STATE OF HOWARD COUNTY ADDRESS

January 25, 2011

Delivered by Ken Ulman, Howard County Executive

FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS, I HAVE COME BEFORE YOU AND TOLD YOU WHAT YOU ALREADY KNEW--- THE STATE OF HOWARD COUNTY IS STRONG, AND GETTING STRONGER. AND I AM PROUD TO SAY THAT IS STILL TRUE TODAY.

CERTAINLY THE NATIONAL FINANCIAL CRISIS HAS IMPACTED ALL OF US, AND IS ONGOING…AND WHILE WE SEE SOME LIGHT IN THE DISTANCE, WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE A WAYS TO GO BEFORE EXITING THE TUNNEL.

BUT WE HAVE SPENT THE LAST FOUR YEARS ENSURING THAT WHEN THE RECOVERY DOES TAKE HOLD, HOWARD COUNTY IS FULLY ENGAGED IN TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES CREATED BY THIS ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION.

SO, HOW HAS HOWARD COUNTY POSITIONED ITSELF FOR SUCCESS?

• BY MANAGING WELL

• BY PARTNERING WELL

• BY INVESTING WELL

THESE ARE THE PRINCIPLES THAT HAVE GUIDED THIS ADMINISTRATION FROM DAY 1---AND WHAT I EXPECT IN THE FUTURE, AS WE MOVE FORWARD TOGETHER.

MANAGING WELL

THE KEY TO MANAGING SUCCESSFULLY THROUGH THIS NATIONAL FINANCIAL CRISIS HAS BEEN OUR CONSERVATIVE BUDGETING, AND THE FACT THAT WE MADE DRASTIC BUDGET CUTS BEFORE THE CRISIS HIT.

• PRINT SHOP

• CABLE TV STUDIO

• TAKE HOME CARS

• CELL PHONES

• BENEFIT COSTS

• HOLDING VACANT POSITIONS

• FURLOUGHS

ALL THESE CUTS WERE PAINFUL; AND ALL WERE NECESSARY.

WE REALIZE THAT THE TOUGH FISCAL DECISIONS WE ARE MAKING FOR THE COUNTY, YOU ARE MAKING FOR YOUR FAMILIES AND BUSINESSES. BUT THE DECISIONS WE MAKE TODAY ARE INSURING A BETTER TOMORROW FOR THE NEXT GENERATION.

AND MAKING THESE TOUGH DECISIONS HAS ALLOWED HOWARD COUNTY TO CONTINUE TO INVEST IN WHAT MATTERS MOST TO US: 62 PERCENT OF THE COUNTY’S BUDGET GOES TO EDUCATION AND 14 PERCENT GOES TO PUBLIC SAFETY. AND IT’S MONEY WELL SPENT.

OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM IS CONSIDERED BY MANY TO BE THE BEST IN THE STATE; AND BY ALL MEASURABLE STANDARDS OUR POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS ARE THE ENVY OF THE REGION. EDUCATION AND PUBLIC SAFETY ARE THE HEART OF OUR COMMUNITY’S STRENGTH AND THE KEYS TO ITS FUTURE.

AND MANAGING WELL SAVES US MONEY IN OTHER WAYS TOO---AGAIN LAST YEAR, THE COUNTY RECEIVED A TRIPLE-A BOND RATING FROM ALL THREE RATING AGENCIES; OUT OF 3,077 COUNTIES IN THIS COUNTRY, FEWER THAN 30 CAN SAY THAT.

AND WHILE I’D LIKE TO TAKE FULL CREDIT FOR SOME OF THIS, OBVIOUSLY WE DO NONE OF THIS ALONE. THAT IS WHY PARTNERING WELL PLAYS SUCH A VITAL ROLE IN HOWARD COUNTY’S SUCCESS.

PARTNERING WELL

AS A LIFE LONG RESIDENT OF HOWARD COUNTY, I AM WELL AWARE OF OUR ENGAGED CITIZENRY, AND I WOULDN’T HAVE IT ANY OTHER WAY.

AS COUNTY EXECUTIVE, I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR FROM MY BOSSES, THE CITIZENS, ABOUT WHAT IS WORKING WELL…AND USUALLY, AT A DIFFERENT DECIBEL LEVEL-WHAT WE MAY NEED TO IMPROVE UPON.

