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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ANNOUNCEMENTS/COMMENTS – MAYOR, COUNCIL, STUDENT LIAISON 

 Mayor Wojahn mentioned the change in the Council meeting format which will be a combination and work session and meeting. The number of overall meetings will also change. 

Councilmember Kabir thanked firefighters who responded to a recent fire in North College Park. He said their quick response helped save lives. He thanked the various engines that came to assist, including those from College Park, Beltsville, Berwyn Heights, Greenbelt, and Silver Spring. He also mentioned the cancellation of the upcoming North College Park Civic Association (NCPCA) meeting. 

Councilmember Kennedy encouraged resident to support Girl Scouts who will be selling cookies soon. 

Councilmember Esters reminded residents of the upcoming virtual panel to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Monday, January 16 at 7pm. 

Councilmember Whitney asked District 2 residents who may be experiencing flooding to make contact with their Councilmembers. 

Councilmember Adams thanked staff for putting a bench along the trolley trail and mentioned the higher Washington Suburban Sanitation Commission (WSSC) bills that have been received by a number of residents in District 3. He and Councilmember Riggs are compiling those reports to send to County Councilmember Eric Olson, who will reach out to WSSC.

Councilmember Riggs thanked staff for the work in planning the winter holiday celebration and tree lighting. He also acknowledged a number of fireworks incidents on New Year Eve and suggested we consider holding an organized fireworks event. He researched municipalities in the area and found there weren’t many that sponsored fireworks. 

Councilmember Mackie mentioned the food drive sponsored by the city for the College Park Food bank and encouraged residents to consider composting 

Councilmember Mitchell thanked staff for helping to deal with an issue at the College Park Woods  Clubhouse. She also wished the members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. a Happy Founders Day. She  said March would mark the 40^th anniversary of  her membership in the sorority. 

CITY MANAGER’S REPORT 

Mr. Young informed residents of the various way they can honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the City of College Park:

• Students can participate in art contest
• Attend the City’s virtual panel discussion on Monday, January 16 at 7pm
• Register for a number of free books for students in  pre-k through sixth grade
• Contribute to the City food drive

He also informed residents that curbside leaf collection has ended for the year, and Public Works will pick up any additional leaves on an individual basis. The City had a substantial amount of tree debris from the storm of July 12, so Public Works has a lot of wood mulch for residents.

Councilmember Mackie asked if residents can still complete the City’s resident survey. Mr. Young said that survey was now closed, and data was being analyzed. 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 

Mayor Wojahn recognized meeting attendees Ms. Mary Cook, former College Park Councilmember; Ms. Ealley, Chair of the Animal Control Committee and volunteer with Meals on Wheels; and Danielle Glaros, former County Councilmember. 

PROCLAMATIONS AND AWARDS 

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Tribute 

 AMENDMENTS TO AND APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA 

Adams motioned for the inclusion of a letter to request support from Governor-elect Wes Moore for the Luminis Health Doctor’s Community Medical Center (LHDCMC) and their request for $170 million in capital funding to expand access to obstetrics care for the resident of Prince George’s County. 

PUBLIC COMMENT ON CONSENT AGENDA AND NON-AGENDA ITEMS 

David Dorsch, resident of College Park, said he came to discuss bags. He asked why we need to change the use of bags and mentioned his concern about the elimination of paper bags. He recognized merchants will save money and his understanding that bags will be available for $.10  He said there is no good reason to ban paper bags or have merchants sell them. [Please note that under the proposed Better Bag Ordinance, businesses would still be allowed to distribute paper bags for a minimum 10-cent fee. They would not be allowed to distribute plastic bags.] 

Mr. Dorsch also mentioned that the Calvert Hills stormwater management project has been dead-ended and asked for the council to do something about it before we have the next flood, which according to Mr. Dorsch is two years away. 

