Montgomery County Council Meets on Jan. 20 to Introduce New Measures Covering Data Centers and Legislation to Provide Guidance on Interactions with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on County Property and in County Buildings

MARYLAND, January 19 - For Immediate Release: Monday, January 19, 2026

Also on Jan. 20: Briefing on the Clarksburg Gateway Sector Plan

The Montgomery County Council will meet on Tuesday, Jan. 20 at 9:15 a.m. and the meeting will begin with a proclamation, presented by Councilmember Dawn Luedtke, recognizing Human Trafficking Prevention Day.

More detail on each agenda item is provided below. 

Legislative Session

Bill 1-26, Human Rights and Civil Liberties - County Minimum Wage - Actual Impact Analysis – Amendments

Introduction: Lead sponsor Council President Natali Fani-González will introduce Bill 1-26, Human Rights and Civil Liberties - County Minimum Wage - Actual Impact Analysis – Amendments, which would remove the requirement that the Office of Legislative Oversight (OLO) provide an annual report regarding the implementation of the County minimum wage and the local economy.

Bill 1-26 is needed because the U.S Bureau of Economic Analysis discontinued collecting County-level data for four indicators presented in previous versions of OLO’s previous annual reports. In addition, due to the length and timing of the 2025 Federal Government shutdown, a majority of economic data used for the report was not available on a timeline that could meet the legislative requirements.

In 2017, the County Council enacted Bill 28-17, which increased the County Minimum Wage from $11.50 to $15. The legislation also required OLO to provide an annual report containing data related to the implementation of the County minimum wage and the local economy by Jan. 31 of each year. In response, OLO developed a list of seventeen economic indicators it used to monitor post-minimum wage implementation and issued six updates to the indicators. Bill 1-26 would remove the requirement that OLO provide this report to the Council by Jan. 31 of each year.

Councilmember Kate Stewart, Council Vice President Marilyn Balcombe and Councilmembers Dawn Luedtke, Sidney Katz and Laurie-Anne Sayles are cosponsors of Bill 1-26. A public hearing is scheduled for Feb. 24.

Bill 2-26, Taxation - Fuel-Energy Tax - Green Bank – Amendments

Introduction: Lead sponsors Councilmembers Dawn Luedtke, Andrew Friedson and Evan Glass, will introduce Bill 2-26, Taxation - Fuel-Energy Tax - Green Bank – Amendments, which provide the Montgomery County Green Bank with additional flexibility and resources to support critically needed climate resiliency projects. Bill 2-26 would allow the Green Bank to use fuel-energy tax revenue it already receives to support climate resilience and adaptation projects, in addition to its existing work financing renewable energy and energy-efficiency initiatives. The bill does not create a new tax and will be budget neutral, allowing the Green Bank to expand its work financing projects for multi-family housing properties, businesses, nonprofits and homeowners.

Council Vice President Balcombe and Councilmembers Stewart, Katz and Shebra Evans are cosponsors of Bill 2-26. A public hearing is scheduled for Feb. 24.

Bill 3-26, Administration - Immigration Enforcement Guidance - Required (The County Values Act)

Introduction: Lead sponsor Councilmember Kristin Mink will introduce Bill 3-26, Administration - Immigration Enforcement Guidance – Required, also known as the County Values Act, which would require the County Executive to develop and publish certain guidance related to immigration enforcement action at County facilities. Additionally, the bill would require County departments to adopt certain policies consistent with the Executive’s guidance and limit access to certain areas for immigration enforcement, subject to certain conditions.

The purpose of this bill is to establish a County law that governs interactions with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on County property and in County facilities. The bill seeks to reaffirm the County’s values of equity, inclusiveness, dignity and justice and to maintain community trust by clearly separating County services from federal immigration enforcement.

Bill 3-26 would mandate that all County facilities require a judicial warrant to allow federal ICE entry to any areas not open to the general public, post clear signage barring ICE from those areas, and provide staff training. It also prohibits any immigration enforcement activities in County parking lots, garages and vacant lots; requires County staff to report such activities and install blockades to such areas where appropriate; and mandates that the County post a signage template for optional use by private businesses.

Councilmembers Stewart, Will Jawando, Evans, Friedson, Sayles and Glass are cosponsors of Bill 3-26.

Bill 4-26, Buildings - Task Force on Data Centers – Established

Introduction: Lead sponsor Councilmember Glass will introduce Bill 4-26, Buildings - Task Force on Data Centers – Established, which would establish a task force to study the potential risks and benefits of data centers in the County, require the task force to produce a report that identifies the impacts of data centers and evaluates the feasibility of potential legislative, policy or zoning changes.

The legislation would establish a temporary task force charged with reviewing siting, environmental and emergency-response considerations, refining the definition of data centers, and recommending any necessary regulatory or zoning changes. The task force also would be required to issue recommendations within one year.

The purpose of Bill 4-26 is to create a formal, transparent review process for data center applications in the County. The proposal responds to growing concerns about the environmental and community impacts of large-scale data centers.

