tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89537733266633581632024-03-08T10:11:23.088-08:00Starting With The SocksA Blog By Montgomery County Councilmember Mike Knapp</br>
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"Success begins from the ground up. It never bothered me to be chided over my commitment to doing the little thing right. Make sure that you and your team put their 'socks' on in the correct manner."</br>-- John Wooden, <i>On Leadership</i>Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08333238196639861367noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953773326663358163.post-34487968607008789742010-02-01T11:31:00.000-08:002010-02-01T11:33:30.066-08:00A Modest (Budget) Proposal<em>The following is an op-ed I submitted to the Gazette. It was published in the January 27 edition.</em><br /><br />While the economy may indeed be recovering, it sure doesn’t feel that way for most of our county residents or government. Jurisdictions across the country are facing staggering budget shortfalls—and Montgomery County is no exception. As a result of declining revenue, the County is looking at a budget deficit as high as $600 million.<br /><br />Montgomery County has never seen a shortfall of this magnitude, even during the rough 1992 recession. Consequently, we’re already implementing a second set of mid-year reductions to County services. Next year looks even worse. We can solve our problems, as difficult as they are, if we’re willing to do things differently.<br /><br />As we begin working on next year’s budget, I’m reminded of Albert Einstein’s admonition that you can’t keep doing the same thing over and over again and expect a different result. With that in mind, we can’t possibly address such an unprecedented fiscal crisis by traveling the same course and expect to solve our problem.<br /><br />For this reason, I’m proposing to do something we’ve never done before: work in the same room—from the beginning—on the budget. <br /><br />The current process doesn’t encourage such cooperation. The County Charter says the County Executive submits a budget to the Council based on his own numbers, assumptions and priorities. The Council then crafts a budget reflecting its numbers, assumptions and priorities. Essentially, you’re working with two different budgets. In ordinary times, this convoluted approach works well enough to assemble a fairly reasonable budget, though historically it results in spending more money than the previous year. But these are not ordinary times—we actually have to reduce spending.<br /><br />We must do all we can to minimize the damage severe reductions will have on vital services. You can’t simply ask every department or agency head to cut 10 or 15 percent from their individual budgets and expect things to work. Under my recommendation, we would all work together to develop a budget. The County Council, County Executive, Board of Education, the Superintendent of Schools, employee and union representatives, and the heads of our various government departments should sit down in the same room to first determine the magnitude of the problem we’re trying to solve. Once we all know, and agree on, the actual deficit, we can work to figure out how to close it. Only then we can have an honest conversation about spending priorities, including which programs and services might be reduced or eliminated.<br /><br />This isn’t a gimmick, and it’s not an opportunity to score political points—we will be working together to make the “least bad” choices, which still won’t be popular. It is an opportunity to first tackle an enormous math problem and it then offers a chance to discuss real policy—and people—implications of shaping the equation. And for the first time, we won’t be working from two different budgets, but from the same one—a novel, but practical, approach. By working together, across government, we ensure that all of government is represented and that all stakeholders are contributing to understanding and solving our budget problems. In the end, the budget should not be something that’s done to any particular agency. Instead, it’s done with our agencies, to protect vital services, fund what is essential, and provide, to the extent possible, the services that residents need the most.<br /><br />During difficult times we all say we can solve problems by working together. This year let’s not just say it. Let’s all get in the same room and do it.Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08333238196639861367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953773326663358163.post-6396126482753909802009-12-17T08:28:00.000-08:002009-12-17T08:31:48.025-08:00Letters to the Editor: Code EnforcementHere's a copy of my letter to the editor of <em>The Gazette</em>, which appeared in the December 16 issue:<br /><br /><strong>Council has already begun to address code enforcement<br /></strong><br />I appreciate The Gazette's explanation of the Code Enforcement legislation ("Code enforcement clog," Dec. 2) that the Montgomery County Council is currently considering. As you mention, the council has been left with the task of determining how to balance a neighborhood's deep-rooted concepts of what is acceptable with the property rights of others.<br /><br />However, I would ask that you bear with me while I take a moment to further clarify one point from [a] Nov. 25 article, "Leggett blasts council for slow response on code enforcement."<br /><br />It seems that the biggest problem that has been identified in both [that] article and County Executive [Ike] Leggett's press conference that led to the story is a problem that has already been resolved: on-street commercial vehicle parking. [The article] begins by stating Ms. Marilyn Piety's concerns with large trucks parking on the narrow streets of her Silver Spring neighborhood.<br /><br />As you may recall, I introduced Bill 27-08 in June of 2008. That bill, which was passed in January and took effect on July 1, 2009, prohibits the parking of heavy commercial vehicles in residential neighborhoods. None of the remaining code enforcement bills relate to this issue. I would urge Ms. Piety, and others with similar concerns, to contact their local Montgomery County police district, as the police are responsible for enforcing this legislation.<br /><br />I appreciate the county executive's concern and am pleased that we have already addressed what seems to be the most immediate issue for affected communities. The remaining pieces of the code enforcement legislation have wide-reaching effects, and as <em>The Gazette</em> rightly pointed out, they deserve careful, thorough consideration.<br /><br />Mike Knapp, Germantown<br /><br /><em>The writer is member of the County Council and chairman of the Planning, Housing and Economic Development Committee, which oversees code enforcement issues.</em>Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08333238196639861367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953773326663358163.post-60564356488883942412009-10-15T08:20:00.000-07:002009-10-15T08:28:32.879-07:00Full Text of the Knapp Resolution to Create an Ad-Hoc Water Quality Working Group<div align="left">On Tuesday, October 13, the County Council unanimously supported the resolution I introduced to create an Ad Hoc Water Quality Working Group to look at water quality issues under the Clarksburg Master Plan. Here's the full text of the resolution, as approved by the County Council:</div><div align="left"></div><div align="right"><br /><strong>Resolution No.:</strong> 16-1149<br /><strong>Introduced:</strong> October 6, 2009<br /><strong>Adopted:</strong> October 13, 2009</div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center">COUNTY COUNCIL<br />FOR MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MARYLAND<br /><hr /><br />By: Councilmembers Mike Knapp, Nancy Floreen, George Leventhal, Duchy Trachtenberg, Marc Elrich, and Roger Berliner<br /><hr /><br /></div><div align="left">Subject: Ad Hoc Water Quality Working Group<br /><br /><br /><strong>Background</strong><br /><br />1. The Clarksburg Master Plan, approved by the County Council in 1994, established four stages of development. The Plan mandated that certain criteria must be met before development could proceed to the next stage. Currently, all of the triggers required to advance Stage 4 have been met. One final requirement is a Council evaluation of the water quality results of Best Management Practices (BMPs) in the area.<br /><br />2. On January 26, 2009, the County Executive released the 2007 Special Protection Area Annual Report. The Report presented early monitoring results indicating that there have been detrimental impacts to the biological health of the streams in Clarksburg. However, the Report’s information was based on 2007 data collected before much of the stormwater management infrastructure planned for Clarksburg has been constructed. Therefore, the true stormwater impact of potential development is not complete.<br /><br />3. The Master Plan offers four options for the Council to consider as the final step after its evaluation: grant water and sewer category changes without limits on property owners; grant water and sewer category changes with certain conditions to protect Ten Mile Creek; consider other land use actions; or defer action on a Water and Sewer Plan category change pending further consideration.<br /><br />4. In addition to considering the well-documented importance of impervious surfaces for maintaining water quality protection, the Council would benefit from an update on many new and pending regulations and initiatives for improved sediment control and stormwater management and their potential to improve development standards for water quality in Clarksburg. For instance, regulations resulting from the Maryland Storm Water Act of 2007 will apply to all new development that does not have final grading and stormwater construction plans approved before May 2010. Projects without their final approval may be redesigned to meet the new standards which could result in a significant decrease in impervious surface. The County’s Department of Environmental Protection is completing its draft of the Storm Water Management Law, Chapter 9, as required by the State which will base the new requirements on “environmentally sensitive design”. One new aspect of the law will reduce runoff by requiring many smaller basins causing the water to infiltrate into the soil rather than become concentrated in large ponds. </div><div align="left"><br />5. There are many other initiatives that will impact the construction industry to be reviewed as to their effect on water quality. MDE is in the process of updating the Revisions to Erosion and Sediment Control Standards and expects to complete this by December 31, 2009. The recent changes to National Pollution Discharge Elimination System Permit Requirements for Construction Activity, effective July 13, 2009 will also have a positive impact. In addition, at the federal level the Environmental Protection Agency’s Creation of Effluent Limit Guidelines and the Development of the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load are being developed.