Per Montgomery County: Deadline for Applications has been extended to Monday, May 15 at 5 p.m.
The Montgomery County Council has extended the deadline to submit applications for those wishing to serve on the seven-member Committee to Recommend Funding for the Public Election Fund. Letters of interest must be received no later than 5 p.m. on Monday, May 15, 2023. The Council enacted Bill 16-14 in 2014 which established a voluntary public campaign financing system for candidates for County Council and County Executive. Beginning with the 2018 election, a candidate for Council or Executive could seek matching funds for small dollar contributions of $150 or less from a Public Election Fund. The Council must appropriate funds for the Public Election Fund as part of the annual County government operating budget.

The legislation created the Committee to recommend funding for the Public Election Fund, to estimate the funds necessary to implement the public campaign finance system, and to recommend an annual appropriation by the Council for the Public Election Fund. The Committee is composed of seven County residents appointed by the County Council for four-year terms beginning on May 1 of the first year of the new Council’s term of office. The term of this Committee will begin once established and ends April 30, 2027.

These positions can be filled by residents affiliated with any political party or unaffiliated with a political party. Political party affiliation will be verified with the Board of Elections. No more than three members can be from the same political party. Once established, the Committee will determine when it meets. There is no compensation for service on this Committee, but members may be reimbursed for travel and dependent care expenses associated with Committee duties. Members of County boards, committees and commissions may not serve on more than one such group at a time.

Letters of application expressing interest, including a resume listing professional and civic experience, home mailing address, political party affiliation, and telephone number should be emailed to the attention of Council President Glass at [email protected] or mailed to the Stella B. Werner Council Office Building, 100 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20850.

Applications must be received no later than 5 p.m. on Monday, May 15, 2023. Letters of application and resumes may be made public as part of the appointment process and are available for public review. After the closing date, the Council will review the applications and resumes and will select applicants for interviews. Interviews and the appointment process will be conducted in public.
For more information, email [email protected].

Per Montgomery County: Montgomery County health officials today released “Health Survey in Montgomery County, MD 2022,” a report on local health status and behaviors. While the County ranks first for most health outcomes and health factors among Maryland counties, the unavailability of sub-county level data makes the understanding of health variations within the community difficult and can prevent planning efforts and resource allocation for population subgroups and communities. The findings from the health survey will help public health officials and policy makers target specific population and communities at high risk to address health equity and to improve population health.

The County’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) worked with Rockville-based Westat to design a mail-in survey to assess community health needs for Montgomery County residents aged 18 and older. The report is the first primary quantitative data collected to assess community health needs and will complement findings from other secondary quantitative data and qualitative data collected from key informant interviews and focus groups meetings. The findings will be included in Healthy Montgomery’s upcoming Community Health Needs Assessment.

“In public health, data is everything, and if we can get more localized data, that’s even better,” said James Bridgers, acting director of DHHS and chief of its public health services. “Despite the availability of county-level data from some federal and state level surveys, it is essential for us to monitor local data trends over time through the regular collection of local health survey data. This is an  important guide to help in our efforts to reduce health disparities in our community.”

The report summarizes findings from the health survey, including demographics of respondents, health and health related priorities, access to health care, impact from COVID-19 and health status and health related behaviors. Key findings of the report include:

• Overall, mental health (18.3 percent) is the most important health problem and availability/access to insurance (12.8 percent) is the most important social/environmental factor.
• Poor eating habits (17.4 percent) are the most important risky behavior and low crime/safe neighborhoods (20.9 percent) are the most important factor making up a healthy community.
• Cost (33.3 percent) was the most important reason for not getting health care and 9.6 percent of respondents did not have health insurance. More than 75 percent (76.4 percent) of residents visited a health care provider last year and 75.9 percent of respondents have a primary care provider (PCP).
• 23.5 percent of respondents reported not participating in any physical activity and 61.6 percent reported drinking at least one alcoholic beverage in the past 30 days.
• 7.6 percent of respondents reported never having blood cholesterol checked, and 10.4 percent of respondents reported their last dental visit to be five or more years ago.
• 2.6 percent of respondents reported that they smoke daily and 10.2 percent reported e-cigarette/vaping use.
• Depressive disorder (25.7 percent) was the most common health condition, followed by arthritis (21.7 percent) and diabetes (15.9 percent).

