>> hello, and welcome to this
edition of "one on one" with
montgomery county executive ike
leggett.
I am lorna virgili, and welcome.
Thank you for joining us.
Hello, Mr. Leggett, how are you?
Summertime is finally here.
How are you doing?
Still busy?
Wife yes, quite busy.
>> all right, let'
s get started.
Congratulations.
You are the democratic primary.
On the other hand, the voter
turnout in montgomery county was
just under 17%.
Third place in the state.
Is that good?
>> I do not think that is a good
number.
Somewhat disappointed in the
turnout.
If you look around nation of the
whole, there have been a fairly
low turnout in a number of
jurisdictions around the
country.
I am not sure we have the
precise answer as to why that is
the case.
I think there are a multitude of
reasons, especially here in
maryland.
One, they changed the election
date from early November to
June, which is in the middle of
the summer.
This is the first time we have
done that, therefore there could
be some level of confusion.
I'
m not sure that we had
sufficient funds in the budget
is for the board selections
throughout the state of
maryland.
I think the general assembly
wants to make the decision to
change the date to provide
necessary resources to make sure
that people fully understood the
date.
Here in montgomery county, I
think there was probably some
level of acceptance because you
see a large number of incumbents
won, so I do not think there are
the burning issues which people
felt extremely excited about
that would push large numbers of
people out to vote.
I think also that we have in
montgomery county the
somewhat
inflated number of registrants
who were on the roads to go to
typically have not been very
high voters in the beginning,
people who come from other
cultures, other traditions, have
not participated as actively as
we would like them to do so in
montgomery county, and we need
to work on that to make sure
that everyone votes, so it is
disappointing to see the number
of voters.
Hopefully we can come up with
some strategies to give people
more engaged, get them out to
exercise their right to vote and
to participate in democracy.
>> when you say strategies for
upcoming elections, for the next
cycle, or for the next --
>> the next primary election.
It would be difficult to get it
done now because we just
completed the calendar, but for
us, recognizing the many
decisions that local leaders are
making into not be a part of
that is not such an
acceptable
-- our democracy thrives when
people are actively engaged,
participating, and we need to
get more people participating.
>> you recently sent a letter to
county council expressing that
adding professions to the
development, including
transportation improvement in
creating affordable housing and
fell for that project.
>> yes, I am very strongly of
the belief that we need more
affordable housing in montgomery
county.
There was a report looking at
the washington region that
concluded that the washington
region overall lacks sufficient
affordable housing, and we need
to try to address that.
i think over the last few years
we have done a great job of
moving the ball along, but I
think we need to go much
further.
We have to preserve
and maintain
12,000 affordable housing
units.
We have been able to match
the
money from a private sector to
provide well over $1 billion in
housing projects.
That has helped us, but we need
much, much more in order to
complete the project because it
is a real concern.
One of the things that I wanted
to see us fully address was
ongoing efforts to ensure that
we have more affordable housing
in montgomery county, and in the
white oak area, we need to make
certain that we do that as well.
This is an opportunity with the
master plan, let'
s get that
debate out, let'
s try to
identify areas and concerns that
we have to ensure that it is
part of the master plan project.
>> from your point of view, how
is that doable in that
particular part of the county?
>> well, we have some affordable
housing already in that area,
but we certainly could use more.
There is a real need for senior
affordable housing because our
population is growing by leaps
and bounds in terms of the
senior population.
There are now close to 18%, and
that number is likely to grow.
So we need to address a little
bit more, particularly as it
relates to population.
The senior affordable housing is
a challenge.
>> we are talking about
transportations for just a bit.
Let'
s talk about the silver
spring transit center.
It is under repairs are
now.
Anytime soon will it be
completed?
>> is a process to outline.
It will take another about six
weeks to eight weeks to do the
next phase and in a month or so
after that, so three months
construction stage.
We want to make sure that we get
all of that done, so sometime in
the mid fall I anticipate that
we should be completed with the
last phases of the construction
project.
