Dear Friends,

District 4 is unquestionably one of the best places to live. Niche ranked North Bethesda as the Number 1 community to live in anywhere in Maryland, and Fortune ranked Silver Spring as the Number 1 City to raise a family in the country! 

This confirms what we know: the abundant arts & entertainment, excellent public services and facilities, and array of economic opportunities for businesses and employees set us apart regionally and nationally–and we’re just getting started. Everyone in our community contributed to getting us here, and we need everyone involved to take it to the next level.

The County Council is now on our summer recess from our official Council meetings, but we are still hard at work addressing constituent concerns and preparing for our return to session in September. 

In our next newsletter, we expect to have more information about the upcoming phases of Purple Line construction and detours as work progresses, and information for families with students getting ready to return to school.

As always, feel free to contact my office if you have any questions or need assistance.

Sincerely,

Council Vice President Kate Stewart 

(she, her) why pronouns

Tenant Protection and Notification Act signed into law

We marked a significant milestone in tenant protection with the signing of the Tenant Protection and Notification Bill 7-24. It was over a year ago that we started working on this bill in response to the Arrive fire that took the life of 25-year-old Melanie Diaz and the power outage at The Grand that occurred last summer. With the support of my colleagues and team, renters now have a greater voice and we have stronger protections for their safety in place. 

The new bill mandates that building owners must transparently disclose building safety features, such as sprinkler systems, and requires them to develop and share with residents emergency plans. This bill represents a significant step forward in protecting tenants and helping prevent future tragedies. It's a vital measure to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone living in rental properties.

We were honored to be joined by Melanie’s parents Cesar and Zuleika, who spoke at the bill signing.

What the law requires:

• Residential leases must now include specific information about building insurance and renters insurance, whether or not there is a sprinkler system, and general fire safety information, such as the location of fire alarms, fire extinguishers, and other fire prevention equipment.
• Emergency safety plans for each building, proposed by landlords of multifamily dwellings, to be approved by the Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services. 
• Building representatives must be available 24 hours a day, and this availability must be clearly communicated to tenants. 
• Any disruption of essential services in a rental building must be officially and promptly communicated to tenants.

Here are my comments on the day of the signing.

Introduction of Bill 14-24

To address the proliferation of excessive modified exhaust noise disrupting residents’ quality of life, I recently introduced Bill 14-24, the Vehicle Noise Abatement Monitoring – Pilot Program with Councilmember Natali Fani-González. 

Our bill will:

• Establish a pilot program to enforce existing state exhaust noise laws, using automated “noise camera” devices. For the pilot, the County will be able to place three noise cameras in locations across the county.  
• Mitigate negative health and quality of life impacts experienced by residents from excessive noise from modified exhausts.

County residents have experienced excessive vehicle noise caused by defective or altered mufflers and exhaust systems. Modifying a muffler so its sound exceeds the state allowable level is currently unlawful and the penalty for doing so is civil.

Studies have shown that noise pollution impacts everyone, and disproportionately affects communities of color, immigrants, lower-income people, leaving them unprotected from higher noise levels and greater health risks.

I want to thank State Delegate Julie Palakovich Carr who has led efforts in Annapolis to pass state legislation enabling local governments to establish pilot programs to reduce excessive vehicular noise by implementing noise abatement monitoring systems known as noise cameras. I also want to thank Councilmember Fani-González for her collaboration on this bill and all of our colleagues for cosponsoring this bill. You can read more about the bill in our joint press release.

Montgomery County & WMATA Life Sciences Partnership

The progress toward a life sciences campus at the North Bethesda Metro took a big step forward as I joined Sens. Cardin and Van Hollen to receive $5 million in federal funding toward the area and witness the signing of an agreement between WMATA and the County for development of the adjacent property. Anchored by a world-class facility for the UMD, UMB, and UMMS Institute for Health Computing, this transit-oriented development will bring the greatest minds in health computing, medicine, and emerging technologies such as AI to the heart of North Bethesda. The jobs associated with this project will turbocharge our economy and cement our status as a top county for the life sciences nationally and internationally. I can’t wait to see what comes next for the vibrant, growing Pike District!

