REGION Mergencies Happen Every Day, and When They Do, E They Often Make Headlines
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The Baltimore Metropolitan Council’s COGQUARTERLY Fall / 2017 RESPONDING AS A REGION mergencies happen every day, and when they do, E they often make headlines. What gets left out of the narrative is the coordination it takes to manage a disaster and minimize damage. The Baltimore Metropolitan Council is working with the Baltimore Urban Area Homeland Security Work Group (UAWG)/ Baltimore Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) and local jurisdictions to better coordinate emergency management throughout the Baltimore region. Plans, training and exercises are proactive measures the Baltimore region puts into place to quickly respond to Photo courtesy of Howard County unforeseen events. 22 SAFETY FIRST! CHESAPEAKE CONNECT B’MORE INVOLVED We sat down with Chrissy Nizer, A group of more than 40 of the Baltimore Transportation affects each of us, each day, administrator of the Maryland region’s leaders joined the Baltimore but not in the same way. Find out how you Department of Transportation Motor Metropolitan Council (BMC) for can B’more Involved with the Baltimore Vehicle Administration (MDOT MVA), to Chesapeake Connect, a 3-day regional Regional Transportation Board (BRTB). learn more about the organization’s safety delegation trip to Cleveland, in early 28 campaigns, customer service initiatives and November. how Maryland is preparing for autonomous 16 vehicles becoming the norm. 14 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION 01 IN THE NEWS Cooperative Purchasing 02 To respond well, we must first Housing 03 Air Quality 04 plan together as a region Congestion Management 05 Workforce 06 Transportation Planning 08 Photos 09 pending time with friends and family and training and exercise programs to Sduring the holidays tends to make us minimize injury and damage during a MAPPIN’ IT 10 appreciate the blessings in our lives. We disaster situation. give thanks for our homes, the food on our LEADING LOCALLY 12 table, health, job, loved ones, and other Our cover story, “Responding as a Region” good fortune. (Page 20), looks at the success of Howard ASK AN EXPERT 14 County’s recovery plan after the 2016 Sadly, a disaster can alter the things we Ellicott City flood; BMC’s coordination REGIONAL ROUNDUP 16 hold dear in an instant. regarding debris management and evacuation on our roadways; as well COVER STORY 22 Photo by BMC staff In fall 2017, we’ve seen hurricanes Harvey, as Baltimore City’s annual emergency B’MORE INVOLVED 28 Irma and Maria decimate Texas, Florida exercise at M&T Bank Stadium with the We’re at an exciting time in transportation,” and Puerto Rico; opioid addiction reach Baltimore Ravens and National Football FROM THE VAULT 31 epidemic levels; and lone gunmen injure League. In addition, COG Quarterly highlights “said Maryland Department of Transportation and kill innocent people in Las Vegas, Chesapeake Connect, BMC’s first Sutherland Springs, Texas, and the Let’s also not forget about the vigilance delegation trip to a peer region focused Secretary Pete Rahn, keynote speaker at the BRTB Baltimore region’s own community of needed, especially during the holiday on learning about projects and programs Edgewood, in Harford County. season, when more motorists are traveling. that might be replicated here in greater Traffic Signal Forum and Intelligent Transportation We spoke with Chrissy Nizer, administrator Baltimore (Page 16). We spent three days Our state, region and local jurisdictions of the Maryland Department of touring Cleveland, Ohio, with 40 of the Society of Maryland’s annual meeting on work together tirelessly to prepare Transportation’s Motor Vehicle Baltimore region’s leaders to learn about for and respond to emergencies of all Administration (MDOT MVA), for “Ask the challenges and successes they have BMC Board of Directors Wednesday, November 8. shapes and sizes. The fall 2017 issue of an Expert” (Page 14). Nizer’s background experienced in transportation, workforce, COG Quarterly provides several examples and leadership puts safety initiatives at the economic and community development. Allan H. Kittleman of multijurisdictional collaboration to forefront for Maryland motorists. Howard County Executive create emergency management plans, Once again, thank you for your interest in (BMC board chair) BMC and our work. We wish you and your families a happy, healthy and safe holiday Steven R. Schuh CLICK TO YOUR HEART’S CONTENT! Anne Arundel County Executive season. COG Quarterly is an interactive digital magazine (BMC board vice-chair) of the Baltimore Metropolitan Council. Bold Catherine E. Pugh Sincerely, text and icons contain hyperlinks to more Baltimore City Mayor information, so click away! Kevin Kamenetz Baltimore County Executive WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Stephen Wantz Please email staff at COGquarterly@ Michael B. Kelly Carroll County Board of Commissioners baltometro.org with any questions, comments Barry Glassman or story ideas. For more information about Harford County Executive BMC, visit www.baltometro.org. James J. Moran Queen Anne’s County Board of Commissioners CONNECT WITH US! William C. Ferguson We’re very active social media and want you to Maryland State Senator, D-46 be a part of the fun. Follow us: Stephen W. Lafferty Maryland State Delegate, D-42A Michael B. Kelly addresses the Chesapeake Connect delegation during dinner on Sunday, November 5. J. Thomas Sadowski Photo courtesy of Gregory Wilson Photo University System of Maryland COG Quarterly 1 IN THE NEWS COOPERATIVE PURCHASING HOUSING Meet the Primes networking event connects hundreds of Analysis of HUD data will shape small, minority businesses to contract opportunities regional fair housing assessment “It’s a very personable, low-pressure ix local jurisdictions and five public housing authorities In addition to clarifying the legal responsibility, the new rule networking event. It’s a chance to talk to S (PHAs) in the Baltimore area, supported by the Baltimore requires the submission of an Assessment of Fair Housing (AFH) people, learn what they are working on Metropolitan Council (BMC), are poised to begin the process of to HUD before grantees develop their next 5-year plans for using and present credentials, to see if there is a developing a Regional Assessment of Fair Housing (AFH). HUD funds. HUD provides substantial data on demographic business fit,” Ball said. trends and patterns, federally funded housing resources, and A 2015 rule from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban geographic disparities in opportunities. Through the assessment, The event also includes one-on-one Development (HUD) requires this assessment under the federal jurisdictions and PHAs must analyze that data, incorporating meetings between small business owners Fair Housing Act. feedback from stakeholders and the public. Ultimately, that and government agencies and/or a prime analysis must help prioritize goals and actions to overcome patterns company. The intent of the 5-minute one- The Fair Housing Act, first passed in 1968, prohibits of segregation and resulting disparities in opportunity. on-one meetings is to provide small business discrimination based on a number of factors, such as race, religion, owners with exclusive time to discuss national origin, and disability. It also requires any jurisdiction or Building on recent similar collaborative efforts, jurisdictions and products and services with procurement PHA receiving funding from HUD to administer its programs in a PHAs in the Baltimore region are voluntarily cooperating and officials, buyers or decision makers. way that “affirmatively furthers” the policies of the law. working with BMC to submit one regional AFH in October 2019. Then each jurisdiction and PHA will include the relevant action “I had a great networking experience at According to the 2015 rule, that requirement “means taking steps in its individual five-year plan for using HUD funds that will Meet the Primes,” said Kelli Warner, of the meaningful actions, in addition to combating discrimination, that start July 1, 2020. More than 500 people attended BRCPC’s Meet the Primes networking event on Wednesday, October 18, at the Maryland State Veritiv Corporation. “I found a lot of overcome patterns of segregation and foster inclusive communities Fairgrounds. Photo by BMC staff value in meeting the purchasers in so many free from barriers that restrict access to opportunity based on Those collaborating on the Regional AFH include Anne Arundel different counties, putting a face with a protected characteristics.” County, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, City of Annapolis, he Baltimore Metropolitan Council resource for BMC’s Baltimore Regional name and expanding my network.” Harford County, the Havre de Grace T (BMC) and Baltimore County Cooperative Purchasing Committee Housing Authority, the Housing hosted the ninth annual Meet the Primes (BRCPC) to share information about Meet the Primes is made possible through Authority of Baltimore City, Housing networking event, which connects small- contracting opportunities. the partnership between the BRCPC, Authority of the City of Annapolis, and minority-owned businesses with prime Baltimore County, Baltimore County Housing Commission of Anne Arundel contract bidders, on Wednesday, October “For almost a decade, we’ve been able to Public Schools, Baltimore County County, Howard County, and the 18, at the Maryland State Fairgrounds. host a great event where small businesses Public Library, the Community Howard County Housing Commission. and minority businesses can make personal College of Baltimore