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

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ANNOUNCEMENTS/COMMENTS – MAYOR, COUNCIL, STUDENT LIAISON

Councilmember Kabir thanks all who came out for the City’s parade held on Saturday, May 6.  He also thanks city staff and volunteers for all their work.   

Councilmember Kennedy announced the upcoming North College Park Civic Association (NCPCA) meeting to be held on Thursday, May 11.  She said that a community planner from the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) will present on the north College Park playground….

Councilmember Esters announced the Lakeland Civic Association meeting to be held on Thursday, May 11 at the College Park Community Center at 7pm.  

Councilmember Whitney thanked staff for their work to hold a parade and elections on the same day. 

Councilmember Mackie also thanked parade volunteers and the Board of Elections.  She said that May is Melanoma Month and encouraged people to wear SPF when outdoors.  

SGA Liaison Valerie Graham wished fellow UMD students good luck on finals and encourage them to take advantage of campus resources available to them.

SGA Liaison Adrian Andriessens also wished fellow UMD students good luck and encouraged them to take advantage of mental health support.

Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell wished students good luck on finals.

CITY MANAGER’S REPORT

Mr. Young announced that May 13^th would last spring clean-up day and will be held from 7:30am – 12pm. He added that students and others moving out should take advantage. He also announced that Virtual Kitchen/Krazi Kebob was the recent winner of the Amazon small business award. 

Mr. Young said that the Friday Night Live series will kick off on Friday, May 12, featuring the Nighthawks, classic rock and blues band. Food and beer, and a bounce house for kids will be available.  

The City Manager concluded his remarks by sharing that the Hollywood Farmers Market is open each Saturday from 9am -1pm now through November 18. He then asked Ms. Miller, City Clerk, to provide an update regarding the special election.    

Ms. Miller said, to date, there were 862 votes cast during early voting and 629 votes on election day. According to Ms. Miller, between the number of votes cast and ballots mailed, there were a total of 1897 ballots distributed, but she said that would not necessarily be the total number of votes cast in the election. She said the Board of Elections will begin canvassing on Thursday, May 11 in City Hall. Preliminary results will be announced on Thursday, May 11, and the results will be verified on Friday, May 12.  Any ballots received and postmarked May 6 will be counted. 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Former District 2 Councilmember Bob Catlin 

AMENDMENTS TO AND APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

Councilmember Esters made a motion to move agenda item #23-G-71 to the consent agenda.  Seconded by Councilmember Whitney. Motion passed.  

PUBLIC COMMENT ON CONSENT AGENDA AND NON-AGENDA ITEMS 

Mr. Dorsch, College Park resident, said the value of our property continues to rise, which results in a higher tax bill.  He asked why the City would increase the tax rate on homes.  

Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell interrupted Mr. Dorsch and let him know there would be a public hearing on the item during which he would be able to make a comment.  

Mr. Dorsch proceeded with comments about the recent special elections. He said the elections were a waste of money, saying the Mayor Pro Tem should have been able to take over the position until the next scheduled election.  

David Turley, College Park resident, represents the VFW on Branchville Road. He said he has had numerous conversations with councilmembers and staff about Gerber Auto taking up parking spaces on Branchville Road with their cars. He said he hoped we would do something about the parked cars and those speeding down the street.  

CONSENT AGENDA 

23-G-71 Consideration of a 4-hour parking limit in a specified area of Branchville Road and consideration of traffic calming measures near the VFW located at 5051 Branchville Road – Jim Miller, Parking Enforcement Manager and Steve Halpern, City Engineer – Moved to consent and passed unanimously.

PUBLIC HEARINGS

Constant Yield Tax Rate

Gary Fields, Director of Finance, introduced this item by saying the City is required to hold a hearing as we have split the residential and commercial tax rate. The required advertisement was in the Washington Post on April 18. He added that the second hearing for the proposed 2024 budget will be held on May 23. The City proposes to increase the commercial tax rate to $0.3318.  The City proposes to maintain the current property tax rate of $0.3018 on residential properties rather than lowering it to the constant yield rate of $0.2772. The current tax rate is 8.8% higher than the constant yield rate and will generate $369,497 in additional tax revenue. This property tax rate would still be amongst the lowest in the county and state. Mr. Fields said the City continues to maintain a strong and healthy fund balance at 65%, which is above the city code requirement of 25%. 

College Park resident Mr. Dorsch asked why the City is increasing the tax rate on residents. He said this is one of the richest cities in the county and the state, saying the City should be reducing the property tax rate for residents. He referenced the newest dog park and the Hollywood Park that he said is not used. He asked how much money the City has in the bank and asked the City to adopt the constant yield rate.  

