BMC Board Activities (Metropolitan Report, v5 #1)
Summer 2004
BMC Board Focuses on Preparedness, Transportation Rallying for the Region in Annapolis
Mayor O'Malley and Executives Robey and Smith and the other BMC Board members hosted a reception for members of the General Assembly on February 11 in AnnapolisThe BMC Board was busy during the 2004 session of the Maryland General Assembly. At a February 11 reception in Annapolis, Board members mingled with members of their delegations and pressed the case for a regional agenda:
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
- Support funding for emergency preparedness in the Baltimore region
- Seek resources for vulnerability assessments at the Port of Baltimore and BWI Airport
- Seek passage of the Hurricane Isabel Emergency Relief Act
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
- Support legislation to facilitate the redevelopment of brownfields sites
- Strengthen state economic development programs important to the Baltimore region
ENVIRONMENT
- Support the creation of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Restoration Fund
- Expand resources for Priority Places programs
- Continue to support efforts to reduce the transport of air pollution from power plants in the mid-West
BUDGET AND FISCAL MATTERS
- Maintain fiscal responsibility in developing the budget, without jeopardizing county and municipal programs
TRANSPORTATION
- Ensure equitable funding for transportation infrastructure maintenance and improvements in the Baltimore region
- Support revenue enhancements to maintain the viability and adequacy of the Transportation Trust Fund
- Obtain a commitment to fully fund a regional rail transit system in greater Baltimore
- Maintain the Maryland Transit Administration's farebox recovery ratio at its current level of 40 percent
EDUCATION
- Seek full funding for Thornton to address metropolitan education needs
- Increase state funding for school construction
- Ensure adequate funding for our Baltimore region community colleges
On the afternoon of Tuesday, March 9, the Board joined with members of the delegation, the business community and advocacy groups at a Regional Rally in Annapolis to show support for funding both highway and rail transportation priorities in the Baltimore region.
The June meetings of the BMC Board and Baltimore Region Transportation Board (BRTB) featured presentations on homeland security and federal transportation legislation.
Baltimore City Fire Chief William Goodwin reported to the BMC Board on the work of the Urban Area Work Group (UAWG), which he chairs. Created in 2003 to coordinate emergency preparedness activities in the Baltimore region, the UAWG includes committees of fire, police, emergency medical services and public works personnel from BMC’s member jurisdictions. In addition, each jurisdiction has hired an Emergency Planner and the Maryland Emergency Management Agency has assigned a coordinator for Central Maryland.
One of the UAWG’s responsibilities is to assess the region’s needs and recommend equipment acquisitions that are eligible for federal reimbursement. The focus to date has been primarily on radio communications infrastructure, hardware and software; mobile emergency generators to serve as power backup for critical infrastructure; and a decontamination truck for each jurisdiction.
Chief Goodwin emphasized that the work of the UAWG will help the region respond to day-to-day incidents as well as catastrophic events. “Everything we do must make us better at EVERYTHING we do.”
The June meetings of the BMC Board and Baltimore Region Transportation Board (BRTB) featured presentations on homeland security and federal transportation legislation.
Baltimore City Fire Chief William Goodwin reported to the BMC Board on the work of the Urban Area Work Group (UAWG), which he chairs. Created in 2003 to coordinate emergency preparedness activities in the Baltimore region, the UAWG includes committees of fire, police, emergency medical services and public works personnel from BMC’s member jurisdictions. In addition, each jurisdiction has hired an Emergency Planner and the Maryland Emergency Management Agency has assigned a coordinator for Central Maryland.
One of the UAWG’s responsibilities is to assess the region’s needs and recommend equipment acquisitions that are eligible for federal reimbursement. The focus to date has been primarily on radio communications infrastructure, hardware and software; mobile emergency generators to serve as power backup for critical infrastructure; and a decontamination truck for each jurisdiction.
Chief Goodwin emphasized that the work of the UAWG will help the region respond to day-to-day incidents as well as catastrophic events. “Everything we do must make us better at EVERYTHING we do.”
Tyler Duvall, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy at the US Department of Transportation, briefed the BRTB on the status of federal transportation legislation, the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21). Although funding levels are still being negotiated, the policies that are shaping the legislation will determine how the money will be spent. One of the key issues is the rate of return by the states. The administration seeks to ensure that each state receives at least a 90.5 percent return rate based on its contribution to the Highway Account. TEA-21 also includes provisions for toll projects, such as express lanes; streamlining the environmental review process for new projects through concurrent rather than sequential reviews by federal agencies, as well as a coordinated review process with provisions for dispute resolution between agencies; an emphasis on highway safety programs; and funding for the research, development and deployment of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) technology.Until TEA-21 is passed and signed into law, transportation programs will continue to be funded through an extension of SAFETEA (Safe, Accountable, Flexible and Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2003).
Posted 09/28/2004
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Last Updated on Friday, 11 November 2005 12:44