Press Releases - County Council

Planning, Housing and Economic Development Committee and Education and Culture Committee hold virtual meetings on July 27

For Immediate Release: Friday, July 24, 2020

The following Committees will meet virtually on Monday, July 27. Council staff reports and additional information on items scheduled for Committee review can be viewed at: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/COUNCIL/ondemand/index.html.

The Committee meeting schedule may change from time to time. The current Committee agendas can be viewed at: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/COUNCIL/ondemand/index.html.

On the guidance of Health Officer and Chief of Public Health Services Dr. Travis Gayles, there is currently no public access to the Council Office Building. The virtual Council meeting will be streamed live on the Council’s web page via YouTube (MoCoCouncilMD) and on Facebook Live (MontgomeryCountyMdCouncil) and can be watched on County Cable Montgomery on channels 30 (Fios), 1056 (RCN) and 996 (Xfinity).

Meeting: Planning, Housing and Economic Development (PHED) Committee
Time: 9:30 a.m.
PHED Committee: Councilmembers Hans Riemer (Chair), Andrew Friedson (Lead for Parks) and Will Jawando
Topics:
Special Appropriation to the FY21 Operating Budget - $1,500,000 for Conference Center NDA

The PHED Committee will review a $1.5 million special appropriation for the Conference Center NDA. The appropriation will fund the operations of the Bethesda North Marriott Conference Center, which closed in March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The funds will only be disbursed based on actual losses. The Conference Center was created to drive local economic development by creating a venue for large gatherings. It is operated as a public-private partnership with Montgomery County, Maryland and Marriott.

The Council staff report can be viewed here.

Special appropriation - COVID-19 Human Services and Community Assistance NDA - $2,025,000 for Short-Term Assistance to Distressed, Affordable Common Ownership Communities
The PHED Committee also will review a special appropriation of $2,025,000 to provide short-term assistance for financially distressed, affordable common ownership communities. These funds would be used by the Department of Housing and Community Affairs (DHCA) to provide assistance to affordable common ownership communities in financial distress because of revenue lost since the start of the public health emergency declaration for Covid-19. The appropriation, which was spearheaded by Council President Sidney Katz, is sponsored by the full Council.

The Council staff report can be viewed here.

Thrive Montgomery 2050
The PHED Committee will have a briefing on the vision, goals, policies and actions for Thrive Montgomery 2050, which will ultimately result in an update to the County's General Plan. The plan is a policy document that guides how the County will develop and change over time and respond to future opportunities and challenges over multiple decades. It provides a long-term vision for land use planning, public investments in infrastructure and community amenities and private development. Those expected to attend the meeting include: Casey Anderson, chair, Montgomery County Planning Board; Gwen Wright, director, Planning Department, Tanya Stern, deputy director, Planning Department; and Khalid Afzal, special projects coordinator, director's office, Planning Department.

The Council staff report can be viewed here.

Housing Opportunities Commission Housing Production Fund
The PHED Committee will close out its meeting with a review of the Housing Opportunities Commission (HOC) Housing Production Fund. On July 7 the Council introduced the PHED Committee’s recommended amendment to the FY 2021-2026 Capital Improvements Program and a Special Appropriation to the FY 2021 Capital Budget to create the HOC Housing Production Fund. The creation of this fund would accelerate HOC’s ability to proceed with mixed-income housing developments in their development pipeline. This fund is intended to leverage county resources to create larger pools of funding to accelerate the production of new, mixed-use income developments with a substantial percent of affordable housing, particularly housing that is targeted to serve households with incomes at or below 50 percent of area median income. Those expected to attend include: Mary Beck, capital budget manager, Office of Management and Budget; Mike Coveyou, director, Department of Finance; Stacy Spann, executive director, HOC; Kayrine Brown, chief investment and real estate officer, HOC; and Zachary Marks, director of development real estate, HOC.

The Council staff report can be viewed here.

Meeting: Education and Culture (E&C) Committee
Time: 1:30 p.m.
E&C Committee: Councilmembers Craig Rice (Chair), Will Jawando (Lead for Libraries) and Nancy Navarro
Topic:
Montgomery County Public Schools Sexual Harassment and Assault Response Protocols
The E&C Committee will receive a briefing on Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) sexual harassment and assault response protocols. This discussion will primarily address interactions between students. Recently, there has been an influx of sexual assault and harassment allegations shared mostly anonymously via social media from former and current MCPS students. Those expected to provide information at the meeting include Dr. Henry Johnson, chief of staff, MCPS; Natalia Ahn, general counsel, MCPS; Greg Edmundson, director of student welfare and compliance, MCPS; and Ed Clarke, director of safety and security, MCPS. The E&C Committee has previously held multiple meetings with MCPS to discuss and review policies and procedures related to workplace harassment and child abuse and neglect.

The Council staff report can be viewed here.

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Release ID: 20-326
Media Contact: Sonya Healy 240-777-7926, Juan Jovel 240-777-7931