STATE OF HOWARD COUNTY ADDRESS

January 26, 2010

Delivered by Ken Ulman, Howard County Executive

THANK YOU, LOU, FOR THE KIND INTRODUCTION. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MAY NOT KNOW, LOU IS A RELATIVELY RECENT TRANSPLANT TO OUR AREA. HE IS FROM PITTSBURGH, SO HE HAD SEVERAL WEEKS TO WORK ON THAT INTRODUCTION WHILE HIS STEELERS SAT AT HOME…

IN ALL SERIOUSNESS, I ALSO WANT TO THANK PNC FOR THEIR COMMITMENT TO ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY -- PNC HAS MORE CERTIFIED GREEN BUILDINGS THAN ANY COMPANY. AND THANK YOU FOR SPONSORING THIS EVENT.

THANK YOU TO JOE MEZZANOTTE, THE BOARD, PAM KLAHR AND STAFF AT THE CHAMBER FOR ORGANIZING THIS EVENT EACH YEAR AND FOR BEING SUCH A VALUABLE PARTNER AND RESOURCE TO OUR COMMUNITY. AND THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE TODAY.

THANKS TO YOU IN ATTENDANCE, AS WELL, BECAUSE IT IS YOU -- THE RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES -- THAT MAKE HOWARD COUNTY SUCH A SPECIAL PLACE. SO, THANK YOU, FOR ATTENDING AND FOR ALL THAT YOU DO TO HELP MAKE HOWARD COUNTY SUCH A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE, WORK AND PLAY.

FINALLY, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK MY WIFE JAKI FOR REASONS TOO NUMEROUS TO LIST HERE.

FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS, I HAVE COME BEFORE YOU IN THIS SETTING WITH A SIMILAR MESSAGE, AND ALTHOUGH TIMES ARE TOUGHER, THE STATE OF HOWARD COUNTY IS STILL STRONG AND GETTING STRONGER.

OUR SCHOOLS REMAIN AMONG THE BEST IN THE NATION. OUR STREETS ARE SAFE. OUR QUALITY OF LIFE IS ENVIABLE. AND OUR LOCAL ECONOMY IS WELL POSITIONED TO WEATHER THE ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN. OUR UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IS STILL THE LOWEST IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND, AND ACCORDING TO ECONOMIST ANIRBAN BASU – SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS OUR LOCAL ECONOMY AS WELL AS ANYONE – IN A FEW YEARS, “HOWARD COUNTY WILL BE AWASH IN JOBS.”

BUT THAT IS STILL A FEW YEARS FROM NOW, AND THE REALITY IS THAT DESPITE OUR STRENGTH, WE ARE NOT IMMUNE TO THE CHALLENGES WROUGHT BY THE MOST SEVERE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN SINCE THE GREAT DEPRESSION.

SO, HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET THROUGH THIS? WE'LL START BY FOCUSING ON OUR STRENGTHS.

FIRST, LET’S TALK ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY. IT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT WE DO, WHETHER IT IS THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT PROVIDING VACCINES TO DEFEND US FROM DISEASE, FIRE FIGHTERS RESPONDING QUICKLY IN TIMES OF EMERGENCY, OR POLICE OFFICERS PROTECTING US EVERYDAY.

WHILE I STILL BELIEVE THAT ONE CRIME IS ONE TOO MANY AND ONE RESIDENT WHO FEELS UNSAFE IS ONE TOO MANY, OVER THE PAST YEAR, WE’VE SEEN SOME OF THE LOWEST CRIME RATES IN HOWARD COUNTY HISTORY. FOR EXAMPLE, LAST YEAR WE HAD ONLY TWO MURDERS – AGAIN, TWO TOO MANY – BUT IT IS A RATE THAT IS ALMOST UNHEARD OF IN COMMUNITIES OUR SIZE. AND OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS, CRIME DROPPED FROM IT'S ALREADY LOW LEVELS, THANKS IN LARGE PART TO INVESTMENTS WE HAVE MADE IN OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.

WE ADDED 54 OFFICERS TO THE FORCE, OFFICERS WHO ARE HAVING A NOTICEABLE IMPACT. THE MAJORITY OF THESE NEW OFFICERS ARE ON PATROL, PROTECTING OUR STREETS, WHILE OTHERS ARE ASSIGNED TO NEW, SPECIALIZED UNITS THAT ENABLE US TO WORK SMARTER AND MORE PROACTIVELY.