23-O-03 An Ordinance Of The Mayor And Council Of The City Of College Park To Adopt

The Fiscal Year 2024 General Fund, ARPA Allocation Fund, Capital Projects Fund And Debt

Service Fund Budgets Of The City Of College Park

Mr. Field the formal hearing to adopt the ordinance will be held on May 23. 

ACTION ITEMS

23-G-73 Discussion and possible action on a financial incentive from ARPA grant funds for small businesses – Michael Williams, Economic Development Manager 

Mr. Williams introduced this item and said the City is seeking approval to provide a second round of ARPA funds this year to small businesses. He believes there still is need.  

Councilmember Kabir thanked Mr. Williams for proposing a second round of grants. He said we have a lot of home-based businesses and warehouse businesses who exist and are paying taxes versus new businesses coming to the city.  He asked if the home-based business would be eligible for the second round of grants.  Mr. Williams said all businesses will be eligible to apply for the grant and that we will be able to verify their status.  

Councilmember Adams thanked the staff for the work and asked if Meals on Wheels and the fire departments will be part of this second round. Mr. Williams said they will be eligible to apply, but there are small businesses that are ailing. Adams asked if the city is providing the discretion to increase the amount from $7000.  The City manager indicated that we only have a certain amount of money available, and those numbers are based upon that. Mr. Young said he would be comfortable going up to $10,000.

Councilmember Rigg asked if this is the last of the ARPA funding available for economic development.  Mr. Williams said some of the funds for economic development will be focused on the attraction of businesses and will not be ARPA restricted. He said the City is working to attract and retain businesses.  He mentioned the upcoming Knox Road project and said there are national and local chains that want to come to College Park. He said he is looking to get existing businesses squared away so he can focus on development. Rigg said he thinks the city has spent ARPA money well and agrees with the second round of small business grants, but he sees a real sustainability problem with providing what amounts to operational subsidies for businesses.  

Councilmember Esters said she appreciated the work and reiterated the importance of prioritizing those businesses that did not receive funds in the first round and those who are in need. 

Councilmember Whitney asked about the slowdown of grant awards.  Mr. Young said there were some businesses that needed additional vetting and the involvement of Haggerty Consulting is available again to assist with the distribution of funds.  

Councilmember Mackie asked if everyone would be eligible for the second round of grant funding.  Mr. Williams confirmed that would be the case.  

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

Councilmember Rigg attended what he believed to be his last PTA meeting as a parent. He said they are critical organizations for engagement with the school system. He referenced the upcoming Council meeting that will include discussion with Ms. Barber, Director of Youth and Family Service, on how we can better engage with the school system. He asked that parents continue to keep an eye on our children after this year as they have dealt with significant learning loss over the past three years.  

Mayor Pro Tem Mitchel thanked Mr. Rigg for his comments and mentioned the resignation of the County’s school superintendent.

Councilmember Mackie mentioned opportunities for summer involvement for our youth.   

SGA Liaison Valerie Graham mentioned that despite the investigation into the UMD SGA election, the new SGA liaisons were approved. 

Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell said she was able to represent the City during Governor Moore’s recognition of “If I Were Mayor” participants.  She expressed her pride for all youth involved and the various topics they discussed.  

MEETING ADJOURNED 

Click here for the May 9 meeting agenda. Click here to watch the video of the May 9, 2023, meeting. 

Click here to see the agenda for the City of College Park Mayor & Council Hybrid Meeting on May 16 2023. Tune in, show up or share your thoughts/concerns about the following anticipated Presentations and Workshop discussions:

Swearing in of Mayor-elect Fazlul Kabir

Discussion of AARP Livable Community Action Plan 

Discussion of Mayor and Council compensation 

Discussion of a request of commemorative bench installations in hour of Mayor Kushner and Mayor Owens

Information Report:  Restructuring the Planning Department and creating a new Grants Coordinator

We’d like to congratulate our Mayor-elect Fazlul Kabir on his victory in the Special Election for Mayor of College Park. We look forward to working with Dr. Kabir as he moves into his new leadership role. The official results will be presented by the Board of Election Supervisors at the Council meeting on Tuesday, May 16th, then the new Mayor will be sworn in.

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

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ANNOUNCEMENTS/COMMENTS – MAYOR, COUNCIL, STUDENT LIAISON

Councilmember Kabir mentioned the return of the Farmer’s Market to Hollywood Shopping Center on May 6.  Due to the City parade, the market will begin at 1pm.  

