Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Bye bye 2013, hello 2014!

Dear friends,

As we begin 2014, I wanted to take a few moments to reflect on 2013 – a very eventful year. Every day, I feel privileged to represent the constituents of District 6 on the County Council. Because of your support and your involvement, we have been able to accomplish much to make our county and our community a better place.

Working with a broad coalition of residents, business leaders, and a bipartisan majority on the Council, we finally passed the Watershed Restoration and Protection Program, a fair and reasonable stormwater bill to help clean up polluted runoff in our county. We shouldn’t have to worry about getting sick if we swim in our rivers, or wonder about the safety of the fish and crabs we catch. All county residents deserve safe and clean waters and I’m proud of the work the Council did to move us closer to this goal.

Thanks to your support, we have also managed to get Annapolis school construction projects back on track. I was pleased to attend the ribbon-cutting for the new Phoenix Academy at the site of the old Germantown Elementary. We’re also eagerly watching the construction of Annapolis Elementary and Mills-Parole Elementary. Construction funding is in hand for Rolling Knolls Elementary and West Annapolis Elementary, too. Thanks to Speaker Mike Busch for his help with state funding, and to the County Executive and my Council colleagues for their support of these critical projects for our Annapolis area students.

The Council also unanimously passed my resolution to support the Kids at Hope program for our County schools, which is a philosophy that believes every child can succeed – no exceptions!

I had the opportunity to visit many communities and work on constituent issues – ranging from trash collection issues to potholes to utility lines. I was pleased to work with the County Auditor to discover that many constituents with unmetered wastewater were being incorrectly billed – and thanks to our inquiry these customers are now saving nearly $200 a year.

I’m also proud of the wonderful and talented residents we appointed to County Commissions this year. There is so much talent in our District; it is truly inspiring. I thank the following individuals for their service to our County:
o   Annie Hillary - Community Action Agency Board
o   Scotti Preston - County Cultural Arts Foundation
o   Jack Nelson - Spending Affordability Committee

We dedicated the first-of-its-kind memorial honoring the “foot soldiers” who took part in the 1963 Civil Rights March on Washington. The memorial is located at Whitmore Park on the corner of Calvert Street and Clay Street. Just two years ago we helped save this park from development by partnering with the City of Annapolis to keep it as a community resource.

As we look ahead, there will be new challenges. Determining the future of the former Crownsville Hospital Center, addressing the County’s growing transportation needs and finishing the work we started on our Annapolis schools – there is much still to do.

In closing, I’d like to thank my constituents for their suggestions and ideas and also for their support. I want to especially thank Janice Hayes-Williams, my amazing Legislative Aide, for all of her constituent service and her work in the community.


Here’s to a wonderful, safe and productive 2014 - Happy New Year!

- Chris

  ctrumbauer@aacounty.org
  410-222-1401

Sunday, June 30, 2013

My thoughts on Crystal Spring


Increasingly, constituents have been asking me for my thoughts on the proposed Crystal Spring development in the City of Annapolis. Crystal Spring Farm is on Forest Drive, between Hilltop Road and Spa Road (see it on Google Map). While the development is within the City, and thus under their jurisdiction, I do think it is appropriate to share my thoughts as your County Councilmember. The current concept plan (found here) proposes a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC), a retail shopping center, an inn and spa, and over 100 non-age restricted townhomes.

The simplest question is whether or not I support the current concept plan. The answer is no. In general, I think the scope of the current concept plan is too big and I question its consistency with the City's Comprehensive Plan, which can be found here (see page 29 for detail on the Forest Drive Opportunity Area).  

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

County Ballot Questions

Voters will note that there is a crowded ballot this year, full of county and state questions in addition to the candidates for office. The high number of County Charter Amendment questions is largely a result of the recommendations of the Charter Review Commission, which is assembled once every ten years. To make it onto the ballot, each of these county questions had to receive 5 votes (a super-majority) on the 7-member County Council. I voted for each of the 15 county questions that made it onto the ballot. The questions I voted against did not make it onto the ballot.

Below, I summarize the county questions and give some brief insight into them, including my position. For a more thorough review, please see this link on the County Council website: AACO Ballot Questions

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

2012 Bike to Work Day


Dear community leaders and residents of District 6,

This Friday, May 18, is Bike to Work Day. I will be riding my bike into the County Council office, and I hope you will join me at the Bike to Work Day celebration at Annapolis City Dock, from 7 - 9:00 am. This is a great annual event, featuring free refreshments, t-shirts, giveaways, and prizes. For those of us lucky to live close to our offices, biking is a great way to get to work! Show your support for biking (or walking) to work on Friday, and help promote clean commuting.

