For Immediate Release: Wednesday, March 15, 2023
Committees will review FY23-28 CIP Amendments for Montgomery College and MCPS; receive an update on the Children’s Opportunity Alliance, the Strategic Plan to End Childhood Hunger and the Office of Food System Resilience; and review a supplemental appropriation which would expand maternal health home visiting services
The Education and Culture (EC) Committee will meet on Thursday, March 16 at 9:30 a.m. to review FY23-28 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) amendments for Montgomery College and Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). The committee will also review a Supplemental Appropriation to the FY23 Capital Budget for the MCPS HVAC replacement project and an amendment to the FY23-28 CIP and Supplemental Appropriation to the FY23 Capital Budget for Relocatable Classrooms at MCPS.
The members of the EC Committee include Chair Will Jawando and Councilmembers Gabe Albornoz and Kristin Mink.
The joint Health and Human Services (HHS) and EC Committee will meet at 1:30 p.m. to receive a briefing on the Children’s Opportunity Alliance and to get an update on the Strategic Plan to End Childhood Hunger and the Office of Food System Resilience.
The members of the HHS Committee include Chair Albornoz and Councilmembers Dawn Luedtke and Laurie-Anne Sayles.
The HHS Committee will meet at 3:30 p.m. to review a more than $214,000 Supplemental Appropriation to the FY23 Operating Budget for the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) for the Statewide Integrated Health Improvement Strategy (SIHIS) Eliminating Disparities in Maternal Health Initiative-Home Visiting Expansion grant.
More detail on each agenda item is provided below.
FY23-28 CIP Amendment: Montgomery College
Review: The EC Committee will review the FY24 Capital Budget and amendments to the FY23-28 CIP for Montgomery College. Montgomery College’s FY23-28 approved CIP totaled $335.8 million for the six-year period. The amended FY23-28 CIP request totals $419.3 million, an increase of $83.5 million over the six-year period. Key changes include funding for collegewide library renovations, state allowable costs escalation increases and unprecedented cost escalation, the Germantown Student Services Center project, additional funding for the East County Campus project and the Rockville Theatre Arts Building Renovation.
Review: The EC Committee will hold its second meeting to review amendments to the FY23-28 CIP and the FY24 Capital Budget for MCPS. The committee will review the projects in the MCPS CIP that are proposed to be amended for fiscal, scope or other reasons identified by the Board of Education or the County Executive. The committee will also review the non-recommended reduction scenario as requested from MCPS.
Supplemental Appropriation to the FY23 Capital Budget, Montgomery County Public Schools, HVAC (Mechanical Systems) Replacement: MCPS (No. 816633), $25,000,000; Amendment to the FY23-28 Capital Improvements Program and Supplemental Appropriation to the FY23 Capital Budget, MCPS Relocatable Classrooms (No. 846540), $7,500,000
Review: The EC Committee will review two supplemental appropriations to the FY23 Capital Budget for MCPS. The two supplemental appropriations relate to requested CIP project amendments; the requested funds are to advance the appropriations to allow MCPS to initiate contracting and supply purchasing.
Children’s Opportunity Alliance Briefing
Briefing: The joint HHS and EC Committee will receive an update from the Children’s Opportunity Alliance, the County’s Early Care and Education Coordinating Entity. The County’s Early Care and Education Coordinating Entity will work to improve access, equity and inclusion in early care and education programs while helping the sector recover from challenges caused by the pandemic. In addition, the entity will also improve the availability of affordable quality early care and education in the County.
On July 12, 2022, the Council approved a resolution to designate the Children's Opportunity Alliance of Montgomery County as the County’s Early Care and Education Coordinating Entity. On Feb. 15, 2022, the Council approved Bill 42-21, which requires the Council to designate a nonprofit corporation to serve as the County’s early care and education coordinating entity.
High-quality and affordable early child care and education is an essential service for the well-being and future of children and families, as well as employers. The group would serve as a neutral convener of all major stakeholders to develop a community consensus for the County's early childhood education sector and must adopt and implement a racial equity and social justice policy consistent with the County's policy.
Strategic Plan to End Childhood Hunger and the Office of Food System Resilience
Briefing: The joint HHS and EC Committee will receive an update on the Strategic Plan to End Childhood Hunger and the Office of Food System Resilience. In December 2021, the Council adopted special appropriation 22-27 allocating $100,000 for development of the Strategic Plan End Childhood Hunger. The plan identifies food access barriers and strategies to reduce food insecurity across all childhood age groups and it includes recommendations to systemically address childhood hunger and identify metrics for success. The findings of the strategic plan will likely impact services provided in schools, community settings and recommend solutions to systemic food insecurity for children and families in the County.
In July 2022, Bill 20-22 established the Office of Food Systems Resilience (OFSR) as a non-principal office of the County’s Executive Branch. The OFSR will work to make the County’s food system more resilient and equitable to improve the health of residents, the economy and the environment. The Office serves as the liaison between County agencies and community partners with the goal of addressing the conditions which lead to food insecurity for residents.
Review: The HHS Committee will review a more than $214,000 supplemental appropriation to the FY23 Operating Budget for DHHS for the Statewide Integrated Health Improvement Strategy (SIHIS) Eliminating Disparities in Maternal Health Initiative-Home Visiting Expansion grant. This appropriation will expand the existing home visiting services in Montgomery County by augmenting the Babies Born Healthy Program.
This increase is needed because DHHS received grant funds from the Maryland Department of Health, SIHIS Eliminating Disparities in Maternal Health Initiative – Home Visiting Expansion grant. Grant funding will be used to create one full-time term program specialist/lactation health educator position and one half-time term community health nurse position. The comprehensive resourcing program will deliver targeted services to pregnant women and their families at high risk of severe maternal morbidity and racial and ethnic disparities. The source of funding is grant funds from the Maryland Department of Health, SIHIS Eliminating Disparities in Maternal Health Initiative-Home Visiting Expansion Grant.
The Committee 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.
The Council recommends that residents, who choose to attend in-person Council or committee meetings, get fully vaccinated to protect themselves and others against COVID-19. If this is not possible, virtual participation is encouraged.
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.
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Release ID: 23-091