USED OVER $400,000 IN CDBG FUNDING TO DO CIP PROJECTS, WHICH OBVIOUSLY IS VERY BENEFICIAL TO THE TOWN AND USUALLY I'VE NOT SEEN IT COST US ANYTHING OUT OF POCKET.
SO I'M FULLY IN AGREEMENT WITH MR. GALLOWAY ABOUT THIS RECOMMENDATION.
UM, COUNSEL, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS? UM, IF NOT, I HAD A QUICK QUESTION.
UM, WE'VE ALWAYS, WE'VE ALWAYS DONE CDBG THROUGH THE COUNTY.
THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN THE, AND THERE'S NOT ANY CONCERN, UM, THAT DOING IT THROUGH THE COUNTY IS GOING TO BE IN ANY WAY JEOPARDIZED BASED ON THE COUNTY COUNCIL'S RECENT ACTIONS REGARDING OTHER TYPES OF MONEY.
NO, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN THROUGH THE COUNTY.
UM, IF THERE ARE NO OTHER QUESTIONS, I WOULD WELCOME A MOTION CHAIRMAN TANZI HAS, OH, SORRY.
HEY, UM, THIS CAME UP IN THE, THE PLANNING BOARD.
I'M, I'M, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS TECHNICALLY ABOUT, UH, THROUGH THE COUNTY, ET CETERA, BUT I, I DID WANNA KNOW, SINCE I DON'T KNOW THE HISTORY WHEN ARE PROPOSALS DUE, APPLICATION PROCESS TYPICALLY HAPPENS AROUND OCTOBER.
ALRIGHT, WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO EMPOWER MR. GALLOWAY TO ENTER AND INTO AN AGREEMENT? YES, I WOULD LIKE, I WOULD LIKE TO A MOTION TO EMPOWER MR. GALLOWAY ACCOUNT ADMINISTRATOR TO AN AGREEMENT OF THIS CDGA MOTION HAS BEEN MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER GARCE.
SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER TANZI.
ALL, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS? ALL RIGHT.
[10. Town Administrator Report]
GREAT.UM, WITH THAT, I GUESS WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE TOWN ADMINISTRATOR REPORT.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO BE EXCUSED AND CONTINUE THE, UH, MEETING TO, UH, VIRTUALLY YOU HAVE TO, UM, TO BE HEIGHTENED TO TAKE CARE OF IN WARD FIVE AT THIS MOMENT.
ANY OBJECTION TO COUNCIL MEMBER GAR? CONTINUING VIRTUALLY.
UH, VICE MAYOR AND, AND COUNCIL.
IT'S JUST, I'M USED TO SAYING MAYOR.
UM, JUST A FEW MATTERS TO REPORT ON, BUT FIRST AND FOREMOST, UH, THE CHIEF HINTED EARLIER, BUT HAPPY THREE YEARS.
UM, LAST HAPPY THREE YEARS YOU'RE HERE.
UH, I'LL TELL YOU, IT HAS BEEN, UM, A RELATIONSHIP THAT I HAD TO GO FISHING AND THAT'S THE BIG FISHING I FEEL LIKE I DID.
SO CHIEF, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE WITH US AND, UH, CONTINUING TO LEAVE THE DEPARTMENT.
UM, JUST A FEW MATTERS THAT I WANTED TO BRING TO MAYOR COUNCIL'S ATTENTION.
UM, OVER THE PAST WEEK AND A HALF, WE EXPERIENCED SOME EXTREME HEAT, AND WHENEVER WE DO THAT, OF COURSE IT PUTS A LOT OF PRESSURE ON OUR AIR CONDITIONS, ET CETERA, IN THE EVENT THAT WE HAVE THOSE SAME TYPE OF CHALLENGES MOVING FORWARD, THE TOWN HALL WILL BE OPEN FOR INDIVIDUALS TO COME THERE AS A COOLING CENTER.
UM, I'M JUST PUTTING THAT OUT THERE NOW, JUST SO THAT WE CAN PLAN PROPERLY IN ADVANCE.
[01:05:01]
COOLING CENTERS, UM, AVAILABLE FOR, UH, UH, THE RESIDENTS, UM, AND ANYONE ELSE THAT NEEDED TO GO THERE AND USE THEM AS A COOLING CENTER.UH, SO THERE WERE REALLY DANGEROUS CONDITIONS AND JUST WANTED TO LET MA'AM COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY KNOW THAT, UH, THAT IS AVAILABLE.
UM, HAPPY NEW FISCAL YEAR AS WE ARE STARTING A NEW FISCAL YEAR.
WE'RE CLOSING OUT OF THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR, SO I JUST ASK THAT YOU ALL BE PATIENT WITH US.
UM, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS RIGHT NOW OF WORKING WITH OUR ACCOUNTANT, UH, TO CLOSE OUT THIS LAST MONTH.
UH, WE ARE STILL CONTINUING TO RECEIVE BILLS FROM THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR.
UM, THIS WILL NOT GET CLOSED OUT UNTIL AROUND MID AUGUST.
UM, BUT WE'RE REAL HOPEFUL THAT, UH, THE AUDIT WILL BE COMPLETED ON TIME AGAIN AND, UH, THE AUDIT HAS BEGUN.
SO, UM, THEY'VE BEGUN THE, UH, THE BEGINNING OF FISCAL YEAR 26 AND, UM, WE'RE JUST ANTICIPATING ANOTHER ON TIME AUDIT.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE WITH THAT.
JUST A REMINDER TO THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL THAT THE AUGUST 13TH MEETING WILL BE 100% VIRTUAL.
HOWEVER, THERE WILL BE A MEETING, AN IN-PERSON MEETING HERE WITH HOME TEAM FIVE THAT'S MANDATED BY MARYLAND NATIONAL CAPITAL PARK AND PLANNING COMMISSION, UM, ON THAT SAME DAY, ONE HOUR BEFORE THE TOWN HALL MEETING.
SO THAT DAY, AUGUST 13TH AT 6:30 PM IT'S MANDATED FOR THEM TO HAVE AN IN-PERSON MEETING.
UM, SO IF YOU ALL WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND, UH, THEN YOU CAN DO THAT AS WELL.
AND MAYOR AND COUNCIL, I'LL JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME AT THIS TIME? UM, I HAVE A QUESTION, UH, ABOUT THAT HOME TEAM FIVE MEETING.
IS IT THE TYPE OF COMMUNITY MEETING WHERE WE CAN EXPECT, UM, THERE TO BE OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESIDENT INPUT? UM, WILL THERE BE ANY EXCHANGE OR CONVERSATION BETWEEN RESIDENTS AND HOME TEAM FIVE OR IS IT MORE OF AN INFORMATIONAL MEETING? IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING IT'S A PUBLIC HEARING, SO, OKAY.
I WOULD ASSUME THAT HOME TEAM FIVE WILL BRING THE REPRESENTATIVES TO INFORM AND ANSWER QUESTIONS AS NECESSARY.
WILL THAT GO? I'M SORRY? WILL THAT GO ON THE, IT'S NOT ON THE CALENDAR YET.
