Dear Neighbor,
My first year on the Montgomery County Council is close to an end. There is a lot to celebrate, and plenty more to achieve. I would like to share some highlights of the work we have accomplished to create communities that offer better schools, safer neighborhoods, and housing that working families can afford. We’ve also made great efforts to transform the connectivity of our neighborhoods so residents can walk, bike, roll, take transit and drive to jobs, schools, parks and public spaces. Please take a look, and as always, reach out to my office for our support.
At your service,
Natali Fani-González
Councilmember, District 6
Chair, Economic Development Committee
Agritourism
Championing the County’s rural economy, I have introduced a Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) that builds on the success we are seeing in our dynamic agritourism sector. From our many farm breweries and wineries to the pick your own, equestrian, and agricultural education businesses, the County’s agritourism sector is growing and thriving. These businesses draw people (and revenue) from downcounty, DC, and the entire region to come see, feel, and taste the bounty of the County’s Agricultural Reserve.
However, a common theme I have been hearing from agritourism businesses, farmers, and stakeholders is the lack of suitable, appropriately-scaled accommodations for overnight stays in the County’s rural areas. Indeed, the County’s zoning ordinance makes it difficult, if not impossible, to host overnight guests on one’s farm.
There is strong demand from residents looking for an authentic farm experience. There is also keen interest from local businesses in providing accommodations for overnight stays as an accessory component of the farm’s agritourism activities. Paired with farm-to-table food, hands-on farming experiences, and agricultural education, overnight stays in small, rustic structures would complement and enrich the agritourism activities on the property.
This is where my ZTA on incidental overnight stays accessory to farming comes in.
The ZTA would allow these farmers to host guests for overnight stays as part of their agritourism business; furthermore, the property must have the Department of Permitting Service approved sanitation facilities for this accessory use.
I recognize that any proposed changes to the zoning of the Agricultural Reserve merit robust scrutiny to ensure that we are benefiting this amazing resource, without unintended negative consequences. That is why I have participated in many meetings with stakeholders, including announcing the ZTA at our first Economic Development committee session in Upcounty in November, the Western County Economic Forum in Poolesville in October, and the packed townhall meeting in Dickerson in early December (photo below).
Based on the feedback received, I intend to offer significant amendments to this proposal, including:
- Stipulate that overnight stays could only be done in temporary structures, not permanent structures
- Limit the total size of each temporary structure, and
- Require a minimum lot size
The public hearing on this ZTA will be on January 16, 2024. You may sign up to testify here.
Constituent Services
I have been on the front lines of helping residents with everything from securing rental assistance, to building sidewalks, to accessing opioid treatment centers. No constituent matter is too big or too small for our office to do everything possible to help.
For example, when hundreds of residents of Westchester West Apartments in Aspen Hill were on the verge of losing their homes due to the sale of their building, they contacted me for help. I was able to partner with the Montgomery County Executive to have the County buy the apartment complex and sell it to a community partner, helping residents in over 385 affordable units avoid large rental increases and, in some cases, homelessness. You will find a nice summary of this effort thanks to MoCo Show.
My team and I have also been assisting the Wheaton Hills neighborhood with persistent power outages. We have pushed Pepco to not only do the necessary maintenance and preventative work, but to also communicate better with the affected residents.
For questions, please reach out by calling 240-777-7870 or emailing at Councilmember.Fani-Gonzalez@montgomerycountymd.gov.
Infrastructure
I have been advocating for critical infrastructure projects to revitalize District 6.
Working closely with Maryland Governor Wes Moore, I am leading efforts to redesign Georgia Avenue into an urban boulevard, making it safer for all users and supporting economic development in the corridor.
I celebrated the hardworking Montgomery County Department of Transportation paving crew with the Manor Community Association in Rockville. They worked long and hard this summer to re-pave County streets in the Aspen Hill neighborhood. They did their jobs with excellence—even in high temperatures—and with good spirits.
I have also been a champion for the Rock Creek Manor Sidewalk project to make our district safer and more walkable. Below is a photo of the thank you breakfast community members and I put together for the workers building the sidewalk.
I prioritized community engagement through a Biking/Walking townhall. This inclusive forum allowed residents to provide valuable input and feedback on biking and walking infrastructure, ensuring that the County’s transportation plan aligns with the preferences and priorities of our community.
My team has worked in coordination with countless high school and middle school students to clean up neighborhoods and parks. The latest community clean-up took place at Connecticut Avenue Estates with over 30 students.
I also assisted in reserving athletic fields for a softball league of low-income women and girls. Check out this video in Spanish on the effort.
Budget and Education
I worked collaboratively with my colleagues on the Council to approve the County’s $6.7 billion Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Operating Budget and the $5.7 billion amended FY23-28 Capital Improvements Program (CIP). My focus has been on ensuring we deliver outstanding services for our county residents while holding all departments and agencies accountable. Specifically, I have been working diligently to provide a world-class education for our students, to fully fund contracts with first responders, county staff, teachers, and administrators, and to minimize any increase of the tax burden on residents.
The budget makes historic investments in education and in meeting the needs of our residents and our workforce, funding MCPS at the largest year-to-year increase since the Great Recession.
