For Immediate Release: Friday, April 12, 2024
The Transportation and Environment (TE) Committee will meet on Monday, April 15 at 9:30 a.m. to review the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Operating Budgets for the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT), the MCDOT Mass Transit Fund and the Vision Zero non-departmental account (NDA). In addition, the committee will review the FY25-30 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) revisions for transportation.
The members of the TE Committee include Chair Evan Glass, Councilmember Marilyn Balcombe and Vice President Kate Stewart.
The Public Safety (PS) Committee will meet at 9:30 a.m. to review the FY25 Operating Budgets for the Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (OEMHS), the Department of Correction and Rehabilitation (DOCR) and the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS).
The members of the PS Committee include Chair Sidney Katz and Councilmembers Dawn Luedtke and Kristin Mink.
The Health and Human Services (HHS) Committee will meet at 1:30 p.m. to review the FY25 Operating Budgets for services to end and prevent homelessness in addition to administration support services within the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The committee also will review a more than $1.7 million supplemental appropriation to the FY24 Operating Budget for DHHS to expand shelter services, overflow capacity and security. In addition, the committee will review the Office of Food System Resilience FY25 Operating Budget.
The members of the HHS Committee include Chair Gabe Albornoz and Councilmembers Luedtke and Laurie-Anne Sayles.
The Planning Housing and Parks (PHP) Committee will meet at 2 p.m. to review the FY25 Operating Budgets for the Housing Opportunities Commission (HOC), Department of Recreation and Skills for the Future NDA. Additionally, the committee will hold a follow-up discussion on the Department of Recreation's FY25-30 CIP.
The members of the PHP Committee include Chair and Council President Andrew Friedson and Councilmembers Natali Fani-González and Will Jawando.
More detail on each agenda item is provided below.
Transportation General Fund and Leaf Vacuuming Fund FY25 Operating Budgets
Review: The TE Committee will review the the County Executive’s recommended MCDOT FY25 Operating Budget. At this meeting the committee will receive an overview of the MCDOT General Fund and the Leaf Vacuuming Fund. The County Executive recommends more than $64 million for the MCDOT FY25 Operating Budget, which represents an increase of more than $5 million, or 8.4 percent, from the approved FY24 Operating Budget. The funds are divided among MCDOT’s General Fund, Leaf Vacuuming Fund and Grant Fund. The MCDOT General Fund is used to plan, design and coordinate development and construction of transportation and pedestrian routes, operate and maintain the traffic signal system and road network and to develop and implement transportation policies to maximize efficient service delivery. For the Leaf Vacuuming Fund, the County Executive recommends more than $7.4 million in the FY25 Operating Budget, which represents an increase of $190,098, or 2.6 percent, from the approved FY24 Operating Budget. For the Grant Fund, the County Executive recommends $214,507 in the FY25 Operating Budget, which represents an increase of $66,284 from the approved FY24 Operating Budget.
Division of Transit Services FY25 Operating Budget
Review: The TE Committee will review the County Executive’s more than $193 million recommended FY25 Operating Budget for the Division of Transit Services, which is an increase of nearly $14 million, or 8 percent, from the approved FY24 Operating Budget. The Division of Transit Services provides public transportation services in Montgomery County and its budget is composed of the Mass Transit Fund and the Grant Fund. The recommended FY25 budget for the Mass Transit fund is more than $188 million, which is an increase of nearly $14 million, or 8 percent, from the approved FY24 budget. The recommended FY25 budget for the Grant Fund is more than $5.1 million, which is an increase of $7,449 from the approved FY24 budget.
Transportation FY25-30 CIP Revisions
Review: The TE Committee will review a list of recommended revisions to the FY25-30 CIP for the transportation category. These include a new $4.8 million project to replace two failing culverts along Seven Locks Road. The Bus Stop Improvements, Intelligent Transit System and Ride on Bus Fleet Projects have recommended cost increases due to scope changes. Bridge Renovations, Street Tree Preservation and the Traffic Signal Modernization Projects have recommended inflationary cost increases. The now complete Seminary Road Intersection Improvement Project includes a recommended funding level adjustment to reflect an anticipated WSSC Water reimbursement.
Additional revisions include a schedule adjustment to the Bethesda Metro Station South Entrance project to reflects delays in Purple Line implementation. The recommendation would shift $7.3 million from the previous FY25-27 timeline into FY28 to cover the full duration of the Purple Line project. The recommended affordability adjustment to the Falls Road Bikeway and Pedestrian Facility Project would result in the termination of most project activities. In addition, the recommendation includes technical adjustments to the Glen Road Bridge Project, Residential and Rural Road Rehabilitation Project and the MCG Reconciliation PDF.
Review: The TE Committee will review the County Executives recommended $373,882 FY25 Operating Budget for the Vision Zero NDA, which is an increase of $171,938, or 85 percent, from the approved FY24 Operating Budget. This NDA funds the oversight and coordination of the Vision Zero Initiative to end traffic related serious injuries and fatalities through a full-time Vision Zero coordinator and supporting operational funds.
Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (OEMHS) FY25 Operating Budget
Review: The PS Committee will review the $4.4 million FY25 Operating Budget for OEMHS recommended by the County Executive, which is an increase of $644,978, or 15 percent from the approved FY24 Operating Budget. The role of the OEMS is to plan, coordinate, prevent, prepare for and protect against major threats to the Montgomery County community and manage the County’s unified response and recovery. The FY25 budget includes $900,000 for the Non-profit Security Grant Program, which was previously one-time funding for non-profit and faith-based organizations to augment costs for security personnel or other security planning measures. This funding is now listed as an ongoing expenditure in the department’s base budget. The County Executive has also recommended an additional one-time $300,000 expenditure towards Non-profit Security Grants in the FY25 Operating Budget through a budget amendment.