THESE NEW UNITS INCLUDE:

• A REPEAT OFFENDERS UNIT THAT MONITORS THE SMALL NUMBER OF CRIMINALS WHO CREATE A DISPROPORTIONATE SHARE OF CRIME IN OUR COMMUNITY;

• NEW SATELLITE OFFICES IN OUR COMMUNITIES THAT ALLOW BEAT OFFICERS TO KNOW THEIR NEIGHBORS AND SPOT CONCERNS BEFORE THEY BECOME PROBLEMS; AGAIN, PROACTIVE POLICING;

• A NEW DOMESTIC VIOLENCE UNIT TO AGGRESSIVELY PURSUE THESE CRIMES AND TO WORK WITH THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CENTER OF HOWARD COUNTY TO ENSURE VICTIMS RECEIVE THE ASSISTANCE THEY NEED IN THEIR TIME OF CRISIS;

• AND A FULL-TIME DETECTIVE ASSIGNED TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH THE MARYLAND SEX OFFENDERS REGISTRY. I CAN TELL YOU AS YOUR COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND A FATHER OF TWO BEAUTIFUL GIRLS, I WILL CONTINUE TO DO EVERYTHNG IN MY POWER TO PREVENT A TRAGEDY HERE LIKE THE ONE WE JUST SAW ON THE EASTERN SHORE.

AND WHILE OUR PROACTIVE POLICING STRATEGIES HAVE HELPED KEEP OUR CRIME RATE LOW, IT IS THE WELL-TRAINED MEN AND WOMEN IN UNIFORM WHO WORK TIRELESSLY SO THAT YOU AND I CAN SLEEP SOUNDLY AT NIGHT.

THIS COMMITMENT TO SERVICE AND DEDICATED WORK ETHIC STARTS AT THE TOP WITH CHIEF BILL MCMAHON AND IT CONTINUES THROUGHOUT THE RANKS. WE CAN CERTAINLY SEE THAT COMMITMENT IN OFFICER ERICA HEAVNER AND THE OTHER FINE MEN AND WOMEN OF OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.

OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT IS ANOTHER CRITICAL MEMBER OF OUR PUBLIC SAFETY TEAM. IN 2009, I HIRED BILL GODDARD TO BE OUR NEW CHIEF. WHEN BILL CAME ON BOARD, I MADE IT CLEAR THAT MY #1 OBJECTIVE WAS TO DRIVE DOWN EMERGENCY RESPONSE TIMES---IN LIFE AND DEATH SITUATIONS, SECONDS REALLY DO MATTER. AND THAT BECAME BILL’S MISSION. IN LESS THAN A YEAR, AVERAGE RESPONSE TIMES DROPPED A FULL MINUTE: FROM ALMOST EIGHT MINUTES IN 2008, TO UNDER SEVEN MINUTES IN 2009. STATISTICALLY THAT’S IMPRESSIVE; IN REAL WORLD TERMS, THAT’S LIFE-SAVING.

AND THE NEW COST-EFFICIENT STATIONS THAT WILL OPEN IN GLENWOOD AND JESSUP WILL DRIVE DOWN RESPONSE TIMES EVEN FURTHER. SO A GREAT JOB TO THE FIREFIGHTERS WHOSE DEDICATION IS EMBODIED BY LIEUTENANT THOMAS GERBER AND CHIEF GODDARD.

JUST MONTHS AFTER I TOOK OFFICE, WE STARTED HOLDING DISASTER PREPAREDNESS TRAINING FOR ALL COUNTY DEPARTMENTS. THE SCENARIO FOR THOSE DRILLS??? YOU GUESSED IT, PANDEMIC FLU.

THANKS TO THAT PROACTIVE PREPARATION, DR. BEILENSON AND HIS STAFF WERE ON TOP OF THE H1N1 THREAT FROM THE BEGINNING.

TO DATE, THE HOWARD COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS DISTRIBUTED OVER 35,000 H1N1 VACCINES TO COUNTY RESIDENTS, BY FAR THE HIGHEST PER CAPITA OF ANY COUNTY IN THE REGION. AND WE HELD THE LARGEST DRIVE-THRU FLU CLINIC IN THE UNITED STATES IN 2008, AND AGAIN IN 2009. DR. BEILENSON AND STAFF---GOOD WORK.

AND AS WE’RE TALKING ABOUT TOP-CALIBER COUNTY SERVICES, OF COURSE, OUR SCHOOLS ARE AT THE HEART OF THAT DISCUSSION. THE HOWARD COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEM IS A DRIVER OF OUR ECONOMY, AND ITS STRENGTH IS CRITICAL TO OUR SUCCESS.

WHAT I SAID IN LAST YEAR’S SPEECH REMAINS TRUE. OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM IS CONSISTENTLY RANKED #1 IN THE STATE. AND TWO WEEKS AGO EDUCATION WEEK AGAIN RANKED MARYLAND’S PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM #1 IN THE NATION. AS A PRODUCT OF HOWARD COUNTY SCHOOLS---I CAN DO THE MATH. HOWARD COUNTY IS #1 RANKED IN THE STATE, AND THE STATE SYSTEM IS RANKED #1 IN THE COUNTRY---THEREFORE WE ARE THE BEST SCHOOL SYSTEM IN THE NATION.

