Mayor And Council Meeting 2-14-2011 [UPDATED]

Last night, the Mayor and Council of Our Fair City met, and, as always, Rockville Central listened in to give you a rundown of some of the highlights.

It was a very light meeting last night, and was over early!

Bear in mind these are just from notes. If you have corrections or suggestions, please make them in the comments.

City Manager’s Report

City Manager Scott Ullery kicked off with his report:

• Gave an update from last week’s Montgomery County Public Schools agreement. Had an encouraging conference call, interacted with Mr. Song at MCPS. Were given a good indication that if they show good progress, there “would be no reason to legislate in this matter.”
• Passed 1,000 work orders from residents and business generated just as a result of the January 26 snowstorm.

Rockville Economic Development, Inc.

REDI gave a quick update on recent activities, including this tidbit: Sally Sternbach reported that Rockville’s annual Business Appreciation week is fast approaching, March 7 through 11. Currently scheduling visits to Rockville companies.

Zoning Text Amendment

The Mayor and Council approved beginning the public process to consider an omnibus zoning text amendment that would make mostly technical changes to the zoning ordinance, including questions of what consitutes a “dwelling unit.”

The approval is not for the text amendment per se, but for the public process to begin. The next step is a Planning Commission hearing on the proposal on April 13. Go here for more information.

Finance And Budget Task Force Worksession

This from the agenda item:

In response to community concerns, the Mayor and Council established a Finance and Budget Task Force on December 14, 2009, to be chaired by Councilmember Mark Pierzchala. The purpose of the Finance and Budget Task Force is to assist with defining tools and procedures for Mayor and Council and the City’s Staff to formulate the City’s annual budget of approximately $100M. The Task Force was charged with three technical goals: (1) review Rockville’s Financial Management Policies; (2) review Rockville’s budget process, and (3) review the budget book, especially the presentation of budget data. The Task Force would make positive recommendations to City Staff and Mayor and Council. . . . The Finance and Budget Task Force Report was presented to the Mayor and Council on September 20, 2010. The City Manager was directed to respond to the report with the “level of effort” required to address each Task Force recommendation.

The full report of the Task Force is here. City staff were asked to respond to the 58 recommendations, and wrote a memo available here.

The recommendations represent, in Councilmember Pierzchala’s words, “evolutionary change.” He developed a very helpful slide presentation to step his colleagues through the key elements of the recommendations. This worksession was highly technical and I was astounded (and impressed) at the dedication of our Mayor and Councilmembers in sticking with it so intently. The best way to get a sense of the worksession is probably to look at Councilmember Pierzchala’s slide deck and I have asked him for a copy. As soon as I get it I will post it here. [UPDATE: Here it is.]

The next meeting of the Mayor and Council is set for February 28.

Get Into It: Mayor And Council Recap (Jan. 24, 2011) — UPDATED

[Note: This article contains several updates, indicated throughout, as people have sent in corrections to quotations.]

Every week, we at Rockville Central tune into the Mayor and Council meeting and let you know what the highlights were. Here’s what jumped out at me from last night’s meeting. (Note that it is NOT the whole meeting, just what seemed most noteworthy.)

First off, City Manager Scott Ullery had little to report in his allotted time. He turned the microphone over to Assistant City Manager Jenny Kimball who gave an update on the court house.

You might have noticed there is a new screen that’s been installed to cut down on death ray. It’s a temporary measure, there will be a permanent fix later. Building to be occupied in April 2011. Rockville has been preparing — making sure people can reach the court house and know where to park. This includes on-street signage and walking maps for people who have already parked. City staff have also given thought to protecting neighborhood from inappropriate parking, making sure there is restricted parking, etc. Finally, pedestrian safety: Installing signs warning drivers of pedestrians, and changing traffic signal timing so pedestrians have extra time to cross street before any vehicle gets a green light. The state has agree to put “no stopping” signs in front of the court house.

There was a quick recognition of major donors to Rockville’s annual Holiday Drive. Go here to see the list (it’s long and pdf, otherwise I’d just paste it here).

Citizens Forum

• Joe Jordan: Spoke about Agenda Item #13 (see below). Believes Scott Ullery should have not let the issue come to this point. Feels the issue is relevant, as he is the one who feels maligned. Disappointed that it was thought he had not met his obligations as chair of the RedGate task force (by not forwarding the National Golf Foundation report, though he had in fact done so). [UPDATE: Mr. Jordan's actual words were: ""I am the person said to have been 'maligned' by Mr. Ullery." He didn't actually say he WAS "maligned."] [UPDATE 2: Here is the full text of his prepared talk.]
• John Moser: Spoke in memory of Bill Hanna. Brought to mind his efforts at replacing the photo collage of Rockville’s mayors that used to be in the City Hall.
• Margaret Hadley: Expressed her concern over the city’s water main system. Has experienced four water main breaks recently (lives on Harrison Street). The most recent break has been running for four days.
• Donald Hadley: Amplified what his wife (Margaret) said.
• Robin Parks: Representing Bean Bag Catering Company and spoke about the Rockville Rewards program, which supports local nonprofits.
• Alice Von Saunder: Spoke against the use of City funds to “rebrand” Rockville.
• Susan Prince: Spoke as president of WECA about the City branding project. WECA feels that none of the options are winners and that the cost of implementing the campaign would be superfluous — and that the project should be abandoned.
• Mike Callahan: Spoke in favor of Scott Ullery’s professionalism.
• Victoria McMullen: Has read the Ullery emails and believes Mr. Jordan was indeed maligned and that this should be brought up in public.

Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio invited City Director of Public Works Craig Simoneau to respond on the water main issue, and he reported that there have been 46 water main breaks this season and Rockville is on track for a record. And — that the repairs now being made will last the life of the pipe, and they will assess the particular stretch of pipe to see if it should be moved up in the replacement process.

Final Recommendations: City Logo and Tagline

As you know, Rockville has been working with consultants (ROI/CRC) to develop, decide on, and implement a new logo and tagline for the City. (Here’s what I think. Here’s what Cindy thinks.) Since that time, the City has been seeking feedback from the community on the ideas, and tallying it.

The City received 200 responses — here are all the tabulated ones from the online survey.

The consultants’ recommendations is:

• The World Class City That Feels Like Home

Here is how the online voting went:

• The World Class City That Feels Like Home - 61 (30%)
• Find The Good Life In a Great City - 48 (24%)
• Get Into It - 35 (17%)
• No choice made - 60 (29%)

So, the winner beat None of the Above by one vote.

One key discussion of the Mayor and Council centered in implementation. ROI suggests that implementation could be phased in over time and that there are ways of finding money in the communications budget (for instance, by distributing Rockville Reports through the Gazette).

Councilmember Mark Pierzchala thanked the consultants for their hard work and said he thought the initial contract of $75,000 was money well spent, if only for the intelligence gathered. He expressed support for changing “The World Class City” to “A World Class City.” He also said that the implementation of a new brand is not a slippery slope — that the budget moving forward would reflect what is appropriate and what is doable. He had tried to get $10,000 into the budget for communications and that died. “We’re not going to spend a lot of money on this,” he said.

Councilmember John Britton expressed his continued support of #3 (Get Into It) because it is fresh.

Councilmember Bridget Donnell Newton pointed out that she thought the process is not complete. “I would have thought that after you got input from citizens that you would go back to the drawing board and tweak a few things,” she said.

Councilmember Piotr Gajewski expressed agreement with Councilmember Newton that it is not worth spending “up to $500,000″ implementing a new brand. However, using existing money is acceptable. While he feels that too much emphasis is placed on the tag line, he expressed support for “Get Into It,” though he likes the first one too.

Mayor Marcuccio said “I frankly think we have spent enough money on this. I don’t see a point in spending any more. . . . Rockville has gotten to the state it is in without a branding and without a logo. . . . This notion that we have to sell ourselves is just a marketing technique.”

The winner: Click for full size

The Mayor and Council first voted on whether or not to have a logo and tagline at all. That motion passed 3-2 (Britton, Gajewski, Pierzchala voted in favor, and Marcuccio and Newton voted against).

The Mayor and Council next voted on which logo and tagline to go with. After some discussion, Counclimember Britton moved to go with #3 (Get Into It) and this passed 3-2 (B,G,P to M,N).

The winner is:

Get Into It with the “R” logo.

Councilmember Pierzchala said, “The dark horse won.”

Action On Staff Misconduct Allegation By A Councilmember

This issue stems from an exchange relating to the National Golf Foundation report. (I confess I have not understood every bit of how it has unfolded. In my description below, I am trying to be as clear as possible — if I make a mistake, please feel free to correct in the comments.)

