Greetings!
Welcome to our May Newsletter! Over the past month, Howard County residents have been getting their COVID-19 vaccinations in record numbers. As of this newsletter, over 75% of Howard County residents over the age of 16 have received at least one dose of their vaccine, and that number continues to grow!
Recently, the CDC approved the use of the Pfizer vaccine for our younger community members aged 12 - 15. Howard County Health Department has begun offering the Pfizer vaccine for all residents age 12+.
There are plenty of vaccine appointments available in Howard County! If you have not yet received your vaccine, I strongly urge you to register for an appointment from the Howard County Health Department here. There are also Pfizer vaccine appointments at the State Mass-Vax site at the Mall in Columbia, which you can register for here.
With news that COVID restrictions are being lifted, I strongly encourage you to schedule an appointment to receive the COVID vaccine. Getting vaccinated helps make you safer, your family safer, and your community safer. If you have any specific questions related to the vaccine distribution or availability, please email me at [email protected].
As we continue into 2021, 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 May!
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Christiana Rigby
Councilwoman, District 3
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To date, there have been over 19,206 recorded cases of COVID-19 in Howard County, and 239 of our Howard County neighbors have lost their lives to this virus.
Howard County's positivity rate and new case rate have have continued to decline over the past month, and our 7-day positivity rate is now at an all-time low of 1.5%. As vaccination efforts continue to improve and expand, I encourage everyone to continue doing their part to limit the spread of coronavirus in Howard County by getting vaccinated and following local safety recommendations. For information on COVID-19, vaccines, and coronavirus testing locations, please visit the Howard County Health Department's website.
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April Legislative Wrap-Up |
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On May 3rd, the County Council convened for our May Legislative Session to hold a vote on pending legislation. The County Council took action on several pieces of legislation, including the following:
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CB17-2021: legislation relating to solar energy in Howard County, including to allow rooftop commercial and accessory ground mount solar collectors in all zoning districts; to allow commercial ground-mount solar collector facilities in certain zoning districts; to limit the size of commercial ground-mount solar collector facilities on certain parcels that are in the Agricultural Land Preservation Program; and generally relating to the Howard County Zoning Regulations. I sponsored a successful amendment with Councilmember Walsh to require that certain ground-mount solar collectors also include pollinator habitats or other ecologically enhancing alternatives in the area. This legislation was passed by the County Council unanimously in a 5-0 vote. You can read more about the legislation here. Introduced by the Chairperson at the request of the County Executive.
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CB23-2021: legislation amending the eligibility requirements for a property tax credit for seniors and retired military personnel in accordance with Chapter 332, Acts of the General Assembly of 2019; and generally relating to property tax credits. This legislation was passed by the County Council unanimously in a 5-0 vote. You can read more about the legislation here. Introduced by Opel Jones and Deb Jung. Co-sponsored by Christiana Rigby, Liz Walsh, and David Yungmann.
You can watch the County Council's full May legislation session here.
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At the legislative session on May 3rd, the County Council introduced new legislation for consideration. I have included information on current legislation of interest below:
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CB42-2021: legislation requiring the Department of Planning and Zoning, in collaboration with specified County agencies, to establish a system of data collection; requiring the Department of Planning and Zoning, in collaboration with specified County agencies, to recommend actions to improve the retention of existing forest areas and effectiveness of mitigation measures; and generally relating to the Forest Conservation Act. You can read more about the legislation here. Introduced by Deb Jung.
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Budget Legislation: This month, the County Council will be considering and voting on budget legislation. There are several pieces of budget legislation that are voted on to approve the budget for Fiscal Year 2022. You can read more about the budget legislation here. Introduced by the Chairperson at the request of the County Executive.
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Community Initiatives, Events, and Updates |
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General Plan - Columbia Design Sessions! |
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Next week, HoCo By Design will be kicking off its New Town/Columbia Design Sessions, featuring a discussion about Columbia’s community character and design!
What is the essence of Columbia in terms of its design and community character? Join the HoCo By Design project team at one of two identical virtual meetings on May 18 or May 19 to kick off a series of design sessions focused on the New Town/Columbia area.
These sessions will identify and prioritize important aspects of community character to preserve, enhance, transform, or strengthen in the New Town/Columbia area for the new General Plan. Sign up for a virtual session here!
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While groceries were pre-bagged during the height of the pandemic in an effort of extreme caution, CAC feels strongly that it's important for families to choose the items they want, and it is ready to reinstate this model. All shopping trips after May 3 will once again be family choice. Families who may qualify should visit www.CAC-HC.org or call 410-313-6440 for more details.
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Head Start and Pre-K Opportunities from Community Action Council |
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CAC offers free Head Start and Pre-K programming to eligible 3- to 5-year-old children. Programs provide family engagement services, speech & language therapy, mental health consulting, hearing & vision screening, and nutritional counseling.
