Pumphrey Lot, CCT And A Lack Of Consent At The Mayor and Council Meeting 12-13-10

Artwork model from Deirdre Saunder

In addition to providing information on the proposed ice rink’s demise and possible new grocery store in Town Square, Monday’s Mayor and Council meeting included discussions about other changes in Rockville and we’ll try to give you the rundown here on Rockville Central.

Death Ray
First of all, we all need to know that the General Services Department is working on a solution for the “death ray” reflection from the new District Courthouse and they will let the City know as soon as they have something solid!

New Courthouse Square Park Plaza Artwork (Say that one a few times quick!)
When the warm weather hits next summer, watch where you’re walking. This new artwork will be installed on the walking surface of the circular plaza area surrounding the “Spirit of Rockville” fountain-sculpture in front of the Redbrick Court House. This new endeavor, which is kid-proof and skateboard safe, will combine the work of two different artists into one. By unanimous decision, the Mayor and Council approved the award of $35,000 to Deirdre Saunder of Potomac for her porcelain and glass tile artwork and the new walkway will be installed April or May of next year.

Pumphrey Funeral Home Can Build A Parking Lot
By a split 3-2 decision, the Mayor and Council approved the proposed Zoning Text Amendment from Applicant William A. Pumphrey. The proposed ordinance was first introduced at the meeting on December6 and it allows Pumphrey’s to add parking on the empty lot which they own next to their building. Councilmembers Pierzchala, Gajewski and Britton in favor and Mayor Marcuccio and Councilmember Newton opposed.

Corridor City Transitway
Although the City’s official stance has been to support light rail rather than bus rapid transit for the CCT, City Manager Scott Ullery pointed out that light rail would entail intersection closures and a lot of horn blowing as the trains go through. The King Farm community has started to respond. At this point, the MD Transit CCT Coalition endorses light rail and the Smart Growth Advisory Group endorses rapid bus transit. The City will continue to support the CCT but will reconsider whether to endorse a rail or bus option as more information becomes available. Most of the right of way has been obtained for the planned route through Rockville. Based on presentation a few weeks ago, Councilmember Piotr Gajewski commented that they were not able to articulate any advantages for the light rail other than it somehow makes the transit more permanent.

The Growth And Water Elements
For months the Mayor and Council have been working on the two Elements required by the State of Maryland which needed to be amended into our Comprehensive Master Plan (CMP). After all the discussion and testimony (especially on school growth and capacity) both the Municipal Growth Element (MGE) and Water Resources Element (WRE) were officially and unanimously approved with very little fanfare.

Consent Agenda

Although items can be removed from the Consent Agenda for discussion and a separate vote, all the items remained on the Consent Agenda. Councilmembers Britton, Gajewski, and Peirzchala voted in favor, while Mayor Marcuccio and Councilmember Newton voted against. (3-2 for approval).

Here are the items:

A. The removal of three Art in Public Places sculptures recommended by the Cultural Arts Commission: “Ballgame,” the painted aluminum and steel sculpture located at Dogwood Park; “Eleven Triangles”, the wood sculpture located at Rockmead Park; and “Four Piece Construction/Variations on a Triangle” the painted muslin sculpture located in the Social Hall. All had deteriorated and been restored in the past but the condition of the sculptures merited their disposal.

B. Contract award to the sole bidder, AshBritt, Inc. of Pompano Beach, Florida (which came to our assistance last year) for emergency snow/debris related equipment rental and manpower for an amount not to exceed $2,000,000.00 per fiscal year. This company has the manpower and also equipment (such as generators) to get the City through storm emergencies and disasters. Orders only need to be placed as an emergency need arises and there is no obligation on the part of the City to procure any minimum dollar amount of services. Approval of this contract to puts a system in place in case we need it.