On the COVID-19 impact topics, 52.3 percent of respondents indicated a family member or friend outside their household has been diagnosed with COVID-19, 15.7 percent reported that they have never received the flu vaccine and 14 percent of respondents reported that personal and family finances were the area with the highest COVID-19 impact.  Health care assistance (8.4 percent) was the area needed most by respondents and less than one percent (0.6 percent) reported that they were not interested in COVID-19 testing.

Results are stratified by sex, age, race/ethnicity, and geographic areas to examine variations by subpopulations and communities across Montgomery County.

To view the full report, visit the publication and report section of the DHHS website. For information about Healthy Montgomery, visit their website.

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A $25,000 winning Pick 5 ticket sold at the Safeway located at 116 University Boulevard West in Silver Spring remains unclaimed as of January 23. The ticket was purchased on Sunday, January 22. Additional details about winners across the state of Maryland, including a player that won a $2 million prize on a scratch-off ticket, below courtesy of the Maryland Lottery:
“Another 10 players each won $50,000 on a variety of tickets sold in Baltimore, Bowie, Charlestown, Clinton, Elkridge, Glen Burnie, Greensboro, Hanover, Joppatowne and Middle River. In all, the seven days ending Jan. 22 produced 28 winning tickets worth $10,000 or more that were redeemed or sold across Maryland, and the Lottery paid more than $29.7 million in prizes during that span.

Winners of prizes larger than $25,000 must redeem their tickets at the Maryland Lottery Claims Center in Baltimore, which is open by appointment only. Prizes of up to $5,000 can be claimed at any of more than 400 Expanded Cashing Authority Program (XCAP) locations. All Maryland Lottery retailers are authorized to redeem tickets up to and including $600. More information is available on the How To Claim page of mdlottery.com.

Here is the weekly roundup of big winners:
Scratch-off Prizes Claimed Jan. 16-22:
$2 Million Prize

• $2,000,000 Gold Rush, Randallstown Carroll Motor Fuels, 8710 Liberty Road, Randallstown

$100,000 Prize

• Six Figures, High’s #071, 116 Central Avenue West, Edgewater

$50,000 Prizes

• $50,000 Cash, 103 Wine & Spirits, 6010 Meadowridge Center Drive, Elkridge
• $50,000 Cash, Greensboro Quick Shop, 13760 Greensboro Road, Greensboro
• $50,000 Cash, Royal Farms #070, 500 Joppa Farm Road, Joppatowne
• Cash Money, Doc’s F&B Liquors, 7067 Baltimore – Annapolis Boulevard, Glen Burnie
• Deluxe Crossword 7th Edition, Shoppers #2383, 10501 Martin Luther King Jr. Highway, Bowie
• Holiday Ca$h, Dorsey Shell, 1356 Dorsey Road, Hanover
• THE GAME OF LIFE™, Clinton Crossing Exxon, 8915 Woodyard Road, Clinton

$30,000 Prize

• Diamond Bingo 3rd Edition, Sheetz #318, 20760 Old Great Mills Road, Great Mills

$10,000 Prizes

• Big Cash Riches, 2 Go Convenience and Deli, 9016 Washington Boulevard, Savage
• Deluxe Crossword 7th Edition, J&S Liquors, 10000 Liberty Road, Randallstown
• Holiday Cash Drop, Royal Farms #266, 9518 Pulaski Highway, Middle River
• Lady Luck, Ardwick Liquors, 8307 Ardwick – Ardmore Road, Landover
• Lucky Times 10, JP’s Liquor Fair, 6736 Ritchie Highway, Glen Burnie
• Million Dollar Mega Multiplier, 7-Eleven #27368, 26344 Ridge Road, Damascus
• Money Explosion, Galaxy Liquor Crab House, 7241 Landover Road, Landover
• Show Me $1,000,000!, Hospital Sunoco, 327 Hospital Drive, Glen Burnie

FAST PLAY and Draw Game Tickets Sold for Drawings Jan. 16-22:
FAST PLAY

• $11,361 Slots of Fun ticket sold Jan. 17 at Brighton Beer & Wine, 225 Muddy Branch Road, Gaithersburg (claimed)
• $10,000 Blackjack ticket sold Jan. 18 at Glen Burnie Mobil, 7200 Ritchie Highway, Glen Burnie (unclaimed as of Jan. 23)
• $10,000 Holiday Money Match ticket sold Jan. 18 at Convenience Express, 948 Wayne Avenue, Silver Spring (unclaimed as of Jan. 23)

KENO

• $12,521 ticket sold Jan. 16 at Walmart #1716, 150 Solomon’s Island Road North, Prince Frederick (claimed)

