Keeping Up with Christiana!
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Greetings!
Welcome to our July Newsletter! This month, the County Council is finishing up current business as we prepare for our August recess. During the month of August, the Council will not be holding any scheduled meetings, work sessions, or public hearings.
Councilman Opel Jones and I are continuing to work on our legislation creating a Racial Equity Task Force in Howard County, charged with developing county legislative recommendations to address the racial disparities in our community. The task force will establish workgroups with a specific focus on personal & public safety, inclusive land-use & housing policy, workforce & economic development, and public health & the environment.
If you would like to receive more information on the Task Force or receive updates on our efforts, please
send an email to me
to indicate your interest. You can find more information on this effort
here
.
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As we continue into the summer, 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 July!
Yours in service,
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Christiana Rigby
Councilwoman, District 3
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As COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases continue to increase in Howard County and across the country, I am closely following all updates on the local, state, and federal levels. To date, there are over 3,000 cases of COVID-19 in Howard County, and over 100 of our Howard County neighbors have lost their lives to this disease. This remains an incredibly challenging time for families across the nation, but I continue to be encouraged by the acts of kindness and generosity in our community.
Nationwide, we are seeing spikes in COVID-19 cases in different areas of the country, with cases increasing in over 35 states (including Maryland). While Howard County's coronavirus positivity rate remains low, we must be vigilant and continue to practice physical distancing at all times. Additionally, I strongly encourage you to wear a mask in public settings and when interacting with others, especially when indoors.
Howard County Government is working closely with the Howard County Health Department, Howard County General Hospital, and the Maryland Department of Health to ensure that our county has adequate response measures in place. For additional information and updates on our County's response to COVID-19, I encourage you to visit Howard County Government's COVID-19
website
.
If you or a family member think that you may have coronavirus, there are a number of free testing options available in our community. For additional information on testing locations and availability, please visit the Howard County Health Department's
website
.
Additionally, Howard County General Hospital is partnering with several congregations to sponsor free COVID-19 community testing, including this weekend. You can register for these testing events
here
and find more information in the flyer below:
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On July 6th, the County Council took action on several pieces of legislation that I introduced or co-sponsored, including:
- CB13-2020: the Affordable Housing Retention Act provides the Howard County Housing Commission with the right to purchase rental properties when they are put up for sale in Howard County. If a seller wants to avoid the right of first refusal process, they will have the option to maintain at least 20% of affordable units at the property up for sale. As we continue to have important conversations about housing equity in Howard County, this bill provides our county with an additional tool to maintain affordable housing opportunities across the County. The Council passed CB13-2020 in a 4-1 vote. Read more here. Introduced by Christiana Rigby. Co-sponsored by Opel Jones and Liz Walsh.
- CR99-2020: legislation reducing the terms for members of Howard County Boards and Commissions from 5 years to 3 years. This Charter amendment was recommended by County Administration with the goal of attracting a wide and more diverse pool of applicants to these critical county boards and commissions by reducing the term lengths. The Council passed CR99-2020 in a 5-0 vote. This Charter amendment is subject to approval by Howard County voters, which means that you will have the opportunity to vote on CR99 on your November 2020 ballot. Read more here. Introduced by Christiana Rigby and Opel Jones.
- CR104-2020: legislation amending the County Charter to prohibit employment discrimination by Howard County Government because of disability, color, national origin, immigration status, age, occupation, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, familial status, or personal appearance. The Council passed CR104-2020 in a 5-0 vote. This Charter amendment is subject to approval of Howard County voters, which means that you will have the opportunity to vote on CR104 on your November 2020 ballot. Read more here. Introduced by Christiana Rigby and Opel Jones.
- CB11-2020: legislation requiring that certain new buildings in Howard County meet bird-safe building design. This legislation will help reduce bird deaths in Howard County, while also encouraging more energy-efficient building design. The Council passed CB11-2020 in a 4-1 vote. Read more here. Introduced by Deb Jung. Co-sponsored by Christiana Rigby and Liz Walsh.
