Council President's Update: Feb. 4

Dear Resident,

Welcome to the second edition of my weekly newsletter. As you know, in this newsletter I’ll discuss what the Montgomery County Council and our committees are focusing on in the week ahead.

Today the Council has a state legislation meeting, which provides the Council with the opportunity to discuss and weigh in on legislation being proposed in the Maryland General Assembly. A list of bills on the agenda can be viewed here.

On Thursday at 7:30 p.m. the Council will hold a public hearing on the Veirs Mill Corridor Master Plan at Holiday Park Senior Center (3950 Ferrara Dr. in Silver Spring). I encourage residents who live along the Veirs Mill corridor, which stretches approximately four miles from the City of Rockville to the Wheaton Central Business District, to come out and tell the Council what they would like to see in their neighborhoods or to just listen in on the discussion. In addition to land use issues, the plan focuses on pedestrian safety and transit connectivity along Veirs Mill Road. Residents can sign up to testify here.

You can also watch the public hearing on County Cable Montgomery on Channels 996 and 6 on Comcast; Channels 1056 and 6 on RCN; and Channel 30 on Verizon or on Facebook Live.

The Council will meet on Tuesday (here you can find the full agenda), and committee meetings are scheduled throughout the week. Here are a few items that may be of interest to you this week:

Lunar New Year

At tomorrow’s Council meeting I will present a proclamation celebrating the Lunar New Year, an important and widely celebrated holiday for many Asian Americans. February 5, 2019 marks the beginning of the Year 4717 in the Lunar Calendar, which will be celebrated as the Year of the Pig. At the Council we value the heritage of our large Asian American community, which enhances our quality of life and contributes to all areas of economic life in the county.

Legislation Scheduled for a Vote

• Bill 31-18, New Home Warranty and Builder Licensing – Amendments. Councilmember Craig Rice is the lead sponsor. Bill 31-18 would require new home builders and new home sellers to register with the Office of Consumer Protection, require new home builders and new home sellers to provide buyers with a new home warranty, and require the Office of Consumer Protection to administer and enforce County law related to new home builders and new home sellers. You can read more about Bill 31-18 here.

• Expedited Bill 37-18, Transient Housing - Short Term Rental License – Appeals. Former Councilmember Nancy Floreen is the lead sponsor. The goal of Bill 37-18 is to allow a more efficient appeal process for short-term rental issues. You can read more about Expedited Bill 37-18 here.

• Bill 40-18, Secondhand Personal Property Dealers – License. Councilmembers Andrew Friedson and Sidney Katz are the lead sponsors. Councilmember Gabe Albornoz, Council President Nancy Navarro and Councilmember Hans Riemer are cosponsors. Bill 40-18 would exclude certain personal property from the definition of secondhand personal property and provide that a secondhand personal property dealer license expires one year from the date of issuance. The Council staff report can be viewed here.

Capital Budget and Amendments to FY19-24 CIP

On Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. the Council will hold a public hearing on the county’s fiscal year 2020 capital budget and the FY 2019-2024 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) for a number of key areas of county government, including Montgomery County Public Schools and Montgomery College. The capital budget and CIP cover larger long‑term investments in facilities and infrastructure. Examples include the construction of public schools, street maintenance, and parks improvements. These investments often take years to build, and their costs may be distributed over time.

To see everything that is coming up at the Council, see our Council Coming Attractions or visit our Council meeting portal, where you can also stream Council and Committee meetings live or after the fact.