Neighborhood Niches Highlights Garrett Park

County Cable Montgomery's program, Neighborhood Niches, was created to look at the aspects of specific communities that make each one special—not only from other communities in the County, but often, in comparison to neighborhoods around the Washington Region. According to the show's producer, Susan Kenedy, "Some things are evident about a community just by driving through it, but our show will look for things you may only find by driving down a side street or talking to people who help make those neighborhood’s thrive. Our goal is to allow viewers to learn about places in Montgomery County they may not often visit, and for the residents of the neighborhoods, to perhaps tell them things that even they never know.” This episode features Garrett Park, including our Chevy houses, our post office and our long history. Check it out.

Town Hall Meeting in Clarksburg--New Date

Updated February 8: this meeting has been rescheduled from January 27 to March 2.

Let us know what matters most to you at our Town Hall Meeting for the Clarksburg area on Wednesday, March 2. The meeting will be held at the Rocky Hill Middle School (22401 Brick Haven Way, just off Route 355) beginning at 8 p.m. with a pre-meeting reception at 7:30. You can voice your opinions on specific issues and ask questions of us in an organized, but informal, setting. I hope to see you there.

The meeting will be taped for later broadcast on County Cable Montgomery (CCM—cable Channel 6 on Comcast and RCN, Channel 30 on Verizon). For more information about the Town Hall Meeting or about the broadcast times, call 240-777-7931.

Holiday Schedule for Martin Luther King Day

Here's our holiday schedule for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday January 18:

• County Offices – closed
• Libraries – closed Sunday, January 17 and Monday, January 18
• County Liquor stores – closed
• Recreation – aquatics programs and facilities open; all other classes and programs canceled; Administrative office, senior centers and community centers closed
• Montgomery Parks - for operating schedule, including Brookside Gardens, ice rinks, tennis centers, trains and carousels, visit www.MontgomeryParks.org
• Ride On –Modified holiday schedule (check schedules at www.Rideonbus.com)
• Metrorail – Will operate from 5 a.m. to midnight on a Saturday schedule. Off-peak fares all day and free parking at all Metro-operated facilities.
• Metrobus – Metrobus will operate on its Saturday supplemental schedule. MetroAccess will operate normal hours with subscription trips cancelled unless specifically requested. Additional information available at www.wmata.com.
• TRiPS Commuter Stores (Silver Spring and Friendship Heights) -- closed
• Refuse/recycling pickup – no collection*
• Transfer Station – closed
• Parking at public garages, lots, curbside meters – free
• MCPS Schools and Administrative Offices – closed
• State offices and courts – closed
  
  *Collection for Friday provided one day later for remainder of week (last collection day is Saturday)

Statement on Deportation Threats Against County Residents

Here's the full joint statement from the County Executive and Council:

Our nation faces a significant humanitarian challenge in how we deal with the thousands of children and families fleeing violence in Central America. Current conditions in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras merit granting special temporary protection to these children and parents who have legitimate reason to fear for their lives if returned to their countries. 

We recognize that the recently announced federal policy is narrowly crafted to apply only to those who have been issued final orders of removal by an immigration court. But the obvious truth is that many of these children and parents have not had adequate legal representation in these proceedings. No deportations should take place without ensuring that the person to be deported received adequate representation and due process of law under our Constitution. 

Imagine being a teenager in a formal process in a forbidding setting in a strange land where they speak a language you do not understand. What chance would you have? 

These children and parents deserve an opportunity to have their cases presented properly as they seek refuge in our nation. And for those ordered to be deported after receiving due process, no deportations should take place unless the federal government guarantees legally required family reunification and support to help them live in their own countries safely. Failure to guarantee these essential protections is unthinkable as it will deliver them back to the very violence and human trafficking that caused many of them to flee to the United States.

We in Montgomery County, especially our public safety officers, have worked extremely hard to build trust with our immigrant population. We are convinced this is the key to reducing crime and building a thriving, welcoming community where all can live in peace. 

We are very concerned that any federal enforcement actions in our county not undermine this trust and threaten public safety in our community. 

We want all of our community members to know that they are free to go about their daily life, to go to schools and work, social service agencies, hospitals and medical clinics, community organizations and public buildings, as well as grocery stores and other commercial areas. 