PICK 5

• $50,000 ticket sold Jan. 18 at Pulaski BP, 3505 Pulaski Highway, Baltimore (unclaimed as of Jan. 23)
• $50,000 ticket sold Jan. 22 at Carroll Food Mart, 1 Carroll Island Road, Middle River (unclaimed as of Jan. 23)
• $25,000 ticket sold Jan. 20 at Edmondson Liquors, 2000 Edmondson Avenue, Baltimore (claimed)
• $25,000 ticket sold Jan. 22 at Safeway #4817, 116 University Boulevard West, Silver Spring (unclaimed as of Jan. 23)

POWERBALL

• $50,000 ticket sold Jan. 18 at The Wellwood, 523 Water Street, Charlestown (unclaimed as of Jan. 23)

RACETRAX

• $15,700 ticket sold Jan. 20 at Ashland Café, 10801 York Road, Cockeysville (unclaimed as of Jan. 23)

The Maryland Lottery encourages players to check their tickets by scanning them at any Lottery retailer or with the Lottery’s mobile apps. Draw game winners have 182 days from the date of a drawing to claim their prizes, and scratch-off winners have 182 days from the announced end-of-game date.

Last claim dates for scratch-off tickets are published in the scratch-off section of mdlottery.com.

Feature photo courtesy of Google Maps.

Per Montgomery County: Volunteers are needed to assist sexual assault victims and their families through Montgomery County’s Victim Assistance and Sexual Assault Program (VASAP), part of the County’s Department of Health and Human Services.  Interviews are currently being conducted for the 2023 winter training session.

VASAP outreach volunteers donate their time serving victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. Volunteers provide 24-hour crisis counseling and companion services at County hospitals and police stations for victims of rape, sexual assault and domestic violence. Bilingual volunteers are encouraged to apply.

Volunteers must attend a training program that covers crisis intervention skills and the specialized knowledge of the emotional, medical and legal issues that victims face.

Volunteers must commit to serve for one year. They are needed in on-call capacity and for one 12-hour shift or two six-hour shifts per week.

Volunteers must be at least 21 years of age, County residents, have a valid driver’s license and immediate access to transportation.

For more information or to arrange an interview, call the Montgomery County Victim Assistance and Sexual Assault Program at 240-777-1355

Montgomery County Recreation is seeking residents who are 100 and older for a centenarian celebration that will be taking place this May. Interested residents are asked to fill out an online form by March 10. Additional details courtesy Montgomery County: “Are you a Montgomery County, Maryland resident? Were you born in 1923 or earlier? Do you know someone who is turning 100 in 2023 or currently 100+? Montgomery County Recreation is looking for individuals who are turning 100 years old or older to participant in our centenarian event on May 12. If you are interested or know someone who would be interested, we would love to contact them!

If you know a centenarian living in the County, fill out this online form or contact the senior programs team at [email protected]. Please include the centenarian’s name and address and the contact person’s name, email and telephone number. The deadline to submit is March 10.”

Per Montgomery County: Montgomery County’s Department of Alcohol Beverage Services (ABS) will re-open its Montrose store under its upgraded retail concept, “Oak Barrel & Vine,” at 9:45 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 27. The celebration and ribbon cutting will occur in front of the store, located at 1205-B Rockville Pike in the Montrose Crossing shopping center in Rockville. County Executive Marc Elrich, other elected officials and alcohol industry representatives plan to attend the opening.

The Oak Barrel & Vine branded stores feature handpicked items with a focus on spirits and local products. The upgraded store will have 25 percent more shelf space, a dedicated tasting area, queue lines for faster checkout and wayfinding signs for a more inviting shopping experience.

For the grand opening, and in the days that follow, some rare and allocated items will be available for purchase. Each specific highly allocated item will be limited to one bottle per customer. No more than two highly allocated bottles can be purchased per customer, per day. The items will be available for purchase when the doors open at 10 a.m.

The grand opening also will include tastings from two local manufacturers between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Customers will be able to sample unique, flavored spirits from Bethesda-based Butterfly Spirits, as well as craft beers from Silver Spring-based Silver Branch Brewing Co. These products will be available for purchase at the opening and throughout the weekend.

“ABS is an incredible County government service, having contributed more than $35 million of revenue last year alone to the taxpayers of Montgomery County and more than $306 million over the last 10 years, in addition to the health and safety benefits through safe alcohol distribution,” said County Executive Elrich. “Under the leadership of Director Kathie Durbin, our ABS employees have been working hard to update their facilities and systems in order to better serve their customers and increase efficiencies. I am impressed with the improvements made at the Montrose location and look forward to more ABS stores being updated in the near future.”

