In his interview with Patch.com on the 2013 MVF Board election, Bob Hydorn selectively ignored the community contributions and experience that qualify me for a position on the Montgomery Village Foundation Board of Directors.

Fortunately the MVF Nominating Committee more fully appreciated my contributions as an indicator of potential MVF Board performance and voted to accept my application thereby affirming my candidacy in the 2013 MVF Board election.

This confirmation, despite Bob Hydorn's embarrassing attempt to ambush my candidacy at the start of the Nominating Committee's proceedings on January 9, a proceeding in which he has no role. Once again, Bob Hydorn's hubris and arrogance have intruded into the democratic process of Montgomery Village. Only this time he was brushed off and democracy prevailed.

My mission is to help bring about a more democratic open, and civil atmosphere and culture in the affairs of the Montgomery Village Foundation to replace the current cult of authority and heavy handedness that passes for leadership.

Don O'Neill
2013 Candidate for MVF Board of Directors

Here are the community contributions and experience that qualify me for a position on the Montgomery Village Foundation Board of Directors. Those were submitted as part of my MVF Board application

1. Testified before Governor Martin O’Malley, Comptroller Peter Franchot, and Treasurer Nancy Kopp at the December 19, 2012 Board of Public Works (BPW) in opposition to South Valley restrooms [2012]. View BPW Testimony Opposing South Valley Park Project at http://youtu.be/1qumvqqkjDU

2. Spoke, wrote, and testified in opposition to South Valley restrooms [2011-2012]

3. Spoke and wrote in opposition to the Midcounty Corridor Study M83 Option 4 at the September 27, 2011 MCDOT public hearing and wrote letter for the public record [2011]

4. Testified at the August 10, 2011 Governor's Redistricting Advisory Committee Public Hearing for Montgomery County in opposition to gerrymandering and followed up with a letter to Governor Martin O’Malley [2011]

5. Spoke and wrote on Goshen Road right sizing [2010]

6. Spoke and wrote on the Montgomery County Planning Commission Mandatory Referral calling for a roll back of the plans for the Webb Tract [2010]

7. Led the successful fight to obtain a Route Protocol agreement with the County to divert Webb Tract traffic away from Montgomery Village [2008-2009]

8. Led the successful fight to defeat Watkins Mill Middle School project on Centerway Park [2007]

Don O'Neill
2013 Candidate for MVF Board of Directors

Asked what I consider as priority items to be addressed by the Montgomery Village Foundation Board of Directors, my response on my application included the following. Those who share similar priorities have a friend in me.

1. Government Affairs with the County and State on all issues affecting MV, i.e., Midcounty Corridor Study and Preferred Alternative Selection, Goshen Road widening, Lake Whetstone dredging, MV Golf Course development, and Town Sector Zoning (TSZ)

2. Development Plan Review on all issues affecting MV, i.e., Vision 2030 follow up, plans for future MV land use, Gaithersburg East Master Plan process, MV business community engagement, Webb Tract development, Watkins Mill Development, and Nike Site Development

3. Ensure the safety and security of Village residents and their property.

4. Promote an economic development environment for the community businesses that serve the residents of Montgomery Village

5. Position MV with the County Executive, County Council, and the Maryland delegation to ensure the recognition we deserve and the protection against government overreach and interference we need.

6. Encourage the pride of Village residents in maintaining the aesthetic appearance of the community needed to boost property values.

Don O'Neill
2013 Candidate for MVF Board of Directors

Alison Rawlings asked, "What did Bob Hydorn say at that meeting?"
Message #1

Within minutes of entering the conference room at the invitation of the Nominating Committee as a 2013 applicant for an MVF Board position seeking confirmation as a candidate, I was ambushed by Bob Hydorn, who had no defined role in the proceedings other than his own hubris and arrogance. But first, some background.

In 2012 Bob Hydorn and the MVF Board removed two people from their long time committee assignments doing so without cause, without charges, and without due process. This action was shocking in its unfairness, harshness, and inhumanity considering how much these assignments meant to these people and how hard and how long they had worked for Montgomery Village.

