Unofficial Notes City Commission Meeting – March 17, 2025, 6:00 pm

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https://townhallstreams.com/stream.php?location_id=87&id=63770

Attendees:  All Ward Commissioners, Mayor, and City Manager were present

Agenda:

Mayor to Convene Commission in Regular Session

S. Cephas, asked that Item #8 Resolution 25-03, regarding the human resources generalist, be tabled until the next regular scheduled city council meeting.

Motion to approve amended agenda and seconded. Commissioners approved 5-0.

 1. Mayor and Commission to approve or amend agenda as presented.

Consent Agenda

2. Meeting Minutes

  • February 10, 2025, Regular Session
  • February 24, 2025, Work Session
  • February 24, 2025, Regular Session
  • March 3, 2025, Special Meeting

3. Robin Sample will hold “3rd Annual Lupus Awareness Walk” on Saturday May 10, 2025, from 9am-12pm beginning at Long Wharf. Please see specific route details on application.

4. Georlisha Wallace  from God’s Gifts and Services, will hold “Christian Youth Rap Concert/Holy Block Party” on Friday August 8, 2025, from 2pm-6pm on the corner of Race and Cedar Street. Please see application and map for additional details.

5. Proclamation Honoring Women’s History Month

 Motion to approve consent agenda and seconded. Commissioners approved 5-0.

Presentations from the Approved Guests 

6. Proclamation Honoring Women’s History Month – Citation given to American women contribution to community

  • Brief Biography Honoring Former Commissioner Jackie Vickers from Judd Vickers Citation and Key to the City given to Judd Vickers honoring his mother, Jackie Vickers.
  • Citations Honoring Former Elected Officials  – Citation given to Laurel Atkiss for her service as Ward 1 Commissioner.

Ordinances for First Reading  – none

Ordinances for Second Reading – none

Old Business  – none

New Business

7. Empowerment Center, Renewal Lease Agreement

a. Council Agenda Report – Asst City Manager Brandon Hesson

  • The Empowerment Center Leadership recently asked the city to renew its lease agreement to use the building located at 615-B Pine Street.
  • Staff discovered that the most recent lease expired in 2023. In order to apply for grant funding for programming, the Empowerment Center leadership needs an updated and current lease, which is in the city’s best interest.
  • The proposed lease will date back to the expiration of the 2023 lease and extend 15 years from now. This is being presented as a lease addendum to the original terms of the lease.

Discussion

S. Lewis-Sisco, Ward 2 – Was the previous lease 15 years? Answer from City Attorney: No, previous lease was 2018-2023. Extending the lease to 15 years will assist the Empowerment Center in being eligible and applying for grant funding.

Motion to adopt the proposed 2025 lease addendum for Empowerment Center and to approve the lease extension renewal raised and seconded. Commissioners voted 5-0.

8. RESOLUTION NO.  25-03 A RESOLUTION OF THE COMMISSIONERS OF CAMBRIDGE, MARYLAND APPROVING THE CREATION OF THE POSITION OF HUMAN RESOURCES GENERALIST. Deferred to next meeting.

9. RESOLUTION NO.  25-04 A RESOLUTION OF THE COMMISSIONERS OF CAMBRIDGE, MARYLAND APPROVING AN AMENDMENT TO THE PAVING CONTRACT WITH DAVID A. BRAMBLE, INC. TO PERFORM CERTAIN ADA REQUIRED IMPROVEMENTS FOR A TOTAL SUM NOT TO EXCEED $150,000 City

a.   City Manager Glenn Steckman

  • On September 19, 2024, the Commissioners voted to award a contract to David A. Bramble, Inc. with the amount of $447,150 to perform the Resurfacing Project. The original approved budgeted amount was $600,000.
  • The Resurfacing Project as described in the Paving Contract did not provide for improvements at sidewalk crossings impacted by the Resurfacing Project as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (the “ADA”).
  • Bramble, Inc has advised the City that it can perform the ADA-required improvements at those sidewalk crossings impacted by the Resurfacing Project for the sum of $125,000.
  • It would not be in the City’s fiscal interest to solicit requests for proposals to perform the ADA-required improvements, as Bramble Inc was the lowest qualified bidder for the Paving Contract and can more efficiently and effectively perform the ADA requirements.
  • Would like the Commissioners of Cambridge to approve an amendment to the Paving Contract authorizing Bramble, Inc to perform the ADA-required improvements at those sidewalk crossings impacted by the Resurfacing Project for a sum not to exceed $150,000, with the additional $25,000 being allocated to any cost overages.

b.  Council Action

Motion raised to adopt Resolution #25-04 and seconded.

Discussion

G. Steckman, City Mgr.

  • Just want to remind everyone that the approved original budgeted amount was $600,000. The $447,150 plus additional $150,000 is just under $600,000.