WE'RE WORKING WITH, UH, HOME TEAM FIVE ON GETTING THAT FROM THEM.
AND I KNOW THAT, UM, THE AUGUST 13TH MEETING, PART OF THE REASON FOR THAT TO BE VIRTUAL IS TO REDUCE THE BURDEN ON STAFF IN AUGUST.
UM, IS HAVING THAT MEETING HERE BEFOREHAND GOING TO REQUIRE A LARGE AMOUNT OF STAFFING OR NO? I WILL NOT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS AND ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? BECAUSE I'LL GIVE ONE SHOUT OUT.
I HAVE MY NEPHEW WITH ME, UH, JOHN CABELLO.
ANYTIME I GET A CHANCE TO, UH, EDUCATE TODAY'S STUDENTS ABOUT PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, I, I MAY COME WITH ME THIS EVENING, SO I WANTED TO GIVE HIM A SHOUT OUT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, VICE MAYOR AND COUNSEL.
WE GOT ONE FURTHER COMMENT, UM, FOR MY NEPHEW AS WELL.
LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU, A FUTURE KAPPA.
[11. Police Report]
OKAY.UM, IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS FOR MR. GALLOWAY, WE WILL, UH, MOVE ON TO THE POLICE REPORT.
UM, AND LET'S MAKE SURE IN THE ROOM AND ON THE DAYS THAT WE'RE BEING RECOGNIZED BY THE CHAIR BEFORE SPEAKING.
BUT CHIEF MORRIS, IT'S YOUR SHOW NOW.
GOOD EVENING, MADAM VICE MAYOR.
MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, UH, SHOW THE COMMUNITY.
UH, JUST HIT A COUPLE OF HIGHLIGHTS.
UH, ON JULY THE SECOND, THE, UH, THERE WAS AN ARMED ROBBERY THAT OCCURRED IN BLADENSBURG.
UH, ALONG THE FIRST DEGREE ASSAULT, THERE WAS A LOOKOUT PUT OUT FOR THE VEHICLE.
THAT SUSPECT VEHICLE WAS SPOTTED IN DISTRICT HEIGHTS EARLIER IN THE MORNING, UH, FLED THE DISTRICT HEIGHTS POLICE DEPARTMENT AND MADE GOOD THEIR ESCAPE.
A FEW HOURS LATER, ONE OF OUR NEW OFFICERS, CHRISTY WHITEHOUSE, WAS ON PATROL IN 2 0 2 WHEN SHE OBSERVED THE SUSPECT VEHICLE PASS HER GOING THE OTHER DIRECTION.
WHEN SHE LOCATED THE VEHICLE IN THE CHEVROLET STATION APARTMENTS, IT WAS UNOCCUPIED.
SHE NOTIFIED HER SERGEANT, AND THROUGH THE USE OF GOOD TACTICS UNMARKED VEHICLES, THEY, UH, WERE ABLE TO SURVEIL A VEHICLE, WAIT FOR THE SUSPECT TO EXIT THE APARTMENT AND TAKE HIM INTO CUSTODY WITHOUT
[01:10:01]
INCIDENT.THE BLADENSBURG POLICE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED, THEY IMPOUNDED THE CAR.
THAT INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING.
I DO HAVE TO SAY I WAS A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED, UH, BECAUSE IT WAS IN A CONVERSATION WITH MY DEPUTY CHIEF IN MY OFFICE WHEN, UH, THE MEETING WAS INTERRUPTED AND SHE WAS ASKED IF SHE WAS LISTENING TO THE RADIO.
SHE SAID YES, AND THEN SHE RAN OUTTA THE STATION AND LEFT ME SITTING THERE BEHIND, UH, DIDN'T ALLOW ME TO GO OUT AND PLAY.
SO, UM, BUT, UH, IT WAS EXCELLENT WORK BY, UH, OFFICER WHITEHOUSE AND JUST SHOWS, UH, UH, THE QUALITY AND, AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE OUT THERE PAYING ATTENTION AND TAKES A DANGEROUS INDIVIDUAL OFF THE STREET.
THAT SUSPECT WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS AND HELD WITHOUT BOND.
I DO WANNA ADDRESS THE INCREASED, UH, NUMBER OF JUVENILE TAKEOVERS, POPUP CAR RALLIES.
I MENTIONED THIS, UH, AT THE LAST MEETING WITH THE HUNDREDS OF MOTORCYCLES THAT GATHERED OVER IN CRAFTSMAN CIRCLE AND, UH, TURNED INTO ABOUT A 45 MINUTE, UH, CHARADE, UH, THAT WENT ALL THE WAY UP THROUGH GREEN BELT, OVER INTO BOWIE, DOWN TO, UH, ROUTE 50 AND BACK INTO DC AND TOOK OUR EXTENSIVE AMOUNT OF, UH, RESOURCES FROM THE COUNTY POLICE AND ALL THE ALLIED LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, INCLUDING THE CHEVROLET POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THESE INCIDENTS ARE BECOMING INCREASINGLY DANGEROUS.
UH, THEY ARE INCREASINGLY VOLATILE.
UH, WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF SHOOTINGS, UH, OCCUR.
UH, LAUREL CITY HAD TWO TAKEOVERS OVER THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND, ONE ON THE 4TH OF JULY, AND ONE THE NEXT DAY.
THE, UH, UH, OUR AGENCY WAS REQUESTED IN ADVANCE BY CHIEF HAM TO ASSIST WITH STAFFING THE EVENT ON THE JULY THE FOURTH, WHICH WE DO AS A MATTER OF, UH, PROFESSIONAL COURTESY.
AND, UH, THE CHIEF WAS, UH, EXTREMELY GRATEFUL FOR OUR PARTICIPATION AND MORE, MORE SO IMPRESSED.
AND HE CALLED BOTH THE DEPUTY CHIEF AND I'M WITH THE PROFESSIONALISM OF OUR OFFICERS, PARTICULARLY CONSIDERING THE NATURE OF THE EVENT.
THIS, UH, THIS MORNING, UH, MYSELF, THE DEPUTY CHIEF AND MR. GALLOWAY WERE ON A VIRTUAL CALL WITH CHIEFS FROM ALL OVER THE STATE TO DISCUSS A NUMBER OF ISSUES.
AND TOMORROW WE'RE, WE'LL BE ON A CALL WITH SEVERAL DELEGATES THROUGHOUT THE STATE THAT ARE, UH, BECOMING INCREASINGLY WORRIED ABOUT THE WAY THESE EVENTS ARE OCCURRING AND THE DANGERS THAT THEY PREVENT TO PRESENT TO THE COMMUNITIES.
UH, IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED IN OCEAN CITY OVER THE JULY 4TH WEEKEND, I'LL GIVE YOU A PRETTY GOOD INDICATION.
UH, SO I, I SHARE THAT TO SAY THIS IS BECOMING A PROBLEM.
IT'S NOT BECOMING, IT IS A PROBLEM.
UH, I KNOW THAT MAYOR SINNER FROM LAUREL CITY HAS ALREADY WRITTEN A LETTER TO A NUMBER OF DELEGATES, UH, TO EXPRESS, UH, THEIR, THEIR ONGOING CONCERN BECAUSE, UH, THIS IS NOT, THIS WEEKEND WAS NOT THE FIRST TIME FOR LAUREL CITY.
