[0:24] [music]
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[1:09] Here
[1:26] we go.
[1:52] » [music]
[3:12] » I got you.
[3:40] » [music]
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[7:47] » Hey d hey hey d hey hey hey hey hey hey
[7:52] hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey
[7:52] hey hey hey hey
[7:58] Dream.
[8:18] Hey. Hey.
[9:14] Good Hey, how's everybody doing?
[9:17] » Okay, good. Sorry, we're three three
[9:20] minutes late. We'll get let everybody
[9:21] get get settled.
[9:26] » We'll make it up on the back end. All
[9:28] right,
[9:30] we'll be be quick. All right, I'd like
[9:32] to call to order the June 25th uh 2026
[9:36] uh meeting of the Montgomery County
[9:37] Board of Commissioners. Note the
[9:39] presence of all three commissioners. And
[9:42] I'd love for our students that are here
[9:44] to lead us in the pledge of allegiance.
[9:46] You know the pledge of allegiance,
[9:47] right? All right. So, stand up and lead
[9:49] us in the pledge. Why don't you kick us
[9:51] off?
[9:51] » Ready
[9:54] to the flag of the United States of
[9:56] America and to the republic for which it
[9:59] stands, one nation under God,
[10:02] indivisible, with liberty and justice
[10:04] for all.
[10:05] » Great job.
[10:10] Okay.
[10:12] Uh good morning. Uh it's nice to have a
[10:14] a packed house and see so many familiar
[10:17] faces. Um couple comments for me. This
[10:21] is our last uh meeting before July 4th.
[10:24] Uh so I wanted to wish everyone a safe
[10:26] and happy Independence Day. We all know
[10:29] that this is a special year as we
[10:31] celebrate America 250. And to help get
[10:35] you all in the spirit, we've got a
[10:37] couple uh fun things uh for you to tune
[10:40] into. Everybody likes fun, right? We all
[10:43] like fun. I know I do. Uh first, on
[10:45] Monday the 29th, we'll be hosting MCO's
[10:49] America 250 Birthday Bash along with our
[10:52] partners at Valley Forge Tourism and
[10:55] Elmwood Park Zoo. This will be held
[10:58] right here outside of the courthouse
[11:00] from 11:00 am to 1 pm. This is a
[11:03] familyfriendly block party with food
[11:06] trucks, photo ops, and some zoo animals.
[11:09] So, please join us if you are able. And
[11:12] for those of you that don't drive yet,
[11:13] you can ask your parents if they can
[11:15] bring you you here. It'll be tons of
[11:17] fun. On top of that, our social media
[11:19] team has been putting out some fun A250
[11:23] videos that you may have seen on social
[11:25] media. I just have to give uh the the
[11:27] social team, the cons team a shout out
[11:30] uh because they've done such a great
[11:32] job. Um it's sad that on Saturday
[11:35] evenings I'm scrolling through Facebook
[11:38] and
[11:39] » They get a text from me. I'm like that
[11:40] was a really good one. So uh kudos to
[11:43] the team for um kind of honoring A250
[11:46] but having a little fun while doing it.
[11:49] Um, some county employees were
[11:52] adventurous enough to dress up an 18th
[11:54] century guard. We don't have any
[11:55] pictures, do we? No. And George
[11:58] Washington himself was nice enough to
[12:01] join us for a few videos. So, be sure to
[12:04] follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and
[12:06] YouTube to join in on the fun. Uh last
[12:09] month we unveiled our first ever county
[12:12] housing blueprint which is our strategy
[12:15] to expanding housing stability uh
[12:18] increasing affordability and reducing
[12:20] homelessness. Uh this board of
[12:22] commissioners is committed to building a
[12:24] stronger housing system uh for MCO
[12:27] families and to make housing uh more
[12:30] attainable. Our blueprint also aligns
[12:33] with the housing action plan that the
[12:35] state published earlier this year. So,
[12:38] I'm pleased to pleased to share that the
[12:40] Montgomery Montgomery County has been
[12:42] awarded $900,000 in funding uh through
[12:46] the Pennsylvania Housing Affordability
[12:48] and Rehabilitation Enhancement Program.
[12:51] That's a mouthful. So, I'm super excited
[12:53] that uh we have close to a million
[12:55] dollars of funding that's coming in to
[12:57] support that work. So, can we just like
[12:59] we can clap for that? That's good news.
[13:02] Um, so this fund funding will go
[13:05] directly to programs that provide both
[13:08] immediate assistance and long-term
[13:09] housing uh, stability, including your
[13:12] way home programs for rapid rehousing
[13:15] and emergency shelters, homelessness
[13:18] prevention, case management, and
[13:19] community development, and critical
[13:22] repairs, uh, and enhancements to the
[13:24] existing, uh, housing developments. This
[13:27] funding will help more residents in need
[13:30] to secure and remain safe in housing.
[13:33] And it also allows the continue uh the
[13:35] county to continue to do good work in
[13:38] making safe and affordable housing a
[13:40] reality for us all. Uh so next up I have
[13:46] um I think there's only one way to go
[13:48] winner here today. Uh but next I have
[13:50] the honor of honoring our Way to Go MCO
[13:53] winners for the month of June. These are
[13:56] county employees uh whose colleagues
[13:59] have recognized them for their
[14:00] extraordinary service to our county. Um
[14:04] so first I have uh Kirsten uh Bovin, a
[14:10] paramedic program coordinator with our
[14:12] department of public safety. Um she was
[14:16] supposed to be here in attendance, but I
[14:18] hear that she's expecting a little one.
[14:20] So, uh, but Kirsten's, uh, colleagues
[14:23] say she has been an invaluable asset to
[14:26] Monaco's EMS training institute.
[14:29] Paramedics are in high demand in our
[14:31] region, and Kristen is helping to make
[14:34] sure the workforce is well trained. She
[14:36] has provided vaccinations to homebound
[14:39] residents through our mobile integrated
[14:41] health team. So, kudos to Kirsten and
[14:44] thank you for the great work. Where's
[14:47] Jim? Jim's here. Okay, you're hiding in
[14:50] the back. Stand on up for me. So, Jim is
[14:52] a help desk operator within our IT uh
[14:55] department. Jim was actually nominated
[14:57] by a county employee who had a great
[15:00] experience when Jim responded to their
[15:03] help desk ticket. The employee says that
[15:06] Jim was patient and thorough as he
[15:08] navigated some unexpected challenges,
[15:11] but he saw it through and made sure the
[15:14] issue was resolved. So Jim, thank you
[15:16] for the work that you do and
[15:17] congratulations. [applause]
[15:22] Uh, next we have Brandon Craig who is a
[15:24] technical operations coordinator at our
[15:26] correctional facility. Brandon's
[15:29] colleagues say he's always friendly,
[15:31] responsive, and willing to take on any
[15:33] job, all with a smile on his face. He is
[15:36] courteous and professional and always
[15:38] goes the extra mile. So we are grateful
[15:41] to you, Brandon. Uh, next up, Kim Hearn,
[15:44] a technical operations coordinator with
[15:47] our magisterial district court 38-1-05.
