Keep On Boiling! Some Of You.

As many >Rockville Central readers may know, a water main break at Muncaster Mill Rd. and Meadowside Lane caused a major problem for water throughout Montgomery County.

Rockville is a different system than Montgomery County and Rockville’s city water was unaffected.

However, some Rockville residents do get water from WSSC (instead of the City) and those residents do need to boil water and had to restrict water use. WSSC customers can be found throughout the City, including all of King Farm and parts of Twinbrook.

While yesterday’s water-use restrictions have been lifted, WSSC customers must still boil water for three days.

How to tell? If you get a water bill from WSSC, you are not using City water. Another way of checking is to look at your fire hydrant. Green and silver are WSSC; red is Rockville.

The County has more information here. The City has more info here.

City Files $2M Suit Over Town Square Pavers

From the City:>

The failure of pavers used in Rockville’s Town Square project was caused by flawed engineering design, according to a lawsuit filed by the City of Rockville on June 5. The suit, filed with the Montgomery County Circuit Court, holds Macris, Hendricks and Glascock, P.A. responsible for the failed design, and seeks $2 million for the costs and expenses incurred. Macris, Hendricks and Glascock, P.A. sought to mediate the dispute with the City, but then postponed the mediation in order to further review the City’s case. Maintaining the firm had already had sufficient time for review, City Attorney Paul Glasgow filed suit on behalf of the City.

“Although we tried to come to an agreement, Macris would not cooperate,” said Mayor Hoffmann. “The citizens of Rockville made a substantial investment in Town Square, and as guardians of our taxpayers’ dollars, the Mayor and Council have to hold our contractors accountable.”

Soon after construction on Rockville Town Square was completed in late 2006, concrete pavers used to line pedestrian walkways, the plaza and portions of Maryland Avenue and Gibbs Street began to fail. Water penetrated the pavers, froze and thawed, causing them to heave and cave in. The City’s lawsuit blames this failure on a faulty design, constituting a breach of contract and negligence.

To date, the City has recovered a total of $363,000 from others involved in the finished project. Whiting-Turner, which constructed the project, paid the City $213,000 and Federal Realty Investment Trust, the project manager, paid the City $150,000.

Details On Tonight's FiOS Proposal

I just received some clarification from >Scott Ullery, Our Fair City’s city manager, on the details of the FiOS proposal the Mayor and Council will be voting on tonight:

The agreement that is on the agenda for the Mayor and Council this evening is an agreement between the City and Verizon that sets the terms and conditions (including permits and fees) under which Verizon will be installing fiber optic cable in the City of Rockville’s rights-of-way. The agreement covers the entire City, including King Farm. Verizon plans to begin engineering design work on the network shortly after the agreement is approved, and it is planning to begin construction in about September. There are three Verizon “wire centers” that serve Rockville: one on Montrose Road, one on Fleet St., and one in Gaithersburg, which is the one that serves King Farm. According to a statement from Verizon, “Verizon plans to upgrade its lines there to fiber optic in 2009 and expects that the King Farm community will be included in next year’s deployment.”

Thanks for the update, Scott!

Give Me My Rockville Channel!

As readers of >Rockville Central know, I am a big fan of The Rockville Channel, which is the City’s award-winning cable station. Among other things, it shows meetings of the Mayor and Council live in their entirety and then repeats them various times throughout the week.

It’s Channel 11 on Comcast. And there’s the problem. The thing is, I am not a Comcast customer nor am I about to become one. I can point my browser to The Rockville Channel’s live video stream, but half the time when I do that the connection gets dropped and I miss important bits.

During the most recent (non-televised) meeting of the Mayor and Council, they discussed community engagement. During this part if the discussion, Council Member Phyllis Marcuccio described me when she pointed out, in part, that “As you drive around Rockville, you see dishes up on the roofs of a lot of houses. These ‘dish people’ don’t get The Rockville Channel. We need to make sure we keep them in mind too.”

Right on, Phyllis! Sometimes I am up a creek if I want to see what is going in the Mayor and Council meetings.

Here is my modest request of the City’s technical folks:

There must be a way to make the Mayor and Council meetings available in a non real-time way, so that citizens could view various meetings on demand (almost like YouTube). That way, you can serve more people at once (there would be no bottleneck with multiple connections at once) and if something failed a user could just try again.

At yesterday’s Rockville Roundtable lunch, Mark Pierzchala mentioned that he thought something like that was in the offing . . . so I say: Yes, please.

FiOS Is Coming! FiOS Is Coming!

