Comments are by Councilmember Susan Whitney and are not approved or sanctioned by the City of College Park.

City Manager’s Report

The ARPA hospitality grant application will be released early in the week of March 7th. This portion of ARPA funding will focus on hotel, travel and tourism businesses, and we expect strong interest. For more information, contact City of College Park Economic Development Manager Michael Williams.

Amendments To And Approval Of The Agenda 

Mayor Patrick Wojahn requested to add a proclamation of Covid-19 Memorial Day to honor those lives lost to Covid-19. All were in favor, so Wojahn read the proclamation naming the 1^st Monday in March as Covid-19 Memorial Day.

Discussion about a potential M-NCPPC community center in north College Park
Guests: County Council Member Tom Dernoga; County Councilmember Tom Dernoga Chief of Staff Michelle García; Claire Worshtil, Lead Strategic Park Planner, PG Parks; Sonja Ewing, Assistant Division Chief, PG Parks, and Tanya Hedgepeth, Planning Supervisor 

County Councilmember Tom Dernoga introduced the presentation by saying that, after having been advocated for by the community for a number of years, the County is funding a feasibility study for  establishing a M-NCPPC community center in north College Park. He recognized Mary Cook for her assistance with community outreach.

PG Parks Lead Strategic Park Planner Claire Worshtil explained what would be involved in the feasibility study and actually bringing the center to fruition. She said many considerations are taken into account during the planning process, including a recent City of College Park needs analysis, a more focused look at north College Park, and the coming multigenerational Prince George’s Plaza. The smaller community center, she said, should complement, not duplicate, services at the larger multigenerational center.

Worshtil said at this initial stage, they are thinking the center will probably be a minimum of  12 thousand square feet and that, once they know how big the site is, they’ll zero in on locations. She said  bus and major road access are important, but they also need to avoid floodplains and damage to trees and wetlands. Once that’s been considered, they’ll narrow it down to two sites, look at ingress, egress, site development cost and neighborhood feedback. The three main categories of costs are acquisition, site development, and construction, which they should know by end of August 2022. The County’s budget process kicks off around September 2022, which is good timing. 

Dernoga said he understood that many residents are frustrated that this hasn’t moved more quickly but says such delays aren’t unusual, especially with covid. He continued that the 21^st Delegation has been an excellent partner, saying that Del. Ben Barnes thinks he can secure $500,000 – $1 million in this year’s budget. Dernoga thinks M-NCPPC can get more funding for it next year but says it would be helpful if the City were to partner financially with M-NCPPC to get the ball rolling. 

Mayor Wojahn asked what we need to do as city to move things forward, saying if we commit resources, we want a seat at the table.

Dernoga said exactly how much would be required is a hard question but said M-NCPPC wants the City to be a full partner regardless of its financial contribution. He said it’s difficult to speak to exact dollar amounts until the feasibility study has been completed and until we draw closer to the time to begin construction. He estimated that the project might fall somewhere in the $8 – $14 million range, but cautioned that the cost for everything has been rising. He asked if the City might be willing to commit as much as 10%, saying that the State was likely to contribute about 20% of the total cost over 2 years. 

Worshtil said the proposed locations are not set in stone, M-NCPPC is “still open to anything under sun.” 

PG Parks Assistant Division Chief Sonja Ewing said they sometimes have to be creative in urban areas, saying they might even have to enter into long-term lease agreement.

Councilmember Fazlul Kabir said the center would benefit all City residents, not just those in north College Park, saying that the College Park Recreation Center in Lakeland is one of top 10 busiest centers in region and that the City’s survey listed a community center in north College Park as a top ask from residents. He said north College Park is known as a densely populated residential neighborhood with lots of families, and he thinks the center could offer services for entire family. He added that he was open to all locations but would like to hear from residents. 

Councilmember Kate Kennedy wanted to ensure that the County would staff and handle programming for the facility once it is built. She also commented that locating the center close to the City’s Youth and Family Services building in north College Park would yield beneficial synergies between the two services. Finally, she wondered if a commercial kitchen could be integrated into the space, and, when asked if she was talking about space for Meals on Wheels, she said that she was. She asked about taking an intermediary step of renting space in the Hollywood commercial district.

Ewing said that financing structures often don’t support being a tenant but that M-NCPPC is open to exploring ideas. She said their focus is on what the community’s needs are now, while taking into account how the building can serve and evolve over 40-year period, saying that flexibility and usability, as well as maintenance and repair costs are all taken into account. She said Meals on Wheels could be considered from the beginning if that’s an integral need. Worshtil said the needs would be determined from what they hear from the community. 

Councilmember Rigg asked what had been holding up plans for the center. Ewing responded that M–NCPPC had to temporarily shift its focus to services for the rapid development in the south of the county and maintaining the aging facilities they already had. 

