Conduit Street Podcast

Latest Episodes:

The Briefing Room: Inside the Private Side of Housing Finance Jul 21, 2026

Show notes

Building affordable housing takes more than public funding. Private lenders and investors play a critical role in turning plans into completed projects.

In Episode 4 of The Briefing Room's housing finance series, Dom Butchko and Terry Hickey are joined by Jordan Bishop of JPMorganChase to explore the private side of the capital stack - the financing that helps transform housing plans into completed communities.
The conversation explores how private lenders evaluate affordable housing projects, how tax credits become construction funding, and why predictable policies matter when bringing together public and private investment. The episode also examines how developers assemble complex financing packages, why affordable housing depends on cross-sector collaboration, and what policymakers can do to encourage greater housing production.

Whether you're new to housing finance or have followed the series from the beginning, this episode ties together the financial partnerships that make affordable housing possible.

The Briefing Room: The State's Role in Solving Maryland's Housing Crisis Jul 14, 2026

Show notes

Send us Fan Mail

Over the first two episodes of our housing finance series, Dom Butchko and Terry Hickey explored how affordable housing projects are financed and why today's economic conditions make development more challenging. In Episode 3, the conversation turns to the public sector.

Joined by Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Secretary Jake Day, Dom and Terry examine the state's role in housing finance, from tax credits and gap financing to housing trust funds, infrastructure investment, and partnerships with local governments. The discussion also explores how Maryland is approaching housing affordability, where innovation is occurring, and how changes in federal policies could affect future housing production and homelessness prevention.

Whether you're interested in housing policy, local government, or the future of affordable housing in Maryland, this episode offers an inside look at how state investment helps turn housing projects from plans into reality.

Special Edition: The Briefing Room Talks Data Centers, Fact vs. Fiction Jul 10, 2026

Show notes

Send us Fan Mail

Instead of this week's regular Conduit Street Podcast, we're bringing you a bonus episode of The Briefing Room in response to a high-interest topic from our recent energy series.

Data centers quickly became one of the most popular topics in our energy series, so Dom Butchko and Kevin Kinnally sat down with Kelly Schulz, CEO of the Maryland Tech Council, to take a deeper look at one of Maryland's most complex policy conversations.

Together, they separate fact from fiction on issues ranging from electricity demand and water use to tax revenue, economic development, local land-use authority, community concerns, and Maryland's competitive position in the growing data center economy.

The discussion also explores why counties are increasingly weighing the opportunities (and tradeoffs) of attracting this emerging industry.

Whether you've been following the debate closely or are just starting to learn about it, this special edition offers practical context for one of the state's biggest policy issues.

Tune in to find out what's fact...and what's fiction.

The Briefing Room: Why Housing Costs More Than Ever Jul 07, 2026

Show notes

Send us Fan Mail

Housing projects do not rise or fall only on land, design, or political will. They also rise or fall with the cost of capital, aka the capital stack.

In Episode 2 of The Briefing Room, Dom Butchko and Terry Hickey are joined by Brian McLaughlin, entrepreneur and Board Member of the Baltimore Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, to examine how interest rates, borrowing costs, inflation, insurance, trade policy, tariffs, and broader national economic conditions affect whether housing projects can pencil out.

The conversation connects federal and national policy decisions to the realities facing developers, lenders, local governments, and communities across Maryland, exploring why tighter financing conditions can widen funding gaps, delay projects, and make housing production more difficult even when demand remains high.

Whether you're a policymaker, housing professional, or simply interested in why housing has become more expensive to build, this episode offers valuable insight into the financial realities shaping housing development today.

News or Noise: Maryland Primaries, Power Shifts, and What Comes Next Jul 02, 2026

Show notes

Send us Fan Mail

This month’s News or Noise dives into the biggest political developments coming out of Maryland’s June primary elections, and what they could mean for county government, legislative priorities, and the 2027 General Assembly.

Kevin Kinnally, Michael Sanderson, and Karrington Anderson break down the latest chatter around a potential special session on redistricting, key legislative upsets, major county executive turnovers, and what a wave of new local leadership means for MACo and Maryland’s counties. The team also looks at how issues like education policy, data center politics, and election outcomes are shaping the road ahead.

