Mayor And Council Reject APFO Change; Eye Changes To Historic Designation Rules

Rockville Mayor and Council At Work

On a 3-2 vote at last night’s meeting of the Rockville Mayor and Council, Our Fair City’s governing body rejected a proposed text amendment to the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance that would have exempted affordable housing from having to meet the infrastructure criteria.

The amendment was proposed as a way to make it easier to build affordable housing in general, but specifically to make it possible to move forward with the controversial Beall’s Grant II affordable housing project that had been struck down by the Maryland Court of Special Appeals. In its ruling, the Court had suggested in a footnote that Rockville may wish to revise its APFO.

Councilmember Piotr Gajewski had proposed the amendment, and stressed in his presentation supporting it that a “yes” vote on the proposal would not change the law right away, but would begin a process of discussion. The next steps would have been for City staff to prepare changes and then for it to go to the Planning Commission for a public hearing. “The amendment I propose may not be perfect,” he said. “It may be too broad. There may be ways that we can tweak it.”

Councilmember John Britton joined Gajewski in supporting the amendment, also observing that a “yes” vote would “begin a process.”

However, in a straw vote called by Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio before Gajewski’s introduction, it was clear that the measure lacked a majority.

Councilmember Bridget Newton said she would not support the amendment, saying that “the Planning Commission is where this should happen. This [looking at changes to the APFO] is a great subject that has gotten hijacked.” Councilmember Mark Pierzchala said he would not support the amendment because changes to the APFO because he, too, would “rather see this all rolled up into a Planning Commission review,” and that he had a problem with the definition of “affordable housing” in the proposal. Mayor Marcuccio said she would not support the amendment, as it “flies in the face of the APFO that exists [to create exceptions for certain types of building]. We also know that the Planning Commission is appointing a subcommittee to explore the APFO, and I think it’s premature to put . . . this burden on [them] as they do their work.”

Earlier in the evening, at Citizen’s Forum, twenty five citizens spoke against the proposed measure, with six speaking in favor. Messages on the PTA email listservs of both Julius West and Beall Elementary had been sent drawing attention to the issue and the evening’s meeting. Objections raised by citizens centered around school overcrowding in Rockville, with most speakers pointing out that Beall Elementary School is at 138% capacity (714 students enrolled with a capacity of 518), resulting in a range of problems including unnoticed bullying during free periods, lunches shortened from 30 down to 20 minutes, and difficulties just getting students in and out of the school. Beall is not alone, as one commenter noted that every school in the Richard Montgomery cluster was over capacity.

One speaker said he thought the school board’s statistician who made school enrollment projections “should be fired,” prompting Councilmember Pierzchala (a statistician) to respond that “anyone who in 2005 made any projections with any kind of economic component, got it wrong in 2010. There was an economic collapse in 2008, with lots of ramifications.”

Proponents of the measure said in their remarks that, when it comes to Beall’s Grant II, the stated concerns of people opposed to the development have shifted over time, and stressed the critical need in Rockville for affordable places for working people to live. One speaker said he “moved here because of a sense of fairness and welcoming,” and he wanted to see that continued.

Several citizens said that the issue pitted two good goals (affordable housing and maintaining quality schools) against one another, and that the decision was not an easy one.

One outcome of the meeting was that the Mayor and Council appear committed to working much more closely — and aggressively — with the Montgomery County Public Schools as well as with the County itself, in an effort to find a solution to apparently chronic overcrowding and inadequate enrollment projections. Two brand-new schools, Richard Montgomery High School and College Gardens Elementary School, are already over capacity.

Historic Designation Changes Possible

In other news from last night’s meeting, a joint worksession between the Mayor and Council and the Historic District Commission focused in part on issues with how properties get designated as “historic” when the owner is not seeking such a designation. Councilmembers and the Mayor held differing views on the amount of deference to give property owners in such a situation, and asked City staff to develop options for how to more fully take into account those wishes in cases of involuntary designation.

There was, however, consensus around at least two issues. First, the Mayor and Council thought it a good idea to streamline the current process so that they only review designations once they have already gone through the Historical District Commission and the Planning Commission. (Currently, they see the issue before it goes to those bodies and then again afterwards.)

The second item of clear agreement was that the Mayor and Council ought to strongly consider designating Glenview Mansion as historic — it surprised all present that it was not already.

Mayor and Council Recap 9-13-2010

Here is a recap of portions of Monday night’s Mayor and Council meeting.

Present: Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio, Councilmembers John Britton, Piotr Gajewski, Mark Pierzchala, and Bridget Donnell Newton.

City Manager’s Report

City Manager Scott Ullery asked Craig Simoneau, the Director of Public Works, to provide updates on City projects:

• ICC project construction traffic through King Farm. The general contractor was supposed to put up signs and speak with subcontractors but the fix lasted about a day. City staff have been promised a meeting on 9/14 and will be having a traffic meeting with the King Farm community. Montgomery County has been contacted about putting signs on I-270 warning trucks not to use the area. The City is exploring having the general contractor add language to each contract requiring the use of another route.
• Water main. Pure Technology has been inspecting the line since August 16th. Most of Phase I has been completed except for five areas they are coming back to inspect due to the difficulty in reaching them. When come back for Phase II access ports will have been added and they will complete the inspection. So far with 58% of the pipe inspected, only two sections have anomalies. Two contractors with good reputations had the lowest bids and they will replace the pipes and valves. Since the surge tank was already approved in CIP, it has been ordered. The lowest bidder for the installation is already working for the City and it will be replaced by October 16th. Therefore, with the release valves will be back in service, everything back in service at that time.
• Lakewood Bridge opened on August 22nd for the first day of school. Very tough deadline and they met it. It was more difficult than anticipated and work on the path for handicap accessibility will begin this week.
• Handicap accessibility for the Stonestreet Bridge replacement will be even more challenging.

The following people were appointed to Boards and Commissions:

Board of Supervisors of Elections

Beryl Feinberg (Reappointment as member until September 1, 2014)

Cultural Arts Commission

George Northway (Reappointment as member until September 1, 2013)

Environment Commission

David Zbarsky (Appointment as student representative until September 1, 2013)

Citizen’s Forum

Anyone can address Citizen’s Forum. The best way is to call the City Clerk at 240-314-8280 by 4 PM, but typically anyone who shows up is allowed to speak. Here are brief recaps of their remarks:

Ben Murphyspoke about his upcoming Eagle Project event for Bikes for the World. The event is this Saturday at REI on RockvillePike. Everyone is encouraged to donate the used bikes cluttering up your garage along with a $10 shipping fee. Sewing machines will also be collected.

