Dear Friend,

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 [email protected]. The next Legislative Public Hearing will be Monday, November 16th at 7 PM off-site (meetings will be held virtually for the safety of all participants). To sign-up in advance to testify, click here.

It is my pleasure to serve you, your family, and 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 [email protected]. 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- Public hearing on legislation introduced that month
  • 4th Monday- Legislative work session, if needed

Council Bills must be signed or vetoed by the County Executive within 10 days of the Council's presentation of passed legislation.
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.
Howard County Council Appointments and County Council Election Results for 2020
Maryland Association of Counties Legislative Committee
Representative: Councilmember Rigby, District 3
     Alternate: Councilmember Jung, District 4

National Associations of Counties
Representative: Councilmember Rigby, District 3
      Alternate: Councilmember Jung, District 4

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

Zoning Board
Chair: Councilmember Dr. Opel Jones, District 2
Vice-Chair: Councilmember David Yungmann, District 5

Howard County Council Chairpersons
Chair: Councilmember Jung, District 4
Vice-Chair: Councilmember Walsh, District 1
Introduced Legislation
Appointments
Introduced by: Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Stacey A. Bisnette, to the Board of Health.

Introduced by: Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Patricia C. Branch to the Advisory Board on Consumer Protection.

Introduced by: Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Jennifer Broderick to the Board to Promote Self-Sufficiency.

Introduced by: Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Walter L. Davis to the Housing and Community Development Board.

Introduced by: Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Clarita Galindo Frazier Dawson, M.D. to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission.

Introduced by: Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Michael Garzon to the Board to Promote Self-Sufficiency.

Introduced by: Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Pam Lanman Guzzone to the Commission for Women. 

Introduced by: Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Victoria Burton Hathaway to the Commission on Aging.

Introduced by: Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of David C. Jordan, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, to the Pension Oversight Commission.

Introduced by: Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Melinda E. Kantsiper, M.D., to the Board of Health.

Introduced by: Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Andrea LeWinter to the Board of Directors of the Economic Development Authority.

Introduced by: Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Judi McCormick to the Advisory Board on Consumer Protection.

Introduced by: Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Jessica I. Nichols to the Commission for Women.

Introduced by: Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Jerome Rollerson to the Advisory Board on Consumer Protection.

Introduced by: Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of David B. Vess to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission.

Introduced by: Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Dr. Richard Weisenhoff to the Advisory Board on Consumer Protection.

Introduced by: Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Adelina Yoon to the Howard County Local Children’s Board.

Introduced by: Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the reappointment of Angela M. Boyter to the Commission on Aging.

Introduced by: Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the reappointment of Brad Closs to the Board to Promote Self-Sufficiency.

Introduced by: Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the reappointment of Stan Levi to the Board to Promote Self-Sufficiency.

Introduced by: Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the reappointment of Joseph Markwordt to the Public Ethics Commission.
Financial
Introduced by: Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
AN ACT transferring $644,475 from the Grant Fund, Contingency Reserve for a grant to the County to be used to replace older, non-emissions equipped dump trucks currently being used by the Department of Public Works.

Introduced by: Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
AN ACT transferring $502,264 from the Grant Fund, Contingency Reserve to the Department of Police for a grant to assist with Human Trafficking Prevention activities.

Introduced by: Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
AN ACT transferring $688,226 from the Grant Fund, Contingency Reserve to the Board of Elections for a COVD-19 Response Grant from the Center for Tech and Civil Life to ensure a safe and secure election during the COVID 19 health emergency.

Introduced by: Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
AN ACT transferring $2,506,018 from the Grant Fund, Contingency Reserve to the Department of Finance in order to receive a grant for COVID-related relief from the State of Maryland and declaring that this Act is an Emergency Bill necessary to meet a public emergency affecting life, health or property. 
General
Introduced by: Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
AN ACT requiring that all multiple-line telephone systems allow for the direct dial of 9-1-1; defining certain terms; authorizing certain inspections; providing for certain civil penalties; and generally relating to Telephone Access to the County’s 9-1-1 Emergency Telephone System.

Introduced by: Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
AN ACT amending and updating the duties of the Office on Aging and Independence and the Commission on Aging; updating terminology; and generally relating to the Older Howard Countians Act.

Introduced by: Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
AN ACT amending PlanHoward 2030, the general plan for Howard County, to include The Ellicott City Watershed Master Plan and recognizing that the Plan is a comprehensive, long-range document created by a community-driven vision for historic Ellicott City and the Tiber Branch Watershed; and generally relating to planning, zoning and land use in Howard County.

Introduced by: Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
AN ACT amending the Howard County Code in order to change the name of the Office of Purchasing to be the Office of Procurement and Contract Administration; amending the name of the Administrator accordingly; and generally related to the Office of Purchasing.

Introduced by: Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION pursuant to Section 4.104 of the Howard County Code, amending the Purchasing Manual in order to change the name of the Office of Purchasing to be the Office of Procurement and Contract Administration; to change the name of the Office Administrator accordingly; to make technical corrections; to update the Office’s Mission statement; and generally relating to the Howard County Purchasing Manual.