Rigg said he was concerned about the precedent set by the 10% ask, saying that residents already pay about as much in property taxes to M-NCPPC as to the City and that he was concerned both that this might represent double dipping and that we might be asked to contribute to other projects in the future to move them along quickly.  

Dernoga replied by saying that he’d never thought of financing this project with anything but Parks & Planning dollars but that Kabir asked what might be done to move things along, and he thinks partnering would accomplish that, especially given the ARPA funds that the City has. He also noted that, even without the center, City residents get their $20 million value out of Parks & Planning. 

Rigg asked if it would it make sense to expand College Park Community Center. Ewing replied that the existing center in Lakeland isn’t walkable for north College Park residents. She said there was also a significant amount of floodplain next to College Park Community Center and the fields are highly used. She said the goal is to deliver on the recommendation of M-NCPPC’s Formula 2040 Plan. 

Councilmember Stuart Adams asked if the City was being asked to contribute money for construction or acquisition. He was concerned that the City could get nothing for its contribution if it gave money for acquisition then the build never happened. He said he’d rather City money go toward construction. 

Dernoga said he could not imagine a scenario in which the feasibility study is favorable, so M-NCPPC buys land and designs a center, but then doesn’t build it. 

Councilmember Maria Mackie said a small community center is great amenity for people of all ages, saying they’re a great asset for home schoolers, a community she asked Parks & Planning to keep in mind. 

Councilmember Susan Whitney suggested that choosing one of the possible sites, the Stone Straw property, could allow the City to use $800 thousand in accumulated Project Open Space funds as part of its partnership with M-NCPPC, retaining $800 thousand in ARPA funds for other goals the City has set for those funds. Doing so might make the ask of the City more palatable to other Councilmembers while protecting the 6.5 acres of trees on the site and ensuring that the purchase of Stone Straw would result in a development that residents would not oppose, since it would not generate industrial traffic and is in a location that would, once Rhode Island Avenue improvements have been completed, be easily accessed by bike, car or on foot. She acknowledged that the location is on the southern end of north College Park.

Ewing said M-NCPPC could explore POS funds as a funding source.

Councilmember Denise Mitchell said that she thinks the Council should commit to partnering with M-NCPPC on the center but doesn’t think we should commit to a particular level of funding at this time. 

The Mayor closed the discussion by stating that transit accessibility for the center should be strongly considered since College Park Community Center isn’t transit accessible. He also said we should look at amenities we often see at libraries, like a computer lab. Finally, he thinks looking at renting space in Hollywood business park should be thoroughly explored. 

Discussion of a commemorative bench program
Robert Marsili, Director of Public Works

Director of Public Works Robert Marsili introduced the commemorative bench program as an opportunity to purchase a bench for $2,500 to memorialize a family or friend and beautify the city. He said all requests would be made by application and that the City has a process in place to review them. The City would work with the requestor to identify a suitable place for the bench. Initially, orders would be placed as they came in, but by season two, the thought is that benches would be ordered semiannually. He recommended the Victor Stanley bench & plaque, which he called a high-quality bench by a Maryland company. The bench is available in a version that could be custom-painted with artwork which would have to be approved by the City. The benches would be City property once installed, and the City will make every effort to maintain them, although they might be removed were they damaged or vandalized.

Whitney wondered if there would be a process in place were a person memorialized who was later found to be problematic. Marsili said the City reserves the right to remove or move a bench for whatever reason and has studied dozens of communities that do this.

Kabir said the idea came from a resident who lost her husband and wanted to contribute something to the City in his memory. He asked if the $2,500 included purchase and installation, and Marsili said that it did. As far as maintenance, Marsili said the City will perform maintenance up to the point of severe aging or vandalization. At that point, they would ask the requestor if they want to have the bench or pay to have it repaired or replaced.

Mitchell is very excited about the program. She wondered if family of former public officials would now have to pay for their loved ones to be memorialized. Marsili said there’s already a policy in place whereby the City memorializes former councilmembers, mayors, or non-elected community servants. This program would amend that existing program to allow others to buy a bench in memory of their loved one. 

This will return as a resolution in a coming Council Meeting.

Consideration of Purchase of Cablecast Server for broadcast (suspend procurement procedures)
Bill Gardiner, Assistant City Manager 

The current CableCast server has been in place for more than ten years and is not compatible with the AV technology at the new City Hall. The vendor for the new equipment is Contracting Video Specialists (CVS) which the City has hired for several projects; most recently CVS designed and implemented the audio/video signal from the new City Hall to the Cablecast system at Davis Hall. CVS is the only CableCast-certified contractor in Maryland. Because the project’s total cost (hardware, software, and labor) exceeds $30,000, the City Council must waive its normal procurement processes in order to approve the purchase. 

