Hall of Records Commission
Minutes

of a Meeting 
Electronic Classroom
12 Noon
October 31, 2000


Call to Order by the Chairman
Chirman Bell called the meeting to order at 12:18 p.m. with a bit of sad news.  The longtime Chairman of the Hall of Records Commission, Robert C. Murphy, passed away this morning at 2:00 a.m.  He was the the former Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals for 24 years.  He served with great distinction and was a friend to all of us.  A moment of silence was observed.

Dr. Papenfuse shared a letter of condolence he wrote to Mrs. Murphy this morning as follows:

"Over the past twenty-seven years that I have been at the Archives, whenever I had a tough problem to face or needed good advice, I could always turn to Bob.  Even in these last years of illness, he continued to express interest in the Archives and took the time to call last April when he was unable to attend the Hall of Records Commission meeting to which he had been invited.

"Without his good humor and steadfast support, we would not have the building or the archival program we have today.  I relish the exchanges he used to have with Louis, Bill James, Jack Lapides and more recently Mike Miller.  He had a gift of working well with everyone, but especially with those who at times strongly disagreed with him, forging alliances and compromises that more often than not proved beneficial to the courts and to the public at large. But far more important than all that to me, was being able to count on him as a mentor and friend.

"I know how painful a time this must be for you and the family, but at least his suffering is at an end, and he can rejoin Bob Sweeney for an eternal banter on the state of the world.  They should keep the heavens in stitches, and the thought of it should keep the rest of us smiling through the tears of our loss."

Attendees and Introduction of Special Guests
Chairman Bell welcomed Mr. James F. Getty, the Chief of Information Technology at the Department of General Services.  He also welcomed and thanked John Lyon, a volunteer at the Archives, who has done a great deal to assist the work of the Hall of Records Commission.  Mr. Lyon will give a demonstration later in the meeting.

Reports and Minutes of Previous Meetings

Records Retention and Disposal Schedules

Old Business

Archivist's Report & Staff Activities 
     (see the Maryland State Archives Bulldog for additional details)

Events of interest since the last meeting and forthcoming

Recent Acquisitions

Finding Aids, Reference Services, and Publications

Judge Bell asked for a motion for seeking additional funding for the Archives of Maryland series.  As no one would motion, this item was suspended.  He next asked for a motion of support for the request for the transfer of funds from the Board of Public Works to reimburse for the work already begun and to complete the State House Chronology and History web site.  At this time, Dr. Papenfuse asked staff to leave the meeting.

Ms. Kronk stated that she is a representative at the meeting and while she can participate in the conversation, Ms. Kronk questioned whether she can make a motion.  Dr. Papenfuse advised her that according to the law she can make a motion. Ms. Kronk said there may be others who have the same reticence to speak of.  Dr. Phillips said that as a representative he has concerns about getting involved in some of the policy issues where he feels he need not get involved and leaves it up to the experts to deal with.  Judge Bell stated that this puts the Commission at a real disadvantage to be able to act and make decisions.  He anticipates the representatives will be authorized to speak with a voice on all of the issues.

Secretary Richkus said that when Dr. Papenfuse is asking for specific support for some portions of the Archives budget, he is asking the members of the Commission to put themselves in a different role.  Dr. Papenfuse responded that the law requires the Commission members to comment on and support whatever is put forward in the budget.  Additionally, a detailed package including explicit information on the budget was mailed to the members in advance of the meeting.

Dr. Papenfuse presented the budget the he must defend as follows:

  • The budget as proposed by Budget and Management does not fund $126,000 in Archives' salaries currently being paid to civil service employees.  The consequences are that Dr. Papenfuse will have to fire three people and close the search room one day a week.
  • The budget does not fund the Archives of Maryland for full funding which means production will be cut in half.
  • The budget does not fund documenting ownership of the Potomac.
  • The budget does not fund upgrading communication lines between the Executive branch and the Internet.
  • The budget does not fund staff to manage and maintain the wide area communications web-based services to the Governor's Office, other state Agencies, and the Archives.
  • What Dr. Papenfuse asked the Commission members to approve are:
  • $126,000 be restored in existing salaries
  • $50,000 be restored to the Archives of Maryland
  • $238,744 be allocated from the emergency fund this year and laid out in subsequent years for the Potomac River project
  • That upgrading of communications in the Annapolis complex be approved and $150,000 be approved for advocacy purposes
  • Approximately $150,000 be restored for the management staff needed for the wide area network and management of web-based activities
  • In May, Dr. Papenfuse presented the total budget picture for all of these with the exception of the the research project.  What he was hoping for was a resolution that the Hall of Records Commission recognizes the implications of the budget reducations and and endorses the advocacy of the Archivist to include the funding as outlined in the Archives budget.  Ms. Kronk said Dr. Brody had a question about the $238,000 the she could not answer.  Dr. Brody is fully support of the Archives budget without that amount.  With all due respect, Ms. Kronk asked if it was appropriate to ask that this amount be separated so that she could make a motion.