The Montrose store is one of the oldest and busiest ABS stores and is popular because of its central location and ample parking. It is the second ABS store to be upgraded to the Oak Barrel & Vine brand.

The first Oak Barrel & Vine store, located in the Cabin John Village Shopping Center, opened in 2021 and has become a customer favorite. A third Oak Barrel & Vine store is currently under construction in the Gaithersburg Square shopping center and is expected to open in spring 2023. ABS intends to upgrade its remaining retail stores to the Oak Barrel & Vine brand over the next several years.

“We are excited to introduce a second Oak Barrel & Vine store to Montgomery County,” said ABS Director Kathie Durbin. “This is our store of the future, and it is designed to reflect our community by showcasing local products, providing tastings and events and offering a dynamic shopping experience.”

Beginning on Jan. 27, the Montrose store will be open from 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon-5 p.m. on Sundays. For a full list of ABS store locations and hours, visit the ABS website.

ABS is the alcohol wholesaler of beer, wine, and spirits for Montgomery County and operates 26 retail stores throughout the County. In addition, ABS manages alcohol licensing, enforcement and education for more than 1,000 businesses. Generating more than $35 million in net income annually, its profits are used to pay down County debt with a large portion deposited in the general fund to pay for resident services that would otherwise be funded by County tax dollars. Follow ABS on Facebook and Twitter.

Per Montgomery County: Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich today transmitted his $5.4 billion Recommended Fiscal Year 2024 Capital Budget and Amendments to the FY23-28 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) to the County Council. The recommendations are a $136.7 million (2.6 percent) increase from the previously approved capital budget.  This is the second year of the County’s two-year capital budget. As a result, adjustments are limited to project changes that either meet the County’s CIP amendment criteria or are necessary to address capital or operating budget constraints. To see the complete recommended FY24 Capital Budget and amended FY23-28 Capital Improvements Program, go to https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/omb/publications.html

“My FY24 CIP amendment recommendations take advantage of opportunities to leverage significant non-County resources and reflect our broadly shared values of prioritizing education and core infrastructure improvements while considering racial equity and climate change concerns,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “These amendments are all affordable within available resources. However, high inflation due to supply chain issues, labor shortages and a tight construction market has had a major impact on this CIP proposal. Without more funding, we are limited in our ability to solve local problems and to build the kind of healthy, just, economically vibrant community we want for our residents.”

CIP Recommendations Highlights

• $1.72 billion in General Obligation bond issuances over the next six years
  • This is $40 million more than the current Spending Affordability Guideline limit.
  • A modest increase in bond authorizations is recommended in FY24 and FY25 to respond to a change in conditions affecting State Aid for school construction.
• $1,874,811,000 for Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) capital projects.
  • This is an increase of $104,010,000 (5.9 percent) from the prior approved budget.
  • Record amount of funding for schools if approved by Council.
  • Funding recommended for building new Burtonsville Elementary School instead of renovating current building.
  • High School wellness center construction funding for Blake, Crown, Damascus, Einstein, Magruder, Northwood, Springbrook, and Woodward high schools as well as planning costs for a future center at Poolesville High School.
  • MCPS’ new Materials Management Building Relocation project to facilitate redevelopment of the Stonestreet site in Rockville and modernization of warehouse facilities is added.
• $345,299,000 for Montgomery College capital projects.
  • This is a $9,484,000 (2.8 percent) increase over the prior approved budget.
• $30.2 million increase for the preservation of Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing (NOAH) program.
• $282.7 million for Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) CIP projects.
  • This is a $7.9 million (2.9 percent) increase over the prior approved budget.
• Substantial funding for the Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center included for the first time.
  • The County has selected Montgomery Housing Partnership’s (MHP) proposal to combine an affordable housing development with a new arts center in the Wheaton Arts and Entertainment District
  • MHP will develop the former WMATA site with two affordable rental buildings of 280 apartments, a standalone garage and 40 affordable for-sale units.
  • The arts center will be included on the ground floor of the building fronting on Georgia Avenue.
  • The center will include two performance spaces, classrooms, gallery space, back of house support space, and administrative offices.
• $1.4 billion in funding for projects that advance Montgomery County’s Climate Action Plan goals.
  • Additional funding to provide a full upgrade of the County’s recycling center.
  • Funding for planning and design of a new transit maintenance depot to accommodate an expanded fleet and low emission vehicle maintenance and fueling/charging facilities.
  • Funding for new HVAC systems for the Executive Office Building, the Judicial Center and the 4th District Police Station that will improve energy efficiency.
• New transit maintenance depot.
  • Activities to locate a site and begin preliminary design to have a new depot in place prior to the expiration of the Nicholson lease to accommodate fleet growth due to the introduction of Flex, Extra, and Bus Rapid Transit (Flash) services.
• Lactation rooms in all county buildings.
  • Recommended funding will assess all County-owned and leased facilities, as well as improvements needed to comply with Bill 11-22 Lactation Rooms in County Buildings.
• Elizabeth Square Mixed-use Development in Silver Spring.
  • The South County Regional Recreation and Aquatics Center (SCRRAC) is being built as part of the Housing Opportunities Commission’s (HOC) Elizabeth Square mixed-income, multigenerational, mixed-use development.
  • Recommended funding will provide HOC with half the requested funds to demolish their current Elizabeth House public housing development.  Additional County loans will also support the demolition project.
  • Funding has been increased to complete Elizabeth Square WSSC Water sewer and storm line improvements.