National Night Out

On Tuesday night August 6th, I joined several communities across our district and public safety personnel for National Night Out. This was an important opportunity to build connections between residents and the public safety staff working throughout our community. My staff and I had a blast meeting residents in the community! Here are some photos from the evening:

Kensington: I joined Commander Daum at Kensington Park Senior Living’s National Night Out event.

Downtown Silver Spring: I joined Del. Charkoudian, McGruff the Crime Dog, Community Service Officer Glenda Franco, and Chair Juanita Stewart of the Silver Spring Urban District Advisory Committee on Ellsworth in Downtown Silver Spring.

Lyttonsville: I joined Silver Spring RSC Director Jacob Newman, Dr. Earl Stoddard and Rich Madaleno of the County Executive’s office, Police Chief Yamada, Greater Silver Spring Chamber of Commerce President Stephanie Helsing, Community Leader and longtime resident Pat Tyson, Fire Chief Smedley, State’s Attorney McCarthy, and Emergency Management and Homeland Security Director Luke Hodgson at National Night Out in Lyttonsville.

Takoma Park: It was good to see Takoma Park Police Chief Tony DeVaul and residents at Takoma Park’s National Night Out.

Rent Stabilization Regulations

A couple of weeks ago, the County Council passed Executive Regulation 2-24, the rent stabilization regulations. These regulations have been a long time coming ever since the Council passed the rent stabilization bill, Bill 15-23, in July 2023.

The Department of Housing and Community Affairs has an extensive page on rent stabilization on their website which includes a number of FAQs. You can also read the Council’s press release on the passage of the regulations for more information.

Constituent Corner

After a request from residents in North Bethesda, our office was able to get a bench placed on the trail along Josiah Henson Parkway near the Tilden Woods area. Thank you to Arline Sanchez and Emily Mintz who reached out to our office!

Residents in East Silver Spring reached out to our office with concerns about speeding and impacts on safety for people who walk, bike, and drive in their community. Our office was able to share these concerns with the county’s Department of Transportation and we’re pleased to share that an all-way stop is coming to the intersection of Hartford Avenue and Silver Spring Avenue later this month.

Kate in the Community

Long Branch Water Wizards - I had the pleasure of stopping by a swim meet of the Long Branch Water Wizards! A huge shoutout to all of the students, parents, friends, family, and coaches who make these meets a great experience for all involved.

Pike Central Farmers Market—Our team has been making sure to visit communities all over the district. We’ll be back at the Pike Central Farmers Market on August 31st!

Kensington Farmers Market - We always enjoy the Kensington Farmers Market, even in this summer heat! Thanks to all who come and say hi or note concerns for us to look into.

Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division - Did you know that Montgomery County is home to the largest state-of-the-art research, engineering, modeling and test center for ships and ship systems? I got to take a tour of Carderock Naval Sea Systems Command with my colleagues a few weeks ago. We are grateful for their renewed commitment to work with the Pike District Partnership to encourage federal scientific and research collaboration in North Bethesda.

Twin Spring Farm Market at Bethesda United Church of Christ (BUCC) - Our team had a great time at the BUCC’s weekly Twin Spring Farm Market! A big thank you to Reverend Dr. Jill McCrory for having us.

Montgomery Parks Summer Concert Series - It was a great evening in Long Branch with Montgomery Parks and the 19th Street Band! 

Switching to Electric Leaf Blowers

The Department of Environmental Protection is encouraging landscapers, gardeners, homeowners, and property managers to say goodbye to gas, and start switching to electric leaf blowers this year. Starting July 1, 2025, gas-powered handheld, backpack, and walk-behind leaf blowers are no longer allowed in Montgomery County. Local retailers no longer carry gas leaf blowers, but have battery-powered leaf blowers for all your leaf and garden clean-up needs. Choose your equipment wisely and consult our website for more information. Limited rebates will be available by application beginning in August. Learn more about electric leaf blowers and rebates at www.MontgomeryCountyMd.gov/Leafblowers.