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HVBF Monthly Meeting - Facilities,
Security, Transportation Roundtable Host: Loyola College in Maryland Attending: Sam Almengor, Apex Professional Staffing Guests and prospective members Jack Lucas of ACS Security and Chris Serbeck and Bill Miller of Crest Lock Company were welcomed. Neill Quinn is a first time attendee from Liberty Property Trust. Bo Coale is a first time attendee from CB Richard Ellis. Jill Baker Smith is a prospective member from B B & T Bank. Roundtable Chairman Steve Roth introduced Kathy Robertson, Senior Buyer Analyst at B. G. & E Purchasing and Management Department. Kathy led our discussion on Reverse Auctions. At website www.msa.com under Products, Solutions, Services click on e-Sourcing Software. Here you will be able to follow Kathy’s presentation on a purchasing tool that has saved purchasers vast sums of money by allowing prospective vendors bid on goods and services. Only Internet access is needed for bidders to quote on specifications as detailed by the purchaser. There is no fee from the vendor. Kathy advised after the meeting that the purchaser pays the fee. This amounts to ½% of the value of the bid amount if you do all the work using www.freemarkets.com. The fee for a full service auction is 2% of the bid event. This purchasing tool establishes a market price for the products or services in real time. The savings are dramatic as bidders vie against each other to win the bid at the lowest price assuring a profit. There were many questions and comments during presentation. For more information about this service contact Kathy Robertson at BG & E at kathy.m.robertson@bge.com or 410-597-6370. Thanks to Steve Roth for bringing this informative program. Mark Robertson, Chairman of the Information Systems Roundtable pitched coming programs of that Roundtable. Many of the subjects would be of interest to facility and security management. Last week eMaryland Marketplace presented to this Roundtable a purchasing tool used by the State of Maryland for bids. There are some similarities to the bid process. More information on this can be found at www.emarylandmarketplace.com. Forum Chairman Rick Webb ran a video sans audio on the new look at Hunt Valley Towne Center. It looks good even without the sound. Reports: Capt. Mark Warren and Lt. Marty Lurz had schedule conflicts prohibiting their attendance today. Marty sends the following messages: “There's not much going on as far as thefts from buildings, etc., so we're hoping that the HVBF members are doing a good job in getting the word out to be aware of who is in their buildings and challenging those that they do no recognize. Keep up the good work. Some of the members may have noticed a lot of police activity in front of Chesapeake Cadillac this morning. Chesapeake Cadillac had found a suspicious package outside their front doors this morning...wrapped in brown paper with the notation (handwritten) of "danger" or "manager" on it. (The printing was difficult to read.) After considering all the possibilities, we decided to play it safe and have our Bomb Squad X-ray the package. X-rays were inconclusive, so we hit it with a water cannon to open the package. Inside the package, we found a collection of hood ornaments that had been stolen from cars on the lot. Apparently, someone's conscious got to them and they wanted to return the stolen property. There was NO bomb, NO explosives of any type. I know how rumors travel, so I just wanted to make sure that everyone knew the facts. We (Baltimore County Police Department) are again seeking names of interested persons for the 10 week Citizens' Academy that begins in mid-September 2003. This is an abbreviated overview of the training that Baltimore County Police Officers receive and gives a "view from the other side" on issues that ordinary citizens may have never seen or may not understand. The overwhelming majority of those who have attended really enjoy the program. Two of the participants nominated by me for the last class were Sue Shoul (member HVBF) of the State Highway Administration and Kristie McIntyre of the WQSR morning radio show "Rouse and Company". Nominees should be residents of Baltimore County (or minimally, work in Baltimore County) and have an active interest in promoting a good working relationship between businesses and the police department. Those interested can contact me at 410-887-1828 or email me at jlurz@co.ba.md.us." |