We respectfully recommend that federal authorities proceed with great caution and respect for the values of our country and requirements of our Constitution. Please take the time necessary to ensure that any deportation is based on a court action only after due process and, if the deportation is ruled to be appropriate, carried out with the protections required by law. 

Please assure us that our residents are free to go to school and work, attend services at their faith congregations, seek needed medical attention, and ask for help from our police without fear. A warrant to arrest one person must not be used to round up many. 

We applaud the recent federal budget commitment to spend $750 million to address the root causes that have led people to flee Central America. We ask that the federal government dramatically step up the pace of the existing Central American Minors Program to provide a legal in-country path for children with parents lawfully in the United States. And we ask that local governments here in the United States be given adequate federal support for receiving these children and helping them reunite with their parents.

To the members of our Montgomery County community who are justifiably concerned about the federal government’s most recent deportation actions, we encourage you to go about your daily activities free of fear. 

Go to your schools, work, and faith congregations, social service agencies, hospitals and medical clinics, community organizations and public buildings, as well as grocery stores and other commercial areas. 

Continue helping us work hard every day to make Montgomery County one of the very best places to live, work, play, and age with dignity in the nation. 

Please know that our county police will play no role in enforcing federal immigration law. If you have reason to need help from our police, do not be afraid to call on them. 

We will continue to work closely with our community-based nonprofit and faith based partners to develop ongoing “know your rights” training around the county, increase pro bono legal support, and develop and distribute educational materials as part of a bilingual public information campaign. 

We are proud of the people who have come to Montgomery County from every corner of the globe. You have enriched our community, and you will always be welcome here. Some of us have had the privilege of traveling to our Sister City in Morazán, El Salvador where we experienced the beauty of Central America and the graciousness of its people. We know that if we all act with calm and dignity and work together, we have the capacity to get through these difficult times and improve the lives of those who have come to our country and those who remain in their native lands.

Charter Review Commission to Hold Public Hearing

Do you have ideas for making our Charter better? Voice them on January 20. Here is the full press release:

ROCKVILLE, Md., December 29, 2015—The Montgomery County Charter Review Commission is seeking suggestions from County residents on possible amendments to the County Charter. The commission will hold a public hearing at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 20, in Rockville in which suggested changes to the Charter will be heard.

The public hearing will be held in the Seventh Floor Hearing Room of the Council Office Building at 100 Maryland Ave. in Rockville.

In case of snow on Jan. 20, the alternate hearing date will be Monday, Jan. 25, at 7:30 p.m. 

To sign up to speak at the hearing, residents can call 240-777-7928 or email charterreview.commission@montgomerycountymd.gov.

The Charter is the constitutional framework for County government. Charter Section 509 provides for an 11-member, bi-partisan Charter Review Commission to study the Montgomery County Charter. The Charter requires that the Commission next report to the County Council in May of 2016. Any recommendations for possible Charter revisions would be considered by County voters.

One issue the CRC is considering is an amendment that would allow special elections to fill any vacancies in the office of County Executive. Currently special elections are permitted for Council vacancies, but not Executive vacancies.

Residents can also testify about issues concerning the County Charter, including how tax rates are set and term limits of elected officials.

Suggestions can be submitted to the Charter Review Commission in writing to: Charter Review Commission, Montgomery County Council, 100 Maryland Avenue, 5th Floor, Rockville, MD 20850. Suggestions and comments also can be e-mailed to: charterreview.commission@montgomerycountymd.gov.

The Charter Review Commission is appointed by the Council every four years. Its meetings are open to the public. No more than six members are from the same political party. The current members are Chair Paul Bessel, Vice Chair Sharon Freeman, Wendy Cohen, Jennifer Hunt, A. Lawrence Lauer, Timothy Lighter, Joshua Lipsky, Randy McDonald, Angela Rey, Aryeh Shudofsky and Edward Wisneski.

More information about the County Charter can be found at http://www.amlegal.com/codes/client/montgomery-county_md/ or at http://bessel.org/charter/charter.htm.

What's In and What's Out for 2016

Here are my picks for what's in and what's out in 2016:

In -- Jobs:  Almost 10,000 more County residents have jobs this year.

