(4/2024) County Calls for Applications for Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation
The Frederick County Agricultural Land Preservation Program has opened up an application cycle for the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation (MALPF) Easement program. The MALPF program purchases agricultural preservation easements that forever restrict development on prime farmland and woodland. Since the MALPF program began in 1977, it has preserved nearly 26,000 acres of farmland in Frederick County.
MALPF was established by the Maryland General Assembly in 1977 and is part of the Maryland Department of Agriculture. MALPF is one of the most successful programs of its kind in the country. The State of Maryland, with the work of the Foundation and its State and local partners, has preserved in perpetuity more agricultural land than any other state in the country.
MALPF is one of several agricultural preservation programs managed by the Frederick County Office of Agriculture. Together, the programs have preserved over 76,000 acres of farmland, of which 72,494 acres have been permanently preserved.
Interested applicants should contact Land Preservation Planner II Shannon O’Neil at 301-600-1411 or via e-mail at soneil@frederickcountymd.gov.
Schools, Roads, Fire Stations Featured in Preliminary Capital Budget
Frederick County Executive Jessica Fitzwater provided an overview of her proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year today, highlighting major construction projects for schools, libraries, and fire stations. She outlined slow but steady growth in revenues. With fewer housing permits, recordation tax income is lower. More than $84 million in new requests were received for Fiscal Year 2025, which begins July 1, 2024. Of that, Frederick County Public Schools is seeking an additional $62 million above the required Maintenance of Effort, and all other agencies requested a combined $22 million. A full list of budget appeals can be viewed at www.FrederickCountyMD.gov/Budget.
"I personally met with every division director to make sure existing programs were re-evaluated and any new requests aligned with the goals set in Livable Frederick," County Executive Fitzwater said. "The budget will be tighter than in past years. Frederick County’s diverse economy has helped position us better than many of our neighboring counties, but we must continue to be fiscally responsible."
To gather community feedback on budget priorities, Executive Fitzwater held a public hearing in December and listening sessions in all five Council districts in January and February. The public has two more opportunities to weigh in on their funding priorities before Executive Fitzwater submits her proposed FY25 budget.
People are invited to use Balancing Act, an interactive online tool to select which budget requests they would include in Frederick County’s budget for the next fiscal year. In Balancing Act, people decide how they would allocate limited funds among actual funding requests.
County Announces Youth Apprenticeship Programs to Build Talent Pipelines
Frederick County Government has launched a youth apprenticeship program to build talent pipelines, in partnership with Frederick County Public Schools. The program incorporates a diverse range of industries in multiple county divisions. Students develop career skills in customer assistance; trades such as carpentry, HVAC, and vehicle repair; and specialized County services. Participating departments include Facility Maintenance, Fleet Services, Transportation Engineering, Project Management, Development Review & Planning, Water & Sewer Utilities, Workforce Services, and Human Resources.
"As one of the largest employers in the County, it’s important that we leverage connections within our government and allies like Frederick County Public Schools to pave opportunities for students in our community," County Executive Jessica Fitzwater said. "This collaboration offers mentorship opportunities and real-world connections beyond the technical education students experience in the classroom."
Frederick County Public Schools facilitates the placement of students in apprenticeship opportunities through the state’s Apprenticeship Maryland program. The state program helps to meet requirements of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future education reform plan, which emphasizes the importance of college and career readiness. Statewide, apprenticeship programs continue to receive praise for ushering in new talent to the job market, affirming the opportunities ahead for Frederick County Government. The county-wide youth apprenticeship program presents students who live in Frederick County the opportunity to serve fellow constituents and to get paid while refining employment skills.
Staff welcomed three FCPS students as the County’s first youth apprentices within Human Resources, Facility Maintenance, and Transportation Engineering. These students will work for at least 450 hours and learn valuable employment skills and receive hands-on experience with the help of their assigned mentor. The apprenticeships are grant-funded, paid work opportunities, and will continue through August 2024.
"The Youth Apprenticeship program not only provides students with the positive opportunity of earning a paycheck while learning valuable life and work skills, but also provides the employer a sustainable pipeline of talented youth that are ready to make a difference in their community," said Kristi Gordon, Human Resources Administrator. "We are lucky to have a current apprentice in human resources. In just a few weeks, our youth apprentice is creating work product and positively impacting our department, which in turn will positively impact our employees and ultimately the community we serve. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Frederick County Public Schools and creating more apprenticeship opportunities within Frederick County Government."
Apprentice Brynn Ohlhoff, who is working in the County’s Division of Human Resources, agrees that this has been a positive experience. "I've been able to learn professional skills that will help me later in life, by doing work that will make a difference, and collaborating with a great group of people!"
For more information on youth apprenticeship program opportunities, please visit www.fcps.org.
County Announces New EmPOWER Loan Program
Frederick County announced the launch of a new loan program for participants of the Office of Economic Development’s EmPOWER mentorship program. Business owners who successfully complete the mentorship program may be able to borrow up to $10,000 to provide capital into their businesses. The EmPOWER Program provides resources, educational opportunities and networking events that support, teach and connect underrepresented local business owners. The program is co-sponsored by the City of Frederick.
"As County Executive, I'm dedicated to leveling the playing field for all entrepreneurs in our diverse community. The EmPOWER Loan Program will be a vital tool in supporting minority-owned businesses, ensuring they have the resources they need to succeed and contribute to the prosperity of Frederick County," County Executive Fitzwater said.
The EmPOWER Loan program is a partnership with FCOED, the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), and the Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC) a local Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), offering a combined fund of $500,000. Together DHCD and LEDC will lend up to $10,000 to eligible business owners to provide early-stage capital into their businesses and help the businesses build credit. The EmPOWER mentorship program is an eight-week program conducted for FCOED by the Maryland Small Business Development Center Northeast Region. The program guides entrepreneurs through a comprehensive process for building their business plan.
"The Latino Economic Development Center is excited to partner with Frederick County and the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development to offer early-stage local EmPOWER businesses the opportunity to access capital." Said Eric Lin, Director of Lending, "This is a particularly exciting opportunity for LEDC as we see Frederick County as a community that our unique lending tools as a CDFI could benefit from".
DHCD has approved the loan and is working with LEDC to close the financing, which will allow for applications to be accepted later this month.
"As Maryland’s economic and community development agency, DHCD is committed to supporting efforts to foster healthy, vibrant communities throughout the state," said Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Secretary Jake Day. "We’re proud to partner with Frederick County and the Latino Economic Development Center on the EmPOWER Loan Program, and excited to see the doors it will open for minority business owners."
For more information about the EmPOWER loan program, watch a video announcement here, or contact Beth A. Woodring, Director of Financial Operations, Frederick County Division of Economic Opportunity at bwoodring@frederickcountymd.gov or 301-600-1058.
