Government Operations Committee Meeting - June 5, 2025: MOU Review, Charter Amendments, and Digital Parking Ordinance
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Government Operations Committee Meeting - June 5, 2025
The Government Operations Committee met on June 5, 2025 at 2:00 PM to review several memorandums of understanding with nonprofit partners, discuss potential charter amendments related to elections, and consider a comprehensive update to the city's parking ordinance to accommodate digital parking systems.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes (May 15, 2025): Approved unanimously (3-0) on a motion by Councilmember Kazimczak, seconded by Councilmember Russell.
Public Comments & Testimony
No public comment period was held.
Discussion Items
MOU Review – Nonprofit Partners
Chief of Staff Guy Sampson presented an overview of six active MOUs with nonprofit partners, categorizing them into: capacity building, project-based, programming and facility use, marketing and destination support, and event production. Partners provided updates:
- Golden Mile Alliance (capacity building): The executive director has resigned; the organization is seeking a new director. Councilmember Kazimczak emphasized the need for strong fundraising capability, noting the match requirement is not fully met. Councilmember Russell requested that the job description highlight fundraising.
- Downtown Frederick Partnership (capacity building): Kara Norman reported the partnership has 5 staff and a $2.24 million annual budget. The city provides $101,000 operational funding plus $185,000–$195,000 for the ambassador program (which costs $385,000 total; half raised privately). Councilmember Kazimczak praised the partnership as a model.
- Friends of Baker Park – Culler Lake Phase 2 (project-based): A $900,000 combined investment. No representative present.
- Boys & Girls Club of Frederick County (programming/facility use): The MOU (expired in 2023 with auto-renewal clauses) provides below-market rent at the Burck Street Youth Center. Lauren reported doubled enrollment, 40 after-school kids, 25–30 daily attendance, and 80+ summer registrations. Councilmember Kelly raised concern about the lack of formal renewal documentation.
- Tourism Council of Frederick County / Visit Frederick (marketing/destination): Katie Rakard highlighted new visitor center exhibits, a mural with a city map, and upcoming walking tours and scavenger hunts. City provides $20,000 annually (FY23–FY26).
- Celebrate Frederick (event production): Jenn Martin reported the garden tour sold 100 more tickets than ever; the summer concert series starts June 7. The MOU expired March 31, 2025, and revisions are pending after July 4th events. Councilmember Kazimczak suggested moving "In the Streets" from September to October to avoid conflict with the county fair.
Councilmember Russell requested a comprehensive list of all city MOUs, their expiration dates, and designated city liaisons. Councilmember Kazimczak noted the need for a formal process for selecting nonprofit partners for use of city-owned facilities, rather than ad hoc arrangements.
Discussion of Charter Amendments Related to Elections
City Attorney Rachel Nesson explained the item was retained for general discussion about what would happen if no candidate filed for a council seat, but the sense of urgency has passed. Councilmember Kelly expressed concern that the topic was listed without prior notice or backup materials. The committee agreed to table the discussion for a later date.
Digital Parking Ordinance
Parking Manager Steve Johnson, Economic Development Director Richard Griffin, and Assistant City Attorney Mike presented a proposed rewrite of Chapter 13 (Article 2) of the city code governing parking. The current code does not address digital parking systems (e.g., ParkMobile, which generates ~60% of meter revenue) and gives many operational decisions to the Board of Aldermen. The rewrite would grant the Parking Manager authority to designate parking restrictions, durations, and prohibited areas. Griffin emphasized the need for flexibility without requiring council approval for every change.
Councilmember Kelly questioned the exclusion of traffic engineering and police from decision-making authority, citing a recent parking issue on Fifth Street that was handled by engineering. She also requested a redline version or side-by-side comparison of old and new code. Councilmember Kazimczak opposed delegating all parking decisions to the manager, preferring some council oversight. Councilmember Russell raised specific concerns about bus stop markings (section 1328) and the policy allowing vehicles with handicap placards to park at meters for double the time without payment—noting potential abuse, though Johnson confirmed that abuse is widespread and state law may govern the meter exemption. Nesson suggested a summary of changes and a separate presentation on the broader parking improvement recommendations. The committee directed staff to bring back a revised ordinance with clearer explanations, possibly with the full parking proposal, to a future meeting.
