Thursday, May 2, 2013
Council members: Post article was the first they heard of Metro's decision not to operate the center.
A communication breakdown over the Silver Spring Transit Center led to harsh words for Montgomery County officials by County Council members Wednesday. Of particular concern to council members was a letter the Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority sent to the executive branch on April 12, stating the transit agency would not operate and maintain the transit center. (See the attached PDF for the full text of the letter.) Council members said they did not know of the letter before it was reported in The Washington Post on April 25. They demanded to know why the executive branch had not immediately shared the letter with the council. The executive branch intended to share the letter with the council, but wanted to first sort out the …
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
A bicyclist's death this week marked the fifth fatal collision in the eastern and middle areas of Montgomery County since late January.
A 23-year-old man died after a car struck his bicycle in downtown Silver Spring Sunday, the latest casualty in a series of collisions that have unsettled Montgomery County residents. Since Jan. 22, four pedestrians — and now a cyclist — have died in Silver Spring and Aspen Hill. Three were killed while crossing the road, another while she stood on the sidewalk. At least two others were injured. One did not appear to have major injuries, but another went to the hospital in serious condition. Ken Silverman, an analyst for Montgomery County Council President Nancy Navarro, has created a map showing the locations of five of these collisions. Silverman says that Montgomery County police should "aggressively ticket drivers who speed or fail to …
Monday, January 14, 2013
Montgomery County Council President Nancy Navarro is expected to introduce the resolution Tuesday
A proposed County Council resolution urges the governor and state lawmakers to tighten restrictions on gun and ammunition sales. Montgomery County Council President Nancy Navarro, D-Dist. 4, is expected to introduce the resolution Tuesday. The resolution asks state leaders to: The Council is scheduled to take up the resolution at its next meeting, Tuesday, Jan. 22. A copy of the resolution is posted at the County Council website. Some Background A state taskforce directed to study the adequacy of gun policies as they relate to people with mental illnesses issued a report on Jan. 2, 2013. Among the report’s nine recommendations was the finding that there was no mandate that mental health professionals and social workers report threats of …
Thursday, December 6, 2012
What do you think of Councilman Roger Berliner’s list of council ‘wins?’
In his last day as president of the Montgomery County Council, Roger Berliner spoke with reporters in Rockville, recounting a year that included continued budget wrangling, squabbles over Pepco's performance and steps to aid small businesses and stimulate economic development. Click here to a see a video of Berliner’s remarks. Councilwoman Nancy Navarro (D-Dist. 4) of Silver Spring took the reins as the council’s new president on Tuesday. But before he stepped aside during Tuesday's council meeting, Berliner (D-Dist. 1) of Potomac outlined what he sees as the council’s greatest accomplishments during his yearlong term. Click here to read Berliner’s remarks in their entirety. The council on Tuesday also released a list of accomplishments …
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
New council president says she'll emphasize economic development and educational equality in 2013.
Montgomery County's unity as well as its diversity will be the keys to keeping the state's "economic engine" revving next year, said Nancy Navarro, the new Montgomery County Council president. The council president, which changes hands at the end of each year, sets the agenda and steers the council on broad policy initiatives. "It is clear that a majority of residents are minority, so it is fitting that the face of our council leadership reflects that change," said Councilman Craig Rice, referring to Navarro, who is the council's first Latina president. Rice was chosen to serve as the council's vice president. Rice, (D-Dist. 2) of Germantown, Tuesday announced Navarro's nomination in Spanish, spurring a standing ovation and a unanimous …
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
At its first meeting, the new Wheaton Public Safety Work Group discussed how to counteract damaging perceptions about crime in Wheaton.
“Wheaton is not a dangerous place,” said Fourth District Police Commander John Damskey at the first meeting of the Wheaton Public Safety Work Group on Nov. 19. “But the perception is horrible," he added. The new Wheaton Public Safety Work Group is tasked with finding ways of “improving public safety, quality of life, and perceptions of downtown Wheaton as it relates to revitalization efforts." At the Nov. 19 meeting, attendees talked about the changes Wheaton has undergone. They also discussed improving appearance and safety in Wheaton with more street lights, cameras at pay stations and median landscaping. In an Aug. 8 memorandum, Montgomery County councilmembers Hans Riemer (D–At Large) and Nancy Navarro (D-District 4) outlined the work …
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Montgomery County Councilmember joined Casa de Maryland’s Familia es Familia campaign that pushes the passage of both same-sex marriage and the Dream Act.
For Nancy Navarro, vice-president of the Montgomery County Council and representative for Wheaton and parts of Silver Spring, legalizing same-sex marriage in Maryland is about familia. She recently spoke at a rally for Casa de Maryland, the state’s largest immigrant advocacy group, that brought together supporters of same-sex marriage and the Dream Act under the campaign title “Familia es familia.” Navarro’s brother Pedro is gay, she said. “Familia es familia resonated with me,” she said. “After talking to my brother about it, I asked him if it was ok for me to relay the personal family experience and he said, of course.” Navarro said that her brother, who used to live in Maryland but now lives in Austin, came out to her and her sister …
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Montgomery County Councilmember Marc Elrich is the lead sponsor.
A new zoning text amendment that would affect the special exceptions process for gas stations in Montgomery County was introduced at Tuesday’s county council session. The zoning text amendment would apply to gas stations that process more than 3.6 million gallons of fuel per year. The proposed gas station at the Wheaton Costco would process an anticipated 12 million gallons of fuel per year. Councilmembers Marc Elrich, Valerie Ervin and Nancy Navarro are sponsoring ZTA 12-07. (Update: Councilmember Craig Rice has also been added as a co-sponsor.) A public hearing will be scheduled for June 19 at 7:30 p.m. The ZTA’s language would direct the Board of Appeals to examine if the gas station would negatively affect the neighborhood regarding …
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Navarro approved as vice president.
The Montgomery County Council elected Councilmember Roger Berliner as its next president on Tuesday, choosing Councilmember Nancy Navarro as vice president. Berliner, who succeeds outgoing Council President Valerie Ervin, said Montgomery County's work to regain fiscal stability is not yet done, and that the county will face budgetary, transportation and environmental challenges in the future. "If we are to meet these challenges, we will have to meet the hardest of them all: becoming change agents rather than servants of the status quo," he said. "We need to introduce new words into our county’s business model, words like nimble, bold, entrepreneurial." Navarro, who represents District 4, is the county's first Hispanic female vice …
Michael
9:50 pm on Sunday, May 5, 2013
if you think this is bad, wait to the county pursues the purple line, with union davis bacon, wage rates. a cost over run of 400% won't look so bad. more ›