Keeping Up with Christiana!
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Greetings!
Welcome to our December Newsletter! This month, the County Council is in its Legislative Recess as we prepare for the year ahead. As we head toward the holidays, please be aware that Howard County Government offices will be closed on December 25th, which means that the
slide schedule
will be in effect for trash, recycling, yard-trim, and food scraps.
There are a number of holiday events and celebrations taking place over the month of December, including Howard County's
Kwanzaa celebration
on December 26th. You can find the full list of upcoming community events below.
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As we continue into the winter season, please don't hesitate to contact my office if you are experiencing any issues in your community or would just like to get in touch. We are here to help with your concerns and listen to your feedback. Wishing you a safe, happy, and healthy holiday!
Yours in service,
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Christiana Rigby
Councilwoman, District 3
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November Legislative Highlights
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I was proud to pass several pieces of legislation with my colleagues at our legislative session on December 2nd, including several major environmental bills:
- CB62-2019: legislation updating Howard County's Forest Conservation Act. As Howard County continues to build out, one of my greatest concerns is that we have been paving over the East and planting over the West of the county. This update to the Forest Conservation Act takes significant steps to correct this disparity, 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. Introduced by the Chairperson at the request of the County Executive. Co-sponsored by Christiana Rigby, Opel Jones, Deb Jung, and Liz Walsh.
- CB63-2019: legislation updating Howard County's scenic roads requirements, which expands natural buffers along scenic roads and adds accountability measures for project approval along these roads. This legislation increases vegetative buffers along scenic roads in the Planned Service Area from 35 feet to 100 feet. District 3 is home to several scenic roads that will benefit significantly from these increased protections. Introduced by Liz Walsh, Deb Jung, and Christiana Rigby.
- CB64-2019: legislation establishing a 5-cent fee on disposable plastic bag use in Howard County. 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 bag, Howard County joins dozens of jurisdictions that have taken this step toward a cleaner and more environmentally-conscious world. Introduced by Opel Jones and Christiana Rigby.
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December: Council is in Recess
Jan. 6, 7:00pm Legislative Session
Jan. 13, 9:30am Joint Meeting with the Board of Ed.
Jan. 13, 1:00pm Monthly Meeting
Jan. 21, 7:00pm Public Hearing
Jan. 27, 9:30am Work Session
Feb. 3, 7:00pm Legislative Session
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Following the December 2nd Legislative Session, the County Council held its annual leadership elections to select new officers for Council positions. This upcoming year, I will be serving as the County Council's representative to the Maryland Association of Counties (MACo) in Annapolis. As the Council's MACo representative, I will be advocating on behalf of the County Council on state bills before the Maryland General Assembly.
As my term as Chair of the County Council comes to a close, I am incredibly grateful for the trust that my colleagues and our staff placed in me as Chair over the last year. Leading the body through its first year was an invaluable experience, and I am looking forward to enjoying the next year without a gavel!
The full list of new leadership appointments are detailed below:
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Council Chairperson
Deb Jung
Council Vice-Chair
Liz Walsh
Zoning Board Chairperson
Opel Jones
Zoning Board Vice-Chair
David Yungmann
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Liquor Board Chairperson
David Yungmann
Liquor Board Vice-Chair
Christiana Rigby
MACo Committee Rep.
Christiana Rigby
NACo Committee Rep.
Christiana Rigby
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Upcoming Community Events
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If there are any community events that you would like us to include in upcoming newsletters, please email
ffacchine@howardcountymd.gov
with the event information.
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Upcoming District 3 Pre-Submission Meetings
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Name
: Billy Goat Subdivision
Address
: 8763 Mission Road
Mtg Date
: January 2, 2019 at 6:00pm
Mtg Location
: Howard County Library, Savage Branch
Zoning
: R-12
Acres
: 2.29
Units
: 3
Planned Use
: Residential
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Christiana Mercer Rigby
Councilwoman, District 3
crigby@howardcountymd.gov
410-313-2001
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Colette Gelwicks
Special Assistant
cgelwicks@howardcountymd.gov
410-313-2421
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Felix Facchine
District Aide
ffacchine@howardcountymd.gov
410-313-3108
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Please feel free to contact us by email or phone. Plus, you can stay up-to-date with Christiana by following us on social media, where we post daily updates on events, county news, legislative priorities, and Christiana's activity! Don't miss out on any District 3 news!
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