Greetings!

Welcome to our September 2022 Newsletter!

This month, the County Council returns from recess and will be considering several pieces of legislation. I have included some information on bills of interest later in the newsletter.

This week, the Howard County Health Department has also started to offer appointments for Omicron-specific (Bivalent) booster shots. You can learn more about eligibility for these boosters and register for an appointment by visiting the Health Department's website.

Please don't hesitate to contact my office if you are experiencing any issues in your community or would just like to get in touch. We are here to help with your concerns and listen to your feedback.

Wishing you a safe, happy, and healthy September!

Yours in service,
Christiana Rigby
Councilwoman, District 3
she/her/hers




September 15, 2022
September Legislation
On September 6th, the County Council convened for our September Legislative Session. Several new pieces of legislation and resolutions were introduced, including the following:

  • CB57-2022: An ACT requiring the Department of Police to notify the Director of Public Works of certain fatalities; requiring the Director of Public Works, or the Director’s designee, to conduct an infrastructure review when certain fatalities occur on a road or at an intersection; requiring consultation with the Office of Transportation; requiring the review to be complete within a certain time; requiring the review to be sent to specified recipients and published on the County website; and generally relating to traffic fatalities in the County. Introduced by Christiana Rigby.

  • CB51-2022: An ACT AN ACT amending the Howard County Code to require all Howard County officials involved in the Maryland Public Information Act request process seek a formal review by the Howard County Office of Law before declaring any documents, emails, or materials as privileged; and generally relating Maryland Public Information Act requests. Introduced by David Yungmann.

  • CB52-2022: An ACT amending the criteria, including the duration, for a property tax credit for seniors and retired military personnel in accordance with Chapter 267, Acts of the General Assembly of 2022; and generally relating to property tax credits. Introduced by Deb Jung.

  • CB54-2022: An ACT amending the Howard County Code to prohibit the issuance of certain waivers or variances to Forest Conservation regulations for properties located in the Tiber Branch Watershed; requiring certain site design requirements in the Tiber Branch Watershed; altering the existing floodplain, wetland, stream, and steep slope waiver provisions for the Tiber Branch Watershed; requiring development in the Tiber Branch Watershed to meet its forest conservation obligations on-site; and generally relating to waivers or variances. Introduced by Liz Walsh.

  • CB58-2022: An ACT to set the rate of the Public School Facilities Surcharge for certain addition construction; and generally relating to the public school facilities surcharge. Introduced by Liz Walsh.
Community News, Events, and Updates
Action Alert: Oakland Mills High School Renovation and Addition
On September 8th, the Superintendent released his proposed FY2024 Capital Budget for the Howard County Public School System. This proposed budget reverses a decision by the Board of Education last year to advance the prioritization of the Oakland Mills High School Renovation and Addition.

Oakland Mills High School carries some of the highest deferred maintenance in HCPSS and is an ideal location for expanding capacity. I disagree with Superintendent's proposal to reverse the BOE's prior decision and de-prioritize Oakland Mills High School, and I will be encouraging the Board of Education to remain on the course they set last year and keep Oakland Mills High School a priority.

Please email the Board of Education to affirm your support of the prioritization of Oakland Mills High School. You can also sign up to testify at the Board of Ed's September 22nd Public Hearing on the FY24 Capital Budget and FY25-29 Capital Improvement Program by filling out this form or by visiting HCPSS's public testimony webpage.
HoCo By Design - County in Motion
Join the conversation about Howard County's next General Plan!

The fifth draft chapter of our next General Plan - County in Motion - was recently released, and HoCo By Design wants your feedback! This chapter focuses the need to manage and provide a safe, equitable, and fiscally sustainable transportation system for all users.

This month, there will be two public meetings on this chapter where you can learn more and offer feedback. You can learn more, read the chapter, and register to attend a meeting by visiting HoCo By Design's website.
RTA is Fare Free this Fall!
Have you heard? All RTA fixed-route and paratransit rides will be free from September 1st through October 31st! You can take this opportunity to ride any of our local RTA buses around Howard County without paying for a ticket. You can learn more and check out our local transit routes by visiting RTA's website.

In addition to fare-free September and October, the year-round free RTA Bus Pass Program for all Howard County Public School System middle and high school students is expanding to include Howard Community College students.
Route One Pedestrian Improvements Update
The Route One Pedestrian Improvements are a $4.7 million project that will make pedestrian safety improvements at four locations along nine miles of US 1 (Washington Boulevard) in Howard County.

This project started construction last Thursday, September 8 at the Guilford Road intersection.

Improvements at Guilford Road include:
  • Construction of a shared-use path along southbound US 1 between existing sidewalk at the southwest corner of the intersection and at the entrance to 8550 Washington Blvd, for a total length of approximately 1,300 feet;
  • Construction of ADA-compliant sidewalk ramps within the US 1 at Guilford Rd intersection and at driveway/entrance crossings along the sidewalk length; 
  • Modifications to existing traffic signals, pedestrian push button upgrades, crosswalks at the US 1 at Guilford Rd intersection;
  • Remove the existing pavement and apply a new driving surface along US 1 with new signage and pavement marking upgrades; and 
  • Stormwater management (SWM) improvements.

The work hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. You can learn more about this project and the other locations planned for improvements on SHA's website.
Route One Tax Credit - Application Open
Applications are now being accepted for the County’s latest round of its Route 1 Tax Credit Program. Administered by the County’s Department of Planning and Zoning, this program offers up to $100,000 in funding per site to commercial and industrial property owners along the Route 1 corridor to assist them with renovating and improving the appearance of their properties.

