News From Your State Delegate |
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Courtney Watson
Serving Maryland District 9B
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April 8, 2022
Hello Friends,
Yesterday, Senator Katie Fry Hester and I proudly announced that a total of $16,225,000 has been approved by the Maryland General Assembly in the State FY23 Capital Budget for Historic Ellicott City. This year’s unprecedented amount of funding raises the total amount of state funds obtained for historic Ellicott City to more than $38,500,000 in our first 4-year term in the Maryland General Assembly.
This year’s budget includes record funding for projects in County Executive Calvin Ball's Ellicott City Safe and Sound Flood Mitigation Plan including $12,000,000 for the North Tunnel, $2,000,000 for the T1 Pond, and $1,000,000 for the Maryland Avenue Culvert.
Additionally, $250,000 is included for the placement of wayfinding signs to direct visitors to Main Street and $175,000 for drop arm barriers that can be used in times of emergency. This year’s funding also includes $150,000 to begin the Barnard Fort House design and restoration, an historic property located within the historic district.
We greatly appreciate County Executive Calvin Ball for his partnership and leadership and our colleagues in the Maryland House of Delegates and Senate who recognize the value of Historic Ellicott City to our state.
We're in the home stretch of the 2022 Legislative Session, and I'm optimistic about the bills I've sponsored and some of the meaningful, impactful bills that my colleagues have put forth - it has been a productive time. Look for a full wrap-up in the coming days.
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Members of the Howard County Delegation |
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IN THIS ISSUE:
Climate Bill Passes Both Chambers
Redistricting Update
County Executive's Proposed Capital Budget
Howard County Police Assessment
GreenFest Returns!
First Look at EC250 Mosaic Project
EZ Pass Waives Civil Penalties
Mental Health Presentation from Horizon Foundation
Local Roadway Projects
And More...
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Climate Bill Heads to the Governor for Signing |
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The League of Conservation voters celebrated the passage of the Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022 on April 1 outside the statehouse. CT Wilson, Chair of the Economic Matters Committee and I stopped by for a picture. We are proud of our work on this bill, yet know there is more work to do.
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Governor Signs Off on
Maryland Congressional Map
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Governor Larry Hogan has signed off on a map of Maryland's congressional districts, ending a protracted legal struggle. The map, redrawn by the General Assembly, can be viewed here. Attorney General Brian Frosh said, "Both sides have agreed to dismiss their appeals, and our state can move forward to the primary election.”
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FROM THE OFFICE OF
COUNTY EXECUTIVE CALVIN BALL
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Howard County Executive Ball’s capital budget plan contains highest school construction funding in two decades
Howard County Executive Calvin Ball unveiled a $377.7 million capital projects spending plan for the coming year which invests more money in classroom construction than at any time in the past two decades, while offering the highest funding for road resurfacing in eight years and making major progress on flood control projects in Ellicott City and elsewhere.
The county executive’s proposal fully funds a $105.9 million construction request from the Howard County Board of Education, which represents nearly 1 of every 3 dollars in the proposed capital plan.
The Howard County Council received the proposed capital plan April 1. Hearings are scheduled in April and May, with a final vote to come on May 25.
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The Howard County Police Department is scheduled for a three-part assessment as part of a program to maintain Accreditation by verifying that the agency meets professional standards. Administered by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA), the Accreditation program requires agencies to comply with state-of-the-art standards in four basic areas: policy and procedures, administration, operations, and support services.
The assessment includes standard compliance, virtual site visits and extensive interviews. As part of the assessment, agency employees and members of the community are invited to offer comments at a public information session on Tuesday, April 12, 2022, between 2 and 4 p.m. The session will be conducted virtually; anyone wishing to give testimony must pre-register using the following link (https://bit.ly/HCPDCALEAsession), at least two hours prior to the Public Hearing.
Agency employees and the public are also invited to offer comments by calling (410) 313-3259 on Monday, April 11 between the hours of 2 and 4 p.m. Comments will be taken directly by the Assessment Team.
Telephone comments, as well as appearances at the public information session, are generally limited to five (5) minutes and must address the agency’s ability to comply with CALEA standards. A copy of the standards is available at HCPD Headquarters. The local contact is Ms. Tami Bulla, who can be reached by phone at 410-313-3229 or by e-mail at tbulla@howardcountymd.gov.
Anyone wishing to submit written comments about the Howard County Police Department’s ability to comply with the standards for Accreditation may send them to the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc., 13575 Heathcote Boulevard, Suite 320, Gainesville, Virginia 20155. Written comments may also be submitted by email to calea@calea.org, putting “Howard County Police” in the subject line.
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Howard County’s Annual GreenFest Returns for its 15th Year
Howard County Government will host its 15th annual GreenFest on Saturday, April 9 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Howard Community College’s (HCC) Burrill Galleria, 10901 Little Patuxent Parkway in Columbia. This free event offers something for all ages, featuring exhibits, demonstrations, workshops, outdoor activities and practical tips for easy ways to “green” your home, workplace and lifestyle.
As Howard County’s largest Earth Day celebration, this annual event aims to connect residents with the resources that our local businesses, nonprofits and government provide to help anyone be a good steward of the environment.
GreenFest 2022 will host more than 50 vendors, including solar companies, environmental nonprofits and government agencies, and the popular native plant sale. There will be informational workshops on topics such as addressing backyard habitat landscaping and where plastic pollution and climate change intersect, waste diversion and other learning opportunities. Attendees can also learn about local wildlife, including up close experiences with live birds, reptiles and other animals in the Wildlife Room.
