APPROVED: Meeting No.8-05
ATTEST:

Meeting No. 4-05

February 7, 2005

The Mayor and Council of Rockville, Maryland met on Monday, February 7, 2005, in the
Mayor and Council Chamber, Rockville City Hall, 111 Maryland Avenue, at 7:09 p.m. 
Prior to the meeting, the Mayor and Council met in worksession with the
Senior Citizens Commission at 5:30 p.m.

PRESENT

Mayor Larry Giammo

Councilmember Robert E. Dorsey    Councilmember Susan R. Hoffmann

Councilmember John F. Hall, Jr.    Councilmember Anne M. Robbins

In attendance: City Manager Scott J. Ullery, City Attorney Paul T. Glasgow, and City Clerk Claire F. Funkhouser

Re: Worksession – Discussion with members of the Senior Citizens Commission on the need for affordable senior citizen housing in Rockville 

Members of the Senior Citizens Commission joined the Mayor and Council for the worksession including: Ciriaco Gonzales (Chair), Marty Roney, Stuart Crump, Constance Farrell, Audrey Beck, and Nancy McIntyre.  Director of Recreation and Parks Burt Hall was also present for the discussion.

Ciriaco Gonzales, Chair of the Commission, thanked the Mayor and Council for meeting with the members of the Commission.  Mr. Gonzales, speaking of the reason for the concerns of the Commission regarding housing options for seniors, showed the Mayor and Council a photo of people waiting outside Heritage House to put themselves on the waiting list, which has over 200 names.  Mr. Gonzales said that the Commission feels it is getting more and more difficult for people to stay in Rockville as they get older, a feeling that was substantiated by comments made at a Forum held at the Senior Center last year and response to a survey from the Commission. 

Although Mr. Gonzales said that the information must be regarded as anecdotal, and not necessarily statistically based, Mr. Gonzales said that it appears that seniors in Rockville, especially those living on a fixed income, are confronted by a number of concerns including living on a fixed income, higher assessments, and increasing fees for healthcare and prescription costs.

Mayor Giammo asked about those who may own their own homes that, although they may be living on a fixed income, also have access to equity in their homes through home equity credit lines or reverse mortgages.  Mr. Gonzales said that the Senior Center was having a presentation about those types of financial vehicles to explore those possibilities. 

Councilmember Robbins spoke about the larger economic picture that often seemed to put people, primarily women, in financial straits as they age.

Councilmember Dorsey mentioned the idea of a “SPDU,” which would allow for a  preference for seniors in developments built in the City that would be separate from the provisions for Moderately Priced Dwelling Units (MPDU’s).

Commissioner Stuart Crump spoke about his experience living in a unit at the Lutheran Home, one of the types of housing currently present in the City, which is now looking to expand because of the demand for services.  Marty Roney mentioned the dilemma experienced by some homeowners who have tried to expand or modify their homes, but faced code barriers.  Mayor Giammo asked for more information about this.

There was also discussion about the possibility of a targeted tax credit program for people under a certain income level, which might included seniors.  Roald Schrack had done an analysis of such a program, which would be modeled after a similar program in Montgomery County. Another idea mentioned was a “lien in lieu of taxes,” which could be funded by tax anticipation bonds.

Mr. Gonzales also brought up the possibility of handyman services to help seniors stay in their homes as long as possible.  While this is currently going on informally, the Commission would like to have something more formalized.  Councilmember Robbins spoke about the idea of a survey in an area such as Twinbrook where senior citizens might be asked about the types of services they would appreciate.

There was more discussion about the idea of a set aside for senior housing in some upcoming developments.  Councilmember Hall said that there might need to be some consideration of the provisions for density in legislation such as the one regulating MPDUs as an enticement for developers to explore options for seniors.  In response to Nancy McIntyre’s question about the possibility of some senior housing in Twinbrook Commons, Councilmember Robbins spoke about the responsiveness of the developers in the Upper Rock development and that it was her hope that the same would be true in Twinbrook Commons.

There was additional discussion about modeling any provision for a senior set aside similar to that for the MPDU program, while realizing that the MPDU itself may not be the most appropriate program for this sector of the population.  There was general agreement that the ideal situation would involve an array of various affordable options that would appeal to and be appropriate for various citizens in a variety of circumstances.

