Come meet local law enforcement and your District 2 neighbors in Lakeland, Berwyn and North College Park!

Come out to Duvall Field at 9100 Rhode Island Avenue for a fun and FREE Night at the Movies! Bring your picnic baskets, lawn chairs, blankets to enjoy a movie with the whole family under the stars.  

The event presents the feature film, “Minions: The Rise of Gru,” and fun activities like a moon bounce, face painting, games and more! 

There will also be snow-cones and popcorn. Show-time is at sunset.

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

Haga clic aquí para leer esta publicacion en español.

ANNOUNCEMENTS/COMMENTS – MAYOR, COUNCIL, STUDENT LIAISON

Councilmember Hew thanked the NCPA for the Ice Cream Social held on Sunday, July 16 at Duvall Field.

Councilmember Mackie asked residents to stay tuned for upcoming meeting in College Park Woods. 

Councilmember Adam mentioned recent changes for FBI headquarters selection criteria, which helped to increase the likelihood of Greenbelt as a location. He acknowledged advocacy from the Governor and our state representatives that encouraged the change in criteria.  

Councilmember Rigg thanked staff for the return of a basketball court to Calvert Hills and recognized advocacy from UMD student residents for the court. He mentioned a “soft opening” as there are a few more finishes that need to be completed.  

CITY MANAGER’S REPORT

Mr. Young introduced the Mayor and Council to the city’s new grants coordinator, Rakhmel Rafi. Mr. Rafi, who has experience with small business management and obtaining grants for small business, expressed his enthusiasm to be part of the city.   

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Mayor Kabir recognized former Councilmember Maxine Gross.

 AMENDMENTS TO AND APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

Councilmember Rigg made a motion to remove the Veoride action item from the agenda. 

Councilmember Hew  asked to move the early voting agenda item from the consent agenda to the action agenda.  

PUBLIC COMMENT ON CONSENT AGENDA AND NON-AGENDA ITEMS 

Mr. Haddad, resident of College Park – in favor of early voting and 2-year term limits. There has been mention of cost which will not hold up if the city wants to move forward.  If council members find it challenging to campaign, they can choose not to run. 

Anna Lee, small business owner –  new parking meters have resulted in more tickets. People do not want to download the app and do not know how to use the app. The city is deterring people from visiting. She called the city for assistance and thanked the staff who provided help. Although not intentional, it is a deceptive system that sends the message that we are an unwelcoming town.  She indicated 15-minute parking has been proposed in the past. She is currently negotiating a new lease to stay in the city but does not feel welcome.  

Jacob Hernandez, College Park resident –  thanked the NCPCA Ice Cream Social held on Sunday, July 16 at Duvall Field.  He asked the city to re-examine resident parking issues.  He received four (4) $35 within 5 days for parking outside of his house. He did not receive a reminder to update parking that expired at the end of June.  He asked the city to review the registration process, the frequency of ticketing, and the removal of city parking by city block.

Mayor Kabir said he was not the only person to contact us about parking recently. The mayor asked Mr.  Miller, Parking Enforcement Manager, to talk about the parking permit renewal process. Mr. Miller explained there is a mass email renewal notice. If residents do not provide an email, they should receive it by mail. At this time, when the messages go out they are sent by “No/Reply.”  The city is working to update it so they will show as being from the City of College Park. To date, the city has received eight (8) complaints from those who received tickets.  

CONSENT AGENDA 

23-G-108 Approval to change the date of the first Council meeting in November to Tuesday, November 7 (instead of November 8)

23-G-112 Award a publicly bid Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) contract #PR11-20 amendment #1 extended through October 31,2023, for Parks & Recreation Equipment to Playground Specialist,Inc. for the renovation of playground equipment at Calvert Hills, Old Town, The Mews, Davis, Hollywood, and Muskogee playgrounds to be funded from ARPA fund #120 included in adopted FY23 and FY24 budget in amount of $387,000.

The Consent Agenda, as amended, passed unanimously.

ACTION ITEMS

23-G-107 Approval of Early Voting for the November General Election: October 26 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Davis Hall and November 2 from 8:00 a.m. to 7 p.m. at City Hall

Janeen Miller, City Clerk, explained the Board of Elections Supervisors (BOES) brought up the idea of having early elections on Thursdays. The BOES and staff do not recommend having early voting days on alternating days because their experience has been that it confuses residents. 

 Judy Blumenthal, College Park resident – would like the city to consider having early voting on alternate days.  Individuals may have standing obligations on certain days of the week that may cause difficulty .

Kamthorn Clary, College Park resident – For having two different days for early voting.  Believes we need to have more options to encourage more voting.  

Jacob Hernandez, College Park Resident – any regressive action that inhibits voting is not a good look.  He considers it an honor to facilitate early voting.  

Councilmember Hew- thinks it is important to allow more days for residents to vote.  

Councilmember Kennedy – acknowledged the passion of those to vote but gives deference to staff who have many years of experience.  

Councilmember Mackie thinks offering voting on a different day would provide another data point, saying having variety is a good idea. Councilmember Esters – acknowledged staff and BOES for their work and mentioned the various options that are available include early voting, mail-in voting, and  election day.  She said she would defer to the input from the BOES about the days early voting should occur.

Councilmember Rigg– does not have a strong opinion and in those situations defers to those who have expertise.

