County Council - Regular Meeting

Good evening. Chair calls to order legislative  session day 26013. I would ask you to all join   us in standing for the pledge followed by  the opening prayer by Councilwoman Boles. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United  States of America and to the republic for which   it stands. One nation under God, indivisible,  with liberty and justice for all. Heavenly Father,   we come before you tonight with gratitude for  the opportunity to serve our community. Grant us   wisdom, patience, and clarity as we carry out the  responsibilities entrusted to us. Help us listen   with open minds and lead with integrity. Guide us  to work collaboratively, setting aside differences   to find common ground for the good of those who we  represent. May our decisions be thoughtful, fair,   and rooted in service. bless this council,  our staff, and our community. Amen. Amen. Agenda number four, presentation of proclamations.  Uh, April 2026 is fair housing month. Miss Bull   Saddles, would you like to step down, please,  and invite up whoever you would like to come? Hold on just a second. How are you? Just a second. Folks, can you please find a seat? There's plenty over in this corner here yet too.

Tell you what, whenever you're ready.  Fair housing month. Whereas April 2026   marks the 58th anniversary of the  passage of the US Fair Housing Law,   Title 8 of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, as  amended, which enunciates a national policy   of fair housing without regard to race, color,  creed, national origin, sex, familiar status,   and handicap, and encourages fair housing  opportunities for all citizens. And whereas   the Harford County Association of Realtors is  committed to highlight the Fair Housing Law,   Title 8 of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 by  continuing to address discrimination in the   community to support programs that will educate  the public about the right to equal housing   opportunities and to plan partnership efforts with  their organizations to help assure every American   of the right to fair housing. Now therefore, we,  the County Council of Hartford County, Maryland,   on this 21st day of April 2026, do hereby  recognize Fair Housing Month, April 2026,   which begins a year-long commemoration of the  US Fair Housing Law in Hartford County and   urges all citizens to wholeheartedly recognize  this celebration throughout the year. Thank you. and thank you for being here tonight. And it's  my honor as a realtor and on behalf of the county   council to present you with this proclamation.  Um recognizing fair housing month is so important   and we're so thankful for you guys to be here  tonight. Would you like to say a few words? Yes,   just a few. Thank you. Uh good evening.  I'm Paula Dig Smith and I'm the current   president of Harford County Association of  Realtors. And with me is Veronica Rolocott,   our chief executive officer. And we have Dave  Stroberg, past president and member of the idea  

committee. And uh we want to thank you uh Council  President Vincenti uh for having us here and all   the members of the council for inviting  our association to this evening's meeting.   So, as you may know, April is Fair Housing  Month, and the Harford County Association   of Realtors believes that everyone should know  their rights when it comes to fair housing. So,   to help improve the awareness over the years,  we've invited school age children from across   Harford County to participate in a fair  housing art contest. Here's one from the   year 2000. We've been doing this for 26 years.  So this year's theme is fair housing is the key   and all participating students are encouraged  for their efforts. Okay. With us this evening   we have our finalists for 2026 and I would like  to invite them to come forward and be recognized. Oh I'm so sorry. Oh yes. Uh  in the high school category   we have Violet Smith is first place winner. Uh, in second place we have Miley Cheetum. Uh, in third place we have Matthew Cheetum. In our elementary category, we have  Katherine Mcuan in first place,   who is not able to be here. I believe she's out of  the country, but we have Madison Mamarelli. Yes. And we have Noel Leah. Please forgive  me. She's not here. Okay. She's  

uh tied for third place. She's unable  to be here. We have River Dumont. And we have Janiceia McKini, honorable mention. And there's Hadley Pearllock, who's not here  as well. Um, congratulations to all of you. Hang on. Grail center. 3 2 1 2 1 3 2 1 Everybody. All right. We'll move on to Miss Mhof for National Library  Week, April 19th, 2020 or excuse me, 25, 2026. National Library Week. Whereas libraries spark  creativity, fuel imagination, and inspire lifelong  

learning, offering spaces where individual of  all ages can find joy through exploration and   discovery and serve as a vibrant community hubs  that connect people with knowledge, technology,   and resources while fostering civic engagement,  critical thinking, and cultural enrichment.   And whereas libraries provide free and  equitable access to books, digital tools,   and innovative programming, ensuring that  all individuals, regardless of background,   have the support they need to learn, connect,  and thrive. And partner with schools, businesses,   and organizations to maximize resources,  increase efficiency, and expand access to   essential services, thereby strengthening the  entire community. And whereas libraries empower   job seekers, entrepreneurs, and lifelong learners  by providing access to resources, training,   and opportunities that support career growth and  economic success, and nurture young minds through   story, times, STEM programs, and liters, literous  literacy, and initiatives, fostering curiosity,   and a love of learning that lasts a lifetime.  10. Whereas libraries protect the right to read,   think, and explore without censorship, standing  as champions of intellectual freedom and free   expression, and are supported by dedicated  librarians and library staff who provide welcoming   spaces that inspire discovery, collaboration,  and creativity for all. as libraries, librarians,   and library staff across the country join  together to celebrate National Library Week   under the theme, find your joy now. Therefore,  we, the County Council of Harford County,   Maryland, on this 21st day of April 2026,  do hereby proclaim April 19th to the 25th,   2026 National Library Week, and encourage  all residents to visit their libraries and  

explore its resources and celebrate the many  ways libraries help our community find joy. I just I just want to thank you all for being here  today. Uh my first library card was with with was   Harford County Public Library. I was a volunteer  for the summer reading program and now I get to   support the board of trustees. So it's a full  circle moment and I just love working with you   guys. Thank you so much. Do you want to say sure?  I have never met a mic. I don't like when I get to   talk about the library. First of all, I want to  thank all of you for being here tonight. Uh even   the blue hat folks in the back. You only have a  few tonight, but it means you really care about   Harford County. You care about your community.  You care about everything that we do and say,   and that's what your public library is here  to support and does every single day. So,   thank you for being here and taking time out of  your really busy lives. Second, we're celebrating   our 80th anniversary. So, it's been a big year  for us. And I'd like to introduce Leslie Greenley   Smith. She's our director of communications and  marketing. and Jennifer Button who's my executive   assistant. Both of them keep me straight and  let me tell you that is a difficult challenge.   I miss every single day of the week. But thank you  for everything you do. We love our jobs. We love   what we bring to the county, to your children, to  your seniors, to everyone. We welcome you all as   long as your behavior is good. I'm real strict on  that. Everybody who knows me knows I am. But thank   you again and good luck tonight in all the words  you're going to share because I know it's really   important to have your voice heard. And thank  you to the county council too for everything   they do for us. Looking forward to seeing you at  Thursday. Oh god, not me. Oh, that's our budget   hearing day at two o'clock. So say your prayers  for us. Thank you. Bring the dog. That's right.

