For Immediate Release: Monday, March 4, 2024
The Montgomery County Council will meet on Tuesday, March 5 at 9:15 a.m. The meeting will begin with a proclamation presentation, led by Councilmembers Laurie-Anne Sayles, Marilyn Balcombe, Natali Fani-González, Dawn Luedtke, Kristin Mink and Council Vice President Kate Stewart, recognizing International Women’s Day. At 1:15 p.m., a proclamation presentation, led by Councilmember Evan Glass, will celebrate the 20th anniversary of Capacity Partners.
More detail on each agenda item is provided below.
Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 23-10, Parking, Queuing, and Loading - Calculation of Required Parking
Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote on Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 23-10, Parking, Queuing, and Loading - Calculation of Required Parking, which would exempt residential uses from the minimum parking requirements if located near transit. To qualify as near transit, the use would need to be within one half mile of a Metro station, within one half mile of a Purple Line station or within one quarter mile of an existing Bus Rapid Transit station or a Bus Rapid Transit station that has been funded for construction in the six-year Capital Improvements Program (CIP) at the time of application. This zoning measure would promote car-free living and more housing near transit hubs by reducing parking requirements.
The lead sponsors of ZTA 23-10 are Council President Andrew Friedson and Councilmembers Mink and Glass. All Councilmembers are cosponsors of ZTA 23-10. The Planning, Housing and Parks (PHP) Committee recommends enactment with amendments.
Bill 6-24, Property Tax Credit - Disabled Veterans
Introduction: Lead sponsor Fani-González will introduce Bill 6-24, Property Tax Credit - Disabled Veterans, which would provide a new property tax credit to veterans who are severely disabled. Under Bill 6-24, a property tax credit would be available to an honorably discharged veteran who is at least 50 percent disabled, as certified by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and whose federal adjusted gross income does not exceed $100,000. The property tax credit granted under the bill would equal 50 percent of the County property tax imposed on the dwelling house if the disabled veteran’s service-connected disability rating is at least 75 percent, but not more than 99 percent; or 25 percent of the County property tax imposed on the dwelling house if the disabled veteran’s service-connected disability rating is at least 50 percent, but not more than 74 percent. Council President Friedson is a cosponsor of Bill 6-24.
Bill 7-24, Landlord-Tenant Relations - Tenant Protection and Notification
Introduction: Lead sponsor Council Vice President Stewart will introduce Bill 7-24, Landlord-Tenant Relations - Tenant Protection and Notification. The bill would require a residential lease to include certain information related to renter’s insurance, automatic sprinkler systems and emergency evacuation and safety plans. In addition, the bill would require the 24-hour availability of a building representative during certain emergency situations and notification of essential service disruptions in a rental building. An emergency safety plan, approved by the Department of Housing and Community Affairs, is also required. Councilmembers Balcombe, Sayles, Sidney Katz, Mink, Gabe Albornoz and Will Jawando are cosponsors of Bill 7-24.
Introduction: Lead sponsor Councilmember Sayles will introduce Bill 8-24, Human Rights and Civil Liberties - Fair Criminal History and Credit Screenings – Amendments. The bill would require posting a notice regarding the use of criminal arrest and conviction information in rental housing decisions, clarify if a certain addendum or statement is required for rental applications and require annual reporting of certain disaggregated data related to rental applications. Additionally, Bill 8-24 would require a landlord to retain a rental application addendum for a certain period and require that a landlord provide to the County, as part of the annual rental housing survey, a completed criminal and credit screening addendum. The purpose of the bill is to strengthen compliance with the Fair Criminal Record Screening Standards Law, also known as “ban the box,” and improve renters’ knowledge about the use of criminal background checks or credit screenings during the rental housing application process.
Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote on Bill 45-23, Property Tax Credit - Individuals 65 and Above, Retired Military Service Members, and Disabled Military Service Members, which would update the eligibility criteria for the property tax credit available to individuals 65 and above and to retired or disabled military service members and their spouses. It would also progressively alter the amounts of the property tax credit and generally amend the property tax credit for eligible individuals. The lead sponsor of Bill 45-23 is Council President Friedson. Councilmembers Albornoz, Fani-González, Luedtke, Balcombe, Sayles and Katz are cosponsors.
The Government Operations and Fiscal Policy (GO) Committee recommends enactment with amendments.
Resolution to approve City of Gaithersburg Annexation, ANX-9683-2023, Casey Property
Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote on a resolution to approve the proposed annexation of approximately 5.25 acres of land from Montgomery County into the City of Gaithersburg. The request involves the annexation of a vacant property owned by the Eugene B. Casey Foundation, who also owns the adjacent Rosedale Apartments. The current zoning on the parcel is the Commercial Residential Town zone. The petitioner has requested the City of Gaithersburg’s Corridor Development (CD) zone after the annexation is complete. The petitioner’s intent is to subsequently rezone the Rosedale Apartments to allow the comprehensive redevelopment of all three properties under one approving jurisdiction. The property is within the City of Gaithersburg’s maximum expansion limits.
Each item on the Council’s Consent Calendar can be found on the Council agenda for Tuesday, March 5, which is available on the Council website.
Proposed Closed Session
At 11 a.m., the Council intends to meet in closed session to discuss the appointment, employment, assignment, promotion, discipline, demotion, compensation, removal, resignation, or performance evaluation of appointees, employees, or officials over whom it has jurisdiction, under Maryland Code, General Provisions Article §3-305(b)(1)(i). The topic is the appointment of an employee over whom the Council has jurisdiction.
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.
Bill 3-24, Late Night Establishments - Hours of Operation
Bill 4-24, Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund Commission - Established
Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote on a $295,000 supplemental appropriation to implement Bill 18-22, Noise Control - Leaf Removal Equipment – Amendments, which was enacted on Sept. 26, 2023. Bill 18-22 prohibits the sale of gas-powered leaf blowers in Montgomery County as of July 1, 2024, and their use in Montgomery County as of July 1, 2025. The supplemental appropriation is needed to fund an outreach and awareness campaign for retailers, lawncare companies and residents as well as to initiate a rebate program by July 1, 2024, as mandated in the legislation. The joint Transportation and Environment (TE) and GO Committee recommends approval.
Votes expected: The Council is expected to vote on a total of more than $4.7 million in funding spread across three supplemental appropriations, which would provide funding to install additional surveillance cameras at three of the County’s public parking garages in Bethesda, Silver Spring and Wheaton. The funding is needed to address heightened public safety concerns in the County’s public parking garages and will address insufficient stairwell coverage, improve surveillance in areas that have restricted fields of view, and provide enhanced video retention and security capabilities. The joint TE and GO Committee recommends approval.
Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote on a more than $46 million supplemental appropriation for the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) to purchase new zero-emission buses in support of the transition to a zero-emission bus fleet as part of the County’s Climate Action Plan goals. The funding is needed due to cost increases for planned replacement of Ride On buses. Approximately 100 transit buses will need to be replaced through FY26. During this process, new zero-emission buses will be ordered to replace older diesel buses.
Interview: The Council is expected to conduct an interview with Jeffrey Seltzer, the County Executive’s nominee to serve as deputy director in the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
Interview: The Council is expected to conduct an interview with Ken Hartman-Espada, the County Executive’s nominee to serve as Assistant Chief Administrative Officer in the Office of the County Executive.
The Council 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: 24-084