MacInnes, 54, is president and chief executive officer of The Columbia Association and has spent the past 20 years working in local government. Prior to his move to Columbia he most recently served as town administrator for six years in Dartmouth, a coastal town in southeastern Massachusetts.

He was hired last June to lead the nonprofit that serves as the de facto government of Maryland’s second-largest city. The planned community was founded in 1967 by real estate developer Jim Rouse. Today, the association board manages a budget of more than $91 million, as well as a range of community amenities.

MacInnes’s predecessor, Lakey Boyd, notified the board of directors of her resignation in January 2023 after months of controversy. The board had issued a plan earlier that month aimed at improving its relationship with the CEO. Boyd said in a Jan. 11 statement the plan rendered her “ineffective in being able to carry out my duties as president/CEO” and requested the board transition her out of her role. She was two years into a four-year contract.

After her departure, Dennis Mattey served as interim president and CEO until MacInnes was hired in April 2024.

MacInnes has a three-year contract that can be renewed. He lives in Town Center.

This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

One year in, talk about your experience leading the Columbia Association. 

The year has been great. The big reason why I took the position was because of the organization, and that the CA organization is very professional. The staff are great. Everyone I met, top to bottom, still to this day, are motivated — great customer service, engaged with the work they do, but engaged with the community. They really care. If you attend any events at our lakefront, you see the staff work so hard. They work very hard to make these a success. Great organization to be a part of. Great sense of community here. Coming from the northeast, there’s pockets of community [but] Columbia is just a great sense of community all around.

What were your biggest priorities when you stepped into this position a year ago? Have you addressed them?

(There was a) big internal push (for) awareness of CA and what CA does. I think a lot of people here, they were here since the inception of Columbia. They understand what CA is and what it does. But CA is 58 years old now. We’re looking at it as there’s a lot of people that — CA used to be the only game in town — and now there’s been a lot of developments. What makes Columbia great is there’s so much going on here. We need to be more upfront about what we do and letting people know that we do a lot here… This past year, we’ve been more of a push to let people know that this is what Columbia Association is doing for you. We have a … app that helps the members to sign up for classes, register for classes, be active in the community. And also, we have a GIS tool, a mapping tool. So when you’re out and about you pull it up on your phone, and it shows you not only all the CA facilities, but what’s going on at those facilities. If it’s a pool, it can tell you if the pool is too busy, or if it’s OK. Or what’s at the pool; Is there a water slide there? A lot of changes like this to really just enhance what we do. Something that I came in and identified as something we should focus on moving forward — what’s Columbia’s next 57 years? That’s our big push this year, some long-term capital planning. This is 20 to 40 years away, but what do we need for facilities? What is the future going to look like? How can we make sure that we’re positioned to take advantage of that.

What has been the most difficult adjustment for you and how did you overcome it?

I think getting acclimated. Everyone’s been welcoming, but there’s a lot to learn. There’s a lot going on, not only in Columbia, but Howard County, and then in the state. And getting bearings around that and also trying to move the organization forward. You really can’t come in and say, “Oh, well, I’m gonna change everything.” It takes time — six to nine months before that vision starts to form and you realize, OK, this is the direction I think we want to start going in and start to kind of articulate that message to the staff and the public and the board, to let them know,” this is where we’re going to be going.” That’s a challenge. You want to hit the ground running and make impact right away, but it’s really being patient and taking time to make sure that the decisions we’re making are the right ones. We have phenomenal professional staff here that are knowledgeable and highly skilled and know the community, so just kind of leveraging their skills to help me get acclimated. I’m a collaborative person, so forming a lot of teams internally to help get projects completed, and really leveraging these skills of the employees to help me get acclimated faster. That was one tool that I definitely had, that I was fortunate enough to have here at CA.

How do you hope to ensure the CA maintains Jim Rouse’s vision?

I think we’re doing that. You heard me talk about what are our next 57 years — the community’s changed. And what makes Columbia nice is that we have 10 villages. And while we’re a community of 100,000, we’re really a city, [but] those 10 villages make it seem like it’s a small town. … Jim Rouse’s vision was to have a sense of strong sense of community, but also provide for the community and make it someplace that’s livable. So for us, we have to look at that and say, All right, well, the community’s developed, and now we have to take a different outlook. To say, how do we leverage what we have and what we do — which is great, which is a lot — and make sure that keeps Columbia as an attractive place for people to want to live and raise their families.

What do you hope to accomplish in the next year?

Definitely looking forward is, what are our next 57 years? So not only what we’re going to offer for programming, how we engage the population that’s going to settle down and have families here and make this their primary location, and where they’re going to lay their roots. And what do we need for facilities to accomplish that? And by facilities, a good example is [our] three athletic clubs. When they were built, racquetball was really popular. Racquetball is not popular anymore, but we built these facilities based on racquetball. So now, when we try to modify them, they’re kind of built for racquetball, so we’re really trying to back into them. Pickleball is big now, but is pickleball going to be the racquetball of the 2020s? These are fun things to look at, but then, you know, how do we make sure what we’re doing in the future is flexible, and what’s coming down the road? What are people going to want in the community? So those are things this year we’ll be looking at. … There’s a lot going on right now in the world economically. How do we prepare to make sure that CA can be there, supportive in the community, as Jim Rouse’s vision would want, but also that we’re prepared financially to make sure that if anything happens, that we’re able to continue to provide the same services.

How are you hoping to tackle youth crime in Columbia?

