Editorial Opinion by Cindy Cotte Griffiths: None Of The Above

Recently a couple of public decisions in Rockville have involved three final choices which have not received overwhelming support.

After the Cultural Arts Commission reviewed the entries, the neighborhood associations were given three selections for the East Rockville art project. I’ve been told that some of the community leaders involved in the decision may not have liked any of the choices but they picked one because this was the process.

The branding campaign for Rockville has also resulted in three final designs. From my personal discussions, an overwhelming majority doesn’t seem to like any of them.

When I mentioned these instances to my husband, he mentioned the “none of the above” choice available on the Nevada ballot. If you don’t like any of the candidates, you can vote for the “none” option. Although it has been in place since 1975, I’d never heard of it. During this last election, the number of “none of the above” votes was expected to affect the outcome between Harry Reid and Sharron Angle, so the unusual ballot choice was getting some press.

Could we be so bold as to freely give our community a “none of the above” choice when deciding on bidders or artwork or other decisions? If we are truly not impressed, why go forward? Why settle? Wouldn’t we be a greater place if we didn’t settle?

Now, if our pipes are leaking underground and all the engineering bids are not perfect, we need to go forward with the best available contractor because the situation is in dire need of repair. Of course there will be instances where we absolutely need to accomplish a task.

But if there is no rush and the outcome is for aesthetics or an extra program, why not just say “none of the above”? Is this possible?

Perhaps it’s simply a matter of keeping the option in mind when volunteering in the community. This could mean having the courage to state that everyone should begin again or decide not to go forward at all. Such positions might be problematic and complicated, but necessary.

The Human Service Advisory Commission, which I chair, spent a long time studying an issue last year with the intent of having a summit. Even though we invested considerable time, we eventually decided the effort might not be needed.  Sometimes it’s difficult to put on the brakes.

Often, the questions or the system is designed to go forward without other options. For instance, the branding survey at the City site wants feedback but the survey seems intent on proceeding. If you’re against the whole concept, the question doesn’t seem to invite this option.

We need to consider how to create systems where we aren’t forced to pick the “least worst” choice rather than the best one. Systems where we can answer, “You know what? None of the above. Should we be doing this and how?”

This Editorial Opinion is Cindy’s, and doesn’t represent Rockville Central.

Comic Strip: ROCK’burb 11-13-10

About ROCK’burb: A few months ago we were tossing around ideas for new features on Rockville Central. We thought Saturday morning comics would be fun. Since I’ve always wanted to draw a comic strip, I’ve been imagining them in my head each week. Sometimes an idea pops up in my head and sometimes my whole family thinks up a panel about our lives here in Rockville. Here’s this week’s sketch about Branding Rockville. The City would like you to give your opinion here. I have.

Art Thrives With New Galleries And Exhibits At VisArts

Glass Box Gallery Photo by Cindy Cotte Griffiths

What if it’s 3 o’clock in the morning and you want to visit a gallery exhibition in Rockville? You can!

Last week VisArts opened three new spaces including the Glass Box Gallery, located in the window of the VisArts TOO shop facing Gibbs Street. Visitors can peer at the large screen 24 hours a day and experience a silent video production. Although VisArts always presents a cosmopolitan vibe, this never-ending tech exhibit brings a very urban feel down to the street. The current exhibit, Mascara, focuses on one eye as makeup is rubbed away. We couldn’t help but watch more than one loop while trying to understand the circumstances.

Photo by Cindy Cotte Griffiths

Every month the new Spotlight Gallery will display the work of a different Montgomery County Public School Art Teacher. VisArts carved this special gallery out of the space in the back of the VisArts TOO shop. The Spotlight provides a wonderful opportunity for teachers to share their work and encourage the pursuit of art. This incredibly public space provides an opportunity for all of us to view and purchase artwork from these educators, but in particular it provides a rare opportunity for students to appreciate the display and sale of art by someone they know. The first exhibit features Angela White’s oils on canvas and cigar boxes in a series entitled Sea Over Land. Described as “Inspiration beyond the classroom”, the monthly shows will inevitably inspire us all.

Family Gallery by Cindy Cotte Griffiths

The second floor family studio has moved down the hall which opened up its former space to some fresh possibilities as an exhibit area called the Portfolio Gallery. To celebrate the opening, Mariah Anne Johnson created a site-responsive installation using the colors of the room and inspiration from the season. The use of fabric in her artwork began almost by accident after she continually combed through thrift stores purchasing fabrics with diverse patterns. Instead of cutting the fabric, the folds and combinations became whole in her projects. With a background as a painter, Mariah uses fabric to replicate the layering which occurs in the painting process to create abstract art designs. Her delightful personality shines through every piece.

Mariah Anne Johnson Photo by Cindy Cotte Griffiths

“As you look around the room, there is just one story after another about both the people and the photographs,” explained the Carl D Brandt about the Best of the Silver Spring Camera Club exhibit presented by the Washington School of Photography in the main Kaplan Gallery. He trusted us with his tender story and enthralling photography descriptions. When he met his wife in a photography club in 1963, he asked her to marry him six weeks later. Together they shared a lifetime of photography until her passing unexpectedly during surgery last year. The exhibit includes some of Carl’s best photographs from across all the years. While catching Lightening in 1950, he ran the risk of being electrocuted. Meanwhile his Chinese Dragon displays the performers in bright sunlight in DC with the background digitally pasted out to black for an amazing contrast.

Carl D Brandt Photo by Cindy Cotte Griffiths

This exhibit includes vibrantly uplifting colors, captured expressions, and nature’s moments. Douglas Walters’ close ups of morning lotus and dancing leaves transform these natural objects into flowing objects reminiscent of imaginary playgrounds. Carolina Simon’s close ups bring you to the surface of another planet, especially with Spiny Menace. Twilight Pleated Wave also embraces roller coaster movement and waves. Although their close-ups masterfully elevate objects to artwork, many of the photographs from the DC area also bring a different perspective to everyday places. If you have any interest in photography, this exhibit is for you.

VisArts TOO Shop Photo by Cindy Cotte Griffiths

All of the VisArt galleries bring innovation and community alive. Now there are even more reasons to go down to the end of Gibbs Street. Remember the VisArts TOO Shop for your holiday shopping, including animal ornaments.

VisArts at Rockville directions and hours are available here. 

About The Rockville ‘Brand’

I have been following the progress of Rockville’s “branding effort” since it began, for a number of reasons. First, I’m interested because I was asked to serve on the citizen’s committee that did an initial review of the consultant proposals for the work. This is something I was grateful and proud to be asked to do.

But, much more important to me are the other two reasons. In the first place, I love Rockville and it’s my home. In the second place, my career is focused on the intersection of public life and communications. I’ve been curious about how the branding initiative would play out.

