In order to get to the reason as to why our gaskets have been blown to high heaven and beyond, we’ll quickly breeze through the beginning of the meeting.
Agenda-passed except for Deplorable Billy.
Public comment centered on anti-fracking in Frederick and Maryland and one gentleman who is upset about ADA violations with curbs in Urbana.
Budget adjustment- 1 abstainer. Minutes are approved unanimously as is the County Executive appointment to the Fire and Rescue Board.
Roger Wilson comes to present the legislative bills and position statements. Tony doesn’t like the part about fracking because he doesn’t know how Garrett, Alleghany and Washington counties feel about it. And Good Zeus on Mt. Olympus who cares? It is an undeniably destructive practice that has no business in our State. We really don’t give a good two cents what their elected boards think about it. His motion is not seconded. So the vote to send the priorities to our State legislators is passed 4-3.
The new Nuisance Ordinance is up for a final vote. High Sheriff is in the house again. Billy doesn’t want to vote until the Sheriff’s office rewrites their procedures for using the noise meters. Jenkins says they are in the process of doing so, which is good enough for everyone else. Passes 6-1. So it appears that Billy and the Sheriff have broken up!
Now this is the part of the evening we knew was going to go badly. However, predicting that things will go south and then actually watching them go south are two very different things indeed. The proposed task force on human trafficking will study how we can coordinate agencies so we, as a county, can better help vulnerable populations and prosecute traffickers. It will study how law enforcement, FMH, FCPS and other agencies can come together to to eradicate this problem within our borders. We saw some very brave women share their very personal and heartbreaking stories. We heard from people who run committees and agencies who gave examples of human trafficking in our county. We heard from the Frederick Chief of Police and his chief criminal investigator. Both of whom are in very much in favor of this task force. It’s looking as though everyone sees the value of studying this problem and then getting a plan in place so maybe we can eradicate it from our borders and maybe as an added bonus other local jurisdictions can see what we have done and apply it within their area. Then the Sheriff comes to the podium. He begins by saying that we will want to stone him for saying this but he is oh so skeptical of this task force. Homeland Security is taking care of the problem when necessary and there’s no need for y’all locals to get involved. While he thinks it’s a “great idea” he doesn’t know what the end result will be. So let’s not do anything people!!!! Kirby and Billy then chime in that they don’t know what the goal is (even though it is specifically laid out right here) and yeah what the Sheriff said! Billy goes on to say why can’t we have a representative from the State Human Trafficking commission come to talk to us first. And Jessica very patiently informs him that the representative talked right to his very face during the workshop they had on this issue!
So Tweedledeplorable and Tweedlemoredeplorable follow Tweedlemostdeplorable’s lead and they decide not to support the formation of this task force. So they basically stuck their middle fingers up at all the women who shared their stories about being trafficked. And you know why we study these issues you most deplorable of the deplorables? So we can make things better! If Homeland Security had such a handle on things and if the Sheriff’s office knew all they needed to know then why is this still happening? STOP BEING SO AWFUL ALL THE TIME!!!!
Passes 5-2 with Tony saying he has no problem with agencies figuring out a way to coordinate with one another. Yeah, tell that to the bookends up there with ya!
Phew! Break until 7:00.
Billy comes back complaining about the break being too long. And blah, blah, boooorrring!
Second hearing on establishing a program for Clean Energy for Commercial Properties. No speakers.
Our one public commenter leads to our council member comments. There is a gentleman who has been dealing with a neighbor for a number of years. This neighbor is allegedly not keeping up with his property and therefore his neighbors are frustrated. So, he has decided to come to the council to get some relief. You would think this would be a simple case of referring him to the appropriate department or directing him to some steps he needs to take, but oh rational human being you would be so very wrong indeed!
Kirby wants details about this homeowner’s issues. Most specifcally he wants details as to how the County Executive has failed this man so he can grandstand about it. And this poor man did not know what he was walking into. Bud tries to shut it down, because first of all it isn’t a council issue and second of all it’s obvious to anyone with half a brain that this is a witch hunt! So Kirby continues along this way for a little while until the gentleman is kindly directed to the oh so calm Chief of Staff whom we are sure will lead him down the correct path.
But old # isn’t done. He is going to drone on about some numbers he’s found in the Citizens and Montevue packet. He’s cherry picking like crazy and boring the hell out of everyone and their mother. When he’s finally done, Jerry steps up and makes us feel all warm and fuzzy.
After addressing the same gentleman about dilapidated properties and how he is trying to pass a bill to deal with them, he speaks of a certain council member and his Tentacle article. Kirby quickly pipes up, “That was me!” Jerry informs us all that said article had the numbers concerning the hotel TIF off by 44%. So Jerry asks why should we believe any numbers that come out of Councilman Delauter’s mouth. Why indeed?
The worst of the worst is up next. He’s complaining about his uncle’s property. And get this people, he thinks it’s a fine idea to establish a People’s Court before the council. He thinks it’s an appropriate venue for neighbors to be able to air their grievances. Shocking that Billy never learned the difference between Executive, Legislative and Judicial powers. Didn’t he ever catch an episode of Schoolhouse Rock?
Jessica thanks those who supported the human trafficking commission. She also tells Kirby that she agrees that he is not an accountant when it comes to his recitation of the nursing home numbers. And guess what, she and some other members of the council are going to the nursing homes tomorrow to talk with Aurora and see how things are going. Imagine that. She also wants to know why the outrage over the public commenter’s petition with 39 neighbor signatures but no similar reaction when the public came to them with a petition against fracking with over 1,000? Well, durh, how could they embarrass Jan with that? And get this, that petition with the 39 signatures was submitted in the summer of 2014. You know before the creation of the county council when both Billy and Kirby were on the BOCC. Where was the outrage then?
M.C. says she is going to keep her comments brief and we swear we heard Billy utter good. She laments the fact that some members of the council don’t know the function of a legislative body and really how dumb the People’s Court suggestion is. Twice during her comments Billy interupts and twice she needs to shut him down.
Really, it seems as though Jerry, Jessica, M.C. and Bud have it with with them. We suspect Tony is pulling back as well. Maybe we should ask for a bill for the five of them to get some extra hazard pay for having to deal with these two. Tis a dangerous job indeed.
