May 20, 2019
Dear Friends,

Last week, I was proud to announce my decision on a comprehensive flood mitigation plan for Ellicott City. As we approach the one-year anniversary of the 2018 Ellicott City flood, it is time to come together as a united Howard County.

With this bold plan, we are making a statement: This is how we do things in Howard County. We don’t run from our problems and we don’t leave our neighbors behind. The time for Band-Aid fixes is over, this is an innovative, long-term solution that can only happen if we come together and get to work with everyone’s support. We must leave behind the division, fear, and uncertainty of the past and move toward a brighter future for everyone who loves Ellicott City.

The plan includes a range of key projects, including a North Tunnel, that will decrease flood depths and ensure public safety. More information on my final decision, Plan 3G.7.0 can be found on the EC Safe and Sound website, here. Video of the announcement can be found here. An important editorial from the Baltimore Sun that endorses the plan can be read here.
This Week in HoCo
Honoring Student STEM Champions
Our students are doing amazing things in science, technology, engineering, and math. On Friday, we celebrated our student winners in Economics, Robotics, Science, and more at the first annual STEM awards!

They are making our community proud and reminding us that the future of Howard County is exciting and bright. I am confident that the innovative solutions for tomorrow’s challenges will be solved by the STEM winners of today. Congratulations once again to all! See pictures from the awards celebration here.
I was also honored to celebrate another group of students in STEM, our Rube Goldberg Challenge winners! These teams demonstrated incredible ingenuity, humor, and intelligence with their work. 

Thank you to the Howard County Library System for hosting this challenge every year to help our students' grow.
New Facebook Page

As a part of my Ellicott City announcement, I’m excited introduce our new “EC Safe and Sound” Facebook page. This is an important resource for updates and information on the revitalization of Ellicott City.

You can follow the page here.
Join my Team!

Are you interested in joining my team? The Office of the County Executive is looking for a Constituent Services Representative.

If you, or someone you know, is interested in the position,  apply online today!
Honoring Asian American and Pacific Islander Month

May is a time for us to celebrate the historic and contemporary contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to our community. Our Asian American and Pacific Islander brothers and sisters have persevered through prejudice and exploitation, all while playing a vital role in our growth, our culture, and our society as a whole. This month we remember their past, listen to their stories, and honor their contributions.
Opioid Crisis

Last year in our county we lost 38 lives to opioids. Since 2016, more than 130 people have died in Howard County from an opioid overdose. That’s more than 130 of our brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, sons and daughters. These tragedies are unacceptable. We believe opioid companies have, for too long, knowingly deceived the public and manufactured a public health crisis. We must put a stop to their model of profiting off of our neighbors and loved ones

Last week, Howard County has submitted a formal complaint against Purdue Pharma L.P., and other opioid manufacturers, as well as opioid distributors, in the Circuit Court for Howard County for their alleged role in the opioid epidemic. You can read more about the complaint here.
Bond Sale
Though Howard County faces slower growth than in the past, we will continue to practice sound fiscal management and smart stewardship of taxpayer dollars. I'm proud to announce that a total of $200,230,000 in Consolidated Public Improvement, Metropolitan District and Refunding Bonds were priced and sold last week via a competitive bidding process.

These bonds are highly valued in the marketplace in large part due to the county’s AAA credit rating. Our rating was affirmed by all three bond rating agencies last month, after my team and I gave presentations on our financial status.

The refunded bonds will save county taxpayers $1.9 million in interest payments. Our successful bond sale means we can invest in important community projects, while respecting taxpayer dollars. You can read more about the bond sale here.
Legislative Matters
In the County
As we move forward on our plan to rebuild Ellicott City and make it a model of resiliency so we keep people safe and don’t have to keep rebuilding after each major weather event, it’s important to re-state what I said at my announcement on Monday. We will work with our partners in both the state and federal governments, as well as the private sector to identify funds that can be used for our plan. Since taking office, we have secured nearly $8 million for Ellicott City. Additionally, Delegate Courtney Watson and Senator Katie Fry Hester led the effort that put an additional $8 million into the state’s Flood Mitigation Grant Fund for fiscal years 2021 – 2023. We will pursue grants from this fund in those years. Projects like EC Safe and Sound, our Ellicott City Flood Mitigation Plan, are largely paid for from our CAPITAL budget.

The CAPITAL budget is same budget that’s used to build and improve facilities throughout the county, and most of these projects are funded over several years. Money for this budget comes from the sale of bonds. Just this month Howard County once again became one of just 43 out of over 3,000 counties in our Nation to receive a AAA rating from all three bond rating agencies. The rating affirms Howard County’s strong fiscal management, our ability to pay our debts, and gives taxpayers the lowest possible interest when repaying bonds sold by the county.