UH, AND WE'VE SEEN THEM IN OUR AREA AS WELL ON 2 0 2 AND KILMER AND, AND ALL, ALL THOSE SURROUNDING AREAS HERE IN PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MONTGOMERY COUNTY, AND OR COUNTY, BALTIMORE CITY, AND AGAIN IN OCEAN CITY.
SO, UH, THE MR. GALLOWAY AND THE DEPUTY CHIEF AND I WERE AT A CHIEF'S MEETING AT THE EMAC LAST MONTH, AND THE MARYLAND STATE POLICE DID A PRESENTATION, I MAY HAVE MENTIONED THIS.
THEY SAID EVERYTHING THAT YOU SEE IN RED IS BEING AFFECTED BY THESE TYPES OF, UH, INCIDENTS.
AND THE ENTIRE COUNTRY WAS PAINTED RED.
SO, UM, WE'LL, WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK ON IT, BUT, UH, AS YOUR CHIEF, I'M GONNA BE CALLING UPON THE, THE MAYOR COUNCIL TO ASSIST ME WITH REACHING OUT TO OUR DELEGATES AND SENATORS HERE IN OUR, UH, IN OUR DISTRICT TO ADDRESS THE CONCERNS, UH, ASSOCIATED WITH THESE TYPES OF, UH, INCREASINGLY VIOLENT EVENTS.
UH, WE CONTINUE TO CONDUCT TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT ON COLUMBIA PARK AND AROUND 50 INTERCHANGE.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER TANZI AND THE MAYOR, UH, MR. GALLOWAY, MYSELF AND THE DEPUTY CHIEF, WERE IN A VIRTUAL MEETING A WEEK AND A HALF AGO WITH STATE HIGHWAY, UH, PEPCO.
UH, THE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS, OUR COUNTY COUNCILWOMAN REPRESENTATIVE FOR OUR DISTRICT, AND WE CONTINUE TO PUSH.
UH, WE CONTINUE TO PUSH THE BUTTONS THAT WE NEED TO PUSH TO TRY TO AFFECT SOME VISIBLE DELIVERABLES, UH, IN THAT AREA.
UH, WE ANTICIPATE THE, UH, UH, I FINISHED REVIEWING THE RFP TODAY.
IT'S BEEN SENT TO MR. DELOACH FOR LEGAL SUFFICIENCY REVIEW, AND WE ANTICIPATE THAT RFP FOR CONSOLIDATION OF ALL AUTOMATED ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITY GOING OUT NO LATER THAN THE, UH, ON OR ABOUT THE 1ST OF AUGUST, IF NOT SOONER.
UM, ADMINISTRATIVELY, DEPUTY CHIEF KRAUS, UH, THIS AGAIN SPEAKS TO, UM, UH, THE REPUTATION OF OUR, UH, OUR DEPARTMENT, OUR TOWN, OUR OFFICERS.
SHE'S BEEN SELECTED TO SERVE ON A STATEWIDE COMMISSION THAT'S REVIEWING THE TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION FOR SPECIAL POLICE OFFICERS THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
THOSE CERTIFICATIONS FOR SPECIAL POLICE OFFICERS ARE GOVERNED BY THE MARYLAND POLICE TRAINING AND STANDARDS COMMISSION, AND ALL THE PERMITS ARE ISSUED BY THE MARYLAND STATE POLICE.
UH, WE'RE SEEING INCREASING CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH, UH, THOSE
[01:15:01]
SERVICES BEING DELIVERED, NOT JUST HERE IN PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, BUT THROUGHOUT THE STATE.SO, UH, SHE WAS ASKED TO SIT ON THAT COMMISSION AND, UH, FRANKLY, I, I COULDN'T THINK OF A BETTER PERSON TO SIT THERE WITH HER BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE.
UH, LAST THING, OUR NATIONAL NIGHT OUT IS SCHEDULED FOR TUESDAY, AUGUST THE FOURTH.
WE'RE DOING IT AT CHEESE PARK BETWEEN FIVE AND 8:00 PM AND WE WELCOME EVERYONE TO COME OUT AND ENJOY THE FESTIVITIES.
UH, DEPUTY CHIEF, I MISS ANYTHING? NO, THAT'S IT.
ANY QUESTIONS? OTHERWISE, THAT WOULD BE OUR REPORT, MADAM VICE MAYOR.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? IF NOT, I HAD A QUICK QUESTION.
UM, THAT JULY 2ND ARMED ROBBERY WAS THAT CONNECTED WITH THE, UM, HELICOPTER WITH THE LIGHT THAT WAS CIRCLING THE TOWN? 'CAUSE I GOT A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.
THAT PARTICULAR INCIDENT WAS INVOLVING THE US PARK POLICE WITH A PURSUIT OF A STOLEN VEHICLE WITH A BAILOUT, UH, THAT OCCURRED, UH, RIGHT AROUND THAT TIME.
BUT THE, UM, BUT THE HELICOPTER ACTIVITY WAS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT PURSUIT.
UH, THE OTHER TWO THINGS THAT WE HAD IN THE TOWN THAT I NEGLECTED TO PUT IN HERE WAS A, UH, A CARJACKING, SO I APOLOGIZE.
UH, CODE OR KILMORE 63RD, NEITHER THE OWNER OF THE VEHICLE THAT WAS CARJACKED THE VICTIM, NOR THE SUSPECT.
UH, WE BELIEVE HOW ANY TIES, IT WAS JUST A LOCATION OF OPPORTUNITY.
UH, THE INDIVIDUAL WAS GIVING SOMEONE ELSE A RIDE AND THAT, UH, THE, THE, THE RIDESHARE TURNED OUT TO BE A ROBBERY SUSPECT.
UH, THE OTHER INCIDENT THAT WE HAD OCCURRED WITHIN MINUTES OF THAT WAS A PURSUIT BY THE VIRGINIA STATE POLICE THAT CULMINATED IN A CRASH AT 2 0 2 IN KILMORE, UH, WAS AN ASSAULT ON A VIRGINIA STATE TROOPER.
THEY, UH, PURSUIT INTO PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY THAT IT WAS A BAILOUT.
AND CHEVROLET, VIRGINIA STATE POLICE AND PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY POLICE WERE ABLE TO APPREHEND THE INDIVIDUAL THAT BAILED OUT.
AND THAT INDIVIDUAL WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY AND FACING EXTRADITION BUSY DAY.
UH, WHAT WAS THE TIME OF THE, UH, NATIONAL NIGHT OUT? THE START AND END TIME? FIVE FIVE O'CLOCK, SIR.
YOU KNOW WHAT TIME IT ENDS BY CHANCE AROUND, UH, WHEN WE STOP HAVING FUN,
SO NEVER, NEVER EIGHT O' EIGHT O'CLOCK GIVE OR TAKE.
UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR THE CHIEF? UM, COUNCIL MEMBER TANZIE, I'M SPECIFICALLY LOOKING AT YOU SO I DON'T FORGET YOU THIS TIME.
