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 December 3, 2024. By going to this link, you can 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
The city will host the Winter Wonderland event at City Hall Plaza on Saturday, December 7 from 2pm -8pm. College Park is also hosting a house decorating competition called “Deck the City.” Nominations can be made online, and online voting will take place December 17-19. Student-occupied residences are encouraged to participate. The first heavy snow of this season is expected on the morning of Thursday, December 5. Businesses and homeowners are responsible for taking care of removing snow and ice on sidewalks in front of their property within 24 hours.
Councilmember Hernandez inquired about the recent rise in criminal activity in and around the city and asked for an ad hoc Public Safety meeting to be held soon. Mr. Young said that he and Mr. Khokhar, Public Services Director, met with Major Keleti to talk about current activity and understand there are ongoing investigations. He said residents should be aware of their surroundings, pay attention, avoid being distracted by their phones, and be careful warming up cars, even when they have key fobs. Prince George’s County Police Department (PGCPD) has increased patrols throughout the city. Mr. Young said this recent increase in crime is a regional issue. He said it is difficult when you have juveniles involved, which should be discussed with the legislature because of new legislation enacted last year. Mr. Hernandez asked for options to offer residents.
Councilmember Whitney asked for the Public Safety webpage to be more prominent.
Councilmember Mackie said University of Maryland Police (UMPD) have been collecting toys for kids during recent Basketball games. For those who miss the games, new toys can also be dropped off at the Pocomoke Building by December 12.
Mr. Young said the city does offer a service for vacation premises checks. Contract officers will come by to check on properties while residents are away.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Ms. Maxine Gross, former District 2 Councilmember
PROCLAMATIONS AND AWARDS
Celebrating 30 Years of Dar-us-Salaam’s Impact and Growth
AMENDMENTS TO AND APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA
24-G-154 moved from consent to action.
24G-156 moved from consent to action.
PUBLIC COMMENT ON CONSENT AGENDA AND NON-AGENDA ITEMS
Tony Akaras, resident, and business owner – permits for renovation at Zips have been approved and work has started and should be completed by the end of January 2025. Still working to obtain permits for a Café he seeks to open next summer or early fall. He continues to work with the County to obtain permits for the dog-friendly food truck area near Laundry World.
CONSENT AGENDA
24-G-155 Award a contract in the amount of $148,260.00 to Columbia University for Research Consultant services for the Restorative Justice Commission and authorize the City Attorney and City Manager to execute the contract in substantially the form attached – Kenny Young, City Manager
Motion to approve – Esters, seconded by Councilmember Whitney
PRESENTATIONS:
College Park City-University Partnership Community Preservation Trust Presentation –Daniel Cunningham, Community Preservation Trust Executive Director
Kate Kennedy, former District 1 Councilmember, thanked Council for the opportunity speak about the Community Preservation Trust. The council invested $3 million into the Trust, and that funding is being recycled through investments. To date, the Trust has bought nine homes, seven sold and two sales are pending. Applications to the Trust are increasing. She thanked the Council for getting on board, Daniel Cunningham for building the program, and Tawfiq Abdul-Karim for his assistance.
Mr. Abdul-Karim said the Trust is part of College Park City University Partnership (CPCUP) that is overseen by a board that includes residents, the University and the City. The Trust is one of fifteen in the state of Maryland. To date, funds have been raised from the city, state and federal government. The Trust purchases homes, identifies people who quality for the program, asks for mortgage pre-qualification, and works to match the buyer to a reasonable cost burden. The houses are sold with a 99-year ground lease and are made affordable through shared equity. The program separates the land from the house and then sells only the improvements. There are two main reasons for the Trust to maintain a level of ownership – to offer for sale at an affordable cost and to maintain a right of first refusal (ROFR).
Mr. Cunningham outlined how ARPA funds from the City were used. The last transaction they closed with ARPA money occurred on September 30. The funds used will be recycled through their process. The first property they purchased was in July 2023. On average they spent $434,000 per home. Sales averaged $307,000. Applicant self-reported credit scores – 640 is the bar, and most applicants are qualified. Most applicants are under 60% AMI (Average Median Income).
Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell asked about the decision-making for purchasing homes. Daniel said when they look to buy a house, they try to consider who will live there. Sometimes the list price is too high. There are a variety of reasons why they may not buy a home. The most they have paid for a home is just over $600,000. They do not want to set anyone up to fail. Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell acknowledged that most of the homes were in District 1 but asked if neighborhood stabilization is still a goal. Mr. Cunningham said the housing market is tight in College Park, but neighborhood stabilization is still a goal.
Councilmember Esters asked how the Trust works with those who fall below the credit scores. Mr. Cunningham said they do not provide counseling, but they will direct them to lenders. He said that credit scores have not been an issue, but income has been. Councilmember Esters asked how the Trust works to avoid investors taking advantage of this program while they live elsewhere. Mr. Cunningham said there are many requirements, including residency. Income eligibility is also a requirement, but it is a one-time test.
Councilmember Adams asked about the average amount of money used to bring the house from purchase to sale. Mr. Cunningham said they have stayed away from homes that require a lot of work. They are making necessary repairs but not elective changes. They are looking for good solid properties. Councilmember Adams said he would like to invite someone from the Trust to come to the Calvert Hills Community Meeting on December 11 to discuss options for the city property at 4704 Calvert Road.
Councilmember Mackie asked if the Trust purchased homes from estates. Mr. Cunningham said they have not, but they could. Councilmember Mackie asked if there was a process to identify homes before they go on the market. Mr. Cunningham said interested sellers have reached out after hearing about the Trust. To date, the Trust has been a cash buyer that offers speed, trust, and commitment. Councilmember Mackie mentioned investors as an ongoing issue in the city, especially in District 4.
Daniel provided contact for the Trust – info@communitypreservationtrust.org and CPCUP. He acknowledged that the Trust would not have homeowners without the Mayor and Council taking a risk. He mentioned a suggestion from Ms. Gross that they work with attorneys to write up documentation for individuals to leave their home to the Trust.
Councilmember Whitney asked what happens if someone does an add-on to a Trust home they may have outgrown. Mr. Cunningham said people can make changes to a home with the approval of the Trust, and they have a formula that allows the owner to capture the equity put into the home. One of the things they have heard often about homes in College Park is that they often have only one bathroom. Councilmember Whitney asked if they anticipate taking on renovations of vacant properties. Mr. Cunningham said they do. They have received a technical assistance grant from Grounded Solutions Network. They have been focused on getting good at purchasing but hope to expand their scope in the future. She asked about the affordability range. Mr. Cunnigham said when they initially discussed the breakdown was to be 75/25, but the lowest they have been able to be achieved it was 30%. The issue has been rising interest rates.
Councilmember Hernandez asked about what happens when someone sells, do they get the entire amount of the house versus the land? Mr. Cunningham said there is a formula for each house that determines the breakdown. It is not dollar per dollar, it is a bit of a mix. To determine the breakdown, they consider the cost of a home and the interest rate. Councilmember Hernandez asked about their plan moving forward now that ARPA is no longer available. Mr. Cunningham said they plan to recycle the funds they received. They have another $10 million they have not touched. They have state and federal funds and continue to seek grant opportunities.
Kate Kennedy said there is the opportunity to then take on buildings (for graduate student housing) that will allow them to be landlords in the future.
Councilmember Hernandez asked about the use of local residents who are realtors and mentioned that some of the Trust homes have not been maintained.
Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell asked for a contact number, asked about the number of lenders the program is working with, if city realtors get preference, and about Trust information sessions. Mr. Cunningham said they work with three lenders, and they do not prefer certain realtors – buyers choose their own realtors. There are virtual trainings and recordings about the Trust. Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell asked for a quarterly report on their progress. Kate Kennedy said a quarterly report may not be feasible and suggested that there be a review of the initial reporting structure to make sure that occurs.
Mr. Hays introduced his colleague and the agenda item. He said with direction from the council, they identified all bus stops throughout the city. There were seventy-five stops, and they developed a questionnaire to analyze safety levels. They identified four stops across the city that were the least safe. Districts 1 and 4 had the most unsafe bus stops.
