For Immediate Release: Wednesday, February 10, 2021
Also on Feb. 11 at 7:30 p.m.: Council will hold virtual public hearings on zoning measure introduced by Councilmember Jawando allowing owners of R-60 zoned property within one mile of a Metro station to build multi-family structures and bill aimed at preventing rent gouging near transit stations
The Health and Human Services Committee will meet virtually on Thursday, Feb. 11 at 9:30 a.m., and the Planning, Housing and Economic Development and Health Human Services Committees will meet jointly at 1:30 p.m. The Council will meet virtually at 7:30 p.m. to hold a public hearing on ZTA 20-07, R-60 Zone – Uses and Standards, which is sponsored by Councilmember Jawando. The Council will also hold a public hearing on Bill 52-20, Landlord-Tenant Relations – Protection Against Rent Gouging Near Transit, which is also sponsored by Councilmember Jawando.
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 and committee meeting schedules may change from time to time. The current Council and 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 and on Facebook Live and can be watched on County Cable Montgomery on Xfinity/RCN 6 HD 996/1056 and Fios 30.
Meeting: Health and Human Services (HHS) Committee
Time: 9:30 a.m.
HHS Committee: Council Vice President Gabe Albornoz (Chair) and Councilmembers Evan Glass (Lead for Homelessness & Vulnerable Communities) and Craig Rice
Topic:
Fiscal Year 2021 Savings Plan
The Health and Human Services Committee will meet to review more than $2.63 million in proposed budget savings for the Office of Human Rights and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Most of the recommended savings reflect operational changes due to COVID-19 public health related impacts. The Office of Human Rights has $48,049 in lapse savings from a newly created position for fiscal year 2021 which was held vacant through February 2021.
The County Executive is recommending that the Council support $2.59 million in savings plan reductions for DHHS and has only identified about one percent for the department in recognition of the demands placed on the staff during the pandemic. All the savings are in operating expenses. Council staff is recommending $1.289 million in savings.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Meeting: Joint Planning, Housing and Economic Development (PHED) Committee and Health and Human Services (HHS) Committee
Time: 1:30 p.m.
PHED Committee: Councilmembers Hans Riemer (Chair), Andrew Friedson (Lead for Parks) and Will Jawando
HHS Committee: Council Vice President Gabe Albornoz (Chair), Councilmembers Evan Glass (Lead for Homelessness and Vulnerable Communities) and Craig Rice
Topics:
COVID Rental Assistance Program and Evictions
The PHED and HHS Committee will receive an update on the COVID Rental Assistance Program and evictions in the County. At this meeting DHHS will provide the joint committee with an update on the $20 million in COVID rental assistance that is funded through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act money previously received by the County. The County stopped taking application for this program in November as more than 9,000 applications were received. DHHS is continuing to issue payments to those applicants who were eligible and approved.
The joint committee will also get an update from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office on the eviction process and the resolution of cases that are forwarded to them and from Maryland Legal Aid regarding their work, in partnership with the Homeless Persons Representation Project, to provide legal assistance to low-income County residents.
The committees will also review a $31.4 million special appropriation for rental assistance from the Department of Treasury’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program that was announced in early January. While not all the guidance has been issued, the guidance says that priority should be given to households at or below 50 percent of the area median income and to households where an individual has been unemployed for the 90 days prior to applying. The assistance can be used for both rent and utilities.
Those expected to provide information include: Captain Robin Lewis, commander, Criminal/Civil Division, Sheriff’s Office; Frank Vitale, chief and supervising attorney, Maryland Legal Aid, Montgomery County Office; Amanda Harris, chief, Services to End and Prevent Homelessness, Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS); Ilana Branda, deputy chief, Services to End and Prevent Homelessness; Aseem Nigam, director, Department of Housing and Community Affairs (DHCA); Frank Demarais, deputy director, DHCA; Mary Beck, Office of Management and Budget (OMB); Pofen Salem, OMB and Lindsay Lucas, OMB.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Planning for New Emergency Shelter
DHHS will provide the committee members with an update on how it has been providing warming centers for people who do not have shelter. Last October, the joint HHS and PHED Committee met to hear about the projected need for homeless shelter beds and to get input from representatives from the Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless, Interfaith Works, and Rainbow Place. The County needs to move from the temporary location of the men’s shelter in Rockville and the expanded shelter space in recreation centers that is needed to socially distance during the pandemic. In December, the Council approved a special appropriation and capital improvements program amendment to provide $1 million to allow the Department of General Services to undertake the work to identify and analyze options for one or more facilities to provide the needed shelter space. DGS and DHHS will provide the joint committee with an update on the status of this work.
Those expected to provide information include: Amanda Harris, chief, Services to End and Prevent Homelessness, Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS); Ilana Branda, deputy chief, Services to End and Prevent Homelessness; David Dise, director, Department of General Services (DGS) and Greg Ossont, deputy director, DGS.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Public Hearings
Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 20-07, R-60 Zone – Uses and Standards
The Council will hold a public hearing on ZTA 20-07, which would allow owners of R-60 zoned property located within one mile of a Metro station to build duplexes, townhouses and multi-family structures within the current R-60 lot coverage, building height, setbacks, minimum lot size, and minimum parking requirements. Councilmember Will Jawando is lead sponsor. The result of the ZTA would be that the square footage of each individual unit is reduced. This would make the cost per unit for multiple units more affordable. Construction costs of smaller units are less than the costs for larger units, and the land costs associated with each unit are lower because they share a lot with other units. The goal of the R-60 zone is to provide designated areas of the County for moderate density residential uses. In the R-60 zone, the current predominant use is detached homes. The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Bill 52-20, Landlord-Tenant Relations – Protection Against Rent Gouging Near Transit
The Council will hold a public hearing on Bill 52-20, which would set standards regarding rent prices charged within one mile of rail transit stations, and within a half-mile of bus rapid transit stations. Rents within these areas would be required to comply with rent guidelines published by the Department of Housing and Community Affairs. Councilmember Will Jawando is the lead sponsor. Certain rental properties would be exempt from the rent standards under the bill. Specifically, certain owner-occupied properties, religious and non-profit organizations, and licensed facilities, among others, would be exempt. A regulated rental unit under the bill would be permitted to raise rent by an allowable increase once per year. Alternatively, the landlord would be permitted to “bank” the allowable increase and apply it to a future year. Landlords subject to the bill would be required to submit annual reports regarding their rents to the Department of Housing and Community Affairs. The Council staff report can be viewed here.
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Release ID: 21-050