May 2023

Celebrating Building Safety Month

The Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services (DPS) will provide free residential deck maintenance inspections during the month of May as part of its annual Building Safety Month campaign. The program is limited to 300 appointments.

“Building Safety Starts with You,” is the theme for the 2023 campaign, which is designed to raise awareness about building safety and the importance of adopting modern and regularly updated building codes to ensure safe and sustainable structures where people live, work, play and learn. The campaign also emphasizes the impact of building safety on personal, local and global levels. The theme for the first week of the campaign is “Building Safety Starts at Home.”

To request a deck maintenance inspection by telephone, homeowners should contact the County’s central call system at MC311 or 240-777-0311. Homeowners may also schedule an inspection online by visiting the DPS website at montgomerycountymd.gov/dps and submitting a service request.  The form is in the online services queue on the front page of the website. On the description section of the online form, residents should note they are requesting a deck maintenance inspection and include the property address and contact information at the top of the form. These requests cannot be anonymous and must be requested by the homeowner.

“Building safety is important 365 days a year,” said DPS Director Rabbiah Sabbakhan. “Our code officials are working every day to keep the public safe. These free deck maintenance inspections take less than 15 minutes. Once on site, an inspector will check the support structure of the deck, fastener conditions, ledger attachment, and overall condition of the deck. Because of our inspectors’ workload at this busy time of year, the program is limited to 300 appointments. Customers will find additional resources about decks and the permitting process on the DPS website.”

The DPS website features information about the permitting process for decks, including a frequently asked questions and answers section.

DPS’ free deck inspection program does not extend to the city limits of Gaithersburg and Rockville because these municipalities have their own permitting departments and protocols.

The weekly themes for this year’s Building Safety Month campaign include: (May 1-7) “Building Safety Starts at Home;” (May 8-14) “Building Safety Professionals and You;” (May 15-21) “Prepare Your Community;” (May 22-28) “Advocate for Your Community;” and (May 29-31) “Solving Challenges Together.”

County leaders are scheduled to issue a joint Building Safety Month proclamation on Tuesday, May 2.

Learn more about Building Safety Month at buildingsafetymonth.org and join the conversation on social media using #MoCoDPS, #BuildingSafetyMonth2023 and #BuildingSafety365.

Introducing the DPS Podcast

Have you heard? The Department of Permitting Services (DPS) has launched a new podcast to connect customers with information about the permitting process. The first episode is now available.

The DPS podcast will introduce listeners to permitting department staff including permit technicians, building inspectors, plan reviewers, the fire marshal, field supervisors and code compliance staff. Collectively, they are known as “first preventers.” These code officials will provide the latest information from the department, as well as resources and tips.

The Permitting Services podcast is posted on the DPS website at montgomerycountymd.gov/dps and is available on several podcast platforms including Amazon, Apple and Spotify. Subscribe to the podcast by selecting the follow or plus button on your favorite provider’s podcast platform.

“We are striving to be a world-class permitting department,” said DPS Director Rabbiah Sabbakhan. “We are launching this podcast to help our DPS customers better understand the permitting process and get to know our code officials. We want our customers to truly see that we are their partners, and to know that we are here to help them with their commercial and residential projects. As part of that process, we will show our stakeholder partners that providing excellent customer service is a top priority at DPS.”

The monthly podcast is hosted by Customer Support and Outreach (CSO) Division Chief Gail Lucas, who recently celebrated her 20th anniversary at DPS.

“On this first podcast, we cover a variety of topics from our new director’s vision for the department to how to know when you need a building permit in Montgomery County,” Division Chief Lucas said. “Our second episode will be released in May, and focuses on deck inspections and permits.”

Listeners are encouraged to email ideas and questions for future podcasts to dps.podcast@montgomerycountymd.gov.

Civil Engineers Workshop

Nearly 100 people attended the Civil Engineers Workshop hosted by the Department of Permitting Services in Wheaton on April 26.

“We are so grateful to everyone who attended and participated,” said Land Development Division Chief Linda Kobylski who organized the event. “This was a great turnout, and we received positive feedback from many who attended. The goal of the workshop was to explain our processes and answer questions to ensure that plans are received, reviewed, and approved as quickly as possible. We plan to schedule more of these workshops in the future.”

The program included a presentation from Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) staff.

“We also want to thank our M-NCPPC colleagues, Robert Kronenberg and Christina Sorrento, for joining us,” said Division Chief Kobylski. “They provided valuable input and expertise, and we look forward to future collaborative efforts.”

Other information presented at the workshop included new checklists available on the DPS website for sediment control and floodplains (delineation study and district permit). Those links have been highlighted as new on the DPS website.

