May 13, 2022

The County Executive presented his County budget to the County Council on April 29th. The Council has until June 15th to pass a balanced budget and we have begun to receive budget presentations from each of the County Departments. This past Monday night we held the first public budget meeting in the Council Chambers. I invite you to review the budget highlights document HERE or dive deeper into the full budget documents at this LINK.

Testimony on the budget can be submitted online at this WEBPAGE.

An in-person, live public hearing in the auditorium of North County High School in Glen Burnie, Maryland, is scheduled for Wednesday, May 18 at 7 p.m. Online registration to testify in-person at the meeting is strongly encouraged: https://www.aacounty.org/departments/county-council/fy-23-budget/may-9-google-signup-form/index.html. The deadline to register online for the May 18th hearing is 3 pm. A small window for in-person registration will be available on May 18 from 6-6:45 p.m. outside of the auditorium at North County High School.  

Note: A person may only testify once on either May 9, 2022 or May 18, 2022 and may speak on any topic related to the proposed FY23 Operating or Capital Budget or Bills 37-22 through 48-22. Testimony will be limited to 2 minutes per person.

The County Executive's Budget Office has developed a Fiscal Year 23 Budget Tool website which can be found at: https://www.aacounty.org/yourbudget/ This website provides detailed information and there is also a form to submit feedback.

The County Budget Office released a new, interactive tool for residents to track county revenue and spending, the Budget and Data Development Explorer (BuDDE). The BuDDE can be found at www.aacounty.org/budde.

The Anne Arundel County Charter Revision Commission’s Draft Report on the Charter has been made available for public review and comment. A copy is available on the Commission’s website. Members of the public are encouraged to comment on this report through May 25, 2022 using the Commission’s online testimony tool. 

The deadline to register is TODAY Friday May 13th!

Students whose families do not complete registration forms will not be eligible to ride a school bus for the entire 2022-23 school year even if they reside in the transportation zone. Families who believe their student will need bus transportation at any point in the upcoming school year are encouraged to indicate they wish to have bus service on the form. Please note that prekindergarten and kindergarten students, students who have IEPs that contain transportation accommodations, and students designated as homeless will automatically receive transportation. No registration for those students is needed. 

Long awaited school construction in District 2 is well underway. The Old Mill Complex Master Plan includes construction of seven buildings over the course of several years. It's exciting to see these projects come up out of the ground and I am excited for the students and teachers that will soon have new spaces in which to learn and teach! A little bit of history of the Old Mill Complex Master Plan is provided below.

NOTE: Specific questions related to the design, construction, redistricting etc. of any of the AACPS school projects as well as other Board of Education related questions should be directed to Mr. Silkworth, the District 2 representative on the Board of Education.

For additional background information on the 2016 Old Mill Complex Master Plan, visit this LINK to view the entire document. Option 1 was selected by the Board of Education and the image of that Master Plan site layout of the seven schools is shown below.

Old Mill West High School

Rippling Woods Elementary School

Quarterfield Elementary School

Old Mill Middle South

The full press release can be found HERE.

Anne Arundel County Animal Care & Control waives its adoption fees for all available dogs. Approved potential adopters can meet with individual available dogs at the shelter. The shelter's adoption requirements are outlined under the "adopt a pet" tab on its website, aacounty.org/pets, (aacounty.org/services-and-programs/adopt-a-pet). Potential adopters do not have to live in Anne Arundel County.

This study is an update and supplement to a County study completed in 2018 along this corridor. The first phase of this newer study has involved an examination of existing conditions, an assessment of traffic operations under future projected vehicular traffic volumes, and a preliminary analysis of the potential benefits of impacts of a series of possible improvement alternatives. The study team seeks public input on these alternatives by incorporating these findings. In light of COVID-19, public input can be provided through an online web page or via email, phone, or mail.  The public is encouraged to learn more and provide input by visiting:

www.aacounty.org/departments/public-works/engineering/capital_projects and selecting “H539621 Jumpers Hole Road, MD 2 to MD 177”. 

