The Maryland House of Delegates Ways and Means Committee heard public testimony last week on a Howard County bill that would open an investigation into the county school system's handling of public information requests.

Nearly a dozen county residents and elected officials urged the 22-member committee to support the bill. No one testified against it.

Del. Warren Miller, a Republican representing the county, proposed the bill in response to a growing number of complaints that county school officials operate without transparency and openness.

If passed by both houses of the General Assembly and signed into law, the bill would require the state's public information ombudsman to investigate and report on the validity of school officials' denials of public information requests since Superintendent Renee Foose took office on July 1, 2012.

Del. Eric Ebersole, a Democrat and member of the Howard County delegation who taught in the county's schools for 35 years, told the committee he voted for the bill because the current “negative perception” of the school system will affect its ability to hire the best teachers.

An original version of the bill would have placed public information requirements on the school system stricter than those required by Maryland law, but Del. Robert Flanagan, a Republican, revised the legislation to apply to past public information act compliance.

The bill was expected to move from the committee for a vote on the House floor.

Last November, members of the Howard County Board of Education voted 5- 2 to oppose the legislation, saying it unfairly singled out the county's school system.

One of the two board members who cast dissenting votes, Cindy Vaillancourt, testified in support of the bill Monday but emphasized she was doing so as an individual and not as a member of the board.

Vaillancourt spoke of her struggle to obtain public information from the school system, particularly with regard to a complaint lodged against her in 2014.

Del. Jay Walker, a Democrat from Prince George's County who is on the Ways and Means Committee, responded to Vaillancourt's testimony, saying, “You're currently on the board? And you couldn't get a straight answer?

“You all clearly have a problem,” Walker said, “and your delegation is doing the right thing.”

Flood Work Group sets hearing Monday

The Historic Ellicott City Flood Work Group will hold a public hearing to discuss its recommendations to reduce flooding in the area on Monday from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Columbia/Ellicott City Room in the George Howard Building.

After several meetings last year, the group has developed a preliminary report outlining possibilities to reduce flooding, as well as a list of priorities for infrastructure improvements and opportunities for funding. The report can be reviewed online at livegreenhoward.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Flood-Report-11-30-15.pdf.

County Executive Allan Kittleman created the work group in May 2015 to address long-term flood mitigation. Kittleman's capital budget also included $2.5 million for mitigation projects.

Contact Raj Kudchadkar at rkudchadkar@howardcountymd.gov.

—Andrew Michaels, Baltimore Sun Media Group

Annual Whipps Daffodil Day set for April 9

The nonprofit Whipps Cemetery will host the ninth annual Whipps Daffodil Day 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 9, at 3651 St. John's Lane in Ellicott City.

The event will feature horticultural talks by master gardeners in the Woodland Theatre on topics including herb gardening (10:30 a.m.), attracting butterflies (11:45 a.m.), daffodils (1:30 p.m.), and all-day pruning tips and ‘Ask a Master Gardener' sessions. Hellebores, Virginia bluebells, pansies, and other blooming flowers will be sold. There will be a raffle at 3 p.m. Admission is free.

The park is maintained by the Howard County master gardeners and is open to the public daily. It is owned by the nonprofit Friends of the Whipps Cemetery and Memorial Gardens Inc. For details, call or text Aleta Gravelle at 410-274-7795.