COLLEGE GARDENS CIVIC ASSOCIATION FALL MEETING MINUTES November 8, 2023
This was a hybrid meeting with 21 people attending in-person; and 8 members participating via phone or video link.
The meeting was called to order at 7 p.m. by the President of the College Gardens (CG) Civic Association (CGCA) Jennifer Weiland (JW).
Introduction and Proposed Meeting Agenda (JW): JW introduced the other CGCA officers: Gamal (Jimmy) El-Masry (Vice President; GE); John Mosely Hayes (Secretary; JMH); [Treasurer currently vacant]
JW introduced the meetings speakers – LT. Bill Nieberding – City of Rockville Police Report point person Mark Pierzchala – City Council Representative, CG resident and former CGCA President – City update Diane Fuchs – West Rockville Connects Village Organization Volunteer Jennifer DeMatteo – Garden Club of College Gardens (GCCG) President Karyn Miller – Arts, Culture, and History Program Manager, City of Rockville
JW described the proposed agenda: – Treasurer Report – Police Report – City Updates – Woodley Gardens Shopping Center Vape Shop update – West Rockville Connects village organization update – CGCA voting on 3 issues that CGCA maybe asked to weigh-in on before the next CGCA meeting – Proposed amendment to by-laws to allow electronic voting on CGCA issues – Mural on CG Park Shelter – CGCA Treasurer? – New Business
Treasurer’s Report (JW): JW reported that as of November 8, 2023, the CGCA bank account had a positive balance of $5,749.42; expenditures since the Spring meeting were for the National Night Out event including $18.59 for potluck supplies and $302.80 for Carmen’s Italian Ice. The next CGCA membership dues collection cycle is targeted for 2024.
Police Report (Lieutenant Bill Nieberding, Lt. (BN)): Nothing alarming to report. The College Gardens and Woodley Gardens communities continue to have a very low number of calls for police service. A meeting participant who has a home on Yale Place next to the CG elementary school shared that a car parked at her home had the wheels stolen. BN responded that this was an outlier event and that normally such theft occurs in apartment complexes and parking garages by car theft gangs. He explained that in many cases they target specific car models and steal the whole wheels which in some cases can be quite expensive.
City of Rockville Update (Mark Pierzchala, Rockville City Council Representative): City Election, Rockville voters elected Monique Ashton as Mayor; and Kate Fulton, Adam Van Grack, Izola (Zola) Shaw, incumbent David Myles, Marissa Valeri and Barry Jackson as Council Members to form the new enlarged 7-member council. Many of the council members are there for the first time, and there will be many issues which they will be confronted with right away. Widening I-270 and toll lanes is still a strong possibility despite the strong opposition coalition. Proposed development will first start from I-370 north and once this is done work will move farther south to connect the I-270 Spur to Rockville and further north to the section that would have been completed in the first phase. Woodley Gardens Shopping Center Vape Shop update. The City Council has put a moratorium on more vape shops within the city, as it continues to review and revise the ordinance and permit process regarding this type of business. In the end, this might prove to be a difficult matter for the City to prohibit, and a reasonable compromise might need to be worked out because it will not be possible for the City to outright prohibit such businesses in our neighborhood. Possible exclusion zones that might hold legal muster might include proximity to schools and playing fields where very young children congregate. There is also the hope that moral suasion by the community could dissuade the potential vape shop operators from going ahead with the project.
West Rockville Connects village organization(Diane Fuchs, WRC Volunteer): Diane explained that Villages are local, volunteer-led, grassroots organizations, which foster social connections through activities and events, and coordinate volunteer help at home using a neighbor-helping-neighbor model. She explained that there were six other “Villages” that are being developed in Rockville and that Trish Evans (tevans@rockvillemd.gov; Tel: 240-314-8807) works on coordinating the development of Villages for the City of Rockville. The email to connect with persons working on the WRC which includes the CG neighborhood is wrcvillage@gmail.com. To learn more about WRC, go to westrockvilleconnects.org. She also showed the contents of the WRC welcome package for new arrivals to the neighborhood..
Garden Club of College Gardens (Jennifer DeMatteo, immediate past GCCG President): Jennifer described the activities of our neighborhood garden club and invited residents to join the GCCG meetings held on the second Thursday of the month at 7:30 pm, usually at the Rockville Senior Center. Further, the GCCG welcomes new residents to College Gardens with a red geranium plant, the club flower. In addition to maintaining the landscaping of the Hill, at the corner of Nelson St. and College Pkwy, the club holds an annual Plant Sale in April and bulb sale in the Fall. Geraniums were delivered to new residents of College Gardens following our spring plant sale. Neighbors were invited to join the GCCG on November 9, for a lecture and discussion on cultivating edible mushrooms.
