COMMITTEE ACTIVITIES AND OUTLOOK FOR WORK for 2007-2008

    LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD

 

Join a Resource Committee


Many Leaguers find that the best way to get involved and get passionate about the League is to join a resource committee. Below is a list of the committees that are active at this time. These committees might do their own research on a topic for presentation at a briefing or might plan a presentation of outside speakers. Following are: a) an Executive Summary listing each of the committees and b) a more detailed description of their activities and outlook for work for the 2007-2008 year. If you are interested in contacting a chairperson to learn more about any of these committees, either call the League Office at 301-984-9585 or write us at our e-mail address: lwvmc@erols.com.


Executive Summary


Agriculture Reserve: We expect to meet irregularly and to monitor the activities of the county council and planning board for actions on issues affecting agriculture and the agricultural reserve. (Margaret Chasson, Chair)


Education: We will monitor issues related to K-12 public education, Montgomery College, and Adult Literacy and ESOL instruction and initiate Action as appropriate.  (Carla Satinsky, Chair)


Health Care: We will continue to monitor progress and take action in relation to improving mental health services in the county and will work toward access to health care for all, particularly the uninsured. (Laura J. Ryan, Chair)


Housing: The Housing Committee will conduct a joint study, with the Health Committee, of county efforts to provide housing for the homeless. We plan to evaluate the plan, its implementation and research strategies that will provide housing for the homeless. (Melpi Jeffries, Chair) 


International Relations: The IR committee plans to focus on the LWVUS Immigration Study.  The scope of the study includes: 1) reasons for migration from other countries; 2) current federal immigration policy; and 3) the impact of immigration. (Ruth Hayn and Judy Whiton, Co-Chairs)


Judicial Independence: Monitor and take action as needed. (Marlene Cohn, Chair)


Land Use: The committee participated in Framework for Planning in the Future, Community Discussions sponsored by MC-MNCPPC. The committee is following new developments in the County’s Growth Policy and trying to keep members informed. We continue to support “Green Infrastructure” in Montgomery County and we will serve on a Focus Group for the new County Green Infrastructure Functional Master Plan when called upon. (Aleen Starkweather, Chair)


Making Democracy Work: The committee will concentrate on preparing citizens for the 2008 primary and general elections. We will evaluate our 2006 efforts to make improvements, and follow the guidance of the vice presidents responsible for citizen education and voters service. (Barbara Sanders, Chair)


Natural Resources: In 2007-2008, we expect to continue monitoring timely multiple environmental topics, delving into selected ones---such as the upcoming update of the county

solid waste plan, the launching of the county's green building regulations, another round of forest conservation amendments, and a new urban tree plan. 
(Linda Silversmith, Chair)


Network for Children: Our members will continue to monitor issues of Federal, State and County budgets, health care, child care quality and subsidies, child welfare, Head Start, pre-K and others. There is also a need to monitor issues of juvenile delinquency, group homes, and detention centers, during 2007-08 – as the problems are mounting and the League needs to be involved. (Pat Plunkett, Chair)


Social Policy: During the Winter/Spring of 2007 the Social Policy Committee continued its evaluation of employment patterns of New Americans in Montgomery County. For 2007-08 the Social Policy Committee will monitor the LWV/US (National) Study of Immigration and Immigrants. Take action as needed. (Marilynn Smith, Chair)


Transportation: The committee’s goal is to raise the level of advocacy by LWVMC for balanced transportation funding. We plan to continue this action plan into the next year. (Harry Sanders, Chair)


Zoning: The committee will monitor actions of the County Council, Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals in those areas in which we developed consensus positions this past spring, taking particular note of the process by which changes are made to the zoning ordinance. (Margaret Chasson, Chair)


COMMITTEE ACTIVITIES AND OUTLOOK FOR WORK


Agriculture Reserve: The committee will be reduced in size as some members have moved away and others will join other studies. We expect to meet irregularly and to monitor the activities of the county council and planning board for actions on issues affecting agriculture and the agricultural reserve. There will likely be need for action on several topics. We may host a brown bag depending upon the level of activity by the county agencies on issues on which we have positions. (Margaret Chasson, Chair)


Education: The Education Committee prepared and presented consensus units on "Opportunities for Adults to Learn English".   We will monitor issues related to K-12 public education, Montgomery College, and Adult Literacy and ESOL instruction and initiate Action as appropriate.  (Carla Satinsky, Chair)


Health Care: The committee plans to join the Housing Committee in a study of Health Services for the Homeless in Montgomery County. We will continue to monitor progress and take action in relation to improving mental health services in the county and will work toward access to health care for all, particularly the uninsured. We plan to continue our membership in St. Mark’s Coalition for Mental Health and the Maryland Women’s Coalition for Health Care Reform to enhance our advocacy and action in these areas.

