For Immediate Release: Friday, November 5, 2021
Council will meet to review state legislative priorities; Committees will discuss the emergency homeless shelter system, Biotechnology Investor Incentive Program, Economic Development Fund Grant and Loan Program and work of the Policing Advisory Commission
For Immediate Release: Friday, Nov. 5, 2021
The Health and Human Services (HHS) Committee will meet on Monday, Nov. 8 at 9:30 a.m. to receive an update on the emergency homeless shelter system and review a related $2,455,000 amendment to the FY21-26 Capital Improvements Program and Special Appropriation to the FY22 Capital Budget for the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) for costs associated with the renovation of a new homeless shelter located 11600 Nebel Street in North Bethesda.
The members of the HHS Committee include Chair and Council Vice President Gabe Albornoz and Councilmembers Evan Glass (Lead for Homelessness & Vulnerable Communities) and Craig Rice.
The Planning, Housing and Economic Development (PHED) Committee will meet at 9:30 a.m. to review the Small Business Research (SBIR/STTR) Matching Grant Program, Economic Development Fund Grant and Loan Program (EDFGLP) and Make Office Vacancies Extinct Program (MOVE).
The members of the PHED Committee include Chair Hans Riemer and Councilmembers Andrew Friedson (Lead for Parks) and Will Jawando.
The Council will meet at 12:30 p.m. to review and vote on state legislative priorities for the upcoming Maryland General Assembly session.
The Public Safety (PS) Committee will meet at 1:30 p.m. to receive an update from the Policing Advisory Commission (PAC).
The members of the PS Committee include Chair Sidney Katz, Council Vice President Gabe Albornoz and Council President Tom Hucker.
More detail on each agenda item is provided below.
Emergency Homeless Shelter System
Briefing: The HHS Committee will receive an update from DHHS and the Department of General Services (DGS) on the renovation of the building on 11600 Nebel Street in North Bethesda that will serve as the new men’s homeless shelter and the plans for the emergency homeless shelter system after the Nebel Street shelter opens in Jan. 2022. The County’s provider partners will also attend and provide information, which include the Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless (MCCH) and Interfaith Works (IW).
Those expected to attend and provide information include Dr. Raymond Crowel, director, DHHS; David Dise, director, DGS; Amanda Harris, chief, Services to End and Prevent Homelessness, DHHS; Greg Ossont, deputy director, DGS; Susie Sinclair-Smith, chief executive officer, Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless (MCCH); Jennifer Schiller, chief programs officer, MCCH; Courtney Hall, chief executive officer, Interfaith Works (IW); Christine Hong, Director of Homeless Services, IW.
Review: Following the update on the renovation of the new shelter located at 11600 Nebel Street shelter in North Bethesda, the HHS Committee will review a $2.4 million increase in funding needed to complete the construction of the shelter. The funding is needed to accelerate completion of the project because the current shelter facility located on Taft Court in Rockville will no longer be available starting in Jan. 2022. In addition, due to COVID-19 the maximum occupancy at each County shelter has decreased to accommodate social distancing requirements. The new facility will provide space for congregation, meal service, medical services and case management.
This amendment and special appropriation is being brought to the Committee for review and recommendation prior to its introduction at Council. It will be introduced on Nov. 9, 2021 and a public hearing is scheduled for Nov. 30 at 1:30 p.m., tentatively followed by action. The Committee may choose to hold another meeting if needed.
Those expected to attend and provide information include Dr. Raymond Crowel, director, DHHS; David Dise, director, Department of General Services, DGS; Amanda Harris, chief, Services to End and Prevent Homelessness, DHHS; and Greg Ossont, deputy director, DGS.
Montgomery County’s State Legislative Priorities – Maryland General Assembly 2022
Discussion: The Council will meet with representatives from the Office of Intergovernmental Relations (OIR) and the Office of the County Executive to continue its review of state legislative priorities for the upcoming Maryland General Assembly session. The Council first met on Oct. 25, 2021 to discuss a draft of the 2022 state legislative priorities and reviewed potential edits and additions to the list.