[15:52] Kim's colleagues say uh she has packed
[15:55] up a a a picked up a diverse skill set
[15:59] since joining the county uh as a court
[16:02] clerk in 1997. She's always training new
[16:06] staff and fills in at several courts
[16:09] when there are staffing shortages.
[16:11] through it all. She is knowledgeable,
[16:13] courteous, and keeps a positive mindset.
[16:16] So, thank you, Kim, for 30 years of
[16:19] dedicated service uh to Montgomery
[16:21] County. And then last but not least, we
[16:23] have Stephen Smith, a commercial
[16:26] assessor with our board of assessments.
[16:28] Uh Stephen was nominated for his strong
[16:31] work ethic, attention to detail, and
[16:34] ability to collaborate effectively
[16:36] across teams. Thanks to Stephven's
[16:39] motivation and dedication, the team is
[16:42] able to achieve its goals. So, thank you
[16:44] to Stephen. So, we are going to Let's
[16:47] congratulate all of our way way to go
[16:48] winners [applause]
[16:52] and and I'm gonna have Jim come on up
[16:55] for a picture.
[17:05] Thank you.
[17:10] » Thank you for having
[17:15] » Certificate for you. Okay. All right.
[17:18] Take a
[17:18] » Right here.
[17:20] » One, two, three.
[17:23] » Thank you.
[17:24] » Thank you. [applause]
[17:29] » Okay. Uh and lastly, I want to share
[17:32] that immediately following today's
[17:34] meeting, we will be hosting our
[17:36] immigrant heritage month black party
[17:38] right here outside of the courthouse.
[17:40] Our director of uh immigrant affairs,
[17:43] Nelly, where is Nelly? Right there. Uh
[17:46] we'll be speaking about this later in
[17:47] our meeting and we'll also be
[17:49] introducing some inspiring young
[17:52] community members who are here today. Uh
[17:54] June is immigrant heritage month and we
[17:58] all know that immigrants make up the
[17:59] fabric of this beautiful community that
[18:02] we call home and this is a celebration
[18:04] and a way for us to honor the cultural
[18:07] contributions of immigrants uh
[18:09] throughout Montgomery County. Everyone
[18:12] is welcome to join us outside to enjoy
[18:14] the festivities. Uh so we're going to
[18:16] make sure to keep this meeting short so
[18:18] we can get outside and have some fun.
[18:20] I'll turn it over to my colleague,
[18:21] Commissioner McKa.
[18:23] to you. Um,
[18:26] uh, welcome everyone. We've got a great
[18:28] crowd today. Excited to hear, uh, and
[18:30] highlight some of the work that you're
[18:32] doing. Uh, one of the things, uh, that I
[18:37] just want to acknowledge at the top of
[18:38] the meeting. Many of you may have seen
[18:40] the news there's a devastating
[18:41] earthquake in in Venezuela. And uh you
[18:45] know our heart goes out to everyone
[18:47] affecting it including members of the
[18:49] Venezuelan American community here who
[18:51] may have friends and family and if there
[18:53] are any relief efforts we'll post those
[18:56] online. Uh but [snorts] it's you know
[18:59] really uh devastating and uh please you
[19:03] know share whatever we're going to be
[19:05] able to share so we can do our part and
[19:07] help families affected by this. Um,
[19:12] second thing that I want to note is,
[19:16] uh, there have been a lot of, uh,
[19:19] stories in the news about the postal
[19:21] service and mail and ballots, uh,
[19:24] including an executive order,
[19:28] uh, that was recently enjoined in a
[19:31] court, meaning it was stopped uh, by a
[19:33] district court uh, that would have
[19:36] prevented mail and voting from happening
[19:38] in Pennsylvania. And I want everyone to
[19:41] know that we continue to ensure that
[19:44] your votes can be cast and counted in
[19:48] our county, including by mail, in
[19:51] person, through the dropbox.
[19:53] And uh we have been able to sign on to
[19:58] uh litigation or amicus briefs in
[20:01] support of challenges to these executive
[20:03] orders including u one that uh the one I
[20:08] mentioned that was just inland court.
[20:10] The commonwealth thanks to the governor
[20:12] has stepped in has filed a case um and
[20:17] uh we're going to continue to monitor
[20:18] the outcome there. Uh but fundamentally
[20:21] without getting into all the legal weeds
[20:24] and and jargon uh this is about whether
[20:28] we as localities can run our elections
[20:31] and as states versus the federal
[20:33] government nationalizing elections
[20:34] through uh the postal service which is
[20:38] not meant to administer or take part uh
[20:41] in elections other than ensuring that
[20:42] our ballots are received.
[20:45] and we're going to continue to to to
[20:47] fight to make sure everyone's vote is
[20:49] counted and that we can go into November
[20:52] uh knowing that that's the case. Um so
[20:55] we'll keep you posted on that. There's
[20:57] also a rule making that the postal
[20:58] service is engaging in that the public
[21:01] can provide comments on until July 2nd.
[21:04] So I will post that information today
[21:09] and we will make sure everyone has uh
[21:12] the ability to make their voice heard on
[21:14] that issue. Um the second thing very
[21:17] similar note, Congress passed the law
[21:19] actually yesterday
[21:21] uh on housing which is great. I think
[21:25] it's going to take private equity out
[21:26] out of residential housing and actually
[21:29] pilot the whole home repairs bill which
[21:32] is very popular in Pennsylvania long
[21:34] wait list in Montgomery County. Uh it's
[21:36] unclear whether it will be signed by the
[21:38] president because of the attempts to uh
[21:42] nationalize elections and th that being
[21:46] the priority that he wants to see. But I
[21:49] would also encourage folks to uh write
[21:51] to the members of Congress because
[21:53] housing is an issue uh one that we've
[21:56] all recognized in our county board that
[22:00] uh we've got it tackled. The cost of
[22:01] housing has risen uh significantly above
[22:04] the cost above median wages and you know
[22:08] we want to see our representatives
[22:10] address the issue across the board.
[22:13] So, speaking of civic participation and
[22:16] asking folks to to speak out for our
[22:18] residents, uh, want to recognize two
[22:22] middle school students who could
[22:24] probably teach us a few things. They
[22:26] recently represented Montgomery County
[22:28] at the National Civics Beat. Uh, it's a
[22:31] regional contest that was held at the
[22:32] National Constitution Center. There they
[22:34] are, Gabriel and Sydney. Um and uh this
[22:39] was a national contest to engage middle
[22:42] student students with civic literacy.
[22:44] And to enter it, they had to write
[22:46] essays proposing solutions to community
[22:49] issues and and in doing so showed off
[22:51] some of their knowledge with an
[22:53] in-person challenge. So let's welcome
[22:56] Gabriel Ouran. Is Gabriel here? Where
[22:59] are you? Uh please welcome Gabriel. He's
[23:02] a middle school at Holy Rosary Regional
[23:04] Catholic School right here in Plymouth
[23:06] Township in Monco. Uh Gabe wrote an
[23:09] essay about homelessness in Montgomery
[23:12] County, which by the way, Gabe, you
[23:14] don't know this, but it actually formed
[23:15] the basis of the housing blueprint we
[23:17] published last month. So, thank you for
[23:19] doing that policy research for us. Uh
[23:22] and Sydney, Sydney Bond, Upper Dublin,
[23:24] are you here, Sydney? Uh thank you so
[23:27] much for being here and congratulations.
