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Dear Friends,
As we were dealing with a bit of rain last Sunday for the Wheaton Arts Parade, thousands of people across the region and up the Eastern seaboard were dealing with flooding and power outages. It was a reminder, as Emergency Preparedness Month ended, of the importance of being ready for disaster. Preparedness starts at home, extends throughout your neighborhood, and across the County at large. I hope that we don’t have adverse weather to worry about any time soon, and that we can enjoy everything that comes with the fall season.
WSSC’s Power Issues at Water Filtration Plant
As hopefully, many of you were aware, earlier this week WSSC implemented water restrictions, due to unexpected electrical issues with its water filtration system. Hopefully, many of you were aware that earlier this week, WSSC implemented water restrictions due to unexpected electrical issues with its water filtration system. While temporary fixes were put in place rapidly, WSSC worked around the clock to address the underlying issues to maintain adequate water levels and water pressure to keep our drinking water safe. The affected plant supplies water to both Montgomery and Prince Georges counties. Fortunately, at no point was a boil order needed or issued.
I am pleased to report that after the initial notification of the problem, Montgomery County quickly mobilized emergency resources and worked with our community partners in case water distribution locations were needed. I want to thank our Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, our Department of Transportation, Department of Police, Fire and Rescue Service, and others for being ready with our emergency management plans, had they been needed.
I want to thank every WSSC customer who listened to the warnings and reduced their consumption during this request. WSSC leaders said during my media briefing this week that it made a big difference. In an update published Thursday, WSSC said they have moved on to the next phase—fully restoring the plant to normal operations.
Thank you for your patience and for following WSSC’s recommendations. You can keep up with their updates at wsscwater.com/newsroom.
This incident is one more reminder of the need to address our aging infrastructure. My time as an executive preparing budgets has made me keenly aware of the need for major improvements. Fully funding the water system’s needs has not been possible, but I think we must focus on what it takes to deliver reliable water to people without interruptions. If we are forced to deal with the worst-case scenario of being without water for a day or two, the problems it would create would be innumerable and very disruptive.
Economic Development Week
I joined some of the County’s economic development partners on business tours they are doing to celebrate Economic Development Week. I toured Saint-Gobain’s production facility in Gaithersburg on Monday. They are part of a global company with a presence in Montgomery County, where they manufacture highly specialized products for use in cell therapy and other advanced life sciences applications. It’s amazing to see how businesses have adapted to this new age of technology.
I’m excited to see the direction that the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation is headed. Earlier this month, they hosted a panel focused on growth for more than 100 business leaders and elected officials. It included executives from Lockheed Martin, TrilliumBIO, Thales Defense & Security, Johns Hopkins, Montgomery College, and AstraZeneca.
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In 2026, we’ve also seen and celebrated expansion and job retention announcements from Samsung Biologics, Bora Biologics, and the Henry M. Jackson Foundation’s partnership on innovation labs. Companies like Arcellx grew from starting at one of our County innovation centers in 2015 to a $7.8 billion acquisition by Gilead Sciences. Every dollar invested in economic development generates an average of $11.48 in tax revenue, job creation, and private investment.
The need for a talented workforce is not going to change. In Montgomery County, we are fortunate to be rich in talent. As MCEDC President and CEO Jared Smith said on my media briefing this week, we are the envy of many other cities and municipalities because so many of our residents hold advanced degrees. We are also home to many community partners who value the educational opportunities available here to help them retain the workforce needed for continued evolution. That is evident in the formation of the new Potomac Regional Alliance, an initiative announced this week to strengthen our region.
At the forum, Lockheed Martin leaders said talent is one of the primary reasons the company chose to be headquartered here. AstraZeneca often taps into the alumni base from Montgomery College and the Universities at Shady Grove (USG) to fill highly technical roles. I especially want to highlight the connection between the USG Shady Grove campus and Montgomery College. They have been expanding their academic programming and hands-on training, which is enhancing our ability to train the workforce that companies are looking for. They are a real asset when we’re making a case to company leaders with expansion plans to consider the County.
We will continue to reshape the economic blueprint of Montgomery County. It is important to leverage all our wonderful assets to sustain the progress we’ve made over the last several years and improve our economic competitiveness.
