Residents pedal hard for bike plan
Residents and bike enthusiasts pressed the Howard County Council on Monday for approval of the proposed Bike Howard plan, an effort they say will make county paths safer and more pedestrian-friendly.
The plan would lay out a framework to promote cycling as a safe and environmentally friendly mode of transport, creating a network of countywide pathways connecting commercial and residential areas.
The proposal is designed to fall in sync with the county's complete streets policy, a vision for how streets should be designed, operated and maintained; and existing road resurfacing and development projects.
On the drawing table for years, Bike Howard garnered support from residents and community leaders not only for transportation, but also public health and sustainability.
“It's been more than a short trip to get to this point,” said Jack Guarneri, an Ellicott City resident. “The plan has been thoroughly vetted by a large number of people.”
Money for the plan is uncertain. Although short-term projects would cost roughly $32 million, according to Chris Eatough, the county's first bicycle and pedestrian coordinator, inclusion of a project in the plan does not guarantee that the project will be funded by the county.
The plan garnered support from Howard County General Hospital President Steven Snelgrove, the Columbia Association and residents from Highland to Woodbine. But opinions varied on a proposed amendment to slash a central pathway along Little Patuxent River next to the Allview community in Columbia and replace it with a path on Broken Land Parkway.
Citing steep banks and flooding concerns, Columbia resident Michael Compson said the path along the river would be especially dangerous for children and dramatically change the “secluded” and “quiet” character of the neighborhood.
Allview resident Sally Ryder said the path along the river was a safe and scenic route for residents who otherwise “have to dodge traffic and parked cars through our hilly and winding roads in order to enjoy the great outdoors.”
The plan remains under review, and officials said the final plan will ultimately include a proposal for implementation.
School board member defends use of staff email addresses for fundraising
Howard County Board of Education member Ann DeLacy sent fundraising solicitations to more than 25 school system employees using staff email addresses, according to documents obtained by the Howard County Times.
Invitees included Deputy Superintendent Linda Wise, director of facilities Bruce Gist and director of executive services Caryn Lasser.
The school board's vice chairwoman, Ellen Flynn Giles, has asked for an advisory opinion on the matter from the school system's ethics panel, she said. She expects to receive a response in the next two weeks.
DeLacy, who is running for re-election this year, defended the emails Thursday, saying, “There's nothing wrong with that. Those people are my friends.”
The emails, which were sent from an evite website between Jan. 6 and 29, contained a link to her campaign fundraiser invitation in which she wrote to invitees: “I am asking for a $100 donation from each guest which will provide live classical and jazz guitar music, food and beverages, plus door prizes.”
In a February letter to the board, state Sen. Gail Bates said she had “been alerted” that a board member had been sending fundraising solicitations to school system staff using their “official email accounts.”
Bates said Thursday that she did not know the identity of the board member in question, and that she “was only referencing the practice as being questionable.”
DeLacy said she does not see a conflict of interest in inviting school system staff members to her fundraiser, because they are not her employees. “The only person who is my employee is the superintendent,” she said.
Stormwater improvements coming to recreation headquarters
Construction is expected to begin April 2 on a project designed to improve stormwater treatment at the county Department of Recreation and Parks headquarters in Columbia.
The project will include construction of a facility with a sand filter to capture, temporarily store and then filter stormwater runoff before returning the water to the underlying soil. County officials said modifications and additions to the existing storm drain system will also be constructed. The project is expected to be completed by mid-June.
For more details, contact Lisa Brightwell at 410-313-3440 or publicworks@howardcountymd.gov.
Nitkin named Howard County General Hospital chief of staff
Howard County General Hospital announced the appointment of David B. Nitkin to senior director of administration and chief of staff on March 21. Nitkin previously served as the director of communications and policy adviser in the office of the Maryland attorney general, the director of communications and director of policy and legislative affairs for Howard County government, and more than a decade with The Baltimore Sun as a journalist, and later, the metropolitan editor.
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