SGA Liaison Mirani – believes that there should be alternate days offered to for voting because students might have classes or internships that happen every Thursday.

Councilmember Adams offered an amendment to have 2 early days, Thursday, 10/26 at Davis Hall and Tuesday, October 31^st at City Hall. Councilmember Whitney seconded the motion.

Maxine Gross, College Park resident – this is a time that the Mayor and Council can address the needs residents are bringing to them. 

Ruth Murphy, College Park resident– mentioned that October 31 is Halloween.

After public discussion of Councilmember Adams’ motion, Council voted and the motion failed unanimously.

Councilmember Hew put forward an alternate amendment to hold Early Voting on Wednesday, October 25 at Davis Hall and Thursday, November 2 at City Hall. The amendment was seconded and passed with a vote of 4 to 3. 

23-G-96 Approval of lease for St. Andrew’s Church Rectory – Kenny Young, City Manager and Suellen Ferguson, City Attorney

Councilmember Whitney asked if there was an estimate of the amount of property taxes the City would owe per the lease. Suellen Ferguson, City Attorney, said we should not owe taxes since the church is a non-profit and the City is using the space to offer community services.

Councilmember Esters asked how the cost of the monthly lease would be covered.  Mr. Young said it would be through the Capital Improvement Project (CIP) budget.  

Councilmember Mackie mentioned the ongoing mental health crisis and asked if mental health services be available to UMD students. Kiaisha Barber, Director of Youth and Family Services, said the center would be used for Senior Services and there was no plan to expand services to UMD students.  

Council voted to approve the lease with a vote of 6 in favor and abstaining. Councilmember Rigg abstained because he has been a member of the church for 15 years.

23-G-109 Approval of an amendment to the existing St. Andrews Church parking lot agreement increasing the permit fees, setting the number of parking spaces at 30, providing for a year-to-year term, and quarterly payments to the Church – Bob Ryan, Director of Public Services and Jim Miller, Parking Enforcement Manager

Councilmember Adams asked about the increase in cost for the parking spaces and whether that was intended to discourage employees at downtown businesses from driving.  Mr. Ryan said it is not intended as a disincentive. He said it will raise additional revenue for the church while helping the City cover its costs for clearing snow and maintaining the lot, which have gone up since the agreement was negotiated over 20 years ago.  

Councilmember Mackie thanks Mr. Ryan for clarification because she provided incorrect information to residents; she initially thought city vehicles would be parked in the space. 

Councilmember Hew asked how the cost of each parking space compares to other permit parking in the city. Mr. Miller said that some spaces in the city are permitted at $40 per month, but that those spaces are on City streets, maintenance for which is included in street maintenance budgets. Since this is on private property, it represents additional cost to the city.

Councilmember Esters referenced that special church events are prioritized over permitted parking and asked if the church could provide a calendar of events in advance, where possible, to assist with planning. Mr. Miller said a calendar has not been shared but that events are shared on a case-by-case basis. He said it has not been a problem over the years.

Maxine Gross, College Park resident –  has had the opportunity to listen to a young person lament about parking issues in the city.  She is happy to hear about the city seeking opportunity for more parking.  She urged the council to approve but consider the cost increase.  

Jacob Hernandez, College Park resident – paying for parking is not the easiest expense to plan for.  

23-G-110 Approval of wording for a ballot question asking voters if they support 4-year staggered terms for elected officials – Suellen Ferguson, City Attorney

Suellen Ferguson, city attorney, said the simplest question to pose is if residents are in favor of a 4 -year term.  

Councilmember Kennedy made the motion.  She disagreed with the simplification of language because she believed it is an opportunity to educate residents. 

Kamthorn Clary – believes the language should be concise so that it is clearly stated. It should also be clear as to what a yes or a no vote means.

Judy Blumenthal – spoke in opposition. Does not want the question to be posed. If a complete overhaul of the council occurs, it would be because voters wanted it, which would be a good thing. She agreed with SGA liaisons Mirani and Sprinkle given that students are probably the largest electorate.  

Maxine Gross, College Park resident – Not sure where this movement is coming from. We are not a huge city where there is a big learning curve.  It is not necessary for a four-year term for councilmembers to be effective.  We want them to remain close to the residents and two-year terms allow for that to occur. 

Jacob Hernandez, College Park resident – 2-year terms allow for radical accountability. 

Councilmember Rigg said he was a proponent of this because being a council member is demanding.  There is a struggle to maintain the responsibilities of the job and other aspects of one’s life.  

Councilmember Mackie said she thinks we should be mindful of what voters said in 2019 and that we shouldn’t make decisions by comparing ourselves to others municipalities since we have a lot of people moving in and out of city each year. She continued that, as a former election judge who had worked many elections, her experience is that wordy ballot questions confuse voters. She motioned to change the question to read, “Do you want to keep the Mayor and Council terms at 2 years each? Yes or No?

There were no seconds to the motion, so it died. Councilmember Esters said she had no strong feeling about the issue either way, there are pros and cons to each. Four-year terms may deter folks from taking on the commitment, while two-year terms require you to start campaigning practically half-way through your term and juggle other responsibilities. She said she has no problem with asking the questions and basing the decision upon what we hear from residents. 

