Volume 4, Number 2                       

This Issue's Headlines

• Our Best Investments 
• Parking Ban Goes Into Effect July 1
• New Parking Rules: Frequently Asked Questions
• Fire Station 22 Opens In Germantown
• State Budget Leaves Montgomery $42 Million Short
• Getting the Most from the 2009 Stimulus Package
• Silverman Approved As Director of Economic Development
• Poolesville Volleyball Team Honored by Council
• Council Committee Votes To Retain Ride On Service
• For Your Safety, Check Your House Number
• Council Hails Middle School Principal of the Year
• 32-Year Local Veteran Tapped for County Fire Chief
• This Spring, Make Use of County Waste and Recycling Services
• Funding Available to "Rainscape" Your Property
• County Council Public Hearings Calendar
• The Road Scholar
• Vox Pops
• "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish."
• Contact Me

A Moment at the Mike

Our Best Investments

Councilmember Knapp

The County Council is currently hard at work on the county’s budget for fiscal year 2010—roughly $4 billion of your money that goes to paying for the programs, projects, and services that make our county one of the most attractive places in the nation to live and work.

How do I know this county is a great place? You told me.

The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG)—an organization I’ve had the pleasure of serving as its chairman and remain an active member of the Board of Directors—recently completed a survey of Washington area residents and learned that 77% of area residents consider the Greater Washington DC area an “excellent or good” place to live. Of the Montgomery County residents polled in the survey, a whopping 82% of you said this was a good or excellent place.

As part of the survey, residents were asked to grade the Metropolitan DC area across sixteen key performance indicators, like safe streets, well-planned growth, good jobs, and health care. What we learned is residents appreciate the region as vibrant, diverse, and interesting.

That’s all very well, but what does that mean from a budget perspective? Glad you asked—another question asked respondents to rank the same performance indicators in an order reflecting which one’s you’d be willing to pay extra taxes for. In other words, what is so important to you that you’re willing to pay more in taxes for it, if necessary?

At number three was “more good jobs for everyone who wants one,” and at number one was “higher quality public schools.”

That was really no surprise to me – but I think a good follow up question might be: what does that mean to you? How do we ensure good jobs and great education? Certainly, we can invest in solid infrastructure, such as the bricks and mortar that we use to build our schools, and invest in quality planning to design attractive communities for businesses and their employees. But what’s missing from both of those financial commitments is an investment in the most important factor of all: people.

Certainly, we’ve got an economy that at times seems to be in free fall--and even in our county, where things are still relatively stable, we’re seeing a sagging economy and stale job growth. And yet, I believe it’s more important than ever to invest in our students, our teachers, and the future of our county.

In February, I introduced two bills that mark new investments in our future. The first, which is set for passage in mid-May, is a scholarship program that would provide a four-year scholarship for Montgomery County students who agree to pursue a line of study that meets one of our county’s high-demand occupations, such as teaching, nursing, or technology. In return, graduates must agree to work in their field in the county for a certain number of years. I’m pleased to have Councilmembers Leventhal, Ervin, and Floreen as cosponsors, and Montgomery College and the Universities at Shady Grove have been incredibly helpful in working with the county to come up with an efficient process for administering the program that should keep costs down. This is an exciting new program that invests in our own, and I’m very proud of its passage.

If we’re truly committed to “good jobs for everyone who wants one,” we need to make the best use of some of the resources we already have.

I’ve also introduced another bill, aimed at increasing our investment in teacher education and training. My bill will ensure our teachers keep current on the latest developments in science, math, and technology; provide incentives to universities to provide master’s degrees programs that focus on science and math content pedagogy; and provide incentives to train AP and IB instructors. If we’re going to ask teachers to ensure our students have the best possible instruction in math and science, we need to make sure they have the best tools and training available.

