Comments are by Councilmembers Llatetra Brown Esters and Susan Whitney and are not approved or sanctioned by the City of College Park.

Presentation on Edmonston Road Sidewalk Project – Brian Morgan, Vice President/Director of Site Development and Rich Hayes – Senior project Engineer, GPI

The 2016 City of College Park Complete and Green Streets Policy identified Edmonston Road as a priority sidewalk in its goal of creating a continuous network of safe streets. The sidewalk will be constructed on the east side of the roadway. Click here to see the presentation.

Councilmember John Rigg thanked City Engineer Steve Halpern and former Councilmember Robert Day for their leadership on the project and said it’s been a priority for District 3 for 6 –10 years. He thought it a strong proposal and asked if Berwyn Heights had been asked about building a sidewalk to connect to the one proposed in the plan. Halpern said that hadn’t yet been done, so Rigg volunteered to start the conversation. 

Rigg asked GPI Consultant Brian Morgan if the proposed trees were to be planted in City Right of Way (ROW) and was told that they were. Rigg responded that they’ll have to work collaboratively with residents to pave the way for those plantings because he thinks many don’t think of the ROW as such, but, rather, as part of their property.

Councilmember Stuart Adams said he was excited about the project. He asked if there are any features included in crosswalks to ensure pedestrian safety, such as raised crosswalks, a flashing light, etc. Morgan said the crosswalks will be well-marked but that there are no distinct traffic calming sections at this point but that they’re working at the Council’s direction and will implement whatever it would like. 

Adams said he’d like the design to incorporate traffic calming measures and perhaps a safe refuge for pedestrians in the middle of crosswalks. 

According to Mayor Patrick Wojahn, a revised plan should be back before the Council in about a month.

The following items on the Consent Agenda passed unanimously:

22-G-30 Approve scopes of work for City of College Park Storm Water System Assessment Project – Steve Halpern, City Engineer 

22-G-32 Approval of grant funding from ARPA funds for College Park’s first due fire stations: Branchville Volunteer Fire Company & Rescue Squad; College Park Volunteer Fire Department; and Berwyn Heights Volunteer Fire Department & Rescue Squad, Inc., in the amount of $50,000 each for a total of $150,000 – Gary Fields, Director of Finance 

22-G-35 Approval of Minutes from the December 14 Regular Meeting and Mayor and Council Inauguration; the January 18, 2022 Special Session; and the January 25, 2022 Regular Meeting. 

22-G-34 Ratification of a new three-year Agreement (July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2025) between the City of College Park, Maryland and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 1209C, AFL-CIO, and authorization for the City Manager to sign the new Agreement. 

22-G-36, Parking prohibition along the 3500 block of Duke Street. (This item was added to tonight’s consent agenda per a requested amendment at the beginning of the meeting by Councilmember Mitchell) Public Works staff notified the City that their service trucks are having a very difficult time negotiating the tight curve on Duke Street between 3508 and 3512. They requested the parking prohibition along the inside of the curve for safety.

ACTION ITEMS 

22-G-15 Approval of the amended and restated Declaration of Condominium and Site Plan for One College Park Condominium (City Hall)
Approval of the Declaration passed unanimously without discussion. The elements that had been amended and restated had been considered and agreed upon at the January 11^th Council Meeting.

22-R-04 Adoption of Resolution Of The Mayor And Council Of The City Of College Park To Establish A City Redistricting Commission To Review And Recommend The Appropriate Reapportionment Of The City Council Districts And To Formulate The Charge To The Commission 

Councilmember Kate Kennedy commented that she believes the Council’s main charge is to ensure that the redistricting is impartial, fair and transparent, saying that we need to appoint commissioners who’ll look at the data in a fair, transparent way. She stated her opinion that no one who’s planning to run or has held office should be on the Commission, saying that is a best practice.

The resolution passed unanimously as written. 

22-O-01 Adoption of Ordinance Of The Mayor And Council Of The City Of College Park, To Adopt A Corrective Amendment To City Code Chapter 119, “Refuse, Solid Waste And Special Trash” By Repealing And Re-Enacting §119-6, “Collection Of Bulky Trash, Special Trash, And Overweight, Oversized Or Improperly Sorted Items,” To Clarify That Bulky Trash Collections Are Counted Based On Fiscal Year, Not Calendar Year, For Any One Property. 

Counsel Ferguson stated that the ordinance is a simple change of one word from “calendar” year to “fiscal” year.

The ordinance passed unanimously.

22-O-02 Introduction of Ordinance 22-O-02, An Ordinance to amend the Fiscal Year 2022 Budget (FY 2022 Budget Amendment #2) to transfer the recovery of lost revenue of $10M from the ARPA allocation. The Public Hearing will be held on March 8 at 7:30 p.m.  

Director of Finance Gary Fields explained that most local governments have been making this choice and that doing so doesn’t reduce any money that would go toward project goals for ARPA funds; he said it actually gives us more flexibility in spending that money. 

The ordinance was formally introduced, and the public hearing will be held at the March 8th City Council Meeting at 7:30 pm. 

22-O-03 Introduction of Ordinance 22-O-03, an Ordinance Of The Mayor And Council Of The City Of College Park, Amending Chapter 175 “Taxation”, Article IV, “Revitalization Tax Credit”, §175-10 “Eligibility Criteria” To Authorize The Mayor And Council To Approve A Level Two Tax Credit For A Property That Has Received Authority From Prince George’s County For A Payment In Lieu Of Taxes Under §7-506.1 Of The Taxation-Property Article, Annotated Code Of Maryland. 

This would add another category of housing that could be eligible for a level 2 Revitalization Tax Credit. It would add on the requirement for affordable housing. The City is allowed to choose its own criteria for the level 2 tax credit, which would extend the 60% tax credit from 5 to 15 years. To be considered for the credit the property has to have first received authority from Prince George’s County for a Payment In Lieu of Taxes (PILOT).

