For Immediate Release: Tuesday, March 10, 2020
Also on March 10: Council will introduce legislation that aims to increase the availability
of affordable housing in Montgomery County and vote on community policing bill
The Council will meet on Tuesday, March 10 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.
Bill 13-20, County Property – Disposition – Affordable Housing
Bill 13-20, which would require a disposition of a property that will be used primarily for housing development to include a certain number of moderately priced dwelling units (MPDUs), is scheduled for introduction. Councilmember Will Jawando is the lead sponsor. Bill 13-20 would require dispositions that will be used primarily for housing development to include 30 percent income-restricted units. It also would exempt any disposition that will be used primarily for housing development from the declaration of no further need process if 15 percent of the units are MPDUs and 15 percent are for residents with an income of less than 50 percent of the area median income. The goal of this legislation is to increase the availability of affordable housing in the County. The Council staff report can be viewed here.
#PublicLandforAffordableHousing 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. Last week, the Council voted to postpone action on the bill to an appropriate time. The full list of amendments can be found on page one of the Council staff report, which can be viewed here.
#TransparentAndAccountablePolicing is being used for this bill on social media.
The Council will review the fiscal years 2021-26 Capital Improvements Program (FY21-26 CIP) for the following:
Recreation
The Council will review the FY21-26 CIP and FY21 Capital Budget for the Department of Recreation. The County Executive’s recommended CIP for Recreation is $116.9 million, which is a decrease of $3.9 million or 3.2 percent from the amended FY19-24 program. The decrease is primarily due to progress on or completion of the Western County Outdoor Pool Renovation and Modernization and the South County Regional Recreation and Aquatic Center. Robin Riley, director of the Department of Recreation, is among those expected to attend the meeting. The Council staff report can be viewed here.
General Government Projects
The Council will review the FY21-26 CIP for general government projects and the Department of General Services (DGS). The County Executive recommends a CIP of $208 million, which is a decrease of $64.3 million from the FY19-24 program. This is primarily due to the substantial completion of several major projects within the DGS budget. David Dise, director of DGS, is among those expected to attend the meeting. The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Health and Human Services
The Council will review the FY21-26 CIP and FY21 Capital Budget for the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The County Executive’s recommended CIP for DHHS is $30 million, which is a $7.5 million or 33 percent increase from the amended FY19-24 program. Those expected to attend the meeting include the following: JoAnn Barnes, chief, Children, Youth and Family Services, DHHS; Amanda Harris, chief, Service to End and Prevent Homelessness, DHHS; Victoria Buckland, chief operating officer, DHHS; Lindsay Lucas, Office of Management and Budget; David Dise, director, Department of General Services (DGS); and Greg Ossont, deputy director, DGS. The recommendations of the Council’s Health and Human Services (HHS) and Education and Culture (E&C) Committees can be found on pages one and two of the Council staff report, which can be viewed here.
Fire and Rescue
The Council will review the FY21-26 CIP and FY21 Capital Budget for the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS). The County Executive’s recommended CIP for MCFRS is $113.5 million. The CIP contains 14 capital projects. It contains two fire station projects (Clarksburg and White Flint), the Apparatus Replacement Program and several ongoing level-of-effort projects that make different types of capital improvements at existing fire stations. Fire Chief Scott Goldstein is expected to attend the meeting. The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Parks
The Council will review the FY21-26 CIP and FY21 Capital Budget for the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC). M-NCPPC’s CIP request for FY21-26 is $253.3 million, which is an increase of $9.6 million or 3.9 percent over the amended FY19-24 program. The recommendations of the Planning, Housing and Economic Development (PHED) Committee can be found on pages one and two of the Council staff report, which can be viewed here.
The Council will hold the following public hearings.
Supplemental Appropriation - Office of Community Partnerships - $581,700 for 2020 Census Grant Program
On March 10 at 1:30 p.m. the Council will hold a public hearing on a supplemental appropriation to the Office of Community Partnerships’ operating budget of $581,700 for a 2020 U.S. Census grant. This appropriation is needed because the Community Engagement Cluster of the Office of Community Partnerships was awarded funds through the Maryland State 2020 Census Grant Program to implement 2020 Census activities through June 30, 2020. The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Supplemental Appropriation – Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) - $351,050 for Alfred Noyes Pilot Project Grant
On March 10 at 1:30 p.m. the Council will hold a public hearing on a supplemental appropriation of $351,050 to the MCPS operating budget for the Alfred Noyes Pilot Project Grant. This appropriation will provide funds from a Maryland State Department of Education grant to investigate how best to educate students in the juvenile justice system. The results of this investigation will guide juvenile justice education throughout the state. The pilot will be a partnership between the Rockville-based Alfred D. Noyes Children’s Center and the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services. 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.
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