Finally, if we’re truly committed to “good jobs for everyone who wants one,” we need to make the best use of some of the resources we already have. As I wrote in this piece in the Gazette, our county is an ideal location for scientific research and all the jobs that necessarily follow. Through both the private and government sectors, we currently undertake some of the most exciting research in the world—but think of the countless new jobs we could create if we could turn that research into an exciting product. At the moment, though, we’re missing the one piece that we need to transform research into new and dynamic products

What we’re missing in this quest is the presence of a major research institution—but a potential white knight is on the way. Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the nation's largest research university, has plans to develop a large parcel of land in Gaithersburg. Beyond developing the land, the county enthusiastically encourages JHU to house its own research activities there — providing the catalyst to spur the next generation of our life science cluster. In addition, the University of Maryland Biotech Institute (UMBI) is being reviewed by the university system of Maryland. This organization has served as a cornerstone of the Shady Grove Life Sciences Center  for more than 15 years.  Along with the County Executive, I recently testified in favor of the organization, and offered to work with the university system to increase research and workforce development opportunities and activities. 

Working with major institutions like JHU and the University of Maryland, we can establish a vision for how life sciences can move us into the future, based on defining our scientific activities and objectives, attracting creative and adventuresome scientists, and establishing a supportive scientific culture. 

That’s how you invest in people. That’s how you provide “good jobs for everyone who wants one.”

The Council will continue its work on the budget over the next several weeks, leading up to final approval on May 21. Come back here again in a few weeks, and I’ll let you know how we did. In the meantime, keep writing.

Regards,

Michael J. Knapp
Councilmember, District 2

Parking Ban Goes Into Effect July 1

New Law Restricts Parking of Heavy Commercial Vehicles on Public Roadways

I’m pleased to announce that on January 27, the Montgomery County Council unanimously passed Bill 27-08: Motor Vehicles and Traffic Parking Regulations Commercial Vehicles, Recreational Vehicles, and Buses. This bill, which I introduced on June 24, 2008, addresses the proliferation of these vehicles on many neighborhood streets, and in some circumstances, affecting safety on the streets because they overwhelm sightlines.

Bill 27-08 limits the parking of heavy commercial vehicles to public roads where both sides of the street are zoned for industrial use. In addition the bill prohibits parking of recreational vehicles on public roadways. The bill as originally introduced would have allowed parking of recreational vehicles in industrial zones as well. However, the bill was amended at the request of the County Executive’s Code Enforcement workgroup, which recommended the additional limitations on recreational vehicles. The bill allows recreational vehicles to be parked on a road for up to 18 hours. This exception was added so that owners can load/unload vehicles such as campers, RVs and boats.

Making roads safe for all drivers and pedestrians was the main thrust behind the legislation. Over the past five years, I have heard numerous concerns from residents that large vehicles were limiting the line of sight on roads and making it difficult to make turns on narrow neighborhood streets and endangering pedestrian safety. In addition, residents mentioned that these large vehicles are using parking that was designed to supplement parking for personal vehicles of residents in these neighborhoods, as some neighborhoods have limited parking for residents under normal circumstances

I appreciate all of the e-mails and phone calls we received on this issue. Your input was very helpful as we moved forward with the legislation.

Bill 27-08 goes into effect on July 1, 2009.  You can view a view a copy of the new law right here -- but you might find the Frequently Asked Questions below useful as well.

Councilmember Mike Knapp (in blue tie) -- with the help of County Council President Phil Andrews (center) and County Executive Isiah Leggett -- helps push Engine 722 into new quarters in Fire Station 22, formally housing the engine in the garage, and marking the formal opening of the fire station. 

Fire Station 22 officially opened on March 13 in Germantown, marking the first time the County has finished construction on a completely new fire station in more than 25 years. The last time the County opened a new fire station—Station 29 in downtown Germantown in 1981—Germantown was a community of only about 20,000. Today, Germantown has about 86,000 residents -- and until last month, it still had just one fire station. The new fire station is located on a four-acre lot at 18910 Germantown Road near the intersection with Clopper Road (Rt. 117).

This one is actually personal for me. While my home is only two miles from town center in Germantown, there are no hydrants in my neighborhood. And as I witnessed, there can be devastating consequences when the fire and rescue service does not have the right tools to do its job. In February 2002, my neighbor’s home caught fire, and I stood with them on my front yard and watched their home burn to the ground. There were lots of reasons that this happened on this particular day, but one of the most significant was lack of access to appropriate public safety resources. This should never be the case in our county. Never again.

The Germantown/Kingsview Fire Station 22 will serve a 20-square-mile area which includes homes, commercial properties and schools in the Clopper Village and Kingsview Village areas, as well as the recreation facilities at South Germantown Recreation Park.  

