Veterans Advisory Council - Regular Meeting

Do we have a motion to approve the previous meeting's minutes?

I move to approve last month's meeting minutes.

Fantastic. I second. Second.

Any discussion? Any discussion? No discussion. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Nobody said no this time. Excellent. Let's go right into Chair's comments. I first off, I have two things. The first and most important thing, although the second thing is almost as important, but I can't actually say that. Happy fourteenth anniversary to my wife, Jennifer. I'm here instead of having dinner with her. She understands that we're going out to dinner tomorrow night. It's fine.

So she's six. That is true.

That is true. Although she is she's with her horse and, her best friend. So I think

Yeah.

They're having a lot more fun than

You got a

good cover.

Yeah. So we're we're good. We're good. But fourteen years. I

was gonna say, is it one and the same?

It's funny. So she's had the horse longer than we've been together, but I have actually known her her entire life. There's pictures of her and I and another person in a in a crib together. My family my family and her family and another family all grew up together. Danny's seen the pictures. Sort of a cradle robber. I I literally am. I was at her mother's baby shower for her when I was one year old.

Oh. Wow. Yeah.

I think it's called a cradle robber when you're in a cradle here sometimes.

That's just on the toilet.

Yeah. On a on a little more serious note, I am severely disappointed regarding the Washington Post's recent article reporting on the VA disability compensation program. If anybody has seen the article that

was put out, it was a a a very lengthy investigation by the Washington Post.

It's it's outrageous. It it truthfully is purely because it claims that there's a the surge in claims is rampant exaggeration of fraud. It unjustly cast suspicions over the vast majority of our honorable service members who are promised to care for their sacrifices. Really, it it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that the PAC Act and just the majority of the claims coming from veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars are the reason for the increase in claims. And the Washington Post is trying to say that it's just veterans going out and trying to defraud the government.

They should make maybe make it illegal to represent veterans that are in an unaccredited state.

That is that is one of the things that I like that what we pushed last year and this year for our legislative initiatives. We're trying to get the state government to realize that there are fraudulent actors out there called claim sharks that are taking these veterans that that do need their help, do need their claims, and are are saying that the process is hard, saying that they can get them a 100% and tell them, hey. If you say it this way, you'll get this specific thing. Accredited service officers don't do that. They are the ones that are helping a veteran correctly claim with the VA.

So I don't wanna speak for the Frederick County Veterans Advisory Council, but I believe that we can stand firm and say, like, look, we're here supporting veterans, making sure they get the full benefits that they deserve, making sure that we're also not having them defraud the government, but also make sure the Washington Post and other agencies like that know that it's not the veterans doing the wrong thing. There's other people out there that are maybe exploiting some loopholes that maybe do need a little more oversight. But overall, the veterans are doing the right thing. So it's a pretty interesting article. There's already been a rebuttal.

So the article came out, then every single veterans organization came out against it. And then The Washington Post published a follow-up to that. I I definitely encourage everybody to read it, but realize that I think the Washington Post is just trying to set folks up for failure with this. So that's just my take. Those are my comments. I'm happy to talk about it more. But What's the date of the article? I think it came out the ninth maybe, seventh.

Okay.

Yeah. It was it was pretty recent. It, I think it's like how how veterans abuse a $193,000,000,000 VA benefits or something like that. I think that's the article. Yeah.

Yep. And it's specifically targeting veterans as the problem, not either the people helping veterans or maybe just some processes that they themselves need to be looked at. I'm not the expert. Just in reading the article, it's incredibly upsetting to me to hear the Washington Post specifically say veterans are the ones doing this. Anyways, let's go right into presentations. ERPO coordinator oh, from Behavioral Health Services. Yes, please. Thank you.

Good morning, everyone. My

name is

Mark Kolikowski. I am the IRPO coordinator for Frederick And Washington Counties. I am here to present to you on IRPOs, which are known as extreme risk protection orders. As you can see on the screen ahead of you, I am from the Frederick County Health Department in the Behavioral Health Services Division. So why am I here today?

Well, as I said, I cover both Frederick and Washington County. I have developed three ERPO trainings for law enforcement, the community, as well as for clinicians. I also provide technical assistance to anyone who is in need of assistance when it comes to anything regarding ERPOs. So my goal for today, I will be explaining to you what an ERPO is, why ERPOs matter in our community, and how you fit into the picture. I'll also give you some next steps that I think would be useful for you and your organizations.

So what is an IRPO? At its core, an IRPO is a civil order that prevents an individual from obtaining firearms and ammunition when they are deemed to be a threat either to themselves or to others. ERPOs are a means to prevent gun violence, whether it be suicide, homicide, or even mass shootings. ARPOs are there to prevent all types of gun related violence. As you can see in the statistics on the screen, more than fifty percent of the deaths that happen in The US are related to gun violence in some way or form.

Eighty to ninety percent of suicide attempts that are done with a firearm are fatal as opposed to other forms of suicide attempts. They tend to not be as fatal. In several studies, we've come across where 10 to 20 every 10 to 20 ERPOs that are filed, it prevents one suicide. Now a lot of people may look at that statistic and think that that's not a huge difference, but the way that we view it, we see gun violence as a public health issue. So anytime we're even able to prevent one suicide, we consider that a win in our books.

For our last statistic, we see that when there is a gun in the home, the risk of suicide increases for teens and young adults three to five times per, higher. So based off of these statistics, we see that ERPOs can be useful. They do work. So now we want to know how your organization fits into the picture. Oftentimes, your organization is they're the first ones that are at the scenes.

They're at the scenes before law enforcement is there, before the courts are ever made aware of different families, whether it's a client in crisis. Oftentimes, you guys are the ones that are there first. So you have a larger preventative role than law enforcement does or even than the courts themselves have. That means that that opens the door for collaboration and communication between law enforcement, between the courts, between families, as well as between our department. And we're able to see that ERPOs directly impact and save lives.

So with your organization knowing how ERPOs work, how we can assist the families, we're able to prevent a lot of gun violence that happens in the state of Maryland. So why bring me on board? As I said, I provide technical assistance in addition to training. So you're not just getting me in a classroom setting, you are getting me in the trenches there with the families. If they have someone who they've already filed the ERPO, they have to go to court, they're concerned about, you know, the lengthy court process, they need someone there with them.

I used to be a paralegal. I can go to court with them. I can sit there. I can do everything except for file the ERPO on their behalf. So I can assist with that.

And as far as the training is concerned, we have developed, as I said, three different trainings, community, law enforcement, and clinicians. Each of these trainings were developed with everyone in mind. So law enforcement helped us, assisted us in creating the law enforcement training, and the clinician training was created with the help of several clinicians throughout both counties. These trainings are custom built, so they are built based on the audience that we are in front of. If there is specific information that you would like us to focus on in that training, we can do that as well.

But we have built the trainings to be interactive so that way we can go step by step. We can have someone, and we've had numerous people walk into the door not knowing what an ERPO is, not knowing how it works. And by the time that they leave, they are able to walk out and file an ERPO right then and there if they choose to. So as you can see in front of you, this is some of the documentation. We have the petition as well as the two addendums.

We also have listed where you can find documentation and some helpful information that you're going to want to put on those forms. On the next slide, you will see where the documentation needs to be filed in both Frederick and Washington Counties, both during business hours as well as outside of business hours. So my reason for being here today. This presentation is just scratching the surface. In this particular case, we feel that awareness is not enough.

We want you to make sure that your staff, that your community members are aware of how ERPOs can be helpful to them. The best way to do that is by participating in the full ERPO training, whether it's the community one or the clinician one, depending upon credentials. We feel that everyone could benefit from the ERPO training. It is free of charge. We will come to you. We have flexible schedules, so we're able to accommodate whatever you need. We just feel that we want to push this training out to as many people as possible. Any questions?

Fred has one.

Yes. How does this affect the veteran going before Veterans Court? Let's assume that they're going before Veterans Court for something other than gun violence or in home violence, a misdemeanor.

So I am not sure how it would affect that. Okay. I can check on that and let you know, but I'm not sure how that would Can affect

you share a little bit more about what the training would look like for an organization? So if any of the organizations represented here, I work with a county organization, if we were to look at it for our team, can you share a little bit about what that would look like for

our team?

So the community training is about an hour long. Okay. It is interactive. There are some knowledge checks, some case reviews. It basically gives you a walk through the entire process from start to finish when ERPOs came into play in Maryland.

It gives you a breakdown of the different states in The US that have ERPO laws and which ones do not. It also gives you a, like I said, a step by step process of how you file the document, how you fill out the documentation, how you file it, what the time frames look like, what it looks like from a respondent's viewpoint if their firearms are taken from them, what they can expect from the process. We try to touch on all of the topics from different angles. Same with the clinician training, that one is about an hour fifteen minutes. That one specifically focuses on a lot of issues that we have come across in our interviews with clinicians in the area who have had concerns about ERPOs.

So it focuses specifically on that information that we've gotten from those interviews. And then the law enforcement one is roughly an hour as well, but that one is specific to law enforcement.

Got you. And can you talk a little bit about just overview? I realize this is awareness only. What kinds of things might clue somebody in that an ERPO would be a useful tool? So is it some behavior they're observing that would say

Key indicators. Thank you.

Thank you.

So some key indicators would be someone who has suicidal ideations, especially someone who is making threats either against themselves or to others regarding firearms. There have been cases where they have taken it into consideration even if they're making threats and it's not related to firearms, if they have access to a firearm, even if it is not registered to them. If they have access to the firearms, then an ERPO would be something that you would want consider as well. It it's all situational, but there are quite a few indicators.

How many ERPOs were issued in Frederick County last year?

In the last year, I know from January until June, there have been 12 that have been filed. I do not believe all 12 of those were granted.

Mhmm. Thanks

for the context.

Mhmm. How are the granted ones executed? Like, what happens after they are granted?

So it all depends on, the petitioner. If law enforcement is the petitioner, then oftentimes, they will be the ones, depending upon which agency it is, they will go out and they will execute and, serve the ERPO. They go to the respondent's home. They retrieve the firearms and the ammunition, and then, there is another hearing to determine whether or not those firearms and ammunition is going to stay in law enforcement's possession.

And if not law enforcement, if it's like a community partner?

So if it is a community partner, then the judge would grant the temporary ERPO, and law enforcement would be the one to go and obtain it still. It's just a different process in Frederick depending upon who does it.

So obviously, you know, we take community protection very seriously. We also take the constitution very seriously. I'm sure there's some process, but can you reassure those listening that people would eventually, if the when they become safe, be able to get their weapons back?