[23:29] So Cindy's at Sandy Run Middle School in
[23:31] Upper Dublin. Cydney's focus on her
[23:34] writing was on ways to encourage civic
[23:36] engagement in our community. So thank
[23:39] you for doing that and I hope our voter
[23:42] service team will use that to uh see
[23:44] what we can do to improve our voter
[23:46] turnout and engagement this fall. Uh but
[23:50] why don't we give a big round of
[23:52] applause for these two middle schools,
[23:54] Mr.
[23:57] and um [applause]
[23:59] come up and take photos.
[24:16] Congratulations.
[24:27] All right.
[24:30] One, two. Turn.
[24:38] » Ready. One, two, three.
[24:41] Thank you.
[24:44] [applause]
[24:52] And
[24:54] similar note, just following up on the
[24:56] July 4th uh festivities, we should also
[25:00] acknowledge this is the 50th anniversary
[25:02] of Valley Forge Park being a national
[25:05] park and it's only one of special
[25:08] historic sites historic parks in
[25:10] Pennsylvania. The other one being
[25:12] Independence Hall. Valley Forge brings
[25:14] in about two million people in
[25:15] Montgomery County every year. Uh so if
[25:18] you get a chance, Friday, July 3rd to
[25:20] Sunday, July 5th, there's going to be a
[25:22] celebration and
[25:25] uh the three of us are taking part uh in
[25:28] that hosted by Valley Forge Tourism
[25:31] Bureau. It's free to attend. Uh
[25:33] throughout the day, visitors can see
[25:35] reenactments, living history, you might
[25:37] run into George Washington, uh live
[25:40] music, and it'll be a fun birthday party
[25:43] or anniversary in this case, both
[25:46] birthday anniversary. Um
[25:49] so that's uh that's the weekend of July
[25:52] 4th. And then finally, just uh to
[25:55] mention uh what some of you may be
[25:57] participating in. How many people have
[25:58] watched the World Cup? Anyone watching
[26:00] the games? Raise your hand. All
[26:02] right, growing. All right, the rest of
[26:04] you need to watch the World Cup. Well,
[26:07] the games will start to pick up and the
[26:09] US is doing pretty well, but it's been
[26:12] very exciting. Um, I'm a lifelong soccer
[26:14] fan. I've played since I was a kid. I
[26:16] was once a referee.
[26:18] It was actually the hardest job. I've
[26:20] had a lot of a lot of odd jobs in my in
[26:23] my life, but being yelled at by the
[26:24] parents of kids playing soccer is very
[26:27] difficult. Um, I I think a lot of people
[26:31] are starting to get to see uh just uh
[26:35] what's exciting about uh the soccer
[26:37] matches. For those of you who've
[26:39] watched, uh there's been some really
[26:41] great ones played here in Philadelphia,
[26:43] including I think there's one tonight.
[26:46] Um and people from around the world are
[26:48] coming to celebrate. Uh I was at a cafe
[26:51] or a staff member uh was there and a
[26:55] number of uh Iraqis who were there to
[26:58] who came from Iraq to watch the game um
[27:01] brought in some drums and were
[27:03] celebrating
[27:04] um you know there's countries that have
[27:08] made it. There's countries with uh a
[27:10] billion people who didn't make it. So
[27:12] it's kind of fascinating and props to uh
[27:15] all of those who made the qualifying
[27:17] rounds. Uh people from across the globe
[27:20] are exploring
[27:22] American cities and culture in ways
[27:24] they've never experienced before. It's a
[27:26] great opportunity for our country. A lot
[27:28] of French supporters are in
[27:30] Philadelphia's French Quarter. The
[27:31] Algerian team is training in a small
[27:34] city in Kansas. They're getting to
[27:37] explore our finest cuisines including
[27:39] ranch sauce, cheese steaks, Texas
[27:43] Roadhouse bread, enjoying free soda
[27:46] refills and waffle house. So, we've got
[27:49] to show off everything that we have to
[27:51] offer, even though the French think
[27:52] that, you know, they've got the cuisine
[27:54] and it's obviously Italy. Um, but I hope
[28:00] uh you're getting a chance to enjoy. And
[28:01] if you haven't seen the game, the best
[28:03] place to go watch uh we think is going
[28:06] to be at one of the Monco watch parties.
[28:09] So, we're we've already got 5,000 people
[28:11] signed up to watch in Kingdom Prussia at
[28:14] the mall outside of Italy. And Valley
[28:17] Forge Tourism is doing a great job
[28:18] putting that together. June 30th to July
[28:21] 4th. Uh they're going to be hosting a
[28:24] number of matches. So check that out
[28:26] online. We'll post it. And there's a
[28:29] free shuttle to get to the the watch
[28:32] party. So you can go from the Kawaken
[28:35] train station, which means you can sept
[28:36] from anywhere to Ka Haken, get on the
[28:38] shuttle, it'll take you to the mall. Uh
[28:40] and uh it's all going to be right there.
[28:43] So it' be a great great event. Lots of
[28:47] um lots of fun. And if anyone hasn't
[28:50] been to Lemon Hill in uh Philly, that's
[28:54] actually the one free fanfest I think in
[28:57] the whole country.
[28:59] 50,000 people were there. 75,000 people.
[29:02] So it's Yeah, it's pretty amazing. But
[29:05] all right, with that, I'll turn it over
[29:06] to Ministry of Development.
[29:09] » The big hit has been ranch dressing and
[29:11] barbecue. right now.
[29:12] » That's been the that's been the big
[29:14] thing that they've been saying that the
[29:16] people have just been going, you know,
[29:18] travelers have come here. They've been
[29:20] going crazy for ranch dressing and and
[29:22] barbecue.
[29:23] So, hey, that's exciting, right? And the
[29:27] United States, I I think if they win
[29:29] tonight, well, they're going to advance
[29:31] no matter what, the way I understand it.
[29:33] And it's when they advance into the uh
[29:36] this will be the furthest they've gotten
[29:38] in the World Cup matches,
[29:40] » You know. So that's that's exciting. So
[29:41] there's a lot a lot of a lot of good
[29:43] things are happening. Uh so we want to
[29:45] cheer on our team and hopefully see them
[29:48] take it all all the way. Um but um
[29:52] switching gears a little bit, last night
[29:53] I was able to attend um another fire
[29:57] firefighter
[30:00] one graduation uh at our fire training
[30:03] center. Uh there were 37 new volunteer
[30:05] firefighters that graduated from the
[30:07] McGomery County Fire Academy. Um, and as
[30:10] as always, I was uh very happy to be
[30:13] there and congratulate them and their
[30:15] families. Um, and it it's was kind of
[30:18] fitting because just the other night we
[30:20] had a major for fire uh in West Norton.
