For Immediate Release: Thursday, February 13, 2020
The following committee meetings are scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 13. 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 240-777-7832.
Meeting: Health and Human Services (HHS) 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
Topic:
Capital Improvements Program (CIP): Health and Human Services
The HHS Committee will review fiscal year 2021-2026 (FY21-26) CIP projects for the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) that do not involve the public school system or are not education-related. The two projects the Committee will discuss are Progress Place and Avery Road Treatment Center.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Meeting: Government Operations and Fiscal Policy (GO) Committee
Time: 9:30 a.m.
Location: Third floor conference room
GO Committee: Councilmember Nancy Navarro (Chair), Councilmember Andrew Friedson and Council President Sidney Katz
Topics:
Reverse Auction Purchasing
The GO Committee will receive a briefing on reverse auction purchasing. The term, “reverse auction,” refers to a purchasing method in which vendors compete to sell goods or services to a buyer. In a reverse auction, the buyer identifies the goods and services to be purchased and potential sellers bid against one another to make the sale; this type of auction typically produces progressively lower prices. In 2017, OLO prepared a report for the Council that describes the use of reverse auctions in public sector purchasing, identifies the benefits and drawbacks, and discusses potential future use by the Montgomery County government.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
CIP: FiberNet and ultraMontgomery
The GO Committee will review the FY21-26 CIP for FiberNet, which is a 650-mile fiber optic network that connects more than 500 community anchor institutions, including public schools, the community college, libraries, recreation centers and government buildings. This year, the County Executive recommends increasing funding from $4 million to $6 million to keep pace with needed connectivity in schools and public safety networks. The GO Committee also will review the review of the FY21-26 CIP for ultraMontgomery, which is a broadband economic development program that supports cost-effective, competitive access to broadband services and ultra-high-speed networks for businesses throughout Montgomery County.
The Council staff report for the FiberNet CIP can be viewed here.
The Council staff report for the ultraMontgomery CIP can be viewed here.
Meeting: Planning, Housing and Economic Development (PHED) Committee
Time: 2 p.m.
Location: Third floor hearing room
PHED Committee: Councilmembers Hans Riemer (Chair), Andrew Friedson (Lead for Parks) and Will Jawando
Topics:
CIP: Department of Recreation
The PHED Committee will review the FY21-26 CIP for the Department of Recreation (Recreation). The Committee will review Recreation projects including Kennedy Shriver Aquatic Center Building Envelope Improvement, Martin Luther King, Jr. Indoor Swim Center Renovation, Recreation Facility Refurbishment, South County Regional Recreation and Aquatic Center, and swimming pool slide replacement.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
CIP: Housing Opportunities Commission
The PHED Committee also will review the FY21-26 CIP for the Housing Opportunities Commission (HOC). The Committee will review County Executive Elrich’s recommendations for HOC, which include continued authorization of revolving fund financing and funds to support the maintenance of housing for people with extremely low incomes.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
CIP: Department of Housing and Community Affairs
The PHED Committee will review the FY21-26 CIP for the Department of Housing and Community Affairs (DHCA). The Committee will review the recommendations for capital funding for DHCA, including an update on the neighborhood revitalization program and a review of the ongoing funding for development or acquisition and preservation of affordable housing and the newly proposed Affordable Housing Opportunity Fund.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Right of First Refusal
The PHED Committee also will discuss the ability to increase the opportunity to preserve existing affordable housing by purchasing it under the Right-of-First-Refusal (ROFR) law and regulation. This has been one of the goals of the Affordable Housing Opportunity Fund and has been a major use of the Housing First Initiative Fund.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Supplemental Appropriation – DHCA - $229,000 for Affordable Housing Acquisition and Preservation
The PHED Committee will close out its meeting with a review of a supplemental appropriation of $229,000 for affordable housing acquisition and preservation. The supplemental appropriation is to expend funds from repayments of loans made from the Housing Initiative Fund. This increase is needed for technical reasons because the requested fiscal year 2020 appropriation was inadequate. This CIP project is the capital funding supporting the Housing Initiative Fund.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Meeting: Public Safety (PS) Committee
Time: 2 p.m.
Location: Third floor conference room
PS Committee: Council President Sidney Katz (Chair), Councilmember Gabe Albornoz and Council Vice President Tom Hucker
Topics:
Bill 33-19, Police – Community Policing
The PS Committee will review Bill 33-19. Councilmembers Nancy Navarro and Craig Rice are the lead sponsors. Council Vice President Tom Hucker and Councilmembers Gabe Albornoz, Will Jawando, Andrew Friedson, Evan Glass, Council President Sidney Katz and Hans Riemer are cosponsors.. As introduced, Bill 33-19 would create community policing guidelines focused on initiating and engaging in positive non-enforcement activities, improving cultural competence and promoting de-escalation tactics. The bill also includes reporting requirements for the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD). The goal of this legislation is to encourage greater transparency and accountability in law enforcement.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
CIP: Police Department
The PS Committee also will review the FY21-26 CIP for the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD). The MCPD discussion is expected to focus on the sixth district police station in Montgomery Village and Gaithersburg. The FY21-26 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) for the Police Department contains funding for four projects totaling $43.6 million over the next six years. The MCPD discussion is expected to focus on the sixth district police station in Montgomery Village and Gaithersburg.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
CIP: Department of Correction and Rehabilitation
The PS Committee also will review the FY21-26 CIP for the Department of Correction and Rehabilitation (DOCR). The Recommended FY21-26 Capital Improvements Program for Correction and Rehabilitation is comprised of two ongoing projects totaling $5.5 million. The DOCR discussion is expected to focus on the Criminal Justice Complex and on the possibility of re-envisioning pre-arrest diversion for mental health and substance abuse problems.
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.
# # #
Release ID: 20-048