C. Contract award to the lowest, responsive and responsible bidder, CFI Construction Corporation of Rockville in the amount of $4,757,000 for the construction of improvements to the Gude Drive Maintenance Complex. The Gude Drive Maintenance Complex houses the Operations Divisions of the Departments of Public Works and Recreation and Parks. The facility was originally built in 1972 and has not been significantly upgraded over the past 38 years. It is greatly in need of renovation and modernization. The facilities, maintenance buildings, offices, parking areas, at the complex support the staff and equipment that provide many of the most important City services to Rockville residents, including streets and sidewalk maintenance, water/sewer systems maintenance, refuse collection, stormwater maintenance, motor vehicle maintenance, snow plowing, parks maintenance, athletic field maintenance, facility maintenance, forestry, horticulture, right-of-way maintenance, and emergency response.

D. Contract award for the Glenora Tributary Middle Stream Restoration Design Services Bid to Charles P. Johnson and Associates, Inc. (CPJ) in the amount of $205,162 to enhance the Watts Branch Watershed through stream restoration, wetland enhancement, reforestation, and protection of adjacent utilities. This project was recommended in the 2001 Watts Branch Watershed Study as a crucial component to the long-term health of the watershed. This study was recommended by the Watts Branch Partnership and adopted by the Mayor and Council on August 6, 2001.

E. Architectural/Engineering Design Contract Award to WGM of Annapolis for the Phase II Construction Administration of the Gude Drive Maintenance Facility Improvements Project in the amount of $115,300. The Gude Drive Maintenance Facility Improvement Project funds the modernization and expansion of the City’s maintenance facility. The existing facility is in need of expansion, structural rehabilitation and modernization, and requires many improvements to bring the facilities fully into compliance with current building, life safety, accessibility and other applicable codes and standards. Having been originally constructed almost forty years ago, the facility is far too small for the current size of the staff, amount of City vehicles and equipment, storage needs, etc.

F. Contract extension to Specialized Engineering in the amount not to exceed $150,000 through June 30, 2011 for supplemental inspection services. Public Works continues to utilize consultant inspection services from Specialized Engineering as a supplement to City staff. This extension simply approves additional spending authority through the remainder of FY11 in the amount not to exceed $150,000 for a total FY11 authorization of $240,000. The funding for this contract extension will be from the following CIP projects: Asphalt Maintenance 0A11 $110,000; Concrete Maintenance 0C11 $10,000; Cabin John Sewer Rehab 4A45 $10,000; Watts Branch Sewer Rehab 7B45 $10,000; and Sidewalks 6B21 $10,000.

Near the end of the meeting during Old and New Business, Councilmember Mark Pierzchala noted the vote for the Consent Agenda was 3 to 2. He asked for clarity on this matter because if an item should be taken away from the Consent Agenda then it can be removed.

Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio responded that she was voted against the Consent Agenda because it was “a lump” then added she was voting against 8c and 8e about the Gude Drive Maintenance Facility. Both were part of the bond issue.

Councilmember Pierchala continued the discussion by noting that Mayor Marcuccio and Councilmember Newton also voted against all of the bonds in a recent decision and he didn’t comment at the time because he was just so stunned. There were six components on bond issue and it would have been useful to know which projects were voted against. Heading into the next meeting when Councilmember Gajewski was away and they had to vote on the senior center expansion contract, he thought it would die 2-2 but it passed 4-0. There were six items on the bond issue and Councilmember Pierzchala would like to know which were not acceptable. One was on refinancing and it saved the City money. The dissenting votes must not have been about the Senior Center because it passed. Another part of the bonds was the new police station. His sentiment was that the Mayor should be clearer.

Mayor Marcuccio responded that she couldn’t recall exactly what he was talking about and she would need a list. As for the senior center, it received considerable funding from the Department of Aging so that at least that picked up some of the funds. The Mayor indicated she would be happy to go back and look at the vote concerning the bonds. Councilmember Pierzchala said that for clarity it should happen.

