Dear Friends,

President Biden singled out Howard County during a speech to National Association of Counties leaders in Washington. He praised our efforts to devote American Rescue Plan funding to keep our educators and bus drivers on the job, such as our recent $1,800 bonus for 8,395 HCPSS educators and staff. 

Through our strong partnership with the Board of Education, the Howard County Public School System, and others, we are collaborating to use available resources where they are needed most. It is gratifying to be recognized as a national model. By working together, we are delivering results for our community and will continue to lead with innovation to support our educators, create jobs, and move our community forward.

Last week, I joined Baltimore Gas & Electric (BGE) CEO Carim Khouzami to unveil a new public-private partnership that will provide $500,000 in grant funding for small business and entrepreneurs affected by the pandemic. In our latest example of the County’s practice of effective and collaborative use of rescue funds, the County is providing $250,000 in American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding, which is being matched by BGE and will be used immediately to support growing businesses.

Relief funding has been a critical on our road to economic recovery, and as we look towards a third year living with COVID-19, we cannot our foot off the gas. Now is a perfect time to invest in the thinkers, innovators, and changemakers who will drive our community forward. We’re also supporting our Chamber organizations, often on the frontlines of serving our small and emerging businesses, to provide quality resources and support to the nearly 10,000 businesses who call Howard County home. 

Read more about our efforts here.

Howard County received the highest possible credit rating, AAA, from all three bond rating agencies - Fitch Ratings, Moody's Investor Services, and Standard & Poor's. As we look towards recovery from the pandemic, this rating confirms Howard County’s fiscal responsibility. Ultimately, a triple A bond rating saves our residents money, and I especially appreciate the trust and investment of our taxpayers. 

I want to thank and acknowledge our entire finance and budget teams for their guidance throughout this process. Thank you also our EDA and Chambers of Commerce who work to keep our business community growing and vibrant. As we move forward with our annual budget process, our County’s fiscal practices remain healthy, flexible, and sound.

I joined volunteers in Elkridge to kickoff Howard EcoWorks’ 3rd Annual Watershed Makeover event. More than 100 volunteers at sites around the county are spending the day picking up trash and clearing invasive species in order to preserve the health of our county’s watersheds.

Howard EcoWorks is critical partner that has worked tirelessly to protect our environment and promote environmental stewardship. From the Seeds of Change and Ready Programs to clearing more than 6 tons of debris from the waterways around Ellicott City, Howard EcoWorks is an organization that is always willing to do the hard work for our environment.

I am deeply grateful to Lori Lilly for her leadership and partnership over the years!

According to the Maryland Department of Health (MDH), Howard County’s positivity rate is 3.3% and our 7-day moving average case rate per 100k is 10.7. Our community transmission is now in the substantial range according to the CDC. This reflects a consistent improvement we've seen in our COVID-19 metrics since they peaked in early January. There are currently 22 COVID-19 patients in both the ICU and Acute Care units at Howard County General Hospital, down from 72 patients in January. While Howard County community transmission level remains substantial, indoor masking in public places is recommended.

Howard County has high vaccination rates with 90% of our residents 5+ fully vaccinated. Approximately 34% of our eligible residents have not yet received their booster shot. Please get boosted if you have not yet received a booster shot. Vaccination, including boosters, work by significantly reducing serious illness, hospitalization, and death.

We have the power to stop the spread the COVID-19. We can only do this through increased vaccination, getting boosted, and continuing to practice the mitigation strategies we have all become accustomed to: stay home if you are sick, get tested, wear a high-quality mask, and please get vaccinated and boosted if you haven’t already. Find a vaccine near you at vaccine.howardcountymd.gov. 

With our COVID-19 metrics decreasing and one of the highest vaccination rates in the state, we are able to relax our mask mandate within government buildings. The indoor mask mandate for most Howard County Government buildings are now lifted. Masks will still be required on public transit and at the Howard County Detention Center. 

