Last Saturday, March 23^rd, the Mayor and Council met for its annual, all-day budget worksession. Click here to view the worksession, and click here to view the Proposed FY2025 Budget presented to the body for consideration by the City Manager. 

Throughout the course of the day, Mayor Kabir and councilmembers heard from department directors and had the ability to ask questions about their proposed budgets.

At the close of those discussions, the Mayor and Council began to deliberate on councilmember priorities, the proposed FY2025 tax rates and what programs to cut, add or enhance.

Via a series of informal straw polls, the body put forward the following changes:

• $200,000 for the proposed rent subsidy program removed
• $33,000 to fund a College Park Parade in 2025 removed
• $50,000 for Shot Spotter technology removed
• $50,000 for ITOC tax credit removed
• $10,000 reduction in spending for Summer Camp Scholarship since $10,000 additional City revenue via a MNCPPC grant was not reflected in the proposed budget (Same proposed amount available for FY25 scholarships)
• $7,000 reduction in Mayor & Council training and travel budget 
• $100,000 added to Economic Development’s Business Retention funding
• $15,000 fund created for civic associations to fund language translation
• $85,000, inclusive of benefits, for new AARP Age-Friendly Action Plan Lead to be added to Youth, Family & Senior Services staff
• $156,000 added by reducing the proposed 35.18 cent tax rate to 34.18 cents per $100 assessed value.

$6,000 in additional reduced spending will be necessary to put forth a balanced budget, but City Manager Kenny Young said they could bring back an updated balanced budget for residents and the Mayor & Council to consider. 

The changes we have shared are by no means final. Council will hear from residents at the hybrid Budget Listening Session this Saturday, March 30^th at 11 am in Council Chambers at City Hall, and will meet for a second Budget Worksession on Tuesday, April 2^nd at 7:30 pm. 

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.

Click here to watch the video of the State of the City Address and the City of College Park Mayor & Council Meeting on March 19, 2024. 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’S REPORT

Mr. Young mentioned “No Mow April”, a collaborative event between the city and the Bee City committee and encouraged residents to participate. He said registration is no longer required. 

He invited community members to attend the city’s budget listening session to be held at City Hall on March 30 at 11am. Those who are interested can attend in-person or virtually. 

Councilmember Mackie asked about details regarding the upcoming Clean-Up Days.  Mr. Young did not have details readily available but said he would follow up.  

Councilmember Whitney referenced a message from a resident who expressed appreciation for the ongoing work to install the median along Baltimore Ave and concern about individuals crossing the road properly and maintaining their safety. She asked for extra enforcement to help monitor that.  

 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Mayor Kabir recognized Mark Shroder, former District 1 Councilmember 

AMENDMENTS TO AND APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

Motion to put the approval of a letter asking for pending legislation (HB538 and SB484) to be amended to exempt the Lakeland community, designated historic districts and areas more that one half mile from transit facilities by Councilmember Whitney, seconded by Councilmember Esters 

Motion to move from Consent Agenda to Action Agenda item 24-G-52  for correction to the March 5^th minutes by Councilmember Rigg, seconded by Councilmember Mackie.  

PUBLIC COMMENT ON CONSENT AGENDA AND NON-AGENDA ITEMS 

Pedro Morales, resident – said he came to the Council to ask for assistance in making his application to College Park Academy more competitive. He would like to attend the University of Maryland and hopes to become a software engineer. He wants to be a role model for his sister.   

Martha Martinez, resident- attends Buck Lodge Middle School. Her mother has applied to a few programs for high school. She was denied acceptance to one school and wait-listed for another. She said she is slated to attend Parkdale, but she is seeking help to go to a good school.  