CONSENT AGENDA 

• 23-G-02 Approval of Minutes from the December 13, 2022, Council meeting. Approval of Closed Session minutes (confidential minutes provided separately) 
• 23-G-05 Request for Multi-way Stop Sign on Marlborough Way at Limestone Place – Steve Halpern, City Engineer 
• 23-G-06 Request for Multi-way Stop Sign on Roanoke Place at 51st Avenue – Steve Halpern, City Engineer 
• 23-G-07 Request for Multi-way Stop Sign on 51st Avenue at Kennesaw Street – Steve Halpern, City Engineer
• 23-G-08 letter to  support to Governor-elect Wes Moore for the Luminis Health Doctor’s Community Medical Center (LHDCMC) and their request for $170 million in capital funding to expand access to obstetrics care for the resident of Prince George’s County. 

 ACTION ITEMS 

23-G-03 Approval of City recommendations re: Detailed Site Plan DSP22015 for the RST development (9113 Baltimore Avenue) and of a Declaration of Covenants – Terry Schum, Director of Planning and Suellen Ferguson, City Attorney (Planning Board date is January 19; Work session discussion was held December 13) 

Ms. Schum introduced that item and said the developer hads come to us prior to the presentation to the planning board on January 19. She  reviewed key items from site plan recommendations and covenant of agreement including the following: 

• The correct number of parking spaces in the garage will be 360
• No longer requiring mandatory storefront 
• The developer has proposed the step down to the building from 7 to 5 stories
• The developer objected to a request to submit a reconsideration of right-in to and right-out access from the garage on Baltimore Ave. 
• Developer will provide a green roof to a portion of the building rather than the entire building.
• Developer is working to save the existing trees on the site.

Ms. Schum indicated the developer reviewed and accepted the Declaration of Agreements, other than the items mentioned above. 

Mr. Haller, attorney for the developer, thanked staff for their work and wanted to give some additional background about the right-in and right-out. He said the original request for the right-in right-out had been taken to the planning board and was rejected due to safety concerns, namely individuals attempting to make left turns out of the garage. He said the objection from the planning board seemed clear and the results of their traffic study concluded that the widening of Cherokee Street and the addition of the right-turn lane on Cherokee should alleviate traffic issues. As such, they did not desire to submit the reconsideration that would not be of benefit to the project. 

Mayor Wojahn asked about the probability of M-NCPPC approving reconsideration for the right-in. Ms. Schum said it is hard to anticipate what the planning board will do, but typically if the applicant demonstrates community and Council support and SHA doesn’t oppose, she would expect they would approve it.

Councilmember Esters reiterated the concern about traffic along Cherokee Street and asked the developer to consider not only what would be beneficial to the project but also the surrounding community. She mentioned the pending Metropolitan project slated to be built on the southern side of Cherokee. 

Councilmember Kabir expressed concern about traffic on the Cherokee Street, inquired about the size of the garage, and asked about the proposed tree buffer. 

Councilmember Mitchell asked Mr. Haller what he thought the result of going back to the planning board would be. Mr. Haller said it depends on the M-NCPPC’s Director of Transportation, saying having the support of the City makes a big difference but that there’s no way to predict what he will decide. 

Councilmember Adams said he wished we could’ve had this conversation sooner, saying the developer appeared before Council in September and received unanimous support on a proposal that included the right-in, right-out. He said it would have been great to have known how we could voice our opinion earlier to get the outcomes our community needs, saying the developer is stuck in the middle of two government agencies.

Riggs asked Ms. Schum if M-NCPPC’s requested removal of the right-in, right-out was based on their interpretation of the Route one Sector Plan? She said she believes so, explaining that the sector plan says it is preferable for any development that has primary road frontage to use existing side streets or an alley for access to parking when possible.  

Councilmember Mackie asked if signage could be installed that says “Do Not Block Driveway” in the right-of-way. Mr. Haller said that was feasible. Councilmember Mackie also asked how the developer will ensure affordability and make sure that people do not sublet units, explaining that the City is trying to encourage young professionals to consider living in College Park. Scott Copeland responded to the questions by informing Council that the project will be funded with tax credits and there will restrictions on affordability for 30 years. 

Councilmember Kennedy asked if there was any other way to move forward and expressed concern about pedestrian safety.

