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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Joint EC/HHS Committee Work Session FY27-32 CIP for DHHS – March 12, 2026

County Council & Committees — Thursday, March 12, 2026

BodyMontgomery County, Maryland

SessionCounty Council & Committees

DateThursday, March 12, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 1:05:46

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:02

Thank you.

0:02

Good afternoon.

0:03

It is uh Thursday, March 12th, a snowy March 12th.

0:08

Um just after 130.

0:10

This is a joint work session of the Education and Culture Committee and the Health and Human Services Committee.

0:15

Uh I'm Will Jawondo, I'm chair of the ENC committee and joined by my co-chair, Lorianne Sales, and the committee members.

0:23

Uh we have a couple of items related to the CA CIP that impact both committees.

0:31

I want to thank uh the Department of Health and Human Services and Department of General Services, OMB and MCPS, all who are here to join us today, uh underscores that this is a collaborative effort of everyone involved.

0:43

Uh and there's a lot at stake.

0:45

Our child care infrastructure, uh compliance timelines for ADA, high priority school-based wellness centers, uh, linkages to learning.

0:56

Uh, and we know we still have a you know gaps.

0:58

Um, you know, we're one thing we won't address today is the middle schools, right, which we've been talking about for a while that we need to have a plan for.

1:05

So uh important decisions and we appreciate everyone's work.

1:09

Um I want to turn it over.

1:11

Do you have any comments you want to make?

1:13

To my co-chair?

1:14

Okay.

1:15

So we will we will get started and turn it over to Ms.

1:18

Rodriguez Hernandez.

1:19

All right, good afternoon, everyone.

1:20

Yes, I want to reiterate the thanks um and gratitude to our executive branch partners in Montgomery County Public Schools for their time and effort in preparing responses for today's committee work session.

1:30

Today, the Joint Health and Human Services and Education and Culture Committee, as well as separately the Health and Human Services Committee will review the entire executive recommended fiscal year 27 to 32 CIP for the Department of Health and Human Services.

1:45

In today's work session, the joint committee will review those projects that have education or school-based related services to the DHHS CIP.

1:56

Overall, the executive recommends a six-year total of $74.2 million for the fiscal year 27 to 32 CIP for DHHS, which is a $2.4 million reduction from the amended fiscal year 25 to 30 CIP.

2:09

And they know the pro the reduction is primarily a result of project closeout.

2:13

And the executive did not propose new projects in the recommended upcoming CIP period.

2:19

To start, uh, we will review the projects related to child care.

2:23

The first is the child care renovations umbrella project, which is now pending closeout.

2:28

In fiscal year 25, the executive split the child care renovations umbrella project into three separate, which are child care innovations for ADA remediation, playgrounds, and facility replacement, and we will review each of those as well.

2:42

Each subproject has a site schedule list associated and associated placeholder funding, and these schedules and costs are updated annually to reflect the implementation timelines and actual costs as they come to each project and site.

2:54

Since fiscal year 25, no funding has been allocated to this umbrella project, and now it is moving to pending closeout.

3:00

And council staff concurs with the executive's recommendation.

3:03

And by way of process, we're going to go through each project and stop.

3:06

So if colleagues have questions, just please flag.

3:08

Or if anyone on the panel wants to add any uh anything, please let us know.

3:14

This one seems pretty straightforward.

3:15

Uh so without objection.

3:17

Okay, thank you.

3:19

The second starts uh the discussion on three of the subprojects related to this umbrella project.

3:24

The first is on ADA remediation, which of course remedies ADA noncompliant features at child care centers located in the county.

3:32

And I did want to note that the list of the county managed child care and public sites list is on circle page 22, if you would like to see that as well.

3:40

For this project, the executive is recommending a $2 million increase to the total project costs with a 3.7% increase in the new six-year period, and specifically is requesting a $717,000 appropriation in fiscal year 27 and $360,000 in fiscal year 28.

3:57

And the source of funds is general obligation bonds.