Absolutely. At any point in time, an ERPO can be rescinded by a judge. So if the the circumstances have changed that led to the ERPO, if they have since changed, then as long as they meet the qualifications to have those firearms, then they will be returned. Now I say it that way because there have been situations where people have had firearms that they are legally not supposed to have, and those firearms have been removed so they would not be able to be be returned.

Yeah. No. I was talking about legally owned firearms. I just wanted to make it make it clear that this is not taking somebody's weapons away forever. It's just Absolutely. Until they're safe and they're better.

It is temporary. So a interim order will only last as long up until the final hearing or up until the temporary hearing, which has to happen within seven days. So the temporary lasts for seven days. They go to the final hearing. That can last for up to a year. Okay.

Is there a record that's kept on someone who's had an ERPO?

There is. Yes. In the state of Maryland, it is confidential, so we don't have access to that. But there is a record that is kept by the courts. Yes.

So you said access to firearms. So if, say, I said something stupid and I live with Pat, could you go take his?

You could technically. Yes. If he is not willing to prevent you from being able to have access to those firearms, then yes. So

would an option there be for Pat to get a locked gun safe or something like that that

Yes. And in the training, we do go over different options that we can discuss before an ERPO is even considered. We do give out other options. But in the case that he described, yes, that would be something that would be considered.

Any other questions?

Great. Okay.

On the next slide, it does have my contact information. So if for any reason you have any questions about ERPOs, if you would like to do the full training, please feel free to use the QR code on the left to request the full training or to request technical assistance. And otherwise, thank you so much for having me. I appreciate it.

Thank you. Thank you.

Thank Public

comment. What? You always have lots of comments. Not today? Okay. Staff report, please.

Well, not much to report on. Still waiting for confirmation from the CE's office on the new members. And I apologize. I didn't get around to doing a veteran appreciation day committee meeting, but I will send out an email probably this week, tomorrow or Friday. And, for those of you that responded saying that you wanted to be involved on serving on the committee, I'll send out an email and try to get everybody scheduled with everybody's various schedules for that.

Other than that, I can't really think of anything. So we will have in December, we do need to think of nominations for the executive committee. And there is a change this year because of the new changes to the bylaws. There are now three positions on the executive committee. So it used to be chair, co chair, previous chair.

That has now changed to chair, co chair, secretary. So in December, we'll have nominations for those three executive board positions. And then in January, we will vote on those three executive board positions. And that is it for the staff

report. Great. New business.

I'm going to turn it over to Garth.

I didn't bring the presentation. Not that I didn't want to do it. Just didn't have it.

Was like, I knew I left something at home.

So if you remember last time we talked about the legislative meet and greet. As I was putting this together, I was thinking of courses of action, but it really turned into more of a timeline thing. I'll So next slide, please. Really just wanna be able to strengthen our broker relationships between state, you know, local government as we have a representative on here. Well, actually, not seeking reelection, so he won't be on for long, I guess.

Got fifteen months.

Fifteen months. Fourteen.

Alright. So we'll make use of you as long as possible.

Yeah. But,

you know, you're the only one that comes, so you're the only one that gets the information. And if you pass along to other people, those are the relationships that we continuity of relationships, I guess, we really wanna make sure it happens. And then a farfetched idea is having the federal government be part of this as well. Like I said, far fetched, but not impossible. Next slide, please.

So the objectives are straightforward. I mean, trying to provide a form to prevent or prevent present and advocate for priorities and issues. Know, transparency of what we're doing, which we do by obviously putting this on air. Encourage collaboration between government, nonprofits, and private sector partners, which these private sector partners, this is one we really wanna reach out to as well, obviously, with workforce development. I'll tie that in there.

Thank you. Alright. Next slide, please. As I said, this is course of action one. And really this is really a phased approach is what I what it turned out to be is more of starting with a crawl, walk, run phase essentially.

So going with the local city and county engagement because I know this is a county board, but the city really has some stuff things going on that they could really be aware of and be involved with as well, not just the county level even though I know they fall in the county. So I was thinking next year around April, May, which is around the proposed time of having the the Veterans Appreciation Day. Maybe not the same day, but somewhere in the same area to have a meet and greet. Maybe one of the breweries that's owned by a or a distillery that's owned by a veteran could host it, by invite what is it? Department directors.

He could do it differently here. Department directors out and meet with us, have workforce folks come out and meet with us, chamber come out, know, have just a little open forum for everybody to talk about issues and what they're working on as far as it pertains to veterans, and then see where the gaps are from there. Because I I I know that we we get a presentation every every month, but somehow we need to bring it all together somehow, I'm not sure how that's happening. So that's what the intent is of this or the outcome of this, is bring it all together. So by September, we actually have a good legislative package that is all encompassing.

Then the next slide is the court's action two, which is more than the state level agencies and stuff like that. So I think once we get the local items established and the state can really advocate for pushing these things at the state level. And then the third one is basically the federal engagement, which is actually inviting out congressmen. I did put their staff because I have a feeling none of the congressmen or state representatives or state sen or, excuse me, senators will come out themselves. They may. I'm just I'm just saying it's not likely, but we will we can try. And and the local and county one and maybe the state could be

an

annual reoccurring thing. This could be a one off, like, every three years or something. I gotta be cognizant of their two year term limits for the house folks, but, I mean, at least get some of those issues in front of them. I'm sorry. Next slide. Unexpected outcomes again is we'll have strengthened relationships. They'll know who we are. We know who they are. Improved visibility on legislative issues affecting veterans. Tangible input for VAC's annual legislative recommendation package, like I stated, creation of standing engagement model, sustainment sustainable without county funds.

So we hope those partnerships will fund this for us,

be able to host,

and we don't since we don't really have a budget for stuff like this. Enhance coordination with state and federal offices too. So when we engage you and possibly the city that their back channels that they usually have with other folks can make it up their way as well in official and unofficial ways of getting up to where they're supposed to be. Next slide. And then going off the measurement of success, which one gentleman brought up here before, how do we measure our success?

I just thought I'd throw this out there for showing the attendance and numbers and diversity of represented representation, veterans agencies, elected officials, number of legislative topics identified or acted upon, survey feedback, which we really like to start doing those type of things,

And media and community engagement, I don't think we

when I was thinking media, was thinking more media, not social media. So you have that pretty much well rounded and getting articles and partnering with local, but it's the other media people that could come out and highlight the efforts. Really put it out there for everybody. And then post event summary and integration with the annual back report. And I don't remember what's next.

Legislative timeline. So city and county basically have January to March. You'll have to tell me if I'm wrong in this because I'm not really smart on the timeline. But identifying and prioritizing local veteran issues between January and March, which we can do, and then bring it up in April, May when we do the meet and greet. And then by September, we should have a very good, well rounded package going up to you all.

So I guess it will depend a bit on when you're talking about issues requiring city or county support. That's usually a budget driving kind of question. And if it is, you don't want to be doing that necessarily in January, March because by March, the budget's pretty fixed with that. And then the council's going to get it in April. I'm sorry, March 15.

Okay. Fifteenth. So it's right in that time frame, generally speaking. So you wanna be working for issues that require city or county support and I'm sure the city's on a similar time scale. That's more of a fall Okay. Activity, I would say.

So this may be if we use this timeline, we may be a year behind. A little bit. Yeah. Yeah. This would this timeline, I guess, for April, May would be more or less trying to figure out what the issues are that you could bring up to the county Right. For the next for the legislative session.

The legislative session now now that's those are topics that we're going to propose to the delegation to take to Annapolis for any state legislation including funding requests. So if we're talking about that, then, yeah, this time frame of so they're in session in this, you know, in the first, you know, four months of the year or so. But that's still a good time to be creating these suggestions. Yeah. Maybe socialize them over the summer, finalize them, you know, at the end of summer, start fall for, you know, presentation to the executive.

I'd like to

be as proactive as possible. I understand we might be a year behind, but at least they'll still get in front of who they need to be on a different venue.

Yeah. It's just important to differentiate. Are you asking the county to do something or you're asking the state to do something? And

sometimes, I'll admit, I don't know what the county or the state separation line is, so I would have to figure out what that is with your help or we would assume.

It'll depend on the topic.

Yeah. Exactly. Slide I think just talks about state and federal nope. Questions?

Am I missing a slide?

Well, below it had the state and federal timelines but they're not important really. But the questions was I realized that this decision was a decision making presentation to begin with, but I kinda switched it to more of a strategic how I guess it turned into a strategic plan essentially that I'd like to actually incorporate into the strategic plan that I still have to bring to you. I'm getting getting there. But so my recommendation is begin with the course of action one and then gradually work the way through the other COAs as a goals for the following years. But it really does hinder on participation from outside entities to help make this successful.

You said federal are we talking only like the government side of the house because I thought like we talked a little bit earlier today about the VA potentially actually having a somebody coming out.

Yeah. Yeah. The department of the VA out from Martinsburg is gonna start sending a representative to the meetings. So we should have an ex officio member. I'm not sure when they're gonna start attending, but I'll confirm that with them.

And real quick, those eight when I say federal, I meant elected and agency heads.

Okay. Yeah.

I just don't know how likely it is that agency head will come out and talk to us. But maybe maybe by that year three when it comes around and the first two years are successful and productive that maybe they will have heard about it and want to participate in it.

Well I know that the individual that Mikaela mentioned before was is the public relations official for Martinsburg and they actually helped us at the CVEB bring in the executive director of Martinsburg Medical Center to actually come in one time and sit in and or more than one time come in. And so I think that could be an opening door. And then we have some members. I see Nan Mann on here as well, right, the nonvoting members. So I think really leaning in on them to also potentially bring in their their people that could that could be helpful. Agreed.

I think

in the as there is as there are issues and priorities identified through just some of the conversations at the discussions that may drive who might engage

And the discussion of the

forums. Yeah.

Because I list health care

and housing. I list all those things as examples up there of what topics we can talk about. But, yeah, it really doesn't hinder on those folks being excited and wanting to really come out and participate.

Sir? On your city and county council, I would strongly recommend you consider bringing in Fort Detrick because they've been trying to get established conduct a number of community forums. I would think this would be the ideal location for that. Many of the problems that I think that they would bring could be solved with the city and the count and the county sitting right there rather than going forward with any formal legislative activity.

Sorry. Are you talking about Fort Detrick Alliance or are talking about Fort Detrick Garrison?

I'm talking about Fort Detrick Garrison.

So I know that they're taking a hit right now and I know that their priorities are elsewhere right now. I don't know that I'm not gonna speak for them. I just in having conversations with Grom Tongue, know that they're taking some hits right now. And I don't know that they have the capacity, but they can certainly be invited.