Concurrent with these activities in 2012, I had been busy framing opposition to the South Valley Restroom and Concession Stand bond bill proposal and working to get on the agenda for the Board of Public Works meeting with Governor O'Malley, Comptroller Franchot, and Treasurer Nancy Kopp.

My opposition centered around the deceptive manner and irregular tactics by which this item advanced through the legislature and the wickets of the Department of General Services. All this was carried out below the radar and without transparency. I pressed for the opportunity to be heard in order to elevate the level of scrutiny and shine a bright light on the deception and irregular tactics employed.

Alison Rawlings asked, "What did Bob Hydorn say at that meeting?"
Message #2

All this effort was rewarded with a spot on the agenda at the December 19, 2012 BPW meeting in the State House in Annapolis in the Governor's Reception Room. I appeared and urged the BPW to disapprove the South Valley bond bill project and offered Ten compelling reasons for withholding this funding. You can hear the Top Ten Deceptions on South Valley slides on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yftHnv5bxG0&feature=plcp. In addition the transcript of the BPW proceedings including my verbatim testimony can be viewed on pages 121-132 at http://www.bpw.state.md.us/static_files/Meetings/Archives/2012/Transcript/2012%20Dec%2019%20Transcript.pdf.

I expected that the prospect of my appearance at the BPW and the scrutiny it would bring would bring to the South Valley Project would be unsettling to Bob Hydorn and the MVF Board. Consequently, I offered to stand down and not appear at the BPW in exchange for reinstating the two deserving people to their committee memberships.

Not good with words, Bob Hydorn accused me of bribery. Instead it was actually a form of extortion. In the management of my priorities, my offer was principled in that undoing the harm to these people was more valuable than opposing a toilet in a park.

Alison Rawlings asked, "What did Bob Hydorn say at that meeting?"
Message #3

Bob Hydorn unsuccessfully tried to use this incident before the MVF Nominating Committee to derail the confirmation of my candidacy for the 2013 MVF Board election. Simply put he co-opted the meeting of the Nominating Committee, ambushed me upon arrival, failed to make his case, and left empty handed. Kudos to the Nominating Committee for not being intimidated in confirming the candidacy of all applicants.

In light of Bob Hydorn's stunt and the extreme animus it revealed, I requested that Bob Hydorn play no part in the election process going forward especially the counting of votes on Saturday March 2, 2013.

Response to Rawlings,

Not good with words, Bob Hydorn accused me of bribery... quite a stretch.

As a private citizen, I was not operating from a position of authority and money was not involved. In the management of my priorities, the offer was both principled and pragmatic in that undoing the harm to these people was more valuable than opposing a toilet in a park. If the exchange I proposed had been accepted, the outcome would have served a higher purpose.

In dealing with complex issues, compromising and trading off are learned skills... in some cases not yet learned.

I'm not going to give my opinion on any of candidates running for the Board. My response is entirely different take on this entire interview & endorsement. The Village & its HOA's state they encourage residents to run for office. Yet, when they do, thread such as this is created to simply go after the 'one man out'. Had there been 5-6 candidates w/2-3 men (women) out it would have been less obvious as to what is really going on here. Personal feelings or vendettas don't belong here.. The most disturbing sense I get fr/ this article is fact that apparently residents of Village aren't given credit in possessing enough sense or intellect to make up their own minds, not given benefit of doubt that we too are capable of making educated decisions when selecting/voting on those we wish to represent us w/o endorsements. I wish to rid all of us of another myth...that in order to be qualified to run for office one has to 'join' a committee with new ones cropping up every time homeowners turn around. Tell i.e. those 'busy bees', involved folks behind the scenes of every great movie, etc that they are not worth validating nor worthy of credit for contributing to the 'overall' good just because they didn't 'join the club' or crave the 'limelight'. Those 'behind the scenes' & concerned & involved i.e. homeowners who suggestions/ideas were taken and run with by the 'fame seekers' without a mere acknowledgement should cry foul to all reps.. Not all of us are 'scene stealers'.