AND BELIEVE ME, I DO HEAR FROM OUR RESIDENTS. WHETHER I AM AT THE GROCERY STORE, OR AT COSTCO GETTING FREE SAMPLES, I GET AN EAR FULL.

JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO, I WAS AT THE AT&T STORE TRYING TO GET MY PHONE FIXED.

JUST A FEW MOMENTS AGO I MENTIONED, AS A COST CUTTING MEASURE, WE PRIVATIZED CELL PHONES, REQUIRING COUNTY EMPLOYEES TO OWN THEIR OWN PHONES.

THIS WILL SAVE US ALMOST 500 THOUSAND DOLLARS THIS YEAR, BUT I HADN’T QUITE THOUGHT ABOUT THE RAMIFICATIONS FOR ME UNTIL I WAS IN THE STORE AND THE EMPLOYEE ASKED ME IF I WAS THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE.

WHEN I TOLD HIM I WAS, HE TOLD ME THAT HIS STREET WAS ALL CHEWED UP FROM A WATER MAIN PROJECT AND WANTED TO KNOW WHEN IT WOULD BE PAVED. [KEEP IN MIND HE IS HOLDING MY PHONE AND NOW FURTHER AND FURTHER FROM ME]

HE THEN MENTIONED THAT THE BUS STOP FOR HIS KIDS WAS TOO FAR FROM HIS HOUSE, COULD I MOVE IT CLOSER---AND THAT HIS STREET WAS THE LAST TO BE PLOWED IN THE WINTER, COULD I MOVE IT UP IN THE ORDER?

[AGAIN MY PHONE IS GETTING FURTHER AWAY]

FINALLY I TOLD HIM THAT I WOULD WORK ON ALL OF THOSE THINGS, BUT I NEEDED MY PHONE BACK TO CALL AND EMAIL OUR PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR, JIM IRVIN.

AGAIN, WE HAVE THE MOST ACTIVE, ENGAGED AND EDUCATED CITIZENS OF ANY COMMUNITY AND WE DO OUR BEST TO LISTEN TO YOU AND SOLVE OUR CHALLENGES TOGETHER.

AND I BELIEVE OUR CITIZENS HAVE DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB IN CHOOSING MY ELECTED PARTNERS IN COUNTY GOVERNMENT---AND THEY HAVE DONE IT TWICE... BECAUSE IN NOVEMBER THEY INVITED ALL 5 COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERS BACK.

SO I’D LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PUBLICLY RECOGNIZE OUR COUNTY COUNCIL. I DO CONSIDER THEM PARTNERS, KINDA LIKE THE ODD COUPLE---BUT I KNOW HOW HARD THEY WORK, AND FIGHT, FOR ALL OF YOU.

AND IT WAS JUST ABOUT ONE YEAR AGO THAT WE GOT A VERY CLEAR PICTURE OF HOW MANY COLLABORATIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS ARE NEEDED IN TIMES OF ADVERSITY----LIKE WHEN THERE IS 36 INCHES OF SNOW ON THE GROUND….… OR 38.3, IF YOU WERE MEASURING IN ELKRIDGE.

THE BLIZZARDS OF 2010 PROVIDED PARTNERSHIP AND INNOVATION OPPORTUNITIES GALORE---AND I’M PROUD TO SAY WE GOT THROUGH THESE STORMS BECAUSE WE WORKED TOGETHER.

LET ME GIVE YOU A FEW EXAMPLES:

• WHEN WE NEEDED MORE TRUCKS AND PLOWS, THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AND THE COLUMBIA ASSOCIATION PROVIDED THEM.

• WHEN MEDICAL CALLS BEGAN TO FLOOD OUR EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CALL CENTER, A MEDICAL SCREENING TEAM WAS QUICKLY ASSEMBLED TO TAKE THOSE SPECIFIC CALLS AND DETERMINE WHAT WAS THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION FOR THOSE CITIZENS.

• WHEN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT SAID SNOW-COVERED FIRE HYDRANTS NEEDED TO BE CLEARED, OUR IT DEPARTMENT CREATED A PROGRAM WHERE RESIDENTS COULD GO ONLINE AND FIND THE HYDRANTS CLOSEST TO THEIR HOMES AND THEN GO CLEAR THEM. AND THEY DID.