Well, I think that gives an opportunity for the city and the county to step in and fill the void that Right. As I said sitting around the table, I think you could identify the resources that are being removed from Fort Detrick that the county and the city would have available Yeah. Specifically if you include the nonprofits in that in that,

group. Right. No. I yeah. For sure. I couldn't do it because that'd be a conflict of interest, I think. But

It would depending on what we decide and put out, it would it

would come from the council.

Your name would just be there on the council. Right.

If you provide me contact information, I can send them, you know, an email.

So I guess what I'm seeking is a approval from the council to actually move forward with this, and then the second one would be to either add it to your appreciation day planning or another subcommittee for that planning. I can't do that. Don't think.

You would you would make a motion to execute a plan of either attempting to start at least going to COA one. And then if we had a second, we could discuss and move forward or not.

I'll give you time to read that. Before I say amen.

I think the best course would at least be for a motion from you to say, have the VAC move forward with trying to do this, whatever this ends up being. If we have a second, then we could discuss and then vote.

Alright. So I will make a motion to accept at least call it one, or do you want the whole presentation of the whole?

It's up to you. It's your motion.

Alright. I'll I'll make a motion to accept the pre presentation as it is written right now as a strategic planning instead of one, two, or three co course of action.

Second. Any discussion?

Yeah. So I think what Steve said is important about the timeline of the government budget. So I think we need to look at what quick wins do we have right now that we want to get in front of the city and the county that won't be part of this? We can follow this timeline later. But are there things that we want to get in front of them in line with their budget?

I think could be helpful to that. So would that be a friendly amendment to what Garth said? Or would that be a separate motion?

It's a good question.

That's why I asked it.

Or do we pivot? Do we amend Yeah. You can amend the motion. But Or do we pivot the timeline to fit Mhmm. Instead of it saying January to Mhmm. You know, do we pivot those timelines?

We can also just have in the amendment that research will be done on the appropriate timelines depending on the topic at hand and the the budget area that it would need to come from. And that could give us a little bit of wiggle room to do that research and It's still adjust as needed.

So I have I have a picture of instead of trying to figure out what the topics are right now

Mhmm. Yeah.

Is to treat that first forum as a fact finding concerns and issues and then build from there.

So meeting with so fact finding from who?

The government officials or VSOs, government officials, you know, you got your health care for or health care. You have your workforce. You have your chamber of commerce, all those stakeholders that have a an interest in veteran success. I

guess and maybe I'm putting words in your mouth. Look, if we're fact finding things, we we find tons of facts. We'll open up a Guinness Book of World Records and there's a bunch in there. Would maybe the first instantiation of this purely be a venue for bringing up all of the problems or good things?

That's where I

was heading, you know, bringing forward, you know, everything we know and what we've learned about the challenges that veterans in the county face Mhmm. And then talking with, you know, the the officials you enumerated, you know, in terms of and get them thinking about what's

possible. Mhmm.

You know, what's possible within the context of how we currently do things. What's possible in the context of how we might change. You know? There's certainly there there's always gonna be the easy answer is that we have this, you know, these grant funding opportunities, through the county and, you know, so there's that, you know, and how much money are we making to ensure, encourage, you know, organization a, b, or c to apply for, you know, any money in that way. You know, but maybe there's, you know, more ambitious kinds of things.

You know, maybe it's a, you know, a veteran housing project, you know, you start bringing together, you know, various elements from county government to put together a proposal to seek state money. Right. You know? Because that's a great that that's the kind of project you go to state for. Mhmm. You know, one time upfront kinds of money as opposed to ongoing expense kind of money. You don't go to state for that. Now you wanna get into the county budget for that, you know, as something that would a public private partnership kind of thing. You know? But it's bringing the this is what I was talking about.

Fine. You know, what facts from home. Right? It's bringing the challenges to those individuals to help talk about we might address them in different ways.

Think that also will then help us identify who needs to be invited to these discussions. I

agree with that. I just I I really don't want to limit the invite. Sure. Want to be able to make sure that somebody doesn't feel like they're left out because they're not part of that specific topic. But they do have a stakeholder interest.

If we have a a specific topic, we know, okay, we need to talk to these four specific people. If those four specific people can't come, then let's postpone that's that discussion, I think. Is there

Not opposed to it. Just don't leave anybody.

Still under discussion with this. And I keep looking up to the presentation, but I realize the motion is for the whole legislative meet and greet. Is there I I know we maybe need to look at the the scheduling timeline of it. What is the what is the walk phase that we can start working on, Or is this do we just need to talk about this some more? Is this maybe a subcommittee that needs to work through turning this into something that we action on?

I would probably say the subcommittee needs to really talk about this. If anything, I'd really like to see elected officials and department agency heads just come out and meet us. I mean, do they really know us? I mean, why we're here or that we exist? I mean, I don't know.

Do you think it's something you can incorporate with, like, where you already have a lot of sort of people and visibility, maybe a breakout session at the appreciation day or something like that? And we have space in all those in those rooms, right? We have to call the valor or something like that. That could be maybe a a breakout session. You can keep it as an open session to your point. Keep the community involved in there, but really have a directed decision with a lot of decision makers that are sitting in the

same room already. For the transparency.

Yeah. Yeah. I mean I mean, the the deal is it's sometimes hard to get them all in the room, but if they're already gonna be there receiving awards and shaking hands

We we did talk about it the next Veterans Appreciation Day not necessarily having award presentations and the whole rigmarole of having all the different elected folks presenting. Maybe this is one of the things that we point towards and say, we want to still have the big open section of here's the seventy, eighty different organizations, vendors, and and suppliers providing services to veterans. Let's go take these folks that are the elected officials, are the department leads for various veterans administration related activities and sit down at a round as a roundtable as the Veterans Advisory Council for Frederick County to those people specifically.

Could use that atrium space. I think you guys had your table back there.

Yeah. Was about yeah.

If you That be

and set it up literally like a round

Yeah. Like round table? Yeah. Yeah. I'm just I'm just spitballing, and and that way we have something to sort of aim towards. And then we can I think there, you can get at least your your warmth and maybe even some two in there? Right? So one and two. And and if we get lucky, we push there. We can get somebody like Nan or a representative, right, of a senator and and you might be able to get all one, two and three in in one room at the same time. Sure. Yeah. You know?

I would bring to it though a set of a kind of a short list of prioritized that are appropriate for county or or city action. That they actually can do something and it's within their authority. Yeah. You know, rather than going in cold and see what you get. Yeah. Got those in your back pocket.

And to

that point, know as I think somebody mentioned it before. Mean, there's people that sit especially you'll get representatives, you know, delegate curries sits on the health, you know, advisory committee in the state. So I mean, there are priorities for them individually. So if it's some if you know you're gonna get somebody like Ken Kerr there, then maybe it's a health related side of the house. If you know you're getting somebody like Folden in there, it might be on the enforcement side of the house. So just whoever we have, we tailor it towards them. There's no limit to how many questions we probably can get from those. So we can, like Steve said, sort of narrow it in based, you know, talk to our audience and and make sure that it's important to them

as well. And that's and, you know, and going beyond, you know, the VAD in terms of more, you know, bringing it back up here. I mean, thinking about it in terms of maybe not just a one meeting fits all, but clustering them because there are going to be different sets of issues with different relevant sets of people you want to talk to about them.

Would I be I'm sorry. Would I be correct in assuming that we could like, when we come up with a list of things that we might be interested in that we could bounce it off use, and you can help us to

Sure. Determine. Okay. You know, I have all the answers,

but sure. Well, no. It's it's more of an is it appropriate for city versus county versus Mhmm. No. We just can't do that Mhmm. So that we can focus our attention.

I'm trying to remember the beginning of the conversation where we started to bring this up as an idea. And I may be miss recalling. My brain isn't my memory isn't as good as it used to be, but I it seems to me I I thought we talked about pulling this kind of information from a group of veterans before bringing it to the before bringing it to this stage so that we could

Incorporate their stuff with

hear that feedback around what the issues and priorities of the fix in our community were sharing and then kind of looking to try to make some solutioning as as a next step. So I'm I'm wondering if there's a pre step to KOA one around gathering information, informal style, roundtable discussion with a group of veterans. I think what we talked about was we were not getting participation at some of the VAC meetings to get this input and getting out to places or creating some other opportunities where we could get that information and hear from veterans in a more informal space might help us to kind of figure out what some of those issues were.

Could you want to do that through survey?

I think the conversations are important. I feel like that's where people are really going to share. Right?

I just thought you might reach more people by a survey. Or maybe you can do both.

Yeah. Anecdotal and then the survey data.

Going to the VSO organizations, they obviously have monthly meetings. I mean, I'm speaking from the VFW side of the house. I mean, there's over 55 members at our last meeting, right, from all age ranges and all life experiences, all different military experiences, all Frederick County residents from for the vast majority part of them. Right? I think that Legion, Amvets, all these other organization now obviously would require a grassroots effort from us or members of here to actually go out there and do that.

But most of these organizations will open before their meeting starts or maybe at the end the meeting, each organization a little different, and give us an opportunity to really present to their members. And we could share the survey if it's gonna be an electronic one with them or at least get some feedback live time from them Mhmm. In those in those settings. I mean, it will take some effort on our part to seek this out because it's not like there's a in Veterans Day, we can pull everybody at the Veterans Day, to Brunswick and pull every everybody down there. You know, we could do things like that. That's coming up. So there are some opportunities where we do have a bunch of veterans located, you know, at one spot.

I mean, there there's the VSC, the coffees, and and and that as well that Yeah. I was there.

It got two ready made opportunities. Yeah. The Monday activity at platoon twenty two. Right. The Friday activity at the Veterans Service Center each has between 30 to 35 veterans attending. I think they'd love to sit down and say, somebody ask them, what are your concerns? What are you now? Given those two time frames. It's a very specific age group. Okay?

You're going

to get a very skewed portion of those individuals 65 and older. Plus, they're they're ready made for them right there. It's the same people.

Well, it probably is the same people.

And it's mostly the same people that attend one that attend the other one as well.

So we have a a motion on the table. Mhmm. We've had some discussion. I wonder if maybe we vote either yay or nay. I don't

Or make an amendment Yeah. To your motion.

You can also withdraw and put a different motion. Those are your options.

At this point, I don't even know what I'm

supposed to do.

I A lot of this discussion tells me that we should table this to the next meeting. Maybe maybe we have a a follow-up conversation about this a little bit more. So either we could vote or you could withdraw your motion. Either I don't want to

How about I amend it just to create a subcommittee with the Veterans Appreciation Day for this specific effort? For the first.

