APPROVED: Meeting No. 52-04
ATTEST:

MAYOR AND COUNCIL

ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND

Meeting No. 45-04

September 13, 2004

The Mayor and Council of Rockville, Maryland met in worksession followed by a
General Session/Public Hearing on Monday, September 13, 2004 at 5:30 p.m.
in the Mayor and Council Chamber, Rockville City Hall, 111 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, Maryland.

PRESENT

Mayor Pro Tem John F. Hall, Jr.

Councilmember Susan R. Hoffmann     Councilmember Anne M. Robbins

ABSENT

Mayor Larry Giammo
(Due to family commitments)

Councilmember Robert E. Dorsey
(Due to business commitments)

In attendance: Acting City Manager Catherine Tuck Parrish, Assistant City Attorney, Sondra Harans Block, and City Clerk Claire F. Funkhouser

Re: Mayor Pro Tem

Councilmember Hall said that Mayor Giammo would be absent for the worksession this evening, but would be present for the General Session/Public Hearing.  Councilmember Dorsey was also absent due to a commitment with the Washington Area Council of Governments (COG) of which he is the President of the Board this year.

Councilmember Hall said that when the Mayor is absent, it is customary for the members of the Council to elect one of the members Mayor Pro Tem and asked for a motion to that effect.  Upon motion by Councilmember Hoffmann, duly seconded by Councilmember Robbins, and unanimously passed, Councilmember Hall was elected Mayor Pro Tem.

Re: Worksession regarding the Results of the Refuse Study

Acting City Manager Catherine Tuck Parrish said the worksession this evening would be used to review and discuss the results of the study which had been conducted by R.W. Beck, Inc., a national consulting firm in the area of waste management.  Director of Public Works Hal Cranor introduced Byron Turner, Refuse Operations Maintenance Superintendent, and the members of the consulting firm present, John Culbertson and Walt Davenport.  Mr. Cranor said after the presentation, the consultants and staff would entertain any questions the Mayor and Council might have.

Mayor Pro Tem Hall asked if the staff were looking for recommendations about how to proceed after the discussion this evening.  Ms. Tuck Parrish responded that this is a multi-step process and that although next steps should be discussed, staff did not expect this to be the final discussion, rather, it should be considered an initial one.  Councilmember Robbins commented on the importance of the topic, given the City’s history of being known for its premier service and the place of importance refuse collection seems to have among Rockville’s citizens.

The consultants began by describing the purpose of the study including:

• An assessment of the operational efficiency of solid waste collection in Rockville
  
• Efforts to benchmark the City with other local and national collections systems
  
• The beginning of the process to develop an internal consensus for system changes
  
• An investigation of likely options for improving the system

The consultants looked at current refuse collection practices including pick-up at curbside, backdoor, and in alleys.  In terms of findings regarding refuse collection, the consultants found that:

• Productivity falls within expected ranges
  
• Backdoor collection is problematic, with a recommendation to either eliminate the service or implement a tiered rate structure which was supported by focus groups conducted with staff members
  
• City could be served via greater automation

The consultants emphasized that, in cities of Rockville’s size throughout the country, backdoor service twice a week is almost unheard of because of the cost of such an operation.  The operations inefficiency of such a service is supported by time and motion studies.  Councilmember Robbins said she was dismayed that some of the City workers, who were surveyed about various aspects of their work, expressed concerns that the Mayor and Council were not supportive of their efforts or the problems associated with specialized pick-up, which include a higher rate of injury and additional time needed to cover each route where backyard pick-up is used.

Regarding yard waste collection practices, the consultants found that productivity is within expected ranges, but that there has been duplicative routing with the rearloading and chipper trucks, and that the disposal cost savings does not offset the cost of chipper trucks and crews.  Staff reported that this has already been remedied this summer, and that cost savings of up to $92,000 are expected as a result.