A quick word on MCPS. I appreciate all the hard work the Board of Education, MCPS leadership, frontline teachers, and paraeducators do on behalf of our children and commend their efforts to ensure students thrive academically in a post-pandemic world. While a lot of good work is happening at MCPS, there is room for improvement to ensure all students achieve academic excellence and that there is more accountability within MCPS. Early in the year, I was shocked to learn that only 32% of third-grade students met the district standards for literacy, with worse outcomes for students of color coming from low-income families. These were shameful results, and I wrote a letter to MCPS leadership expressing my concerns. Since, I have been closely monitoring MCPS advancements. I was happy to see the data released by MCPS on December 1st as it shows promising improvement in early literacy assessments for elementary school students. As you know, this mission is ongoing, and I will closely follow MCPS’ progress in 2024 to ensure all students succeed academically.
Economic Development
My vision for the County reflects a commitment to building a robust and resilient economic foundation. My strategic approach centers on supporting small businesses, promoting investment in strategic industries, and providing the workforce with skills needed for in-demand and good paying jobs. Through the Council’s oversight and budgetary authority over MCPS, I am dedicated to getting kids on track early in their educational journeys to better cultivate a skilled and competitive workforce for the future.
I am also dedicated to making the County a partner to businesses and instilling a culture of “yes.” Through my chairmanship of the Council’s Economic Development Committee, I am holding the County’s economic development agencies accountable, which include the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC), the Business Center, and the Department of Permitting Services (DPS). The Committee’s rigorous oversight ensures that these entities are effectively contributing to the county’s economic goals and serving the needs of the community.
Among my efforts supporting small businesses, I recently helped a group of immigrant women create their own community kitchen business; they are now delivering food to events in our community. I also recognized the workers of Maspanadas, a fast-growing woman-owned company that makes and sells delicious empanadas to grocery stores across the nation.
As Chair of the Economic Development Committee, I hosted a session in Up County on Agritourism, making it easier for people living and working in our Agricultural Reserve to participate; the following photo is from that worksession.
Affordable Housing
I recognize that it is far too expensive to live in Montgomery County, and we must use every tool to make housing more affordable. My work on housing affordability this year has led to considerable progress on several fronts.
Rent Stabilization
I was the lead author of landmark legislation (and the architect of compromise amendments to secure passage) to permanently stabilize rents in the County. While the debate was fierce, my approach was to bring people together to pass a meaningful and workable solution. My first piece of legislation is set to go into effect in 2024 and includes:
- Limits annual rental increases to local inflation (CPI-U) plus 3%, but no more than 6% total.
- Allows landlords to bank unused rental increases up to 10%.
- Does not affect landlords who own two or fewer units.
- Provides mechanisms for landlords to exceed the rental caps for capital improvements and to ensure fair returns.
Rental Assistance
My colleagues and I approved over $48 million in rental assistance for next year. Making the County’s funding commitment more sustainable, the Council also added $11-12 million in ongoing and dedicated funds (beginning after next year) for rental assistance as part of the recordation tax changes. That is a $12 million increase from last year (33%) and $2.6 million (5.6%) more than the County Executive recommended. This will help countless families struggling to make ends meet.
Constructing New Affordable Units
The Council allocated more than $77 million in funds for the Department of Housing and Community Affairs, which works to preserve and increase the supply of affordable housing. In addition, the Council supported the production and preservation of affordable housing by allocating $57 million to the Housing Initiative Fund (HIF).
Fentanyl Crisis
Much like communities across the country, Montgomery County is experiencing a fentanyl crisis, particularly among young people. My work this year reflects the desperate need to confront this crisis head on. To build long term capacity, I helped secure a significant commitment from the state to construct an in-patient treatment center in Montgomery County. To address the immediate need for youth treatment capacity, I successfully pushed the County to negotiate agreements with treatment facilities in Anne Arundel County and Baltimore for Montgomery County young people.
Please contact the Crisis Center hotline to learn more at 240-777-4000, or contact my office directly.
Public Safety
I am dedicated to keeping us all safe. I championed the recently approved Drone as First Responder Pilot Program, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at enhancing public safety in Wheaton, Kensington, Aspen Hill, Glenmont, Forest Glen, as well as in downtown Silver Spring. This program leverages drone technology to provide rapid and effective responses in emergency situations. To this end, I considered it was very important to hold a public safety townhall meeting in English and Spanish alongside the Wheaton Urban District Advisory Board and the Mid-County Citizens Advisory Board. Over 150 residents and local business owners showed up asking important questions on privacy concerns and how the drone technology worked to assist our police officers.
Lastly, my colleagues and I also secured additional funding for law enforcement. This includes $20,000 bonuses allocated to our police force, demonstrating my dedication to recognizing and rewarding the essential role that law enforcement plays in ensuring the safety and security of our community.
Wheaton Arts & Entertainment
We have achieved a significant milestone by reconstituting the Wheaton Arts and Entertainment (A&E) Board. My strategic vision for this board involves the establishment of a new, independent entity detached from County government in order to promote economic development and empower the board to oversee events, marketing, and the promotion of arts within the Wheaton community.
Over the next few months, the A&E Board will host opportunities for the community to engage. Their first event targeted to youth will be on Monday, Jan. 29, at 11:30 am at Wheaton Library/Recreation Center. There will be opportunities for all community members to engage in the future.
Upcoming Council Dates
January 16, 2024
Public Hearing on my agritourism zoning text amendment for overnight stays (ZTA 23-09) | Sign up testify
January 18, 2024
Joint ECON/HHS Committee worksession on Bill 34-23 (Wage Commission) and Bill 35-23 (Tipped Workers MInimum Wage)
February 1, 2024
Joint ECON/HHS Committee worksession on Bill 42-23 (Menstrual Products in Public Restrooms)
February 8, 2024
Joint ECON/EC Committee worksession on the local sports/sport tourism industry and workforce opportunities
Thank you all for your attention, and I hope you have a wonderful holiday.