Budget Equity:

As part of the FY23-28 two-year CIP process, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) assisted the Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice (ORESJ) in developing a budget equity tool to encourage departments and decision makers to consider the racial equity and social justice impacts of proposed projects, project amendments and budget decisions.  ORESJ staff conducted training and provided technical assistance to departments as they requested CIP amendments. In addition, racial equity was considered in assessing possible CIP additions and deferrals.  Where possible, efforts were made to hold harmless projects which could address racial disparities.

In their analysis, the Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice also noted ways in which different approaches to implementing projects could impact racial equity.  This input is useful to continuing conversations about how programs can be structured to achieve our racial equity and social justice goals.

Proposed CIP project changes that have the greatest potential to advance racial equity and social justice include the $30.2 million increase for the preservation of Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing; additional High School Wellness Centers in the highest need schools; the Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center; Digital Equity – Montgomery Connects grant funding to bring broadband to affordable housing complexes; school construction projects serving  communities primarily comprised of Black, Latino and low-income students; and Montgomery College projects.

Link to Photos or Video: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjzz6XE

Per Montgomery County: The Montgomery County Council will meet on Tuesday, Jan. 17 at 10 a.m. The meeting will begin with a proclamation presented by Councilmember Kristin Mink, Council President Evan Glass and County Executive Marc Elrich to celebrate Lunar New Year. Two additional proclamations will be presented at 1 p.m. The first, presented by Councilmember Kate Stewart and Council President Glass, will recognize the retirement of Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Executive Director Chuck Bean. The second, presented by Councilmember Dawn Luedtke and County Executive Elrich will recognize Human Trafficking Awareness Month.
More detail on each agenda item is provided below.
Legislative Session

Bill 1-23, Property Tax Credit – Elderly Individuals and Retired Military Services Members – Amendments

Introduction: Councilmember Sidney Katz will introduce Bill 1-23, which would update eligibility for certain elderly individuals and retired military service members to receive a property tax credit, increasing the assessment threshold by $50,000. This bill seeks to update the assessed value to $700,000 for senior residents and $550,000 for retired members of the military to account for increases in property values during the last few years. The existing credit amount is 20 percent of the County property tax imposed on the dwelling. The credit must be granted each year for seven years, if the individual remains eligible for the credit. Councilmembers Luedtke, Marilyn Balcombe, Natali Fani-González, Gabe Albornoz and Vice President Andrew Friedson are cosponsors of the legislation.

A public hearing is scheduled for February 7 at 1:30 p.m.

Expedited Bill 2-23, Board of Investment Trustees – Membership – Amendments

Introduction: The Council will introduce Expedited Bill 2-23, which would modify the membership of the Board of Investment Trustees by replacing the Director of Human Resources with the Chief Labor Relations Officer as an ex-officio member, and generally amend the law regarding the administration of employees’ retirement benefits.

The lead sponsor is the Council President, at the request of the County Executive. A public hearing is scheduled for February 7 at 1:30 p.m.

Expedited Bill 32-22, Department of Health and Human Services – Structure and Positions

Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote on Expedited Bill 32-22, which would establish the chief of public health services as a position in the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and eliminate the chief operating officer position in the department. Additionally, the legislation would remove the requirement that the County health officer also serve as the chief of the Direct Service Division for Public Services.

The lead sponsor is Councilmember Albornoz, who was serving as Council president when the bill was introduced, at the request of the County Executive.