A citizen complained that it appeared that the Gazette had had the report before it was posted for public viewing. In an email to the citizen, City Manager Scott Ullery explained that he had released the report to the Mayor and Council and unfortunately a software problem had prevented it from being posted timely on the City’s website. Ullery said he had received a request from the press for the report and, as he had already shared the report with the Mayor and Council, complied. He also said he had shared the report with Joe Jordan, chair of the RedGate Advisory Committee, and had expected he might share it with the Committee. He also said he had sent hard copy to the Committee. Ullery evidently believed the citizen (who was a member of the Committee) had not received a copy of the report from Mr. Jordan. This was not true, as Jordan had forwarded the report.

Here is the key element in Mr. Ullery’s email: “As a member of the Redgate Advisory Group, it is especially regrettable that you’ve not had access to the report. I’d expected that would be accomplished by the electronic copy that Mr. Hall sent to Mr. Jordan on Monday (and the hard copies that I believe followed the next day).” (Here is the full email trail - PDF.)

The citizen felt that Ullery’s email maligned Jordan, and called it unprofessional. At a recent Council meeting, Councilmember Bridget Donnell Newton expressed concern about this email and Ullery’s “very unprofessional” actions. (Here is what she said.)

Some of this has featured in a recent comment thread on Rockville Central available here.

Because the Mayor and Council is the “boss” of the City Manager, Councilmember Piotr Gajewski brought this exchange up and asked Ms. Newton to clarify and called on her to apologize if there was no maligning. He said his rationale is that, if an employee that the Mayor and Council manages has acted unprofessionally, they may need to take managerial action. If the allegation is wrong, then the issue should be clarified publicly. Councilmembers Mark Pierzchala and John Britton voted to place the item on tonight’s agenda, over the objection of Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio, who strongly urged that the discussion take place in executive session.

Last night, as this agenda item came up, Mayor Marcuccio asked Scott Ullery whether he consented to have the matter brought up in public session, and he said he consented.

Councilmember Gajewski then introduced the agenda item: “When it comes to interaction with our staff, and the people we supervise directly, it becomes the council’s business. When anyone of us in an open meeting makes an allegation about someone we supervise, I think it behooves this body to discuss the issue and make findings.” He moved as follows: “The council finds that the allegation that the city manager maligned a citizen in an email to another citizen is not supported by facts and the council disassociates itself from this.”

Councilmember Newton read prepared remarks (which went into detail and which I found very helpful in explaining her position on the issue): “I am not the person who alleged staff misconduct. That choice of words comes straight from Mr. Gajewski. . . . This agenda item is an attempt to discredit me. . . . We are only responsible for the decisions we make by vote, not for our opinions that we may express.” [UPDATE: Ms. Newton's quote was: "We are only responsible as an 'associated group' for the decisions we make by vote. Not the individual comments we should all feel comfortable and free to express."]

[Another UPDATE: Ms. Newton also brought photocopies of the email trails related to this issue, adding more context. The City has made them available as a public record of the meeting, but not online. They are posted here. Thank you to reader Theresa Defino for forwarding them to us.]

The motion to “disassociate” passed 3-2 (B, G, P to M, N).

I have asked Ms. Newton for her remarks and will post them in full if she shares them. For that matter, I encourage all who were a part of this controversy to share whatever documents they would like to, or add to the comments. [UPDATE: She has shared her comments and they are here.]

[Another UPDATE: Ms. Newton passed along a transcription of the portion of her remarks that was not written down ahead of time and asked if we would post it. Here is is: "I am VERY disappointed that the handling of a letter, an email that came from a citizen to you Mr. Ullery, um, concerned about the public dispersement of the report, um, another citizen was then maligned in that email - and the gentleman emailed you back and straightened it out but it is very unfortunate and very unprofessional and I was very disappointed that once again we had a chance to do this right with this report and we didn't do it. And it wasn't until Wednesday of last week - actually Thursday as a Mr. Jordan pointed out that it finally got out to the public and I think that's really too bad."]

The next meeting of the Mayor and Council is scheduled for February 7. [Thank you to Councilmember Newton for pointing out the previous incorrect date.]

Elections, Budget, Annexations And A Councilmember’s Allegation

Since last year, we’ve strived to let our readers know what happened at the Mayor and Council meetings. Here’s what caught my attention last night.

A moment of silence was observed for former Mayor Bill Hanna.

City Manager’s Report
Scott Ullery urged businesses and residents to take a questionnaire from County Executive Ike Leggett on PEPCO’s reliability which are at the links provided.

Another quick link from Citizens Forum
Have you met the Rockville Bike 150 Challenge for 2010? Then email [email protected] and let the Bike Advisory Committee know, so you can be recognized at a future Mayor and Council meeting. Forty people have already reported that they met the 150 mile challenge but there must be plenty of others out there. Do you bike to school or work? Add up your miles!

The Consent Agenda items were passed unanimously.

• Rockville Pedestrian Access Project went to the sole bidder, Midasco, LLC to install compliant sidewalk ramps for $185,555 with non-visual formats (audible tones, verbal messages, tactile surfaces on pushbuttons, and vibrating pushbuttons) at three (3) City owned traffic signals: East Jefferson Street at Halpine Road, Redland Boulevard and Gaither Road, and West Gude Drive and Research Boulevard. These three are in addition to the eleven already approved in the City this fiscal year.
• Authorized the change in zoning at 540 Beall Avenue. The Historic District Commission voted unanimously to recommend the change, and the property owner nominated the property and supports the designation for the home built by Henry Copp which sits across from the High Style Victorian home that he built for himself. Together, these two homes on opposite sides of Beall Avenue provide a snapshot of early and late Victorian homes in Rockville.

Elections
The Worksession with the City of Rockville Board of Supervisors of Elections brings no change to the campaign finance reporting for the City elections. After discussing the 2009 election process with candidates and their treasurers, the Board suggested amending Chapter 8 to make clear that only the candidate or the treasurer need to sign the Report, not both. Councilmembers Pierzchala, Britton, and Gajewski were concerned that a candidate would claim they did not know what was in a report. Councilmember Newton explained the origins of the concern since she was unaware of the filing date and her treasurer was out of the country during the last election and could not submit the documents in person. Electronic signatures would be cost prohibitive. After consideration, the Mayor and Council decided not to implement a change.

Corridor City Transitway (CCT)
During both Citizens Forum and the meeting, the CCT discussion was lengthy as our elected officials attempted to decide on their current position during the approval process for this major transit initiative.

Budget Preview PART III
The very long list of principles were read. These were developed based on the budget priorities and preferences that the Mayor and Council communicated to the City Manager at the first two budget previews, and through the FY 2012 budget surveys. The survey tool was based on requests made by the Mayor and Council and the Finance and Budget Task Force to “provide the Mayor and Council with more information during the process, display more options and choices, better articulate what is discretionary versus nondiscretionary spending, and ensure that the Mayor and Council are solely responsible for setting policy.”

During this review the Mayor and Council were to notify staff of any suggestions or changes they would like to see to the budget process or the proposed budget calendar.

After the review, Mayor Marcuccio stated she would not be voting for the principles. She expressed concern that when the budget figures came out, she would be told that since she supported the principles then she should support the budget. She added that she thought her colleagues would approve them.

Councilmember Gajewski said that he wanted to agree with her, so could she propose a different way of giving the staff direction. She offered no suggestion.

Councilmember Newton then asked if the principals could be looked at as guidelines.

Councilmember Pierzchala explained that this should be a starting point. Councilmember Gajewski stated that we could refer to them as guidelines and as a great starting point, but he didn’t agree with every item on the list as well.

A motion was unanimously approved changing the name to guidelines, then the guidelines were unanimously approved.

Rockville Might Be Getting Larger

During the 2009 Maryland Legislative Session, new legislation was passed (Senate Bill 350 and House Bill 220) that allows a city to annex properties which straddle city boundaries by being partially within and partially outside of a city. Cities may initiate annexation without needing to follow all of the normal provisions regarding obtaining the consent from property owners.

So are there any properties the City can take without the consent of the owners?

Eleven residential parcels in the Twinbrook neighborhood straddle the City boundary:
5703 and 5611 Halpine Road
12900, 12902, 12904 and 12906 Twinbrook Parkway
5629, 5627, 5624, 5622, and 5620 Pier Drive.

City’s primary incentives for annexation of the Twinbrook parcels is “housekeeping” because it would allow the City boundary line to follow established property lines. There would be long-term fiscal benefits to annexation because currently they do not pay City property taxes. City would be responsible for all surveying costs which would come out of the City Manager’s discretionary fund. Staff anticipates that the additional property taxes will repay these costs within 3-4 years.

