 Wednesday, November 29, 2023
My last Breakfast with Balcombe was jam packed. My team and I started our day bright and early by touring the Sheriff's Department - located in the Circuit Court Building - with Sheriff Uy. We got to chat with some of the deputies who work to keep our community safe, and perhaps more exciting than anything else, got to meet Marion the emotional support dog!
Thanks Sheriff Uy for welcoming us and giving us a tour of your department!
After our visit to the Sheriff's office, I visited two elementary schools: Gibbs and Clarksburg. It was great to chat with staff at both of the schools and hear about their specific needs, especially when it comes to supporting students' emotional needs and wellbeing. At Clarksburg ES, I heard from students about their favorite subjects and their hobbies. Almost every student talked about how they wish they had a library in Clarksburg! We have to keep fighting to ensure that the Clarksburg Library project stays on track, especially for our youth who will benefit the most from it.
Had a great time visiting Gibbs ES, home of the gators!
Economic Development (ECON) Committee
The ECON committee met for a joint session with the Education and Culture, Public Safety, and Health and Human Services committees on Thursday, November 16th. Our conversation centered around workforce development, specifically in the public safety and health and human services sector. I am the Workforce Development Lead on the ECON committee and have always believed that workforce development is pivotal to our economic and social success as a community.
Our discussion highlighted open positions within the public safety and health and human services field, and addressed how we need to begin marketing careers to our youth when they are in high school and college. Montgomery County Public Schools and Montgomery College have done a great job exposing their students to a wide range of career opportunities, but there is a lot more work to be done to address the gaps in our workforce. I hope that the Council can continue to keep this discussion going, as it is a necessary one.
You can view the staff packets here and watch a recording of the session here.
Transportation and Environment Committee
The Transportation and Environment committee had two meetings on Monday, November 27th. The first was a joint session with the Government Operations committee for action on a supplemental appropriation to the MCDOT, and the second was a standalone worksession about the Climate Action Plan.
We approved a supplemental appropriation of $1,606,000 in the FY24 Operating Budget during our joint meeting with the GO committee. This money would go towards implementing changes to existing County owned traffic signals - including installing additional "No Turn on Red" signage. Another segment of the funds would go towards the safe routes to school infrastructure reviews. Making our streets safe for everyone, not just motorists, is a Council priority, and I'm glad we were able to push this funding measure through to the full Council. You can view the staff packet here and watch a recording of the session here.
The County released its Climate Action Plan (CAP) in June 2021; we received a briefing on its implementation during our TE committee session on Monday. If you are interested in reviewing the CAP, you can find it here. You can view the staff packet from our meeting here and watch a recording of the session here.
Council Legislation
There were two bills introduced during our Council session on November 14th. Below is a quick snapshot of the pieces of legislation.
Expedited Bill 41-23, Fire and Rescue Services - Length of Service Awards Program for Volunteers
- A public hearing for this legislation is scheduled for December 5th at 1:30PM. More information on how to sign up is included in the section below.
- This bill would increase the amount of length of service benefits to certain local fire and rescue department volunteers.
- Click here for the staff report about this legislation.
Bill 42-23, Health and Sanitation - Menstrual Products in Public Restrooms
- A public hearing for this legislation is scheduled for December 12th at 11:30AM. More information on how to sign up is included in the section below.
- This bill would require places of public accommodation to provide menstrual products in certain restrooms at no charge.
- Click here for the staff report about this legislation.
Upcoming Public Hearings
Below is a list of upcoming public hearings. To sign up to testify, click here.
December 5th at 1:30PM
December 12th at 11:30AM
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Bill 42-23, Health and Sanitation - Menstrual Products in Public Restrooms - Required
- Resolution to adopt Bill 42-23, Health and Sanitation - Menstrual Products in Public Restrooms - Required as a Board of Health Regulation
- The Montgomery County Department of Transportation is holding an in-person public forum on December 5th at 6:30PM to discuss the proposed changes to move bus Route 76 pick-up and drop-off location for Quince Orchard High School to one half block away to state Route 28, as well as an extension of the route to the Crossvines in Poolesville for weekday rush hour trips. The meeting will be held in the Quince Orchard HS cafeteria. Learn more here.
- Community FarmShare's Fresh Veggie Drive is ongoing! The drive will run until December 18th. If you want to buy fresh produce from local farmers, click here.
- The County Council is seeking applicants for the Advisory Commission on Policing. The deadline to apply is December 8th at 5PM. To learn more and apply, click here.
- If you're hosting friends and family for the holiday and want to show them some local destinations, check out the Visit Montgomery website!
- There are several vacancies on a number of County Boards. Visit the website to learn more and apply.
- The Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services’ Aging and Disability Services Division continues to provide free hearing aids and personal sound amplifiers to eligible residents age 60-and-over. Click here to learn more and to obtain a device.
- The Montgomery County Charter Review Commission is soliciting public comments on what matters the Commission should consider for possible revisions to the County’s Charter. Public comments can be submitted by email to: charterreview.commission@montgomerycountymd.gov. Click here to learn more.
This semester, Team Balcombe is joined by Eliot Shulman, who is interning with us until January. Here's what Eliot had to say about himself, his interests, and what his Council experience has been like so far.
"My name is Eliot Shulman, a senior at Northwest High School in Germantown, where I play on the varsity baseball team, and I am the Jewish Student Union Co-President. I am an intern this semester with Councilmember Balcombe’s office. My interests in community and local government brought me to want to intern. I am interested in learning about economic development in the County and how the County works to grow and improve business -- which increases the tax basis which helps fund the large county budget. In my time so far, I have watched numerous council sessions, attended committee hearings, department briefings, and district events, including most recently the Animal Shelter and Rescue Week Proclamation at the Montgomery County Animal Services and Adoption Center."
Yesterday, we were all excited to welcome Seneca Valley HS senior Folashade Epebinu as Councilmember for a Day! Folashade Epebinu submitted the winning video advocating for expanding access to affordable childcare. Her engaging video highlights the issue of affordable daycare and its impact on friends and family. She showcased how Seneca Valley High School has created an innovative program to meet this need.
Thanks for representing District 2, Folashade! We're so proud of you!
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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