[30:23] Uh, and I'm sure everyone has seen or
[30:26] heard about it. Um, and it was a
[30:28] building that over 100 fire companies
[30:31] from around the region responded. Um,
[30:33] unfortunately it was a total loss of a
[30:36] warehouse. It was the SE Superior play
[30:38] systems. Um, but what was amazing and I
[30:42] drove by it uh yesterday. Uh what was
[30:45] amazing again is that our our volunteer
[30:48] firefighters uh in McGomery County and
[30:50] surrounding regions were able to um go
[30:54] to that fire, fight that fire, and
[30:56] ensure that a there was no injuries and
[31:00] b that there was no secondary fires that
[31:03] were result of the of the flames that
[31:05] were coming off of that for that
[31:07] building, which is incredible because
[31:08] when I there's other buildings that were
[31:10] like literally within 50 ft of uh of
[31:13] where the fire was so they again it was
[31:15] a great job and I like to always remind
[31:18] everyone that um probably 90% of our
[31:22] firefighters here in McGomery County are
[31:24] are volunteers. So we really appreciate
[31:26] all our volunteers. We appreciate those
[31:28] that recently got their uh certification
[31:31] last night. Um and we want to support
[31:33] them uh every way we can. So, um, a
[31:37] great, you know, McGomery County Fire
[31:39] Academy is a is a it's a great asset to
[31:42] McGomery County and surrounding region.
[31:44] Uh, so I want to, you know, congratulate
[31:47] and and, uh, thank our DPS team and the
[31:51] firefighter, the fire program staff for
[31:53] doing such an amazing job in McGomery
[31:55] County.
[31:57] Commissioner McKe just was talking about
[31:59] some of the American 250 events. Um,
[32:02] it's amazing. I don't even I'm still
[32:04] trying to figure out what happened to
[32:05] April and we're already going through
[32:07] June. Uh and it's July next week. I I
[32:10] just don't know where it's going. Uh so
[32:12] if anybody can find April and May, let
[32:13] me know because it's [laughter]
[32:16] it's just been crazy. Um but uh you
[32:19] know, there's so many so many cool
[32:21] events that are being planned, not only
[32:23] here in McGomery County at the Valley
[32:24] Forge Park, but a lot of our townships
[32:26] and municipalities throughout McGomery
[32:28] County are having different events. Um,
[32:31] so I I if we're gonna show up on the
[32:33] screen some of the
[32:35] Oh, there we go. Um, so as mentioned,
[32:38] there's there's so many events going on.
[32:40] I mean, there we know that there's
[32:42] several uh parades uh on July 4th. I I I
[32:46] know my colleagues are going to be at
[32:48] Pottstown parade. I'm going to be at
[32:51] Skip Pack uh and I think we're meeting
[32:53] up then at Glenside uh throughout the
[32:56] day. So, we're going to be out uh in the
[32:58] communities uh celebrating July 4th. Um
[33:02] always look forward to um being together
[33:06] uh in these in these parades. Uh we
[33:08] always have a lot of fun. Uh on June
[33:10] 28th at the Peter Wentz Farmstead uh in
[33:14] Worcester Lang in the Lansdale area is
[33:16] hosting a happy birthday American party.
[33:20] Um, so if you're in the area on on June
[33:23] 28th, you know, stop by on July 5th. If
[33:27] you aren't too tired from the 4th, I
[33:29] know we will be from the parades, but if
[33:31] you're not too tired, come out to the
[33:32] Potts Grove Manor in Pottstown for a
[33:35] reenactment event that they're uh that
[33:37] they're calling Independence uh Ignite.
[33:41] Um, I was actually uh there yesterday
[33:44] and to Potts Grove Manor. Um, and they
[33:47] have so many amazing exhibits. The
[33:49] history there, uh, is is amazing. Um,
[33:52] and you know, I learned a lot about the
[33:54] Potts family, uh, who eventually was the
[33:57] founders of that whole area, the Potts
[33:59] Grove Pottstown area. Um, and, uh, so if
[34:02] you haven't been to the Potts Grove
[34:04] manor up in Pots Potts Grove, it's right
[34:06] on the edge of Pottstown. Um, you should
[34:09] stop by it. It dated back to I believe
[34:11] the house was 1782 was when the the
[34:14] homestead was built. Um and the Potts
[34:17] family had 12 kids. You mentioned that
[34:20] 12 kids.
[34:22] Um and it was really a lot of history
[34:25] there. So if you have an opportunity
[34:27] definitely go there. On July 11th uh
[34:30] there's two great events. The Upper
[34:32] School Cool Valley Park has a special
[34:36] event all about the bald eagle. That one
[34:39] is a great for kids and animal lovers.
[34:42] Um, and lastly, the Ben Franklin uh
[34:46] porch performance will be coming to
[34:48] Penny Packac Mills on uh on the 11th.
[34:52] Um, Ben was one of the most interesting
[34:56] founders and this is your chance to meet
[34:59] him. Um, will be there and he'll be
[35:02] signing, I guess, autographs. Uh while
[35:04] you're out the Penny Packac Mills, Penny
[35:07] Packer Mills, I also recommend uh their
[35:09] exhibits about the Penny Packer family
[35:11] and who was a major force behind
[35:13] preserving Valley Forge as well. So, I
[35:16] know there's a lot of great things that
[35:18] going on. Um but if you missed some of
[35:20] that or as it's scrolling by, you could
[35:23] go to our our county website, uh www.
[35:27] mcgomerycountpa.govame250,
[35:29] gov/ame250
[35:33] uh at any time and you can learn about
[35:35] all the different events that are
[35:37] occurring uh over the next two months or
[35:39] so um and all throughout McGomery
[35:42] County. And lastly, I really excited
[35:45] about uh we're going to have our next uh
[35:48] comm county commissioner meeting on the
[35:50] road. It's going to be at Hatfield
[35:53] um and uh it's going to be July 16th.
[35:57] So, we're we're happy to to be able to
[35:59] get out again. Uh they we've had several
[36:02] of these um McGomery County Commissioner
[36:04] meetings on the road. uh and they've
[36:06] been successful and the community loves
[36:08] that we get out there and and it gives
[36:10] the the local communities uh not only in
[36:12] Hatfield but some of the surrounding
[36:14] communities to come to our meeting and
[36:16] and talk about you know issues uh ideas,
[36:21] concerns, thoughts, suggestions,
[36:24] successes u that are most important to
[36:27] their little regional area out there. Uh
[36:29] so we're excited to be there and we're
[36:32] really looking forward to seeing a great
[36:34] turnout and hearing from the community
[36:36] and that's all and I just want to wish
[36:37] everyone a happy and safe uh July 4th
[36:40] and hopefully we'll see you somewhere on
[36:41] the parade routes.
[36:43] » Great.
[36:43] » Thank you.
[36:44] » Thank you.
[36:45] » All right. Next up uh we'll go to our
[36:48] presentations. We'll give a financial
[36:50] update for uh from our new chief
[36:52] financial officer, Ryan Wilkinson.
