>> The first thing to night is the Junior All Stars!
There you go!
The state champions!
[Applause]
>> Madam Secretary can you go ahead and read the certificate
into the record please?
>> The certificate of recognition is signed by all
members of the Council.
>> Okay that's great.
Okay.
Is there a motion to put this into the record?
I've got a motion and a second madam Secretary can
you call the vote?
[Members voting]
>> Okay coach come on up.
Give us a little background on what you guys have been up to.
You can sit down there with the speaker if you would please.
There we go!
>> We started this journey back in June
>> There we go we've got a future baseball player.
>> Yeah so we started this journey back on June 5th.
Started through the districts, did pretty well there.
We had a few challenges but fought through them.
We won that, and then we went to the state tournament,
in Waldorf Maryland.
We also did pretty well there we ended up
going to Du Bois Pennsylvania, ended up
falling short the following two games
but we couldn't be any more proud of these boys.
It was a heck of a journey for all of us.
And the future is very bright for all 12 of these young men.
>> That's great.
We really appreciate what you're doing
and we're so happy and proud of you guys
to represent Maryland and really represent Talbot County.
We are so proud of you guys and it's a pleasure and an honor
to be up here.
We've got some stuff for you up here,
Council would you like to say anything?
>> We are so proud of you and what you have accomplished
and we are excited to provide you with these certificates.
>> Just congratulations, you've done Talbot County proud.
We are all proud of you.
You've shown us all in a good light.
>> Well done.
>> Okay we've got a certificate for you.
[Background Conversation]
[Reading names]
>> All right guys you're going to look at Makayla real quick.
Three, two, one.
Great.
Lynn can you scoot to the left just a little?
There you go.
There we go.
We are good.
[Applause]
[Cross-Talk]
>> Okay we will go ahead that was pretty special.
We got one more special thing coming now.
Come on up here.
Ray is retiring this week.
The 28th.
>> The 28th.
Will technically HR says the first
>> I got you.
Madam Secretary can go ahead and read the proclamation please?
>> Certificate of recognition to Raymond P Clark p e County
Engineer, whereas Raymond P Ray clerk p e began his career
as a county engineer for Talbot County Government on August 7th
2000, and whereas throughout his tenure,
Ray has earned the respect and appreciation of both his
colleagues and the community as evidenced by numerous letters
of appreciation from Talbot County residents included in his
personnel file as a testament to the exceptional service,
responsiveness, and care that he has demonstrated throughout his
career.
And whereas, over the course of his career,
Ray has made a lasting impact on his fellow county employees
as expressed through his professionalism,
technical expertise and unwavering commitment to serving
the citizens of Talbot County.
And whereas, with the support of the County
Council along with his team at the Department of Public Works,
Ray led projects which have made,
and continue to make meaningful contributions to county
infrastructure, environmental stewardship, and long term
planning efforts, including upgrades to the region two
Saint Michael's wastewater treatment plant in 2008,
and region two sewer collection system
in 2017 to 2022, replacement of the region for Wye Mills
wastewater treatment plant, scheduled for 2027 and 28
upgrades to the region 25 Tillman Wastewater Treatment
Plant scheduled for 2027 2028, and an extension of public sewer
to eliminate approximately 1200 septic systems.
All with the goal to improve the water quality and the Chesapeake
Bay and its tributaries.
And whereas, for the past 26 years
as leader of the Department of Public Works, Ray and his team
in conjunction with leadership and team
with the roads Department of implemented overseen and brought
to completion numerous road and other infrastructure replacement
and rehabilitation projects.
Including improvements to Black Dog Alley Goldsborough
Neck Road, Airport Road, and Dutchmans Lane as well as
many bridges and culverts.
And whereas, during his tenure as county engineer,
various county buildings and facilities
have been constructed or renovated,
including renovations to the Talbot County Free Library
Easton and Saint Michaels branches, the former health
department building on Hanson Street
and the new health department facility on Cadmus Lane,
the North EMS station in Cordova, white Marsh Elementary
School, Easton Middle School, Tilghman Elementary School,
Saint Michael's Elementary middle and high school,
chapel District elementary school,
Mid-shore regional landfill transfer
station on Barker's land and, all while
securing over $100 million in federal and state grants
for Talbot County sewer, roads, and construction renovation
projects.
And whereas Ray's impressive educational background
reflects his commitment to lifelong learning
and professional excellence.
He earned a Bachelor of Science in Metal Engineering
and University of Texas in El Paso,
and his Master's in Environmental Engineering
at the University of Maryland.
