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Kamenetz Briefs Baltimore County's Statehouse Delegation on County Legislative Priorities
Posted January 10, 2012
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Towson, MD - Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz met with members of Baltimore County's Annapolis delegation in the State House this morning and briefed them on his legislative priorities
Following are the County Executive's remarks as drafted:
I want to take a moment to thank all of you. I know that this is a busy time of year for you and I appreciate that you were able to take the time out of your schedules to be here.
When the Maryland General Assembly begins its 430th Session in a few days, it will continue to cope with an economy that is still recovering from the greatest financial crisis since the Great Depression. We have come a long way in the past few years, but this does not change the fact that we still have a long way to go. Like every government at every level across this nation, we will have difficult decisions to make here in Maryland.
But we will push forward, because it is our responsibility to create a fiscally sound future for all the people of this State. However, as we prepare for tomorrow, we must not forget that it is also our responsibility to give our residents the support and resources that they need to thrive today. If we allow schools to fall apart, fail to protect neighborhoods, or permit infrastructure to decay, we are inviting another crisis that could undo the progress we have made so far.
In recognition of the financial difficulties that confront our State right now, Baltimore County will only ask for what is absolutely necessary for our communities. That is why our number one priority this year is the State's continued support of education through the State's school renovation and construction funding program.
Baltimore County's schools are among the oldest in the entire State. We are immensely proud of what has been accomplished in those classrooms, but for many of these buildings, substantial work is required if they are to continue to serve as the facilities where our children are taught and provided the quality education they deserve. To that end, the school system has requested $70 million in school renovation and construction funds this year.
The IAC has already awarded Baltimore County $23 million, and we will look to build on that total, because there are many projects ready for additional State funding. These include two new high schools in Sollers Point and Dundalk, renovations and additions at Stoneleigh Elementary, new windows and doors at Pikesville High School, and a new roof at Hereford High School. These are just a few of the urgent needs that will require additional funding in the school system's $70 million request. I understand fully the constraints of the current economy, but I am confident these projects are critical priorities for families across Baltimore County.
Effective public service requires that all branches of government operate as efficiently and as responsibly as possible, and that includes our schools. That is why we are asking the General Assembly to pass enabling legislation which will allow us to consolidate some school system and county government business functions. It is more important than ever that we do all that we can to direct our resources to the classroom, and if we can save money by reducing duplication of effort that will be a step in the right direction.
I thank our delegation in advance for focusing on the needs of the Baltimore County Public Schools, and all of Maryland's public schools, as the Session moves forward.
Another item that we will place before you early in the Session is legislation that will make significant revisions to the manner in which Baltimore County liquor licenses are distributed. As you know, the County convened a task force this past summer to study this very complex issue and after months of work, produced a comprehensive report that each of you received late last year. That task force included a diverse group of individuals with a variety of viewpoints on the many issues contained in Article 2B of the Annotated Code. Along with business men and women from across the County, it included representatives from the Licensed Beverage Association and the Restaurant Association of Maryland. In addition to the task force recommendations, I have been soliciting your advice throughout this process. All of that input has been very helpful in paving the way for our ongoing discussions with industry representatives.
I am pleased to tell you that we have reached an agreement with the Liquor License Beverage Association that we believe will begin the reform of a system that desperately needed change, while simultaneously protecting the business interests of current license holders. We will continue working closely with the License Beverage Association to implement these reforms. Along with some simple administrative changes that will make the process easier to navigate for applicants, this legislation makes significant changes to the current system.
It will increase the maximum number of multiple licenses that an entity may hold from 6 to 12 while retaining the additional license if one of the multiple licenses is located in the Liberty Road corridor. This change will make it much easier to attract successful national chain restaurants to Baltimore County.
It will include provisions to allow license holders on the east side of the County to sell their licenses outside of their specific election district. This will help increase supply countywide, while creating a market for licenses that are no longer viable. This provision will also allow Baltimore County to create service bar licenses if a set number of existing licenses do not transfer in a given year.
We will create additional licenses by decreasing the amount of square footage required for a liquor license in shopping centers and office buildings. Once again, this will spur economic development in Baltimore County.
And most significantly, as a result of this legislation, all new licenses issued by the Baltimore County Liquor Board as a result of population increases or renovations will be site specific and will not be available for resale. This legislation marks a new era in the distribution of liquor licenses in Baltimore County.
I want to take this opportunity to publicly thank the members of the task force as well as those of you sitting here today who have offered important input on this issue over the past six months. I also want to thank the members of the Licensed Beverage and Restaurant Associations for recognizing that it was time for a change and working with us to reach accommodation.
We will also be asking for another piece of legislation that will allow us to enforce our 2 hour limit on handicapped parking spaces. This will enable our traffic enforcement officers to follow the example of BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport and ensure that these spaces are available to more people over the course of a day than just one person.
With the understanding that this is not the time for substantial capital budget requests, Baltimore County will limit its request to a single bond request and a single capital request. Our sole bond request is for $150,000 for our NeighborSpace program, a community-based initiative that has created small, easily accessible parks. Their work preserves invaluable open space in the heart of communities that are hundreds of years old and is invaluable to the quality of life in our older neighborhoods.
We also have a capital request of $400,000 for Battle Acre Park. This Park was the site of the Battle of North Point, one of the most important events in the history of this State. This funding will be used for repairs and improvements, many of which will make the park more accessible to both pedestrians and vehicles, for the Bicentennial celebration of the War of 1812.
Our final request is for the support of two infrastructure projects - the Martin MARC Station Transit Oriented Development and the Reisterstown Road at Painters Mill Road Improvements. Infrastructure binds communities together and enables economic development in a way that nothing else does. An up-to-date and functioning infrastructure is essential to our County's economic health, and its improvement warrants investment, especially in these challenging times.
We feel that a relocated and expanded Martin MARC Station has great potential in light of the ongoing revitalization of the Middle River area, the BRAC-driven expansion of Aberdeen Proving Ground, the steady pace of new development surrounding MD 43, and the inclusion by Amtrak of a potential new Middle River station in its master plan. Relocation of the station to the east side of MD 43 would allow the station to complement redevelopment of the 2-million-square-foot GSA Depot facility as a mixed-use, transit-oriented development to provide a wide range of uses.
In addition, we believe that the pace of development in Owings Mills and the progress at the Metro Center site will require upgrades to Reisterstown Road and its associated intersections sooner than expected. We suggest consideration of design of parallel access roads on both sides of Reisterstown Road, including utilization of the east-side terminus of Painters Mill Road. Both of these projects are essential to the growth and prosperity of these communities, and I thank you for your support of these important infrastructure improvements.
As always, the next few months will present many challenges, many frustrations, and many long nights followed by early mornings. But I am confident that together, even in this economy, we can overcome the challenges before us and build a better future for every single resident of Baltimore County. I look forward to working with each of you to make certain that this Session is that moves this County and this State forward. Thank you.
In response to the County Executive's legislative agenda, Baltimore County Senate delegation chair Senator Kathy Klausmeier said, "Especially in these difficult fiscal times, our ongoing, positive collaboration with the County is key to our mutual success as we chart a way forward that makes sense for Baltimore County citizens."
"As we wrestle with a number of state-level financial issues, I will be sharing with my colleagues from other jurisdictions some of the beneficial fiscal changes that Baltimore County has made in terms of pension reform, consolidation of services and labor agreements," said Delegate John Olszewski, Jr., who chairs the County's House delegation.
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