Writeup of MOCO County Council’s first Hybrid Town Hall Meeting of 2023 – 2/15/23 At Lakelands Park Middle School

I wanted to attend the Montgomery County Council’s first Hybrid Town Hall Meeting of the new council but I am sick so decided to do my first full on live tweet instead.

You can see the full set of tweets here but I’ve also taken those tweets and turned it into this article.

For the format below: I will separate each question with a line separator, bolding each actual question (most questions were interspersed among comments) and bolding the name of the Council members who respond.

I will also add an editorialized heading for the main topic of the questions/comments for easier reading.

Introduction

Council President Glass started out with saying it was important to him to schedule the first of these new town hall series in Upcounty to make those people feel included.

Balcombe and Katz mentioned their nice short commutes to the event.

Glass introduces several members of Gaithersburg council that are in attendance.

Also from BOE Yang and Silvestre in attendance.

270 Toll Lanes

The first question / comment is about the 270 toll lanes and expansion. Starts off with a lot of background on the project.

Discusses impacts for non toll lane users.

Question: are you going to push for look at serious balanced transit solutions or just throw up your hands?

Glass: Council and CE met to discuss and put together a letter to Governor Moore.

More money for BRT and vision zero and enhance MARC rail service.

That letter wrong place to discuss the toll lanes because of scope and size of project and that Moore just got into office.

Glass: I know that Governor Moore is going to listen and engage with us – which was missing in the previous administration.

Hopeful they will listen to us and engage in true dialog

Cell Phone Tower Zoning

Question 2: Prior council passed zoning changes allowing cell phone towers close to homes and apartments. What does new council think of this?

Kate Stewart: We worked on this in Takoma Park. As we grow we need to make sure there is access but there are improvements we can make in terms of how we look at these issues in the future

Zoom Question: Similar question to first (toll roads).

Given County’s only marginal support for project, why don’t they just tell Maryland to cancel the project?

Watched last 3 years – there’s no support for it here. Environmental, losing forests.

Zoom, hybrid work schedules negates need for this. Decade of construction, costs, and timeline represents serious consideration to cancel it all.

Glass: When Moore nominated new Transportation Secretary, he said addressing congestion also includes mass transit. Want to do what it takes to relieve congestion in holistic manner.

Balcombe: As upcounty we need to look at it. We need good accessible transit but we do need roads as well.

When talking Poolesville, Clarksburg, Darnestown – we are car centric and there is a need for roads as well as transit.

Public Safety

Zoom Question for Mink on Public safety: I favor proper training and mental health aspects, all of the above approach.

But I have to say violent crime is up in 2021 and 2022.

What are we doing about it?

Are we increasing the number of police on the street?

Mink: Highest priority – officers not spending time on things they don’t need to be spending time on.

A theme I'm hearing from residents and officers.

On MH – we have a civilian MH team – we need to staff them up so they can respond any time of day any location in county.

Mink: MH calls that officers need to respond to take on average more time.

McBain said recently officers want to get out of mental health.

Officers need to baby sit particular places could be staffed by security units.

Mink: Our latest recruitment class is up but not where it has been before. Were going to be focused on this.

Katz: We’re very concerned… we’re down 125 officers. We added a pay increase. Much of that is bargained through unions. CE has approved looking at signing bonuses

Katz: Anne Arundel county offers 20,000 signing bonus. If we want to compete and get the best officers (and we do), we need to be competitive.

30% could still retire and we're very concerned.

Moco in general a safe place. Most homicides knew each other and are closed.

Jawando: I would just add – we need a plan that is articulated to the public about things we are doing.
Example: better lighting, MH, wraparound services, youth programs, safety plans. That needs to be communicated to the public.

We had half the number of murders last year as year before. Upticks in car jackings but not as much as neighboring districts. We need to have a plan and communicate it.

Luedke: Thanks for mentioning violence interruption. State passed a bill to allow violence interruption being paid for with Medicaid.

Staffing shortages – down 129 officers, and answering staff. They’re strapped and stressed. Prevention and community policing we need to have more people so we’re not so strapped. Shoutout to fire and EMS who have responded to thousands of calls that our other units could not respond to.

M83 Highway

Question in audience: I am with TAME coalition that is against M83 highway.

Outmoded, forest destroying project within the equity focus areas. M83 is an environmental injustice.

Instead: expand MARC and fully fund BRT on 355 to Clarksburg. Remove M83 from county plan.

Balcombe (who was thanked for checking it out): I do support M83.

Clarksburg was predicated on transportation. We put 35,000 people in Clarksburg without transportation.

I fully agree with the other priorities. All day and full day MARC is very important but its not within our power. It is a very costly and complex project. We need to get it on the books. Upcounty we need to work on last mile sections. I do support these but also support M83.