<br /><br />6. These new and pending changes to the overall stormwater management and water quality requirements should be studied and reviewed as to their potential to improve development standards for water quality in Clarksburg.<br /><br />7. Since the approval of the 1994 Clarksburg Master Plan, Montgomery County has gained experience in protecting streams using land cover requirements, including limiting impervious surfaces and maintaining riparian and upland forest cover, in the Upper Paint Branch and Upper Rock Creek Special Protection Areas and in the Sandy Spring/Ashton Rural Neighborhood Cluster Zone in Upper Northwest Branch. Key to the establishment of these land-cover-based watershed protection approaches was the County’s recognition of the importance of headwater stream systems. These systems provide the foundation for a stable flow of water, including through maintenance of groundwater recharge levels.<br /><br />8. A Working Group that would collect information on all new and pending State and Federal regulations regarding water quality, stormwater management, and sediment control; analyze how these new requirements could impact future development in Clarksburg, especially in Stage 4; and seek input from Clarksburg stakeholders as to the methods they propose for minimizing development impacts on water quality in the Ten Mile watershed would help the Council determine steps necessary to preserve water quality in Stage 4.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Action<br /></strong><br />The County Council for Montgomery County, Maryland approves the following resolution:<br /><br />The Council will appoint an Ad Hoc Water Quality Working Group and direct the Working Group to issue its report and recommendations by February 1, 2010.<br /><br />The Council intends to review the report of the Ad Hoc Water Quality Working Group.<br /><br />The Council intends to defer any Water and Sewer Plan category change related to Stage 4 in Clarksburg until after it has reviewed the Working Group’s report.<br /><br /><br />This is a correct copy of Council action.<br /></div><div align="left">(Signed)</div><div align="left">Linda M. Lauer, Clerk of the Council</div>Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08333238196639861367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953773326663358163.post-82549366115999631952009-10-13T10:13:00.000-07:002009-10-13T10:24:02.730-07:00Testimony Regarding the Proposed Frederick County Church<div align="left">As you may have read in articles like <a href="http://www.gazette.net/stories/10132009/montnew112419_32574.shtml">this one</a>, there is currently before the Frederick County Planning Commission a proposal for a 138,000 square foot church in Frederick County. This church would have an impact on our county, as it lies just over the Montgomery County line and therefore much of the access to the facility will be through our county.</div><div align="left"><br />The Frederick County Planning Commission is meeting on Wednesday, October 14 to discuss the matter. I've submitted the following testimony for the record:</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><strong>TESTIMONY OF COUNCILMEMBER MIKE KNAPP</strong></div><div align="center"><strong>BEFORE THE</strong></div><div align="center"><strong>FREDERICK COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION<br />OCTOBER 14, 2009</strong></div><br />Madam Chairman, Members of the Frederick County Planning Commission, Ladies and Gentlemen, I appreciate your allowing me the opportunity to provide you with testimony on this proposed project. As you know, the application before you has an impact not only on Frederick County, but on the Upcounty region of Montgomery County that I represent.<br /><br />Let me say first that I understand the issues this application poses for you. Over the years, Montgomery County has struggled when beneficial but large Private Institutional Facilities (PIFs) have applied to locate in our Agricultural Preserve. In the past, these PIFs had been given greater flexibility for development. However, over the past ten years, Montgomery County began to realize that we had a problem of two community interests, agriculture and institutional development, competing to use the same land.<br /><br />There is very limited public water and sewer service in our Agricultural Preserve, and one way the County Council decided to protect our rural land and the wells in the area was by limiting water and sewer service to support a PIF on land zoned Rural Density Transfer (RDT). As part of our 2003 – 2012 Comprehensive Water Supply and Sewerage Systems Plan Amendment, the Montgomery County Council voted to prevent publicly-funded support for community service to PIFS and to prohibit community water and sewer service to PIFs in the RDT.<br /><br />In addition, in 2005, the Council limited any multi-use sewerage system in the RDT to 4,999 gallons per day. This was done in an effort to ensure that development of PIFs in a rural and agricultural area was kept in a scale appropriate to the area.<br /><br />One additional issue that has come to our attention regarding the current application before you came from our Fire and Rescue officials. The roads in the part of Montgomery County leading to this facility are narrow. With only one road leading directly into this proposed facility, it is imperative that you consider the safety element should there be an incident.<br /><br />In spite of the benefits that organizations such as Global Mission Church might bring, when weighed against the potential adverse impacts of this large-scale proposal on a rural community with narrow roads, reliance on well water, and the need to protect its agricultural land, this project raises very serious concerns for me. I hope you will carefully consider how this facility will impact this area and that you will make your decision with great caution and thoroughness.<br /><br />I appreciate the opportunity to make you aware of our concerns.Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08333238196639861367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953773326663358163.post-37918842178025189762009-10-12T06:51:00.000-07:002009-10-12T06:55:00.024-07:00A Life Sciences and Technology Economic Development Strategy for Montgomery County<strong><em>Overview </em></strong><br /><br />As the nation begins its emergence from the most difficult economic downturn in 70 years, Montgomery County has the potential to lead the coming economic resurgence with a focus on innovation opportunities for the knowledge economy. However, this leadership role will require that we take clear and decisive steps to build upon the technology assets that exist in our County. As in the past, a part of our County’s strategy must include appropriate land use designations and incentives. However, we must look further than land use. We must recognize that other jurisdictions have also been successful following our lead in developing strong programs to identify emerging technologies and create new business opportunities. We must do more.<br /><br />In the mid-1980’s Montgomery County made a strategic decision to establish the Shady Grove Life Sciences Center which was the first location in the nation zoned exclusively for life sciences. In the coming weeks, the County Council will begin its review and revisions to the Gaithersburg West Master Plan and the White Flint Master Plan. Simultaneous to this, it is imperative that the County also establish the economic development framework that will not only help make these land-use plans successful, but more importantly, establish the framework for our County’s broader economic growth.<br /><br />There can be many elements to an economic development strategy, but following is an outline of key components to reinvigorate our County’s efforts in the life sciences and emerging technology arena. There will be recommendations coming from the County’s Life Sciences Task Force sometime later this year. Those recommendations will supplement/complement these concepts to make an even more dynamic economic development strategy.<br /><br />These 10 elements can establish a pipeline to provide access to new technologies, creating synergies between federal labs and academic research to make these technologies more robust, establish commercial opportunities for these new technologies, provide space and a location for new companies, and enhance a workforce to allow these new companies to grow locally. There are a number of ways to achieve these objectives, but it is vitally important that we establish this strategy in order for the Gaithersburg West Master Plan or any other land use plan focused on economic development to be successful. I look forward to working with my colleagues on the County Council and with the County Executive to achieve economic prosperity for today and generations to come.<br /><br /><strong><em>Build Upon Existing County Assets<br /></em></strong><br /><strong>(1) Establish Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) for partnerships to increase academic research</strong> – Montgomery County is unique for counties of its size and wealth in that it is not home to a major academic institution. Fortunately, there are efforts underway within the University System of Maryland at the Universities at Shady Grove to increase academic programs and particularly, academic research. Johns Hopkins University has an emerging academic presence and, as the owner of one of the largest parcels in the Gaithersburg West Master Plan, has the opportunity to increase its world-renowned research in the county. It is critical in the coming months that the County seeks to establish memoranda of understanding that outline how the County and these institutions will partner to establish a long-term plan for academic research growth.<br /><br /><strong>(2) Work to refine federal conflict of interest requirements –</strong> One of the most significant aspects for the success of the technology industries in California and Massachusetts is the transfer of technology and ideas from researchers in some of the nation’s leading research institutions like MIT, Harvard and Stanford who are funded in part by the federal government. Montgomery County has a number of institutions that rival these fine institutions, yet we don’t see the same number of new businesses being formed. Part of the reason for this is the conflict of interest requirements placed upon researchers in federal institutions. Clearly there must be guidelines to ensure that the taxpayers receive the financial benefit of federally-funded research, but we must come up with a better way to ensure that breakthrough technologies are developed commercially and made available to improve the human condition. We must work quickly and diligently with our federal representatives to strike the appropriate balance that allows for this to occur.<br /><br /><strong>(3) Establish strategic partnerships with federal labs</strong> – While Montgomery County is home to numerous federal labs including the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology to name a few, there are no broad-based partnerships in place to aid ongoing research activities or for the commercialization of technologies. Other jurisdictions with federal research institutions have established strategic relationships to accomplish similar objectives that benefit local economies and help achieve the research institution’s federal mandate and mission.<br /><br /><strong><em>Implement Economic Development Initiatives<br /></em></strong><br /><strong>(4) Develop a plan for attracting/allocating life science/technology firms at the county’s signature sites (White Oak, Shady Grove, Germantown, Bethesda, Silver Spring)</strong> – The County has a number of attractive land use initiatives underway that provide unique opportunities for attracting new technology firms and locating emerging firms. Each of these areas provides different qualities for different types of organizations. For example, the FDA expansion at White Oak provides a location for regulatory affairs organizations, but as the era of personalized medicine becomes more of reality it will be important for many life science firms to be located near the FDA in order to keep up with evolving technologies and regulations. The County must assess the types of opportunities that exist at each of these locations and work with property owners and businesses to establish a process that locates firms in the best locations for their needs.<br /><br /><strong>(5) Establish a technology pipeline with federal labs and county incubators</strong> – One of the most significant elements to Montgomery County’s success in the life sciences has been the number of federal scientists who wanted to start companies and didn’t want to leave the area. As a result, Montgomery County is home to MedImmune, HGS and the JC Venter Institute. Montgomery County has a strong incubator program that can be leveraged in conjunction with the federal labs to provide the space to start the next generation of companies with local scientists. Working in conjunction with our federal institutions we can continue to retain this international expertise residing in our local jurisdictions, as well as find ways to encourage those scientists to turn their research into science the general public can use.<br /><br /><strong>(6) Establish a local biotechnology tax credit</strong> – Maryland State Delegate Brian Feldman of Montgomery County sponsored legislation three years ago that established a statewide biotechnology tax credit that has been an incredibly successful program, resulting in companies waiting in lines overnight to apply. The Council should establish a similar local biotech tax credit in the coming year.<br /><br /><strong>(7) Re-introduce a green tape approval process for qualified technology firms</strong> – In the 1980’s and 1990’s, the County utilized a “green tape” approval process for life science firms in an effort to make the establishment and/or expansion of these firms easier and more user-friendly by expediting County review and permitting processes. Montgomery County should re-initiate this green tape process for firms in the priority technology areas that have already been identified by the Department of Economic Development, including life sciences, information technologies, health care and telecommunications.<br /><br /><strong>Invest in People</strong><br /><br /><strong>(8) Increase access to management talent and provide in-depth support and mentoring from people with experience in starting and growing companies</strong> - Having access to exciting new technologies and scientists is not in itself enough to make for a thriving technology economy, It also is vital to have the management expertise that knows how to make technology commercially viable. Through the County’s incubator system, we have an opportunity to provide support and mentoring for companies as they are starting out, but we must also recruit successful managers to aid in this process. There are a number of ways to achieve this by using both public and private sector support. We must explore these options and move quickly to put a program in place.<br /><br /><strong>(9) Ensure workforce development</strong> – Montgomery County is already among the most educated jurisdictions in the nation with more than 55 percent of our adult population holding bachelor’s degrees, and having the highest number of doctoral recipients of any county in the nation. Nevertheless, it is important that we build upon that foundation to ensure our workforce has the skills necessary to work in a knowledge economy. We must enhance programs at Montgomery College, the Universities at Shady Grove and Johns Hopkins to ensure that employers can re-train employees, but more important make sure that our residents have access to programs that will make them eligible for employment in current and emerging technology firms.<br /><br /><strong>(10) Enhance career pathways for Montgomery County students</strong> – Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) by any measure are among the finest in the nation at making students college-ready. One of our challenges, as well as one of the challenges for our nation, is to make sure that our students understand the career opportunities that are available to them in a knowledge economy. It is important for students to understand the relevance of the courses that they are taking to a series of career pathways. There is already a nascent effort underway within MCPS and Montgomery College, but this needs to be enhanced and made more robust by working with our four-year institutions and the private sector.Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08333238196639861367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953773326663358163.post-38637620593338762272009-04-28T08:12:00.000-07:002009-04-28T08:17:46.970-07:00"A Vision of Science in Montgomery County"I recently wrote a column for the <em>Gazette</em> outlining my hopes for our county's high-tech future. Here's how it starts:<br /><br /><blockquote>Montgomery County is uniquely situated in the scientific community — even if those of us who live here don't know it. We hear a lot about the "technology corridor" or "DNA Alley," but what does that mean, why should you care and does it mean anything for our future?<br /><br />There are two technology corridors in Montgomery County — a big one on Interstate 270 from the District of Columbia to Frederick County and a smaller one on Route 29 from Silver Spring to White Oak. Billions of dollars of research takes place annually in these corridors.<br /><br />The National Institutes of Health spends more than $2 billion for research in Montgomery County alone. The Food and Drug Administration is completing a multi-million dollar expansion of its White Oak campus to oversee drug development and food safety. The National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Department of Energy are investing millions of dollars here every year.<br /><br />Montgomery College has the largest science and engineering programs of any two-year community college in the nation and is constructing new buildings in Rockville and Germantown. MedImmune and its parent company, AstraZeneca, are hiring 800 new employees this year. Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) remains the world's largest private funder of basic life sciences research.<br /><br />In short, this represents the most significant set of life science resources in one place, an unparalleled foundation for scientific discovery. Isn't it enough just having these phenomenal assets in our community in the first place?<br /><br />It's not.</blockquote><br />Wanna know why it's not? You can read the rest of the piece <a href="http://www.gazette.net/stories/04222009/montcol173509_32525.shtml">right here</a>. Let me know what you think.Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08333238196639861367noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953773326663358163.post-78800380585544022332009-03-31T09:45:00.000-07:002009-03-31T09:46:49.008-07:00Investing in our Most Valuable ResourceWhat are we teaching our kids? Two years ago, the National Academy of Sciences commissioned a blue ribbon task force chaired by the CEO and Chair of Lockheed Martin (and Montgomery County resident), Norm Augustine, to examine the state of the competitiveness of our nation’s workforce. <br /><br />The findings of this panel are quite distressing: As the rest of the world is making changes to their education policies and curricula to increase their focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (generally known as STEM), the United States is producing fewer college graduates in these fields than before. <br /><br />In fact, the number of college graduates we have in our nation is quite startling. Even though a person with a bachelor’s degree makes an average of $51,206 while a person with only a high school diploma makes just $27,915, only a quarter of nation’s population -- that’s right, 25% -- have a college degree.<br /><br />So while Mr. Augustine and the National Academy of Sciences have raised the broader issues of competitiveness at the national level, it is critically important to remember that most of the changes that need to take place will have to happen at the local level. <br /><br />We are beginning to work on this in Montgomery County. Three weeks ago, I introduced a bill, cosponsored by two of my colleagues, Valerie Ervin and George Leventhal, that would establish a scholarship program for students attending Montgomery College and the Universities at Shady Grove who choose to get a degree in an area that will allow them to be employed in a key job area in our county, such as math and science teacher, health professions like nursing, engineering, and child care. In exchange for the scholarship the recipient would have to agree to work in Montgomery County for a period of four years. This provided an opportunity for our County to invest in our most precious commodity, our people, and then allow our County to see a return on our investment.