We do a lot of programming at our lakefront, mostly concerts and movies. And I think the goal the last few years has been to activate the lakefront, get people down there. Now it’s let’s diversify what we’re doing down there, because are there groups we’re not reaching? And it’s one thing to say, well, we’re having Movie Night, and everyone’s welcome. Everyone’s welcome, but are we reaching everyone we need to reach? Saying, “anyone go down there” doesn’t mean we’re targeting who we want. And teens is a big part of that. So we had put an internal team together to kind of create some programming. And what we did (is) we created teen nights. What do teens want? Teens don’t always want structured programming. The group put together a DJ down there and an opportunity for teens to hang out. And that was last month. Really well attended. A lot of teens down there just hanging out, listening to music and just being teens. That’s what we can do to help engage that group. With teens and crime, I’ve heard people complain about it in Howard County. It’s a developed community, and this is like a city. People think it’s a small town. Well, the crime in Columbia relative to another 100,000 city population is still really low. But when you’re here, you think, well there’s crime. It’s the perspective of the people that are bringing that up. Columbia has grown. It is developed. And that’s great. That’s what makes it great. But then some people think, well no, it’s my small town, and you know  that’s different. That’s the one thing that’s hard to balance, and I think if Jim Rouse were around he would say it’s hard to balance that too. It’s one thing to plan about the development. Alright, now we’re developed. What do we do now.

CA’s former CEO Lakey Boyd resigned from her post in 2023, and several CA board members resigned at the same time, with one citing a “lack of accountability and lack of trust in current board leadership.” How has the CA changed since then, under your leadership and what has the CA learned following that contentious time?

I can’t really speak for the organization. I wasn’t here for that. I can tell you, in my professional experience, I’ve dealt with a lot of difficult board dynamics in my career, so I understand that. I can tell you, from my personal experience, the board that I dealt with last year was pretty good. I think they learned from what had happened previously, the ones that were here, and they were interested in making progress and moving forward. I think that the board that’s in place this year, the majority of the board, is really interested in long term strategic planning and doing what’s best for Columbia, the community. That’s refreshing to see and hear. And I think they’ve made some strides already to do that, to be a more professional group. If I had to speculate, I’d say, they’ve learned from those past boards and [the] developments that went on. … From an elected kind of position, it’s difficult. Most elected positions, if they’re in a community, it’s like a three year term or longer, and realistically, in my experience, it takes a year for people to get acclimated, if they’re new. If you have a one year term — I’m generalizing — but a board member may feel like “well I have to be impactful. And I’ve never been on a board before.” So generally, when that happens, they lean towards operational things, which is not what a board does. To come in, you have a year and have to think strategically  about the organization, but also get to know the organization. I would always equate it to being in French class, trying to learn French from the teacher, but also telling the teacher how to teach French at the same time. You can’t do both. So you either have to sit back and observe or participate. But how can you make an impact if you just don’t know what you don’t know? It’s hard for a board member here with these terms that are just short, so it’s tough. I sympathize. …  I think [CA has been] more upfront about what we do and what we’re doing and how we’re doing it.  Letting people know this is Columbia Association [and] really advocating more for ourselves. And also not being so reactive with the public. We have great residents, and they’re engaged, a lot of them. Most of the community is pretty content with what they have here. So it’s [about] not overreacting when you hear people’s concerns. We always want to hear people’s concerns, but we can’t be reactive to everybody that brings up a concern. So we have to look at the greater good and the impact on the whole community, and that’s where it gets into your board dynamics, where boards generally hear a resident speak out. People want to voice their concerns, which is great, but we also have to put that in perspective. We’re a community of 100,000. How many people are really bringing this topic up? We don’t discount it. But we also say, “all right, well if it’s a big issue, we’ll hear from more people.”

Have a news tip? Contact April Santana at asantana@baltsun.com or at 443-834-7525.

He kicked off his campaign for the District 2 seat in early May.

“I just want to make sure that people have great jobs, affordable homes, safe neighborhoods and great schools,” Ifekauche said. “Affordability really has to do with people’s economic viability.”

Democrat Opel Jones has held the District 2 seat since 2018 and has not yet announced whether he will run for a third term. Jessica Nichols, a Democrat, has filed to run for the seat as well.

Ifekauche, 39, said he would address affordability by first targeting the price of homes in the county. He would do so through a program that would focus on giving tax incentivizes to longtime residents to move out of their homes and into smaller units. This would free up more large single-family homes for younger families, bring down prices and spur economic growth, he said.

He said he hopes to also pilot a version of the Michigan Tri-Share program in Howard County. The childcare model in Michigan splits childcare costs equally among an employee, an employer and the state. Ifekauche’s proposal would have employees, employers and Howard County share the cost. This program stops “forcing families to decide,” between working and childcare, Ifekauche said.

Families benefit because their costs for childcare are subsidized; the county benefits because there are two working parents and businesses can use the program as a recruitment tool, he added.

“I see it as a win, win, win for everybody involved,” Ifekauche said. “It’s an awesome way to tackle our affordability crisis and actually bring benefits to everyone involved. I think that’s a worthwhile investment.”

Ifekauche has been involved in government for the past 17 years, getting his start in 2008 working on a congressional campaign in Alabama.

He also worked as the director of communications for the Maryland Democratic Party during the passage of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future legislation and is a former a public relations officer for the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office.

“I have been everywhere when it comes to government — I understand how local, state and federal policy intersect,” Ifekauche said. “I’m the person that’s going to be looking out for people’s wallets.”

