Good evening and welcome to the August twenty first City Council public meeting.

We will begin with the Pledge of Allegiance.

Move for approval.

Move a first and second all in favor.

That's four.

We will say it's four to zero with an under there, he is five zero.

Thank you, Councilmember McShane joining us virtually.

Uh, Council Member McShane, I'm gonna take you last, so you have time to unmute, but we can start uh to my right.

No comments tonight, Council Vice President.

Not right now.

Council the council vice president had a little bit of dental surgery, so he's maybe quiet tonight.

Uh councilmember McShane, anything up here.

Just uh belated happy birthday to my colleagues.

Um, since you've celebrated birthdays since we've been here.

But we'll get right into it.

So many birthdays.

Okay, we'll get right into public comments.

Um, do we have our sign in sheet, Miss Claire?

I did Yeah.

Thank you, my dear.

If you wish to offer public comment, please be aware of the following guidelines.

Each speaker will be allotted three minutes to share your comments.

When it's your turn to speak, please begin by stating your name and if applicable, a general address to ensure that you have an uninterrupted opportunity to speak.

This will be your time, so that means that members of the council will not be answering questions or interrupt you.

You are we are all we are willing to answer questions, so if you'd like to email us, uh certainly you can email us at city council at city of FrederickMD.gov, city council at cityoffredric MD.gov.

And if you have written materials that accompany your remarks, we encourage you to email those as well.

Those who signed up will speak first, and I'll read names down, I'll read about three at a time so you have time to prepare.

And depending on our agenda, we may pause.

We do have a heavy agenda tonight uh with some pretty heavy items, so time-consuming items, so but we should be able to get through, looks like we'll be all right.

Um we use the rules of procedure, which was most recently passed by resolution 24-27.

And per our rules of procedure, conduct that disrupts the meeting or interferes with the rights of others to speak or attend and observe the meeting is not acceptable.

We also have posted our code of civility in this boardroom.

Please please take notes of exits for your safety and silence all electronic devices.

Thank you for being here to engage.

We have our first three speakers, Tina Meadows Ariar, Grady O'Rear, and Emily Van Norten.

Good evening.

My name is Tina Meadows O'Rear.

Um I um a lot of people ask me tonight how I'm doing, and um I'm sad.

Uh I'm sad that um councilwoman Kazemchek's uh um motion last meeting, her two motions, um, could not even gain a second from this group.

Uh even a second that would launch discussion.

I uh was born in Frederick and grew up here, spent most of my life here.

Uh still have a home here.

And when I was growing up, I had an amazing uh I didn't know it was amazing then, but I had an amazing sense of having enough.

I had a big family around me, three generations, and I always felt like it was easy to be generous.

It it wasn't a big deal.

It was what I was taught we were supposed to be.

And because I felt secure and full, uh it was not a big gymnastic move to be generous.

It was it was like having so much that giving to others did not diminish me.

It actually filled me even more.

And um I had parents who had that same sense of fullness.

So I was truly blessed, and I have been for this life.

And I have a wish for those who feel less than generous, and that is that some point in your lives, you feel like you have so much that you're not diminished by generosity.

That giving to others is no big deal is easy.

Thank you.

My name is Grady O'Rear.

I'm live in District One.

I first want to acknowledge Councilmember Kazemchak for her courage.

Um introducing a resolution calling to an for an end to U.S.

fueling of war, including in Gaza.

At a time when silence might have been easier.

That leadership matters.

This is not just an international issue, it's a deeply local Frederick issue, especially for those with ties to Gaza.

Israel and the broader Middle East.

They are suffering grief and trauma that reverberate in our neighborhoods and schools.

When the council stays silent, it compounds that pain and signals that some lives are less deserving.

Meanwhile, our federal government continues efforts in violation of international and domestic law.

At home, ICE operates unlawfully.

Students are punished for exercising free speech.

And the Department of Defense, projected to receive over one trillion dollars this year, still cannot pass an audit.

President Eisenhower warned that every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed.

He reminded us that the cost of one bomber could build a modern brick school in more than 30 cities, and that these resources could instead be used to build schools, hospitals, many other attributes in our communities.

In the past, this council has endorsed far-ranging resolutions that on a national and international level.

In 1960, against civil rights, in 1966, against interracial marriage.

In 2014, against marriage equality.

Every era demands courage to enable justice to prevail.

2025 is no different.

Endorse a resolution and insist that the National League of Cities use its voice to press for peace, equity, and accountability.

Thank you.

Emily Summercrenshaw and then Natasha Ahmed.

Hi, I'm Emily Van Norden.

I'm a resident of the City of Frederick.

I understand our pleas are falling upon deaf ears, but I still chose to be here tonight on a Thursday night after work, in the hour I have free before I'm back on mom duty until 10 p.m.

Because despite your claims, the mass murder of a group of people who are trapped and starving is a local issue.

I understand the last time we were all here was intense.

The meeting ended with tears and despair and shaming.

What's important to note here is one, what preceded the emotional shaming, and two, what it reflects about Frederick.

What preceded it was a failure to allow a discussion of the resolution, despite 90 minutes of public testimony in support of it.

And you failed to add it to the agenda twice.

A resolution that pleads for an end to civilian massacre and for restoration of the rule of international law, the same laws under which the International Criminal Court have issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Second, and just as important, what does the public's reaction reflect?

It loudly contradicts your assertion that this isn't a local issue.

Moreover, it occurred spontaneously.

It wasn't initiated or suggested by the group that I work with, Frederick for Justice in Palestine.

It arose spontaneously and was clearly a reaction to the utter disappointment and heartbreak experienced by the diverse individuals representing Frederick in the room, claiming that this issue, which resulted in that pained emotional reaction you saw on August 7th, claiming this issue isn't local in the face of 90 minutes of testimony, followed by additional testimony at the end of the meeting, makes us wonder why the concerns of locals aren't local concerns.

One child has died every hour in the last 680 days.

An average of a classroom full of children dies every day.

Children just like ours are dying in the most brutal ways.

Instead, she listened to them crying pain until they suffocated and died.

Today, Israel revealed an 83% civilian death rate.

But that should be no surprise.

20,000 children have died out of the estimates of 60,000 dead in Gaza.

This is 33% of those killed in Gaza have been children.

Why do we want you to do something?

It feels like this isn't a local issue, right?

But look at how many people show up.

We're residents and we're saying this is a local issue.

And you, as repres of representative body, can lend our name to the growing list of municipalities speaking out against the indiscriminate killing of civilians who are utterly trapped.

You can respond to our needs.

You can take that response to a discussion with the county.

You can send a signal to other male municipalities, share our stance with the state and federal representatives.

You are our representatives, and how most of us access representation in this democracy, and we believe abdicating responsibility by saying you don't have influence over national affairs is not a justification for unresponsiveness.

Over 150 municipalities have taken action.

We're the second largest city in the state with incredible access to DC.

We can have difficult conversations about complex topics and work towards a resolution that acknowledges the pain you see in the faces of your constituents.

Can you wrap up, please?

Thank you, and I thank you, and I urge you to adopt a ceasefire resolution.

Summer.

Summer Crenshaw.

Natasha Ahmed, Rafika Tunier.

Hello.

My name is Sumner Crenshaw.

I'm a resident here in the city.

I am here today to urge the city council to add Councilmember Kazimchak's ceasefire resolution to the agenda so it can be discussed and hopefully adopted.

I was just here earlier today for a subcommittee meeting with some of the council members, and myself and my colleagues were immensely pleased with how the meeting went, which again, thank you to the members who were here, was fantastic.

Valuable discussion and feedback was exchanged, and I hope the same thing can happen for Councilmember Kazimchek's resolution.

Discussion harms nothing.

And in fact, discussion and dialogue are how we grow and learn from each other.

And as demonstrated by all of these supporters, this is a discussion the community clearly wants to have.

I'm not going to repeat the blatantly genocidal statements from certain government officials.

We all know what is going on.

The question is, what are we as a community going to do about it?

In closing, I would like to highlight what's on my shirt here.

It reads, Freedom and Peace for Palestine and Guelga, which is the indigenous language of Ireland.

Like many Americans and probably a lot of people here in this room, I am a descendant of Irish immigrants who came to America to escape the famine and genocide happening in their homeland.

My ancestors and that of a very large number of Americans suffered hunger, genocide, and displacement.

How would they feel knowing our government is now putting other people through the same thing?

Thank you.

Natasha Amen.

The next will be Rafika, then Culio.

Children are starving and it's being used as a weapon of war.

My daughter, I'm Natasha, and I live here in Frederick.

My daughter is a resident of Frederick, and she's afraid.

She sees how we're sending this money and murdering these children, and she's afraid that it will happen here if we spend money overseas.

I'm just gonna read what I have.

This is written by Mosab Abutaha, a Palestinian poet and writer from Gaza.

A father wakes up at night, sees the random colors on the walls drawn by his four-year-old son.

But he's dead after an air strike.

The colors are about four feet high.

Next year they would be five or six.

But the painter is dead, and the museum has no new paintings to show.

If I must die, you must live to tell my story, to sell my things, to buy a piece of cloth and some strings, make it white with a long tail, so that a child somewhere in Gaza while looking heaven in the eye, awaiting his dad who left in a blaze, and bid no one farewell, not even to his flesh, not even to himself, sees the kite, my kite you made flying up above, and thinks for a moment, an angel is there bringing back love.

If I must die, let it bring hope, let it be a tale.

He's dead, and I hope that someone will speak up for him.

Think of others, written by Mahmoud Darwish, Palestinian poet whose family was displaced during the 1948 Nakba.

As you prepare your breakfast, think of others.

Do not forget the pigeons food.

As you conduct your wars, think of others.

Do not forget those who seek peace.

