On a personal note: Thank you! First, thanks to all for the concern you've shown me following my recent auto accident in Burtonsville when another vehicle ran a red light and hit the vehicle in which I was a passenger. I feel blessed, because the accident was not as bad as it could have been. I'm still feeling a little soreness in my back, neck and head, and the doctor has urged me to take it easy. Still, there's much to be done. On Monday, March 16, I will release my recommended Operating Budget for the coming fiscal year. It will not surprise you to hear that the tough times in which we find ourselves will mean tough choices in the budget. You'll hear more about that in my next newsletter. Meanwhile, we continue to try and find ways to save money and help our residents who are feeling the pinch in so many ways. - top CountyStat success: overtime hours significantly reduced After just one year in operation, I'm proud to announce that our CountyStat program has helped reduce overtime hours within our public safety departments by 16 percent. Thanks to the operations of CountyStat, overtime in our public safety agencies and Department of Transportation (DOT) was reduced by 154,281 hours from calendar year 2007 to 2008. This translates to a savings of $5.3 million during that period. I commend the following for their achievements: Fire and Rescue Service decreased their overtime by 93,440 hours, which saved $3.6 million, while the Police Department dropped their overtime by 37,640 hours from the pervious year, saving $1.2 million. The Department of Correction and Rehabilitation reduced overtime by 10,541 hours, saving $96,310, and DOT's overtime hours dropped by 12,670 from one year to the next, saving $412,560. For those who may not know about CountyStat, let me briefly explain. Basically, it's an accountability and assessment process that I initiated in January 2008 to continually monitor and measure the effectiveness and efficiency of County government services. Through a series of meetings and presentations with County agencies, the program focuses on departmental performance, as well as cost-cutting measures. I patterned CountyStat after the successful CitiStat program instituted by Governor Martin O'Malley when he was mayor of Baltimore. Good government is very important in Montgomery County, and CountyStat reflects our focus on making good government better so we can provide our residents with the top-quality services they expect and deserve. - top The MontgomeryWorks program: assistance for job seekers A well-trained, talented and increasingly knowledge-based workforce has been the key to Montgomery County's economic sustainability during the ongoing fiscal crisis. While we may be somewhat more insulated than much of the country due to our proximity to the federal government, our businesses and workforce are feeling the negative effects of the national recession more and more. Now is when the County's workforce programs and services are most needed, and our Department of Economic Development (DED), through its Workforce Services Division, is working steadfastly to help the unemployed or underemployed return to work as quickly as possible. The division's two MontgomeryWorks One-Stop Career Centers in Wheaton and Gaithersburg continue to provide a range of programs and services to assist the increasing number of those being negatively affected by the national economic downturn. At the centers, job seekers can participate in innovative programs and services including job readiness workshops and training, employer recruitment services, job fairs, industry-specific events, customized training programs, programs for veterans and youth, and access to the Maryland Workforce Exchange. During 2008, MontgomeryWorks served some 12,000 individuals. In the past six months, it has seen an increase of 35 percent in total visits. To learn more about the programs, services, and resources available to assist job seekers and employers through the County's Workforce Services Division, visit www.montgomeryworks.com. - top I was proud to announce recently that the International Baccalaureate Organization (IB), a global non-profit educational foundation with more than 2,500 IB World Schools around the globe, has chosen Montgomery County for their new global center for the IB Americas region. The center will house more than 100 employees and will manage operations and assessment for 1,494 schools in 28 countries and territories. The foundation is currently looking at a variety of locations throughout the county. Education is the engine of growth for all. Our students have benefited from the rigorous IB program that arms them with the academic and social skills to contribute to a better world. We're delighted that IB has chosen Montgomery County. This significant win for Montgomery County could not have happened without our partners at the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development and Montgomery County Public Schools. This success is the result of true collaboration between education and economic development, and State and County. The center will be fully functional by June 2010. - top First in the country in agricultural preservation Montgomery County has long been a national leader and trendsetter in agricultural preservation. Now, with the recent acquisition of Drew Stabler's 75-acre Sunny Ridge Farm in the Laytonsville/Damascus area for our agricultural land preservation easement, we have reached our goal of preserving 70,000 acres of farmland through protective easements a year ahead of the 2010 deadline. In reaching our goal for farmland preservation that was set back in 1989, Montgomery County becomes home to the nation's highest percentage of preserved agricultural land. I am very proud of this tremendous accomplishment. It is one that every business and resident in Montgomery County can be proud of as well. For more information about the County's