The College Park Community Advisory Team (CAT) will meet virtually with the Purple Line Outreach Team in February. If you have any questions or concerns about the Purple Line project, please email them to us by February 1, 2022 at swhitney@collegeparkmd.gov and lbesters@collegeparkmd.gov, so we can share them with CAT members. Thank you!

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

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Prior to the roll call Mayor Wojahn recognized former Mayor Anna Owens, the first and only woman elected Mayor of College Park, who served from 1987-1993.

ANNOUNCEMENTS/COMMENTS – MAYOR, COUNCIL, STUDENT LIAISON

Councilmember Kabir reminded residents about the community survey being done by the city and encourage then to provide their feedback.  He also mentioned the voters survey being conducted by the city about elections. He informed residents they should expect postcards regarding the surveys

Councilmember Kennedy mentioned the No-contact cookie exchange that will now be a contact cookie exchange and held during the last weekend in January.  

Councilmember Esters thanked staff for work on the Winter Wonderland event and wished everyone happy holidays. The Mayor echoed the sentiment regarding the event and wished everyone happy holidays.  

Councilmember Whitney mentioned the City’s curbside food waste program and learning from a recent Committee for a Better environment meeting that to date the program has helped to divert approximately 3.32 tons of food waste from the landfill. She also told residents about the upcoming Berwyn District Civic Association (BDCA) holiday lighting event on Perry Plaza scheduled for Thursday, December 15 at 6pm.  Due to inclement weather, the event was cancelled.

Councilmember Adams thanked the Prince George’s County Municipal Association (PGCMA) for their recent dinner and recognized Mayor Wojahn for his leadership.

Councilmember Mackie said the Greater Riverdale Route One Communities Care (ROCC) art sale is still going on until January 4th.  She provided a link and informed residents if the link did not work to email her directly.   

Councilmember Mitchell wished residents happy holidays and thanked Mayor Wojahn for recognizing former Mayor Owens. She asked if the City would post the interview that was done with her last year.  She announced her work to start an initiative called Cooking with College Park. She will be looking for recipes from members of the community.  More to come.

Ms. Graham, SGA liaison, said she enjoyed the Winter Wonderland event and congratulated the Lady Terps for their win. 

Mr. Andriessens, SGA liaison, mentioned the success of the Winter Wonderland event and expressed his appreciation for the invitation to PGCMA meeting and acknowledges UMD student taking finals in the coming week.  

CITY MANAGER’S REPORT

City Manager Kenny Young recognized College Park’s Hair + Space Blowdry and Beauty Bar as the only Prince George’s County recipient of a state small business grant for businesses in designated opportunity zones. College Park Economic Development Manager Michael Williams assisted with the grant application. 

Councilmember Mitchell informed those attending the meeting that Councilmember Maria Mackie who will serve as the chair for the Chesapeake Bay & Water Resources Policy Committee for Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG). She informed the city manager about commercial trucks coming into the College Park Woods community traveling to Limestone street and going through to Pepco utility lines. The city manager said he would work with Public Services and the Police to understand what is going on and address any issues.  

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Mayor Wojahn acknowledged former County Councilmember (District 3), Danielle Glaros who is now the Assistant Vice President/Chief of Staff for Administration working with Carlos Colella and taking the place of Anne Martens who will retire soon. 

AMENDMENTS TO AND APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

Councilmember Adams requested a letter be sent from the Council to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) about proposed changes to metro that will result in reduced service and higher cost to our area. Councilmember Mitchell asked that the letter be shared with the Maryland Municipal League (MML). Council voted to add a letter of support to the Consent Agenda.

Councilmember Whitney asked that Council send a letter in support of the “Standing to Request Review of Zoning and Land Use” bill being put forward by Delegates Mary Lehman and Joseline Peña Melnyk. She explained that in 2015, the Fairness in Zoning Act (Ch. 365) stripped the legal rights of most Prince George’s County residents to take developers to court regarding zoning issues. The law removed the phrase “taxpayer” and replaced it with “aggrieved,” which means only residents in sight of a property have the right to take developers to court. The goal of the bill is to restore those rights to Prince George’s taxpayers. Council voted to add a letter of support to the Consent Agenda. 

PUBLIC HEARINGS:

Public Hearing on the petition request for traffic calming in the 5000 block of Branchville Road, between 51st Avenue and Locust Spring Road.

City Engineer Steve Halpern said a traffic study had been conducted, and his report would be followed by resident testimony.  He said the study was conducted on Friday, September 23 and Saturday, September 24, which represented the days with the greatest traffic. Staff believes that traffic calming may divert traffic to Apache Street and 50^th Place, so recommends speed humps be installed there, as well.  

Mr. Donald Brown, College Park Resident, asked for stop signs on the road in addition to the traffic calming.  He said at 50^th Place and Branchville, there is a family with 3 children who play in the yard.  There is another family at 51^st Ave. and Branchville Road with children who play in the yard.  He said anything that can be done would be appreciated. 

