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 May 6, 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 introduced the new assistant city clerk, Melissa Flores. He said the first event for this season’s Friday Night Live series event to be held on Friday, May 9 from 6:30pm – 8:30pm featuring an ACDC cover band.  Mr. Young announced the re-opening of Taco Habanero on Friday, May 9.  He said Bike to Work Day will be held early morning on May 15, so far 150 residents have registered, and we are looking for more. Everyone registered will receive a shirt. The last Spring Cleanup Day for this season will be held on May 17.  The Spring Festival will be held on Sunday, May 18 and will include a variety of activities. Residents will be informed of street closures for the event.   

Councilmember Hernandez asked if there would be communication regarding Teacher and Public Servant appreciation. Mr. Young said there will be a proclamation next week for Teacher Appreciation. 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Mark Shroder, former District 1 Councilmember

PROCLAMATIONS AND AWARDS

A. National Foster Child Care Month 

B. Jewish American Heritage Month

AMENDMENTS TO AND APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

Councilmember Whitney moved to remove the closed session from the agenda, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell. Mitchell moved to pass the agenda as amended and was seconded by Councilmember Rigg. It was unanimously approved.

PUBLIC COMMENT ON CONSENT AGENDA AND NON-AGENDA ITEMS

Carol Nezzo, resident – Her cell phone does not connect with any of the city services, she has met with Gio in the city’s IT department and her phone service provider to no avail.  She said whenever she calls, she is unable to get through.  She said she can get through to the cell phone number of a staff member named Paula Green.  She said she wonders if her phone could be hooked up to the satellite and asked for help to address the issue.  

Mayor Kabir said he hopes that Gio will be able to assist with the issue.

 CONSENT AGENDA

25-G-44 Authorization to allow free parking on weeknights after 5:00 p.m., and free all-day Saturday parking in the City’s downtown parking garage from May 24 to August 23, 2025 – Jim Miller, Parking Enforcement Manager 

25-G-46 Approval of the purchase and installation of 167 orange and white waterfilled safety barriers along ethe frontage of Duvall Field Renovation Project on Rhode Island Avenue from Power Pack in the amount of $53,598.00 funded from CIP #991013 – Robert Marsili, Director of Public Works

25-G-47 Ratify the submission of a grant application to the FY26 “PetFocused” Grant Program administered by the Maryland Department of Agriculture – Rakhmel Rafi, Grants Coordinator 25-G-48 Authorization of the appointment of a new Parking Violation Review Officer as part of the City’s process for resolution review –Parking Enforcement Manager 

Councilmember Hernandez made a motion to approve the Consent Agenda, seconded by Councilmember Esters. Unanimously approved.

 PRESENTATIONS:

Lakeland Stars – Kiaisha Barber, Youth, Family and Senior Services Director 

Dr. Ashley Ogwo, Coordinator for Lakeland Stars introduced the presentation, and it is a tutoring program for Paint Branch Elementary students grades 1-5.  She said the program has been in existence for over 20 years.  The students meet with a mentor to talk about schoolwork and other things. Current mentors discussed their participation in the program, their specific roles, and their takeaways.  

Dr. Ogwo mentioned a few highlights of the program including name tags for tutors (made by the students), and a “no-excuse” binder to ensure students are working on developing skills even if they have no homework assignments.  She said the current number of students currently participating in the program is the most they have had in Stars history; thirty-one students participate on Mondays and thirty-two participate on Tuesdays.

Councilmember Esters acknowledged the importance of the work that was being done and asked how many students have gone through the program. Ms. Barber estimated there have been at least three hundred students who have gone through the program.  

Councilmember Hernandez acknowledged the work and asked mentors to share what they have learned from the students. Mentors said the program reminded them that they were kids and to have fun and all students have different learning styles.

Avery, Hope, and Taylor are all current mentors who are graduating this year.  

PALS Class 15 Minute City Presentation – UMD Students 

Dr. ElZoghbi, thanked the Planning department and the civic associations for their assistance with the project.

Students defined the 15-minute neighborhood project and described their work. A 15-minute neighborhood is one where people can access needs and amenities within 15 minutes. The vision of the 15-minute neighborhood is to create a walkable neighborhood. The class created an interactive mapping tool. Members of the class outlined opportunities for Hollywood, Lakeland, Old Town, and Calvert Hills to achieve 15-minute neighborhoods.  

Councilmember Esters asked for clarity regarding the mention of a research repository to limit burden on Lakeland residents. The student explained that Lakeland is a heavily research community.  So, they suggest a repository that would include all research that could be made accessible to the community members and others.  

Councilmember Whitney asked if there was any one vision that came up for all four neighborhoods. Healthcare and Aging-in-place were mentioned. 