CONSENT AGENDA

24-G-48 Renewal of the contract with Streetcar Suburbs, Inc. for the College Park Here and Now Newspaper for the period 4/1/24 – 6/30/27 in an amount not to exceed $195,000, subject to the approval of the City Attorney 

24-G-49 Renewal of contracts for employees’ health and dental insurance coverages, worker’s compensation, and the City’s general liability insurances for FY 2025

24-G-50 Renewal of the contract with Volta for advanced IT services for the period 5/1/24 – 4/30/25 in an amount not to exceed $47,250, subject to the approval of the City Attorney 

24-G-36 Approval of a contract amendment with Hagerty Consulting, Inc. for an additional amount not to exceed $200,000 for the term 3/26/24 – 12/31/26 for assistance with the administration and compliance requirements of the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund received under ARPA, subject to the approval of the City Attorney 

24-G-51 Letter of support for the application that Laurel Cats, Inc. is submitting in partnership with Beltsville Community Cats (BCC), Outlaw Kitties (OK) and Bowie Citizens for Local Animal Welfare (Bowie CLAW) for funding under the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Spay and Neuter Program for Fiscal Year 2025 – Rebecca Bailey, Animal Control Officer

24-G-46 Approval of the Mayoral appointments of Arelis Perez and Francine Wasser to the Vacant and Blighted Property Tax Committee

Motion to approved Consent Agenda by Councilmember Esters, seconded by Councilmember Whitney 

 ACTION ITEMS

24-G-52 Approval of minutes from the March 5, 2024 and March 12, 2024 Meetings

Motion to correct Council minutes from March 5 related to Rigg’s comments regarding income eligibility and to minutes from March 12th related to Councilmember Hernandez’s invitation to residents to a celebration of Ramadan.

WORKSESSION DISCUSSIONS 

Discussion with PGCPS Representatives about school transportation issues, water quality issues, bus locations, school safety guards, and the Dora Kennedy French Immersion School: Charoscar A. Coleman, Ed.D (CEO of PGPS), Jason Washington, Keba Baldwin (Director of Transportation), Shayla Taylor, Shawn Matlock, Sam Stefanelli- Director of Building Services 

Councilmember Esters asked about the delay in follow-up regarding the request for fencing of the trash and recycling dumpsters at Paint Branch Elementary School (PBES). Mr. Stefanelli said PBES has been considering the issue of fencing the trash and garbage receptacles but that it involves more than just fencing, as they will need to adjust the dumpsters. He said they were told that, when the dumpsters were locked, people would just leave trash outside them. Because of that, they do not think fencing them off would work.  He said they are supposed to meet with members of the community, and Esters asked that she and Councilmember Whitney be included in those meetings.

Mr. Baldwin spoke of safety standards for their bus routes, including visibility and occasional needs to adjust. There is a safety line that residents can use to make adjustments. Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell said some bus stops do not coincide with traffic patterns.  She asked if there could be a visit to see the concerns before school starts next fall. Mr. Baldwin asked for specific locations and said he would be willing to come out before the end of the school year. He mentioned a recent transportation audit and said they have received the results which require change. They are seeking to provide more transparency about how and why they choose stops. Responding to a request for the audit report, Dr. Coleman said they would share it after it is shared with the school board. The safety line can be found online at trs.pgcps.org. It will log the concern, and there is typically a response within 24 hours.  

Councilmember Mackie spoke of flags at the school or in the classroom where they are not currently – CEO Coleman indicated that flags are not typically purchased from capital funds.  Flags would be purchased from supplies, and the principal orders them. There was an oversight when children were moved from Adelphi to Cherokee Lane

Councilmember Hew asked about lead pipes and safe water in schools, especially Hollywood Elementary. Mr. Matlock said most of the schools are at least 50 years old.  If renovations are done, piping is replaced. They have not done so proactively because it causes issues that need to be addressed and mitigations are extremely expensive. They are trying not to go to the extent of filtering due to expense. Water was turned off at all schools during the pandemic. When they turned the water back on, they discovered issues. They have filtered fountains at the entrance of the schools and are moving toward the 5-gallon water system. From a maintenance perspective, it is difficult to find piping that can be used to connect properly. 

