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, October 19th 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 Lou Hutt to the Pension Oversight Commission.

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

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

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

Introduced by: Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the reappointment of Syed Ahmad to the Board of Electrical Examiners.
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.

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.

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.
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.

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.

Introduced by: Councilmember Deb Jung
Co-sponsored by: Councilmembers 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.

Introduced by: Councilmember 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.

Introduced by: Councilmember David Yungmann
Co-sponsored by: Councilmember 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.

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.
Legislation for Final Consideration
APPOINTMENTS

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION appointing members to the Planning Advisory Committee to assist in the development of HoCo By Design, Howard County’s next General Plan.
My Vote: Yes
Status: Passed as amended

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Hunter Craig 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 Teresa Garcia 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 Larry Scott Hencshel to the Board of Directors of the Economic Development Authority.
My Vote: Yes
Status: Approved

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

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Eduardo Marin to the Recreation and Parks Board.
My Vote: Yes
Status: Approved

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Kimberly McCauley 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 Mike Mitchell 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 Daniel Thomas Nairn 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 Kelly Shalcosky-Proctor 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 Kelly L. Smith to the Board of Library Trustees.

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

REAPPOINTMENTS

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the reappointment of James
W. Brown to the Howard County Agricultural Land Preservation Board.
My Vote: Yes
Status: Approved

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the reappointment of Katie Collins-Ihrke to the Commission for Transitioning Students with Disabilities.
My Vote: Yes
Status: Approved

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the reappointment of Shahriar Etemadi to the Multimodal Transportation Board.
My Vote: Yes
Status: Approved

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the reappointment of Cynthia Gula to the Board of Directors of the Economic Development Authority.
My Vote: Yes
Status: Approved

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the reappointment of Wei Guo to the Commission on Aging.
My Vote: Yes
Status: Approved

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the reappointment of Patricia Warr Marshall to the Housing Commission.
My Vote: Yes
Status: Approved

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the reappointment of Judi Olinger to the Commission for Transitioning Students with Disabilities.
My Vote: Yes
Status: Approved

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the reappointment of Cynthia Parr to the Commission for Transitioning Students with Disabilities.
My Vote: Yes
Status: Approved

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the reappointment of Charles A. Phillips, Jr. to the Board of Directors of the Economic Development Authority.
My Vote: Yes
Status: Approved

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the reappointment of Steven
J. Plakitsis to the Adult Public Guardianship Review Board.
My Vote: Yes
Status: Approved

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the reappointment of Paul Rivers, to the Howard County Commission for Veterans and Military Families.
My Vote: Yes
Status: Approved

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the reappointment of Linda Skelton to the Housing and Community Development Board.
My Vote: Yes
Status: Approved

Introduced by: Councilmember Christiana Rigby
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Jennifer Bevan-Dangel to the Citizens’ Election Fund Commission.
My Vote: Yes
Status: Approved

FINANCIAL

Introduced by: Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
AN ORDINANCE authorizing the issuance, sale and delivery of up to $150,000,000 consolidated public improvement bonds and up to $50,000,000 metropolitan district bonds, pursuant to various bond enabling laws; 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.
My Vote: Yes
Status: Passed as amended

Introduced by: Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
AN ACT making emergency appropriations pursuant to Section 610(b) of the Howard County Charter and amending the Annual Budget and Appropriation for Fiscal Year 2021 in order to receive approximately $9,733,000 of additional State funding in the Board of Education’s Capital budget for Fiscal Year 2021; and declaring that this Act is an Emergency Bill necessary to meet a public emergency affecting life, health or property.
My Vote: Yes
Status: Passed as amended

Introduced by: Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION approving the inclusion of approximately $9,733,000 of additional State funding in the Board of Education’s Capital budget for Fiscal Year 2021; and generally relating to the Fiscal Year 2021 budget of the Board of Education.
My Vote: Yes
Status: Passed

Introduced by: Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION approving an application to the State of Maryland for funding under the Maryland Community Development Block Grant Program for funds awarded through the federal CARES Act; and authorizing certain actions necessary to carry out the intent of this Resolution.
My Vote: Yes
Status: Passed

GENERAL

Introduced by: Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
AN ACT authorizing the County Executive to award points under the Length of Service Awards Program for active service by Executive Order based on a declared state of emergency; and generally relating to the Length Of Service Award Program for volunteer firefighting/EMS personnel.
My Vote: Yes
Status: Passed

Introduced by: Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
AN ACT amending the Pay Plan for Howard County in order to add pay scales for Emergency Communications Supervisors, members of Local 3085 and members of Lodge 131; amending specialty pays applicable to Emergency Communication Supervisors and Police Lieutenants; providing for the application of certain pay schedules; and generally relating to the Pay Plan for Howard County.
My Vote: Yes
Status: Passed as amended

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 Human Rights to be the Office of Human Rights and Equity; and generally related to the Office of Human Rights.
My Vote: Yes
Status: Passed as amended

Introduced by: Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
AN ACT prohibiting parking in a bike lane; defining certain terms; and generally related to parking control in Howard County.
My Vote: Yes
Status: Passed

Introduced by: Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION approving a fine for parking in a bike lane.
My Vote: Yes
Status: Passed as amended

Introduced by: Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION authorizing the sale, for nominal consideration, of a Gas Chromatograph/Mass Spectrometer owned by Howard County to the Maryland State Police, Forensic Sciences Division.
My Vote: Yes
Status: Passed

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 to grant easements to Baltimore Gas and Electric Company so that BGE may place equipment on poles owned by the County in three locations in Ellicott City; waiving the advertising and bidding requirements of Section 4.201 of the Howard County Code; and providing that the County Executive is not bound to grant the easements if he finds that the property may have a further public use.
My Vote: Yes
Status: Passed as amended

Introduced by: Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION pursuant to Section 4.201 of the Howard County Code declaring that land containing 0.188 acres owned by Howard County, Maryland is no longer needed by the County for public purposes; authorizing the County Executive to convey, at no cost, fee simple title to the Property to the State of Maryland; waiving the advertising and bidding requirements of Section 4.201 of the Howard County Code; and providing that the County Executive is not bound to convey the Property if he finds that the County may have a use for the Property.
My Vote: Yes
Status: Passed

Introduced by: Councilmember Deb Jung
AN ACT to update a reference in the LEED green building rating system related to bird-friendly buildings; and generally relating to environmental design.
My Vote: Yes
Status: Passed

Introduced by: Councilmembers Opel Jones and Christiana Rigby
A RESOLUTION creating a Racial Equity Task Force to study racial inequities and disparities in Howard County and recommend legislative actions to close racial disparities in our community.
My Vote: Yes
Status: Passed as amended

Introduced by: Councilmember Liz Walsh
A Resolution declaring policy support by the Howard County Council for the “Fight For $15” Coalition, which successfully advocated for the passage and eventual enactment of a phased-in $15 per hour minimum wage for Marylanders, and for maintaining the first minimum wage phase-in as enacted, effective January 1, 2021.
My Vote: Yes
Status: Passed

Introduced by: Councilmember 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: Passed
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:

  • Tuesday, October 13, 2020 - Joint Meeting with Board of Ed (Meetings will be held virtually for the safety of all participants)
  • Tuesday, October 13, 2020 - Monthly Meeting (Meetings will be held virtually for the safety of all participants)
  • Monday, October 19, 2020 - Legislative Public Hearing (Meetings will be held virtually for the safety of all participants)
  • Friday, October 23, 2020 - Legislative Work 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.