The newest commissioner on the Montgomery County Planning Board refers to himself as “the accidental candidate” when talking about his appointment. Partap Verma, who joined the board in July, looks at this as a natural transformation from work he began after moving to the Forest Glen area in 2013. His priorities include pedestrian safety, affordable housing, and the upcoming Silver Spring master plan process.
The County Council will hold a public hearing on the draft Forest Glen/Montgomery Hills Sector Plan tonight, according to the schedule released this week. The plan covers the Georgia Avenue corridor from the edge of downtown Silver Spring at Spring Street to Dennis Avenue. It is intended to consider land use and transportation strategies, including traffic conditions and redevelopment opportunities, and make recommendations that will improve the area.
Montgomery County became the first local jurisdiction to prohibit discrimination on the basis of natural hairstyles with the passage this week of the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act. The bill, which the County Council passed unanimously, would add a definition of race to the underlying anti-discrimination law to specify that race includes “traits historically associated with race, including hair texture and protective hairstyles.”
The county has released its schedule of closings for the Veterans Day holiday on Monday, Nov. 11. All county offices, libraries and state offices and courts will be closed. The aquatic centers will be open, while the recreation and senior centers, as well as administrative offices will close.
The County Council unanimously confirmed Marcus Jones to be the county’s 17th chief of police yesterday. County Executive Marc Elrich nominated Jones, who had been serving as acting chief following Thomas Manger’s retirement in April, for the position on Oct. 21.
County police are investigating an incident that occurred on Wayne Avenue early this morning as an auto theft, according to a department press release. Officers responded at about 7:18 this morning to a report of a vehicle collision in the 300 block of Wayne, in front of the Silver Spring International Middle School.
A San Francisco company run by three men with local roots is relocating its headquarters to Silver Spring. Truebill Inc., founded in 2011 by brothers Haroon, Yahya and Idris Mokhtarzada, has taken over space in the Silver Spring Centre at 8455 Colesville Rd.
A bill to formalize community policing guidelines for the county’s police department was introduced this week by Council President Nancy Navarro (D-District 4) and Councilmember Craig Rice (D-District 2). Bill 33-19, Police – Community Policing would address “core community policing values,” diversity on the force, engagements with the community, complaints against county officers and other issues.
Councilmember Evan Glass (D-At Large) has introduced the Housing Impact Fairness Tax (Bill 34-19) that would, under certain conditions, tax new home construction following the demolition of an existing single-family home. Co-sponsored by Councilmember Will Jawando (D-At Large), the bill would earmark the new revenue for school construction and affordable housing initiatives.