Governor Hogan announced mitigation efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19 across Maryland and our region. The Maryland Department of Health issued a public health advisory urging residents to refrain from attending any gatherings of more than 10 people in one location. Additionally, residents who travel to and from Maryland must quarantine for 10 days or obtain a negative test result. 

To read more of the Governor’s announcement, please click here.

Libraries are an important cornerstone of a healthy community. Our libraries are essential to the learning, growth, and enrichment for our residents of all ages and abilities. Throughout this pandemic, our team at the Howard County Library System has been instrumental in connecting residents with resources, whether online or through contactless pickup.

As we begin to celebrate the holidays, I’m grateful for our entire HCLS team for their effort to keep our community connected through thoughtful, effective, and innovative ways.

This year, it's especially important that our community receives support and resources needed to thrive. I was pleased to join Howard County Department of Community Resources and Services to distribute more than 480 holiday gift cards and more than 50 boxes of food to residents in need. 

Even while apart, let's ensure every resident can have a happy, healthy, and safe holiday!

We all know this holiday season is going to look and feel a lot different, but there is hope on the horizon and our actions over the next few weeks can make a difference. With increasing cases and widespread community transmission, it is much wiser to shift plans now and know we will all be reunited soon. 

To stay COVID safe this winter, please heed the advice of our public health officials and alter your holiday plans accordingly – we can still connect more safely outdoors, masked and distanced or online to share moments with our loved ones.

We are incredibly grateful to have phenomenal educators as part of our Howard County Public School System cOMmunity, especially during this strange year. Please join me in congratulating our very own Oakland Mills High School Assistant Principal Raymona Reid for being named Assistant Principal of the Year by the Maryland Association of Secondary School Principals.

For nearly two decades, our Forest Conservation Act remained unchanged. In recent years the Act’s out of date standards lacked real positive environmental impact. Today, I pre-filed legislation to improve the Forest Conservation Manual, which would implement the outdated Forest Conservation Act and be the strongest update in Maryland.

Green infrastructure can no longer be an afterthought – it must be built into how we plan and grow. We must strive to replace trees in the same locations where they are cut. Now, any residential development of more than one acre must retain and replace 75% of trees within the project site. 

The Forest Conservation Manual will impact our environmental standards for this next important chapter in our local, and global, fight against climate change while preserving forest resources for the benefit of our community.

For more information, please click here.

This Winter Solstice, it’s important that all residents are taking precautions to stay safe and warm. If you have to go outside, please follow these important cold weather tips and dress appropriately. 

Additionally, we have a greater need to provide for the most vulnerable of our community members. If you are, or encounter, someone in need of shelter, please contact the Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center hotline at (410) 531-6677.

COVID-19 has devastated many households who have lost income and are trying to make ends meet to keep the heat on, feed their families, and pay their rent. I’m proud to announce $500,000 in CARES Act funding will support nearly 1,500 Howard County residents in need of energy assistance through the Community Action Council of Howard County. 

We are laser-focused on expending all of our CARES funding by our deadline at the end of this month and ensuring that our most vulnerable residents do not fall through the cracks this winter, as we continue to combat this virus in our community.

To apply for energy assistance, please click here. To find other resources and assistance, please check-out our virtual assistance portal here.

Are you a local Business? The Meet the Primes event is an opportunity for small, local and EBO businesses to meet prime contractors in the fields of Construction Services, Architectural and Engineering Services and Technology Services in a virtual networking environment. 

Attendees can learn more about the types of work the primes perform, their subcontracting processes, which services they subcontract and doing business with Howard County entities including Howard County Government, Howard County Public School System and Howard Community College.

To register, email LocalOutreach@howardcountymd.gov and indicate which session you're interested in.

At this point there is widespread community transmission of COVID-19, and every individual action we take is vital to controlling and limiting the further spread of this virus. Now in effect, all indoor social gatherings must be limited to 10 people or fewer and all outdoor social gatherings must be limited to 25 people or fewer.

Social gathering limits includes weddings, recreational sports and programs, and social/fraternal organizations and association clubs. Additionally, the Department of Recreation & Parks has canceled all upcoming tournaments, and any other programs subject to change will be posted online here.

As we continue to see a rise in COVID-19 cases in Howard County, we are also seeing rise of residents who are getting tested or have questions about testing. The two drive-thru COVID-19 testing locations set up in the parking lots at the Elkridge and Savage fire stations are NOT being operated by the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services, but are operated by Quality First Urgent Care.

Our volunteer fire stations in Savage and Elkridge are being inundated with questions regarding testing. If you have any questions regarding testing at either location, please call the Howard County Health Department’s Coronavirus Information Line at (410) 313-6284. We all have a responsibility to do all we can to reverse our concerning trends. For more information, please visit HChealth.org.

Recreation & Parks' three community center gymnasiums (Gary J. Arthur, North Laurel and Roger Carter) are CLOSED, EXCEPT for scheduled programs. Visitors may still access the community centers walking tracks, but by appointment only. To schedule an appointment, please contact the front desk of the community center you wish to visit. Visitors may also use the community center fitness rooms, but also by appointment only. Please keep in mind, the fitness centers at the Gary J. Arthur and North community centers are limited to five users at one time and the Roger Carter Community Center fitness center is limited to 10 users at a time. Finally, face coverings must be worn at all times in Recreation & Parks' indoor facilities, including its gyms and fitness rooms. However, guests using the Roger Carter Community Center pool are exempt when swimming.