Ted Reuther spoke regarding Columbia Gas Pipeline issue. The interaction between residents and City staff has been superb. There have been meetings and discussions with the principal contact at Columbia about new technologies which would eliminate the need to remove overhanging tree branches. He’s pleased to continue working with the City to stop the removal of trees from outside the right of way.

Anne Goodmanspoke for herself andher husband in support keeping Redgate as a golf course. She is concerned about losing the wooded areas and storm water ponds which are wildlife habitat. She encourages the promotion of Redgate and ways to make more money to maximize the revenue. In the last Rockville Reports the “By the Numbers” Operating Budget only mentioned Redgate as a program costing money, which she felt was biased.

Dick Johns, PGA of America (a professional golfer association), talked about the benefits of Redgate. Golfers from outside the City are willing to spend money. City will want to havethis unique asset available to help when the economy begins to rebound. Right now the course provides full-time work for 13 employees, and financially supports fertilizer, chemicals, and food service companies. Events also benefit local charities. The course supports wounded soldiers at Walter Reed. Golfing has strong healthbenefits for those who play. All the factors need to be considered when determining the worth to citizens.

Susan Sweenspoke in support of Redgate Golf Course. She pays taxes and this is her money too. She has played all the courses in the area but she calls Redgate home. If you think it’s just a golf course, you are wrong. It’s a community where people gather and socialize. People don’t jump in car andgo home. They talk with each other about their scores. Redgate is one of the most challenging courses. No other course offers the same type of experience.

Alice Von Saundersexpressed disappointment with the Council. The figures from the city staff are not a true measure of Redgate. Fund are spent on the Senior Center which has been empty in the afternoons when she visits. A municipality pays for amenities for citizens. People think it costs more than other programs. When she wanted to go to Redgate, it was very difficult to findinformation, as if it the City wanted to keep it a secret. Shutting down the course would rob future generations. Perhaps the problem is withthe Council. Talked with people throughout the City and nearly all believeit should be kept as a golf course. Need to respect the demand of the people. Our high school golf teams practice there every week.

Carl Hargerspoke about his Twinbrook neighbors who are having trouble of keeping their homes. Redgate is part of this austerity. Now we can’t afford parks when the federal government could bail out banks which sold people homes they can’t afford. The result at our City level is that we say we can’t afford our parks but there’s always enough. We pay more taxes on houses then corporations pay, and that’s where we can get revenue.

Theresa Definoof the West End spoke on the court invalidation of the Beall’s Grant expansion. Luxury apartment buildings are in the cue before Beall’s Grant. Houses are being built and sold to new owners at high prices andthey can send their kids to Beall Elementary. The luxury projects already approved should be removed from the cue because the result has been economic segregation. Complete remarks are here.

John Keppelof Kensington has played golf at Redgate since 1980. Plays full-time are Redgatebecause it’s a challenging course withan excellent tournament program not available at other public courses. Being a member of associations allows players with handicaps to play at the tournament andhe supports the golf course.

Mary Caroline Collette would like the City to consider accessibility when planning and considering renovations including square footage and heavy doors. She also would like to see free access to recreation centers if residents are over 50 or perhaps even free because seniors deteriorate when kept in. The City needs to work on having trips for people who can’t do physical activities. The lottery for trips must be ended if the City wants to attract baby boomers.

Roger Horstspoke about the history of golf. It has always rebounded from every economic downturn. Decisions should not be made during times of duress. The comprehensive review that the state requires every six years has department-wide recommendations including the acquisition of additional park space, which is a difficult task. Redgate was included in the recommendations and the course is ranked at one of top 10 in the area. The golf played represents revenue. Putting 8% of the revenue of a company under “other” as was done for Redgate misleads everybody.

Susan Princespoke as a private West End citizen in support of Redgate. The City must provide recreational facilities to promote participation by all Rockville residents in safe, modern and well-maintained parks and facilities. Discussion has centered on a fiscal gain but rather we should look at how to make Redgatean even better asset to the community. Whether you play or not, it is set aside for recreational purposes for the citizens. Loves the idea of making the snack bar more attractive. No place to sit outside and enjoy. Also adding complimentary winter activities such as cross country rentals and an ice rink should be considered.

David Grossof King Farm supports the Redgate Golf course. On the website, he saw the City boast that we have a golf course and there are probably very few cities which can do this. Redgateis the only activity being required to generate revenue. The other golf courses in Montgomery County offer packages but they aren’t as challenging. Making it more attractive is the way to go.

Eric Hallfrom Chevy Chase makes a choice to play Redgate because of the community andhe’s played with all ages andpeople from aroundthe world. At the other courses, you really don’t find the diversity. It is unique. He single handily helping the economy because he passes the stores and shops on RockvillePike. There are intangibles beyond dollars andcents to the citizens beyond Rockville.

Judy Millerwanted to add her support to the Redgate Course. When sitting in traffic she thought what a good thing it was to have this green space. She wants to make sure we really, really look at it in regards to green space.

Art Stigileof Hungerfordthinks we should start a group to “save taxpayers”. Nowhere in the 19 page Redgatereport do you find the cost to taxpayers. He explained the point in his piece on Rockville Central.By the end of the year Redgate will owe Rockville $2.4 million dollars. Loans to Redgatewill make up 1/6 of the reserve. Instead of being a rainy day fund it’s already been spent on Redgate. He understands the passion for golf and needs a passion for taxpayers.

Joe Jordonchairman of Redgate Advisory Group was overwhelmed because he didn’t know most of the people who showed up and testified in support of Redgate and he wanted to thank them.

Response to Citizen’s Forum

Mr. Gajewski mentioned the possibility of a city-wide referendum for citizens to decide about Redgate.

Mayor Marcuccio wants to look for ways to make Redgate business better rather than sell off the land. She found the idea of the referendum interesting and it could include other programs.

Consent Agenda

The three items on the Consent Agenda were unanimously approved:

A. Contract Award for Temporary Personnel (A clarification was discussed that this is unskilled labor andnot administrative. The contract rate is $12.69 per hour.)

B. Adoption of resolution to petition the State of Maryland to reinstate state shared revenues diverted from municipal governments to fund operations of the state and to provide more diverse revenue raising authority to municipalities.

