For Immediate Release: Monday, October 21, 2024
The Montgomery County Council will meet on Tuesday, Oct. 22 at 9 a.m., and the meeting will begin with two proclamation presentations. The first, presented by Council Vice President Kate Stewart and Councilmembers Evan Glass and Marilyn Balcombe, will recognize National Pedestrian Safety Month. The second, presented by Councilmembers Balcombe, Sidney Katz and Dawn Luedtke, will recognize the 75th Anniversary of the Gaithersburg/Germantown Chamber of Commerce. At 12 p.m., the Council will hold a meeting with the Regional Services Center directors.
More detail on each agenda item is provided below.
Semi-Annual Update as the Board of Health
Briefing: Sitting as the Board of Health, the Council will receive a semi-annual update from representatives of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The presentation is expected to include information about flu and COVID-19 vaccinations for uninsured or underinsured residents, the HIV/STI program budget, collaboration with Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), an update on overdoses fatalities, and an update on the loss of pro bono Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB-GYN) services provided through Holy Cross.
2024-2028 Growth and Infrastructure Policy
Review and straw vote: The Council will continue to review the recommendations of the Council’s Planning, Housing and Parks (PHP) Committee on the Planning Board draft of the 2024-2028 Growth and Infrastructure Policy. In addition, the Council is expected to take straw votes on each of the items reviewed within the draft policy. The Council previously held a work session on the policy at a meeting held on Oct. 15.
The PHP Committee held a series of meetings on Sept. 16, Sept. 23 and Oct. 7 to review the 2024-2028 Growth and Infrastructure Policy. The Council is expected to review recommendations related to Development Impact Taxes for transportation and schools at a future Council meeting following the Council’s Government Operations and Fiscal Policy (GO) Committee review.
The 2024-2028 Growth and Infrastructure Policy is the set of 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.
The Montgomery 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 was introduced to the Council on Sept. 10, is the Planning Board’s recommended changes to the impact tax law.
Each item on the Council’s Consent Calendar can be found on the Council agenda for Tuesday, Oct. 22, 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.
Proposed Closed Session
The Council intends to meet in closed session to discuss the appointment, employment, assignment, promotion, discipline, demotion, compensation, removal, resignation, or performance evaluation of appointees, employees, or officials over whom it has jurisdiction, pursuant to Maryland Code, State Government Article Section 3-305(b)(1)(i). Topic is a personnel matter concerning one or more specific appointees, employees, or officials.
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: 24-376