Out --  Electronic Cigarettes:  The use of electronic cigarettes is banned wherever traditional tobacco smoking is prohibited. The law also requires child-resistant packaging for liquid nicotine. I proposed this legislation because I was not willing to gamble with the health of our current generation of young people.

In -- Science:  Michael Hofmann Winer was named one of three first-place winners in the prestigious Intel Science Talent Search competition. He received the First Place Medal of Distinction for Innovation and a cash prize of $150,000.

Out -- Predatory Towing:  The new law limits some of the practices that have led to the predatory towing of vehicles parked on private properties, including a prohibition on the use of spotters.

In -- Good Neighbors:  I presented 20 Golden Shovel awards to recognize residents (like these snow angels) who helped neighbors shovel out after snowfalls during the harsh winter that had seasonal snow totals of up to 46.6 inches in parts of the county.

In -- Aspen Hill:  The Aspen Hill Minor Master Plan Amendment will provide opportunities for re-use of the former Vitro/BAE property in a way that focuses on design and encourages pedestrian use.

Out -- Pesticides:  Having dealt with breast cancer myself, I am particularly sensitive to the need to limit our exposure to toxic chemicals. All residents, and particularly our children, stand to benefit from the County's restrictions on cosmetic use of pesticides.

In -- Budget Savings:  In response to projected revenue shortfalls, we reduced the current fiscal year budget by $54 million in July. This is the first time we approved a savings plan so early in the fiscal year.

In -- New Council Leadership:  I'm very pleased to have been elected Council president in a unanimous vote of my colleagues. Roger Berliner was elected vice president, and we will serve one-year terms.

In -- Economic Development:  Five years ago, in the depth of the Great Recession, we launched the Montgomery Business Development Corporation, a public-private partnership designed to fuel our economy. This past year, we took that achievement to the next level by creating a new Economic Development Corporation -- moving us from a government- to a business-based model for County economic success.

Holiday Schedule for Christmas and New Year

Here is our holiday schedule for Christmas Day, Friday December 25 and New Year’s Day, Friday, January 1:

• County Offices – closed
• Libraries – closed December 25, 26 and January 1, 2; all branches will close at 6 p.m. on December 24 and 31
• County Liquor stores – closed December 24 and 31 at 7 p.m.; closed December 25 and January 1
• Recreation – all facilities are closed on December 25 and January 1; senior centers, community and neighborhood recreations centers will be closed Friday, December 25 through Friday, January 1; aquatics to close at 3 p.m. on December 24 and 31. Contact aquatics facility directly for modified holiday schedules
• Montgomery Parks - for holiday operating schedule on Parks’ facilities, including Brookside Gardens, ice rinks, tennis centers, trains and carousels, visit www.MontgomeryParks.org
• Ride On – Sunday schedule on December 25 and January 1; limited weekday service until 10 p.m. on December 24
• Metrobus – Sunday schedule
• Metrorail – Sunday schedule
• TRiPS Commuter Stores (Silver Spring and Friendship Heights) -- closed
• Refuse/recycling pickup – no collection*
• Transfer Station – closed December 25 and January 1; Transfer’s Station’s public drop-off area will close at 5 p.m. on December 24 and December 31
• Parking at public garages, lots, curbside meters – free
• MCPS Administrative Offices – closed December 24 and 25 and January 1
• State offices and courts – closed

*Collection for Friday provided one day later for remainder of week (last collection day is Saturday)

Coming Together for Peace

Join us for Coming Together for Peace: A Rally to End Gun Violence on Sunday, December 20, at 5 p.m. at the Old Grey Courthouse in Rockville. Responding to the recent spate of gun violence and the ongoing need for change, Montgomery County residents are saying “enough is enough.” According to the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, on average each year more than 108,000 people in the U.S. are shot and 32,514 people die from gun violence.

Speakers will include County Executive Ike Leggett; Congressman Chris Van Hollen; Cathy Mitchell, County resident and mother of a Gun Violence victim; Robert Disney from the Brady Campaign Against Gun Violence; and Police Chief Tom Manger. There will also be music, and the rally will end with the lighting of hundreds of candles.