As you pay your water bill, think of others, those who are nursed by clouds.

As you return home to your home, think of others.

Do not forget the people of the camps.

As you sleep and count the stars, think of others.

Those who have nowhere to sleep.

As you liberate yourself in metaphor, think of others, those who have lost the right to speak.

As you think of others far away, far away, think of yourself.

Say, if I were only a candle in the dark.

But it doesn't hurt to raise your hand.

It doesn't hurt to stand here and say, I hear you and I see you.

We're not asking you to pass any laws.

We're just asking you to raise a hand for us who aren't able to speak on that higher platform.

Help the children.

They're starving.

We're funding it.

And they're starving.

This is not war.

War is supposed to be against those people who are fighting, not in cities and towns and homes and deliberately targeting families and children.

Thank you.

Okay, Khalil.

Yep.

That'd be Khalil, Patty, and then Zachariah.

Good evening, Council and Members.

Uh my name is Khalil Shazley.

I live in the city of Frederick.

I've been resident of the city of Frederick for the past 30 years.

Uh hearing I stood here in front of you, or whoever was present, uh, presenting a video of uh Tony Aguilar, he's a Green Beret, Special Forces, who was uh presenting what he witnessed in Gaza to Senator.

Anyways.

About uh the the IDF targeting and killing children.

This is his most recent video or interview.

I would like you to listen carefully, because last video he was talking that our special forces with our tax dollars is employed, working with our tax dollars for the IDF.

So listen to his recent video.

Please listen carefully.

Wow.

That should be telling to so many people that hear this that I swore goes to the Constitution of the United States of America, not to a foreign government or a foreign military.

And if anyone thinks that they're going to intimidate me into not telling the truth over being part of a club, get out of here.

Because the truth is more important.

That our client is the IDF.

Your client is the idea.

Our client is the IDF.

And this came out of discussion one.

I'm sorry, this is the wrong video.

Uh that was the one I played last time.

This is his most recent.

At around 9 a.m.

I got a phone call from the Special Forces Association parachute team, of which I was a part of.

We did demonstration uh jumps for uh special forces.

And I was told that I was being I was no longer a member of the team because of my speaking out against Israel.

Against a foreign military.

Yeah.

So from the from the Special Forces Association parachute team, of which I've been a member, as a green beret.

I was as of this morning called.

Sorry.

You can't be on the team anymore.

You know, you with your position on speaking out against Israel.

We we can't we can't have you representing the the Special Forces Association.

Really?

Wow.

That should be telling to so many people that hear this that I swore it goes to the Constitution of the United States of America, not to a foreign government or a foreign military.

And if anyone thinks that they're going to intimidate me into not telling the truth over being part of a club, get out of here.

Because the truth is more important.

Children die.

So his criticism and telling the truth about going on in Gaza is out of the club.

He's a real patriot who fought for this country honorably.

And the capital is controlled by APAC.

Please, please, I urge this council.

Do not let us feel that the city of Frederick is Israeli occupied the city of Frederick.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Patty.

Good evening, Patty Clements.

Um don't live in Frederick, but do work in Frederick.

And just wanted to thank you, Councilwoman Kazemchak, for trying to get a resolution on the agenda.

We appreciate your efforts and support you.

Um I'll ask this question again.

Are you for or against genocide?

Are you for or against a ceasefire?

Two weeks ago there was a large crowd here speaking in support of a ceasefire resolution.

The attendance was not a tactic, it was not a stunt, like the stunt of one other person who is in the audience.

There is so much we can speak of when the conditions in Gaza, and you've heard a few already.

You have uh you've heard the stories today.

There was an additional 100 people murdered from by the IDF.

Israel has murdered close to 200 journalists last week.

They murdered five more, including a um well-known journalist Anez Al-Sharif.

He even left a video of his um of a memoir of a statement in case he was murdered.

So there's that out there if you feel like listening to some um if you feel empathetic.

Silence is complicity.

One day everyone will have been against it.

I'll have always been against this, but your position will be on record.

Thank you.

Hi, my name is Zakaria.

I'm part of the Frederick community.

I just came back from Palestine, my homeland.

It is very beautiful, but the occupation and war crimes make it sad.

I'm going to read you an a poem.

I feel the bombs.

I see fire.

My heart beats fast.

My heart is tired.

Our home falls down.

The skies turn gray.

And still the world looks the other way.

My school is gone.

My toys are dust.

The streets I knew are broken, torn, and crushed.

I scream for help.

I call your name, but silence.

Silence answers.

Your excuses are lame.

You say you care, but do not stand.

You watch us suffer.

Letting death expand.

Your silence is a shadow, heavy and deep.

It cuts deeper than the wounds we keep.

I'm a child, but I can see.

So open your ears, open your heart, speak for Gaza, do your part.

Standing against genocide is not a crime.

I hope you will pass the resolution this time.

For if you do not pass it, you may see the very death of children like me.

You might be next because you see.

You shape this world and let the killers be free.

Free Gaza free Palestine.

Hi, my name is Yusuf, and I'm a member of the Frederick community and also from Palestine and recently returned from Palestine.

After last meeting's failure to pass a ceasefire resolution and end the violence in Gaza and other parts of the world, I felt angry, angry because you know about all the children in Palestine who are murdered by Israel using U.S.

bombs.

Angry because if I, a Palestinian kid, was murdered in front of you by Israel using weapons, your tax dollars paid by you would look away unbothered.

You would stay silent, just like your silence last meeting.

Your silence kills us twice.

Martin Luther King Jr.

said in the end, we'll remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.

There is no excuse for not choosing to end violence.

I am sick of hearing this lame excuse.

This is not a local issue.

Frederick City Council has passed motions about international issues many times before.

And this is affecting us at a local level.

Your tax dollars could be used towards anything else than weapons for Israel to mass murder people.

The excuse that terrorists started this war, yes, terrorists started this war in 1948 when they decided to mass murder and displace Palestinians back then and now.

And if Palestinians resist this injustice, that does not make them terrorists.

If anyone came to your home and tried to kill your children and force you out of your home, you would fight back and resist too.

The excuse that this has nothing to do with you and only to do with Palestine is also a lame excuse.

This has everything to do with you and the kind of world you're willing to live in.

Eventually your actions and lack of action will catch up to you.

The injustices happening all over the world that are that you are quietly letting happen will also eventually trickle to into the United States.

We're already seeing it happen.

Most recent example in DC.

Gaza is not just a crime scene.

Congo is not just a crime scene.

Other atrocities across our globe are not just crime scenes, they are tests.

And most of the world is failing it.

I hope you do not fail.

I still have hope that you will do what is right.

Don't let your silence and complicity kill people like me.

I still urge you to support a ceasefire resolution in Gaza and end the violence all over the world.

Join the other many cities in Maryland who have taken a step in the right direction.

Good people can bring good change, even if it is a small step.

One day, Gaza and all of Palestine will be free.

One day, all parts of the world will be free, and maybe one day you'll be free.

Free Gaza, free Palestine.

So Tas Fatima and Robert are last signed up.

After that, we'll take general public comment.

Good evening, Council members.

I'm standing before you once again, advocating for humanity.

I also want to take a moment to thank Councilmember Kuzimchek for her courage and for taking a stand when there was backlash.

I reflected on the recent fact that the resolution was not supported last meeting.

Yes, I find it deeply disappointing, and yes, I find it deeply disturbing that we exist in a world where people justify being against ending violence.

But I want to be clear.

Even if it's buried deep within your heart.

It's there.

But for all of us here, it's a good reminder to go back in time for a historical lesson.

One that makes every conscience tremble.

If we go back to Nazi Germany, we might imagine Hitler and the SS officers.

But the Nazi movement did not survive on its leaders alone.

It thrived on silence of millions of ordinary people.

The perfect Nazi was not the soldier or the executioner.

It was the friendly neighbor who smiled at you, the shopkeeper at the market, the community members who attended fairs and parks.

They lived ordinary lives and they were nice people too.

But they remained silent in the face of atrocities and crimes, and that made them complicit.

Think of the genocide in Rwanda, not only by militias, but by the complicity of its neighbors.

The Armenian genocide where an entire people were driven out and the world chose not to see.

Or the slave owners in the United States who normalized human bondage and even fought a war to preserve it.

The simple truth is that these horrors remind us that genocide and oppression is not carried out by leaders alone.

You can't deflect all the blame on the leaders.

It's made possible by the silence and indifference and compliance of ordinary people, even nice people like you.

You had an opportunity to take a stand, but you might have remained silent because it was easier for you to watch us die, then admit that you let it happen.

Don't look away.

You might believe that here in the United States, you live in freedom and democracy.

But the truth is, if you cannot speak out against an injustice, especially one that your own government funds and protects, you're not free.

You're controlled.

If you criticize, if you cannot criticize an entity, it's because that entity controls you.

And you can't so as much bring a resolution that promotes an end to violence or discussion, you're being controlled, and you were never really free.

And if you're guided by faith, let me remind you that Prophet Jesus, Moses, and Muhammad were all themselves criticized.

They were labeled with things like troublemakers, radicals, extremists, not for wrongdoing, but for dismantling the structures of oppression.

And I'll end by saying, I urge you, do not let yourselves be the perfect ordinary civilian or the perfect Nazi.

Do not let this moment pass without conscience.

Please, I urge you to have humanity and take a stand.

Resist those in the shadows who try to deflect from the injustices being committed for their convenience.

If you're a true follower of faith, please I urge you to resist being controlled and rewarded for your compliance just to keep your status.

Resist normalizing the genocide and systems that support it.

Support the resolution to end violence in Gaza and everywhere in the world.

Thank you.

Thank you.

We have Fatima, then Robert.

Robert, looks like Sharf.

And then it will be open public comment.

