 Wednesday, July 17, 2024
Last month, I was joined by Councilmembers Luedtke, Katz, Fani-González, and Friedson in introducing ZTA 24-02, Agricultural and Rural Zones - Campground. We introduced this zoning text amendment after months of conversation and coordination with the community, taking into account their comments and concerns. ZTA 24-02 would allow a small number of campgrounds in certain agricultural and rural zones under specific conditions.
The County Council held a public hearing on the zoning text amendment yesterday, and I want to thank everyone for their engagement. You can watch the public hearing on the Council YouTube channel. I will be joining the Planning, Housing, and Parks (PHP) committee on Monday, July 22nd for a work session about this ZTA. A second PHP committee session is scheduled for July 29th, if necessary. After the committee work sessions, the zoning text amendment will come to the full Council for a vote.
I encourage you to continue to share your thoughts with me. I appreciated hearing from all of you and your input was critical as we created this zoning text amendment.
I had a fabulous time visiting the Chinese Culture and Community Service Center's (CCACC) Health Center this past week. The CCACC Health Center provides essential services to Montgomery County residents, including medical support, mental health care, insurance help, and so much more. Health services are just a small facet of the amazing work that CCACC does, as one of the largest and most established educational and cultural organizations in our region. We have a vibrant and robust Chinese community in Montgomery County - and particularly in District 2.
The work CCACC does to strengthen, celebrate, and serve the community is spectacular, and I was so glad to spend my Friday with the organization's leaders, who welcomed me to their space with open arms!
Thank you to the staff at the Chinese Culture and Community Center for extending such a warm welcome to me during my visit to your health center!
Last month, I joined Councilmembers Dawn Luedtke and Sidney Katz in hosting a community conversation about MCPD's Drone as First Responder program, which is being expanded to the Upcounty. We had a fabulous turnout, engaged in productive conversation, and got to witness a demonstration of the drones in action. If you were unable to attend the meeting, head to the Council's YouTube page or click the button below to watch a full recording of the conversation.
It was great to see many of you at our Drone as First Responder community meeting. Thank you to MCPD for answering constituent questions and for the drone demonstration!
I joined my colleagues at another community meeting earlier this month at the Upcounty Regional Services Center. Councilmember Laurie-Anne Sayles hosted the second in her series of Community Conversations in Germantown on July 9th, and I was glad to have been able to participate.
Thank you to those of you who attended and voiced your concerns! If you have comments, questions, or feedback for the Council, please know that you do not have to wait until a community meeting to share them! You can always reach me at councilmember.balcombe@montgomerycountymd.gov.
It is always a pleasure to be at the Upcounty Regional Services Center, and it was fabulous to participate in last week's community conversation.
In hopes of improving and increasing infrastructure in Clarksburg, concerned Clarksburg residents are creating a community group called the Clarksburg Neighbors Alliance. This group will help Clarksburg residents communicate with their elected officials about the issues that matter most to them. To get started, they are collecting information from community members about the issues they feel are most relevant to Clarksburg. Fill out the survey to share your feedback, and circulate with other members of the Clarksburg community!
A flyer advertising a Clarksburg community survey. Click the photo to be directed to the survey page.
Joint ECON and TE Committee
The ECON and TE committees will be meeting for a joint session on Monday, June 22nd. We will be discussing Executive Regulation #8-21, Transportation Demand Management and funding for Parking Lot Districts and Urban Districts. You can review staff packets for this committee session on the Council website and can watch the session live or on demand on the Council YouTube channel.
Economic Development (ECON) Committee
At this time, the ECON committee does not have any individual sessions planned prior to the Council's August recess.
Transportation and Environment (TE) Committee
On Monday, June 22nd, the TE committee will be meeting to review the FY25 WMATA budget. We will also be meeting on Tuesday, July 23rd to work on Executive Order #094-24, Disposition of County Public Parking Garage No. 2 - located at 1200 Spring Street in Silver Spring. Our last meeting prior to the Council's August recess will be on Monday, June 29th, where we will discuss how to reduce climate risks in County investments. As always, you can tune into our sessions on the Council YouTube channel.
Council Legislation
The Council passed two pieces of legislation yesterday - Executive Regulation #18-23 and Bill 7-24. I was proud to have supported both items, which would streamline restaurant permitting and strengthen tenant safety and notification in Montgomery County. Read more about both these items below. If you have any questions about these items, please reach out to me.