Now that the consulting firm (a partnership, actually, of two firms: Return On Investment and Community Retail Catalysts) has made its report and delivered its suggestions for a brand and tagline, I feel it is appropriate to speak up. This is just one person’s opinion, so I hope you will take it with a grain of salt. It’s also important to know that I did vote for ROI/CRC as a finalist in the original committee I served on. I am not just airing longstanding gripes or sour grapes or anything like that.

But, having watched both the initial report on the research in August and the final presentation this week, I confess to being underwhelmed.

What’s A Place Brand?

First, it’s useful to understand what we mean when we say we are going to “brand” a place.

“Branding” doesn’t just mean slapping a logo on things and taking out a few ads and sending some press releases – though that is what many people imagine when they hear about it. Done well, a branding effort tries to find and articulate what makes a place unique in a way that is engaging to decision makers.

My wife does branding for a living and since she’s not in the room, I can brag on her. She’s one of the top consultants in branding schools and colleges in the nation. She makes a point to clients that is probably the most important thing to know about a brand. A brand is not just a collection of good things. It is a unique collection of good things that intersects with what the market is looking for. My wife calls this the “sweet spot.”

What is the “market” for a place brand? Who is the audience? Well, simply put, it’s everybody. It’s established businesses considering whether to move here, and businesses considering whether to leave here. It’s families moving to the area, trying to decide where to live (as my family did in 2002, when we moved here from Maine). It’s entrepreneurs trying to decide where to put their start-up. It’s government agencies trying to decide where to put that new lab. It’s the people who live and work in Rockville, seeking support for the strong allegiance they feel for hometown.

Because the audience is so broad, place branding brings with it special challenges. It is easy to try to please too many people and so please nobody. It also has added political challenges. Everyone deserves a say, and it is easy for people to wind up feeling excluded.

Place branding can be a real bear. I have great respect for the firms who tackle it.

What Goes Into A Brand

Typically, when developing a brand, there are three aspects to what is delivered.

First is the research. Whoever is doing the work should look deeply, and broadly, finding that collection of good things that at the same time distinguish the client from other good things. What’s uniquely good about the client (in this instance, Our Fair City)? In some cases, that thing that is unique is actually a collection of things, any one of which alone might actually not be unique. But, together, they add up to a distinguishing set of characteristics.

The capstone of the research – the main, most important, product – is the brand statement. This is the distillation of all the research and is the blueprint for everything that follows. It’s the most important product of a branding process.

With the brand statement in hand, the client has a map for what kinds of things to emphasize and play off of in its communications. That includes what is said as well as what is shown. For instance, think of a large university that nevertheless has been able to foster an intimate, individual feel for students. Its basic brand position might include that interesting juxtaposition. Many prospective students might be worried about getting lost at a large research institution, but here you’ll find a home. In its materials, the school is not going to show aerial photos of large campus events or huge auditoriums with massive lectures – it will instead show close ups of individuals in one-on-one meetings with professors. That’s just an example of how the brand statement or blueprint can inform how an institution talks about itself.

It’s not “marketing” or “pr.” It’s finding what matters and making it clear.

The second thing that is delivered is a tagline. A brief statement. Sometimes a fragment. A tagline typically is what people see right next to whatever logo there is. It conveys and reinforces an impression. Once an institution has figured out what its “sweet spot” is, it is worth repeating this. Why? Because that helps people to articulate what they know about a place. The tagline should reinforce the brand statement.

The third thing that the client gets is what’s called the “creative.” This is usually a range of ideas for what that brand blueprint might look like in reality.These visuals should also reinforce the brand statement and tagline. For instance, a long-established bank whose unique strength is its longevity and tradition does not want bright purple and whimsical colors.

So the keys are:

• Brand statement rooted in research
• Tagline connected to brand statement
• Visuals that reinforce the above

What Was Delivered

Brand Statement

The brand statement that ROI/CRC developed is:

“Rockville is justifiably regarded as one of America’s top, small cities for work, for play and for life. It is the upscale and highly educated, business-friendly home to some of the nation’s and the world’s most prominent biomed and technology companies and blessed by proximity to the resources of the world’s most powerful city, Washington, D.C. And Rockville is a city that remembers and reveres its roots, its commitment to citizen-centric public service, to the planet and to the connectivity of its neighborhoods and residents.”

Let me make sure it is clear, first of all, that I think ROI/CRC did an effective bit of research. They did an environmental scan, used the myriad and comprehensive databases available to them, and made attempts at gathering public input through a handful of small community meetings, and through a branding survey. With more resources at their disposal, they might well have mounted a more visible public campaign to gather broader-based input, but the contract to do the work was relatively modest ($75,000 — I am not saying that is a small sum, but it is in the midrange of what things like this cost).

With all that in mind, the branding statement is accurate enough. However, I agree with Councilmember John Britton who reacted at Monday night’s meeting that it felt “limiting.” Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio also felt that it was not quite there, a sentiment with which I agree.

To me, it felt like it only scratched the surface. And, more important, it missed key pieces that drive the very points it is trying to make. (For instance, one reason Rockville is such a biotech powerhouse is how close we are to the major federal labs. That is relevant to the brand statement as it is a distinguishing characteristic.)

In August, reacting to the initial research that was presented, Councilmember Bridget Donnell Newton said, “It took the communications task force six months to tell us for free what you just told us. I think there is a whole segment of the population that would take umbrage at what you just told us.” That’s a good point. I don’t know if folks would necessarily be angry, but I do know there are a lot of people who simply would not see themselves reflected in the brand position statement.

And, if the brand statement does not reflect reality — everyone’s reality — it can’t do its job.

Taglines

ROI/CRC delivered three possible taglines:

• “The World Class City That Feels Like Home”
• “Find The Good Life In A Great City”
• “Get Into It”

To work the way they should, the taglines need to connect to the brand statement. The first one sort of does, though it is boringly phrased. (Sorry, I’m just sayin’.)

The second might work if the audience were only upscale residents looking to relocate but it holds out little for someone who is deciding where to put their new company.

I agree with Councilmember Mark Pierzchala’s observation on Monday that these taglines seem “too wordy.”

The third just feels like a generic phrase that could apply to any city any where. In fact, it could almost apply to any thing. Knowing how these things go, I assumed that it was just the third option the consultants presented because they had to present three. I can’t see any way that the “get into it” tagline connects to the brand statement. (If any decision makers are reading this, I beg of you, please do not go with tagline #3.)

Visuals

Finally, there were three visuals presented:

Click for full size

Click for full size

Click for full size

The first two are OK, in my book. But just OK. They look sort of like what you think of when you think “city logo.”

The first has a somewhat archaic typeface that gives a nice sense of history. The second is overly official. The third is the most appealing from the standpoint of accessibility and visual appeal. As Mayor Marcuccio pointed out on Monday, it nicely uses the little red cross from the Maryland flag (and Rockville flag) over the “i.”

