For Immediate Release: Wednesday, April 3, 2024
The Government Operations and Fiscal Policy (GO) Committee will meet on Thursday, April 4 at 9:30 a.m. to review the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025-2030 Capital improvements Programs (CIPs) for Technology and Enterprise Business Solutions (TEBS), County Offices and Other Improvements and Other General Government projects. In addition, the Committee will review Office of Legislative Oversight (OLO) Report 2024-5, Planning, Design and Supervision in the Montgomery County Government (MCG) Capital Improvements Program.
The members of the GO Committee include Chair and Council Vice President Kate Stewart, Council President Andrew Friedson and Councilmember Sidney Katz.
The Audit Committee will meet at 11 a.m. to review the results of the FY23 external audit and a new contract with SB & Company for audit services.
The members of the Audit Committee include GO Chair and Council Vice President Kate Stewart, Council President Andrew Friedson and Councilmember Sidney Katz.
The joint Education and Culture (EC) and Transportation and Environment (TE) Committee will meet at 1:30 p.m. to review walking and biking infrastructure at Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). In addition, the committee will review the Ride-On transit center and MCPS bus depot relocation projects.
The members of the EC Committee include Chair Will Jawando and Councilmembers Gabe Albornoz and Kristin Mink.
The members of the TE Committee include Chair Evan Glass, Councilmember Marilyn Balcombe and Vice President Kate Stewart.
More detail on each agenda item is provided below.
Technology and Enterprise Business Solutions (TEBS) FY25-35 CIP
Review: The GO Committee will review the more than $88 million FY25-35 CIP recommended for TEBS. This is a more than $12 million reduction from the FY23-28 amended CIP. The reduction is due to the completion of previously approved projects. There are two new projects in the CIP. The new projects include the County Building Network Wiring project and the Dense Wave Division Multiplexing (DWDM) Replacement project. The wiring project is a multiyear effort to provide network wiring installation and maintenance services to all County buildings. DWDM replacement is a one-time project to replace aging communications technology.
The CIP also includes the Digital Equity Montgomery Connects project, which will ensure the County continues to help lower-income residents access high quality broadband services. The CIP will continue to invest in the FiberNet program, fund a new Public Safety Server Hardware program to replace end of life servers for public safety systems and fund the County Radio Life Cycle Replacement project, which will continue to provide for the phased replacement of outdated voice radio systems used primarily by the County's public safety first responder agencies.
County Offices and Other Improvements and Other General Government FY25-35 CIP
Review: The GO Committee will review the County Offices and Other Improvements FY25-35 CIP and the Other General Government FY25-35 CIP. The County Offices and Other Improvements FY25-30 CIP includes more than $171 million over the six-year period, which is a decrease of $22.3 million, or 11.5 percent, from the previously approved Amended FY23-28 CIP. The reduction is primarily due to the closeout of the Energy Systems Modernization project and the completion of sub-projects in the HVAC/Electrical Replacement: MCG project.
The Other General Government FY25-30 CIP includes $8 million over the six-year period, which is a decrease of $6.2 million, or 44.6 percent, from the previously approved Amended FY23-28 CIP. During this meeting, the GO Committee will review several specific projects, including: the new County Fleet Electric Vehicle Charging Stations project; scope and cost changes to the Facility Planning project; schedule and affordability adjustments for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance; scope, schedule and affordability adjustments for Red Brick Courthouse structural repairs; and receive an update on amendments to the Council Office Building Renovations CIP. Remaining projects within this subcategory are administered by Alcohol Beverage Services (ABS) and will be reviewed by the Economic Development (ECON) Committee on April 25 along with review of the ABS operating budget.
OLO Report 2024-5, Planning, Design, and Supervision in the MCG Capital Improvements Program
Review: The GO Committee will review OLO Report 2024-5, Planning, Design, and Supervision in the Montgomery County Government Capital Improvements Program, which provides an overview of the County Government’s CIP. The report focuses on projects within the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) and Department of General Services (DGS), which account for nearly 81 percent of combined CIP expenditures. The report also presents OLO’s analysis of facility planning projects, examines Planning, Design and Supervision (PDS) expenditures and describes innovative practices from other jurisdictions relevant to the planning and design of capital projects.
Review of Results from the FY23 External Audit and Review of New Contract with SB & Company
Briefing: The Audit Committee will receive a briefing from SB & Company, which is the County Government’s independent auditor on the audit results of the County Government’s FY23 financial statements. The briefing will also include an overview of financial statements of the County Government’s retirement plans and the Montgomery County Consolidated Retiree Health Benefits Trust. The committee also will review a new contract with SB & Company for audit services.
Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Student Walking and Biking Infrastructure
Review: The joint EC and TE Committee will review student walking and biking infrastructure for students traveling to and from MCPS facilities. The purpose of the discussion is to coordinate action between MCPS, the Montgomery County Planning Department and MCDOT on improved pedestrian and bicycle connectivity.
This discussion is a continuation of a briefing held on Feb. 12, 2024 about the 2023 Travel Monitoring Report provided by representatives of the Planning Department. The report provides insights into various aspects of Montgomery County’s transportation system and leverages new datasets and analytical tools to help provide a clearer vision of how the County is meeting its transportation goals, objectives and metrics defined in Thrive Montgomery 2050, the Pedestrian Master Plan and the Bicycle Master Plan. In addition to a broad overview of travel metrics in the County, the report contains specific biking and walking data about MCPS students.
Ride-On Transit Center and MCPS Bus Depot Relocation FY25-30 CIP projects
Review: The joint EC and TE Committee will review and make a recommendation to the Council about MCDOT’s new Transit Maintenance Depot project and the MCPS Bus Depot and Maintenance Relocation project within the FY25-30 CIP. The New Transit Maintenance Depot project provides for the planning and design of a new transit bus depot, which includes maintenance and repair facilities to accommodate up to 255 buses. The MCPS Bus Depot and Maintenance Relocation project provides for a comprehensive feasibility study and planning for the relocation of the MCPS Bus Depot from the County Service Park on Crabbs Branch Way.
The Count Executive has recommended $3.5 million in FY25-26 for each project, for a total of $7 million. The funding will be used to conduct community engagement, project scoping and preliminary design activities for a new transit facility, which would be shared by Ride-On and MCPS school buses on the property of the current Shady Grove MCPS Transportation Depot at Crabbs Branch Way. According to MCDOT, the new depot is needed by 2030 to meet the department’s 2035 zero-emission goals.
The Committee meeting schedule may change from time to time. View the current Council and Committee agendas, Council staff reports and additional information on items scheduled for Council review on the Council website.
Council and committee meetings are 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: 24-126