UH, NO, I, I UM, I WAS GONNA ASK IF THERE WERE ANY UPDATES ON WHEN THE WALKTHROUGH OF THE SITE, UM, WAS GONNA BE FOR THE, UH, THE RED LIGHT CAMERAS AND SOME OF THE, OR THE, IT'S ACTUALLY NOT THE RED LIGHT CAMERA 'CAUSE WE'RE WAITING ON THE RFP FOR THAT.
BUT THE, THE OTHER, UM, IDEAS THAT WERE BROUGHT, UH, BROUGHT UP LIKE BOLLARDS, ET CETERA.
SO IS THERE A WALKTHROUGH PLAN FOR THE ROUTE 50 BRIDGE YET? THE ANSWER IS YES.
THERE'S A WALKTHROUGH PLANNED.
THE, OUR COUNCIL WOMAN STAFF SENT AN EMAIL OUT TO THE STAKEHOLDERS.
UH, WE RESPONDED WITH OUR AVAILABILITY AS FRANKLY WE HAVE.
WE RESPONDED AND SAID WE WOULD BE AVAILABLE AT ANY OF THE TIMES AND DATES THAT WERE PROVIDED, BUT WE'VE NOT RECEIVED ANY CONFIRMATION BACK AS TO A CONFIRMED DATE.
SO AS SOON AS WE RECEIVE A COUNCIL MEMBER, WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE AWARE.
[12. Public Works Report ]
NO.SHOULD WE MOVE ON TO THE PUBLIC WORKS REPORT? GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNSEL.
UM, SO JUST WANTED TO GIVE AN UPDATE ABOUT 57 0 1 LANDOVER ROAD.
UM, IT WAS FINISHED ON JUNE 4TH.
I JUST WANNA GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO NATALIE WHO OVERSAW THIS PROJECT.
WE APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE ON THAT.
THE GATE BRIDGE PARK IS TEMPORARILY NOT WORKING DUE TO WHAT WE BELIEVE MAY HAVE BEEN A VEHICULAR INCIDENT, UM, THAT OCCURRED SOMEWHERE BETWEEN JUNE 27TH AND JUNE 29TH.
A LEGIT CA CLAIM HAS BEEN FILED ALREADY, SO WE ARE JUST IN THE PROCESS OF WORKING OUT THE CLAIM DETAILS AND THEIR CONSULTANT CAME YESTERDAY TO PROVIDE A QUOTE.
SO SOMETHING SHOULD BE MOVING ALONG PRETTY SOON ON THAT TO HAVE EVERYTHING REPAIRED AND BACK UP AND RUNNING PROPERLY.
AND FINALLY, CDBG, UM, THE BOYD PARKER RESURFACING PROJECT, WHICH MR. PRICE ISN'T HERE, BUT I KNOW HE'S VERY EAGER TO SEE.
UM, SO AT THIS POINT WE'VE COMPLETED ALL OF OUR AGREEMENTS AND THE TOWN IS SCHEDULING A PRE-CONSTRUCTION MEETING BETWEEN DHCD, THE VENDOR AND THE TOWN, UM, TO GO OVER ALL OF THE DETAILS AND ALL OF THE DOCUMENTS THAT WILL NEED TO PROVIDE AT THE END OF THE PROJECT.
AT THAT POINT, I'LL HAVE UPDATES ABOUT THE SCHEDULING BECAUSE THE VENDOR
[01:20:01]
IS LOOKING AT SOMEWHERE BETWEEN SEPTEMBER AND NOVEMBER TO PERFORM THE PROJECT JUST DUE TO ASPHALT COSTS AND TIMELINES THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN SET.SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE AN UPDATE ON THAT BY THE NEXT WORK SESSION.
UM, I'M THINKING THIS MEETING'S PROBABLY GONNA TAKE PLACE BEFORE THEN.
ANY QUESTIONS? ANY QUESTIONS FOR THIS COUNCIL MEMBER, WADE? YES.
UH, I, IRONICALLY, I JUST GOT BACK FROM FLORIDA AND ONE OF THE FIRST PLACES WE STOPPED WAS DEFENSE AT 57 0 1.
AND THE ENTIRE PUBLIC WORK STAFF, OF COURSE, THE TOWN AS A WHOLE FOR, UM, DOING THAT.
THERE IS A, WHAT REQUEST TO HAVE.
THERE ARE STILL SOME REMAINING POST FROM THE GREEN FENCE TEMPORARY FENCE THAT WAS THERE.
AND THEN AS SOON AS YOU WALK IN THE FENCE TO THE RIGHT, THERE IS SOME, UM, REMAINING, UM, MATERIAL.
THAT'S TO THE RIGHT SOON AS YOU WALK IN THERE.
BUT I THINK SOME OF THE POSTS IN THE MIDDLE PART OF THE FENCE ON ACTUALLY ON 57TH, NOT ON, NOT ON LANDOVER ROAD, THAT THEY'RE STILL STICKING OUT A LITTLE BIT.
THIS IS TRULY AMAZING AND A LONG TIME COMING.
REALLY APPRECIATE THE HARD WORK AND DEDICATION.
IT REALLY DOES JUST FADE AWAY.
IT'S LIKE THERE'S NO FENCE AT ALL.
UM, QUICK QUESTION ABOUT THE BOYD PARK GATE.
UM, YOU SAID IT'S NOT OPERATIONAL.
IS IT OPEN AT LEAST SO THAT PEOPLE CAN GET IN AND OUT? YES, IT'S OPEN.
DID WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT KELLER? YES.
UH, MS. BARNHART, UH, IF YOU CAN, I'LL YIELD TO YOU.
GOOD EVENING, VICE MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
UM, YEAH, SO KELLER, THE CONTRACTOR IS STILL WORKING ON ADDRESSING PUNCHLESS ITEMS BOTH ON THE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR OF THE BUILDING AND THE SITE.
UM, HE WANTS TO NOTE ABOUT THE, BETWEEN ALONG THE TRACK THAT'S LOCATED BETWEEN THE BUILDING AND THE FIELD.
THE CONTRACTOR COMPLETED AN ADJUSTMENT OF THE STORM DRAIN STRUCTURES, UM, WHICH WAS TO LOWER THEM.
SO THE CONCRETE TOPS ARE BELOW THE FINISHED GRADE AND COVERAGE WITH GRASS.
UM, THE RESULT IS THAT THE ONLY, THE GRATES WILL BE VISIBLE ON THE GROUND SURFACE, WHICH IS WHAT WAS DESIGNED ON THE IMPROVED PLAN.
THEY ALSO GRADED IN A SWALE TO CARRY THE WATER TO THE INLETS AND INSTALLED TOP SOIL AND SOD.
HOWEVER, THERE IS STILL SOME WORK THAT MUST BE DONE IN THIS AREA, WHICH INCLUDES SOME FINE GRADING INSTALLATION OF AN UNDER DRAIN AND INSTALLING A PIPE THAT WOULD CONNECT THE DOWNSPOUT FROM THE FRONT DOOR AWNING TO THE UNDERGROUND STORAGE PIPE.
