(7/2024) Frederick County Division Of Parks And Recreation Announces Opening Of The FY-25 Community Grant Program

Frederick County Division of Parks and Recreation announces the opening of the FY2025 Community Grant Program, a grant program for eligible non-profit community organizations that provides funds for recreational facilities for county residents.

The Frederick County Division of Parks and Recreation, through its Parks and Recreation Commission (FCPRC), is accepting applications for the FY-25 Community Grant Program. The application process will be available from June 3 through August 2. Various organizations are eligible to apply for the grants including Homeowners Associations, Civic/Community/Service Organizations, Athletic Associations and Recreation Councils.

Community Grants are for improving existing recreation facilities or constructing new ones on land owned or utilized by the organization. Funding is not allowed on land owned by federal, state, municipalities, or Frederick County Government. Funds will be provided prior to project construction and can be applied towards the cost of materials, equipment, and contracted labor. Construction labor may be provided by any combination of volunteer service by the organization and/or paid contractors. Grants will not be awarded to meet the annual maintenance needs for existing facilities. Projects must be completed within two years of July 1st of the funding year (For FY-25, this will be June 30, 2026).

For additional information on the Community Grant Process and to see if your organizations project qualifies go to www.recreater.com/communitygrant. Grant applications will be submitted online and must be completed by 11:59 p.m. Friday August 2. Organizations will be notified by November 2024 regarding grant awards. A budget of $100,000 has been approved for FY-25; however, applicants may only request up to $25,000.

$1.275 Million Grant To Fund Microgrid For Resiliency Hub

U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen presented Frederick County Executive Jessica Fitzwater with a $1.275 million check today at Winchester Hall. The funds will be used to build a microgrid at the Prospect Center at 585 Himes Avenue in Frederick. The electrical generation system will provide backup power. Once built, the microgrid will be the first in Maryland to support a 9-1-1 call center and an emergency operations center.

"With the microgrid, we can continue to provide critical services to the community, even during an extreme hazardous event with grid failure," County Executive Fitzwater said. "I am extremely grateful to Senator Cardin and Senator Van Hollen for their support for this important clean-energy project in a neighborhood that has been historically underserved."

"When disaster strikes, our brave first responders are needed more than ever. We fought for this direct federal investment in renewable and dependable energy for Frederick County’s emergency services so they can power through whatever comes their way – and so residents can always count on them to answer the call," Senator Van Hollen said.

The Prospect Center is currently home to the Department of Facility Maintenance and the Office of Construction Inspection. More agencies and services will move to the center in the next two to three years, creating a hub of resources for community residents. Solar panels will be installed on the roof. They will be able to make close to 2 megawatts of electrical capacity, which will be stored in batteries, If power goes out in the area, the 9-1-1 center and the Emergency Operations Center would be powered by the solar array and battery storage connected to the microgrid. In addition, the public could use part of the Prospect Center as a Resiliency Hub, where they can access heat or air-conditioning and plug in medical equipment during power outages.

Senators Cardin and Van Hollen requested and secured this Congressionally Directed Spending through the Fiscal Year 2024 funding legislation for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The microgrid will save Frederick County money on utility bills and make the Prospect Center less vulnerable to power outages. The County expects to break ground on the project next year.

FCPS Fiscal Services Division Earns Two National Awards

Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS) is pleased to announce that the Fiscal Services Division has been recognized for two national awards for financial reporting for the FCPS Annual Comprehensive Financial Report.

For the 15th year in a row, the FCPS Annual Comprehensive Financial Report was awarded the Government Finance Officers Association Certificate for Excellence in Financial Reporting. The report was judged by an impartial panel which found that the report demonstrates a constructive "spirit of full disclosure" to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the report.

In addition, The Association of School Business Officials International awarded FCPS the Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting for the 16th year in a row. This award is in recognition of FCPS’ commitment to transparency and high-quality financial reporting through the FCPS Annual Comprehensive Financial Report.

