Land Bank properties, County Maintaining City of Lansing Parks, Juvenile Justice Agencies, Hertel Sues for Taxes, State Rep Campaign Raises 35k

This week was very busy for the County Commission. As I have said before, we do much of our work in committees, and we spent considerable time on several items this week.

In County Services, we started out with about an hour discussing the Land Bank. Treasurer Schertzing presented us with about 130 tax foreclosed properties for the county to acquire. When a property goes into tax foreclosure, the county acquires it and, in our case, decides how that property is disposed of. Some are auctioned off, some are demolished, and some are purchased by the Land Bank to be redeveloped and resold. Some commissioners are concerned that our Land Bank has too many properties as it is and do not want us to take on any further burden. Schertzing explained that many of the properties are bundled and sold at auction, and only some are retained by the Land Bank. And those that are retained are redeveloped and sold to go back on the tax rolls. The Land Bank has been doing an excellent job getting properties back in shape, especially with the current state of the economy leading to so many tax foreclosed properties. This includes both residential and commercial properties. In County Services, the resolution passed 4-2, and in Finance it passed 6-0.

A resolution was put before us that would have the County maintain several City of Lansing parks. The Mayor has apparently requested that the County maintain 25 city parks of 5 acres or less, and 15 parks on the river trail. The language provided by the Mayor’s office, though, was greatly concerning to many of us. We discussed this with our Parks Director. The resolution itself listed several think that the County would do. The primary function would be mowing, with specific conditions listed. These include mowing to a certain height, pick up grass clippings, trimming all vegetation around obstacles (fences, signs, posts, curbs, sidewalks, etc), removal of branches and leaves on trails, snow removal, removal of all litter and trash debris on the lawn, and emptying trash barrels daily. Also listed was signs to be installed by County staff and graffiti removal, but we rejected those two conditions because they would take significantly more manpower and time. It requires that the county do a thorough clean up before the first mowing in the spring, compliance of the Snow Removal Ordinance regarding sidewalks, and other things. In exchange for all this and more, the City will pay the County $236,000. While many Commissioners had some initial doubts, our Parks Director assured us that we could accomplish the needs for this amount. Questions were raised, though, if our actions here would result in layoffs at the city or have other labor implications. We are looking into those questions. We also heard that the Mayor sent this to us without discussing it with Council. Many of us Commissioners are hesitant to get in the middle of another fight between the Mayor and Council (as we did with the zoo), so we wanted to be sure that all parties at the City are aware of this request from the Mayor. We have sent this to our City Attorney for review, and will start negotiations with the appropriate City entities.

In Finance, we had a very active discussion about the Juvenile Justice millage. This is the millage that was approved twice by Ingham County residents. Every year we approve a certain amount of money from the millage to go towards community agencies that assist youths that are at-risk and have not yet gone through the courts (pre-adjudicated). This amount now is $100,000, and Commissioner Nolan expressed that she would like to see more money going towards these prevention efforts when possible. Commissioner Bahar-Cook also discussed the makeup of those that have applied in the past and how they can use the money. The committee had a good discussion of the dollars available, the amount matched by the state through the Child Care fund, and the importance of prevention. We will move forward with the $100,000 amount, but several of us (including me) expressed that we would like to see more for prevention if there are enough agencies applying.

Finally, if you haven’t seen the Lansing State Journal or national news, Register of Deeds Curtis Hertel, Jr filed a personal lawsuit against Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for not paying taxes owed. The County Services and Finance committees passed a resolution to have the County enter into an agreement with the Home Defense League to represent the County and file suit to recapture these fees. In essence, we would replace Hertel as the plaintiff in the lawsuit. Hertel is the statewide leader in this effort (once again) and filed the suit himself because time was of the essence. With passage of this resolution, the County will officially take on the lawsuit, as is appropriate. We expect to receive tens of millions of dollars that are owed to the County by Freddie Mac and Fannie May, who chose not to pay the county and state taxes that are owed. Read here for more information!

And for those following my political State House campaign, I sent out an email this week to supporters indicating that we have raised more than $35,000 in 4 months and have received tremendous support from elected and neighborhood leaders. The momentum has been tremendous, and continues to grow. Stay tuned!

That’s it for this week. That is just a snapshot of everything that we have done, but I think it is long enough!