Ifekauche is passionate about youth engagement. He manages a program at Elkridge Landing Middle School teaching social emotional learning to boys who are struggling to navigate conflict and relationships in school. He also runs a Kappa League program through the Columbia alumni chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. in which boys in sixth to 12th grades can participate in a variety of activities and field trips.

“Youth empowerment, youth enrichment is super important to this conversation, especially seeing the violence that we’ve seen in Columbia that has centered around young men, specifically, young men of color,” Ifekauche said.

Ifekauche said he believes his current position as a deputy director of communications and legislative affairs at the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy gives him a unique vantage point for the handling of juvenile justice and crime in Howard County.

“Everybody is so focused on being at the head of the pack to sort of create a solution when the solution probably already exists,” Ifekauche said. “That is part of that leadership that I’m talking about. How do we bring people together? How do we make sure that the left hand always knows what the right hand is doing, and how do we leverage the people, the resources, the information that people already have without duplicating efforts.”

Ifekauche said he will not use the Citizens Election Fund that provides matching county funding for candidates because he anticipates being able to privately fund his campaign.

Have a news tip? Contact April Santana at asantana@baltsun.com or at 443-834-7525.

In addition, neighbors of the home on the Llanfair Drive cul-de-sac have complained about the smell of urine, vomit and marijuana.

“I had a pool guy cleaning my pool,” Schmidt said, “and he texted me, ‘I can’t work back here anymore, there’s too much dope.'”

Schmidt said her new neighbors had been renting out the swimming pool and house for daily parties, part of a larger trend of homeowners advertising their pools online for daily use.

Websites such as Swimply.com allow property owners to list their pools for rent by the hour. Sometimes these private homes are rented by party promoters who then sell tickets to pool parties, resulting in dozens of attendees.

Messages to Swimply for comment were not returned.

On a June evening, Schmidt peered outside and saw her once quiet neighborhood full of cars, sardined into spaces. “There must have been 500 people there,” Schmidt said this week, recalling a party held at the home.

Mendi Baron, who identified himself to The Baltimore Sun as the homeowner of the Llanfair Drive property, said he was complying with authorities.

“Once I was formally informed by Howard County zoning authorities that certain uses of the property were not permitted, I immediately updated my listing to restrict access to friends and family only, and shortly thereafter took it down entirely. I have since complied with all local guidelines and regulations,” Baron said.

New legislation

The Howard County Council introduced a bill this week that would increase fines to up to $5,000 for homeowners who host for-profit parties. A public hearing is set for July 30. Councilmember Deb Jung said she proposed the changes to follow fines recently instituted by Montgomery County, whose lawmakers are attempting to deter these parties in that county.

Since October 2024, when the Llanfair Drive property was sold to new owners, the Howard County Police Department has responded to 22 calls at the address, mostly for disorderly conduct, noise and parking complaints, according to department spokesman Seth Hoffman.

The police have issued no citations, Hoffman said.

When contacted and asked about parties at the property, Baron said “there are no commercial parties” being held there.

A party promoter had advertised a for-profit party at the Llanfair Drive property, scheduled for July 27 on Eventbrite and Allevents. The Eventbrite posting was taken down earlier this week, though the posting on Allevents remained up as of Wednesday afternoon.

The event, called “Sex on the Peach,” and hosted by Bravo TV personality Rashard “Shardo” Roles, listed the Llanfair Drive address as its location. The party’s cancelation was announced on the promoter’s Instagram account.

“It saddens me to say that due to unforeseen circumstances with the venue, the date and location of this much anticipated event has been changed,” Roles posted on Instagram. He did not respond to a request for comment by publication.

‘Mention … we are friends. Or family.’

The home is also listed on Airbnb as a condo, available for $1,005 for a five-day stay, which may also be a violation of county regulations. It is not permitted in Howard County to offer residential properties as short-term rentals for less than 30 days, said Mary Kendall, deputy director of the county’s zoning department.

Police do not enforce this regulation, but the county Department of Planning and Zoning can issue citations with fines ranging from $250 to $500 per day for each violation of the property, Kendall said.

“If a home or room in a home is being rented for less than 30 days, we would consider it a short-term rental. And, as noted previously, that would generally not be allowed in a residential zoning district,” Kendall said.

The listing has a 4.41 rating and has been active since February, with the bulk of the reviews left by people who stayed on the property from May to July.

The Sun confirmed the rental by reviewing property records as well as photos of the interior and exterior.

The listing read: “Hello Friends: Due to persistent neighborhood harassment, despite doing nothing illegal by allowing people in my house, I decided to allow only friends and family to use the pool. You can use the site to contribute to the maintenance cost and so there is liability coverage.

“When you reach out, please just mention how we are connected. Whether we are friends. Or family.”

Reviews for the property mention Baron by name. One review said Baron would rent out the pool to a “maximum of 60 guests” while Airbnb customers stayed in his basement. Baron responded to the review and called the pool “a major source of revenue for us,” adding that 10 hours of private pool time added up to “a value of over $1,000.”

Responding to complaints, accusations

Baron said in an email to The Sun Wednesday that he believes he is doing nothing wrong, despite neighbors’ complaints. He acknowledged that one guest to his pool brought more individuals than were allowed, and he stated that he is pursuing legal action against that guest.

Baron said he believes his neighbors have a problem with him and his parties due to their prejudices.

“My neighbors have repeatedly mischaracterized these gatherings as commercial rentals. Their ongoing campaign has included false reports to zoning authorities, even for non-commercial events — for example, a 25th birthday party for a friend’s daughter where no money changed hands,” Baron said.

