MoCo

The Public Safety (PS) Committee will meet on Monday, February 3, to receive briefings on the Police Accountability Board (PAB) and complaint data tracking, while the Transportation and Environment (TE) Committee will review petitions for the abandonment of public spaces in Rockville and Bethesda, along with two proposed bills—one establishing a parking permit program for specialized service providers in Silver Spring and another banning plastic carryout bags and taxing paper bags to reduce environmental waste. Full agenda below courtesy Montgomery County:

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Montgomery County residents with a household income of $67,000 or less can receive free tax preparation services through the Community Action Agency’s VITA program, available virtually and in-person at locations in Rockville, Gaithersburg, and Wheaton through April 10. VITA helps residents maximize refunds by claiming tax credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit, and also assists with ITIN applications on Wednesdays; appointments can be scheduled by calling 240-777-1123 or visiting the CASHBACK website. (more…)

Montgomery County Councilmembers Andrew Friedson and Natali Fani-González announced the “More Housing N.O.W.” package, a comprehensive plan to address the county’s housing crisis by increasing workforce housing, converting vacant office spaces into homes, and expanding homeownership programs. The package aims to provide affordable housing for middle-class workers, including teachers, firefighters, and healthcare professionals, while focusing on building housing along key corridors without changing zoning in residential neighborhoods.

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Montgomery County launched its Climate Smart Campaign to encourage residents to take small, climate-friendly actions in areas such as food, transportation, energy, and emergency preparedness, with the slogan “BIG CHANGE starts small.” The campaign includes a pledge residents can take to commit to reducing their carbon footprint and aligns with the County’s Climate Action Plan goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2027 and achieving net-zero emissions by 2035. (more…)