MY THANKS TO DR. SYDNEY COUSIN AND THE GREAT TEACHERS AND STAFF OF THE HOWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM AND ALSO TO THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION, WHO DEVOTE SO MUCH OF THEIR TIME AND ENERGY TO OUR STUDENTS.

MY THANKS GO OUT AS COUNTY EXECUTIVE BUT ALSO AS A PARENT. JAKI AND I ARE SO PLEASED WITH THE EDUCATION OUR CHILDREN -- AND THEIR PARENTS -- ARE RECEIVING.

OUR COMMUNITY COLLEGE IS ENJOYING A TREMENDOUS SURGE IN POPULARITY AND ENROLLMENT AS MORE AND MORE PEOPLE RECOGNIZE HCC AS AN AFFORDABLE AND ACCESSIBLE OPTION FOR A QUALITY EDUCATION. THANK YOU TO DR. KATE HETHERINGTON AND HER STAFF FOR ALL YOU DO.

AND THANK YOU ALSO TO VALERIE GROSS AND STAFF FOR CONTINUING TO MAKE OUR LIBRARIES THE BEST IN THE NATION. OUR LIBRARY SYSTEM IS ONLY GOING TO GET BETTER WITH THE NEW MILLER BRANCH LIBRARY IN ELLICOTT CITY SET TO BREAK GROUND IN JUST A FEW WEEKS.

YOU ALL KNOW HOW MUCH I LOVE OUR LIBRARY SYSTEM, SO I'LL SPARE YOU MY ANECDOTES ABOUT SPENDING TIME WITH MY GIRLS AT STORY TIME AND ANY OF MY CHOOSE CIVILITY JOKES.

BUT SERIOUSLY, VALERIE -- THANK YOU

AND OUR NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED PARK SYSTEM IS ALSO IMPROVING.

• THE MEADOWBROOK ATHLETIC CENTER OPENED JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO. UNFORTUNATELY, AT THE GRAND OPENING I GOT BEAT BY A 9 YEAR OLD AT A FOUL SHOOTING CONTEST -- ONLY BY ONE SHOT, BUT STILL. AFTER THAT, I WENT AND GOT BACK SURGERY SO I'M READY FOR THE REMATCH AT...

• NORTH LAUREL PARK AND COMMUNITY CENTER -- UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND OPENING LATER THIS YEAR.

• ROBINSON NATURE CENTER – ALSO UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND OPENING LATER THIS YEAR NEAR RT. 32 AND CEDAR LANE.

• AND THE PARK WE'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR, BLANDAIR REGIONAL PARK, IS SET TO BREAK GROUND IN JUST A FEW MONTHS.

AND WE CONTINUE TO MAKE PROGRESS ON OUR ENVIRONMENTAL PRIORITIES: PROVIDING INCENTIVES FOR GREEN BUILDINGS AND GREEN NEIGHBORHOODS, DEVELOPING A CLIMATE ACTION PLAN AND GREENHOUSE GAS INVENTORY FOR THE COUNTY, INITIATING SOLAR DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS, IMPROVING ENERGY EFFICIENCY, CREATING NEW LAND PRESERVATION OPPORTUNITIES, PARTNERING WITH PROPERTY OWNERS TO PLANT STREAM BUFFERS AND MORE.

AND OUR ENVIRONMENTAL FOCUS IS YIELDING BUDGETARY SAVINGS AS WELL. AS YOU ALL KNOW, THE COUNTY PROVIDED BIG BLUE RECYCLING BINS, AND EVERYONE APPEARS TO BE USING THEM, AS OUR RECYCLING NUMBERS ARE UP AND TRASH IS DOWN. THAT MEANS OUR COSTS ARE DOWN TOO – OVER $500,000 SO FAR.

FUEL COSTS ARE ALSO DOWN, THANKS TO OUR EARLY INVESTMENT IN EFFICIENT HYBRID VEHICLES FOR OUR FLEET AND TRANSIT OPERATIONS. WE'VE ALREADY SAVED HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS, AND THOSE SAVINGS WILL ONLY GROW.

SAVING MONEY WHILE SAVING THE PLANET IS A WIN-WIN IN MY BOOK, AND SO IS SAVING MONEY WHILE SAVING LIVES.

NOW I KNOW WE'RE ALL TIRED OF THE HEALTH CARE RHETORIC ON THE NATIONAL LEVEL, BUT LET ME BRIEFLY DISCUSS WHAT WE HAVE ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED HERE IN HOWARD COUNTY THROUGH HEALTHY HOWARD. WE DIDN’T CREATE A NEW ENTITLEMENT. WE DIDN’T CREATE A MASSIVE NEW BUREAUCRACY. NO, WHAT WE DID WAS PULL TOGETHER OUR EXISTING HEALTH CARE RESOURCES TO CREATE A NETWORK OF CARE.