The ordinance was formally introduced, and the public hearing will be held at the March 8th City Council Meeting at 7:30 pm. 

22-G-33 Approval of a Contract of Sale for 4704 Calvert Road, College Park.

The contract was unanimously approved as written.

22-O-04 Introduction of 22-O-04, An Emergency Ordinance Of The Mayor And Council Of The City Of College Park Authorizing The Acquisition Of Certain Property Located At 4704 Calvert Road, College Park, Maryland, For A Public Purpose 

City Manager Kenny Young presented the emergency ordinance, saying that the Council might consider authorizing the purchase of the property at 4704 Calvert Road in the interest of working toward two of its stated goals: preserving and enriching our environment and fostering and sustaining an affordable and stable City for individuals and families to live, work, play and retire. He said that there had been an error in the documents presented in the packet and stated that the lot is 14,560 sq ft rather than 13 thousand sq ft. He said that such parcels in Old Town and Calvert Hills are rare. He further explained that the City would save $50 thousand if the purchase were finalized on or before March 17, 2022, and that, were the emergency ordinance were to pass, the Phase 1 environmental survey would start on February 23^rd. The price goes up the $1.75 million after March 17^th.

There was a lot of Council discussion on this proposed purchase. 

Councilmember Fazlul Kabir asked if Open Space funds would be appropriate for the project. Young explained that, in the interest of maximum flexibility, the funds would come from CIP, saying the open space program has very stringent requirements and that the discussion about exactly what we’ll do with this property will be a public process.

Kabir asked how we arrived at the 1.7 million figure? Had there been a formal assessment? Young explained that County appraised value is usually lower than actual appraised value. The City will go through the appraisal process, he said, but there are no comparative sites. The original asking price was $1.8 million, but the City was able to talk the seller down to a possible $1.7 million if it gets it done soon. What’s not figured in is additional rental income from the existing property of $48k per year. He added that you have to have a seller’s permission to do the appraisal; he doesn’t know that the appraised value is going to come back as what we have to pay for this property. He thinks the City might have to pay a bit of a premium to secure it, but not a lot. He confirmed for Kabir that if the City moved forward tonight, it could still back out of the deal were its due diligence to find the property didn’t merit the purchase price.

Councilmembers Denise Mitchell and Maria Mackey both spoke of transparency, with Mackey urging her fellow councilmembers to forward any resident questions to staff prior to the March 8^th public hearing, and Mitchell saying that hearing would be where staff could answer additional questions and share results of its due diligence. Mitchell continued that there are times when we have to act to move our city forward and said Council would be communicating with residents about what they want.

Councilmember Adams made the motion, which was unanimously approved. He continued that he thinks the potential purchase presents a unique opportunity to fulfill City objectives for green space and affordable housing and that we have to act swiftly, but smartly, since we’re in one of the fastest moving markets in the US. 

Audience comments: 

A College Park resident who rents at the property in question wanted the Mayor and Council to keep in mind that renters are valuable residents. The resident said that the current landlord hasn’t raised the rent, which is less than market rate, and says if a private buyer were to purchase the property, the rent would likely double, and the resident might no longer be able to afford to live in College Park.

College Park’s Elaine Bitt was trying to understand why the city was so intent on buying this land and what the city is afraid will happen on this property if they don’t buy it. She continued that the City has plenty of open space buts needs affordable housing. 

Resident Mary King said she was the stunned at the purchase price of property, that $1.7 million would be a steep price for a park and that she doesn’t understand what the city would be doing with residential development.

Resident Mary Cook said she didn’t understand why this had to be such a fast process. She thinks the sellers would work with the City and Economic Development Manager Michael Williams to select developers that would work with the City to develop this property as it wishes without costing taxpayers anything.

Additional Councilmember comments:

Adams acknowledged that it is a quick process but said we’d have additional discussion. He said the numbers spoke for themselves. He wants workforce housing on this property, but wants public input on that. He stated his belief that the property would go for much more on the open market, which could lead to higher rents for the people on that property. 

Rigg said he’d received multiple written messages in favor of the purchase. To the caller who asked what Council feared would happen to the property if the City didn’t buy it, He answered, “that this key location in the middle of old town could easily be changed into low density single-family housing with low-quality construction, high prices and a 30-40 year lifetime.” He also pointed out that the City spent $1.6 million on a smaller lot in the past, so such purchases aren’t unprecedented.

Councilmember Esters asked how many times the City would have an opportunity to consider a purchase like this that would meet some of our strategic goals. She said a great opportunity has been brought to us. 

Councilmember Whitney made the point that residents commonly lament the lack of control the City has in what kind of development comes to the City. She says this is a rare opportunity to exert control.

Councilmember Kabir asked again what the hurry was. City Counsel Ferguson said the City negotiated for the longest due diligence period it could get, and Young said that the owner has multiple investors and wants to move quickly. He reiterated that the City could save $50 thousand by closing on or before March 17th. 

Kennedy stated that the timeline was reasonable. She said the Council just completed an in-depth planning process that put affordable housing as a primary goal, and this is taking action on that. She said affordable workforce housing would not be a private developer‘s priority and said it is appropriate for the City to act like a business sometimes. 

Rigg said this is the City’s opportunity to provide an example of mission-oriented development. He said that if we do this right, we could set an example of what’s possible in this city. 

Mayor Wojahn closed by saying that he hears the criticism about the process. He said the private sector moves very fast, so the City doesn’t always have as much time as it would like to make decisions. He said Council has discussed its goals and that if it wants to see change, it sometimes has to act. He thanked City staff for being proactive. 

The Motion to introduce the emergency ordinance carried unanimously, and the public hearing will be held at the March 8th City Council Meeting. It is being put forward as an emergency ordinance to avoid the 20-day wait after the ordinance passes and, hopefully, save the City $50 thousand dollars.