Have you scoot? Awesome. Perfect. Same out. 3 2 1. Thank you. Folks, can I have you sit over  here, please? There's empty seats. All right, we good. Uh, five. Consideration  petitions, applications, appointments,   and nominations. Harford County Board of  Education. May I have a motion? Council President,   I move to approve the appointment of Jonathan  Street. May I have a second? Second. Thank you. It's been moved and second to approve Mr.  Street for the board of education. Is there any   discussion? Miss Imhof. Um, while I will be voting  to move this process forward, I have to strongly  

say that I echo the community's concerns with just  because you can do a process this way does not   mean that that's what the community is asking for.  We've been through several months of turmoil and I   think the one thing that everyone keeps asking for  is transparency and I think that we need to focus   on that moving forward. Thank you, Miss Imhof.  Anyone else? Mr. Bennett. Um, I echo what Miss   Imhof said. You know, I'm very concerned about  the process that took place. Um, that being said,   I did uh meet with Mr. Street with an open mind to  to get to know him. He does have a very impressive   resume. his family has lived in Harford County  for a very long time. Um, but I do think it's not   an exaggeration to say my hour meeting with  Mr. Street was one of the um least pleasant   conversations I've had since coming to the county  council. Um, you know, being on the board of   education is about being able to collaborate with  not just the other people up on that dis but also   with the community at large. And Mr. Street  uh did not demonstrate to me the ability to   communicate in a way that builds bridges. He made  several comments to my staff entering and exiting   the building, making it seem that the process of  having to interview for the job was beneath him.   um about how it was a waste of his time and that  he had real work to do. And um you know, I was   really hoping to be able to build connections. Mr.  Street went to high school with my father and his   brothers growing up. Um was in scouts with them.  We tried to build a connection with that. Um you   know, but even after the meeting called my father  and left my father so offended he had to hang up.   And um so Mr. Street. With that in mind, I just  don't think Mr. Street has the demeanor to serve  

on the board of education and bring our community  together and bring stability to our community in a   time we really need it. Thank you, Mr. B. Yes, M.  Robert. Thank you. Um, I too did uh meet with Mr.   Street and I'm going to echo uh what Councilwoman  Imhof said and what Councilman Bennett said about   transparency. Um I had a lengthy conversation with  across the street, not the county executive about   uh transparency and and one of the factors  we talked about as we know that the county   executive can choose whom he wants when he wants  um without needing any guidance from anyone. Um,   I said, "Well, it would be nice if there was some  transparency." And I was told like any citizen can   put in at any given time all throughout the year  for any of the commissions and boards and there   should be a lengthy list of anyone who wants  to be on these commissions and boards. So, I   am going to say first, if you want to serve on any  commission's boards, school board, etc., I suggest   you put an application in because apparently  it sits there. And so when this happens again,   we would expect that the pool would come from  the list that is sitting in um over across the   street. So I'm going to put that in. I did talk  to Mr. Street um for a good hour. Um and some of   the things he had to say were were positive. Um he  felt that money should be spent in the classrooms   um interfacing with the kids. Um he did feel that  board of education should not be political. Um he   did have good budget experience. Um my concerns  were more so that he was unaware of everything   that was going on with the board of education.  And when I say that I mean um looking at the book  

banning issues, the um educational curriculum  issues um certain things like that. He did say   that he was interested a couple of years ago. He's  been approached a couple of years ago. Um and then   again more recently he had the capability to to  do this um and accept this position if uh voted   on. And so I too my only concern is um whether  he will be a good fit with the current um board.   Um there's already enough controversy with that  board. Um, and I just feel like the personalities   might clash. Um, but that's all I need to say.  Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Robert. Anyone else? Mr. Jan. Thank you, Council President. So, um,  I've talked to John Street as well. I think in   the in this time of uh disarray with the school  board, question about the budgets that we've had   and going forward, we need somebody that's got  good strong budget experience. Whether there's   discord with other members, that's always going to  happen when you have different people come on the   board or come off the board. There's elections  coming up up, you never know who's going to be   on the board coming up or who's not going to  be on the board. So, um they have to learn to   get along and work together. and somebody with a  strong background in in budget is what we need,   I think, at this time to to look forward for the  school board and answer some of the questions that   the public has had and to get answers on some of  that. So, thank you, Council President. Thank you,   Mr. B or Mr. Jano, I'm sorry. Anyone else?  Miss Dixon, Mr. President, no. Mrs. Robert,   no. Mrs. Mhof, yes. Mr. Jano, yes. Mrs. Bulls,  no. Mr. Bennett. No. There being four votes in  

the negative, two in the affirmative, one absent,  uh, the appointment hereby denied. Six, special   presentations. We have none. Seven, approval of  minutes. Public hearing 14, 2026. Legislative day   25-02, April 14, 2026. Are there any corrections  to the minutes? There being no corrections,   the minutes stand approved. Mr. Janjani, please  read resolution 01026 and 0126 into the record,   please. Resolution 10-26, adoption of property tax  rate as introduced introduced by council president   Vincenti at the request of the county executive.  A resolution to levy and impose a property tax   upon all persons for real and personal property  in Harford County, Maryland, both within and   without the city of Havre de Grace to the city of  Aberdeen and the incorporated town of Bel air in   the county that is subject to ordinary taxation  in accordance with article 15 of the declaration   of rights of the Maryland Constitution,  the tax proprietary proprietary article,   the local government article of the annotated code  of Maryland and chapter 123 article 1 sections   123-15 15,123-16 and 123-27 of Harford County Code  as amended for the purpose of meeting all of the   estimated county expenses expenses for the taxable  year beginning on the first day of July 2026 and   ending on the 30th day of June 2027 and to set  the rate of county taxation for such taxable   property and year resolution 11-26 FYE27 capital  improvement program as introduced introduced   by Council President Vincenti at the request of  the county executive. A resolution to adopt the   capital program for the fiscal years ending  June 30th, 2027, June 30th, 2028, June 30th,  

