As part of College Park’s partnership with ElectionGuard in the 2023 election, an election survey was designed by the Center for Civic Design and Dr. Martha Kropf, a Professor of Political Science & Public Administration at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.  Please take a few minutes to complete the survey before it closes at the end of the month. 

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

Click here to find the video of the City of College Park Mayor & Council Hybrid Meeting on November 07, 2023. 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

Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) has awarded College Park a certificate for financial accounting for the year.  

On November 11 at 11 am, the City of College Park will hold its annual Veteran’s Day event at the Veterans memorial located at Baltimore Ave and Greenbelt Road.  This year’s event marks the 30th anniversary of the memorial

PROCLAMATIONS

“Municipal Government Works!” Month

PRESENTATIONS

Presentation of the 2021 “Jack Perry Award” to Arelis Pérez

Due to Covid restrictions in 2021, Ms. Pérez was not publicly presented her award. Mayor Fazlul did a presentation to Ms. Pérez for her commitment to community service. Among her many contributions to the city, Ms. Pérez served as a board member of the Complete Count Committee in College Park and as a  former Board of Election Judge for the city.  She currently serves as the current Board Commissioner Chair for the Housing Authority for the City of College Park (HACCP) and a board member of the city’s Senior Committee.  

Presentation from Mr. Ethan Sweep, Community Liaison for Congressman Glenn Ivey

Mr. Sweep informed the Mayor and Council about community project funding for fiscal year 2025 (Congressional earmarks) awarded through the Appropriations Committee.  This year, they were able to submit 15 projects. On December 4th, there will be a webinar to go over the process.  Mr. Sweep will send out a flyer with details about the webinar by the end of this week.  He stressed he does not know what the process will look like in 2025 until the guidance is announced.  For more details, visit appropriations.house.gov or Ivey.house.gov.  Mr. Sweep said the applications are not as daunting as people may think and that any award limits will be included in the guidelines.  

AMENDMENTS TO AND APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

Motion by Councilmember Adams to move to switch work sessions and allow the presentation of the Hillel DSP to be first, seconded by Councilmember Mitchell

PUBLIC COMMENT ON CONSENT AGENDA AND NON-AGENDA ITEMS 

Mr. Alvarado and Ms. Maritnez, non-residents – Representing Taqueria Habanero, wanted to express their appreciation for what the city has done from them.  It is their hope that they will continue to be in the city. They acknowledged Director of Economic Development Michael Williams for his assistance.  

Maxine Gross, resident – said she read the proposed economic development plan and wanted to share a few points.  She said she supports the elements to consider various housing types.  She also appreciated the recognition of Lakeland but wants it to include a plan to restore what was done via urban renewal.  She asked that as the city considers businesses, it consider the Lakeland, Berwyn, and Hollywood communities as are key areas for the future and rebuilding opportunities other than housing.  

 CONSENT AGENDA 

23-G-163 Approval of a three-year salt utilization agreement between the State Highway Administration of the Maryland Department of Transportation and the City of College Park, Maryland – Robert Marsili, Director of Public Works

23-G-164 Approval of the 2023 Jack Perry Award recipient – Janeen S. Mille, City Clerk

23-G-165 Approval of a letter with City comments on the MDOT Draft FY 2024-2029 Consolidated Transportation Program (CTP) – Bill Gardiner, Assistant City Manager

Motion by Councilmember Mithcell to approve the Consent Agenda, seconded by Councilmember Esters

WORKSESSION DISCUSSIONS (Action On These Items Is Not Expected At This Meeting.)

A. Discussion of Detailed Site Plan for Hillel – Miriam Bader, Director of Planning

Erik Valentine – The project comes back to the council due to significant change.  The project is located adjacent to the Old Town historic district and will be a two-story building of over 39,000 sq. ft. The Historic Preservation Committee (HPC) will review this project on 11/24.  The Old Town Historic District Local Advisory Committee (LAC) reviewed the project and approves it with conditions mainly focuses on the look of the building.  The site provides no onsite parking.  Hillel has reached an agreement with UMD for 15 parking spaces.  There has been a request to investigate a mature maple to determine if it is on the proposed property to be developed. If it is, they are being asked to save the tree. The architect would like provisions to be placed in the plan for a third floor, but they would need to go through the proper permitting process in the future should they desire to add an additional floor.  Of the 11 modifications, city staff support 8, there are 3 modifications related to general building materials, brick detailing, and brick headers the city staff supports with conditions.  