• WHEN SEVERAL SENIORS AND RESIDENTS WITH DISABILITIES CALLED THE COUNTY TO SAY THEY WERE HAVING TROUBLE GETTING OUT OF THEIR HOMES, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TOOK TRAINEE CLASS #25 AND CREATED THREE SNOW SHOVEL TEAMS TO DIG OUT THOSE WHO COULDN’T DO IT THEMSELVES.

• WHEN COUNTY POLICE WERE PREPARING TO FLY OVER THE COUNTY TO INSPECT DAMAGE AND TROUBLE SPOTS, WE DECIDED TO HAVE A BUILDING INSPECTOR FLY WITH THEM TO LOOK FOR STRUCTURAL DAMAGE ISSUES CAUSED BY THE MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF SNOW ON ROOFS.

SURE ENOUGH, THE INSPECTOR NOTICED A PLOW TRUCK PILING SNOW INTO ONE SPOT ON THE TOP LEVEL OF A PARKING GARAGE---THE DAY BEFORE IN ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY A SIMILAR SITUATION HAD LED TO A PARKING GARAGE COLLAPSE. POLICE DISPATCH QUICKLY NOTIFIED THAT COMPANY OF THE DANGER, AND THE PROBLEM WAS RECTIFIED.

• AND WHEN WE NEEDED HELP GETTING CRITICAL INFORMATION OUT TO RESIDENTS --- BUSINESSES, COMMUNITY INSTITUTIONS, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS AND MANY OTHERS SHARED MESSAGES AND UPDATES WITH THEIR GROUPS AND ALSO REPORTED BACK TO US--- KEEPING THE FLOW OF INFORMATION OPEN AND EASY, WHICH IS CRITICAL IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION.

I REALLY CAN’T THANK EVERYONE ENOUGH WHO PLAYED A PART IN THE COUNTY’S RESPONSE TO THE BLIZZARDS LAST YEAR. IT WAS SIMPLY AMAZING TO WATCH THIS COMMUNITY COME TOGETHER IN WAYS THAT I HAD NEVER SEEN BEFORE.

I ESPECIALLY WANT TO THANK THOSE WHO BRAVED SOME OF THE WORST CONDITIONS TO CLEAR THE ROADS, TO RESPOND TO EMERGENCIES AND TO ENSURE THAT RESIDENTS HAD ACCESS TO CRITICAL SERVICES AT THE TIME WHEN THEY NEEDED IT MOST.

AND REPRESENTING ALL THOSE HARD WORKING COUNTY EMPLOYEES IS BILL MALONE, THE COUNTY’S CHIEF OF HIGHWAYS—OUR ROADS SCHOLAR IF YOU WILL. STAND UP, BILL. GREAT JOB.

AND I HAVE TO GIVE SPECIAL RECOGNITION TO ONE EMPLOYEE WHO REALLY WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND FOR A LOCAL FAMILY DURING THE BLIZZARD.

IT CAME TO THE ATTENTION OF THE COUNTY, THRU YOU-TUBE, THAT IN THE MIDST OF THE SECOND STORM A COUNTY RESIDENT WAS SCHEDULED TO DELIVER HER BABY THE NEXT MORNING, BUT WAS STUCK IN A CUL-DE-SAC THAT HAD NOT YET BEEN PLOWED. WE TRIED TO FIND A TRUCK SMALL ENOUGH TO HANDLE THE CUL-DE-SAC BUT ALL OF THEM WERE ALREADY DISPATCHED. MORE CALLS WERE MADE. FINALLY GARY ARTHUR, THE COUNTY’S LONGTIME DIRECTOR OF REC AND PARKS, CALLED AND SAID HE WAS JUST FINISHING UP AFTER A LONG DAY BUT HE HAD FOUND AN OLD BLADE IN A SHED AND WAS TRYING TO ATTACH IT TO A SMALL PICKUP TRUCK. HE ATTACHED IT, THREW A SHOVEL IN THE BACK, AND FOUR HOURS LATER CALLED TO SAY MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: A VEHICLE PATH HAD BEEN CLEARED FROM THAT HOME. IT WAS MIDNIGHT.