The new 16,000-square-foot facility features six apparatus bays, separate administrative and living spaces, private quarters and support spaces. It is staffed around the clock and houses a new engine with a staff of four, along with a basic life support ambulance and two rescue workers, and an emergency medical services duty officer. The total cost of the new one-story station was $11 million.

Take me back to the top.

Annapolis Report

State Budget Leaves Montgomery $42 Million Short

The Maryland General Assembly formally adjourned for the year on April 13, 2009, after approving a $32.3 billion budget -- a fiscal package consisting of the Budget Bill (HB 100), the Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act (HB 101), and the capital budget (HB 102). The overall budget increases spending by 3.5%, and includes $2.5 billion in federal stimulus funding for FY 2009 and FY 2010.  The final budget is approximately $866 million below the governor’s original budget request for the year.  (For my analysis of how stimulus funding will affect us here in Montgomery County, see my piece "The Reality Check is in the Mail" in last month's Open Mike.)

How does the final budget affect Montgomery County? It all depends on how you look at the numbers. Compared with the level of funding the State of Maryland provided our county last year, we’re actually receiving about 3% more in Direct State Operating Aid -- but while that number includes a nearly ten percent increase in education funding, we’ve lost nearly two-thirds of our transportation and open space funding (see chart, below).

Part of the problem is they don’t begin to reflect the amount of funding the county is supposed to receive based on existing formulas or statute. For example, the county will not receive the $8 million it is entitled to in State aid for the costs of local jails. Nor will we receive $823,000 under the targeted local health formula, or $23 million under the highway user formula. All told, the numbers add up to about $42 million the county was supposed to receive, but won’t.

When the state doesn’t provide us with the funding we expect -- in fact, are often entitled to – the county has several options, none of them ideal. We could, for instance, simply shutter programs that don’t receive funding – but one can hardly close jails or schools or libraries, or stop people from using highways. We can scale back services in these areas, for example, doing less repaving or maintenance on roads. Or we can look for ways to fill that gap, using county revenues—which would likely involve reducing expenditures somewhere else. None of those options are terribly attractive, as they all involve either reductions in or elimination of services, and the problem still remains: we’re $42 million short. 

Add it to our continuing list of budget challenges for the year!

State Aid Provided to Montgomery County
Fiscal Years 2009 and 2010

Category of Aid	FY 2009	FY 2010	Difference	% change
Education	$431,516,961	$474,399,536	$42,882,575	9.9%
Libraries	$2,609,967	$2,606,276	- $3,691	-0.1%
Montgomery College	$43,263,124	$44,285,131	$1,022,007	2.4%
Health	$4,637,969	$4,637,969	0	0.0%
Public Safety	$16,456,911	$16,456,911	0	0.0%
Transportation	$39,751,554	$14,917,305	- $24,834,249	- 62.5%
Open Space	$3,245,919	$1,109,136	- $2,136,783	- 65.8%
TOTAL	$541,482,405	$558,412,264	$16,929,859	3.1%

(Information provided by the Montgomery County Office of Intergovernmental Relations) 

Major Legislative Accomplishments
of the Montgomery County Delegation

Among the legislative accomplishments of the county's delegation in Annapolis:

• $32 million in funding for the Germantown Bioscience Center at Montgomery College, paid out over two years.
  
• Bond funding for the Olney Theatre Center and for renovations of Fallings Green at the Olney Boys and Girls Club Park.
  
• Legislation to provide Notice Protection for Tenants in Foreclosure, requiring advance notice to tenants living in foreclosed buildings to give them time to take appropriate action.
  
• Passage of two “community democracy” bills, to provide transparency in meetings and decisions of homeowner and condo associations, promoting open meetings to ensure residents have input on decisions affecting fees.
  
• WSSC Financial Oversight, creating an inspector general for the agency, charged with reducing waste, fraud and abuse.

To read the entire press release from the Montgomery County delegation, click here. 

Take me back to the top.

Getting the Most from the 2009 Stimulus Package

State, Local Tax Breaks Available for New Car Purchases, Other Items

Does it seem like the $700 billion stimulus package bailed out everyone but you? You may be surprised to know this phone-book sized legislation contains a number of provisions that can directly benefit your household, and your wallet. 

