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 March 18, 2025. 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

Mr. Young announced the Calvert Hills neighborhood had been impacted by a change in traffic patterns. He also said that WSSC would be repairing a break on Rhode Island Avenue on the west side, just north of Guilford Road, and Pepco is preparing to work on utility poles along the Trolley Trail between Guildford Road and Amherst starting tomorrow and traffic along the trail may be diverted onto Rhode Island Avenue, with the work continuing through April.  He said there would be a movie event at the College Park Wood Clubhouse on Friday, March 21 at 4pm. Mr. Young said the city’s spring clean up days would be held on April 5, 12, and May 17, with shredding on April 5. The city will hold No Mow April, and if residents want signs they can reach out to the city, Mr. Young mentioned the Information Report in this week’s council packet, which outlines feedback from the student housing subsidy survey. He also mentioned the Consent Agenda which included a city grass mowing contract that will move the city toward the use of battery-operated mowers, coinciding with city goals related to sustainability. Mayor Pro Tem asked if there is any way for seniors to have shredding picked up. The City Manager said yes and asked her to reach out to the city staff. 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Former District 2 Councilmember Bob Catlin

AMENDMENTS TO AND APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

Councilmember Rigg made a motion to remove the Pepco presentation from the agenda as they are not available to attend, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell, who then motioned to approve the agenda as amended with a second from   Councilmember Hernandez. The agenda passed unanimously.

PUBLIC COMMENT ON CONSENT AGENDA AND NON-AGENDA ITEMS

Bob Catlin, city resident and co-chair of the Berwyn District Civic Association (BDCA) – said he would talk about five events that led to development in the city during the 20^th century. He mentioned the purchase of the Trolley Trail in 1996, which was privately owned since it was developed. According to Mr. Catlin the Trolley Trail became functional in 2002. In 1996, the city requested the county to allow for housing on Route 1. In 2002, the Washington Post spoke to the city about creating a printing plant, and we eventually had the Washington Post training plant and distribution center adjacent to the Berwyn neighborhood. The first couple of years of tax revenue from the Post allowed us to purchase things we needed. In 2004, the city got notice of 30% increase in property tax values, and the rezoning of Route One increased the tax base. The increased revenue allowed us to lower the homestead tax rate from 10% to 1%, hire contract police, enact rent stabilization and buy property to start work on the downtown parking garage. He will talk about two additional events during the next Council meeting. 

CONSENT AGENDA

25-G-31 Award of a 3-year contract with 2-year additional option years for Municipal Grass Mowing contract IFB NO.CP-25-02 with Lorenz, Inc. for right-of-way grass mowing with battery powered landscape equipment – Robert Marsili, Director of Public Works 

25-G-32 Award of renewal contracts for employees’ health and dental insurance coverages, worker’s compensation, and the City’s general liability insurances for FY 2026 for a total budgeted cost of $2,209,917 – Teresa Way-Pezzuti, Director of Human Resources

25-R-05 Resolution to establish a Council Compensation Review Committee prior to the 2025 General Election – Teresa Way-Pezzuti, Director of Human Resources

25-G-33 Approval of KCI Extra Work Authorization #10 for the Design and Project Management of Supporting Infrastructure for Wi-Fi Services and CCTV at Duvall Field Park – Rakhmel Rafi, Grants Coordinator

25-G-34 Ratification of the FY25 Program Open Space Annual Program application submitted to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, requesting $1,500,000 in funding assistance for the Duvall Field Renovation Phase II project – Rakhmel Rafi, Grants Coordinator

Motion to approve Consent Agenda by Councilmember Esters, seconded by Councilmember Whitney. It passed unanimously.

 PRESENTATIONS:

 Certified Results of the District 3 Special Election 

Ms. Huemmrich, Chief of the Board of Elections Supervisors (BOES) certified the results of the recent special election in District 3. She said there were a total of 512 votes which constituted a voting rate of 12.16% of the 4209 voters in District 3. Michael Meadow received ninety-nine votes, Raymond Ranker received 344, and Gannon Sprinkle received 69. Ms. Huemmrich extended congratulations to Mr. Ranker. 