Mary King, College Park resident, recalled a while back in Old Town signs that measure and show speed were placed in the neighborhood and thought similar signs on Branchville Road could help.  She said that the number of cars on the road is stunning.  The signs may be a way to help to make people aware of their driving and change their behavior

Brian Hain, College Park resident who lives on Branchville Road agrees something should be done but does not believe speed humps will help.  He asked for sidewalks along Branchville Road and asked for the trees at 51st and Branchville be removed to increase visibility and safety.

Public Hearing on Ordinance 22-O-11, an Ordinance of the Mayor and Council of the City of College Park to amend Chapter 69, Purchasing Procedures, to increase the dollar limit of expenditures (contracts) that require a full bid process and that the City Manager is authorized to award instead of the Mayor and Council from $30,000 to $150,000 and to include a reporting requirement.

Mary King, College Park resident, said she was opposed to the ordinance which increases the dollar amount of contracts approved by City Manager.  She said it should be done in the open and approved by Council. 

Mary Cook, College Park resident, agreed with Ms. King. She said Council needs to consider a full bid process that will also include small businesses.  She said she could understand if the amount was raised to $50,000 rather than $150,000.

Mr. Biffle, not a College Park resident but a College Park taxpayer, asked that the City not approve the updated ordinance. He said transparency is part of good government, which College Park has stood for a while. 

Ms. Mamontova, College Park resident, approved this ordinance designed to remove the bureaucracy of city business.

Public Hearing on Ordinance 22-O-12, an Ordinance of the Mayor and Council of the City of College Park, to amend City Code §§38-4, ”Definitions”, 38-11, “Conflicts of Interest”, and 38-15, “Required disclosure by City elected officials and candidates to be City elected officials”, to conform to the changes required by the General Assembly.

Ms. Ferguson, City Attorney, introduced this matter by saying that the proposed changes to the ethics code are required by State law.  She added that our code must resemble Sate Code. 

Councilmember Mitchell asked what would happen if we did not update the code.  Ms. Ferguson reiterated that an updated of the code is a requirement by State law.  She said the Ethics Commission is required to report compliance, and if the City does not update the ethics code, the City would not be in compliance and the Ethics Commission would not be able to draft a favorable report. 

Public Hearing on Ordinance 22-O-06, an Ordinance Of The Mayor And Council Of The City Of City Of College Park Granting A Renewal Of The Cable Franchise To Comcast Of Maryland, LLC And Authorizing A Franchise Agreement.

Ms. Ferguson introduced this matter and said the franchise agreement ended in 2016 and that the parties have been negotiating this agreement for 10 years.  All provisions will be the same for all the municipalities involved. Some of the bonding and insurance are reduced to match the needs of the City.  She anticipates there will be some changes to ensure the information is updated for all of the municipalities.  

Councilmember Kabir asked for Ms. Ferguson to explain why we need this type of agreement.  She responded by saying the agreement covers cable television agreement.  It puts together a network for the county and for the cities that they rely upon heavily.  Without such an agreement, Comcast is not required to take any steps to ensure particular service.  The agreement requires customer services, and brick and motor offices in the county.

Mr. Thom, Resident of College Park, asked if there is inclusion of uptime requirements and modem rental rates in this agreement. Ms. Ferguson said once Verizon came into the market, the city lost regulation of various services.  Our contract rights are controlled by Federal law, therefore the City cannot regulate the cost and delivery of services to residents.  

CONSENT AGENDA

22-R-12 Adopting a Resolution of the Mayor and Council of the City of College Park adopting the recommendation of the Advisory Planning Commission regarding Variance Application Number CPV-2022-04, 9703 52nd Avenue, College Park, Maryland, recommending approval of two variances: 11.5% lot coverage and 2.8-foot front yard setback variances from Section 27-4202 (E)Table II of the Prince George’s County Zoning Code, to replace an entryway and rear porch.

22-G-166 To approve the award of the FY2023 Fire Department Capital Equipment Grants in the amount of $25,000 each to Berwyn Heights Volunteer Fire Department & Rescue Squad, Branchville Volunteer Fire Company, and College Park Volunteer Fire Department.

22-G-167 To approve the award of an ARPA funded grant in the amount of $50,000 each to Berwyn Heights Volunteer Fire Department & Rescue Squad, Branchville Volunteer Company, and College Park Volunteer Fire Department.

22-R-13 Resolution of the Mayor and Council of the City of College Park designating the month of April in any year as “No Mow Month” to encourage residents to voluntarily delay lawn care and mowing to support Pollinator-Friendly Habitat during a critical period of Pollinator Emergence.

22-G-168 To authorize a revised 2nd amendment to the contract with Hitachi Vantara in the amount of $254,585 to install 15 utility poles and cameras along the Trolley Trail and at 2 additional locations, and to add the new cameras to the maintenance contract after the warranty period expires; to authorize the City Manager to sign the revised contract amendment in substantially the form attached; and to encumber $41,341 for Pepco’s cost of running power to the poles designated for installation. (Contract from Suellen)

22-G-169 Approval of minutes from the November 8, November 15, and December 6, 2022, Council meetings.

