 Wednesday, January 17, 2024
 Yesterday, the County Council received the County Executive's proposed FY25 Capital Budget and 2025-2030 Capital Improvements Program (CIP). I’m thrilled that several critical Upcounty projects are included in the proposed budget. It is now my job to work with my colleagues on the County Council to make sure these projects stay in the budget throughout the Council's review and approval of the CIP.
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Clarksburg Library: The Clarksburg community has been waiting for this library for a very long time. The project was delayed last year to allow for a feasibility study to determine whether it was feasible to co-locate affordable housing on the library site. In the past months, Clarksburg community members have written to me about their strong desire for a library. And I agree, the Clarksburg Library must be included in the CIP budget, this cycle.
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Western County Recreation Center: I have also strongly advocated for a recreation center to be located in upper western Montgomery County. There is a tremendous need for recreation services in the area and now we are one step closer to building this much needed asset in Poolesville.
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Montgomery College Germantown Campus: Another major project on my radar is the completion of the Student Services Center at Montgomery College's Germantown campus. This project was delayed in the last budget cycle, and I will do what I can to keep it on track this year.
Our Upcounty community has felt ignored and left behind; rest assured however, that I will do what I can to advocate for important projects that would benefit District 2. In the coming months, I will keep you posted on the status of our budget discussions and negotiations at the Council.
We will be holding public hearings so that the community can comment on the proposed budget in the coming months. I will send updates as dates are scheduled for these public hearings. You can also check the Council's calendar periodically for information.
If you have any questions about the budget, please feel free to contact me directly. You can see the full CIP at County's Office of Management and Budget website.
On January 5th, I was welcomed by the team at Seneca Valley High School for a visit to the school and a conversation with key education decisionmakers, including members of the Board of Education, Superintendent McKnight, and representatives from Montgomery College. We had a fantastic discussion with students and educators at Seneca Valley about the unique program offerings at the school that give SVHS students a head start on their college and career goals.
Despite leadership changes within the school, Seneca Valley High School has been excelling and is ahead of the pack when it comes to preparing students for the world outside of MCPS. Huge kudos to acting principal Ricardo Hernandez for fostering an environment of excellence for his students. Thank you to the team at Seneca Valley for welcoming me to your school, and thank you to our partners at MCPS and the Board of Education for being a part of the visit.
 It was great to spend the morning with Board of Education member Grace Rivera-Oven, Superintendent Monifa McKnight, and Seneca Valley High School principal Ricardo Hernandez!
Next Wednesday morning, I will be at the BlackRock Center for the Arts for the Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce's annual Coffee with a Cop event! We will be joined by representatives from the Montgomery County Police Department, the city of Gaithersburg, and other nearby jurisdictions. This is a great opportunity to chat with our law enforcement and get your questions answered. I hope to see you at the BlackRock Center for the Arts (12901 Town Commons Drive, Germantown, MD 20874) from 8:30AM-10AM on Wednesday, January 24th for this great event.
If you have any questions, please reach out to me.
 Coffee with a Cop is scheduled for January 24th from 8:30-10AM at the BlackRock Center for the Arts. See you there!
The Upcounty Hub is one of District 2's best resources. Run out of the Upcounty Regional Services Center in Germantown, the Upcounty Hub helps fight food insecurity in our backyard. In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the Hub is collecting essential items to donate to families. Please consider donating to help uplift your community members. Items can be dropped off anytime between 8AM and 5PM at 12900 Middlebrook Road, Suite 1100, Germantown, MD 20874 until Friday, January 19th. If you are looking for ways to give back to your community as a volunteer, check out opportunities at The Upcounty Hub!
 Donate your items to The Upcounty Hub from 8AM-5PM at 12900 Middlebrook Road, Suite 1100. Donations will be accepted until January 19th.
The work being done by The Upcounty Hub is just one way our community is tackling food insecurity. On Monday, I participated in a discussion about childhood hunger at the Manna Food Center. Too many of our kids are going hungry. The number of students who receive free and reduced meals (FARMs) in our school system is increasing, and we have a responsibility to ensure that every child has access to healthy, nutritious food without financial barriers. I am a strong supporter of free meals in schools for all children, and thank our partners at the Manna Food Center for the work they are doing to combat childhood hunger. The Manna Food Center is another great place to get involved if you are interested in giving back to the community.