Councilmember Whitney asked about efforts made to form and facilitate Parent Teach Organizations. They said they needed to take this question back to Dr. Shelia Jackson.  Councilmember Whitney followed up saying that we have heard that the Parkdale HS does not foster these engagements. Dr. Coleman said that is not the person he knows. There was a question about engaging Spanish speaking families. Dr. Coleman asked that follow-up questions be put in writing.

Responding to a question about assisting undocumented Children, Dr. Coleman said 

International SAEO and Director Patricia Chiancone has assisted over 6,000 students this year. They have bilingual staff. Whitney asked if vaccination clinics could be offered more frequently. Dr. Coleman said clinics have been provided on a rolling basis, and the Office of School Health led by Dr. Traci Jones could provide guidance.

Regarding the Dora Kennedy French Immersion School, Dr. Coleman said the initial plan was for the school to more to Landover. It was met with real resistance causing them to rethink the plan. An alternative was co-location at Robert Goddard Middle School. They have taken feedback from the community. He noted recent renovations at Robert Goddard and plans for expanding its capacity to take more children. They are now working through processes to swing Hyattsville Elementary School. The proposed plans will be shared with communities once solidified. 

In response to a question asking what PGCPS is doing to build trust within the community, he said from the operations perspective, transparency is important and they seek to clearly communicate challenges and continue to be collaborative.  

Discussion with Advisory Planning Commission to discuss concerns and recommendations.

Leadership of the Advisory Planning Commission (APC) came to Council to discuss four issues raised in its most recent annual report to Council: fence ordinance, prohibited vehicle parking ordinance, communication requirements for city permit after county permit is obtained, and informational presentations on proposed development.  

Stephane Stullich, APC Chair, said she believes most of the items are straightforward.  She recognized that changing the APC’s charge would be up to the Council. The fence ordinance has been found to be challenging, saying staff and APC disagree on the best path forward. The county ordinance has come closer to the City’s. The biggest difference has to do with the definition of a front yard. Depending upon the configuration of the home, a side yard could be seen as a front yard. Does the city want to change the ordinance to move from 3 – 4 ft for front yard fencing?  Could the city allow the APC to negotiate differences? What is considered a real street?  Consider additional criteria that the APC can apply. Also, the City should develop a one-pager that explains the permitting process and should ask DPIE that their staff clearly communicate to applicants for county permits that a city permit is required after the county permit has been approved.  

Stephanie Anderson, City Attorney, said if the city did not have an ordinance, the County code would apply.  

Mr. Valentine, Community Development Planner, said the county gave the city the right to review variance requests, and he sees the benefit of aligning the city’s fence height with the County ordinance.  

Councilmember Rigg asked for staff research regarding corner lots and how they are viewed by the city. Mr. Valentine said it does not seem right to consider a home as having two front yards.  The current ordinance puts the individual right to privacy in jeopardy. 

Ms. Stullich said there are many corner lots in our city and if you change the restriction, you impact other homeowners. Freedom is important, but there are some standards. Changes may reduce openness. Clarity and consistency are important.  

Discussion with Noise Control Board – Jatinder Khokhar, Director of Public Services Jatinder Khokhar introduced the matter concerning the Noise Control Board

There was a recent meeting of the Noise Control Board where concerns about the board were raised. One major concern is that the board functions solely as a hearing board. There could be opportunities to address community noise issues differently. 

 Mark Shroder, Chair of the Noise Control Board, said the cases brought to the NCB may be the tip of the iceberg. He pointed out the following:

• The City does not have jurisdiction over noise by state entities.
• Noise from moving vehicles not registered to a College Park Address
• Noises caused by tenants whose identities are masked by landlords.
• Noises that 2 people will not complain about 
• Cases where the potential complainants don’t know about the NCB or how to get a hearing.

Ms. Bellamy, NCB member, said residents need to know about the board.  

Councilmember Whitney asked about the rights of the city to obtain names when there is a use of occupancy permit. We need to look at what we require of landlords and strengthen this.  

Councilmember Hew mentioned construction noise as an issue. Kenny indicated when they receive these complaints. 

