Good evening, Rockville. Today is March 24th, 2025, and we'll begin meeting nine-25. Let's start with the Pledge of Allegiance. Please join as you're able. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to your public for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Miss Sarah Taylor-Farrell, agenda review. Madam Mayor and council members, there are no changes to the agenda for this evening. Very nice, thank you. And now we move to our city manager's report. Welcome, Mr. Mejellick. Mayor Ashton, members of City Council. Good evening. We have a very, potentially very, very long meeting tonight. It's all be super brief. We've been very involved with budget matters, as you you, Mayor. Thank you very much. I just wanted to note, just in case folks have not heard yet, the City of Rockville has a Renew and Rise program for our federal employees, contractors and grantees who have been impacted. There's information out in the FOIA and online if you look up City of Rockwell Federal workers and it looks like this. There are programs to support mental health and activities for children, etc. as well as half-off membership free and some of the classes are free. So please take advantage of that as you're able. The Chamber had an event today to help contractors pivot and I just want to note that there are a couple of things coming up on Wednesday. Work source Montgomery is having a job fair for federal workers. I know so many people have been impacted by this. So I wanted to make sure I call that out. In addition, in April, there will be a veterans fair on April 3rd. So if you go to our website, you can find out more information. All right. Now I'm moved to boards and commissions appointments and reappointments. We have appointments for the community policing advisory board, the cultural arts commission, the ethics commission, the environment commission, the financial advisory board, human rights commission, recreation and park advisory board, senior citizens, Transportation and Mobility Commission. Colleagues, do we have a motion to approve the Community Policing Advisory Board? Council Member Vellieri. I move the appointment of Todd Simmons, the Community Policing Advisory Board, to serve an expiring term until April 1, 2027. Do we have a second? Council Member Angrake seconds, all those in favor, please face your hand and say aye. Aye. Thank you. Now we move to the Cultural Arts Commission. Councilmember Jackson. Thank you Mayor. I move to reappointment of Howard Young to the Cultural Arts Commission to serve a full three-year term until April 1, 2028, and the appointment of Michelle Cheat to the Cultural Arts Commission to serve a full three-year term until March 1, 2028. Seconds, Councilor Masha. All those in favor, please raise your hand and say aye. Thank you. It's unanimous. Next we have the Ethics Commission, Councillor Revolton. I move the appointment of Brooks Hanner to the Ethics Commission to serve a full three-year term until March 1st, 2028. Councillor Jackson seconds. All those in favor please raise your hand and say aye. Wonderful. The Environment Commission The second. The second. The second. The second. The second. The second. Excellent. Thank you. Next we have the Financial Advisory Board. May. Councilmember Jackson. Yes, thank you, Madam Mayor. I move to the appointment of Michael Wheat to the Financial Advisory Board to determine a firing term until February 1st, 2027. Councilmember Larry seconds, all those in favor, please raise your hand and say aye. Aye. Excellent, thank you. Next we have the Human Rights Commission. Council Member Shaw. Thank you Madam Mayor and I'll take both the appointments together. I move to appoint Jacob Goodman and Joss Syrah to serve a full three year term until March 1st, 2028. Excellent. Thank you. Do we have a second? Councilmember Fulton seconds. All those in favor. Please raise your hand and say aye. Excellent. Thank you. Recreation and parks advisory board. Councilmember Van Grack. Madam Mayor, I move the reappointment of Vincent Chip Boilin to the Recreation and Park advisory board to serve a full three year term until March 1st, 2020-28 and the appointment of Tiffany Holland to the recreation and park advisory board to serve a full three-year term until March 1st, 2028 and the appointment of Tiffany Holland to the recreation and park advisory board to serve a full three-year term until March 1st, 2028. Thank you. Do we have a second? Councilor Jackson seconds. All those in favor, please face your hands. Aye. Aye. It is unanimous. Senior Citizens Commission. Thank you, Mayor. I move the appointment of Vicki College to the Senior Citizens Commission to serve a full three year term until March 1, 2028 and the appointment of Doreen Wink to the Senior Citizens Commission to serve a full three year term until March 1, 2028. Excellent. Do we have a second? Councilmember Fulton seconds, all those in favor? Please raise your hand and say aye. Aye. Excellent. Thank you. Now we have the Transportation and Mobility Commission. Councilmember Lary. I move the appointment of Irene Bowen to the Transportation Mobility Commission to serve a full three-year term until March 1, 2028. Do we have a second? Councilmember Jackson seconds, all those in favor please face your hand and say, ah, excellent. Thank you very much and I believe we have newly appointed commission a goodman here in the audience with us. Please stand if you're able and I think Brooks-Hanners here and if there any other new commissioners please raise your hand or stand as you're able Irene Bowen. Welcome all. Thank you so much for volunteering. Okay. We'll now move to community forum. All persons please address the mayor and council and speak in a civil and courteous manner and be respectful of your fellow audience members as well. Each person will be allowed three minutes and we ask that you stick to the time. There will be a time clock in front of you. Then you will hear an audible beep when your time ends. Please state your name and whether you live in the city of Rockville for the record. And the first person is Roxana Ajavi. Do we have Roxana here? Okay. Stephen Howlett, welcome. Now, out Mayor, you might have to get a translator from my Texas accent here. I always appreciate being able to dress mayor and council. I'm from Rockville, little theater vice president of development with the oldest community theater in the city of Rockville. now 77 years old. In 65 years ago, we moved into the Fitz Theater, which we are now renovating. Thank you very much for all your support on that. And we just want to thank you for supporting us with community grants for all, not just for Rockville Little Theater, but for Victoria Lyric Opera Company and Rockville musical theater, we bring a very valuable piece of the arts to the City of Rockville. And we also serve the senior community. And we have very special programs for the high schools and middle schools in the City of Rockville. We provide them with costumes, sets, furniture, props, and many things. And the mayor has always very graciously when we do a matinee come and introduce that to the students. So we can't thank you enough. And again, on behalf of the arts community, you guys are doing a fantastic job. Here's another eight decades with you. Thank you. Thank you very much. Ms. Sarah Taylor-Farrell, I believe there's some students from Metal Hall here. I just want to call again Roxana and Jovi or the Metal Hall students. Maybe they're here for the budget hearing. You'll let us know. Okay, thank you. All right, welcome Emily Toey. Good evening. Thank you, Mayor Ashton and Council, for giving me the opportunity tonight to testify again in support of adding rent civilization onto the agenda for your housing discussions. My name is Emily Tauy and I am a city of Gathur's Brigadier but I work in the City of Rockville as I am an outreach coordinator for the Montgomery County Renters Alliance. Since 2010 the Renters Alliance has been our region's only organization dedicated exclusively to enter outreach, education, advocacy and organizing. The Renters Alliance has been working to expand rent protections in the county and in the independent municipalities ofville, in Gatersburg, for over 15 years. We have seen the renter population and the movement to support renters grow exponentially. We were a big proponent of the county's ren civilization law, which now in effect protects thousands of renters and their families from price-caliaging and double digit rank increases. But this law does not protect everybody, which is clear by the turnout of people here tonight who will be asking for similar regulated rank increases. And light of this body's majority decision last summer to not prevent civilization on the agenda at any future council meetings, we stand here once again with fellow renters and renter activists to urge you to reconsider your position and adopt or amend the county's law to allow rock-filled residents to enjoy the same protections as their neighbors. With the constant uncertainty surrounding the federal government these days, we are relying on local legislatures now more than ever to do the right thing and preserve stable housing to protect low-income working-class and senior citizen renters from being priced out of their homes. Many residents are feeling the weight of the unpredictability of the federal landscape as they are suffering from mass fire rains and budget and benefit cuts. This means the responsibility shifts to the local level to promote, to provide stability for the people who live here. Ren civilisation is the best way to address the 56% of rock for renters who are cost burdened and are spending 30% or more of their income on housing. We know that this mayor and council have opted into the increasing supply approach as a method to protect affordable housing and lieu of putting a cap on rents. While the renters' rent certainly does not oppose a strategy that seeks to increase affordable housing supply, we must emphasize the short-signness in the falsehood of the notion that more supply is the sole solution for low-income renters to avoid displacement. We stress that implementing modest rent civilization and increasing supply are not mutually exclusive, especially in a high demand housing market like Rockville and Montgomery County. As County Council Vice President Wilge Wondo said at the recent rent civilization community forum, people want to live here. With everyday seeming to bring on new challenges and new fears, the city of Rockwell residents should have one constant in their life to know that they have a safe, quality, and affordable place to call home. We hope that you hear this message and listen to what the community is asking for to be able to keep living in Rockwell. Thank you for your time and consideration. Thank you. Welcome, Chris Madden, followed by Joel Mercado. Thank you, Mayor and Council. Much taller. Hello, Mayor and Council. I'm Chris Madden. I live in King Farm and I'm a member of the Rockville Renners United. I went for a walk recently in our beautiful Kingfarm that me and councilmember Jackson live in. It's beautiful this time of year with all the cherry blossoms in bloom. And I found myself sitting at Kingfarm Park on a bench and remembering why I moved to Rockville for diversity. I locked around at Kingfarm Park and I saw every race, religion, creed, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, and economic orientation. And I just thought about how beautiful it was to live in a community like this, where such a wide variety of people live in, especially in this time where it feels like diversity is under attack at a national level that it feels like rock fill is a sanctuary kind of for this. But the wall as I feel on this sanctuary are getting higher and higher. We are now in an affordability crisis, where the prices of our goods that we need to live are getting higher and higher each day. And paramount to that is, to that sanctuary and to that, those needs are shelter. The price to live in Rockville with renting or buying a house is too high for most people to get, especially with the rents increasing at a higher and higher rate. And a lot of the economically diverse community that we live in, a lot of poor and middle class where aquil residents are being forced out of their homes and having to move to other communities. And we could see this in recent scaling of the top 10 most diverse cities in America that we have now dropped to nine instead of where we were at eight. But I know you guys can't control the price of X. You guys do not control the other countries that tariff our goods that we need, but you can control the price of rent in this city. You guys can put a cap on those bad landlords that increase their rent at too high of a rate for anybody or any reasonable person to manage and stop the bleeding of people exiting this city and keep Rockville a safe bastion of diversity that it is. Thank you for your time. Thank you very much. Welcome Joel Mercado, followed by Brian Beekman. Hi, thank you Mayor and Council for your time. My name is Hoel Mercado. I I am a resident here of Rockville. Bringing up the courage to speak again. I want to echo and speak on behalf of those who are not able to be here today on mental stabilization. If it were up to me then everyone in the world would have housing and I believe that unfortunately to this may have many, we still have to convince people that housing is a human right. So I asked the council to at least meet a part of the way and bring my civilization to the conversation. Housing is I believe the number one thing that many, if not everyone worries about and just the ability to plan for the future, plan for your family and just have that safety would be incredible. To not keep you further I and just the ability to plan for the future, plan for your family, and just have that safety would be incredible. To not keep you further, I, like I said, I'm here to echo what my other members of the community would like to see. Thank you. Thank you. Welcome, Brian, and please state whether you live in the City of Rockville for everyone presenting. Hi, I'm Dr. Brian Beakman, and I live in the City of Rockville, and I'm here to express my support for rent stabilization. I'll keep my comments brief because I think that the speakers coming before me and the ones who will come after me will have a lot of really eloquent things to say about rent stabilization. I'll just talk about my personal story. I moved here a few months ago from Houston, Texas, where I'm originally from to work at a nearby children's hospital. I love Rockville. I think this is a wonderful community as a proceeding speaker mentioned. It's very diverse. It's beautiful. It's at this stage, relatively affordable, but concerns about rent increases make it so that I worry that I might be able to put my roots down here and live here long term like I'm hoping that I can. I may have to go somewhere like Gathersburg, Germantown, other parts of Montgomery County where that are more affordable because of rock film not protecting us and protecting our rent prices. So I just want to again you know put in my full-throwed support for instabilization. Thank you so much for giving us the time to speak about this today. Thank you. Absolutely. Thank you. Welcome Justin Lee followed by Jake Goodman. Good evening Mayor and Council. Thank you for the opportunity for me to speak tonight. My name is Justin. I am a resident in Twinbrook. I'm also speaking here tonight in support of friends' stabilization. Usually IATION. Usually, I prepare a script. Tonight, I didn't really have time to do that because my work has been getting really intense as our S contractor. We don't really know where that's going with Doge, but having a job is still makes me much luckier than many other in Rockville. That makes me luckier than the 1100 people that have been laid off from the national use to appell, for example. And I missed what is going on here. I got my least renewal and then it said 19% increase. And I don't doubt this is happening to many others as well. When we're looking at run stabilization and all the research on it, no matter what whether or not the conclusion supportive or against it, almost all of them can agree that it actually decreases the amount of displacement and eviction. What this means is that it's a very, very effective social insurance. When you started the meeting with the resources on federal employees, I looked it up on the website. Thank you so much. I know anything counts, mental health, classes, career fairs. But I think all of that really pales in comparison, the threat of having your entire life uprooted of not being able to pay rent. I don't think rent stabilization necessarily means stopping new housing construction. If we look at the law passed in for the county, it is very well written law, right? Like exams, housing, that buildings are less than 23 years old. It really does not disincentivize new housing. And 6% is much higher, this is already higher than most of the average annual run increases for most of the years anyways. So what this really does is to prevent the portion of our citizens that experiences those double digit price gouging that they cannot expect. Thank you so much. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Thank you. From the Sarah Taylor for Elkin, Ms. Penny, just have a list outside in case other people who came later want to sign up just so we have that list coming up. All right. I'll continue with the list that I have so far. Please state your name. I need to reprenounce or if you want to correct a pronunciation, as well as if you live in a city of Rockville. Welcome, Erin Slesak. Hi, good evening. My name is Erin Slesak. I'm a resident of Rockville, and I support instabilization. First off, thank you, Mayor and Council members for the opportunity to speak tonight. I would like to express that I disagree with the mayors and for Council members' decisions to not vote on rent stabilization last July. I support and stabilization because it leads to stronger and happier communities over time. I love living in Rockville. It is my favorite place I've lived in my entire adult life, and I love the food in the communal spaces, the safety and the variety of everything that you have right at your door. I feel like I have everything I could want here except for one thing, guaranteed stability. I am a renter, along with over half of all Rockville residents, and I do not know what my rent is going to be in four months when my apartment is up for renewal. But I do know it will do what every renewed lease has done. It will go up I know I'm not the only person here tonight who has this lingering thought in the back of my mind that I might have to leave my home if my apartment complex makes that decision for me The idea this idea has been in my head nearly since I moved in last August, and definitely since I fell in love with my current apartment shortly after. I implore you to please reconsider your previous vote to avoid the topic of rent stabilization, especially since Rockville now lags behind a significant portion of the state since Montgomery County passed our rent stabilization bill. All we are asking for is the same rights and stability and foundation to grow that the rest of the county now has. I'm not asking for rent control, I'm not asking for a financial windfall, I'm asking for the opportunity to stay in one place to give back to the neighborhood that I live in and to watch it grow as my neighbors are able to put down roots. I want to see what rock fill as a city can become when it citizens can be given something stable to count on when the rest of the world can seem so unreliable. Thank you again for letting me speak tonight. I urge the mayor and council to please reconsider your July 8th decision on rent sealization. Thank you. Mr. Goodman, I see that you wrote, swearing in. Did you also want to speak? Yes, I did. Okay. So the back here is actually similar notice to this that I would like to talk about. Good evening. Thank you, Mayor and Council for allowing me the opportunity to serve on the Human Rights Commission for a three-year term. As someone who has recently moved back to Rockville, well, Montgomery County in general in May of 2023, and has been living with my, in the interim until I can save up for my own apartment in the town center, I've been living in Falls Grove half the time with my dad, then actually in Gathersburg, and the Kentlands half the time with my mom to save up for, to save up money. And ultimately, the time I can move out into a place of my own in the town center in a more transit-oriented development within the city would be a lot quicker if we had more rent stabilization. Because right now the cost of rent in many parts of the area and in many parts of the county, the closer you get into the beltway is astronomical. It shouldn't really have to cost an arm and a leg to eventually, to want to afford to live in a more transit oriented area and a more walkable area. After all, I am under the belief that it should be a human right to have housing and that we should eventually be aspiring to other countries like Austria in terms of social housing and having some more sort of housing model that there's housing available available for everyone so we cannot have as much homelessness. But also, you know, a higher emphasis on transit-oriented development and a good way to ensure more transit-oriented development around bus stops and submetrocessions is by reducing this maybe an unpopular opinion for some, but reducing parking minimums. Already in Gathersburg, they did away with parking minimums in the old town area. And I've been really pushing for the entire county to maybe be a part of like what the parking reform network is doing and reduce it county wide and maybe or at least start on a city wide basis. I hope to in my first few months of the council to start to work in tandem with the Transportation and Mobility Council also so we can start creating a Transit accessibility audit throughout the city of all bus stops to ensure that most, you know, even though they're run by MC dot that there is accessibility. Because accessibility of transportation, accessibility of housing, whether it's for individuals with disabilities or not, it is a human right and we need to support it 100%. Accessibility, housing, transportation, mobility, go hand in hand. And that is something that we need to make sure is afforded to us every day. Thank you. Thank you. Welcome. Grant Sam's followed by Christine G. Grant, are you here? Okay. Christine G. Is there any. Welcome, Grant. And if Christine G can come towards the podium as well. Well, hello again. Madam Mayor, Mayor is the council. I want to thank you for giving me this opportunity to speak. My name is Grant Sam's. I am a proud Rockville resident leader in my building's tenant association and a member of Rockville renters United. I wanted to shed some light on some of the questions that this body asked during the July 8th meeting, because even though city staff was directed explicitly not to get answers to those questions, I felt like they were particularly incisive questions that deserved answers. Madam Mayor in particular, and I'm getting on July 8th, you had said that you had serious concerns about what rent stabilization meant for housing supply. And I have good news for you. In a review of rent stabilization literature, a team of economists from the University of Southern California stated that quote, the literature suggests that moderate regulations do not appear to decrease housing construction. Those comments are similarly echoed in a paper by a team from the University of Louisville and are similarly echoed by a team from the University of Minneapolis, all reviewing the body of work on this topic. In fact, there is a very significant body of literature that backs up rent stabilization not having a negative impact on housing supply, on housing quality, quality or tax, taxable evaluation from this measure. I also have some very good news from the county level. And a council member, Van Greck, I think you'll like this in particular because I know you've said many times that you're a data guy. The, despite a lot of concern about a slowdown in the county and housing production, 2024 was the county's best year in a decade for bringing online new, mid and high rise rental units. And I also want to state that this excludes Rockville and the other municipalities. That's just the county land that's covered under rent stabilization. I also want to address a comment that Mr. Morgan Sullivan from JLL made when he was here about a month ago. And with all due respect to him, because I know he lived in your neighborhood for about a decade. But his opinion that rent stabilization was having a chilling effect on development the county is incorrect. Looking at the county's pipeline, my government county has approved 26,209 multi-family units for construction in the coming years. That is a 68% increase in just the next few years over what they've built in the last 10 years combined. And relative to population, the county's pipeline is just as strong as the cities. And so I want to urge this body once again to consider and pass rent stabilization. Thank you. Thank you. Christine Jean. Followed by Tyler. Tyler McClarytham. Welcome, Christine. Good evening. Thank you to the Mayor and Council for having us. My name is Christine Garboti. I am a Rockville renter. I'm a new resident near the King Farm, near Red. I'm also an economic analyst for a nonprofit policy or an organization, which means that I spend a lot of my professional life looking very closely at the ways that economic evidence can be used and sometimes misused to justify policy decisions. But I'm not here in that capacity tonight. I'm here independently as a Rockville renter. I became a Rockville resident last summer and it was actually a DC renter in one of the few units exempt from the district's rent stabilization measure at that time. So back to back increases of 9 to 13% forced myself in my roommate to leave our neighborhood of three years. Because I had some connections here, I chose to go to rock fill and try to rebuild here. So I'm now wondering if I will face the same challenges again this fall. It's not looking great based on what I've been hearing from what others in the community have experienced in terms of increases lately. I am hardened to see that the council has been taking the region's housing crisis seriously as evidenced by the slayer by the door. There's clearly a lot of good work being done here. But to echo what others have said tonight, the solutions that the council has kept on the table are missing this critical stopgap that is well designed, it rents that lilystation measure. These policies, a well-designed policy, like the ones that the economics literature now shows are possible to design, can help keep their rockville community whole while those longer term measures can slowly come into place. So I would offer to share some of this literature with the council, but currently it's not clear to me what the council's specific concerns are about rents day-to-day policies based on revisiting the council meeting from last July. With all due respect, it seemed like the council members had a lot of questions about these types of policies and then voted to stop talking about them altogether. So instead of using the resources that you're disposal to get answers, it's just over now. But it seems like many Rockville renters also want those answers based on the turnout to this meeting and the ones I've been hearing about for the last 10 months. So I haven't lived here very long, but I suspect that until a real conversation has had about this, the community is going to continue to ask for these answers. So I'm asking tonight for the council to please put rent stabilization back on the docket for discussion. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Tyler. Tyler, followed by Michelle Schenff. Welcome. Okay. Part of me. This is my first time ever doing this. I'm very nervous. So thank you for your patience. Appreciation. Hi, everyone. My name is Tyler McClennathin. I'm a resident of Rockville and I'm here to support rent stabilization. I live right here in West End. I just walked over here five minutes away, and I appreciate the opportunity to speak. Thank you all for your time. I'm disappointed in and disagree vehemently with the council's decision not to consider rent stabilization as a part of their bills. I support rent stabilization because it provides reliability and predictability in the housing market for our most vulnerable residents, including myself. For the past six years, I've been living, working, playing, and growing my family right here in Rockville, right here in downtown. I work at Montgomery College. I give out food to our neighbors. I volunteer to shovel snow for my senior community members. I've got my thank you invite here to prove that, right? I brought my my my daughter and I are active members of Maryvale Elementary School. I'm on the vice president I'm vice president of the PTA and we're a member of the Rockville Ballet. I'm a part of the friends of Rockville Civic Ballet. We've got a show this weekend, please come and check us out at the college. We'd love to have you there. And I've had many of my birthday parties, my daughter's birthday parties. I'd love to have mine there too, to be honest, at the Rockville pool. We love it here. I don't mention this to treat my own horn. I really don't. I just want you all to know that I love rock fell genuinely And I want to be able to grow my family here and I'm invested not just in my family, but the community. But without rent stabilization, every year our ability to stay and build the communities that we care about is put into question. This unpredictability creates a baseline anxiety for me where I never know how much my rent may go up or if I'm gonna be able to afford to stay here and be a part of the communities that I love so much. Rent stabilization would provide me with stability and predictability so that I could focus more on being the father that I want to be and the community member that I want to be. Speaking of the greater community, the city of Rockfield recently rebranded with the motto, rise together. You got that word together in there, right? I would implore you to consider who we leave behind, who can't rise when we don't have rent stabilization. I've told you how it prevents me from being myself, but I also know that 50% of Rockville residents are renters. Many of whom are federal employees who now have lost their jobs. And others who come from the diverse walks of life, your new branding statement, which I read before I came here, loves to celebrate. I urge the mayor and council to reconsider rent stabilization so that truly all of us can rise together together and you can thank me in a more substantive way than a dinner. Thank you again so much for your time and consideration. Welcome Michelle. Michelle Shen. Hi, my name is Michelle. I live in Rockville and today I'm actually here to testify on behalf of other people who couldn't make it on rent stabilization. Dear Marin Council members, I am asking you to pass rent stabilization in our city. As a Rockville renter, rent stabilization is important to me because I love my community and I want to stay here. I appreciate your efforts to look into alternative ways to make housing affordable. I'm disappointed by your refusal to consider rent stabilization. We need rent stabilization to maintain our communities and promote growth and rock fill. I hope you will listen to your constituents who have urged you to consider and ensure housing stability for everyone. Thank you. Oh, and also add this is from our community pot look. To the mayor and council, I was born in Montgomery County and all I want is to be able to afford to live in the city of Rockville that I love. We need rent stabilization now. There's too much gaslighting by Mayor Rockville, Mayor Manique Ashtonon against Rockville tenants. Dear mayor and council members, I'm writing to ask you to pass rent stabilization our city as a Rockville renter stabilization is important to me because it will allow me to stay in my community and build my future that I want. My dream is to have a family and a safe and welcoming community and I believe Rockville could be that for me. I appreciate your efforts to look While I appreciate your efforts to look into alternative ways to make housing affordable, I am disappointed by your refusal to consider rent stabilization. We need rent stabilization because we need to consider the future of the community. Without it, I believe less people will want to live here, less people will want to have families here, and overall this results in dead communities as generations age out and less younger individuals provide support. I hope you all listen to your constituents who have urged you to ensure housing stability for everyone. Otherwise my vote will speak for me. Thank you for your time and your consideration. That's all I've got. Thank you for your time and thank you for allowing me to speak. Thank you. Tuddy, do we have a new list? Okay. Welcome, Ms. Anita Neal Powell. Good evening, Mary-Council. My name is Anita Neal Powell, President of the Lincoln Park and Storca Foundation, and former candidate of Rothfeel Mary Council. Tonight I stand to support the construction of the Lincoln Park Community Center Improvement Capital Improvement Program Project. I also want to thank you for transparency of all those who submitted their proposal. In addition, thank you for having the conversation for the first time in the history of the Marin Council for putting this on your agenda. Thank you. Thank you. Good afternoon, Marin Councilor. My name is Gladys Lyons. I'm back to second time on Ashley Avenue and the first time was the cars. Now I'm back for the trees across the street. Who owns that land there? Because those trees are rotten trash. I think they came up trash last week. But those trees come down with a high wind who come right in my driveway in my car, on my car. So we need to know who's in charge of the land across the street. I'm a homeowner, I own my home in Lincoln Park, and I want something to be done. I'm a widow, and also I'm gonna take a minute and address the traffic on the three going south north horners westmore and Ashley. It's like on a racetrack. Those cars don't stop. I call the police, the government counter police. They said they couldn't put a flash and later a camera there because of the fact it's in a residential area. I don't believe that. I don't believe that. So if we will address that, take the trees down. OK? Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Ms. Penny, do we have any others who have signed up? All right. All right. Thank you very much. And what about the middle-haul students? Are they going to hold for the public hearing? Okay. Yes. Are they here? We're here for the public hearing. We can take them. Whatever. OK. I'll be positive. Hi. Welcome. Thank you. Please state your name. And I think your hair from metal hall is that right? Yeah. OK. Welcome. Thank you. Gr state your name and the I think you're here for metal hall. Is that right? Yeah, welcome Thank you. Good evening ladies and gentlemen. My name is Roxana Wooten and I am city or rebels resident I am the metalhole parents and I am here to talk about foundation for English class in metalhole I am so happy to have an English class Monday to Wednesday. Night, and my daughter is the first great in Medo Hall and my son is far years old. He's starting kindergarten in New York. I am talk English class in Washington DC from when I come to United States in 2012 and I work and I have a took care a kid. I had to take care kids. I need the Practice my English when I am in the class, they have volunteer to help my daughter with her homework. And they watch my son. This is great because the homework is first grade and the middle hole is difficult for me to help her. And I know understand. classes so important for me and for my family and for my sister. My see. and I know understand. This class is so important for me and for my family, for my sister, my big sister, I'm sorry. Okay, take your time. Lucy's come to United States last year and she had two daughter in Rockville High School. And her daughter is learning English class in Rockville High School. But Lucy, she need a class to learn like me because when it's a really good English, my daughter is also, she goes to study school in Rockville High School. Lucy and my daughter, but this class in Middle-H Hall is so much better. They can teach you, they can teach you, I'm sorry. It's OK. Take your time. Oh my god. So Sarajeer School in the Rockville High School It's so much better this Saturday school. The teacher is very good and my family really need this class. The middle-hole parent and I really need this foundation to continue our English class, English skill and the next year to the next year is cool. Thank you. Thank you very much. Well done. Thank you. And welcome to all the students from Medo Hall. Thank you. Okay. Is there anyone else from Medo here who probably need to go to bed. I just wanted to say can we add these comments to the budget public hearing. Okay, thank you. Thank you everyone, please come up. Thank you very much. Good evening ladies and gentlemen. My name is Christina Rache. I am vice president of programs at the PTA at Menohol Elementary School. This is my first year at the PTA Board, but my fourth year as a Metohol parent and PTA member. When I first joined the school community, I noticed that Hispanic participation was very passive. I also learned from school surveys that Hispanic students have lower grades. At the end of the school year 2023-2024, PTA board members held a brainstorming session with Hispanic parents, some of them are here today, to learn how to support their children to excel and thrive in elementary school. Some of the feedback received included the lack of English proficiency on their end to be able to help their children do homework, study for exams, or even communicate with teachers and other parents. This situation contributes to low grades in students and slow down their development. Starting this school year, the PTA at Menohol, partner with Miss Jessica Jackson, our community school liaison for Menohol Elementary School, and Miss Cecilia Rojas program director of the Language Outreach Program to provide English conversation sessions twice a week in the fall, winter and spring. While parents take their English conversation sessions, students take tutoring to do their homework at Metohol. After two English sessions, I have learned first hand from these parents that these sessions have provided them the language skills to help their children do homework or study further exams, resulting in higher grades. There's still a lot to do. These parents are more confident now while communicating with staff or other parents. We will soon start our third session in April and they are already registered and looking forward to it. The constant attendance of both parents and students proves the benefits that these sessions provide. After four years of being part of the school community, I'm happy to finally see more active participation and involvement of Hispanic parents in school activities. And more importantly, I consider children making progress. But as I have mentioned before, there's still a lot to be done. This would not be possible without the funding and resources to do so. Resume why I'm testifying tonight at this council. This is an ongoing activity that our school community needs to help our elementary students be more prepared for the few, for the school years ahead. The funding that you provide to our school community really makes an impact. I'm sure that this investment will benefit our economic numbers in Montgomery County and City of Rockwell in the future. Before I conclude my remarks I want to rest assured that your funding will be well-used, educating these wonderful children and their families. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Welcome. Hi. Good evening. Good evening, Mayor Ashton and esteemed council members. My name is Jessica Jackson, and I am honored to be the Community School liaison for Medo Hall Elementary School here in the City of Rockville. Medo Hall is one of 53 current community schools in the MCPS system. As a first year community school liaison, my role this year has been to get to know the community and identify what wraparound services would best serve its members. I know that my time is limited, but I believe it's important to explain the lens through which I view my role as a community school liaison. While most of the CSLs in MCPS are former educators, my role, my background is in social work. Before I took on this role, I investigated allegations of child abuse and neglect here in Montgomery County for about a decade. In my work with the county, I met with hundreds of families every year. In that work, I found some common themes. Parents love and want what's best for their children. A child's well-being improves when their families access to resources is improved. And it is very difficult to link families with resources within walking distance of their home. As I onboarded with Metal Hall last summer, I spoke with multiple stakeholders, all of whom echoed similar sentiments. English classes were needed for the parents at Metal Hall. It's much easier to advocate for your child to guide your child and to be a partner with your child's school if you can speak the language. My colleague and partner in Good Trouble, Tanya Aguilar, the community school liaison at Twinbrook Elementary, insisted that I make contact with Cecilia Rojas, who's the program director of the Language Outreach Program with Community Reach Montgomery. I learned that in years past, Medo Hall families had access to English language development classes, which were well attended by many in the community. When I first met with Ms. Rojas, she spoke fondly about the work she'd previously done with Medo Hall and how eager she was to get back to work again. Working with Ms. Rojas has been seamless. She simply does not say no. With help from Medo parent, Miss Christina Ritchie, whom you just met with, I'm gonna go. We got to work. Miss Ritchie is coordinated with Rockville High School to provide tutoring for the students whose parents attend the English classes. So to date, the parents and students, the parents have attended 48 hours of free English classes so far, and we prepare for an additional 24 hours to come this spring. There are children, many of whom, our English language learners themselves, benefit from extra support with reading and math from the students at Rockville High School, and in turn, those students receive student service learning hours which are required for graduation. At the end of each quarter of Meadow Hall recognizes students with exemplary academic performance during a growth and achievement assembly which is a school-wide assembly. This year I've had the honor of recognizing some of our parents who participate in the classes during that assembly. I invite you to put yourselves in the position of a child whose parent is recognized in such a way. Imagine the pride that they feel. And imagine the message that the children receive from their parents about the importance of continuing education. With support from the council, community reach can continue the impact they strive to have on our school community. We humbly request your support in this endeavor. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Metta Hall. Ms. Penny, is there anyone else who signed up? Thank you. Thank you to everyone who testified here today. We really appreciate all of your testimony. We will be having budget discussions later this evening. Thank you. We'll now move on to consent agenda. And we have a few items to approve. Award and authorize the City Manager to execute a contract responsive to IFB, Constructing of Lincoln Park Community Center Improvements. We also have award and authorize the City Manager to execute a contract for the LED Street Light Conversion Phase 2. Colleagues, do you have any questions about these items that you want to pull? If not, we have a motion to approve. Council Member Van Grack. Mayor, I move for the approval of consent agenda items A and B as noted in the agenda booklet and not the agenda item. Council Member Miles. Second. Thank you. All those in favor, please face your hands and say aye. All right. Thank you very much. We'll now move on to our budget public hearing. I would like to ask Ms. Sarah Taylor-Farrell has this been properly advertised. Madam Mayor and councilmember Chesa has been properly advertised. Thank you. Mr. Chambers, welcome. And I know you're joined by Kim Francisco as a panelist. Thank you and good evening, Madame Mayor and members of the council. This is our third public hearing scheduled for the FY 2026 operating and capital improvements program budgets. The public record will remain open through April 7th and members of the public may continue to submit written testimony, as well as take our community budget priorities survey, which they can find at www.rockvillemd.gov slash budget, which will also remain open through April 7th. As of today, we have over 730 responses to our survey, which is about 90% of the responses we had received this time last year. After the survey closes, along with the public record, again, on April 7, a final report including all results will be provided to the mayor and council. That concludes my remarks and we ask that the mayor and council proceed with this public hearing and keep the budget public record open one last time through April 7th. Thank you very much. We're going to proceed to the public hearing but I just want to note if anyone has any questions for staff or need any help on resources, we do have staff members in the back. Mr. Mahilak, who would you assign just so they can see? Raise hand. Mr. Matete is here in case anyone would like to talk to him about city programs resources or questions. Okay. All right. So we now welcome our first speaker, Mr. Jake Jakkebeck. Good evening, Madam Mayor and Russ. I'm going to go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and go ahead and the city council for its efforts for making Rockville a cycling city. In my short time in the city, significant complete streets projects of Comterfu fruition, Maryland Avenue, the town center, we've got all kinds of things coming in. Baltimore Avenue is finished further initiatives are coming along with fleet Monroe streets, and other things are planned on the southern border of the city. The committee appreciates the effort of the council as well as those city staff and we wish to maintain this momentum. Our budget priorities for the 26th budget are we are asking for the city to dedicate the funds to have a half-time staff city member to assess with cycling initiatives. We also continue to ask for funding for feasibility studies for complete streets and and the cycling safety projects. And thirdly, we would like to discuss funding and cycling education in the city. My colleague, Shannon, will be speaking about that a little bit later. I imagine that the city is aware that tour of cookie is not going to be happening this year. We have made regular contact with the tree house and they are mentally busy and it's not likely we will see this event. This happening this time around, and they don't have a time to organize something like this. This leaves the city of Rockville without a signature cycling event to drop people to town, see how much fun it is to ride a bike here. Looking over prior issues of Rockville reports from about 2012, I found an issue that the city once held an event named Ride and Stride, which is a combined bike ride and run. looks like there were two bike routes and one running route. Which in all showcased the city and all the kinds of things that's organized here. And I think that the committee feels... which is a combined bike ride and run, looks like there were two bike routes and one running route, which in all showcased the city and those kinds of things is organized here. And I think that the committee feels that this is something worth revisiting. One of the main limitations to such an initiative would be staff time. Naturally, our esteemed colleague, Brian Barnett, was immensely busy doing all the work that he does. And I'm sure you would appreciate somebody who would be able to spend half the time doing that kind of work and maybe begins to organize an event. Obviously not for this year, it's far too soon but perhaps next year. doing all the work that he does. And I'm sure you would appreciate somebody who would be able to spend half the time doing that kind of work and maybe begin to organize an event. Obviously not for this year, it's far too soon, but perhaps next year and times forward. Feasibility studies are the key to fulfilling goal set up in the Vision Zero Master Plan. The complete streets policy and the Rockville Bikeway Master Plan. These studies laid the foundation to carry out important complete streets projects, bicycle projects, projects that involved removing parking or reducing the amount of car or night car and the Rockville Bikeway Master Plan. These studies laid the foundation to carry out important complete streets projects, bicycle projects, projects that involved removing parking or reducing the amount of car driving lanes and any of those kinds of elements that will allow people to ride bikes safely. High priority projects are often on roads that are backbones for transportation systems, such as the complete streets projects on North Washington Street and many high priority bike projects will require separate bike infrastructure to ensure that it's truly safe for everybody to rot Feasibility studies important now because the city is completed much of the so-called low hanging fruit in the bikeway master plan And now we're kind of going to the stuff that's a little bit lower The ideas that we had for this year to discuss One very important one is the research Boulevard shared use bike path That would go between the Carl Hamilton and William Trail and the friendship bridge I understand this and work was done on that we had a little setback however I would like to keep that in focus. Another option that it could be studied would be the path from Maryville Park to Redgate Park like a side view path that would take you into the back of Tafs Court and create a very safe bike connection for built the ride from those two parks. Another element to potentially discussed would be a Chapman Avenue bike lane from Twinbrook Park way to the city border. This is actually number seven on a Rockville bicycle advisory committee bike lane priorities and would also connect to the Bethesda trolley trail and point southward. Another element would be the Fortune City bicycle lane from seven locks to Park Potomac. This is number 15 on our list, and a fairly short segment. Our final thought on this matter would be to have a, I'm sure we're all aware of the connection between the L-place and the Carl Handel-Lenium Trail. It's there, it's pretty awkward, you've got a little grade and stuff, so that would be a really nice connection, don't it's smooth out of an iron out to make it more comfortable with people that are using right. One thing that the feasibility studies allow us to do is that they need cost-benefit analyses that not only include impacts on traffic, but other assurance redesigns will be effective in the locations equitable for all city businesses and residents. Feasibility studies ensure that community members have opportunities for inputting feedback. Finally, feasibility studies set the stage for Rockville to be eligible to receive local, state, and federal funding to design and build the infrastructure that we are proposing. As a mayor and council know, this funding often becomes available quickly and requires so-called shovel ready projects. Having the groundwork done ahead of time would give Rockville a substantial edge in being selected for government grants. I thank you for your time today, Mayor and council. I look forward to working on the budget with you this year. Have a good night. Thank you. Welcome, Christopher Cano. Good evening, Council members. Mayor, my name's Christopher Cano. I'm the political director for SCIU Local 500. Excuse my attire. Usually I put a suit and town for more August bodies like this one. But I wanted to share with you this evening, exactly how much of a common man that I am. And in reviewing this city's budget, one thing that struck out to me the most was there's nothing involved in rent stabilization in the city's budget. And that along with me and our 23,000 members severely. We worked very hard to be a part of the rent stabilization coalition in Montgomery County. And I find the fact that the intransigent of this council to move forward on this issue, when half of the renters, half of the people in Rockville are renters is disturbing. Now, the cost of an action can be measured in homeless families. The cost of an action can be measured in economic distress. The cost of an action can be measured in the seats on this council that can be replaced in the next election. I want to be abundantly clear. We have a major issue in Annapolis right now with the state budget and it really is disturbing to think that we have to come back and focus on local issues when we entrust you to be the voice of the people. And according to what I saw this evening in these public comments, the voice of the people are not being heard right now. Now I'm going to be abundantly clear one more time. I firmly believe that you should address this and should address it in this coming years budget and that it should be addressed expeditiously. Otherwise, we're going to have to put our thumb on the scale and make sure that our thousands of members know that we can pack this city council chamber out next go around, that you all can be held accountable. So I am asking very civilly, very nicely. Address it and thank you very much for your time. Have a great evening. Thank you. Thank you. Welcome, Andrea Keptner-Wink. Good evening. I'm Andrea Kempner-Wink with Community Reach of Montgomery County and the managing director there. Thank you, Mayor and Council members. For your support at the underserved in Rockville, excuse me. Community Reach of Montgomery County has appreciated the work we have been able to do with your support to serve those in need of health care, housing, financial emergency assistance, education for immigrants, and elder care. We thank the city for our faithful partnerships since our inception in 1967 as we serve and advocate for Rothville residents. Together we have embraced people from all walks of life and every corner of the world. We have helped residents realize their dreams of financial security, plant roots, and raise their families in this welcoming community. And I also want to thank many of you for attending many of our events. Community reach of Montgomery County, we shorten our name to reach, offers the following. Assistance to those who face eviction or utility, turn-offs, or need referrals for food, clothing, and vision care and dental care through our Rockville Emergency Assistance Program. Home Care Services and Repair and Maintenance for our Senior Citizens Aging in Place through our Senior Reach Program. A safe place to call home for men and women who were previously unhoused through our Joff Rockland houses. A way to connect with our community through English language classes and citizenship test preparedness classes for immigrants through our language outreach program and a health care home for those who are uninsured or enrolled in Medicare and Medicare through our Mansfield caseman health clinic. My colleagues will share information about those services. I have the honor of sharing a story in facts about our senior reach program. Each year, our senior reach program serves about 50 city of rural, bill residents who are over 60 years old with home care services that lower their risk of illness and infection. We provide approximately 30 residents with assistive living devices and home repair and maintenance so they have a safer living environment and more mobility within their homes. Our clients are able to live independently many in the homes where they raise their children for years longer than they could without our service. Most of an annual income of less than $20,000. Thank you for funding this program in FY25 and previous years. It makes a world of difference in the lives of our clients. Here is one example of how our work makes a real difference. Ms. G, a Lincoln Park resident in her 80s, lives in the house where her children grew up. For over a decade, she has received home care services through us. During a recent check-in, by her staff, Ms. G mentioned that her water bills had been unusually high. And she suspected there might be a leak in her water heater. We hired a plumber to do an inspection. He confirmed there was a leak and warned that if it was not repaired, the tank might burst, flood her home and cause significant damage. Senior reached contracted for a new water heater to be installed. With the letter from the Plumber Miss G was able to get a partial refund from the water company. She thanked us immensely for everything that we did for her. In 2024, we ramped up our technology assistance for Rockville seniors. At Victory Court, we offered two hours each week when any resident can meet with a volunteer who would help walk them through their concerns and questions about their cell phones, tablets, laptops, and other technology. Senior Reaches has held similar one-time activities with student volunteer groups. Not only do these events provide useful learning opportunities for rockville residents, they also serve, they also offer socialization experiences between generations. Although we're proud of our senior reach successes, there are many more whose quality of life health and safety would be vastly improved with the help of our program. We always have waiting lists of more than 10 lower income rockville seniors for both home care and home repair due to funding shortages. Home care services are increasing cost year after year. We expect that materials and labor for home repairs will rise more quickly this year, and in the future, as the economic situation changes. The average age of our population is increasing, and senior citizens are rapidly expanding demographic. We ask for your continued and increased support as we strive to help all our seniors age with quality of life, assuring no one is left behind due to age or socioeconomics. Thank you very much. Thank you. Welcome Cecilia Rojas, I am the director of the language outreach program of community mini community. Community Richemogomere County, oh my God, come back. During these past 30 years, we decided support a lot of people has provided English as a second language and leadership to adult immigrants. Our students turned to us because they want a better life for themselves and their children. However, to achieve that, they need to be able to communicate. Olympic class serve a basic need in diverse communities such as ours. Our classes are unique, as we also provide tutoring for the school age children of our students. Children have received care, tutoring and mentoring from our staff and volunteers. The children from the first decade or two of LOP are now adults. Do the impact of our program has had on the lives on their parents and families, those children are giving back to the community by helping the very program that helped improve their lives. Children and young speaking, these parents are at a clear disadvantage. Their parents are unable to have them with their homework, or effectively communicate with school staff. We work closely with the teachers and of our children to provide much needed support, helping to provide communication between the parents and teachers learning what what additional assistance the Chilean needs. For an immigrant, learning English is a long journey. It takes seven years for a non-English speaker to master the English language, seven years. Therefore, you all can see that our program retention rate is critical for the great success of our students. Each class and level of instruction corporate life skills, they are key to the quality of life. Our students believe in the current environment is now even more in session to speak and understand and read English. The fiscal year 25, we had the opportunity to offer classes at Ruben Community Center, Thuim and Thuimbro, and link the Rockville Community Center of Thuimbro and Linkord Park, and at Thuimbro and Middle Hall Elementary School, as you heard them. We also offer child tutoring at Middle Hall. We serve 84 city, rural, adult and children in our summit and fall and winter session. We're waiting for our spring. The city of rural has been a strong supporter to the language of this program. We truly appreciate it, the funding, and we hope to receive you continue full support. Thank you so much. Thank you. Welcome, Allie Robinson, followed by Odeth Berlin. My name is Allie Robinson. evening, Mayor Aston and City Council members. Thank you for the opportunity to speak tonight and for your continued support of community reach of Montgomery County. I direct the client services division, housing and senior reach for reach. The reach office is located at 1010, Grand Inavidoo, and Rockville, Maryland. I'd like to thank you for the opportunity to speak about our housing program and to express our organization sincere thanks to all the City Council members and you mayor for your support over the past years. I'm honored to stand before you to advocate for vital programming and the funding to the most vulnerable members of our community. Our permanent supportive housing program provides stable long-term housing for formerly homeless individuals. We operate two permanent housing homes, the Rockland Home and Twin Work. That houses up to five women and the Jefferson House and Rockville, just a few blocks up the road with houses up to five women and the Jefferson House in Vockville, just a few blocks up the road, which houses up to six men. Residents receive individualized case management, create service plans individually, and receive life skills training, attend financial literacy workshops, as well as have access to basic computer skills. We work with a host of collaborators throughout the county to provide the services to help our residents prepare for a productive future. Jeff's in-house, many of the residents there are building meaningful connections throughout this community. They're attending collaborations with Tree of Hope and and other community engagement. One of the residents there said he has a new goal after attending multiple meetings and groups. He says that he wants to become a peer recovery specialist. He says he wants to give back to the community which has helped him and he wants to stay engaged in the 10th week meetings weekly. Another Jefferson resident wants to pursue an entrepreneur training. He says after now attending some of the programming that we have, he wants to open up his own mobile detailing company. He's asking about entrepreneur programs. He's asking, how can he get training? How can he open a business? Success of our men looks like what it does. A community-based program offering hope, giving them the support they need to reach their goals. A Rockland House is a powerful testament to the resilience and faith that community reach impacts. A house manager there is volunteering organizations such as the Rockville Human Services Advisory Commission Board. She's prioritizing herself cared. Another resident through reach has her, has started her social media page to assistant help other women who walk that similar path. So in closing, I'd like to ask that the county can continue to support us. Please keep us in mind as you go into fiscal year 26. Thank you. Thank you very much. Welcome, Order. Miss Berlin, please. Yes, good evening, Mayor and Council Members. My name is Odeith Berlin and I have the distinguished pleasure of directing our Rockville Emergency Assistance Program of Community reach of Montgomery County and I'm here to really express our deepest thanks for the 2026 Rockville Emergency Assistance Fund in New York based budget. With your financial, faithful financial contributions over the years, you have demonstrated your in deep commitment to our work by providing financial assistance to a Rockville residence or face in rental eviction, utility disconnect and medication assistance as well as those who live in Montgomery County who need human services such as dental, vision, clothing, food and computer referrals. Your support has repeatedly played a key role in or success. Let us tell, let me tell you a story. Miss L, who is a single mother, three young children, six, eight, and 10, was recently laid off from work, could not pay her rent and was about to lose her home. Reap was able to provide emergency financial assistance to stop her eviction. Losing her home would result in them being displaced. It would be more difficult for the children to attend their school regularly. And it would be a greater impact to even having them to change their school. It would take away from them looking for a new home, a new job. The negative impacts on her credits and the inability to secure housing in the future as well as other hosts of problems. It would put a great burden on the city of Rockville and Montgomery County to find them a shelter and to use the county resources which you know are very limited at this time. So you see this is just one of the examples of our many clients who receive funding through our rep grant. And this is why it's so vital that the City of Rockville ensures that the safety net programs have been included in the base budget. Reap was awarded $55,000 in FY25 budget, but due to the high demand and need of the residents of Rockville, we have already exhausted those funds, and we were awarded an additional 44,000, which is moving rapidly. Reap helps with other funding sources and provides referrals, as well as case management to the Rockville residents. So I just want to pause and say on behalf of our Reap clients, which are vulnerable vulnerable and often are afraid to shy away from coming just to say thank you We want to offer a big thank you again, and we look forward to your continued partnership as well as a continued Service in for our most vulnerable of Montgomery County. Thank you Thank you very much Welcome from Recalney, thank you. Thank you very much. Welcome, Carmen LeSama. Good evening. Dear Mayor Ashton and Honorable Member of the City of Rockville Council. I'm here to express our sincere thank you for the continued support of our clinic. We, your commitment is crucial to the success of our clinic and directly impacts the health and well-being of, uninsured, and uninsured patients of Rockville. At least 22% of our patients are living in Rockville and we recently, well, less than a year ago, we moved to close to the shady Grove Hospital and we are trying to increase the number of rugby patients who come to our clinic. For that, we're doing some special events like Women's Health Day or Diabetic Day, where we that includes food exam, red in exam, diabetes education, and important blood work. We also are proud to say that our quality measures, we have 92% of patients with diabetes were tested, 79% of patients maintained blood pressure under 140 over 90, and 60% of women receive cancer screenings. We are thinking for the number of volunteers we have on the clinic. Medical providers volunteer 484 hours. We have medical assistants who contributed 27 hours. and we also have interpreters who donated 311 hours in the last six months. With this, what we are trying to say is that we are trying to expand our service capacity by using volunteers and reduce the costs and in-hers patient care by reducing the barriers, the language barrier, some patients have. We are also with this volunteer hours, we are trying to reduce operational costs. We do all these things to our volunteers and to the support that you are giving us. So together we can ensure that drug will remain healthier and more inclusive place for all. Thank you. Thank you very much. Next, welcome Jack, they're off. Okay. May I ask in members of the council thank you very much for the chance to speak with you today. I'm a member of the Rockville Recreation and Parks Advisory Board. I grew up in Rockville. All of the Rockville parks, the pool, were a big part of my experience growing up. It was a big part of what drew our family to move back. We visited my parents and went to that Welsh park, and that's what convinced my wife from Philadelphia that it was okay to move back to Rockville. So thank you for all the improvements to that park. We are typically here each year saying thank you for the capital investments and the operational investments that the city makes. We're really excited about the Rockville Recreation. I'm sorry, the Rockville Swin Fitness Center was over there today. They've put up the polls to attach the slides. That's gonna be incredibly exciting and a really big thing for all of us residents of Rockville to remember for the next 20 or 30 years. So we've typically come and really encouraged for strong investments from the city into parks, into programs, into supporting not just the infrastructure, but also the people who make these programs work so well. I think that we're unique in this area and having such a strong recreation and parks program. And as part of what draws us together, all different parts of the city, all different people growing up here, it's a way to just bring us together as a big part of our identity. So we thank you for those investments over the years and wanna make sure that we're able to continue to make those. Our group had a different feeling this year in a way that we did wanna express. We have our eyes open to budgets. We see family members, friends, neighbors, colleagues who are being impacted by reductions in force. We see that the pressure on the budget here in the city and in the state and the county are likely going to be tougher in years ahead. So we don't want just a strong budget but a smart budget that helps us protect and assist residents who may have signed their kids up for camp one week and then found out that they were laid off a following week. There are long-term investments that the city is making that it should continue to protect. But we also want to have flexibility and focus on the things we need to have in this moment, not just the things that we want to have. That's hard. That's not typically what we come up and say. But we think it's the right time to meet the moment. We have a big kind of thanks and appreciation for the city, for the outreach and support you've done for folks who are working in the federal workforce who may have been affected. That's really appreciated from citizens. And if we can just give two examples of places where we might be smart in looking at the budget in out years. And I think you would heard from us over the winter about the King Farm Farm Stead. Our board had expressed some frustration that doing a study to assess what to do in the future with that facility wasn't exactly what we wanted. King Farm was redone when I was going into middle school. So that, obviously quite a bit older now. It's essentially sat empty, that got a laugh, somehow. It's essentially sat the same, and even deteriorated over that time. We really appreciate your sense of urgency and the sense of like we got to do something about this. Our committee felt that it wasn't the right to have an outside of consultant. We'd really loved the city be able to authentically connect with the community directly and know what needs to happen. It's been 25, 30 years since this has been open. The realm of possibilities should be fairly well known and we should take that money and try to make physical improvements so that it is used and useful. Hopefully before like my kids are up here someday talking. Another point was red gate. Huge opportunity for the city. I- like Mike Hitz are up here someday talking. Another point was Redgate. Huge opportunity for the city. I agree with the gentleman from the bicycle advocacy committee. Redgate's great. The challenge is that it used to be a golf course and try to keep people off. It's now a park trying to welcome people in. Coming off of Avery Road is not easy. Being able to come in off of Taff Court or off of 28 would be great. But it may be there are things that need to be done at Redgate, but it's working pretty well as it is today. And I'm not sure, I sure hope that in the next 10, 15 years, the city has the financial wear with all to make huge investments into Redgate into Fulfill's potential. I'm not sure that we will and that we should and the health care and the health care and the health care and the health care and the health care and the health care and the health care and the health care and the health care and the health care and the health care and the health care and the health care and the health care and the health care and the health care and the health care and the health care and the health care and the health care and the health care. It's the problem that you don't see so you're under-invest in it. We appreciate all the support and also look forward to working with you to just have eyes open and have a long-term plan that really works for the city. Thank you. Thank you very much. I think a Christina Riki already spoke from Medahal but just checking to see if anyone already spoke from at a hall, but just checking to see if anyone else was here from at a hall. Welcome, Shanna, Brush her Shea. Jack is quite a bit taller than I am. Thank you to the Mayor and City Council members for welcoming feedback and input to the City budget. I'm Shannon Brascher-Shay. I am a resident of Rockville over in Lincoln Park. I'm also a member of the Rockville Bicycle Advisory Committee, but I am representing myself as an individual. Biking for transportation is essential to the city's goals, as well as our children's futures. I have two kids myself, one just turned nine and one is eleven. Transportation is currently the number one source of greenhouse gases in Montgomery County above commercial or residential energy use. Making it safe and convenient for everyone to bike will reduce their future risk of climate change as well as improve resilience. we will be setting our city up for success in the decades to come as the children who live here and now grow into adults. But it's not just the future. Bicycling has many benefits for kids and adults today. As I describe in my book, growing sustainable together, biking teach kids, independence, responsibility, and confidence. Being able to bike means that children and teens can get places without needing to rely on a parent to drive them. Biking to school reduces stress and helps kids mentally prepare for the day. In fact, a study from the University of Illinois shows that after I bowed out of my moderate exercise with biking, being that of course, and possibly offering other benefits as well, Children with and without ADHD did better on a test of cognitive control. And I've seen that in my own children when they've biked to school. But children and adults alike can't take advantage of the benefits without the right education. Bicycle education sets teens, adults, and children up to embrace this environmentally sustainable and healthy form of transportation. Unfortunately, there is very limited bicycle education available in Montgomery County. The few classes that exist are for adults only and are only happening because of county government support. Unlike Washington DC public schools, Montgomery County public schools do not offer a comprehensive bicycle education as a standard part of their curriculum. Considering this lack of resources, I strongly consider, encourage the city to include funding for bicycle education in the budget for parks and recreation. Ideally, the city could contract with an organization such as Washington area bicycle association or rockville bike hub to offer classes for both children and adults. The children's classes would be learned to ride that also offer basic bicycle safety education. The bike rockville after school safety workshop being offered at Maryville Elementary School could be a template for similar after school programs or ones that could be offered on weekends. As many adults have never learned to ride a bicycle, adult education is also important. The Rockville bicycle advisory committee understands that bicycle education is a full community effort. Our community bike rides support new bicyclists and those new to biking for transportation. Thank you again for welcoming and put into the budget and I hope you'll find funding to support bicycle education in Rockville. Thank you. next we have Tanya Aguilar. Mary and Bono. All right. All right. Am I speaking now or at the end? I am virtual. Go ahead. OK. Greetings, Mayor and Council. My name is Dr. Mary Mpiano, and I am the Education Outreach Manager of Appearless Rockville. I am here to speak about our community grant. We are grateful to be funded by the city and work diligently to deliver quality professional services to city residents and visitors. Let me tell you what Appearless accomplishes with these funds. Since the last time we appeared before you at a budget hearing, we held over 25 educational lectures, programs or tours to over a thousand guests. These programs covered topics from Rockwell's colonial history on the road to the Declaration of Independence, to Rockwell, U.S. color troops who helped secure the Union victory in the Civil War and were in Texas for the first two teams. The role of the Atlantic women in the Civil War to escort gets Gerald to tours for acting special access to historic buildings and activities for the whole family, to sharing third-good Marshall's work in Rockville in the very room in which he argued to a virtual tour of Lincoln Park with a neighborhood native, to teaching third graders the history of their city. All of our work has the overarching goals to commemorate Rockville's heritage and create human connection and personal investment in the sites and stories of Rockville to help the people of today and tomorrow understand the landmarks and legacies that make this place special. Whether it's going on a tour, sitting down for a lecture or visiting our archives, there is no other community grant funded organization that provides these opportunities. We welcome volunteers and computer to the members and regularly convert visitors and researchers into speakers. We have a strong record of community collaboration, offering friendly aid that empowers individuals to realize that their local knowledge is important to their community and deserves to be shared or archived. Tomorrow there is a ribbon cutting for a civil war trail sign for Zedekaya Thompson, a local enslaved man who freed himself and became a union soldier. Based on the work of Hugh Goffinett, who first did this research at Pierce Los Rockville as a middle school student, and returned to us as an empowered and educated speaker and Howard University student as part of our series on the US color trips. He is one excellent example of how community members take advantage of our organization for their local interests and then share their knowledge, research, or experiences. Let me tell you a little about what fearless Rockwell is working on for next year. Materials and events that simply will not happen without our community grant. 