For Immediate Release: Monday, September 9, 2024
The Montgomery County Council will meet on Tuesday, Sept. 10 at 9 a.m. and the meeting will begin with two proclamation presentations. The first, presented by Councilmember Sidney Katz and County Executive Elrich, will recognize National Preparedness Month. The second, presented by Councilmembers Will Jawando and Laurie-Anne Sayles, will recognize National Sickle Cell Awareness Month. At 1:15 p.m. an additional proclamation, presented by Councilmember Sayles, will recognize National Senior Citizens Day.
More detail on each agenda item is provided below.
Bill 15-24, Taxation - Public Safety Officers - Bi-County Agency Police
Introduction: The Council will introduce Bill 15-24, Taxation - Public Safety Officers - Bi-County Agency Police, which would establish a tax credit against real property tax for public safety officers in bi-county agencies. The bill’s tax credit would include public safety officers employed by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) and WSSC Water.
The Council passed Bill 39-21 in Nov. 2022, which established a County property tax credit for a full-time sworn police officer, firefighter, emergency medical technician or correctional officer employed by the County. The bill authorized a maximum $2,500 credit for an eligible employee. The purpose of the bill was to increase the number of County employees occupying these positions who reside in the County and help recruit and retain these employees. Bill 15-24 would add public safety officers employed by a bi-county agency.
The lead sponsors are Councilmembers Natali Fani-González and Gabe Albornoz. Councilmembers Dawn Luedtke, Evan Glass and Council President Andrew Friedson are cosponsors.
Bill 16-24, Development Impact Tax – Amendments
Introduction: The Council will introduce Bill 16-24, Development Impact Tax – Amendments, which would update transportation impact tax districts and modify the applicability of development impact tax exemptions for certain uses and in certain locations.
Bill 16-24 is associated with the Planning Board’s recommended changes to 2024-2028 Growth and Infrastructure Policy. Bill 16-24 is the Planning Board’s recommended changes to the impact tax law. The Planning Board is required to approve and send to the Council a recommended Growth and Infrastructure Policy by Aug. 1. The Planning Board submitted their recommended draft 2024-2028 Growth and Infrastructure Policy on July 25, 2024. A briefing and public hearing on the Growth and Infrastructure Policy is scheduled for Sept. 10.
The lead sponsor is the Council president, at the request of the Planning Board.
Introduction: The Council will introduce Bill 17-24, Administration - Department of Technology and Enterprise Business Solutions - Non-merit Positions, which would repurpose the non-merit position of chief data officer in the Department of Technology and Enterprise Business Solutions (TEBS) by abolishing it and establish the non-merit position of chief operating officer (COO) in TEBS.
The bill is accompanied by a resolution to approve Executive Regulation 7-24, Position Description – Chief Operating Officer, Department of Technology and Enterprise Business Solutions. The regulation would establish a position description for the newly created non-merit COO position in TEBS.
The lead sponsor is the Council president, at the request of the County Executive. A public hearing is scheduled for Oct. 1.
Each item on the Council’s Consent Calendar can be found on the Council agenda for Tuesday, Sept. 10, which is available on the Council website.
2024-2028 Growth and Infrastructure Policy
Briefing and public hearing: The Council will receive a briefing and hold a public hearing on 2024-2028 Growth and Infrastructure Policy. The policy is the resolution or guidelines adopted by the County for administering the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance. Although commonly referred to as a separate ordinance, the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance is part of Montgomery County’s subdivision regulations of the County Code. The ordinance was adopted by the Council in 1973 with the goal of synchronizing development with the availability of public facilities needed to support that development.
The Growth and Infrastructure Policy is updated every four years to ensure that the tools used for evaluating the impacts of development reflect the latest growth patterns and trends in the County. Its purpose is to evaluate individual applications for development to determine if the County’s public infrastructure is adequate to meet the demands of such development.
County Code requires the Planning Board to approve and send to the Council a recommended Growth and Infrastructure Policy by Aug. 1. The Planning Board submitted their recommended draft policy on July 25, 2024. The Planning Board often recommends other legislative changes concurrent with its recommended changes to the Growth and Infrastructure Policy. Bill 16-24, which is also expected to be introduced on Sept. 10, is the Planning Board’s recommended changes to the impact tax law.
Resolution to Approve the 20th Council's Commitment Statement to Racial Equity and Social Justice
Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote on a resolution to approve the 20th Council’s Commitment Statement to Racial Equity and Social Justice. The Montgomery County Council is committed to establishing and advancing an equitable community by striving to ensure that every enacted policy, practice and system reflects racial equity and social justice. On Nov. 29, 2022, in order to clearly articulate the commitment of the Council to racial equity and social justice and affirm the need for racial equity and social justice in the County, the 19th Council adopted a Commitment Statement to Racial Equity and Social Justice.
At the direction of Council leadership, the Racial Equity and Social Justice Core Team developed for the Council’s consideration an updated 2024 Commitment Statement to Racial Equity and Social Justice. On June 13, 2024, the GO Committee voted unanimously to recommend to the full Council the approval of the 2024 Racial Equity and Social Justice Commitment Statement, which can be found in the Council staff report.
Resolution to Affirm Montgomery County's Commitment to Protect Reproductive Rights
Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote on a resolution to affirm Montgomery County’s commitment to protect reproductive rights. The resolution recommends that County agencies pursue opportunities and coordinate with each other to protect people or entities providing, assisting, seeking, or obtaining reproductive health services. Additionally, the resolution supports a Maryland constitutional amendment to protect the right to reproductive freedom.
The lead sponsor of the resolution is Council Vice President Kate Stewart. The resolution is cosponsored by the full Council.
Germantown Multimodal Improvements Study
Review and vote expected: The Council will review and is expected to vote on the Germantown Multimodal Improvements Study, which identifies potential alternatives for improving pedestrian and bicycle conditions along sections of Wisteria Drive and Middlebrook Road. The project advances pedestrian and bicycle safety along Germantown area roadways that have a history of motor vehicle crashes resulting in severe injury or fatality.
Middlebrook Road is one of the roadways in the County’s High Injury Network, which identifies roadways with the highest incidences of serious and fatal collisions. Wisteria Drive in the study area is the site of two fatal pedestrian crashes involving school-age children, one that occurred in 2012 and one in 2023.
The study developed four design options for Wisteria Drive and two design options for Middlebrook Road to improve bicycling conditions. All Wisteria Drive alternatives include a new traffic signal at the Walter Johnson Road intersection. Each bikeway alternative provides additional buffer space for pedestrians, better separating them from motor vehicle traffic. On March 5, the Planning Board selected their preferred alternatives for each road. The next phase of the project would the design and construction of the selected design options, pending available funding.
The Council’s Transportation and Environment (TE) Committee recommends the Planning Board’s preferred alternatives.
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: 24-315