E. Letter to Columbia Gas Transmission Company (CGT) Regarding Maintenance Protocols for Gas Pipeline Right-of-Way Clearing in Rockville.

Items removed from the Consent Agenda for discussion and approval:

C. Request for Information (RFI) for Adaptive Reuse of King Farm Farmstead was unanimously approved after discussion:

Ms. Newton wanted to know that the community was informed about the decision being made. Burt Hall reported that staff presented to about six board and six residents at one of their association meetings andit was not in the King Farm Chronicle. The general reaction is that this is only an invitation for an expression of ideas to findout if there are any organizations out there wanting to work with the City but the City could do additional notifications. Mr. Pierzchala stated this has always been an RFI. We’ve had community charrettes and the buildings out there underutilized. Mayor Marcuccio wanted to know why the National Park Service information about advertising at least twice was included. Mr. Hall explained they looked to others who do RFIs and since NPS does many they looked at their processes. They use a long advertising period of 60 days. There really isn’t a set of organizations looking for something like this. It is a local historic district. Mr. Pierzchala wondered if there was support to sell it. Mayor Marcuccio would rather test the waters first. Mr. Gajewski is for exploring all options including selling. Mr. Britton would prefer not to include selling the property in the RFI.

D. Recognition for Mr. Carl Henn

Mayor Marcuccio explained that of the eleven options, the one which appealed most to Mrs.Carol Henn was renaming the of the Millenium Trail in his honor. A motion to rename the Millenium Trail the Carl HennTrail was approved unanimously. A proclamation with the design for the sign should be ready for the public meeting on the 27th.

A motion to rename the Outstanding Individual Environmental Achievement Award to be the Carl Henn Outstanding Individual Environmental Achievement Award and presenting Carl’s family with the award posthumously was also approved unanimously.

An Additional Motion on the Zoning Test Amendment was unanimously adopted.It was a clarification not a change to (1) clarify the definition of a buildable lot; (2) establish minimum lot frontage requirements in the larger lot Single Dwelling Unit Residential Zones andMixed-Use (MX) Zones in conjunction with modifying street frontage requirements in Planned Development (PD) Zones; and (3) allow fences up to six feet tall to be approved to replace an existing fence in select PD Zones under certain criteria.

Other Agenda Items

Public Hearings for the Municipal Growth Element (MGE), Draft Water Resources Element, and RedgateGolf Course were held along wi a presentation on the Montgomery College Facilities Master Plan. All of these deserve separate reports due to the complexity and details of the discussion.

Town Center Update by Jenny Kimball

• A hearing will be held on the installation of an ice rink on September 24th. The installation of temporary generators and a place to store a zamboni will be discussed.
• The data on Town Center parking garage use showed it was higher in 2010 than 2009. The last week in July usage went from 50% in 2009 to 72% in 2010. Beginning August 1st selling 100 monthly parking passes to Montgomery County for employees.
• Uncorked had the best year yet with 13 wineries and specialty stores. Over 3,000 people filled Town Square. Merchants noted heavy foot traffic and increased sales. The principal revenue was from sale of glasses resulting in $32,000. Vendors provided all the wine at their cost. No food vendors, so people ate in restaurants. Very close to a self-supporting event.
• September 25th is Jazz Festival and Taste of Town Square.
• The Rooftop nearly 15,000 visitors this season. Carefully monitoring sound with new speakers and no complaints were received in the past month.

The next Mayor and Council meeting is scheduled for September 20th.

Note: Mayor and Council meetings are long and can last into the wee hours of the morning. We can’t cover every decision and discussion but we’d like to provide enough information so readers know what’s happening in our City. After each meeting we will report on appointments and the City Manager’s report. When we can, we describe topics from Citizen’s Forum and report on any votes taken. We invite the community to let us know when we leavesomething out. We also invite anyone speaking during Citizens Forum to send their remarks to us for consideration as Contributor Opinions. Email to: [email protected]. If we miss a vote or leave out a bit of information you think is important, we’d like to know in comments!

Mayor And Council Meeting Recap 8-2-2010

Seal of Rockville

Here is a brief recap of portions of Monday night’s Mayor and Council meeting.

Present: Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio, Councilmembers, Piotr Gajewski, Mark Pierzchala, Bridget Donnell Newton. Absent: Councilmember John Britton.

Mayor Marcuccio opened the meeting with the recognition that “we have lost two of our favorite sons,” referring to Carl Henn and Stephen N. Abrams.

City Manager’s Report

City Manager Scott Ullery delivered the City Manager’s report:

• Gave acknowledgment and thanks for the many City staff on the front lines, responding to the storm damage.
• The long-awaited next-to-last piece by William Cochran is nearly completed. It should be finished this week and installation work will commence immediately. We should see it this Fall. Public Art Review will be devoting a two page spread to that art work.
• National Night Out: Thirty six block parties have contacted the City. Police department will visit all of them. It is an important partnership between neighborhoods and the City.
• Police Chief Terry Treschuck has returned from a meeting with the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, which annually certifies Rockville’s police department. This year, it was easily granted. We met or exceeded 99% of the standards. This is not an easy hurdle, Also received award for 15 years of outstanding work.
• Pierzchala asked about status of investigation of the recent water main breaks. Public Works director Craig Simoneau responded that the City is very near awarding a contract to physically investigate the water main. This work should begin on or about August 16.

Following the City Manager’s report, the Mayor and Council passed a Proclamation for National Night Out, reading it to Susan VanGrack and Tom Miner of College Gardens and Colette Moore of the West End.

The following people were appointed to boards and commissions:

Animal Matters Board

• Kathleen Drake (Reappointment as an alternate member until July 1, 2013)
• Margaret Callaghan (Reappointment as an alternate member until July 1, 2013)

Recreation and Parks Foundation, Inc.

• Joshua Halpern (Appointment as member until July 1, 2013)

Rockville Seniors, Inc.

• Betty Briscoe (Reappointment as Mayor and Council appointment until June 30, 2012)

Citizen’s Forum

Anyone can address Citizen’s Forum. The best way is to call the City Clerk at 240-314-8280 by 4pm, but typically anyone who shows up is allowed to speak. Monday night, people spoke. Here are brief recaps:

Mike Callahan: Asked the Mayor and Council to exercise their “inherent oversight authority” over boards and commissions, especially how the Historic District Commission’s authority is being interpreted. He recommended that the City’s commission’s work should also conform to other jurisdictions (such as county and state). He also asked that more attention be paid to the implications of historic designation on property owners.

