OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Baltimore County Council Work Session for March 2, 2026 Legislative Session - February 27, 2026

County Council — Friday, February 27, 2026
BodyBaltimore County, Maryland
SessionCounty Council
DateFriday, February 27, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:34:41

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Good afternoon, everyone.

0:05

We are um starting legislative day six.

0:09

This is the work session for the March 2nd um legislative session.

0:17

And uh first up, we have uh an appointment from Councilman Patoka for the Baltimore County Advisory Committee on Public School Capacity, Miss Uh Sheila Thomas.

0:30

Councilman Patoca, did you want to yes?

0:34

Thank you, Mr.

0:34

Chair.

0:35

Uh absolutely.

0:36

Let me just say I'm delighted to nominate Miss Sheila Thomas for this committee.

0:44

Uh Miss Thomas has an exceptional background, and I think we're going to hear it rather than hear it from me.

0:49

We'll hear it directly from Miss Thomas.

0:52

So thank you, Mr.

0:53

Chair.

0:53

Thank you, Ms.

0:54

Thomas, uh, for accepting the nomination.

0:58

Absolutely, absolutely.

1:00

I am quite honored um to um have been asked uh to participate on such a uh committee.

1:06

Um a little bit of background about me.

1:09

Um I have been an educator, recently retired in 2024 after 33 years in public education.

1:16

Um I was also uh educated in the Maryland public school system myself in Frederick County, and then I uh began my teaching career in Frederick County and then transferred uh to Baltimore.

1:29

Um I spent 24 years in the classroom, um, ranging from elementary school uh to middle school education, um, and then transitioned into um administration and I ended my career um with a uh position, a principal position um at Summit Park Elementary, and I was um the administrator um that helped to lead that capital project um that we did physically open our doors in 2024.

1:59

Um, and that was a uh very monumental um task that we took on and were able to successfully complete a mid-year opening.

2:08

Um so I bring that experience not only from the classroom, um also my children were educated in a public school system here in Baltimore as well, Baltimore County.

2:17

So I bring to the table not only my experience as a parent, um, my experience as a property owner here in Baltimore County, as well as um a constituent, and then as an educator as well as administrator who has physically um been involved in capital projects to alleviate um overcrowding um and also did participate in the redistricting um process um that you know happened before the actual opening.

2:50

So um I look forward to being able to participate and to provide some insight um that hopefully will be helpful.

3:03

Ms.

3:04

Thomas, we look forward to you uh being on the committee, and we're excited that you are willing to step up and um I think we have a really good group of people.

3:14

Um so this is gonna be uh this is gonna be a dynamic committee, I think.

3:19

Um doing some things that have not really been discussed in Baltimore County for a long time, um, to kind of be proactive about our school capacity and how we deal with it.

3:32

And um, you know, so we're we're like I said, we're we're we're excited about the formation of this committee, and we're excited that you're coming in with such great credentials as well, Mr.

3:44

Chair.

3:45

Yes, Councilman Patoca.

3:47

Uh I just wanted to add uh to Miss Thomas's comments that she offers a lens that's sorely needed on this committee, where she has been a school administrator, been a teacher, been a principal, led the renovation, led the renovation of a new school, uh beautiful school.

4:08

And uh I will disclose I'm gonna disclose to my colleagues that Miss Thomas lives right down the street here in beautiful Sudbrook Park.

4:17

So just gonna put that out there.

4:20

Um, but really delighted to have you, Miss Thomas, and just wanted to add uh, you know, Miss Thomas, more than anyone on the screen right now understands what school overcrowding can do in the ability to teach our students and the ability to be fair to our teachers and also to the families that attend Baltimore County Public Schools.

4:44

Thank you, Councilman Pitoca.

4:46

Uh any other questions or comments from the members.

4:52

Doesn't look like it.

4:54

Okay, well, thank you, Miss Thomas.

4:55

We look forward to your uh confirmation next week, and uh we appreciate you being here with us today.

5:00

And uh we appreciate you being here with us today.

5:03

No problem.

5:03

Thank you.

5:04

All right, thank you.

5:07

All right.

5:08

Um next up, we have an appointment to the Baltimore County Property Tax Assessment Appeals Board.

5:16

Um Bart Olfelder Klein is um I'm sorry, Barry.

5:24

Old Fielder Klein.

5:25

Is uh Barry with us today?

5:27

Mr.

5:28

Chairman, uh this is uh the thro the next three that you have on the agenda for the tax assessment appeals board.

5:37

Um, as you said, Barry Oldfelder Klein, Henry Peterson, and Albert is a wiki.

5:42

Um they are not here, but they are um this is a a situation where unfortunately the uh a member of the board passed away.

5:54

Um and the the law requires uh that three names uh recommended by the county executive be forwarded to the governor uh for selection uh to that role to that to that board.

6:07

Uh these are the three names that the county executive has recommended.

6:10

The law also requires that those three uh be approved by the council as well in order for the CE to forward them on.

6:19

Um the resumes and application materials were were uh forwarded to the council members for review.

6:26

Um and if there is no objection, you know, they'll be they'll be forwarded on to the to the governor.