<br /><br />Last week, with the support of Councilmembers Nancy Floreen and George Leventhal, I introduced the second installment of legislation that will improve our local competitiveness. The bill would do three things:<br /><br />1) provide matching grants for our teachers to attend summer institutes in science, math and technology in order to update their skills and state of the art knowledge;<br /><br />2) provide grants to local institutions of higher learning to offer a 2 year, part-time master’s degree program that focuses on science and math, and <br /><br />3) provide incentives to instructors who teach advanced courses (Advanced Placement and/or International Baccalaureate) and who have students successfully complete these courses.<br /><br />These bills are just a few small things that we must begin to do in order to ensure that our children have the skills to be successful as they become adults which in turn will ensure that our nation remains competitive in a global marketplace.Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08333238196639861367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953773326663358163.post-5555626629459469382009-03-25T11:24:00.000-07:002009-03-25T11:37:30.534-07:00Doing The MathBoy is it ugly out there! Everyone is having budget issues and your county is no different.<br /><br />To meet the needs of our approximately 965,000 residents, our county budget is about $4.2 billion. That comes out to about $4,350 per resident. It's getting hard to maintain the current level of services we're providing because a sagging economy means we're having problems generating as much revenue as we originally anticipated. Why, you may ask? Didn't the county know this would be a tough year? <br /><br />Actually, we <em>did</em> know -- but until we actually see some of the revenues come in, we don’t really know exactly <em>how big</em> a problem we’re facing. Interestingly, most of our revenue sources are okay; the real problem is in the income tax.<br /><br />In Montgomery County, a lot of our income tax revenue comes from people paying capital gains taxes, which is usually generated from investment income. Obviously, there aren’t many people making investments right now -- so our current calculations show we’re already off about $590 million from what we were originally anticipating.<br /><br />We're running low on funding, and we've already agreed to not increase taxes during this difficult fiscal time. So, what do we do?<br /><br />Well, our schools are getting <em>some</em> funds from the federal stimulus package. That'll help a bit. Additionly, the County Council will have to work with our employee organizations (unions) to re-negotiate the current contracts to eliminate cost of living allowances (COLAs), just as the school system had already done with its employee organizations. That'll save us about $125 million.<br /><br />After that, we'll have to re-focus our county’s efforts, clarify our priorities and make reductions –- not necessarily fun, but necessary. Fortunately, our residents have already helped us by responding to a county-wide survey that was conducted last year. In that survey, you told as that your three most important areas of focus for the county are public safety, education, and a basic safety net of social services. Given this feedback, in my mind we have a good place to start.<br /><br />Finally, in year’s past, it has been assumed by many organizations and individuals that once the County Executive’s budget proposal is submitted to the County Council, it provides a stone-carved blueprint, and that there will be few big changes in what is ultimately approved. That's not the case.<br /><br />This year, the County Executive has made many assumptions in his budget proposal that may still require us to make additional reductions to close the deficit. So, everyone should be aware that we have a long way to go -- and we'd also love to have any feedback that you would like to provide during this process.<br /><br />The budget public hearings are on April 14, 15 and 16 -- and if you want to sign up to testify, call 240-777-7931, or feel free to e-mail any thoughts that you may have.Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08333238196639861367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953773326663358163.post-54326346615796737692009-03-23T11:24:00.000-07:002009-03-23T12:24:29.392-07:00This Time, It's Personal...I was pleased last week that we were able to open a brand new fire station – for the first time in nearly thirty years -- serving a new area in our County. <br /><br />When the County opened Station 29 in downtown Germantown in 1981, it served a community of only about 20,000 people. Germantown now has about 86,000 residents -- and until last week, it still had just one fire station. With the opening of Station 22, we incorporated the history of the first Station 22 (which was on Bradley Blvd. before it closed in 1978) with the newness of our community, to increase the availability of critical public safety assets for that community. <br /><br />This one is actually personal for me. While my home is only two miles from town center in Germantown, there are no hydrants in my neighborhood. And as I witnessed, there can be devastating consequences when the fire and rescue service does not have the right tools to do its job. <br /><br />In February 2002, my neighbor’s home caught fire, and I stood with them on my front yard and watched their home burn to the ground. Now, there were lots of reasons that this happened on this particular day, but one of the most significant was lack of access to appropriate public safety resources. This should never be the case in our county.<br /><br />Unfortunately, the story gets worse. Station 22 was initially approved by the County Council in 1999 and could have been in position to address community needs much sooner. But it wasn't -- and it wasn’t because of a lack of resources. We had the money, but we didn't have an efficient and effective process in place to get it spent and begin work. So I'm pleased that we've been able to get the logjam removed. In fact, we're now on track to have a second new station open next year in East Germantown, and in coming years, we're converting the interim station that we located in Clarksburg into a full station. We're also moving ahead with a critically needed new police station in Gaithersburg.<br /><br />Public safety assets aren’t as high profile as some other projects, but I can’t think of anything that is more important for our residents. I’m glad we’re making some progress.Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08333238196639861367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953773326663358163.post-45180025791876890022008-09-29T09:08:00.000-07:002008-09-29T09:13:33.048-07:00The Food Stamp Challenge: ReflectionsWhew!<br /><br />Well, I made it through the week and survived the Food Stamp Challenge. Interestingly, it was a very busy week and I don't know if that made it harder or easier - I was probably hungrier, but had actually had less time to think about food. <br /><br />It was a little touch and go on Friday when I had an off-site staff meeting and afterwords everyone wanted to go Panera for lunch. I accompanied them and figured I would use my remaining $1.12 to buy a small soda. When I got to the front of the line during the lunch time rush and told the cashier that I only wanted a small soda, he looked at me quizzicially and just gave me a cup without charging me for it! Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good.<br /> <br />I finished the week with a handful of spaghetti, some sauce, three eggs and a little bit of lettuce - not much to build on for the next week. The biggest lesson that became even clearer to me is the difficulty of eating well while trying to eat cheaply. It's easy to understand why someone would purchase something like "Sunny-D" to drink rather than real juice: it costs about half as much, but has little nutritional value. <br /><br />The same is true for bread. You can spend $2.29 for whole wheat, or 99 cents for a larger loaf of white bread with less nutritional value. Fruits and vegetables are a story unto themsleves. Wow! You would be lucky to have one or two pieces of fresh fruit a day -- well below what is suggested to be healthy.<br /> <br />I found the experience to be very rewarding, and eye-opening. It was also a great educational tool for my daughters. I am blessed that I don't have to live this way every week, but right now -- and, unfortunately, even when the economy is good -- there are far too many for whom this is how they live. In a nation as prosperous as ours, we can and must do more make sure no one goes hungry.<br /> <br />On a lighter note, there was great concern at the soccer fields on Saturday that the whole family was undertaking the Food Stamp Challenge, and many of the parents of my daughters teammates were offering to take my girls home so they could have a good meal!Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08333238196639861367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953773326663358163.post-53504420910147464752008-09-26T11:08:00.000-07:002008-09-26T11:25:39.009-07:00The Food Stamp Challenge, Day 5As we close in on the end of the seven day challenge, here's my menu from yesterday:<br /><br />Breakfast -- a bowl of cereal with milk, and a glass of concentrated orange juice.<br /><br />Lunch -- a turkey sandwich (2 slices of wheat bread with a bit of turkey and gobs of lettuce) and a banana.<br /><br />Dinner -- spaghetti with sauce, and a glass of milk.<br /><br />As I mentioned yesterday, my supply of sliced turkey is running dangerously low, so my sandwiches have become thick with lettuce, thin on the meat.<br /><br />Today I'm on the run, and . . . well, I didn't pack a lunch this morning, so I'm going to have to wing it. Perhaps the $1.12 I had left over from my grocery shopping can be put to use today. I'll let you know.<br /><br />The final day of the Food Stamp Challenge is tomorrow. On Monday, I'll let you know what I ate, and give you some final thoughts on the challenge.<br /><br />Have a good weekend.Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08333238196639861367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953773326663358163.post-2030388768717907922008-09-25T08:35:00.000-07:002008-09-25T08:48:22.754-07:00The Food Stamp Challenge, Day 4Here's the menu for yesterday.<br /><br />Breakfast -- a bowl of cereal with milk, and a glass of concentrated orange juice.<br /><br />Lunch -- a turkey sandwich (2 slices of wheat bread with a few slices of turkey and lettuce) and a banana.<br /><br />Dinner -- scrambled eggs and toast, with a glass of orange juice.<br /><br />Because of last night's Town Hall meeting, I once again didn't make it home for dinner until after 10:00 p.m. Rather than eat an egg sandwich, as I had planned, I decided instead to have scrambled eggs with toast. Same ingredients, different format, I suppose.<br /><br />Anyway, here's what's left in my pantry for the remaining three days (that's today, tomorrow, and Saturday): I've got seven eggs left, 2/3 of a box of spaghetti, half a can of sauce, and half a loaf of bread. I made my first can of frozen juice last until yesterday, and opened the second (and last) can for dinner last night.<br /><br />That's not too bad, I suppose -- but my milk is almost gone, my remaining bananas are going brown, and I've only got a bit of sliced turkey left, which means my lunch sandwiches for the rest of the week will be heavy on the lettuce, light on the meat.<br /><br />We'll see how I do. Stay tuned.Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08333238196639861367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953773326663358163.post-80341654413299350472008-09-24T10:45:00.000-07:002008-09-25T08:50:18.144-07:00The Food Stamp Challenge, Day 3Here's my menu from yesterday. And I hope you notice it looks quite a bit like my menu from the past two days.<br /><br />Breakfast -- a bowl of cereal with milk, and a glass of concentrated orange juice.<br /><br />Lunch -- a turkey sandwich (2 slices of wheat bread with a few slices of turkey and lettuce) and a banana. Water to drink.<br /><br />Dinner -- A bowl of bean soup and a glass of milk<br /><br />Once again, given my schedule, I didn't eat dinner until after 10:00 p.m. While breakfast and lunch have been the same, I'm trying to mix things up a bit for dinner, rotating between spaghetti, soup, and egg sandwiches. But my meals have become incredibly utilitarian -- they're all purpose, and no pleasure. As such, you don't necessarily look forward to dinner in the way you might anticipate a pot roast that's been cooking all day, or savor a steaming plate of Mexican food. It's simply A Meal, doing its job.<br /><br />Oh, and thanks, I <i>did</i> manage to land a larger water cup. <br /><br />For more stories, vist the Manna Food Stamp Challenge Blog <a href="http://mannafoodcenter.wordpress.com/">here</a>. There was also a story in the <i>Gazette</i>, which you can read by <a href="http://www.gazette.net/stories/09242008/montnew184229_32526.shtml">clicking here</a>.Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08333238196639861367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953773326663358163.post-36110233656247495782008-09-23T10:24:00.000-07:002008-09-25T08:49:41.538-07:00The Food Stamp Challenge, Day 2As I noted yesterday, variety is not an option when you're living within a tight budget. My meals yesterday consisted of the following:<br /><br />Breakfast -- a bowl of cereal with milk, and a glass of concentrated orange juice.<br /><br />Lunch -- a turkey sandwich (2 slices of wheat bread with a few slices of turkey and some lettuce) and a banana.<br /><br />Dinner -- a fried egg sandwich on wheat bread, and a banana<br /><br />The main question I'm getting is: are you hungry? And the answer is: Not yet. That's probably because I've been busy during the day, running from one meeting to another, and I had to work late enough last night that I didn't eat until I got home at 10 p.m. That sort of schedule tends to take your mind off food -- but only until I get home and settle down.<br /><br />At that point, the mind tends to drift, and temptation starts to tap you on the shoulder. But when you're on a budget, there's really no such thing as leftovers. I can't afford to snack on what I've got left in the fridge, or I might run out before the end of the week, leaving me with an empty fridge and empty stomach by Saturday morning.<br /><br />To the surprise of my staff, giving up my regular Mountain Dew habit hasn't been difficult. I'm drinking more and more water now, which is probably a good thing. My main quest now is for a bigger cup.Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08333238196639861367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953773326663358163.post-12394095203694571922008-09-22T07:30:00.000-07:002008-09-22T07:35:20.151-07:00The Food Stamp Challenge, Day 1After a much too long hiatus, I am back in the blogosphere. This week, I'm undertaking an activity that I hope will bring attention to an issue that we're all dealing with during this difficult economy: how to feed yourself and your family while food prices continue to rise and your income doesn't. <br /><br />Manna Food Center is sponsoring the Food Stamp Challenge and asking people to see what it's like to live on food purchased for no more than $25 a week, which is roughly the equivalent of what an individual who is eligible for food stamps receives each week. I'll try to provide an update each day and let you know how I am doing -- although as you'll see, the menu won't vary much from day to day.<br /> <br />On Sunday morning, my two daughters and I went shopping to see if we could at least accomplish the first part of the challenge -- to get groceries for the week for less than $25. Here's our list:<br /> <br />16oz can of Hunt's Meat Spaghetti Sauce - $1.20<br />2 cans of Dole frozen orange/pineapple juice -$1.69 each<br />Malt O' Meal Raisin Bran - $2.50<br />1 loaf of wheat bread - $2.39<br />1 dozen eggs - $1.89<br />1/2 lb. smoked turkey breast - $3.17<br />1 head of iceberg lettuce - $1.79<br />1 gallon skim milk - $3.99<br />7 bananas at .58/lb. - $1.48<br />1 16oz box thin spaghetti - $1.00<br />1 can bean with bacon soup - $1.09<br />Total: $23.88<br /> <br />This leaves me $1.12 in case of an emergency as the week progresses.<br /> <br />Sunday's meals consisted of,<br /> <br />Breakfast - 2 scrambled eggs and 1 piece of toast and juice<br />Dinner - Spaghetti, two pieces of bread, a small salad of iceberg lettuce, and a glass of milk<br /> <br />By way of just a little background on Food Stamps and Manna Food Center.<br /> <br /><a href="http://www.mannafood.org">Manna Food Center</a> (and many other similar organizations) provide food for the hungry in Montgomery County. Each month Manna feeds 2,400 hungry families in our County and each week provides meals for 600 elementary school children. Manna's website is www.mannafood.org.<br /> <br />Food stamps are a supplemental food program for low-income persons and families. You can find information on the Manna Food Center website, but generally to be eligible an individual's gross monthly income cannot exceed $1,037 or $12,444 per year, and a family of four's gross monthly income cannot exceed $2,097 or $25,164. If you meet this criteria, then a single is eligible for $152 per month, and a family of four can receive $506 per month.<br /> <br />The first observations that I would make are that it is very time consuming to try and figure out what you can purchase for $25 that can provide enough for food for the week, but even harder is trying to do it in a way that is healthy. My youngest daughter is concerned about what happens if I run out of food mid-week, and has offered to sneak me some food if it becomes a desperate situation. It's good to have someone looking out for me - everyone should be so lucky.Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08333238196639861367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953773326663358163.post-57134737850012814872008-05-19T06:41:00.000-07:002008-05-29T08:33:30.027-07:00SausageApologies, I haven't had much of a chance to post anything lately as the Council worked to conclude its actions on the FY2009 budget. To make up for it, this will be a little longer than normal. But bear with me, I think you might find it of some interest. As you may have read in <em>The Washington Post</em> or the <em>The Gazette</em>, the County Council hit a few bumps in the road as we came down the homestretch -- so I thought I'd provide you with insights on what worked and what didn't as we worked to wrap things up.<br /><br />As kind of a quick re-cap, the County Executive sends his budget recommendations to the council on the 15th of March. After that, the council holds public hearings and then starts committee work sessions on the individual departments and agencies in April. In May, we move to full council deliberation on the departments and agencies. This year, we were scheduled to take final action on the budget on May 22. As always, we scheduled a "straw" vote -- or tentative approval -- the week before the final vote, so that council staff can work with the County Executive's staff to make sure all of the numbers add up and that all of the details are correct.<br /><br />It was during this straw vote process that things started to slowly erode.<br /><br />As is often the case, individual councilmembers have specific issues that are important to them during the budget process. This year it became clear early on that because a number of our revenue sources had declined (the recordation and transfer taxes, and the income taxes), we would likely need to increase use of property taxes. That, in turn, would likely mean exceeding the Charter limit.<br /><br />As a result, a number of councilmembers had indicated that they would like to scale back the cost of living allowances (COLAs) for our county employees and have some element of employee participation to balance the increase in property taxes. There were two other important elements that councilmembers identified: (1) reinstating some of our core services that the County Executive had proposed reducing (i.e. community policing, fire and rescue services to name a couple) and (2) reducing the property tax increase proposed by the County Executive.<br /><br />Interestingly, as the council proceeded through April and May, everyone did a pretty good job of not adding too much back into the budget. And so, as the full council adopted the various elements of the budget there was general agreement . . . until the week of the straw vote.