2026 will mark the 250th anniversary of Montgomery County and our nation, an opportunity to explore centuries of Rockville's history in both its local development and the role in the national story. A new series on Urban Renewal before and after Rockville's original downtown was replaced by a doomed mall. We plan collaborative tours and brochures on the neighborhoods of Lincoln Park and Haytai, celebrating the 70th anniversary of the twin brick pool, the 65th anniversary of the sit-in protest that challenged segregation in Rockville and more. Our programming spotlights an inclusive and diverse heritage that always embraces underrepresented histories, ensuring that Rockville history includes Black history and women's history. We all know that this kind of history that counts the experiences and contributions of all Americans is under attack. And funding Pairless Rockwells work, the Mayor and Council have the opportunity to establish the kind of story it wants told about Rockwell, because we can only tell it with the full support of our community grant. And if we don't, who will? Thank you for hearing me tonight. Thank you. Welcome, Catherine Rogers. Good evening, Mayor and Council. My name is Catherine Rogers and I'm the Archives and Collections Manager at Peerless Rockville. I oversee the Objects, Archive Records and Photographs which have been adornated to our care. I'm here tonight to speak about our community grant. We're grateful to the city for the funding which allows us to provide access to our collection to city residents and visitors. Our archives include personal papers, photographs, maps, ledgers and other records from families who have called Rockville Home, businesses which are served the community, and politicians who shaped our policies. Among our collections are many items related to our black communities, including oral histories of residents who experience segregation. My position includes seeing items stored properly, creating inventory of items, entering the records in our cataloging system. I do research to better interpret our collections and presentations on many of these subjects. I create exhibits and displays which are shared at the library and at our offices. I assist researchers and respond to requests for information. I regularly work with our volunteers and oversee their projects. The challenge I face is I am one person working about 18 to 20 hours a week at a job which would be daunting for a full-time person with a staff to assist them. We have records which are only partially processed due to a lack of time and funds. These include documents from past mayors, community associations, theater groups, and schools. Last year we supervised, we were fortunate enough to have a collections technician for 100 hours. I supervised her and we selected items for digitization and cataloged 2,000 slides which have been digitized with funds for a grant. The project is still underway with more items to be fully processed but no technician. We are often approached by local educators to work with students. Last week I worked with a class of journalism students from Rockville High School. I met with them to answer some questions about local history, and one of the young men said something like, wow, we searched on the internet and couldn't find that. I tell the story for two reasons. One is that, well, we are starting to put collections online, digitizing archives and sharing them online is a bigger challenge than many people realize. But when we can share online, wonderful things happen. Last year, researchers from New Zealand contacted us when they were trying to find information about someone who was involved in a scientific expedition to New Zealand 150 years ago and saw this name on a photograph on our website. The man, astronomer Edwin Smith, lived here in Rockville. When this group visited the U.S. last December to speak about their project at the Library of Congress, I was invited to join them and present some history of the Smith family and Rockville. But the other part of that student's question was helping people realize that as important as the internet is for research, libraries and archives hold a wealth of information for people, and it may not be available anywhere else. Besides the records, the archivists, collections managers, and librarians themselves are valuable resources. We are here to answer the sometimes difficult questions and help people think about how the past shaped the present, which leads to my last point, which is sharing our collections and the opening of our virtual exhibit on Urban Renewal in Rockville. We will be launching our exhibit, changing the map next week, and there will be a series of talks exploring topics related to the project during the coming months. We will also continue to add access to more photographs, archival records, and oral histories via our website. In the coming months, we'll add information on Urban Manual, Housing in Twimbrook, Historic Maps, and images from the mid-20th century showing daily life and celebrations in downtown Rockville. Thank you for this opportunity to speak to you. Your support will ensure that these items are cared for and shared with the community. Thank you. Welcome Nancy Picard. Thank you. Sorry greetings Mayor Ashton and members of council. It's my pleasure to speak with you this evening. I'm Nancy Picard. I'm the executive director of Peerless Rockville. I may repeat a little bit of what you've the city for many years of support and I thank the city manager and his staff. And the review committee for our inclusion as a community grant recipient this year. as a community grant recipient this year. I'm here tonight to request full funding of our community grant so that we may continue our archival work public education programs and heritage services. As the primary organization for public history and the only archive and historical entity focused full time on Rockville, our work provides an essential service to the city and its residents. And your support for our grant is vital. The community grant funds our educational lectures and events, online and fixed exhibits, and a variety of place-based programs and tours It sustains our community or archival collections and allows us to provide professional, cultural heritage services. With these funds, we serve as a resource for city and county government, for residents, for students and educators, for local organizations and institutions, and for visitors to the city. From place making and archival conservation to history research and heritage tourism, we successfully carry out our activities with a lean budget and a small staff. In fact, you've heard from every one of us this evening. Working to make every dollar count. Grant funding from the city allows us to leverage other investments, provides a match to grants, and multiplies donations and sponsorships. Activities funded by this grant include the full maintenance and professional curation of a publicly available community archive, public history, education, and program and resource to the community, and as well as mayor and council approved preservation work plan initiatives that we partner with the city for. As a community archive we serve as a repository of local historical artifacts and information both collecting and curating materials from the present day as well as times past. We use grant funds to preserve these materials for current and future generations, thus protecting and sharing artifacts, documents, and photographs that might otherwise be lost to time. Our knowledge, our documentary materials, photographs, and more inform many things that you see in the city, including art, lectures, research projects, publications, interpretive signage, and other heritage tourism projects throughout the city. And we are committed to highlighting Rockville's underrepresented populations, ensuring that the history of our diverse communities are always a part of Rockville's story. Peerless Rockville offers educational opportunities to the community in a variety of ways. In publications, exhibits, lectures, and all kinds of tours, residents can learn about their neighborhoods, about the development that led to their very own homes, and how Rockville has grown and changed over time. We are dedicated to teaching the contributions and experiences of Rockville residents from colonial days of slavery through emancipation to the fight for civil rights. Upcoming educational programming includes working with partners to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the funding of Montgomery County and the nation. Peerless will mark the 250th with programming titled Rockville's Moments in History. Exploring both our local history as well as connections to the national story. Linking with the state of Maryland 250th theme of civics, our anniversary work is designed to encourage the search for meaning behind America and deep engagement in civic life by connecting buildings and places to historic events and people. The spring, as you've heard, we'll be launching additional online collections and online exhibit and lecture series on Urban Renewal, and that in particular on the Mid-City Project that transformed town center. We have lots of other tours and publications scheduled, and we will also be sharing hundreds of additional archival and images and documents online. The staff and colleagues already spoke tonight to give you a better idea of how they spend their day to day and how their work benefits the community on a daily basis. Thank you very much. I urge you to fully fund our 2026 grants so this important work can continue. Thank you. Thank you. Welcome, Yulisimanta. San, San, San, Jamarta. Alright. Good evening, Mayor and Council members. It's always good to see you. I'm Yulisim Santa Maria. I serve as the president of Rockville Science Center. And I want to thank you all for the current proposed budget and reference to Rockville Science Center. I encourage the city to maintain their current proposed line item amount for our funding for fiscal year 2026. Recent events at the federal level shows a staunch pre-deprioritization of the sciences in our society. We are proud to be in Rockville with the city supports us with funds through the Community Grants program. These funds enable us to mentor over 40 high school students from greater Rockville and engineering and they represent us the city, internaments that they participate in around the country. We teach hundreds of great school students through our after school programs. And we also provide a library of tools local residents can use to prepare and improve their housing and craft projects. Finally, we also conduct the largest them event in Montgomery County, Rockville, Science Day, that showcases a hundred scientific organizations from around the region for over 3000 members of the general public. The proposed budget, which provides additional funding for us, reinforces our commitment to the intellectual development of our community. We plan on expanding our core programming based on our community feedback that includes useful AI applications, cybersecurity and trade skills. I come basically to say thank you for your support and thank you for including us in the line item this year. Thank you. Thank you very much. This is something. Maria. Next we have a virtual speaker Tara Owens. Is Miss Owens on the line? Yes, hi. Good evening, Mayor and Councilmembers. Thank you for the opportunity to speak tonight. My name is Tara Owens and I serve as the Executive Director of Main Street. I am honored to speak in strong support of our FY26 funding request through the Community Services and Enrichment Grant Program. Main Street is an inclusive community model created by Jillian and Scott Copeland in response to the lack of housing and social opportunities for their son, Nicol and adult with developmental disabilities. Recognizing the need for affordable, accessible inclusion, they launched Main Street in 2020, which has since become a vibrant hub in Rockville. As many of you know, Main Street is three things. In Accessible Department buildings, units, 75% affordable with 25% of those reserved for adult disabilities, a community of over 270 members of all abilities, including 95 doctoral residents who participate in 12 to 15 weekly programs across social, cultural, educational, and wellness topics, An inclusive employer anchored by the Soapal Cafe, which provides competitive jobs to people with and without disabilities. The grant request before you supports one of the most essential aspects of our mission, our social mainstays, a series of weekly staff facilitated programs that offer safe, affordable, and inclusive social opportunities for adults with disabilities. These programs help participants build relationships, engage with their community, and grow and confidence and independence. Our social mainstays include Food for Thought, a facilitated discussion over lunch at Soapal Cafe right down the street from you guys. The hang, group games like trivia and jeopardy held virtually in in person, Friday vibes, a dinner with a unique theme each week, Sunday social, providing fun and creative experiences, eating out, group dinners at local rock full restaurants, and this program in particular has a direct economic benefit. It provides consistent business to restaurants in the city of Rockville. It brings new people to Rockville, members who might not otherwise visit the area, are now dining and shopping locally. These programs fill a major gap for adults with disabilities. After leading the school system, many lose access to regular social opportunities. Social mainstays bring that connection back. We're also proud of how these programs promote civic engagement and community partnership. Here's a few examples. Rockville staff speaking on voting, regular coffee with a cup of vents at our cafe, city planners gathering feedback on Rockville's master plan, BJ Dawkins, chair of Montgomery County Black Chamber of Commerce speaking on Juneteenth. Juneteenth, these collaborations help our members connect more deeply with the City of Rockville and its resources. We requested $27,946 in the FYI 26 grant funding and we're recommended for an award of $25,000 and we are incredibly grateful. This proposed funding will support the cost of social mainstays for 87 Rock faculty of the faculty of the faculty of the faculty of the faculty of the faculty of the faculty of the faculty of the faculty of the faculty of the faculty of the faculty of the faculty of the faculty of the faculty of the faculty of the faculty of the faculty of the faculty of the faculty of the faculty of the faculty of the faculty of the faculty of the faculty of the faculty other than her sisters. They had just recently suffered a tremendous loss of their mother. Her primary caregiver. At the urging of her sister Ellie, Maddie reluctantly came to a main street program. She was shy, didn't contribute much, but she continued to return. Slowly she started to participate and now she's formed strong bonds with members and staff. After just a few short months of being a name-streeter, she is now working out in our gym weekly. She attends weekly social and educational programs and get this. This was amazing last week when I was speaking with her. Maddie just made plans to go to a movie with a friend and it was her first time ever completely on her loan by herself going. Thank you very much, Ms. Mampal. Miss Owens. So, I'm sorry I was muted. So it's moments like these at Main Street is what we're all about in pairing people to lead full connected lives and in the process supporting our local economy and enriching our city. So thank you for your time, your support and your commitment to a more connected rockville. Thank you. Welcome Mary Grace. Hello. My name is Mary Grace Sobble. I work for the city of Rockville, but I'm testifying tonight as a resident. I live at 210 Blanford Street with my husband Vince. We want to speak in strong support for both peerless Rockville and Main Street Connect. These people deserve full funding, whatever they're asking for. They're very, very efficient, very collaborative, and they reflect rock fills values to the core. These are good people, and whatever money we can dig out of the couch, I think it ought to go to them. Because of peerless rich history of providing programming, my husband and I, who are not originally from Rockville, know the rich history of Rockville all the way back. We all also know that Twinbrook's pool was dug by post-war men from the neighborhood. We also know that Frieda's cottage was paid off when they rallied the members to pay it off this year. That's a big win. I can picture Rockville of many different eras took me a while with Montgomery Avenue going like this because of Rockville, because of peerlaces work. Also because of Main Street Connect, we have been members there and they demonstrate the diversity and the inclusion in a very concrete way. And this cannot be erased or obscured or lessened. in the inclusion in a very concrete way. And this cannot be erased or obscured or lessened by any non-local force. And that's all I'm gonna say about that. You can be a member without living there, which I'm grateful for. And every time I step through those doors, it enriches me. They also have a frequent visitor, media darling, and RCPD officer, Ronnie Crowe, who you will see in some of their materials. He's kind of a celebrity there. So we fully and enthusiastically support any grant funding that you can push their way because these are both jewels and rockville's crown. Thank you. Thank you very much. Ms. Penny, do we have anyone else who has signed up? No one else has signed up. Okay. Thank you. I would like to go back to staff if you can reiterate the end of the public comment period and how people can also comment. Yes. So the public record will remain open through April 7th. So members of the community can continue to submit written testimony and submit the survey as well. April 7th. you. I did want to also note that we are still taking email commentary. We have some written comments that I know my colleagues and I have also reviewed. And the survey is still open as well. Thank you. All right. With that, we'll close today's public hearing. All right, so we have one more public hearing. I do think my colleagues need a quick break. So if we can come back in about five minutes and also just get the next set of slides up and ready. Thank you very much, everyone. I appreciate everyone coming out for community forum as well as for the public hearing. you you you you you you you you The stabilization versus ones that didn't in this paper ended up kind of the conclusion that it does not appear that rent stabilization ordinances net other intervening factors have any community-wide rental quality or quantity, property appreciation or foreclosure rate impacts with those cities that have them. So other research also finds this that there is no negative impact to real estate values and therefore there's not a negative impact to the tax base that the city could expect to get back from those properties. Lastly, with the time that I have, I would like to say that a governmental budget is a reflection of the values of a city and that a budget is a moral document above all else. And over the past year, not quite year, this body has heard hundreds of written and in-person testimonies about the desperate need for rent stabilization. There is the body has seen a petition that now stands at more than 500 signatures asking for this to be put back on the agenda. We've seen increasing media attention to this issue. We've seen a wave of evictions as rents of skyrocketed for LMI households, front-line workers, our black, brown, and Asian-American neighbors, immigrant communities, and federal workers and retirees, many of whom within that group are disproportionately vulnerable to price gouging and disproportionately impacted by rapidly rising events. So now that we have the staff in place to move forward with capacity to enable some of those protections that are enjoyed in the rest of our housing market, that is something I would urge this body to consider and put back on that agenda. And just lastly, I'll say that, given the weight of both the support of evidence within the academic literature and then also the overwhelming need for these protections, this is something that we need to get past within our city and join with Montgomery County. Thank you. Thank you very much for your testimony. All right so we'll re-close that public hearing and we'll now move to agenda item relating to our next public hearing. 10 B. Public hearing, unzoning text amendment, TXT 2025, 00269 to implement certain zoning recommendations of the Townsend and Master Plan, including floating zones, Mayor and Council of Rockville's applicants. Welcome, Katie Gerbis, and I also see Mr. Wastelick. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Mayor and members of the Council. This proposed text amendment will implement in part some of the recommendations in the Town Center Master Plan that you just recently adopted in January. I'm going to be a little bit briefer than you heard before at the authorization to file. Just as background, the master plan was adopted in January, and the council did recommend moving forward with floating zones that would build on the floating zones that we have in place related to the comprehensive master plan. And the idea was to implement the town center goals and vision now, instead of waiting for the zoning ordinance rewrite and comprehensive map amendment, which is in process and will be coming forward to you at the end of this year. So this proposed zoning text amendment will establish three new floating zones within the town center with the heights and bonus heights assigned to the Masey here. It also eliminates off street parking requirements for much of the town center, although requirement accessible spaces to be provided and provides for ground floor residential uses and does not require ground floor retail. We feel that the town center zoning text amendment connects very clearly with the town center master plan and also with the with your goals and initiatives for the city in in terms of economic development, housing production and affordability as well as the climate action plan. So we have moved forward a couple of steps since the last time you saw this slide. The Text Amendment has been to the Planning Commission. They held a public hearing and recommended unanimously that the zoning text amendment be approved. And tonight we recommend that you hold the public hearing. And on this text amendment, we are recommending approval of the text amendment itself. And I have one more slide for the next agenda item after the public hearing. And with that, our team is here to answer any questions you might have. Ms. Panning, do we have anyone who has signed up for this public hearing? No, I'll sign it. Okay, thank you. Did you receive any comments and writing? No, we have not. Okay, thank you. And was this hearing properly advertised, Ms. Sarah Taylor for a while? Yes. It was properly advertised. Okay. And then my last question related to advertisement. Did you send a notice out to everyone on the Town Center Mass Plan list? Yes. Yes, we did. Okay. Thank you very much. Hearing no one to testify, I think we can close this public hearing. Colleagues, are you good? Okay. All right. We have another agenda item 11-A related to the similar topic, introduction and possible adoption of an ordinance to approve zoning text amendment TXT 2025, 00269 to implement certain zoning recommendations of the Townsend Amastroplan, including floating zones, mayor and council of Rockville applicants. Welcome back. Thank you, Madam Mayor. And I just would add that if you wish to move forward with adoption this evening, and we hope that you do, that you need to introduce the textile amendment, make a motion to waive the layover period and then a motion to adopt. Thank you very much. And at a broad level, this is going to allow the city to move forward on the Rockville Townsend or Mass to Plan that we went through a very lengthy process to discuss, with one through the Planning Commission, approved by this body, and this will allow people to do projects and alignment with that plan. In addition, you are going to be forward the larger zoning ordinance rewrite. Okay, thank you. Councilman Van Grech. First, thank you guys for putting this together. I know you've heard from this whole body after we passed it, that we wanted to see implementation as soon as possible on what we were doing for the town center master plan. So thank you. But I didn't have one question, And I apologize if I didn't realize this in the text from previously. But I noticed in section F of what you're proposing, you've adjusted the change from previously, from waiver to modification. And I was wondering if there's a reason for that and whether it has any difference to how we were applying the floating zone tax amendment previously. As we've been working through the Zoning Ordnance rewrite project, we realize that course words matter and we would like to not use waiver as little as, we'd like to use it as little as possible and use the term modification so that it provides more flexibility and is not held to the high standard that either a variance or a waiver would require. So there's going to be no further hindrance compared to the previous version of this with the use of this change. You're just trying to make it more understandable the process that it might not be as onerous as requiring a waiver. That is correct. Excellent. Thank that that's what I thought but it's good to get the confirmation and I appreciate it again all the work for the staff at You thank you very much councilman Jackson Thank you. May I be brief, but I just want to add come on colleagues comments I think this has been a great process and and you have really heard us when we said that we wanted to move fast on this. So thank you for the revisions and thank you for putting it forward. And I guess I would make a motion, but if nobody else wants to say anything. I can still introduce it. Okay. All right. Then I want to introduce the zoning text amendment, T 2025-00269 to implement certain zoning recommendations of the town center master plan including floating zones. Thank you very much. Is anyone want to wave a wave or appear to have questions? Councilmember Fulton. I move to waive the labor, labor period. Do we have a second? Second. Councilmember Vellari seconds. All those in favor, please raise your hand and say aye. Aye. Aye. Excellent. I have one question. You are still working on defining certain zones, new zones that are being created. Can you just speak to you how that into plays with the floating zone. So the way the floating zone works there at its they're based on the existing zones that we have but allow for flexibility and modifications to the standards as needed to implement what's recommended in the plan. So we are working through what the actual permanent zones will be in the the center as well as others in the zoning ordinance rewrite to be able to bring that all forward to you in a complete package. Thank you. Councilman Van Graek. Madam Mayor, I move the zoning tax amendment TXT 2025-00269 to implement certain zoning recommendations of the Town Center Master Plan including floating zones. Thank you. Do we have a second? Council member Valyrii. Second. All those in favor, please raise your hand and say aye. All right. On behalf of our Entire and Council, thank you very much for moving quickly on this. Thank you again for the Rockville Town Center Master Plan. This is part of the revitalization of the plan and I know there's also a need for more housing. So we appreciate the work that will support both economic development and housing. Thank you. And we look forward to the next discussion on zoning ordinance rewrite. Okay. All right. We'll now move to agenda item 11B. The possible adoption of a resolution to approve the electric vehicle readiness plan. This supports a climate action plan. And we're very thrilled to have a systematic Campbell. And welcome Eric, a shengara as well. Thank you, Mayor and Council. We presented the draft electric vehicle readiness plan at the work session just exactly month ago, February 24th. And we asked for your direction on three main policy questions. Your guidance was incorporated within each of those related actions. And the changes are shown in the red line version of the plan that's in attachment one of your packet. The first question involved pricing strategies. Mayeron Council supported a blended strategy of the cost recovery and the revenue model that would vary according to charger type, location, level of traffic, and use for city-owned and operated charging stations. So this feedback is incorporated in action 1, 1, 4 found on plan pages 86 to 87 of attachment 1. The second question involved parking minimums. Mayor and council supported the inclusion of flexibility in the zoning code, parking space minimum counts for retrofits of existing parking lots to include electric vehicle charging and accessible aisles one appropriate since you may lose a spot due to the construction of an accessible aisle. This feedback is incorporated in action 1 1 5 found on plan pages 88 and 89 of attachment one. The third question involved curbside charging options. Marin Council supported three of the four suggested models for allowing residents without garages and driveways access to charging. Marin Council supported vendor and resident installed curbside charges and resident installed covered ducted and sidewalk options with appropriate design and safety standards and enforcement. Mayor and council did not support court over sidewalk charging due to mobility and safety concerns. This feedback is incorporated in action 1, 2, 2 on plan pages 91 to 94 of attachment 1. With that we're here to respond to any additional questions or receive any further direction and And if these changes are amenable, Mayor and Council may move to adopt the proposed resolution attached to the staff report as attachment to to approve the electric vehicle readiness plan in support of the transition to clean fuel vehicles and reduce and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. I'll stop there. Thank you very much. Again, this is a huge step forward in allowing more people to use alternate types of vehicles that will support a climate action plan. I looked at all the materials and the edits and I think you captured our conversation quite well. There was just one question that I had related to thinking about how we support residents who would not be able to normally have a charger at home because they may be their multi-family or a condo and there are some we talked about making sure that we look at maybe the lower cost option for residential and more of the the other model for commercial and the one thing I just wanted to flag is that there are different kinds of apartment buildings where people live. Some apartment buildings have dedicated tenant space for people to park and some do not. It's a mix of the commercial and residential. I just wanted to flag that I think some careful consideration is needed there to support residents so that they're not paying a higher electric vehicle charging at home, which could be, I know that sometimes it could be like the 18 metric versus a 20 something. So I just, I wanted to flag that and thinking about residents who don't have that option for a dedicated residential and how we think about tearing that. I just, I know that that's something you all would have to think about, but I wanted to raise that from a user perspective, thinking about people who don't have the ability to have a put in a charger themselves, and particularly with condo and multi-family. Does anyone have any comments or questions? Dr. Miles? Also, thank you Madam Mayor. I just want to echo the thanks. Although I didn't get everything I wanted in this, it's all good. That's what this collaborative process is about. I'm excited. I won't bring the motion forward by it has a chance to speak, but just thank you all again. Thank you, Council Member Fulton. Yeah, I did actually have one question. Thank you, and then one question. I just wanted to confirm on page 93 when you incorporated our feedback. It looks like we have limited the ability to install a right of wage charger only when there's been a determination that it's not feasible to put it in a driveway or do something in front yard. I just want to confirm with my colleagues that we wanted that limitation. I know we talked about it's most likely going to happen when you can't install a driveway but I just didn't know if we wanted that limitation because I want to make sure the property is going to do what they want with their front yard and still be able to put a charger where they want to. So I wanted to confirm that one piece, that limitation actually reflects what we talked about. So I'd ask you all what you thought. I think we're on 93. Yes. Which is also packet page 530. Thanks for that. It says and I'll read it to model two recommendation when there is no onsite existing parking space and it is not feasible to install a drive way or parking pad. Residents dole charging in the right away may be permitted in appropriate areas. I don't feel strongly but I personally don't recall as all saying the end it's not feasible. So I just wanted to double check before we totally finalize. Councilmember Vellieri. Yeah, that's my understanding as well. I don't recall that that second clause that it is not feasible to install a driveway or parking pad because maybe for a variety of reasons, some of which may be environmental, they may not want to install either a driveway or a parking pad and add to our impervious services. So if we're able to make that modification, I'm with Council Member Fulton. If we're able to make that, I think that would be great. But if not, I'm willing to overlook this for now. Just as background that language was used in Montgomery County's guidelines. So that was where it came from. But you're free to provide guidance. Yeah, I mean, if you know, I always like doing something that the county is not doing. So I'd be amenable to