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On Thursday, February 8th at 3pm, the Audit Committee will host a joint session with the Education and Culture Committee at which time we will review and discuss the Montgomery County Office of the Inspector General’s report on MCPS Complaint Processing, as well as review an overall timeline of events since August. I am committed to examining the deficiencies in the complaint processes raised by the Inspector General and how the Board of Education and MCPS leadership will address them in a timely and transparent way. Public trust in our school system has been damaged and inaction over years has harmed our educators and MCPS families.
While the County Council does not have direct authority over the school system or its personnel and there is an elected school board, the County Council last year did increase the resources in the IG’s office specifically to provide more capacity to review and conduct investigations at MCPS.
By having this public session on Thursday, our goal is to ensure transparency and accountability. In addition, by having the IG report and her office involved we have a mechanism independent of MCPS and the Board to check on the progress of the recommendations and changes that need to be made.
You can watch the committee session at the County Council or live on YouTube this Thursday at 3pm.
The instances of gun violence and other crimes in our community have both angered and saddened me. To ensure all our residents are and feel safe, we need a multifaceted approach that includes changes in state law, expansion of innovative technology, investments in infrastructure, community programming, mental health services, and more.
I have worked closely with our police department, our regional services directors, urban district staff and community members to identify and support actions to better manage hot spots in District 4. Last March, we convened a public conversation on public safety and conducted a safety walk with our police department. You can watch the meeting here. We listened to residents at that meeting and many others over the year and I want to share with you a number of things that have been put in place to address the concerns that have been raised by residents:
First, starting last year, the police department increased foot patrols, plain clothes patrols, and on weekends state troopers joined our officers to assist with challenges in downtown Silver Spring. Over the summer, the police department also reintroduced bike patrols. The police have also strategically placed their mobile security cameras and have parked patrol cars in hot spots to deter crime, as well as car rallies.
Next, addressing the shortage of police officers, the county implemented a signing bonus to make Montgomery County more competitive in hiring officers over the last year. This has been a game changer and we have seen an increase in hiring and number of officers in the academy since the bonuses.
The Council also passed a bill to make sure there is enhanced late night safety for businesses that have had repeat serious public safety incidents. Those with more than 2 incidents will soon be required to submit a late night safety plan to remain in business. Aside from this bill, on February 13, along with Councilmember Albornoz and Councilmember Glass, I am introducing a bill to close late night lounges at the same time as bars, to better manage overnight times, public safety, and reduce demand on already strained police resources.
I have also worked closely with our police department to launch the Drone as a First Responder program that has been an innovative tool to address crime in real time. This program is not a surveillance program, but is a program that provides air support to 911 or police generated calls for service in a safe, responsible, and transparent manner. You can read more about this program here.
We have also just received a supplemental appropriation from the County Executive to place additional cameras in urban core county garages. Placing additional cameras in our garages is something I have been advocating for and I am pleased to see move forward.
Another concern is with the car rallies that have been taking place across the region. We are looking at ways to deter these activities by enhancing certain intersections with things like speed bumps or traffic bollards. These car meet ups have plagued our region and our police department has worked proactively with the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments to investigate those involved in these activities and while it is never good to have these take place in our community, our police have stopped many of these activities from happening by deterring those driving towards our community through strategically placed patrol cars. Finally, I fully support the bills in the Maryland General Assembly to make it possible for counties and municipalities to impound cars involved in these car rally/street racing incidents.
I am planning to submit testimony in support of SB 442 and HB 601 to curtail street racing and car rallies, and in support of HB 212 and SB 155 to deter racing of vehicles with modified exhaust systems.
If you are interested in submitting testimony on these bills in Annapolis also, you should do so by two business days prior to the bill hearing by creating a MGA account and logging in to the MGA site. A tutorial on how to create an account and submit testimony can be found at the bottom of the page here.
Stop car rallies:
SB 442 - hearing 2/13 1 PM in Judicial Proceedings
HB 601 - hearing 2/15 1 PM in Environment and Transportation
Deter modified exhaust noise:
HB 212 - hearing 2/8 1 PM in Environment and Transportation (deadline for testimony TODAY)
SB 155 - Contact your state senator to ask them to support - find your senator here.
All of these measures, and others, are being taken to manage what has become an untenable situation. And we know we need to do more. Aside from deterrence and management of public safety, we also have to do more to manage the underlying causes of these incidents related to mental health and well being, the fentanyl crisis, and providing services for our young people. It’s one of the reasons why we put on the Buckets and Beats event last year which provided young people an afternoon of fun and also connected them to community services and programs.
Last year, I felt our county did not invest in mental health to respond to the crisis we are in, and if we continue to see a lack of investment in programming in this area, we may see these incidents continue. It is imperative that we address these issues as early as we can. There is no one answer to public safety challenges. These issues require an all of the above approach, and I will continue to work towards making our communities safer for all.
St. John’s Episcopal Church Panel - I was very appreciative to join St. John’s Episcopal Church for a discussion on supporting our LGBTQIA+ community.
Women’s Legislative Briefing - Thank you to the Montgomery County Commission for Women for having me moderate this fireside chat between Angela Alsobrooks, Prince George’s County Executive, and Jessica Fitzwater, Frederick County Executive.
Interfaith Works Community Conversation - Affordable housing is such an important issue in Montgomery County and I was glad to join representatives from Interfaith Works, Enterprise Community Partners, and Emory Grove United Methodist Church to discuss how we can address the housing crisis in the County.
Roundtable on Transgender Healthcare - This Saturday, February 10th at 11 AM please join us at CCI Health Services for a roundtable on the state of transgender healthcare in Montgomery County and where we go from here. We will be joined by special guest Maryland Secretary of Health Laura Herrera Scott. For more information, visit CCI’s event page.
Happy Black History Month! Let us continue to celebrate the incredible contributions and achievements of Black residents throughout the nation. Join the celebration by taking part in events throughout the county. For more details, visit MCPL’s website.
You can also watch the County Council’s video celebrating African Americans in the arts on YouTube, featuring Montgomery Blair High School’s Mr. Smith! A huge shoutout to all of his and Principal Renay Johnson’s leadership. Council President Friedson and I wish her the very best as she retires after this school year.
Do you have a spare room (or ADU) in your home? 2024 might be the year to join the homesharing community!
Housing Initiative Partnership's (HIP) Montgomery County Home Sharing Program provides free personalized services to help homeowners identify and match with individuals seeking room rentals. HIP's staff make home visits, help homeowners photograph and market their rooms, conduct background checks, and facilitate meetings between the parties to ensure suitable matches.
For a limited time, HIP’s Room Ready Fund is providing a grant of up to $6,000 to help homeowners 60 years or older get their spaces ready to rent. HIP's team works closely with the homeowner to identify and contract licensed home improvement professionals to make repairs. Repairs can include patching and painting, insulation, decluttering, bathroom upgrades, and other space improvements.
More information can be found on the attached flyers and our website:
Contact 301-85-SHARE (301-857-4273) for more information.
The updated plan [purplelinecorridor.org] outlines the actions that the coalition and its partners plan to take over the next 3-4 years to ensure housing opportunities for all along the Purple Line. In the plan, you’ll see ways to help more people and communities build and retain wealth through homeownership; expand legal protections and resources to support tenants and amplify their voices; and connect the benefits of new homes and mixed-use development or redevelopment to the needs and aspirations of communities along the Purple Line.
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Office of Councilmember Kate Stewart