    With the exception of the $238,000 which relates to litigation, Ms. Kronk motioned for approval of the budget as originally submitted.  The motion was seconded by Dr. Phillips and unanimously approved with discussion, the Chairman concurring.  At this time, Senator Miller left the meeting.

    Going back to the $238,000, Judge Bell stated that it is on the table as a proposal that stems from the Attorney General.  There seems to be some question about whether it is a worthwhile project, and Judge Bell asked the Commission members whether there was sentiment one way or the other to the $238,000.  Dr. Phillip said he was in favor of supporting the project and what had already been done.  However, he had a tremendous amount of concern about the $238,000 amount.  Dr. Phillips motioned to approve the project and money already spent and reevaluate the $238,000.  Judge Bell said if the project is not approved, it cannot go forward without the funds.  Mr. Kenderdine said that the Commission acknowledges the merit of the project, acknowledges the cost of the project and acknowledges that there is -- to its conclusion -- future costs, and that the Commission would endorse its full consideration by all parties concerned, including the Department of Budget and Management and the Attorney General's Office.

    Ms. Kronk motioned in support of the concept of the research, in support of the advocacy of the necessary funds to support the research, in support of the importance that the client make their wishes known and articulate that in some written form, but that the total cost of the project has to be reviewed in the normal budgetary way.  The motion was seconded by Dr. Phillips and unanimously approved the Chairman concurring.

    Dr. Papenfuse said he would like a couple of things studied.

    Dr. Phillips motioned for the establishment of a committee to look into from a legal standpoint the issues of ownership of the Hall of Records building and whether the Archives should have to pay rent and make recommendations to the Commission.  It was seconded by Ms. Kronk, opposed by Messrs. Heinfelden and Kenderdine and approved by the other members with the following comment from Secretary Richkus:
    Secretary Richkus noted that this proposed action was not included in the material forwarded to the members ahead of time.  Because of her position as landlady with responsibilities given to her by the Department of Budget and Management, and because Secretary Richkus and Dr. Papenfuse met with the Secretary of Budget and Management and had what Secretary Foster felt was resolution to these issues, and because Secretary Rickhus had her Attorneys General look at the issues, she felt it would be inappropriate for her to comment on support of the motion at this time.  It is Secretary Richkus' feeling that Dr. Papenfuse is drawing the members of the Commission into an operational matter in a way that may be better handled some other way, and suggested that the Archives budget committee form a committee.

    Education & Outreach

  • Courses in progress and to be taught by the State Archivist (see prior resolution on 4/19/2000):
  • Maryland History (Fall 2000, Johns Hopkins University)
  • Public History (Spring 2001, University of Maryland)
  • Seminar on Resources for the Study of Maryland Legal History jointly taught with Professor Garrett Power (Spring 2001, University of Maryland Law School)
  • What is History?, (Spring 2001, Johns Hopkins University MLA Program)
  • Judicial Institute, Maryland Legal History: The Colonial Period (April 19, 2001)
  • Administrative & Fiscal Matters

    Special Acknowledgments and Presentations

    Dr. Papenfuse acknowledged and recognized Judge Bell on receiving the Louis M. Brown award for providing leadership for many statewide initiatives to enhance the delivery of legal services, as well as to restore public trust and confidence in the Maryland System of Justice.

    Next meeting

    Spring meeting at the call of the Chair.

    Adjournment

    There being not further business to discuss, Dr. Phillips moved to adjourn the meeting at 2:15 p.m. which was seconded by Mr. Heinfelden and unanimously approved, the Chairman concurring.

    Dr. Edward C. Papenfuse
    State Archivist

    Maryland State Archives

    350 Rowe Boulevard
    Annapolis, Maryland 21401

    Email: If you have an Email account linked to your WEB browser, click here to activate your mail program to send an inquiry or message to me at archives@mdarchives.state.md.us or contact me at (410) 260-6403.

    © Copyright 1999 Maryland State Archives