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Record of Proceedings

Frederick City Council Meeting - February 19, 2026

City Council — Thursday, February 19, 2026
BodyFrederick, Maryland
SessionCity Council
DateThursday, February 19, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:16:08

Original source
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0:24

At this meeting of the February 19th meeting of the Frederick City Council will come to order.

0:29

We're gonna start with the Pledge of Allegiance.

0:31

We have some special guests from Troop 274.

0:33

They're gonna come up with that supposed to go right by the rib.

0:59

There you go.

1:07

Well now join please join us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

1:11

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God in the visible way with liberty, justice for all.

1:25

Thank you.

1:27

Thank you.

1:58

So moved.

2:00

Move by Councilmember Shackelford, seconded by somebody over here.

2:04

Oh Councilmember Hapkins.

2:06

All in favor.

2:07

Aye.

2:08

Pass 60.

2:14

Next up we have uh appointments.

2:17

First on the list uh appointment of John Temple to full member of the planning commission uh f full member of the planning commission completing a current term from February 20th, 2026 to July 18th, 2029.

2:39

Seconded.

2:41

Move by Councilmember Brent, second by Councilmember Hempel Irani.

2:45

All in favor.

2:46

One, two, three, four.

2:48

All opposed to passes four, two.

2:52

Next up, appointment to the Active Mobility Advisory Committee.

2:56

Appointment of Eric Jones for a four-year term from February 20th, 2026 to February 19th, 2030.

3:03

I move to approve.

3:05

Second.

3:06

Moved by Councilmember Taylor, seconded by Councilmember Bram.

3:09

All in favor.

3:10

Aye.

3:11

That's six zero.

3:14

And a reappointment of Missy Connor for a two-year term to the neighborhood advisory council.

3:19

Two-year term from February 20th, 2026 to February 19th, 2028.

3:24

So moved.

3:26

Second.

3:27

Moved by Councilmember Akin.

3:28

Second by Councilmember Bram.

3:30

All in favor.

3:31

Aye.

3:34

Four.

3:35

Oh, okay.

3:36

Six to zero.

3:40

Yes, I did.

3:41

We'll go back.

3:42

Uh an appointment of Gwen Kinsey to the Historic Preservation Commission for a three-year term from February 20th, 2026 to February 19th, 2029.

3:54

I move to approve.

3:58

Move by Councilmember Taylor, second by Councilmember Hemplerani.

4:02

All in favor.

4:04

I that's 60.

4:06

Thank you, Councilmember Bram for keeping me straight.

4:10

All right.

4:20

Certainly.

4:40

Um for arts funding.

4:42

But one of the delights of that day is to meet people from all over the state and and to see what people are doing.

5:04

They even had a Super Bowl commercial.

5:06

And uh we especially learned about the economic impact of the arts.

5:09

And I just want to to highlight a few things.

5:12

In the state of Maryland, uh the nonprofit arts organizations have 1.2 billion dollar economic output and generate 28.4 million dollars in state and local tax revenue.

5:26

And I think a lot of people think about the arts being extra, but they're very much not just a part of who we are and our identity, but they're an economic driver.

5:35

So I love Arts Advocacy Day.

5:40

No, sir.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Engagement███████████████████████████27%
Transportation Safety██████████████████████████26%
Zoning And Land Use████████████████16%
Community Engagement█████████████13%
Procedural████████8%
Arts And Culture███3%
Parks and Recreation███3%
Racial Equity██2%
Economic Development██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Frederick City Council Meeting - February 19, 2026

The Frederick City Council convened on February 19, 2026, at 11:00 AM. The meeting included routine approvals, public comments on snow removal and transit-oriented development, a public hearing on stadium signage, and a presentation on transit-oriented development (TOD) designation. The council also introduced a draft for a Land Management Code Review Commission.

Consent Calendar

  • Release of Sureties: Approved unanimously (6-0).

Appointments

  • John Temple to the Planning Commission (term Feb 20, 2026 - Jul 18, 2029): Approved 4-2.
  • Eric Jones to the Active Mobility Advisory Committee (term Feb 20, 2026 - Feb 19, 2030): Approved 6-0.
  • Missy Connor to the Neighborhood Advisory Council (term Feb 20, 2026 - Feb 19, 2028): Approved 6-0.
  • Gwen Kinsey to the Historic Preservation Commission (term Feb 20, 2026 - Feb 19, 2029): Approved 6-0.

