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Takoma Park council approves rent-stabilization study contract after failed motion to table
Summary
After heated debate over procurement transparency and budget concerns, Takoma Park City Council voted to award a contract for a rent‑stabilization study to the staff‑recommended consultant; a motion to table the ordinance failed. Council and residents pressed staff for clarity on procurement rules and scoring.
Takoma Park — The City Council voted to move forward with a contract to conduct a rent‑stabilization study after rejecting a motion to table the ordinance.
The council’s debate centered on procurement procedure and public access to proposals. Tom Gagliardo, a resident who spoke during the public‑comment period, told the council he could find nothing in city code that barred councilmembers from discussing the relative merits of competing proposals and asked that deliberations be allowed: “Madam Mayor, with all respect, you were wrong. Please have that discussion tonight,” he said.
Council member Schlegel led the effort to delay action, saying he wanted more time to review proposals and to ensure the council had adequate opportunity to question the evaluation panel and the scoring. “I would like to ask that we vote against this tonight, or effectively table it,” he said during debate, citing concerns about timeline and transparency.
Mayor Searcy and staff explained the city’s procurement constraints, emphasizing that proposals are generally not released for public inspection until after an award to avoid disclosing an offeror’s confidential information during the evaluation process. The mayor summarized relevant procurement language and the practical limits it places on public discussion of proposal contents.
Staff acknowledged a communications lapse. The procurement manager said staff had tried to be transparent but apologized for not consulting the procurement code as thoroughly as they should have when sharing documents with a broader audience.
Council member Schlegel formally moved to table the matter; Council member Landman seconded. The roll call on the tabling motion failed, and the council then voted to award the contract. The clerk recorded the roll call with a majority in favor of advancing the contract award.
City staff said the selected consultant will begin work under the contract and will return to council at milestones during the study for direction and review of deliverables. Council members and public commenters asked staff to ensure future procurement steps are documented and to clarify what materials are appropriate for council review prior to award.
What happens next: Staff will finalize the contract steps and present milestone deliverables to the council for guidance and public engagement as the study proceeds.
