THE CALVIN BALL BULLETIN
 

Special Legislative Edition
July 2018

Phone: 410-313-2001
3430 Court House Drive
Ellicott City, MD 21043
In This Issue
Welcome!
The Council held its final session July 27, 2018 at 10am and are now in recess for the month of August.
During the August recess, no legislation is introduced, considered or voted on and as such, the Council will not hold any meetings. 

We will r esume our legislative duties in September; however, my office will remain open in an effort to address issues as they arise. Please be advised there may be limited hours as the Council offices is currently undergoing renovation and our offices will be closed from  August 2 through August 9, 2018 . I kindly ask for your patience.  If you write to my office and do not receive a response within a reasonable time, please call 410-313-2001  

I hope you have found this newsletter informative and were able to lend your voice to our legislative process. As always, t hank you for helping us make Ho ward County a better, brighter place!  

Howard County Council Legislation

Unless otherwise noted, the following legislation is introduced by the Chairperson at the request of the County Executive. 
SPOTLIGHTED LEGISLATION
SPOTLIGHTED LEGISLATION
Introduced by: Calvin Ball and Jennifer Terrasa
AN ACT repealing the mobile home site rental tax; and generally relating to mobile home developments.
Status: Tabled

LEGISLATION VOTED ON JULY 27, 2018
All legislation voted on can be found online using the legislative search tool or by clicking here.

APPOINTMENTS

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Mark Stinson to the Commission on Aging.
Status: Passed

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Michael Lee to the Board to Promote Self-Sufficiency.
Status: Tabled

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Robyn C. Scates to the Advisory Board on Consumer Protection.
Status: Tabled
Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Sandra M. Price to the Advisory Board on Consumer Protection.
Status: Passed

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Ellen L. Kuhn to the Advisory Board on Consumer Protection.
Status: Tabled

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Ethan Marchant to the Howard County Design Advisory Panel.
Status: Passed

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Athena A. Verghis to the Environmental Sustainability Board.
Status: Passed

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of David Grabowski to the Recreation and Parks Board.
Status: Passed

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Judy Zhao to the Commission for Women.
Status: Tabled

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Michele Brown to the Local Behavioral Health Advisory Board.
Status: Passed

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Mark Donovan to the Local Behavioral Health Advisory Board.
Status: Passed

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Janet Edelman to the Local Behavioral Health Advisory Board.
Status: Passed

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Jim Filipczak to the Local Behavioral Health Advisory Board.
Status: Passed

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Stephen Foster to the Local Behavioral Health Advisory Board.
Status: Passed
Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Alice Giles to the Local Behavioral Health Advisory Board.
Status: Passed

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Susan Helsel to the Local Behavioral Health Advisory Board.
Status: Passed

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Cindy Kirk to the Local Behavioral Health Advisory Board.
Status: Passed

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Helen Liu to the Local Behavioral Health Advisory Board.
Status: Passed

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Bruce MacDonald to the Local Behavioral Health Advisory Board.
Status: Passed 

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Kathryn Newman to the Local Behavioral Health Advisory Board.
Status: Passed

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Joan Scornaienchi to the Local Behavioral Health Advisory Board.
Status: Passed as Amended

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Jennifer Van Blarcom to the Local Behavioral Health Advisory Board.
Status: Passed

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the reappointment of Bruno V. Reich to the Historic Preservation Commission.
Status: Passed

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the reappointment of Robert A. Mentz to the Board of Library Trustees.
Status: Passed

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the reappointment of Colette Jackson to the Commission for Transitioning Students with Disabilities.
Status: Passed

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the reappointment of Jonathan K. Branch to the Howard County Commission for Veterans and Military Families.
Status: Passed

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the reappointment of Craig Porterfield to the Howard County Commission for Veterans and Military Families.
Status: Passed

GENERAL

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION endorsing the provision of financing by the State Department of Commerce for an economic development project in Howard County and certifying that the project is consistent with the County's plan for economic development.
Status: Passed

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION approving an application by John and Gina Robb to sell an agricultural land preservation easement on their property, located at 830 Morgan Station Road in Woodbine, Howard County, Maryland and shown as Tax Map 8, Parcel 1, consisting of approximately 26.6 acres to the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation.
Status: Passed

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION endorsing a Howard County application with the Maryland Transit Administration of the Maryland Department of Transportation for certain grants under the Federal Transit Act.
Status: Passed

