Dear Friends,
Over this holiday weekend, many residents may have gathered with family, friends, and neighbors to celebrate. To help keep our community safe, it's important for residents who have attended gatherings or have returned to work in close proximity with others, go and get tested.
If you live with older adult relatives, are pregnant, or you have underlying health conditions, please get tested as soon as possible.
Many of our testing sites in Howard County are more accessible than ever.
The Columbia VEIP testing site no longer requires a doctors order to get tested. Residents are able to get tested by simply making an appointment by clicking
here. Drive-Thru testing at this site takes place Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Additionally, Quality First Urgent Care began providing a diagnostic drive-thru testing site at the Savage Volunteer Fire Station. The drive through testing will run from 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., Monday – Saturday. Testing at this site will be available to residents regardless of age, ability to pay, type of health insurance or participation in any provider network. No personal provider referral will be needed.
If you have trouble getting a test, please call the Coronavirus Information Line at (410) 313-6284.
As of 9:00 a.m. today, Howard County has conducted 33,051 tests, and tested approximately 9.2% of our population, with a positivity rate of 3.91%. We’re working every day towards the goal of testing at least 10% of our population.
Please continue to practice physical distancing, wearing a face covering when in public, and frequently wash hands.
For up to date information on COVID-19 in Howard County, please visit our website
here.
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Rental Assistance and Eviction Prevention
With more than 23,000 renters in the county, the need for housing payment assistance and eviction prevention is paramount. Beginning today, Monday, July 6th, Howard County residents may apply for assistance to pay past due rent payments to prevent eviction.
Our local non-profits will be accepting applications and providing funding assistance directly to residents to ensure that they receive the support they need to stay safely housed. As we continue to battle this virus, we must provide the necessary relief and services to make sure no one falls through the cracks.
For more information, please click
here.
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Moratorium on Utility Services
Governor Hogan extended his order prohibiting electric, gas, water, sewage, phone, cable TV, and internet service provider companies from shutting off any residential customer’s service, or charging any residential late fees. This order will help protect the health and safety of utility employees and our residents during this catastrophic health emergency. It now remains in effect through August 1st, 2020.
For more information, read the Governor's Emergency Order
here.
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Water Safety
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on our indoor and outdoor pools, leading more residents to seek out natural bodies of water to swim in this summer. Howard County paramedics have responded to three potential drownings in the past month alone.
We want to ensure our community has the information and resources to keep their families safe when recreating this summer and beyond.
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Heat Safety
Extreme heat can be dangerous after long periods of exposure, if proper precautions are not taken. Even when it’s warm and sunny outside, there are members of our community who need our help.
As you go outside and enjoy this beautiful weather, please follow these extreme heat safety tips, along with CDC guidelines for COVID-19, to keep everyone in our community safe. Please share with friends and family members to help keep them informed, empowered, and safe.
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Easy Enrollment Health Insurance Program
The new Easy Enrollment Health Insurance Program gives people filing a state income tax return the option of checking a box and launching the process to enroll in free or affordable health insurance policies. The Easy Enrollment Program was recommended by the Health Insurance Coverage Protection Commission.
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The Easy Enrollment program, which launched in January of this year and concludes
July 15, has already produced great results. More than 40,000 people checked the box on their tax return to start the process, and more than 4,000 households have used the process to get enrolled.
For more information, please click
here.
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Who can get Tested for COVID-19?
The
Maryland Department of Health
recently provided new directives on who should get tested for COVID-19. This includes any symptomatic individuals and asymptotic individuals where COVID-19 exposure may have occurred.
If you have been to or around someone who has been in a large gathering, concerned that you may have come into contact with COVID-19, or are showing any symptoms, please get tested as soon as you are able. It is possible to have COVID-19 and not have any symptoms. Several locations around the county have walk-in testing available.
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Take the Census!
Nearly 25% of Howard County residents have NOT yet taken their Census. For every person who doesn't complete the Census, we lose over $18,000 of federal funding towards our education, healthcare, emergency management, workforce development, and so much more.
This year is the first time the Census questionnaire can be completed online, making it even easier than ever for residents to respond. If you have not taken your census yet, I encourage you to do so
RIGHT NOW. If you have completed your census, encourage five of your neighbors to do the same.
It takes
only five minutes to complete.
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Department of Community Resources and Services (DCRS)
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Friendly Connections
If you are or know a Howard County resident who is age 50+ and lives alone or is new to the area, has limited social connections, deals with chronic health issues and/or is seeking an expanded circle of friends, please let them know about our Department of Community Resources and Services' Office on Aging and Independence’s Friendly Connection "Phone a Senior" program.
This FREE service connects older residents with trained (and screened) volunteers who are there to offer social support and a listening ear. To find out more and/or to enroll in this rewarding program, contact Maryland Access Point of Howard County at 410-313-1234 (voice/relay) or email
map@howardcountymd.gov
today!
