Per Montgomery County: “The Council will meet on Monday, Jan. 22 at 12:15 p.m.for a general overview of the major issues that will be considered by the Maryland General Assembly during the 2024 Legislative Session including, but not limited to, education, housing, juvenile justice, taxes and transportation.
The joint Government Operations and Fiscal Policy (GO) and Public Safety (PS) Committee will meet at 9:30 a.m. to review Expedited Bill 41-23, Fire and Rescue Services – Length of Service Awards Program for Volunteers – Amendments, and review a resolution to approve or disapprove provisions of a Memorandum of Agreement between the County and the Montgomery County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association (MCVFRA). The committee will also review three supplemental appropriations to the FY24 Operating Budget related for the Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (OEMHS) and Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS).
The members of the GO Committee include Chair and Council Vice President Kate Stewart, Council President Andrew Friedson and Councilmember Sidney Katz.
The members of the PS Committee include Chair Katz and Councilmembers Dawn Luedtke and Kristin Mink.
The PS Committee will meet at 1:30 p.m. to receive briefings on Executive Regulation 15-23, New Home Builders and Sellers Registration and Warranty, and on the Police Accountability Board’s 2023 Annual Report.
The Planning, Housing and Parks (PHP) Committee will meet at 1:30 p.m. to review Expedited Bill 38-23, Tenant Displacement – Right of First Refusal to Buy Rental Housing – Amendments.
The members of the PHP Committee include Chair and Council President Friedson and Councilmembers Natali Fani-González and Will Jawando.
More detail on each agenda item is provided below.
Review: The joint GO and PS Committee will review a $300,000 supplemental appropriation to the FY24 Operating Budget of OEMHS for COVID-19 Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) contract support. The County has been using contractual support to assist OEMHS in applying for reimbursement from FEMA for eligible COVID-19 related expenditures. The OEMHS FY24 budget did not include funding for these contractual expenses.
This appropriation would fund contractual services to include reviewing and compiling documents, working with departments on writing justifications for expenses and reviewing expenses with FEMA. The requested funding will be fully eligible for reimbursement by FEMA.
Review: The joint GO and PS Committee will review Expedited Bill 41-23, Fire and Rescue Services – Length of Service Awards Program for Volunteers – Amendments, which would increase the amount of the length of service benefits to certain local fire and rescue department volunteers. The lead sponsor is former Council President Evan Glass, at the request of the County Executive.
Review: The joint GO and PS Committee will review a resolution to indicate the Council’s intent to approve or reject provisions of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the County and MCVFRA. The terms of the agreement would require the introduction of legislation to increase length-of-service (LOSAP) benefits, increase the nominal fee payable to active volunteers and increase operational funds payable to MCVFRA.
County law requires the County Executive to submit to the Council any element of an agreement with an authorized representative that requires an appropriation of funds, may have a future fiscal impact, is inconsistent with any County law or regulation, or requires the enactment or adoption of any County law or regulation. On Nov. 1, 2023, the County Executive submitted to the Council an MOA with MCVFRA for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 through FY 2026. On Nov. 14, 2023, the Council adopted a resolution to extend the deadline to approve or disapprove of the terms of the MOA until March 1, 2024, to permit adequate review. The Council must notify the parties within 60 days if it disapproves an agreement in whole or in part.
Review: The joint GO and PS Committee will review a $616,400 supplemental appropriation to the FY24 Operating Budget for MCFRS general personnel and operating costs. The appropriation will fund program expansion for the Cadet Training Program that is provided in partnership with Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). The increase is needed to support program expenditures through the end of the 2023-2024 school year, as actual expenditures are expected to exceed the budget, as a result of the implementation of the fire training component of the Cadet Training Program.
Review: The joint GO and PS Committee will review a $336,188 supplemental appropriation to the FY24 Operating Budget for the MCVFRA contract. The request will fund certain elements of the pending agreement between Montgomery County and MCVFRA. On Nov. 1, 2023, the Executive submitted a negotiated agreement between the County and the MCVFRA, effective July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2025, for Council review and action along with the proposed Expedited Bill 41-23, which would fund the negotiated increase to the volunteers’ LOSAP benefits.
Executive Regulation 15-23, New Home Builders and Sellers Registration and Warranty
Briefing: The PS Committee will receive a briefing on Executive Regulation 15-23, New Home Builders and Sellers Registration and Warranty, which addresses the registration and warranty requirements for contractors who build and sell new residential homes in Montgomery County. The regulation implements the amendments to the County Code as enacted under Bill 31-18, which was signed into law in Feb. 2019. The regulation changes the previous licensing process to a registration process for new home builders, establishes a registration process for new home sellers and establishes new fee structure for new home seller and new home builder registrations.
Police Accountability Board – Annual Report
Briefing: The PS Committee will receive a briefing on the Police Accountability Board’s (PAB) 2023 Annual Report. The briefing is expected to include an update on efforts to create a public-facing data dashboard that provides information about the types of complaints it has received; an assessment of the PAB’s and Administrative Charging Committee’s (ACC) workload and resource needs; the PAB’s vision for the next year; and efforts to improve professional and procedurally just policing.
In 2021, the Maryland General Assembly passed House Bill 670, The Police Accountability Act of 2021, which repealed and replaced the Law Enforcement Officers Bill of Rights and requires each county to establish a PAB and an ACC. Generally, the PAB works with law enforcement agencies to review, provide policy advice and report on disciplinary matters stemming from public complaints about police misconduct. The ACC determines if a police officer who is the subject of an investigation should be administratively charged after reviewing findings of misconduct forwarded by the agency to the committee.
Review: The PHP Committee will hold its second meeting to review Expedited Bill 38-23, Tenant Displacement – Right of First Refusal to Buy Rental Housing – Amendments and Executive Regulation. Bill 38-23 would amend the County Code to allow the County Executive to designate a qualified entity that may exercise the right of first refusal. The purpose of the bill is to increase access to affordable housing and enable the County to more effectively evaluate and exercise the right of first refusal on the purchase of rental housing by delegating the ability to qualified entities.
The lead sponsor is Council President Friedson, at the request of the County Executive.
The Committee meeting schedule may change from time to time. View the current Council and Committee agendas, Council staff reports and additional information on items scheduled for Council review on the Council website.
Council and committee meetings are 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.
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FEST OF SPRING Caribbean Wine Food & Music Festival
Get ready to experience the vibrant colors, tantalizing flavors, and infectious rhythms of the Caribbean at the FEST OF SPRING Caribbean Wine Food & Music Festival! Hosted by RHU LLC, this exciting festival is set to take place on May 18, 2024, at the picturesque 16700 Barnesville Rd in Boyds, MD.
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