CAMBRIDGE MATTERS
Commissioner Steve Rideout
swrideout@aol.com
December 11, 2018

Dear Readers:

I just received a notice about the Frederick Douglass Cambridge Walking Tour.

Here is a link to the event provided by the Dorchester County Visitor Center

https://visitdorchester.org/events/walking-tour-of-frederick-douglass-in-cambridge/

Steve

CAMBRIDGE MATTERS
Commissioner Steve Rideout
swrideout@aol.com
December 10, 2018

Dear Readers:

Attached are my unofficial notes of what happened at last nights closed meetings and our regular public one. As the next regularly scheduled meeting would be on Christmas Eve, I know that will not be happening. There is a meeting scheduled for next Monday the 17th but I do not expect it will be more than what I mention in the attached report.

Best wishes to you as we wind down 2018, and I look forward to keeping you up to date on what will be happening in Cambridge in the New Year.

Merry Christmas and Best Wishes for the Holiday Season to you all.

Steve

Download (DOCX, 19KB)

CAMBRIDGE MATTERS
Commissioner Steve Rideout
swrideout@aol.com
December 7, 2018

Dear Readers:

As part of my work with Chesapeake College and their effort to increase the use of the Cambridge Center, I have received the attached announcement for a course on learning Spanish that will occur in February. While there are some job specific courses, the attached also indicates that there is a course on a basic course that helps us learn to speak it.

I thought that you or someone you know might be interested.

Steve

Download (PDF, 269KB)

CAMBRIDGE MATTERS
Commissioner Steve Rideout
swrideout@aol.com
November 28, 2018

Dear Readers:

Every once in a while I take a look at some aspect of our community and write about it. Some time ago it was about how we are doing as a small town in America.

What is attached is some information about how well we are doing in the county and in the City of Cambridge with regard to kindergarten readiness. The difference between the readiness of kindergarten students arriving at schools in the county and those in the city is striking. I am also attaching a power point presentation that was provided to the school board this past April about the 2017 results for Dorchester children arriving at kindergarten.

I welcome your thoughts about the above. Please share this with whomever you wish. We need to do more sooner to help our school system improve.

Thanks for reading.

Steve

Download (DOCX, 106KB)

Download (PPTX, 19.59MB)

CAMBRIDGE MATTERS
Commissioner Steve Rideout
swrideout@aol.com
November 26, 2018

Dear Readers:

Here is my report on the City Council Meeting of November 26th including two matters that were taken up in closed session and reported out at our public meeting. The normal City Council Meeting was very short this time with most of the items approved quickly and unanimously. The longer meetings were the two closed meetings that were held as well.

In addition to the Cambridge Matters Report, I am also attaching the Administrative Standard Operating Procedure (ASOP) #46 that was passed and about which it is important for all of us to be aware.

I hope that everyone had a blessed Thanksgiving and will have a blessed Christmas Season as well.

Until next time.

Steve

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Download (PDF, 1.8MB)

CAMBRIDGE MATTERS
Commissioner Steve Rideout
swrideout@aol.com
November 13, 2018

Dear Readers:

Below please find my Cambridge Matters and one attachment mentioned about Bradford House. I hope they are helpful in understanding what City Council is doing on behalf of its citizens.

Steve

Download (DOCX, 24KB)

Download (DOCX, 106KB)

CAMBRIDGE MATTERS
By: Commissioner Steve Rideout
swrideout@aol.com
October 26, 2018

Dear Readers:

I have just heard that there will be time for public comment at the meetings on October 29th and 30th. as described below. If there is a large group at either meeting, your time may be limited in order that as many comments as possible can be received.

I am not in charge of the meeting, so it might be helpful for those planning to say something organize your thoughts and get to the point that you want to make. Also, if someone has already made the point, multiple repeats of the same point may not be helpful.

I would like to see as many questions or comments as possible be provided so that staff can consider them in their process.

Remember that each meeting starts at 6:00 p.m. and both meetings are at City Council Chambers where there is limited capacity.

Steve

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CAMBRIDGE MATTERS
By: Commissioner Steve Rideout
swrideout@aol.com
October 17, 2018

Dear Readers:

Below is some information that I just received today from Pat Escher about community meetings that are going to be held with regard to the proposed rezoning of the Sailwinds Property and the Mill Street School Property, code enforcement, and the Pine Street Project.

Please place these on your calendar and plan to attend, if possible, so that you can hear about the proposed changes and, hopefully, have an opportunity to ask some questions. There is a lot to learn, and it is important that the community be aware of all that is happening here in Cambridge.

Please feel free to share. See below.