So if you'd like to speak after Robert, if Robert's here, just want to cue at the end.

Please proceed.

Thank you.

Good evening, everyone.

Um, first of all, I would like to thank um Council Member Kuzimchek for trying to pass a ceasefire resolution now.

Um everyone in this room should understand that she has a heart and she has a heart that beats human.

So thank you.

I will start off by saying I'm a mother whose son who attends um a Frederick County public school, and I have to say that I'm disgusted by FCPS public schools.

He was he was accepted into Monocasee Valley Montessori School, in which I attended open house on Tuesday, then to be informed that he was not enrolled.

And now my son sits at home, not given the right of every FCPS student where he's not enrolled in school.

So this isn't this is an issue that me as his mom is very concerned about, and every one of you that sit on council should be worried about.

Now let's bring it to Palestine.

This is a poem called My Name, written by Palestinian American poet Zaina Azem in October 2023.

Write my name on my leg, mama.

Use the black permanent marker with the ink that doesn't bleed if it gets wet, the one that doesn't melt if it ex if it's exposed to heat.

Write my name on my leg, mama, make the lines thick and clear.

Add your special flourishes so I can take comfort in seeing my mama's handwriting when I go to sleep.

Write my name on my leg, mama, and on the legs of my my sisters and brothers.

This way we will belong together.

This way we will be known as your children.

Write my name on on my leg, mama, and please write your name and Baba's name on your legs too.

So we will be we will be remembered as a family.

Write my name on my leg, mama.

Don't add any numbers, like when I was born or the address of my home.

Like when I was born or the address of my home.

I don't want the world to list me as a number.

I have a name, and I am not a number.

Write my name on my leg, mama.

When the bomb hits our house, when the walls crush our skulls and bones, our legs will tell our story, how there was nowhere for us to run.

The next, if you if you only knew a Palestinian written by a DC born NS, a Palestinian Arab American songwriter.

If you only knew a Palestinian, you would know exactly how peaceful we are.

If you know a Palestinian by now, you have indulged in the gentle lush comfort of our welcoming hearts long be long enough to know how widely loving we are, even in the midst of our sorrow.

If you knew us, you would know how kind we are.

And and though our kindness has historically been taken for weakness, you'd know the truth.

Palestinians are as strong as the sky is blue.

But if you knew, but if you only knew a Palestinian, you'd be able to narrate our pain.

You would know exactly how deep trauma runs in our veins.

If you sat with our parents, I know you'd understand.

Our grandparents were robbed of a life in their land.

If you knew us by now, I'm sure that you'd learn.

All we desire is just to return to our homes that were stolen.

Our villages taken.

Now, for a hundred years, our fears remain forsaken.

If you knew us by now, you tell the world of our grief, how we mourn for our kin for with a sorrow so deep.

But in that same breath, you would exult our resilience, how our mountainous courage is our fountain of brilliance.

If you only knew a Palestinian.

Thank you.

Doesn't look like Robert's here.

Okay.

Oh, my apologies.

I'm Robert Sharp, lifetime member of Frederick City.

And you've all had a tough night tonight.

And I feel for you.

And I have compassion for what they said here.

I'm here for a different topic.

I'm here for public safety.

Since you're doing construction on East Street, you got a lot more traffic going out on North Market Street.

And the traffic's backing up clear down to Fifth Street on market.

Something needs to be done to move that traffic better than what it's moving.

Also, last night when I left my house to go out, I was able to sneak out on the second house on the 9th Street.

Pull in behind two cars, the red light, and both of them made a left turn on red.

I think that's illegal.

The sign says no turn on red doesn't say right or left, but it's still illegal.

So I would like that corrected, and I'm sick and tired of people running red lights throughout the whole city.

Also, yesterday, I ran an air and came back and stopped at uh it in six.

Light turn green, put my foot on the gas, and something told me to hit the brake.

I did.

Somebody came through a red light.

If I had gone a little bit more, I would have been T-bowed.

I don't appreciate that.

There's a hell of a lot of uh it needs the mayor needs to talk to the chief of police to have the red light running and stop sign running done away with in Frederick.

It's you all swore and took an oath to do what's best for Frederick.

Running red lights is not what's best for Frederick and running stop signs.

Uh you took an oath, you really can't do anything to help these people.

They need to talk to people down in DC.

So I know I got more time and I could go further, but it's it's a shame when you all can't be on the same page, and we're not.

Also on safety, uh, the quality of the water in Freak isn't that good.

I don't drink city water anymore.

It hasn't been fit to drink since 1994.

And I don't know why it's taking so long to get the toxins out of the water.

But I wish it would be out of the water.

It keep growing and it's not getting any better.

You have people that take baths in the water, they wash the dishes in the water.

The residue from toxins that's in the water stays behind.

I work with a lot of biological agents when I was.

Well, I can't really go in details right now on that.

Shouldn't.

But wash and doesn't get rid of it.

We all take baths, our clothes are washed in it.

The toxins in the water, we carry with us everywhere we go.

So please work on getting the toxins out of the water.

That's one thing you all took an oath to do.

And I hope you all do it.

So I'll I'll I'll stop while I'm ahead.

And I'm like I said, I know you all have a tough job.

Good luck.

Okay.

Good evening.

Thank you so much for being here.

It's nice to see a full city council.

It's nice to see a full city council here.

Councilmember McShane, we miss you.

I hope your emails are treating you well.

Um I think your constituents and your colleagues would really appreciate if you did not multitask during this time.

I too.

I too work from home.

My name is Paige Corey, and I'm a concerned citizen from the southern part of the county.

This is my third time coming to speak with you, and thank you for your time.

My faith has been on my heart a lot.

And I stand here before you, in case you're not aware, Christian Palestinians exist.

I am the descendant of Christian Palestinians.

Jesus is my homeboy.

Last week or the last council meeting, I decided to reflect on my values of where I did not speak up in a moment that was wrong.

What happened to you at the last meeting with the gentleman exposing himself was wrong.

And I am really sorry that I sat here not speaking up.

I did not yell, I did not tell him to stop.

I am sorry that I sat here in shock, thinking like, do I live in an SNL episode?

This is absolutely ridiculous that this is what people have to experience at work.

No one in their job should have to experience somebody exposing themselves without your consent.

Not at your job, not in your personal life.

As a survivor of sexual assaults, I am so sorry that I did not speak up for you last week and tell that man to stop what he was doing.

It was not right.

And now that moment is all over the internet because we live in a TikTok age, and I'm really sorry that you had to experience that.

When I reflected on that this week, and specifically today, I wore my Easter dress today because I was really feeling close to God.

I thought about how that example of me sitting here in a group of people not speaking up to tell somebody to stop something that was absolutely inappropriate and wrong happening before my eyes.

So surely I sat back saying, it's not my responsibility.

And I'm sorry that happened.

And I hope you can look at my apology to you right now that I did not speak up and think about internally what you need to do about speaking up and saying publicly that genocide and collective punishment are wrong.

It's good to see you.

You and I have a close contact of the same uh a close contact.

This person is now in prison.

You stood in solidarity with them, I did too.

I see God in me, I see God in you.

But if you don't stand for something right now, I don't think you've undone your white supremacy.

And I know that person, I know that person, you know that person, you know where they want you to stand.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker.

Test one, two one two.

Hello, my name is David.

My address is 562 Boysenberry Lane.

I live in the Golden Mile region.

I am at I am absolutely disappointed of the fact that last time we met the resolution, the ceasefire resolution that council measure member Kuzman Shak, if I am pronouncing that correctly, I apologize for butchering your name.

Proposed, and we well pro-Palestinian citizens of this beautiful city have proposed was thrown into the water and not put on the agenda is disappointing, and I think it reflects a mere issue with American politics in general.

The people who did not second this resolution still are trying to save their to save their souls from what I can only describe as trying to keep that APAC money to be very honest.

Public opinion among the Democratic Party is slowly shifting towards Palestine.

The Dems, the the liberals, like I am not personally a fan of liberals myself.

I am a leftist, so I know for the average person here, I sound like some lunatic.

But if even the major the majority liberal party is saying, hey, we don't want our damn tax dollars going to kill children in Gaza that have done nothing.

I think you should probably listen to your damn party.

I'm just saying.

That is still under French colonialism to this day.

By c if you do not second this resolution, you are self-reporting by saying you support colonial colonialism.

Thank you.

Good evening.

David captured uh better than I think I could uh my sentiments and uh very impressed with him, such a young man that understands frankly what's going on across America with politics and political influence in our political pro government processes.

And so I'll just chime in and say well, David used the word he was disappointed with uh count Councilmember Shackelford and Russell last time for not even seconding the motion.

Uh I uh I think I would say disgusted.

Um to not even, as others so eloquently said all night long two weeks ago, uh, to not even consider it after all of that wonderful public comment, I thought was frankly disgusting, and points were brought up, uh, especially by Councilmember Kuzemchek uh towards the end uh before that second motion, um, that there have been many other resolutions before the uh council or formerly the Board of Aldermen that are not directly related to the workings of Frederick City that indirectly affect us.

Um Councilmember Kazemchak read off eight to ten of them, as I recall.

Um the other issue uh that council member Nash brought up in the Frederick News Post article, as I understood was why the rush and that that was also addressed clearly that there should be a rush.

People are getting killed, and I think our uh local government um at least by precedent uh has a role to speak out uh when witnessing uh such immorality.

And you have all done it, or some of you on the current council have done it in the past.

So uh that's my addition, and um I am I am really more than disappointed at the uh turn of events that this resolution I grant that it is very broad, um, but not even being considered, uh maybe being um uh amendments being proposed to it so forth, uh is um more than disappointing, and you heard my other word.

Thank you.

I'm sorry.

I didn't get a name or address on that person.

Good catch.

Uh would you mind sorry?