Resolution to approve Executive Regulation 18-22, Amendments to the Montgomery County Personnel Regulations – Performance-Based Pay

Introduction and vote expected: The Council is expected to introduce and vote on a resolution to approve Executive Regulation 18-22, Amendments to the Montgomery County Personnel Regulations – Performance-Based Pay. The regulation would amend the personnel regulations to provide enhanced performance-based pay for the executive director of the Montgomery County Employee Retirement Plans (MCERP). County Executive Elrich is recommending this change to recruit highly qualified investment executives.

Chief of Public Health Services in the Department of Health and Human Services:  County Executive Appointee Dr. James Bridgers

Interview: At 2 p.m. the Council is scheduled to conduct an interview with Dr. James Bridgers for the position of chief of public health services in DHHS. Dr. Bridgers was appointed as acting chief health officer of DHHS on Sept. 8, 2021. The Montgomery County Code requires Council approval for an acting official to serve in this capacity for more than six months. On May 3, 2022, the County Executive requested that the Council approve the extension of this appointment until Sept. 8, 2022, due to the upcoming election. On July 6, 2022, the County Executive requested that the Council approve an additional extension of this appointment until March 8, 2023. Dr. Bridgers’ appointment as chief of public health services will become effective upon confirmation by the Council.

Consent Calendar

Each item on the Council’s Consent Calendar can be found on the Council agenda for Tuesday, Jan. 17, which is available on the Council website.

Resolution to recognize the exiled Kashmiri Pandit refugee and asylee population in Montgomery County, Maryland on January 19, 2023

Introduction: Councilmember Laurie-Anne Sayles will introduce a resolution to recognize the exiled Kashmiri Pandit refugee and asylee population in Montgomery County on Jan. 19, 2023. The resolution would recognize January 19 as Kashmiri Pandit Remembrance Day.

Office of Legislative Oversight Report 2023-1, Transferable Development Rights and Building Lot Termination Programs in Montgomery County

Receipt and release: The Council will receive and release the Office of Legislative Oversight (OLO) Report 2023-1, Transferable Development Rights and Building Lot Termination Programs in Montgomery County. The report responds to the Council’s request for OLO to prepare a report that examines the history of the Transferable Development Rights (TDR) and Building Lot Termination (BLT) programs, reviews the original intent of these programs and assesses how well implementation over time has aligned with program goals and objectives.

Public Hearings

The Council will hold the following public hearings at 1:30 p.m. Residents can visit the Council website to learn about the multiple ways to provide testimony.

 

ZTA 22-11, Technical Corrections

Public hearing: The Council will hold a public hearing on Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 22-11, Technical Corrections, which would change the voting requirements for map amendments and zoning text amendments and make other technical corrections to the Zoning Ordinance related to expanding the Council from nine to 11 members.

The lead sponsor is Council Vice President Friedson.

ZTA 22-12, Overlay Zones Clarksburg East & West Environmental Overlay – Exemptions

Public hearing: The Council will hold a public hearing on ZTA 22-12, Overlay Zones -Clarksburg East and West Environmental Overlay – Exemptions, which would clarify that any master-planned bikeway located in the Clarksburg East or West Environmental Overlay Zone is exempt from the impervious surface restrictions. Impervious surface is a hard surface area that prevents or substantially impedes the natural infiltration of water into the underlying soil.

The lead sponsor is Council President Glass, at the request of the Planning Board.

Bill 33-22, Capital Improvements Program – Affordable Housing Feasibility Study – Required

Public hearing: The Council will hold a public hearing on Bill 33-22 Capital Improvements Program – Affordable Housing Feasibility Study – Required, which would require the County Executive to submit an affordable housing feasibility study to the Council for certain capital projects and establish a review process for the Council to determine project feasibility for colocation of affordable housing with the goal of generating more affordable housing units.

The lead sponsor is Council Vice President Friedson. The cosponsors include Councilmembers Katz and Albornoz and former Councilmembers Nancy Navarro, Craig Rice and Hans Riemer.

Supplemental Appropriation to the County Government’s FY23 Operating Budget, Department of Environmental Protection – Tree Canopy Conservation, $750,000

Public hearing and vote expected: The Council will hold a public hearing and is expected to vote on a $750,000 supplemental appropriation to the County Government’s FY23 Operating Budget to fund additional tree planting as part of the Department of Environmental Protection’s Tree Montgomery Program.

Supplemental Appropriation to the County Government’s FY23 Operating Budget, Department of Health and Human Services – 988 Lifeline Call Center, $720,038; and Amendment to the FY23 Operating Budget, Resolution 19-1285, Section G, FY23 Designation of Entities for Non-Competitive Contract Award Status:  EveryMind, Inc.