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Loan Closet
The Loan Closet of Howard County, which provides refurbished durable medical equipment and resources to all Howard County residents and caregivers, is NOW OPEN for non-contact donations and returns at two locations. To learn more about these two locations and hours of operations, visit the Loan Closet of Howard County’s
website
today.
Non-contact equipment distribution remains available at the Loan Closet on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. For questions and/or more information about medical equipment donations and distributions, please contact Mary Becker at 410-313-0363 (voice/relay).
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Department of Corrections
We understand there are questions regarding the use and operations of the County's Department of Correction's Detention Center. We have compiled a list of commonly asked questions from residents, with answers, which can be found
HERE
. Our Department of Corrections remains dedicated to providing a safe, secure and humane conditions at its Detention Center for all persons legally under its authority.
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Department of Fire and Rescue Services (HCDFRS)
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Heat Safety
With summer here, HCDFRS and HCPD are also REMINDING residents to ALWAYS look before you lock. NEVER leave a child or pet alone in a car, not even for a minute. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the majority of vehicular heatstroke deaths (54 percent), happen because someone forgets a child in a car; the third leading cause is knowingly leaving a child unattended in a vehicle. Even with the windows rolled down or the air conditioning on, the temperature inside a vehicle can quickly rise. REMEMBER, a child's body temperature rises three to five times faster than an adult's, and a body temperature of 107 degrees is fatal.
The second leading cause (25 percent) of vehicular heatstroke deaths among children are when a child unknowingly gets into an unattended vehicle. Regrettably, 2020 saw its first vehicular heatstroke death in April, when a four-year-old left a home and climbed into a vehicle without his family noticing. In addition to ALWAYS looking before you lock your vehicle, be sure to ALWAYS lock your car doors and trunk when not in use.
Also, never leave a furry friend unattended in a vehicle as they can sustain organ damage or even die from heatstroke in just 15 minutes. Beating the heat for dogs is especially tough because they can only cool themselves by panting and by sweating through their paw pads.
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Department of Housing and Community Development
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Last fall, we launched the Housing Opportunities Master Plan Task Force to evaluate housing in Howard County for the first time in over a decade. As our region continues to grow, it is critical that we have a better understanding of how to preserve housing opportunities for all ages, abilities, and income levels and create a Master Plan that will improve the quality of life for all residents.
I encourage our community to participate and share the survey with their neighbors, businesses, organizations, and community groups, so our Task Force is equipped with a wide scope of feedback.
Take the survey now.
Homeownership improves economic mobility and expands opportunities for generations to come as families build wealth. Our Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) Moderate Income Housing Unit (MIHU) program allows us to assist families in call Howard County home by we are creating affordable homeownership opportunities. Held quarterly, DHCD’s July MIHU open enrollment period launches tomorrow. From July 1
st
through Friday, July 31
st
, eligible individuals and families looking to call Howard County home, may apply for the MIHU program. Applications will be available
online
and may be submitted either
online
or by mail to 9820 Patuxent Woods Drive, Suite 224, Columbia, MD, 21046. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, applications may not be submitted in person.
Also, because of the pandemic, DHCD will not be hosting its regularly scheduled, in-person MIHU renter and homeownership informational workshops this July. However, presentations from each informational workshop will also be available
online
.
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Department of Planning and Zoning (DPZ)
As we continue to operate under the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting physical distancing protocols, moving forward and until further notice, our Department of Planning and Zoning (DPZ) will be holding its public meetings virtually through WebEx videoconferencing. This will allow DPZ operations to continue and the public the ability to safely participate in these meetings. To assist the public in participating in its virtual Planning Board meetings – whether as an observer, petitioner or community member wishing to testify, DPZ has published the following
guidance
that offers details on how to register and provide testimony. Additionally, DPZ has developed the following
technical guide
to help users navigate the technical side of participation.
DPZ’s Planning Board meetings are also being livestreamed on
YouTube
; a livestream link to its YouTube channel can also be found on the
Planning Board webpage
. This is a good option for those who only want to watch the Planning Board meeting from their computer and not participate.
Finally, DPZ is now offering two forms of technical assistance. If you have questions or need assistance with testing the WebEx application on your computer, contact DPZ at 410-313-4373 or email
planningboard@howardcountymd.gov
IN ADVANCE of the Planning Board meeting. DURING Planning Board meetings, if you are having difficulty accessing the meeting through WebEx, call 410-313-4324 or email
planningboard@howardcountymd.gov
for assistance.
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To register in advance to participate in this meeting, click
HERE
. If you only want to listen to the meeting, call 1-650-479-3207 at the meeting time. When prompted, enter 160 341 8019 # as the event access code.