6:33

Um assuming the council is uh approves them on Monday.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Safety██████████████14%
Affordable Housing███████████11%
Zoning Regulations██████████10%
Personnel Matters██████████10%
Water And Wastewater Management█████████9%
Cannabis Regulation███████7%
Impact Fee Policy██████6%
Procedural█████5%
Technology and Innovation█████5%
Summary of Proceedings

Baltimore County Council Work Session for March 2, 2026 Legislative Session - February 27, 2026

This work session was held to discuss items scheduled for formal consideration at the March 2, 2026 legislative session. The council reviewed multiple appointments, contracts, fiscal matters, and bills. No final votes were taken; all items are pending approval at the next session.

Consent Calendar (Routine Approvals Pending)

  • Appointment to Baltimore County Advisory Committee on Public School Capacity: Councilman Patoka nominated Sheila Thomas, a retired educator with 33 years of experience. Ms. Thomas provided her background and expressed enthusiasm. The council indicated she would be confirmed next week.
  • Appointment to the Baltimore County Property Tax Assessment Appeals Board: Three nominees (Barry Oldfelder Klein, Henry Peterson, and Albert Zawiki) recommended by the County Executive were presented. The council noted their resumes and expressed support. Approval will be forwarded to the governor.
  • Resolution 826 – Oregon Ridge Woodland Garden Project: Acceptance of a $15,000 donation of services and materials from the Friends of Oregon Ridge. No questions were raised.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • David Karseski (Venable LLP): Testified in favor of Bill 17-26 (ML zone in Owings Mills). He noted declining office demand and argued the bill would permit residential and commercial uses to revitalize the area.
  • Mr. Rappel: Expressed ambivalence on Bill 18-26 (police mask prohibition). He supported the bill’s intent but raised concerns about potential conflicts with doxing protections and suggested a companion bill to prohibit masks for protesters.
  • Mr. Stewart: Urged repeal of Bill 19-26 (council pension change), arguing that the pension calculation was based on future salaries not yet earned, and that the process lacked transparency. He noted over 200 petition signatures.

Discussion Items

  • Contracts

    • Police Marijuana Testing (National Medical Services): Five-year contract up to $55,961 for laboratory testing to differentiate hemp from marijuana. Councilman Ketch asked about rising incidents; Colonel Delp explained testing is for plant matter, not DUI. Previous contract spent $18,655 over five years.
    • WGL Energy Services (Electric Supplier): 10-year contract with an initial $31,779 fee to act as agent for wholesale electric purchases. The program saved $333 million since 2000.
    • Audio Visual Hardware & Services (Bailey Computers, Design & Integration, Vision Technology): Three contracts for critical county operations (911 center, etc.). Total not to exceed appropriations. Auditor’s question on best value was addressed.
    • Baltimore Regional Housing Partnership (BRHP) Training: Two-year $68,320 contract for training, data analytics, and disability-accessible housing tools, funded by HUD. Councilman Young thanked staff for including accessibility.
    • Parking Lot Services (MH Asphalt): Five-year term contract up to $414,000 for pavement markings and striping.
    • On-Call Asset Management for Water & Sewer (Arcadis): Six-year contract, ~$1M/year per section, to expand asset management using software and data analysis. Councilman Marks raised a constituent’s sewer backup issue, calling for contractor accountability.
    • Legal Counsel Services (Saxena White PA & Pomerance LLP): Three-year contracts with contingency fees (15.5-20%) for securities monitoring and litigation for the Employees’ Retirement System.

  • Fiscal Matters & Grants

    • Bill 16-26 (Statewide Rental Assistance Voucher Program): Supplemental appropriation of $1,816,944 from the state to assist approximately 305 households. Director Hickey noted the county’s waitlist has 7,300 households with an average 9-year wait for a voucher. Funds will also cover 44 homeless families from expiring COVID-era assistance.
    • Smart Growth America Community Connectors Grant: Acceptance of $20,000 for temporary streetscape improvements at Fairmount Avenue and Towson Town Boulevard to reconnect the historic East Towson community.
    • Water & Sewer Plan Cycle 43 Amendments: Two petitions: (1) 3117 Rice’s Lane – change water designation to W6 and sewer to S1 for an Islamic center; (2) 8400 Park Heights Avenue – correct water mapping error and allow sewer connection for a men’s school. All reviewing agencies approved.

  • Bills (Zoning & Policy)

