Future School Sites
There are currently 13 future school sites owned by the Board of Education, including the 20-acres of property on Brickyard Road.
On Tuesday, March 12, after the Almanac’s presstime, the board was scheduled to discuss and vote on a new business item called “Guidelines for Leasing, Licensing, or Using MCPA Property That is Being Held as a Future School Site.”
“Whereas, there has been litigation which has raised issues relating to leases executed by the Montgomery County Public Schools system of future school sites,” according to a memorandum written from Board Vice President Phillip Kauffman to the board, “there is a need to address policies and procedures governing the leasing, licensing, or other uses of property (land and buildings) that is being held by the Montgomery County Public Schools system as a future school site.”
The resolution to be voted on Tuesday would direct the board’s Policy Committee to examine the current guidelines and procedures and allow the Policy Committee “to make a recommendation to the Montgomery County Board of Education regarding whether any future guidelines or a policy should be adopted for guiding any decision making related to the use, lease, or license of the school system’s real property being held as a future school site.”
Budget Conferences and Public Testimony
Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett will present his recommended operating budget for FY 2014 and highlight his budget priorities at a news conference on Friday, March 15 at 10:30 a.m. at the Executive Office Building auditorium at 101 Monroe Street in Rockville.
The news conference is scheduled to be broadcast live on County Cable Montgomery. It will also be viewable on the county’s website, www.montgomerycountymd.gov/ccm.
The County Council has scheduled public hearings on the FY14 Operating Budget, the FY14 Capital Budget and amendments to FY13-18 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) and WSSC's FY14-19 CIP for April 9, 10, and 11, at 7 p.m., and April 10 and 11, at 1:30 pm.
Individuals who want to testify should call 240-777-7803 beginning March 15.
Department of Health and Human Services Director Uma Ahluwalia will brief residents on the Health and Human Services portion of the recommended budget on Wednesday, March 20.
The event will begin at 6 p.m. in the auditorium of the Children’s Resource Center, 332 West Edmonston Drive in Rockville. Free parking is available.
Overnight on the Canal
The National Park Service is expanding its Canal Quarters Interpretive Program, which allows visitors to stay overnight in a historic building for a unique interpretive experience, such as Lockhouse 22 at Pennyfield, off River Road, and Lockhouse 10 near Carderock.
The Park Service will host a meeting in Potomac at VFW Post 5633, 11511 MacArthur Blvd., next Tuesday, March 19, from 7-8:30 p.m. to solicit feedback from the community.
“The ability to allow visitors an overnight interpretive experience in a lockhouse is truly unique,” said Superintendent Kevin Brandt. “The park would like to ask the public to help explore different ways we can expand this program to other historic canal buildings and other canal stories.”
The project expansion evaluates 44 historic buildings located throughout Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park for inclusion in the Canal Quarters program. In November 2009, the park and its official non-profit partner, the C&O Canal Trust, opened Pennyfield Lockhouse in a pilot project with Lockhouse 6 and 49. In 2010, Lockhouses 10, 25, and 28 were also opened under the pilot project. Visit www.canalquarters.org.
Public comment will be gathered until April 21. Submit comments electronically at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/choh or submit written comments to: Superintendent, C&O Canal National Historical Park, 1850 Dual Highway, Suite 100, Hagerstown, MD 21740.
Strategize for Seniors
Residents are encouraged to share suggestions and ideas on the recreational and wellness programs they want to be offered in the county.
Montgomery County Recreation has rescheduled the Senior Strategy Planning public meeting (previously scheduled for March 6 but canceled due to inclement weather) for Wednesday, March 20, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver and Sargent Shriver Aquatic Center, 5900 Executive Boulevard, North Bethesda.
Call 240-777-4992.
Call 240-777-6870 or TTY 240-777-6974 or e-mail a request to rec.mainstream@montgomerycountymd.gov for accommodations.
Rustic Roads
County Executive Isiah Leggett seeks applicants to fill one vacancy on the Rustic Roads Advisory Committee for an individual who represents a civic association located in the agricultural reserve.
The Rustic Roads Advisory Committee promotes public awareness of the Rustic Roads Program, reviews and comments on the classification of rustic roads, development proposals that affect rustic roads and executive regulations and policies that may affect the program.
An application, consisting of a brief cover letter and resume, should be sent by mail to County Executive Isiah Leggett, 101 Monroe Street, 2nd Floor, Rockville, MD 20850, or by email to countyexecutive.boards@montgomerycountymd.gov by March 29.
Leggett also seeks applicants to fill two vacancies on the Commission on Landlord-Tenant Affairs, one for a landlord representative and one for a tenant representative.
Visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov/apps/exec/vacancies.