Department of Correction and Rehabilitation (DOCR) FY25 Operating Budget
Review: The PS Committee will review the more than $85 million FY25 Operating Budget for the DOCR recommended by the County Executive, which is an increase of more than $7.8 million, or 9.5 percent from the approved FY24 Operating Budget. DOCR operates the Montgomery County Detention Center in Rockville and the Montgomery County Correctional Facility in Clarksburg and provides progressive and comprehensive correctional, rehabilitative and community re-entry services for Montgomery County.
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) FY25 Operating Budget
Review: The PS Committee will review the more than $292 million FY25 Operating Budget for MCFRS recommended by the County Executive, which is an increase of more than $25 million, or 9.7 percent from the approved FY24 Operating Budget. The recommended budget adds six firefighter positions to Station 40 and a new Emergency Medical Services (EMS) duty officer to improve health outcomes in diverse areas of the County. The budget includes a proposal for a new fire camp for girls to encourage more women to enter firefighting as a career. MCFRS is a combined career and volunteer service with 35 fire stations and two rescue squad stations. Currently, there are 1,246 career firefighters and approximately 790 active volunteers.
Review: The HHS Committee will review the County Executive’s more than $49 million recommended FY25 Operating Budget for Services to End and Prevent Homelessness within DHHS. This amount represents a decrease of more than $9.9 million, or 16 percent from the approved FY24 Operating Budget. The division strives to provide access to safe, affordable housing and opportunities to improve quality of life through continuum of services that include housing stabilization, homeless diversion and permanent housing options.
The committee will also review a more than $1.7 million supplemental appropriation to the FY24 Operating Budget for DHHS to expand shelter services, overflow capacity and security. The supplemental appropriation would increase funding to four non-competitive contracts with the Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless, Inc. and Interfaith Works, Inc., allowing them to meet necessary service needs during the remaining months of the fiscal year. It will also increase funding for one competitive contract with Interfaith Works, Inc. The appropriation is needed in part because the existing appropriation was forward spent to address winter overflow and increases in demand for these services.
Review: The HHS Committee will review the more than $83 million FY25 Operating Budget for Administrative and Support Services at DHHS recommended by the County Executive. This represents an increase of more than $12.1 million, or 17 percent, from the approved FY24 Operating Budget. The change includes a three percent inflationary increase to eligible non-profit contracts and an enhancement to food service for consolidation hubs, which provide food distribution, food home deliveries and other social services at eight different locations. The FY25 Operating Budget also includes 10 additional full-time employees, when compared to the approved FY24 budget.
Office of Food Systems Resilience NDA
Review: The HHS Committee will review the more than $14 million FY25 Operating Budget recommended by the County Executive. This amount represents an increase of more than $13 million, or 1,180 percent, from the approved FY24 Operating Budget. The Office of Food Systems Resilience (OFSR) is charged with developing and maintaining a strategy for improving the efficiency, equity, sustainability and resilience of the food systems in Montgomery County. FY25 will be the second year the office has been in existence.
The recommended FY25 budget includes ongoing funding for the annualization of the office’s Food Systems Resilience Strategy, the Community Food Assistance Competitive Grant Program, the Food Staples Program transition through pandemic providers, support during the food stapes transition for the Capital Area Food Bank and Manna Food Center, an increase to contract monitoring capacity and an expansion to nutrition benefits outreach and enrolment.
Housing Opportunities Commission FY25 Operating Budget
Review: The PHP Committee will review the more than $8.2 million FY25 Operating Budget for the HOC NDA recommended by the County Executive. This represents an increase of $322,814, or four percent, from the approved FY24 NDA. The increase is due to FY25 compensation, health and retirement benefits that do not constitute new or expanded programs. HOC is the County’s public housing authority and administers federal and state housing programs. HOC is also authorized to acquire, own, lease and operate housing, construct or renovate housing and obtain financial assistance from public and private sources to assist its housing activities. In addition, the HOC can arrange for social services, resident services and daycare.
Department of Recreation FY25 Operating Budget
Review: The PHP Committee will review the County Executive’s recommended FY25 Operating Budget and FY25-30 CIP and FY25 Capital Budget for the Department of Recreation. For the FY25 Operating Budget, the County Executive recommends more than $64 million, which is an increase of more than $5 million, or 8.5 percent, from the approved FY24 Operating Budget.
The committee will also continue to review the FY25-30 CIP and FY25 Capital Budget for the Montgomery County Department of Recreation. The CIP has 14 projects at a cost of more than $154 million over the six-year period, which is an increase of $21.8 million, or 16.4 percent, from the Amended FY23-28 CIP. The increase is primarily due to new projects. At this meeting the committee expects to receive additional information on the Martin Luther King, Jr. Indoor Swim Center renovation, the Kennedy Shriver Aquatic Center (KSAC) Building and the Holiday Park Net Zero Initiative.
Review: The PHP Committee will review the County Executive’s $293,317 recommended Skills for the Future NDA, which is an increase of $8,294, or three percent, from the FY23 NDA. The increase in the NDA is a result of a three percent inflationary increase for nonprofit service provider contracts. This NDA provides funding for high-quality science, technology, engineering and arts and mathematics (STEAM) programming in both academic and recreation settings to youth from lower-income households. Currently, the KID Museum is the only provider that is recommended to receive funding through the Skills for the Future NDA.
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.
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Release ID: 24-144