AS MANY OF YOU KNOW GARY PASSED AWAY JUST THREE MONTHS LATER, BUT IT’S NOT POSSIBLE TO FORGET HIM. AND HERE TODAY WITH US, PLEASE STAND UP, IS GARY’S WIFE MARTHA. MARTHA, THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY

GARY’S LEGACY INCLUDES THE CREATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF:

• GLENWOOD COMMUNITY CENTER OR, AS IT’S NOW KNOWN

– THE GARY J. ARTHUR COMMUNITY CENTER AT GLENWOOD

• WESTERN REGIONAL PARK

• THE MEADOWBROOK PARK AND ATHLETIC COMPLEX

• BLANDAIR REGIONAL PARK

• NORTH LAUREL PARK AND COMMUNITY CENTER

• HIGH RIDGE PARK

• THE ROBINSON NATURE CENTER

AND MUCH, MUCH MORE. PROBABLY MORE ENDURING THAN ALL THAT IS GARY’S LEGACY AS A TRULY KIND AND DECENT MAN.

GARY WAS NOT THE ONLY COMMUNITY PILLAR WE LOST IN THE LAST YEAR. ONE OF THOSE GREATS WAS THE QUINTESSENTIAL COLUMBIAN---MAGGIE BROWN. MAGGIE WAS COLUMBIA ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT FOR EIGHT YEARS, BUT FOR 40 YEARS HER PRESENCE WAS FELT THROUGHOUT THIS COMMUNITY…AND THE REGIONAL SHOE INDUSTRY.

I LOVE THIS QUOTE FROM MAGGIE: “IF YOU EXPECT SOMETHING FROM A COMMUNITY, YOU ARE GOING TO BE DISAPPOINTED UNLESS YOU GIVE SOMETHING.”

JOINING US TODAY IS MAGGIE’S HUSBAND, NESBITT BOWN….. NESBITT THANKS FOR COMING.

AND HOWARD COUNTY CITIZENS EMBRACE MAGGIE’S PHILOSOPHY—YOU GET WHAT YOU GIVE. AND RESIDENTS GIVE FREELY OF THEIR TIME, ENERGY AND SKILLS, AND IN RETURN YOU LIVE IN THE SECOND BEST PLACE IN AMERICA.

WHAT YOU HAVEN’T HEARD???

LAST JULY, LIVE ON THE NBC TODAY SHOW, MONEY MAGAZINE ANNOUNCED THE TOP FIVE PLACES IN AMERICA TO LIVE. WE HAD A FEELING WE MIGHT HAVE MADE THE LIST (APPARENTLY WE HAVE DECENT SOURCES IN NEW YORK CITY) ---

AS THE TODAY SHOW WORKED THEIR WAY DOWN FROM #5---MCKINNEY TEXAS, WAS ELIMINATED---BELLEVUE WASHINGTON, OOOUUUTTT-----NEWTON MASSACHUSETTS, SEEEYAAAAAA—

ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY HAVE ONLY #1 AND #2 LEFT TO ANNOUNCE, AND WE HAVEN’T BEEN MENTIONED YET.

I CAN TELL YOU THE TENSION WAS HIGH AT THE ULMAN RESIDENCE, IT WAS LIKE A RAVENS-STEELERS GAME. THEN, MATT LAUER RAINED ON THE PARADE BY ANNOUNCING THAT COLUMBIA/ELLICOTT CITY WAS THE SECOND BEST PLACE IN AMERICA TO LIVE. SO APPARENTLY IT WAS A RAVENS GAME.

WE LOST TO EDEN PRAIRIE MINNESOTA. SAY WHAT?

WE IMMEDIATELY DEMANDED A RECOUNT. WE SENT NASTY EMAILS TO AL ROKER. WE DID EVERYTHING WE COULD THINK OF, BUT IN THE END WE DECIDED BEING #2 IS SECOND TO NONE.

MONEY MAGAZINE SAID ON THAT SHOW WE “HAVE IT ALL”---AND WHO AM I TO ARGUE WITH MONEY MAGAZINE? IN PARTICULAR THEY HIGHLIGHTED OUR DIVERSITY; OUR QUALITY OF LIFE; OUR BEST-IN-THE-STATE SCHOOLS; AND, OF COURSE, MONEY MAGAZINE CALLED US AN “ECONOMIC POWERHOUSE.”

THERE ARE MANY REASONS HOWARD COUNTY IS TODAY SO STRONG ECONOMICALLY—OUR LOCATION, OUR HIGHLY EDUCATED WORKFORCE, AND FOR THE PAST 17 YEARS THIS COUNTY HAS HAD A GREAT ECONOMIC STORY TO TELL AND TO SELL…AND DICK STORY HAS BEEN THE RIGHT PERSON TO TELL IT, THEN SELL IT.