After briefly looking at the way benchmarking was employed, the consultants reported that they found that the City:

• Provides a truly premium service
  
• Has high rates which reflect that premium level of service
  
• Has higher rates of absenteeism and injury than more automated systems
  
• Has the potential for increased automation

In terms of the status of the fleet, the consultants found the vehicles to be very well-maintained with costs of maintenance and repair at the low end, especially considering the age of some of the vehicles involved.  Not withstanding the maintenance efforts, the age of the vehicles is a potential area of concern and, possibly, of great expense in the future.

The consultants then reviewed different scenarios for change:

Scenario 1 suggests the elimination of backdoor service except for people who have certified disabilities, but retain twice a week pick-up and all other current services.  This would result in savings of $120,000 annually and approximately $47,000 in avoided injury costs.  The changes could be implemented immediately.

Scenario 2 would call for twice a week pick-up, but with fully automated equipment, with the same exceptions for people who are disabled.  This scenario, which would need to be phased-in, would require standardized carts and a new fleet or at least adaptation of the current fleet.  It would eliminate some operator positions and, although it would not result in any direct savings, it would save approximately $70,000 in avoided injury costs.

Scenario 3 would propose once a week pick-up using automated sideloaders that are fully automated with the same features as Sceario2.  With this scenario, there would be an elimination of nine operator positions and a projection of $210,000 in annual direct cost savings and approximately $70,000 in avoided injury costs.  Like Scenario 2, it would require phased implementation.

The last scenario, Scenario 4, would use curbside only pick-up once per week utilizing retrofitted tippers on the existing fleet.  This scenario would require standardized carts. Bulkier items would be picked up separately.  It would allow for volume priced pick-up.  This scenario would result in $280,000 of savings in annual direct costs and, like the former scenario, would result in approximately $70,000 in avoided injury costs and would result in more rapid implementation.

The consultants concluded their presentation by recommending Scenario 4, once a week semi-automated pick-up.  The pros to this option would be that it would equalize services and rates, while maximizing cost savings and retaining the current fleet.  This option would position the City for full automation.  The service could still provide for back-door service for people with disabilities.

Councilmember Hall asked about the possibility of twice a week, semi-automated service.  It was agreed that there are many adaptations to the scenarios, but that doing nothing will result in rising costs and further subsidies needed for the refuse fund to keep up with the costs.

There was also extensive discussion about next steps and the need to poll the citizens of Rockville to elicit their opinions about the various options as they relate to the prospect of increasing costs.  There was also discussion about restoring Monday holiday pick-up, which Mr. Cranor said could “ slide,” similarly to how that situation is currently handled by Montgomery County.

Councilmember Robbins asked about the reaction of citizens to the use of the semi-automatic equipment.  The consultants replied that reactions vary, but one of the positives can be the more uniform look of the containers, and fewer reports of rodents and other animals getting into bags and scattering trash.

Mayor Pro Tem Hall suggested in terms of next steps that there be an exploration of twice-a-week semi-automated pick-up and that here be a strategy for how to bring the general citizenry into the discussion, especially with the possibility of eliminating backdoor pick-up.  Mayor Pro Tem Hall cited the increase in cost so far with no change in service.  However, the consultants responded that Rockville does provide a premium service that is virtually unheard of anymore so some premium costs would be the expectation.

Ms. Tuck Parrish said it would take some time for staff to put together some ways to enable people to effectively communicate their opinion on what type of service they would like to have versus what the costs might be.  Councilmember Hoffmann suggested that all households could be surveyed in some way and Mayor Pro Tem Hall endorsed that approach.

Mr. Cranor suggested that another approach would be to start with a pilot program in one area of the city, or on one day’s routes.  Mayor Pro Tem Hall also asked for more information about volume pricing.

Re: Adjournment/Break

There being no further business, the Mayor and Council thanked the consultants for their report, and ended the worksession at 6:39 p.m.

Re: Convene

After a break, the Mayor and Council convened in General Session/Public Hearing at 7:06 p.m.  Mayor Giammo was present for the remainder of the meeting.

Re: Agenda Review

City Clerk Claire Funkhouser reported that there were no changes to the evening’s agenda.

Re: City Manager’s Report

Acting City Manager Catherine Tuck Parrish reported on current and upcoming events in the City.

