Peeping Tom in Gaithersburg

City of Gaithersburg police responded to a report of a peeping Tom Monday evening. The incident was reported at an apartment complex in the 900 block of Clopper Road around 7:42 PM.

Supertooth dental office renovated in the Kentlands

Supertooth Dental Group has renovated its Kentlands Dental Care office at 237 Kentlands Boulevard. The office reopened on October 27, 2020. Appointments are now available.

Montgomery County Council passes massive developer tax cut, now wants to cut pay for cops, firefighters

The Montgomery County Council voted 7-2 yesterday to approve a massive property tax cut for developers, estimated to cost taxpayers from $400 million to upwards of a billion dollars over the next 15 years.After overturning County Executive Marc Elrich's veto of the developer tax cut, the Council is now seeking to cut hazard pay for police officers, firefighters, Ride On bus drivers and other frontline essential employees who are at high-risk of contracting Covid-19 daily during the coronavirus pandemic.

Yesterday's vote continues two disturbing trends by the Montgomery County Council: a continued shift of the tax burden from developers (who contribute to all nine councilmembers' campaigns) to workers and homeowners, and the ongoing practice by the Council of breaking labor agreements. 

While property taxes on homeowners have risen each year except 2014 (in which the average homeowner got a $12 tax cut - gee, thanks!), large developers have enjoyed tax cut after tax cut on property and impact taxes over the last decade. It started with a $72 million developer tax cut in 2010. Remember how your energy taxes were hiked, and an ambulance fee levied, around the same time to make up for that developer giveaway? Yep.

Combined with the County's failure to attract high-wage jobs or a single major corporate headquarters in over 20 years, outsize spending by Council, and the flight of the rich due to record-high tax burdens, the developer pay-days have blown an atomic bomb-size hole in the County budget. The result is a structural budget deficit as far out as the forecasts go.

So we've known by the last decade that massive residential development results in a deficit, as the costs this new housing creates for services like schools, infrastructure and social spending far outstrips the revenue it generates. 

We also know there's little demand for luxury apartments, as a large percentage of the new units delivered since 2010 are filled with airbnb hotel guests, college students and corporate contract residents, none of whom pay full-freight rent. In fact, the Council admitted there's no demand for high-rise housing atop Metro stations when introducing the new tax cut - and they're going to bust the budget and hike your taxes to build something nobody wants, just so they and their developer sugar daddies can still make a profit on it.

And we've learned that the affordable housing "crisis" isn't actually a crisis, because the Housing Opportunities Commission was able to move hundreds of people out of The Ambassador apartments into vacant units elsewhere and demolish the building, while the owners of affordable Halpine View said they have no takers for their vacant units in Rockville. Whoops! 

The shift in revenue burden has also moved from the large, international development firms that contribute to the Councilmembers' campaigns to the mom-and-pop developers who live in the community and build or expand single-family homes. Not only did the Council hit them with new regulations and tax hikes like the recordation tax, but they've recently sought to levy an all-new "teardown tax" on these small building firms. When you know that the Council's long-term goal is to change zoning to allow urban development in existing single-family-home neighborhoods, you can understand why they're trying to clear the construction field for the big guys.

But the Council isn't done spreading the unfairness around!

Now it wants to take hazard pay away from first responders and frontline employees that is in already-negotiated labor agreements. While the Council hides at home on Zoom meetings, these police officers and firefighters are responding to calls and speaking with often-unmasked citizens on a daily basis. Ride On drivers are helping similarly-essential personnel get to work, and low-income residents get to medical appointments, while exposing themselves to the virus on every shift. 

The same Council didn't even give our police officers a sufficient supply of PPE and hand sanitizer. How interesting that the same councilmembers - Hans Riemer (D - At-Large) and Andrew Friedson (D - District 1) spearheading the $1 billion tax cut for developers yesterday are also leading the charge to cut hazard pay for cops and firefighters. 

Now, even as the councilmembers' own $140,000 paychecks increase year after year, they want to again renege on labor agreements. County employees are counting on these agreements when planning the financial future of their families. The Council wants to take food off their tables during a pandemic, and turn it into cash for their campaign donors - and into future campaign checks for themselves.

It's outrageous.

