The City on Inclusive Recreation Options

This >contributor opinion was written by the City’s Recreation and Parks director, Burt Hall:

The Rockville community is fortunate to have this perspective on our parks, facilities and programs from Dr. Reeve Brenner. As the inventor and marketer of “Bankshot Basketball” and other “total mix” sports equipment, Dr. Brenner, a native son, has contributed greatly to the recreational opportunities for different segments of the able-bodied and “differently-abled” populations. I am proud to say that the City offers the opportunity to play Bankshot Basketball at our court located at Welsh Park and will soon have a full-sized Bankshot court at our new park in the King Farm neighborhood, Mattie J.T. Stepanek Park. These courts truly provide the kind of inclusive opportunity for residents of all abilities to participate together that Dr. Brenner describes.

There are many other opportunities at Rockville’s parks and facilities for inclusive participation by all. One of the best examples is the Rockville Municipal Swim Center, which is totally accessible and available to people of all abilities for drop-in use 363 days each year. The Swim Center has a widely varied clientele, many of whom have disabilities, or are recovering from recent medical procedures. They use the five pools, the whirlpool, the fitness centers on an equal basis. Even the recently installed “Sprayground” was designed specifically to accommodate play by the able-bodied and those with disabilities.

Another facility that welcomes people of all abilities is our Senior Center. Members, regardless of ability, visit the Center throughout each week. They take advantage of drop-in activities such as the Fitness Room, enjoy a snack or lunch in the dining room, read a book or newspaper in the library, watch a movie, use the woodshop and ceramic room, play cards, use the computer center and receive assistance from the nurse or wellness coordinator. Many of these members and visitors use walkers, canes, wheelchairs, as well as visual and hearing aides.

Similar opportunities are available at our recreation centers such as Twinbrook, Lincoln Park and the Croydon Creek Nature Center. At Lincoln Park we have three organizations that cater to special populations who use the center each month. These include the Association for Retarded Citizens (ARC of Montgomery County), the Community Services for Autistic Adults and Children (CSAAC) and the Supported Employment Enterprise Corporation (SEEC). Participants from these organizations enjoy activities in the gym such as basketball, kickball, dodge ball, etc.; they use the game room and the computer center as well. SEEC brings in a personal trainer two times per week who works with the group in the fitness room. At Twinbrook Community Recreation Center, residents with physical and mental disabilities are regular drop-in participants, making use of the gym, the fitness center and the computer center. Several children with disabilities are currently registered in our after school program.

When we build new facilities, such as the Dog Park at Stepanek Park, we make sure to include accessible features such as asphalt pathways, so that persons in a wheelchair or who have ambulatory disabilities are fully able to enjoy the park with their dogs.

In our programs, the City has a policy of providing inclusive opportunities for people of all abilities. We ask persons with disabilities who may need assistance to fully take advantage of a class or program to notify our staff so appropriate accommodations can be made. Each year there are hundreds of “differently-abled” children and adults who benefit from these many programs side-by-side with abled-bodied participants. We have participants with different types of mental and physical disabilities who play in our youth sports programs each year, including basketball, football, t-ball, baseball, track and field and soccer.

Each year fifteen to thirty young men and women with physical or mental disabilities participate in our fall 5K road race. The January 2008 issue of the Town Courier newspaper included a nice article about one of these individuals. In fact, Rockville’s entire Special Events program, including Hometown Holidays, July 4th, the Car Show, and others, presents regular opportunities for our residents of all abilities to come together for these community celebrations.

In closing, we understand that we can always improve our facilities to make them more welcoming and more usable by Rockville residents of all abilities. We appreciate the challenges in this arena articulated by Dr. Brenner and pledge to continue to work closely with all interested community members to make Rockville’s parks, recreation facilities and programs even more inclusive and welcoming to all.

Burt Hall
Director of Recreation and Parks
City of Rockville

Rockville Central runs occasional, edited opinion pieces by contributors. Their views are not necessarily those of Rockville Central. To submit your opinion for consideration, contact us.