22-R-14 A Resolution of the Mayor and Council accepting the final report of the Redistricting Commission, discharging the Commission, and thanking them for their service.

22-G-172 Approval of Council meeting schedule for January 2023.

Motion to accept Consent agenda passed unanimously.  

ACTION ITEMS

22-G-170 Council Action on the petition request for traffic calming in the 5000 block of Branchville Road, between 51st Avenue and Locust Spring Road – Steve Halpern,  City Engineer

Mayor Wojahn asked if sidewalks have been considered for the roadway. Mr. Halpern said they have. Councilmember Kabir asked about the installation of the sign that shares the speeding.  Mr. Halpern indicated that one traffic meets a certain threshold those signs can be placed along the roadway.  

Councilmember Esters expressed her understanding of the challenges on Branchville Road and said the speed humps are a good start to easing concerns. She also said she heard the other suggestions made by residents to address concerns and would like to make sure they are considered.    

Councilmember Kabir said a speed board be placed on the road immediately, and Mr. Halpern said one speed board is currently on St. Andrews and another is slated to be installed on Radcliffe. He said they start with a spped study, and if over 10% of the vehicles were speeding, the location is a candidate for a sign. Councilmember Whitney asked if it were possible, then, for a sign to be installed now on Branchville since the rate of speeding was 16%. Mr. Halpern said it takes 6 months to buy a sign and 3 months to install a speed hump, so the speed hump will be what residents see first.

22-O-11 Council Action on Ordinance 22-O-11, an Ordinance of the Mayor and Council of the City of College Park to amend Chapter 69, Purchasing Procedures, to increase the dollar limit of expenditures (contracts) that require a full bid process and that the City Manager is authorized to award instead of the Mayor and Council from $30,000 to $150,000 and to include a reporting requirement – Suellen Ferguson, City Attorney

Councilmember Kennedy said she would vote for the ordinance because it was about improving efficiencies.

Councilmember Kabir agreed with the residents that the ordinance would reduce resident engagement. He said we should base our consideration on what similar jurisdictions are doing. He shared information from some local areas. He made a motion to move the limit to $75,000.   Councilmember Adams seconded the motion. 

Ms. King, College Park resident, indicated that the information provided by Mr. Kabir makes the argument for not making any changes.  

Councilmember Mitchell thanked Councilmember Kabir for the information he provided and his motion.  She asked for more clarity from the City Attorney about what will happen to the process if the ordinance passes.  Ms. Ferguson said nothing would change, it would just give the City Manager more flexibility. The current process allows the City Manager to approve anything under 30,000. The full bid process requires that purchases over $30 thousand go out over eMD marketplace for anybody to bid, and the department identifies the best bid. It is then brought to the Council, often via the consent agenda. Things may be discussed if Council members need to do so.  The lack of requiring a full-bid process does not mean that City Manager will not go out for bids or that he will not report to Council on purchases.   

Councilmember Adams asked that the city continue to consider inclusive practices to ensure diversity in the process.  

Councilmember Whitney said that she was in favor of increasing the amounts to $75 thousand but thought that increasing the amount by five-fold was too much and was out of step with other municipalities’ practices. Councilmember Mackie said she preferred  thousand to $150 thousand, saying it makes sense to do so since the price for everything has increased. She said doing so would maintain transparency but give the City Manager discretion to move forward on more items.

Mayor Wojahn asked about how many fewer contracts we should expect to come before Council were these changes implemented.  Mr. Young said that it was difficult give a specific number but said there are workload implications for both staff and the City Attorney. Ms. Ferguson clarified that any services would require a contract or her review, so the changes would not impact her workload much.   

Councilmember Adams said he believed a sole source justification should be required for purchases of over $30 thousand made without a bid process, saying doing so would provide information to determine what has occurred by increasing the approval amount. He reiterated his desire to ensure diversity, equity and inclusion for minority and small businesses.  

Ms. King, College Park resident, said she applauded Councilmember Adams for what he was doing.  She said she thinks it is important that purchases go to the Council for review.

Councilmember Whitney requested that Councilmember Adams’ amendment be changed to require Council to be notified of any purchase that was made for over $30 thousand, regardless of whether or not the purchase had gone out for a bid. She asked the City Manager if an exemption should be made for emergency situations, and Mr. Young said that would be helpful.

Given the back and forth on the topic, Mayor Wojahn expressed interest in postponing the ordinance to allow for further discussion during a work session.

22-O-12 Council Action on Ordinance 22-O-12, an Ordinance of the Mayor and Council of the City of College Park, to amend City Code §§38-4, ”Definitions”, 38-11, “Conflicts of Interest”, and 38-15, “Required disclosure by City elected officials and candidates to be City elected officials”, to conform to the changes required by the General Assembly – Suellen Ferguson, City Attorney

The motion was made by Councilmember Mackie, who said this was something we needed to do, and seconded by Councilmember Esters. It passed unanimously.  