In case you missed the piece hidden in a recent >article in the Gazzette, I have the pleasure of informing you that a deal between the City and Verizon to begin the work required to get FiOS (fiber optic-based Internet, which will allow Verizon to compete with Comcast) is apparently set to appear on the agenda for the Mayor and Council’s upcoming June 9 meeting.

At yesterday’s Rockville Roundtable, Council Member Piotr Gajewski explained that one of the key issues in the negotiations with Verizon had been who pays for inspection of Vz’s work. In order to lay the fiber optic cable, Verizon needs to work in the City’s rights-of-way (that’s fancy municipal talk for “they need to dig up our streets”). Once they have laid the cable, they will put things back as they found them — the City needs to inspect the work, which costs money. One key question was who pays for that? In this deal, evidently Verizon will be paying.

While some have criticized the City for allowing the Verizon deal to drag on for so long, so that surrounding Montgomery County has FiOS while the City does not, this deal is a good result. Not only that, but Rockville is not at all the last town to the FiOS party: I am told Gaithersburg has no deal either. Piotr pointed out that this means his neighborhood, King Farm, will actually not be getting FiOS as a part of the Rockville agreement, because the wiring is a part of the Gaithersburg system.

Public Works Week — Sit In A Bobcat Tonight!

>I love this city.

There I was, on my way to see my friend Ruth at Animal Exchange and pick up my weekly batch of crickets, when I spied a banner in front of the Swim Center.

Intrepid gonzo journalist that I am, I smelled a story. Somehow it had escaped my notice that this week is Public Works Week.

The small gathering of trucks and other equipment pulled together in the parking lot of the Swim Center was very cool! I even got to take a peek at the new trash containers we’ll all be using eventually.

But the capstone was when City staffer Marylou Berg agreed to snap my photo in the very cool Bobcat that was parked akimbo.

I mean, it does not get better than this:

If you have kids, or just want to see some cool heavy equipment, get on over to the Swim Center before 6pm tonight!

City Offers New Workshops on Relationships

This Spring Rockville’s >Department of Recreation and Parks is providing two new educational workshops on relationships. These are affordable options that promise reliable advice for couples wanting a better connection with each other or parents wanting a more positive attitude from their children.

Couples Workshop

The Community Services Division is presenting, Communication Skills for Loving Relationships. This class has three Friday sessions starting April 25, 2008, then on May 9th and 16th. The fee for the series is only $15 for residents and $20 for non-residents. Here is a description from the City:

“The class is based on a new book, After the Glass Slipper: 8 Proven Steps to Lasting Love by couples’ counselors Jon and Beverly Meyerson. The workshop includes ways to create a more loving relationship using appreciations, resolving conflicts with relatives, understanding each other’s values, and developing emotional closeness.”

Couples or individuals can take this class to be held from 7 to 9 PM at the Rockville Senior Center. To register call 240-314-8620 or visit rock enroll (course # 24975).

Helping Children Manage Their Behavior

Even though Montgomery County Public Schools offers great workshops through its Parent Academy, this workshop from Community Services is close-by at the Senior Center and offers help for a very common family situation:

“Are temper tantrums and hearing the word “no” from your child a recurring theme in your home? Have you run out of options and ideas for dealing with your child’s challenging behavior? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then this workshop is for you.

Parents of elementary school children are invited to attend Logical Consequences for Children’s Behavior. This workshop will explore strategies for setting limits and encouraging cooperation through the use of logical consequences rather than punishment.”

Classes will be held on Mondays, May 5th & 12th, from 7-8:30 PM. Register through rock enroll course (# 24991), or by calling 301-762-4284. Fees are at $15 for residents and $20 for non-residents.

For additional information on either of these workshops, contact Cynthia Bangali, Program Coordinator, at 240-314-8317.

Update From The City On FiOS

As everybody know, >I want my FiOS. Recently, there has been some comment activity on this post, which prompted me to ask City Manager Scott Ullery if he could provide an update. I knew things were progressing, but did not want to say something incorrectly.

Here’s what Scott sent along:

We’ve been making good progress lately in our negotiations with Verizon. Once Verizon accepted the principles that (1) they, not City taxpayers, are responsible for bearing the costs of using the public right of way for this project, and (2) services should be offered city-wide, and without undue delay to selected segments of the community, discussions have moved forward very well. Among the three broad categories of costs involved — plans review, field inspections, and permitting activities (which includes marking utility locations in the field) — we have reached agreements in principle in most of these areas.

Both the City and Verizon are motivated to reach a final agreement that will allow the construction to begin and the services to be delivered. During the last few months, two department heads and I have taken lead roles in these negotiations, and Verizon officials have adopted a refreshing sense of urgency. I expect to provide the Mayor and Council with a full briefing on these negotiations within the next few weeks.

