September 2023 Newsletter

Greetings!

Three years ago, the Howard County Department of Planning and Zoning began working on our General Plan, HoCo By Design. Since March of this year, the Council has been engaged in discussions about the plan. During this time, we have had eight work sessions, three public hearings with nearly 150 pieces of testimony, and countless conversations with County staff and my Council colleagues.

As we prepare to vote on HoCo By Design on October 2nd at 7:00 PM I wanted to share some of my amendments ahead of time. To view all of the amendments that have been posted, visit the County Council website. All amendments will be posted over the next few days as the amendment prefile deadline is Monday, September 25th.

The arts are an important element of the Savage community and Savage Mill. I have an amendment that includes the opportunity for incentives and expansion of arts and craftmanship to be considered for this area of Howard County.
The County currently has two quarry sites in operation, one of which exists along Route 1 in Jessup. Should one of those sites stop operating in the next 10-20 years, I have an amendment that allows for thoughtful consideration of that site's potential future reuse.
Another proposed change focuses on the Ecological Health chapter of HoCo By Design. It adds the Climate Action and Resiliency Plan to a list of plans that the County uses to guide growth, development, and conservation efforts. In addition, this amendment encourages focusing redevelopment on mixed use activity centers as a way to support our climate mitigation and adaptation goals through emissions reductions.
The Gateway Regional Activity Center is intended to be a place of growth and revitalization in the coming years. As the County embarks on developing a Master Plan for that region, I propose we ensure that measurable goals are established, and that school site identification is considered as part of that large scale planning effort.
Our County's housing crisis is especially dire for people experiencing low incomes. I have an amendment that ensures the County will be considering incentives for homeownership to be more feasible. It also includes the need to preserve affordable housing by establishing a zero net loss goal.
The Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (APFO) is intended to pace growth and development with public facilities, such as wastewater treatment, or schools. Unfortunately, this policy is not working for us in Howard County. Instead of ensuring adequate public facilities as the focus, I am proposing we replace APFO by creating an Exceptional Community Ordinance, which will allow us to address our challenges more directly and manageably.
This County thrives because of the incredible services and facilities it provides residents. In order to continue to offer excellent infrastructure, whether it is parks, roads, or water, we need to ensure that we can recruit and retain the County employees that are doing the work of operating and maintaining those features. This policy recognizes the important value that County employees bring and supports workforce stability within operations.
My transportation amendment has two parts, both of which are intended to make streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists. First, it will allow the County to pursue legislation at the State level that expands the current law around speed cameras close to schools. Second, it updates the description of the capital project to widen Snowden River Parkway, which was originally conceived in 2008, to reflect the current plans to develop a multi-use path instead.

Please note that some of these amendments are pending legal sufficiency from the County's Office of Law; however, in the spirit of the transparency, I thought it was important to share these amendments as soon as possible. Additionally, based on feedback we heard from Wednesday night's public hearing; I am continuing to work with my colleagues to finalize amendments.

Yours in service,

Christiana Rigby (she/her)

Councilwoman, District 3

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September 22, 2023

September Legislation

New legislation was introduced at the September 5th Legislative Session, including:

CB35-2023: An act authorizing step adjustments for purposes of pay equity, under certain conditions; requiring certain approvals by the Personnel Officer following an assessment and recommendation by the Human Resources Administrator; and generally relating to the rates of pay for County employees. Introduced by the Chairperson at the request of the County Executive.

CB36-2023: An act amending the Pay Plan for Howard County; providing pay scales for certain public safety employees that shall be effective January 1, 2024; to correct a scale that applies to members of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 143; and generally relating to the Pay Plan for Howard County. Introduced by the Chairperson at the request of the County Executive.

CB37-2023: An act removing the prohibition on owners of multiple residential properties from receiving the property tax credit for seniors and retired military personnel; and generally relating to property tax credits. Introduced by Councilmembers Deb Jung and David Yungmann.

The legislation will be up for a vote at the Council's Legislative Session on October 2nd at 7:00 PM.

VIEW COUNCIL LEGISLATION

TESTIFY AT A PUBLIC HEARING

VIEW COUNCIL CALENDAR

Community News, Events, and Updates

Reading Human Rights

Participate in a book discussion group hosted by the Office of Human Rights and Equity and the Howard County Library System on September 26th at 6:30 PM at the Elkridge Branch Library!