"These recognitions are a testament to the operational excellence of the financial reporting department and their fiscal services colleagues who assist in the completion of our ACFR," said Heather Clabaugh, Associate Superintendent of Fiscal Services for FCPS. "They mark the culmination of the work completed throughout the year to ensure we exemplify our goal of being good stewards of taxpayer funds with transparency and fidelity to the federal, state, and local reporting requirements."

FCPS is committed to always provide clear communication on all budget matters with the public.

County Implements DEIB Strategic Workforce Plan

Frederick County Executive Jessica Fitzwater kicked off Pride Month by announcing an initiative to foster an inclusive environment and create a culture in Frederick County Government where everyone feels valued and respected. A key component of the County’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) Strategic Workforce Plan is to provide foundational training for all County employees, which began last week with the Office of the County Executive staff.

"I want Frederick County Government to be a high-performing employer of choice, a place where everyone feels included and wants to come to work or to do business with us," County Executive Fitzwater said. "We have made significant changes to our hiring policies to remove unnecessary barriers, and we are supporting our business community with new programs to help them grow. I am proud of the work we are doing to bring our workforce and community together so everyone can live, work and thrive in a truly Livable Frederick."

Among the DEIB initiatives outlined Monday are:

• Training for all County employees to help people understand where biases may exist and build awareness and skills on how to be inclusive.
• Employee Resource Groups to support workers with shared traits or lived experiences.
• Nearing completion of a disparity study to determine if the way the County awards contracts is exclusionary. This step is required before an Equal Business Opportunity program can be established.
• Expansion of the EmPOWER program, which provides underrepresented businesses tools to grow their businesses.
• A Frederick County business directory where people can find categories of businesses, such as veteran-owned or woman-owned.
• Launch of DEIB Champion Employee Recognition Awards.

"There is a business case for this work, and it is backed up by data," Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer Tiffani Kenney said, "including the idea that job seekers want to work where DEI is in the framework. New generations coming into the workforce will seek out companies with DEI plans."

Ms. Kenney also introduced two new members of her staff in the Office of Equity and Inclusion. They are Equity & Inclusion Coordinator Madison Welder and Administrative Coordinator Denise Murphy. To learn more about the Office, visit www.FrederickCountyMD.gov/Equity.

County Government TV’s Channel Location Changes For Comcast Subscribers

The high-definition broadcast of Frederick County Government’s television station, FCG TV, has moved to Channel 1072 for Comcast subscribers. The standard-definition broadcast remains on Channel 19. Viewers can also stream the HD version directly from FrederickCountyMD.gov/FCGtv.

FCG TV airs public meetings, both live and as replays. It also airs original programming, including the twice-a-month news magazine County Perspective. Other productions include the Farming Frederick and Destination Frederick series, profiles of residents, spotlights on County resources and services, public service announcements, and more. All original programming can be viewed on YouTube.com/FrederickCountyMD.

To view live meetings with captions that can be translated into over 100 languages, go to Frederick County Government’s public engagement hub, connect.frederickcountymd.gov.

County Executive Appoints Howard as New Chief Information Officer

Frederick County Executive Jessica Fitzwater has appointed Mr. Ty Howard as Chief Information Officer and Director of the Division of Interagency Information Technologies. The CIO oversees the County’s digital presence, from software to cybersecurity. Mr. Howard brings more than two decades of senior-level experience in the IT field. He will begin in his new role on July 15.

"Mr. Howard is extremely qualified to serve as Chief Information Officer," County Executive Fitzwater said. "I am confident he will encourage a culture of innovation, focus on customer service, and move Frederick County Government forward."

Mr. Howard brings substantial experience in the public sector. In his current position as CIO for the City of Goodyear, Arizona, he focused on security, sustainability, and data-driven decision-making. Before that, he served as Assistant Chief Information Officer for the City of Mesa, Arizona, and Chief Information Security Officer for the Town of Gilbert, Arizona.

He earned master’s degrees in instructional technology from Bloomsburg University and in public administration from Arizona State University. His undergraduate degree is in sociology/criminal justice from Bloomsburg University.