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00:10:00

Jessica Honeycutt -ATCC-: how I’m.

Alan Silverstein: How are you Jessica? Thank you for all your assistance.

Jessica Honeycutt -ATCC-: How are you?

Alan Silverstein: I appreciate it.

Jessica Honeycutt -ATCC-: no. Thank you. We should have everybody today.

Alan Silverstein: I think I’m glad I talked with Jeff earlier,…

Jessica Honeycutt -ATCC-: I always get a little bit nervous.

Alan Silverstein: and he said you guys in contacted everybody. So I appreciate that.

Jessica Honeycutt -ATCC-: Of course.

Alan Silverstein: And I understand about the state system setting me up. Everything takes time.

Jessica Honeycutt -ATCC-: Yeah, sorry about that. Did you get the check yet? So long,…

Alan Silverstein: no, but That’s right.

Jessica Honeycutt -ATCC-: it should be there hopefully tomorrow and if not tomorrow very early next week.

Alan Silverstein: For Sydney. I work for City and County government over the years.

Alan Silverstein: Michael thank you for getting us all squared away. So we could participate.

Alan Silverstein: Mr. Kelly

Jeffrey Kelly -ATCC-: As chairman. How are you today? Great.

Alan Silverstein: Doing well.

Alan Silverstein: Not like in the forecast for more snow tomorrow.

Jeffrey Kelly -ATCC-: No me either because this stuff it never got really I’m looking at now didn’t get warm enough to melt any of this stuff that we’ve already got..

Alan Silverstein: yeah, we are pretty much melted, but still James, how are you today?

James E. Hock Jr -State Police-: I’m having a problems with my computer.

Alan Silverstein: That’s good.

James E. Hock Jr -State Police-: So I’m on my phone.

Alan Silverstein: Robert

Alan Silverstein: Okay.

Alan Silverstein: I think you’re a speaker. Your microphone is off Robert.

Robert Poole: Good to see you guys.

Robert Poole: I’ve been really nice to Alan so I didn’t get a chance to meet you the other day.

Alan Silverstein: Good to see you.

Alan Silverstein: I wasn’t up in Annapolis. So

Robert Poole: And Jeffrey’s always good to see you.

Jeffrey Kelly -ATCC-: Likewise, I enjoyed that I enjoyed the face-to-face and yeah, you get to see a little bit of what that whole environments like it’s just a very active group.

Robert Poole: Yep.

Jeffrey Kelly -ATCC-: And Jim your phone’s working great quite frankly. I mean the picture is very very clear and you came across loud and clear.

James E. Hock Jr -State Police-: Good, we’re doing a renovation of Pikesville. I think it’s a 72 year old building. So we decided to do a couple of things to it. and…

Jeffrey Kelly -ATCC-: Of Grace. wow.

James E. Hock Jr -State Police-: as my office looks like early Beirut Lebanon in the I can’t get anywhere. They’re plugging my laptop in so I have a camera on this laptop, but it’s still looking for the external microphone and camera. So that’s beyond my pay grade so iverted to own.

Jeffrey Kelly -ATCC-: understood we

Alan Silverstein: At this point your government allowed and clear Barbara good to see you Betty welcome. I know you both have your mics off so.

Barbara a: help

Alan Silverstein: Hey wait for Eric and we’ll get started.

Alan Silverstein: Welcome to all of you who have joined us. We appreciate you coming in on our call. Thank you for your interest.

00:15:00

Alan Silverstein: the crowd today

Robert Poole: Hey Alan, just I have a hard stop at 3:30. So my apologies.

Alan Silverstein: Don’t worry about it. We’ll be done before that.

Alan Silverstein: I’ve got two minutes and we’ll get started. So.

Jeffrey Kelly -ATCC-: Okay, thank you.

Eric: Thank you.

Alan Silverstein: Commissioner. Was that good to see you.

Eric: Hey friends, I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’t I was in but I could not. Access it. Thank you.

Alan Silverstein: I just under the Bell you’re fine.

Jeffrey Kelly -ATCC-: to see

Alan Silverstein: Thank you very much, Jessica. I’m just waiting for my clock on the computer to turn to three and we’ll get started.

Alan Silverstein: We don’t want to rush things.

