For Immediate Release: Monday, October 5, 2020
Council also will receive an update on Covid-19 public health planning and recovery and review zoning changes for Solar Collection System use standards in the Agricultural Reserve Zone
The Council will meet virtually on Tuesday, Oct. 6 at 9 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
Hispanic Heritage Month 2020
At 9:20 a.m. the Council will hold its annual Hispanic Heritage Month commemoration hosted by Councilmember Nancy Navarro, Council President Sidney Katz and Councilmember Gabe Albornoz. Councilmember Navarro established this important tradition at the Council and spearheads this commemoration each year. The theme of this year’s commemoration is “Latinx Heroes: Leading, Healing and Providing Hope during the Pandemic.” The Council will be recognizing and thanking some of the members of Montgomery County’s Hispanic and Latino community who have gone above and beyond to promote public health and provide essential services during the global pandemic. The agenda for the program can be viewed here.
Bill 14-20, Human Rights and Civil Liberties - Discriminatory Employment Practices - Workplace Harassment
The Council is scheduled to vote on Bill 14-20, which would define and prohibit certain discriminatory practices in the workplace. Councilmember Will Jawando is the lead sponsor. Councilmembers Nancy Navarro, Evan Glass, Gabe Albornoz, Hans Riemer and Craig Rice and Council President Sidney Katz and Council Vice President Tom Hucker are cosponsors. Bill 14-20 would define and prohibit discriminatory harassment and sexual harassment by employers in the County. The bill would alter the level of harassing conduct that constitutes an employment discrimination claim under County law. Harassment would not need to raise to the level of being “severe or pervasive” to be actionable. Harassment would be actionable if it is “more than a petty slight, trivial inconvenience or minor annoyance.”
The goal of this legislation is to help ensure that employees do not face workplace harassment, including sexual harassment.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Bill 28-20, Human Rights and Civil Liberties - Discrimination in Public Accommodations - LGBTQ Bill of Rights
The Council is scheduled to vote on the LGBTQ Bill of Rights, which would define and prohibit discriminatory practices based on sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity and HIV status in places of public accommodation, including nursing homes and other healthcare and personal care facilities. The LGBTQ Bill of Rights also requires that anti-discrimination notices be posted in all health care institutions, domiciliary care homes, nursing homes and personal care homes. Councilmember Evan Glass is the lead sponsor. All other Councilmembers are cosponsors.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Bill 29-20, Taxation - Payment in Lieu of Taxes - WMATA Property - Established
The Council is scheduled to vote on Bill 29-20, also known as the More Housing at Metro Stations bill, which would require the director of the Department of Finance to offer a payment in lieu of taxes for a residential or commercial high-rise building constructed by a private developer on property leased from the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) at a Metro station. The More Housing at Metro Stations bill would require the payment in lieu of taxes that would exempt 100 percent of the real property tax that would otherwise be levied for a period of 15 years beginning in the year a use and occupancy permit is issued for the qualifying development. Providing an incentive for housing on Metro station properties is intended to help the County meet its housing and economic development goals. Councilmembers Hans Riemer and Andrew Friedson are the lead sponsors. Councilmembers Evan Glass, Nancy Navarro, Council President Sidney Katz, Councilmember Gabe Albornoz, Council Vice President Tom Hucker and Councilmember Craig Rice are cosponsors.
The goal of the More Housing at Metro Stations bill is to encourage the construction of high-rise housing at Metro stations in the County.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Bill 31-20, Public Campaign Financing – Amendments
The Council is scheduled to vote 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. During 2019, the Council committed to review the County's campaign financing program in an effort to make improvements as needed. In March 2019, the Council held a public forum on the program. In addition, then-Council President Navarro sent a survey to program participants, non-participants and community groups to receive input about their experiences during the inaugural cycle. Moreover, the Government Operations and Fiscal Policy Committee conducted several meetings on the program to develop recommendations for improvements. Councilmember Nancy Navarro, Council President Sidney Katz and Councilmember Andrew Friedson are the lead sponsors of Bill 31-20.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update
At 10:30 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. The Council will be joined by 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.
Executive Regulation 26-19, Employee Compensation
The Council is scheduled to vote on Executive Regulation 26-19, which amends the County’s Personnel Regulations to incorporate changes for salary-setting policies for applicants and employees to comply with the pay equity provisions in County law. In May 2019, the Council unanimously enacted the Pay Equity Act, which prohibits the County from requesting salary history from an applicant for County employment and prohibits the County from relying on salary history to determine an applicant’s starting salary. Councilmember Evan Glass was the lead sponsor of the legislation. The regulation also requires the director of the Office of Human Resources to seek approval by a designee of the chief administrative officer to set a salary above the mid-point for an applicant for a position.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Zoning Text Amendment 20-01, Solar Collection System – AR Zone Standards
The Council will review of ZTA 20-01, which would revise the Solar Collection System use standards to allow larger facilities in the Agricultural Resource (AR) Zone. Councilmember Hans Riemer and Council Vice President Tom Hucker are the lead sponsors. Councilmember Craig Rice is a cosponsor. The total amount of collection systems on all parcels would be limited to 1,800 acres. Any collector system constructed under the proposed amendment must be designated pollinator-friendly under the Maryland Pollinator-Friendly Designation Program.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
County Executive's appointee as Chief Behavioral Health and Crisis Services, Department of Health and Human Services
The Council will interview Rolando Santiago, who is County Executive Elrich's appointee for the position of chief of Behavioral Health and Crisis Services. Confirmation is tentatively scheduled for Oct. 13.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Montgomery College Board of Trustees
The Council will interview Dr. Cherise Hunter and Ms. Althea Lloyd-White for the Nominating Committee for the Board of Trustees of Montgomery College. The term for Mr. Dwayne Leslie expired in September.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Public hearings
All public hearings to be held at 1:30 p.m.
Supplemental Appropriation to the County Government’s FY21 Operating Budget, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service - $273,482 for FY19 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
The Council will hold a public hearing and is scheduled to vote on a supplemental appropriation of $273,482 to the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service’s FY21 Operating Budget. This increase is needed because funding was awarded from the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program to purchase and install station apparatus bay exhaust systems which reduce firefighter’s exposure to fumes and their risk of developing associated cancers. The source of funds is federal aid. The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Supplemental Appropriation to the County Government’s FY21 Operating Budget, Department of Health and Human Services - $864,029 to Increase Somatic and Mental Health Services at Montgomery County Public Schools
The Council will hold a public hearing on a supplemental appropriation of $864,029 to the County’s Department of Health and Human Services’ (DHHS) FY21 Operating Budget to increase somatic and mental health services at Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). MCPS received funding from the Montgomery State Department of Education Concentration of Poverty School Grant Program. MCPS is collaborating with DHHS to increase somatic and mental health services to support students and families. The Council staff report can be viewed here.
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Release ID: 20-404