agricultural preserve program, visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov/ded and click on Agriculture (under Business Services). Changes in criminal justice policy After carefully evaluating recommendations for a change in our current policy towards handling violent offenders in the county, some of whom may be undocumented residents, I have concluded that the following should reflect our new approach on this matter: The names of all persons arrested and charged in Montgomery County for crimes of violence, as defined in the Maryland Criminal Law Code Section 14-101, or for wearing, carrying, or transporting a handgun (Maryland Criminal Law Code Section 4-203) will be forwarded to the Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). As has been our practice, Montgomery County police will not conduct immigration status investigations. Our police will not differentiate among the violent offenders falling into this new policy when charged. They will report the names of all those arrested and charged for these offenses to ICE. My understanding is that this new procedure will forward, on average, about three names per day. This new policy can assist the County in helping to keep violent offenders off the streets without our officers becoming federal immigration police or crossing the line into “profiling” individuals based on their race or ethnicity. I strongly believe that local jurisdictions such as Montgomery County should not substitute their law enforcement efforts for what can only be described as a failure of the federal government to achieve a workable immigration policy. I realize that some in our community may think that this new approach goes too far; others may conclude that it does not go far enough. I believe it is balanced and realistic, given our highly diverse community of nearly one million residents. There is no doubt that the immigration issue is a thorny one on many fronts. The immigration system is broken, and we need common-sense solutions from Congress that are fair and realistic. Until that happens, communities such as Montgomery County find themselves in a difficult situation on a range of issues. It is my responsibility to keep our diverse communities as safe as they can be for all of our residents. These changes, taken together, will help us advance that goal. - top The recommended Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 Capital Budget and proposed amendments to the FY 09-14 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) that I presented recently to the County Council recognize the serious budget constraints facing the County. Currently, Montgomery County faces at least a $450 million gap in the FY 2010 operating budget for the fiscal year that begins this July 1. This capital budget shifts $30 million in PAYGO (Pay-As-You-Go funding using current revenue) for use in my recommended Operating Budget, to be released March 15. I also made recommendations consistent with my top priorities such as education, health and human services, affordable housing, an effective and efficient transportation network, safe streets and secure neighborhoods, and a responsive, accountable County government. Montgomery County, the state of Maryland, and the country are all facing unprecedented budgetary challenges, and my administration is scrutinizing every dollar currently allocated in the Capital Improvements Program (CIP) budget to ensure that resources are spent on our most critical capital needs. By reexamining project schedules, we will make resources available from existing projects -- without significant delays. I'll work aggressively with the County's delegations to pursue both state and federal aid in support of our capital program. Depending on the outcome of the current state legislative session, we may be forced to revisit these recommendations. To view the FY2010 Capital Budget and proposed amendments to the FY09-14 CIP, visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov click on Departments, then Office of Management and Budget. - top Climate Protection Plan among most innovative in country The Montgomery County Sustainability Working Group (SWG), representing a diverse group of business, government, and environmental activists, recently presented its climate protection report to me and the County Council that includes recommended measures that are among the boldest and most innovative in the nation. The report recommends 58 actions that can be implemented effectively to meet the County's goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050. Congratulations to the Sustainability Working Group, which in four short months created an action plan that outlines specific, concrete steps that will help us achieve a sustainable future. Montgomery County is facing a daunting financial situation, but we must find a way to invest in more sustainable economic and environmental choices that will actually save us money and improve our quality of life. That's why I'll carefully study the recommendations and develop, with the help of the Working Group, an implementation plan that meets our current and future needs. The plan offers recommendations in seven areas: renewable energy; residential building energy efficiency; commercial, multi-family and public building energy efficiency; transportation; forestry and agriculture; long-term planning, and education and outreach. It promotes clean energy such as wind and solar power; encourages green economic development to spur economic growth and increase jobs; calls for more emphasis on developing and building communities where people can live within walking and biking distance of public transportation and retail stores; promotes rapid transit buses, light rail, and subways; and calls for stepping up tree-planting efforts and conservation of existing trees and open/green spaces in the county. You can view the complete Montgomery County report online