Per Montgomery County: The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) will increase service on 31 Ride On bus routes starting Sunday, Jan. 29. The increases are part of the adjustments to 44 routes overall to improve efficiency based on ridership.
Throughout the year, ridership data and on-time performance are monitored regularly to identify routes that could achieve increased efficiency with schedule updates.
Per Montgomery County: Cases of canine influenza virus have been reported by a number of veterinary practices in Montgomery County and in other localities within the Washington Region. The Montgomery County Office of Animal Services (OAS) wants dog owners to be aware, and take precautions, regarding the respiratory disease that is caused by a specific strain of the Type A influenza virus and is highly contagious.
The symptoms of canine influenza are cough, runny nose, eye discharge, fever, lethargy and poor appetite. The signs range in severity between no signs at all and severe illness sometimes resulting in death.
Per Montgomery County:
The Montgomery County Council is currently seeking applicants to fill three upcoming vacancies on the Montgomery County Planning Board. In October 2022, the County Council appointed five temporary acting Planning Board members. All members serve until their successors are appointed. The Council intends to appoint successors, before February 28, 2023, for three members. The Council is expected to appoint the remaining two positions, including the chair, by June 14, 2023 and will advertise to fill those positions at a later date.
Per the State of Maryland: Governor Hogan will deliver his farewell address to Marylanders tomorrow evening, Tuesday, January 10, at 5:00 p.m. ET. “We have come a long way together over the last eight years changing Maryland for the better,” said Governor Hogan. “I look forward to having one final opportunity to express to Marylanders how grateful I am for the privilege to serve as governor, and share some thoughts about the direction of our state and our country.”
Over the course of his last year in office, Governor Hogan has visited every region of the state to highlight administration initiatives and accomplishments.
Per Montgomery County: The Policing Advisory Commission (PAC) of Montgomery County will hold a virtual public forum at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 9, to solicit community testimony and feedback on traffic enforcement by the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD). Other police departments—municipalities, park police, state police, etc.—are not under the PAC’s purview. Community members are invited to register to provide live testimony during the public hearing or to submit written, audio, or video testimony. Residents will be asked to limit their live testimony to no more than three minutes and to one speaker per organization (if applicable). Written, audio and visual testimony submitted prior to the public hearing may be longer, if needed. The deadline to register to speak at the public hearing is 4 p.m. on Jan. 9.
The PAC believes that traffic enforcement practices in the County do not meet basic tests of effectiveness, efficiency and equal enforcement and that a change in mission, focus and strategy is necessary. The PAC’s report on traffic enforcement, including recommendations, can be found here.
Per Montgomery County:
Per Montgomery County: Montgomery County’s annual “Point-In-Time (PIT) Street Count is scheduled for the overnight hours of Wednesday, Jan. 25, and volunteers are needed to help survey unsheltered individuals and households. The County Continuum of Care, the County’s local planning body that coordinates housing, services and funding for homeless families and individuals, organizes the effort in partnership with service providers in the community.
Volunteers are needed to survey unhoused neighbors. Volunteers will receive training, be organized in teams and go out to designated locations where it is believed unsheltered persons may be located. Training will be provided to fully prepare volunteers to engage with people experiencing homelessness and administer the survey. To participate in the Point-in-Time County, register at 2023 Point in Time Count Volunteer Registration Survey (surveymonkey.com).
*An internet connection and a device (such as a smartphone, tablet or computer) are required for participation.
For more information about programs, contact Adrienne van Lare at [email protected]
“Increasing sustainable practices and habits in our daily life is a great New Year’s resolution,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “Recycling Christmas trees and wreaths is much better for environment than simply throwing them away. I appreciate our Department of Environmental Protection for offering this service to our residents and I encourage everyone discarding live trees and wreaths to recycle them.”
Collected trees are taken to the Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station, where they are shredded and chipped for mulch. The facility is located at 16105 Frederick Rd. in Derwood. Residents also can take their trees to the Transfer Station and drop them off for recycling. Live trees with root balls, or that have their roots intact, cannot be collected as yard trim.
Per the City of Gaithersburg: The City celebrates Financial Wellness Month in January with educational programs that help increase the financial stability & well-being of City residents. In recognition of this month, the Financial Empowerment Center presents a virtual Financial Education Workshop series featuring experts from leading financial institutions & members of the Gaithersburg Financial Wellness Coalition. Workshops are available in both English & Spanish. All sessions will take place from 7 to 8 p.m. To register, e-mail [email protected] with your name, e-mail address & what session(s) you would like to sign up for. A Zoom link will be sent to participants before each session.
With a proclamation at their meeting on January 3, the Mayor & City Council officially proclaimed January as Financial Wellness Month in the City. View the meeting presentation here.
“Last Congress – through the united efforts of President Biden in the White House and Democratic majorities in the House and Senate – we led one of the most productive legislative sessions in history – from critical legislation to confront the climate crisis and lower costs for American families to vital investments to modernize our infrastructure to common-sense, bipartisan first steps on gun safety, election integrity, marriage equality, and veterans’ health care.
“This session, it’s essential that we build on this progress by overseeing the effective implementation of these initiatives as we continue to build a more inclusive economy with greater shared prosperity. For Maryland, I’ll be working to invest federal resources in key initiatives across our entire state to support our schools, our workforce, our seniors and our communities, including removing the Highway to Nowhere so we can reunite divided neighborhoods in West Baltimore. And I’ll be fighting to build on the progress we’ve made to preserve and clean up the Chesapeake Bay by moving forward on our proposed Chesapeake National Recreation Area.