Mr. Taub, project attorney, introduced the development team and thanked Mr. Valentine for his work.  He explained the property is currently owned by the University of Maryland.  There will be conveyance of the property to Hillel, and Hillel’s property on Mowatt Lane will be conveyed to the University.  He explained the delay of the project and said after the initial approval of the project, we faced COVID.  

Mr. Taub said if all goes well, they look forward to breaking ground in Spring 2024 with an opening of the building in 2025. They agree to all conditions with the exception of the color of the materials.  There are white buildings interspersed throughout the neighborhood. He said the building is a transitional building. They chose a color they thought was more inviting for everyone.

Councilmember Rigg said there had been lots of conversation about the materials not being compatible with the Old Town neighborhood and asked how that was determined. Mr. Valentine said it is a feeling and a judgment, but much of the concern came from the LAC.  

Councilmember Esters agreed that the building had a simple, clean, modern look but said it was quite distinct from other buildings in the historic district.  She acknowledged sentiment shared that the design made the building feel welcoming but asked if there were any other way to make it feel welcoming without such a distinct design. Mr. Taub said the design had to be taken in its entirety.  

Councilmember Mackie expressed concern about limited parking. Mr. Valentine said the building would be in close proximity to the downtown parking garage, so limited parking on site should not be an issue.  

Councilmember Adams asked for comment on two new curb cuts to access parking from Yale Avenue.  Councilmember Adams expressed concerns as we are trying to create more walkable area for pedestrians, and curb cuts encourage the interaction of pedestrian and cars, saying the city would like to restrict curb cuts. He also mentioned the loss of three canopy trees to create parking. 

Nestor Zabala, Architect, presented the most current renderings of the building.  

Danielle Glaros, Assistant Vice President and Chief of Staff of Administration for the University of Maryland, reiterated that the property will be conveyed to Hillel. She said the project has been discussed for many years and that the building picks up on the white columns at the University.  

B. Presentation on the Economic Development 5-Year Strategic Plan – Michael Williams,

Director of Economic Development and HR&A, Consultant

Michael Williams, Economic Development Manager, introduced HR&A consultants, Stan Wall, Jayla Hart and Rachel Waldman, who worked with the city to devise a 5-year strategic plan to build economic development in the city.  

Rachel Waldman provided an overview of efforts to devise a plan and spoke to the racial diversity of the city. According to Ms. Waldman, the five areas of focus of the city are as follows:  Bringing business and entities to the city that attract employers; retaining talent; defining the city identify; providing incentives; improving housing affordability; and increasing housing stock.  

Councilmembers asked about coordination and implementation of the plan, desire to be a regional hub, focus on North College Park, the difference between North College Park and downtown, considering the opportunities to influence people to come to College Park, the current perception of the city and telling our own story, lack of enforcement of 5 unrelated-persons per households, creating business incubator space, grants from the county level, and the rising cost of small businesses. Additionally, Council discussed the need for local medical care, ensuring we are a walkable/bikeable area, a place where people choose to raise their families, education, the size of commercial properties, and the creation of Business Improvement Districts (BID).

 REQUESTS FOR / STATUS OF FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS

Councilmember Kennedy would like the City to pay for security measures for councilmembers at their homes. Mr. Young said it would need to be a budget item for the council to consider.  

Councilmember Mitchell would like there to be a work session to discuss parking issues and enforcement.  