Councilmember Hernandez asked about neighbors holding events.  Is there a process for people to speak to their neighbors? Mr. Shroder said there have been complaints for which the NCB has not issued citations.

Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell said there is a need for UMD to come to the table. 

Councilmember Hew said we should consider adding nuisance to the Noise Contral Board.  Councilmember Esters said that the city would need to clearly define nuisance and find out if the NCB would like to take it on.  

Councilmember Whitney said we should reconsider holding property owners accountable. Jatinder Khokhar, Director of Public Services, said the existing fine is not sufficient.  Councilmember Whitney suggested requiring landlords to post the noise ordinance to the front door of rentals during move-in.

Legislative Review (there is a possibility that action will be taken on time-sensitive bills) 

Mr. Gardiner gave a quick update regarding legislation:

• Street racing and noise abatement legislation has passed.
• Recycling refund did not cross over.
• Funding request HB1136 did not cross over, but there may be an opportunity for funding through a supplemental budget. 
• The traffic monitoring system has been restricted to ten stop signs throughout the county. There was a suggestion to advocate to the county for College Park to have one of the locations.  

REQUESTS FOR / STATUS OF FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS

• Councilmember Whitney and Councilmember Esters asked for letters of support to advocate for the renaming of Lake Artemisia and the College Park Community Center before April 17th.  

COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE 

Victoria MacDonald, resident, said PTA and PTO are different. PTOs are not a nationally-based parent group, they are local to a specific school. The PTA is part of the national organization and is formally incorporated by the state. She went on to say that a PTA is being started at Parkdale High School. She looks forward to residents having full access to good education.  She wants all College Park residents to have access to quality middle and high school and shared concerning statistics regarding Parkdale High School.  

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

Councilmember Mackie recently attended the ribbon cutting for All Care.  They offer acute and mental health care, and she is happy they are located in the city. She recently attended the COG Chesapeake Bay & Water Resources Policy Committee meeting along with Councilmember Whitney.  

Councilmember Hew attending National League of Cities Summitt and talked about the various discussions and committee meetings he attended.  

Councilmember Adams acknowledged that Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell was reappointed to the NLC Board of Directors.  

Councilmember Hernandez mentioned the recent District 1 Community meeting and thanked Councilmember Hew and the City Manager for their participation.   

SGA Liaison Mirani shared that he was recently appointed by Governor Moore to the Board of Regents.

 ADJOURN

Click here to see the full agenda for the City of College Park Mayor & Council Hybrid Meeting on April 9, 2024. Tune in, show up or share your thoughts/concerns about the following Consent Agenda and Action Items, and Workshop discussions proposed to be on the agenda that may interest District 2 residents. Please contact us as soon as possible if you need accommodations to participate in a meeting, including language.

ACTION ITEMS 

Review of preliminary Plan of Subdivision (PPS-4-23003) for Project Turtle by LV Collective to create a 2.71 acre parcel along the east side of Baltimore Ave between Melbourne Place and Navahoe Street.  The proposed use is for 304 student oriented, multi-family dwelling units and 13, 305 square feet of ground floor retail which will be discussed in the future as part of the Detailed Site Plan (DSP) review.  

DISCUSSION ITEMS 

Discussion with WSSC Water on FY25 budget and possible rate hikes

Discussion of Rhode Island Ave Between 193 and Edgewood Road: Follow up to prior traffic study (bike lanes, speed limit, driver behavior)

Discussion on proposed staggered four-year terms for Mayor and Council 

Expanding voting to residents ages 16-18

Looks like Mother Nature decided to give our egg hunt a ‘rain check’ this year! Due to the Severe Flood Watch issued by the National Weather Service, the Egg Hunt event scheduled for this Saturday is canceled. 

We won’t let that flood out the fun though – come by City Hall on Monday (3/25) and Tuesday (3/26) between 4-6PM to pick up a basket and take photos with Peter Cottontail!