In the main exhibit hall, the County’s Recycling Division will honor local businesses and community organizations by presenting its annual “Business Recycling and Waste Reduction” and “Green Community Leadership” awards.
Also, back by popular demand is the FREE document shredding event, where residents can shred up to three bags or boxes of paper documents per person from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (or until the trucks are full) in Parking Lot A.
This year the Repair Café is also back on site. Visitors can bring in broken items from home, such as toasters, lamps, clothes, bicycles, toys or electronics. Volunteer repair specialists will evaluate the items and fix as many as they can for free and can also provide advice about items too large to bring along. To register beforehand to let the Repair Café gurus know what items you plan to bring, visit www.HCGreenFest.org.
Attendees are encouraged to think green with their means of transportation to this year’s event to help reduce the event footprint. Consider walking, carpooling, biking or using public transportation. There are bike racks located throughout HCC’s campus and Regional Transportation Agency (RTA) will be running its normal route from Columbia Town Center to HCC throughout the day. For RTA route information and schedule, call its customer service line at 1-800-270-9553 or visit www.transitrta.com.
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Modification to HCPSS 2021-2022 Academic Calendar,
Impacting Summer 2022
The original HCPSS calendar included schools and offices closed June 28 for the primary elections. However the Maryland Court of Appeals recently moved the primary elections to July 19. Subsequently, on April 7, 2022, the Board of Education approved a modification to the HCPSS calendar.
As a result:
- Tuesday, June 28 - Schools and offices open (previously closed)
- Tuesday, July 19 - Schools and offices closed
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First Look of EC250 Masaic Project
April 16 - 10:00 am - May 28 - 5:00 pm
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The first viewing opportunity for mosaic artist Lisa Scarbath‘s EC250 Ellicott City Mosaic project will be at the Howard County Center for the Arts Annual Resident Visual Art Exhibit which opens on April 16. Lisa began working on the project in the fall of 2021. She invited the community to be a pART of her art by contributing a piece of their own Ellicott City story for the mosaic. She received materials from 80 people along with their personal stories.
Gallery hours: Mon-Fri 10-8, Sat 10-4, Sun 12-4
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EZ-Pass Waives Civil Penalties for Limited Time |
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The Maryland Transportation Authority Board approved a Customer Assistance Plan that takes effect immediately and includes a grace period, waiving all civil penalties for customers who pay their unpaid tolls by 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 30, 2022.
During the grace period, the MDTA will also not refer unpaid toll bills to a collection agency or to the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. Those referrals will resume on Dec. 1.
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Register Now for Elevating Mental Health Together from the Horizon Foundation |
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Tickets are going fast! Join us at Historic Oakland (please note the new location!) on April 27th for How Far We've Come: Elevating Mental Health Together.
Our all-star lineup of speakers includes:
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Mike Locksley, University of Maryland Head Football Coach
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Dr. Yvette Rooks, Head Team Physician and Assistant Director at the University Health Center, University of Maryland
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Dr. Calvin Ball, Howard County Executive
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Dr. Michael Martirano, Howard County Public Schools Superintendent
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Persia Nicole, award-winning radio/TV personality and community activist, will emcee the event.
Let's come together to honor the progress we've made as a community to raise awareness around the importance of mental health - and most importantly, to show support for one another and to take action to make mental health care more accessible for the future. Get your FREE ticket now!
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Update on Roadway Projects |
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30% complete
Crews are constructing bioswales along the shoulder of MD 108. Excavation work is also taking place in the median of Centennial Lane. Verizon continues line relocations to new poles on MD 108.
Occasional single lane closures with a flagging operation Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. This project is expected to be complete by the end of this year.
Looking Ahead -
This project will improve capacity on MD 103 by widening the roadway to add a third lane in the westbound direction for dedicated access to northbound US 29. The project will also install new sidewalk and bicycle lanes. The relocation of utility lines associated with this project continue, with roadway construction expected to start next month.
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Items of Interest from the
Howard County Chamber
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Walmart Open Call Event
Applications for shelf-ready products are now open through April 8 for Walmart's largest annual Open Call event in its nine-year history. The event will be extended to two days, June 28-29, with participants choosing virtual or in-person pitch meetings with a Walmart or Sam's Club buyer.
More than 2,000 companies have already registered more than 6,000 items they hope to present to buyers through an exclusive early access period offered to Marketplace sellers. Additionally, mentoring sessions will be offered to all applicants registering for the event, providing suppliers with the tools needed to successfully sell on Walmart's virtual and physical shelves.
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HIRING: Event Staff
Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods is currently looking for event staff who will greet guests, take tickets and/or acknowledge the appropriate admission badge, and provide general information and assistance to guests. Click here for more information.
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The General Assembly has put together video tutorials on using the MGA Website, which can be found by clicking below. You will find tutorials about searching for and tracking bills, signing up to testify on a bill, and more. To follow my legislation, click here.
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HOW TO CONTACT MY OFFICE
Your thoughts are always welcome. Please contact me by email (see the link at the top of the page). When requesting help for constituent matters, please include "constituent" in the subject line.
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Delegate Courtney Watson
Howard County District 9B
Member, Economic Matters Committee
Vice Chair, Democratic Caucus
Maryland House of Delegates
6 Bladen Street, Room 350
Annapolis, MD 21401
410-841-3077 / 301-858-3077
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