22-O-06 Council Action on Ordinance 22-O-06, an Ordinance of the Mayor And Council Of The City Of City Of College Park Granting A Renewal Of The Cable Franchise To Comcast Of Maryland, LLC And Authorizing A Franchise Agreement – Suellen Ferguson, City Attorney

Councilmember Esters motioned to approve the ordinance, saying the contract has been a long time coming and something should be done.  She added that we now need to consider what we do moving forward. The ordinance passed unanimously.

22-G-173 Approval of a letter to the EPA in support of the EPA’s public findings on the dangers of leaded aviation fuel.

The Mayor asked Councilmember Adams to make the motion. Councilmember Adams did so, saying it is important to consider safety for our community. Councilmember Whitney, who brought the letter to Council, seconded the motion. Mayor Wojahn clarified that the letter is different from the letter included in the meeting packet.

Tobias Thom, College Park resident, thanked Mayor and Council for bringing the letter forward.  He said the Center for Disease Control (CDC) says there is no safe level of lead. He expressed strong support for Council to further investigate this issue, saying aircraft take off over Paint Branch Elementary, The College Park Community Center, and Calvert Hills Playground.  

WORKSESSION

Review of Detailed Site Plan DSP-22015 for the Flats at College Park, RST development (9113 Baltimore Avenue) – Terry Schum, Director of Planning (Planning Board date is January 19) 

Ms. Schum introduced the item and said Council previously reviewed the Preliminary Site Plan and what was not before the Council was the Detailed Site Plan.  On January 10, the application will come back to us for vote.  The applicant is substantially, but not totally, in agreement with staff recommendations. Mr. Copeland was present with his attorney, Mr. Haller. 

Ms. Bader, Senior Planner, reviewed the site plan.  She said the development is a single building with a six-story parking garage providing 360 parking spaces, which is more than required and necessitates a variance.  Amenities will include a pool, gym, and dog park available to residents only.  

The developer is offering Meals on Wheels a space free of charge and are currently in negotiation.  If that does not work out, the use of that commercial space would return to Council.

Councilmember Kabir asked about the Route One Sector plan and the interpretation of how building height is measured. He asked about the commercial space requirements in the sector plan. Councilmember Kabir also asked about the traffic study and if staff feel that study was sufficient.  

Councilmember Mitchell ask that the Route One Sector be made accessible to the residents.

Ms. Bader said that public utility easement will be provided around the property where the development can underground utilities.

Mayor Wojahn asked about the reasoning for additional parking.

Mr. Haller expressed excitement to be here in front of Council to 317 affordable units to the city. A He said the total space dedicated to commercial would be 4 thousand feet as compared to 480 square feet for Monument Village across Route One. He said Park and Planning refused to approve the right in and right out on Baltimore because they did not want to encourage a left turn onto Route One. The sector plan measures in stories not feet.  He added there was a study done on the adequacy of traffic and it met adequacy.  

Mr. Haller said there were several staff recommendations regarding the architecture of the building.  He asked Mr. Copeland to speak about concerns related to the removal of units for the use of mandatory store front. 

Mr. Copeland said converting four residential units to retail would cause a hardship for the building as they seek funding for this expensive parcel. He added that the particular units in questions are not attractive for retail given their size, shape and ceiling heights. He would not want to walk away from the development over this.   

Councilmember Esters expressed concern for the parking garage located on Cherokee street.  She noted that ingress and egress for the garage are on Cherokee, and there is right-only exit on Baltimore Ave.  She asked if they had considered moving the entrance and exit and suggested an area behind the building adjacent to the garage. Mr. Copeland indicated they did not own the land and even if such an adjustment were made, cars would still wind up on Cherokee.  Councilmember Esters said she believed moving the entrance back would help alleviate a bottleneck on Cherokee. Mr. Copeland said the project would widen Cherokee Street and add a right turn lane which should assist. Councilmember Ester acknowledged those adjustments but reiterated her concerns that Cherokee Street will be taking the brunt of traffic for the development.  

Councilmember Whitney confirmed that the developer would come back to Council if the deal with Meals on Wheels falls through and pointed out resident complaints that many new developments feature only inward-facing amenities, rather than commercial spaces that benefit the community as a whole.

Councilmember Kennedy expressed her excitement and asked about the development and confirmed that the Area Median Income (AMI) of the building is 60%. She expressed appreciation for the additional spaces to help eliminate street parking by residents and guests. She also shared positive thoughts about the partnership with Meals on Wheels and said the retail piece is not as important. She asked for some renderings to share with the community that would illustrate where shadows from the building would fall at various times of the day. 

Councilmember Kabir expressed his appreciation for the space for Meals on Wheels. He informed the developer about concerns from long-time residents who will lose their view and asked the developer to use all means necessary to address resident concerns. He asked Mr. Copeland to consider more retail space. 

Councilmember Adams reiterated the concern with not having access to, as well as exit from, the parking garage onto Baltimore Avenue. He said he understood the concern from Parks and Planning but felt there could be more creative ways to address those concerns without limiting the entrance and exit to the building.   