Joe Wishengrad: Thanked the Mayor and Council for having Rockville continue running as a “sensible city.”

Ruth Hanessian: Announced that August 12 is the next Science Café, which will be held at Redgate Golf Course to observe the Perseid meteor shower. She also urged the Mayor and Council to consider establishing a new ordinance that would allow the keeping of chickens in our urban environment. She reminded them of Carl Henn’s supportive stance on chickens, which he stated at our most recent candidate forum in 2009. She presented a number of petitions calling for the allowance of up to two pet chickens per household.

Janet Hunt-McCool: Ms. Hunt-McCool, chair of the City’s historic district commission, expressed her support of the move to designate Rockville Park subdivision as an historic district. (See below.)

Art Stigile: Thank you to City staff to make Carl Henn’s memorial service so successful. Continued his questions about Redgate Golf course, skipping straight to his final question.

Brigitta Mullican: Thanked the City for Carl Henn’s memorial service. Also thanked the city for its support of the Rockville Sister Cities Corporation’s programs, which recently reached a peak of 147 members. Finally, spoke about the storm. Twinbrook was hit hard. She called city police and could not get through for upwards of 2 hours. They had a fallen tree that was blocking the road. She learned that City Hall had no power for approximately two and a half hours. Several people called 911 and could not get through, for various problems.

Responses:

Mark Pierzchala: Would be willing to hold a work session with the Historic District Commission.

Bridget Newton: Agreed that a work session with the historic district commission would be a good idea. She attended one recently and had questions about some of the decisions.

Piotr Gajewski: Not sure that oversight is actually what the Mayor and Council can exercise over the historic district commission. (City Attorney Debra Yerg Daniel answered that code changes are possible, but specific oversight over items is not possible). Gajewski said he would “always like to be in the position of following the historic district commission’s advice,” but in the past has had questions about some designations. “There’s a certain level of randomness to the whole process,” he said, and suggested a comprehensive discussion to help provide clarity.

Designation of New City Clerk

The Mayor and Council unanimously appointed Glenda Evans as the new City Clerk. “I thank you all for the confidence you have placed in me,” she said.

Designation of Rockville Park Subdivision as an historic place, placing it on the National Historic Register:

Planning Director Jim Wasilak made the presentation. The designation that is being contemplated does not restrict homeowners from making improvements. Instead, it allows homeowners to apply for tax credits for preservation. Here’s a map of where we are talking about.
View Rockville Park Subdivision in a larger map

The item on the agenda is to begin the public outreach for this possible move.

Piotr Gajewski moved to instruct staff to move ahead. The motion passed unanimously.

Initial Report on Branding Initiative

ROI

The City has contracted with two firms, Return on Investment / Community Retail Catalysts (ROI/CRC) to conduct a comprehensive branding study. (Disclosure: I was a member of the committee that reviewed initial responses to the city’s RFP.) Tonight, the firm presented its initial report on the process.

David Nellis (ROI) and Catherine Timko (CRC) made the presentation. They began with a discussion of what is, and isn’t, a “brand.” Nellis pointed out that a brand is not a logo, slogan, or color palette, though these can be elements of a brand. Instead a brand is the set of ideas that come to mind in the target audience (in Rockville’s case, residents, businesses, and others) when they come into contact with the brand owner. In other words, said Nellis, “It’s like the City’s personality. It resides outside of you, in the minds of the people who encounter your city.”

Catherine Timko discussed how important “place branding” is in today’s environment. This has only been happening since the 1990′s and it is still emerging. There are elements in place branding that are similar to branding of products (like Nike). Place branding seeks to answer:

• What do you want to be known for?
• How do you stand out from a crowd?
• What thoughts and feelings come to mind when you think about Rockville?

Prominent benefits in place branding are that it allows for easy recognition of who you are, and makes it easy to develop a management structure.

Branding takes into account demographic research data, competitive data, and stakeholder qualitative data.

Research recap:

The city of Rockville has no cohesive, prominent brand. All the Day One session participants saw Rockville as occupying a “middle” ground between small town and large, bustling city. Most also accept that Rockville suffers from long-standing perceptions rooted in the past, 25 or 30 years ago. Online surveys returned similar thoughts — “Rockville is a big city with a small town feel.”

Quantitatively,Rockville is affluent, well-educated, and diverse — and is getting more so. Majority of the population is between 25-55, and decidedly well-educated. With the exception of Potomac, Bethesda, and Fairfax, it has the highest education rate. Its median income is over $86,000. Its Internet connection rate is among the highest in the nation. 80% of residents are employed in “white collar” positions. Of the individuals who live in Rockville and work, 90% commute with an average commute of 30 minutes. 25% of those who commute do so using public transportation. This suggests that many frustrations with congestion are not just people coming into Rockville, but also includes people leaving Rockville or going across town.

In terms of business climate, “The life sciences community’s reputation is world class,” said Timko. 10 of the 25 top biosciences companies are headquartered in Rockville. Nellis pointed out that Rockville is the biggest biosciences city north of the Research Triangle.

There was much more in the presentation and I will try to get a hold of it and share it.

From here, ROI / CRC will be developing a comprehensive strategic positioning report (again, I will try to get a copy) and will begin to flesh out recommendations for possible brands. This will be a highly collaborative process and will involve public input.

The report touched off a debate that exposed a number of disagreements when it comes to Rockville’s identity and the purpose of branding, especially what seems to be one of the core tensions between some Rockville residents who are very concerned that its small town feel be maintained, and other residents who see growth coming and want to make sure it happens in a way that is most beneficial.

Councilmember Pierzchala expressed support for the process and praised the report. However, Mayor Marcuccio pointed out that, in her view, the process so far has not reached all segments of the City. “It looks like you might have just talked to business people,” she said. “Who are we trying to appeal to?” Catherine Timko replied that “This effort is not just about attracting business, but it is also about retaining residents. It is important that the people who live here embrace this brand regardless of their . . . status.” Councilmember Pierzchala also replied, pointing out that projections indicate we will grow. “The question is ‘How do we grow well?’ This branding process helps with that.”

Councilmember Newton, weighed in and asked, “Where were the community leaders? I don’t think this represented everyone. . . . 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.”

