For Immediate Release: Monday, April 20, 2020
Also on April 21, Council will continue its work on capital budget
The Council will meet virtually on Tuesday, April 21 at 9:30 a.m. Council staff reports and additional information on items scheduled for Council review can be viewed at: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/COUNCIL/ondemand/index.html.
The Council meeting schedule may change from time to time. The current Council agendas can be viewed at: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/COUNCIL/ondemand/index.html.
On the guidance of Health Officer and Chief of Public Health Services Dr. Travis Gayles, there is currently no public access to the Council Office Building. The remote Council meeting will be streamed live on the Council’s web page via YouTube and on Facebook Live and can be watched on County Cable Montgomery on: Xfinity/RCN 6 HD 996/1056 and Fios 30.
Council Agenda Items
Special Appropriation to the County Government’s FY20 Operating Budget, Department of Finance - $5,000,000 for Economic Development Fund, Public Health Emergency Grant Program
The Council will receive public testimony and vote on a special appropriation of $5 million to the Montgomery County Department of Finance’s Fiscal Year 2020 Operating Budget for the Public Health Emergency Grant (PHEG) Program. All Councilmembers have sponsored this special appropriation, which was spearheaded by Councilmember Nancy Navarro. This appropriation is needed to provide additional funding for the Public Health Emergency Grant Program for local businesses that operate a restaurant or a retail storefront establishment. This funding is in addition to the $5 million reserved for these businesses in the original $20 million special appropriation for this program. The County will seek reimbursement from the federal and state government for any eligible costs.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Expedited Bill 18-20, Landlord-Tenant Relations - Rent Stabilization During Emergencies
The Council will receive public testimony on Expedited Bill 18-20, also called the Covid-19 Renter Relief Act, which would prohibit landlords from increasing rent for residential tenants during and after the Covid-19 public health emergency. Councilmember Will Jawando is the lead sponsor. The goal of the Covid-19 Renter Relief Act is to prevent landlords from increasing a tenant’s rent during the emergency caused by the global pandemic and to prohibit notices of rent increases during, and within a certain time period after, the emergency. Council President Sidney Katz and Councilmembers Craig Rice and Nancy Navarro are cosponsors. Councilmember Navarro offered amendments to the original draft language of the bill restricting its scope to the current Covid-19 declared state of emergency and making it applicable only to residential (rather than residential and commercial) tenants. The bill also was amended so that it sunsets 121 days after the end of the current state of emergency. A Council vote on Expedited Bill 18-20 is tentatively expected on April 23.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
#NoRentIncreases and #RentStability are being used for this bill on social media.
Expedited Bill 23-20, Contracts - Management and Disposal of Goods - Emergency Procedures
The Council will receive public testimony and vote on Expedited Bill 23-20, which would authorize the Director of the Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security to dispose of goods donated to the County during a state of emergency without competition if the Director determines that the goods would be useful to others during the emergency. The lead sponsor is the Council President at the request of the County Executive. The goods must be disposed of in a manner consistent with emergency procedures and prioritization guidelines established by the public official declaring the emergency or the County Executive.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
#MoCoEmergencyDonations is being used for this bill on social media.
Special Appropriation to the County Government’s FY20 Operating Budget, Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC) Nondepartmental Account (NDA), - $100,000 for COVID-19 Response -Manufacturing Personal Protective Equipment
The Council will receive public testimony and vote on a special appropriation of $100,000 for manufacturing personal protective equipment (PPE) as part of the County’s response to the COVID-19 public health emergency. The resolution adds funding to the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation’s (MCEDC) efforts to work with local businesses to manufacture PPE. MCEDC will administer the funding by working with local businesses that need to retrofit current manufacturing equipment to produce PPE.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Special Appropriation to the County Government’s FY20 Operating Budget, $250,000 for Purchase of Face Coverings and other Personal Protective Equipment
The Council will receive public testimony and vote on a special appropriation of $250,000 for the purchase of face coverings and other Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). As of April 18, all Marylanders are required to wear face coverings. The efforts to contain the spread of the disease have resulted in a global shortage of PPE. This appropriation is needed so that the County government can purchase and distribute washable, reusable face coverings and potentially other PPEs to individuals who need them.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Special Appropriation to the County Government’s FY20 Operating Budget - $2,000,000 for COVID-19 Human Services Response and Community Assistance Non-Departmental Account (NDA)
The Council is scheduled to introduce a supplemental appropriation of $2 million to the FY20 Operating Budget for the COVID-19 Human Services Response and Community Assistance NDA. These funds would be used by the Department of Health and Human Services to support programs administered by Services to End and Prevent Homelessness. The full Council is sponsoring this special appropriation that was initiated by Councilmember Evan Glass. This funding may be used for emergency eviction prevention and housing stabilization programs. At least $1 million of these funds must be used to provide a short-term, rental subsidy program to low-and moderate-income households in response to the emergency. This support would be time limited and acceptance of this assistance would not prevent any resident from being accepted into a permanent subsidy program for which they are eligible. The County will seek federal and state reimbursement for program costs associated with the response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Council is scheduled to hold a public hearing and vote on this appropriation of April 28.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Joint Council/County Executive State Transportation Priorities Letter
The Council will review the Council’s and County Executive’s joint letter to the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) about transportation priorities in Montgomery County. The Council and the County Executive periodically send a joint letter to MDOT with the County’s funding priorities for transportation projects that are unfunded by the state government. The most recent letter was transmitted in 2017. Christopher Conklin, director of the Montgomery County Department of Transportation is expected to participate in the meeting remotely.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Fiscal Years 2021-2026 Capital Improvements Program (FY21-26 CIP):
The Council will review the FY21-26 CIP for the following:
The Council will review transportation projects in the FY21-26 CIP, which include potential funding for many pedestrian facilities and bikeways, transit, roads, bridges, traffic engineering, and highway maintenance capital projects. The Council staff report can be viewed here.
