Rockville City Council Meeting Summary - December 15, 2025
Rockville City Council Meeting - December 15, 2025
Council members convened for a special session starting with a Pledge of Allegiance led by Girl Scout Troop 33089. Mayor Ashton and Council members highlighted the city's largest police officer swearing-in in history, significant park improvements including the planting of 219 trees, and Rockville's ranking in AARP's Top 10 mid-sized communities for retirees. The meeting opened with strong, unified condemnation of anti-Semitic hate crimes, praising the Police and Fire Departments for ensuring safety during a recent holiday lighting event and offering resources for victims of hate crimes.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Consent Agenda (Items A, B, C): Council unanimously approved:
- A $15,850 grant agreement with the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority for investigating below-grade resources at the Avery Road Colored Cemetery, the Benjamin Franklin Smith Homestead, and related sites. Councilmember Shaw noted the potential future support for the High Tay Cemetery.
- A $4.6 million contract for the Corinne Creek and Calvin Park Tributary Stream Restoration Project.
- Approval of the December 1, 2025 meeting minutes.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Ominu Boba Edge: A resident and former museum employee expressed strong opposition to her termination, alleging unlawful firing after requesting a schedule change to care for an ill son. She described a history of workplace retaliation, denied family leave requests despite medical documentation, and a failed $2,000 settlement offer from HR. She requested staff assistance to connect with legal aid and financial resources. Council agreed to have the City Manager arrange a meeting with staff to discuss support options.
- Drew Odiego Kamar: The speaker, evaluating candidacy for U.S. Congress or County Council, expressed strong opposition to current Montgomery County leadership and immigration policies. He stated that over 65% of the county budget supports "Latin America, Central America, illegals undocumented" and accused council members of severing ties from the US. He proposed cutting council salaries by half and criticized the "Squad" representatives, while pledging allegiance to the flag of "British America."
Discussion Items
- Planning Commission Appointments: Moving on reappointments, Councilmember Leary moved to approve Jeffrey Zions for a five-year term expiring January 1, 2030, and Meng Sun for a new five-year term expiring February 1, 2031. Council fully supported these appointments.
- Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Designation: Staff presented a proposal to designate the Rockville Metro Station and surrounding area as a Maryland TOD site.
- Staff Position: Staff supported moving forward with Rockville first due to its competitive advantages, including the recently approved Town Center Master Plan, MARC and Amtrak access, and the Rockville Visioning Study. They confirmed plans to apply for Twinbrook immediately after and Shady Grove later.
- Council Position: Councilmember Valeri expressed strong opposition to prioritizing Rockville over Twinbrook, arguing the decision was based merely on MARC access while Twinbrook faces higher pedestrian safety risks (high injury network intersections) and has a ready pedestrian infrastructure project. She felt the move lacked equity. Councilmembers Jackson, Shaw, and Van Grack supported the motion, acknowledging the strategic value of Rockville's current planning status but expressing a desire to move quickly on Twinbrook.
- Action Items: Staff committed to providing a timeline for Twinbrook and further data on the equity impact analysis regarding affordable housing.
- Federal Railroad Grant Application (Item 11B): Staff proposed adding the city as a partner to the MTA's grant application for the Federal State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Program. The project includes studying a new pedestrian bridge, a train hall, and potential accessibility improvements, including a third track north of Rockville.
- Council Position: Members expressed strong support for the project's safety and connectivity goals. They specifically requested that the letter of support explicitly state concerns regarding the impact of the third-track study on adjacent residents in Lincoln Park. Staff agreed to include this clarification. Discussion also covered short-term maintenance issues (glass, odor) on the existing bridge, which staff promised to address through existing partnership channels.
- Green Building Code Amendments (Item 11C): Staff introduced an ordinance to amend Chapter 5, Article 14, aligning the city's code with national standards while going beyond state requirements (e.g., EV charging installation, off-site renewable energy verification).
- Council Position: Councilmember Valeri requested further research on incorporating bird-friendly design standards (LEED certification criteria) and soundproofing requirements beyond current code minimums, citing Comprehensive Policy goals. Councilmember Shaw requested data on how these costs might impact rent. Staff agreed to research the impact on affordability, bird-friendly standards, and potential rent increases, with a return date in February.
- Fire Code Adoption (Item 11D): Staff proposed adopting the 2024 Fire Code to align with state mandates and enhance local safety.
