MoCo Government Archives - Page 113 of 243

Montgomery County Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS) Regulations Published in the Montgomery County Register, Comment Period is Open for 30 Days

Published November 3, 2023 at 9:43AM

Per Montgomery County: “Montgomery County announces the publication of the draft Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS) Executive Regulations in the November 2023 County Register, a necessary component of BEPS implementation. Built on benchmarking data collected under the Benchmarking Law, BEPS sets a minimum energy performance threshold for existing covered buildings and is a tool that addresses energy performance and drives existing buildings to improve their energy efficiency over a set period, thus reducing carbon emissions.

The public is invited to comment on the draft Executive Regulations during the 30-day comment period ending on November 30, 2023. Pursuant to the BEPS legislation, the County Executive must transmit regulations to implement the law to the County Council by December 31, 2023. The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is responsible for the implementation and enforcement of BEPS.

Anti-Hate Task Force to Hold a Virtual Meeting on Nov. 9; AAPI and LGBTQ+ Cohorts to Present Recommendations

By Patrick Herron

Published November 2, 2023 at 6:19PM

Per Montgomery County: “The Montgomery County Anti-Hate Task Force’s Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) and LGBTQ+ cohorts will present their policy recommendations to the task force at a virtual meeting on Thursday, Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. The Anti-Hate Task Force was formally adopted through a resolution with unanimous support in June. The task force is made up of community and faith leaders working to engage the community and develop recommendations to inform policies that promote safety and combat hate crimes in Montgomery County.

Cohort groups representing the Jewish, Black/African American, LGBTQ+, Asian American and Pacific Islander, Latino/Hispanic and Muslim communities will present their policy recommendations at meetings throughout the fall. Each of the six cohort groups may also hold listening sessions to provide an opportunity for the public to engage and provide input.

Hypothermia Alert Issued for Thursday Night/Friday Morning

By Patrick Herron

Published November 2, 2023 at 3:38PM

According to the Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, “Montgomery County has activated a Hypothermia Alert for extreme cold from 9 pm Thur, 11/2 to 9 am Fri, 11/3. Expect the wind chill to be below 32 degrees. Wear layers if you go outside. Take extra precautions if you spend significant time outdoors”

A Hypothermia Alert is issued for the County when forecasted temperatures, and/or wind chill, in at least part of the County fall below 32 degrees creating a hazardous situation in which hypothermia and frostbite are likely.

Introduction to Self-Defense Course Being Offered by Commission for Women

By Patrick Herron

Published November 2, 2023 at 12:14PM | Updated November 15, 2023 at 4:54PM

Per Montgomery County: “The Montgomery County Commission for Women will be presenting three classes on “Introduction to Self-Defense: The S.A.F.E. (Self-defense Awareness and Familiarization Exchange) Seminar.” Each class is a single two-hour sampler seminar for women of all ages and abilities taught by Rape Aggression Defense (R.A.D.)-certified instructors. Classes are available on Thursday, Nov. 16, Tuesday, Nov. 21 and Saturday, Dec. 3. Classes are $12 per person.

More information about the classes is available at Introduction to Women’s Self-Defense Fall 2023 Tickets, Multiple Dates | Eventbrite.

MD 97 Relocated Roadway (Brookeville Bypass) Dedicated

By Patrick Herron

Published November 1, 2023 at 8:45PM

Per Montgomery County: “The $47 million MD 97 (Georgia Avenue) Relocation Project, which includes a new nearly one-mile, two-lane highway with bicycle-compatible shoulders between north of Goldmine Road and south of Holiday Drive that bypasses Brookeville, was formally dedicated recently. The new stretch of road opened in May.

MD 97 functions as a major north-south commuter route between Montgomery and Howard counties. The bypass project included construction of two bridges: one at Meadow Branch stream and another at Reddy Branch stream. It also included two single-lane roundabouts. Construction began in 2018.

