$15M Howard hospital upgrades, work on Ellicott City's Main Street among Ball's promises

Oct. 26—Howard County Executive Calvin Ball delivered his State of the County address Tuesday, with an optimistic outlook for the county as it comes out of the pandemic. During the speech, he announced a number of initiatives, including $15 million for an expansion of the county hospital's emergency department, new infrastructure improvements for Ellicott City's Main Street, and grants to protect the county's houses of worship.

The audience gathered at the Horowitz Visual and Performing Arts Center in Columbia applauded as Ball announced allocation of $750,000 in grants to help better secure houses of worship in the county to head off possible spikes in antisemitism and Islamophobia amid the war between Israel and Hamas terrorists in the Middle East.

"No matter your faith, or where you reside in Howard County, every one of us should be able to worship freely and safely," Ball said. "This vital funding will deter potential acts of violence and hate crimes to ensure that all our residents are safe and feel safe."

Ball also announced two major projects in the Ellicott City Safe and Sound flood mitigation plan.

In January, the county will start work on the Lower Main Street region in Ellicott City, he said. The work, which is expected to continue into the spring, will include the removal of four structures and the preservation and renovation of six county-owned buildings on Lower Main Street.

Also, next summer, Ball said the county will break ground on a flood mitigation pond, that can hold more than 5.5 million gallons of water during a storm event.

Ball started his speech by noting that the state of the county is "strong" as it recovers from the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We endured one of the most challenging times in our history," he said. "However, throughout it all, Howard County remains a national model for response, recovery and resilience."

Ball announced that the county will break ground on a COVID-19 memorial at 11 a.m., Nov. 3, at Meadowbrook Park in Ellicott City.

In addition, the county executive announced a $15 million investment for an expansion of the county's hospital emergency department.

"As we work together on the difficult challenges of safety and health of our community, we recognize that our hospital emergency room has experienced a growing need, like many across our nation," Ball said. "To address the growing need, tonight I am excited to announce an investment of $15 million to the Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Center."

The money will go toward transforming the first floor pavilion building into a 29-bed observation unit, "so that patients can be treated more quickly and efficiently," he said.

Other promises Ball made in his speech include:

— An executive order establishing an Interfaith Advisory Council, comprised of 35 faith leaders in the county to "build and nurture relationships" within faith communities.

— Howard Community College's Workforce Development and Skilled Trades Center. Ball included $1 million in the county's fiscal 2024 budget for the center.

— Establishment of a Boys and Girls Club at Howard Community College to open next year, via a partnership of Howard County government, the college, and the Boys and Girls Club of Metropolitan Baltimore.

— Creation of the county's first Poet Laureate and Youth Poet Laureate program.

— Relocating the Howard County Center for the Arts to the historic Ellicott City Courthouse. The space also will include the Asian American and Pacific Islander Cultural Center, Roving Radish marketplace and a shared commercial kitchen.

— A new flag for Howard County. Ball announced that a Flag Commission will work on guidelines as well as a public submission and review process to redesign the county flag, which was adopted nearly 55 years ago.

— Criminal cases that have not been solved in the county will get another look. The county's police department and Department of Technology and Communication Services will build a new database and website dedicated to solving cold cases in the county. There are currently 27 cases that remain unsolved, dating back to the 1970s.

— Six volunteer fire companies will each get $100,000: Elkridge, Ellicott City, West Friendship, Savage, Lisbon and Clarksville.

Ball said he has a bold transformational vision for the county that is data informed and people driven.

"We will continue to be at the forefront of sparking innovation, investing in education, protecting our environment and strengthening our communities," he said. "The state of Howard County is strong. I believe our biggest, boldest and brightest days are ahead, as we journey toward the next stop on the road to excellence."