As a registered professional engineer
with the State of Maryland, Ray has upheld the highest standards
of the engineering profession and demonstrated his dedication
to his field through active membership
and numerous professional organizations,
and by continually seeking opportunities
to stay informed and contribute to the engineering community.
And whereas, Ray's knowledge, integrity, and dedication
have left a lasting legacy within Talbot County government,
and his years of service have strengthened the county,
and have and will continue to benefit countless residents
for years to come.
Now, therefore, we the County Council of Talbot County
do hereby express our sincere appreciation
for his 26 years of outstanding service
to Talbot County Government and the citizens of Talbot County.
We extend our sincere gratitude for his many contributions
and we wish him good health, happiness,
and success in the future.
Given our hands and the great city of Talbot Carol,
the year of our Lord 2026.
Bam thank you Madam Secretary.
>> Good job.
>> I just want to say congratulations Ray
on your retirement.
I'm sure it's bittersweet for you.
And I just want to say thank you for your leadership
and your dedication for all of the years
that you have been with Talbot County.
You've certainly helped Talbot County improve and become
a better county because of all of your hard work.
So thank you, and enjoy your retirement.
>> I would like to join in with that.
It's been a pleasure knowing you, congratulate you
on all of the projects that you have overseen,
and as a former resident of Tunis Mills,
I just wondered how you're handing off the Lathes Creek.
I think the public would like to know how your handing off
Leeds Creek.
>> Congratulations Ray and thank you for your service.
I get to see Ray in action every month,
as the council liaison to the Public Works Advisory Board,
and the number of projects as he heard referenced in the citation
it ranges from wastewater to roads to county facilities
facilities, and we have an awful lot going on,
and as you have heard, we have made a lot of progress.
So, thanks to you for leading your team through all of that.
You have got a lot to take credit for here.
And we are really grateful for your service.
>> Ray to add to that, it has been great working with you
for many years.
And thank you so much for your dedication.
And thank your better half over there too.
For everything that she's put up with you know?
So, at the end of the day Ray, I really
appreciate you hanging in there with us.
I know that, I didn't want to let you go really.
I really didn't want to let you go.
You know?
But we've got a good man that's gonna back you up,
we've got a good man there.
You've done a great job training him.
And you've got a really great staff behind you.
You got a big team behind you.
And I just want to personally thank you
for hanging in here for a few months.
I know you wanted to do something last year,
but it means so much that you mentored the people that
can take your job over.
Really your job has been a really tough job.
But you've done so many things, in the last 20 years really.
But here in the last five years, since COVID.
You know we've done schools, we've done EMS stations,
you guys have just been knocking it out of the park.
And you're the one that's been driving them on that stuff.
I really thank you.
For all that you've done for the county, and for the council
because you've made the council really
look good with all your projects and stuff.
So I really appreciate you.
And, your endeavors are what you want to do and stuff, so can
I still have your phone number?
Thank you.
>> Council, thank you for allowing me to say a couple
things about Ray.
I have been working with Ray for about 17 years,
since I arrived here as the emergency director.
And my initial contact with Ray was nothing but cooperation day
in and day out.
He taught me so much.
And in my roles as Acting County Manager and Assistant County
Manager, he mentored me in the last five years
as County Manager, we've been side by side
and we've done so many good things for this community.
This guy is a smart guy.
More than being a smart guy call me
he's got a heart that is huge.
And he understands customer service.
When people call Ray Clark.
He figured out a way to help them get where they need to get.
(Indistinct) But Ray thank you for everything.
>> First off Council thank you very much for all the kind
words.
I really appreciate it the other thing
I will tell you is 26 years is a long time.
And I did a lot, I'm actually tired from listening
to what Susan said.
That being said, I think one of the things a couple of tidbits,
actually noted I graduated with a degree in engineering
from Texas El Paso, so technically I
learned how to rake the earth and then
I became an environmental engineer.
So I learned how to fix it and make it better.
That being said, when I first came to Talbot County,
we had a treatment plant and our contract operations.
And in 2001, our daily average flow was 352,000 gallons per
day.
We had a situation at the wastewater treatment plant
basically the transducer, and in 2004 the transducers
on the rod or clamp.
So it's dropping, we're reading flows,
so our daily average flow in 2004 was 470,000 gallons a day.
In 2005, it's 579,000 gallons per day.
And I'm calling up EMS saying where's this flow coming from?
We need to know where the flow is coming from.
