The Montgomery County Council will meet on Tuesday, Oct. 27 at 9 a.m., and the meeting will begin with three proclamation presentations.
The first, presented by the full Council, will recognize Hindu American Heritage Month. The second, presented by Councilmember Sidney Katz and County Executive Marc Elrich, will recognize Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The third, presented by Councilmember Shebra Evans, will recognize National Bullying Prevention Month. At 1:15 p.m., Council President Natali Fani-González and Councilmember Kristin Mink will present a proclamation recognizing National Healthcare Quality Week.
Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) Presentation to the Council
Briefing: The Council will receive its semi-annual presentation from the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC). The semi-annual report of the Planning Board to the Council occurs in the spring and fall each year. It is an opportunity for the Board to brief the Council on the accomplishments of the Parks and Planning Departments and provide an update on work program items. The presentation is expected to include an overview of Montgomery Parks programming, policies, park investments and project updates. The presentation will also include information about Montgomery Planning’s master plan funding allocation, strategic plan implementation and planning director’s awards.
Resolution to Oppose Proposed Federal Changes to the 2030 Decennial Census
Introduction and vote expected: The Council will introduce and is expected to vote on a resolution to oppose proposed federal changes to the 2030 Decennial Census. On Sept. 10, the U.S. Census Bureau published a proposed rule that would exclude non‑citizens who are not lawful permanent residents from the count and remove self‑reported race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation questions, among other changes. The resolution would call for the withdrawal of the U.S. Department of Commerce and U.S. Census Bureau’s proposed rule changes for the 2030 Census to ensure a constitutional and complete count of all residents.
The Council resolution opposes the proposed rule and urges the U.S. Census Bureau to withdraw it and affirm the constitutional requirement to count all persons residing in the United States for apportionment and redistricting, consistent with the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and more than 200 years of census practice.
Additionally, the resolution urges the Census Bureau to retain the 2020 usual residence standard and to restore rules to count accurately those in nursing homes, assisted-living facilities, domestic-violence shelters, homeless shelters, group homes, residential treatment centers, college housing, foster-care placements and other group quarters.
The resolution also opposes adding a citizenship or legal-status question to the decennial Census questionnaire and urge the Census Bureau to retain self-reported race, ethnicity and sexual orientation questions, which are essential for informed decisions about public policy, compliance with civil rights laws such as the Voting Rights Act, language-access planning and public-health monitoring.
The resolution urges the Census Bureau to ensure that any use of administrative records respects due process, safeguards respondent privacy as required under Title 13 of the U.S. Code and avoids actions that would undermine public trust or depress Census participation. The resolution urges consultation with state and local governments before any further action is taken and requests publication of a full analysis of the proposed rule’s impact on funding, redistricting and service obligations for each county and state. This resolution reaffirms the Council’s commitment to a complete, accurate, and fair 2030 Census, as required by the U.S. Constitution, and Montgomery County’s outreach efforts to ensure that every resident is counted.
Unless otherwise noted, the Council will hold the following hybrid public hearings at 1:30 p.m. Residents can visit the Council website to learn about the multiple ways to provide testimony.
- Resolution to approve Supplemental Appropriation #27-7 to the FY27 Operating Budget, Montgomery County Government, Labor Management Relations Committee Non-Departmental Account, $100,000
- Expedited Bill 49-26, Administration – Office of the County Executive – Non-merit Positions
- Expedited Bill 50-26, Administration – Non-merit Appointments – Deputy Directors
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Public hearing and vote expected: The Council will hold a public hearing and is expected to vote on a more than $4.5 million supplemental appropriation for the Utilities Non-Departmental Account (NDA) administered by the Department of General Services (DGS). The appropriation is composed of state grants awarded through the Maryland Energy Administration’s 2026 Local Government Energy Modernization Program to support renewable energy initiatives, specifically the development and implementation of resiliency hub projects that will generate solar power for County facilities and provide backup power to communities during energy emergencies.
Public hearing and vote expected: The Council will hold a public hearing and is expected to vote on a supplemental appropriation for additional state aid to fund energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy installations in County-owned buildings. the funding was provided through grant awards from the Maryland Energy Administration 2026 Local Government Energy Modernization Program to support energy efficiency and renewable energy projects in County agencies.
