Margery,

Happy New Year! I hope you and your families are settling into 2025 and ready to take on the new year.

Start your year by supporting Howard County's local restaurants!

Howard County Executive Ball and Visit Howard County announced the launch of Winter Restaurant and Craft Beverage Weeks. The event will span from January 20th through February 2nd and serves as an opportunity to recognize the variety of cuisines in our County.

In District 3, highlighted restaurants include the following:

• Lime and Salt Taco Bar
• Old Line Kitchen & Wine Bar

To view the full list of participating restaurants and menus, visit hocorestaurantweeks.com.

If you are a local restaurant owner and would like to be featured in Winter Restaurant and Craft Beverage Weeks, please visit the sign up website.

As we continue through the winter, 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. Have a wonderful January!

On January 7th, the County Council convened for our January Legislative Session. Several new pieces of legislation were introduced, including the following:

• CR161-2024: A resolution approving the urban renewal project for the Long Reach Village Center in Columbia pursuant to Section 13.1106 of the Howard County Code. Introduced by the Chairperson at the request of the County Executive.

• CR162-2024: A resolution declaring that certain real property containing approximately 7.71 acres located at 8775 Cloudleap Court, Columbia, Maryland and acquired by the County pursuant to the urban renewal project initiated by Council Resolution No. 22-2014 is no longer needed by the County for public purposes; authorizing the County Executive to sell the property to Columbia Concepts, LLC or its subsidiary; waiving the advertising and bidding requirements of Section 4.201 of the Howard County Code; providing that the County Executive is not bound to sell the property if he finds that it may have a further public use. Introduced by the Chairperson at the request of the County Executive.

• CB4-2025: An act pursuant to Section 612 of the Howard County Charter, approving a multiyear agreement between Howard County, Maryland and Montgomery County, Maryland for the extension of certain bus rapid transit systems to Downtown Columbia; authorizing the Executive to make changes to the agreement, under certain conditions; authorizing the County Executive to execute the agreement; and generally relating to the agreement. Introduced by the Chairperson at the County Executive.

Residents can offer testimony on the legislation at the upcoming Public Hearing on Tuesday, January 21st at 7:00 PM. This legislation will be up for a vote on Monday, February 3rd at 7:00 PM.

Gateway Master Plan

The Department of Planning and Zoning is hosting a public feedback meeting to present the preferred option for the Gateway Master Plan on Tuesday, January 21st from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM at the Recreation and Parks headquarters (7120 Oakland Mills Road in Columbia). Registration for the in-person meeting is preferred.

If you are unable to attend in-person, a virtual meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 22nd from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Registration is required to receive the Webex meeting link.

During both meetings, DPZ will present its preferred Gateway’s Master Plan option and community members will have the opportunity to review the proposed plan and share their thoughts on how the County can improve and build upon the area's existing features to create a lively, walkable community for all.

This master plan calls for the transformation of the Gateway business park into an Innovation District, a place where businesses, universities and government can collaborate and a welcoming space where residents, employees and visitors can come together. The introduction of the Gateway Master Plan preferred option marks the next phase in the plan’s initiative and builds upon insight from the Gateway Master Plan Advisory Committee and feedback from community members on Gateway’s future design and land use possibilities.

Lunar New Year

Join County Executive Ball, the Office of Human Rights & Equity, and the AAPI Commission to celebrate the Lunar New Year on Saturday, January 25th from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM at The Mall in Columbia, lower-level center court.

The event features live performances and interactive booths. Registration is not required.

Child Care Fair

The Office of Children and Families is hosting the Child Care Fair on Saturday, January 25th from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the East Columbia 50+ Center! This event provides parents, guardians and grandparents with “one stop shopping” for child care, preschool, school-age and summer programs, and an opportunity to connect with teachers and program directors. Registration for this event is encouraged.

If you are unable to attend the Child Care Fair or want to learn more about child care options, the Office of Children and Families is hosting a virtual workshop on Wednesday, January 22nd at 1:00 PM. Registration for this workshop is required.

International Holocaust Remembrance Day Workshop

The Office of Human Rights and Equity and Howard County Library System are hosting two workshops to mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau and honor the lives lost during the Holocaust. These workshops will be held on Monday, January 27th at 6:00 PM at the East Columbia Branch and Elkridge Branch Library. Participants can learn about the Stolpersteine projects and create their own handmade Stolpersteine-inspired stone.

Register to participate in one of these free workshops.

Community Forum on Howard County's Racial Equity Strategic Plan

The Office of Human Rights and Equity is hosting a hybrid listening and feedback forum on Thursday, January 30th at 6:00 PM at the George Howard Building in Ellicott City, to share and discuss the County's first Racial Equity Strategic Plan with residents.

For the last year, Howard County's Racial Equity Strategic Planning Team spoke with, met, and surveyed County staff and community members to help assess Howard County's perceptions of racial equity and identify barriers for access and participation.