Councilmember Adams said he appreciates an advisory question on the ballot, although the framing of this question does not sit the best with him. 

SGA Liaison Mirani –  supports the two-year term, but if we move forward, he asked that we include language that indicates that it is non-binding.  Suellen Ferguson, City Attorney, said she would not advise such language to be added as it may cause confusion.  Since the city cannot add language indicating it is not binding, he now does not support its inclusion on the ballot.  

Councilmember Hew – There is reason to consider a four–year term. There are often issues that council does not want to bring up during election times, which can slow City progress.  

Councilmember Whitney said she understood that at some point staff cannot provide as much direct assistance to councilmembers during an election, such as when councilmembers door-knocking are told about issues. Mr. Young said that during election time there is more scrutiny about what is delivered and how it is delivered. Ms. Miller said that should not interfere with constituent services.

Council voted 7-0 to move forward with the ballot question as amended in the Agenda Item.

Mayor Kabir noted that there was a discussion about scheduling a Town Hall after the results of the election come in to discuss and mentioned the SGA Liaison Mirani’s request that students be specifically invited to participate. 

23-O-07 Introduction of an Ordinance to amend City Code Chapter 184-18 and 184-24 and Chapter 110-1 to update the hourly parking rate to $2 and reflect that bills and coins will no longer be accepted as payment for parking meters; and Chapter 110-1 (referencing 151-4) to eliminate reference to the monthly parking programs in the downtown garage and add a reference to the St. Andrew’s parking lot permits

 Jim Miller, Parking Enforcement Manager, and Bob Ryan, Director of Public Services. The Public Hearing on this matter will be scheduled for Wednesday, August 2,023 at 7:30 p.m.

Councilmember Adams indicated that he and Councilmember Riggs received numerous comments and asked when it would appropriate to give input, hear from council as a body, and hear residents.  City Clerk Miller said the upcoming hearing would be the best time to hear from all parties. 

Motioned by Councilmember Adams, seconded by Councilmember Mackie. 

23-CR-02 Introduction of a Charter Resolution to amend the City Charter to remove the authority for Urban Renewal – Suellen Ferguson, City Attorney and Kayla Carter, Racial Equity Officer. The Public Hearing will be scheduled for September 5, 2023, at 7:30 p.m.

The city adopted urban renewal in the 1960’s but there is no objective to do so moving forward. 

Motioned by Councilmember Esters, seconded by Councilmember Whitney. 

WORKSESSION DISCUSSIONS

A. Agenda items for July 27 Four Cities meeting in Berwyn Heights

Councilmember Kennedy asked to add a speaker about the cannabis legalization. 

Mayor Kabir – funding for the remainder of Route 1 reconstruction.  He would like to ask the state to put the remainder of this project at the top of the priority list.  

Councilmember Adams – WMATA has put forth information about expanding lines. They are putting forward a plan to obtain federal funding. We should discuss to see if the Four Cities would like to support expansion in our area.  

REQUESTS FOR / STATUS OF FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS

Councilmember Adams asked about the status of the discussion short-term rentals. Ms. Miller says it is tentatively on the future agenda list for September 12^th.

Councilmember Whitney asked for a revised listing of blighted and vacant properties for upcoming discussion.  Staff will consider and follow up.  

COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE 

Kamthorn Clary – Civic engagement is gas in his tank. Regardless of where you come from it is here. We should be able to share information with residents. 

COMMENTS FROM THE MAYOR, COUNCIL, STUDENT LIAISON OR CITY MANAGER

Councilmember Whitney  thanked staff for their work to put together event on Friday, July 14 that was rained out.  

Councilmember Mackie attended a recent COG meeting that focused on WMATA and economic growth in the area. 

Councilmember Rigg attended a recent planning meeting for International Town and Gown Association (ITGA) conference coming to College Park in early summer next year. He is on the subcommittee to put together the program and will gladly take ideas. He will provide periodic updates. He said there was strong consideration of using City Hall for a reception on the first night. He further inquired about the introduction of the ordinance on parking. Specifically, he asked if it was possible to have a work session on the topic. Ms. Miller said we can move the hearing or move forward with the hearing and then have a work session to discuss further.  

Councilmember Esters said we should have the discussion after the public hearing. That way we will hear public input.  

Councilmember Kennedy said she believed a presentation prior to the public hearing could be helpful. 

SGA Liaison Mirani thanked the council for changing one of the early voting dates.  He is hopeful that the city will do all they can to engage students in the conversation about 2-year and 4-year terms.  

SGA Liaison Sprinkle – thanked the council for their responsiveness to the early voting date.  Thinks 2-year terms are the best choice.  

City Manager – would like to apologize to the individuals who experienced challenges with the parking roll out. There were challenges with the vendor, but the City could have done a better job of communicating with residents on coming changes. 

The International Town and Gown Association (ITGA) conference will be June 4- 7 in College Park.  Mr. Young thanked Councilmember Rigg for his participation with the planning sub-committee. The event will be hosted during a time when hotels and restaurants in the city are in need of business.   

ADJOURN

Click here for the July 18^th meeting agenda. Click here to watch the video of the July 18, 2023, meeting (when it is available). 