Update on President Trump’s Administration Executive Orders – Luis Murillo, Congressman Glenn Ivey’s Office 

Mr. Ethan Sweep, Community Liaison and Grants Manager, came to speak on behalf of Congressman Ivey’s office as Mr. Murillo was unable to attend. Mr. Sweep said these were unprecedented times and that Congressman Ivey was concerned about recent actions of President Trump and Elon Musk. He said Congressman Ivey supports measures to make the government efficient in addition to keeping people safe and lowering prices, but he said Trump and Musk are focused on the needs of billionaires and lining their pockets.  He said we should lean upon the next two forms of checks and balances, Congress and the courts. He said many of the actions taken by Trump are illegal and unconstitutional. Mr. Sweep said we have a fighter in Congressman Ivey, and he will stand up to Trump and Musk. He said anyone who has been affected should go to his website and look for resources under services. He reminded the Council of the Congressional Scholarship nominations for the military academies. Mr. Sweep said nominations do not guarantee acceptance, but they are required. He also mentioned the House of Representatives Artistic Discovery competition. Selected art will be featured in the House and on the Congressional website. A release and application are required. The deadline for submissions is April 11. Summer internships with the Congressman’s officer are available from June – August. They are looking for enthusiastic, energetic students who have an interest in public services. Interns will work at Congressman Ivey’s office in Landover, MD. Mr. Sweep said members of Congress can submit projects to the Appropriations Committee through the Community Project Funding Program. He said Congressman Ivey’s office has started to accept applications. The process is likely to be similar to last year. Details and applications can be found on the House Appropriations website. He said the deadline to apply is March 31 at 5pm. He suggested that those who were selected last year apply again. 

Councilmember Whitney asked if applications submitted last year could be resubmitted. Mr. Sweep said they can, but they will need updated letters of support. 

Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell asked about the existence of any health services academies, Councilmember Rigg responded and said there are no health services academies. 

Mayor Kabir asked if recent executive orders have impacted the grant funding. Mr. Sweep said they had all but stopped.

Annual Economic Development Report – Michael Williams

Michael Williams, Director of Economic Developments began his report by saying there was good news but some concerns. He said there have been strong residential sales, with an average price of $450,000, and commercial transactions, with an average of $870,000, did well. He said the Hotel has become recognized as home to a highly ranked hospitality company and lends itself to hosting events and corporations. The Hotel is ranked seventh among hotels in the state. He acknowledged many new restaurants that have come to the city, including Shake Shack and Honey Pig. 

Mr. Williams said that affordable housing is still an issue. He mentioned the newest affordable housing project, the Flats, which is located on Baltimore Ave. in District 1. He said the federal layoffs are also impacting residents living in the city. He said there are 1116 city residents who have full-time jobs in the federal government. 

According to Mr. Williams, the number of visitors to our city continues to increase and includes more than just visitors to the University of Maryland. He said retail sales in 2024 topped $360 million. 

Mr. Williams announced the City of College Park will host the State of Maryland Tourism Conference at the Hotel and the Cambria from November 17-19, 2025. He also announced the city will hold its first Bi-Annual Taste of College Park in July 2025. 

While talking about partnerships, Mr. Williams said the city has partnerships with the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, PNC Foundation, Maryland Department of Transportation, and the Washington Area Investment Fund/Latino Economic Development Center. Mr. Williams said the Latino Development Center not only teaches individuals how to run business, but also other everyday skills. 

Mr. Williams mentioned the number of grants the city provided to businesses over the past year including to Rally House, Pho Thom, and Taqueria Habanero. He said there is now a need to help folks identify other opportunities as we are out of ARPA funds and federal funds are not readily available. He said there has been a focus on the Hollywood area with the Business Assistance and Façade Improvement program. 

In a discussion about new business coming to the city, Mr. Williams said it is the nature of casual dining establishments to come and go. He said we are always looking to add more diverse offerings to the city. 

Mr. Williams mentioned a few notable purchases in the city including two parcels of the Stone Industrial Campus, Yugo College Park University Club, and the Berwyn Industrial Center. He recalled discussions in 2022 about a possible partnership with Stone Straw, but that partnership did not transpire. The last parcel of the Stone Straw property, which is the wooded area, is still for sale. 