Remarks at Committee for Montgomery Breakfast

What a great turnout at the Committee for Montgomery Breakfast. In case you missed them, here are my remarks from this morning:

It’s a privilege to be here this morning with so many people who make Montgomery County the great place it is.  Thanks to Raymond Sherbill (Chair, Committee for Montgomery), Steve Simon (Breakfast Chair), and everyone who has put together this excellent program.  Thanks also to Nancy King and Shane Robinson (Chairs of our Montgomery County Senate and House Delegations) and to our entire Delegation for the partnership they have forged with all of us.

I’m especially pleased to be here with my colleagues on the County Council – Council Vice President Roger Berliner and Councilmembers Marc Elrich, Tom Hucker, Sidney Katz, George Leventhal and Craig Rice.  Will they and their staff please stand?  Know that they work countless hours on behalf of our more than one million residents.

I truly congratulate the Committee for highlighting economic development this year.  There can be no question that this needs to be the number one priority for all of us. Only by focusing on job growth and expanding our tax base are we able to preserve and enhance our great County services and -- most important --create opportunities for our residents. That’s why with every legislative choice I make, I ask myself:  How does my decision enhance job growth? How does it expand the tax base? And how am I creating opportunities for all our residents to be self-sufficient and successful?

Five years ago, in the depth of the Great Recession, we launched the Montgomery Business Development Corporation, a public-private partnership designed to fuel our economy.  This past year, we took that achievement to the next level. We have created a new Economic Development Corporation -- moving us from a government- to a business-based model for County economic success.  We are truly elevating the status of business and job growth in Montgomery County.  The State will be a vital partner in this enterprise.  So will our region.  Once again, I thank the Committee for its wisdom in selecting today’s theme.

This is all the more important since, as you know, our County revenues are disappointing. Here’s our reality check. The Wynne decision alone will cost us 76 million dollars in the next fiscal year.  The shift of teacher pension costs will consume another 58 million dollars -- funds that we would much prefer to devote to the classroom. Now there’s a new threat -- the potential loss of 35 million dollars in revenue provided by our Department of Liquor Control. These pressures alone could drive tax increases, and that’s without considering any new initiatives, expanding successful programs or increasing education funding.

Everyone here knows what’s at stake.  We must meet our obligations to the community. At the same time we cannot unduly burden our residents or our businesses.  But that will require all of us to work together -- in Annapolis and here at home. And it will require us to ask over and over and over again:  How does my decision enhance job growth and expand our tax base? How am I creating opportunities for my community members?

So let us join forces now as we have in the past.  Let’s pool our energy and fortitude.  Let’s say yes to economic success in Montgomery County and claim the future that our people deserve.

On the Passing of Police Officer Noah Leotta

On behalf of the County Council, I want to extend our deepest sympathies to the family of Police Officer Noah Leotta. In the days since he was severely injured in the line of duty, we have heard so many people he worked with, and so many in the Olney community where he grew up and lived, talk about his zest for life and love of his job as a member of the County Police Department. He represents the best of our Police Department and our community. This is a sad day for all residents of Montgomery County.

Briefing on Fiscal Plan and Economic Indicators

As is our custom, we received a briefing on the County's fiscal plan and economic indicators in the last session of the calendar year. The briefing included lots of important information we will use as we start out budget season in January, including projections of a challenging revenue outlook. Get the background information here or watch the briefing (agenda item 4) here.

Request for Express Bus Service from Clarksburg

Good news for Upcounty residents: in a response to our request, the County Executive has advised us he is considering express bus service between Clarksburg and the Shady Grove Metro. We hope we will see it in his budget recommendation. Here's the full text of the memo:

December 4, 2015

TO:                 Nancy Floreen, Council President
                       Craig Rice, Councilmember

FROM:           Isiah Leggett, County Executive

SUBJECT:     Express Bus Service Between Clarksburt and Shady Grove Metro

Thank you for your memo of October 27, 2015, regarding your desire for a new express route from Clarksburg to the Shady Grove Metro. I have directed the Department of Transportation to provide to me the costs and parameters of such a route. You have my assurance that I will consider this route in my deliberations of the recommended FY17 operating budget and public service program.

Thank you for your interest in providing a high level of transit service for the growing Clarksburg area. Please contact Al Roshdieh, Acting Director, Department of Transportation, if you have any questions.

