Comments are by Councilmember Susan Whitney and are not approved or sanctioned by the City of College Park.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS/COMMENTS – MAYOR, COUNCIL, STUDENT LIAISON
Councilmember Fazlul Kabir – NCPCA starting a program to meet for coffee on Sundays at Proteus Bicycles.
Councilmember Whitney – BDCA & CBE co-sponsored Berwyn Permaculture Garden Cleanup Event on 3/25; Happy Mardi Gras!
Councilmember John Rigg – Congratulates Councilmember Stuart Adams on birth of his son.
Councilmember Maria Mackie – Lent starts tomorrow with Ash Wednesday. Recommends people read UMD Police Chief David Mitchell’s Spring Safety Message.
Councilmember Denise Mitchell – Prince George’s County hosting an enrichment academy Saturday 3/4, 9:30 am-12:30 pm at Berwyn Heights Elementary School.
Mayor Patrick Wojahn – PGCMA meeting in Laurel Thursday, 2/23 at 7 pm. Discussing mentorship program for newly elected officials and hearing presentation on use of opioid settlement funds.
SGA representative Andre Andriessens – Go Terps, beat Purdue!
City Manager’s Report
- City closing Balancing Act budgeting tool Friday, 2/24 at noon. Received 84 submissions so far.
- SMARTLEAF® compost and wood mulch deliveries resume in March. Materials can also be picked up at the Department of Public Works M-F 8-11:30am and 1 to 3pm. Free wood mulch for city residents.
- Thursday, 2/21, Prince George’s County Planning Board will address request for reconsideration regarding right-in off Baltimore Ave for College Park Flats at Cherokee St.
- Reminds residents to call 911 when they witness suspicious activity
AMENDMENTS TO AND APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA
- Request for College Park to sign on to Amicus Brief that challenges a law that would restrict the ability of cities to assist recent immigrants, particularly those who are undocumented. (See p.9 of Red Folder Contents.) No objections to placing that on Consent Agenda as 23-G-42, Amicus brief in US v. Helaman Hansen.
- Motion to move forward with agenda as amended.
CONSENT AGENDA
- 23-R-03 Approval of a policy on use of the City Seal (follow up to July Worksession)—Suellen Ferguson, City Attorney Motion
- 23-R-02 Resolution Of The Mayor And Council Of The City Of College Park Adopting The Recommendation Of The Advisory Planning Commission For Application Number CEO-2022-03, 5009 Apache Street, College Park, Maryland. Recommending Approval Of Variances From City Code §87-23.C. To Permit The Installation Of A 6-Foot High Stockade Fence With Lattice On Top Along The Side Yard Of A Street. Appeal period ends February 18 – Terry Schum, Director of Planning
- 23-G-39 Approval of minutes from the January 31, 2023 and February 14, 2023 meeting.
- 23-G-40 Approval of an agreement with Prince George’s County and the University of Maryland for a location on Guilford Road for a Capital Bike Share station – Suellen Ferguson, City Attorney
- 23-G-42, Amicus brief in US v. Helaman Hansen (Councilmember Mitchell notes this was time sensitive. National League of Cities was part of the process and provided overarching approval.)
All items remaining on the Consent Agenda passed unanimously. Click here to see meeting agenda.
PRESENTATIONS AND WORKSESSION DISCUSSIONS
Discussion of a new City bicycle-pedestrian committee – Terry Schum, Director of Planning and Steve Halpern, City Engineer
- Ms. Schum – Item brought forward by Council request.
- Staff needs format and structure of committee, budget to be reviewed annually by Council.
- Fiscal impact minimal. Staff liaison hours (probably Community Development Planner), contract secretary costs about $125/meeting.
- How committee would be helpful:
- Ms. Schum – Take over some grant writing responsibilities from Planning & Engineering departments & Create Bicycle Master Plan
- Mr. Halpern – Help tie together partial projects for bicycle & pedestrian safety throughout City and bring community input to staff.
- Mayor – We should coordinate with UMD.
- Danielle Glaros, UMD Assistant Vice President & Chief of Staff, Office of the Vice President – UMD will be reach out about bikeways grant UMD received for on-campus locations. UMD has advocated for bike lanes to be part of Purple Line through campus and has talked about other bikeways connecting to that.
- Council notes pedestrian safety & micro-mobility options should be emphasized, including more sidewalks; high community interest in participating.
- Structure of Committee
- Council decided on 11 members, one from each council district, one UMD student; other positions less prescriptive but will seek reps from local businesses, member of the physically-impaired community, experts in bike/pedestrian/micro-mobility safety, UMD staff
- Date of formation?