The Flats housing development project is almost complete, and they are currently accepting applications. Their rents housing rates are income based. The Economic Development Office continues to have discussions about affordable senior housing. Mr. Williams said the city currently has approximately 12,000 student beds, which looks like we have adequate student housing. 

Councilmember Hew asked if Pho Thom had been let out of their lease. Mr. Williams said they timed out of their lease.

Councilmember Hernandez thanked Mr. Williams for his work. He said there have been few complaints about the Flats development, but said they have responded quickly to address them. He said we should avoid concentrating affordable housing in one area of the city. He said he would like to see rock climbing in the city and would like to see the city purchase the Department of Labor building located in the Hollywood shopping area. He would also like to see strategic annexation from Baltimore Ave to Sunnyside. 

Councilmember Esters thanked Mr. Williams for his work and echoed Councilmember Hernandez’s comments about the distribution of affordable housing throughout the city. She also recognized there is limited land throughout the city. She mentioned the purchase of the Stone Straw Property and said we should connect with the new owners to understand their intentions for use. She is concerned about the residential neighborhood that abuts the property. She mentioned the remaining parcel of the Stone Straw property and suggested the possibility of senior housing in that area. 

Councilmember Whitney said that the owner of the Berwyn Industrial center approached a homeowner to purchase their property, and we would like to know why they did that and what their intentions are. She said there are concerns in Lakeland about the industrial area encroaching on the neighborhood, which has a goal of more homeownership. She also asked about the sale of the Yugo College Park. She asked why the County would forego the right of first refusal when it is some of the most affordable student housing in the city. Williams said the money didn’t add up for the county to exercise first refusal, but he said he had reached out to the county to request a meeting to discuss step by step how ROFR works. . Councilmember Whitney asked to be made aware of actions prior to its occurrence. Mr. Williams said they will not be able to notify us until they know what is happening with a property. 

Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell asked about the Moose Lodge and the parcel of land next to it. She expressed interest in the city having a dog café and an amenity for women with children. 

Councilmember Mackie mentioned the need for diverse businesses. She said it is important for us to have places to come together that are not bars. She mentioned the need for adult living and adult day care. She said she was excited about tourism and mentioned the need to let people know where they can park when visiting our businesses. 

Councilmember Rigg said the Moose Lodge came to Council years ago expressing interest in staying College Park. He said perhaps the Moose Lodge is still interested in doing so. Mr. William said many decisions about movement are made at a national level. Mr. Rigg said he thinks the highest percentage of commercial vacancies are now in the downtown area and the dynamics of the market lend itself to this situation. Councilmember Rigg replied to the earlier comments about avoiding a concentration of affordable housing in one area of the city. He said he believed there was affordable housing located throughout the city and mentioned Spellman House and the Atworth, which are located south of MD-193. 

Councilmember Hew asked if the mattress store on Baltimore Ave is under lease and suggested there could be some interest. He expressed concern about more car dealerships and industrial use. He mentioned an investor interested in putting a car wash on the property across from Mazza Grand Marc. He asked if we can work with them to find an acceptable use of the property. 

Councilmember Hernandez suggested to repurpose some of the luxury developments and offered to be of help where he can. 

Councilmember Whitney pointed out the differences between affordable housing at 80% AMI (The Atworth) and 50% AMI/Section 8 housing offered at Spellman House and the 60% AMI at The Flats. She reiterated the desire to have truly affordable housing throughout the city.

Swearing In of District 3 Councilmember 

Mr. Raymond Ranker was sworn in by Mayor Kabir. Councilmember Ranker thanked his family and the city staff for making the election happen and thanked the residents of District 3 trusting him. He looks forward to serving in this capacity. 

WORKSESSION DISCUSSIONS: 

Legislation on Stop Sign Cameras – Jatinder Khokhar, Director of Public Services and Stephanie Anderson, City Attorney 

Mr. Khokhar introduced the item related to legislation on the stop sign cameras. There was pilot work done in the city with a vendor to do preliminary testing. 

Section 27-701.1 of the Transportation Article, Annotated Code of Maryland, a local jurisdiction is authorized to use stop sign monitoring systems on local and State highways in a school zone in Prince George’s County to record violations of State laws requiring obedience to stop signs. Unless the driver of the motor vehicle received a citation from a police officer, the owner or driver of a motor vehicle is subject to a civil penalty of up to $40. Several municipalities in Prince George’s County have passed legislation to allow for stop sign monitoring systems. 

