ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY

The Upcounty Government Center was established in 1985 as part of a community based service center branch of the County Executive's Office. Other regional service centers in this network are located in Bethesda, Silver Spring, and Wheaton. The centers were established to provide local government information to citizens, make government services accessible, work with local groups and other resources, and serve in general as a conduit between residents and their government. The centers work to communicate the County's goals and initiatives to the local community, and to make County government aware of regional needs and concerns.

The Upcounty Center occupied offices in Montgomery Village from 1985 to 1990, when it transferred to the quarters it now occupies in Germantown. This Center is the largest in the County, with one-third of the County's population and half of its area. The population served by the Center is diverse, as are the services it provides and the problems it addresses. The Center provides space for County and private organizations, including the Visitor's Bureau, the Germantown branch of the public library, several Health and Human Services programs, a day care center, the Germantown Chamber of Commerce, and offices of the Maryland-National Capital Parks and Planning Commission (MNCPPC) and the Recreation Department. The Center also maintains two satellite offices in the Damascus and Gaithersburg libraries. The Center provides information about the County and its government to a growing and mobile population, sponsors events, represents the residents before the County Council and serves as their advocate, submits recommendations for capital projects, and works with local organizations and the Chambers of Commerce of Gaithersburg, Germantown, Damascus, and Poolesville. The Center also provides assistance for housing, employment, and other social services; financial counseling; health programs; and translation and interpretation for non-English speakers.

The Center is assisted by the 18 member Upcounty Citizens Advisory Board, which was also created in 1985.

PROCESSING PROCEDURES

General processing procedures consisted of discarding duplicates, unnecessary binders, and routine transmittals. Oversized documents and photographs were removed from the original location in their assigned series and placed in separate containers. Separation sheets were inserted in the original location within the folder to indicate the new location of any records placed elsewhere.

Preservation copying of newspaper clippings was performed whenever feasible. Records in folders were arranged, unless otherwise indicated, in forward chronological order, with undated records appearing at the end of the folder.

PROVENANCE

Most of these records were transferred from the Records Center in 1999. Some of the Upcounty Citizens Advisory Board materials were transferred from Rockville Library.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The records of the Upcounty Regional Services Center comprise 5.84 cubic feet of subject files and advisory board material. The Center's subject files were apparently cut off periodically at the end of a fiscal year. This group of records contains the files maintained from 1988 to approximately June 1993, and a portion of the files maintained from approximately July 1993 to June 1995. They include correspondence, notes, agendas and minutes, press releases, newsletters, reports and studies, testimony and statements, notices, and printed material such as flyers, pamphlets, and brochures. The records of the Upcounty Citizens Advisory Board span the years 1986 to 1998, and contain minutes, agendas, correspondence, appointments, and annual reports.

Topics covered include the budget crisis of the early 1990s, preservation of agricultural space, transportation, solid waste disposal, economic development, school programs, and the revitalization or development of such areas as Clarksburg, Damascus, and Germantown.

The records are divided into four series:

Series I: Upcounty Citizens Advisory Board

Subseries 1: Minutes

Subseries 2: Correspondence

Subseries 3: Committees

Subseries 4: Appointments

Subseries 5: Events

Subseries 6: Annual Reports

Series II: Subject Files, 1988-1993

Series III: Subject Files, 1993-1995

Series IV: Printed Material.

SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

Series I: Upcounty Citizens Advisory Board, 1986-1998 (1.5 cu.ft.)

The Upcounty Citizens Advisory Board (UCAB) was established in May 1985, at the same time the Upcounty Regional Services Center was created. The Board consists of 18 members, who are appointed by the County Executive and confirmed by the County Council. Members may serve two three-year terms, and participate on committees such as fiscal, planning and development, and social issues. Efforts are made to include representatives from as many groups and communities as possible, in order to create a body that can serve as a conduit between the County government and the highly diverse, mobile, and sprawling upcounty region. UCAB functions as a community advisor to the County Executive, County Council, and the Services Center Director, and conducts studies, prepares reports, and testifies at public hearings on issues of concern to the region. Included in their purview are zoning amendments, master plans, Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) and operating budgets, human services, development, and transportation. The Board also sponsors forums, conferences, and bus tours, and produces an annual report.

This series comprises 1.5 cubic feet of records dating from 1986 to 1998, and is divided into six subseries: Minutes, Correspondence, Committees, Appointments, Events, and Annual Reports. Unless otherwise stated, materials within each folder are arranged in reverse chronological order.

