For Immediate Release: Monday, July 24, 2023
Also on July 25: Votes expected on legislation related to public safety, climate initiatives and employee benefits
The Montgomery County Council will meet on Tuesday, July 25 at 9 a.m. and will begin with two proclamation presentations. The first, presented by Councilmember Gabe Albornoz, will recognize the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The second, presented by Council President Evan Glass will recognize College Tracks 20th anniversary.
The afternoon session will begin at 1 p.m. with two proclamation presentations. The first, presented by Councilmembers Will Jawando, Laurie-Anne Sayles and Albornoz, will recognize Minority Mental Health Month. The second, presented by Councilmember Sayles, will recognize World Listening Day.
More detail on each agenda item is provided below.
Montgomery County Council Summer Fellows
Presentation: The Council will receive a presentation from the Montgomery County Council Summer Fellows. This is the Council’s seventh consecutive year hosting the 10-week program, which enables students in policy-related graduate programs to gain real world local government experience. The staff report will be available by Tuesday, July 25.
District Council Session
Briefing: At 11 a.m., the Council will receive a briefing on the Pedestrian Master Plan. The plan is Montgomery Planning’s first comprehensive vision to create safer, more comfortable experiences walking or rolling around the county and to make getting around more convenient and accessible for every pedestrian. The Council is seeking public input from all residents on the draft plan and will schedule a committee work session to review and propose changes to the Planning Board Draft Plan this fall.
Work session and vote expected: At 3:30 p.m., the Council will hold a work session and is expected to vote on the Rustic Roads Master Plan. Earlier this year, the Planning Board transmitted its final draft update to the Rustic Roads Functional Master Plan. Although the plan has been amended several times as part of individual area master plans, this is the first comprehensive update since 1996. The direct effect of this final draft is to reclassify several roads to be Rustic or Exceptional Rustic Roads and, in a few cases, declassifying them, which has implications regarding their maintenance and potential reconstruction as governed by the Montgomery County Code and an associated executive regulation.
The plan also includes 39 other recommendations related to the composition and purposes of the Rustic Roads Advisory Committee, the executive regulation and Department of Transportation policies regarding maintenance, rustic road program awareness, historic preservation, traffic calming, the Dedicated But Unmaintained (DBU) Policy, Bikeway Master Plan, Vision Zero and historic preservation. The Transportation and Environment (TE) Committee reviewed the master plan on July 17.
Work session and vote expected: At 4 p.m., the Council will hold a work session and is expected to vote on supporting the Transportation and Environment (TE) Committee’s recommendation to seek reconsideration by the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) of several MDE disapproval actions regarding the Ten-Year Comprehensive Water Supply and Sewerage Systems Plan 2022-2031. If the Council is supportive of seeking reconsideration by MDE, a letter will be transmitted by the Council president to MDE.
Consent Calendar
Each item on the Council’s Consent Calendar can be found on the Council agenda for Tuesday, July 25, which is available on the Council website.
Resolution Supporting Racial Equity in Higher Education
Introduction and vote expected: The Council will introduce and is expected to vote on a resolution supporting racial equity in higher education. On June 29, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the longstanding precedent of affirmative action. The resolution affirms the Council’s commitment to supporting racial equity in higher education and the admissions process. The resolution was proposed by Councilmembers Sayles and Jawando.
Public Hearings
Unless otherwise noted, the Council will hold the following hybrid public hearings at 1:30 p.m. Residents can visit the Council website to learn about the multiple ways to provide testimony.
Legislative Session
Bill 32-23, Police - Policing Advisory Commission - Amendments
Introduction: Councilmember Dawn Luedtke will introduce Bill 32-23, Police - Policing Advisory Commission – Amendments, which would rename the Policing Advisory Commission so that it will now be known as Community Advisory Commission on Public Safety; amend the law regarding the Policing Advisory Commission regarding appointment of members and scope of the commission; and generally amend the law regarding policing, public safety and law enforcement.
The Policing Advisory Commission was established by Bill 14-19, which was enacted on Dec. 3, 2019, and took effect on March 13, 2020. Subsequently, on April 10, 2021, the Maryland General Assembly amended the Maryland Public Safety Article to require that each County have a Police Accountability Board. The County, pursuant to this state mandate, enacted Bill 49-21, which took effect on May 2, 2022, to establish a Police Accountability Board for the County. Members of the Police Accountability Board were appointed on June 28, 2022, by Resolution 19-1313 to terms that begin on July 1, 2023.
Bill 33-23, Police – Voluntary Registry for Emergency 911 Calls - Established
Introduction: Councilmember Dawn Luedtke will introduce Bill 33-23, which would establish a voluntary registry for emergency 911 calls to enable the public to provide personal and medical information to assist emergency responders and generally amend the law regarding public safety, emergency response and policing. Council President Glass, Council Vice President Andrew Friedson and Councilmembers Kate Stewart, Albornoz and Sidney Katz are cosponsors.
