Rockville Mayor and Council Meeting No. 27-26

The Rockville Mayor and Council met on November 2, 2026 (2026-11-02), Meeting No. 27-26, convening at 5:30 PM and reconvening at about 6:30 PM after a block of proclamations. No minutes were available; this summary is based on the agenda and transcript. The meeting included nine proclamations, a Vision Zero progress update, a four-item consent agenda, two public hearings on election and charter amendments, and a Twinbrook Place Housing Opportunity Fund loan request.

Proclamations & Recognitions

• Nine proclamations were approved, including Diwali (November 8, 2026), Veterans Day (November 11, 2026), America Recycles Day (November 15, 2026), World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims (November 15, 2026), Small Business Saturday (November 28, 2026), Municipal Government Works Month (November 2026), Native American Heritage Month (November 2026) and Native American Heritage Day (November 27, 2026), National Hospice and Palliative Care Month (November 2026), and Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month (November 2026).
• Veterans Day remarks noted the city observance at Rockville Veterans Park from 11:00 AM to 12:00 noon on November 11, 2026, with American Legion Post 86 providing an honor guard. The Small Business Saturday proclamation cited U.S. Small Business Administration figures of 36.21 million small businesses representing 99.9% of all U.S. businesses with employees. The pancreatic cancer proclamation stated that pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States in 2026, with more than 67,000 Americans expected to be diagnosed and 52,000 expected to die. The World Day of Remembrance proclamation read the names of people killed on Rockville streets from 2019 through 2026, including Chandra Pereira, Brett Baden, Teresa Moreno de Majia, Jose René Del Cid Ramos, Garofredo Gonzalez Zalaya, Vipa Senkun, Harry George Kazanjian, Tong Lu Tai, and Rauda Khalifi.

Consent Calendar

• Approved 9A: authorization for the City Manager to execute a reimbursement agreement and letter of no objection from Williams Gas for construction inspection fees and requirements related to the Senior Center entrance project.
• Approved 9B: authorization for the City Manager to execute a cost-sharing agreement with the Maryland State Highway Administration for design of the Scott and Veirs Drive shared-use path project.
• Approved 9C: a subordination agreement with NeighborWorks Capital related to Scarborough Square Townhomes and Apartments, and authorization for the City Manager to execute it and related documents.
• Approved 9D: minutes of October 12, 2026.
• Councilmember Jackson moved approval of A through D; Councilmember Van Grack seconded; the vote was unanimous.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Community Forum: Kathleen Kleinman, a Victory Court resident, thanked the Mayor and Council and staff for repairing the 200 block of Monroe Street sidewalks near the farmers market, saying the new sidewalks were smooth, met the adopted five-foot minimum width, and fixed a condition that had caused a wheelchair spill.
• Community Forum: JD Kumar gave a wide-ranging statement emphasizing unity and civic engagement, listing endorsements, and criticizing county and police actions; he provided his website and phone number.
• Public Hearing #1 on Chapter 8 elections amendments: City Clerk Sarah Taylor Farrell said the hearing was advertised in the Washington Post on October 9 and 15, with a second hearing on November 9 and possible adoption on November 16. The item covers updates to definitions, campaign finance, enforcement, Board of Supervisors of Elections powers, state requirements, and 2031 election changes including ranked choice voting, public financing, and random ballot. Michelle Whitaker, Executive Director of Ranked Choice Voting Maryland, strongly supported the ranked choice voting and public financing additions in section 8-48; she cited Montgomery County public financing as increasing candidate participation in 2018 and 2022. She said her organization had not taken a position on 16- and 17-year-old voting but called it an opportunity to build lifelong participation. The record remains open until November 16 at 5:00 PM. The Mayor requested more detail on the public webpage, including 2031 public financing and ranked choice voting, a third voting center, random ballot, electronic signature collection, and links to the task force report and referenda.
• Public Hearing #2 on charter amendments: the proposals would reduce the minimum voting age for municipal elections, require Mayor and Councilmembers to be 18 to serve, and limit consecutive terms. Cam Kerr, a Montgomery Blair High School student, asked about e-bike and scooter limits and about ways teenagers can have impact besides voting. Brigitte Melligan, a longtime Rockville resident, opposed lowering the voting age to 16, cited the 2023 referendum where she said 69% opposed and 28% supported, and argued minors lack legal and financial responsibilities. Rick Moy, a Rockville resident, opposed lowering the voting age, citing concerns about government-course completion, financial experience, and campaign access; he suggested Boys and Girls State, nonprofit volunteering, and city boards and commissions as alternatives. JD Kumar raised public-safety and immigration concerns and said he supports youth empowerment with certification and education, while also criticizing treatment by RCPD. Georgiana, a Montgomery Blair High School sophomore who works at the Rockville Swim and Fitness Center, supported lowering the voting age, citing her work and financial experience and arguing youth should have a voice in decisions affecting their future. The record remains open until November 16 at 5:00 PM.

Discussion Items

• Agenda Review and City Manager's Report: the City Clerk reported no agenda changes and confirmed public hearings on Chapter 8 and charter amendments for November 2 and 9 with possible adoption November 16; the Shady Grove annexation hearing was not that night and was later identified as November 16. The City Manager encouraged participation in Engage Rockville planning for East Rockville and Rockville Pike, warned about daylight savings and right-of-way safety, noted the Rockville Ice Rink was open, and referenced the Milwaukee Brewers World Series championship. The Mayor thanked police for Boo-v night, which drew more than 300 families.
• Vision Zero Progress Update: Andrew Luckmeyer of the Traffic and Transportation Division and Acting Public Works Director Jim Woods presented the biannual update. Vision Zero, adopted in 2020, aims to eliminate serious injuries and deaths from traffic crashes and rests on engineering, enforcement, education, and policy. For January 1 to June 30 across 2015-2026, serious injury crashes ranged from 3 to 10 and fatal crashes from 0 to 3, with averages of 7 serious injury crashes and 1.3 fatal crashes; 2026 had 437 total crashes versus an average of 425 for 2015-2025. The High Injury Network, defined as half-mile segments with four or more serious injury or fatal crashes in a five-year period, had five segments, all on state roads. Staff reported three 2025 fatal crashes, at Norbeck Road at Avery Road, Norbeck Road at East Scooty Drive, and North Horners Lane at South Lawn Lane, and a pedestrian fatality on August 17, 2026, at Twinbrook Parkway and Chapman Avenue outside the reporting period. Staff described post-crash inspections, past Twinbrook improvements, 70-plus active projects, sidewalk and bike work, the Stone Street Corridor project at about 50% design with completion toward the end of 2027, the Twinbrook pedestrian and bicycle bridge study with public engagement planned for early 2027, and coordination with the state and county; the speed limit on Darnestown Road was reduced from 40 to 35 mph. Councilmember Miles cited about $1.7 million in grants and said bicycle facilities were only 13% to 39% complete. Councilmembers praised progress but pressed on state-road accountability, prioritization by injury data, enforcement coordination, crash-report delays, e-bike and e-scooter collision tracking, engagement and equity metrics, pavement-marking refresh, geographic equity, and specific locations including Twinbrook Parkway and Chapman Avenue, Wooten Parkway, Falls Road, and Veirs Mill Road. The Mayor said Vision Zero was about 95% complete and that Vision Zero 2.0 would be developed in the FY28 budget season. Staff agreed to follow up on engagement metrics, equity data, e-bike and scooter tracking, the RITE program, and posting the sidewalk inventory; no formal vote was taken.
• Twinbrook Place Apartments: Ryan Trout, Director of Housing and Community Development, presented a request to authorize the City Manager to execute an agreement with Ardenne Housing Owner LLC for a $1.5 million low-interest Housing Opportunity Fund loan to support 125 affordable units at 12501 Arden Avenue. The project is an adaptive reuse of a 2004 commercial building; all 125 units would be income-restricted at or below 80% AMI, with 48 units (38%) at or below 50% AMI. Fifteen percent would be MPDUs affordable for 99 years; LITEC covenants would provide at least 30 years (15 plus 15), and the city loan would run 40 years. Five percent would be UFAS accessible units and 2% reserved for households with visual or hearing impairments. The capital stack included a PNC first mortgage, about $7 million from the Montgomery County Green Bank, more than $10.5 million from the county Housing Initiative Fund plus a PILOT reduction, eight project-based vouchers from Rockville Housing Enterprises, and PEPCO rebates. Staff said the developer sought $1.875 million in soft funding; the project scored 102 of 105 points, and staff recommended $1.5 million because of limited HOF resources. Terms included 3% annual interest paid to the HOF, about $45,000 per year, with principal returned after 40 years; the city would also pay up to $330,000 in development fees on the developer's behalf, and a $110,000 general fund contribution would appear in the next week's budget amendment. Staff described positive environmental, economic, and equity impacts and said closing was expected in December, with construction likely 18 months to two years after closing. Councilmember Van Grack noted the deed of trust showed a $6 million Green Bank loan while the presentation cited about $7 million, and asked about risk of additional gap funding; staff said no additional gap was anticipated. Councilmember Bashaw asked for AMI context and was told that for one person, 30% AMI was $34,900 and 80% AMI $74,800; for a family of four, 30% AMI was $49,850 and 80% AMI $106,800. Staff said the eight vouchers reflected RHE availability and a threshold above which project costs would rise significantly. Councilmembers supported the project but raised HOF depletion, the $1.2 million loan repayment expected by December 2027, local preference for Rockville residents, the 40-year affordability term, developer investment figures, social services, and the total general fund commitment of $440,000. Staff said it would follow up on local preference and developer investment and confirmed the 40-year affordability commitment would be documented.

Key Outcomes

• All nine proclamations were approved by voice vote.
• Consent agenda items 9A through 9D were approved unanimously.
• Two public hearings were held; the record remains open until November 16 at 5:00 PM, with the second hearing on November 9 and possible adoption on November 16. The agenda listed 16- and 17-year-old voting and term limits under the Chapter 8 item, while the hearing procedure separated the charter amendments on voting age, 18-to-serve, and term limits into the second public hearing.
• The Twinbrook Place Housing Opportunity Fund loan was approved unanimously, with Councilmember Valeri moving and Councilmember Fulton seconding; the authorization was for a $1.5 million low-interest loan and accompanying documents for 125 affordable units.
• Old/New Business: the Mayor reported that the Mayor and Council sent a letter opposing proposed census changes that could undercount residents and affect race and ethnicity data; the Mayor asked staff to review county action on solid waste and the Lincoln High School property and report whether a letter is warranted. The meeting adjourned unanimously.