Councilmember Mitchell asked whether there can be reconsideration of that limitation. The developer said they preferred the right-in and right-out on Baltimore. Councilmember Mitchell said it is a new day in the County, and we should explore the request. Ms. Schum said the project is three blocks long. She said the sector plan sets standards, not requirements. The idea was to make this area more walkable, and the developer’s request for right-in and right-out on Baltimore would not unreasonably impede that.  

Mayor Wojahn asked for continued exploration.  He does not want to do anything that would stall the project. Based upon the discussion, he understood the staff recommendation for more retail frontage will be helpful, a request for a shadow study and a reconsideration of the right-out only on Baltimore Ave.  

GENERAL COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE

Carol Macknis, College Park resident, expressed frustration with technical problems during the  Zoom meeting and the system. She said since we have been doing this for so long, these things should not be happening. She asked for Mr. Gardiner to deal with this issue, saying this is a disservice to the residents who use Zoom to attend the meetings. She does not stream. She said the discussion on the development was good, but she could not see anything. She recommends fixing the problem be made a priority. 

Councilmember Mitchell informed Council that Monday, December 12 was the first meeting of the new County council. She said many of the bills introduced dealt with zoning. She asked if staff can find out how the changes may impact the city. Mayor Wojahn said we should soon hear from our lobbyists about issues that come before the County and the State.  

MEETING ADJOURNED

Click here to see the Hybrid Meeting agenda for December 13.

Click here to view the Mayor and Council Hybrid Meeting held on December 13.

Click here to access the Mayor and Council Hybrid Meeting scheduled for January 10, when it is made available. 

The City of College Park is conducting a short survey about voter engagement in City elections. Whether you vote in every City election, and especially if you have never voted in a City election, your opinion is important to us. 

Complete the survey here before December 19. 

The next City election is in November 2023. For more information, call the City Clerk at 240-487-3501. 

Inclement Weather Notice:
December 14, 2022, 8:00 pm

Due to impending inclement weather, all City offices will have a delayed opening of 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, December 15, 2022. We will continue to evaluate the situation and any updates will be posted on the City’s website at www.collegeparkmd.gov.  All staff designated as emergency employees should report as directed by their supervisor.

With the forecasted winter weather, the City urges residents to visit www.collegeparkmd.gov/snow for tips on parking, shoveling and more during snow/ice events.  To help our snowplows clear City streets, please park off the road or on one side of the road. Make sure to clear public sidewalks of snow and ice to help ensure the safety of our pedestrians; read more about snow and ice removal requirements at https://www.collegeparkmd.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=431.

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

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Mayor Wojahn welcomed Council back after a two-week Thanksgiving holiday break.

City Manager’s Report – Mr. Young acknowledged Anne Martens who was attending her last City Council meeting in her capacity at University of Maryland and thanked for her service. He encouraged residents to attend the upcoming Winter Wonderland event to be held at City Hall Plaza on Saturday, December 10 from 4pm -8pm. 

Councilmember Mitchell asked Bob Ryan, Director of Public Services, to deal with issues of noise and loud mufflers in the College Park Woods neighborhood. 

Amendments To And Approval Of The Agenda 

Councilmember Rigg proposed the removal of discussion of the Revitalization Tax Credit, which was unanimously approved

Discussion of No Mow month with the Bee City USA Committee (15) Guest: Alan Hew, Chair, Bee City USA Committee and Anahi Espindola, Committee member Robert Marsili, Director of Public Works 

Brenda Alexander, Assistant Director of Public works, introduced the discussion about making No Mow April an ongoing initiative. Alan Hew mentioned that the 347 residents who participated far exceeded the committee’s expectation of participants, which was about 50. According to Mr. Hew, similar initiatives have taken traction in other cities, such as Laurel. In addition, he was aware of discussion among staff and faculty at UMD’s campus who were intrigued by the initiative

Councilmember Esters asked about specifics regarding the miscommunications mentioned in the survey. Mr. Hew said there were no specifics, but people were confused about when they could mow, so making that information clearer would be helpful. 

Councilmember Mitchell mentioned the importance of educating residents about the program and its benefits.  

Councilmember Kabir shared his appreciation for the opportunity to participate in the program and mentioned there were people who were not able get signs. He also asked if research would be done to track the increase of pollinators due to this effort. Mr. Hew said that people could track increases by looking at their yards. Ms. Alexander added that individuals may serve as citizen researchers and track data individually. 

Councilmember Mackie expressed her thanks for the program and said that she participated. She mentioned how she and Mayor Wojahn recently attended a program at the USDA where they learned how an increase in pollinators helps with food production. She added that there are individuals who source honey in the local area. She also said that the look of the grass was not as bad as she thought it might be. Mr. Young mentioned that information will go out to residents. Councilmember Mackie concluded her remarks by emphasizing the importance of educating residents and residents keeping grass clippings out of the street. 