CAC operates four sites across the county, including at the Bauder Education Center in Long Reach. Learn more on CAC’s website or by calling 410-313-6440.
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FCC Emergency Broadband Benefit |
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The Emergency Broadband Benefit Program will provide eligible households with discounts of up to $50 a month for broadband service. It also will provide a one-time discount of up to $100 on a computer or tablet for eligible households.
Who Is Eligible for the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program?
A household is eligible if a member of the household meets one of the criteria below:
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Has an income that is at or below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines or participates in certain assistance programs, such as SNAP, Medicaid, or Lifeline;
- Approved to receive benefits under the free and reduced-price school lunch program or the school breakfast program, including through the USDA Community Eligibility Provision in the 2019-2020 or 2020-2021 school year;
- Received a Federal Pell Grant during the current award year;
- Experienced a substantial loss of income due to job loss or furlough since February 29, 2020 and the household had a total income in 2020 at or below $99,000 for single filers and $198,000 for joint filers; or
- Meets the eligibility criteria for a participating provider's existing low-income or COVID-19 program.
Beginning on May 12, 2021 households can apply in three ways:
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Contact your preferred participating broadband provider directly to learn about their application process.
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Go to GetEmergencyBroadband.org to apply online and to find participating providers near you.
- Call 833-511-0311 for a mail-in application, and return it along with proof of eligibility to: Emergency Broadband Support Center, P.O. Box 7081, London, KY 40742.
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Howard EcoWorks is Hiring! |
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Howard EcoWorks is hiring for their summer READY program!
READY (Restoring the Environment and Developing Youth) is a summer employment program for young adults ages 16-25 from Howard County. READY participants construct and maintain stormwater best management practices to help improve watershed health.
Applications are open through May 21st.
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Savage Trail Improvements |
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Earlier this month, County and State leaders announced State funding for improvements to the Patapsco Regional Greenway and Savage Trails.
$250,000 of this funding will support critical repairs to the Savage Mill Trail. The Savage Mill Trail provides 1.16 miles of trail space within Savage Park, traveling along the escarpment above the southern side of the Little Patuxent River, along an old rail line path terminating at a turnaround north of the mill ruins.
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The funding will support the construction of a variety of repairs within the park, including the replacement of collapsed culverts, steep slope stabilization, rehabilitation of timber stairs accessing the trail, and a re-design of the picnic viewing area.
You can learn more about the state funding and improvements here.
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Howard County Employment and
Volunteer Opportunities
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Are you looking for employment opportunities? There are several open positions in different Howard County Government departments and agencies, including the Recreation & Parks, Community Resources & Services, Public Works, and more. You can learn more about different open positions and how to apply here.
Interested in volunteering with Howard County Government? You can check out different opportunities to volunteer with our Department of Recreation and Parks here, and additional volunteer opportunities here.
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Mobile Ticketing is Available for RTA Riders |
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I am excited to share that Howard County has implemented mobile ticketing, route tracking, and trip planning for our RTA bus service using the Transit app!
This updated technology helps bring RTA of Central Maryland into the 21st century, and it makes riding the bus easier and more reliable in Howard County.
Along with mobile ticketing, RTA introduced free transfers and fare capping, two cost-effective features for its riders that improve equity and access to the RTA system. One-way $2 fares purchased in Transit are valid for 90 minutes, making any transfers within that 90-minute window free system-wide.
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Rental Assistance & Eviction Prevention |
Howard County Government is offering Rental Assistance and Eviction Prevention Grants to Howard County residents who are struggling to pay their rent or mortgage due to loss of income resulting from COVID-19.
Residents may apply for rental and mortgage assistance from:
Maximum assistance per household is 12 months of housing and utility expenses. Residents that previously received housing assistance ARE eligible to apply for additional assistance. You can find more information on the housing assistance grants and how to apply here.
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Food and Utility Assistance |
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Howard County Government has dedicated additional funding to the Community Action Council of Howard County (CAC) for energy/utility assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic.
If you are in imminent danger of utility cut-off and need assistance paying your utility bills, you can apply for assistance from the Community Action Council here.
CAC also provides food assistance to Howard County families in need. You can find more information and fill out an application for food assistance here.
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Virtual Assistance Portal |
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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If you or a family member lost a job or experienced reduced income due to COVID-19, you can apply for unemployment insurance from the state of Maryland.
You can find more information and apply for unemployment benefits here. You can find more information on job opportunities and employment assistance 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 resources, please visit COAD's website here to learn more about their services.
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District 3 Pre-Submission Meetings |
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There are currently no pre-submission meetings scheduled in District 3. |
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Christiana Rigby
Councilwoman, District 3
410-313-2001
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Colette Gelwicks
Special Assistant
410-313-2421
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Felix Facchine
District Aide
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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