taking that one out if people don't have a concern about leaving it in. Thank you. I do want to also note that we were trying to make sure that there is a safe passable avenue. I don't know that you've actually seen that avenue for installing right away. But I know that my colleagues just wanted to make sure whatever we allow that we're not creating an ADA trip hazard. And also that if it is put in the right of way that there is some legal guidance on liability. So those are just some of the things I wanted to make sure that it's clear as you are doing your guidelines with the homeowner or property owner. So that is figured out. Councilman Van Grack and then Dr. Miles. Yeah, I was just gonna add, I don't recall specifically with regard to a feasibility reactor. In other words, discussion about whether there could happen, but at least at least with my support, it didn't include that. However, I do wanna go back. I know with at least, and I don't know how the rest of the council would feel with regard to both items two and three. I've got concern about the accessibility and where it could create potential hazards in right of way and use but with two and three. I know I did have that qualification but not on the feasibility and use of the property. Thank you Madam Mayor. My rate of model to on packet page five thirty five. I think I'm okay with it because I think what I'm reading again to just be my interpretation. I'll leave it up to staff to sift through this is that it's not saying that they couldn't install park that because of something in the in the that's being written in this EV plan. It's just it could be a they couldn't get the permit or it could be a stormwater issue. But I don't think that's what it's saying. I think it's just saying, if for whatever reason, they're not able to put a driveway or park that in, they can, it may be approved in the right of way. That's my read, that's why I think I'm okay with it. Hey, Council Member Felton. I think that is the right read, but I don't know that that's, that me, what this reads as to me is you can only put it in the right of way if it's not feasible to pay your yard. What I personally would like, and I don't feel strong enough, and I don't mean to do rail is, as long as there's been a feasibility can you put it in the right of way and all of the appropriate design and implementation and all that is done. I wouldn't say that a homeowner or resident has to first try to put it in their yard. Can I ask just the question is how do you deem not feasible? If someone doesn't want to break up their flower beds and grass or whatever they have. The county has grades, utilities, storm drains, trees and other items in the right way. So it's only like if there's a public good issue, otherwise people have to rip up their front yards and put a driveway. That's the preference to put a driveway in. Okay. And I guess this is contingent on, have you all seen the effect of models? I know we looked at one and we were interested in one that it could be put in right away and it will not cause an ADA issue. Are you guys feeling comfortable with that? That that's not going to be an issue. Yes. Okay. Now some of us were doing some things around the city and have seen caps that on sidewalks that come apart unfortunately just want to confirm how would that be handled if that cover now is a trip has it. You guys would make sure that the owner is liable for that. Correct. Is that number three you're talking about? You're supposed to be flush, the picture design and inspection. Because if you can't do two, then you're moving to three. Then you do right. Just want wanna make sure there are people who have visible impairments, physical impairments. I just wanna make sure that we are being ultra safe and also protecting the city in terms of liability while also supporting the green work that we wanna do. Permits and inspections for those items in the option three. Right, yes. So you guys feel comfortable, perfect, All right. Colleagues, what say you on this? And Mr. Mahalak, did you want to say something? Okay. Do you want to keep this as is or remove the language of not requiring someone to put a parking pad if they don't have one. Council Member Lary. I think in keeping with the intent of why we're even talking about EV and minimizing the impact on the environment, it distresses me greatly that we would force somebody to put, again,vious surface Where maybe there wasn't that before so I would I would be more comfortable with this language if that was removed I will note I'm okay with removing the end not feasible However, if there's an existing on-site parking space I prefer that to put it on their property because it reduces the risk for hazard and ADA and all the things we've been concerned about. Is everyone okay with that? Yes, absolutely. Okay. Sorry, I'm sorry. So can we make that modification team? All right. Good balance. Thank you, everyone. All right. Then is there any other questions about this if you read in this plan? Okay. All right. Then we can adopt the resolution as anyone want to make the motion. Dr. Miles, did you want to? I know you've been excited about this. Oh, I think I'm going to just make it limits. Yes, as amended. Thank you, Madam Mayor. Move that the Mayor and Council adopt the proposed resolution attached to the staff report, as an attachment to, as amended, to approve the electric vehicle readiness readiness plan in support of the transition to clean fuel vehicles to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Do we have a second? Councilmember Brangrack second. All those in favor please raise your hand and say aye. It's unanimous thank you everyone. Now it's time to get to work. Thank you so much. Okay, so now we're moving to agenda item 12, which is a work session. The FY 26 budget work session two focused on operating expenditures grants and fund balance, noting that the previous session we discussed. the overall operating revenues and strategic priorities. Now we are moving into operating expenditures, grants, and fund balance. And... session we discussed the overall operating revenues and strategic priorities. Now we are moving into operating expenditures, grants, and fund balance. And I know that our next meeting will be on CIP capital improvement program. I'd like to cover operating expenditures by department, funding to outside organizations, and recommended uses of fund balance. In the interest of time, I would ask that you allow me to work through the presentation materials, and then we can open the floor for questions and discussion at the end. First I will share operating budget highlights by department. Much of this information will sound familiar and is consistent with what we shared last week when we presented these highlights based on each related guiding principle. The FY 2026 proposed operating expenditures for all funds and and departments totals $173 million. This is a 4.5% increase from the FY 2025 adopted budget. 49% of the budget is allocated to personnel costs, which includes regular employee wages, temporary employee wages, overtime and benefits. The operating category is made up of contractual services and commodities. The capital outlay category includes equipment and vehicle replacements and costs associated with new capital assets that would not qualify as a CIP. The other category consists of transfers to other funds including the CIP transfer, administrative expenses, depreciation, debt service, community services, and enrichment grants, vehicle and equipment leases and software subscription expenses. This slide shows the total operating expenditure budget and staffing levels for the mayor and council department. The department's FY 2026 outlook includes rewriting the city's election code, updating and coordinating changes, revisions and codification of the Rockville City Code, facilitating training for boards and commissions, tax, task forces and volunteers and scheduling retreats. The major changes for FY 2026 include funding for new boards and commission software and funding for more frequent electronic updates to the city code. This slide shows the total operating expenditure budget and staffing levels for the office of the city attorney. The department's FY 2026 outlook includes providing legal advice and support for updates to the city's election code, MPD program and zoning ordinance, providing continued legal advice and support related to the award and execution of contracts and agreements and pending opioid litigation cases. FY 2026, major changes include increases for travel training and professional resources. This slide shows the total operating expenditure budget and staffing levels for the city manager's office. The department's FY 2026 outlook includes advocating for the mayor and council's 2026 six legislative priorities. Finalizing the city's art and public places, implementation plan, and cataloging public artworks, and implementing a new customer relationship management system. Major changes to the budget include funding for the biennial community survey, funding for the development of a Jedi strategic plan, increase funding to support Rockville economic development ink ready, and decreases for personnel and operating costs for newly established departments as part of that reorganization that we discussed last week. This slide shows the total operating expenditure budget and staffing levels for the communications and community engagement department. This is one of those new departments that are part of the reorganization. The department's FY 2026 outlook includes completing and launching the city's first mobile app, launching the Engage Rockville initiative and alignment with the city's community engagement framework and creating a new weekly new show. Major changes to the budget include funding for 2.5 FTE positions, which support enhanced public information coordination, community engagement efforts, and administrative functions of this department. This slide shows the total operating expenditure budget and staffing levels for the community planning and development services department. The department's FY 2026 Outlook includes adopting the rewritten zoning ordinance and facilitating the rezoning of property for additional housing opportunities, supporting the perspective and exation of the shady growth, menstrual property, reviewing the results of a comprehensive fee study, and implementing continued improvements under the FAS2 initiative. changes to the budget include funding for four FTE positions which support next-day inspections and a more efficient zoning enforcement process. This slide shows the total operating expenditure budget and staffing levels for the finance department. The department's FY 2026 Outlook includes monitoring economic conditions and providing recommendations for budget amendments, including potential uses of reserves, assisting recreation in parts with the funding strategy for the King Farm Farm today, Master Plan, and supporting the advanced metering infrastructure deployment and housing strategy deployment. Major changes to the budget include funding for a .5 FTE position to provide administrative support and costs related to the AMI software, financial reporting software, and payments to Montgomery County for property tax bill processing. This slide shows the total operating expenditure budget and staffing levels for the housing and community development department. The department's FY2026 outlook includes revising the city code on rental facilities and landlord tenant relations, completing the housing needs assessment currently getting underway, and expanding the financial empowerment and homeowner assistance. Major changes to the budget include funding for two FTE positions to to provide expanded programming and increases related to the consolidation of the community grants programs. Increases also for the expanded use of the opioid settlement funds and increases related to new funding for the housing opportunities fund. This slide shows the total operating expenditure budget and staffing levels for the Human Resources Department. The Department's FY2026 Outlook includes developing an action plan to price communicate and implement changes to city benefit offerings initiating the dependent verification audit for city benefits and increasing offerings of training opportunities covering things like workplace safety policies and procedures and skill-based subjects Major changes to the budget for human resources includes decreases for 2.5 FTE positions which move to recreation and parks, funding for expanded organizational development efforts, and increases for wellness incentives which shifted from the departmental personnel budgets into the human resources department, just a reallocation of funding. This slide shows the total operating expenditure budget and staffing levels for the IT department. The 2026 outlook for information technology includes implementing offsite, cloud-based disaster recovery interconnections, exploring opportunities for automation under an AI pilot initiative, and then enhancing city security through visibility exposure and vulnerability management. Major changes to the IT budget include funding for the first of a two-year CCTV modernization initiative for all city facilities and funding for network infrastructure upgrades. This slide shows the total operating expenditure budget and staffing levels for the CES Police Department. The department's FY2026 outlook includes providing continued community policing, crime prevention, excuse me, in traffic safety operations for the community, expanding outreach efforts through a range of community events and ensuring compliance with all accreditation standards and new state laws. Major changes include funding for two FTE administrative positions, funding for new software that supports the Department in a range of ways, and increases for a red-light camera operating costs in line with increased volume. This slide shows a total operating expenditure budget and staffing levels for the new procurement department. The department's FY2026 Outlook includes enhancing procurement customer service initiatives, improving technology and consistency in the procurement process and implementing the goals and strategies outlined in the procurement strategic plan. Major changes to the budget include funding for a 1.0 FTE position and support of more efficient procurement processing and MFDV initiatives. Along with that, there's reduced funding for temporary staffing that is being enhanced with that regular FTE position. This slide shows the total operating expenditure budget and staffing levels for the Department of Public Works. The Department's FY2026 Outlook includes continuing the implementation of the Vision Zero, Climate Action, andicle Readiness Plans and managing a range of design and construction management functions for capital projects across multiple program areas. Major changes to the DPW budget include funding for 1.5 FTE positions, the Support Enhanced Plan Review permitting and EPA water quality compliance requirements. Other budgetary changes include funding for new vehicle telematics for snow and ice operations, funding for a new neighborhood signage initiative, and decreases based on the FY2026 fleet replacement schedule. This slide shows the total operating expenditure budget and staffing levels for the recreation and parks department. The FYI-2026 outlook for the department includes implementing the new enterprise asset management system, finalizing the King Farm Stead Master Plan, managing a range of design and construction management functions for capital projects in the recreation program area. Major changes to the Reckon Park's budget include funding for a .5 FTE position in support of expanded programming and two .5 FTE positions which transferred in from HR. In addition, there's also expanded contractual services funding to address non-native invasive species, funding for expanded youth and adult programming and funding for mental health support focused on seniors. Non-departmental expenditures are expenditures for obligations not directly attributable to one department. For this year, we put capacity for the implementation of the compensation classification study in the non-departmental budget as we were awaiting the results of the study. You'll see those changes come through during our next work session when we do those final adjustments and final balancing. In addition to that, which is unique to this year's budget, the non-departmental expenditures also include things like insurance policies, contingency accounts, depreciation, transfer to other funds, debt service payments, and things like that. Now I will briefly summarize the city's FY2026 community service in enrichment grants recommendations. The FY 2026 budget merges the former caregiver grant program and community organizations grant program to the new community service and enrichment grants. Consolidating these two programs provided alignment and timing of the grant process and due dates and also provided consistency in the panel application review and scoring process. As part of this change and in recognition of community needs, the FY2026 budget took a fresh look at the grant funding levels. This chart compares the FY2026 proposed grant funding levels to the amounts provided over the last nine years. The FY2026 budget proposes an increase of more than a quarter million dollars for the grants program, a 22.3% increase over FY20. The $1.5 million in proposed funding does not include the recommended use of assigned fund balance for an emergency response vehicle for the Rockville Volunteer Fire Department. Attachment two of this packet includes the FY 2026 proposed grant listing. The grants are placed into categories that are intended to align with the area of community impact. These categories include housing services, youth development, adult education, food and clothing, senior services, public safety services, arts and culture, and healthcare. Rockville Economic Development Inc. Ready is a private public partnership formed by the City of Rockville to strengthen and broaden the city's economic base through a range of programs. I will briefly summarize the city's FY 2026 proposed funding levels to this outside organization. The FY 2026 proposed budget includes a $1.6 million allocation to ready. This is a 10.8% increase from the funding level in the FY 2025 adopted budget. The FY 2026 allocation includes $100,000 for a new business development associate, $50,000 for marketing costs associated with the implementation of the new Life Sciences Branding Initiative, and additional funding for operating expenses. The proposed funding level continues the city support of the incentive program, the Small Business Impact Grants, and the Maryland Women's Business Center. This chart compares the FY 2026 proposed grant funding levels to the amounts provided over the last nine years. As part of tonight's discussion, we are seeking direction on the use of General Fund reserves exceeding the target for several initiatives. The city's policy is to maintain reserves of at least 20% of adopted General Fund revenue. To the extent that the General Fund unassigned fund balance exceeds the target city may draw upon the fund balance to provide pay-go financing for capital projects or for other significant one-time items. The city currently has reserves that exceed the target. We project that the FY 2026 year will end with approximately 3.7 million in reserves exceeding the target. The factors in all, this factors in all recommended uses of reserves, those are all taken into account. Staff recommends that we maintain at least 3 million above the targets who address the economic uncertainties associated with the changes in federal employment levels in this region. This provides the city with a funding source if there are emerging communities and or revenue reductions that are impacting the budget. Over the last 10 years, the city has always ended the fiscal year with reserves exceeding the target. Prior to FY 16, the city had a 15% reserve target, but it has been maintained at 20% since that time. The city budget is conservatively to help provide financial protections for economic uncertainties. This promotes healthy reserve balances which support the city's triple-A bond rating and provides resources that have historically been drawn upon to meet one-time needs. The city will occasionally make recommendations for uses of reserves exceeding the target and this can happen on a budget amendment or as a commitment or reserves in the budget ordinance as proposed in this year's budget. The FY 2026 budget recommends four commitments of reserves which support the housing opportunities fund, the development of a green space management plan, an emergency response vehicle for the Rockville Volunteer Fire Department, and the construction of the senior center entrance from West Goody Drive. The Community Budget Priority Survey remains open and we encourage our residents and business owners to share feedback. You can access a survey using the QR code or by visiting www.rockfoldmd.gov slash budget. Looking ahead, budget work session number three is scheduled for Monday, April 7th, and will include an overview of the FY 2026 Capitol Improvements Plan. An overview of the city's issue debt and will include a final balancing exercise incorporating changes from the proposed budget. As part of tonight's work session, we would ask that the mayor and council provide direction on any requested changes to the operating budget, including allocations to outside organizations. We are also looking to confirm the support for the four commitments that reserves, with the understanding that funding could pivot to the operating budget as part of that final balancing. With that said, I will turn this discussion over to you, Mayor Ashton. Thank you very much. I think you did a very thorough and but yet concise overview of our budget. I want to thank everyone who contributed and for your leadership. I think that we are seeing all over where other jurisdictions are really struggling with budget and I think the focus on trying to maintain reserves thinking about how we're're using one-time expenses and ongoing really has put us in a good position and I just wanted to thank you. Thank you for keeping us triple-a-bond rated. We do not know what's going to happen with some of that uncertainties, grant shifts, federal workers shift, contract, you know there's a lot going on and so I think you've devised a budget to really help us navigate whatever may come. So I just wanted to start with thank you to all the department heads and all the staff who contributed. Thank you to the Manager Office and thank you to the finance team. We really appreciate you. As we begin this discussion today, I know we have a lot to get through. So we're going to try to help organize our questions. So if we can take them by department and I'll also note that I want to also add if anyone has questions on the city clerk's office and particularly CMO or our city attorney's office those are also things we will go through. If we could start with some of the I know this I looked at 100 plus questions that my colleagues and I have submitted I wanted to call attention to the public that those questions that the mayor and council submitted are online. If you go to the city of Rockville budget page, you will see the questions we asked and an answer. And so, you know, many of this is very thorough there. I'm sure no one wants us to go through 100 right now. So I really appreciate everyone who's responded to our questions. There are some things that I think some of us have follow up questions on and just in judging by my colleagues and you know how we will group some of the lighter questions up front so that they're any directors who can go home and then we'll go to some of the more in depth departments. Is that okay with my colleagues. Okay. Does anyone have any overarching questions because we're going to start to go by department for Stacey, Ms. Vintesco and Ms. Webb? Okay. All right. So if we can start with IT, does anyone have any questions for IT? The question that I know we ask every year is do we have the budget necessary to make sure that our systems are well protected from a public security perspective. We do. Okay. Council Member Larry. Not a question but I just want to give this department a shout out because not often does IT get a shout out but as somebody who has worked in, not this specific industry, but in the industry's adjacent to it, I know that there's a lot of things that go on in the background. So I just wanna give a shout out to IT and thank you for everything that you're doing. And I'm always amazed at how your budget does not shift, but yet you still do a lot more. So thank you. Thank you very much. I have a question for IT. Some of the new systems that we're putting in place, CRM, asset management, are you putting those in the department's budgets, right, versus IT? I just want to understand it into play. I believe that there are some ongoing subscription based costs that do reside in the IT budget, but there's definitely some coordination and collaboration between departments. Okay. Thank you. Councilor Van Gregg. I just wanted to note, I know that we're talking about somewhere in the neighborhood between around a 13% increase for a lot of the funding to what degree is the IT increases here or projected for a year to dealing with what we might have to do with the Taff Court and integration of IT from City Hall versus Taff Court and are we looking in the future for an increase in this department or are we contemplating that in the increases that we're doing now? When we look at the IIT department, there are a couple of major drivers. And the biggest one is that CCTV Modernization Initiative. That's a two year initiative. It's gonna cost about a million dollars in total. So you're gonna see a half million dollars in FY 2026 and another half million dollars in FY 2027. In addition to that, there is a significant infrastructure upgrade that's being planned. That's going to basically be spread over seven years. So that's going to be something that's more ongoing in nature. We are looking at a different model in terms of whether we're buying a bunch of really expensive equipment or taking more of a leasing approach and smoothing out those costs so that they aren't hitting the city's budget all at one time and is that Incorporated into the increase here or looking for okay, so that's part of this secret Okay, that was a question. I knew that was coming from somewhere that explains it Thank you in terms of some of the More effective government things that involve, one of the questions I had is you included in here that customer relations management, which I know when the city of our, my, all of my colleagues got together, we said we want to have. I just want to also understand how are you using the customer relations tool and will that also modernize report a concern? The answer that is yes and yes. We plan on rolling it out later on this year. I think it's going to be, I think we're pretty efficient in answering President's concerns and questions right now, but this is going to automate it. Number one, number two, it's going to easily identify trends, which would help us make future decisions both operationally and budget. So you'll see that roll out in a more robust way over the next year, Mayor. That's exactly what I wanted to hear. Thank you. Councilor Jackson. Thank you, Mayor. I guess, first of all, thank you for this presentation and for the work that has gone into it. I really do know what a great, delivered work it is. and having read to the budget, I know how complicated it is. So thank you for actually explaining it to me. So what I want to ask about, though, in IT, especially, is we talk a lot about, well, you talk a lot about AI. And using it to enhance services, using it as a new AI pilot initiative. So number one, what is the budget or how much money are we putting towards AI? And then the second part of that question is what is the overall policy guidelines for the city as we venture into using AI for various things? The pilot AI initiative comes with a price tag of under $20,000. In all, I'm so the rest of it. Thank you, Kimberly, because I didn't know the number off the top of my head. Candidly, we're easing into AI. I would even say we're a little bit behind to be candid with you. But as you look at this whole budget and areas where we have to be able to look more lean, this is one of those areas. But we're trying to do a pilot project this year. And that's really to look at our data sets. What I've learned over the years is that your AI is only as good as your data, candidly. So we're looking at our data sets. We'll identify some pilot programs. But our goal relates to create efficiencies more than anything else using AI. Council member, so that's really the thrust of this year, get the organization used to it, and then I think you'll see some additional requests and subsequent years to use AI in a more robust way. So you and I have talked about AI pretty extensively. And I'm on the record and at my other job in saying that AI is a tool that can be used really effectively for more efficiency and for finding solutions. But at the same time, there are a lot of unknowns about AI, and there's a lot of information that could be shared in AI tools that maybe we don't want to share, because when you share information in AI, it uses that in other applications as well. So I guess my overarching question is, do we have a policy on how to use AI and approved tools and non-approved tools? And do we have a process for if somebody wants to use an AI tool that we review it and we either approve it or say no, we can't use that. A lot of really good questions. So we do have an AI policy. We're continuing to update and make it better. But one thing I wanna make sure I say in front of you all and in front of all five people that are watching our meeting, and that is we are very, very cautious about using any sensitive data and we do not push out any sensitive data when we use AI. It's really important to protect that data set. So, biggest thing is stay tuned. We're easing into it and as we bring adjustments to that policy, we'll make sure to get feedback from council. Thank you. I'll just add on the AI piece. I know some of us have asked about a policy in wanting to have something shared with us just so that we can also, we are users as well, you know, see how the city is using AI and how we're protecting our residents' data, also how we're acknowledging when AI is used. I think that will be very helpful. I had another question about other IT systems that we're going to be using. You talked about the asset management. Are you thinking that will, because this has been something that has been discussed for a long time, so this will be completed in FY26. We will have the tool in place by the end of 226. We're going to build that out. It's going to take us a while to build it out to have make sure that all of our assets are within that system. So finish up on what we're purchasing. Get it online, do training, and then start using it. Okay. Thank you. Councilor Mochelle. Just really quickly. I just wanted to add on that I appreciate that this is a pilot in AI pilot and so you'll be working with us and bringing back information just so we can monitor that. Thank you. Thank you. On the AI piece, I also was interested in seeing how we can use things that are not sensitive data but using AI to look at how do we track repaving and how you might, you know, some cities are attaching some AI tools onto, they're using satellites, some of them are using, you know, transportation trucks that are going on every city road. I mean, there are some tools that might create some efficiencies versus just following like a 12 year replacement cycle. So I'm hopeful that this year we'll be able to do some reflection assessing what is right for the city and what is not right for the city so that we can begin to be more efficient where we can but also not put a residence or anyone at risk and then we have guide and principles. I just wanted to make sure I said that. The other thing that relates to a department but also as an, is one of the things we talked about last year during the budget cycle is looking at permitting and DPW public works and the CPDS planning were not using the same systems that talked to each other, I believe. So can you just clarify, is that already happening now, have have you have we hit that mark or is that something that you will accomplish in FY 26? We are still working on it. There's still some uniqueness which you through the park, each of the departments but over time, merit to your point. We're trying to merge those systems together into one platform to gain some efficiencies. And is that something you expect to achieve in FY26? I see that. Mr. Simmon, I don't know if you want to speak, but can you just share? We do. I just, if it changes, I'll let you know. If someone says yes, we do. Okay. So that will be a part of a KPI. Correct. Thank you. All right. Colleagues, anything else on IT? OK. Thank you to our tea team who are here. Don't think there'll be any more questions just wanted to flag if anyone wants to sign off. The next one is procurement. Does anyone have questions about procurement? Okay. I will note that um uh Dr. Miles no go ahead. Thank you Madam Mayor with the reorganization with the procurement department. I know there's going to be increased costs is that correct? It's it's really just a real allocation of costs so the operating costs and the personnel that were previously in the CMO budget are now pulled out in their separate department. Got it. They will be some increased costs as well, right? Because the directors get some additional benefits. That is correct. As a department director, you get some enhanced benefits. And then there was a .5. The net effect is basically a .5. There was a temporary .5 person and that position is being converted into a 1.0 full time. That's not necessarily tied to the reorganization. That's just tied to like a need for procurement. Okay. Yeah. I just want to respond to my colleagues question that there is a small increase because we're upgrading the position. Yes. Incremental. Dr. Mouser, do you have anything else? Okay. So the other question I had for procurement is I know that we've been trying to, you know, help the, you know, the systems. Everything has to go through procurement for contracts. So we feel like we have the staff in place to help get things out the door, RFPs, et cetera, so that all the projects can sing and be on time. Are we feeling good about that? Yes, and I received quite a bit of feedback over the past several months about the hope that we could create some efficiencies in our procurement. So we're going to be doing a bit of an analysis of our entire process from soup to nuts to identify some efficiencies there. It may, to your point, may I come back to you guys and ask for some additional support in having some of those contracts and I go through council because there are some, you guys have threshold and then you said bring it back. So we'll do that later on because you're right. We're going to be able to move forward. We're going to be able to move forward. We're going to be able to move forward. We're going to be able to move forward. We're going to be able to move forward. We're going to be able to move forward. We're going to be able to move forward. We're going to be able to move forward. We're going to be able to move forward. city council on why can't these projects move forward a little bit more quickly. Thank you. I know we actually did change the threshold so I think what we were we did do some of that work so if there's anything else please send us an email before it gets on agenda. Of course. actually did change the threshold. So I think what we were, we did do some of that work. So if there's anything else, please send us an email before it gets on agenda. Of course. Dr. Miles. My apologies. Just one more follow up. And this involves a bit of prognostication, but I recognize that we're maybe having a work session in April on looking at, perhaps,iting of our co- to see to what extent we can achieve some of our other goals, be they environmental or other, be a procurement. And if we were to do that to the point or question that the mayor raised, do you think we'll have enough staffers to kind of a to-be determined based on what we decide as a body? That's absolutely a to be determined. Understood, thank you. Related to that question, thank you, Councilmember. If we do decide to go in that direction, it's my understanding that there may need to be a disparity study done, which is not included in the budget. So we would either have to revisit with a budget amendment or think about a future year. So I do recall that there is I think it was about $200,000. I don't know if that number has changed. It's higher now. Okay. Dr. Miles. Apologies about the back of us like table two. Are we too early to consider putting in funding for such a study or should we have the discussion first what is with staff thing? I think it's too early, but that's we'll find out a little bit more direction from council next month. And then you guys can decide how quickly you want us to move forward if at all understood. Thank you. I will just note we did have some additional tax duplication money that we negotiated and it's upwards of 400,000. So in addition to the idea I mentioned about switching what we're using from reserves to using that money but they may be some funding in that pot. Any other questions on procurement? You want another volley? Dr. Miles? All right, so I'm seeing none. Procurement team, thank you very much. If you're online, we appreciate all that you do. I just also want to note that one of the things I raise every year and I feel compelled to say it is that making sure all of our team members are trained on contracts