Montgomery County Public Schools is also implementing the community school model at more of its schools, which is a step in the right direction in ensuring that our communities receive the food and other essential items they need to live a life of dignity. Food insecurity is a major issue in our community, and I will continue to pay close attention to the ways we can increase access to food for those in our community who need it the most.
Like many of you, I was surprised by the amount of snowfall we saw in the region this past Monday. As we head into a what is expected to be a snowy winter season, I wanted to make sure everyone was aware of the County's Winter Storm Information Portal. This website is a great resource for those who are curious about whether their road is maintained by (and plowed) by the County's Department of Transportation. The website also includes helpful information about snow removal statuses. Service requests can be submitted through the portal on the website.
If you have any questions about the County's response to inclement weather, please reach out to me directly. Remember, we cannot always predict what the forecast will bring, but we will do our best to clear the roads as quickly as possible for everyone's safety.
  Remember: All residents are required to clear the snow off of their property within 24 hours of a storm. Keep yourself and your neighbors safe and shovel around your home as soon as you can.
The Council is back in session after a brief holiday recess. We kicked off our year with a virtual Council session yesterday, and have a slew of committee meetings planned. The entire Council will be attending a bus tour this Friday to view the Takoma Part Minor Master Plan area and to receive an overview of the plan alongside Planning Board recommendations. You can read the agenda for the bus tour to see where we'll be heading.
Economic Development (ECON) Committee
The Economic Development committee will be joining the Health and Human Services committee tomorrow at 9:30AM to discuss legislation related to the County's minimum wage. Many of you contacted me about these pieces of legislation, so I encourage you to tune in to the committee work session tomorrow morning and read the staff packet.
Transportation and Environment Committee
The Transportation and Environment committee does not have any meetings scheduled for the rest of the month, but I will keep you updated as we continue our work.
Council Legislation
Last year, I introduced ZTA 23-08, Transferable Development Rights - Cemetery. This zoning text amendment would allow for the expansion of existing cemeteries in the Agricultural Reserve. A public hearing about this ZTA was held yesterday at 1:30PM. Thank you to those of you who signed up to testify and to those of you who wrote to me about this zoning text amendment. The ZTA will be worked on by the Planning, Housing, and Parks committee on January 29th, and then sent to full Council once a committee recommendation has been made.
Upcoming Public Hearings
The Council held eight public hearings yesterday, and we have four more coming up later this month. You can find a full list on the Council website, along with information on how to sign up to testify.
January 23rd at 1:30PM
January 25th at 7PM
- Montgomery County Public Libraries will host its eight annual free comic convention - MoComCon - from 10AM to 5PM on Saturday, January 20th at the Germantown Library and at the BlackRock Center for the Arts. Check out the schedule of events to learn more!
- The Montgomery County Department of Transportation is hosting a virtual public information meeting to discuss the latest plans for the Burnt Hill Road Bridge over Little Bennett Creek Replacement Project in Clarksburg. The meeting will be held at 7PM on Monday, January 29th. You must register to attend.
- The Montgomery County Department of Transportation is hosting a virtual public information meeting to discuss the latest plans for the Esworthy Road at Seneca Road (MD 112) Intersection and Spot Improvements Project in Darnestown. The meeting will be held at 6:30PM on Monday, January 22nd. You must register to attend.
- The Montgomery County Animal Services and Adoption Center (MCASAC) is now open for adoptions seven days a week, no appointment necessary. You can complete an adoption questionnaire online. Adoption fees are still waived for all animals! The shelter is at critical capacity, so if you're looking for a pet, I encourage you to head to MCASAC.
- Summer camp registration for Montgomery Parks Camps and Montgomery County Recreation Camps has now opened! Visit the ActiveMONTGOMERY website to register now.
- The annual Women's Legislative Briefing is coming up on Sunday, January 28th! The event will be held at the Universities at Shady Grove at 12:30PM. General admission tickets are now on sale.
- If you're interested in the health care field, the Primary Care Coalition can help pay for your training to get certified at Montgomery College. Check out the flyer below for more information.
 If you are interested in the health care field, the Primary Care Coalition may be able to help fund parts of your education!
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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