Board of Carroll County Commissioners Open Session – July 30, 2026

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.

Welcome to the Thursday, July 30th, 2026 open session for the Board of Carroll County Commissioners, as we always do.

We'll begin with a Pledge of Allegiance and a Moments of Silent Reflection.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands.

One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

Commissioner Kyler, I believe we start with you today.

Thank you.

Um I'm sure somebody else will talk a little bit about uh the farm museum event and hopefully about uh the Wance celebration of life.

And uh um I was actually most of the weekend at Johns Hopkins with a granddaughter while my wife was in Denver with a granddaughter, and so we miss both of both events, but uh um it's uh I deepest sympathy to the Wance family and good luck to the farm museum.

Um and the granddaughters are now here for a week and uh they they go to a concert tonight and leave tomorrow, so uh Rhonda and I will uh be back to uh sensible life maybe.

Um went to a technical review here and uh it was four solar projects and one auto uh I don't know if repair dealership something project.

Um it was very interesting if if you haven't gone to them, uh staff did very well.

Uh Chris Hein talked about solar for over an hour, an hour and ten minutes maybe prior to the meeting and answer questions, and then uh um it was interesting.

Um when people were motivated in Carroll County, um they they they do what they need to do.

Uh nine a.m.

meeting.

I don't know how how far ahead they're advertised.

Uh the Reagan room was totally full.

I don't think there was an empty seat, and it stayed full till uh for at least two hours, and then as uh different sessions ended, uh some people left, but uh and there were a fair number there at uh one or one thirty whenever it stopped.

But but I want to thank the staff.

Uh it was interesting meeting and uh uh it's interesting uh what the different projects are told um at a technical review, so I'm glad I went.

Um at night I had a solar hearing uh for a project on Cape Horn Road at uh Westminster Library.

Um I got to co-host it um with the judge that I've co-hosted a few with.

So um it was interesting, and again, that was an evening meeting um advertised.

There were two people there.

One signed up to speak and then one other one did speak, and uh I was surprised they didn't have more input.

I think and we need to keep fighting, obviously, but I think maybe the citizenship's learning that the state's overruled us and there's some things we have no choice about.

And uh doesn't mean we like it, doesn't mean we don't fight it, but in the end it'll it'll happen.

Went to a cabinet meeting, that was good.

Our our staff's always good.

Went to Durbin Houses um ribbon cutting.

That was awesome.

Great crowd there.

And uh I've seen that building um years ago, and then uh since the city was working on it and talked to the uh contractors as they were working on it, and and it's awesome.

And the level of detail they did.

And the level of detail they did, I I complimented um them for the level of detail on the fireplaces, the interior, but I think one of the things that really showed so many people in today's world, like nail shutters to the outside of windows, and they look pretty.

These were on real hinges, real hinges from a long time ago, and worked, and and it just was awesome what all they did.

Um went to workforce development and uh met deputy secretary, Jason, and uh met a lot of intern students and uh staff, and uh also talked to some of the workforce development staff about things they need and how blueprints affected them and various things that have happened over the past few years.

And one of the things which I I saw at Port of Ed and I see here with many departments beyond workforce development, but grants are great and and and our county does so well at getting grants.

Um I don't I don't think people realize how much money we get in grants, but the problem is if a grant has a position in it and it's good for three years, what do you do in the fourth year when the positions really worked out well?

Do we make them a county employee and pay that?

Um and and they always try to find another grant or extend a grant, but there it really happens, and and I saw it with the school system, and I and I see it here.

You run out of the time, and you have to decide is it best for the county to have another employee or not, and and it was interesting to talk to them about that.

Um this afternoon we do our I think quarterly meeting with the health department, and uh that that'll be great discussion.

I went to uh shelter systems 50th anniversary, uh what a family and what a company, and uh it was so interesting to hear from them, and then uh at workforce development, one of their I think board members, one of their people there, the speaking was the actual HR person from Shelter System.

So uh good company, and uh they had a great event, and uh I don't know if people uh see all the details, but the security force was pretty extensive.

I forget their name, it was a catchy name.

Uh and I commented on that, so they wanted me to meet the boss and owner, and uh um it it's it's touching.

Um I have a friend who uh was head of the SWAT team in Baltimore County that this guy was on.

They were great friends, and prior to that they were um on other groups together.

Um Mike came home from a SWAT duty on a Sunday, uh lay down to take a nap, have a stroke, and passed away.

And uh ten years later, his uh stepson, who was also a Baltimore County policeman, uh ran off the road at I think fell asleep going down Black Rock Road to work and died.

And uh the good news is Mike's grandson graduated this year from the Naval Academy, so uh there's good stuff, but and and uh it's like our uh SROs.

Policemen are so friendly to the community, and Mike's gone, so I can't get him in trouble.

Um my middle son and a couple other kids were making movies.

He was in maybe junior high.

Um, and uh it's called the Tom and Eric show, and they went to Mike and they said, We would like you to come to our house and arrest us, put us in your police car while mom takes pictures, and then we'll make t-shirts.

And they did.

I don't know if you guys remember the movie, but um the the Tom and Eric show, Lamo's Get Out of Our Yard, and uh and Mike said, Yeah, yeah, I'll I'd love to do it.

I love kids.