Montgomery County Council Meets on Sept. 16 to Celebrate African Heritage Month
MARYLAND, September 15 - For Immediate Release: Monday, September 15, 2025
Also on Sept. 16: Public hearing on the University Boulevard Corridor Plan at the Council Office Building at 7 p.m.
The Montgomery County Council will meet on Tuesday, Sept. 16 at 10 a.m. and the meeting will begin with the Council legislative session. At 11:30 a.m. the Council will host a commemoration celebrating African Heritage Month.
More detail on each agenda item is provided below.
Legislative Session
Expedited Bill 29-25, Bond Authorization
Introduction: The Council will introduce Expedited Bill 29-25, Bond Authorization, which would increase the County’s general obligation (GO) bond authorization by more than $652 million in certain public facility categories. The resolution consolidates the previously approved bond authorizations in the amended Fiscal Year (FY) 2025-2030 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) and increases the total authorization. The resolution allows the consolidated bond authorization to be issued, sold, and delivered from time to time as one or more series of bond anticipation notes.
A public hearing and vote are scheduled for Oct. 7. The lead sponsor of Expedited Bill 29-25 is the Council President, at the request of the County Executive.
Bill 18-25, Forest Conservation – Trees
Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote on Bill 18-25, Forest Conservation – Trees, which would define a solar photovoltaic facility as an area containing the footprint of ground-mounted or freestanding solar energy generation equipment that is approved by the Maryland Public Service Commission, and remove afforestation requirements for such facilities. In addition, the bill would add new categories to the priorities of forest retention, reinstate forest mitigation banks that protect existing forests and remove significant trees from Tree Save Plan requirements. The bill is needed to align the County Code with the changes made to the state’s forest conservation law.
The Transportation and Environment (TE) Committee recommends enactment with amendments to remove the phrase “measuring at least one inch caliper” from the definition of “tree,” and replace references to “mixed-income community plan” and “biohealth priority campus plan” with “expedited approval plan” to align with Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 25-03.
The lead sponsor is the Council President at the request of the Planning Board.
Bill 21-25, Taxation - Day Care and Child Care Property Tax Credit
Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote on Bill 21-25, Taxation - Day Care and Child Care Property Tax Credit, which would increase eligibility for the day care and child care property tax credit, increase the amount of the tax credit and update terminology in accordance with state law. In 1988, the County passed into law a property tax credit for improvements to real property used by day care providers to provide care for children. This year, the Maryland General Assembly expanded the permissible credit. Expedited Bill 21-25 would increase the amount of the credit to $10,000 and expand eligibility to large family child care homes in line with state law.
The lead sponsor of Bill 21-25 is Council President Kate Stewart. Councilmember Gabe Albornoz, Council Vice President Will Jawando, and Councilmembers Andrew Friedson, Sidney Katz, Evan Glass, Laurie-Anne Sayles and Dawn Luedtke are cosponsors of Bill 21-25.
The Government Operations and Fiscal Policy (GO) Committee recommends enactment.
Bill 25-25, Taxation - Payments in Lieu of Taxes - Public Housing Authorities
Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote on Bill 25-25, Taxation - Payments in Lieu of Taxes - Public Housing Authorities, which would define housing authorities, expand the automatic payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) for public housing authorities of qualifying housing developments, modify the procedural method for executive regulations and implement technical and stylistic changes.
The purpose of Bill 25-25 is to increase the housing stock in the County by expanding the existing tax abatement program for an affordable housing development owned or controlled by a public housing authority or an affiliated nonprofit entity of a public housing authority. A PILOT provides a negotiated agreement that allows the County to lower or exempt 100 percent of the costs of real property taxes in exchange for a property owner’s commitment to provide affordable housing.
The lead sponsor of Bill 25-25 is Councilmember Katz. Councilmembers Friedson and Luedtke are cosponsors of Bill 25-25. The joint Planning, Housing and Parks (PHP) and GO Committee recommends enactment with an amendment to modify the definition of “authority” so that it matches the definition under state law.