I just I forget a theme.

Is it Jim?

On his behalf, his name is Jim Wagner.

Yeah, thank you.

Thank you.

I truly have no desire to speak today, but my heart is physically aching and beating out of my chest.

And as an engineer, my job is to solve problems.

And this is the only possible thing that I can think of to help help myself.

Heart issues run in my family on my father's side, the Palestinian side of my family.

My grandfather died when my father was 16, and last year my father's heart failed, and he required a heart transplant, and he's not the same.

He's a shell of the man he was, and I'm sorry to say that, Dad, but he can't spend more than five minutes doing any type of physical activity before he needs to rest for at least an hour.

And it is harrowing to see the man who just before his heart failed was in the best shape of his life be cut down to that.

And I feel myself turning into my father because I have no way to shed this grief in my heart, and I truly wish I did not have eyes or ears to see and soak up all of the horrors going on in my homeland.

As a as a kid, and you know, up until relatively recently, I had uh a morbid fascination in like action movies and whatnot, like when people get shot or stabbed.

Is that what they just suffered, you know, lethal?

Can they shake that off?

Can they just throw some gauze on that?

Gauze coming from the god the place, where the best looms in the Middle East produce the best bandages.

And now I'm only applying that knowledge to watching children and civilians be killed en masse in their homes.

Uh when some residential buildings in Gaza City get no more than 30 seconds of warning before the IDF drops a bomb on them.

An F-16 flying at 50,000 feet, dropping a 2,000 pound bomb, it takes 60 seconds for that bomb to fall.

The bomb is already halfway there before the citizens are notified that they have to leave.

And why there are so many children casualties between the age of six and ten, very close to the child the Gazan or the Palestinian children here today, is because their bodies are too awkward to be able to move themselves quick enough and they're too big for their ch for their parents to carry.

So they are by large the most unfortunate and the most receiving casualty demographic within Gaza.

And I don't know what to do with this information.

Hopefully, one of you does.

Again, I don't know what to do with this information.

All I can say is that I hope you this sticks with you, and I hope you think about these things at night, just as they haunt me.

Thank you.

Eric, can you just say your name for the record real quick?

Say again?

Your name.

You you had said everything.

Musa is my name.

I live in Frederick City.

Thank you.

Additional public comment.

Hello, everyone.

My name is Rafika Turnier.

I've lived in Frederick for the past 50 years.

I'm sure, like everyone in this room, I love children, and I believe that the duty of society is to protect and to care and to love for the least among us.

Yet we are witnessing a Holocaust taking place before our eyes every minute of every day and every night.

One day, as they say, everyone will have known that this is wrong.

But here and now we have a chance to stare, excuse me, to stand on the right side of history.

But here and now we have a chance to stare, excuse me, to stand on the right side of history, to stand on the right side of history with truth and honesty and integrity before it is too late.

Thank you.

Additional public comment.

Well, I knew all along that uh what you all do is what you all consider to be politically expedient.

That is what you do.

And so I am not surprised by your actions and inactions.

But I think that honesty and integrity are principles that should be deserved or deserve it.

And I'll say that, and I want to put this in context.

I had an opportunity to participate along with other individuals in putting together a minority uh voters' guide.

And one of the questions in that minority voters guide is where do the uh contestants in this upcoming election stand on the issue of the resolution?

And the responses are made.

One response that was made that I found really hard and objectionable, and that was a response by all the person, or council person, Shakafoot.

And his response was well, I really can't, and I'm I'm paraphrasing, I really can't support that because uh when you all showed up, and I'm talking about the group, uh Frederick Seasfield this now, Justice of Palestine, you all were very inflexible.

That is absolutely untrue.

The record supports that every time that we came forward, we said that we're putting forth the resolution that we're willing to work with the other persons or the city council's person to finalize.

As a matter of fact, that is exactly what happened in terms of working with Ms.

Kuzemchek.

And so all the person, council person, shaka foot, it is incumbent upon you that when you relate issues that you be factual about it, that you do it with some degree of honesty and integrity.

That statement that you made is unequivocally false.

You know it's false, and the record supports that.

Thank you very much.

My name is Anthony Mills.

I was born here in Frederick, lived here most of my life, and I just want to say the fact that this is happening right here now, this meeting is a shame.

This should not have to happen.

We should not be here right now.

Kids should not be begging for life in front of you.

This is not okay.

This is not at all okay.

Does it become real when this room is filled with us dead in front of you?

Or is it when you die yourself or your kids?

Like when does it become real?

That's really all I have to say.

It wasn't much, but thank you.

A hope that with everything that I see going on in the world around me, the community and the city that I call home might stand up and do something different.

Uh I've been more than disappointed at the inaction of the committee.

I think the silence is extremely telling.

Last meeting, we listened to people speak for 90 minutes, people who have directly uh interacted with the harm that's going on in the world right now, and we watched the council stay silent.

Uh after public comment, Shackl Ford, um sorry, I'm mispronounced your name, uh, spoke uh and he seemed to not be able to find words.

He went silent.

He eventually just concluded that the motion had failed to receive a second after about 10 seconds of silence.

I I think the silence is telling.

I think the silence of all the council members is telling.

I I I think when people watch this footage in five years and ten years.

I I wish you would consider how you will appear.

I I've seen you smile, I've seen you look away.

I I've yet to hear any of you defend your decision.

If I was in your seats, regardless of how I felt about this resolution, and I watched children and lifelong residents of this community plea with you.

I would at least want to offer defense.

I would want to have a discussion.

I would want to explain my thoughts.

But you have offered none of that.

It seems you are perfectly okay with being seen as complacent and as supportive of this genocide.

Um I hope you do not continue to disappoint the community.

That's all public comment.

We're gonna move on with our agenda.

Okay.

All right.

Uh to move on to our agenda, we will move to our consent agenda.

All items included under the consent agenda are considered to be routine by the council.

They will be approved by one motion without separate discussion of each item unless any person present requests an item or items to be removed from the consent agenda.

Any item removed from the consent agenda will be considered separately at the end of the consent agenda.

If you would like to have any of these items removed or considered separately, please say so when I announce each category.

First category is grants.

Move for approval.

Second.

We have a first and second.

All in favor.

It's five zero.

Thank you very much.

Um council members, the special ordinances uh I'm gonna recuse myself from that.

It's approval of a special ordinance to amend FY26 budget for revenue and expenditures from Town of Newmarket speed camera program.

Do we have a motion?

I move for approval.

Second.

All in favor.

That's four with one abstention.

Thank you very much.

All right, we'll move on to now our public hearing items.

Purchases.

Approval of a purchase order to SHI in the amount of 154,000 a year for three years for the purpose purchase of Microsoft Office 365 software.

Good evening, City Council Matt Bowman, manager of IT as Council President Nash said I'm here for approval in the amount stated for a three-year purchase of Microsoft Office 365.

Uh, we have been a user of a 365 now for six years across our organization, has made life a lot easier for our staff and increased efficiencies in all departments.

Um any questions on the purchase.

Are there questions on this item?

I'll entertain a motion.

I'm sorry, public comment.

Is there public comment on this item?

Okay, I'll entertain a motion.

Thank you.

Second, first and second.

All in favor.

It's five zero.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Matt.

Thanks.

Our next item is the approval of resolution to establish the fee amount owed in lieu of dedicating 0.5 acre of parkland in accordance with section 608 of the land management code for the Grove Hill Planned Neighborhood Development.

Thank you, Director Collard.

Good evening.

Thank you very much.

Gabrielle Collard with the planning department.

The Grove Hill PND or Planned Neighborhood Development is located on the south side of 40 uh west of Grove Hill Road and received master plan approval in 2022 for 65 townhouses.

The parkland dedication requirement for the project is 0.78 acres based on the number of units.

And while the applicant initially proposed the dedication on the eastern side of the project, the planning commission, based on a recommendation of the parks and recreation commission, found that the dedication was not suitable for public purposes.

It's predominantly steep slopes, but that's forested with the utility easement.

The approval instead was based on the applicant paying a fee in lieu of dedication, and that fee uh needs to be set by the council based on a recent appraisal.

The valuation is set at 65,340 dollars.

And the request before the council is to approve the resolution in your packet for that dollar amount.

I'm happy to answer any questions.

Questions up here.

Is there public comment on this item?

We'll entertain a motion.

Move for approval of the resolution to establish the fee in lieu of parkland dedication for the grave hill plan neighborhood development.

Second.

All in favor.

It's five zero.

Thank you very much.

Next item, thank you, Gabrielle.

Next item is the second agreement amendment and reinstatement of memorandum of understanding for purchase for funding purchase of real property between the City of Frederick and Frederick County.

Richard Griffin.

Good evening, Richard Griffin, Director of Economic Development.

If you'll recall, this item was discussed at the City Council Government Operations Committee meeting on July the 17th.

And the county transferred those dollars to us.

Correcting the terminology of the hotel classification type from to full service up or up scale as determined by Smith Travel Research and updating the terms of the development site property purchase from fee simple parcel acquisition by the city to a loan to the developer that will be secured by a deed of trust.

And if there are any questions, I was asked this evening by our attorneys representing the city to clarify in that agreement that the loan, if you look at page two, the one, two, three, fourth paragraph down, it says that the loan is being made to Plumont and Hospitality Partners.

The loan is actually being made to Carroll Creek Lodging LLC, and that is a an entity that's been formed by uh Plumont and Hospitality Partners, and they would like to make sure that we stipulate that in this agreement.

I'll answer any questions.

I also wanted to recognize that the city's outside council, uh Andrew Mate, who you've met before, and also um Ashley Hawn are here with us this evening.

Representing the uh the developer is Dave Weimer.

Can you tell me again exactly where that change needs to be made and which document?

We've got several up here.