For example, taxpayers who buy a new passenger vehicle this year may be entitled to deduct state and local sales and excise taxes paid on their 2009 tax returns next year. The deduction is limited to the state and local sales and excise taxes paid on up to $49,500 of the purchase of the qualified new car, light truck, motor home, or motorcycle. 

The amount of the deduction is phased out for taxpayers whose modified gross income is between $125,000 and $135,000 for individual filers, and between $250,000 and $260,000 for joint filers. The IRS also alerted taxpayers that the vehicle must be purchased after February 16, 2009, and before January 1, 2010, to qualify for the deduction. The special deduction is available regardless of whether a taxpayer itemized deductions on their return. 

The credit decreases the cost for purchasing a vehicle by Marylanders who qualify for the credit. For example, if someone purchases a new $20,000 car with no trade-in, they will pay $1,200 in Maryland titling taxes. The average Marylander would be in the 25% federal tax bracket and save $300 on their federal taxes from this new federal law.

And that's just for starters.  More information is available on Congressman Chris Van Hollen's website, including this guidebook to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

 Take me back to the top.

Silverman Approved As Director of Economic Development

Steve Silverman

On April 21, the County Council formally approved the nomination of Steve A. Silverman of Silver Spring as Montgomery County’s newest director of the Department of Economic Development.

A member of the County Council from 1998 until 2006, and recently the director of aging, health care and special projects for the state Attorney General's Office, Silverman told the Council it was “great to be home” again. Eying the current economic landscape, Silverman noted that it was vital to “protect what we have, take our strengths to the next level and help build the tax base that makes possible our critical county programs in so many areas.”

I enthusiastically supported this nomination. In March, following the departure of the previous director, three of my colleagues and I wrote to the County Executive, urging him to fill the vacancy "at the earliest possible date,” with “a leader who has a comprehensive vision for the county's economic future and realistic strategies that will enable the county to navigate these troubled economic waters.”

As I noted at that time, the county needs strong leadership in our new Economic Development Director and urge the County Executive to appoint an individual who will be able to hit the ground running; someone who doesn't have a steep learning curve.  In Steve Silverman, I think you clearly have someone who understands how county government operates and who has chaired the Council's Planning, Housing and Economic Development Committee for four years. It will be just as critical that Silverman have the county executive's mandate to actually carry out workforce development initiatives.  I look forward to working with him.

Apart from his experience as a Councilmember and in the State office of the Attorney General, Silverman served as co-chair of the Silver Spring Redevelopment Steering Committee and as a former chairman of the Greater Silver Spring Chamber of Commerce. He earned a J.D. from the George Washington University Law School and a B.A. from American University.

Take me back to the top.

Poolesville Volleyball Team Honored by Council

Council Committee Votes To Retain Ride On Service

Full Council Supports Maintaining Bus Routes As Part of Budget

In late April, the County Council’s Transportation, Infrastructure, Energy and Environment (T&E) Committee voted to recommend that the full Council retain the current service for approximately 18 Ride On bus routes that were targeted for elimination or reduced service in County Executive Isiah Leggett’s proposed Fiscal Year 2010 operating budget. To offset the costs of retaining the bus routes, the committee recommended an increase in parking rates in the Bethesda/North Bethesda area.

The County Council has also indicated its support for the Committee's action, and has included it in the underlying FY 2010 budget that is scheduled for approval in late May.

Routes Eliminated or Reduced by the County Executive's Proposal: Eliminate weekday service on Routes 3, 7, 31, 53 and 93. Eliminate Saturday service on Routes 29, 98, L8, T2 and Z2. Eliminate Sunday service on Routes 83, L8 and T2. Discontinue weekday service on the Route 32 Woodrock Extension. Eliminate service to Fallsgrove on Route 43. Reduce frequency of Route 43 during peak periods, and Route 15 in the evening, all days (Monday through Sunday). Reduce regular evening service on weekday Routes 17, 34, 49, 57, 61 and 83; on Saturday Routes 17 and 34 and on Sunday routes 34 and 56. Certain trips will continue to operate on these routes later into evening after regular 30 minute service ends. Restructure Routes 6, 37, 18 and 25.

Committee Chair Nancy Floreen and Councilmember George Leventhal—both at large members of the Council—voted in favor of the recommendations. Councilmember Roger Berliner, whose district includes the Bethesda area, voted against the changes to the recommended budget.

