FY23-28 Capital Improvements Program – Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC Water) Review: The Council will review the recommended FY23-28 CIP for WSSC Water. The proposed CIP total is $4.25 billion during the six-year period, which is an increase of $442.3 million or 11.6 percent from the Approved CIP. The WSSC CIP includes 13 new projects which include $310 million in new spending over the six years. The Transportation and Environment (T&E) Committee reviewed this CIP on March 17 and recommends approval as proposed with the mid-cycle updates approved by the Commission. However, as part of that recommendation, the Committee tabled the I-494/I-270 Traffic Relief Plan Pipeline Relocations project pending further discussion about the project costs and assumed funding for the project. The project with the largest six-year increases in the CIP include the I-495/I-270 traffic relief plan pipeline relocations; the Blue Plains project; the water reconstruction program; the Potomac WFP main zone pipeline; the large diameter water pipe rehabilitation program; and the Anacostia depot reconfiguration. FY23 Recommended Operating Budget: WSSC Water Review: The Council will review the FY23 Operating Budget for WSSC Water. The recommended budget is more than $873 million, which is an increase of more than $21.4 million or 2.5 percent from the FY22 approved budget. WSS Water provides public water and sewer services to 1.9 million residents in a sanitary district covering nearly 1,000 square miles in Montgomery and Prince George's Counties. The T&E Committee reviewed this budget on April 28 and recommended approval of expenditure and revenue changes consistent with the Commission’s April 20 approved amendments to the FY23 Proposed Budget The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) FY23 Operating Budget and revisions to the FY23-28 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) to accommodate State Aid Review: The Council will review the M-NCPPC FY23 Operating Budget and revisions to the FY23-28 CIP to accommodate state aid. The Commission's total FY23 budget request is $182.9 million, which includes enterprise operations, property management, debt service and special revenue funds. The appropriation required to support the operating budget is $196.2 million. For FY23, the proposed tax-supported operating budget, including debt service, is $162.7 million. This represents an increase of $12.4 million or 8.3 percent more than the adopted FY22 tax-supported budget. The Planning, Housing and Economic Development (PHED) Committee reviewed the FY23 Operating Budget and FY23-28 CIP on May 2 and supports M-NCPPC’s proposed budget reductions of $1.7 million needed to meet the County Executive’s FY23 Recommended Budget of more than $180 million. Additional Committee recommendation can be found in the staff report. Early Care and Education Services: Early Care and Education Initiative, Child Care Subsidies, Pre-Kindergarten Expansion, Early Care and Education Coordinating Entity and Children’s Opportunity Fund Review: The joint E&C and HHS Committee will review and make recommendations on items in the FY23 Operating Budget that involve the delivery of childcare and early education services and partnerships with the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). These items include the early care and education initiative, child care subsidies, pre-kindergarten expansion, the early care and education coordinating entity and the children’s opportunity fund (COF). For the Early Care and Education Non-departmental Account (ECE NDA), FY23 will mark the final year of this four-year initiative that was spearheaded by Councilmember Navarro and the County Executive. The County Executive recommends level funding of nearly $11 million for the ECE NDA in FY23. Projected unspent funding of $8.9 million in FY22 will be reappropriated to FY23, resulting in total available resources of more than $19.9 in FY23. The FY23 recommended budget for the child care subsidies program is more than $3.3 million, which is a decrease of $114,765 or 3.3 percent less than the FY22 approved budget. The decrease is a result of multi-program adjustments, which include negotiated compensation changes, employee benefit changes, changes due to staff turnover and reorganizations. For early childhood services (ECS), the County Executive’s recommended FY23 budget is more than $12.2 million, which is an increase of slightly more than $1 million or 9 percent more than the FY22 approved budget. ECS offers services for children from birth through age five and services for their families. The program administers the infants and toddlers program in collaboration with MCPS, the County’s resource and referral centers, the state infant and early childhood mental health project and the child care in public space program. On Feb. 15, 2022, the Council approved Bill 42-21, sponsored by Council President Albornoz and Councilmembers Navarro and Rice, which requires the Council to designate a nonprofit corporation to serve as the County’s early care and education coordinating entity. Because the COF originated as a program housed in the Greater Washington Community Foundation and did not have independent legal status, efforts are being made to stand up COF as an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation that meets the requirements of Bill 42-21. Montgomery Moving Forward is engaged in the process of launching the coordinating entity and has requested funding to support these efforts, which are anticipated to extend through the first half of FY23. Details in the staff report outlines the organization’s scope of work and identifies the need for $25,000 in funds for FY22 and $35,000 in FY23. For Head Start programs, the County Executive’s recommended FY23 budget is more than $4.8 million in FY23 in the administration and support service area, which is an increase of $276,010 from the FY22 approved budget. The increase includes $291,010 in multiprogram adjustments and a grant funding reduction of $15,000. On April 18, the County Executive transmitted an FY23-28 CIP amendment for the child care renovations project, which provides funding for the renovation of childcare facilities. The total recommended CIP for this project is more than $51 million over the six-year period. During a meeting to review in March 2022, the joint Committee and recommended approval of the proposed expenditure schedule and appropriations subject to availability of funds at reconciliation. |