This is a distinctly different budget than the OPERATING budget, which allocates the funds to keep our government and our schools open and operating. The revenue available for the OPERATING budget comes most significantly from the property and income taxes we collect. Like a household that lives off its paycheck, these revenues are our paycheck and we must present a balanced budget and live within the means of our residents. We look year after year at every department of government for innovative ideas, efficiencies, and new ways of doing things to hold down the cost to our residents.

The Howard County Public Schools operating budget has increased an average of $23.6 million in each of the last ten years. In the budget being considered by the County Council, the Howard County Public Schools operating budget increases by $46.0 million, the largest increase in over a decade. Likewise, while the Superintendent’s proposal to the Board of Education for county funding has averaged an increase of $26.5 million per year in the last ten years, this year’s Superintendent’s proposal, offered two weeks after I took office, requested an increase of $122.8 million.

We can’t address years of under-funding and fulfill that proposal in one year without elimination of entire departments or a property tax increase of 23% percent, which would mean an additional $1,000 per year to the average Howard County homeowner.

My goal is for all residents of Howard County to always have the most factual and accurate information available in the most transparent manner. If you have any questions, please, don’t hesitate to reach out to my office by emailing me at CBall@HowardCountymd.gov.
Education News
It's time to Graduate!

CONGRATULATIONS to the Class of 2019 as they prepare to celebrate their achievements and embark on the next chapter of their lives!

This year’s Howard County Public School System graduations will take place at Merriweather Post Pavilion on: 

  • Thursday, May 23
  • 10:00 a.m. – Cedar Lane
  • Friday, May 24
  • 8:00 a.m. – Reservoir High School
  • 12:00 p.m. – Atholton High School
  • 4:00 p.m. – Marriotts Ridge High School
  • Tuesday, May 28
  • 11:00 p.m. – Long Reach High School 
  • 3:00 p.m. – Hammond High School 
  • 7:00 p.m. – Howard High School 
  • Wednesday, May 29
  • 11:00 a.m. – Centennial High School 
  • 3:00 p.m. – Wilde Lake High School 
  • 7:00 p.m. – River Hill High School 
  • Thursday, May 30
  • 11:00 a.m. – Glenelg High School 
  • 3:00 p.m. – Mt. Hebron High School 
  • 7:00 p.m. – Oakland Mills High School 
Departmental News
Department of Fire and Rescue Services' Office of Emergency Management

Preparedness begins with understanding your local hazards. As  Howard County Office of Emergency Management  (OEM) works to update the county's Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (HIRA) plan , OEM needs your help. OEM has developed a 17-question survey to help the county gauge how natural disasters may impact you, your family, your business and even your pets. The HIRA plan analyzes man-made and natural hazards that have impacted Howard County and our region in the past, as well as hazards that could impact us in the future, and serves as a foundation for OEM and the county’s future emergency preparedness and planning efforts. We thank you in advance for your help as we work towards ensuring our community is prepared for future disasters, should they strike.
Department of Fire and Rescue Services and Police Department
With the weather finally warming up, Howard County’s Department of Fire and Rescue Services and Police Department are reminding drivers to NEVER leave a child or pet alone in a car, not even for a minute. Heatstroke is the leading cause of non-crash, vehicle-related deaths for children. A child's body temperature can rise up to five times faster than an adult's, and a body temperature of 107 degrees is fatal. According to the National Highways Traffic Safety Administration, 52 children died in vehicular heatstroke incidents in 2018. Even when the outside temperature is cooler than 80 degrees, heatstroke fatalities have occurred. 

As for our furry friends, animals can sustain organ damage or even die from heatstroke in just 15 minutes and beating the heat for dogs is extra tough because they can only cool themselves by panting and by sweating through their paw pads.

REMEMBER to ALWAYS look before you lock.

To learn more about kids and heatstroke, click HERE. For more information about keeping your pets safe in the heat, click HERE.
Howard County Police Department
Howard County Police Department invites you to join them on Thursday, June 13 at 6:30 p.m. for a FREE "Safety and Security Summit" at the Oakland Mills Interfaith Center, 5885 Robert Oliver Place in Columbia. Geared towards houses of worship, non-profits and small businesses, participants will learn how to prepare themselves for an emergency, mitigate attacks and respond to respond to other disasters, including fire, severe weather and earthquakes.

Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services will also be in attendance to discuss its "Stop the Bleed" program .