I would second that if I were not chairman.

I'll second that. If I have a vote. Don't know if I would Can vote

restate the motion just for clarification?

Great. Can we play that back?

I believe your motion is to create a subcommittee of the Veterans Appreciation Day for the legislative meet and greet with the city and at least county officials and representatives, hopefully also some federal representatives, to talk about legislative items of interest in Frederick County pertaining to veterans. Yeah. That

I really don't wanna

repeat that.

You don't have to repeat it. Or or

legislative and programmatic.

Should it not be that your amendment would say to create a subcommittee to further explore the possibility of holding a legislative discussion during Veterans Appreciation Day, like creating a subcommittee to further explore the possibility of this event happening at Veterans Appreciation Day.

That's way better.

Yeah. Makes sense. Okay.

I will take that one.

Because if we if we don't

say consider or put some sort of word in there, then words, we are saying we're voting on if we're going to hold the event. Yeah.

Let's create the subcommittee, which means that that subcommittee can still work towards what it is and then they could advise

Right.

The full committee and say, yes. It's gonna work and this is what we're gonna do and this is our plan. Do we vote for this or no? It's gonna be next year or whatever it is.

Alright. So amended. Right? So amended. Do we still have a second? Yes.

Can. Mayor's got it.

Any more discussion? Do we understand what we are voting on? I believe I understand. Any other discussion? Any other discussion? All those in favor say aye.

Aye. Any

opposed? Fantastic. Whatever the understanding is,

they can just go off and do what they want.

We'll just put a bunch of

words together. Alright.

Now that we have a subcommittee of the Veterans Appreciation Day,

we definitely need to figure out who's gonna be on that subcommittee. Probably not today. But once we start talking about the Veterans Appreciation Day, we need to figure out who's gonna be on that subcommittee. Now that's a separate subcommittee then. That's true. You're right. Right?

It is a separate subcommittee. Separate subcommittees.

Is it connected to Veterans Appreciation Day or is this a subcommittee for this?

Well, what we just voted on was a subcommittee for the legislative meeting greet to happen at

That's true.

Veterans Appreciation Day. But there is still also my understanding again. I don't know. Yeah. I was first meeting is that there is a subcommittee for the Veterans Appreciation Day itself.

Yes. Correct.

There are gonna be different roles and responsibilities there.

Yeah. And there's different.

There's other folks besides us here on the Veterans Appreciation

Day committee too. So we need to have a meeting for the Veterans Appreciation Day subcommittee, and then there needs to be a meeting for this COA Yeah. Subcommittee. Mhmm.

Yeah. Yep. Okay.

Gotcha.

Do we want to have a second motion regarding this just to further do we want to maybe we don't even need to do that. But we can further I was going say, we don't need to have any action items, but I think we do need to further talk about this. Like, just in the sense of out outside of the Veterans Appreciation Day discussion, how do we feel as a as a group about this plan, if that makes sense?

Yeah.

Does that bring back a recommendation for consideration, and then this group would talk about the recommendation?

Right? Well, these are two

different things.

Yeah. We're talking about, like, an event versus, like, a vision, like your

Strategic plan.

Yeah. Strategic plan. So that's why I was trying to separate them out in the sense that they go together. But I I think it's really good for us to have a path.

I'm gonna put this in the draft strategic plan that I would like to bring Okay. The next time around. I just haven't finished it yet.

I just don't wanna I think this is good this is good momentum, and I think we we I just wanna make sure we continue Sure. To do that.

And I don't wanna stretch us too thin either.

Yes. Exactly. Yeah.

I'll nominate Garth to be the chair of the legislative meeting.

Mean Sorry. Oh, I can't.

I did it with

the human relations commission, I can do this too.

But we should establish some chairs. Right? If somebody's and then we can work.

I was

trying to remember whether or not as chairman I appointed or if we vote on it.

I was almost joking, but I don't care. I feel I feel like Garth is taking it's gotta take them.

Well, should see because he's he asked to form the subcommittee, then you would ask for volunteers. Right?

Ask for volunteers, but I think he was really asking who's gonna head it up to make sure it's Or kinda like your role

just set them. Is that what you said?

I'm gonna go out on a limb and you are the subcommittee chair of the Legislative meeting. Legislative meeting for the Veterans Appreciation Day. At the Veterans Appreciation Day. Please identify individuals for your subcommittee and report back with updates next month.

Yes, sir. Here we go.

That sounds that sounded official. That sounded like we knew what we were talking about.

It actually says in the bylaws that you can form subcommittees.

I'm just gonna start. Committee formed. You get a committee. You get a committee.

You don't get one. We like our own committees. Yeah. Of ourselves.

While you're at it

in your powers right now, do you want to point somebody for the for the appreciation day? Committee

is it make

is that what Kayla I mean we should

I feel like make it

efficient know you're supposed to be the leader

of that like you're kind

of nominating yourself I'm not even a voting member I mean, you ran it

two years in a row. Right.

But I mean, Who like

has been the chair of that committee in the past?

We haven't come hasn't come to the council. I don't

know if there's a word in that. It's like that.

I don't know how to consider Makayla. I'm sitting at the table, but we're Yes.

Here we go. Makayla is the chair of the Veterans Appreciation Day

committee. That's

me. That's

Does anybody want to be the chair of the committee?

Co chair? Vice chair?

Makayla. Makayla is saying.

Say no.

Say no. It's behind. I know. It was like I feel

like volunteers.

She's all just

volunteers at this point.

Who doesn't actually sign up to volunteer as it is?

I honestly don't remember. I have to go back through my emails.

I mean, I think we know one.

I I responded. I know Mark Yeah. Patrick.

Most most people should.

Susan? At least be.

I don't I don't know I feel but I don't want to say people's names out loud because I can't remember exactly who said yes and yeah

no more you could just say their name out loud and then

they'll shame

Who's on the record?

I will go see

Michael's It's on the record.

Send out I'll send out an email about the subcommittee tomorrow.

From my perspective, I can do one or the other.

Okay.

I can't I I can't do both subcommittees.

Okay. Maybe send me an email, like, if have a preference on which one you'd rather do, and then that way we can okay. I guess that goes for everybody Sure. If you have one you'd rather do. Okay.

Any other new business? Going once? Going twice? Announcements.

Sir? It's probably an an unnecessary announcement, but since I wasn't here last time. So we did did bring forward the proposed state legislation to alter the current language in the disabled veterans property tax credit, which right now puts a hard cap income cap of a 100 k. So under the proposal, which the council voted unanimously to support including in our legislative package, It would basically just let the localities make that decision whether what the income limit or to not have one at all. So it's I think we'll have full support by the county delegation.

I've talked to a couple members about it. No qualms about it whatsoever.

We'll

it'll be interesting when it gets to Annapolis, you know, because and I'm probably repeating myself from last time I described this, but why not? You know, it's it's a potentially some could look at it as, you know, revenue negative at a bad time budget wise. But it's such a small, you know, hit. And it actually doesn't it's not a direct hit because localities can or can't can choose whether to do anything with it. You know?

So the when legislative services does their, you know, fiscal note on it, it's gonna have a wide error band on it because they won't know, you know, what could happen. So that might allay some fiscal concerns. But beyond that, I think every year, I think, Indianapolis veteran supportive legislation seems to do pretty well. It's, you know, well, on on this kind of stuff I've seen.

Mhmm.

They love tinkering with these tax credit. You know? It's like every year they've they've done something to make it a little easier. So so I think that will I think it has a fair shot. And even if it doesn't go the first year, we'll have it up right back next year. But it's statewide legislation. That's what makes it a little harder. If this were just for Frederick County, you'd be issuing. But it is going to have statewide effect. So those are always a little harder to get through.

You think that might be expanded to some of these fees, like with the MBA and stuff

like that, that could be Different. That's different. I don't know about how if the fee structures, what fee structures are legislated versus Right. Administerially set. Don't know.

That was just some of the folks that brought that up because they're and a lot of them aren't strict fixed income. Those fees are really going to take a toll, not to mention everything else that's going on that's raising prices and things.

Anyway, that's where we're at.

I thought

we were

going to

have a final vote on the legislative package this Tuesday, but it's not on the agenda for some reason.

Don't forget that we did sign up to walk in the Brunswick parade. Last year, we had something. Somebody brought, like, a pole or something last year. Do we remember?

I do remember the pole, but I don't know who brought it.

Somebody had something. Anyway, we used our tablecloth. Mhmm. And somebody had some sort of pole or something.

To, like, hold it?

Just gonna roll it up or something like that and hold it through.

I don't know. I mean,

seems like you could just use a PVC. Shower curtain, like, one of those rods or something.

Yeah. I'm trying to remember who who brought this. Anyway, I won't be able to walk with you guys this year, unfortunately. So

I'll be there.

Okay. So I'll make sure to get you the tablecloth. And we have tote bags again. I don't know if we wanna mess with the tote bags. We did it last year. They seem to be somewhat popular, but I have tons and tons of tote bags left we could do. I also have some coins. I don't know if that would be a good idea, though, because that could hurt people. I do have some stickers, and I could get some I could get some candy. I I could request to buy some candy.

Anybody's leftover Halloween candies? Is that what you're

saying? Yeah.

Yeah. I will likely be marching with the VFW.

Right. So Okay. I

I took a lot of flack for marching with the VAC this year instead of the VFW. I'm just saying. Somebody sent me a very angry text.

I don't know who that would be. Could've been the commander.

Right. So anyway, well, so I I don't know what we're gonna do this year. If does anybody have anything that they can think of at their house?

Candy is always a good thing.

And I'm thinking for the Oh, that

whole thing.

Oh, PVC PVC pipes. You know? If you have a banner, you just throw it through there.

No. It's just rolling up the table cloth.

We have table cloth.

But it has it's not gonna, like, attach unless there's a hole. Is there a

No. You can

you put it

You just, like, hold it this way? And then I had binder clips.

We had binder clips.

That's what I was getting at.

It was Yeah.

You can't just, like Yeah.

We binder clipped it, and then we had, like, binder clips to sort of I mean, it wasn't perfect. It's sort of like Yeah. But we you know?

It seems to have pictures of what we have. It worked. I'll look.

Who brought that thing last year? It. Oh.

Yes. It would have been

remember what was said to go to the hospital. Yeah. When that good. I

of those, like, extend the pole things, you know, like, to paint your house. I mean, that could work.

I think we said last time that

dog treats because there were a lot of dogs.

Dog treats. Yes. Very popular.

That would be so fun.

