Today Council Vice President Nancy Navarro and I presented a Proclamation to the Montgomery County Commission for Women in recognition of Women's History Month.
During Women’s History Month, we celebrate the courage, foresight and creativity of women of every race, class and ethnic background who have contributed to our county and our country. Today, we took time to remember the many Montgomery County women, including Rachel Carson, mother of the modern environmental movement; Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross; and Emily Edmonson, freed slave and abolitionist, who figure importantly in our local and national history.
You can watch a video recording of today's Proclamation. To learn more about Montgomery County women in history, check out the Commission for Women’s history page on the web.
Tuesday, March 6, 2018
Women's History Month Proclamation
We Unite In Support of Gun Safety
Friday, March 2, 2018
New Date - Rally For Gun Safety - Monday, March 5 at 4:00 p.m.
The Rally For Gun Safety will be this Monday, March 5 at 4:00 p.m. on the steps of the Council Office Building (100 Maryland Ave. Rockville). Community members and students are welcome to this event. Here's the full press release:
The event will be held on Monday, March 5 at 4 p.m. on the steps of the Council Office Building (100 Maryland Ave.). Community members and students are also invited to attend this event.
In October 2017 the Council unanimously passed Resolution 18-938, Condemning Acts of Gun Violence, which called on “legislators in the Maryland General Assembly, the United States House of Representatives, and the United States Senate to prevent access to firearms by persons with violent or suicidal behavior, limit the number of firearms that may be purchased per month, prevent conversion of semi-automatic weapons to automatic weapons, limit magazine capacity, ban assault weapons, institute a mandatory waiting period and expand background checks at the federal level and to take any other steps to limit access to firearms for the purpose of taking a human life.”
The resolution can be viewed at: https://tinyurl.com/y99rpcqb
“Communities across the U.S. have been devastated by attacks like the one in Parkland, Florida,” said Councilmember Katz. “It is imperative that all government officials, including local government officials, work together to make our communities as safe as they can be. I’m standing with my Council colleagues, our county executive, our local mayors and our police chief to say enough is enough. In Montgomery County we are fortunate to have responsive representatives. We call on all federal and state representatives to enact stringent gun safety laws now!”
“The surviving victims of gun violence have spoken,” said County Executive Leggett. “The people have spoken. They are demanding we stop the plague of gun violence from affecting another family by introducing common sense gun laws for weapons that are made for war. The nation’s president and the Congress must respond as we here in the County have done.”
“Guns have their place, and it is not in our schools,” said Mayor Newton. “And it is not in the hands of those who seek to sow anguish.”
“This rally is important because it gives our community a chance to demonstrate our solidarity with and goodwill toward the victims of the horrible mass shooting in Parkland, Florida,” said Mayor Ashman. “We’re also coming together to show that there’s real momentum for change. While I personally believe in the Second Amendment and an individual’s right to own and bear arms, there should be reasonable limits, particularly when it comes to assault weapons and other tools that exist solely to increase the lethality of individual firearms. So, I will be calling for us to take a wholesale look at gun regulations as well as our mental health care infrastructure. We all need to put the partisan politics aside and come together to make our communities safer for everyone.”
“We are gathering together to remember the victims of another school mass shooting, this time in Florida,” said Mayor McCathran. “This senseless tragedy is stirring young and old alike to take strong action for stricter gun control. Young people are speaking up and becoming activists, and it is time for lawmakers to act. We all should be supporting those who are doing this work. The arming of more people does not make us safer. If so, we would be the safest nation in the world. Let’s work together to create a nonviolent school environment and our nation a safer country.”
Today's Rally for Gun Safety is Cancelled
Today's Rally for Gun Safety scheduled at 4:00 p.m. at the Council Office Building in Rockville is cancelled. I'll provide updated information with a new date and time once it's confirmed.
Tuesday, February 27, 2018
Council Commemorates Black History Month
Today we held a special program to commemorate Black History Month and discussed the importance of preserving African-American history and its connection to education. We have an especially rich African-American history here in Montgomery County. Today's program reminded us that we must recognize and preserve this heritage and continue to build on it to make our County a great place to live for everyone.
