For Immediate Release: Friday, October 23, 2020
The following committees will meet virtually on Monday, Oct. 26. Council staff reports and additional information on items scheduled for committee review can be viewed at: http://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:
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 (MoCoCouncilMD) and on Facebook Live (MontgomeryCountyMdCouncil) and can be watched on County Cable Montgomery on channels 30 (Fios), 1056 (RCN) and 996 (Xfinity).
Meeting: Education and Culture (E&C) Committee
Time: 9 a.m.
E&C Committee: Councilmembers Craig Rice (Chair), Will Jawando (Lead for Libraries) and Nancy Navarro.
Topic:
Funding Options for the MCPS Board of Education FY21 Supplemental Appropriations and Amendment Requests for the FY21-26 CIP: South Lake Elementary School- Major Capital Projects Elementary and Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) Mechanical Systems Replacement
The E&C Committee will meet to receive an update on funding options for the Montgomery County Board of Education’s Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) request for two supplemental appropriations and amendments to the FY21-26 Capital Improvements Program for Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). These requests include appropriations to accelerate construction of South Lake Elementary School into FY21 and move the completion date from Sept. 2024 to Sept. 2023, and provide additional funding in FY21 to address air quality concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Meeting: Transportation and Environment (T&E) Committee
Time: 2:30 p.m.
T&E Committee: Council Vice President Tom Hucker (Chair) and Councilmembers Evan Glass and Hans Riemer
Topic:
I-270 and I-495 Managed Lanes Study Draft Environmental Impact Statement
The T&E Committee will meet to review the I-270 and I-495 Managed Lanes Study Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). The committee will review deficiencies identified in the DEIS by Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) staff and will discuss key elements of developing a joint Council and County Executive preferred alternative to present to the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) and State Highway Administration (SHA).
The DEIS includes traffic, environmental, engineering and financial analyses of the build alternatives and the no build alternative. The DEIS process provides an opportunity for residents, interest groups and other agencies to review and provide comments on the proposed federal action including the adverse and beneficial environmental impacts and proposed mitigation for unavoidable impacts. The County received 87 pieces of testimony and correspondence on the site, largely mirroring the feedback from the hearings.
Some of the deficiencies in the DEIS identified by M-NCPPC staff include: construing the purpose and need of the project too narrowly; the inadequate definition of limits of disturbance, especially pertaining to aquatic impacts; insufficient compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act; insufficient evaluation of social equity and environmental justice implications of the alternatives; evaluation of stormwater management that ignores runoff from existing roadways; and inadequate consideration of the financial viability to complete this project.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
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