On April 18th, the Frederick County Council voted to establish a new structure for the Board of Health. Previously, as we learned during the pandemic, state law established that the governing body for the county, the County Council and the County Executive, comprised the Board of Health. Under the new structure, the Board of Health will be comprised of the County Council, the County Executive, and the Frederick County Health Officer. Each person will be a voting member when considering future regulations.

Before this bill passed, the County Health Officer acted as the Executive Officer and secretary for the Board of Health but was not a voting member. Moving forward, the County Health Officer will retain current responsibilities and functions while becoming a voting member. Because I believe those who are elected to enact regulations should be as directly accountable to the voters as possible through the election process, I opposed this legislation. The Health Officer is nominated by Frederick County and approved by the state.

Other changes to the Board of Health include the addition of six liaisons who will be non-voting members. They will aid the board by providing additional information and expertise in several relevant areas. The board will appoint an epidemiologist, a nurse, a mental health professional, a veterinarian, a member of the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce, and one person with a science related background. If you are interested in serving in one of these positions, I can provide you with application information. This membership expansion should help the board make informed public health decisions, identify areas of possible concern, and offer recommendations for improvement.

Sustainability Commission

The Frederick County Sustainability Commission is accepting nominations for the annual Sustainably Awards. These awards recognize leadership in environmental stewardship. They are given to individuals, students, non-profit organizations, small businesses, and industrial organizations. Past award recipients have demonstrated leadership in the promotion of renewable energy, the adoption of recycling and composting, resource conservation, the promotion of water and air quality improvement, and other efforts.

Completed nomination forms are due by June 30, 2023. Award winners will be recognized at the Green Homes Program Recognition Event in October. For more information, you can send an email expressing your interest to LHumphrey@FrederickCountyMD.gov.

Scrap Tire Recycling Program

To help the agricultural community with agricultural scrap tire disposal, the Maryland Department of the Environment, the Maryland Environmental Service, and the Maryland Farm Bureau are hosting Scrap Tire Drop-Off events around the state. These events allow farmers to deliver scrap tires for disposal free of charge. In Frederick County, this year’s event will be held from June 3rd-June 10th. Agricultural tires can be dropped off at the Division of Solid Waste & Recycling located at 9031 Reichs Ford Rd. The center is open 7:00am-4:40pm and it’s closed on Sundays.

Child Care Needs Survey

I hear from many constituents about the continuing problem of access to affordable childcare. Many home-based childcare businesses closed during the pandemic and options remain limited. Childcare arrangements for doing shiftwork are very limited. This leads to limited career advancement and earning ability. To obtain information for data driven solutions, the Frederick County Office for Children and Families is conducting a survey for residents whose children are too young to attend kindergarten (ages 0-5 years). This Child Care Market Study will help the county understand the current local childcare supply and the demand that we need to help meet for working families. You can access the survey at https://www.research.net/r/FrederickCoFamilySurvey.

The Frederick County 275th Jubilee Celebration will be held June 10th at Utica District Park. The grand finale will include a synchronized drone show with over 150 flying drones! The show begins at 9:20pm and will last about 15 minutes. The show viewing area will be located by the main stage. More information about Frederick County’s 275th Jubilee can be found at frederickcountymd.gov/275jubilee.

Many events are happening again in Frederick County this summer! I hope you get a chance to attend some. You can always reach me with your thoughts and concerns at rknapp@frederickcountymd.gov.