2029, June 30th, 3030, June 30th, 2031, and June  30th, 2032. Public hearing scheduled on Thursday,   May 7, 2026, and Wednesday, May 13, 2026 at 7 p.m.  in the East Council chambers. Thank you. Also,   would you please read in bill 26005  and bill 260006 into the record?   Bill 26-00005 me mor me mor me mor me mor  me mor me mor me mor me mor me mor me mor   me mor mor me mor me mor mor me mor me mor  me mor mor me mor me mor me mortorium data   centers as introduced introduced by council  member Bennett an emergency act to establish   a temporary moratorium on the approval of the  site plans and insure issuance of building   permits and certificates of occupancy for  data centers to establish duration of the   moratorium and generally related to a temporary  moratorum regarding data centers public hearing   scheduled on Tuesday May 1926 at 6:30  p.m. in these council chambers bill 26   006 annual budget and appropriation ordinance  as introduced introduced by council president   Vincenti at the request of the county executive.  The annual budget and appropriation ordinance of   Harford County, Maryland to adopt the county  budget consisting of the current expense   budget for the fiscal year ending June 30th,  2027. The capital budget for the fiscal year   ending June 30th, 2027. The special purpose  budget for the fiscal year ending June 30th,   2027. and the grants budget for the fiscal year  ending June 30th, 2027 and to appropriate funds   for all expenditures for the fiscal year beginning  July 1st, 2026 and ending June 30th, 2027 as here   and after indicated. Public hearing scheduled on  Thursday, May 7, 2026 and Wednesday, May 13, 2026   at 7 p.m. in these council chambers. Uh, thank  you. What was that? May 16th. May 16th. May 13th. Agenda item number 10, introduction and  consideration of amendments. We have none.  

11. Call for final reading of bills.  Bill 26-002 supplemental appropriation   estimated expenses estat and MSDE. Um, may  I have a motion, please? Council President,   I move to approve bill 26-002. I have a  second. Second. Thank you, Miss Robert. It's been moved and seconded to approve or  move bill 26002. Is there any discussion? And   I believe, if I may, um I know Mr. Overbeay's  in the audience somewhere. Just correct me if   I'm wrong. This is to cover some expenses  that were unexpected by us. Correct. That's   correct. Yeah. Thank you, sir. Um, anyone  else, Miss Dixon? Mr. Mr. President. Hi,   Mrs. Robert. Hi, Mrs. Mhoff. Hi, Mr. Janerano.  Hi, Mrs. Buladdles. Hi, Mr. Bennett. I There   being six votes in affirmative, one  absent, bill 26002 is hereby approved. 12. Enrollment of bills. We have none. I'm sorry.  Oh, yes. So um enrollment of bills will uh confirm   that bill 26 the text of bill 26002 is the text  finally passed. um 13 unfinished business uh   rules and procedure of Harford County Council. And  as um you all have kind of kept in contact with,   we've had people over the years concerned about  giving their name and address at the microphone.   And over the past couple of uh months, we've had  some discussion back and forth of what that should   look like. Uh we had a presentation here uh that  kind of made it very clear that people were afraid  

to give uh their uh addresses. So we've made a  change to include name and zip code. Um and I   think the full council supports that and um I'd  like to have a motion please. Council President,   I move to approve the revision of the rules  of procedure of the Harford County Council.   Second. Thank you Mr. Bennett. It's been moved  and seconded to approve uh the revisions to the   rules and procedures. Is there any discussion?  Mr. Bennett? Uh, Council President, I just want   to say this is something I've wanted to see  changed since before I was on the council. Um,   and so now near the end of my first term, I'm  really happy to see that this is finally done.   uh people for all sorts of reasons might not  feel comfortable stating their full address   on a televised meeting and I hope that this  helps people uh especially vulnerable people   feel more comfortable coming and engaging with us  in a public way. So thank you so much after many   conversations over many years for being willing  to make this change to all my council colleagues.   Absolutely. Mr. Janer. Yeah. I also want to  uh say thanks that uh I think there's a lot   of people out there that are afraid to give their  addresses in in case somebody docks them or stalks   them. You never know with today's world. So, I'm  glad that we're finally changing that. We'll have   their their address and information here uh if  we need to contact them for anything. So, I'm   I'm happy to see this move forward. Absolutely.  And for the record, over the years, we have had   several instances where people would give their  address as they signed up. uh that was not their   true address and it takes a lot of leg work for  the administrative staff here to track that down   and confirm everything for the record. Um, anyone  else with a comment? Miss Dixon. Mr. President,  

