For Immediate Release: Monday, April 19, 2021
Also on April 20: Vote scheduled for the Housing Justice Act to strengthen protections against housing discrimination and introduction of new bill to expand eligibility for the Working Families Income Supplement
The Council will meet virtually on Tuesday, April 20 at 9 a.m. and begin the meeting with three proclamations. The first recognizes Sexual Assault Awareness Month and will be presented by Councilmember Glass. The second recognizes Arab American Heritage Month and will be presented by Council President Hucker. The third recognizes Chesapeake Bay Week and also will be presented by Council President Hucker.
Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) and County Public Health Planning
Update: Sitting as the Board of Health, the Council will receive an update on the County’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its recovery and vaccination efforts.
Those expected to provide information include Dr. Travis Gayles, health officer and chief of the Department of Health and Human Services’ (DHHS) Public Health Services; Dr. Earl Stoddard, director, Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security; and Dr. Raymond Crowel, director, DHHS. Join the conversation with #COVID-19
Introduction, public hearing and vote expected: The Council, sitting as the Board of Health, is scheduled to introduce, hold a public hearing and vote on a Fourth Amended Board of Health Regulation to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Montgomery County and provide guidance on school graduation ceremonies.
Council President Hucker and Council Vice President Albornoz have proposed this amended Board of Health regulation. The new provisions are as follows:
Introduction: The Council will introduce resolutions to indicate its intent to approve or reject provisions of the collective bargaining agreements with the Municipal and County Government Employees’ Organization (MCGEO), the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) and the Montgomery County Career Fire Fighters Association of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF).
Under County Employees Labor Relations Laws, the Council must indicate by resolution its intention to appropriate funds or otherwise implement the agreements, or its intention not to do so and state its reasons for any intent to reject any part of an agreement. A Council worksession will be scheduled at a later date.
Resolution to set County Reimbursements under the Montgomery County Municipal Revenue Program
Introduction: The Council will introduce a resolution to update the property tax duplication formulas. The proposed resolution would update the current formulas as negotiated by the County Executive.
Tax duplication occurs when the County and municipality both levy a property tax on a municipal taxpayer to fund a service, but only the municipality provides that service. The majority of the County’s property tax revenue funds programs and services that municipalities do not provide, such as public schools.
Introduction and vote expected: The Council will introduce and vote on FY21 Operating Budget amendments to allow the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to enter into a contract with Lachman Consulting LLC and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.
Funded through a federal grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to the County, the contracts provide a leadership development program for Continuum of Care (CoC) service providers and a racial disparity study focused on the ability of people in the region to exit homelessness.
The CoC is a system of government and non-government service providers that serve the homeless and formerly homeless population. In Montgomery County, the CoC works to make homelessness rare, brief and non-recurring.
Vote expected: The Department of Transportation (DOT) is preparing to begin the construction of a sidewalk along segments of Oak Drive and Kingstead Road in Damascus as authorized under phase one of the Oak Drive/MD 27 sidewalk project. The planned construction impacts 24 properties along the west side of Oak Drive and on the south side of Kingstead Road.
The project includes the construction of a five-foot wide sidewalk with a five-foot wide green buffer between the road and sidewalk along a 4,200-foot segment of Oak Drive, and along a 350-foot segment of Kingstead Road.
To maintain the DOT’s construction schedule, authorization from the Council is sought to obtain possession of four properties under the County Code’s optional method of condemnation of land for streets and roads.
Resolution to renew Council contract for audit services
Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote on a resolution to extend SB & Company’s contract for an additional year. The current contract expires on July 13, 2021 and the contractor’s services are needed to conduct the Fiscal Year 2021 audit.
SB & Company also audited the financial statements of the Montgomery County Employee Retirement Plans, the financial statements of the Montgomery County Consolidated Retiree Health Benefits Trust, and performed other audit work.
Executive Regulation 5-21, Repeal of Executive Regulation # 9-90, Pager Criteria Policy
Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote on a regulation to repeal Executive Regulation #9-90, Pager Criteria Policy. The regulation, which is slated to be repealed, has been in effect since 1990 with procedures for Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service personnel to request and track alert pagers.
The Fire and Emergency Services Commission has approved repeal of the regulation and the content and procedures within it are included in the current Radio Procurement and Management Procedure Policy.
Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote on a Resolution to Extend Time to Consider Executive Regulation 18-20, Rental Assistance – Regulations – Requirements for the Rental Assistance Program.
Executive Regulation 18-20, which would update eligibility for and participation in the County’s Rental Assistance Program (RAP) consistent with Bill 25-20, was enacted into law in 2020.
RAP assists eligible residents and families with low-incomes with rental payments. Currently, the program has 953 enrolled households receiving benefits averaging between $200 to $400 per household per month.
The updates would change the age of eligibility for RAP from 62 to 55, clarify the definition of a person with a documented disability, remove the prohibition of eligibility for County residents without certain immigration documentation and provide that the specific benefit amount is established in regulation rather than in law.
Executive Regulation 19-20, Functions, Powers and Duties -Regulations - Fee Schedule
Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote on Executive Regulation 19-20, which would amend the Code of Montgomery County Regulations to update program and department titles and fee schedules.
Specifically, the regulation reflects the name change from the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to the Maryland Department of Health and corrects numbering. It removes references to a statement of age card formerly issued and specific fees to be collected by the department.
Executive Regulation 20-20; Chief, Services to End and Prevent Homelessness
Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote on Executive Regulation 20-20, which implements changes made in Bill 25-18E to modernize the definition of a position in DHHS that addresses the needs of residents at risk of and experiencing homelessness.