It wasn't until we went out there and got this clamp
basically letting the transducer fall.
So basically it was going higher and higher and higher.
So that kind of caught us off guard.
But I'll say what's very interesting is in 2025,
our wastewater flow at the wastewater treatment plant is
actually 295,000 gallons.
So significantly less than they were.
>> What's the capacity of that plant?
>> That plant 660,000.
>> We're trying.
We're trying to get up there.
The other thing I will tell you, and I will say this,
I have in my career in Talbot County
I've replaced four out of five.
The only other thing I'll say is we've done
a lot of culvert replacements.
And I'm very happy about that -- the only disadvantage I had
engineering working for him, (Indistinct)
[Background Conversation]
[Applause]
>> Next on the agenda eligible for vote madam Secretary can you
read the title of the bill into the record please.
>> Bill number 1652 the Bill to amend chapter 131 road Naming
and Property naming of the Talbot County Code
for the purposes of modernizing Talbot County's addressing
standards to the next generation 911 compliant and to clarify
staff responsibilities in administering the provisions
of chapter 131.
>> Okay.
Thank you Madam Secretary.
How are you doing Bryce?
How are you guys >> Good.
Thank you Council.
Next to me is Katie Stafford emergency services.
The bill is what we are here for today.
So again this is just another bill
that is going to seek to modernize the way that people
are addressing standards in Talbot County,
and it really just clarifies the responsibilities
within each department on who is responsible.
So I'm happy to answer any questions I know we've been here
a couple of times before.
>> Okay.
That's great.
Any questions?
>> We've been over some of this ground before as we did
the public hearing for this, but, it sounds like planning
and zoning emergency services are already working together.
This may formalize the relationship and codify
some of what is already happening on the ground.
And make us compliant.
But, this doesn't sound like it's
going to be a big change for the way that you operate.
>> That's correct.
>> I was just going to say this is more of a housekeeping bill
come this does codify what has taken place operationally.
Emergency Services department and specific
has been doing the work, making sure that the addressing is
in order following the guidelines,
so again it's just codifying what the operation's
been done for some time.
>> Okay.
That being said, were there any other questions or concerns?
Madam Secretary do you want to call the vote?
[Members voting]
>> Okay.
Thanks a lot guys.
Good job.
Okay.
We've got a few things that have happened here,
>> Good evening Council on your county manager's report I have
several committee and board appointments that I'm bringing
to you, the first would be the agricultural Resolution Board,
I'm asking for your consideration to appoint Miss
Antoinette Johnson to that board.
>> Okay we've got a motion and a second,
madam Secretary can you call the vote?
[Members voting]
>> The next council will be the Commission on Aging requesting
the appointment of Miss Betsy Roe.
>> Motion to approve?
>> Second.
>> Okay we've got a motion and a second madam Secretary can you
call the vote?
[Members voting]
>> The board of directors is requesting the appointment
of Demetrius Price to that board.
We have a motion to approve
>> >> We've got a motion and a second madam Secretary call
the vote.
[Members voting]
>> That completes the board and committee appointments and then
I have three items for you this evening the first
of the waterfowl festivals is seeking a letter of support from
the Talbot County Council for their applications through
Maryland State Art Council grant and the amount of $200,000
for the restoration of the Waterfowl Building.
No county funds are required, and I don't see Dina here
with us this evening but she has extended this request to you.
>> I think we've seen how much Waterfowl Festival has been
doing with this building that they received for a dollar,
and you might think that they overpaid for it for all that
it's costing them now.
They've put a new roof on it, they've restored the windows,
this will be the next step.
And I know they've got big ambitions for what is really
a very valuable community resource with this building,
and of course they make it available for much much more
than their waterfowl festival functions.
It's really a great place.
So, I will move for issuance of that letter of support.
Madam Secretary can you call the vote?
[Members voting]
>> (Indistinct) So by replacing a 1995 dump truck with a steel
body that was conveyed to the county from SH a 200,000 miles
on it.
Again we're asking the council to approve.
[Members voting]
>> Finally Council I have the last request seeking approval
from Council to renew the county's contract with
Providence Strategy Group in the amount of $48,000 a year
for lobbying services.
There are sufficient funds in the budget
for this contract I will just mention to you as Council
is aware Providence provides services this last state
legislature session that was incredibly
helpful during a really challenging time where we are
seeing movement at the state level
to shift fiscal obligations to the county governments
and at the same time seeking to remove authority from the county
government so it's very important that the county have
real time view of the city so you
can engage in a timely manner.
