Labor Day Holiday Schedule

Holiday Schedule for Labor Day

I hope you enjoy your holiday weekend. Here’s the County government schedule for Labor Day on Monday, September 7:

County offices—closed

Libraries—closed

County liquor stores—open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with the exception of the following stores which will be closed: Cabin John, Diamond Square and Twinbrook

Ride On—Sunday schedule

Metrobus—Sunday schedule

Metrorail—Sunday schedule

Parking at public garages, lots, curbside meters—free

Refuse/recycling pick-up—no collection (all collections scheduled on or after the holiday will be made one day later that week)

Transfer Station—closed

MCPS administrative offices—closed

State offices and courts—closed

Biotech Company to Add 50 New Jobs

With the unemployment rate in Montgomery County at a record high (see my July 28 post), I’m glad to hear that RNL Biostar will add 50 jobs in the County in the next three years. The company just opened a new 4,000 square-foot stem cell R&D and manufacturing facility at the Germantown Innovation Center (GIC). The GIC opened last fall as part of the Montgomery County Business Innovation Network.

RNL Biostar joins 22 other GIC companies that have established or expanded a presence in the County because of numerous business assets, including 300-plus biotech companies, 19 federal research and regulatory agencies, nearly 60,000 public and private sector life sciences professionals and the highest per capita concentration of PhDs in the nation. Welcome, RNL Biostar!

Decline in Deer-Vehicle Collisions

A new report shows a continued slow decline in deer-vehicle collisions in the county for the seventh year in a row, but also calls attention to an increase in resident complaints about deer damage, particularly in Montgomery County’s more urbanized areas. To see the Montgomery County Deer Management Work Group’s report, go to http://www.montgomeryparks.org/PPSD/Natural_Resources_Stewardship/Living_with_wildlife/deer/documents/2010_deer-report-.pdf.

School Supply Drive Tomorrow

Here’s your chance to help children succeed. Westfield Wheaton shopping mall and Montgomery County Public Schools are partnering to collect back-to-school supplies for MCPS students who need them. Drop off your school supplies at the mall between 12:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. tomorrow. Learn more at http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/press/index.aspx?page=showrelease&id=2584.

County Issues Flu Recommendations

Here’s the latest info on H1N1 flu. Montgomery County Health officials urge residents to begin now to prepare for the expected resurgence of the H1N1 pandemic influenza virus and the upcoming seasonal influenza by doing the following:

• Plan to get vaccinated for the seasonal flu as soon as vaccine is available. Seasonal flu is a separate virus that will also be circulating in the fall and can also cause serious illness. Seasonal flu vaccinations will be readily available through County flu vaccination clinics and, private health providers, as well as at retail locations throughout the community. Anyone not wanting to get the flu should receive the seasonal flu vaccination, particularly the elderly, household members living with children younger than six months of age, health care workers and individuals with chronic illnesses.
  
• Individuals who are in the target groups for the H1N1 vaccine--persons six months of age up to 24 years, health care and EMS workers, as well as pregnant women and individuals 25 to 64 years with chronic conditions that put them at risk for severe complications--are urged to take advantage of H1N1 vaccinations that will be available later in the fall.
  The best way to prevent seasonal flu is to get vaccinated each year, but good health habits can often help stop the spread of germs and prevent illnesses like the flu.
  
• Businesses and organizations should plan and prepare for a reduced workforce if many become ill or need to stay at home.

Check the County’s H1N1 website—http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/swineflu--frequently for updated information and resources.

2000 Tower Oaks Goes Platinum

Congratulations to The Tower Companies and Lerner Enterprises on having their 2000 Tower Oaks Boulevard project certified as one of the first commercial LEED Platinum office buildings in the State of Maryland.

Here are some of the features that make the building so great:

--designed Earn the ENERGY STAR and reduced total building energy consumption by 28%;
--Green-E certified Renewable Energy Certificates were purchased for 100% wind power for the building’s total annual electric energy usage;
--a four-stage air filtration system circulates at least 30% more outside air than required by code, turns over every 51 minutes, controls odors and removes over 90% of airborne contaminants;
--outdoor airflow devices and CO2 monitors increase fresh air when necessary;
--reduced building water consumption by 41%, drought resistant plantings reduce the required water for irrigation by 60%, and condensate water provides 100% of the building’s irrigation needs;
--stormwater runoff is captured and treated (naturally filtered) on-site in the stormwater pond;
--90% of occupants have outside views;
--night-sky light pollution and light trespass from the site is minimized;
--electromagnetic field (EMF) shielding around all major electrical rooms;
--22% of the total building materials contain recycled content and 22% of the building materials were extracted and manufactured within a 500-mile radius; and
--over 85% of the construction waste was recycled.