“Furthermore, I believe it is critical to highlight that some of the hostility I’ve experienced from certain neighbors appears to be rooted in prejudice,” he said, characterizing comments directed towards him as “both racist and antisemitic.”

“While zoning concerns may exist in some cases, in this situation the enforcement appears to have been fueled by discriminatory intent,” he said.

Although Baron identified himself to The Sun as the homeowner, state property records list the owner as Meier Rechtshafer; Baron and Rechtshafer are listed as CEO and former COO, respectively, for Moriah Behavioral Health.

The Las Vegas-based company, which has outpatient and residential programs for teens dealing with anxiety, substance abuse and eating disorders, and has previously faced accusations of child abuse.

Baron, alongside Moriah, was also implicated in accusations of neglect this month when a father, speaking with Nevada-based ABC affiliate KLAS, accused the company and Baron of not appropriately treating his son, who the father said went to Moriah for treatment for his anxiety.

Instead, the father said, Baron and Moriah saw his child as “a cash cow.”

The Sun could not find any businesses listed in Maryland under Baron’s name on the state’s business express search.

‘Disrupted our lives’

Lynn Lascola, 51, has lived in Columbia three doors down from Baron’s Llanfair Drive property for 19 years. She said her life has been disrupted by the continuous flow of parties that occur sometimes twice a day. She noted an uptick of cars parking in front of driveways and fire hydrants, speeding vehicles up and down the cul-de-sac and the daily appearance of police.

“There’s so much noise, so many cars going up and down — you’re not comfortable even enjoying your neighborhood anymore,” Lascola said. “It’s just very upsetting. … It’s completely disrupted all of our lives.”

The parties are often advertised through social media or promoted to websites such as Eventbrite as ticketed events, Lascola said. Visitors to the home drink and smoke in front of her yard on a daily basis, she said.

Standing in her driveway on Monday night, Cara Cassell was bringing in groceries. She looked at a string of cars dropping people off and racing down her street. Then police arrived. She described it as overwhelming.

Cassell, who lives down the street from the problem house, said she and others have tried to talk to the neighbor but it just led to him advertising the pool “for friends and family.”

A security guard stood outside the house Monday, letting partygoers in.

Neighbors say they’re frustrated at the constant parties and don’t know what else they can do.

“We have contacted all of the websites, Swimply, Airbnb, we’ve contacted them. We’ve contacted zoning,” Cassell said. “We contact the police. I don’t know what else to say and do.”

Partygoers have started parking on Devon Drive, where Schmidt’s home is. She has called the police eight days in a row. Each time, police say there’s nothing they can do.

“He’s so brazen …. and he has absolutely no remorse,” Schmidt said. “I have no idea why he chose us. Why us? Why did he choose this house?”

Investigative journalist Kate Cimini contributed to this article. Have a news tip? Contact April Santana at asantana@baltsun.com or at 443-834-7525.

District 4 council member Deb Jung has proposed the bill. She said she has received complaints from people in Savage, Dayton and Columbia about private hourly pool parties being hosted in residential neighborhoods. They result in dozens of cars lining streets and issues with parking and noise.

The commercial parties are advertised through Swimply, an online service that allows people to rent out pools by the hour, and these parties are popping up across Howard County, Jung said.

“There’s a lot of concerns and a lot of disruption as a result of this,” Jung said. “All of this activity is illegal under our zoning laws.”

Jung said the by-the-hour nature of the parties violate the county’s zoning laws. Fines are currently $250 per violation, but she wants to increase the fine to $5,000 to match legislation passed earlier this month in Montgomery County. There, officials voted to increase fines from $25 to $5,000 per violation for “unlicensed or unpermitted commercial picnics, dances, soirees, parties and other entertainment … occurring at a home.”

She said she fears the parties will shift to Howard County if Howard’s fines aren’t increased to match Montgomery’s.

The bill will be placed on the agenda for a public hearing and vote on July 30.

Have a news tip? Contact April Santana at asantana@baltsun.com or at 443-834-7525.

She says moving from representing District 1 on the council to county executive would allow her to make more of an impact in the community.

Walsh, 54, is the third Democrat to announce a run for the county executive position. Ball, also a Democrat, was first elected to office in 2018 and is finishing his second consecutive term. He cannot run for a third.

Walsh says running for county executive was the next obvious step for her. The Ellicott City resident was sworn in for her second term on the council in 2022; she was first elected in 2018 to represent District 1, which includes Ellicott City, Dorsey’s Search, Elkridge and Hanover.

Three Democrats from Ellicott City have announced intentions to run for Walsh’s seat — James Handley, Kevin Chin and Jean Xu.

The two other Democratic candidates in the race for county executive are Deb Jung, the District 4 council member, and state Del. Jessica Feldmark.

Education issues have motivated Walsh to run for county executive.

“The preeminent jewel of county government is our school system,” Walsh said.

Walsh said the county executive has more power over the budget than County Council members, who have a limited say as to what passes and what gets cut. she has a limited say as to what passes and what gets cut. “]

The most powerful thing that the executive does is hold the county’s purse strings, she said.

Walsh is determined to do things differently from past administrations, moving away from the “status quo,” especially when it comes to land use and its governance. Various laws in place “say they’re going to do all kinds of great things in terms of keeping new development out of waterways or wetlands or keeping trees and woodlands and forests intact,” she said, but ultimately get “waived, overlooked and ignored.”

