For Immediate Release: Tuesday, March 3, 2020
Also on March 3: Scheduled vote on Community Policing Bill and introduction of new bills on electric scooters, childcare grants, and tax credits for energy and environmental design
The Council will meet on Tuesday, March 3 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 Legislative Information 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. Council staff reports for all items on the Council’s agenda can be found here.
Coronavirus Preparedness
The Council, sitting as the Board of Health, will hold a briefing to receive up-to-date information on the coronavirus (COVID-19) and discuss the County’s efforts to ensure the health and safety of all residents. Dr. Travis Gayles, health officer and chief of public health services in the Department of Health and Human Services, and Earl Stoddard, director of the Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, will brief the Council. Dr. Raymond Crowel, director of the Department of Health and Human Services, will also attend the meeting as well as representatives from Montgomery County Public Schools.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Bill 8-20, Bicycles and E-Scooters – Operating Requirements and Registration
The Council is scheduled to introduce Bill 8-20, Bicycles and E-Scooters – Operating Requirements and Registration. Council President Sidney Katz is the lead sponsor. Councilmember Gabe Albornoz is a cosponsor. Bill 8-20 would do the following: update the definition of bicycle to conform to state law; permit a person to register a bicycle or electric low-speed scooter (e-scooter) owned by a County resident for personal use; require the registration of an e-scooter provided for rent in the County and pay a registration fee; establish operating requirements for e-scooter use in the County; and generally amend County law governing bicycle and e-scooter use in the County.
A public hearing is scheduled for March 24 at 1:30 p.m.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
#MoCoEScooter is being used for this bill on social media.
Bill 9-20, Economic Development Fund – Local Business Child Care Grant Program – Established
Bill 9-20, which would establish a Local Business Child Care Grant Program, is scheduled for introduction. Councilmembers Gabe Albornoz and Nancy Navarro are the lead sponsors. Council President Sidney Katz and Councilmembers Andrew Friedson and Hans Riemer are cosponsors. Bill 9-20 also would provide for the administration and eligibility criteria of the program; require regulations to implement the program; and generally amend the law related to the Economic Development Fund. The Local Business Child Care Grant Program would allow the Department of Finance to award a grant to eligible local businesses to provide childcare contributions to employees who earn gross incomes of less than $125,000 annually. The goal of this legislation is to assist local businesses that provide childcare contributions for the benefit of their employees.
A public hearing is scheduled for March 24 at 1:30 p.m.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
#LocalBusinessChildCareGrants is being used for this bill on social media.
Bill 10-20, Property Tax Credit – Energy and Environmental Design – Eligibility Criteria and Amounts of Credit
Bill 10-20, which would alter the eligibility criteria for the property tax credit for energy and environmental design, is scheduled for introduction. Councilmembers Andrew Friedson and Hans Riemer are the lead sponsors. Council President Sidney Katz is a cosponsor. Bill 10-20 also would alter the amounts and duration of the property tax credit for energy and environmental design by type of building; and alter annual limits on the total amounts of property tax credits granted by the County for energy and environmental design.
A public hearing is scheduled for March 24 at 1:30 p.m.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
#LEEDPropertyTaxCredit is being used for this bill on social media.
Bill 33-19, Police – Community Policing
The Council is scheduled to vote on Bill 33-19. Councilmembers Nancy Navarro and Craig Rice are the lead sponsors. All other Councilmembers are cosponsors. Bill 33-19 would create community policing guidelines focused on initiating and engaging in positive nonenforcement 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 Public Safety (PS) Committee recommends enactment with amendments. The recommended amendments include deleting the language requiring MCPD to maintain and expand the school resource officer program; requiring MCPD to designate a liaison to vulnerable populations; adding language requiring MCPD to increase officer knowledge of the County’s diverse population; and requiring MCPD to work with County departments, agencies and community-based organizations to incorporate mental health and positive youth development initiatives.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
#TransparentAndAccountablePolicing is being used for this bill on social media.
Fiscal Year 2021-2026 (FY21-26) Capital Improvements Program (CIP)
The Council will review the following FY21-26 CIP items:
The Council will hold the following public hearings:
Amendments to Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission’s (WSSC) FY20-25 Capital Improvements Program
At 1:30 p.m. the Council will hold a public hearing on amendments to WSSC’s FY20-25 CIP. The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Supplemental Appropriation to the County Government’s FY20 Operating Budget, Department of Police - $1,436,172 for School Safety FY20 School Resource Officer Grant
Also at 1:30 p.m. the Council will hold a public hearing on a special appropriation of $1,436,172 to the County’s FY20 Operating Budget for an FY20 school resource officer (SRO) grant. The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 20-01, Solar Collection System – AR Zone Standards
At 7:30 p.m. the Council will hold a public hearing on ZTA 20-01, which would revise the solar collection system use standards to allow larger facilities in the Agricultural Resource (AR) Zone. Councilmember Hans Riemer and Council Vice President Tom Hucker are the lead sponsors. The total amount of collection systems on all parcels would be limited to 1,800 acres. Any collector system constructed under the proposed amendment must be designated pollinator-friendly under the Maryland Pollinator-Friendly Designation Program. The Council staff report can be viewed here.
The Council 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 Council meeting also will be available live via streaming through the Council web site at: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/COUNCIL/ondemand/index.html and on Facebook Live.
# # #