Reports

  • A council member reported on Arts Advocacy Day, noting that nonprofit arts organizations in Maryland have a $1.2 billion economic output and generate $28.4 million in state and local tax revenue.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Robert Sharp (Rosemont area) expressed dissatisfaction with snow clearing of crosswalks on Rosemont Avenue; one of three crosswalks was never cleared, forcing pedestrians to walk in the road.
  • Christian Benford (750 Carroll Pkwy) urged the council to delay approval of the TOD designation application until pending pedestrian and bicycle plans (Let’s Move Frederick, East Street redesign, etc.) are completed, to prevent application denial.
  • Randy Cohen (Highland Trail owner, P.O. Box 278 Monrovia) expressed strong support for the TOD designation, requesting an expanded boundary beyond the standard half-mile radius. He highlighted the financial burden of infrastructure improvements on developers and the need for workforce housing.
  • Willie Mahone (President, Frederick County NAACP) criticized the previous redistricting process, citing a Haystack DNA report that found racial block voting in 6 of 19 elections over 8 years. He argued the council's adoption of a single majority-minority district (instead of the ACLU's proposed two) constituted voter suppression, but acknowledged the council's reconsideration of the matter.
  • Heather Goddard (President, East Frederick Rising Board) spoke in support of the TOD designation, noting it will unlock potential on the east side and encouraged monitoring of local policies to strengthen walkability.

Discussion Items

Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Designation

  • The mayor's office (Guy Samson, Alan Etzler, Ben Groff, Ben Smith) presented an update on state TOD legislation. The Maryland Transit and Housing Opportunity Act would not apply to the Frederick MARC station because it only covers stations with hourly service from 8 AM to 6 PM. Instead, the city is pursuing its own TOD designation application through MDOT, which allows local control.
  • Planning Director Gabrielle Collard and Brandon Mark presented the application for a TOD designation around the Frederick MARC station. The proposed boundary extends beyond the standard 10-minute walk shed to capture underutilized parcels. The designation would open state funding, technical support, and grant preference. Currently, 3,100 of 6,500 planned units on the east side are within the proposed TOD area.
  • Council members questioned the timeline of related plans (Let’s Move Frederick, downtown streetscape) and the lack of prior NAC review. Staff replied that the designation does not change local zoning and that plans are progressing (Let’s Move Frederick is in final internal review, downtown streetscape at 15% design).
  • The council voted 7-0 to approve the resolution supporting the TOD application.

Land Management Code Review Commission

  • Council Vice President Nash introduced a draft resolution to create a Land Management Code Review Commission, similar to a previous charter review commission. The draft includes sections on public engagement, values (affordability, equity, sustainability), and was developed by the Government Operations Committee. The council will hold workshops to refine it; no vote was taken.

Key Outcomes

  • Approved all consent items and appointments as listed.
  • Approved naming rights signage for IBEW Local 24 on the new batting performance building at Harry Grove Stadium, with internal illumination, by a 7-0 vote.
  • Approved the resolution to submit a TOD designation application to MDOT by a 7-0 vote.
  • Introduced a draft for a Land Management Code Review Commission for future discussion.
  • Council committee chairs provided work plan updates: Government Operations (charter changes, budget monitoring); Public Works (sidewalk maintenance study, brownfields code, data center regulation, housing strategic plan); Community and Culture (equity initiatives, youth programs, city special events, public arts, accessibility).

Meeting Transcript

At this meeting of the February 19th meeting of the Frederick City Council will come to order. We're gonna start with the Pledge of Allegiance. We have some special guests from Troop 274. They're gonna come up with that supposed to go right by the rib. There you go. Well now join please join us in the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God in the visible way with liberty, justice for all. Thank you. Thank you. So moved. Move by Councilmember Shackelford, seconded by somebody over here. Oh Councilmember Hapkins. All in favor. Aye. Pass 60. Next up we have uh appointments. First on the list uh appointment of John Temple to full member of the planning commission uh f full member of the planning commission completing a current term from February 20th, 2026 to July 18th, 2029. Seconded. Move by Councilmember Brent, second by Councilmember Hempel Irani. All in favor. One, two, three, four. All opposed to passes four, two. Next up, appointment to the Active Mobility Advisory Committee. Appointment of Eric Jones for a four-year term from February 20th, 2026 to February 19th, 2030. I move to approve. Second. Moved by Councilmember Taylor, seconded by Councilmember Bram. All in favor. Aye. That's six zero. And a reappointment of Missy Connor for a two-year term to the neighborhood advisory council. Two-year term from February 20th, 2026 to February 19th, 2028. So moved. Second. Moved by Councilmember Akin. Second by Councilmember Bram. All in favor. Aye. Four. Oh, okay. Six to zero. Yes, I did. We'll go back. Uh an appointment of Gwen Kinsey to the Historic Preservation Commission for a three-year term from February 20th, 2026 to February 19th, 2029. I move to approve. Move by Councilmember Taylor, second by Councilmember Hemplerani. All in favor. I that's 60. Thank you, Councilmember Bram for keeping me straight. All right.

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