Subseries 1: Minutes, 1988-1994 (1 cu.ft.)

This subseries was compiled from records maintained by the Center and from minutes collected by Rockville Library, which were combined and weeded of duplicates. The minutes, which cover the years 1988 to 1994, also contain handouts and some correspondence, and include agendas, meeting notices, press releases, articles, maps, printed materials, statements, bylaws, committee reports, and records of mailings. Issues of concern to the region during these years include the detention center proposed for Clarksburg, the development of Kentlands in Gaithersburg, the airpark, education programs, the budget, transportation, and waste disposal.

The folders are arranged in chronological order. A folder containing bylaws and procedures from 1992 is included at the end.

Subseries 2: Correspondence, 1988-1993 (0.1 cu.ft.)

The correspondence in this subseries dates from 1988 to 1993, and documents the Board's concerns and positions regarding the airpark, development, budget matters, funding for education, the privatization of liquor control, the proposed detention center site, redistricting, vocational training in public schools, and services provided to local residents. The records also include statements and press releases.

The folders are arranged in chronological order. Correspondence within the folders is in forward chronological order from 1988 to 1990, and in reverse chronological order from 1991 to 1993, to reflect the original arrangement.

Subseries 3: Committees, 1987-1993 (0.15 cu.ft.)

This subseries contains the records of the Fiscal Issues, Planning and Development Issues, and Social Issues Committees for the years 1987 to 1993. The Fiscal Issues Committee reviewed and commented upon the CIP and operating budgets proposed by the County Executive during the severe budget crisis the County experienced at this time. The Committee conveyed its findings and opinions to the full Board on such issues as development districts, taxation policies, stormwater management fees, the proposal to privatize the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, and the funding of essential services. The Planning and Development Committee concentrated on the general plan and master plans for Damascus and Germantown, transportation issues, productivity housing, Annual Growth Policy amendments, construction, solid waste management, and zoning amendments. The Social Issues Committee was concerned with school budgets, policies, and programs, and with delivery of health services.

The subseries is arranged in alphabetical order by committee and then chronologically.

Subseries 4: Appointments, 1986-1994 (4 folders)

This subseries documents appointments, applications, and resignations of members of the Board, and also contains lists of members and attendance information.

Folders are arranged in chronological order.

Subseries 5: Events, 1990-1998 (0.15 cu.ft.)

This subseries contains the records of several activities sponsored by the Board, including bus tours, receptions, public forums, conferences, and retreats. Many are undertaken on an annual basis.

The records are arranged alphabetically by event, then chronologically.

Subseries 6: Annual Reports, 1993-1998 (0.1 cu.ft.)

Annual reports in this subseries are from the years 1993 to 1998. They are arranged in chronological order.

Series II: Subject Files 1988-1993, 1986-1993 (3.34 cu.ft.)

This series contains the subject files maintained from approximately 1988 to the end of fiscal year 1993. Materials include correspondence, notes, agreements, press releases, lists, minutes and agendas, notices, policies and procedures, programs, newsletters, clippings, studies and reports, maps, testimony and statements, and printed material such as brochures, flyers, and pamphlets. Also included are the records of many local organizations on which staff members served or meetings which they attended as part of their function to communicate the County government's positions and policies to upcounty residents and to present the concerns and opinions of those citizens to County government and its representatives. For instance, the Upcounty Regional Services Director Stephen Poteat served on the Agricultural Advisory Committee, the Agricultural Business Roundtable Group, and the Agricultural Issues Team, and his participation and the importance of the topic to the region is documented in the folder marked "Agriculture." The file also contains the agenda, working papers, and handouts from the Gaithersburg Economic Summit held on June 3, 1992, and information on Emory Grove Against Drugs (EGAD) and the County's support of its efforts. Another group represented here is the Upcounty Association of Congregations, which acted as a liaison between local churches and the County government to facilitate the process of acquiring land, adapting to the rapidly changing population, and providing needed services.

