Council Committees Meet Today

The Montgomery County Council’s Health and Human Services Committee, its Government Operations and Fiscal Policy Committee and its Education Committee will meet in a rare triple-joint meeting at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 18, to discuss the employee wellness and disease management program in place for Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS).

The triple-joint committee meeting will take place in the Third Floor Hearing Room of the Council Office Building at 100 Maryland Ave. in Rockville. The meeting will be televised live by County Cable Montgomery (CCM—Cable Channel 6 on Comcast and RCN, Channel 30 on Verizon). The broadcast also will be streamed through the County Web site at www.montgomerycountymd.gov.

 The recent report from County’s Task Force on Employee Wellness and Consolidation of Agency Group Insurance Programs highlighted that in 2009, when MCPS initiated by joint wellness program, data showed that about $35 million in health care costs were due to asthma, diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease—all considered preventable and/or manageable. In fall 2010, MCPS implemented the “Well Aware” program that included health awareness/exercise components. About 5,300 of 10,000 employees participated. Outcomes included combined weight loss of 16,490 pounds and average body mass index, which started at 26.2, ending at 22.4. That moved the group from the obese category to the normal weight category.

The worksession could provide information to inspire similar programs among other groups of County employees.

At 11 a.m., the Health and Human Services Committee will meet on its own. It will hold a worksession on the health risks of smoking. The committee also will discuss proposed Executive Regulation 2-12 that would no longer require county licensing of group residential care facilities. The homes are licensed by the state, continue to be inspected by the County fire marshal and are visited regularly by case managers. County licensing was determined to be a duplication of effort and added cost to providers.

At 2 p.m. in the Seventh Floor Hearing Room, the Planning, Housing and Economic Development Committee will continue its review of the proposed 2012-16 Subdivision Staging Policy and the resolution to amend school facility payment rates.

The Staging Policy, which was formerly called the Growth Policy, sets the rules as to how the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance is to be administered at the preliminary plan (subdivision) stage of development. The 2012-16 draft staging policy recommends an entirely new Policy Area Transportation Review (which would replace the current Policy Area Mobility Review (PAMR).

The PHED Committee also will examine a proposed resolution that would amend School Facility Payment rates.

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