Click here to see the agenda for the City of College Park Mayor & Council Hybrid Meeting on August 02, 2023 (When it is available). Tune in, show up or share your thoughts/concerns about the following anticipated Action Items, Presentations and Workshop discussions:

Presentations:

• Presentation by University of Maryland on UMD Master Plan and other allied items – Carlo Colella and Dannielle Glaros (40) 
• (23-G-111 pulled from June 18 meeting) Approval of a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Maryland concerning division of proceeds from VeoRide Bike Share system – Suellen Ferguson, City Attorney and Erik Valentine, Community Development Planner 
• 2023 Quarterly Financial Presentation – Gary Fields, Director of Finance 

Proposed Consent: 

• Approval of revisions to the Mayor and Council’s Rules and Procedures (6-month follow-up from the January 31st meeting) – Janeen S Miller, City Clerk 

Public Hearing: 

• Presentation of background and Public Hearing on 23-O-07, an Ordinance to amend City Code Chapter 184-18 and 184-24 and Chapter 110-1 to update the hourly parking rate to $2 and reflect that bills and coins will no longer be accepted as payment for parking meters; and Chapter 110-1 (referencing 151-4) to eliminate reference to the monthly parking programs in the downtown garage and add a reference to the St. Andrew’s parking lot permits. Following the Public Hearing, Council will discuss the Ordinance but will not take action at this meeting. 

Action Items: 

• Presentation on closure of Knox Road for Special Events and decision on next steps – Robert Marsili, Director of Public Works, and consultant 
• Discussion and Selection of Future Veo Parking Hub Locations -Erik Valentine, Community Development Planner 

Discussion items: 

• Consider an increase in grant value for the City of College Park New Neighbors Homeownership Grant Program for qualified law enforcement personnel – Miriam Bader, Director of Planning and Suellen Ferguson, City Attorney (20) 
• Update on Duvall Field (DPIE status, splash pad option) – Miriam Bader, Director of Planning and Robert Marsili, Director of Public Works (30) 
• Discussion of legislative priorities for the Legislative Dinner – Kenny Young, City Manager (15) 
• Amendment to the remainder of the Zoning chapter to conform to the County – Suellen Ferguson, City Attorney (15) 

Information Report: 

• Notification that Grants Coordinator is applying for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Community Parks and Playgrounds (CP & P) Program grant for a new play structure for 5–12-year-olds at the Calvert Hills playground. No match is required – Rakhmel Rafi, Grants Coordinator

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

ANNOUNCEMENTS/COMMENTS – MAYOR, COUNCIL, STUDENT LIAISON

• UMD Student Liaison Dhruvak Mirani
  • congratulated University of Maryland on receiving a nearly $40 million grant for electric busses
  • thanked UMD for publicly committing to diversity in the wake of the recent Supreme Court decision on affirmative action

CITY MANAGER’S REPORT 

• Second-round ARPA grant applications are available online and can be applied for on the City’s website. The City has encouraged small businesses to apply. Checks go out quickly once a grant is approved. The City is mindful that the summer months are slow for many businesses.
• Next Friday Night Live will be this Friday, 7/14 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm and features The Real Geniouses, an ‘80s cover band.
• Bob Ryan – National Night Out is August 1^st from 6-8 pm at 5 locations:  Lakeland, Berwyn, Duvall Field, College Park Woods and Autoville.

PRESENTATIONS

• Presentation to Mayor Pro Tem Denise Mitchell by Mayor Fazlul Kabir and City Manager Kenneth Young thanking her for her service as MML President
• Report from Miss College Park Kennedy Patrice Williams on her year of service—001 

AMENDMENTS TO AND APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA 

• The Agenda passed unanimously without amendment.

PUBLIC COMMENT ON CONSENT AGENDA AND NON-AGENDA ITEMS 

• No public comment

CONSENT AGENDA 

The following items on the Consent Agenda passed unanimously:

• 23-G-99 Approval of a request for a Commemorative bench to be installed on the Trolley Trail near the corner of Amherst Avenue to honor Dr. Richard Wagner, founder and chair of the College Park City University Partnership, who dedicated his career to preserving historic buildings and stabilizing neighborhoods. Motion By: To: 2nd: Yes: No: Abstain: 
• 23-G-100 Approval of a request from the Lakeland community for a Commemorative Bench in the Lakeland community to honor Mr. J. M. Chesley Mack who was a civic leader, entrepreneur, business owner, and served on the City Council from 1945 (when College Park was incorporated) until 1957. 
• 23-G-102 Award of two contracts: 1) Purchase of one (1) new 2023 allelectric Aebi Schmidt ESWINGO Street Sweeper in the amount of $353,957.97 to Intercon Truck of Baltimore, Inc., utilizing pricing from competitively bid Sourcewell Contract #093021; 2) Purchase of one (1) 2023 Crane Carrier Chassis and 25 cubic yard Loadmaster, 25 cubic yard Split body packer in the amount of $379,045.00 to Grand Turk Equipment Co. Inc., under Sourcewell contract #060920; both are subject to the approval of the City Attorney. 
• 23-G-101 Approve the appointments of Nora Eidelman to the Ethics Commission, Jeff Lemieux to the Bicycle Pedestrian Committee, Jennifer Konish to the Tree & Landscape Board, and Maria UlloaBustos, reappointment to the Bee City USA Committee, Frank Cifaldi and Jennifer Lindstrom to the Bee City USA committee.
• 23-G-105 Approval of the Strategic Plan priorities for FY ’24 – Bill Gardiner, Assistant City Manager (15) 002 
• 23-G-106 Approval of a letter of support for a grant application to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Housing Affordability Planning Program for the Community Preservation Trust Motion By: To: 2nd: Yes: No: Abstain: 

