Greetings!

Welcome to my Legislative Newsletter, highlighting Council Resolutions and Council Bills proposed by the Howard County Council.
As your County Council representative, I encourage you to review this information and lend your voice by testifying via email or in person. To voice your support or opposition, please email councilmail@howardcountymd.gov. The next Legislative Session will be Monday, May 4th at 7:00 PM (meetings will be held in person and virtually). To sign-up in advance to testify, click here.
It is my pleasure to serve you, your family, and the residents of District 2. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact my office by calling (410) 313-2001 or by emailing ojones@howardcountymd.gov. I hope you will continue to stay engaged by visiting my council website at https://cc.howardcountymd.gov/Districts/District-2.

Sincerely,
The Process
The County Council is responsible for adopting the laws of the County. The legislative process generally follows a monthly cycle:

  • 1st Monday- New legislation is introduced; legislation from prior month is given final consideration
  • 3rd Monday- Legislative Public Hearing on legislation introduced that month
  • Following the Legislative Public Hearing a Legislative Work Session is held, if needed

Council Bills must be signed or vetoed by the County Executive within 10 days of the Council's presentation of passed legislation.
Howard County Council Appointments and County Council Election Results for 2022
Howard County Council Chairpersons
Chair: Councilmember Opel Jones, District 2
Vice-Chair: Councilmember Christiana Rigby, District 3

Zoning Board
Chair: Councilmember Deb Jung, District 4
Vice-Chair: Councilmember Liz Walsh, District 1

Board of License Commissioners
Chair: Councilmember David Yungmann, District 5
Vice-Chair: Councilmember Christiana Rigby, District 3

Maryland Association of Counties Legislative Committee
Representative: Councilmember Liz Walsh, District 1
     Alternate: Councilmember Deb Jung, District 4

National Associations of Counties
Representative: Councilmember Liz Walsh, District 1
      Alternate: Councilmember Deb Jung, District 4
Council-Related Legislation
Howard County Council Legislation

Unless otherwise noted, the following legislation is introduced by the Chairperson at the request of the County Executive.
Legislation for Introduction
Appointments

Council Resolution 31-2022 - A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Aide Abdallah to the Public Works Board (No expiration)

Council Resolution 32-2022 - A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Randy M Bell to the Public Works Board. (No expiration)

Council Resolution 33-2022 - A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Kimberly T. Davis to the Environmental Sustainability Board. (No expiration)

Council Resolution 34-2022 - A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Kimberlee Drake to the Environmental Sustainability Board. (No expiration)

Council Resolution 35-2022 - A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Melisha Harris to the Adult Public Guardianship Review Board. (No expiration)

Council Resolution 36-2022 - A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Trent Williams to the Advisory Board on Consumer Protection. (No expiration)

Reappointments

Council Resolution 37-2022 - A RESOLUTION confirming the reappointment of David Grabowski to the Recreation and Parks Board. (No expiration)

Council Resolution 38-2022 - A RESOLUTION confirming the reappointment of Mike Mitchell to the Howard County Local Children’s Board. (No expiration)

Council Resolution 39-2022 - A RESOLUTION confirming the reappointment of Jerome Rollerson to the Advisory Board on Consumer Protection. (No expiration)

Council Resolution 40-2022 - A RESOLUTION confirming the reappointment of Melissa Rosenberg to the Howard County Local Children’s Board. (No expiration)

Council Resolution 41-2022 - A RESOLUTION confirming the reappointment of Gabriel Terrasa, Esquire, to the Human Rights Commission. (No expiration)

Financial

Council Resolution 42-2022 - A RESOLUTION adopting Howard County’s Annual Action Plan for housing and community services to qualify for the receipt of federal Community Development Block Grant and Home Investment Partnership Program funds. (No expiration)

Council Resolution 43-2022 - A RESOLUTION endorsing and authorizing the Howard County Executive to file an application with the Maryland Transit Administration of the Maryland Department of Transportation for grants under the Federal Transit Act and certain State transportation grants; indicating certain endorsement by the County Executive; and requiring certain copies be sent to the Maryland Department of Transportation. (No expiration)

Council Bill 28-2022 - AN ACT pursuant to Section 612 of the Howard County Charter, approving a multi-year Agreement between Howard County, Maryland and ePlus Technology, Inc. for certain Voice Over IP (VOIP) and Webex services used by the County, authorizing the County Executive to make changes to the Agreement, under certain conditions; authorizing the County Executive to execute the Agreement; and generally relating to the Agreement. (Expires 6/13/22; 7/18/2022 if extended; or 8/22/22 if extended twice)