management. The federal government has this kind of training. I don't know if we have that here in the city, but I wanted to make sure, because I. I'm going to be working on the plan. I'm going to be working on the plan. I'm going to be working on the plan. I'm going to be working on the plan. I'm going to be working on the plan. I'm going to be working on the plan. I'm going to be working on the plan. I'm going to be working on the plan. Council move, Valerary. Sorry, that was kind of like a sly hand. So and this won't be a surprise because I know I've brought it up before. But I remain concerned about the lack of competitiveness and alternate options for health insurance for our employees. I probably met a mayor and I and actually Dr. Miles probably know more than most about the health insurance industry in this state and the overall lack of of competition. But when you look at the amount of our personnel costs that is attributed to both health insurance and dental insurance, I think it does us a disservice to not revisit multiple times to look and see if what we're we're doing is the best for the city. Not only in terms of, you know, the best for the city in terms of financially and ways that we can have a tremendous benefit while also having a cost savings. But as I've mentioned to Mr. City Manager before, providing an insurance option that has an expansive network in Montgomery County. And I am not convinced of one of the options that they have that. But that's a whole other discussion about monopolies in the state of Maryland. So I'd like to hear a little bit about, I got the sense from that this was not something that was truly looked at. I hope that my read of that is wrong, but what are the ongoing kind of check-ins on that? And what can we do in the future, not in time for this budget, for their next budget to ensure that we are getting the best possible value for employees on health insurance. Thank you for the question. It's interesting you bring that up because I hear that from our employees a lot. Actually, just what you said. This year actually we did do a deep dive on it. Please tell you that nationwide health care costs have been increasing double digits about 11%. Our rates, our plans only went up in the single digits. So we felt very comfortable there. Having said that I think to your point, over the next year could we take another look at it? Yep, we should absolutely. Well, we're always cautious about though, and I know constantly, really, you realize this, but just for folks watching at home, we got to be careful for loss leaders. Sometimes you can get a new provider come in, making promises on a really low cost plan only to up it in subsequent years. We just have to be real thoughtful about that. But yes, we'll continue to look at ways to not only have better, more robust offerings offerings but to make sure that there's good pricing for that for a lot of employees. It's not in this year's budget because we think we did a good job but next year we'll give it another hard look. I appreciate that and the sort of update that you can provide a Mayor and Council on how that's looking as we progress into the year would be really appreciated. You bet. Thank you. I was just gonna add that this year we saw single digit increases, but the previous years, there were some real concerns. And I was wondering who was really negotiating on our behalf. So I know that had an impact on the city spending additional money, but also our employees. So I do think we need to watch this to make sure our employees are getting the best and that we're making whatever buyer we're using competitive. So I just wanted to flag that. I'll be very concerned if we go back into the double digit increases again. I do appreciate that you added some additional dental benefits, but I just wanted to make sure on the record. we are watching this because this is so important for employees, Dr. Miles. Thank you, Madam Mayor. It's a related question. This is about the dental insurance plan. It's one that staff already answered in the answer, which is available online. But there was an increase in the dental plan. I think about 27% or so. I think the response from the city staff, and y'all correct if I'm wrong, is that the same period or prior years, it's just a levels increase for dental plants in FY26. This is just the same sort of conversation that my colleagues have had. I don't need to tell y'all to be fiscally mindful. Y'all have kept us in the know, in the black for so many years, but just more the same. That's all. Do employees have the option to stick with the basic dental plan and get the better benefit plan or all their costs going up as well? There's there are two different options. There's a high and a low plan. There's one carrier, two options. My understanding is that as part of this year's renewal, the benefit coverage levels were increased under both of those plans, and that's what that's really what that increase is reflecting. But it's not a national number increase for employees for the lower plan if they want to stay in that lower plan. That's correct. That's correct. Out of pocket. Perfect. Thank you. Come from Jackson. Thank you, Mayor. So let me switch gears a little bit. Going to the department 2026 outlook. I noticed that one of the outcomes that had been proposed is develop and deliver training on hir policies and procedures. And we've had many conversations about this. So I was wondering, you know, whether, how they're gonna be developed and delivered, but more importantly, like what policies and procedures do you envision being kind of institutionalized? Yep, another great question. So we do plan, we had a choice between outsourced some things or adding additional staff when we had to make a hard decision of not recommending additional staff, but to outsource some things and to do some training that then we could use a train the trainer model, if you will. Our goal here is to make sure that a couple of things, when we're doing our performance reviews the right way, I think that's a common challenge in organizations where let's just say there's enough training on how to do performance reviews or we're not using the same model or methods. So we need to do that in a big way. And then the other one that we talked about a lot in this room, all the department heads is really to make sure that we're providing good supervisor and management training. I think one of the challenges that I've seen in many organizations is first-time supervisors. Graduate into a position, if you will, with on a lot of training. And as they continue to move up in an organization, they really have that basic ability to supervise, manage manage and lead. So those are the areas we really want to focus, do some investment, and continue to grow all of our leaders in the organization that way. Yeah, and I think actually you answered my second question because I was going to ask about the other metric of implementing development program for employees, supervisors, and managers. So I think you kind of answered that. Just out of curiosity, how much do we plan to spend on both of those line items? The allocation for that this year is $50,000. And do we feel like we can do what we need to do with those two outcomes with $50,000? Consumber, we could always use more money, honestly, but we think it's a good start. Okay. Yep. I have a few other HR related questions. Can you tell me whether the discussion on retiree cola would fit under HR for you all or finance? We could talk about it now. Okay. So, I asked this every year. I know last year we did a 1% increase. What is our strategy on supporting retiree colas Just so that it's not a guess every year, I know that inflation is real and we want to make sure we're taking care of our people who have dedicated their time to the city. Can you just please give an understanding, give us an understanding of what your strategic approach is on this and how you're working to support our retirees. So the current pension plan does not include a automatic retiree cola. So the city's always used an ad hoc approach, which means when the mayor and council want to give a cola any year that we can afford a cola, the mayor and council direct staff to then do it. In the past 20 years, we've given COLA's four times and we have these past two years, we gave a 1% each year. Now the last two years, we gave it through appropriation of reserves. And what we do is we have our actuary value, the present value of what a 1% COLA would be for our existing retirees. So we basically pay for that 1% upfront all at once. If the mayor and council wanted to change approach and do a built-in Cola over time, that would dramatically change what we contribute every year to our pension plan through our ADC. So in our personnel budget, we contribute under each department for our pension, which then leads to what our funded ratio is. Our actuary comes in once a year, looks at our assets versus our outstanding liabilities based on their actuary analysis and gives us our funded ratio. We're currently at about 84%. We've been hanging out in the 80s for the past decade. The market has moved around a lot, but mid 80s is pretty reasonable to be in. If the mayor and council wanted to implement an automatic COLA, it would really, we would really take a hit in our funded ratio. Now, because of those reasons in the past few years, we've stuck to the ad hoc COLA, and we did do an analysis of this last fall to see what others do and it turns out that others that have bigger pension plans like the pension plan offered by the state they do have an automatic cola but they also have way more resources in just a variety of revenue sources than the city does. So the smaller plans don't necessarily even have a pension in the ones that do don't have an automatic COLA tied to any indices. So it is staff's recommendation that if the mayor and council wanted to move forward with a retiree COLA that you take the approach of the ad hoc COLA and do it with reserves like we've done in the past few years and currently a 1% retiree COLA would equal about 830,000. Thank you. Thank you, Councilmember Jackson. No, thank you, Mayor. And thanks for raising this issue. It's one that I've been doing a lot of thinking about as well. And, you know, we're gonna keep having this discussion on the Cologne last year we had it this year. We're kind of having it next year and then next year. So I don't know and you know, it now's not really the time for it. But maybe we should have an in-depth discussion on this council about whether we do actually want to have some sort of move away from the ad hoc just because it seems like it's kind of random people don't know what to expect. I know that we haven't ever promised it before but I mean with inflation the going the way it is it does seem to make sense to have a regular schedule for a colaola and be able to do away with the ad-hoc nature of giving co-olas by this body. That's a discussion for another day. Thank you. Councilor Van Grack. I'm going to suggest something slightly different. I think I agree with what you're saying, that if we do a full commitment of it, we're potentially adjusting our resource base and our funding base alternatively. However, I think this needs to be something that we discuss every year. As opposed to, if we're not going to automatically include it, which I understand your financial reads for not doing it, I think at least on an annual basis, it needs to be an up-front discussion as opposed to coming to the mayor and council when we're addressing it in the middle of our work session to see what we may or may not have done. I think it needs to be a discussion that we have as we're planning this budget because I think it's important for us to take care of our employees, not just currently, but our past employees as well. So I think it needs to be a more direct conversation to understand what we're doing if we're going to stick to the ad hoc basis. Thank you. Dr. Miles and then Councillor Fulton. If you want to switch off, then I'm fine with that too. For the gentleman, Dr. Miles. So on this topic, since we are talking about the topic, I find, last year, I know that I think I actually raised it, and I was a very much in favor of it. I feel differently this year. For a lot of the reasons that I think people talked about, I am familiar with pension systems where, you know, there's built-in entitlements. And I am very much in favor of following through on commitments we've made to employees and former employees. But because our pension system does not have that built-in sort of increase, we haven't made a commitment. And in this particular budget environment, that amount of an increase that would compound forever when we're looking at doing the most we can for the residents of Rockville and getting the most bang for our buck out of what we have. I actually agree with the recommendation to not include one in this year's budget. it it's a hard decision. But I didn't want to hide where I stand on it if we're having that conversation right now. Thank you, Dr. Mouse. Thank you, Madam Mayor. Appreciate the comments of my colleagues and the recommendations of staff. I tend to fall in line with the recommendations all outlined. I think we are a small municipality and sort of a large windfall in perpetuity. I think it'd be kind of hard to legislate or put something on the books to that end. I would though support given how QCAM5 does an egg. I mean, maybe I say my eggs price my eggs probably eat eggs down near every day. And I do and sympathetic to retirees. I'll be having one move in with me shortly. And it's tough. So I would be in support of a co-lafer employees funded as outlined by staff. I would hold at this point, legislate something long term, given, again, the size of our municipality and that we don't know what the financial future is going to look like, though we all have been doing a great job keeping us in the black. Thank you. I will just note that ever since I have been on this body, it comes up every year. And I know that finance enters it every year. One of us raises it. I do think that as we go into budget season, it's good to just not say it's not in there, but just to give the mayor and council some background. What wouldn't you have thought of including it versus not including it? I also think that we need to look at, maybe, We don know what's going on next over the next year because there's a lot of unexpected issues, but maybe if things are great that we might revisit at the budget amendments. I just, I want to, I want to make sure that we look at all the options, because I do recognize that it's cost of living is going up for everyone. I also think it's important to note what are the other benefits that we provide, right? And so like in addition to getting a pension, some people get, you know, there's also the 401K version for the city. And so people are drawing on two of those things, even what that said, I would like to know what are not just Montgomery County, but like other municipalities are doing this. I know we may not be as big as the state, may not be as Montgomery County, but annually just know what have we seen similar jurisdictions of our size doing this region to just see how we are, where we sit in terms of competitiveness. Because I do know people look at that. They look at where they're going to spend their time and where they might move to. And so if we want to keep employees, and I think it's just important for us to consider it. Any other comments? Councilman Rishaw. and where they might move to. And so if we want to keep employees, I think it's just important for us to consider it. Any other comments? Councilor Vashot? I actually think it's very important for our retirees to have some level of stability. And so I'm leaning towards having this be an automatic thing. But however, I do like the idea of actually having a time for our discussion every year as Council member Van Grack stated. Just wanna show them. Council member Valeri. And the idea of pensions is always very personal to me because that is what is making my own mother able to be in the place where she is. And so I was kind of wrestling with it and I kind of thought through a lot of folks points on this. And I appreciate that this hat that you would prefer it to be at Hock. I totally get that. I would love to have this conversation before the draft budget to a certain extent so we can kind of work this out. But aside from that, you know, I have first-hand experience with a retiree who truly depends on it. So I feel that very acutely. So I really do support a call of her retirees. I understand and I want to have the discussion and I completely agree with my colleague that we're going to have some some tough decisions to make. But I think that this is one of the as somebody said earlier, our budget is a moral document and it is the reflection of our values so that's kind of where I come from. When you all were looking at building the budget, did you look at what the impact would be as it compounds over time? You may not have that now but I just think it would be helpful for us to be able to see that. That Madam Mayor would be a full actuarial analysis, so we would have to pay for our actuarary to look at what doing an automatic COLA at, you know, a determined amount would look like as far as the funded ratio goes, and then what that ADC, the annual determined contribution is. So that would have to be something that we would have to contract with an actuary to perform. How much would that cost? I don't know. We don't know yet. Okay. If we could just, we're hearing, you know, a little bit of trepidation about where we stand financially this year, but I think that if we could just at least know what are our neighboring jurisdictions doing? Do you have that kind of information, I do. I did that analysis in the fall and I can provide that to the city manager to send to you. Okay, that will be helpful. And then we can determine the future if we want to do a full actual study, if we want to look at doing something, if we look at the mid year and see that we're in a really good state, what we want to do. but I just think the information will help this body, but I understand where we are and what we can do for our retirees. Councilmember Fulton. I just want to make sure I'm tracking where we're going. So I think, I think, yes, a conversation moving forward about what we might want to do with our pension system. Yes. Anything we do moving forward, do you tell me about how our pensions set up? Wouldn't change existing people in the pension system. It would be a move, a go forward change to the pension, right? The mayor and council could choose how that's written in the pension plan. So you could make it effective now for any one, retite current retiree. Okay, so we'll have that conversation. I agree we should have the conversation about what that, but I don't know. Do you all have what on the question of do we do an ad hoc this year? Do you need more from us? I was listening intently. I did not hear four votes to support adding 1% to the retention, I'm sorry, the Retirees pension, but I did hear we should study it, come back with some options and get it to well in advance of next year's budget work session. I heard that as well. I also, I want to see if my colleagues support this, but at least one understand because you have the information, what other neighboring jurisdictions that are comfortable to us. We can get that information to be counted. That's a majority. Okay. Sorry to take so much time on this, but I really think it's important. I appreciate everyone. The other question I had, first of all, I really like, you know, and appreciate all that HR has done. I know we have a newer HR director and a team and I just want to acknowledge I know that there was really nice work done with our employee appreciation and training. So I wanted to just add, as we think about employees, you are doing something for wellness. So I saw that's included, which is great. This is a creative thinking here, but you guys tell me if this is totally not possible. So every year, our employees have time that gets carried over. And if someone is wanting to say, hey, I didn't quite max out my 401k. Is there any way I could apply some of the funding I would have either lost or carried over into that versus doing the buyback? We already allowed that. Are you doing that? We already do that. Okay, perfect. That's wonderful. Because that allows people to add more to their retirement funds. So thank you for doing that. The other thing is certificates and education. So I know that we're offering some education benefits for employees. That's going to continue, correct? Correct. The other thing I was thinking of as we're doing hiring and I appreciate that the city is hiring some former federal workers, contractors and grantees. There may be some things because people were at the federal level, may not have some of the on the ground certifications. I know this is something we talked about when visiting the water treatment plant. I believe you all would help support certificates and helping people to make that transition. I just wanted to confirm that's still the approach. Yes, and so we always hire the person and then get them trained and that's always our goal, right? But if someone has to have the certification in hand before we hire them, there would be an exception there. But if we can bring someone in to a position and then we can get them the certifications as they go forward, we absolutely will do that. Okay, thank you. Thank you. And my last question related to HR, I know I've raised this previously, is just thinking about training young people, young adults, people who are aspiring and looking at internships and apprenticeships. I've asked Mr. Mejalek, sometimes people ask for internships and somehow we're told that we don't have internships, but then we see them throughout the city. And so how do we make sure there's a fair process for internships, and also may our council members are asked for internships, and we want to help support someone. What can we do about this? Yeah, let me work backwards. So if mayor and council want internships, that's up to you guys, right? Number two is yes, we have had interns in the city in various ways. I have learned over the past couple months that perhaps are not as consistent as we could be. So I think we just need to work over the next year to develop a more foreign internship policy. I agree with you, Mayor. I think internships are invaluable, but the law on that has changed over the years, which requires us to pay interns. We just have to be careful with our limited our limited resources, but the overall goal of giving folks an opportunity to learn as they continue to go through a process. And also this is very important to our staff to get some valuable work done while giving people an opportunity and have an internship is important to us as well. So give us some time to think about that over the next show. We'll bring something back. Thank you. Any other questions for HR? Okay. All right. So, communications. And I have a broad question about our new departments. Some of the other established departments have KPIs. And while the new departments have KPIs, the way and keep performance indicators for those who are listening, sorry to use an acronym, we'll be having that similar in the budget book. Every department has short-term objectives and performance measures, and that would include the two newly established departments. Okay, it doesn't seem to be represented the same way, whereas like if you look at the planning department, they have like achieve this by x time with this percent. We do see in the other departments where it's like we want to do this, this is our outlook, but it doesn't have in the same way what the key performance indicators are. So I just wanted to flag that. Maybe I missed it. I'm happy to relook at it, but I just, in scanning it, there seems to be some differences. And I recognize there are new departments. I just wanted to make sure that we're helping and supporting. Council Member Larry. I was insane you were right. Apparently I need to be on the record saying you were right. No. So on this department and I know that it's new so I'm going to kind of not be too scrutinizing just yet. How many of the proposed new FTE are for community engagement alone, where that is the primary, if not sole focus? One. So right now we're at one. So let me be clear, plus one. Plus one, but I didn't think that we had. hat. So it's really, is it plus one in addition to the position that was vacant? Yes, that's correct. Okay, that's a gosh. So it's a two total. Correct. Awesome. That is absolutely fantastic. I think that was all that I had on communications. Oh, no, there was one other thing. What staffing wise, what does it look like for website support? Like is this like drawn across several staff? Is there like a sole dedicated person? I would be curious to kind of know the outline of that. There is one person who has primary responsibility for all the web-based activities for the city. Yes. Okay. Does that feel comfortable? Because for a city this size with the amount of web pages that we have, that seems extremely lean to put it kindly. I'm just giving my perspective still being the newest guy around. Personally, we have in that position right now, it's incredibly efficient, like shocks me. I'll quickly, he can turn some things around. But what we've done, a nice job here in this city is that each department is responsible for the content. There's the subject matter experts, the data set, what's behind it, and then our communications team really messages it and puts it in a digestible way. I think we're fine there right now, customer and burpillary. But as we finish branding now and we can't move into updating our website, if we get into it, we feel we need more resources. We won't be bashful about adding up, but not this coming year. No, and I can appreciate that. And of course, we can always look at the budget amendment. I will note that what everybody kind of ascended to is not the only functions. You don't want a million people doing upgrading maintenance and software efficiency. So I just want to make sure I don't I don't want us to set up a new website and new branding. I don't want to set it up for failure and it is an absolute critical need. So yes, I would love you know if we need to come back but I would like an honest assessment if that, if the communications team could use an additional website support person. Thank you. On the website, just to clarify, it's my understanding that we do have a dedicated web person, but there are many, many content managers for the website, isn't that correct? Absolutely correct. So who is the overarching quality assurance and someone says that actually pages really outdated or do we run broken links reports? Is that happening yet? I'm going auditing. I'm going auditing. I think that's one of the benefits of creating the new department is to have more opportunities for us to go in there, Route around, find when there's broken links, make sure that there's data that's behind. So that's why we're recommending some increases in that department. I will still say at the end of the day and the department has know this. My expectation of the department has are still responsible for the details within the website. And if they have changes, things that are dated, etc., they have to work with the communications department to make those changes. They're the experts. They should know when something needs to be changed out. And communications department is super busy. So I want the department heads to be able to reach out to come and say, hey, can you help us work on this? Thank you. And just to clarify, the website will be redone. and it will be done this fiscal year or in FY26. Both. A little bit of both. So now that we're starting it right now. Complete it. I mean complete it. Complete it. FY26. Correct. Okay. And then the app will be completed in FY26 as well. Correct. Okay. Perfect. Thank you. And then you also moved just to follow the thread on what Council Member Valera was saying. You moved one of the community outreach people from CMO to the new communications office. Correct? That's correct. Okay. And so now that that team feels good with all of our engaged Rockville planning. They are ready to rock and roll. Okay. Councilmember Jackson. Thank you Mayor. I'm excited about this department so thank you for us setting it up. I have some questions about the metrics for 2025. You know, no one Facebook followers, Instagram followers, how many people you reached, it's kind of a squishy. You know, I think what really matters should be, do you drive people to whatever events or other things on the city's website? And so maybe that's a peach that's missing that we could add in the future because really knowing if people actually took action and went to the content that you wanted them to see, it's probably more important than just 54,000 people on Facebook saw the post. So that's my first point. The second point that I want to delve into a little bit is the mobile app. So who's doing that? What's it going to do? And who's really asking for a mobile app? I mean, is there, we just think that it was going to be cool to do, could have, do we think that if we build it, they will come or somebody, do we feel that there's a need out there for a mobile app? My understanding is that council asks for the mobile app a couple of years ago. Then And that's a great thing. Yeah. So this actually was budgeted for already. True. My understanding is that council asks for the mobile app a couple of years ago. Then there's a great thing. Yeah. So this actually was budgeted for already. True. So it's now actually just an implementation phase, but they wanted to get the branding done and the website done. I don't mean to speak for the director, but you got that exactly right. I just, that's my understanding. That's correct. All right. And the cadence. So, finally, the other thing, the metrics for 2026, I know that we have mentioned it many times and I'll look through the budget and I really didn't see a mention of it and I would be remiss not to mention the council in the community. So where is that in either the budget or in these metrics? Yeah, I wouldn't say it's in the budget per se, like we wouldn't call it out as a separate initiative or how many, but again, you guys were touching on it earlier, the reason is set up the department, stand it up in the first place, and the reason to add additional resources, because I've heard over the past eight and a half months how clearly you guys want to be out in the community. Even more so than you already are, because it's amazing to me and I am being kind when I say that, but we're going to continue to provide more and more opportunities for you guys to be out in the community, whether it's a listening session, field trip, a walk around, or as you guys know, Kathy and Tim are going to be launching some new video productions, which is Council out in the community, but via the website or someone's television, honestly That's all built into the budget. We just didn't call it out. Yeah, and a discrete initiative. Sorry. I think maybe From my perspective, it would be nice. I would actually call it out Okay, you know, I mean because I think that you know having it in the budget or at least in the metrics for success means that there's an added emphasis on it. And that's something that then staff will look at it and be like, oh, we need to do this council in the community rather than, well, it's not in our plan. So, you know, it takes a lower priority. At least that's my way of thinking. Thank you. I'll just note that I looked again. I think you're trying to use FY26 to establish performance measures, but I do think we should, there are some basic ones that we could do now. Council member Fulton. I just wanted to, I'm in favor of Council in the community, and when I've assumed it was covered by this, particularly, we're sending a message by setting up a department, right? I think that sends a really clear message. And I will say as we get further into this conversation, we have, thanks to all the good work, a whole lot of ways that have been set up to track all of the initiatives we're doing. We're getting better at it and there's dashboarding There's a whole lot of stuff on the website. I don't personally feel like a budget document needs to regurgitate every single thing that the city does. I think it starts to get hard to digest. I think it gets hard to be a directional document. So yes, there should be some. But I worry about turning the budget into just another tracking mechanism where things can get confused. No, and I totally, totally hear that. I'm just signaling out the Council and the community just because I really feel like it's really, it's been all priority. So, you know, I don't think of that about other budget items, but this one in particular, I feel like is really important. I would just know I agree with my colleagues and mentioned earlier. I do think that there's some high level metrics that other departments have gotten and it helps us to say how are we tracking? What are the big, not every little detail, but one of the major things that we are agreeing that we're going to be accountable for? That's in the budget document. Now we're going to make it so that it's not just we look at these things once a year, and then we don't look at it until next year with the new accountability and envisio, that will help us to track and see, are we hitting what we're supposed to? So I do agree that there are some metrics that should be in here, and that there's more thorough metrics that you all will be doing as your staff planning and result rockville. Councilmember Valeri? I just wanted to chime in one last time on the metrics, KPIs, whatever cool slingy thing we want to call it. I think what Councilmember Jackson might have been getting to was, and honestly, it could work for any departments. I don't want it communications. I feel like I'm picking on them is conversions. Right? It's not a matter of how many people are in your audience, but it's what they do when they see the message. Do they see that and go, oh, I'm gonna go check out the data dashboard because the communications were effective enough to push them to do that. How many people land on the website? They're looking up, you know, how to get a license for their animal and then leave the website entirely because it's really frustrating. Or how many people land on the website, they're looking up, you know, how to get a license for their animal and then leave the website entirely because it's really frustrating. Or how many people new people are doing that. So I would be interested in to go to council member Pullman's point. I would be interested for these sort of metrics to show like the efficacy through them in what the overall goal of that department is and ultimately communications, the goal is to get more people connected to the resources and programs and if we see that, that's ultimately in their call conversions in WebGeek talk. But I think that that would be helpful and beneficial to see, okay, this wasn't met, we really do need another FTE and has that kind of conversation. So I just wanted to chime in on that. Councilem Bershaw. I have a couple of questions. So the bullet that says launching the Engage Rockville Initiative in alignment with the city's Community Engagement Framework, what that means is implementing that spectrum where we had information and consult at one end and then community ownership at the other. Is that what that means? That's exactly right. Okay, I know that a lot of the communications that I've seen us do has oftentimes been somewhat one way with implementing that spectrum. And I know it's very challenging to implement that spectrum because it's very theoretical. There's all different types of communities that fall in different places on that spectrum. And also, what thinking about developing the KPIs, is their space or opportunity in that to figure out communities engagement needs, like the other way to really try to implement that and to help to develop the KPIs, like even going out and doing, I know that the county has a similar type of study that they did where they did a survey, they did a focus group night and really ask the community, what type of community engagements do you have? And that then informed how they were gonna, that then inform their KPIs. So is there something like that in order to implement that spectrum? Super sophisticated question. And I agree with everything that you've said. This may seem kind of crazy to some folks, but sometimes before you do in a community engagement plan, you have to go to the community and ask them how they want to be engaged. I mean, you really do. Yeah. And that could sophisticated, but the other part is it takes a long time. This council likes us to move. You guys all know a little about yourselves. There are times when it's like, why can't we move faster? Sometimes it's because we're being very intentional with community engagement. If you guys remember, we established the spectrum, brought it to work session, it was very well received. I'm able to do is to require a department with an individual initiative to come up with a community engagement strategy specifically for a discrete project. One of the best examples I can think of right now is the King Farm Farm said. I think we heard tonight and from other things that perhaps there was maybe some steps tonight years ago before you all were on council. But we did a very specific community engagement plan for that. And we did ask residents how they wanted to be engaged in that. And now we're fulfilling it. So when I send you guys those community engagement plans, discrete ones, if you look at it and you say, we're not so sure, would you please engage the community first? We're happy to do that. I would just also note where I have seen that