This month's discussion will focus on Laura Gomez's Inventing Latinos: A new Story of American Racism.

Registration is required for this event. Learn more at the Howard County Library System website.

HCPD's Youth Advisory Council

Encourage your high school student to apply for the Howard County Police Department's Youth Advisory Council (YAC).

The YAC provides students with a safe and engaging environment to interact with local law enforcement and an opportunity to earn community service hours.

Applications on due on September 29th. Apply on HCPD's website.

BikeAround Downtown

Join the Office of Transportation and the Downtown Columbia Partnership for the bi-annual BikeAround Downtown on October 1st.

The weekend of events includes a Block Party celebration on Sunday, October 1st from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM in the Merriweather District. Register in advance to get a free BikeAround shirt!

The course will be open and marked from 9:00 AM on Saturday morning to 6:00 PM on Sunday evening. Learn more, find course maps, and register at the Downtown Columbia Partnership's website.

Seeking Input for Sustainable Designation Renewal

The Department of Planning and Zoning is seeking input from North Laurel and Savage residents and business owners!

Our Department of Planning and Zoning has worked to secure sustainable community designations in Howard County. These designations help communities benefit from revitalization and sustainability efforts. The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) administers the Sustainable Communities Program. To keep the designation, the jurisdiction must submit a renewal application every five years.

DPZ is starting a community engagement effort as they head into the second renewal application. After receiving the designation in 2014, the North Laurel-Savage area has received over $1.5 million in State funding to support various projects. This includes upgrades to the Patuxent Branch Trail, signage from Savage Park to the North Laurel Community Center and City of Laurel, the installation of bike racks, renovations to Carroll Baldwin Hall, and park improvement to Baldwin Commons.

Residents, business owners, and stakeholders in the North Laurel-Savage area are encouraged to provide input for the application by taking their survey!

For more information, contact Victoria Olivier at volivier@howardcountymd.gov.

Savage 7K Run and 1-Mile Historic Walk

Support Carroll Baldwin Hall by participating in or volunteering for the Savage 7K Run and 1-Mile Historic Walk on October 22nd at 8:00 AM! Proceeds from the race will support renovations to the exterior masonry on Carroll Baldwin Hall.

Learn more about registering and volunteering at carrollbaldwinhall.org/savage7k.

Route 1 Tax Credit Program

The Department of Planning and Zoning is accepting applications for this year's Route 1 Tax Credit Program.

Commerical and industrial property owners along the Route 1 Corridor can apply to receive a tax credit of up to $100,000 per site for renovation projects that improve the appearance of their properties.

Learn more about the program and apply at the Route 1 Tax Credit Program website.

CAREAPP Howard County

Access over 2,500 Howard County programs for food, health, housing, transportation, education, employment assistance, and more all in one place with the new CAREAPP! The app allows users to contact and follow-up directly with an organization or department.

Download the app today by searching "CAREAPP Howard County" on any Apple or Android mobile device.

Learn more at findhcresources.org.

Construction Projects

Stay up to date on construction projects throughout Howard County by using the Construction Projects Map! The interactive map allows you to sort through active, on hold, and complete projects from Recreation & Parks and the Department of Public Works.

View the map using this link.

Christiana's Climate Corner

Welcome to Christiana's Climate Corner, where I will be sharing updates on environmental and sustainability efforts in Howard County, including information on legislation, events, and opportunities for you to support sustainability efforts in our community!

Green Bin Composting Expansion

Last week, I joined Howard County Executive Calvin Ball, the Bureau of Environmental Services, and our amazing Kings Contrivance community to announce the expansion of our Green Bin Composting services! This expansion was the result of advocacy from residents who worked together to gather support for the Green Bin. It is so exciting to see it finally come to life!

6,330 homes in Kings Contrivance (now including Huntington), Cherry Tree Park, Emerson, Hammond Village, Hunters Creek Farm, Jamestown Landing, North Laurel, Reservoir Overlook, Twin Oaks, Warfields Range, Wellington Farm, and Wincopia Farms are eligible to receive composting services.

Find out if you are eligible for composting services and sign up today at feedthegreenbin.org.