ADJOURN  

Click here to see the full agenda for the City of College Park Mayor & Council Hybrid Meeting on November 14, 2023. Tune in, show up or share your thoughts/concerns about the following Consent Agenda and Action Items, and Workshop discussions 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:

• Approval of contract with Care Solace for the provision of mental health and social services coordination for $80,000 annually 
• Approval and authorization for the City Manager to pay for the installation of various security measures for the Mayor and City Council
• Approval of a parking prohibition at the intersection of Branchville Road and Locust Spring Road
• Approval of an increase in the grant application and corresponding matching fund amount for the Prince George’s County Historic Preservations Grand for the Old Parish House to add grading and storm waters mitigation to the proposal
• Approval of recommendations to the Prince George’s County Planning Board on the Detailed Site Plan for Hillel and a Declaration of Covenants and Agreement regarding land use.  
• Veo-Ride Discussion

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

Haga clic aquí para leer esta publicacion en español.

Click here to find the video of the City of College Park Mayor & Council Hybrid Meeting on October 24, 2023. 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.

AMENDMENTS TO AND APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

23-R-14 moved from action to work session discussion with possible action 

23-O-08 moved from Consent to work session.

PUBLIC COMMENT ON CONSENT AGENDA AND NON-AGENDA ITEMS 

Aubrey Batton, resident, supports increased taxes for blighted and vacant properties, saying it would likely make housing more affordable in the city and would need to be set aggressively high. 

Mr. Biffle, non-resident, said reconsidering Lakeland’s historic designation would burden the community, saying Council should hear from the Lakeland Civic Association (LCA) and that the letter would benefit from the input from the planning department.   

Councilmember Mitchell responded to Mr. Biffle by saying if we can provide historic designation to Old Town, we should be able to reconsider it for Lakeland. Councilmember Whitney informed Mr. Biffle that criteria for historic designation had changed to consider the history of a community and its people and that LCA & Lakeland Community Heritage Project had been involved. Councilmember Esters added that the historic designation would help to preserve the rich history of the Lakeland Community that was a major hub for African Americans in the region.  

Jacob Hernandez, resident, said he thinks it is an overreach to stop residents from fixing their vehicles on their property.  

CONSENT 

23-G-160 Approval of a letter to M-NCPPC requesting they reassess Lakeland for historic designation – Kayla Carter, Racial Equity Officer

23-G-161 Approval of address corrections at and around Holy Redeemer Church – Miriam Bader, Director of Planning and Jacob Vassalotti, GIS Specialist

Motion to adopt the consent agenda by Councilmember Mitchell, seconded by Councilmember Adams 

PUBLIC HEARING AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON ORDINANCE 23-O-09:

ACTION ITEMS

23-G-162 Adoption of the recommendation of the Advisory Planning Commission to grant the request for an exemption from the Prohibited Vehicles ordinance for a motorcycle trailer to park on the street at 9727 Wichita Avenue – Jim Miller, Parking Enforcement Manager

Mr. Miller led the discussion and gave an overview of the review process. The City Attorney met with Miller and Bob Ryan to discuss the ordinance regarding large vehicles, which previously passed without including trailers. APC unanimously approved the request. 

Councilmember Hew made a motion, seconded by Council Kennedy. 

Councilmember Adams – abstained saying he felt that an abstain vote best captured his opinion.  23-O-08 Ratification of Amended Ordinance 23-O-08, Amending Chapter 175, Taxation, to authorize the Mayor and Council to approve a tax credit for elderly individuals – Stephanie P. Anderson, City Attorney.

City Attorney Stephanie Anderson said Council adopted amendments at last week’s meeting, and Council needs to vote on adopting the amended ordinance tonight. Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell said the county has processed 40,000 requests and is happy to see us move this ordinance forward. Mitchell made the motion, which was seconded by Adams, then unanimously approved.  

WORKSESSION DISCUSSIONS 

23-R-14 Approval of amendment to the City’s New Neighbors Homeownership Grant program to increase the grant to law enforcement officers- Miriam Bader, Director of Planning. 

Ms. Bader led the discussion about increasing the grant amount for law enforcement to help mitigate the shortage of police officers across local departments.  