However, I also agree with her that the three-color “R” leaves something to be desired. It looks too much like corporate logos you see every day. The problem with this is that it is supposed to become an identifiable element – so when you see the “R” you think “Rockville.” However, to develop that impression, we would have to put lots and lots of money behind using it in ads and other communications. (Think of the Facebook “f” logo. Would you know what it was if it was not ubiquitous? Me neither.) I think the “R” is too generic, though I may be wrong.

Worse in #3, and something I feel on more solid ground about, is that squiggly swoosh underneath. While it currently is in vogue and has been for a few years (Amazon, Nike, Northrop Grumman), the squiggle will eventually be as dated as avocado-colored appliances. As I make this critique, I am mindful of Councilmember Piotr Gajewski’s point Monday that “We’re not getting into this exercise every three years. I am looking to get 20 years of life out of this.”

But a bigger problem with the squiggle in #3 is that other places are using it. Look at Fort Collins, Colorado:

Look at the little hillside under the tree on McKinney, Texas’ logo:

How did I pick these places to show you? They have each gone through branding processes that resulted in their current logos.

My point here is that we should avoid dating ourselves and from looking like just any other town.

Some Possibly Constructive Ideas

I don’t just like to criticize things. I feel like if you are going to criticized, you can be most helpful if you have a better idea to offer. Or at least another idea. While I felt it important to present as clear a critique as I could, I did not want to just leave it at that. That would not be fair.

I am no visual artist, so I cannot present alternative logos. Besides, overall I like the visual for #3 only without the squiggle and probably without the “R.”

However, I can make suggestions for the brand statement and tagline.

So I went ahead and took my own crack at a “brand statement” for Rockville. I rooted it in ROI/CRC’s research, in REDI’s information, in what I have heard people say in public meetings and private gatherings – and my own sense of why I am proud to be here. I know it is too long, but what the hey.

Once I had the statement, I decided to go ahead and suggest a tagline too.

I am not putting this forward to start a competition or to create a controversy. If it gets used in any way, that’s great. If it spurs conversation – even better. If it gets rejected and ridiculed – that’s OK too.

But we are trying to develop a 20-year identity for the hometown we love. I think it’s important that as many voices as possible step forward.

And so, here is one possible tagline and brand statement:

Rockville. World Class Home Town.

Rockville can boast multiple national awards placing it among the top cities in which to work and live. With good reason.

Rockville, the third largest city in Maryland, is the county seat of Montgomery County and is just 20 minutes from the nation’s capital. It has a rich history spanning centuries.

While many new residents choose Rockville due to its convenience and excellent amenities, many other families have been here for generations. This mix creates a unique place where world-class lives right alongside neighborly and they thrive together. For both new and established residents, it is their hometown.

Rockville’s public schools are consistently among the top in the nation. Its city services, including public safety as well as parks and recreation, are the envy of the national capital region and beyond. Its city government is open and responsive, and known nationally as a leader in green building and policies.

The people and neighborhoods of Rockville are highly diverse, highly connected, and highly educated. Its adult population is among the most-educated in the region and the nation. Its Internet connection rate is among the highest in the nation. Its median income is over $86,000.

Four higher education institutions have significant campuses in Rockville including Johns Hopkins University, the University of Maryland, and Montgomery College.

Rockville’s business climate benefits from its proximity to the key federal research labs. With 10 of the top 25 biosciences companies headquartered in Rockville, it has one of the greatest concentrations of biomedical and technology firms in the world. Rockville is committed to policies that provide the infrastructure business needs, from business incubators, fiber optic connectivity, workforce education, housing, and resources.

What do you think? I hope you will reply in the comments!

Editorial Opinion By Brad Rourke: My Thoughts On Redgate

Photo from Goodman and Farrelly of wildlife habitat which would be lost

For years now, a simmering (and sometimes boiling) issue for Rockville has been what to do about the Redgate Golf Course. Tonight, the Mayor and Council are slated to discuss and make decisions about it. A number of options are on the table, and still more may well be considered. Here’s my perspective.

Redgate used to make money, but for the past few years it has lost money. A business plan designed to turn things around has so far not been successful. In part, that may be because it has not been executed effectively, but the overall market conditions for golf are very poor right now.

Unlike other recreational amenities in Rockville, Redgate’s accounting has been separated out as its own fund, so the taxpayer subsidy and revenues are easy to identify. That has made it, in the words of the Redgate Advisory Committee tasked with making recommendations to the Mayor and Council, “low hanging fruit” in these times of belt-tightening.

(The Redgate Advisory Committee, ably led by Joseph Jordan and Martha Klasing, submitted a report to the Mayor and Council last week.)

How low is the fruit hanging? According to Rockville Central contributor Art Stigile, who has been very thoughtfully examining the numbers closely, over a number of weeks, the subsidy to Redgate is $883,740 (that’s its deficit plus administrative expenses). Compare that to the subsidy to the Rockville Swim Center, which is $675,323.

For perspective, the City’s overall budget is $104.9 million. So Redgate is less than 1% of the City’s budget.

Cases On Both Sides

Both sides in this debate make fair points.

On the one hand, running a golf course is expensive, and benefits relatively few people directly (roughly 35,000 rounds are played per year, compared to something over 110,000 visits to the Rockville Swim Center per year). We certainly could do other things with the money.

On the other hand, Redgate has developed a fiercely loyal following among many golfers, who say it is a course that is really only now “coming into its own,” and is viewed as one of the better courses in the region. It is an open space that is maintained and accessible to most anyone. And, the City has plenty of amenities that are used far less than the Swim Center, for instance one resident recently pointed out on a neighborhood email list that the Senior Center is frequently empty.

“Game Changers”

I’ve heard members of the Mayor and Council say that, if we are going to do something with Redgate, it ought to be a real “game changer” for the City. In other words, it ought to be something that places Rockville on the map such that, when folks in California or Michigan hear “Rockville,” they think of whatever Redgate becomes. I used to agree with this, but I thought about what a “game changer” would really look like. I thought about the small- and medium-size cities in other states that I know about in the same way we’re talking about. They are either college towns, or they are commercial or cultural destinations.

My favorite use for the Redgate land would be to create a small, highly selective, four year liberal arts college. But I’m told there isn’t quite enough land, and the climate to start a new college is tougher than it is for golf. Plus, we’ve got those satellite Universities-at-Shady-Grove establishments a stone’s throw away. They are not direct competitors to what I am imagining, but they do make the space crowded in terms of gaining a foothold. So, we’re not likely to get a new Swarthmore College here in Rockville.

Another possible new use would be to make Redgate a commercial destination. The best one I can think of would be to create an awesome, upscale mall. Yes, I’m serious. (I’m an odd duck: I actually like malls.) The Maryland side of the Capital region has nothing to match the commercial splendor that is Tyson’s. Montgomery Mall, the closest competitor, is sort of sad by comparison. This option, though, has myriad problems, not the least of which is the fact that probably none of my friends and neighbors would go for it. The main problems I see are that there isn’t enough room to really execute an awesome mall, and the road access is insufficient. (We’d need an I-270 exit onto Gude, and would need to beef that road up – not to mention the improvements to access we’d need to make on Norbeck/MD-28 from the Pike.) No, I don’t see a mall happening.