Re: Town Center Update

Director of Community Planning and Development Services Art Chambers gave an update on the following:

• The continuing demolition of the Magruder’s Center and removal of debris from the site
  
• The beginning of the excavation for the garage on Block 5
  
• The pad for the library, which will be turned over to the County soon
  
• Upcoming necessary lane closures in Town Center due to the construction

Re: Proclamation declaring September as PROSTATE CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

Mayor Giammo read the Proclamation.  Upon motion by Councilmember Hall, duly seconded by Councilmember Robbins, and unanimously passed, September was declared as Prostate Cancer Awareness month in Rockville.  Wayne Noll, Assistant City Forester, who had surgery for prostate cancer earlier this year, accepted the Proclamation.  Mr. Noll stressed the importance of early detection in the treatment of this disease and urged the men of Rockville to get a PSA test.

Re: Appointments

Upon motion by Councilmember Hoffmann, duly seconded by Councilmember Hall, and unanimously passed, the following citizens were appointed to the Senior Citizens Commission:

• Richard Ahlberg (Appointment as a member to fill an unexpired term until 9/1/05)
  
• Nancy McIntyre (Appointment as a member to fill an unexpired term until 3/1/06)
  
• Julian “Pete” Sante (Appointment as a member until 9/1/07)

Re: Citizens Forum

Re: Recess

Mayor Giammo called a short recess at 7:48 p.m. so that Mr. Brosnan could be escorted from the Mayor and Council’s Chambers.

Re: Resumption of Citizens’ Forum

The Mayor reconvened the meeting at 7:52 p.m. and Citizens Forum resumed.

Re: Mayor and Council’s response to Citizens’ Forum

In response to Joy Young’s comments about publicizing City contracts, Mayor Giammo asked the Chamber of Commerce to share any ideas they might have. 

In reaction to comments about traffic calming measures in the Rockshire area, Councilmember Hoffmann suggested that it might be helpful to have a listing of what the City did regarding citizen community outreach about the mechanisms that had been built.  Councilmember Hall mentioned the issue of raised crosswalks, saying the Mayor and Council had changed their policy regarding these measures due to concerns about how difficult it is for emergency vehicles to maneuver when they are used on arterial roadways.  Councilmember Hall commented that he did not equate this Mr. Cohen had suggested issue with that of the bikeways as, but that he would suggest a conversation with the staff about the technical merits of the mechanisms, which had been erected.

Councilmember Robbins said she understood that sometimes things are decided based on technical merits, but that in reality, it translates into something that does not work well.  She cited some of the tight turns which now exist in the areas where some of the devices have been
placed.  Mayor Giammo thanked the staff that were given instructions to be very aggressive because of all of the concerns expressed by citizens in this area.  Councilmember Hall added that there would be follow-up regarding the notification issue mentioned by Mr. Hunt
and others.

Re: Public Hearing – Ordinance to amend Chapter 3 “Animals” so as to prohibit the housing and maintaining of livestock in the City limits; to generally amend the provisions prohibiting cruelty to animals, including prohibiting certain methods of tethering animals; to amend certain definitions; to add certain new definitions; to amend the appeal provisions so as to update the court rules reference under which appeals can be taken; and to make certain other amendments to Chapter 3.

The Mayor and Council convened in Public Hearing regarding Ordinance at 8:32 p.m. to amend Chapter 3, “Animals,” so as to prohibit the housing and maintaining of livestock in the City limits; to generally amend the provisions prohibiting cruelty to animals, including prohibiting certain methods of tethering animals; to amend certain definitions; to add certain new definitions; to amend the appeal provisions so as to update the court rules reference under which appeals can be taken; and to make certain other amendments to Chapter 3. 

The Mayor and Council heard testimony from Police Captain Mike England and two other speakers.  There being no further individuals wishing to speak, the Mayor declared the Public Hearing closed at 8:40 p.m.  The testimony of the speakers can be found in the official public hearing file of the Mayor and Council in the City Clerk’s Office.  Mayor Giammo said the record would stay open until 5:00 p.m. on September 27, 2004.