Councilmember Whitney said once we have our short-term rental ordinance in place, it would preclude anyone who uses the grant from using their property for a short-term rental. City attorney Anderson, agreed with the assessment but had not had the opportunity to consider alternate language. 

Councilmember Adams – would like to update the website with the updated information for the grant.   

Councilmember Rigg moved to amend the ordinance to include firefighters and EMTs in the increase, seconded by Councilmember Esters.

Rigg specified firefighters should be active and operational members to be eligible. 

One resident asked for teachers to be included in the consideration for the grant Another resident stating his opposition due to a lack of transparency. He said information on the website should be updated and that downpayment assistance would not fix the shortage of local officers, saying the city should consider having its own police department or merging with a nearby force.  

Three UMD students spoke to Council in opposition of the grant increase, saying it would not meet the goal of crime reduction, which would be better addressed through programs such as job retraining and increased mental health services that bolster the community. They said students feel that PGPC and UMPD are useless and ineffective, citing a study that found that increasing officers would not help the issue of crime.

Finally, they argued that increased police presence negatively impacts the mental health of low-income residents and students and that giving more money to police prevents others from benefiting from the program. 

Councilmembers thanked the students for testifying and agreed that community policing and increased mental health resources are important. There was a mention of police presence as a crime deterrent, and the fact that the actual program has been around for a while. Students were encouraged to communicate with the members of the UMD Police and told that their concerns were heard.  

Councilmember Adams moved that the amounts be increased from Whitney made an amendment to move increases from $5000 to $15,000 for the purchase of any home for qualified participants and from $10,000 to $20,000 for the purchase of a previous rental, neighborhoods dominated by rentals, etc., incorporating language from Rigg about defining eligible firefighters and EMTs.

Councilmember Whitney suggested Council consider an increase of $5,000 to $10,000 for home purchased by a qualified buyer and $10,000 to $15,000 for the purchase of a previous rental.

A roll call vote on Adams’ motion was called with Councilmembers Hew, Kennedy, Adams, Rigg and Mackie and MPT Mitchell voting “yes” and Esters and Whitney voting “no”

Councilmember Riggs suggested clarifying the language about volunteer firefighter eligibility to say recipients should be LOSAP eligible

Whitney made an amendment to move increases from $5000 to $10,000 for the purchase of any home for qualified participants and from $10,000 to $15,000 for the purchase of a previous rental and was seconded by Esters. MPT Mitchell suggested the item be tabled.

Another roll call vote was called, with Esters, Whitney and Adams voting “yes”, Hew, Kennedy, Rigg, and Mitchell voting “no”, and Mackie abstaining because she found the amendment acceptable but believed Council had already voted on the amounts. The amendment failed.

A roll call vote on the underlying amendment was called, and it passed with a 7 to 1 vote with Whitney being the “no.”

A. Quarterly Financial Presentation – Gary Fields, Director of Finance

Mr. Field provided an overview of the current status of the City budget.  On both the revenue and expenditure sides, we are on par. Mayor and Council budget is at 30% due to the City’s CPCUP contribution, and Information Tech is at 33% due to advanced payment of contracts.  

B. Discussion of a different tax rate on vacant and blighted property – Gary Fields, Director of Finance

Mr. Field said this is the third time the item has come back to Council for discussion. He added this is not a revenue generating action, it is meant to compel owners to maintain properties. He thought fines were better than taxes, but the fines are relatively small.  There is big money involved in this initiative.  There are places where it works and others where it is not.

Council discussed using the funds collected to support things we want to see happen in the City (e.g., Business Retention), clearly defining blighted and vacant properties, creating an inventory, identifying a taskforce to work on the proposed initiative, and having an economic development consultant provide suggestions on moving forward.  

C. Discussion of regulations prohibiting residents from providing vehicle repair services in residentially zoned neighborhoods – Bob Ryan, Director of Public Services

Mr. Ryan said residents throughout the city are running car repair shops out of their homes and working on residential streets. There are often invalid tags on these cars. Once tags are off the vehicles they can be towed. He sought guidance from the Council.  

