February 11, 2010

Dear Neighbors,

Thank you for your continued patience as we work diligently to clean up from this historic week of winter weather. I am writing to share an update on our recovery effort in Howard County.

Our plow crews were out in full force today working with crews from the Columbia Association, school system, and the private contractors we hired. As always, our top priority is making the roads passable for emergency response purposes, and we made significant progress on that goal today. We will continue to work tirelessly until all roads meet this standard, at which point we will transition our operations to improving conditions at intersections and on neighborhood streets.

Although road conditions improved considerably over the last day, they are still not back to normal. Because of the large snow piles, sight distances at many intersections are poor. Please use caution when turning and merging onto roads. There are other driving hazards, as well, including drifting snow and in some places sudden changes in lane width and layout. In addition, as sidewalks are buried under mounds of snow, pedestrians may be forced to walk in the roadway. Please use extreme caution and drive slowly.

Many businesses and County Government will be open tomorrow. However, we are again asking those who do not have to drive or who do not feel comfortable driving to stay home because of the hazardous conditions.

Thank you again for your patience and cooperation over the past week. I know this week hasn't been easy for anyone, but together we are getting through it. Indeed, the generosity and compassion of Howard County residents has been on display throughout our community this week, and I have heard many great stories of people working together to help neighbors in need during this difficult time.

Here are some additional updates and other resources:

• For tomorrow, Friday, February 12, Howard County Government will be open and operating under its liberal leave policy. Several County facilities will be closed and certain offices will be operating with limited staffing. Some County services may not be available. If you are planning to conduct business at a County office, please call ahead to verify if the services you need can be provided.
• Howard County senior centers, community centers, parks, schools, community college, and district and circuit courts will be closed on Friday, February 12.
• County libraries, except the Glenwood branch, will be open on Friday, February 12.
• There will be no curbside trash or recycling collection on Friday, February 12; however, the Alpha Ridge Landfill will be open. Residential trash and recycling collection will begin again on Monday, February 15, and follow the normal collection schedule. Ellicott City will receive their normal Saturday trash collection on February 13th if at all possible.
• Howard Transit service will resume Friday, February 12 on a limited schedule from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. While efforts will be made to run regular routes, if local streets are still impassable, the bus will stay on the collectors and arterials. For additional details, check www.howardtransit.com.
• Please clear the area around fire hydrants near you that are covered with or obstructed by snow.
• For updates every 15 minutes on the status of our plows, please check the live snow plow tracker
• If a plow has caused snow to block your driveway and you need assistance, please ask neighbors, family or friends to help.
• If you are concerned about the structural integrity of your roof, please review the following document compiled by our Department of Licenses, Inspections and Permits. (http://howardcountymd.gov/portaldocs/snow_load_warning.pdf)
• Remember to clear snow away from any furnace/appliance vents.
• And, as always, if you have a true emergency, please call 911. For non-emergency but urgent needs, please call 410-313-2900.

Again, thank you for your patience during this time, and please share this email with family, friends and neighbors.

Ken Ulman
County Executive