So that leads to a “cultural destination.” That means, in other words, and awesome performance space. People have pointed to Wolftrap as an icon for that. However, here again we’ve got a problem. There’s not enough space to create something like Merriweather Post Pavilion, and Rockville (adjacent) already has an awesome smaller performance space: The Music Center at Strathmore. I am hard pressed to think of something we could create that would go beyond what Strathmore offers.

Big Facilities

There’s one final “game changer” that has been discussed, in various forms. That would be some kind of arena-style event site. People have talked about a baseball stadium, a soccer complex, a high-school graduation venue, and more.

I can see the attraction of this idea. We could create something that fills a regional need and generates some revenue for the City. Done right, we could keep at least some of the open space the course now represents.

However, a site designed specifically for large-scale events would create more traffic hassles than even the crazy Awesome Mall idea would – because the traffic would all be happening at the same time. And, there are a number of behavior problems that come along with large event spaces that the surrounding neighborhoods would need to deal with.

Parks And Open Space

Another option that is on the table involves keeping the Redgate open space, but removing the golf component. That would mean either turning it into a park, or basically just letting the land go (after a few years of invasive species maintenance).

I see two problems with this approach. First, the park option is duplicative. There’s already a massive park right there – Lake Needwood. Turning Redgate into park would essentially make it invisible. It would be seen as part of Lake Needwood.

Letting the land go “back to nature,” in my view, is a non starter – and is the kind of move that cities do when they just have no other options. My hometown of Detroit recently did that with its Rouge Park, basically giving up on it. I would not want to visit the area now unless I were with others and packing heat. While a “back-to-nature” option for Redgate would probably not result in the same thing, I do think it is an invitation to a host of enforcement problems that we don’t now have. If we get into the same troubles that Detroit is in, maybe we might consider this — but not now. It’s a move we can’t easily undo.

My Take: Keep The Golf Course

Having considered just about all the options I could think of, here’s my perspective.

Redgate Golf Course is an unusual asset and, as municipal golf courses go, is an example of best-of-breed. There is an economic downturn that’s impacting everything, but it won’t last. In fact, word came out today that, officially, the recession ended June 2009.

As the economy picks up, Redgate’s revenues will bounce back. It may never support itself, and I don’t think it should be asked to. It’s one of the wonderful City amenities that makes Rockville a great City.

We should keep Redgate essentially as-is — an excellent municipally-owned golf course.

It is an open question as to who should run Redgate as a golf course. Maybe different execution could give us a bump in revenue. However, the current management and staff are part of what makes Redgate a City amenity and not just some golf course. So I would hesitate to contract out operations if that would mean suddenly the course gets a corporate feel.

(I do have one thought about a possible change. I don’t know how much space this would take, but if there were a way to develop a high-end conference center (a retreat-like atmosphere, not just a convention space) without impacting the course too greatly, I think that could be useful. Many corporate and other high-level retreats and offsite meetings benefit from being close to golf. And for the non-golfers, an easy shuttle to Lake Needwood provides other recreation activities.)

While we have budget problems right now, they are nowhere near those faced by other jurisdictions. We don’t need to take extreme measures – we need to figure out how to ride out the next five years or so until things bounce back.

If we trade away Redgate because we’re tightening our belts, I worry we’ll look back and find that a short-sighted move.

That’s just my opinion, and I welcome what other people have to say!

Note: This is just Brad’s personal opinion, not the institutional view of Rockville Central.

Political Opinion On Rockville Central: What’s Your Advice?

Gentle Readers:

Occasionally, through the last three years of our existence, we’ve asked you to help us think through an important administrative issue. Conversations like these are how our current comment policy — we require full names — came into being. Now, we’re asking for your best thinking on another vexing question.

Photo by Flickr user Margaret Anne Clarke

If you follow Rockville Central at all these days, it is hard to avoid noticing the many Contributor Opinion articles focusing on a state Senate primary race. While this will all be over soon, and who represents Rockville is indeed an important question, it is clear that so much political argumentation is crowding out other, equally important issues.

For instance, the recent piece about Redgate Golf Course by Anne Goodman and Jim Farrelly has been just about buried in an avalanche of articles proclaiming loyalty to one candidate or opposition to another.

We’re Working On It

We want you, our readers, to know that this is an issue that we recognize and are trying to grapple with. Rockville Central has become an online political battleground. This is, on the one hand, flattering. It also draws traffic to the website, which is pleasing. Yet on the other hand, it is exactly what we don’t want.

Politics is a funny thing. Election campaigns are important, true. But all too often, a political focus trumps other items. This happens, in part, because the people for whom politics is important find it very important. They are motivated to discuss and argue over their positions and candidates — and before you know it, we’ve become a “political” blog.

But Rockville Central isn’t meant to be a political blog — we’re a civic blog. From the beginning, we have been dedicated to being a safe space for people to raise important issues, and to have some fun. Election campaigns are just one small slice of civic life. We need to make sure we are not losing sight of that.

What To Do?

We’ve gotten feedback from a number of quarters that basically boils down to this: “Politics is important and all, but that’s not why I visit Rockville Central.”

It would be easy to, say, limit political articles from readers. That is something we are examining. But our norm, for three years now, has been to have a very strong bias toward publishing just about all Contributor Opinion pieces from readers. We felt that, in this case, it would not be fair to change the rules on people mid-stream. Moving forward, though, we’ve got to get a handle on this issue so that everyone can enjoy Rockville Central, not just political junkies.

Another thing to keep in mind is that every political article is open for comment. If we limit political Contributor Opinions during campaign time, there is still the outlet of posting a comment. No one would be having their opinion fettered. Posting a comment actually creates more give and take. When every opinion becomes its own article, this leads to a shouting match rather than an exchange.

Here are a few ideas that are possibilities:

• Designate a “political week” for each race and hold all opinion pieces until that time.
• Establish a daily or weekly limit on political opinion articles. (Two per week? One per day per candidate? Some other formula? We would rather not place any limits, so this is not our favorite option.)
• Post a single “discuss the campaigns here” article and invite people to comment all they wish.
• Post one “why are you supporting Candidate X?” article for each person in the race, and allow the comments to unfold from there.
• Create a separate “political opinion” category, and format the home page so these appear somewhere all by themselves, instead of mixed into all the other opinion pieces.

Those are just a few ideas.

Please Help

What are your thoughts? What haven’t we thought of?

We really feel we need to get this right, as we expect the next City election, coming up in just one year, may well be equally hard-fought. We want to make sure we are a civic space that is useful to all, even those who have only a passing interest in electoral politics yet are deeply concerned with other issues.