Councilmember Adams mentioned the importance of ecosystems and provided a reminder of April being an active time of year for ticks. He asked that there be a focus on providing tick awareness. Mr. Hew mentioned that ticks need to jump from something onto you so it may be helpful to cut grass in areas where you walk. 

Discussion with the Education Advisory Committee about the City-wide online tutoring proposal (30) Guests: Carolyn Bernache, Chair, EAC, Aaron Cole Imagine Learning Account Executive Kiaisha Barber, Director of Youth, Family and Senior Services 

Ms. Barber introduced the discussion item and shared that Dr. Bernache was unable to attend. She mentioned the research done by the Education Advisory Committee (EAC) in order to bring a recommendation of Imagine Learning forward as an option to assist children in College Park with learning.  Ms. Barber introduced the presentation from Aaron Cole for Imagine Learning. Mr. Cole and his team presented the program. 

MyPath is an asynchronous program that creates an individualized learning plan using Artificial Intelligence (AI). The programs are paired with a paraprofessional that can interact with the students and provide input. Ms. Ash indicated that the program features K-12 reading and 3^rd grade through 12^th grade math. There is a focus on remediation and acceleration as students progress. An individualized assessment will be done, and age-appropriate questions will be delivered. Once students are assessed, teachers are provided with a report that indicates student needs and growth. The program assesses students in three ways:  prioritization, adapting and versatility. The program concentrates on delivering the most needed skills first. The content will be delivered in an age-appropriate way. Frequent performance analysis will be available for students to track their own progress. Mastery checks are done to determine knowledge base before moving students to the next level. An 80% mastery score will allow students to move forward. For students who still do not pass, mini lessons will be provided. There is automatic adaptivity of learning provided by the program. If students are failing, they will be dropped down a level to ensure mastery before they can move forward. The experiences for K-5 and 6-12 are different. Text-to-speech options are available in 60 languages. 

Ms. Porter-Jones discussed Imagine Math, which focuses on the language of math. She suggested the consistent use of the program will assist in building skill level. She explained the goal of the program is to always place the students in their appropriate grade level. Where needed, the system will lower a student by a maximum of two grades but will always push them back up to grade level. The program is offered in both English and Spanish.  Ms. Porter-Jones mentioned Algebra 1 being an issue for students in completing HS math and she explained that shortfalls are cumulative and actually begin in 3rd grade. 

Mayor Wojahn asked about the cost of the program and how many students would be allowed to participate. Mr. Cole said it will be unlimited for the first year and would continue to be unlimited as long as the number of participants does not exceed their typical usage for a subscriber, which he does not anticipate. 

Councilmember Esters acknowledged that the assessment of student progress will greatly impact continued use of the program moving forward and that city staff would need to conduct such assessments. She asked if any thought had been given to the need to assess the progress of our students and how that would impact city staff financially and timewise. Mr. Cole has suggested that someone be hired to assess the data for College Park students. It would definitely require additional support to move forward. Mr. Cole indicated that he took into consideration the need to hire additional support when quoting the cost of the program for the City. 

Ms. Porter Jones reiterated the importance of sharing the data with teachers to assist with overall student educational development. 

Councilmember Kabir shared his support for such program. He asked if a report would be provided at the end of the year that would denote the number of participants and their reading and math levels. Councilmember Kabir asked if the families participating in the program could be surveyed. Ms. Barber believes we will be able to survey those participating. 

Councilmember Kabir asked how the program will be promoted. Ms. Barber indicated she would work with Communications and suggested mailings, flyers at schools, and the use of online mediums. 

Councilmember Adams emphasized making it a City initiative and having a ceremony at City Hall or other incentives. He said that we need staffing and contract support for such a program. Ms. Porter- Jones mentioned that as students achieve certain milestones, they earn points which help to make contributions to chosen charities. 

Councilmember Rigg asked how much participation for students along their educational journey must be completed to show success. Mr. Porter-Jones indicated that 20 minutes a week on Imagine Math helps shows growth, while 60 minutes per week on MyPath shows progress. Councilmember Rigg He said that the time commitment to actually be engaged may be difficult to achieve. Ms. Barber said a support person would be able to assess and determine engagement. She added that a staff member dedicated to the program could help identify a balance between student needs and support. 

Councilmember Rigg said there may be residents who interpret tutoring as helping students on an as-needed basis and asked why we chose this path. Ms. Barber acknowledged the work of the EAC and Dr. Bernache who researched and acknowledged that one-time help could assist but ongoing assistance would help us to achieve our OKR. Councilmember Rigg asked how customer satisfaction was assessed and how they defined customer (e.g., parents, students, or school system). Mr. Cole said everyone is taken into account, but they are student-centered. He added that parents will be satisfied if their students are progressing. He mentioned a 95% approval rate among the jurisdictions using the platform and mentioned Baltimore. He said that the company measured success in variety of ways. Mr. Rigg responded by saying that approval rating of the program in Baltimore is not of interest to him. 

