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Wednesday, January 22, 2025

Everyone Deserves to be Safe

Dear Friends,

It's never been more important that victims of crime, regardless of their immigration status, know that our public safety providers are here to keep them safe and work on their behalf to seek justice. That's why Councilmembers Evan Glass, Natali Fani-Gonzalez, and I introduced the Uplifting Victims and Immigrant Safety Act (U VISA) and we're already seeing progress.

Councilmember Luedtke speaks about the Uplifting Victims and Immigrant Safety (UVISA) Act. Click for details.

The legislation will require removal of the County's 10-year cap on assisting crime victims in their pursuit of a U visa, an important federal protection for those who have suffered substantial mental or physical abuse as the result of a felony crime. This strengthens the ability of law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute cases of domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking of noncitizens and other crimes, while also protecting victims of crimes who become witnesses.  

At our Council public hearing last week, we learned that last year Montgomery County Police received 142 applications for assistance with U visas. Four would've been denied that assistance because of the 10-year cap. The Police Department fully supports this legislation and announced they've updated their policies.

This is an important example of how we must support our immigrant community, and also of how we must continue to ensure that everyone in our County gets the high-quality public safety service that all of us expect and deserve.

Capital Budget Highlights

There are encouraging updates about important local capital projects in the latest recommended amendments to the County's Capital Improvements Program (CIP) and we need your support!

Thanks to steadfast community advocacy and state funding secured by State Senator Craig Zucker and Delegates Anne Kaiser, Pam Queen, and Bernice Mireku-North, the County plans to purchase the long-vacant building at the corner of Georgia Avenue and Spartan Road in Olney for transformation into the Olney Community Building. This will allow for community meeting and working space for local nonprofit and civic organizations.

We're also tracking the Cider Mill Capital Improvements project to continue upgrading buildings in the Montgomery Village community, and to continue our progress on safety and security infrastructure as a result of our advocacy with the Safe Places Tenants Association.

Check out all of the County Executive's recommended capital budget amendments released last week and click the button below to sign up to testify at the Council's February 5 or February 6 public hearings.

Your voices are critical to ensuring we make progress on these projects!

Winter Weather Info

Click to watch the video from MCDOT on snow shoveling tips.

Now is a great time to get familiar with the County's Winter Storm Information Portal. This source provides updates on snow plowing progress and you can double-check if your road is maintained by County DOT, the State Highway Administration, or privately as is the case for many HOAs and community associations.

Over the last few weeks, our office has also handled a number of issues with sidewalks that remain snow or ice covered well after a storm has ended. Remember: County law requires the adjacent property owner to clear a sidewalk within 24 hours after the end of a storm. You can report a sidewalk that appears not to be cleared here, or reach out to us.

In the Community...

Sign up to Speak About Airpark Impacts

The County's Airpark Community Advisory Committee (ACAC) is hosting an open public session on January 29 from 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. for neighbors and other stakeholders of the Montgomery County Airpark in Gaithersburg. Check out the ACAC's page for more info and to sign up to speak.

Celebrate Local Breweries for a Good Cause

The Olney Barrel-Aged Beer Fest is back on February 1 from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. Taste some of the best our local brewers have to offer and join the Olney Civic Fund to raise money for Olney Help - a nonprofit that provides emergency food and financial assistance to local families.

Damascus Sidewalk Project Latest

The County is hosting a hybrid in-person and virtual community meeting on January 30 starting at 6:30 p.m. with updates on the Oak Drive (MD 27) sidewalk project.