Introduced by: Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION pursuant to Section 4.201 of the Howard County Code, authorizing the County Executive’s sale of real property known as the “Flier Building” owned by Howard County, Maryland, containing approximately 2.159 acres, and located at 10750 Little Patuxent Parkway, Maryland; waiving the advertising and bidding requirements of Section 4.201 of the Howard County Code so that the property can be listed with Chartwell Enterprises; and 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: Council Member Opel Jones
AN ACT providing that County employees shall take, or refrain from taking, specified actions with respect to the immigration status of specified individuals; prohibiting certain discrimination based on immigration status; requiring that certain information related to citizenship status be kept confidential; providing a procedure whenever specified provisions may be preempted by other law; requiring specified officials to take actions under certain circumstances; and generally relating to human rights in Howard County.
Legislation for Final Consideration
APPOINTMENTS

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Lawrence Lewis III to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission.
My Vote: Yes
Status: Approved

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Lou Hutt to the Pension Oversight Commission.
My Vote: Yes
Status: Approved

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Wendell McKay to the Howard County
Local Children’s Board.
My Vote: Yes
Status: Approved

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Dr. Orlando Wright to the Local Behavioral Health Advisory Board.
My Vote: Yes
Status: Approved

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Lanlan Xu to the Howard County Local Children’s Board
My Vote: Yes
Status: Approved

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the reappointment of Syed Ahmad to the Board of Electrical Examiners.
My Vote: Yes
Status: Approved


FINANCIAL

Introduced by: Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
AN ACT transferring a total of $54,652,000 from C0214, Category Contingency Fund, to capital project C0364, New Cultural Center, for Fiscal Year 2021.
Tabled
 
Introduced by: Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
AN ACT reestablishing a tax credit against the County tax imposed on certain commercial or industrial real property located adjacent to Route 1 that is renovated, upgraded, or rehabilitated, under certain conditions; establishing the amount, terms, conditions, and duration of the credit; providing for an application procedure and administration of the credit; establishing a sunset provision; and generally relating to property tax credits.
My Vote: Yes
Status: Passed

Introduced by: Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
AN ACT pursuant to Section 612 of the Howard County Charter and Section 4.201A of the Howard County Code, approving the execution by Howard County, Maryland of one or more installment purchase agreements to finance the acquisition of land for a new elementary school in the Turf Valley neighborhood of Ellicott City, Maryland and the payment of any related costs in the aggregate maximum amount of $6,000,000.
My Vote: Yes
Status: Passed as Amended



GENERAL


Introduced by: Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
AN ACT adopting the 2020 National Electrical Code as the Electrical Code for Howard County; regulating the design, construction, alteration, improvement or modification to electrical equipment; adopting certain local amendments to the Electrical Code; making certain technical corrections; and generally relating to the electrical code in Howard County.
My Vote: Yes
Status: Passed as Amended

Introduced by: Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION pursuant to Title 5, Subtitle 3 of the Education Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland, approving the Howard County Board of Education’s Capital Budget Request for Fiscal Year 2022 and Capital Improvement Program Request for Fiscal Years 2023-2027 for the purpose of submission to the Interagency Commission on School Construction.
My Vote: Yes
Status: Passed as Amended

Introduced by: Chairperson Deb Jung
Co-sponsored by: Council Members Liz Walsh and David Yungmann
AN ACT requiring the County Executive to submit fiscal analyses for specified legislative items; specifying when a fiscal analysis must be submitted; and generally relating to the enactment of legislation.
My Vote: Yes
Status: Passed

Introduced by: Council Member Liz Walsh
AN ACT amending the Howard County Code to remove the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance’s exemption for Conditionally Exempt Residential Subdivision Plans; and generally relating to Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance Exemptions. 
My Vote: No
Status: Failed

Introduced by: Council Member David Yungmann
Co-sponsored by: Chairperson Deb Jung
AN ACT amending the Howard County Code to replace the recommendation requirement with an analysis requirement for the Department of Planning and Zoning’s Technical Staff Reports; and generally relating to Technical Staff Reports.
My Vote: Yes
Status: Passed as Amended

Introduced by: The Chair at the request of John P. McDaniel
AN ACT amending the Howard County Zoning Regulations to allow the merger of adjoining preservation parcels under specific conditions; and generally relating to preservation parcels.
My Vote: Yes
Status: Passed

Emergency Legislation:
CR175-2020
Introduced by: Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION calling the County Council of Howard County, Maryland into legislative session on a specified date.
My Vote: Yes
Status: Passed

Veto Override:
Introduced by: Council Member Liz Walsh
AN ACT prohibiting the Howard County Department of Corrections from accepting into its custody persons detained by federal immigration law enforcement agencies and housing those persons as they await disposition of exclusively immigration-related proceedings.
My Vote: No
Status: Failed

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. The next meetings are as follows:

  • Monday, November 9, 2020 - Monthly Meeting (Meetings will be held virtually for the safety of all participants)
  • Monday, November 16, 2020 - Legislative Public Hearing (Meetings will be held virtually for the safety of all participants)
  • Monday, November 23, 2020 - Legislative Work Session (Meetings will be held virtually for the safety of all participants)
  • Monday, December 7, 2020 - Legislative Session (Meetings will be held virtually for the safety of all participants)

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.