Your input — and your best thinking — is what we need right now. You’ve never let us down.

Thank you.

Editorial Opinion by Cindy Cotte Griffiths: Board of Appeals Brought To Court

Originally, back in March 2010, the Rockville City Council voted to instruct the City Attorney not to represent the Board of Appeals when they were petitioned by 15 members of the community for a court review concerning their decision to approve a Special Exemption for Victory Court, an 86-unit affordable senior housing development planned for property owned by Montgomery County on Fleet Street. (For the record: Phyllis Marcuccio, Bridget Newton and Piotr Gajewski voted against representing the volunteer Board while John Britton and Mark Pierzchala voted to allow the salaried City Attorney to represent the Board.)

Obviously as the Chair of one of our City’s Commissions, I was tremendously concerned about how these volunteers were treated. Roy Deitchman, a member of the Board of Appeals for seven years resigned over the matter. At the time, I could only put myself in the Board’s shoes and imagine being left alone to defend my Commission against this group in court.

In April when Montgomery County assigned an attorney to respond to the Petition for Judicial Review, the Mayor and Council reversed their decision in a 4-1 vote with Bridget Newton continuing to oppose the representation. The minutes from the April 12, 2010 meeting state “Councilmember Newton said she did feel the Board’s decision was flawed and would vote to not go forward with the City’s response.”

The members of the Board of Appeals dedicate many hours of service without compensation. I strongly believe the City they serve should represent them.  One of the City Attorney’s duties is to “Defend challenges to decisions/actions of the Mayor and Council, Boards and Commissions, and staff.” The majority of our elected officials eventually did the right thing.

Yesterday I went to Judge Greenberg’s Circuit Courtroom to see what would happen with this Petition brought by Alice Lui and 14 others. Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio and Councilmember Bridget Newton were in attendance along with Alice Liu and Noreen Bryan.

The City Attorney was present to represent the City of Rockville. Montgomery County, the owner of the property, and Victory Housing, the developer, both had attorneys present. The Board of Appeals was represented by Alan Sternstein a member of the Board of Appeals, who pointed out that he was not being compensated.

Judge Greenberg held the hearing to a one-hour time limit and explained he had read all the documents submitted. Since the attorney representing Montgomery County decided not to speak, this left 15 minutes for each of the other attorneys. Obviously what was heard in the courtroom was not the full argument on either side. I’m sure someone with a legal background could find fault with my descriptions since the words spoken quickly in a limited time period might not have been as accurate as all the many stacks of evidence in this matter. Regardless, I am going to attempt to portray what occurred in the courtroom because this issue is important to our City.

The attorney, Mr. Chen, representing the petitioners in this matter attempted to list issues, reusing numbers in his description. He stated that the deciding agency did not render defining reasons and there was an absence of evidence. He was also concerned about how the amended decision evolved, which he believed was eligible for review. He also stated that the Board of Appeals was required by State Code 66B to go over and above anything in our City’s Zoning Ordinance to make sure that a special exemption would not adversely affect the health of the neighborhood. A development cannot change the character of a neighborhood. He also stated that the “neighborhood” was not properly defined. Notices were sent to everyone in a ¼ mile radius of the property but the Board of Appeals never legally defined the area in their decision. There is also concern about what is planned in the 59-foot buffer area especially the parking. When he mentioned that the Comprehensive Plan for the City of Rockville stated affordable housing must be scattered-site, the Judge asked about whether this was a recommendation rather than a requirement. He responded that the State Statute 66B requires it to be “complied with” so scattered means scattered. Using the ¼ mile radius area, it is overly impacted by affordable housing. The Board of Appeals did not address this situation. Another issue mentioned was that adequate accessibility to public transportation, medical services, shopping and recreational/community services had to be determined since the proposed housing would serve people with disabilities. The petitioners believe there was no attempt to do so by Victory Housing other than to say all of these existed “in Rockville”.

Personally, I do not discriminate on the basis of income. Having neighbors (who might not make as much money as the people living in the townhouses of Courthouse Square or the single-family houses on South Washington and Argyle Street) living in apartments does not lower housing values or adversely affect our neighborhood. To believe otherwise is discrimination. I say this with my house being less than a block from the Victory Court site and a stone’s throw from those bringing this petition. Also, the Victory Court location is across the street from City Hall, a few blocks from Town Square and the Metro, with bus stops and sidewalks surrounding it. I love my neighborhood because it is so close to everything, an excellent location for all of the amenities mentioned.

Now, let me review the responses from the other attorneys.

The City’s Attorney indicated that she had fully responded in writing. Ms. Daniel used her time to explain that the concerns over the “flat roof” were unjustified. Throughout the body of the Board’s original decision, a flat roof was mentioned three times, which she detailed. Clearly the intention was to approve a flat roof. About the concern that the amendment signed by all three Board members after the January hearing should have required an additional meeting, she stated the document evidenced what occurred in the January hearing and did not require another hearing since it simply corrected the decision. There is nothing in the law requiring a new hearing. Even if the Court found an error, there would still not need to be a hearing. She stated that the only reason everyone was in Court was because these neighbors were not happy with the decision. As to the area used for this case, other legal cases have clarified that it need not be “strictly defined in any way”. She explained that no one was confused as to the area used in this case. The petitioners never raised the issue and said, “Hey, I don’t know what neighborhood you are talking about.” The City and neighborhood all had the same area in mind when the development was discussed.

When representing the Board of Appeals, Mr. Sternstein stated that to contend that there was some other design other than a flat roof was inconsistent since it was always very clear it was a flat roof. When the 39-foot roof was specified to comply with City’s Zoning, it actually gave the developer even less leeway because it could be higher. He pointed out that Ms. Liu testified that the 39-foot height was moving the project in the right direction and Ms. Bryan stated it went a long way to fit into the neighborhood. He added that their attorney stated the Board was in fact responsive. No harm to the petitioners’ properties was ever defined. He also wanted comment about the photos provided by the petitioners showing a balloon raised to the height of the building. A citizen demonstrated to him exactly how the photo had been cropped and manipulated. He had actually been present when the balloon was raised so he urged the Court to be careful.

The attorney for Victory Housing, Mr. Kline, addressed the issue that “the case before you is the absence of evidence”. He believed the evidence in this appeal was the most he had ever seen. Everybody had a chance to put into the record everything they had to say. These hearings occurred on four Saturdays and lasted all day, one even from 9:30 AM until 5:30 PM. There is a substantial body of evidence. It’s all in the record and the questions were all asked. With so much evidence, it puts it in the “fairly debatable category” but a decision had to be made by the Board. He defended the use of a 59-foot buffer which is landscaped. The City Staff determined it was adequate. With evidence on both sides, the presumption goes to the Board of Appeals. When you get into the issues, the petitioners have “no basis for them.” In Maryland a Board can correct a decision without a public hearing and there was no change from what was stated in the public hearing.