4:00

Table 2.2 on the bottom of page three provides a comparison of the sites that were included in the fiscal year 25 to 30 CIP to the recommended fiscal year 27 to 32 CIP.

4:11

You'll note that for the Lawton Child Care Center, design has advanced in the six-year period to start now in fiscal year 26 with a site reduction in the total cost.

4:21

And the Shady Grove Metro and Potomac Child Care Center and Colesville Health Centers are shifted a little bit later into the six-year period to have designs starting in fiscal year 28, 30, and 32, respectively.

4:33

And the costs have increased for these projects as well.

4:36

We'll also note that from the site schedule for the recommended CIP, Clara Barton Child Care Center and the Child Care Center at Lone Oak Park have been removed from the six-year CIP period for site schedule enhancements.

4:48

However, I will note that these projects are also included in the playgrounds child care renovations project, and they have been advanced in that period.

4:56

So we will discuss that as well in the second project.

5:00

Council staff concurs with the executive's recommendation for this project.

5:03

And on that point, um the remediations will be picked up in the other project, or could you just explain that?

5:12

Yes, uh good afternoon, Greg Austin, Department of General Services.

5:16

That's exactly correct.

5:17

If in the event um as Nicole mentioned, this umbrella project had about 27 or 30 sub-projects.

5:26

And so by breaking them out into these three separate CIPs, um, obviously there are overlap.

5:33

Um, clearly the building replacements, which we haven't talked about, complete replacement, teardown rebuild, um, those are six or seven of those, but there are certainly some overlap between the ADA remediation and the and the playgrounds and where those two can be combined and done at the same time.

5:47

That's what we're doing.

5:48

Um same thing with the building replacements, obviously.

5:52

Thank you.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Public Education█████████████████████████████████████████████56%

Public Health Services█████████████████████26%

Public Health██████████13%

Early Childhood Education██3%

Fiscal Sustainability██2%

Summary of Proceedings

Joint EC/HHS Committee Work Session: FY27-32 CIP for DHHS (March 12, 2026)

On Thursday, March 12, 2026, the Montgomery County Council's Education and Culture (EC) and Health and Human Services (HHS) committees held a joint work session from 1:34 p.m. to 2:44 p.m. to review the County Executive's recommended FY27-32 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) for the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), focusing on child care and school-based health projects. The recommended DHHS CIP totals $74.2 million over six years, a $2.4 million reduction from the amended FY25-30 CIP, with no new projects proposed. The committees unanimously supported all reviewed projects as recommended by the County Executive.

Public Comments & Testimony

No public testimony was heard during this joint work session.

Discussion Items

Child Care Renovations

Umbrella project (pending closeout): Council staff concurred with the executive's recommendation to close out the original child care renovations umbrella project, noting funding had been split into three subprojects since FY25.
ADA Remediation: The executive recommended a $2 million increase to total project cost (3.7% in the new six-year period), with $717,000 appropriated in FY27 and $360,000 in FY28 from general obligation bonds. Site schedules shifted for several centers; Clara Barton and Lone Oak Park were removed from the six-year ADA schedule but are included in the playgrounds subproject. Councilmember Sayles asked how delayed sites were selected and how equity was ensured; DHHS and DGS responded that decisions are based on facility need, feasibility, equity, and programmatic needs, and that delayed sites remain in the queue. The committee concurred.
Playgrounds: The executive recommended a $1.7 million increase (27.7%) with $51,000 in FY27 and $1.9 million in FY28. Several sites were postponed or removed; six of 11 removed sites are covered by the facility replacement project. DGS noted the Upcounty Regional Services Center playground faces topographic challenges but interior ADA work is complete. The committee concurred.
Facility Replacement: The executive recommended a $17.5 million decrease (37.5% reduction) and a $9.1 million FY27 appropriation, focusing all available funds on the MLK Recreation Park Center replacement. Construction is expected to start in FY27 and last about 20 months, with an anticipated opening in late 2027. Six other modular replacement sites were removed from the schedule pending a revised strategy. Councilmember Luedtke asked about the prioritization of MLK and the decrease in project costs; DGS explained the focus on MLK and the complexity of future replacements. A committee member expressed appreciation for the work on the MLK project and noted a recent visit to the child care center there. The committee concurred.