1300 East Gude Drive also straddles the City/County boundary. The address actually consists of two parcels, both of which straddle the City/County boundary (and have the same owner) and a third parcel, 14803 Southlawn Lane, is also part of this ownership and business, but is entirely in the County. For multiple reasons staff does not recommend annexing 1300 East Gude Drive using the 2009 State legislation but especially because BP Associates, the ownership group for these parcels, has approached City staff about its interest in submitting a request for all of the properties to be annexed in accordance with the standard annexation procedures, including the property that is entirely outside of Rockville boundaries.

Staff would explain to property owners that the City intends to use its authority to annex the properties then provide a description of benefits of being in the City limits such as voting in city elections, a reduced rate for recreation program, etc. If the City pursues annexation, there would be hearings and owners might not want to come into the City.

Councilmember Gajewski made a motion to give staff direction to move forward with pursuit of annexation then Councilmember Pierzchala seconded and it passed unanimously.

Future Agendas

Councilmember Gajewski asked that the serious allegation against the City Manager made in an email exchange by Councilmember Newton to be put on next week’s Agenda. Councilmember Britton stated he was fine with putting it on the Agenda. Mayor Marcuccio did not think it needed to be on the Agenda and it should be forgotten. Councilmember Pierzchala said having a councilmember use such language is of concern to him.

Councilmember Gajewski said a dart was thrown at the City Manager and the Mayor and Council supervise the City Manager. The Mayor then said “I wish we did.” Mayor Marcuccio then expressed a desire to raise it in an executive session.

Councilmember Pierzchala explained that when they have discussions at meetings it demoralizes city staff because their job is to take notes and they can’t respond.

Councilmember Gajewski appealed to Councilmember Newton to apologize to the City Manager. Councilmember Newton said nothing during the discussion. The item was added to next week’s Agenda.

The meeting was then adjourned at 11:20.

Redgate, Rockville Pike Feature In First Mayor And Council Meeting Of The Year

After a winter hiatus, Our Fair City’s Mayor and Council is back on schedule for Monday night meetings, and Rockville Central was (as always) virtually on hand to give you the important details. Here is a recap of highlights from last night’s meeting.

City Manager’s Report

Instead of City Manager Scott Ullery, Craig Simoneau gave an update on a new program for marking fire hydrants. Large red and white stalks are already attached to about 125 hydrants and 150 more are on tap. There are 1,370 hydrants in City, and it is likely that they will be deployed throughout the city.

Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio took this time to ask a few questions. First, she reported that she asked the City Clerk to verify that Rockville is still #2 in the state of Maryland in terms of population. Second, she asked for an update on a Montgomery County Public Schools meeting between Scott Ullery and City Planner Susan Swift relating to the portables issue. He reported that they made good progress toward an agreement.

She also asked Mr. Ullery to give a quick synopsis of a tax issue related to Woodmont Country Club. Mr. Ullery reported that Woodmont has been paying a lower tax rate based on an annexation agreement that ends in 2014. The City also found some parcels in King Farm that had not been placed into the correct tax category and “as a result for four or five years in a significant way have been in the wrong tax rate, a much lower tax rate.” That has been corrected moving forward but the City Attorney has advised that there is no way to collect the back taxes.

Chamber of Commerce Update

Andrea Jolly, director of the Rockville Chamber of Commerce gave an update on Rockville Rewards. 61 businesses have signed up for this effort, which is signing new businesses every day, and nonprofits are raising significant amounts of money. She also reported that the Chamber has established a committee to look at the City’s sign regulation, in conjunction with City staff. Councilwoman Bridget Newton asked that the task force make sure to coordinate with the City’s signage commission.

Appointments and Reappointments

This week’s appointments:

Cultural Arts Commission

• Abe Brown, III (Appointment as member until January 1, 2013)
• LiLiane Blom (Appointment as member until January 1, 2013)

Recreation and Parks Advisory Board

• Vincent “Chip” Boylan (Reappointment as member until January 1, 2013)

Traffic and Transportation Commission

• Mallory Duquesne (Appointment as member until January 1, 2013)

Citizen’s Forum

Anyone may speak at Citizen’s Forum. The best way to do this is to call ahead to the City Clerk’s Office at 240-314-8280 by 4:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting. However, even if you don’t call the Mayor typically allows all who wish to speak and who are present to do so. You can speak on anything you wish, for up to three minutes. (In the notes below, I may have spoelled some names wrong.)

• Maynard Moore: Spoke about concern about an “imbalance” at playgrounds when it comes to accessibility for people in wheelchairs and other disabilities.
• Charles Segerman: CEO of Clean Currents, the Mid-Atlantic’s leading clean energy company, located in downtown Rockville. Spoke in favor of a proposed green building tax incentive plan.
• Joe Jordan: Spoke as chairman of the RedGate Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee had suggested that the City improve its public information execution. A first draft of the NGF report was received on December 19, but Advisory Committee members were not allowed to see the report. Later, the report was released to the press three days before it was released to the public.
• Anne Goodman: Also spoke on RedGate. She supports maintaining RedGate as a golf course, and expressed concern over the environmental effects of other possible uses.
• Mike Rabkin: Spoke on ways he had thought of that would save the City money. For example, Rockville Reports costs approximately $84,000 per year — he suggested setting the default delivery mechanism as email (while still preserving the ability for residents to choose to receive a copy in the mail).
• Susan Prince: Spoke on the NGF RedGate study. A supporter of the golf course, and expressed dismay that the report was released to the press before it was provided to the public. Also expressed concern over staff receiving a first draft. As to substance of the report: Pointed out that the report exposes serious problems in how the course has been managed at a senior management level. When it comes to suggesting what to do about this situation, she feels the report falls far short, providing only two options that do not address the underlying problems.
• Alice Von Saunder: Expressed desire for a similar study to the RedGate one to be applied across all recreation facilities in Rockville, especially the Swim Center and the Senior Center.

National Golf Foundation Report

The new report by nonprofit golf consultants the National Golf Foundation that was kicked off at a Mayor and Council meeting last September was formally presented to the Mayor and Council (see the report here).

Recreation and Parks Director Burt Hall introduced Richard Singer of the National Golf Foundation, who gave a presentation on the report.

Go here to see a full recap of that presentation — it was an extensive discussion.

Here is the key finding according to Singer: “I have to say that this is one of the highest overall expense structures I have ever seen in 20 years,” he said. “That in and of itself is the issue with RedGate. That is especially true in terms of personnel costs, but we did not see those direct costs to be out of line.”

Singer said that, even if every idea were implemented and successful, the course would still be short in terms of its ability to meet expenses. “Even if you get a couple of good years,” he said, “you might be back where you started in three to five years.”

The NGF’s best recommendation, he said, is to privatize the course so as to both control expenses and grow revenue. He recognizes this could be problematic when it comes to staff and good will.

Rockville Pike Plan

Rockville's Pike: Envision a Great Place

David Levy, Chief of Long Range Planning, introduced the Draft Plan For The Rockville Pike Corridor. This draft is the official draft for the Planning Commission, which will consider it at their meeting on March 9 at 7pm. The purpose of this presentation is to provide key information, provide an understanding of how the public can comment, and to provide an overview of the document.

This part of the meeting was a joint meeting between the Mayor and Council and the Planning Commission.

The document was released on December 29. Tonight (1/10) is the presentation. On Tuesday night (1/11) there is a presentation. (See this article for more on the schedule and for links to the plan.)

Editor Cindy Cotte Griffiths has been following the Pike Plan very closely, and all her Rockville central coverage is collected here.

ACP Visioning and Planning was the consulting company that implemented and drove the public visioning process. Gianni Longo from ACP presented the plan itself.

“The time we have taken has been time well spent,” he said, “as we have been able to develop a vision from the community about what they want the Pike to become.”

More from Mr. Longo:

The group wanted a plan that reflects the vision of the community, and tried to determine what is the full potential of the Pike?

This is a timely plan, and extension of the 1989 plan. But there are a number of considerations. Traffic congestion along the Pike is likely to get worse. Second, city traffic standards for development are going to inhibit further development. Third, the Pike needs redevelopment to stay economically competitive in the region.

But, traffic conditions along the Pike impede redevelopment. We are at the intersection of Rock Drive and Hard Place.

The biggest difference is to create a shift from private automobiles to transit, walking, and use of the bicycle.

The key element is the creation of a “multi-way boulevard.” This is a time-tested way to address transportation and creating a great place, in use in many of the world’s major cities as well as places throughout the U.S. (K Street in DC is an example.)

