Howard County Council Legislative Session – March 2, 2026
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Howard County Council Legislative Session – March 2, 2026
The Howard County Council held its March legislative session on Monday, March 2, 2026, starting at 7:00 p.m. The hybrid meeting lasted approximately 27 minutes and included the introduction of new legislation and final consideration of previously introduced bills and resolutions. All 5 council members were present: Opel Jones (Chair), Christiana Rigby (Vice Chair), Deb Jung, Liz Walsh, and David Yungmann.
Consent Calendar
- The council unanimously approved the journals of the legislative session on February 2, 2026, and the emergency legislative session on February 5, 2026.
- The council unanimously approved minutes from five prior meetings: the legislative public hearing on February 4, the joint meeting with the Board of Education on February 9, the special meeting to hold closed session on February 17, the legislative public hearing on February 17, and another special meeting to hold closed session on February 19, 2026.
- Eleven appointment and reappointment resolutions (CR26-2026 through CR28-2026, CR30-2026 through CR36-2026) were approved unanimously as a group. These included appointments to the Opioid Restitution Fund Commission, Advisory Board on Consumer Protection, Board of Health, Agricultural Preservation Advisory Board, Board to Promote Self-Sufficiency, and five reappointments to the Asian American and Pacific Islander Commission.
Final Consideration – New Legislation (Passed Unanimously Unless Noted)
- CB11-2026 – Multi-Year Grant Agreement renewal for the Howard County Housing Commission NonProfit Collaborative. An amendment (Amendment 1) reduced the grant amount by $382,000 and added a deadline for reports. The amendment passed unanimously, and the bill as amended passed unanimously.
- CB12-2026 – Landlord Tenant Relations – Eviction Notice Requirement. Requires landlords to provide at least 14 days written notice upon issuance of a warrant of restitution and establishes posting and notification requirements. Passed unanimously.
- CB13-2026 – Executive Reorganization – Department of General Services – Mail and Fleet. Moves central mail and fleet services to the Department of General Services. Passed unanimously.
- CR37-2026 – Height Variance for Elkridge Community Center and 50 Plus Center. Grants a variance from height requirements for the construction of the community center at 6365, 6371, and 6379 Old Washington Road. Passed unanimously.
- CB14-2026 (ZRA 214) – Age Restricted Adult Housing Apartments – New Conditional Use. Introduced on behalf of Yale Presbyterian Church, Inc. An amendment (Amendment 1) made several changes: clarifying that net acreage is used for density calculation and gross acreage for eligibility; maintaining a 40-foot front setback for buildings but allowing driveways within that setback; removing R-R and R-C zoning districts from the bill; and increasing the rear setback from 10 feet to 20 feet. The amendment and the bill as amended passed unanimously.
- CB15-2026 (ZRA 216) – Animal Hospitals – Permitted Use in M-1 Zoning District. Introduced on behalf of Southern Veterinary Partners. Councilmember Jung expressed support, stating it was "a much needed addition to our county." Passed unanimously.
Withdrawal of Tabled Legislation
- The council voted unanimously to remove from the table and then withdraw three appointment resolutions: CR176-2025 (Commission for Transitioning Students with Disabilities), CR1-2026 (La Alianza Latina Commission), and CR4-2026 (Multimodal Transportation Board).
- The council voted unanimously to remove from the table and then withdraw CB4-2026 (ZRA 219 – Activity Centers – Age-Restricted Adult Housing in TOD/TNC Zoning Districts).
Charter Amendments
- CR23-2026 – Charter Amendment – Gender Neutrality. Introduced by Councilmember Rigby. Makes the Howard County Charter gender neutral, fulfilling a request from the LGBTQIA Commission. Passed unanimously.
- CR24-2026 – Charter Amendment – Howard County Board of Appeals. Introduced by Councilmember Rigby. Proposes expanding the Board of Appeals from five to seven members and updating political party distribution. An amendment (Amendment 1) added language requiring a supermajority (4 out of 5 council members) to select the two new members. The amendment passed unanimously. On the main motion to approve CR24 as amended, the vote was 3 in favor (Jones, Rigby, Yungmann) and 2 opposed (Jung, Walsh). Because charter amendments require a minimum of four affirmative votes, the motion failed.
