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Dear Resident,
I would like to begin this week by addressing a serious issue. My fellow Montgomery County Councilmembers and I were outraged and deeply saddened to watch the videos that show a young man being apprehended by Montgomery County Police officers using what appears to be excessive force. We appreciate that Acting Police Chief Marcus Jones has promptly initiated a thorough investigation into this arrest. The Council is committed to making sure that all our residents feel safe when interacting with police officers. We have asked that Chief Jones appear before the Montgomery County Council as soon as possible in July to brief us on this incident and share with us his strategies for community-police relations, including de-escalation training strategies, to make our county a safe place for all our residents. We will continue to monitor this investigation and will review the outcome once it’s complete.
We encourage community members who may have witnessed this arrest to contact police investigators at (240) 773-6000.
Here’s what’s coming up at tomorrow’s Council meeting, which will begin at 9:30 a.m.
Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 19-01, Accessory Residential Uses - Accessory Apartments
The Council will continue its review of ZTA 19-01. Councilmember Hans Riemer is the lead sponsor. The goal of this zoning change is to streamline the process for having an accessory apartment, to help increase the supply of affordable housing. Read more here.
Two-Year Budgeting
The Council will receive a briefing on the County Executive’s proposal for a two-year (biennial) operating budget. I requested that the County Executive brief the Council on his current thinking regarding implementation of a two-year operating budget. Currently, an operating budget for the County is adopted every fiscal year. Read more here.
The following public hearings will be held tomorrow:
Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 19-05, Industrial Zones - Landscape Contractors
ZTA 19-05 would allow landscape contractors as a permitted use in all industrial zones. Councilmember Tom Hucker and Council Vice President Sidney Katz are the lead sponsors. Councilmember Will Jawando and I are cosponsors. Read more here.
Expedited Bill 15-19, Contracts and Procurement - Minority Owned Businesses - Sunset Date - Amendments
I am the lead sponsor, at the request of the County Executive. The goal of Bill 15-19 is to extend the minority-owned business purchasing program while the County Executive evaluates the need to continue it further. Read more here.
Special appropriation - Dept. of Parks, PLAR - Local Parks: Play Equipment, $250,000; Urban Park Elements, $200,000; Josiah Henson Historic Park, $250,000; Ovid Hazen Wells Recreational Park, $200,000; Minor New Construction - Non-Local Parks, $250,000; Acquisition: Local Parks, $922,000; and Enterprise Facilities Improvements, $13,500,000
This appropriation would revise capital projects funded with State funding (State bond bills and grants). Read more here.
Bill 14-19, Police - Policing Advisory Commission – Established
The lead sponsor is Councilmember Hans Riemer. Councilmembers Will Jawando, Tom Hucker and Evan Glass are cosponsors. The goal of Bill 14-19 is to enhance trust and transparency between the police department and community members and to identify best practices in policing. Read more here.
Finally, I would like to invite you to join us this Wednesday, July 10 at 7 p.m. at the White Oak Community Recreation Center for a community conversation on developing an official Racial Equity and Social Justice policy for Montgomery County. You can watch our most recent conversation in Germantown here, and find resources to start conversations in your own community here.
You can see which Committees are meeting, stream meetings live and find Council staff reports here. As always, you can view the Council’s agenda here and read our Council Coming Attractions for an overview of everything that’s coming up.
Thank you, and I hope you have a wonderful week.
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