<br /><br />The tussles began on Wednesday, May 14. On the table was a proposal to reduce employee COLA's by $40 million, which would have resulted in reducing COLAs by about 40-50%. That was voted down by a vote of 6 to 2, in a boisterous work-session with about 300 county employees in attendance. While there was no other motion made, there was a clear split in the council, with some councilmembers seeking some contribution to the budget from county employees, and others not wanting to break the negotiated contracts with our employees.<br /><br />The next day -- Thursday, May 15 -- the council proceeded to the straw vote. Given the way the votes had fallen so far, there had been no huge disagreements. So, as Council President, I made a motion to approve the overall budget - usually a formality at that point - and it went down on a 4-4 tie.<br /><br />Houston, we have a problem.<br /><br />As I indicated a little earlier, this budget would exceed the Charter Limit -- and as such, it required an affirmative vote of seven councilmembers to pass. Remember, because of the passing of the Councilmember Praisner earlier this year, there are only eight councilmembers; therefore, I needed to have seven of eight councilmembers in agreement in order for Montgomery County to have a budget for the next fiscal year which begins on July 1. A 4-4 split is a long way from that endpoint.<br /><br />So, at about the time we should have been celebrating a successful resolution to a difficult budget season, the council adjourned until 9:00 a.m. Friday morning, May 16, and all of the councilmembers retired to their respective offices with no clear way to achieve resolution. This was about 4:00 p.m. on Thursday.<br /><br />Eventually, councilmembers began to knock on each other's office doors, making tentative inquiries about what each might need in order to approve a final budget. Before we had adjourned, Council Vice President Phil Andrews had proposed looking at including two furlough days (effectively two days when County government would close down) in the budget, for an estimated savings of about $20 million dollars. This became the starting point for conversation, but by 6:00 p.m., there was no real consensus on what such a proposal might look like.<br /><br />One councilmember ordered pizza, and people started to emerge from their offices. With no clear end in sight, a few councilmembers went to other events. Soon it was 7:00 p.m., and no progress had yet been made -- but there was one factor out there -- the fact that we would be in session 14 hours later, at 9:00 a.m., to debate these issues in Council session. That likely wouldn't be pretty.<br /><br />Shortly after 7:00 p.m., then, I started talking with one councilmember about trying to figure out different ways to reduce $20 million in spending that could get some votes. We looked at one furlough day -- to save about $10 million -- and another $10 million in reductions from the current reconciliation list. As we looked at some other variations on that theme, a third councilmember came in, and the three of us continued the brainstorming.<br /><br />Things were starting to turn. Shortly thereafter, a fourth councilmember came in and said he and a few other councilmembers had reached roughly the same conclusion that we had: a proposal that would reduce property taxes by $20 million and require savings in MCPS and Montgomery County government in the area of employee costs, but would do so without breaking existing contracts with our employees.<br /><br />All of a sudden we went from a 4-4 split to five members in agreement -- but that was still a long way from the seven we needed. The phone calls started, and by 9:00 p.m., we had general tentative agreement of seven councilmembers. Then we had to put it in writing.<br /><br />I stayed until about midnight on Thursday, putting the final touches in place and calling the County Executive, members of the Board of Education, the MCPS Superintendent, and the representatives of our employee organizations to discuss our agreement. I was well aware that if anyone had a big problem with what was tentatively proposed, it would be very easy for two councilmembers to stop the budget. But after my round of calls and conversations, I felt certain we were on our way to an agreement.<br /><br />I got to the office at about 8:00 on Friday morning, and things were still going pretty well -- but as councilmembers drifted in, there were still a number of questions about the specific language, the final numbers, and how the property tax reduction would be shown. As 9:00 a.m. approached -- the time we were to go back into session -- calls continued to come in, and more questions arose. Councilmembers kept talking and the clock kept ticking.<br /><br />Finally, it appeared that everything was okay, and the council slid into session at 9:45 a.m. After a fair amount of deliberation and discussion, the council tentatively approved the FY09 operating budget for Montgomery County an hour later. We had our budget.<br /><br />I'll go through the details of what is actually in the budget in my next blog, but I thought this story might be more interesting for starters. <br /><br />My thanks to all for their hard work on the budget!Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08333238196639861367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953773326663358163.post-224564750623618462008-04-01T11:35:00.001-07:002008-04-25T06:13:59.480-07:00The WhirlwindWell. I've been called out by some bloggers for not being informal enough. It would seem that some in the blogsphere want to really know what's really going on behind the scenes -- so far behind the scenes, in fact, that apparently my breakfast choices are of interest to some. So, here goes...<br /><br />Typically, my day begins at 6:00 a.m. with about an hour of exercise -- weight-lifting or some type aerobic activity, such as running or the elliptical trainer. Afterwards, I either have breakfast at home (cereal with fruit, juice and a vitamin pill), or at a meeting with constituents or community leaders, usually at the Panera Bread at Falls Grove or the Broadway Diner. I generally arrive at the office between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. to attend a morning meeting, or to make some constituent calls.<br /><br />If it's Monday or Thursday, there’s usually a committee meeting from 9:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. -- and on Mondays I also have a weekly press briefing at 11:30 a.m., which can last 30 minutes to an hour. During the months when the General Assembly is meeting, the County Council attends a State Legislative update from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. This leaves time for another quick meeting, then it’s back to committee meetings from 2:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. or so. If the committee session doesn't go too long, we'll squeeze in a quick staff meeting. Then it’s one more meeting in the office, then home for a quick dinner before heading out for a community meeting by 7:00 p.m. or so. And it’s still only Monday.<br /><br />Tuesdays have a rhythm of their own, since it’s the day the Council meets as a full body. Once a month we begin at 8:00 or 8:30 a.m. with a breakfast meeting with the County Executive so we can swap notes about what's going on. The council then goes into session at 9:30 a.m. and the morning session usually concludes at about 12:30 p.m., at which time I meet with the council scheduler to review the schedule for the remainder of the week, as well as next week's agenda. We're then back in session at 1:30 p.m. for public hearings, and we resume full council session from about 2:00 until 4:30 p.m., depending upon what's on the agenda. This leaves a little time for some quick meetings until about 5:30 p.m., when I leave to take my daughter to swim team practice. I have to get back to the council for evening public hearings which begin at 7:30 p.m., and are usually on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.<br /><br />Wednesdays have a high degree of variability, since there is usually nothing formally scheduled for the council on this day except during our budget deliberations. This is the day I try to get in some hours for my biotech consulting practice, but I find that often doesn’t happen because there are many other informal council activities that occur. The council staff meets at 9:00 a.m. and I try to attend those meetings at least a few times each month. The Council of Governments (that I chair this year) and the Transportation Planning Board also meet in DC that day. It can also be a good day to go to Annapolis to check in with our delegates and senators about legislation affecting our county. That makes Wednesday one of the craziest days of the week, but I still make every effort to have a quick dinner with my family, attend an evening meeting, and coach my daughter's third grade basketball team.<br /><br />As for Thursday . . . well, see my description of Monday, just above. It's pretty much the same.<br /><br />Friday is the catch all day -- it includes cleaning up what didn't get done earlier in the week, and attempting to get in those hours at my other job that I didn't get done on Wednesday. It’s also another good day to visit Annapolis, and there are usually a number of meetings that didn't fit in earlier in the week that I try to get to on Friday afternoons.<br /><br />As for my weekends . . . well, they’ve actually been fairly quiet so far this year, with only a couple of events each on Saturdays and Sundays. For the most part, these are the best times for me to attend my daughters' swim meets, soccer games, and basketball games. I even get to do a little yard work.<br /><br />I don't know if this is the type of peek I'm supposed to be providing, but as a novice blogger, I welcome your feedback and hope that at the end of the day this makes a part of your government and community a little more accessible.Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08333238196639861367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953773326663358163.post-68971741351996261002008-03-17T14:09:00.000-07:002008-04-25T06:15:47.071-07:00March MadnessI know: given the name of this blog, of course I would take the opportunity to write about the upcoming basketball tournament, right? Well, that is only part of the reason for today’s theme. There are many forms of madness taking place this March and I just wanted to note a few.<br /><br />This week begins the public discussion of Montgomery County’s budget as we attempt to determine the appropriate balance of services to be provided with revenues required. It won’t be easy, and yet there are many challenges that exist for many during this month.