spectrum be applied in a successful way. It has taken a long time. I've just seen government move at the speed of trust with the community in which can take a really long time. Thank you. Can I just ask are you clear on whether we want to include counseling with me as a metric or not? Do you want us to weigh in on that for you? Are you going to add it? I'll work with the team. And if we can add it over the next month, we'll certainly do that. If not, I'll ask. If not, I'll understand it and make sure we get it next year. But I think we can do something between now and the budget time. OK. Yes. And I heard just making sure there's parity on metrics between the new departments. OK. Dr. Miles. Thank you Madam Aaron. From my clarification this is one of the new departments were created correct. A similar question with the department that was recently created for procurement. There will be outside of the reorganization will um senior staff also be entitled to the same sort of increase uh benefit salary or whatever that we discuss for president. Okay. Thank you. Yes, that's what my understanding as well. Thank you. All right. I'm going to what I'm watching our time just moving on to our next department. I know we're talking to finance but any questions about finance. I think we're good. Okay. Keep rockin' and rolling. All right. So RCPD Rockville City Police Department. I'll just note that we all discussed some things last week and are you going to update the budget book to make sure there's clarity and all the things that we have done and that we have elevated the bonuses and salaries and on call over over the past two years and that you're going to include some of that background and that also after, because we are gonna pass the budget, we're gonna just take a quick look in July and August to make sure we're competitive because other people are going through and trying to be competitive as they're passing their budget, is that correct? There, yes. Okay, colleagues, any questions? Councilor Van Graek. Yeah, first I just want to thank staff for I know they put together some of the more detailed questions and answers in supplementing exactly where the salary comes into play and comparison between the adopted and the later budget. And I just want to, you know, again, echo what the mayor was saying because I know that in the number of the police recruitment seminars that have been through, for example, through MMO, there are a lot of different actions coming from different municipalities all over the state of Maryland with regard to trying to leapfrog through the different fiscal years. We saw that last year, and I want to commend the city manager's office, the budget office and everybody for what they've done both with the Comping Class, with the additional signing bonus of $20,000. It's exactly the right thing that needs to be done. I just want to make sure that we're not sitting on our laurels and exactly what the mayor said with this next fiscal year when things are announced. Similar to what we did before, great that We're doing the copy class. I just want to make sure that we're not going to be losing anything to some of these other departments that might as have been disclosed in certain recruitment seminars, be looking to do a leapfrog. But again, I want to commend both the finance staff that's in the manager's office of what they're doing to keep on track with all of this. Thank you, Council Member Larry. Thank you and I thank you to Council Member Van Grack for that. I think it's really important that we do remain competitive while at the same time watching out for the nuclear arms race that may or may not occur. I was accrued to even thank you for reminding me that we did already find the new mobile command unit. So good on us for that. I had two things. The first thing is I know that at this time there may not be a perceived need for a second mental health specialist. However, the process by which to get a second mental health specialist does take a significant amount of time. So, you know, again, I think I brought this up previously. Would it be possible to set aside a certain portion of the budget so that the process could begin where we know that the actual expense would not occur until maybe the next fiscal year but that we have the intent there because I'm afraid for a couple of different reasons. But first and foremost, we were already in the mental health crisis before the current upheaval on the federal level. I'm really concerned that that's going to increase significantly. And what could we do budgetarily so that the process could get started? Because we do know it's going to be about, you know, a long leg time on that. Let me take a swing at that one. So thank you for bringing that up. Acting Chief Wes and I talked about that in some detail over the past couple of months. I've also met with a lot of police officers. The county staff member and it's a county staff member that supports us in that space. We actually want to take a much more deep dive into that space, which is even beyond what I think you're asking for. We've talked conceptually about perhaps bringing all of that in-house and not relying on county resources to do it. And if we do do it, we may need likely, we'd need more than one person in that space to make sure we can cover shifts, vacations, et cetera. I also want to be thoughtful that the department remains in transition. I don't want to make a lot of big changes in there right now. But what I can't commit to you, and I've talked to Acting Chief West about this, this for us to take a deep dive into that service provision over the next year. And if we think that the numbers are getting really high, and we need to make an adjustment, we'll bring it back to council within the next year. if we think that the numbers are getting really high and we need to make an adjustment we'll bring it back to council within the next year. I appreciate that. Again I just wanted to note it for the record too that we do remain committed to this position and to looking at that thoughtfully because it does do a certain an extent free up a little of our police officers time when there are specialists second do it. They are wonderful, they were our police officers are wonderful, they wear many different hats, but our mental health specialists is trained in a different way. So that's one. The second one is, and I made a note of it and it came up actually through my review of the Proposed the Project submissions. And I know that as a body mayor and council, we talked about this super briefly, but we didn't have the extended conversation on the fact that we have no real security measures here at City Hall. And you know, I hate to go in this direction. We do have some security measures. Don't get me wrong. But we have a council building across the street, a Maryland Avenue that has metal detectors. And most people are used to that going into government buildings. It's not kind of a new thing that has popped up. So I would be curious. I would like to get thoughts from not only Mr. City Manager but from Acting Chief West as well on whether that seems reasonable. It would not be a capital improvement project level outlay as I am under. on whether that seems reasonable. It would not be a capital improvement project level outlay as I am understanding after a quick search of costs, but it is something that I think is a needed addition to the city hall given that the tenor of the National Discussion can be a little. I'm not going to say it can be a little uncertain is what I'll say there so I would again be appreciative to hear from Mr. City manager as well as acting chief west. Councilman for Larry Burran new idea as far as I know it is It is. But it was in proposal project. Unless Chief West wants to come up and take a swing at it, I think I'd like to have some more time to give us some more deep thought. I'll just add something that yes, it's a brand new idea, but no, actually not because one of we actually were talking about facilities, the emergency operations person talked about security at City Hall. And there was some discussion that not moved on yet, but the staff was going to be analyzing it back then. So when it's a flag, and I recognize that we're not here for that. So I wanted to just flag it. There is a report, I believe, where it's, you know, it came before me and council last term. So just maybe we're dusting it off and see where we're going if any as because I know you're gonna be making some changes in here in city halls people move to taffcourt red my mind mayor You read my mind crack Council Michelle I would be interested to see I know you're you're going to take that back, but I would be interested to see staff's thoughts on that and having to go through that every day when they enter. I was trying to read the comments and it looked like it may have been staff asking about it, the security. So when I was either a proposal project or in a survey, I did seek some commentaries So it could be your own staff who are concerned. Dr. Miles. Thank you Madam Erin, to that previous term. Yeah, there were some, there was a top down report and recommendations made. Metal detectors was one of the things that was considered. There were some modifications, even of this chamber that we see today that weren't present prior to. and then some things that you that the public doesn't see that were done But yeah, it was a discussion. I think the part of it was how it would impact the Feel and how people would feel welcomed within the chamber But again go back to the tapes and to the to the old report on that that's. Councilman Brascha. So there was like some data on that. There was a study of discussion with some options and things to look at. So there is something that we'll have to dig out. I know that Jeff Mejela will do that with his team. I was just curious if it was majority of staff or... But I don't think there was a survey survey but there was some initial thinking and staff was gonna go back for next step So I would suggest in the interest of time if Jeff you could just dig that out and take a look and see you know What what does staff think about this thinking about the safety of people who are in this building as well? I have to do that. Thank you Councilmember Valyray. And I don't need it tonight, but I still would like to hear from the Acting Chief on this issue as well. Thank you. Council Maverick. And I don't need it tonight but I still would like to hear from the acting chief on this issue as well. I was just going to check and see I know I looked at the public safety report and it's a little different this year which I support changes but there was previously talked about factoring you, including hate crimes as part of our analysis, and I didn't quite see that as we had discussed. I just wanted to check in on that. In addition, there were some increases in crime. I'm not going to go through all of them now, but it may be because we're monitoring it better, but I just wanted to see is there anything from a resource perspective that we need to be thinking differently to support reduction in crime. And I also know we can control everyone's behavior, but to the extent that we can find ways to get these numbers down, I think is great. I shall ask Ecclene Chief West if you want to comment on that. Good evening, Mary and Council. There were some increases in crime as you see in our annual report this year. Some of those categories were property related crimes through our recruitment retention efforts. We're adding additional personnel. We're filling our vacancies and we're working on different deployment strategies to fight crime into reduce crime in city. Thank you. Councilman Rangrack. Just another budget line item. I love on page 198 of the budget. We're talking about enhancing and improving the engagement with the community. that the department has literally been nationally recognized, whether it's Chief West, Sergeant Baccaro, Corporal Crow, we've done an incredible job with the school systems and engaging. And I know we're talking about growing it, which we should. I understand from staff and the finance that there isn't necessarily a line on an increase for that growing. I would just ask, you know, staff, if it appears that we're growing and we need the additional funding to the extent there's an ability in the middle of the year through an amendment to add to that to the resources. And I know the finance staff did a great job of explaining that we would look for partnerships. And to the extent that we might not be able to get some partnerships, I don't want to see any diminishing because of the amazing job. and the national recognition that the city gets in this area to the extent that the partnerships don't come through. We need additional funding and there can be a mid-year amendment in that context. I'd just like staff to look at that and potentially bring it back to the mayor and council. Thank you, Council Member Valyri. I had another question about it is about a line item as well. I saw in the narrative on page 199 right after Council Member Van Grack. The Office of the Chief of Police Revenue increased due to support for the gun by a VAC program. Can you explain that a little? Is that mean that more resources were allocated by the city? We got grant funding. Just curious. I believe this is just a partnership with the state's attorneys office in support of the Gumball Bank program. Gotcha. Okay. That that makes absolute sense. And I want a second lead council member, Greg said if there are additional resources that are needed to expand community engagement, which also includes the gun buyback, that I think we should definitely consider those as well. Definitely, I just want to acknowledge the excellent community outreach work that's happening. I also want to acknowledge that we had a new police officers one in today, great job on recruitment and the outreach efforts to recruit. I did want to acknowledge this budget also includes a full-time police communications supervisor as well as a police administrative assistant so hopefully that helps to relieve the burden of the planning team. Keep us posted. All right, I'm going to try to move us along. Can we move to recreation and parks. Should we call it after that? It's gonna go long. If we can try to get through this in 10 minutes. Councilman Valerary. Of course, I had to go first. Okay, so I took the time to read every single budget survey comment as well as all the proposal project. So what you'll hear a lot from me going forward as well as what people have been texting and emailing me are ideas from the community. These are also noted and I want to give absolute props to our finance team. I know I got my questions too late. I know a lot of things are still being investigated, but I still want to raise them because the community did take the time to submit some of these. And for our Mr. City Manager, these may sound like new ideas that came out of Council Member Valerius brain not entirely a lot of these are from the community. So the first that I heard loud and clear was restrooms at parks with playgrounds in parents with kids are in need of restrooms and there are some unintended consequences of not having open restrooms that affect the quality of life for others that use the park is what I'll say there. One that I heard all throughout the community is that there is a wide disparity in which parks have doggy stations. So those are the all in one bags and receptacles. Some have them, some don't. And having them at the entrance to all parks may also enhance quality of life. I think those are the two, I think those are the two biggest ones that I have for the department to consider, for my colleagues to consider as well and that I've heard pretty loud and clear from the community. Thank you. I'll just add a couple quick comments. I've heard specifically in Batham and Parks and Town Center. I know that the city does have an agreement with Lebanese Tevernor, but I don't think he will know. So I wanted to at least make sure that we are clear on what that agreement is and the people we can raise awareness about it, I don't know about the signage, but I just wanted to flag that, particularly with when the splash pad is open, I believe that that was an access to that bathroom. The other one I hear a lot about is Dogwood Park. is a senior living community of victory that is near there. And they say, I can't stay out that long because I have to go back and use the restroom. And it's not like there's commercial activity over there where some neighborhoods have some neighborhood shopping centers, that's something that they don't have. And so I just wanted to flag some of those areas just looking at where we might have senior communities where there isn't commercial areas where we need to think about that. I agree in the doggy station. I've also heard recycling at parks. If we're trying to do climate action, we don't have recycling at parks. What would it take to get that to happen? I know Mr. Mehillick and I have talked about that. And the person, we've had Girl Scout troops write in about that as well. Do we know if we're exploring that this year or are piloting it, Mr. Mehlick? I'm getting good intel from folks on my phone already. Two things. One, we are happy to do a feasibility analysis on any park for restroom. Just let us know which there's individual parks. Just let us know and we'll take a good hard look at it. And yes, Mayor, we are going to be in situate a pilot program at a couple of parks to give another try at recycling. From staff, it's told me we've tried it in the past, and it just hasn't worked, but maybe with improved signage, we can make that happen better, but we are going to do a pilot for sure. Thank you, particularly around some of the courts, like you just see a ton of plastic bottles in there. Park shelters, I know my colleague, Councilman McGrack, and I have asked about this. Proviest Mary Council, I've asked about this. Wooten Mills Park. you just see a ton of plastic bottles in there. Park shelters, I know my colleague, Councilman Rangrack, and I have asked about this. Proviest Mary Councils, I've asked about this. Wooten Mills Park, I went back to 2022. This has come up. It's not on your schedule. And so I just want to understand what, you know, it's been a couple of years since you've made a schedule. Can we look at the schedule? At least to be able to say the community we've heard you we have you planned on this out year but it's not currently an elist and I don't know if we've updated that list. We have a lot of things to do. We have a lot of things to do. We have a lot of things to do. We have a lot of things to do. We have a lot of things to do. We have a lot of things to do. We have a lot of things to do. We have a lot of things to do. We have a lot of things to do. We have a lot of things to do. We have a lot of things to do. a lot of hands go. So yes. Wood Mill's Park. Wood Wood Mills Park is one. But I would also look at the, there's a pros report that looked at equity in the city and what we're missing. And so I would, we need to make sure we're constantly looking at our plans and implementing them. Understood. Thank you. Council Member Larry. Just on that point. Yeah, I completely agree. I think that's why I was trying to get to with the consistency. Like you have a lot of doggy stations in one area and that's so much in other. Some communities get our cashcans taken away from us. Others more put in. So it would be nice to see consistency. But on the shelters, rock press is another park as well. That has a playground on it, but no sort of covering and that is completely open in the summertime. So I know it's really hot for for little people in particular. So I think it, a comprehensive look at shelters as well, I think is overdue. Two more things and I'm going to pause and let my colleagues speak a some more um scholarships for summer camps. I know I think some of us have racist before just monitoring where we are given the federal workforce changes and people losing jobs. We do want to make sure that kids are not suffering from this and if we need to add some funds to the scholarship needs it based on demand, I would be fully supportive of that and wanted to flag that enough my colleagues how they feel about that. But just wanted to see, you know, are you open to staff looking at increased scholarship funds if we need it? Absolutely. Okay. All right. Thank you. And just I want to echo and support the green program for invasive species. Thank you for doing that. And I'll just note, you know, I really appreciate you moving forward on red gate. I'm hopefully that we're able to get more of that done. And also, as I mentioned last meeting, look at some of the sponsorship of benches and trees to move faster on that. We also got some questions about like the community garden park and the dog park. The dog park is built, but no one's accessing it. So I just, I have some questions about what can we do so that it isn't sit empty for another year without use. Council member Van Gray. I just want to clarify a discussion here because I know a lot of, we're talking about, I know parks and specifically studies and priorities. Is that more discussion here in Rexon Parks, or should we be discussing it with the CIP? I just wanna make sure, because I know I have a series of questions with the Guard. I know what the mayor was saying with regard to prioritization. Should we be just, because I'm just trying to compartmentalize where we are. So some of these don't rise. The level of full-blown CIP just yet. So if you have additional questions on CIP, I would hold it for the next work session. But so when we're talking about the studies with regard to... a little full-blown CIP just yet. So if you have additional questions on CIP, I would hold it for the next work session. But so when we're talking about the studies with regard to specific areas, is that more an operational or is that more in CIP? It's operations that leads to a CIP. Is what I would describe. Okay. Exactly. I get it right. Yeah, yeah. All right, well then, you know, Just at the mayor's set with regard to understanding and I know councilman Valerius brought up before with regard to different areas of the city and making sure that we're doing the right studies with regard to our resources and what is in each area and to the extent there's a overarching view of that priorities and also listening to the public to to where the public is clamoring for or reaching out to us with regard to different areas of recreational park, either improvements or building. I'd echo those comments. Thank you, Councilman Van Grech. Jeff, did you wanna add something you're good at? I didn't. Council Council member Jackson, sorry. Thank you, Mayor. I just want to follow up on something that you mentioned earlier. Could you discuss more the proposed green plan and what's going to go into it? How much money we have devoted to it this year? And also, I mean, what is being done now to, you know, in the minthom to remove invasive species as we develop the green plan. Okay. So two uniquely different things. But first, what, how much money in the budget for the green plan? So the green space management plan is coming in at $280,000. That's one of those four areas where we're recommending that you commit reserves for this one time need. In addition, in the proposed budget, we've put in additional resources for contract services to deal with non-native invasive species. So they are separate. Green space plan is really for us to look at just the way we describe it our actual green space plans that aren't programmed, they don't have fields on it, et cetera, not active spaces, and it really give you guys some recommendations on what might we do with them. Maybe you want to force them, maybe you want to use as a demonstration project for additional plant species, maybe you want to do what you've been and into, and it's really just get rid of all the invasive species, but we really don't have a plan right now for some of those larger open spaces, and we need to develop one. But we'll definitely be coming back to the council to make sure we're headed in the right direction on that one. It's a pretty good commitment of funds. Now thank you. So switching gears a little bit, but still staying in parking recreation. Any further comments? Any further comments? Any further comments? Any further comments? Any further comments? Any further comments? Any further comments? Any further comments? Any further comments? Any further comments? Any further comments? Any further comments? Any further comments? Any further comments? Any further comments? Any further comments? Any further comments? Any further comments? Any further comments? Any further comments? Any further comments? really in fiscal year 232, 1100 now, and then proposed that 1,200, which is great. I think the village is a really wonderful program, and the city should be commended for taking advantage of it and really embracing the program. It's really a wonderful neighborhood organization and it is core and it's a really good way to structure that that program. I wanted to ask a question though It's not really in the budget, but it is in that How does the recreation and parks department cooperate or collaborate with the HACD, housing and community development? Because it seems like there's a natural synergy between those two departments when it comes to seniors and villages and that kind of programmatic thing, is experienced. So I'm just wondering, like, is there cooperation? Should there be or? That's a great question. Sorry, that's a great question. I haven't really thought about that. I'm gonna see if any of my colleagues wanted to mention, talk about that, but if not, we'll circle back. Rhymes giving me kind of a blank. So let us circle back. So that means there's probably opportunities to do more. Yeah, I would think so. Thank you. All right, thank you. Can I add, I believe, because I just learned this recently too, you, all right, you have made some shifts from recreation and parks to DHGD, right? Isn't now the Latino the youth development program and within DHD. So it looks like you guys have started to strategically think about how do you align certain things. That's correct. Where there might be delineation between Reckon Parks and DHGD. So that's correct. Ryan, I've talked about this quite a bit. If you guys recall some of you who are more veteran council members, HCD is a combination of two departments, two separate divisions from two separate departments kind of melded together, and they really haven't taken the time to stop and just say how can there be better synergy kind of to your point and Ryan's sort of not out right now. But we're trying to have more opportunities to make sure that from a social services standpoint, that it's really housed in housing community development and yet to your point, it has the tentacles out into other departments so we can care for as many people as we can the right way. Yeah, and I think the senior center is such an anchor for recreation and parks and is doing fantastic work. I see why me. You may have split it and put it all the senior service and mostly senior services in recreation and parks. Yep. Agreed. Okay. I just wanted to, I'm not gonna go into too many details, but I did wanna note something that came up since we're talking about seniors. So the senior center, people can buy memberships there. I have received some requests from residents to consider can there be an uber senior pass? So like people people can buy membership there, but they have an option to upgrade to access other facilities versus buying individually at those facilities. For example, there's a resident who lives near Thomas Farm Community Center. They may want to come to the Senior Center for Major Program, but if they want to use a fitness center, they prefer to go to Thomas Farm. So I just wanted to explore that option that gives seniors the opportunity to access a senior center, but to also be more neighborhood-based when they want to be. But a circle back. Okay. Thank you. Council Member Larry. So I would be remiss if after the very, the way that Madam Mayor put it, the senior center is absolutely an anchor. For senior, I'm sorry, older Americans living in the city of Rockville, trying to get better, Councilmember Jackson, but and be more in line. But I do want to put a pin in the fact that using the city don't have an anchor yet. And I'm hopeful that we can have more of those conversations to that end. And I've put it in a million people's ears as well as in writing. I would like to explore a model that is used successfully in other cities and other countries. And that is the pop-up youth drop-in spaces. It would take a lot of intricate moving parts, but it would be a quicker way to stand up, something for a very marginalized group of our constituents. Additionally, and I swear it's only because Councilmember Jackson brought up invasive vine removal. I just want to give a shout out to the weed warrior as you've been doing this voluntarily with large machetes for a very long time. I would like to also put forward the idea similar to LED conversion and that is if we transition city landscaping from annuals to perennials, in particular native perennials with minimal maintenance, not only we will be hitting one of our climate action goals, but it is like LED conversion or solar. It's a long term cost savings. So, and I don't think, is tier mitigation under DPW or Reckon Parks? What? tier mitigation. Oh, tier mitigation. That would be Reckon Parks. Would that be Reckon Parks? Yes. Okay, cool. I wasn't quite sure. Another thing that a lot of people have brought up, what is our plan? People are getting very more and more upset about the effect of deer on what they have planted on the community. We've had people run into pedestrians or had deer out people people. We've had deer run into pedestrians. So it's again, another big issue and it can be bad for drivers as well as pedestrians alike. So I'm wondering if Mr. City Manager is there. I look through the budget didn't see a particular line item which I get because I not rise at level but are you looking at at this issue currently what are we doing currently and do we have to have a more full sum discussion on this? Yes. Definitely full sum at a future date. Thank you. Matt, are you okay by me? Thank you. Thank you. I will note that City of Raffle has had some dear discussions in the past. It has gotten interesting. I will note that what we've heard for is humane deer management. So I think that's a lot for tonight in terms of we can't get to that in full, but it may be something just to discuss and see if staff has evolved thinking on that. For the Latino youth development program, it is a fantastic program. Girls are not involved. So yet, so I just wanted to note that I'm, I note that and other populations as well. So I just wanted to make sure that we're looking at that because it has been very successful. I think I bring it in online. Okay. Can we move to DPW operating? Not capital. just very high level operating and refillable stations I should have mentioned that you put that in facilities for Reckon Parks correct and would you put that in CIP operating. It's definitely Reckon Park. I would not. I'm sorry. So Marin I've been talking talking about refillable stations in different facilities. Unless we're gonna do them in all city facilities in one shot that could rise the level of a capital project, but if we're gonna be opportunistic with creating those stations, which is my preference, then we would do it whenever we'd run a bit of building we'd change those out. I will just note the city is buying a ton of plastic water bottles. I see lots of pallets. I think we should look at a prioritization plan. I don't think we can wait till we update every facility. At least that city hall. I don't know how much the city is spending on plastic water bottles but it's too much and if at least we can do one or two this year, I would appreciate that. It's just in my mind. That I could pull off. Okay. All right, DPW operating. I'll start just composting, I think be operating correct. All right. So I'll just note that our climate action plan calls for looking at one or two locations. I don't know. We don't have a single additional location included here. So I wanted to at least see if we could find additional location. Thinking about equity in Rockville. We do not have one in Southern Rockville. So, we'll take a look at it. So, okay. And are you putting the solar work as capital improvement or operating? The solar installations, those are wrapped up into capital projects for the most part. Okay, I'm going to hold on the rest because I think some of that will be capital and I'll note that I do think some planning in terms of accessibility. We talked about an ADA prioritization plan. I'm just starting to think through what are our goals there. I think we need some strategic thinking so that we have a target of what we want to get done. All right, colleagues, anything else? Councilman Rishaw. Just a quick comment and a quick thanks. I really do appreciate the way that our approaches to public safety, including our infrastructure and having safe water and safe streets. And I just wanted to know and I appreciate that. Thank you. Oh, can you please have IT come up for Miss, Council Member Shaw, thank you. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay it up. I'm sorry. We heard tonight from our back that they proposed a half an FTE for someone to be focused on bicycle infrastructure. That would most likely include things like updating the bikeways master plan, which is a dire need of it. I know that Mr. Barnett Woods is all things vision zero. If we could clone him, that would be awesome. But does the department, does the division of traffic and transportation do realistically, honestly, would it be helpful to have another person in addition to Mr. Barnett Woods in the Vision Zero group? Maybe not necessarily for bicycle infrastructure alone, but the fact that we have such a deep commitment to Vision Zero and as the football champ goes, there's only one Brian Barnett Woods. So kind of wondering about that. So you're right, Brian Barnett Woods does the work of like three people and it's also excellent work. He's very impressive. I'm always concerned about just kind of getting deeply into a budget discussion and then talk about half of positions plus one plus two. There's always there's always need for more staff candidly, but we had 40 some plus for requests came in and we landed at just over a dozen. If we thought it was a very high priority, we would have not been bashful asking for that. Let us look at the workload over the next six, seven months, and if we think that we need additional staffing that we won't be bashful next year, I'd be concerned about trying to add a, even a half-time position right now when there's so many other needs in the city. And I fully appreciate that. I will say that getting the draft budget is the first time that we see the proposed number of MPs that you want to, that you're proposing to add in. So we don't get that opportunity. I was like, I hear myself twice. So I completely appreciate what you're saying. However, at one point do we have a, that honest conversation as a people who have to approve the budget that okay, these were the 40 requests. These are the 12 in there. Is that the 12 that mayor and council want to prioritize at this point because vision zero is one of our action plans. There's a lot of things we have to do to get to that point. So I would hesitate to say that it's not, we have a lot of priorities. I get it. But it is one a lot of priorities. I get it, but it is one of our top priorities because we have an action plan. So I guess I'm confused about when we can have that conversation and if we're having it now. I'll just note that I did you hire someone for Mr. what fire and by netwoods? Does he have someone working with him now? Good. Sorry. We have a temporary worker working with Mr. Barnett Woods right now. However, I will remind you that you authorized another position for traffic and transportation in last year's budget, a new engineer, and we still have a difficulty filling that position. So our need right now is more in getting the projects done sidewalks, et cetera. That's where the biggest need is and filling that position is our biggest need. Thank you. And I understand that we're not complete yet on the bikeway master plan that we have with about 30% done. I just seems like there's some work to be done to implement that work. We have that plan in future years to update that master plan. Thank you. It's really important for housing and economic development. One thing that I did want to flag is I didn't see the support necessarily for increasing inspections. Several of my colleagues and I have heard about quality housing issues, particularly multifamily. I know I've gone on about this. I'll continue until we fix it, but it takes five years to get through a building. And there may be some buildings that we can, you know, if that we have a record of doing well, that we can give some more time to, but there's some buildings that we need to be back in there. People who live in single-family homes that are rented, every two years are getting inspected. people who live in a multi-family do not have that same courtesy. It puts tenants in a very tough position of having to report. So. that I rented every two years are getting inspected. People who live in multifamily do not have that same courtesy. It puts tenants in a very tough position of having to report. So maybe I don't see it here, but do you have the plans to implement this, changing the way we're dealing with inspections for multifamily? Thank you for that question. Are you right? Many of you have mentioned this to me before. I don't have a plan in place, but we have a strategy that I've actually met with the code enforcement officers about. We talked about just changing overall program and bringing in some of the elements that you have all suggested. And that is, if we have an apartment complex that continues to do excellent work and past inspections year after year after year. Perhaps there's a way for us not have as main inspections there, but then when we have problematic apartment buildings that have finding, finding, finding, maybe they need to get inspections more frequently and more number of units. So my commitment to you is over the next year we're gonna take a look at that program, find out if there's more efficient way to do it, and to really, for lack of a better description, target the problem buildings, well maybe easing up on the ones that are doing a particularly nice job without adding additional resources. I just think our program right now is really using the same tool for every job when we should be a little bit more flexible. I know I wasn't being specific, but I think there's ways to do improvements there without adding staff. Thank you. And we'll be updating our, some of our codes. And I think we're going to talk about again, how we're handling this and we're going to make sure that we have a plan to address that. So thank you for saying that you will get that done. I saw Councillor Jackson, then Councillor Van Graek, then Councillor Morshaw. Thank you, Mayor. Let me ask a question. Thank you for saying that you will get that done. I saw Councillor Jackson, then Councillor Van Gragg, then Councillor Mischach. Thank you, Mayor. Let me ask a question because I'm confused a little bit. So on page 66 of the budget, we talk about municipal infractions and we estimate then in a fixed-score year 2026, there's going to be a 2905 percent, well, point 9 percent increase in municipal impractions. As thought somebody said that it was due to inspections. Okay, no, no. So correct me then. Zoning infractions. Zoning infractions, okay, that's perfect. So let me ask the question of the city attorney. So your office does handle municipal infractions, is that correct? So a 2,900 percentage increase would that also require additional staff? That would definitely impact my office. I'm not sure if it would require additional attorney and I will have to see. Okay. Mr. Hallecky, when I add something? I was just going to say our goal is almost always to go to someone that's in the violation and have them abate the nuisance on the spot immediately with a warning and they flip it around. Many, many of those violations are not going to rise to the level that we actually have to take it to court. If that happens, we're going to have a big problem. And yes, I'll be supporting my friend Robert in getting additional attorneys, but hopefully, you have a big problem. And yes, I'll be supporting my friend Robert in getting additional attorneys, but hopefully, you have a conversation with somebody, you do a warning or you write one ticket and those violations start to drop. Thank you. I just want to expand on something that Mayor said. Not only just with inspections, but especially with regard to what we're talking about with moving, permitting, and the fast track that we're doing. In looking at the budget, I'm not sure that we're accounting for all the necessary funds to get us there. And much like we talked about with some of these other initiatives, to the extent we get part of the way through, and we've authorized actions to do with the public. We have a lot of things to do with the public. We have a lot of things to do with the public. We have a lot of things to do with the public. We have a lot of things to do with the a priority, I think for this mayor and council to make sure that we're efficient in that, to these extent there needs to be additional funding, I want to make sure it's there. Mayor, can I foreshadow something for an next year's budget? So the last piece in really creating efficiencies in our development review process is to hire two or three development review coordinators. You guys can think of it as a patient care coordinator, one point of contact. And it's especially good for like mom and pop businesses or someone doing addition, they're not used to the landscape at all. They come into the community development services department, they get assigned one person that walks them through the entire process. That's the last step in the process, the create efficiencies, but I wasn't comfortable recommending this budget three additional FTVs, but I think we can do it next year. And I'll describe it more over the next year for you guys. But that's the last piece. Thank you, Council Member Shaw. I just wanted to add on to the point about inspectors and the multi-family. And I recognize the value in the multi-family inspections, but I also wanted to ask about the individual tenant requested inspections where, you know, the multi-family inspections are very broad. Sometimes they're not going into all units where the tenant requested inspections are for specific things that directly impact the tenant. And so I just wanted to make sure that this would be the same staff and so that we would have a stronger force in terms of responding to tenant requests for inspections. That's the goal of the next year is to create a more efficient way not only to do the annual inspections in a more robust way, but to make sure that the individual code enforcement officers that are assigned to a neighborhood and that's how we do it are readily available and can be really nimble and responding to those requests. You've shared that concern with me a lot over the past several months, we'll make sure we'll address it. Okay, and they're, they are not going to work with management until after the inspection. Our goal is to make sure that there's enough comfort with the renter, that then when they call community development that we go right to them, get into the unit, see what's going on, and then coordinate a fix. Okay, thank you. Yeah. Thank you. And I'll just note, hopefully, with being more proactive and effective at our inspections that will hopefully not have to put so much on tenants to have to report such grievances. Obviously, we'll still need to address things at tenants' report. But right now, it gets really bad, and then they have to report. And if perhaps if there was more proactive in there that we would have fixed it for actively. Agreed. Councilman Valeri. I have two questions. One I noticed in the physical year 2026 outlook for the department. I am looking at the right one. We talk about implementing the newly adapted Forest and Tree Preservation Ordinance. I didn't see in the fiscal year, 2026, the beginning of the drafting of a revised street tree plan. So I'd be curious about where that is in the long term, short term planning because the farther that that lags behind there's going to be a disconnect between the two. So that's one thing. The second thing is I guess this would be under efficiencies as this the word of the night. One of the accomplishments was actually the drafting of something that was ultimately not needed. So as part of efficiencies for this department, maybe a goal could be looking at scalpel solutions instead of side-chambers. But I think that the Lincoln Park guidelines, I think that's a great example of maybe a way that we can make things going forward a little bit more efficient and then ultimately be a cost saver as well. So I just wanted to note that. For the department outlook, would you be willing to add the inspections piece that we've talked about into here because I don't see it. Yeah, actually have to do that. OK. And then the Metro housing follow up, are you planning to put that with DPW or housing or planning? I'm sorry, remember what was the question again? Metro, Womada. Oh boy, it's really right now lives with CPDS. Okay, because I don't necessarily see that as a big project going forward, whereas you included it as an accomplishment in the past. And so that's something I think we we need to flush out or least add because that's that's not a minor. I'm looking at page 132 in the budget. It's reflected as FY 2025 accomplishment. That's right but it needs to be in FY26 as well. If it indeed carries over from a timing perspective. We do not have housing at Rockville Metro yet. I'm sorry, housing. Or Twin Brook. I'm sorry, I'm talking about the fiscal impact model for the city. I know where I'm just asking that we add it to the outlook on a big thing that we're focusing on. Okay. And then you have the reinstate historic property plaque. I know this is something that's come up multiple years. Thank you for adding that. Hope, to my knowledge, there is not a historic plaque. Not everything has to be designated. Sometimes we can just plaque it. But there isn't a plan for what's the next five to seven we're going to do. Is are you planning to at least strategically look at that? Brick, it's time to phone a friend. Do you have a plan for that? I'm doing okay so far. That is a program that we're going. We've already started this year is determining where sort of properties don't have had those plaques and contact the owner to install them. And that's gonna be a regular thing that we do to make sure that happens. Cause not all the historic buildings that have been designated have that plaque we wanna get to all of them. Yeah, and sometimes it's not a building, it's a pool, it's a book pool. Yes, that's right. It could be that as well. So, okay, but you're gonna make a list. Yeah, we're in the process of doing that as well. That's great, thank you. And then just one more thing on history. So we have the 250th anniversary. It could flow under Reckon Parks, because of July 4th, They could flow under some of the grants as well as planning, but I just wanted to, I didn't know this anything that's planned for 2026 for the 250th anniversary of our country. You just wanted to flag that. Rockwell has just going to have something. Hopefully. Yeah, and the county's anniversary. Yeah. That's all I have for planning. Okay. I'm wondering if we could do a DHCD quickly and then maybe I'm going to say I wonder if we could move legal and the city clerk to another to next week. I don't know. And say manager can we cover those next week next week but the next next meeting. We could certainly. Okay. All right. And then lastly for me on signage, I forgot to mention this. We talked about last budget season that there would be revamped signing looking at Rockville Town Center. It was in the, in way finding it was supposed to be in a city manager's contingency budget I don't know if you spent that off of FI 25 or that needs to carry up to FI 26 We we're working on a plan right now for that within the current fiscal year believe or not And I'm we're about to get you an update on it. Okay, perfect We wait with baited breath. Come on friend Greg might need more? We look forward to your update and we can determine whether we need more, but I just want to see some movements since we talked about that last budget. Okay, so if we could then do DHHD and just ready since I know they've been waiting here patiently, is that okay? And then we'll move legal to the clerk and CMO to the next meeting. All right. We're going to move grants next week, a next meeting, not next week. Unless you're interested in doing that. No, it was just for... No. Are you serious? No. Did you say that? Sorry, we're joking about how much we can get through tonight. So it counts on bankrupt. I would just note and I'm fully supportive of that we're probably going to need to take the issue of procurements out of next week if we're going to be adding all of this also to the CIP. We talked about that. Just to note because of All right, we may need to ask. Just to know because of the patient. Yeah, and we may need to add another section. Yeah. Another session. Call me Nois for Dhamus. OK, so moving to DHCD, thank you for your patience, everyone. Colleagues, operating questions about DH, Department of Housing, Community Development. I will just say thank you for adding some additional support for the Homoanorship program for the financial empowerment work to make sure that we're doing more to support tenants and being responsive. I thought that was fantastic addition. So and then looking at mental health supports for our community, especially during these times. So just kudos on all that. Consumable Larry. I'll go the kudos and I'm really excited about the possibilities within the department given more staff and totally appreciate that. I also want to note that in general I think all the services are absolutely fantastic and I think that bringing the Latino youth development back over here makes a lot more sense to me. But I see everything under this environment as really, this is where the rubber is going to meet the road as far as the impact on the community from whatever is happening on the federal side of things, especially employees. So I feel like, you know, put a pin in it, put a place marker, whatever, that I could definitely see with any of the emergency assistance or increase in mental health services that we, and I know that we talked about this before, with you awesome folks from finance, as long as we have that flexibility and that nimbleness to be able to turn around and give more funding if it is needed, when it is needed, then I feel really good about where we are in general, and I'm very appreciative of anything that we can do right now to help folks. I appreciate your addition of the rental assistance program. One thing I talked to Mr. Mahillic about is that there are a lot of people who don't qualify for the rental assistance program because they're not 60% AMI or below average median income AMI. My question is, is there flexibility to look at a limited amount that you might be able to have for rental assistance and for closure prevention. As a pilot, you guys would have to see how that works. But we have federal contractors, workers, grantees who don't typically need help, but are going to be in a position of potentially. I've met so many people who are two parent households, who are federal workers, or contractors or grantees, or single mothers who are, you know, now pushed out of government. And I just wanted to be acknowledged at time they were in and see what we can do. We did some acute things for COVID. And I think we need some creativity as well here. The quick answer is can we do something Yes, I think the key on this is really coming up with some good, defendable, reasonable criteria who would be eligible or not. And that's going to take us some time to do that. Let me get with budget team, HCD and give that some thought. I would just need to know too. I guess maybe we'll come up with a lump sum recommendation to what we could do. But I really think that thresholds number one and two, what would be a qualifying expense are really important. And I don't want to take a step at that right now. I agree. I agree that you know we have to, it has to be legal as well. It's dependable, but I do want to, this is a very unique situation. Councilman Valerary. On that note, it just kind of hit me. In particular, because we have our own, I think CDPW, we have our own water that a good portion of the city is on. So that the, those parts of the city are not eligible for a lot of the programs that WSSE provides as far as utility assistance for water. So would that be a possible consideration as well? Do we have to you know, balancing that? I know the county does have a program, but we have also seen the county money run out. And I have a stink and suspicion that'll happen again. Because the need is that great. So I just wanted to bring that up as well. And maybe there's innovative solutions partnering with nonprofits to maybe help this as well. Councilman Brascha, then Councilman Jackson. Just two points. So, I know that we have the additional staff. And I'm really excited about that and happy about that. I just want to ensure that with that additional staff we're able to ensure that we're keeping landlords accountable for the code like for example when landlords increase rent or when they renew their lease it based on our code they're supposed to send that increase to the tenant 90 days in advance as well as the director of housing And there's a lot of opportunities for us to generate revenue from that as needed. Also, it can create some city-wide data. And also, it is in a lot of ways a preventative measure. Landlords may think twice before rent gouging, if they know they have to send that amount to the city. And that's going to be somewhat public. So I think, so I just want to make sure that we'll be able to comply with that part of the code because I think there's opportunities there to do that. That's my question. Yes, yes, that's the reason for adding additional staff resources to make sure that we can take a little deeper, be able to a little bit more thorough on our response and just instead of just doing it in a hit or miss kind of what. Okay, and I think that does require some outreach to landlords because cause I know it's been a while since that was done, maybe like since the 90s or something. So I think that may require some additional outreach. Understood. The other thing is I, you know, I would be remiss to not share this. I know that we have passed or we have 43 or 42 policies. And there is a policy gap, I think among tenants, where we don't have rent stabilization. And I do think that would save the city money in terms of saving, preventing evictions. And as well as just saving heartache in harm, there were a number of evictions today at Woodmont. And just I think that if we're really thinking about this in terms of having these 43 policies and there's a large gap before pre-eviction for any type of support rent stabilization does fulfill that gap. Thank you council and Basha. I did want to also just note that we discussed in our housing work session that we would look at a transparency initiative. So the city of Rockville with rental licenses already collects information regarding rents and then what it may be. And we are not leveraging that data, and we talked about making that public somehow, so that tenants from a consumer perspective have information to be able to see trends on what buildings or landlords are doing. And so I didn't quite see that acknowledged, and I wanted to just make sure that that is planned for FY26. It is, Mary, and you and I have talked about this, and so it's Council Member Jackson. Transparency is going to definitely be part of multiple conversations in the future, including work sessions about landlord tenant, not only just updating the code, but then how to move forward with enforcement. So why can't you share that's going to be part of it as well? And some of it may actually bleed into an overall fees discussion. So Ryan, you want to, is that head nod your, your green with me and how we're going to approach that so far? Okay. Thank you. It's late. But it's going to be co coordination with planning because they're the ones who's collecting the rights of this data, but we're not putting it out there and we want to find a way to do that. You got it exactly right now. Okay. Councilor Jackson. Thanks. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you. Thank you. find a way to do that. You got it exactly right now. OK. Councilman Jackson. Hey. Thanks. Thank you, Mayor. I'll go first. Yes, you were first. Hopefully. I was just a good question. I told you you were first. It's Councilman Jackson, Councilman Fulton, Councilman Vellieri, Dr. Miles. All right. Well, thank you, Mayor. So first, thanks for this. You know, I'm really excited by what your department can can do. I mean, you're set up a force of stress. And I'm really excited about the housing needs assessment that we're funding. I think it's going to be really important to get that right and to light the groundwork for where we go in the future. I am concerned though about the housing opportunities fund. I know I've talked about it with UGF and R1 on 1's. $250,000 into the housing opportunity fund is important. But it's. You know, putting $250,000 into the housing opportunity fund is important. But it's just a drop in the bucket, especially when we look at everything that HED, ACD is charged with implementing. So I don't want to really go into detail right now, but we should explore other ways that we can get that fund to a robust amount that we can actually do some of the things that you know we're going to find in the housing needs assessment and that we know that we have to do to attract development and get sustainable housing in Rockville. So I'm going to put a pin in that, but I really think it's important to talk about what we can do to make sure that the housing opportunity fund is a robust and well-funded fund so that we can do these things. Now, like my colleague, I have a little pet peeve and I noticed that in the Housing and Neighborhood Services division, we described the division as the division works with landlords, tenants, and common ownership communities, says, I know, kind of many associations and homeowners associations to help resolve issues between landlords, tenants, common ownership communities and their members and business owners. What does that sound like? That almost sounds like the CCOC. So it seems like there's a duplication there, unless that isn't an accurate description. So again, putting a pin in it, but is there, is, do we really need to be a part of the CCOC when it seems like we're actually doing that the work of the CCOC right now in the housing and community development division? So there's just something that I bring up right now, but I think it's a discussion that we should have in the near future. I have commentary on that, but I want to let my colleagues go in order we discuss. Councilmember Fulton. Thank you. I think we covered this, but this one like matters to me, so I want to make sure I'm clear on sort of transparency, reporting, and compliance, and how the two new FTEs might be used. I know that we get, as part of licensing rent, we get rental information. There's also a never used part of our code that says that each rental increase a landlord needs to report to the city about that increase. That's come up a bunch about what we're gonna do with it.. Do we enforce it? Do we change it? What do we do? It seems to me I agree with Councilmember Shaw. It's a great way to get information to inform decision-making. We actually have somebody at community forum, or maybe it was during the budget, also make that point. So I do want to, with two new FTEs, can we be sure that that issue will be addressed one way another this year year. Go ahead, Ryan. Let's see how he does late at night. I'm curious. You were late, right? I'm so sorry. No, I'm great. No, thank you very much. Thank you for the opportunity. currently currently, as currently crafted, the two positions, we break them down first. Okay, so the home ownership position is going to focus on helping us develop our home ownership program, supporting our MPDU program, and also splitting time with other staff on the financial empowerment piece. So helping us kind of evolve that and grow that component of the department. The second position is doing some of the work that you guys mentioned earlier in the evening about helping us merge. I think about our department as just kind of a few years late on going through the kind of merger process and creating a culture, but then also not only connecting our work internally in the department, but then across other departments in the city and then to our nonprofit partner. So that position's gonna sit in, it mentioned division. When it comes to this piece, that is something that I think the's a very significant issue. I mean, I think that's a very significant issue. I mean, I think that's a very significant issue. I mean, I think that's a very significant issue. I mean, I think that's a very significant issue. I mean, I think that's a very significant issue. I mean, I think that's a very significant issue. I mean, I think that's a very significant issue. but that there might be opportunities as we're working more and more closely with code enforcement on the housing action team as we're going out and we're doing outreach right we can propose. We can add a component to that outreach to make sure landlords and property management are made aware of this portion of the code and then we're closely with our partners in code enforcement to make sure they're relaying data to us in real time. Thank you for that. That's really helpful, particularly that outreach. And I know I should be clear. I just want to make sure that we're doing something on the issue, like much like other people have mentioned. And it looks like, regardless of it's these two new FTE or not, we're going to be looking at revising chapter 18, which would therefore require us to look at that provision and figure out what we're going to do with it. So, okay, thank you. Thank you. I just asked one follow, I'm sorry. Just because you mentioned the FTEs, but the transparent... require us to look at that provision and figure out what we're going to do with it. So, okay. Thank you. I just asked one follow. Sorry. Yeah. Just because you mentioned the FTEs, but the transparency initiative at least in terms of the rental licenses was not addressed. You said that we're going to be doing that initially, but housing at some point is going to figure out how we get that done. Housing and CPTS. And CPTS. I'll be person involved next to bringing the departments together. Okay, because I know that was like universal. Let's get that done. Housing and CPTS and I'll be person involved next to bringing the departments together. Okay because I know that was like universal let's get that done. But I will also just clarify that when on our city website when it talks about rent increases it does not talk about reporting in between the rental licensing. I just want to flag that in terms of our educational information, it says rent can only be increased once every 12 months to increase the cost of rent. The LEMLIN must notify tenants in writing at least 90 days in advance. So the portion of, but I'm just saying in terms of the education, in terms of when you get your rental license, in terms of what we have on our website, it does not say anything about that. would have to be something that is discussed, educated, changed, figured out, because that's not the process that the city is putting out there in terms of our education right now. Councilman Vellari was next, right? And then Dr. Miles, then I'll come back here. Thank you. Something kind of hit me during this conversation. And that is per their own draft budget. The county is looking at a property tax increase. Well, there are implications for people on fixed incomes. If their property tax bills increase anymore. that they may need assistance. And so thinking through that, thinking through why this has been proposed, it is because per the county's own documentation, they have had a decrease in development. So therefore a decrease in impact taxes. I'm coming at it and coming at your department because this will have a negative impact on MCPS. And unfortunately, our Title I schools are already vulnerable, especially now given the federal climate, that I am concerned that if we do need to step up because the county's impact taxes are continuing to drop, that some of these services will not be available, that we depended on either the federal government or the county government on. So I just wanted to, it's like the word of the night, I'm going to pin on that as well, that we keep an eye on the budget, keep an eye on the county budget rather, keep an eye on the property tax increase, which will also hurt people. So I just wanted to throw that out there for consideration. Dr. Mouse. Thank you Madam Mayor. I'll make it brief. I just wanted to associate myself with the comments. I'm a colleague. Councilman Braschal with regard to rent stabilization. It's not a cure. It is an intermediate step as we work to get more housing. Supply online. That's all. Councilman van Grack. Councilman kind of expand on some of what we're talking about here. I know that staff is talking about whether this transparency initiative and trying to make sure that we have the website updated and what we're talking about getting the data with regard to rental increases. And I understand that it appears that within this budget we can get that done. Once again, I'm gonna kind of go back to some of the other things we've been talking about. To the extent we get part of the way through the year, and we realize that we need more either staffing or other funds to get that done, I would ask that staff comes back to the mayor and council to the extent of a budget amendment, because I think that's an important aspect to this body to make sure those things get done. Councilman Bajaxan. Thank you, mayor. So just for my edification, when we're talking about rental licenses and maybe the mayor can answer this or Or anybody really, are we talking about a multi-family buildings or multi-family leases? Oh, it's single family and multi-family. Before it was not on both license-free question, I raised it like five times, it needs to be parity between single family as well as multi-family. So now we're collecting it in both areas. Okay, no thank you. Thank you for that. I just wanted to help my comments before but I do want to find a way to have not just a one-time infusion into the housing opportunity fund but a regular infusion. I know for arts we dedicated percentages of our budget. I'm open to exploring, I've been used like that, but something that gets us into the rigor of building the housing opportunity fund so that we can work with community development finance institutions or nonprofits to build more affordable housing in the city. I don't know if you have plans for that already. I appreciate what we're putting in this year but I just want to understand what is the plan for the future and do you need a direction from us or not? Yeah. I'll just say we're going to continue to grow. This is our big I mean kicking it up to a million dollars of total allocated budget is the most we've ever had in the city but no our plan for sure is to continue to grow that and at some point I'll probably get with HCD Finance Department and give you guys some additional options to do that. Thank you We have had before more than a million because we got payment from Brightview or someone of the one of the one of the people who didn't do the full MPD. I just wanted to flag that But we use that to do some of the affordable housing work and, you know, sometimes these projects take my money. Councilem Brascha. During the, I think it was the supply workshop. We talked about cooperative housing and I just want to make sure that that does not fall off the radar. in what way countermeasure. It was one of the policies that we decided to move forward to explore. And I just want to make sure that that doesn't fall off the radar. OK. Thank you. I'll have to review my notes on that one. Thanks. Yeah. And I'm sure we talked about having a work session on the cooperative housing. Let me go back and review my notes, Councilmember Chal. I'll circle back with you. I'm happy that. But the housing opportunities find I'm happy that we have increased funding for that. My question is if we have older housing that's private market based housing, using that money to help to preserve, continue to preserve their housing, I just want to make sure that they're not also using public funds to do that and then also raising rents. Like, would there be some type of guideline around a cap in that sense if they're using public funds and then just to ensure that they're not raising rents to an astronomical amount with our residents. So because that is happening right now. Yeah. Are I would describe it more this way. If we're going to infuse capital from the housing opportunities fund into any type of sustainable, affordable housing, then our goal is actually to make it more permanently affordable more than anything else. That's really what we're focusing on. But we didn't really talk about it in terms of adding rent caps to it. Okay. The last thing I'll just say is this came up last year. So I wanted to raise it again. We did discuss like how are we treating the opioid funds and the cannabis funds? And are we putting that back into social services? So I know we said, let's look at it next year. So here we are. I'm raising it this year. At the direction of the Marin Council, we could take those cannabis sales tax revenues and we could move those inch as a permanent revenue source for the REAP program for instance and that could be a revenue source for emergency assistance funding at the direction of the mayor and council. Thank you. I would want leeway between REAP or even as my colleague said do you service anything that's helping to support social services in our community? REAP or the REQ fund, either of those would be perfectly fine options, but it would be at the direction of the mayor and council. Currently, those revenues are in the general fund and they are estimated to be about $40,000 for FY2026. We're happy to divert those to those programs at your direction. Colleagues, Councilman Valeri? I of course support this and the reason I mentioned you services was I know on the state level that the cannabis sales tax in particular was being earmarked for youth services as they were most generationally impacted by the so-called war on drugs. Colleagues, do you wanna just keep it going to general? Do you want this to go towards social services? You need a straight need direction from us. Social. Social, mean to you. Like as housing. Councilmember Fulton. If we're weighing in now for now, I actually prefer general, I prefer the flexibility on it. I mean, I understand the theory, and we can still do that by allocating funds, those things without the restriction. If I correctly. Thank you. Dr. Miles. Oh, so I think some of the funds I said on the board state level. And some of them though it's not a clawback per se. You do have to spend it on certain programs. So I think we have much flexibility. That's right. So yeah, the state does have the type of social system. You're in favor of some sort of social services. Okay, so that's three Anyone else want to weigh in a councilman van Greck? So if we're I just want to clarify if we're diverting it We're diverting it to areas that we're already spending the money We're just allocating it differently for accounting purposes Dedicated It's it's it's not allocating slash dedicated. It's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's Jackson. Councilmember Shas is general and that's social. Okay. Councilmember Jackson. I agree with my colleague. Councilmember Fulton. I think general is the way to go. So we have four. Thank you. Okay. We're done with DHGD. Final on economic development for ready. Thank you. I know you're not you've been waiting for patiently. Any comments or questions while we have Cindy in the room with us from Rock Black and I'm a development Inc. I will just say I think what you are doing is critical. I think we're going to I really appreciate also that you guys are stepping up to Courtney across the county on some of the federal resources and work stuff. I do see that we have a position in here for another person to support the outreach and business engagement. I've always said this, but I want to just as we look at how do we fill those off you know, additional office spaces now that we are maybe losing some preferable. We need to identify net new targets, whether that's, I know you're doing green tech. We've also had AI, but I hope that we can have a clear pathway on what that person is going to be working on and that we will have specific net new targets that we can then evaluate. Councilor Fulton, Councilor Jackson. To I echo all of the things we're ready and the important work and the necessary work on economic development. On the question of the new FTE, I don't support a new FTE at this point in time. I think that that's an ongoing thing, that's a doubling down on something that will be permanent. The majority of this body has said like we really care a lot about economic development and we want to take a look at how we can do it the best way possible and multiply the impact of ready if we need to do more there. So I think before we add actual headcount, we should do that work that we wanted to do. I mean, I did some looking myself like, Montgomery County has something similar to ready. They also have a business center in the County Executive's office. You know, Gay Thur's Berga has it in house. Alexandria has something similar to ready. They also have FTE and their city manager's office. So I don't know what the right thing to do is, but before we add head count, I wanna make sure we've done that work. We all care so much about it. I got another development. I wanna make sure that we're investing the best way we can. Thank you, Council Member Jackson and Council Member Van Greck. Thank you, Mayor. First, I love ready. So I'll just say that. I'm confused on the process, though. So maybe city manager and city attorney and ready can clarify. We don't do a new agreement this year. Do we? We have an addendum. We're doing a addendum that's going to outline why this supposed to be doing it. So we'll be amending the agreement. So we're going to amend it. So when do we amend that agreement? So summer. Well, amending the agreement wants to, Mary Council has passed the budget, because all we're going to be doing is replacing The current funding agreement was for last year's numbers once once the mayor council passes this budget Then will amend the agreement to put in the new numbers into the new agreement So the new agreement will just be new numbers or whether be new it'll be a first amendment to the agreement because if you remember last year's agreement it's a three year agreement. So the terms of the agreement will remain the same but the numbers will change. That will be the amendment. So even though