Foreclosure Fraud Attorney's and Symposiums,Wolverine Pipeline Right-of-Way Clearing

This week the County Board of Commissioners had a relatively non-controversial agenda. We passed the resolution for the Register of Deeds and Treasurer that will allow for legal aide attorneys to be used for the foreclosure fraud cases. This will ensure that residents facing fraud will have the resources they need to stay in their home or get back into their homes. In addition, Register of Deeds Curtis Hertel announced a series of 10 symposiums throughout the county for people to attend to learn more and lodge complaints. They are listed below. He also announced a foreclosure fraud hotline for those who are going through foreclosure and suspect foreclosure fraud or property fraud. Residents can call 676-7210, and they are guaranteed to receive a call back within 24 hours.

In public testimony, the Wolverine Pipeline folks announced that they will be doing a series of Right-of-Way (ROW) clearings along the ares of the pipeline. Right-of-ways are between 50 and 100 feet. They are regulated by the Pipeline and Hazardous Material Administration of the federal government. The pipeline monitored 26 times per year in specific intervals. The company does fly-overs to accomplish this. They displayed the importance of keeping these ROW's clear. Emergency response would be limited if the properties are overgrown with weeds and vegetation. The Wolverine Pipeline was formerly owned by Total petroleum. Wolverine purchased it and slowly reclaimed the rights-of-way. The program now is maintenance only and not reclamation. They said they will contact every land owner before doing any clearing on private property. They have easement rights to do this, but want to let folks know before doing any work. They gave us a variety of materials with pictures and examples. If you are on the pipeline route, then be ready for the clearing to come soon. If you have questions, you can contact Fred Hipshear, Wolverine's Right-of-Way agent, at 269 323-2491 (office), 269 217-5158 (cell), or at rightofway@wplco.com.

That's it. A relatively light agenda. Here is the list of symposiums for foreclosure:

Tuesday, July 19, 2011 5:30 p.m.
Cristo Rey Community Center
1717 N. High Street
Lansing, Michigan 48906

Tuesday, July 26, 2011 5:30 p.m.
East Lansing Hannah Center Community Center
Executive Conference Room
819 Abbott Road
East Lansing, Michigan 48823

Tuesday, August 16, 2011 5:30 p.m.
Ingham County Fair Ground
Community Hall
Mason Michigan

Thursday, August 25, 2011 5:30 p.m.
Gar Hall
107 E. Bellevue
Leslie, Michigan

Wednesday, September 7, 2011 7:00 p.m.
Eastside Neighborhood
Foster Community Center
200 N. Foster
Room 213
Lansing, Michigan 48912

Tuesday, September 20, 2011 5:30 p.m.
Williamston Community Center

Thursday, October 13, 2011 5:30 p.m.
Webberville
Village of Weberville Cultural Center
115 S. Main

Tuesday, October 25 2011 5:30 p.m.
African American Health Institute
835 West Genesse
Lansing, Michigan 48933

Tuesday, November 15, 2011 5:30 p.m.
Okemos High School
Okemos, Michigan

Thursday, November 17, 2011 5:30 p.m.
Grace of Love Church Ministry
2618 S. Waverly Hwy.
Lansing, Michigan 48911

New Drain Project, Foreclosure Fraud, Efficiencies in Register of Deeds Ofc, Fundraiser Update

The County Commission was back in action this week. We had committee meetings, where we do most of the details of our work (as you know if you are a weekly reader).

In County Services and Finance, we took up a resolution pledging full faith and credit of the count for the bonds for the Kalamink Consolidated Drain Drainage
District Bonds. Drain Commissioner Pat Lindemann discussed the project. Webberville village and LeRoy Twp initiated this. The Drain Commissioner held meetings in the affected communities (2 townships and the village). This is a consolidation of two older drains into one. There are 933 parcels in the district and it is 12 ½ miles long. Drain Commissioner Lindemann told us that with 10,250 acres in the drainage district, individual assessments won’t be that large. The Drain Commissioner will replace a culvert, and will also take out 2 old pipes and put in a spanned bridge for 5 homes (that they will pay for) to relieve water backs up and very flooded driveways. There were over 25 potential bidders at a pre-bid meeting (which tool 2 ½ hours to show what needs to be done and bid on). The project will follow prevailing wage and will have a Project Labor Agreement. They are expecting at least 12 bids. After the County Commission approves this resolution, bids will come in (the bid process opens on Wednesday) then there will be a meeting with residents to talk about cost. The drain will be maintenance free for 20 years or more. The County pledges full faith and credit so that the Drain Commissioner can get a lower credit rating and save money.