Registration is required; to RSVP, visit https://www.jewishhowardcounty.org/security .
Have you heard of the Neighbors app? Whether or not you have a doorbell cam, you can join us on this FREE app! View videos posted by camera owners in your neighborhood, and police. Stay in the know about what's going on your street while you're away and maybe even help Howard County Police Department ID suspects caught on video. Download the FREE doorbell video-sharing app by texting “HCPD” to 555888.
Department of Planning and Zoning and Public Works
Howard County’s Departments of Public Works (DPW) and Planning and Zoning (DPZ) will hold a public meeting on Tuesday, May 21 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. in the Patapsco and Avalon rooms of Howard County Library System's Miller branch, located at 9421 Frederick Road in Ellicott City, to discuss the studies related to Council Bill 56-2018 (CB56-2018): Tiber Branch Watershed and Plumtree Branch Watershed Safety Act. This public meeting will provide DPW and DPZ an opportunity to report their findings and recommendations resulting from its analyses of the Tiber Branch Watershed and Plumtree Branch Watershed Safety Act. In particular, the County will report on the stormwater retrofit studies for the Tiber Branch and Plumtree Branch Watersheds. For more information about this public meeting, click HERE.
Department of Public Works
Howard County’s Department of Public Works (DPW) will hold a public meeting on Wednesday, May 22 at 7:00 p.m. in the Einstein Meeting Room at Howard County Library System’s Savage branch, located at 9525 Durness Lane in Laurel, to present the plans for a stream stabilization project and pond repair project. DPW’s Bureau of Environmental Services plans to repair the Cherrytree Farms stormwater management pond adjacent to 8409 Sand Cherry Lane in Laurel, to make safety and maintenance upgrades and to increase pollutant load reduction. Simultaneously, the Bureau of Environmental Services will stabilize and restore approximately 1,200 linear feet of a nearby unnamed tributary to the Rocky Gorge Reservoir. Construction on both projects is expected to begin in spring 2020. For more information about this public meeting, click HERE.
Bureau of Environmental Services

REMINDER: With the Memorial Day holiday right around the corner, Memorial Day is one of the six holidays that does affect Howard County’s curbside trash, recycling, food scrap and yard trim collection. As a result, the county’s holiday slide schedule will be in effect the week of May 27th to June 1st as there will be no curbside collection on Monday, May 27th. Monday pick-up will slide to Tuesday, Tuesday to Wednesday and so forth. To learn more about the holiday slide schedule and those other five holidays, visit www.howardcountymd.gov/holidayschedule. 
Construction Report

No new Capital Projects were announced this past week. For a full list of previously announced projects, please refer to the May 15, 2019 Newsletter .

Past Project Updates – Completion Date Change

Columbia
  • Kings Contrivance Sewer Main Rehabilitation (Capital Project S-6232) – Project to rehabilitate a portion of the public sewer house connections along Kindler Road between Single Wheel Path and 1st League. Originally expected to be completed by early May, weather permitting, this project is now expected to be completed by late June.

Ellicott City
  • Blue River Court Pond Repair (Capital Project D-1159) – Project to repair a storm water management pond in the vicinity of 3914 Blue River Court. Originally expected to be completed by late October, weather permitting, this project is now expected to be completed by late May.
  • Ellicott City Interceptor Sewer Siphon (Capital Project S-6282) – Project to replace the 12-inch diameter Bonnie Branch interceptor sewer. Originally expected to be completed by March, weather permitting, this project is now expected to be completed by late May.

Past Project Updates – Projects Completed

Columbia
  • Broken Land Parkway and Mall Ring Road Intersection to Become Multi-Way Traffic Stop – Project involved the addition of two stop signs on northbound Broken Land Parkway at the intersection to create the new traffic pattern. Studies had shown that traffic volume continued to increase in the area, making the change necessary to improve safety for turning traffic at that intersection.
  • Waiting Spring Pond Dam Repair (Capital Project D-1160) – Project to replace the dam infrastructure and embankment at a pond at the end of Prophecy Place in the Village of Long Reach.

Laurel
  • Gorman Road and Skylark Boulevard Intersection to Become Multi-Way Traffic Stop – Project involve the addition of a stop sign on westbound Gorman Road and one on eastbound Skylark Boulevard at the intersection to create the new traffic pattern. Studies had shown that traffic volume continued to increase in the area, making the change necessary to improve safety for turning traffic at that intersection.

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.