CGCA voting on three issues (JW, CGCA President): JW explained that the CGCA Executive Committee wanted to determine how the CGCA members felt about three issues that the CGCA might be asked to weigh-in on prior to the next CGCA meeting. JW then led a vote of the meeting participants to determine the CGCA position on the issues Widening I-270 and toll lanes – The overwhelming majority of participants voted that they were against the expansion of I-270 and creation of toll-lanes Woodley Gardens Shopping Center Vape Shop – The overwhelming majority of participants voted that they were in favor of zoning restrictions that would prohibit a vaping shop in residential and so close to playing grounds and public parks, such as the Woodley Gardens shopping center. Gude Access to Senior Center – All participants voted that they were in favor of allowing a northern access to the Senior Center, provided that there is a barrier between the north and south parking lots that would not allow for non-emergency vehicle traffic from a possible north entrance to pass through into the Woodley Gardens neighborhood.
Proposed amendment to bylaws to allow electronic voting on CGCA issues (JW, CGCA President): JW explained that the purpose of the proposed amendment is to allow the Executive Committee to solicit members’ views on important matters of interest to the Association by electronic means between the General Meetings. While the bylaws allow for special meetings, the low attendance at spring and fall meetings did not bode well for attendance at special meetings and therefore only reflect the position of a small number of residents. Allowing residents to weigh in electronically on issues allows for the possibility of more robust participation from our community. The CGCA bylaws required that at least 10 CGCA members sign a petition for such an amendment to be placed on the next CGCA General Meeting. Only then would a majority vote allow for the proposed amendment to the bylaws to become effective. An in-depth discussion amongst the participants followed, ending with 10 CGCA members petitioning that the amendment be made. The point was made that in-person meetings provide a more personal venue in which to exchange viewpoints and thereby get to know our neighbors and that the bylaws allow for special meetings at any time to gather community input. A participant pointed out how a question is phrased and described before a vote is critical, and that electronic polling might not afford the opportunity for the CGCA to hear feedback and clarify issues for voters. At the next CGCA meeting, tentatively scheduled around April/May 2024, a vote will be taken to complete the amendment process. If approved, it will be added as Section 5 to Article VIII (Committees) and is proposed to be worded as follows – “Article VIII, Section 5- Between General Meetings, the Executive Committee is authorized to hold electronic votes on matters it deems to be important or of significant interest to the Association. The same quorum requirement will apply to the electronic vote as spelled out in Article XI, Section1. <See attached Bylaws> The outcome of the electronic vote will be determined by the majority of the votes cast. The Executive Committee may then communicate, or otherwise act upon, the outcome of the electronic vote, as if such a decision were taken by the membership in a General Meeting.“
Mural on CG Park Shelter (Karyn Miller – Arts, Culture, and History Program Manager, City of Rockville): The City of Rockville will work with the community and an artist to transform the College Gardens Park Picnic Shelter with a vibrant mural. Community input is essential for Rockville’s public art planning, as it enables us to align our efforts with the needs and desires of those we serve. By participating in this project, community members can actively contribute to the development of the public art landscape in their community. This mural project is an excellent opportunity to showcase the talent and creativity of artists while fostering community engagement and pride in the neighborhood. A survey on the project is accessible here: https://www.rockvillemd.gov/348/Arts-Culture Residents are invited to attend an upcoming Cultural Arts Commission meeting. To attend the meeting or find out more about this project, please contact Karyn Miller, Arts, Culture, and History Program Manager for the City of Rockville. Karyn can be reached at kmiller@rockvillemd.gov. The Artist Nomination Committee will meet twice. They will be asked to review artist submissions in advance of the meetings. Meetings will last approximately 1.5-2 hours each. Exact dates and times are still to be determined, but the approximate timing and time commitment is outlined below. Gamal (Jimmy) El-Masry will represent the CGCA on this Committee. Meeting 1: early Jan 2024, likely the week of Jan 8-12. This meeting is for preliminary review and scoring of all artist applications. The Committee will be asked to recommend a short list of artists who will then develop more detailed and site-specific proposals. Meeting 2: late Feb 2024, likely the week of Feb 19-23. This meeting is to review detailed proposals from a short list of artists, score proposals, and make recommendations for an artist to the Rockville City Council for final approval.