PUBLIC HEARINGS AND POSSIBLE ACTION

• Agenda Item 23-G-103: Public Hearing and action on the petition request for traffic calming in the 4700 Block of Navahoe Street – Steve Halpern, City Engineer 
  • May 14^th-15^th – highest speed and volume. 
  • The Volume warrant was met, but the percentage speeding was only 2.6%, so the speed warrant was not met. 
  • No members of the public spoke during the public hearing.
  • Councilmember Whitney said she’d spoke with the resident who submitted the petition, who says she has witnessed much unsafe driving in the block over the years and that Spellman House residents often cross the street there.
  • Councilmember Whitney motioned to proceed with installing traffic calming in the 4700 Block of Navahoe Street. Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell seconded the motion, which passed.
• Agenda Item 23-G-104: Public Hearing and action on the petition request for traffic calming in the 6800 Block of Dartmouth Avenue – Steve Halpern, City Engineer
  • May 14^th-15^th – highest speed and volume. 
  • Both speed humps and/or chokers could be considered
  • Neither speed or volume warrants were met, but 10% of traffic (7 cars and 8 bikes) were traveling in the wrong direction.
  • There was one accident involving a vehicle and a bike in 2019.
  • During the Public Hearing, three members of the public spoke against speed humps during the public hearing, saying they’re not warranted, lower property values, hinder access by emergency vehicles and cause noise pollution
  • Councilmember Adams said the 60% of residents who signed the petition were asking for additional traffic safety, not speed humps. He motioned for installation of chokers, saying he has also received emails in support of traffic calming. 
  • Councilmember Rigg said he is not in favor of speed humps because people tend to speed anyway, saying chokers are a superior solution. His experience as an EMT tells him that every second of emergency response is detrimental and crossing speed humps is very painful for those with a major broken bone. 
  • The Motion passed for chokers, not speed humps, to be installed for traffic calming.

