Baltimore County Council Work Session for Legislative Day 13 - May 29, 2026

On May 29, 2026, the Baltimore County Council held a work session to review agenda items for the upcoming legislative session on June 1, 2026. The meeting lasted approximately two hours and covered reappointments, budget transfers, contracts, and legislative bills. No formal votes were taken; all items are scheduled for action on June 1.

Consent Calendar

• Reappointments to Police Accountability Board: Renee Streb (Fifth District) and Peter Fitzpatrick (at-large) were reappointed. Both were recommended by their respective council members and praised for their service.
• Resolution 1726 – BCPS Budget Transfers: Approval of a $19.1 million budget appropriation transfer (BAT) to realign funds for FY26, and a $10.54 million supplemental appropriation for final FY26 bargaining compensation, new ERP implementation, and special education parent reimbursement. No questions were raised.
• Health Department BAT and Contracts:
  • A $1.4 million BAT to cover higher salary costs from lower attrition, increased overtime at Animal Services, and higher credit card fees.
  • Contract with CBE Acquisition (dba Sharps Medical Waste Services) for animal carcass disposal: $140,000 over one year with nine one-year renewals.
  • Contract with Flourishing Minds Wellness Center for peer-to-peer behavioral health support: $101,000 per year for one year with four one-year renewals; serves ~35 individuals annually.
  • Contract with Affiliated Sante Group for a peer-run recovery community center in Dundalk: $231,787 for initial term with four one-year renewals; estimates serving 249 unduplicated adults.
  • Contract with Affiliated Sante Group for wellness and recovery program services (East and West): $316,478 initial term with three one-year renewals; estimates serving 300 adults.
  • Contract with Hope Health Systems for senior mental health outreach: $228,797 initial term (Jan 1 – Jun 30, 2027) with four one-year renewals; aims to serve at least 200 older adults.
• PNC Bank Contract for Procurement Card Services: A five-year contract commencing July 1, 2026, with automatic five-year renewals. FY2027 rebate estimated at $150,126. Competitive negotiation yielded six proposals.
• Change Order for Dr. BaoDong Lu (Redistricting Expert): An increase of $6,401 (total $31,400) for additional work reviewing council redistricting maps under the Voting Rights Act. Councilman Patoka expressed concern over the nine-month delay in presenting the amendment.
• Resolution 1626 – Harmony Gardens PUD: Councilman Jones reported progress on community benefits, now pivoting to support a nearby library and community center. The PUD is expected to increase housing stock.
• Bill 3926 – Personnel Law: Updates to classification and compensation plans, including amendments to pay schedules, new class titles, and revised regulations for promotions and premium pay. Councilman Marks noted that some administrative positions (e.g., office clerk) have not been reviewed in 15 years; Ms. Coleman confirmed an analysis is underway.
• Multiple Fiscal Matters (Contracts and Budget Transfers):
  • Police Department BAT: $1,387,715 to offset deficits from increased overtime, retiree payouts, and a new recruit class.
  • State's Attorney BAT: $115,000 to cover costs from low turnover and temporary workers for expanded discovery requirements.
  • Circuit Court Contract with Project Chesapeake: $100,000/year for drug testing and treatment in the adult drug treatment court; serves up to 50 participants.
  • Board of Elections Contract with Tri-Tech Systems: $232,999 for annual maintenance and software licensing for mail ballot sorting equipment, retroactive to Nov 1, 2025.
  • Three On-Call Landscape Architect Contracts: $650,000 each over five years to supplement in-house staff for landscape manual compliance.
  • Creative Information Technology (CIT) Contract for EHR Implementation: Multi-year agreement leveraging state CATS+ pricing for health and human services electronic health record system.
  • Workday Amendment with Collaborative Solutions: Five one-year renewal periods to extend support for the county’s enterprise Workday system.
  • Iron Mountain Document Management Contract: One-year non-competitive extension to continue document storage and scanning services for all county departments; currently holds ~32,000 boxes.
  • Progility Purchase Order for Project Management Transition: $175,000 (not to exceed $500,000) to migrate from Microsoft Project Online/Web App to an on-premise solution by September 30, 2026.
  • Johnson Controls Maintenance Contract for Building Automation: $671,595.62 over one year with four one-year renewals (sole source).
  • Four On-Call Mechanical/Electrical Engineering Services Contracts: $1.5 million each over one year with four one-year renewals.
  • Thermoplastic Road Markings Contracts (two vendors): $300,000 annually for symbols, stop bars, crosswalks; 3,000 markings per year on four-year cycle.
  • ACV Environmental Gasoline Recycling Contract: $37,000 annually for pick-up and recycling of waste gasoline from county drop-off sites; ~15,000 gallons per year.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Bill 6126 – Board of Rec and Parks (Term Limits):
  • Corey Johns (Board member) supported modernization but opposed term limits for unpaid volunteers, arguing they force loss of institutional knowledge and are unnecessary since members serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority.
  • Desiree Collins (Board member) supported term limits, stating they prevent entrenchment and ensure fresh perspectives. She noted that prior to her appointment, District One had no active board representative for an extended period.
  • Brooks Paternot (Board member, District Two) opposed term limits, arguing that turnover already occurs with changes in elected officials and that limits risk losing experienced volunteers. He also advocated for including nature councils in the board’s duties.
• Bill 6226 – BM Zone Zoning (Storage Facilities on Scenic Byways):
  • Adam Rosenblatt (attorney for a project on Falls Road) opposed the bill, stating it unfairly targets a project already in process that has invested significant time and money. He asked for an exemption for projects with pending applications.
  • Michael McCann (community advocate) supported the bill, noting that self-storage facilities create few jobs, are unpopular with communities, and should be limited to industrial areas. He confirmed no existing self-storage facilities on any scenic byway in the county.
• Bill 6326 – Pension Repeal Effective Date:
  • Peter Richkas (West Towson resident) criticized the council for originally passing a bill that could allow council members to retire with pensions based on future salaries, and then needing a second bill to close a loophole. He called it incompetence and urged better oversight.
  • Heronda Hoffman (speaker on multiple bills) expressed frustration over the pension issue and administrative shortcomings, urging the council to invest in experienced legislative staff and stronger procedural oversight.
• Bill 6426 – Gender-Specific Terms:
  • Heronda Hoffman spoke in favor of making the code gender-neutral, noting the importance of inclusivity for non-binary individuals and urging the council to review bills thoroughly before public release.