The basic idea keeps the same size of the existing Pike. It adds access lanes to either side, with two traffic lanes, ample sidewalks, and a lane that is shared by bike and transit. So the middle section has vehicles only, for through traffic, and the access lanes are mixed. This also brings sidewalk businesses closer to the traffic that is actually liable to stop.

Two key issues we focused on was safety (especially pedestrian safety) and transit service.

The main land use recommendation is to make the Pike walkable by moving the buildings closer to the road. A second recommendation is to create a situation where there is a variety of heights.

There is a problem with moving forward however. Given only already-approved development, the City’s existing development requirements will not allow redevelopment without taking remedial actions to increase capacity of the Pike.

Overall, the key recommendations are:

• Adopt the Plan
• Create a tool to support quality development over time
• Implement congestion management strategies
• Partner with property owners

Mr. Longo’s presentation started late and ran into the wee hours. The questions back and forth caused him to miss the last train! That got a few chuckles, and the City’s chief of planning David Levy promised to get him home.

The next meeting of the Mayor and Council is TUESDAY, January 18.

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

Artwork model from Deirdre Saunder

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

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

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

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

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

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

Consent Agenda

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

Here are the items:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Budget Hearing Draws Testimony (Mayor and Council Recap, December 6, 2010)

As always, when Rockville’s Mayor and Council meet, we try our best to provide a useful recap of the key points.

This week’s meeting (December 6) featured the introduction of next year’s budget . . . and a public hearing on same.

We don’t cover every last blow-by-blow, we just try to hit the highlights. If we omit something you think should be included, please consider writing up a quick note about and submit it to [email protected].

The meeting began with a brief foray into executive session to discuss the annual performance evaluation of City Manager Scott Ullery. Really and truly, it was brief: about 6 minutes.

City Manager’s Report

• Last week we learned that Moody’s and S&P reaffirmed City’s AAA bond rating. The rating agencies cited strong local economic base. Formal financial management policies and conservative principles, and the financial reserve.
• The city has received notice today that Beall Elementary capacity feasibility study is being launched by the school district. There will be a series of four meetings upcoming starting on December 16 at 7pm. (the next meetings will be on 1/6, 1/20, 2/10). The City will publicize the information as it comes in from the school board.
• Noted that there has been recent interest in the issue of traffic and transportation commission’s decision on permit parking at King Farm – the right time would be to take this issue up and act within 30 business days (by January 18, which would mean it could be taken up at the January 10 meeting). Evidently, Ingleside had requested a permit parking area, but the commission denied it.

Appointments

• Board of Appeals: Stephen Ravas (Appointment as member through December 1, 2013)
• Board of Supervisors of Elections: David Celeste (Reappointment as Chair through December 1, 2011)
• Cable Communications Advisory Committee: Theola Poole (Appointment as member until November 30, 2012)
• Environment Commission: Kris Dighe (Reappointment as Chair until December 1, 2011)

Citizens Forum

Anyone can speak at Citizens Forum. The best way is to call ahead at 240-314-8280, but typically if you just show up you can speak too. If you speak, please consider sharing your remarks with Rockville Central so we can consider publishing them in full.

• Jeremy Martin: Speaking on behalf of Traffic and Transportation Commission. Three recent fatalities on Rockville Pike make it clear pedestrian safety is a life or death issue. Commission feels these acutely. Many factors contributed to the fatalities, and many have been improved. But we need to avoid the next fatality. Motorists should keep an eye out and report problems. Also need to ensure pedestrian safety projects are adequately funded. Second issue is neighborhood connectivity. Unfortunately have not been successful in this area. Commission offers its assistance in addressing this issue.
• Steve Koeppler: Speak in support of green tax incentives for commercial buildings.
• Carrie Clabunde: On behalf of Rockville Advisory Bike Committee, spomke about plans for a 2011 Carl Henn Memorial Bike Ride. A community garden loop route that starts and ends at farmer’s market, 10-12 miles in length. July 23 or July 30.
• Spencer Isko: Spoke on behalf of the Bicycle Advisory Committee about bicyclist and motorist education.
• David Berrigan: Spoke in favor of a full time pedestrian and bicycle coordinator being funded in the FY 2012 budget.
• Carl Harger: Spoke about shifting funds to better help people who are struggling economically.
• Susan Prince: Spoke on the subject of Pumphrey’s parking lot. She is personally opposed to the text amendment allowing the parking lot, because she feels it will not alleviate the problems it claims to. She feels that little has been done to date to sincerely seek alternative solutions or to bring all the parties together to seek consensus.

First budget public hearing on the Fiscal Year 2012 Operating Budget and Capital Improvements Program

In October and November, the Mayor and Council got a preview of the FY2012 budget proposal. (Part I and Part II.) Tonight was the public’s chance to weigh in. The public record for the budget will stay open through May 20, 2011.

• Eric Siegal: On behalf of Rockville Chamber of Commerce. Spoke in favor of tax incentives for green and sustainable building practices. There is also a considerable need for incentives that go beyond just energy retrofits.
• John Moser: President of the Scholarship Foundation of the City of Rockville. Wishes for the City to increase its contribution to $10,000 (from $5,000) because the need has gone up considerably.
• David Borchard: Spoke in favor of the incentive property tax credit. 85% of the buildings that will be in existence in 2020 have already been built. “We can’t build our way to a sustainable future,” he said.
• Reeve Brenner: Speaking on behalf of the Rockville Association for Recreational Equality – thank you for the Bank Shot court in Mattie Stepanek Park. (Brenner is the inventor of Bankshot Basketball.)
• Nancy Breen: Chair of the Rockville Bicycle Advisory Committee. A full time bike and pedestrian coordinator is needed for the City of Rockville.
• Chris Noonan Stern: Speaking on behalf of people who use the Swim and Fitness Center, as the chair of its advisory committee. 300,000 people use the facility every year. The outdoor bathhouse must be upgraded and maintained. It is used by over 700 people each day.
• Tom Weco: Expressed enthusiastic support for the staff position fo pedestrian and bicycle safety.
• Jim Vitale: Spoke about a more macro perspective. Social Security and other public benefit programs have been frozen for two years. Suggested Rockville do the same – freeze its budget. (A conceptual discussion on principles ensued.)

Review & Comment - First Quarter FY 2011 Financial Report

The Mayor and Council received the Q1 financial report. There was limited discussion.

(At this time Mayor Marcuccio left to give testimony on a Montgomery County bill. Those remaining chose as their Mayor Pro Tem Councilmember John Britton.)

Introduction of Ordinance to Approve Zoning Text Amendment TXT2010-00228

Yes, this is the Pumphrey’s Amendment. (Will allow the funeral home to build a parking lot on adjacent land.) This vote is for introduction of the amendment – the actual vote will come next week. That said, the vote was in favor of introduction.

The next Mayor and Council meeting is December 13. See you!

Trucks, Traffic And China At The Mayor And Council Meeting 11-22-10

This week’s Mayor and Council meeting was so short, it might have been a record when it ended at 9:25 PM. We provide this brief summary of each meeting to keep you informed.

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

City Manager’s Report

Scott Ullery passed along timely and encouraging information from the Maryland Chief of Police Association. Through 2009 the number of people injured in automobile accidents has declined and fatalities are fewer than last year and the year before in Maryland.

The brand new Chamber of Commerce “Rockville Rewards” program launched and we are all encouraged to purchase a card to help 15 area nonprofits. Marketing consultant, Jane Meyer explained the membership cards will offer two types of deals for either everyday savings or more substantive weekly offers from local businesses. Each card is $25 and the details are now available at RockvilleRewards.com.

Appointments

The Mayor and Council appointed Don Hadley to the Planning Commission and John Beins and Marcia L. Rehm to the Recreation and Parks Advisory Board.

Construction and Cars

The expansion of the fitness facilities at the Rockville Senior Center can begin since the Mayor and Council awarded a contract to CFI Construction Corporation of Rockville for $1,917,000.00 for the work. Also eight 2011 Crown Victorias will be purchased for use as police cars at an estimated cost of $24,960 each for a total acquisition of about $199,680.

Rockville Sister City Corporation’s Report from Trip to Jiaxing, China

Former Mayor Jim Coyle, Sister City delegate to Jiaxing, presented the report and recommendations. Jiaxing seems more interested in development and business rather than cultural exchanges. During the discussion, everyone hoped the cultural exchanges would eventually follow so the relationship was worth pursuing. The Sister City Board will draft a letter to be sent to Jiaxing officials asking them to evaluate the current relationship and the steps they would like to take to move the process forward.

