Montgomery County executive Marc Elrich delivered a recorded speech on the state of the county on Friday. As expected, the coronavirus and the effect it had on all aspects of life overcame Elrich’s speech.
In any other year, Montgomery County elected officials and civic leaders would flock to an auditorium to hear the county executive give a speech on the state of the county. But not this year.
Instead, county executive Marc Elrich delivered a recorded message behind a desk and put it online. As expected, the coronavirus and the effect it had on all aspects of life overcame speech.
Noting that more than 63,000 residents contracted the virus, with a death toll of 1,400, Elrich said: “COVID demanded that we all change the way we do things.”
He added that the disease has been “in the front and center of our minds” and that “the measures we have taken to protect public health have been harsh for all of us”.
Elrich said: “These restrictions were painful, but they were necessary to save lives”.
The day before the speech, the county announced the vaccination of residents aged 65 and over and essential workers had started at county-run clinics.
Transport, libraries, real estate
While the battle to contain the deadly virus continues, other issues also need attention, said Elrich.
On transportation, Elrich noted that, in the midst of the pandemic, the county launched its first and long-awaited fast bus transit line, FLASH BRT on Route 29, which Elrich called “an important step forward for the eastern county” .
Elrich said the county is now moving forward with fast bus lanes along Viers Mill Road and Route 355.
Next year, said Elrich, the goal will be to improve the reliability and accessibility of public transport, “because access to fast and reliable public transport is the key to ensuring that communities thrive.”
The county has also shifted its fleet from older gas-powered vehicles to electric vehicles. The county is also looking to provide more charging stations for privately owned vehicles, he said.
The municipality’s library system has adapted to the arrival of COVID-19, providing remote access to everything from story time for children to language teaching for adults. Fees for arrears have been eliminated, a recognition of the fact that more families are facing economic pressures exacerbated by the pandemic, he said.
Elrich said that most of the county’s 10,000-person workforce was able to switch to remote work, but that created greater demand in the county’s IT department – which also worked to cope with rising demand for Internet access. for information on other food distribution services for rental support.
As a result of the pandemic and the move to telecommuting, Elrich said the county is looking closely at office capacity.
The county’s Department of General Services is leading efforts to “reshape the county’s property portfolio,” said Elrich, by reducing the need for office space due to teleworking and implementing “net-zero” design standards for new county buildings as well as renovations to existing buildings.
Note of optimism
Elrich also said that if it weren’t for the arrival of COVID-19, the county’s plan of action to deal with climate change would be dominating the work of the county government.
“The Climate Action Plan identifies 87 action items that will help us meet our emissions reduction targets by 80% by 2027 and 100% by 2035,” said Elrich. “The recommendations reflect a reimagined future – one in which our buildings, transportation systems, government processes, consumption patterns and community engagement efforts are all realigned to meet the greatest challenge of our generation.”
Elrich also spoke about plans to reshape the county’s approach to public safety and policing, and efforts to maintain the county’s stock of affordable housing, even as new development continues.
The county executive closed his speech on a note of optimism.
“I miss interacting with the people of this great county, but I am optimistic that if we stay together and continue to mask, keep our distance and get tested while we wait for more vaccines, we can win this battle,” said Elrich. . “These steps will keep us safe as we continue to move our county forward.”
More news about Coronavirus
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