hi. Mrs. Robert, hi. Mrs. Mhoff. Hi. Mr. Jano, hi.  Mrs. Badles, hi. Mr. Bennett, hi. There being six   votes in affirmative, one absent, the rules of  procedure are hereby approved. 14. New business.   We have none. 15 comments and input from attending  citizens. Miss Dixon, do we have anyone signed up?   We do, Mr. President. We have 10 this or nine this  evening. I would just uh remind everyone that you   have three minutes to speak. Um call your first  speaker, Corey Eric, followed by Matthew Brown. Good evening, sir. Name and zip code. Evening.  Uh, Cory Uric 211085. Uh, good evening, council   members. I speak to the topic of data centers  this evening. I believe we're in a situation   where the outcome is already clear to most people  paying attention. Once communities understand what   these facilities bring, they don't want them.  There are only two reasons I can see for still   entertaining them. either people haven't looked  closely at what's happening in other states or   there are significant financial incentives at  play that favor that favor the few rather than   the community at large. I'm not here to assume  which but those are the only explanations that   make sense to me. We already know what data  centers do. Look at Northern Virginia. Entire   regions have been transformed into industrial  corridors filled with massive server warehouses.   Residents there consistently report concerns  about constant noise from cooling systems,   247 industrial activity, the scale of  infrastructure built around these facilities,   and the swelling costs placed on them  to support them. It's not speculation,   it's documented reality. We also know what  they don't do. They don't bring meaningful   long-term employment after construction.  The jobs drop off sharply once building is   complete. They don't meaningfully integrate into  communities. They consume large amounts of land,   water, and electricity, then operate largely  in the background with limited local benefit. I  

personally work for a heavy mechanical contractor  specializing in water and piping systems. I'm   a licensed plumber and I've spent over a decade  in the trades working in and on projects ranging   from hospitals to government facilities. In all  honesty, my company could probably benefit from   and participate in the construction of these  such facilities. So trust me when I say in   the firsthand experience that these closed loop  water systems that data centers rely on are often   overexaggerated in performance and efficiency. On  the energy side, the impact isn't neutral either.   These facilities place enormous constant demand on  the grid. Residents across Maryland, PA, Virginia,   and Delaware are already seeing rising utility  costs through BG& and other providers. I live no   more than 10 minutes away from Mountain Branch.  I got married there. I can attest to such rises.   It doesn't take much imagination to understand  what adding high load industrial users will   only add to those costs. The upside data  center's promise is simply outweighed by the   downsides. No data centers in Harford County.  Not now, not ever. Thank you. Thank you, sir. I appreciate your support, but I  would ask you to please not applaud.   Name and zip code, please. Matthew Brown, 211015.  Hello, members of the council, audience members   here. I'd like to speak to what I've said about  unity within the county. In my last decade,   I would say I've never seen the county more  connected, more aligned with the idea of how one   should move in terms of progress, trying to both  protect our community and better our community.   And that's a testament to the state of affairs  in the world. But I also like to speak to how   that's currently being contrasted by some of  the infighting over procedural differences.   What is the letter of the charter, letter of the  law, and the host of politics that come with it,  

which is the backbone of politics. We should  be able to engage in meaningful debate,   meaningful discussion about methodology with  the same goal. When you find both Democrats   and Republicans are in lock step about not  allowing a level of progress in their own county,   that shows that it's about the real message.  It's about what can we do to benefit our area,   our county. And I would like to speak to we should  be continuing that focus in other areas. There's   transportation issues, there's housing issues,  there's so many issues when it comes to progress   that could be made smartly and effectively. And  we're spending times arguing about the concept   of double dips, concept of appointments, all  things that truly do not matter in terms of our   daily lives. The impacts they have are not to be  minuscule. Those in charge of the school board,   those in charge of zoning, not dismissing these,  but what I'm speaking to is the idea that we get   so lost in these discussions. We get so consumed  with where the message is coming from that we tend   to ignore the reason why we have the message in  the first place. And I'm want to celebrate this.   I want to celebrate the fact that we can come  together and all be aligned on what we truly   want. So my question and request to you guys, both  the county council and the community at large,   is can we get back to focusing on progressing  the county in a meaningful way versus a political   way? Thank you. Thank you, sir. Henry Gibbons  followed by Ron Stuinski and Diana Saddowski. Good evening, sir. Name and zip code. Good  evening. It's uh Henry Gibbons 21104. Yeah,   211040. Good evening, Mr. Council President  and members of the county council. Thank you   for the opportunity to speak to you today. As  some of you may know, um I I live in Edgewood,  

but I drive on a regular basis out to Darlington  uh these days. And every time I drive by that   large solar field on uh Route 136 in Shucks  Road, very near where I lived when I first   moved to the county in 2016, I can't think  of how about how we use land in this county.   I recognize that we're a growing county and that  power demands are growing in spite of our efforts   to fe see seek out efficiencies as individuals  and that some industries these days exert   significantly more demand on power supplies than  others and potentially as much as many individuals   collectively within the county particularly the  data centers. Someone has to supply that power   and we all end up buying it. And the aggregate  demand of individuals and and business entities   determines the rates that we all have to pay. And  if you've looked at your electric bill lately,   I'm doubting that you're pretty happy about it.  So that means if some facilities decide we're a   good place to build and they drain what can best  be described as a ridiculous amount of power to   drive the computers to decide what your algorithm  shows you, whom to surveil, whom to prosecute,   whatever. and creating slop of various  kinds for our entertainment and persuasion,   including in some cases campaign literature.  Folks, we're watching you um because some of   you are using it. That's power that we all end up  paying for while we see little of the financial   benefits as individuals. Now, there are ways  of addressing the demand side of the equation   u that are to date not really being  explored here. We've recently, for example,   we've recently seen our current president with  the support of his lackey representative Andy   Harris attempt to torpedo offshore wind farms.  And in this county, we're leaving vast tracks   of already developed land space unused for  anything but parking cars, areas that could   be put to work by putting up solar panels over the  parking spaces or on large surface area rooftops.  