The DAP process encourages excellence in project architecture and site design to improve design compatibility with surrounding development, to promote revitalization and to enhance property values. You can use DPZ’s DAP
interactive map
to see which properties may be subject to DAP review. For DAP’s Rules of Procedure, click
HERE
. For questions and/or more information about DAP, contact the DPZ at 410-313-2350 or email
dap@howardcountymd.gov
.
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Department of Public Works -
Construction Report
Below are details regarding new, upcoming, completed and/or delayed Capital Projects and/or maintenance projects have been announced.
Past Project Updates – Projects Completed
Elkridge
- Home Demolition on Montgomery Road (Capital Project K-5061) – Project to demolish a dilapidated home located at 7126 Montgomery Road as part of the preliminary phase of a sidewalk installation project currently under design.
Marriottsville
Past Project Updates - Completion Date Change
Ellicott City
- Doncaster Drive Sidewalk (Capital Project K-5065) – Project to connect an existing sidewalk along Doncaster Drive with the installation of approximately 1,200 linear feet of sidewalk along southbound Doncaster Drive between Roundhill Road and Hale Haven Drive. Originally this project was expected to be completed by late June; however, weather permitting, the project is now expected to be completed by late July.
To learn more about DPW Capital Projects currently underway, visit
https://bit.ly/2V6K5B6
. Searchable by project category and street name, from this site you’ll find additional project details, including news releases about the project. You can also contact DPW’s Customer Service Office at 410-313-3440 or email
publicworks@howardcountymd.gov
for further assistance.
If you have questions or are interested in finding out about a State road (numbered roadway) project in your area, visit the Maryland State Highway Administration’s
website
and search by “County” to learn more about State road projects in Howard County.
Bureau of Environmental Services
During the 2019 legislative session, the Maryland General Assembly passed Chapter 579 (
Sections 9-2201 through 9-2207 of the Environment Article, Annotated Code of Maryland
), banning the use of food service products (e.g., cups, plates, bowls, trays, etc.) composed of expanded polystyrene, also commonly known as Styrofoam™. As of July 1, 2020, a person may not sell or offer for sale in Maryland a Styrofoam™ food service product and a food service business or school may not sell or provide food or beverages in a Styrofoam™ foodservice product. This is a GREAT WIN for Maryland’s environment.
Since Styrofoam™ food service products may no longer be used, the company that collected Styrofoam™ #6 from our Alpha Ridge Landfill for recycling has decided to discontinue its program. As a result, we are currently not able to accept Styrofoam™ #6 for recycling at the Landfill’s Residents' Convenience Center. As our Styrofoam™ recycling program was a great success – thanks to our residents and local businesses – our Department of Public Works’ Bureau of Environmental Services is working diligently to find a solution so that we may resume this valuable waste diversion program. We hope to have a new program up and running soon; however, until then, the Bureau is reminding residents that Styrofoam™ items should be disposed of in your trash can and not your blue recycling bin/cart for curbside collection.
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Department of Recreation and Parks (HCRP)
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As our Department of Recreation & Parks continues to gradually reopen its amenities across the county, visitors are reminded to please remember to take precautions and help us prevent the spread of COVID-19. This includes practicing physical distancing, wearing a face covering when possible and avoiding large gatherings.
For the latest information on what Recreation & Parks’ facilities, amenities and programs are open, as well as additional Recreation & Parks announcements, visit
www.howardcountymd.gov/rap
or following the Department on
Facebook
or
Twitter
.
Recreation & Parks’ OUTDOOR camps are now underway and INDOOR camps (and childcare services) are set to being next week.
All our summer camps were reorganized to follow
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
guidelines
around COVID-19, this includes reducing group sizes and implementing new safety procedures. As a result,
Recreation and Parks will be offering a limited selection of outdoor and indoor camps this summer. For a full list of available indoor and outdoor camps, visit
www.howardcountymd.gov/rap
.
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Community Centers and Indoor Facilities begin to reopen on July 6
Starting today, Monday, July 6, Recreation and Parks’
Gary J. Arthur
,
North Laurel
and
Roger Carter
Community Centers,
Meadowbrook Athletic Complex
and
Robinson Nature Center
will reopen to the public.
This includes the community centers’ gymnasiums and exercise rooms, and the pool at the Roger Carter Community Center. While open, facility hours will however be limited to evenings and weekends as each facility is being used for camps and childcare during the weekdays. Guidelines on each facilities use will be posted on its respective website prior to July 6th.
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During the County’s current road resurfacing effort, Howard County is proposing to implement the recommendations of
BikeHoward
, the Howard County Bicycle Master Plan, for bike lanes on North Ridge Road. If you are/were not able to join our Office of Transportation this past Tuesday, June 30
th
for its
public input meeting
to review and discuss
proposed bike lanes on North Ridge Road
from Sonia Trail to Executive Center Drive, written comments can still be submitted to Transportation via email to
transportation@howardcountymd.gov
through July 14, 2020.
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