In addition to recommending retention of the bus service that would have been eliminated or reduced this July, the committee also recommended restoring weekday midday service (from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.) on the Route 6 Ride On line that serves the Garrett Park area. That service was eliminated during a round of mid-year budget cuts in April. It is expected that service would be returned in September.

The Ride On service cuts would have saved approximately $2 million, but would have resulted in about 323,000 fewer riders annually. The full Council will consider the recommended changes as it moves to adopt the FY10 budget later in May.

To fund the restored bus routes, the committee recommended an increase of 25 cents per hour in all short-term spaces for public parking in the Bethesda Parking Lot District. Also recommended are increases in the long-term hourly rate, for a monthly Parking Convenience Sticker and for other associated fees. The parking fee changes include the following:

• Raising the price of all short-term spaces from 75 cents to $1 per hour
• Raising the price of long-term spaces from 50 cents to 65 cents per hour
• Raising the price of the Parking Convenience Sticker from $95 to $120 per month
• Raising the price of a two-person carpool permit from $70 to $90 per month
• Raising the price of a three-to-four-person carpool permit from $40 to $50 per month
• Raising the price of a five-plus-person carpool permit from $10 to $13 per month
• Raising the price of the Daily Parking Permit and for the Daily Maximum and a Lost Ticket in Garage 49 from $8.25 to $10.50 per day

The committee also recommended parking increases outside the Parking Lot District in the North Bethesda area. These increases would include:

• The short-term rate increasing from 60 cents to 75 cents per hour
• The long-term rate increasing from 45 cents to 50 cents per hour
• The cost of the monthly Parking Convenience Sticker increasing from $85 to $95

Another committee recommendation would increase the subsidy for the Call-’N-Ride program that supplies taxi coupons for economically disadvantaged seniors (age 67 or over) and disabled persons. The impact of those changes would be:

• An eligible person earning $14,001 to $17,000 who now pays $17.50 per coupon book per month would pay $10 in FY10. An individual can buy up to two coupon books each month. This measure could save an individual $15 per month.
• An individual earning $17,001 to $20,000 who now pays $26.25 per coupon book per month would pay $20 in FY10. This measure could save this person $12.50 per month.

Take me back to the top.

For Your Safety, Check Your House Number

Sometimes, it’s the little things you don’t even think about that can make an enormous difference. Take the numbers on your house, or in your yard, that display your address:  Are they in a place where they can be seen and, if so, are they large enough to read? If the fire department or police needed to locate your home, could they easily spot your address numbers?

County law requires that home- and property-owners display the address in Arabic numbers (that’s 1, 2, 3, and so on) that, on a house, must be at least five inches high or six inches high on a business, industrial, or multifamily structure like a condominium. Further, the numbers must be on a “contrasting background” – like white against red – and in a place that is “unobstructed and clearly readable from the street.”

Sure, it seems like a minor thing – but it’s actually an important element in ensuring public safety. If an ambulance or fire engine isn’t certain which house is yours, it can end up costing minutes – minutes you may not have.

So, while doing you're Spring cleaning this year, take a moment to stand at the curb and look at your house or business. Is your address clearly visible? Are your numbers large enough, and easy to read?Hardware stores and crafts stores often sell numbers and templates you can use for repairing or repainting numbers – sometimes it’s a simple as painting a large rock.

For reference, here's the County law regarding house numbers:

A Readable House Number? It's the Law. Sec. 22-97. Address numbers. (a) The owner of any structure presently existing or constructed in the future must display Arabic numbers designating the address assigned to the structure by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, or by the municipality in which the structure is located. Numbers must be at least five (5) inches high for single-family detached and attached residences and at least six (6) inches high for commercial, industrial or multifamily structures. However, if the numbers designating the address of a single-family residence on April 5, 1988, were at least three (3) inches high, those numbers comply with the size requirement of this section as long as they remain in place. Address displays must be posted on a contrasting background displayed in a conspicuous place that is unobstructed and clearly readable from the street named in the official address of the structure. Where a structure has more than one (1) address or where more than one (1) structure shares a common entry or driveway, numbers must designate the addresses in sequence. (b) An agency of the county must not require a permit for a sign containing only the address of a residence if the sign is smaller than a maximum size set by the county executive by regulation. (c) When a street sign is replaced or a new sign installed, the county executive must cause the address range of each street to be displayed on each street name sign the county erects or maintains. (1982 L.M.C., ch. 30,§ 1; 1988 L.M.C., ch. 33,§ 1.) Note: Section 2 of 1988 L.M.C., ch. 33, reads as follows: "Until June 1, 1989, section 22-97(a), as amended by section 1, does not apply to any single-family residence occupied before this act takes effect."