Yeah. Everybody wants to bring their loved everyone out. Just don't

get that. She just what you're throwing.

Yeah. Like, make sure Yeah. Some little kid doesn't end up

with a milk bar.

Marching with It's organic. It's organic. We're getting

don't know because see last year, we got a special invitation to walk with the county executive, but we I don't believe we got that invitation this year. But I did sign us up, so we're like our own float. I mean, we

don't have a

float, obviously, but we're like our own Oh, next year, we're gonna I mean, you guys have time. You guys have time. Does anybody I mean, you guys have a vehicle? No. I I don't think I signed this up. I think you have to sign up ahead of time.

Good Thank lord.

I'll have to go back and look at the application because I think you have to sign up to say what you're doing. Right?

Yeah. You have to see if it's a vehicle, the size of the vehicle, how many vehicles when you submit the application.

Right. So I think I just said walking.

I'm just joking. We we're not gonna

You could build something. I wouldn't mind just

Yeah. Here.

This is

my building. Frederick Hills. In

the battle.

Well, I'd have to see if because we borrowed that actually from video services.

So You volunteered? Yeah.

Can we borrow the flag? No.

I'm sorry.

Alright. Any other announcements?

I love pictures.

I might be able to go back and find it. But anyway, let me show I'll get the stuff to you before I Okay. Leave town.

Our next meeting's November 19 at the Veterans Service Center.

Do also the date of their three year anniversary, so there should be activities there all day. Yeah. Mhmm. So if you are free, I think come on over anytime that day. Should be good.

Starting at three.

Starting at three. Yes. You're

right. Yes.

Right. Three.

I mean,

you can come anytime. I mean, Mar and I will be there early Right. All day. But yeah.

Not if the

poll. Alright. Do I have a motion to adjourn?

Oh, that's right. She's not here. I make a motion to adjourn. Second. She's used to.

All those in favor say you can, second. Obedient adjourned.

Clean and maintained.

Frederick County government has taken another step toward inclusivity. Translation services are now available for broadcasted FCG meetings through live closed captioning. This real time closed caption service can provide translations into more than a 100 language. Viewers can select their preferred language by clicking on translate at the top of their screen. Clicking the translate button also allows viewers to post comments or questions in their native tongue that are automatically translated into English for county staff.

The inclusion of translated captions will help FCG better serve the roughly 38,000 residents who speak a language other than English and will increase public engagement in local government. To use live translations, residents can simply tune into meetings using Frederick County's new online engagement hub at publicinput.com/frederickcomd.

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Alright. Good evening, everyone. Welcome, and thank you so much for being here. We are here tonight for our legislative town hall, and this is an opportunity that we take each year. Our goals tonight are to review our process for creating our legislative package, to the general assembly for the twenty twenty six legislative session.

And we'll also talk about some of the priorities we've already heard about from the community that we plan to share, and, of course, there'll be an opportunity to hear from each of you who would like to speak this evening. I do wanna introduce my director of government relations who is up here with me, Victoria Venable. She is a a a rock star at her job, and really helps us to, be very prepared, in Annapolis to make sure that we are fighting on behalf of our of all of you, of our residents, and making sure that Frederick County is getting its fair share and that we're advocating for the issues that matter to our community. So our goals for this evening are to share our current legislative priorities that are based on what we have already heard from our both internally and our county departments and divisions and also externally from many community partners. I'll use this time to highlight some of those key partnerships that we have in the community and then of course, we'll be listening directly to your input this evening.

A people centered government relies heavily on the input of the residents that we serve. And so we truly have an opportunity to advocate for the growing needs of our community by ensuring that we're including everyone's voices and as we prevent present our legislative package. It really is meant to represent all of Frederick County, not just my administration. So I really appreciate each of you who are here, but also all of you who have already sent in, you know, emails or letters to us to share what you would like us to be focusing on as we, go into this year's session. So I wanted to share just a little bit about our process.

Under charter government, it is the county executive's role to advance the state legislative priorities of the county. And my goal is to submit a legislative package for the upcoming general assembly session that includes legislation that improves the lives of Frederick County residents and allows for a more efficient and effective county government. This can only happen with a broad stakeholder process and ongoing collaboration with key partners to ensure that we have a representative package. So in order to achieve this throughout the spring and summer, my team has solicited recommendations from Frederick County government divisions and departments, municipal leaders, local education institutions, over 150 community organizations, and the county council. Tonight's town hall serves as an opportunity to receive some feedback on these recommendations and to hear directly from the public about the priorities that you have.

After careful review of the many recommendations that we receive, I will put forward a final package for review by the county council, and then we present that package to our state delegation and request their support. You can see a calendar on the screen, and you can also visit our legislative affairs, page of the county website to see a more detailed calendar. This is gonna be impossible for you to read, but we wanted to show all of the organizations that we reach out to, to make sure that you can see that we really do our best to make this as, truly as a representative as possible. This list includes any organizations that have provided recommendations in past years as well as any groups that have applied for community partnership grant funding. Each year, we expand this list to be as reflective of Frederick County as possible.

So don't strain your eyes too much. Sorry about that. But we wanted to at least show show some of those different groups. So for the legislative package that we'll be sharing this evening, we have four legislative priorities. Those include increased workforce and senior housing, education funding formula alteration, forming a task force, property tax, authority to set special rates, and school resource officer prohibition on sexual contact.

These four initiatives are actual pieces of legislation that we know that we'll be advocating for. So our four our first priority to discuss tonight is legislation to improve the availability of workforce and senior housing. I am proud that Frederick County is a place that where people want to work and live. As such, we are the fastest growing county in Maryland. However, this growth leads to increased demand on our housing supply at a time when housing and development costs are rising across the board.

With rising inflation hitting residents' budgets harder than ever, this creates a difficult situation for those looking to buy or maintain a home. Many of our essential workforce such as teachers, nurses, first responders, and others are unable to secure housing in the county and the state due to these rising costs. And similarly, our senior population is unable to keep up with the rising cost of inflations as they are often on a limited income, and we have one of the fastest growing senior populations in the county I mean, in the state. So this often leads to our workforce choosing to live out of state or out of county and our seniors being forced to make tough decisions about leaving their homes or forgoing other essentials. The proposal for increased workforce and senior housing will focus not only on increasing accessibility, but also streamlining the development of these types of housing.

I want to be clear that we heard about this as a priority for many, many of our community partners such as the Frederick County Affordable Housing Council, Frederick County Public Schools, our Frederick County Senior Services Advisory Board, The United Way Of Frederick County, and many others that housing accessibility has to be a top priority. So this legislation will begin to improve this accessibility by incentivizing and promoting buyers of primary residences to ensure that our workforce and seniors aren't competing with large companies to buy property. The legislation will also ensure that housing development processes are streamlined at both the county and state level. I'm very proud of our Frederick County employees that work in divisions and departments that work on this issue. Their tireless work to ensure clear guidelines and quick response times for developers.

This legislation will ensure that these best practices are in enacted in every county and at the state level as well. Securing funding for these projects is another crucial piece of increasing our workforce and senior housing. The Moore Miller administration has directed an increase in funding through an executive order, and this legislation will assist in codifying that effort. As housing is a statewide issue and truly we are in a housing crisis across the state of Maryland, there are many partners involved in this work with us, including the Maryland Association of Counties and the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development. I wanna thank many of the partners that I listed previously, including FCPS and the Housing Affordable Housing Council, United Way, and others for their continued partnership and advocacy for increasing accessible and affordable housing.

With the help of both the county and the state, I truly believe that we can increase our workforce and senior housing stock and ensure that all who wish to live in Frederick County have the ability to do so. Our second priority that we listed is the establishment of a task force to study potential education funding formula alterations. This one is very near and dear to my heart, as many of you know that I was an educator for sixteen years. I am proud of our wonderful school system. It truly is amazing, and we've had many things to celebrate even just in the recent months of our Maryland Teacher of the Year being from Frederick County, a recent Blue Ribbon School at Myersville.

We really do have a lot to celebrate in Frederick County, and that wonderful school system continues to draw families to our community, making our county home to the fastest growing school system in the state of Maryland. This enrollment growth is not accounted for, however, in the current state funding formula and has left our county with hundreds, hundreds of unfunded seats that have required the county to cover both the local and state share of education funding. As an educator, I am a strong supporter of the blueprint for Maryland's future that aims to improve student education and teacher productivity statewide. However, the blueprint has a multitude of requirements that counties are currently unable to fund further exacerbating county funding struggles while we work to meet milestones and provide the best education possible for our students. This comes at a time when county budgets are increasingly strained due to cost shifts from the state and federal governments to our budgets, forcing counties to make tough decisions when crafting our budgets each year.

So this proposed legislation would create a task force to study the current education funding formula and ensure that state school funding is being allocated equitably, particularly concerning student population growth. I think it's important to note that this study was also proposed by the Frederick County School Construction Workgroup, which consisted of local elected officials, school board representatives, interagency commission on school construction representatives, and members of the general assembly. The work group recommended that the state reevaluate the education funding formula with a focus on student enrollment. As a former educator and a mother of now two FCPS students, I am a strong supporter of ensuring our students have absolutely every resource available to to guarantee their success, and I believe this study is crucial to ensuring that Frederick County receives our fair share of education funding with an acknowledgment of our continued growth. I do wanna thank senator Karen Lewis Young for sponsoring this legislation in this upcoming session.

So our third legislative priority piece of legislation is to authorize counties to set special tax rates for different subclasses of property. And if you if you were paying attention to our process last year, this is going to sound familiar. This is year two of us working on this with the Maryland Association of Counties and many other partners. So currently, counties do not have the authority to tax different subclasses of property at different rates. So this means that all residential and commercial properties are taxed the same regardless of the type of residence or the type of business.

Our administration has a priority of keeping Frederick County affordable for our residents while sustaining our critical services and infrastructure. This means that as one of the fastest growing counties in Maryland, we need to find creative solutions to addressing our needs while keeping taxes affordable for residential properties. School and transportation funding is important to all of Frederick County, so it's critical that we find a funding mechanism that does not involve raising residential property taxes, but instead, taxing the commercial entities that can afford to pay higher rates. The proposed legislation would provide county governments, including Frederick County, with the opportunity to set special property tax rates for different residential and commercial subclasses. I wanna note that this is actually an authority already granted to Maryland municipalities, but not to counties.

My administration would use this as an opportunity to evaluate commercial sub classes and determine what entity entities are not paying their fair share in comparison to residential rates. This would this would provide us with a potential funding solution for our school construction needs. To be clear, I am not seeking this authority to adjust property tax rates within residential subclasses of property. Instead, we will work with our team to investigate ways to bring more equity across property tax rates through special rates in commercial property. I would like to thank delegate Chris Fair for sponsoring this legislation this year.

