Monday, March 9th.

Um, and we are uh still reviewing the capital improvements program for uh McGomber College.

Uh we'll also have a briefing on MCPS attendance engagement in truancy today.

Um and so we'll talk about that uh shortly.

Uh but really good to see you, Dr.

Williams in team.

Thanks for joining us.

Um so I'll turn it over to uh council staff to get us going.

And I know we this is we've had some set sessions here, and you guys have sent us your non-recommended, so we'll go make some decisions today.

Go ahead.

Uh thank you, Chair Bond.

So uh coming houses to refresh your memory.

Other way, Doug, I think you want to go left.

Oh there we go.

There you go.

You're correct.

Yeah, there you go.

Well, thank you again.

You're welcome.

Okay.

So uh the original presentation of the Montgomery College uh capital improvement budget was on February 19th.

Um just to refresh your memory, they requested a 499 499.7 million dollars CIP for the six-year period.

The county executive recommended a 445.3 million dollar CIP, um, a reduction of fifty-four point four million total, which would be 41.4 in geo bonds and 13 in current revenue reductions.

Um the non-rediction non-recommended reduction list includes elimination of funding for the capital asset management system, uh two million dollar reduction per year for the information technology system, and a deferral of the German town student affairs building renovation as an alternative scenario.

Um this would add back geo bonds in order to be able to um put money into the Rockville Theater Arts Renovation Project.

So that takes us through the overview.

Happy to go through um each of the pre projects for you.

Dr.

Williams team, anything you'd like to say?

I know we talked about this a little bit last time, but just uh thank you, Chair Girl, and never miss an opportunity to say uh thank you, thank you all for for your leadership.

Just quickly wanna share this is uh measured and um fiscally responsible budget.

Um this really is a budget that speaks about workforce.

And as we were at the uh education budget forum, we're talking about funds, right?

And how the county is going to create more funds.

And you're talking about growing the pie, right?

So we talk about growing the pie, we're talking about workforce generation.

Talk about Montgomery College, building the educated and trained individuals like Tilfer Gott, who's um the the lead engineer down at Imagination Stage, right?

That's what theater arts is is going to do.

Um we've provided a non-recommended uh reduction that keeps theater arts in.

Um truly the workforce development investment would be the entire CIP, but we understand working in partnership uh that we've proved divided two options, one of which keeps the essential theater arts building in the six-year CIP.

Um this academic building that is producing the educated and trained individuals filling the 28,000 jobs and the DMV and the performing arts sector.

So thank you again for your leadership.

Thank you again, council members, for all that you do and the opportunity to share a few words with you this morning.

Thank you.

I'll turn to colleagues.

Um, you know, so uh these are always difficult conversations.

Uh I I brought up at the MCPS CIP conversation that uh even if we accepted the non-recommended cuts, that just meets the county executive CIP level, which our spinning affordability guidelines don't even allow us to go in.

There's still a gap, right?

And so um we're dealing with that.

And obviously, there's other things in the CIP, right?

Transportation items and other and I don't believe our TE colleagues have made any cuts yet that I'm aware of, but uh I don't do you all know uh yeah.

Um so our decision today would be to we have to decide what do we send forward to full council for consideration.

Realizing the whole pie is, you know, the whole thing is a puzzle, as you all know from previous years.

I am pleased that in your non-recommended reductions, you still kept the theater arts building in the CIP, so I which I think is important.

And I literally have been there I think twice in the last two weeks, you know, for events and just underscoring the how how used how used it is.

Um, you know, I I think I'm inclined to accept your non-recommed reductions, which keeps the theater arts building in there to give you a shot of keeping that in at full council.

I I worry if we were to do something different when everyone else is gonna be cutting, including MCPS, because it's just there's no way to meet the total requests.

Uh I worried we'd be putting you at a disadvantage.

But I want to hear from my colleagues about what they think.

But that's that's my thought that we would accept the non-recommended reductions of the capital asset management system, that one million dollars, the IT funding reduct reducing that, not erasing it, but reducing it by two million over the six years, and then deferring the German town student affairs building so you can prioritize Rockfield Theater Arts.