For Immediate Release: Tuesday, December 12, 2017
Council scheduled to vote on bill that removes financial incentive to exhibit wild animals on Dec. 12 at 11 a.m.
Also on Dec. 12: Resolution on extending Temporary Protected Status and creating pathways to permanent residency for DACA recipients, legislation allowing expanded brewing and distilling, payments to providers of services to people with developmental differences, and an update on the County's fiscal plan and economic indicators
ROCKVILLE, Md., December 11, 2017—The Montgomery County Council is scheduled to vote on Tuesday, December 12 on Bill 23-17, Animal Control - Performance Animal – Violations, at 11 a.m. in the Third Floor Council Hearing Room. Bill 23-17 would prohibit a person or business from exhibiting or financially benefiting from the exhibition of any performance animal in a traveling animal act and authorize the Animal Control Division to enforce prohibition on performance animals. Councilmembers Craig Rice and George Leventhal are the lead sponsors, and Council President Hans Riemer, Council Vice President Nancy Navarro, and Councilmembers Sidney Katz, Marc Elrich, Tom Hucker, and Roger Berliner are co-sponsors. The staff report can be viewed at:
http://montgomerycountymd.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=169&event_id=7511&meta_id=147269
At 9:45 a.m. the Council will vote on a resolution that calls on national leaders to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for all nations currently included in the program, and to establish a pathway to permanent residency for TPS and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients. Maryland is home to more than 20,000 TPS recipients and 9,700 DACA “Dreamers,” who risk losing their status if the federal government goes ahead with its plan to let these programs expire. The resolution, introduced by Councilmember Leventhal and Council Vice President Navarro, is co-sponsored by all other Councilmembers. The staff report can be viewed at:
http://montgomerycountymd.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=169&event_id=7511&meta_id=147212
The Council also will vote on Bill 35-17, Finance - Payments to Service Providers, which would require that a payment be made to eligible providers of services to people with developmental differences (also called developmental disabilities) each year. The payment would take into consideration the State reimbursement rates to service providers and the additional operating support needed to allow each service provider to pay direct service workers, on average, 125 percent of the County minimum wage. Councilmember Berliner is the lead sponsor. Council President Hans Riemer, Council Vice President Navarro and Councilmembers Leventhal, Elrich, Katz, Floreen, Rice, and Hucker are co-sponsors. The staff report can be viewed at:
http://montgomerycountymd.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=169&event_id=7511&meta_id=147274
The Council also will vote on a resolution establishing a work group on meeting the needs of residents with developmental differences. The resolution was introduced by Councilmember Leventhal and is co-sponsored by all Councilmembers. The goal of the work group will be to advance the fair and equitable treatment of County residents with developmental differences (also called developmental disabilities). The group would include representatives from major County departments – Health and Human Services, Transportation, Housing and Community Affairs, Recreation, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), and Montgomery College – as well as the Maryland Developmental Differences Administration, community organizations, and the public. The staff report can be viewed at:
http://montgomerycountymd.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=169&event_id=7511&meta_id=147208
The Council also will vote on ZTA 17-07, Light Manufacturing and Production - Brewing and Distilling, which would revise the definition and standards for light manufacturing and production. It would allow for the brewing and distilling of alcoholic beverages, under certain circumstances, to be more permissive. The ZT A would allow light manufacturing and production as a limited use in Commercial/Residential zones. Council President Riemer is the lead sponsor. Councilmembers Leventhal, Hucker, Katz, Rice, and Berliner and Council Vice President Navarro are co-sponsors. The staff report can be viewed at:
http://montgomerycountymd.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=169&event_id=7511&meta_id=147259
The Council is scheduled to vote on Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 17-08. Councilmembers Floreen and Leventhal and Council President Riemer are the lead sponsors. Councilmember Rice is a co-sponsor. ZTA 17-08 would revise the definition and requirements for bed and breakfast operations. It would provide more permissive standards for bed and breakfasts when this use is established in historic buildings. The ZTA would allow owners to provide up to ten rooms for bed and breakfast establishments and permit food services for guests. The staff report can be viewed at:
http://montgomerycountymd.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=169&event_id=7216&meta_id=147071 .
At 10 a.m. the Council will receive an update on the County Fiscal Plan and economic indicators. Office of Management and Budget Director Jennifer Hughes, Finance Director Alex Espinosa, and their colleagues will join the Council for this fiscal review. In June 2010 the Council approved for the first time a six-year fiscal plan that was balanced for the entire period. Each June since then the Council has taken similar action. The fiscal plan is then updated every year in December. The staff report can be viewed at:
http://montgomerycountymd.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=169&event_id=7511&meta_id=147257
The Council meeting begins at 9:30 a.m. and will be televised live by County Cable Montgomery (CCM). The channel can be viewed on Cable Channels 996 (high definition) and 6 (standard definition) on Comcast; Channels 1056 (HD) and 6 (SD) on RCN; and Channel 30 on Verizon. The session also will be available live via streaming through the Council web site at http://tinyurl.com/z9982v8 Release ID: 17-390