County Council Meets Tomorrow, February 8 to Receive Updates on Public Health and Distribution of COVID-19 Rent Assistance

Per Montgomery County:

For Immediate Release: Monday, February 7, 2022

Also on Feb. 8: Vote expected on Spending Affordability Guidelines for the FY23 Operating Budget and Public Hearings on the FY23 Capital Budget and FY23-28 Capital Improvements Program

The Council will meet on Tuesday, Feb. 8, at 9 a.m. The virtual meeting will begin with a proclamation presented by Council President Albornoz and the full Council recognizing Bob Drummer for his years of service to the Montgomery County Council.

More detail on each agenda item is provided below.

Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) and County Public Health Planning

Update: Sitting as the Board of Health, the Council will receive an update on the County’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its recovery and vaccination efforts. Those expected to provide information include Dr. Raymond Crowel, director, Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS); James Bridgers, acting chief health officer, DHHS; Dr. Earl Stoddard, assistant chief administrative officer, Montgomery County Government; and Sean O’Donnell, program administrator, Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response, DHHS. Join the conversation with #COVID-19.

COVID-19 Rent Assistance and Evictions

Briefing: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused severe income loss and economic distress for numerous households in Montgomery County, with many individuals unable to pay all or part of their rent and monthly utilities. Households with low-income levels have been disproportionately impacted and many face the risk of eviction.

As of Feb. 2, Montgomery County has made $66.2 million in COVID rent assistance payments to 9,281 households. The federal government has allocated funding directly to Montgomery County to provide rent assistance to households that have been financially impacted by COVID-19. The State of Maryland has also been provided with federal funds, and some of these funds have been distributed to Montgomery County for rent assistance. Moreover, Montgomery County has appropriated County and CARES funds for rent assistance.

The Council will receive an update on the distribution of COVID-19 rent assistance and the plans for opening an application portal for the next phase of rent assistance. The Council will also be briefed about continued efforts to support tenants through partnerships with nonprofits and legal aid, trends in evictions and the challenges facing tenants who have been notified by landlords that there is an intent to file for eviction or are in court proceedings.

Those who are expected to attend and provide information include Amanda Harris, chief, Services to End and Prevent Homelessness, Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS); Ilana Branda, deputy chief, Services to End and Prevent Homelessness, DHHS; Aseem Nigam, director, Department of Housing and Community Affairs (DHCA); Frank Demarais, Deputy Director, DHCA; Lorraine Driscoll, Program Manager, DHCA; Maxwell Uy, chief deputy, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office; Frank Vitale, supervising attorney, Maryland Legal Aid Bureau, Inc.; Alex Vasquez, Montgomery County Lead Organizer, CASA.

Recommendation on Proposed Amendments to the Ten-Year Comprehensive Water Supply and Sewerage Systems Plan

Introduction: The Council is expected to introduce proposed amendments to the ten-year Comprehensive Water Supply and Sewerage Systems Plan. On Jan. 27, the Council received a recommendation from the County Executive on a Water and Sewer Category Change request.

Section 9-501 of the Environmental Article of the Maryland Code requires the governing body of each County to adopt and submit to the State Department of the Environment a comprehensive County Plan, and from time to time amend or revise that Plan for the provision of adequate water supply systems and sewerage systems throughout the County.

A public hearing is tentatively scheduled for April 19 at 1:30 p.m.

Spending Affordability Guidelines for the FY23 Operating Budget

Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote on the Spending Affordability Guidelines for the FY23 Operating Budget. The Montgomery County Code requires the Council to specify the following when adopting the Spending Affordability Guidelines for the operating budget: a ceiling on the funding from ad valorem real property tax revenues; a ceiling on the aggregate operating budget; and separate budget allocations for Montgomery County government, the Montgomery County Board of Education, Montgomery College, the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, debt service and current revenue funding of capital projects.  As part of this process the Council should consider the condition of the economy, the level of economic activity in the County, trends in personal income and the impact of economic and population growth and projected revenues. The Council must adopt guidelines for the next operating budget by Feb. 8.