THOUSANDS OF OUR NEIGHBORS NOW HAVE ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE BEFORE. AND BY RECEIVING PREVENTATIVE CARE, THEY ARE ABLE TO AVOID VISITS TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM, VISITS THAT DRIVE UP HEALTH CARE COSTS FOR ALL OF US.

THANKS TO OUR MANY PARTNERS, INCLUDING VIC BROCCOLINO AND HOWARD COUNTY GENERAL HOSPITAL, RICH KRIEG AND THE HORIZON FOUNDATION, CHASE BREXTON, JOHNS HOPKINS HOSPITAL, JOHNS HOPKINS HEALTH CARE, QUEST DIAGNOSTICS, AMERICAN RADIOLOGY, UNITED HEALTH CARE, AETNA, KAISER PERMANENTE, LIFE STAR AMBULANCE AND THE MANY DOCTORS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED THEIR TIME AND RESOURCES TO HELP MAKE THIS PROGRAM A SUCCESS.

AND SINCE I JUST MENTIONED SAVING LIVES, HERE AS MY GUEST TODAY IS HENRYETTE NEAL. AFTER SUCCESSFULLY BATTLING BREAST CANCER, SHE LOST HER JOB AND HER HEALTH INSURANCE WHEN HER EMPLOYER WHEN OUT OF BUSINESS. WITHOUT INSURANCE, SHE PUT OFF FOLLOW UP VISITS AND IGNORED CHEST PAINS. FINALLY, AS A MEMBER OF HEALTHY HOWARD, SHE SAW A DOCTOR AND WAS IMMEDIATELY RUSHED TO JOHNS HOPKINS HOSPITAL IN BALTIMORE, ONE OF OUR PARTNERS, WHERE SHE UNDERWENT TRIPLE BYPASS SURGERY THAT VERY SAME DAY. BECAUSE OF THE STRENGTH OF OUR PARTNERSHIPS, THE COST TO HENRYETTE OF THIS LIFE SAVING CARE WAS $102. HENRYETTE HAS SAID THAT HEALTHY HOWARD SAVED HER LIFE. WELL HOW FITTING IS IT THEN THAT SHE'S HERE ON HER BIRTHDAY.

HENRYETTE, HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

SO, THAT'S THE GOOD NEWS PART OF THE SPEECH. NOW WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT OUR CHALLENGES. THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE WE FACE IS THE SAME ONE FACING FAMILIES AND BUSINESSES ACROSS THE COUNTY, ACROSS MARYLAND AND ACROSS OUR COUNTRY.

IT'S THE ECONOMY.

LET ME TELL YOU WHERE WE ARE.

REVENUES ARE DOWN:

• PROPERTY TAX – DOWN, THE MOST RECENT RESIDENTIAL ASSESSMENTS DOWN 23 PERCENT.

• INCOME TAX – DOWN 7 PERCENT.

• STATE AID – CUT TO THE BONE.

OUR BUDGET CRUNCH IS EXACERBATED BY THE FACT THAT IN TOUGH ECONOMIC TIMES, PEOPLE TURN MORE TO PUBLIC SERVICES. AND WE'RE SEEING IT: LIBRARY USE IS UP; PARK USE IS UP; HCC'S ENROLLMENT IS UP; REQUESTS FOR ENERGY, HOUSING AND FOOD ASSISTANCE ARE ALL UP. I WANT TO THANK ALL OUR NON-PROFIT PARTNERS FOR THEIR HARD WORK IN THESE TOUGH TIMES.

CLEARLY, THE COUNTY'S FINANCIAL SITUATION PRESENTS CHALLENGES AND OVERCOMING THESE CHALLENGES REQUIRES FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY. SO, WHEN FACED WITH DECLINING REVENUE, WE TURN TO THE SAME STRATEGY YOU DO: CUT SPENDING.

WE CUT OUR PRINT SHOP; WE CUT OUR CABLE TV STUDIO; WE CUT EMPLOYEE TAKE HOME CAR USE; WE CUT CELL PHONE USE; WE CUT POSITIONS AND ARE HOLDING VACANCIES; WE CUT OUR ENERGY USE, OUR PAPER USE; WE CUT INNEFFICENCIES THROUGHOUT GOVERNMENT; WE CUT BENEFIT COSTS. WE ARE EVEN CUTTING COSTS WHEN IT COMES TO CUTTING THE GRASS, WITH OUR JOINT MOWING AGREEMENT WITH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. AND WE WILL KEEP CUTTING.

WE EVEN CUT A WEEK OF COUNTY SERVICES. THE WEEK-LONG FURLOUGH BETWEEN CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEARS SAVED THE COUNTY ALMOST $2 MILLION, AS COUNTY EMPLOYEES INCLUDING ELECTED OFFICIALS GAVE UP A WEEK’S PAY. I KNOW IT WASN’T EASY FOR ANYONE, BUT NO ONE EVER SAID GETTING THROUGH THESE TOUGH TIMES WOULD BE EASY.

WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO FIND SAVINGS IN ALL PARTS OF OUR BUDGET, AND WE ARE WORKING WITH OUR PARTNER AGENCIES – LIKE THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, LIBRARY, AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE. THESE AGENCIES, COMBINED WITH DEBT SERVICE, REPRESENT OVER 70 PERCENT OF THE COUNTY’S BUDGET. WE MUST BREAK DOWN BARRIERS AND FIND SAVINGS. AND WE ARE.

BY WORKING TOGETHER, WE ARE REALIZING SAVINGS WITH SEVERAL COOPERATIVE INITIATIVES, INCLUDING FOR THE FIRST TIME JOINT BIDDING FOR HEALTH INSURANCE, JOINT FLEET MAINTENCE, JOINT PAVING CONTRACTS, SHARING OF INSPECTORS AND EXPERTISE, SHARING TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE, AND PROPERTY MANAGEMENT AGREEMENTS, AMONG OTHERS. BUT WE NEED TO DO MORE. AND TOGETHER WE WILL.

I WANT TO THANK OUR CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER LONNIE ROBBINS FOR HEADING UP THIS EFFORT WITH OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM.

I AM PLEASED TO SAY THAT OUR COMMITMENT TO FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY, EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT AND EFFICIENT OPERATIONS WAS AGAIN VALIDATED WITH AAA BOND RATINGS FROM ALL THREE RATING AGENCIES, ONE OF FEWER THAN 30 OUT OF 3,077 COUNTIES IN THE COUNTRY TO DO SO.

IN FACT, FITCH REPORTED THAT HOWARD COUNTY HAS “STRONG FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, HIGH WEALTH INDICATORS, AND A MODERATE DEBT BURDEN WITH RAPID AMORTIZATION. THE COUNTY’S FINANCIAL POSITION IS STRONG, WITH AMPLE LIQUIDITY, SOUND GENERAL FUND RESERVES ABOVE THE CHARTER-MANDATED LEVEL, AND EXCELLENT FINANCIAL PLANNING.”

OK, SO FOR THE MOST PART, THINGS ARE GOING VERY WELL, BUT WE HAVE SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES TO FACE. THE QUESTION NOW IS: WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

WELL, LET'S START BY GOING JUST DOWN THE ROAD TO FT. MEADE.

I KNOW WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT BRAC SINCE JIM ROBEY STOOD HERE DELIVERING THESE SPEECHES, AND IT HAS BEEN DISCUSSED IN EACH OF MY STATE OF THE COUNTY ADDRESSES. SOME OF YOU MIGHT EVEN BE WONDERING IF DICK STORY’S PROMISE THAT BRAC STANDS FOR “BIG, REAL AND COMING” IS ACTUALLY TRUE. WELL, IT IS NOT JUST COMING … IT IS HERE.

ALREADY, 300 WORKERS FROM THE DEFENSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AGENCY ARE AT FT. MEADE WORKING IN TEMPORARY OFFICES. AND THE FIRST NEW BRAC-RELATED BUILDING WILL OPEN IN OCTOBER OF THIS YEAR WITH ADDITIONAL BUILDINGS AND AGENCIES TO FOLLOW OVER THE NEXT 24 MONTHS. IN ALL, OVER 6,000 NEW EMPLOYEES WILL BE STATIONED ON BASE BECAUSE OF BRAC.

BRAC IS JUST ONE PIECE OF THE FT. MEADE EXPANSION. NSA IS SLATED TO ADD AS MANY AS 4,000 NEW POSITIONS, AND THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE’S NEW CYBER COMMAND IS PROPOSED FOR FT. MEADE, WHICH COULD BRING WITH IT 5,000 NEW DIRECT JOBS.

I CANNOT OVERSTATE THE IMPORTANCE OF CYBER SECURITY IN THIS DAY AND AGE. IN FACT, THE CURRENT DIRECTOR OF NSA, GENERAL KEITH ALEXANDER, HAD THIS TO SAY: “MAINTAINING FREEDOM OF ACTION IN CYBERSPACE IN THE 21ST CENTURY IS AS INHERENT TO U.S. INTERESTS AS FREEDOM OF THE SEAS WAS IN THE 19TH CENTURY, AND ACCESS TO AIR AND SPACE IN THE 20TH CENTURY.”

IN SHORT, THE FRONT LINE IS NOW ONLINE.

THIS PUTS HOWARD COUNTY AT THE EPICENTER OF OUR NATION’S MOST IMPORTANT GLOBAL SECURITY OPERATION, ONE THAT WILL SEE THE CREATION OF UP TO 30,000 NEW PRIVATE SECTOR JOBS.