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the Board of Education
A RESOLUTION approving certain transfers between major categories of the Howard County Board of Education Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2019; transferring $5,017,300 from Fixed Charges to Mid-Level Administration and Instructional Salaries; and adding funds that were recently received from the State of Maryland to the Fixed Charges category.
Status: Passed as Amended

Introduced by: TThe Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
AN ACT declaring that a total of approximately 1,312 square feet of real property with the reservation for an Underground Storm Water Management facility in Ellicott City is no longer needed for a public purpose and authorizing the County Executive to waive the advertising and bidding requirements of Section 4.201 of the Howard County Code in order to convey the County's property interest to the adjacent property owner.
Status: Passed 

Introduced by: Greg Fox
A RESOLUTION approving an amendment to the Howard County Master Plan for Water and Sewerage.
Status: Passed 

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
AN ACT changing the name of the Commission on Disability Issues to be the Commission on Disabilities; and generally related to the Commission on Disabilities.
Status: Passed

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
AN ACT pursuant to Section 612 of the Howard County Charter, approving a multi-year Lease Agreement between Howard County, Maryland and CDW-G, LLC, for the lease of multi-function copiers; and authorizing the County Executive to take certain actions in connection with the Lease Agreement.
Status: Passed as Amended

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
AN ACT pursuant to Section 612 of the Howard County Charter, approving a Lease Agreement between Howard County, Maryland and NewTower Trust Company Multi-Employer Property Trust for the lease of space located at 6095 Marshalee Drive, Elkridge, Maryland; and authorizing the County Executive to take certain actions in connection with the Lease Agreement.
Status: Passed
Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
AN ACT pursuant to Section 612 of the Howard County Charter, approving a Lease Agreement between Howard County, Maryland and Columbia Commercial Developments, Inc. for the lease of space located at 7125 Riverwood Drive, Columbia, Maryland; and authorizing the County Executive to take certain actions in connection with the Lease Agreement.
Status: Passed
Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
AN ACT pursuant to Section 612 of the Howard County Charter, approving a Lease Agreement between Howard County, Maryland and 9200 Berger Business Trust for the lease of space located at 9200 Berger Road, Columbia, Maryland; and authorizing the County Executive to take certain actions in connection with the Lease Agreement.
Status: Passed

CB54-2018
Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
AN ACT pursuant to Section 612 of the Howard County Charter, approving a multi-year Project Agreement for the Design, Construction, Financing, Operation and Maintenance of the Howard County Circuit Courthouse between Howard County, Maryland and a special purpose entity formed by Edgemoor-Star America Judicial Partners for the design, construction, partial financing, operation and maintenance of a new Courthouse and related Parking Structure to be located on the Project Site located at 9250 Judicial Way (formerly known as 9240 and 9250 Bendix Road) in Ellicott City; authorizing the County Executive to enter into the Agreement and to make changes to the Agreement before executing it, under certain conditions; and generally relating to a multi-year agreement for the design, construction, financing, operation and maintenance of the Howard County Circuit Courthouse.
Status: Passed as Amended

Introduced by: Calvin Ball and Jennifer Terrasa
AN ACT repealing the mobile home site rental tax; and generally relating to mobile home developments.
Status: Tabled

Introduced by: Jon Weinstein
AN ACT temporarily prohibiting issuance of certain permits and certain approvals of development plans and zoning changes for property that drains in whole or in part to the Tiber Branch Watershed in Howard County to study flooding events that threaten public health, safety, and welfare; requesting the Department of Planning and Zoning, the Department of Public Works, and other County agencies to study past, present, and future land uses, drainage infrastructure, storm water management, and flood mitigation, and all other factors related to flooding in the Tiber Branch Watershed, and report and make recommendations on changes to land uses, drainage infrastructure, stormwater management, and flood mitigation; defining certain terms; providing certain exemptions from the Act; providing that this Act shall be abrogated and of no further force and effect after a certain period; and generally relating to land use, storm water management, drainage and flood mitigation; and declaring this to be an emergency Act.
Status: Passed as Amended

Introduced by: Jon Weinstein
AN ACT providing for credit in the Howard County Police and Fire Employees' Retirement Plan for pre-employment military service in certain situations; specifying the conditions and forms of proof; and generally relating to Howard County police and fire pension plans.
Status: Passed

Introduced by: Calvin Ball and Jennifer Terrasa
AN ACT amending the Howard County Code to amend the requirements for new developments on Scenic Roads; and generally relating to Scenic Roads.
Status: Tabled