Mr. Copeland mentioned timing being an issue. 

COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE 

College Park resident from 4800 block of Delaware Street – The Council should do everything they can to kill the project as Green standards have been overlooked. He asked why the City wouldn’t want to have greater environmental area. He said the City should be focused on providing a greater quality of life. He did not understand why no one mentioned the density of the project. He concluded by saying no to the project.

Dr. Blumenthal, College Park resident – Thanked everyone for their comments. She said the one thing she kept hearing was the developer has no time. She said the urgency to make a decision felt like the decision was being made too fast. Indicated that the mention of congestion by Councilmembers was true and felt that residents should be taken into consideration. 

Ms. Cook, College Park resident – Thanked the Copelands for working with Meals on Wheels. She said she had given the right-in and right-out consideration and believes there should be a right-in and right-out.  She suggested that the city consider widening Cherokee Street. She expressed her concerns that the development is still too high even with change. She also shared her belief that subletting will occur and said something should be added into the covenants about subleasing. 

Ms. Ealley, College Park resident – Thanked the City Council for working with RST on this project. She explained that she was representing Meals on Wheels and would like this to be done as soon as possible. She promised to have her folks to come to the building by way of Baltimore Ave instead of Cherokee St. 

Councilmember Kabir talked about interest in the project and concern with what is currently in place. He also said we need to be sensitive to the needs and interest of current residents. People are concerned about the height of the building, traffic, schools, lack of store fronts and step down. He acknowledged the City’s efforts to provide affordable housing and motioned to move forward with the approval of the City’s recommendations for the RST development and the Declaration of Covenants.

Councilmember Mitchell asked about the resident comment about subleasing and its inclusion in the in the Covenants. She mentioned her involvement with the process for including Meals on Wheels and mentioned her support for her project. 

Councilmember Riggs said he was concerned about the direction we were going in and motioned to amend the original motion by Councilmember Kabir and accept the changes put forth by the developer.

A roll call vote was taken, and the amendment did not pass. The original motion was seconded, and council voted to approve the City recommendations and Declaration of Covenant. 

23-G-04 Discussion and approval of 2023 Mayor and Council appointments to COG Boards and Committees – Mayor Wojahn

The Council proceeded with the City Council COG Appointments with two changes. Councilmember Kennedy is currently the primary representative on the Region Forward Committee, while Councilmember Adams is the alternate. They will switch roles for the coming year. Similarly, Adams will switch places with Councilmember Rigg as the primary representative on the Metropolitan Washington Air Quality Committee, with Rigg shifting to alternate. 

PRESENTATIONS AND WORKSESSION DISCUSSIONS

Discussion of Proposed Better Bag Bill

Mr. Robert Marsili, Director of Public Works introduced the presentation which was first brought to Council on November 15, 2022. College Park Economic Development Manager Michael Williams was said he’d reached out to many local businesses, including our smaller mom-and-pops, and they were very receptive to the program but wanted to ensure they’d receive guidance on lead-time and the mechanics of program. He said he didn’t meet resistance to the idea. 

Mr. Todd Larsen, Chair of the Committee for a Better Environment, thanked Mr. Williams for the outreach to the businesses within the City. Ms. Sarah Price of the Maryland Retailers Association (MRA) said they had evaluated the model legislation that the Sierra Club has moved around the state and support the legislation, saying they are specifically appreciative of the 10-cent fee floor to help offset the cost of the more expensive paper bags. She said the fee eliminates competition between small businesses because customers know what to expect. 

Ms. Martha Ainsworth, Sierra Club, expressed support and said she was available to answer any questions. 

Councilmember Kabir asked if small plastic bags would be part of the ordinance. Mr. Larsen explained that small bags used for meats and vegetables would not be part of the ordinance. Councilmember Kabir asked about the number of businesses where there was outreach. Mr. Williams said that approximately 75-85% of businesses in the City were approached, well over 100. 

Councilmember Kennedy said that such ordinances are difficult to sell to residents and said our lives were made easier by having approval from representatives of both the Sierra Club and the Maryland Retailers Association and noted the irony of the MRA representative having the last name Price. 

