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

Click here to watch the video of the City of College Park Mayor & Council Meeting held on October 22, 2024. By going to this link, you can watch the discussion of specific agenda items you are interested in. For questions about Council actions and discussions, please email us at lbesters@collegeparkmd.gov and swhitney@collegeparkmd.gov.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Former District 2 Councilmember Bob Catlin

PROCLAMATIONS AND AWARDS
2024 Business of the Year Proclamation: Northwest Chinese 
Economic Development Week

AMENDMENTS TO AND APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA
Motion to accept by Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell, seconded by Councilmember Whitney

PUBLIC COMMENT ON CONSENT AGENDA AND NON-AGENDA ITEMS
Bob Catlin, resident – talked about various topics regarding the City Council, including  salaries that councilmember received in the 1990s, three current residents of CP who served on council, long serving member of the Prince George’s County Municipal Association (PGCMA) Mike Jacobs, who has served for 20 years, three women elected to City Council in 1997 for the first time, and an all-white-male City Council in 2001.  Mr. Catlin plans to talk about the creation of the Student Liaison position when he provides comments soon. 

John Smith, resident/student – posed questions about economic development week and its impact on the younger residents. Mayor Kabir encouraged him to reach out to staff with questions. He followed up with a question about the timeline for the Purple Line. He was reminded that this portion of the agenda was for public comment.

Lori Wilson, resident – had technical issues and was unable to talk.

Ms. Klobash, asset manager of the Hollywood shopping center– gave a shoutout to the City of College Park and Michael Williams, Director of Economic Development. She said it is amazing what everyone is doing. She works closely with Mr. Williams who introduced them to Project Restore. There is great interest in the shopping center, especially mom and pop shops. Project Restore is a great opportunity and option. 

Nick, resident/student- gave a shout out to Northwest Chinese. He asked for an update on the Purple Line. Mayor Kabir said he understands it is to be completed by 2027. 

David Varnado CPCUP- shared his appreciation for the City of College Park. He said he is not a current resident but grew up in Lakeland. He mentioned CPCUP’s Live + Work Program, they have been able to generate over $32 million in home sales and welcome 100 residents to College Park. 

William Sullivan, resident – has a background in urban planning. Said the construction of Leonardtown is disrupting the construction of the Purple Line. He said If students are concerned, they should reach out to the University. 

PRESENTATIONS:
Quarterly Financial Presentation, Gary Fields, Director of Finance 
Mr. Fields said although a monthly report was included in the packet, he would be providing a quarterly report. 

Questions about when the city receives the revenues from the Admissions & Amusements and Hotel taxes were asked by Councilmember Mackie and Councilmember Whitney prior to the Council meeting. Mr. Fields said the revenues from these taxes normally come in October and November. He also said there are expenses that are encumbrances or advanced expenses.

Mr. Fields said the most recent budget amendments did not get into the monthly budget that was presented but are reflected in the Quarterly report. During his presentation, Mr. Fields reviewed our current budgetary status as it relates to revenues and expenses. He estimated that the city uses 25% of the budget every 3 months. He said interfund transfers have not been entered yet and said the City Clerk’s budget is high due to the pay out of the former City Clerk upon her retirement. 

Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell referenced the Hotel and Motel tax and asked about the various entities who asked for a reassessment of their taxes during COVID-19 and asked about current impacts. Mr. Fields said he has not seen any new requests. 

Economic Development Presentation, Michael Williams, Director of Economic Development
Mr. Williams congratulated RJ Bentleys for 44 years of business. He said the owner, John Brown, has deep economic development roots and was a central part of the University obtaining the Xfinity Center. 

He said in doing the report, there was research on similar cities and a number of recommendations including Aging in Place, Legacy Merchant Program, and an Acquisition Fund. He said several towns and cities had developed acquisition funds to acquire properties. 

He listed the accomplishments of Economic Development, including ARPA funding to businesses and service organizations in the amount of $2.5 million, business retention grants, and a successful grant response to address vacancies, specifically, three in the Hollywood shopping center, two in the downtown area and one in City Hall. Mr. Williams mentioned new businesses coming to the city, including Concentra, Ross Stores, Rally House, Green Turtle, and Food4Maryland. 

Mr. Williams talked about his work moving forward, including the revamping the Revitalization Tax Credit program, which will include language for student, senior, and affordable housing. The process will allow the council to help shape the program to benefit the community moving forward. He also talked about work related to permitting and regulatory autonomy, specifically, approaching the county and other entities about sharing the permitting process to help serve residents faster. He mentioned the RISE Zone (College Park, University Park, and Riverdale) through which the city offers rental assistance. There has been no activity yet. 

Mr. Williams mentioned visitor trends to the city. After University of Mayland (UMD) graduation and when students are not here, there is a dip in business activity, and it takes a while for businesses to recover. Other challenges the city faces include business disruptions like Purple Line construction and Route One work by the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA). 

Councilmember Mackie mentioned interest in the city having a bakery. 

Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell thanked Mr. Williams for his work. She said there has been a lot of excitement among those who have visited the city recently. 

Councilmember Whitney asked when Primetime Restaurant will open. Mr. Williams said he hopes by Christmas. 

Councilmember Hernandez asked about Project Restore 3.0 and how it is helping businesses in North College Park. Mr. Williams mentioned the Baltimore Ave study which includes various questions about the type of businesses residents in the North College Park area would like to see. Councilmember Hernandez asked that public art be considered in North College Park. Mr. Williams said he would follow up with him via email to address questions. 

Councilmember Adams asked about the monitoring of principal taxpayers. He said IonQ is doing well in College Park and was recently featured on CNBC.

SGA liaison Otte asked how much murals in the city cost and how many murals we have in the city. Mr. Williams said murals projects are an agreement with owner and artists.  The artwork is normally done digitally, and you cannot determine cost until you know the size. Costs will vary. Mr. Young said there are public art grants of $15,000. 

ACTION ITEMS

24-G-140 Approval of the request to increase the Animal Control Officer created in FY24 and approved for FY25, from part time to full time effective prior to the end of FY25 – Jatinder Khokhar, Director of Public Services 
Mr. Miller, Parking Enforcement Management, said Animal Control was turned over to him as of the week of October 13. He said the Animal Control budget saw an increase of 60% in FY23 and the FY24 budget saw a 20.45% increase. 

There has been an increase in service calls in the area and region, but the hours have remained the same at part-time. As such, the city is looking to increase the existing part-time position to full-time. This change will provide back-up to the current Animal Control Officer (ACO) when she is out on calls. He said we are seeing many calls coming in from neighboring towns to surrender animals. 

Mr. Miller apologized to Councilmember Esters for not answering her question completely as it related to the cost of transition from part-time to full-time position and the new van. He said that Mr. Fields and Mr. Young addressed the question saying that the additional costs for .50 FTE to transition the current part-time position to full time would be funded through the general funds and the cost for the additional vehicle would be available through the Vehicle Replacement CIP (Capital Improvement Projects) account. 

Rebecca Bailey, ACO, said that the city received a grant for low cost/no-cost spay and neuter program. She said the additional van will help to facilitate their work to spay and neuter. 

Councilmember Mackie mentioned a recent issue in District 4 when dogs were out on their own without leashes and the ACO was called. She asked if people receive citations when these issues occur. Ms. Bailey said if the ACO responds and sees the violation, they can issue a citation, but if is it not seen by the ACO a warning is given. If the neighbor sees a violation, they can provide an affidavit and go before the court. Animal control always responds to calls. Their services are offered Monday – Saturday. Councilmember Mackie asked if we have support from Prince George’s County Animal Services (PGCAS). Ms. Bailey said PGCAS supports us during all off hours. Councilmember Mackie asked if Animal Control worked with USDA on dealing with wildlife issues. Ms. Bailey said Animal Control works with the Department of Natural Resources. 

Councilmember Hew said he has heard the set-up of the current van presents challenges during chip and rabies vaccine clinics. He asked if the new van will have a better set-up. Ms. Bailey said the new van with be helpful given the size and outfitting, but the clinics are currently held in an emergency trailer and are going fine. She has not had any problems with the set-up. The time is limited, as the vet is volunteering their time. 

Councilmember Hew said he gets a lot of complaints about people not picking up after their dogs. Ms. Bailey said to cite an individual for dog waste, they would have to witness someone not pick up after their dog.

Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell thanked the ACO for her work. She said we are getting many residents who call on Sunday, and PGCAS says it is not their responsibility to respond. She acknowledged there is a new director and a new staff and inquired about how we codify responsibility. Ms. Bailey said there is a meeting with ACOs and the new director of PGCAS. She will bring up the issue discussed this evening. Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell asked how many calls we receive from neighboring cities. Ms. Bailey said it is hard to document the number. She said before part-time staff, the calls were going directly to her cell phone. About 80% of the calls were from outside the city. Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell asked for advocacy for North College Park Animal Shelter. 

Councilmember Whitney said she would have liked to see the purchase of the van mentioned under “action requested” in the agenda. She wanted to acknowledge that the department has been responsive and caring. She asked if the uptick of surrenders has to do with access to housing. Ms. Bailey said yes, but there are a variety of reasons. 

Councilmember Rigg congratulated Mr. Miller. He asked if it is a priority of the city to closely monitor feral cat colonies. Ms. Bailey said the city does fund trap, vaccination, and release. Having additional staff would be helpful to do this work. She said that staff do not monitor, but volunteers have been identified to monitor and report back. This work would benefit from additional staff. She added that ear-tipped cats are not allowed to be captured. Councilmember Rigg asked if there is there any way to know more information about the increase of these cats in the city, saying research indicates they negatively impact wildlife. Ms. Bailey said she sympathized with wildlife, but the industry has realized they will not end the feral cat situation, but they can help to control it. 

