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Office: 410-313-2001
ojones@howardcountymd.gov
3430 Court House Drive
Ellicott City, MD 21043
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It is with great enthusiasm and pride I was elected to be your Councilmember representing the viewpoints of the amazing people of the Second District of Howard County. I am honored to serve as your Councilmember and looking forward to following in the steps of your prior leaders by continuing their fine legacy of leadership. My focus is on enhancing education, assuring public and personal safety, and championing community vibrancy.
While these are our primary focus areas, my team and I are committed to partnering with you on so many different topics to make District Two the absolute best place to work and live! Working together, we can accomplish a lot and that means listening to your ideas, addressing your concerns, and building on your feedback. I look forward to our journey together!
In service and partnership,
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Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving may feel different for many across the county. As we continue to flatten the curve, I encourage families to start new traditions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has provided a list of ways to make your Thanksgiving safer, while connecting and celebrating with family and friends!
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Thanksgiving Holiday Schedule
Howard County Government offices, courts, animal shelter, Recreation and Parks’ community and athletic centers, activity rooms and historic sites, and the Alpha Ridge Landfill will be closed this Thursday, November 26th in observance of the Thanksgiving Day holiday. As there will be no curbside trash, recycling, yard trim or food scrap collection on Thanksgiving Day, the County’s holiday "slide” schedule will be in effect for the remainder of the week. County park gates will be open on the 26th; however, there will be no staff on duty. Additionally, the County’s 50+ centers remain closed at this time due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
County government offices, courts, historic sites and animal shelter will remain closed on Friday, November 27th; however, county parks and the Alpha Ridge Landfill (with modified operations) will re-open. Also, while Recreation & Parks community and athletic centers and activity rooms will be closed on the 27th to the general public, they will be open for scheduled special or permit-approved events that day.
The Regional Transportation Agency (RTA) buses will not run on Thanksgiving Day; they will resume a regular weekday schedule on Friday, November 27th. For more information on RTA services, call 1-800-270-9553 or visit www.transitrta.com. Also, parking fees will not be enforced on November 26th, but will be in effect on the 27th.
The 9-1-1 Center, Police and Fire departments remain staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For emergencies, call 9-1-1 and for non-emergencies, call 410-313-2200.
County operations will resume on Monday, November 30th at regular business hours. Please keep in mind, while most County Government buildings remain closed to the public at this time, several Recreation & Parks facilities and historic sites have reopened with limited hours.
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Department of Public Works Bureau of Environmental Services
Thanksgiving is one of six holidays that affects the County’s curbside trash, recycling, food scrap, and yard trim collection program.
The County’s holiday slide schedule will be in effect Thursday, November 26th as there will be no curbside collection on Thanksgiving Day. Thursday’s collection will slide to Friday and Friday to Saturday.
To view the County's holiday slide schedule website click here.
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County Executive will Host a Resident's Budget Hearing- December 9th
Howard County Executive Calvin Ball will hold his first Resident's Budget Hearing for the Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) budget cycle on Wednesday, December 9th at 6:00 PM. This year's budget hearing will be held virtually and can be watched live from the County Council's streaming website; the hearing will be listed under "Upcoming Events."
Beginning Wednesday, November 25th, residents will be able to sign-up ONLINE to speak at the hearing by going to www.howardcountymd.gov/budgettestimony. Speakers must sign-up individually, and one person may not sign-up for several testifiers. Additionally, individual testimony is limited to three minutes and group testimony is limited to five. Speakers who have a document or record they wish to submit with their testimony are asked to email the file to budgettestimony@howardcountymd.gov, with "BUDGET TESTIMONY" in the subject line.
From the same link, residents will also have the option to provide online budget testimony; however, residents are reminded that internet testimony is considered public information and, as such, is subject to the Maryland Public Information Act.
Earlier this month, the County Executive announced the launch of the Spending Affordability Advisory Committee (SAAC) for FY22 ahead of previous years to allow the committee more time to digest, discuss and offer constructive advice to the County amid the pandemic. The SAAC is a non-partisan body charged with providing policy advice to the County Executive on fiscal planning.
If you have any questions and/or problems registering for the Budget Hearing, please contact the Budget Office at 410-313-2077 (voice) or use Relay at 7-1-1, between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday.