Council Bill 20-2022 - AN ACT pursuant to Section 612 of the Howard County Charter, approving a multi-year Agreement between Howard County, Maryland and ePlus Technology, Inc. for certain network architecture services used by the County, authorizing the County Executive to make changes to the Agreement, under certain conditions; authorizing the County Executive to execute the Agreement; and generally relating to the Agreement. (No expiration)

Council Bill 21-2022 - AN ACT pursuant to Section 612 of the Howard County Charter, approving a multi-year Agreement between Howard County, Maryland and ePlus Technology, Inc. for certain security used by the County, authorizing the County Executive to make changes to the Agreement, under certain conditions; authorizing the County Executive to execute the Agreement; and generally relating to the Agreement. (Expires 6/13/22; 7/18/2022 if extended; or 8/22/22 if extended twice)

Council Bill 22-2022 - AN ACT pursuant to Section 612 of the Howard County Charter, approving a multi-year Global Master Services Agreement between Howard County, Maryland and Automatic Data Processing, Inc. to process the County’s payroll for a term of three years with seven one-year renewal terms; 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. (Expires 6/13/22; 7/18/2022 if extended; or 8/22/22 if extended twice)

SAO4-FY2022 - AN ACT transferring $700,000 from the General Fund, Contingency Reserve to the Department of Public Works for unanticipated expenses related to snow removal. (Expires 6/13/22; 7/18/2022 if extended; or 8/22/22 if extended twice)

General

Council Bill 24-2022 - AN ACT changing references to the “Maryland Emergency Management Assistance Compact” to be the “Maryland Intrastate Emergency Management Assistance Compact” in accordance with recent changes in State law; removing the Compact from the County Code in order to reference State law; and generally related to emergency management. (Expires 6/13/22; 7/18/2022 if extended; or 8/22/22 if extended twice)

Council Bill 25-2022 - AN ACT amending the designee of certain Ex Officio members of the Local Behavioral Health Advisory Board; and generally related to the Local Behavioral Health Advisory Board. (Expires 6/13/22; 7/18/2022 if extended; or 8/22/22 if extended twice)

Council Bill 26-2022 – Introduced by Liz Walsh - AN ACT amending the Howard County Code to include building development or other development in the process for reserving land for public facilities; and generally relating to reserving land for public facilities. (Expires 6/13/22; 7/18/2022 if extended; or 8/22/22 if extended twice)

Council Bill 27-2022 ZRA200 – Introduced by David Yungmann - AN ACT amending the Howard County Zoning Regulations to permit Age-Restricted Adult Housing conditional uses in the B-1 (Business: Local) District in certain circumstances; and generally relating to Age-Restricted Adult Housings. (Expires 6/13/22; 7/18/2022 if extended; or 8/22/22 if extended twice)
Legislation for Final Consideration
Appointments

Council Resolution 23-2022 – A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Barbara L. Allen to the Local Behavioral Health Advisory Board. (No expiration)
My Vote: Yes
Status: Approved

Council Resolution 24-2022 - A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Nina Basu to the Human Rights Commission. (No expiration)
My Vote: Yes
Status: Approved

Council Resolution 25-2022 - A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Paloma Isabel León to the Board of Health. (No expiration)
My Vote: Yes
Status: Approved

Council Resolution 26-2022 – Introduced by the Chairperson - A RESOLUTION appointing Felita Phillips to the Board of Appeals of Howard County, Maryland, to fill a term ending on December 31, 2025. (No expiration)
My Vote: Yes
Status: Approved

Council Resolution 27-2022 - A RESOLUTION confirming the reappointment of Daniel Thomas Nairn to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission. (No expiration)
My Vote: Yes
Status: Approved

Council Resolution 28-2022 - A RESOLUTION confirming the reappointment of Jean Xu to the Public Ethics Commission. (No expiration)
My Vote: Yes
Status: Approved

Financial 

Council Bill 16-2022 - AN ACT establishing an Opioid Abatement Special Revenue Fund as a special, nonlapsing revenue fund, also known as a Local Abatement Fund, as provided in the State-Subdivision Agreement between the State of Maryland and Local Governments on Proceeds relating to the Settlement of Opioids Litigation; specifying the purposes, permitted uses, and nature of the fund; and generally related to finance, taxation, and budget. (Expires 5/16/22; 6/20/2022 if extended; or 7/25/22 if extended twice)
My Vote: Yes
Status: Passed as Amended