Re: Public Hearing - Proposed zoning text amendment TXT2004- 00214 to amend the Zoning Ordinance to delete the requirement for a finding of need in the consideration of a special exception for an automobile filling station, drive-in restaurant, or mechanical car wash, Mayor and Council, Applicants

The Mayor and Council convened in Public Hearing at 8:40 p.m. regarding proposed zoning text amendment TXT2004- 00214 to amend the Zoning Ordinance to delete the requirement for a finding of need in the consideration of a special exception for an automobile filling station, drive-in restaurant, or mechanical car wash, Mayor and Council, Applicants.

The Mayor and Council heard testimony from Planner Deane Mellander and three other speakers.  The testimony of the speakers can be found in the official public hearing file of the Mayor and Council in the City Clerk’s office.  There being no other individuals wishing to speak, the Mayor declared the Public hearing closed at 8: 48 p.m.  The Mayor said the public record would stay open until 5:00 p.m. on September 27, 2004.

Re:  Consent Agenda

(A) Adoption of Minutes
Meeting No.40-04 (General Session, July 26, 2004)
Meeting No. 41-04 (General Session, August 2, 2004)
Meeting No. 44-04 (General Session, August 31, 2004)

(B) Approval to modify existing price agreements under Bid No. 1-04
To: NZI Construction Corporation
Of: Beltsville, Maryland
and
To: Romano Concrete Construction
Of: Upper Marlboro, Maryland
and
To: M. Luis Construction Company, Inc. of Clinton, Maryland
In the Amount of: Aggregate amount not to exceed: $500,000.00
For: Annual concrete maintenance program

(C) Award of Contract based on Montgomery County, Maryland Contract No. 4506030016AA
To: HMF Paving Contractors, Inc.
Of: Frederick, Maryland
In the Amount of: $180,000.00
For: Asphalt and concrete improvements at various City parks and at Red Gate Golf Course

(D) Modification of Purchase Order with Wheeler, Goodman, Masek, and Associates, Inc.
Of: Annapolis, Maryland
In the Amount of: $37,840.00
For: Architectural services for the construction administration phase of the City Hall improvements project

(E) Introduction of Ordinance to amend certain provisions of Chapter 17 of the Rockville City Code, entitled, “Purchasing,” pertaining to procurement contracts and procurement methods so as to increase the monetary threshold for procurements requiring Council approval, and to make other technical clarifications as to when formal contracts are required

(F) Introduction of Ordinance to approve Text Amendment TXT2004-00208, as modified, to amend the Zoning Ordinance to add, “Cosmetology,” as a permitted or special exception use in the one-family detached zones, Erika Kapneck, Applicant

(G) Introduction of Ordinance to approve Text Amendment TXT2004-00209- to amend the Zoning Ordinance to allow an accessory swimming pool in a multi-family development to offer memberships to persons residing in one-family dwellings if originally approved by special exception, Miller, Miller, and Canby, Applicants

(H) Approval of sale of excess City property located on Rothgeb Drive.

Regarding Item H, Councilmember Hoffmann asked about the wisdom of the sale of the property on Rothgeb Drive.  Director of Recreation and Parks Burt Hall said the City was convinced it would never need this piece of land for a public use and that the bid was a good one.

Upon motion by Councilmember Hall, duly seconded by Councilmember Hoffmann and unanimously passed, Items A through H on the Consent Agenda were approved.

Re: Approval of Minutes

The minutes appear on the regular agenda due to the absence of Councilmember Dorsey.

Upon motion by Councilmember Hall, duly seconded by Councilmember Hoffmann, and unanimously passed, the minutes of the following meetings were approved:

• Meeting No. 38-04 (Worksession, July 21, 2004)
  
• Meeting No. 43-04 (General Session, August 18, 2004)

Re: Briefing on Rockville Economic Development, Inc.’s (REDI) 2004-2005 Strategic Plan

The Mayor and Council congratulated Sally Sternbach, REDI’s Executive Director, on the very successful opening of the new offices at 95 Monroe Street.  Ms. Sternbach responded that she was delighted with her new location.