Council Hails Middle School Principal of the Year

 
The Montgomery County Council on April 14 recognized Dr. Shawn Joseph, principal of Roberto Clemente Middle School in Germantown, after he was named the 2009 Maryland Middle Level Principal of the Year. Dr. Joseph, left, will represent Maryland in the MetLife/National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) National Principal of the Year program. Under Dr. Joseph's leadership, Clemente has increased the number of Grade 8 students in Algebra or higher, from 45 percent in 2004 to 87.7 percent in 2008. Knapp congratulated Dr. Joseph and presented a proclamation on behalf of the Council.

Take me back to the top.

32-Year Local Veteran Tapped for County Fire Chief

Richard R. Bowers

Acting Fire Chief Richard R. Bowers, who has served as interim chief since October 2008 following the retirement of Thomas L. Carr, was named by the County Executive as his nominee for the new permanent Chief of the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS).  Bowers, a 32-year veteran, was nominated to the post following a nationwide search. The County Executive forwarded Bowers' name to the County Council on April 21 for the Council's final approval.

“I am humbled by the opportunity to carry out the County Executive’s pursuit of a common good by helping to create safe streets and secure neighborhoods for our residents in healthy and sustainable communities,” said Bowers. “It is extremely gratifying to work in one of the largest, internationally accredited, combination (career/volunteer) fire and rescue agencies in the United States. Montgomery County has some of the most dedicated and skilled firefighters and emergency medical personnel in the world, and I am proud of their injury and fire prevention work and their responses to more than 100,000 emergency incidents a year.”

Bowers finished first in his 1977 recruit class, and was named “Firefighter of the Year” in 1985. He is well respected by peers and possesses strong organizational, communication and customer service skills. His first initiative as Interim Fire Chief was to direct all firefighters to engage in communities as part of the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) “Safety in Our Neighborhoods” campaign. To date, 25,000 homes have been visited and about 650 smoke alarms and nearly 800 batteries have been installed or replaced.

Bowers has also helped develop and expand overall MCFRS training and education, and was instrumental in opening the MCFRS Command Development Center, a unique training facility and one of only a few in the United States.

The Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service operates with a budget of $190 million and is comprised of more than 2,000 career and volunteer personnel. There are more than 40 fire and rescue facilities, including a 56-acre training academy, a state-of-the-art communications facility, and 34 community fire and rescue stations strategically located across the County’s 495 miles which are adjacent to the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.

Take me back to the top.

This Spring, Make Use of County Waste and Recycling Services

With Spring comes Spring cleaning – which means throwing things away, mowing lawns, tidying up flower beds, and trimming back trees. That sort of cleaning generates a different kind of mess, whether it's grass clippings, tree trimmings, old newspapers, or that rusty bicycle that’s been sitting at the back of your garage for six years.

Through its trash and recycling services, the County can haul away almost anything you can get down to the curb.

When it comes time to getting rid of all the trash and random unwanted items, please don’t dump your trash along a side road or back alley. It's not just unsightly, it's against the law. Through its trash and recycling services, the County can haul away almost anything you can get down to the curb for pickup.

When it comes to disposing of aluminum foil products, cans, glass bottles and jars, or plastic bottles, containers, tubs and lids, go ahead and use your blue recycling bin. Don’t have one? Order one here.