A virtual public meeting will be held on May 23, 2022, from 7:00 to 9:00 PM. Registration is required to attend – please visit (https://aacounty.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0qd-6vqD0jGN0B1SNKmI2XT5bPvP0oEHxB)

Comments and questions can also be sent by email to Adam Greenstein, Project Manager, using the contact information below. Those needing materials in alternative formats can contact County DPW Customer Relations by phone at 410-222-7582 or by email at pwcust00@aacounty.org. TTY users, please call via Maryland Relay 7-1-1.

If you missed a recent meeting and would like to see a recording of the meeting and/or offer comments (if within the comment period) visit the Office of Planning and Zoning's Community Meetings website.

The Arts Council of Anne Arundel County’s Mini Grant program is designed to support innovative, well-defined arts-related projects that are directed to a new or broader audience, preferably within underserved communities. They are awarded to eligible organizations and programs on a dollar-to-dollar matching basis and may not exceed $2,500. New partnerships with other arts or community organizations are encouraged in an effort to engage more local residents in cultural and artistic activities. More information can be found at this LINK. Applications are due May 31st.

Impact 100 Greater Chesapeake Grant. This grant aims to fund projects with high potential for community impact. Nonprofits that fall into these categories are encouraged to apply: Arts & Culture, Education, Environment Preservation & Recreation, Family, and Health & Wellness. More information can be found at this LINK. Applications are due June 30th.

The African American Heritage Preservation Program (AAHPP) provides grants to assist in the preservation of buildings, sites, or communities of historical and cultural importance to the African American experience in Maryland. The AAHPP is administered as a partnership between the Maryland Historical Trust and the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture. Grants range from $10,000 to a maximum of $100,000. More information can be found at this LINK. Applications are due July 1st.

Anne Arundel Workforce Development Corporation (AAWDC) Events Calendar.

Visit the AAWDC website for additional information.

On June 15^th at 6:30 pm, an in-person Dementia Live® workshop will be held at the North County/Hein Office (7320 Ritchie Highway, Glen Burnie). The Dementia Live workshop is a high impact, dementia simulation experience that immerses participants into life with dementia, resulting in a deeper understanding of what it is like to live with cognitive impairment and sensory changes. Space is limited and registration is required. You can register for this workshop by calling 410-222-4375/4339. 

On June 16^th at 6:30 pm, Chesapeake Life Center staff will present “Maintaining a Positive, Healthy, and Hope Filled Outlook.” Maintaining a positive attitude is critical when you want to achieve anything or simply improve the quality of your life. As a caregiver, you have to be realistic about what can and can’t be controlled. You can’t control that your loved one has a chronic or progressive disease — nor can you control the impact of that disease. This acknowledgment will allow you to plan and seek help so that you can maintain a positive, healthy, and hope-filled outlook. This workshop will be held at the Annapolis Senior Activity Center (119 S. Villa Avenue, Annapolis). You can register for this workshop online at http://www.aacounty.org/aging or call 410-222-4375/4339. 

Anyone needing accommodations must contact Mary Chaput at 410-222-4339, or by e-mail at agchap01@aacounty.org at least seven days in advance of the event. TTY users, please call via Maryland Relay 7-1-1. All materials are available in an alternative format upon request.  

Every Saturday from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. a group of BKind volunteers serve lunch and groceries-to-go in the parking lot behind Bruster’s Ice Cream on Aquahart Road in Glen Burnie. If you would like to volunteer to serve lunch on a Saturday, contact bkind.online at gmail dot com.

Now through May 31st Arundel Federal Savings Bank has teamed up with BKind, a local Glen Burnie non-profit that provides food, clothing, and hygiene products to those less fortunate in Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, and Baltimore County. Items needed include school supplies; infant, children’s men’s, and women’s gently used or new clothing; games for kids (Go Fish, Uno, Playdoh, Chalk, etc.); infant supplies; towels, washcloths and more. Collection boxes are in all Arundel Federal lobbies in Annapolis, Brooklyn, Glen Burnie, Pasadena, and Severna Park. The supply list can be found HERE.

The Glen Burnie Farmers Market is returning to the plaza this summer! Come out to 101 Crain Highway North on Thursday afternoons starting on June 2nd.