Staff provided amendments to Chapter 184 of the City Code and prepared a draft Ordinance (25-O-02) for Council review. 

City Attorney Stephanie Anderson said the authorization for this comes from 27-207-1 transportation article. What is before us has the required terms as set by state law. 

Councilmember Whitney asked how the article defines highways. Ms. Anderson said she did a quick review and did not see a definition. She said the term must be used because the authorizing legislation uses the term.

Councilmember Hew said he would like to know the difference between a speeding ticket and a stop sign ticker. Mr. Khokhar said both instances are based upon the violation of the law. Mr. Hew asked how a rental vehicle is handled. Ms. Anderson said as the law is written, it captures a photo of the license plate and issues a fine to the owner of the vehicle. The statute has a procedure to get to the owner who would then get to the driver. 

Councilmember Hernandez said the only location for District 1 is the Al-Huda school. He said he hopes there could be discussions with the administration at Al-Huda before it is done. Mr. Young said there is technology that allows us to work with them and make necessary adjustments. He said this is still a pilot program. Councilmember Hernandez said he hopes there is room in the legislation to allow us to work with the schools. Ms. Anderson said the law allows us to have the cameras. Mr. Young said we can work with the school, but regardless there needs to be a correction with the school.

Councilmember Mackie asked if this would be an ordinance change and that residents would be able to give input at the hearing. Ms. Anderson said the change requires notice and allows for warnings. She clarified that we were only talking about the ordinance, not a company. Mr. Khokhar said we want to have 30 – 60-day notice regarding this change. 

Councilmember Ranker asked if we could know about how this has improved public safety around stop signs and increased revenue for other municipalities that have implemented similar ordinances. Mr. Khokhar said we have learned from neighboring municipalities, and from data collected in the city. 

Councilmember Rigg said he knows of residents who have been closely tracking the speed camera ordinance. He said there was no time limit on monitoring; it would be 24 hours per day. He said the school zones are a perfect place to start. He commended staff on their work and looks forward to the next steps. 

Councilmember Hew asked if the equipment used for monitoring would be similar to the equipment used for the pilot. Mr. Young said it would depend upon the vendor, but the cameras could be placed in various areas. 

Mr. Young clarified we cannot use camera revenue however we want because it mus be used to improve public safety. 

Legislative Review (there is a possibility that action will be taken on time-sensitive bills) Bill Gardiner, Assistant City Manager

Mr. Gardiner said that Monday, March 17, was crossover in Annapolis; the day bills must pass, or they will die. 

Legislation for the increase of fines for municipalities passed on the Senate side, and the House needs to vote.

The land use bill is not moving forward this year. We need to regroup for next year, seeking continued support from other municipalities. 

Councilmember Rigg mentioned a bill that proposes to increase the fine substantially for those caught on a speed camera going 15-20 mph over the speed limit. 

The childcare-related bills we discussed are still in play, including the one related to property taxes for childcare centers and the one we sent support for that aims to facilitate insurance for childcare workers. 

The short-term rental bill did not cross over, but the bill prohibiting stopping or standing in bike lanes did. The bill we supported regarding protecting safe locations for immigrants has also crossed over. The tax on sugary drinks did not.

The State budget needs to pass by the end of the month, and the last day of the legislative session is April 7.

Councilmember Whitney asked about the County’s supplementary budgetary reduction for law enforcement and if we know how the reductions will manifest. Mr. Young said a lot of that has to do with their overtime. He said this may help us with contract police. He will check with Assistant Deputy Chief Keleti. She also asked about proposed rent stabilization for seniors and if that would protect seniors in buildings like Attick Towers and Spellman House should something happen to funding for their housing. Mr. Gardiner said he will look into this further. 

Councilmember Hernandez asked about health-related bills. Gardiner will look into it. 

Councilmember Mackie asked about revisions to the Elderly Tax credit. She asked that when this passes, we work to get the word out to our senior residents. Mr. Gardiner said there would be an opportunity to speak with County Councilmembers Dernoga and Olson at the Town hall to be held at City Hall on Saturday, March 22 at 10:30am. 