Click here to see the meeting agenda for February 22, 2022.
Click here to view the Mayor and Council Regular Meeting held on February 22, 2022.
Click here to see the agenda for Mayor and Council Work session scheduled for March 1, 2022.

Do you want to meet fellow neighbors?  Are you interested in helping others?  Do you want to give back to the community in a meaningful way?  If you answered yes to any of those questions, we encourage you to mark your calendar for Sunday, February 27 at 1pm for Neighbors Helping Neighbors Volunteer Meetup (Virtual) .  Here’s the flyer with more information:

All City offices will be closed on Monday, February 21, 2022 for the President’s Day Holiday. 

Refuse and recycling collections will slide forward one day. Special collections will only occur on Friday of this week.

Comments by Councilmembers Llatetra Brown Esters and Susan Whitney and are not approved or sanctioned by the City of College Park.

City Manager’s Report

To celebrate black history month, the City will give away 60 copies of Hair Love, a children’s book by Matthew A. Cherry; 50 copies of Dr. Annaliese Singh’s The Racial Healing Handbook will be offered to adults. Click here to reserve your copy and read the prompts staff have created to aid in critical thinking. City residents may reserve up to one copy per book per household.

Consideration of Request by Prince George’s County Economic Development Corporation for City support for 2021 RISE Zone Renewal Application

The Regional Institution Strategic Enterprise (RISE) Zone was created by the State in 2014 to encourage investment and job creation near universities committed to economic development in their communities. It offers incentives to qualifying businesses, including local tax credits for new investment. 

During the 2021 session, the Maryland General Assembly passed house bill 1279, which expanded the purposes of the RISE Zone Program such that the City, and other qualified institutions, could provide rental assistance to qualified business entities with matching amounts from the State’s RISE Zone fund. Subject to availability, the Maryland Department of Commerce will provide three times the amount of funding provided by the RISE Zone entity’s rental assistance program. 

On April 25, 2016, the Mayor and City Council of College Park adopted resolution 16-R-10 which authorized the City’s participation in the Greater College Park Regional Institution Strategic Enterprise Zone for a period five-years. Currently, the City is working with UMD, Prince Georges County Economic Development Corporation and Riverdale Park on a renewal application to be submitted to the Maryland Department of Commerce in March 2022. Since the inception of the RISE Zone designation in 2016, no participants have received incentives in the City of College Park nor in the entire state of Maryland.

Council discussion focused on choosing one of three options:

1. Authorize participation in the Greater College Park RISE Zone and provide the minimum City tax credit level (first year, 50%; years 2-5, 10%) for eligible commercial and industrial development, and a five-year 75% credit for specific high technology development only in the Innovation District and the Research Park.
2. Authorize participation in the Greater College Park RISE Zone and provide the minimum City tax credit level (first year, 50%; years 2-5, 10%) for eligible commercial and industrial development, and a five-year 50% credit for specific high technology development only in the Innovation District and the Research Park. 
3. Decline to participate in the Greater College Park RISE Zone. 

Councilmember Rigg asked Mr. Williams why he thinks there’s been no uptake in our RISE zone. Mr. Williams said more marketing would be helpful but the main reason seems to be that many start-ups aren’t looking to purchase a building or office. They don’t have a lot of capital and don’t want to spend their money that way. He thinks the rental component will make the program more enticing to start-ups similar to IonQ, and he believes that supporting the 75% five-year tax credit will be a more powerful draw for any companies that are looking to purchase real estate.

Councilmember Whitney pointed out that the Stone Straw property is in the RISE Zone and asked Mr. Williams if he thought the City might be able to use incentives to proactively attract a technology company to the property that might have a low impact on the residential neighborhood. Mr. Williams agreed that that would be a good topic to explore. 

Councilmember Esters asked how long companies that were to take advantage of the program would have to stick around after the tax incentives expire in 5 years. Mr. Williams said that companies stay in the program for 7 years and that the City would reevaluate the situation that that point, saying many companies merge or go away after a few years. He said he plans to periodically report to Council on the health of any companies we support to evaluate the impact and metrics for this program. 

Councilmember Mitchell asked that the City reach out to Morgan State to discuss their experiences with the program, and Mr. Williams said they would do so.

Council came to an agreement to participate in the program and go with option #1, which would provide for the five-year 75% credit for specific high technology development only in the Innovation District and the Research Park. Discussion around funding rental assistance would occur during budget negotiations.

City Clerk Janeen Miller said a public hearing is required and that she would advertise that it would happen on March 8^th.

Discussion of a budget amendment ordinance (FY 2022 Budget Amendment #2) for introduction next week to transfer the recovery of lost revenue of $10M from the ARPA allocation 

Last month, Treasury issued their final rule for State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF). One of the major changes was simplification of the process of determining the amount of revenue loss by allowing recipients to elect a “standard allowance” of $10 million to spend on government services through the period of performance. Director of Finance Gary Fields explained that taking the standard allowance would allow the City to get the money in a lump sum, which is always better than getting it slowly over time. Since ARPA money transferred to lost revenue can be put toward any government services, it gives the City greater flexibility in the use of ARPA funds. He said it also greatly simplifies the accounting process regarding the funds. Finally, he pointed out that electing to move the $10 million into lost revenue will not limit Council’s ability to address its priorities for ARPA funds. On the contrary, it opens up its options for using those funds.

The Council unanimously approved putting on the February 22^nd Council Meeting agenda an Ordinance to amend the Fiscal Year 2022 Budget (FY 2022 Budget Amendment #2) to transfer the recovery of lost revenue of $10M from the ARPA allocation. If the Ordinance passes, it will be followed by a Public Hearing.

Discussion of proposed grants from ARPA funding for College Park’s first due fire stations: Branchville Volunteer Fire Company & Rescue Squad; College Park Volunteer Fire Department; and Berwyn Heights Volunteer Fire Department & Rescue Squad, Inc. 