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Howard County COVID-19 Rental Assistance and Eviction Prevention
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The second round of HoCo RISE rental assistance funding is currently available. This funding will provide an additional $800,000 in CARES Act funds to support residents in need of assistance to pay rent due to COVID-19.
For more information, please click here.
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Eviction Support
Howard County has provided funding for Maryland Legal Aid.
For more information on Maryland Legal Aid please visit www.mdlab.org.
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Eviction Prevention Grants
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Howard County received an additional $2 million in Community Development Block Grant funding to prevent evictions.
For more information, please click here.
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The Howard County Food Bank
The Community Action Council is available to assist with your nutritional needs during COVID-19.
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Recreation and Parks Update
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In response to rising COVID-19 cases, Howard County Recreation & Parks indoor programs and rentals will be limited to 10 or fewer people beginning Friday, November 27 at 5 PM.
All outdoor sports facilities, athletic fields, playgrounds, courts and skate parks are limited to 25 people or less. For sports participants, only one parent or guardian is allowed to be in attendance. Each parent or guardian must wear a mask and may not enter the playing field. All players and coaches must wear a mask when entering and exiting the park and field.
All sports tournaments have been cancelled.
The Worthington Dog Park will be limited to 25 visitors per field (the park has two fields). All visitors to the park must wear a mask at all times.
Our RecZone child care program and school-related services will operate with a 15 person limit per room and will follow strict COVID-19 guidelines from the CDC and Howard County Office of Child Care.
Please note that parks and facilities will remain open at this time. All programs subject to change will be posted online here.
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Wear a Mask
Wearing a face covering protects you and others in close proximity.
Governor Hogan's mask mandate is still in effect throughout the state.
Please continue to wear a face covering in public areas, and when it's not feasible to physically distance yourself from others.
If we all work together – even when we’re apart – we can keep one another safe!
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Where to Get Tested
Howard County is continuing to see a rise in COVID-19 cases.
The two drive-thru COVID-19 testing locations set up in the parking lots at the Elkridge and Savage fire stations are NOT being operated by the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services, but are operated by Quality First Urgent Care.
If you have any questions regarding testing at any location, please call the Howard County Health Department’s Coronavirus Information Line at (410) 313-6284.
For more information, please click here.
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On October 28th, members from our state delegation and I toured the revitalized Long Reach Village Center. It was a pleasure meeting local business owners!
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Saturday, December 5th, Oakland Mills will have donation boxes outside of The Other Barn (5851 Robert Oliver Place) to collect items for the Oakland Mills High School Food Pantry and the Columbia Community Cares Toy Drive.
The following items are some of the most urgent needs for the OMHS Food Pantry:
- Canned goods
- Packaged fruit
- Applesauce
- Juice
- Macaroni & cheese
- Soups
- Peanut butter
The Columbia Community Cares Toy Drive is looking for:
- Unused Toys
- Books
- Mittens
- Gloves
- Hats
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Happy Thanksgiving from all of us
at The Other Barn.
The Other Barn will be closed beginning Thursday, November 26th and will "reopen" at 9:00 AM on Monday, November 30th.
Please stay safe and enjoy your holiday.
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Giving Tuesday on December 1st
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Giving Tuesday was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good.
Giving Tuesday is a global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world.
Whether it’s making someone smile, helping a stranger, or assisting those in need -- every act of generosity counts!
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On December 12th the County Executive will host his 5th annual Toys for Tots Distribution at the Long Reach Village Center. If you are able, please consider purchasing a toy to help a local child in need.
Unwrapped gifts can be dropped off at any of our Toys for Tots boxes located at:
- Aida Bistro, 6741 Columbia Gateway Drive, Columbia
- George Howard Building Lobby, 3430 Courthouse Drive, Ellicott City
- HCPD Headquarters, 3410 Courthouse Drive, Ellicott City
- HCPD Southern District, 11226 Scaggsville Road, Laurel
- HCPD Community Outreach, 10741 Little Patuxent Parkway
- Long Reach Village Center, Stonehouse, 8775 Cloudleap Court, Columbia
Donations will be accepted through Friday, December 11th until 12 PM. Online contributions will be accepted via www.toysfortots.org.
