County Agencies

The Ruppersberger administration has nearly finished plans to rearrange several county agencies and put its own stamp on Baltimore County bureaucracy.And after four months, County Executive C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger III and his top officials say they are getting close to hiring new leaders for five county departments.The executive wants to centralize most inspectors in one agency and cross-train them, centralize and streamline government purchasing and simplify the process for obtaining government permits.

A Baltimore County administrative law judge turned down Monday a request from a community association to postpone a hearing on a proposed medical office building in Catonsville that has drawn scrutiny from state investigators. Last week, the Office of the State Prosecutor subpoenaed eight county agencies for information about the Southwest Physicians Pavilion, a proposed project by Whalen Properties on a 2.5-acre site next to the Baltimore Beltway. The prosecutor's office has not commented on the reason for the subpoenas.

The administrative offices of the Baltimore County government are in the Old County Courthouse, 400 Washington Ave., Towson 21204. You can get answers to general government questions by calling 410-887-0000 or online at www.baltimore countyonline.info. The county's Web site has a guide to county agencies and services, and residents may pay parking tickets, report potholes or e-mail the county executive online. Baltimore County police In case of emergency, call 911. For nonemergencies and for police department information, call 410-887-2222.

Howard County officials are launching a system to send urgent messages directly from police and fire departments, as well as select information about other county services via text messages or email. The notification service, NotifyMeHoward, will allow county officials to provide emergency notifications from the National Weather Service and public safety officials, but it will also let subscribers customize which county agencies they receive information from. Users can choose to receive information on recreation and parks programs, public works road projects or government news releases — all from the same system, beginning Tuesday.

The 3H's -- health, housing and hunger -- are the focal point of a fair Wednesday conducted by 22 county agencies."We wanted to . . .inform the public, employees from the various agencies and legislators about the most critical issues in health, housing and hunger," said Lynda Gainor, deputy director of Human Services Programs Inc., of the project of the Community Services Council of Carroll County.How to deal with the increasing number of those in need would be the fair's most important topic, said Mark Lancaster, Western Maryland regional manager for the Maryland Food Committee in Westminster.

Harford County officials yesterday presented a sweeping plan to consolidate government services now scattered around Bel Air into a handful of facilities in the heart of the county seat, including a new $40 million administration building. The plan is part of County Executive David R. Craig's proposed $370 million in capital spending -- more than double last year's construction tab -- which the County Council began scrutinizing yesterday in an all-day work session. A new government headquarters could take up about 150,000 square feet in a five-story building on what is now a county-owned parking lot and former gas station along Churchville Road and Main Street.

Harford County budget officials warned agencies last week that drastic cuts could be made in their proposed budgets with requests far outpacing revenues, though County Executive David R. Craig signaled good news for the sheriff's office. Administrative Director Lorraine T. Costello and Treasurer John R. Scotten Jr. said that budget proposals for fiscal 2008 are nearly triple the amount of available cash the county could hand out. In all, agencies are asking Craig for increases totaling about $90 million, while there is only about $30 million available in new revenue.

Howard County firefighter Capt. John J. Fisher is ready to trust his radio. Fisher says his new 800- megahertz portable radio, a yellow-lime hand-held device nearly as heavy as a brick, works better than the old one, even though the new and old systems are technologically "patched" together until a countywide transition is complete. The old radio system for firefighters, police and other county agencies could be spotty in certain cases, such as deep inside buildings or in low-lying areas, said Fisher, who leads a tower-truck crew of 14 firefighters out of Station No. 7 near The Mall in Columbia.

Anne Arundel County officials announced yesterday that the county has received a $1.6 million federal grant to address homelessness. The grant will be used to bolster housing programs such as Sarah's House at Fort Meade and Anchor House in Annapolis. It will also help the county create a program to help homeless residents move from shelters to permanent residences, officials said. County Executive Janet S. Owens credited a coalition of nonprofit and county agencies that submitted a plan for better coordination of the county's homeless services.

25 years agoRep. Parren J. Mitchell today asked the General Accounting Office, the investigating army of Congress, to conduct a "full audit" of Newtowne 19, a problem-plagued housing development Annapolis. -- The Sun, July 8, 1971.A proposed $5.5 million detention center for juveniles in Crownsville is being opposed by many local residents and all of its county representatives to the House of Delegates. -- The Sun, June 16, 1971.Dallas G. Pace, the acting chairman of Anne Arundel County's Human Relations Commission, has placed the county's Bureau of Community and Industrial Affairs high on the list of county agencies to be investigated for discrimination.