And our last piece of priority legislation that I wanted to share tonight is to prohibit school resource officers from having sexual contact with students. Currently, law enforcement officers are prohibited from having sexual contact with someone who is a victim, witness, or suspect in an open investigation that the law enforcement officer is conducting, supervising, or assisting with. School resource officers are prohibited from having sexual contact with students under 18. However, this leaves a loophole in the current law for sexual contact with students over the age of 18. In consultation with the state's attorney's office, I'm proposing legislation to prohibit school resource officers from having sexual contact with any student.

I would like to thank the state's attorney's office for their partnership in bringing legislation forward and thank delegate Karen Simpson for sponsoring this legislation, and delegate Simpson's actually here this evening. So thank you so much, delegate, for being here and for your support. As a mother, protecting our children is extremely important to me, and I'm confident that the general assembly will understand the necessity of closing this current loophole that exists. So in addition to these four pieces of priority legislation, we will also be supporting the priorities of many of our key partners. So I wanted to list just a few of these for you.

Obviously, I work closely with our county council on a regular basis, and they have their own process for identifying opportunities to advocate to the general assembly, which they which will be included in our package. And we continue to work together throughout session as sometimes legislation can can change or shift throughout the session, and we stay in touch on opportunities to advocate together. As the mayors and burgesses of our 12 municipalities identify their legislation legislative and budget priorities, I will also use my voice as county executive to support them when appropriate, and we have a track record of doing that with our municipal partners over the past several sessions. I will also continue to advocate for state support in school construction and operating needs. Needs.

Our team has been working closely with the Board of Education and Frederick County Public Schools to coordinate our efforts in this area. We understand that as one of the fastest growing counties in Maryland, school construction remains our top funding priority. Of course, as our representatives in Annapolis, I will work in collaboration with our state delegation, which includes Districts 234, And 5. And finally, most importantly, Frederick County residents have a huge role in advocating in Annapolis for the needs of Frederick County. I do want to highlight our partnership with Frederick County Public Schools and the Board of Education.

We work so closely together with FCPS to make sure that when we are in Annapolis, we are speaking with one voice on the importance of investing in our students. And I sound like a broken record, but we are one of the fastest growing jurisdictions in Maryland, and that brings our school system a unique challenge when it comes to school capacity and student enrollment growth. Hopefully, you can see all right on the chart on your slide right now, but our actual student enrollment is far outpacing the state's projected growth. While the Maryland Departments of Education and Planning projected FCPS would have 46,000 students in 2030, we've already passed that number in reality. And families are moving to Frederick County because we have great schools.

And while exciting, this growth does pose serious challenges for our community. The growth has created a need for building capacity for a growing student population, but at the same time, Frederick County has many, many aging schools that need to be renovated or replaced. Additionally, successfully implementing the blueprint for education is critical to the success of our community and our future generations. And while I fully support the five pillars of the blueprint, the stated goals are ambitious and are under un unfunded or underfunded, leaving local school systems and county governments to find a funding solution. I'll continue to work closely with my colleagues across Maryland jurisdictions as well as the Maryland Association of Counties to identify a funding stream for the implementation of this innovative and incredibly important plan.

Accordingly, in our legislative package, it will include a position statement in support of additional school construction funding. I will also be supporting the priorities of our Board of Education and FCPS, particularly regarding funding for operations and school construction. And I believe we have doctor Laura Phillips from FCPS here, and I appreciate the partnership. Thank you so much for being here. Our legislative package will also include two additional position statements that you can see on the screen.

One will be supporting the our MACO or Maryland Association of Counties initiatives, specifically in, regarding transportation. And another position statement will talk about the implementation of the Family Connects program. I was thrilled to see that the Maryland Department of Transportation retained funding full funding for The US 15 safety and widening project in their consolidated transportation program. However, Frederick County has many, many other transportation needs and priorities that still require funding. Our position statement on transportation will advocate for increased local transportation funding, specifically in the form of maintaining and increasing the allocation for highway user revenues.

This funding allows for counties to ensure our infrastructure is safe, efficient, and capable of supporting economic growth. Last session, the General Assembly passed legislation, House Bill three thirty four and Senate Bill one fifty six, to form a work group to study the Family Connects program and other universal newborn nurse home visiting services across the state. I wanna thank senator Karen Lewis Young and delegate Ken Kerr who sponsored this legislation last year as well as many local advocates who supported this bill. Frederick County's Family Connects program continues to offer all families with newborns a home visit free of charge with a registered nurse with the goal of improving countywide health. These nurse home visits have been crucial in providing lifesaving interventions for families, and I believe the implementation of this program statewide would have a major impact on statewide maternal, infant, and family health.

So while we are awaiting the findings of the work group, my position statement will advocate for the implementation of this program statewide. As we approach the twenty twenty six legislative session, I'm also working closely with other key partners on issues that are important to our community, including housing, aging in place, and increased school funding. These three are just some of the priorities that we have already heard from many of those organizations on that tiny list earlier, but these are three that we continue to hear about over and over again, which is why we're highlighting them this evening. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Maryland Association of Counties as well as state level partners to support legislation that addresses the need to ensure county funding for education and housing initiatives. So I hope that was not information overload, but I really wanted to make sure you knew where we were so far with what we have heard from our partners and what we plan to include at this time in our legislative package.

What on the screen, you have the contact information for Victoria. If you, have any questions or you have additional input after this evening that you would prefer to email into us to make sure that it is included, please feel free to to email Victoria so that we can include that. I do wanna point out that when we present, this package to the state delegation, we do include for them all of the correspondence that we receive throughout our process. So even if it's something that wasn't incorporated in a position statement, the state delegation still has the benefit of receiving all of the public comment that we have received. Alright.

I want to before we we hear from you, I wanna thank our government relations associate, Sarah Price, over here who has been, essential in helping us put the package together and also sorting through all of the public input that we have already received up till now. So our plan for this evening, will be to start with the individuals who signed up to provide comment, but we also do have an opportunity to call in. So we do have folks who are watching at home. If you would prefer to, call in to share your comments, you can please dial (855) 925-2801 and then enter meeting code 12107. If you wish to join the speakers' queue, you press 3, and you will be put in a virtual line to speak over the phone.

We will start with those who signed up to speak in person, and you will have three minutes to provide comment. I don't enjoy cutting people off, and so I will not cut you off in the middle of a sentence, but I would ask that you attempt to keep your remarks at three minutes so that the folks that are signed up after you are still able to speak. Sound good? Okay. I will go ahead and read three names in a row so that you know who you're after, and just come up to the podium when you're ready to speak.

The sign up sheet would be where?

The sign up sheet was out front when you walked in, but if you did not sign up and you would still like to speak, once I get through this list, I always ask if there is anyone else in the room who would like to speak. Okay. We're going to start with Christian Benford, then Jean Cavanaugh, and then Karen Kristoff.

Good evening, madam CEO, director Venable, and all in attendance tonight. My name is Christian Benford, a first generation American community advocate and your neighbor. My father came to this country during the El Salvadorian civil war. At eight years old, he was brought to The United States. And at my eight years of age, I got to watch him receive his citizenship.

Despite being an incredibly hardworking man, I remember the interactions my father would have with people. Someone asking him where he's from, New Jersey, he'd say, and then being followed up with, where are you really from? Or going to the grocery store and the cashier's speaking to me instead of him despite his fluency in English because he would stutter or mispronounce something, or the multiple interactions with police or law enforcement where they would ask about his citizenship status at a traffic stop or at our home. These interrogations, although fear based, were incredibly harmful and reflective of the harsh image we have put on immigrants in this country. Now, madam CEO, I see our neighbors being human trafficked off the streets.

I see families being torn apart. I see grown men crying out for help with ill trained immigration officers on their necks. I hear people scared to report crime in their neighborhoods because they do not trust local law enforcement to handle the issue and not come for them too. The two eighty seven g program deputizes local law enforcement to act on behalf of ICE, a program that statewide overwhelmingly detains those who have either had no criminal convictions, only a minor misdemeanor. They are targeting everybody.

Their fear is not unfounded. And not only does it cause fear, it eats away at public trust. Unidentified ICE agents are able to terrorize our streets and racially profile those who walk while brown. Something as simple as a traffic stop for a broken taillight or expired tags can send you to a local jail where you're held for ICE. Madam CEO, I am advocating for you and other local state represent or other other local state representatives, including senator Karen Lewis Young and delegates Karen Simpson, Ken Kerr, and Chris Fair to advocate for a full ban on two eighty seven g contracts in the state of Maryland.

The federal government is telling us in order to receive the funding we deserve to keep our children healthy and fed, protect our most vulnerable communities, and improve our infrastructure, we need to compromise on our morals and values. Frederick prides itself on its diversity and dedication dedicated care to its communities. We will not stab those we love in the back. This is the time to fight back because when we do, we win. Federal judges have ruled these cuts as illegal. Madam CE, senator Karen Lewis Young, delegate Simpson Curran Fair, Please do the right thing. Get two eighty seven g out of our communities. Thank you.

Thank you, Christian.

K. Good evening. My name is Jean Kavanaugh. I live in Frederick, and I am a voter. I'm here to ask you to include in the priority list support for legislation banning two eighty seven g agreements in the state of Maryland. Thank you for supporting such a ban in the past. Earlier this year, Americans believe Trump was targeting the worst of the worst for deportation. Instead, we have seen cruelty and confusion from Trump. Migration status rules are constantly changing. ICE engages in Supreme Court condoned racial profiling.

Administration officials use dehumanizing language about migrants, and virtually all detentions and disappearances lack due process. Families have been torn apart, including here in Frederick, and communities of colors have been terrorized by the threat of the violence they have seen ICE agents commit in other cities. Migrants, US citizens, and legal residents have been shipped to detention centers far away from their homes. In an investigation, Georgia senator Ossoff has found over 500 credible human rights violations in US detention centers. These include physical and sexual abuse and denial of medical care.

Many other detainees have been shipped overseas to war torn countries and countries with human violate human rights violations themselves. ICE tactics are becoming more aggressive. I heard today that DHS is planning to implement a sort of bounty hunter model for its two eighty seven g agreements. Locals get paid a price per person detained. Maryland cannot be complicit in this administration's violations violations of constitutional and human rights, and it's wrong to ask, sorry, our local law enforcement to provide aid in support of these violations.

