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Stormwater staff plan transitional coordinator slot; Hayden to seek certifications
Summary
Howard County stormwater staff presented a budget change that creates a temporary "transitional coordinator" line item intended to move Hayden into a permanent coordinator role once required certifications are complete; staff said the district's assessment schedule should restore revenue to about $700,000 by 2028.
Howard County stormwater staff on the commission meeting outlined a personnel and budget plan that creates a separate transitional coordinator line item to accommodate Hayden as he completes required certifications. Staff said the change will place Hayden in a temporary coordinator role in 2026 and move him into the permanent coordinator slot once his certifications are complete, with a hard deadline tied to December 2027.
The change matters because it creates a distinct salary line for a transition year and clarifies how Hayden’s pay and responsibilities will shift. Commission members were told the line will appear in the salaries-and-wages section of the budget and that the transitional slot will be removed once Hayden assumes the coordinator role.
During the meeting Hayden said, “I’ll be taking that within the month. I’ll be getting my certification,” and that one additional certification would follow next year that would allow him to run the lab downstairs. Staff described a timeline in which Hayden would move to the transitional coordinator line in 2026, and if certification requirements were met by the end of 2027 the transitional slot would be removed and Hayden moved into the coordinator position in 2028.
Staff also reviewed part-time and marketing positions tied to operations: the commission currently uses a college student for part-time support who assists with events and walk inspections, and staff recalled a previously funded “marketing educator” position that produced brochures and calendars but was not refilled when the prior employee left. That work is now contracted out as needed.
On revenues, staff said the stormwater assessment is staged and will continue increasing for the next two years under a five-year plan enacted earlier. Staff projected that by late 2027 or 2028 the district should be collecting “close to a little over $700,000” annually, which it said is near the original goal when the district was formed. Staff emphasized the multi-year assessment schedule was designed to avoid immediate future assessment increases.
No formal budget vote was taken at the meeting; the discussion was presented as information about the draft budget and staffing plan.
Less critical operational details discussed at the meeting included continuing use of contract services for marketing materials and the ongoing role of the part-time college worker at outreach events. Staff also noted that one administrative coordinator and another named Craig receive portions of the existing salary line and that longtime salary amounts have not been adjusted since 2009.
For now the commission’s direction is to include the transitional coordinator line in the 2026 budget and to proceed with Hayden’s certification plan; any final budget adoption or formal personnel action will follow the district’s standard budget process.
