What’s Next? There is still time to pack the testimony record before it closes on June 26th. We need your voice to support the 2 year pause – and urge that the pause is well used to engage stakeholders in a transparent cost benefit analysis that yields strong regulations and zoning laws. Here are two ways to be sure your voice is heard: Write a Letter Here – use the Montgomery Countryside Alliance quick template […]
Continue readingCategory Archives: Governance and Oversight
Tech Wise News Brief – April 2026: H.R. 2289 Stalls, Dickerson Data Centers, Candidate Response, and Surveillance Pricing
H.R. 2289 Cell Tower Fast-Track Bill Stalls — But Remains Active U.S. House / Environmental Health Sciences | April 2026 H.R. 2289, the American Broadband Deployment Act, advanced in the House earlier this spring but has not been brought to a final vote and appears to have stalled for now. The bill was placed on the House Union Calendar in mid-April, but no further action has been taken. Advocacy groups report that the legislative process […]
Continue readingTech Wise News Brief – March 2026: AI School Surveillance, Data Center Debate, Grid Costs, Robot Pilot Cancelled
MCPS Pilots AI-Supported Video Monitoring Parents‘ Coalition of Montgomery County | March 2026 “This has not been discussed at the Board of Education. This has not had any procurement process…” Montgomery County Public Schools has begun testing an AI-assisted monitoring system using existing security cameras in several high schools as a pilot program. Read more:https://parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com/2026/03/montgomery-county-public-schools-uses.html Maryland Office of People’s Counsel Warns of Transmission Costs Linked to Data Center Growth Maryland Office of the People‘s Counsel […]
Continue readingData Centers in Montgomery County: Now Is the Time to Speak Up
Data centers located near homes can create significant impacts if not carefully planned and regulated. What is happening at the County Council? The Council is deciding how to deploy data centers in the county. There are two proposals on the table: 1) Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 26-01, which would amend the zoning code to allow data centers in industrial zones. While it is a good start, it is missing many needed protections for residents. 2) […]
Continue readingNew Peer-Reviewed Paper Examines U.S. Wireless Radiation Policy Gaps (2025)
Introduction A 2025 review article published in the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Public Health examines the current U.S. regulatory framework governing radiofrequency radiation (RFR) exposure limits for wireless technologies. The paper, titled: “U.S. policy on wireless technologies and public health protection: regulatory gaps and proposed reforms” analyzes how federal exposure standards are set, which agencies hold oversight responsibility, and where regulatory gaps may exist. Full citation:Frontiers in Public Health, Volume 13 (2025)DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1677583 What the […]
Continue readingMontgomery County Residents Speak Out on Data Centers at Feb. 3, 2026 Community Forum
Montgomery County is actively considering policies that would shape whether, and how, large-scale data centers are developed here, after recent conditional use approvals raised questions about how such projects are reviewed in the absence of clear, data-center-specific standards. While often described as neutral infrastructure or “just warehouses,” these facilities bring profound implications for energy use, water, land use, the balance of power between corporate operators and local government, public process, and long-term governance. On February […]
Continue readingMontgomery County Deploys Robotics and Drone-Based Public Safety Programs
Overview Montgomery County has recently introduced two technology-driven public safety initiatives: the Parker security robot, deployed in 2025 as a pilot program in the Silver Spring Town Square garage, and the Drone as First Responder (DFR) program operated by Montgomery County Police, which launched in November 2023. These programs raise governance questions regarding transparency, data collection, public oversight, and the long-term expansion of digital surveillance infrastructure. Update (2026): The Parker security robot deployed in the […]
Continue readingAI, Wireless Infrastructure, and Dual-Use Governance Questions
(Updated 2026 for context) The rapid expansion of wireless infrastructure — including small cells, macro towers, satellite constellations, subsea cables, and sensor networks — is often presented as necessary for economic growth, innovation, and consumer connectivity. At the same time, these systems form the backbone of emerging artificial intelligence (AI) platforms, cloud computing environments, and defense-related technologies. This post examines the governance implications of that overlap. Things are changing fast. This update is an excerpt […]
Continue readingOpinion: The Montgomery County Council faces a defining moment (Letter to Editor of The Washington Post)
This letter appeared in The Washington Post on April 23, 2023 at 1:28 p.m. EDT The Montgomery County Council faces a defining moment as it considers whether to eliminate the Office of the People’s Counsel. Will the council act on its stated values of integrity and inclusion and keep the OPC? As reported in The Post over the past several months, including in the Oct. 24 editorial “A permanent Planning Board” and the Feb. 13 […]
Continue readingRick Meyer Testimony Opposing Bill 18-23 and Urging Council to Fully Fund the Office of the People’s Counsel
Archived News (2023) This post is preserved as part of the public record and historical documentation of community engagement at that time. For broader regulatory and governance context, see: Restore full funding to the statutorily mandated Office of the People’s Counsel (OPC) Testimony of W. E. “Rick” Meyer Public Hearing. Bill 18-23, Structure of County Government – Community Zoning and Land Use Resource Officer April 18, 2023 Watch all of the public testimonies:Montgomery County Council […]
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