Dear Community Leaders and Members of Anne Arundel County,

Happy Tuesday, I hope that you are safe and healthy and that you enjoyed a special Mothers Day at home this weekend.

Last week, Governor Larry Hogan announced that certain outdoor activities could now be permitted under the Stay at Home Order. In response, the Department of Recreation and Parks has opened Compass Pointe golf course. Recreational boating and tennis are now permitted as well - as long as they can be done safely. Golfers, boaters, and tennis players must follow current social distancing requirements.

Other public county spaces mentioned in the Governor's order (sports fields, dog parks, beaches & playgrounds) remain closed until a time when Anne Arundel County Department of Health has deemed them safe for use. HERE is a good resource that shows what is open and closed in our county parks at this time.

Communities that are deciding whether or not to open their community-owned facilities (other than playgrounds, which remain closed) in light of the Governor's recent order need to ensure that (a) the activity is allowed under the Governor's stay at home order , which is is still in affect, and (b) the activity takes place following all social distancing guidelines.

If you would like to receive regular updates and information regarding COVID-19 directly to your phone, please text the keyword JOIN COVID to 30890. Please share this important resource with your neighbors and community list serves.

Please read through this email for other important updates, including ones about tonight's Building Back Better program and an informational meeting on how fire department staffing decisions are made that is scheduled for tomorrow. We hope you have a great week!

Sincerely,



James Kitchin

Office of the County Executive

Director, CECS

County Executive Pittman Solicits Applicants for Newly-Formed Immigrant Affairs Commission

We are still looking for people to apply to be on the newly-created Immigrant Affairs Commission. If you, or someone you know, are interested in serving on this important commission please apply HERE .

You can read the full press release about the creation of the commission HERE .

Building Back Better with County Executive Steuart Pittman

This is a reminder that the County Executive's weekly program addressing the coronavirus pandemic is now on Tuesday evenings at 6 p.m. and focusses on how we are positioning ourselves to Build Back Better. Tonight's program focusses on housing.

You can watch Building Back Better with the County Executive and his guests on the following platforms:

If you missed last week's installment that focussed on preventing hunger in Anne Arundel County you can watch it below.

Informational Meeting on Fire Station Staffing Decisions

Join Anne Arundel County Fire Department Chief Trisha Wolford and County Executive Steuart Pittman tomorrow (Wednesday, May 13) at 6 p.m. to learn how our fire station staffing decisions are made.

Chief Wolford will give a presentation highlighting this information and discuss staffing at the Riva Volunteer Fire Department as an example. Submit your questions for us during the event by making a comment in the livestream or via email to Vincent Moulden, Community Engagement Officer, at [email protected] .

You can watch this informational meeting on the following platforms:

Submit County Council Testimony Online & Attend Virtual Meetings

The County Council is now conducting virtual legislative sessions to hear and vote on legislation postponed due the COVID-19 health crisis and introduce other necessary legislation. Meetings will be held on Mondays in May, except for Tuesday, May 26, and will start at 7:00 p.m. The full schedule is available  HERE . 

Instructions on how to submit public comment on a specific piece of legislation or to submit remarks on subjects other than bills and resolutions currently listed on the schedule can be found HERE.

The following bills are scheduled to have a hearing next Monday, May 18:

There will also be a virtual public hearing on the proposed FY21 budget on Wednesday, May 20 at 6 p.m. You can read more details about that hearing HERE.

Administrative Hearings to Hold Virtual Hearings Starting May 19

In light of the coronavirus pandemic, Administrative Hearings will NOT be held at the Arundel Center during this time. They will be conducted over the internet via Zoom. The link to join a particular hearing will be posted under the individual hearing on the Administrative Hearing calendar.

The public has the right to object to an internet based hearing. The objection must be submitted to the Administrative Hearing Officer in writing, stating the reason for the objection. The Administrative Hearing Officer will review the objection and, if he believes the objection is well-founded, may reschedule the hearing to a time when in-person hearings are able to resume.

More information can be found on the Administrative Hearings webpage HERE .

The Board of Appeals does not currently plan to hold virtual hearings.

Here is a link to the May 5th Legal Mailing, which includes the schedule of Administrative Hearings, county wide, from May 19th through June 16th.

Other County COVID-19 Resources

Be sure to frequently check the county's coronavirus website for the most up to date information on county and community resources.

View this Update as a Webpage

For media inquiries, please call Roz Hamlett at 410-222-1372 or 410-279-4748.

Consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Anne Arundel County Government is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Each county sponsored event includes information about how to request an ADA Accommodation. This E-Blast is available in an alternate format upon request.