Councilmember Adams asked to verify that CIP funding for the existing vehicle would be used for the new vehicle. Mr. Miller clarified that there is existing CIP funding for the current vehicle and there is funding available for the new van. Councilmembers Adams asked for staff to speak about what has occurred in the past few months since the hiring of the part-time staff member. Mr. Young clarified that the funding for the part-time position was approved in FY24. There was an initial hiring, and the person is no longer with the city. 

Councilmember Hernandez said he would welcome efforts regarding dog waste public service campaign to educate residents. He expressed concern about dogs being unleashed and recent incidents. What is the impact if we do not move forward? Mr. Miller said if we do not see an increase in staff, we will remain at status quo. We do not have enough staff to address the ongoing issues. Mr. Young said the coverage issue for staff has not been fully discussed. Having another staff will help with the need for coverage. 

SGA Liaison Otte said two weeks ago an unleashed dog bit a student at Terrapin Row. She asked about the legalities regarding the situation. Ms. Bailey said, like other violations, it would fall under the code. The incident at Terrapin Row is under investigation but they have been unable to identify the dog owner. 

Motion made by Councilmember Mackie, seconded by Councilmember Esters

Resident William Sullivan said council should consider the increase of the population in the city, saying there are a lot more millennials and with their family of pets. 

The motion passed with a vote of 7-1.

REQUESTS FOR / STATUS OF FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS

Councilmember Whitney made a motion to consider a taskforce on Affordable Child Care, seconded by Councilmember Esters.
Councilmember Adams said there is another item that is on the agenda related to Child Care and that a taskforce could be considered as part of that item. Councilmember Rigg said the task force would advise on a topic that’s not necessarily the city’s business. Councilmember Whitney said we write letters all the time about topics that impact our residents whether we have direct ability to make changes, such as gun control. 

Councilmember Mackie asked if the task force would work to get comments from residents and how the two items will work together. 

Councilmember Whitney said her item would be a precursor. It would be less complicated and can be acted upon faster. She has been informed there will be many proposals for legislation affecting childcare. 

Councilmember Mitchell said we need to be cognizant of what lane we are going down on this issue. 

Councilmember Adams said there is a future agenda item that this can work in concert with. He feels a committee that is formed could look at the same issues. He added that families with children may not be available for two to three meetings around the holidays. 

Mr. Young said that Mr. Adams’ item is tentatively scheduled to come before council on November 19.  In light of that, Councilmember Whitney moved to table her agenda request, asking that a task force to consider legislation by considered as a first priority under Councilmember Adams’ item. Adams seconded. 

Councilmember Esters made a motion to request traffic study on Ruatan Street to determine the feasibility of a one-way street from east to west, seconded by Councilmember Whitney.

Councilmember Mitchell said she will put forth and item on annexation of properties.

COMMENTS FROM THE MAYOR, COUNCIL, STUDENT LIAISON OR CITY MANAGER
Councilmember Mackie attended the College Park Academy mural ribbon cutting. It was a great celebration. 

Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell said former Councilmember Robert Day is now the President of the Board of College Park Academy. She mentioned that Metro is considering expanding the service hours on the weekend. The State of Maryland takes on the cost of subsidizing the Metro. The City of College Park was not selected to be part of the subcommittee, but there are numerous individuals from northern VA. She said she will attend the NLC conference in Florida to learn about best practices from municipalities around the country and is running for Second Vice President. 

Mayor Kabir said the next Mayor & Council meeting will be on November 12.  The Maryland Municipal League Fall conference will take place November 6 – 7.

Councilmember Whitney congratulated the Terps on a great Homecoming win in the game’s last few seconds. 

Councilmember Hernandez gave a shout out to his sister for winning homecoming princess at her HS. He announced there will be a District 1 discussion on 10/28 from 7pm-9pm to keep residents informed.

MEETING ADJOURNED

INFORMATION REPORT – NO DISCUSSION

1st Quarter FY25 Strategic Plan Update – Bill Gardiner, Assistant City Manager

September 2024 Monthly Financial Report – Leo Thomas, Assistant Finance Director

CLOSED SESSION

Pursuant to the statutory authority of Maryland Annotated Code, General Provisions Article§ 3-305 (b)(7) and (13), the Mayor and Council of the City of College Park are providing notice that they will meet in a Closed Session after this meeting to consult with legal counsel to obtain legal advice. They will not return to open session.

Click here to see the full agenda for the City of College Park Mayor & Council Hybrid Meeting on November 12, 2024 once it is available. Tune in, show up or share your thoughts/concerns about the following anticipated 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
Letter to Park and Planning with recommendations to amend the Mandatory Dedication of Parkland Section of the Subdivision Ordinance 

Action
Approval of a Property Use Agreement with Arepa Zone The Aster LLC t/a Arepa Zone 4341 Calvert Road, College Park, MD 20740 – Class B, Beer, and Wine alcoholic beverage license

Worksession
Follow up discussion on draft language to amend the City Code (Chapters 125, 141 and 110) to prohibit the storage of certain types of furniture in the front yard