Mr. Fields explained that the grants would come out of the FY22 budget. After Mayor Wojahn confirmed that issuing these grants would not preclude additional ARPA grants to the departments in the future, were Council to decide further support was needed, the Council unanimously voted to put the item on the Feb. 22^nd Consent Agenda.

Review of draft resolution to establish the 2022 College Park Redistricting Commission 

Assistant City Manager Bill Gardiner introduced the discussion, saying that the Council had already stated its support for forming a Redistricting Commission rather than handling redistricting itself. He said the last two matters staff need guidance on were:

1. Does Council wish to require members of the commission to be qualified voters of the City?
   
   Councilmembers and SGA representative Megha Sevalia stated that it would be good for grad students to have the opportunity to serve on the commission. It was pointed out that requiring participants to be registered voters might disqualify some graduate students, because changing one’s voter registration can jeopardize some students’ financial aid. In addition, College Park is home to many non-citizens who are, nonetheless, active and involved in the City. Councilmembers agreed not to require participants to be registered voters and stated that the commission as a whole should reflect the City’s diversity. The Mayor asked that the City advertise broadly that we’re looking for people to serve on the commission.
   
2. Does Council wish to issue a directive that a consultant be hired to assist the commission, or does Council wish to leave it to the commission to request the assistance of a consultant if they think they need one?
   
   On the topic of hiring a consultant, Councilmember Kennedy felt strongly that we should do so, saying we should have an unemotional, unconnected person in room. The Mayor thought it best to wait to see what experience the commission was bringing to the table and to allow them the freedom to request a consultant if they think one necessary. Staff will work with the Commission and can offer suggestions for seeking consulting services if they feel the commission will benefit from them. In the end, Council landed on making $50 thousand available in case the commission determines a consultant is needed. 

The Council’s decisions regarding the Redistricting Commission will be placed under Action Items on the Feb. 22^nd agenda to give residents the opportunity to weigh in.

Some dates to keep in mind:
Council makes appointments by 4/12/22
Commission meets with Council on 4/26/22
Report due from Commission to Council by 9/13/22 
Council must finalize redistricting by 11/15/22.

Review of legislation (Possible Special Session to consider time sensitive matters)

Maryland HB259 and SB871 (Accessory Dwelling Unit Authorization)

Assistant City Manager Gardiner says City lobbyists haven’t provided feedback yet. He doesn’t have any assessments. It’s still in committee. Bill wouldn’t advise taking a position now. He could provide pros and cons and hearing dates on March 3^rd.

HB1083, County and Municipal Street Lighting Investment Act 

Gardiner says Council has supported this in the past. It had a hearing in the Senate on 2/15. The hearing on the House side is on 3/10. 

Councilmember Rigg stated that he was surprised by the bill, saying he didn’t know this was a problem. 

Gardiner says that legislation was passed in 2007 allowing municipalities to purchase street lights from utilities, but he doesn’t believe that has ever occurred. Since municipalities would often benefit from having control over their own street lights, it’s thought there are roadblocks in place making that difficult which HB1083 is intended to address.

HB 594 State Government MD Reparations Commission –  Harriet Tubman Bill 

This has a broad scope, might take time for it to pass through the General Assembly. Assistant City Manager Gardiner has a call in with Del. Fischer to see what her intents are with the Bill. 

SB275 Labor and Employment – Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program 

The House Chair may be supporting it now, but it’s still a big challenge to get it enacted. Counsel Ferguson says the current bill is supposed to make offering such leave easier for businesses. It’s been impossible to get it through the Legislature.

SB528 Climate Solutions Now 

This will pass this year in some form.

HB708 Comprehensive Climate Solutions

This bill is a piece of SB528 – both presiding officers are committed to passing the whole package.

HB1057 Prince George’s County – Recreation Authority 

This has passed the Prince George’s County House delegation 18-0.  M-NCPPC is now fighting it in the Senate. This is for creating a commission that will carve recreation authority for Prince George’s away from M-NCPPC, including M-NCPPC staff that run those programs.

Councilmember Kabir says PG406 is the same bill at county level. The PG County delegation had a hearing and supported it unanimously. He said the bill hasn’t been cross-filed in the Senate. The City pays a lot of money in taxes toward recreation currently handled by M-NCPPC. He’d like to have more data on the impact of this.

Gardiner says there’s a lot of interest in the County in having greater control of recreation and programming. Most counties have control over their own recreation department, but Prince George’s doesn’t. There is the belief that the County could better serve residents if it had direct control.

Both the Mayor and Councilmember Kabir are hesitant to take a position on this either way.

HB103 Property Tax Credit for Disabled Veterans

Councilmember Mitchell asked for an update on this and another property tax credit bill for veterans. Staff will provide an update. 

HB537 Homeowner’s Extreme Weather 3 Mitigation and Preparation Grant Program

Councilmember Adams asked that we monitor this income-based grant program that would allow the City to apply for funding from state to offer income-based grants for climate-resilience solutions. He noted that MML is supporting the bill.

Went into special session

The Council voted unanimously to send a letter in support of HB1083, County and Municipal Street Lighting Investment Act.

Came out of special session

Requests for/Status of Future Agenda Items

Councilmember Mitchell said she wants to have future worksession discussion about proper use of the city seal, but the Mayor and Counsel Ferguson stated that a legal opinion might have to be shared and that some issues might have to be handled in closed session. Councilmember Mitchell said she could wait. 

Mayor and Councilmember Comments

Stu says we really need to try to do more about the modified vehicles and thanked the resident who testified last week.

Maria pointed out the Route One Corridor Conversation about Lakeland at 2pm on Saturday, 2/26. 

Patrick announced that Prince George’s County Municipal Association meets on 2/17, and the April 21^st meeting will be in person at City Hall. The topic of the 2/17 meeting is the importance about caring for our own mental health and that of others in our community.

