Friends,
There are a lot of exciting things going on at the County Council and around District 6 the rest of this month. Read on to learn more!
Making it easier to open a restaurant
When I became Chair of the Economic Development Committee, one of my first acts was to take a tour of local restaurants that had just opened up. I visited restaurants in Wheaton, Germantown, Bethesda, Burtonsville, Kensington, Silver Spring and more – I wanted to learn first hand what challenges they had faced to get County approval to open their doors to customers. Two things became readily apparent. First, we didn’t not have enough staff capacity at the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to do the public health reviews in a timely fashion. Second, there were opportunities to reduce red tape and reduce documentation requirements. This led to a series of joint ECON/HHS Council Committee worksessions that ultimately led to concrete actions.
In May, I led a successful effort to add two new restaurant permitting inspectors to the FY25 budget with an innovative funding model that will 1) dramatically speed up restaurant reviews and 2) save the County general fund money.
And tomorrow, the Council is set to approve Executive Regulations #18-23 that streamline the certification process by reducing documentation and administrative requirements for restaurants seeking to open. In addition, the regulations extend the Food Handler Certificate certification period from 3 to 5 years, reducing the amount of times the restaurant needs to reapply for the certificate.
Veterans Bill Update
My veterans Bill 6-24, which provides a property tax credit for Veterans with severe disabilities, is set for a work session within the Government Operations Committee on July 18th. This bill offers a 50% credit for those with a 75-99% disability rating and a 25% credit for those with a 50-74% rating. Eligible veterans must be honorably discharged, certified by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and have an income not exceeding $100,000, consistent with state enabling law (Tax-Property 9-265). The credit also extends to surviving spouses.
This work session is crucial as it allows for a detailed review and discussion of the bill’s provisions before heading on to the full Council for final action. You can watch the worksession here. Thanks again to all the Veterans and their families who came to testify a few weeks ago in the public hearing.
Rent Stabilization getting closer to the finish line
As a reminder, I was the lead author of landmark legislation – and the architect of compromise amendments to secure passage – to permanently stabilize rents in Montgomery County. While the debate was fierce, my approach was to bring people together to pass a meaningful and workable solution. We are now really close to that vision becoming a reality for renters countywide.
The next step in the process is for the Council to review and approve the regulations that will put the law into effect. The first Planning, Housing and Parks (PHP) Committee–I’m a member of this committee–worksession on the regulations is on Thursday, July 18. You can watch the Committee worksession here and read the actual regulations here.
Also, check out this recent Washington Post article about this effort.
Summer of Peace Youth Event
I will participate in the Summer of Peace Youth Event on July 26th, organized by the Street Outreach Network Summer of Peace in Wheaton. The event is designed to bring the community together and to support youth, preventing crimes and providing guidance to families in need.
July 26th
4-7 pm
Pembridge Square Apartments
2315 Blueridge Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20902
Grand Opening of the Gravity Mountain Bike Park at Wheaton Regional Park
I am happy to invite you to the grand opening of the Gravity Mountain Bike Park at Wheaton Regional Park on Sunday, July 21, 2024, at 11:00 a.m., to celebrate this new community asset.
The Gravity Mountain Bike Park, a unique addition to our community, offers an exciting experience for kids and families. With two distinct courses, the green course features dirt berms, dirt table-tops, and rollers, while the more challenging blue course boasts a start platform, jump sections, and wooden berm turns. With nearly a mile of combined trails, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
This bike park was first envisioned in the 2022 Wheaton Regional Park Master plan update, reflecting our commitment to improving services and amenities for park users and the surrounding community. I’ve had the pleasure of stopping by several times during construction and can attest to the incredible effort our volunteers have put into making this vision a reality.
Please join us in celebrating this joyous event!
Wheaton Gravity Mountain Bike Park Grand Opening
Sunday, July 21, 2024
11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Wheaton Regional Park Shorefield area
2000 Shorefield Road, Wheaton, Md., 20902
The mountain bike park is located in the woods by the Adventure Playground
Caribbean-American Heritage Celebration & Resource Fair
Join the National Caribbean-American Heritage Month Steering Committee in celebrating our beautiful and vibrant Caribbean-American Heritage. This event will take place on Saturday, August 3rd. I hope to see you there!
It’s Time to Go Electric!
The Department of Environmental Protection is encouraging landscapers, gardeners, homeowners, and property managers to say goodbye to gas, and start switching to electric leaf blowers this year. Starting July 1, 2025, gas-powered handheld, backpack, and walk-behind leaf blowers will no longer be allowed in Montgomery County. Local retailers no longer carry gas leaf blowers, but have battery-powered leaf blowers for all your leaf and garden clean-up needs. Choose your equipment wisely and consult our website for more information. Limited rebates will be available by application beginning in August. Learn more about electric leaf blowers and rebates at www.MontgomeryCountyMd.gov/Leafblowers
ECON and PHP schedules
I’m highlighting the schedules of the two committees I serve on (Economic Development Committee, Chair, and the Planning, Housing, and Parks Committee, Member).
July 15, PHP
Governor’s Housing Package
Design for Life
Bill 8-24, Fair Criminal History and Credit Screenings
July 18, PHP
Executive Regulation 2-24, Rent Stabilization
Executive Regulation 16-23, Tenant Displacement – Right of First Refusal
July 22, ECON/TE
Executive Regulations #8-21 – Transportation Demand Management
Parking Lot District Funding
Urban Districts
July 22, PHP
Attainable Housing
ZTA 24-02, Overnight Farm Stays
Growth Tiers Map
July 25, PHP
Executive Regulation 2-24, Rent Stabilization
July 29, PHP
ZTA 24-02, Overnight Farm Stays
ZTA 24-03, Great Seneca Life Sciences (GSLS) Overlay Zone
Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Production Update
Summer Meals
MCPS is offering free summer meals to children 18 and under at more than 120 sites across the county. The Summer Meals Program is designed to bridge the “nutrition gap” that summer can bring and ensure that kids have access to healthy and nutritious meals when they’re out of school. You can find a full list of sites offering breakfast and lunch here.
Downtown Wheaton Summer Concert Series
From July 12th to August 30th.
Join us for our annual summer concert series featuring amazing bands around the DMV!
6PM: Happy Hour DJ Set
7PM: Band performance
Concert lineup