The Government Operations and Fiscal Policy (GO) Committee met on Feb. 3 and made the following recommendations for the FY23 Operating Budget spending affordability guidelines: set the ceiling on funding from ad valorem real property tax revenues at the Charter Limit at $1,963.2 million, consistent with prior years and the Dec. 2021 fiscal plan update; set the ceiling on the aggregate operating budget at $5,260.5 million, which represents a 2.31 percent increase from the FY22 approved aggregate operating budget; and allocate the proposed aggregate operating budget to the committee’s specifications outlined in the staff report.

FY23 Capital Budget and FY23-28 Capital Improvements Program (CIP)

Public hearing: The Council will hold public hearings on the FY23 Capital Budget and FY23-28 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) at 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. A third public hearing will also be held on Feb. 9 at 1:30 p.m. The County Executive’s Recommended Capital Budget and CIP is submitted to the Council every two years and provides a comprehensive picture of the Executive’s recommendations for the capital budget, including new and existing projects for schools, fire and police stations, roads, facility improvements and environmental protection.

Supplemental Appropriation to the County Government’s FY22 Capital Budget and Amendment to the FY21-26 CIP, Office of the County Executive – $400,000 for Business Advancement Team Life Sciences and Technology Centers

Public hearing: The Council will hold a public hearing on a $400,000 supplemental appropriation and amendment to the FY21-26 CIP to fund the conversion of ten offices to four small, wet labs at the Germantown Innovation Center. The recommended funding will supplement the existing funding needed to complete this project.

The lead sponsor is the Council President at the request of the County Executive.

Supplemental Appropriation to the County Government’s FY22 Capital Budget and Amendment to the FY21-26 CIP, Department of Health and Human Services – $100,000 for Affordable Living Quarters

Public hearing: The Council will hold a public hearing on a $100,000 supplemental appropriation in federal funds for the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of General Services and Department of Housing and Community Affairs to explore how the acquisition and renovation of an existing building could help meet the County’s Affordable housing need for individuals with very low incomes.

The Montgomery County Housing Needs Assessment estimated that in 2018, there was a shortage of 23,030 units affordable to households earning up to 30 percent area median income. These residents are at risk of entering the homeless system and may have difficulty exiting homelessness because of the lack of affordable housing.

The lead sponsor is the Council President at the request of the County Executive.

Supplemental Appropriation to the County Government’s FY22 Capital Budget and amendment to the FY21-26 CIP, Department of Housing and Community Affairs – $14,749,992 for Affordable Housing Acquisition and Preservation

Public hearing: The Council will hold a public hearing on a $14.7 million supplemental appropriation to the FY22 Capital Budget and amendment to the FY21-26 Capital Improvements Program for the Affordable Housing Acquisition and Preservation project. The appropriation for this project will support affordable housing developments throughout the County.

The appropriation is needed to provide loan repayment funds for the acquisition and renovation of properties for the purpose of preserving or increasing the County’s affordable housing inventory. Properties may be acquired by the County, nonprofit developers, the Housing Opportunities Commission or other entities that agree to develop or redevelop property for affordable housing.

The lead sponsor is the Council President at the request of the County Executive.

Amendment to the FY21-26 CIP, County Offices and other Improvements, Dickerson Radio Tower

Public hearing: The Council will hold a public hearing on an amendment to the FY21-26 Capital Improvements Program to build a 450-foot communications tower near the Public Safety Radio System equipment shelter in the Dickerson area. This amendment is needed because the Public Safety Radio System communication equipment is located on the GenOn power plant’s smokestack, which is in the process of being shut down and is tentatively scheduled to be removed.

The County has four antennas and two microwave dishes located at the 420-foot mark that provide the coverage needed in this portion of the County including the Potomac River. The recommended amendment is consistent with the criteria for amending the CIP to address the public safety concern that would arise without a new tower. This amendment will create an unfunded new project. A subsequent executive transfer of $1.9 million in General Obligation bonds and $100,000 in current revenue will provide the needed project funding.

