gaithersblog.net

From the City’s website:

Agenda - Mayor and City Council Meeting, 1/22/2008
Posted 1/18/2008

City of Gaithersburg
AGENDA FOR A REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING

TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2008, 7:30 P.M.

I. CALL TO ORDER

II. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

III. INVOCATION

Reverend Phillip Ayers, Covenant United Methodist Church

IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

• Minutes of a Regular Meeting of the Mayor and City Council Held December 17, 2007
  Background Material (pdf format)

• Minutes of a Regular Meeting of the Mayor and City Council Held January 7, 2008
  Background Material (pdf format)

• Minutes of a Special Meeting of the Mayor and City Council Held January 10, 2008
  TBA - Background Material (pdf format)

V. CONSENT ITEM
(resolutions for approval by the City Council that do not need discussion)

Resolution of the Mayor and City Council Authorizing the City Manager to Negotiate and Execute a Renewal of Retention Agreement with Special Counsel Stanley D. Abrams, Esq. ($30,000)
Background Material (pdf format)

VI. PRESENTATIONS

1. Certificates of Recognition Presented to the Gaithersburg High School Montgomery County Division I Cheerleading Champions
2. Readings and Certificates of Recognition Presented to the 17th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Literary Arts Contest Winners
3. Proposal for Safety Netting at Kelley Park Ball Fields
4. Presentation on the Proposed Amendments to the Crown Farm Annexation Agreement (X-182)
   Background Material (pdf format)
   

VII. PUBLIC APPEARANCES
(public is invited to speak on any subject that is not a public hearing topic on tonight’s agenda - each speaker three minutes)

VIII. FROM THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL/ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Upcoming City Events

IV. FROM THE ACTING CITY MANAGER

Update on Status of the City’s Request for an Attorney General Opinion on the Constitutionality of the Anti-Solicitation Ordinance
Background Material (pdf format)

X. PUBLIC HEARING

JOINT – Z-310, Crown Village Farm, LLC c/o KB Homes, Applicant Requests Approval of the Amended Sketch Plan, Z-310, Per Amended Annexation X-182, Known as the Crown Property (Parcels 445, 600, 905, 883, & 820) in Gaithersburg, Maryland. The Proposed Plan Includes a Mix of Uses, Including 2,250 Residential Units and 320,000 Square Feet of Future Commercial Uses on Approximately 180 Acres of Land. The Subject Property is Bordered by Fields Road, Sam Eig Highway, and Omega Drive
Background Material (pdf format 3.5M)

XI. RECESS MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEETING

---

HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION

1. Call to Order

2. Approval of Minutes

• Minutes of a Historic District Commission Meeting Held December 17, 2007
  Background Material (pdf format)

3.Consent Item

HAWP-87D (SP-06-0012) – Applicant: Maria Glinsmann, 12 Russell Avenue, Request to Construct a 1,962 Square Foot, Two-Story Carriage House and Parking Lot (Extension of Historic Area Work Permit)
Background Material (pdf format)

4. Adjournment

---

XII. RECONVENE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEETING

XIII. ORDINANCES, RESOLUTIONS, AND REGULATIONS
(ordinances, resolutions, and regulations to be introduced or adopted following appropriate procedures required by the City Code, or resolutions that may require discussion by the Mayor and Council prior to approval)

Resolution of the Mayor and City Council of Gaithersburg Authorizing the City Manager to Award a Contract to Provide Executive Search Services for the Position of City Manager ($26,500)
Background Material (pdf format)

XIV. FROM THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGERS, CITY ATTORNEY AND OTHER STAFF

XV. ADJOURNMENT

---

WORK SESSION ANNOUNCEMENT

Notice to the general public is hereby given that the Mayor and City Council of the City of Gaithersburg will not conduct a work session on Monday, January 28, 2008, but will hold a special meeting that evening and the evening of January 29, 2008, for the sole purpose of voting to conduct closed executive sessions.

---

EXECUTIVE SESSION ANNOUNCEMENTS

Notice to the general public is hereby given that the Mayor and City Council of Gaithersburg plan to conduct a closed Executive Session on Tuesday, January 22, 2008, immediately following the scheduled regular meeting of the Mayor and City Council, pursuant to Section 10-508(a)(7), State Government Article, of the Annotated Code of Maryland, to discuss a legal matter. The purpose of the session is to discuss the status of pending litigation. The closed executive session will be conducted pursuant to a motion properly adopted during the scheduled regular meeting on Tuesday, January 22, 2008.