Ms. Sternbach highlighted the following over-arching goals that had been developed by the Board of Directors of REDI for 2004-2005:

• Goal #1: To retain and grow Rockville’s business base, emphasizing its healthcare and bioscience focus
• Goal #2: To expand Rockville’s business base, including the exploration of a technology incubator
• Goal #3: To support the revitalization of Rockville’s downtown, including attracting a hotel

Councilmember Hall complimented Ms. Sternbach on the group’s achievable goals. 

Councilmember Hall expressed some concern about some of the actions listed to support the redevelopment of Rockville’s downtown, suggesting the merging of some of the items under Goal #3.  He also suggested the need for additional measurement tools corresponding to this area.

Re: Approval of the renaming of Tweed Park to Autre-St. Mary’s Park.

Director of Recreation and Parks Burt Hall said that Tweed Park is the last remaining open space that once was part of the 472-acre Autre-St. Mary’s Plantation, originally established in 1720 and owned by the Caleb Litton family.  At that time, the plantation encompassed what is now most of East Rockville.  Over the last three years, staff of the Department have been working with descendants of the Litton family, including former County Councilmember Blair Ewing to research information about the area.  At the suggestion of Mr. Ewing, the Recreation and Park Board considered the change of the name from Tweed Park to the more historically accurate name of Autre-St. Mary’s to incorporate the park’s historical significance.  The Board recommended the name change at their meeting of July 22, 2004.  Assuming that the Mayor and Council make this change, a brief ceremony will be planned for this Saturday, September 18.

Upon motion by Councilmember Hall, duly seconded by Councilmember Hoffmann and unanimously passed, the Mayor and Council approved the change of the name of Tweed Park to Autre-St. Mary’s Park.

Re: Authorization to file a Sectional Map Amendment to rezone the 26-acre Twinbrook Metro station to the RPC (Rockville Pike Commercial) zone.

Planner Scott Parker explained to the Mayor and Council that Items 14, 15, and 16, involving the annexation petitionANX2004-00136, Text Amendment TXT2004-00213, and the Sectional Map Amendment on the agenda were all interrelated and dealt with the annexation petition for the Twinbrook Commons development.  It is anticipated that this item would be heard in Public Hearing on November 1, 2004.

Twinbrook Commons LLC and WMATA have entered into a joint development agreement to develop the 26-acre WMATA owned property at the Twinbrook Metro Station as a mixed-use residential, office, and retail transit oriented development.  The applicant proposes a total development of 1706 residences, 220,000 square feet of retail, 325,000 square feet of office, and 1,151 Metro parking spaces.

Currently, 16.95 acres of the project are in Montgomery County.  The portion of the proposed development within the City is 10.3 acres, with all but 1.77 acres of the City portion on the west side of the CSX and Metro tracks.  The 1.77 acre piece within the City of Rockville on the east side of the tracks is commonly referred to as the Suburban Propane site.

Mr. Parker noted that the applicant has filed an annexation petition to incorporate all of the development area within Montgomery County into the City of Rockville.  Mr. Parker said it should also be noted that Montgomery County has approved a Preliminary Development plan for the development in the TSR Zone within Montgomery County.

Councilmember Hall asked about the amount of parking places for the project, to which Mr. Parker responded that there would be a total of 1,151 spaces, a one to one replacement.  Mayor Giammo asked about a variety of issues including commuter parking for the Metro, the possibility of homeownership for some of the residential development and the eventual capacity of the Red Line.  Acting City Manager Tuck Parrish said that staff would follow up on these issues and get back to the Mayor and Council.  Mayor Giammo also inquired about the provision for a “shadow” study.

Mayor Giammo wondered whether or not the RPC zone is appropriate since the development projected for the area is very similar to that projected for the Town Center where Town Center zoning applies.  Other issues raised by the Mayor included the way that MPDUs would be dispersed, rather than having all of the units together and the status of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the County about the impact tax of the roads for the project, which would be built in Rockville.