At that point in time, we turn
it over to metro.
Metro does a round of
inspections, and after we
completed that, the project will
be open.
I say that with a great deal of
optimism.
If you follow what happened in
northern virginia with the sewer
line, they were under inspection
for almost six months.
And hopefully being that we are
working with metro, the
inspection process not take
quite as long.
We anticipate the last phase of
this should take only a couple
of months to complete.
This is a much better project
for us at this point in time
because we are all on the same
page in terms of what needs to
be done.
We have the contract that is in
line to do the work.
We are confident that the work
will make this project even
safer.
We will have a project that will
last us for the next 50 years.
I was not about to shortcut any
of this process in order to move
this along.
I think for me, the safety is
paramount, and we want to do
what is safe.
I think the project that is now
designed, the work is moving
forward, and hopefully we will
be through in a couple of
months.
>> target date?
Wi-fi not want to give a
targeted because part of that is
outside our control.
I am just demonstrate how long
the work will take in the face,
and what it will take for metro
to do what metro has to.
>> recently, you met with pepco
officials and also exelon
officials regarding the
potential purchase of pepco.
What are your expectations out
of that, considering
we have
been experiencing power outages,
plenty in the county?
>> well, storms in
montgomery county do not just
happen in the summer months.
Since I have been here,
we have
had every weather, you can think
about -- storms, earthquakes,
fires -- we have had them all.
Storm is a continuation of
really bad whether that we
have had in the area.
The real challenge here is to
get much more reliability and to
make certain that we can in fact
ensure that we have a more
robust effort going forward
from
exelon and pepco.
>> I'
m going to ask you to hold
a thought for a moment.
We will take a short break, but
we will be right back with
mcgovern county executive ike
leggett.
There is a reason why law
enforcement is preventing
crashes.
Be alert, be street smart.
>> are you sure they can recycle
this clamshell?
>> yes, we are on a new start.
>> I cannot wait to make a new
start.
Maybe I will be a red carpet at
a big premiere.
>> and iastic such as
clamshell, trays, lids, domes,
and cups.
>> we are in!
>> for more information on
recycling, contact the maryland
way services at 311.
The wait is over -- recycle more
plastic today.
>> don'
t look at me.
>> your hair is a bit for the
differently today.
>> pick that up.
You are such a dork.
>> loser.
>> here, let me help you with
that.
>> everyday, kids witness
bullying.
They want to help her
but don'
t
know how.
>> no one here is going to help
you because no one likes you.
Ask teacher gets to be more than
a bystander.
Visit stopbullying.Com.
>> welcome back
to "one on one"
with montgomery county executive
ike like it.
right before the break, we were
talking about pepco and your
exhibitions of this potential
purchase.
First, let me say something
about pepco.
They have invested a great deal
in reassuring at least me that
they are putting in the
infrastructure that is
necessary, but in order to do
all the things we want them to
do, it will take much more in
terms of the financial efforts
from pepco to do so, so by going
through this process and a
potential merger with exelon, it
provides them with the greater
capital and a large organization
to in effect address those
concerns, so I am very happy
about this potential merger
because we can infuse pepco with
a large amount of dollars to
address this in a much faster
timeframe that will allow us to
see more liability,
infrastructure improvements, in
some places we are asked that
the put under some of
the
wiring.
All of those things would take a
huge amount of cash, and
exelon
has the ability to help them, so
this merger is a welcome sign
for us.
And then there are
conditions,
terms that we would like to see
them do from montgomery county'
s
perspective.
And we'
re working on that as it
relates to the overall
development of a merger.
But as it stands today, we are
much, much in favor of welcoming
this merger.
We will hopefully have some
conditions and terms that we
think they should address as it
goes forward.
>> we'
re talking
about summer
storm season.
It is here, and you did mention
that we have storms all
throughout the year.
>> yes.
>> nonstop storms.