The goal of all these interactions was to ultimately assist in the development of the County’s draft 2025-2028 Racial Equity Strategic Plan. Once complete, this plan will serve as a framework for organizational decision-making to ensure our services meet the needs of all county residents.

Register to participate! For questions and/or more information about the forum or plan, contact OHRE’s Equity Team at 410-313-6463 or email equity@howardcountymd.gov.

MIHU January Open Enrollment

The Department of Housing and Community Development is accepting applications for its Moderate-Income Housing Unit (MIHU) program January open enrollment period. DHCD’s MIHU is an inclusionary zoning program that offers quality new homes at reduced sale prices and rents to income eligible families

To purchase an MIHU home, people must apply to DHCD during an open enrollment period to be placed in the database. Applicants with a combined annual household income of a minimum of $55,000 are eligible to apply; applicants who do not meet this minimum amount are not eligible for this program. Additionally, applicants must meet credit score requirements and household income must be sufficient to qualify for a mortgage based on industry standards. More information about the MIHU homeownership program can be found on the DHCD website, by contacting the Department at 410-313-6318 (select option two) or emailing moderateincomehousing@howardcountymd.gov. 

To rent an MIHU unit, a qualified applicant’s household income may not exceed 60 percent of the Howard County median income. MIHUs are rented on a first-come, first-served basis, are interspersed throughout each community and residents enjoy the same amenities of community life as market rate tenants. Visit DHCD’s MIHU rental website for more information.

MIHU homeownership applications are available online and completed applications can be either submitted online, mailed to 9820 Patuxent Woods Drive, Suite 224, Columbia, MD, 21046, or dropped off at DHCD’s Patuxent Woods Drive office. Applications will be accepted through 4:00 PM on Friday, January 31st.

North Laurel Road Sidewalk and Water System Improvements

The Department of Public Works is hosting a Community Outreach Meeting on Monday, January 27th from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM in the Chesapeake Room at the North Laurel Community Center, to discuss plans to install a new sidewalk (Capital Project K-5063) and upgrade a portion of the water main (Capital Project W-8333) along North Laurel Road. 

Capital Project K-5063 aims to facilitate safer travel for local commuters, bicyclists and pedestrians to the Route 1 corridor by implementing pedestrian improvements along North Laurel Road, from Linville Avenue to US 1 southbound. Capital Project W-8333 funds an update to the existing water main along North Laurel Road, between Linville Avenue and southbound US 1, to improve the system’s strength and dependability.

More information about the meeting can be accessed on the Howard County Government website.

Transportation Open House

The Office of Transportation is hosting the second annual Transportation Open House on Thursday, January 30th from 4:30 PM to 7:30 PM at the North Laurel Community Center. This event incorporates the Active Transportation and Transportation Priorities Open Houses and includes additional topics areas of transportation safety, transit and regional planning, and roadway maintenance and operations. This open house event will also provide attendees with the opportunity to comment on the County's overall transportation priorities, approaches to solving common transportation challenges and specific projects.

Additionally, representatives from DPW’s Transportation & Special Projects Division will be on hand with information on the following projects: 

• Deep Run Community Pathway Connection to Mayfield Woods Middle School
• Elkridge Main Street CSX Pedestrian Underpass
• Elkridge Main Street Sidewalk    
• Guilford Road Pedestrian / Bicycle Improvements, Phase 1 (US 1 to Winterbrook Lane)
• Guilford Road Pedestrian / Bicycle Improvements, Phase 3 (Carroll Heights Avenue to Oakland Mills Road)
• Ilchester Road Sidewalk (Kerger Road to Ilchester Elementary School)
• MD 108 Shared Use Pathway (Red Branch Road to Summer Hollow Lane)
• Mellenbrook Road Sidewalk (Wild Bees Lane to MD 108)
• North Laurel Road Sidewalk Improvements (Linville Avenue to US 1)
• Old Annapolis Road Shared Use Pathway (Centennial Lane to Columbia Road)
• Old Montgomery Road at Brightfield Road Traffic Study
• Old Montgomery Road Shared Use Pathway (MD 108 to Brightfield Road)
• Patuxent Branch Trail Improvements
• South Entrance Trail
• US 1 Sidewalk (Laurel Park North Entrance to Seabiscuit)
• US 40 Center-Running Shared Use Pathway (St Johns Lane to Ridge Road)
• Whiskey Bottom Road Sidewalk Segment B (Harmony Lane to All Saints Road)

Learn more about the Transportation Open House by visiting the Office of Transportation website.

Building Electrification Update

Earlier this week, the Council held our January Monthly Meeting. At this meeting, we received an update from the Office of Community Sustainability and the Department of Inspections, Licenses, and Permits about Howard County's electrification efforts.

The Office of Community Sustainability shared their annual update on Howard County's Climate Action and Resiliency Plan (CARP).

