For Immediate Release: Friday, February 26, 2021
Also on March 1: The Education and Culture Committee will meet at 2 p.m. to review capital budget amendments for Montgomery College
The Planning, Housing & Economic Development (PHED) Committee will meet virtually at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, March 1. The Education & Culture (E&C) Committee will meet at 2 p.m. 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: Planning, Housing & Economic Development (PHED) Committee
Time: 9:30 a.m.
PHED Committee: Councilmembers Hans Riemer (Chair), Andrew Friedson (Lead for Parks), and Will Jawando.
Topics:
Bill 51-20, Landlord-Tenant Relations - Window Guards
The PHED Committee will review the Window Safety Act, which requires the installation of window guards to protect children from the risk of falling. Council President Tom Hucker is the lead sponsor and Council Vice President Gabe Albornoz and Councilmembers Nancy Navarro, Craig Rice, Hans Riemer, Sidney Katz and Will Jawando are cosponsors. The bill also requires notifications to tenants about window guards and directs tenants not to remove them. The landlord also would not be permitted to charge a tenant for the installation or maintenance of window guards.
Tragically, multiple children in the County have died from falling out of apartment windows in recent years. The goal of this bill is to prevent future tragedies of this nature by requiring the installation of window guards in certain multiple dwellings.
Those expected to provide information at the meeting include: Mitra Pedoeem, director, Department of Permitting Services (DPS); Rick Merck, division chief, Commercial Construction, DPS; Ehsan Motazedi, DPS; Dan McHugh, Department of Housing and Community Affairs (DHCA); and Chris Anderson, DHCA.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Shady Grove Sector Plan Minor Master Plan Amendment
The PHED Committee will also review the Shady Grove Sector Plan Minor Master Plan Amendment, which makes recommendations for land use and zoning within the Shady Grove Minor Master Plan area, as well as recommendations intended to improve overall circulation, pedestrian connections and the network of bikeways for approximately 2,000 acres.
The plan focuses on land use and zoning recommendations primarily surrounding the Shady Grove Metro Station, as well as mobility options, urban design and public facilities. The plan area is adjacent to the municipalities of Rockville, Gaithersburg and the Town of Washington Grove. Since the Plan’s approval twelve years ago, there have been several changes to the County’s land use planning policies and practices, including the adoption of a new Zoning Ordinance in 2014, an update to the County’s Subdivision Staging Policy in 2016 and new data-driven approaches to transportation planning.
The vision of this Sector Plan Amendment is to create a future Shady Grove Metro Station area that is home to a mixed-use, pedestrian-oriented environment with attractive streetscapes, distinctive architecture and a sense of place that is complemented with public art, facilities and amenities and new mobility options. This vision is consistent with the 2006 Shady Grove Sector Plan, which aspired to transform a light industrial area into a new mixed-use community near the Shady Grove Metro Station.
Those expected to provide information at the meeting include: Casey Anderson, chair, Montgomery County Planning Board; Gwen Wright, director, Montgomery Planning Department; Carrie Sanders, mid-county chief, Montgomery Planning Department; Jessica McVary, master plan supervisor, Montgomery Planning Department; Nkosi Yearwood, planner coordinator, Montgomery Planning Department; Steve Findley, planner coordinator, Montgomery Planning Department; Luis Estrada Cepero, urban designer, Montgomery Planning Department; Dominic Quattrocchi, park planning, Montgomery Parks; and Rebecca Ballo, supervisor, Historic Preservation, Montgomery Planning Department.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Meeting: Education & Culture (EC) Committee
Time: 2:00 p.m.
E&C Committee: Councilmembers Craig Rice (Chair), Will Jawando (Lead for Libraries) and Nancy Navarro
Topics:
Montgomery College FY21-26 CIP Amendments
The E&C Committee will review and make recommendations on the Montgomery College fiscal year 2022 (FY22) capital budget and amendments to the FY21-26 Capital Improvements Program (CIP). Montgomery College’s amended six-year CIP request totals $295.6 million, and the FY22 appropriation totals $59.7 million.
The County Executive’s recommended amended six-year total is $287.68 million, which is a $6.949 million decrease from the current approved CIP and a $7.964 million reduction from Montgomery College’s request. The College submitted a list of non-recommended reductions to align with the County Executive’s affordability constraints. The College’s non-recommended reductions impact FY22 current revenue funding in the information technology project and the FY24-26 G.O. bond funding in level of effort projects and the Germantown Student Services Center project.
A summary of recommendations begins on page two of the Council staff report.
The expected participants in this worksession include: Dr. DeRionne Pollard, president, Montgomery College; Donna Schena, senior vice president for Administrative and Fiscal Services, Montgomery College; Marvin Mills, vice president for Facilities and Public Safety, Montgomery College; Kristina Schramm, interim director, Capital Planning, Design, and Engineering, Montgomery College; and Rafael Murphy, fiscal and policy analyst, Office of Management and Budget.
The Council staff report can be viewed here.
Amendment to the FY21-26 CIP - Department of Recreation: Cost Sharing MCG
The E&C Committee will also review potential amendments to capital funding for the FY21-26 Capital Improvements Program for the Department of Recreation's Cost Sharing project.
The Council staff report will be available here by March 1.
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Release ID: 21-071