Housing, Health, and Education Committee Meeting – June 5, 2025
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Housing, Health, and Education Committee Meeting – June 5, 2025
The Housing, Health, and Education Committee of the City of Frederick met on June 5, 2025, at 10:03 AM to discuss rental licensing fund utilization, affordable housing zoning options, a public art work plan, and a climate resiliency work plan. The committee approved minutes from previous meetings, heard public testimony, and moved forward with several action items.
Consent Calendar
- Approved minutes from April 17, 2025, May 1, 2025, and May 15, 2025 (all votes 2-0).
Public Comments & Testimony
- Jim Smarsall (downtown Frederick): Supported outsourcing rental assistance to Beyond Shelter but questioned the use of 80% DC Metro AMI limits and asked about local AMI development, foreclosure prevention, and the eligibility period for affordable units.
- Kevin Stellner (East History Street): Noted the original 50-50 split between rental and home ownership funds and asked if home ownership programs would be addressed.
- Eric Anderson (Habitat for Humanity Frederick County): Supported option two (incentive by-right zoning) for affordable housing, citing predictability and faster approvals. Recommended waiving fees and expediting reviews for deeply affordable or permanently affordable projects.
- Reverend Shannon Sullivan (Trinity United Methodist Church): Expressed support for zoning options that allow churches to use property for affordable housing.
- Hugh Gordon (Frederick County Association of Realtors, Chair of Affordable Housing Council): Strongly supported option two, emphasizing that time and predictability are critical for affordable housing projects.
- Ann Ryan (Frederick Housing Solutions Task Force / Coalition for a Healthier Frederick): Supported option two, particularly for houses of worship, and stressed that 60-80% AMI is not enough for those earning under $30,000/year.
Discussion Items
Rental Licensing Funds Utilization Overview
- Staff (Guyan Sampson, Chief of Staff) presented recommendations: $263,970.50 for rental assistance through Beyond Shelter (eviction prevention, short-term subsidies, rehousing); $80,000 over three years for JR Capital Build (co-living projects creating up to 20 affordable units at $6,666.67 per unit); and $150,000 annually for Habitat for Humanity's Home Repair Program (35+ additional projects annually).
- Councilmember Donna Kuzemchak questioned the lack of home ownership focus and the use of DC Metro AMI. She also asked about preserving existing affordable housing stock and requested that Habitat and Beyond Shelter ensure city funds are additive to, not replacing, other funding. Staff clarified that the RFI was broad and that decisions can be adjusted.
- New Housing Director Stewart (day 4) noted that HHS could potentially handle rental counseling in the future but currently lacks capacity.
- Motion made by Councilmember Kuzemchak and seconded to move approximately $263,970.50 to a rental assistance partnership with Beyond Shelter; this will be brought to the full City Council for a hearing. The affordable housing conservation portion (JR Capital and Habitat) was held for further discussion.
Continued Discussion of Housing Work Plan: Zoning
- Staff (Gabrielle) presented two options: a floating zone (requiring rezoning by city council) and an incentive by-right zoning (codified incentives applied through standard planning commission process).
- Councilmembers expressed support for option two (incentive by-right). Councilmember Kuzemchak raised concerns about missing elements: fee-in-lieu removal, form-based zoning, and local AMI. She emphasized these must be addressed together. Councilmember McShane argued that by-right incentives are essential to avoid lengthy approval processes.
- Committee agreed to proceed with drafting an ordinance for option two, with additional work on defining affordability, incentives, and integrating other housing policy components. Staff will provide pros and cons and examples from other jurisdictions.
Public Art Work Plan
- Staff (Layla) proposed an ad hoc committee to develop a public art policy. Councilmembers instead directed staff to draft a policy based on best practices, with input from the Public Art Commission and the committee, rather than forming a new committee.
- Staff will return with a draft policy and continue work on an arts and culture web page, collections management database, and cultural asset map.
Climate Resiliency Work Plan
- Staff provided a brief update: a draft work plan is being finalized and will be used to schedule briefings. Councilmember Kuzemchak requested prioritization of water quality/stormwater management, energy efficiency, waste recovery, and community outreach.
Key Outcomes
- Motion passed: Committee voted (2-0) to recommend to the full City Council approximately $263,970.50 from the rental license special fund for a rental assistance partnership with Beyond Shelter.
- Directed staff: Draft an ordinance for an affordable housing incentive by-right zoning overlay, with further analysis of specific incentives and affordability thresholds.
- Directed staff: Draft a public art policy for committee review, rather than forming an ad hoc committee.
- Climate resiliency: Staff will proceed with the draft work plan and schedule briefings, with priorities noted.
- Next steps: Staff will bring back more detailed proposals on the affordable housing zoning ordinance and public art policy in future meetings.
Meeting Transcript
Well, everybody, I realize that it's 10, but right now it's just me sitting up here. So we're gonna give it a minute or two and hope one of my colleagues shows up within the next couple of minutes, and if not, we'll go without them, I suppose. Um I call the meeting of the housing health and education committee to order it is 1003. Um we will start with saying 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, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Thank you, everybody. Um approval of minutes, April 17th, 2025. So moved. I'll second that. All in favor. May 1st, 2025. So moved. All in favor. Um May 15th, 2025. So moved. Second. So all of those are two zero. Okay. I think we've gone as far as we can go now without Guyan. Um I'll just start. Um the first the first thing that we're gonna have a conversation about is the rental licensing fund utilization overview. Guyan Sampson from the mayor's office is here to give us a presentation on that. Thank you, Guyan. Hello, everyone. I'm sorry. My cousin um is here today, and she's in the hallway, so I was very excited to see her, so I'm sorry that I'm running a little bit behind. Lovely to have family. Yeah, our grandmother came home from the hospital this week. So we're very excited, but she's here. That's why you're excused. Uh good morning, uh, Madam Chair and members of the committee. I'm Guy and Sampson, the chief of staff to the mayor. Sorry I don't have my jacket on. Um but on May 1st, the city council passed ordinance G twenty-five zero nine, amending chapter twelve point five of the city code to restructure the use of the rental license special fund. This fund is now equally divided into two distinct streams a rental assistance fund, a affordable housing conservation fund, and our goal today is to seek feedback and concurrence on how to prioritize the use of the funds for the highest possible impact. At the council's request, the city issued a request for information and RFI to guide funding allocation for the affordable housing conservation funding. Eight organizations indicated interest in submitting proposals. Staff shared the RFI directly with developers throughout the county and multiple trade associations. Three groups submitted complete responses. Staff have thoroughly reviewed the proposals and recommend moving forward with two primary partnerships for housing conservation and one for rental assistance. Um for rental assistance is about 264,000. Uh, we recommend our partner be beyond shelter. Beyond shelter is an established and respected uh rental assistance provided in our community. Their program includes uh eviction prevention, so people who are one times in their arrears or short-term rental subsidies, rehousing, um security deposits, and first month rents for those at risk of homelessness, and rapid housing. The time allotted, uh the time limit is subsidies about three to twelve months for those who are already homeless. Um the program is highly flexible and responsive to the various financial or housing crises included in relocation support for tenants affected by the city's rental inspection program. Um the eligibility for this is household earnment below 80% AMI, seniors and people with disabilities, and those facing acute financial harasses, but capable of sustaining housing long term. Um they have a track record for this in 2023, 2024, they beyond shelter assisted 828 households and achieved 99% retention at three months, 96% retention at six months, and 95% retention at 12 months. The biggest thing here is that uh I'm not the biggest important thing.
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