we have changing environment for economic development, the agreement that we have is in place and we just plug in new numbers. Well, if Mayor Counsel wants to have additional amendments to the agreement we can, but that would be a negotiation with ready. Mayor Counsel, say the three-year agreement with ready is for funding. Okay. Can I just add, the addendum was specifically say what they're responsible for doing? No, it's right with the amount allocated. So it's, it's, So it's not an addendum, it's an amendment to the existing agreement. It's an amendment, but that piece will have, here's what they're doing for this money. No, so the way the amendment works is that the agreement still remains in place. just changing certain parts of the agreement that's in place and the only thing that will be changing will be the numbers. There's activities associated with those numbers in that attachment. The activities would be, for instance, in the exhibit, I don't have the agreement in front of me. So, so, for instance, exhibit A would change in that agreement, we have a new exhibit A. And also with the way the agreement is structured is, is, radius required to do certain things. Those things will remain the same. The only things that will change in that agreement will be, will be the amount of money that the city will be giving ready to do those, so accomplish those things. Yeah, and then so I mean, my point is that, we had live in an environment that's changing by the day. So being in a three year agreement and just having the numbers change might not be advisable. So just something to think about going forward. I mean, with the federal government doing what the federal government does, it changes by the day. So, I mean, I'm not really sure that ready has, I don't know that we need to actually have an expanded mission when we need to be focused on Rockville and Rockville's economic development rather than other counties or other cities. So I would just want to discuss it all. Can I just ask Cindy to respond? And I believe you've drafted amendment for the city manager and you would talk about how you can use these additional resources. Yes, thank you, Mayor and Council. And it is exactly as the city attorney said, the underlying agreement is fairly general things. And I'm happy to send it around so that you can read the familiarize yourself with it. Sorry. I have a bronchitis. But I think that the, you know, tasks of what we're supposed to do are pretty clear in general. And then in the exhibit A, as the city attorney was saying, it will say what the new numbers are and what those are funding. It lays all of that out. As far as talking about other jurisdictions, all of the funding that you give us stays in Rockville. And you fund right now four positions. If we add one, there's a fifth position. Those are all 100% dedicated to Rockville. The staff that looks at other jurisdictions are funded by those jurisdictions and their separate staff under the Maryland Women's Business Center. So those efforts are very different. Thank you. So actually, I have the ready agreement pulled up. So for instance, section one, section two will remain the same. We will amend section three. Last year's agreement was for Fiscal 25, 2025 city fund. So that section will be updated. Section four will also be updated. It's the distribution of the last year was the distribution of Fiscal Year of 2025 City Funds. This year will obviously be the 26 funds, whatever those funds will be. But then Section five will remain the same independent contractor, Section six will remain the same. The insurance record that ready will have, Section 7 will remain the same, which has to do with the records. Section 8 monitoring of the city funds will remain the same, will just update it to the 2026 funds. So that's how it's structured. Sorry, I just had to follow up. So every other department, and I realize that really, there's not a department, but every other department has accomplishments for $425, and then goals for $20, $26. So I mean, where does the corresponding accomplishments and goals, do I read them or what are the general public read them? Sure. Annually we do an annual report that is listed on our website and we submit it to Mayor and Council and that goes through the accomplishments for the year. And then we also, through our retreat process, what you're all invited to on April 26th, we gather all the input from our stakeholders, from our board members, from Mayor and Council, and develop a strategic plan. And that is also posted on our website. So that's the goals for the year. So right now we have fiscal year 25 up there. The other thing that we do is we create a metrics that we submit with our budget request. So finance has the metrics that we submit for the budget and track each year. And those are also reflected in the inner report. All of them are shown as to what we accomplished to what the goals were. Thank you, Councilman Van Grech. Thank you. With regard to funding through economic development, I believe it was ready who even put forward some data in Montgomery County that the money that we put in towards economic development comes back multiple fold for the city. And I think you put forward that, you lost board meeting that we were at. And I think it's critical with regard to making sure that we're properly funding economic development. It is a priority within this council. And I know that almost every event I go to, ready's there. You guys are there. It's your staff and it's fantastic. But I also want to make sure that every dollar that we spend considering how important those dollars are is maximize and efficient. So I just want to first make sure what I've got my understanding is there's a 100,000 and this is I guess to either ready or finance we've got a hundred thousand dollars that's being allotted for new FTE. That's your fifth FTE, correct? Yes and that would be about a $75,000 salary and then $25,000 for the benefits Employ employment taxes, all that stuff. So can you just explain to us what do you believe the purpose of that FTE would be that isn't able to be done by the four FTEs that you've got now? Right. So business development, and I think we've talked about this in some of our sessions. There's a desire to have more on the ground interaction with our businesses in town and all of the business development that we do. We do some of that. You see us at all of the events, but we're also trying to prospect bio-health companies where we're working with the Department of Commerce with MCEDC and trying to, you know, sorry, I'm asleep, address the key industry areas that we've set forth. So this additional person would let us be in on the ground in Tuanbrook, in King Farm, meeting more with the businesses there and developing those relationships. As you know, we've been doing a lot in Small Scale Manufacturing, which is in Rock East and also Twynbrook. So continuing to develop those relationships with the existing businesses and trying to develop more businesses coming there and creating at that sense of communities. So it's kind of like more of what you're already doing now. Yes. It's what you're looking for, the additional FTE for. Yes. Let me ask you this, to what extent is what you have in your staff coordinating, at least what you're doing, and then the city with regard to either permitting or all these other areas that are impacted through economic development and the integration with the city and what you all are doing. We work regularly with the planning department, so yes, we are continually getting inquiries about permitting. We sit down, pre-development with a lot of people and we'll gather a meeting with the relevant staff here to talk about what the project is, why it would be economically important. So, and we have every other week call with the planning department. So we're coordinating all the time. So the other two increases, I understand. It's $50,000 for additional marketing costs associated with the life science branding initiative. And then there's the $48,920 for the additional operation expenses. And I guess what I'm confused is at least under the line-end that I can see at 118, the difference between the actual FY 2025 and 2026 is actually $153,000. We're talking about 198,000. Is there some kind of almost like $40,000 difference that I'm missing? Yeah, they're censored in the questions because I think they went to whatever the life science budget was last year. They took that away from the core budget. That was considered a one time, there was a $50,000 one time branding initiative. That was part of the FY 2025 budget. That's reduced because it's considered one time in nature. So that's the difference. Gotcha. OK. All right. So that explains that discrepancy. So I guess as a whole, I really want to make sure that we've got the funding that we need. If even more so with regard to economic development, because just as you've said, we've got to make sure that we've getting that money back. My only concern here is how we're using that money. If we're just adding an FTE to do more of what we're doing, is that the most efficient use of that additional $100,000? I'm not sure, and I think it's something that I think we need to question because I want to make sure, and heck, I have no trouble allotting an extra $100,000 towards economic development. I just want to make sure whatever we're doing, we're doing it efficiently, and heck, if we even need another $200,000 towards economic development because we need to get it back, it's important to do. I just want to take a really kind of almost broad stroke look and make sure that the dollars that we're spending are the most use of those dollars and orchestrating it. So I mean, similar to Councilmember Fulton, I'm a little bit concerned about just donating it, 100,000 new FTE within the same actions that being said, I also want to make sure that we're fully funding what we need to for economic development. Yeah, I mean, I would say from our perspective, all of our staff is completely maxed out with capacity. So, you know, Richelle can't really meet more businesses than she does. And so this would just give us additional capacity to do more outreach and hopefully bring in more jobs and increase the tax base. Gotcha. Okay. Can I just interject on one thing just for my colleagues' edification? I think it's after question 116 on the Q&A document, there's a list of proposed measures for FY26. So for example, in one area, it says, number of business visits with potential prospects. You have FY, proposed in FY25, 25, and then you have proposed numbers with added BD position, 120. So I think that you have the metrics here, and I also see you have some metrics on page 117. I would actually marry the two so that it's clear in the brief book what the metrics are because you've got some nice metrics, a huge chart here. Sorry for all my notes. But I do think it could be in the budget book just for clarification. I do know it's an Q&A document, but you have specific things about the outreach also attracted. So the output on what it takes for the work, but also what you actually the results of that work as well. So I did see, I appreciate the digging deeper on some of those metrics. And then I just say we need to put them in the budget book as well. With that, I support the position. Council Member Larry. I'll start off with I support the position. You know, and I understand it's not completely apples to apples, but we didn't scrutinize the efficacy of every single FTE that's brand new. And at a certain point, like some of my colleagues have said previously, we need to trust and then verify. And I trust that I am not the expert on economic development. But I do appreciate the fact that ready has a board and a base and a staff that have been absolutely fantastic. Just seeing the people around the table recently at the big Wegmans kickoff, I think that's incredible. Not to mention, I think I mentioned this food related, I think it's because I'm hungry. But anyway, we definitely have a wave of food and manufacturers. I was like, Wegmans, Trader Joe's, and I'm trying to eat at all these restaurant locations. So I'm actually like, I am really excited. I think that, and I completely hear my my colleague councilmember Fulton's points, but I I like the The flexibility I think that ready has In this structure in a way that those other jurisdictions don't and I'm actually Shocked and I was trying to find it very quickly here. Maybe Madam Mayor remembers. The Maryland Municipal League had that breakdown of how much municipalities spend on economic development, how much counties spend, and the county doesn't spend a whole lot. And a part of that I think is because they're dependent on us. I don't know that they're necessarily a good model for how to do economic development, but I could be wrong. I think there's always good ways to do things. I do support this position because I've definitely been there, done that in a very small office where there are literally not enough hours today. The other thing, and Council Member Jackson kind of triggered it in my head, I appreciate them, how to merit point it out, you know, where you put all the metrics together. But you know, we don't really have goals and accomplishments from any of the community grants. So even people who have gotten previous community grants, we don't ask them, what did you accomplish? Or what are your goals? The goals would be in the packet, but we don't actually see the other end of things. So I think that that is an important part. Maybe we can expand the world view on that as well. But yes, I fully support this. I think if we are truly investing in economic development, then we have to invest in more people making the connections on economic development. Councilmember Fulton. I appreciate the conversation. And I do want to be clear. Like, this isn't like a, I don't view this as like a referendum already. I mean, I'm looking at these organizations that have really robust, well-funded private, public-private partnerships that do economic development and complement it, right, or and look at other ways to do it. And it's the kind of things where I know when you talked about the coordination, like, I know there's a lot of coordination with the city, but you're not sitting in like the weekly leadership meetings where they're talking about all the initiatives happening in the city and have the ability to raise your hand and say, hold on, there's economic development angle there. Like that's the part that I think maybe we could do better at working together and enhancing. It's those are the kind of things I want to be exploring. And that's where I think with... I can't be to come to those meetings. Well, because you're not staff, like that's why. So I think we should be exploring those times of ways to force, multiply, and make sure we're using our dollars like Council Member Van Grax said to the best use possible. And there are differences too, right? Like yes, you've got great metrics and strategies. We can't incorporate them into what the benchmarking and the envisio and everything that we have for all of our other city planning. There's some differences that I just want to make sure we were exploring how we can bridge the gap and coordinate better before we double down on another FTE. So I just wanted to be clear on sort of where I stand on that. The other thing I wanted to mention is on the agreement, because I pulled it up too. Absolutely. The dollars change every year, absolutely, the task change every year. But unless we make a particularly open up the agreement and change it, things like access to records, reporting requirements, number of meetings, like all of those sort of like communication and accountability measures are baked in the cake for three years as I understand it. The numbers and the tasks change, but the interaction and the way and the relationship between the two entities is baked in. So thanks. Just to clarify, because I asked this question, I was told that ready stuff can be put into NVIDIA at some point, because we asked about economic development being something. And you do actually have it in the budget book, but just not all of them. So I just wanted to flag that, what I was told before that we can put it in this year in collaboration. So I'm just, Councilman Van Grack get a quick thing and then Dr. Miles and then Councilman Vijayak. If he's a, if he's a, if he's a, if he's a, if he's a, if he's a, if he's a, if he's a, Go ahead. But I just support the FTE that's all thank you Councilman Frank crack and Councilman Jackson. Okay. I would just get to add because I mean the answer is I don't know what the answer is. I mean I'm similar to Councilman Fulton that I'm not sure what the answer is and maybe the answer is you need two more FTEs at ready. I don't know. Maybe the answer is like Councilman FTE. And I'm being serious maybe we would be better off as a city giving you three more empties Maybe it's something to what Councilmember Fulton was saying that there needs to be a city position somewhere to integrate. I don't know. I would actually move to actually have some type of direction to staff, to actually put forward some type of bring back to us, some type of either options, information or suggestions to present with us to either funding proposals to enhance our economic development and or enhance the city's relationship with Ready. And that way we can get something from staff to give us a perspective of what is the best use of our economic dollars as opposed to this $100,000 for an FTE or even more. And that's what I'd ask for us to actually take a look at from the city. Thank you. Councilmember Jackson. So I agree with Council Member Van Grack in that it seems like the position would be doing something similar to what's already being done. So I wouldn't have more information. But also, I mean, if we're talking about ready and about putting money into ready, I would be interested in funding more, the Incident Program funding and the Small Business Impact grants, just because when we're talking about the economic climate that we're going into, helping Rockville businesses is going to be crucial. And I, you know, so I think, you know, looking at the entire funding structure and to your point, Council Member Ben-Grac, I would be supportive of that. You know, just taking a broad look at whether we need two positions, we need one position where we need a funding for the grants and whether we need something inside the city, like a position inside the city. So yeah, I think, you know, right now it's not that I'm against ready or against the funding of the position, but I just want to make sure that what we do is in the best junters of economic development, whether it's ready or the city. And I think Council Member for Larry, a good point. I mean, having the information about the grants is gonna be crucial. And besides that, there's a good story to tell. I know that Ready has helped some businesses around Rothville, but particularly in King Farm. And I mean, the more that we have these grants that we can give, the better we're all gonna be in terms of the city. Thank you. I'll just add quickly that the city used to have someone within planning who also was coordinating with Ready. I don't think that was a force multiplier. I don't know, but I just wanted to note that the city used to have someone in planning who coordinated with ready and more guard in particular was for it at the time. So I did want to note that I will just say this, the county sends business leads Reddy's way because of the way they bring businesses in and provide the support to get them to yes and to get them in business and to play in the city. So I just I wanted to say that what I want to see is the more to me it's not more the same to me as we need to have more net new businesses and so we need to figure out how do we get that done and I think that position in my opinion is what you're focused on getting that work done. And if I may say, when you're looking at the structure of the county, what they have in the County Executives Office is small business support versus the attraction retention efforts of MCEDC. You have a situation where we uniquely provide technical assistance through MWBC to businesses already. And so we're very focused already on our quality small business support. So the county split that up for whatever reason. But they actually hire us to provide a lot of their small business support. Um. I don't know if you can just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just most effective way to do it. Councilor Van Gregg. You know, kind of seeing that there's at least some support, I'd even make it formal to the extent that we know that I could even make a motion to direct staff to present us with some type of either options, options, information, suggestions or even potential funding options to enhance our city's economic development and or our relationship with ready, I'd make such a motion the extent that we can do. I don't can you explain what you mean by that? Are you asking, bring it internal? What are you asking? All the answer is I don't know. And that's my point. I don't know what is the best use of our economic development dollars. And maybe it is the answer of additional FTEs for ready but before we expend this I want to expend it properly to be able to have some type of options from the city and analysis of what is the best use of our economic dollars. Council Member Larry. Yeah I don't know if I'm ready for a motion on this just yet mostly because you know, and I'm a night person. I don't know that I would need a little bit more reaction time than after midnight. But I appreciate no one here has said, everyone has basically said, I don't know, maybe it's one, maybe it's two, maybe it's more than that. I'm hearing that we're all agreeing on one FTE. So at a minimum, if we approve it this, we could always have this conversation, have a budget amendment later that could allocate or FTEs if that's something that we've decided or to councilmember Jackson's point, if we need to pivot quickly on the small business impact fund, which I completely agree, we don't know, although I will say a lot of businesses in certain neighborhoods did really well during COVID, not everybody did. So, I mean, it doesn't have to be kind of all or nothing, right? Like if we wanted to kind of let ready hit the ground running, fund one person, have the more the fuller conversation, then we could come to a thoughtful conclusion. I don't know that during the midst of this particular discussion, while I think it's completely fair because it is part of the budget, I don't know that it, I think that it probably deserves its own work session, akin to what we did last time, which is cool. I still wanna say, let one more person hit the road. Now, hit the streets and like, meet more people, get more people coming. And let's see where that goes. Also, I'm intensely proud that it's Rockville Economic Development that's helping the county. I'm just going to throw that out there. Thank you. Councilmember Fulton. I had so many thoughts as everyone was talking. Let me work backwards. Working backwards, if there's a, I second the motion. And I do it because to your point, Councillor Marvelary, the motion is to ask. The motion is to ask for a work session. Come back with proposals so we can discuss. So I second that motion. The other point being I wanted to clarify, you had said that everyone you heard a majority for in favor of an FTE. I think what you heard was the majority in favor of doing whatever it takes to help economic development, but not knowing what that is right now. So I am not currently in favor of a budget that includes another head count for ready until we've gotten that sort of assessment. So I second the motion on that. Thank you. I'll just note for a discussion that I do, it's so late, I think that we need to come back to this. on this, but I do think that we need to come back to this. We'll take a vote on this. But I do think that we have to figure out what we're going to do on this budget. I will say there are only a few of us who have been to any ready retreats to see what they do. And I think we should commit to doing that if we're going to look at this seriously and to be, you know, some of us go to board meeting, some of us don't. some of us go to board meetings some of us don't some of us go to retreat some of us don't if we're going to have full harder decisions and looking at what Reddy's doing we should show up to those meetings and look at what Reddy's doing we're funding it they do a lot of important work in the city and I would just encourage folks as a meeting coming up in April that we can be a part of I I think that's a great opportunity to see for us hand what they're doing. So I think we heard so far three people in favor of the position we have not gotten to a fourth. You're right. And then that everyone has spoken yet. So Councilmember Jackson. Thank you Mayor. And just for the record, I mean, I was talking about we don't know whether the position is needed or not. So, you know, I wasn't saying it would be one or two or three. I said we don't know. So, I'm in favor of this motion just because we should investigate, you know, the best, best way forward. But to your point, I do attend the meetings. I do, I did attend the retreat or whatever it's called. And I want to encourage all my colleagues to do the same. You really learn a lot from ready about about what's going on in the city. And you learned about the strategic plan and all the accomplishments along the way. So definitely, I'll take your point and would encourage everybody to get more involved with ready and see what actually goes into economic development. But yes, I support the motion as well. Councilmember Shaw. I also support the motion, I think on the fourth count for that motion. And I would like to just learn more and be in a better position. I know right now a lot of people are hurting and a lot of people are looking for jobs and I think we're at a moment right now where I want to kind of think outside of the box and see what comes from that work session. So let me ask a question. Can we fit a work session in time to fit within our budget? I mean, our budget discussion because this budget has to be approved by May. So that's what I want to understand. Can you fit something in on that April 27th meeting? What's the use that I just want to ask staff if that's feasible. End of April meeting. Unless you want to do a budget amendment, but... There's a meeting at the end of April. Just before Mr. Mahalle, can you just share whether that's possible? And then I'll go to Councilmember Van Greck and then Fulton. Did you want to answer? Well, you guys, and it's after midnight, so do you want to come back and tell us about timing? I would need to have a better feel for scope and what our responsibility is for the work session or this already work session. I'm not understanding exactly what we're trying to accomplish to be probably. Yeah, same here. I just want to clarify. I'm not suggesting that this motion is to either disband ready, turn it into the city or any specific action. It's an issue to have the city come back to us and say here are potential ways in which we can use our economic development dollars and enhance it. That's what I'm looking at. And I don't know whether this can really be accomplished in the next couple of weeks because I think it's first a pretty big ask from the city to come back and look to us. So I'm not necessarily looking for a quick turnaround to say, hey, here's $100,000 in this budget, use it. I'm actually want to take a strong look and say, what is the best use of our economic, the city's financial resources towards economic development? And if it comes back and we look at the information and we decide that what Reddy's doing with regard to on the ground use of their FTE's, of contacting businesses and the way they're doing is the best way to do it. Heck, let's do it. But if the city comes back to us and we're looking at all these options, and there might be another way to use our economic development dollars in a more efficient way, I want us to be able to do that. I don't know that this is a one or two week turnaround because I think there needs to be information collected from the city as part of that work session to inform us. Just to ask my colleagues, it sounds like there are four who want to hold on the position. I think also just that for clarity, the other items of the ready budget, we just, if this doesn't happen within the budget season, at least to have clarity on what's going on with the rest of that ready amount as well. So I just I wanted to know. What's that? No, there's three of us who want the position for who are thinking to have a work session first. I'm just trying to distinguish parsing out. So I can tell you. Council member Fulton. No, it's a fair question. Let me tell you all what I think. So I understand, as now, y'all can tell me from wrong, that there are four that do not want to approve the position as part of this budget approval process. There are also four that want to have city staff come back with some options for how we can think about doing economic development for a work session. Doesn't have to be before the end of the budget approval. And I personally, I can only speak for myself and find with the rest of Reddy's funding requests. So it's just that position. So that's exactly what's not clear, right? Like Council Member Ringgrak had a motion and that did not explicitly state if I'm, if we wanna go back to the tape, did not explicitly say, oh, wait, wait, wait, one second on this, you said it would be important to have a work session to talk about the full scope of things because we don't know what we don't know. the emotion before us was not explicit in yes go ahead people here said it. So I'm trying to like figure that out. For example, council member Shaw said I'm in support of the motion. Well, which motion? Because I feel like there's cross understanding like are we specifically stating? Like if I can use this example an example, Council Member Fulton, hold on just that part of the FTE, the rest of it's okay, let's have a work session on capacity or however we want to go forward. Then that should be the motion as opposed to like all of us kind of coming off the top of our head like the motion is a session and the motion is a work session and no FTE, the motion of the work session and an FTE. I don't know because I wouldn't support a work session, but I also support the FTE because I'd rather us hit the ground on it. Mr. Mahalek and also just want to confirm where I stop holding or motioning because it's a work session. So I just want to clarify that because I know we've changed things. Agreed. Here's what I think I heard. One that. And there was four clear votes to have a work session in the future to discuss if we are spending our limited amount of economic development funds in the city appropriately and other ways to do that. If that's the request for the work session then I absolutely will need more time to figure out exactly what that session would look like and it would be after the approval of the budget. Thank you and just to clarify because I want a potential call a question, do we want us to do a vote because it is a work session and you change the rules on work sessions and not action items anymore or this is more straw polling. This is straw polling and broad direction to the city. So we don't have to vote, but you already have the numbers for that piece. If you guys agree how I summarize it, then we have clear directions. Yeah. So just to summarize, holding on the position, moving forward on the rest of Reddy's request, and also having a work session. Correct, after the budget. I can't whip that together in a few minutes. Totally understand. And I will just say this, the part of economic development that the city is responsible for, the zoning ordinance rewrite is not quite on track in terms of time, and we're getting there, but it's Mr. Mejelke, I know you weren't here. It's about a year behind. Let's just be honest. As well as we're trying to get in order, the plan department, I expedite a review and all that. So I just I wanna understand that staff does have a lot on this plate. We're trying to get its house in order on the economic side that we currently supposed to be doing. So I just wanted to acknowledge that with your team. Any other comments or questions? Councilmember Jackson. No I'm just thinking out loud I mean I think what you're proposing it sounds fine, but I still have one little nitpicky thing, which is the fact that we are in a different economic environment than we were last year, and things will be moving. So will we be updating the agreement with new chiefables or metrics or not? Do we just update the agreement with the new funds or do we have an opportunity to actually update the agreement based on what the environment that we find ourselves in? Mr. Mahellik. So what Reddy's required to do per the agreement that you all approved last year was to take the budget allocation that you're giving them, which sounds like it's the full compliment, less the one employee, that number into the agreement plus, lack for better description, what they plan to use that funds. You guys approved that in a future meeting. Thank you. And I will just say the KPIs that we have after question 116 on the Q&A document has a chart that says, propose FY26 without the position and propose with the position. So right now, the numbers that we're looking at without the position, that's what would go into the to what whatever we're agreeing to. That's correct. Okay, perfect. And I will just go on the record and saying I am very concerned on the delayed because we have 150,000 square feet of office space at risk. We need to get busy on the AI outreach, on the green tech outreach and every other other kind of space that's gonna fill those buildings. And this will put a delay on that. So I will just go on record and say, I have concerns about that. With that, I think that we should end this budget work session. I am totally open to having broad discussions, but I have concerns about what we're doing in terms of setting ourselves up for success given the changing environment. But if we can now close out the work session, thank you to our finance team and everyone who has been here. And I think we're gonna also just for for the record move, the rest of the community grants. And we also have legal and the city clerk's office and the CMO to discuss next time. So I just want to, as we move into the next agenda item, look at future agenda to see how our time is looking for our next meeting.. So let's move to our next agenda item which is Mak agenda. Any one have any up there's a Mr. Mahilik given some of the shifts that we have. How do you think we're doing on time for that meeting? I still think we're okay, honestly. I think we'll be efficient. If we have to pick it, we'll be ready. With procurement? I think that will be another, I mean, almost one I am meeting. If people, I mean, we're ready on procurement mayor. If you guys want to move it, happy to move it. So I think we need to prepare that we're going to have to use that April 28th meeting. Yeah, Mr. Or move another agenda item. Yeah. I think that's those are either options. It comes to my background. I just want to clarify that's a 530 start meeting. So we're going to 530 to 630 already here. and then with everything else, almost certainly with what we've already got. And I think there actually might be something that I need to pull out of consent. We... We're going to have 530 to 630 already here and then with everything else, almost certainly with what we've already got. And I think that actually might be something that I need to pull out of consent. We might easily be going till 1 a.m. and we're starting at 530 and that's without procurement. Mayor, if we had a choice between adding a whole other budget work session or moving procurement, I prefer moving procurement just so we can be more efficient with the budget. But I know there's a couple of members of council that were very interested in that procurement work session. So I know Dr. Miles and I were. So I'll just ask Dr. Miles, are you okay moving this to April? Can we move it to April 28th for care? This procurement. This procurement. I believe so. Yep. Okay. So it's moving. No. We'd rather just know, I think, if it's well the council, we can move it to April 20th. Okay, so Dr. Miles, are you okay for moving? Okay, he'll be here virtually. That is fine. We respect human needs. Council Member Larry. I mentioned it this morning, but maybe it's just a good rule to only have one work session per meeting. Like I don't know, like this has kind of gone, you know, as budgets work sessions do in a million different directions. Like maybe it's just more clear so that we're not, you know, here until 1230 at night and staff as well. If we're just able to focus on one item. Councilmember Frank Rack. Dr. Miles, because I know this was your position. Are you looking to have this next? Is it more important? Because if it is, we can always have it there and if it gets to midnight, push it to the next one. Do I do that? Well, we also have to make sure we plan for staff. We can always have it there, and if it gets to midnight, push it to the next one. Do you want to do that? Well, we also have to make sure we're planning for staff. So procurement would have to be here. We're going to be here about 30. Yeah. We don't want to make a decision late. That procurement, now you can go home at 11 o'clock. Oh, I see. Yeah. That's not fair to them. people's commutes. Yeah. So all right I'm gonna so that moves Mark Agenda anything on all old business. No. Okay, I'm seeing none. Do we have a motion to adjourn? Councilmember Shaw. Do we have a second? I move to adjourn. Do we have a second? Councilmembermember Jackson, all those in favor please raise your hand on say aye. Aye. Via Condeo, Srayan.