This week on the Conduit Street Podcast, hosts Dominic Butchko and Shantelle Malcolm-Lym are joined by Elizabeth Malasky, Queen Anne’s County Public Information Manager, and Sara Shelley, Co-Founder and President of Plastic Free QAC. They discuss Queen Anne’s County’s innovative program addressing boat plastic shrink wrap recycling, aiming to reduce the 30 tons of plastic waste generated annually. The program, a partnership with the Marine Trade Association of Maryland, offers a solution to recycle shrink wrap, involving marinas, commercial retailers, and private boat owners. The initiative h ..read more

This week on the Conduit Street Podcast, hosts Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson welcome Maryland Comptroller Brooke E. Lierman to discuss her role as a statewide fiscal and policy leader. They delve into the role of the Comptroller, Maryland's uniquely positioned Board of Public Works, and the Revenue Estimating process, as she shares some takeaways from research into Maryland's economy and underlying demographics. Be ready for some insight into the Maryland economy and the surprising fiscal and workforce effect of the state's foreign-born population. Listen in as they unpack these crucial ..read more

Join Dom Butchko from the MACo Policy Team on a special Earth Week episode of the Conduit Street Podcast as he welcomes Kristen Harbeson and Rebecca Rehr from the Maryland League of Conservation Voters (LCV). They discuss LCV's mission, priorities, and their impact on local governments, highlighting areas that overlap with county missions. The conversation delves into hot topics like solar siting, tools developed by LCV for counties, and challenges and future collaboration opportunities, including climate change and sea level rise. Tune in for insightful discussions and a preview of what's to ..read more

In the latest Conduit Street podcast episode, Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson welcome back a popular guest, Dr. Mileah Kromer of Goucher Poll fame. Dr. Kromer talks through the findings and "vibes" from her recent polls, both statewide and in Baltimore. What issues are on the minds of Maryland voters as they consider elections ahead? What do they think of the current direction of Maryland and its economy, and how do they feel about the response to the Key Bridge collapse? And, as always, a few engaging bits about the Orioles and this-and-that from social media. Join us for a fun ride thro ..read more

This week on the Conduit Street Podcast, Dominic Butchko from the MACo Policy Team is joined by Lisa Ochsenhirt from AquaLaw and Erik Michelsen from Anne Arundel County Dept of Public Works for a timely discussion on all things water. They'll discuss the latest on "forever chemicals," stream restoration, and the recently passed Whole Watershed Act of 2024. Plus, learn about the effects of sea level rise on Maryland's critical infrastructure. Tune in for this enlightening conversation! Show Notes: Overview of the Whole Watershed Act of 2024 ..read more

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, join Sarah Sample and Dominic Butchko from the MACo Policy Team as they take listeners on a 'rapid round ride' through MACo's major portfolio of issues from the just-wrapped 2024 legislative session. From affordable housing to public safety, firefighters, and health, they'll highlight MACo's big wins and key county concerns. Plus, don't miss their sneak peek at the upcoming Summer Conference in Ocean City! Tune in now to catch all the excitement ..read more

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Michael Sanderson is joined by Shantelle Malcolm-Lym from the MACo team. They discuss the ongoing policy debates in Annapolis, particularly focusing on transportation funding cuts and their effect on local communities. This special episode highlights an audio excerpt from a January 16, 2024, briefing in the Appropriation Committee. It features Mayor Brandon Scott discussing Baltimore City's longstanding needs, MACo President John “Johnny O” Olszewski, Jr. addressing the impact on Baltimore County and all counties, and our very own Michael S ..read more

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Michael Sanderson and Shantelle Malcolm-Lym welcome guest Cathy Muse from the National Association of Counties Edge program. She talks through the various cost-saving tools available to all Maryland counties through NACo's partnerships that can help develop attractive employee benefits, manage public funds, and recruit top talent to the public sector. Muse draws on her own experience as a procurement specialist to explain NACo's newly launched Public Promise Procurement offerings, leveraging a fully competitive lead-agency model to streamli ..read more

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson discuss formula funding -- which aims to provide predictable and stable funding. But what happens when your funding formula… fails -- or at least delivers far less than expected? This episode covers funding formulas for two programs important to county governments, the Disparity Grant and Program Open Space. These are two programs that Maryland policymakers set up many years ago… both have special funding by law, rather than just fighting each year in the budget debate… and both are going over a cliff th ..read more

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Michael Sanderson talks with Ben Yelin of the Center for Health and Homeland Security about the rapid growth of artificial intelligence technology. They discuss these capabilities' exciting opportunities and potential downsides – and their connections to public services and privacy. Public policy often struggles to keep up with the pace of emerging technologies, and this field seems like another complex example, though there are some reasons to remain hopeful. They also talk a bit about the human and analytic sides of modern football as Yel ..read more