Councilmember Whitney asked is Imagine learning would provide a promotional packet for use by the City. Mr. Cole indicated they could provide such materials. Councilmember Whitney shared her appreciation for the focus on students who are working up to grade level and said she appreciated that the ACT and SAT prep offered through the program would also appeal to students working at grade level.

Councilmember Kennedy mentioned her interest in the City trying this program but said she’s concerned about it being offered outside of a school program. She wondered if this type of program would be utilized by those who may be falling through the cracks. 

Councilmember Mackie mentioned her support of the program. She said tutoring for many would be out of reach financially and said that when she tutored, she noticed that 3^rd grade is crucial. She said we need to try it. She added that in Prince George’s County there are students who are unable to write a sentence. She believes it will be a great tool to help students. 

Ms. Ash said this would be a year-long program and emphasized that summer is a time where students experience learning loss. 

Mayor Wojahn asked if data from other school systems could be shared with the City. Mr. Cole indicated that would be possible. 

Councilmember Esters acknowledged her colleagues’ interest in the program and expressed her own interest. She said she looks forward to further discussion as it relates to support of the program and added that we will need to think creatively about how to promote it. 

Councilmember Mitchell spoke of the development of College Park Academy and how people were not sure if it would work. She said it took time but has proven to be successful. 

Councilmember Whitney mentioned speaking with PTAs and local businesses (e.g., Rita’s, etc.) about the program to assist with promotion. Discussion of the City’s Revitalization Tax Credit program (45) Michael Williams, Economic Development Manager 

Removed from the agenda. 

Discussion of a revised amendment to the Hitachi contract amendment approved in July for the security cameras on the Trolley Trail and north College Park, to approve additional funding and scope for Security Cameras, Utility Poles, and Pepco Power, and to add 19 cameras to the maintenance contract (15) Bob Ryan, Director of Public Services

Mr. Bob Ryan, Director of Public Services, introduced and discuss the addition of 19 cameras. He mentioned there are currently 29 existing cameras. College Park City University Partnership (CPC-UP) received a grant to offset some costs of the additional cameras.

Councilmember Kennedy asked about an estimate of the operating costs and if it would significantly change costs. She asked if we determined we would add lights in North College Park, including the parks in that part of the City. Mr. Young said Council will be asked to consider additional camera locations during FY24 budget discussions.

Councilmember Adams asked if the cameras would allow for live monitoring. Mr. Ryan said that the cameras are capable of live-monitoring and said live-monitoring could be activated in real time were there such a need.

Councilmember Kabir echoed Councilmember Kennedy’s questions about additional cameras in North College Park, saying there was a huge disparity between cameras north and south of 193, asking specifically for additional cameras near Hollywood Elementary School and along the commercial corridor on Baltimore Avenue. He asked how long data is stored in the cameras, and Mr. Ryan said typically for two weeks. 

Councilmember Mackie asked if this is a work in progress. She asked if any thought had been given to putting cameras on the Paint Branch trail, Metzerott and Cherry Hill roads.   

Discussion of 2023 Council Meeting Schedule (15) Kenneth Young, City Manager 

Ms. Miller, City Clerk, introduced the discussion. She said there had been suggestions to variations to the meeting schedule and that three options were provided for our consideration. The options included a 40-meeting schedule, a 38-meeting schedule and a 32-meeting schedule. She explained a reduced meeting schedule would change the format of our meeting to include both work session and regular meeting items. 

Mayor Wojahn expressed concerns with moving to 3 meetings per month since we have 20 items on the master list that have been sitting there for a while. In addition, he worried that decreasing the number of meetings would cause meetings to run even longer. 

Councilmember Kennedy asked to consider planning for 3 meetings each month and holding a fourth date in case another meeting is needed. Mr. Young indicated that doing so would not be much of a change because staff would still need to prepare for the possibility of a fourth meeting. 

Councilmember Esters mentioned concern that reducing the number of meetings will increase the length of meetings. However, she acknowledged that a reduced number of meetings will allow staff more time for work. She indicated that if the meeting schedule were adjusted, Council would need to reconsider how they work during meetings. She expressed her interest in trying something new.

Councilmember Adams suggested we consider the hybrid format for every meeting. 

Councilmember Mitchell suggested that we consider doing something different by reducing meetings, which would allow staff the opportunity to do more work and allow for councilmembers to engage with the community more. 

Councilmember Rigg said that if we consider changing the number of meetings, we may need to consider being less ambitious and less verbose. 

Councilmember Kabir expressed being nervous about meetings being much longer. He supported Councilmember Adams’ suggestion for all meeting to be hybrid because doing so would make the duration of meetings more consistent. He suggested giving presenters a time limit, saying a detailed presentation could be included in the packet with a shorter presentation given during the meeting. 

Councilmember Whitney was willing to suggest a smaller reduction in the number of meetings. She reiterated that residents do not always know the difference between work sessions and regular meetings, and advocated for hybrid meetings going forward. She expressed her support for the 38-meeting schedule, saying we could further reduce the number of meetings in the next cycle if the 38-meeting schedule is sufficiently productive. 