Bill 25-18E changed the title of the chief of the service area in DHSS from chief, Special Needs Housing to chief, Services to End and Prevent Homelessness.
Executive Regulation 21-20; Eating and Drinking Establishments Regulations – Nutrition Labeling
Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote on Executive Regulation 21-20. This regulation amends the Code of Montgomery County Regulations to make formatting changes to existing Resolution 16-1194, which requires restaurants to post nutritional information for any standardized menu item.
Executive Regulation 22-20; Eating and Drinking Establishment Regulations - Food Service Facilities
Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote on Executive Regulation 22-20, which would amend the Code of Montgomery County Regulations to update the names of state and local departments.
This regulation would replace the previous name of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to the current name, the Maryland Department of Health and make several other minor corrections.
Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote on an amendment to the FY21-26 CIP, which would replace radios and related equipment for the Departments of Transportation and Correction and Rehabilitation. The County Executive requested these funds to ensure compliance with the County’s new 800 MHz radio system.
Supplemental Appropriation and CIP Amendment - DHHS - $13,647,000 for Emergency Homeless Shelter
Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote on a supplemental appropriation to provide $13,647,000 to the Department of Health and Human Services for an emergency homeless shelter. The project is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2021.
Existing County facilities supporting homeless sheltering and associated services are insufficient for the current population and future demand. Due to COVID-19, maximum occupancy at each County homeless shelter has decreased to allow for social distancing.
The appropriation will fund the acquisition of a facility and construction costs to retrofit the facility to include space for congregation, meal service and medical and case management offices.
Introduction: Lead sponsors Council President Hucker, Councilmember Navarro and Councilmember Glass will introduce a resolution supporting the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments’ Resolution urging statehood for the District of Columbia. Given the inter-connectivity with the population living and working in the District, Montgomery County will be positively impacted by the designation of statehood for the District. In Feb., the Council also passed a resolution in support of D.C. statehood which was introduced by lead sponsor Councilmember Glass. All other Councilmembers were cosponsors.
City of Rockville Annexation Request (ANX 2020-00146), 16160 and 16200 Frederick Road (MD 355)
Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote on an annexation to the City of Rockville that includes 11.96 acres of land from Montgomery County. The Annexation Area consists of 10.23 acres of privately-owned parcels referred to as the Victor Property and 1.73 acres of State of Maryland Highway 355 right-of-way.
The current use of the Victor Property is the King Buick GMC automotive sales center. Zoned as general retail, it allows for a mix of commercial and residential uses. The petitioner requests the City’s Mixed-Use Corridor District (MXCD) zoning, to match the zoning of an adjacent parcel that is already within city limits. The petition also proposes a new zone with similar land uses that would be comparable to uses proposed in the Shady Grove Minor Master Plan Amendment.
Expedited Bill 14 -21, Finance - Working Families Income Supplement – Amendments
Introduction: Lead sponsors Councilmembers Albornoz, Navarro and Katz will introduce Expedited Bill 14-21, which would expand eligibility for the Working Families Income Supplement (WIFS) tax credit. Under current law, to claim WIFS, a resident must be eligible and qualify for both the Federal and State Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).
In March, the Maryland General Assembly enacted Senate Bill 218 – Child Tax Credit and Expansion of the Earned Income Credit (EIC). The emergency bill expanded eligibility requirements of the State and local EITC, allowing additional taxpayers to claim the tax credits without the federal requirement to have a social security number.
Bill 14-21 would allow a resident who qualifies for either the Federal or State Earned Income Credit (EIC) to be eligible for the County’s WIFS tax credit. This amendment to the Code will expand the eligibility for residents who are ITIN holders and qualify for the State EIC.
Montgomery County is the only county in Maryland that offers a local income tax credit for its residents with a 100 percent match of the State EIC for the applicable tax year.
Council President Hucker and Councilmembers Friedson, Rice and Glass have cosponsored this bill.
Bill 15-21, Solicitation of Vehicle Occupants in High-Speed Roadways - Permit Requirement
Introduction: Lead sponsor Councilmember Rice will introduce Bill 15-21, which would require a permit before a person may stand in a roadway, median divider or sidewalk to solicit an occupant of a vehicle on a high-speed roadway and would condition the permit upon adherence to certain safety rules.
The purpose of the bill would be to improve pedestrian safety and to reduce serious injuries and fatalities when pedestrians solicit and collect objects from vehicles.
Final reading: Bill 49-20 would mitigate discrimination and impediments to permanent housing, especially for homeless individuals who might have histories of low-level misdemeanors.
The bill would prohibit a landlord from conducting a criminal record check of a prospective tenant until after a conditional offer of housing has been made. In addition, the bill would prohibit making housing decisions based upon arrests or misdemeanors such as a first conviction for disorderly conduct.
Councilmembers Glass and Katz are the lead sponsors of Bill 49-20. The cosponsors are Councilmembers Jawando, Rice, Navarro and Riemer.
Expedited Bill 8-21, Administration - Department of Technology Services - Renamed
Final reading: Expedited Bill 8-21 would change the name of Department of Technology Services (DTS) to the Department of Technology and Enterprise Business Solutions (TBS).
The Committee meeting schedule may change from time to time. The current Council and Committee agendas, Council staff reports and additional information on items scheduled for Council review can be viewed at: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/COUNCIL/ondemand/index.html.
On the guidance of Health Officer and Chief of Public Health Services Dr. Travis Gayles, there is currently no public access to the Council Office Building. The virtual Council meeting will be streamed live on the Council’s web page via YouTube and on Facebook Live and can be watched on County Cable Montgomery on Xfinity/RCN 6 HD 996/1056, Fios 30, and on the CCM live stream.
Release ID: 21-161