Montgomery County Council Committee Meetings on March 7, 2024
MARYLAND, June 3 - For Immediate Release: Wednesday, March 6, 2024
Committees will review a report on member selection for Montgomery County boards, committees and commissions; FY25-30 CIP funding for Montgomery County Public Libraries, the Public Arts Trust and Montgomery College; and an appropriation for the Clarksburg Library
The Government Operations and Fiscal Policy (GO) Committee will meet on Thursday, March 7 at 9:30 a.m. to review Office of Legislative Oversight (OLO) Report 2024-7, Contractor Study on Member Selection for Montgomery County Citizen Commissions, Committees and Boards.
The members of the GO Committee include Chair and Council Vice President Kate Stewart, Council President Andrew Friedson and Councilmember Sidney Katz.
The Education and Culture (EC) Committee will meet at 1:30 p.m. to review the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025-30 Capital Improvements Programs (CIPs) for Montgomery County Public Libraries, the Public Arts Trust and Montgomery College. In addition, the committee will review a more than $6.8 million amendment to the FY23-28 CIP and supplemental appropriation for the Clarksburg Library.
The members of the EC Committee include Chair Will Jawando and Councilmembers Gabe Albornoz and Kristin Mink.
More detail on each agenda item is provided below.
Review: The GO Committee will review OLO Report 2024-7, Contractor Study on Member Selection for Montgomery County Citizen Commissions, Committees and Boards. The report seeks to understand how members of the 92 County commissions, committees and boards are selected, the demographic composition of the bodies, members’ history of service and how to strengthen racial equity policies and practices. To complete the report, OLO contracted Arcstratta, who utilized online surveys with members and staff and conducted interviews with staff members within the County Executive Office and the Office of the County Council.
Review: The EC Committee will review the $70.2 million FY25-30 CIP for Montgomery County Public Libraries, which represents an increase of more than $25 million, or 55.5 percent, from the Approved Amended FY23-28 CIP over the six-year period. The increase is primarily due to updated cost estimates for the Clarksburg Library, moving costs for the Chevy Chase Library and Redevelopment project into the six-year period and cost increases for the Library Refurbishment Level of Effort project.
In addition, the committee will review a more than $6.8 million supplemental appropriation for the FY23-28 CIP for the the Clarksburg Library. The funds are needed to evaluate and purchase an alternate site for the library building. The proposed alternate site is located near Maryland Route 355 and Stringtown Road.
Review: The EC Committee will review the nearly $2.5 million FY25-30 CIP for the Public Arts Trust, which is the same amount over the six-year period that the trust received in prior fiscal years. The Public Arts Trust is used to incorporate art into public facilities and sponsor privately-funded temporary or permanent displays of art on public property.
Montgomery College FY25-30 CIP
Review: The EC Committee will review the more than $462 million FY23-28 CIP requested by Montgomery College, which represents an increase of more than of $122.3 million from from the amended approved FY23-28 CIP over the six-year period. The request includes three new or substantially expanded projects — $60 million for the East County Campus, $4.2 million for the Germantown Student Affairs Building Renovation and more than $72 million for the Rockville Theatre Arts Building Renovation. The request also includes cost increases to several existing projects.
The County Executive's recommended FY25-30 CIP for Montgomery College is $381 million, which includes funding for the East County Campus but does not include funding for the Rockville Theatre Arts Building Renovation. In addition, the County Executive recommends a more than $8 million current revenue affordability reconciliation. Montgomery College submitted non-recommended reductions on Feb. 9 that are consistent with the County Executive’s recommendations. These reductions would eliminate the Rockville Theatre Arts Building Renovation project and reduce funding for information technology initiatives by eliminating requested increases for information technology, network infrastructure and server operations, and student learning support systems.
The Committee meeting schedule may change from time to time. View the current Council and Committee agendas, Council staff reports and additional information on items scheduled for Council review on the Council website.
Council and committee meetings are streamed live on the Council’s web page via YouTube and on Facebook Live and can be watched on County Cable Montgomery on Xfinity/RCN 6 HD 996/1056, Fios 30, and on the CCM live stream.
Release ID: 24-088
Media Contact: Sonya Healy 240-777-7926, Benjamin Sky Brandt 240-777-7884
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