The council discussed the need to clearly define car repair to avoid penalizing owners doing small scale repairs on their own vehicles. Staff will work with City attorney and bring a draft ordinance to the council.

D. Quarterly Strategic Plan Presentation – Bill Gardiner, Assistant City Manager

Mr. Gardiner said the City’s strategic plan is built on 5-year Objectives and Key Results (OKR), annual OKRs, and quarterly OKRs. There are 34 OKRs across departments. Click here to review the quarterly report.

There was a question about how the city will focus on internal issues related to equity and inclusion if the equity officer is primarily focused on the work of the Restorative justice Commission. The City Manager acknowledged the importance of internal work, and indicated the fix may require additional staff.  The focus has been on making sure the Restorative Justice Commission has what it needs.  

REQUESTS FOR / STATUS OF FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS

• Economic development – looking at business retention fund and offering small business loans/revolving loan fund. 
• Budget- Senior and social sports grant program 
• A full vetting of the New Neighbors home ownership grant program 
• Emergency Preparedness – creating our own EOC

ADJOURN

Click here to see the full agenda for the City of College Park Mayor & Council Hybrid Meeting on November 7, 2023 when it is available. Tune in, show up or share your thoughts/concerns about the following Consent Agenda and Action Items, and Workshop discussions 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 on the Economic Development 5-year Strategic Plan – Michael Williams, Director of Economic Development and HR&A, Consultant
• VeoRide discussion – Erik Valentine, Community Development Planner
• Proposed Consent: Approval of a three-year salt utilization agreement between the State Highway Administration of the Maryland Department of Transportation and the City of College Park, Maryland – Robert Marsili, Director of Public Works

Early Voting is this Thursday, November 2 at City Hall,  All voters regardless of district may vote at 7401 Baltimore Avenue, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Election Day is Sunday, November 5, at the College Park Community Center.  All voters regardless of district may vote at the Community Center on Election Day from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

WSSC will be repairing a water main and storm drain at James Adams Park along the Rhode Island Avenue Trolley Trail Tuesday, October 24. There may be temporary detours in place for pedestrians and bicyclists. Please use caution in the work zone. 

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

Haga clic aquí para leer esta publicacion en español.

Click here to find the video of the City of College Park Mayor & Council Hybrid Meeting on October 17, 2023. 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.

AMENDMENTS TO AND APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

Motion by Councilmember Esters to add to Consent a letter recognizing Embry AME Church for their 120^th Anniversary, seconded by Councilmember Whitney

Motion by Councilmember Whitney to add to Consent a letter to support grant funding from the Pepsi Foundation for Terps for Bike Lanes, seconded by Councilmember Esters

CONSENT AGENDA    

23-G-156 Approval of minutes from the October 3, 2023, meeting.   

23-G-158 Letter to support grant funding from the Pepsi Foundation to Terps for Bike Lanes 

23-G-159 Letter recognizing 120^th Anniversary of Embry AME Church 

Motion to approve Consent Agenda by Councilmember Adams, seconded by Councilmember Mackie. 

PUBLIC HEARING AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON ORDINANCE 23-O-09:  A. Ordinance 23-O-09, An Ordinance Of The Mayor And Council Of The City Of College Park, Amending Chapter 144 “Occupancy Permits”, § 144-1 Statement Of Policy,  §144-2 Definitions, §144-3 Occupancy Permits Required, §144-7 Revocation; Reinstatement; Renumbering And Amending §144-8, Violations And Penalties;  Enacting §144-8 Challenge To Affirmations, §144-9 Short Term Rental Licenses; Host Requirements, §144-10 Incorporation Of County Code Requirements, And Amending Chapter 110, Fees And Penalties, §110-2, Penalties, To Regulate Short-Term Rentals And Require A Short-Term Rental License, Adopt Definitions, Authorize A Challenge To The Application For A Short-Term Rental License By Certain Persons And Entities, Require Short-Term Rental Host Platforms To Require Any Short-Term Rental Host In The City To Submit A Copy Of The Host’s City Rental License To The Platform, Prior To The Rental Being Listed On The Platform, And To Set Fines For Violation.  