WORKSESSION DISCUSSIONS 

• Discussion with College Park Board of Election Supervisors: debrief of Special Election and plans for General Election – Board of Election Supervisors; Janeen Miller, City Clerk; R. C. Carter, ElectionGuard, and Pam Geppart, Hart InterCivic 
  • Board of Election Supervisors Chair John Payne:
    • Proud of way the special election for Mayor was carried out. They learned a lot from it.
    • If they had had one fewer election judge for either day, they would’ve had a meltdown, and they are concerned about inability to hire more. 
    • During the last presentation to Council, they proposed that several early voting days each at Davis Hall and City Hall. They now know that is not possible. 
    • Davis Hall remains difficult for holding elections. The had back-ups that were 35 minutes long with people standing in the rain and the dark because there wasn’t enough space to get good throughput. Still, they will do what they need to do to make it a location in next election.
  • R. C. Carter with ElectionGuard, part of Microsoft’s Democracy Forward program delivers presentation on what ElectionGuard and how it will work in the fall election.
    • Launched in 2019
    • Bug Bounty program started in 2020 (encourages public to try to break the system, thereby identifying problems to fix)
    • First public election in Fulton County, Wisconsin in 2020
    • Partnered with Hart InterCivic in July 2021
    • 1^st public election Hart, Enhanced Voting, Center for Civic Design, and MITRE in Franklin County, Idaho November 2022
    • One of 1^st alternative, innovative uses for cryptography
    • Goal is to make voters more confident in outcomes
    • Free for election system vendors or administrator
    • Isn’t a core part of the voting system. It’s a separate system that can be turned on or off. 
    • It creates a public, encrypted copy of the election results. Can allow independent verification of all ballots and technology.
    • Would hold public, all-day orientation system in September
  • Pam Geppart of Hart InterCivic explains how voting will work.
    • Paper-based system: Voters cast their vote on paper ballots.
    • Verity Scan will be used to scan and tabulate the votes from the paper ballots for early voting, election day voting, and mail-in ballots.
    • On screen instructions tells voters where to insert their ballots. 
    • The Verity Scan scanner sits on top of a secure ballot box. 
    • Voting records are secured in three ways:
      • On media inside the machine
      • Physical memory of the machine
      • Paper ballots. 
    • If voters made a mistake, for example, voted for 3 people when only 2 votes were allowed, the machine will kick their ballot back out and allow them to correct it.
    • When voters scan their ballots, a receipt with a QR code is generated that the voter can use to verify that their votes have been tabulated. This is the ElectionGuard functionality.
    • Verity Scan displays a digital screen that details the voters’ choices, and the voter selects whether to cast or return the ballot.
    • The system has ADA accessibility features that can be requested from poll workers.
  • Mayor and Council comments / questions:
    • Whitney – What happens if a person has voted for too many people for an election? Geppart -Verity Scan would alert the voter. The voter would then choose whether to submit or return their ballot. Payne- If they choose to return, they would approach a poll worker and ask for a new ballot due to error. The poll worker would spoil the ballot by marking every spot on the ballot, then retaining the ballot to ensure every ballot distributed has been accounted for when doing the final canvass. 
    • Kennedy – How much time does this add to the process of voting? Geppart – the only time added was to confirm onscreen what selections were. In the Franklin County, they found the additional time was negligible. Miller – Shouldn’t hold up more than 2-3 second because our ballots are short.
    • Rigg – Would the system work for ranked choice voting? Carter – We’re working on ElectionGuard 2.0. The long-term goal is for it to work for all voting methods.
    • Rigg – If a voter dropped the receipt with their QR confirmation code, would someone who picked it up be able to see their vote or any personally identifiable information? Carter – No. The person would only be able to see that the vote had been counted for the person to whom the receipt was issued.
    • Rigg – Is City staff comfortable with whatever template must be used to make the ballots scannable? Geppart – Hart includes ballot production services. We have specific templates, and the City would carefully proof whatever we produced. Miller – City is proud to be part of scaling this product. We think other people in the area & state will be watching how this works. We would not be able to access the Hart Verity system without the partnership with ElectionGuard.
    • Whitney – Did we get a price break for participating at this stage? Will we be able to use Hart Verity in the future if the price goes up? Miller – We might not, but as a small municipality, we have a lot of trouble finding vendors. Our 2021 vendor is not willing to work with us again. We lease any system we use, but we might purchase a system when we go to poll books.
    • Hew – Would the system read as an error a vote for only one candidate in a race where up to two candidates may be chosen? Miller – The voter will get a message saying something akin to, “You’ve under-voted. Do you still want to cast this ballot?”
    • Mirani – In the past 2 elections, how many voters actually verified that ballot counted? Carter – We don’t have that answer but will after the College Park election.
    • Mirani – Have you invited third-party verification of your results? Carter – Yes, via both Bug Bounty. Also, a student from Denmark wrote an independent verifier of the system as their thesis, and it worked.
    • Mirani – Suggestion to renew their active ssl or tsl certification.
    • Miller – The purpose of the partnership is to work out bugs in the ElectionGuard system. The Hart Verity system is well-tested and has been around for a long time. If ElectionGuard has issues, it will not affect our election results.
    • Payne – BOES has suggested doing a tally of the early voting scanner, the election day scanner and the mail-in vote scanner on election night so they will have a robust tally that night. Only the handful of ballots that have gone to cure or that come in via mail between election day and canvass day would not be included.
    • Miller –  If BOES decides to go this route, the preliminary tally could be available by 10:30 pm on election day.
    • Mitchell – Are you recruiting election judges now? Miller – We will start recruiting in September and will notice to councilmembers, civic associations, etc.
  • Miller – asks for Council’s consent on the early voting days/locations proposed by BOES:  Thursday 10/26, 8am -7 pm at Davis Hall & Thursday, 11/2, 8 am – 7 pm at City Hall
    • Mayor and Council comments / questions:
      • Dhruvak – If students had classes on Thursday, this might cause a problem.
      • Payne – BOES decided changing both days of the week and location for early voting could cause confusion and cause voters to go to the wrong location. Requesting a mail-in ballot is an option for such students.
  • Payne – BOES will refine messaging on requesting a mail-in ballot during the 2 weeks prior to the election. We encouraged it during the special election, but the Clerk’s Office was swamped as a result. We will revert to calling it an “emergency absentee ballot.”
    • Rigg- What is BOES’s vision for transitioning to dominant mail-in option and eliminating early voting? Payne said he personally sees the city moving in that direction, but they would have to see at least 50% of votes coming from mail-in or dropbox options. He said BOES will strongly advertise the  permanent vote-by-mail option. Close to one thousand people are already on the registered permanent voters list. If all of them voted, that would be close to half of the voters.
• Discussion of an advisory question for the November ballot for potentially changing M&C terms from 2-years to 4-years – Kenneth A. Young, City Manager and Suellen Ferguson, City Attorney 
  • Young – This item is being put forward now as a matter of timing. If Mayor & Council wants this referendum question to appear on the November ballot, they must make the decision soon.
  • Mitchell – This is just an opportunity to discuss the proposal as a body. We have members on the dais that were not seated the last time the issue was brought forward.
  • Rigg
    • The last time the issue came up, he was modestly in favor of 4-year terms. At this point, the need to run every two years is the main reason he’s considering not running again. 
    • In 2019, it only failed by 4-6 point and won in 3 out of the 4 districts. It lost big in one district where there was, perhaps, a concerted effort to bring it down.
    • Rockville transitioned from 2- to 4-year terms because they were losing councilmembers due to the 2-year terms. Rockville’s M & C made an effort to educate voters about why the change was important.
    • Would consider passing change without referendum process.
  • Adams
    • In favor of having question on the ballot. 
    • If this charter change is made, it will lead to a domino effect of other things to consider
      • Should we add at-large seats?
      • Does moving from 2 to 4 years increase incumbency? 
      • We are unique in College Park due to our student population. Some  could live here for four years and just miss the election of a councilmember. 
  • Kennedy
    • This comes down to the stability of the council. 