AS YOU ALL KNOW DICK IS STEPPING DOWN AS CEO OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY IN MARCH. WE WILL MISS HIS BUSINESS SAVVY, HIS NEVER-SAY-NO ATTITUDE, AND HIS MADE FOR RADIO VOICE.

DICK, PLEASE STAND UP ---THANKS SO MUCH.

INVESTING WELL

SO WE HAVE SHOWN WE MANAGE WELL; AND PROVED WE PARTNER WELL; BUT IN ORDER TO HAVE CONTNUED SUCCESS WE MUST MOVE FORWARD. AND THE INVESTING WE DO NOW IS THE KEY TO THAT SUCCESS.

WE INVEST WELL…AND THAT MEANS PLANNING CAREFULLY TO MAKE THE MOST OF THE RESOURCES WE HAVE AND POSITIONING OURSELVES STRATEGICALLY TO BE ABLE TO TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT PRESENT THEMSELVES. AND NOWHERE IS THIS MORE IMPORTANT THAN IN OUR LAND USE PLANNING.

I AM EXTREMELY PROUD OF THE COMMUNITY EFFORT THAT WE WENT THROUGH FOR DOWNTOWN COLUMBIA. THE MASTER PLAN WE PASSED LAST YEAR EMBODIES THE VISION AND VALUES OF THE COMMUNITY, RESPECTS OUR HISTORY AND ESTABLISHES DOWNTOWN COLUMBIA AS A DYNAMIC, ATTRACTIVE PLACE TO LIVE, WORK AND PLAY.

THIS IS WHAT WE WILL FOCUS ON AS WE MOVE FORWARD: STRENGTHENING OUR EXISTING COMMUNITIES AND POSITIONING HOWARD COUNTY TO BE THE LOCATION WHERE BUSINESSES WANT TO LOCATE AND FAMILIES WANT TO LIVE.

THIS YEAR AS WE WORK ON AN UPDATE TO OUR GENERAL PLAN, OUR FOCUS WILL BE SUSTAINABILITY AND PRESERVING OUR OLDER COMMUNITY ANCHORS-- LIKE VILLAGE CENTERS AND RURAL CROSSROADS---AND NEW APPROACHES TO DIVERSE HOUSING AND COMMERICAL MIXES THAT WILL STIMULATE OUR ECONOMY.

AND WE WILL LOOK TO THE ROUTE 1 AND ROUTE 40 CORRIDORS AS TRANSFORMATIONAL AREAS THAT CAN HELP REDEFINE OUR COMMUNITY AND ENSURE WE TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES OUR STRATEGIC LOCATION PROVIDES.

OUR PLANNING EFFORTS LAY THE GROUND WORK FOR OUR FUTURE SUCCESS. IF WE ARE GOING TO SEIZE THE GREAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES BEFORE US – WHETHER AT FT. MEADE OR ELSEWHERE – WE MUST REMAIN COMMITTED TO CREATIVE, FORWARD THINKING COMMUNITY PLANNING.

AND REST ASSURED HOWARD COUNTY IS COMMITTED TO DOING EVERYTHING IT CAN TO TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF THE JOB AND TECHNOLOGY GROWTH AT FORT MEADE---THROUGH THE BRAC BUSINESS INITIATIVE---THE ONLY ONE OF ITS KIND IN THE COUNTRY---STARTED BY OUR BRAC DIRECTOR KENT MENSER, WE ARE WORKING WITH OVER 1,100 BUSINESSES TO GUIDE THEM TO INFORMATION AND OPPORTUNITIES AT AND AROUND FORT MEADE.

AND THOSE OPPORTUNITIES WILL ONLY GROW AS THE JOBS ON BASE GROW DRAMTICALLY OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS. THAT’S RIGHT, AFTER TALKING ABOUT BASE REALIGNMENT FOR YEARS AND SEEING JOBS TRICKLE IN, WE’RE NOW POISED TO SEE THE FLOOD OF JOBS WE’VE HEARD SO MUCH ABOUT. ALREADY, 500 POSITIONS HAVE BEEN MOVED ON BASE, AND BY SEPTEMBER, THAT NUMBER WILL GROW TO 5,800 -- OVER 5,000 NEW JOBS IN 9 MONTHS. THAT’S STAGGERING.

