Keeping Up with Christiana!
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Greetings!
Welcome to our June Newsletter. Over the last several weeks, there have been hundreds of demonstrations across the United States to protest the murder of George Floyd by four Minneapolis police officers on May 25, 2020.
On June 2nd, I was humbled to join thousands of fellow Howard County residents in Columbia as young people led the largest protest that our county has ever seen to express that Black Lives Matter and George Floyd's life mattered. The youth organizers of HoCo For Justice are inspiring leaders in our community, and I encourage you to
follow
their latest efforts to advance racial justice in Howard County.
Dismantling our personal biases and systemic racism in our county does not begin in Washington D.C. It begins in ourselves, our homes, our neighborhoods, our faith communities, our local government, our businesses, and our children's schools. As we go forward, I encourage you to be mindful of how systemic racism exists within your community, and how we all can work to end it. On the County Council, I will be working with my colleagues to identify how we, as a legislative body, can work to dismantle our own implicit biases and make strides toward racial justice and
anti-racist
policies within Howard County.
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As we continue into the summer, 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 June!
Yours in service,
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Christiana Rigby
Councilwoman, District 3
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As COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases continue to increase in Howard County, I am closely following all updates from the state and federal government. To date, there are over 2,300 cases of COVID-19 in Howard County, and 75 of our Howard County neighbors have lost their lives to this disease. This remains an incredibly challenging time for families across the nation, but I continue to be encouraged by the acts of kindness and generosity in our community.
Howard County Government is working closely with the Howard County Health Department, Howard County General Hospital, and the Maryland Department of Health to ensure that our county is flattening the curve of COVID-19 cases and has adequate response measures in place. For additional information and updates on our County's response to COVID-19, I encourage you to visit Howard County Government's COVID-19
website
. If you or a family member think that you may have coronavirus, please contact your healthcare provider, who will determine whether you need to be tested for COVID-19. For additional information on testing, please visit the Howard County Health Department's
website
.
Following guidance from the State of Maryland and advice from public health experts, County Executive Ball has begun the process of re-opening Howard County businesses in a cautious and safe manner. We are currently in Phase II of the HoCo RISE Reopening Plan, which means that indoor dining and retail are beginning to re-open at 50% capacity. For more information on the latest re-openings, please review the graphic below or visit Howard County's COVID-19
website
.
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After nearly 7 hours of consideration and over 70 hours of work sessions, the FY21 Capital and Operating Budgets were passed by the County Council on Wednesday, May 27, 2020. There were a number of difficult decisions that the Council faced with this budget, including proposals from Councilmembers Jung, Walsh, and Yungmann to cut over $90,000,000 from the FY21 Capital Budget and $21,000,000 from the FY21 Operating Budget.
I opposed those severe cuts to the County budget, which is why I introduced line-item amendments in an attempt to restore funding for each project. I appreciate that some of my colleagues did ultimately reverse course on three items and voted to restore:
- $947,000 to prevent 11 Public Works employees from losing their jobs.
- $500,000 for stormwater management (Tiber Watershed).
- $400,000 for stormwater management (Plum Tree Watershed).
After receiving nearly 700 emails opposed to cutting the New Cultural Center affordable housing project, my colleagues also reversed course on this project and unanimously voted to restore funding to the New Cultural Center in Downtown Columbia. While this funding was moved to a contingency fund (and will therefore need to be approved again by the Council before moving forward), the inclusion of this funding means that the County is not jeopardizing the $64 million in federal funding for affordable housing that this project has already received in the short term.
However, if the County Council does not move the New Cultural Center funding out of contingency within the next few months, the $64 million in federal tax credits will be in danger again. I will continue to advocate for this project to move forward and will be encouraging my colleagues to proactively work with County Administration and the affordable housing community to clarify and answer their remaining questions.
Despite these victories, I am still incredibly disappointed that my colleagues voted over and over again to cut funding from projects that impact seniors, people with mobility issues, and pedestrian safety. These cuts include:
- Dozens of critical positions that provide services to Howard County residents, including a civilian Hispanic Liaison for the Police and a Landlord-tenant Navigator position in the Department of Community Resources & Services.
- East Columbia 50+ Center, delaying this long-awaited and desperately needed project again by at least another year.
- Complete Streets infrastructure projects for pedestrian and bike safety throughout Howard County.