New mural in the Kentlands

A new public art mural has been painted at Kentlands Market Square in Gaithersburg. It features images inspired by tenant Berries & Bowls. The superfood cafe is located at 120 Market Street.

Early voting now underway in Montgomery County

Montgomery County voters who want to vote in person, but cast their ballots before Election Day, are heading to early voting centers like this one in Rockville starting today. Early voting here in Maryland runs through Monday, November 2, 2020, from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM daily.

Executive Office Building early voting
site in Rockville

You can see the early voting locations and the current wait time at each on the Board of Elections website. Around noon today, the current wait time at the Executive Office Building voting site in Rockville was the longest at a whopping 90 minutes. Jane Lawton Community Center in Chevy Chase and Sandy Spring Volunteer Fire Department were shown with 45 minute waits. The wait time at the Silver Spring Civic Center and Wheaton Recreation Center, conversely, was zero minutes at noon.

Early voting sites with the longest
wait times on the first day of
early voting

One other tricky hurdle for voters besides the lines is matter of the ballot questions. Voters wishing to support the citizen questions on the ballot that would prevent the Montgomery County Council from voting to exceed the annual cap on property taxes, and change the structure of that County Council to nine smaller districts (and eliminate the four At-Large seats) will want to vote "Yes" on Questions B and D. 

Questions A and C are questions with similar wording the Council itself placed on the ballot. But if A and C are approved, they will cancel out Questions B and D, and neither change sought by the citizens who signed petitions would take place in that event. 

Kentlands Starbucks update (Photos)

Construction of the new Starbucks is well-advanced in the Lowes parking lot at the Kentlands Square shopping center in Gaithersburg. The franchisee is using materials beyond the standard required by the coffee chain to give it an upscale appearance. 

This is one of three pad sites on the western lot at Lowes that were made available by the property owner. They face what will eventually be a named street. As you can see, the Starbucks will have a drive-thru - an essential feature, in my book!

Brio's Chicken coming to the Kentlands

Brio's Chicken is expanding from Aspen Hill to Gaithersburg. The local business was known as Gio's Chicken before, but the Peruvian charcoal chicken is the same. Now they're coming to the Kentlands, according to a sign on their future Kentlands Market Square storefront, sporting a 5-star rating on Yelp.

Ideal Image coming to Downtown Crown in Gaithersburg

Ideal Image, a medspa offering a variety of non-invasive aesthetic treatment services, is coming to Downtown Crown in Gaithersburg. It will be located next to Zagg on Crown Park Avenue. Ideal Image is also opening a previously-announced location at Bethesda Row.

New traffic signal activated on Watkins Mill Road in Gaithersburg

Montgomery County's newest traffic signal is now in operation on Watkins Mill Road in Gaithersburg. It's been a bit dangerous at the intersection of Watkins Mill and Spectrum Boulevard for several months, as the increased traffic from the new I-270 interchange has been governed by a four-way stop there. Now the signal is activated, and providing additional safety for pedestrians as well as drivers.

Maryland releases draft Covid-19 vaccination plan

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) released a draft of the state's Covid-19 vaccination plan this morning. Like all states, Maryland must submit a plan like this to the federal government for how it will store, distribute and administer any future approved vaccines for the coronavirus.

The Maryland vaccination plan is split into three phases: the initial period when vaccine supply may be minimal and who should have priority to receive it must be determined, a second phase when large amounts become available and there is a more general rush to administer it to a large number of people, and a third, ongoing phase when one or more Covid-19 vaccines continue to be distributed like a flu shot in the future.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R)

The Maryland Department of Health Center for Immunization (CFI) will orchestrate the operational side of implementing the plan. MDH's Office of Preparedness and Response (OP&R) will focus on planning, coordination and logistical matters. And other MDH programs and agencies such as the Maryland Emergency Management Agency and Maryland State Police will take on other roles "as the operational needs evolve," the plan draft states.

Will you, the average Montgomery County citizen, be one of the first to receive a Covid-19 vaccine? No, according to the plan. In phase one, only high-risk members of the population and workers at hospitals, long term care (LTC) and skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) are anticipated to be vaccinated. 

