Recently, I attended a number of events celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday and have been reading about the federal workers who are going through financial hardship because of the government shutdown. This quote from Martin Luther King Jr. seems appropriate for this week's newsletter: "Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?" In the spirit of Dr. King, let's all reach out to our fellow Howard Countians who may be living in precarious conditions right now and give them the helping hand that will keep them from falling behind. I have witnessed many acts of generosity from my fellow residents and know that we will rise to this occasion.
Deb
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The next County Council Issues Briefing will feature the following:
Business & Economic Development
When:
January 28, 2pm
Transportation & Public Safety
When:
February 4, 1pm
Both meetings will occur in the Banneker Room of the George Howard Building. Catch the livestream online.
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Howard County Delegation
Local Bills
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Howard County state delegation is deliberating on the following local topics during the 2019 General Assembly session.
- Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (APFO)
- School Redistricting
- Public Facilities Surcharge & School Construction Funding
- Authority to Impose Fees for Use of Disposable Bags
- Flood Control Standards
- Limit on Developer Contributions
- Property Tax Credits - Elderly Individuals
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The new council's first legislative public hearing took place January 22, 2019. We heard from residents and community leaders on CB3, CB4, CR3, and CR5.
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Issues Briefing Recap: Housing
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On January 7, the County Council heard housing advocates discuss affordability and homelessness issues. Here's a brief summary of the Howard County Housing Commission's policy and funding recommendations:
- Give the commission right of first refusal to purchase multifamily properties
- Make MIHU (Moderate Income Housing Unit) options county wide
- Create a Workforce and Equitable Housing Master Plan
- Use county land for affordable housing
- Dedicate $20 million funding source for housing opportunities
- Expand multi-family housing opportunities in the zoning code
- Support development of mixed income housing in Downtown Columbia
- Reduce county fee for workforce and affordable housing
- Amend APFO to better balance education and affordability
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County Executive Calvin Ball announced a second petition filed on January 23, 2019, with the Fourth Circuit, U.S. Court of Appeals over the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) approval of a BWI expansion plan.
The County, in its latest petition, argues there has been little regard in the FAA’s approval process for the negative impacts to the surrounding neighborhoods. It further claims the agency is not making its decisions based on current and accurate data related to noise levels and other disruptions.
If the County’s petition is successful, the FAA would be required to conduct additional noise studies before any expansion moves forward. That data would then also be used in discussions about the controversial NextGen flight paths.
“As a member of the BWI Roundtable representing the Howard County Council, I have heard firsthand from those who are impacted every day by the relentless noise and harmful air pollution caused by the NextGen flight patterns,” stated Councilmember Deb Jung. “It is time for the FAA to act responsibly and balance commercial air traffic needs with the health and safety of the affected communities. We are grateful to County Executive Ball in supporting the efforts of the BWI Roundtable and the community by taking decisive legal action.”
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Pre-Submission Meetings & Public Hearings
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Pre-submission meetings and public hearings in and around D-4 include
- Good Hope Presbyterian Church, conditional use, parking spaces, 2/11/19
- Clarksville Crossing, 9 units, 2/11/19
- Dar Al Taqwa, parking lot expansion, 2/12/19
- AJ Gill property, single family detached unit, 2/13/19
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A public information meeting will be held to solicit public input on the county's
Priority Letter
, an annual request to the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) for road and transit projects.
When:
January 29, 7 to 9pm
Where:
Columbia/Ellicott Room,
George Howard Building
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Impacted by the Federal Government Shutdown?
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Howard County government has prepared this resource sheet to assist furloughed federal workers.
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MIHU Information Workshop
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The Howard County Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) are now accepting applications for its Moderate Income Housing Unit (MIHU) program during its first open enrollment period of 2019.
Applications will be accepted through
Thursday, January 31
.
Click
here
for
more about the program and the application process
.
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Congratulations to the winners of the student essay contest in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King's words: “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
Middle school student winners are:
1st Place – Nehemiah Lewis, 6th grade, Harpers Choice
2nd Place – Teniola Taiwo, 6th grade, Murray Hill
3rd Place – Reema Ayache, 6th grade, Clarksville
High school student winners are:
1st Place – Allison Alston, 11th grade, Reservoir
2nd Place – Chimmuanya Iheanyi-Igwe, 12th grade, Howard
3rd Place – Amen Owusu, 10th grade, Wild Lake
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Potholes Be Gone
Got potholes and other repair requests? Report the problem and track the solution through
SeeClickFix
. Create a login, set your location, and rest assured that the county is working on it for you.
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Below are some of the events and meetings I have recently attended. Let me know about your community activities so I can stop by, if possible.
01/15
- BWI Roundtable
Meeting
01/16
- HC State Delegation Meeting
01/16
- County Exec Listening Session - Wilde Lake
01/17
- Downtown Columbia Walkability Meeting
01/19
- HC NAACP 5K Walk/Run
01/19
- Howard County Chinese School's celebration of the 2019 Lunar New Year
01/20
- MLK Celebration
01/21
- Earl & Mary T. Armiger Nutrition Center establishment at the Howard County Food Bank
01/23
- MACo education subcommittee and legislative meeting
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The
MLK holiday weekend
was a busy one with the Howard County official MLK ceremony, day of service at the Howard County Food Bank's new nutrition center, and the Chinese lunar New Year. This county has boundless energy and civic devotion.
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This Month's
Non-Profit
Spotlight
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Rebuilding Together Howard
Rebuilding Together Howard County, Formerly known as Christmas in April, was formed in 1992 when a group of committed Howard County Residents and businesses joined together to mobilize volunteers and provide free home repairs to low-income families in Howard County. For many of these home owners, these repairs were truly a gift.
Even though the organization's name has changed, the mission remains the same! They are still committed to improving the lives of the elderly, individuals with disabilities, veterans, and families with children; all homeowners in Howard County who have worked hard, but can no longer afford to keep up with repairs.
Today, the need is even greater in the midst of the difficult economic climate.
click
here
to learn more.
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The Mission of Bridges to Housing Stability is to provide a path to self-sufficiency. To prevent and end homelessness through affordable housing solutions and advocacy in Howard County, Maryland.
click
here
to learn more.
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Now thru February 4th
Chase away the winter blues at one of D4's fabulous restaurants.
Click
here
to see participating restaurants.
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Go Red Lunch & Learn
Just Living Advocac
y
February 1st
11am - 12:30pm
9770 Patuxent Woods Drive, Columbia
FREE Event
RSVP REQUIRED
click
here
to purchase tickets
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Rainbow Theatre Presents
Science Spectacular
February 5th - 10am
Slayton House Theatre
10400 Cross Fox Lane, Columbia
A show that focuses on the weather and experiments on air and matter. See things like vortex fog rings, bubbling potions, and clouds on the ground. Appropriate for all ages.
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Valentine's Day Masquerade Murder Mystery
February 14th
5430 Vantage Point Road
Columbia, MD
click
here for more tickets
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Voices of the Villages & HOAs
Am I missing anybody?
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