With these enhancements, the project qualifies for the Maryland Green Building Tax Credit and will earn credits of over $1.6 million. I was glad to join Comptroller Peter Franchot, The Tower Companies partner Jeffrey Abramson and Lerner Enterprises principal and CEO, Theodore N. Lerner at this week’s certification event. And I’m looking forward to more green projects like this one coming to Montgomery County.

Endorsing Light Rail for Purple Line

Yesterday I joined Governor Martin O’Malley and other stakeholders to endorse light rail as the mode of transit for the Purple Line, which I'm sure you know is a proposed 16-mile extended east-west link to the Metrorail system from the Bethesda to the New Carrollton stations. The light rail supporters gathered yesterday morning at the New Carrollton Metrorail Station.

The Purple Line would connect the four branches of the Metrorail system, three MARC commuter rail routes and several inside-the-Beltway activity centers (including Bethesda, Silver Spring, Langley Park, the University of Maryland’s College Park campus, Riverdale and New Carrollton). The estimated cost of the project is between $1.2 and $1.3 billion. Planners from the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) hope construction can begin in 2012.

In January, the County Council unanimously recommended light rail be selected for the Purple Line. That followed a similar recommendation from the Council’s Transportation, Infrastructure, Energy and Environment Committee, which I chair.

I am glad that Governor O’Malley has decided that the Purple Line is right for Montgomery County and light rail is right for the Purple Line. Ridership on the Purple Line is projected as high as about 63,000 daily for a light rail system, including approximately 20,000 new riders to mass transit. The other projected riders would be those who already use a form of mass transit, but would find their commutes greatly enhanced through shorter, more reliable trips.

It is estimated that final design of the Purple Line would be ready by Fall 2011.

Note to Newsletter Editors

Maybe you got my e-newsletter today. (If not, you can subscribe online.) Some people have asked me if they can use the material from my newsletter in their own civic association or HOA newsletters. The answer is yes. I provide this information to help residents find what they need and participate in the legislative process, so feel free to use it.

Protect Yourself From Lyme Disease

Spring and summer bring warm temperatures, just right for walking in the woods and other outdoor activities. This can mean the risk of tick bites and Lyme disease. In fact, Montgomery County saw more than 300 new cases of Lyme disease in 2007, and if attendance at a recent meeting on the subject is any indication, County residents take the risks seriously. Fortunately, when Lyme disease is detected early, it is usually mild and easily treatable.

You should see a doctor if you experience the symptoms of Lyme disease, including headache, fever, muscle and joint aches and general fatigue. In particular, look for the circular or oblong rash at the site of the bite. Up to 90 percent of people bitten by infected ticks develop a rash, which can grow from two to three inches in diameter to as much as 20 inches. As it gets bigger, the center of the rash clears giving it a bull's eye appearance. If left untreated, Lyme disease can affect the joints, nervous system or heart.

To prevent Lyme disease, avoid contact with blacklegged ticks (formerly called deer ticks) which carry the bacteria and can pass it to humans by a bite. Lyme disease can be transmitted at any stage of the tick's life cycle, even during the larva and nymph stages when ticks can be smaller than a pinhead.

To learn more about preventing Lyme disease, including the best way to remove a tick, visit the County's Health and Human Services Web site.

Some Recovery but Unemployment Still on the Rise

In an update on economic indicators this morning, we got a mixed bag. For example, the number of home sales in Montgomery County has increased in 2009, especially in recent months, but average sales prices have decreased. Both trends are expected to continue into 2010.

Consistent with national numbers, unemployment in the County has continued to increase, reaching an all-time high of 5.7 percent in June of this year. Prior to 2009, Montgomery County saw its highest rate of unemployment in 1992 when the rate was 3.6 percent.

While we’re optimistic about some of the indicators, such as the declining amount of time homes are on the market, employment remains a huge challenge. Because the unemployment rate is a lagging indicator in terms of an economic recovery, it may not improve significantly over the next calendar year.