- Energy management improvements, which reduce carbon emissions, contribute to our efforts to combat climate change, and save the county money.
These are just a small sample of the cuts that were still made to the capital and operating budgets after amendments were completed. Projects that improve the safety and quality of life for seniors, people with disabilities, and families were targeted for cuts. We have seen the repeated disinvestment in our communities for decades, and these budget amendments only furthered that trend.
I am also disappointed that my proposal for a progressive recordation tax on real estate transactions failed, which would have prevented the operating budget cuts and provided for increasing General Fund support to HCPSS in future years. Over 76% of funds from this proposal would be generated on property sales over $1 million, the majority of which are major land development sales. The operating budget cuts rely on raiding one-time savings for recurring costs, setting the County up for an even more challenging budget in FY22. Unless structural change is made to increase the General Fund in future years, it will be difficult to significantly fund HCPSS beyond maintenance-of-effort and improve county services for our residents.
Despite these significant and harmful cuts to the budget, I ultimately voted to support the final budget legislation. I am encouraged that the following projects were maintained in this budget:
- Hammond High School Renovation & Addition, which will be breaking ground later this year.
- Funding for High School 13 on Mission Road in Jessup, which will also be breaking ground later this year.
- Talbott Springs Elementary School Replacement funding, which will also be breaking ground this year.
- Savage Complete Streets funding, which will improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety and connections in the Savage community.
- Snowden River Parkway Pedestrian Connection, which will bring a much needed pedestrian connection along Snowden River Parkway to enhance safety of nearby residents and pedestrians.
I will continue advocating for the priorities we fought for in this budget. I deeply appreciate the countless residents who have reached out to us throughout this budget process, as well as the 1,000+ residents who contacting the County Council in opposition to the short-sighted cuts.
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In May, the County Council took action on several pieces of legislation that I introduced or sponsored, including:
- CB33-2020: The Rental Protection and Stability Act, which would prohibit rent increases for residential tenants, commercial tenants, and mobile home owners in Howard County for the duration of our State of Emergency. This legislation passed the County Council unanimously. Read more here. Introduced by Liz Walsh, Deb Jung, and Christiana Rigby.
- CR85-2020: legislation adopting a progressive structure to Howard County's recordation tax as part of the FY21 Budget. This legislation would provide tax relief on property sales below $300,000 and strengthen Howard County Government’s financial position. The recordation tax is a one-time cost paid when real estate is sold to a new owner, typically split as part of the closing costs of a real estate transaction. This legislation failed the County Council in a 3-2 vote. Read more here. Introduced by Christiana Rigby. Co-sponsored by Opel Jones.
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This month, the County Council will be considering amendments to Howard County's Charter. I joined my colleagues on the County Council in introducing and sponsoring several Charter amendments, including:
- CR99-2020: legislation reducing the terms for members of Howard County Boards and Commissions from 5 years to 3 years. This Charter amendment was recommended by County Administration with the goal of attracting a wide and more diverse pool of applicants to these critical county boards and commissions by reducing the term lengths. Read more here. Introduced by Christiana Rigby and Opel Jones.
- CR104-2020: legislation amending the County Charter to prohibit employment discrimination by Howard County Government because of disability, color, national origin, age, occupation, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, familial status, or personal appearance. Read more here. Introduced by Christiana Rigby and Opel Jones.
Several other Charter amendments were introduced before the County Council for consideration in June, including:
- CR93-2020: legislation setting earlier dates for the Councilmanic district Redistricting process. Introduced by Deb Jung.
- CR94-2020: legislation altering the method of appointments to the Councilmanic Redistricting Commission. Introduced by David Yungmann.
- CR95-2020: legislation replacing the term "councilmanic" with "council" in the County Charter. Introduced by Opel Jones. Co-sponsored by Christiana Rigby.
- CR96-2020: legislation allowing for an earlier date for Legislative Public Hearings of the County Council. Introduced by David Yungmann.
- CR97-2020: legislation requiring that the County Auditor attend the County Executive's meetings with the credit ratings agencies. Introduced by Deb Jung.
- CR98-2020: legislation requiring that the appointment of department heads are subject to County Council approval. Introduced by David Yungmann.
- CR100-2020: legislation setting an earlier start date for Howard County's budget process and requiring additional information. Introduced by David Yungmann.