Councilmember Gajewski expressed concern about the discussion, “and about how we are treating our guests. . . . We [already] voted 4-1 for awarding this contract. The point is, we did award this contract, these folks were tasked to do this job. Our discussion should not be whether we should or should not have awarded this contract.” He continued, “What you presented exactly what I see: That there are many Rockvilles, and everybody seems to know that. My question is, how do you get through the challenge of not polarizing the city as you work through this?”

The next Mayor and Council meeting is scheduled for September 13.

UPDATED 8/4: To correct spelling of Joel Wishengrad.

Mayor And Council Meeting Recap 7-19-10 UPDATED

Update: Correction concerning Piotr Gajewski’s response to Morty Levine in Citizen’s Forum.

Here is a brief recap of portions of Monday night’s Mayor and Council meeting.

Present: Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio, Councilmembers John Britton, Piotr Gajewski, Bridget Newton, Mark Pierzchala.

City Manager’s Report from Scott Ullery

Water transmission repair
A vote was taken to allow the City Manager to appropriate funds in excess of $100,000 for the emergency situation regarding our Rockville’s water supply. The City is currently supplying water through WSSC from various interconnects with their system because the water main, which connects Rockville’s Water Treatment Plant (WTP) to Rockville’s water customers, has been out of service since July 12 due to the water main breaks on July 7th and 12th. While the cause of the breaks is not certain, the City is examining two general areas: 1) the condition of the City’s 24-inch prestressed concrete cylinder pipe (PCCP); and 2) hydraulic surges at the water treatment plant and along the distribution lines. The Department of Public Works will not know how much repairs will wind up costing until an inspection of the pipe is completed. Three sources of money will be used. Some spending will be accelerated and other spending will be redirected to pay for the repairs. Craig Simoneau explained that these are older pipes but they are not at end of their life. Councilmember Pierzchala noted we should not have expected this to happen and don’t know the reason for the failure. The pipes breaking was the first indication of the problem.

Mr. Ullery also announced that hard copies of the adopted operating budget will be available at the Rockville and Twinbrook libraries. The FY11 budget will also be available on the City’s website.

Chamber of Commerce Update by Andrea Jolly
The Chamber is not taking summer off. A brand new website was launched with new sponsors. Businesses can learn about deals, participate in forums, and respond to events. A Mix and Mingle with three minority chambers and 270 Inc. was attended by over 200 people. Members volunteered at Stepping Stone Shelter doing yard work and putting cribs together. The Rockville Rewards program will be coordinated by Jane Meyer who was formerly with Whole Foods Rockville. Restaurant Week planning will be start at an August 9th meeting. Next Tuesday the Chamber will meet with the Environmental Commission about building green.

Citizen’s Forum

Anyone can address Citizen’s Forum. The best way is to call the City Clerk at 240-314-8280 by 4pm, but typically anyone who shows up is allowed to speak. Monday night, people spoke. Here are brief recaps:

Ted Reuther spoke about the notice from the Columbia Gas Transmission Company requiring extensive changes to his property. As 42-year residents, he has always honored the requirements of the transmission company but the extensive pruning and removal of trees on his property not in the right of way exceeds historical management practices. Removal of all the branches of large trees makes trees unsafe. Other approaches can take care of monitoring the pipeline rather than flyovers. The City has been involved with State in addressing large trees in parks where the pipeline crosses. A field agent of Columbia Gas spent hour and half in yard and described their intention to install an electronic detection system that would be placed near the surface of the soil over the pipeline. The system will be better than overhead flights to make visual determinations of dead grass possibly created by a leak. The flyovers don’t work in winter. Now they have in their hands a far better system. He hopes the City will also object to the pruning and removal of trees on our park land.

Dylan Prince spoke to advocate for keeping the Redgate Golf Course open. He learned to play two years ago with family and friends. Now golf is a favorite thing to play with their dads. It’s a good game for kids to learn because it teaches patience and focusing. Redgate is challenging and has lots of wildlife. He is looking forward to turning 16 to apply for a job at the course to get work experience and exercise. He asked for the City to keep it open for residents like him who are looking forward to playing for years to come.

David Prince joked he was at risk of being upstaged by son. He spoke about preserving the Redgate Golf Course for future generations. Since his wife and son play the course benefits his whole family. He wants everyone to consider what will happen if we develop the last large green space. Would we give up Monument Park which is by his house because it is not profitable? This would open up the possibility of putting a condo in his backyard. His suggestions were to implement better business practices like the new point of sale system and to look at ways of improving golf sales and making the restaurant real to attract more people. The practice space could also be improved so golfers don’t have to go to Olney. He thinks we should make it the best golf destination in the area.

Andrea Jolly spoke about 20% set aside for public space to be discussed during the worksession with the Planning Commission. The Chamber is interested in businesses and the City working together to come up with a compromise. They are interested in increasing the tax base not the tax rate. She asked for the Mayor and Council to take the work plan by city staff seriously and change the ordinance.

Morty Levine, President and CEO of Chestnut Lodge properties spoke about their recent request to extend the timing to complete the Ice House so the Blackmores can occupy the residence even though it is not completed. City staff said he would have to file a major site plan application. He would like the date to be the same as is specified on the application for other building permits. If all the meetings with the Planning Commission are required, the family will be out on the street. He can’t believe the zoning law is so inflexible that he can’t have extension.

Mayor Marcuccio asked the staff to respond during Citizen’s Forum. Staff talked to Mr. Levine on Monday and explained the provisions in the approval. Staff can’t change an adopted condition of the plan adopted by the Planning Commission. Susan Swift explained the question is whether it is minor or major. Friday was the staff’s first involvement. She already talked to the attorney and the attorney indicated it was major. They do have another application in front of Planning Commission for garages and architecture for this project and this was not included in that application. Her understanding is that unless there is a way the Planning Commission can include the change on the application it would have to be separate. Councilmember Gajewski suggested they schedule this request for the next meeting and ask the City Attorney and Planning Commission directors if there is any mechanism the Mayor and Council could use to help.

Art Stigile continued with questions about Redgate Golf Course which he has posted on Rockville Central. In his analysis he was generous and only included direct costs, not indirect costs. With indirect costs the subsidy by the City is $24 per round with a fee of $25.50. He asked questions #5 #6 and #7 and promised to come back next week and continue.

Mayor and Council Response

Councilmember Pierzchala asked the staff to respond to Mr. Reuther. The City sent a letter to Columbia Gas Company and spoke with them late last week. The City is having a discussion and requested they provide regular notice of their rights and their practices in maintaining the lines. No one on staff can recall any notices they said they sent out in past. The staff is trying to find what the easement is and what is required to maintain the pipes.