Photos From Move-The-Courthouse Rally [UPDATED]

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What started life billed as a “press conference” and later became a “rally” in support of not locating the new district court house on the site of the old Rockville Library building was a success. A nice knot of concerned citizens showed up in the middle of the day to pick up “Move The Courthouse” signs, and four [OOPS: THREE] of the five members of the Mayor and Council, and the former mayor, were all present to support the effort. [UPDATE: I guess you might want to know who. Mayor Susan Hoffmann and Councilmembers John Britton and Phyllis Marcuccio, and former mayor Larry Giammo were there. Sorry for the confusion.]

Weekend to Weekend 1/31/08

>Events in Rockville

Thursday, January 31

Nelly’s Echo, Austin Grill- Rockville, 9 PM or so. (Never a cover charge at Austin Grill.) Less than a minute on his myspace had me laughing about “Sling”, plus his calypso soul is just plain groovin’ He definitely is a “Mr. Nice Guy”.

Friday, February 1

Art After Hours 6:30 PM and HearArts 7:30 PM – 9 PM, VisArts at Rockville. Explore the three galleries and visit the resident artists’ spaces. Free. Wine and cheese from Whole Foods. HearArts is a performance series that will feature Sean Enright reading his fiction and Gary Gibian playing the vibraphone. Call 301-315-8200 for more information.

“Arcadia” , Rockville Little Theatre, F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre, 8 PM. $16/adults, $14 seniors and students. Interesting play which switches back and forth between the Coverly family mansion in 1809 and current day, when two decendents and scholars research a possible scandal in the family history. Explores the concepts of truth and time. 240-314-8690.

Saturday, February 2

Meet the Author – Roscoe Orman, Rockville Library, 11 AM. Do you know who this is?? I’m so excited! It’s Gordon from Sesame Street. I’ve loved Sesame Street since I was a kid and I would run out of my house whenever there was a plane on the show to try to tell where it was. Thank goodness I had kids so I could justify watching it again! He will be talking about his book, Ricky and Mobo, as well as selling and signing them. It’s “Library Lovers Month” and they have Gordon!

“Arcadia” , Rockville Little Theatre, F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre, 8 PM. $16/adults, $14 seniors and students. Interesting play which switches back and forth between the Coverly family mansion in 1809 and current day, when two decendents and scholars research a possible scandal in the family history. Explores the concepts of truth and time. 240-314-8690.

Sunday, February 3

Beall-Dawson House of the Montgomery County Historical Society has two events:

Winter Pastimes Exhibit and Walnut Shell Workshop, 12:30 PM – 3:30 PM. This drop-in workshop to make toys and play games is included with admission to the museum. $3 adults, $2 seniors & kids.

How to Plan a Family Reunion Workshop, 4 PM. Sandra Clunies, author of A Family Affair: How To Plan and Direct the Best Family Reunion Ever, will teach you how to plan next summer’s family reunion. Get some ideas on what will make it memorable. Ms. Clunies is a certified genealogist.

Meet the Artists Opening Reception, Glenview Mansion Art Gallery, 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM. Carolyn Jean – Assemblage: works on paper, Patricia Autenrieth – studio art quilts, Yonina Blech-Hermoni & Lee Gorsky – fabric and clay bags.

The Lovejoy Group, Sunday Afternoon Concert Series, Glenview Mansion Conservatory, 2 PM. Free. Latin and blues rhythms to warm up your cold Sunday Afternoon at the Opening Reception for the Glenview Mansion Art Gallery February Exhibit.

“Arcadia” , Rockville Little Theatre, F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre, 2 PM. $16/adults, $14 seniors and students. Interesting play which switches back and forth between the Coverly family mansion in 1809 and current day, when two decendents and scholars research a possible scandal in the family history. Explores the concepts of truth and time. 240-314-8690.

Wednesday, February 6

Tutor Orientation by The Literacy Council of Montgomery County, Rockville Library, 10:30 AM – Noon. As I’ve written, over 200 adult students need tutors to learn to read, write, or speak English. Work one-on-one or with small groups. Registration is required. Call 301-610-0030 or email [email protected]

Friday, February 8

Sixth Annual Heart to Heart Family Valentine’s Day Dance, Twinbrook Recreation Center, 7 PM – 9 PM. $2/person. You can register through RockEnroll Activity #24098 but pre-registration is not required. An adult must accompany children as they dance to a dj, play games, win prizes and make Valentines. Wear that RED!

