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Council scheduled to vote on bill that would ban smoking in certain outdoor serving areas on March 5

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, March 5, 2019

Also on March 5: Several bills for introduction including 
measures covering equal pay, renters' rights, clean energy,
affordable housing and a public hearing on the Law Enforcement Trust and Transparency Act

The Council meeting on Tuesday, March 5 will begin at 9:30 a.m. Individuals interested in attending a Council meeting should confirm the information on the day of the meeting by visiting the Council’s web page or by calling the Council’s Communication Office at 240-777-7832. All meetings are held in the Council Office Building (100 Maryland Ave., Rockville, MD.) in the third-floor hearing room, unless otherwise noted.

Bill 35-18, Health and Sanitation - Smoking - Outdoor Serving Areas
The Council is scheduled to vote on Bill 35-18, Health and Sanitation – Smoking – Outdoor Servie Areas. Council Vice President Sidney Katz is the lead sponsor. Councilmembers Craig Rice and Hans Riemer, Gabe Albornoz and former Councilmember Marc Elrich are cosponsors. Bill 35-18 and the Board of Health regulation would prohibit smoking in certain outdoor serving areas, such as patios, decks and porches, which are under the control of eating or drinking establishments. The goal of this bill is to protect the health of residents.

The Council staff report can be viewed here.

Resolution to adopt Bill 35-18, Health and Sanitation – Smoking – Outdoor Serving Areas, as a Board of Health Regulation
The Council is scheduled to vote on a resolution to adopt Bill 35-18, Health and Sanitation – Smoking – Outdoor Serving Areas, as a Board of Health Regulation.

The Council staff report can be viewed here.

Workforce Development Continuum
The Council will discuss the workforce development system in Montgomery County with representatives of Worksource Montgomery (WSM). The discussion will focus on how WSM is improving performance at the job centers and meeting compliance with the State’s performance measurements, how to expand access and mobility for individuals leaving the Montgomery County Correctional Facility and identifying and assisting underemployed individuals, among other topics.

The Council staff report can be viewed here.


The Council will introduce the following bills:

Bill 4-19, Personnel - Merit System - Requesting Salary History – Prohibited
The Council will introduce Bill 4-19, Personnel – Merit System – Requesting Salary History Prohibited. Councilmember Evan Glass is the lead sponsor. All other councilmembers are cosponsors. Bill 4-19 would prohibit the County from requesting the salary history from an applicant for County employment and prohibit the County from relying on salary history to determine an applicant’s starting salary. The goal of this bill is to eliminate this reason for wage inequity between genders. A public hearing is tentatively scheduled for March 26.

The Council staff report can be viewed here.

Bill 5-19, Development Impact Tax for Transportation and Public School Improvements - Exemptions – Amendments

The Council also will introduce Bill 5-19, Development Impact Tax for Transportation and Public School Improvements – Exemptions- Amendments. Councilmember Hans Riemer is the lead sponsor. Bill 5-19 would amend the exemptions from the development impact tax for transportation and public school improvements for certain dwelling units. It would modify the impact tax exemption for all units in a development where at least 25 percent of the dwelling units are built under certain government regulations or agreements. A public hearing is tentatively scheduled for March 26.

The Council staff report can be viewed here.

Bill 6-19, Landlord-Tenant Relations - Termination of Lease - Tenant Health and Safety
The Council will introduce Bill 6-19, Landlord-Tenant Relations - Termination of Lease - Tenant Health and Safety. Councilmember Tom Hucker is the lead sponsor. Bill 6-19 would require each lease for rental housing located in the County to allow the tenant to terminate the lease if the landlord does not correct a violation of applicable law that adversely affects the immediate health and safety of the tenant in the tenant's unit or a common area available for use by the tenant within 30 days after being ordered to do so by the Department. The goal of this bill is to allow tenants to protect their health by providing them an opportunity to terminate their lease if there are serious health and safety violations that remain uncorrected. A public hearing is tentatively scheduled for March 26.

The Council staff report can be viewed here.

Bill 7-19, Environmental Sustainability - Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy Program - New Construction

The Council will introduce Bill 7-19, Environmental Sustainability - Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy Program - New Construction. Councilmember Tom Hucker is the lead sponsor. Bill 7-19 would expand the Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy Program to new construction. The goal of this bill is to increase the effectiveness, efficiency and responsiveness of these policy-driven positions. A public hearing is tentatively scheduled for March 26.

The Council staff report can be viewed here.

The following public hearings will be held on March 5:

Bill 3-19, Administration – Executive Branch – Non-Merit Positions
At 1:30 p.m. the Council will hold a public hearing on Bill 3-19, Administration – Executive Branch – Non-Merit Positions. Council President Nancy Navarro is the lead sponsor, at the request of the County Executive. Bill 3-19 and its accompanying Executive Regulation would designate certain positions in the Executive Branch as non-merit positions.  The Council staff report can be viewed here.

Bill 1-19, Police – Officer Involved Death – Independent Investigation
At 7:30 p.m. the Council will hold a public hearing on Bill 1-19, Police – Officer Involved Death – Independent Investigation. Councilmember Will Jawando is the lead sponsor. Councilmembers Craig Rice, Hans Riemer Riemer, Council President Nancy Navarro, Councilmember Gabe Albornoz, Council Vice President Sidney Katz and Councilmembers Andrew Friedson, Evan Glass and Tom Hucker are cosponsors. The Council staff report can be viewed here.

The Council meeting and public hearings 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 Council meeting also will be available live via streaming through the Council web site at: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/COUNCIL/ondemand/index.html.

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Release ID: 19-078
Media Contact: Sonya Healy 240-777-7926, Juan Jovel 240-777-7931