Mayor Marcuccio thanked everyone for speaking and added the young man can carry her clubs anytime.

Consent Agenda
The Mayor and Council approved the three items unanimously. Mayor Marcuccio had a question on the award for banking services and wanted to know the new cost. Finance Director Cohen explained the new cost is $60,000 and old one was $90,000 per year.

Sanitary Sewer System Rehabilitation
$754,233.60 was awarded to Construction of Sanitary Sewer System Rehabilitation AM-Liner East, Inc. of Berryville, Virginia to rehabilitate the sanitary sewer mains and manholes within Woodley Gardens Park and the Lower Cabin John Stream Valley which are in disrepair. Internal investigation found “defects such as cracks in the pipe, broken pipe segments, and root intrusion. These defects allow inflow and infiltration (I&I) of water into the sewer system, inhibit sewer flows, and have caused sewage backups. This project includes rehabilitating a total of approximately 6,000 linear feet of sanitary sewer pipes and 30 manholes via a cured-in-place liner. This rehabilitation method creates a “pipe within a pipe” and does not require any excavation.”

Comprehensive Banking Services contract
A five (5) year contract with an option to extend the contract for an additional five (5) years was awarded to Branch Banking and Trust (BB&T) bank out of Winston Salem, NC. The City’s current banking services provider is Suntrust Bank (formerly Crestar) and the contract expires on December 31, 2010. BB&T’s proposal was ranked #1 by an evaluation committee of four staff members.

Revised Letter to Ride On
The Letter was approved and will be sent to Montgomery College for signature then to Metro. The letter requests a small adjustment to Route 45 to add a loop off of Route 355 onto South Campus Drive to give riders from several Rockville neighborhoods, two Metro stations, and the Fallsgrove Transit Center direct access to the Montgomery College campus. It also requests an increase in the hours of service will allow current users and potential future users to travel to campus later into the evening for evening classes.

Other items of interest:

Possible annexation of property 15955 Frederick Road
Silverwood Investments wants to annex the Reed Brothers Used Car lot next to Carmax into the City of Rockville to build 455 multi-family units backing up to the Shady Grove Metro. The County likes the use but the most recent master plan did not include residential for this property. It would take a year to make the change and they can’t finance the change. During the discussion, the Mayor and Council were amenable to the possibility of building these residences for young, single professionals looking for a walkable environment, so the property owner will go forward with the process for annexation.

The Mayor and Council meeting also included a work session with the Planning Commission on a Zoning Text Amendment concerning public use space and open area percentages. The Amendment is scheduled for a vote at the next meeting. The Mayor and Council also discussed their views on changes to our City Charter and the timing on any action to consider changes.

The next Mayor and Council meeting is scheduled for Monday, August 2, 2010 at 7:00 PM.

Note: Mayor and Council meetings are long and can last into the wee hours of the morning. We can’t cover every decision and discussion but we’d like to provide enough information so readers know what’s happening in our City. After each meeting we will report on appointments and the City Manager’s report. When we can, we describe topics from Citizen’s Forum and report on any votes taken. We invite the community to let us know when we leave something out. We also invite anyone speaking during Citizens Forum to send their remarks to us for consideration as Contributor Opinions. Email to: [email protected]. If we miss a vote or leave out a bit of information you think is important, we’d like to know in comments!

Mayor and Council Meeting Recap, 7-12-2010

Here is a brief recap of portions of >Monday night’s Mayor and Council meeting.

Present: Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio, Councilmembers John Britton, Piotr Gajewski, Mark Pierzchala. Absent: Councilmember Bridget Newton.

City Manager’s Report

• Another water main break. Over the weekend, crews successfully completed major work to repair main transmission water main. But late this afternoon, workers discovered another breach in the line. NO restrictions are in place because the City was able to quickly switch over to WSSC water. (Mayor Marcuccio pointed out that the City’s recent infrastructure improvements did not encompass the six miles of mains in question. City Manager Scott Ullery said there are extensive replacements planned for September.)
• Lakewood pedestrian bridge will be replaced beginning Thursday July 15. Design should be completed this week; hopefully the bridge will be replaced by the time school starts.
• 25^th annual Rockville Rotary Twilight Runfest is Saturday, July 17 at 8:45. Council members John Britton and Piotr Gajewski will start the runners. Councilmember Britton may run the race. This event typically raises $25K for the Rockville Recreation Fund, and $20K for the Rotary Foundation.
• The first rooftop event geared toward seniors is scheduled for July 25 at 7pm. Music of 30’s, 40’s, and 50’s by Night and Day.
• Top 100. For the third time in the last ten years, Rockville has been ranked in the Top 100 Best Places to Live by CNN’s Money Magazine. More than 700 cities were evaluated, and Rockville came in as 31. (Also an Editor’s Pick in US News and World Report, which recently released its 100 best places to live.)

Town Center Update

Selected items:

• The Planning Commission has approved Beall’s Grant timeline extension and Victory Housing site plan.
• Parking garages. Use by hourly parkers continues to be higher than in 2009. (e.g. 73% use vs. 35% in 2009)
• City staff have received two complaints about the volume noise at events at the Rooftop. Such events are monitored at all times to make sure it remains within limits. That said, staff are also looking at changes and are talking with Rooftop management, looking at different speaker configurations and sound attenuation.
• The installation of public art at the corner of N. Washington and Beall Ave. has been delayed. Anticipated installation is now early August.

Citizen’s Forum

Anyone can address Citizen’s Forum. The best way is to call the City Clerk at 240-314-8280 ahead of time (by 4pm), but typically anyone who shows up is allowed to speak. Monday night, four people spoke. Here are brief recaps:

• Stephanie Cromwell, who represents the Rockville Rooftop. They received their first complaint on July 2. She said they take such complaints seriously. They realize it is a hip and urban space but there are residents there too. They have planned a Thursday meeting with city staff to discuss what to do. She reiterated that they take citizen complaints very seriously. This year, 12,780 have come to the Rooftop, and it is early in the season. The Rooftop website gets 400 hits per day.
• Steve Hines. President of RSVP Signature, an event planning company. His company got its start in VisArts, and little did he know he would be coming back to develop a summer jazz series for the rooftop. He praised the wonderful space. His summer jazz festival aims at a 25-65 demographic, is non-alcoholic, and runs from 6-9:30, $20 to get in. The next one is July 14.
• Art Stigile. RedGate advisory committee is supposed to present ideas for solving financial problems of golf course next week. He announced he would be asking ten questions, to be asked bit by bit in series at this and subsequent Mayor and Council meetings. [Note: this was moved to September. We’ve asked him for the exact wording of his questions so we can publish them. Watch for them on Rockville Central.]
• Randy Alton. Thank you for the great response to the Lakewood Bridge replacement. To Gajewski: Looking forward to work with the Rockville Youth Commission. The first meeting is in September, and everything is on track. They will typically be the second Thursday of every month, but the September meeting will be 9/16. Five schools will be represented: Thomas Wooton , RMHS, Walter Johnson, Rockville, and Gaithersburg.