DEFENSE RELATED WORK WILL ALSO ATTRACT INVESTORS AND TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES INTERESTED IN CYBER SECURITY FOR THE BANKING, ENERGY AND OTHER CRITICAL SECTORS IN OUR ECONOMY, AS THE LATEST BREAKTHROUGHS IN THE FIELD ARE LIKELY TO ORIGINATE AT FT. MEADE. AFTER THE RECENT NEWS OF CHINA’S CYBER ATTACKS ON GOOGLE, WE ARE ALL MORE AWARE OF OUR POTENTIAL VULNERABILITY. THE TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS THAT EMINATE FROM THIS REGION WILL MAKE HOWARD COUNTY THE SILICON VALLEY OF CYBER SECURITY.

NEW EMPLOYERS WILL LOCATE IN HOWARD COUNTY, AND THOSE ALREADY HERE WILL EXPAND. AMONG MANY LAST YEAR, SAIC ADDED OVER 200 JOBS AND LEASED 171,000 SQUARE FEET OF CLASS A SPACE IN A NEW BUILDING VISIBLE FROM ROUTE 95.

MORE RECENTLY, I. T. T. ANNOUNCED THAT THEY WILL ADD 28,000 SQUARE FEET AND 90 NEW JOBS TO ITS EXISTING GATEWAY OPERATIONS. WE WORKED HARD TO CONVINCE I. T. T. TO STAY AND EXPAND HERE IN HOWARD COUNTY– DICK STORY AND I EVEN TRAVELED TO NEW YORK TO MEET WITH I. T. T.’S CONSULTANT – AND I AM HAPPY TO SEE THIS WORK PAID OFF.

THESE DECISIONS, AND OTHERS LIKE THEM ARE FURTHER CEMENTING HOWARD COUNTY AS THE PLACE TO LOCATE FOR COMPANIES SUPPORTING FT. MEADE.

HOWEVER, WE ARE NOT SITTING BACK AND WAITING FOR THESE JOBS TO BE CREATED. UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF OUR BRAC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, RETIRED COLONEL AND FORMER FT. MEADE BASE COMMANDER KENT MENSER - ***THE “BRAC GUY”***, WE HAVE CREATED UNIQUE PROGRAMS TO PREPARE OUR BUSINESSES TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES CREATED BY FT. MEADE GROWTH.

ONE SUCH PROGRAM, THE BRAC BUSINESS INITIATIVE, IS HELPING SMALL AND MINORITY BUSINESSES DEVELOP THE CAPACITY AND EXPERTISE TO WIN FEDERAL DEFENSE-RELATED CONTRACTS.

OVER 400 BUSINESSES ARE PARTICIPATING IN THIS INITIATIVE, INCLUDING ADVISOR COMPANIES SUCH AS BOOZ ALLEN, CYBERCORE, L-3, SAIC, UNISYS, LINGUALISTEK, RED ARCH AND TRUSANT. THESE ARE GUIDING SMALLER BUSINESSES THROUGH THE DEFENSE-CONTRACTING ENVIRONMENT, HELPING THEM MAKE SMART DECISIONS ABOUT BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES BEFORE THEY INVEST THEIR LIMITED TIME, MONEY AND RESOURCES. THE PROGRAM ALSO BRINGS COMPANIES TOGETHER TO FOSTER NEW RELATIONSHIPS.

AT THE FIRST BBI BREAKFAST, SEAN KEYMAN, PRESIDENT OF TRIFECTA INDUSTRIES, MET BILL STONE, PRESIDENT OF MOBERN LIGHTING COMPANY. MOBERN HAS BEEN MAKING LIGHTING IN HOWARD COUNTY ALONG ROUTE 1 SINCE 1944. TRIFECTA IS A RELATIVELY NEW BUSINESS FOUNDED BY THREE FORMER MARINES – ALL VETERANS OF THE IRAQ WAR – WHO MET IN HCC’S ENTREPRENEURIAL PROGRAM.

SEAN AND BILL REALIZED THAT BY FORMING A PARTNERSHIP, THEY COULD WIN JOBS, AND THEY CURRENTLY HAVE OVER $1,000,000 WORK WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

SMALL AND MINORITY BUSINESSES MAKE UP OVER 70 PERCENT OF BUSINESSES IN HOWARD COUNTY, AND FOCUSING ON THIS SECTOR IS ESSENTIAL FOR JOB CREATION.

BEYOND BRAC, OUR TEAM AT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY IS WORKING TO EXPAND THE CAPACITY OF OUR SMALL BUSINESSES, AND WE ARE FOCUSING ON WAYS TO HELP PROVIDE THE ONE THING ALL BUSINESSES NEED TO GROW: CAPITAL.