I understand there's legislation now being drafted. It's not finished yet, apparently, for the 2026 session that bans two eighty seven gs agreements. Please support legislation that calls for a clean and total ban, no compromises. Maryland will join other several other states, including our neighbor, Delaware, in passing such a ban. For legislators who fear passing a two eighty seven g ban in an election year, know that the tide has turned from when this legislation was considered previously but not passed.

A vast majority of Democrats, such as those who elected our District 3 legislators to office, opposed the Trump administration's mass deportation tactics. And since mid July and even today in the New York Times, polls show that a majority of all Americans, Republican and Democrat, also opposed these these tactics. So thank you.

Thank you. Before Karen speaks, I'm just gonna read the next three names. After Karen is Carol Antonowitz, Sarah Ryan, and Deborah Hundsley.

Good evening. My name is Karen Kristoff. I live and vote in Frederick County. I'm here tonight to ask you to include in your legislative priorities for Frederick County your support for a total statewide ban for participation in February gs. February gs does not make us safer. The statistics do not bear this out. In Maryland, over sixty percent of the nearly 2,000 arrested didn't have criminal charges, let alone convictions. Most people are detained for minor traffic violations. Under two eighty seven g, a traffic stop becomes a deportation trap. All costs of two eighty seven g detentions fall on the local jurisdiction and state taxpayers.

Initial and ongoing training of local deputies by ICE takes deputies away from the county at taxpayers' expense, and it takes deputies away from providing services in the community. Participation in February makes Frederick County complicit with the cruel and unconstitutional action of ICE that we're witnessing every day across this country. A broken immigration system cannot be fixed by unconstitutional and cruel enforcement of a complex system. Legislation is currently being drafted for the twenty twenty six six legislative session that would ban two eighty seven g agreements in Maryland. There should be no compromise on banning two eighty seven g.

Detaining, arresting, and disappearing people from our communities without due process should never be acceptable. Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Good evening. My name is Carol Antonowitz. And as an active member of NAACP, in 2008, we opposed the beginning of two eighty seven GNR County and continue to oppose it. I'm also here speaking on behalf of the RISE Coalition. Last year, many of us worked very hard in the general assembly and praised the passage of HB twelve twenty two.

We thank you for your support, county exec, and also for the delegate Simpson, Kerr, and Fair who supported that. It would have banned the use of two eighty seven gs in any Maryland county. Instead, because that did not pass in the Senate, I'm not gonna comment on why it didn't, we are more determined than ever to have it passed this year as a clean bill. Please do not allow them to separate good immigrants, bad immigrants, who deserves to stay, who deserves not to stay. This can be done.

It was done in Delaware and a few other states. Let the criminal justice system take care of trials and sentencing. Do not cooperate with ICE. We need to make their job as difficult as possible, considering how inhumane they have been. To me, two eighty seven gs is a family separation policy.

Breadwinners are separated from their families, and it causes a lot of heartache. And we have organizations in Frederick that can attest to that. I also ask your support with the delegates from the other districts who have not been as supportive in the past of this human rights of upholding human rights because there is a racism in painting immigrants as criminals and playing on white folks' fear of the other. Please support a clean bill to end two eighty seven gs agreements so that local law enforcement does not cooperate with ICE. Thank you.

Thank you.

Hello. My name is Sarah Ryan. I live in Frederick, and I vote here. I'm speaking now to urge you along with the county council to support state legislation banning two eighty seven g agreements completely in Maryland. Legislation banning two eighty seven g agreements did not pass in the senate last session, but now we see how the Trump administration is abusing its power and violating laws with regard to immigrants.

The large majority of those detained and transferred by Maryland local officials to ICE under this program have no criminal conviction. ICE is winding up anyone they can grab. In Maryland, over 60% of the nearly 2,000 arrested in 2025 didn't even have criminal charges, let alone convictions. ICE is violating the fourteenth amendment that guarantees due process to all persons. ICE is going after workers, pastors, asylees, green cardholders, and even citizens.

Nobody is safe. Maryland should not be complicit in these cruel and illegal actions. I agree with reverend William Barber. He says ICE actions are constitutionally inconsistent and morally indefensible. Seven states have banned two eighty seven g agreements, including our neighbor, Delaware. Let's join them and refuse to be part of a lawless campaign that is hurting innocent people, and thank you for your work so far on this regard.

Thank you.

Before Deborah speaks, I'm gonna call up the next three, Cap Kaplowitz, John Denny, and Jamie Shoplin.

Good evening. My name is Deborah Hundsley, and I'm a citizen of Frederick County and a voter. Just ten months ago, few of us could have predicted that that our friends and neighbors would be torn from their families and kidnapped off our streets by masked federal agents. In these short ten months, thousands of people across The US have been grabbed and thrown into vans not to be heard from since. Regrettably, thanks to two eighty seven g cooperation agreements between local law enforcement agencies and ICE, one third of our state, seven counties, including Frederick County, are complicit in this travesty.

For those here who may not know, two eighty seven g's are signed pacts between local and county officials and ICE. These voluntary agreements commit our local law enforcement to serve as ICE deputies in turning over innocent neighbors to ICE's human rights violations and disappearances. Many of our county leaders in this room have expressed concern about these agreements in the past, and we thank you for that concern. During the upcoming legislative session, however, it is well past time for concern, and it's time for action. It's time for our state to stand up for what is right and what is just.

It is time for Maryland to ban all two eighty seven g agreements throughout the state. Two eighty seven g agreements are bad for the citizens of Maryland for many reasons. For example, all the costs of two eighty seven gs detentions fall on our jurisdictions and we taxpayers. In addition, contrary to expectation, when it comes to community safety and crime, these agreements actually make our counties more dangerous, not less. When citizens and residents can't trust their local police, crimes go unreported, and our neighborhoods grow less safe.

I've come here this evening to raise my voice with others and insist that Frederick County take a very public and vocal stand with our state legislature in joining those other states and making 2026 the year our state prohibits two eighty seven cooperation agreements. As the last ten months clearly demonstrate, watered down compromise, going along to get along, or tinkering around the edges of this issue are no longer acceptable. We need a clear prohibition in these agreements in our state. I think you see this evening that Frederick residents want this issue added to our county's 2026 legislative priorities. Thank you for your time and your service.

Thank you.

Good evening. Richard Kappapowicz, Frederick, Maryland citizen activist. I expect I'll be testifying and appearing in Annapolis for all of these priorities of the county, but I'd like to suggest some additional ones, and I'll get to two eighty seven gs in a moment. There's going to be a bill introduced. The federal government is failing in its financial responsibilities to the citizens of this country.

They're failing at a federal level, at a state level, at a local level. There will be a bill introduced to treat the federal government as a deadbeat debtor. If they're not paying their bills to us, we should not be paying our bills to them. And I hope that the county will support holding back funds from the federal government unless the federal government holds up its responsibilities. I'd like to see support from the county for a bill that will tell every 16 and 17 year old in the state that they are eligible to vote.

Only forty five percent of our youth now are getting a driver's license. At 16 and 17, they do not realize they are eligible to register, and we need them to become election judges even if they can't vote, if they are registered, they can become election judges. I'd like to see a bill on that. I would like, in the transportation area, a total rejection of the Southern Maryland Freeway. This is Virginia's attempt to use the Wilson Bridge to relieve their traffic and put it into Maryland.

And as representative on the Regional Transportation Board, I hope you will support any bill that says VDOT, stay out of Maryland. In terms of two eighty seven gs, as everyone has spoken, everything you need to know about two eighty seven you can see in two things. We are in the middle of a shutdown. Immigration detention centers are funded. The office that takes and monitors that detention center is shut down.

They're not funded during the shutdown. If you can rappel down from a helicopter under the roof of an apartment building in Chicago and put three year olds in zip ties, it is past time to shut down the Gestapo tactics of the orange fascist, the Nazi Stephen Miller, the rest of them and get rid of two eighty seven g and tell ICE in this state, you take that mask off. You are not taking people off the street without a name tag on, without your mask off, and two eighty seven gs no longer exists in the state of Maryland. It is a horrific program that puts neighbor against neighbor. And this county should stand up for human rights and say we no longer need that.

And lastly, support the TCA, the Transportation and Climate Act, align our climate goals with our transportation goals, and do everything we can to accelerate the transportation funding, waiting until 2028 to get 15 fixed through the state and through the city of Frederick. I've been on that road going to and from the college, and we've got to get it fixed sooner. Thank you.

Thank you, Kapp.

Good evening. My name is John Denny. I am a Frederick City resident and the president of the sorry, excuse me, technical challenge president of the FHS PTSA. And I'm here to speak to you in that capacity tonight. As you know, the overcrowding challenge that we have in our classrooms has not gone away.

It causes increased behavioral problems, especially in classrooms with students with multiple IEPs. It causes safety issues when there are too many desks and too many students and teachers in our rooms to get out safely. And most importantly, it prevents our students from fulfilling their academic potential when kids just aren't getting the attention that they deserve and need. Now to address this overcrowding problem, which is now entering its second year, we need more teachers. But that alone won't fix the problem because too many of our buildings across the county are at or overcapacity, so we need more buildings as well.

And we have three suggestions that require legislative action at the state level. The first is to fix the per pupil funding mechanism. I'm happy to see we're happy to see that that is on your list of priorities. I'll give you a data point. As you know, funding formula is based upon the population of the student body at thirty September of the last fiscal year for the next fiscal year.

If this problem had been fixed properly back in the 2425 school year, so last school year, FCPS would have received $3,900,000 in additional state funding, but we didn't get that. My concern, though, with your proposal is that a task force may simply kick the can down the road and delay the much needed fix that we know is based upon an inequitable funding formula. The second solution we have or second suggestion is to index the state's capital budget for school construction and renovation for inflation. The state's interagency commission for school construction funds the state portion of construction and renovation through the capital improvement program or CIP, which has averaged around $280,000,000 every year for all capital improvement projects with few exceptions. The problem is that CIP is not indexed for inflation, and it's remained the same for about twenty years with few exceptions.

Now these days, for example, in Frederick County, an elementary school cost $50,000,000 to build. For the Brunswick replacement high school building, the initial estimate six years ago when the plan was first put together was $94,000,000. Today, the estimate is closer to $155,000,000. So, clearly, we need to have that fund index for inflation. Third and finally, we'd encourage additional bond funding for school construction.

Now each year, the, the general assembly authorizes general obligation bonds. That statute now sets at $450,000,000 in annual, in annual targets for that state construction fund. However, legislative briefings last November indicated there's more headroom available for increased bond funding that would still keep us below target levels. Thanks for your efforts.

