City of College Park Council Meeting Review – December 5, 2023

/ District 2 Councilmembers - College Park, MD

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

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Click here to find the video of the City of College Park Mayor & Council Hybrid Meeting on December 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, please email us at lbesters@collegeparkmd.gov and swhitney@collegeparkmd.gov.

City Manager Report

City Manager Kenny Young announced:

AMENDMENTS TO / APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA 

There were no amendments to the agenda. Councilmember Rigg made the motion to approve agenda. It was seconded by Councilmember Mitchell and passed unanimously.

COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE ON CONSENT AND NON-AGENDA ITEMS

City resident Bryan Haddad shared his suggestion that if Council moves to four-year terms, they should start with a single 3-year term before transitioning to four-year terms, with the goal of moving city elections to the same cycle as national elections to increase turnout, save money and increase volunteerism. He concluded his statement by saying the only reason not to hold local elections that coincide with national elections is voter suppression.

City resident Aubrey Batten asked Council to demand answers from the County about lead in the local school water system. He said Hollywood Elementary School has one working water fountain to serve 500 children and says it’s hard to get answers if you don’t have children in school. For instance, he wants to know if lead-free water is used in the kitchen.

PRESENTATIONS 

Secretary of Maryland Department of Planning Rebecca L. Flora presented College Park with the Maryland Sustainable Growth Award for the City’s Hollywood Streetscape Project. The award recognizes the project’s strategic community design to provide gathering and recreation spaces as well as a safer connection for pedestrians and bicyclists, and of the nineteen applications there were only six recipients in the state. 

CONSENT AGENDA 

23-G-172 Approval of minutes from the October 17, 2023 Council meeting, and approval of transcript in lieu of minutes for the Oral Argument held on November 14, 2023 in Case No. 

CEO-2023-03. Motion By: To: Second: Aye: Nay: 23-R-15 Resolution of the Mayor and Council of the City of College Park Other: adopting the recommendation of the Advisory Planning Commission regarding Variance Application 

CEO-2023-04, 5011 Apache Street to grant a variance from City Code §87-23 to permit the installation of a 6-foot -high board on board fence in the front yard of the property – Appeal period ends December 5 23-R-16 Resolution of the Mayor and Council of the City of College Park to adopt the recommendation of the Advisory Planning Commission regarding Departure CPD-2023-01, UMD Catholic Student Center (Newman Center) at 4141 Guilford Drive to grant a departure of 6 parking spaces from the required 23 spaces – Appeal period ends December 5 23-R-17 Resolution of the Mayor and Council of the City of College Park modifying the recommendation of the Advisory Planning Commission regarding Variance Application 

CEO-2023-03, 4907 Tecumseh Street, and granting a variance from City Code §87-23 to construct a chain link fence that is four feet in height within the front yard. 23-G-175 Approve $50,000 additional funding from FY 2024 contingency account for emergency financial assistance for individual/family residents of College Park – Kenny Young, City Manager 

Councilmember Whitney moved to pass the Consent Agenda. The motion was seconded by Councilmember Mitchell and was unanimously approved.

ACTION ITEM: 23-G-174 

Reconsideration of Hillel DSP 17052-01 to discuss proposal for security fence on the southern boundary – Miriam Bader, Director of Planning Motion By: Second: Vote: 

Ms. Bader explained that after Council approved Hillel DSP 17052-01 at its 11/14 meeting, Hillel came back to notify the City that it wished to add a six-foot tall security fence to the southern and eastern boundaries. She said the applicant would have to go before the Historic Planning Commission to get a Historic Area Work Permit (HAWP) to install the fence. 

City Attorney Suellen Ferguson clarified that Council was to vote on a revised Declaration of Covenants that would also require Hillel to confer with the Mayor & Council, as well as city staff, about the final height and material of the fence before applying for the HAWP.  

Hillel attorney Larry Taub explained that since the October 7th events in Israel, there’s been a sharp increase in both anti-Semitic and Islamophobic incidents on campuses around the county. He said their security consultants recommended the fence after the 11/14 meeting.