THE CONTRACTOR IS SCHEDULED TO BEGIN THIS REMAINING WORK ON THIS COMING MONDAY, JUNE 13TH, WEATHER PERMITTING.
SO THIS, THE, THIS AREA WILL BE CLOSED OFF AND THE TRACK WILL NOT BE ACCESSIBLE DURING THE CONSTRUCTION WORK.
HOWEVER, ONCE THE WORK IS COMPLETED, THE TRACK WILL BE REOPENED.
HOWEVER, THE NEWLY PLACED SOD WILL REMAIN FENCED OFF TO PROTECT IT UNTIL IT IS ESTABLISHED.
IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS, I CAN HOPEFULLY ANSWER THOSE AS WELL.
I'M SORRY, MS. BARNHART, CAN YOU REPEAT WHEN THE TRACK WILL BE UNAVAILABLE STARTING THIS MONDAY? WE'LL BE, THE CONTRACTORS WILL BE ON THERE WORKING UN UNTIL WHAT DATE? I DO NOT HAVE A FINISHED DATE YET, BUT I WOULD ASSUME, I WOULD HOPE BY THE END OF THE WEEK IT COULD BE REOPENED, BUT I HAVEN'T GOT A CONFIRMATION FROM THE CONTRACTOR YET.
AND UM, MS. FERGUSON, IF YOU'RE STILL ONLINE, THIS IS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE TRACK AND THE PUBLIC WORKS BUILDING NOW.
SO THIS IS ADDRESSING PARTIALLY YOUR QUESTION FROM EARLIER DURING RESIDENT INPUT.
UM, BUT UM, HER OTHER QUESTION WAS ABOUT TIMELINE IN GENERAL FOR THE BUILDING.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A QUESTION THAT WE CAN ANSWER YET.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE STILL WORKING TO FINALIZE WITH THE CONTRACTOR.
WE'VE BEEN DILIGENTLY ASKING THEM FOR THE LIST OF REMAINING TASKS THAT NEED TO BE DONE, ASSOCIATED DURATIONS AND PREDECESSOR SUCCESSORS OR, YOU KNOW, CONNECTIVITY OF THOSE TASKS.
UM, WE HAVE REQUESTED THAT REPEATEDLY.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT AGAIN THIS WEEK AND I WAS TOLD THAT I WILL HAVE THAT AT THE BEGINNING PART OF NEXT WEEK.
UM, I KNOW THAT WE DO HAVE, MR. GALLOWAY HAS REQUESTED A MEETING WITH THE CONTRACTOR TO ON WEDNESDAY AND WE'VE SET THAT ALSO ASKING FOR THAT SCHEDULE TO BE PROVIDED BY THAT DATE AS WELL.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT WILL HAVE A UPDATED, LIKE DATE QUOTE, QUOTE DATE WHEN THEY'LL BE FINISHED, BUT IT'LL HOPEFULLY GIVE US A BETTER IDEA OF AN ESTIMATED TIMEFRAME.
[01:25:02]
THANK YOU.UM, COUNCIL ROY, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? IT WAS NOT ABOUT KELLER.
IT WAS A FOLLOW UP REGARDING 57 0 1.
I FORGOT TO ASK, I GUESS IT'S MORE DIRECTED TOWARDS MR. GALLOWAY.
UH, BUT I KNOW WE, WE DID THE NAMING.
WILL THERE BE SOME TYPE OF CEREMONY FOR THAT, UM, IN THE NEXT COUPLE MONTHS OR SO BEFORE, ESPECIALLY BEFORE IT GETS COLD? YES, THERE WILL BE ONE AT, AT AT A LATER DATE.
UH, WE'LL COORDINATE WITH YOU AND, UH, THE RESIDENTS AND, AND THE FAMILY AFTER WE, UH, GET THE SIGN AND HAVE THE ACTUAL CEREMONY.
COUNCIL MEMBER TANZI, I SEE YOUR HAND IS RAISED.
DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT KELLER? YOU ARE MUTED.
THIS IS ABOUT THE TRACK, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT UPDATE.
UH, IS, IS MY UNDERSTANDING THEN THAT OTHER THAN THE SOD IT'S DONE ONCE THIS CONTRACTOR THAT'S SUPPOSED TO COME IN ON MONDAY HAS COMPLETED THEIR WORK.
LIKE WILL THE, THE TRACK NOW BE CONTINUOUS AND UM, YOU KNOW, CONNECTED AS MUCH AS IT IS DESIGNED TO BE CONNECTED? THERE IS ONE OTHER PIECE THAT WE DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER ON YET.
THERE IS A SECTION OF THE TRACK WHERE WATER HAD PONDERED PRETTY CONTINUOUSLY, UM, BY THE, THE MIDDLE INLET THAT FOR A WHILE AND THAT SECTION OF RUBBER TRACK IS NOT, UH, ADHERED TO THE ASPHALT UNDERNEATH ANYMORE.
SO WE ARE WAITING TO HEAR FROM THE PROJECT MANUFACTURER, THE PRODUCT MANUFACTURER ON HOW TO PERFORM A REPAIR THERE.
SO THERE MAY NEED TO BE COME AND DO SOME WORK, BUT HOPEFULLY THAT WOULD BE A SINGLE DAY REPAIR WOULD BE THE HOPE.
BUT ONCE I KNOW MORE WE CAN COME BACK TO YOU ON THAT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MS. BARNHART OR FOR MS. PROM OR MR. GALLOWAY? NOPE.
[13. Review the July work session agenda and future requests, and Town Administrator Galloway will offer a forecast of the agenda.]
SEEING NONE, UM, IT IS TIME TO REVIEW THE AGENDA FOR THE JULY WORK SESSION, UM, AND DISCUSS ANY FUTURE REQUESTS.UM, MR. GALLO, MADAM CLERK, DO YOU HAVE A LIST HANDY OF WHAT IS PLANNED ALREADY FOR THE JULY WORK SESSION? 'CAUSE I THINK IT'S ALREADY A LONG ONE FROM THE PREVIOUS MEETING.
WE HAVE THE GIC DISCUSSION ELECTION UPDATE, THE CHOPPED CHOP UP ENTERTAINMENT RANK CHOICE VOTING.
WELL, NO, I'M SORRY, GI SECTION.
WE ALSO HAVE THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL SHELBY DAY PARTICIPATION DISCUSSION.
COUNCIL MEMBER LAGO? UH, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY THAT, AND I SEE COUNCIL MEMBER TEENSY HAS ALREADY RAISED HIS HAND, BUT I THINK WE ARE PREPARED TO, UM, PULL THE GIC DISCUSSION UNTIL WE HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET AGAIN WITH THE GIC AND WITH THE TOWN ATTORNEY ON THE MOU AND COUNCIL MEMBER TANZI CAN CONFIRM THAT.
I ALSO WANNA NOTE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER GARIS NEEDS TO BE PROMOTED.
HE'S ONLINE IN THE PARTICIPANTS LIST.
COUNCIL MEMBER TANZI, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD TO THAT? NO, JUST WAS GONNA SAY THE SAME THING.
THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER WICK.