During the discussion Mayor Marcuccio then added that she doesn’t want to borrow money. Councilmember Pierzchala pointed out the City of Rockville is still AAA and not over borrowing. Borrowing money is a very appropriate way to pay for the improvements. If the Gude Drive facility is renovated, it will last another 40-50 years. Referring to the public work employees he noted, “These are the people who dug us out of 60 inches of snow last year. They deserve good working conditions.” If we’re not going to use bonds then we need to find another way to pay for the improvements because that facility has to be updated. That’s what we owe our employees:

Four of us attended the awards ceremony last week and we had people in safety boots and overalls coming up for awards. They are on the streets everyday and they need good working conditions.

Mayor Marcuccio responded that we are in an economic decline in our country and we need to be careful about how we spend our money, “I am thinking of the fiscal responsibility of the City.” She has heard the argument that we should borrow when the interest rate is low but “maybe we put it off for a year.” The City should not be pressured by low interest rates. She said she is not going to change her mind.

Councilmember Pierzchala believes, “The City can handle it” especially since we heard tonight that the Gude Drive bid came in half a million dollars under the amount expected.

Councilmember Bridget Newton commented that the City could maybe do something else.

Councilmember Pierzchala countered that he has not heard any other suggestions. He wanted to know how long we allow the facilities to continue in disrepair. Although the Mayor said she was being “financially responsible” to not borrow at this point and time, he did not agree:

The City is in strong financial condition. To not take advantage of low construction costs at this moment. To not put our employees in safe working conditions just doesn’t compute. I’m sorry I just find it very cynical.

Mayor And Council Meeting’s About Schools, The Budget, And A Few Other Issues 11/8/10

We always try to keep readers informed about the decisions at the Mayor and Council meetings and this week is no exception!

City Manager’s Report time was turned over to MTA Project Manager, Rick Kiegel about the CCT
People are throwing around the “CCT” acronym but some of the candidates for County Council didn’t even know what it means. It’s the Corridor Cities Transitway for either light rail or rapid bus planned along the I-270 corridor north of Rockville. The CCT route starts at Shady Grove Metro, goes to the Gaithersburg MARC Station, then up I-270 to the Comsat facility though the final alignment has not been decided. Two of the stations would be in the City limits on King Farm Boulevard. Plans for the transitway were in place before King Farm was built. The light rail option would involve warning “honks” at intersections. The CCT study is part of the larger I-270/US 15 Multi-Modal Corridor Study which studies the Corridor all the way past Frederick. These projects involve possible improvements to 30 miles of I-270. If you ever use the I-270 stretch directly north of our City or live in King Farm, you need to pay attention. A public hearing on secondary environmental impact will be held at the Bohrer Park Community Center in Gaithersburg on December 15, 2010 from 4-8 PM.

Recycle!
During the Proclamations, the Mayor and Council proclaimed November 15th as America Recycles Day so let’s make sure we take advantage of Rockville’s extensive recycling program and think about other ways to participate.

Montgomery County Heritage Area
Should Rockville Join the Montgomery County Heritage Area? The Mayor and Council unanimously approved a motion to instruct the staff to explore the City’s participation. No expenses are expected with membership and other jurisdictions such as Poolesville and Brookville are part of the program. The general consensus was that the the investment was sound and would help in our efforts to make Rockville a destination. Councilmember Pierzchala in particular felt it was “Well worth it, in my opinion.” Since minor changes must be made to the Master Plan indicating the goals of the Heritage Area are parallel to the Master Plan, public hearings would be required which, as Councilmember Britton stated, could take five months.