Draft Municipal Growth Element (MGE) To Amend the City’s Comprehensive Master Plan

Staff presented the revised document and received final direction on the draft document which will be returned to the Mayor and Council for adoption at the December 6, 2010 meeting. Mayor Marcuccio asked for an explanation because she wanted to make sure that when the Comprehensive Master Plan is reviewed, that this document could be changed. It was explained that this document will become part of the City’s Comprehensive Master Plan. If the Mayor and Council want to amend the City’s Comprehensive Master Plan in the future, they can.

Community Block Grant Application

The Mayor and Council approved allocating grants from the City of Rockville’s Federal CDBG funds through Montgomery County in the anticipated amount of $304,000, including the allowable 15% of the fund amount for public service agencies which is $45,600. Nine different programs at seven agencies applied with grant requests totaled $160,000 but only three could be chosen for the $45,600 possible:

• Rockville Community Ministries, Elderly and Disabilities Ministries $15,600
• Rockville Presbyterian Church, Rainbow Place $15,000
• Stepping Stones Shelter, Evening Case Management Services $15,000

The rest of the funds would be designated as follows:

• Rockville Housing Enterprises (RHE) for public housing improvements at David Scull Court $111,202
• Rockville’s Single-Family Rehabilitation Program and administration $97,198
• Rehabilitation program staffing $50,000

Truck And Neighborhood Traffic Management

The Mayor and Council discussed the Neighborhood Traffic Management and Truck Traffic on Residential Streets. Excessive traffic volumes on residential streets are undesirable and contribute to increased noise, vibration, and air pollution, in addition to possible deterioration of the streets themselves.

Since the Traffic and Transportation Commission has not reviewed the existing Guidelines for Neighborhood Traffic Management since 2005 when they unanimously agreed that they are adequate and follow national standards, the Mayor and Council decided to have the Traffic and Transportation Commission take another look at the policy.
Councilmember Pierzchala asked for an explanation on the authority of the Mayor and Council with regards to traffic restrictions. They can put truck restrictions on any road.

Councilmember Newton believes there is a right to review the truck use on Great Falls Road regardless of any decisions made when the road went from State to City control. She also believes truck restrictions should be placed on West Montgomery and Redland. Truck traffic on Maryland Avenue makes more sense since far fewer houses face the street, although she is not suggesting Maryland Avenue get truck traffic. She wants all the street traffic in the City reviewed.

Surprisingly, on the map used for the meeting, a section of Great Falls Road was shown to restrict trucks already, so this map designation will be investigated.

Mayor Marcuccio expressed concerns about traffic on Park Road.

City Staff Emad Elshafei pointed out that if truck restrictions were placed on Redland, Great Falls, Maryland, and West Montgomery, we would not be allowing trucks in the City. Councilmember Newton said trucks could use Gude Drive or Key West and go around to Rt. 355.

Councilmember Pierzchala pointed out Gude Drive is abutted by three neighborhoods even though you can’t see them from the street. Residents experience the noise. With the Great Seneca development, Gude will be receiving more traffic in the future. Councilmember Newton said homes don’t front Gude as they do on other streets where they need to enter the street. Councilmember Pierzchala reemphasized that even so, Gude has its own considerations.

City Manager Ullery reviewed the four decisions made during the discussion:

(1.) The Traffic and Transportation Commission will take a look at the Guidelines since it has been five years. (2.) Since traffic issues involve enforcement, the Chief of Police will be contacted to determine areas to target for enforcement. (3.) Additional streets will be tested to determine their current thresholds for traffic. (4.) The agreement and requirements on Great Falls Road will be investigated.

The November 29th meeting has been cancelled so the next Mayor and Council Meeting is Monday, December 6, 2010 at 7 PM with a Public Hearing on the FY 12 Budget.

Mayor And Council Talk About Development And Zoning For A Change (Mayor And Council Meeting 11-15-2010)

As always, when Rockville’s Mayor and Council meet, we try our best to provide a useful recap of the key points. This week’s meeting (November 15) featured lots and lots of talk about development and zoning!

Here’s our rundown.

City Manager’s Report

City Manager Scott Ullery had two items.

First, a NORAD drill will go on between Midnight and 2am Tuesday. Things could get loud. Secondly, the MC meeting is streamed live on the website but there are intermittent problems. (I was able to link in no problem. Whew.)

Appointments

Dr. Karen Becker was appointed as a member and chair of the Animal Matters Board.

Citizens Forum

Anyone can speak at Citizens Forum. The best way is to call ahead at 240-314-8280, but typically if you just show up you can speak too. If you speak, please consider sharing your remarks with Rockville Central so we can consider publishing them in full.

Carl Harger: Talked about problems he sees with mortgages and foreclosures.

Susan Prince: Speaking in capacity as president of WECA, though not at WECA’s direction. Thank you for organizing the Communications Task Force. Two issues when it comes to development review. 1) Difficult for average citizen to get a handle on the process. It seems to go so quickly. 2) No mechanism for addressing citizen concerns about particular projects. When a citizen raises a concern in an area meeting, there is no incentive for the developer to address the citizen’s concerns.

Jack Gelin: Rockville has grown from a small city to a large city. But we have a bureaucracy that has grown and is no longer needed. Citizens feel alienated. Loss of citizen empowerment can only be solved if you take seriously the Communications Task Force recommendations. They are serious recommendations from serious people.

Proposed Zoning Amendment: Pumphrey Funeral Home

Last month, the Mayor and Council heard pros and cons about allowing the Pumphrey Funeral Home to build a parking lot on the lot next to their main building. This would be a “nonconforming use” that would be intended to alleviate parking problems in the neighborhood.

Tonight the Mayor and Council considered the issue and provided direction to staff on whether to move forward on the it.

Councilmember Mark Pierzchala asked whether there is anything that would prohibit the Mayor and Council from taking the step. (The Pumphrey attorney said no.) He said he is voting for the measure for safety reasons.

Councilmember John Britton said he thought this was an intensification of use, but not a new use. He disagrees that an additional parking lot would change anything about the type of use Pumphrey’s makes of its property.

Councilmember Bridget Donnell Newton said she was not inclined favorably to the proposal, that adding a parking lot is definitely a new use. She also pointed out that in her view the not enough had been done to creatively come up with other ways to mitigate traffic and parking (for instance, parking at Julius west Middle School or Rockville Presbyterian Church).

Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio said she cannot support the measure for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that there is no turning back. If the property changes hands in the future, the new owner will still have a parking lot. This would be a change from a residential lot to a more commercial lot.

Councilmember Piotr Gajewski spoke up to say that in his view Pumphrey’s had been a good neighbor and wanted to make sure that others did not think differently. (Other members of the Mayor and Council agreed that Pumphrey’s is a good neighbor.)

The motion passed 3-2 (Britton, Gajewski, Pierzchala yes, Marcuccio, Newton no).

More Talk About Zoning, Part One: Communication Task Force Recommendation on Development Review Process

Commission members Noreen Bryan and Elise Gussow presented recommendations from the Communications Task Force, specifically about the development review process. They focused primarily on a set of recommendations about alternative dispute recommendations. This raises a number of issues, while the idea also garnered agreement. Councilmember Britton pointed out that the Planning Commission is, in theory, the body where citizen disputes over development play out – he said this raises the issue of whether we need to rethink our approach to the Planning Commission.

Councilmember Newton pointed out that much of the negotiating give and take begins at the first meeting between staff and developer. They develop a relationship, compromise, and reach agreements. By the time it gets to the Planning Commission, it becomes a done deal. She supports an ombudsman role supported by development fees, to insure that meetings are fair and minutes are accurate. “Lately all we get is the far left and the far right. It’s a little like Capitol Hill.”

Councilmember Britton replied “The Planning Commission should not be afraid of denying applications. It should never be a done deal at the Planning Commission.”

Mayor Marcuccio wondered aloud whether this was too much to expect from volunteer Planning Commission members.”

Councilmember Gajewski said that if the Planning Commission is broken in any way, it needs to be fixed. He suggested that it may be time to begin thinking about compensating members of the Planning Commission. The key, in his view, is ensuring quality people are serving. He also said he was skeptical that a body with teeth could be created that would address disputes after the Planning Commission has reached its decision. He said he likes the idea of an ombudsman, a professional person whose job is to be a contact person for everyone other than the applicant.

Councilmember Pierzchala said that each individual recommendation may make sense, but all together it seems like a bureaucratic mass. He also said he is skeptical of the ombudsman idea. “How does a citizen have a voice?” he said, “is the real question.” He said he would rather focus on procedures.