Open and undeveloped land is now at a premium in  this county and preserving its rural character   requires us to make better, more efficient use  of the land that we do have. So I am urging this   council to explore requiring new development  that includes large parking areas to includes generating electricity to help increase the supply  and providing shade to our vehicles that would   otherwise bake in the sunlight. Furthermore,  we should be incentivizing installation of   panels over existing lots and large surface  area rooftops. So, let's try to keep Harford   County green. Put panels over the parking lots.  Thank you. Thank you, sir. Good evening, sir.   Name and zip code, please. Good evening again.  Ron Stuchinsky, 21001, proud Perryman resident.   I want to just start with last week I said  I was going to bring up some different data   center points but I think what I want to first  start with is today ironically I sent an email   to everyone up there and I called for Harford  County Council immediately revisit bill 26004   which was Tony G's introduction last week to allow  to receive fair and transparent consideration what   that it deserves and for all of us to have a word  on it and it's ironic that the ones of you that   asked for transparency were the ones that spoke  up and shot it down right away. I'll leave it at   that. Today, I'm going to start with I'm I'm going  to start my talk on data centers with water and   water concerns. The water demand from data centers  is staggering. These facilities can consume from   3 to 7 million gallons of water daily for their  cooling systems. Just one facility can use as much   as 4,000 homes per day. In many communities,  this places tremendous pressure on drinking   water supplies, well water, and wastewater  infrastructure. Traditional cooling systems  

also produce wastewater discharges known as blood  down. These discharges can contain concentrated   minerals, treatment chemicals, and metals that  affect rivers, ponds, streams, and all other   sources of water, as well as municipal treatment  systems if they are not properly managed daily.   Cooling towers also create what's known  as chemical drift, a mist containing these   chemicals that can easily travel one half mile  or more and settle on homes, lawns, and nearby   vegetation. At a time when many parts of our  county often face drought, water scarcity, and   already needed daily testing, allowing facilities  that consume millions of gallons of water every   single day raises serious sustantiability  concerns. Data centers rely on a wide range   of chemicals as well for cooling, maintenance,  and fire suppression. If these substances leak   or are improperly handled or even worse discharged  into wastewater systems, they pose severe risk to   both public health and the environment. I ask all  Harford County citizens if you share these other   concern and other concerns about protecting  Harford County from unchecked data center   development. I highly recommend that you join the  Facebook page, our land, our home, our Harford   and get involved today. And I will thank Jacob.  You're the only one that actually replied to my   email and I appreciate it and I am getting back  to you. Thank you guys for your time. Thank you. Good evening, ma'am. Name and zip code. Almost  said address. Gotcha. Diana Saddowski 211047.   Good evening, council members. Park Grammy is back  this week along with some tough love for all of   you. Last week, you shut down Tony G's no double  dip bill using Robert's rules. In doing so, you  

didn't just stop a discussion. You took away every  citizen's right to speak for or against a proposal   that deals with government accountability,  potential corruption, and saving taxpayer dollars.   That bill deserves transparency and debate. Quite  frankly, the way it was handled was disappointing.   I urge this council to do better and to show  independence, not difference, to unions.   Councilman Tony G, I encourage you to bring that  bill forward again. Let the people be heard. Now,   on to data centers. Currently, data centers are  not allowed in Harford County, and that's a good   thing. Despite what some on this council have  suggested about, and I'll quote this, a space and   a place for everything," unquote. Let me be clear,  there is no place for large scale data centers   here in Harford County. Outsiders come here  with promises of economic benefits. Does anybody   remember Brack? Now it's data centers. Last  week we got examples about what was happening in   Frederick County and in Virginia, but the reality  is changing fast. Public support in Virginia for   new data centers has dropped dramatically from  69% to 35%. Major projects like the proposed   digital gateway in Prince William County have been  abandoned. Communities are pushing back and for   good reason. Here's a good example of a community  push back. In Fesus, Missouri, look at that   one up. This year, March 30th, their city city  council approved a $6 billion data center project,   even planning to acquire nearby homes due to its  impact. Just one week later, voters responded  

decisively. Every incumbent up for reelection  was voted out. The message was clear. When   elected officials don't listen, the people will  remind them who is in charge. Council President,   last week you said to me that you love Harford  County. Now is the time to show it. Protect   our communities. Protect our residents. No zoning  changes. No data centers. The citizens of Harford   County deserve a council with the backbone to  stand up not just to outside pressure, but to any   proposal that threatens the character and future  of this county. And with primaries approaching,   I'll leave you with this. The voters are  paying attention. Good night. Thank you, ma'am. Linda Stein Flint, followed by Jeff  Beck, Tim Murphy, and Bill Montener. Good evening. Harford Transit. Your name and  zip code, please. Um in 211015 Linderstein   Flynn 211015. There you go. Thank you. Thank  you. Harper Transit is a much needed community   public transportation provided in Harper County  for those with that are without transportation.   Writership has been increasing over the  years since it was started and it is now at   um for FY25 it is more than 414,000 plus riders.  The two biggest groups of the writers are   children's and senior p people and persons with  disabilities. And this number doesn't include  

those using the new demand response. The demand  response is for curbto curb transportation where   they need to get from home to the senior centers  to medical appointments, shopping and jobs.   The highest use of this service is for those  um again with all that their employment,   their appointments, dialysis appointments,  going shopping, miscellaneous trips and   going to school. The facility that these buses  are are serviced in is a very small building   along Abingdon Road. It is undersized for employee  parking and vehicle parking. the buses there. Um,   the maintenance garage requires them to be backing  out onto Abony Road and there is no turnaround   room. The facility is not ADA compliant and the  roof needs to be replaced. Previous calls for   this building that were supported by you  and your signature is on those documents   um that at a much higher cost than they are  um quoted now. The transportation plan is not   about expanding current facility. It's about  replacing an agent trans transit facility and   includes includes a fueling station that can be  shared with other county departments and agencies. This facility while it be better parking and  and maintenance and and all that, it would   provide a facility for the future of Harford  Transit Link for many many many years. There   is nothing in that state transportation funding  plan that says anything about bringing people   from Baltimore. This is all about Harford County.  It's a community public transportation for those   that need it. And it's pretty sad that you are  putting out uh false information to that effect.   And it's clearly documented in the transportation  plan that this is a much needed service. We have  