(Laura J. Ryan, Chair)


Housing: The Housing Committee will conduct a joint study, with the Health Committee, of county efforts to provide housing for the homeless.  The previous County Council had developed a plan to provide permanent housing for the homeless in the County.  We plan to evaluate the plan, its implementation and research strategies that will provide housing for the homeless.  We will continue to employ LWVMC's positions to promote affordable housing in Montgomery County.  We will monitor the County Council, the Department of Community Development and Housing, the Park and Planning Commission, and State and Federal Housing agencies. (Melpi Jeffries, Chair) 


International Relations: During the 2005-2006 year, the International Relations committee wrote an informational Fact Sheet entitled U.S. Immigration with Emphasis on Policy at the Federal Level.   It continued its research on international organizations such as the World Trade Organization and the International Criminal Court.  With LWVUS adopting a new study on Immigration in June 2006, the committee began to prepare by reviewing the legal status of Asylees and Refugees and studying The Essentials of Immigration Law, a text recommended by Don Mooers, a local immigration attorney.  For the next year, the IR committee plans to focus on the LWVUS Immigration Study.  The scope of the study includes:  1) reasons for migration from other countries; 2) current federal immigration policy; and 3) the impact of immigration.  Since LWVMC is already completing a two-year local study called New Americans and the impact on the "economy, diversity and American society", the IR committee will look at the first two sections of the scope of the new LWVUS study.  Every spring, the committee moderates the Foreign Policy Association's Great Decisions series on eight different foreign policy topics.

(Ruth Hayn and Judy Whiton, Co-Chairs)


Judicial Independence: Monitor and take action as needed. (Marlene Cohn, Chair)


Land Use: The committee participated in Framework for Planning in the Future, Community Discussions sponsored by MC-MNCPPC. The Committee Chair has been reappointed to the Legacy Open Space Citizen’s Advisory Board and she has been newly appointed to the Metropolitan Development Citizens’ Advisory Board (COG). The committee shares in the information from these.


We sponsored a successful Brown Bag Luncheon, “It’s Not Your Mamma’s Montgomery County,” with program by Royce Hanson, Planning Board Chairman. Click here to see an online presentation of this protram.


The committee is following new developments in the County’s Growth Policy and trying to keep members informed. After the Planning Board delivers its second report to the County Council in April, we will be briefed by Karl Moritz, Research Director of the Planning Board, on new concepts and ideas about Growth and Adequate Public Facilities. We plan to continue to follow these issues and report on them. We will submit articles to our newsletter about timely topics in Growth and Land Use. We continue to support “Green Infrastructure” in Montgomery County and we will serve on a Focus Group for the new County Green Infrastructure Functional Master Plan when called upon. (Aleen Starkweather, Chair)


Making Democracy Work: The committee will concentrate on preparing citizens for the 2008 primary and general elections. We will evaluate our 2006 efforts to make improvements, and follow the guidance of the vice presidents responsible for citizen education and voters service. We will invite our community contacts to join us as members of the League and/or financially support our efforts.


(Barbara Sanders, Chair)


Natural Resources: In 2006-2007, the Natural Resources Committee has hosted a brown bag supper on the current state of Maryland forests, prepared testimony in favor of county green buildings legislation, and further updated itself on green building regulations, county recycling (including the relatively new business recycling requirements), and the current status of county trees and forests. 

We also kept an eye on state environmental legislation and the state of the Chesapeake Bay and coastal bays. 

In 2007-2008, we expect to continue this type of monitoring of timely multiple environmental topics, delving into selected ones---such as the upcoming update of the county solid waste plan, the launching of the county's green building regulations, another round of forest conservation amendments, and a new urban tree plan. 
(Linda Silversmith, Chair)


Network for Children: During the past year, the Network has kept abreast of what is happening in the County’s Early Childhood Division, Children’s mental health plans, worked with the Collaboration Council for Children, Youth and Families on the After School/Out of School study, the Montgomery County Leadership in Action Team (LAP) and other areas of interest. We met with The Tree House Child Assessment Center – a project long in coming, but apparently very successful and providing a wide range of services to children subject to abuse and neglect, and their families. The committee has followed the legislative agenda of Advocates for Children and Youth and MD CAN.


In June 2007, we will present an update on the status of the Out-of-School study, and continue to work on it into the next year. If necessary, a consensus meeting may be held in the fall to speak to conclusions reached.


Our members will continue to monitor issues of Federal, State and County budgets, health care, child care quality and subsidies, child welfare, Head Start, pre-K and others. There is a need to monitor issues of juvenile delinquency, group homes, and detention centers, etc. during 2007-08 – as the problems are mounting and the League needs to be involved. Monitor and take Action as needed. (Pat Plunkett, Chair)


Social Policy: During the Winter/Spring of 2007 the Social Policy Committee continued its evaluation of employment patterns of New Americans in Montgomery County. The committee will be prepared to present its portion of the Immigration study with a Fact Sheet and Discussion Outline for units in the Autumn of 2007.

For the Outlook for 2007-08 the Social Policy Committee will monitor the LWV/US (National) Study of Immigration and Immigrants. Action as needed. (Marilynn Smith, Chair)

Transportation: The LWVMC Transportation Committee was reactivated in August 2005. The committee’s goal is to raise the level of advocacy by LWVMC for balanced transportation funding. We plan to continue this action plan into the next year.


(Harry Sanders, Chair)


Zoning: The committee will monitor actions of the County Council, Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals in those areas in which we developed consensus positions this past spring, taking particular note of the process by which changes are made to the zoning ordinance. No new study is contemplated at this time. There may be a need for some action activity consistent with the consensus position. (Margaret Chasson, Chair)

 

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