For the summer season, the
county is asking county
residents to be prepared,
especially to plan for the alert
montgomery system.
>> certainly, we want you to be
prepared.
Hopefully we can avoid many of
these storms, but the challenges
we have is into many cases we
have had outages, and we need to
make certain people are aware,
get them the information that
they need, and be part of the
alert system in montgomery
county.
It is one of the most efficient
ways in which to get
information.
In addition to that, they
provide instructions in terms of
things you should or should not
do during the storm.
Oftentimes we run into problems
with people driving and there
are flash floods, for example,
and people attempted to drive
through ending water,
you should
simply turn around and not try
to go through that water.
There are challenges in the
heat, for his able, people
leaving pets inside of cars,
even children inside of cars for
look a long period of time.
and then there are preparations
with what you do with
perishables in your house,
refrigeration, those are the
things, as well is having the
old standby -- batteries,
batteries, batteries.
>> tell me about the batteries.
I'
ve had to use them lately.
>> yes, yes.
But I want to go back to a
formal housing and seniors
because earlier in the month of
July, legislation became the law
here in montgomery county.
I wanted to recap a little bit
what this, the law is in
when it
comes to creating accessible
housing when it comes to a
person with disabilities.
>> it is now 18% of our overall
-- what we wanted to do is stay
in the home as long as possible.
The on the
purchase 35, 40 years
ago is not conducive for a
senior or for a person who is
disabled, so we want to
encourage a desire
for life
homes.
In order to do that, there are
some incentives that we invite
in terms of tax credits and an
opportunity to avoid some of
the
costs and other things that will
allow you to build the building
a little bit cheaper,
affordable, a way to encourage
the design for life homes.
And what you see -- appropriate
rams, the shelving May be
different, railings around the
homes, various things that you
build into the homes of that it
is much more accommodating to a
senior or person who is
disabled.
If you take the original have to
it was built, it was built for a
person 35, 40 years ago.
At home is not as conducive for
a person who May be 70 years, 80
years of age and have to get
around that little bit
differently.
So we want to encourage that
those homes are built in such a
way that the person can actually
stay there, but in order to do
so, there are some intentions
that we provided in our tax code
and permit processes to allow
that home to be built in a much
faster -- as well as a little
bit cheaper.
>> even if it is
remodeling in
my home to cater to my
grandmother.
>> that is right.
Or your son'
s home.
Y2k going back to that, and --
>> you keep going back to die,
and I guess it will be his own.
-- you keep going back
to that,
and I guess it will be his home.
The 25th of September,
approximately 200,000 households
in the northern part of the
district and also in montgomery
county have been receiving
questionnaires.
The census wants to implement
new assets for 2020, and
montgomery county is one of two
jurisdictions nationally that is
being selected.
They are not getting a whole lot
of responses.
>> yeah, we will to encourage
people to
respond.
Probably what happened is there
is very little notice about
this.
You May remove or when the
original consensus was conducted
for 2010, a great deal of
publicity when out about that.
We had a number of workshops, we
encouraged participations in
large numbers of groups of
people who would be engaged in
that process.
There was very little notice
about this, so people receive
these census forms in the mail,
they assume either it is a
mistake or not understanding
precisely what it is about, and
we have not had the U.S.
Government provide the resources
necessary to give people the
notice that this is an ongoing
effort with the census, and it
is one designed to in some cases
update, inman
and more
importantly ensure that they can
do the 2020 census more
efficiently, much more
accurately, and work through all
the kinks.
In order to do so, you have to
go out and monitor.
That is what they'
re doing here
in montgomery county.
>> did you get any
notifications?
>> I am not sure.
I have not received one.
>> I have not, either.
Very quickly before we go to the
commercial break, quicken
loans
tourney took place
in bethesda.
Economic impact, what is that?
Quicken loans used to be called
something else.
>> quickie cash.
