For Immediate Release: Monday, September 14, 2020
Council also will receive an update on Covid-19 public health planning and recovery and hold public hearings on public campaign financing, funding for early care and education coordination, waste reduction measures, fair screening standards for job candidates and the 2020-2024 Subdivision Staging Policy
The Council will meet virtually on Tuesday, Sept. 15 at 8:40 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 Agenda Items
Purple Line Briefing
At 9:05 a.m. the Council will receive a briefing on the Purple Line from the Maryland Department of Transportation. The individuals expected to attend the briefing include the following: Greg Slater, secretary, Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT); Kevin Quinn, administrator, Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT/MTA); Matt Pollack, Purple Line project director, MDOT/MTA; and Christopher Conklin, director, Montgomery County Department of Transportation. On Sept. 3, the State’s Senate Budget and Taxation Committee and House Appropriations Committee received a briefing by the Department of Legislative Services (DLS) and MDOT on the status of Purple Line construction and, in particular, the interactions between MDOT and its concessionaire, Purple Line Transit Partners (PLTP). On Sept. 10, the Washington Post reported that, “A Maryland judge ruled that the companies managing the Purple Line’s construction may quit over disputes with the state about $800 million in unpaid cost overruns, requiring transportation officials to find a new way to complete and pay for the megaproject.”
The PowerPoint presentation for the Council briefing, can be viewed on circle pages one to eight of the Council staff report, which can be viewed here.
Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) and County Public Health Planning
At 11 a.m. the Council will sit as the Board of Health to receive an update on the County’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its recovery efforts. 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, Office of Emergency management and Homeland Security; and Dr. Raymond Crowel, director, DHHS.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Special Appropriation - Department of Recreation - $500,000 for Youth Sports Initiative; and CUPF - $500,000 for Facility Fee Assistance Program - Youth Sports Initiative
The Council will hold a public hearing at 1:30 p.m. and vote on a special appropriation of $500,000 for the Youth Sports Initiative. A total of $1,050,00 in special appropriation funding is being allocated to the Youth Sports Initiative. Half of the appropriation will go to the Department of Recreation to provide affordable and universal youth sports leagues and activities targeting underserved communities in the County. The other half will be appropriated to the Office of Community Use of Public Facilities to reduce fees for field and building use for youth sports programs that are primarily serving youth who are vulnerable or are from lower-income families. The Department’s approach will emphasize core fundamentals, interest exploration, motor development. The source of funding is $500,000 in General Fund Reserves and $500,000 in federal grant funding.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Special Appropriation - COVID-19 Human Services and Community Assistance NDA - $550,000 for Youth Sports Initiative; and Non-Competitive Award Contract Status: Montgomery County Collaboration Council for Children, Youth and Families
The Council will hold a public hearing and vote on a special appropriation of $550,000 for the Youth Sports Initiative. This special appropriation will provide $500,000 in grant funding along with $50,000 to administer the initiative through the Montgomery County Collaboration Council for Children, Youth and Families. The funds appropriated must be distributed through an application process that solicits requests for operating expenses to deliver sports programming to vulnerable or low-income youth by organizations based in Montgomery County. The maximum grant award is $15,000.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Expedited Bill 40-20, Licensing and Regulations – Uniform Trader’s License Fee
The Council will introduce Expedited Bill 40-20, which would select a uniform license fee of $15 for a trader’s license within the County. Councilmembers Evan Glass and Andrew Friedson are the lead sponsors. Councilmembers Nancy Navarro, Craig Rice and Gabe Albornoz and Council President Sidney Katz are cosponsors. The goal of this legislation is to streamline the trader’s license process by adopting a uniform license fee, so that a business must pay a flat fee of $15 to receive a trader’s license. Trader's license fees currently range between $15 and $800 annually for any business that has retail inventory and are established based on the value of that inventory.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
#TradersLicense is being used for this bill on social media.
Resolution for the 2020-2024 Subdivision Staging Policy
The Council is scheduled to introduce a resolution for, and receive an overview of, the County’s 2020-24 Subdivision Staging Policy, which is one of the many ways that the County supports the outstanding quality of life for its residents. The Subdivision Staging Policy is based on having sufficient infrastructure to support new development. It includes criteria and guidance for the administration of Montgomery County’s Adequate Public Facility Ordinance (APFO), which matches the timing of private development with the availability of public infrastructure. Every four years, recommendations for policy updates reflecting current growth patterns start with the Montgomery Planning Department, before being reviewed and approved by the Montgomery County Planning Board and the Council. Casey Anderson, chair, Montgomery Planning Board; Gwen Wright, director, Montgomery Planning Department; and Jason Sartori, chief, Countywide Planning Division, Planning Department, are among those individuals expected to present during the overview. The public hearing on the 2020-2024 Subdivision Staging Policy will be conducted at 7:30 p.m.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Additional Public hearings
All public hearings will be held at 1:30 p.m., unless otherwise indicated.
Bill 31-20, Public Campaign Financing - Amendments
The Council will hold a public hearing on Bill 31-20, which would do the following: amend the County public campaign financing system; alter the maximum contribution limits; allow participating candidates to carryover certain funds under certain circumstances; require an audit of the public campaign financing system after the general election in an election cycle; and alter the penalties for willful violations of the public campaign financing system. The goal of this legislation is to improve the County’s public campaign financing system. Councilmember Nancy Navarro, Council President Sidney Katz and Councilmember Andrew Friedson are the lead sponsors. The Council staff report can be viewed here.
#PublicCampaignFinancing is being used for this bill on social media.
