Rockville City Council Recap: Fireside Park Update, Election Board Appointment Made

The Rockville City Council meets at 7 p.m. on Mondays at City Hall. The meeting is broadcast live on Rockville 11. Here’s a recap of the Feb. 25 council meeting:

Discussion:  Fireside Park Apartments purchase update

The council heard an update from Rockville Housing Enterprises Executive Director Ruth O'Sullivan, who discussed changes that occurred between the time the city authorized the financing in November and the agency’s  $36 million purchase of Fireside Park Apartments in December, including:

• A $340,000 increase in Montgomery County’s loan amount—from $2,850,000 to $3,190,000—to cover unanticipated transfer/recordation taxes.

• A requirement that the city rent to more households at or below the area median income—$107,300 for a four-person household—in order to meet the primary lender’s requirements. 

The city authorized a $2 million loan package to RHE to be put toward the purchase of the 236-unit garden-style apartment community on Monroe Street.

O’Sullivan’s presentation and an overview of the discussion are posted at the city’s website. Read more about that discussion here on Patch.

In other council news:

Action: Anderson Alley Abandonment

The City Council, in a 3-2 vote, agreed to finalize its decision to abandon a portion of Anderson Alley.

On May 21, the council unanimously agreed to hand over to property owners the portion of the alley between Anderson and Beall avenues.  But the council held off on the final step of authorizing the city attorney to add it to land records. 

Read more about discussion leading up to the Anderson Alley vote on Patch.

Appointments: Board of Supervisors of Elections

The council approved 4-0 to appoint David Berthiaume to the Board of Supervisors of Elections to fill an unexpired term until October 2015. Councilman John F. Hall Jr. abstained from the vote.

A motion made to appoint Drew Powell to the elections board died after it failed to get a second. Councilwoman Bridget Donnell Newton made the initial motion and said the outcome was a "missed opportunity."

Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio nominated Powell.

"Whether you like his style or you feel comfortable with his particular approach, that's up to you,"  Marcuccio said. "I've never seen the man do anything that didn't have the best interest of the city in the back of his mind. I thought he was an excellent choice."