Although our unemployment rate remains well below the national average, I continue to put jobs at the top of my list of priorities right now. Do you have any good ideas for creating and maintaining jobs in the County? I’d love to hear them. To learn more about the economic indicators, see today’s Council background packet.

My Son Tweets His Novel

I was proud to see my son, Matt, on CNN.com today talking about his novel, The French Revolution. This Bastille Day, Matt began publishing his book 140 characters at a time on Twitter. Take a look, and better yet, read the book.

Marye Wells-Harley Appointed

With yesterday’s vote, Marye Wells-Harley became the first African-American woman on the County’s Planning Board. Being from Silver Spring, Marye also brings geographic diversity to the board, and I think this perspective will be a valuable addition. (Now there is a majority of women on the Board, as it was when I was appointed in 1986.)

After working for 42 years for the Maryland-National Park and Planning Commission—the last six as the director of parks and recreation in Prince George’s County—Marye now will join the 5-member Board which serves as the Montgomery County Council’s principal adviser on land use and community planning.

Marye has committed to making sure the County is accessible and affordable, and I look forward to working with her on these objectives. Congratulations, Marye.

Corridor Cities Transitway on Tuesday Agenda

On Tuesday, the Council will consider a recommendation that I believe is the best bet to maximize transit usage and reduce congestion along the I-270 corridor.

The Transportation, Infrastructure, Energy and Environment Committee, which I chair, recommended Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) for the Corridor Cities Transitway. This option offers a much higher level of service and convenience than a standard bus, and it provides the best flexibility to serve residential neighborhoods.

The alignment we chose for the transitway provides service to the highest-demand areas between the Shady Grove Metro Station and Clarksburg, including the Crown Farm area (which also serves the popular Rio commercial center) and the Kentlands (which includes the growing MedImmune campus). We also recommended a stop to serve Johns Hopkins’ proposed biotechnology center at the Belward Farm. We’re aware that the Council may approve higher densities in the upcoming Gaithersburg West Master Plan, so we reserved the right to revisit the light rail option if the new plan warrants it.

For the I-270 portion of the two-pronged plan, we’re supporting the option that adds two electronic toll lanes in each direction. I don’t like adding pavement any more than you do, but I’m convinced the juice is worth the squeeze in this case, especially since much of the land needed is within the existing I-270 right-of-way, and this, they tell us, is the best way to maximize transit and reduce congestion in the corridor up to Frederick.

The new lanes will be operated as High Occupancy/Toll (HOT) lanes, which are HOV lanes (allowing buses, carpools and vanpools to drive at the speed limit even during congested times) that also allow lower occupancy vehicles to use the lanes if they pay a toll. The experts tell us this is the best option to provide the most congestion relief with the least disruption to the people who live near the highway.

This is only the first step in coming to regional and state agreement on locally preferred alternatives both for the CCT and the I-270 project that will then go to the feds for review and, we hope, funding in the next year.

I have long believed that providing the appropriate transportation infrastructure is one of the government’s most basic jobs. That means supporting our growing biotechnology industry, the emerging Germantown Employment Corridor and the ongoing build-out of Clarksburg. Our proximity to the nation’s capital affords us vast opportunities, and we need to have the infrastructure in place to make the most of them. I feel confident we’ve chosen a good mix of highway and transit improvements to meet our goals.

For more details, see the press release, and remember to tune in to the Council session on Tuesday.

On the Wrong Page

Perhaps you saw me on one of our local news programs Sunday night when stories ran with photographs of a Ride On bus driver apparently reading a book while driving. Such poor judgment is not only distressing but also a clear violation of County policy. I’m following up to make sure this individual situation is addressed appropriately, and in the meantime, I remain confident that our bus drivers as a whole perform safely and professionally.

Council Agrees to Purchase Land in Burtonsville

Today, we as a full council approved the purchase of 52.9 acres of land as an addition to the Fairland Recreational Park. The Planning, Housing and Economic Development Committee, of which I’m a member, had recommended this purchase (see my July 2 post). The parcel contains old growth forest more than 100 years old, as well as wetlands and bogs that will serve as a buffer for the nearby ICC. As I’ve said before, I think this is the best use of the money we received from the State as reimbursement of land used for the ICC, and I’m glad we were unanimous in this decision.