Notice to the general public is hereby given that the Mayor and City Council of Gaithersburg plan to conduct closed Executive Sessions on Monday, January 28 and Tuesday, January 29, 2008, immediately following the scheduled special meetings of the Mayor and City Council, pursuant to Section 10-508(a)(1)(i), State Government Article, of the Annotated Code of Maryland, to discuss a personnel matter. The purpose of the sessions will be to interview candidates for the position of City Attorney. The closed executive sessions will be conducted pursuant to a motion properly adopted during the scheduled special meetings on Monday, January 28 and Tuesday, January 29, 2008 at 6:55 p.m.

According to the County Council agenda for next Tuesday, January 22:

10:45 BRIEFING - County Property Use Initiative, a proposal to relocate services from Public Safety Training Academy (PSTA) and County Service Park to GE/Edison Tech Park in Gaithersburg

This meeting will be televised live on CCM Channels Comcast 6, RCN 6, and Verizon 30; repeated on 1/25/08 at 8 pm.

This page has information on additional ways to hear and see this session.

Gaithersblog readers may recall my earlier posts on this topic. Additionally, a Gaithersblog reader has pointed out to me that one of the primary uses the County has in mind for this property — County Liquor and School Cafeteria distribution warehouses — may in fact not be allowed under the current zoning (I-3) for this property. According to the City Code, Part II, Chapter 24, Article III, Division 15, I-3 Zone, Section 24-143 (emphasis mine):

(2)	Public buildings and uses subject to the following requirements:
	(a)	The minimum lot or parcel area shall be at least twenty (20) acres in size.
	(b)	No on-site parking or storage of trucks, either within a building or on the exterior, or motor vehicles other than automobiles for employees and customers of the facility are allowed.
	(c)	All parking areas shall be set back at least fifty (50) feet from any common property line or public right-of-way and shall be screened by fencing or planting at least four (4) feet in height.
	(d)	No distribution uses are allowed. For the purpose of this section “distribution uses” is defined as the primary use of the property for the collection and transfer or dispensing of personal property or equipment to public or private recipients.

Note this restriction on distribution uses only applies to public buildings and uses, and therefore the current Peapod grocery distribution warehouse is not excluded under this rule.

The County is currently asserting that they are not subject to City zoning — Ike Leggett said so in response to a question in his call-in show last month, and County Assistant Chief Administrative Officer Diane Schwartz Jones said as much in her presentation at the January 7 City Council Meeting. But for them to come in and blatantly violate not just the spirit but the letter of the City’s ordinances right from the get-go, is pretty offensive in my opinion.

In my mind, this raises the question of whether there will be any sort of controls whatsoever on that property once it is taken over by the County. If the County believes that the City’s zoning doesn’t apply, and the County doesn’t have any zoning for that property because it is outside the jurisdiction of M-NCPPC, would this not mean that the County can do just whatever it likes there? All the assurances that the County might be making about the compatibility of their activities on that property have to be taken with an enormous grain of salt.

Folks, I think that the City of Gaithersburg is about to get 100 acres smaller.

From the PDF on the County’s website. Note that this report, despite being dated 1/14, covers incidents only between Christmas and Janurary 2nd.

P1 Beat:

• An armed robbery occurred in the parking lot of 730 West Side Drive on Tuesday 12/25 around 1:15 AM. A group of friends were approached by two suspects displaying handguns demanding their property. The victims refused at first until one suspect fired a round into the air. After obtaining property, the pair fled to the rear of 7012 West Side.

  Suspect: B/M 16 to 20 years, 4’10”, 130, black ski mask, black puffy jacket, black revolver
  Suspect: B/M 16 to 20 years, 5’6”, 140, black ski mask, black puffy jacket, black revolver

• The residential burglary on Muddy Branch Road on Monday 12/31 involved an ex-neighbor, who was arrested about 1/2 miles from the scene.

P2 Beat:

• The Grog Beer and Wine at 464 North Frederick Avenue was burglarized between Monday 12/31 at 10:30 PM and Tuesday 1/1 at 10 AM. Suspect(s) gained entrance and removed property.

• Ten of the thirteen reported thefts from vehicles occurred probably after midnight on Thursday 12/27. All but one of the vehicles was unlocked. The lone exception was entered by force; property was taken in all incidents.

R1 Beat:

• The aggravated assault occurred at a party on Sunday 12/30 between midnight and 4:40 AM. The victim stated he was slashed in the chest and face area by a suspect named Jorge at a house somewhere on Bobwhite Circle (perhaps the 9100 block) and given a ride home by an unknown subject. From there, his girlfriend took him to the hospital where the police were finally called.

