Council President's Message

The Council is in regular session on Tuesday, and we have a full agenda.

The Council will commemorate Hispanic Heritage Month with a special roundtable discussion. Panelists will share their professional and life experiences and discuss issues of importance to the community and the County.

The Council’s legislative work will focus substantially on affordable housing and wireless infrastructure.

Affordable Housing
The Council will take up two issues related to housing in the County.

Zoning Text Amendment 18-06, MPDU - Bonus Density is a complement to Bills 34-17 and 38-17 which the Council passed earlier this year. Bill 34-17, introduced by Councilmember Floreen and cosponsored by Councilmember Rice, made several significant changes to modernize the Moderately Priced Dwelling Unit (MPDU) law which requires that 12.5% of new residential units be affordable to residents with moderate incomes. Bill 38-17, introduced by Council President Riemer and cosponsored by Councilmember Katz, increased the requirement to 15% in the most expensive parts of the County. ZTA 18-06 updates the bonus density formula which provides a bonus to incentivize developers to do more than the required minimum MPDU’s to take account of changes approved in Bills 34-17 and 38-17.

Zoning Text Amendment 18-07, Accessory Residential Use - Accessory Apartments will make it easier for homeowners to add an Accessory Dwelling Unit to their home - a rental unit with a seperate entrance and kitchen. In 2012, the Council created a more streamlined approval process for most Accessory Apartments, while still giving neighbors notice and an opportunity to object to a proposed unit. This ZTA (and companion Bill 26-18) would extend that process to cover the all proposed accessory apartments, rather than having some units still required to go through the more cumbersome Conditional Use process. This does not change any of the substantive requirements for accessory apartments, such as parking, the location of a second entrance, or any of the safety features required as part of the building code.

Wireless Infrastructure
The Council has been grappling with issues surrounding next-generation wireless infrastructure for the last two years. This past spring, the Council enacted a zoning amendment that allows wireless deployment in our commercial areas. We are now considering an ordinance proposed by the County Executive that guides deployment in residential areas. Taking into account the views of concerned residents, the Council’s Planning, Housing, and Economic Development Committee reviewed and amended the ordinance. That amended ordinance is now before the full Council. With appropriate setback, size, and design requirements, the general concept is to allow wireless infrastructure on existing utility poles and tall light posts by limited use and to require conditional use for the replacement of shorter light posts.

The Council is taking up this ordinance in the context of efforts at the FCC, Congress, and the Maryland General Assembly to preempt local control over wireless infrastructure siting. Passing a responsible ordinance that a) protects our neighborhoods, b) allows deployment, and c) does not run afoul of federal law/regulations, strengthens our ability to fight these efforts. You can follow the Council’s worksession on the issue, which will begin around 10:00am.

Climate Mobilization Report
Finally, the Council will receive a presentation about the Climate Mobilization Report that the Executive Branch recently prepared. Pursuant to a Council Resolution that set a goal of reducing emissions 80% by 2027 and 100% by 2035, the County Executive convened a task force to make policy recommendations in a report to the Council. Read the report here.

Public Forum: Community Grants
The Council invites the public to a forum on October 9, 2018 at 7pm at the Council Office Building to discuss the community grants program. Each year the Council allocates funding to non-profit groups doing important work in the community. The Council is interested in hearing from the public on how to improve the effectiveness and accountability of these grants. Council committees will consider public feedback as they review the community grants program in the coming weeks.

Committees taking up substantial issues
The public safety committee will review the County Executive’s proposed savings to the fire and rescue budget. Meanwhile, the transportation committee will review WSSC’s spending control limits and several road and bicycle projects.

Council supports farm wineries and breweries
Last week the Council unanimously passed a zoning measure that creates a clear and reasonable path for farm-based breweries, wineries, cideries, and distilleries to locate and grow here in our agricultural areas. Read more here.

Cordially,

Hans Riemer
Council President