Council reiterates opposition to naming library after Duncan

The City Council vote, which included dissent from longtime Duncan supporter Councilwoman Susan R. Hoffmann, collaborated residents’ opposition to the county advisory group’s recommendation favoring the Duncan name.

‘‘Name a highway after him somewhere, but don’t build it in Rockville,” City Council candidate Carl Henn said during the Citizen’s Forum portion of the council meeting.

That general sentiment was voiced recently during the ad hoc advisory group’s deliberation. But Duncan supporters won out, producing a recommendation in favor of Duncan, a former Rockville mayor.

Opponents of the recommendation say the committee was stacked with county officials loyal to their former boss. Their opposition stems from a funding fight between the city and County Executive Duncan in 2000. Former Mayor Rose G. Krasnow convinced the County Council to approve library funding years before Duncan had wanted.

On Monday, Hoffmann said her dissenting vote was cast in support of Duncan, rather than opposition to fallen soldiers.

‘‘Naming the library after our native son, I think, is perfectly appropriate,” she said.

Hoffmann voted in favor of a previous council resolution supporting the memorial designation, but said she was ‘‘blindsided” by that vote, which caught her off guard.

Scott Reilly, advisory group chair and county assistant chief administrative officer, said the advisory board’s recommendation would be forwarded to Leggett sometime this week.

Other council actionthis week

In other business on Monday:

*The City Council discussed ways to increase the amount of affordable housing in a worksession with representatives from the Washington Metropolitan Council of Governments.

*The council approved a management agreement with Federal Realty Investment Trust (FRIT) for the maintenance of the newly created Town Square Management District and Town Square Plaza. FRIT was awarded a contract for $742,398 to maintain the management district and the plaza. The contract runs through fiscal year 2008.

Appointments to boards, commissions

*The City Council on Monday appointed Shari Cohen to serve as the at-large member of the Human Services Advisory Commission. The unexpired term ends June 10, 2010.

*Irving Shapiro and Albert Starr were both reappointed to serve on the Personnel Appeals Board until June 1, 2011.

Gibbs Street opened

Gibbs Street opened to street traffic for the first time on Friday.

Running north-south through Town Square, the new road had to be repaired before it opened when pavers began buckling on a section of Maryland Avenue that runs parallel to it.

The section of Maryland Avenue opened to traffic on Memorial Day. More paver work is expected to be done during the summer, David Levy, chief of Town Center Redevelopment, said.