She has been vocal about not enough being done to mitigate flood risks in Historic Ellicott City. She wants to prioritize listening to experts when passing legislation and making sure she’s listening to her constituents and not “the people who want to put money in my pocket so that I stay in power.”

Walsh’s passion for proper land use drove her to run for office in 2018, following eight years at the Jones Day law firm working in construction law. The construction project slated on the Lacey property in Ellicott City spurred her interest in local government; she often rushed to make the public comment period of planning meetings after her days working in the D.C. law firm.

“There’s no credibility in a government that has these rules, particularly specific to land use, and then looks the other way,” Walsh said. “Everything I’ve seen in office has verified, if not made worse, my suspicion that we’re doing a real bad job on how we build into the environment that remains.”

She said mismanagement by the Department of Planning and Zoning due to influence by campaign donors has left the project in “worse circumstances” than it was when she first started fighting it in 2016 because of its potential adverse impact on the Ellicott City watershed.

“It just shows me there’s still so much more to do,” Walsh said. “I don’t have the power to stop what continues to happen here. …  [I’m] more convinced that something else needs to be done at a different level. So there I go to the executive.”

For her campaign, Walsh is using the Citizens’ Election Fund, which provides matching county funds for candidates running for council or county executive to minimize the role of private or special interest groups. Using the fund places the focus on small campaign donors, versus “the typical five or six developers, their attorneys and other, related entities who would fund in large part, every campaign,” she said.

Have a news tip? Contact April Santana at asantana@baltsun.com or at 443-834-7525.

She already has a farmer leasing 40 of her acres for growing corn. For those 40 acres, Fleishell receives a check of $5,000.

She’s gotten offers from solar companies willing to pay at least $8,000 per acre.

Tyler Hough, director of government relations with the Maryland Farm Bureau, said the economics of the situation make it difficult for farmers and landowners.

“The farmers cannot compete financially with the solar developers for that same acreage,” Hough said. “What we’re seeing is these landowners, especially if they’re an absentee landowner that doesn’t necessarily live in the state or live in the area, sees the offer from [a] company and it’s too good for them to pass up on, causing … more loss of acreage.”

On July 8, a public hearing was held for a pending solar farm project in Taneytown at Brown Road and Francis Scott Key Highway. The project was first filed in November.

Terry Smack, who lives on Erin Jacob Drive next to the proposed development, moved to her house eight years ago to be in the countryside. The potential of having thousands of solar panels right next to her house is “heartbreaking,” she said.

The proposed project would create 2.5 megawatts on about 14 acres of land; it would be built less than 200 feet from her property line.

Early on, Smack said she offered to buy the property to prevent the solar farm from setting up next door, but she couldn’t match the price.

Agricultural land tends to be the prime target for solar farms, Hough said. They’re being sought out because of their proximity to transmission lines and the flatness of the land. It’s also the least cost on the developer, he added.

When solar is placed on farmland, it is considered a loss.

Hough said losing agricultural land is most concerning because “prime and productive soils are not a resource that we can get back. It isn’t just pull the solar panels off. This is done and put on more soil and you’re good to go. That isn’t necessarily how this works. Those soils, when they’re gone, they’re gone. There’s no getting them back.”

Carroll County officials remain strong in their stance against allowing solar projects on farmland amid a state push preempting local legislation attempting to limit it.

A bill signed by Gov. Wes Moore in May prevents local governments from adopting zoning laws that restrict the construction or operation of solar energy projects if they meet all required criteria. Under the new legislation, local jurisdictions are also required to expedite the review and approval of these projects. This is in line with the state’s goal to have half of its energy come from renewable resources by 2030.

The new legislation allows for solar to be placed on any zoning district — a problem for Carroll County, which previously had restrictions on where solar could be placed and did not allow it on agricultural land. In 2023, commissioners voted to ban solar on farmland. The new law takes away from local control, said Carroll County Commissioners President Ken Kiler.

Kiler, who represents District 2, sees the imposition of solar power as leading to “losing valuable farmland.”

“We’re not anti-solar,” Kiler said. “We’re anti-community solar on ag land.”

There are four pending solar farm projects in Carroll County before the Maryland Public Service Commission asking for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity, which grants them the authority to construct an energy-generating system or high-voltage transmission line in Maryland. Four additional Carroll projects have already been granted a CPCN.

“Carroll County has a strong rural community — agriculture is our No. 1 industry and the conversion of agricultural lands to solar projects does not fit with what our county commissioners are interested in having occur,” said Chris Heyn, director of the county’s Department of Planning and Land Management. “The state passed legislation just this past spring, this past session, that has basically taken that authority away from us and said that we must allow solar in any zoning district which includes agriculture as a principal permitted use.”

Carroll County is working to update its laws to abide with the state mandates, Heyn said.

Have a news tip? Contact April Santana at asantana@baltsun.com or at 443-834-7525.

The Enterprise Community Development projects, The Vision at Parkway and The Legacy at Cedar Lane, are among the county’s latest steps at addressing its long-standing affordable housing problem. Both will feature one- to four-bedroom units.

High rental prices and low rental availability in the state form the perfect storm for a housing shortage, with Howard County having a rental availability rate of 5% — meaning 95% of homes in the county are occupied, according to Pew Research Center’s Housing Policy Initiative Director Alex Horowitz. In comparison, the national rental availability rate is 7%. Maryland’s rate is 5.7%.

The median rental rate in Maryland is $1,800 per month. In Howard County; that number is more than $2,000, according to the U.S. census.

