(7/2024) The Frederick County Council meets regularly on Tuesday evenings at 5:30 pm at Winchester Hall, located at 12 East Church Street in downtown Frederick. All meetings are open to the public, and we welcome participation.
On June 18, the Council passed Bill 24-07, Amending Chapter 1-19 of the Zoning Ordinance to Update the Definitions of Bodywork and Add New Approval Criteria. This bill passed by 7-0 vote and was sponsored by Council Members Renee Knapp and M.C. Keegan-Ayer on behalf of County Executive Fitzwater. The Council also passed Bill 24-08 by 7-0 vote, Establishing a Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund. I sponsored this bill on behalf of County Executive Fitzwater. The full text of our bills can be found on our website and are also linked to each corresponding agenda.
The Council has two bills currently advancing through our legislative process in the coming weeks. Bill 24-09, sponsored by Council Member Mason Carter, amends the Accessory Uses on Residential Properties by providing guidance on the keeping of eight or fewer chickens. Bill 24-10, sponsored by Council Member M.C. Keegan-Ayer, provides new design criteria for Commercial Solar Facilities in the Agricultural Zoning District. Please visit our website for the full text of our bills and most up to date schedules. The final vote on Bills 24-09 and 24-10 is scheduled for July 2.
These two bills had their public hearings by the Council on June 18th. Bill 24-09, introduced by Council Member Carter would provide guidance on the keeping of eight or fewer chickens on residential properties.
Bill 24-10, introduced by Council Member Keegan-Ayer will allow large scale solar collection facilities on certain Ag zoned land as a permitted use with site plan approval, and put in place certain requirements pertaining to setbacks, landscaping, screening, and lighting as part of the site plan approval process. It will also place requirements for the removal of all the solar collection equipment and the restoration of the property at the end of the term of the lease, when the equipment ceases to generate electricity, or when the facility does not input electricity into the grid for six months.
I encourage everyone to review these pieces of legislation and let the Council know your thoughts before the final votes scheduled for July 2nd.
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.
The Council will be taking its summer recess in the coming weeks and will not be meeting on July 30, August 6, or August 13.
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.