The report contains many recommendations, and the discussion ranged widely. However, a number of decisions did come out. The Mayor and Council voted unanimously to make the following recommendations:

• Change the City’s “Development Flowchart” to clearly show where citizen input fits in, and to make that point relatively forward int eh process;
• Ensure the City continues to provide all the pertinent documents to citizens when requested, including online (as they now do);
• Make DRC meetings open to the public (and alert them that they are taking place);
• Urge the Planning Commission to abandon the “three minute rule” as it is seen as overly restrictive to citizen input;
• Create a Citizens Implementation Committee to work with staff, board/commissions or others on implementing Task Force recommendations;
• Change the initial public process so that the Pre-application Area Meeting would occur prior to the Pre-application DRC Meeting;
• Change the procedure for the the Post-application Area Meeting so that it is attended by City staff to answer questions but is conducted by the applicant;
• Ensure minutes of all Area Meetings are taken by an objective outside source and paid for by the applicant;
• Ensure that the notice of filing include the date of the DRC meeting; and
• Spell out that public notices should include: the brochure (already implemented), information on the Planning Academy, anticipated timeline, location map, site plan if appropriate, and a brief project description (i.e. 3-4 pages).

More Talk About Zoning, Part Two: Communication Task Force Recommendation on Development Review Process

The next item on the agenda was rooted in an April 26 memo to City staff by Councilmember Pierzchala. His memo sought to clarify a number of issues in the new Zoning code. This kicked off a review by City staff, and a number of clarifications between Councilmember Pierzchala and staff. At the end of the day, there were a number of issues on the table for the Mayor and Council to consider:

1. Clarify the terms “dwelling” and “kitchen.” (Currently, the presence of a kitchen defines a “dwelling.” That means that you can establish a dwelling just by adding a kitchen.)
2. Eliminate height waiver for senior housing in small zones but keep it in large zones.
3. Simplify and streamline the review process.
4. Review all special exceptions for institutional uses in residential zones.
5. Add photos or graphics in development review documents.
6. Clarify what is a “minor” amendment.
7. Simplify review of small-scale projects.
8. Update sign provisions.
9. Various technical corrections.
10. Improve the review process (the final five bullets above).

Staff will draft language that implements these changes and bring it back to the Mayor and Council.

Councilmember Pierzchala brought up a number of issues that he felt still could use some discussion from this memo.

The first is the definition of family. Currently it is

“An individual, or two (2) or more persons, all of whom are related to each other by blood, marriage, domestic partnership, adoption, guardianship or other duly authorized custodial relationship, or a group of not more than five (5) persons all of whom are not related to each other by blood, marriage, domestic partnership, adoption, guardianship, or other duly authorized custodial relationship, living together as a single housekeeping group in a dwelling unit.”

Councilmember Pierzchala would like to reduce the 5 down to 3. “Five unrelated people is piling on,” he said.

City Attorney Debra Yerg Daniel pointed out that this change may tend to cause problems when it comes to equal treatment, as well as the Fair Housing Act. The Mayor and Council did not take action on this issue.

Another issue related to mixed use zones. In such zones it is possible for a zone to go 100% to one use (for instance, residential). Councilmember Pierzchala asked whether the City wanted to require mixed use in such cases.

The response from City staff was that it might be most prudent not to try to control the market. Today, mixed use is in vogue. Down the road, the market may change. By requiring mixed use, this could get in the way of later appropriate development.

Attorney Daniel also pointed out that courts have decided that what is explicitly state din a zoning ordinance controls, notwithstanding what a city’s master plan may call for.

Councilmember Britton said he would not like to mandate mixed use on a per-lot basis, but wants to devise a way to require mixed use in larger areas. Staff will work on this.

Councilmember Gajewski expressed some concern about changing the zoning ordinance so deeply while it is still so new. “Will every new mayor and council make changes like this?” he wondered.

The next Mayor and Council meeting is November 22, 2010.

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

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

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

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

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

Three Different Documents Concerning the Schools:

Board budget and CIP

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

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

FY 2012 Budget Preview

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

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

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

Mayor And Council Look At School Board, School Crowding

At last night’s meeting of the Rockville Mayor and Council, things were on the quiet side in terms of community controversies. However, an important conversation took place about how best the City can play a role in discussions with the School Board about school overcrowding.

And we keep up so you can go out on Monday night! You’re welcome!

First up, the City Manager’s Report from City Manager Scott Ullery:

The City Manager’s report was brief. He asked for clarification on a Rockville Reports article on Redgate Golf Course. Some Councilmembers had expressed criticism of how the original print article was phrased. A corrected version has been posted online, but prior to printing a correction, he wanted to get clarity from the Mayor and all Councilmembers. Councilmember Bridget Donnell Newton said she was happy with the draft she had been presented. Councilmember Mark Pierzchala said he did not believe that a rewrite had been necessary, but would not block moving forward with the new draft. In his view, the original article was correct.

Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio asked about the pictures that used to hang in City Hall, photos of previous mayors. They have been taken down since the recent remodel. Scott Ullery said he had wondered too and asked staff about it. It turns out that they were in such deteriorated condition that it would not be possible to replace after the remodel. He is waiting on an estimate on cost to restore.

The Mayor also asked about the Pumphouse on Horner’s Lane, which is being refurbished. The only handicapped ramp to access the Pumhouse from Horner’s lane has been removed. Now the only access is from the parking lot which is only accessible from another street. Burt Hall, director of Recreation and Parks, answered that the original ramp was not in compliance with ADA. It should be replaced within two weeks.

The Rockville Economic Development, Inc. (REDI) report was given by Sally Sternbach. Highlights:

• REDI has launched Rockville Women’s Business Center. Joined network of over 100 women’s business centers around country.
• MIT Enterprise Forum program series has started again. Startup Lab is November 10, features Clean Currents, at the IBBR (9600 Gudelsky Drive.)
• Two Rockville CEO’s won Washington Business Journal’s ‘40 Under 40’ (young CEO’s): Eric Kimmel (Peer to Peer Tutoring), Craig Strent (Apex Home Loans).

It was a big night for proclamations.

Proclamation read by Councilmember John Britton: November is National American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month and the day after Thanksgiving is American Indian Heritage Day. Accepted by Gregory V. Hamilton, Council President of the American Indian Heritage and Education Association, Inc.

Proclamation read by Councilmember Piotr Gajewski: November 7^th is Celebrate Senior Health Day, the 35^th running of the Rockville 10K / 5K Race.

Proclamation read by Councilmember Mark Pierzchala: November is now Municipal Government Works Month.

Citizen’s Forum

At Citizen’s Forum, anyone can speak on any subject. A number of residents who are on various PTAs came to each individually thank the Mayor and Council for bringing attention to school overcrowding. Recently, the Mayor and Council toured the Rockville elementary schools with District staff to see the issue firsthand.

Lauren Menguy reported that she was out walking on Saturday, on her way to the Metro. When she is out walking, she typically picks up pieces of trash. But she could not find any trash cans. There was one near a bus stop, but it was full. She ended up dumping it at 7-Eleven. How many trash cans does the City have? She wondered.

In responding to the school issue, Councilmember Gajewski pointed out that he has only recently learned that portable classrooms are not a “temporary” solution. In fact, there is an average of three portables per school, he said. Councilmember Pierzchala said that he thought the recent tour was very helpful and fostered a good exchange of information. Councilmember Britton thanked the PTA representatives for encouraging a positive direction, rather than coming to citizen’s forum to complain. He also encouraged citizens to work with Mayor and Council as it negotiates with MCPS. “It’s very important to show the flag,” he said.

Mayor Marcuccio pointed out that School Board member Laura Berthiaume originally brought the idea of the tour to the Mayor and Council. The Mayor said she found the tour to be very useful. She also said she agreed with Councilmember Britton’s sentiment. “The 80 or 90 people who came to testify recently need to come out in force,” to testify at the School Board budget hearings on November 10 and 11, she said.

Mayor Marcuccio ended by mentioning a possible candidate for the Planning Commission: Donald Hadley.

City Participation in Board of Education Budget Process

The Montgomery County Board of Education is in an extensive planning and budget process. Given the recent focus on school overcrowding, the Mayor and Council is looking at ways to constructively advocate for Rockville during that process.

The School District just last Thursday came out with its six-year “Capital Improvement Plan.” City staff developed a briefing memo that is very helpful in making sense of the Board’s plans.

The staff briefing was delivered by Susan Swift, Director of Community Planning and Development Services.