- Council Position: Members supported the updates, which include increased setbacks for outdoor cooking (15ft to 20ft), micro-mobility charging distance (10ft to 15ft), and mandatory sprinkler retrofits for existing high-rises within 12 years. Concerns were raised regarding the cost of high-rise retrofits and potential impacts on HOA fees and rent. Staff confirmed two existing unsprinklered high-rises are engaged in the process and that federal grant programs may assist. Council waived the layover period and adopted the ordinance unanimously.
Key Outcomes
- Unanimous Approval: Planning Commission appointments for Jeffrey Zions and Meng Sun.
- Unanimous Approval: Consent Calendar items (A, B, C).
- Unanimous Approval: Resolution designating Rockville Metro Station as a Maryland TOD site.
- Unanimous Approval: Resolution supporting MTA's FRA grant application for Rockville Metro improvements (bridge/trail hall).
- Unanimous Approval: Adoption of the 2024 Fire Code amendments with the layover period waived.
- Unanimous Approval: Introduction of the Green Building Code amendments (to be returned for further research).
- Administrative Action: City Manager directed to investigate rent impacts of green code changes and provide a timeline for Twinbrook TOD application; City Manager directed to arrange legal aid meeting for public commenter Ominu Boba Edge.
- Old Business: Council expressed support for a stay on enforcement regarding deer fencing permits until the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite is finalized. Council agreed to draft a joint letter of concern regarding potential Wooten removal and Twinbrook study cancellation.
Meeting Transcript
31-25. I'm going to invite a very, very special group up. We have here with us Girl Scout Troop 33089. I want to welcome you and please join us in leading the Pledge of Allegiance. Well done. Thank you so very much. I'd like to turn it over to Sarah Taylor Farrell and Judy Penny for agenda review. Madam Mayor and Council members, there are no changes to this evening's agenda. Thank you. Welcome, City Manager Jeff Mahalik. Mayor Ashton, members of City Council, ladies and gentlemen, good evening, and happy holidays. Just a few things. I know most of you know this already, but I think the listening public would be interested to know. This past Friday, our Rockville City Police Department swore in seven police officers, again, seven police officers. It's our largest swearing in ever in the city's history, which is pretty cool. A lot of cities in our state and in and around our county are struggling recruiting police officers. I can actually say it's happening nationwide, but not in the city of Rockville. Our chief is here. I want to acknowledge Jason West here. He's really changed the culture. We're recruiting some of the best and brightest in law enforcement to the city of Rockville. Thank you very much. So I just want to acknowledge that. Secondarily, our parks crews are super busy. That seems counterintuitive since it's really cold outside, but they're super busy. They planted 219 trees over the past several weeks. They're also making a number of improvements to a number of parks all across the city, including Dogwood Park, Woodsmith, and Potomac Woods. So they're busy out there doing some improvements. We can enjoy them when the weather warms up. And then lastly, this is kind of cool and unexpected, maybe. AARP said that the city of Rockville is in its top 10 mid-sized communities in the United States for retired persons. That's pretty amazing. That's all I have, Mayor. Thank you. Thank you so much. Really appreciate it. I also uh just wanted to note that the events of this past weekend have been uh shocking for many people, uh both uh domestically and abroad. Uh and I want to thank the Rockville City Police Department and the Rockville Volunteer Fire Department who helped us have uh a Moor Garden uh partners create a manora lighting. Uh we know that safety is something we don't take for granted, and I believe that many people were feeling unnerved uh and unsafe, and you helped us to feel safe. So I wanted to just acknowledge that uh inclusivity opportunity and uh to say shout to Miyak and to just acknowledge that people are feeling concerned. Uh, and uh I appreciate the good work of the city to make sure that all of our events are safe and inclusive. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you. Councilman Van Crack. Um, and just to echo that, I know that there was a lot of concerns from the Jewish community um with regard to the safety um of the event in the lighting last night. And I also want to echo um my sincere thanks to the Rockville City Police Department, together with the Rockville Fire Department, the outpouring of both visible and I know um not visible protection efforts that were undertaken by the Rockville City Police Department were fantastic, and I can tell you that numerous people commented to me how safe they felt. But what much like what the mayor said, I think it's important to recognize um, given what transpired in Australia that not every community has the luxury of the safety that we had here in Rockville. And just to echo how important it is for us to realize the degree to which just in the past 24 hours on some of the social media postings with regard to yesterday's event, I received numerous anti-Semitic posts that were made public. And I think it's important to note um that that tolerance that there can be no tolerance of those types of actions because just as was said um by the mayor um when speaking last night, hate has no place in Rockville. And while there might be outlying statements which we must be combat, it's important to know that we can have a safe and wonderful celebration here in Rockville and feel safe because of those partners.
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