For Immediate Release: Tuesday, January 26, 2021
The Government Operations and Fiscal Policy Committee and Transportation and Environment committee will meet virtually on Wednesday, Jan. 27. 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: Government Operations and Fiscal Policy Committee (GO) Committee
Time: 9:30 a.m.
GO Committee: Councilmembers Nancy Navarro (Chair), Andrew Friedson and Sidney Katz
Topics:
Bill 47-20, Ethics, Ethics Commission - Conflicts of Interest - Financial Disclosure - Amendments
The GO Committee will review Bill 47-20, which would do the following: require employees to attend a public ethics training course; amend the law governing appeals of a decision by the Ethics Commission; amend the law governing the Ethics Commission’s resolution of complaints; modify the restrictions on a public employee’s participation in certain matters; repeal an exception to the restrictions on outside employment for an elected official; clarify an exception to soliciting or accepting certain small gifts; and modify the procedures for administering the financial disclosure process. The goal of this legislation is to increase transparency and ethical behavior among County employees. Councilmember Sidney Katz, who was serving as Council president during the time of the bill’s introduction, is the lead sponsor, at the request of the County Ethics Commission.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
#MoCoEthicsCommission is being used for this bill on social media.
Spending Affordability Guidelines for the FY22 Capital Budget and Other General CIP Assumptions
The GO Committee also will review Spending Affordability Guidelines for the FY22 Capital Budget and other general Capital Improvements Program (CIP) assumptions. The GO Committee will review current economic conditions and affordability indicators and recommend to the Council the Spending Affordability Guidelines (SAG) for the amended FY21-26 CIP. The committee also will review the other CIP assumptions recommended by the County Executive. The Council will consider the GO Committee’s recommendations on Feb. 2, 2021.
The following individuals are expected to participate in the meeting: Mary Beck, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Veronica Jaua, OMB; Anita Aryeetey, OMB; David Platt, Department of Finance; Mike Riley, director, Montgomery Parks; and Carl Morgan, Montgomery Parks.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Meeting: Transportation and Environment (T&E) Committee
Time: 1:30 p.m.
T&E Committee: Council President Tom Hucker and Councilmembers Evan Glass and Hans Riemer
Topics:
US 29 Mobility and Reliability Study and amendment to the FY21-26 Capital Improvements Program, US 29 Managed Lane Project
The T&E Committee will review the US 29 Mobility and Reliability Study and an amendment to the US 29 managed lane project in the FY21-26 CIP. In May 2017, the Council approved construction funding for the US 29 FLASH Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service that had recently begun operations. At that time, the Council also reviewed a longer-term proposal by Sean Emerson and Sebastian Smoot to reconstruct the portion of US 29 between Silver Spring and Burtonsville with an exclusive lane for BRT. The Council requested that the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) study this option. MCDOT responded that, in addition to studying the Emerson-Smoot concept, it would also evaluate a managed lane option (express buses sharing a lane with carpools) and ways to optimize all modes of travel along this section of US 29, including improvements for drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians.
The following individuals are expected to participate in the meeting: Christopher Conklin, director, MCDOT; Joana Conklin, rapid transit system development manager, Department of General Services; Corey Pitts, planning section manager, Division of Transportation Engineering, MCDOT; Casey Anderson, chair, Montgomery County Planning Board; David Anspacher, supervisor, Countywide Planning; and Jesse Cohn, planner coordinator, Countywide Planning.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Facility Planning Review of Amherst Avenue Bikeway Study
The T&E Committee also will review facility planning for a new Amherst Avenue bikeway in Wheaton. MCDOT has completed the first phase of facility planning for a new bikeway that would run for 1.1 miles between Arcola Avenue and Windham Lane. The study is funded as part of the Bicycle-Pedestrian Priority Ares (BPPA) Improvements – Wheaton CBD project in the CIP.
The Planning Board reviewed the study date at a meeting on Dec. 3, 2020. The following individuals are expected to participate in the meeting: Dan Sheridan, chief, Planning and Design Section, Division of Transportation Engineering, MCDOT; Corey Pitts, planning section manager, Division of Transportation Engineering, MCDOT; Angel Cheng, senior planner, Division of Transportation Engineering, MCDOT; Casey Anderson, chair, Montgomery County Planning Board; David Anspacher, supervisor, Countywide Planning; and Eli Glazier, planner/coordinator, Countywide Planning.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
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Release ID: 21-024