 Wednesday, May 1, 2024
I spent my Saturday morning at the BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown for the County's 9th annual GreenFest celebration! While it was a cloudy and rainy day, we did not let the weather put a damper on our spirits as we celebrated the environment.
It was so great to see so many of you on Saturday checking out the local vendors, participating in the various activities, enjoying food from restaurants in Germantown Town Center, and stopping by my table to say hello to my team and I! Thank you to everyone who stopped by and enjoyed this great event, and a huge shoutout to the vendors who set up their booths despite the weather! The event would have been impossible without the Department of Environmental Protection's hard work, so kudos to DEP and the many volunteers who organized this great event.
It was great seeing members of the Maryland D15 delegation at GreenFest!
Thank you to DEP and to the BlackRock Center for putting on such a fabulous event in the heart of Germantown!
As you all know, workforce development is a huge priority of mine. I remain continuously concerned about the gaps we need to fill in order to connect our talented workforce to relevant jobs, to benefit both the employee and the employer. This work cannot begin after a student has graduated; it requires early investment. I am a strong believer in expanding opportunities and thinking outside the box and was therefore excited to spend Friday at Montgomery College's Germantown campus to see the new ways the college is creating educational and workforce opportunities for our students.
Last week, I met with the director of PIC MC, Tommy Luginbill. We had a great discussion about the Pinkney Innovation Complex for Science and Technology and the ways the program is connecting students to the industries they are interested by integrating business, academics, and research. PIC MC brings together Holy Gross Germantown and Hughes Network Systems on Germantown's campus, creating a wealth of opportunities at the fingertips of each Montgomery College student.
Congratulations to Montgomery College and Hughes on the opening of their fabulous new facility. I'm excited to see all the great work that will be done here!
I celebrated the opening of the Hughes manufacturing facility on the MC Germantown campus this Friday and a few hours later, took a tour of the Biotechnology Program with Dr. Collins Jones. Montgomery College is doing a fantastic job exposing students to a number of different fields and career path and I am excited for my continued partnership with the college to continue and expand these fabulous programs.
Thank you Dr. Jones for the tour of the Biotechnology Program at Montgomery College Germantown. Our labs are state of the art facilities with technology used in the industry, ensuring that our students are prepared for the workforce.
Budget To-Do List
By the end of this week, we will have wrapped up individual committee work sessions about the budget. Each committee will have put together its budget recommendations and will be bringing said recommendations to the full Council next week when we begin Council deliberations.
Over the next several weeks, the Council will go through each item in the FY25 Operating Budget. We will consider committee recommendations as we make our final decisions on what to keep in the budget, what to omit, and what to amend. The goal is to take final budget action the week of May 20th and before Memorial Day.
You can find an updated list of upcoming committee sessions on the Council website if you would like to follow along as we continue to work through the budget. Information about my upcoming committee sessions is listed below.
Economic Development (ECON) Committee
- Thursday, May 2nd from 1:30-2:30PM (JOINT SESSION WITH GO)
- Technology Enterprise Business Solutions (TEBS)
- Cable Television Communications Plan
- Thursday, May 2nd from 2:30-4:30PM
- Conference Center NDA
- Burtonsville Crossing Shopping Center Project (P362311) (FY25-30 CIP)
- Department of Permitting Services Follow-Up
Upcoming Public Hearings
The Council is holding three public hearings on May 7th at 1:30PM. The deadline to sign up to testify is 2PM on May 6th. You may also submit testimony through the website.
- Amendment to the FY23-28 CIP and Supplemental Appropriation #24-78 to the FY24 Capital Budget, Montgomery County Government, Accelerate MC Regional Infrastructure Accelerator, $2,000,000
- Amendment to the FY23-38 CIP and Supplemental Appropriation #24-79 to the FY24 Capital Budget, Dept. of Transportation, Boyds Transit Center, $45,000
- Supplemental Appropriation #24-76 to the FY24 Operating Budget, Dept. of Transportation, Transit Services, $14,398,933
The following County Council appointed boards, committees, and commissions are seeking applicants. Apply today!
The following County boards, commissions, and committees are seeking applicants. Apply today!
- On May 16th at 6:30PM, EveryMind will be presenting "Making Digital Media Work for Our Teen's Mental Health: Learning to Thrive Both On and Offline," moderated by MD State Delegate Jared Solomon. Register for the event here.
- Join me at the Germantown Town Center Urban Park (19840 Century Boulevard) on Sunday, May 5th from 11AM to 1PM for Montgomery Parks' annual With Parks in Mind: Mental Health Awareness event. Activities include yoga, meditation, crafts, and a scavenger hunt. You'll also be able to meet some adoptable dogs looking for a forever home! Learn more at the Montgomery Parks' website.
- Head to Ovid Hazen Wells park in Clarksburg this Saturday, May 4th from 11AM-12PM for an introduction to Nordic Walking, a fun and easy to learn outdoor exercise! Register online now for this free event.
- The Department of Health and Human Services is hosting a virtual forum next Thursday, May 9th entitled Journey to Recovery: Exploring Pathways to Healing from Mental Health and Substance Use." If you are interested in attending, register to receive the Zoom link.
- Early voting for the 2024 Presidential primary election begins tomorrow, May 2nd and will run until Thursday, May 9th. MCDOT buses are available to transport voters to early voting centers. Below are the routes in District 2.
- Germantown Community Recreation Center: Ride On route 98
- Nancy H. Dacek North Potomac Community Rec. Center: Ride On route 301
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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