Also, be sure to follow the county’s Facebook and Twitter pages every Monday morning for upcoming maintenance projects happening that week, weather permitting. On these social media pages, you’ll also find information regarding the county’s street sweeping schedule, which generally begin in the months of January, April, July and September.
Office of Purchasing
Local businesses in Howard County are pivotal to our local economy. Whenever possible, Howard County Government strives towards supporting local businesses through our procurement efforts. Local businesses interested in doing business with Howard County are encourages to attend our Office of Purchasing’s Local Business Certification Workshop on Tuesday, June 4 from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. in the Ellicott Room at Howard County Library System’s Miller branch, 9421 Frederick Road in Ellicott City.

Representatives from the Office of Purchasing and Howard County Economic Development Authority will share information and resources beneficial to the growth of your business. Participants will also learn about Howard County’s Equal Business Opportunity Program, Local Business Initiative Program and more.

The workshop is free; however, space is limited, so advance registration is recommended. To register and/or more information, contact the Office of Purchasing at 410-313-6370 or email purchasing@howardcountymd.gov.
Department of Recreation & Parks
In addition to the county’s oyster shell recycling program, did you know the Department of Recreation & Parks’ Robinson Nature Center also features a foil-lined wrapper recycling program. Since 2017, Robinson visitors have donated more than 2,700 wrappers for recycling. The wrappers are turned into a recycled plastic that is remolded to make new products. So, next time you visit the Nature Center, be sure to drop off your leftover foil-lined snack bags and granola/protein bar and candy wrappers for recycling. 
Still in need of summer camps? The county’s Department of Recreation & Parks offers a wide and wonderful variety of camps for your child and/or teen to participate in this summer. From STEAM-based camps that include building robots and creating video games, to sports camps featuring former college athletes, Recreation & Parks offers something to keep every young child and teen active this summer. Check out the department’s summer camps by week at www.howardcountymd.gov/campsbyweek or call 410-313-PARK for more information. 
With the start of summer vacation less than a month away, parents don’t forget, now is the time to sign your child up for before- and after-care for next year if you haven’t already done so? As spaces are quickly filling up (some schools already have waiting lists), now is the time to register. For more information and/to learn how to register, click HERE . 
Upcoming Events and Meetings
May 22 - Regional Transit Plan Open House Meeting

Help us set the region’s public transportation goals for the next 25 years! Join the project team to discuss current conditions and the region’s future transit needs. The Howard County meeting will be Wednesday, May 22nd from 5 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at The Mall in Columbia, 1st floor—Lord & Taylor Court.
May 22 - Howard County Complete Streets Implementation Team Meeting

Join the county’s Office of Transportation and Complete Streets Implementation Team on at 1:00 p.m. in the George Howard Building’s Waterloo Room for its 3 rd team meetin. Complete Streets are streets for everyone. Complete Streets are designed and operated to enable safe access for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders of all ages and abilities. To learn more about Howard County Complete Streets, click HERE .
May 24 - Adult Flashlight Egg Hunt

Who said kids get to have all the fun? Those 21 and older are invited to partake in an Adult Flashlight Egg Hunt at the Robinson Nature Center, located at 6692 Cedar Lane in Columbia, on Friday, May 24 from 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. Collect as many eggs as you can for a chance to win passes to the National Aquarium, gift cards to Wegmans, meal coupons to local restaurants, gifts from wineries and breweries and more! Cost is $29 per person and space is limited, so preregistrations is encouraged. To register and/or for more information, call 410-313-0400.
May 27 - Memorial Day

Howard Count Government offices, courts, animal shelter, 50+ centers and Alpha Ridge Landfill are CLOSED in observance of the Memorial Day holiday. As there will be no trash, recycling, yard trim or food scrap pick-up on Memorial Day, the county’s holiday "slide” schedule will be in effect. For a complete list of what’s open and closed on Memorial Day, click HERE .
May 27 - Harriett Tubman Foundation of Howard County, Inc.’s Memorial Day 2nd Annual Flag Raising

Join the Harriett Tubman Foundation of Howard County, Inc. for a ceremony honoring our military men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice while servicing to protect all our freedoms. The ceremony will take place at 8:00 a.m. at the Harriet Tubman Building, 8045 Harriet Tubman Lane in Columbia.
May 28 - Howard County Complete Streets Policy Stakeholder Meeting

Join the county’s Office of Transportation and Complete Streets Implementation Team on at 7:00 p.m. in the George Howard Building’s Columbia/Ellicott City Room, to learn more about and discuss the Howard County Complete Streets Policy. Complete Streets are streets for everyone. Complete Streets are designed and operated to enable safe access for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders of all ages and abilities. To learn more about Howard County Complete Streets, visit www.howardcountymd.gov/completestreets .