Small Business Visits to End September
Another important aspect of our local economy is supporting small businesses. Entrepreneurial efforts directly boost economic opportunities by providing local jobs and building vibrant spaces where residents connect. Last week, I toured four local businesses for Hispanic Heritage and African Heritage Month. You can check out all the photos from the business tour on the County’s Flickr page.
My first stop was Dr. Jose Arroyo’s Family Dental practice, which addresses critical accessibility gaps in health care. Dr. Arroyo has been in Montgomery County for 25 years, focusing primarily on serving underserved patients and members of the Spanish-speaking Hispanic community who often have significant oral health needs. His Silver Spring practice is essential for getting proper dental health for residents with specific needs. He also regularly participates in the annual Hispanic Heritage Festival, offering free screenings for cavities and oral cancer to educate residents and connect them with necessary care.
Small businesses can also be a lifesaver for families in need of items that large corporations often overlook. La Mixteca began as a mobile operation before expanding into a storefront on New Hampshire Avenue offering international delicacies from Central America, Africa, and Brazil that can be hard to find.
I was impressed by the co-owner of Connaisseur Paris on Georgia Avenue. Julius Ade is from Cameroon. He and his business partner use their fashion storefront to educate local students on professional dress, sponsor prom attire, and provide financial contributions to local school causes. He and his wife also co-own Finesse Barber Shop and Chloe Van Boutique.
Finally, I visited with the owners of Dovis Best Restaurant & Bar and Cyndy’s Seafood, which employs a dozen people. The eatery, also on New Hampshire Avenue, brings together families, professionals, and visitors from diverse backgrounds through food and has plans to expand into a lounge. Thank you to Elvis Fru Nde, Doris Fri Achiri-Nde, and Cynthia Awah Fru for welcoming my team and me.
Targeted government resources and local grants play a crucial role in helping these business owners overcome operational transitions and grow. A County MOVE grant allowed Dr. Arroyo to successfully transition from a home office to a dedicated location.
Supporting small business owners promotes cultural inclusion and ensures long-term civic prosperity. I want to thank the Business Center and the work done by our Regional Services Center in Bethesda-Chevy Chase, East County, Mid-County, Silver Spring, and Upcounty for helping small business owners discover how the government can help them open, grow, and thrive in Montgomery County.
Direct MARC Train Service Between Montgomery County and Baltimore Begins
The state recently unveiled a new MARC train route to Baltimore.
This new route reduces travel time between Maryland locations, offering a one-seat ride to Baltimore in the morning and a return train in the afternoon. It avoids a diversion to Union Station in Washington, D.C., making the trip from Silver Spring to Baltimore slightly less than an hour. The trip from Gaithersburg to Baltimore now takes 78 minutes, down from 137 minutes. That’s huge when you think about the time many of our residents spend in the car. Riding a train and taking care of business on their computers could allow them to spend more time with their families once they get home.
The MARC train will also be available for riders in Germantown, Rockville, and Kensington, with stops in College Park and Laurel. This change is an important part of working toward the State’s goal of improving transit connections between commercial areas. The more people we can get to rely on transportation modes other than cars, the better it is for our environment and our quality of life.
For questions or to provide feedback about the new line, email marc@mdot.maryland.gov or search Brunswick and Camden Lines on the Maryland Transit Administration website.
Food Waste Prevention Week
Food Waste Prevention Week wraps up on Sunday, Oct. 4. In Montgomery County, our Department of Environmental Protection estimates that nearly 95,000 tons of food scraps are thrown into the trash every single year. Much of this food from retailers, restaurants, and food businesses is edible and could be diverted from incineration to feed local households experiencing food insecurity.
Food recovery—also known as food rescue—is a great example of how we can leverage public-private partnerships to support our neighbors in need while reducing the impact of wasted food. That is why we established the Office of Food Systems Resilience to build systemic connections between hunger relief, climate change adaptation, and economic development and to build systemic connections between hunger relief, climate change adaptation, and economic development.
Together with the Department of Environmental Protection, the Office of Food Systems and Resilience, and the Montgomery County Food Council, we are working alongside community partners to ensure good food reaches people who need it. Today, more than a dozen food assistance organizations work directly with food donors, like grocery stores, across the County. Through the Food Recovery Collaborative, these organizations, donors, and volunteers coordinate efforts to make our food assistance network more effective.