It's uh the second amendment, it's a memorandum of understanding, second amendment uh and restatement between the city and the county.

It's on page two, and it's the fourth paragraph down where it says the city shall act as the lender.

We just want to clarify that that loan and those lend and the lending is actually going to Carroll Creek Lodging LLC, not to Plumont and Hospitality Partners.

And the attorneys can make that change afterwards just to clarify and make sure that it's clear.

Got it.

And and is it my understanding from the city attorney that you would want that in the motion?

Okay.

Okay, so Richard, you have three items.

Let's go ahead and let's go ahead and hear the presentation on all three, and then we'll take public comments.

Okay, so that's the first item.

Uh a second amendment agreement.

Uh a second amendment um with the uh county.

The second item is uh the Marriott Downtown at Carroll Creek Hotel and Conference Center Master Developer Agreement.

Uh this item also was discussed at the City Council Government Operations Committee on July the 17th.

And the purpose of this master developer agreement between the city and Plumont is to memorialize the final terms of development and financing apparatus for the 103.5 million dollar Marriott downtown at Carroll Creek Hotel and Conference Center.

And just uh for the um viewing audience, I'll just clarify that that project is to be constructed by Plumont and Hospitality Partners.

It will be a full service hotel under a 25-year franchise agreement with Marriott International.

Um it's 204 rooms, creates about 74,500 room nights in downtown Frederick, 26,000 square feet of rentable meeting and pre-function space, four food and beverage outlets, 2600 square feet of retail space, and 200 on-site public and hotel guest parking spaces.

It also in partnership with the Randall family uh includes the renovation of the historic Frederick Trolley building and peripherally the Eagles building next door.

With that, I can try to answer any questions you have, but I also want to recognize that our attorneys are here if you have any technical questions.

So I don't have any questions with respect to the documents that have been provided.

I do I do note that the construction is set to begin later this year.

Correct.

I think it would probably be wise to have some sort of discussion or presentation about how the construction is going to proceed and then you know what impacts we might expect for that city block, just whatever those might be from the project managers.

I it's not a condition of my approval.

It's just I think that would be I don't know that I'll get another chance to request that in public meeting before that.

We would be more than happy to come back and do a presentation before construction begins.

Thank you.

And that presentation, I'm I I assume we'll discuss um traffic.

The I'm I don't have the specifics, but the site plan approval um specifies the uh the development conditions under which they have to operate, and but we can make certain that someone from planning and from Department of Public Works um engineering can speak to the traffic related um components during construction.

My request is for someone to speak to the traffic related components during construction and honestly after construction.

We're getting a lot of questions about this, and and um it's not that it adds an it's not that nobody's paying attention.

So I think it's really important that that for transparency we have that conversation.

Understood.

I think you've asked for that before, so we'll make sure it happens.

Still haven't gotten it though, have I?

Yep.

Thanks.

The third item in front of you this evening, um, which also was discussed at the city government operations committee on July the 17th, is the agreed material terms, downtown hotel and conference center terms of the city Frederick City of Frederick loan to Carroll Creek Lodging.

This is the the purpose of this agreement is to memorialize the material terms and conditions upon which the developer and the city um, together with its loan funding partner Frederick County for the $4.37 million in financing by the City of Frederick for uh refinance of the property acquisition debt held by the developer.

Um this agreement is referred to in the previous agreement in the master developer agreement.

These these two agreements are nested inside of each other.

Um but just to clarify that this loan uh is to be repaid with interest within 10 years.

It's to be solely used for the refinance of approved costs related to the acquisition of the development site, um, that any costs in excess of the loan amount along with the payment of principal and interest are solely the responsibility of the developer.

Um the loan is secured by a deed of trust and security agreement lien on the property uh and project, and the borrow is personally uh guaranteeing the payment of principal and interest along with any late charges, taxes, and insurance as required by the loan.

Uh, if you want more specificity or details, again, I'll refer to our attorneys, but um, this is the document that clarifies all of the specifics around the actual loan.

Um I did want to mention that the city's portion of that loan, two million dollars, is reduced by 150,000, which we had previously uh loaned or uh provided to the developer under the last MOU, and but will be repaid under this loan.

Those are the three items, and we can take any questions that you have.

Questions up here.

So in the end, part of what this agreement is doing is actually taking city funding out.

I mean, it it's a loan, but it will be paid back.

So it's taking city funding out.

So in the end, how much will the city be um granting Carroll Creek Lodging?

Or what was Plabondan, whichever whichever way it goes, there is some there are some things that have already been paid, correct?

There is a table, and I see our attorney jumping up here.

There is a table in there that shows the repayment schedule.

In which one?

Right here you have to come to here.

Andrea Mate from Lurch Early with my colleague Ashley Hahn, who prepared the table and confirmed it, and Dave Weimer, who is representing the Bonds.

If you go to Schedule One at the end of the agreed material terms, you will see a printout of the amortization table or payout table for the loan, which reports at the final payment if it goes out for 10 years, the total amount to be received by the city, including interest and repayment of the principal.

In the event, so you should see the whole thing, uh, councilwomanchuk at the end in schedule one.

Have you been able to find that?

Maybe Ashley.

I don't think I was clear about what I was asking for.

I just I don't think I was clear about what I was asking for.

So I understand that there's an amortization for what we're talking about today, right?

And I understand all that's gonna get paid back, and it's gonna get paid back with interest.

Yes.

Yes.

I I understand all that.

That's not the question I'm asking.

Right?

The question I'm asking in the end is from day one when the city decided to support this development of this site.

Yeah, how much money has the city put into this?

And will all like so in the end, what are city taxpayers paying?

That's that's what I want to know.

I got the whole loan and stuff.

We're good with that.

I understand your question now.

Um the dollars and cents of the original MOUs, if you'll recall when we ended those MOUs, the we we um proportionately shared in certain costs, and those costs were borne both by the developer and the city and are not part of this loan and will not be repaid.

So those are those were sunk costs that were part of the original uh concepts and design, and they are not part of this loan.

This loan is above and separate of any monies that had been spent previously by the city.

I understand that.

She wants to know that.

I want a number.

I don't have that number in front of me tonight.

I'm sorry.

I again it's it's not the first time I've asked the question.

And sometimes it gets very frustrating having to ask a question again and again and not getting answers.

It's just frustrating.

I believe that I that the finance director has provided that number previously, but we can get that number and certainly send it to you again.

But there is an accounting for every dollar that has been spent both by the city and the developer on the project at through those MOU days, and we certainly can give you that number.

I just don't, I'm sorry I don't have it in front of me tonight.

There's no questions up here.

Is there public comment on this item?

Richard, you got someone behind you on the hi Paige from the southern part of the county.

I spent a lot of time downtown.

There is significant development going on, and I like have a severe.

So, how many people are expected to be at the conference center when they attend full capacity?

It's not a back and forth.

And I'm just I so there's about 200 parking spaces.

Is that literally enough to support the number of people who may have to drive into Frederick City for that specific location on top of all the other consolidated construction going across town?

Is there considerable parking, or is there available public transit that can be invested in to support some of this to alleviate some of the problems on the streets?

I also would like the council to consider the amount of construction that is happening, how much it affects the streets themselves.

The roads in town are kind of crappy right now.

Um and they need to be redone, especially when the weather is decent, because when the weather gets bad and the snow plows come through town, it only makes the roads worse.

And then another consideration for the development.

I just want you to consider the cost like the compounded effects of how much construction is going on downtown.

Is it gonna cause flooding if we have severe flooding this fall during hurricane season?

Like I I just some things to consider.

I appreciate some of the beautiful things that are being built in town.

This sounds like a nice piece of um development, but I also am a citizen who spends time in town and don't want to always have to pay for parking and parking in a parking garage that has thousands of cars.

Like, is there consideration for how many buildings are being built?

Do citizens have the ability to park in town?

And finally, there's a lot of development in town.

Can we get some housing for our houseless comrades who are sleeping on this on Carroll Creek?

Thank you.

There's no public comment.

Okay, our first item to motion and move forward is our memorandum of understanding the second amendment with the amendment.

Sure.

So I'll make a motion to approve uh item A with the change to item 1xB2A3, the change to page two to change Vermont and hospitality partners to Carroll Creek Lodging LLC.

Second.

We have a motion and a second.

All in favor.

It's five zero.

Thank you very much.

Second item is the master development agreement.

Move for approval of the master development agreement.

Second.

First and second, all in favor.

That's four.

Sorry.

Five zero, thank you.

And the agreed material terms of the City of Frederick loan to Carroll Creek Lodging LLC.

Move for approval.

Second.

First and second, all in favor.

It's five zero.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

We'll keep you in the loop as we move it forward.

Thanks.

Okay.

How are we doing?

All right.

We're gonna take a we're gonna take a 10-minute bio break.

Um, our next item will be the approval of the annexation agreement for high glen property.

So we'll take a 10 minute break and come back at let's say let's make around 740.

Thank you very much.

The reasoning is okay.

We are back, and we are considering the approval of the annexation agreement for high glen property containing 71.94 acres on the west side of Yellow Springs Road, north of Christopher's Crossing for the purpose of developing a portion of the annexed area in accordance with our four low density zoning, low density residential zoning districts.

Here presenting is Director Collar.

Thank you very much.

Gabrielle Collard with the planning department again.

Um so this is a request uh for an annexation.

Uh annexations are generally, since we revised the code a couple of years ago, made up of three components.

We have the resolution to adopt the annexation plan.

We have an annexation agreement, and then we have the final resolution, which actually adjusts the municipal boundaries and brings the property into the city of Frederick.

So I'm going to discuss all three kind of cumulatively, kind of like last request, happy to answer any questions.

We do have the applicant with us here this evening, so I will jump in.