UM, WE HAD ALSO JUST TALKED ABOUT, UM, POSSIBLY HAVING A STATEMENT FROM THE PLANNING BOARD ABOUT THE PORT TOWNS PLAN TO ADD TO THE WORK SESSION.
YES, I WOULD, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT TO THE WORK SESSION.
UM, ALRIGHT, ANYTHING ELSE FOR THE JULY WORK SESSION? COUNCIL MEMBER? WADE, JUST POINT OF CLARIFICATION.
UM, THE, THE ELECTION MENTIONED THAT'S, IS THAT THE DISCUSSION ABOUT, UM, THE ELECTION POLICY GOING FORWARD? IS THAT WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING? MY UNDERSTANDING IS THERE'S TWO ELECTION RELATED AGENDA ITEMS. ONE IS THE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE DATE AND POSSIBLY MOVING WHEN THE ELECTION IS HELD AND THE OTHER IS ABOUT CHOICE VOTING.
DOES THAT COVER EVERYTHING FOR YOU? FOR ME IT DOES.
SEEING NOTHING FURTHER, UM, VICE MAYOR? YES.
UM, OH, COUNCIL MEMBER ES YES.
UM, UH, MR. GALLO, IS THERE ANY WAY THAT I, BY NEXT WORK SESSION, WE COULD GET AN
[01:30:01]
UPDATE WITH THE, UM, ACTUAL OWNERS OF, UH, CHEVROLET STATION APARTMENTS, UM, IN ORDER TO DISCUSS FURTHER, UH, FROM OUR LAST MEETING THAT WE HAD ROSS MANAGEMENT? SURE.[14. Mayor and Council Announcements ]
OKAY.THAT BRINGS US TO AGENDA ITEM 14, WHICH IS MAYOR AND COUNCIL ANNOUNCEMENTS.
UM, I'M GONNA LOOK ONLINE FIRST SO I DON'T FORGET EITHER OF YOU.
COUNCIL MEMBER TANZI OR GARCE.
DO YOU HAVE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS? NOPE.
DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS? COUNCIL MEMBER, WADE? UM, AS IS, AS AS IT WAS MENTIONED BEFORE, WE ARE ON OUR FOURTH ANNUAL, UM, WARD ONE COMMUNITY DAY.
UM, THAT WILL BE NEXT SATURDAY, UH, JULY 18TH, UH, NOON TO THREE.
IT WILL BE AT SHELBY TOWN PARK.
UM, AS IT WAS DONE BEFORE, IT IS REALLY TRULY ABOUT, UM, HIGHLIGHTING A LOT OF THE ORGANIZATIONS IN TOWN.
UM, IF I HAVE NOT REACHED OUT TO YOU, IF, IF YOUR ORGANIZATION IN TOWN YOU WOULD LIKE TO TABLE, PLEASE, UH, LET ME KNOW.
UM, AS WELL AS SOME OF OUR COUNTY AGENCIES, A LOT OF THE AGENCIES THAT ARE TAX DOLLARS PAID FOR WITH A, B, C, NAMES THAT WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT FOR THEM TO COME AND FOR US TO HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THEY DO AS WELL AS ON THE STATE LEVEL AS WELL.
UM, WE WILL HAVE A LOT OF, UH, ENTERTAINMENT.
SOME OF THE, UM, OUR PROFESSIONAL SPORTS, UH, UH, PROGRAMS WILL, UH, OR TEAMS WILL HOPEFULLY BE THERE AS WELL.
WE DID A FOOD DISTRIBUTION LAST YEAR AND, UH, WE FED OVER 400 PEOPLE, SO WE WILL HAVE ANOTHER FOOD DISTRIBUTION, UH, FOR THAT AS WELL.
AND OF COURSE, TONS OF VENDORS, FOOD, UM, AND TONS OF THINGS FOR THE KIDS.
UM, SO IT'LL BE A REALLY KID FRIENDLY EVENT SUCH AS FACE PAINTING AND, UH, PHOTO BOOTH ENTERTAINMENT.
AND WE WILL HAVE A RAFFLE WITH TONS OF AMAZING, UM, UH, OPPORTUNITIES FOR GET SOME TONS OF GIFTS.
SO AGAIN, THIS IS MY PROMISE OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND UH, THANK YOU TO THE TOWN.
WE'RE PARTNERING WITH THE TOWN THIS YEAR WHERE IT SHOULD BE AS WELL AS THE FISCAL AGENT FOR FULL TRANSPARENCY.
ALL SPONSORSHIPS GO THROUGH, UH, FINE CORE, WHICH IS AN AMAZING, UH, MR. CHRISTOPHER DWY, WHO'S ALSO A AWARD WINNING RESIDENT AND HIS TEAM OF NONPROFIT TO DO AMAZING WORK.
SO ALL SPONSORSHIPS ACTUALLY ARE DIRECTLY PAID TO HIM AND HIS ORGANIZATION AND THOSE PAYMENTS THEN ARE ALLOCATED.
SO NOTHING'S PUT IN MY POCKET AS THE ELECTED OFFICIAL FROM THAT STANDPOINT.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, IT SAYS WARD ONE, BUT IT IS TRULY OPEN TO EVERYONE.
UM, BECAUSE, UH, THE FACT THAT TO THE LEVEL OF RESOURCES THAT WILL BE THERE WILL BE TRAIT HAVE A DIRECT IMPACT TO EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, EARLIER TODAY, WE UH, HAD THE HONOR OF ATTENDING AND BEING A COMMITTEE, UM, MEMBER OF THE, UM, HOMETOWN HEROES PROGRAM THAT JUST HAPPENED RIGHT BEFORE THAT, AGAIN, TO THE TOWN, UM, TO THE, UH, COMMITTEE, MR. GARY BILL, AND AS WELL AS EVERYONE ELSE ON THAT COMMITTEE.
IT WAS VERY TOUCHING AS MY, MY GRANDFATHER, MR. ELMER HEAD JR.
UM, IS ON IS UP THERE AS WELL AS I HAD A BRIEF TESTIMONY OF, I BROUGHT MY 27-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER HERE AFTER TRAVEL AND SHE LITERALLY BROKE DOWN CRYING.
AND IT JUST SHOWS THE LEVEL OF INDIVIDUALS, ESPECIALLY US, CELEBRATING 250 YEARS, UM, OF OUR COUNTRY OF PEOPLE HAVE SACRIFICED IN MANY WAYS OUR LIVES.
AND OUR OWN CHIEF AS WELL IS ON THERE AS WELL.
VERY TOUCHING TO HEAR THE STORIES, THE BACKSTORIES OF THAT.
SO SOMETHING THAT'S NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART.
SO I COMMEND EVERYONE THAT WAS INVOLVED WITH THAT.
SPEAKING OF THE CHIEF, AGAIN, SHOUT OUT THREE YEARS SIR, UM, THAT YOU HAVE BEEN HERE.
AND I TELL MR. GALLOWAY ALL THE TIME, THAT'S ONE OF THE GOLDEN DECISIONS HE HAS EVER MADE IN HIS LEGACY HERE.
THE RESIDENTS KNEW WHAT IT WAS BEFORE YOU, OF COURSE, DEPUTY CHIEF AND THE ENTIRE STAFF GOT HERE.
