Montgomery County Sentinel

Council Sets Record in May Legal Session

Tying up its May legislative package, the County Council Saturday passed five more bills, including one okaying issuance of $5,355,000 in bonds.
In the flurry of winding up its May session, the Council passed 28 bills and two resolutions in 12 days - an all-time record.
The resolutions, subject to a referendum next November, would lift ceilings on the pay of the County Manager and of the Councilmen.
Bills passed Saturday:
1. Require that wells, excavations and artificial ponds be covered or fenced to make them safe for children.
2. Barred home-owners or farmers from keeping up the roads in front of their homes without a permit.
3. Created a new Laytonsville fire tax area out of most of the First Election District.
4. Authorized the $5,355,000 bonds, giving the Council the ability to issue them if they are needed for capital school projects.
5. Extended the area of the Silver Spring parking lot district.
Councilmen tabled a bill to revamp the police relief and retirement fund by upping police contributions and cutting the benefits.
This came after it was learned the police had not received a copy of the proposed revamping until too late to protest.
One resolution would lift the $12,000 ceiling on the County Manager's pay, and the other would take the maximum off the $1,800 for Councilmen.
Additionally, the Councilmen tucked into that resolution a proposal to boost their pay for meetings from $20 to $30.
Councilman Grover Walker, representing the Upper County, said he thought the rate was too high, but he was overridden by his fellow Councilmen.
Here are the bills passed during the May legislative session.
No. 1-To permit publication of the annual tax duty notice in more than one newspaper.
No. 2-To add a member to the Cabin John Fire Board.
No. 3-To provide for appeals to the County Board of Appeals on rulings by the Circuit Court of Appeals.
No. 4-To provide two court reporters for Circuit Court.
No. 5-To transfer from the council to the Board of Appeals hearings on licensing of child care homes.
No. 6-To remove the limitation on the salaries of Board of Appeals members.
No. 7-To discontinue publication of the annual supplement to the County Code.
No. 8-To require that building permits comply with the Upper County subdivision regulations in the rural area.
No. 9-To permit enactment of slaughter house and factory regulatory ordinance.
No. 10-To stiffen requirements for guest registers at motels and tourist camps.
No. 11-To hike from $2.5 million to $7.5 million the maximum outstanding certificates of indebtedness for street improvements.
No. 12-To increase from 10 to 30 days in which appeals under the building code can be taken from the Department of Inspections and Licenses to the Board of Appeals.
No. 13-To extend the Montgomery Hills parking lot district.
No. 14-To permit closing of any road on payment of damages to property owners.
No. 15-To extend the Wheaton parking lot district.
No. 16-To permit appeals on matters of law from the Appeals Tax Court to Circuit Court on rulings on parking lot district tax exemptions.
No. 17-To increase the causes for which the Fire Marshal and Health Department can condemn buildings.
No. 18-To drop the requirement for public hearings on acquisition of land by gift by the county.
No. 19-To permit the passage of an ordinance regulating the sale, carrying and use of firearms in the county.
No. 20-To cancel unused road authorizations for which the county does not need.
No. 21-To authorize issuance of $250,000 in bonds for the Silver Spring parking lot area.