A second resolution that passed was to contract with Legal Aide of Central Michigan to take Referrals from the Ingham County Register of Deeds and the Ingham County treasurer for foreclosure fraud cases. As reported in previous County Updates, hundreds of fraudulent foreclosure cases have been discovered by Register of Deeds Curtis Hertel, Jr. He is a statewide leader in rooting out these fraudulent foreclosures. He said that there are over 400 MERS (Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems) problematic foreclosures. In fact, all assignments my MERS were recently declared illegal. Hertel is working with County Treasurer Eric Schertzing and they have been doing great work, but there is too much for any one person to do. Legal Aide will be very helpful because they have foreclosure experts and counselors that can supplement what the County is doing. The Register of Deeds and Treasurer are mailing to those individuals that can be found and offering help from legal aide and other resources. We are trying to get these people back into their houses. Not only is this the right thing to do, it will also bring in more money to the county because it keeps people in their homes and keeps the tax base up. Even banks are coming to table to keep people in their homes, and this will help that effort. The only thing that residents can do now is to hire their own attorney. The Register of Deeds is trying to create a 3rd party tribunal in state law, but that hasn't happened yet. The Register of Deeds will also be conducting symposiums across the county soon to address foreclosure, foreclosure fraud, and property fraud. While anyone can get advice from Legal Aide and their are no income restrictions, they are not taking people as clients who can afford their own attorney. If you are in need of advice or assistance, you can contact the Register of Deeds or Legal Aide.

Finally, we considered a resolution to authorize the purchase of a new record management system for the Register of Deeds Office. The current system is not working and we had real problems with the current vendor which just couldn't be bridged. An evaluation committee comprised of staff from the Register of Deeds Office, Purchasing and MIS recommended awarding a contract to Fidlar Acquisition for $555,000 for a new land records management system (which includes five years of support and maintenance). Fidlar has a high degree of knowledge of the various aspects of recording land and vital documents in the State of Michigan – currently 15 other County Register of Deeds clients in Michigan are using Fidlar. In total, Fidlar has 218 county clients throughout 14 states and has been providing technology solutions to Recorder’s offices since 1987. Fidlar has a well-qualified staff consisting of 52 people, 7 of which were added in the past 18 months. Fidlar has agreed to meet all the County’s contractual terms and conditions and procurement policies. Also, MIS will purchase the required computer hardware for the new system from registered County vendors at a not to exceed cost of $25,189. This new contract is expected to bring in about $400,000 additional revenues in next 4 years
to the general fund. The contract will be paid for by the Register of Deeds Automation Fund, and not the General Fund. The contract will be a 4 year contract, and anything new that the company creates we get for free. Register of Deeds Hertel told us that this will improve accuracy and speed of work flow in his office. It will also ensure that the County is complying with state law in dealing with the order in which documents are put on record. It will capture more data on each document to help protect citizens from fraud, and will insure the protection of our online data. Finally, it will allow us to market ourselves against overseas title mills. I commend the Register of Deeds for his proactive work on this to make systems better and more efficient!

For all those following my political campaign, I hope you will join me at my next fundraiser on Monday. You can see the details on my webpage at www.andyschor.com. The campaign has been going really well and the support has been tremendous. I look to keep the momentum going for the next 15 months! Thanks everyone!!!

Snowboarding Hill, Point-of-Sale Fees, New Commissioner Maps and Districts

At the County Board meeting this week, we went through the same issues that I reported on last week. We had two resolutions pulled from the consent agenda and debated.

The first issue was the snowboarding hill. As a refresher, we considered a resolution returning money from the Parks Department to the county general fund. In that resolution, we allowed for $35,000 to be spent on a snowboarding hill. We are already building a sledding hill, and had a bunch of dirt donated. We were approached by a conglomerate that wanted Ingham County to create the second public snowboarding hill in the nation. We will have user fees that will generate significant revenue and expect to recoup the dollars in two years or so. We also will have much of the equipment donated. There will be a snow making machine so that there will always be snow, and security and parks staff to assist users. Because of the concern that we were putting money into this instead of police or health department or employees, we added language to the resolution that require the Controller to ensure that the county is repaid this money. That amendment, offered by Commissioner DeLeon, was passed unanimously as was the final resolution.