Mr. Ryan provided a brief overview of the item.  He explained that inspections and a collection of fees would be done prior to the issuance of permits. The City’s ordinance is slightly more restrictive than the County’s in that residents within 300 ft of the property would have the opportunity to give comment about an application and anyone within 300 ft of the property must be given notice by the host that they are filing an application.  They can file a challenge to ensure compliance.  If there isn’t compliance, the permit will not be granted. Unlike the County ordinance, the short-term rental platform does not need to register with the City.

As it relates to the size of rooms versus number of renters, Chapter 125 still applies.  

Hosts who already have a permit from the County will still need to apply for one from the City.   

The County will be working to update their application for permits, which may require us to update our application if there are substantive changes. Suellen Ferguson suggested that any changes at the county level should be reviewed, and the City should make changes to their ordinance before adopting.   

Parking provisions will depend upon the location of the property.  Parking restrictions will apply in areas where there is permitted parking.  Ms. Ferguson said one space would be required for up to 3 tenants at one time.  

There was a question about the number of short-term rental properties that currently exist in the city, and Mr. Ryan said that only 2 or 3 are registered with the County.  

Ms. Ferguson mentioned the adjustments made to the ordinance, including permit requirements, notice to neighbors, challenges to applications, and the removal of the specific reference to the COVID-19. 

In response to a question about how the reference to nuisance in the ordinance relates to the City’s existing code, Mr. Ryan said the purpose of nuisance in this ordinance relates to permit issuance.  If there is a nuisance a violation would be noted. Ms. Ferguson said once a violation has been identified a grace period would be given because compliance is the objective before citing.  

Mark Shroder, College Park resident and former city councilmember – expressed concern that there is a hole in the ordinance.  As a member of the Noise Control Board, he understands what happens with long-term rentals.  It is hard to hold the owner in violation with a long-term rental unless it can be proven that the owner knew there was an issue. He said Council needs to fill that hole as it relates to noise violations in short-term rentals.  

Kristen Souza, non-College Park resident – asked Council to oppose the ordinance because it is restrictive. Hosts who rent out their homes can supplement the cost of mortgage. Guests add to the local economy. If passed, this ordinance be the most restrictive in the state of Maryland.  

Motion made by Councilmember Rigg, seconded by Councilmember Adams.  

Councilmember Rigg said the ordinance makes clear to short-term platforms that the city does have a stake. The provisions of the ordinance allow for the host to be held responsible for nuisance.

ACTION ITEMS    

23-O-08 Consideration of Ordinance 23-O-08, An Ordinance Of The Mayor And Council Of The City Of College Park, Amending Chapter 175 “Taxation”, By Enacting Article V,  “Property Tax Credit For Elderly Individuals”,  §175-14 “Establishment Of Tax Credit”,   §175-15, “Eligibility”, §175-16, “Amount And Duration Of Credit”, §175-17, “Application For The Tax Credit,  And §175-18, “Effective Date Of The Tax Credit” To Authorize The Mayor And Council To Approve A  Tax Credit For Elderly Individuals And To Provide The Extent, Duration, And Eligibility Requirements For The Credit As Authorized By §9-258 Of The Taxation-Property Article, Annotated Code Of Maryland.    The Public Hearing was held on October 10, 2023.   Motion By:  To:  2nd:  Yes: No:  Abstain:  

Mr. Gary Fields gave a brief overview and said that allowing eligibility requirements to remain the same as the county would help to avoid administrative burden. He also said we do not know how many applicants we will have. 

Councilmember Mackie said she did not believe the cap should be set at $500,000 because the assessed value of a home does not indicate a lack of need.  

Councilmember Adams made a motion to amend the ordinance to remove the cap on assessed value of eligible homes and lower the flat credit to $150.

Councilmember Esters asked if we can reassess the ordinance annually. She expressed concern about raising the assessed value beyond the amount set by the county and not knowing exactly how many people would apply. 