Bill 32-20, Solid Waste (Trash) - Waste Reduction/Source Reduction and Single-Use Straws - Requirements
The Council will hold a public hearing on Bill 32-20 which would do the following: establish a program for waste reduction/source reduction in Montgomery County; provide criteria for waste reduction initiatives and programs; set forth the method by which the program is established; prohibit the distribution of single-use straws except in certain circumstances; and provide for education relating to straws. Council President Sidney Katz is the lead sponsor, at the request of the County Executive. The Council staff report can be viewed here.
#WasteReductionPlan is being used for this bill on social media
Bill 33-20, Solid Waste (Trash) - Food Service Products Packaging Materials - Requirements
The Council will hold a public hearing on Bill 33-20, which would prohibit the use of expanded polystyrene food service products by food services businesses; require the use of compostable or recyclable food service ware by the County, County contractors or lessees, and food service businesses; and prohibit the sale of expanded polystyrene food service products and polystyrene loose fill packaging, among other things. Council President Sidney Katz is the lead sponsor, at the request of the County Executive. The Council staff report can be viewed here.
#FoodPackaging is being used for this bill on social media
Bill 35-20, Human Rights and Civil Liberties - Fair Criminal Screening Standards - Amendments
The Council will hold a public hearing on Bill 35-20, which would do the following: alter definitions regarding fair criminal record screening standards; prohibit certain inquiries regarding criminal records; prohibit consideration of certain arrests and convictions in employment decisions; and generally amend the law regarding criminal record screenings. Councilmember Will Jawando is the lead sponsor. The goal of this legislation is to help prevent workplace discrimination by preventing background checks prior to the extension of a conditional offer of employment and preventing inquiries into certain types of arrests and convictions. The Council staff report can be viewed here.
#BanTheBox is being used for this bill on social media.
County Executive Recommended FY21 Savings Plan - Amendments to FY21-26 CIP - M-NCPPC
The Council will hold a public hearing and vote on the County’s FY21 Savings Plan and amendments to the FY21-26 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) for the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. On July 6, the County Executive transmitted a revised spending plan for FY21 which included changes to the FY21 Operating Budget as well as a target reduction of $628,000 from the FY21-26 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) for M-NCPPC. In response to the County Executive’s savings request, M-NCPPC proposed a $100,000 implementation delay in the Ovid Hazen Wells project and a reduction in FY21 expenditures for several level-of-effort projects totaling $528,000. These reductions achieve the requested target savings, while still retaining an increase in appropriation over the prior CIP for each level-of-effort project impacted. The Planning, Housing and Economic Development (PHED) Committee recommends approval. The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Special Appropriation - Early Care and Education (ECE) NDA - $75,000 for Montgomery Moving Forward – ECE Coordinating Entity Plan; and Non-Competitive Contract Award Status: Nonprofit Montgomery
The Council will hold a public hearing and vote on a special appropriation of $75,000 to the Early Care and Education (ECE) Non-Departmental Account (NDA). This special appropriation will allow Montgomery Moving Forward, which is a collective impact project of Nonprofit Montgomery that has mobilized leaders and experts across sectors to address the need for a better system of early care and education in Montgomery County, to lead an effort to stand up a public-private ECE coordinating body to build an efficient, effective and equitable system of high quality ECE that will meet the needs of children, families and employers in the County. The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Special Appropriation - Department of Recreation - $218,000 for Public Arts Trust
The Council will hold a public hearing and vote on a $218,000 special appropriation to increase the funding level for the Public Arts Trust. On June 8, during a discussion on specific arts sector relief programs to mitigate the impact of the pandemic and proactively spur recovery efforts to catalyze the County’s economy, the Education and Culture Committee recommended increasing the funding level of the Public Arts Trust to align arts sector relief efforts with the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Department’s Thrive Montgomery 2050 goals for Design, Arts & Culture. The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Special Appropriation and CIP Amendment - Department of Recreation- $250,000 for Cost Sharing
The Council will hold a public hearing and vote on a $250,000 special appropriation for the arts capital projects cost sharing. On June 11, the Education and Culture and Health and Human Services recommended an increase in overall funding for arts capital projects and deferring funding over three fiscal years to arts and humanities organizations. The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Bill 37-20, Subdivision - Preliminary Plan - Adequate Public Facilities - Amendments
At 7:30 p.m. the Council will hold a public hearing on Bill 37-20, which would require an applicant requesting an extension of an adequate public facilities determination to provide a new determination of school adequacy for any remaining unbuilt units under the school test in effect at the time of the Planning Board’s review. This is a companion bill to the 2020-2024 Subdivision Staging Policy. Council President Sidney Katz is the lead sponsor, at the request of the Planning Board. The Council staff report can be viewed here.
#ValidityPeriod is being used for this bill on social media.
Bill 38-20, Taxation - Development Impact Taxes for Transportation and Public School Improvements – Amendments
At 7:30 p.m. the Council will hold a public hearing on Bill 38-20, which would amend transportation and school impact tax district designations and the impact tax rates that apply in these districts. Bill 38-20 also would modify the applicability of development impact tax exemptions for certain uses and in certain locations, and generally amend the law governing transportation and school development impact taxes. Council President Sidney Katz is the lead sponsor, at the request of the Planning Board. The Council staff report can be viewed here.
#ImpactTax is being used for this bill on social media.
Expedited Bill 39-20, Taxation - Recordation Tax – Amendments
At 7:30 p.m. the Council will hold a public hearing on Expedited Bill 39-20, which would increase the rate of the recordation tax levied under state law for certain transactions involving the transfer of property and would establish a partial exemption from the recordation tax for a first-time home buyer. Moreover, Bill 39-20 would amend the allocation of revenue received from the recordation tax to capital improvements for schools and to the Montgomery Housing Initiative Fund. Council President Sidney Katz is the lead sponsor, at the request of the Planning Board. The Council staff report can be viewed here.
#RecordationTax is being used for this bill on social media.
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Release ID: 20-365