MARYLAND, December 3 - For Immediate Release: Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Loudoun County agritourism tour, review of Fiscal Year 2025-2030 MCPS Capital Improvements Program and review of legislation that would align operating hours for hookah lounges and smoke and vape shops with establishments where alcohol is consumed to promote public safety

The Economic Development (ECON) Committee is conducting an agritourism tour in Loudoun County, Virginia, on Wednesday, March 13 from 9 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. The tour will include stops at Long Stone Farm in Lovettsville, Hillsboro Old Stone School in Hillsboro, and Hillsborough Vineyards and Brewery in Hillsboro.

The members of the ECON Committee include Chair Natali Fani-González and Councilmembers Marilyn Balcombe, Evan Glass and Laurie-Anne Sayles.

The Education and Culture (EC) Committee will meet on Thursday, March 14 at 9:30 a.m. to review the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025-2030 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) for Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS).

The members of the EC Committee include Chair Will Jawando and Councilmembers Gabe Albornoz and Kristin Mink.

The joint Public Safety (PS) and ECON Committee will meet at 1:30 p.m. to review Bill 3-24, Late Night Establishments, Hours of Operation.

The members of the PS Committee include Chair Sidney Katz and Councilmembers Dawn Luedtke and Mink.

More detail on each agenda item is provided below.

Montgomery County Public Schools FY25-30 Capital Improvements Program Review

Review: The EC Committee will hold its third meeting to review the FY25-30 CIP for MCPS. At this meeting, the committee will review individual projects in the proposed CIP, major capital projects, remaining countywide projects and non-recommended reduction scenarios.

At its second meeting held on Feb. 29, the committee reviewed non-recommended reductions that the chief operating officer transmitted to the Council on Feb. 13 and reviewed the countywide projects proposed in the Board of Education’s CIP. At the first meeting held on Jan. 18, the EC Committee received a briefing from about the board’s proposed CIP and the County Executive’s macro CIP assumptions and recommendations. The committee also received an update on enrollment trends, Racial Equity and Social Justice (RESJ) information and state aid for school construction assumptions.

The Board of Education’s proposed FY25-30 CIP includes 36 projects. The request total is nearly $2 billion. This level of funding is $91.8 million, or 4.8 percent, higher than the FY23-28 amended CIP of $1.91 billion. The request includes three new projects at Mill Creek Towne Elementary School, James Hubert Blake High School and Paint Branch High School. In addition, the request includes five new major capital projects at Eastern Middle School, Cold Spring Elementary School, Damascus Elementary School, Twinbrook Elementary School and Whetstone Elementary School.

The County Executive’s Recommended FY25-30 CIP has the same six-year total as the amended FY23-28 CIP, which is nearly $91.2 million lower than the board’s request. The recommended CIP for MCPS assumes undesignated cuts and deferrals with only technical changes to projects. The recommended CIP only includes macro level expenditure assumptions. The Council will need to specify these cuts and deferrals and find expenditure savings or revenue increases in the board’s proposed CIP to meet the County Executive’s spending assumptions.

Bill 3-24, Late Night Establishments - Hours of Operation

Review: The joint PS and ECON Committee will review Bill 3-24, Late Night Establishments - Hours of Operation, which would define a hookah lounge, set restrictions on the operating hours for certain late-night establishments and establish penalties for a violation. The legislation would align the hours of operation for hookah lounges, smoke shops and vape shops to mirror those for establishments where alcohol is consumed.

Bill 3-24 is intended to address public safety issues. There has been an increase in the number of arrests, police presence in central business districts and excess overtime expenditures for the Montgomery County Police Department.

The lead sponsors of Bill 3-24 are Council Vice President Kate Stewart and Councilmembers Albornoz and Glass. Councilmembers Luedtke, Katz, Fani-González, Balcombe and Council President Andrew Friedson are cosponsors of Bill 3-24.

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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: 24-097
Media Contact: Sonya Healy 240-777-7926, Benjamin Sky Brandt 240-777-7884