P.S. And to think as 'adults' we are trying to teach our children that bullying another human being is not acceptable whether face-to-face or online! Sigh!

Sharon,

Well said! More on bullying...

With a misguided vision of leadership and posing as an example in his President’s Message in the November 30, 2012 MV News, Bob Hydorn instructed aspiring leaders of the importance of ego and guts as the prerequisite for MVF Board membership.

What has been evident over the past several years has been plenty of ego and more adult bullying than guts.

I would vote for Don just to get a fresh voice and perspective on the board. The Village has so deteriorated over the past 20 years that new ideas and voices should be heard. Al we have to do is look at the poor test scores and high crime that the village now is engulfed by. MTV used to be a place to be proud of...now it's a place to avoid when purchasing a home.

The neighborhood that I reside in is very nice, nicely kept and seems very secure. Our Eastgate board work long and hard to keep it looking nice and all of us feeling safe.

.Sharon, I think that we are all fortunate to live here, and have a board that looks to our future rather than backwards. I wish the MVF had stood behind Bob Hydorn on the pavilion in Eastgate. We don't have anything like that over here and it sure would have been nice to have.

Reading in the Gaithersburg Gazette last evening, I see that Scott Dyer, Sharon Cranford and Elena Peterson have been involved in the Village and their HOA. That makes sense to elect them. I only wish I had the time to volunteer. Working on my degree and working leaves no time.

Allison, All communities need people like you. I certainly wish you had the time to volunteer, even just a couple of hours a month. Positive upbeat people are how a community moves forward.

So agree with you, Derek. But 'kind acts' are not validated it seems unless you 'join (the) club' or have some sort of title! Those who perform community service and kind acts don't need a badge or 'accolades; in the news. So, continue doing what you are doing! Kudos to you or any who don't need 'praise and Academy Awards' for things we do for the good of community or for the welfare of others!

(kind of late notice, but)...............

Good luck to all in the Candidate Forum tonight at:

North Creek Community Center, 20125 Arrowhead Road
Tuesday, January 22 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Hope there are good questions for everyone that represent out respective communities

Brave the cold and get out there and listen and then VOTE.

Don't think your vote doesn't count!!!

Mr. O'Neill, Are you saying in your response to Derek Hale above, what I believe you are saying. That Bob Hydorn can not be trusted,

Don, again, back to your comment on Wednesday, January 23, 2013:

"As part of the process of counting the votes in 2011, Bob Hydorn handled the ballots."

Did he "physically" handle (touch) the ballots
“Count" (sit at a table and count) the ballots
Or just oversee the process (sit there and watch).

There are multiple interpretations to your comment.

Derek,

Let me narrow down these interpretations.

As part of the process of counting the votes in 2011, Bob Hydorn did handle the ballots. He retrieved stacks of ballots from the back room and brought them to the ballot entry staging area where operators keyed in the results into a database.
Specifically to the question as you posed it:
1. Did he "physically" handle (touch) the ballots- Yes, he did.

2. “Count" (sit at a table and count) the ballots- No, he did not.

3. Or just oversee the process (sit there and watch).- Yes, he did.

Again with his extreme animus revealed, I feel uncomfortable with his participation in any part of this process including physically handling, counting, or overseeing, and I request again that he not be present when votes are counted.

Allison,

Asked whether I trusted Bob Hydorn, I stated earlier that I was uncomfortable with his involvement in the election process including the handling and counting of votes since he tried to bar my candidacy with the Nominating Committee and is actively trying to tilt the playing field towards more compliant candidates he thinks he can control. Instead of allowing the residents of Montgomery Village to freely decide on their own, Bob Hydorn has chosen to try to influence the outcome and done so improperly.