“The proposed Capital Budget acknowledges that for the 2010 school year, MCPS experienced the third straight year of significant enrollment increases,” says the briefing. Many schools throughout the system are being studied for different kinds of improvements, including public schools in Rockville.

Plans being looked at:

• A new elementary school at 332 W. Edmonston (the old Hungerford Park Elementary)
• Feasibility studies for classroom additions at Beall Elementary, Ritchie Park Elementary, Twinbrook Elementary, and Julius West Middle Schools.
• In addition, a large number of schools are being looked at for modernization, including Maryvale Elementary, Wootton High School, and others that are not in Rockville but to which Rockville students go.

The MCPS planning document contains reference to a number of feasibility and other studies. For instance, an MCPS feasibility study has already recommended 12 new classrooms in Ritchie Park Elementary School.

The Mayor and Councilmembers agreed to coordinate their testimony before the Board, and also urged parents and other citizens to make the time to testify too. The Board will decide whether or not to act on feasibility studies – they need to hear from Rockville that changes are needed.

“We need to remember there are other clusters too,” said Mayor Marcuccio. “They will be there too.”

Councilmember Gajewski said he wondered how to frame the recommendations. With current plans, “Four years down the road, there will be some action” on elementary schools. “But what we can affect now, that is not in the pipeline, is middle school.” Elementary students will be going to middle school, and will create an overcrowding situation. It is important to make sure that school additions are in the pipeline.

“We need to keep on them and keep on them, and make sure it doesn’t fall out of the pipeline,” agreed Councilmember Britton.

Councilmember Newton pointed out that Maryvale, while not overcrowded, is overdue for modernization.

Councilmember Pierzchala asked for clarification of the planning cycle. Ms. Swift answered that the current report is an amendment coming at the end of a five-year-old process. The new planning process kicks off next year. Councilmember Pierzchala said that he thought it would be very important to be very prepared for that cycle.

Staff will come back next week with concrete recommendations for how the Mayor and Council can move forward.

Mayor and Council Hears About Parking At Pumphrey’s; Reviews New City Logos And Taglines (Mayor And Council Meeting 10-25-2010)

As usual, the Mayor and Council meeting on Monday provided information on a wide range of topics and issues. Here’s a quick review to keep you informed. This is not a comprehensive report (looking back, we decided that some of our recaps were as little long). It just hits the key points.

City Manager’s Report

City Manager Scott Ullery gave a brief report: First, he reminded us that we are now in the second week of the seasonal leaf collection schedule.

He also reported that it looks like the long worked-on project to attract Choice Hotels to bring their headquarters to Rockville is coming to fruition. Choice has signed a letter of intent with the City, with Montgomery County, and the State of Maryland to move from their Silver Spring location to Middle Lane and Rockville Pike across from the Metro station. It’s anticipated that they will bring 475 employees and lease 130,000 square feet. (Corrected employee number.)

Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio also gave a quick report: She reminded us of the USA engineering and science festival on the Mall last weekend and said “it was spectacular, an incredible display of science and engineering from everywhere.” The Rockville Science Center joined with the Maryland Science Center to have a booth.

The mayor also reported that she and Councilmember Bridget Donnell Newton attended the meeting of the Maryland Municipal League meeting over the weekend. She said it looks like we may get highway user money back (no formal announcement but “things are looking good”).

Councilmember Piotr Gajewski reminded us that a new sculpture has been installed in Town Square at N. Washington and Beall Ave.

Annual Holiday Drive Kicks Off

The meeting started off with a proclamation of the commencement of the City’s annual Holiday Drive. Every year for 35 years, the City has sponsored an annual Holiday Drive to provide food baskets, gift certificates and toys to needy Rockville families for the Thanksgiving and December holidays. Student representatives from local schools received a collection box to use in their school food drives to collect food for Thanksgiving. This year Julia Walsh from Robert Frost Middle School, Kaitlin Ritchie and Pavan Ranguchar (sp?) from Thomas Wootton High School, Max Edwards and K.K. Mulholland (sp?) from Christ Episcopal School, Ethan Millstone from Lakewood Elementary, and Adrian Menodza from Maryvale Elementary School accepted the boxes.

Last year, 577 Rockville families received a Thanksgiving food basket and 92 seniors were treated to a Thanksgiving dinner. In December, 548 families were served by the Holiday Drive; 1390 children received new toys or gift cards and 159 households without children received a gift card for groceries. The Family Sponsorship program matched 56 families with sponsors who provided gifts tailored to each family member’s specific needs.

City Branding Report

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.) At this meeting, representatives from that firm presented some possible logos and taglines for Rockville, as a follow up to an initial report on branding research in August.

All of the possibilities are rooted in a core statement that is based on ROI/CRC’s research:

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

Without further ado, here are the options:

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“The World Class City That Feels Like Home”

This is the tagline they recommend. They feel it best exemplifies that Rockville is a leading small city that has held on to the intimate physical and social characteristics that give it a true, hometown look, feel and appeal.

Click for full size

“Find The Good Life In A Great City”

This tagline was developed to invite people to come to Rockville to investigate and discover how the good life can be found in a city with a great physical, environmental, cultural offerings, with great access to Washington, D.C.

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“Get Into It”

The phrase “Get into it” is both an invitation and a recommendation to find out more about the City and encourages exploration of what Rockville has to offer.

Councilmember John Britton said he preferred the thirds option (“get into it”) because it left a great deal to the imagination and because the design was not conservative. He also said he did not think the strategic positioning statement captured what it is that makes Rockville so wonderful. “It is limiting,” he said.

Mayor Marcuccio said she shared some of Councilmember Britton’s opinion on the third logo option, but only to a certain extent. She liked that the fleur de lis was incorporated into the logo. But, she does not like the “R” nor the tagline “get into it.” She also shares the sense that the strategic statement is “too elitist. . . . There are people here who just go along every day and enjoy the facilities that we have here.”

Councilmember Gajewski said he liked all three designs. He, too, was drawn to the last one. “We’re not getting into this exercise every three years. I am looking to get 20 years of life out of this.” He said he is looking at what will speak most to “today’s ten year old. Twenty years from now.”

Councilmember Mark Pierzchala asked the question, “Who is the audience?” (The answer: Residents, business owners, business employees, adjacent markets, people looking to expand or open a business.) He also pointed out that some of the taglines seemed to him to be wordy.

The Mayor and Council will consider the options, and decide what kinds of revisions are appropriate.

Meanwhile, though, the art work and taglines will be made available to the public (through Rockville Reports and otherwise) for input.

Public Hearing On Parking At Pumphrey’s

After a quick break, the meeting moved to a public hearing on the question of allowing Pumphrey’s funeral home to build a parking lot on its land.

Rockville Central editor Cindy Cotte Griffiths wrote an article that lays out the basic issues very well. They part of that article is:

Pumphrey’s Funeral Home has filed a Zoning Text Amendment to install a parking lot on the land they own next to the funeral parlor on West Montgomery Avenue. . . .

On their website, the Pumphrey family details the family’s long history in Rockville. Six generations have been involved with the business. In the 1830′s William Ellican Pumphrey, a Rockville cabinetmaker, began making coffins. Then in 1854, he entered the undertaking business on Main Street in Rockville. During the 1920′s, funeral services were held in chapels and viewing rooms but the Pumphrey family believed they should be held in a “comfortable, homelike atmosphere”, so in 1928 Pumphrey purchased the large home at the corner of Williams Street and West Montgomery Avenue where Pumphrey’s still operates.

Then four years later in August of 1932, Rockville changed the zoning code and made the Funeral Home a Nonconforming Use. Although the business has been permitted to continue operating, if it should cease operation for more than three months, it would lose the ability to operate a funeral home on the site.

Currently Pumphrey’s has 17 parking spaces with access off Willams Street and they would like to have 47 surface spaces in addition to the two inside their garage. They admit that under current zoning requirements they should have 52 spots but to a great extent, this would alleviate the problem.

On Wednesday, September 29, 2010, the Planning Commission considered the Zoning Text Amendment to allow the expanded parking. Through their attorney, the next door neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Bowen, sent a letter of opposition to the text amendment. The City Staff recommended the denial of the text amendment because it would perpetuate a nonconforming use in a residential zone. The Planning Commission voted 3-2 to recommend denial with Commissioners Callistein and Pakulniewicz opposed and Commissioner Trahan absent.

In a presentation at the beginning of the hearing, representatives for Pumphrey’s pointed out that, in addition to being a “nonconforming use,” the Pumphrey’s site has also been designated as an important historic resource. They feel this should add reason for favorable consideration.

