Fitzwater announces new Office of Agriculture as part of recap of her term so far
Ceoli Jacoby, The Frederick News-Post, Md.
4 min read
Oct. 26—Frederick County Executive Jessica Fitzwater on Wednesday announced the creation of a new government office to oversee agriculture, as well as the opening of a 24/7 walk-in crisis center and the launch of a dashboard to gauge her administration's transition.
Fitzwater highlighted three recently completed projects during her first State of the County address — a tradition she inherited from the prior administration.
County residents can now use a dashboard to track the new administration's progress on more than 60 recommendations made by a team Fitzwater assembled to help her pick up where former County Executive Jan Gardner left off.
The transition dashboard reflects the current status of different county initiatives designed to tackle each of the transition team's recommendations. It will be updated at least quarterly, Fitzwater said during her address.
Fitzwater announced the creation of a new Office of Agriculture, which will administer the county's existing agricultural land preservation programs and the Agriculture Innovation Grant program.
The new Agriculture Office will review the county's Agricultural Strategic Plan, which was last amended in 2008.
According to county spokeswoman Vivian Laxton, positions within the office would be filled by staff members as opposed to appointees.
A third key initiative Fitzwater said her administration accomplished is establishing a 24/7 Walk-In Crisis Care Center, where people struggling with mental health or substance use can go to receive free resources at any time.
"It's OK to ask for help. It's OK to seek treatment," Fitzwater said during her address. "As a government, we are investing in programs to help our residents who are experiencing behavioral health crises."
The center, on Montevue Lane in Frederick, officially opened to the public on Thursday morning.
Fitzwater delivered her address at the Prospect Center on Himes Avenue, a facility previously used as a mass vaccination site. It will eventually house many Frederick County government agencies and services.
Local elected officials, Frederick County government staffers and people who served on the county executive's transition team came to hear Fitzwater reflect on her first 11 months in the office and share her objectives for the future:
Equity and diversity
In an interview on Wednesday, Fitzwater said one of her main takeaways from her first 11 months in office was the county's "obligation to recognize the incredible value of our residents who we haven't always historically been good at listening to."
Fitzwater pointed to the Office of Economic Development's EmPOWER program for minority businesses and the Health Equity Office's work on the issue of Black maternal health as examples of her administration's commitment to diversity.
The county recently expanded language translation services for emergency responders and is developing a stroke awareness campaign for Spanish-speaking residents, which will be debuted in the coming weeks, Fitzwater said.
Affordable housing
During her address, Fitzwater also touched on how her administration is working to solve the housing affordability crisis while promoting sustainable development in Frederick County.
In line with her transition team's recommendations, Fitzwater started the county's Division of Housing this year and plans to name a director to lead it later this fall.
Fitzwater said the county is already supporting the construction of a 45-unit affordable housing project in downtown Brunswick and more than 100 affordable housing units in downtown Frederick.
Fitzwater's administration is also building an inventory of county-owned property that could be used for affordable housing later on and recently announced plans to build 84 affordable senior housing units on the Montevue campus.
Education and programs
The county has placed a heavy emphasis on public schools and educational programs this year as prescribed by the state's Blueprint for Maryland's Future.
Fitzwater said Frederick County was the first in the state to build out its college and career readiness program.
As part of a partnership with Frederick Community College, 21 career coaches will soon be placed in public schools to help middle school students explore their options and to assist high school students in determining their next steps.
The county has also developed a $500 million, six-year plan to build and modernize Frederick County Public Schools buildings — an investment necessitated by rapid student enrollment growth and expansions in pre-kindergarten and career and technical education.
Economic development
Fitzwater said her administration prioritized economic opportunity for Frederick County residents.
During her address, Fitzwater celebrated Frederick County's progress in the sciences, including Kite's plan to grow its operations in Urbana and a new STEM internship program involving Hood College and Visit Frederick.
Fitzwater said the county's manufacturing sector is "thriving," as evidenced by the Division of Economic Opportunity's Made in Frederick campaign, which showcases manufacturers in the community.
Part of maintaining a strong economy is attracting and retaining a solid workforce. Fitzwater said her administration is trying to make the Frederick County government an "employer of choice" by advocating for pay raises and "taking a holistic look" at the benefits packages offered to public servants.
Another piece of supporting workers is ensuring they have access to child care and transportation. Fitzwater said the Frederick County transit system remains fare free and the county is conducting a child care market study.
