HVBF Monthly Meeting - Facilities, Security, Transportation Roundtable
Wednesday, December 12, 2002, 8:30 AM - 9:30 AM

Host:

The Conference Center at Executive Plaza

Wayne O. Bender, United States Postal Service
Clare Berrang, MacKenzie / ONCOR,
Bob Carey, PDP Group Inc
Gary Cheatom, Marriott Courtyard Hunt Valley
Al Copp, Woodhall Wine Cellars
Bobby Feeser, PDP Group Inc
Susan Fine, PDP Group Inc
John Hart, URS
John Huff, Brooks Huff Tire & Auto Center
Thomas Kiefer, KCI Technologies
Steve O’Connor, TESST, College of Technology
Patricia Rasinski, McCormick & Company
Mark Robertson, NuTec Design Associates
Stephen Roth, Baltimore Gas & Electric Co
Nicole Sanchez, PDP Group Inc
Ketch Secor, CB Richard Ellis Inc
Bob Steffey, State Highway Administration
Robert Taylor, AAI
Rick Webb, Atlantic Financial Federal Credit Union
Gail Williams, McCormick & Company

Linda Shaneor of Hill Management welcomed us to the Conference Center at Executive Plaza. What a great meeting facility! The room is equipped with a thirty-seven foot conference table that will accommodate more than forty persons in very comfortable executive chairs. A fireplace, patio and audio/visual support complete the picture. It is available. Call Linda at 410-785-7770 for more information. Linda also provided the light breakfast. Holiday tree decorations were given to all who attended, courtesy of Hill Management.

Clare Berrang introduced Shawn Moffitt, Postal Inspector, of the United States Postal Inspection Service. The Service deals with illegal activities conducted through the mail. These include mail fraud, theft, dangerous substances sent through the mail and identity theft that has become of major concern.

Shawn pointed out that the focus of identity theft is the affluent rural resident. The thief looks for mailboxes that are not visible from the residence. After the carrier leaves mail, it is checked for credit card applications. The thief then completes these applications and mails them to the credit card company. The thief then monitors the mailbox until the credit cards arrive. They are then used to steal cash advances from the account. Some hints; remove your mail promptly from your mailbox; shred all unwanted credit card applications or any other mail that carries account numbers. Do not put this mail in the trash because trash dumps are also a source for these applications.

Do request a personal credit check annually to review your account and look for unauthorized credit card activity.

Shawn then covered mail security from bombs to anthrax. Suspicious packages may have some of the following characteristics:
Restrictive endorsements such as “Personal”, “For (your name) Only”.
There may be no return address or it may be fictitious.
The postmark may be different from the return address.
Excess postage
Wires protruding
Unfamiliar smell
Irregular shape
If something appears suspicious, take the simple step to contact the sender to see if the mailing is authentic.

Weapons grade anthrax was probably spread by the postal distribution procedures processing mail through pressure rollers that could have squeezed the cloud like particles out of the contaminated envelope to any other envelope it touched.

For more information, you can contact Shawn at 410-347-4386 or email smoffitt@uspis.gov. The website for the postal service is www.usps.com.

Wayne Bender, postmaster at the Cockeysville/Hunt Valley branch, was welcomed as an invited guest member of the Forum. Wayne introduced himself and commented on services at the branch. We look forward to regular monthly reports from Wayne or his representative. The branch will be listed on our website under United States Postal Service.

There was no report from Precinct 7 this month.

Bob Steffey from State Highway Administration reports the SHA and the Office of the County Executive will meet soon to determine road priorities with the limited resources available.

Have a great and safe Christmas and a happy New Year.