ARYLANDIG City of Cambridge, Goal Setting Work Session Meeting Minutes 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 15, 2025 Hyatt Chesapeake Regency Clipper Meeting Room - 100 Heron Blvd at Route 50 Cambridge, MD 21613 Notice to Citizens: The City Commissioners are conducting city business in person. The commission meetings are open to the public unless otherwise allowed by law. The commission meeting is open to the public. Citizens may also observe the meeting by going on -line to Town Hall - Town Hall Streams. Council Present: Mayor Lajan Cephas Commissioner Brett Summers Commissioner Shay Lewis-Sisco Commissioner Frank Stout Commissioner Sputty Cephas, Commission President Commissioner Brian Roche Also Present: City Manager Glenn Steckman Assistant City Manager Brandon Hesson Chief of Police Justin Todd Director of Planning Brian Herrmann Director of Public Works Wayne Suggs Finance Director Perry Peregoy City Engineer Carl Bucky" Jackson Director of. Administrative Services Ina Holden Dockmaster Scott Fitzhugh Fire Chief Brad Walters Executive Assistant Tyasia Johnson Special Projects Coordinator Cheryl Hannan Special Projects Coordinator Lynne Widli Grants Coordinator Steffanie Malkus Information Technology Manager Dale Price 1/Page City of Cambridge, Meeting Minutes Goal Setting Work Session, March 15, 2025 Mayor Lajan Cephas opened the goal-setting work session at 8:10 a.m. Mayor Lajan Cephas congratulated the CSDH boys' basketball team on winning the state championship. She noted that it has been almost twenty-nine years since CSD won the state championship. She also thanked the Rescue Fire Company for their response time to the recent fire no Wood Duck Drive. There were no injuries reported but there are families in need. The Mayor said that this meeting is important because it will provide direction on where we are going with the City's budget and direction of staff. The meeting is intended as a strategy and goal setting session. City Staff Goals/Visions Review & Presentation Administrative Services Director of Administrative Services Ina Holden stated that the department houses the functions of human resources, benefits, risk management, information technology, and special projects and events like the Portia Johnson Ennals Youth Internship Program. The goals she has set for this department will help to create an atmosphere and environment in which every employee feels welcomed, safe, appreciated, and an important part of the organization. Ms. Holden provided the goals that the department will be committed to over the next 6 to 18 months. Information Technology IT. Manger Dale Price stated that their first short term goal within 6-9 months is to migrate all users to the "cloud" authentication via EntraID. The use of OneDrive for business personal storage, and SharePoint for group/team storage. Another area of concern is Cyber Security. As these threats, and the quality of phishing increase, the need to add protection is a necessary step. Instead of adding personnel, the department plans to acquire a third-party security operations center (SOC). This will reduce potential issues if a phishing or spam email comes in during the early morning hours, the email will be removed before it appears in the users' inbox. Marina Dockmaster Scott Fitzhugh stated that Marina goals are as follows: Floating Docks (E, F,G,H docks) for FY26, improved bath facilities, stronger internet, surveillance cameras, and improved lighting. Mr. Fitzhugh also provided reviews from individuals who had docked their boats at the Marina. Finance Finance Director Perry Peregoy provided the Finance team's FY2026 ongoing priorities and goals: financial reporting, treasury function, operational excellence, and staff development, along with maintaining an A-1 investment grade bond rating. 21Page City of Cambridge, Meeting Minutes Goal Setting Work Session, March 15, 2025 Grants Grants Coordinator Steffanie Malkus gave funding goals for departments. Ms. Malkus is currently seeking funding for Cedar Street, Cambridge Creek Interceptor, Trenton Street Pumping Station, Cannery Park, and the Skate Park. For Housing and Economic Development, the funding being sought is Phase 2 of the HUD Lead Remediation Grant, and additional funding for HOW/Lift homes in the Pine Street Neighborhood. Special Projects include youth programs, homeless shelter, senior center/activities, art programs and cultural programs. Rescue Fire Company Fire Chief Brad Walters stated that fleet management, recruitment and retention and community engagement are key goals. Goal one for fleet management is to continue building up the fleet management plan that was established by the Chief's office. The recruitment