For Immediate Release: Tuesday, November 17, 2020
The following committees will meet virtually on Wednesday, Nov. 18. 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: Health and Human Services (HHS) Committee
Time: 8:30 a.m.
HHS Committee: Councilmembers Gabe Albornoz (Chair), Evan Glass (Lead for Homelessness and Vulnerable Communities) and Craig Rice
Topic:
Boards, Committees, and Commissions Priorities
The HHS Committee will discuss policy priorities with the chairs of the Health and Human Services Advisory Boards, Committees, and Commissions on Nov. 18 and Nov. 19. Councilmember Albornoz sent a letter on Sept. 29 inviting the chairs to attend these meetings and requested that they identify their top two policy priorities. Dr. Raymond Crowel, director of the Department of Health and Human Services, has been invited to attend both meetings.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Meeting: Government Operations and Fiscal Policy (GO) Committee
Time: 1:30 p.m.
GO Committee: Councilmembers Nancy Navarro (Chair) and Andrew Friedson and Council President Sidney Katz
Topics:
Bill 44-20, Racial Equity and Social Justice - Impact Statement - Advisory Committee -
Amendments
The GO Committee will review Bill 44-20, which would require the Office of Legislative Oversight (OLO) to submit a racial equity and social justice impact statement for each zoning text amendment. Councilmember Nancy Navarro is the lead sponsor. All other Councilmembers are cosponsors. Bill 44-20 also would add two additional public members to the Racial Equity and Social Justice Advisory Committee and authorize the County Executive to establish one or more task forces to study and make recommendations on specified racial equity and social justice issues.
In Nov. 2019, the Council unanimously approved the Racial Equity and Social Justice Act after conducting numerous community conversations and reviewing the analysis of the Council’s Office of Legislative Oversight. This seminal legislation was spearheaded by Councilmember Navarro.
The Racial Equity and Social Justice Act created an official program for Montgomery County government, under the oversight of the newly created Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice. It requires each County department and office to develop a racial equity and social justice action plan, and requires that legislation, public policy initiatives and government programs, supported by budget requests, include a racial equity and social justice impact statement. It also established a Racial Equity and Social Justice Advisory Committee that would include members of the public.
Finally, it required the Montgomery County Planning Board to consider racial equity and social justice issues when preparing master plans for submission to the Council. These plans include recommendations for land uses, transportation and public facilities such as schools, libraries, community and recreation centers, parks and fire and police stations.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
#EquityMattersinMoCo is being used for this bill on social media.
Internet Access in Time of COVID-19
The GO Committee requested a review of issues related to internet access for students, vulnerable residents and other groups during the pandemic. In this time of COVID-19, children, parents, workers and the elderly have increased needs to be able to communicate and perform basic life functions using the internet. Rather than hearing what each of the six major agencies (Montgomery County Government, Montgomery County Public Schools, Montgomery College, Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission and Housing Opportunities Commission) are doing in their own domain, the GO Committee hopes to take a family-centric view and identify the service gaps that may exist.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
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Release ID: 20-456