As many of us know, 2024 was the world's warmest year, and with this comes more extreme weather and the need to diversify our energy sources. The CARP outlines two key emission goals - to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions 60 percent by 2030 and to become net zero by 2045. One strategy for achieving these goals is through building electrification and decarbonization. Howard County has made measurable progress towards these goals; since 2005 we have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 23 percent. Additionally, we have completed 94 percent of solar projects as part of the largest Power Purchase Agreement in Maryland. These projects will generate 50 percent of the County Government's electricity usage. The remaining projects are expected to be complete by the end of 2025. However, we must make greater emission reductions each year to reach net zero.

The Department of Inspections, Licenses, and Permits provided an update on their efforts towards new building electrification as a result of the passage of CB5-2023. When CB5 passed in March of 2023, it required the County to explore considerations needed to adopt an electrified building code. At the same time, the Department was heavily involved in updates to the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). Currently, the Department is evaluating the changes to the codes but has not yet formulated a final policy position. The Administration is aiming to submit legislation by June 2025.

With the start of the 2025 Maryland General Assembly Session, more climate and energy related bills are likely to be introduced. So far, some of the key pieces of legislation include the following:

• Reclaim Renewable Energy Act: (HB0220/SB0010) would end clean-energy subsidies for trash incineration
• RENEW Act: (HB0128/SB0149) would make polluters pay
• The Ratepayer Protection Act: (HB0419) STRIDE Reform would curb gas infrastructure spending

As the session progresses, more pieces of legislation will be introduced and voted on, giving us a clearer picture of the General Assembly's goals for energy and electrification.

Climate change remains one of the most pressing threats to our communities, and our work must continue to mitigate and prevent its impacts. Howard County has made significant progress towards electrification, and there is always a greater opportunity to expand upon our work.

The County is seeking members to serve on numerous Boards and Commissions. Below is a list of current openings:

• Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Commission – seeks one college/trade school commissioner to advise the County Executive on policy initiatives and issues affecting the AAPI community. 
• Cemetery Preservation Advisory Board – seeks up to three adult applicants who represent or work in the development-building industry, religious, or special interest in historic preservation or genealogy to review newly discovered cemeteries for County adoption and advise on historic cemetery resources. Two applicants may live outside Howard County.
• Design Advisory Panel – seeks up to two adult applicants with professional experience in urban planning and landscape architecture to review a variety of development plans, conditional use applications and design guidelines and encourage excellence in building architecture and site design.
• Historic Preservation Commission – seeks two adult applicants who live or own property in the Lawyers Hill Historic District or who have architectural experience or professional experience in the architectural field to review applications for alterations to historic structures, provide advice on historical resources and review applications for historic tax credits.
• Human Rights Commission – seeks two adult applicants interested in engaging and educating the community, studying and investigating human rights issues, proposing and improving policies on human rights, and interpreting and enforcing the Howard County Human Rights Code. 
• La Alianza Latina Commission – seeks four adult commissioners and one college/trade school commissioner to promote diversity, civility and address the concerns of Latino and immigrant communities.
• LGBTQIA+ Commission – seeks four adult commissioners and one college/trade school commissioner to advance policy and systemic change for persons who are in the LGBTQIA+ community.
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission – seeks four adult commissioners to help coordinate appropriate ceremonies and activities to honor the life and legacy of Dr. King. Appointed by the County Executive, Commission members serve an initial two-year term. 
• Opioid Restitution Fund Commission – seeks individuals or family members of an individual with an opioid use disorder, advocates or substance use disorder professionals that provide education, treatment or prevention services, certified peer recovery specialists, and a student representative under the age of 19 at the time of their appointment to help with reviewing and providing recommendations about the use of settlement and grant funds related to addressing opioid use disorders. 
• Planning Board – seeks one applicant who resides in Councilmanic District 5 and the Rural Conservation District or the Rural Residential District and has an interest in planning and zoning. 

If you are interested in learning more about these commissions and/or how to apply, visit the Boards and Commissions website.

• Energy and Utility Assistance
• Food Assistance from the Howard County Food Bank
• Emergency Broadband Assistance
• Volunteer Opportunities

• HCPD Daily Bulletin
• Interactive Map
• Unemployment Benefits from the State of Maryland
• Maryland Vaccine Locator

There is one community pre-submission meeting scheduled in District 3.

Name: Maryland Food Center Authority Dorsey Run - Stream Restoration

Sign Year: 25

Project Request: Stream Restoration

Acres: 30.08

Meeting Date: Wednesday, February 5, 2025 at 6:00 PM

Meeting Address: Maryland Food Center Authority, 7801 Oceano Ave, Jessup, MD 20794

Christiana Rigby

Councilwoman, District 3

crigby@howardcountymd.gov

410-313-2001

Colette Gelwicks

Chief of Staff

cgelwicks@howardcountymd.gov

410-313-2421