Wet Season Update

DPS Well and Septic staff continue to monitor water table levels in Montgomery County. You may remember that the wet season was suspended earlier this spring because of drought conditions.

That’s significant, according to DPS Well and Septic Section Manager Heidi Benham, because the soil must be tested before you can install a septic system.

Section Manager Benham said if water table levels return to acceptable levels in the next few weeks the wet season will reopen. She added that the duration of the season would then be determined at that time.

If wet season does not reopen by June, she said water table testing would resume next year. Applications that were submitted and approved this year for testing will still be valid in 2024, and no additional fees will apply.

Montgomery County regulations require that water table tests be performed at the time of year when the highest water table can be expected at the on-site sewage disposal area. Generally, that testing is well under way, but it was suspended in March because of decreasing water table levels. These dates are calculated each year based on water table levels (monitoring well data) and how much it has rained or snowed (precipitation amounts).

For the latest information about the 2023 Wet Season, visit the Soils Testing webpage on the DPS website.

Spring Projects

Spring and summer are busy months at the Department of Permitting Services (DPS) as many homeowners embark on residential projects, such as installing a deck, fence, pool or shed.

The DPS website features specific information about the permitting process for these projects. Visit the section specifically labeled “homeowners” in the top queue of the DPS website for links and resources about hiring contractors, free design consultations, inspections, and more.  

Another section of the website to check out is titled, “residential alterations.” For those embarking on home improvements, this webpage includes information about when you do not need a permit. For instance, a permit is not required for painting, wallpapering, replacing a faucet, installing countertops, and installing hardwood floors, tile and carpeting if no structural changes are required.

For more information and permitting tips, check out this DPS news release.

Got questions? Call 311 or 240-777-0311 or visit DPS in person at 2425 Reedie Drive, 7^th floor, in Wheaton.

Design for Life Tax Credit Program

Live longer in the Montgomery County home you love and qualify for property tax credits. Get the facts about the Montgomery County Design for Life Property Tax Credit Program by visiting the DPS website online at montgomerycountymd.gov/design. This program is for all ages and stages of life. Please help spread the word about this important program.

Recognizing Excellence

DPS Permit Technician Cheyn Bray was recently recognized by DPS with the "outstanding permit technician" award (April/May 2023) for providing exceptional customer service. Cheyn is a part of the Customer Support and Outreach division and is assigned to process records requests and permits for electrical, mechanical, electric vehicle charging stations, fences, sheds, and solar. He has worked at DPS since Sept. of 2021. Congratulations Cheyn! 

Take Your Child to Work Day

It is never too early to start learning about a career in building safety.

DPS Director Rabbiah Sabbakhan and Deputy Director Ehsan Motazedi met with the younger generation on Take Your Child to Work Day (Thursday, April 27) at DPS.

Customer Support and Outreach Division Chief Gail Lucas, who organized the event, said 22 children between the ages of 3 and 16 participated at the DPS event. 

Activities included a meet and greet with DPS leaders, information about building safety, and there were some in-house construction and art projects. Another highlight of the day was a visit from Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service staff who shared information about their work and the equipment they may use when responding to calls.

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Montgomery County is celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May, and one of the employees being highlighted is DPS Zoning and Code Compliance Chief Victor Salazar. Look for more County employee spotlights on the County's Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages. 

Looking for a New Career?

The Department of Permitting Services is hiring building inspectors, permitting specialists, and more. Consider a rewarding career as a building safety professional. Don’t delay; apply today!

Coming Up in May

The Sign Review Board and the DPS Advisory Committee are in action this month.

The Sign Review Board will meet virtually via Microsoft Teams at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 10. If you have questions about the upcoming meeting, email Plan Reviewer Roger Waterstreet, who is the Board’s staff liaison, at roger.waterstreet@montgomerycountymd.gov.

The DPS Advisory Committee is scheduled to meet virtually on Microsoft Teams at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, May 18. For more information about the DPS Advisory Committee, contact Community Outreach Manager Sonya Burke at sonya.burke@montgomerycountymd.gov.

DPS Office Hours in May

The DPS customer service lobby is open from 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday at 2425 Reedie Drive (7^th floor) in Wheaton. The office will be closed on Monday, May 29 for the Memorial Day holiday.

Apply for permits and submit construction plans online at any time by visiting the DPS website at montgomerycountymd.gov/dps. The DPS Staff Directory is also posted online for reference.

Got questions? Contact MC311 or call 240-777-0311.

Stay in the Know

Subscribe to Constructive Comments to receive this online newsletter in your inbox each month. In between issues, follow #MoCoDPS on Montgomery County’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages for the latest news and information from the Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services.