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Record of Proceedings

Baltimore County Council Legislative Day One - January 6, 2026: Re-election of Chair, Contract Approvals, and Public Testimony

County Council — Tuesday, January 6, 2026
BodyBaltimore County, Maryland
SessionCounty Council
DateTuesday, January 6, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 53:56

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Day one will now.

0:04

Oh, good.

0:05

Legislative day one will now come to order.

0:08

Um I'd ask you to please pause for a moment of silent meditation and then we'll move on to the pledge.

0:23

Thank you.

0:23

Uh Councilman Patoka, could you lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance tonight?

0:27

Certainly.

0:28

Thank you, Mr.

0:28

Chair.

0:29

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands.

0:36

One nation, one God, individual with liberty and justice for all.

0:49

I will now ask the secretary to conduct the election for the office of chair of county council for 2026.

0:58

Thank you, Mr.

0:58

Chairman.

0:59

Uh Mr.

1:00

Chairman and members of the county council, pursuant to Section 302A of the County Charter, the Council at its first regular session of the calendar year is required to elect a chairperson from its membership by a majority vote, who shall preside at all meetings of the county council for this year.

1:27

Ms.

1:27

Richter.

1:28

Yes, sir.

1:30

Thank you, Mr.

1:30

Secretary.

1:31

Uh it's my pleasure uh and honor to uh make a nomination to uh our current chair, Chair Urtel, uh to continue in his role.

1:39

Uh when I appreciate the conversation that we've had since uh before the holiday and during uh over the last year, the council has endured a number of uh I'd say complicated issues that have been run smoothly by your leadership and your uh one ability to guide the council and build consensus between members.

2:00

Uh I think that moving into the next year and into 2026, I appreciate your willingness to keep me as the chair of SAC and uh look forward to in one future councils that the continuity of this council's leadership in terms of you will provide an opportunity when the next council presents itself and comes in that they will look to you as the leader that you are, and giving credit where credit is due.

2:24

I appreciate the opportunity to then nominate you to be as the chair for 2026.

2:30

Thank you, Councilman Young.

2:31

Thank you, Mr.

2:32

Young.

2:32

Uh is there a second to this nomination?

2:34

Yes, um, I would like to second the nomination.

2:37

Um this council has always been a model for bipartisanship.

2:42

Um, and uh under the Chairman Urtell's leadership, uh we've continued to demonstrate, I think, uh a degree of collegiality and cooperation that uh you don't see in many other governments.

2:56

Um I've appreciated how uh Chairman Urtell has always set the example.

3:01

Uh he has been an outstanding chair this past year.

3:04

I've also appreciated how he has um uh I think expanded our oversight role.

3:10

Uh I think it's good that we have hearings on things like permits and economic development.

3:15

And um, I thank him for that, and I hope we can continue that in the new year.

3:20

So I I second the nomination.

3:22

Thank you, Councilman Marks.

3:24

I appreciate that.

3:25

Thank you, Mr.

3:26

Marks.

3:26

Are there any additional comments from the council members?

3:29

Mr.

3:30

Chair.

3:32

Council.

3:34

It is my honor to uh uh I guess uh the nomination has been first and seconded, and now third.

3:42

Uh either third one.

3:44

Uh I think you've done a wonderful job, and uh really appreciate your leadership, and I look forward to continuing to work with you.

3:52

Thank you, sir.

3:59

Councilman catch.

4:01

Okay, councilman.

4:03

Okay, thank you, Mr.

4:04

Chair, and uh I just want to say uh Chairman Michael Urtell, you've done an outstanding job, and there are folks out there that are seeking office that will look at this council and say, wow, they they're they don't do anything, but I think that person who lives that uh those people who live in the virtual world and live in uh and and uh live work on the theoretical and hypothetical don't really have to address the reality of the challenges that this council addresses on a weekly basis.

4:45

And so for those that say this council hasn't doesn't do anything, they're simply not paying attention.

4:51

This council has made incredible advancements, and under your leadership, Chairman Urtell, they were very difficult issues.