The plan states that two doses of the potential vaccine(s) will likely be required, with a period of three or more weeks between shots. Maryland plans to use its PrepMod and Maryland MyIR online portals to send recipients a reminder that it is time to come in for the second dose. PrepMod will also initially be the main vaccine management system, 

PrepMod is an online clinic management and appointment scheduling system. It is used by Maryland local health departments to conduct mass vaccination drives and vaccinations at school-located clinics. Maryland's ImmuNet will play a central role as the one-stop shop for health care providers to register as an official Covid-19 vaccine provider, order their vaccine supplies, track vaccine deliveries, report doses administered, and to determine scheduling of second doses.

Maryland's first priority in public messaging when a vaccine becomes available will be assuring the public that it is a safe and effective vaccine. Public communication will then emphasize vaccination of the most-vulnerable first, and then the general population.

One of the other key points covered in the report is the necessary training of providers in the handling, storage and administration of this new vaccine or vaccines. This training will have to be rapid. Among the required training efforts, Maryland plans to utilize state, federal and CDC materials and webinars to get providers up to speed quickly.

Aldi Montgomery Village store grand opening date set

Aldi is gearing up for its long-awaited grand opening in Montgomery Village - although the German grocery chain is calling it their "Gaithersburg Aldi." The grand opening date is now set for October 22, 2020, according to the company's website. Workers are now stocking the shelves in preparation. Aldi is located at 19150 Montgomery Village Avenue.

Rape reported in Poolesville

Montgomery County police responded to the report of a strong-arm rape in Poolesville on Wednesday afternoon. The sexual assault was reported at a school property in the 17500 block of West Willard Road around 1:37 PM, according to crime data.

Germantown teen missing

Montgomery County police are seeking the public's help in locating a missing Germantown teenager.  Alexandra Maikelin Merino, 16, hasn't been seen since she left her Skip Jack Drive home on foot around 11:30 AM on Sunday, October 11, 2020. 

Police describe Merino as being around 5’ 5” tall, and 114 pounds. She has brown eyes and brown hair.

Anyone with information about Alexandra Merino’s whereabouts is asked to call the police non-emergency number at 301-279-8000 (24-hour line).

Montgomery County Council using taxpayer funds to campaign against citizen ballot questions

October 13 email sent from Montgomery County Council
government email system urging recipients to vote against
citizen-proposed ballot questions

Montgomery County residents have been receiving frequent emails from County Council members in recent weeks urging them to vote against ballot questions proposed by County residents. Just one problem: these spam political campaign emails are paid for by you, the taxpayer. If a politician wishes to campaign against a ballot question, they can form a new campaign entity or use their own campaign funds, but they cannot use taxpayer funds. This use of taxpayer-funded government email systems for political campaigning should be reviewed by the Maryland Board of Elections, and the Inspector General's office.

I personally have received two of these emails in just the last two days from Councilmembers Andrew Friedson (D - District 1) and Hans Riemer (D - At-Large). I've previously received several emails from their same government accounts, which also urged me to vote against Questions B and D. The shady and illegal tactic is simply one more reason voters should vote FOR Questions B and D, and AGAINST Questions A and C.

The October 13 County government-sent email illegally urges
recipients to vote a certain way on ballot questions

The taxpayer-funded spam email blitz is only the newest unethical tactic the Council has deployed against citizen efforts to chip away at its authoritarian power. While the citizen-petitioned ballot questions each received the support of nearly 20,000 Montgomery County residents who signed the petitions, the Montgomery County Council placed its own deceptive ballot questions with no public, democratic process. 

Content in years past to wage expensive campaigns against citizen ballot questions, the Council upped the ante and the corruption this year. With no advance warning or public process, the Council simply gaveled two identically-worded poison pill questions onto the ballot at a virtual online meeting. The scheme is intended to fool voters into voting "Yes" on all four. Legal experts have advised that if all four ballot questions are approved, they will cancel each other out, and none of the changes citizens sought will take place.

Fine print at bottom of email confirms it
was sent "on behalf of Montgomery County, Maryland Government"

Question B would eliminate the Council's ability to override the existing property tax cap, as they did in 2016 to slam homeowners with a 9% property tax increase, to cover for their mismanagement of the County budget. Question D would eliminate the At-Large seats on the Council, and reorder the Council into 9 smaller districts. Questions A and C are the Council's poison pill questions that mimic the language of B and D. 

