MoCo Government

Per Montgomery County: “As Veterans Day approaches on Saturday, Nov. 11, Montgomery County has joined the national “Operation Green Light” salute to veterans and the County’s Commission on Veterans Affairs is seeking additions to its virtual tribute to County veterans. For those who want to attend ceremonies on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, several will be held around the County.

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich and the County Council are supporting Operation Green Light, a program sponsored by the National Association of Counties to honor those who have made immeasurable sacrifices to preserve freedom. The program asks for displays of a green light, from Nov. 6-12, in a window of businesses or residences to honor veterans.

Per the State of Maryland:  “Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown today joined a coalition of 19 Attorneys General in support of the District of Columbia’s efforts to restrict the capacity of firearms magazines within its borders. The coalition filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, arguing that D.C.’s law that prohibits possession and sale of largecapacity magazines comports with the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution because these magazines are not commonly used for self-defense.

“Large-capacity magazines can cause mass casualties within a matter of seconds and must be restricted to ensure the safety of our communities,” said Attorney General Brown. “Those restrictions are constitutionally sound and should be upheld to combat rising and more extreme gun violence.” The case, Hanson v. District of Columbia, concerns the constitutionality of a D.C. law that allows for possession and sale of firearms magazines that accept up to 10 rounds of ammunition, but prohibits larger capacity magazines. The case was brought by plaintiffs who claimed that the law violates their Second Amendment rights. A U.S. District Court concluded that the plaintiffs are unlikely to succeed on the merits of that claim, and, therefore, allowed the law to remain in effect while the case proceeds. The plaintiffs then appealed the decision to a higher court.

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: “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.