Take the Transportation Survey

The National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board is working on a new kind of long-range transportation plan for the region, and they are calling it Visualize 2045. The plan will will highlight hundreds of regionally significant highway, transit, bicycle and pedestrian projects being planned throughout the region in the coming decades. It also will serve as a tool for visualizing the future—to help us understand where today’s planning and funding decisions will get us. Learn more about Visualize 2045 or take the public input survey.

Holiday Schedule for Independence Day

Here's our holiday schedule for Independence Day, Tuesday, July 4:

• County Offices – closed
• Libraries – closed
• County Liquor stores – all stores will be open 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
• Recreation – Indoor and outdoor pools open, Germantown Indoor Pool closes at 3 p.m. all other pools close at 6 p.m.; Administrative offices, senior centers and recreation centers will be closed.
• Montgomery Parks - Information available at http://www.montgomeryparks.org/
• Ride On – will operate on a Saturday schedule. Information is available at this link: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/DOT-Transit/holiday_schedules.html.
• Metrorail – Information available at www.wmata.com
• Metrobus – Information available at www.wmata.com
• TRiPS Commuter Stores (Silver Spring and Friendship Heights) – closed
• Refuse/recycling pickup – no July 4 collection. Collection will slide by one day. For information on slide schedule go to https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/sws/holidays/
• The Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station - closed
• Parking at public garages, lots, curbside meters – free
• MCPS Schools and Administrative Offices – closed
• State offices and courts – closed

Apply Now to Airpark Liaison Committee

Here's the full press release:

ROCKVILLE, Md., June 16, 2017--The Montgomery County Council is seeking applicants to fill positions on the Montgomery County Airpark Liaison Committee. The Council authorized the re-establishment of the committee on June 13.
The committee was established to provide a forum for increased communication among interested groups and individuals concerned with the operations of the Montgomery County Airpark.
Applicants are being sought for the following seats on the committee:

• Seven residential neighborhood representatives: two from Montgomery Village East and five from other neighborhoods surrounding the Airpark.
• Two business representatives: one from inside the Airpark and one from outside the Airpark.
• One Upcounty Citizens Advisory Board representative.
• Two Airpark users.

In addition, the Council will appoint two Montgomery County Revenue Authority representatives, including the designated Airpark manager, and one representative from each of the following: the Montgomery County Executive, the County Council, the County Planning Department and an Airpark lease holder.

Letters of application expressing interest, including a resume listing professional and civic experience, should be addressed to: Council President Roger Berliner, County Council Office, Stella B. Werner Council Office Building, 100 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20850. Applications also can be submitted via email to county.council@montgomerycountymd.gov.

Applications must be received no later than 5 p.m. on Wednesday, July 19. It is the Council’s policy not to consider applications received after the deadline. The Council will review the letters of application and resumes, and anticipates making the appointments in July.

Letters of application and resumes are made public as part of the appointment process, and are available for public review.

Apply Now for Board of Appeals

Get your application in by July 19. Here's the full press release:

ROCKVILLE, Md., June 16, 2017— The Montgomery County Council is seeking applicants for a four-year term on the County Board of Appeals. The term of Carolyn Shawaker (Democrat) will expire in September 2017. She also serves as chair of the board. Ms. Shawaker has served on the board since October 2008 and is not eligible for reappointment to another term. Applications for the position must be received no later than 5 p.m. on Wednesday, July 19.

County law provides that the Council may designate a member of the Board for the position of chair. The Council will select a new chair from among the current or new members of the board in conjunction with this appointment process.

By law, no more than three members of the board shall be from the same political party. This position can be filled by a Democrat, a Republican, a voter who is unaffiliated with a party or a voter who is a member of another party officially recognized by the Board of Elections.
In addition to Ms. Shawaker (Democrat), current members of the board include John Pentecost (Democrat), Stan Boyd (Democrat), Edwin Rosado (unaffiliated), and Bruce Goldensohn (Republican). Members of County boards, committees and commissions may not serve on more than one such group at a time.

Members of the board receive $15,272 annually, with the Chair receiving $21,584. Salaries are adjusted annually each December to reflect 50 percent of the change in the Washington Area Consumer Price Index.