We also considered the point-of-sale portion of the fees resolution. We created a program a few years ago that requires septic fields to be inspected when a house on a septic field (mostly in the out-county) is sold. I voted for that at the time because the fee is way less than what we in Lansing pay for municipal sewer and water. The folks on private septic systems should also be paying to ensure that those fields are not leaking (which many were) and contaminating the county water supply. Because we keep most fees at 100% of the cost of that fee (to ensure that county taxpayers are not paying for these things), this fee was raised. The fee resolution passed on a 10-5 vote. Commissioner Dianne Holman spoke against it saying that it was still a relatively new fee and should not go up.

Finally, we learned what the new county commission districts would look like. The Ingham County Apportionment Committee considers maps submitted to them and votes on those maps. The Committee is made up of the County Prosecutor, County Clerk, County Treasurer, and Democratic and Republican Party Chairs. Prosecutor Dunnings submitted a map that follows election law. It was one of three maps submitted and received enough votes to pass. The map creates 14 County Commission districts (reduced from the current 16). If you want to see the new maps, click here.

Due to the the fact that there is a fifth week in May, we do not have any meetings next week. So, I will probably skip next week for the blog (unless I find a guest blogger).

I hope everyone has a happy and health Memorial Day weekend, and spends some time remembering all of those who sacrificed so that we can all live free lives in our Democracy!

Andy

Parks Money to GF, Snowboard Hill, CATA Stop, 457 Plans, Masonic Lodge

So sorry that this is so late! This is the blog from last week. Technical problems stopped this from going out last week...

Last week, we considered two resolutions returning money to the general fund. Imagine that...money being returned for not being used by one of our departments! The first resolution returned $62,500 that had been approved for the Heart of Michigan trail funding in the 2008 Capital Improvement Budget. Delhi Township opted to become the project leader on the Jolly Road to Hope Soccer Complex trail segment and an alternative route was plotted for this segment which did not include the use of Ingham County funds as a part of the alternate route project budget.

Also as part of this resolution, we approved an expenditure for a snowboarding hill (mentioned previously). In March a representative of Landscape Architects and Planners, a member of the community, and a representative of Modern Skate & Surf approached the Parks & Recreation Commission with a proposal to incorporate a snowboard hill that would meet the current trends associated with this winter sport in conjunction with the current snow tubing hill being constructed. It has been determined a beginner, intermediate, and advanced snow board run with a tow rope system could be incorporated into the snow tubing hill for approximately $35,000. It is anticipated donations for such “tricks” as such as grind rails, fun boxes, flat rails, round rails, and hips would be sought and not included in the cos0t of construction. This proposal was approved by the Parks & Recreation Commission. It is expected the costs of construction will be recouped as this would be a revenue generating activity. Both the snowboard hill and snow tubing hill could be open most of the winter season as snowmaking equipment will be used to manufacture snow.

In the County Services committee, this resolution passed 5-1. One Commissioner, Don Vickers, expressed that he wants the Parks Department to repay the county dollars that are expended in order to support this. He put up an amendment in committee to require repayment over 7 years, and it failed 2-4. I expect that his amendment will be offered again on the Board floor. During debate, I pointed out that 3 years is a very conservative estimate for total return of the dollars as this only takes into account user fees and doesn't count parking fees. I also argued that this is a quality of life resource that will be invaluable for Ingham County, and will be a revenue generator quickly. Our Parks Director, Willis Bennett, ensured us that there will be full time staff on site (and seasonal staff) at all times for safety and for maintenance of the equipment (tow ropes, snow machines, etc). Commissioner Grebner argued that the goal of having Hawk Island is to provide recreation for the center of population of the county by being in the heart of the county in Lansing. He also said that, despite objections from the Republicans, this has been highly successful. The intention is not to be a revenue generator, but to be a recreational facility and payback should not be a prime consideration.

In Finance, the resolution passed unanimously. Commissioner Tsernoglou pointed out that she hopes that MSU (snowboarding clubs) will collaborate with us on this. Deb Nolan also said that she hopes it will draw MSU students to Lansing and maybe to the zoo.

Oh, and during the discussion it was pointed out that CATA will be adding a bus stop within Hawk Island this year. That will ensure the snow tubing and snow board hills will be very accessible to the residents of Lansing and Ingham County. It also will be welcome to the young campers of EC3, who take the bus to Hawk Island and use to have to walk to the park and back to the bus stop (my son would be exhausted on Fridays!).