Kennedy said she wants close-captioning included, and Assistant City Manager Bill Gardiner said he would come back with a quote that included that. 

Council agreed to put the matter on the Consent Agenda for the March 8^th City Council Meeting.

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

HB1187/SB726 – Transportation – Highway User Revenues – Revenue and Distribution 

Gardiner says it will make it easier for MML to advocate for the bill if we send a letter of support. He said the hearings are coming up on 3/10 and 3/9, respectively. He explained that Highway User Revenues are funding that municipalities receive from the state, both at the city and county level. It’s calculated based on a combination of lane miles and number of vehicles in the municipality. The $575 thousand College Park currently receives doesn’t cover the cost of maintaining our roads. These funds were cut when state money got tight in the wake of the 2008 recession, a fact which has been a huge issue for MML since. MML is asking the State to return funding to pre-recession levels. The increase for College Park would be significant. 

HB1027, SB921 – Food Supplement Benefits – Students – Eligibility (SNAP for Students)
Kennedy says the hearing is on 3/10 and asks Council to consider sending a letter in support of the SNAP benefits for college students in Special Session.

HB1259, SB871 – Accessory Dwelling Unit Authorization and Promotion Act
Adams said the ADU bill has a hearing on March 8^th  and asked if Council could consider sending a letter of support. 

Wojahn explained that MML is opposing the bill because it mandates that municipalities allow ADUs, saying that typically bills that force zoning decisions on municipalities are opposed by MML. He said there is a movement to look at ADUs in Prince George’s County and that the Housing Opportunities For All  Work Group may be planning to look at the issue more in depth. 

Adams said it’s good to know that MML is opposing it. He said we have lots of single-family homes next to mass transit so we have a unique situation in the city. Regardless, he said that since one of the City’s partners is opposing it, now might not be the time to support it.

SB528 – Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022

Gardiner says the hearing has already been held but that the Council should send a letter soon if it wishes to show its support.

HB596, Constitutional Amendment – Environmental Rights
FOR the purpose of establishing that every person has the fundamental and inalienable right to a healthful and sustainable environment; and requiring the State to serve as the trustee of the State’s natural resources, including the air, land, water, wildlife, and ecosystems of the State, and to conserve, protect, and enhance the State’s natural resources for the benefit of every person, including present and future  generations.

Gardiner says he will check with our lobbyists and report back on whether this amendment will advance.

HB18 / SB143 – The Maryland Paint Stewardship Act

According to a letter sent by the Committee for a Better Environment (CBE) asking that the Council support the bill, it would make it more convenient for residents to recycle, reuse, and donate paint they no longer need and would shift the responsibility for managing the end-of-life of paint products to the manufacturers, shifting the costs away from local government. It is my read that the costs for managing the program would be covered by a “paint stewardship assessment” that would be added to the purchase price of any architectural paint sold in the state.

Gardiner says he will check with our lobbyists and report back on whether this amendment will advance.

The Council moved into Special session

The Council unanimously supported sending a letter in support of the Highway User Revenues bills HB 1187/SB726.

The Council unanimously supported sending a letter in support of SB528, the Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022. 

Kennedy moved that the Council send a letter in support of HB1027, SB921 – Food Supplement Benefits – Students – Eligibility (SNAP for Students). She said it’s been proven that, in addition to benefitting recipients, SNAP benefits improve the economy of the community. She asks that if we support it, we copy Delegate Jared Solomon on the letter.

SGA student representative Megha Sevalia said the SGA worked with Del. Solomon on the bill and will be supporting it, as well.

The motion to support carried unanimously.

The Council left Special Session.

Future agenda items

Kabir asked to have a worksession with the animal welfare committee to discuss the projects they need our support on. City Manager Young said he’s aware of the issues and that they’d be best handled by staff. Kabir said ok and asked that the Council get an update once one was available.

Adams wants to invite the County, included the Department of the Environment (DoE), to present to City Council on the Calvert Hills drainage project. He also asked to push back reconsideration of the New Neighbors Homeownership Grant Program from the March 8^th City Council meeting to the worksession on March 15^th.  He thinks there’s still a lot to discuss for it. The Council voted unanimously to do so.

City Manager’s Comments
Kenneth Young, City Manager

Young announced that the City is showing its support for Ukraine by placing yellow and blue lights at Duvall Field and in front of Youth and Family Services. Staff is working on doing something at City Hall.

Click here to see the worksession agenda for March 1, 2022.

Click here to view the Mayor and Council Worksession held on March 1, 2022.

Click here to see the Mayor and Council Regular Meeting scheduled for March 8, 2022.