Now as for trustworthiness, there are numerous issues where Bob Hydorn's trustworthiness can be assessed. Here trustworthiness connotes warranting trust and having confidence placed in one.

My trustworthiness assessment of Bob Hydorn on the top ten issues of critical importance to the Village is as follows:

1. Watkins Mill Middle School- No
2. Webb Tract- No
3. Goshen Road widening- No
4. M83 Route selection- Yes
5. South Valley Project- No
6. MV Golf Club- Yes
7. Vision 2030- No
8. Gaithersburg East Master Plan- Yes
9 Town Sector Zoning- No
10. MV Business community- Yes

Are you not saying right here in your response that Bob Hydorn is perfidious?

I have not been on Patch in some time, and now reading this chain of postings it looks like Don O'Neill sure does not like Bob Hydorn. Who in their right mind would not support a new school? Having recently moved from Whetstone to East Village and drive Goshen Road every day, I have followed the Goshen Road widening project each step of the way. Bob Hydorn was right there with the Whetstone and North Village residents every step of the way in discussions with Montgomery County. These postings make me wonder if some people want to stay stagnant or change with the times? I say let’s change with the times.

Allison,

Perfidious? A very good word. Perfidious can mean deceitful or untrustworthy. It can also pertain to deliberate breach of faith or calculated violation of trust. It is your word, so you choose the meaning of your own question.

In the trustworthiness assessment on the top ten issues of critical importance posted earlier, there could be examples of each of the above since every move made is situational and calculated. The question arises, Calculated to achieve what goal? Here the uncertainty over the unstated goal may lead to discomfort, that is, loss of trust.

Sally,

On Watkins Mill Middle School, the people who walk and play in Centerway Park and those who live adjacent to it are grateful to this day for the battle waged to protect it. Dr. Weast, the Superintendent of MCPS, actually commended me for a battle well fought after my second appearance before the Board of Education. Even the Board of Education should be grateful because this project was unaffordable and they now know it.

On Goshen Road, I measured the width of Goshen Road on hands and knees with a yard stick to determine how wide the road needed to be to meet the traffic objectives stated by the County. My conclusion, seventy-two feet would accommodate the traffic without invoking eminent domain and usurping the backyard property of any Whetstone resident bordering Goshen Road.

The County pressed for a width of over one hundred feet to accommodate a sidewalk on one side, a generous bike bath on the other side, and center strip claiming that this was the standard they had to meet. The Village leaders sold out the residents in agreeing to ninety-two feet. Hopefully funding realities and austerity will force the County to scale back and delay this project.

Allison,

Perhaps it would also be useful to conduct a trustworthiness assessment on citizen centric Strategic Planning Goals that assist in focusing on the means MVF will employ and the outcomes residents can expect.

There goals span numerous issues where Bob Hydorn's trustworthiness can be assessed. Here again trustworthiness connotes warranting trust and having confidence placed in one.
1. Promote the quality of life for MV residents. - Yes
2. Ensure the safety and security of the residents of MV and their property. - No
3. Promote an economic development environment for the community businesses that serve the residents of MV. - Yes
4. Position MV with the County Executive, County Council, and the Maryland delegation to ensure the recognition we deserve and the protection against government overreach and interference we need. - No
5. Encourage the pride of MV residents in maintaining the aesthetic appearance of the community needed to boost property values. - No
6. Foster the democratic process. - No

Don,

In response to your comment:

"As part of the process of counting the votes in 2011, Bob Hydorn did handle the ballots."

Was Mr. Hydorn ALSO a candidate in 2011? Or simply being helpful in bringing materials from one room to another for the purposes of others counting them?

Derek,

Bob Hydorn was a candidate in 2012 not 2011.

This year, Bob Hydorn has announced by way of this blog that he has horse in the race. This announcement along with his improper and unsuccessful attempt to ambush my candidacy at the start of the Nominating Committee's proceedings on January 9 are enough to make me uncomfortable with his presence in any capacity at the counting of votes on Saturday March 2, 2013.