We also had a good discusision in Finance about the county 457 plan (deferred compensation plan) offered for employees. Although we approved three plan, only two are actually providing plans. There was discussion about the possibility of Jackson National providing insurance. We also said we would review any RFP's that precluded Jackson National or anyone else.

Finally, we considered a resolution to update the county fees. I went through this last week in detail. Commissioner Dougan opposed the point of sale fees in Finance. Other than that, this was fairly non-controversial.


In other news, I have a constituent who is very involved with trying to save the Lansing Masonic Temple. I am not a Mason myself, but I wanted to help him spread the word. Anyone interested in supporting this effort can send donations anywhere from $100 - $1000 (which is the max for the donation to remain tax deductible). Checks would need to be made out to Lansing Masonic Temple Association, and sent to 1125 Weber Dr, Lansing Michigan 48912.

Sorry again for the delay. You will hear from me again later this week after our Board meeting!

Free Zoo Days Compromise, Snowboard Hill, Awesome County Credit Rating, Land Bank Update

This week was relatively calm, We had our Board meeting this week, and the only contentious item was the one I mentioned last week regarding the Zoo.. There was disagreement about who should be allowed to waive fees for the zoo for special days. Some wanted the Parks Commission and Zoo Board to be able to do it. Others (including me) thought that only the Board of Commissioners should have the power to reduce revenues and waive fees. Last year, the county offered free zoo entrance for moms on Mothers Day, dads on Fathers Day, and grandparents on Grandparents day. The Parks department want to continue that. The resolution in committee, though, was amended to allow the Zoo Board and Parks Commission to have general powers to waive the fee whenever they want for special days. I was ready to offer an amendment that would have changed the resolution back to only allowing for these three specific days to be free for the people celebrated (i.e. moms on Mothers Day).

Fortunately, Commissioner Debbie DeLeon came up with an excellent compromise. She crafted an amendment saying that any days designated as special free days would have to receive sign-off by the Board Chair, County Services Chair, and County Administrator. This amendment passed 11-5, then the resolution passed 15-1. I commend Commissioner for coming up with this compromise language that will ensure flexibility for the Parks Commission and Zoo Board, while at the same time ensure that elected officials and the County Administrator can monitor the purse strings effectively.

Also, in public testimony, we heard from folks who are looking to have the first urban snowboarding hill in the United States created in Ingham County at Hawk Island. We are building a sledding hill, and the snowboard hill can be built into it for low-cost. This item is expected to come up next week for discussion in committee and the week after on the Board floor. It is very exciting and will bring people and revenues to Ingham County through tourism and having this unique attraction. I expect that it will cost $35,000, but those dollars will be recaptured almost immediately as their will be used fees for the hill and rental fees for the equipment. It will be a revenue generator, attract people from all over the state, and will be something fun for the whole family for Inhgam County residents.

In other news, we received good news from Eric Schertzing, the County Treasurer, that Ingham County has mainteined the highest possible credit rating from Standard and Poor’s. Standard & Poor's Ratings Services assigned its 'SP-1+' short-term rating to Ingham County's general obligation limited tax notes series 2011. They said the rating reflects the county's:
• History of strong property tax collections;
• Very strong general creditworthiness;
• Limited-tax GO pledge; and
• Strong liquidity, including unreserved assets held in its delinquent tax revolving fund and budget stabilization fund.

They said that Despite the pressure of a contracting tax base on Ingham County's primary revenue source--property taxes--its finances remain strong and stable due to sound management practices.

We also received a Land Bank Update from Treasurer Schertzing. He reports the following exciting news about redevelopment in Ingham County through the Land Bank:

1 - Fab Acres south of REO Town. Participating in clean-up with LNC and a large group of students on May 25th-27th. The Land Bank is hosting a dumpster and cost up to $750 from our Community Development dollars with HUD homes.
2 - Eden Glen Condos. All 8 Phase I condos closed. 3 Phase II condos have purchase agreements.
3 - NSP1 - 65 houses demolished. 1 more to go and NSP1 demo is done.
4 - Sold one renovated house on Laurie Lane and bought one mortgage foreclosed house on Center Street in Old Town last week.
5 - Meetings last week about Shopping Guide Building in Mason, Lone Pine Parcel at 496 and Washington, and two commercial adjacent lots in Lansing Township.

