For Immediate Release: Wednesday, April 29, 2020
Also on April 30, Council will discuss collective bargaining agreements and continue its review of capital budget projects and the Fiscal Year 2021 Operating Budget
The Council will meet virtually on Thursday, April 30 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 virtual 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 sitting as the Board of Health
Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) Update
On Thursday at 11:30 a.m. the Council will review the County’s efforts to maintain public health and safety related to the Covid-19 pandemic. At this meeting, the Council will receive updates on the status of cases in Montgomery County and ongoing coordination and collaboration with federal, state and local agencies and healthcare providers. Those expected to provide information include the following: Dr. Travis Gayles, county health officer and chief of the Department of Health and Human Services’ (DHHS) Public Health Services; Dr. Earl Stoddard, director, Office of Emergency management and Homeland Security; and Dr. Raymond Crowel, director, DHHS.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Domestic Violence during Covid-19
The Council will receive an update on the County’s new family violence awareness and prevention campaign, which was launched on April 23, 2020. Multiple County agencies collaborated on this campaign, including the Office of the County Executive, the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, the Montgomery County Police Department, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, and the Montgomery County Commission for Women.
The goal of this initiative is to:
- raise public awareness around the identification and incidence of family violence;
- provide information to individuals who may be experiencing family violence while social distancing and staying at home;
- guide individuals on how to support a friend or family member who is experiencing family violence; and
- identify available community resources.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Council Agenda Items
Resolutions to Indicate the Council's Intent to Approve or Reject Provisions of the Collective Bargaining Agreements
The Council will discuss the collective bargaining agreements for the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) and the Municipal County Government Employees Organization (MCGEO). Under the County Employees Labor Relations Law, the Council must review the terms or conditions of each final collective bargaining agreement requiring an appropriation of funds or enactment, repeal or modification of a County law or regulation. On or before May 1, unless the Council extends this deadline, the Council must indicate by resolution its intention to appropriate funds for or otherwise implement the agreement, or its intention not to do so and state its reasons for any intent to reject any part of an agreement. The Council is not bound by the agreement on those matters over which the Council has final approval. The Council may address contract items individually rather than on an all-or-nothing basis.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Resolutions to Indicate the Council's Intent to Approve or Reject Provisions of the Collective Bargaining Agreement with the Montgomery County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association
The Montgomery County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association is the representative for the County's Local Fire and Rescue Departments. The Montgomery County Code requires the Executive to submit to the Council any element of a collective bargaining agreement that requires an appropriation of funds, may have a future fiscal impact, is inconsistent with any County law or regulation, or requires the enactment or adoption of any County law or regulation. The Council must notify the parties within 60 days if it disapproves an agreement in whole or in part. The Council may by resolution extend the time for action.
On March 31, 2020, the Executive submitted a negotiated agreement between the Executive and the Montgomery County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association, effective July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2023, for Council review and action. The Council must review and act on each provision that requires an appropriation of funds for the first year of the agreement in FY21.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Special appropriation to the County Government’s FY20 Operating Budget, COVID-19 Human Services and Community Assistance Non-Departmental Account (NDA) - $750,000 for Support for COVID-19 Response - Food Assistance/Feeding Our Families
At 1:30 p.m. the Council will receive public testimony and vote on a special appropriation of $750,000 to the FY20 Operating Budget for the Covid-19 Human Services Response and Community Assistance Non-Departmental Account. This appropriation is sponsored by the entire Council and was spearheaded by Councilmembers Gabe Albornoz, Nancy Navarro and Craig Rice. These funds will be used by Montgomery County’s Department of Health and Human Services to help address the County's increasing level of food insecurity among community members and their families. The economic hardships experienced by countless County residents as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic have created ever-increasing and sustained demands on food banks, nonprofit providers and community service partners providing food assistance. The County will seek federal and state reimbursement for program costs associated with the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Council staff report can be viewed here by April 30.
Special appropriation to the County Government’s FY20 Operating Budget, Department of Finance, Economic Development Fund, Support for COVID-19 Response - $250,000 for Telework Assistance Program
The Council will receive public testimony and vote on a special appropriation of $250,000 to the FY20 Operating Budget for the Department of Finance, Economic Development Fund. This appropriation is sponsored by the entire Council and was spearheaded by Councilmember Andrew Friedson. The Council, through this special appropriation, is creating the Telework Assistance Program to reimburse businesses and non-profit organizations for expenses incurred to implement a teleworking policy due to the Covid-19 health crisis. These funds will provide grants to businesses and non-profit organizations that implemented a teleworking program and purchased teleworking equipment and software since the beginning of the health crisis in March.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Special appropriation to the County Government’s FY20 Operating Budget, Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) - $5,000,000 for COVID-19 Response - Community Assistance NDA
The Council will receive public testimony and vote on a special appropriation of $5 million recommended by the County Executive to the County’s Human Services Response and Community Assistance account to be used by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to expand a program to provide direct financial assistance to County residents.