“Refreshing sense of urgency.” Heh.

Warm Weather for Walking

>

During the course of both my pregnancies, I walked every street in Twinbrook constantly. Every day that I could, I was out walking. Of course, this was followed by walking with strollers and walking to lose the baby weight. I’ve covered a lot of ground and found it to be a painless and convenient way to exercise.

To encourage healthier lifestyles, the City of Rockville has made it easy to keep track of how much you have walked through a program called Walk Rockville.

Fourteen walking routes are mapped on the City’s website and also in a handy brochure available at City Hall. All the routes are about one to two miles long and they start in a variety of neighborhoods and parks. Before starting any exercise program you should always consult your physician.

You can purchase a walking starter kit for $10 at one these City facilities: City Hall, the Swim Center, the Senior Center, or the Twinbrook/Lincoln Park Community Centers. The kit includes a pedometer, t-shirt, wristband, maps, monthly log sheet, and fitness information.

If you really want to be organized you can participate in the City-wide walking challenge by submitting a monthly log sheet recording the number of steps you have taken. You can get the forms and submit them online, or bring/mail them to City Hall. A City-wide tally will be announced at Hometown Holidays. Grab some friends and walk together because there will be awards for schools, businesses, neighborhoods and age groups with the most steps walked.

To plan your own walking route from your doorstep, I recommend walkjogrun.net. With a few clicks, you can map out a route close to your home and know exactly how far you go. I use it and find it easy to adjust my path and add distance when I’m ready. As in any exercise routine, you should start out simple and increase intensity and distance over time.

The City lists some common walking mistakes:
–Overstride
–Swinging arms too vigorously
–Looking at the ground
–Hunching your shoulders
–Carrying hand weights or using ankle weights.

So if you want to control your weight and lower your risk for diabetes, heart attacks, or colon cancer, avoid this list of mistakes and simply walk around Rockville. The inviting warm weather makes walking a pleasurable way to get healthier.

Stormwater Management Utility Set To Be Created

The proposed plan to create a City “utility” to manage stormwater took a step closer to becoming a reality at >last night’s Mayor and Council meeting [UPDATE: it was the 3/17 meeting...my bad], on a 4-1 vote. The Mayor and Council voted to move ahead with the City Manager’s plan to create the utility — final approval will come when the City’s budget is adopted later this spring.

While the utility was created, though, the accompanying homeowner fee was put off a year and in the meantime existing stormwater management funds will be spent down. The new stormwater management fee is slated to begin in July 2009.

According to the City’s press release:

“We are fortunate to be able to begin this program without introducing the fee this year,” said Mayor Susan Hoffmann. The first year of the program, expected to cost $3.1 million, will be funded by money in the existing SWM [stormwater management] fund. Ongoing support for the SWM program will be provided by the SWM utility fee, which will be charged to all property owners, including government, schools, churches, businesses and residents. The proposed fee is $55.80 for single-family homes. For commercial, institutional and multi-family, the fees will be based on the amount of impervious surface contained on each property. The SWM fund also will continue to receive revenue from developer fees and contributions, interest income and occasional grants.

“It is important that we start this program right away,” said City Manager Scott Ullery. “The longer we wait, the more our infrastructure deteriorates, and the more expensive it becomes. The program also will help us comply with EPA and state regulations.” The expanded SWM program includes maintaining, improving and expanding the City’s stormwater ponds and conveyance structures, reducing flooding, and improving stream quality. Related projects include upgrading old SWM facilities or creating new facilities in older areas of the city, as well as stream restoration and drainage improvements.

Mayor Hoffmann along with council members John Britton, Piotr Gajewski, and Anne Robbins voted for the measure. Council member Phyllis Marcuccio voted against.

Rockville Police Leap Onto The Web

>Well, maybe that is an overblown headline, but it reflects how pleased I was to get a recent press release from the Rockville City Police Department describing a number of new, anonymous online tip forms that they have set up.

I am the kind of person who finds it easier to type something than to make a call — I have more control over just what I say and I can usually get it done far quicker than having a conversation. Maybe I just talk to much. In any event, this was a very welcome development.

Here are all the forms available:

• Abandoned Vehicle Report — it has to have been there for 48 hours or more, in the city limits.

• Animal Control Request
• Graffiti Report
• Anonymous Narcotics Report — this is to report activity like dealing.
• Witness Report In Traffic Enforcement — this is my favorite: I can report the bonehead drivers who speed around the traffic circle at Peg Sante Park. You are warned!!

Thank you, Chief Terry Treschuk and the rest of the crew!