A public hearing is scheduled for Feb. 24.

Bill 5-26, Police - Mask or Facial Coverings – Prohibited (The Unmask ICE Act)

Introduction: Lead sponsor Councilmember Jawando will introduce Bill 5-26, Police - Mask or Facial Coverings – Prohibited, also known as the Unmask ICE Act, which would prohibit federal, state and local law enforcement agencies from wearing masks or facial coverings while on duty in the County. The purpose of the bill is to strengthen community safety by ensuring residents can clearly identify law enforcement. The proposed legislation would prohibit masking by all law enforcement operating in Montgomery County with exceptions for public health and key operational needs.

Councilmembers Mink, Stewart, Evans and Sayles are cosponsors of Bill 5-26.

Bill 24-25, Transportation Demand Management – Repeal

Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote on Bill 24-25, Transportation Demand Management – Repeal, which would repeal Article II of Chapter 42A of the Montgomery County Code. The purpose of the bill is to make the County’s approach to Transportation Demand Management (TDM) more flexible and responsive to changing parameters in transportation and development and increase accountability.

Bill 24-25 seeks to repeal the TDM program for employers, existing owners and applicants of new development projects. In 2006, the Council created a system for TDM fees and requirements for certain employers and expanded those requirements to include new buildings. The current TDM fee is 10 cents per square foot, yielding about $1 million per year to fund the Montgomery County Department of Transportation’s (MCDOT) administration of the TDM program.

The lead sponsors of Bill 24-25 are Councilmembers Balcombe, Glass, and Stewart. The Transportation and Environment (TE) Committee unanimously recommends enactment of Bill 24-25 with amendments. The TE committee’s amendments would require MCDOT to send notice within 90 days after the bill’s effective date to all owners regarding the repeal; clarify the process for an owner to request termination or modification of existing traffic agreements or TDM plans; include a saving clause to express that, despite the repeal, the Planning Board’s authority is still reserved under the County’s zoning ordinance; and change the bill’s effective date from Dec. 31, 2025, to July 1, 2026, to align with the fiscal year.

District Council Session

Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 26-01, Commercial Uses - Data Center

Introduction: Lead sponsor Council President Fani-González, Council Vice President Balcombe and Councilmember Sayles will introduce Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 26-01, Commercial Uses - Data Center. ZTA 26-01 would amend the Zoning Ordinance to define data center as a new use subject to zoning requirements, specify the zones where data centers may locate in the County as conditional uses, and establish minimum standards for the location of data centers in the County.

A public hearing is scheduled for Feb. 24.

Resolution to approve additions to the Office of Zoning and Administrative Hearings’ (OZAH) Comprehensive Fee Schedule

Introduction: The Council will introduce a resolution to approve additions to the Office of Zoning and Administrative Hearings’ (OZAH) Comprehensive Fee Schedule. The resolution would provide an amendment to OZAH’s Fee Schedule to implement ZTA 24-01, Household Living - Civic and Institutional Uses. The Council adopted ZTA 24-01 in April 2024, which allowed multi-unit living and townhouse living on properties with a religious assembly or educational institution (private) use. The proposed resolution would establish a fee for this use for allowing the processing of these applications.

The lead sponsor is the Council President, at the request of the Hearing Examiner. A public hearing and vote are tentatively scheduled for Feb. 3.

Planning Board Draft of the Clarksburg Gateway Sector Plan

Briefing: The Council will receive a briefing about the Planning Board draft of the Clarksburg Gateway Sector Plan, which covers approximately 969 acres in northern Montgomery County, near Interstate 270 (I-270) and Clarksburg Road. The recommended plan establishes a new vision for a more complete, connected and sustainable Clarksburg community. The recommendations in the plan are focused on shaping future development and improvements to the transportation network, providing additional recreational opportunities for residents, advancing the County’s housing and economic goals, and preserving and protecting the natural environment.

This sector plan is an amendment to a portion of the 1994 Clarksburg Master Plan and Hyattstown Special Study Area and a portion of the 2014 Ten Mile Creek Area Limited Amendment. It focuses on the Transit Corridor District and a few small surrounding areas. This area is part of the I-270 corridor, which is a significant employment resource for the county and the Washington metropolitan region.

More information about the plan can be found on Montgomery Planning's website. A public hearing on the Clarksburg Gateway Sector Plan will be held on Jan. 21 at 7 p.m. at Rocky Hill Middle School in Clarksburg.

Consent Calendar

Each item on the Council’s Consent Calendar can be found on the Council agenda for Tuesday, Jan. 20, which is available on the Council website.

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The Council meeting schedule may change from time to time. View the current Council and Committee agendas, Council staff reports and additional information on items scheduled for Council review on the Council website.

Council and committee meetings are streamed live on the Council’s web page via YouTube and on Facebook Live and can be watched on County Cable Montgomery on Xfinity/RCN 6 HD 996/1056, Fios 30, and on the CCM live stream.

Release ID: 26-021
Media Contact: Sonya Healy 240-777-7926, Benjamin Sky Brandt 240-777-7884