Um the first step in in annexation process is obviously to evaluate the proposed impacts of the development, um, what's proposed for the land, what the potential capacity of it is, and then to think about how it impacts our public facilities like schools, roads, water and sewer, um, public safety services to evaluate those impacts and to understand and start to think about how services will be provided.

Um, the annexation plan is that tool.

We receive water and sewer study analysis, traffic impact analysis, we consult with um various different departments and agencies within the city and externally to start to understand those impacts, and then we look at the ways that the development will provide for them.

Uh, in this case, that analysis was based on one of the terms in the annexation agreement itself, which is capping the development at 256 residential units, and that would be under the R4 zoning district uh with the um potential or the the requirement to develop as a planned neighborhood development.

In addition, the annexation plan also looks at how this relates to our comprehensive plan and our long-term growth uh policies, which are captured in our municipal growth chapter element of the comprehensive plan.

In terms of the various impacts the project will have the the way the development will be served and how they'll accommodate for those occur through a couple of things.

Some of those are in the terms of our annexation agreement, where there are certain exactions that we talk about on a per unit basis or uh contributions they'll be making towards infrastructure.

If annexed, then there are the regulatory tools that we have available to us to evaluate and assess requirements based on those impacts.

Uh that includes our adequate public facilities ordinance, and that would be for any off-site impacts that the the developer needs to mitigate for because they're inadequate.

Uh we also have our standard regulatory requirements for on-site construction, obviously.

Developers are required to construct roads and utilities that serve the property itself, the sidewalks, the street trees, the public infrastructure contained within the development.

In terms of our analysis of the comprehensive plan and how this relates to it, our comp plan does identify tiers of growth, a priority being infill and redevelopment within our existing municipal boundaries, tier two being on the periphery.

These are properties that we've already assumed will be our next growth area.

They are accounted for in the Potomac River Water Supply Agreement as well.

So we've started to think about the demand they'll have for water water needs as we develop.

We do find that the request to annex is consistent with the municipal growth policies, and that through the terms of the annexation resolution or agreement and the regulatory framework, that the services necessary to support the development will be adequate at such time when they're evaluated.

Jumping into the second component, which is the annexation agreement, and that's actually, I believe, the first vote on the agenda that you'll be making this evening.

As I said, this a term, this agreement establishes the terms under which development of the property will occur.

Many of these terms stem from our analysis of the annexation plan.

There are a couple that I did want to highlight.

We discussed these in some detail at our work session, but I think they're important to note tonight as well.

First paragraph three, that's committing the developer of the property to develop under the planned neighborhood development provisions or similar at such time.

And this gets back to the conversation about how we want to see new development designed and the density of it and the feel and the walkability and access to it.

The PND provisions to a sense cluster, they allow for different unit types than would normally be allowed in the base zone of R4.

So single family units are the only type of dwelling units normally allowed in R4.

Under PND, a developer can compose townhouses, multifamily, duplexes, two over twos to create a more dense urban feel, conserving land for parks, open space, forest conservation, et cetera.

It also caps the development at 265 number of units, exclusive of any MPDUs that may be constructed.

Paragraph 4 requires a regional infrastructure contribution of $8,000 per unit.

We discussed at the work session the staff requests that there be an annual escalation when we annex property.

We don't know when it's going to necessarily move forward.

The applicant will probably testify this evening that it's not their intent to develop right away.

So we want to make sure that a dollar we get today and a dollar 10 years ago still provides meaningful impacts to us.

So that escalation clause has been added in, and that would be applied from the time that the county grants the waiver of the zoning consistency requirement or express approval to the time the first building permit is issued, and that that overall increase would not be more than 15% over the life of the project.

Any off-site improvements required under the APFO could be deducted from that regional contribution.

Paragraph five is the contribution to the new water tank that's necessary to serve the high pressure zone.

We also discussed this at our work session, but since then that applicant has put a dollar value on the per EDU payment that they'll be making, and that is $2,000 per EDU.

Once again, subject to that same escalation clause.

Paragraph 10 speaks to the construction of the North Branch Trail, and this has been updated some some since our work session as well.

As we discussed, we have design plans for the section of the North Branch Trail that extends from Christopher's Crossing to the Kellerton project in proximity to this, just to the east.

That alignment takes the trail through the Whittier PND, which is adjacent to the site.

We do not have funding, even though we have a design for that, but anticipate seeking grant funding as well to compensate for that, but likely there will be need for matching funds.

The applicant has agreed to provide an easement on their property for the section of path.

If the design plans through the Whittier PND do not materialize, that would be an alternative alignment.

Or in the event that the development proceeds before the city is ready to build the section of the North Branch Trail.

So before we funding to construct it, if the development does move forward, they would be responsible for constructing that section within the easement on their property.

In the event that the city does move forward prior to the developer, there's an obvious opportunity lost for us to have the developer contribute to this improvement that will obviously serve the residents of its community.

So in response to that, the applicant has proposed to increase the regional infrastructure contribution by $150 per unit, so it would be $8,750 per unit that the city can then use to construct trail improvements throughout the city.

So that would be in the event that the developer does not construct the section, they would be paying if if we beat them to it essentially, and we construct the North Branch Trail section, then they would be not refunding because at that point it's probably constructed, and if it was provided through grant funds that's been spent, but it does provide us a great opportunity to take those funds and apply them elsewhere as we grow our trail system.

As I said, the last component is the annexation resolution itself, and that is really the formal document that says we have annexed the property.

Um and your decision on that should be based on the annexation plan and the terms of the annexation agreement in support of our comprehensive plan goals and our municipal growth uh policies.

Happy to answer any questions.

Let me just say it's been a it's been a minute since we had this uh workshops, but I will say that at that time we talked about the sort of somewhat unusual, although very appreciated proactive nature of this annexation request.

Um, and so I just wanted to repeat that.

It there's been a lot of work, a lot of investment from our team.

I appreciate all the back and forth.

Um the staff report is very thorough, I thought, and I also thought that uh it seems, and we're gonna hear from the applicant, but it seems like there were some concessions that were made that made it a little bit easier for you all to to represent the city and and make sure that this was being done in a way.

So it takes a lot of investment from the applicant to be proactive, but it also takes a lot of investment from our team.

So I just wanted to say thank you for that, and thank you for making this happen.

Um are there questions to Gabrielle before we hear from the applicant on this?

Okay.

Let's hear from the applicant if you would like to, or oh looking at Jeremy, but Bruce is getting up.

Uh good evening, uh, Council President Nash, members of the city council.

Uh, for the record, my name's Bruce Dean.

I'm an attorney with the law firm of McCurdy Dean and Gradator here in downtown Frederick, representing the applicant.

Um, also with me this evening are Jeremy Holder and Jonathan Pembroke of with Osherman Properties, Mary Patton with Fox and Associates, who's the project planner and engineer, and also uh Marvin Osherman, who is the principal owner of not just the uh Great Southern portion of this property, but also um what people know as Marvin and Renee's house, which is actually owned by a trust.

Um we also actually represent the two property owners who are part of this annexation who haven't been mentioned yet, uh, the Faith Reform Presbyterian Church on the corner, and we'll be talking about the rezoning on that site in a minute, as well as the Johnsons who own one of the houses uh located currently in the county along Yellow Springs Road.

Um I do want to thank Gabrielle and staff for all of the hard work that's gone into this annexation.

Um people think that we show up here and have all this ironed out.

We actually filed this application over a year ago, um, and it has been that long of a process going through the various city processes, um, going through planning commission DRC, your work session, and um council member Nash or President Nash, as you were aptly put it, there's been a lot of negotiation as part of the annexation agreement.

Uh we heard loud and clear from you all uh at the work session that that there were certain additional concessions that you wanted to be made.

Um, Mr.

Osherman has agreed pretty much across the board to make them.

We included the escalation clause, we included reimbursement dollars for the shared use path.

Um we included a number for the per unit payment towards the water tank, which was not just a number plucked out of thin air, that is our actual pro rite of share uh as of today based on the construction costs of that water tank.

So as annexation agreements go, uh this one is very, very thorough.

It's uh it does include pretty much everything uh reasonably that we could offer to answer the questions and the needs that you all brought up and that were brought up at Planning Commission.

Um I do think it would be hoove us to let the public know who who may not have been here through all that one year's worth of meetings, but Mr.

Osherman has made it clear, and our and our annexation agreement does reflect that it is not his intent to develop this property any time soon.

And someone asked me, well, then why would he want to subject it to being put into the city's jurisdiction at this point?

And uh the answer is fairly straightforward is um he knows the five of you.

Um he's worked with all of you for for many years now.

You're entering into a new election, not where just your seats are all up, well, except for Council President Nash, but there are also going to be seven council members as opposed to the five.

And so um, like any smart business person, Mr.

Osherman wanted to negotiate with the people he knew and knew you know what you were looking for, knew that you were reasonable people and knew that um with goodwill we could we could come to an agreement in the annexation agreement on the terms due to the the city.

Politics change, growth policies change.

Um but right now this is as Gabrielle said, this is a tier two property.

It has been long been expected to be annexed.

It was not just in the Potomac River Water Supply Agreement, it was in the famous 2002 Chester Water study that uh originally uh when Mayor Holtzinger wanted to know exactly how much water the city could serve, they just sort of drew a line around the city, and this property is within that line, and it's been studied so therefore for public infrastructure for over two decades.

So, like I said, it's been long been expected to be annexed, but the good news is uh for those people who like to drive along Christopher's crossing and Yellow Springs Road and look at the beautiful grounds and beautiful home that Mr.

Osherman has built there, it's not gonna change anytime soon.

Um the only difference is Marvin will get to vote in the city election because he will be a city resident pretty soon.

Um he will also get the benefits of uh police city Frederick police protection.

