County officials received and update on the pending State Development Plan on December 7 at the 2017 MACo Winter Conference. The panel was called “Planning Ahead: Preparing for the New State Development Plan” and was moderated by Wicomico County Council Member Matthew Holloway. Maryland Special Secretary of Smart Growth Wendi Peters stated that the new … Continue reading State Development Plan Perspectives Offered at #MACoCon
A Maryland Planning Blog article (2017-10-25) announced the start of official outreach efforts for the new State Development Plan, now named “A Better Maryland.” A Better Maryland will replace the previous State Development Plan, PlanMaryland, that was recently repealed by Maryland Governor Lawrence “Larry” Hogan. The outreach will be conducted by the Maryland Department of … Continue reading Outreach Effort Announced for “A Better Maryland” State Development Plan
The Maryland Sustainable Growth Commission received an overview of the state’s anticipated process for developing a new State Development Plan to replace the recently repealed PlanMaryland at the Commission’s September 25, 2017, meeting in the Town of North Beach. As previously reported on Conduit Street, Governor Lawrence “Larry” Hogan formally repealed PlanMaryland through an executive … Continue reading State Development Plan Process Outlined For Sustainable Growth Commission
As previously reported on Conduit Street, former Maryland Secretary of Planning Richard Hall has criticized the recent decision by Governor Lawrence “Larry” Hogan to repeal PlanMaryland and create a new State Development Plan while the editorial board of the Baltimore Sun was willing to give the Governor “the benefit of the doubt.” National Center for Smart Growth … Continue reading Sun Op-Ed: State Development Plan Can Bring Smart Growth Into 21st Century
This post summarizes the status of various planning and zoning bills that MACo took a position on for the 2018 Regular Session. Forest Conservation Act – Technical Study and Program Review: As introduced, HB 766 / SB 610 would: expand the “priority retention area” definition (those areas where trees cannot be cut down unless specific … Continue reading 2018 End of Session Wrap-Up: Planning & Zoning
Baltimore City Mayor Pugh released her preliminary $3.45 billion budget plan this week, noting violence reduction as her highest priority. She proposes expanding the Safe Streets program from four sites to ten, investing in new crime-fighting technology, and bringing Strategic Command Centers to Baltimore’s eastern and western districts: These “nerve centers,” where police gather and … Continue reading Baltimore City Releases Preliminary FY19 Budget Plan
The Pension System Board of Trustees recommends 3 options for changing the cap on the Agency’s administrative expenses and legislative leadership chooses to introduces 1. The Joint Pension’s Committee Annual Report included information regarding the formula used to calculate the administrative expenses cap for the State Retirement Agency. According to the Report, for the past … Continue reading An Expense Cap Increase for the State Pension Agency
A Sustainable City Network article (2017-10-25) discussed how two very different local governments (the City of Madison, Wisconsin, and Douglas County, Kansas) went about implementing community gardens and food system plans. City of Madison, Wisconsin The article noted that the City of Madison has supported community gardens since the 1990s. In 2014, the City partnered with … Continue reading Community Gardens and Food System Plans: Creating A Win
The Process Process, Procedure, and Educational Specifications Subcommittee discussed recommendations to the Knott Commission regarding areas where the state’s process can be scaled back to streamline school construction in Maryland. At today’s meeting of the process subcommittee of the Knott Commission on 21st Century School Facilities, the subcommittee discussed and voted on several recommendations to reduce … Continue reading State Can Step Back From School Construction Reviews, Says Subcommittee
MACo’s offices will be abuzz on September 27, as the Legislative Committee will meet at 11am, and an ad hoc discussion on school funding will follow in the afternoon. The 11am meeting of the Legislative Committee involves designees from each jurisdiction, selected to represent their county. County officials, both elected and appointed, are welcome to … Continue reading MACo Agenda: 2018 Initiatives, Growth Plan, and School Funding