goal for RFC is to continue to engage the Dorchester County Public Schools, especially the Vo-Tech school, by working with local officials to try to re-establish the fundamental programs. RFC's retention goal is to continue to develop and expand upon the existing incentives from the city and county for volunteer members. RFC will host an open house within the next 2-4 months and will continue to promote fire safety and prevention. Development Assistant City Manager Brandon Hesson presented the goals for Development Division, Economic Development, Building and Safety Services, and Housing. Development and its divisions have focused on specific initiatives: vacant property registration, receivership legislation, land bank authority, rental registration (interior inspections), Maces Lane Development, and Housing Quality Study Update will be the goals for the next 6-18 months. Economic Development will focus on fee schedule review. The fee schedule has not been officially approved by Council since 2019-2020. Commercial property inventory would include a list of available commercial properties. A&E District, Maces Lane, Façade Improvement, Economic Development Strategic Plan Update are also other areas in progress. Building and Safety Services initiatives are: continued review of multi-family housing conditions, ICC certification, development ofroute system, neighborhood walks, ICC codes updated, weekend code enforcement. Assistant City Manager Brandon Hesson also talked about the Housing goals, which include the Healthy homes programs, HUD Lead Reduction, Homeowner Helper Program, Homeowner Works, CBDG Grants, Land Bank and Community Outreach. 31Page City of Cambridge, Meeting Minutes Goal Setting Work Session, March 15, 2025 Planning Director of Planning Brian Herrmann provided information regarding Planning and Zoning for the next three years. Mr. Herrmann would like to change the department name to Gtowth Management Department. In addition, Mr. Herrmann will be working with other departments such as Building and Safety Services, Housing, Engineering, and Public Works. He plans to develop a mission statement for the department. Mr. Herrmann also stated that the City is in the process of hiring for its Planner II position. In addition, Mr. Herrmann would like a full-time administrative assistant which would allow staff to focus their attention on successful Planning, Design, and Zoning Issues. The Comprehensive Plan is underway. Mr. Herrmann also discussed Unified Development Code, CWDI, Cannery Park, and Cannery Way. Lastly, Mr. Herrmann is working to improve the City's three commissions and boards. Engineering City Engineer Carl "Bucky" Jackson stated that the Engineering department mission is to provide responsible, high-quality, and cost-effective services to citizens as well as other departments within the City ofCambridge while improving the health, environment, safety, mobility, and overall quality of life for our community. Over the next 6-18 months goals are as follows: Trenton Street Pump Station, Cannery Park Improvements, Flood Mitigation and Protection, Cambridge Creek Interceptor, Leonards Lane Park, Traffic Action Plan through the Safe Street for all Grant, Chesapeake Court Subdivision site work, set and enforce infrastructure standards for the City, conduct a City-wide sewer analysis and long- term plan for capital improvements, reduce costs through energy projects at the Wastewater Treatment Plant, optimize usage of GIS across all departments, establish and start to complete projects from the green infrastructure plan, and fill all employment vacancies within the department. Public Works Director of Public Works Wayne Suggs' goals include creation of a new Sewer Department that will consist ofa 4-person crew. The department recently procured a new CCTV camera to identify problem areas and a new VacCon trailer for that crew. The department is exploring other energy savings opportunities, including a new solar array at the Public Works Office. The Sidewalk Improvement Program will continue. City beautification efforts, public safety building HVAC issues, 4IPage City of Cambridge, Meeting Minutes Goal Setting Work Session, March 15, 2025 OpenGov, improving road crew equipment, snow plowing improvements, increased overall staffing, CDL training program, updating aging equipment, and renovating Old City Hall are also departmental goals for Public Works. Police Chief of Police Justin Todd stated that continued reduction in crime is a top priority. He will work with the City Manager to establish pay adjustments for officers. CPD is about seven to eight vehicles away from every officer having a vehicle as part of the Vehicle Take Home program. Recruitment