Vaccination continues to be our best line of defense against severe disease and death. I strongly encourage our residents who have not received their initial shots or booster, to got roll up their sleeves. Find a vaccine clinic near you at vaccine.howardcountymd.gov.

Howard County’s innovation center is a state-of-the-art 50,000-square-foot space that brings together entrepreneurs and mentors who are launching the businesses of tomorrow. Watching this center come to life, after signing an agreement with our Howard County Economic Development Authority in 2019, has been one of the most exciting developments during my time in office.

There are 30 businesses in our incubator space, and five have graduated and are thriving in our community. 

Last year, we named the building the Kenneth S. Ulman Innovation Hub, and I appreciate the partnership of EDA CEO Larry Twele, Chuck Bubeck, and all of our innovators. Watch this video to see the progress we’ve made in a short time.

Since he was five years old, Dr. C. Vernon Gray had a dedication passion and interest in civic duty. When he was elected in 1982, Dr. Gray became the first African American to sit on the Howard County Council, where he served for twenty years. Subsequently, in 1998, he was elected to an unprecedented fourth and fifth term as Council Chair. During this tenure, he was named President of the Maryland Association of Counties. However, his career in public service for Howard County didn't stop there. He also worked as the Office of Human Rights administrator under then-County Executive Ulman. 

Additionally, in 1997 he founded and now sits on the board of the Howard County chapter of "First Tee," a national program that aims to make golf an accessible sport to children and teens of all backgrounds. He has lived in Columbia for 49 years and continues to bolster the community in many facets, so we are happy to show our appreciation for him this Black History Month.

The state has even created new subsidies this year to bring down the cost of health insurance for young adults. Now, more people ages 18-34 can get plans for as little as $1 per month.

Don’t delay. Get insured today. Visit MarylandHealthConnection.gov today!

Back by popular demand, DCRS’ Office of Children and Families (OCF) will host its annual Child Care Fair this Saturday, February 26^th (NEW DATE) from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the North Laurel Community Center; masks are required. While admission is FREE, attendees are encouraged to bring a nonperishable food item or unopened pack of diapers or wipes to donate to the Howard County Food Bank.

Though not required, pre-registration is highly recommended so event organizers can contact attendees in case of inclement weather on the day of the event. For more information about the Fair, contact the OCF at 410-313-1940 or email children@howardcountymd.gov. To request a sign language interpreter or other accommodations to participate, call at least one week in advance.

Age-Friendly communities foster independence and allow residents of all ages and abilities to have great access to our amenities and services. Recently, I announced that AARP has approved the Howard County Age-Friendly Action Plan. A transformational document and critical milestone to join the AARP Network of Age Friendly States and Communities, this plan includes 80 recommendations across eight domains that influence the health and quality of life of our residents. With AARP’s stamp of approval, we can move forward confidently over the next three years to work to ensure all recommendations can be implemented.

If you or someone you know is caring for a family member or friend with dementia, we encourage you to check out DCRS’ Office on Aging and Independence’s (OAI) Dementia Live®. This virtual interactive experience that immerses participants into life with dementia to create a deeper understanding of what it’s like to live with a cognitive impairment and sensory changes. If interested in participating, OAI’s next upcoming sessions are March 7^th and April 11^th, both at 6:00 p.m. As space is limited, I encourage you to call 410-313-5917 today to register.

Did you know as soon as your child receives their Social Security number, they could be at risk for identify theft? Now is the time to protect your child’s identity, money, credit and benefits from would-be thieves with these simply steps and tips from DCRS’s Office of Consumer Protection.

The week of March 6^th through the 12^th is National Consumer Protection Week and to mark the occasion, DCRS’ Office of Consumer Protection has planned two informative webinars to discuss “Debt Collection, Credit and Your Credit Score” (on March 8^th) and “How to Safely Use Payment Apps” (on March 10^th). Both webinars will take place at 7:00 p.m. and can be viewed live on DCRS’ Facebook page.