Tiger woods
is indeed
tournament, hotels fill up, and
the registration for people
going to the tournament
increases, bars and restaurants
will fail, and it is a huge
financial impact to montgomery
county, and we are delighted
with the results we have seen so
far.
>> how much?
>> we have not gotten the final
figures, but there was a 40%
increase with tiger woods, so it
is a wonderful tournament.
The congressional country club
does a wonderful job.
We have large numbers of staff
under the direction of our chief
of police, fire and rescue, tom
street from our office working
with them, so we have got this
down to a science of how to
conduct these tournaments, and
montgomery county is an
excellent host, and we welcome
it back again in two years and
look forward to the continuation
of a very long relationship with
the tiger woods foundation.
>> we will take another short
break, and we will be right
back.
Stay tuned.
>> you would not
let money just
blow out of your house, so when
you'
re a c or heater is on, make
sure the doors, windows, and
fireplace glue are shut tight.
If you are headed out, turned on
the ac or lower the heat by 10
degrees.
And always keep your water
heater set at 120.
A little bit of common sense
goes a long way.
Get more great tips at
energysaver.Gov.
>> did you know there are more
than 10,000 county government
phone numbers, but there is only
one number you need to remember
for nonemergency calls?
311.
Mc311 is montgomery county
government'
s online telephone
information system.
Need information?
Have a problem or complaint?
Trying to locate a county
government facility?
Call 311.
The call center is open monday
through friday, 7:00 A.M. Until
7:00 P.M.
The website is available 24
hours a day, seven days a week.
>> ever pull into a parking lot
and think -- what is up with
those pedestrians?
Sometimes they seem oblivious to
the vehicles.
Then you park, you start
walking, and you say -- wow,
those drivers are so aggressive.
It is no wonder that 1/3 of the
pedestrian collisions are in
parking lots.
Avoid becoming a statistic.
Drivers -- do not run over
people.
Pedestrians -- do not get run
over.
It is that simple.
Heads up in parking lots.
>> welcome back to "one on one"
with montgomery county executive
isiah leggett.
Thank you for still being here,
Mr. Leggett.
We will talk about the plan a
trip to india in the fall,
November, sister city.
We already have with el
salvador, ethiopia, and china.
Why india?
I know everybody is paving the
way all the way to india.
>> exactly right.
This is the fifth of a number of
sister city relationships we
have developed.
India is a fairly large country,
economically strong.
We have a large indian
population here in montgomery
county.
Adding to our professional,
educational, and scientific
arena of those who engage in
technology, so we want to make
certain that
we partner with a
community around the world I can
in fact provide the benefit not
only to the summary county but
the entire region, so we will be
traveling to india and more
specific link the city of
hyderabad
.
These trips are combined trips
where we look at economic
development.
We attempt to woo
companies
that May be interested to coming
to montgomery county, to engage
with the indian community, so we
will take a fairly large
delegation.
We do not have the exact number.
It will be combined with both
business, community people as
well as some county employees.
All going to india to enhance
our relationship with india
.
The city of hyderabad, and to
enhance commercial context for
many businesses throughout
montgomery county.
>> you still do not have a
headcount for the delegation?
>> not yet.
We'
re going mid-November, but
the plan is already well on the
way, and we are excited about
the opportunity.
I went there with the governor
as part of a state delegation
some years ago, so we are
working with the state
in
coordination with this trip.
It is one that is very exciting
and one that we think and
provide a great deal of benefit
not only for india but for
montgomery county as well.
>> you just came back from the
national association of counties
-- is a the retreat?
>> it is an annual conference.
>> annual conference.
I thought it was a retreat.
You can back with 23 awards for
the county, including
a permits
program, which was highlighted
as well.
>> the best of category.
>> yes, the best of category.
>> we are very proud of that.
Jones and the entire permitting
staff have done a wonderful job
of changing how permits are
issued, the timing of it, the
cost of it.
We made tremendous progress.
They have done a wonderful job
in the department.