Songs of Love, Mulan Foundation, F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre, 8 PM. $25/adults, $15/Seniors & Students. Music for lovers. Western and Chinese music combined. Alessandra Marc’s voice has been described as “an instrument of unsurpassed beauty and impact.”

Can’t Hang, Austin Grill – Rockville, 9:30 PM. (Never a cover charge at Austin Grill.) It’s reggae time again! Transport your mind to a warmer place.

Saturday, February 9

Chinese New Year Celebration, Piano Concert, Twinbrook Library, 3 PM. The students of Li-Ly Chang will perform Chinese, as well as, classical pieces. Ms. Chang will also play her Chinese compositions and tell stories.

Lunar New Year Celebration, Rockville Library, Meeting Room #1, 3 PM – 5 PM. The Kuang Chi Chinese School will perform a lion dance by the “East Rising Lion Dance Troupe” which will include Chinese folk dance. Hands-on activities for ages 6 & up. Demonstrations of water-color painting, calligraphy, and Chinese New Year customs. What an excellent way to share in the celebration!

Tamburitzans, F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre, 8 PM. $30/adults, $25/Seniors & students. The Duquesne University group will present the music, song and dances of Eastern Europe and neighboring cultures.<
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Billy Coulter Band, Austin Grill – Rockville, 9 PM or so. (Never a cover charge at Austin Grill.) He’s had a great year of rock/pop and has been nominated for three Wammies (Washington Area Music awards)!

Sunday, February 10

Rockville Concert Band, F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre, 3:00 PM. Free, no tickets necessary. Swingtime!

Email the information for any fun, educational or community events to be included in Weekend to Weekend. Also, send along any specials or discounts. Include links!

We will publish event listings occurring in & around our coverage area (map) on Thursdays. The inclusion of events and specials is at our discretion.

Contributor Opinion by Rich Gottfried: Make RORZOR More Friendly To Home-Based Business

This >contributor opinion is (my) edit of the prepared remarks Rockville Central friend Rich Gottfried delivered at last night’s RORZOR public meeting.

The Home Based Business Action Team [HBBAT, pronounced “beebat”] has submitted 13 pages of comments, questions and suggestions to article 9 section 25.09.06 which is 7 pages more than the regulation itself! [Here is a link to all of them - ed.] Here are the highlights from its written comments.

First, this article needs a no impact home based business section exemption regulation where home based businesses do not have to register nor pay any fees nor additional tax revenue to the city of Rockville.

Montgomery County’s no-impact business regulations state that no more than five vehicles visits per week excluding deliveries, no nonresident employees, and no discernible impact on the surroundings. If you are a no impact business, you don’t have to do anything else. No space requirements and no income requirements. . . . Why doesn’t the city of Rockville have a no impact business exemption regulation?

Second, there was no public outreach to the home based businesses. The six pages of regulations should have been mailed to all of the residents of Rockville.

Third, the regulations as written violate the private policy laws: keeping logs . . . counting cars . . . having the chief of planning do inspections at will!…one complaint is a violation? Denial of access is an admission of guilt?

Fourth, that a registry be will made available for public inspection may cause more neighborhood crimes, if the criminals know where the address is of a home based business is and they have large amounts of cash in their house or valuable art work or expensive pianos…they may be subject to more of a target of being robbed!

Fifth, what is the cost to the Rockville taxpayers for implementing this regulation versus the benefit of having one at all for home based businesses? Why are these regulations even necessary? These regulations would be an administrative burden on the planning department as well as on home based businesses.

Sixth, signage. We need some minimal signage for home based businesses. How about one exterior illuminated sign of approximately 144 square inches. That’s about half the size of a political lawn sign.

Let’s decide to support, not erase by fiat, Rockville’s home based businesses. We are the highest level of green business the city can have, whether we call it telecommuting for white collar workers, pedestrian accessible medical care for neighborhood children, affordable incubator space for startup businesses, or a second career for stay-at-home parents, home based businesses cut traffic and other wear and tear on our infrastructure.

In summary, please abolish article 9 section 25.09.06 or let’s work together to implement fair and reasonable regulations so that home based businesses are not unfairly scrutinized and penalized. Let’s keep Rockville’s home-based businesses in Rockville where we need them.

Richard Gottfried
HBBAT

Rockville Central runs occasional, edited opinion pieces by contributors. Their views are not necessarily those of Rockville Central. To submit your opinion for consideration, contact us.