The attorney for the petitioners spoke again in response, stating that if facts were discussed after the January hearing and before the Board issued their corrected decision, then there should have been another hearing. Even if his petitioners benefitted from the clarification that the roof was to be 39-feet high, they had a right to know what was going on. He said they need to see what is in the Board’s emails to make sure the decision was exclusive to the Board of Appeals and that there were no emails sent by City Staff or the developer.

Judge Greenberg ended by stating “Thank you very much for this well-briefed case.” Then he said it wouldn’t be very long until he gave his written opinion.

This is my first time attending a court case and attempting to describe it to our readers. Obviously, this housing project for seniors is in my neighborhood and I have a special interest because I volunteer on one of our City’s Commissions. I strongly believe we all volunteer to make our City a better place. I hope this incident does not deter others from coming forward to serve. 

What Form of Government Should Rockville Have?

There has been some controversy recently over some statements that Mayor >Phyllis Marcuccio has made as they relate to the office of Mayor. It is true that the role of Mayor, as proscribed in the City Charter (Max van Balgooy has a useful discussion of this) is almost identical to that of the other Council members. The Mayor is the ceremonial head of the city and has some limited special powers, but the chief powers and responsibility lie with the city manager.

Brigitta Mullican has commented a few times on Rockville Central about the need to respect the office of Mayor (as well as that of Council member) — sentiments with which I agree wholeheartedly. As the ceremonial head of the City, the Mayor represents Rockville.

Mayor Marcuccio has been quoted as thinking it is worth considering whether we might want to change the way we approach the offices of Mayor, Councilmember, and City Manager. I think that is a reasonable discussion to have. Rockville is growing and is projected to grow yet more (as Mayor Marcuccio’s State of the City address made plain). How best should we govern ourselves?

I do think it is worth noting that Councilmember Piotr Gajewski floated the idea of a “strong mayor” form of government back in February 2008, at his first town hall meeting. Here’s the relevant part of my recap of that meeting:

Council Member Gajewski seemed to surprise many in the room when he asked what they thought of the idea of switching to a “strong mayor” form of government. “In the current model,” he said, “accountability goes out the door.” With a strong executive, who is elected and has control, someone is accountable in a way a group of elected officials is not.

A few citizens said that the problem was not the form of government, but the quality of oversight that the council is currently exercising over staff. More than one citizen said they felt as if council members were “led” by staff, and not given enough options. (One participant pointed out that the council is indeed given three or more options for most issues, and that they are free to follow or reject advice of staff.)

Mark Pierzchala, who had been silent for the whole meeting, spoke up. “We just had a city election,” he said. “We had eight candidate forums. Tens of thousands of doors were knocked on. Not once did the form of government for the City come up. Now, with the election over with, the subject comes up. I am not necessarily opposed, but I think that a campaign is the right time to begin raising those questions. Now is not the time.” [Note: Councilmember Pierzchala had not been elected to council at this time, nor was he running yet. He had recently run for mayor.]

Gajewski disagreed, saying, “I think during the campaign, you are running within the system,” so it is difficult to campaign on changes one would make to the system.

The issue goes beyond individual personalities. I believe it is worth having a debate — a public debate — about whether the City has grown to the point where we should shift from a council-manager form of government, as we now have, to a mayor-council form of government, as some have proposed.

Most mid-size cities in the United States use a version of Rockville’s council-manager approach to governance. (Rockville is a mid-size city.) In this form of government, the City Manager is the chief executive and is responsible for all facets of City administration. The Mayor and Council are responsible for passing and enforce ordinances; appointing the City Manager, City Clerk, and City Attorney; adopting a budget, levying taxes, and borrowing money.

Most large cities in the United States use a “strong mayor” version of the mayor-council form of government. In this form of government, “the elected mayor is given almost total administrative authority and a clear, wide range of political independence, with the power to appoint and dismiss department heads without council approval and little, or no public input. In this system, the strong-mayor prepares and administers the city budget, although that budget often must be approved by the council.” (That’s from Wikipedia.)

My opinion is that the City has not yet grown sufficiently to merit a strong mayor form of government, nor is it anticipated to do grow large enough anytime soon.

Such a form of government would bring with it the need to dramatically increase the compensation of the Mayor and Council, as these would become just about full-time jobs. (For an example, consider Montgomery County.) I don’t see the political will for that in town.

However, it is a good debate to have and there are good arguments in favor. Councilmember Gajewski made a good one (having a strong mayor increases political accountability) but surely there are other good arguments too. (On the other hand, there are good arguments against: Abuses under strong-mayor governments led to the development of the council-manager form.)

What do you think?

We're Three Years Old. Thank You.

I founded >Rockville Central three years ago today. (Here is the first article.)

When it began, I had very, very narrow expectations. I wanted to recreate some of the good feelings I describe in this article. And — more important — I wanted to try to provide a space for people to enter public life. I hoped that people beyond the “usual suspects” would step forward, begin to engage with others, and find their voice.

I reached out to some friends to see if they would join me, and immediately Cindy Cotte Griffiths stepped forward. We have been partners ever since, watching Rockville Central grow, making decisions together, backstopping each other when we get tired, and learning.

Cindy’s first suggestion was to expand the “coverage area” from just our little neighborhood to include all of Rockville. That was an excellent suggestion and ever since we have tried our best to give voice to all of Rockville — north, south, east, and west.

We don’t focus too hard on our traffic numbers, though we are happy to see that they have steadily increased and we are among the top five local blogs in Maryland. We have other metrics that we watch: Are new folks getting involved? What kinds of dialogues do we see in the comments on various articles? What kind of tone do people display? All of these measures have exceeded our wildest expectations.

There was one one metric that we had hoped would begin to show movement earlier. We were very hopeful that other people would begin their own Rockville-based blogs. For one thing, the competition is always good (it keeps everyone at the top of their game), but even more important it is a measure of increased civic engagement. More people starting Rockville blogs means more people stepping forward.

Over the last year, we have been delighted to begin to see this measure, too, begin to show promise. Look at the sidebar (“friends and other links”) and you will see a selection of the new blogs that have started — from Max van Balgooy’s Max For Rockville, to CityTalk by the Rockville city manager’s office, to The Rockvillager.

Welcome all! We are glad you are all taking part in the digital commons.

As the Rockville “blogosphere” matures, we sense that Rockville Central will need to change to make sure we are fulfilling the best role we can. We feel a special obligation to set a fair, transparent tone — because that is what we value in this city. We feel we must continue to do our best to give voice to all of Rockville — because nothing less will do. We feel must continue to experiment with new ways of doing things — because therein lies progress.

Over the next few months, as we look at how we can be of most use to our fellow residents, we plan to roll out a few new ideas, try a few things, and see where it takes us. We’ll try to augment what works, and improve the things that could be better. We can’t wait to see what happens!

But, for now, on our third birthday, we just wanted to say thank you to all the readers who have stuck by us all this time — and thank you to all the readers who have just found us.