A number of neighbors testified against the proposal, pointing out that the request may set a bad precedent (in one witness’s words, “eviscerating” current policy), and the unfairness of placing a parking lot right next to the neighbors’ home, directly under their master bedroom.

Other neighbors, however, support the parking lot, as a means of relieving the heavy parking along Williams Street, and adding safety for mourners, who currently have to walk sometimes great distances to get to viewings.

Susan Prince, president of the West End Citizens Association, testified that, at a recent meeting of WECA, very balanced comments were made and a straw vote taken, with a result 25 for, 20 against, 5 abstentions. Given the close vote, WECA chose not take an official stand, but instead simply report the straw vote.

The record will be held open for three weeks for further comment, until November 5.

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.

Rockville Mayor And Council Saves Redgate

Photo courtesy Redgate Golf Course

In about as definitive a way as can be imagined, the Rockville Mayor and Council last night unanimously voted to wipe out Redgate Golf Course’s current accumulated deficit as well as the projected deficit for the next budget year (FY 2011), to the combined tune of $2.4 million using surplus money from the General Fund. The Mayor and Council also voted 4-1 to direct City staff to engage with the National Golf Foundation to perform a study (costing up to $25,000) of the best ways for Redgate to improve its operations and marketing.

In a highly anticipated Mayor and Council meeting that included a worksession, more than 30 people spoke at Citizens Forum, almost all of whom rose to express support for the City’s golf course or to tell of its positive impact on their lives. Speakers ranged from Redgate Advisory Committee members, to other City board and commission members, to golfers, to elected officials (Sen. Jennie Forehand), to nongolfers who support Redgate, and others. Art Stigile was the only citizen who spoke critically of the way course now fits into the budget. Even in his case, the main thrust of his remarks was to point out that taxpayers are subsidizing Redgate, and that this reality needs to be faced.

When the worksession began, Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio invited City staff to give a brief overview but cautioned them that “we have heard all the numbers. It is time for us to have our say.”

Councilmember John Britton suggested a framework within which to think about Redgate for the purposes of discussion:

First, on green space vs. development. I don’t think there is a mentality on the council to develop that site at all. I would hope that we would vote to maintain that green space. I would not vote for any of the options for development that have come up.

Second, we have green space in many forms, vs. green space with a golf course. I opt for the golf course, because it is green space and serves important community needs. Some people wanted to consider a different kind of green space for greater per capita benefit. But I don’t think that calculation is valid in this case. Closing the golf course is an irrevocable decision, we can’t say “oops” in four or five years.

Third, we look at what model do we use, what paradigm. I have done some additional research. I am comfortable with how the industry is looking. If we maintain Redgate as we are, we are poised to take advantage of three things that will happen: 1) an industry shakeout; 2) the economy will rebound; 3) latent demand and changing demographics. Being poised to do this is to our advantage. . . .

There are two issues: 1) How to deal with the outstanding debt; and 2) what to do going forward.

While other councilmembers disagreed on some specifics, the structure Britton proposed was the one the group used for discussion. Specifically, all councilmembers agreed that Redgate should remain green space – that is, should not be developed – and that it should remain a golf course.

Councilmembers did disagree on some particulars. Councilmember Piotr Gajewski said he believes Redgate is unlikely to be able to turn a profit. He said that the Mayor and Council should face that fact, and decide whether to support the course using taxpayer funds:

I personally think that with all the steps that have been outlined for us that we can take, I don’t believe that it will meet its expenses. There may be some reasons that we are different than the Herndon course. Whatever it is, I am not a believer we will narrow the gap. Frankly, I do not believe we can grow our market unless other golf course begin failing. The gap is something like $500,000. That is something we need to accept.

Once we accept that we have a budget gap in supporting the golf course, we can have a conversation about philosophy: Do we want to use tax money to support the golf course? We support other things with tax dollars. This can be another thing that we are proud of supporting. We need to face that decision — face the monster. . . .

If the answer to the question is yes, given that we haven’t done it before, there are really only three ways: 1) raise taxes; 2) find offsetting cuts in other programs; or 3) the way we have been doing it for the last several years, by spending down reserves. That third option is the only one I will not support. We need a permanent solution.

I do want to put one proposal on the table right now. The Enterprise Fund right now has an accumulated deficit. I would like us to use our General Fund to completely pay off that accumulated deficit. I think it is prudent for us to do that. It will give us a clear look at what we are doing.

Councilmember Bridget Newton expressed support for both positions, recommending that the City commission a study but being open to learning that Redgate will need subsidies going forward:

I was happy to hear the staff support of the Committee’s suggestion from many months ago to let the professionals tell us whether this is viable and how it can make us money. . . . IF there is still a gap after the NGF study, I would support paying for this out of our taxes. That is what we do. Let’s send it back to being fair. . . .

I think a thorough study would be good. I have no doubt we can make money.

I am not ready to entertain the idea of giving away the management of the golf course. I think we can do it, and I want the study to tell us how we can.

Councilmember Newton was also concerned that currently-budgeted funds for Redgate must get spent: “I would like to recommend . . . that we ensure the money is spent this fall that we appropriated for holes 9 and 11. ‘Appropriated’ does not mean spent. Those funds need to be spent, so we can get those greens up and running.”

Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio said that, in her view, the City’s treatment of Redgate had not been fair:

[W]e have benefitted many times over from the golf course, with little return coming back to the golf course. The golf course lost revenue from the monopole [cell phone tower], receives no credit for the 3 acres set aside for the City’s salt domes. Everything is going out, and nothing is coming in. That’s not a commitment to the course.

Ever since the business plan was made, there hasn’t been a commitment to making it go. It seems like it is a stepchild in many ways. That has come up over and over. We owe it an opportunity to try to make it work.

Councilmember Mark Pierzchala said that he was even more pessimistic than Gajewski about whether Redgate can turn a profit. Nevertheless, he supported the suggestion that the City erase the golf course’s accumulated debt using General Fund surplus, and also suggested (later in the conversation) that the City in essence pre-pay next year’s projected deficit.

By paying down [the debt], you are being honest with the taxpayers. That reserve is in some sense an IOU from the golf course. To leave the deficit is to hide the fact that that reserve is not really as big as it appears on paper. It’s in our interest to pay that off in terms of transparency. . . .

We’ve heard a lot of rosy scenarios. 60,000 rounds played years ago, half that now. Something’s going on. We know the course is well maintained.

Here is a way to get there in FY 2011. First of all, we need to pay down the debt. We have $1.7 million. We can do that. Additionally, you need to have time to do the study. You don’t want the deficit in 2011 to become debt. By the time we create the FY 2012 budget, we will have had our conversations about what to do. So we could cover the projected deficit too.

You may prove me wrong, but I think it is not going to get better. When it comes time to make the budget, we are going to face very hard choices.

Those people who want to use taxpayer money to support the golf course ought to be the ones saying, “Here’s how we are going to do it.”

I’m going to vote against the study, because I think it is a waste of money.

And that is how the vote to commission a study went: Pierzchala opposed, all other members in favor.

The way the deficit erasure will work is that City staff will return to the Mayor and Council on October 4 with a budget amendment that will include the Redgate instructions. The Mayor and Council will vote to adopt the amendment at that meeting.

The National Golf Foundation study will likely begin in mid-October and be complete in November or early December.

Redgate Golf Course now has breathing room to operate with a blank slate, and the City will have clarity moving forward about the choices that must be made. We will get expert advice on the best way to make money off of the course, or whether that is even feasible. Decisions will be able to be made without the weight of past recriminations.

Other Mayor and Council Action

While the vast majority of time and energy was taken up with the Redgate issue, the Mayor and Council did make one other very definitive move last night. The Historic District Commission and staff had recommended moving forward with a public process to establish historic designation for a house at 408 Great Falls Road (at Monument). If the Council had voted in favor, the issue would have gone to the Planning Commission for hearing. The property owner spoke against the move. Councilmember Newton recused herself, as her husband had placed an offer (that was refused) on the property in the past. Mayor Marcuccio said she wanted to recuse herself, too, as her sister’s home is very near the property in question. Councilmember Britton put forward the motion that they move forward with the public process, but it dies for lack of a second. The prospects for an historic designation of the property are now dead.

Finance And Budget Task Force Report

Councilmember Pierzchala, who is the chief liaison for the Finance and Budget Task Force (one of three task forces created by Mayor Marcuccio upon taking office) announced that the task force’s report was ready. It contains 58 suggestions. This is a significant document and deserves its own post, so watch for more on this.

Next Meeting

The next Mayor and Council meeting will be an open “town hall” style meeting on September 27. This one will be held in the courtyard in Rockville Town Square. See you there!

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.