Council Committees Meet on Feb. 25

The Montgomery County Council’s Planning, Housing and Economic Development (PHED) Committee at 3 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 25, will continue its review of recommendations from the county’s Tenants Work Group regarding rules for rental properties.

The PHED Committee, which is chaired by Nancy Floreen and includes Councilmembers Marc Elrich and George Leventhal, will meet in the Third Floor Conference Room of the Council Office Building, which is located 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 will be available via streaming through the County web site at www.montgomerycountymd.gov.

The PHED Committee has held two prior worksessions to analyze the recommendations of the Tenants Work Group. Since the report was issued, County Executive Isiah Leggett has proposed enhancements to the Voluntary Rent Guidelines compliance regulations.

At 9:30 a.m. in the Seventh Floor Hearing Room, the Transportation, Infrastructure, Energy and Environment (T and E) Committee, which is chaired by Roger Berliner and includes Councilmembers Floreen and Hans Riemer, will continue to address proposed Bills 41-12 and 35-12, each of which are intended to protect the county’s trees.

 Bill 35-12 would establish procedures, standards and requirements to minimize the loss and disturbance of tree canopy as the result of development. It would provide for mitigation when the tree canopy is lost or disturbed and would establish a fund for tree canopy conservation projects.

 Bill 41-12, which is sponsored by Councilmembers Berliner and Elrich, would require certain applicants to obtain a permit for certain roadside tree activities as part of the existing right-of-way permit that the Department of Permitting Services issues. The bill also would authorize the Department of Transportation to create a tree replacement fund to pay for needed roadside trees.

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