OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Rockville City Council Meeting Summary - November 3, 2025

Meeting Portal — Monday, November 3, 2025
BodyRockville, Maryland
SessionMeeting Portal
DateMonday, November 3, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 3:35:04

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Good evening, Rockville.

0:01

Today is November 3rd, 2025, and we are beginning meeting 26-25.

0:06

Colleagues, please join me as you're able, as well as those in the room and those watching online in the Pledge of Allegiance.

0:17

I Pledge Allegiance of the United States of America.

0:21

And to be a vote, which stands one nation.

0:35

So today is a special day.

0:37

We do once a month recognitions and proclamations.

0:40

And my colleagues and I have a couple of things to celebrate with the entire Rockville community today.

0:45

So I'll ask my colleagues, please join me in the front, and we will begin.

1:15

Okay.

1:19

Good evening, everyone.

1:22

The first recognition is to declare November 2025 as municipal government works month in Rockville.

1:30

I just wanted to pause and say we have some incredible staff here in the city of Rockville.

1:36

They do things that we don't even know and see behind the scenes, from making sure that our water systems are safe to making sure that our community is safe as we traverse, whether that's Rockville City Police Departments or public works or planning.

1:50

There are just so many people who are quietly doing what is needed to make it such a high quality community.

1:56

And so today we celebrate them, our everyday heroes of Rockville.

2:04

Whereas the city of Rockville was incorporated in 1860, and Maryland is home to 156 other municipalities.

2:12

Municipal governments represent the most responsive form of government, with individuals being able to directly access their elected officials and staff.

2:20

Now, therefore, the mayor and council of the city of Rockville, Maryland, do hereby proclaim and join the Maryland Municipal League in declaring the month of November 2025 as municipal government works months in Rockville, Maryland.

2:34

And we encourage everyone across Rockville to join folks across the United States to recognize and participate in the special observance.

2:43

Councilmember Van Graak moves a proclamation.

2:46

Councilmember Fulton seconds.

2:48

All those in favor, please raise your hand and say aye.

2:51

Excellent.

2:52

I would like to welcome Linda Moran.

2:54

She is the assistant to the city manager.

2:56

Would you like to say a few words?

3:01

Thank you, Madam Mayor, and members of the council and community.

3:04

As the city staff liaison to the Maryland Municipal League, I'm just very pleased to accept this proclamation.

3:11

It's a wonderful organization and it highlights all of the wonderful things that local governments and their communities do together.

3:18

Thank you.

3:20

Oh, sure.

3:29

Thank you.

3:30

Thank you so much.

3:32

Thank you.

3:37

Okay.

3:39

Next up, we have the proclamation in honor of Hospice and Palliative Care Month.

3:46

This is a proclamation that is very close to my heart.

3:52

My father utilized the wonderful and compassionate services of Montgomery Hospice toward the end of his life.

4:01

And when you have a chronic illness, you spend a lot of your life kind of thinking about the way in which your life will cease to be and a lot of time talking it through.

4:14

And I found that hospice care and palliative care both really show a tremendous respect and tremendous compassion and a wonderful approach toward helping people to ease on in the next journey of life.

4:36

And I'm really profoundly glad for that.

4:40

Whereas for more than 40 years, hospice has helped provide comfort and dignity to millions of people, allowing them to spend their final months at home surrounded by the people important to them.

5:00

Now, therefore, be it resolved that the mayor and council of Rockville, Maryland, do hereby proclaim November 2025 as National Hospice and Palliative Care Month, and encourage all residents to increase their knowledge about person-centered, holistic care for all individuals facing serious and life-limiting illness, discuss their health care wishes with those they care about, and mark this month with appropriate learning, sharing, caring, and outreach.

5:28

Madam Mayor, I move the proclamation.

5:31

Council Jackson, seconds.

5:33

All those in favor, please raise your hand.

5:35

Hi.

5:36

And we have Karen Brubaker Miller.

5:39

Is she here from Montgomery Hospice?

5:43

Wonderful organization.

5:45

Thank you.

5:47

Thank you so much.

5:50

Yes, thank you so much.

5:51

So thank you, Madam Mayor and members of the council.

5:55

Such an honor to be here on behalf of our organization, Montgomery and Prince George's Hospice.

6:00

And we've served this community for nearly 45 years.

6:03

We serve all patients, eligible patients, regardless of ability to pay, which is more important than ever in these times we're living through.

6:11

So I I can't describe hospice better than what a beautiful introduction.