The first webinar will take an in-depth look at debt collection and credit topics, including how to build, maintain and improve your credit; how FICO® scores are calculated; your rights under debt collection, and how to deal with debt collectors; and avoid debt workout scams. To register to take part in this FREE seminar, visit https://ocpdebtandcredit.eventbrite.com.

The second webinar will explain your rights under the law; how payment apps have become a favorite of criminals; and what you can do to avoid being scammed. To register for this FREE seminar, visit https://ocppaymentapps.eventbrite.com.

For questions and/or more information or assistance with a consumer issue, contact the Howard Office of Consumer Protection at 410-313-6420 or email consumer@howardcountymd.gov.

Join Howard County’s Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) virtually this Thursday, February 24^th from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. for its upcoming meeting focused on community preparedness and mental health. The meeting will feature Lynn Hottle, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Red Cross volunteer. Lynn is the National Capital Greater Chesapeake Disaster Mental Health Regional Lead, which serves Maryland, Delaware, DC, and Northern Virginia, and is a Facilitator for the Red Cross Service to Armed Forces, Disaster Action Team Member in Howard County and a Pillowcase presenter. Topics to be discussed at the February meeting include prevention and education; installation of smoke alarms; response to mass casualty events; disaster action team for fires; and health services, mental health and more.

This meeting is free and open to the public, and completely virtual. To register for this meeting, please click HERE. To request accommodations to participate (at least five business days before the meeting) and/or for questions about LEPC, contact the County’s Office of Emergency Management at 410-313-6030 or email to emergencymanagement@howardcountymd.gov.

To learn more and/or submit an application for the program, click HERE. Note, the application window will close at 11:59 p.m. on February 25, 2022.

Facilitated by OHRE and hosted by the Howard County Library System (HCLS), “Reading Human Rights” is a monthly book discussion group aimed at encouraging community dialogue on issues of race, displacement and religious bias. “Reading Human Rights” also aims to foster conversation on how different community’s approach human rights advocacy and community engagement. The discussion group introduces participants to a variety of books from varying genres. This month’s discuss group – set to meet virtually on February 23^rd, HCLS and OHRE will be discussing Caste by Isabel Wilkerson in celebration of Black History Month. As spacing is limited, to reserve your virtual seat today for this month’s discuss group, click HERE.

 The Crown Act: Exploring Race, the Law, & Appearance Discrimination

OHRE invites you to close out Black History Month with a virtual webinar exploring how African Americans deal with illegal discrimination based on personal appearance, especially concerning their hair texture and style. This one-hour lunch and learn on February 24^th will educate attendees on the history of Black hair and its importance to African American culture, expose the various kinds of discrimination African Americans face because of their hair and illuminate the protections offered to Howard County residents. Moderated by OHRE Administrator Yolanda Sonnier, this webinar promises to be informative and practical. Reserve your virtual seat today by clicking HERE.

Howard County Police Department (HCPD), in conjunction with the Maryland 9-1-1 Board, is warning residents who possess older cell phones with 3G service that their service may cease operating this year due to the retirement of 3G networks and support for phones using 3G service. This may also include devices that use 3G connectivity, such as some medical alert devices, tablets, smart watches and home security systems. The nation’s three major wireless carriers – AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile, each announced they plan to discontinue 3G service in favor of 4G (LTE) and 5G service in 2022. According to the Federal Communication Commission’s website, AT&T will discontinue service this month, T-Mobile/Sprint will discontinue service between March and July, and Verizon will discontinue service at the end of 2022.

Low-income individuals who are concerned that their 9-1-1 only phones may no longer be supported should consider applying for service through the federal Lifeline Program. Information about this program, particularly eligibility and participating providers, can be found online at www.lifelinesupport.org.