You can register for the event at http://www.eventbrite.com/event/3232425271 (important to reserve your free T-shirt). The weather forecast looks great!

Thanks,

Chris 


More about Bike to Work Day (from the Baltimore Metropolitan Council webpage):

Why Bike To Work Day?
Bike to Work Day 2012, sponsored by the Baltimore Metropolitan Council, will be celebrated in the Baltimore region and across the nation on Friday May 18, 2012.
This year marks the 15th annual event in the Baltimore region and will feature events at locations around the region. Bike to Work Day is an event celebrated across the United States each May to encourage and celebrate bicycling to work and promote public awareness of bicycling and bicycle safety.
Locally, B2WD promotes a “clean commute” and is part of the region's Clean Commute Initiative, which begins in April. Late Spring is the start of the ground-level ozone season, when we hear about Code Red and Orange Ozone Action Days. On those days, the air is dangerous to breathe – especially for the young and for the elderly. Single occupancy vehicles produce dangerous ozone-emission pollution in the Baltimore area. Bike commuting can improve the air we breathe.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

2012 pre-budget update


Dear Community Leaders and Residents of District 6,

It certainly has been busy around here – so busy that I haven’t updated the Dispatch since the end of last year! As we approach county budget season, I wanted to update you all on important happenings over the past several months, and what to expect during the month of May.

The Maryland General Assembly meets each year for a 90-day session beginning in January and ending in April. At the end of this year’s session, lawmakers did not reach a consensus on a full budget package, and leaders have indicated that they will likely call a “special session” in mid-May to finalize the state budget. This will have an impact on our County budget, as lawmakers will almost certainly transfer a share of the teacher pension costs from the state to the county. State lawmakers will also debate a revenue package that will offset some of those costs.

The legislature also passed a bill changing the Maintenance of Effort (MOE) law, which requires counties to fund public K-12 education at or above current year spending per pupil. For counties that do not fund the full MOE obligation, the state now reserves the right to take the income tax revenue straight from the county through the Comptroller’s office. It also now expressly prohibits the inclusion of debt service (the interest, etc. from bonds) in the calculation. The County Executive had included debt service in last year’s budget, and based their current budget on those calculations. The State Board of Education ruled last week that this was not allowed, and that our county must rebase its calculation, which results in an approximate $12 million increase in required spending for K-12 education. The challenge facing the Council now is to find enough money in the budget to meet that requirement (not an easy task).

County budget hearings begin today, Tuesday, May 1. Over the course of the next two weeks, we will have work sessions in which county agency heads and others will present their proposed budgets to the Council. This is where the rubber hits the road, as we learn how the proposed budget will affect our county services. Parks, libraries, senior centers, the community college, the school system, road maintenance, trash and recycling pickup – all the things that we count on and depend on. The proposed budget also eliminates county employee furlough days (there were 12 furlough days in each of the past two years).

We will also hear about the capital budget, which funds projects such as school construction, water and sewer upgrades, police and fire stations, road projects, etc. I will be paying particular attention to the elementary school projects in and around the Annapolis area. In the proposed budget, Annapolis Elementary, Phoenix Center, and Mills-Parole are funded in their original timeline, but construction on Rolling Knolls is pushed back until Fiscal Year 2016, and West Annapolis is pushed back even further – to FY13. I will be working with my Council colleagues to try to restore these two projects to reflect the Board of Education’s priority list.

What are your priorities in the budget? Please let me know what is important to you.

While the budget will certainly dominate the next month at the Council, there are plenty of other issues going on as well. Despite the tumultuous General Assembly session, there was significant progress for the environment, particularly our waterways. I was pleased to testify in support of several bills, and work with Delegates and State Senators to pass important legislation to help clean up the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers and streams. Now we will need to implement these policies on the county level. I was also nominated and confirmed to be Anne Arundel County’s representative on the Critical Area Commission, and position I am looking forward to serving.