5:00

uh and and uh live work on the theoretical and hypothetical don't really have to address the reality of the challenges that this council addresses on a weekly basis and so for those that say this council hasn't doesn't do anything they're simply not paying attention this council has made incredible advancements and under your leadership chairman ortell there were very difficult issues we also have difficult issues ahead of us and I'm really proud to have served with you on this council um under your leadership as chair and I look forward to working with you in 2026 and I would advise again I know I said this earlier but those that work in the hypothetical and virtual world to really pay attention to what's going on because I think this council has accomplished more than I would dare say many other councils that have served in Baltimore County.

5:31

So thank you Mr.

5:32

Chair for leading us through some very challenging issues.

5:35

Thank you sir Mr.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural███████████████████████████████████████████43%
Personnel Matters████████████████16%
Public Engagement███████████11%
Engineering And Infrastructure███████7%
Animal Welfare██████6%
Election Administration█████5%
Cannabis Regulation████4%
Public Health████4%
Technology and Innovation████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Baltimore County Council Legislative Day One - January 6, 2026: Re-election of Chair, Contract Approvals, and Public Testimony

The Baltimore County Council held its first regular session of 2026 on January 6, 2026. The meeting began with a moment of silence and the Pledge of Allegiance. The council unanimously re-elected Councilman Mike Urtell as Chair for 2026. The council also approved the journal, enrolled bills, introduced four new bills, approved three fiscal matters (contracts), and confirmed an appointment to the Community Reinvestment and Repair Commission. Public testimony addressed data centers, library staffing, animal services, and election accessibility.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Makita Scott (virtual) urged the council to support a moratorium on data centers in Baltimore County until a comprehensive impact study is completed. She expressed concern about a proposed 150-megawatt data center complex in Woodlawn, citing environmental justice issues related to an August amendment to Bill 54-24 that steered data centers toward predominantly Black and brown communities. She requested the removal of that amendment, a moratorium, and a countywide data center policy.
  • Anita Bass (virtual), local president of IAM 4538, representing Baltimore County Public Library staff, continued to raise concerns about the mass firing of 14 part-time librarians on November 12, 2025. She questioned the library board's reliance on a 2019 document and sought clarity on attrition and budget impacts.
  • Nicole Dvorak (virtual), former library staff member and union executive board member, thanked the council for allowing virtual testimony. She criticized the Library Board of Trustees for not providing online access to their meetings, noting that meetings are held at 8 a.m. on Tuesdays, creating barriers for staff and the public.
  • Ann George (in-person, Timonium, District 5) addressed the 2024 animal services review paid for with $50,000. She stated that many recommendations, including those regarding inhumane treatment of seized animals and the lack of enrichment, have not been implemented. She noted that a 2022 state law making certain animal cruelty a felony is not reflected in county law, and that the Office of Law has been unresponsive. County Attorney James Benjamin asked her to call him to discuss further.
  • Sharonda Hoffman (virtual) raised concerns about ADA accessibility at the Middle River Recreation Center polling place and the lack of parking during the 2024 election. She also cosigned library staff concerns, noting that library board meetings lack microphones, and asked the council to review procurement policies regarding the MBE program based on the Inspector General's report.

Discussion Items

  • Election of Chair for 2026: Councilman Young nominated Chair Urtell, seconded by Councilman Marks. All six other council members spoke in support, praising his leadership, bipartisanship, and ability to handle difficult issues. The roll call vote was unanimous (7-0) to re-elect Councilman Mike Urtell as Chair.
  • Appointment to Community Reinvestment and Repair Commission: Councilman Crandall nominated Shannon Ament (7th District), a community school facilitator at Sandalwood Elementary. She spoke about her 23 years of service and her passion for helping underserved communities. The council unanimously confirmed her appointment.
  • Fiscal Matters:
    1. Fiscal Matter 1: Amendments to four contracts for recovery housing services for residents 18+ with substance use disorder. The administration requested a seven-month extension totaling an estimated $31,000. Approved unanimously.
    2. Fiscal Matter 2: Contract with Mechanical Services Industries LLC for maintenance and repair of chillers at county locations. The contract is for one year with four one-year renewals, total estimated $19,719,043. The vendor is a WBE. Approved unanimously.
    3. Fiscal Matter 3: Three contracts for on-call engineering services for solid waste management (active and closed landfills, acceptance facilities) with ARM Group, Schnabel Engineering, and EA Engineering. Each contract not to exceed $3 million, with a nine-year term (but cancellable). Approved unanimously.
  • Bills Introduced: Four bills were introduced for first reading:
    • Bill 2-26: Current expense budget (MRC STTRONG and prenatal/paranatal care coordination infrastructure).
    • Bill 3-26 (sponsored by Councilman Young): Zoning regulations – data center study.
    • Bill 4-26 (sponsored by Councilman Patoka): Zoning regulations – density residential (DR) use regulations and existing developments. (A fourth bill was mentioned but not named in the transcript.)
  • Resolutions Introduced: Councilman Marks introduced two resolutions: Resolution 1-26 to authorize a special investigative committee related to the Middle River Logistics Park, and Resolution 2-26 concerning a property in Middle River area (surplus list status). Both were for introduction only.

