City of Frederick Mayor and Board of Aldermen Workshop & Business Meeting – April 10, 2024
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City of Frederick Mayor and Board of Aldermen Workshop & Business Meeting – April 10, 2024
The Mayor and Board of Aldermen of Frederick, Maryland, held a combined workshop and business meeting on April 10, 2024, at 3:00 P.M. in City Hall. The meeting covered routine approvals, a discussion of the proposed FY2025 fee schedule, a request to use school mitigation funds for portable classrooms at two city schools, and approval of a road mitigation agreement for a large development. Due to the absence of two aldermen, special ordinances requiring a four-vote majority were deferred.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes: Minutes from March 13, 20, and 27, 2024, were approved unanimously (3–0) with motions by Alderman Kazemchak and seconds by Alderman McShane. Aldermen Shackelford and Nolan Russell were absent.
- Grants: A re-approval of an amended Maryland Department of Health grant agreement for School Based Health Center funding was approved unanimously (3–0).
Public Comments & Testimony
- On School Mitigation Fee Use: M.C. Keegan-Ayer, Frederick County Councilmember for District 3 (which includes Hillcrest and Whittier elementary schools), expressed strong support for the proposed use of mitigation fees to install connected portable classrooms. She highlighted the safety and security benefits for students and families, especially given the unique needs of the Hillcrest community. Missy Dirks, a city resident and 27-year educator in Frederick County, thanked the board for the partnership and noted the capacity challenges facing schools.
Discussion Items
- Proposed Master Schedule of Administrative and Regulatory Fees for FY2025: City Clerk Phyllis Haynes presented a high-level overview of changes, including new airport tie-down fees, increases in water/sewer impact fees, a 10% stormwater fee increase, parking rate adjustments recommended by the Mobility and Parking Advisory Committee, comprehensive planning fee updates, annual towing fee adjustments, and Parks & Rec fee changes. Alderman Kazemchak questioned the quarterly tie-down fee ($500) not matching the monthly rate ($125) and asked for clarification that the monthly rate requires a one-year commitment. She and Alderman McShane advocated for a city-resident discount on golf fees at the city-owned course, currently operated as an enterprise fund. Director of Public Works Zach Kirchner noted that the course must break even and build capital reserves. The board directed staff to explore a 20% differential. Alderman McShane also asked staff to review whether property rental fees are cost-prohibitive and to ensure equity across parks. Planning fees were discussed; Alderman McShane suggested that fees for utility permits (e.g., pole fees) may be too low relative to staff costs. Staff committed to reviewing the issue. No vote was taken; the fee schedule will be brought to a future public hearing.
- Proposed Use of School Mitigation Fees: Victoria Venable (County Government), Paul Lebo (FCPS COO), and Janice Spiegel presented a joint county-schools request to use approximately $1 million in city-collected school mitigation fees to renovate a 12-unit portable and add connecting corridors at Whittier and Hillcrest elementary schools, both primarily serving city residents. The project would add pre-K capacity. Dr. Lebo noted that similar projects at Middletown Primary and Ballenger Creek Elementary have been successful. The board expressed general support but raised concerns about ensuring future projects such as the Hillcrest renovation and the CTC project are not neglected. Alderman Kazemchak emphasized that mitigation fees are separate from impact fees and should be used to add capacity. Alderman McShane asked about the lifecycle of the portables (15–30 years). The board directed staff to prepare a memorandum of understanding and a budget amendment for a public hearing. The Education Commission had already endorsed the request.
- Approval of a Mitigation Agreement for Roads with Monocacy Blvd EF Owner LLC for Oxford Monocacy: Chiran Aryal (Engineering) presented the agreement for a 480,000 sq. ft. R&D campus at 600 Monocacy Blvd. The total mitigation fee of $636,408 would be paid pro-rata upon building permits for each of three 160,000 sq. ft. buildings, with a small initial payment on the first permit. The developer’s project manager, Jonathan Pembroke, explained that the agreement does not change the total amount but only the timing. Board members asked what ensures the city will complete the related road projects (e.g., Monocacy and Gas House improvements, Patrick and Monocacy, etc.). Staff confirmed that many projects are already delivered or underway, and the city’s CIP process prioritizes projects based on collected escrow. The agreement was approved by consensus.
Key Outcomes
- Minutes and Grants approved (3–0).
- Special Ordinances (budget amendments for MD Health grant and MSAC grant) were deferred to a future meeting with a full board present.
- FY2025 Fee Schedule: No vote taken; staff to bring back revisions on golf fees and other items for a public hearing.
- School Mitigation Fee Use: Board support expressed; staff directed to draft an MOU and budget amendment for a public hearing. Timeline for implementation to be fast-tracked.
- Road Mitigation Agreement for Oxford Monocacy: Approved by consensus. Developer will pay $636,408 pro-rata with building permits.
- Upcoming Meetings: Board reminded that budget hearings would begin the next day (April 11, 2024) and that additional information on parking recommendations and school design would be forthcoming.
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon and welcome to the mayor and board of alderman workshop business meeting for the 10th of April. We begin with the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. Thank you. One undergone with liberty and justice for all. We have minutes to approve from March 13th. Move for approval. Second. Motion by Alderman McSemchek, seconded by Alderman McShane. All those in favor, that is three zero. Alderman Shackleford and Nolan Russell had previously notified us that they were unavailable for today's workshop. Minutes for March 20th. I I did watch it as you all had it, so I move for approval. Second. Motion by Alder Woman Kazemchak, seconded by Alderman McShane. All those in favor, that is three zero. Thank you. Minutes from March 27th. Move for approval. Second. Motion by Alderman Kazemchak, second by Alderman McShane. All those in favor, that is three zero. Thank you very much. We have a business meeting today. There will only be able to do some of these, one of these, because one and two of them are budget amendments, and we need four to vote for that. But we can do the first one. Items on the business meeting agenda are considered routine by the mayor and board heard at the workshop pursuant to the rules of procedure of the board. They'll be approved in one motion without separate discussion of each item unless a person present requests an item is removed from the agenda. An item that is removed will be considered separately, either at the end of the business meeting or a regular public meeting. If you would like an item considered separately, please say so when I announce the category category A is grants. I move for approval. Second. Second by Alderwoman Nash. All those in favor, that is 30. Thank you very much. We will have to skip the special ordinances for this meeting and come back to them. We have three items on our workshop agenda today. Item number one is discussion of a proposed master schedule of administrative and regulatory fees for fiscal year 2025. Good afternoon. For the record, Phyllis Haynes, City Clerk. I am here to present the um master fee schedule of which I any questions will be directed to the staff members behind me who have graciously come for that purpose. Just a brief overview as stated in your executive summary of where the changes are. And also they've implemented some new fees, uh, quarterly block tie-down fees, and landing fees for non-based aircraft over 12,500 pounds. Um has a new fee for water meter installation reinspection and adjustments to water and sewer impact fees and the stormwater management fee reflects the 10% increase in the mayor's budget. Industrial pretreatment has um it increased the minor industrial user and fall control permit fees to help cover the costs of maintaining the program. There are some fee um adjustments in the parking department as recommended by the mobility and parking advisory committee. Currently looking at those issues. Planning has been fairly static for several years, and this year has had a more comprehensive review, and so there are several changes in there. There is a separate explanation embedded in your fee schedule behind the planning to go through all those changes. Um the police have made changes to towing fees as they do annually.
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