Councilmember Hernandez acknowledged the presentation and said he agreed with the economic development vision for the northern portion of college park and Hollywood Shopping Center. He asked about the Maryland Department of Labor building and the suggestion for maker space. A student mentioned interest in using the whole building to provide services to the community and a portion of it being a maker space for hobbyists and small businesses.  She said if you have a maker space, you should have a café, and it will become an instant meeting space. She also suggested the inclusion of small micro-offices and said they were inspired by Proteus Bikes.  

Councilmember Hew said he appreciated the recommendation of the use of the Maryland state building and agrees with all that was presented.  

Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell said she is in western part of the city and would like to see something similar in that area. She told the class they had given the city the opportunity to think out of the box. She said she was excited by the Public Health majors in the course because she was also a Public Health major. 

Mayor Kabir recognized the Planning Department, Ms. Bader, and Mr. Nunes.  Mayor Kabir asked if the study would provide some goals for the strategic plan. Ms. Bader said the final report will be done in June and she will make it available to Council.  

C. Maryland General Assembly Legislative Session wrap-up – Leonard Lucchi, Esquire, O’Malley, Miles, Nylen & Gilmore, P.A.

Mr. Gardiner introduced Mr. Lucchi, who has been our lobbyist since 2015. Mr. Lucchi said the state is experiencing a $3 billion shortfall which is to be addressed with $2 billion in cuts and $1 billion in increased revenue. He said cities fared better than counties. Maryland Municipal League (MML) implemented a team approach during session this year. Although the legislation did not pass, College Park led the way for municipal land use. This year 10 mayors showed up to advocate; it made progress, but there was some uncertainty about county leadership.  There could be more progress moving forward once county leadership is confirmed.  

Mr. Lucchi discussed key legislation that passed:

• Municipalities allowed to lease election equipment from the state.
• Increase of infractions from $1,000 – $5000.  It was not a priority for MML, but they played a role in making this happen. This was an initiative of College Park.
• Certified technicians allowed to certify speed violation based upon recorded images.
• Requirement for the Prescription Drug Affordability Board to establish a process for setting upper payment limits for purchases and payor reimbursements for prescription drug products. 

Mr. Lucchi discussed state funding received by College Park (he mentioned that no other city in the state has both the chair and vice chair of the appropriations committees as residents): 

• College Park Airport – received funds to benefit MNCPPC property surrounding the airport and the Discovery District. 
• Funding for Attick Towers
• Funding for University of Maryland
• Funding for Route 1 improvements (North of MD-193) – starts in 2027.  Legislation gave additional funding for design and planning. 

Despite the challenging budget year, the city did well.  

Councilmember Hernandez asked if we need to talk about legislative priorities. Mr. Young said there will be discussion among Council and with Delegation. 

Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell – MML is asking for priorities early given the new county leadership. She asked about the nuances of HB389 Child Care home tax credit.  Mr. Lucchi said it would be up to the city.  Mayor Pro Tem said she has heard rumblings about a special budget session and asked if the session could impact municipalities. Mr. Lucchi confirmed the state will have a special session. He said once Congress completes its budget, there will be a better sense of what is happening with the state budget, but Medicaid will shift from Congress to the states which will leave a hole in the budget. He said everything is up for consideration. Mayor Pro Tem asked for any information that will allow us to be proactive. 

Councilmember Ranker asked for clarity about childcare bill and asked for the definition of large family childcare homes.  Mr.  Lucchi said he would send clarifying information to the Council.  

Mayor Kabir asked about the land use legislation and what we could do to plan to move forward. Mr. Lucchi suggested there be a meeting with the incoming County Executive and other mayors to discuss the issue.   

PUBLIC HEARING AND POSSIBLE ACTION:

25-O-05 Ordinance of the Mayor and Council of the City of College Park to amend City Code, Chapter, 179-5 Tree and Landscape Board –Robert Marsili, Director of Public Works 

Mr. Marsili introduced this ordinance to amend city code Chapter 179-5A – Membership and Operation of the Tree and Landscape Board (TLB) to reflect the proposed increase to nine members and remove the requirement for the Committee for a Better Environment (CBE) Chair or designee to attend all TLB meetings.  

Councilmember Whitney made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Esters. It passed unanimously.

25-O-04 Ordinance of the Mayor and Council of the City of College Park, Maryland to adopt the Fiscal Year 2026 General Fund, ARPA Allocation Fund, Debt Service Fund, and Capital Projects Fund budgets for the City of College Park – Gary Fields, Finance Director

Mr. Fields said the FY 26 proposed budget is $26 million and would be roughly the same amount as the FY 25 budget.  He said the bulk of revenue funding would come from taxes (75%), and there would not be an increase in property taxes.  He said that 86% of expenditures were departmental and that the fund balance for the proposed budget would be 36%. According to Mr. Fields, fund balance is a subjective number that can vary between governments. The funds can provide for contingencies in times of disaster, and they can provide for capital projects. When we have had significant percentage (2018 and 2022) we have made transfers to contingencies and CIP. 

