(4/2022) The Frederick County Council is moving into a busy spring. We will begin budget hearings with how to allocate a nearly $800 million budget. We hold Council budget hearings at the end of April which go through the budgets of all of the major county departments and their programs. I urge you to contact the County Council with your budget priorities so that we may incorporate your questions into our budget review.
In March, the Council debated an electric vehicle charging station requirement for new homes, approved an important process to allow data centers in Frederick County, and started the process to open up our County Council meetings to members of the general public.
First, the Council approved a bill that will require all new residential homes with parking to include piping from the home to the parking that will allow installation of an electric vehicle charger. While I do believe that electric vehicles will play a role in the future economy, I did not support the bill. I advocated that families who purchase the homes be allowed the choice of paying for this upgrade. The testimony was that this type of installation could cost several hundred to over a thousand dollars. My position to allow families to opt out of this charge was not successful and the bill was passed. We as a county keep adding mandates and fees to housing which continue to drive up housing costs in an already expensive housing market, and we need to factor these mandates into the discussion on affordable housing.
Next, the Council unanimously approved a process to allow data centers to be used in certain zoning areas (limited industrial and general industrial). The data centers will have to meet certain design criteria to include landscaping, screening, buffering, and lighting standards. This is a good start to begin to develop these types of properties in Frederick County. Data centers are desirable because they can pay taxes and provide jobs with very little impact to schools, traffic, and public safety. They are desirable community partners. We must work to attract this type of development to Frederick County.
Finally, the Council voted to open up the County Council meetings to the public for the first time in over 2 years. The County buildings plan to return to normal on Monday, April 4. The County Council voted unanimously to open our meetings to the public with no restrictions on the next day, April 5. Masks will be recommended but not required. I am happy to vote for and advocate for a return to normalcy after the 2 long years in the pandemic. I hope we are starting to learn to live with this virus and conduct business normally.
