Press Releases

Montgomery County Council Committees Hold Meetings on Jan. 27 Starting at 9:30 a.m.

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, January 26, 2022

Committees will review Spending Affordability Guidelines for the FY23 Aggregate Capital Budget, proposed legislation which would require County employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and operation and registration  requirements for e-scooters

The Government Operations and Fiscal Policy (GO) Committee will meet virtually on Thursday, Jan. 27 at 9:30 a.m. to review Spending Affordability Guidelines for the FY23 Aggregate Capital Budget and other CIP assumptions.

The members of the GO Committee include Chair Nancy Navarro and Councilmembers Andrew Friedson and Sidney Katz.

The joint GO and Health and Human Services (HHS) Committee will meet at 10:30 a.m. to review Expedited Bill 34-21, Personnel and Human Resources - COVID-19 Vaccination Required.

The members of the HHS Committee include Chair and Council President Gabe Albornoz, Council Vice President Evan Glass (Lead for Homelessness & Vulnerable Communities) and Councilmember Craig Rice.

The joint Public Safety (PS) and Transportation and Environment Committee (T&E) will meet at 2 p.m. to review Bill 36-21, Motor Vehicles and Traffic - E-Scooters - Operating Requirements and Registration.

The members of the PS Committee include Chair Sidney Katz, Council President Gabe Albornoz and Councilmember Tom Hucker.

The members of the T&E Committee include Chair Tom Hucker, Council Vice President Evan Glass and Councilmember Hans Riemer.

More detail on each agenda item is provided below.

Spending Affordability Guidelines for the FY23 Aggregate Capital Budget and CIP Assumptions

Review: The GO Committee will review Spending Affordability Guidelines for the FY23 Aggregate Capital Budget and other CIP assumptions. The GO Committee will review the current economic and fiscal conditions to determine if the Council should revise the adopted Spending Affordability Guidelines for the FY23 Aggregate Capital Budget. The Council will consider the GO Committee's recommendations on Feb. 1. The committee also will review the other Capital Improvements Program (CIP) assumptions in the Executive's recommended FY23 Capital Budget and the FY23-28 CIP.

Those expected to attend and provide information include Mary Beck, Office of Management and Budget (OMB); Veronica Jaua, OMB; Anita Aryeetey, OMB; David Platt, Department of Finance; Dennis Hetman, Finance; Mike Riley, Montgomery Parks (Parks); Carl Morgan, Parks.

Expedited Bill 34-21, Personnel and Human Resources – COVID-19 Vaccination Required

Review: The joint GO and HHS Committee will review Expedited Bill 34-21, Personnel and Human Resources – COVID-19 Vaccination Required, which would require County employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. Accommodations to the requirement would be available for medical reasons. Councilmembers Riemer and Jawando are lead sponsors of the bill. Council President Albornoz is a cosponsor.

As proposed in the legislation, an employee who fails to provide proof of vaccination or apply for a medical accommodation within seven days of notification from the County would be placed on unpaid leave. An employee who fails to fulfill the vaccination requirement or to secure a medical accommodation, after having been placed on leave would be subject to dismissal from County employment. The requirements and implementation of Expedited Bill 34-21 would be expressly exempt from collective bargaining and provisions of the Montgomery County Code related to collective bargaining.

Those expected to attend and provide information include Dr. Earl Stoddard, assistant chief administrative officer, Montgomery County Government; Berke Attila, director, Office of Human Resources, Montgomery County Government; Silvia Kinch, division chief, County Attorney’s Office; and Jennifer Harling, chief labor relations officer, Office of Labor Relations.

Bill 36-21, Motor Vehicles and Traffic – E-Scooters – Operation Requirements and Registration

Review: The joint PS and T&E Committee will review Bill 36-21, Motor Vehicles and Traffic – E-Scooters – Operation Requirements, which would permit County residents to register an electric low speed scooter for personal use. The bill would also require the owner of two or more e-scooters to register and pay a fee for an e-scooter fleet offered for rent in the County. In addition, the bill would also establish operating and parking requirements for e-scooter use in the County.

Bill 36-21 is similar to Bill 8-20, Bicycles and E-Scooters – Operating Requirements and Registration, which was introduced on Mar. 3, 2020, and recommended for approval with amendment by the joint Public Safety (PS) and Transportation and Environment (T&E) Committee on June 25, 2020. However, Bill 8-20 was never considered by the full Council before expiring due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Bill 36-21 includes amendments approved by the joint PS and T&E Committee in June 2021.

Councilmember Katz is the lead sponsor of the bill. Council President Albornoz is a cosponsor.

Those expected to attend and provide information include Hannah Henn, Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT); Gary Erenrich, MCDOT; Sande Brecher, MCDOT; Elaine Bonner-Tomkins, Office of Legislative Oversight (OLO); Robert Gardner, Lime; Perry Holmes, Bird Rides, Inc.; and Breanna Bledsoe, Spin.

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.

The Council and committees are meeting via Zoom because of ongoing construction and technology upgrades in the Council's Hearing Room and the inability to conduct meetings in a socially distant way in other areas of the Council Office Building with television broadcast capacity. Councilmembers continue to hold meetings in their offices by appointment.

The virtual Council and committee meetings 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: 22-036
Media Contact: Sonya Healy 240-777-7926, Benjamin Sky Brandt 240-777-7884