For Immediate Release: Friday, October 2, 2020
The following committees will meet virtually on Monday, Oct. 5. Council staff reports and additional information on items scheduled for committee review can be viewed at: https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/COUNCIL/ondemand/index.html.
The committee meeting schedule may change from time to time. The current committee agendas can be viewed at:
https://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 (MoCoCouncilMD) and on Facebook Live (MontgomeryCountyMdCouncil) and can be watched on County Cable Montgomery on channels 30 (Fios), 1056 (RCN) and 996 (Xfinity).
Meeting: Planning, Housing and Economic Development (PHED) Committee
Time: 9:30 a.m.
PHED Committee: Councilmembers Hans Riemer (Chair), Andrew Friedson (Lead for Parks) and Will Jawando
Topic:
2020-2024 Subdivision Staging Policy and School Issues
The PHED Committee will review the 2020-2024 Subdivision Staging Policy and school-related policy issues. The County’s 2020-2024 Subdivision Staging Policy is based on having sufficient infrastructure to support new development. In this meeting the committee will discuss school adequacy standards and the residential development moratorium. Under the current SSP, when schools reach 120 percent capacity utilization, the affected area goes into a moratorium, which means the Planning Board cannot approve new residential development. A moratorium lasts until the applicable school utilization drops below the moratorium threshold – typically evaluated at the next Annual School Test.
The Committee will review recommendations that could do the following: place different standards for utilization adequacy based on a school impact area; replace the moratorium standard for Turnover and Infill Impact Areas with a Utilization Premium Payment (UPP); and in the Greenfield Impact Area, where the moratorium standard is retained, raise the threshold from school utilization greater than 120 percent to utilization more than 125 percent and require a UPP when utilization exceeds 120 percent up to the moratorium threshold.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Meeting: Education and Culture (E&C) Committee
Time: 2:15 p.m.
E&C Committee: Councilmembers Craig Rice (Chair), Will Jawando (Lead for Libraries) and Nancy Navarro
Topic:
Recovery and Reopening Update for Montgomery County Public Schools
The E&C Committee will receive a briefing from Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), which will focus on the virtual reopening of schools. MCPS’ presentation will concentrate on three specific areas: MCPS’ recovery and reopening education plan; CARES Act funding; and community and school-based learning hubs.
On August 25, the MCPS Board of Education unanimously approved the MCPS' Recovery of Education Guide for the Fall Semester, which established the specifics for a virtual learning model for the start of the 2020-2021 school year. Students began the new school year virtually on August 31. On September 25, MCPS formally provided the legally required 45-day minimum notice to their three employee associations to begin planning and bargaining conversations related to the potential return to in-person learning. MCPS will discuss the specifics of the plan during the committee meeting.
The Council staff report can be found here.
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