You are all welcome here, you are all our neighbors.

Thank you.

Editorial Opinion By Cindy Cotte Griffiths: Less Candy At The Parade

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When my Cub Scout Pack 928 received our notification for participating in the 2010 Memorial Day Parade, the instructions told us we were not permitted to distribute candy along the parade route. Only the Rockville Mayor and Council were permitted to give away candy. We couldn’t believe it. I’ve been in the parade for seven years and attended quite a few before marching. The candy is such a tradition.

We all wondered why we were no longer allowed to give the kids candy. I’ve never seen any explanation so I’m hoping someone can enlighten me. In my opinion, either everyone should be allowed to distribute the treats or no one should be allowed.

Today children and adults, were yelling “candy” and motioning with their hands. I tried to yell that we weren’t allowed to give them candy only the Mayor and Council could, but I don’t think they could hear or understand as I went past driving the pickup with our camping float.

Earlier in the weekend as I walked around Hometown Holidays, people mentioned they would be at the parade and, of course, the kids were looking forward to all the candy. I told a few families there wouldn’t be as much. Some planned on bringing extra treats so the kids wouldn’t be disappointed.

I’ve been told that a couple of groups didn’t follow the new rule and a few politicians other than the Mayor and Council threw candy.

Did you miss the candy tradition or not? What do you think about the new policy?

Editorial Opinion by Cindy Cotte Griffiths: Affordable Housing As A Priority

During the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, the >Mayor and Council will attend their biannual retreat and set their priorities for the next two years.

As many of you know, I chair the Human Services Advisory Commission and we have sent the following letter to the Mayor and Council:

We, the Human Service Advisory Commission (HSAC), are writing to you in support of affordable housing in our community. Whenever HSAC studies needs assessments, the lack of affordable housing in the City is evident. In addition, the recent economic slowdown and loss of investments has left many seniors in Rockville living on much less than they expected while trying to maintain their homes and pay taxes. We strongly encourage you to include affordable housing in your Vision Statement.

We support affordable housing in our community such as Beall’s Grant II and Victory Court. We urge you to sign a Letter of Support for tax credits for Beall’s Grant II. Montgomery Housing Partnership (MHP) has worked very hard over many months to compromise on the design of the building. With the new design 35 fewer apartments will be built and less people will be served. Since the new design has been submitted to the Planning Commission, we wholeheartedly support this project going forward without any additional demands being placed on MHP. Because of the tremendous need for affordable senior housing, we also support the plan to build Victory Court on the Montgomery County land at Fleet and Monroe Streets. Victory Housing reports that most of their market comes from a three-mile radius of each community built because seniors don’t want to move away from family, friends, and doctors, so this would be an affordable community for Rockville residents. We don’t want to lose their contributions to the civic life of our community and Victory Court will provide a much-needed alternative for seniors who can’t afford to remain in our City. We were particularly supportive of Victory Housing’s endeavor to keep the rents below $1,000 per month which will serve our seniors well. Additional requirements made on this development will unnecessarily increase the rents. The community’s proximity to stores, city services, and transportation makes it even more attractive as a location.

With this letter we are asking for your leadership in creating these and other affordable housing options for our City.

Since 1980 Community Ministries of Rockville has surveyed candidates on human service concerns. Last year was no exception and one of the questions concerned affordable housing:

Affordable housing is a top priority because it is good for business, it attracts younger people to an aging community, and it improves the quality of life for everyone. What do you propose be done during the next term to increase affordable housing in Rockville?

Here are the responses from those who were elected:

Phyllis Marcuccio: I served on the Rockville Housing Authority for ten years. Affordable housing is important to me, as is the ability of homeowners to remain in their affordable homes of the past. The Legacy project in Lincoln Park is a good example of partnering with developers and the city to provide moderate homes to moderate income buyers. We need to watch for buildings in the city that might be converted into affordable housing for the elderly as well.

John Britton: I agree that affordable housing not only benefits those who are able to live is an affordable house or apartment, but also greatly benefits the community at large, in part because it complements the richness of residential diversity – and I reference diversity in terms of socio-economic levels, race and age. It also benefits employers who are able to find a nearby pool of employees who do not have to travel great distances to get to their jobs. Although the city has the laudable goal of increasing affordable (and senior) housing, we sometimes find ourselves in contentious situations in trying to implement this goal. I think it prudent at this time to have a community-wide discussion about affordable housing – how do we define it, who are the target residents, where should it be located. This will help us more precisely set a community framework within which we can attempt to satisfy our goal of increasing affordable housing. Along with this, the city needs to be more proactive (recent proposals illustrate the pitfalls of being exclusively reactive) in identifying appropriate and attractive sites for affordable housing.

Mark Pierzchala: I agree with your description of the positive attributes of ‘affordable housing’. However, we see neighborhood reactions against affordable housing in part because it is misunderstood. Rockville elected officials need to emphatically educate the public that affordable housing is for law-abiding people who work. Additionally, we need to make sure that the size of these projects fit some sort of human scale. Mid-size projects work for me, but they have to be near enough to (not necessarily on top of) good transit.

Piotr Gajewski: Rockville is very fortunate that there are non-profit organizations in our community whose mission it is to provide affordable housing. The most important thing that the City must do to promote affordable housing is to not get in the way of those nonprofits. The saddest result of my term on the council was the holding up, by the Mayor and Council, of the building of more affordable housing.

Bridget Newton: I support affordable housing and have been working with the WECA committee on Beall’s Grant to bring a quality project that balances the needs of the immediate neighborhood with those of MHP. Additionally, we need to provide work-force housing for those who hold positions such as teacher/firefighter/police and do not earn enough to live in the community in which they work. I will continue my efforts to see that the development projects and services coming to Rockville are balanced with the concerns of the community they are joining.

As they meet, I hope the mayor and council will begin the discussion about affordable housing as John Britton has suggested, and become more proactive in developing this much-needed asset to our City. However it is developed, whether through the conversion of older buildings or new construction, we need leaders who will put great effort into turning their support for affordable housing into a reality. Leaders who, as Mark Pierzchala states, “emphatically educate the public that affordable housing is for law-abiding people who work” and spread the truth. I do hope the vision for Rockville during the next two years will include strong advocacy for affordable housing. Our officials need to lead the effort and lend their support to make it happen, even if compromises are required.

Editorial Opinion by Cindy Cotte Griffiths: Missed Opportunity With The Parking Garages

>Last Friday I did a little Christmas shopping in Rockville Town Square. When I pulled into the parking garage on Rt. 355 by CVS, only 170 spaces were left. (Here’s a picture of me fooling around with the mirrored ceilings in the elevator. Usually when I’m in the garages, I don’t need to go up a few levels to park during the weekdays and since I was all by myself, well, you know.)