Councilmember Kennedy made a motion to amend to replace cap of $500,000 assessed value with credit of $250, seconded by Esters. Councilmember Adams then made a motion to reduce the credit to $150, saying the higher amount might threaten implementation of the Age Friendly Action Plan. Seconded by Mitchell.

Councilmembers Mitchell and Mackie expressed concerns about the cap, but supported the ordinance as amended. Councilmember Mitchell said we should lobby the county to adjust their ordinance.  

Councilmember Rigg said rather than giving money to seniors, we should provide cash assistance to those who have need, like those living in Attick Towers and Spellman House. He said for the amount we’re likely to spend on the credit, we could hire half an FTE for Youth and family services or add funding for aging in place.  This may set us up for challenges moving forward.  

The Council voted 7-1 to pass the ordinance with a $500 thousand cap on assessed value and a flat credit of $150, with Councilmember Rigg as the dissenting vote.

23-G-157 Consideration of Business Retention and Attraction Fund grants – Michael Williams, Director of Economic Development  

Mr. Williams said we are coming to the end of the Campus Village situation, as he continues working with vendors to stay in College Park. Laser Essentials was one of the first to relocate. They are now seeking assistance with build-out and equipment costs for their new office space in College Park. The $23,000 request is the first through the business retention and attraction program. Before bringing this request to Council, overall costs and the amount spent by the business were considered.  Normally, the Council would not have heard about the funding request because it falls within the amount the City Manager is authorized to approve. However, given the situation at Campus Village Shopping Center there was a desire to ensure transparency.  

The City did not expect to deal with the displacement of 15 merchants at one time. This merchant is one of the first the City heard from, and the City is happy that we are able to assist. 

WORKSESSION DISCUSSIONS   

Discuss an increase in grant value for the City of College Park New Neighbors Homeownership Grant Program for qualified law enforcement personnel – Miriam Bader, Director of Planning 

Ms. Bader said that the increase is to mitigate the decrease in personnel for law enforcement.

If we reflect on the survey from the community, public safety was a concern. We do not have our own police department; we rely upon county police.  If we make this change it could help elevate public safety. 

Mr. Mirani, SGA Liaison expressed an interest in putting the homeownership program on the action agenda next week to allow for comment from students.  

 Agenda items for October 26, 2023, Four Cities meeting in New Carrollton  

The upcoming Four Cities Meeting is in direct conflict with the SGA Candidate Forum scheduled on October 26. The SGA liaisons were asked to consider scheduling the event on a different date.

Council suggested adding the following topics to the agenda: 

• Noise Camera legislation 
• Cannabis
• Opioid prevention / Narcan availability 
• Food insecurity support 

ADJOURN  

Click here to see the full agenda for the City of College Park Mayor & Council Hybrid Meeting on October 24, 2023. Tune in, show up or share your thoughts/concerns about the following Consent Agenda and Action Items, and Workshop discussions 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:

• Approval of a letter to M-NCPPC requesting they reassess Lakeland for historic designation 
• Ratification of Amended Ordinance 23-O-08, Amending Chapter 175, Taxation, to authorize the Mayor and Council to approve a tax credit for elderly individuals 
• Approval of address corrections at and around Holy Redeemer Church 
• Approval of an amendment to the City’s New Neighbors Homeownership Grant program to increase the grant to law enforcement officers
•  Quarterly Financial Presentation 
• Discussion of a different tax rate on vacant and blighted property 
• Discussion of regulations prohibiting residents from providing vehicle repair services in residentially zoned neighborhoods 
• Quarterly Strategic Plan Presentation

Please contact your District 2 Councilmembers Llatetra Brown Esters and Susan Whitney if you have any questions about this City partnership with Habitat for Humanity Metro Maryland.

Join members of Embry African Methodist Epicopal Church on one of the following two Sundays as they celebrate their 120th Anniversary in the Lakeland Community.  They will also be celebrating re-entry into Embry’s sanctuary following a year-long renovation project as the result of damage suffered July 13, 2022.