Comments are 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 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