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On June 29, 2022, the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors held a virtual forum for the three major candidates running for the Montgomery County Executive. Moderators:
Candidates:    
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The NOAA Small Business Industry Day event provided attendees with access to NOAA leadership, program and contract managers, and prime contractors via one-on-one matchmaking sessions. Welcome Lucas Payne, NOAA Acquisition and Grants Office, Small Business Specialist Opening Remarks Gigi Godwin, President and CEO, Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce Presentations Eric Olmstead, Branch Chief, NOAA Acquisition and Grants Office Jay Standring, Branch Chief, NOAA Acquisition and Grants Office Amy Kim, Area Director, Office of Government Contracting, Area 2, U.S. Small Business Administration  Eric Olmstead, Branch Chief, NOAA Acquisition and Grants Office  Jay Standring, Branch Chief, NOAA Acquisition and Grants Office  Amy Kim, Area Director, Office of Government Contracting, Area 2, U.S. Small Business Administration On June 16, 2022, the MCCC Legislative Affairs Committee and the MCCC Economic Development Committee, meeting jointly, received an economic development and business climate briefing from Montgomery County Council Vice President Evan Glass. Council Vice President Glass, who is finished his second term as an At-Large Councilmember, talked about a number of issues relevant to the business community in Montgomery County. They included his support for Thrive Montgomery 2050, which is an update to the County’s planning policy document. Council Vice President Glass also discussed issues such as transit oriented development, housing diversity, and climate change policies.  On Tuesday, June 14, 2022, the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce’s Infrastructure and Land Use Committee met with Delegate Marc Korman. Delegate Korman represents District 16 in Montgomery County and is Chair of the Montgomery County House Delegation of the Maryland General Assembly. He is also Chair of the House Appropriations Committee’s Transportation & the Environment Subcommittee, giving him a great deal of responsibility for infrastructure and transportation policy for the State of Maryland. Delegate Korman shared his expertise on a variety of issues, including the federal infrastructure bill and what is means for Maryland. He also discussed priority transportation legislation during the recently completed 2022 Legislative Session, including legislation that requires the Maryland Transit Administration to establish individual investment programs to advance the Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC) Cornerstone Plan and other MARC improvements.  Dr. Anne Khademian, the Chair of the Economic Development Committee and Executive Director of the Universities at Shady Grove, led a discussion with the Economic Development Committee on April 6, 2022. USG 2.0 is a strategic plan to help shape the future direction of Montgomery County’s higher education center. Dr. Khademian focused her briefing on the USG 2.0 focus on Montgomery County’s workforce and the attraction and retention of talent. Dr. Khademian said that we are probably on the cusp of another industrial revolution and Montgomery County is a microcosm of the challenges that will be faced in the future. She estimated that 75 percent of regional jobs in the next decade will require a college degree and career ready employees who understand diversity, teaming, collaboration, critical thinking, and digital literacy. To address these challenges, USG is creating new avenues to develop career ready graduates and will continue to shift their focus to pathway programs such as certificates and specialized training. Pathway industries include stem and life sciences, allied health and wellness, public service, education and social sciences, business, and hospitality and communication.  On April 5, 2022, MCCC’s Infrastructure and Land Use Committee received a briefing from Chris Conklin, Director of the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT). Mr. Conklin discussed Montgomery County’s transportation initiatives and priorities, including the proposal to fund the construction of two major Bus Rapid Transit projects. MCDOT has roughly 1,200 employees and receives $230 million in funding that is used to building and maintaining Montgomery County’s infrastructure. This infrastructure includes roads, paths, lighting, bus shelters, crosswalks, sidewalks, and drainage systems. Currently, there are 125 projects costing $245 million in the proposal capital budget. Long-term goals include transitioning the County’s 400 buses to zero emissions by 2035. Mr. Conklin said that he is also focused on three priority areas:
