The Montgomery County Council will hold committee meetings on February 22, 2024.
Per the news release: Committees will review legislation to expand property tax credit for seniors; discuss recommendations from the Anti-Hate Task Force; and review supplemental appropriations needed for public education about restrictions on gas-powered leaf blowers and the County’s rebate program, to develop a mobile ticketing app for Ride On, install surveillance cameras in County parking garages and purchase zero-emission buses
The Government Operations and Fiscal Policy (GO) Committee will meet on Thursday, Feb. 22 at 9:30 a.m. to review Bill 45-23, Property Tax Credit – Individuals 65 and Above, Retired Military Service Members, and Disabled Military Service Members.
The members of the GO Committee include Chair and Council Vice President Kate Stewart, Council President Andrew Friedson and Councilmember Sidney Katz.
The Education and Culture (EC) Committee will meet at 1:30 p.m. to review the recommendations of the Montgomery County Anti-Hate Task Force related to education.
The members of the EC Committee include Chair Will Jawando and Councilmembers Gabe Albornoz and Kristin Mink.
The joint Transportation and Environment (TE) and GO Committee will meet at 1:30 p.m. to review a supplemental appropriation needed to fund outreach and awareness campaigns and initiate a rebate program for the implementation of Bill 18-22, Noise Control-Leaf Removal Equipment – Amendments. The joint committee will also review additional supplemental appropriations needed for the development of a Ride On mobile ticketing application, to install additional surveillance cameras in the Bethesda, Silver Spring and Wheaton public parking garages, and for the purchase new zero-emission Ride On buses.
The members of the TE Committee include Chair Evan Glass, Councilmember Marilyn Balcombe and Vice President Stewart.
More detail on each agenda item is provided below.
Review: The GO Committee will review Bill 45-23, Property Tax Credit – Individuals 65 and Above, Retired Military Service Members, and Disabled Military Service Members, which would update the eligibility criteria for the property tax credit available to individuals 65 and above and to retired or disabled military service members and their spouses. It would also progressively alter the amounts of the property tax credit and generally amend the property tax credit for eligible individuals. The lead sponsor of Bill 45-23 is Council President Friedson. Councilmembers Albornoz, Natali Fani-González, Dawn Luedtke, Balcombe, Laurie-Anne Sayles and Katz are cosponsors of Bill 45-23.
Anti-Hate Task Force Recommendations Related to Education
Review: The EC Committee will meet to review the recommendations of the Montgomery County Anti-Hate Task Force related to education. On June 27, 2023, the Council adopted Resolution 20-215, which was led by then-Council President Glass, appointing a Montgomery County Anti-Hate Task Force. The task force was charged with recommending policies that promote safety and combat racism, hate crimes and hate bias incidents.
On Dec. 4, 2023, the full Council received a presentation on the recommendations from six task force cohorts that represented the communities most often targeted by hate crimes and hate bias incidents, including Asian American Pacific Islander, Black and African American, Jewish, Latino and Hispanic, LGBTQ+ and Muslim cohorts. To both inform their work and help understand the scope and depth of hate crimes and bias incidents in Montgomery County, the cohorts conducted more than 40 separate meetings from mid-July 2023 through mid-November 2023.
Review: The joint TE and GO Committee will review a $295,000 supplemental appropriation to implement Bill 18-22, Noise Control – Leaf Removal Equipment – Amendments, which was enacted on Sept. 26, 2023. Bill 18-22 prohibits the sale of gas-powered leaf blowers in Montgomery County as of July 1, 2024 and their use in Montgomery County as of July 1, 2025. The supplemental appropriation is needed to fund an outreach and awareness campaign for retailers, lawncare companies and residents as well as to initiate a rebate program by July 1, 2024, as mandated in the legislation.
Review: The joint TE and GO Committee will review a $581,165 supplemental appropriation for the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT), which is needed to develop a mobile ticketing application for the Federal Transit Administration Accelerating Innovative Mobility Challenge Grant. The application will allow Ride On transit riders to set up a mobile ticketing account to pay for transit fares.
Review: The joint TE and GO Committee will review a total of more than $4.7 million in funding spread across three supplemental appropriations, which would provide funding to install additional surveillance cameras at three of the County’s public parking garages in Bethesda, Silver Spring and Wheaton. The funding is needed to address heightened public safety concerns in the County’s public parking garages and will address insufficient stairwell coverage, improve surveillance in areas that have restricted fields of view, and provide enhanced video retention and security capabilities.
Review: The joint TE and GO Committee will review a more than $46 million supplemental appropriation for MCDOT to purchase new zero-emission buses in support of the transition to a zero-emission bus fleet as part of the County’s Climate Action Plan goals. The funding is needed due to cost increases for planned replacement of Ride On buses. Approximately 100 transit buses will need to be replaced through FY26. During this process, new zero-emission buses will be ordered to replace older diesel buses.
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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.
Step into a world where the Caribbean spirit comes alive! From 12:00 PM onwards, immerse yourself in a sensory journey that celebrates the unique culture, cuisine, and music of the Caribbean. Whether you’re an African American, a Reggae or Soca music enthusiast, a wine lover, or part of the vibrant Caribbean diaspora, this festival promises to delight and captivate you in every way.