The airpark folders document the establishment of the Airpark Liaison Committee by the County Council in 1985, as well as the development and implementation of a noise control program, and contain a 1991 report recounting the history of the airpark and the Committee. Also included in this series are the records of the meetings of the Damascus Commercial Improvement Strategy Committee, which comprise minutes, notes, correspondence, agendas, drafts, and hearing records. These materials describe plans for the commercial revitalization of Damascus primarily through widening the roads and undertaking other transportation-related improvements, and also discuss master plan amendments in support of these efforts. Much material focuses on the development of Germantown. The series contains the records of the Germantown Town Center Citizens Advisory Group, which was established by the Council in March 1991, and includes an evaluation of this group, and its Milestone Town Center Amenity Subcommittee, by the Montgomery County Office of Planning Implementation. These records include reports, studies, statements to the Council, correspondence, meeting records, and growth policies, and contain a 1992 Germantown Streetscape plan developed by the MNCPPC. The folder marked "Infrastructure Financing Issues" also contains material relating to the Germantown Town Center.

Several files are also devoted to solid waste disposal issues, because of the presence of actual and proposed disposal sites in the region. These records include material from work sessions and the Oaks Landfill Advisory Committee. For more information on this topic, consult the finding aids in Record Group 8, particularly those related to the Solid Waste Task Force. Other areas of concern include the budget crisis and funding cuts, the Clarksburg master plan, the preservation of rural areas, and transportation issues, particularly those relating to I-270 and Routes 355 and 27.

This series also documents the many services provided by or facilitated through the efforts of the Upcounty Regional Services Center staff. The files contain a sample of 1992 Community Development Block Grant applications for upcounty programs, and materials relating to a Community Partnership Grant in the Office of Substance Abuse Program (OSAP) folder. The staff also made presentations to area schools which were well received. The records documenting these activities include working notes, lists, correspondence, and evaluations. The Center also assisted the immigrant and refugee population by providing an array of translation, housing, employment, and other social services in order to ease their way through a bewildering bureaucracy to the services they needed. Some of these assistance requests records are restricted for privacy reasons, but were retained to document the breadth of services provided and the level of effort and persistence required at times to satisfy these needs. Besides providing services for immigrants, the Center also aided other local residents in solving problems relating to health, utilities, rent, community improvements, and dealing with County agencies. The records document the Center's interactions with other County agencies, especially the Department of Social Services, which was later folded into the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Housing Opportunities Commission, and include the Center's responses to requests for information from County departments. The Team Cluster folders contain records relating to the Center's participation in the effort made by the County during the budget crisis of the early 1990s to bring together staff from all County departments to improve efficiency by eliminating non-essential or duplicate programs and services, streamlining administrative processes, identifying under-utilized resources, and raising revenues.

During processing, the files were weeded of general policies and procedures issued by Executive Branch offices, as well as general informational material not related to upcounty concerns. However, County Council directives and other material, as well as items issued by the Office of Legislative Oversight, were retained because the Archives does not receive materials from the Council or its supporting offices. Copies of monthly reports to the County Executive from the Chief Administrative Officer were transferred to Record Group 1, County Executive, and records generated by the Solid Waste Advisory Committee from March 1989 to December 1991 and the Substance Abuse Coordinating Council from 1991 and 1992 were added to Record Group 15, Boards and Commissions.

The files are arranged in alphabetical order, and then chronologically. Records within each folder are in reverse chronological order.

Series III: Subject Files 1993-1995, 1991-1997 (1 cu.ft.)

These files appear to have been maintained approximately from the start of fiscal year 1994 (in July 1993) to the end of fiscal year 1995 (in June 1995). Only two boxes in this series were discovered in the Records Center, and they contained folders from A to C and F to H. Materials include correspondence, brochures, reports, press releases, minutes and agendas, and newsletters. The files include minutes and notes from Upcounty Providers Managers Meetings from 1996 to 1997, and document the reorganization of the department that became Health and Human Services and the impact on the Regional Services Center. Citizen and Agency Assistance Requests are restricted due to privacy concerns; a sampling were retained to illustrate the range of requests and types of services provided. The Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee files from 1994 to 1995 were transferred to Record Group 15, Boards and Commissions.

The series is arranged in alphabetical order, and then chronologically. Records within each folder are in reverse chronological order.

Series IV: Printed Material, 1991, 1998 (2 folders)

This series consists of a brochure describing services provided by the Upcounty Regional Services Center, and a summary of selected 1990 census data for each Government Service Center area.

Series I: Upcounty Citizens Advisory Board

Subseries 1: Minutes

Box 1

January 1988-April 1994 (20 folders)

Bylaws and Procedures, 1994

Box 2

Subseries 2: Correspondence

1988-1993 (4 folders)

Subseries 3: Committees

Fiscal Issues, 1990

Fiscal Issues, 1992

Planning and Development Issues, 1990-1991

Planning and Development Issues, 1992

Social Issues, 1987-1991, n.d.