Three Different Documents Concerning the Schools:

Board budget and CIP

The letter to be used as Testimony to the Montgomery County Board of Education (BOE) regarding the Superintendent’s Recommended FY 2012 Capital Budget and Amendments to the FY 2011-2016 Capital Improvements Program was discussed. The Council included wording to emphasize the need for Twinbrook Elementary’s addition process to go forward. Councilmember Britton noted all the schools in Rockville are over capacity yet a school like Cold Spring on the City’s border is not. Since 100 students at Beall Elementary have waivers, he wants to understand the reasons why these students have been granted waivers. Mayor Marcuccio wanted language indicating the cottages were taking up space used for recess and the additional load to the school is an impact on the entire operation of the school. Councilmember Gajewski warned against including arguments that are common to the whole system believing that the Council should present a unique argument for Rockville. The letter will be broken down into bulleted talking points for the Mayor and Councilmembers Britton and Pierzchala to use when testifying before the Board of Education next this week.

Changes and discussion to two other letters regarding the schools were also discussed: (1.) Response to Dr. Weast’s Letter about “Relocatable Classrooms” which will ask MCPS to work with City officials about issuing the permits for portables. Dr. Weast’s letter states they will not comply with mandatory referral process but State law requires it. (2.) Another letter was drafted to the Montgomery County State delegation regarding their recent Bill proposed to grant the County government exclusive ability to issue permits so the school board would not need to come through the City process at all.

FY 2012 Budget Preview

Mr. Ullery began the process by commenting that the results of the survey of the Mayor and Council are instructive. The Mayor and Council embarked on a lengthy discussion of the budget principles and provided instruction where disagreement existed. A public hearing on the budget will be held on December 6th. January 10th has been scheduled for the budget decision. Councilmembers commented that they reserve the right to change their survey answers as the process goes forward.

• A 1% increase in employee compensation, which was part of the negotiated agreement for the union, will also automatically go to all the staff which has been the long-standing and sound practice in Rockville. In case you aren’t aware, four major categories of staff include 107 American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), 56 Fraternal Order of the Police, 12 Executive Staff, and 325 General Administration staff. Although the Council would like to maintain current Health, Pension and Retired Health Employee Benefits, Mr. Ullery agreed that modifications might be needed.
• A majority of Mayor and Council do not agree that the City provide funding for previously approved programs and services at the current levels. Councilmember Britton would like to review this area. Councilmember Newton commented that she reserves the right to change her answer which was “No Opinion” on the survey. Councilmember Gajewski explained that he “Strongly Disagrees” because it looks like the City is facing fiscal austerity and some programs might need to be changed to go forward, such as under-used recreation programs.
• A majority of the Council were not willing to increase the funding for Caregiver Agencies, even by 1% ($5,000). Councilmember Britton wants to increase funding but not a particular amount. Councilmember Pierzchala and Mayor Marcuccio disagree. Councilmember Newton was “No Opinion”. Councilmember Gajewski believes that many are vulnerable and an increase is justified since the need presented each year has been greater than what the City funded and the need is growing. Mayor Marcuccio wants to look at who the City serves and what they will need, but doesn’t want to make a blanket increase to programs. Councilmember Gajewski disagreed that the City doesn’t look at programs because it does every year. Mayor Marcuccio then admitted that these funds are a drop in the bucket to which Councilmember Gajewski agreed and stated again that the City should do more. Councilmember Britton agrees that the City does go through the program needs on an annual basis and can’t imagine any group coming in without a greater need and it needs to be accommodated. Councilmember Pierzchala might agree when sees how funds come out. Mayor Marcuccio again stated she doesn’t know what people will be requesting. The survey results of 2-2 with one “No Opinion” means nothing would be done, though this could be considered again later in the process. As I chair the Human Services Advisory Commission, this principle is of interest to me, hence the long description.
• The Parking Garage situation is headed for even harder times. The planned FY 2012 budget includes a $1.2 million transfer from the General Fund to the Parking Fund to support the parking enterprise. Councilmember Newton doesn’t want to raise parking garage fees. Councilmember Pierzchala wants to keep the transfer at $1 million and if this means an increase he would support it. Councilmember Britton does not support an increase in rates either. Mr. Ullery made mention of future fund concerns and when Councilmember Gajewski pursued an explanation, an estimate of a $1.7 million loss in 2014 and a $2.4 million loss in 2015 were revealed. A gap between revenue and expenditures has always been expected for the parking garages which were to be a catalyst to build out the entire Town Center and the garages were not intended to be self-supporting.
• On the revenue side, the Council agrees the Property Tax Rates will be maintained at $0.292 for Real Property and $0.805 for Personal Property. However, the $100 Income Tax Offset Property Tax Credit may be removed. Councilmember Gajewski described withdrawing it to be equivalent to a tax increase of $100 per household. He clearly stated he would not raise taxes in this manner to maintain the golf course, if that is what we are raising taxes to support. If that is the reason, he will withdraw his support because he believes taxes should fund increases that are absolutely necessary at this time. The Council also discussed bringing the Redgate Golf Course into the General Fund.

