I don't know if I know they're going to be in a room.

Let us stand for the Pledge of Leech.

Welcome everyone.

Approval of minutes for June 5th, 2025.

Is there a motion?

And move for approval.

Second.

Motion by Councilmember Kazinchak.

Second by Councilmember Russell.

All those in favor?

Motion carries three zero.

First item our agenda is East Frederick Rising MOU.

This item would be presented by Richard Griffin, Director of Economic Development.

And Heather Goddard from East Frederick Rising.

Good afternoon.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman, members of the committee.

Richard Griffin, Director of Economic Development.

I'm presenting on behalf of Mary Ford Nail, who is our staff member who is staff to this organization, but she was unable to be here today.

East Frederick Rising, as you all remember, was created early in 2000s.

They created the East Frederick Plan back in 2010 that was ultimately adopted by the city and kind of gave rise to a bigger vision for connected streets and livable neighborhoods and economic development on the east side of downtown.

And the organization has gone through ebbs and flows, but I want to let you know that they've been working very hard, and I'm certain that you've seen many of their much of their work posted on social media and uh and through other uh communications channels.

They've been working to rebuild the organization, rebuild the board, uh, and work hard to um to to build a vision that um that the residents from the east side can uh can buy into along with the uh the businesses on that side.

With me today is Heather Goddard and Heather is the president of the board.

I do want to mention to you that East Frederick Rising is a uh they are a 501c3, they are in good standing with the state of Maryland, and they did at one time have a memorandum of understanding with the city.

That memorand memorandum of understanding uh terminated a number of years ago, and so they've been operating without any uh formal MOU with the city.

Nonetheless, um my department and the planning department uh have continued to attend their meetings, their board meetings, and participate with the organization.

Uh they have requested, and I think they've talked to and met with a number of you to talk about if it the time is right for them to come back and have a new memorandum of understanding with the city.

So they've drafted one, staff has taken a look at it, we've made some edits on our side, they've made some edits on theirs, and they uh and we have in front of you today a draft of that MOU.

Um in the MOU, of course, it talks about the responsibilities of East Frederick Rising, but it also talks about the responsibilities of the city, um, mostly to recognize them as a partner organization to provide representatives to their board in accordance with bylaws and to recognize the relationship that we have with them, uh promoting uh events and programs and and things like that.

They also are asking for financial uh consideration in the MOU over three years in the amount of 30, 50, and 60,000.

Um that's where they had hoped to begin the conversation.

Uh and with that, I'd like to turn it over to Heather to kind of give you more information about where the organization is.

I certainly am here to answer any questions that you have from a staff perspective.

Um they have met with members of our mayor's office and of course um uh you know the community.

So Heather, you can introduce your team too.

All right, thank you.

Thank you so much, Richard.

Um my name is Heather Goddard, and I'm the president of the board of directors of East Frederick Rising.

Uh here with me today are three other members of the board of directors.

We have Vicky Understein and uh Kathy Ross and Hannah Nickerson.

Um I do want to thank uh the city and especially the Department of Economic Development, Richard Griffin, um, throughout the years that I've been on the board uh and in the board president since uh 2023 for their support.

Uh we have uh had a enjoyed a very good working relationship, and I feel that we wouldn't be where we were are today without their support.

So your guys' ongoing support has has been uh extremely helpful as we rebuild and push forward with our initiatives over the last few years.

Um so thank thank you very much for entertaining this um this MOU that we have to do.

Certainly.

There we go.

Goodness.

Okay.

So East Frederick Rising's last presentation to the Board of Aldermen, now known as the City Council, was at a workshop in September of 2024, so 10 months ago.

At that time, our goal was to demonstrate the growth and development we had undergone as an organization thanks to an 18-month period of rebuilding.

In the 10 months since that reintroduction, EFR has remained steady on the path we committed to following, in which we've been able to successfully launch several advocacy campaigns.

Personal one-on-one meetings, and we've been able to share public comments with the city council on projects over the um 10 months since our last presentation with you.

Using the current average household size of 2.23 people, we can project a population growth in East Frederick of about 9,000 people.

So we're going to go from 6,500, we're going to add 9,000 people.

And the length of time that developments projects projects take to complete varies widely, it could be five years, seven years.

But it's significant to be aware that this population growth is coming and ask important questions about how life with that many new Frederictonians in East Frederick is going to be.

And ask ourselves how can we maintain or even improve our high quality of life that we enjoy here?

So these are big picture concerns and the reason for EFR's existence.

To ensure that the revitalization and redevelopment of the East Side of the Frederick of Frederick City meets the needs of all stakeholders.