Child Care in Schools

The project, which provides child care classrooms at MCPS construction sites, has no recommended funding in FY27-32. The executive plans to develop a strategic implementation plan based on the 2024 DHHS supply/demand study and the MCPS CIP. Council staff recommended requesting the plan when available. Chair Jawando requested a joint session in the summer to discuss the plan, noting MCPS's CIP does not currently advance pre-K/early childhood expansion. The committee concurred.

Early Care and Education Facility Fund

Recommended for pending closeout, with no new funding. The original $4 million in current revenue came from the Early Care and Education Initiative NDA. DHHS selected the Reinvestment Fund as the CDFI through a public RFP. Councilmember Sayles asked about the selection process; staff confirmed an open solicitation. The committee concurred.

High School Wellness Center and Expanded Wellness Services

The executive recommended a $2.8 million reduction (placeholder removal) and an 11.2% increase in the six-year period, with FY27-32 expenditures rising by $7.9 million. Annual operating impacts are projected to grow from $1.2 million to $2.4 million in FY29 and $3.6 million in FY30. Six high schools have full wellness centers; all others have expanded services. Springbrook remains on schedule; Paint Branch, Blake, and Magruder were removed; Woodward continues; Crown shifted; Damascus added for an additional office. About $3.5 million in placeholder capacity remains for future schools. Staff and members discussed why Paint Branch wasn't funded from placeholders; executive noted the funding was held as placeholders awaiting council direction. Councilmember Sayles raised concerns about low utilization and requested data on visits, staffing efficiency, and possible service delivery model changes. Dr. Ashford described current staffing via contracts with CCI and Children's National, operating five days a week for seven hours, and ongoing efforts to maximize utilization. Councilmember Mink and Luedtke raised concerns about access for students at schools without centers and coordination with MCPS CIP timing. The committee concurred with the staff recommendation and agreed to continue discussions during the operating budget session, including middle school access.

School-Based Health and Linkages to Learning Centers

The executive's recommendation maintains the amended FY25-30 total project cost with no additional six-year funding, reflecting a 61.7% decrease in the six-year period. It removes Twinbrook and Whetstone elementary schools, adds an expanded site at Eastern Middle School, and includes $1.5 million in capacity for two future schools. DHHS noted LTL sites can be implemented before school construction if two dedicated offices (150 sq ft or larger) are available. Council staff recommended concurrence and a follow-up on the future site selection process tied to the MCPS boundary study, the LTL strategic plan update (expected April 2026), and the FY27 operating budget. Chair Jawando confirmed DGS had already sketched a plan for Twinbrook. Councilmember Sayles suggested holding off on funding approval until the study is complete; staff clarified the additional capacity is placeholder. Jawando clarified there are separate boundary studies and a future countywide elementary/middle school study. The committee concurred.

Key Outcomes

The joint EC/HHS Committee unanimously supported all DHHS CIP projects as recommended by the County Executive, as reviewed above.
The committee requested further discussions on increasing access to wellness services for high school and middle school students who do not have expanded wellness services or a school-based health/Linkages to Learning center.
Chair Jawando requested that the committee reconvene to discuss the strategic implementation plan for the Child Care in Schools project, with a possible summer joint session.
Staff were asked to provide facility and service needs assessment data for wellness centers and expanded wellness sites, along with utilization data, in advance of the operating budget work session.
The committee emphasized the need for creative models for service delivery, including potential restructuring of school-based health center operations and addressing transportation/outreach for students referred to centers at other schools.
The joint portion of the meeting adjourned; the HHS committee continued its separate review after the EC committee retired.