Public hearing and vote expected: The Council will hold a public hearing and is expected to vote on a supplemental appropriation for DHHS’ FY23 Operating Budget and designate a non-competitive contract award to EveryMind to operate the 988 Lifeline Call Center. The funds will support operational and administrative costs related to supplying Lifeline and 988 hotline services and additional technology and equipment expenses.

Supplemental Appropriation #23-26 to the County Government’s FY23 Operating Budget, Department of Transportation, The Chesapeake Bay Trust – Urban Trees Grant award $148,233

Public hearing and vote expected: The Council will hold a public hearing and is expected to vote on a supplemental appropriation to the Department of Transportation for the Chesapeake Bay Trust Urban Trees Grant award, which would provide funds for tree planting projects in Equity Focus Areas. The appropriation is needed to authorize the expenditure of the first part of a $362,470 grant from the Chesapeake Bay Trust to increase the tree canopy along County roadways. The balance of the grant will be available in fiscal years 2024 and 2025.

The Council meeting schedule may change from time to time. The current Council and Committee agendas, Council staff reports and additional information on items scheduled for Council review can be viewed at: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/COUNCIL/ondemand/index.html.

The Council recommends that residents, who choose to attend in-person Council meetings, get fully vaccinated to protect themselves and others against COVID-19. If this is not possible, virtual participation is encouraged.

Council and committee meetings are streamed live on the Council’s web page via YouTube and on Facebook Live and can be watched on County Cable Montgomery on Xfinity/RCN 6 HD 996/1056, Fios 30, and on the CCM live stream.

Release ID: 23-007
Media Contact: Sonya Healy 240-777-7926, Genevieve Kurtz 240-777-7805

Per MCDOT: Below are the transportation related holiday schedules for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 16.

• County offices – Will be closed
• Ride On, extRa and Flex bus services – Will operate on a Holiday schedule.
• Ride On Flash bus service – The Orange line will operate on a Holiday schedule. The Blue line (typically, weekday only) will not be in service.
• TRiPS Commuter Store at Silver Spring Transit Center – Will be open 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.
• TRiPS Mobile Commuter Store – Will be closed.
• Parking at Bethesda, Silver Spring and Wheaton Public Garages, Lots and Curbside Meters – Will be free.
• Metrorail service – Will operate on a Saturday Holiday schedule from 5 a.m. to midnight. View timetables here.
• Metrobus service – Will operate on a Saturday schedule. View timetables here.
• MARC Train service – Will operate on an Rschedule on all three lines.
• MTA Commuter bus service – Check schedules at mta.maryland.gov/mlk-holiday-schedule.

View more schedule changes here.
For information on MCDOT programs and services visit montgomerycountymd.gov/mcdot, follow @MCDOTNow on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram and subscribe to MCDOT’s “Go Montgomery!” newsletter.

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While nobody matched all six numbers in last night’s Mega Millions drawing, three MoCo retailers sold winning tickets worth $10,000. Those stores were the State Line Market at 7817 Eastern Avenue in Silver Spring, Tiger Beer, Wine & Deli at 303 North Washington Street in Rockville, and Watkins Mill Beer & Wine at 857 Russell Avenue in Gaithersburg. The next Mega Millions drawing will take place this Friday, January 13, and has an estimated value of  $1.35 billion with a cash value of $707.9 million. Additional details below courtesy of the Maryland Lottery:

Although there was no Mega Millions jackpot winner on Tuesday night, the drawing produced five third-tier $10,000-winning tickets sold in Maryland. Congratulations! The jackpot for the next Mega Millions drawing on Friday, Jan. 13 rolled to an estimated annuity value of $1.35 billion. If the jackpot is hit at that amount on Friday, it would be the second-largest in Mega Millions history and the fourth-largest in U.S. lottery history. The estimated cash value for Friday’s drawing is $707.9 million.

The winning numbers in the Jan. 10 drawing were 7, 13, 14, 15 and 18; the Mega Ball was 9 and the Megaplier was x3.

