Frederick City Council Public Meeting - December 19, 2024
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Frederick City Council Public Meeting - December 19, 2024
The Frederick City Council held its regular public meeting on December 19, 2024, at 7:00 PM. The meeting included approval of minutes, appointments to various boards, public comments on non-citizen voting, and approval of several consent agenda items and public hearing purchases. All votes were unanimous (4-0).
Consent Calendar
- Release of Sureties and Acceptance of Public Improvements: Approved release of Great American Insurance Company bonds for Kellerton Land Bay B projects: $303,608.86 for Hillfield Drive, Heartland Circle, and Bluegrass Way improvements; $122,847.26 for mass grading. The city accepted the public improvements.
- Parkland Dedication: Accepted Sycamore Ridge City Park J Phase 2, a 2.07-acre parcel from Sycamore Ridge, LLC.
- Special Ordinance S-24-34: Approved a budget amendment for the city's Compost Pilot Program, funded by a USDA grant.
- Special Ordinance S-24-35: Approved a budget amendment for a Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention BJAG Grant.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Jay Kaminski (Frederick County resident): Expressed opposition to the council's decision to allow non-citizen voting in city elections without a public referendum. He stated that approximately 2,000 city residents signed petitions against the measure in a 40-day drive, and noted that New York City's similar law was overturned as unconstitutional. He warned he would make this a major issue in the upcoming election.
- Shelley Aloy (City of Frederick resident): Opposed non-citizen voting, noting that her petition gathered 2,003 signatures in 40 days (17 times more than the Rise Coalition's 132 signatures over two years). She alleged that the council's decision was influenced by the Western Maryland Rise Coalition, and pointed out that Councilmember Nash's former husband is a founding member of that coalition and president of the Maryland ACLU board. She urged the council to reconsider or place guardrails on the decision.
Discussion Items
- Council Comments: Councilmembers made closing remarks wishing everyone a happy holiday season and emphasizing unity. No substantive discussion on agenda items occurred.
Key Outcomes
- Approved Appointments: Jake Thurman to the Active Mobility Advisory Committee (term to May 2029), Jay Sedgewick to the Weinberg Center board (term to June 2029), Paul Fitzgerald to the Historic Preservation Commission (term January 18, 2025 to January 17, 2028), and Barbara Kershner-Daniel to the Ethics Commission (term December 20, 2024 to December 19, 2027).
- Approved Minutes: November 21, 2024 meeting minutes.
- Purchase Order Amendment: Approved increasing a purchase order from $19,678.43 to $55,882 for repair of decanting centrifuge bowl assembly #2 at the Wastewater Treatment Plant.
- Field Renovation at McCurdy Field: Approved a $265,800 purchase order to Hummer Turf for grading, irrigation, and sod installation.
- Bleacher Replacement at McCurdy Field: Approved a $55,959 purchase order to Outdoor Aluminum for two aluminum bleachers with ADA access and safety upgrades.
- Medicare Advantage Plan: Approved a one-year agreement with Cigna Health Spring for Medicare-eligible retirees, covering 273 individuals at a cost of just under $580,000, fully funded in the FY25 budget.
- Pulled Items: Two items were pulled from the agenda: the Safe Streets for All Action Plan contract with Mead & Hunt ($218,645) and the removal of deed restriction and parkland dedication for Independent Hose property.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening and welcome to the City County City Council. We're off to a good start. City Council regular public meeting on December 19th. We expect some colleagues to join us. You are welcome to tonight's regularly scheduled meeting. We will begin with the Pledge of Allegiance. To the Republic for which it stands one nation. Indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Good evening. If you wish to offer public comment, there is a sign-up sheet. We offer also some guidelines. Each speaker will be allotted three minutes to share their comments. When it is your turn to speak, please begin by stating your name and if applicable, your general address to ensure that you have an uninterrupted opportunity to speak. This will be your time, so that means members of the council will not be answering any questions nor engage in discussion. We are willing to answer your questions.gov. Also, if you have written materials to accompany your remarks, we encourage you to email those as well. Those who have signed up will speak first, and depending on our agenda, we may pause and resume general public comment at the end of the agenda. The city council uses rules of procedure, which were most recently passed by resolution 24-27. We have also posted our code of civility in this boardroom, which is over there by the maps. Please take note of your exits for your safety and silence all electric electronic devices, and thank you for taking time to be here this evening. Approval of minutes, November 21st, 2024. So move. Second. We have a first and second. All in favor? That's 3 0. Thank you very much. We have some appointments this evening. The Active Mobility Advisory Committee appointment of Jake Thurman to complete a term expiring on May 6, 2025. So move. Second. All those in favor? Board of Directors of the Weinberg, appointment of Jay Sedgwick to complete a term expiring June 30th, 2026. So move. Second. All those in favor? It's 30. The historic preservation commitment, reappointment of Paul Fitzgerald to a three-year term uh beginning January 18th, 2025 to January 17th, 2028. Move for approval. Move for approval, excuse me. I'm sorry. Who's what name was it? That's Paul Fitzgerald for the Historic Preservation Commission. Do you have that? Yeah, mine's January 2nd, 2025 to January 1st, 2028. Is that what is uh it reads here January 18th, 2025? Yeah. Oh, okay. Okay, thank you. All right, that's what's on granicus.
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