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This month, the County Council will be considering several pieces of legislation prior to our August recess. I was not the primary sponsor on any legislation in July, but have included some legislation of interest below:
- SAO1-FY2021: legislation returning $3.6 million from Howard County's Contingency Reserve back to the Department of Housing & Community Development budget. During the budget process, the Council took this funding away from the Housing Department and put it into the Contingency Reserve in a 3-2 vote, which I opposed. Without this funding, the Housing Department is unable to provide any programs or services to low- and moderate-income residents, which include rental assistance, home renovation assistance, and home repair assistance. This legislation would correct that error and return funding to the Housing Department. You can read more about the legislation here. Introduced by the Chairperson at the request of the County Executive.
- CB38-2020: legislation enabling the county to grant a personal property tax exemption for qualifying data centers that would like to locate in Howard County. This legislation was authorized by the Maryland General Assembly earlier this year. You can read more about the legislation here. Introduced by the Chairperson at the request of the County Executive.
- CR93-2020: legislation setting earlier dates for the establishment of the Councilmanic Redistricting Commission, which is responsible for re-drawing the County Council and Board of Education election districts following the 2020 decennial census. This legislation would enable the County Council to appoint the Commission at an earlier date to accommodate changes in the election schedule. If approved by the County Council, this resolution will be subject to Howard County voter approval on the November 2020 ballot. You can read more about the legislation here. Introduced by Deb Jung.
- CR94-2020: legislation restructuring the composition of the Councilmanic Redistricting Commission. There are several different proposals for the composition of the commission put forward by members of the Council. If approved by the County Council, this resolution will be subject to Howard County voter approval on the November 2020 ballot. You can read more about the legislation and proposed amendments here. Introduced by David Yungmann.
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Upcoming Council Meetings
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July 27, 9:30 AM - Legislative Work Session
July 29, 10:00 AM - Legislative Session
August: Council in Recess
August 27 - Legislative Pre-file (for September)
September 8, 7:00 PM - Legislative Session
September 14, 1:00 PM - Monthly Meeting
September 21, 7:00 PM - Legislative Public Hearing
September 24 - Legislative Pre-file (for October)
September 29, 9:30 AM - Legislative Work Session
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Please note: all County Council meetings and sessions are live-streamed and available to the public online. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 public health crisis,
residents wishing to testify on local legislation may do so virtually
(sign-up
here
24 hours in advance of hearings). Residents are also encouraged to submit written testimony to the County Council by emailing us at
CouncilMail@howardcountymd.gov
.
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District 3 Pre-Submission Meetings
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Name
: Savage Mill Subdivision
Address
: 8554 Fair Street, Savage
Mtg Date
: August 10, 2020 - 6:00 PM
Zoning
: R-H-ED, B-2
Acres
: 10.06
Units
: 0
Planned Use
: Open Space
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Community Initiatives and Updates
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Several weeks ago, the Downtown Columbia Partnership and the Howard Hughes Corp. announced that the fourth annual Books in Bloom festival would b
e held virtually from July 13 through August 20, 2020.
This year’s event will continue its tradition of activism through literature by encouraging open dialogue on themes of diversity, racism, inequality, and culture through the art of books. All programming and additional information is available online
here
.
Throughout the event, Books in Bloom will feature 12 different authors. On August 20th,
Robin DiAngelo
, author of
New York Times
bestseller
White Fragility
will close out the festival with a moderated discussion on her book.
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"HoCo By Design" General Plan
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Earlier this month, the County Council approved the General Plan guidelines to prepare the County for its General Plan update. The General Plan is Howard County's long-term plan, which is used as the basis for land-use decisions made by the Planning Board, County Council, and Zoning Board.
Have thoughts on the future of Howard County? We would like to hear from you!
Over the course of this 18-month process, Howard County residents will have the opportunity to participate throughout the process and offer feedback on the General Plan. If you would like to learn more about the upcoming planning process and register to participate, I encourage you to visit the HoCo By Design website
here
.
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Housing Opportunities Master Plan - Survey
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Howard County launched the Housing Opportunities Master Plan public survey for residents to complete online
here
.
The Housing Opportunities Master Plan will assess housing programs and policies in all County government departments and agencies to improve efficiency and effectiveness, identify ways to create and preserve housing opportunities for residents of all income levels, and provide metrics and timelines to measure progress towards achieving goals in the plan.