Human Rights Day

December 10 is Human Rights Day, as declared by the United Nations in 1948, so we took the opportunity to thank our Office of Human rights and the Human Rights Commission. They enforce anti-discrimination laws in housing, commercial real estate, employment and public accommodations. The Commission also promotes, monitors and enforces fair housing laws relating to access and treatment. It provides training and technical assistance in civil rights laws and addresses community conflict motivated by prejudice, intolerance and bigotry based on race, ethnicity, religion, disability and sexual orientation and promotes increased understanding and tolerance among diverse groups. Now more than ever, we are extremely grateful to this group for their meaningful work.

Grants Portal Now Open

Attention non-profit organizations: the Grants Portal is now open. You can use this one-stop portal to submit your application for both County Council and Executive grants. To learn more, attend one of these helpful workshops:

• December 8 at 2:00 p.m.: Sidney Kramer Upcounty Regional Services Center, 12900 Middlebrook Road, Germantown
• December 9 at 7:00 p.m.: Council Office Building 3rd Floor Council Hearing Room, 100 Maryland Avenue, Rockville
• December 10 at 10:00 a.m.: White Oak Community Recreation Center, 1700 April Lane, Silver Spring

The content will be the same at all three workshops. The deadline to apply for a grant is January 13, and the Council will make its funding decisions at the end of May. If you have further questions, email council.grants@montgomerycountymd.gov or call 240-777-7935.

Council Elects New Leadership

I'm very pleased to have been elected Council president in a unanimous vote of my colleagues. Roger Berliner was elected vice president, and we will serve one-year terms effective today. Here are the remarks I made to the Council:

Thank you. I’m gratified and humbled by this election. I want to congratulate Roger Berliner as he assumes the role of vice president. Roger is a seasoned veteran of Council leadership, having already served as president and vice president as well as chair of the Transportation, Infrastructure, Energy and Environment Committee.  And this year he will be chair of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. All of us will benefit from his counsel and experience. 

I especially want to thank outgoing president George Leventhal. Under his outstanding leadership we have truly been a "Council That Works to create a Government That Works." The breadth of the Council’s accomplishments this past year has been extraordinary. I will work hard to build on George’s record of listening carefully to our community and harnessing the ideas and energy of the entire Council. Thank you, George. 

There’s still plenty of work to do, especially since we anticipate serious budget challenges this spring.  We must preserve and enhance the services that define us as a county, including public safety, transportation, the safety net for our most vulnerable residents, and our world-class education system. But the question we will need to ask ourselves is whether, as the County Executive has implied, these fiscal challenges will warrant a significant tax increase next year. 

Two weeks ago, at George’s suggestion, we started an intensive review of the factors driving the cost of government.  We know that in the last 15 years, our per capita income has grown by 60 percent, but the percentage of our residents living below the poverty line has grown by just as much. In that period our County budget has doubled, even though it was flat during the Great Recession and has only grown slowly since then. We can’t pre-judge the decisions we will make in the spring, but I really want to make sure that we base them on the realities our residents face. 

That’s why I’m so focused on doubling down on our commitment to economic development, job growth and expanding the tax base. Five years ago, in the depth of the recession, we launched the Montgomery Business Development Corporation, a public-private partnership designed to leverage the best minds, resources, and institutions with the aim of fueling our economy. 

In a natural next step from MBDC, we are now replacing the County’s Department of Economic Development with a new non-profit organization, led by business leaders themselves, to strengthen our ability to retain current businesses and attract new ones. I have high hopes for this new kid in town. We expect the new Economic Development Corporation to think differently, act nimbly and truly elevate the status of economic development and business growth in Montgomery County. That will be good for the bottom line and good for our entire community.

What else is on the agenda for 2016?  Knowing my colleagues, I’d guess a lot. You are all champions for closing the achievement gap, protecting public health, expanding access to opportunities and preserving the environment. So I am confident we will have many innovative ideas to consider. And we will do so in partnership with the County Executive and our Delegation in Annapolis. 
I’m very proud to be a part of this pro-active and compassionate body.  Colleagues, keep up the great work!  Thank you for your support today and for your support in the coming year.