WE ARE PARTNERING WITH LOCAL BANKS TO HELP SMALL BUSINESSES ACCESS CAPITAL SO THAT THEY CAN CREATE NEW JOBS. ONE SUCH PROGRAM IS OUR NEWLY CREATED CATALYST LOAN FUND, AND THE FIRST LOAN WAS RECENTLY MADE TO ANDERSON BECKER, A MANUFACTURER OF WOMEN’S CLOTHING. THEIR $50,000 CATALYST LOAN ENABLED A LARGER LOAN FROM HOWARD BANK, BOTH OF WHICH WERE CRITICAL TO HELP FUND THEIR EXPANSION.

AND SPEAKING OF EXPANSIONS, WE HAD SOME BIG ONES THIS YEAR AND SOME BIG RELOCATIONS, TOO. IDX CORPORATION, RHEE BROTHERS, INTEGRAL SYSTEMS, CYBERCORE TECHNOLOGIES AND MEDASSURANT. THESE RESULTED IN OVER 1 MILLION SQUARE FEET OF COMMERCIAL SPACE ABSORPTION.

AND IN CASE ANYONE WAS WONDERING ABOUT THE NUTS AT YOUR TABLE ****INSERT YOUR OWN PUNCHLINE HERE **** THEY ARE PROVIDED BY EDA AND BY FAR, THE NUTTIEST BUSINESS OF THEM ALL, A BUSINESS THAT JUST OPENED A NEW WORLD HEADQUARTERS IN COLUMBIA – IN FACT I GOT TO CUT THE RIBBON THERE – ANN’S HOUSE OF NUTS. I KNOW ANDY ANDERSON FROM ANN'S IS HERE -- SAY THAT THREE TIMES FAST.

AT BUSINESS VISITS AND DURING MY QUARTERLY CEO BREAKFASTS, I GET TO LEARN A LOT ABOUT OUR SUCCESSFUL COMPANIES, BUT WHAT I REALLY ENJOY IS FINDING CREATIVE WAYS THAT WE CAN HELP, AS HAPPENED AT A VISIT TO ATR CORPORATION.

ATR HAS DEVELOPED A POLE MOUNTED SOLAR PANEL THAT CAN TRACK THE SUN AND ROTATE FOR MAXIMUM SOLAR EXPOSURE. ATR NEEDED A PLACE TO TEST IT, AND I SAID WE'VE GOT PLACES. IT'S NOW BEING TESTED AT THE ROBEY TRAINING CENTER. IF SUCCESSFUL, THIS TECHNOLOGY COULD HELP REVOLUTIONIZE SOLAR ENERGY AND CREATE GREEN JOBS HERE IN HOWARD COUNTY. AND I HOPE OUR PARTNERSHIP HELPS.

AS WE LOOK FORWARD TO BETTER TIMES AHEAD, WE CANNOT ALLOW OURSELVES TO SIMPLY SIT AND HOPE. WE MUST WORK PROACTIVELY; WE MUST PLAN STRATEGICALLY; WE MUST DELIBERATELY SHAPE OUR FUTURE AND DEFINE THE COMMUNITY WE STRIVE TO BE. IT IS IMPORTANT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OPPORTUNITIES WHEN THEY ARISE, BUT IT IS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES WHEN THEY ARE NEEDED.

TODAY WE STAND ON THE BRINK OF ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING OPPORTUNITIES HOWARD COUNTY HAS FACED SINCE JIM ROUSE CAME BEFORE THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS IN 1964. THE DOWNTOWN COLUMBIA PLAN WHICH IS CURRENTLY PENDING BEFORE THE COUNCIL HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CREATE THE TYPE OF VIBRANT, WALKABLE, LIVABLE DOWNTOWN THAT HOWARD COUNTY DESERVES.

AND THIS OPPORTUNITY DID NOT FALL TO US BY CHANCE. IT WAS SIX YEARS AGO – ALMOST TO THE DAY – WHEN I, THEN AS CHAIR OF THE ZONING BOARD, VOTED TO DENY THE ROUSE COMPANY’S REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL RESIDENTIAL DENSITY IN TOWN CENTER. THAT REQUEST HAD NO DETAIL, NO PLAN, NO CLEAR CRITERIA, NO BENCHMARKS, NO SPECIFIC BENEFITS FOR THE EXISTING COMMUNITY, AND NONE OF THE CREATIVITY AND VISION ON WHICH COLUMBIA WAS FOUNDED. SO WE, THE ZONING BOARD, UNANIMOUSLY SAID NO.

WE KNEW THAT COLUMBIA, AND HOWARD COUNTY, DESERVED BETTER. WE SAW THE POTENTIAL FOR DOWNTOWN TO BECOME SOMETHING TRULY SPECIAL, AND WE WERE NOT WILLING TO MISS THAT OPPORTUNITY BY GRANTING DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS WITHOUT A PLAN. WE BELIEVED, AS JIM ROUSE DID, THAT, “WHAT OUGHT TO BE CAN BE, WITH THE WILL TO MAKE IT SO.”

