Council to Receive Update on County Revenues at Tuesday Meeting

The Montgomery County Council meets Tuesday, Dec. 11 at 9:30 a.m. The Council meets in the third-floor hearing room of the Council Office Building located at 100 Maryland Avenue in Rockville. The meetings are open to the public.

The Council will be briefed on County revenues by the Department of Finance and Office of Management and Budget. The Council will vote on an expedited bill (38-18) which aims to increase public safety. Three amendments to the County Zoning laws are to be introduced (ZTA 18-12, ZTA 18-13, and ZTA 18-14) at today’s Council meeting. Tuesday’s agenda is available, here.

The meeting will be televised live by County Cable Montgomery on Cable Channels 996 (high definition) and 6 (standard definition) on Comcast; Channels 1056 (HD) and 6 (SD) on RCN; and Channel 30 on Verizon.

Also, the meeting may be watched live on the Council web site, here.

Update on County Revenues

The Council will receive a briefing on County revenues from Council, Department of Finance (DOF) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) staff. This discussion will focus on the revenue update, rather than on the possible implications for the budgets in fiscal year 2019 (FY19) and FY20. In addition to the FY19 Savings Plan discussed in the OMB memorandum, which can be found on pages 7-8 of the staff report, a discussion is scheduled for January to review the factors affecting government revenues and expenditures and the historical context of the Council’s budget decisions. Those expected to attend the Council meeting include Alex Espinosa, director of the DOF; Robert Hagedoorn, division chief for fiscal management, DOF; and David Platt, chief economist, DOF.

The Council staff report can be viewed here.

Expedited Bill 38-18, Weapons – Urban Area – Boundary

The Council is scheduled to vote on Expedited Bill 38-18, Weapons – Urban Area – Boundary. Councilmember Hans Riemer is the lead sponsor, at the request of the County Executive. Expedited Bill 38-18 would change the boundaries of the urban area that have remained the same for 20 years. The boundary change includes nine dwellings and vacant property west of Kruhm Road in Burtonsville. The discharge of firearms is prohibited in the urban area. The goal of this bill is to extend the urban area to increase public safety. An increase in the number of firearm discharges in this area has prompted this bill.

The Council staff report can be viewed here.

Key search terms for Expedited Bill 38-18 on the Council’s website include urban area, weapon discharge, and firearm discharge. #GunSafety is being used for this item on social media.

Bill 40-18, Secondhand Personal Property – Dealers – License

The Council is scheduled to introduce Bill 40-18, Secondhand Personal Property – Dealers – License. Councilmembers Andrew Friedson and Sidney Katz are the lead sponsors. Bill 40-18 would exclude certain personal property from the definition of secondhand personal property and provide that a secondhand personal property dealer license expires one year from the date of issuance. The goal of this bill is to provide that individuals and businesses that assist in coordination and marketing of estate sales are not considered secondhand personal property dealers. Its other goal is to avoid a high volume of license renewal applications at the same time each year, by providing that licenses issued under the law are valid for a period of one year.

The Council staff report can be viewed here.

Key search terms for Bill 40-18 on the Council’s website include estate sales, secondhand property, and Office of Consumer Protection. #EstateSales is being used for this item on social media.

Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 18-12, Setback Exemptions – Fences

Councilmember Hans Riemer is the lead sponsor of ZTA 18-12. This zoning measure would allow a fence up to eight feet, if it is abutting a master planned right of way for a rail line or abutting any service roads that provides access to a master plan right of way for a rail line. The goal of this zoning proposal is to protect residents’ privacy and to shield their properties from rail line facilities including the Purple Line.

The Council staff report can be viewed here.

Key search terms for ZTA 18-12 on the Council’s website include: light rail, Purple Line, and right of way. #Fences is being used for this item on social media.

Zoning Text Amendment 18-13, Regional Shopping Center Overlay Zone – Standards

Councilmember Hans Riemer is the lead sponsor of ZTA 18-13. This zoning measure would amend the Regional Shopping Center Overlay Zone. It would allow for free standing buildings used for retail sales and service, structured parking, or health clubs at a maximum height of 90 feet. The Regional Shopping Center Overlay Zone applies to Westfield Montgomery and Westfield Wheaton Malls. The general building height limit in the zone is 45 feet. The overlay zone has exceptions to that height limit for a building that includes a theater complex (90 feet), a hotel or motel (150 feet), and an apartment building or a multi-use building with residential use (150 feet). This ZTA would add to those exceptions. The goal of this zoning proposal is to allow more flexibility to use allowable density in different configurations.

The Council staff report can be viewed here.

Key search terms for ZTA 18-12 on the Council’s website include: height limits, regional shopping center, Montgomery Mall, and Wheaton Mall. #WestfieldMallHeight is being used for this item on social media.

Zoning Text Amendment 18-14, Farm Alcohol Production -Residential Zones

Councilmembers Hans Riemer and Craig Rice are the lead sponsors of ZTA 18-14. This zoning measure would amend the recently approved provisions for farm alcohol production. ZTA 18-14 also would allow tasting rooms in the RE-1 and RE-2 zones (residential estate zones, which consist of large lot residential uses) if: the site is at least 25 acres in size; and the site is in category six of the Ten-Year Water Supply and Comprehensive Sewerage Plan. Category six of the plan requires the use of a septic rather than a sewerage system. These conditions would be in addition to all other conditions applicable to accessory farm alcohol production. The goal of this zoning proposal is to expand opportunities in the agricultural and rural zones to have tasting rooms.

The Council staff report can be viewed here.

Key search terms for ZTA 18-14 on the Council’s website include residential zones, and farm alcohol production. #FarmAlcoholProduction is being used for this item on social media.

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