All of these issues will continue to be considered during the budget process. All of our elected officials have indicated the City cannot do everything without raising funds.

Year End Finances Look Good But Confusion Over Reserve Persists, Mayor and Council Meeting 10/18/10

As usual, the Mayor and Council meeting on Monday provided information on a wide range of topics and issues. Here’s a quick review to keep you informed.

Restaurant Week. As you know, Rockville Central was supportive of Rockville Restaurant Week and it appears many others were too! Andrea Jolly, Director of the Rockville Chamber of Commerce, reported 17,578 hits on the website with over 8,000 unique visitors. Although only 7 of the 30 participating restaurants had returned their surveys, they all said they had very successful weeks and will do it again.

Rockville Rewards. If you want to help local nonprofits, keep a look out for the new Rockville rewards program from the Chamber of Commerce. Nonprofit organizations will be selling these cards and keep the profit. Meanwhile businesses will participate by offering everyday or one-time deals. The big kickoff will be held in November to sell cards for the holidays. Also businesses can partner with nonprofits and sell the cards for them.

HHS in King Farm. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services plans on consolidating four leased locations in Suburban Maryland into one location to improve functional efficiency and the City would like it to be at the Irvington Centre site in King Farm. The Mayor and Council approved the City’s Draft Environmental Assessment letter to the General Service Administration which has received multiple offers for potential locations, so we’re in the competition.

Let’s Move City. Rockville will also be applying to participate in the “Let’s Move Cities and Towns” Initiative and join First Lady Michelle Obama’s fight against childhood obesity. We’ll apply and specify actions for the next year, then the Department of Health and Human Services will review our reports, and if approved, designate the City as an official “Let’s Move City.”

Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Plan

Did you know that funds are collected from new commercial, retail and multi-family developments for ten years and that the City has $1.8 million in the TDM Funds from these contributions? In next five years Rockville can expect an average of $204,000 per year in additional revenue. The City doesn’t have a plan on how to spend it and wants to identify the types of projects for the funds such as maintaining bus shelters, providing transportation info and services, physical improvements, and unfunded CIP projects. Staff sought comments from the Mayor and Council and wanted direction on conducting a public hearing.

As for bus shelter maintenance, the City will need to maintain them in the future because the County does not. If the City is willing to do advertising on bus shelters, it could save some money. The current plan is to pay a contractor $160,000 to repair shelters. The City could enter into an agreement for the shelters to be installed for free if there was advertising, then the City would continue to receive some revenue but it would not completely pay for maintenance. What do you think about advertising on bus shelters?

Finances

At Monday’s meeting, the Unaudited Fourth Quarter FY 2010 Financial Report was reviewed. Each fund has a positive year-end balance except for the Sewer Fund with a negative balance of approximately $86,000 (which will be addressed by a rate hike) and the Redgate Golf Course Fund with an estimated negative $1.7 million balance (which will be addressed by a transfer from the General Fund).

