MoCo Government

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 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.

Per Montgomery County: “One of the highlights of the fall season is watching the leaves on the trees change from the vibrant green of summer to an array of red, orange and yellow splendor. Visit Montgomery wants people to know that a trip to New England or through the Shenandoah Mountains is not necessary because a day trip around the County will provide a season’s worth of great sights.

Peak color in Montgomery County is traditionally estimated to be from now through the end of October and areas of the County are moving toward their full fall colors. With more than 250 miles of trails throughout the County, it is easy to get outside and have an adventure at any skill level. Find more trails using the Moco Trail Guide and then grab a craft drink along the Tastemakers Trail. Here are some of the best places in the County to explore fall foliage:

Per Montgomery County: The ad-hoc Executive Director Recruitment Committee will meet in a proposed closed session on Wednesday, Oct. 18 at 11 a.m. to evaluate the role and responsibilities of the Council’s executive director position and make decisions about the recruitment process. The members of the ad-hoc Executive Director Recruitment Committee include Council President Evan Glass, Chair Vice President Andrew Friedson and Councilmembers Gabe Albornoz, Kate Stewart, Marilyn Balcombe and Kristin Mink.

The joint Public Safety (PS) and Government Operations and Fiscal Policy (GO) Committee will meet at 2 p.m. to review a $350,000 supplemental appropriation to the FY24 Operating Budget for the Drone as First Responder Pilot Program within the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD). The members of the GO Committee include Chair Stewart, Council Vice President Friedson and Councilmember Sidney Katz. The members of the PS Committee include Chair Katz and Councilmembers Dawn Luedtke and Mink.

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.

The Montgomery County Council will hold a public hearing on Bill 35-23, County Minimum Wage – Tipped Employees on Tuesday, October 17 at 1:30pm. Workers from restaurants and other tipped professions are expected to weigh in on the bill, which would adjust the calculation of the minimum wage for tipped workers and phase out the tip credit amount under the Montgomery County’s minimum wage law. Currently, businesses are required to pay servers $4.00 per hour; if a server does not make the current minimum hourly wage ($15-16.70) per hour, employers are required to make up the difference.

The bill’s lead sponsors are Councilmembers Will Jawando and Kristin Mink. Per Montgomery County, “The tip credit represents an amount of the minimum wage a worker is expected to receive in tips. The current amount of the credit is the hourly minimum wage minus four dollars or a lesser credit if the employee or representative of the employee satisfies the Executive Director of the Office of Human Rights that the employee receives a lesser amount in tips. The limit and phase-out of the tip credit would be staggered over multiple years as proposed in the legislation.”