Sunday, May 5, 2013
The plan is to construct an approximately 30 unit housing complex to aid the homeless on a site the county purchased for $3.25 million.
Howard County Executive Ken Ulman announced Thursday a plan to build a 30-unit supportive housing facility and a new Day Resource Center on Guilford Road, near the intersection of Route 1 and Route 32. The housing facility will be constructed and managed through a partnership with Volunteers of America Chesapeake, a state provider of services for the homeless, according to a statement distributed to the media. Howard County acquired about 8 acres for the center for $3.25 million, according to the statement. The project is part of a 2010 plan to end homelessness that included replacing the current homeless resource center on Route 1, which is across the street from the proposed new location. "We are taking important steps to implement the…
Monday, April 29, 2013
Current Lt. Governor Anthony Brown may be trying to persuade Howard County Executive Ken Ulman into running with him, according to the Washington Post.
Would Howard County Executive Ken Ulman be interested in becoming Lt. Governor Ken Ulman? On Saturday, the Washington Post reported that Ulman may be in talks with current Lt. Governor Anthony G. Brown about being Brown's running mate in the 2014 gubernatorial election. Brown, Ulman and Attorney General Doug Gansler are considered by many as leading Democratic candidates for the Governor's office in 2014. The Post reports that a Brown/ Ulman alliance could eliminate much of Gansler's fundraising advantage. Currently Gansler has about $5.2 million in his campaign coffers compared to Ulman's $2.1 million and Brown's $1.6 million, according to the Post. But would Ulman, who at 32 when first elected in 2006, was the youngest county executive…
Monday, April 22, 2013
The expansion of the new facility will allow 10,000 residents to recycle food scraps and other waste so it can be turned into compost.
It's easy to think nothing of throwing carrot or potato peels into the trash or down the garbage disposal. They quickly decompose. But Howard County announced on Monday that residents can participate in an expanded pilot program that composts food scrap and yard waste. A new composting facility at the Alpha Ridge Landfill will enable the county to double the size of its curbside food scrap collection program to allow 10,000 residents in Elkridge and Columbia to recycle food waste. The expanded pilot program invites residents who live in areas of River Hill and Fulton to participate. Residents can contact the county's recycling division for more information about how to obtain a bin if you're located in the program area. Howard County …
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Medical marijuana and decriminalization of small amounts of the drug are issues currently being debated in the Maryland legislature.
Howard County Executive Ken Ulman said in a statement he supports medical marijuana, but through a spokesperson said he has not taken a position on marijuana decriminalization legislation. Ulman is rumored to be a contender for the governor's office in 2014, although he has not formally declared his candidacy. Due to term limits, he is prohibited from running for a third term as Howard County Executive. He has previously weighed in on state and national issues like economic development, gun control and gay marriage. Currently, the Maryland legislature is debating two different bills involving marijuana use in the state. One, which passed the state Senate in March, would decriminalize up to 10 grams of marijuana and make possession of this…
Monday, April 1, 2013
Howard County Executive Ken Ulman unveiled the fiscal year 2014 budget on Monday.
Howard County Executive Ken Ulman unveiled a $442.4 million capital budget on Monday that would dedicate a significant amount of funds for upgrades at schools, including Atholton High School, Longfellow Elementary, Running Brook Elementary and Wilde Lake Middle School in Columbia. In addition, the fiscal year 2014 capital budget proposal includes funds to build the second phase of Blandair Park. Nearly $20 million in funds is proposed for a new science and engineering building at Howard Community College. Also, the plan earmarks funds for a new home for the Howard County Economic Development Authority and the Maryland Center for Entrepreneurship in Downtown Columbia. Fiscal year 2014 begins July 1. Ulman proposed the following dollar …
Monday, March 18, 2013
Howard County Executive Ken Ulman was joined by local leaders at an event on Monday to release the final report of the joint task force on school safety.
County Executive Ken Ulman said Monday that $2 million would be spent to update security measures at Howard County schools, an initiative taken following the Sandy Hook school shooting in Connecticut. In addition, a task force recommended emergency response training and measures to create a safe climate for students and help identify children who may be suffering from issues. “All of what we’re doing is trying to put together the best possible group of policies to diminish the chances that we have a tragedy in Howard County,” said Ulman. The recommendations were released Monday at an event at Thunder Hill Elementary in Columbia. and were prepared by a joint task force on school safety. By the end of this year, the county plans on …
Friday, March 15, 2013
Residents who turn in guns at Saturday's event will receive $100 and a free gun lock.
County Executive Ken Ulman and Howard County Police Chief Bill McMahon shared the podium on Friday with a family member of a victim of accidental gun violence to ask residents to turn in unwanted guns on gun buyback day. McMahon said police will give people $100 each for guns brought to the Dorsey Building at 9250 Bendix Road in Columbia from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. Police said individuals turning in guns will remain anonymous and up to three guns can be turned in for money, although police will take as many guns as a person brings. On turning in weapons, Ulman said, “If you don’t think you need a [weapon], even if it’s specifically secured… now is the time, you get $100, bring it on in.” The money to pay for the guns is coming …
Friday, March 1, 2013
Government Technology magazine named the Howard County Executive on its top 25 list of technology movers and shakers.
Government Technology magazine Thursday announced its Top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers for 2013; its “Annual salute to the men and women who truly make government more efficient, more effective and friendlier to the citizens it serves.” On that list: Howard County Executive Ken Ulman. The magazine focused on the Inter-County Broadband Network (ICBN), which, Ulman said in the article, will be finished ahead of time “I’m honored to receive this award,” Ulman wrote in a statement. “Howard County prides itself on innovation, and it’s flattering to receive this national recognition." "The annual Government Technology Top 25 is our way of acknowledging the hard work and innovative ideas that make our communities safer, more successful and …
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Looming automatic cuts have left the federal business community unpredictable, says local leaders.
Local business and political leaders are speaking out about possible harmful effects to the local economy if the federal government’s plan to make automatic cuts, dubbed sequestration, happens next month. “The worst part about it is the lack of predictability,” said Howard County Executive Ken Ulman, on the C4 Show Thursday morning. Without action from Congress, the sequester would go into effect automatically on March 1, reducing spending in a number of areas, including education, the environment, health, military and law enforcement, the White House said. On the show, Ulman said the federal government hasn’t provided information about what jobs will be cut or furloughed due to the pending sequestration. “We have lots of folks that work…
Monday, February 4, 2013
Howard County Executive Ken Ulman was reportedly locked out of the Super Bowl during the power outage at the Superdome.
Howard County Executive Ken Ulman went down to New Orleans to watch the Baltimore Ravens play in the Super Bowl along with his brother Doug Ulman and his father Lou. Ulman's brother Doug, the CEO of Livestrong, had acquired the tickets, according to Sam O'Neil, an Ulman administration official. But when the lights went out just after the start of the third quarter, it was Ulman who was out in the dark—he was locked out of the building, according to an Explore Howard report. Ulman told Explore Howard he had gone outside to call his wife, when the power went out, and the stadium went into lockdown. "I turned around, the building was dark and they locked the doors," Ulman told the paper. "It was bizarre." Once power was restored, Ulman was …
Jo Shim
5:09 pm on Tuesday, May 7, 2013
We have a family friend who was employed but slept in his car until he was able to save money for an apartment. I could never figure out why he was so down and out with a job, turns out that he couldn't do anything legit because he was hiding from child support payments. I stopped feeling bad for him after I found this out. This is one example of how single moms who file for support don't get it… more ›