One way we’ve done that is through County grant programs that equip partners with cold storage and refrigerated vehicles. For example, So What Else, a Bethesda-based organization, used County grant funding to purchase a refrigerated box truck, allowing them to safely and rapidly transport fresh, perishable donations to local families.
This week, I was pleased to take part in an event recognizing the work done by Nourishing Bethesda. The event recognized the volunteers, donors, and community partners who support the organization’s efforts to address food insecurity. That includes serving more than 2,000 County residents each month and providing food assistance at eight school sites, reaching more than 400 MCPS households. The group honored me for helping the organization grow to meet the needs of a community and, in turn, I thanked them and told them how proud I am that Nourishing Bethesda has become one of the success stories of my administration’s commitment to addressing food insecurity.
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I remember during COVID-19, when food distributions were so critical that we sometimes couldn’t use donated chicken because organizations didn’t have the capacity to refrigerate it properly, and it got wasted. We stepped in and helped fund refrigeration projects to expand capacity for some of our nonprofits.
The term zero waste keeps coming up as we talk about trash. Our highest priority is preventing food waste before it ever starts. Through the “Food is Too Good to Waste” campaign, every resident can take simple steps at home to make a difference:
- Make a list before shopping and buy only what you need.
- Store foods correctly to reduce spoilage and learn more about expiration dates.
- Use leftovers in future meal planning and serve smaller portions.
- Donate consumable foods to local food rescue organizations, pantries, and shelters.
For more information about food waste prevention activities, visit the Montgomery County Food Council’s events page.
Federal Assistance for COVID-19 Related Costs Ends
Having now received our final reimbursement of a more than a six-year endeavor, I want to extend a thank you to County staff across many departments who worked to document expenditures and seek cost recovery from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for COVID-19 costs. In total, the County successfully received $176 million. That money was critical to keeping people fed and housed, tested, vaccinated, and protected during the pandemic and during the recovery phase.
There are numerous County departments that played a role in providing help to those in need, especially our Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, Department of Health and Human Services, and Office of Food Systems Resilience. COVID-19 touched all aspects of our lives and government, from how we kept people safe in our homeless shelters and correctional facilities to how we created a safe environment when we opened our libraries and recreation centers and hosted summer camps and after-school activities. Working together kept more of our residents safe, but we could not accomplish everything we did without the support of FEMA.
Human Rights Hall of Fame Accepting Nominations
Every year, the Human Rights Hall of Fame gives us a chance to recognize the people who have done the quiet, persistent work of making Montgomery County fair and inclusive. Our goal is to honor people who stood up for others’ rights, challenged discrimination, and worked to ensure that everyone can fully participate in our community and call our County home.
That nomination process is open now. To submit a nomination, we ask for a maximum 300-word summary of the nominee. Supplemental information that demonstrates the contribution of the individual is also required. If information is not in electronic form (such as letters of recommendation or newspaper articles), it can be mailed separately to the Office of Human Rights at 21 Maryland Ave., Suite 330, Rockville, MD 20850.
The deadline for submissions is Friday, Oct. 23. Find out more on the Office of Human Rights’ website at montgomerycountymd.gov/office-human-rights. Click on the education and community outreach for more information on the nomination process and information on past inductees dating back to 2001.
This year’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 8, at the BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown. I encourage residents to nominate someone whose commitment to human and civil rights has made an impact in Montgomery County.
Montgomery County Community Survey Now Open
I want to ask every Montgomery County resident to do something to help our community before Oct. 19. We’re conducting our bi-annual Montgomery County Community Survey. The feedback we get from this survey shapes decisions about services, priorities, and where we focus resources in the years ahead.
The survey covers things you deal with every day: How good of a job do you feel we’re doing in serving our residents? How do you feel about how we communicate with residents? Do you feel the County is meeting your expectations for what we do? These are things we need to know to help us evaluate what’s working, what isn’t, and what matters most to you.
The survey is available online right now on our home page at montgomerycountymd.gov. Look for the Online Community Survey section on the left side of the home screen once you scroll to the first row of options. The survey is available in eight languages — English, Spanish, Chinese, French, Korean, Vietnamese, Persian, Farsi, and Amharic. If you’re a County resident 18 or older, I’d encourage you to take part because your input matters. Please share it.
As always, my appreciation for all of you,
County Executive
Read the original article at mcgov