<br /><br />The General Assembly in Annapolis is in its final thirty days and the same economic challenges confronting us in the County are clearly in play throughout our State and so the final push is on. The elementary and middle school students in our state are all busily preparing for the Maryland State Assessments. We are all working on filing our taxes in April and hoping that rebate that we might be eligible for in May will be more than what we will owe in April. A number of our region’s student athletes are indeed in the midst of the trademarked March Madness – Coppin State, Mt. St. Mary’s, American University, Georgetown and George Mason on the men’s side of the ledger and we know Coppin State has also qualified for the women’s side and we’ll know the rest later this week. Finally, as the economy continues to struggle, many of us are working hard at just getting by.<br /><br />The point is that the County Council will be working hard during the next couple of months to formulate the best balanced budget we can for the residents of our County and that will be important and time consuming, but there are many other important issues in each of our lives and we need to keep the right perspective.Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08333238196639861367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953773326663358163.post-62035409728053637572008-02-29T16:05:00.000-08:002008-04-25T06:16:55.627-07:00About BudgetsIn 2003, during my first six months after having just been elected to the County Council, the County was facing a budget shortfall not unlike what we are facing this year. I was still learning about all of the departments, and programs that the County administered for its residents and so it was difficult to get a good handle on the magnitude of the problem. Then County Executive, Doug Duncan, submitted his budget as required in March, and the Council went through all of the budget hearings and committee worksessions. As a new councilmember, I was looking for the "rules" and the "right numbers" (revenue projections and actual expenditures) that would clearly identify the problem as well as some of the potential solutions. Well, things came to a head as the "numbers" continued to show a gap that had to be closed in order for the Council to pass a balanced budget. <br /> <br />The Saturday before the budget needed to be passed, everyone was scrambling and I was attending a friend's wedding and talking on the phone in the vestibule of the church with then Council President, Mike Subin, and the leaders of unions as they discussed a four month delay in their employee's COLAs (cost of living increases). This, in addition to a series of program reductions and tax increases, helped bring everything together and a budget was passed that next week. About a month later, the County received the next income tax distribution from the State, which was higher than anticipated, and it turned out that the "right numbers" weren't that right at all -- and a lot of the issues that we were scrambling to fix in the closing minutes of the budget didn't necessarily need to be as contentious as they were.<br /> <br />I write this because there has been a lot of discussion about the budget difficulties that we will face this year. Make no mistake about it -- this will be a difficult budget year. I wanted to share my reflections from 2003 because it very clearly pointed out to me that there are many variables that need to be taken into account and that a search for the "right numbers" may not be as successful as some would hope. There are no "rules" that exist to be followed except broad guidance in the County Charter, and some policy guidelines that have evolved over time. Addressing this year's budget issues will require everyone (taxpayers, employees, stakeholders, elected officials, and many others) talking to each other and working together to get to a sustainable budget outcome. The quest for perfect information is elusive. The best we will ever be able to achieve is a snapshot in time. If we all recognize that we are working together and sharing whatever information is available to achieve the best possible outcome, then I have no doubt we will be successful on behalf of our residentsMike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08333238196639861367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953773326663358163.post-10870739156637755362008-02-21T13:52:00.000-08:002008-04-25T06:18:37.365-07:00Off To The RacesSorry to everyone for the recent hiatus. As you can probably imagine, the past few weeks have been pretty hectic for the Council, and it’s taken a bit of time to address a number of important issues. As you all surely know by now, Councilmember Marilyn Praisner passed away on February 1st and her Council colleagues (both Councilmembers and staff) have been struggling to deal with this tragic event. My colleagues and I have all made many public statements, and the Council held a tribute with her family and former Councilmembers last week. There’s not much more I can add here that would be new or more fitting, apart to tell you that everyone appreciates the kind words we’re hearing from those who knew or appreciated Marilyn, and everyone is still working to get through a difficult, sad time.<br /> <br />Change is difficult for most people and the Council is certainly no exception—and when you add the spice of politics to the mix, things can become interesting fast. While Councilmembers are coping with the loss of a colleague—and running the gamut of emotions that come with such a loss—there are still a number of administrative things that have to happen—and under county charter, have to happen quickly.<br /> <br />First, we had to figure out how to conduct a special election. That sounds fairly straightforward, and county law lays out some timelines on when such elections are permitted to occur. The problem is, we don’t usually have special elections, and things become even more difficult when one realizes that we as a county don’t actually own or control our voting machines—the State of Maryland does. Further, since we’re already in an election year, we can't really take advantage of other previously scheduled elections! Not only can we not schedule a special election the same day as a previously-scheduled election, but we have to give those same elections a fairly wide berth—as many as 30 days on either side of a previously-scheduled election.<br /> <br />That’s already a fairly inflexible calendar to work with. Now add to it the competing voices of those pushing for an election as quickly as possible—to fill the seat sooner rather than later—and those who would like to go slowly, to give candidates and voters more time to get to know each other. Then there’s the Council’s schedule—much of it defined by law—that requires us to continue working on county budgets and planning board appointments, with little regard to the timing of elections. As is often the case, logistics tend to prevail, and in spite of many of the issues I just identified, we usually end up with a solution that still works pretty well. <br /> <br />In this case, the special primary election will be held Tuesday, April 15, and the special general election will occur a month later, on Tuesday, May 13. More information can be found on the Council’s main page, or by <a href="http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/Apps/Council/PressRelease/PR_details.asp?PrID=4304">clicking here</a>.Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08333238196639861367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953773326663358163.post-60687065338010735122008-01-29T09:56:00.000-08:002008-04-25T06:19:53.070-07:00The Staff of Life (and the Life of Staff)When someone gets elected to the County Council, it becomes very clear to them very quickly that there is no way they can effectively represent the needs of their constituents without a lot of help. Remember, in the County Council there are five district councilmembers who represent specific geographic areas in the County and four at-large councilmembers who are elected County-wide. So, district councilmembers represent about 200,000 people and at-large councilmembers represent nearly 1 million people! As you might imagine, that many people have a lot of important issues that need to be addressed, and we could spend all of our time just going to meetings, and returning phone calls. While individual councilmembers may set the tone for how they address issues, or interact with their constituents, the staff that we have in our offices allow us to really get things done. <br /> <br />There are two categories of staff who work at the County Council. There is the permanent council staff, affectionately referred to as the "Fifth Floor," because most of their offices are on the fifth floor of the Council Office Building (COB). This staff covers analysis of specific issue areas for all Councilmembers, handle the Council's administrative activities (i.e. scheduling, preparation of packets for Councilmembers and the public, etc.) and generally make sure the Council operates on a daily basis. The Fifth Floor staff generally outlast the terms of specific Councilmembers and provide the institutional perspective for County policy.<br /> <br />The second category of staff are the staff members who work in individual Councilmember offices. Each Councilmember has an individual office budget and hires administrative and policy staff as they deem appropriate within the constraints of their budget. While staffing varies from office to office, each councilmember generally has 4 - 5 staff members. One position, the oddly named Confidential Aide position, is mandated in the County Charter and basically serves in the capacity as chief of staff for each Councilmember's office. Other positions can include administrative support, policy analysts, constituent case-workers, and communications. Although in most offices the lines between these specific positions is usually blurred and everyone chips in to get the job done depending upon the issue.<br /> <br />Without the support of the Fifth Floor staff, and the staff in each of our individual council offices there is no way that Councilmembers could ever meet the needs of the residents of our County and we are grateful for their assistance and support. While Councilmembers run for office and generally recognize the changes that will occur in their life if they win, our staff can generally be impacted by many of the same changes although they may not recognize it right away. One of the things that our staff works very hard to do is to maintain some semblance of a life away from their efforts on our behalf at the Council and I continue to be amazed at some of their undertakings.