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of Erikson Living Properties II, LLC
AN ACT amending the General Plan for Howard County ("PlanHoward 2030") by adjusting the Planned Service Area boundary for water and sewer service to include approximately 61 acres of property located west of Clarksville Pike (MD Route 108) and south of Sheppard Lane, in Clarksville, Howard County, Maryland; to adjust the Growth Tier Maps of Howard County to reflect the incorporation of said property into the Planned Service Area and the designation of said property within the Growth Tier 1 area of Howard County; and further designating said property as a Targeted Growth and Revitalization Designated Place Type; and providing that certain adjustments will be null and void unless certain conditions are met; and generally relating to PlanHoward 2030.
Status: Passed as Amended
LEGISLATION VOTED ON JULY 2, 2018
All legislation on can be found online by using the legislative search tool or by clicking here.

APPOINTMENTS

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of David W. Moynihan to the Board of Electrical Examiners.
Status: Passed

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Sharon R. Pinder to the Equal Business Opportunity Commission.
Status: Passed

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of David Drasin to the Multimodal Transportation Board.
Status: Tabled
Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the reappointment of Fred L. Coover to the Adult Public Guardianship Review Board.
Status: Passed

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the reappointment of Michelle Henry to the Adult Public Guardianship Review Board.
Status: Passed

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the reappointment of Archana Goel Leon-Guerrero to the Adult Public Guardianship Review Board.
Status: Passed

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the reappointment of Nikki Young to the Adult Public Guardianship Review Board.
Status: Passed
Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the reappointment of Susan M. Hailman to the Commission on Aging.
Status: Passed

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the reappointment of Timothy J. Collins to the Board of Directors of the Economic Development Authority.
Status: Passed

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the reappointment of Milton W. Matthews to the Board of Directors of the Economic Development Authority.
Status: Passed

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the reappointment of Mitra Basu to the Housing and Community Development Board.
Status: Passed

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the reappointment of Khiem Doan to the Howard County Local Children's Board.
Status: Passed

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION approving a list of Howard County residents to be sent to the Governor, in accordance with State law, so that the Governor may choose one of the residents from the list to fill a vacancy on the Property Tax Assessment Appeal Board.
Status: Passed


GENERAL

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION adopting the Housing Unit Allocation Chart for Fiscal Year 2019 pursuant to the Adequate Public Facilities Act of Howard County.
Status: Passed as Amended

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION adopting the School Capacity Chart, pursuant to the Adequate Public Facilities Act of Howard County, to designate the school regions, elementary schools, and middle schools constrained for new residential development during each of the following years as based on the definition of program capacity as defined by Howard County Public School System policy.
Status: Passed as Amended

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION extending the State of Emergency declared by Executive Order issued on May 27, 2018, which related to a severe flooding event.
Status: Passed as Amended

Introduced by: Jon Weinstein
AN ACT requiring specified shelter and conditions for certain dogs at certain times; specifying how dogs may be tethered, authorizing the Animal Control Officer to issue certain animal safety alerts in a specified manner; requiring certain publicity of certain provisions of Title 17 Subtitle 3; providing for civil penalties for specified violations; and generally relating to animal control in Howard County.
Status: Passed as Amended
Introduced by: Jennifer Terrasa
AN ACT amending the Howard County Code to require presubmission community meetings for projects on publicly owned land and for projects that abut open space; and generally relating to presubmission community meetings.
Status: Passed as Amended

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
AN ACT amending a tax credit against the County tax imposed on real property that is owned by individuals who are a retired member of the Armed Forces of the United States to provide that certain surviving spouses of retired members of the Armed Forces are eligible to receive the property tax credit; and generally relating to real property tax credits.
Status: Passed
CB42-2018
Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
AN ACT establishing a tax credit against the County property tax imposed on certain real property that is owned by certain 9-1-1 Public Safety Telecommunicators under certain circumstances; establishing the amount, terms, and conditions of the credit; and generally relating to real property tax credits.
Status: Passed as Amended

Introduced by: The Chairperson
AN ACT specifying the manner of submitting reports, studies, publications, and other documents to the County Council; specifying the format of the documents; and generally relating to submissions to the County Council.
Status: Passed as Amended