Glass: Your priorities match with what we have asked the state for.

We have not allocated funding for M83 or asked for money from the state for M83.

Tons of projects only on paper and never happened. As of now M83 is one of those.

Widening 270

Question from audience member from Rockville: Another comment about widening 270. I live by the highway right by 14 lanes of 270. Hogan’s plan was to widen there but not upcounty where there are less lanes – it doesn’t make any sense.

Glass – submit comments to Moore.

Diverse Contracting

Zoom question for Sayles: How do you ensure there is diversity in public contracts and outsourcing?

I see roads being built and maintained – I don't see a lot of diversity. How do we make sure all residents are able to get involved in these outsourced public contracts?

Sayles: I am on several committees and I also am a lead on disparities in public health. Officer of legislature and oversight can look into challenges with making sure our dollars are spent equitably. There are reports about whether our money is going to businesses of color.

We now have scoring – additional points for women owned, minority, county based businesses. Newest committee economic development committee with office of equity and racial justice means all departments need to consider these things.

Fani-Gonzalez: Tomorrow at 9:30 AM we will have a session about these very issues.

Stewart: I did this with procurement for women and minority businesses in Takoma Park and will work here.

Friedson: Work we’re already doing in the county and will continue. These disparity programs ensure that women, minorities, and disabled people are being prioritized. Procurement process added 10% bonus to local Montgomery County businesses last year.

Gigs at Home Bill

Zoom question for Jawando: Heard a proposal being considered about gig community for renting swimming pools, etc – I wondered what the reasoning was for it, I was surprised by it.

Jawando: You asked the right person I am sponsoring it. In recent years, people are already doing this. Go to swimply there are hundreds of homes you can rent.

It's not allowed or regulated but the business has started and the government has caught up.

Similarly people using yards for dogs or garages. These are day time things. I think its important to regulate it and make sure it can be used spaces and that we have controlled rules on it. We have a hearing about it and we’re going to have a robust discussion about it. Also wanted to mention last session we moved small business required from 20 to 25% and we are tracking more of them to make sure they go to women and minorities.

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Rent Stabilization and Tenant rights

Audience question in Spanish: my Spanish is OK but I believe from CASA of Gaithersburg and something related to apartments and rents. Hopefully a translation will be incoming.

When are you going to implement rent stabilization bills and the supervisors that don’t do it properly. We live in terrible conditions and the rent is going way up. The children are the real victims here. Please say yes to rent stabilization.

Fani-Gonzalez: (going to answer in Spanish and English) – On rent stabilization all of us are very concerned and I’m very sure something is coming soon.

The committee on this is the planning housing and parks committee.

The issue on inspections – people complain and county sends inspectors and they don’t always help a lot. I’ve been working with one in Twinbrook and another in Aspen Hill (AIM) with other councilmembers. We had a deputy for the department talking about this very issue with the living conditions and county not responding the way it should.

Friedson: I just wanted to note the inspections issue. Council has tried to step up in this area. Troubled properties issue we tried to pass. 100+ properties with ongoing issues.

Of the evictions and violations are in a small number of properties with horrific and chronic problems. We need to go after bad landlords. Inspections lapsed during COVID and we need to target and identify the buildings creating unsafe conditions for residents and make them get up to code and make sure everyone in county is living in safe conditions.

Jawando: On troubled properties – I lived in two of them as a kid. We need more inspections and more frequently inspections. Need to revisit the troubled properties bill because some fall off just for a little and then they aren’t looked at for a while.

We will be having a debate on rent control. The county considers 10% to be trouble eviction. We need stabilization county wide and we’re going to work hard on that.

Mink: rent stabilization extremely important and coming soon. We look forward to addressing it as soon as possible.

Recently my team canvassed with CASA the White Oak Enclave apartment. Discussing shell gas station shooter and dead body found in the building.

Building management had a hand with what happened at the gas station because they should have found that and then we’d have been able to take him into custody before the gas station. We found a lot of unpleasant issues in the building. What is the issue fundamentally? Do we have the tools to hold landlords accountable? Or do we just not use the tools? It is both. We have tools and process slows it down going through courts and other stuff for a fine that may not be high enough for a landlord to be able to care. We’re looking at other restrictions to put in place to hold landlords accountable

Airpark, M83, Clarksburg

Question from audience member from Goshen in multiple parts:

1) Concerned about CC reneging responsibility of airpark liaison committee so try to get ALC back again.

2) Lot of problems – we need transparency, lead issue.

3) Disagree with TAME – M83 has been on books since 1964. Just needs to get on. Only 5.6 miles. The builders only allowed to build Clarksburg because of M83 agreement.

