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Dear Friend,
I want to share the latest Council updates and highlight some things we’re working on this week.
The Council has been working hard throughout the summer to address our County's urgent needs and plan for long-term recovery. This week, I introduced two bills and look forward to hearing input from residents on both bills during public hearings in early September.
The Council continues working to make Montgomery County a more healthy, vibrant and safe place for everyone who calls it home. We are committed to ensuring our residents and businesses have the resources and support they need.
If you or someone you know needs assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out to my office.
If you haven’t already, please connect with me on Facebook and Twitter for the latest updates and news.
As always, stay safe and stay in close touch.
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 Tom Hucker
Montgomery County Council President
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Join us for the White Oak Early Voting Community Celebration
Join House Majority Leader Eric Luedtke, District 20 Delegates Lorig Charkoudian, David Moon, Jheanelle Wilkins, Senator Will Smith and myself next Monday as we celebrate the expansion of early voting in our county. The event is free and open to the public. Please RSVP if you plan to attend. Food and beverages will be provided. We hope to see you there!
When: Monday, July 26 | 6:30-8 p.m.
Where: White Oak Community Recreation Center
1700 April Ln., Silver Spring, MD 20904
RSVP: https://bit.ly/EarlyVoteMoco
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COVID-19 Vaccination Rates Surge in Montgomery County’s Latino Community
Montgomery County has made great progress in our vaccination efforts, thanks to our excellent public health team, our nonprofit, faith-based and community partners, and people like you who protected themselves and others by getting vaccinated. Since our vaccine distribution efforts began, we have been focused on ensuring all residents are informed and have access to vaccines. While we still have more work to do, we have made strides in vaccinating our hard-hit Latino community, thanks to efforts from the County’s Latino Health Initiative, the Por Nuestra Salud y Bienestar (For Our Health and Wellbeing) Program that was spearheaded by Councilmember Navarro and Vice President Albornoz, our Department of Health and Human Services, plus community volunteer efforts like CASA’s health promotoras. Learn more here.
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Public Hearing on Building Energy Use Benchmarking and Performance Standards
During Tuesday’s council session, we also heard from residents on Bill 16-21, which would modify the County’s environmental benchmarking law to include County-owned, commercial and multifamily buildings to meet the long-term energy performance standards. It was great to receive feedback from so many residents on this legislation and to get their thoughts on its long-term implications. If you missed the public hearing, you can still submit material for the Council’s review through July 27. Learn more about the bill here.
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Work Session Today on Police Transparency Bills
The Public Safety Committee will hold a work session on my police transparency bill, Bill 18-21, today at 9:30 a.m. Following the incident of mistreatment of a five-year-old boy at the hands of two Montgomery County Police officers, I introduced this bill to improve transparency in the review of body-worn camera footage and reporting of serious investigations involving MCPD officers. Specifically, the bill requires random reviews of body-worn camera footage -- so we know how our officers are behaving when they interact with the public. It also adds transparency of serious investigations by requiring timely reporting to the County Executive, County Council and State’s Attorney. You can watch the work session live today at 9:30 a.m. here and learn more here.
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Bill 31-21 Clarifies Terms Related to Property Tax Credits for Energy-Efficient Buildings
The Council also introduced Expedited Bill 31-21, which defines and clarifies terms related to property tax credits for energy-efficient buildings and amends the law regarding property tax credits. The bill clarifies and improves upon Bill 10-20, introduced last September, which established a new Energy-Efficient Buildings property tax credit for commercial and residential buildings to encourage energy efficiency improvements in existing and newly constructed buildings. A public hearing is tentatively scheduled for September 14. Read more here.
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COVID-19 Vaccinations
Residents can make their own first-dose appointments at County clinics. Clinic dates, times, and vaccine types are all listed on the County website. The vaccination schedule is updated daily. Residents can also walk into a County-run vaccine clinic without an appointment.
Young people ages 12 to 15 do not need to preregister for appointments, and parents/guardians can make appointments for them at clinics using the Pfizer vaccine. Walk-ins will not be accepted if a parent/guardian is not present. The parent/guardian may provide consent and medical history information online or by phone. In all cases, minors must bring proof of identity and age, such as a birth certificate.
If you need help making your first or second dose appointment, email c19vaccination@montgomerycountymd.gov or call 240-777-2982
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COVID-19 Rent Relief
The COVID-19 Rent Relief Program provides short-term rental assistance to eligible households who have experienced lost income due to the COVID-19 pandemic causing them to fall behind on their rent. While funds are available, the program will provide up to $12,000 to eligible households to pay for back rent owed and/or pay for up to three months of future rent. Applicants can apply online, see frequently asked questions, and get additional program details in English and Spanish at MC311.COM/RENTRELIEF.
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Montgomery County Fair to Host COVID-19 Vaccination Site
At this year’s Montgomery County Agricultural Fair taking place from August 13 through August 21, the County will host a free COVID-19 vaccination site daily. Check out the full fair schedule here.
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Recycle Right - “Oops Tag”
The Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection has launched a new recycling initiative called the Recycle Right “Oops Tag” Program, with the aim to inform residents about materials that should not be placed in recycling bins. Learn more about the program’s successes thus far, and about other recycling efforts in the County.
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Request for Qualifications for Public Art Exhibition
The Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County is organizing a temporary multimedia public art exhibition that furthers community dialogue about racial justice, titled “Certain Party or Parties Unknown,” and has issued a request for qualifications for artists interested in participating.
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