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

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Click here to watch the video of the City of College Park Mayor & Council Hybrid Meeting on September 5, 2023. By going to this link, you are able to watch the discussion of specific agenda items you are interested in. If you have questions about Council actions and discussions, feel free to email us at lbesters@collegeparkmd.gov and swhitney@collegeparkmd.gov.

At last Tuesday’s meeting, the Consent Agenda passed unanimously, with the exception of 23-R-11 regarding fencing at 4907 Tecumseh Street, which was removed from Consent by Councilmember Whitney and will come before the Mayor and Council in an Oral Argument, a process that normally takes 2-3 weeks. 

Action Item 23-G-119 regarding approval of a subrecipient agreement with the Housing Authority of College Park for the receipt of ARPA funds for rehabilitation of Attick Towers was moved to the Consent Agenda, as was 23-G-132 approving a contract with Katie Hearn of Redgate for Project Management of the Attick Towers Rehabilitation. 

Also of note, Council held a Public Hearing and was prepared to vote on Charter Amendment 23-CR-02 to remove the authority for Urban Renewal from the City Charter. Restorative Justice Commission (RJC) Chair and former District 2 Councilmember Maxine Gross asked Council to hold off on taking action until the RJC had the opportunity to weigh in. Council voted not to take action until the RJC was able to provide input.

Click here to see the full agenda for the City of College Park Mayor & Council Hybrid Meeting on September 12, 2023. Tune in, show up or share your thoughts/concerns about the following Consent Agenda and Action Items, and Workshop discussions that may be of interest to District 2 residents. Please contact us as soon as possible if you need accommodations to participate in a meeting, including language translation:

CONSENT AGENDA 

• 23-G-133 Approval of a letter of support for a grant application to USDOT from MDOT to fund a comprehensive study on University Boulevard/Greenbelt Road from Rhode Island Avenue in College Park to Hanover Parkway in Greenbelt.
• 23-G-134 Approval of legislative priorities for 2024 

ACTION ITEMS 

• 23-G-136 City Council letter of support for the UMD application to host the “Americans and the Holocaust” exhibit, and the City’s participation in exhibit activities following a successful application 
• 23-O-07 Adoption of Amended Ordinance 23-O-07 an Ordinance of the Mayor and Council of the City Of College Park amending Chapter 110, “Fees and Penalties”. Passing the amended ordinance would formalize the hourly increase from $1 to $2 for City parking meters, payable in 15-minute increments, maintain the ability to pay meters with coins, and remove language from the ordinance that is no longer relevant.

WORKSESSION DISCUSSIONS (Action On These Items Is Not Expected At This Meeting.) 

• Care Solace Presentation on Mental Health and Social Services access for College Park residents 
• Discussion of an Elderly Property Tax Credit program for City residents 
• Discussion of the report from our consultant, CTC, on the small cell application from Crown Castle, which includes five co-locations, two of which are in D2 in the 9000 block of Rhode Island Avenue. FCC requirements significantly limit the City’s ability to regulate placement of small wireless facilities in rights-of-way and impose a 60-day “shot clock” for co-location applications to be approved. The City’s deadline for this application is November 2, and the Mayor and Council may consider holding a Public Hearing prior to that date during which the applicant can answer questions from the public. The City hired a consultant, CTC Technology and Energy, to review and report back on such applications. Based on CTC’s report, staff have no specific concerns about this application.