Rockville officials are pleased about results from this year's state legislative session.

Among the accomplishments the city lists are avoiding a local bill that would have stripped the municipality of its zoning authority when it came to Montgomery County Public Schools construction projects, securing state highway user revenue and securing funding for renovation of the city's swim center.

The city expects $709,800 in highway user revenue for Rockville's $108.8 million fiscal 2012 operating budget.

"The past couple years the state has cut back on highway user revenue," said Jenny Kimball, the city's assistant city manager. "Every source of revenue becomes critical."

Gov. Martin O'Malley's proposed budget included $1.6 million in highway user revenue for the state. Late in the session, the General Assembly added $8.3 million.

"That helped the municipalities greatly at the last minute," Kimball said.

The revenue goes to municipalities for street repair projects such as sidewalk, curb and gutter replacement.

Also listed among the city's successes was passage of a negligent homicide bill Rockville pushed for seven years.

Under the previous law, prosecutors had to prove gross negligence in cases where a reckless driver killed a pedestrian. Gross negligence means the driver intentionally drove recklessly and knew her or she was putting others in danger.

Del. Luiz Simmons (D-Dist. 17) of Rockville, who is a practicing attorney, said the standard was impossible to prove.

"Society deserves a proportionate response and the victims deserve to have their grief served in a moderate and proportional way," Simmons said. "I have always felt that it was a necessary response to a gaping hole in Maryland law."

Now prosecutors must prove criminal negligence. That means the law allows prosecution of those driving recklessly, but will protect those who made a careless mistake, such as briefly taking their eyes off the road, Simmons said.

Kimball said the city heard from residents who wanted the bill passed.

"There have been some serious accidents in the city in the past where a victim was killed, and the way the law was set up the person who caused the accident would just get a traffic ticket," Kimball said. "We, alongside Del. Simmons, have been advocating for it for years and we are always happy to work with him."

On April 9, State Sen. Richard S. Madaleno Jr. (D-Dist. 18) of Kensington withdrew the municipal zoning bill he introduced in the General Assembly in October.

Madaleno introduced the bill at the request of the county school system amid a dispute with Rockville over the installation of portable classrooms at College Gardens Elementary School in the city.

Simmons was involved in the negotiations, mostly as a spectator, he said.

"I was a bit miffed when (Madaleno introduced the bill) because he never discussed it with (State Sen. Jennie M. Forehand) or anyone else in the delegation," Simmons said. "We tried to maintain a balance, and in the end the bill did serve as a catalyst for negotiations."

Rockville recently agreed to a memorandum of understanding with the county school system on installing portable classrooms. City and school system officials are working on a similar agreement for school construction and renovation.

With the help of Forehand (D-17), the city also was able to secure $20,000 for renovations to its swim center.

During Monday's City Council meeting, Recreation and Parks Director Burt Hall said it is one of the city's facilities that is most in need of renovation.

snorris@gazette.net