Bill 27-23, Police - Policing Advisory Commission – Repeal
Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote to withdraw Bill 27-23, Police - Policing Advisory Commission – Repeal, which would repeal the law regarding the Policing Advisory Commission. Lead sponsor Councilmember Luedtke requests the withdrawal of the bill and instead will introduce a new bill, Bill 32-23, amending the provisions governing the Police Advisory Commission. A majority vote is required to withdraw the bill.
Expedited Bill 19-23, Department of Police - Pension and DSRP Adjustments
Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote on Expedited Bill 19-23, Department of Police - Pension and DSRP Adjustments. The expedited legislation would amend the Discontinued Retirement Service Plan to replace the age and length of service eligibility requirements with eligibility based upon the employee’s normal retirement date. In addition, the bill would amend Group F pension multipliers for the Integrated Retirement Plan.
The lead sponsor is the Council president at the request of the County Executive. A public hearing was held on April 25.
Expedited Bill 20-23, OPT/STL Bargaining Units - Pension and Retirement Adjustments
Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote on Expedited Bill 20-23, OPT/STL Bargaining Units - Pension and Retirement Adjustments. The expedited legislation would amend Group E eligibility to add eligibility for certain Emergency Communications Center (ECC) positions to the Group E Optional Retirement Plan and the Integrated Retirement Plan. In addition, the bill would amend Group J eligibility to add eligibility for certain ECC positions to be designated by the chief administrative officer and amend credited service to provide credited service adjustments for military service.
The bill would also separate Group E and Group J regarding pension multipliers, adjust pension multipliers for Group E and Group J, amend the guaranteed retirement savings plan to default into the guaranteed retirement savings plan certain part-time employees in the Office, Professional and Technical (OPT), and the Service, Labor and Trades (SLT) bargaining unit and amend the disability benefits plan.
The lead sponsor is the Council president at the request of the County Executive. A public hearing was held on April 25.
Expedited Bill 21-23, Fire and Rescue Services - Credited Service for Group G Members
Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote on Expedited Bill 21-23, Fire and Rescue Services - Credited Service for Group G Members. The expedited legislation would amend the Optional Retirement Plan and Integrated Retirement Plan pension multipliers in Group G of the Employees’ Retirement System. In addition, the bill would amend the Group G Optional Retirement Plan to provide the same level of sick leave credit benefits provided for County employees in the Group G Integrated Retirement Plan and amend the Group G pension Cost of Living Adjustment.
The lead sponsor is the Council president at the request of the County Executive. A public hearing was held on April 25.
Bill 28-23, Taxation - Fuel Energy Tax - Green Bank
Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote on Bill 28-23, Taxation - Fuel Energy Tax - Green Bank. The legislation would restrict the use of fuel energy tax funds by the Montgomery County’s Green Bank to only support activities that promote the investment in clean energy technologies and to provide financing for clean energy technologies, including renewable energy and energy efficiency projects and not resiliency activities. The purpose of the bill is to make it clear that despite the Green Bank’s authority to expand the scope of its activities to include resiliency, the 10 percent appropriation must remain dedicated to the original intent of the appropriation, which is investment in clean energy.
Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote on Expedited Bill 29-23, Administration - Non-merit Positions - Department of Environmental Protection - Department of Transportation, with accompanying resolutions to adopt Executive Regulation 5-23 and Executive Regulation 6-23. The expedited legislation would create two non-merit positions in the Executive Branch: Deputy Director of Environmental Protection and General Manager of Transit Services in the Department of Transportation.
The lead sponsor is the Council president at the request of the County Executive. A public hearing was held on July 11.
Bill 30-23, Streets & Roads - Rustic Roads Advisory Committee
Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote on Bill 30-23, Streets & Roads - Rustic Roads Advisory Committee. Bill 30-23 would enact recommendations from the Rustic Roads Functional Master Plan Update regarding the composition and duties of the Rustic Roads Advisory Committee.
The lead sponsor is the Council president at the request of the Planning Board.
Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote on Expedited Bill 29-23, Administration – Non-merit Positions – Department of Environmental Protection – Department of Transportation, with accompanying resolutions to adopt Executive Regulation 5-23 and Executive Regulation 6-23, which would reclassify two non-merit positions in the Executive branch -- deputy director of Environmental Protection and general manager of Transit Services in the Department of Transportation. The resolutions would approve Method 1 regulations that were published to create the job descriptions for these positions.
The Council 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.
Council and committee meetings are 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: 23-253