at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/dep or for more information, call 240-777-7700. - top I was pleased to be able to recently recognize and pay tribute to some ordinary residents, who, by their selfless and heroic actions, performed extraordinary feats that most certainly saved lives. They put aside their own safety to come to the rescue of their neighbors. Here, briefly, are their stories: On July 26, Montgomery County Police Officer Shon Barr responded to a serious one- car crash that occurred near Clarksburg. The vehicle was fully engulfed in flames. The injured driver had been pulled from the vehicle by off-duty ECC operator Lois Kinder, a Damascus resident, with the help of two passersby from Silver Spring, Jose Luis Romero-Hernandez and Erik Villatoro. They provided first aid until fire and rescue crews arrived. Firefighters believe that the actions of these individuals averted a fatality. Faulty wiring in a hot tub located at the back of a Bethesda home caused a fire December 3 that trapped two-year-old triplets sleeping in an upstairs bedroom. The father had been working in an upstairs office when the nanny alerted other occupants after finding smoke coming from the hot tub. The father went downstairs thinking that the fire was next door. Seeing the smoke, he immediately called 911 and sprayed the fire with a garden hose. He attempted to re-enter the house, but the extreme heat and thickening smoke prevented him from getting in to retrieve the children. Captain Kimonti Ogelsby from Glen Echo Station arrived on the scene and was immediately confronted by the soot-covered father who told him the triplets were still upstairs in their cribs. Without hesitation, Captain Ogelsby and another firefighter from Engine 711 entered the home. Meanwhile, two members of Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad 741, firefighters John Klavon and Lieutenant Curtis Warfield, entered the house in search of the children. While Captain Ogelsby and others were suppressing the fire, Klavon and Warfield located the children still in their cribs and retrieved two of the three. Crews from Engine 706 and Engine 750 then entered the structure and, seeing only two of the three victims being removed, firefighter Jody Sealey from Engine 750 and Captain Oglesby went back upstairs and quickly removed the third child. On December 6, Comcast employee Jorge Rivera was driving to an appointment when he saw a fire in the White Oak Gardens apartment complex. Occupants trapped inside the building were screaming for help. Rivera quickly pulled over, removed the 28-foot ladder off his truck, placed it against the building, and climbed up to rescue a father and his 10- and 12-year-old sons. When firefighters arrived, Rivera and other bystanders were assisting at least four occupants trapped on the second and third floors. Firefighters believe that the direct actions of Rivera contributed to the safe removal of at least three occupants from the top floor. On December 12, a 50-year-old male went into cardiac arrest while playing pick up basketball at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School gymnasium. A 911 call was made, and instructions were given by Master Firefighter Bill Macuch to the caller, while others began CPR and utilized the on-site automatic external defibrillator (AED). Fire and rescue units from Chevy Chase, Bethesda and Bethesda Chevy Chase rescue squads were dispatched and continued CPR. After about a minute, the patient was reassessed and found to have a pulse. The patient regained consciousness, began to breathe on his own and was transported to Suburban Hospital in stable, but critical, condition. In addition to Firefighter Macuch, others recognized for their life-saving actions were Mark Hesselberg, Ritchie Davis, Andrew Moylan, Stephen Taylor, Rubin Ripley, Charles Limerick, Daniel Ratner, Jeffrey Graves, Richard Greenberg, Peter Baker, Chris Cannan, Len Davidson, and Lascells Samuels (MCPS custodian on scene). - top On February 11, I hosted another in a series of Town Hall Meetings designed to give residents an opportunity to speak with me one-on-one about topics of interest. This latest meeting was held at White Oak Middle School in Silver Spring, with close to 200 residents attending. A wide range of topics was raised -- from immigration issues to concerns about parking commercial and recreational vehicles in local neighborhoods. Several residents expressed support for Senator Raskin's bill that addresses roadside solicitations. Montgomery County's upcoming operating budget was on the minds of several residents, one of whom came to convey support for local libraries and another who hoped funding would not be cut for a local non-profit that serves the needs of the developmentally disabled community. These town hall meetings are an excellent way for me to listen to and talk with residents around the county, and I thank all who came out for the White Oak meeting. - top We've reached thousands through Town Hall Meetings, Online Chats and Call In Shows with the Council presidents. Continuing this tradition, I'm pleased to announce that Council President Phil Andrews and I will be hosting three Call in Shows in the year ahead, on the following dates:
We'll take your calls at 240-777-6540 between 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. on those dates. Each of the shows will be televised live on County Cable Montgomery (CCM) which is found on Channel 6 for Comcast and RCN subscribers and on Channel 30 for Verizon subscribers. - top I have also scheduled four online chats for the coming year which will allow you to submit questions in advance or during the chat. The chats will take place - between noon and 1 p.m. - according to the following schedule: April 22, June 10, September 23 and November 18. I encourage you to mark your calendars and share your comments and concerns with me through any of these outreach efforts. - top |