Nancy Floreen's Montgomery In Focus, August, 2018


Council Approves Legislation to Increase the Number of Affordable Homes

Councilmember Nancy Floreen on dais in Council Hearing Room listening

Last month Council unanimously approved my bill to increase the supply of affordable homes in Montgomery County. Bill 34-17, Housing - Moderately Priced Dwelling Units - Amendments is the first legislation in 13 years to update the County's rules for the Moderately Priced Dwelling Unit (MPDU) Program. The new law, which goes into effect October 31, 2018, modernizes our MPDU program so it will provide more affordable homes to meet growing demand.

The legislation broadens the authority of the Director of the Department of Housing and Community Affairs (DHCA) to accept Housing Initiative Fund payments in lieu of including MPDUs in a development. It also requires developers of new housing developments of 11 to 19 homes to make a payment to the Housing Initiative Fund (HIF). 

Further, the new law provides increased flexibility to the Director of DHCA to calculate the MPDU obligation in ways that best fit particular circumstances.

Experience has shown that the County can achieve more MPDUs, in certain circumstances, if affordable homes are provided in different locations.The funding can be used to strategically increase needed rental units in place of condominiums with unaffordable fees. Restrictions apply so that the off-site housing remains in the general vicinity of the original development. These new sources of revenue will support the County’s efforts to increase affordable units for the residents who need them the most. 

The bill contains many other provisions designed to update the MPDU program and make it more responsive to the needs of today’s residents. Most importantly, the updated law will produce more affordable homes for Montgomery County families.You can learn more here.


Montgomery County Agricultural Fair

montgomery agricultural fair logo

Mark your calendar for the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair on August 10-18 at the fairgrounds located at 501 Perry Parkway in Gaithersburg. This showcase of farm life in Montgomery County features live animals, carnival rides, a variety of entertainment, food and fun activities for all ages. Kids especially enjoy the opportunity to see all kinds of farm animals up close, including prize-winning goats, sheep, pigs, dairy cattle and horses. Live entertainment includes monster trucks, demolition derby and much more. You can also purchase home-made items including clothing, canned goods, baked goods and vegetables from local farmers and enjoy arts and crafts exhibits. Learn more about the fair and the daily events schedule here.


Council Receives Update from County Health Officer

Last month the Council received an update from Dr. Travis Gayles, County Health Officer. Dr. Gayles' presentation included detailed information from the report, Health in Montgomery County 2008-2016, published by the Office of Planning and Epidemiology in the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Services division.The report describes the generally  good health outcomes in our County but highlights certain health disparities.

Dr. Gayles' discussion also included updates in public health areas of chronic disease prevention and management, food safety, and health care delivery. He shared statistics on a variety of  health topics and discussed the importance of best practices on how to interpret this information.  The full report is available at this link:  Health in Montgomery County 2008-2016.


I-495 and I-270 Managed Lanes Study

270traffic

I attended  the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) Workshop for the I-495 and I-270 Managed Lanes Study.  MDOT provided an update on the study status and  proposed schedule. We received an overview of the study's Purpose and Need Statement and the range of alternatives under consideration. We also participated in small working groups with MDOT technical staff so that everyone who attended could provide comments and ask questions.

Your voice counts and MDOT wants your feedback. If you couldn't attend one of the workshops you can still provide your comments. Visit the program website to participate in a virtual workshop or, here's a list of other ways to stay informed:

 • Contact the study team via email

 • Sign up for email notifications on the website 

 • Read the Study Newsletter

 • Call the study team toll free at 833-858-5960 


Fast Fact

August 12-18, 2018  is designated as Shop Maryland Tax-Free Week this year. That means qualifying apparel and footwear $100 or less, per item, are exempt from the state sales tax. Also the first $40 of a backpack or bookbag purchase is also tax-free. Accessory items, except for backpacks, are not included. 


Green Tip of the Month

LEDLigjht

We recently approved funding to replace high-pressure sodium (HPS) lamps with light-emitting diode (LED) lamps in about 26,000 streetlights throughout the County. Replacing HPS lamps with LED will reduce energy and maintenance costs.

 

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation estimates a savings of $858,000 annually once the entire inventory of streetlamps is replaced: $606,000 in energy savings, $154,000 in savings from PEPCO charges for maintenance of underground cables, and $98,000 in savings in County-owned (above ground) infrastructure. The savings will be used to pay the debt service on the Long-Term Financing. Read the Council staff report here.


Let's Talk

Is your community organization hosting a public meeting? Please let me know how I can help. I am happy to assist residents in understanding pending bills or in finding ways to get involved in the political process. I want to hear about what matters to you. Send emails to councilmember.floreen@montgomerycountymd.gov or call 240-777-7959 if you would like me to address a particular topic with your group.

August 2018


In this Issue

Click to edit this heading.


Quick Links