 On March 2, 2022, MCCC's Economic Development Committee received a briefing from Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot. Comptroller Franchot, a former Montgomery County member of the House of Delegates, told MCCC members that Maryland's tax filing deadline was moved 90 days to July 15, 2022. The Comptroller said moving the date helps small businesses by essentially providing a short-term loan to taxpayers. Comptroller Franchot also discussed the State of Maryland's budget surplus. He urged policymakers to commit $2B to the Rainy Day Fund to buffer the State from future economic downturns. He also suggested that $1B be committed to infrastructure projects, $2B for low-wage Marylanders, $500 million for childcare, and $500 million to small businesses.  On March 8, 2022, the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce’s (MCCC) Infrastructure and Land Use Committee met with Commissioner Carol Rubin of the Montgomery Planning Board. Ms. Rubin, who was appointed to her role on October 26, 2021, is the newest member of the Montgomery County Planning Board, which is part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. MCCC supported Ms. Rubin’s appointment to the Planning Board and plans on doing so again when she is up for a full four-year term later this year. Ms. Rubin discussed her background, including extensive planning experience working as principal counsel in the Office of the General Counsel at M-NCPPC for 13 years. She sees the Planning Board as an economic development tool for Montgomery County. As an example, she discussed the recently passed biohealth priority campus ZTA, which she helped put together in her previous role. She also discussed the need to make Silver Spring a place where people want to walk, which calls for more ground floor retail to make the pedestrian experience more interesting. Regarding the Beltway and I-270 improvements, Ms. Rubin wants to see the project considered in its entirety instead of a project focused solely on the American Legion Bridge/I-270/I-495 phase.  On February 8, 2022, the MCCC Infrastructure and Land Use Committee was joined by Paul Wiedefeld, General Manager and Chief Executive Officer of the Washington Area Metropolitan Transit Authority (WMATA). Mr. Wiedefeld, who has led WMATA since 2015, announced he is retiring in July. Committee Co-Chairs Gus Bauman (Beveridge & Diamond PC) and Bob Elliott (Lantian Development) wished him well in his future endeavors. Mr. Wiedefeld does not know what comes next, but he plans to continue contributing in some capacity. In his briefing to the Committee, Mr. Wiedefeld said that a top priority over the last two years is keeping Metro’s workforce safe, including vaccination or proof of testing for all Metro employees. Metro has a 93% vaccination rate and nearly 100% compliance with Metro’s requirements. Regarding ridership, Metro has seen a gradual return, but not to pre-pandemic levels. Ridership has also been disrupted by service interruptions. Metro will continue to encourage a return to ridership and is considering new fare initiatives as an incentive. Mr. Wiedefeld closed his remarks by discussing several challenges and opportunities facing Metro, including the acknowledgement that the pandemic has changed travel patterns and the current financial model is no longer sustainable. Metro also needs to grapple with equity issues and their relation to quality transit services, including the delivery of an affordable and seamless network of bus and rail transit services that benefits all.  MCCC’s Economic Development Committee met on February 2, 2022 and received a briefing from the Maryland Department of Labor’s Commissioner of Labor and Industry, Matthew S. Helminiak. Commissioner Helminiak has oversight over the division that plays the vital role of providing and protecting a healthy, safe, and equitable workplace for Maryland businesses.
The presentation covered:
He also provided a review of legislation his division is following during the 2022 legislation session of the Maryland General Assembly, including a bill to increase the minimum wage. The minimum wage in Maryland, following an increase on January 1, 2022, rises to $12.50 per hour for employers with 15 or more employees and $12.20 for employers with less than 15 employees. Finally, Commissioner Helminiak provided an overview of the Maryland Healthy Working Families Act, which went into effect February 11, 2018 and requires employers with 15 or more employees to provide one hour of paid sick and safe leave for every 30 hours that an employee works. For smaller employers, the requirement is one hour of unpaid sick and safe leave for every 30 hours that an employee works. |
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