AND BY THE END OF 2012, WE ARE EXPECTING AN ADDITIONAL 15,000 PRIVATE SECTOR JOBS TO HAVE ACCOMPANIED THIS EXPANSION.

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE. LAST YEAR AFTER THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE ANNOUNCED THAT THE NEW CYBER COMMAND WOULD BE BASED AT FORT MEADE, WE QUICKLY FORMED A 13-MEMBER CYBER COMMISSION TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE AND DIRECTION IN ORDER TO MAXIMIZE THE OPPORTUNITIES GENERATED BY THE EVOLUTION OF CYBER-ACTIVITY IN THIS REGION.

I APPRECIATE THE CO-CHAIRS OF THIS COMMISSION, LARRY COX OF SAIC AND RICHARD ROCA FORMERLY DIRECTOR OF APL, FOR JOINING US TODAY. THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR TIME AND EXPERTISE.

WE ARE PREPARING OURSELVES FOR THE NEW ECONOMY – THE NEXUS OF CYBER SECURITY AND TECHNOLOGY IS AT THE CORE OF THIS NEW ECONOMY, AND WE ARE DOING ALL WE CAN TO PREPARE FOR THE JOB GROWTH THAT WILL COME FROM THIS ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION.

LAST YEAR IN THIS SPEECH I STATED THAT WHEN IT COMES TO NATIONAL SECURITY, THE FRONT LINE IS NOW ONLINE. ANYONE WHO READ ABOUT THE STUXNET VIRUS, THAT DEVASTED IRAN’S NUCLEAR MATERIAL PROCESSING PROGRAM, KNOWS JUST HOW TRUE THIS IS.

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE NEW CYBER COMMAND CANNOT BE UNDERSTATED.

BUT IN ORDER TO FULLY MAXIMIZE THE OPPORTUNITIES OF OUR CONNECTION TO FT. MEADE, WE NEED TO EQUIP OURSELVES WITH THE MOST INNOVATIVE AND CAPABLE TECHNOLOGY.

MARYLAND IS KNOWN AS THE OLD LINE STATE, BUT TODAY I AM PROPOSING WE RENAME OURSELVES, “THE ONLINE STATE.” AND THIS NEW NAME IS FITTING THANKS TO HOWARD COUNTY’S LEADING ROLE IN BRINGING BROADBAND TO MARYLAND.

TWO YEARS AGO OUR CIO IRA LEVY CAME TO ME WITH A BOLD IDEA: HE WANTED TO PUT TOGETHER A REGIONAL PROPOSAL TO GO AFTER FEDERAL STIMULUS GRANT MONEY BEING OFFERED FOR BROADBAND TECHNOLOGY.

IRA’S SUGGESTION WAS THIS---WE GET ALL THE COUNTIES IN CENTRAL MARYLAND TO AGREE TO BE PART OF OUR PROPOSAL AND WE SUBMIT A GRANT THAT ALLOWS US TO CONNECT COMMUNITY ANCHOR INSTITUTIONS, INTERCONNECT GOVERNMENT NETWORKS, PROVIDE PUBLIC SAFETY INTEROPERABILITY, AND ALLOW LIMITLESS DATA AND RESOURCE SHARING CAPABILITIES.

I SAID GREAT----BUT WILL THIS TAKE A LOT OF YOUR TIME, AND WHAT ARE OUR CHANCES OF GETTING THIS GRANT MONEY??? IRA RESPONDED—IT WILL TAKE A TON OF TIME, AND WE MIGHT GET NOTHING. I SAID, “I LOVE THOSE ODDS---GO FORTH.”

TWO YEARS LATER, THROUGH THE LEADERSHIP OF HOWARD COUNTY, THE STATE OF MARYLAND RECEIVED $115.3 MILLION DOLLARS, THE ONLY BROADBAND GRANT AWARDED IN THE COUNTRY THAT WILL CONNECT AN ENTIRE STATE – FROM GARRETT COUNTY TO WORCESTER, CECIL TO ST. MARY’S AND EVERYONE IN BETWEEN.