In late 2023, the City of College Park completed Phase 1 of the Rhode Island Avenue Protected Bike Lane Project between University Boulevard and Muskogee Street. The completed project has installed concrete shared bus/bike platforms to improve bus reliability and eliminate bus vs. bike conflicts. Intersections have also been realigned and reconfigured to prevent drivers from illegally crossing the double white lane and traveling in the bike lane to pass left turning vehicles.

The Mayor and City Council will discuss the bike lanes, speed limit, and driver behavior on Rhode Island Avenue at a future Council Meeting.

Please click here to give your feedback by April 4 to be included with the staff report: https://arcg.is/1X0HmT

Street Resurfacing

Beginning Wednesday 3/20 (weather permitting), the City’s contractor will begin a milling and paving operation in North College Park. Construction barrels with parking restrictions will be posted at least 48 hours prior to the start of work.

The following streets will be affected:

• Cherokee Street between 48^th Place and Rhode Island Avenue
• 49^th Place between Blackfoot Road and Delaware Street
• 48^th Place south of Erie Street
• Delaware Street between 48^th Avenue and Rhode Island Avenue
• Rhode Island Avenue (West Service Road) between Blackfoot Road and Huron Street
• Rhode Island Avenue (West Service Road) between Iroquois Street and Hollywood Road

Thank you for your patience as we continue to improve the quality of the City’s infrastructure. If you need a temporary parking permit while the work is taking place, please contact Parking Enforcement at 240-487-3520. For any additional questions, please contact engineering@collegeparkmd.gov or call 240-487-3590.

Overflow parking in the Duvall Field parking lots for residents impacted by resurfacing work will be allowed since there are no scheduled events there at this time and no restrictions regarding overnight parking. Additionally, parking on adjacent non-permit restricted streets in the neighborhood during this timeframe would also be permissible as long as vehicles are not left parked for extended timeframes, other than to allow for access to milling and then repaving at a later date.

WSSC Construction

WSSC will be working along Narragansett Run between 52^nd Avenue and 53^rd Avenue on Monday 3/18 and Tuesday 3/19. Parking restrictions have been posted in the 9600-Block of 52^nd Avenue and the 9600-Block of 53^rd Avenue by the contractor. Please use caution in the work zone.

Operation Clean Sweep Maryland

Beginning the week of 3/18, MDOT SHA will launch Operation Clean Sweep Maryland to pick up litter along state highways. Please click here for more information: https://www.roads.maryland.gov/mdotsha/pages/pressreleasedetails.aspx?newsId=4965&PageId=818

Please click here to review the City Manager’s proposed FY 2025 Budget. The Budget Message that begins on page 1 provides an excellent summary, with the FY2025 Budget Overview beginning on page 3 of the budget.

The Mayor & Council will be holding its public Budget Worksession from 8 am to 5 pm this Saturday, March 23rd. Click here to get the Zoom meeting link.

As usual, please email us at swhitney@collegeparkmd.gov and lbesters@collegeparkmd.gov to share your thoughts and concerns.

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.

Click here to watch the video of the City of College Park Mayor & Council Meeting on March 12, 2024. 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’S REPORT

Mr. Young mentioned the Downtown Management Authority meeting that will be held at City Hall on March 13 at 9:30 am.  He also mentioned the Lakeland Playground ribbon cutting to be held on Thursday, March 21 from 5pm -6pm.  He concluded his remarks by announcing that the State of the City address will begin at 7pm and will showcase all the city has accomplished in 2023 and what we can look forward to in 2024. 

Councilmember Whitney inquired about how to report blocked storm drains.  Mr. Young said the best way to report these issues is via the College Park Connect app. 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Former City Councilmember Maxine Gross and Bob Catlin were acknowledged. 

AMENDMENTS TO AND APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

Councilmember Mackie moved to remove 23-G-46 from the agenda until further notice with a second from Councilmember Adams. 

Councilmember Mackie moved to approve the agenda as amended and was seconded by Councilmember Whitney. Council approved unanimously.