- Recruit in March & April 2023 for July 1, 2023 start date
Proposed Changes to the Recreation Board and discussion of the Work Plan – Ryna Quiñones, Communications and Events Manager, and Kevin Blackerby, Event Planner
- Ms. Quiñones – Recreation Board established in 1976, when staff not available to schedule field rentals (as Public services does now) and Event planning (as Event Planner & Communications Department do now). Currently, need members to:
- Serve as event volunteers
- Help recruit & steward additional event volunteers
- Provide input of the kind of events residents want
- Mr. Blackerby – Staff wants to maintain events from last year & add pop-up events. City has launched new Volunteer management software. When people sign up, they’ll get emails about volunteer opportunities.
- Council discussion:
- Would volunteer software generate letters for student service learning hours? (Blackerby – parental permission included. Will eventually employ iPad sign-up at events that will generate SSL form)
- Would volunteer software track info sometimes needed for community-driven grants? (Blackerby – yes)
- Next steps – Since Recreation Board is established via City Code, it will need to be officially disbanded, then renamed and re-established via resolution.
Discussion and possible action on legislation (There is a possibility that the Council will vote on time sensitive matters)
- Council & staff discussion:
- HB979 – Municipal Elections – Candidates – Reports of Donations and Disbursements. Would make City responsible for campaign reports candidates currently responsible for filing directly. Concern expressed for how the bill would affect College Park if it moves forward.
- HB297– Criminal Law – Victims of Child Sex Trafficking and Human Trafficking – Safe Harbor and Service Response. Changes what police officer reviews when a child detained is believed to be victim of trafficking. Prohibits child who’s been trafficked from being incarcerated for that offense while awaiting court action. Not voted on by MML.
- HB514 – Education – Maryland Meals for Achievement In-Classroom Breakfast Program – Annual Appropriation. In line with bill Council already supported providing free breakfast & lunch at school.
- HB554 – Income Tax – Subtraction Modification for Military Retirement Income (Keep Our Heroes Home Act). Bipartisan bill submitted by Gov. Wes Moore regarding tax credits for retired veterans.
- SB516 – Emergency bill on Cannabis Reform
- Council concerned about how sales and use tax for cannabis sales from dispensaries will be distributed
- Council says College Park will be greatly impacted by legalization of cannabis, but proposed bill would not directly distribute funds to the City because we don’t have a local sales tax.
- MML asking for more support for communities impacted by dispensaries.
- Legislation will move fast. Council votes unanimously to give Mayor authority to send letter expressing Council’s position on legislation in case it moves forward before Council has the opportunity to vote to approve sending a letter.
- What does color coding indicate in report? (Asst. City Manager Bill Gardiner – supposed to indicate bills we’ve supported. Needs to be updated.)
- Hearings upcoming on bills we’ve supported:
- COMMENTS FROM THE MAYOR, COUNCIL OR CITY MANAGER
- Councilmember Mitchell – Was invited guest at Maryland Mayor’s Conference. Governor Moore’s speech signaled willingness to collaborate with local governments.
- Councilmember Mackie – At CMAST meeting, UMPD Chief Mitchell spoke about campus safety, Michigan State mass shooting, and the atrocity in Memphis and steps PGCPD & UMPD police are taking to ensure such abuse doesn’t happen here. Detailed upcoming events: Bike race in April; Maryland Day; Prescription drug take-back day on April 22nd; campus vigil for loss of life at MSU Friday, 2/24 at 6pm.
- Councilmember Rigg – Attended Spencer Harris Breakfast; Public Works staff wants a rematch of City vs UMD soccer match this spring.
- Councilmember Whitney – From 2/13 Public Safety Community Meeting– fraud victims often don’t report the crime because they’re embarrassed, but it’s crucial to do so because it helps track down and stop perpetrators.
- Mayor – Spoke at Chamber of Commerce on 2/15 at The Hotel & shared how College Park is a driving force in the county’s economy. Thanked Coach Locksley, partial owner of Grillmarx, and his team for investing here. Maryland Mayors Association meeting covered cyber security and training on 1st amendment “audits” – people who attempt to goad city officials and authorities into violating their First Amendment rights so they can sue for damages. MML to offer training at summer conference. Heard President Biden speak in Lanham and was inspired by his administration’s economic priorities.
ADJOURN CLOSED SESSION AFTER THE MEETING to discuss a possible financial incentive for a business seeking to locate in the City.
Click here to watch the video of the February 21, 2023 meeting.
Click here to see the agenda for the City of College Park Mayor & Council Hybrid Meeting on February 28, 2023. Tune in, show up or share your thoughts/concerns about the following Presentations and Workshop discussions:
- Discussion of amendments to the City Zoning Chapter to conform to the new County ordinance
- Discussion and possible action on legislation (There is a possibility that the Council will vote on time sensitive matters)
The College Park District 2 Digest 