Executive Regulation #18-23, Food Services Licenses and Manager Certification - Alterations
- This regulation alterations aim to streamline the certification process by reducing documentation and administrative requirements.
- The regulation changes the Food Handler Certificate certification period from 3 years to 5 years.
Bill 7-24, Landlord-Tenant Relations - Tenant Protection and Notification
- Residential leases must clearly state whether the building has automatic sprinkler systems, inform tenants of emergency plans, and whether the lease insures tenant possessions in event of loss or damage due to instances such as fire, smoke, or water.
- 24-hour availability of a building representative, and notification to tenants of any disruption of essential services.
- Emergency safety plans for each building, proposed by landlords or multifamily dwellings, to be approved by the Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services.
Upcoming Public Hearings
Our next public hearing will take place on July 30th. A full list of public hearings can be found on the Council website. The deadline to sign up for a 1:30PM public hearing is 2PM the day before the hearing. You can also submit written, audio, or video testimony if you are unable to testify live. Visit the Council website for more information.
- Supplemental Appropriation #24-92 to the FY25 Capital Budget, MCPS, Sustainability Initiatives (No. 652306), $180,467
We held a number of public hearings yesterday. You can watch the public hearings on the Council YouTube channel, and a list of the items we covered is below.
- Zoning Text Amendment 24-02, Agricultural Reserve (AR) Zone - Campground
- Zoning Text Amendment 24-03, Great Seneca Life Sciences (GSLS) Overlay Zones
- Executive Order #094-24, Disposition of County Public Parking Garage No. 2 Located at 1200 Spring Street, Silver Spring, Maryland
- Resolution to adopt a Proposed Amendment to County Charter - Executive Branch - Appointments
- Resolution to adopt a Proposed Amendment to County Charter - County Executive - Term Limit - Two Consecutive Terms
- Resolution to adopt a Proposed Amendment to County Charter - Approval of the Budget and Tax Levies - Council Voting Requirements
The following County Council appointed boards, commissions, and committees are seeking applicants:
The following County boards, commissions, and committees are seeking applicants:
- It's almost sunflowers time! McKee-Beshers in Poolesville boasts beautiful fields of sunflowers annually, and peak bloom is just around the corner. McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area is located at 18600 River Road, Poolesville, MD 20837. You can find all the information you need to plan your visit on the website. Make sure to be respectful of the blooms when you visit!
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The 2024 Annual Farm Tour and Harvest Sale is coming up this weekend! Explore the County's Ag Reserve, support local farmers, and enjoy the cooling temperatures outdoors after this week's heat wave! 24 farms are participating in this year's tour and sale. Visit the Office of Agriculture's website to learn more and to plan your weekend!
- The Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services will host Maryland's Commission on Public Health on Tuesday, July 30th, from 6:30-8PM. Join DHHS at the County Council building (100 Maryland Avenue in Rockville) on the 7th floor to participate in a public listening session. If you are unable to attend, you can submit your feedback and ideas here.
- The Department of Health and Human Services' Child Care Support Services is seeking nominees for the second annual Montgomery County Early Care and Education Excellence Awards. Nominations are due by August 21st, and self nominations are encouraged.
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Submit your nominations to the Early Care and Education Excellence Award today. Click the photo to be directed to the submission form.
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The Department of Environmental Protection is encouraging landscapers, gardeners, homeowners, and property managers to say goodbye to gas this year. On July 1, 2025, gas-powered handheld, backpack, and walk-behind leaf blowers will no longer be allowed in Montgomery County. Learn about electric leaf blowers and rebates at the DEP website.
Don't forget - it's time to say goodbye to gas leaf blowers and hello to electric. To learn more, click this photo.
- Join us and #GiveUpPlastics with small changes you can make every day. Consider switching to a reusable bag - it's a simple change with a big impact. Join DEP and countless others in Montgomery County in making a difference this Plastic Free July. Together, we can create a cleaner, healthier environment for all. Learn more here.
Click this photo to apply to the Asian American Health Initiative's Healthy Communities Fund.
- Montgomery County’s Asian American Health Initiative (AAHI), a program of the County’s Department of Health and Human Services, is now accepting applications for the Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) Healthy Communities Fund grant program. Apply today!
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.
If you were forwarded this email and would like to subscribe to my newsletter, click the button below. I look forward to remaining in touch with you and serving you as your Councilmember.
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