There are nine prize tiers in Mega Millions, ranging from $2 up to the jackpot. There were 135,900 winning tickets sold in Maryland for Tuesday’s drawing. The following retailers sold third-tier winning tickets for Tuesday night’s drawing worth $10,000 each:

• Discount Tobacco & Accessories, 4201 Branch Avenue in Temple Hills (Prince George’s County)
• Harris Teeter #376, 1801 Whetstone Way in Baltimore (Baltimore City)
• State Line Market, 7817 Eastern Avenue in Silver Spring (Montgomery County)
• Tiger Beer, Wine & Deli, 303 North Washington Street in Rockville (Montgomery County)
• Watkins Mill Beer & Wine, 857 Russell Avenue in Gaithersburg (Montgomery County)

Instructions on claiming prizes in person or by mail are available HERE. Players must redeem prizes larger than $25,000 by mail or at Lottery headquarters in the Montgomery Park Business Center, 1800 Washington Blvd., Suite 330 in Baltimore. The Lottery’s Customer Resource Center in Baltimore is open by appointment only (no walk-ins). Click HERE to schedule an appointment.

There were more than 6.1 million winning tickets sold nationally for Tuesday’s drawing, including 16 second-tier winning tickets worth at least $1 million each. The $1 million winners were sold in California, Florida, Kansas, Massachusetts (two), Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio (two), Oregon, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Second-tier winners in Connecticut, Florida and New York added the Megaplier option to their tickets, which tripled their prizes to $3 million.

Mega Millions tickets are sold in 45 states, as well as Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In the 25 drawings since the last jackpot hit (Oct. 18 through Jan. 10), there have been: 68 second-tier winning tickets of at least $1 million and 920 third-tier winning tickets of at least $10,000 sold nationally. There have been a total of 33,271,792 winning tickets sold across all nine prize tiers during this jackpot run.

Maryland Lottery winners have 182 days from the drawing date to claim their prizes. Lottery officials encourage winners to sign the back of their tickets immediately and put them in a safe location. Check for a win using ticket scanners available at Maryland Lottery retailers or with the Maryland Lottery app, available in Apple’s App Store and the Google Play Store.

Per Montgomery County: The Montgomery County Government, and programs that impact County residents, will have schedule and program changes for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 16.

• County offices—Closed.
• MC 311—Closed.
• State offices and courts—Closed.
• State Motor Vehicle Administration offices and Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program stations—Closed.
• Libraries— Closed Sunday, Jan. 15, and Monday, Jan. 16.
• Alcohol Beverage Services (ABS)—All stores will be open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
• County-operated COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Clinics—Clinics will operate on Saturday-Sunday, Jan. 14-15. They will be closed on Monday, Jan. 16.
• Department of Permitting Services—All offices, including customer service lobby, will be closed.
• Ride On, Ride On extRa, and Ride On Flex—Will operate a holiday schedule.
• Flash—Orange Line operates a holiday schedule. The Blue Line will not operate.
• Ride On—All holiday schedules can be found at: Special Holiday Schedules – Division of Transit Services – Montgomery County, Maryland (montgomerycountymd.gov)
• MARC Train—R schedule on all three lines. Only trains with an “R” under the train number in the Camden and Penn Line timetables and Brunswick Line trains listed in the special grid on the right side of the timetable will operate. Find schedules at Schedules | Maryland Transit Administration.
• TRiPS Silver Spring commuter store—Open 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
• TRiPS Mobile Commuter Store—Closed.
• Metrorail—See https://www.wmata.com/schedules/timetables/.
• Metrobus—See https://www.wmata.com/schedules/timetables/.
• Public Parking Garages, Lots, Curbside Meters—Free.
• County-provided trash and recycling collections are postponed on Monday. Collections will slide one day later than usual throughout the week, with last pickup on Saturday, Jan. 21.
• The Shady Grove Transfer Station and Recycling Center—Closed.
• Aquatic Centers—Will operate on normal hours on Monday.
• Community Recreation Centers—Closed.
• Senior Centers—Closed.
• Montgomery Parks—Visit org for complete information.

• Additional schedule changes:
• The Open Parkways program will be extended during the MLK holiday weekend. During this time, parkways are open to pedestrians and bicyclists and closed to motor vehicles. Parkways impacted include Beach Drive between Connecticut and Knowles Avenue (2.9 miles): From 9 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 14, until 7 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17. Sligo Creek Parkways between Old Carroll Avenue and Piney Branch Road and between Forest Glen Road and University Boulevard West: From 9 a.m. Friday, Jan. 13, until 7 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17. Little Falls Parkway between Arlington Road and Dorset Avenue (0.4 miles): Open 24/7 for recreation and exercise.
• Montgomery Parks Headquarters and Permits Offices—Closed.
• Montgomery Parks Public Information and Customer Service Office—Closed.
• Brookside Gardens Visitor Center and Conservatory–Closed (Gardens remain open).

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