The Least of These Ministries, a faith-based, nondenominational relief organization founded by Manchester resident Steve Hull and his wife, shipped 200,000 meal packages to undernourished Haitian sugar cane workers this week. On the morning of Oct. 10, the organization took possession of the food packages from another group, Feed My Starving Children, after pledging to transport the food to Haitians living in work camps in the Dominican Republic. The shipment was passed along later this week.

High temperatures are hard on everyone, but senior citizens are especially at risk during these dog days of summer. "This heat is a major factor of concern for seniors, especially those with respiratory concerns," said Audrey Cimino, Community Foundation of Carroll County's executive director. "It is a serious matter. " As the extreme heat advisory for the region — including Carroll County — entered Saturday, county officials said people who need relief are encouraged to go to Carroll County's senior centers or public libraries, designated cooling stations where people can go, sit and have a drink of water.

Marylanders continue to mobilize to join the massive relief effort heading toward Haiti and try to establish contact with colleagues and loved ones in the earthquake-stricken country. Douglas Bright, IMA World Health Vice President, said Thursday that he still had no word from the Carroll County-based relief agency's senior staff members who were in Port au Prince this week, nor have they heard from the five Haitians who worked at IMA's offices in the capital. Three senior staffers, including two Marylanders, had just concluded a meeting at the landmark Hotel Montana in Port-au-Prince when it was destroyed.

As Howard County prepares for Sunday's start of the cold-weather shelter program, local emphasis is shifting toward preventing homelessness, aided by a $253,000 federal stimulus grant and a nonprofit's relaunch. The money will go first to the county's Department of Citizen Services and then to the Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center, Christ Church Link and Congregations Concerned for the Homeless, which is shifting emphasis with a new name and location. Much of the money will go toward helping families avoid evictions.

Baltimore County officials and Gov. Martin O'Malley took a big step Thursday toward improving the county's outdated public-safety radio network by unveiling a new digital transmission tower in Woodlawn. The tower is part of a $57 million project to replace the network by late 2011. In all, 10 new digital towers will be built around the county, and eight existing analog towers will be upgraded. County Executive James T. Smith Jr. said that the project "will further improve our first responders' ability to communicate with each other, with relevant county agencies as well as with our partners at the state and throughout the region."

Recently moved from Northern Virginia to his dad's home in Columbia, 16-year-old Xavier T. Bates found a summer job despite the recession, thanks to some help from the federal government. Like 27 other Howard County youths, Bates is working 25 hours a week for six weeks, making $8 an hour in federal stimulus money in what officials say is the first summer jobs program of its kind in the county in years. He plans to contribute some of his earnings to his family while also saving for college, he said.

Carroll's prosecutor asked the county commissioners for three new employees yesterday to help with a caseload that includes more child abuse, drug and child support cases."

A tree-preservation bill that is more stringent than a similar state law appears headed for passage next week by the Harford County Council.After several months of debate among lawmakers, developers, county planners and others, the council last night considered nearly 30 amendments to the bill.Earlier yesterday, dozens of residents, environmentalists and community leaders turned out to support the measure at a public hearing.Most of the amendments were minor, but two involved exempting county agencies from the measure's provisions.

Police and firefighters using videoconferences for training. High school students taking college-level courses online. Residents telecommuting instead of racking up mileage and gas bills. Carroll County officials envision these scenarios, and more, as potential benefits of a fiber-optic cable network winding its way through the area. Today, representatives from county agencies - the government, school system, community college and library - plan to celebrate the developing 110-mile network.

Jill Farrar Planner Howard County government, Ellicott City Salary : $50,000 Age : 31 Years on the job : One How she got started: After getting an undergraduate degree in environmental studies and working for a New Jersey land conservancy, Farrar went on to earn a master's degree in geography and planning from Northern Arizona University. She worked as a planner in Arizona, relocating to Maryland last year when her husband transferred for a job. After putting in applications with several jurisdictions, she decided Howard County was a good fit. Typical day: Farrar is one of about 15 planners who review development projects as they come into Howard County for approval.