Public hearings on campaign finance, housing policy and other proposed legislative items are on the County Council’s agenda this week.
The council will meet at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in the Stella Werner Council Office Building in Rockville for its regular weekly business meeting. Here’s what to expect:
Public hearing on bill to streamline approval of affordable housing projects
The council will hold a public hearing on legislation that aims to streamline the process of approval for some affordable housing projects by eliminating a requirement in county law that the Housing Opportunities Commission must issue a public notice and hold public hearings before beginning work on new affordable housing developments.
The bill memorandum argues the commission already goes through a process to get projects approved by Montgomery Planning, in which there are multiple opportunities for public review. The legislation aims to mirror a state bill that became law this year.
The goal of the bill is to prevent delays in construction of new affordable housing developments, according to the memorandum. Council President Andrew Friedson (D-Dist. 1) and Natali Fani-González (D-Dist. 6) are sponsoring the legislation.
Public hearing on proposed campaign finance law changes
The council will hold a public hearing on a bill that would change county campaign finance law. The bill would allow candidates to retain more money following an election to pay post-election expenses. It would require limits on permissible campaign contributions to be adjusted periodically in accordance with the Consumer Price Index.
Currently, candidates can only retain $5,000 for post-election expenses. This bill would increase that limit to $10,000, citing inflation. The bill would also change the law to increase that amount every four years in accordance with the current rate of inflation.
The legislation is sponsored by council Vice President Kate Stewart (D-Dist. 4) and councilmember Evan Glass (D-At-large) and co-sponsored by Fani-González, Gabe Albornoz (D-At-large), Kristin Mink (D-Dist. 5), Marilyn Balcombe (D-Dist. 2) and Laurie-Anne Sayles (D-At-large).
Juul settlement money
The council will hold a public hearing on a resolution to transmit $2 million in Juul settlement money to Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) to purchase vape detection devices.
The funding comes from a state grant created after the Juul vape company was ordered to pay $7.5 million to the state for marketing its products to minors. According to MCPS officials, the school system plans to use the funds to install vape detectors in high school bathrooms.
Following the public hearing, the council is slated to vote on the transmission of the money.