Additionally, if you or someone you know will be affected by this 3G service discontinuation, you may qualify for a Howard County Health Department’s FREE smartphone program, available to eligible foodstamp and Medicaid recipients. To learn more about this program, click HERE or call 410-313-7504 or 410-313-5845.

Prioritizing public safety and reinforcing public trust can go hand in hand, and each remains a priority of my administration. That is why last week I signed legislation establishing Howard County’s Police Accountability Board, an important step in our ongoing effort to build trust and create stronger ties between HCPD and our community. This Board will ensure transparency and engage our residents as partners in accountability. When fully operational, the Board will review the outcome of complaint investigations to determine discipline and identify trends that could improve policing. The Board will also accept and forward complaints from residents for investigation by the police and sheriff’s departments.

While the process is underway to have cameras on uniformed officers as soon as possible, supply chain issues have caused a delay in HCPD receiving its body worn camera equipment. Despite this delay, HCPD continues its necessary preparation to ensure the department is able to hit the ground running once it has the technology in-hand.

To learn more about HCPD's body worn camera program, please click here.

Our Department of Public Works’ (DPW) Transportation and Special Projects Division will hold a public meeting this Thursday, February 24^th from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., in the cafeteria at Thomas Viaduct Middle School at 7000 Banbury Drive in Hanover, to present plans for a road relocation project in Jessup. This project will complete the relocation of Montevideo Road at a site east of 7650 Port Capital Drive to 7286 Montevideo Road to provide safer access along the relocated Montevideo Road corridor.

Those unable to participate in this meeting who would like to view the plans and/or have questions, should contact Mr. Abdul Akbari with DPW’s Transportation and Special Projects Division at 410-313-6146 or email aakbari@howardcountymd.gov.

DPW’s Stormwater Management Division will hold a virtual public meeting on Tuesday, March 8^th at 7:00 p.m., to present plans for a stormwater management pond repair project near 15036 Scottswood Court in Woodbine. The pond’s infrastructure is deteriorating and DPW’s Stormwater Management Division plans to replace the existing principal spillway and riser with a concrete principal spillway pipe and riser structure to repair the facility. Riprap will also be placed at the outfall to reduce erosive velocities. This project is expected to begin construction in June 2023.

The informal meeting will include an overview of the project followed by an open discussion. County staff and the project’s design consultant will be on hand to answer any questions and gather public comments. To participate in the meeting by computer, go to www.webex.com and click “join;” the meeting number is 2308 546 3817 and “stormwater” is the password. To participate by phone, call 1-650-479-3207 (note, fees may apply) and enter the access code 2308 546 3817.

Those unable to participate in the virtual meeting who would like to view the plans and/or have questions, should contact Ms. Michele Monde with DPW’s Stormwater Management Division at 410-313-0844 or email mmonde@howardcountymd.gov.

To learn about Department of Public Works (DPW) 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) “Project Portal” website.

Despite Monday’s Presidents’ Day holiday, there will be REGULAR Monday curbside trash, recycling and food scrap/yard trim collection on February 21^st and as such, the County’s holiday slide schedule is NOT in effect this week. Presidents’ Day is not one of the six holidays that affects curbside collection. Those six holidays are New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. To learn more about the County’s holiday slide schedule, visit www.howardcountymd.gov/holidayschedule. 

In case you missed it, earlier this month I announced a major expansion to our DPW Bureau of Environmental Services’ “Feed the Green Bin” food scrap curbside collection program. Starting this spring, 5,635 households in the county’s Wilde Lake and Centennial Lane areas will be eligible to sign up for curbside food scrap collection. Households in the expansion areas will receive information about the program in the mail in the coming weeks or can sign-up online at www.FeedtheGreenBin.org through March 18^th. New program participants will be able to choose between three green bin sizes – 12, 35 or 65 gallons, which will be delivered to their homes in early April.