Film at…..5:00 pm

This morning’s rally for Move The Courthouse was covered by local and metro news organizations, including RC. Look for more coverage here later, and tonight on Washingon’s ABC 7 TV during their 5:00 pm news broadcast.

POTD: This Is Not A Running Shoe

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(With apologies to Rene Magritte.) I really don’t know what to say about this one. I can’t tell why this shoe is on this pole, in this orientation. I mean, at all.

Town Center Action Team Plans News Conference on District Courthouse Location

The citizens’ group TCAT (Town Center Action Team) is holding a press conference on T>hursday, January 31 at 10:00am at the corner of Vincent and S. Washington Streets. The purpose of the press conference is to make public how many citizens of Rockville feel about the courthouse going in the location of the old library.

TCAT is encouraging all those who are concerned about the proposed location to come to the press conference.

Town Square Paid Parking To Begin March 10

As >Rockville Central readers know, charging for the currently-free Town Square parking was on the agenda at the last Mayor and Council meeting. The Gazette reports that the City has decided to begin charging $1.00 per hour for parking from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm on weekdays in the Town Square garages starting on March 10. Weekends will be free, and, under an already-existing deal, Library patrons park free too.

[UPDATE: Here's the City's just-issued press release on the subject.]

Councilmember Piotr Gajewski had originally proposed a more extensive plan, which would have charged for parking until later at night but which would have also taken advantage of a deal between the City and Montgomery County for the County to pay for parking.

(I was home during this meeting, cranking to finish a report for my actual job. I tried to watch the meeting. Let me take this opportunity to complain that The Rockville Channel’s stream was down — first it was audio-only and then I got bupkis. Tried multiple computers. Nuthin’. Grr.)

Needless to say, some Town Square business owners are concerned that the parking fees will drive away business. Deborah Simon, owner of the wonderful Waygoose Fine Crafts, testified in Citizen’s Forum, according to the Gazette:

‘‘We need the time to grow our businesses. . . . We need the time to grow our customers so that we can survive here. Because we will not be able to stay if we do not have that kind of support from the city.”

Personally, parking fees won’t keep me away from shopping. In fact, to my mind it has long been obviously too good to be true that free parking would continue for much longer at such a substantial shopping center as Town Square. So, each time I pulled into the lot behind Five Guys, I got a little shiver, like I was getting a free ride. Party’s over, and probably about time.

How about you? If you are already a patron of Town Square, will parking fees keep you away?

What do you think?

Happy To See Competition: Montgomery County Police Crime Reports Available Mapped

If >Rockville Central were a regular news outlet, we’d be gnashing our teeth and stomping on our cigars in the back rooms over the latest announcement that Montgomery County Police have unveiled a new deal with Public Engine to provide real-time, mapped crime reports.

Why? Because, dear readers, we provide the same thing for Rockville City police! [UPDATE: Just so it's clear, we don't do this for the police, we do it for the police blotters that the City issues. We actually do it for you!]

In order to see the Montgomery County reports, go to CrimeReports.com . . . click this link and you will be amazed.

In general, I take a dim view of government entities hiring outside firms to do what they ought to be doing anyway. But in this case I am all for it.

You see, this outfit is doing a better job than we ever could — their business is dedicated to it. And so my hat is off to them. This service replaces (or should) the printed police blotters in the Gazette and elsewhere.

I understand that the cost to the County is about $200 per month for this service. I assume the data the department uploads, which they do nightly, is simply data they need to collect anyway and so it is not a further burden on a stretched department.

If anyone who works for the City of Rockville is reading this, I urge you to encourage the Department’s decision makers to strike a similar bargain. The ease of public use is well worth the cost. If the City’s department joined in, then Rockville residents could have a one-stop view of all crime reports in the area. (Because two separate departments cover our area.)

Meantime, I will continue to put together my mapped City police blotters.

But, readers, if you agree that the City should pursue something like this, please weigh in on the comments.

POTD: We're Melting!

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These little guys are on their last legs after the above-freezing temps and the rain . . . .

Calling All Student Artists!

All students in grades K -12, either living or going to school in Rockville, can enter the >Student Art Show and have their artwork displayed in a real gallery at the Glenview Mansion. All of these wonderful creations will be on exhibit March 2-28, 2008.