Councilmember Pierzchala urged the Rooftop representatives to “take noise complaints seriously. If it is so loud you can hear it half a mile away, it is too loud to speak on the Rooftop,” he said. Mayor Marcuccio pointed out that, as far as she has heard, “The complaints are not just about noise. It’s the lyrics too, which are very offensive to some, and people worry about their children.”

Culture and Entertainment Plan

Annapolis-based consultant Hollis Minor presented findings on research that was intended to set the stage for developing a cultural and entertainment plan for the City. Her firm’s work (the contract was for $29,500.) focused on gathering information and making preliminary recommendations. Two concrete recommendations included the suggestion that joining Montgomery County Heritage Area would outweigh the costs of doing so, while establishing a City “arts and entertainment district” would likely not be cost effective. (The latter is typically used to revitalize areas that need it, not in cities, like Rockville, that are generally successful.)

The proposed next steps are to move ahead and begin developing a cultural and entertainment plan, at a cost of $29,000.

The report received a tepid response from the Mayor and Council. Councilmember Pierzchala appreciated the preliminary nature of the report, but Councilmembers Gajewski and Britton asked probing questions. Bringing the harshest critique was Mayor Marcuccio. “This was a collection of stuff off the Internet and a few other places,” she said. “You have collected a lot of things, but it is more a justification for going to [the next phase] than something I can work with.”

Councilmember Pierzchala defended the value of the report. “What has been done here is fairly typical,” he said. “This has provided Mayor and Council with a checkpoint. . . . Often when you don’t know much about a particular subject matter, you have to start somewhere. You start with people who know the business. You don’t even know what to ask until you have done this preliminary stuff. They have not represented any conclusions beyond what they have done.”

Councilmember Gajewski asked City staff if they were in favor of moving ahead. Recreation and Parks Department director Burt Hall said they were recommending to move ahead. “This fact finding was done with the idea that the next phase would also be completed.”

Criticism notwithstanding, the motion to move ahead to the next phase was approved 4-0.

Snow Removal

Craig Simoneau, director of public works, was away dealing with a new broken water main. Assistant City Manager Jenny Kimball briefed the Mayor and Council on the City’s response to Snowmageddon (the December 2009 and February 2010 storms).

The report is comprehensive and well worth a read. (Link here.) In addition to the items that the Mayor and Council had to vote on, the report gives a number of actions the City is taking to improve its responsiveness and efficiency in the event of major snowstorms, including better notification, more efficient snowplow routes, and more.

City staff proposes bringing the following to the Mayor and Council for approval before the 2010 - 2011 winter season:

• Comprehensive, multiple award, Master Agreements for the brokering of services related to handling snow storm and other emergency events,
• Amendment to the City Code to allow the City Manager, upon declaration of an emergency and notification of the Mayor and Council, to award contracts up to $500,000,
• Amendments to the City Code to require property owners to clear snow from fire hydrants adjacent to their property and to give property owners 72 hours to clear snow and ice accumulation of more than 10 inches from sidewalks adjacent to their property, and
• Amendment to the snow emergency parking provisions in the City Code.

The Mayor and Council approved these 4-0.

The next Mayor and Council meeting is scheduled for Monday, July 19. It will begin with an executive session at 6:15 and commence public business at 7:00 pm.

Note: Mayor and Council meetings are long and can last into the wee hours of the morning. We can’t cover every decision and discussion but we’d like to provide enough information so readers know what’s happening in our City. After each meeting we will report on appointments and the City Manager’s report. When we can, we describe topics from Citizen’s Forum and report on any votes taken. We invite the community to let us know when we leave something out. We also invite anyone speaking during Citizens Forum to send their remarks to us for consideration as Contributor Opinions. If we miss a vote or leave out a bit of information you think is important, we’d like to know in comments!

City Manager Scott Ullery's Contract Renewed Through 2013

At >last night’s meeting of the Rockville Mayor and Council, city leaders voted to renew City Manager Scott Ullery’s contract for another three years, through December 4, 2013. His current contract expires December 2 of this year.

Ullery joined the City October 25, 2004 and has three-year contract was renewed in December 2007. Prior to joining the City, he was deputy county manager for Santa Barbara County in California and before that was assistant city manager for Tucson, Arizona. (The agenda item on this is here.)

The vote was 3-2 for the contract renewal: Councilmembers John Britton, Piotr Gajewski, and Mark Pierzchala were in favor, while Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio and Councilmember Bridget Newton were opposed.

The next and final step is for the contract to be “executed” (that is, actually signed), which should happen within days.

Mayor And Council Meeting to Include Flag Day Ceremony, Discussion with District 17 Legislators

Today is Flag Day and so it is fitting that, just before tonight’s meeting of the Mayor and Council, the City will hold a >Flag Day ceremony. It’s at 6:00 pm tonight at Mayor and Council chambers. It will include the “History of the Flag” presented by the Washington, D.C. Rockville Elks Lodge #15 and Boy Scout Troop 1450, a Proclamation from the Mayor and Council, and a flag disposal ceremony by American Legion Post 86.

The regular meeting will come right after that at 7:00 pm (here is the agenda). The meeting will include a presentation from District 17 state legislators as well as discussion of the City’s legislative priorities for 2011.

Rockville Mayor and Council to Meet at Lincoln Park Community Center June 7

Continuing their series of meetings held in various locations around the community — an effort I roundly applaud — the Rockville mayor and council will be meeting >Monday, June 7 at the Lincoln Park Community Center. (Yes, the one made famous by Ty Pennington.)

All the info you need is in the City’s release:

The Rockville Mayor and Council will hold the third in a series of meetings in the community aimed at increasing resident participation at 7 p.m. Monday, June 7, at Lincoln Park Community Center, 357 Frederick Ave.