students that need to get to Harford Community  College. People that need to get to the hospital,   the grocery stores, Edward shopping centers in  Bair. Just this morning, there was somebody that   made a post about a mother and their three kids  needing transportation and they can't even use an   Uber and they didn't know where to go. My final  comment is about the double dip bill. attorney,   bring it back or else we're going to help you  get the 10,000 signatures because we cannot   have a conflict of interest, especially when  we have a council member that is also a teacher   that is allegedly suspended for five months for  um actions that happened in the job and there's   actually a conflict of interest. So, we need to  have that charter to a um address. Thank you. Good evening, sir. Name and zip  code. Good evening, Jeff Beck. 21085,   Jopptown. Good evening, council president and  members of the council. I need your zip code,   Jeff. I said 21085. Oh, I thought you  said Joppatown. I'm sorry. I missed it.   You You got it all. 210. Everything but  the home address this time. Thank you. Good evening, C. Well, there's a lot of green  in the audience today. I like it. Good evening,   council president and members of the council.  When I first began addressing this deis,   I always began my remarks by quoting the  Maryland Constitution Declaration of Rights.   Due to time limitations and a desire to spend  my three minutes focused on specific concerns,   I've gotten away from that practice. I won't  need my full three minutes tonight. According to   the Maryland Declaration of Rights, Article Six,  quote, all persons invested with the legislative   or executive powers of government are the trustees  of the public and as such accountable for their  

conduct. End quote. Our free government exists  at the national, state, and local levels for the   sole purpose of preserving and protecting  the freedoms and liberties of the citizens   you're sworn to serve. Every bill drafted, every  amendment offered, every motion made, and every   press release issued ought to be preceded by the  following question. How will this action preserve   and protect the liberties of my constituents?  It would serve the people's Harford County   government well to keep this in mind. I yield  back the remainder of my time. Thank you, sir. Good evening, sir. Name and zip.  Good evening. Tim Murphy 211014. So, I want to start off by saying that I'm  completely against the data center. It's   just poison for the community. They offer maybe  a handful of jobs and some tax money. That's it.   nothing about protecting the environment  or the people that surround and make up   our community. That being said, I'm not  going to sit here and use the rest of   my time talking about all of the negatives  of the data center because we're all doing   our research. I see it online talking to  people outside and hearing everyone in here.   We're all trying our best to stay informed about  it and it seems like it's the one thing that is   actually bringing all of us together. We are all  against it. But the there is a problem with that.   Just because we're against it doesn't mean it's  always going to stay away. So in the meantime,  

yes, we should have a pause period. I think  that's a good start and it should be a larger   pause period similar to PG County. Even then,  I don't think that's a long enough time. These   people have been building their plans and laying  the bricks for what they want for a long time. And personally, I think we need to  speed up our process to put in actions   to protect our environment, our community fast,  especially with the rumors of Mountain Branch,   something I'm sure we heard rumors about,  and each day they become more concrete.   So, as some of you may be aware,  the Trump administration has   designated data centers as critical  national security infrastructure. This means there will likely come a time where us  simply gathering together and saying no thank you   isn't going to be enough. Similar to the push  that we've seen with the solar farms. With that   in mind, we need to plan for the worst and hope  for the best. That is what we should have done   and it's what we must do now. We've been caught  behind the ball. We need to put in protections,   sound ordinances, structural setbacks, allowable  area designations, infrastructure proofs,   building codes, environmental reviews and  inspections, and fees for non-compliance.   before anything is forced on us. So,  there's already a form of protection.   These companies that the data center service have  an endless supply of resources. They're already  

laying the groundwork to achieve their goals.  Just look what's going on with Mountain Branch. They will eventually get what they want. If  we act now, it can at least be on our terms.   When eventually, Mr. Mr. Murphy, you have to  say, can you bring your comments to a close,   sir? When eventually saying no is not  enough, but thank you for your comments, sir. Good evening, sir. I think I'm next, but I'm not  sure. Close enough. Close enough. Bill Montary   211015. Uh, two things. The data centers. I  think everybody that's already said what they   said is more than enough. I don't need to add  anything else to that except bingo. Um yeah,   that's pretty much it right there. Uh the second  thing I want to address is uh as some people have   already mentioned, uh a bill was introduced by  Tony G. Uh somebody said that they used Robert's   rules of order to shut it down. Unless I misread  Robert's rules of order, it wasn't followed at   all. The bill should have been read and then voted  on. So, as I understand it, and I could be wrong,   but I don't think I am. Um, I think we failed.  Not we, the people that shot it down, uh,   you you pulled the wrong string. Um, that should  have been allowed to been read. And the reason it   should have been allowed to be read more so even  than Robert's rules of order, more importantly is   when somebody introduces a bill, that person is  representing that area. All the citizens of that   councilman's or council lady's area, it matters to  them. Not only does it matter to them, it matters  

to all the rest of us as well. Let's hear what  has to be said. Let's hear what it's all about.   then vote on it because if you're not doing that,  you're doing a disservice to all the citizens of   the Harford County, not just the one area or two  areas, all of us. So read the bill, let it be   presented, and then vote on it. Because if you're  not doing it, you're not representing the people   and you shouldn't be up there. Plain and simple.  That's all I got to say. Thanks very much. Thank   you, sir. There are no more speakers, Mr. Mr.  President, with no more speakers, we'll go to   agenda number 16, business from council members.  Um, Mr. Bennett, we're going to start with you   tonight. Hello. Um, good evening. It's good to be  with everyone this evening. I appreciate everyone   who came out. I really hope everyone was able  to hear the time and date or the time and date   of the public hearing for the moratorum bill.  I just want to say it a second time. The public   hearing will be on May 19th at 6:30 p.m. here in  these chambers. So, I really hope everyone's able   to come out and speak and be heard. Um, in the  past week, I attended public safety recognition   night at the Bair Moose Lodge with several of my  other council colleagues. Um, and I was able to   celebrate someone from Havre de Grace uh police  who was recognized and celebrated patrolman first   class Sterling Jones. Um, and I was able to meet  him and his young child and wife and they're a   wonderful family and I'm very thankful for all  they do for HD Grace. I was also able to attend   the friends of Harford annual meeting this past  week which was very informative hearing about   two different groups that are working to one uh  bring organizations together that are focused   on environmental education and two uh focused on  helping us get all this uh runoff and mud that's  