The
survey
will be used by the Housing Opportunities Master Plan Task Force
to assist in the development of recommendations for the Housing Opportunities Master Plan for Howard County. All responses to this survey are anonymous.
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Green Bin Composting Service
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Howard County Government is currently looking to expand their “Green Bin” composting service to additional communities in Howard County. This program reduces household trash, reduces greenhouse gases, and helps the planet!
District 3 residents who are interested in the “Green Bin” composting service in their community are encouraged to sign up and signal their interest in the Green Bin program
here
.
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As of July 21st, roughly 76% of Howard County households have responded to the Census. BUT, that still means 24% of Howard County households have not yet responded -- equal to about 78,000 uncounted Howard County residents!
Haven't completed the 2020 Census yet? It's quick, easy, and safe to fill out online and will bring federal resources to Howard County.
I encourage you to take 5 minutes and visit
my2020census.gov
to respond for your household today. If you have already completed the Census - thank you!
Please share the Census with three friends & family members and encourage them to get counted.
The deadline to complete the Census is October 31st.
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Outdoor Lighting Outage Reporting Tool
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BGE is pleased to announce to its online streetlight outage reporting tool that both makes reporting easier and provides more information back to the user. Users are now able to search for streetlights by visiting
BGE.com/streetlight
.
Once the light in question is located, the user can report the outage, or see if an outage has already been reported. They may then enter their contact information, receive a confirmation, and even sign up to receive updates on the status of repairs including diagnosis and estimated restoration time.
We hope that this street light outage map proves useful in assisting resident calls and allows them to take a proactive approach in helping BGE maintain its many streetlights!
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Virtual Assistance Portal
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Howard County Government has launched a Virtual Assistance Portal to help connect residents with disaster and emergency resources, including housing assistance, food assistance, employment assistance, utility assistance, and more.
You can visit the portal and learn more about the resources available
here
.
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HCPSS is offering free breakfast, lunch, and dinner to anyone age 18 & under and/or any HCPSS student through the summer months.
Participants will be given a Grab-N-Go snack, lunch and dinner for that day, as well as a Grab-N-Go breakfast for the following day. Friday distributions at school-based locations only also will include meals to sustain children through the weekend.
There is no application, enrollment, or fee for this program, so please share this information widely with our HCPSS community. Stop by any one of the 11 school sites or 3 community locations between 11:30am and 1:30pm to pick up meals.
More info here
.
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If you or a family member recently lost a job due to COVID-19, you can apply for unemployment insurance from the state of Maryland.
After a number of issues and long delays for MD residents applying for unemployment, the State has updated and streamlined their system for unemployment. You can find more information and apply for unemployment benefits
here
. You can also find more information on job opportunities and employment assistance from the Howard County Office of Workforce Development
here
.
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Business Resources and Assistance
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Howard County Economic Development Authority (HCEDA) has published a
resource page
for local businesses and employers looking for relief and assistance.
The State of Maryland is also offering several business grants, loans, and assistance programs. You can find the full info regarding state & federal resources for businesses
here
.
Maryland has received a federal designation as a Small Business Disaster Loan Area. Small businesses can
learn more and apply here
.
Howard County Government and
Economic Development Authority
have also launched the second phase of
business assistance grants
for childcare providers and hotels in Howard County. The deadline for these businesses to apply for these grants has been extended to Tuesday, July 31st, at midnight.
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Almost immediately after this pandemic impacted Maryland, Howard County resident Erika Strauss Chavarria created Columbia Community Cares to meet community needs.
With over 4,000 members on Facebook, Columbia Community Care is collecting and distributing donations of groceries, toiletries, and other items in need. You can learn more about how to donate, volunteer, or access resources
here
.
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Howard County Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD) is a group of community organizations focused on collecting and deploying resources during a local disaster.
If you are able to donate, are in need of
grocery/medicine delivery
, or are in need of a mask, please visit COAD's website
here
to learn more about their services.
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The goal of this coalition is to support Howard County nonprofits on the front-line of COVID-19 support, focusing on assisting with food security, housing, childcare and healthcare. To date, HoCoRespond has raised over $407,000 for Howard County's nonprofits.
You can learn more about HoCoRespond here
.
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Christiana 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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