Mark Shroder, resident and Chairman of the Bike and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC). On March 14, the BPAC sent a message about the CIP budget. They would like to thank the city for its Complete Street projects. The council asked them to share feedback on priorities. He said the BPAC put forth the following priorities:

• Postpone the Bowdoin Avenue project to prioritize Duke Street. He said there is not a lot of traffic on Bowdoin Avenue. They believe the priorities would be Duke Street and St. Andrews.  
• City should create a bike lane on Edgewood Road 
• Prioritize and implement sidewalk installation around Branchville Avenue, Locust Spring Road and the corresponding block of Rhode Island 
•  For the Rhode Island Avenue corridor, additional bike lane barriers and intersection improvements to enhance safety and accessibility along the corridor

Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell asked for the record to be left open for comment until Friday, May 9.  

ACTION ITEMS: 

25-G-45 Approval of comments on the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission Budget – Bill Gardiner, Assistant City Manager 

Mr. Gardiner introduced the Council’s annual review and comments on MNCPPC Budget.  He highlighted the following as it pertains to the budget:

• North College Park Community Center – $1.5 million is the city’s contribution to the center. MNCPPC has already approved $26 million for the facility which they believe will be completed in FY29.
• City Park Airport – $500,000 for tree trimming that is done every five years as required by aviation regulations.  
• No money for the pedestrian bridge over the Northeast Branch of the Anacostia near the Junior Tennis Champions Center (JTCC), but the feasibility study will be completed near the end of 2025
• Ice Rink – $2 million dollars toward $30 million renovation.

Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell said she had no issue with the letter but asked that the at-large County councilmembers should be added as recipients. 

Councilmember Hew reference issue regarding previous tree trimming effort and said he thinks that the Tree & Landscape Board and the Airport Board should have more coordinated efforts as it relates to tree trimming.  

Councilmember Rigg said the Calvert Community Park has equipment that is 20 years old and a basketball court that needs to be resurfaced.  

Councilmember Hew mentioned the needs of Cherry Hill Park. He said there are storm mitigation issues, and the park has been overlooked.  

Councilmember Esters said she recognized the concerns expressed but asked for clarity on the objective of this letter.  She asked given everything going on right now, if it is our objective to provide a comprehensive list of all requests or a list of priorities.  

Councilmember Hernandez said that there are many MNCPPC parks within the city, but they may not know the priorities.  

Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell said we do need to be mindful of competing municipal requests.  

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

Councilmember Mackie said she attended a recent Maryland Hotel Association meeting where the city shined.  She thanked the resident who spoke about the importance of mental health during the meeting and thanked colleagues for making videos helping to promote Care Solace.  She asked colleagues to put Good Neighbor Day on their calendars for October 25, 2025. 

Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell said she attended a recent WMATA meeting on Better Bus Design.  

Mayor Kabir said he participated in the Bike with a Cop event and recently attended a disability expo at the Riggs Alumni Center and the Lakeland Rededication Ceremony.

Councilmember Whitney said she attended the Lakeland Rededication Ceremony and was excited to speak at the event. She said it was great to leadership from other cities attend, in addition to current Lakelanders and those from the diaspora. She said it was good to see the word had gotten out and that people know about Lakeland.

Councilmember Hew attended Berwyn Heights Day and recently attended a screening at the Greenbelt Theatre. He said the Co-op has taken over the Greenbelt Theatre. He said he will be attending the Sherriff’s Academy over the next 10 weeks. He said that Good Neighbor Day has been successful because of projects initiated by the community.  

Councilmember Hernandez said he presented to students at Hollywood Elementary for Career Day.  

Mayor Kabir said the cities of New Carrolton and Cheverly have elected new mayors and councilmembers. He thanks all for their public service.

Mr. Young said there will be a video of the Lakeland Rededication that will become part of the Lakeland historical record. He also said next week will be the last week for our current SGA Student Liaisons.  

MEETING ADJOURNED

Click here to see the full agenda for the City of College Park Mayor & Council Hybrid Meeting on May 13, 2025. 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:

• Reappointment of Arelis Pérez to the Housing Authority for a five-year term to expire on May 1, 2030.
• Approval of letter of support to the University of Maryland’s Safe Streets and Roads for All planning grant application to the Department of Transportation 

Presentation:

• Farewell to Erica Otte, Student Liaison and Anna-Kaye McDonald, Deputy Student Liaison

Public Hearing:

• Ordinance to amend code chapter 184, “Vehicles and Traffic”, by Enacting Article IX ‘Stop Sign Monitoring, Systems §184-46 Systems on Highways Located in a School Zone 

Worksessions

• Ordinance to adopt the Fiscal Year 2026 General Fund, ARPA Allocation Fund, Debt Service Fund, and Capital Projects Fund budgets for the City of College Park 
• Lakeland Neighborhood Plan