As for those piles of newspapers, junk mail, boxes, and old magazines, you’ll be surprised at how many different kinds of paper the County recycles as part of its recycling program. Here are the paper items the county collects – just throw them in your other blue recycling bin:

• Newspapers and inserts
• Corrugated cardboard
• Cereal & other boxes (however, boxes from refrigerated and frozen foods are often shiny, due to a thin plastic coating—the county does not accept these plastic-coated boxes).
• Telephone books
• Computer & office paper
• Tissue paper (example: used to wrap gifts)
• Paperback and hardcover books
• Unwanted mail
• Magazines
• Catalogs
• All other clean and dry paper

Bulk trash is another matter. Your regular trash collector will be able to pick up most items—though if you use a private service, contact your particular provider to find out what can and cannot be picked up curbside. For the most part, however, if you have large items—like mattresses, old furniture, or even old porcelain sinks—call the county at 240-777-6410 to see if a curbside pickup can be arranged. Click here for more information, including a list of what items are accepted as bulk trash.

Scrap metal items—such as old bicycles, large appliances, even chain link fences and old refrigerators—can be picked up curbside through the county’s scrap metal service.Simply call the county customer service line at 240-777-6410 to make arrangements. For more information, including a list of acceptable items, click here.

Sometimes, however, you’ll need to get rid of stuff that can’t be picked up curbside—things like motor oil, car parts, or construction materials like fencing or concrete. While you can’t put this out for curbside pickup, you can bring it to the Solid Waste Transfer Station. For information on bringing materials to the transfer station, click here.

To arrange for scrap metal or bulk item pickup, call (240) 777-6410.

Take me back to the top.

Funding Available to "Rainscape" Your Property

The Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection Rainscapes program is seeking residential, commercial, and private institutional property owners to improve stormwater runoff conditions by installing more natural drainage projects. 

The Rainscapes Program is a voluntary program which provides the opportunity for residents and property owners to participate in the effort to improve local water quality.  These projects are designed to slow rainwater runoff and reduce the amount of stormwater entering local streams, increase groundwater supply, and reduce chemical and nutrient pollutants entering waterways.  Other environmental benefits of these projects include reduced energy consumption, and air pollution from lawn mowers, reduced water use for irrigation during droughts, and increased biodiversity in the suburban landscape.  These unique landscaping enhancements can also add value to your property.

The Rainscapes Rewards rebate program began on January 1, 2008.  Single family residential property owners may receive a financial reward of up to $1,200 per residential lot, depending on project type and actual costs.  Multi-family, commercial, and private institutional landowners may receive up to $5,000 per property. 

Financial rewards will be granted for the new installation of:

• rain gardens
• replacement of turf grass with conservation landscapings utilizing native plants
• creation of new urban tree canopy
• replacement of existing impervious cover with permeable pavers
• green roofs
• rain barrels
• cisterns
• dry wells

More information on the Rainscapes Reward program can be found here.  For general information on Rainscapes, click here.

Take me back to the top.

County Council Public Hearings Calendar

Germantown Sector Plan Considered

Don't be shy! The County Council regularly holds public hearings at which we actively seek your input, thoughts, comments, and suggestions. The policies, amendments, and legislation under consideration aren't just pieces of paper; they have a very real impact on you and the lives of your fellow citizens. For this reason, residents are always encouraged to attend the public hearings and give us your views.

Hearings are held in the Council's main meeting room on the 3rd Floor of the County Office Building at 100 Maryland Avenue in Rockville. (Click here for a map.) If you wish to testify on any of the items listed below, please call (240) 777-7931.

One more thing -- the hearing schedule can change rapidly, so always check the County Council's home page to get the most up-to-date information.

The Road Scholar

I-270 Resurfaced, Sidewalks Scheduled in Olney

Got a road that needs repairing? A traffic light that's out? Is there a street or intersection that you think needs a stop sign or crosswalk? One of my responsibilities is to make sure someone knows about it -- and to do what I can to get you information on your question or request as quickly as possible.

I stay in regular contact with the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Maryland State Highways Administration (MSHA), and provide each agency with a list of projects that need addressing in the Upcounty. Both agencies receive countless requests each week, and getting a response back can take some time. So bear with me -- if you don't see a particular project listed here, that doesn't mean it has been forgotten or neglected, but rather that I haven't received an updated report on its progress lately.

With this in mind, the Road Scholar section of The Open Mike provides an opportunity to give you the latest information I've received from DPWT, MSHA, and others on the progress of requests that have been submitted on your behalf. It's also an opportunity for you to let me know of other projects that may need to be undertaken in your community.

