For Immediate Release: Friday, February 5, 2021
The Planning, Housing and Economic Development Committee will meet at 9:30 a.m. and the Education and Culture Committee will meet at 1:30 p.m.
The Council will meet virtually on Monday, Feb. 8 at 12:30 p.m. The Planning, Housing and Economic Development Committee will meet virtually at 9:30 a.m. and the Education and Culture Committee will meet virtually at 1:30 p.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.
State Legislative Program
The Council will receive an update on the Maryland RELIEF Act of 2021, an emergency stimulus and tax relief package that will provide more than $1 billion for Maryland working families, small businesses, and those who have lost their jobs because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Council will also receive an update on Montgomery County 2021 Bond Initiatives. The Council will continue its discussion of state legislation and potential Council positions on local and bi-county bills for the 2021 legislative session of the Maryland General Assembly.
Those expected to provide information at the Council meeting include: Melanie Wenger, director, Office of Intergovernmental Relations (OIR); Kathleen Boucher, special assistant to director, OIR; Leslie Frey, legislative analyst, OIR; Sara Morningstar, federal relations coordinator and legislative analyst, OIR; Amy Samman, legislative analyst, OIR; and representatives from County departments.
The Council staff report includes a summary chart for each of the bills to be considered at the meeting and can be viewed here.
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
Topics:
Expedited Bill 50-20, Landlord-Tenant Relations - Fire Safety - Removal of Mercury Service Regulators
The PHED Committee will review Expedited Bill 50-20, which would require landlords to schedule the immediate replacement of indoor mercury service regulators and to provide certain notices to tenants. Council President Tom Hucker is the lead sponsor. Councilmember Hans Riemer, Council Vice President Gabe Albornoz and Councilmembers Nancy Navarro, Sidney Katz, Craig Rice and Will Jawando are cosponsors. The purpose of this expedited bill is to facilitate the immediate replacement of indoor mercury service regulators with safer, more modern regulators. Indoor mercury service regulators have contributed to fatal building fires. The goal of replacing these devices is to improve fire safety across the county. Aseem Nigam, director of the Department of Housing and Community Affairs, is expected to participate in the meeting.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Fiscal year 2021 Savings Plan
The PHED Committee will review the County’s FY21 Savings Plan. The County Executive recommends a total of four savings items in three departments for the Committee’s review. The proposed reductions in the Office of Agriculture and Department of Recreation result from the COVID-19 impact on the departments’ ability to make services and facilities available to constituents. The Department of Housing and Community Affairs item is a reduction due to lapsing a vacant position. The proposed reductions are not anticipated to have a service impact. Council staff recommends approval of each. Jeremy Criss, director, Office of Agriculture, and Jane Mukira, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) are expected to participate in the meeting.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Meeting: Education and Culture (E&C) Committee
Time: 1:30 p.m.
E&C Committee: Councilmembers Craig Rice (Chair), Will Jawando (Lead for Libraries) and Nancy Navarro
Topic:
Montgomery County Public Schools FY22-27 CIP Amendments: Overview and Affordability Issues
The E&C Committee will receive an overview of Montgomery County Public Schools’ (MCPS) FY22-27 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) and review affordability issues. The Board’s FY21-26 amendment request totals $1.732 billion. This level of funding is $3.7 million or 0.2 percent more than the original Approved FY21-26 CIP of $1.728 billion, a small increase for the six-year time period. However, the Board of Education (the board) request assumes about $20 million more overall in the first three years of the CIP and decreases in the last three years of the CIP.
The recommendation of the County Executive assumes $1.61 billion in six-year expenditures, which is $117.3 million less than the original Approved FY21-26 CIP and $121 million less than the board request. However, about $68.4 million of the Executive’s reduction is from some large technical adjustments (reflecting actual project expenditures in FY20 and correspondingly reducing expenditures in FY21 and FY22). When removing these technical adjustments, the percentage reductions from the Approved and the board request are 2.8 percent and 3 percent respectively.
The following individuals are expected to attend the meeting: Adrienne Karamihas, director of the Division of Capital Planning, MCPS; Seth Adams, director of the Department of Facilities Management, MCPS; Mary Beck, CIP manager, Office of Management and Budget (OMB); and Veronica Jaua, fiscal and policy analyst, OMB.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
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