[36:55] Welcome.
[36:56] » Morning commissioners. Uh so thrilled to
[37:00] be here uh first uh first miss meeting
[37:02] with commissioners uh in my second week
[37:04] as a CFO. Uh so I'm going to give a
[37:07] brief update uh on the current state of
[37:09] finances uh of the county. Uh this is
[37:11] primarily focused on the general fund uh
[37:13] which is the largest portion of our
[37:15] budget. Uh next slide please.
[37:18] Uh so I'll review the uh the budget
[37:21] performance for revenues and
[37:23] expenditures first and then we'll do a
[37:24] brief overview uh of the planning for
[37:27] the 2027 budget uh which is underway. Uh
[37:30] next slide. Uh so for uh on revenue
[37:35] performance uh so far we have collected
[37:37] roughly 24% of revenue for the general
[37:40] fund. Uh typical uh for this point in
[37:43] the year this is information through
[37:44] April 30th. uh the bulk of uh tax
[37:48] collections come in in May and June. Uh
[37:50] so the real estate taxes will uh you
[37:53] know normal activity we expect that to
[37:56] be more than half of the total revenues.
[37:57] Uh but at this point in the year it's
[37:59] tax collections are on track for where
[38:01] we normally are. Uh federal and state
[38:03] grants uh the second largest portion of
[38:05] our our budget. Uh they're on track uh
[38:09] consistent with what we expected. Uh
[38:11] this is an area of risk that we need to
[38:13] continue monitoring. Uh but we're in in
[38:15] decent shape at this point in the year.
[38:17] Uh next slide.
[38:20] Uh so trends to keep in mind as I
[38:23] mentioned uh tax revenues primarily
[38:25] collected. The heaviest uh collections
[38:27] are usually May and June. Uh so next
[38:29] update we'll have a much better much
[38:31] clearer picture of where uh we end the
[38:33] year. Uh other things to mention, our
[38:36] investment income is trending ahead of
[38:38] what we had in the budget. Uh so the the
[38:41] short-term interest rates from the Fed
[38:43] have remained flat which is uh favorably
[38:46] impacting our investments. Uh and
[38:48] another thing that I would point out is
[38:50] that uh in the the budget for the last
[38:52] year uh state gaming revenue was roughly
[38:54] $6 million. Uh for the current year
[38:56] we've increased that to eight and a
[38:57] half. Uh and we are on track to make
[39:00] that uh you know the first quarter is
[39:01] usually the lowest of the four quarters
[39:03] uh due to the timing of sporting events
[39:05] etc. But uh we are on track to make our
[39:07] budget of $8.5 million which is a pretty
[39:10] significant increase. Uh next slide
[39:12] please.
[39:14] Uh on the expenditure side uh as I said
[39:16] this is information through April 30th.
[39:18] We're about a third of the way through
[39:19] the year. Uh and we've expended about
[39:21] 32% uh of our budget which is ex you
[39:25] know pretty consistent with what we were
[39:27] expecting. uh personnel expenditures are
[39:30] actually slightly lower uh which is a
[39:32] good thing uh based on uh vacancy
[39:36] savings year to date. Uh controllable
[39:38] expenses make up 36% of our plan
[39:41] spending. So the fact that we're at 36%
[39:44] at this point in year is absolutely
[39:46] consistent with what we were
[39:47] anticipating. Uh next slide please.
[39:51] Uh so again, the uh personnel expenses
[39:54] are trending below budget through April,
[39:56] which is a great place to be. Uh I will
[39:59] point out that there is a $4 million uh
[40:02] negative uh allocation in there. So plan
[40:05] vacancy savings. Uh and with what we're
[40:08] seeing so far, we'll we'll make that and
[40:10] likely exceed it uh slightly. Uh another
[40:14] thing that I would notice is that debt
[40:15] service,
[40:18] sorry. uh debt service is um uh it's
[40:22] consistent with where we normally are.
[40:23] Uh it's by annual payment, so it looks
[40:25] like we're we're ahead on that service,
[40:28] but it's actually six months of activity
[40:30] uh that's been recorded. Uh another
[40:32] thing to point out is that energy costs,
[40:34] we we we locked in our electricity
[40:36] pricing uh for 2025 and 26 previously.
[40:40] Uh so 326, we have uh some consistency
[40:42] with our spending there. Uh but fuel
[40:45] costs are an area we'll need to monitor.
[40:47] Uh in terms of debt service, are there
[40:50] any uh significant changes that Sorry.
[40:53] Are there any significant changes we're
[40:55] expecting in terms of debt service? For
[40:57] example, given uh the you know debt that
[41:01] was originally taken on with the justice
[41:03] center. When when does that
[41:05] » So we're actually we're on track with
[41:07] with that service. We do have a uh a new
[41:10] uh funding opportunity this year. We may
[41:12] have some uh a refunding opportunity.
[41:15] So, we'll actually do better on debt
[41:16] service. Uh, but yeah, to this point in
[41:19] the year, I think that service is is
[41:21] exactly where we expected it to be.
[41:23] Okay. Uh, next slide, please.
[41:26] Um, so this is a uh a list of our our
[41:29] capital projects. Um, the top 15 and
[41:32] where we are at this point in the year.
[41:34] Um, that you know the top 15 represent
[41:36] about 80% of our spending and many many
[41:39] smaller projects after that. Uh, I would
[41:42] point out two things. Number one, the
[41:44] voter services uh election equipment. It
[41:46] looks like it's it's slightly over
[41:47] budget at this point. Uh we're actually
[41:49] waiting on a rebate. Uh once we booked
[41:51] that rebate, it'll be back under budget.
[41:53] Uh and the other thing to mention is uh
[41:56] the the Bergies Bridge project looks to
[41:58] be significantly over budget. Uh in
[42:01] total, uh that project is actually
[42:03] expected to come in roughly $70,000
[42:05] under budget. Uh the budget is over five
[42:08] million, but it's just a it's a timing
[42:10] issue. There were some 25 expenses that
[42:12] were posted in 26. Um, next slide,
[42:14] please.
[42:16] Uh, so, uh, for financial planning for
[42:18] FY27, uh, we're actively, uh, evaluating
[42:22] the the 26 budget and the 27 preliminary
[42:25] budget proposals, uh, for cost
[42:27] containment opportunities and
[42:29] operational efficiencies. Uh, so budget
[42:32] meetings began in June. Uh, they'll
[42:33] continue through early August. uh and it
[42:37] includes a detailed review of operating
[42:39] capital budget requests for 27 as well
[42:41] as uh a forecast for FY26.
[42:45] Uh the U board of commissioners info
[42:48] sessions will be scheduled August
[42:50] through October. Uh and then the
[42:52] distributions planned for the November
[42:55] uh board meeting on November 12th uh
[42:58] followed by the the typical public
[43:00] hearings. Next slide.
[43:04] Questions?
[43:05] Take a breath. Take it from your first
[43:08] budget budget presentation. What
[43:10] questions do we have?
[43:11] » That that one slide where we collected
[43:13] was 23. What was that slide?