Click here to see the meeting agenda for February 15, 2022

Click here to view the Mayor and Council Regular Meeting held on February 15, 2022

Click here to see the Mayor and Council Work session scheduled for February 22, 2022

THE CITY OF COLLEGE PARK CELEBRATES AND ACKNOWLEDGES THE IMPORTANCE OF BLACK HISTORY AND CULTURE.

To celebrate Black culture and history, the City of College Park is giving away free copies of two books that embrace Blackness and help address racism. 

One selection is a children’s book that highlights elements of Black culture, which have often been excluded or negatively portrayed in mainstream media. The other is a handbook for adults to raise consciousness of race and racism, challenge internalized negative messages, and heal from stress and trauma related to discrimination. The books are intended to spark mindful conversations, with children and adults. 

For each book, the City has included several discussion prompts for individuals and families to aid in discussion and critical thinking.  The City hopes these books will help create spaces for productive conversations.

2022 BOOK CHOICES

City residents have the choice of  receiving a copy of one or each of the books for this month’s Black History Month:

Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry 60 free copies for City residents

The Racial Healing Handbook by Dr. Annaliese A. Singh 50 free copies for City residents

RESERVE YOUR COPY BY CLICKING HERE.

Please note: The first shipment of books are expected to arrive by February 17, 2022; you will receive an email when your copy is available for pickup. Once you receive a confirmation email that your book(s) are available for pickup, the book(s) must be picked up at City Hall (7401 Baltimore Ave) during business hours.  Up to one copy per book per household.  City residency required. Please bring a copy of your submitted form and proof of residency.  You must pickup your book(s) by March 15, 2022. When copies run out, the form will automatically deactivate.  

BOOK AND DISCUSSION PROMPTS

HAIR LOVE

Reading for Children

While hair is an integral part of Black culture, our society’s negative perceptions of Black hair still manage to influence anti-Black tropes and stereotypes today. 

The book and Academy Award winning animated short film, “Hair Love” by Matthew A. Cherry, were created to showcase an appreciation for black hair and the charming resilience of a dad dedicated to his daughter. Tender and empowering, “Hair Love” is an ode to loving your natural hair — and a celebration of daddies and daughters everywhere.  While the film is a beautiful portrait of a father-daughter relationship, “Hair Love” also spreads awareness about hair discrimination through messages of self-love and acceptance.

Did you know?

• The CROWN Act (Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair) 2020 is the first legislation in U.S. history to ban discrimination based on hair style and texture. The legislation also addresses the United States’ history of anti-Black racism and the shortcomings of the previous anti-discrimination legislature.

Discussion Prompts and Activities for “Hair Love”:

1. Have you ever wondered why everyone’s hair is so different? What are some features that can make hair look and feel different?
2. How do you feel about your own hair? What are kind things you can say to yourself about your hair? 
3. What are ways you can respect someone’s hair? How can others respect your hair? 
4. How does it feel to see others with hair that looks like your own?

THE RACIAL HEALING HANDBOOK

Reading for Adults

The term “antiracist” refers to people who are actively seeking to raise their consciousness about race and racism and challenge the racialized power inequities they witness every day. 

The “Racial Healing Handbook” is an interactive handbook for people who are new (or new-ish) to anti-racism work and want to explore their emerging understanding of systemic racism. Written by Anneliese A. Singh, PhD, LPC, Professor of Social Work and Associate Provost for Faculty Development and Diversity/Chief Diversity Officer at Tulane University, this handbook is great for those actively seeking tools to have mindful conversations around the stress and trauma associated with racial discrimination.

Discussion prompts for “The Racial Healing Handbook”: 

1. Why is racial healing important to you and your family? 
2. What are the thoughts and feelings that come up for you while discussing race and racism? 
3. Is it possible to unlearn negative racial tropes and stereotypes?
4. How can you use The Racial Healing Handbook in the future to share your learning with others? 

Have questions? Email events@collegeparkmd.gov. 

Comments by Councilmembers Llatetra Brown Esters and Susan Whitney and are not approved or sanctioned by the City of College Park.

 Announcement/Comments from Council

Thanks were expressed to Washington Gas and City staff for their work to mitigate and address gas leaks in the community. 

Reminder of upcoming virtual meeting regarding Visioning plans for Greenbelt Road – February 10 at 7pm. More information about the project clicks here. 

SGA committee on affordable housing has been formed and members of this committee look forward to the opportunity to work with the City on this issue. 

Mayor Wojahn announced that he was one of 7 mayors selected for the Just Cities Mayoral Fellowship. The program will take place over the next two months and will include discussions and consultation with experts on racial justice and equity. The program will allow the Mayor, City Manager Kenneth Young and new Racial Equity Officer Raven Rodriguez to explore solutions to some of the challenges College Park faces related to race and equity, focused on planning and design interventions. In particular, the program is designed to help cities navigate a just and equitable recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

City Manager’s Report 

Mr. Kenneth Young informed Council that the Board of Directors for the Council of Unit Owners of One College Park Condominium had been formed and had held their first meeting. Mr. Young, Gary Fields and Michael Williams all serve on this board created as a partnership between the City and University of Maryland to manage the business associated with City Hall. 

The City’s new racial equity officer, Raven Rodriquez was introduced. Ms. Rodriguez, who has a wealth of experience in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) joined the City on January 31. For more about Ms. Rodriquez click here. 

Proclamations and Awards

Mayor Wojahn read proclamations acknowledging Black History Month and Women’s Heart Health Month.

Public Comment on Consent Agenda and Non-Agenda Items

Resident and business owner, Bryan, offered comments regarding illegally modified vehicles and what he believes is a lack of response from police and code enforcement. He asked for Police to be equipped with sound level readers and that vehicles that have been illegally modified by impounded. He also suggested Council consider sound cameras that are currently being evaluated. He acknowledged noise pollution as an ongoing issue. 

