• Updating and strengthening our Forest Conservation Act by co-sponsoring and passing CB62-2019 and CR142-2019. This legislation takes significant steps to improve our forest conservation regulations, ensuring that the vast majority of reforestation is taking place on-site of new construction. Additionally, these updates implement stricter standards for reforestation and afforestation, increasing incentives to retain and replant trees in the same watershed.

• Reducing single-use plastics by co-introducing and passing CB64-2019, legislation to establish a 5-cent fee on disposable plastic bags. The average family in the United States uses roughly 1,500 plastic bags every year, yet very few of these bags end up being reused or recycled, and many end up in our streams, trees, oceans, and habitats. With this fee on plastic bags, Howard County joins dozens of jurisdictions that have taken this step toward a cleaner and more environmentally-conscious world.

• Increasing requirements for Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations in new developments by introducing and passing CB37-2019. Howard County law already requires EV stations for new developments based on the number of units being built. This bill requires that the number of stations is rounded up when there is an uneven number of charging stations planned.

• Generating essential school construction funds by introducing and passing CB42-2019, the first increase to the school facilities surcharge in 15 years. This surcharge is assessed on new development in Howard County and is expected to generate roughly $200 million for school construction over the next decade. CB42-2019 makes significant strides toward funding school construction and hopefully makes projects like the Hammond High School Renovation/Addition, the Talbott Springs Elementary School Replacement, and High School 13 possible in the near future.

• Advocating for educational equity during the Howard County Public School System’s redistricting process by introducing and passing CR112-2019. CR112 states the County Council’s support for closing achievement gaps and lawfully integrating our public schools by socioeconomic factors.

• Advocating for High School 13 by passing CR49-2019, CR121-2019, and CR145-2019. These resolutions approved the acquisition of the Mission Road land for High School 13 and conveyed that land to the Board of Education, keeping High School 13 on track.

• Repealing the Mobile Home Site Rental Tax by co-sponsoring and passing CB8-2019. This tax repeal provides financial relief to Howard County residents living in manufactured homes, who have paid a duplicative tax on their housing for years.

• Advocating for the Robinson Overlook affordable housing PILOT by passing CR97-2019, which will bring 48 mixed-income apartments to Howard County.

• Protecting District 3’s scenic roads by introducing and passing CB63-2019, legislation that expands protections for Howard County’s scenic roads. This legislation increases vegetative buffers along scenic roads in the Planned Service Area from 35 feet to 100 feet and adds accountability measures for project approval along these roads. District 3’s scenic roads are Murray Hill Road and Gorman Road.

• Repealing the Development Rights and Responsibilities Agreements (DRRAs) provision from the Howard County Code by introducing and passing CB39-2019. This legislation provides additional accountability in the development process, ensuring that future development projects are subject to the rules and regulations in place and go through the standard development process.

• Ensuring equal access to diaper-changing stations by introducing and passing CB14-2019, legislation that requires all newly-constructed or significantly-renovated buildings in Howard County to have diaper-changing stations accessible to parents of all genders.

• Working with the Complete Streets Implementation Team to write a Complete Streets policy, and then co-sponsoring and passing the policy as CR120-2019. Complete Streets policies focus on prioritizing various modes of transportation, such as bicycling, pedestrian travel, and public transit, when designing and constructing new infrastructure.

• Protecting students as they travel to and from school by introducing and passing CB18-2019, legislation authorizing the use of stop-arm cameras on Howard County school buses. These cameras are designed to catch drivers who illegally pass buses as they stop to pick up children, putting our students at risk.

• Advocated for critical funding for the Hammond High School Renovation and Addition, which received $12.5 million in County funding this year. I will continue advocating that Hammond remains a top priority in our capital budget moving forward.

• Requested funding for High School 13, which received $9 million in County funding this year. As our students continue to experience overcrowding in their high schools, building this additional high school is essential for our county.

• Advocated for funding for the Talbott Springs Elementary School Replacement, which received $9.5 million in County funding this year. County funding for Talbott Springs is now mostly complete, which will hopefully lead to construction in the near future.

• Requested funding for Savage Complete Streets, which received $260,000 in County funding this year. With this funding, the Department of Public Works was able to install a much-needed traffic circle and pedestrian improvements at the Foundry Street and Washington Street intersection this fall.

• Advocated for a crosswalk and pedestrian improvements on Vollmerhausen Road at the Aspenwood neighborhood, which was the site of a pedestrian injury several years ago. Andrew H, a District 3 constituent, highlighted this issue when I knocked on his door, and I’m pleased that these pedestrian improvements were installed this fall!

• Continued advocacy for the Guilford Road and Oakland Mills Road Intersection Improvements. This project has been fully funded in prior budgets, and Howard County Government is currently in the process of final land acquisition needed to install a traffic light and crosswalks. This intersection remains a top priority in 2020, and I will continue advocating for it to be completed as soon as possible.

• Requested continued funding for the East Columbia 50+ Center, which received $4.9 million in County funding this year. Located in Owen Brown, this facility is needed to meet the growing needs of our aging population in District 3 and across Howard County.

• Advocated for funding for the North Laurel Community Center Pool, which received $1.5 million in County funding this year. I’m hopeful that this long-awaited project will continue to receive funding in FY21, and I will continue advocating for it in the capital budget.

• Flooding and drainage problems
• Pedestrian safety and excessive speeding incidents
• Street lighting issues
• Potholes, road repaving, and intersection improvements
• Incidents of housing instability
• Trash dumping
• Trail maintenance
• Tree trimming, protection, and removal