Director of Recreation and Parks Burt Hall summarized the next steps including the following:

• A review of the Zoning Ordinance to explore options for set asides and incentives for senior housing alternatives
  
• An examination of the use of targeted tax credits
  
• An exploration of more information about the use of reverse mortgages
  
• Further investigation on the relationship between income levels and assets to eligibility requirements for various programs

In conclusion, the Mayor and Council thanked the members of the Commission for their interest in this issue and said they looked forward to further information from staff and the Commission.

There being no further business, the Mayor and Council adjourned the worksession at 6:35 p.m. to reconvene in General Session at 7:09 p.m.

Re: Agenda Review

City Clerk Claire F. Funkhouser said that Item 9 on the agenda, Adoption of a Resolution to approve Preliminary Development Plan Application No. PDP2004-00008, to allow an increase in the height and setback of the Phase 3 building at the Rockville Metro Center development, Rockville Metro Center, had been pulled by the applicants, Foulger-Pratt.

Re: City Manager’s Report

City Manager Scott Ullery gave his report on current and upcoming events in the City.

In response to Mr. Ullery’s comments about a recent fire just outside of the City that had displaced several families, Councilmember Robbins said that there was still a need for cash donations and listed a telephone number that people could use if they wanted to contribute.

Re: Town Center Update

Director of Community Planning and Development Services Art Chambers reported on the following:

• All the tenants have been relocated from all of the construction area
  
• All of the buildings have been demolished
  
• Construction phase is in full throttle and the pylons of the first garage are apparent
  
• Drivers and pedestrians will experience some street closures over the next few weeks
  
• Montgomery County has chosen a construction company to build the library

Re: Recognition of Chris Bartlett, former Senior Neighborhood Resources Coordinator and Acting Director of Community Services, and Bob Spalding, former Chief of Planning, for their years of service to the City of Rockville.

Mayor Giammo said that this was a rather bittersweet occasion for the City since it was wonderful that Chris Bartlett and Bob Spalding had been offered wonderful opportunities in business, but that their departure would leave a tremendous void.  Mayor Giammo then presented each of them with a certificate of recognition and a gift of appreciation from the City.  Mr. Bartlett thanked the Mayor and Council for their support to him throughout his career in Rockville.  Mr. Spalding said he was honored to have this recognition, especially along with Mr. Bartlett.

Re: Appointments

Board of Supervisors of Elections
Upon motion by Councilmember Hall, duly seconded by Councilmember Robbins, and unanimously passed, Sidney Gottlieb was reappointed as a member of the Board of Supervisors of Elections until February 1, 2008.

Environment Commission
Upon motion by Councilmember Hall, duly seconded by Councilmember Hoffmann and unanimously passed, Faith Klareich was reappointed as Chair of the Environment Commission until January 1, 2006.

Cultural Arts Commission
Upon motion by Councilmember Hoffmann, duly seconded by Councilmember Dorsey, and unanimously passed, Linda Dominic was reappointed as a member of the Cultural Arts Commission until January 1, 2007.

Re: Citizens Forum

Re: Mayor and Council’s Response to Citizen’s Forum

The Mayor and Council expressed support for the idea of naming the King Farm Park for Mattie Stepanek, a young man who lived in Rockville who had died of cancer.  Mattie had become famous because of his writings, his poetry, and his inspirational life.  When the Mayor and Council asked about the protocol involved, Director of Recreation and Parks Burt Hall said that the Recreation and Park Board will meet on February 24 to discuss this and make a recommendation to the Mayor and Council, which could be discussed at the meeting on March 7. 

Councilmember Robbins spoke about the book that Mattie was writing with former President Jimmy Carter when he died, which Mattie’s mother has continued to pursue as a legacy to her son.  There was discussion about potential artwork that could be part of the park, such as permanent chess tables since this was one of Mattie’s hobbies.  Mr. Balkam mentioned a possible contest involving Montgomery County Public Schools that might involve activities targeting the promotion of world peace.