Council Bill 17-2022 - AN ORDINANCE authorizing the issuance, sale and delivery of up to $75,000,000 consolidated public improvement bonds, pursuant to a bond enabling law; providing that such bonds shall be general obligations of the County; authorizing the County Executive to specify, prescribe, determine, provide for or approve the final principal amounts, maturity schedules, interest rates and redemption provisions for such bonds, and other matters, details, forms, documents or procedures and to determine the method of sale of such bonds; providing for the disbursement of the proceeds of such bonds and for the levying of taxes to pay debt service on such bonds; and providing for and determining various matters in connection therewith. (Expires 5/16/22; 6/20/2022 if extended; or 7/25/22 if extended twice)
My Vote: Yes
Status: Passed as Amended

General 

Council Bill 18-2022 - AN ACT amending the time in which any person may file a complaint claiming to be aggrieved by an alleged unlawful act in violation of provisions related to unfair employment practices; and generally related to filing complaints alleging violations of the Human Rights provisions of the County Code. (Expires 5/16/22; 6/20/2022 if extended; or 7/25/22 if extended twice)
My Vote: Yes
Status: Passed

Council Resolution 29-2022 - A RESOLUTION approving the terms and conditions of a Payment in Lieu of Taxes Agreement by and between Howard County, Maryland and Patuxent LLC for property located at 6441 Freetown Road, 6333 Cedar Lane, and 6367 Cedar Lane in Columbia, Maryland, for purposes of Section 16.1103(e) of the Howard County Code. (No expiration)
My Vote: Yes
Status: Passed as Amended

Council Bill 19-2022 – Introduced by Christiana Rigby - AN ACT amending the Howard County Code to require that certain notice be given when residential infill construction occurs; and generally relating to notice of residential construction. (Expires 5/16/22; 6/20/2022 if extended; or 7/25/22 if extended twice)
My Vote: Yes
Status: Passed as Amended
Tabled Legislation

SAO3-FY2022 - AN ACT transferring $6,560,000 from the General Fund, Contingency Reserve to the Department of Housing and Community Development in order to move priority affordable housing communities forward and to further affordable housing initiatives. (Expires 4/18/22; 5/23/22 if extended; or 6/27/22 if extended twice.) TABLED 3/7/22
My Vote: Yes
Status: Removed from the Table and Passed as Amended

Council Bill 7-2022 (ZRA199) – Introduced by Liz Walsh - AN ACT amending the Howard County Zoning Regulations to require that Moderate Income Housing Units (MIHUs) be developed in the Planned Golf Course Community (PGCC) zoning district; and generally relating to Moderate Income Housing Units. (Expires 3/14/22; 4/18/22 if extended; or 5/23/22 if extended twice.) TABLED 2/7/22 / EXTENDED 3/7/22 / TABLED 3/7/22
My Vote: Yes
Status: Removed from the Table and Passed as Amended

Council Bill 8-2022 – Introduced by Liz Walsh - AN ACT amending the Howard County Code to require that Moderate Income Housing Units (MIHUs) be developed in the Planned Golf Course Community (PGCC) zoning district; and generally relating to Moderate Income Housing Units.  (Expires 3/14/22; 4/18/22 if extended; or 5/23/22 if extended twice.) TABLED 2/7/22 / EXTENDED 3/7/22 / TABLED 3/7/22
My Vote: Yes
Status: Removed from the Table and Passed

Council Bill 9-2022 – Introduced by Deb Jung - AN ACT to alter a duty of the Department of Planning and Zoning related to the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance; requiring certain developers to meet with the School System about school capacity solutions; and generally relating to the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance. TABLED 2/7/22 / EXTENDED 3/7/22 /TABLED 3/7/22
My Vote: Yes
Status: Removed from the Table and Passed as Amended
Upcoming Council Meetings
Unless otherwise noted, the County Council will hold its meetings in the Banneker Room of the George Howard Building, 3430 Court House Drive, Ellicott City, MD. Meetings will be held in-person and virtually. The next meetings are as follows:

  • Council Monthly Meeting: Wednesday, April 6th at 1 PM
  • Council Legislative Public Hearing: Monday, April 18th at 7 PM
  • Council Legislative Work Session: Monday, April 25th at 1 PM

Please note these dates are subject to change. To access the most up-to-date calendar of meetings in its entirety, click here.

Can't attend a meeting but still want to stay involved? You can stream the Council's sessions online and click on the meeting you would like to watch. The Council's sessions are also streamed in real time on this website.