PUBLIC COMMENT ON CONSENT AGENDA AND NON-AGENDA ITEMS 

Bob Catlin, resident – supports the letter from city in support of the minor map amendments to the Berwyn commercial area on Berwyn Road. The Berwyn Civic Association will meet on March 21 in the Yoga/Wellness Center located at Berwyn Road and Rhode Island Ave. He said the latest edition of the Berwyn Newsletter will be a twelve-page, special issue commemorating 50 years of the publication sharing information about the city and the Berwyn community. 

CONSENT AGENDA 

• Approval of a letter of support to the County Planning Board and County Council in favor of proposed text and minor map amendments to prevent overdevelopment of the Berwyn Road Commercial area. 

Move to accept the consent agenda Councilmember Mackie, seconded by Councilmember Whitney.  

ACTION ITEM(S)

• Follow up on the petition request for permit Parking on Gettysburg Lane 

Jim Miller, Parking Enforcement Manager said we thought there was a vote in favor of postponing the item last week, but there was not. He said the ongoing issue will not be resolved with parking permits. The property was cited for unruly social gathering and has been taken to the court system. He said if there is another unruly social gathering infraction, the fine would be increased from $500 to $1,000. Mr. Miller shared information from the city of Baltimore that indicates they not only offer fines for unruly social gatherings, but also require community service. He said that the city may want to consider ways in which to strengthen its response to violations moving forward.  

Councilmember Mackie thanked staff for their work on the issue.

Councilmember Hew, who was attending the National League of City (NLC) conference in Washington, DC, said he spoke to a city manager from Minnesota where they use fines, and a third infraction would result in the removal of their rental license. (In a follow up email, staff confirmed that the College Park violation can also result in the removal of rental license).   

Councilmember Mackie moved to suspend the action on the matter until further notice to allow time for the central issue to be resolved, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell. 

Councilmember Mackie read a statement that outlined the reason for tonight’s motion and said District 4 Councilmembers will continue to work with staff to address the issue by way of the city code. 

Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell thanked everyone for their assistance.

WORK SESSSION(S) 

Presentation from Susan Slingluff Hartmann, Executive Director of College Park City University Partnership (CPCUP) 

Ms. Hartmann thanked the city for their ongoing support. She said CPCUP has grown as an organization that is helping to advance programs in the community and has been recognized nationally.  

Ms. Hartman fielded comments and questions from Council that focused on clarifying how the Community Preservation Trust (CPT) is promoted, use of the program to stabilize housing costs in all neighborhoods in the city, use of College Park realtors, request for more discussion about the work of other prongs of CPCUP like Sustainability, Education, and Public Health and Safety, notification of public meetings (next public CPCUP meeting will held on April 15 and will be added to the City Calendar), community art, accruing a critical mass of housing, consideration of condos for the CPT, the live-where-uou-work program (Live+Work College Park), housing quality in the city, utilizing Spanish speakers to assist residents where needed, budget request from CPCUP to the city, and the consideration of legislation that may help the trust.  

PALS Program Graduate Student  Presentation – Visioning Lakeland: Restorative Justice Through Scenario Planning

UMD graduate students Dominique Gebru, Mimi Sanford and Asia Jones of the University of Maryland’s PALS Program presented the group’s visioning project.  

Their project, which is independent of the Restorative Justice Commission (RJC) work, included an analysis of the history of the community. They then created three scenarios projecting 10 years from now: Status Quo (remain the same), Reform (some change with existing tools and mechanisms), and Revolutionary (radical change). Three themes considered in this project were housing and land use, community infrastructure, and climate change.  

Status Quo – Business as usual, little to no intervention. With no change, the community will face a continued decline in home ownership and rise in student rentals. It will be a close knit but shrinking community.  

Reform – Use of every existing tool.  It is a good start but does not fully address the needs of the community. Multigeneration ownership, but rising home costs and more student renters. Strong connectivity opportunities for economic development. 

Revolutionary – Access to existing and new mechanisms of change.  

The Revolutionary scenario envisions restoring housing justice for Lakelanders who were harmed by Urban Renewal through reparations. The community will have diverse housing options as a renewed example of Restorative Justice. 