  Bobwhite Circle is near Goshen & Midcounty.

• The Village Market and Deli, 811 Russell Avenue, was burglarized on Wednesday 1/2 around 2 AM after the suspect(s) gained entrance. Property was stolen.

R2 Beat:

• An adult female was robbed at Ridgeline Drive and Club House Road on Saturday 12/29 around 6:30 AM by a man who first asked for the time, then grabbed her purse. The victim was knocked down during the struggle and when the strap broke, the suspect fled with the purse.

  Suspect: B/M 18 to 25 years, 6’0”, 115-120 lbs.

• An attempted burglary occurred at The Gamer Junction at 9122 Rothbury Drive on Tuesday 1/1 around 2:30 AM.

  Rothbury Drive is near the Giant Food on Goshen.

S1 Beat:

• All three of the reported aggravated assaults were domestic-related.

S2 Beat:

• A residential burglary occurred on Tuesday 12/25 between 5:30 and 11 PM in the 5800 block of Winegrove Court. Entry was gained and property taken.

  Winegrove Court is off Muncaster Road, south of MD 108.

• A commercial burglary occurred a little more than 90 minutes after the Village Mart burglary on Russell Avenue, the Diversity Latin market at 8411 Snouffer School Road was also entered by force and property was taken.

• The vehicle-related events here occurred on several different nights and all involved forced entry. GPS units and other loose items were targeted.

• A fifteen year old girl reported being sexually assaulted by a man in a ski mask to the rear in the 18300 block of Streamside Drive on Wednesday 12/26 around 1:40 PM.

  Suspect: M, 18 to 25 years, 5’6”, 160, black ski mask, jacket, boots, gloves

  Streamside Drive is near Woodfield & Flower Hill.

• Though they occurred on different evenings in four different areas of the beat, four 1990s Honda Accords were stolen during this reporting frame. Vehicle years were perhaps coincidentally consecutive between 1994 and 1997.

• Patricia M. Murret writes, What’s the future of Gaithersburg police?
  

  Gaithersburg’s Police Chief John A. King believes it is time the city considers a key question about the future of its police department.

• Patricia M. Murret writes, Olde Towne could become special ‘enterprise zone’
  

  Gaithersburg officials are is pursuing enterprise zone status for its Olde Towne Central Business District, in hopes that tax breaks and relief from county impact fees will give a boost to the area’s long-planned revitalization.

• Patricia M. Murret writes, City kicks off annual strategic retreat
  

  Residents and representatives from nonprofits voiced their funding desires, including for a new senior center, public safety and Olde Towne redevelopment during Monday night’s mayor and City Council meeting, the start to the city’s annual retreat.

• Patricia M. Murret writes, Longtime city staffer retires
  

  Gaithersburg city planner Patricia Patula retired on Dec. 31, marking a loss for the city’s Planning and Code Department and Historic District Commission. Patula began her work with the city as an intern in 1988 in the Planning Department, which later merged with Code Enforcement to become the Planning and Code Administration.

  In a letter to city officials, City Councilwoman Cathy Drzyzgula said Patula’s “selfless dedication to the City sets an example for every employee and citizen. The City will truly miss her when she leaves at the end of this year, she cannot be replaced.”

• C. Benjamin Ford and Marcus Moore write, Leggett decides against cut to free bus rides for teens
  

  Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett reversed himself Wednesday and decided not to stop a program that allows teenagers to take the Ride-On and Metro buses for free.

• C. Benjamin Ford writes, Council holds off vote on savings plan
  

  The Montgomery County Council held off voting on a $23.6 million in cost-cutting recommendations Tuesday after members said they had concerns about how some of the cuts would increase ambulance and fire ladder truck response times, take away free bus rides for students and eliminate some health services for people in need.

• Margie Hyslop writes, Switch failure caused 911 outage in December
  

  A nearly three-hour interruption of the county’s 911 emergency call system was caused by failures by the provider Verizon and inadequate checks and procedures at the county’s dispatch center.

• Marcus Moore writes, Hundreds of election judges needed
  

  The county still needs more than 500 election judges to work polls for the upcoming elections, even though the primary is less than one month away.

• Sebastian Montes writes, Purse-snatcher strikes thrice in Montgomery Village
  

  Three women had their purses snatched in Montgomery Village this week in a string of thefts that police say were likely committed by the same person.

