[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6632712,"mediaKeyId","2671082-7f59e4ba77b948e9981564af6f2e0477","parentId",2671082,"title","County administration seeks temporary expansion of eligibility list to help federal workers facing reduction in force","audioSeconds",741,"startMs",2773000,"endMs",3514000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2671082-7f59e4ba77b948e9981564af6f2e0477&start=2773&end=3514","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2671082-7f59e4ba77b948e9981564af6f2e0477/thumbnail_2773000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6632712/Howard-County/Maryland/County-administration-seeks-temporary-expansion-of-eligibility-list-to-help-federal-workers-facing-reduction-in-force","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6632712-1dfc7e89705fb2a078f4c7fe88cd8b93/orig.mp4?Expires=1770942266&Signature=Wo0SZy3s8DD11bakw3bR3W~VtAWR6mhMX8Ods7pu2udG6qRLgM5N1cM7HOwaJNpctzyxUqeLY1BOP1AucSYONa5J~nQt33HxVK7cZe50Ieu7umDhms2WagkRJoTq0IoYJTBEiR7bzR7Igx97-EMgTJNIkcpkJ8j1T-81OLGf5xTMM5IGCI3VWHeEw-Gsyowd7l8IzbTU2yPlNoJkhSLJyHJBnXEz-sj9pk4Gz~MnKaxFwgPiw1mbnqvqHLwYZi6IWir5ALOqs1cpAE7E416l3fyuzbccMiUz0HILipTZ55l7Tkdev7TeHtGRRUFiRJrv1v-Nz1NiwoY-N7mSOkTsHw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Howard","date","2025-03-17T00:00:00Z","article","County administration presented Council Bill 14-20-25, an emergency amendment to the county code (section 1.112) that would temporarily expand the number of candidates Human Resources can refer to hiring departments for classified vacancies from a current maximum of 10 to a maximum of 15 when the additional candidates are federal employees who are surplus/displaced as part of the 2025 federal reduction in force or federal contractors whose contracts were terminated or suspended.

Human Resources Administrator Angie Bennett told the council the change was intended as a temporary measure to help local hiring departments access a larger initial pool of qualified candidates without restarting recruitment cycles. \"This expansion... provides them a fuller list,\" Bennett said, adding the amendment would sunset on June 30, 2026. Bennett emphasized that any candidate added under the amendment must still be among the next most highly qualified and meet vacancy requirements.

Council members questioned why the added five slots were limited to displaced federal employees rather than simply expanding the referral pool to the most qualified 15 candidates. Bennett explained that the current code permits referral of 3 to 10 candidates and expands only in limited cases (for candidates with disabilities); this amendment would create a temporary, targeted expansion in light of an exceptional federal workforce disruption.

Public commenters including Lisa Markovitz supported the measure as a way to help displaced federal workers reenter the local job market. Several councilmembers said they would like briefing materials and written clarification on distinctions between classified and executive-exempt hiring processes before final action.

Ending: CB14 was introduced at the hearing as temporary emergency legislation; staff and administration agreed to provide more detailed written materials to council members.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Howard - Legislative Public Hearing - Mar 17, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","County administration proposed a temporary amendment to expand the number of candidates referred to hiring departments, adding up to five displaced federal employees to eligibility lists for classified vacancies through June 30, 2026.","taxTitle","Howard County, Maryland","taxId",13634,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6632720,"Howard County Council hears wide-ranging debate on TOD exemptions, disability housing incentives",1146,6226000,7372000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2671082-7f59e4ba77b948e9981564af6f2e0477&start=6226&end=7372","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2671082-7f59e4ba77b948e9981564af6f2e0477/thumbnail_6226000.jpg","/articles/6632720/Howard-County/Maryland/Howard-County-Council-hears-wide-ranging-debate-on-TOD-exemptions-disability-housing-incentives","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6632720-d52194c2bab793375e89bcb46945f938/orig.mp4?Expires=1770942266&Signature=msP2by3JL6WSRfECgzGBTx2FrCI9ky4zYqm-0LUTVtjfOMTu68-hzsNCenAz~TByhw4mxkWaWMP0GU-Hd37OapJjapYD0Zv1SWnxPOG7SfkeNTTk5QAJuQmXuuzzyQMc7uhKkcfzXYmxcuUvEgm5mpIOHwqibs3OAEyH1kusAR33aGNdjm47tLfqZbhEcS1zTR8jejqNQHGDXD06zBgPb9ho5N1zqOoNuuPKVKOtjfgOKyYNed0u2b5I6A38Dd~M7kbT94iUwjphxAoXkJyoZzCKKp6ziMJLmTxqbnwApDUyuKzllZpe0OYAXOCw9XlGrnChuBWk2Xr1b9NEAaHIAg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Councilmember Christiana Rigby introduced Council Bill 18-20-25 to accelerate residential development in three transit-oriented development (TOD) areas by exempting new TOD residential units from the county's Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (APFO) school-capacity test, freezing some school-related fees at sketch-plan submission rates, and creating tax and other incentives to increase Disability Income Housing Units (DIHUs).

The bill sponsor said the proposal aligns with the county's general plan, HOCO by Design, and is intended to add housing near transit while expanding housing targeted to residents on disability income. \"CB 18 incentivizes housing development in 3 transit oriented developments in Howard County,\" Rigby said during her presentation. \"The bill aligns directly with our general plan, HOCO by Design, which calls for housing developments in specific areas, including TODs, and specifically Annapolis Junction and Laurel.\" (Councilmember Christiana Rigby)

Supporters, including developers and housing advocates, said TOD sites are the correct places for higher-density multifamily housing and for producing units affordable to people with disabilities. Wells Obrecht, an Annapolis Junction project proponent, said the proposed Savage MARC-adjacent project would deliver hundreds of apartments and nearly 100 affordable units and that the project would generate substantially more tax revenue than the existing office use. \"Our project will not be a burden on the overall school system,\" Obrecht said, citing his pro forma estimates for student generation and tax revenue.