Social Issues, 1992-1993

Box 3

Subseries 4: Appointments

1988-1992 (3 folders)

Membership Lists and Attendance, 1986-1994

Subseries 5: Events

Annual Reception, 1991-1992

Bus Tour, 1991-1993

Bus Tour, 1995

Bus Tour, 1998

Conference: Upcounty Tomorrow: A Community Conference to Envision the Upcounty's Future, October 24, 1992, 1992

Public Forum 1992, 1991-1992

Retreat, 1990

Retreat, 1992

Subseries 6: Annual Reports

1993-1998 (6 folders)

Series II: Subject Files 1988-1993

Box 1

AAA Mature Operators Program, 1990, n.d.

AARP 55 Alive/Mature Driving, 1992, n.d.

Accident Investigation Reports, 1990

Action Committee for Transit Northwest (ACT-NOW), 1991-1992, n.d.

Agriculture, 1991-1993, n.d.

Airpark, 1990-1992

Airpark Liaison Committee, 1989-1991

American Cancer Society, 1990-1991

Americans with Disabilities Act, 1991-1992

Annual Growth Policy, 1991-1992

Assistance Requests FY1990-FY1993, 1989-1993, n.d.

Assistance Requests FY1990-FY1993, 1988-1993, n.d. RESTRICTED

Awards, 1990-1991

Barwood Cab, 1989

Beauty Spots, 1992-1993

Boyds Quarry, 1990

Boys and Girls Club of Germantown, 1991

Budget FY92, 1988-1992

Budget FY92 Worksheets, 1990-1992, n.d.

Budget (Operating) FY93, 1991-1993, n.d.

Budget Submission FY93, 1991-1992, n.d.

CBD-District Maintenance, 1992

Chief Administrative Officer, 1991-1993

Clarksburg, 1989-1992, n.d.

Clarksburg Master Plan, 1992-1993

Clarksburg Master Plan Citizens Advisory Committee, 1991-1992, n.d.

Cluster Team General Information, 1991, n.d.

Cluster Team/Human Services, 1991-1992, n.d.

Cluster Team/Planning and Infrastructure, 1991-1992, n.d.

Cluster Team/Public Safety, 1991-1992, n.d.

Commission on Common Ownership, 1990-1991, n.d.

Commission to Review the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Government, 1990-1991

Community Development Block Grant, 1992, n.d.

Community Services Aide I, 1989-1990, n.d. RESTRICTED

Councilmanic Redistricting 1991, 1991

Damascus Area Issues, 1991-1992, n.d.

Damascus Chamber of Commerce, 1991-1992, n.d.

Damascus Commercial Revitalization, 1991-1992

Damascus Maintenance Tax District, 1990-1992, n.d.

Box 2

Damascus Master Plan, 1990-1992

Damascus Wastewater Treatment Plan, n.d.

Emergency Service Briefing 1991, 1991-1992, n.d.

Emergency Service Briefing Packet, October 2, 1991

Emory Grove, 1991-1992

Emory Grove Interagency Committee, 1991-1992, n.d.

Family Service Agency, 1992

Furloughs, 1991

Gaithersburg, 1990-1992

General Plan Refinement, 1992

Germantown, 1992

Germantown Action Group, 1991-1992

Germantown Alliance, 1991-1993

Germantown Recreation Facility Site Selection Committees, 1991

Germantown Town Center, October 1989-December 1993 (8 folders)

Golf Course Issue, 1992

Government Centers, 1987-1992, n.d.

Government Centers/Upcounty, 1991-1992

Government Centers/Upcounty: Special Programs/Services, 1993

Historic Issues and Places, n.d.

Holiday Basket Project 1991, 1991-1992

Holiday Basket Program 1988-1989, 1989-1990, n.d.

Housing, 1992-1993

Housing Opportunities Commission, 1992

Infrastructure Financing Issues, 1987, 1991 (2 folders)

Box 3

Infrastructure Financing Issues, 1991-1993

It's Blackademic 1992, 1991-1992

Landfill Working Group, 1991

Language Minorities Community Liaison, 1989-1992, n.d.