In a news release, Howard County Executive Calvin Ball called the two new projects “transformational,” adding: “We are providing families of varying income level access to 205 safe, secure and affordable homes. This not only doubles the number of homes previously offered on these two sites, but also significantly furthers our affordable and attainable housing goals for Howard County.”

Located in Harper’s Choice and formerly known as Ranleagh Court, The Vision at Parkway will be Enterprise’s second project in Howard County. The four-story development will include an elevator-served building with energy-efficient HVAC systems, Energy Star appliances, and solar panels on the roof.

The $47.88 million project is composed of 82 apartment homes — 66 of the new units will be affordable housing and 16 will be market-rate, according to the release. Amenities in the apartments will include a club room, an after-school homework space, a business center, a fitness center, and outdoor features, such as a playground, dog park and landscaped plaza.

The Vision will be funded by a combination of public and private financing, including from the Maryland Community Development Administration, Howard County government, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and federal Community Project Funding. There will also be long-term rental assistance for 29 units.

The Legacy at Cedar Lane, which will also be in Harper’s Choice, will be Enterprise’s third affordable housing redevelopment project, turning the former Waverly Winds community into 123 mixed-income housing units.

The project will hold 83 affordable units and 40 at market rate. It will be spread out across two, four-story buildings. Amenities will include a resident lounge, business center with coworking space, a fitness center, an outdoor patio and a playground.

The Legacy has a total project cost of $64.15 million, the release said. Like The Vision, The Legacy is supported by private tax credit equity and public funds from the Maryland Community Development Administration, the county, and HUD.

Enterprise’s three other affordable housing redevelopment projects are the completed Legacy at Twin Rivers in Wilde Lake, which opened in April 2024, and future projects at Fall River Terrace in Harper’s Choice and Rideout Heath in Wilde Lake.

“Howard County has long been a place where bold ideas about community take root, and this redevelopment is no exception,” Janine Lind, president of Enterprise Community Development, said in a news release. “Together, we’re building not just homes, but opportunities for families to thrive, for neighborhoods to grow stronger, and for Columbia’s legacy of inclusion to continue.”

Have a news tip? Contact April Santana at asantana@baltsun.com or at 443-834-7525.

A native of Havre de Grace, Harris, 56, has a degree in sociology from the University of Maryland, College Park. He has lived in Ellicott City with his family for the past two decades.

Harris is the first Black sheriff in Howard’s history, first elected in 2018 and reelected in 2022 with more than 60% of votes cast.

Before his work in Howard County, he was a police detective in Baltimore County for 15 years; he left in 2008 when he tore his quadriceps off his kneecap chasing a suspect. He then opened a home health care business and launched a private security company before winning the sheriff’s post in 2018.

The sheriff’s office provides courthouse security and prisoner transportation, handles domestic abuse cases, conducts patrols and serves warrants. As its leader, Harris oversees 75 sworn deputies and 22 civilian staff. The sheriff’s annual salary is $171,263, according to Meaghan McKelvey, an administrative analyst in the sheriff’s office.

Harris does not yet have any opponents in the 2026 race.

This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

This would be your third term in office. Why are you running again?

I think most importantly is the support I’ve received from the people, the deputies here at the sheriff’s office, the support staff here at the sheriff’s office. … The first time in 2018, I didn’t have the support of the sheriff’s office, but then when I ran again, in 2022, they actually endorsed me two years early prior to that election. We have the [Fraternal Order of Police] — which is basically our union. They’ve endorsed me early, two times in a row now, which tells me that they like the job I’m doing. And the community, you know, I’ve received a few awards from the community. In 2021, I was voted one of the top best police officers in the county, and then also in 2024. I’ve received several awards since my time in this position. So I feel like I’m doing a good job, and I think the support that I’m receiving from the community and my office would say that. … We’re [also] going through the [Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies]. That’s so that we can become an accredited agency, and that allows oversight on our policies and how we do things here. It’s called CALEA, and that’s a two- to four-year process, and we’re only halfway through that process. So [I] definitely wanted to run again to make sure we get across the finish line with becoming an accredited agency.

What challenges were you seeing when you first started in office, and how have you addressed them?

One of the things we’ve really had to work on was changing the culture. When I took over in 2018, I didn’t feel like we were functioning as a law enforcement agency. I felt we were more like a security guard company. … So I had to change the culture and then work extremely hard on educating the community, on what it is we actually do here at the sheriff’s office. … And then we had to work on things like equipment. We needed to modernize this office. … I didn’t feel like we had all the tools that we needed, all the equipment that we needed. … We have some great county partners who have helped us to modernize this office — [including] our partnership with the Howard County Police Department. We have a partnership with the U.S. Marshals and the [state’s attorney’s office] now. Those were some of the types of things we needed to do to modernize the office and get us to the point we’re at now.

You’re an advocate for community outreach. Do you think you’ve strengthened those connections? How do you hope to continue to do so?

I feel like we’ve definitely strengthened those. When I took over in 2018, we actually did not have a community outreach unit, so now I have a community outreach unit. We’ve definitely strengthened it. From doing food banks to creating a [memorandum of understanding] with the Howard County school system; we’ve adopted Thunder Hill Elementary as one of our schools. … We raised money to supply book bags to students that are less fortunate. We actually have a great community outreach unit now. … One of the reasons I ran in 2018 was because I knew by becoming an elected official it gave me a platform. And we’ve been able to use that platform to do great things in the community.

What have been your biggest accomplishments as sheriff?