[43:15] » 24
[43:16] » 24.8,
[43:17] » Right?
[43:18] » It should have actually been 24.801
[43:20] because I recently paid mine.
[43:23] [laughter]
[43:27] » Thanks for your conservation.
[43:29] » Just wanted to make sure we're accurate.
[43:31] [laughter]
[43:33] No, I mean it it thank you for, you
[43:35] know, for the update. I know, you know,
[43:37] with you coming on board. We're, you
[43:39] know, happy that you're here and and uh
[43:41] we got a work cut out for us as we start
[43:43] to roll look at 2027 and continue to do
[43:46] everything we can in 2026 to, you know,
[43:50] control spending and and really look for
[43:53] cost savings as as you know, we've been
[43:55] doing. Um, so I look forward to working
[43:59] with you and your team um, you know,
[44:02] over the next several months as we are
[44:03] preparing for uh, 2027.
[44:07] » Excellent.
[44:08] » Really excited that you're here. Um, I
[44:11] just by seeing what you've been doing
[44:13] the last couple of weeks. I I know
[44:15] you're going to help us kind of navigate
[44:17] a complex and difficult uh, financial en
[44:20] environment for for for the county. And
[44:23] uh I I know that this board remains
[44:25] committed to um ensuring that given the
[44:30] affordability crisis that exists, uh we
[44:33] know people are are stretched. And so
[44:35] we're going to do our part to to work to
[44:37] control cost uh while still being being
[44:40] able to deliver on our promises to
[44:42] residents. So I'm excited for you to
[44:44] help us help us do that. So thanks for
[44:46] the update. Y thanks.
[44:48] » Anything? Okay. Great. Thanks for
[44:50] » Thank you.
[44:51] We can't go home.
[44:56] All right. Um, next up we have uh
[44:58] Immigrant Heritage Month's Rising Youth
[45:01] Award, Nelly. [cough]
[45:09] » Good morning, commissioners and other
[45:11] attendees,
[45:12] um, students and family members,
[45:17] nonprofit leaders.
[45:19] Today we come together to celebrate
[45:21] National Immigrant Heritage Month. A
[45:24] time to honor the courage, resilience,
[45:27] and contributions of immigrants who
[45:29] continue to shape our communities, our
[45:32] county, and our country. My name is
[45:35] Nelli Himenezo and I'm Venezuelan
[45:38] American and the director of the office
[45:41] of immigrant affairs for the county. As
[45:44] we approach and celebrate the 250th
[45:47] anniversary of our nation, we are
[45:50] reminded that the story of the United
[45:52] States has always been a stories of
[45:55] immigrants,
[45:57] a of hope, opportunity, and the belief
[46:00] in a better future. Here in Montgomery
[46:03] County, we are proud to be home to a
[46:06] vibrant and diverse community reflecting
[46:09] generations of individuals and families
[46:12] who contribute to the strength, culture,
[46:14] and prosperity of our county and our
[46:17] nation. Today, that story continues
[46:20] through the remarkable young people we
[46:23] are here to recognize. We are honored to
[46:26] celebrate eight outstanding students who
[46:30] achievements in leadership, community
[46:33] service, academics, and or athletics
[46:37] represent the very best of Montgomery
[46:39] County. They are not only excelling in
[46:43] their own path, but they're also
[46:45] uplifting others, serving their
[46:47] communities, and showing us what is
[46:50] possible when talent meets opportunity.
[46:54] Their accomplishments reflect the high
[46:56] level of skill, determination, and
[47:00] potential we see across our immigrant
[47:02] and second generation communities every
[47:05] single day.
[47:07] We also take this moment to recognize
[47:10] those who have stood besides them. Their
[47:13] parents, grandparents, teachers,
[47:16] leaders, mentors, and community members
[47:18] whose guidance, encouragement, and
[47:21] waving support have helped shape these
[47:24] joint leaders. Their success is a share
[47:27] achievement rooted in community, care,
[47:31] and collective effort.
[47:33] If you are one of the students
[47:35] supporters, parents, nonprofits,
[47:38] leaders, siblings, or mentors, please
[47:41] stand and be recognized.
[47:45] Come on, don't be [applause]
[47:54] [applause]
[47:56] to our students. You are the pride of
[47:59] our county and our country and an
[48:02] inspiration for everybody else. You
[48:06] remind us that when we invest in people
[48:09] and create spaces where everyone
[48:12] belongs, we all thrive. Let us continue
[48:16] to build a safer community in Montgomery
[48:19] County and a nation that honors dignity,
[48:22] celebrates diversity, and supports the
[48:24] dreams of every single generation.
[48:28] Congratulations to each of you. I know
[48:31] you're shy. There you go.
[48:34] Um, at this time, we will recognize each
[48:38] student individually. As your name is
[48:41] called, please stand so that we can
[48:43] acknowledge your achievements. And at
[48:46] the end, we will invite you to come
[48:48] forward to receive your commendation.
[48:51] After all of the students have been
[48:53] recognized, we will invite you to join
[48:54] the commissioners for a group photo.
[48:58] Now, I would like to call on two amazing
[49:01] examples of Americas whose immigration
[49:04] story is similar to those being
[49:06] recognized today. my amazing interns,
[49:10] Ashley and Cassandra. Come forward.
[49:14] [applause]
[49:17] So, you know, Ashley just graduated from
[49:20] Penn State and Cassandra is a junior in
[49:24] NYU and they both wants to be attorneys.
[49:29] So, they're going to make the best
[49:31] attorneys ever. So, thank you.
[49:33] Congratulation, ladies. And now they're
[49:36] going to introduce the students.
[49:41] » Thank you, Molly. Good morning,
[49:44] everyone. First, we have Ai Sapara from
[49:47] Saddton School District with Indian
[49:50] roots. Anne is an exemplary trailblazer
[49:53] whose longtime engagement with academia
[49:56] and community service reflects her
[49:58] steady determination and alter.
[50:03] » [applause]
[50:08] » Next we have Case Young from Whistant
[50:11] Pickin Height School District with
[50:12] Chinese roots. Case is a champion for
[50:14] immigrant rights whose civic engagement,
[50:16] advocacy, and cultural pride reflect her
[50:19] courage and resilience. Unfortunately,
[50:21] she cannot be here right now, but she
[50:22] will be outside joining us later.
[50:26] [applause]
[50:30] Next we have Sabal Durang from Upper
[50:33] Marian School District with Nepali
[50:35] roots. Sabal is a committed youth mentor
[50:37] whose dedication to athleticism and
[50:39] community service reflects his
[50:41] consistent discipline and
[50:42] responsibility.
[50:50] Next we have Helen Lima from Nortown
[50:53] Area School District with Latino roots.
[50:55] Helen is a resilient and compassionate
[50:57] leader whose support for young children
[50:59] reflects her sense of belonging and
[51:00] community.
[51:04] [applause]
[51:06] Geor Joy Khan from North Penn school
[51:08] district with Bangladeshi roots. Gejoy
[51:11] is an inspiring leader whose willingness
[51:13] to support the others reflects his
[51:16] family traditions of respect,
[51:17] compassion, and service.