On March 26, Peter Smith was sworn in as the newest Council Member. He will fill the remainder of the term in District 1. Although the process for filling the vacancy was drawn out and frustrating, it is time to put that behind us. As one of Pete’s strongest supporters, I can assure you he will be an excellent addition to the Council. I already enjoy working with him – he is smart, funny, and easy to work with.

Whitmore Park Greenscaping
As part of Annapolis Greenscape on Earth Day weekend, I was pleased to join the County Executive, Annapolis Mayor Josh Cohen, Janice Hayes-Williams, Community leaders Larry Griffin, Jim Martin, and others to officially recognize a new lease on Whitmore Park, in downtown Annapolis. Rather than “surplus” the park and open the door for unknown development, I worked collaboratively with the County Executive, the Mayor, and the community to achieve a 35-year lease from the County to the City. This solution relieved the County of the maintenance costs, preserved valuable open space downtown, and put the park in the caring hands of local community members. We spruced the park up on Greenscape Day, Saturday, April 21.

SRLT's 50th easement
I continue to try to get out to community events whenever I can. Last week I was pleased to attend the Scenic Rivers Land Trust celebration of their 50th conservation easement and an announcement at the Annapolis Visitor Center that the Drum Corps Associates will hold its Annual World Championships at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on Labor Day Weekend 2012. If you have an important event coming up, don’t assume I know about it! Make sure to tell Janice and me about it.

Spring is in full bloom, and I hope you all enjoy this time of year as much as I do (not including the pollen count). Get outside as much as you can, and don’t forget Bike-to-Work Day on Friday, May 18.

Please stay in touch and let me know what you think about the budget, or any other county issues.


-Chris

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Legislation proposed to reduce stormwater pollution in Anne Arundel County, comply with Chesapeake Bay "pollution diet."

(Annapolis, MD) November 7, 2011 – Legislation to create a dedicated funding source to reduce polluted stormwater runoff in Anne Arundel County was introduced at the November 7th County Council meeting. The bill was authored by County Councilman Chris Trumbauer (District 6) and co-sponsored by County Council Chairman Dick Ladd (District 5).

The bill is intended to clean up local rivers and streams, create jobs, and improve communities throughout Anne Arundel County. The bill establishes a “stormwater utility,” a proven model that is helping to address stormwater runoff in many other counties and municipalities across the country. The dedicated funding will allow the County to begin working on the large backlog of needed restoration and retrofit projects already identified, but for which there is no funding. The bill would also help Anne Arundel County meet its mandatory obligations to reduce pollution in accordance with the Chesapeake Bay TMDL “pollution diet” and local Watershed Implementation Plans.

“This bill is a much-needed investment in Anne Arundel County,” said Councilman Trumbauer. “The money from this dedicated fund will go directly back into our communities, creating local jobs and cleaning up our waterways. Designing and building projects to reduce stormwater pollution will put County residents to work – in management, planning and engineering type jobs, as well as much needed construction work.

“Reducing polluted stormwater runoff in Anne Arundel County will help clean up our local rivers so we can once again feel safe swimming and fishing in our waterways. In addition, we are protecting our economic industries that rely on clean water – like our tourism and recreation, marina, and seafood industries – and our property values”

Bob Burdon, President/CEO of the Annapolis and Anne Arundel County Chamber of Commerce welcomed the introduction of the bill. “The Chamber of Commerce supported similar legislation a couple of years ago and we were disappointed it was not adopted at that time. We appreciate Councilman Trumbauer bringing this issue back again,” said Burdon.

Nearly one-third of the nitrogen pollution in Anne Arundel County is estimated to come from urban and suburban stormwater runoff, which is also the fastest growing source of pollution to the Chesapeake Bay. Pollution from stormwater runoff is created when developed land, no longer able to act as a “filter” for precipitation, causes rain water to quickly run off paved surfaces directly into nearby waterways. Stormwater runoff carries harmful pollution from nutrients, bacteria, fertilizer, sediment, chemicals and trash straight into our waterways.

Councilman Trumbauer continued, “For too long, Anne Arundel County has suffered from beach closures, waters unsafe for swimming and fishing, and costly flooding and erosion from uncontrolled stormwater runoff. We pride ourselves on our love of the water here in Anne Arundel County – it’s time we got serious about cleaning up our rivers and streams, putting people to work and making this County a safer, cleaner, better place to live.”