REQUESTS FOR / STATUS OF FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS

Councilmember Hernandez submitted a request for a pilot program to subsidize security cameras for residents. Assistant Deputy Chief Keleti spoke about the importance of security camera videos in investigating criminal activity. Mr. Hernandez said he wanted to share this with Council before the budget session. 

Councilmember Hew said the county had done a program similar. He said it would be great to use some of the data from the county and work with the police about placement and video footage. 

Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell said we should look at the proposal and bring it back. The issue was brought up two years ago. Motion by Councilmember Hernandez, seconded by Councilmember Esters.

Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell asked for status on her request for an Emergency Operating Center (EOC). Mr. Young will see when it can be scheduled.

COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE

Husain, non-resident – he is working with advanced technology explorations. There are many legislative leaders who are interested and one of those is in College Park. He has provided information about dynamical systems. The Center for Lifecycle Engineering is at UMD and is ranked number 1. He will reach out to the Department of Labor and Industry and provide us with updates. 

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

Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell said that she, Councilmember Hew and Mayor Kabir attended the National League of Cities (NLC) in DC. Among the many discussions, they talked about researching how the EO are impacting municipalities. She also attended the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) Board of Directors meeting where a tribute was given to first responders who were present for the recent plane crash in DC.

She said many federal workers are unable to get unemployment because their firings were with cause. Federal funding issues will also impact WMATA/Metro. All that is going on with Federal funding has a trickledown effect. 

Mayor Kabir said he attended the Maryland Mayors Association (MMA) in Annapolis. He also attended Li Chun grand opening with Councilmembers Mackie, Whitney, and Hew 

Councilmember Whitney said she attended the Li Chun grand opening, the College Park Woods ribbon cutting and the Duvall Field groundbreaking. 

Councilmember Esters said she attended the Duvall field groundbreaking and a recent training the trainer session on immigrant rights hosted by the City of Greenbelt. She acknowledged the attendance of SGA Liaisons, Ms. Otte and Ms. McDonald at the training. 

Councilmember Hew attended the Sunset celebration with UMD’s Office of Community Engagement that brought together members of the Muslim community and the Know Your Neighbor event at the Methodist Church. He mentioned his attendance at the NLC conference where he made connections that provided some inspiration. He said the State of Maryland has an official insect, the Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly. He would like to explore partnerships to see if we can restore their habitat.

Councilmember Hernandez said he attended the Know Your Neighbor event at the Methodist Church. He said it was great to break bread with the members of the community. He said during the recent North College Park Civic Association (NCPCA) meeting the body approved a new plaque to go on their holiday tree. 

SGA Liaison Otte mentioned the Know Your Rights training in Greenbelt and said she was proud they would be hosting their own. 

Mr. Young said the Council Advance will be held next Tuesday with dinner beginning at 6pm. A portion of the meeting will be open following the administrative work session that will be closed. 

MEETING ADJOURNED

INFORMATION REPORT 

Applicant Survey of the Needs-Based Student Housing Subsidy – Bill Gardiner, Assistant City Manager

CLOSED SESSION

Pursuant to the statutory authority of the Maryland Annotated Code, General Provisions Article § 3-305(b), the Mayor and Council of the City of College Park are providing notice that they will meet in a Closed Session after the meeting to: 

1. To consult with counsel to obtain legal advice. 

The Council will not return to public session.

Click here to see the full agenda for the City of College Park Mayor & Council Hybrid Meeting on April 1, 2025, when 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:

Presentation: State of the City 

College Park Academy Presentation – Sandy Abu-Arja, Executive Director and Nicole Nelson, Director of External Relations 

Annexation Policy – Kenny Young, City Manage, Bill Gardiner, Assistant City Manager, Jacob Vassalotti, GIS Coordinator 

Residential over-occupancy – Jatinder Khokhar, Director of Public Services 

Public Hearing: 25-O-01 An Ordinance of the Mayor and Council of the City of College Park, amending City Code Chapter 125-10, “Housing Regulations”; “Chapter 141-6 “Refuse Toter and Recycling Containers; and Chapter 110 Fees and Penalties – Jatinder Khokhar, Director of Public Services and Stephanie Anderson, City Attorney