The County Council unanimously passed legislation Tuesday that requires county buildings and some businesses to have gender-inclusive restrooms. Council Vice President Evan Glass and Council Member Sidney Katz were the lead sponsors.

Glass — who identifies as gay and is poised to become the council’s first openly gay council president later this year — said before Tuesday’s vote that the bill was meant to help everybody in the community. It’s a local example of “what has been a national conversation in making sure everyone feels welcome and safe in their communities,” he said.

Montgomery County’s roughly 147,000 tons of annual food waste could soon be put to good use.

Instead of most waste being burned at an incinerator in Dickerson, it can now be used as a new option for mulching and composting on farmland.

The Montgomery County Council unanimously approved a zoning amendment to allow mulching and composting as accessory uses to farming if no more than 50% of the material comes in from off-site.