The City of Rockville has a policy to maintain the general fund balance at or above 15%. The balance in the General Fund is often referred to as the reserve. The good news is that the estimated FY10 fund balance of $15,224,325 is $5,911,937 higher than the target minimum balance. Having $5,911,937 above the minimum requirement, the City used $1,019,625 to balance the budget, $2,390,645 for RedGate, and $450,389 for Purchase Orders that carried over from FY10. Even with these adjustments, the FY11 estimated reserve of $11,363,666 is 18.3%, which is $2,048,266 above the required 15% reserve level.

Councilmember Bridget Newton wanted a clarification as to what reserve means. Councilmember Mark Pierzchala explained. The fund balance at the end of the year is what we call reserve. Any money left at the end of the year could have been used for other things, such as reducing the City’s borrowing costs.

Later during Old Business, the discussion of the reserve issue continued. Councilmember Newton wanted to talk about the Rockville Report article concerning the spending on Redgate. She wants another article to explain. She also stated that going forward with the Golf Foundation study she wants people to think that there are no preconceived notions as to what the answers will be.

Councilmember Pierzchala wanted to know what changes she is asking for in the article. The only change he thought could be added was that we managed to stay above the 15% reserve after having spent the money to pay down the Redgate debt. The rest of it was accurate. Surplus can be defined differently. One way is that it is just sitting around and there is no use for it, but the fact is that anytime there is “extra monies” (and there often is) it has a use and that use is to pay down CIP and reduce borrowing costs.

Councilmember Newton said she was specifically asking for clarification that the motion made by the Mayor and Council was to use surplus funds for Redgate and that the funds used were new money/found money. She thought the Rockville Report article was very one-sided and the use of the word reserves means the City took it out of reserves. Then she added that the use of term got a lot of comments. She didn’t know who wrote the article or who has oversight but the article raised an awful lot of questions that didn’t need to be raised because of the use of the term reserves.

Councilmember Pierzchala stated you could just as easily characterize the article in a totally different direction. There are trade offs inherent in every spending decision. There are trade offs not mentioned in the article and they could debate it forever. But what he really didn’t want to see is City Staff caught in the middle of this. Councilmember Newton responded that she would have put in his explanation.

Councilmember Piotr Gajewski agreed that way the article was written was fine and it represents his approach to what they did. He believes the reaction from the public was not about the term reserves, it was about spending $2.4 million on the golf course.

Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio hoped they could concentrate on tomorrow. The first meeting with the National Golf Foundation will be held and the City should go forward in a fair way. Councilmember Pierzchala asked about the purpose of the kickoff meeting. He wanted to know why elected people and Redgate advisory group would be involved. Mayor Marcuccio stated that she wants to give them her point of view. Councilmember Gajewski asked if he could go and give them his view as well. Councilmember Pierzchala stated that direction was given to City Staff and when a contractor is involved, the City Staff should be the ones involved. He was concerned that people with one position might be overrepresented when the City wants an unbiased report. Mayor Marcuccio asked how that can be. Councilmember Newton thought the Redgate Advisory might have a couple of people. The Mayor thought the Golf Foundation’s job would be to pick out what’s objective and what’s unbiased. Councilmember Newton said all stakeholders should be involved at this meeting then back off. Councilmember Pierzchala wanted to know who a stakeholder was, and Councilmember Newton responded that anyone in the community is a stakeholder. Councilmember Gajewski said tax payers weren’t coming.

The Mayor then asked if they should end the Mayor and Council Meeting. Councilmember Newton made the motion, Councilmember Britton seconded it, and the Mayor adjourned the meeting without a vote.

Rockville Adopts Budget On 3-2 Vote

>Our friends at the Gazette have a very good recap of the details on the Mayor and Council’s vote Monday night to adopt a new budget for Our Fair City. The vote was three-two in favor:

The City Council on Monday narrowly adopted Rockville’s fiscal 2010 budget with an operating budget that is nearly 1 percent less than fiscal 2009 while including salary increases for all city employees.

The adopted operating budget is $101.8 million, a decrease of 0.9 percent, or $893,705.