You can watch the event which included a video segment and a panel discussion. Panelists included Christine Clarke, former County liaison to the African-American community and resident of the Village of Jerusalem in Poolesville; Gwen Reese, founder and president of the Sugarland Ethno-History Project; and George McDaniel, Ph.D., president of McDaniel Consulting and executive director emeritus of Drayton Hall.
Friday, February 16, 2018
Happy Heart Health Month!
February is Heart Health Month. Did you know that heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States? Every year, one in four deaths are caused by heart disease. The good news is it's preventable. Learn more about making heart-healthy choices in your life.
Tuesday, February 13, 2018
Congratulations to Blair High School Senior, Andrew Komo, Grand Prize Winner of the 2017 Siemen's Competition in Math, Science and Technology!
Today we presented a proclamation to a remarkable young man, Andrew Komo. He is a senior at Montgomery Blair High School and won the 2017 National Siemens Competition in an individual category, receiving a $100,000 scholarship grand prize.
The 2017 Siemens Competition winners were announced last December at George Washington University in Washington, DC, and Andrew was selected as the grand prize winner from more than 2,000 high school students.
Andrew won for his project entitled "Cryptographically Secure Proxy Bidding in Ascending Clock Auctions" for developing a coded system that can be used to protect large scale online auctions from serious threats, such as cheating and fraud, allowing these auctions to be conducted with increased transparency, fairness and security.
You can view the proclamation presentation here.
Monday, February 12, 2018
Holiday Schedule for Presidents' Day
Here's our schedule for Presidents' Day Monday, February 19, 2018:
County Offices – Closed
Libraries – Closed
County Liquor stores (DLC) – all stores will be open 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Recreation – aquatics programs and facilities open; all other classes and programs canceled. Administrative office, senior centers and community centers are closed
Montgomery Parks - Montgomery Parks - for operating schedule, including Brookside Gardens, ice rinks and tennis centers, visit www.MontgomeryParks.org
Ride On – Modified Holiday Schedule. Route information available at: www.montgomerycountymd.gov/DOT-Transit/SpecialHoliday.html
Metrorail – Information available at www.wmata.com
Metrobus – Information available at www.wmata.com
TRiPS Commuter Store at Silver Spring Transit Center – Open
TRiPS Mobile Commuter Store – Closed
Refuse/recycling pickup – no collection, all collections scheduled on or after the holiday will be made one day later in the week. Monday collections on Tuesday; Tuesday collections on Wednesday; Wednesday collections on Thursday; Thursday collections on Friday; and Friday collections on Saturday
The Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station – recycling and trash drop-off open with normal hours. Recycling Center and administrative offices closed
Parking at public garages, lots, curbside meters – Free
State offices and courts – Closed
Thursday, February 8, 2018
Council Seeks Applicants for Board of Investment Trustees - Application Deadline is February 14
Apply now to serve on the Board of Investment Trustees for Employee Retirement Plans and Consolidated Retiree Health Benefits. Applications are now due by Wednesday, February 14.
ROCKVILLE,
Md., February 7, 2018—The Montgomery County Council is extending the deadline
for applicants to serve as the Council representative on the Board of
Investment Trustees for the Montgomery County Employee Retirement Plans and the
Board of Trustees for the Consolidated Retiree Health Benefits Trust. The
Boards set investment policy and evaluate and monitor investment managers and
performance of the Trust Funds. The deadline for applications is 5 p.m. on
Wednesday, February 14. Mr. Bradley Stelzer will complete his first term on
March 1, and has indicated that he will apply for reappointment.
The
appointee may not furnish or be employed by a firm that furnishes to pension
funds and other institutional investors the kind of investment services
purchased by the board. Members of County boards, committees and commissions
may not serve on more than one such group at a time. The Council policy is that
an individual must not serve more than two consecutive full terms on any County
board, committee or commission.