OVER THESE PAST SIX YEARS, WE HAVE LISTENED TO EACH OTHER AS A COMMUNITY AND WE HAVE ENGAGED IN A CAREFUL, DELIBERATIVE PLANNING PROCESS FOR DOWNTOWN COLUMBIA. NOW, IN JUST SIX DAYS, THE MEMBERS OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL WILL TAKE WHAT WILL BE ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT VOTES IN HOWARD COUNTY HISTORY.

WORKING TOGETHER, WE HAVE CREATED A COMPREHENSIVE MASTER PLAN FOR THE REVITALIZATION OF DOWNTOWN WHICH INCORPORATES GREEN DEVELOPMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION, ARTS AND CULTURE, WORKFORCE HOUSING, PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE CONNECTIVITY, NEW AMENITY AREAS, TRANSIT, AND A RENOVATED MERRIWEATHER POST PAVILION – ALL IN A CAREFULLY PHASED DEVELOPMENT PLAN.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE, AS JIM ROUSE DID, THAT DOING IT RIGHT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO – NOT ONLY FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO TO ADD VALUE TO THE DEVELOPMENT ITSELF. AS I LOOK AT HOW FAR WE HAVE COME, I AM PROUD OF WHAT WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED AND EXCITED ABOUT THE FUTURE OF DOWNTOWN COLUMBIA.

AND AS I MENTION DOWNTOWN COLUMBIA, I MUST TAKE A MOMENT TO STOP AND RECOGNIZE THE MEMBERS OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL FOR THE EXTENSIVE TIME AND ENERGY THEY HAVE PUT INTO THIS LEGISLATION, AND OF COURSE, FOR ALL THE WORK THEY DO ON BEHALF OF HOWARD COUNTY. THANK YOU.

I ALSO WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK MY CHIEF OF STAFF, JESSICA FELDMARK, THE UNSUNG HERO OF THE DOWNTOWN COLUMBIA EFFORT AND, FRANKLY, THE UNSUNG HERO OF OUR ADMINISTRATION.

OUR FOCUS IS NOT ONLY IN DOWNTOWN COLUMBIA, BUT ALSO ALONG RT. 1 WHERE WE ARE WORKING TO CREATE A SUSTAINABLE, TRANSIT-ORIENTED CORRIDOR.

WE MUST CONTINUE TO BE FORWARD-THINKING IN OUR LAND USE DECISIONS TO FOSTER DYNAMIC COMMUNITIES WHERE RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES WILL THRIVE.

AND WE ARE WORKING WITH CITIZENS AND BUSINESSES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY TO STRENGTHEN OUR EXISTING NEIGHBORHOODS LARGE AND SMALL.

I WANT TO WRAP UP BY TELLING A QUICK STORY ABOUT ONE SUCH NEIGHBORHOOD WE WORKED WITH LAST YEAR.

A 20-HOME SUDVISION ALONG A PORTION OF HENRTYON ROAD – NOW PATAPSCO RIDGE ROAD. THEY HAD LIVED FOR YEARS WITH A WASHED OUT, STEEP GRAVEL ROAD AS THE ONLY ACCESS TO THEIR HOMES, THE RESULT OF A LAPSE IN SUBDIVISION REGULATIONS IN THE MID-1970S.

AFTER LEARNING OF THE SITUATION AT MY ANNUAL PUBLIC FORUM AND WALKING THE ROAD MYSELF, WE QUICKLY HASHED OUT A PAVING PLAN AND PAYMENT STRUCTURE, AND IN THREE MONTHS SOLVED A PROBLEM THAT FESTERED FOR 30 YEARS. WE GOT THE ROAD PAVED JUST IN TIME FOR THE BLIZZARD LAST MONTH.

HERE AS MY GUEST IS BERNADETTE CHRISTMAS, ONE OF THE RESIDENTS OF PATAPSCO RIDGE ROAD.

ANOTHER NEIGHBOR ON PATAPSCO RIDGE ROAD WHO WASN'T ABLE TO BE HERE TODAY AND WHO MANY OF YOU KNOW IS LOCAL BUSINESSWOMAN SHIRLEY COLLIER. SHIRLEY WAS THE SPOKESPERSON ON BEHALF OF HER NEIGHBORHOOD AT MY PUBLIC FORUM, AND I THINK THIS QUOTE FROM HER THANK YOU NOTE SUMS IT UP BEST: “THE LESSON HERE IS THAT REASONABLE CITIZENS AND MOTIVATED PUBLIC SERVANTS CAN SOLVE ANY PROBLEM."

I TRULY BELIEVE THAT. AND TOGETHER, WE'RE DOING IT EVERYDAY.

THANK YOU.