Rockville City Council Meeting 16-25 – June 9, 2025

This meeting of the Rockville City Council on June 9, 2025, included a city manager’s report, a community forum, a special presentation from the planning commission, a public hearing and action on a zoning text amendment to regulate cannabis dispensaries, action on personnel reorganization and policy changes, and approval of Maryland Municipal League legislative priorities. The council also approved consent items and deferred further revisions to the personnel policy manual for a future meeting.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Minutes (Item 9A): The council approved the minutes from a previous meeting without discussion.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Daniel Sherrol: Spoke about second-chance hiring and criminal justice reform, sharing his personal experience with incarceration. He urged the city and employers to give people with records a genuine opportunity, and advocated for “ban the box” initiatives.
• John Becker: Congratulated Chief West on his appointment. Urged the council to support a statewide stop sign monitoring system bill, noting that stop sign and pedestrian signal violations occur near Richard Montgomery High School. He also commented that the city’s election code update should be viewed as an “update” rather than “reform.”

Special Presentation

• Planning Commission 2024 Annual Report: Chair Jamie Espinosa, joined by Commissioners Susan Pittman and Eric Fulton, presented the commission’s 2024 activities. The report highlighted that the commission handled applications ranging from 291 multifamily units in town center to office conversions, all considered through the Rockville 2040 Comprehensive Master Plan. The commission noted robust but congenial debate, and a unanimous vote on the town center master plan. The commission also previewed its role in the upcoming comprehensive zoning ordinance rewrite. The council thanked the commission for its work but did not take questions at that time.

Public Hearing

• Zoning Text Amendment TXT2025-00270 – Cannabis Retail Establishments: The proposed ZTA would add cannabis dispensaries as a conditional use in areas where retail is permitted, with separation distances of 500 feet from sensitive uses (parks, schools, places of worship) and 1,000 feet between dispensaries. A second ordinance option included drive-through service for cannabis dispensaries, subject to the same conditions as pharmacy drive-throughs. The planning commission had unanimously recommended approval. Public testimony: Steve Van Grack spoke in favor, arguing that drive-throughs should be allowed for medical cannabis. John Becker asked for clarification on the 1,000-foot distance measurement. The council closed the public hearing after no other speakers.

Discussion Items

• Action on ZTA TXT2025-00270: The council debated whether to include the drive-through option and on-site consumption. Staff clarified that the council had previously decided not to prohibit on-site consumption. Councilmember Miles asked about enforcement and the relationship to alcohol sales regulations. The council voted 6-1 to adopt the ZTA that includes drive-through establishments, with one member (Councilmember Larry) dissenting due to concerns about on-site consumption. The record was closed and the ordinance was adopted.

• Personnel Reorganization and Revisions to Chapter 15: Staff presented multiple proposed ordinances and resolutions: (1) create the Departments of Procurement and Communications & Community Engagement, (2) establish certain positions as non-merit civil service (including deputy city manager, deputy city attorney, assistant city manager, and department directors), (3) amend the pension plan document, and (4) revise Chapter 15 of the City Code (including personnel policy manual approval, employment contracts, and personnel appeals board authority).

  • Department Creation (Ordinance 1): The council unanimously adopted the ordinance creating the two new departments, effective July 1, 2025, as already budgeted.
  • Non-Merit Positions and Pension (Resolutions 1 and 2): The council unanimously adopted the resolution updating the list of non-merit positions and the pension plan amendment. The additional pension cost is $23,000, already within the budget.
  • Personnel Policy Manual Changes (Ordinance 2): Extensive discussion focused on two major changes: (a) removing the restriction on city employees’ political activity (section 15-42B) to comply with state law, and (b) changing the personnel appeals board from a final decision-maker to an advisory body that would make findings of fact, with the final decision resting with the city manager, city clerk, or city attorney.
    • On political activity, the council agreed to remove the outdated restriction, but several members expressed concern about coercion and trust. The city manager committed to providing employee orientation and education on the state law and the city’s expectations. The council asked for a legal opinion on whether local laws could impose additional restrictions, to be provided before the next meeting.
    • On the personnel appeals board, the council debated at length. The city manager argued that the board should be advisory to avoid having laypeople overturn disciplinary decisions. Councilmembers Jackson, Van Grack, and others argued that the current system provides an accessible, independent check for employees, especially those who cannot afford an attorney. The council decided to keep the board as the final decision-maker but to extend the time for employees to prepare from 15 to 30 calendar days (a change that was supported). The council also agreed to keep the provision that the city manager must report any amendments to the personnel policy manual to the council. The council did not adopt the full ordinance that night, asking staff to bring back a clean version incorporating the changes discussed.

• Maryland Municipal League (MML) 2026 Legislative Action Requests: Staff recommended four priorities: (1) admissions and amusement tax legislation, (2) statewide stop sign monitoring in school zones, (3) preserving municipal highway user revenues and policing aid, and (4) regional transportation authorities. The council selected items 2, 3, and 4, authorizing staff to submit them to MML. The vote was unanimous.

Key Outcomes

• Approved Consent Agenda: Minutes approved.
• Adopted ZTA TXT2025-00270: Ordinance to regulate cannabis dispensaries, including drive-through service, by a vote of 6-1 (one nay).
• Created Two New Departments: The Department of Procurement and the Department of Communications & Community Engagement, effective July 1, 2025 (unanimous).
• Adopted Non-Merit Positions and Pension Amendments: Resolution updating the list of non-merit civil service positions and pension plan document (unanimous).
• Deferred Personnel Policy Manual Changes: The council agreed to extend the personnel appeals board preparation time from 15 to 30 days, but postponed adoption of the full Chapter 15 revisions pending a revised draft and legal opinion on political activity restrictions.
• Approved MML Legislative Priorities: Three priorities (stop sign monitoring, highway user revenues, regional transportation authorities) were approved for submission (unanimous).
• Next Steps: Staff will provide a clean version of the Chapter 15 ordinance and a legal opinion on local political activity restrictions. The council will also consider comprehensive state legislative priorities and bond initiatives earlier in the fall.