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Bill 28-23, Taxation - Fuel Energy Tax - Green Bank
Introduction: The Transportation and Environment (TE) Committee will introduce Bill 28-23, Taxation - Fuel Energy Tax - Green Bank. The legislation would restrict the use of fuel energy tax funds by the Montgomery County’s Green Bank to only support activities that promote the investment in clean energy technologies and to provide financing for clean energy technologies, including renewable energy and energy efficiency projects and not resiliency activities. The purpose of the bill is to make it clear that despite the Green Bank’s authority to expand the scope of its activities to include resiliency, the 10 percent appropriation must remain dedicated to the original intent of the appropriation, which is investment in clean energy.
A public hearing is scheduled for July 11.
Expedited Bill 29-23, Administration - Non-merit Positions - Department of Environmental Protection - Department of Transportation, with accompanying resolutions to adopt Executive Regulation 5-23 and Executive Regulation 6-23
Introduction: The Council will introduce Expedited Bill 29-23, Administration - Non-merit Positions - Department of Environmental Protection - Department of Transportation, with accompanying resolutions to adopt Executive Regulation 5-23 and Executive Regulation 6-23. The expedited legislation would create two non-merit positions in the Executive Branch: Deputy Director of Environmental Protection and General Manager of Transit Services in the Department of Transportation.
The lead sponsor is the Council president at the request of the County Executive. A public hearing is scheduled for July 11.
Bill 30-23, Rustic Roads Program - Rustic Roads Advisory Committee
Introduction: The Council will introduce Bill 30-23, Rustic Roads Program - Rustic Roads Advisory Committee. Bill 30-23 would enact recommendations from the Rustic Roads Functional Master Plan Update regarding the composition and duties of the Rustic Roads Advisory Committee.
The lead sponsor is the Council president at the request of the Planning Board. A public hearing is scheduled for July 11.
Introduction: The Council will introduce Expedited Bill 31-23, Technical Corrections. The expedited bill would correct technical, typographical, grammatical, reference and codification errors in, and make stylistic, clarifying and conforming amendments to, various provisions of County law. A public hearing and vote are expected for July 11.
Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote on Expedited Bill 25-23, Taxation - Development Impact Taxes for Transportation and Public School Improvements – Amendments. The expedited bill would modify the calculations for impact tax rate adjustments by requiring a cumulative increase or decrease in the construction cost index rather than an annual average every two years. In addition, the bill would set a cap on the development impact tax rate for school and transportation improvements and allow certain carryover increases of the biennial tax rate adjustments. The Committee will also review a companion resolution to amend the development impact tax rate for transportation and public school improvements. The Government Operations and Fiscal Policy (GO) Committee recommends enactment with amendments.
The sponsors of Expedited Bill 25-23 are Council Vice President Andrew Friedson, Council President Glass and Councilmember Stewart. Councilmember Natali Fani-González is a cosponsor.
Bill 26-23, Special Capital Improvements Projects - White Flint Fire Station 23
Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote on Bill 26-23, Special Capital Improvements Projects - White Flint Fire Station 23. The legislation would authorize the planning, design and construction of the White Flint Fire Station 23 project in the North Bethesda and Garrett Park area. The County Charter and County Code require certain capital improvement projects to be individually authorized if the locally funded cost is projected to exceed $24,196,000 in FY24 dollars. The estimated locally funded cost of this project is more than $38.2 million.
The lead sponsor is the Council president at the request of the County Executive.
Expedited Bill 23-23, Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Matching Grant Program - Amendment
Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote on Expedited Bill 23-23, Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Matching Grant Program – Amendment and Executive Regulation 2-23, Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Matching Grant Program. Bill 23-23 would modify the requirement to allow acceptance of applications under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Matching Grant Program on a fiscal year basis, rather than a calendar year basis. The Economic Development (ECON) Committee recommends approval.
In November 2022, the Council enacted Bill 31-22, which directs the County Executive to establish regulations with eligibility criteria for the SBIR and STTR grant matching program. The regulations were published in January 2023 and received a 30-day public comment period; however, the 2022 calendar year to apply was foregone. Under current law, this makes several businesses ineligible to apply for that year. The purpose of the bill, and accompanying Executive Regulation 2-23, would be to allow receipt of applications for recipients of a federal SBIR or STTR grant during the fiscal year rather than the calendar year.
The lead sponsor is the Council president at the request of the County Executive.
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