Language Minorities Community Liaisons (Messrs. Karzai, Cardona, Hernandez), 1988-1991 RESTRICTED

Laytonsville, 1992

M-83 (Germantown-Montgomery Village Connector), 1992

MARC Train, 1990-1992

Middlebrook Interagency Committee, 1991

Middlebrook Square Community (General Items), 1992

Migration Plan (Office Automation), 1990-1992, n.d.

Monthly Reports, 1992

Neighborhood Empowerment Program, 1992

Neighborhood Initiatives Program, 1991

News Releases, 1991-1993, n.d.

Office of Management and Budget, 1992, n.d.

Office of Substance Abuse Program (OSAP), 1991-1992, n.d.

Open Government Dialogue, November 13, 1991, 1991, n.d.

Police, 1992

Purchasing, 1992

Recreation, 1989

Refugee Services Program, 1987-1990, n.d.

Planning Process Seminar: "How the Development Process Works and How to Effectively Participate," April 20, 1987

Route 124 Planning Study, 1989

Rural Areas Development, 1991-1992

Salvation Army, 1992

Sandy Spring, 1988

School Presentations, 1989-1990

Schools, 1986-1991

Seneca Correctional Facility, 1990, n.d.

Seneca Recreation Facility Committee, 1990

Senior Benefits Programs, 1991

Senior Programs/Events, 1991

Senior Service Coordinators/Senior Providers Group, 1986

Shady Grove, 1989

Shady Grove Master Plan, 1990-1991

Social Security Administration, 1990-1991

Social Services, 1990, n.d.

Social Services, 1992-1993, n.d.

Solid Waste, 1987-1990, n.d.

Solid Waste, 1992

Solid Waste: Landfill Working Group, 1990-1991

Solid Waste: New Landfill, 1989-1991

Solid Waste: Oaks Landfill Advisory Commission, 1989-1992

Solid Waste: Oaks Oversight Group, 1989

Space and Leasing, 1989

Spanish Catholic Center, Gaithersburg, 1991

Spanish Speaking Community of Maryland Inc., 1989-1991

Stewartown, 1989-1992, n.d. RESTRICTED

Substance Abuse Coordinating Council, 1989-1991

Substance Abuse (Montgomery County Community Partnership), 1991-1992

Substance Abuse Task Force, 1989-1990, n.d.

Sugarloaf Citizens Symposium, 1991

Sweetwater Golf Course, 1991

Box 4

Telecommunications, 1992-1993

Transportation-Roads, 1991-1992

Transitway and HOV Master Plan, 1992

Union, 1990-1992

Upcounty Association of Congregations (UAC), 1990-1992 (2 folders)

Upper Montgomery County Youth Services, 1991-1992

Upper Montgomery County Volunteer Network, 1992

Vital Issues/CAO/CE, 1992

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, 1992

Western Upcounty Forum, 1991-1993

Youth Activities, 1990

Series III: Subject Files 1993-1995

Box 1

Agriculture, 1994-1995

Annual Growth Policy, 1993

Budget FY93, 1991-1992

Budget FY94, 1992-1994, n.d.

Budget FY95, 1993-1995, n.d.

Budget Final 1994, 1993

Citizen and Agency Assistance Requests, 1994-1995 RESTRICTED

Clarksburg Master Plan, 1993-1995 (2 folders)

Committee on Committees, 1992-1993

Community Service Day, October 22, 1994

Community Service Day, October 21, 1995

Food and Drug Administration, 1994-1995, n.d. (2 folders)

Gaithersburg, 1991-1996, n.d.

GROWS Conference, June 9, 1993, 1991-1993, n.d.

GROWS Conference Packet, June 9, 1993

Health and Human Services/Community Service Aide Initiative, 1993-1996, n.d.

Health and Human Services: Family Services Agency, 1994-1995

Health and Human Services Multilingual Services, 1994, n.d.

Health and Human Services Resource Training for Family Health CSAs, 1994-1995

Health and Human Services Services to Low Income Hispanics, 1993-1995, n.d.

Health and Human Services Upcounty Managers Meetings FY1997, 1996-1997

Health and Human Services Upcounty Managers Meetings FY1996, 1996

Holiday Basket Committee Retreat 1995, 1995

Holiday Basket Project 1992, 1991-1993, n.d.

Holiday Basket Project Kickoff 1992, 1992

Holiday Basket Project 1993, 1989-1994, n.d.

Housing and Community Development, 1995-1996

Series IV: Printed Material

Summary of Selected 1990 Census Data by Government Service Area, 1991

Brochure, 1998