{
	"type": "rich",
	"version": "1.0",
	"provider_name": "Action Network",
	"provider_url": "https://actionnetwork.org",
	
	"html": "<link href='https://actionnetwork.org/css/style-embed-v3.css' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css' /><script src='https://actionnetwork.org/widgets/v6/letter/we-need-an-office-of-peoples-counsel?format=js&source=widget'></script><div id='can-letter-area-we-need-an-office-of-peoples-counsel' style='width: 100%'><!-- this div is the target for our HTML insertion --></div>",
	"author_name": "Montgomery Countryside Alliance",
	"author_url": "https://actionnetwork.org/groups/montgomery-countryside-alliance",
	"title": "We Need an Office of People&#x27;s Counsel",
	"thumbnail_url": "https://actionnetwork.org//images/generic_facebook.jpg",
	"description": "Land Use is complicated - while the county and developers have a a bevy of land use attorneys, the average resident may not even know what their zoning is. This imbalance becomes stark when residents have questions about planned developments or zoning changes in their neighborhood. Until 2010, re-balancing this equation was the job of the Office of the People&#x27;s Counsel (OPC)- an agency that is authorized by the County Code to represent the public interest in the County’s land use regulatory process. The OPC was quietly defunded in 2010. It&#x27;s absence has left the door open to scores (over 100!) of zoning text amendments crafted by some County Council members. These land use changes (some sweeping) often bump up against current master plans and cause the most detriment to communities that don&#x27;t have the resources or land use acumen to defend themselves. Understanding and engaging in plans for development where you live should not be a privilege. While the MoCo OPC was axed over a decade ago, our Prince George&#x27;s neighbors- also under the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) - continue to fund an active and functional People&#x27;s Zoning Counsel that preforms the same functions of ensuring a complete hearing record and a fair process. Enter Bill PG/MC 112-24 at the General Assembly introduced by Senator Ben Kramer that would correct this imbalance between M-NCPPC counties by providing for a fully funded and active OPC in Montgomery County mirroring the PG office. The Economic Development Committee will shortly consider the bill. Please click &quot;start writing&quot; to send a quick message to the Montgomery Delegation (and the county council) in support of this bill.",
	"url": "https://actionnetwork.org/letters/we-need-an-office-of-peoples-counsel"
}