Rockville Mayor and Council Meeting - August 3, 2026: Grants to Nonprofits Work Session and Proclamations

The Mayor and Council of Rockville met virtually on August 3, 2026, at 5:30 PM. The meeting featured proclamations for National Night Out and the National Day of Service and Remembrance, approval of the consent agenda, and a detailed work session on proposed changes to the city's grants to nonprofits program. The work session focused on three key questions: adopting five impact focus areas, prioritizing one or two areas in FY28, and creating a streamlined renewal pathway for high-performing programs. Council provided feedback and direction to staff, with majority support for the impact focus areas and the renewal pathway, but no consensus on prioritization at this time.

Proclamations

• National Night Out: Mayor Ashton read a proclamation declaring August 4, 2026, as National Night Out in Rockville, highlighting over 20 community events across the city and the Rockville Police Department's participation to build community trust. The proclamation was moved by Councilmember Willary and seconded by Councilmember Van Grack, passing unanimously.
• National Day of Service and Remembrance: Councilmember Jackson read a proclamation declaring September 11, 2026, as a National Day of Service and Remembrance, honoring victims of the 9/11 attacks and encouraging community service. The proclamation was moved by Councilmember Jackson and seconded by Councilmember Van Grack, passing unanimously. A remembrance event is scheduled for September 11 from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM at Courthouse Square Park.

Consent Calendar

• Item 9A: Award and authorization for the City Manager to execute a contract with Ferguson Enterprises, LLC (Tysons, VA) for RFP 30-25 – Advanced Metering Infrastructure Project.
• Item 9B: Approval and authorization for a change order (Contract #18-24) with Boulevard Contractors Corp (Owings Mills, MD) for the Lincoln Park Community Center Renovation Project, in an amount not to exceed $316,719, for a revised total of $1,277,738.
• Item 9C: Approval and authorization for the City Manager to execute the Moderately Priced Dwelling Unit Rental Program Agreement and Declaration of Restrictive Covenants for Twinbrook Place between the City and Twinard Limited Partnership, subject to legal form approval.
• Item 9D: Authorization for the City Manager to execute a grant agreement with the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration for FY2023 Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program for the Maryvale Park to Redgate Park Shared Use Path Study.
• Item 9E: Award of MWCOG/Montgomery County Cooperative Lead IFB #1180960 for road deicing salt to Morton Salt, Inc. (Chicago, IL) in an amount not to exceed $1,000,000 per year, aggregate not to exceed $5,000,000.
• Item 9F: Authorization for the City Manager to execute a Settlement Agreement with Norair Engineering Corporation. All consent items were approved unanimously via a motion by Councilmember Van Grack, seconded by Councilmember Jackson.

Work Session: Grants to Nonprofits Program Design Changes

Staff (Nick Shushka, Collective Impact Manager, and Sarah Mazel, Program and Grant Specialist) presented proposed changes to the city's community services and enrichment grants and community empowerment matching grants. Key proposals included:

• Adoption of five impact focus areas: Housing Stability, Economic Mobility, Youth and Family Success, Service Access and Navigation, and Community Enrichment and Belonging.
• Streamlined renewal pathway for high-performing programs (up to two years of renewal with modest cost-of-service adjustments, subject to available funding).
• Creation of a mini-grant program for awards up to $10,000 with simplified requirements.

Council discussion included:

• Councilmember Van Grack supported the impact focus areas and the streamlined renewal pathway, but opposed prioritizing one or two areas in FY28, preferring to allow nonprofits to align with any of the five.
• Councilmember Jackson supported the overall direction, raised questions about definitions (e.g., household stability vs. housing stability), and emphasized the need for data before prioritizing specific areas. He supported the streamlined renewal pathway.
• Councilmember Shaw supported adopting the impact focus areas but wanted more data before prioritizing. She also raised concerns about terminology, suggesting 'community resiliency' might be more inclusive, and stressed the importance of including seniors in the youth and family category.
• Councilmember Valerie strongly supported the impact focus areas as a necessary prioritization tool, supported the streamlined renewal pathway, and suggested incorporating equity focus areas aligned with the city's JEDI strategic plan. She also raised concerns about grants to Montgomery County-run programs and the use of grant funds for lobbying.
• Councilmember Dr. Miles supported the five areas, did not see a need to prioritize one or two, and supported the streamlined renewal pathway with appropriate guardrails.

Key Outcomes

• Question 1 (Adopt five impact focus areas): Majority support from council; staff directed to proceed with adoption.
• Question 2 (Prioritize one or two areas in FY28): No consensus; council generally opposed prioritization at this time, preferring to allow all five areas to be competitive. Staff will not prioritize specific areas for FY28.
• Question 3 (Streamlined renewal pathway): Unanimous support; staff directed to implement the pathway for high-performing programs, with criteria including meeting at least 80% of metrics and compliance with grant requirements.
• Next steps: Staff will finalize program changes based on council feedback, communicate changes to grantees via application materials and technical sessions in September, and launch the FY28 application in October 2026. The mayor requested that staff review timing to ensure continuity for existing grantees, especially for the mini-grant program.

Boards and Commissions Appointments

• Anna Day Long was appointed to an expiring three-year term on the Human Rights Commission until April 1, 2027.
• Richard Hoffman was appointed to an expiring three-year term until July 1, 2028. Both appointments were approved unanimously.

City Manager's Report

• City Manager Jeff Mahilwick invited participation in the Economic Development Strategic Plan, with a survey available on Engage Rockville.

Mock Agenda and Old/New Business

• The council reviewed the mock agenda for a future meeting (no action taken).
• Mayor Ashton noted that the council will be on recess during August, with no meetings scheduled, but city operations continue.

Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at approximately 7:05 PM.