Alan Silverstein: Okay, it is three o’clock and is January 19th? 2024, Maryland Alcohol Tobacco and cannabis commissioner as meeting. Alan Silverstein is here. chair Barbara, Wahl. Is present secretary Robert Poole is present commissioner Eric Morrissette is present and commissioner Betty buck as president. So I asked for an approval of the December 21st, 2023 meeting minutes.

Eric: interpolist

Elizabeth Buck: second

Alan Silverstein: okay, got a motion second all those in favor signify by saying I Have it motion carries,…

Barbara a: I

Alan Silverstein: Mr. Kelly our executive director. You report please.

Jeffrey Kelly -ATCC-: Thank you, Mr. Good afternoon. Everybody Happy 2024 and so you kind of forget already that we’re into a new year. So since our last meeting we’ve had 22 events that require further investigation from our agents. And it’s variety of alcohol and tobacco so just give you a list of the totals what I don’t have unfortunately free right now are the tax laws for each of these which I do like to include when I can I’m making attachment to the official record for the minutes, but I don’t have that right at this moment. So so far since our last meeting we have 47,611 pieces of other tobacco products. That’s a lot. 1,973 packs of unstamped cigarettes 20 containers of the stilled Spirits 151 containers of beer

00:20:00

Jeffrey Kelly -ATCC-: And the jurisdictions these all occurred in Baltimore City Prince George’s County by Comico Somerse Dorchester County Queen. Anne’s County Montgomery County Cecil County and then repeats of some of those counties as well. So we’ve been pretty active across the state as is usually the case very proud of this team that we’re building up here. it’s a Workforce to admire. They work really very hard. Since our last meeting also we’ve continued to conduct cannabis Outreach events. However, we’re waiting on the number of places that we have to go. So we only had one and that was with the Maryland judiciary we did that last week. So it was an opportunity to meet during more or less in service training of the judges across the state. It’s the second time that we had an opportunity to prevent to present before members of the Judiciary and it went very well.

Jeffrey Kelly -ATCC-: We’ve done so much of the Outreach of Let’s say the 25 major jurisdictions being the 23 counties and Apple City in Baltimore City. And then also some City organizations and smaller municipalities. We’ve done 21 of these Outreach programs so far and of those 25 major we have five more to go through and that is bear with me just say please Annapolis City Charles County Garrett County Harford County and Howard County and when we meet with them just to again refresh you on this we’re meeting with that government entity. We’re meeting with the state’s orn We’re meeting with the local police department and other interested individuals. So we’re really trying to hit all of these individual jurisdictions. Let them know. what and then establish points of contact with them. We’ve been got a lot of good feedback on that.

Jeffrey Kelly -ATCC-: Regarding our staffing of all the vacancies that we’ve had. I’m very happy to report that we have only eight vacancies remaining in total right now. Two of those will be filled next week. Three more of those will be filled in about three weeks and then the remaining three. I don’t have dates yet, but I expect there will be fully staffed by the time we next meet. So I’d be surprised if all eight weren’t filled by the time we meet in February and worst case I think maybe seven of them would be filled but I fully expect we could be having all eight filled by the next time we meet so that’s really pretty terrific. We got 21 new positions in July and one of those positions that we had to hire for was our excellent. person who’s been really just instrumental in getting us to one board people so quickly from that point on.

Jeffrey Kelly -ATCC-: Yesterday the governor dropped his budget to the general assembly and I’m very happy to say that the allocation for the atcc was virtually what we asked for and it really does two things it gives us a lot of Hope for 2025 to be very smooth financially and actually see some great advancements in technology. We think we’re going to be able to improve our licensing systems that a lot of it will go online reducing the need for hard copies and mail so we’re really very excited about that and the beauty

Jeffrey Kelly -ATCC-: We’re only talking a little over five months away. Assuming the general assembly passes that so if you happen across any members of the general assembly in your passings given the thumbs up and the pat on the back and the encouraging words to pass our budget as it’s presented that would be wonderful. The second part of that is a deficiency request that we made for fy24 again, the idea that deficiency request is we’re asking for money this fiscal year to get us through this fiscal year that we didn’t have in our budget previously. The reason we didn’t have it is when we submitted last year’s this year’s budget fy24. It was last summer a year ago. It was in 22. We didn’t know we were going to be in a new spot. We didn’t know we’re gonna have rent and have to take care of ourselves. And so we’ve asked the generals as the governor’s office for help there. And again, he and his team were very generous with us and helping us get through this year. If the general assembly supports all of that. So again in passing when you get the opportunity if you get

Jeffrey Kelly -ATCC-: To the police encourage General Assembly to support the governor’s allocation for us that will be really very helpful for us. Another thing. I didn’t get into yet is just the amount of inspections. I started last month and I kind of want to keep up on that to let you know what inspections we conducted even though they didn’t necessarily want any further investigation.