    • We should narrow the question down to four-year, staggered terms to ensure we can never lose the entire council at once.
    • Thinks the issue should be put before voters.
    • The cost of running every two years is a barrier to entry. Wasn’t in the report as far as effect on minorities. 
  • Mirani
    • Thinks the issue should go on the ballot
    • Very hesitant about moving to 4-year term if there is not a clear majority of residents in favor of it. 
    • UMD students would have only one opportunity to vote in elections, so it dramatically reduces the time for students to participate, much less run. 
    • Four-year cycle would not allow students to see any changes enacted as a result of their vote, so students will be less inclined to participate. 
    • If move to 4-year terms, they should be staggered.
  • Mitchell
    • The referendum is non-binding, so even if residents vote in favor of 4-year terms, M &C can still vote it up or down. 
    • M & C has discussed placing residents in another Charter Review Commission. She said we should review our Charter every 5 or 6 years. 
  • Whitney
    • She is somewhat agnostic on switching to 4-year terms.
    • While door-knocking many residents said they liked campaign season because it was the only time councilmembers come by.
    • She and Councilmember Esters have made an effort to door-knock throughout their term and would encourage others to do the same were the switch to a 4-year term to occur.
    • Acknowledged the merits of her colleagues’ points about the benefits of 4-year terms
    • Says that although the referendum is non-binding, Council should definitely not change terms to 4 years if residents vote it down.
    • She agrees with the question going on the ballot.
  • Kabir
    • This was just on the ballot in 2019. Why are we bringing it back so soon?
    • Kennedy – We need to provide more education. It didn’t pass the first time in Rockville either. 
    • Adams – The two questions for the 2019 ballot will be combined into one question, yes or no to 4-year, staggered terms. The choice will be more straightforward.
    • Rigg – We would put it back on the ballot because we think it’s a good idea. This job puts a lot of strain on councilmembers. It’s possible to be plugged in and only run every 4 years as the vast majority of municipalities do.
  • Sprinkle
    • In favor of 2-year terms because they
      • offer new voices and ideas
      • prevent stagnation
      • allow voters to have more influence on process. 
      • students deserve the chance to cast ballot, learn from decision and cast again.
  • Mitchell
    • This is about transparency and allowing new colleagues the chance to weigh in
    • This is a difficult issue, but we shouldn’t avoid it because of that.
    • It will be the voters deciding the issue, not Council. We’ll listen to what voters say.
    • In 2019, she was very much a proponent of 2-year terms, but sometimes we change. We should let the residents 
  • Hew
    • Our society is ever evolving, and requirements and needs of council seats have evolved over time. 
    • He’ll support the referendum, saying he thinks we need to move on this and educate the public about why it’s important to us. 
  • Miller – We need to wording for the ballot by 9/5. After we get results of election, Council will bring the issue back for discussion. Depending on its decision, that would be followed by a public hearing, which would be followed by a Council vote.
  • Mirani – We need to ensure students, specifically, have ample opportunity to weigh in on this. He said he’s had many conversations with councilmembers and IUMD staff about increasing student engagement, and he thinks 4-year terms run diametrically opposed to that.
  • Miller – Council needs to determine who would educate the public about this.
  • Whitney – It is the role of the press to interview councilmembers about this, and councilmembers should answer questions at civic association meetings. She emphasized what Student Liaison Mirani said about specifically reaching out to students.
• Discussion of plans for the additional revenue from the 3-cent increase in taxes on commercial, industrial and apartments – Kenneth A. Young, City Manager and Gary Fields, Director of Finance
  • Fields – The 3 cent increase covered many councilmember priorities during budget negotiations, as well as restoring cuts to economic development. That left $340 thousand, and Councilmember Adams brought forward student housing subsidies. Staff is coming back to M &C to get direction on that.
  • Young – We had to put this money in the budget so Council could have this discussion without having to go back and take money from other budget line items.
  • Adams
    • Many city residents are students who are tremendously housing burdened.
    • Tonight, we passed a letter of support for the Community Preservation Trust. One goal of the trust is to deter absentee landlords from buying houses in neighborhoods to use as student rentals. This destabilizes neighborhoods, but it’s also the cheapest housing for students. 
    • M & C has also put forward revitalization tax credits to expensive apts. I think supply ultimately leads to affordability, but the housing has to age a bit first.  
    • Put forward a pilot program for housing affordability for students living in apartment because students and burdened and money we’re taking are coming from these apartments and businesses. Half of the residents in Districts 3 and 4 are students.
  • Rigg
    • The funds were raised from certain types of businesses and multifamily dwellings in college park. Best use to accomplish city goals with those funds.
    • Suggests business grants specifically aimed at small and minority-owned businesses. 
    • Small businesses, not big chains, are the future of this city. 
    • Shares enthusiasm for making housing more affordable for students.
      • Need to determine who are legitimate recipients of aid. 
      • Suggests Pell Grant recipients as a baseline qualifier.
      • Many residents wrongly assume UMD students are wealthy. UMD is good at admitting less affluent students, but then they have to commute. 
  • Kennedy
    • The challenge with this is the process. Many administrative questions need to be answered, and the dais isn’t the best venue for that.
    • Move to create a sub-committee to answer the questions such as who would benefit, who we’d partner with to administer the program, etc.partnership, etc questions. 
    • Proposes student liaisons sit on sub-committee and CM Adams leads it. 
  • Whitney points out that there is a broader affordability problem in College Park. We have community college students, young people who’ve gone into trades, seniors, all of whom struggle to live here. Kennedy– We are addressing that through the affordable housing projects coming on-line.  
  • Hew
    • Supports small businesses as part of the vitality of the city. 
    • Does not want to put the responsibility of awarding this money on staff
    • The program needs to be better structured before moving onto it. 
  • Mirani
    • Should use the funds undergrad and grad students affordability. 
    • Students are a defined group that faces a common problem that the City can help solve now. 
    • The city talks a lot about student retention. This is a tangible way to achieve that. 
    • Council has received 3 dozen emails from students in favor of this today.
    • Pell grants are a great starting point for eligibility. 
  • Sprinkle
    • Subsidizing students creates a talent pipeline for local businesses.
    • This is a way for the City to provide a safe and supportive environment for students. Affordability is on students’ minds each day every day. We need to help them out.
  • Rigg – This is an opportunity to request UMD to step up as well. The number of beds on campus has been flat for many years. If the City steps up, we should encourage UMD to match.
  • Adams asked the Michael Williams, the city’s Economic Development Manager, if the amount of money Council has proposed to put forward thus far for economic development is enough given the business displacement we now know is pending. Williams – We could use more money for business retention, and he is very aware of how difficult it is for students and seniors to live in College Park. 
  • Adams suggests we might move some, perhaps, $50 thousand, of the $340 thousand proposed for the student subsidy into business retention and opens the floor.
  • Mitchell suggests $75 thousand might be more effective, saying a big business on Cherry Hill Rd has left the city, which is a major blow. She said we need money to bring other investors to the table.
  • Kennedy – Lots of affordable housing units are coming into the city, but students will not be able to take advantage of them as easily as most. The City has money in reserves to address these other challenges. 
  • Miller – Council cannot take a vote on an amount tonight, as this was not an Action Item on the agenda. This is only to provide direction to staff.
  • City Attorney Ferguson – Council can create a sub-committee tonight but cannot take further action. 
  • Mirani – Asserts that a sub-committee will not be effective without knowing how much money it is working with.
  • Kabir – A sub-committee can discuss eligibility criteria, who can receive the grant, how much would be a good amount to provide. Next, the sub-committee would come back to Council where public comment and a vote could occur.
  • Council votes to form a sub-committee with four councilmembers, one from each district, both student liaisons and City manager will also attend.
• Discussion of the Mayor Pro Tem position – Kenneth A. Young, City Manager and Bill Gardiner, Assistant City Manager 
  • Rigg, who put forward the agenda item, moved to table it.
  • Council voted unanimously in favor of doing so.