The Council and County Executive continue to collaborate to provide the necessary funding and programs for community members and local businesses in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The additional $5 million special appropriation is needed to provide financial support for community members who continue facing economic hardships. This County assistance is intended to fill the financial assistance gaps not covered by Covid-19 related state and federal assistance.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) Operating Budget
The Council’s focus as it reviews the County’s Fiscal Year 2021 Recommended Operating Budget will be on producing a continuity of services budget for County government. The Council’s upcoming budget work will be completed with the knowledge that the Council may need to return to FY21 budget issues early in the fiscal year to make additional reductions based on anticipated revenue decreases.
The Council will review the FY21 Operating Budget for the following:
- Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC)
The County Executive’s recommended FY21 Operating Budget for WSSC is $856.2 million, which is an increase of $38.8 million or 4.7 percent. Council staff is recommending a continuity of services operating budget of $850.5 million, which is an increase of $33.1 million or 4.1 percent from last year’s budget. The Council staff report can be viewed here. - Montgomery County Recreation
The County Executive’s recommended FY21 Operating Budget for Recreation is $47.48 million, which is an increase of $2.6 million or 5.8 percent. Council staff is recommending a continuity of services operating budget of $46.1 million, which is an increase of $1.2 million or 2.8 percent from last year’s budget. The Council staff report can be viewed here. - General Fund – Department of Transportation and Leaf Vacuuming Fund
The County Executive’s recommended FY21 Operating Budget for the Department of Transportation (DOT) is $47.2 million, which is an increase of $1.1 million or 2.4 percent. For the Vacuum Leaf Collection Fund, the County Executive’s recommended budget is $6.4 million, which is a decrease of $92,427 or 1.4 percent. Council staff is recommending a continuity of services operating budget for DOT of $46.58 million, which is an increase of $403,019 or 1.5 percent from last year’s budget and a decrease of $151,198 or 2.2 percent for the Vacuum Leaf Collection fund. The Council staff report can be viewed here. - Non-departmental Account (NDA): Homeowner’s Association Road Maintenance Reimbursement
The County Executive’s recommended FY21 Operating Budget for the Homeowners’ Association (HOA) Road Maintenance Reimbursement NDA is $62,089, which is the same level as the FY20 Operating Budget. Council staff concurs with the County Executive’s request. The state program reimburses HOAs for roads eligible to be counted for State Highway User Revenue. The funds associated with these roads are sent to the County and then passed through to the HOAs. Most of the 50-odd miles of eligible roads under this program are in Montgomery Village, but there are a few miles in Olney and Germantown as well. The Council staff report can be viewed here. - NDA: Rockville Parking District
The County Executive’s recommended FY21 Operating Budget for the Rockville Parking District NDA is $418,700, which is a decrease of $1,300 or .3 percent. Council staff concurs with the County Executive’s recommendation. This NDA is an annual payment to the City of Rockville reflecting the commercial square footage of County buildings in the Town Center, a share of the capital cost of constructing the garages there, and the foregone revenue due to free parking for County employees working in Rockville Memorial Library. The Council staff report can be viewed here.
• NDA: Climate Response
The County Executive’s recommended FY21 Operating Budget for the Climate Response NDA is $2.88 million, which is the same level as the FY20 Operating Budget. Council staff concurs with the County Executive’s recommendation. This NDA was formerly called the Snow Removal and Storm Cleanup NDA. These funds are to support the Departments of Transportation and General Services when actual expenditures exceed their individual snow removal and storm cleanup budgeted amounts. The Council staff report can be viewed here. - NDA: Vision Zero
The County Executive’s recommended FY21 Operating Budget for the Vision Zero NDA is $175,665. Council staff is recommending a continuity of services operating budget of $174,785, which is a decrease of $115 from last year’s budget. The Council staff report can be viewed here. - Resolution on Transportation Fees, Charges, and Fares
In the Silver Spring Parking Lot District, the County Executive proposes to:
- increase the cost of the monthly access card to $195 per month;
- increase the cost of the monthly permit to $132 per month;
- increase the demand-based parking rates in parking spaces within right-of-way of public street to a maximum of $2.25 per hour;
- increase rates for surface parking lots to a maximum of $1.25 per hour;
- increase rates in garages to a maximum of $1.25 per hour; and increase daily parking permits to $12 per day.
