Frederick Mayor and Board of Aldermen Public Meeting - August 15, 2024
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Frederick Mayor and Board of Aldermen Public Meeting - August 15, 2024
The Mayor and Board of Aldermen of Frederick, Maryland, held a public meeting on August 15, 2024, at 7:00 P.M. at City Hall. Acting Mayor Alderman Russell presided in the absence of Mayor O'Connor and Alderwoman Nash, who were attending the Maryland Association of Counties Conference. Alderman McShane was also absent. The meeting included approval of minutes, an appointment to the Zoning Board of Appeals, a consent agenda grant approval, three public hearing purchase approvals, and extensive public comments on a proposed ceasefire resolution regarding Gaza. Two annexation items were rescheduled to September 5, 2024.
Consent Calendar
- Grant Agreement: Unanimously approved a grant agreement with the Maryland State Arts Council in the amount of $137,190 to support the operation of the Weinberg Center for the Arts and New Spire Arts. (Motion by Alderman Shackelford, second by Alderwoman Kazemchak; vote 3-0)
Public Comments & Testimony
- Ceasefire Resolution (Gaza): Multiple speakers urged the board to endorse a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to U.S. military aid to Israel. Speakers included Tina Meadows O'Rear (facilitator of Frederick Ceasefire Now), Chris Heiser (chaplain), Shala Yamani (Frederick County taxpayer), Grady O'Rear (Frederick City resident), David Wolinsky (Braddock Heights resident), Willie Mahone, Yusuf (from Palestine, part of Frederick community), Zachariah (poem), a resident of Monar Avenue, Dr. James Wagner (East Sixth Street), James Kirk (Frederick County resident), Eric Musa (Trail Avenue), Tasneem (Frederick City), and Khalil Shazley (Twin Peaks Court). They cited over 40,000 deaths and 90,000 wounded, 96% of Gaza's population facing acute food insecurity, U.S. military aid exceeding $14.5 billion, and alleged genocide. They referenced a precedent from a 2022 city resolution on nuclear weapons (Resolution 22-14) to argue the board can act on federal issues. The speakers requested the board use its moral authority to demand a ceasefire and stop complicity.
- Non-Citizen Voting: Walter Ruby (202 Avenue) spoke in support of a proposal for non-citizen voting in Frederick elections, citing long-term legal residents who pay taxes but cannot vote. He represented the RISE coalition.
Discussion Items
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Purchase Approvals (Public Hearing): Three purchases were presented and approved unanimously without debate:
- OpenGov Asset Management Suite: Purchase from Software House International for $149,833.51 in FY25, $79,187.21 in FY26, and $83,146.55 in FY27. Presented by Matt Bowman. The software will complete migration from the current system for water, sewer, and stormwater departments. (Motion by Alderwoman Kazemchak, second by Alderman Shackelford; vote 3-0)
- Water Valve Bolt Replacement: Contract with Mid Atlantic Utilities, Inc. for $333,275.00 for replacement in the Walnut Ridge Community (Tuscany Drive area). Presented by Ben Arneson, Water Superintendent. (Motion by Alderwoman Kazemchak, second by Alderman Shackelford; vote 3-0)
- Underground Storage Tank Replacement: Agreement with JF Petroleum Group for $743,643.38 to replace failing diesel storage tanks. Presented by Keisha Brown, Purchasing Manager. Noted as an urgent need but not an emergency, with Maryland Department of the Environment requiring expedited action. (Motion by Alderwoman Kazemchak, second by Alderman Shackelford; vote 3-0)
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Rescheduled Annexations: The Christoff Annexation (57+/- acres, Opossumtown Pike, R4 zoning) and the Winpenny Annexation (79+/- acres, west of Tuscarora Creek PND, R4 zoning) were both rescheduled to the September 5, 2024 public hearing. The City Attorney announced this at the start of the meeting.
Key Outcomes
- Appointment: Stephen Colar was appointed to the Zoning Board of Appeals for a term expiring February 16, 2026. (Motion by Alderman Shackelford, second by Alderwoman Kazemchak; vote 3-0)
- Minutes: Approved the July 18, 2024 meeting minutes. (Motion by Alderwoman Kazemchak, second by Alderman Shackelford; vote 3-0)
- All three purchase contracts were approved unanimously (3-0) as noted above.
- No board discussion or action was taken on the ceasefire resolution or non-citizen voting proposals during the meeting.
- No further public business was conducted; the meeting adjourned after the second public comment period yielded no speakers.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening, everyone, and welcome to the August 15th, 2024 Mayor and Board of Alderman meeting. We begin with our Pledge of Allegiance. Welcome everyone. It's nice to have a filled room. We don't see that often. It's nice to see all of your faces. This evening, uh, I will be your host. The mayor and uh Alderwoman Nash are at the Maryland Association of Counties Conference and out of town, so the uh the Gavel falls to me this evening. I'll try and uh keep it in order. I don't do this very often. Uh we have uh approval of the July 18th, 2024 minutes. Move to approve. I move for approval. Second. Motion by Alder Woman Kazemchak, second by Alderman Shacklford. All those in favor. That is three zero. Alderman McShane also let us know ahead of time that he would not be present uh at the meeting. He's out of town. We have an appointment for the zoning board of appeals. The appointment of Stephen, I I hope it's caller, C O L A R. And I apologize if I've mispronounced your name to a full member position to complete a term expiring February 16th, 2026. So moved. Motion by Alderman Shackelford, second by Alderwoman Kazemchak. All those in favor. That is unanimous three zero. Uh I will pass the mayor's comments. Um beyond to Aldermanic business and comments. Alder Woman Kazemchak, anything? Alderman Shackleck? No comments, Chair. Uh I have no comments, so we can just move right along. Um the next section of our meeting. I hope you can hear me. If you can't hear me, just let me know. Okay. Glad I asked now. We all love having the microphone right up here. So uh the first thing we'll do here is public comments. This is an opportunity for members of the public to address the mayor and alderman regarding items that may or may not appear on the agenda. Please note speakers should first give their name and general address. You are reminded that these proceedings are televised, live televised, and so please speak clearly and directly into the microphone, like I am trying to do right now. Uh all comments are limited to a total of five minutes per individual. We start with a sign-up list. You need not have signed up if you want to make comments, but we take in order uh those who have signed up first, and then we'll get a sense of how many other folks may want to speak, and we can cue you up and bring you up one by one. So we start with uh Tina Meadows O'Rear. Alderman Russell. I'm sorry to interrupt you, but maybe before you got start, did you want to make an announcement? Thank you. I did want to make an announcement.
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