For Immediate Release: Thursday, March 12, 2020
The following committee meetings are scheduled for Thursday, March 12. 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: Government Operations and Fiscal Policy (GO) Committee
Time: 9:30 a.m.
Location: Seventh floor hearing room
GO Committee: Councilmembers Nancy Navarro (Chair) and Andrew Friedson, and Council President Sidney Katz
Topics:
Bill 25-19, Contracts and Procurement – Local Business Preference Program
On March 12 at 10:30 a.m. the GO Committee will review Bill 25-19, which would increase the number of local businesses awarded County contracts and establish a Local Business Preference Program for certain County contracts. The goal of this legislation is to support local businesses. Ash Shetty, director of the Office of Procurement, is among those expected to attend.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Meeting: Transportation and Environment (T&E) Committee and Prince George’s Council’s Transportation, Infrastructure, Energy and Environment (TIEE) Committee
Time: 10:30 a.m.
Location: WSSC Headquarters (14501 Sweitzer Ln, Laurel, Md. 20707)
T&E Committee: Council Vice President Tom Hucker (Chair), Councilmembers Evan Glass and Hans Riemer
TIEE Committee: Councilmembers Deni L. Taveras (Chair), Dannielle M. Glaros (Vice-Chair), Thomas E. Dernoga, Monique Anderson-Walker and Todd M. Turner
Topics:
Possible Impacts of the P3 Project
On March 12 at 10:30 a.m. the Transportation and Environment (T&E) Committee will review the possible impacts of the I-495 and I-270 public-private partnership (P3) road-widening project, which aims to reduce traffic congestion in the Washington metropolitan region. The Committee will receive a briefing from Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) staff on the potential infrastructure impacts of the P3 project.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
WMATA FY2021 Operating Budget and Related Service and Fare Proposals
The T&E Committee also will review the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (WMATA) proposed FY21 operating budget and related service and fare proposals. The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Meeting: Transportation and Environment (T&E) Committee
Time: 2 p.m.
Location: Seventh floor hearing room
T&E Committee: Council Vice President Tom Hucker (Chair), Councilmembers Evan Glass and Hans Riemer
Topics:
Bill 38-19, Streets and Roads – Permit to Obstruct Public Rights-of-Way – Amendments
On March 12 at 2 p.m. the T&E Committee will review Bill 38-19, which would require the County Executive to adopt certain regulations regarding permits to close curb lanes, sidewalks or shared use paths in the public rights-of-way. Councilmember Andrew Friedson is the lead sponsor. Councilmembers Evan Glass, Will Jawando, Hans Riemer and Gabe Albornoz, Council Vice President Tom Hucker, Councilmember Craig Rice and Council President Sidney Katz are cosponsors. Bill 38-19 also would do the following: limit the circumstances in which the Department of Permitting Services may grant or extend a permit to close a curb lane, sidewalk or shared use path; and require the director of Permitting Services to publish certain information regarding permits to close curb lanes, sidewalks or shared use paths. The goal of this legislation is to assure pedestrian safety, minimize inconvenience to the public related to sidewalk closures and increase transparency about permits to close sidewalks. Chrissy Contreras, Department of Permitting Services (DPS), and Atiq Panjshiri, DPS, are expected to attend the meeting.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
#RightOfWayPermit is being used for this bill on social media.
State Transportation Priorities Letter
The T&E Committee also will review the Council and County Executive’s transportation priorities letter to the Maryland Department of Transportation. The Council and the County Executive periodically send a joint letter to the Maryland Department of Transportation with county funding priorities for transportation projects that are unfunded by the Maryland Department of Transportation. Recommendations for this year’s State transportation priorities letter have been proposed by the County’s Planning Board and the Montgomery County Department of Transportation and comments have been received from some members of the Montgomery County delegation in the Maryland General Assembly.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Climate Change Planning
The T&E Committee will close out its meeting with a briefing from Executive branch staff and members of the Climate Planning Workgroup on the County’s development of its Climate Change Action and Resilience Plan. An overview from the Department of Environmental Protection’s Climate Action Planning webpage can be found on circle pages one through nine of the Council staff report, which can be viewed here.
Meeting: Audit Committee
Time: 3 p.m.
Location: Third floor hearing room
Audit Committee: GO Committee and Council president and vice president as ex-officio voting members
Topics:
Results from FY19 External Audit and Council Contract for Audit Services
The Audit Committee will receive a briefing from CliftonLarsonAllen LLP, the County Government’s independent auditor, and Executive branch staff on the results of the audits of the County government’s FY19 financial statements and the financial statements of the County’s retirement plans, as well as other audit-related work. Those expected to attend the meeting include the following: Michael Coveyou, director of the Department of Finance; Karen Hawkins, chief operating officer, finance; Linda Herman, executive director, Montgomery County Employee Retirement Plans (MCERP); Yan Yan, chief financial officer, MCERP; and Sean Walker and Jason Ostroski of CliftonLarsonAllen LLP.
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.
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Release ID: 20-091