AND THE MAIN THING ABOUT, IT'S NOT JUST POLICE WORK, BUT HOW YOU CONDUCT COMMUNITY POLICING, ESPECIALLY IN THE TOWN OF SHELBY WHERE THINGS, WE ARE VERY INTIMATE IN HOW WE DO THINGS.
AND, UH, WE LOOK FORWARD ANOTHER, ANOTHER THREE YEARS PLUS OF BEING HERE.
BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, YOUR TIME REGARDING THAT.
AND UM, I HAVE TO SHOUT OUT, I JUST GOT BACK FROM, UM, THE HOLIDAY BREAK.
UH, WE WERE DOWN IN ORLANDO WHERE I'M FROM.
UM, BUT THE MAIN PURPOSE THERE WAS MY SON CHRISTOPHER, THE SECOND HE QUALIFIED FOR NATIONALS IN TAEKWONDO, A A U IN FORT LAUDERDALE.
AND HE COMPETED IN FOUR EVENTS.
THEY, UH, HE RECEIVED A GOLD MEDAL, AN ENTIRE NATION IN, UM, IN WEAPONS, WHICH IS A SIGH.
HE RECEIVED A SILVER MEDAL IN, UH, TRADITIONAL FORMS AND HE
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RECEIVED TWO GOLD MEDALS IN SPARRING.SO WE ARE TRULY HAPPY IF YOU SEE HIM IN THE COMMUNITY, PLEASE GIVE HIM A SHOUT OUT BECAUSE THE HARDWORKING DEDICATION OF DOING THAT FOR DOING THAT.
SO A YIELD BACK AND LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING HIM ONE NEXT WEEK.
PLEASE TELL ALL YOUR NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS.
ALRIGHT, COUNCIL MEMBER AK, DID YOU HAVE ANY GOOD THANK YOU.
ALRIGHT, COUNCIL MEMBER FRY A THANK YOU VICE MAYOR AND THANK YOU FOR A VERY QUICK AND EFFICIENT MEETING TONIGHT.
UM, IN LIGHT OF EVEN BEING LATE TO START, UM, 'CAUSE OF A LATE HOMETOWN HEROES START, I DO HAVE A PREPARED STATEMENT.
I WASN'T SURE IF I WANTED TO READ SOMETHING OR NOT, UM, BUT I FIGURED WHY NOT? SO I HAVE THOUGHT LONG AND HARD ABOUT WHAT I WANTED TO SAY TONIGHT, ESPECIALLY KNOWING THAT A SMALL HANDFUL OF YOU ARE ALREADY PREPARING TO DISSECT MY WORDS AND TRY TO SPIN THEM TO HELP FRAME YOUR STORIES.
BUT FIRST, I DO WANNA MAKE SURE I ACKNOWLEDGE AND THANK VICE MAYOR RAINER FOR ALWAYS BRINGING REASON AND A PERSPECTIVE THAT NOT EVERYBODY CONSIDERS AS A FIRST GUT REACTION.
OFTEN YOU CHALLENGE ME TO RECONSIDER MY OWN APPROACH TO THINGS OR THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE NORMALIZED ISMS THAT ARE A PART OF OUR EVERYDAY LIFE.
IT IS UP TO EACH OF US TO REFLECT ON HOW WE CAN DO BETTER.
I ALSO WANNA THANK COUNCIL MEMBER TANZI AND COUNCIL MEMBER GARZA FOR THEIR SUPPORT, ALL OF OUR NEIGHBORS, UH, IN SHELBY AND BEYOND.
UM, BECAUSE MANY HAVE REACHED OUT, NOT ONLY TO ME, BUT MANY HAVE REACHED OUT TO MY COLLEAGUES UP HERE, UH, ON THE DEIS IN SUPPORT OF MY DAUGHTER'S EIGHTH GRADE GRADUATION AND MY ATTENDANCE THERE.
I'M A PARENT, A MOM, FIRST AND FOREMOST.
MY BIGGEST WHY I AND ALL THAT I DO IS FOR MY CHILDREN AND MY FAMILY.
THEY'RE THE REASON THAT I RAN FOR OFFICE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY COULD GROW UP IN A COMMUNITY THAT VALUED THEM AND TREASURED THEIR DIFFERENCES AS A STRENGTH AND NOT A LIABILITY.
AND WHILE I APPRECIATE BEING ABLE TO REPRESENT THE TOWN OF CHEV IN WARD SIX SPECIFICALLY OVER THE LAST SEVEN YEARS, THE VALUE IT BRINGS TO MY LIFE HAS NEVER BEEN IN THE TITLE.
IT IS IN THE WORK AND IT'S WORK THAT I WANT TO MODEL FOR MY CHILDREN SO THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THAT CIVIC ENGAGEMENT MATTERS AND THAT THE COMMUNITY MATTERS.
AND IT'S WORK THAT I CONTINUE TO DO AT A LARGER SCALE IN MY DAY JOB, WHERE I EXTEND THE WORK OF MY BOSS, THE HONORABLE COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBER, JOLENE IVY, WHO SERVES AT LARGE, AND WE WORK TO HELP EVERYBODY IN THE COUNTY, A NEIGHBOR OR GROUP OF NEIGHBORS MAKING ME THE MAIN CHARACTER OF THEIR MEETINGS AND ASSERTING THAT A CONFLICT EXISTS BASED ON OPINION IS NOT THE SAME AS THE ETHICS COMMISSION'S FINDING THAT ONE EXISTS UNDER MARILYN'S FRAMEWORK.
THAT DETERMINATION BELONGS TO THIS TOWN'S ETHICS COMMISSION AND WHERE THE COUNTY MATTERS ARE CONCERNED TO THE PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY BOARD OF ETHICS, NOT TO SPECULATION OR PUBLIC COMMENT OFFERED AS IF IT WERE VERDICT.
THE QUESTION HAS ALREADY BEEN PRESENTED TO THE APPROPRIATE BODIES, FULLY DELIBERATED AND GUIDANCE ISSUED, AFFIRMING THAT MY EMPLOYMENT DOES NOT REPRESENT A CONFLICT, THAT PROCESS IS COMPLETE.
REPEATING THE CLAIM THAT THERE IS A CONFLICT DOES NOT MAKE IT TRUE.
THE ASSERTION THAT MEN CAN'T HOLD AN ELECTED MUNICIPAL POSITION WHILE WORKING FOR THE COUNTY ELECTED IS PATENTLY FALSE.
WILL I HAVE TO REUSE MYSELF FROM PERSPECTIVE VOTES? IF THE SITUATION REQUIRES IT, I WILL BECAUSE IT IS MY ETHICAL DUTY TO DO SO.
I HAVE DONE SO IN THE PAST WHEN NEEDED, WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY BEING ABLE TO REPRESENT MY CONSTITUENTS AND UPHELD THE TRANSPARENCY OF THE VOTE, WHILE ALSO ALLOWING FOR THE ACTIVITY TO CONTINUE.