From the January Town Courier:

• Sonya Burke writes, City Losing Police Officers to Other Jurisdictions
  

  Gaithersburg will need to add more money to the city’s nearly $7 million police budget if it wants to recruit and retain local police officers for its future, according to Police Chief John King.

• Sonya Burke writes, City Leaders Quiz County Officials about GE Plans
  

  Two of Montgomery County’s top officials faced some tough questions from Gaithersburg’s elected leaders at a January 7 Mayor and City Council meeting in reference to the county’s plans to create a “public safety campus” on the GE site near the communities of Kentlands and Lakelands.

• Krista Brick writes, Dam Upgrade Proves Costly
  

  Design of a state-required upgrade of the Lake Placid Dam is costing Gaithersburg nearly $100,000.

• Sonya Burke writes, Community Supports Police on the Holidays:
  

  For the first time ever, Gaithersburg and Montgomery County police officers were treated to a holiday feast on Christmas Day at the city’s police station compliments of the Gaithersburg Police Chief’s Advisory Council and several local businesses, homeowner associations and residents.

• In the Around Town column:
  

  Kentlands Charrette Draft Plan Posted

  The city of Gaithersburg has released the draft plan of the Kentlands charrette for public comment. “We will be working to get it posted on both the city and project Web sites over the next couple days and are advertising next week for a 3/17/08 joint public hearing,” said Planning Director Lauren Pruss.

  At press time, the HOK draft plan was posted on the project Web site at www.kentlandsboulevard.com.

  City Receives $5 Million Contribution

  The city of Gaithersburg received a $5 million recreation donation from the developers of Aventiene (also known as Crown Farm) in December, but not without a bit of drama.

  Election Investigation Continues

  The Gaithersburg Board of Supervisors of Elections is expected to hold an executive session in early January to continue consultations with an attorney about whether candidates in the 2007 City Council race violated election law.

From the City’s website:

Sunday, January 13, 2008
Armed Robbery

On 01/13/2008 at 6:45 P.M. there was an armed robbery in the 400 block of West Side Drive. The victim was approached by 2 subjects who demand his wallet and money.

Suspect #1 - Armed with handgun - Black male, thin, 25-30 years old. Wearing a black hooded jacket.
Suspect #2 - Black male wearing a black hooded jacket.

---

Saturday, January 12, 2008
Burglary

On 1/12/08 between 6:30 P.M. and 8:00 P.M. there was a burglary in the unit block of Dalamar Street. Entry was made by cutting a window screen and then climbing through the open window.

Dalamar Street is off MD 355, with the Golden Bull Resturant and the entrance to the Fairgrounds.

Friday, January 11, 2008
Strong Arm Robbery

On 1/11/08 at 8:10 P.M. there was a strong arm robbery at School Drive and Story Drive. The victim was approached by four subjects and had her purse taken from her.

Suspect #1- A black male, 5′-9″, 180 pounds, wearing a light grey flannel jacket and blue bandana.
Suspects #2-4- Black males all wearing black jackets.

School & Story Drives are near Muddy Branch, north of Great Seneca Highway.

Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Burglary

01/08/2008 between 1:00 a.m. and 6:44 a.m. police responded to a burglary at 656 Quince Orchard Rd. Electronics were taken by unknown suspects.

---

Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Burglary

On 01/02/08, at 2:04 a. m. police responded the 800 block of Russell Avenue for an alarm. Upon arrival , the rear door was found pried open. Two cases of Marlboro cigarettes were taken. Suspect(s) Unknown.

All at once, the County has (finally) released three quarters worth of crime statistics. Note that the first quarter stats are in Excel Spreadsheet form, while the second and third quarter stats are Acrobat PDF files.

• First Quarter 2007
• Second Quarter 2007
• Third Quarter 2007

From the County’s website:

1/7/2008

MCP Crime Statistics Show Decrease For First Nine Months of 2007

Crime Statistics for the first nine months, January through September, of 2007 show a 0.2% slight decrease in reported crime within Montgomery County. Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) statistics for the first nine months of 2007 as compared to the same period of 2006 show:

• Part I Crime decreased 0.04% (from 18,757 to 18,750)
• Part II Crime decreased 0.2% (from 35,082 to 34,997)
• Overall, Total Crime (Part I and Part II totals) decreased 0.2% (from 53,839 to 53,747)