The increase in revenues will allow continued capital improvements to the Silver Spring Parking Lot District.
The resolution that was introduced also included changes to Ride On fares to mirror the Metrobus fares proposed by the General Manager of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Now that the WMATA Board has approved the Metrobus fares for FY21, the Ride On fares in the attached resolution have been revised. The Council staff report can be viewed here.
- Mass Transit Fund
The County Executive’s recommended FY21 Operating Budget for the Department of Transportation’s Mass Transit Fund is nearly $157 million, which is an increase of $11.8 million or 8.2 percent. Council staff is recommending a continuity of services operating budget of $154.7 million, which is an increase of $9.6 million or 6.6 percent from last year’s budget. The Council staff report can be viewed here. - Parking Lot District Funds (including FY21-26 CIP)
The County Executive’s recommended FY21 Operating Budget for the Parking Lot District Funds is $28.1 million, which is a decrease of $107,287 or .38 percent. Council staff is recommending a continuity of services operating budget of $28 million, which is a decrease of $221,494 or .78 percent from last year’s budget. Parking Lot Districts (PLDs) fund the operation and maintenance of County garages and lots in these districts, but they also fund garage construction and renovation, and the largest portion of their associated urban district budgets. Each of the three PLDs are sustaining substantial revenue losses since the Covid-19 pandemic. The Council staff report can be viewed here. - Urban Districts
The County Executive’s recommended FY21 Operating Budget for the Urban Districts is $9.9 million, which is an increase of $793,861. Council staff is recommending a continuity of services operating budget of $9.65 million, which is a decrease of $253,374 from the County Executive’s recommendation. Urban Districts support and enhance the County's unincorporated downtowns (Bethesda, Silver Spring, and Wheaton) as prosperous, livable urban centers by maintaining streetscape and its investments; providing additional public amenities such as plantings, seating, shelters, and works of art; promoting the commercial and residential interests of these areas; and programming cultural and community activities. The Council staff report can be viewed here. - NDA: Libraries and Takoma Park Library
The County Executive’s recommended FY21 Operating Budget for Public Libraries is $43.6 million, which is an increase of $573,069 or 1.3 percent. Council staff is recommending a continuity of services operating budget of $42.4 million, which is a decrease of $615,904 or 1.43 percent from last year’s budget. The Council staff report can be viewed here. - Department of Correction and Rehabilitation (DOCR)
The County Executive’s recommended FY21 Operating Budget for DOCR is $72.6 million, which is an increase of $2.05 million or 2.9 percent. Council staff is recommending a continuity of services operating budget of $70.8 million, which is an increase of $272,667 or .4 percent from last year’s budget. The Council staff report can be viewed here. - NDA: Prisoner Services
The County Executive’s recommended FY21 Operating Budget for the Prisoner Services NDA is $20,000. Council staff concurs with the County Executive’s recommendation. This NDA provides placeholder funding for reimbursements paid for medical costs incurred by persons under arrest, but not yet under the custody of DOCR. The County will have to provide for whatever costs are incurred. There may be additional medical costs if prisoners are referred for Covid-19 related medical treatment before they are in DOCR’s custody. The Council staff report can be viewed here. - NDA: Montgomery Coalition for Adult English Literacy (MCAEL)
The County Executive’s recommended FY21 Operating Budget for MCAEL is $2 million, which is an increase of $150,000 or 7.5 percent. Council staff is recommending a continuity of services operating budget of $1.8 million, which is the same level as last year’s budget. The Council staff report can be viewed here. - Arts and Humanities Council
The County Executive’s recommended FY21 Operating Budget for the Arts and Humanities Council is $5.6 million, which is the same level as last year’s budget. Council staff concurs with the County Executive’s recommendation. The Council staff report can be viewed here. - Board of Appeals
The County Executive’s recommended FY21 Operating Budget for the Board of Appeals is $577,431, which is an increase of $17,018 or 3 percent. Council staff is recommending a continuity of services operating budget of $559,380, which is a decrease of $1,033 from last year’s budget. The Council staff report can be viewed here. - Office of Zoning and Administrative Hearings (OZAH)
The County Executive’s recommended FY21 Operating Budget for OZAH is $695,637, which is a decrease of $12,054 or 1.7 percent. Council staff is recommending a continuity of services operating budget of $658,601, which is a decrease of $24,982 or 3.6 percent from last year’s budget. The Council staff report can be viewed here. - Department of Permitting Services (DPS)