OIR, working with Executive Branch agencies, has developed a proposed list of the County’s state legislative priorities for the upcoming 2022 General Assembly session. The deadline to provide the 2022 list to the state delegation is Nov. 15, 2021.
The general categories of proposed state priorities for 2022 include COVID-19 relief and resiliency, fiscal health and economic development, transportation, education, elections, the environment, health and human services, public safety, broadband accessibility and affordability, cybersecurity and local authority.
Those expected to attend and provide information include Kathleen Boucher, special assistant to the director, OIR; Leslie Frey, legislative analyst, OIR; and Sara Morningstar, Federal Relations Coordinator and Legislative Analyst, OIR.
Review: The PHED Committee will review recommendations from the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC) and BioHealth Innovation, Inc. (BHI) to update the Small Business Research (SBIR/STTR) Matching Grant Program. The SBIR/STTR Matching Grant Program is an entitlement program for small businesses with an industry focus on the County’s biotechnology sector.
The intent of the program is to provide small grants for early-stage County businesses that successfully received a federal SBIR/STTR Phase I or II grant to conduct research in medicine, biotechnology or life sciences.
Those expected to attend and provide information include Laurie Boyer, economic development manager, Office of the County Executive (CEX); Peter McGinnity, manager, Business Development, Department of Finance (Finance); Judy Costello, special projects director, CEX; Ben Wu, president and CEO, Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC); Brad Stewart, senior vice president of business development, MCEDC; Phil Singerman, MCEDC; Christy Blake, special projects manager, MCEDC; Rich Bendis, founder, president and CEO, BioHealth; Innovation, Inc (BHI); and Sarah Miller, vice president of economic development, BHI.
Economic Development Fund Grant and Loan Program and MOVE Program
Review: The PHED Committee will review the Economic Development Fund Grant and Loan Program (EDFGLP) and Make Office Vacancies Extinct (MOVE) Program. The County provides financial incentives to businesses primarily through the Economic Development Fund to assist private employers who are located in, plan to locate to or will substantially expand operations in the County.
The EDFGLP is a subprogram within the EDF and is considered the flagship program within the fund that is typically used for larger attraction, expansion or retention projects. The program has assisted more businesses and provided more funding than any of the other program within the EDF.
The MOVE Program, another subprogram within the EDF, is an entitlement program to assist businesses by offsetting some costs of the first year of the company’s lease when relocating to the County. Businesses that qualify for the MOVE Program received $8 per square foot of the executed lease, up to $80,000. To qualify, businesses must be new to the County, which is defined by executing its first lease for Class A or B office space in the County. In addition, the lease must be for a period of at least three years and cannot exceed 20,000 square feet.
Those expected to attend and provide information include Nancy Feldman, chief, Division of Fiscal Management, Finance; Laurie Boyer, economic development manager, Office of the County Executive; Peter McGinnity, manager, Business Development, Finance; Ben Wu, president and CEO, MCEDC; Bill Tompkins, executive vice president and COO, MCEDC; and Brad Stewart, senior vice president of business development, MCEDC.
Policing Advisory Commission (PAC)
Briefing: The PS Committee will receive an update from the Policing Advisory Commission. The Commission was created in 2019 by the Montgomery County Council in response to ongoing public dialogue around policing practices and as an effort to increase community involvement in matters of public safety. It’s mission is to advise the Council on policing matters and recommend policies, programs, legislation or regulations with regards to policing.
Dalbin Osorio, chair of the Policing Advisory Commission, will attend and provide information.
The Committee meeting schedule may change from time to time. The current Council and Committee agendas, 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 committees are meeting via Zoom this fall because of ongoing construction and technology upgrades in the Council's Hearing Room and the inability to conduct meetings in a socially distant way in other areas of the Council Office Building with television broadcast capacity. Councilmembers will continue to hold meetings in their offices by appointment.
The virtual Council and committee meetings 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, Fios 30, and on the CCM live stream.
Release ID: 21-448