Additionally, Recreation & Parks’ indoor programs are limited to no more than 10 people per activity area and all outdoor sports facilities, athletic fields, playgrounds, courts and skate parks are now limited to 25 people or less. In addition, for sports participants, only one parent/guardian is allowed to be in attendance, a face covering must be worn, and parent/guardians may not enter the playing field. All players and coaches must wear a face covering when entering and exiting the park and field. All sports tournaments in Howard County have been cancelled.

Additionally, Recreation & Parks' Worthington Dog Park will be limited to 25 people per field (the park has two fields), one handler per animal is permitted in the dog park and all visitors must wear a face covering at all times.

Finally, Recreation & Parks' RecZone child care program and school-related services will operate with a 15-person limit per room and will continue to follow strict COVID-19 guidelines from the CDC and Howard County's Office of Child Care.

For more information and/or questions, visit Recreation & Parks' website www.howardcountymd.gov/rap and/or please contact the department at 410-313-4700.

Our Department of Community Resources and Services’ Office of Aging and Independence (OAI) continues to work hard to offer our older residents the resources they need to remain active and engaged during the COVID-19 pandemic. From exercise, cooking, social engagement and lifelong learning classes, there is something to help get you moving, get cooking and stay social this 2020. Check out OAI’s December Virtual Offering Guide for this month’s activities or visit OAI’s website to learn more about its services. For questions, contact OAI at aging@howardcountymd.gov.

If you have any questions regarding testing at either location and/or to schedule an appointment, please contact Quality First Urgent Care at 301-421-1214 or visit https://quality1urgentcare.com/. Note, Quality First Urgent Care does not require a doctor’s order or insurance to be tested at either location and while appointments are available, they are not required. You can also contact the Howard County Health Department's Coronavirus Information Line at 410-313-6284 for testing questions.

This holiday season, HCDFRS is reminding residents of the importance of watering your Christmas tree DAILY. According to the National Fire Protection Association, more than 200 home fires each year start with a Christmas tree. While Christmas tree fires are not common, when they do occur, they are much more likely to be deadly than most other fires. In fact, on average, one out of every 32 reported home Christmas tree fires resulted in a death, compared to an average of one death per 143 reported home fires. Protect your family and property this holiday, with these Christmas Tree Safety tips.

When the Christmas is over, or your tree is dry, be sure to recycle it through our Bureau of Environmental Services’ Merry Mulch program. Stay tuned to www.howardcountymd.gov/merrymulch for this year’s program details.

I invite you to join our Office of Human Rights and Equity (OHRE) and myself this holiday season as we celebrate the principles and symbols of Kwanzaa. Derived from the phrase “matunda ya kwanza,” which means “first fruits” in Swahili, Kwanzaa celebrations often include songs and dances, African drums, storytelling, poetry reading and a large traditional meal. Celebrated over seven nights, each night families gather to light a candle on the Kinara (candleholder) and discuss one of the seven principles: unity; self-determination; collective work and responsibility; cooperative economics; purpose; creativity; and faith. The principles, called the Nguzo Saba (seven principles in Swahili), are values of African culture which contribute to building and reinforcing community among African Americans. From December 26^th through January 1^st, I hope you will join us as OHRE hosts a number of virtual activities to celebrate and recognize these seven principles. To learn more, check out https://tinyurl.com/HoCoKwanzaa today.

For questions and/or more information about these events, please contact OHRE at 410-313-6430 or email OHRoutreach@howardcountymd.gov.

Department of Public Works Construction Report

To learn 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 (SHA) website and search by “County” to learn more about State road projects in Howard County.

Department of Public Works – Bureau of Environmental Services

DPW’s Bureau of Environmental Services is REMINDING residents, when visiting our Alpha Ridge Landfill, face coverings MUST BE worn at ALL TIMES and physical distancing of at least six feet maintained when possible. Also, the Landfill is only accepting credit card payments at this time; no cash, check or debit cards.

While the Bureau of Environmental Service’s Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Saturdays at the Landfill have ended for the season, the Bureau will be hosting three SPECIAL HHW collection days this winter: Saturday, January 2^nd, Saturday, February 6^th and Saturday, March 6^th. On these three days, county residents may properly dispose of HHW items at the Landfill. For more information on this program and what is accepted/not accepted, visit www.howardcountymd.gov/HHW.

REMINDER: The upcoming Christmas Day holiday is one of the six holidays that does affect the County’s curbside trash, recycling, food scrap and yard trim collection programs. As there will be no curbside collection on Friday, December 25^th, the County’s holiday slide schedule will be in effect and Friday collection will slide to Saturday, December 26^th. Residents who normally have Friday collection are reminded to have their items out after 6:00 p.m. the day before collection or before 6:00 a.m. the day of collection.

For questions, concerns and/or more information about the County’s holiday schedule, visit www.howardcountymd.gov/holidayschedule or contact feel free to contact the Bureau of Environmental Services at 410-313-6444 or email help@howardcountyrecycles.org.

Sit back and relax in the comfort of your home and enjoy the magic and whimsy that is the holiday train display at Recreation & Parks’ Gary J. Arthur Community Center. For those looking to visit the train display in-person, please give the Community Center’s front desk a call at 410-313-4840 to schedule your family’s appointment today. One family group of up to five people permitted at one time. I’d like to extend a special thanks to Dennis Moore, who continues to create and set up this breathtaking train display each year.