One of the things we had to do was be able to hire. Working with the county, we were able to enhance our benefits package to attract qualified applicants. … I think when I took over in 2018 we had approximately 52 deputies. Now we have 74. We’ve increased our support staff number — we’re right around 100 employees now. Howard County does nothing but grow every year, and what I found when we took over, we weren’t keeping up with that growth. So by enhancing the benefit package and being able to bring in more qualified people, we were able to increase our strength in numbers. The next [thing] I would say is we have [a] strong relationship with our county partners. I feel that that was extremely important. Most people don’t realize that the sheriff’s office is a state agency, and the Howard County Police Department is a county agency. So we are partners with the county executive. So it was important for me. I didn’t feel like when I took over in ’18 we had a strong partnership with the county and now we do. I would also say enhanced training. … And then also …  going through this process with CALEA — I just think that’s extremely important.

What efforts are you taking to address the problem of youth violence to ensure community safety and deter young people from crime? What do you see as the root cause of it?

When I say community outreach and youth engagement, that’s what we’re looking to do. We have several programs out here in the county that I advocate for. I think the county executive has programs that he’s put in place. … [The] Howard County Sheriff’s Office [tries] to support [youth-focused] nonprofits. We simply try to be involved as much as possible. And we’re needed. I think that we have to basically provide things for our youth to do. I think that we need to try to listen to what their issues are and their problems are, and let them know that we are here. And not try to tell them what their problems are, but really listen to what their problems are. I think that’s important. We have to have the programs and places for these kids to go to where they feel they can be themselves. I think that we are working hard to provide the things that I’m talking about here in our county. I think we’re working extremely hard to figure out the issue. And I also want to make it clear I don’t have all of the answers, so I tend to do a lot of listening and try to help where I can.

Are there any other specific issues that you think still need to be addressed in the county?

That question can be difficult because we’re not the primary law enforcement agency. We’re the secondary. One thing we have increased is our traffic. If we see something, if you listen to the state’s attorney talk, he’ll talk about [how] we have a big problem with road rage. … We have increased the number of traffic stops we do. That’s a real problem. We have to make sure people know what it is we are able to do here in Howard County. A lot of people didn’t know we could do traffic stops, right? So one of the things we’ve also done is we’ve increased the number of traffic stops we’ve done, and hopefully that will help with the road rage situation.

What do you think is the balance between having a community presence and overpolicing?

It’s a tough balance. Because we do have a job to do. But I think the balance is not hard. I think that we have to treat everyone fairly. And we’re the professionals, right? So we have to be very good at … attempting to de-escalate — to not make a situation worse. The other side, we have to prove to [the] community that we are here for them. Because we don’t just only get called when we have to lock someone up. People need help. If there’s a car accident, we show up and we try to save people. So for me, it’s not overly tough. We have to treat people fairly. Let them know that we’re here for them, and when I say treat them fairly, we have to prove to them also that we’re going to treat them fairly. One thing I like about body-worn cameras is film doesn’t lie, right? We all went to body-worn cameras a few years ago, which I was extremely supportive of and happy that we were able to go to body-worn cameras. We didn’t have to have body-worn cameras until 2025, but our county executive got us in body-worn cameras at the same time that the [police department] went to body-worn cameras. I think if we do our job properly, everything else falls into place. So as you know, I’m big on community outreach. And that’s being supportive of the community and proving to everyone that we’re going to do our job properly and fairly. And I think if you have those two things, that’s the balance. I think we get the community support. That’s why community outreach is so important, right? You get to see us, you get to know us, you get to talk to us. It’s just not when times are bad.

What has been your biggest lesson while in this position, and how did you grow from it? How will you take that experience into a new term?

I love my job. In this position, because it’s an elected position, it gives me a platform. And I think I said this earlier, but I didn’t know how big of a platform it would give me, and because of the platform, we’ve been able to do some really good things. I would say that I’ve grown, and I think the platform has been more than I expected it to be. I feel that I’m able to go to my partners and get things done. I had to become educated in this political piece. It’s my first stint at it. I never thought I would be doing a political thing, and for me, it’s been a very positive experience. A lot of times we only hear about the bad side of politics, but here in Howard County, I feel like we have a lot of people that care, that I work with. I won’t say it was surprising to me, but it was very refreshing to know that a lot of people really do care. I have a good team around me.  I listen to their input. Obviously, I have to make the decisions. Going into the next term, we’ve already sat down to decide on what direction we want to go in, some of the things we need to accomplish [and] how are we able to grow as an agency. The experience that I have now, I feel like when you first start something that you’ve never done, it’s like you’re a little nervous and you don’t know how things are going to turn out, or if you’re going to have the support. Now, I feel like I have the support of the county partners, and I have the support of my team here at the sheriff’s office. So for us, I think sky’s the limit. I’m pretty excited about the next term. I think we continue to create something here that’s better than I thought it would be, and I’m just looking forward to continuing the work that we’ve done — making it better.

Have a news tip? Contact April Santana at asantana@baltsun.com or at 443-834-7525.

In the past week, the Historic Ellicott City area has received more than 5 inches of rain. This is the third time since July 9 that the county has closed Main Street in Ellicott City due to threats of flooding. On Sunday, the county reported over 3 inches of rain in three hours. There was no flooding or damage reported to Main Street or Historic Ellicott City on Sunday.

According to the National Weather Service, rainfall rates could reach 2-3 inches per hour in the region Monday, and Howard County will be under a flood watch through midnight.

