August is the one month in the calendar year that the Anne Arundel County Council is in legislative recess. This break from public hearings and meetings gives council staff an opportunity to reconcile the legislative work of the last 11 months and prepare for the next cycle of bills and resolutions that the council will consider and vote on when we return to chambers in September.
When I reflect on the last year of work, I can confidently say that it has been a productive session. While county legislation may not be as exciting as state bills, I honestly believe it can have the most profound impact on your daily life. While television news crews camp out in Annapolis from January through April of every year to cover bills being debated in the House of Delegates and Senate, the county council debates county laws with only the local cable cameras present, and those cameras are affixed to the walls for airing on your local cable channel, if you choose to tune in.
I understand it. Criminal law, education law, energy law, motor vehicle law, etc., are all more exciting than land use law and zoning. Until, that is, you run into an issue in your own backyard and realize the county code may need an update.
Looking back since September 2024, I have been the lead sponsor on 11 bills. Nine have passed. One failed. One will be up for a vote when the council returns to session. Each of these bills has a story behind it, and the story usually starts with someone like you. Someone who hit a roadblock in the county code, and they reached out to me for help.
There’s Bill 71-24 that created an exemption for secondhand dealers of children’s clothing, allowing them to be exempt from a tedious and costly process for holding and logging items for resale. This bill came from a county resident and owner of a children’s clothing store located right in our district.
Then there is Bill 76-24, which added a new marina category to our marina zoning code, the first major addition to our zoning code in over a decade. That bill came directly from a resident in our district who was stuck in the rezoning process, with no real marina category that fit for the property. Bill 76-24 balanced the concerns of the community with the needs of the property’s maintenance and upkeep.
This year was one where I introduced multiple animal-related bills. Bills 91-24, 6-25, 13-25 and 58-25 were all related to pets and their care. Bill 91-24 adjusted the lot size needed for a home pet care business, particularly as it related to the care of dogs. This came from a District 5 resident who pointed out that she could have four dogs of her own, but the code did not allow her to watch four dogs in her home business.
Bill 6-25 added miniature pigs as pets but only if you have a large enough lot and the outdoor space for the pet pig is a certain distance from your neighbor’s yard. With the passage of this bill, a District 5 pet pig named Alfred is no longer facing an uncertain future and Anne Arundel County Animal Services (formerly Animal Care & Control) can humanely hold and adopt out abandoned miniature pet pigs (Wellington is currently up for adoption at the shelter).
Bill 13-25 updated and clarified the definitions of “animal veterinary clinics” and “animal hospitals” and allows for non-medical overnight stays (boarding) in certain conditions. This bill was the result of a rezoning of a veterinary clinic in our district that did not fit what the code allowed for but provides an important service to pets and their families.
And finally, Bill 58-25 allows pet grooming as a home occupation. This came from several pet groomers in our district who pointed out that our code allows for human hair salons and pet care businesses (watching a pet for someone out of town or at work) as home occupations but didn’t allow for a pet to be groomed in a home as a business.
In September, the council will discuss Bill 70-25, a bill I introduced that codifies the federal language of reasonable access of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into county code. While the General Assembly at one point replicated this language in state law, it has not yet been replicated in the county code. Codifying ADA reasonable access law in county code recognizes the importance of access for a person living with a disability who requires a mobility device.
This is just a small snapshot of the legislative work in your District 5 County Council office in the past year. Backyard issues have a significant impact on the life of residents. Good governance tackles those problems with reasonable solutions.
While the council is on legislative recess, rest assured that constituent services continue year-round. My aide and I are ready and at your service for any county matter we can assist with.
It is truly an honor to serve you and your family, every day of the year.
You can reach me at amanda.fiedler@aacounty.org.