The Mayor and Council held their first meeting in the community on Jan. 25 at Twinbrook Community Recreation Center and their second March 15 at the Rockville Senior Center. The next meeting location after Lincoln Park Community Center has not yet been determined.

All meetings in the community will be televised live on Rockville 11 (cable channel 11). Meetings can also be viewed in real time on the City’s Web site, www.rockvillemd.gov.

For more information about the meetings in the community, call the City Clerk’s Office at 240-314-8280.

Rockville Mayor and Council to Meet at Senior Center March 15

Continuing in their series of community-based meetings, the Rockville Mayor and Cuoncil will be meeting at the >Rockville Senior Center on March 15.

This from the press release:

The Rockville Mayor and Council will hold the second in a series of meetings in the community aimed at increasing resident participation at 7 p.m. Monday, March 15, at Rockville Senior Center, 1150 Carnation Drive.

The Mayor and Council held their first meeting in the community on Jan. 25 at Twinbrook Community Recreation Center. They plan to hold three more meetings in the community this year at various facilities.

All meetings in the community will be televised live on Rockville 11 (cable channel 11). Meetings can also be viewed in real time on the City’s Web site, www.rockvillemd.gov.

For more information about the meetings in the community, call the City Clerk’s Office at 240-314-8280.

Mayor and Council On Pay And Parking Fines

Since I was at part of the >Mayor and Council meeting last night, May 18, 2009, I thought I’d pass along a couple of other decisions.

Pay Raises

Every two years prior to an election, the Compensation Commission is required to meet to discuss any increase to the Mayor and Council’s monetary compensation. The Mayor and Council voted on the recommendations. Although they did not give themselves raises for the next Fiscal Year 2010, they did approve raises for the following Fiscal Years 2011 and 2012. The vote was 4 to 1 with Councilmember Gajewski opposed.

This decision partially rejected and partially confirmed the Compensation Commission’s recommendation for increases in the annual compensation for the Mayor and Councilmembers. The compensation would only be increased if there is a positive change in the Washington - Baltimore metropolitan area CPI-U for the twelve months preceding the previous November. Councilmember Britton clarified the decision could be re-evaluated in the future.

Town Center Parking Garage Fines

The Mayor and Council amend Section 23-22 entitled “Notice of violation; payment of penalty; failure to pay penalty; issuance of summons” to reduce the fines for expired parking meters/stalls located in City-owned parking garages in the Town Center with a vote of 3 to 2. Mayor Hoffmann and Councilmembers Robbins & Britton were in favor. Councilmembers Gajewski and Marcuccio were opposed. The fine will be lowered from $40 to $12 per ticket. About six tickets are issued per day.

Councilmember Gajewski pointed out that it will cost more to issue the tickets than what the City will get in fines and $40 is equitable to the rest of the County. Councilmember Marcuccio agreed that the fine is $40 elsewhere and she could not agree to lowering it in Town Center. The stated goal for the change is to provide “a customer-friendly retail and residential environment in the Town Center”.

Personally, when I was 15 minutes late returning to the car after lunch with a friend, we had a ticket. We all lose track of time, but you can’t in Town Center. Now I always overpay an hour to avoid this situation.

Big Doings At The Next Mayor And Council Meeting

>

Mayor And Council Snapshots (2-09-2009)

Last night I had the chance to attend part of the Mayor and Council meetings. Our Fair City’s leaders outlasted me, but here are a few odds and ends:>

• It was a capacity crowd for Citizens Forum, with people spilling our into the hallway, as there were a few hot button issues in the air.

• Many speakers rose to support the Redgate Golf Course. Late last month, in executive session, the Mayor and Council instructed the City Manager to explore with the Montgomery County Revenue Authority the possibility of their leasing from the City the popular but money-losing golf course. Many speakers last night were concerned that this in some way indicated the demise of the course, and wanted to defend it. Other speakers were concerned that the Revenue Authority would not run Redgate in the same neighborly, friendly, professional way that it is now. Some pointed out that of the public courses in the area, it is one of the few (only?) that holds tournaments. Finally, other speakers protested what they saw as secrecy about this episode. Members of the Mayor and Council pointed out that this exploratory move was just a first step and that there would definitely include public input — and, far from being the first step in closing the course, was actually a move to make sure the facility remains open. They also pointed out that, contrary to some community perceptions, no Redgate employees had been terminated. Finally, and this is just my impression, I did note that the depth of support did appear to move members of the Mayor and Council, and that it appeared that some of the arguments (especially the one that Redgate is operated in a superior fashion to other local public courses) seemed to hold weight.
• Another big item on people’s minds was the fact that, since Montgomery College has recently shifted to being a “tobacco-free” campus, college students have begun to congregate in the surrounding neighborhood in order to smoke, Princeton Place in particular because there is a gap in the College’s fence there. The residents have complained (they say it’s not just smoking and hanging out but includes less savory behaviors too) and the City has tried to press the campus to create smoking zones on campus so that students do not spill out into the neighborhood. To date, the college has held firm on its policy and is instead suggesting the fence gap be closed. There’s a wrinkle with that: the independent Planning Commission has required that the fence remain open. The College plans to go before the Planning Commission on Wednesday to ask for a variance to close the fence. (While closing the fence might alleviate the loitering issue, some residents are opposed to closing the fence as it has become an important cut-through for bikers and pedestrians alike). The Mayor and Council voted to take a few more steps in terms of pressuring the college (writing a letter, exploring alternatives) but the main question is what will the Planning Commission do. If they allow the fence to be closed, in the words of one council member: “the issue will go away.”
• On the agenda was a request from the Superfresh grocery folks (A&P, the parent company) for a letter in support of their request to the County alcohol board to establish a beer and wine section intheir yet-undeveloped store in Town Square. The city manager regarded this as good news, as it is a concrete signal that Superfresh really is planning on moving forward and putting a store in. One question was raised that this new beer and wine shop might take away from other similar businesses in town, but a representative of the landlord (Federal Realty Investment Trust) said they did not anticipate this to be an issue. The Mayor and Council voted 4-1 (if my notes are correct) to support the letter.
• On the agenda was also a worksession to discuss the Twinbrook Neighborhood Plan, which will guide future planning efforts. Alas, I gave out at this point and had to go home. I hope readers who were there and who have knowledge of this piece will write in and add to the conversation!

OK, that’s all for now. As always, if I got something wrong, please let me know. These are just one person’s notes. And do add your voice in the comments section.