Press Releases - County Council

Montgomery County Council Meets on Dec. 2 to Elect New Council Officers and Conduct Interviews with Applicants for Temporary Councilmember Position

For Immediate Release: Monday, December 1, 2025

Also on Dec. 2: Straw vote expected on the University Boulevard Corridor Plan

The Montgomery County Council will meet on Tuesday, Dec. 2 at 9:15 a.m. and the meeting will begin with a proclamation, presented by Councilmember Evan Glass, recognizing Harmony Express. At 1:15 p.m., a joint proclamation, presented by Councilmember Laurie-Anne Sayles and County Executive Marc Elrich, will recognize Rosa Parks Day.

At 9:30 a.m., Council President Kate Stewart, who will conclude her one-year term as president on Tuesday, will reflect on the Council’s accomplishments in 2025 and share a video retrospective of work conducted over the past year. The Council will elect a new Council president and vice president at approximately 9:45 a.m.

Consent Calendar

Each item on the Council’s Consent Calendar can be found on the Council agenda for Tuesday, Dec. 2, which is available on the Council website.

Applicant Interviews for Temporary Councilmember Position

Interviews: The Council will interview three candidates, Shebra Evans, Henry Lee and Reemberto Rodriguez, for the temporary councilmember position. On Oct. 16, Councilmember Gabe Albornoz announced that he planned to step down from the Montgomery County Council. He submitted his official letter of resignation on Dec. 1, 2025. In accordance with the Montgomery County Charter and Montgomery County Code Section 16-17, a vacancy occurring on or after Dec. 1 the year before a Council election is filled with an appointee. The appointed councilmember will fulfill the functions of the office for less than one year. The Council is expected to vote on the temporary councilmember appointment on Dec. 9.

Public Hearings

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.

• Bill 34-25, Legislative Process - Climate Assessments – Amendments
• Resolution to approve an amendment to the FY25-30 Capital Improvement Program and Supplemental Appropriation 26-24 to the FY26 Capital Budget, Montgomery County Government, Department of Transportation, Burtonsville Access Road
• Resolution to approve an amendment to the FY25-30 Capital Improvements Program and Supplemental Appropriation 26-38 to the FY26 Capital Budget, Montgomery County Government, Department of Transportation, Rockville Transportation Improvements (No. 502609), $6,816,000
• Resolution to approve Supplemental Appropriation 26-27 Amendment to the FY26 Operating Budget, Montgomery County Government, Department of Health and Human Services, School Health Services Head Start Program Nursing Services, $252,274

The Council will hold hybrid public hearings and is expected to vote on the following items.

• Resolution to approve Supplemental Appropriation 25-90 to the FY26 Operating Budget, Montgomery County Government, Department of Permitting Services, Green Bank Pilot Technical Assistance Program, $1,000,000
• Resolution to approve Supplemental Appropriation 26-10 to the FY26 Operating Budget, Montgomery County Government, Department of Permitting Services, Achieving Net Zero Energy Codes for All, $10,000,000
• Resolution to approve Supplemental Appropriation 26-23 to the FY26 Capital Budget, Montgomery County Government, Department of Transportation, White’s Ferry (No. 502606), $1,500,000
• Resolution to approve Supplemental Appropriation 26-26 to the FY26 Operating Budget, Montgomery County Government, Department of Health and Human Services, Tuberculosis Control Program, $145,000
• Resolution to approve an amendment to the FY25-30 Capital Improvements Program and Supplemental Appropriation 26-34 to the FY26 Capital Budget, Montgomery County Public Schools, Healthy Schools MCPS (No. 652504), $3,814,685
• Resolution to approve Special Appropriation 26-41 to the FY26 Operating Budget, Montgomery County Government, Compensation and Employee Benefit Adjustments Non-Departmental Account, Local Share of Pension Costs, $20,861,475

District Council Session

Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 25-14, Optional Method Public Benefits - Overlay Zones

Introduction: The Council’s Planning, Housing and Parks (PHP) Committee will introduce Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 25-14, Optional Method Public Benefits - Overlay Zones, which would amend the overlay zones to make them consistent with the new Optional Method Public Benefits System.

In July 2025, the Council adopted ZTA 25-05, Development Standards – Optional Method Public Benefits, which created new Optional Method Public Benefits standards. ZTA 25-14 will apply the new Optional Method Public Benefits standards adopted in ZTA 25-05 to the overlay zones. The impacted overlay zones are the Bethesda (B) Overlay Zone, Downtown Silver Spring (DSS) Overlay Zone, Germantown Transit Mixed Use (GTMU) Overlay Zone, Great Seneca Life Sciences (GSLS) Overlay Zone and Transferable Development Rights (TDR) Overlay Zone. ZTA 25-14 will grandfather the existing public benefits points system standards from the overlay zones to allow for a transition period.

A public hearing is scheduled for Jan. 13.

University Boulevard Corridor Plan

Review and straw vote: The Council will continue to review and is expected to take a straw vote on the University Boulevard Corridor Plan. The plan makes recommendations within an approximately three-mile stretch of University Boulevard (MD 193) from the edge of East Indian Spring Drive, just south of I-495, to Amherst Avenue in Wheaton. The recommendations include a new range of residential housing options for existing detached residential properties and new infill development on larger institutional and commercial properties.

As introduced, the University Boulevard Corridor Plan would amend the approved and adopted 1989 Master Plan for the Communities of Kensington-Wheaton, 1996 Four Corners Master Plan, 2001 Kemp Mill Master Plan, and 2012 Wheaton Central Business District and Vicinity Sector Plan.

The Council reviewed the University Boulevard Plan at a meeting held on Nov. 18. The Council’s PHP Committee reviewed the draft plan over the course four meetings held on Nov. 10 and Nov. 3, Oct. 20 and Sept. 29. The committee recommends approval with a series of amendments. Additional information about the committee’s recommendations is available in the Council staff report.

The Council held public hearings on the University Boulevard Corridor Plan on Sept. 10 at Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring and Sept. 16 at the Council Office Building in Rockville. More information about the University Boulevard Corridor Plan is available on the Montgomery Planning website.

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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: 25-394
Media Contact: Sonya Healy 240-777-7926, Benjamin Sky Brandt 240-777-7884