Work Group Enabled by State Legislation to Develop Recommendations to Improve Quality of Life

Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski today announced the formation of  the Baltimore County Residential Truck Traffic Work Group to engage in a stakeholder-driven process to alleviate burdensome truck traffic in residential areas and improve quality of life for residents.

“For years, residents have raised concerns about heavy truck traffic on local roads, and they are looking for leadership to address this important quality of life concern,” Olszewski said. “By bringing together community members, county staff, and representatives from the commercial transportation industry, we can begin a thoughtful and collaborative process to make meaningful changes to our neighborhoods.”

During the 2020 legislative session, the Olszewski Administration successfully advocated for legislation from the Maryland General Assembly to enable Baltimore County to implement a vehicle height monitoring system program to address the high volume of commercial truck traffic on local roads in southeastern and southwestern Baltimore County. In accordance with the state legislation, the County must first convene a work group, with representatives from the commercial transportation industry, to study the program and make recommendations prior to implementing.

The work group will evaluate existing truck routes; identify areas for enforcement; and evaluate existing signage and identify locations where signage could be improved.

As the program must limit the number of vehicle height monitoring systems, the work group will suggest limits on the number of cameras. The work group will also make recommendations on whether any specific types of vehicles that should be excluded from the enforcement of height restrictions.

The Baltimore County Residential Truck Traffic Work Group will submit a preliminary report by March 31, 2021, and a final report by August 31, 2021. The final report’s recommendations will inform legislation to go before the County Council.

Members

The work group’s membership includes community members, industry representatives, and County employees. D’Andrea Walker, Deputy Director of Transportation for the Baltimore County Department of Public Works, will chair the work group. Members include:

• D'Andrea Walker (Chair), Baltimore County Department of Public Works (DPW)
• Jeff Fraley, Baltimore Industrial Group (BIG)
• Louis Campion, Maryland Motor Truck Association (MMTA)
• Major Jay Landsman, Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD)
• Crystal Patterson, Baltimore County Office of Law
• Pete Kriscumas, Baltimore County Office of Community Engagement (OCE)
• Matt Carpenter, Baltimore County Office of Budget and Finance (OBF)
• John Merson, District 1 Representative
• Ron Metzger, District 7 Representative

Upcoming Meeting

The first meeting of the Baltimore County Residential Truck Traffic Work Group is scheduled for Tuesday, September 29, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. A link to the Webex meeting is also provided on the work group’s webpage. Meeting minutes will be recorded from each meeting.

Olszewski fulfils pledge to provide use of force and officer complaint data in latest effort to improve transparency and accountability in the Baltimore County Police Department

As the latest tool to increase government transparency and accountability in Baltimore County, County Executive Johnny Olszewski today released a new interactive data dashboard displaying detailed policing information outlining the number and disposition of complaints against police officers and instances of uses of force.

This new dashboard fulfill key portions of Olszewski's pledge to provide more information to the public as part of a package of reforms announced in June.

“Open and accessible governments inform our communities and make them stronger. This newest dashboard represents another important step forward in creating a culture of transparency in Baltimore County,” Olszewski said. “I thank Chief Hyatt, the Baltimore County Police Department and our BCSTAT data analytics team for their work in developing these latest tools and for advancing our administration’s ongoing push to provide the public with more insight into policing.”

The Policing Data Dashboard, developed by Baltimore County’s BCSTAT team in collaboration with the Baltimore County Police Department, displays over three years of data on use of force incidents and citizen and internally-generated complaints in Baltimore County.

This dashboard allows users to see trends over time, the demographics of officers or individuals involved in complaints or use of force incidents, and other related data in an interactive format.

“The Baltimore County Police Department continues to expand the resources and data available to the residents of the communities we serve," said Baltimore County Police Chief Melissa Hyatt. "The expansion of this data dashboard will provide greater transparency and serve as another building block towards the advancement of public trust.”

The interactive dashboard released today joins Baltimore County’s growing set of resources for residents that provide greater transparency, reflecting Olszewski’s unparalleled commitment to a more transparent and accountable government.

In July, Olszewski released a Crime Data Dashboard, providing residents with access to detailed County Part 1 Crime data from 2017 to present.

Earlier this year, Olszewski launched BCSTAT, a data-driven performance management program that aims to improve performance, ensure data quality, enhance transparency and increase accountability across government.

Baltimore County has also released a number of downloadable raw data-sets related to numerous government functions and services. Open Data also includes access to the “My Neighborhood” interactive mapping application, which allows residents to select, view and print predefined maps and reports about Baltimore County, such as police precincts, enterprise zones or census information.

In 2019, the Olszewski Administration released the Baltimore County Open Budget platform to empower residents to explore the County’s budget in an online, easily understood format. The platform currently features information on current and prior year’s budgets, including revenue and expenditures for both operating and capital expenses.

