Rockville Nights

Procurement report coming sooner, rather than later, to Mayor and Council

When the Mayor and Council should be briefed on a consulting firm's report on city procurement and purchasing was a topic of heated discussion at last night's meeting. Mayor Bridget Donnell Newton and Councilmember Beryl Feinberg felt strongly that the current Mayor and Council should hear the results of the report on October 19, the last scheduled meeting of this political term. They said that, given the time and money the current 5 members have spent on the issue, they should bring closure to the issue prior to voters choosing who will be the next Mayor and Council.

Councilmember Tom Moore disagreed, saying "this is a complete waste of taxpayer money." He argued that the Mayor and Council would be briefed on a report it could do nothing with, since it would be last meeting of its term of office. The consultant would then have to fly back to Rockville a second time to brief the next Mayor and Council, Moore said, noting that the taxpayers would pick up the tab for airfare from Cambridge, Massachusetts and the consultant's hotel stay twice.

Newton said action on the report at the October 19 meeting couldn't be ruled out, adding that she wasn't advocating for action, but disputing Moore's suggestion that they were powerless to act on it. City Manager Barbara Matthews said the city had already spent between $58,000 and $62,000 on the report.

In light of that amount, Newton argued that $2000 more would be an acceptable cost if the end result would rectify longstanding procurement problems in the city.

Moore made a motion to request the report be delivered to the next Mayor and Council as soon as possible. His motion was seconded by Councilmember Julie Palakovich Carr.

The motion was voted down 3-2, with Councilmember Virginia Onley joining Newton and Feinberg in opposition. Onley said she, too, would like the current body to see the matter through before the term ends. The report will now go forward on October 19.

Reconsideration request filed with HDC over Confederate statue decision

An official request for reconsideration of the Confederate statue decision of the Rockville Historic District Commission has been filed, as anticipated by last week's discussion before the Mayor and Council.

Susan Swift, Director of Planning for the city, confirmed that she had spoken with Greg Ossont of the Montgomery County Department of General Services regarding the matter to the Mayor and Council at last night's Council meeting. Swift reported the DGS has chosen to postpone its next step in moving the statue in light of the reconsideration filing.

What does this mean for the fate of the statue? The HDC could take up the reconsideration request at its October meeting. Swift said she could not speak for the HDC, but said the commission could - assuming it granted the reconsideration - have another public hearing at its November meeting.

Councilmember Tom Moore suggested the city should make clear to the County that it is ready to accept the statue on city property at the Beall-Dawson House, and discuss the allocation of costs. "This statue is a stain on our city and our county, as long as it remains on the Courthouse grounds," Moore said. He made a motion to that effect, which was seconded by Councilmember Julie Palakovich Carr.

Councilmember Beryl Feinberg said it was premature to do so, before the full costs of such a move are known. "You need to know what you're going in for," she said. She noted that interpretive signage and other site preparations would have to cover the statue, the two historic eras it represents, and the Beall-Dawson site itself. Such efforts have been estimated to cost anywhere from $50,000 to $200,000, Feinberg said.

Moore countered that that cost estimate was "not accurate."

The Mayor and Council rejected Moore's motion 3-2, with Feinberg, Mayor Bridget Donnell Newton, and Councilmember Virginia Onley opposing the resolution.

It seems unlikely the reconsideration effort would succeed if the HDC has the final say on the matter. The commissioners were very clear that none of them was a fan of the statue nor its current location. Now having been told they "need more training" to do their jobs by those filing the reconsideration request (touché!), the meeting should have some extra political drama and intrigue, if not a different outcome. Frankly, I'd be interested to hear the commissioners' response to the "need more training" suggestion. It would seem the primary hope statue supporters have at this stage is to show that the decision was indeed a violation of one or more rules.

Cambria Suites celebrates Grand Opening in Rockville Town Center (Photos)

Cambria Hotel & Suites
logo projected onto
the hotel last night in
Rockville

The new Cambria Hotel and Suites celebrated its Grand Opening in Rockville's Town Center last night, with a level of spectacle not usually found at Montgomery County openings. Developer Duball LLC, parent company Choice Hotels (headquartered across E. Middle Lane from the hotel), and Crescent Hotels and Resorts threw what they described as a vintage carnival party, complete with circus tent outside the hotel.

Guests enjoyed several open bars, menu selections from the hotel's socialCircle bistro, and a variety of performance artists ranging from clowns to jugglers to an aerialist who soared above the crowd.