Councilmember Hall listed the issues in the annexation process, which he felt would have to be worked out including private streets, the presumed impact on traffic in the area and concerns about sufficient mitigation, and increased demands on school capacity.

Patricia Harris, the attorney for the applicant, said that while there are obviously many issues to resolve regarding the proposed development, she was very enthused that this is before the Mayor and Council.  In reply to some of the areas of concern expressed by members of the Mayor and Council, Ms. Harris said that JBG is working with the providers of affordable housing for seniors about the possibilities within the development, as well as investigating how the private streets will be handled, and the parking situation for commuters.

Councilmember Robbins said she knew this was the beginning of a long process, but that she hoped that the impact on school capacity would be looked at very carefully.  Upon motion by Councilmember Hoffmann, duly seconded by Councilmember Hall, and unanimously passed by the Mayor and Council, authorization was given to file a Sectional Map Amendment to rezone the 26-acre Twinbrook Metro station to the RPC (Rockville Pike Commercial) zone.

Re: Introduction of resolution to enlarge corporate boundaries – Annexation Petition ANX2004 – 00136 to annex 16.95 acres of property comprising the east side of the Twinbrook Metro Station parking lot, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and Twinbrook Commons, L.L.C., Applicants.

Councilmember Robbins introduced the resolution.

Re: Adoption of a resolution to provide for a public hearing in connection with the east side of the Twinbrook Metro Station parking lot, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and Twinbrook Commons, L.L. C., Applicants.

Resolution No. 22-04

The suggested date for the public hearing is November 1.  Upon motion by Councilmember Hall, duly seconded by Councilmember Hoffmann, and unanimously passed, Resolution No. 22-04, setting a public hearing date of November 1 in connection with the east side of the Twinbrook Metro Station parking lot, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and Twinbrook Commons, L.L. C., Applicants, was adopted.

Re: Introduction of a resolution to enlarge the corporate boundaries, annexation petition ANX2004-00135, Nedra S. Iwerks, Trustee, of the Virginia S. Simmons Revocable Trust

Planner Deane Mellander showed an aerial map of the 37,600 square feet of property known as 9604 Veirs Drive (property known as Lot 13 in the subdivision known as Block “A,” Section (1), Glen Hills Club Estates.

Councilmember Hall then introduced the resolution.

Re: Adoption of resolution to provide for a public hearing in connection with annexation petition ANX2004-00135 for 37,600 square feet of land of Virginia Simmons Trust, Petitioners.

Resolution No. 23-04

Upon motion by Councilmember Hall, duly seconded by Councilmember Hoffmann, and unanimously passed, Resolution No. 23-04, setting a public hearing date of December 6, 2004, in connection with annexation petition ANX2004-00135 for 37,600 square feet of land of Virginia Simmons Trust, Petitioners.

Re: Adoption of the “Rockville Cemetery Design Guidelines,” dated July 2004, to provide guidance for maintenance and exterior alterations to resources and site characteristics of the historic areas of the Rockville Cemetery so that the character of the site and historical, architectural, and environmental features are preserved.

Upon motion by Councilmember Hoffmann, duly seconded by Councilmember Hall, and unanimously passed, the “Rockville Cemetery Design Guidelines, “ dated July 2004, were adopted.

The Mayor and Council expressed appreciation to the staff and civic activists who worked on this project.

Re: Preliminary Review of Town Center Proposed Map and Text Amendments for Town Center

Planner Jim Wasilak said that this would amend the Zoning Map and amend portions of Article XIII, Town Center Planning Area, and other sections of the Zoning and Planning Ordinance, in order to implement the recommendations of the Town Center Master Plan.  The Mayor and Council have considered the Map and Text Amendments at several previous worksessions.  Mr. Wasilak reviewed a proposed timeline, which is subject to change and somewhat dependant on the optional method text amendment being added to the text subsequent to the worksession.

Mr. Wasilak said that he wanted to call the Mayor and Council’s attention to a few areas, which had been the subject of some discussion by the Mayor and Council at the previous meetings.  These included the Fleet Street property currently owned by Montgomery County, the area on Wood Lane where Jerusalem Mt. Pleasant is located, and the area on South Washington Street adjacent to Christ Episcopal School.