The Capital Improvements Program is budgeted at $68.2 million, a decrease of nearly $5.5 million over last year.

Councilwoman Anne M. Robbins and Councilwoman Phyllis R. Marcuccio voted against the budget, with Robbins saying her opposition is primarily due to the cost-of-living and merit increases for city employees totaling $1.78 million that is included in the budget, a concern she has raised throughout the budget process. . . . Marcuccio’s concern was with the budget process and said she still had outstanding issues that were not addressed.

“The process we use on the budget I’m sure is very efficient and very thorough as far as the staff is concerned, but it’s not very satisfying as far as a council member is concerned,” Marcuccio said.

Rockville City Staff Present FY10 Budget Outlines

>

The first budget hearing is slated for March 30 at the Mayor and Council meeting.

Get Ready For A New Budget!

Arguably the most important task that the Mayor and Council perform is nigh upon us — and that is developing, guiding, and approving the annual budget for Our Fair City.>

The process will be kicked off later this month, with an introduction at the March 23 meeting of the Mayor and Council.

Following that, there will be a number of public hearings as well as worksessions, culminating in a hoped-for budget adoption on May 18. That’s a compressed timeline and the choices to be made in this faltering economy will likely be tough ones.

So it’s important for people to pay attention. At Rockville Central, we will try to do our part and make sure readers have access to information they need to understand the process. We are also calling on any and all readers to send us information and opinions on how the budget process is going, thoughts for improvements, and other ideas. Let’s work to make this as collaborative as possible!

Budget Hearing Tonight At City Hall

As >Rockville Central readers — and others — know, it’s budget time here in Our Fair City.

Tonight is the last of two public hearings on the City Manager’s proposed budget. It’s at 7pm, at City Hall. After tonight, there is one “work session” left on May 5 (that’s not a public input session, so tonight’s your main chance to get your views heard).

The budget is slated to be adopted on May 19.

The City issued a good overview press release on the main contours of the budget late last month:

Rockville City Manager Scott Ullery is recommending a $103.9 million all funds operating budget for fiscal year (FY) 2009, which begins on July 1, 2008. The proposed budget represents an increase of 10.7 percent from the adopted FY08 budget. The FY09 budget includes $62.4 million for the General Fund (a 5.9 percent increase over the FY08 adopted budget). The proposed property tax rate remains unchanged at 30.2 cents per $100 of assessed value for real property, and three tax relief measures amounting to $1.8 million are recommended. The recommended budget includes $24.1 million in new spending authority for capital improvement program (CIP).

The proposed operating budget recommends no reduction in services and programs, and includes service enhancements requested by the Mayor and Council. Ullery identified the budget’s central theme as “sustainability” – a sustainable infrastructure, sustainable services, a sustainable environment and sustainable financial practices. The city manager is recommending no increase in the property tax rate, and three tax relief programs. For the second consecutive year, a flat $100 credit per owner-occupied residence is recommended. Also, the proposed budget would continue the Homeowners’ Tax Credit Program to provide property tax relief to low- and moderate-income taxpayers, and include a Senior Tax Credit, which would allow an additional 25 percent property tax relief for homeowners who are 70 years or older.

“This is a good news budget,” said Rockville Mayor Susan Hoffmann. “Unlike other levels of government, we are not increasing taxes, yet we are maintaining services at a very high level.”

The FY09 operating budget sustains the City’s high level of services to residents. New operating expenses for the Thomas Farm Community Center, set to open in January 2009, and the upgraded fitness center and meeting room at the Rockville Municipal Swim Center are included. Public safety enhancements include two new police officers dedicated to traffic and pedestrian safety. The budget includes strengthening internal functions such as information technology, finance, and employee training that support the delivery of frontline services. Other significant cost increases include retiree health care costs, fuel, electricity, commodities and personnel expenses.

