For Immediate Release: Friday, February 9, 2024
The Montgomery County Council will meet on Monday, Feb. 12 at 12:15 p.m. to review bills that will be taken up during the Maryland General Assembly's 2024 legislative session.
The joint Economic Development (ECON) and Planning, Housing and Parks (PHP) Committee will meet at 9:30 a.m. to receive a briefing about the Life Science Land Use and Real Estate Compatibility Study.
The members of the ECON Committee include Chair Natali Fani-González and Councilmembers Marilyn Balcombe, Evan Glass and Laurie-Anne Sayles.
The members of the PHP Committee include Chair and Council President Andrew Friedson and Councilmembers Fani-González and Will Jawando.
The ECON Committee will meet at 11 a.m. to receive a briefing on the third quarter 2023 economic indicators from representatives of the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC) and the Montgomery County Planning Department.
The PHP Committee will meet at 1:45 p.m. to receive an update on the Housing Production Fund (HPF) and review the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025-2030 Recommended Capital Improvements Program (CIP) for the Montgomery County Revenue Authority.
The Transportation and Environment (TE) Committee will meet at 1:45 p.m. to review a $1.2 million amendment to the FY23-28 CIP and supplemental appropriation for the Department of Transportation (DOT) to fund traffic signal improvements, a $132,500 supplemental appropriation to fund the replacement of Roadside Trees and a $503,000 amendment to the FY23-28 CIP and supplemental appropriation to allow DOT to acquire an orphan parcel on MD Route 355 next to the site of the Clarksburg Fire Station. In addition, the committee will receive a briefing on the 2023 Travel Monitoring Report.
The members of the TE Committee include Chair Glass, Councilmember Balcombe and Vice President Kate Stewart.
More detail on each agenda item is provided below.
Review: The Council will meet to review bills that will be taken up during the Maryland General Assembly's 2024 legislative session. Some of the bills under consideration include legislation to address funding for the MPower program within the University of Maryland, the Bus Rapid Transit fund, real property tax rates, fees for transportation network services rides, funds for services for individuals with developmental disabilities, flood management grants, legislation aimed at reducing reckless and aggressive driving and funding increases for the Department of Juvenile Services.
Life Science Land Use and Real Estate Compatibility Study
Briefing: The joint ECON and PHP Committee will receive a briefing about the Life Science Land Use and Real Estate Compatibility Study from representatives of the Montgomery County Planning Department. The study provides information on the real estate needs of the life sciences industry, evaluates the compatibility of integrating life sciences with housing and small-scale commercial development to create mixed use districts and provides actionable recommendations supporting continued growth of the life sciences industry that are consistent with planning priorities and principles. Recommendations include policies that may be incorporated into the future Great Seneca Plan: Connecting Life and Science, which is an update to the 2010 Great Seneca Science Corridor Master Plan.
Montgomery County Economic Indicators - Third Quarter 2023
Briefing: The ECON Committee will receive a briefing on the third quarter 2023 Montgomery County Economic Indicators Report from representatives of MCEDC and the Montgomery County Planning Department. The report focuses on indicators related to employment, which includes changes in the resident labor force, unemployment rate and employment by major industry sector; real estate and development, which describes rents, vacancies and availability rates for the office, retail and multi-family markets and home sales; and venture capital investments in the second quarter of 2023. The report also includes information that compares indicators in Montgomery County to peer counties nationwide, as well as to the Washington, D.C. region.
Housing Production Fund Update
Update: The PHP Committee will receive an update on the HPF from representatives of the Housing Opportunities Commission (HOC). The HPF was approved by the Council in 2021 as an innovative way to provide HOC with a source of short-term construction funding that would allow HOC to accelerate projects and help the County meet its goals for both increasing housing and providing affordable housing.
At least 20 percent of units in a development financed using the HPF must be affordable to households earning 50 percent or less of area median income and at least another 10 percent of units must be affordable to households earning incomes eligible for the Moderately Priced Dwelling Unit program. The HPF has $100 million in total bonding capacity, approved by the Council over two tranches of $50 million in each of FY21 and FY23. For FY24, the Council appropriated more than $5.7 million within the Housing Initiative Fund for annual debt service on the bonds.
FY25-30 Capital Improvements Program - Revenue Authority
Update: The PHP Committee will review the FY25-30 Recommended CIP for the Montgomery County Revenue Authority, which promotes, develops and operates or leases operations in several County program areas, including transportation and recreation. The Revenue Authority projects include the lease and operation of the Montgomery County Airpark and nine active golf courses.
The County Executive's total recommended FY25-30 funding level for the Montgomery County Revenue Authority is $11.8 million, which is approximately $5.5 million less than the amended FY23-28 CIP. The cost decrease is due to a number of projects being completed since the previously approved CIP and no longer requiring funding in the FY25-30 period.
Review: The TE Committee will review a $1.2 million amendment to the FY23-28 CIP and supplemental appropriation for DOT to fund four traffic signal improvements to support mobility, traffic operations and pedestrian safety in the County. The improvements include the installation of a pedestrian hybrid beacon on MD Route 410 (East-West Highway) at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) building garage access; the design and construction of a new full-color traffic signal with accessible pedestrian signals and countdown pedestrian signal (APS/CPS) at the intersection of MD Route 355 and Middleton Lane that will interconnect to nearby signals along MD 355; a pedestrian signal at MD 355 and West Old Baltimore Road; and the design required for the construction of a pedestrian refuge median with other geometric improvements at the intersection of MD Route 187 and Cordell Avenue.
Review: The TE Committee will review a $132,500 supplemental appropriation to fund the replacement of Roadside Trees as required by Bill 41-12 – Streets and Roads – Roadside Trees-Protection. The increase is needed to authorize the expenditure of street tree planting revenues received in FY23 that were greater than budgeted. Street Tree Planting Fund revenues can only be used to plant trees in the right-of-way of a public road in the County.
Review: The TE Committee will review a $503,000 amendment to the FY23-28 CIP and supplemental appropriation to allow DOT to acquire an orphan parcel on MD 355 next to the site of the Clarksburg Fire Station. The County and the developer of the Miles Coppola site have entered into a Road Participation Agreement whereby the County will acquire the vacant parcel through a condemnation action, filed in September 2023, that is to be funded by the developer. The developer's contribution of funding includes the fair market value of the land to be acquired (estimated by the County to be $453,000), plus a contribution of $50,000 to cover the County’s costs in prosecuting the condemnation action. Acquisition of the parcel cannot proceed without this supplemental appropriation.
Briefing: The TE Committee will receive a briefing on the 2023 Travel Monitoring Report from representatives of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. The report provides community members, developers and policy makers with insights into various aspects of Montgomery County’s transportation system. The report strives to leverage new alternative transportation datasets and analytical tools that help provide a clearer vision of how the County is meeting its transportation goals, objectives and metrics defined in Thrive Montgomery 2050, the Pedestrian Master Plan and the Bicycle Master Plan.
The Committee meeting schedule may change from time to time. View the current Council and Committee agendas, Council staff reports and additional information on items scheduled for Council review on the Council website.
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: 24-054