[51:23] [applause]
[51:24] Matthew Sia from the Upper Dublin School
[51:27] District with Chinese roots. Matthew is
[51:29] an academic and cultural p pioneer whose
[51:31] collaborative student initiatives
[51:33] reflect his proactive efforts to build
[51:35] bridges.
[51:37] [applause]
[51:40] Joshua Cho from North Penn School
[51:42] District with Korean roots. Joshua is an
[51:45] innovative change maker whose youth
[51:47] mentorship and personal ambition reflect
[51:49] his devotion to advancing communities.
[51:55] » [applause]
[51:56] » And lastly, Musa Herszy from North Penn
[51:59] School District with Somalian roots.
[52:01] Musa is a positive role model whose
[52:03] commitment to his faith and performance
[52:05] in athletics reflects his sense of
[52:06] belonging and commitment.
[52:16] Please join us in giving them a round of
[52:17] applause for their outstanding
[52:19] achievements. [applause]
[52:28] Now we invite all of the students to
[52:30] remain at the front and join the
[52:31] commissioners for a group photo.
[52:58] All right.
[53:00] » All right. Let's uh have you guys in the
[53:02] middle?
[53:04] » Let's take two lines.
[53:05] » Two lines. Yeah.
[53:08] » Anybody, please move to the front.
[53:10] » Front. There you go.
[53:16] Can we shift everybody?
[53:25] » Okay. Yeah. Make sure you can see the
[53:27] camera.
[53:28] » All right. Ready? One, two, three.
[53:33] Thank you.
[53:36] » All right. Congratulations.
[53:38] [applause]
[53:44] Thank you, Nelly.
[53:47] All right. Uh, first up, we'll do public
[53:49] comments. Uh, comment section. This is
[53:52] for today's pending votes. Uh, limit is
[53:54] 3 minutes. [clears throat]
[53:55] » We do not have any agenda items.
[53:58] » Okay. All right. Next, we'll move to
[54:00] approval of the minutes. I'd like to
[54:02] make a motion to approve the June 11th,
[54:04] 2026 minutes of the Montgomery County
[54:07] Board of Commissioners. Is there a
[54:09] second? Second.
[54:09] » Second by Commissioner McKesia. Any
[54:11] board comment hearing? None. All in
[54:13] favor?
[54:14] » I. Motion carries.
[54:16] » Next up, resolutions. Authorization
[54:20] uh to sell 10 acres of property in Lower
[54:23] Frederick to be used as farmland. Ann.
[54:28] » Hi. Good morning, commissioners.
[54:30] Uh about a year ago, we came to a
[54:34] commissioner's meeting to uh present you
[54:36] with a little bit of an interesting
[54:38] situation. that the county was being uh
[54:42] bequeafed a farm in lower Frederick that
[54:45] the uh deceased owner had intended to be
[54:48] preserved. So at that time you accepted
[54:51] this property and and since then uh we
[54:54] have successfully transferred it to
[54:56] county ownership. We have preserved it
[54:59] and at this point we would like to sell
[55:02] it which was always the intention to uh
[55:04] an interested property owner. There have
[55:06] been several people who have approached
[55:08] us with interest in taking over
[55:09] ownership of this property so that it
[55:11] could be farmed in perpetuity. Um, we're
[55:14] really good at preserving farms, but
[55:15] we're not necessarily prepared to farm
[55:18] this property ourselves. Uh, so today I
[55:20] am here to request the approval of sale
[55:23] of this property through Govde deals,
[55:25] which is a property disposition website
[55:28] the county uses for other assets it is
[55:30] looking to sell. Uh we have appraised
[55:33] this property and look to sell it for
[55:36] the appraised value of 12,500 an acre.
[55:40] So a minimum sale price of $116,875.
[55:43] [clears throat]
[55:47] » All right. I'd like to make a motion to
[55:48] approve resolution number one as
[55:50] described by an Leviter.
[55:54] Uh is there a second?
[55:56] » Second.
[55:56] » Second by Commissioner McKesha. Any
[55:58] board comment hearing? None. All in
[56:00] favor?
[56:01] » I
[56:01] » I. Motion carries. Thank you.
[56:02] » Great. Thank you.
[56:03] » Um, next up, commissioner's appointment
[56:05] to the prison board of inspectors. I'd
[56:08] like to make a motion to approve the
[56:09] board appointment as described in
[56:11] resolution G-2. Is there a second?
[56:14] » Second.
[56:14] » Second by Commissioner Deello. Any board
[56:16] comment? Hearing none. All in favor?
[56:18] [snorts]
[56:19] » I. Motion carries. Next up,
[56:22] commissioners appointments and
[56:24] reappoints to the mental health and
[56:26] developmental development disabilities
[56:28] board. I'd like to make a motion to
[56:30] approve the board appointments and
[56:32] reappoints as described in resolution
[56:34] G-3. Is there a second?
[56:37] » Second by Commissioner Deello. Any board
[56:39] comment hearing? None. All in favor? I.
[56:42] Motion carries. Next up, personnel list.
[56:48] » Morning commissioners. [clears throat]
[56:53] There's in front of you a final copy of
[56:55] the commission department's personnel
[56:56] list. It is a three-page document dated
[56:59] [clears throat] June 24th, 2026 with a
[57:01] time stamp of 11, I'm sorry, 1:17 p.m.
[57:04] All positions have been reviewed and and
[57:06] are presented for your consideration.
[57:08] » Great. I'd like to make a motion to
[57:10] approve the June 25th, 2026 personnel
[57:13] presentation as given by Mr. Anthony
[57:15] Brew. Is there a second?
[57:17] » Second by Commissioner McKesia. Any
[57:19] board comment hearing? None. All in
[57:21] favor?
[57:22] » I
[57:22] » I motion carries. Thank you.
[57:25] » Next up, advertisement of bids and RFPs
[57:27] Montgomery County uh exhibit A. I'd like
[57:30] to make a motion to approve the
[57:31] advertisement of bids and RFPs for
[57:34] Montgomery County on attached exhibit A.
[57:36] Is there a second?
[57:37] » Second.
[57:38] » Second by Commissioner Deello. Any board
[57:39] comment? Hearing none. All in favor?
[57:42] » I. Motion carries. Next up, awards of
[57:45] contract Montgomery County uh exhibit B.
[57:48] like to make a motion to approve the
[57:50] contracts, awards, amendments, and
[57:51] renewals for Montgomery County on
[57:52] attached exhibit B. Is there a second?
[57:56] » Second by Commissioner McKesia. Any
[57:58] board comment? Hearing none. All in
[58:00] favor? I. Motion carries. Uh, next up,
[58:04] awards of contract Southeast PA Regional
[58:06] Task Force Exhibit C. I'd like to make a
[58:09] motion to approve the contracts, awards,
[58:11] amendments, and renewals for Southeast
[58:12] PA Regional Task Force attached to
[58:15] exhibit C. Is there a second?
[58:17] » Second. Second by Commissioner Dello.
