At the January 2nd meeting the Council will be voting on bill 23-22, a tax credit for daycare providers in Frederick County as well as a vote on the admissions and amusements tax rate change. This resolution increases the County’s admissions and amusement tax rate from 0% to 5% with exemptions for agro-tourism and volunteer fire companies.

On December 19, the Council rejected the proposed Sugarloaf Rural Heritage Overlay Zoning District. After a public hearing and listening to all Frederick citizens and property owners most of the Council defeated measure on a 5-2 vote.

Concerns had been raised that the proposed overlay had strayed too far from its original intent. It is believed that the County’s current land use practices through Agricultural and Resource Conservation Zoning is working to preserve the region.

The major concern raised by residents in the area would be the siting of data centers. The County’s land use table only allows data centers in the Limited Industrial (LI) and the General Industrial (GI) Zones which are not in the Sugarloaf area.

Council Member Renee Knapp is Co-Chairing the County’s Data Center Workgroup which is examining lessons from Northern Virginia’s experience and are considering appropriate locations for data centers and potential amendments to the County’s critical digital infrastructure law. The Workgroup is expected to issue their report later this winter.

On November 21, the Council passed Bill 23-20 by 5-2 vote. This Bill creates a new use within the Agricultural District to allow limited commercial vehicle parking and material and equipment storage associated with a landscape contractor business. The Council also passed Bill 23-21 by 7-0 vote. This Bill amends our current Zoning Ordinance to allow for cannabis dispensaries, cannabis growing facilities, and cannabis processing facilities. This Bill also creates definitions and approval criteria for such cannabis dispensaries and cannabis growing and processing facilities in response to the statewide legalization of adult-use cannabis. Full legislation can be found on our website.

The Council has several Bills scheduled in the coming weeks that will proceed through our legislative process. Bill 23-22 will, if passed, provide a tax credit for Daycare providers. Bill 23-23 will implement the changes to the Deferred Retirement Option Program for Career Fire Fighters.

Bill 23-24 will, if passed, amend the Frederick County Uniformed and Non-uniformed employee retirement plans. This Bill decreases the time for a participant hired on and after July 1, 2012 to become fully vested in retirement plan benefits from ten years to five years.

Bills 23-25 and 23-26 will amend the qualifications for participation on the Frederick County Planning Commission and Board of Appeals. These Bills, if passed, will require members to be residents of Frederick County. All legislation can be viewed on our website. Our weekly agendas also contain links to Bills and all relevant documentation. Please visit our website for the most updated agenda and schedule.

The Frederick County Council encourages public involvement at every stage of the legislative process. We welcome public comment at every Council meeting on Tuesday evenings. Members of the public are welcome to attend and give comment in person, leave a voicemail to be forwarded to each Council Member, or email us any time at councilmembers@frederickcountymd.gov. Please visit our website at www.frederickcountymd.gov/countycouncil to view our latest agendas, legislation, and upcoming calendar of events.

And as always, if there is ever anything I can do for you, please feel free to reach out to me and my office. You can contact me via email at: BYoung@FrederickCountyMD.gov, or you can call my office at 301-600-1108.