The Board
of Investment Trustees is responsible for overseeing the investment of
approximately $5 billion in assets for nearly 11,000 active and retired members
of the three retirement plans: defined benefit, defined contribution and
deferred compensation. The Board of Trustees is responsible for overseeing the
investment program for the Consolidated Retiree Health Benefits Trust, which
has assets of approximately $1 billion.
The Board
of Investment Trustees for the Montgomery County Employee Retirement Plans
consists of 13 trustees appointed by the County Executive and confirmed by the
County Council. Trustees include the directors of the Office Human Resources,
Office of Management and Budget, Department of Finance and the County Council
Administrator; two representatives of the County Council; one active member of
the retirement plans who is not a member of a collective bargaining unit; one
retired member of a County plan; two members of the public; and individuals
recommended by each of the three County employee collective bargaining units.
The Board
of Trustees for the Consolidated Retiree Health Benefits Trust consists of 19
trustees, 13 of whom are members of the Board of Investment Trustees, along
with the following additional members: one active employee recommended by the
superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), one retired member
of MCPS, one MCPS bargaining unit representative, one active employee
recommended by the Montgomery College (MC) president, one retired member of MC,
and one MC bargaining unit representative.
Trustees
serve three-year terms without compensation from any source for services
rendered to the boards. The boards meet six times a year from 8:30 a.m. until
approximately 1 p.m., usually on Fridays in January, March, May, July,
September and November.
This
Council representative position on each Board is for a person who is
knowledgeable in pensions, investments or financial matters. The Council will
recommend one applicant to the County Executive for appointment to serve on
both boards. After the Executive appoints the Council representative, the
appointee’s name is submitted to the Council for final confirmation. Within 10
days after confirmation, each trustee must sign a certificate stating that the
trustee accepts the fiduciary responsibility of the trust funds and will
administer the affairs of the trust with care, skill, prudence and diligence.
Appointees must complete a financial disclosure statement within 15 days of
Council confirmation and annually thereafter.
Letters
expressing interest in the position, including a resume listing professional
and civic experience, should be addressed to Council President Hans Riemer,
County Council Office, 100 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20850.
Applications can also be submitted via email to county.council@montgomerycountymd.gov.
Letters of interest must be received no later than 5 p.m., Wednesday, February
14. It is the Council’s policy not to consider applications received after the
deadline. Letters of application and resumes are made public as part of the
appointment process, and are available for public review. The interviews are
conducted in public and are televised. After the closing date, Councilmembers
will review the letters of application and select applicants for interviews to
be held soon thereafter.
Tuesday, January 30, 2018
Council Honors Outgoing Council Administrator, Steve Farber
Today we honored the outgoing Council Administrator, Steve Farber, with a Council proclamation for his 26 years of devoted service to Montgomery County. It's been an honor and pleasure to work with Steve for the last 15 years. I appreciate his dedication to the Council and his never-ending support with our governing efforts . He has served the Council with the utmost distinction especially in strengthening the County's fiscal performance. He's been critical to extending the County's track record to 44 years as a AAA bond-rated county!
Thursday, January 25, 2018
Council Passes a Resolution Urging the State to Control Outrageous Prescription Drug Prices
We passed a resolution this past Tuesday in support of a prescription drug affordability initiative,
and the goals of the Maryland Citizens' Health Initiative. We call upon the Maryland General Assembly to implement the following three commonsense ideas to improve our citizens' access to essential prescription drugs:
1. Allow pharmacists to provide information to consumers about lower cost drug options.
2. Require prescription drug corporations to provide notice of new, expensive drugs, or large price increases of older drugs, as well as public justification for those pricing decisions.
3. Make expensive drugs more affordable by creating a new Prescription Drug Cost Review Commission to establish payment rates for expensive drugs that create significant affordability problems for Marylanders, building upon Maryland's successful tradition of health care cost scrutiny.
Thursday, January 18, 2018
We're In! - Montgomery County Makes the Short List for Amazon's Second Headquarters
Today Amazon announced their short list for their second headquarters and Montgomery County is included. This is yet another Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval for Montgomery County. Stay tuned for more information.
