Criticism leveled at school board for offer to O'Rourke
Howard County Board of Education members are not apologizing for their legally questionable promise to renew Superintendent John R. O'Rourke's contract when it expires - or pay him thousands of dollars as a penalty. The superintendent will not be penalized should he decide to refuse an offer to renew, although he has promised to accept it.
Board member Virginia W. Charles complained that the board was trying to skirt a Maryland law that says superintendents' contracts cannot be renewed before Feb. 1 in the year the contracts expire - 2004 in this case. She also argued that the closed proceedings held on the subject violated the state's Open Meetings Law.
The board's attorneys say nothing illegal was done, but many people are concerned. "I find this matter to be quite troubling, and just think these actions clearly violated the intent of the law, which is to be an open process," Howard County Council member-elect Ken Ulman said.
Race for county executive in 2006 is wide open
With Republican businessman Steven H. Adler's 17 percentage point election loss to Democrat James N. Robey, the field for Howard County's next county executive is wide open.
Robey cannot run for a third term because of term limits, and Adler said he will not fight for a second chance to lead the GOP if the party and elected Republican officials want someone else to carry the banner in 2006.
But Adler has no regrets, despite his decisive loss Nov. 5. Adler said that if either of the county's Republican councilmen, Allan H. Kittleman or Christopher J. Merdon, wants to run for executive, he would support them.
Homeowners protest proposal for townhouses
In an unusual show of power in numbers, 200 angry homeowners attended a county hearing Monday night to protest plans for 30 townhouses in the swath of single-family suburbia that is Ellicott City's Centennial neighborhood.
Residents said they are worried about traffic and do not want higher density in an area where zoning calls for roughly two houses per acre. Because the proposal is for senior housing, the developers are allowed to build five homes per acre - if they win conditional-use permission from Howard County.
At the brief hearing Monday night, in a room too small for the throng, the county's hearing examiner postponed the case until Dec. 18 so Howard planners can review recent changes to the plan.
Kimberly Homes wants to build 30 townhouses on 6.9 acres between U.S. 40 and Frederick Road, south of the Enchanted Forest Shopping Center. Buyers would have to be at least 55 years old.
Support sought for cameras that ticket speeders
Cameras used to capture dozens of speeders whizzing by Howard County's schools are prompting a renewed push for state legislation that would allow the use of laser-equipped cameras to issue speeding tickets.
Howard County Executive James N. Robey and Police Chief Wayne Livesay sought support from the county's reluctant state legislators at an informal breakfast meeting Tuesday to discuss the coming General Assembly session.
Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan said he strongly supports the effort, as does Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley, according to Yolanda Winkler, deputy director of intergovernmental relations.
Advocates suggest splitting services for homeless
The long debate in Howard County about where to put a consolidated crisis center is changing direction as advocates try a new tack: separating homeless-shelter beds from other emergency services.
Andrea Ingram, executive director of Grassroots, the county's privately run homeless shelter, told county politicians Wednesday that social-agency leaders hope to expand and renovate her 32-bed shelter, adding 18 beds at its location next to Atholton High School on Columbia's southern fringe.
Ingram said the plan, which would seek a home for other crisis services elsewhere, is, in part, a response to a growing homeless crisis in Maryland's richest county.
Watson presses point, to be sworn in by deadline
Maryland law says newly elected Howard County officials - including school board members - should begin their terms on the first Monday in December, but the Howard County Board of Education has a longstanding tradition of swearing in members a week or more after the legal deadline.
That was the plan this year, until school board member-elect Courtney Watson put her foot down. "I wanted to be sworn in when the law said I should be," Watson said. "So I called [County Councilman] Guy Guzzone, and he arranged for it."
The school board had slated Watson to be sworn in Dec. 12, before the board's first scheduled meeting next month and 10 days after the law says she should take office. But now, after speaking up, Watson will be sworn in with other county legislators Dec. 2 during a ceremony at Howard High School.
School board approves boundaries for elementaries
The Howard County Board of Education made elementary- school boundary changes official Thursday night, adopting the recommended plan put before members in October with the changes suggested Tuesday by School Superintendent John R. O'Rourke and his staff.
Middle school pupils will learn of changes that affect them Tuesday.
"All of the decisions made [were] in the best interests of the children," said Jane B. Schuchardt, the board chairman. "It's been a very, very difficult [process]."
Motion by motion, board members reviewed suggested boundary changes - which together move more than 1,000 of the nearly 20,000 pupils to different schools - and voted to keep or discard them.