To be eligible for the tax credit, the property must have frontage onto Route 1 and/or be adjacent to a property with Route 1 frontage, or be within the perimeter of Map 20.129D (Elkridge), be under 15 acres, be up-to-date on property tax payments and have no existing code violations.

Commercial and property owners interested in renovating the appearance of their property, are encouraged to visit the Route 1 Tax Credit Program website to learn more about this program and how to apply. 
HCPSS Redistricting Process
In advance of the completion of High School 13 in Jessup next year, the Howard County Public School System is currently undergoing the school redistricting process for school year 2023-2024.

Recently, Superintendent Martirano presented his proposed redistricting plan to the Board of Education. Over the next three months, the Board of Ed will accept public testimony and hold work sessions to deliberate on the proposed boundary adjustments. You can find more details on this process and opportunities for public testimony by visiting HCPSS's redistricting website.
HorseSpirit Arts Gallery Ninth Anniversary
HorseSpirit Arts Gallery in Savage is celebrating its ninth birthday this Fall!

You are invited to join the Gallery to celebrate this special day on Saturday, October 1st from 1pm - 4pm.

The Gallery represents more than 50 local Artists in a 3,500+ square foot open space at Historic Savage Mill. You can learn more about the celebration on the Gallery's website. I hope to see you there!
Howard County PRIDE
The annual Howard County PRIDE celebration will be back on Sunday, October 9th at Symphony Woods!

Join Howard County PRIDE for a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community with vendors, exhibitions, history, food trucks, and performances! This event is free and will be held from 11am to 6pm. You can find more details and RSVP to attend on HoCo Pride's event page.
Owen Brown 50th Anniversary
The Village of Owen Brown is celebrating its 50th Anniversary this year!

On October 15th from 12pm - 4pm, I will be joining the Owen Brown Village Board and our neighbors across Owen Brown for a community celebration and carnival at the Owen Brown Community Center.

Join residents of Owen Brown for games, food, and activities for all ages as we celebrate this historic milestone for this community. If you live nearby, please consider walking or biking over to the event.

For more information, please visit the Village of Owen Brown's website.
Bike Around Downtown
The Howard County Office of Transportation is partnering with the Downtown Columbia Partnership and the Columbia Association to host a BikeAround Downtown Block Party on September 24th!

At this event, you can bike around a marked course in Downtown Columbia, attend a block party, and participate in other fun activities.

To learn more and register to attend, please visit the Downtown Columbia Partnership's website.
Christiana's Climate Corner
Welcome to Christiana's Climate Corner, the newest section of our monthly newsletter! In the Climate Corner, I will be sharing updates on environmental and sustainability efforts in Howard County, including information on legislation, events, and opportunities for you to support sustainability efforts in our community!
Council Meeting on Electrification

This week, I hosted a Council discussion on building electrification at our monthly meeting. Fuel consumption from buildings accounts for a significant percentage of our local greenhouse gas emissions in Howard County. At the local level, we need to seriously tackle climate change, and that includes steps to move toward an all-electric future for new building construction. You can watch the monthly meeting discussion on the Council's website.
Participate in Car Free Day!

Join your neighbors in participating in Car Free Day on September 22, 2022! If you have the option, try traveling to your school, work, the grocery store, park, library, or other destination by foot, bike, scooter, or bus!

Car Free Day is a great way to practice reducing your transportation emissions and take advantage of the other transportation options in our community.

Want to participate and share your feedback with us? Fill out the Office of Transportation's survey on Car Free Day!
COVID-19 Information
Bivalent Booster Shots Available
Bivalent Booster Shots Available

The Howard County Health Department began offering a limited supply of this updated Omicron-specific (Bivalent) booster shots this week.

Appointments are available at the Howard County Health Department's website. Vaccines is also available at local pharmacies, urgent care centers, and retail stores. You can visit the Maryland Vaccine Locater to find a vaccination location convenient to you.

As the Health Department receives additional supply of the updated vaccine, additional appointments will be made available.

Not sure if you are eligible for a booster shot? You can check your eligibility for a booster shot from visiting the CDC's website.

COVID-19 Testing

The Howard County Health Department and our private partners are continuing to offer COVID-19 tests across Howard County on a regular basis. If you would like to get tested, please visit the Health Department's website for a list of nearby testing clinics and locations. You can also request free rapid tests be mailed to you from the federal government.
Community Resources

For more information on Howard County's Rental Assistance and Eviction Prevention efforts, please visit the Department of Housing's website.

For more information on energy and utility assistance, please visit the Community Action Council's website.

For more information on food assistance from the Howard County Food Bank, please visit the Community Action Council's website.

For information on emergency broadband assistance, please visit the Affordable Connectivity Program website.

For information on unemployment benefits from the State of Maryland, please visit the State's Unemployment website.
District 3 Pre-Submission Meetings
There is currently one community pre-submission meetings scheduled in District 3.
Name: McDonald's Restaurant
Address: 7878 Pocomoke Ave, Jessup, MD 20794
Meeting Date: September 29, 2022 at 6:00 PM
Meeting Location: Savage Branch Library, 9525 Durness Road, Laurel, MD 20723
Zoning: M-2
Acres: 1.2
Units: n/a
Planned Use: Add a dual lane drive thru
Stay Connected with Christiana!
Christiana Rigby
Councilwoman, District 3

crigby@howardcountymd.gov
410-313-2001
Colette Gelwicks
Special Assistant

cgelwicks@howardcountymd.gov
410-313-2421
Felix Facchine
District Aide

ffacchine@howardcountymd.gov
410-313-3108