Advocates for disability housing and organizations such as Bridges to Housing Stability and the Autism Society of Maryland urged the council to adopt the bill because DIHUs are rare and serve residents who rely on transit and low monthly rents. \"DIHUs are reserved for households with a disability and earn below 20 percent of area median income,\" Dana Soar of Bridges to Housing Stability said, noting rents that would be affordable to Social Security Disability beneficiaries and arguing incentives are needed to make such units feasible to build.

Opponents, including community associations and the PTA Council, voiced strong concern about removing APFO school-capacity reviews in areas where schools already face overcrowding. Ryan Powers of the Howard County Civic and Citizens Association said the bill combines unrelated policy changes and warned it would shift significant short-term student growth into districts that are already strained. \"By granting APFO exemptions and stymieing school impact fees, you will pile on the burdens of already overcrowded schools,\" Powers said. Lisa Markovitz, representing grassroots groups, asked the council to limit or phase fee freezes and to require more affordability in return for APFO relief.

Multiple witnesses asked the council to restrict the bill's benefits for new projects only, not to apply retroactively to projects already submitted, and to clarify whether townhouses and hybrid projects would receive the same exemptions as multifamily buildings. The Housing Affordability Coalition suggested a pilot to allow fewer than 15 percent DIHUs for feasibility and to adopt a universal-design standard for accessibility.

Council members requested a work session to examine the pupil-yield study and the fiscal note attached to the legislation. Several members noted that the APFO review committee and master-plan updates remain underway and that passage of CB18 could preempt or complicate those processes. The sponsor and supporters said the bill is narrow in scope (three TODs) and intended to unlock projects that would otherwise be delayed by APFO timing and uncertain future fee schedules.

No final vote occurred during the public hearing; the bill was introduced and will return for future legislative consideration. The public hearing record includes extensive written and oral testimony both for and against the APFO exemptions and the DIHU incentives.

Ending: The bill remains under consideration; the council scheduled follow-up briefings and asked staff for additional fiscal and pupil-yield analysis before final action.","Councilmember Christiana Rigby introduced CB18 to accelerate housing in three TODs by exempting new residential units from the APFO school-capacity test, freezing certain fees and offering incentives for disability income housing units.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6632715,"Council hears support for reinstating geothermal tax credit to boost heat-pump adoption",100,5555000,5655000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2671082-7f59e4ba77b948e9981564af6f2e0477&start=5555&end=5655","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2671082-7f59e4ba77b948e9981564af6f2e0477/thumbnail_5555000.jpg","/articles/6632715/Howard-County/Maryland/Council-hears-support-for-reinstating-geothermal-tax-credit-to-boost-heat-pump-adoption","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6632715-c84e69d3969fe531b85c2ec5f4b2dbf3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770942266&Signature=CWn3EAfzOXNMgFMs9Z-wyxupFHSmeb3DqyXoZ8DHdabVR-v9yhlNy5x2nTN6U1SBj6Pmf2cS7BoTx-3w~~XWWxSm43ymBUjAUvBlTQlE2EZ5pOimGckMjz5xlHisngYOkbd1lDZ0X~AfmAtuooVQQ0LTFtrkSOX-GeQt1KQuFZtHXodggB73k00R81qSW7hnTo3D7wHZqlSmOq4P5-P6F~0CCS8qez8cxMQa~8mkd-VljNTRnlKbjNs0yXFcKht2wo7tDej2WrpY~HjyIB6GdkEK2kuu01Eo79RyEoQ~WPkqA8it2cybZzU~79tSSNBPYtXLipn2DiK3QYX8GZ12XA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Councilmember Christiana Rigby introduced Council Bill 17-20-25, which would reinstate a Howard County property tax credit of up to $5,000 for residential geothermal energy system installations.

Supporters described geothermal heat pump systems as among the most energy-efficient commercially available home heating and cooling technologies and said the credit would help overcome the high upfront costs associated with geothermal boreholes. Phil Webster, a Howard County resident with a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering who installed a geothermal system in 2022, told the council his household reduced gas use by nearly 40 percent after installation and described geothermal as \"1 and a half to 2 times more efficient.\" (Phil Webster)

Another speaker, Justin Mullins, said contractor estimates for geothermal installations were typically $45,000'$60,000 for his modest house versus $13,000'$18,000 for a conventional air-source heat pump; he and others urged county-level assistance to close the affordability gap. Liz Feiner of HOCO Climate Action framed the credit as a climate and public-health intervention, citing statewide health costs associated with fossil-fuel heating and urging the council to act to expand options for gas-free homes.

Witnesses also noted existing state and federal incentives, including a federal investment tax credit for geothermal and utility rebates, and urged the council to coordinate the county credit with those programs. Several speakers referenced other Maryland counties that offer similar local incentives.

Councilmembers asked for follow-up on fiscal estimates and coordination with state/federal incentives; no final vote occurred at the public hearing.

Ending: The bill was introduced and supporters emphasized geothermal's role in county greenhouse-gas goals and household energy-bill reductions; the council requested additional fiscal information.","Councilmember Christiana Rigby introduced CB17 to reinstate a county geothermal tax credit of up to $5,000 per household. Supporters, including residents who installed geothermal systems and climate advocates, said the credit helps make geothermal feasible despite high upfront drilling costs; opponents were not prominent at the hearing.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

County administration seeks temporary expansion of eligibility list to help federal workers facing reduction in force

Howard County Council hears wide-ranging debate on TOD exemptions, disability housing incentives

Council hears support for reinstating geothermal tax credit to boost heat-pump adoption