<br /> <br />Currently on the Council staff we have a newly published author (Brian Jay Jones on my staff who has just completed a biography of Washington Irving), an entrepreneur who owns and operates a clothing boutique, a budding Texas Hold'em poker player who is not quite ready for the World Series of Poker, but is close, a Park Ranger, the chair of the Commission for Women, students working on various college degrees, a number of political activists at the state and national level, a number of very proud parents and grandparents and many community volunteers and advocates.<br /> <br />The Councilmembers may actually vote and establish the County's laws and policies, but it is our staff who provide the effort to make us successful representing the residents of our County. It is important to remember all of the other folks on the fifth and sixth floor of the COB who often work behind the scenes on behalf of our County and who are all amazingly accomplished in their own right and excel everyday -- without them none of us get very far.Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08333238196639861367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953773326663358163.post-2667406766575126152008-01-14T11:40:00.000-08:002008-04-25T06:20:58.669-07:00Hit the Ground RunningOur launch last week went well, and I thank you for your positive and constructive comments. Keep on writing! I'm sorry that the county's current template for blogs doesn't yet allow for readers to post comments just below mine -- but if you click on the envelope icon at the bottom of this entry, you'll be able to send an e-mail whizzing directly to my inbox. By all means, e-mail away!<br /><br />It has been an eye-opening couple of months to be an elected representative. As a public official, I find that there are many hospital visits, memorial services, calling hours, and funerals that I must attend. Each of these events reminds you of the frailty of human life, and the amazing significance that each of us can have in the world. <br /><br />As most of you know, two of my colleagues had significant accidents that required extended hospitalization and medical care. I am pleased that both Marilyn Praisner and George Leventhal continue to make tremendous improvement and that both will be back with us when the Council reconvenes this week. I am also saddened that our State has lost two legislative leaders during the past two months. Delegate Jane Lawton passed this past November, and many of us have been mourning her loss. And now, just this past weekend, Senator Britt from Prince George's County also passed away. As we begin this New Year, we must remember how important it is for us to do as much as we can with each day and to thank those around us for all they do.<br /><br />This week the Council goes back into session, and it promises to be an interesting time. We start out our day on Tuesday walking across the street to the County Executive's office where he will provide us with his recommendations for our bi-annual Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). The Council is looking forward to seeing the Executive's priorities, and then beginning the process of public hearings and review. There will be many points of interest, but one worthy of note is that Montgomery County will likely spend approximately $265 million next year for the Montgomery County Public Schools capital budget, while the Maryland General Assembly will likely approve just $300 million in capital funding for schools for the entire state! Just something to keep in mind if you have a chance to interact with your state delegate or senator! <br /><br />Once we receive the capital budget, the Council will go into session with three big issues. First, we will get an update from our public safety officials and Verizon about why calls weren't getting through to our 911 system one day in December. This is a critically important issue since this happened twice in a three month period; clearly we need to get this resolved quickly and effectively. <br /><br />Second, we will receive a briefing on the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) regarding the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission recommendations to close Walter Reed and move most of its activities to Bethesda Naval Hospital. Obviously, this shift will have a huge impact on downtown Bethesda, and Navy isn't recommending sufficient funds for us to provide adequate access to a world-class medical for our nation's veterans. <br /><br />Finally, the Council will review the County Executive's recommended budget reductions for this current fiscal year. A number of councilmembers have real concerns about the recommended reductions impact on public safety and services for some of our most vulnerable populations. And that's just the morning agenda! <br /><br />Later in afternoon, the Council will hear two zoning cases, and we will conclude the day with an evening public hearing on development districts -- a resolution to eliminate the development district in Clarksburg and legislation that will refine and strengthen the development district law. It's gonna be a busy first day and week, with some very important issues impacting many of our residents. Stay tuned!Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08333238196639861367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953773326663358163.post-9291950737118034702008-01-07T12:46:00.000-08:002008-04-25T06:21:48.297-07:00Kicking Off "The Socks"I’d like to welcome you to my inaugural posting on “Starting with the Socks.” I know the name appears a bit unusual, but it’s really a simple concept. It comes from the great former UCLA basketball coach, John Wooden. Each year at the first practice of basketball season, he would sit down with his entire team – even if they were all seniors who had played for him before – and would teach them the proper way to put on their socks. His thought was this: it would be very difficult for any of his players to play basketball well, or at all, if something happened to their feet, causing blisters or turned ankles. So, one of the simplest ways to avoid this problem was to ensure that his team knew how to do the simple but often overlooked things well, like putting on their socks. If the simple issues were adequately addressed, then the more complex challenges could be tackled.<br /> <br />In government, business, and our personal lives we tend to forget that if we don’t do the simple things well, it‘s virtually impossible to handle the harder tasks. It is my goal through this blog to focus on the basic things that we in government need to address – and first and foremost is our need to communicate. I hope to share some insights with you about what’s going on in government that may be of interest to you, and I want to listen to the perspectives that you may have to share. We live in a great community and I want to make sure that we’re all working together to continue to make it better. And we can do that by getting the simple things right.<br /> <br />The County Council has been in recess since December 14 and will reconvene on January 15. Most people assume that recess equates to vacation – and sure enough, it does give some of us on the council an opportunity to reconnect with our families and friends. However, it is also a time to focus on items that we may not have time to address throughout the year. For example, this past week three councilmembers were volunteering for Presidential candidates in the caucuses in Iowa and the primary in New Hampshire. Three other councilmembers were attending the Maryland Association of Counties (MACO) Winter Meeting in an effort to build better relationships with elected officials in our neighboring jurisdictions, and to better understand the issues that will be coming before the General Assembly when it convenes later this week. <br /> <br />One of the biggest issues that has required our attention is a possible budget shortfall in the coming fiscal year that begins July 1, 2008. According to the assumptions in the County’s current fiscal plan, it appears that we could be facing a shortfall of nearly $400 million, or about 10% of this year’s budget. It is important to remember that the fiscal plan is based on a number of assumptions which can change as the year progresses, but we need to be prudent and prepare ourselves.<br /> <br />As a result, the County Executive has recommended certain budget reductions in our current budget in order to help save some money for next year. Councilmembers have been reviewing the County Executive’s recommendations and we have submitted a series of questions clarifying some of what has been proposed. We will then review, refine, modify and ultimately approve a resolution on these proposed reductions when we return on January 15. While it is important to be prudent, we must also be careful about not damaging programs where we have great need or where significant progress is being made – I am particularly concerned about police, fire and rescue, and some of our programs in health and human services.<br /> <br />We must also be mindful of what is happening in the General Assembly when it convenes on January 9. During the special session of the legislature this past Fall, the Governor was directed to reduce State spending by $550million. The Governor will present his proposed budget—with these reductions—to the General Assembly on January 15. We need to work with our legislators to ensure that Montgomery County isn’t further impacted by significant reductions in funding that we receive from the State.<br /> <br />On a more positive note, difficult fiscal times can really force us to make sure that our programs and services are working as efficiently and effectively as possible. Too often we get caught in the trap of saying that a program is successful because we have provided a lot of funding for it, but we forget to check and see if it is meeting the needs of the people it is serving. This gives us a real opportunity to make sure our programs are really working.<br />Well, this is probably enough to get us started. I hope that you will take the time to share your perspectives with me, and I'll continue to provide a glimpse into what the County Council is up to, and how we can all make Montgomery County better simply by "starting with the socks."Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08333238196639861367noreply@blogger.com0