Howard County Council Monthly Meeting – October 13, 2026

The Howard County Council held its monthly meeting on October 13, 2026, in a hybrid format with in-person and virtual participation. Chair Opel Jones called the meeting to order with a quorum present. The meeting focused primarily on oversight of "The Source" project, a $25 million grant to Columbia Community Concepts (CCC).

Reports

• Council Administrator: Reported on technology upgrades, including Rackle Docs software for ADA compliance, and ongoing difficulty filling a fiscal analyst position after several months.
• County Auditor (Janine McGregor): Provided an update on audit phases for various departments (e.g., Health) and the external auditor RFP process.
• Chairperson: No report.

Discussion Items: The Source Project

• Council members expressed strong concerns about transparency and accountability regarding the $25 million grant to CCC, a nonprofit formed by Columbia Concepts and Columbia Community Care.
• Council member (likely Deb Jung) read a detailed statement noting that almost half of the $25 million had been spent with little construction progress, the grant agreement was never submitted to the council per county law (22.703), no internal controls or private sector match were in place, and the risk of cost overruns falls on taxpayers.
• The council had invited CCC and the administration five times since March 2026; each invitation was declined. CCC’s attorney, Greg Bernstein, sent a letter declining the invitation, citing diversions and alleged personal animosity, which council members refuted as "patently untrue."
• Council member David Yungmann noted that simple information requests made to the auditor five months earlier had not been answered, and questioned the use of county funds to pay for legal obfuscation.
• Council member Liz Walsh (joining virtually) requested the Office of Law to provide written advice on the council’s audit rights and on releasing the annual report, which had been marked as confidential and proprietary. She argued the report should be accessible to the public.
• Council members noted that two soon-to-be council members, Jessica Nichols and Jansen Evelyn, served on the board of Columbia Community Care (CCC’s joint venture partner) at the time of the grant, and urged them to push for transparency.
• The council concluded that the lack of cooperation was unprecedented and left the matter for the incoming county council and executive.

Key Outcomes

• No votes or formal actions were taken; the discussion was informational and critical.
• The council requested the Office of Law to provide written guidance on the authority to audit the grant and on the release of the annual report.
• The oversight of The Source project was deferred to the next county council and administration, with the expectation that they continue seeking transparency and accountability.