The Council will review WSSC’s FY21-26 CIP. WSSC’s six-year proposed total capital funding is $3.71 billion, which is an increase of $59.3 million or 1.6 percent over FY20-25 CIP. Four new projects are included in the CIP, which have a six-year total of $45.4 million in new spending. The Council staff report can be viewed here.
The Council will review the FY21-26 CIP for Solid Waste Management: Gude Landfill Remediation Project. The total project cost is $61.7 million, which is an increase of $31.2 million. Construction is scheduled to begin in FY22 and be completed in FY27. The Council staff report can be viewed here.
The Council will review the FY21-26 CIP for Conservation/Natural Resources: Storm Drains. All projects recommended by the County Executive are recommended to continue at the same annual funding levels as approved. The Council staff report can be viewed here.
The Council will review the FY21-26 CIP for Conservation/Natural Resources: Stormwater Management. The County Executive recommends a six-year funding increase of $7.2 million or 6.9 percent. The Council staff report can be viewed here.
The Council will review the FY21-26 CIP for the Revenue Authority. Under the County Charter, the Revenue Authority is subject to the six-year program for capital improvements but not to the capital and operating budget provision. The Council has never appropriated funds in the Revenue Authority’s CIP but instead authorizes the Revenue Authority CIP. The Council staff report can be viewed here.
The Council will review the FY21-26 CIP for the Public Arts Trust, which commissions site-specific works and supports other public art projects throughout Montgomery County. The Public Arts Trust is Montgomery County’s central program for managing and commissioning all public art on County-owned property. The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Public Hearings
The Montgomery County Council continues to provide community members with the option to present public hearing testimony by telephone for all Council public hearings. The call-in option was rolled out for the Council's public hearings on the operating budget and proved to be an effective tool to help expand public participation during the Covid-19 crisis.
Community members also have the option to provide audio, video and written testimony to the Council using a recently developed online testimony form on the Council's web page which can be found at https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/COUNCIL/PHSignUp.html . The testimony provided with the online option carries the same weight as testimony given at a public hearing. Councilmembers consider all comments as part of their deliberations.
Residents who would like to call in to testify at a Council public hearing need to preregister on the Council's web page at https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/council/calendar.html . Once the public hearing sign up request form is submitted and the public hearing list is created, individuals will receive separate confirmation notifications that include the appropriate phone number to call for the public hearing.
Finally comments and suggestions are welcome online at http://tinyurl.com/zrbwh5v; via email at county.council@montgomerycountymd.gov; by sending regular mail to County Council, 100 Maryland Ave., Rockville, MD 20850; or by calling the Council’s budget hotline at 240-777-7802.
Resolution to Approve FY21 Transportation Fees, Charges and Fares
The Council will receive public testimony on a resolution to approve FY21 transportation fees, charges and fares. This resolution sets the fees, charges, fines and fares for transit and parking services under the responsibility of the Montgomery County Department of Transportation. A vote on this issue is tentatively scheduled for early May. The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Resolution to Establish FY21 Solid Waste Service Charges
The Council will receive public testimony on a resolution to establish FY21 solid waste service charges. Increases in these charges that would be experienced by residential and non-residential customers on their property tax bills under the Executive’s recommended charges would vary depending on the services provided. As proposed, for single-family residential property owners, the charges could increase between 8.8 and 20 percent. Multi-family property owners could see increases ranging from 2.4 to 3.3 percent. Non-residential customers could see increases of 2.6 percent. Tipping fees charged at the Shady Grove Transfer Station are recommended to remain unchanged from the FY20 levels. The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Resolution to Establish FY21 Water Quality Protection Charge
The Council will receive public testimony on a resolution to establish the FY21 Water Quality Protection Charge. On March 16, the County Executive transmitted a proposed resolution related to the Water Quality Protection Charge equivalent residential unit rate (ERU) for FY21. The County Executive recommends an ERU rate of $108.10, which is an increase of $3.85 (or 3.7 percent) from the FY20 approved rate of $104.25. The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Resolution to Set Amount of Property Tax Credit for Income Tax Offset
The Council will receive public testimony on a resolution to set the amount of the property tax credit and income tax offset. Each year the Council may set a property tax credit to offset a portion of the income tax revenue resulting from a County income tax rate that is greater than 2.6 percent. This credit is automatically provided to each property that is an owner-occupied dwelling of a homeowner. The County Executive has recommended a property tax credit of $800 per eligible property in the recommended FY21 Operating Budget. The FY20 credit was $692 per eligible property. The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Intent to Consider Increasing FY21 General Fund Tax Rate Above the Constant Yield Tax Rate
The Council will receive public testimony on its intent to consider increasing the FY21 General Fund tax rate above the constant yield tax rate (CYTR). The State Department of Assessments and Taxation calculates the CYTR annually for each taxing authority. State law requires a Maryland taxing authority (in this case the Council) to advertise if it plans to exceed the CYTR for the next fiscal year. The Council’s notice to set a rate that exceeds CYTR does not restrict its decision when setting the actual real property tax rate during the budget. The notice provides flexibility because a taxing authority may not set a rate that exceeds the CYTR or the advertised rate unless it follows the State law exactly. The Council staff report can be viewed here.
###
Release ID: 20-161