 Wednesday, October 4, 2023
In just over a week, I will be hosting a Transportation Town Hall focused on transportation challenges and opportunities facing the Upcounty region. There has been a lot of development in the Upcounty over the last 15-20 years and with more development on the way. The transportation infrastructure in the Upcounty has not kept pace. It is important for our residents to share their experiences with our transportation officials so they can have a better understanding of how to address our growing needs.
I am cohosting this event with Delegate David Fraser-Hidalgo (District 15, Maryland House of Delegates), and we will be joined by representatives from the Maryland Department of Transportation and the Montgomery County Department of Transportation.
Delegate Fraser-Hidalgo and I look forward to seeing you next Thursday! The town hall will be recorded and uploaded to the Council's YouTube page after the event.
 A flyer advertising my upcoming Transportation Town Hall.
On September 26th, the County Council enacted legislation that would prohibit the sale and use of gas powered leaf blowers in most areas of the County. Bill 18-22, Noise Control - Leaf Removal Equipment - Amendments, passed the Council 10-1 on Tuesday. The ban on the sale of gas-powered leaf blowers and vacuums will be July 1, 2024 and the ban on the use of gas-powered leaf blowers and vacuums will be July 1, 2025.
This legislation is a good step forward toward meeting our climate goals. The bill has a lot of moving parts — as I said during our discussion, the devil is in the details. I’m glad that we took the time to discuss it thoroughly, so that we passed the best bill possible. This bill authorizes the creation of a grant program that will be established by regulation to partially offset the cost of replacing a combustion engine-powered leaf blower or leaf vacuum with an electric model.
Retailers will be required to provide notice to customers on the forthcoming ban on combustion powered leaf blowers in Montgomery County. The Department of Environment Protection will provide notice signs for retail businesses to use in their stories. Additionally, the bill exempts the use of gas leaf blower equipment for agricultural producers on agriculturally assessed properties, requires an annual report by the Department of Environment Protection, and generally amends the law regarding noise control.
If you have any questions about this legislation, please feel free to reach out to me.
Celebrating Passage of the Safe Streets Act
On September 27th, we celebrated the passage of the Safe Streets Act of 2023. This legislation is the largest pedestrian safety package since the adoption of Vision Zero, and I am proud to have been a cosponsor of this bill. The County has seen an unfortunate rise is the number of pedestrian and cyclist fatalities - this year alone, we've had 11 fatalities and 404 injuries. The Safe Streets Act will bring vital safety improvements to our roads, and make them safe and accessible for everyone, not just drivers. This law will enhance walk times at crosswalks, prohibits turning right at a red light at busy intersections in downtown areas, and will require infrastructure reviews following incidents in school zones, walksheds, and bus stops.
 Celebrating the passage of the Safe Streets Act of 2023.
Economic Development (ECON) Committee
The ECON committee will be meeting on October 9th to discuss the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation's Business Retention. ECON will also be meeting in a joint session with the PHP and HHS committees on October 12th to discuss Bill 22-23 (Transient Lodging Facilities - Short-Term Residential Rental), and ZTA 23-04 (Residential Uses - Short-Term Residential Rental). I have heard from a number of you who have concerns about this legislation, and I encourage you to watch or attend this worksession to learn more about the specifics of this bill and ZTA.
Transportation and Environment Committee
The TE committee will be meeting on October 9th for a worksession about WSSCWater's spending control limits. We will be meeting on October 16th to discuss parking lot districts, Executive Regulation 13-23 (Residential Permit Parking Guidelines), and the closure of White's Ferry.
White's Ferry is a major asset to the District 2 community, and its closure has detrimentally affected our region. I support the reopening of the ferry, and am looking forward to receiving a briefing on the efforts made so far to negotiate a reopening.
Upcoming Public Hearings
The Council is holding multiple public hearings in the coming weeks. The deadline to sign up to testify for a 1:30PM hearing is 2PM the day prior, and the deadline to sign up to testify for a 7PM hearing is 5PM the night prior. Below is a list of upcoming public hearings. Click here to sign up.
October 10th at 1:30PM
October 17th at 1:30PM
The last few weeks were jam packed, but full of fun! On September 22nd, my team and I participated in FireOps 101, where we got to spend the day learning from the fantastic folks at MCFRS about the ins and outs of their jobs. We were fully immersed in the experience of being a firefighter, spending the day decked out in gear. MCFRS does so much for our community, and its members risk their lives day in and day out to keep us safe. This experience was humbling and eye-opening. Thank to to MCFRS for welcoming us!
 Thank you to MCFRS for welcoming us to FireOps 101! The day was insightful and invigorating!
After a busy day participating in FireOps at the Public Safety Training Academy, my team and I headed to Poolesville the next morning to celebrate Poolesville Day. It was wonderful to see so many familiar faces who braved the wind and the rain to come out and celebrate. Thank you to the Poolesville Day Committee who did all they could to keep the fun going, despite the weather, and thank you to all of the vendors and community members who came out! While the day ended earlier than we had hoped, I am excited to see many of you at the Upper Montgomery County Volunteer Fire Department's open house on October 8th, where Poolesville Day vendors can set up a booth. Learn more here.
 The rain didn't damper our smiles on Poolesville Day!
- The County's Workforce Development Board is looking to fill six vacancies. Learn more and apply here. The deadline to apply is October 16th.
- The Upper Montgomery County Volunteer Fire Department is hosting an Open House on October 8th from 12-4PM. Learn more here.
- Montgomery County Health and Human Services is opening a new Sexual Health and Wellness Clinic located at the UpCounty Regional Services Center in Germantown. An open house is scheduled for October 5th from 1-4PM. RSVP here to attend.
- It's officially fall! District 2 is home to a number of farms that are hosting fun fall events for the whole family. Check out a list of farms here.
- The BlackRock Center for the Arts has some fantastic events coming up, including the Lil Pumpkins Festival which is scheduled for October 14th. See a full list of programs here.
- Montgomery County Recreation is celebrating fall with family friendly events. Below is a selection of programs coming to District 2 in the coming weeks.
If you would like to get in touch with me regarding anything mentioned in this newsletter or any other concerns you may have, please email me at Councilmember.Balcombe@montgomerycountymd.gov or call my office at 240-777-7960.
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