and retention strategies are a continuing effort. In addition, the cadet program, CALEA Accreditation, Drone Program, Special Tactical Response Team, Community Policing, Continued Specialized Training, and working with the IT department to instail cameras throughout the City remain top goals. Chief Todd thanked Dale Price, IT Manager, for the security cameras, as this has helped with crime solving. ChiefTodd would like to put cameras in other places as well, not just in high crime areas. Lastly, ChiefTodd wili continue efforts to build trust with our community. Remarks from City Manager Glenn Steckman City Manager Glenn Steckman stated that each speaker is a part of the leadership team. He meets with department heads during the week and they meet as a group the Tuesday before a Council meeting. During the leadership team meeting, the Council agenda is discussed and they review what each department is working on to keep everyone informed of what other departments are doing. Mr. Steckman's goal is to help each department head achieve his or her goals, as they were outlined earlier. This is critical sometimes as there may sometimes be disagreement amongst staff on what needs to be achieved. Mr. Steckman noted that most of the department heads live in Cambridge and would like to see a better City. He noted that there was mention of a dog park and said it is currently in progress. Mr. Steckman stated that his responsibility is to work with the leadership team on timelines and process to get this completed. Mr. Steckman stated that he is feeling pretty comfortable and now has a better understanding of what is going on in Cambridge. He needed to digest the City and has found that it is very similar to other municipalities that he has managed during his time as a city manager. Mr. Steckman said that he came from Nome, Alaska and has had a lot of experience working with municipalities that have significant challenges, whether financial or completing projects. He understands the challenges and there is nothing in Cambridge that is such a big challenge when compared to other municipalities he has worked in. Mr. Steckman stated that he would like to have fleet management 5Page City of Cambridge, Meeting Minutes Goal Setting Work Session, March 15, 2025 and improved communications with the public. Mr. Steckman stated that the City is financially stable. However, if the Governor decided to come back and remove the contributions, similar to what happened in 2009, t that would be a different picture. We don't know what's coming over the next year and what projects might be delayed, how would we handle that as a community. Mr. Steckman mentioned the expansion of the tax base and said there needs to be constant expansion of the tax base. There is currently a lot of housing being developed. In addition, how do we support business expansion? Mr. Steckman and Mr. Hesson are meeting with Cambridge Main Street next week. He has also met with the Chamber of Commerce. Mayor, Council, and City Staff took a fifteen-minute break at 9:32 a.m. Upon their return, vision and mission will be discussed. Mayor, Council, and City Staff returned. Special Projects Coordinator Cheryl Hannan announced that the next discussion will be about vision and mission. Elected officials had submitted some priorities and goals to Glenn. The elected officials will talk through those. Staff will work on values. Then everyone will regroup to discuss and review. Ms. Hannan explained that vision is at the top of the Pyramid. It is aspirational, what do you want your organization to be? The vision answers why the organization exists by defining what we do, how do we do it, and what value we are bringing. Strategies and initiatives are broader categories that define how we will fulfill our mission and vision. Goals are measurable. How do we operate and what are our principles? What do we want to hold ourselves to in interactions with one another, citizens, and vendors? Ms. Hannan stated that in 2023 the prior Council during a retreat had established a set of goals. Ms. Hannan stated that the most. important thing about this exercise is that it communicates to the community and potential employees what the City is about. City Manager Glenn Steckman stated that some mission statements are almost more than a paragraph and some are only one sentence. Examples were provided in the packet of different mission and vision statements from other municipalities. Mayor Lajan Cephas shared that Cambridge to her is very optimistic. The bridge is a part of Cambridge, and it is unifying communities. She suggested using "bridge" as an acronym. City staff and elected officials continued to deliberate about sample values. 