REQUESTS FOR / STATUS OF FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS 

• Adams – Some residents looking for next steps with ranked choice and fair elections. 

COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE – None 

COMMENTS FROM THE MAYOR, COUNCIL, STUDENT LIAISON OR CITY MANAGER

• Adams and Mirani thanked the 36 students who sent emails in favor of a student housing subsidy.
• Young
  • Staff will send an administrative item regarding election dates and how they affect the Council’s meeting calendar.
  • M & C should look for an email regarding a confidential matter happening with one of the committees.

MEETING ADJOURNED

Click here for the July 11th meeting agenda. Click here to watch the video of the July 11^th meeting. 

Click here to see the agenda for the City of College Park Mayor & Council Hybrid Meeting on July 18, 2023. Tune in, show up or share your thoughts/concerns about the following Agenda Items, Presentations and Workshop discussions:

• Approval of Early Voting for the November General Election: October 26 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Davis Hall and November 2 from 8:00 a.m. to 7 p.m. 
• Approval of lease for St. Andrew’s Church Rectory 
• Approval of an amendment to the existing St. Andrews Church parking lot agreement increasing the permit fees, setting the number of parking spaces at 30, providing for a year-to-year term, and quarterly payments to the Church 
• Approval of wording for a ballot question asking voters if they support 4-year staggered terms for elected officials 
• Approval of Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Maryland concerning division of proceeds from Veo Bike Share system 
• Introduction of an Ordinance to amend City Code Chapter 184-18 and 184-24 and Chapter 110-1 to update the hourly parking rate to $2 and reflect that bills and coins will no longer be accepted as payment for parking meters; and Chapter 110-1 (referencing 151-4) to eliminate reference to the monthly parking programs in the downtown garage and add a reference to the St. Andrew’s parking lot permits 
• Introduction of a Charter Resolution to amend the City Charter to remove the authority for Urban Renewal
• Worksession discussion of Agenda items for July 27 Four Cities meeting in Berwyn Heights

Hello, all. Among other important items on the Tuesday, July 11th agenda, the Mayor and Council will:

• Vote on a request from the Lakeland community for a Commemorative Bench in Lakeland to honor Mr. J. M. Chesley Mack, who was a civic leader, entrepreneur and business owner, and served on the City Council from 1945 (when College Park was incorporated) until 1957. You can read more about Mr. Mack starting on page 28 of the agenda. (Agenda Item 23-G-100)
• Hold a public hearing and take action on the petition request for traffic calming in the 4700 Block of Navahoe Street (Agenda Item 23-G-103)
• Discuss an advisory question for the November ballot for potentially changing Mayor & Council terms from two years to four years
• Discuss plans for the additional revenue from the 3-cent increase in taxes on commercial, industrial and apartments.

Click here for information on how to attend College Park Mayor & Council meetings, either virtually or in person.