The lead sponsor is the Council President at the request of the County Executive.

Resolution to adopt the Economic Development Strategic Plan

Public hearing: The Council will hold a public hearing on a resolution to adopt the County’s Economic Development Strategic Plan. Council Bill 10-21, which was led by Councilmember Friedson and cosponsored by Councilmembers Riemer, Navarro and Katz and Council President Albornoz, was enacted in May 2021. The law shifted the responsibility for drafting the County’s Economic Development Strategic Plan from the County Executive to the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC).

Section 15A-4A of the County Code details the requirements and procedure for the Economic Development Strategic Plan. In Feb. and March, the Planning, Housing and Economic Development (PHED) Committee will review and consider amendments to the plan and the Council must adopt the plan by April 15, 2022.

Special Appropriation to the County Government’s FY22 Operating Budget, Conference Center Non-Departmental Account, (NDA) – $1,920,000

Public hearing and vote: The Council will hold a public hearing and expected to vote on a $1.92 million Special Appropriation to the County Government’s FY22 Operating Budget to support the operating expenses of the Montgomery County Conference Center. The Council previously approved a $1.5 million appropriation to address any revenue shortfalls in July 2020 and $2.5 million in January 2021. Due to the ongoing pandemic, another appropriation is required. The County owns the property jointly with the state, and the management agreement with Marriott requires that the County cover operating losses in an event the property does not generate a profit.

Since its opening in 2004, the County has received a profit from the center’s operations. Most years the profit is in the range of $1.4 million to $1.9 million per the Executive’s transmittal. The Conference Center’s operations were restricted due to state and County health regulations in 2020. Based on cancellations due to the omicron variant, the Conference Center estimates a loss through the remainder of FY22.

Supplemental Appropriation to the County Government’s FY22 Capital Budget and amendment to the FY21-26 CIP, Office of Agriculture – $3,675,816 for Agriculture Land Preservation Easements

Public hearing and vote: The Council will hold a public hearing and is expected to vote on a more than $3.6 million supplemental appropriation to the FY22 Capital Budget and amendment to the FY21-26 Capital Improvements Program for the Agricultural Land Preservation Easement. This appropriation is needed because a non-budgeted transaction occurred between M-NCPPC and the County wherein the County received $953,055 in contributions and a Rural Legacy Program state grant of more than $2.7 million was awarded in FY22. In addition, the Office of Agriculture has several significant opportunities to acquire additional easements in the Agricultural Reserve which may be lost if not acted upon at this time and the supplemental leverages significant non-County sources of funds.

The lead sponsor is the Council President at the request of the County Executive.

Amendment to the FY21-26 CIP, Montgomery County Government Department of Transportation Storm Drain General and Storm Drain Culvert Replacement

Public hearing and vote: The Council will hold public hearings and is expected to vote on two FY21-26 CIP amendments for the storm drain general and storm drain culvert replacement projects to switch the funding source for both projects from long-term financing from the Maryland Water Quality Revolving Loan Fund, (WQRLF) to Water Quality Protection Bonds. According to the County Executive, this funding switch is needed because the work done in these projects is ineligible for long-term financing via the WQRLF.

The lead sponsor is the Council President at the request of the County Executive.

The Council meeting schedule may change from time to time. The current Council and Committee agendas, Council staff reports and additional information on items scheduled for Council review can be viewed at: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/COUNCIL/ondemand/index.html.

The Council and committees are meeting via Zoom because of ongoing construction and technology upgrades in the Council’s Hearing Room and the inability to conduct meetings in a socially distant way in other areas of the Council Office Building with television broadcast capacity. Councilmembers continue to hold meetings in their offices by appointment.

The virtual Council and committee meetings will be streamed live on the Council’s web page via YouTube and on Facebook Live and can be watched on County Cable Montgomery on Xfinity/RCN 6 HD 996/1056, Fios 30, and on the CCM live stream.