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STATE OF THE CITY REPORT
Mayor Pro Tem Denise C. Mitchell
The State of the City Report was given prior to the start of the Council meeting on March 21 at 7pm. Click here to see the presentation
City of College Park Council Meeting Highlights – March 21, 2023
Comments are by Councilmembers Llatetra Brown Esters and Susan Whitney and are not approved or sanctioned by the City of College Park.
ANNOUNCEMENTS/COMMENTS – MAYOR, COUNCIL, STUDENT LIAISON
- In honor of Women’s History month, Councilmember Kabir recognized the five women currently serving on council.
- Councilmember Kennedy recognized the holy holiday of Ramadan and extended good wishes to those who observe.
- Councilmember Esters acknowledged University of Maryland Basketball for their participation in March Madness and gave a special shout out to Maryland Women’s Basketball Team for making it to the Sweet 16 (Update: Maryland Beat Notre Dame on March 25 and go on to the Elite 8. Go Terps!).
- Councilmember Whitney acknowledged Ms. Kiaisha Barber, the Director for Youth and Family Services, for her work and effort to keep a family in their home. She mentioned that the ongoing work and effort of staff on a day-to-day basis may not always be evident to members of the community.
- Councilmember Mackie encouraged residents to register and vote in the upcoming elections. (Note: Special election to be held on May 6 with Early voting on May 2 and the regular election will be held on November 5)
- Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell shared the March Madness bet she made with the mayor of West Virginia. Although Maryland beat West Virginia, she wanted to display the flag for West Virginia to show solidarity. She mentioned she will display the flag for Alabama at the next Council meeting for another March Madness bet lost. The Terps lost to Alabama on March 18.
CITY MANAGER’S REPORT
Mr. Young informed residents that the City will be holding a special election for the position of mayor and that preparations are being made. Ballots will be finalized once all candidates are confirmed and many ballot boxes are out. He mentioned early voting will be held on Tuesday May 2 and election day will be on Saturday, May 6 at City Hall. Questions can be directed to the Office of the City Clerk.
The City’s “Egg-ceptional Egg Hunt Egg-stravaganza” will be held on Saturday, March 25 from 10 -2pm and registration is required for participation. Learn more and register at https://CollegeParkEggHunt2023.eventbrite.com.
Mayor and Council Budget Worksession will be held on Saturday, March 25 beginning at 8am. Tuesday, March 28 will be held for additional meeting time, if need be (Update: Council will not meet on Tuesday, March 28).
PROCLAMATIONS AND AWARDS
CONSENT AGENDA
23-G-56 Approval of a FY23 MHAA Grant Agreement for the “Lakeland Community Heritage Augmented Reality Tour Phase II” and authorization for the City Manager to sign the grant documents –Terry Schum, Director of Planning
23-G-57 Approval of minutes from the February 28, 2023, meeting
Motion to adopt the consent agenda made and seconded.
ACTION ITEMS
23-O-02 Introduction of Ordinance 23-O-02 to Amend Chapter 190, “Zoning,” due to adoption of the new County Zoning Ordinance and new requirements for granting variances and departures– Suellen Ferguson, City Attorney. The motion to introduce the ordinance was made, then seconded. The Public Hearing Will Be Held on April 11, 2023 at 7:30 p.m.
PRESENTATIONS AND WORKSESSION DISCUSSIONS
Presentation of proposed Aging in Place Home Repair Program and Agreement with Habitat for Humanity Metro Maryland – Terry Schum, Director of Planning and Kiaisha Barber, Director of Youth, Family and Senior Services
Ms. Schum expressed her excitement about this because it would implement the first aging-in-place renovation program in the city. The City has previously set aside $300,000 and worked with Habitat for Humanity (Habitat) to develop a plan and guidelines. Habitat has worked on similar projects in the county, including one in Hyattsville. To be eligible, residents will need to be at least 62 years old, own their home, and lived in the city for at least one year.
This is the City’s program and the City can target income if we would like to prioritize those at 50% AMI or those living in particular communities, like Lakeland. College Park would give Habitat the money as an ARPA subrecipient and Habitat will run the program and keep the City informed. Habitat for Humanity is excited to partner with the City.
Habitat for Humanity International has been around since 1976, they are the world’s largest non-profit builder and are solely focused on homeownership. They have been working in Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties since 1982. Their work ranges from new construction, rehabilitation, and home preservation. They have been working on home preservation for the past 13 years and have four full-time staff members dedicated to that.
Habitat has many internal preservation programs including General Home Repairs, Veterans Home Repair and Weatherization. The ultimate goal of the preservation program is to preserve affordable housing.
Their partnership with Hyattsville includes a focus on aging in place and providing accessibility for those with disabilities. Hyattsville’s program, CAPABLE/RAMP, launched in 2019 and focused on accessibility and other health and safety modifications. The program, which includes the engagement of an occupational therapist, is open to seniors and those with disabilities. It offers up to $15,000 for repairs and an additional $12,000 for weatherization. The program has shown significant improvement in daily living and a drop with depressive symptoms. For the proposed College Park program, Habitat is asking that funds be made available to engage an occupational therapist.