61Page City of Cambridge, Meeting Minutes Goal Setting Work Session, March 15, 2025 Commission President Sputty Cephas Googled the current mission statement for Cambridge. Commission President Sputty Cephas asked whether we were at the point where we need to determine a mission statement. Commissioner Stout stated that he would like to look at a mission statement on the wall regardless of what department he is in. Commissioner Lewis-Sisco stated that the mission statement Commission President Sputty Cephas gave is actually the mission statement from Public Works. City Manager Glenn Steckman stated that the Mayor and Commissioners are looking for a mission statement that represents its umbrella over the City. Mr. Steckman noted that we do not have a city-wide mission statement. Finance Director Perry Peregoy asked if we are trying to design a mission statement for City Hall to the residents or the residents to the state or county at. large. Mr. Peregoy said that in his opinion these are two different things. City staff and elected officials continue to discuss this matter. Commissioner Lewis-Sisco stated that she agrees with Commission President Sputty Cephas. Some departments have their own mission statements. ITI Manager Dale Price stated that we are going to find a lot of similar mission statements. Mr. Steckman stated that we are looking for a statement that represents Council in one goal. Apart from that, it would be helpful from a budgetary standpoint as the budget is developed over the next few years codifying this is who we are and what we would like to offer to our residents. Mr. Steckman asked if Council wanted to build off Public Works' mission statement or the draft that Special Projects Coordinator Cheryl Hannan had created. In addition, Mr. Steckman stated that obviously we would want to be an inclusive community, and services are provided across the community. Commissioner Lewis-Sisco proposed number 19: "The City of Cambridge exists to enhance the economic, educational, social, and physical quality of the community and provide sustainable municipal services which are valued by its citizens." Commissioner Roche stated that A.I is in our future. Commissioner Roche shared a mission statement. Commission President Sputty Cephas stated that it answered his question, "Where is this going and who will this be entertaining" It clearly outlines the mission, values, and vision. How could it be summarized into a statement? Mayor Lajan Cephas stated that she liked what Commissioner Stout had summarized earlier. Commissioner Stout restated "committed to providing responsible high quality public service to residents and visitors of the City of Cambridge." Mr. Steckman said that he likes the servant mode of leadership. However, he has seen the word "serve" used a club against 71Page City of Cambridge, Meeting Minutes Goal Setting Work Session, March 15, 2025 cities or public employees. Providing services to the community is not being a servant. Mr. Steckman is open for any verbiage; however, he would recommend staying away from the word "serve." Commissioner Roche provided the definition of "serve." 7 Commissioner Roche stated that he agrees with Mr. Steckman as the word could be misinterpreted. Commissioner Stout stated that instead of using the word "choice," could we use the word "opportunity. - For example, "Committed to providing responsible high quality public opportunities to residents and visitors of the City of Cambridge. 27 Ms. Hannan suggested using the word "services." Special Projects Coordinator Lynne Widli referred to the Public Works mission statement including effective delivery services. City staff and elected officials continue to discuss the verbiage for the mission statement. Mr. Steckman stated that there might need to be a follow-up work session on this matter. Ms. Hannan explained how the breakout exercise would work. Elected officials submitted their goals and priorities to Mr. Steckman. They will be working to rationalize their initiatives and goals. Department heads will be broken into two teams and will work on values. Commissioner Summers mentioned that on the agenda its stated "Commissioners' Goals." " He thought the Commissioners would discuss their goals amongst the entire group. Ms. Hannan stated that she would prefer Commissioners to discuss amongst themselves first and then present as a group. Commission President Sputty Cephas agreed with Commissioner Summers to allow the Council to state their goals and priorities first. Commissioner Brett Summers - Ward1 1 Tenant Advocate position Dog Park - Cannery Way Old City Hall Renovations Cambridge Harbor Hire a commercial real estate broker to work as a marketing arm with CWDI. YMCA and working with Robbie Gill Performance Arts Center in downtown Cambridge PR Campaign - Promoting Cambridge Curbside recycling Money allocated to planting trees. 