The presenters were thanked for their work and the specific examples used. They were asked about thoughts on constraining student housing and said that the University could preserve land on campus for student housing like other institutions have done. 

When asked about what reparations look like for Lakelanders, the presenters said that reparations are what Lakelanders want and need. They said 95% of what they proposed were grounded in things that have already been done in other places.  

Presentation of new City Website

Ryna Quiñones, Communication and Events Manager, introduced the new site and said feedback had been taken from residents, the Seniors Committee and focus groups. Now, some of the most used sections are highlighted on the site. The changes should help users find information more easily. The translation tool is more visible, translates into 130 languages and now translates the whole site. The new site will be activated in the next few weeks. 

Ms. Quiñones fielded comments and questions from Mayor and Council that focused on existing documents, accessibility, the look of the updated site, the lack of connection to the College Park Life webpage, the reason why the SGA Liaisons are not listed on the city’s website and a request to highlight the reporting feature. Mr. Young responded to Mr. Sprinkle and let him know the SGA Liaisons are not listed because they are not part of the Mayor and Council. Upon additional questions from Mr. Sprinkle, Mr. Young said Mayor and Council can add them to the website, but he would advise against it.  

LEGISLATIVE REVIEW

Mr. Gardiner, Assistant City Manager, provided the legislative review. He said legislation about allowing cigar lounges is dead, and we are still waiting for MML legislation on affordable housing.  He said March 18 is crossover day, and between now and that date there will be a lot of movement. We will receive more information after crossover day.  

HB1306 –  tax on food and beverage. The bill has not moved from committee. 

Mayor Pro Tem Mithcell shared information about County Bill CB007- there is an upcoming hearing on revising the Elderly Tax Credit. The proposed legislation will enable eligible seniors who apply to receive the credit even if they receive the Homestead Tax Credit.  

FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS 

Councilmember Adams moved for Mayor and Council to reconsider the need to hold an election if we are 180 days out from the election and would like us to discuss an appointment of the Mayor Pro Tem (Request submitted).  

Mayor Kabir inquired about the creation of a Charter Review Commission. 

Councilmember Esters moved to add the adoption of the RJC request to adopt the Grant/Scholarship program (Pending request).

Councilmember Adams moved to request for a traffic study on Edmonston Road, saying residents are seeking traffic-calming measures.

COMMENTS FROM MAYOR, COUNCIL, STUDENT LIAISONS or CITY MANAGER

Councilmember Adams recognized Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell for her leadership role in the National League of Cities (NLC).  

Councilmember Hew attending NLC Summit and will be participating in the Hill Climb event. He will bring back information about resources from the conference. 

Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell thanked Councilmember Adams for his acknowledgment. She said the NLC Congressional Summit is a powerful opportunity for cities to come together. 

Councilmember Hernandez said he was able to meet academic leaders at College Park Academy and Hollywood Elementary. Thanked SGA for hosting the Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem and asked them to host other councilmembers.  

SGA Liaison Sprinkle wished good luck to students on final season and happy spring break. 

Mr. Young followed up regarding the College Park Life webpage that was established by the city’s Economic Development department and the reason why it is approached differently.  

MEETING ADJOURNED 

CLOSED SESSION

Pursuant to the statutory authority provided by the General Provisions Art. § 3-305(b) of the Maryland Annotated Code, the Mayor and Council will meet in a closed session to discuss the appointment, employment, assignment, promotion, discipline, demotion, compensation, removal resignation, or performance evaluation of appointees, employees, or officials over whom this public body has jurisdiction; any other personnel matter that affects one or more specific individuals. They will not return to open session after the closed session ends.

