May 2024 Newsletter

Greetings!

Since 2005, Howard County has planned to construct a public community pool at the North Laurel Community Center. This project is identified in Howard County's 2005, 2012, 2017, and 2022 Land Preservation, Parks and Recreation Plans, and is supported by many community organizations. However, due to budgetary constraints, funding for the North Laurel Community Pool was consistently pushed back - until now. County Executive Ball's Fiscal Year 2025 Proposed Capital Budget includes the full funding for the construction of an indoor pool at the North Laurel Community Center, which will include a main, 25-yard long pool with eight lap lanes and ADA access, and a second, warm-water leisure pool!

While the national median for public pools in similar counties is three pools, Howard County has only one public pool, located at the Roger Carter Community Center in Ellicott City. All other pools in the County are private or require membership to attend. This lack of an additional public pool in our community highlights the inequities across the County. Many families and individuals do not have access to the benefits that come with a pool. From lifesaving swim lessons to water-based fitness classes for all ages and abilities, a pool provides invaluable services to our community. The 2022 Land Preservation, Parks and Recreation Plan from Howard County Recreation and Parks found the following: "There is high demand and long waitlists for swimming lessons, therapeutic recreation, and the childcare program. Additionally, according to results from the Statistically Valid Survey, the four parks and recreation facilities with the highest percentage of households that indicated a need for the facility were: paved trails (80%), park lands (71%), unpaved trails (61%), and pavilions and picnic areas (59%). ETC Institute also estimated a total of 24,316 households in Howard County that have unmet needs for indoor pools."

Safety and equity are crucial benefits of a new public pool in Howard County. Many Marylanders do not know how to swim. The Maryland Department of Health reviewed child drowning fatalities from 2010 and 2019 and found that 57% of children who died from drowning were Black, 39% were white, and 4% were Hispanic.

Public pools are a tremendous asset to communities. They provide a hub for recreation and leisure, and are a vital resource for health, fitness, and education. A public pool offers a safe, accessible, and inclusive environment for all community members, regardless of socio-economic background.

For almost 20 years, Southeastern Howard County residents have expressed consistent interest in a North Laurel Community Pool, and now we need support from across the County to make it a reality. Investing in a public pool is an investment in the well-being and prosperity of our community. Not only does a public pool enhance the quality of life for residents, but it also serves as a symbol of the County's commitment to health, fitness, and longevity.

The County Council will vote on the budget on May 22nd. Before that vote, I am asking community members to share their support by signing this petition and emailing councilmail@howardcountymd.gov. Thank you for participating in our process.

Yours in service,

Christiana Rigby (she/her)

Councilwoman, District 3

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May 9, 2024

April Legislation Wrap-Up

On May 6th, the County Council convened for our May Legislative Session. The Council took action on several pieces of legislation were introduced, including the following:

CR39-2024: A resolution adopting Howard County’s Annual Action Plan for housing and community services to qualify for the receipt of federal Community Development Block Grant and Home Investment Partnership Program funds. This bill passed in a 5-0 vote. Introduced by the Chairperson at the request of the County Executive.

CB16-2024: An act amending the Howard County Zoning Regulations to change Section 128.0.A.12 to allow additional square footage for detached accessory structures on residentially zoned lots in the RC and RR zoning districts for both individual structures and cumulatively by allowing an additional 500 square feet for properties greater than 3 acres with larger properties having more allowance for detached accessory structures; and generally relating to lot coverage in the RC and RR zoning district. This bill failed in a 2-3 vote. Introduced by the Chairperson at the request of Elite Facility Management.

May Legislation

New legislation was introduced at the May 6th Legislative Session, including:

CR64-2024: A resolution levying a fire and rescue tax for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024 and ending June 30, 2025 and setting the tax rate for the fire and rescue tax. Introduced by the Chairperson at the request of the County Executive.

CR65-2024: A resolution levying a property tax for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024 and ending June 30, 2025; setting the tax rates for property; and providing for the collection of the property tax. Introduced by the Chairperson at the request of the County Executive.

The proposed operating budget includes a 3-cent (per $100 assessment) shift of the fire tax rate on real property (Fire and Rescue Tax Fund) to the County real property tax rate (General Fund). This shift is cost neutral to both residential and commercial property taxpayers as the overall tax rate and tax liability remains unchanged.

The proposed tax rate shift allows the County to direct approximately $20 million to the County General Fund, which is used primarily to support the education budget of the Howard County Public School System. Although this shift is cost neutral to County residents and businesses and does not increase the overall tax rate, State law requires a public hearing on changes to the county real property tax rate. The overall tax rate that residents will pay on their property tax bill remains unchanged.

For more information, please see the budget letter that is at the beginning of the operating budget (pg.14 bold language below table). There will be a Public Hearing specifically for this tax shift on May 20th at 4:00 PM.