    • Bill 8-26 (Councilman Marks) – Eco Park Transportation Prerequisite: Requires completion of road improvements (Benji’s Road connection and widening) before occupancy permits for developments exceeding 600,000 square feet in Middle River’s eco park.
    • Bill 12-26 (Councilman Marks) – Riding Stables in RC5 Zone: Clarifies that a stable must meet one of two conditions (distance from residences or 15-year existence) rather than both.
    • Bill 13-26 (Councilman Marks) – Placemaking Signs (renamed Regional Destination Signs): Allows an electronic sign in White Marsh Town Center abutting I-95 to promote economic activity.
    • Bill 17-26 (Councilman Jones) – ML Zone Permitted Uses in Owings Mills: Permits residential, senior housing, and commercial uses in the manufacturing-light zone. Councilman Juliano expressed concern about losing industrial land; Councilman Jones noted hundreds of acres remain available for manufacturing.
    • Bill 18-26 (Councilman Patoka) – Law Enforcement Face Coverings & Identification: Prohibits police from concealing identity during public interactions, with exceptions for high-risk operations. Councilman Crandall strongly opposed, calling it election-year pandering; Councilman Marks raised doxing concerns. Councilman Patoka offered to amend to exclude local police but insisted on restricting ICE.
    • Bill 19-26 (Councilman Patoka) – Repeal of Bill 40-24 (Council Pension Change): Would repeal the 2024 law aligning council pensions with General Assembly’s. Councilman Ketch argued the salary and pension issues should be considered together. Councilman Jones questioned differences in accrual rates. Public speaker Mr. Stewart supported repeal.
    • Bill 20-26 (Councilman Marks) – Development Impact Fee Calculation: Modifies definitions of occupied areas and exemptions to address affordability concerns. Councilman Ketch suggested reducing the fee for certain improved spaces. Councilman Jones cautioned against weakening a new revenue source.
    • Bill 21-26 (Councilman Marks) – Catering Halls in BL Zone: Allows catering halls by right within an existing shopping center, currently a special exception.

Key Outcomes

  • All appointments, contracts, resolutions, and bills discussed are scheduled for formal votes on Monday, March 2, 2026. No final decisions were made at this work session.
  • The council expressed intent to confirm the appointments and approve the contracts and grants.
  • Several bills may be amended before the next session, particularly Bill 18-26 (police masks) and Bill 20-26 (impact fees).
  • Bills 10-26 and 11-26 were deferred due to the absence of the presenter.

Meeting Transcript

Good afternoon, everyone. We are um starting legislative day six. This is the work session for the March 2nd um legislative session. And uh first up, we have uh an appointment from Councilman Patoka for the Baltimore County Advisory Committee on Public School Capacity, Miss Uh Sheila Thomas. Councilman Patoca, did you want to yes? Thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh absolutely. Let me just say I'm delighted to nominate Miss Sheila Thomas for this committee. Uh Miss Thomas has an exceptional background, and I think we're going to hear it rather than hear it from me. We'll hear it directly from Miss Thomas. So thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, Ms. Thomas, uh, for accepting the nomination. Absolutely, absolutely. I am quite honored um to um have been asked uh to participate on such a uh committee. Um a little bit of background about me. Um I have been an educator, recently retired in 2024 after 33 years in public education. Um I was also uh educated in the Maryland public school system myself in Frederick County, and then I uh began my teaching career in Frederick County and then transferred uh to Baltimore. Um I spent 24 years in the classroom, um, ranging from elementary school uh to middle school education, um, and then transitioned into um administration and I ended my career um with a uh position, a principal position um at Summit Park Elementary, and I was um the administrator um that helped to lead that capital project um that we did physically open our doors in 2024. Um, and that was a uh very monumental um task that we took on and were able to successfully complete a mid-year opening. Um so I bring that experience not only from the classroom, um also my children were educated in a public school system here in Baltimore as well, Baltimore County. So I bring to the table not only my experience as a parent, um, my experience as a property owner here in Baltimore County, as well as um a constituent, and then as an educator as well as administrator who has physically um been involved in capital projects to alleviate um overcrowding um and also did participate in the redistricting um process um that you know happened before the actual opening. So um I look forward to being able to participate and to provide some insight um that hopefully will be helpful. Ms. Thomas, we look forward to you uh being on the committee, and we're excited that you are willing to step up and um I think we have a really good group of people. Um so this is gonna be uh this is gonna be a dynamic committee, I think. Um doing some things that have not really been discussed in Baltimore County for a long time, um, to kind of be proactive about our school capacity and how we deal with it. And um, you know, so we're we're like I said, we're we're we're excited about the formation of this committee, and we're excited that you're coming in with such great credentials as well, Mr. Chair. Yes, Councilman Patoca. Uh I just wanted to add uh to Miss Thomas's comments that she offers a lens that's sorely needed on this committee, where she has been a school administrator, been a teacher, been a principal, led the renovation, led the renovation of a new school, uh beautiful school. And uh I will disclose I'm gonna disclose to my colleagues that Miss Thomas lives right down the street here in beautiful Sudbrook Park. So just gonna put that out there. Um, but really delighted to have you, Miss Thomas, and just wanted to add uh, you know, Miss Thomas, more than anyone on the screen right now understands what school overcrowding can do in the ability to teach our students and the ability to be fair to our teachers and also to the families that attend Baltimore County Public Schools. Thank you, Councilman Pitoca. Uh any other questions or comments from the members. Doesn't look like it. Okay, well, thank you, Miss Thomas. We look forward to your uh confirmation next week, and uh we appreciate you being here with us today. And uh we appreciate you being here with us today. No problem. Thank you. All right, thank you. All right. Um next up, we have an appointment to the Baltimore County Property Tax Assessment Appeals Board. Um Bart Olfelder Klein is um I'm sorry, Barry. Old Fielder Klein. Is uh Barry with us today?

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