Steve

Monday, October 29th, 6:00 pm at Council Chambers

Waterfront Properties – Explain the proposed Text Amendments to the Unified Development Code. The main change is to have the proposed development use the City’s Form Based Code as opposed to standard zoning. This will give the City and the developer more flexibility with their proposals.

Tuesday, October 30th, 6:00 pm at Council Chambers

Code Enforcement – Introduction of Susan Webb and an update on code enforcement in the City.

Pine Street Revitalization – Discuss what the City is doing in the Pine Street Area.

School House Property on Mill Street – Discuss a proposed Text Amendment that would allow the property to redevelop with a previously approved multi-family development. This amendment would apply only to the school property.

Patricia Escher, A.I.C.P., Division Manager
Division of Planning, Housing and Economic Development, D.P.W.
1025 Washington Street
Cambridge, Maryland, 21613
410-228-1955
pescher@choosecambridge.com

CAMBRIDGE MATTERS
By: Commissioner Steve Rideout
swrideout@aol.com
October 26, 2018

Dear Readers:

I have been asked to be the “Enrichment Programs” representative of the Cambridge Center Strategic Planning Work Group. Over the next 3 months or so, the Work Group will meet to discuss possibilities for the Cambridge Center. The college provided me with the following as an explanation of what they are hoping to learn with regard to how the Cambridge Center might become more engaged in the life of Cambridge and Dorchester County residents.

The College defines enrichment programs as those outside of credit and workforce training initiatives and provides opportunities for lifelong learning. These can include everything from Oil Painting, Introduction to Meditation, Computer Confidence to Cake Decorating. Currently we offer very few of these classes at the Cambridge Center. And, as the population is changing in Dorchester County we want to explore if there is role for the College to provide these type of classes. These offerings are considered educational and a part of the College’s mission. We have a very robust offering of enrichment classes on the Wye Mills campus. Bottom line, should we be doing more of these in Dorchester County.

The Work Group would determine if there is a need and if so, what is it.

As I have this list of all of you who are interested in what is happening and could happen in Cambridge, I thought that I would reach out to you to hear your thoughts on the above and how we as residents of the city and county could be engaged or more engaged in the Cambridge Center and what that engagement might look like with regard to “Enrichment Programs”.

I certainly do not have all or, at this point, any of the answers but thought that you might. If you are silent, then the answer may well be that the Cambridge Center is not a place for Chesapeake College to spend its resources for “Enrichment Programs”. However, If you have ideas, please share them.

For those of you who are involved with other organizations including nonprofits, how do you see you or your organization being able to partner with the Cambridge Center to support or engage in enrichment programs that could use their and our community resources and impact our community with a dream that you have had for years or have been trying to get started for years.

There are no stupid or impossible ideas. They may not happen now or even down the road; but if you do not share them, we know that they may never happen. What kind of class would you like to lead or take? Who do you know that has talked about wanting to learn something but never having the opportunity?

Years ago, the Court Service Unit that supported our court with programs submitted a grant proposal for a program they wanted to do for 7 years in a row and were turned down every year. In the 8th year, the Arlington County Virginia Court Service Unit asked if they could submit the grant proposal. Our group had given up on it and so agreed. That next year, the Arlington Court Service Unit was funded for the exact program that we had failed to get 7 years in a row.

Now may be your chance to let me know your dream. Let’s see if it happens.

You can respond to me alone; or, if you think you have a great idea about an enrichment program, respond to “all”. You will be letting over 200 people know about your idea. Maybe there are others who have that same dream to learn about what interests you, and you just did not know about them.

Thanks for your help. I look forward to hearing from you.

If you do respond, I may not have time to respond to each of you, but know that your idea and level of interest that others might express will be brought to the attention of the folks at the Cambridge Center.

Please share this with anyone you think might be interested in offering an idea or participating in an enrichment program.

Steve

CAMBRIDGE MATTERS
By: Commissioner Steve Rideout
swrideout@aol.com
October 25, 2018

Dear Readers:

To clarify: The Council has not reinstituted the old speed cameras that were stopped here a few years ago.

The “speed camera” was not set up to catch and charge people with speeding. It is the display that shows how fast you are going and records it for the report and other reports that I have sent out. For instance one was done regarding High Street due to the complaints of neighbors about the speed of vehicles in the 100-200 blocks causing vibration damage to the homes in those blocks.

This one showed that of the many drivers on School Street a very very small number were actually speeding. That is good as it shows the community is complying with the law and is, apparently, concerned about the safety of people living on that street. You, of course, are free to drive on whatever street you choose.

There is no interest in reinstituting the speed cameras that cause tickets to be issued against the owner of the vehicle, and no such program has been put in place.

Steve