Now, if you will just automate your police blotters . . . .

(Image from Rockville City Police Department.)

Contributor Opinion by Susan Hoffmann: Rockville's Pressing Waterline Issue and Associated Fiscal Decisions

The following >contributor opinion is by Rockville Mayor Susan Hoffmann:

Dear Friends,

As Mayor of Rockville, I am committed to Rockville being the safest City anywhere in the world. To that end, it is incumbent upon me and my Council colleagues and City staff, to provide services that will keep us protected, safe in our homes, and on our streets. The provision of safe and dependable drinking water, a reliable sewer system, and smooth-functioning waterline system throughout the City is one of the two most important services the City provides. The other is police protection.

As your Mayor, I will not be satisfied with anything less than the best. And I will not, on my watch, tolerate a situation in which there is a fire in our City and the water pressure to the necessary hydrant(s) fails and the fire cannot be extinguished quickly, or, God forbid, there are injuries or worse. That is why I support moving forward aggressively to deal with our failing system. Just as we are seeing infrastructure failures all across the country, Rockville is experiencing the same issues. And, we have discovered, that a larger number of lower-pressure hydrants and aging pipes are to be found east of Route 355. As I have said over and over, we must be particularly sensitive to residents east of the Pike. We have learned from resident surveys that there is a perception that the quality of life is not as high on that side of Rockville as compared to west of 355 and 270. Since perception is reality, and in this case, the problem is real, the issue of hydrant water flow and fire safety must not be ignored. The Mayor and Council are considering several different proposals . . . some more aggressive than others, some more cost-effective than others.

I ask for community support for the most reasonably aggressive, cost-effective solution. I urge my colleagues to join me in moving forward in this way.

We are not unsympathetic to the additional burden these increased fees will have on our population. To that end, we are exploring ways to mitigate the impact. Below is a summary of the presentation made by staff on Monday evening, March 10, to eliminate the imposition of some fees in FY09, including the Stormwater Management Fee. The $100 Property Tax Credit will be continued, as will the Homeowner’s Tax Credit Program.

• The most important new program priority for FY09 will be to kick off a serious effort to renew our water system infrastructure, including the distribution line replacement, and the water plant and pump station upgrades. The risks of not getting started on a systematic upgrade program are significant. We’ve all read in the press that WSSC, facing challenges similar to Rockville’s, has chosen to not act for at least another year.

• As we’ve indicated previously, the water rate increases needed to fund the infrastructure program will be significant. The water rates in the Recommended Budget for FY09, taken together with the ready to serve charge, could, if adopted, result in an “average” household water bill increasing from $35.48 to $50.91 or about $62 per year.
• We continue to recommend that the Stormwater Management Utility Program be adopted for FY09, but the SWM fee not be introduced in FY09. Instead of the fee beginning in FY09, we are recommending that we ramp up the program during FY09 and pay for it from the utility’s fund balance. In FY09, we will have a lot of hires to complete and reorganization to accomplish. Deferring the fee will better allow us to continue our community outreach and education efforts. Not implementing the fee in FY09 will have the added advantage of not subjecting citizens to yet another fee in addition to the substantial water rate increases in FY09. This should help us keep our eye on the top new program priority of attending to the water infrastructure.
• Because our revenues continue to run strongly, and ahead of what we projected previously, the Recommended Budget will again include a $100 property tax credit per owner-occupied household. This credit will provide general tax relief for homeowners, and in some instances more than offset the water rate increase for homeowners. Among the features of this credit that distinguishes it from a tax rate reduction, are (1) it is progressive — as a flat amount it is worth proportionately more to lower-income than to higher-income residents, (2) it is flexible, in that it targets residential owners and excludes commercial property owners, and (3) it is easily reviewed and adjusted annually as a “one time,” rather than a recurring loss of revenue.
• The FY09 Recommended Budget will again include the Homeowner’s Tax Credit Program (“circuit breaker” program). The City’s supplement to the state’s credit was introduced in the FY06 budget, and 366 low income households participated. In FY07 we expanded significantly the eligibility, and 630 households participated. The expanded program continued in FY08.
• Pending expected confirmation from the State, the FY09 Recommended Budget will also offer a new property tax credit for homeowners of limited income and at least 70 years old. This will be an add-on to the Homeowner’s Tax Credit Program. Eligible homeowners can receive an additional credit of 25% of the combined State credit and City supplement. There will be no need to file separately, the current application is good for State credit, the City supplement, and the senior credit.
• As presented in the budget preview, no change in the property tax rate will be proposed in the FY09 Recommended Budget.

This is a challenging, yet exciting time for Rockville. I am committed to continuing our progress on your behalf. I welcome your thoughts.

