State of the County 2023
October 25, 2023
Frederick County Executive Jessica Fitzwater presented her State of the County Address at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, October 25. The address can be viewed here. Captions can be translated using the Translate button at the top of the page.
The State of the County is strong!
We welcomed all of our Frederick County Public Libraries employees to their staff day! From story times to history lessons, STEM days to legal workshops, the scale and scope of the programs and services provided by our libraries are nothing short of incredible. The relationships they build and nurture every day with our residents, from our tiniest of toddlers to our seniors, make an enduring impact on our community. I'm grateful they took a day to collaborate, plan, and meet with other FCG partners to continue giving our County their all.
Frederick County (MD) Fire & Rescue's Fire Chief Tom Coe and I were joined by Local IAFF 3666 President Stephen Jones, FCFRA Fire Prevention Life Safety Chair Kim Shelton, members of the senior staff team, and members from United Steam Fire Engine Co #3 and Citizens Truck Company Station #4 in signing a Fire Prevention Week Proclamation. This proclamation declared October 8th - 14th as Fire Prevention Week. It also reinforces the County and FCDFRS's commitment to ensuring the safety and security of all residents, visitors, and community members within Frederick.
For 23 years, the Frederick County Office of Economic Development has organized a massive (and massively fun!) business retention project--- Business Appreciation Week. This year was no different as teams of ambassadors visited 50 businesses throughout Frederick County. Our teams checked in with business leaders, discussed how things are going, and shared resources. And, we want to hear from you! If you are a business owner in Frederick County, no matter the industry or size of your business, please help us help you by filling out this Business Sentiment Survey.
We held our quarterly meeting with the mayors and burgesses of our municipalities. Continued communication and collaboration is the key! This time each leader brought a member of their planning staff so that we could collaborate on planning efforts and discuss growth opportunities and challenges such as housing affordability, schools, transportation, and more. Thank you to our Livable Frederick team for helping to lead the discussion.
We offer our sincere gratitude to the Frederick County Sustainability Commission for hosting the 2023 Sustainability Awards. The award recipients and our Green Home Challenge families are making a huge difference in our community and leading the way on green initiatives. I was especially encouraged to see some amazing students recognized for their leadership.
Our Division of Public Works and Division of Energy & Environment received awards at the County Engineers Association of Maryland’s fall conference. Our Deputy Director for DPW Robert Shen was presented the 2023 Meritorious Service Award-- so well-deserved! The Catoctin Creek Watershed Restoration project was also recognized-- this project was undertaken to restore an unnamed tributary to Catoctin Creek and retrofit four stormwater management ponds, located near Middletown, in Briercrest, and in the Cambridge Farms community near Jefferson. The complex restoration used cost-effective strategies to reduce maintenance, create green space, and reduce temperatures in the waterway.
Our Frederick County Office for Children & Families, together with the Frederick County Interagency Early Childhood Committee, is working with Public Policy Associates and Solomon Evaluation on a Child Care Market Study to identify existing capacity and gaps in regulated child care, define the economic drivers and educational impact of early childhood care and education quality in the county, and collect the community-driven insights to guide the development of local solutions.
I am so proud of all our accomplishments and thankful for the opportunity to share them with you.
With gratitude,
Jessica