The most significant new program is a recommended 15-year infrastructure initiative to replace 33 miles of decades-old water pipe that is deteriorating. A significant upgrade to the City’s water distribution plant also is needed to comply with more stringent state and federal regulations. The new program will require significant water rate increases. New rates would be $2.80 (currently $1.78) per thousand gallons for the first 12,000 gallons; $4.02 (currently $2.56) per thousand gallons for the next 12,000 gallons; and $4.32 (currently $2.75) per thousand gallons for usage beyond 24,000 gallons. In addition to the water rates, customers also pay a “ready-to-serve” charge based on meter size. The sewage rate would increase 3.9 percent to $3.97 per thousand gallons. The ready-to-serve charge is recommended to increase three percent over FY08, to $9.27 per quarter for the average household. The ready-to-serve charge supports both the water and sewer funds.

The recommended budget calls for no increase to the monthly refuse and recycling collection fee, which will remain at $32.70. Fee increases are unnecessary due to because reduced expenses and improved efficiency of a new semi-automated once-per-week refuse collection and single stream recycling service. Current service is provided by an inefficient manual system, with twice per week refuse collection that requires customers to sort recyclable materials.

Another significant initiative in the proposed budget is a new stormwater management (SWM) program that focuses on SWM facility and storm drainage maintenance, stream restoration, sediment control, and improvements to meet federal water quality requirements. The program will be paid out of the SWM fund balance in FY09, and an annual utility fee of $55.80 per residential lot, with higher fees for non-residential parcels is expected in FY10.

Major CIP projects proposed include: asphalt pavement maintenance, storm sewer rehabilitation, residential meter replacement, water main rehabilitation, water plant upgrades, water plant maintenance and repair, improvements to the City’s maintenance and recycling off-load facilities, refuse carts acquisition, pedestrian bikeway system improvements, Rockville Municipal Swim Center improvements, and continued construction of the Mattie J.T. Stepanek Park. For FY09, the City initiated a new process to prioritize the CIP, based on 18 criteria that included the visions and priorities of the Mayor and Council and the impacts that capital projects have on the City’s facilities and infrastructure, environment and safety, and budget and legal provisions.

Rockville residents will have two opportunities for public input on the proposed budget and CIP when the Mayor and Council conduct public hearings on March 31 and April 14 at 7 p.m. at City Hall. Two worksessions are scheduled for April 28 and May 5, also at 7 p.m. at City Hall. The Mayor and Council are scheduled to adopt the budget and CIP on May 19. All Mayor and Council meetings are televised live on The Rockville Channel (TRC 11) and will rerun several times.

The proposed budget is available online at www.rockvillemd.gov/government/budget. It also is available for review at the Rockville Library and City Hall (111 Maryland Ave.).

Mayor And Council Agenda 2/11/08 Available

The agenda for the next meeting of the Mayor and Council, >Monday, February 11, 2008 at Rockville City Hall, has been posted to the City’s website. It is available here. (My understanding is that, if the agenda is amended, that same link will reflect the changes.)

This upcoming meeting, since it is a worksession, will not be televised on The Rockville Channel, though (I am led to believe) it is open to the public. Those who have time may wish to attend, as there is an important item set for discussion: details on the next fiscal year’s budget, for FY2009.

Some have asked the Mayor and Council to rethink their recent decision to stop televising such worksessions, a decision they took in order to create an atmosphere more conducive to getting work done.

In any event, for those who cannot personally attend this meeting, here is a note from staff that may serve to reduce anxiety:

Tonight’s presentation seeks the Mayor and Council’s concurrence with the current direction of budget preparation, specifically the FY 2009 enterprise fund rates (with the exception of the water rates). There will be other opportunities for the Mayor and Council to provide additional guidance and direction during the public hearings, scheduled for March 31, 2008 and April 14, 2008, and/or during the next Mayor and Council worksessions, scheduled for April 28, 2008 and May 5, 2008.

That is, this is not the only time the budget will be considered, and there will be public input opportunities.

That one the day before Tax Day sounds like a hoot.