Maryland State Highway Administration Projects

Safety and Resurfacing Project on I-270: In early May, MSHA began work on a $10 million safety and resurfacing project along I-270 between Muddy Branch and Middlebrook Roads.  According to MSHA District Engineer Darrell B. Mobley:

"The project includes grinding and resurfacing all lanes of I-270 between Muddy Branch Road and Middlebrook Road.  Other work includes resurfacing the ramps to and from MD 117 (West Diamond Avenue), MD 124 (Montgomery Village Avenue/Quince Orchard Road) and Middlebrook Road, drain improvements, pavement markings, curb and gutter replacement, and replacement of the concrete median barrier along I-270. Northbound work will begin in May, with southbound work expected to begin mid-summer. Weather permitting the project should be complete late fall/winter 2009.

"During construction, motorists can expect single lane closures along I-270 Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., and double lane closures overnight Sunday through Thursday between 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. There will also be single lane closures in the Collector-Distributor lanes between Muddy Brnach Road and the ramp to MD 124 Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. and overnights Sunday through Thursday between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Motorists should also expect closures on the ramps to and from MD 124, Middlebrook Road, and MD 117 overnight Sunday through Thursday between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.  Detours will be posted to direct motorists to use MD 118 (Germantown Road) and MD 355 (Frederick Road). SHA will provide variable message signs, drums, and arrow boards to guide motorists through the work zone. SHA awarded the contract to R.F. Kline of Frederick, MD and F.O. Day Company Inc. of Rockville, MD."

Sidewalk Installation Along MD 97 (Olney):  Work will begin in May on installation of a 1,000-foot sidewalk along southbound MD 97 (Georgia Avenue) between Tidewater Court and Queen Elizabeth/Price Phillip Drive in Olney.  Darrell Mobley described the project to me this way:

"The $500,000 project includes installation of new ADA complaint sidewalks long southbound MD 97, as well as upgrading the pedestrian accessible signal at the intersection of MD 97 and Queen Elizabeth Drive to an audible/countdown pedestrian signal.  Other safety improvements include installation of a retaining wall, utility pole, and fire hydrants.

"Construction of the sidewalk will help pedestrians safely access nearby places of worship and shopping centers. More than 9,900 vehicles drive along MD 97 near MD 108 daily. Pedestrians currently must walk along MD 97 on the shoulder or grassy areas on the side of the road.

"Pedestrian access will be maintained on the northbound side of MD 97 while construction is underway. During construction, motorists can expect single and double lane closures along southbound MD 97 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Mondary through Friday, and double lane closures between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. overnights Sunday through Thursday.  MSHA will provide variable mesage signs, drums, and arrow board to guide motorists through the work zone. SHE awarded the contract to Ardent Company, LLC of McLean, VA."

Take me back to the top.

Vox Pops

Residents Sound Off on Buses, Police Disability, Exec Security Detail

A Note from Mike:  I receive countless phone calls, e-mails, and letters each day.  Most are passionate, many are frustrated, and a few are downright funny . . . but all of them are thoughtful and well-intended.  I think readers of The Open Mike will be interested to hear what their neighbors have to say, whether they're across the street or across the county.  With that in mind, the "Vox Pops" section of my newsletter features highlights from some of the correspondence and phone calls I've received in my office over the past weeks.

Don't Eliminate Ride On Program for Elderly, Disabled

"I feel that the proposed elimination of free Ride On trips to elderly and disabled passengers is inequitable. I am very skeptical that the elimination of these fares would provide the millions of dollars in savings supposedly projected. This suggests a phenomenal quantity of individual trips by elderly and disabled individuals, to the extent that they would be a large group on each and every bus. I believe any savings realize would be more modest than the projections.

"Senior and disabled residents are already being shouldered out of Montgomery County. The admirable low income housing plans here, assembled with so much effort, have been torn asunder by compromises and breached promises. The myriad real estate developers, who face no substantial checks or regulation here, routinely barter away their low income housing obligations with promises to build other amenities -- if memory serves, of the nature of schools, parks, highway improvements, and the like. The amount of low income housing in Montgomery County is, consequently, statistically equivalent to zero.

"I hope that the elderly and disabled of Montgomery County may meet some better fate, than being banished like vermin, and to this end, I hope that the free Ride On fares can be retained." -- David, Silver Spring

Save Bus Route 53 in Olney