Introduced by: The Chairperson 
AN ACT modifying the Howard County Public Ethics Law by clarifying that "interest" does not include owning or holding an exchange-traded fund; specifying who must file financial disclosure statements; prohibiting certain lobbying by specified former officials related to legislation before the County Council for a specified period; altering certain disclosure requirements; requiring the Howard County Ethics Commission to redact certain home addresses from specified documents disclosed to the public; repealing the prohibition related to participating in County procurement if a certain contingency is met; and generally relating to the Howard County Public Ethics Law.
Status: Passed as Amended

Introduced by: The Chairperson 
AN ACT prohibiting participation in specified County bidding by persons who have participated in specified activities related to assisting the County in developing the purchasing specifications, invitations, or requests for proposals; and generally relating to the Howard County Purchasing Law.
Status: Tabled

Introduced by: Jon Weinstein
AN ACT amending the Howard County Code to modify the process for establishing Single Site Historic Districts; and generally relating to Single Site Historic Districts.
Status: Passed as Amended

TABLED LEGISLATION

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of Windsor Forest Fox Chasing HOA, Inc. and Gaither Hunt Homeowners Association, Inc.
A RESOLUTION to close all of Winter Thicket Road, as shown in Exhibits A and B, in accordance with Section 18.204 of the Howard County Code.

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of David Drasin to the Multimodal Transportation Board.

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Michael Lee to the Board to Promote Self-Sufficiency.

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Ellen L. Kuhn to the Advisory Board on Consumer Protection.

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION confirming the appointment of Judy Zhao to the Commission for Women.

Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION pursuant to Section 4.201 of the Howard County Code, authorizing the County Executive's sale of certain real property known as the "Flier Building" owned by Howard County, Maryland, containing approximately 2.159 acres, and located at 10750 Little Patuxent Parkway, Maryland; waiving the advertising and bidding requirements of Section 4.201 of the Howard County Code; and providing that the County Executive is not bound to sell the property if he finds that it may have a further public use.
CR112-2017
Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
A RESOLUTION amending the green neighborhood standards that are used to qualify for Green Neighborhood Allocations and amending a total number of possible points on the Green Neighborhood Site portion of the Green Neighborhood Checklist.

Introduced by: Calvin Ball and Jennifer Terrasa
A RESOLUTION calling on the Maryland State Department of Education to contract for a performance audit of the Howard County Public School System and specifying the issues requested to be studied.

Introduced by: The Chairperson 
AN ACT prohibiting participation in specified County bidding by persons who have participated in specified activities related to assisting the County in developing the purchasing specifications, invitations, or requests for proposals; and generally relating to the Howard County Purchasing Law.

Introduced by: Calvin Ball and Jennifer Terrasa
AN ACT repealing the mobile home site rental tax; and generally relating to mobile home developments.

Introduced by: Calvin Ball and Jennifer Terrasa
AN ACT amending the Howard County Code to amend the requirements for new developments on Scenic Roads; and generally relating to Scenic Roads.





THE PROCESS
The County Council is responsible for adopting the laws of the County. The legislative process generally follows a monthly cycle:
  • 1st Monday - New legislation is introduced; legislation from prior month is given final consideration 
  • 3rd Monday - Public hearing on legislation introduced that month
  • 4th Monday - Legislative work session, if needed
Council bills must be signed or vetoed by the County Executive within 10 days of the Council's presentation of passed legislation.
UPCOMING MEETINGS
Unless otherwise noted, the County Council will hold its meetings in the Banneker Room of the George Howard Building, 3430 Court House Drive, Ellicott City, MD.  The next meetings are as follows:  
  • Tuesday, September 4, 2018 at 7:00 p.m.; Legislative Session
  • Wednesday, September 12, 2018 at 8:30 a.m.; Monthly Meeting (C. Vernon Gray)
  • Monday, September 17, 2018 at 7:00 p.m.; Legislative Public Hearing
  • Monday, September 24, 2018 at 4:30 p.m.; Legislative Work Session (C. Vernon Gray)
  • Monday, October 1, 2018 at 7:00 p.m.; Legislative Session
Please note these dates are subject to change.  To access the most up-to-date calendar of meetings in its entirety, click  here .
 
C an't attend a meeting but still want to stay involved?  You can stream the Council's sessions online and click on the meeting you would like to watch.  The Council's sessions are also streamed in real time on this website.
I hope you have found this information insightful as the County Council continues to advocate on behalf of Howard County. Consider lending your voice to our legislative process and please feel free to share this information with your friends, family, and neighbors to help me in my goal to create an informed citizenry.

All the best,
 Council Member 

"A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others ." -Douglas MacArthur