Part I Crimes Decreased 0.04%:
Murder: decreased 25.0% (from 12 to 9)
Rape: decreased 7.7% (from 104 to 96)
Robbery: decreased 12.7% (from 909 to 794)
Aggravated Assault: decreased 6.9% (from 637 to 593)
Burglary: decreased 3.9% (from 2,725 to 2,618)
Larceny: increased 2.2% (from 12,483 to 12,753)
Auto Theft: no change 0.0% (from 1,887 to 1,887)

Part II Crimes Decreased by 0.2%:

Part II crimes are defined as minor assaults, arson, forgery-counterfeiting, bad checks, embezzlement, stolen property, vandalism, weapons offenses, prostitution, sex offenses, controlled dangerous substance (CDS) violations, gambling, family offenses, juvenile offenses, liquor law violations, disorderly conduct, suicide, and non-traffic offenses.

An analysis of the crimes statistics for the first nine months includes the following:

Homicide down 25%, 9 vs. 12 for 2006

For the first nine months of 2007, Montgomery County recorded 7 incidents with 9 victims. Five of the incidents were domestic in nature and two were the result of fathers each killing two of their children. The closure rate for homicides over the 9-month period was 77.8%. Two cases remain open.

Rape down 7.7%, 96 vs. 104 for 2006

During the first 9 months of 2007, 120 incidents were reported in this crime classification. Of the 120 incidents, however, 24 were deemed to be ‘unfounded’; thus, the actual number of cases counted was 96. Seventy-two percent of victims were previously acquainted with or related to their attackers.

Robbery down 12.7%, 794 vs. 909 for 2006

From January 1 through September 30, 2007, there were 115 fewer robberies documented than in the same period for 2006. Approximately 85% of the 2007 robberies were classified as non-commercial, with a large percentage of those being street robberies. Non-commercial robberies during the same period in 2006 represented approximately 82% of all documented incidents.
Firearms were used in 36.4% (289) of all robberies during the first 9 months of 2007, while 44.6% (354) were documented as strong arm.

Aggravated Assault down 6.9%, 593 vs. 637 for 2006

Aggravated assaults showed a 6.9% decline over the first 9 months of 2007, when compared against the same period in calendar year 2006.
In 41% of the incidents a knife was the documented weapon used. Firearms were found to be used in nearly 21% of all incidents, use of hands/feet represented almost 12% of all incidents and other weapon was documented in approximately 26% of the incidents.
Of the total incidents recorded, 26.6% had some type of domestic involvement. Domestic/spousal contributed to 16.5% of the incidents and domestic/other contributed to an additional 10.1%.

Burglary down 3.9%, 2,618 vs. 2,725 from 2006

Residential burglaries represented approximately 72% of all burglaries throughout the first 9 months of 2007. Commercial burglaries represented nearly 25%, with school burglaries accounting for the remainder. Compared to the figures for the same period of 2006, documented incidents declined in each of the three categories.

Larceny up 2.2%, 12,753 vs. 12,483 from 2006

Of all Part I crimes, Larceny is the only classification to show an increase through the first three quarters of 2007, when compared to the first three quarters of 2006. Larceny from automobiles was the top incident, representing just fewer than 35% of all reported larcenies. In a significant number of the larceny from automobiles, it should be noted, that vehicles were either left unsecured and/or left with property in plain view. Larceny of automobile parts represented 16% of the calls, while shoplifting also totaled approximately 16% of all larceny calls.

Montgomery County Police Chief J. Thomas Manger said, “It is very encouraging that six of the seven categories of Part l crimes have decreased during this nine month period. The only category of increase was larcenies and our department has employed several strategies to get the message out to drivers about the importance of locking vehicles and not leaving possessions and money in full view. We are hopeful that the public outreach combined with arrests for these crimes that were made in November and December will have an impact on a decrease in these crimes in the final quarter of 2007. We are expecting the overall decrease in reported crime to carry through our 2007 year-end statistics.”

Note: A copy of the first three quarters of crime statistics, as well as, those from previous years are available at the Montgomery County Police website under the Crime Stats link on the Media Services/Press Release page at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/police. The 9-month analysis is available under “Crime Statistics” on each Police District’s webpage. Or a copy can be picked up at the Montgomery County Police Headquarters, 2350 Research Boulevard, Rockville, MD.

###

Contact: Media Services Division Phone: 240.773.5030

From the City’s website:

Agenda - Work Session: Mayor and City Council Annual Retreat, 1/14/2008
Posted 1/10/2008

City of Gaithersburg
WORK SESSION
Mayor and City Council
Monday, January 14, 2008
7:30 P.M.

MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
RETREAT - SESSION I

• Presentation on City-Wide Citizen Survey
  

  Summary (pdf file)
  Report of Normative Comparisons (pdf file)
  Report of Results (pdf file)
  

• Public Input on Issues for Retreat
  

Upcoming Sessions and Topics:

Session II
Thursday, January 17, 2008, Casey Community Center
Dinner 6:30 p.m. (Staff and M&CC Only), Formal Session, 7 p.m.

Financial Briefings
CIP Overview
Department Head Presentations

Session III
Saturday, January 19, 2008, Gaithersburg Upcounty Senior Center
Coffee and Pastries 8:30 a.m., Formal Session 9 a.m.

Strategic Plan Review

The public is welcome to attend all three sessions of the retreat; however, public participation will only be permitted during the first session on January 14, 2008.  Please note the various session locations.  The City of Gaithersburg will televise Session I only.  For more information about the retreat please contact Assistant City Manager Felton at 301-258-6310 or ffelton@gaithersburgmd.gov.

---

From the City’s website:

Gaithersburg Announces Results of Citizen Survey
Posted 1/10/2008

In an independent survey conducted by the National Research Center, 75% of respondents gave the overall quality of life in Gaithersburg a rating of "good" or "excellent," while services provided by City government were rated as "good" or "excellent" by 76% of respondents. The findings of the survey will be presented to the Gaithersburg Mayor and Council as part of the 2008 strategic planning process on Monday, January 14 at 7:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall. The full results of the survey are available below.

"This survey is an important tool for all of us who are involved in the delivery of service to Gaithersburg residents," said Mayor Sidney Katz. "We’re delighted that the City rated well in overall quality of life, and we look forward to addressing those areas where our citizens expressed concern. This gives us a good road map as we begin the FY 09 budget process and set our priorities for the coming year."

In the fall of 2007, 1,200 City of Gaithersburg residents were randomly selected to participate in a mail-in survey to evaluate City services, programs and policies. The data is intended to help elected officials and City staff prioritize strategic initiatives and direct resources.

Twenty one percent of the residents returned the 33-question survey, which is within the average response rate experienced by the National Research Center. Results were tabulated and categorized under the broad headings of Community Life and Local Government.

Community Life covered such topics as overall quality of life, access to educational and recreational opportunities, sense of community, job opportunities, access to affordable housing, ease of travel within the community, public safety, and community participation.

Seventy five percent of the respondents rated the overall quality of life in Gaithersburg as "good" or "excellent." The highest rated characteristics were shopping and recreational opportunities and overall appearance. When asked about the potential problems in Gaithersburg, the three concerns rated by the highest proportion of respondents were traffic congestion, drugs and too much growth. Also, seventy percent of the respondents rated the population growth in Gaithersburg as "too fast."

Topics within the Local Government category included perceptions of value for taxes paid, openness to citizen involvement, quality of public safety, transportation, leisure, utility, planning and code enforcement, and special population services, and experiences of interaction with City of Gaithersburg employees.

When asked about their impressions of City staff, those who had been in contact with a City of Gaithersburg employee within the past 12 months rated their overall impression particularly high, putting the City in the 85th percentile or above nationwide for knowledge, responsiveness and courtesy. When asked if they were pleased with the overall direction taken by the City, residents gave an average rating of 68 on a 100-point scale, putting Gaithersburg in the 90th percentile nationwide.

In normative comparisons to communities throughout the country, Gaithersburg was at or above the norm for most categories. The City was rated below the norm as a place to retire, for access to affordable quality housing, for both violent and property crime, for safety in its downtown area and parks, and for safety within neighborhoods after dark.

As assessed by the survey, about 10% of Gaithersburg residents have lived in the community for more than 20 years, and 66% are over the age of 34. Another 13% are over the age of 64. Eighty four percent are currently employed; 52% rent, 48% own and 19% live in detached single family homes. Over 86% of Gaithersburg residents have at least some college and 66% have annual household incomes above $50,000. Fourteen percent of Gaithersburg residents reported that they are Spanish, Hispanic or Latino and 56% said they are White or Caucasian.

The National Citizen Survey™ is sponsored by the International City/County Management Association in cooperation with the National Research Center, Inc. The survey was designed based on the experience of hundreds of local governments of all sizes. Scientific sampling and weighting of the responses in each city ensured accurate and reliable results.

For more information please contact the Office of the City Manager at 301-258-6310 or cityhall@gaithersburgmd.gov.

• Report of Normative Comparisons (pdf file)
• Report of Results (pdf file)