Michael Murphy, SVP of Upscale Brands
at Choice Hotels, prepares to open
the ceremonies, with Helen Heneghan Way
stretching into the background toward
Regal Cinemas

Master of ceremonies was Michael Murphy, Senior Vice President of Upscale Brands at Choice Hotels International. He welcomed several elected officials from the City of Rockville, including Mayor Bridget Donnell Newton, and Councilmembers Tom Moore and Virginia Onley.

Rockville Mayor Bridget Donnell Newton
with City Councilmembers
Tom Moore and Virginia Onley

"There's been no bigger supporter of Choice Hotels in Rockville than Mayor Bridget Newton," Murphy told the enthusiastic crowd. Newton commended Choice for agreeing to not include a full-service restaurant in the hotel, so that the many close-by restaurants around it would get a boost in business from guests. Newton and Murphy were also both enthusiastic about another recent turn of events surrounding the property.

Mayor Newton addresses
the crowd

"Something magical also happened these last five months," Murphy told the crowd. "It took collaboration with the city," to rename the placeholder Renaissance Street - which runs in front of the hotel - Helen Heneghan Way. Heneghan was a highly-regarded former city clerk and fixture in the community, who passed away a few months ago. Her name rose to the top of hundreds submitted to rename the street, whose original moniker was too close to a competing hotel brand's name for Choice's comfort. The tent in which the event was held stood atop Helen Heneghan Way itself.

Heneghan's husband, Frank, was in the tent as Murphy and Newton spoke. "We are thrilled to be part of this legacy," Murphy said of Helen Heneghan's service to Rockville. The "Way" designation of the street "couldn't be more apt," Newton said, "because there actually is a Helen Heneghan way, which also the Rockville way." The mayor said the hotel and Upton apartments "continue the positive growth" in Rockville's revitalized town center.

"There's no better night than when we're opening a Cambria Suites," Murphy enthused, "except when we're opening a Cambria Suites in Rockville. This is the most amazing time in the last ten years of my career."

Steve Joyce, CEO of
Choice Hotels International

Choice Hotels CEO Steve Joyce shared Murphy's feelings, saying that Cambria Suites are designed to be "upscale, contemporary, and convenient," and to have major appeal to the ever-coveted millennial segment of the market. Joyce said the brand is expanding in the near future to Times Square, Miami, Nashville and New Orleans, among other cities.

MD State Senator Cheryl Kagan
presents a citation from the
General Assembly

State Senator Cheryl Kagan (D-District 17) presented Joyce with a citation from the Maryland General Assembly, congratulating Choice on the opening and its role in the "revitalization of downtown Rockville."

"That was the best citation Steve Joyce has received in the state of Maryland," Murphy joked when he took the mic back. Murphy also congratulated Don Swedberg, General Manager of Crescent, on the Rockville Cambria Suites distinction in having the highest customer satisfaction score in the chain.

Other luminaries in the crowd included Ms. Maryland U.S. 2015 Amber Schroen, Miss Teen Maryland U.S. Ardelle Dickerson, Josefina Simpson and Ilaya Hopkins of the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce, and a host of officials from Choice and its partners. Also attending were lucky hotel guests, including business travelers from General Dynamics and Merck, Murphy said.

Marc Dubick, Principal and
President of Duball, LLC,
which developed the hotel

Then Murphy directed guests' attention to the center ring - literally - as performers proceeded to divert and entertain the crowd.

But wait, there's more. A tour of the hotel. I was pleasantly surprised to find that, rather than a cookie-cutter hotel room, the suites actually continue the Gothamesque-Modern theme of the building's facade indoors. Your room actually looks more like a swanky, retro Manhattan apartment than the typical lodging quarters. And the latest technology combines with old-fashioned perks like microwaves and personal refrigerators, and Wolfgang Puck coffee.

Conference Room for
business meetings

Mirror in
conference room

Now up to an actual
hotel suite

Hidden fridge

Below ground was another surprise. In addition to a sizable business meeting/conference center space, there is also a decently-sized room for events. "You could do a very nice wedding in this room," the hotel's Senior Sales Manager Renee Grant said. 75-80 people could fit in a table setting for a wedding reception, for example. Up to 125 might fit if you held a meeting or marriage ceremony using theater-style seating.

Back upstairs in the lobby-level bistro, guests watched Monday Night Football on a large widescreen, while enjoying adult beverages from the bar, and carnival-themed treats on an old-fashioned popcorn cart. The carnival performers wandered about the hotel, continuing to entertain. "Is that a clown car?" a clown asked, after a seemingly endless number of guests poured out of an elevator.