- Duke Street and St. Andrews – a sidewalk was part of the complete street project but was deprioritized.
- Edgewood Road and 49th Ave – The location is close to many businesses.
- 47th Ave & Cherry Hill Road- County maintained – requested the city ask the school system to move the stop two blocks south.
- Metzerott Road and 35th, 37th Ave – high levels of traffic stress along the roadway, no sidewalks or bike lanes
Most city bus stops are safe and have a pretty high score. The most consistent risk is the lack of sidewalks to and from stops. Scores of D and F are not commensurate with the value the city puts on children’s lives.
The proposed next steps include following up with city staff to assess feasibility recommendations, considering grant-funding opportunities for changes, and building additional awareness and programming for safe routes for students.
Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell thanked the members of BPAC for their work and indicated she would invite them to come to District 4. She said she has already reached out to our School Board representative, Mr. Briggs, as well as Mr. Ruff of the Security and Transportation Department to share the report, including recommendations.
Councilmember Adams offered thanks for the report that was well done and addressed the city as a whole.
Councilmember Mackie said she brought the request forward after hearing complaints and after the tragic incident in Riverdale. She expressed her appreciation for the report and said that there were many ideas. She said this continues to be about the safety of children.
Councilmember Whitney said she appreciated the report and thanked Councilmember Mackie for bringing it forward. She noted that the stops that consistently received the highest safety ratings were in Lakeland, which has sidewalks throughout. She is thankful for that and wishes the same for neighborhoods throughout College Park. She said pedestrian safety, especially for our most vulnerable residents, must take precedence over aesthetics and convenience for cars.
Councilmember Hernandez mentioned the international walk day in Hollywood and said he would like to see if we can address the safety issues before the scheduled repaving scheduled for 2027.
Councilmember Riggs thanked the BPAC members for the report and mentioned the importance of sidewalks. He said he is an advocate for increasing the city’s budget for sidewalks.
Councilmember Esters thanked the BPAC members for the report, acknowledged that it was well done, and thanked them for bringing attention to these safety matters.
Action Items
24-G-154 Approval of agreements to obligate the expenditure of ARPA funds with Care Solace, Attick Towers, Meals on Wheels, Central Kenilworth Ave Revitalization CDC, College Park Food Bank, United Methodist Church Food Bank, and Helpers to Good – Gary Fields, Director of Finance.
Councilmember Esters said she had to recuse herself from the vote on this item because she serves on the Finance Committee for the College Park Food Bank.
Councilmember Adams made the motion, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell. The motion passed.
24-G-156 Approval of a contract in the amount of $322,846.40 to Apple Ford, under Baltimore County contract #00004504, to purchase two 2025 Ford Transit T-250 mid-roof Animal Transport Vans and two 2025 Ford F-350 regular cab 4X4 snow equipped pickup trucks – Robert Marsili, Director of Public Works
Mr. Marsili, Director of Public Works, briefly discussed the need to replace vehicles with those requested for purchase.
Councilmember Adams asked why we did not consider an electric vehicle (EV) for the animal control vehicle? Mr. Marsili said those vans need to have air conditioning in the rear cabin, and with the HVAC system the EV was not recommended by the manufacturer.
Councilmember Adams said he was uncomfortable moving forward with voting for two new animal control vehicles.
Councilmember Hernandez made a motion to approve, Riggs seconded. Councilmember Hernandez said he trusted the judgement of Public Works and believes they have done their due diligence.
Councilmember Adams – proposed an amendment to reduce the number of vehicles from 2 to 1. The motion did not receive a second.
Councilmember Mackie asked if EV may be available in the next year or two. Mr. Marsili said his initial request to the manufacturer was for an EV, but they did not recommend it given the need for air conditioning. He does not know if an EV would be available in 1 or 2 years.
WORKSESSION DISCUSSIONS
24-G-157 Discussion and approval of the 2025 Council meeting schedule –Kenneth Young, City Manager and Yvette Allen, City Clerk
Councilmember Whitney said she is inclined to stick to the current schedule of 30 meetings, as she remembers many late nights when the Mayor and Council met more frequently.
