Howard County Council voted Wednesday to table a proposed temporary nine-month halt on development in the area of Ellicott City.

Councilman Jon Weinstein, who proposed the measure after the deadly flash flood that struck the historic district, said he was disappointed other council members tabled the move.

Weinstein had said he proposed the measure as an effort to encourage county officials to critically examine the impact of increased development on flooding in the Tiber-Hudson watershed.

Proposed amendments to the bill were discussed at Wednesday's council meeting — including an exemption for changes to properties built before the mid-1980s, among other amendments. Officials said that if passed with the exemptions, the bill would only halt one project that is already in progress — a proposal to build 13 houses on Church Road in historic Ellicott City.

According to the county's Department of Planning and Zoning, 11 other projects in process could still move forward.

Still, the measure would create uncertainties for some developers if stormwater management regulations change after the moratorium passes, said Jeff Bronow, the department's chief of research.

Council members said they needed more time to determine the impact on residential and commercial development.

“There's no question that I support the necessity for this, but we need to make sure amendments get addressed,” said Councilwoman Jen Terrasa

Residential development tops other uses in the watershed and makes up roughly 37 percent of land, according to the county Department of Planning and Zoning.

Weinstein said he is optimistic his proposal encouraged the county to evaluate the relationship between development and flooding with a greater sense of urgency.

Meanwhile, the council approved a measure that will allow solar panel projects to be considered on hundreds of acres of county farmland that is currently protected from development.

Opponents had said allowing solar panel projects defeats the purpose of the agriculture land preservation program.

Opposition to the proposal prompted Councilwoman Mary Kay Sigaty to place stricter requirements on the review process of solar farm proposals. The changes expand the county's Agriculture Preservation Board's authority by allowing the advisory body to evaluate proposals before developers begin the county's multistep approval process.

Supporters such as the Howard County Farm Bureau said the move supports struggling farmers by offering a reliable and environmentally friendly income stream.

In another vote, council members unanimously supported a measure that will allow the county, if needed, to pursue legal action to address concerns that the Howard County Public School system is not complying with the county's audit.

Council President Calvin Ball, who proposed the move to address concerns about cooperation with the county audit, said that while there has been recent progress, the school system's cooperation “can vary day by and request by request.”

John White, the school system's spokesman, said the school system has fully complied with the county auditor's request for information and in providing working space to complete the audit.

The school system has provided space for the county's auditor and provided a health fund statement, White said.

“It is unclear why this action is required,” White said.