Duties of the Board of Appeals include hearing and deciding requests for variances from development standards contained in the Zoning Ordinance; hearing appeals from certain administrative decisions rendered by County government agencies; and hearing oral argument on and deciding appeals from decisions of the Hearing Examiner on conditional uses. The board also considers and decides requests for modifications of special exceptions.

The board normally holds weekly hearings all day Wednesday and worksessions every other week. If necessary to accommodate an extended caseload or continued hearings, the board schedules hearings on other weekdays. Members are expected to prepare for the hearings by reading the cases to be heard and to share the workload of drafting and editing opinions or to follow-up on investigations on specific cases. Members work approximately 15-25 hours a week.

The principal jurisdiction of the Board of Appeals (concerning variances, special exceptions and conditional uses under the Zoning Ordinance) does not include the municipalities of Barnesville, Brookeville, Gaithersburg, Laytonsville, Poolesville, Rockville and Washington Grove. The normal Council practice is not to appoint residents of those municipalities to the board, however, exceptions to this practice may occur.

Letters expressing interest, including a resume listing professional and civic experience, political party affiliation, home and office telephone numbers and an email address, should be addressed to: Council President Roger Berliner, County Council Office, 100 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20850 or can be emailed to county.council@montgomerycountymd.gov. Applications must be received no later than 5 p.m. on July 19. It is the Council’s policy not to consider applications received after the deadline. After the application closing date, Councilmembers will review the letters of application and may select applicants for interview.

Letters of application and resumes are made public as part of the appointment process. Any interviews held are open to the public and will be televised. A financial statement of assets, debts, income and family property interests will be required of all applicants. Only the appointed candidate will be required to make the financial statement available to the public.

Security Changes at Council Office Building

You will want to make note of these security changes for the next time you visit the Council Office Building. Here's the full press release:

ROCKVILLE, Md., June 12, 2017—To enhance the safety of all who visit and work at the Council Office Building in Rockville, starting on or about July 5, visitors will use two entrances with security screening measures.

All visitors to 100 Maryland Ave. will enter at one of two designated, ADA-accessible public entrances. One is in front of the building near the second-floor cafeteria. The other is adjacent to the first-floor auditorium near the parking garage adjacent to the building. No other entrances will be open to the public. Signs will be posted that identify the two public entrances.

All visitors will pass through a metal detector. Hand-held items, including but not limited to bags, briefcases, cell phones, containers, laptop computers and purses, will pass through an X-ray machine. Individuals who are unable to go through a metal detector will be screened by security personnel using a hand-held electronic wand. Individuals who have health-related issues that prevent them from passing through a metal detector or coming in close contact with an X-ray machine can request special accommodations from security personnel.

At the screening stations, security personnel will ask visitors to place all metal objects, such as coins, cell phones and keys, into a small basket. Visitors will not be asked to remove belts, coats, jackets, shoes or watches.

Items that are prohibited in the Council Office Building include, but are not limited to, explosives, guns, knives, pocket knives, box cutters, pepper spray, Mace, tasers, batons, and scissors.
Screening stations will be in operation from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends and holidays. Public access to the Council Office Building will not be available outside of these hours.

For public hearings and meetings attended by many visitors, those coming to the building may experience a line to enter and are asked to plan accordingly. For Council public hearings, visitors may want to base their arrival time on the order of the speakers’ list, which is available online the day of the hearing by 11 a.m. for afternoon hearings and by 3 p.m. for evening hearings. The speakers’ list can be viewed at: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/COUNCIL/PHSignUp.html.

For questions or concerns regarding visits to the Council Office Building, email County.Council@montgomerycountymd.gov or call 240-777-7910.

New -- Montgomery Arts Infusion

Check out Montgomery Arts Infusion, a new monthly 15-minute television show focusing on the arts and entertainment of Montgomery County.

The first edition of MAI includes a feature on artist Steven Luu, a Vietnamese refugee who joined the U.S. Air Force and left the military with post-traumatic stress syndrome after assignments most people would find unthinkable. He went on to become an artist working in mixed media and recently displayed his works at the Park View Gallery at Glen Echo Park.

Another segment is on Kensington-based Arts on the Block, which offers youth of diverse backgrounds the opportunity to learn first-hand about the intersection of art, design and business by engaging in real-world projects.

You will also find links to venues and events on the show's Web site. Congratulations to everyone who worked hard to get this exciting new resource off the ground.