Presentation on Washington Planning Framework – Chuck Bean, Executive Director of Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments

According to Mr. Bean, access and equity to transportation are always a primary focus. He shares an overview of COG and its various committees. 

Highlights of his presentation included:

• Through COG’s cost-sharing programs and grants, the City gets about $100k in value from its $25k annual Washington Council of Governments membership, a four-to-one return on its investment
• Four Pillars at the core of Region Forward
  • Prosperity, Accessibly, Livability, Sustainability 
• Regional Achievements for the past decade
• Challenges (Housing targets, Climate Goals, Higher Capacity)
• Equity Emphasis Areas 
  • These areas exist throughout the region, but there is a concentration in Maryland and in Prince George’s County (103)
  • EEA are to be used in local and regional planning activities
    • Housing, Community Planning, Health, Public Safety, Transportation, Education, and economic opportunities

• High-Capacity Transit (HCT) Station Areas 
  • There are 225 WMATA, MARC, and bus areas -it is anticipated there will be another seventy-five in upcoming years
    • Opportunities exist in these areas
      • Optimize HCT- Transit Oriented Communities – improving the 1-mile bike shed
      • Enhance land use around station 
      • Housing, work, shopping
      • Improving access to station and amenities
• Livability – There is a 75K shortfall in housing units. ~245k are forecasted, but 320k is needed.
  • 320,000 housing units should be added in the region in the next decade 2020-2030
    • Needs to be in the right place and needs to be affordable – 75% should be affordable to low and middle income households (earning up to 120% of AMI)
    • Lack of sufficient housing, both affordable and otherwise, is a key factor limiting economic growth in many metropolitan areas

Mayor Wojahn asked the following overarching question at the end of the presentation, what ensures that equity and accessibility are put in to practice? According to Mr. Bean, areas receive bonus points, money/programs that can be used in the hopes of growing to help meet increasing needs. That will help influence change. 

Audit Presentation – Fiscal Year Ending June 30,2021

Introduced by Gary Field, Director of Finance

 Presented by Robert Diss, CPA/President and Aleshia Scarlett, CPA, CFE of Lindsey and Associates 

• Revenue exceeded expenditures by $1.95 million
• By nature of the fact the City has not been audited for two consecutive years, it is not considered low risk.  However, this is not a negative reflection on the City. 
• Admission and Amusement tax at zero (0) during the second quarter – due to timing. We did not receive the full amount last year and we do not expect the full amount in this fiscal year. 

Councilmember Kennedy acknowledged that departments typically do not meet spending marks and questions whether that could be attributed to staff feeling like they cannot spend or is it that staff have what they need. Mr. Fields indicated it was the latter, staff have what they need. 

Strategic Planning update 

Mr. Bill Gardiner, Assistant City Manager led the presentation and responded to questions. The following provides a quick overview of some of the work helping the City work toward meetings goals and objectives:

• The relocation of City Hall was a major project that took a great deal of work. 

• First year of the Employment Engagement Survey
  • Staff will work on employee training and development 
• Public Works invested much time and effort into diverting curbside waste to recycling. As a result, bulk trash tonnage is down one hundred tons. 
• Planning and Development allocated $15,000 in homeownership grants
• Youth and Family Services working to maximize efficiency through the use of SharePoint and Microsoft Bookings.
• ARPA grant applications for individuals and businesses being processed, with five $25k grants to businesses already distributed.

Councilmember Riggs asked about ways to encourage students to recycle more. SGA Liaison Megha Sevalia said there were recycling projects for students, but they have not worked. SGA is looking for opportunities to partner with the City.

Councilmember Mitchell asked for information about what other things were being done to address racial equity throughout the entire city. Mr. Young mentioned a series of community discussions that will focus on various topic including racial equity. He also mentioned city events and co-sponsorship with the University of Maryland. 

Councilmember Mackie asked how residents can get involved with the strategic planning process. Mr. Gardiner indicated that involvement is embedded in the process. He mentioned a need for volunteers and shared that in June or July there will be discussion about 1-year goals and input from resident would be helpful. 

Ms. Sevalia asked what metric was used to establish objective #4 – increase positive community-building interaction to enhance public safety. Mr. Gardiner said this is based on having contract police officers attend community meetings.

The Implementation of Accela was discussed separately from other goals given the challenges and delays. It is internally live but not public facing. 

• The platform has been configured for enforcement cases and is currently being used by Public services staff to process cases. 
• Accela has been configured for permits and business licenses, but is still being tested
• Accela Citizen Relationship Management (CRM) has been configured but is still being tested. 

A consultant provided insight about the troubled deployment of the Accela platform, and the assessment concluded:

• The reconciliation of public sector processes with pre-packaged software is difficult.
• Such migrations expose old gaps in workflows.
• Automated retrieval of data from older systems is difficult.
• The scope of the deployment was wide.
• There was not detailed analysis of business processes prior to implementation. 
• Opportunities to make improvements during the preliminary stages of implementation were not utilized. 

Moving forward the following is to be done:

• Consideration of outside assistance to increase staff capacity for implementation. 
• Finalization of payment adaptor and CRM implementation in order to go live
• Facilitation of small user improvements for Public Work and Public Services module.
• Document process and staff input prior to implementation of Accela Assessment Management module for Public Works. 

Councilmember Kennedy asked if information could be provided to remind residents about how they’ll be able to interface with the platform once it goes live. 

Adoption of Amendments to New Neighbors Homeownership Grant program 

According to Terry Schum, Director of Planning, the amendment proposed by staff in last week’s worksession was to help increase the number of grants given and increase owner-occupied homeownership. The changes recommended by staff are the following:

• Removing all restrictions on the status of a single-family home that can be acquired with a City New Neighbors Homeownership grant of $5,000
• Removing all employment-related requirements associated with obtaining a City New Neighbors Homeownership grant of $5,000.
• Providing a 10,000 grant for the purchase of a property that has been rented for at least the two years prior to purchase or has been owner-occupied and rented to more than two persons. 

