For Immediate Release: Thursday, April 11, 2019
The following committee meetings are scheduled for Thursday, April 11. Individuals interested in attending a committee meeting should confirm the information on the day of the meeting by visiting the Council’s web page at tinyurl.com/CountyCouncilMeetings or by calling the Council’s Communications Office at 240-777-7931. All meetings are held in the Council Office Building (100 Maryland Ave., Rockville, Md.), unless otherwise noted.
Meeting: Health and Human Services (HHS) and Public Safety (PS) Committee
Time: 9:30 a.m.
Location: Seventh floor hearing room
HHS Committee: Councilmembers Gabe Albornoz (Chair), Evan Glass (Lead for Homelessness and Vulnerable Communities) and Craig Rice
PS Committee: Council Vice President Sidney Katz (Chair), Councilmembers Gabe Albornoz and Tom Hucker
Topics:
Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20) Operating Budget and Capital Improvements Program (CIP) Amendments—Adult Drug Court
The Montgomery County Circuit Court Adult Drug Court is a comprehensive, voluntary treatment program for adult offenders suffering from drug and alcohol dependence. The goal of the program is to reduce recidivism by providing intensive services and supervision to address substance dependence. The FY20 Recommended Operating Budget for Adult Drug Court is approximately $1.2 million.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
FY20 Operating Budget and CIP Amendments—Mental Health Court
Mental Health Court is a problem-solving court that diverts eligible defendants who have committed low-level crimes because of a mental illness into treatment and away from jail, with the aim of improving public safety by reducing recidivism and helping participants regain productive lives. Participation is voluntary. Defendants who choose not to participate or who are not approved go through the regular criminal justice process. The FY20 Recommended Operating Budget for Mental Health Court is approximately $784,205.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
FY20 Operating Budget and CIP Amendments—Monitored Exchange and Supervised Visitation Center
The Safe Passage Center (SPC) for Supervised Visitation and Monitored Exchange is a “family friendly” and safe access site for families with a Montgomery County Court Order. The Center’s goal is to enable children to remain close to both parents regardless of the family situation or parental conflict by providing monitored parental exchanges and supervised visits. The FY20 Recommended Operating Budget is approximately $442,738.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Meeting: Planning, Housing and Economic Development (PHED) Committee
Time: 9:30 a.m.
Location: Third floor hearing room
PHED Committee: Councilmembers Hans Riemer (Chair), Andrew Friedson (Lead for Parks) and Will Jawando
Topics:
FY20 Operating Budget and CIP Amendments—Board of Appeals
The Board of Appeals (BOA) is a quasi-judicial body that assists the public in understanding zoning and land use issues. The BOA hears and decides inquiries and applications under the County’s Zoning Ordinance for variances and administrative appeals and conducts oral arguments on conditional use decisions or modifications of special exceptions. The FY20 Recommended Operating Budget for the Board of Appeals is $563,032, which is a decrease of 2.8 percent from the FY19 Approved Budget.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
FY20 Operating Budget and CIP Amendments—Office of Zoning and Administrative Hearings
The Office of Zoning and Administrative Hearings (OZAH) conducts due process hearings on land use and other administrative matters in a manner that protects the rights of the participants. OZAH provides a complete record in each case and provides a thorough and balanced report of land use decisions and other administrative matters. The FY20 Recommended Operating Budget for OZAH is $ $686,084, which is a decrease of 2.6 percent from the FY19 Approved Budget.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
FY20 Operating Budget and CIP Amendments—Department of Permitting Services
The Department of Permitting Services (DPS) is responsible for permit and license issuance to ensure that proposed land and building construction work is done safely, timely and professionally. DPS works with design professionals, local and state agencies, business groups and the public to review, approve, issue and inspect plans to ensure code compliance, promote economic well-being, sustainability and quality of life. The FY20 Recommended Operating Budget for DPS is $42,018,916, which is a 4.4 percent increase over the FY19 Approved Budget.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
FY20 Operating Budget and CIP Amendments—CIP: General Government Economic Development projects
The County Executive recommended amendments to three projects in the General Economic Development section of the CIP. The PHED Committee will review two of those amendments, which are the White Flint Redevelopment Program and the White Oak Science Gateway Redevelopment Project.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Meeting: Government Operations and Fiscal Policy (GO) Committee
Time: 2:30 p.m.
Location: Seventh floor hearing room
GO Committee: Council President Nancy Navarro (Chair), Councilmember Andrew Friedson and Council Vice President Sidney Katz
Topics:
FY20 Operating Budget and CIP Amendments—Office of Human Resources
The Office of Human Resources (OHR) is responsible for overseeing the hiring process for potential employees of Montgomery County Government, including positions in executive/managerial careers, public safety jobs, general professional positions, administrative jobs, labor and trades positions and more. The FY20 Recommended Operating Budget for OHR is $281,820,607, which is an increase 5.38 percent from the FY19 Approved Budget.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
FY20 Operating Budget and CIP Amendments—Board of Elections
The mission of the Board of Elections is to register voters, conduct elections, assist persons seeking elective office with candidate filings and campaign fund reports, assist residents seeking to place questions on the ballot and to preserve election data. The FY20 Recommended Operating Budget for the Board of Elections is $8.1 million.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
FY20 Operating Budget and CIP Amendments—Non-departmental account: Public Elections Fund
The Public Elections Fund provides public campaign financing for eligible candidates for a County elective office. The Council enacted legislation to create the Public Campaign Fund in September 2014. No additional appropriation for the fund is recommended for the upcoming fiscal year. Its current balance is approximately $1.8 million.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
FY20 Operating Budget and CIP Amendments—Community Engagement Cluster
The Community Engagement Cluster is responsible for strengthening Montgomery County’s commitment to civic engagement and community service by engaging residents, organizations, businesses and other interest groups in our communities. The FY20 Recommended Operating Budget for the Community Engagement Cluster is $4,795,376, which is an increase of 24.58 percent over the FY19 Approved Budget. The increase is largely due to the creation of the Regional Business Hub and the shift of the Business Solutions Group to the Regional Services Center.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
FY20 Operating Budget and CIP Amendments—Public Information Office (excluding 311)
The Public Information Office (PIO) handles media inquiries and works with the news media to inform residents about the programs and services available to them. The FY20 Recommended Operating Budget for PIO, not including MC311, is $1,569,891, which is an increase of 4.4 percent over the FY19 Approved Budget.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
FY20 Operating Budget and CIP Amendments—MC 311
The MC311 Customer Service Center is the County’s resource for non-emergency government information and services. The FY20 Recommended Operating Budget for MC311 is $3.9 million, which is an increase of 2.6 percent over the Approved FY19 Budget.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
The Council committee meetings 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 meetings also will be available live via streaming through the Council web site at: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/COUNCIL/ondemand/index.html.
# # #