Discussion Items

• Bill 6126 – Board of Rec and Parks Charter Amendment (Term Limits): Council members discussed term limits extensively. Councilman Jones and Councilman Marks expressed support for removing or extending term limits to retain experienced volunteers. Councilman Patoka questioned the duration of previous vacancies on the board. The council indicated a possible amendment to strike or extend term limits.
• Bill 6226 – BM Zone Zoning (Storage Facilities on Scenic Byways): Councilman Patoka argued that self-storage facilities are not job creators and harm community character. Councilman Young questioned how many such facilities exist on scenic byways. Councilman Jones noted that storage facilities are a market-driven business but agreed they are not ideal. The bill is expected to pass.
• Bill 6426 – Gender-Specific Terms: Council members debated the language. Councilman Marks expressed a preference for personal choice in titles (e.g., councilman vs. council member), while Councilman Young supported the update as consistent with modern drafting standards. The bill aims to clean up remaining gender-specific terms in the county code, not to prescribe how individuals are addressed.
• Change Order for Redistricting Expert: Councilman Patoka questioned why the amendment was presented nine months after the work was completed. James Benjamin apologized and explained that the review process with the law firm took longer than expected.
• Pension Repeal Effective Date (Bill 6326): Councilman Young explained that the bill retroactively sets the effective date of the original repeal to April 10, 2026, aligning with the council’s unanimous intent. The council secretary clarified the difference between 45-day and 14-day effective dates based on vote count.

Key Outcomes

• All items will be voted on at the legislative session on June 1, 2026. No votes were held at the work session.
• Bill 6126 (Rec and Parks Board): Likely to be amended to remove or extend term limits based on council sentiment.
• Bill 6226 (Storage on Scenic Byways): Expected to pass, but there may be consideration for projects already in progress.
• Bill 6326 (Pension Repeal Effective Date): Will pass to close the loophole.
• Bill 6426 (Gender-Neutral Terms): Likely to pass; some council members expressed reservations but acknowledged it is standard practice.
• Bill 6526 (Food Truck Definitions): Expected to pass; consolidates permits with the health department.
• Bill 6626 (Honeygo Gateway Design Review): Expected to pass.
• Next Meeting: The legislative session on June 1 will also feature a proclamation honoring NASA astronaut Reed Wiseman (Artemis II mission) at 6 p.m.