Activists scored a victory earlier this month when the Montgomery County Council discussed an amendment to a proposed community policing bill that would, among other things, remove language calling for an expansion of the county’s school resource officer program.
County residents would no longer be required to register their bicycles under terms of legislation introduced yesterday by the County Council. ill 2-20, Bicycles – Registration – Amendments would make registration voluntary for bicycles owned for personal use. It also would repeal county and park police authority to impound an unregistered bike.
The Montgomery County Council yesterday unanimously adopted Bill 14-19 to create a Policing Advisory Commission. The commission’s goal is to improve council oversight of the county’s police department. In addition, it’s intended to increase the community’s trust in police by advising the council on certain police matters, including best practices, policies and programs.
Councilmember Tom Hucker (D-District 5) was elected vice president of the County Council for a one-year term. Traditionally, election as vice president is a precursor to being chosen as council president the following year.
County students in grades six through 12 can win up to $750 in a contest seeking video public service announcements about the dangers of vaping. Healthy Montgomery, the county’s community health improvement program, and Montgomery County Public Schools are cosponsoring the contest as part of an anti-vaping tobacco prevention campaign in collaboration with the Department of Health and Human Services.
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 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.
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.