8Page City ofCambridge, Meeting Minutes Goal Setting Work Session, March 15, 2025 Commissioner Shay) Lewis-Sisco = Ward 2 Understand organizational processes & protocols. Develop an equitable process for community requests. (Specific amount for community projects, application period, brief descriptor of city manager/council investment areas based on Rudat or interest.) Define & clarify goals for the year (measurable/tracking quarterly to see progression) Know the City/Commission affiliate organizations (NLC, MML, etc.) to maximize use of benefits Communication with constituents beyond Council Meetings: Commissioner Community Liaison Appointees (Community Engagement: into Civic Service). Community focused to share the work of service with those Community leaders who care and want to be involved. Emergency Services/Volunteer Firefighters, Housing Advocacy Support: Inadequate housing conditions living in a complex that is governed by a property management company. Traffic & Safety: Improvement to streetlights (bright lights) and connecting sidewalks on Washington Street going to Cattail Crossing. Parking permits/Greenvood Ave. Excessive Speeding: (City Speed Cameras) Open Indoor/Outdoor Recreation Space: Youth and Young Adults Youth Employment/Wosk-basd Learning Opportunities (TPA phsaneainhalimshammdmis minine-patnenhpactsmmstsputhsmplomentpognml A program that she had when she was in middle school. Commissioner Frank Stout- Ward3 Neighborhood Development Improvement (HOW) Blighted to desirable with residential neighborhoods Established a policy for HOW Non-Compliant structures in the area 9IPage City of Cambridge, Meeting Minutes Goal Setting Work Session, March 15, 2025 Accountability for blighted homes/ License tiering Group Homes and Recovery Homes Reducing taxes Crime ptevention in Ward 3 City infrastructure Commission President Sputty Cephas - Ward 4 Youth engagement Non-Profit unity across the City, including support Stronger and more intentional stances on DEI across the organization Crime reduction Housing Traffic & Safety Code Enforcement Communication Commissioner Brian Roche - Ward 5 Value the services that City provides versus what the County provides/ Hire consultant Tax Rate cap Vacant property registration, including parking lots Tiered rental license Measurable dashboard for performance results Comprehensive Plan Mayor Lajan Cephas Workforce/Ecomomic Development Interest business that would like to come to Cambridge Organization that offers training for those recently released from incarceration AI Technology 10IPage City of Cambridge, Meeting Minutes Goal Setting Work Session, March 15, 2025 Mayor's Accessibility Committee Code Enforcement Salaries Disparity Study for City employees More sponsored events Mayor, Council, and City Staff took a fifteen-minute break at 11:08 a.m. Mayor, Council, and City Staff returned from break. Commissioner Lewis-Sisco had some questions and comments regarding the following topics: Paycom Training/Howis the training assigned? Cyber Security Trainings KPI's / Timeframes Financial Professional More about the Fire Prevention Program Appremtcamp/mtemanp Planning and Zoning CDL Training - Chesapeake College Fund the Program Local Management Board - CPD 11:30 a.m. the Mayor, Council, and City Staff regrouped for the exercise as described earlier by Special Projects Coordinator Cheryl Hannan. Group 1 - Mayor, Commissioners, City Manager, Special Projects Coordinator Cheryl Hannan Group 2 - Carl Jackson, Wayne Suggs, Brandon Hesson, Justin Todd, Dale Price, and Tyasia Johnson Group 3 - Ina Holden, Brad Walters, Brian Herrmann, Lynne Widli, Scott Fitzhugh, Steffanie Malkus, and Perry Peregoy Mayor, Council, and City Staff broke for lunch at 12:15 p.m. City Manager Glenn Steckman stated that there was a lot of good discussion, and it would continue during lunch. Ms. Hannan stated that there was some good conversation within her group and she hoped the same for the other two groups. Ms. Hannan stated that the Council goals and priorities were grouped into categories: Personnel, Traffic & Safety, Communications, Housing, Data, Public Safety, Taxes, Youth, Recreation and Entertainment, 11/Page City of Cambridge, Meeting Minutes Goal Setting Work Session, March 15, 2025 Comprehensive Plan, Maintenance, and Other. Ms. Hannan mentioned that the Council was asked to prioritize their top choice and then second choice. The top ten items were as follows: Overall understanding of processes and protocols, streamline the information for community engagement Streetlights, park