Frederick, MD -- Mayor Randy McClement recently named 16 members to the newly formed Blighted and Vacant Property Ad Hoc Committee. The purpose of the committee is to recommend regulatory, incentive and / or disincentive programs to assist The City of Frederick handle habitually blighted and vacant properties.
Mayor Randy McClement said, “The overwhelming public response was very exciting. The City received over 25 applications for the 16 positions on the Blighted and Vacant Property Ad Hoc Committee. My vision for this Committee is to focus the first one hundred (100) days studying commercial blighted and vacant property issues once the Committee has its initial organizational meeting. After the first 100 days, the Committee will submit a draft report to the Mayor and Board of Aldermen.”
The Blighted and Vacant Property Ad Hoc Committee members are:
Nine (9) Voting Members
• Tamar Osterman & Kathryn MacKenzie - representatives from a residential
property brokerage
• Steve Cranford & David Kaye - representatives from a commercial property brokerages
• Joe Fitzgibbons & Mike Bowersox - representatives from commercial property owners
• Robert Murray & Matthew Donahue - at-large community representatives -
• Kara Norman - representative from a community not-for-profit organization
Four (4) Ex-Officio Members
• Truby LaGarde- alternate non-voting member
• Alderman Michael O’Connor- Aldermanic liaison
• Richard Griffin - Director of Economic Development
• Josh Russin - Executive Assistant to the Mayor
Three (3) City departments will provide staff support to the Ad Hoc Committee throughout the deliberation process:
• Rachel Depo - City Legal Department
• Brandon Mark - Planning Department
• Roy Singer - Code Enforcement
“I am looking toward the community for recommendations regarding existing City practices, studying and recommending best practices from other communities and any other new approaches that may be deemed appropriate to tackle these issues,” said Mayor McClement.
Following the initial one hundred day milestone the Ad Hoc Committee will spend approximately the following one hundred and forty (140) days reviewing residential blighted and vacant property concerns. A second report will to the Mayor and Board of Aldermen will follow with their findings. All totaled, the Blighted and Vacant Property Ad Hoc Committee will spend a total of two hundred and forty (240) days reviewing both commercial and residential property issues. The Ad Hoc Committee will inform the Mayor McClement if additional time is needed to study the issues.