County, State Funding Moves New Biomedical Sciences, Engineering Complex at Universities at Shady Grove Forward

Celebrating The Universities at Shady Grove’s (USG) growth and progress were (from left): Dr. William E. “Brit” Kirwan, University System of Maryland (USM) chancellor; State Senator Nancy King; County Executive Ike Leggett; Susan Bateson, chair of the USG Board of Advisors; and Shahina Khan, a 2014 graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park’s Biological Sciences program.

Thanks to County and State funding secured in the Maryland General Assembly this past session for the second-year planning and design for the new biomedical sciences and engineering academic complex at The Universities at Shady Grove (USG) will move one step closer to reality.

The new $170 million, 220,000-square-foot building, expected to open in the fall of 2018, will pave the way for the future addition of top biomedical and engineering degree programs from several of Maryland’s top universities.

USG and its University System of Maryland (USM) partner institutions will expand degree opportunities in healthcare and biosciences, engineering, and STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math and Medical) education. The building will feature state-of-the-art laboratories, active learning classrooms, clinical training facilities, academic offices and an expanded level of student services necessary to support program and enrollment growth in these high-demand fields.

County Executive Leggett proposed and the County Council approved $20 million to fund a new parking structure to support the expansion, which will enable USG to serve thousands of additional students in STEMM programs.

Read more about the event/project.

County Breaks Ground for First New Health Facility in 20 Years

2000 Dennis Avenue Silver Spring

Ground has been broken for the new Dennis Avenue Health Center (DAHC) in Silver Spring. The building, the first health facility built by the County in more than 20 years, will be located next to the existing facility, which is at 2000 Dennis Ave. Built in the 1960s, it was used initially as an elementary school.

The current center will be used until the new facility is ready, and then it will be demolished.

There will be two buildings -- one for the Tuberculosis Control program and one for the remaining programs --joined by a common entry lobby. Equipped with the latest technology, the new center will provide approximately 55,000 square feet of space to address a shortage of clinic and office space, as well as provide a state-of-the-art air handling system and medical examination rooms. The building will also include a healing garden.

• See more information on the groundbreaking. (press release)
• Read more about the project.

Straight-from-the-Farm Food Comes to Town

From now through the end of October, Montgomery County’s farmers’ markets will offer customers a variety of fresh, healthful produce at 25 different locations across the County.

The markets feature traditional items like fruits, heirloom tomatoes, cut flowers and preserves. Adventurous shoppers can also find unique items, including free-range meat, micro-greens, layer cakes and even a fish truck that sells Mahi-tacos. Get more information on each market (pdf).

Visit montgomerycountymd.gov/farmersmarkets for information about selling produce and the required licenses.

New School Immunization Requirements for 2014-2015 School Year

County health officials have announced that new school immunization requirements for students entering kindergarten and seventh grade will take effect for the 2014-2015 school year. Students entering kindergarten must have two varicella vaccinations, and students entering seventh grade must have one Tdap (Tetanus-diphtheria-attenuated pertussis) and one meningococcal (MCV4) vaccination. Students who do not show proof of the required immunizations will be excluded from attending school at the beginning of the 2014-2015 school year.

School health staff are currently reviewing student health records, and parents of current sixth grade students have received letters advising them of the new requirements.  

Parents should contact their doctor to make sure their child is properly immunized, then submit a copy of the documentation to the child’s school health nurse as soon as possible, but no later than Monday, August 25, the first day of the 2014-2015 school year.

Get information on free immunizations being offered at three local schools – in Silver Spring, Rockville and Clarksburg on June 13 and another in Rockville on August 23.

County Moves to Boost Emergency Preparedness; Public/Private Partners Sought to Develop Energy Independent County Facilities

County Executive Ike Leggett and County Councilmember and Transportation, Infrastructure, Energy and Environment Committee Chair Roger Berliner have announced that Montgomery County is moving forward on ensuring that key government operations are prepared for emergencies.

The Department of General Services (DGS) has advertised a Request for Energy Proposals (RFEP) for public/private partners to develop clean energy microgrids that will enable County facilities and campuses to operate during extended power outages.

Microgrids use technologies such as photovoltaic solar; small, efficient, gas turbines; batteries; advanced controls and heat recovery to efficiently produce energy on-site.

The County’s preference is for a partner that designs, builds, owns, operates and finances the microgrid. The RFEP invites private-sector companies to partner with the County and will allow DGS to identify the most qualified firms.

Based on the responses from this first RFEP, DGS will develop a more comprehensive second-stage RFEP and may ask the top companies to provide a cost proposal.

Proposals are due by June 30.

Learn more about the microgrid proposal.

Summer Reading Program Begins June 1 in Public Libraries

Children and teens are invited to participate in this year’s Summer Reading Program to be held at Montgomery County Public Libraries (MCPL) from June 1 to August 9. Participants can sign up for the programs and keep track of the books read using a designated computer in the library, or a computer at home or elsewhere.

Magicians, musicians, and storytellers are among the entertainers that will perform for children at all MCPL branches this summer. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) events will be featured, complementing the Summer Reading Program’s themes of “Fizz, Boom, Read” for infants to 12 years of age and “Spark a Reaction” for teens..