Although entering the Art Show does take some effort from parents, it is an excellent opportunity to highlight your child’s creative side. The kids really are amazed that something they made is on display at such a fancy place and that people are looking at it.

Believe me, after you mount or frame one of your child’s pieces for delivery, you will be impressed at how great it looks. Yes, there’s a correct way to mat a piece but don’t worry about it. Just have a big enough backing and cut a hole with about a 3 inch border on another piece. Then tape the artwork in. You need to fill out an Entry Form and tape it to the back, as well as put on some wire or string for hanging purposes. Also, bring along an extra copy of the Form. All types of artwork are welcome, including three dimensional (which you don’t have to mount but it must be suitable for public display).

All of the entries must be dropped off between 1:30 PM and 3:30 PM on Sunday, February 24, 2008 at the Glenview Mansion. Just bring it over and you are in!

On Sunday, March 2, 2008 there will be an opening reception from 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM with an awards ceremony at 2 PM and musical entertainment at 2:15 PM.

All students receive a certificate for participating. Ribbons will be awarded by judges for the best artwork in grades 4 -12. This is an excellent opportunity for aspiring artists to show their stuff.

Having your child participate in the Art Show is a special way to make them feel that they have the ability to create something of value. That’s very important.

POTD: Stakeout

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This stake suddenly appeared on my lawn yesterday. Those initials, which stand for “Right Of Way,” worry me! Look, I already have a sidewalk.

Those Twisty Bulbs

Those funky lightbulbs are all over my radar screen lately! You know the ones: they are all twisty, meant to replace the proper bulbs in your lamps. These curvy guys are called “CFL’s” — this stands for “Compact Fluorescent Bulbs.” They save energy (a 75-watt bulb actually draws more like 18 watts or thereabouts). Lots of people are trying to encourage others to use them as a conservation measure and, indirectly, as a way to stave of global warming one watt at a time.>In our household, we recently switched over to CFL’s. The main decision-makers on this issue differ over the reasons. One of us is trying to conserve. The other just likes that the CFL’s pretty much never burn out. I will leave it to you to figure out which character is a do-be and which is a don’t-be.

But two other things recently crossed my desk which seemed interesting on this subject.

First, my friend Jacquie Kubin sent a note that detailed a number of issues surrounding how to properly dispose of CFL’s — you see, you can’t just toss ‘em out. I’ve posted that note here.

Second, my friend Ruth Hanessian, last time I was in buying crickets, waved a Pepco bill in my face. I did not understand and she had to spell it out for me. Seems there’s a program whereby ordinary mortals like you and me can purchase CFL’s at a reduced cost. Yay! Here’s what they say:

Pepco wants to help you save energy, save money and protect the environment.We’re discounting the price of select ENERGY STAR® qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) for our Maryland customers. You’ll save $1.50 on each single bulb, and $3 on multipacks when you shop at The Home Depot and Costco stores participating in Maryland.

When compared to a standard incandescent, a CFL saves about $42 over the life of the bulb. That’s because CFLs use about 75 percent less energy and last up to 10 times longer than standard bulbs.

And since CFLs use less energy, they’re good for the environment. That means power plants will generate less electricity, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

Lighting accounts for up to 20 percent of your home’s energy bill. So take advantage of our discount program and start saving energy and money now with compact fluorescent light bulbs.

“Cool,” I thought. Until Ruth showed me the fine print. Notwithstanding that Costco is a membership store, which means you need to actually pay to even shop there, there’s a surcharge that is planned for every Pepco customer designed to cover the costs of this program. So, in other words, whether I want to or not, I am subsidizing your CFL’s. It hurts even worse because I paid full-freight for mine.

Here’s what Pepco has to say about the surcharge business:

Will there be a charge on my bill to pay for this program?
Yes, Maryland residential customers will pay a minimal surcharge on their electric bills. The proposed amount of the surcharge will be $0.000039 per kilowatt-hour. For the typical Pepco residential customer who uses 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month, this charge will add around 4 cents to their bill each [month].

Why are Pepco Customers paying a surcharge for this program?
The Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) approved the residential CFL program in the fall, which authorizes the recovery of implementation costs through a demand-side management surcharge. This program helps reduce overall energy use, environmental impact and helps meet Maryland’s goals for reducing the state’s energy use by 15 percent by the year 2015.