Olszewski has also called for state legislation to amend the Maryland Public Information Act to increase transparency related to the disposition of police disciplinary actions.

Members of the public can view and access the Policing Data Dashboards here.

The administration will release a public dashboard with traffic stop data in the coming days.

Leonard Howie Led State Agency from 2012 to 2015, Served as Obama Appointee in U.S. Labor Department

Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski today nominated Leonard J. Howie III to serve as the County’s Director of Economic and Workforce Development.

Howie, who formerly served as Maryland Secretary of the Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation (DLLR), brings more than 30 years of management experience and more than a decade in senior leadership roles in state and federal government to Baltimore County.

“During these challenging times, we need experienced, team-oriented leaders, and Leonard brings an impressive track-record and the passion we need to support our families and businesses and continue building our economy,” Olszewski said. “Leonard’s vast experience in government and expertise in supporting our workforce will be critical as we recover from the pandemic and continue to build a better Baltimore County, and we’re thrilled to welcome him to our team.”

As the Director of Economic and Workforce Development, Howie will lead Baltimore County’s efforts to improve workforce development, attract and retain businesses, and expand the County’s economy. Coming to County Government amid the COVID-19 pandemic and associated economic crisis, he will be tasked with leading the County’s efforts to assist workers and businesses as we recover.

“I’m grateful for this opportunity to serve the people of Baltimore County, and I look forward to working with the County’s team to help businesses and support working families during these unprecedented times,” Howie said.

As Secretary of DLLR, Howie oversaw an agency with over 1,600 employees and an operating budget of $360 million working to protect and empower Marylanders. Prior to his time as Secretary, Howie served as the Deputy Secretary of Operations for the Maryland Department of Human Resources, where he was a driving force towards increasing customer service delivery and results-oriented accountability, and as Deputy Secretary of DLLR from 2007 to 2011, where he was instrumental in integrating adult learning programs into the agency’s workforce development division.

In 2015, Howie joined the Obama Administration and was appointed to serve as Director of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs, where he led the Department’s fifth largest agency and helped the U.S. Secretary of Labor create strategies that supported workers following injuries and illnesses. He later served as Administrative Appeals Judge for the U.S. Department of Labor, worked in private practice focusing on labor and education issues, and most recently was the Acting CEO of WorkSource Montgomery.

Howie has also served as an Attorney Advisor with the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education. He began his career in service as an Infantry Officer in the United States Marine Corps.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Cincinnati, a Master of Business Administration from Georgetown University, a Juris Doctor from the Georgetown University Law Center, and has been a member of the Maryland Bar since 1994.

His nomination is subject to approval by the County Council.

State Laws and Guidelines Will Continue To Be Strictly Enforced

Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski today announced that Baltimore County will continue alignment with state actions, which will allow operations at restaurants to increase from 50 to 75 percent capacity, with appropriate distancing, and following strict public health requirements consistent with the CDC, FDA, and the National Restaurant Association, effective Monday, September 21 at 5 p.m.

Governor Hogan’s Executive Order is available here (PDF).

According to State metrics, Baltimore County’s positivity rate is currently 2.3 percent—a reduction of 81 percent since May 29, 2020.

County Executive Olszewski released the following statement:

“Baltimore County continues to see progress in major health metrics as we have gradually and safely reopened our economy. While we are continuing to align with the state, we cannot let our guard down.

In Baltimore County, we’re focused on getting our kids back in school, which requires all of us to do our part to slow the spread of this virus. We have to Be Safe to Stay Safe by wearing face coverings and socially distancing—especially while indoors—to protect ourselves and our loved ones.

This dangerous disease is still with us and we must continue to follow public health guidance. We know that COVID-19 spreads more easily indoors than outdoors, so as we move forward today, we continue to urge residents to prioritize less risky activities in their support of restaurants, such as carry-out and outdoor dining.

In the days and weeks ahead, we will continue to strictly enforce state and local ordinances—any businesses found to be violating face-covering or social distancing mandates will be held accountable.

As with every step we have taken, we will continue to monitor this situation and will do whatever is necessary to protect public health. We're still in this together and can only get through this together.”

Face Coverings Still Required

Under state and local order, individuals ages five and up are required to wear face coverings in any indoor business, service, organization or establishment that serves the general public.

This includes, but is not limited to, retail establishments, recreational establishments, theaters, houses of worship and other locations open to the public.

Individuals ages five and up are required to wear face coverings when outdoors and unable to consistently maintain at least six feet of distance from individuals who are not members of their household.

Individuals are not required to wear a mask if eating or drinking while seated. In accordance with Governor Hogan’s orders, face coverings are still required when otherwise moving in or about a restaurant or bar premises.