Business leaders object to some aspects of Howard County Executive Ken Ulman’s environmental “green” building bills, which could mean a rougher County Council ride than the smoothly settled compromise of a thorny Elkridge housing dispute.
The Howard County Chamber of Commerce is generally supporting Ulman’s package of legislation, but the chamber wants amendments that would delay the effective date one year, until July 2009, exempt smaller commercial buildings and remove a requirement that builders be bonded to guarantee that they meet the standards.
The bills are the subject of a County Council public hearing at 7:30 p.m. Monday.
“We’d like the process to be slowed down. We’re concerned about the number of county employees who don’t have expertise in green design,” said Heidi Gaasch, the chamber’s government and community affairs director.