Baltimore County Council Meeting - May 8, 2026

The Baltimore County Council met on May 8, 2026, at 4:45 PM to address a wide-ranging agenda including the passage of a package of animal welfare bills, amendments to the 2026 basic services map, fiscal matters, and public testimony on the MBE program, zoning changes, library funding, and sewer infrastructure. The meeting featured multiple votes, amendments, and a suspension of the rules to consider a sewer map amendment.

Consent Calendar

• Journal Approval: The journal for the meeting of April 20, 2026, was approved unanimously.
• Enrollment of Bills: Bills 27-26 and 28-26, passed by the council and signed by the executive, were enrolled.
• Bill Introductions: Bills 57-26 through 62-26 were introduced, including budget bills and a zoning regulation bill sponsored by Councilman Patoka.
• Appointment Confirmation: Kevin Murphy was reappointed to the Baltimore County Ethics Commission by a unanimous roll-call vote. Murphy is a licensed loan officer and active in the Towson Chamber of Commerce.
• Lupus Awareness Month Proclamation: The council approved a special resolution recognizing May 2026 as Lupus Awareness Month, noting that over 5 million people worldwide suffer from lupus and that diagnosis often takes six years.
• Resolution 15-26: Accepted a monetary donation from Mr. Lawrence M. Rivets to the fire department, passed unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Corey Freeman (contractor, 30 years in Baltimore County): Expressed that the county's increase of the MBE program to 30% has effectively put him out of work in Baltimore County. He stated that since the change, he has not received any calls from normal clients, and his 70 employees (65% county residents) are no longer working on county projects. He argued that the requirement reduces competition and does not allow qualified local contractors to bid. He requested a review of the program and offered to serve on an advisory panel.
• Charlene Simmons (resident of GeoPark Road, representing rural conservation zone residents): Opposed Bill 55-26, introduced the previous week, which would allow police towing service barrages in ML zones with accessory uses in contiguous RC4 zones. She argued the bill is too broad and could affect watershed areas around Liberty Reservoir, Loch Raven, and Prettyboy Reservoir. She noted that the collaboration between a towing company and the Holbrook Chapel Dale community was property-specific and should not be generalized. She urged the council to reject a blanket zoning change.
• Nicole Devorak (former Baltimore County Public Library staff member and union executive board member): Supported full funding of the library workers' collective bargaining agreement. She raised concerns about blurry financial lines between the library administration and the library foundation, alleging that anti-union efforts are funneled through the foundation. She called for transparency, requesting copies of all foundation financial documents, and stated that library board members who throw money at campaigns should resign.
• Beth Miller (Green Towson Alliance): Testified after the main business (not in the formal public comment period but allowed by the chair). She addressed the condition of the sanitary sewer system in the Jones Falls sewer shed, stating that the amendment voted on earlier was insufficient. She noted that the 2005 Sanitary Sewer Consent Decree is being renegotiated due to incomplete work and ongoing sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs). She called for an accurate and transparent system for determining sewer capacity and urged the council to use its power to address the problem.

Discussion Items

• Animal Services Bills Package (29-26 to 32-26): Four bills were considered together, sponsored by all council members at the request of the administration.
  • Bill 29-26 (Animals, Protection and Humane Care): Includes amendments to clarify agricultural exemptions, define farm animals, and ensure that unfit individuals living in the home are also covered. The amendment passed unanimously. The bill as amended passed unanimously.
  • Bill 30-26 (Animals, Board Authority and Expedited Hearings): Amendments set a hearing window of 14 to 30 days for the Board of Appeals and a similar window for continuations. Passed unanimously as amended.
  • Bill 31-26 (Animals, Public Safety Designation): Uses the Dunbar scale to objectively rate animal behavior rather than singling out breeds. Passed unanimously.
  • Bill 32-26 (Animals, Owner Responsibilities, Repeal and Technical Changes): Makes technical updates to align with the other three bills. Passed unanimously.
  • Council members expressed pride in the package, noting the new shelter built after years of advocacy and the importance of animal welfare.
• Bill 33-26 (Current Expense Budget, State Technical Assistance, Dundock Main Street): Passed unanimously. Councilman Crandall thanked the administration for helping resurrect the Dundock Main Street organization.
• Bill 34-26 (Court Name Updates): Updated language to reflect new court names. Passed unanimously.
• Bill 35-26 (Auxiliary Police Length of Service Award Program): Establishes a monthly stipend for auxiliary police officers after a certain number of years, similar to the fire department LOSAP. Councilman Young voted no. Passed 6-1.
• Bill 36-26 (Zoning Regulations, Signs, Freestanding Signs, Maximum Area): An amendment simplified the definition of sign area, excluding airspace between freestanding signs on a common structure. The bill as amended passed unanimously.
• Bill 37-26 (Basic Services Maps – 2026 Adoption): Two amendments were considered:
  • Sewer Map Amendment (Councilman Patoka): Initially sought to designate a large area near Lake Roland as deficient. After administration concerns, the amendment was scaled down to include only the first 10 manholes south of West Joppa Road (manholes 43786 through 43794A). The administration noted that design has been completed and easement acquisition is underway for a pipe replacement project. The council suspended the rules to consider the amendment, which passed 6-0 (with the chair voting aye). Councilman Jones expressed concern about environmental impact, while Councilman Catch noted cooperation with the administration.
  • Traffic Shed Amendment (Chairman Urtel): Added a triangular area near York Road and Burke Avenue (including the Towson American Legion) to the commuter traffic shed. Passed unanimously.
  • The amended bill passed unanimously.
• Fiscal Matters:
  • Fiscal matters 1-6 (contracts for various services) were approved unanimously.
  • Fiscal matters 7 (six amendments for on-call potable water pipeline design) and 8 (four contracts for on-call stormwater design) were approved 6-0, with Councilman Patoka abstaining due to his wife's employment at one of the firms.
• Resolution 16-26: Introduced by Councilman Jones for continued review of the Harmony Gardens Planned Unit Development (PUD). Only introduced, no vote.

Key Outcomes

• Animal welfare package (Bills 29-26 through 32-26): All four bills passed, updating animal protection laws, expediting hearings, and improving public safety metrics.
• Basic Services Map (Bill 37-26): Passed with two amendments: a sewer deficiency designation for 10 manholes near Lake Roland (pending construction) and a traffic shed addition at York Road and Burke Avenue.
• Auxiliary Police LOSAP (Bill 35-26): Passed 6-1, creating a length-of-service award program for auxiliary police.
• Sign Regulations (Bill 36-26): Passed as amended, clarifying sign area calculations for freestanding signs.
• Fiscal Matters: All contracts approved, with Patoka abstaining on two items due to conflict of interest.
• Public Comments: Heard and acknowledged; Councilman Marks committed to following up with Mr. Freeman on MBE program concerns. The chair requested that Beth Miller's data be shared with the full council.
• Next Steps: The council will continue budget hearings, with adoption scheduled for May 21, 2026. The Harmony Gardens PUD resolution will be considered at a future meeting.