The garages seemed well-used and I doubt the drivers of all those vehicles were shopping or eating in the Square. Were commuters taking advantage of the free parking in our City garages through January 3rd instead of parking in the Metro lot?. Even in the cold, I think at least some of these drivers were willing to park and walk over to the Metro to save money because when the garages were first opened and free, they were packed with commuter cars.

During the election season, when the Town Square merchants asked for changes in the parking fees, the mayor and council agreed to a $1 flat fee for evening parking and no charge on weekends. In order to increase revenue, a goal of attracting 200 additional monthly parkers was set and projections were based on a total of 400 monthly parkers.

Everyone agreed that the monthly rate of $65 would have to be advertised. People suggested handing out flyers at the Shady Grove Metro.

• At our monthly rate of $65, people would only have to park 14 days per month at Metro’s $4.75 rate in order to come out even.
• Metro’s monthly rate is $55 to reserve the spot but you must pay $4.75 per day on top of the rate. So, if you parked 20 work days in a month your total would be $150.

Our garages offer quite a savings for commuters.

So I wondered why there hasn’t been more advertising during this free parking season. We, as a City, are giving away the parking and possibly attracting people who are willing to use the City garages for commuting, yet we aren’t taking any actions to convince them to be the monthly customers we so desperately need. These are our best prospects.

Personally, I don’t like the flyers on my windshield but these drivers are parking on our dime so we have every right to bombard them with advertisements. The only sign I noticed was a small plastic tent with “Free Parking”. A few more signs and banners would help the effort.

This is a prime opportunity being lost. In the business world, if you get them in the door, you do everything possible to make the sale. We need to be much more business-like if we are going to pay off our parking garage debt with something other than our tax dollars.

If you know someone who parks in the Metro lots to commute, let them know about the Rockville garage savings, a nice present for the New Year. Parking passes for the City’s 355 Garage P3-P5 levels can be purchased from the garage pay stations.

Share Your Blizzard Stories Here!

Dear >Rockville Central readers:

As this gets posted, we are in the middle of what appears to be the record-settingest snowfall for December ever in the region. Metro has closed all above-ground stations, RideOn buses are ceasing running in a few hours. It’s an official blizzard out there! We hope that most of you are nestled snug in your homes and taking it easy. Our sympathies to all those who have to go out today, for work or other important things. Stay safe, take it slow, leave room between you and the cars around you. And . . . most important . . . clear off your vehicle fully before hitting the road. Visibility is bad enough without having to peer through a tiny gap in the snow.

But with all the down time can come some reflection, fun times, and good, clear thinking.

We’d like to invite the Rockville Central readership to share any stories you want in the comments section of this post — from a touching moment to a harrowing escape, and everything in between.

I’ll start. I’ve already shoveled twice and I expect to shovel at least twice more before the day is out. I have had two important errands that took me out onto the roads, where I saw numerous people stuck. But right now, I’ve got a really nice fire going and I’m doing something I love: connecting online with my Rockville friends. And, to add to my joy, my son wants to help shovel my dad’s walk later.

How about you? What are you doing? What are you thinking about? Let us know!

Editorial Opinion By Brad Rourke: Suggestions For Charter Review

In her inaugural talk at this weekend’s ceremony, Mayor >Phyllis Marcuccio outlined a number of planned initiatives, including three commissions: one to review budget and finance, one to improve communications, and one to review and make recommendations for the governance of the city.

I wanted to make a suggestion about city governance. People can take or leave it, dismiss it entirely, or perhaps build on it if they so choose.

Move to a Hybrid District and At-large Council Structure

I suggest that Rockville be divided into four (or some other number) representative districts, with roughly similar populations, and that each district would be represented by one member of the City Council. Candidates would run in each district separately. This would ensure that each area of Rockville would have someone on council focused on their interests and seeking to give them a voice. These would be two-year terms.

However, criticisms I have head that a district-only system might result in division do carry weight. And so, I suggest that, in addition to the district council representatives, two other candidates run at-large for four-year terms. These terms would be staggered, so that every two years citizens would vote for one district representative and one at-large representative. (If the number of districts is odd, then the number of at-large members would have to be odd too.)

This would result in a six-member Council with two at-large members and four district members. Including the Mayor, this would result in a seven-member governing body. With a seven member body, three could gather without triggering open meeting laws.

It would also ensure that each area of the City has someone speaking up on its behalf. I believe that Our Fair City is simply too big and diverse for one person to truly keep their eye on everything. This was driven home to me during the Twinbrook candidate forum in the last election. There was one question that asked the candidates to say how they would respond to specifically Twinbrook issues. A dismaying number of candidates appeared to be winging it on that question, hypothesizing what issues might face Twinbrook. Too few candidates seemed to just know the answer.

Various parts of town have, over time, gotten the feeling that they are shut out of conversations at City Hall, in part because candidates from other areas are over-represented. With district representation, we would no longer have to be content with having many candidates saying to each area, “I can represent you too.” Instead of a field with one candidate from Twinbrook, we might instead have three people competing for the chance to bring Twinbrook’s voice to City Hall — no matter what, each area will get a voice.

And, at the same time, with some at-large, longer term council members, we would also make sure we maintain some continuity and institutional memory from term to term, as well as have folks who are focused across the City and not in specific areas.

I am sure this is not a perfect plan. I have not tried to think it all the way through yet, as I am more interested in hearing discussion of its pros and cons — and perhaps some competing ideas.

So: What do you think?

(Please note: I don’t mean to pick on Twinbrook here, nor to pick on any individual candidates. I am just using it as an example.)

Sniper's Gone But Not Forgotten, Which Is Not Necessarily A Bad Thing

As >reported by the Gazette, last night at 9 PM the Beltway sniper, John Allen Muhammad, was executed by lethal injection down in Virginia. Although most of the sniper murders in the DC area (6/10) occurred here in Montgomery County, everyone thought Virginia would carry out a quicker death sentence. Seven years later, the task is done. Is it finally over?

Although the terror he inflicted on our community with his teenage accomplice, Lee Boyd Malvo lasted only 23 days, the experience has never really left me. I do still occasionally think about it when I stand to pump gas. Back then, I’d dash to sit in the car instead of standing by the side of my car. Rockville was in lock down. All the local sporting events were cancelled. We didn’t play outside with the kids unless protected from view.

Since people were attempting to protect themselves, you might think the sniper attacks would have lessened our feeling of community. However, the opposite was true. We were all in it together. After they shot the middle school boy, all the parents made a human shield at Ritchie Park Elementary to protect the kids as they entered the building. We looked out for the kids and each other. Since Julius West was so close to 270, a helicopter flew over each morning and afternoon. From my house I could hear it and know that everyone was doing everything possible to protect each other and find the culprits.

At the time of the sniper, I planted an evergreen tree to block the view of our house from the road. I worried that I was closing myself off from the community. Last weekend I noticed how tall it had grown. Time has passed. I can still see my house and more importantly, I still trust our community to work together and care for each other during our darkest moments.