As is currently the case, all homes purchased using the grant would have to remain owner-occupied and rented to no more than two persons for five years after the date of closing.

Concerned that opening the grant to all homebuyers intending to live in their homes might quickly exhaust program resources and that grants would go to many buyers both willing and able to purchase and live in a College Park home without City funding, Councilmembers Adams, Esters and Whitney proposed the following amendments:

• Providing a $10,000 grant for the purchase of a property that has been rented for at least two years out of the previous five years prior to purchase, a newly constructed home, a home in foreclosure, or a home in a short sale.
• Increasing the grant vesting period for all $10,000 New Neighbors Homeownership Grants from 5 to 10 years. Full repayment of the grant is required if the property is not occupied by the owner any time during the first 5 years and a prorated repayment of 50% in year 6, 40% in year 7, 30% in year 8, 20% in year 9, and 10% in year 10. A prorated repayment of the grant is required if the property is sold by the owner anytime during the first 10 years. 
• Providing for a $5,000 grant for City employees, full-time certified police officers employed by the State of Maryland, the University of Maryland, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), Prince George’s County and Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission OR career firefighters and full time emergency medical technicians (EMTs) who are employed in Prince George’s County and bona fide members of volunteer fire departments in Prince George’s County who can provide certification for their department, as well as ANY current resident of the City of College Park or ANYONE employed in the City of College Park or the portions of the Discovery District in Riverdale Park for the purchase of ANY single-family home or condominium within the City regardless of whether it is or has been a rental for at least two years out of the previous five years prior to purchase, newly constructed home, home in foreclosure, or home in a short sale. As is currently the case, all homes purchased using a $5,000 grant would have to remain owner-occupied and rented to no more than two persons for five years after the date of closing.

Councilmembers Adams, Esters and Whitney think the latter amendment broadens access to the New Neighbors Homeownership grant while also focusing on the City’s goals for sustainability and affordable housing. After much discussion about the amendment proposed by members of the Council, there was a request to bring the discussion back to a worksession. The vote to do so did not pass, but Council agreed to bring the issue back to an upcoming regular meeting for a vote. The item will be brought back to the Council meeting on March 8th.

Click here to see the meeting agenda for February 8, 2022

Click here to view the Mayor and Council Regular Meeting held on February 8, 2022

Click here to see the Mayor and Council Work session scheduled for February 15, 2022

From MDOT SHA:

(February 9, 2022) –The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) is assisting the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) with traffic control for repairs to a broken watermain on US 1 (Baltimore Avenue) in Prince George’s County. The repairs require the closure of the second northbound lane on US 1 from Pontiac Street to Quebec Street in College Park.

Repairs are expected to continue through the weekend, but there is no estimated time for the lane closure. Motorists and pedestrian sidewalk traffic should remain alert while in the work zone. 

More info here.

The memorial services for Leonard Smith, Monroe Dennis’ stepfather, began at 10 am on Thursday, February 10th. You can attend the livestream by clicking on the video link on his obituary page.

Leonard Julius Smith passed away at the age of 94 on December 23, 2021. He served as President of the Lakeland Civic Association and was a former member of the College Park City Council and a longstanding and well-respected member of the Lakeland community. Please click here to read Mr. Smith’s full obituary. I cannot reproduce it here, as it is copyrighted.

You can still show your support by sending flowers directly to the family, or by planting a memorial tree in the memory of Leonard Julius Smith.

Comments by Councilmembers Llatetra Brown Esters and Susan Whitney and are not approved or sanctioned by the City of College Park.

City Manager’s Report

Mr. Young mentioned the City’s Free Tree Giveaway that will take place on Earth Day (April 23, 2022). Residents who are interested should click here to complete the registration form by March 4^th.   For more information, see the following link:  https://www.collegeparkmd.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=331

The City is offering a limited number of COVID-19 tests for residents during the month of February. Click here to learn more and reserve a test today (As of February 3, the city has given out all tests for the week of January 31).  Information will be posted again when more tests are available. 

The City is accepting applications for the Restorative Justice Commission. The charge of this commission will be to recommend concrete restorative actions to the Mayor and Council to redress the harms impacting current and past African American residents and their descendants.

Members of the RJC will be appointed by the Mayor and Council for three-year terms. Those interested in joining the RJC should click here to complete and application  and submit it to Janeen S Miller at jsmiller@collegeparkmd.gov by February 14, 2022. For more information, visit: www.collegeparkmd.gov/boards.

Transit Equity Day Proclamation read by Mayor Wojahn

Washington Gas – Presentation 

Washington Gas Company joined the Council Worksession to give an overview of their work and their response to gas leaks in the area. The representatives who participated included Daminque Branch, Community Involvement Representative; Brandon Todd, Director of Corporate Policy; and Paul Zohorsky, Vice President of Operations. They discussed aging infrastructure in the area and their work to replace piping. They educated Council about the different level of leaks and how they are addressed (Levels 1, 2 and 3). Level 1 leaks are addressed the same day, Level 2 leaks are addressed within 60-90 days and Level 3 leaks are fixed within 15 months. 

There was a discussion of a satellite survey tool being piloted in DC that can assist in identifying leaks quicker, which will allow them to be repaired sooner. There is hope that the pilot will be successful, and the satellite survey tool can be used in Maryland. Representatives informed Council they take gas leaks seriously and stressed the importance of residents reporting gas leaks. Residents who smell gas should call 911 or the Gas Emergency line at 844-WashGas. They also stressed the importance of calling 811, Miss Utility, before digging or excavating on your property to avoid inadvertently damaging gas lines. Election Debrief with Board of Election Supervisors

Chief John Payne, and other members of the Board of Election Supervisors attended the work session to provide an overview of their report on the 2021 election to Mayor and Council. Their report focused on the following as it related to the recent election:  date, polling location, no early voting, applications for absentee ballots, ballots, election day, preprocessing and canvass, voter turnout and the cost of the election. The discussion focused on low voter turnout (10.35%), the lowest turnout since 2013, and the increasing cost of running an election. Councilmember Riggs shared his thoughts on voter turnout and how we should consider how to engage more members of our population into the voting process, including youth and non-citizens. Councilmember Whitney shared a resident’s suggestion that the City consider moving to ranked choice voting.