A Public Hearing on all other legislation is scheduled for May 20th at 7:00 PM. The legislation will be up for a vote at the Council's Legislative Session on June 3rd at 7:00 PM.

VIEW COUNCIL LEGISLATION

TESTIFY AT A PUBLIC HEARING

VIEW COUNCIL CALENDAR

Community News, Events, and Updates

Vote!

Get out and vote on election day, May 14th! Polling locations will be open across the County from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM. If you do not know your polling location, you can find your location using the County Board of Election's website.

If you received a mail-in ballot, remember to drop it off to a ballot drop box or return it via mail postmarked by May 14th. Find the nearest drop box by using the Board of Election's website.

3rd Annual AAPI Festival

May is Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month!

The Howard County Asian American & Pacific Islander Commission, County Executive Ball, and the Inner Arbor Trust are hosting the 3rd Annual AAPI Festival on May 11th from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM at The Chrysalis at Symphony Woods. This celebration features live performances, a variety of food trucks and vendors, community engagement, and more.

Hate Has No Place

The Office of Human Rights and Equity is hosting a public forum on hate crimes and hate bias incidents on Wednesday, May 15th at 7:00 PM at the East Columbia 50+ Center. This forum features a panel of subject matter experts and provides an opportunity for residents to learn about reporting crimes.

Bike Month

May is Bike Month and May 13th through May 19th is Bike to Work Week! To celebrate, the Office of Transportation and the Baltimore Metropolitan Council are hosting an in-person Bike From Work Day event on Friday, May 17th from 3:00 PM to 5:30 PM at Color Burst Park. This event features fun activities, swag, prizes, and more.

Participants are encouraged to ride any time during the week!

Volunteer for the Savage Farmers Market

The Savage Farmers Market is seeking volunteers! This new farmers market is a grassroots community initiative and will be held on Baldwin Commons on Wednesdays from May 29th to August 28th.

Volunteers can sign up for one day or the whole summer to assist with set up, attendance keeping, signage and directing traffic, clean-up, and more.

Howard County Library System - Library Card Art Contest

The Howard County Library System is holding a Library Card Art Contest! This contest is open to people of all ages. The winning design will debut in September for National Library Card Sign-up Month. Designs must be submitted by May 31st to be considered.

Learn more and download an entry form at the Howard County Library System website.

Howard County Innovation Summit

Participate in the 2024 Howard County Innovation Summit! Join County Executive Ball and leaders at the Applied Physics Lab on June 4th at 8:00 AM for an event including educational sessions, creative discourse, and networking opportunities.

Learn more about this event and register online.

Christiana's Climate Corner

Welcome to Christiana's Climate Corner, where I will be sharing updates on environmental and sustainability efforts in Howard County, including information on legislation, events, and opportunities for you to support sustainability efforts in our community!

This month, my Chief of Staff, Colette Gelwicks, summarized her top five takeaways after attending The Climate Reality Project's Leadership Training.

Insights from the Climate Reality Summit in New York City

Last month, I attended The Climate Reality Project’s summit in New York City, joining over 3,000 other individuals from all corners of the world with different backgrounds and interests in the climate space.

Over three days, I attended a climate discussion with local, state, and federal representatives; a regenerative agriculture presentation; a climate advocacy workshop; and a session on climate misinformation and greenwashing. Notably, former Vice-President Al Gore shared a 2 ½ hour, 250-PowerPoint-slide presentation that left me both alarmed and hopeful.

After several days of being immersed in this space, I wanted to share five top takeaways from this event:

It’s real. It’s us. It’s bad. Scientists agree. There’s hope. (This was a direct quote offered by Rosina Bierbaum, PhD.) There is incredible work being done around world on climate-related issues. The amount of energy and momentum present at the summit was uplifting and encouraging, even as our planet continues to hit new, alarming records.
The technology exists to stop the planet from continuing to warm, though implementation has been slow. The warming that has already occurred will not stop some of the changes we already see (sea level rise, melting ice, increased storms, etc.), but at least we can reduce the speed of the changes, which means that ecosystems will be more able to adapt.
The definition of “native plants” is evolving, given that the plant hardiness zones have shifted so rapidly in recent years. In fact, there are estimates that a plant would need to move 15 feet each year to keep up with the changing climate.
There has been a recent, interesting change in general discussions around climate change. The conversation is not whether climate change is real – that is not disputed anymore. Instead, the solutions are undermined and questioned, which means those solutions are implemented more slowly than they could be.
Many governments have climate action, climate resiliency, or climate adaptation plans in place, which is encouraging. You can find county, state, and federal examples here, here, and here. However, it is also critical that advocates, organizations, and elected officials ensure those plans are implemented.

The summit underscored how urgent the issue of climate change is for us and our planet, as well as the potential for everyone to be a part of the many solutions that exist.