Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando (At-Large), chair of the Education and Culture (EC) Committee, released the following statement related to recent gun violence and bomb threats.
We all deserve to be safe in our communities, homes and schools. The recent reports of bomb threats, gun violence and guns found in or near our schools are highly disturbing and unacceptable.
Per Montgomery County: “Montgomery Parks wants to hear from the community about future improvements to the Capital Crescent trail. The two upcoming meetings, to be held on Thursday, Nov. 2, and Wednesday, Nov. 8, will provide an opportunity for trail users to share ideas for renovations to the 3.5-mile portion of the trail in Montgomery County from Downtown Bethesda south to the District of Columbia line.
The Capital Crescent Trail 2.0 project will reimagine the trail by evaluating features such as width, signage, access, trail connectivity and amenities. Parks planners will consider public input and best practices in trail design to produce a long-term vision for the trail.
Per Montgomery County: “The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) is connecting people in the County who have a bike to donate with people who need one. On Friday, Oct. 20, MCDOT collected 290 bicycles at its annual one-day bike collection event in Rockville.
MCDOT sponsored the collection of child and adult bikes in partnership with Rockville Bike Hub and Bikes for the World. Volunteers from the organizations will refurbish the bikes and place them with children and adults in need through Bikes for the World, the MCDOT Bike Match Program and the Rockville Terrific Kids program.
Per Montgomery County: “The Montgomery County Government, and programs that impact County residents, will have schedule and program changes for Veterans Day Weekend, Friday-Saturday, Nov. 10-11. Veterans Day ceremonies throughout the County will take place on Saturday, Nov. 11. However, the County Government will observe the holiday on Friday, Nov. 10.
County offices—Closed on Friday, Nov. 10, and Saturday, Nov. 11.
Per Montgomery County: “Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services (DPS) has improved its “Residential Fast Track” program and its “Apply Online” portal, creating changes that could lead to permits on some eligible projects being approved in days instead of weeks. The changes continue DPS initiatives that are making its building permit programs and services faster and easier to use for residents and businesses.
DPS has reenergized its Residential Fast Track program to ensure building permits are issued in one to two days for eligible projects, such as single-level decks and fences. The program previously was offered in-person as a walk-thru service, but was discontinued during the COVID-19 health crisis. It is now available online, and in some cases, permits for eligible projects that took weeks for approvals may now be completed in a few days as long as submitted applications have complete information. To make this happen, Residential Fast Track applications are tracked by a dedicated permit technician to ensure they are expedited.
Per Montgomery County: “Montgomery County’s Asian American Health Initiative (AAHI), a program of the County’s Department of Health and Human Services, has awarded 14 local programs a total of $1.5 million from its Healthy Communities Fund. The funding will be used to develop new and sustain existing culturally and linguistically appropriate programs and services in behavioral health, senior wellness and health and social support services for the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities.
AAPI communities account for about 15 percent of Montgomery County’s overall population and the County is one of the most diverse communities in the United States, with more than 49 percent of population comprised of minorities. The AAPI community can be further broken down into multiple communities, each characterized by a unique mix of language, culture, religion and social norms. Because of the growing diversity and wide range of languages, cultures and socioeconomic status within AAPI communities, providing community health education, services and programs to residents of AAPI descent is more complex and requires custom approaches to reach the at-need communities.
Per Montgomery County: “Montgomery County residents can virtually attend the free third “Summit on Aging” from 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 26, that will give older adults the opportunity to hear about County initiatives for the aging community. During the event, residents can voice concerns, engage in discussions with County and State leaders and help envision the County as a community for a lifetime. There will be a 45 minute lunch break from noon-12:45.
The summit will be held in-person at the Silver Spring Civic Building at 1 Veterans Place in Downtown Silver Spring, but early reservations have already filled the event. However, those who still want to benefit from the event can participate virtually by visiting https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMocuGpqDssG90cl2L9TwSFxV94xXYHYGL-.
WHAT: Representatives from the Maryland Department of Transportation will meet with Montgomery County officials to discuss the agency’s Draft FY 2024-2029 Consolidated Transportation Program, which details a $21.2 billion, six-year capital budget investment in the state’s transportation network. The meeting is part of the department’s tour of 23 Maryland counties and Baltimore City. Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld and other officials will outline the state’s investment plan and discuss Montgomery County’s transportation priorities.
WHEN: 7 p.m. Thursday, October 26, 2023
MHP, a Montgomery County-based non-profit in Silver Spring, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of renovations at Colonnade at the Creek, an affordable housing community in Takoma Park, MD. The ceremony featured remarks by Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, Takoma Park Mayor Talisha Searcy, and other notable speakers. MHP President Robert A. Goldman provided welcoming remarks and served as emcee.
The property consists of 96 units of 1-, 2-, 3- and 4-bedroom apartments in brick-framed, three-story buildings. MHP spent more than a year fully renovating this property. With access to transit, major roads, and the Sligo Creek trail, this garden-style property provides residents with tremendous accessibility and quality, modernized, affordable apartment homes.
The Economic Development (ECON) Committee will meet on Monday, Oct. 23 at 9:30 a.m. to receive a briefing about retail market trends, review the Office of Legislative Oversight (OLO) Report 2023-11, 2023 Evaluation of the Bethesda Urban Partnership, Inc., and continue the discussion on the County’s Urban Districts. The members of the ECON Committee include Chair Natali Fani-González, Councilmember Marilyn Balcombe, Council President Evan Glass and Councilmember Laurie-Anne Sayles.
The joint Education and Culture (EC) and Public Safety (PS) Committee will meet at 9:30 a.m. to discuss OLO Report 2023-6: Addressing Racial Inequity in the School to Prison Pipeline, and receive an update on the Community Engagement Officer Program at Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). The members of the EC Committee include Chair Will Jawando and Councilmembers Gabe Albornoz and Kristin Mink. The members of the PS Committee include Chair Sidney Katz and Councilmembers Dawn Luedtke and Mink.
The tenants association, a group of nearly 150 residents, organized the press conference to highlight long-standing maintenance and safety issues and code violations at the White Oak property. Enclave tenant Emmanuel Walker led the gathering, opening with a call and response: “When I say ‘less,’ you say ‘pests!’”
“Don’t charge me rent and then not provide livable conditions,” Walker told the crowd, after reading aloud the Enclave website’s description of the “luxury” apartments. “I don’t need luxury — I just need security and decent conditions.”