County Executive Marc Elrich will issue an order today extending the county’s stay-at-home restrictions indefinitely, while Gov. Larry Hogan eases statewide constraints. The governor announced earlier this week that the state would begin stage one of a recovery that changes the order from “stay at home” to “safer at home.” The order will be effective at 5 p.m. today, Friday, May 15.
The Taste the World of Fenton Village event will mark its 10th anniversary this weekend with a change in both format and duration due to the COVID-19 emergency. The annual celebration of the area’s small, independent restaurants and their ethnic culinary offerings will begin Sunday, May 17 and run through Saturday, May 23. It will feature take out options rather than small tastings from participating restaurants.
Montgomery Parks announced that some park amenities would reopen beginning today, May 7. The facilities that will reopen include all outdoor tennis courts.
Washington Property Company broke ground this week on what will be Silver Spring’s tallest building, a 26-story apartment tower in the Ripley District. Solaire 8200 Dixon will include 403 units, primarily one-bedroom apartments with about 100 two-bedroom units.
The County Council continues to propose and appropriate funding to provide various forms of assistance to county residents during the COVID-19 emergency. The council yesterday unanimously approved a special appropriation of $2 million to be used for emergency eviction prevention and housing stabilization programs via a short-term rental subsidy program to low- and moderate-income households.
The county has launched a new Family Violence Awareness and Prevention Campaign to focus on the available help for victims of such actions during the COVID-19 emergency. “Our community is weathering an unprecedented pandemic. With that may come added stress and anxiety,” said Police Chief Marcus Jones. “This in turn is contributing to the potential victimization of some of our most vulnerable populations, including our elderly and our children.”
The County Council voted to limit residential rent increases during the COVID-19 health emergency and for 180 days after the emergency’s expiration. Expedited Bill 18-20, the COVID-19 Renter Relief Act, prohibits landlords from increasing rents on lease renewals more than the county’s Department of Housing and Community Affairs’ rent guidelines of 2.6 percent.
The county will stop accepting applications to a program created to provide funding assistance to business during the COVID-19 emergency. Applications to the Public Health Emergency Grant program will no longer be taken after 5 p.m. Saturday, April 25.
The County Council unanimously approved another $5 million in funding for the Public Health Emergency Grant program to assist local restaurants and small retail shops during the COVID-19 emergency. The special appropriation is in addition to the $5 million reserved for those businesses as part of the original $20 million appropriation that created the program.