coming from construction sites in the Joppatown  area um out out of our waterways. Um, so it was   very uh encouraging to hear about the work that's  being done, even if the need for the work can feel   discouraging. So I thank uh Stephanie Flash and  everyone with Friends of Hartford for the work   that they do to help keep the community  informed, engaged, and empowered. Um,   for those of you who might be new to coming to a  council meeting or new to engaging with an issue,   um, the greatest encouragement that I can  give you is to get connected with a group.   groups like Friends of Harford, Keep  Fallston Rural, 3P, um Harford Land Trust,   there's many me Harford County act uh climate  Harford climate act uh I it's HCAA, but anyway,   there are many groups in our community that are  focused on the environment and focused for many   years now on updating our county code, getting  zoning right, protecting our land, protecting   our neighborhoods, protecting our waterways. Um,  and when you engage with those types of groups,   you're able to put power into what you do.  One of the things I say often to people is,   you know, we can sit in a room and talk, but when  we walk out, who can keep track of what our where   our air went? But if you blow into a balloon  and you embrace the structure of that balloon,   you have something you can hold, something you  can move, something you can carry. And that goes   the same for when you're in a group. When you  organize and when you build that structure,   you're able to move and and get something done.  So, I really encourage you um to get engaged and   get connected with other people. Um we have budget  work sessions starting this Thursday. They're open   to the public. You're welcome to sit in here. Um  we'll be doing four days of budget work sessions,   but they're also streamed online on the county  website. Um the comprollers office grand opening.   I feel like I've announced like nine different  grand openings. This poor office might be cursed.  

Um, but it will be on April 27th at 9:00 am on  Eertton Road. It's very exciting to have the   comproller bringing an office to Harford County  and to help provide those constituent services   right here locally. First Fridays are returning to  Havdy Grace soon on May 1st in downtown HD Grace   and Havdy Grace city elections are coming up on  May 5th. So, um, make sure you're keeping up to   that if you live in Hyd Grace. I know. I am uh  excited to vote. That's all I have this evening.   Thank you, Mr. Bennett. Miss Robert. Thank you,  Council President. Um I I too want to echo uh what   Jacob said regarding the data centers and coming  to the public hearing. Um, I too have done my own   research, um, talked to other counties, looked at  news from across the country, um, and will state   that there is a developer looking at Mountain  Branch. Um, I actually had him come to my office.   Um, spoke to that person, uh, told him that  the citizens of Harford County are not for it.   um and had the conversation with him as to what  it looked like what his intentions were um etc. Uh   advised, you know, we talked about what's coming  down the path as far as legislation. Um and I do   have information and it's pretty much public and  so if anyone wants to see some things I, you know,   have no problem uh showing that to anyone, but I  do want you to know because you're all hearing it   that there is someone that is identifiably been  looking at it and researching and developing   plans. With that being said, on the last week,  um I did attend Jackie Robinson Day at Aberdine  

High School. Um I think it's the third year of it  occurring. Um, and Aberdine High played Japattown   High, so it was even uh more special because they  were playing one of the teams in my district. Um,   and uh, always a great ceremony. Um, being  proactive than reactive. I toured Harford Minerals   um, down in our in district A. Uh, mainly because  Dave's Cove is got a timeline of possibly closing.   It's still going back and forth of what that looks  like, but looking at Harford Minerals on how they   can help us with some of the construction debris,  um what that looks like far as people being able   to pick up supplies, what they do there, and  they are expanding. So, going to continue that   conversation um with Tyler, who is the COO um  and see what happens in the future. But we do   we do need a backup plan uh for that if when  Dave's cove closes. Um Debbie attended the   social services advisory board while I attended  uh the celebration of excellence in education   um with the uh teachers awards. Um Councilwoman  Imhof and I went to Northern Harford School High   School to do a tour and a floral class and learn  about agriculture. The best part about this is   that floral program is expanding into a business  and they're hoping to do weddings and proms and   other things and it's great. These students are  amazing and really want to put forth effort in   these programs. Um and then uh I met with the EP  Edgewood epicenter um because we've been talking   about the green space. They have some free green  space there to bring some community involvement.  

um making it somewhere where the community can  come listen to music, have some food trucks,   make something better for the community. So, that  is in the works and we will be doing a community   input survey um for district A into what they  want to see put in there. If they say everyone   comes back and says we want a butterfly garden,  then we're going to try to put a butterfly garden.   but it's going to be the community that designs  that um with the help of um the epicenter. And   on Saturday, I went to SARKC walk a mile uh for  sexual assault recovery. Um got to vote on best   shoes and hand out medals to all the participants.  And then tonight, uh went to the Hartford County   Sheriff's Office annual awards ceremony before  we had our session today. Upcoming, we have the   flotilla on May 2nd at 10 a.m. at Mariner Point  Park. So, if you have your own motorboat, kayak,   paddle board, or jet ski, feel free to come out.  We're celebrating the waters and um honoring the   water. It's done by Matt About Mud. Um and you  can also rent any of those vessels as well. Um   Harford Square is having their community cleanup  from 8:30 to 12 this Saturday. And um the youth   leadership and engagement summit is also on  April 25th at Aberdine High School from 8:30   a.m. That's it. Thank you. Thank you, Miss Robert.  Miss, good evening. So on Thursday, April 16th,   I was able to attend the celebration of excellence  in education with Harford County Public Schools,   otherwise known as the teacher of the year. Um  they also celebrated the bus driver of the year,   the supportive staff of the year, principal,  and bus driver's aid of the year. Um it really   kind of celebrates the best of the best. Some  of these people have been working for Harford   County Public Schools for over 30 years. They've  serviced multiple generations of our public and  