6:16

But basically, our team brings expert care and kindness and compassion to the bedside.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Affordable Housing████████████████████████████28%
Arts And Culture█████████████████████21%
Public Engagement███████7%
Economic Development██████6%
Zoning And Land Use█████5%
Youth Programs████4%
Urban Planning████4%
Procedural███3%
Community Engagement███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Rockville City Council Meeting 26-25 - November 3, 2025

The Rockville City Council convened for meeting 26-25 to celebrate community members through a series of proclamations, discuss urban planning and housing policy, and review routine administrative items. The session opened with multiple recognitions for municipal staff, hospice care, Native American heritage, and veterans, followed by significant work sessions on arts policy and inclusionary zoning. Council members expressed strong support for continued affordable housing initiatives while requesting deeper data analysis before finalizing code revisions.

Consent Calendar

  • Contract Amendment: Authorization granted for a no-cost extension of a contract with the Maryland Energy Administration.
  • Public Art: Approval of the "Memory Wall" art proposal by artist Dinah Fisher for Lincoln Park, following a cost increase due to materials and community engagement.
  • Infrastructure: Authorization for a supplemental agreement with MDOT SHA for the Scott Veers Drive Shared Use Path Design Project.
  • Minutes: Approval of the previous meeting minutes.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • James Pontius: Expressed concern regarding a denied retroactive certificate of approval for a basketball hoop in the West Montgomery Avenue Historic District; Positioned for a compromise to allow the existing play area to remain rather than forcing removal, comparing the situation to a family being permanently banned from a shared resource.
  • Jeffrey Land: Raised concerns about financial exclusion and privacy regarding parking meters that only accept app payments; Positioned in favor of retaining cash/legal tender options to protect the unbanked and underbanked, citing federal and international precedents.
  • Diego Kamar: Made controversial statements regarding immigration and national identity while positioning against the current political climate and expressing admiration for Malcolm X and criticism of current statues.
  • Pat Reeves: Positioned appreciation for the city's democratic process and invited council members to visit Newmark Commons to view a specific plot of land concerning neighborhood concerns.

Discussion Items

  • Proclamations & Community Recognition:

    • Municipal Government Works Month: Council unanimously supported the proclamation recognizing city staff as everyday heroes, accepting the proclamation on behalf of the Maryland Municipal League.
    • Hospice and Palliative Care Month: Council unanimously supported the proclamation, highlighting the compassionate services of Montgomery Hospice; a speaker described their personal experience with hospice care with profound gratitude.
    • Native American Heritage Month: Council unanimously supported the proclamation recognizing Indigenous heritage and influence, despite no representative being present to accept it.
    • Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month: Council unanimously supported the proclamation; a resident shared a personal story of loss due to pancreatic cancer and positioned for reducing stigma around cancer diagnosis.
    • Veterans Day: Council unanimously supported the proclamation; Tim, a retired Army Major and American Legion member, expressed gratitude for the recognition and invited the community to upcoming ceremonies.
    • America Recycles Day: Council unanimously supported the proclamation; Erica Shinguar, Chief of Environmental Management, provided details on new compost drop-offs and paper shredding events.
    • World Day of Remembrance of Road Traffic Victims: Council unanimously supported the proclamation in response to pedestrian safety concerns; Kathleen Kleiman endorsed the need for greater community engagement and advocacy for Vision Zero.
    • Small Business Saturday: Council unanimously supported the proclamation; Maria Marsley M. B. King, a sustainable fashion business owner, expressed gratitude for recognizing her journey as a female immigrant entrepreneur.
    • Latino Youth Development Soccer Team: Council unanimously supported the recognition of the team's championship win; the team expressed pride in their academic and athletic achievements.

  • Arts and Cultural Affairs Ordinance Revisions (Work Session):

    • Staff Proposal: Manager Anne O'Dell proposed merging "Works of Art and Public Architecture" and "Art in Public Places" into one program, professionalizing administration, and changing the formula for private development contributions.
    • Council Feedback: Council members expressed general support for the professionalization and streamlining of the program but voiced concerns regarding the removal of the Mayor and Council's final approval for projects under $250,000. Mayor Ashton and Councilmembers Dr. Miles and Jackson positioned in favor of retaining a final review role for the full council to ensure community representation and accountability. Councilmember Fulton clarified that his support for efficiency is a principled stance against centralized power, not just meeting speed. All members requested prior feedback from the Cultural Arts Commission before proceeding.