Councilmember Rigg questioned the timing of the request, noting that the applicant has previously consulted with staff about a fence at that location and wondering if this was truly the first time the subject had been considered. He also wanted to confirm that the fence would be wrought iron, not something that looks like wrought iron. He also lamented the impact on the viewshed of the surrounding neighborhood and the fact that the fence will separate two houses of worship. 

Mr. Taub said the fence would be made of wrought iron and said the previously discussed fence was not a security fence, the need for which was unanticipated. He said hundreds of emails are sent to University of Maryland Police (UMDPD) each day saying Jewish students do not feel safe on campus. The fence would put a barrier between an open parking lot and Jewish students sitting outside.

SGA Deputy Student liaison Gannon Sprinkle asked if St. Andrew’s Church had been consulted, and Mr. Taub said they were in support.

Rigg moved to approve the amended Declaration of Covenants with a second from Councilmember Adams. Council voted unanimously in support.

COUNCILMEMBER COMMENTS/FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS 

Adams asked to add authorization for the city manager to give end-of-year bonuses to full and part-time city staff to the next agenda.

 Whitney announced that the lottery application is open for PGCPS for the 24-25 school year.

Presentation from Mayor Kabir to departing Councilmember Kate Kennedy Remarks from Councilmember Kennedy 

ADJOURN the 2021 – 2023 Mayor and Council 

Swearing-In of Mayor Fazlul Kabir by The Honorable Mahasin El Amin, Clerk of the Circuit Court Swearing-In of the 2023 – 2025 City Council by Mayor Kabir: 

DISTRICT 1 Councilmember Jacob T. Hernandez (newly elected) Councilmember Alan Hew

DISTRICT 2 Councilmember Llatetra Brown Esters Councilmember Susan Whitney 

DISTRICT 3 Councilmember Stuart Adams Councilmember John Rigg 

DISTRICT 4 Councilmember Maria E. Mackie Councilmember Denise C. Mitchell 

Spanish recitation of the Oath of Office – Councilmember Hernandez 

ROLL CALL 2023 – 2025 Mayor and Council 

ACTION ITEMS 

23-G-173 Appointment of the Mayor Pro Tem. Councilmember Jacob Hernandez moved to approve Mitchell as Mayor Pro Tem. He was seconded by Councilmember Mackie, and Council voted unanimously in support.

Remarks by Councilmember Hernandez

Recognition of new Mayor & Council by Congressman Glenn Ivey delivered by his Community Liaison Ethan Sweep.

Remarks by Mayor Kabir

ADJOURN

Click here to see the full agenda for the City of College Park Mayor & Council Hybrid Meeting on December 12, 2023. Tune in, show up or share your thoughts/concerns about the following Consent Agenda and Action Items, and Workshop discussions that may interest District 2 residents:

CONSENT AGENDA

  • 23-G-177 Approval of an increase in the maximum amount of the chain link fence grant from $2,500 to $3,500
  • 23-G-178 Consideration of a request by the City’s Bicycle Pedestrian Committee to send letters to the County Council and the 21st District Delegation requesting support for redesign of dangerous Purple Line rail crossings
  • 23-G-180 Approval of contract with Hitachi Vantara for maintenance of security cameras in the City and installation of three new cameras and approval of transfer to Hitachi Digital Services LLC as of January 1, 2024
  • 23-G-183 Ratification of a PY50 CDBG Grant Program application for “College Park Business Revitalization Grant Program” to obtain additional funding for the existing College Park Business
  • 23-G-188 Authorize the City Manager to distribute end-of-year bonuses to eligible City staff

ACTION ITEMS

  • 23-G-185 Property Use Agreement for Shop Made in Maryland
  • 23-CR-02 Adoption of Charter Amendment 23-CR-02, deleting Article XIII, removing Urban Renewal from the City Charter
  • 23-G-181 Approval of a letter to the University System of Maryland Board of Regents regarding student enrollment growth and process review
  • 23-G-190 Discussion and possible action on the BOLC application to transfer the Class B(BLX), Beer, Wine and Liquor license from Kangnam BBQ, LLC, 8503 Baltimore Avenue, College Park, 20740 to Ace Restaurant Holding, LLC, t/a MeatUp, 8503 Baltimore Avenue, College Park, 20740 (new owner) (BOLC on 12/19)

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