WSSC Water FY28 Spending Control Limits
Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote on WSSC Water FY28 Spending Control Limits. WSSC Water’s spending control limits process was established in April 1994 by both Montgomery and Prince George’s County Councils. The goal of the spending control limits process is to reconcile both Councils’ actions by Nov. 1 of each year so that WSSC Water can build the approved limits into its operating budget public hearing draft, which is released for public comment by Jan. 15 of each year. WSSC Water’s operating budget request is formally transmitted to both counties by March 1 of each year. WSSC Water’s proposed Capital Improvement Program (CIP) is transmitted to both Councils by Oct. 1 each year.
The Council’s Transportation and Environment (TE) Committee recommends approval.
Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote on ZTA 26-10, General Development Requirements – Driveway Access and Shared Parking, which would make minor technical updates to the County’s zoning code to align with proposed transportation policy changes in County Code Chapter 49, including clarifying that driveway access from alleys must comply with County alley access standards.
The lead sponsor is the Council President at the request of the Planning Board. The Planning, Housing and Parks (PHP) Committee recommends approval.
Subdivision Regulation Amendment (SRA) 26-02, Roads – Street Types – Design Standards
Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote on SRA 26-02, Roads – Street Types – Design Standards, which would update Chapter 50 of the County Code to align street classifications with the Complete Streets Design Guide and the Master Plan of Highways and Transitways, including adding a growth corridor boulevard street type and removing the parkway street type. It would also replace some outdated horizontal road alignment requirements with nationally recognized engineering standards, allowing road designs to better reflect lower target speeds and evolving best practices.
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The lead sponsor is the Council President at the request of the Planning Board. The PHP Committee recommends approval.
Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 26-11, Temporary Uses – Benefit Performance
Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote on ZTA 26-11, Temporary Uses – Benefit Performance, which would amend the requirements for a benefit performance by removing the requirement to obtain consent from 75 percent of neighbors and adding a requirement that public safety agencies be notified. A benefit performance is an event conducted and operated by a nonprofit organization within the County and for which the net proceeds of the benefit performance are exclusively for the benefit of the organization.
Under the current zoning code, a benefit performance that is not held by a private club, a religious institution, a fire department, a public school or a nationally chartered service or veterans’ organization must be a minimum of 600 feet from any dwelling, unless 75 percent of the occupants of the dwellings within that 600 feet consent to the performance. ZTA 26-11 would remove the requirement to obtain consent and instead require notice to all dwellings within 600 feet, if the benefit performance is held for more than one day. ZTA 26-11 will also require that certain public safety agencies be notified upon receipt of an application for a benefit performance.
The lead sponsor of ZTA 26-11 is Councilmember Dawn Luedtke. The PHP Committee recommends approval with amendments.
Review: The Council will review the County Executive’s recommended state policy priorities letter and the recommended state funding requests for Montgomery County capital projects for the 2027 Maryland General Assembly session. The state policy letter addresses federal challenges, education, climate change, energy and the environment, housing, economic development, health and human services and local autonomy. The state funding request includes education, transportation and other general projects. Additional details are available in the Council staff report.
Long Term Solid Waste Disposal Alternatives
Review: The Council will continue to discuss long-term solid waste disposal alternatives with representatives of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The Council is considering two possible alternative solid waste disposal options. The first option supports keeping the Resource Recovery Facility (RRF) open for the long term as the County’s primary method for the disposal of solid waste. The second option supports closing the RRF and transitioning to the disposal of the County’s solid waste at out-of-county landfills. At this meeting, the Council will discuss the environmental impacts, environmental justice concerns, community impacts and the water diversion opportunity associated with the two alternatives.
The Council received a briefing on the long-term solid waste disposal alternatives at a meeting held on July 28. At a meeting held on Sept. 15, DEP representatives provided an update on the recommendations. At a meeting held on Sept. 29, the Council received an overview of operations at the County’s RFF. The Council received a briefing in July 2025 from DEP representatives about a proposal for the long-hauling of County waste by truck and disposal at an out-of-County landfill. Additional detail is available in the Council staff report.
Each item on the Council’s Consent Calendar can be found on the Council agenda for Tuesday, Oct. 27, which is available on the Council website.
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.
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