Bill 22-25, Labor Peace Agreements - Hotel Development Projects
Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote on Bill 22-25, Labor Peace Agreements - Hotel Development Projects, which would require Labor Peace Agreements (LPAs) on hotel development projects where the County is an economic participant, bringing the County in line with neighboring jurisdictions and industry norms in the hospitality and tourism sector. The purpose of the bill is to establish a general requirement that, whenever the County has a proprietary interest in a hotel development project, the employers at the project must enter into LPAs with unions. These agreements avoid strikes, lockouts and other adverse economic actions that might affect the County’s proprietary interests.
The lead sponsors of Bill 22-25 are Councilmember Natali Fani-González, Council President Stewart and Councilmember Katz. Council Vice President Jawando and Councilmembers Kristin Mink, Luedtke, Glass and Sayles are cosponsors of Bill 22-25.
The joint GO and Economic Development (ECON) Committee recommends enactment with amendments.
District Council Session
Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 25-08, Exemptions - Landscape Contractor
Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote on ZTA 25-08, Exemptions - Landscape Contractor, which would allow landscape contractors in the Rural Cluster (RC) Zone, who have expanded their footprint beyond what was otherwise permissible, to maintain their grandfathered status if the property owner returns the total square footage of onsite operations to what existed as of Oct. 30, 2014. Under the current Montgomery County Zoning Ordinance, conditional use approval is required if the total square footage of the on-site operation of a landscape contractor use in the RC Zone is expanded or enlarged. ZTA 25-08 will amend this grandfathering provision so that conditional use approval is not required unless more than one violation notice has been issued.
The lead sponsor of ZTA 25-08 is Councilmember Mink. The PHP Committee recommends approval.
Consent Calendar
Each item on the Council’s Consent Calendar can be found on the Council agenda for Tuesday, Sept. 16, which is available on the Council website.
Public Hearings
Unless otherwise noted, the Council will hold the following hybrid public hearings at 1:30 p.m. Residents can visit the Council website to learn about the multiple ways to provide testimony.
University Boulevard Corridor Plan
The Montgomery County Council will hold a public hearing on the University Boulevard Corridor Plan at 7 p.m. The public hearing will take place at the Council Office Building in Rockville.
The plan makes recommendations within an approximately three mile stretch of University Boulevard (MD 193) from the edge of East Indian Spring Drive, just south of I-495, to Amherst Avenue in Wheaton. The recommendations include a new range of residential housing options for existing detached residential properties and new infill development on larger institutional and commercial properties. The draft recommendations also focus on traffic safety, regional connectivity, environmental sustainability, corridor-focused growth, economic development and providing more housing of all types, sizes and prices to meet a variety of housing needs. The plan explores opportunities for new transit-oriented housing, bikeways and bus rapid transit, as well as the creation of complete streets with wider sidewalks, comfortable public transportation stops, and safe access.
The plan amends the approved and adopted 1989 Master Plan for the Communities of Kensington-Wheaton, 1996 Four Corners Master Plan, 2001 Kemp Mill Master Plan, and 2012 Wheaton Central Business District and Vicinity Sector Plan. More information about the University Boulevard Corridor Plan is available on the Montgomery Planning website.
This is the second of two public hearings scheduled for the University Boulevard Corridor Plan. The first public hearing was conducted on Sept. 10 at Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring. The Council received a briefing about the plan on Sept. 9. The PHP Committee is tentatively scheduled to begin its review of the plan on Sept. 29.
Interview
Interview: The Council will interview Nestor Alvarenga Palacios, who is the County Executive’s nominee for director of the Mid-County Regional Services Center. The County’s five Regional Services Centers represent the County in their respective regions by serving as a liaison between Montgomery County and its residents and businesses to provide information, identify and assess regional problems and issues, and recommend or implement solutions.
The Council 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: 25-303
Media Contact: Genevieve Kurtz 240-777-7805, Benjamin Sky Brandt 240-777-7884
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