Will there be a separate line item on my bill?
Yes, the charge will be a separate line item on your bill. The charge will appear as “Demand Side Management Surcharge.”

I agree with Ruth that it seems an unfair tax, slipped in under the radar and cloaked in a bunch of green flag-waving. It’s not much money on an individual basis . . . but it’s the principle of the thing. That “Demand Side Management Surcharge” just seems like bureaucratic language designed to be sneaky. Note that the “why are we paying” question is answered with language that basically says: “because our regulators are letting us charge you!”

I do know others may disagree and say it’s a small price to pay to reduce energy usage. I am ambivalent myself.

What do you think?

POTD: Path

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Even with the weather, this hardy stuff seems to keep hanging on. Well, it was a few days ago. Anyway, this pathway reminds me of the coast of Mendocino, California, and a place called Sea Ranch where I spent a weekend once.

Councilmember Gajewski to Mayor and Council: Start Charging For Town Square Parking

>The following message was sent Sunday afternoon to the City Council and Mayor by Council Member Piotr Gajewski. I wonder if this will necessitate a change in the agenda for tomorrow’s meeting?

On Monday, I plan to advance a proposal to begin charging $1 per hour for parking in the Rockville garages (and at street meters) from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

I was not part of the government that developed the Town Center project on the terms that were negotiated, and it is futile now to go back and discuss “what ifs.”

The reality of the situation is that we are now managing a project that is bleeding at the rate of roughly $1.8 million per year or $30 per every man, woman and child that resides in Rockville. Depending on analysis, this number can be slightly smaller (or even slightly larger), but this is the order of magnitude. Boiling this down to a monthly bill, each month, the Rockville taxpayer pays $150,000 for cars to park free in the garages.

There is no way to avoid this reality and somebody has to continue to pay this monthly bill going forward. The question is whether as much as possible of this bill should be paid by those who use the garages, and my answer to that is a resounding “yes.” To the extent possible, users should pay for the garages – the Rockville taxpayer should be relieved of this burden.

Who are the users and will they mind paying?

The users of the garages are the business people of Town Square and their patrons as well as the users of the Rockville Library. And here is the best news of all: the employees and users of the Rockville Library are our dearest asset, because Montgomery County has agreed to foot the total bill for their parking. Montgomery County has not limited this to certain hours or days – as long as the Library is open, Montgomery County will pay for all employees and patrons so they will indeed continue to park for “free,” but the City of Rockville will benefit from a direct payment from Montgomery County.

We should not leave any of this money on the table! The library is open each weekday until 8:30 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The present garage usage data shows that early evening hours and especially Saturday hours enjoy the biggest use of our garages. That is the time when people frequent the library. We must be sure to take advantage of this and save the Rockville taxpayer from subsidizing the parking of Library users.

And what of the businesses and their patrons?

The Rockville taxpayer has subsidized free parking for a full year; this is considerably longer than in any early plans projected. Surely the businesses must have incorporated into their plans that convenient parking will not be free. Even with the availability of free garage parking, many people have chosen to park at the paid meters, so that paying for parking has not been a deterrent to coming to Town Square.

Many businesses may want to pay for their customers’ parking and the City of Rockville should work with the businesses to provide them with an easy system of validating parking for their customers, if they choose. As validation only happens when a purchase is made, this will be just a small cost to add: the price of doing business (much like fees that businesses pay on credit card purchases, for example).

Many cars are now parking in the garages. The drivers of those cars need to pay the cost of parking. By choosing an option to not charge for parking in the evening hours or on Saturdays, we would simply be shifting the cost of our garages from those who use them, to the Rockville taxpayer. As you look at the projected revenue for the various options that the staff has prepared, please note that for each $60,000 of revenue that we give up by not charging for parking (and again, note, that some of that lost revenue would have come directly from Montgomery County paying Rockville for library users’ parking), each Rockville (population 60,000) man, woman and child has to pay $1 in taxes. So that, for example, foregoing $60,000 per month of revenue, means that a Rockville family of four pays additional annual tax of $48 – a tax that could have been avoided if the user of the parking had been made to pay instead.

I hope that you can support my proposal. I look forward to our discussion.

Piotr Gajewski
Councilmember, City of Rockville

(Photo by Rockville Central.)