For Immediate Release: Wednesday, May 13, 2020
The Council will meet virtually on Thursday, May 14 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.
The Council is expected to reach preliminary agreement on the County's Recommended Fiscal Year 2021 Operating Budget and FY21-26 Capital Improvements Program at approximately 1:40 p.m. The Council's focus throughout the budget process has been on providing continuity of services for County government departments and community members. The Council's budget work was done with the knowledge that the Council will need to return to FY21 budget issues early in the fiscal year to make additional reductions based on anticipated revenue decreases caused by the Covid-19 global pandemic. The Council staff reports for the budget wrap up and reconciliation will be available here on May 14.
Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) and County Public Health Planning
At 11 a.m. the Council will meet as the Board of Health to receive an update on the County’s efforts to protect public health and safety during the global COVID-19 pandemic and discuss what lifting the stay-at-home order for Maryland means for Montgomery County given the significant number of deaths and cases in the community.. Those expected to attend the meeting 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 of the Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security; and Dr. Raymond Crowel, director, DHHS.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Special Appropriation to the County Government’s Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20) Operating Budget, Department of Housing and Community Affairs (DHCA) COVID-19 Response: $4,393,899 for CDBG-CV and ESG-CV HUD CPD Funding
At 1:30 p.m. the Council is scheduled to hold a public hearing and vote on a special appropriation of $4,393,899 to the Department of Housing and Community Affairs’ FY20 Operating Budget. The Covid-19 public health crisis has closed non-essential businesses, leaving many county residents with no or significantly reduced income and facing extreme financial hardship. The federal government has awarded additional Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) funding in response to the emergency as a part of the CARES Act. The County Executive recommends that the CDBG funding be used to provide rental assistance to low-income County residents and small business assistance to low-income owners of micro-enterprises, and that the ESG funding be used for temporary shelter and rapid rehousing assistance to people experiencing homelessness because of the current public health emergency.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Special Appropriation to the FY20 Operating Budget of Montgomery County Government, Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation Non-Departmental Account, Support for COVID-19 Response – Telework Assistance Program, $1,250,000
The Council is scheduled to hold a public hearing and vote on a special appropriation of $1,250,000 to the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation’s (MCEDC) Non-Departmental Account (NDA), to be used for the Telework Assistance Program. This special appropriation was spearheaded by Councilmember Andrew Friedson. The Telework Assistance Program provides 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.
FY21 Operating Budget and FY21-26 Capital Improvements Program (CIP)
During the economic recession a decade ago, the Council adopted a plan to partially fund the Capital Improvements Program with PAYGO (pay as you go) funds at a level equal to or greater than ten percent of the planned General Obligation bond expenditures each year. The Council will review PAYGO guidelines and determine the amount of funding for FY21. The Council staff report can be viewed here.
The Council will review the following bills:
Expedited Bill 19-20, Administration - County Executive - Office of Labor Relations - Established
Bill 19-20 would create an Office of Labor Relations in the Executive Branch and transfer certain duties and positions from the Office of Human Resources to the Office of Labor Relations. Although the Office would be in the Office of the County Executive, it would be considered separate from the Office of the County Executive for purposes of budgeting and any reduction-in-force. Council President Sidney Katz is the lead sponsor, at the request of the County Executive.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
#MoCoLaborRelations is being used for this bill on social media.
Bill 20-20, Administration - Office of the County Executive - Business Advancement Team - Established
Bill 20-20 would rename the existing Business Solutions Group as the Business Advancement Team and assign additional duties to the Business Advancement Team from the Department of Finance and the Community Engagement Cluster. Council President Sidney Katz is the lead sponsor, at the request of the County Executive.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
#MoCoBusinessAdvancement is being used for this bill on social media.
Bill 21-20, Office of Animal Services - Established
Bill 21-20 would remove the Division of Animal Service from the Police Department and transfer those duties to a new non-principal office in the Executive Branch called the Office of Animal Services and make other technical changes. Council President Sidney Katz is the lead sponsor, at the request of the County Executive.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
#MoCoAnimalServices is being used for this bill on social media.
Expedited Bill 22-20, Position Creation and Position Alteration - Director of Strategic Partnerships and Director of Criminal Justice Coordinating Commission
Expedited Bill 22-20 would create the non-merit appointed position of Director of Strategic Partnerships and eliminate the requirement that the position of director of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Commission be filled by a non-merit appointee. Council President Sidney Katz is the lead sponsor, at the request of the County Executive.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
#MoCoStrategicPartnership is being used for this bill on social media.
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Release ID: 20-206