4) Lots of accidents at Brink and Blunt and the council said they would add cameras and reduce speed. Big trucks are using this route and the bridge is falling apart. Feds are willing to pay a large % so lets get on it.

I will haunt you all if you get rid of M83 on the master plan!

Luedtke: I do understand your concerns and I heard them. Whether its here or BWI or anywhere community stakeholder groups are key to keep looking at these issues.

Need to consider public safety, public health, economic situation. We just had committee meeting on Airpark this week and I did support SB162 which expand MD aviation commission to include stakeholders on it. At the end of the day this is FAA issue so that’s who we need to advocate to.

Derwood Neighborhood Rehab Facility

Zoom question for Fani-Gonzalez:

Rhetorical question – Zoning and purpose – what is the reason? Protect community, safety, etc.

I live in Derwood and concerned someone has decided to turn my backyard into a drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility. Used to be an elderly age home and was converted against the wishes of the neighbors. It is now 3 properties in a row that have been turned into an enclave for this use without a hearing so far as I can find. There were no zoning changes to allow this to happen by combining the 3 properties.

Question – at what point does CC get involved. He is doing more buildings without a permit.

Fani-Gonzalez: I will look into the specifics and then can speak more on it.

Leudtke: making sure we get your contact information to follow up on this.

Albornoz: I appreciate you prefacing it with the need for drug and alcohol rehabs but will look also into this with DHHS

Aging Population

Zoom question for Albornoz: What are you looking at to make sure aging population is taken care of (and not priced out I think I may have missed some)?

Albornoz: aging group is one of the largest growing groups. Housing is the most important issues but affordability is also very important.

Need large tax incentives for those in their homes. Address issues of security and safety, make them walkable. Access to critical services.

We have a number of great services but we need to expand them and make sure they are available all over to minority and aging communities.

We also have an issue with not being able to get services inside or outside their homes. Need all hands on deck and need county to meet some of these businesses part of the way – even if we have to fund some of the gaps ourselves.

Need to prevent them from becoming in crisis. My mom took care of her parents for long time as they aged and it was incredibly hard work.

Need adult day care, and services in home. Silver Spring Aquatic and Senior center is great and need more like that in upcounty areas too.

Tenant Rights / Old Georgetown Road

Audience Question: 50 something year homeowner. Had to move out of my house and move to “The Grande” because it looked like a beautiful building and found lots of issues. Couldn’t get grants or loans to stay in home.

Formed a tenants associations that are very unhappy. I’m a lawyer you can’t negotiate or change anything in the contract or they will refused it.

So I got sick of it afterwards and formed the grande resident society to handle things. No rats but we have lots of dead mice, garage issues.

The laws in the County and State are horrible. Need laws that allow tenants to withhold rent for issues. The county may not have authority to do rent control or just cause termination because the state supersedes.

The leases we’re required to sign should not be allowed. 19 pages and one single item for landlord. The only Landlord shall is to follow county and state laws.

Mold may exist – that is on the tenant. Who is keeping the landlords in charge?

Finish question (to applause) with whose idea was it to add Bike Lanes on Old Georgetown Road?

Friedson: I’ll start as I’m familiar. Some things are within our power and some are not (just cause is currently not allowed at county level).

Rent stabilization has a lot of discussions and the troubled properties and the tools in our tool kit. There are limits – all our power comes from the state. 2700 complaints from the Enclave (that Mink discussed) which led to the new properties bill.

Old Georgetown Road was state highway association, district 16 leadership, my office because of safety concerns. There were 2 teenagers killed there.

After looking at this we added a Bike Lane and road diet more as a buffer to the sidewalk than anything after the first death. 3 years later Enzo died because a shrub was not maintained and was in the sidewalk and he went into the street.

So they decided the bike lanes. A lot of concerns have come from this and I think there is room to discuss what is the best way to do it but there is no option to do nothing.

SHA has committed to studying the impact and outcomes and added additional signs. Changes can be discussed on what can be done but not to do nothing.

Stewart: This is my district and I got your email. Good ending to the night because your question brought together all sorts of things that we discussed tonight.

I’ll just say thanks for Friedson for discussing it and add that we pushed for better signage and increased traffic enforcement because of cars turning off of the road. We’re looking forward to looking at the impact coming soon.

Closing Remarks

Lots more wanting to ask questions but they are out of time (already past 8:30 hard stop).

Will give county council information for further contact.

Back to Glass: Thanks Raskin staff for showing up on Zoom.

Thanks for all the questions on zoning and other issues we’ve been focusing. March 16th CE will introduce his budget – read it and discuss and let us know that is the next big issues.

Originally tweeted by Moderately Moco (@ModeratelyMoco) on February 16, 2023.

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