Councilmember Hoffmann asked about the incorporation of live-work units.  Mr. Wasilak replied that they could be added in all of the Town Center zones, although areas east of Route 355 would not be covered by the proposed amendments.  There was discussion that the way that Christ Episcopal was orally described seemed different from the way the draft was written.  There also seemed to be a need to clarify that there would be no changes for the church or rectory.  It was agreed that there needed to be more about parking reductions and the addition of information from the Town Center traffic analysis, which still needs to be finalized.

Barring any major opposition to the methods and language he was using in the drafts, Mr. Wasilak said that there was still some work to be done, but that he hoped that any outstanding issues could be resolved soon so that the public hearing could be held in October.  The issues will also be discussed at the joint worksession with the Planning Commission on September 20.  After the Public Hearing, the Mayor and Council would still have additional opportunities to address any remaining concerns.  It is hoped that adoption will take place this winter.

Re: Approval of payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) agreement with RELP One Limited Partnership that will forgive the payment of real property taxes for MPDU Units owned by Rockville Housing Enterprises.

Councilmember Hoffmann asked Ed Duffy, Community Development Program Manager, if all of the units are rental housing.  Mr. Duffy responded that they are.

Upon motion by Councilmember Hall, duly seconded by Councilmember Hoffmann, and unanimously passed, the approval of payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) agreement with RELP One Limited Partnership that will forgive the payment of real property taxes for MPDU Units owned by Rockville Housing Enterprises was approved.

Re: Boards and Commissions Items

Councilmember Robbins announced that Rockville Seniors, Inc. would be participating in the “Memory Walk” for victims of Alzheimer’s Disease planned for October 3.

Re: FYI/Correspondence

Councilmember Hoffmann said she was pleased to see the letters commending the City’s Police Department.

Regarding the Selbert-Perkins Environmental Graphics in Town Center, Director of Planning and Community Development Art Chambers said that staff was looking for some feedback from the Mayor and Council as to whether or not the approach to the environmental graphics which had been employed by the consultants met the Mayor and Council’s objectives.

Councilmember Hall said he had no concern with the graphics as presented as long as the concerns of the Town Center Art Task Force were vetted and resolved.

Mayor Giammo stated that the overall goals for the Town Center should be the driving force for the incorporation of art.  He said that more could be included in the artwork throughout the Town Center to represent the City’s diversity and heritage, focusing on the City’s history, and successes and struggles, such as the previous redevelopment of Town Center.  He also mentioned that, although history and heritage should be an important element, the place for its incorporation should be in the art and architecture not in things such as the garage names.

In terms of examples, the Mayor cited the town center of Richmond, England, outside of London as representative of a place that had used art, signage, etc., to enhance the surroundings.  Mayor Giammo said it was important to remember that art could always be added, but that once it was an integral part of an area or building, it would be hard to remove.

Councilmember Robbins echoed some of the Mayor’s remark, saying she thought some of the approach for Town Center had seemed a bit trite.  Councilmember Robbins also mentioned her two favorite town centers, Waterford, Ireland, and the Rio Center in Gaithersburg.

Councilmember Hoffmann expressed her concerns that there should be a sense of cohesion with the architectural design of the buildings in Town Center, which is evocative of several architectural designs.  Councilmember Hoffmann also spoke of her displeasure with some of the colors used and the font design, which she thought was too reminiscent of the Fifties. 

The Mayor recognized Christina Ginsberg, a citizen, who cautioned the Mayor and Council about the use of scientific symbols as part of the artwork.  Mayor Giammo thanked Ms. Ginsberg for her remarks and asked her to give Mr. Chambers her contact information so that her input could be considered.

In conclusion, Mr. Chambers remarked how difficult it is to discuss art in this context since it is such a personal thing and not only subject to individual taste, but, in this case, anticipated to be a critical factor in enhancing the overall ambiance of the environment of Town Center.

Re: Adjournment

There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 10:45 p.m.