Howard County’s curbside food scrap collection program was the first and the largest of its kind in Maryland. Since the program’s start in 2013, more than 34,000 households have food scrap collections available with curbside collections service. Additionally, seven Howard County public schools have joined curbside collections for food scraps. The collected material is transported to the County’s Alpha Ridge Landfill’s state-of-the-art Composting Facility, where it is turned into compost, a valuable soil amendment. 

In case you missed it, Recreation and Parks' 2022 Spring/Summer Activity Guide is NOW AVAILABLE online. Online registration for Howard County residents begins Wednesday, March 2^nd at 6:00 p.m., with mail-in, over-the-phone and in-person beginning the following morning, March 3^rd at 8:00 a.m.

For non-Howard County residents, online registration begins March 9^th at 6:00 p.m., with all other registration methods beginning the following morning.

Starting today, February 22^nd, Recreation & Parks will be closing a portion of Centennial Park's South Area, which will include Pavilions A, B, C and D, playground, upper parking lot, all pathways from Centennial Lake loop to the South upper area (lake loop pathway detour will remain open) and the south upper plateau. The closure will take place daily from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from the 22^nd through February 25^th. This daily closure is necessary in order to provide a safe working area for park maintenance to be completed in a timely manner.

Online registration, mail-in, phone and walk-in registration for Howard County and non-county residents and for Recreation and Parks' 2022 Summer Camp Guide is now open and filling quickly! To view the Summer Camp Guide, click HERE or to register online, visit https://tinyurl.com/HCRPSummerCamps2022.

If you are a looking for activities for your child to participate in when schools are closed, I encourage you to check out the variety of one-day camps our Department of Recreation & Parks offers that your child is sure to love. For the Howard County Public School System’s upcoming spring break (April 11th to April 15th and April 18th), be sure to check out these camp offerings.

Join members of the Howard Astronomical League (HAL) on March 12^th from 6:15 to 11:00 p.m. for its upcoming Public Star Party at the observatory at Alpha Ridge Park in Marriottsville. Participants will have the chance to take in telescopic views and programming, while mingling and asking questions with HAL members. All ages are welcome to participate in this FREE event and registration is not required; however, pets are not allowed. Before heading out on the 12^th, be sure to check HAL’s website for weather or health updates before coming out.

For more information about this event, please contact Danielle Bassett at 410-313-4634 or email dbassett@howardcountymd.gov.

Our Department of Recreation & Parks is currently hiring and looking to fill a variety of job vacancies, ranging from childcare to camp counselors, score keepers, park maintenance workers and more. For a full list of available jobs, to learn more about each job and/or to apply, click HERE.

River Dance: The 25^th Anniversary Show

Join Recreation & Parks on March 19^th at the Kennedy Center for Riverdance’s 25^th Anniversary Show. Created and choreographed by Michael Flatley, the Lord of The Dance himself, this prestigious show heads into its 25^th year. Come enjoy a live celebration of Ireland's cultural heritage, history and mythology, while seeing intricate footwork set to the haunting melodies and rousing rhythms. Tickets will go fast, so register now!

While the Howard County Bikeshare pilot program that provided fitness-friendly transportation in Columbia and Ellicott City will be coming to an end this month, we now have the opportunity to test other modes of transportation for our community. County officials are currently working with community partners in Downtown Columbia and vendors to pilot shared electric scooters to Columbia.

The current Bikeshare system relies on outdated 3G technology for communication between components, and upgrades have been determined to be cost-prohibitive. Bikeshare use has also declined significantly since the onset of the pandemic. The vendor began removing existing bicycles and stations yesterday, with all equipment slated to be gone by February 28^th. Howard County Bikeshare members will have their memberships prorated.

Reminder, the Regional Transportation Agency of Central Maryland (RTA) has implemented planned service adjustments affecting routes: 301, 403, 404, 405, 406 and 503. For details regarding these adjustments, please visit www.transitrta.com/february2022/. RTA Mobility Services are NOT affected by any of these adjustments.