- CR101-2020: legislation allowing the County Council to appropriate funds to the Operating and Capital budgets. Introduced by Deb Jung.
- CR102-2020: legislation requiring fiscal analyses for ordinances and resolutions introduced by the County Executive. Introduced by David Yungmann.
- CR103-2020: legislation requiring that any proposed property tax increase must be approved by voters through referendum. Introduced by David Yungmann.
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Due to the COVID-19 State of Emergency, several pieces of legislation from earlier this year were tabled before the County Council, including:
- CB13-2020: The Affordable Housing Retention Act, which would provide the Howard County Housing Commission with right to purchase, commonly known as the "right of first refusal," when rental properties are put up for sale in Howard County. If an owner wants to avoid the right of first refusal process, they will have the option to maintain at least 20% of affordable units at the property up for sale. As we continue to have important conversations about housing equity in Howard County, this bill provides our county with an additional tool to maintain affordable housing opportunities across the County. Read more here. Introduced by Christiana Rigby. Co-sponsored by Opel Jones and Liz Walsh.
- CB11-2020: legislation requiring that certain new buildings in Howard County meet bird-safe building design. This legislation will help reduce bird deaths in Howard County, while also encouraging more energy-efficient building design. Read more here. Introduced by Deb Jung. Co-sponsored by Christiana Rigby and Liz Walsh.
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Upcoming Council Meetings
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June 22, 9:30 AM - Joint Meeting w/ the Board of Ed
June 22, 1:00 PM - Legislative Work Session
June 22, 4:30 PM - June Monthly Meeting
July 6, 7:00 PM - Legislative Session
July 13, 1:00 PM - July Monthly Meeting
July 20, 7:00 PM - Legislative Public Hearing
July 27, 9:30 AM - Legislative Work Session
July 29, 10:00 AM - Legislative Session
August: Council in Recess
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Please note: all County Council meetings and sessions are live-streamed and available to the public online. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 public health crisis,
residents wishing to testify on local legislation may do so virtually
(sign-up
here
24 hours in advance of hearings). Residents are also encouraged to submit written testimony to the County Council by emailing us at
CouncilMail@howardcountymd.gov
.
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District 3 Pre-Submission Meetings
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There are currently no pre-submission meetings scheduled in District 3 this month.
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Community Initiatives and Updates
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Today, we commemorate Juneteenth, the holiday celebrating the emancipation of enslaved people on June 19th, 1865, two years after President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.
While Juneteenth commemorates the end of chattel slavery in the United States, it certainly did not guarantee freedom for African-Americans. 155 years later, there is still significant work to be done to extend freedom and equality to Black people in the United States.
I am encouraged by the calls for a national holiday recognizing Juneteenth as Freedom Day in the United States. While we celebrate the Fourth of July as "Independence Day" from British rule, Juneteenth commemorates independence from chattel slavery for hundreds of thousands of Black Americans.
I encourage you to watch Howard County Executive Ball's video commemorating Juneteenth
here
.
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Happy Pride Month! Due to COVID-19, Howard County's in-person Pride Festival has been cancelled this year. However, HoCo Pride is still hosting a number of virtual Pride events, which are available on their Facebook page. Check them out
here
!
Just this week, I was incredibly heartened to see that the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed in a 6-3 vote that LGBTQ+ employees may not be discriminated against based on their sexual orientation or gender identity under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.
This decision is an important step forward in securing basic rights for the LGBTQ+ community. While these employment protections have been on the books in Maryland for several years, I have sponsored a
Charter amendment
that would formalize and codify these employment protections for LGBTQ+ employees in Howard County Government as part of our founding documents.
Despite this victory for employment protections, there is still much work to be done to secure full LGBTQ+ protections in the United States. Last week, the Trump Administration announced that it is
reversing nondiscrimination
protections for transgender individuals seeking healthcare access and treatment. This reversal of existing protections is just the latest in a stream of anti-LGBTQ+ decisions from this Administration which will have an incredibly harmful impact on the transgender community. For more information on this decision and resources for transgender individuals seeking healthcare, you can learn more by visiting the National Center for Transgender Equality
website
.
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Housing Opportunities Master Plan - Survey
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Howard County launched the Housing Opportunities Master Plan public survey for residents to complete online
here
.
The Housing Opportunities Master Plan will assess housing programs and policies in all County government departments and agencies to improve efficiency and effectiveness, identify ways to create and preserve housing opportunities for residents of all income levels, and provide metrics and timelines to measure progress towards achieving goals in the plan.