You're speaking my language, John. Thank you. Before Jamie speaks, let me read the next names. We have Brent Simmons, Karen Cannon, and Tatiana Santos.

Good evening. I am Jamie Shoplin. I'm here as chair of the Frederick County Special Education Citizen Advisory Committee. We're a 25 member advisory committee that is comprised of parents, students, staff, and educators and community members. We're created through federal and state law, and we're here to advocate for the needs of students with disabilities. And that population in FCPS is growing. It's sitting at thirteen percent, and it continues to go up year over year, as you've talked about the rise in our population. So is there a rise in students with disabilities? I'm a parent of twins. They are in first grade at Centerville, and one of my kiddos has a disability.

She has ataxic cerebral palsy and requires a lot of supports and services. I want to be her voice here tonight because she can't speak like you and I. She uses a device in order to communicate. So we've talked a lot about funding. The federal government owes us money.

They owe us millions and millions of dollars to fully fund IDEA, which has gone unfunded since its inception and we're fifty years and counting. Our kids can't wait any longer to get the supports and services they need and I'd ask the Maryland General Assembly to use all the tools in its toolbox to call on the federal government to pay its bills. The state of California has done something similar recently that might be worth considering checking out. Without that funding, we're going to continue to be squeezed at the state and county levels to try to make up what they owe us, something in the tune of $20,000,000 to Frederick County alone. The other thing that I wanted to call attention to you talked about the funding formula.

There is a study bill around the special education funding formula. We already know without the study group that it's archaic, and Doctor. Dyson was at our recent CCAC meeting intimating as much, so I'd like to encourage we take a stance on making sure that that study bill is taken seriously and that there is swift action around that to address the complexities of the needs of students with disabilities and to have the funding formula better reflect those complexities. Other states have already done this. Georgia has done this.

Many other states have solved this problem, so we don't really need a study bill to tell us how to fix this, though I do appreciate the acknowledgment that it does need to be addressed. The other thing that I'd like to call attention to is, in 2020, there was a special education ombudsman role that was funded out of the Attorney General's Office that seems to have never been funded and staffed. That's a critical role that it was prioritized in the General Assembly to create this navigator for the state, for parents, for educators who need support to navigate the complex landscape of IEPs and so forth. So I would just ask that, in closing, we also think about the federal government and the fact that they're assaulting students and people with disabilities. And what can we do in Maryland law to reinforce ADA and IDA to help protect those who are most vulnerable in this very critical time in our history?

Thank you. Thank you.

Good evening. Brent Simmons. Mine's a little bit less important than what's been talked about prior this evening, but this is a change to the Maryland tax property code, which is one of the initiatives that the county council picked up this year, which I'm happy to say the majority passed. And I would like to ask you or the administration to support this as well. I think there's a similarity, a parallel, to your property tax rate for commercial versus residential that's similar to this.

So the state of Maryland, just like real property tax for businesses, personal property tax, authorizes municipalities, the county, to impose a personal property tax on the assets, the property that is used in businesses. Currently, Frederick County, for the majority, does not impose a personal property tax on all businesses, even though they could. It's been longstanding that that's not what we want to do, especially to the small businesses. In the Maryland tax property code section, there are several businesses that a county like Frederick County that says we do not want to impose a tax on all businesses. They can impose a tax on certain businesses, which are listed here.

There are very few, but I think the best one to parallel data centers, which is where this is going, is the county could impose a personal property tax on operating personal property of a railroad without imposing a personal property tax on any other business. That's allowed. That's current law. I introduced this last year and it went nowhere, so I hope it gets a little bit more of a push. What I would like to do is in this same code section where, for instance, the railroad is, is to add a line that the personal property of data centers could be subject to a personal property tax without imposing a personal property tax on any other business.

To me, this is what the county is struggling with, is trying to find funds, not from the governments where it's tight, but this is coming from an industry that their pockets are very deep. Data centers pay personal property tax in other states, other counties within Maryland. Frederick County has an opportunity to generate a large amount of revenue that the data centers know is part of doing business. This is not imposing something on data centers that's not already there. I hope that you will not only support it, but I hope that Mako can get in with this because it's not just Frederick County.

It's other counties could take advantage of the same. And if you can contact me, I have a suggestion for your real property bill that might influence.

Thank you.

Good evening.

Hi. Karen Cannon speaking tonight on behalf of Mobilize Frederick. I live here in Frederick. We've submitted written comments in detail, so I'm just going to run through this fairly quickly. I thought it was important to come in tonight to speak on behalf of climate solutions because with all of the other news that's going on, we're also seeing at the federal level backtracking for many leadership on climate solutions and in fact emphasizing other activities that will make the climate emergency worse.

So it's just even more important for counties, states, and cities to ramp up their leadership in this time until things change at the federal level. So a few of the key points that we wanted to focus on. The first one is fairly straightforward. We just would like to ask that the county support a legislative override of a piece of legislation that was submitted last year SB116 or HB270 which is the data center impact and analysis report. We know that data centers are being developed in the county and there is consideration of expanding the footprint of the industry in the county as well, and doing that without having a full understanding of the costs as well as the benefits of the industry, it just would make a lot of sense to have that study in place to help us make decisions.

We also had suggested a number of other elements related to data centers. One of those is the imposition of a personal property tax on qualified data centers, so I'm happy to see your property tax proposal and hear some of the other comments. A few other considerations are to have mandatory public disclosure and public availability of information on location, size, projected number of backup diesel generators, and projected electricity and water usage. So basically just requesting more transparency in development of data centers analysis by appropriate state agencies with expertise and public disclosure of the availability of electricity and water to serve projected electricity and water use data center reporting of electricity and water use, and development and implementation of operational sustainability plans for data centers that incorporate industry best practices. We'd also like to see state legislation that requires new transmission costs attributable to data center electricity load be borne by data center developers rather than the rest of us ratepayers and to condition eligibility for the state tax incentives on use of clean energy and best available technology for backup power.

A couple of other non data center related items. We would like to see a legislative override of SB149HB128. Is it already at three minutes? Sorry. All right, well, I have submitted the detailed version, so apologies for going over, And thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Good evening. My name is Tatiana Santos, and I'm also asking you for your support to end the county's participation in the two eighty seven gs program. I'd also like the county council along with our delegates Chris Fair and Karen Simpson as well as Senator Karen Lewis Young to advocate for a complete ban on these agreements across the state of Maryland. When our Sheriff's Office partners with ICE under two eighty seven gs, our local officers become immigration agents even though their job is to keep our neighborhood safe not enforce federal immigration laws. Across the country ICE has been terrorizing communities and they have lost all credibility.

To that effect, two eighty seven gs has broken trust between police and the communities they serve too. People who look like me become afraid to report crimes or call for help. Victims of domestic violence stay silent instead of risking instead rather than risking detention. That fear makes every one of us less safe. And two eighty seven gs doesn't work.

Research shows that counties who have ended their two eighty seven gs program have seen no rise in crime. In fact, they have seen stronger cooperation between residents and law enforcement. Public safety depends on trust not fear. It's also a matter of fiscal responsibility. In the CR passed by Congress in April, ICE was allocated $10,000,000,000 in funding.

Local taxpayers should not have to foot the bill for a federal immigration agenda. Those resources belong in Frederick County youth programs and crime prevention, things that actually make our County safer. As I hope has been clear tonight, there's many residents here in Frederick County who strongly believe that by ending February gs, we can rebuild trust, keep families together, and focus on the real job of local law enforcement, which is protecting everybody who lives here. Please do what's right for our county, prioritize ending two eighty seven gs, and stand for safety, fairness, and unity. Thank you.

Thank you. Tatiana was the last person we had signed up to speak. But if there's anybody else who was intending to speak tonight, please just come along to the side aisle over here and make sure that you tell us your name, before you speak. Marsha. Yeah.

There we go. Yeah. The camera's this way. We can see both of you. So thank you.

Okay. So what I'm about to ask you today is not equally as important as yours perhaps, but what I want to do is to speak on behalf of the Maryland deaf community oh, the deaf community in general. All over the state of Maryland, we'll be building a deaf center. Maybe perhaps, maybe you've driven by it and you've seen it. We're very happy regarding this very happy moment for us.

All over the state of Maryland, we need to support this and not leave behind the deaf community. So what I'm trying to say is basically is, so far, this money that's been given to us has been coming from Frederick County. But we do, however, serve the entire state of Maryland. And so we need your advice on how we could get increased funding from other counties so that we can continue to serve their deaf community needs as well? Like, for example, transportation.

They're senior citizens, they're immigration. They have questions and needs as well. So we're looking to get funding to help the entire state of Maryland, not only Frederick County. So with that, we're just looking perhaps maybe for some advice how we can get other counties to give us or be able to provide money through funding to us as well. And again, I also I support your two eighty seven gs. So no.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Good evening, CE and director. My name is Eric Musa. I'm Frederick County resident for nearly my entire life, save a couple of years for college and work after school. I, like a large number of people here, I'm here to advocate or here to ask you to advocate on behalf of a statewide ban on two eighty seven gs. To add to a couple of things that I don't think have been said yet, this has to come from the state.

Earlier this year, when county residents met with sheriff Jenkins to ask him about his complicity in two eighty seven g, he responded with insults to the people and firmly affirmed his support for the two eighty seven gs program, putting it as something of the lesser of two evils as if sacrificing a couple of families every week is putting off some greater evil from befalling Frederick County. I would also like to add that Gary Morton, another candidate running for sheriff next year, has also affirmed his support for two eighty seven. So this is not going to stop from the county level. This must stop from the state level. And I know this will be a long battle in the future, but this is the first step.

One other large point that I would like to bring up is last year before the House was put forward a bill to overturn an executive order from 2017, also by Hogan, or by Larry Hogan, rather, which prevents essentially any organization or individual who engages in BDS or does not support the state of Israel essentially from engaging in any activity or contracts with executive branch or any of its agencies. Last year, HB fourteen sixty was put before the MDGA and was shot down in order to overturn that executive order. And it is very, very likely that another bill will be put forward before the state this year in the next upcoming assembly. I ask that you, as the county executive and director, advocate for that at the county level and affirm Frederick's County's support of basic freedom of speech rights. My freedom of speech, which is stated in the constitution, the Bill of Rights, should not be overturned on behalf of a country committing genocide right now.

And I would also ask that Karen Simpson in the room as well also support that. Thank you for your time.

Thank you. Is there anybody else who would like to speak this evening? K. I'm gonna check and see if there's anyone, on the phones that has called in. No? Okay. Last call? Alright. Well, thank you again so much for for being here. Please continue to stay in touch.