Councilmember Mackie indicated we should make a change to the meeting schedule. She said she liked the idea of hybrid meetings and providing staff time off in August. She suggests having more meetings in the wintertime to offset summer meetings. She said such a change could allow the city manager to engage the community and allow staff vacation time. She suggested that the May 23 meetings be moved to January. 

Ms. Miller indicated that it is helpful to staff to have weeks without meetings, saying it allows staff to get more work done. 

Mayor Wojahn appreciated the input of Ms. Miller but wondered if we need to consider more staff.  Mr. Young agreed more staff should be considered. 

Councilmember Kennedy said we should consider hybrid meetings no matter what we do, but is concerned about a reduction to 32 and suggested maybe 35 or 36 meetings. Mr. Young and Ms. Miller indicated that other options can be shared with us. Councilmember Kennedy expressed her belief that fewer items will come our way instead of more time added to our meetings. 

Councilmember Rigg suggested time limits on Council comments and refraining from rehashing things unnecessarily. We are often verbose without additional benefit added. Ms. Miller indicated that our rules do limit comments and time.

Requests for/Status of Future Agenda Items Mayor and Council 

Mayor Wojahn asked for items from 2019 to be removed from the master list. 

Councilmember Whitney said she submitted a request for a traffic study for Roanoke Place but did not see it on the master list. Ms. Miller said she remembered Councilmember Whitney’s submission and would add it to the list. 

Mayor and Councilmember Comments Mayor and Council 

Councilmember Mitchell said College Park has been doing well with leadership positions. Delegate Jocelyn Peña Melnyk has been appointed to the Governor-Elect Moore’s transition team and Councilmember Mitchell has been added to Comptroller-Elect Brooke Lierman’s transition team. 

Councilmember Kabir announced the upcoming North College Park Community Association (NCPCA) meeting and holiday party to be held on Thursday, December 8 at 7:30 pm. 

Councilmember Adams acknowledged the Calvert Hill and Lakeland neighborhoods for their tree lighting events. 

Mayor Wojahn mentioned that upcoming PGCMA event to be held at the Show Place Arena on Friday, December 9. He indicated there were still tickets available for councilmembers interested in attending.  Ms. Miller asked for those interested in attending to send her an email. 

 City Manager’s Comments Kenneth A Young 

Mr. Young did not have any further comments. 

Meeting Adjourned

 Closed Session After Meeting

Pursuant to the statutory authority of the Maryland Annotated Code, General Provisions Article § 3-305(b), the Mayor and Council of the City of College Park are providing notice that they will meet in a Closed Session after the meeting on Tuesday, December 6 to discuss the appointment, employment, assignment, promotion, discipline, demotion, compensation, removal, resignation, or performance evaluation of appointees, employees, or officials over whom this public body has jurisdiction; any other personnel matter that affects one or more specific individuals. The Mayor and Council will discuss the City Manager’s evaluation. They will not return to public session.

Click here to see the work session agenda for December 6.

Click here to view the Mayor and Council Work Session held on December 6.

Click here to access the Mayor and Council Hybrid Meeting scheduled for December 13.

Celebrate the holiday season with us at City Hall! 

 Join us at this festive holiday market and tree lighting to inspire your holiday spirit. Check off your holiday wish list with products from vendors of Shop Made in Maryland!

 There will be hot cocoa, coffee and cookies, food, fun activities for kids, live music and carolers, a photo opportunity for the family, take a look at our gingerbread houses, and a visit from the man himself-Santa Claus! Add to your College Park Holiday by stopping by and spreading a little cheer with your neighbors. 

Thursday, December 8, 2022, 6 – 8pm

Hybrid

3835 Campus Drive
Architecture Building (145 ARC)
College Park, MD 20742

Architecture Building Auditorium

Zoom

Image Caption

The revolutionary scenario, a vision for the restored Lakeland Hall.

UMD COMMUNITY PLANNING STUDIO FINAL PRESENTATION

All Lakeland, College Park, and University members are invited to join as students present their final recommendations and scenario plans for potential paths toward restorative justice for the Lakeland Community.

Light appetizers will be served at 6 pm and the presentations will start at 7 pm.

Please register in advance if you plan to join on zoom.

Program / Center Affiliation

Urban Studies and Planning

Partnership for Action Learning in Sustainability

The gas leak has been isolated and turned off. Washington Gas is working with the fire battalion chief on opening the road.  The road should be open to through traffic by now with at least one lane open in each direction. Expect lane closures while Washington Gas repairs the broken gas pipe.

A gas line was struck in the intersection of Lakeland Road and Baltimore Avenue. Washington Gas is on the scene. Baltimore Avenue is closed between Campus Drive and Berwyn House Rpad to vehicular and pedestrian traffic. Please stay away from the area and follow police directions.

Safety Resources:

University of Maryland Police
Emergency Number –  301-405-3333 / #3333 from a mobile phone / 911
Non-Emergency Number – 301-405-3555

UMD Alerts https://alert.umd.edu