You now can get permits much
faster.
You do a large number of them
online.
That process will continue, and
this award was a recognition for
montgomery county of how well we
have done in this category.
That is to have a good part of
our permits process is online.
That saves money, saves time,
the energy, the time for people
to drive to the permitting
office.
People to wait at the office,
gasoline, staff that would do
that.
By doing it online now, it
really
cuts down on the
challenges that people face.
We have a huge number of permits
that are issued.
With 33,000 businesses in
montgomery county.
Over one million people in this
county.
There is a large amount of
development that have occurred.
In order to better facilitate
that without having to hire huge
numbers of staff, reduce a time
log, doing a great deal of this
online I think is a wonderful
addition to the resources that
we have provided.
>> all in all, 16 county
departments and agencies were
recognized.
Congratulations to county
employees and of course to you.
In addition to that, the office
of public information just won
from the international parking
institute another award.
It is awards season for
montgomery county.
For its education campaign to
improve pedestrian safety in
parking lots, which we all know
is a huge component for you
here.
>> it certainly is.
We have invested a great deal in
pedestrian safety.
Far too often we are still
seeing incidents of collisions
with pedestrians and
automobiles, and we want to
further reduce that.
It is simply something that we
have to pay more attention to,
especially in parking lots
because people are unaware
that
at least 25% of most of the
collisions in the county occur
in parking lots.
People simply do not recognize
that, but if you think about it,
in a parking lot where you have
people walking, not on
designated streets or paths,
they are often times walking
between cars, they'
re oftentimes
with large bags in their hands,
listening to music, and of the
believe that they are safe and
not recognizing that the are in
a very dangerous area and could
be hit by an automobile in a
parking lot.
>> montgomery county also erred
second place -- earned second
place in the nation for digital
government.
>> last year we won in
that
area.
>> what happened?
>> I don'
t know, we slip.
>> it is summertime, so
we want
families and the county to
obviously enjoy the summer
season and have fun.
>> a great deal of attractions
are to be found.
>> yes.
The kids museum in conjunction
with the county just opened up
with greg davis --
>>
just opened up --
>> in davis --
>> with the library.
So that is fun.
>> yes, we want to expand that.
This is only a temporary
solution to bigger challenges
that we have.
We would like to designate a
more permanent area for
children'
s museum in montgomery
county.
That is one of the objectives I
have for the next four years,
that we find a permanent home so
that all people can come out and
it is much more convenient.
They can display and outline the
kinds of things that kids are
engaged in today.
By having a permanent home, we
will have a better opportunity
to help children to facilitate
their learning, but suing
to
engage our broader community and
the creativity of our children.
Like the youth soccer permits --
>> the youth soccer tournament
,
economic impact, $4 million the
?
>> that is right.
We have a wonderful soccer
klaxon also a tennis plex.
People can visit.
I was just there are recently
for the fireworks display.
It is a wonderful venue, a
wonderful opportunity for people
to come and enjoy.
We have a lot of hotel stays as
a result of that.
Restaurants this is as a result
of that.
It is a wonderful complex, a
wonderful opportunity for
families to come out and enjoy
very good soccer.
>> talking about soccer of
course we said bye-bye to the
world cup, and we did it in
montgomery county at the
department of recreation.
They hosted a big screen at
veterans plaza.
It was a lot of fun for county
residents.
>> it certainly was, and it
shows the great diversity of
people around the world who
enjoy soccer, they come to the
heart of silver spring and watch
it on a big screen.
The governor is for dissipating,
local merchants.
It is a wonderful event.
My hat goes off to dave and his
staff for helping pull this off.
>> any special plans for you for
the remainder of the summer?
>> a lot of conventions,
workshops, but the work
continues.
>> a continues.
Have a safe summer, Mr. Leggett,
and for you watching, visit our
website for any information
about the county,
montgomerycountymd.Gov.
I am lorna virgili, and thank
you for watching.