Additional discussion centered on the fact that, of the 13,579 absentee ballot applications that the City mailed, at least 1,895 were returned to the City by the Post Office as undeliverable. The BOES contacted  the Prince George’s County Board of Elections to ask if would be possible for the City to send the undeliverable mailings to the County so they could update their voter rolls, but the Board of Elections declined, saying they could only remove the voters from the rolls if they themselves had sent the mail that was returned The BOES asked Mayor and Council to send a formal letter to the Board asking it to reconsider, which the Mayor and Councilmembers agreed to do. 

 Given the reliance on the US Postal Service, the BOES asked Mayor and Council to consider increasing the time between election day and canvass to allow more time for ballots to arrive. Council was asked about the interval of time they felt was acceptable. When the BOES was asked if they had a specific timeframe they would like to see, two weeks was suggested. Two weeks seemed rather long for most Councilmembers, and a week was suggested as a reasonable amount of time. 

The BOES along with the College Park Ethics Commission offered a training at the onset of the election season, but no candidates attended. Some candidates had not determined they would run at the time the training was offered. There were a number of suggestions made to ensure attendance for future trainings including making the trainings mandatory, offering the trainings online, and offering the training more than once. 

The debrief concluded with Mr. Payne reminding Mayor and Council that decisions about the 2023 elections should be made by fall of 2022 to allow the BOES to devise their election plan and secure vendors. He also mentioned his understanding that redistricting would need to be addressed in this calendar year, and that once redistricting occurred, the BOES would need to validate those addresses listed for each district were in the County’s Board of Elections database. 

Amendments to the New Neighbors Homeownership Grant Programs Guidelines

Terry Schum, Director of Planning, provided background on the homeownership grant program offered by the City since 2005. The program was established by the City to provide $5,000 in closing costs to those purchasing single-family homes in the City and agreeing to reside in the property for at least five years. The purpose of the program was to help with the conversion of rental properties to owner-occupied housing. Currently, eligible properties are only those that have been rented for a minimum of two years, properties in foreclosure or subject to short sale, and newly constructed homes. In 2016, there was an amendment to the program, which allowed the grant to be combined with the CPCUP homeownership grant which offers $15,000 to University of Maryland staff and faculty. Buyers not subject to the program’s property restrictions include City employees, police officers, firefighters, and emergency technicians. Since inception of the program, there have been sixty-nine (69) grants provided equaling a total of $360,000 or 4-5 grants per year. In an effort to expand the program and incentivize homeownership in the City, staff recommended the following amendments:

• Eliminate the requirement for a property to have been a rental for a minimum of two years, except in the case where City funds are combined with the homeownership grant offered by CPCUP
• Increase the grant amount for the purchase of a former rental property from $5000 to $10,000

Councilmember Adams asked Mayor and Council to consider changing the two-year rental requirement for a property to 3 years and 1 day to help avoid sellers from taking advantage of the IRS capital gains benefit in addition to receiving the grant. There was further discussion about whether or not the city would have enough funds to sustain the program after lessening the requirements and increasing the dollar amount, what professionals should be offered exception, if salary range should be considered rather than profession, and if the $10,000 amount being considered should be adjusted to $7,500. There were councilmembers who expressed their approval of the amendments as presented by staff, while others felt that we needed more clarity on the objectives of the program. This will be an action item on the February 8^th Council Meeting Agenda. 

The Council then moved into Special Session to consider whether or not to send letters of support for pressing Bills moving through the Maryland legistlature. 

The Council voted unanimously to send letters supporting the following Bills:

HB254 – The  Vision Zero Implementation Act of 2022, which involves assessment of  future crashes at specific crash locations, specifically to: 

1. Assess each individual fatal pedestrian and bicyclist fatality occurring on SHA roadways within 6 months after the crash;
2. Identify engineering countermeasures consistent with Safe System approach; 
3. Consider the countermeasures that are appropriate for the highway context (e.g., urban, rural, modes of travel)
4. Publicly post the assessment to SHA web site

HB381 This Bill would modify the manner in which the chief executive officer of a municipality may fulfill certain notice requirements concerning proposed municipal charter amendments. 

HB39 This bill would require the Maryland Dept. of Planning to do a study and make recommendations for the use of surplus state property for affordable housing, especially within half-mile of a transit station. This could be interesting as a way to explore affordable housing along the Purple Line route on and around campus.

The Council then moved out of Special Session to consider whether or not to put sending letters of support for the following Bills moving through the Maryland legislature on next week’s Consent Agenda. 

The Council voted unanimously to put sending letters supporting the following Bills on next week’s Consent Agenda:

HB656 This bill from Del. Charkoudian on bike/ped safety would help direct MDOT funding toward increased safety for bicyclists and pedestrians. 

HB398 – another affordable housing bill, this Bill would require the Prince George’s County District Council (the County Council when it considers zoning issues) to pass an inclusionary zoning requirement providing 25% of all units for affordable housing for all new development within a 3-mile radius of any Metro (WMATA) station in Prince George’s County

HB551 – a rent stabilization bill that would limit rent increases on certain rental properties during or within 12 months after a state of emergency to 2% per year or 1% every six months. ( applies to properties that are at 15% of market rate or lower)

Click here to see the meeting agenda

Click here to watch the meeting.

Click here to see the meeting agenda for Tuesday, February 8, 2022