Um and then when it is time to to develop the property, he will be working within the city's jurisdiction, not Frederick County's, because Frederick City, as you all know, has its own planning and zoning jurisdiction.

So for all those reasons, um we do ask for your approval of all three of the items that Gabrielle discussed.

Our whole team is here to answer any questions.

Um, but this has this is sort of the end of a very long detailed road that we've been through.

And um we think it's been a successful negotiation.

So with that, Jeremy, anything you want to add?

So we're here to answer any questions if you have any.

So thank you.

Are there questions up here?

Not a question so much as a let's be clear, it's not a trade-off.

You don't get to vote in this primary election.

You have to be in the city, right?

So I I I mean, of course it's not there.

Bruce, and the things that you say it makes it sound like it's it's it's not.

It's not a trade-off or voting in the city.

So this is a like I said, it was a very heavily negotiated.

And over a long period of time.

And over a long period of time.

But you know, people were gonna ignore that, and what we're gonna see in the newspaper tomorrow is not gonna be that.

I don't talked for the newspaper.

It's not that I don't trust you, Nolan.

It's that I don't trust the editors to put around.

I understand that.

Uh and I I I gave up years ago worrying about what I say, how it's gonna come out in the newspaper.

It feels like they always pick out the one thing I said that was stupid and use that.

So thanks.

This it's probably a good time to, just as a general policy discussion, very very shortly, very, very shortly.

Um I know my council members, it's been a pleasure to serve with people who understand that when we control the annexation process and we are proactive in annexing land, that it's in our growth tiers, that we as a city then are able to manage our growth more appropriately and you know make those plans that we talk about doing, and and then we see them to fruition.

So um it's a very important thing that we do on behalf of the residents, um, including our future resident, of course.

But um, I think all of us up here, I'll just say that I think we've we've done a good job up here of managing that that process in a in a reasonable way because it's just so important, especially for a fast growing county like that like Frederick County.

So I I will say that over my decades of doing this, the um the depth that goes into the analysis of annexations has uh grown exponentially and not in a bad way, in a very protective way of the city and its residents.

Um, everything Gabrielle was talking about, about all of the analysis that goes into.

When people call me and say I want to annex my property, I say you've got to really be sure that you do because the city is gonna go through this with a fine-tooth comb, and you're gonna spend a lot of money doing studies and analysis is because they're not gonna annex you if they don't feel like they can serve you.

So it's a great pro it's a very thorough process.

It goes way above and beyond what the state requires.

So the city should be proud of itself.

Well said.

So I'm gonna take public comment now.

Is there public comment on either one of the items that was presented?

Hi, Aaron McNabb.

I'm a uh county resident at Yellow Springs Road, um a little bit past the property.

I wanted to give my support of the annexation.

Um partly because it's property that is gonna end up, you know, cities gonna grow.

That's what cities do.

Uh one of the ways of reducing the cost of housing that has been an issue.

Some of the other uh members have mentioned is having more housing, right?

It's just a supply and demand issue.

Uh something else that got brought up was the traffic that the uh hotel would be bringing in.

Well, I we don't also have to always build new parking spaces.

There's other means of transportation.

Um Mr.

Oshman is has been kind in uh his negotiations on the land and funding of the bike trail.

Uh and I support it partly for that as an avid cyclist as a means of providing transportation into town that's gonna reduce greenhouse gases, take cars off the street, reduce the infrastructure spending uh on roads, and uh you know a little bit outside of what we're talking about there, but further funding of bike infrastructure.

I think it would go to helping the city um be more of a city and not just a through-way traffic area.

I think what when people think of a city, they think of something you know that you can enjoy being in, not how fast you can drive from one end to the other.

Uh so as it's being developed, consider traffic but alternate ways to handle the traffic, not just build more roadways.

Thank you.

Additional public comment.

Nope, okay.

So Rachel, I just want to check in.

We have three agenda items, but it's one resolution, right?

On the what's what no, you have an agreement and then two different resolutions.

A resolution to adopt the plan and then the action.

Okay.

Thank you very much.

Okay.

I'll entertain them.

I'll entertain a motion.

So I move for approval of the high Glenn Annexation agreement.

Um with the following findings of of fact.

Give me a second here.

I just had it and I took it down.

It's an agreement.

You don't need to be findings.

Great.

We'll just leave it.

Oh, second.

First and second, all in favor.

It's five zero.

Thank you very much.

Next item.

That was all one discussion.

So we're we're just gonna do all three of them straight in a row.

Okay.

Do I need to pull up findings of fact for this one?

No, no.

I move for approval of the resolution for adoption of the annexation of the highland property.

Second.

First and second, all in favor.

It's five zero, thank you.

My third one's come up.

You want me to do it?

I'm not sure about I'm not sure that I see the difference between the number two and number three at B and C number two is the annexation plan, and then the final resolution is the actual resolution to annex the property.

So did I say it properly?

The second one.

We've done A and B.

So we're on C, right?

You've done A and B, yes.

So you're on C.

I move for approval of the resolution to annex the Highland property.

Second.

First and second, all in favor.

Oh, can I say never so that I think thought I'd see the day?

Five zero.

Okay.

Uh the next item will be quasi-judicial.

Before we go on, um, just a little bit of editorializing from me now that we've approved that set.

Uh my family and I used to live in Whittier, and it was always a great joy to see the movement of the sculptures, and everybody would talk about it, especially when the kids were little.

He knows what I'm talking about.

And I'll just say that there are many, we have many folks that take care of their homes.

And it's just we I think sometimes we take it for granted when people so much put so much energy and time to make beautiful spaces for the enjoyment of others.

So I just wanted to say thank you before we moved on for that.

Uh let's see.

Next item.

I got some stuff to read that we're gonna do a cheat sheet here.

That Rachel so nicely.

Uh this is Clara's first public hearing.

She's clerking, she's doing an amazing job.

Thank you.

Uh Phyllis, our clerk also runs our elections, and she is also doing an amazing job, and we so appreciate the work that she does.

Sorry for the editorializing.

Well, I okay, here we go.

So our next item is the approval of an ordinance to rezone 4.08 acres at 8158 Yellow Springs Road, the Faith Reformed Presbyterian Church from R4, Low Density Residential to apply the institutional floating zone.

This is a quasi-judicial hearing.

If you intend to testify on this manner, please stand if I when I administer the oath.

So this is if you're gonna offer public comment on this item.

Do you solemnly swear to affirm that the responses given and statements made in this hearing will be the whole truth and nothing but the truth?

If so, please answer I do.

I do.

Thank you.

I'm just gonna give a brief order that gives you some idea of what is going to be heard.

So the hearing will be conducted in the following manner.

We're gonna have the presentation from staff, we're gonna have the presentation from the applicant.

We'll have testimony in support or in opposition of the application.

We'll have rebuttal by the applicant if applicable, and then we'll have a council discussion and motion, council action.

Um just really quickly, reasonable cross-examination will be permitted.

If you wish to cross-examine a speaker, you may wish you may request to do so prior or immediately after that speaker has concluded his or her or their testimony.

Questions must not be preceded by any statements, repetition questions, and examination, and a relevant or irrelevant matters will not be permitted, and council members are permitted to ask questions any time during the hearing.

Please proceed.

Thank you again.

So this is the rezoning of a portion of the property that we just annexed.

This is its own independent parcel, and it is the home of the Faith Reformed Presbyterian Church.

When we annexed just now, uh we we zoned the property R4, which is that low density residential district, and uh places of worship are not permitted in the R4 zoning district.

So that has the ramifications of creating a non-conforming use for this split second in time.

Um while that that property is currently zoned R4.

Non-conforming uses um are that is not an ideal situation for anyone to be in, although it is a tool we have to start to influence change in our community when we want to see different land uses um move out and other land uses come in.

That's not the case here.

Uh, we don't want to intentionally zone this non-conforming because we uh it is an existing use that intends to stay there.

So we don't want to create constraints on its ability to grow and change, uh now that it is in the city.

So this request is to place the institutional floating zone, which allows for places of worship as well as other um places of congregation like schools, etc.

Uh since we couldn't apply the institutional floating zone at the same time we annexed, we treated that like an original zoning or comprehensive rezoning of the property.

This action immediately following is um bringing the use and the zoning into conformance.

Generally, when we look at applying a floating zone, the council has to consider the proposed development and if it complies with the criteria for the particular floating zone requested, in this case the IST.

You have to look at the proposed development's compatibility with the character of the existing uses in the vicinity, and then it um confirm that it's in harmony with our comprehensive plan.

We have an existing use, so some of the work and challenge of documenting that is um is easy.

Uh we know the use is there, we can evaluate it for its uh relevancy and proximity to other uses and how compatible it is.

We know that it's not producing any population growth and that it's not changing transportation patterns or um creating any other demand on public facilities than how it already currently operates.

Uh once annexed and zoned properly.

If the church does come in for an addition or you know, any any new construction that would follow our all of our regular site plan development approval processes, including evaluating under the APFL for any additional impacts.

So, with that being said, uh the ordinance that you have in front of you to rezone does go through systematically each of the criteria that you need to consider um offering findings, but they really are in the context of the existing use.

Um, so not as substantive as you've seen in other cases where we're really evaluating um the impacts of a brand new use.

With that, I'm happy to answer any questions, and of course we have the applicant.

So we have a presentation by the applicant, unless there's questions up here.

Uh good evening again, Bruce Dean, on behalf of the applicant.

Uh in this case, it's just the faith reform Presbyterian Church.

Um, and Gabrielle stated our presentation beautifully.

Um again, it's been a collaborative effort between the applicant and staff for the last year.

Um we made sure that the application we filed for the IST floating zone met all the criteria it found in the land management code.

Uh so with that, we're here to answer any questions and ask for your approval.

Um public comments.

Okay.

