Monday, February 18, 2013
Montgomery County Councilman Phil Andrews says Leggett’s pay raise proposal is 'excessive, unsustainable and irresponsible.’ Do you agree?
Montgomery County Councilman Phil Andrews is calling the pay raise agreement between County Executive Isiah Leggett and the Municipal and County Government Employees Organization (MCGEO) “excessive, unsustainable and irresponsible.” Andrews, D-Gaithersburg, who is planning to run for county executive, released a statement Friday. At issue is an agreement for fiscal 2014 and 2015 that includes provisions for 3.5 percent increment increases and 3.25 percent COLAs for most county government employees, according to information provided by a County Council spokesman. Patrick Lacefield, the county executive’s spokesman, told The Gazette that employees could not receive a step and a longevity increases but some county workers could receive either…
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Montgomery County legislators approved Tuesday a ban of smoking on most county-owned or county-leased property.
Need a cigarette break? Better be careful where you go to have that smoke. The Montgomery County Council approved Tuesday a ban of smoking on most county-owned or county-leased property. The ban was approved with the following recommended amendments from the Health and Human Services Commission: The bill will allow the Director of Health and Human Services to designate outdoor smoking areas on certain county properties. “There is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke,” Councilwoman Nancy M. Floreen (D-At large) of Garrett Park said in a statement. “We are stewards of public health. The passage of [the smoking ban] will help us to protect our residents, employees and visitors from dangerous exposure. I applaud my colleagues for…
Monday, February 11, 2013
The Montgomery County Council will meet Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. in Rockville.
The proposed smoking ban on all Montgomery County-owned property is nearing a vote as the County Council is set to hear the bill's final reading at Tuesday's meeting. Montgomery County's Health and Human Services Commission recommended the Council approve the ban with the following amendments: The full packet on the Montgomery County smoking ban is available on the County Council website. Related Coverage: Other agenda items of note include: The full agenda can be viewed on the Montgomery County Council website.
New regulations streamline licensing process.
As reported by Patch in May 2012, the Montgomery County Planning Department for the Maryland-National Park and Planning Commission proposed a zoning text amendment to ease the operation of accessory apartments by Montgomery County residents. Now, The Washington Post reports that on Tuesday, the Montgomery County Council passed regulations that will streamline the application and review process from a five- to six-month process to one that takes "about 90 to 110 days." Montgomery County's website defines accessory apartments as a "completely independent living facility with separate cooking, eating, sanitation and sleeping facilities that is either in or added to an existing single-family dwelling or in a separate accessory structure on …
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
The Montgomery County Council will decide Tuesday whether the county executive can take the land
Montgomery County Council will decide on Tuesday whether to authorize County Executive Ike Leggett's use of eminent domain to acquire land needed to extend Century Boulevard to Doresy Mill Road. Century Boulevard is of interest because it is a major vein of the proposed Corridor Cities Transitway, a 15-mile transportation system offering service between the Shady Grove Metro station and the COMSAT site in Clarksburg. The Germantown neighborhood affected by the road extension is the Cloverleaf District, one of the CCT’s stops. As of Monday, only two of the five landowners affected had agreed to give up land, according to testimony during the county council’s transportation committee meeting. Farouk Youssef, president of Cloverleaf Center …
Monday, January 28, 2013
The Montgomery County Council meets at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday in Rockville.
The Montgomery County Council will introduce an amendment to the 2013-18 Capital Improvements Program budget seeking $13.895 million for the purchase of 32 new buses for Ride On. Recommended by County Executive Ike Leggett, the project will "fund the replacement of 32 Champion buses which have had fire safety problems." A public hearing and action on the funding is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.Tuesday, Feb. 12. Background information can be viewed on the Montgomery County website. The county will also receive its first winter update from the state's Office of Intergovernmental Relations. Topics of discussion for the 12:30 p.m. meeting include: The full packet for the state legislative program discussion can be viewed on the Montgomery County …
Councilman Craig Rice, D-Dist. 2, will meet residents at BlackRock Center for the Arts today at 6 p.m.
The council’s Office of Legislative Oversight last examined the gap in 2008.
Montgomery County legislative analysts are preparing to deliver an update next month on how Montgomery County Public Schools have spent the past five years addressing the achievement gap, The Gazette reported. The County Council’s Office of Legislative Oversight is set to release the report on the performance gap between white and Asian students and their black and Hispanic classmates on Feb. 26, The Gazette reported. Click here to read the full article in The Gazette. The report will examine the school system’s progress in narrowing gaps in performance on standardized tests and on other measures, such as suspension, graduation and drop-out rates and completion of career and technology education programs, according to a council document …
Friday, January 25, 2013
Notable outcomes include county residents speaking out against a proposed smoking ban, Council cutting funding for a bus study in half, and the approval of a controversial apartment complex in Bethesda.
The Montgomery County Council met Tuesday, Jan. 22. Notable outcomes from the meeting include: County Residents Speak Out Against Proposed Smoking Ban A bill, introduced by Councilwoman Nancy M. Floreen, intending to ban smoking on any property owned or leased by county government was met with negative feedback from county residents during a public hearing, The Washington Examiner reported. One resident said the ban was comparable to making it "illegal to consume on county property food containing trans fats ... genetically modified corn snacks ... and sugary sodas more than 12 ounces," adding, "It should also be illegal to wear inadequate clothing in the wintertime," according to the report. Others testified that the ban could hurt …
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
The Montgomery County Council meets at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in Rockville.
The Montgomery County Council will hold a public hearing Tuesday on its proposal to ban smoking on any property owned or leased by county government. The proposed ban, introduced in November by Councilwoman Nancy M. Floreen, would apply to the land around recreation centers and county buildings, for example, but not bus shelters and sidewalks, The Washington Examiner reported. The full information packet for the public hearing is available online and the hearing is scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. The council will also vote on President Nancy Navarro's resolution urging the governor and state lawmakers to tighten restrictions on gun and ammunition sales. Other agenda items of note include: The County Council meets at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in …
Michael Smith
8:34 am on Friday, April 5, 2013
Yes, because no private sector people have had to suffer in a down economy. Are you serious? As a small business owner I've made less over the last four years than someone working at Mcdonalds would make. I don't have insurance, I don't have a pension, I don't have a safety net, all because of paying for YOUR salary. Government employees forget who their bosses REALLY are, they waste overtime pay… more ›