That's all for this week. Have a wonderful weekend!

Andy

Parks Incentive Programs, Medical Director, Fees, Fundraiser Thank-you

I hope everyone had a great week. I apologize for this blog being so late. The week just got ahead of me!

Usually the Board of Commissioners committee process has liaison committees working on resolutions then the Finance committee changing them. In this case, it worked almost in reverse. The County Services committee this week considered a resolution dealing with approvals for discount incentive programs at the zoo. Last year, the county offered free zoo entrance for moms on Mothers Day, dads on Fathers Day, and grandparents on Grandparents day. The Parks department brought us a resolution that would extend that to every year. The resolution, though, did not specify that it was only for these days and that it was only for Ingham County residents. I raised concerns in committee that the resolution would allow the appointed Parks Commission to waive entrance fees at the zoo whenever they wanted, and that would be an inappropriate power. Only the elected Commissioners should have that power in my opinion. The Parks Director testified that the intention was only for the resolution affect those three days, so we unanimously amended it to reflect that.

In Finance, though, the resolution was amended back to the original language. First, Commissioner Bahar-Cook argued that the resolution shouldn't just be for Ingham County residents. She argued that if moms came on Mothers Day and got in free, even from other counties, the moms would also come with children and other adults who would still pay the entrance fee. It would attract more money to the zoo, while also bringing more people to the zoo on these three days. Her amendment passed unanimously. Commissioner Nolan then said that the zoo board and Parks Commission should have the power to waive fees whenever they want and that she believed that the resolution should be expansive. I argued that I thought it was too much power in non-elected hands and that the elected Commissioners should be the ones to approve waivers of fees. I lost. The amendment passed 4-2. The final resolution also passed committee 4-2. I opposed the resolution because I remember previous years when the Parks Commission waived fees for parks that we didn't agree with, and we had to go back and amend their authority so that the Commission had the final say. I am afraid this will be the same situation. We will see what happens on Tuesday.

We also considered another resolution that would hire a medical director needed for our Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC's). The Health Director requested that the new medical director be hired in at Step 5 (the highest pay step) and several Commissioners took issue with the continual practice of hiring people in at the highest pay level. The Health Director, Dr. Sienko, explained that this position was needed as a result of an audit of the FQHC program. The federal government highly recommended that we have a medical director with clinical and administrative experience. The individual that the Health Director has recommended has over 20 years experience in pediatrics and was the best candidate in terms of administrative and clinical experience. The position will be ½ time in administrative and ½ time in patient care at St Lawrence or Sparrow (helping citizens and generating county revenues). We now only have an internist in that position, but that doctor does clinical rather than administrative work. While I understand the concern about hiring in at the top level, it seems that the real issue is that it is very difficult to get quality doctors in at our pay levels. The doctor we are hiring is taking a pay cut, and we need to be competitive...especially to ensure that we receive the millions of federal dollars associate with our FQHC's. The few thousand dollars that we are going to spend to bring someone in at Step 5 instead of a lower step will be leveraged by about $900,000 that we are getting from the federal government which could be at risk. After a lot of discussion, the resolution passed.

Finally, we began our discussion of fees. Both the County Services and Finance Committees focused on the Parks Department fees. The shelters at the parks are each going up about 50%. They haven't gone up in 10 or 15 years, so this is catching it up with where it should be. I pointed out that there is always significant demand for these shelters and, while people won't love the increase, this is probably warranted. I argued strongly, though, against increasing the entrance fees for the parks. These fees just went up last year, and I have heard from my constituents the unhappiness about the fees at Hawk Island going up two years in a row. While the Budget Department requested an entrance fee increase, the Controller did not recommend it and I argued against an entrance fee at Hawk Island and Lake Lansing and Burchfield. So far, those fees are not being raised. The Human Services committee had several questions about the Pollution Prevention resolution fees, and other fees were discussed in other committees. We did not vote on this resolution, and will discuss it again at the next round of committee meetings.

On a personal note, thank you so much for everyone who contributed to my first fundraiser for State Representative. Thanks also for those who attended. We had over 60 people there, and raised more than $10,000. Checks are still coming in, we are finalizing the next fundraiser in a month or so. I am excited and humbled by the tremendous support I am receiving and look forward to the campaign next year.

Have a great Mothers Day to all the moms out there...

Andy