Key Outcomes
- MOU oversight: Staff to provide a complete list of all city MOUs with expiration dates and designated liaisons.
- Celebrate Frederick MOU: Revisions to be brought to council after July 4, and a discussion on rescheduling "In the Streets" to October will be included.
- Nonprofit partner selection: Council will explore formalizing a process for using city-owned facilities, potentially through an RFP or property disposition policy.
- Charter amendments: Tabled; no further action at this time.
- Digital parking ordinance: To be revised with a summary of changes (or side-by-side comparison) and brought back to committee. A subsequent presentation on the full parking improvement recommendations will follow.
Meeting Transcript
Call to order the government operations committee meeting for Thursday, June 5th. Let us stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. Underground Welcome everyone. Approval of minutes for May 15th, 2025. Move for approval. Second. Motion by Councilmember Kazimczak. Second by Councilmember Russell. All those in favor? Motion is carries three zero. Two items on our agenda today. First is a MOU review for nonprofit partners. This item will be presented by Chief of Staff Guy and Sampson. Afternoon, uh Chair, members of the committee back again. Um I'm missing the first page of uh my talking point, so I'm so sorry. Thank you. Good morning. And I mean good afternoon, Chair, members of the committee. Thank you for the opportunity to present an overview of several of the city's active memorandums of understanding with nonprofit, nonprofit partners at the request of the council vice president Shackelford. We brought forward MOUs that are in agreements with several long-standing partners to help advance the city's goals related to economic development, placemaking, youth services, and cultural programming. There are six MOUs included in your backup materials this afternoon. If there are any other specific MOUs this committee would like for the staff review and bring forward, we are happy to do that. As a way of background, the city enters into a number of different types of MOUs with organizational partners. This includes what are not limited to capacity building agreements, project-based agreements, programming and facility use agreements, event production and marketing, and destination support. You would like me just to jump in. Yes, proceed, please. Okay. So number one, the capacity building agreements. These MOUs provide direct operational funding to nonprofit partners to increase their staffing, strategic capabilities, and programming. The first one is the Golden Mile Alliance. This MOU supports quarter uh revitalization efforts along the city's west end. The city's contribution under the under this agreement has grown over the last fiscal years in fiscal year 24, 27,500. Fiscal year 20, I'm sorry. There was a growth to 75,000 into fiscal year 25, which is a 27,000 dollar increase. Um and then a hundred thousand annually in fiscal year twenty-five and twenty-six. No, if my colleagues have questions, we can take them as this time. So if if you wouldn't mind, Chair, either way, um, I would like to maybe hear from each of these partners and like where they are and and what they're like not half an hour, but you know, a couple of minutes at least for them to tell us kind of where they are with that is appropriate. Uh go to I don't think the Golden Mile Alliance is present at this time. I know um, I remember says he's not available, but Richard, can you can you put provide some progress on that, please? Thank you, Chair. That's great. Thank you, Chair Richard Griffin, Director of Economic Development. The current executive director of the Golden Mile Alliance is um is moving on to other opportunities and so uh is not able to be here today. We have continued to staff the uh the Golden Mile Alliance, and they are actively working on a number of fronts. Um with Centro Hispano on activities, entrepreneurial activities with each of the um small businesses up and down the Golden Mile, working to uh identify the property owners and development opportunities along the Golden Mile, and of course um to support the activities that the city has identified, including uh some of the resident focused um events uh out there. Uh beyond that, I don't have a whole lot more details. They have raised some of the match that they're required. I don't think they've raised the entire match. Uh thank you. I maybe I misunderstood or uh so when you said that the director, can you hear okay?
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