One and two, he was successful in securing half $1 million
grant for Talbot County to aid in the delivery of the sewer
services to the hospital.
Which was excellent.
So, the staff recommends your consideration
to approve this request.
>> Motion to approve the request.
>> Second.
>> Okay we've got a motion and a second,
madam Secretary can you call the vote?
[Members voting]
>> Council that completes your county manager report for this
evening, and as always, I thank you for your support.
>> Okay, good job good job.
Okay, next, public comment.
Do we have any?
Yes sir.
Come on up.
>> Thank you sir.
29736 Sullivan Drive actually, it was interesting,
I'm fascinated by what was a very short agenda, but one
that's very pithy. (Indistinct) It will
elevate the status of eastern.
And then improving health care is always something,
I also want to let you know that I was a little bit late getting
in here today, and I was even later when 77 people came out
the door at one time.
Having, I guess, thank to the little League.
I used to call it little League I guess it's the Junior League.
And the state champions.
So that's great.
I also want to mention something it's kind of close to my heart.
What you just did on renewing the contracts for your lobbying
services, it's extremely important.
As a lobbyist, a long time ago, I
know that whenever I told someone
I was a lobbyist they frowned at me thinking I was somebody who
was smoking cigars in the back room,
but those days are way over.
It hasn't happened for a very long time.
I was looking at a book at my house yesterday,
and I was lucky enough to be featured as one of the most
successful lobbyists in Washington D.C..
And the book, people like Barry Goldwater you're probably not
old enough to remember him but other people
have significance who talked about how lobbying
was a big part of the legislative process,
and I know it was.
Congressional members, new folks,
state legislators you can't possibly
know enough about everything that's going on.
And if you ever disappoint someone, the door is shut,
it takes forever to get that door back open again.
So it is a very above board profession.
And I'm glad to see that you folks have decided
to move forward with that, because I
know you represent if Mako at times,
but you also have very unique things before the legislature
or that should go before the legislature where you're
lobbying representation is precisely
focused on something like that.
$200,000 for the waterfowl building,
I'm always thrilled as a resident of Easton to see how
well that building has been maintained.
There are too many armories around the state that have been
allowed to fall in disrepair.
And not Easton's.
And that's a very valuable part of life here in town.
And anybody who comes to the plenary event each year will
know to what extent that place is up and running. $200,000,
I don't think that's enough money to get the job done over
there.
So, maybe I won't lobby a lobbyist,
but, you need more money maybe you
should go directly to the state legislature
and get targeted funds.
Maybe the lobbying group can help you do that.
Because, you know, it's tough going grant money grant money
grant money.
When you can go directly to the legislature.
So, that's all I have.
Thank you very much for listening to me.
>> Absolutely.
Thank you.
I appreciate you.
Okay.
Would anybody else like to come up?
Okay.
Council comments?
>> Yes.
Mr. Reagan mentioned the Maryland Association
of Counties, I recently attended their annual conference,
the summer conference which was for me, the best one yet.
And tackling the most pressing issues the counties including
Talbot are facing from housing affordability
to the blueprint for excellence to the plan of play
of issues around data centers.
It was a particularly informative session
on data centers that included a panel with County Virginia.
Which is currently hosting the greatest concentration
of data centers.
At least in the United States.
The issues around resource use, electric power, and water
use as well as latency, that is the transmission of data.
Raised to specifically look at all
of these that have not yet grappled with data
centers near zoning Code.
To do just what Talbot County is poised to do.
And that is to institute a moratorium to gather the facts,
and take the time to figure this out.
We'll be holding our public hearing
at our next meeting on that moratorium,
and I look forward to the discussion
that will follow from there.
>> Okay.
Thank you.
>> Today we took a tour of the hospital.
Under construction.
And it was awfully impressive.
The progress that they are making.
And looking forward to that being a monument in this county.
And, a facility to proceed with offering good health
services to the community.
Not only Talbot County, but the surrounding counties.
So, I look forward to it.
>> So as Mr. Asher stated I had the opportunity to attend that
as well, and to speak at the diversity conference
at Mayfield.
And about why diversity matters.
And that's a conversation that President Callahan and I
have had quite often.
And, more recently.
So I'm really glad that President Callahan does
understand why diversity matters and why
it's important in regards to Talbot County and his council.
And I certainly hope that the next council that
takes this seat will continue in that vein
and understand why diversity matters as well.
In addition to that, I had a constituent reach out
regarding the ball fields,
>> Okay.