Re: Consent Agenda

Assistant City Attorney Sondra Block requested the removal of Item D from the Consent Agenda so that the record could be reopened to incorporate some additional information prior to introduction.  Upon motion by Councilmember Dorsey, duly seconded by Councilmember Hall, and unanimously passed, Items A, B, C, and E on the consent agenda were approved. 

A) Approval of the award of Bid #29-05
To:  D&F Construction
Of:   Forestville, Maryland
In the Amount of: $181,520
For:  Construction, repair and maintenance of various types of brick roads and sidewalks.  Base year contract period:  March 1,2005 through December 30, 2005.

(B) Approval of the award of Bid #30-05 for the FY2006 Concrete Maintenance Program to the three lowest responsive and responsible bidders as listed below in an aggregate amount not to exceed $1 million:
Romano Concrete Construction
Of:  Upper Marlboro, Maryland
and
D&F Construction, Inc.
Of:  Forestville, Maryland
and
Cylos, Inc.
Of:  Beltsville, Maryland

(C) Approval of Joint Procurement Agreement on Montgomery County Government Contract #5506040009
To:  EAI Security Systems, Inc.
Of:  Rockville, Maryland
In the Amount of: $330,000.00
For:  Security and surveillance systems installation and maintenance service/repairs

(E) Authorization for the City Manager to execute documents, in a form satisfactory to the City Attorney, to abandon an existing storm drain easement for Fallsgrove Corporate Center that is no longer needed due to planned development of this property.

Re  Item D – PULLED - Introduction of Ordinance - Map Amendment Application MAP20004-00092, confirming Zoning classification of property approximately 42,886 square feet in size, more or less, located in the northwest quadrant of Gude Drive and Southlawn Lane, owned by Louis H. & H.S. Fanaroff, et al, in the I-1 (Service Industrial Zone)

In response to Ms. Block’s request that the record be reopened regarding Item D, upon motion by Councilmember Hoffmann, duly seconded by Councilmember Hall, and unanimously passed, the record regarding this matter was reopened.  Councilmember Dorsey then introduced the item.

Re: Adoption of resolution to establish fines for municipal infractions

Resolution No. 4-05

Assistant City Attorney Block said the purpose of the resolution would be to amend the maximum fine to $1,000.00, which is the maximum allowable under state law.

Upon motion by Councilmember Hall, duly seconded by Councilmember Hoffmann, and unanimously passed, Resolution No. 4-05, establishing fines for municipal infractions was approved.

Re: Approval of Contract

To: Design Communication, Ltd.
Of: Boston, Massachusetts
In the Amount of: $962,150.00(90%-Scope of Work)
and
$96,215.00(10%-Reimbursable, bonds, etc.)
For: Environmental Graphics in the Town Square Project

Director of Community Planning and Development Services Art Chambers reviewed the information being presented to the Mayor and Council in terms of category, item and cost.  The items ranged from street gateways to wayfinding signs to informational kiosks.

There was considerable discussion about all of the items.  The Mayor and Council agreed that the choices would set the tone for that part of Town Center and they wanted to take great care that it be done correctly.  Specific items discussed included the kiosks in terms of size, location, and information to be displayed, the lighted pylons signaling the gateways, the etchings for the pavement in the square, and any sculpture to be included.  Regarding the size of the kiosks, Mayor Giammo suggested leaving them the size they are now with an allowance to come back with something bigger.

City Manager Scott Ullery indicated that, given the myriad items, it would be helpful if the Mayor and Council approved a motion approving certain items to be included.  Upon motion by Councilmember Hall, duly seconded by Councilmember Hoffmann, with Mayor Giammo voting, “nay,” the following items were approved: Items A 1-12; Items B 1-3; an allowance for the Item C related to the kiosks; Items D 2-5, an allowance for Items D 11-12, an allowance for Items D16-18, and Items E 1-16 totaling approximately $800,000.00

Re: Briefing by consultant, R.W. Beck, on Phase II of the solid Waste System Evaluation, including analysis of an additional scenario, information and evaluation of a volume-based pricing system, and the results of the sampling customer survey

Director of Public Works Hal Cranor introduced John Culbertson, the consultant from R. W. Beck who said that the need for the study was precipitated by the rising costs to maintain current levels of service, the employee injury rate, and the desire to benchmark against other communities in the United States.  Mr. Culbertson said that R. W. Beck was a leading firm in doing these types of analyses throughout the country.