Click here to see the full agenda for the City of College Park Mayor & Council Hybrid Meeting on March 19, 2024. Tune in, show up or share your thoughts/concerns about the following Consent Agenda and Action Items, and Workshop discussions proposed to be on the agenda that may interest District 2 residents. Please contact us as soon as possible if you need accommodations to participate in a meeting, including language translation:

CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS:

24-G-48 Renewal of the contract with Streetcar Suburbs, Inc for the College Park Here and Now Newspaper for the period 4/1/24 – 6/30/27 in an amount not to exceed $195,000, subject to the approval of the City Attorney

24-G-49 Renewal of contracts for employees’ health and dental insurance coverages, worker’s compensation, and the City’s general liability insurances for FY 2025 

24-G-36 Approval of a contract amendment with Hagerty Consulting, Inc. for an additional amount not to exceed $200,000 for the term 3/26/24 – 12/31/26 for assistance with the administration and compliance requirements of the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund received under ARPA, subject to the approval of the City Attorney (This motion requires a super majority vote) 

24-G-51 Letter of support for the application that Laurel Cats, Inc. is submitting in partnership with Beltsville Community Cats (BCC) and Bowie Citizens for Local Animal Welfare (Bowie CLAW) for funding under the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Spay and Neuter Program for Fiscal Year 2025 – 

24-G-46 Approve the Mayoral appointments of _______________ and ________________ to the Vacant and Blighted Property Tax Committee 

WORKSESSION DISCUSSIONS:

• Discussion with PGCPS Representatives about school transportation issues, water quality issues, bus locations, school safety guards, and the Dora Kennedy French Immersion School\ 

• Discussion with Advisory Planning Commission to discuss concerns and recommendations 

• Discussion with Noise Control Board

• Legislative Review (there is a possibility that action will be taken on time-sensitive bills)

Winter is fading, and summer will be here soon, so the city has launched its annual Summer Camp Scholarship Program. College Park Youth (rising K-12) are eligible to apply for a maximum scholarship of $400 per student. Go to collegeparkmd.gov to learn more, or click here to apply.

Since adults need fun, too, the Mayor and Council have proposed bringing social sports leagues to the city and want to know what residents would enjoy. Are you a master at bocce ball, or maybe kickball is more your speed? Please complete the Adult Social Sports Survey on the city website before March 13^th.

WETA’s Signature Dish has featured Northwest Chinese! Owner Hua Wang selected the spicy beef rou jia mo as her “signature dish”, calling it a “Chinese burger.” Watch here: https://weta.org/watch/shows/signature-dish/flavors-china.

The Mayor and Council continue work on a rental assistance grants pilot program. The subcommittee is making revisions and will present its report on March 19th.

On March 5^th, Council voted to form a Vacant and Blighted Property Tax Committee. The committee will be comprised of one resident nominated by each district and three by the Mayor, with a request from SGA Student Liaison Dhruvak Mirani and Deputy Liaison Gannon Sprinkle that one of the Mayor’s appointments be a student. It will start its work by employing best practices from other jurisdictions to define vacant and blighted properties, then will move to identifying properties that meet those criteria; evaluating whether a higher tax rate would incentivize property owners to make desired changes, and suggesting a program that might include a higher tax rate, penalties, or incentives to effect positive change. Bob Catlin is District 2’s appointment. 

On March 19, a Joint Public Hearing will come before the Planning Board and County Council. It will cover two resolutions. The first will be a Text Amendment that changes some terms to comply with the new Master Plan and create and define a new term- Neighborhood Focus Area.  The creation of the Neighborhood Focus Area will help support the rezoning of the Berwyn Commercial Area. The second resolution is for the actual rezoning of the Berwyn Commercial Area from CGO (General Commercial and Office) to CN (Neighborhood Commercial).

The Mayor and Council’s all-day FY2025 budget work session is scheduled for March 23. We have been told that next year’s budget will be leaner than recent years, which were bolstered by ARPA dollars. Consequently, representatives have been asked not to put forward special projects for their districts. We have instead emphasized follow-through on the Ruatan sidewalk and Roanoke Place Open Space, and maintaining the Business Attraction and Retention grants. In addition, we will discuss the possibility of the City funding Spanish translation of Mayor and Council articles in publications such as this one. 

As the weather continues to warm, we look forward to seeing you on the Trolley Trail!