Montgomery County Council Meets on Dec. 3 to Elect New Council Officers
For Immediate Release: Monday, December 2, 2024
Also on Dec. 3: Council President Friedson will reflect on his year leading the Council, new legislation will be introduced on animal control and other post employment benefits, and multiple public hearings will be conducted
The Montgomery County Council will meet on Tuesday, Dec. 3 at 9 a.m., and the meeting will begin with two proclamation presentations. The first, presented by Councilmembers Laurie-Anne Sayles and Will Jawando and County Executive Marc Elrich, will recognize Rosa Parks Day. The second, presented by Councilmember Dawn Luedtke, will recognize the Olney Chamber of Commerce’s 60th anniversary.
At 9:30 a.m. , Council President Andrew Friedson, who will conclude his one-year term as president on Tuesday, will reflect on the Council’s accomplishments in 2024 and share a video retrospective of work conducted over the past year. The Council will elect a new Council president and vice president at approximately 9:40 a.m.
More detail on each agenda item is provided below.
Interview: The Council will conduct an interview with Stephanie Iszard, who is the County Executive’s nominee for chief of Children, Youth and Family Services within the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
District Council Session
Introduction: The Council will introduce Corrective Map Amendment (CMA) H-151, 12701 Piedmont Road. The 1982 Sectional Map Amendment, SMA G-352, implemented the zoning recommendations of the Damascus Master Plan. A technical error occurred in SMA G-352 which incorrectly zoned a property at 12701 Piedmont Road as Rural Density Transfer (RDT) instead of R-200. CMA H-151 will correct the technical error that led to an inaccurate depiction of the zoning classifications for the property. On Oct. 10, 2024, the Planning Board recommended approval to file this CMA application.
A public hearing is scheduled for Jan. 14, 2025.
Legislative Session
Bill 27-24 Animal Control – Impoundment and Disposition
Introduction: Lead sponsors Councilmembers Sidney Katz, Luedtke and Kristin Mink will introduce Bill 27-24 Animal Control – Impoundment and Disposition, which would reduce the impounded animal hold time, clarify the appeal rights for abandoned animals and amend the notice requirements. Under current County law, an impounded animal is considered abandoned and becomes County property if the animal is not redeemed by its owner within five days after the executive director notifies the owner about the impoundment. Bill 27-24 would reduce this hold time to three days. In addition, Bill 27-24 would clarify that the abandonment of the animal is not a decision of the director subject to the appeal period. Bill 27-24 also would update the notice requirements to include posting on the animal owner’s door and on the Montgomery County Animal Services and Adoption Center website.
A public hearing is scheduled for Jan. 21, 2025.
Introduction: Lead sponsors Council Vice President Kate Stewart, Council President Friedson and Councilmember Katz will introduce Bill 28-24 – Employees’ Retirement System and Other Post Employment Benefits – Administration – Powers and Duties, which would alter powers and duties regarding administration of the Montgomery County Employee Retirement Plans. The bill would move from the chief administrative officer to the Board of Investment Trustees for the Employee Retirement Plans the responsibilities to select and retain an actuary for the retirement system and to determine the actuarial cost method and the mortality, turnover, interest rates and other assumptions to be used in actuarial and other computations for the retirement system.
A public hearing is scheduled for Jan. 21, 2025.
Consent Calendar
Each item on the Council’s Consent Calendar can be found on the Council agenda for Tuesday, Dec. 3, which is available on the Council website .
Public Hearings
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Interview: The Council will conduct an interview with Henry Mulzac, who is a candidate to fill a vacancy on the Advisory Commission on Policing (ACP). The commission is responsible for advising the Council on policing matters, recommending legislation or regulation for the Council’s consideration, conducting public outreach for community input and accepting community feedback.
Vote expected: The Council expected to vote on a resolution to approve three water and sewer category change requests. These include a request for a public water and public sewer to serve a proposed single-family home in Sandy Spring and two requests for public sewer to serve single-family homes in Potomac. The Transportation and Environment (TE) Committee recommends approval with amendments.
The County’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is responsible for assembling, reviewing and processing category change amendments. DEP coordinates with staff from the Planning Department, WSSC Water, Department of Permitting Services (DPS) and other departments and agencies as needed. Amendments that are determined by DEP to be consistent with specific water and sewer plan policies can be approved by the DEP director through DEP’s administrative delegation process; however, DEP does not administratively deny or defer requests. Any requests recommended for denial or deferral go through the formal Council review process.
The Council meeting schedule may change from time to time. View the current Council and Committee agendas, Council staff reports and additional information on items scheduled for Council review on the Council website .
Council and committee meetings are streamed live on the Council’s web page via YouTube and on Facebook Live and can be watched on County Cable Montgomery on Xfinity/RCN 6 HD 996/1056, Fios 30, and on the CCM live stream .
Release ID: 24-424
Media Contact: Sonya Healy 240-777-7926, Benjamin Sky Brandt 240-777-7884
For updates and link to press release, see here: http://www2.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcgportalapps/Press_Detail.aspx?Item_ID=46246