Mayor Wojahn thanked CBE, Sierra Club, Mr. Williams, and Mr. Marsili for their work. 

Review of annual advisory board reports 

Ms. Janeen Miller said some reports included budget requests. Councilmember Mitchell asked about the hearing from the Noise Control Board. Councilmember Adams asked about the establishment of the Bike/Pedestrian Committee. Mayor Wojahn asked about the progress on establishing the Youth Advisory Commission. Councilmember Whitney asked about the name change from “Recreation Board” to “City Events Advisory Board”, saying it is still referred to on the City website as the Recreation Board. City Clerk Janeen Miller explained that the Recreation Board would be discussing the name change in their February meeting.

Councilmember Mackie asked if there would be a comprehensive document of the budget requests from the advisory boards, and Councilmember Esters asked when we would hear from the Restorative Justice Commission. 

Ms. Miller said for those boards asking for budgetary items, it would be appropriate to talk about their progress so far and the reason for the additional resources being requested. 

Mr. Young indicated that any budgetary requests will be shared with Council at Council request and that Council would need to give thought to budgetary implications. 

Councilmember Kennedy asked for clarification on whether at the next meeting we were considering just the annual work plans or also the budgetary implications of those plans. Ms. Miller said only the work plans were being considered and that the budgetary implications would be addressed in the March 25^th budget work session.

Review of revised Council Calendar

Council discussed the new Council Calendar meant to reduce the overall number of meetings. Council member Adams said he liked the current meeting format and thinks we are working toward efficiency. He voted for the 34-meeting option. Councilmember Kabir said he liked the 36-meeting option and felt it would help us be more efficient. Councilmember Kennedy said we should take baby steps and change to 36 meetings.  Councilmember Esters voted for the 36-meeting option. Councilmember Whitney voted for the 36-meeting option but said we may reconsider moving toward 34 meetings in the future. Councilmember Rigg voted for the 34-meeting option. Councilmember Mackie voted for 34 meetings and does not not want us to have a meeting after Thanksgiving. Councilmember Mitchell  voted for the 34-meeting option. The vote on meeting options was split 4 to 4. So, Mayor Wojahn broke the tie. He said he thought it would be too drastic to move to 34 meeting and there would be issues of accessibility for residents were the meetings to run long. He felt there are ways we can make the meetings go faster and be more efficient. The Mayor voted for the 36-meeting option. 

REQUEST FOR/STATUS OF FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS

Mayor Wojahn raised the issue of rental stabilization in the City. He explained that one of the goals of a rental stabilization is to help with the issues of investors who come into the city buy up property and do not live in the city. A major strategy suggested at a recent workshop at a National League of Cities conference was rent stabilization of single -family homes. The Mayor suggests starting with a study that would look at the economics driving the trend and what impact rent stabilization might have. 

Discussion of Meetings Recently Attended Meetings

Councilmember Mitchell said attended a MACCO presentation that discussed how ARPA funds were used to prevent homelessness and that, as the covid crisis abates, counties need to continue to assist residents that make less than the living wage.

Councilmember Kennedy mention the summer EBT program offered at schools and thanked the federal government for their work. 

During a December MWAC meeting, Councilmember Rigg learned of a dispute between DC and the Town of Cheverly. A long diesel bus lot has been created at the edge of cheverly to service DC’s bus fleet. There was nimby opposition in DC, so DC decided to put it on the edge of Cheverly.

Mayor Wojahn mentioned a recent transportation meeting discussion about Pennsylvania Ave. and   making it more walkable and bikeable. The meeting included discussion on transit reliability and the establishment of an incremental program.

COMMENTS FROM THE MAYOR, COUNCIL OR CITY MANAGER

Mr. Young thanked Council for bearing with staff as they work to improve the structure of Council meetings. 

MEETING ADJOURNED 

Click here to see the hybrid meeting agenda for January 10.
Click here to view the Mayor and Council Hybrid Meeting held on January 10 once it has been posted. 
Click here to see the hybrid meeting agenda agenda scheduled for January 17.