Meeting Transcript

Thank you. Good afternoon. It is uh Thursday, March 12th, a snowy March 12th. Um just after 130. This is a joint work session of the Education and Culture Committee and the Health and Human Services Committee. Uh I'm Will Jawondo, I'm chair of the ENC committee and joined by my co-chair, Lorianne Sales, and the committee members. Uh we have a couple of items related to the CA CIP that impact both committees. I want to thank uh the Department of Health and Human Services and Department of General Services, OMB and MCPS, all who are here to join us today, uh underscores that this is a collaborative effort of everyone involved. Uh and there's a lot at stake. Our child care infrastructure, uh compliance timelines for ADA, high priority school-based wellness centers, uh, linkages to learning. Uh, and we know we still have a you know gaps. Um, you know, we're one thing we won't address today is the middle schools, right, which we've been talking about for a while that we need to have a plan for. So uh important decisions and we appreciate everyone's work. Um I want to turn it over. Do you have any comments you want to make? To my co-chair? Okay. So we will we will get started and turn it over to Ms. Rodriguez Hernandez. All right, good afternoon, everyone. Yes, I want to reiterate the thanks um and gratitude to our executive branch partners in Montgomery County Public Schools for their time and effort in preparing responses for today's committee work session. Today, the Joint Health and Human Services and Education and Culture Committee, as well as separately the Health and Human Services Committee will review the entire executive recommended fiscal year 27 to 32 CIP for the Department of Health and Human Services. In today's work session, the joint committee will review those projects that have education or school-based related services to the DHHS CIP. Overall, the executive recommends a six-year total of $74.2 million for the fiscal year 27 to 32 CIP for DHHS, which is a $2.4 million reduction from the amended fiscal year 25 to 30 CIP. And they know the pro the reduction is primarily a result of project closeout. And the executive did not propose new projects in the recommended upcoming CIP period. To start, uh, we will review the projects related to child care. The first is the child care renovations umbrella project, which is now pending closeout. In fiscal year 25, the executive split the child care renovations umbrella project into three separate, which are child care innovations for ADA remediation, playgrounds, and facility replacement, and we will review each of those as well. Each subproject has a site schedule list associated and associated placeholder funding, and these schedules and costs are updated annually to reflect the implementation timelines and actual costs as they come to each project and site. Since fiscal year 25, no funding has been allocated to this umbrella project, and now it is moving to pending closeout. And council staff concurs with the executive's recommendation. And by way of process, we're going to go through each project and stop. So if colleagues have questions, just please flag. Or if anyone on the panel wants to add any uh anything, please let us know. This one seems pretty straightforward. Uh so without objection. Okay, thank you. The second starts uh the discussion on three of the subprojects related to this umbrella project. The first is on ADA remediation, which of course remedies ADA noncompliant features at child care centers located in the county. And I did want to note that the list of the county managed child care and public sites list is on circle page 22, if you would like to see that as well. For this project, the executive is recommending a $2 million increase to the total project costs with a 3.7% increase in the new six-year period, and specifically is requesting a $717,000 appropriation in fiscal year 27 and $360,000 in fiscal year 28. And the source of funds is general obligation bonds. Table 2.2 on the bottom of page three provides a comparison of the sites that were included in the fiscal year 25 to 30 CIP to the recommended fiscal year 27 to 32 CIP. You'll note that for the Lawton Child Care Center, design has advanced in the six-year period to start now in fiscal year 26 with a site reduction in the total cost. And the Shady Grove Metro and Potomac Child Care Center and Colesville Health Centers are shifted a little bit later into the six-year period to have designs starting in fiscal year 28, 30, and 32, respectively. And the costs have increased for these projects as well. We'll also note that from the site schedule for the recommended CIP, Clara Barton Child Care Center and the Child Care Center at Lone Oak Park have been removed from the six-year CIP period for site schedule enhancements. However, I will note that these projects are also included in the playgrounds child care renovations project, and they have been advanced in that period. So we will discuss that as well in the second project.

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