I move for approval to rezone um the faith reformed Presbyterian Church as has been presented this evening with the following findings of fact.

I do have to find fact this time, right?

Um there will be not there will not be any population change.

There uh public facilities are available at this site for what they will be using.

Um the there are transportation patterns that this will fit in with.

It is compatible with the existing and proposed development for the area.

Actually, it was there first.

Um the comprehensive plan land use element policy one encourages development and redevelopment to be compatible with the character of existing development.

Again, it was there first, so in my mind it's that's an automatic.

Um that's enough.

Is there a second?

Uh it looks like Ben McShane uh uh Councilmember McShane is looking to second, and he has his hand up.

I can tell on him.

Did he second?

Okay, fantastic.

I didn't hear it.

I'm sorry.

Yep, thank you.

So we have a second.

All in favor.

Looks like five zero.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Okay, our last item is the approval of an ordinance to amend Chapter 13, Article 2 of the Frederick City Code, stopping standing parking.

I have no backup on this.

Yeah.

Hold, please.

I have it, it's I have on the website, it isn't in Granicus.

No, no, ma'am.

It's it's on the when I see something that doesn't have backup in in Granicus.

I possibly should not make the assumption that it's not going to be heard, but I do make that assumption because my backup's not there.

So if we're hearing this, I'm gonna recuse myself.

Okay.

Yeah, I have it, I have it because I use the website.

I don't generally get on the website to look for backup.

Okay.

Would you like to proceed?

Yeah.

Thank you.

Good evening, uh, Richard Griffin, Director of Economic Development.

Uh I have with me this evening Steve Johnson, the parking manager, and uh Rob LeBear and the assistant parking manager.

I'd like to uh recognize and thank um Mike Fryer, assistant city attorney for working on and preparing this ordinance and also Rachel who's worked on it uh as well.

Um this ordinance will update and clarify many of the provisions within Chapter 13, Article 2 of the City Code related to parking, standing and stopping of vehicles.

Um the ordinance delegates much of the authority to the manager of parking to do certain things, uh including establishing designated parking areas, prohibiting parking in certain areas and at certain dates and times to adopt a digital parking enforcement system among many other things.

This uh ordinance did come before the uh government operations committee on July the 17th and received fair amount of uh discussion at that time.

Uh I can certainly answer any specific questions or try to, uh, but we also have Rachel here and Steve and and Rob to answer any technical questions.

Have there been changes from what was per proposed?

There were a few changes that you all asked for.

I'm sorry, I should have said that that were made in the ordinance, yes, ma'am.

And you have both a red line copy and you have a clean copy.

So my red line is not a red line.

It's just yeah.

So the challenge here is that I didn't catch that before, and I should have.

That's on me.

Because I did watch the presentation at committee.

If are you prepared to to amend it on the spot and we can talk through it?

If we need to make some changes, if we need to make some changes and Rachel is comfortable with it, certainly, absolutely.

It it appears to me that the changes are like I don't think there's anything we need to add on the fly.

It's just that you can't see the changes on the where it says it's a red line copy.

But it was basically, if I recalled uh concerns that while this addressed the fact that we'd be going to electronic parking and meterless parking, we still needed to have a provision in there that be but while we still have meters, we can still enforce the meters.

And then I know there is an additional change that uh um was brought to me by a resident uh to add prohibiting parking in bicycle lanes, which we had not thought of before, and that went to AMAC with a recommendation.

So I know that that is that is a change in there just to prohibit the parking standing stopping in bicycle lanes.

Does the state permit parking in bicycle lanes?

Is there not a state law against that?

Or is there a state law against that?

The issue is with state with the enforcement of state laws means that there has to be a uh state citation issued.

It doesn't give us local authority, but so that's why we have all these different as well.

And Rachel, correct me if I'm wrong, but like yeah, you can't park on a fire lane in the state of Maryland, but we have a local ordinance, you can't, so that we can our local authorities can write a parking ticket for it.

And the city benefits from that.

As I recall, I've asked more than once to add to our state to our local parking ordinance while parking across driveways, and that I would continue to be told it's just it's in the state law.

It's in the state law.

So let's make up our minds.

Before we move on, Rachel, are there any other changes that you want to draw attention to?

Uh yeah, and I apologize.

I'm not sure what happened with the red line version.

Um we did prepare one.

Um and we also did, and I'm just double checking, but we went back in in response to the concern about meters and made sure that there are still provisions in this ordinance that address um enforcement by traditional parking meters.

So we added that language back in.

So um again, so we we still have that ability.

That was one of the concerns discussed at the committee meeting.

Uh I think beyond that it was just some general, you know, clarification wording changes.

I don't believe there are any other major um substantive changes after the last discussion.

If you'd prefer, we can certainly um get you the red line version as well.

So red lines, I I always appreciate a red line, I always ask for red line, but red lines are a courtesy in terms of they aren't we we have the we have the final version posted, so I I'm I'm hesitant to to hold anything up because of that.

I should like I should have done the side-by-side comparison, and I didn't, and that's okay.

And preferably we would have a red line to make that much smoother.

All good, you know.

Um can we also make sure that we look into this granitis issue?

We continue to have conversations about improving Granicus and making Granicus work better, so we definitely want to also make sure that happens.

Um but in terms of the the conversation was robust, and I'm looking through this and see the relevant changes.

So I'm prepared to take public comment unless anybody else has any comments up here just to see if there's any folks that feel strongly about not updating this to reflect the changes, recommended changes.

It doesn't look like we have a lot of public comment on this one.

So it's back up here.

I'll move for approval of the ordinance.

Sir Okay, all in favor.

Looks like four, all opposed, and all abstaining.

And council member, I just want to make sure because you raised your hand, you're you're for the ordinance.

That's how I that's how I recorded you.

Councilmember McSheen, I'm sorry.

Four, correct?

Correct.

Okay.

Councilmember, did you have comments?

Are you good?

You look like you were getting ready to no, I I just you know want to I don't abstain very often at all.

Um, I abstained, it's it's for a very specific reason, right?

Um we have found things at the very last minute sitting up here many times.

Um that's all I'm gonna say.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Uh we're gonna take public comment again.

If you have additional public comment, this would be the time to provide that.

Okay.

And then it's back up here.

Uh Councilmember McSheen, I'll take you last again.

Um, same Council Vice President, Councilmember Ksimchak.

So uh we do it's council business and then public comment, correct?

Not the opposite way.

Sure, we can do additional public comment a third time.

That would be just No, that's what I have in my okay.

Do you have comments?

I do.

So and it's just very quick.

Um I uh thank you for those um who carefully spoke about um the resolution that is, and I'm gonna say it again, calling for the end of U.S.

complicity in ongoing violence across the world, which includes Gaza.

So um while I do appreciate those of you who are here for Gaza, please understand that my resolution is not directed only at one.

Um and and I do believe that the United States needs to stop providing war machines throughout the world.

Um so um the the newspaper refuses to um call it what it is.

I can't do anything about that, but um I thank you for being here.

I want to let you know that I will not be making a motion to move it forward again.

Um that it's political theater without the the support to do that, and and that's not that's not fair to anybody.

It's not fair to you, it's not fair to me, it's not fair to my colleagues.

So this will be the last that I will bring it up unless I think we have a chance.

Thank you.

Thank you for being here.

Councilmember Russell.

Councilmember McShane.

Okay, nothing for me.

Additional public comment then.

Okay.

With that, we are oh, go ahead.

I'd just like to say for the record, um, Benjamin and Telsack, president of Frederick County.

I spoke to Shackle uh Councilman Shacklford out in the hall just several minutes ago, where he told me he was gonna offer um some public comment on on this issue of this resolution finally.

So uh I'm I'm disappointed he said that when he didn't intend to, um unless he still does.

Councilmember Shackelford had dental surgery, so I'm he's probably short of speech tonight.

Um that is it for the would you like to offer public comment?

Now's the time to do it.

I would.

Um how do we feel about uh Nelson Mandela?

We enjoy Nelson Mandela, yeah.

Yeah.

Nelson Mandela.

Speaking on Palestine, I'm using his words.

This is not mine, doesn't represent my beliefs.

Nelson Mandela said, we will do everything we can peacefully.

We will bring peace in every way we can.

We will start no fights over this.

But at the point the peace gets us nowhere, violence may arise.

I'm not claiming that's anything I would do, but I am just quoting the words of Nelson Mandela.

Additional public comment this evening.

I realize and uh respect um the notion of not bringing up the resolution once more.

Uh at the same time, my hope for this council and future councils, is that there be a more holistic approach to governance?

That we are living in a society, as we all know, that is practicing more and more flagrantly illegal activity.

Um that this is not an ordinary time.

This is not a conventional approach to the way that we would like to see ourselves governed and the way that we would like to see ourselves behave.

That when we have a deterioration of international and domestic law, all of us are at risk.

And so the question remains what will the government do?

What will the channels of government, be they local or state or federal, do?

And again, my hope is that you will see fit to move in a way that is more holistic, more comprehensive in the way that we see ourselves becoming what we ideally would like to see ourselves become.

And I understand the fear, the consternation, the notion of wanting to avoid divisiveness.

And at the same time, that is something that would ask all of you to find in your hearts a different way forward.

To I know all of you are loving people.

You want to do good.

And we need to have that reflected in this new way forward, if you will.

Thank you.

Paige Quarry from the southern part of the county.

Councilman Shuckleford, um, I'm sorry that you had dental surgery and that you're unable to speak.

You clearly were able to speak to somebody out there.

You just don't want to be on the record.

I just want to acknowledge children are literally getting their limbs cut off without anesthesia.

Thank you.

Let me be clear.

I said I will make a comment when I'm ready.

One will not no one.

How many more have to die?

With that, we are adjourned.

Thank you very much.