Mr. Culbertson spoke about the tasks completed as part of the study.  He then summarized the initial findings which included findings that the City provides premium service, and that the rates are among the highest in the area but do not cover the full costs of solid waste removal.  The main difference between Rockville’s collection and others is that the system uses manual collection, which is increasingly antiquated.  At a previous worksession, the Mayor and Council had reviewed the scenarios that would be part of the study and added an option, which became part of the latest survey.  Other elements of the survey included a representative customer survey that received an excellent response and an evaluation of volume-based pricing.

In terms of the cost and savings, Mr. Culbertson said that immediate savings could be realized by eliminating backdoor pick-up.  Additional savings could be found by going to either fully automated or semi-automated systems.  The survey found that the majority of respondents support a higher rate for backdoor service compared to curbside and the elimination of backdoor to reduce rate increases.  Only a small percentage of survey respondents prefer the current system.   A majority of respondents supported automated collection of it would save money and the majority would support one time per week pick-up if given a special cart.  A clear majority is supportive of the City making decisions that keep rates down.

Mr. Culbertson said that his organization’s review of volume-based pricing was based on the premise that it would increase the homeowners’ control over solid waste costs and increases the participation in recycling through price signals and reduces disposal costs.  Volume pricing would involve a cart issued by the City based on the usage of the customer.

In making their recommendations, Mr. Culbertson said there were many options considered including the following:

• Retain or eliminate backdoor
  
• Retain 2x per week or go to one time per week
  
• Semi-automated or automated
  
• Use carts or not

Based on the options, the consultant’s recommendation is to create a transition step which would eliminate backdoor collection (except for disabled residents) while retaining twice per week pickup, provide 90-gallon carts to all households and implement semi-automated collection.  According to the report, the consultant further recommends reducing pickup to once per week in about three to six months, with volume pricing being considered as an option at a later date depending on the results of these changes.

There was discussion about a variety of issues related to the consultant’s recommendations including the use of current equipment for any transition to semi-automated, the translation of any savings into savings per household.  Councilmembers Hall and Hoffmann and Mayor Giammo expressed concern that the savings per household would only amount to about $2.20 per month.  Mr. Culbertson said that his company had not been asked to do a complete analysis of the savings but that part of the rising costs due to workmen’s compensation, insurance, etc. would continue to rise if some changes were not made, especially to the backdoor pickup part of the current service.  Mayor Giammo and Councilmembers Hall and Hoffmann said they were interested in getting the “biggest bang for the buck, ” and that saving only a few dollars seemed to come at the great cost of reducing service, especially when it appeared that costs of retrofitting equipment, etc. would actually mean no reduction in the rate.  Councilmember Hall said he understood that some change was needed so that costs did not continue to escalate, but that he wished there was a more dramatic saving involved.  Councilmember Hoffmann agreed.

There was also discussion about what rates are like in parts of the County other than the City.  Costs do seem to be lower, but the services are not comparable.  Mr. Culbertson said virtually no one, either in the area or elsewhere, does backdoor service anymore.

After further discussion, the Mayor and Council asked staff to come back with more information regarding possible plans for transition that would phase in once-weekly, semi- automated, volume based system over the next couple of years.  This scenario would assume the elimination of backdoor pick-up except for people with disabilities. 

Re: Old/New Business

• State Legislation – Electric Aggregation Authority for Municipalities 

Mayor Giammo mentioned a letter sent by the Mayor of Takoma Park, Kathy Porter, asking for support of a letter of interest among municipalities for legislative authority to aggregate electricity authority for municipalities.  The Mayor said that one of the attractive aspects of possible legislation would be the use of renewable sources of energy.

Upon motion by Councilmember Hall, duly seconded by Councilmember Hoffmann, and unanimously passed, the Mayor and Council agreed to write a letter of interest.

Re: Adjournment

There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 10:33 p.m.