F. Stout, Ward 3

  • Was the list of roads approved for repaving? Answer Glenn Steckman, City Manager: Yes, approved by the commissioners in Sep 2024.
  • So, the approved roads have been brought up to the previous standard. Are there roads in the city that have “0” compliance to previous standards? Is the approved road list a hard and fast list? Answer Glenn Steckman, City Manager: The roads on the approved list came from an outside resource that came in to look at the roads and determined the ones to focus on. Mr. Jackson (Engineer) and Mr. Steckman (City Manager) will go out and re-evaluate the roads again to determine what should be high up on the repaving list. If one of the newer developments in the city (within the last 5 years), has incorrect sidewalk cutouts for ADA regulations, the city has asked the contractor that did the sidewalks to make the correction.

S. Cephas, Ward 4

  • Commented that he had been talking to someone from the state highway about another matter. Mr. Cephas was not made aware of any roads in Cambridge that were glaringly out of compliance. His suggestion was to continue with the repaving list they have approved. Eventually, all the roads will be brought up to the ADA current standards.

B. Summers, Ward 1

  • Wondering why the amount needed for meeting the ADA regulations is almost exactly the amount of the original budget amount, $600,000. Did the Bramble Paving Co. know that amount? Answer Glenn Steckman, City Manager: Mr. Jackson assessed that bringing the intersections up to ADA standards would roughly cost $6,000 an intersection. That is how they came up with $150,000.

B. Roche, Ward 5

  • The Engineering Department composed a list of roads that need to be repaved. If we do not follow that order, then some roads could fall further behind in needed repairs and updating to standards.

S. Lewis-Sisco, Ward 2

  • I would like to see the list of roads approved for repaving. I am hoping they are distributed evenly across the city. Answer: B. Roche, Ward 5 – I will state again that professional engineering analysis was done for this project. The roads chosen as the worst ones are at the top going down to the best roads at the bottom of the list. The worst roads (which would take into consideration those that were most heavily travelled) come first as dictated by ruling.
  • City Manager, Glenn Steckman – We will post a list of the roads (from Sep ’24) being repaved, and being brought up to ADA standards, on the website so the community can view it.

Commissioners approved Motion to adopt Resolution #25-04. They voted  5-0.

Meetings

All meetings are listed on the city website under Meetings at choosecambridge.com.

Motion to approve all meetings was raised and seconded. Commissioners approved 5-0.

Public Comment – none

City Manager Comments

10. Administrative Report from City Manager Glenn Steckman from March 13, 2025

  • Commented that the special meeting on Saturday, March 15, 2025, was very positive. He wanted to thank everyone for their contributions, discussing projects that the city would like to move forward. It is the combined effort of the senior city staff and the city council working together to make this happen.

Commissioners’ Comments

Brett Summers, Ward 1

  • Will be attending the CWDI meeting on Wed, Mar. 19. He wants to talk to them about hiring a commercial real estate broker to market the site to developers. Wants the commercial broker to work with CWDI on attracting developers to the site.
  • Is the liaison for P & Z meetings so looking forward to that.

Shay Lewis-Sisco, Ward 2

  • Thanked the city personnel and community that responded to the fire/explosion in Cattail Crossing Development.
  • Attended meetings in Washington DC at the National League of Cities conference. There were so many resources available. She would like to see some relationship-building between our affiliate city councils in other cities.
  • Reminded the community about the CWDI board meeting on Mar 19th.
  • The Health Department is leading a clean-up of the neighborhood in the Greenwood Ave area on April 20, 2025. Please join us.

F. Stout, Ward 3

  • Thanked everyone for the work put into the special work session we had on Saturday. Thanked the city staff for getting agenda packets together.
  • Congratulated the Boys Basketball Vikings team on bringing home the State Title.

S. Cephas, Ward 4

  • Attended National League of Cities conference. He always gets alot out of conferences and finds it rewarding.
  • Mentioned the Human Resources position (item #8 tabled until next meeting) and encouraged the commissioners to support this position.

B. Roche, Ward 5

  • Thought the goal setting meeting on Saturday was rewarding and worthwhile for all.
  • Is looking forward to the completion of Cannery Park. The skate park, which is situated in Cannery Park, still needs some more funding. However, the city is in the homestretch for Cambridge’s own, “Central Park.”
  • Will be attending the Strong Towns Conference, which is a spinoff of the Congress for New Urbanism, in June 2025.

L. Cephas, Mayor

  • Attended the Concerns of Police Survivors (COPS) banquet. They honor the families that have lost a loved one serving as a police officer.
  • Spoke with Andy Harris, at the National League of Cities conference, about providing funding for our police department.
  • Spoke to someone at the National League of Cities who is very interested in bringing jobs to Cambridge. She is hoping to schedule a meeting with this person very soon.

Motion to hold a closed session and seconded. Commissioners voted 5-0.

Closed Session 

Reconvene in Open Session 

Adjourn 6:43 PM

Notes taken by CAN Member, A. Kennedy