To register (beginning June 1), see the recommended reading lists and/or receive more information about Summer Reading events, including the kickoff program at Olney Library on June 7, visit www.montgomerycountymd.libguides.com/summerreading.

The programs are funded by the Friends of the Library, Montgomery County, Inc. (FOLMC) and by local FOL chapters. Summer Reading t-shirts are on sale at the FOLMC bookstores. For questions, call 240-777-0020.

To request ADA program accommodations for any of the Summer Reading programs, call the library hosting the program at least five work days in advance.

Tax-aid Volunteers Made A Difference

Volunteers in the RSVP/AARP Tax-Aide Program were recently honored for their dedicated service. Attending the ceremony were (from left): Molly Callaway and Kathleen Meaney Stobie of the County's Volunteer Center, volunteers Harry Weil, Sonia Leon Reig, State Coordinator John Lawrence, County Executive Ike Leggett, volunteers Bob Stearns, District Coordinator Dick Getzinger, Lynn Kinch, Anne Gavin, and Bob Bridgeman.  

The returns are in…and it was a successful season for the County’s dedicated tax-aid volunteers.

Check out these numbers: 130 volunteers worked more than 16,000 volunteer hours at 30 locations throughout the County, completing and filing 4,500 tax returns, resulting in $4,281,076 in total refunds.

Despite the repeated snow storms this season resulting in multiple cancellations, volunteers prepared more tax returns than last year. And, the volunteers rose to the occasion to add more hours and days later in the season to accommodate the demand, in partnership with MCPL and the UpCounty Regional Services Center. Another note, 60 percent of returns were for seniors age 60+.

County Ranks Fifth for Local Government Green Power Purchases

The Montgomery County Clean Energy Buyers Group has been ranked fifth largest among local government purchasers of clean energy by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The group also ranked 41st among all national purchasers -- which includes some of the largest governments and corporations in the country.

Spearheaded by County Government, the buyers group includes Montgomery County Public Schools, Montgomery College, the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Chevy Chase Village, Chevy Chase Village Section 5, Gaithersburg, Rockville, Takoma Park, Kensington and Somerset.

Collectively, the County agencies and municipalities purchase an average of 26 percent of their electricity from clean and renewable sources. Montgomery County Government purchases 30 percent, 10 percent beyond the amount mandated by County Council Resolution.

To further reduce the County’s greenhouse gas emissions, the County is planning a comprehensive initiative to install clean energy generating photovoltaic systems on its facilities where feasible.

The Department of General Services recently established the Office of Energy and Sustainability to coordinate green strategies across County operations.

Visit the Office of Energy and Sustainability website to learn more.

Get information on the U.S. EPA’s Green Power Partnership at http://www.epa.gov/greenpower.

Program on Money Matters for Women

The County’s Commission for Women will present “A Woman’s Guide to Money Matters” at the Rockville Memorial Library on June 5 from 7 to 9 p.m. The library is located at 21 Maryland Ave. Parking is available in garage A located in the Rockville Town Center.

Women can learn strategies about topics such as: taking control of your finances in five easy steps; setting specific, realistic, achievable and measurable financial goals; preparing for retirement – now; and paying for a child’s or grandchild’s education.

The program will be presented by Financial Advisor Nick Martinez of Edwards Jones, Inc. Pre-registration, at $10, is available at http://financeseminar614.eventbrite.com. At-the-door cost is $15 (cash or check only).

For more information, call 240-777-8300.

Transit Center Update: Leggett Directs Contractors to Begin Final Fixes to Silver Spring Transit Center to Ensure Safety and Durability

Paul S. Sarbanes Silver Spring Transit Center

Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett has directed contractors constructing the Silver Spring Transit Center to move forward on the final fixes needed on the facility to make it safe and durable. Read the County’s update to the County Council delivered on May 8 (pdf).

“I have made it clear that we would not open the Transit Center until it was safe to do so. The County will deliver a facility to Metro that is safe and will meet its projected 50-year life," said Leggett. "The County will ensure that any additional costs incurred because of faulty construction, design or inspection are borne by the responsible private parties, not by the County taxpayers.”

Leggett’s instructions followed the concurrence of the Washington Metropolitan Transportation Authority (WMATA) (for whom the transit center is being built) to proceed with additional repairs (read WMATA’s letter) recommended in an April 21 report from an independent advisory committee appointed by Leggett and led by County resident and former Lockheed Martin Chair and CEO Norman Augustine.

“Today, I directed County contractors to move ahead on the final remediation work at the Silver Spring Transit Center necessary to address shear and torsion issues and ensure that the Center will not only be safe but also meet its projected 50-year life span – consistent with our Memorandum of Understanding with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA),”  Leggett said.

“I have directed KCE, the County’s contract engineering team, to meet on Monday with Parsons Brinckerhoff, the project’s engineer of record, to finalize the remediation plan consistent with concerns raised in the Augustine report. I have given the go-ahead to bring equipment on site to begin preparation for the remediation work.

“WMATA, the ‘customer’ for whom the facility is being built, is in agreement with the County Executive to undertake the remediation to address concerns raised about the possible effects of shear and torsion on the structure."

Read statement from WMATA presented at the County Council briefing by Charlie Scott, Senior Government Relations Officer (pdf).

Updates on the project, will be posted on the County’s Transit Center website.