Public hearings on proposed state bills that would impact Montgomery County
Montgomery County’s General Assembly Delegation is scheduled to hold two public hearings this week on bills local legislators have proposed that would affect the county. Proposed bills include changes to local alcohol regulations, land-use policies and assessments for country clubs, among several others.
Bills affecting land use, zoning and the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission are scheduled to be heard Monday night at 7 p.m. at the County Council Office Building in Rockville. Alcohol-related bills are scheduled to be discussed at the 7 p.m. Wednesday night hearing at the same location.
County Council to elect new officers
The Montgomery County Council on Tuesday morning will elect a new council president and vice president. The vote is scheduled for 10 a.m. Current council Vice President Hans Riemer, an at-large member, is expected to take over the presidency from District 1 Council member Roger Berliner. District 4 Council member Nancy Navarro is expected to become vice president.
The council on Tuesday evening is scheduled to hold a 7:25 p.m. public hearing to discuss a new bill introduced by Riemer that would require developers to build 15 percent moderately priced dwelling units in new developments built in wealthy areas of the county. Current regulations require 12.5 percent of new buildings to be moderately priced dwelling units, unless a master plan requires more.
Planning Board set to approve working draft of Bicycle Master Plan
The county’s Planning Board on Thursday afternoon is scheduled to review and approve the working draft of the new Bicycle Master Plan. The long-term plan aims to recommend policies and infrastructure improvements the county can put in place to encourage bicycling in the area. A public hearing on the draft plan is scheduled for Jan. 18.
The board is also scheduled to review parts of the Elizabeth Square development project in downtown Silver Spring, where the county is planning to build a new aquatics center.
Temperatures to drop as week continues
Highs in the mid-50s are expected Monday and Tuesday, but then temperatures should cool off following Tuesday night showers, according to the National Weather Service. Wednesday is predicted to be mostly sunny with a high near 48 degrees and a low around 31. Thursday and Friday are also expected to be sunny with highs in the low 40s and nighttime lows dropping into the upper 20s.