Habitat has also partnered with Prince George’s County to offer the Prince George’s County Home Preservation Program (PG HOPP). The program, which has 39 projects currently underway, gives priority to those who have been in the community for more than 7 years and who are under 50% of AMI. The program is of no cost of homeowners.
The College Park Program would focus on older adult homeowners aging in place who are 62 and older and earn less than 80% of uncapped AMI. These individuals should be in their home for at least 5 years after completion. The workflow for the program would begin with a submission of inquiry. If funds are available, residents will receive an application. Once the application is completed and submitted, Habitat will review and approve the application. Habitat would then conduct a home visit and create a scope of work; sign an agreement with the homeowner on scope of work; coordinate a subcontractor to bid the work; and finally, oversee the contractor and verify their work.
Councilmember Whitney asked how participants will be determined. She was told there would be widespread marketing and that Habitat staff would work closely with the City to determine who should be targeted.
Councilmember Esters asked if repairs needed far exceed available funding, how that is handled and communicated with the homeowner. She was told that a plan of repair is created and funds are used to ensure the home is made as safe as possible. The homeowner would be informed and directed to other resources.
Councilmember Kabir asked how Hyattsville funded their program. He was told that the Hyattsville received grant funding and Habitat applied for state grants to extend the program.
Councilmember Adams asked about homeowner education and assistance. Specifically, how they help the homeowner with the process and how much they address other things that may arise, like the need for home insurance. He was told that Habitat provides guidance on home maintenance but not homeowners insurance. They said the City could request that be included in participant education. Councilmember Adams also asked about eligibility for those who are the primary owners who live in the house with someone who is older. He was told that the City would set those parameters.
Councilmember Rigg expressed concern about the use of a webform for older residents who may not be as technologically savvy. He asked if Youth Family & Senior Services (YFS) might step in to assist those who may have difficulties. Ms. Barber said the Seniors Program would be involved, and she would suggest a paper form also be made available.
Councilmember Kennedy asked Habitat representatives what they anticipated as the greatest challenge with this proposed program in College Park. Habitat said it was getting the programs off the ground, then having enough money to support the numbers of people who apply.
Councilmember Mackie asked about the prioritization of needs because some seniors need a lot to be done. She was told there is a focus on health and safety, and owners are asked for their top priorities. The occupational therapist also plays a role in helping to develop a plan. Ms. Mackie asked if there would be interest in getting volunteers from the City and the University of Maryland, and she was told yes.
Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell said it would be helpful to have an internship through the program and asked for suggestions on finding ongoing funding. Terry Schum mentioned Community Legacy state funding and the Community Development Block Grant.
Councilmember Esters asked if an individual could only apply once or can they apply more than once to get to the maximum funding amount of $30,000. She was told that Habitat normally gives a 7-year waiting period for recipients to reapply, but the City can implement their own criteria.
Councilmember Whitney asked if Lakelanders can be prioritized as part of restorative justice. She expressed her understanding that those who have lived in the city longer have a level of priority, as well, but wanted to ensure that Lakelanders who fall between 50 and 80% AMI have equal priority as those below 50% AMI.
Upon discussion, Council agreed to prioritize those below 50% AMI and Lakelanders at or below 80% AMI first, and City residents at or below 80% AMI who have lived in the city for at least 25 years second. City Attorney Suellen Ferguson will create an MOU with Habitat that will be brought to Consent at a future meeting.
Presentation of City Survey Results – Ryna Quiñones, Communications and Events
Manager
Ms. Quiñones said the Community survey was launched last fall. It was a 7-page survey that took approximately 15-20 minutes to complete. The demographics of those who completed the survey were reflective of our population.
Councilmember Whitney said she assumed we’d consider results for satisfaction when deciding areas in which to focus attention and money for the next two years. She pointed out some divergence between satisfaction with various City services listed under Q3. Satisfaction with Major Categories of City Services [on pages 16-17 of the survey report] versus the ranked choice results under Q4. City Services That Should Receive the Most Emphasis Over the Next Two Years [pages 18-19 of the survey report], asking that we consider both lists when deciding how to spend city funds.
Councilmember Esters asked if the current survey and last year’s survey could be placed together on the website for comparison. Ms. Quiñones said that would be done.
Councilmember Kabir said he was not surprised by the satisfaction with Public Works or resident concerns about traffic and crime prevention. He asked whether we should Geocode safety by district. Ms. Quiñones indicated that districts were geocoded, and that information could be found in the report online.
Ms. Quiñones said the survey is a snapshot in time and we need to consider the survey overall to gain a sense of how residents feel about living in the city.
Councilmember Adams said he was happy to hear that the different departments will take a look at the data. He acknowledged that Friday Night Live got 99% satisfaction rating from residents who said they would return. He is interested in hearing from those ages 18-35 to hear what they had to say. He asked if it is possible to break our responses by age group.
Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell asked if departments could share points from the survey during our budget worksession this weekend. Mr. Young said departments had already seen the survey results and would be prepared to speak to priorities during the budget worksession.
Councilmember Kennedy said she appreciated the benchmarking that was done. She added the last survey was incorporated into the strategic planning process and asked if this survey was done differently. She also mentioned she accessed the link to the survey but did not see comments. Ms. Quiñones said there were open-ended questions that were answered by residents and the responses should be accessible. She mentioned the disconnect between people feeling safe overall but wanting us to focus on crime more. She said there could be a variety of factors that contributed to responses, saying we should further analyze those areas that are below average.
Councilmember Mackie thanked residents for completing the survey. She mentioned her interest in council working with our partners in the county on some areas, like education.
Councilmember Rigg said that he is not sure he agrees with the statistical validity of the last two surveys, saying the results are skewed toward homeowners. He thinks we should actively seek responses from renters, UMD students, and those with children the age of 17.
Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell asked if this information can be included in the resident guide. Mr. Young said it would not be included in the upcoming guide that has already gone to print, but it can be included in the next guide.
Discussion and possible action on legislation – Bill Gardiner, Assistant City Manager. Crossover date – date by which the bill must past in at least one side of the government, or it will be dead.
Mr. Gardiner informed Council the State’s operating budget needs to approved by April 3 and then the Capital budget is to be approved. He said we are on track to get funding for the North College Park Community Center from the State and Park and Planning. HB459, the street light bill, was reported favorably, but in its amended form it limits what was to be accomplished by the bill. There is work underway to strip the amendment.
SB114 – Property rate increase notice requirement – seems likely to pass. Rigg explained that the bill would modify the language municipalities must use in notifying residents that they are not adopting the Constant Yield Tax Rate (CYTR).
Councilmember Mackie noted that we did send a letter of support for SB77.
Our lobbyists will return to give us an overview after the session.
REQUESTS FOR / STATUS OF FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
Councilmember Whitney asked about approval of community development grants. Mr. Young said It is already on the list and anticipates it will be on the next meeting agenda.
COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE
Richard Biffle – non-resident, tax payer. He said many of the recent accomplishments in the City were due to ARPA funds. He said College Park is not an affluent city and there are rumblings that City does not receive enough tax money. He appreciates that the city considers big items but thinks we should focus attention on more municipal issues. He thinks we should look to the University of Maryland for increasing tax income and put more pressure on the State to fund more student housing. This would help us to help move students out of the neighborhood.
Carol Macknis, resident of College Park – She appreciated the presentation on aging in place and the survey presentation. She said the survey said communication is good, but she believes it can be improved. She said the City should remember KISS (Keep it simple and straightforward). There are still seniors who have problems finding information. She recommends that the City redesign the website and assign residents as beta testers to see if things are working.
COMMENTS FROM THE MAYOR, COUNCIL, STUDENT LIAISON OR CITY MANAGER
Councilmember Kabir commented on his facilitation of “If I Were Mayor” at Hollywood Elementary. He mentioned the large turnout of 85 people.
Councilmember Esters said she attended the COG Human Services Committee on March 10. It focused on local and national efforts to reduce Fentanyl supply and dealing with mental health. The DEA representative told participants that the DEA treat drug poisoning as a violent crime and are working to target those selling drugs laced with fentanyl. Unfortunately, there are many drug traffickers between Baltimore and Richmond, and it is hard to keep up due to the use of social media. One strategy that is being utilized is awareness programming for users. The program also featured a presentation from the Anne Arundel County Crisis Team on their successful effort to integrate mental health clinicians.
Councilmember Rigg asked if we need to consider the attendance to COG meetings given the change in our composition.
Councilmember Mackie shared that COG’s Chesapeake Bay Water Policy meeting had a presentation from UMD’s Hughes Center that focused on the difference between a forest and tree canopy. She sent the City Manager links to maps that detail College Park’s tree canopy.
Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell mentioned the recent PGMA meeting with County Executive Alsobrooks and shared that 65% of County budget is geared toward education. Stormwater management was also discussed during the meeting, and Calvert Hills was listed as an area where stormwater management efforts are being directed. The possibility of increasing the tax base for commercial properties was also a topic of conversation. There will be quarterly meetings with the County Executive moving forward.
Mr. Young thanked Ms. Macknis for volunteering to be a beta tester. He said the City is working on making improvements to the website. He told Council they should have received materials for the budget meeting.
MEETING ADJOURNED
Click here for the March 21st meeting agenda. Click here to watch the video of the State of the City and the March 21, 2023, meeting.
Please Note: The next meeting of Mayor and Council will be held on April 11.
Click here to see the agenda for the City of College Park Mayor & Council Hybrid Meeting on April 11, 2023 once it is finalized. Tune in, show up or share your thoughts/concerns about the following anticipated Presentations and Workshop discussions:
Discussion of the City’s Revitalization Tax Credit Program
Development and Implementation of strategies to engage UMD students living in College Park
The College Park District 2 Digest 