Key Outcomes

  • Chair Re-election: Councilman Mike Urtell was unanimously re-elected as Chair of the Baltimore County Council for 2026.
  • Appointment Confirmed: Shannon Ament was appointed to the Community Reinvestment and Repair Commission.
  • Fiscal Matters Approved: All three fiscal matters (recovery housing contract amendments, chiller maintenance contract, and solid waste engineering contracts) were approved unanimously.
  • Bills and Resolutions Introduced: Four bills and two resolutions were introduced for future consideration.
  • Journal and Enrollment Approved: The journal of December 15, 2025, and enrollment of several bills (including Bill 90-25 returned unsigned by the county executive) were approved.
  • Next Steps: The council will consider the introduced bills and resolutions in future sessions. The Office of Law will follow up with Ann George regarding animal services concerns.

Meeting Transcript

Day one will now. Oh, good. Legislative day one will now come to order. Um I'd ask you to please pause for a moment of silent meditation and then we'll move on to the pledge. Thank you. Uh Councilman Patoka, could you lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance tonight? Certainly. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation, one God, individual with liberty and justice for all. I will now ask the secretary to conduct the election for the office of chair of county council for 2026. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh Mr. Chairman and members of the county council, pursuant to Section 302A of the County Charter, the Council at its first regular session of the calendar year is required to elect a chairperson from its membership by a majority vote, who shall preside at all meetings of the county council for this year. Ms. Richter. Yes, sir. Thank you, Mr. Secretary. Uh it's my pleasure uh and honor to uh make a nomination to uh our current chair, Chair Urtel, uh to continue in his role. Uh when I appreciate the conversation that we've had since uh before the holiday and during uh over the last year, the council has endured a number of uh I'd say complicated issues that have been run smoothly by your leadership and your uh one ability to guide the council and build consensus between members. Uh I think that moving into the next year and into 2026, I appreciate your willingness to keep me as the chair of SAC and uh look forward to in one future councils that the continuity of this council's leadership in terms of you will provide an opportunity when the next council presents itself and comes in that they will look to you as the leader that you are, and giving credit where credit is due. I appreciate the opportunity to then nominate you to be as the chair for 2026. Thank you, Councilman Young. Thank you, Mr. Young. Uh is there a second to this nomination? Yes, um, I would like to second the nomination. Um this council has always been a model for bipartisanship. Um, and uh under the Chairman Urtell's leadership, uh we've continued to demonstrate, I think, uh a degree of collegiality and cooperation that uh you don't see in many other governments. Um I've appreciated how uh Chairman Urtell has always set the example. Uh he has been an outstanding chair this past year. I've also appreciated how he has um uh I think expanded our oversight role. Uh I think it's good that we have hearings on things like permits and economic development. And um, I thank him for that, and I hope we can continue that in the new year. So I I second the nomination. Thank you, Councilman Marks. I appreciate that. Thank you, Mr. Marks. Are there any additional comments from the council members? Mr. Chair. Council. It is my honor to uh uh I guess uh the nomination has been first and seconded, and now third. Uh either third one. Uh I think you've done a wonderful job, and uh really appreciate your leadership, and I look forward to continuing to work with you. Thank you, sir.

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