Best,
Susan

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

Answers From Council Member Gajewski #5: Parking On Ardennes

As >Rockville Central readers know, one attendee at Council Member Piotr Gajewski’s “Town Hall” meeting earlier this month posed a series of questions in an email afterward. They are listed at the end of our recap of the meeting.

Council Member Gajewski has been working on answers to those questions, asking City staff to run down details. He’s already answered Question #3, about bulk trash pickups, and to question #2 and question #4 on water and demographics.

Here is the answer to #5 (Piotr is sending the answers along as he gets them):

Question: “I live on Ardennes Avenue, one block off Veirs Mill Road, at the opposite end of the Twinbrook Metro stop and I would like to know the future of our on street parking.”

The Chief of Traffic and Transportation indicated that he and his staff have not received any inquiries or concerns regarding the future of on street parking on Ardennes Avenue.

No changes have been made to the on street parking on Ardennes Avenue. The only activity that has occurred is that the City replaced some meters on Ardennes Avenue near Twinbrook Parkway that were formerly Montgomery County’s. This is more than a mile away from the area referenced in the question, which was Ardennes Avenue and Veirs Mill Road.

When Twinbrook Commons was annexed into the City, the area on Ardennes Avenue near Twinbrook Parkway where the meters are located became part of the City of Rockville. Therefore, the City added its own meters in replacement of the County’s. The City added eight meters; previously there were ten, however two were lost due to the developer needing to install some driveways on the property where Twinbrook Commons is going to be developed. The meters are in effect on Monday through Friday from 7 am to 7 pm.

The Traffic and Transportation Division and the Police Department indicated there are no plans for any changes. If there is a specific change that the residents are looking for, staff requested that they please clarify the request. Staff would be happy to review it. Additionally, if the residents are interested in permit parking, below is the link to the Rockville Website page on permit parking for the residents’ informational purposes, which includes a permit parking petition form.

The last question, #1, still has not gotten a full answer: “There has been no response to date from the Maryland General Services Administration where City Manager Scott Ullery forwarded question #1, regarding the future of the State’s court needs after the planned District Court is constructed. I will continue to follow up and hope to have an answer soon,” says Piotr.

Mayor And Council To Discuss Water Tonight (3/10/2008)

Water is >on the agenda for tonight’s Mayor and Council meeting, which will be at 7:00 pm at City Hall (as always).

As with many issues that hit folks where they live, it appears that this one may be contentious. In order to pay for needed infrastructure upgrades, City staff is recommending a significant increase in rates. Council members have expressed a range of concerns from the “sticker shock” of raising the average quarterly bill from $35.48 to $50.91 (a 43% increase) to the sense that while tax revenues are increasing not enough is going to the City’s infrastructure needs. Others have said they are pleased to see City staff recommending that we tackle such a big and important job.

If you have time, come on down for what ought to be a lively meeting!

If not, be sure to catch it on The Rockville Channel.

Answers From Council Member Gajewski #4 and #2: Water Delivery and The Rockville Resident Of The Future

>

As Rockville Central readers know, one attendee at Council Member Piotr Gajewski’s “Town Hall” meeting earlier this month posed a series of questions in an email afterward. They are listed at the end of our recap of the meeting.

Council Member Gajewski has been working on answers to those questions, asking City staff to run down details. He’s already answered Question #3, about bulk trash pickups. Here are the next two answers, to question #2 and question #4. (Piotr is sending the asnwers along as he gets them):

Question #4, with respect to water delivery to Twinbrook Commons and Rockville Pike redevelopments, and the City in general:

WSSC will provide water and sewer at Twinbrook Commons; the Rockville Pike area is in the City’s service area.

The Rockville water system is a City-wide system (with the exception of the few areas that are serviced by WSSC). The ready to serve charge already in place and the proposed replacement program are set up so that all users bear an equitable share of the cost for the entire system. The replacement program, if enacted, will be staged so that oldest, least reliable pipes (the vast majority of which are east of route 355), will be replaced first.

Question #2, with respect to the future “projected profile of a Rockville resident:”

In the foreseeable future we can expect Rockville population to remain much as it is today. Contrary to trends in some other parts of Maryland, Rockville is expected to continue a slow (approximately 2% per year) increase in population. The present ethnic diversity is expected to continue and perhaps increase slightly. The cohort of ages 20-44 is expected to show a percentage decrease and the cohort of ages 45-64 may also show a slight percentage decrease. A slight increase is expected for the 0-19 cohort and the population age 65+ is expected to continue to increase (much as it is nationwide).

Thanks, Piotr!