In Historic Ellicott City, county officials announced parking restrictions along Main Street from Ellicott Mills Drive to the Patapsco River bridge at the Howard County and Baltimore County line and along Maryland Avenue. Parking Lot D behind the Howard County Welcome Center and Parking Lot E off Court Avenue behind Phoenix Upper Main are closed.

“Proactive, temporary road closures help ensure public safety by limiting the number of vehicles and individuals in the flood-prone area,” said Safa Hira, a Howard County spokesperson. “During this Flood Watch, Howard County has activated its Emergency Operations Command (EOC) to monitor the weather and respond quickly to safety concerns.”

Kevin Witt, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said the flood warnings are because slow-moving thunderstorms are producing heavy rain exacerbated by levels of high humidity. Showers and storms “feed off” the humidity and intensify, he said.

While higher dew points or humidity are normal for the summer, and showers and storms are typical for May through July, Witt said that the past few days have not been normal. Showers and rain are expected through this week; flooding is a possibility if humidity remains high and storms form, he said.

“What doesn’t seem normal about it is we’ve gotten consecutive days of a lot of places getting hit over and over again,” Witt said. “That’s the unusual part.”

The precautionary measures this week come after historic flooding in 2011, 2016 and 2018 killed three people and left behind massive destruction in the town situated in a valley next to the Patapsco River. Its geography paired with decades of development that lacked proper stormwater management set the scene for exacerbated flooding, experts have said.

In December 2018, County Executive Calvin Ball released the Ellicott City Safe and Sound plan, which consists of seven projects for flood mitigation to enhance safety and protect the area. In addition to the five water retention ponds and two water conveyance projects included in the plan, an outdoor tone alert system, warning signage, and enhanced stream inspection and debris clearing have been implemented.

But Howard County Council Chair Liz Walsh criticized the current flood mitigation strategy, citing insufficient action. Walsh was critical of the current flood precaution because it “only has flood works in one of three sub watersheds.” The Tiber Branch, Hudson Branch and New Cut Branch tributaries all converge and empty into the Patapsco River at the bottom of the hill where shops and businesses are located on Main Street.

All of the work that has been done to mitigate floods in Ellicott City has only been done in the Hudson sub watershed, she said.

“We’ve known of these risks and the causes of these risks and the contributions to these risks, and we continue to act as though it’s not a big deal,” Walsh said. “And then we have weeks like this. It’s upsetting.”

There’s been too many close calls in too few days, she added.

“We don’t have the resources we need to deal with it,” Walsh said. “So everyone down there’s at risk.”

Have a news tip? Contact Kiersten Hacker at khacker@baltsun.com or @KierstenHacker on X. Contact April Santana at asantana@baltsun.com or at 443-834-7525.

The Lime Kiln project, developed by Chaberton Energy and owned by Pivot Energy, has built more than 5,000 solar panels across 13 acres. The panels were officially turned on in April.

The Lime Kiln Project marked the newest Chaberton solar project in the county. Pivot Energy, which has five operational solar farms in Howard County, including Lime Kiln, will be the long-term owner of the project and the tenant on the land.

Work on the project began in 2021, and it officially went online in April. As of July, the solar farm is fully subscribed with 50% of the customers coming from Howard County.

The solar farm holds enough energy to power 500 homes, according to Chaberton Energy CEO Stefano Ratti. Current subscribers can save an average of 10% on electricity each year.

When asked, Chaberton said they did not have information on the total cost of the project.

“(With) the solar farm, we’re putting renewable, reliable and affordable energy on the grid,” Ratti said during the event.

Native pollinators such as the Black-eyed Susan and Milkweed will be planted to attract insects and birds to support biodiversity and agriculture, Ratti said. Over 400 trees will serve as the 125-foot landscaping buffer.

Sheep will graze throughout the solar project, said Richard Gilker, senior vice president of technical operations for Pivot Energy. The project is important to the county because it provides “cost savings, reliable renewable energy and meaningful social and economic benefits,” he added.

“Solar is the fastest and cheapest way to meet our growing energy demand,” Gilker said. “Community-scale solar projects like this one are faster to deploy than any other energy source, while also being highly cost-effective.”

The project has an estimated output of 4.5 million kilowatt hours of clean energy annually, Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said at the event. It will offset 68,000 metric tons of carbon over its lifespan or 175 million miles in a gas-emitting vehicle, he added.

In 2021, Howard County passed legislation that allowed solar facilities in all zones, including on agriculturally preserved land. The county is home to around 150 megawatts of solar power, Ball said, with a 2030 goal of having 437 megawatts of solar. That hasn’t come without pushback from residents who don’t want the solar projects in their neighborhoods.

A bill passed by the General Assembly in April and signed by Gov. Wes Moore the following month prevents local governments from adopting zoning laws that restrict the construction or operation of solar energy projects if they meet all required criteria. Under the legislation, local jurisdictions are also required to expedite the review and approval of these projects.

In neighboring Carroll County, the board of commissioners adopted an ordinance in July 2023 prohibiting new solar-generating farms on farmland. But several applicants have chosen to apply to the state for permission to build solar farms on agricultural land in Sykesville, Hampstead and Westminster. They are in various stages of the approval process. Carroll County’s prohibition of solar facilities on agricultural land can be overridden by the Maryland Public Service Commission, and commissioners there have filed petitions to intervene in at least two of the proposed projects.

“(This project) means infrastructure that will bring tangible environmental, economic and health benefits to our residents,” Ball said. “We’re working together to achieve energy independence.”

Have a news tip? Contact April Santana at asantana@baltsun.com or at 443-834-7525.