Frederick Mayor and Board of Aldermen Workshop & Business Meeting - October 23, 2024

The meeting convened at 3:00 PM on October 23, 2024, with a proclamation declaring Economic Development Week. The Business Meeting approved a routine surety release. The Workshop featured departmental updates from the Mayor's Office, a presentation on the election districting process, and discussion of a historic preservation agreement for the downtown hotel project. No public comments were made during the meeting.

Consent Calendar

• Release of Surety: Unanimously approved the release of a Cincinnati Insurance Company bond in the amount of $9,270.94 for the Costco Wholesale ADA Upgrades project.

Public Comments & Testimony

• None.

Discussion Items

1. Economic Development Week Proclamation

• Mayor Michael O'Connor read a proclamation declaring October 21–25, 2024 as Economic Development Week in Frederick, noting the city's over 80,000 residents, 53,000-person workforce, 57,000 jobs at 3,900 businesses, and that non-residential property owners represent over one-third of the tax base.

2. Office of the Mayor Departmental Update

Chief of Staff Guyan Sampson led presentations from six offices:

• Policy Advisor (Clara): Reported on policy research (rat abatement, Wi‑Fi in parks, school impact fees, single‑use plastics), assistance with charter review and legislative branch transition, and monitoring county/state legislation. Alderman Nash praised her work on county coordination and policy leadership. Staff provided positive feedback on her ability to manage diverse personalities and anticipate needs.

• Manager of Opportunity and Transformation (Erica Rorbaugh): Three days into the role, she outlined the Advancing Economic Mobility Grant (Gates Foundation partnership with Hood College and FCC) to help individuals in non‑credit programs with financial barriers; the ROYS program for opportunity youth; the youth center at 300 Scotty's West Lane; and plans to standardize workforce development programs (apprenticeships, returnships, internships).

• City Clerk (Phyllis Hane): Noted the office doubled in size with new staff (Chastity Thomas), implementation of Granicus workflow software for agendas, hiring of Haystack DNA for election districting, creation of a city‑only voter registration system, and recommendation to shift candidate filing from January 1 to February 1, 2025 to align with new district maps. Discussion arose about the clerk’s role under the new government structure; Mayor O'Connor acknowledged the position will have a “dotted line” to both branches, citing county attorney example. Alderman Nash supported the February 1 change but asked for robust communication.

• Emergency Manager (Nathan Up): Accomplishments included updating the Emergency Operations Plan (final draft in review), joining the Maryland Interstate Emergency Management Assistance Compact (MEMAC) for mutual aid, completing City Hall security improvements, and leading hazmat exercises. Upcoming projects: seven hazard‑specific annexes, security camera integration, NIMS training, and a cyber tabletop exercise (late winter/early spring). Alderwoman Kazemchek questioned why emergency management resides in the Mayor’s Office rather than with police; staff explained that emergency management focuses on coordination and planning across all departments, not just law enforcement, and that this structure is common in cities. It was agreed to provide additional research justifying the structure.

• Manager of Arts and Culture (Layla Jadala): Seven months in, she launched a cultural asset mapping survey, an Art in City Hall program, a collections management database for public art, and submitted three grant proposals (with Weinberg Center, Parks & Rec, others). Ongoing initiatives: strategic planning, conservation assessment, updating the public art commission resolution, and a percent‑for‑art ordinance. Alderwoman Kazemchek emphasized the need for external‑facing art (especially on the West End) rather than internal displays. Jadala noted community partnerships and placemaking efforts already underway.

• Manager of Equity and Inclusion (Keisha): Implemented employee affinity/community groups (women’s, disc golf, veterans forthcoming), improved HR processes to boost retention, restructured MWBE/SBR program oversight, created a regional equity training resource with GARE, hosted a successful vendor resource fair, and launched a re‑entry coalition (first meeting Oct 30). Upcoming: mentor‑protégé program, GARE year‑long training for city staff, language bridge initiative (52% Spanish, 10% African languages, 8% Chinese, 7% French), land acknowledgments with Piscataway Conoy tribe, and restart of the DEI advisory board. Alderman Shakelford praised the diversity and professionalism of the office.

• Manager of Communications (Alan Etzler): Reported involvement in over a dozen community events, hiring a digital media specialist (Molly Kilty) who conducted a website audit (draft to be shared). Since July, fulfilled 36+ interpreter requests, invested in a headset system for Spanish translation. Launched Foundant grant‑tracking software ($15,000 one‑time cost). Emphasized crisis communications (participated in dam‑break tabletop, working on cyber tabletop) and PIO training. Upcoming: budget town halls, state funding request integration, Harvest of Hope turkey distribution (Nov 20), and website reorganization to be more task‑oriented for residents. Alderwoman Kazemchek asked for clearer crisis text notifications and follow‑up on poor cell coverage in the city; the communications team agreed to work on standardized alerts and to use the mayor’s office for Verizon advocacy. Alderman Nash raised concerns about the grant‑making process and suggested outsourcing to the community foundation; she also noted the need to involve the new city council in communications efforts.

3. Election Districting Project

• Representatives from Haystack DNA (Andrew Drushler, Willie Desmond, Zach Coombs) presented the process for creating five legislative districts and two at‑large districts per Resolution 2420 (Sept 19, 2024). They outlined a typical districting process: public input, voting rights analysis, mapping criteria (equal population, compactness, communities of interest, use of natural boundaries, preservation of precincts). They will use Dave’s Redistricting App (free, online) and adjusted population data (excluding prison populations). Three initial map options will be presented the week before Thanksgiving; final maps targeted for mid‑January 2025. Alderwoman Kazemchek stressed the need for robust public engagement, especially for non‑tech‑savvy residents and given the holiday timeline; the city clerk noted a community engagement plan is being developed. The contract was awarded to Haystack after soliciting three firms – one did not respond, one had a much higher quote. No formal decisions were required at this session.

4. MHT Agreements Regarding Downtown Hotel Project

• Richard (from the Mayor’s Office) presented a proposed Memorandum of Agreement with the Maryland Historic Trust required due to state funding. Mitigation measures include site archaeology, documentation, public interpretation, and architectural salvage (including stone from an existing wall). The project involves removing the non‑contributing press room of the Trolley Building and the contributing WW Poultry/Byerley Tannery building. An additional $15 million in state funding requests (including $10M and $5M) was discussed. Alderman Nash expressed frustration that a majority of the board had previously opposed requesting additional state funds, yet requests continued; she stated she does not support additional requests. No vote was taken; the item will move to a future public hearing.

Key Outcomes

• Surety release approved unanimously (3‑0? The vote recorded as “That is 30” – likely a slip; board has five members, so unanimous is assumed).
• Election districting process formally launched with Haystack DNA; target to finalize maps by mid‑January 2025, with public engagement plan to be developed.
• Hotel project mitigation agreement to be scheduled for a public hearing; no vote at this workshop.
• Future workshop anticipated for additional updates (districting criteria input, budget preparations, and other legal agreements).