[58:19] Any board comment hearing? None. All in
[58:21] favor? I. Motion carries. General public
[58:24] comment.
[58:26] » Uh, first we have Elizabeth Ozer.
[58:35] » Hi, Elizabeth.
[58:37] » Hi. Good morning. Uh, my name is
[58:39] Elizabeth Ozer and I work with First Up,
[58:41] an early childhood nonprofit serving the
[58:43] southeast of PA. And I just wanted to
[58:45] share um a snapshot of the Montgomery
[58:47] County childare and prek um landscape.
[58:51] Uh right now there are a lot of children
[58:54] who are not served which means their
[58:56] families cannot work which means the
[58:58] businesses are underst staffed and our
[58:59] economy is sort of stifled. So right now
[59:02] in Montgomery County there are around uh
[59:06] 5,750
[59:07] children under the age of five who are
[59:09] eligible for childare works and about
[59:12] 3,500 are not served. So that's 3,500
[59:17] children who are not in child care
[59:19] meaning their families need to most of
[59:22] their families are probably at home
[59:23] watching them. So I know from our
[59:25] organization that we have thousands of
[59:27] child care programs who are
[59:28] understaffed. they cannot find anyone
[59:30] qualified um to watch the children who
[59:33] are willing to make the um salary
[59:35] they're able to offer. So there is some
[59:37] money in the state budget to improve
[59:39] that. But I would just urge the business
[59:41] leaders and residents of Montgomery
[59:43] County to support your childare
[59:44] workforce. Um and as you're doing
[59:47] planning, try to think about child care.
[59:49] Where can you put it? Where can you um
[59:50] include it in housing planning? Things
[59:52] like that. Um also mention that our prek
[59:56] snapshot is similar. There's about 5,000
[59:58] eligible children ages four, three, and
[1:00:00] four who could receive uh publicly
[1:00:02] funded prek. Only about 1,900 are
[1:00:06] served. So that's about 3,000 kids not
[1:00:09] in school, not in care, and families
[1:00:11] probably looking for work. So I would uh
[1:00:14] urge some thought around that,
[1:00:16] especially in looking at the contracts
[1:00:18] budget. I see 16 contracts for juvenile
[1:00:20] services and a lot of that could
[1:00:22] probably be um supported earlier on by
[1:00:27] ensuring the children receive
[1:00:28] developmentally appropriate um education
[1:00:31] that early intervention services are
[1:00:33] available to identify the children early
[1:00:34] on before they stem into behavior
[1:00:37] problems which become quite costly in
[1:00:38] K12. Um so this would improve a lot of
[1:00:41] the spending in general because we
[1:00:44] immediately have a workforce boost. we
[1:00:47] later on reduce our uh K12 spending
[1:00:49] which is big especially special ed and
[1:00:52] later down the line we have a huge
[1:00:53] reduction in uh crime especially violent
[1:00:56] crime from all the kids that received
[1:00:57] high quality early learning. So I would
[1:01:00] just share all that to say as you're
[1:01:02] thinking about how to make things great
[1:01:03] in Montgomery County keep childare and
[1:01:06] early learning in mind because it
[1:01:07] impacts quite a lot of Thank you so much
[1:01:09] for your time.
[1:01:10] » Thank you.
[1:01:10] » Um I also had a question for the
[1:01:12] commission around child care. I know
[1:01:13] there was a tri share program that was
[1:01:15] created for businesses, childare and
[1:01:18] families to sort of all contribute to
[1:01:20] and I was wondering if um the business
[1:01:22] community has sort of taken that
[1:01:23] opportunity.
[1:01:25] » Um I'd have to get the details on how
[1:01:27] the program is running. I know we we
[1:01:29] launched that that's been about about a
[1:01:31] year with our ARPA dollars, but we can
[1:01:33] get you some more information.
[1:01:34] » Okay, that would be great because we'd
[1:01:35] love to make sure families have the
[1:01:37] ability to go to work.
[1:01:38] » Abs. Absolutely. Um, could you just make
[1:01:40] sure our our board secretary uh has your
[1:01:43] contact information?
[1:01:44] » I will and I can send those uh fact
[1:01:46] sheets later also.
[1:01:47] » Thank you. Thank you so much.
[1:01:50] » Any
[1:01:51] » No, that's all for
[1:01:52] » That's it. Okay. Any closing
[1:01:54] commissioner comments?
[1:01:57] » You said that very said that very
[1:01:59] quickly. All right. Um
[1:02:01] » Trying to make up three minutes.
[1:02:02] » I know. Uh, the next board of
[1:02:04] commissioners meeting, uh, my colleague
[1:02:05] shared it, will be Thursday, July 16th
[1:02:07] at 6 PM at the Hfield Township admin
[1:02:10] building. Um, I'd like to make a motion
[1:02:12] to adjourn the June 25th, 2026 meeting
[1:02:15] of the Montgomery County Board of
[1:02:16] Commissioners. Is there a second?
[1:02:18] » Second.
[1:02:18] » Second by Commissioner Dello. Any board
[1:02:20] comment? Hearing none. All in favor?
[1:02:23] » I. Motion carries. Next up, salary
[1:02:25] board. Light our controller up.
[1:02:29] Any public comment for salary board? No
[1:02:32] public comment.
[1:02:33] » Okay. Give them a chance to sit down.
[1:02:37] » All right.
[1:02:39] » All right. Good morning, members of the
[1:02:40] salary board. You should have in front
[1:02:42] of you a final copy of the salary board
[1:02:43] list. It is a forage document dated June
[1:02:46] 24, 2026 for the time of 1:17 p.m. All
[1:02:50] positions have been reviewed and are
[1:02:52] present for consideration.
[1:02:54] » I'd like to make a motion to approve the
[1:02:56] June 25th, 2026 salary board
[1:02:58] presentation as given by Mr. Anthony B.
[1:03:01] Brew, chief human resource officer. Is
[1:03:03] there a second?
[1:03:04] » Second.
[1:03:04] » Second by controller Hart. Uh, any board
[1:03:07] comment? All in favor?
[1:03:09] » I.
[1:03:09] » I.
[1:03:10] » Motion carries.
[1:03:11] » Thank you.
[1:03:11] » Uh, I'd like to make a motion to adjourn
[1:03:14] the June 25th, 2026 meeting of the
[1:03:16] Montgomery County Salary Board. Is there
[1:03:18] a second?
[1:03:19] » Second by Controller Hart. Any board
[1:03:20] comment? Hearing none. All in favor? I.
[1:03:24] Motion carries.
[1:03:25] » Thank you.
[1:03:26] » Thanks everyone. We'll see you outside.
[1:03:55] There's um a block party out downstairs.
[1:04:10] » Oh,
[1:04:16] you don't want to have
[1:04:20] that
[1:04:23] question.
[1:04:38] Get
[1:04:48] it hey.
[1:05:05] Hey,
[1:05:16] hey, hey.
[1:05:29] I'm
[1:05:34] ready.
[1:05:47] Heat. Heat. N.
[1:05:57] Heat. Heat. N.
[1:06:07] Heat. Heat.