Jeffrey Kelly -ATCC-: So regarding tobacco inspections, we inspected 188 locations and just to give you a sense of that we try to do about 125 a month. So we had a really good month. It’s a very robust month, especially considering a major holiday season and a lot of people taking leave. We still did an awful lot of inspections and for our year-to-day goal. We are at 74% our fiscal year today. We are at 74% of the total number of inspections. We wanted to do throughout the year. We’re already at just six months into the year. So just 50% of the way through with alcohol. We conducted 174 inspections which represents almost 59% of the total for our year. So again, it’s over 50% which is terrific.

00:25:00

Jeffrey Kelly -ATCC-: And regarding our cannabis inspections. We conducted a hundred eight of them last month and that puts us at 75% of what our annual inspection requirement is, so We’re Leaps and Bounds ahead of schedule and conducting these investigations and we think we’re making a positive impact and again just when we are required to do these inspections that lead to investigations. our agents are doing a really good job. You have a lot to be proud of what this crew that works here. That completes my report for the month Mr. Chair. Turn it back to you. Thank you.

Robert Poole: Yeah, after the meeting that we had earlier in January. I’d like to propose a quarterly in-person meeting. Obviously, there’s going to be some difficulties and these difficulties will attribute throughout the year? However, I would suggest that we at least try in order to develop rapport with each other and with others to have these meetings in person.

Elizabeth Buck: I think it’s a great idea.

Alan Silverstein: And we can do a combination of virtual and…

Eric: Yeah.

Alan Silverstein: in-person of somebody’s not able to join us. I support that idea, too. So we’ll leave it up to Mr. Kelly executive director Kelly and…

Robert Poole: EXC

Alan Silverstein: his staff to schedule.

Eric: But I have a question. Is there a way for us to ignitely? I’m in DC and then during the work day and it’s hard to get to Annapolis. But I really do want to see all of you good folks in if they’re away for us to work the schedule and actually fly for you all just some relatively recent news as of last week on the acting under Secretary of Commerce. for the US Department of Commerce, so it’s like I’m also going through a bit of a transition in terms of reading a federal agency these days, so I have some more kind of control over my time and I want to make sure that carving out time to make the fields be honestly and for us all have an opportunity to talk about these things in person, but I want to make sure that doesn’t conflict with any of the stuff that folks are telling you have to do here.

Alan Silverstein: Yeah, I think we can put a sample schedule together and see how we can work to best arrangements for everybody concerned and…

Eric: but

Eric: Okay.

Alan Silverstein: like I said, but we have to Virtual for somebody we can do that to.

Eric: Thank you.

Barbara a: if Eric

Alan Silverstein: Anybody else have any other new business?

Eric: Thanks.

Jeffrey Kelly -ATCC-: I’ll just if I could just adding on to all of this that’s not going to be a problem. we have the room for that and I spoke to one of our Incredibly bright colleagues today and just about having a blended hybrid person meeting when we may want to do that actually for some other meeting. I have next week. So very timely and he said he assured me that we’d be able to have the person and also a fairly good Virtual meeting blend if we need to do that, so we should be able to make that accommodation.

Eric: Perfect.

Alan Silverstein: Yeah, because we still want to be able to let everybody who’s interested come in and listen to the meeting because it is an open meeting. So All right.

Eric: Absolutely.

Alan Silverstein: All right, if there is no other business to conduct I take a motion for adjournment.

Robert Poole: A second it.

Alan Silverstein: I need a motion,…

Eric: commissioner

Alan Silverstein: please. Okay.

Robert Poole: 

Alan Silverstein: We have second but all those in favor signify by saying I propose same side motion carries. See you all next month.

Eric: Yeah.

Barbara a: Thank you.

Jeffrey Kelly -ATCC-: You all right.