Introduction of New Legislation
- CR38-2026: Appointment of Melissa Terlaje to the Economic Development Authority Board of Directors.
- CB18-2026: Lease agreement with Preservation Maryland, Inc. for the historic Howard County Jail at 1 Emory Street, Ellicott City.
- CB19-2026: Multiyear Renewable Energy Power Purchase Agreement with CI Renewables HCPS LLC for a 25-year term (with renewal options) among Howard County, HCPSS, and Howard Community College.
- CR39-2026: Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) Agreement for Fall River Terrace Apartments, a proposed 76-unit housing community at 5551 Harpers Farm Road, Columbia.
- CR40-2026: Charter amendment to define "affordable housing projects, financed in whole or in part by the Housing Opportunities Trust Fund" to allow funding the Trust Fund with bonds; to be submitted to voters.
- CR41-2026: Operating budget amendment for the Board of Education – reduces transfer from Health Fund to General Fund by $3,000,000 and increases use of unassigned fund balance by $3,000,000.
- CB20-2026: Establishes an Interfaith Advisory Commission.
- CB21-2026 (introduced by Councilmember Yungmann): Requires property owners with Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) to obtain and annually renew rental housing licenses, attest to occupancy at the ADU site for at least six months per year, prohibits more than one rental license per ADU parcel, and establishes civil penalties.
Key Outcomes
- Unanimous approvals: All consent items (journals, minutes, appointments), CB11 (as amended), CB12, CB13, CR37, CB14 (as amended), CB15, CR23.
- Withdrawn: CR176-2025, CR1-2026, CR4-2026, and CB4-2026 were removed from the table and withdrawn by unanimous votes.
- Failed: CR24-2026 (Charter Amendment – Board of Appeals) failed on final consideration with a vote of 3–2, lacking the required four votes for a charter amendment.
- Public Hearing: A hybrid public hearing on the newly introduced legislation is scheduled for Monday, March 16, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. A work session may be held on Monday, March 23, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. if needed.
Meeting Transcript
This webinar is being recorded and summarized. All right. Good evening, everyone. This is the council's March legislative session in which we introduce new legislation and give final consideration to legislation previously introduced and heard. This legislative session is being conducted as a hybrid meeting, which is available in person and virtual via WebEx. It is also available to the public through the live stream on the Howard County Council website and broadcast on Channels 44, the Verizon and 1071 Comcast. The Council will hold a public, a hybrid public hearing on Monday, March 16th, 2026 at 7 p.m. on the legislation introduced this evening. Testimony can be given in person or virtually via WebEx. Written comments on the new legislation can be sent into Council Mail at Howard County MD.gov. Anyone wishing to testify at the public hearing will have several options available. You may sign up in advance through the council's website, or you may sign up in person in front of the Banneker room via a laptop on Monday, March 16th, prior to the start of the public hearing. When signing up to testify, you will be asked if you are a student in grades K through 12 so that you can be called to testify early in the meeting and whether your testimony will be provided in person or virtual via WebEx. If you select virtual, you will be provided instructions for logging into the WebEx session. If needed, the council will hold a work session on new legislation on Monday, March 23rd, 2026 at 10 a.m. in the C Vernon Gray Room. Public participation for these meetings will be available virtually via WebEx and viewed live stream through the County Council website. At this time, we're going to do a roll call for the council members. Ms. Rigby. Here. Miss Young? Here. Miss Walsh? Here. Mr. Youngman. Here. And I am Opal Jones. We will now recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Okay. Moving on to our agenda this evening. We will begin today's session with approval of journals and minutes of meeting. Meetings. I move to approve the journals of legislative session February 2nd, 2026, and emergency legislative session, February 5th, 2026. Second. Ms. Harriet, could you please call the vote to approve the journals of the legislative session and emergency legislative session on February 2nd and February 5th? Chair Jones? Yes. Ms. Young? Yes. Ms. Rigby? Yes. Ms. Walsh? Yes. Mr.
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