Subject
title
Authorize the City Manager to Execute a Grant Agreement with the Maryland Historical Trust for the FY2025 Certified Local Government Grant Agreement for $2,500 to Support Historic District Commissioner and Historic District Commission Staff Education and Training.
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Department
CPDS - Comprehensive Planning
Recommendation
Staff recommends the Mayor and Council authorize the City Manager to execute the FY2025 Certified Local Government Grant Agreement (Attachment 1) between the City of Rockville and the State of Maryland to support education and professional development training for Historic District Commissioners and Historic District Commission staff.
Discussion
In February 2025, Historic Preservation staff submitted a grant application for the FY2025 Certified Local Government Education and Training Grant. This grant is open to all Certified Local Governments (CLGs) in the state of Maryland, which includes Rockville.
The Certified Local Government (CLG) Program recognizes counties and municipalities that have made a special commitment to preservation. This commitment includes, but is not limited to, establishing a qualified historic preservation commission to designate and review historic properties. CLG programs exist in every state and are supported through the federal Historic Preservation Fund. Maryland's CLG Program is administered by the National Park Service and the Maryland Historical Trust (MHT). MHT awards 10% of its annual allocation from the Historic Preservation Fund via subgrants to CLG projects and educational opportunities each year. The Education and Training Grant is a reimbursable grant administered by the Maryland Association of Historic District Commissions on behalf of MHT. Funds can be used for education and training opportunities, such as workshops or conferences, for Historic District Commissioners as well as Historic District Commission staff.
The city was initially notified in early July 2025 that we had received conditional funding approval for a grant of $2,500 through this program. At the time, the Maryland Historical Trust had received the Notice of Funding Opportunity from the federal government for the Historic Preservation Fund allocation, but given recent changes associated with a new federal administration, MHT decided to wait until funds were in hand to send out grant agreements. The city received news that the federal funds were disbursed in late August 2025 and received the attached grant agreement in September 2025.
Authorizing the grant agreement will allow the city to seek reimbursement for education and training opportunities for Historic District Commissioners and Historic District Commission staff, which is one component to retaining our Certified Local Government status.
Mayor and Council History
This is the first time this item is being brought to the Mayor and Council for consideration.
Fiscal Impact
The FY 2026 Adopted Budget does not include this grant. The next budget amendment will recognize this grant revenue and provide additional expenditure authority for the grant.
Next Steps
Once authorized by the Mayor and Council, staff will coordinate with the Maryland Historical Trust and the City Manager to execute the grant agreement in a form substantially similar to the attached agreement and approved by the Office of the City Attorney.