Councilmember Esters said she would vote for 30 meetings which will allow us more time in the community, but also acknowledged that fewer meetings will allow staff to do the work we are asking them to do.
Councilmember Riggs said we need to constrain ourselves.
Councilmember Hernandez said he was a proponent for fewer meetings.
Councilmember Adams said anything after 10:30pm becomes a strain. He suggested a split between the proposed schedules to thirty-four meetings.
Councilmember Mackie said she is the only retired member of the council and does not have to go to work the next day but feels for those who do. She added that residents like to be engaged, but our meetings run too late.
Councilmember Adams said we have had longer meetings in the last year.
Councilmember Whitney asked that we be provided with data about meeting duration and that Councilmember Adam’s suggestion for thirty-four meeting be included as an option.
Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell – we need to control ourselves; this also allows staff to do their work.
Councilmember Esters said having more meetings does not necessarily mean that meetings will be short.
Mr. Young said the council will be presented with three options to consider and vote on next week.
24-G-158 Discussion and approval of the 2025 Council of Government assignments – Yvette Allen, City Clerk
The decision was made to switch Councilmember Adams to alternate on the Climate Energy and Environment Policy Committee, while Rigg will sub in for Hernandez as alternate on the Human Services Policy Committee.
Councilmember Mackie made a motion to approve, seconded by Councilmember Esters. It passed unanimously.
Discussion of amending Chapter C of the City Charter, Article III. Mayor and Council §C3-6. Vacancies – Yvette Allen, City Clerk
City Clerk Yvette Clark introduced this item which focused on consideration of amending Chapter C of the City Charter as related to vacancies.
Councilmember Adams said this was meant to follow up on the recommendations made by the elections committee due to committee fatigue and cost.
Councilmember Mackie said making an appointment makes her uncomfortable.
Councilmember Hernandez said voting needs to stay with the electorate, the people.
Councilmember Esters said she was elected by a special election and is thankful for it. However, there is fatigue, unexpected cost, and impact on staff. She said a change would allow the council the flexibility to determine how to move forward in these situations.
Councilmember Riggs agreed and said fatigue was a reality.
Councilmember Whitney said she leaned toward giving Council the flexibility the change would provide.
COMMENTS FROM THE MAYOR, COUNCIL, STUDENT LIAISON OR CITY MANAGER
Councilmember Mackie attended the recent Neighbors Helping Neighbors (NHN) celebration held on December 1. She said she appreciated what the organization does in the community. Councilmember Mackie said she listened in on the robust discussion during a recent Education Advisory Committee (EAC) meeting.
Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell met with Park and Planning along with Mayor Kabir and City Manager, Mr. Young. She is hopeful that it will result in once a year or quarterly.
Mayor Kabir attended a recent Calvert Hills Community meeting, and thanked staff for their work related to the Legislative Dinner.
Councilmember Whitney attended the recent NHN event and was impressed by the volunteers, some of whom do not live in College Park.
Councilmember Hernandez also made it to the NHN event.
Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell said the Chair and Vice Chair of the County Council Chair was selected and asked that the city consider sending a letter. The City Manager said he would double check to ensure those selections were finalized. The city manager will double check.
MEETING ADJOURNED
CLOSED SESSION
Pursuant to the statutory authority of the Maryland Annotated Code, General Provisions Article, §3-305, 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 discuss the appointment of individuals over whom this public body has jurisdiction. Specifically, the Mayor and Council will review applications for advisory board appointments. They will not return to the 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 December 10, 2024. 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:
Approval of Board and Committee appointments
Presentations:
Presentation of the 2024 Jack Perry Award to Alan Bradford
Junior Tennis Champions Center (JTCC) College Park on their expansion plan
Action:
Introduction of an Ordinance of the revisions to the City’s Revitalization Tax Credit Program
Introduction of an Ordinance for Vote 16
Worksession Discussions:
Request for a Charter Review regarding Mayor and Council Special Elections Requirements
Creation of a Child Care Task Force
The College Park District 2 Digest 