An effort to expand the role of local labor unions in overseeing Montgomery County's $3 billion employee retirement system appears headed for a quiet death. County Council President Michael Knapp (D-Upcounty) said this week that there are no plans to revive the a measure that would increase to five from three the number of union representatives on the system's investment board from three to five.

A council committee sided with the unions last month, but when the issue came before the full council, members expressed reservations and asked for more time to gather information.

The issue probably won't resurface before the clock runs out on the bill. Under council rules, legislation expires if the council does not act within 18 months, in this case by Oct. 8, 2009. By keeping the issue off the agenda, the council will avoid having to take an up or down vote on the politically charged topic.

"At this point, it's just deferred indefinitely," Knapp said. "There's nothing scheduled, and I don't anticipate it being scheduled."

The bill was proposed by County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) as part of the labor agreement negotiated with the county's largest public employees union. Union leaders had sought additional representation on the board to have more oversight of their members' retirement investments. The measure would also make the president of the Municipal and County Government Employees Organization a permanent member of the panel.

The council's top adviser, Stephen Farber, warned against the expansion, saying that "politics and pension funds are a toxic mix" and that the board needs "investment experts, not bargaining experts."

Representatives for retired county employees also argued against such a move, saying it would weaken the roles of retirees, nonunion workers and taxpayers, who contribute about 87.percent of the funding for the nearly $3.billion system.

"There were enough folks who had legitimate concerns," Knapp said. "I don't think anybody saw a need to take any other action."

That leaves council member Duchy Trachtenberg (D-At Large) as perhaps the best hope for the provision. Trachtenberg said she is seeking an independent review of how other local governments structure oversight of public retirement funds.

Until 2004, Montgomery's investment board had nine members: one union representative, one retiree representative, one nonunion employee representative, two public trustees with investment experience and four senior county managers. Four years ago, then-County Executive Douglas M. Duncan agreed to add two more union members and two more public members, for a total of 13 on the board.

"I do think we need to reexamine it," Trachtenberg said. "I'm trying to find something that works for everybody."

The Montgomery County Council today selected a community activist and a developer to fill two vacancies on the Planning Board that sets land-use policy, oversees parks and reviews development plans.

Clarksburg community activist Amy Presley replaces Republican Allison Bryant, whose term expired this month. Joseph Alfandre, who developed the Kentlands in Gaithersburg, replaces Democrat Gene Lynch, who died in January.

Alfandre was backed by Planning Board Chairman Royce Hanson, whom he has known since the 1970s when Hanson served an earlier term on the board with Alfandre's father. Alfandre said he pioneered the planning practice of including public officials, civic activists, residents, businesses and others in designing the Kentlands, one of Montgomery's first "new urbanist" communities.

Presley, who helped bring to light construction irregularities in Clarksburg, had the backing of a broad cross section of the community, including the Montgomery County Civic Federation and the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce.

The council unanimously backed Presley in its first round of voting. Alfandre was chosen after a series of votes in which council members also nominated transit activist Ben Ross and former Prince George's County parks director MaryeÖ Wells-Harley.

As expected, the Montgomery County Council unanimously signed off this morning on Ike Leggett's pick to serve on the commission that oversees water and sewer service in Montgomery and Prince George's counties.

But the discussion over Rockville epidemiologist Roscoe Moore's appointment exposed deep frustration among council members about the state of affairs at the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, perhaps exacerbated by the widespread disruption in water service last week following a water main break.

The six-member, bi-county commission is evenly split along county lines over who should lead the agency that is struggling to replace miles of aging infrastructure. A long list of council members chimed in about what they say is a troubled structure of governance that has no mechanism for breaking a tie. They called on state legislators to introduce bills in the next General Assembly session to try to fix the system.

"Water and sewer service is too important to be put at risk by a system that often results in political deadlock," said Council member Phil Andrews.

As thousands of Montgomery County residents were still reeling from disruptions in water service this week, council members were vetting Democratic County Executive Isiah Leggett's latest pick to serve on the commission that oversees water and sewer delivery for 1.8.million customers in Montgomery and Prince George's counties.

Rockville resident Roscoe M. Moore Jr. is an epidemiologist who retired from the federal government in 2003 after serving as assistant U.S. surgeon general and assistant to health and human services secretaries Donna E. Shalala and Tommy G. Thompson. Moore ran unsuccessfully for Congress in the 4th District in 2004 and runs a company that advises foreign entities and others on the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases.

But council members joked that perhaps his most relevant qualification for serving on the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, which has a history of hardball politics, is his first-degree black belt in karate.

"That may be helpful," council President Michael Knapp (D-Upcounty) quipped. He added in seriousness, "The stream is rising, and our need to have a strong group of commissioners is significant."

Some council members expressed surprise that Moore would want to wade into the apparent dysfunction of the organization. The six-member bi-county commission has been unable to reach consensus in its search for a general manager and is divided along county lines. Council members urged Moore to work in harmony with the two other Montgomery commissioners: - former state delegates Adrienne A. Mandel and Gene W. Counihan.

"Perhaps you'll be the personality who can move us away from the polarization," said council member Nancy Floreen (D-At Large).

When asked about his qualifications, Moore said that he has experience handling situations in which there is conflict and that "I can read, I can write, and I have reasonable judgment." He later described his karate technique, which he called "defensive fighting."

Moore said in an interview that the key to his success has been having patience and not panicking. "You hang out long enough, and then you get them."

County executives Jack Johnson and Ike Leggett met as planned yesterday afternoon to try to break the stalemate over the search for a new general manager at the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission.

The six commissioners, three each appointed by Johnson and Leggett, are divided along county lines over who should lead the agency that has a history of infighting and is struggling to fix an aging infrastructure.

Jim Keary, a spokesman for Johnson, said the two Democrats had pledged during their meeting to work in the coming weeks to "take care of the leadership void."

Patrick Lacefield, a spokesman for Leggett, had a similar message. "They had a good meeting and they're going to work to get this thing resolved."

But it was unclear exactly how the two would find common ground among the commissioners.

"I guess they're going to be doing a lot of talking," Lacefield said. "I can't really tell you more."

What was also a mystery was the location of their meeting. Neither spokesman could say.