We're Havin' a Party!

Yep, that's right.  EYA, property developers in Montgomery County and the greater Washington area, are celebrating 20 years of business.   Entertainment by Dark Star Orchestra. To be held at the Fillmore, Silver Spring on November 29th.

And guess who is on the guest list and has accepted?

Of those listed below, the highlighted names have direct impact on how many units EYA can build in any of its developments.

Confirmed:

Casey Anderson (party of 2), Planning Board Member

David Dise, Director, Montgomery County Director, Department of General Services

Hans Riemer, County Council member (D-At-Large)

Nancy Floreen, County Council member (D-At-Large and Chair of Planning, Housing, and Economic Development [PHED] Committee)

Robert Kronenberg, Planning Department staff member

Steve Silverman, Director, Montgomery County Department of Economic Development

Cheryl Cort, Policy Director, Coalition for Smarter Growth

Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director, Coalition for Smarter Growth

Maybe:

Ike Leggett, County Executive

Roger Berliner, County Council member (D-District 1 and County Council President)

EYA hired Dark Star Orchestra, a Grateful Dead tribute band whose gigs (U.S. and Canada) are managed by SRO.  Tickets for events at the Fillmore usually go for $35 and up. Fillmore's pricing list for renting the place...about $10,000, plus the requirement to use their bar ($42/person if you want top shelf booze);  and their caterer. 

It appears that EYA will be spending over $50/person -- the legal limit according to County ethics law.

Sec. 19A-16. Soliciting or accepting gifts.

(c) A public employee must not knowingly accept a direct or indirect gift from any individual or organization that the public employee knows or reasonably should know:

              (1)     is registered, or must register, as a lobbyist on a matter

that is or could be considered by the County agency with which the public

employee is affiliated;

              (2)     does business with the County agency with which the public

employee is affiliated;

              (3)     owns or operates a business that is regulated by the County

agency with which the public employee is affiliated; or

(4)     has an identifiable economic interest that is different

from that of the general public, which the public employee may substantially

affect in performing the public employee's official duties.

(d) Subsection (c) does not apply to:

              (1)     meals and beverages which do not exceed $50 from the same

source in any calendar year;

              (2)     ceremonial gifts or awards with a resale value of $100 or

less, if the gift or award commemorates an event or achievement associated with

the public employee.

              (3)     items of personal property, other than cash, worth less

than $10;

              (4)     reasonable expenses for food, travel, lodging, and

scheduled entertainment of the public employee, given in return for the public

employee's participation in a panel or speaking at a meeting;

              (5)     gifts to an elected official, or that official’s designee

who is assigned to represent the official at an event included in this

paragraph, if the gift:

                       (A)     is a courtesy extended to the office; and

                       (B)     consists of tickets or free admission for the employee

and one guest to attend a charitable, cultural, civic, labor, trade, sports, or

political event, including meals and beverages served at the event;

              (6)     any item that is solely informational or of an advertising

nature, including a book, report, periodical, or pamphlet, if the resale value

of the item is $25 or less;

              (7)     gifts from a relative;

              (8)     honoraria or awards for achievement; or

              (9)     a specific gift or class of gifts which the Commission

exempts from this Section after finding in writing that accepting the gift or

class of gifts is not detrimental to the impartial conduct of the business of a

County agency.

(e) Subsection (c) does not apply to unsolicited gifts to a County agency.

(f) A public employee who receives a gift that the public employee must not accept under this Section must report the gift to the Commission, if otherwise required to report it, and return the gift to the donor or transfer the gift to the County. If the unacceptable gift is a perishable item, the employee, instead of transferring the gift to the County, may transfer it to a charitable or educational organization that can make timely and effective use of the gift, so long as the employee is not an officer, director, trustee, partner, or employee of the receiving organization. (1990 L.M.C., ch. 21, § 1; 1994 L.M.C., ch. 25, § 1; 1997 L.M.C., ch. 37, § 1; 2010 L.M.C., ch. 5, § 1.)

NOTE—See County Attorney Opinion dated 12/6/02 discussing whether a public employee may accept an honorarium or other reimbursement of expenses in return for a speech or presentation. See County Attorney Opinion dated 7/8/02 describing the extent to which quasi-judicial officials may engage in political activities. See County Attorney Opinion dated 12/14/98 addressing the creation of “Friends of Recreation” for revenue-raising activities. 

If you can’t make it next week, we hear there is an even bigger holiday party at the Congressional Country Club -- sponsored by Linowes and Blocher.