Wednesday, January 17, 2018
Apply Now to the Board of Investment Trustees - Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 7
Here is the press release with all the information you need about the vacancy on the Board of Investment Trustees for the County Employee Retirement Plans and the Board of Trustees for the Consolidated Retiree Health Benefits Trust:
The
Montgomery County Council is seeking applicants to serve as the Council
representative on the Board of Investment Trustees for the Montgomery County
Employee Retirement Plans and the Board of Trustees for the Consolidated
Retiree Health Benefits Trust. The Boards set investment policy and evaluate
and monitor investment managers and performance of the Trust Funds. The
deadline for applications is 5 p.m. on Wednesday, February 7. Mr. Bradley
Steltzer will complete his first term on March 1, and has indicated that he
will apply for reappointment.
The
appointee may not furnish or be employed by a firm that furnishes to pension
funds and other institutional investors the kind of investment services
purchased by the board. Members of County boards, committees and
commissions may not serve on more than one such group at a time. The
Council policy is that an individual must not serve more than two consecutive
full terms on any County board, committee or commission.
The Board
of Investment Trustees is responsible for overseeing the investment of
approximately $5 billion in assets for nearly 11,000 active and retired members
of the three retirement plans: defined benefit, defined contribution and
deferred compensation. The Board of Trustees is responsible for
overseeing the investment program for the Consolidated Retiree Health Benefits
Trust, which has assets of approximately $1 billion.
The Board
of Investment Trustees for the Montgomery County Employee Retirement Plans consists
of 13 trustees appointed by the County Executive and confirmed by the County
Council. Trustees include the directors of the Office Human Resources,
Office of Management and Budget, Department of Finance and the County Council
Administrator; two representatives of the County Council; one active member of
the retirement plans who is not a member of a collective bargaining unit; one
retired member of a County plan; two members of the public; and individuals
recommended by each of the three County employee collective bargaining units.
The Board
of Trustees for the Consolidated Retiree Health Benefits Trust consists of 19
trustees, 13 of whom are members of the Board of Investment Trustees, along
with the following additional members: one active employee recommended by
the superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), one retired
member of MCPS, one MCPS bargaining unit representative, one active employee
recommended by the Montgomery College (MC) president, one retired member of MC,
and one MC bargaining unit representative.
Trustees
serve three-year terms without compensation from any source for services
rendered to the boards. The boards meet six times a year from 8:30 a.m. until
approximately 1 p.m., usually on Fridays in January, March, May, July,
September and November.
This
Council representative position on each Board is for a person who is
knowledgeable in pensions, investments or financial matters. The Council will
recommend one applicant to the County Executive for appointment to serve on
both boards. After the Executive appoints the Council representative, the
appointee’s name is submitted to the Council for final confirmation.
Within 10 days after confirmation, each trustee must sign a certificate stating
that the trustee accepts the fiduciary responsibility of the trust funds and
will administer the affairs of the trust with care, skill, prudence and
diligence. Appointees must complete a financial disclosure statement within 15
days of Council confirmation and annually thereafter.
Letters
expressing interest in the position, including a resume listing professional
and civic experience, should be addressed to Council President Hans Riemer,
County Council Office, 100 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20850.
Applications can also be submitted via email to county.council@montgomerycountymd.gov.
Letters of interest must be received no later than 5 p.m., Wednesday, February
7. It is the Council’s policy not to consider applications received after
the deadline. Letters of application and resumes are made public as part
of the appointment process, and are available for public review. The interviews
are conducted in public and are televised. After the closing date,
Councilmembers will review the letters of application and select applicants for
interviews to be held soon thereafter.
Friday, January 12, 2018
Council Returns from Recess - View Council and Committee Calendars
Council returns from recess on Tuesday, January 16, 2018. Here's the agenda for this Tuesday. Additionally, all Council committees are scheduled to review the County Executive's proposed Savings Plan. For committee agendas, check here.
Monday, January 8, 2018
Holiday Schedule for Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Here is the holiday schedule for Martin Luther King Jr. Day:
