 Wednesday, December 13, 2023
It's official - I can no longer say that I am new to this role. December 6th marked the beginning of my second year as your District 2 Councilmember and I am excited to start off year two with momentum and enthusiasm. I am proud of the accomplishments that I was able to be a part of in my first year on the Council. Along with my colleagues, I helped pass the Safe Streets Act of 2023 and the expansion of the forest conservation requirements, introduced ZTA 23-08 which would allow an existing cemetery in the Agricultural Reserve zone to expand onto land that currently has a transferable development right, created the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Commission, and so much more.
I've spent every Friday criss-crossing District 2, talking to you all and visiting your favorite local establishments, schools, and recreation centers. My team and I have handled hundreds of constituent cases, written dozens of letters of support and certificates, and have presented numerous proclamations to members of our community deserving of recognition. We held three town halls covering public safety, transportation, and a town hall with CM Dawn Luedtke and our State partners from District 9A. I participated in my first operating budget cycle - one of the most complicated budgets the Council has undertaken to date.
I am looking forward to doing all of the above - and so much more - as I head into year two. Thank you for entrusting me to be your voice on the County Council. I am ecstatic for another year of hard work representing the Upcounty.
It's been a great first year serving with these fabulous leaders!
Last week, the Council elected its new officers. I was delighted to vote for my colleagues Andrew Friedson and Kate Stewart as President and Vice President respectively. Here's to year two under their leadership! You can watch Council President Friedson and Council Vice President Stewart's remarks on the Council YouTube channel.
I spent the tail end of last week in Cambridge, MD for the Maryland Association of Counties (MACo) Winter Conference. MACo is a great opportunity for legislators at all levels of government in the state to come together in a collaborative environment to learn with and from each other.
We covered a vast number of topics at this year's conference, including but not limited to: juvenile justice, public safety, cannabis rollout, economic indicators, data centers in Maryland, education and the Blueprint for Maryland's Future, transportation, and the Maryland state budget. I will undoubtedly be referring back to the informative and eye-opening presentations from MACo as we enter the 2024 Council session.
The Council held a youth town hall on November 29th. It was refreshing to see so many middle and high school students show up on a school night to share their thoughts and concerns with their elected officials. We received important questions about school safety, bullying, resources for immigrant students, environmental protection in Montgomery County, and much more. My favorite question of the night was asked by a Clarksburg student, who emphasized the need for a library to be built expeditiously in the community. I have been monitoring the Clarksburg library project all year, and am pushing for this project to be included in the County Executive's Capital Improvements Project (CIP), which will be released early next year.
A highlight video of the town hall is available online. The full recording will be posted soon.
Huge kudos to the hundreds of students who attended the youth town hall!
Economic Development (ECON) Committee
Last Monday, the Economic Development committee met for two sessions - a joint session with the Government Operations (GO) committee and an independent session. We discussed a supplemental appropriation to the FY24 Capital Budget and amendment to the FY23-28 Capital Improvements Program, at a total of $400,000. This money would fund the conversion of vacant office space to web labs at the Germantown Incubator on Montgomery College's Germantown campus. A total of 10 offices would be converted to four wet labs. The joint committee unanimously approved of this supplemental appropriation.
In our second ECON meeting of the day, we held a discussion about the restaurant sector and held a work session about the progress made by the Department of Permitting Services since its meeting with our committee in March 2023.
Videos from the sessions are posted on the Council's website and YouTube channel.
Transportation and Environment Committee
The Transportation and Environment committee met on December 11th for a discussion about Bill 40-23, Tree Canopy and Roadside Tree Requirements. I am a cosponsor of this legislation, which would: amend fees payable to the Tree Canopy Conservation Account, amend fees payable to the Street Tree Planting Fund, and generally amend the laws regarding tree canopy requirements and roadside tree work. The committee unanimously recommended approval of this legislation, which will be brought to the full Council early next year. We did however, ask for the Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Transportation to provide us with additional data points, which we will include in the legislation before it is brought to the full Council.
Videos from the sessions are posted on the Council's website and YouTube channel.
Council Legislation
Two bills were introduced during our Council session yesterday.
Bill 45-23, Property Tax Credit - Individuals 65 and Above, Retired Military Service Members, and Disabled Military Service Members
- This bill was introduced by Council President Friedson, and a public hearing on the legislation will be held on January 23rd at 1:30PM.
- This bill would:
- Alter the eligibility criteria for the property tax credit available to individuals 65 and above, and to retired or disabled military service members and their spouses.
- Alter the amounts of the property tax credit.
- Generally amend the property tax credit for individuals 65 and above and for retired or disabled military service members and their spouses.
Expedited Bill 46-23, OPT/SLT Bargaining Units - Pension and Retirement Adjustments
- This bill was introduced by Councilmember Sidney Katz, and a public hearing on the legislation will be held on January 16th at 1:30PM.
- This bill would:
- Extend from January 4, 2024, to August 7, 2024, the deadline for eligible County employees enrolled in Groups E and J of the Employees’ Retirement System to elect to purchase credited years of service with their existing Retirement Savings Plan or Guaranteed Retirement Income Plan balances.
- Generally amend the law regarding the Employees’ Retirement System.
Upcoming Public Hearings
The Council is holding a number of public hearings on January 16th at 1:30PM. The deadline to sign up to speak at these public hearings is 2PM on January 15th. You can sign up to testify at the Council's website.
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ZTA 23-08, Transferable Development Rights - Cemetery
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ZTA 23-09, Farming - Incidental Outdoor Stays
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ZTA 23-10, Parking, Queueing, and Loading - Calculation of Required Parking
- Supplemental Appropriation to the FY24 Operating Budget, OEMHS - $300,000 for COVID-19 FEMA Contract Support
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Bill 43-23, Crisis Intervention Team - Established
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Bill 44-23, Human Rights and Civil Liberties - Prospective Employees - Health Care Privacy
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Happy Hanukkah to all who are celebrating!
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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