The County Executive’s recommended FY21 Operating Budget for DPS is $41.4 million, which is a decrease of $440,816 or 1.1 percent. Council staff is recommending a continuity of services operating budget of $40.7 million, which is a decrease of $1.1 million or 2.7 percent from last year’s budget. The Council staff report can be viewed here. - Merit System Protection Board
The County Executive’s recommended FY21 Operating Budget for the Merit System Protection Board is $263,941, which is an increase of $5,803 or 2.2 percent. Council staff is recommending a continuity of services operating budget of $259,868, which is an increase of $1,730 or .7 percent from last year’s budget. The Council staff report can be viewed here. - Ethics Commission
The County Executive’s recommended FY21 Operating Budget for the Ethics Commission is $367,885, which is a decrease of $99,441 or 21.3 percent. Council staff is recommending a continuity of services operating budget of $365,698, which is a decrease of $101,628 or 21.7 percent from last year’s budget. The Council staff report can be viewed here. - Office of Intergovernmental Relations
The County Executive’s recommended FY21 Operating Budget for the Office Intergovernmental Relations is $1.14 million, which is an increase of $14,924 or 1.3 percent. Council staff is recommending a continuity of services operating budget of $1.3 million, which is an increase of $6,238 or .6 percent from last year’s budget. The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Fiscal Years 2021-2026 Capital Improvements Program (FY21-26 CIP):
- Transportation, selected projects
The Council will review selected projects for the Department of Transportation in the FY21-26 CIP. This worksession will review projects deferred from this winter by the Transportation and Environment (T&E) Committee to wait for more information, as well as revisions recommended by the Executive on March 16. Parking Lot District (PLD) projects are reviewed with the PLD Operating Budgets in a separate staff report. The Council staff report can be viewed here. - Libraries
The Council will review the County Executive's recommended FY21-26 CIP for the Department of Public Libraries. The five active projects total $48.3 million, which is an increase of $19.7 million from the amended FY19-24 CIP. Most of the increase is due to the inclusion of construction costs for the Clarksburg Library. The Council staff report can be viewed here. - Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS)
The Council will review the County Executive's recommended FY21-26 CIP for MCPS. Enrollment changes are one of the biggest drivers of both the Operating Budget and CIP for MCPS. From a CIP perspective, enrollment increases drive an immediate need for relocatable classrooms and consideration for additional permanent classrooms and core space improvements. The Board of Education's FY21-26 CIP request totals $1.82 billion. This is $74.2 million (or 4.3 percent) higher than the FY19-24 amended CIP of $1.74 billion. The County Executive's Recommended FY21-26 CIP represents a slight decrease (-$29.6 million or -$1.7 percent from the FY19-24 Amended CIP. However, this represents lower six-year funding (-$103.8 million or -$5.7%) than the Board's request; and substantially less (-$303.8 million) than the Board's request in the first four years. Council staff's recommendation ($177 billion over six-years) includes assuming a portion of MCPS's “non-recommended” reductions. All preliminary CIP actions taken by the Council are subject the final budget reconciliation in mid-May. The Council staff report can be viewed here. - Department of Housing and Community Affairs (DHCA): Community Development - Countywide Façade Easement Program, Burtonsville Community Revitalization, and Colesville/New Hampshire Avenue Community Revitalization
The County Executive is recommending this new project which will work to revitalize older commercial properties throughout the county and encourage private investment. While DHCA plans to start with commercial areas proximate to residential areas in the Focused Neighborhood Assistance Program (Glenmont and Layhill Shopping Centers, Montgomery Village, Hillandale, and the Wheaton Central Business District), the effort is not limited to those areas. The FY21 recommended appropriation is $234,000. A total of $3.026 million is programmed in the six-years. The project is funded with current revenue. Also up for review is the Burtonsville Community Revitalization Project and the Colesville/New Hampshire Avenue Community Revitalization Project. The County Executive is recommending reducing both of these projects based on business interest and the expected final cost. The Council staff report can be viewed here.
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Release ID: 20-181
Media Contact: Sonya Healy 240-777-7826, Juan Jovel 240-777-7931