OUR SYSTEM WILL ADD 12-HUNDRED MILES OF FIBER CLOSING THE LOOP AND DIRECTLY CONNECTING OVER 1,000 ANCHOR INSTITUTIONS, SCHOOLS, COMMUNITY COLLEGES, PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES, LIBRARIES, GOVERNMENT FACILITIES AND HOSPITALS…AND THE LIST GOES ON.

IN ADDITION, IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT THE AWARD WILL SAVE OR CREATE OVER 1,700 JOBS---AND THAT HAS ALREADY BEGUN. BUT THE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES AND JOB CREATION SPAWNED BY THIS STATEWIDE SYSTEM WILL BE IN THE TENS OF THOUSANDS.

OF THE $115.3 MILLION RECEIVED BY THE STATE, $72 MILLION IS DIRECTED TO HOWARD COUNTY TO MANAGE THE CREATION OF THE FIRST EVER INTER-COUNTY BROADBAND NETWORK (ICBN), ON BEHALF OF 10 GOVERNMENT JURISDICTIONS ACROSS CENTRAL MARYLAND.

EQUALLY MPORTANT IS THE UNLIMITED POTENTIAL FOR THIS INFRASTRUCTURE:

• PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS

• ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

• BROADBAND INNOVATION

• THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PUBLIC SECTOR CLOUD THAT WILL PROVIDE UNLIMITED SERVICE OFFERINGS TO THE INSTITUTIONS CONNECTED BY THE NETWORK

• LEASING DARK FIBER TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR

• SAVING TAXPAYERS MILLIONS OF DOLLARS BY REDUCING GOVERNMENT DEPENDANCE ON LEASED LINES AND CONSOLIDATING DATA CENTERS THROUGHOUT THE STATE

THIS INNOVATIVE PROJECT IS JUST ANOTHER REASON WHY I ALWAYS SAY, HOWARD COUNTY IS WHERE MARYLAND COMES TOGETHER. IN THIS CASE, LITERALLY.

CLOSING

YES, WE MANAGE WELL. WE PARTNER WELL. WE INVEST WELL. BUT SOMETIMES, IT IS JUST AS IMPORTANT TO FOCUS ON NOT JUST WHETHER WE REACH OUR OBJECTIVES, BUT HOW WE GET THERE.

HOWARD COUNTY CONTINUES TO BE A PLACE WHERE WE RESPECT EACH OTHER’S VIEWS, AND WHERE DIVERSITY OF OPINION IS VALUED. IN SHORT, WE CHOOSE HERE TO BE CIVIL TO EACH OTHER.

TRAGICALLY, RECENT EVENTS HAVE BROUGHT INTO SHARP FOCUS THE OFTEN-UNDERAPPRECIATED VALUE OF CIVILITY. I’M PROUD THAT HOWARD COUNTY STARTED----THROUGH OUR LIBRARY SYSTEM UNDER THE DIRECTION OF VALERIE GROSS----PROMOTING CIVILITY YEARS AGO, AND THOUSANDS OF CAR BUMPERS WITH GREEN MAGNETS SIMPLY COULDN’T BE WRONG.

I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT CIVILITY LEADS TO A VIRTUOUS CYCLE. CIVILITY HELPS US TALK TO EACH OTHER, RATHER THAN AT EACH OTHER, SO THAT WE TRULY UNDERSTAND WHERE WE ARE COMING FROM----AND WHERE WE ARE HEADING.

AS I’VE MADE CLEAR TODAY, I HAVE LITTLE DOUBT WHERE HOWARD COUNTY IS HEADING. WE ARE BLESSED WITH CARING AND COMMITTED FAMILIES, AN ENGAGED CITIZENRY BURSTING WITH GOOD IDEAS, BUSINESS LEADERS WHO

WANT TO DO WELL FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR COMMUNITIES, AND HARD-WORKING PUBLIC SERVANTS ABLE TO DEVELOP THE SOLUTIONS THAT THESE CHALLENGING TIMES DEMAND.

HOWARD COUNTY DESERVES THE ACCOLADES THAT IT RECEIVES. IT DESERVES OUR OPTIMISM. AND I PLEDGE TO YOU TODAY THAT I, AND MY ADMINISTRATION, WILL CONTINUE TO BE RESPONSIBLE STEWARDS FOR THE NEXT GENERATION.

IT’S A TALL ORDER, BUT TOGETHER WE WILL MAKE HOWARD COUNTY EVEN BETTER.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.