 Wednesday, February 8, 2023
I was incredibly excited to begin my Breakfast with Balcombe meetings late last month. Every Friday morning, I will be out and about in the District 2 community, chatting with constituents, meeting with local groups, and visiting small businesses and restaurants.
Breakfast with Jenny Freeman and my Deputy Chief of Staff, Craig Wilson
On January 27th, I started bright and early at Locals Farm Market in Poolesville for breakfast with community leader Valaree Dickerson. Craig and I had a fantastic - but cold - tour of a reforestation project on White Acres Farm, followed by our second breakfast with Jenny Freeman to talk about the great work of Community FarmShare.
Touring White Acres Farm in Poolesville
This past Friday, I had the honor of visiting Clopper Mill Elementary School. Clopper Mill is a Title I school and is one of the first community schools in Montgomery County. Community schools are a huge asset to their communities; they serve as hubs to bring together students, parents, and other members of the community to reduce barriers and provide essential academic, medical, and extracurricular support. These schools work with the local government and various organizations to provide resources such as tutoring, mental health support, medical clinics, safe transportation, and access to clothing and healthy food. While visiting Clopper Mill ES, I toured the school's food pantry which helps many in the Clopper Mill community. I was grateful to learn more about this incredible program and witness firsthand the good it does for the neighborhood.
It was great to spend the morning at Clopper Mill ES with principal Lawrence Chep and Amy Beal of MCPS
I attended a family forum hosted at Clarksburg High School on January 28th to address the rise of fentanyl use in our schools. We must combat the use of illicit drugs in our schools, as more students fall victim to overdoses. This forum was the first in a series that will be hosted across the county to provide resources and raise awareness.
You can find a recording of the event here and view presentation slides here.
Please let me know if you would like to join me for breakfast by emailing Councilmember.Balcombe@montgomerycountymd.gov or by calling 240-777-7960.
February is Black History Month, a time where we recognize and honor the contributions of Black Americans and the African Diaspora in our community.
Montgomery County is hosting numerous events across the county in recognition of Black History Month. The Wheaton Library is hosting an exhibit entitled “It Happened in Rockville: Remembering Two Lynchings” until the end of the month. The exhibit was put together by Montgomery History and Peerless Rockville, and will honor John Diggs-Dorsey in 1880 and Sidney Randolph who were lynched in Rockville in 1880 and 1896 respectively. George Peck, who was lynched in Poolesville in 1880, is also honored in the exhibit. I encourage everyone to visit the exhibit as a reminder of the cruelty that was commonplace just a mere 140 years ago. We must learn about the unfortunate history that took place in our county and our country at large so that we may take appropriate action to heal and prevent the mistakes of our past from repeating themselves.
You can read more about the victims here and can learn more about the exhibit here.
I encourage everyone to commemorate Black History Month by attending the various events being hosted by the County and other organizations. You can support local Black owned businesses and restaurants, join a tour of Montgomery County's Black history organized by Montgomery Parks, or attend a lecture at a local Montgomery County Public Library.
The Council's Black History Month commemoration was held on February 7th. You can watch the event on County Cable Montgomery, Facebook, and YouTube.
Economic Development (ECON) Committee
The ECON committee met for the first time on January 23rd to discuss the Office of Legislative Oversight's report "Establishing and Maintaining a Business-Friendly Environment" and 3rd quarter Montgomery County economic indicators. Our second meeting is scheduled for February 9th at 9:30AM. We will be holding a joint session with the Education and Culture committee. As the workforce development lead on the ECON committee, I am excited for our February 9th work session, which we expect to be the first in a series of joint sessions to discuss the important topic of workforce development.
You can watch Thursday's committee meeting on YouTube and can find a list of all committee hearings here.
Transportation and Environment Committee
On February 6th, the Transportation and Environment committee held a joint committee session with the Public Safety committee to discuss the Office of Legislative Oversight's report on local policing data and best practices. You can watch the committee session here and read the OLO report here.
Council Legislation
There are a number of bills currently moving through the Council.
PASSED - Bill 33-22: Capital Improvements Programs - Affordable Housing Feasibility Study - Required
Bill 5-23E: Personnel and Human Resources - Prospective Employees - Health Care Privacy
- I cosponsored this legislation which would amend rules relating to human resources and health care privacy. It would also limit inquiries and consideration by the County regarding certain health (including reproductive health) information of prospective employees.
- A public hearing on this legislation is scheduled for February 14th at 1:30PM.
- You can read more about the legislation here.
Click here for a full list of County Council legislation.
I spoke at last week's press conference on Bill 33-22.
Upcoming Public Hearings
The council held two public hearings on February 7th and a third is scheduled for February 9th. All three will allow residents to testify about the FY23-28 Capital Improvements Program.
The County Council is going to spend the next several months working on the Capital Improvements Program (CIP) and your input in this process is incredibly important. I encourage you to contact me to let me know your thoughts on the CIP.
There are a number of community announcements and events I would like to share with you.
- The County is looking to fill multiple positions on its boards, committees, and commissions. You can learn more about openings and apply for a position here.
- Applicants of diverse backgrounds, professions, genders, geography, disabilities, ethnicities, and ages are encouraged to apply.
- The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) is fast-tracking a project to replace a water main under Clopper Road. This water main has experienced multiple breaks over the past several months and must be repaired as soon as possible to enhance service and reliability. WSSC will be holding two virtual community meetings regarding the project on February 15th and February 16th at 6:30PM. You can find information on how to join the meetings here.
- Mailer from the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission: English and Spanish
- Choose Respect Montgomery is hosting a video contest to promote awareness of dating violence and abuse amongst teens. You can find more information here. Video submissions must be turned in by March 13, 2023. The first place prize is $1,000 and students can earn 10 SSL hours for their participation.
If you would like to get in touch with me regarding anything mentioned in this newsletter or any other concerns you may have, please email me at Councilmember.Balcombe@montgomerycountymd.gov or call my office at 240-777-7940.
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