I just had a few things just to follow up
on what Mr. Reagan said about the lobbyists, last year was
our first year with the lobbyists,
and we had a phenomenal experience with that.
We had a great guy, Mason, he was great.
And we learned a lot.
So, I think it was well spent.
For the constituents.
They learned a lot.
So -- just to follow up with what they were saying about
the hospital, we all went out there today to take a tour
of that hospital and what an impressive building.
Something to be really proud of.
Not just the council, but the whole county,
and the whole tristate.?
It's not just us, it's the people around us.
Basically from the bridge to the ocean setting.
I mean this is a regional hospital.
And it was very impressive.
And what we did learn is basically
they're on time and on budget.
But the gentleman that we're taking a tour around,
they just knew all of the new technology that's
going into that hospital.
It's just fascinating.
It really is.
So it's really been a great project.
That being said, that's about all I have.
So -- >> 666 days.
>> 666 days.
Don't record that. (laughs) wait till tomorrow to be 665.
>> Exactly.
Exactly.
>> The county Council's next meeting will be held on Tuesday
September 8th beginning at 5:00 pm.
Council will be convening an open session at 2:30 p.m.
Before work session at the Talbot County Farm Bureau,
and then adjourning into closed session at 3:30 p.m.
For a discussion of items as listed on the statement
for closing that meeting.
Therefore, is there a motion to adjourn this meeting
and reconvene as noted?
>> So so moved.
>> Second
>> We've got a motion a second can we call the vote?
[Members voting]
>> Thanks a lot I appreciate everybody coming tonight.
>> Okay.
That's okay.
>> Do we need to go back in session?
>> We need to reconvene, do we need a motion?
>> You can call us back into order.
>> Unless legal counsel has something else in procedure
for us?
>> You're fine.
>> Yes sir I'm going to give you three minutes if you can.
>> I know I'm a little late to the party.
>> No problem.
>> I'm here to make problems comments about the data center.
So just real quick.
Good evening, Council president and members of the Council.
>> I'm sorry sir can you introduce yourself please?
>> I'm so sorry my name is Peter Gorman I live in McDaniel.
And I am almost a lifetime resident of Talbot County.
>> Okay great.
Thank you.
I'm here tonight about tonight's data center moratorium
I'm late now I understand those concerns,
but I'd like to ask a different question if not
whether we can stop data centers,
but whether Talbot County leads and how
this county handles them.
Data centers are coming to this region
to Talbot County or the county next door that's already
decided by the market, counties across Maryland
are scrambling with moratoriums.
Talbot doesn't have to be one more county reacting,
we can be the one others look to.
I'd also like to look past the outdated image of data centers
as a water hub, Standard Data Center
uses roughly 110 million gallons a year,
about what 118 golf course uses for irrigation.
Modern facilities increasingly use closed loop cooling,
I'll just try to get it all in three minutes.
Recirculating water internally instead of
drawing and discharging it.
Cutting fresh water use up to 70% further.
This isn't the environmental threat of a decade ago.
So here's what I propose, instead of a blanket clause,
let's set the standard the rest of the shortfall
is welcome data centers in Talbot County under one
condition.
Developers negotiate real tangible benefit
to our power infrastructure.
Not just tax revenue, power that the whole community shares in.
Specifically I'd like to direct this council to direct staff
to bring small modular reactors to the Eastern Shore.
Built with more capacity than data centers needs,
with the surplus sold back on -- modern SMRs safety systems
a fraction of the footprint in our operating overseas in North
America, it's not fringe either, the industry is moving towards
these plans reconnected instead of isolated.
The region already has infrastructure
spread the length of the shore, rock springs to the north
and Cecil County, Vienna in the middle and Dorchester County
and create Bachelor one into the south and the other county.
Set to serve the whole peninsula not just one corner of it.
Diesel all but leads come new capacity spread
across the region and it brings down cost.
Not up.
I'm not asking for a blank check.
I'm asking leaders to negotiate and send in a treat --
I know nucleus is stretched but it's just a spring idea
just to talk about what could be done in the possibilities.
>> Sounds great.
I appreciate you coming tonight.
>> I also left a copy of my comments for each of you and I
also sourced all my information as well.
>> That would be great.
Thank you.
>> Sorry to keep everybody.
>> No that's fine.
I appreciate that.
Okay do we need a motion to go out?
>> So moved
>> We've got a motion and a second,
madam Secretary could you call the vote?
[Members voting]
>> Okay.
Thank you.