Two local government planning entities are revising their policies following criticism that the organizations didn’t enforce lobbyist registration requirements or provide clear access to some virtual meetings.
Montgomery County Council President Gabe Albornoz last week sent a letter to Casey Anderson — who leads the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission and is chairman of the Montgomery County Planning Board — outlining concerns that he said “creates the impression that the Planning Board’s procedures are lacking in transparency and participation.”
In response to the letter on Thursday, Anderson said the Planning Board is implementing several changes, including updating and enforcing its lobbying disclosure requirements, beginning to live stream certain meetings and “clarifying” some rules about public testimony.
“We take transparency and openness seriously, and whenever anyone points out gaps, we don’t hesitate to make improvements,” Anderson said, adding that the changes should be in place “within the next week or two.”
Click here to read the rest of the article written by Caitlynn Peetz over at Bethesda Magazine