The bill would propose a $35 annual fee on the property tax bill for residential properties ($25 for attached units such as condos and townhomes). Non-residential properties will be assessed via a determination of impervious surface, with an Equivalent Dwelling Unit equal to 2,500 square feet. The fee will go into a dedicated fund that can only be spent on the defined purposes – reducing stormwater runoff – and that cannot be raided or diverted.

Projects that reduce polluted stormwater have significant benefits to local communities and neighborhoods. Several other jurisdictions in Maryland currently have some kind of a dedicated stormwater fee, including the City of Annapolis in Anne Arundel County.

The bill number is 79-11 and the legislation will be posted on the County Council website at www.aacounty.org/CountyCouncil/pendingLegis.cfm. The public hearing is scheduled for December 5.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Rezoning Post Game Report


During the last Council meeting, on Tuesday, September 6, the long saga of Comprehensive Rezoning for our District (District 6) finally came to a close. During that meeting, the Council considered the County Executive’s line-item vetoes of 16 amendments from Bill 44-11. Bill 44-11 was passed three weeks prior on August 15, and it contained 46 amendments – some of which were inconsistent with the County’s General Development Plan and the communities’ Small Area Plans. Bill 44-11 dealt with both District 6 (the Greater Annapolis area) and District 7 (South County, and parts of Crofton and Gambrills). 15 of the 16 vetoes were in District 7, and the one veto in District 6 was an amendment that passed despite my opposition. Throughout the entire process, I worked with our communities and the staff of the Office of Planning and Zoning (OPZ) to adhere to the principles of responsible growth, to protect the character of our neighborhoods, and to respect the land use policies outlined in the General Development Plan and the Small Area Plans.

The vast majority of rezonings that occurred in District 6 were proposed by OPZ in Bill 44-11 as introduced by the County Executive. I introduced a handful of amendments to include some proposals not originally put forward by OPZ, and I also modified some of their original proposals. None of the amendments I introduced was strongly opposed by OPZ. There was one particular proposal in the original bill, known as the “Wedding Chapel” property on Generals Highway, which I sought to remove with an amendment. I did this because it was strongly opposed by the neighboring communities and was inconsistent with the Crownsville Small Area Plan. Unfortunately, that amendment was defeated. I asked the County Executive to strike that proposal from the Bill using the line-item veto, but he was unable to do so due to a technicality resulting from the way the Bill 44-11 was structured. In my opinion, that is the one blemish on the District 6 rezoning.

District 7 rezoning was a much different story.  Councilman Walker of District 7 introduced dozens of amendments, some of which I supported, but many I opposed. Many friends and colleagues in South County appealed to me to support their communities and vote against the proposals that violated the long-range planning strategies designed to “Keep South County Rural”. I voted against many of these amendments, but despite my opposition, most of them were passed by the other members of the Council. Some of the rezonings were so egregious that I considered voting against the entire bill. Ultimately, I decided to vote for the bill, but to work with the County Executive to strip out some of the rezonings using the line-item veto. I worked hard publicly and behind the scenes to try to uphold many of those vetoes. I solicited an opinion from the Secretary of the Maryland Department of Planning concerning a 2009 state law that stated that local land ordinances needed to be consistent with local planning documents. I met with members of the community and spoke to my Council Colleagues one-on-one. In the end, six of the sixteen vetoes were upheld.

I want to thank the members of our communities for working with me during this very complex process. We have some good work to show for our efforts. In several of the District 6 rezonings, we were able to secure conservation easements to ensure environmentally sensitive areas were preserved and forever protected from development. In others, we were able to negotiate community covenants which forbid certain objectionable activities or uses on the properties. All in all, I am proud of what we accomplished, and I am proud of the communities I represent for being so engaged in the process.

In other news, I hope that we are finished with natural disasters for a while. I know all of us were affected in some way by this summer’s extreme temperatures, the earthquake, Hurricane Irene, or the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee. As our communities continue to clean up, let us be thankful that the cooler temperatures of autumn are on the way. Hopefully the mosquito population will allow us to enjoy being outside once again. I will be celebrating the dedication of the new Reading and Butterfly Garden at Quiet Waters Park on Wednesday, September 14 at 4:45. See here for more information.

As always, I enjoy hearing from my constituents. Feel free to contact my office any time. Also, please let Janice or me know of important events in your community.

I continue to feel honored to represent you on the County Council.

- Chris

410-222-1401
ctrumbauer@aacounty.org