Fine print also declares the email "is part of
the Council's newsletter software," a taxpayer-funded
government communications platform

Making taxpayers fund their corrupt schemes is nothing new for the Montgomery County Council. My investigation in 2018 found that Councilmember Hans Riemer was charging taxpayers to fund both a political website (even though each councilmember already gets a free, taxpayer-funded website on the Council's website), and to pay for his gas when he traveled to private meetings with his campaign donors.

Fleet Feet coming soon to the Kentlands

Fleet Feet is coming to the Kentlands. The athletic shoe and accessory retailer has leased a space at 201 Market Street. 

Armed robbery at Germantown hotel

An armed robbery was reported in Germantown early Friday morning. The robbery took place at a hotel in the 12500 block of Milestone Center Drive around 2:30 AM, according to crime data. 

Some Montgomery County voters haven't received their mail-in ballots

Some Montgomery County voters are hitting the panic button as the mail-in ballots they requested weeks or months ago have not yet arrived. The panic is not only due to the high anxiety about election fraud this year, but more so because these voters have seen friends' and family members' ballots arrive, while theirs haven't - even though in many cases the requests were mailed the same day, or even together.

The Montgomery County Board of Elections told one voter who requested his ballot over a month ago that, if he doesn't receive it by the end of this week, to request a "second-issue ballot." This can be done by visiting the Board of Elections in person (Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5pm) at 18753 N. Frederick Avenue., Suite 210, in Gaithersburg; emailing your name, date-of-birth, address, mailing address (if needed), and second ballot issue request to absentee@montgomerycountymd.gov; or by reapplying online by texting VBM to 77788 or using this form.

Another big question for some voters is why their ballot isn't shown as received days after mailing it back, or placing it into a dropbox. BOE says that it can take up to two weeks for a ballot to be collected and processed.

Voters are correct to be concerned. I lost my voting rights in the primary earlier this year when my completed ballot was "lost in the mail" on its way back to the BOE, making it the first election I ever missed participating in since I was old enough to register. I personally have received my mail-in ballot. But I will be using a dropbox to return it this time.

Allure coming to Gaithersburg Square

Allure Jewelry & Custom Design is coming to Gaithersburg. The store will be located in the Gaithersburg Square shopping center at 524 N. Frederick Avenue. Construction inside the space appears just about finished. Allure is now hiring for full-time and part-time positions, and are seeking applicants with jewelry and retail experience.

Try your new business at Lakeforest Mall in Gaithersburg

The owner of Lakeforest Mall in Gaithersburg has announced the mall is entering a transition phase as it awaits a potential redevelopment. During this period, the mall is considering potential tenants who want to open a bricks-and-mortar business who might ordinarily not be able to afford the rents at a major retail center of this type. 

Lakeforest will leverage its many vacant spaces to potentially provide opportunities for small, independent, local businesses who could benefit from the foot traffic of mall patrons, at a special lease rate. Have a business and need space? The mall operator has an online form to make your pitch. Who knows, you might just have the business idea that saves Lakeforest Mall from the wrecking ball!

Gaithersburg Square makeover proposed (Photos)

Federal Realty has proposed major renovations and upgrades at its Gaithersburg Square shopping center at 524 N. Frederick Avenue. New facade treatments, light sconces, architecture and art elements, and transformed landscaping and hardscaping will give the center's traditional buildings an updated look.

Distinctive additions will include features like a "whimsical downspout" and hanging lanterns in tree branches. On the more practical side, some changes will reflect changing shopping habits. As curbside pick-up sales increase in the pandemic era, Federal Realty is proposing to create pick up spaces in front of certain businesses, instead of the solid curb and sidewalk.

The Gaithersburg Planning Commission will review the proposal at its virtual meeting tonight, October 7, 2020. City planning staff are recommending approval of the renovations, with conditions. The proposed conditions are to provide a public access easement between the public crosswalk at the Perry Parkway circle and Federal Realty's property, and for Federal Realty to obtain approval of the final site plans by both the Department of Public Works and Planning Division prior to the issuance of any permits.