Rockville Mayor and Council Meeting No. 22-26 – September 28, 2026

The Rockville Mayor and Council convened Meeting No. 22-26 at 6:30 PM on Monday, September 28, 2026. The agenda was reviewed with no changes. The City Manager reported on fall sports programs, city code updates, the economic development strategic plan, Farmstead and Redgate Park design work, solar initiatives, public art projects, and budget season preparations. The Mayor highlighted the Lincoln Park Community Center reopening as the city’s first solar installation, Rocktoberfest, a new Rockville Volunteer Fire Department ambulance, and a 250th anniversary time capsule.

Consent Calendar

• The Council unanimously approved consent items A-D: a purchase order to Mid Atlantic Truck and Equipment of Clinton, MD for one combination sewer cleaner truck for $654,432.17 under Sourcewell Contract #021726-SCA; ratification of the City Manager’s execution of Maryland Energy Administration FY2026 Local Government Energy Modernization Program grant agreements; authorization for the City Manager to execute Amendment 2 to the FY2024 Streetlight and Outdoor Lighting Efficiency grant agreement; and a resolution ratifying adoption of the JEDI Strategic Plan.
• Before the vote, Councilmember Valeri asked why item B had already been signed. The City Manager explained that this is rare and occurs when state grant deadlines require approval before the next Council meeting.

Boards and Commissions Appointments and Reappointments

• The Council unanimously approved: John Strome to the Compensation Commission (expiring term to Dec. 31, 2027); Daniela Dayman to the Education Commission as youth representative (one-year term to Oct. 1, 2027); Spencer White to the Environment Commission (three-year term to Feb. 1, 2029); Stacey Kapoitz to Rockville Housing Enterprise (three-year term to May 1, 2029); Marika Brown to the Sister Cities Corporation (three-year term to Sept. 1, 2029); Danielle Melton and Janice Frankel to the Ethics Commission (three-year terms to June 1, 2029 and Dec. 1, 2029, respectively).
• Youth Commission actions included reappointments of Albert Lee, Alan Goisch, Catherine Buska, and Elijah Nodato, plus new appointments of Nusha Merchant, Willian Barennick, and Zik Zikarana Okeke, all for one-year terms through Oct. or Nov. 1, 2027.

Public Comments and Community Forum

• Libby Adams, a longtime Rockville resident who is not currently a resident, described a 16-month fight and said other families face uninhabitable living conditions, unfair housing practices, inaccurate or illegal bookkeeping, retaliatory evictions, and inadequate city enforcement. She requested a follow-up meeting with the Mayor and at least two Councilmembers and noted that Montgomery County passed rent stabilization on July 18, 2023 while Rockville has not discussed it.
• A family member continued testimony about mold returning in an apartment and closets and said the family will keep fighting until it is fixed.
• Wendy Selnick, a renter receiving her first renewal lease, objected to an HVAC infrastructure charge, the four-inch window opening limit, the 42-inch terrace railing standard, a window guard addendum that does not address households without children under 10, and a two-year lease rent increase after one year. She asked staff to review the concerns.
• David Hill of 733 Beale Avenue said the outdated city historic inventory contributed to the 24 Martins Lane controversy and asked the Council to fund and periodically update the historic inventory, calling it overdue and low-hanging fruit.

Public Hearing: FY2028 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Funding

• Housing Programs Manager Jane Lyons Rader said the hearing was to identify community needs for FY28 CDBG funds; this will be the city’s 53rd year receiving CDBG as a subgrantee of Montgomery County. Current funds support multi- and single-family housing rehabilitation; FY26 projects include work with Community Reach of Montgomery County, Habitat for Humanity Metro Maryland, Rockville Housing Enterprises, and five single-family homeowners. Applications are due Oct. 1, 2026; two information sessions were held earlier in September.
• The Mayor relayed written comments that some low-income/BIPOC seniors with inherited but untitled homes are not eligible for assistance, and asked whether anything can be done about that barrier.
• Councilmember Valeri asked about geographic equity in single-family rehab spending and whether CDBG could help single-family rental owners add cooling. Staff said concentrations follow demographic trends; rental units are not eligible for CDBG rehab, but HVAC upgrades for owner-occupied single-family homes are eligible.
• The public hearing was closed.

Action Item: Shady Grove Metro Annexation Plan (ANX 2023-00147)

• Staff presented the annexation history: the 2021 Comprehensive Plan identified Shady Grove Metro for proactive annexation; the Council introduced an approximately 107-acre annexation in October 2023; the Planning Commission held a public hearing on April 23, 2025 and recommended approval; the Council delayed action in May 2025 for further fiscal and public service analysis; and in April 2026 the Council directed staff to proceed with the west-side property including the Metro station and CSX right-of-way for contiguity.
• Staff recommended adopting the annexation plan resolution and a resolution setting a public hearing date. The proposed schedule was a Nov. 16, 2026 public hearing and Dec. 7, 2026 adoption, but staff offered to combine those actions on Nov. 16. If Nov. 16 is used, the annexation would become effective Dec. 31, 2026.
• Councilmembers strongly supported the annexation, citing housing, transit-oriented development, economic development, public safety, Vision Zero, and climate goals. Councilmember Jackson requested an earlier conversation with Montgomery County about the adjacent transfer station and its proposed advanced processing facility; the City Manager said county representatives have accepted an invitation to the Oct. 5, 2026 meeting.
• Councilmember Van Grack confirmed no additional police staffing is needed for the annexation and that a CSX letter satisfies the statutory requirement.
• The Council voted unanimously to adopt the annexation plan and to set the public hearing date, and directed staff to use the streamlined schedule.

Action Item: Introduction of Chapter 21 and City Transportation Regulations

• Staff presented a draft ordinance to repeal and replace Chapter 21, plus updates to the City Transportation Regulations (CTR). The Council was asked only to introduce the ordinance and set a public hearing date; no CTR action was requested.
• Chapter 21 updates include a new purpose statement tied to city plans; incorporation of PROWAG accessibility guidelines; administrative approval for property and easement acquisitions up to $250,000 with recurring reports; private streets under four scenarios; permits, licenses, and maintenance agreements for private improvements in rights-of-way; alternatives to dead-end streets; balconies projecting over public right-of-way; administrative waivers for technical infill and urban conditions; and a prohibition on new one-way streets unless approved by the Mayor and Council.
• CTR updates would retitle the Comprehensive Transportation Review as the City Transportation Regulations; revise adequacy and mitigation standards so developers are not required to offset intersection impacts unless the intersection fails; eliminate some on-site reports for projects with fewer than 30 peak-hour net trips; lower the threshold for transportation improvement fees; and add a multimodal infrastructure contribution for very large developments, with funds dedicated to pedestrian and bicycle improvements.
• Council feedback included requests for clarity on appeals of administrative waivers, more specificity on emergency access, renter notification for street closures, annual reporting of administrative waivers, waiver findings tied to Vision Zero and vulnerable road users, and a comparison of fees with competing local jurisdictions. Staff agreed to study these items.
• Councilmember Valeri introduced the ordinance; Councilmember Fulton seconded. The Council set a public hearing for Oct. 26, 2026 and agreed to keep the record open through adoption, currently planned for Dec. 7, 2026.

Worksession: Cooling Requirements for Rental Properties

• Staff proposed requiring air conditioning or another means of cooling for all multifamily and single-family rental units, with a maximum indoor temperature of 80 degrees Fahrenheit from June 1 through Sept. 30. The proposal would take effect June 1, 2027 for multifamily units, with an additional one-year phase-in for single-family rentals. Staff also plan to amend the building code and property maintenance code.
• Data presented: 12,918 multifamily rental units in Rockville; all but three are equipped with central air conditioning, and those three have window units. There are 2,255 single-family rentals; of 234 inspected since May 1, 2026, only 91 had air conditioning or another means of cooling.
• Staff compared State of Maryland and Montgomery County laws: the new state law applies to apartment buildings with 10 or more units; Montgomery County’s law applies to multifamily and townhomes; both require cooling to 80 degrees from June 1-Sept. 30, allow central or window units, exempt historic properties, and currently exclude single-family rentals.
• Councilmembers generally supported the multifamily requirement. Several also supported including single-family rentals; others, including Councilmember Fulton, wanted more information before deciding on single-family coverage. Concerns raised included basement and egress window feasibility, costs of $5,000-$20,000 for owners, tenant utility costs and energy assistance, portable AC and mini-split options, geographic equity, and possible waivers or opt-outs. Some Councilmembers opposed opt-outs; staff was asked to study other jurisdictions and bring back options.
• The Mayor cited Council of Governments projections of more extreme heat days and Maryland heat-related health data, including 61 heat-related deaths, 1,595 heat-related illnesses, and 1,650 heat-related EMS calls this year. The Mayor and Council agreed to proceed with limited community engagement while keeping the multifamily requirements on schedule.

Mock Agenda and Old/New Business

• During mock agenda, the City Manager noted the solid waste removal project moved to Oct. 5, 2026. Councilmember Valeri flagged that some agenda items, including the cooling worksession, lacked equity statements; the Mayor noted the JEDI Strategic Plan includes work on impact statement methodology.
• In old/new business, the Council discussed Montgomery County’s upcoming decisions on the Dickerson incinerator. There was consensus to wait for county representatives to present at the Oct. 5, 2026 Council meeting and then draft a letter, potentially with Gaithersburg, opposing or addressing trucking waste to Virginia and related transfer station, odor, truck traffic, and greenhouse gas impacts.
• The Mayor asked to keep the community budget survey open for an additional week; Council agreed.

Key Outcomes

• Consent agenda and all board and commission appointments and reappointments were approved unanimously.
• The FY2028 CDBG public hearing was held and closed; applications remain due Oct. 1, 2026.
• The Shady Grove Metro Annexation Plan was adopted, and its public hearing was set for Nov. 16, 2026; staff was directed to use the streamlined schedule so the annexation could become effective Dec. 31, 2026.
• Chapter 21 ordinance was introduced; public hearing set for Oct. 26, 2026. CTR discussion continued with no action; staff will return with revisions.
• Cooling requirements: no ordinance was adopted; staff will return with more data, cost estimates, implementation options, and limited community engagement. The multifamily cooling timeline should not be delayed.
• Council will draft a Dickerson incinerator letter after the Oct. 5 county presentation, and the community budget survey will remain open an additional week.