FOR THOSE WHO THINK THAT MY RECUSAL FROM A VOTE SIMPLY MEANS I AM NOT REPRESENTING MY RESIDENTS.
THAT REFLECTS A BASIC MISUNDERSTANDINGS OF CIVICS, NOT A FLAW IN MY REPRESENTATION.
RECUSAL EXISTS TO PROTECT THE INTEGRITY OF THE DECISION IN THE VOTE NOT TO UNDERMINE IT.
RECUSAL DOES NOT MEAN A MEMBER IS ABSENT, DISENGAGED, OR UNACCOUNTABLE.
WE ARE STILL PRESENT, WE ARE STILL ACCOUNTABLE, AND WE'RE STILL REPRESENTING EVERY CONSTITUENT ON EVERY MATTER BEFORE THE BODY.
I DO ALSO WANNA MENTION VIRTUAL ATTENDANCE.
VIRTUAL ATTENDANCE EXISTS TO ALLOW A MEMBER WHO CANNOT BE PHYSICALLY PRESENT TO STILL BE FULLY ENGAGED IN THE MEETING, PRESENT IN MIND AND INTENTION AND IN JUDGMENT, EVEN IF NOT PRESENT IN THE ROOM.
AND WHILE NOTHING WAS EVER DISCUSSED WITH ME, NO CONCERN EVER EXPRESSED.
IT SOUNDS LIKE MANY HAD A WEEK OF TIME TO DISCUSS ALL THEIR CONCERNS WITH ONE ANOTHER, BUT NOT WITH ME.
AND THEN SPREAD DISINFORMATION OVER THE DAY AS THAT ACCOMMODATIONS WERE PROVIDED.
BRIDGE HER VIRTUAL ATTENDANCE WAS NEVER INTENDED TO LET SOMEONE BE IN TWO PLACES AT ONCE.
A MEMBER SHOULD NOT BE PHYSICALLY PRESENT IN ONE MEETING WHILE VIRTUALLY IN OUR MEETING AND PRETEND TO BE FULLY ENGAGED WITH OUR MEETING.
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THAT'S NOT WHAT IT WAS MEANT FOR.AND I DID NOT COME HERE WANTING TO HAVE TO RE-LITIGATE ALL OF THIS TONIGHT.
BUT I DO WANT TO PUT IT TO REST MY HOPE IN NAMING WHAT I BELIEVE IS THE REAL ISSUE BEHIND MY COLLEAGUE'S BEHAVIOR IS THAT THOSE LOOKING TO CONTINUE TO MAKE ME THE VILLAIN OF THEIR STORIES CAN REDIRECT THAT ENERGY TOWARDS SOMETHING MORE PRODUCTIVE AND LEAVE MY CHILDREN OUT OF IT.
AND I TAKE SERIOUS OFFENSE AT GROWN ADULTS, POLITICIZING AND LITIGATING WHETHER MY CHILD'S MILESTONE WAS WORTHY OF MY TIME.
I'M NOT THE FIRST ELECTED OFFICIAL TO BE A PARENT.
I'M NOT THE FIRST PERSON THAT'S TOWN TO HOLD OUTSIDE EMPLOYMENT.
WHAT I GENUINELY HOPE IS THAT THOSE FOCUS ON DIVISION IN A COMMUNITY THAT SAYS IT VALUES UNITY TO TAKE THIS MOMENT FOR REAL REFLECTION, SOME UNLEARNING AND RELEARNING ABOUT WHY THIS BEHAVIOR CAUSED THE HARM THAT IT DID WITH SOME OF THE COMMENTS OF TONIGHT, THOUGH IT DEFINITELY DOES NOT SEEM LIKE THE LESSONS THAT NEEDED TO BE LEARNED WERE THE S OF THE LEADERS WHO CAN RECOGNIZE HARM WHEN IT IS NAMED FOR THEM RATHER THAN TO DENY AND TRY TO EXCUSE THEIR WAY AROUND IT.
AND WHO CHOOSE TO LEAD THIS COMMUNITY TOWARDS COLLABORATION INSTEAD OF DIVISION.
A RESIDENT HAS SAID THAT WE NEED TO STOP WITH THE PERSONAL ATTACKS.
THE CONTINUED PETTY ATTACKS ARE COMING FROM A SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN THE SAME ONES THAT CAUSED THE ISSUES DURING THE ELECTION TO WHICH THE BOARD OF ELECTION SUPERVISOR ADDRESSED AFTER THAT LAST ELECTION.
WE ARE IN A MOMENT IN HISTORY RIGHT NOW WHERE THE WORLD IS AGAINST THE VALUES THAT WE HOLD VERY DEAR.
I BELIEVE MOST OF US HAVE THE SAME VALUES.
I WOULD MUCH PREFER TO BE FOCUSED ON HOW TO STOP OUR NEIGHBORS FROM BEING KIDNAPPED OFF THE STREETS, WHERE TO FIND GRANT MONEY FOR THE STREET BE PAVEMENT, HOW TO GET WSSC TO DO THEIR JOBS RIGHT, THAN TO SIT HERE AND HAVE TO ATTEND AN ISSUE THAT SOME CAN'T LET GO OF FROM AN ELECTION OVER A YEAR AGO.
SO I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO SHOWED UP TODAY.
UM, AND EVEN IN THE PAST MONTH, NOT JUST FOR ME, BUT FOR EVERY MOTHER AND PARENT WHO'S EVER BEEN SHAMED FOR TRYING TO PUT THEIR FAMILY FIRST.
I DON'T NEED A MATTER TO TELL YOU WHAT I BELIEVE I'M ABLE TO BALANCE ELECTED LIFE WITH BEING ALONE.
BUT I WILL TELL YOU THIS WITHOUT, UH, ANY SHAME AND PRIDE THAT MY FAMILY WILL ALWAYS COME FIRST.
UM, I DON'T HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT PER SE.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT OBVIOUSLY OUR JULY WORK SESSION IS VERY BUSY, BUT IT HAS SOME REALLY EXCITING GOOD WORK FOR US TO DO.
UM, AND I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO BEING ABLE TO GET BACK TO THAT GOOD WORK AND BE SPENDING OUR TIME ON, UH, BIKE TRAILS AND PAVING AND YELLING AT VERIZON.
UM, I THINK THAT'S VERY WORTHY OF OUR TIME.
AND I ALSO KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, I KEEP A RUNNING LIST OF AGENDA ITEMS IN THE TOP OF MY LIST FOR MONTHS NOW HAS BEEN STRATEGIC PLANNING AND COUNCIL PRIORITIES.
UM, AND I JUST WANNA RAISE THAT AGAIN AS SOMETHING THAT I WANT TO MAKE SURE GETS ON AN AGENDA SOON THAT, SO THAT WE CAN, AS A COUNCIL, TALK TOGETHER ABOUT WHAT ARE OUR PRIORITIES AND WHAT ARE WE UP HERE ON THE DAY AS TO DO.
UM, SO WITH THAT, UM, UNLESS THERE IS ANYTHING FURTHER, I WOULD WELCOME TO AURN TO ADJOURN.
MOTION TO ADJOURN MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER FRY AND SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER GARCE.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE.
ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS? ALL RIGHT, THES.