  • Inclusionary Zoning Research (Work Session):

    • Data Presentation: Staff and researcher Colin Maloney presented findings on the Moderate Price Dwelling Unit (MPDU) program, noting a housing gap for households earning under 50% AMI and risks of cost burdens on market-rate housing if policies are too aggressive.
    • Council Support: Council members unanimously supported the four key staff recommendations: continuing the inclusionary zoning program, exploring policies to lessen cost burdens on market renters, exploring flexible payment-in-lieu options, and targeting lower incomes.
    • Data Requests: Multiple council members, including Dr. Miles and Councilmember Van Graak, positioned in favor of hiring a specialized consultant or ensuring the upcoming Housing Needs Assessment provides granular data on developer economics, market rate price impacts, and racial/economic outcomes before drafting new code.
    • Specific Concerns: Councilmember Jackson raised concerns about the lack of a formal waitlist for rentals and the difficulty of obtaining three-bedroom units; requested prescriptive code requirements for income targeting rather than current negotiations. Councilmember Valeri highlighted economic segregation and suggested exploring higher contribution requirements in high-income areas.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent Agenda Items: All four items (Contract Extension, Memory Wall Art, Scott Veers Drive Path, and Minutes) were approved unanimously.
  • Proclamations: All seven proclamations (Municipal Government, Hospice, Native American Heritage, Pancreatic Cancer, Veterans, America Recycles, Small Business) were adopted unanimously.
  • Work Session Directives:
    • Arts Ordinance: Staff were directed to incorporate feedback from the Cultural Arts Commission before drafting a final ordinance. Council is seeking to understand the full implications of removing Mayor/Council approval权限 for projects under $250,000.
    • Inclusionary Zoning: Staff were directed to utilize the upcoming Housing Needs Assessment to gather the requested nuanced data on market impacts and developer economics. Council members indicated a potential future motion to hire a specialized consultant if the Housing Needs Assessment does not sufficiently address the specific policy variables identified. The council agreed to continue negotiations on prescriptive income targeting and waitlist requirements in the upcoming code rewrite.
  • Meeting Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned ahead of schedule following a motion by Councilmember Valeri and a second by Councilmember Shaw.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening, Rockville. Today is November 3rd, 2025, and we are beginning meeting 26-25. Colleagues, please join me as you're able, as well as those in the room and those watching online in the Pledge of Allegiance. I Pledge Allegiance of the United States of America. And to be a vote, which stands one nation. So today is a special day. We do once a month recognitions and proclamations. And my colleagues and I have a couple of things to celebrate with the entire Rockville community today. So I'll ask my colleagues, please join me in the front, and we will begin. Okay. Good evening, everyone. The first recognition is to declare November 2025 as municipal government works month in Rockville. I just wanted to pause and say we have some incredible staff here in the city of Rockville. They do things that we don't even know and see behind the scenes, from making sure that our water systems are safe to making sure that our community is safe as we traverse, whether that's Rockville City Police Departments or public works or planning. There are just so many people who are quietly doing what is needed to make it such a high quality community. And so today we celebrate them, our everyday heroes of Rockville. Whereas the city of Rockville was incorporated in 1860, and Maryland is home to 156 other municipalities. Municipal governments represent the most responsive form of government, with individuals being able to directly access their elected officials and staff. Now, therefore, the mayor and council of the city of Rockville, Maryland, do hereby proclaim and join the Maryland Municipal League in declaring the month of November 2025 as municipal government works months in Rockville, Maryland. And we encourage everyone across Rockville to join folks across the United States to recognize and participate in the special observance. Councilmember Van Graak moves a proclamation. Councilmember Fulton seconds. All those in favor, please raise your hand and say aye. Excellent. I would like to welcome Linda Moran. She is the assistant to the city manager. Would you like to say a few words? Thank you, Madam Mayor, and members of the council and community. As the city staff liaison to the Maryland Municipal League, I'm just very pleased to accept this proclamation. It's a wonderful organization and it highlights all of the wonderful things that local governments and their communities do together. Thank you. Oh, sure. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you. Okay. Next up, we have the proclamation in honor of Hospice and Palliative Care Month. This is a proclamation that is very close to my heart. My father utilized the wonderful and compassionate services of Montgomery Hospice toward the end of his life. And when you have a chronic illness, you spend a lot of your life kind of thinking about the way in which your life will cease to be and a lot of time talking it through. And I found that hospice care and palliative care both really show a tremendous respect and tremendous compassion and a wonderful approach toward helping people to ease on in the next journey of life. And I'm really profoundly glad for that. Whereas for more than 40 years, hospice has helped provide comfort and dignity to millions of people, allowing them to spend their final months at home surrounded by the people important to them. Now, therefore, be it resolved that the mayor and council of Rockville, Maryland, do hereby proclaim November 2025 as National Hospice and Palliative Care Month, and encourage all residents to increase their knowledge about person-centered, holistic care for all individuals facing serious and life-limiting illness, discuss their health care wishes with those they care about, and mark this month with appropriate learning, sharing, caring, and outreach. Madam Mayor, I move the proclamation. Council Jackson, seconds. All those in favor, please raise your hand. Hi. And we have Karen Brubaker Miller. Is she here from Montgomery Hospice?

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