Montgomery County Commission on Remembrance and Reconciliation to Honor Victims of Racial Terror Lynching on Saturday, Nov. 11; Additional Activities Planned for November’s ‘Remembrance and Reconciliation Month’

By Patrick Herron

Published November 1, 2023 at 7:12PM

Per Montgomery County: “

Montgomery County’s Commission on Remembrance and Reconciliation will hold a marker dedication ceremony at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 11, in Rockville, to honor the memories of two of the three men who are known to be victims of racial terror lynchings in the County between 1880 and 1896. These markers will serve as a testament to acknowledging the past and building a more just future.

Montgomery County Council Committee Meetings on Thursday, November 2

By Patrick Herron

Published November 1, 2023 at 1:45PM

Per Montgomery County: “The Health and Human Services (HHS) Committee will meet on Thursday, Nov. 2 at 9:30 a.m. to receive a briefing on the Community Health Needs Assessment and on the implementation of federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) funding.

The members of the HHS Committee include Chair Gabe Albornoz and Councilmembers Dawn Luedtke and Laurie-Anne Sayles.The joint Education and Culture (EC) and HHS Committee will meet at 1:30 p.m. to receive a briefing on early childhood education initiatives. The members of the EC Committee include Chair Will Jawando and Councilmembers Albornoz and Kristin Mink.

Public Safety Committee Discusses Holes in Juvenile Justice Processing in Montgomery County

By Patrick Herron

Published October 31, 2023 at 6:34PM

Per Montgomery County: “Yesterday, the Montgomery County Council’s Public Safety (PS) Committee held a meeting on juvenile justice, sparked by an increase in some types of juvenile crimes and the identification of a 12-year-old as responsible for multiple bomb threats to Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS).

All panelists present suggested that connecting youth to appropriate services and interventions as early as possible should be the primary goal. Yet Councilmember Kristin Mink’s (District 5) questions to police, the State’s Attorney, and the Department of Juvenile Services (DJS) revealed that diversion opportunities, both pre-arrest and post-arrest, have been significantly under-utilized in Montgomery County.

Montgomery County Leaf Vacuum Collection in Specific Areas Begins Monday, Nov. 6

By Patrick Herron

Published October 31, 2023 at 5:56PM

Per Montgomery County: “

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) will begin its annual leaf vacuuming program on Monday, Nov. 6, and will continue collections through December in specified areas. There will be two collections on each collection district street.

New Airpark Community Advisory Committee Now Accepting Applications

By Patrick Herron

Published October 31, 2023 at 9:44AM

Per Montgomery County: “The newly-established Airpark Community Advisory Committee (ACAC) is now accepting applications to serve. The ACAC, established earlier this year after the Montgomery County Council unanimously passed Bill 24-23, will serve as a forum for neighbors of the Montgomery County Airpark (MCA), airpark users and other key stakeholders to address facility operations as well as noise and safety impacts.

The MCA, a public general aviation airport in Gaithersburg, is home to approximately 67,195 flight operations each year. In 2019, the MCA partnered with the Federal Aviation Administration to set up an online portal for residents to submit aircraft noise complaints, similar to what’s offered in other communities near airports. In 2019, there were 27 complaints, in 2020 there were 191 complaints made from 11 unique households, and in 2021 there were 2,835 complaints made from 35 unique households, according to a 2022 report from the Council’s Office of Legislative Oversight.

Montgomery County Selected as Finalist for 2023 U.S. Broadband Award for Technical Infrastructure

By Patrick Herron

Published October 30, 2023 at 5:04PM

Upgrades made by the Montgomery County Department of Technology & Enterprise Business Solutions (TEBS) have enabled departments and agencies, including Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), to benefit from faster bandwidth speeds, reduced latency and increased network performance. This has been particularly critical as students returned to school and County staff returned to physical work locations during and after the COVID-19 health crisis. Beyond these improvements for residents and County employees, the data center migration and consolidation resulted in an estimated power savings of 88 percent and 74 tons of carbon dioxide saved monthly.

Expansion of broadband service and other digital equity initiatives are a priority for Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. The entry submission by TEBS detailed efforts to upgrade the County’s technical infrastructure including FiberNet, network migration and migration of its data center to Equinix, a Tier IV data center. These upgrades provide greater performance, security, resiliency, efficiency and sustainability to County, and affiliates’, operations. They also support Next Gen Communications, Digital Equity and more efficient access to Internet and cloud services.