they're just really remarkable people. On Friday,  April 17th, I was able to attend the North Harford   High School Agricultural Magnet Program Tour. Um,  as Councilwoman Roberts shared, we were able to   learn about their floral design class, their  association with Future Farmers of America,   and get to know some of the different um uh furry  critters that they keep on on site and that the   students are responsible to take care of. Um,  Saturday, April 18th, I attended the public safety   night at Bellair Moose Lodge, where one of the  recipients of the recognition was Falsson's very   own firefighter, Bella. On Monday, April 20th, I  was able to attend the Burton's uh bar and grill   ribbon cutting. It is where the old TJ Fridays  was. One of the remarkable things about Burton is   that they are a um allergyfriendly restaurant  and they make everything from scratch. So,   if someone has a gluten allergy, a dairy allergy,  something like that, they can accommodate. Um, and   I know several people who have life-threatening  allergies who are very much looking forward to   this restaurant. Um, and then this evening I  was able to attend the Harford County Sheriff's   Office award celebration, um, where they were  able to recognize both officers and civilians   and community members who have done some really  remarkable things over the last year, including   several life- saving measures of various different  individuals. Upcoming events, the volunteer fair   on April um, Thursday, April 23rd from 2:00 to  5:00 p.m. at the McFall Senior Activity Center.   Um the Harford County Humane Society is hosting a  yard sale on Saturday, April 25th from 8:00 am to   12 pm in their parking lot in front of the shelter  building. They will be um selling items that um   are pet supplies, household items. They've been  accepting vendors, so please go out and support   them. And then remember that Wednesday, April  29th is the next Fals Advisory FON Community  

Advisory Board meeting at 6:30 at the Veronica  Chennowith Activity Center. That's all I have.   Thank you, Miss Imhof. Mr. Jinger. Thanks, Council  President. Um, this past Saturday attended the   Eagle Scout Quarter of Honor Ceremony for Troop  777. Uh, congratulations to Michael Newman,   Aiden Heinbball, Timothy Froine, and Mason  Stevenson on their uh, Eagle Scout. Um, also did   the grand opening of uh, Burton's Bar and Grill.  This is their 30th restaurant. As Councilwoman uh,   Mhof said, they make everything from scratch. They  have a gluten-free menu. Um, this is their first   in northern Maryland. And the the next location  when I was talking to the owner said it was going   to be in Paripity, New Jersey. And I said, "Whoa,  that's where I grew up." He's like, "I'll send you   an invitation, but I don't know if I'm going to  drive three hours to go to that in September." But   uh my aid attended the uh annual Harve County  Sheriff's um annual award ceremony this evening.   Um May 16th and 17th is Spring Nationals. Um what  is Spring Nationals? They are uh hydroplane boats.   They're going to be over Flying Point Park. They  go about 180 miles an hour. They're looking for   sponsorship still. It's going to be Saturday and  Sunday. It's going to be free to the public. So,   what we're trying to do, they're trying to get  corporate sponsors so that people don't have to   pay to go in there. So, uh I've gone there  the last last year and a year before that.   They're amazing. They love the area because the  water's really flat, the boats go really fast. So,   if you never been to a boat race, this is going to  be your opportunity. It's less than a month away.   Um, let's see what else I have here. So, the  data centers, I I think everybody knows that on   the data centers, um, I'd like to see about maybe  uh putting an amendment in that maybe takes it up   to 180 days for the uh for that as well. Um, and  then and then I I received a lot of phone calls,   a lot of emails on bill 26-004. Um, people calling  and asking how we can get 10,000 signatures. Um,  

but maybe we'll reintroduce it again and see what  the rest of the council people if they want to let   the uh public uh have their day with a public  hearing and talk about it. Um, but uh if not,   we'll get to 10,000 signatures. I thank you for  all your information and all your concerns about   that and people talking up about it. Um, so that's  it. Thank you, Council President. Thank you,   Tony. Uh, Miss Sles. Thank you, Council President.  Um, this evening I had the opportunity to meet   with Mr. Overbay regarding the Green Ridge  community water issues. Um he assured me that   I will have more information such as water quality  cost and further information on county development   um hopefully this week and I will continue to keep  everyone up to date on that issue. On Thursday,   April 23rd at 7 p.m. a presentation on the  historic BNO Railroad in Aberdine will be held.   It's going to be held at Aberdeen City  Hall and the BNO Railroad Museum executive   director Chris Holland and remarks from local  historians will be there as well. Um, and at   this time there is no vote for me to approve  data centers anywhere in Harford County. Um,   we still want this to be the best county to  live and work. So, thank you. Thank you, Miss S. um 17 business from the president. So events  uh I had the great pleasure of serving as   a guest reader at Highland School this past  week. Attended the teacher of the year event   um where Michael James was named teacher of  the year. Uh attended the Gro Alley sculpture   dedication. Uh the Mrs. Kthers was kind enough to  donate some sculptures on behalf of her husband   who passed away and was not there. uh but they  are very nice and they fit very well in the   city of Hav Grace because they're all water  related. Um also want to mention the budget   uh public hearings or work sessions I  should say uh Thursday and Friday of  

this week. And Thursday's interesting because  it's it's one of the most important things.   We'll talk with the spending affordability  group, the county executive, the administration,   the treasury, county council, office of economic  development, libraries, bring Tony's toys. Um,   the Harford Center and the Ark Northern  Chesapeake. Uh, they'll kick us off. Uh,   and then Friday will be another full plate. And  then, uh, data centers. Listen, I'm going to set   the record straight. I don't support data centers.  Never said I did. But I think it's important that   we understand what it is that everybody's talking  about, good and bad. Uh Harford County is not the   place for data centers. Uh it is absolutely not  the place on a zone ground. Never would be. Uh we   are having difficulty with solar pro uh problems  on a zone ground. So um I I wholeheartedly believe   it's an issue that needs to be looked at,  but uh not in Harford County. So with that,   I always say that Harford County, Miss  Saddowski is a great place to live, learn,   work, and raise a family. And trust me, I do love  it. Uh spent my entire life here and have spent   my time on this council protecting it as best I  can. So uh with that, we'll adjourn this meeting.