A vote on a bill that would add “noise cameras” to some county roadways and work sessions on the county’s Growth and Infrastructure Policies and state legislative priorities 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:
Council to vote on “noise camera” legislation
The council will vote on a proposed bill that aims to reduce vehicular noise emissions by installing “noise camera” devices throughout Montgomery County.
The bill, sponsored by council Vice President Kate Stewart (D-Dist. 4) and councilmember Natali Fani-González (D-Dist. 6) with co-sponsorship from the rest of the council, is based on state legislation passed earlier this year by the Maryland General Assembly. That legislation was sponsored by Del. Julie Palakovich Carr (D-Dist. 17), who represents Rockville and Gaithersburg and chairs the Montgomery County House delegation. The state law allows local jurisdictions to establish pilot programs to reduce excessive vehicular noise by implementing a noise abatement monitoring system, also known as noise cameras.
The noise cameras are equipped with microphones to detect and measure degrees of noise. If volume is detected at least five decibels above the standard set by the state, the camera would capture a video of the vehicle causing the noise and a citation would be sent to the vehicle’s registered owner.
If passed, the county bill would establish a pilot program deploying three noise cameras. The location of those cameras would be determined by the county police department, which would be required to notify the public about their presence and display appropriate signage. The pilot program would expire June 30, 2026, unless the General Assembly extends that deadline. The cameras could not be used by police for anything but their intended purpose, in accordance with state law.
The council’s Transportation and Environment committee and Public Safety committee each approved the legislation, indicating it is likely to pass the full council.
At a public hearing last month, speakers unanimously voiced support for the program.
Work session on the county’s Growth and Infrastructure Policies
The council will hold a work session with planning officials on proposed county Growth and Infrastructure Policies for the years 2024-2028. The policies are adopted by the council periodically to enforce the county’s Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance. The purpose of the ordinance is “synchronizing development with the availability of public facilities needed to support that development,” according to the council agenda packet.
The policies are updated every four years to ensure the tools used for evaluating the impacts of development reflect the latest growth patterns and trends in the county. The policies also help determine if the county’s public infrastructure is adequate to meet the demands of certain development. The Montgomery County Planning Board produces the policy proposal for council approval.
The 55-page proposal focuses heavily on the goals of the Thrive Montgomery 2050 plan, an update to the county’s general master plan that was adopted in 2022 and is expected to guide development for the next 30 years.
The plan focuses on topics such as where growth should occur in the county and what type of housing is needed. Other topics include what new communities should look like, how to grow arts and culture countywide, transportation networks, and the future of county parks.
“A growing, diverse community requires a mix of housing that is attainable for different income levels and household sizes. This housing must be accessible to jobs and other amenities through timely public infrastructure that also helps attract economic development and enhances environmental health and sustainability,” the proposal abstract from the Planning Board says.
The council will take a straw vote Tuesday on the elements of the policies that would impact school and transportation infrastructure.
Work session on state legislative priorities
The council will hold a work session to discuss county priorities for the 2025 Maryland General Assembly session, which begins in January. The council will review County Executive Marc Elrich’s recommendations for legislative and capital project funding priorities.
Some of Elrich’s top priorities include funding for the buildouts of Bus Rapid Transit, White Oak infrastructure, stormwater pond retrofits, North Bethesda Metro station entrance, a new transit maintenance depot, and school infrastructure projects, according to agenda documents.
