For Immediate Release: Monday, June 10, 2024
The Montgomery County Council will meet on Tuesday, June 11 at 9 a.m. The meeting will begin with two proclamation presentations. The first proclamation, led by Councilmember Sidney Katz with County Executive Marc Elrich, will recognize World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. The second, led by Councilmember Laurie-Anne Sayles, will recognize Caribbean American Heritage Month.
At 1:15 p.m., Councilmember Will Jawando will present a proclamation recognizing the retirement of Anita Vassallo, director of Montgomery County Public Libraries.
More detail on each agenda item is provided below.
County Executive’s Nominee for Chief of Police: Marc Yamada
Interview: The Council will conduct an interview with Marc Yamada, who is the County Executive’s nominee for chief of the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD). During his 35-year career with MCPD, Yamada has served as assistant chief for three years, overseen the Field Services Bureau, served as the District 4 Commander, captain for the Community Engagement Division, and as a duty commander. Chief Marcus Jones will retire at the end of June.
Briefing: The Council will receive a briefing about the Planning Board Draft of the Great Seneca Plan: Connecting Life and Science, which covers 4,330 acres located in the heart of the I-270 Corridor between the cities of Gaithersburg and Rockville and the town of Washington Grove. The plan area includes several distinct areas, including the Life Sciences Center, Quince Orchard, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Londonderry and Hoyle’s Addition, Rosemont, Oakmont, Walnut Hill, Washingtonian Light Industrial Park, Washingtonian Residential and Hi Wood. The plan makes recommendations to strengthen the economic competitiveness of the Life Sciences Center, guide future developments, and transform public spaces and amenities in the area to provide valuable links and social spaces.
A public hearing on the Great Seneca Plan is scheduled for Wednesday, June 12 at 7 p.m. Residents must sign up to provide live testimony at the public hearing by June 11 at 5 p.m.
Appointment: The Council is expected to vote to appoint Khandikile Sokoni as the hearing examiner in the Office of Zoning and Administrative Hearings (OZAH), which conducts quasi-judicial, trial-type hearings on land use cases and other matters. These hearings include applications for rezonings, development plan and floating zone plan amendments, conditional use applications and accessory dwelling unit objections, and waiver cases arising out of the Department of Housing and Community Affairs. OZAH also presides over issues referred for hearing by the Human Rights Commission, the Commission on Common Ownership Communities, the County’s Merit System Protection Board, the Office of Consumer Protection, and the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer in appeals arising under the County’s Prevailing Wage Law.
Each item on the Council’s Consent Calendar can be found on the Council agenda for Tuesday, June 11, which is available on the Council website.
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.
Public hearing and vote expected: The Council will hold a public hearing and is expected to vote on a more than $1.5 million supplemental appropriation for Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). The appropriation is needed to expend Federal Education Rate funds received in 2024 to support ongoing innovation and expansion of new technologies within the Technology Modernization Program.
The fund can be used for internet, telephone and network connections costs that are eligible for federal E-Rate rebates.
Public hearing and vote expected: The Council will hold a public hearing and is expected to vote a $2 million special appropriation to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Capital Budget and Amendment for the FY23-28 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) for the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT). The funds will allow certain residential streets to be resurfaced months earlier than previously scheduled. In addition, the special appropriation is needed to help reconcile total expenditures in the FY23-28 CIP to available resources and create general obligation bond capacity in the FY25-30 CIP.
Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 24-02, Agricultural and Rural Zones - Campground
Introduction: Lead sponsors Councilmembers Marilyn Balcombe, Dawn Luedtke, Katz and Natali Fani-González will introduce Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 24-02, Agricultural and Rural Zones – Campground, which would expand the campground use to the Agricultural Reserve (AR) Zone and Rural Cluster (RC) Zone on properties that satisfy the requirements for farming in the zoning ordinance. Under the current zoning ordinance, campgrounds are only allowed in the Rural (R) Zone and Residential Estate 2C (RE-2C) Zone. Additional requirements include a minimum acreage, a maximum number of structures, a maximum number of nights per guest and limitations on kitchen and sanitation facilities.
Council President Andrew Friedson is a cosponsor of ZTA 24-02. A public hearing is tentatively scheduled for July 16.
Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 24-03, Great Seneca Life Sciences (GSLS) Overlay Zone
Introduction: The Council will introduce ZTA 24-03, Great Seneca Life Sciences (GSLS) Overlay Zone, which would establish the GSLS Overlay Zone to help implement the zoning and land use recommendations of the Great Seneca Plan. ZTA 24-03 includes modifications to standardize land uses across the overlay, incentivizes housing production and establishes a new methodology for providing public benefits in optional method of development projects.
The lead sponsor is the Council president at the request of the Planning Board. A public hearing is scheduled for July 16.
Bi-Annual Update on Public Health
Update: The Council will sit as the Board of Health to receive its bi-annual update on public health from Chief Health Officer Dr. Kisha Davis and Sean O’Donnell, program administrator for Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response at the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
Release ID: 24-218