If you have any questions or would like to volunteer, please contact Kim Pruim, Director of Constituent Services, via KPruim@howardcountymd.gov or by dialing (410) 313-3395.
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The Howard County Office on Aging and Independence is collecting new gifts (personal care items, socks, blanket throws, scarves, etc.) for low-income seniors who reside in assisted living facilities.
The Office of Children and Families is collecting new books and toys for families with children ages 0 to 5.
New, non-wrapped gift items can be dropped off through Monday, December 7th at the following three locations.
- Howard County Department of Community Resources and Services, 9830 Patuxent Woods Drive, Columbia 21046 (weekdays, 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM)
- Elkridge 50+ Center, 6540 Washington Boulevard, Elkridge 21075 (weekdays, 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM, ring bell for assistance)
- Ellicott City 50+ Center 9401 Frederick Road, Ellicott City 21042 (weekdays, 10:00 AM - 1:30 PM)
*Bins are located outside the front entrances of the three locations. To donate gift cards or make a financial contribution, please contact Tené Young at 410-313-5956.
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Second Round of HoCo RISE Business Grants
HoCo RISE Collaborative is accepting grant applications from new and existing applicants.
For more information, click here
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FREE Howard County Youth Suicide Prevention Training
Question, Persuade and Refer (QPR), are simple steps anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide.
KEY COMPONENTS COVERED IN TRAINING:
- How to Question, Persuade and Refer someone who could be suicidal
- How to get help for yourself or learn more about preventing suicide
- The common causes of suicidal behavior
- The warning signs of suicide
- How to get help for someone in crisis
FREE Online Training Courtesy of the Horizon Foundation
Date/Time: Monday, November 30th, from 6:30 - 8:30 PM
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Howard County's "Get it Done" Week!
Getting your affairs in order can be a gift, luckily it just got easier!
The Howard County Office on Aging and Independence, is co-hosting a virtual "Get it Done" Week, December 7th -11th.
Please register for these informational webinars and one-on-one sessions with financial, legal and health care experts who can help you get your future plans in place.
Experts will show you what to do and give you one-on-one help planning across a range of topics, including:
- Advance care planning
- Financial and long-term care insurance planning
- Caregiving
- Retirement living, assisted care, and housing options as you age
- Health insurance basics
- Conflict resolution
- Wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and estates
Making your plans just got easier than ever –– so let’s get it done!
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Columbia Association Childcare
Columbia Association (CA), offers full day childcare. For details and FAQs regarding childcare during distance learning, click here.
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HoCo By Design
Every 10 years, Howard County updates its visionary document that guides land use decisions. The County’s current general plan, PlanHoward2030, was adopted in 2012.
The HoCo By Design effort, led by the Department of Planning and Zoning (DPZ) and its consultant team, will result in a new general plan to reflect shifting demographics, regional growth, and changes to priorities and community goals.
DPZ invites you to visit this dynamic website often to receive HoCo By Design status updates and provide input into the planning process. This website will feature interactive tools so you can provide your feedback and stay connected even while physically distant. To learn more or to sign up to participate click here.
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In Need of Crisis Intervention?
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Grassroots is a private, non-profit agency that empowers people in crisis to make positive changes by offering professional 24-hour crisis intervention, shelter, and outreach services. They provide programs and services including 24-hour crisis intervention hotline, Maryland Crisis Hotline, Walk-in Counseling, Mobile Crisis Team, Suicide Prevention, Outreach and Education, a 33-bed Family Shelter, an 18-bed Men's Shelter, a Motel Shelter, Cold Weather Shelter, and a Day Resource Center. The Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center, Inc. is located at 6700 Freetown Road, Columbia, MD For more information, please call (410) 531-6006 or visit the Grassroots website. The 24-hour hotline is (410) 531-6677 and the MD Crisis Hotline is 1(800)422-0009.
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Need Help?
If you need help with depression, suicidal thoughts, or other serious mental health issues, please contact:
Grassroots Crisis Intervention: 410-531-6677
The Maryland Crisis Hotline: Dial 211 and then choose option 1
The Crisis Text Line: Text 741741 and a trained counselor will respond
The National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255
The Howard County Health Department: 410-313-6202
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Report Non-Emergency Issues Online
Report water main breaks, broken street signs, and more on Howard County's mobile app and website Tell HoCo.
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