And to close things out? A lighter debate on World Cup fever, prediction markets, and whether Team USA has a real shot. Tune in to find out what's really news, and what's just noise

The Briefing Room: Before the Bricks, the Financial Realities of Housing Jun 30, 2026

Show notes

Send us Fan Mail

After wrapping our series on Maryland’s energy future, The Briefing Room turns to another defining challenge for counties: housing.

In Episode 1 of our new housing finance series, Dom Butchko is joined by Terry Hickey, Baltimore County’s Director of Housing & Community Development, to unpack the financial realities behind housing development. The conversation explores how affordable housing deals are assembled and how public programs, private capital, construction costs, regulatory requirements, and community considerations all shape whether a project can move forward.

Together, they examine where Maryland’s housing finance system is working, where gaps often emerge, and how broader structural pressures are making it harder to meet the state’s housing needs. The episode lays the groundwork for a deeper series on what it takes to finance housing in today’s market, and what local governments need to make more projects possible.

From Maryland to Missouri, County Issues Align Jun 26, 2026

Show notes

Send us Fan Mail

This week on the Conduit Street Podcast, Michael Sanderson is joined by Steve Hobbs, Executive Director of the Missouri Association of Counties, for a conversation on the issues shaping county government across state lines
From property tax pressures and housing affordability to short-term rentals, energy demands, data centers, and legislative term limits, Michael and Steve compare notes on the challenges and differing policy structures in Maryland and Missouri.
This podcast episode offers a valuable reminder to listeners: while every state has its own quirks, county governments across the country are wrestling with many of the same big questions

Different States, Similar County Challenges Jun 12, 2026

Show notes

Send us Fan Mail

This week on the Conduit Street Podcast, Dominic Butchko and Kevin Kinnally record from the Conference of Southern County Associations (CSCA) in Williamsburg, Virginia, joined by county leaders and policy experts from across the South for a discussion on the issues shaping local government today.

The conversation covers many of the same challenges counties face regardless of state lines, including housing affordability, land use, data center development, infrastructure funding, PFAS regulations, emergency management, and state-local fiscal relationships.

Drawing on their recent legislative sessions, guests discuss how states are approaching housing growth, permitting reforms, impact fees, manufactured housing, data centers, environmental regulations, disaster preparedness, and disaster recovery. The discussion also explores how different states balance statewide policy goals with local decision-making and local authority.

While the details vary from state to state, counties across the region continue confronting many of the same fiscal, infrastructure, and service delivery challenges. The conversation highlights both the similarities and the different approaches states are taking as counties work to meet growing demands and changing expectations.

Tune in for a regional perspective on the policy issues shaping county government across the South and what Maryland can learn from its counterparts in neighboring states.

The Briefing Room Ep 5: The Annapolis Energy Agenda Jun 09, 2026

Show notes

Send us Fan Mail

In the final episode of The Briefing Room energy series, host Dom Butchko turns the conversation to Annapolis and the broader policy choices shaping Maryland’s energy future. Joined by Delegate David Fraser-Hidalgo, Chair of the House Energy Subcommittee, the episode looks at how rising costs, reliability concerns, new generation needs, grid pressures, and local land-use questions are driving the next phase of state energy policy. The conversation explores what policymakers are trying to solve, what tools are available, how counties fit into the discussion, and what Marylanders should watch as the state moves from major legislative action toward implementation.

The Briefing Room Ep 4: The Data Center Dilemma Jun 02, 2026

Show notes

Send us Fan Mail

In Episode 4 of The Briefing Room, we continue our five-part energy series with a closer look at one of the fastest-growing and most controversial issues facing state and local governments: data centers. Host Dom Butchko is joined by Joe Lerch, Director of Local Government Policy with the Virginia Association of Counties, to break down what data centers are, why Northern Virginia became the center of the industry, and what Maryland policymakers can learn from Virginia’s experience. The conversation explores the economic promises, infrastructure pressures, and public policy questions that come with data center growth as demand for AI and cloud computing continues to accelerate.

JLARC Data Center Report
VACo Podcast w/ JLARC Report Lead Aruthor.
VACo Energy Landscape of Virginia Series
Virginia Biennial Data Center Retail Sales and Use Tax Exemption Report – January 2, 2026

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected