For Eyes opening on Rockville Pike (Photos)

For Eyes has leased a space by Roy Rogers, in the new retail center on the former location of Rockville Ford/Century Ford at 718 Rockville Pike. They are just beginning the construction process, however, as you can see from these photos. They got totally photobombed by the classic Lincoln Town Car in the background of the above photo, too.

Chevrolet Spark EV arrives in Rockville (Photos)

The new Chevrolet Spark electric vehicle has arrived at Ourisman Chevrolet in Rockville. Available for only around $13,000 after tax breaks, it is revolutionary for that reason - making an electric car affordable to almost any consumer.

Maryland is one of only 3 states where the car is sold, and the first on the East Coast.

Rockville Mayor & Council change rules on their compensation for travel, events

Much ado about nothing, or greater transparency? A discussion of how compensation for the travel and event registration for Rockville's Mayor and Council would be dispensed appeared to come out of nowhere at Monday night's meeting, but was actually in response to a past request by Councilmember Julie Palakovich Carr.

Mayor Bridget Donnell Newton asked Acting City Clerk Sara Taylor Ferrell if the discussion was initiated by any abuse by an elected official. "There has never been any abuse by the Mayor and Council on travel in my time here," Ferrell answered.

Palakovich Carr said she wanted to have "more transparency, more guidance about how those funds get spent." Currently budgeted at $20,000 per year, and within one fund to cover the Mayor and Council's travel and event attendance, Palakovich Carr suggested it would be "more fair to have individual allocations for each of us," rather than the bulk sum.

"I understand the spirit of that," Councilmember Beryl Feinberg said. "On the other hand, I think elected officials get the trust of people that they are going to act judiciously."

Councilmember Tom Moore had a different take. "It starts to look like a slush fund," he said, adding that he would like unspent travel funds to be returned to the taxpayer. A fundraiser for the Stepping Stones Shelter, for example, was not "educational", he said, and shouldn't be covered by the fund.

Moore made a motion that staff divide the budget.

Onley said, "I think giving everybody a bucket of money is a mistake. We're spending wisely. It has not been abused by any Mayor and Council."

"Do you want to vote transparency or not," Moore asked.

"It's unfortunate that the term 'transparency' is being mixed in," Newton replied, arguing that the Mayor and Council are ambassadors for the city not only in the county, but also at the state level.

Moore's motion failed 3-2, with Newton, Onley and Feinberg dissenting.

Palakovich Carr then made a motion to prohibit using the fund to cover the travel and event expenses of spouses.

Onley said she thought covering spouses' attendance at events was "the right thing to do."

"It's indefensible," countered Moore. "I strongly support" Palakovich Carr's motion, he said. "It's the right thing to do. Most other jurisdictions do not allow this." Feinberg said she would like to see actual data on that point.

Palakovich Carr said attendance by spouses was merely social, not educational.

Newton said her marriage "is a partnership. Sometimes Fred [Newton] is a better ambassador than I." It's "inaccurate to say that spouses attending events are not helping the city." Onley noted that no spouse has ever been compensated for travel in Rockville. "We've managed that money very well," she said.

Moore said he thought the Mayor and Council's stipends were a more appropriate source to pay for travel and registration fees.

Ultimately, Palakovich Carr's motion passed 4-0, with Feinberg abstaining.

A second motion by Palakovich Carr also passed, unanimously, to prohibit incumbent elected officials from spending on events or travel after Election Day, when they might no longer be in office.

"I don't think anyone sitting here would do that," Onley said.

"I am actually stunned that it even needs to be brought up as a motion," Newton said. "I'll vote for it, but I'm disappointed. I think we should have more respect for each other."

Puzzled by what was driving the flurry of motions on the travel issue, Feinberg theorized that "this is symptomatic of other things, I believe," without elaborating on that point.

Mayor & Council table discussion of compensation for Rockville employees, want more data

Representatives of the union representing Rockville's police officers expressed displeasure with a proposal to substitute annual leave for salary step increases at last night's Mayor and Council meeting.

Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 117 President Michelle Milne pointedly noted that "annual leave doesn't pay the mortgage," during the Community Forum before the compensation discussion.

By the end of the evening, Mayor Bridget Donnell Newton and Councilmembers Virginia Onley and Beryl Feinberg were also less than satisfied with the options on the table after a Compensation and Classification study funded by the city.

Seeking more information as to whether a hybrid plan could accommodate step increases to any extent, the three sought to table the discussion until such analysis could be completed by consultant Evergreen.

Councilmember Tom Moore said such a move was impermissible under the rules. He said the Mayor and Council had already voted on that issue at a prior meeting, and that it was too late to reconsider that vote. Newton said she was "disappointed" that Moore did not want the body to obtain more information. "You lost that vote," Moore insisted, accusing his three colleagues of "blowing up" the discussion. "I didn't lose them, I didn't blow this up," Newton replied. "It is incumbent upon the Mayor and Council to ensure we receive all the information we need to make a decision."

"I suggest we take a break," to have the City Clerk review the transcript of the May 11, 2015 meeting where the vote(s) in question were taken, Moore insisted.

Onley said, "I think we can change our minds." The options on the table were Evergreen's, "not ours," Newton said. Onley then made a motion to table the discussion.

A motion to table would be inappropriate under Robert's Rules, Moore argued.

"We are not Robert's Rules," Feinberg shot back. "We've been through this before - we do not follow Robert's Rules, we have our own rules here."

Moore turned to Onley and said, "This discussion was going great. I don't understand why all of a sudden...we're talking about ending the discussion. We were five minutes away" from reaching consensus, he said. Moore conceded that Newton, Onley and Feinberg were raising "legitimate questions," but "our votes matter."

A frustrated Onley fired back. "I don't want to say anything disrespectful...[but] five minutes doesn't mean a damn thing - and I apologize, because I don't usually talk like that - if we're not taking care of our employees."

Feinberg said "It is so vitally important to every staff member that we get this right. I want to do the right thing." She suggested a few months' delay would not have a major impact, as there are funds in reserve.

Moore was unconvinced. "We made that decision," he said. "Maybe you didn't like it, but we made it." He stated that he would prefer to approve the recommendations of Evergreen, and then consider "what is the best way to make up for six tough years."

Newton responded that "If there are a number of us who feel we didn't get the information we wanted," that it was appropriate to pause the discussion until that information could be furnished. She said the possibility of police sergeants making less than employees with less time was an example of why the city should consider a hybrid plan. She also said it was worth exploring whether steps would be less expensive than what Evergreen has proposed. "Getting it right matters a lot," she concluded.

The Mayor then said she would entertain Onley's motion to table the discussion.

"Point of order," Moore called out, saying there was another motion on the floor. There was disagreement as to whether that was accurate, requiring a consultation with the City Attorney, Debra Yerg Daniel. "Under our rules, it's the Mayor's call what happens," Daniel said, although councilmembers could appeal her ruling.

"We've spent twenty minutes hassling" over a dispute that could have been avoided if the Mayor and Council had received the information they had previously asked for, Newton said. She again entertained Onley's motion to table the discussion, which passed 3-2, with Moore and Councilmember Julie Palakovich Carr opposed.

"Before any money is spent with Evergreen," Moore said after the vote, "I would like an accounting of what it would cost." He also insisted that those seeking the information put their requests to Evergreen in writing, so that there would be no dispute when the Mayor and Council resume the discussion at a later date. They agreed to do so.

It was not known as of last night how much time would be needed to comply with the data requests.

Bank of America opening Town Center II branch in Rockville today (Photos)

The first major opening in the Phase 2 construction of Rockville Town Center will be today at 275 N. Washington Street, in the JBG Companies' new retail/office project. Bank of America will open its new branch there this morning.

This branch will replace the one that closed recently in the now-demolished Suburban Trust Building down the street (a.k.a. The Pink Bank).

MoCo Transit Authority public hearing trying to limit number of speakers to 40

A public hearing on perhaps the most controversial issue in Montgomery County - the proposal for an unelected Independent Transit Authority with unlimited taxing power to fund an equally-controversial $5 billion Bus Rapid Transit system - won't give every citizen a chance to speak, it turns out. A document uploaded to the County Executive's Transit Task Force website now says the number of speakers will be capped at 40. To quote the document, "It is planned that 40 people will be able to present their views during the Public Forum."

Other troubling details:

A May 23 memo from County Attorney Marc Hansen leaves gigantic loopholes you could drive a (rapid) bus through.

It claims, for example, that the unlimited eminent domain authority the ITA would wield is limited by Bill MC 24-15.

Not true.

Hansen states that the legislation "places an indirect limitation on the Transit Authority’s power to condemn, because it requires that the Authority submit a 6-year Capital Improvement Program (CIP) to the County for approval."

Whoops. Check out the actual legislation posted on the TTF website. On Page 5, Item 6 of the proposed legislation, it only says that the County "may include a requirement" for submission of a 6-year CIP. "May" does not equal "requires".

It also does not require the ITA to submit any budget for review by anybody. On Page 6, section II, it clearly states this: "MAY NOT REQUIRE THE TRANSIT AUTHORITY TO SUBMIT ITS CAPITAL OR ITS OPERATING BUDGET TO THE COUNTY FOR APPROVAL" (italicized emphasis mine).

To that broader lack of accountability, later in the memo Hansen clearly admits "The legislation specifically prohibits, however, the County from requiring the Transit Authority to submit its capital and operating budgets to the County for approval."

One other controversial provision Hansen does acknowledge is the proposed power of the ITA to create unlimited debt. This provision will, in Hansen's words, "prevent debt incurred by the Transit Authority from being considered as County debt by bond rating agencies."

Do the math - unlimited debt with no fear from County Council members of losing their AAA bond rating. Unlimited power by the ITA to raise taxes on you to pay back their unlimited debts. What could possibly go wrong, right?

Well, conversely, how about if the ITA somehow went bankrupt? Who would be left holding the bag for an unlimited amount of debt? It seems that the taxpayer loses under any outcome.

The document notes that state legislation may be written to create the taxing authority as soon as early September. It states that a second public hearing will be held in September, as well.

Written statements are being encouraged by the document, which civic activists recognize are utterly useless, as the general public and media rarely examine written statements submitted at these hearings. If it isn't heard live, or reported in the media afterward, it essentially is the proverbial tree falling in the forest.

Important to note if you plan to (try to) speak at this forum - you must sign up online by noon on June 17, by calling 240-777-7165. The hearing will begin at 6:00 PM on Wednesday, June 17 in the 3rd Floor Council Hearing Room at the County Council office building, located at 100 Maryland Avenue in Rockville.

Rockville launches Southlawn Industrial Area Study (Photos)

Rockville last night launched a study of an industrial area surrounded by homes, parks and an elementary school in the northeastern part of the city. The Southlawn Industrial Area Feasibility Study will be a nearly year-long process that seeks to reduce existing - and future - negative impacts of the industrial zone on the adjoining community.

The 101-acre study area is roughly bordered by E. Gude Drive, Loftstrand Lane, Dover Road, North Horners Lane, Frederick Avenue, Johnson Drive, Lincoln Avenue/Lincoln Street and 1st Street.

New attention has been turned to the area after a contentious proposal to build a self-storage facility next to Maryvale ES. That battle was resolved after the Mayor and Council passed a zoning amendment which required a larger buffer between such projects and schools in the city.

But many other issues persist, including wandering truck traffic, bicycle and pedestrian safety, and potential redevelopment or reuse of the existing industrial properties.

Map showing the various
zoning categories within
the study area

Representatives of the consulting firm on the study, VHB, were on hand last night to answer questions and take comments. The study will examine "whether industrial land uses are the most appropriate" in various locations, VHB Senior Project Engineer Daniel Lovas said.

Lovas noted that the area has a number of bicycle facilities already in place, such as the popular Millennium Trail. but that there is "not a lot of connectivity" between those facilities. That is another area the study will delve into.

Map of existing bicycle
facilities

Ways to get truck traffic back on to the routes they are currently allowed to use will also be considered.

Green routes are those
currently open to trucks 

Residents who attended gave suggestions, which were written on large sheets of paper at 4 displays around the room. Several city officials and staff members were in attendance to get feedback from residents, including Mayor Bridget Donnell Newton and Planning Director Susan Swift.

If you missed the open house, this is just the start of the process. A more formal opportunity for you to give feedback will be on June 25 from 4:00-8:00 PM at the David Scull Community Center. You can also contact the project manager and examine documents online.