Happy Wednesday. First and foremost, I want to let you know that County Executive Pittman has called on the Anne Arundel County Public School System to put a plan on the table to end the school bus driver shortages by providing drivers with competitive, livable wages. AACPS contracts with the bus companies to provide transportation for students, so the County Executive has asked AACPS to put together a plan as soon as possible that addresses the problem. To read the County Executive's full comments, click here or read it below.

Tomorrow at 10:30 a.m., we will hear directly from bus drivers on Facebook Live and the public access cable channels. If you are a school bus driver and want to have your voice heard, please email countyexecutive@aacounty.org to let us know, and we will send you a Zoom link that you can use to participate. We encourage everyone else to tune in and join County Executive Pittman in listening to our drivers. You can read the County Executive's full statement below.

 

This past Monday, the County Council passed a key piece of legislation that County Executive Pittman had put before them. For the first time, Anne Arundel County established a prevailing wage for county constructions contracts. This ensures contractors with government contracts offer a fair wage to workers. It promotes skilled labor, moderates income inequality, and reduces pay disparities across race and gender. Thank you to everyone who showed up to support this bill, and a big thank you to the council members that voted for it. 

Also, the County Executive introduced a bill to the County Council Monday night that will extend the temporary allowance for outdoor dining at restaurants through January 2023. This bill will help restaurants' bottom line by enabling residents who are more comfortable dining outside to still patronize their favorite local spot. 

A lot is going on, so be sure to check it all out, and please feel free to share this newsletter with your networks.

Sincerely,

“When I learned this morning that today we have 80 routes impacting 38 schools without bus service, and that many of the drivers at Annapolis Bus Company are continuing to stay home, I decided that we’ve done enough talking. Transportation is a fundamental obligation of Anne Arundel County Public Schools, and it must be provided.

Stay tuned. One thing I’ve learned in this job is that moving the bureaucracy is hard. But move it we will.”

The Anne Arundel County Department of Aging and Disabilities will recognize October as Residents' Rights Month. This is an annual event held each October focused on awareness of dignity, respect, and the value of long-term care residents.

Across the country, residents of nursing homes and assisted living homes, along with family members, ombudsmen, advocates, and others will honor the individual rights of long-term care residents. The theme for Residents' Rights Month 2021 is "Reclaiming My Rights, My Home, My Life", which acknowledges the impact of this past year on residents, and highlights the need for residents' rights to be recognized, recovered, and reasserted. It emphasizes the recognition of the long-term care facility as the residents' home, and the importance of residents reclaiming their own lives.

Read the full press release.

The Anne Arundel County Department of Aging and Disabilities announced its participation in National Disability Employment Awareness Month, an annual awareness campaign that takes place each October. The purpose of National Disability Employment Awareness Month is to educate about disability employment issues and celebrate the many and varied contributions of America's workers with disabilities. This year's theme is "America's Recovery: Powered by Inclusion."

Read the full press release.

Every year, the Commission on Disability Issues, in partnership with the Anne Arundel County Department of Aging and Disabilities, holds Disability Awareness Day to celebrate inclusion for individuals with disabilities. Disability Awareness Day is an opportunity for the Commission on Disability Issues to recognize businesses and organizations within Anne Arundel County that provide employment opportunities or other opportunities for individuals with disabilities in the categories of accessibility, accommodation, employment, and public service. Each year the Commission on Disability Issues recognizes an honoree.

Click here to learn more.

The Baltimore Regional Transportation Board (BRTB) has launched the planning process for Resilience 2050: Adapting to the Challenges of Tomorrow, the next long-range transportation plan (LRTP) for the Baltimore region.

The Baltimore region and our transportation system face a variety of both short- and long-term challenges. Responding to and overcoming issues such as a global pandemic, climate change, and cyber threats is vitally important. The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated how quickly challenges can arise that the region must respond to.

In light of these challenges, the BRTB selected the theme of resilience and adapting to the challenges of a changing tomorrow for this plan. The ability of our region to be resilient is necessary for the ongoing and effective performance of our transportation system, our environment, our economy, and our livelihoods.

Resilience 2050 will bring together the many jurisdictions and agencies involved in our transportation system, as well as key stakeholders and members of the public, to create a shared vision for transportation in the Baltimore region. The BRTB invites you to get involved in the process to develop this plan.

The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development announced that the Emergency Rental Assistance Program has approved $135 million to assist 15,000 renters affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Early projections show a continued positive trend with an estimated more than $50 million in assistance to be paid out in September.

Tenants and landlords in Anne Arundel County should visit acdsinc.org to get connected to rental assistance programs.

Click here to read the full press release.

Forever Maryland, in partnership with the Maryland Environmental Trust, a unit of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, is now accepting applications for the Keep Maryland Beautiful grants program.

Four different grants are being offered to help volunteer and nonprofit groups, communities, and land trusts support environmental education projects, litter removal, citizen stewardship, and solve natural resource issues in urban and rural areas. The deadline to apply for funding is Nov. 15, 2021. Awards will be announced in spring 2022.

Click here to view the full press release.

BGE is pledging $15 million to assist Maryland's small businesses with COVID-19 relief and recovery. Eligible businesses in BGE's service area can apply for a $20,000 BGE Energizing Small Business Grant. This grant program is part of BGE's comprehensive Customer Relief and Energy Infrastructure Investment Plan, designed to help the state's economic recovery from the pandemic.

Click here to learn more.

Residents can view a calendar of upcoming meetings in their area, review site plans and other documents, attend virtual meetings, watch previously recorded meetings, and provide public comments directly to the Office of Planning and Zoning - all through the new Community Meetings website. See a partial list of upcoming meetings below and click here for more details and to view the full calendar.

For media inquiries, please contact Jeff Amoros at examor21@aacounty.org