improvements, connecting sidewalks, street calming measures Communication Engagement Tenant Advocate and Tiered Rental Licensing Data = GIS and Financial Data Reporting Youth Engagement - Program, Services and Accessibility Recreation and Entertainment Cannery Park Skateboard and Pump Track, Rails to Trails Work Force Development - Incorporated in Comprehensive Plan Old City Hall Renovation Assistant City Manager Hesson provided the sample values that his group came up with: transparency, integrity, and accountability. Special Projects Coordinator Lynne Widli stated that her group's sample values were teamwork, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Commissioner Lewis-Sisco had some questions, and she would follow up individually. Her priority was to understand the organizational process. She commented that when they are in Council meetings, sometimes information comes up. in discussion that she does not fully understand the process. She also noted that when talking about equity and fairness, one must remember consistency. She said that as we enter the budget season, some departments have very specific needs, and it would be nice to see those in a list of priorities. Ms. Hannan replied that the City Manager and Finance Director would be working with department heads on exactly that. Mr. Steckman continued to discuss the line items in the budget. He noted that he would try reduce the editorial commentary in the budget, as a lot of information got lost. The commentary would be a little more simplified. City Engineer Bucky. Jackson stated that this would be his third budget cycle here. He had a question about the capital improvement plan in the budget. Commission President Sputty Cephas asked if salaries could be clarified. Mr. Steckman said that salaries would be incorporated by the Finance Department. For instance, if there is going to be a COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) this year, Finance would look at an employee's current salary and indicate that it would increase by X amount of dollars. Thei individual departments will not have to do calculations for employee wages. Mr. Steckman and Mrs. Holden have been working on 12 Pag g e City of Cambridge, Meeting Minutes Goal Setting Work Session, March 15, 2025 a salary study and finding a company that will conduct that study. This information will not be provided by this budget year. Commission President Sputty Cephas asked if the only increases would be for COLA only and not for any performance or merit increases. Mr. Steckman stated that they are trying to budget some money for merit increases. Mayor Lajan Cephas stated that CPD needs a passenger van for residents in the community. Mayor Cephas also commented that at one point Commissioner Lewis-Sisco had asked questions about nonprofits. Mr. Steckman stated that there are some nonprofits requesting funds from the City. If funding were approved, the nonprofit would have to submit a report to the City. Commission President Sputty Cephas commented that there are certain organizations that the City immediately puts funds into the budget for every budget year. However, there are other organizations that request funds and the City supports them in whatever way we can. He suggested that creating a formalized process for nonprofits and funding requests would be ideal. He also asked how we move forward now that ARPA funds are no longer available. City Manager Steckman answered his question. Commissioner Lewis- Sisco echoed Commission President Sputty Cephas' comment, noting that a process would be beneficial. Mayor Lajan Cephas wanted clarity regarding changing demographics. Mr. Steckman said that Cambridge is considered a "distressed community." > However, by the 2030 Census, things will be different. There was also discussion about economic development. City Manager Steckman stated that Mr. Hesson has started meetings with the County Manager. 13 P. ag g e City of Cambridge, Meeting Minutes Goal Setting Work Session, March 15, 2025 Adjourn With no further business, Mayor Lajan Cephas adjourned the meeting at 1:34 p.m. I hereby certify that the foregoing is a true and accurate account of the Goal Setting Work Session on Monday, March 15, 2025, insofar as I am personally aware. Maybf Lajan Cephas City Commission meetings are conducted in open session unless otherwise indicated. Pursuant to the Maryland Open Mectings Act, all or a portion ofthe Commission meeting may be held. in closed session by vote ofthe Commission. Please note that the order ofagenda items is subject to change and thatmectings are subject to audio and video recording. 141 Page City of Cambridge, Meeting Minutes Goal Setting Work Session, March 15, 2025