 Wednesday, October 9, 2024
September was a whirlwind of meetings and community events, including my Back to School Block Party, Germantown Oktoberfest, and the Attainable Housing Strategies listening sessions - which will be discussed below. Thank you to all who came out to any or all of these events and everyone who worked to make them successful!
I had a great time at the Back to School Block Party and at Germantown's Oktoberfest! Thank you to the Student Member of the Board, Praneel Suvarna, for attending the block party, and thank you to Paula Ross of the GGCC and Katie Hecklinger of the BlackRock Center for the Arts for all your work in making Oktoberfest such a fun event!
The Council and the Planning Board have wrapped up their six listening sessions about Attainable Housing Strategies. Over the past few weeks, councilmembers and the Planning Board have been hosting community listening sessions across the County to hear resident questions and concerns about Attainable Housing Strategies. A virtual session was held last week for those who were unable to attend a session in-person. Each listening session was recorded, and can be viewed on demand through the Council website and YouTube channel.
Now that the sessions have wrapped up, I want to take a moment to clear up some confusion I've heard from the community.
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There is currently NO legislation in front of the Council that would implement the Attainable Housing Strategies Initiative. There is NO CHANGE to County zoning that is taking place at this time as a result of this plan.
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Constituents are still able to provide feedback about Attainable Housing Strategies through the Council website and by reaching out to individual Council members.
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I know of no current plans to introduce zoning legislation to implement the Attainable Housing Strategies Initiative. If, and when that happens, the ZTA will follow the formal process of introduction, public hearing, committee work session(s), and full Council work session(s)
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The Planning, Housing, and Parks (PHP) committee held three work sessions devoted to AHS this summer, and each session can be found on the Council YouTube channel.
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The Committee received a briefing on the Planning Board's report on June 24th. The Committee reviewed the small and medium scale sections of the study on July 8th. In addition, the Committee reviewed large scale and other recommendations, as well as code and policy considerations on July 22nd.
I am more than happy to provide answers to specific questions you may have about AHS. You are welcome and encouraged to contact me by phone at 240-777-7960 or via email at councilmember.balcombe@montgomerycountymd.gov.
Happening this Friday, October 11th from 9AM to 11AM.
Join Delegate Greg Wims and I for an informal community conversation this Friday, October 11th at Woodside Deli (13048 Middlebrook Road, Germantown, MD 20874)! Drop by any time between 9AM and 11AM for a chance to speak with us about the issues most important to you.
Please let me know if I will be seeing you there!
A flyer advertising Breakfast with Balcombe & Wims, a community conversation hosted by Councilmember Marilyn Balcombe and Delegate Greg Wims. The event will be held at Woodside Deli in Germantown from 9AM to 11AM on Friday, October 11th.
As many of you know, getting this fire station operational has been a long and arduous process, so we are super excited that a ribbon cutting will be held on October 24th! The fire station is now fully operational! Thank you to everyone who worked tirelessly on this station and congratulations to MCFRS and the Clarksburg community on their brand new facility!
Economic Development (ECON) Committee
The Economic Development (ECON) Committee will be meeting on Monday, October 14th for a briefing about Montgomery County's Quarterly Indicators. A staff packet will be posted ahead of the meeting and you can watch the committee session on the Council YouTube channel.
Transportation and Environment (TE) Committee
The Transportation and Environment (TE) Committee held two work sessions on Monday, October 7th. Our first meeting was a briefing and work session about WSSCWater, and our second meeting was a joint session with the Public Safety Committee to discuss Bill 14-24, Vehicle Noise Abatement Monitoring and the Montgomery County Police Department's Traffic Enforcement Plan.
You can view the staff packets for the sessions on the Council website, and can watch recordings of the sessions on demand on the Council YouTube channel.
Upcoming Public Hearings
The County Council will be holding public hearings on October 15th and October 22nd. To testify at a Council public hearing or to submit written, audio, or video testimony, please visit the Council website or call 240-777-7803. The deadline to sign up to testify for a 1:30PM public hearing is 2PM the day prior. The deadline to sign up to testify for a 7PM public hearing is 5PM the day prior.
October 15, 2024
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1:30PM: Supplemental Appropriation to the FY25 Operating Budget, State’s Attorney’s Office, Maryland Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy (GOCPP) Competitive Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Award, $466,602
October 22, 2024
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1:30PM: Amendment to the FY25-30 Capital Improvements Program #25-22, Department of Recreation, Cost Sharing: MCG (No. 720601)
The following County boards, committees, and commissions are seeking applicants:
- If you use Ride On services, the Montgomery County Department of Transportation wants to hear from you! Your responses to the 2024 Rider Survey will help MCDOT understand who is using the system and how they can better serve you. Take the survey now on the MCDOT website.
- The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will distribute $210 million in Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) funds through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This funding will be made available in a Notice of Funding Opportunity to be published in late October. For more information, visit FEMA's website.
ATTENTION CLARKSBURG RESIDENTS:
- The Clarksburg Neighbors Alliance (CNA) will be hosting its first meeting on Wednesday, October 16th at 6:30PM at Clarksburg High School! The CNA is a newly established civic group in Clarksburg and I am so excited to see the advocacy efforts it'll lead in the coming months. Check out the flyer below and make sure to RSVP for the CNA's kickoff event! If you have any questions, reach out to the group via email at clarksburgalliance@gmail.com.
A flyer advertising the Clarksburg Neighbors Alliance's first community event, which will be held on Wednesday, October 16th at 6:30PM at Clarksburg High School.
MCDOT is collecting bike donations this Friday, October 11th at the Montgomery County Council Office Building Parking Garage between 9AM and 2PM. Bikes will be repaired and provided to low-income Montgomery County residents. Scan the QR code on the flyer to learn more.
While battery-powered leaf blowers are easy to use, there’s a lot of information about how to maximize their efficiency - from charging and storing them properly to safe use and battery management.
In this webinar, experts will share information on the use and care of your battery-powered leaf blowers and other equipment, and explain how to use leaves in your landscape to benefit your soil.
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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