The
survey
will be used by the Housing Opportunities Master Plan Task Force
to assist in the development of recommendations for the Housing Opportunities Master Plan for Howard County. All responses to this survey are anonymous.
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Green Bin Composting Service
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Howard County Government is currently looking to expand their “Green Bin” composting service to additional communities in Howard County. This program reduces household trash, reduces greenhouse gases, and helps the planet!
District 3 residents who are interested in the “Green Bin” composting service in their community are encouraged to sign up and signal their interest in the Green Bin program
here
.
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Complete the 2020 Census!
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As of June 16th, roughly 75.2% of Howard County households have responded to the Census. BUT, that still means over 24% of Howard County households have not yet responded -- equal to about 78,000 uncounted Howard County residents!
Haven't completed the 2020 Census yet? It's quick, easy, and safe to fill out online and will bring federal resources to Howard County.
I encourage you to take 5 minutes and visit
my2020census.gov
to respond for your household today. If you have already completed the Census - thank you! Please consider sharing the Census information with friends & family and encouraging them to get counted. The deadline to complete the Census is October 31st.
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Virtual Assistance Portal
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Howard County Government has launched a Virtual Assistance Portal to help connect residents with disaster and emergency resources, including housing assistance, food assistance, employment assistance, utility assistance, and more.
You can visit the portal and learn more about the resources available
here
.
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HCPSS is offering free breakfast, lunch, and dinner to anyone age 18 & under and/or any HCPSS student through the summer months.
Participants will be given a Grab-N-Go snack, lunch and dinner for that day, as well as a Grab-N-Go breakfast for the following day. Friday distributions at school-based locations only also will include meals to sustain children through the weekend.
There is no application, enrollment, or fee for this program, so please share this information widely with our HCPSS community. Stop by any one of the 11 school sites or 3 community locations between 11:30am and 1:30pm to pick up meals.
More info here
.
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If you or a family member recently lost a job due to COVID-19, you can apply for unemployment insurance from the state of Maryland.
After a number of issues and long delays for MD residents applying for unemployment, the State has updated and streamlined their system for unemployment. You can find more information and apply for unemployment benefits
here
. You can also find more information on job opportunities and employment assistance from the Howard County Office of Workforce Development
here
.
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Business Resources and Assistance
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Howard County Economic Development Authority (HCEDA) has published a
resource page
for local businesses and employers looking for relief and assistance.
The State of Maryland is also offering several business grants, loans, and assistance programs. You can find the full info regarding state & federal resources for businesses
here
.
Maryland has received a federal designation as a Small Business Disaster Loan Area. Small businesses can
learn more and apply here
.
Howard County Government and
Economic Development Authority
are also offering $5.7 million in
business assistance grants
for storefront retail businesses, agricultural businesses, and restaurants in Howard County. The deadline for businesses to apply for these grants has been extended to Tuesday, June 30th, at midnight.
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Almost immediately after this pandemic impacted Maryland, Howard County resident Erika Strauss Chavarria created Columbia Community Cares to meet community needs.
With over 4,000 members on Facebook, Columbia Community Care is collecting and distributing donations of groceries, toiletries, and other items in need. You can learn more about how to donate, volunteer, or access resources
here
.
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Howard County Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD) is a group of community organizations focused on collecting and deploying resources during a local disaster.
If you are able to donate, are in need of
grocery/medicine delivery
, or are in need of a mask, please visit COAD's website
here
to learn more about their services.
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The goal of this coalition is to support Howard County nonprofits on the front-line of COVID-19 support, focusing on assisting with food security, housing, childcare and healthcare. To date, HoCoRespond has raised over $407,000 for Howard County's nonprofits.
You can learn more about HoCoRespond here
.
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Christiana Rigby
Councilwoman, District 3
crigby@howardcountymd.gov
410-313-2001
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Colette Gelwicks
Special Assistant
cgelwicks@howardcountymd.gov
410-313-2421
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Felix Facchine
District Aide
ffacchine@howardcountymd.gov
410-313-3108
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Please feel free to contact us by email or phone. Plus, you can stay up-to-date with Christiana by following us on social media, where we post daily updates on events, county news, legislative priorities, and Christiana's activity! Don't miss out on any District 3 news!
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