Councilmember Esters thanked residents for voting and indicated the next day to vote would be Saturday, May 6 at City Hall.  

Councilmember Mackie said May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and May 2 is National Teachers Day.  She thanked teachers for their work to educate our children.   

CITY MANAGER’S REPORT

Mr. Young mentioned the City’s upcoming clean-up day, the last of the season, on May 13 from 7:30am – 12pm, which will include bulk trash drop-off.

Mr. Young said that the week of May 2 was National Small Business Week.  He encouraged those who were interested in more information and virtual summits to log on to SBA.gov.

He mentioned the upcoming grand opening of Ruth’s National Kitchen, which will be located in the Astor near Trader Joe’s. Mr. Young mentioned the City’s Parade on May 6 and the elections, on the same date, to be held at City Hall’s1^st floor community room from 10am – 6pm.  

Councilmember Mackie asked about the rescheduled Arbor Day event and Mr. Young confirmed it would be held on Thursday, May 18.  

Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell asked if there were results from the SGA elections. Ms. Graham said that the results would be determined once SGA worked through some current issues.    

PROCLAMATIONS AND AWARDS:

Presentation of Ceremonial Checks to Public Schools Education Grant Recipients: University Park, Berwyn Heights Elementary Schools; Buck Lodge Middle School and College Park Academy.

Ms. Kiaisha Barber, Director of Youth and Family Services (YFS) introduced the item and introduced     Dr. Bernache, Chair of the Education Advisory Committee (EAC), who expressed her appreciation for the opportunity to provide funds to the schools.  

Buck Lodge Middle School Principal Kenneth Nance thanked the city for the grant which supports their positive behavior intervention and support program. He said the school’s attendance numbers are very good, given impacts from the pandemic and that academics have also improved as a result of the funding.

Berwyn Height Elementary School Reading Specialist Kathleen Schuster expressed gratitude for the grant, which was used to purchase document cameras that help students improve writing skills, such as how to hold a pencil and spacing between letters.

College Park Academy Student Advocate Bernitta Johnson of thanked Council for the grant which helped to subsidize student participation in the CPA Plus enrichment program, which provides tutors and study time. Due to the grant, 27% of participants have received a subsidy. 

University Park Elementary School Resource Teacher Debra Greene shared her appreciation for the grant which helped to fund multimodal tools such as the Fuzz Ball that has introduced meaningful play for their students.  She also shared the story of a student who had difficulty engaging with his classmates until using the Fuzz Ball.  

Lakeland S.T.A.R.s 2022-2023 Review: Akhila Vishnubhotla, Coordinator for Student Engagement, College Park Scholars, University of Maryland, and students from UMD

Ms. Kiaisha Barber, Director of Youth and Family Services (YFS) introduced the presentation from  Ms. Akila Vishnubhotla.  Lakeland S.T.A.R.S. is a tutoring program for students from Paint Branch Elementary who are paired with a University of Maryland student. The main purpose is to aid student learning and expose them to higher education. The program coordinators help to train and schedule the tutors, and YFS helps to coordinate travel and communication with teachers. Free time includes UMD clubs and other activities. During COVID, the program was virtual, which was challenging. As of fall 2022, the program is back in-person.  

Councilmember Esters asked if, given the name of the program, students have learned about the Lakeland Community. Ms. Vishnubhotla said much of the activity has focused on the University of Maryland but thought lessons about the Lakeland community could be incorporated.  

Councilmember Whitney said she would like to see more male tutors. Ms. Vishnubhotla said there were male tutors, although none were part of the presentation.  

Councilmember Riggs thanked the coordinators and tutors for their important work.  

AMENDMENTS TO AND APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

Councilmember Kabir made a motion to approve a letter to Mayor Bowser asking that all concerts in DC held on festival grounds maintain their volumes to the festival grounds.  

Motion to move CPCUP to jointly pursue MDOT grant to fund Campus Drive Bike Path and Riverwalk to consent agenda.

The agenda was approved as amended.

CONSENT AGENDA 

23-R-05 Resolution establishing the City’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) – Erik Valentine, Community Development Planner

23-R-06 Resolution establishing the City Events Advisory Board – Ryna Quinones, Communications and Events Manager

23-G-68 Authorize the purchase and installation of six workstations from Price Modern for City Hall at a cost not to exceed $50,000 to be funded from the CIP Facilities Capital Reserve– Bill Gardiner, Assistant City Manager

23-G-69 Consideration of a request by the College Park City-University Partnership for the City to jointly pursue MDOT grants to fund the Campus Drive Bike Path and Riverwalk Trail and to approve letters of support for the grant applications. – Erik Valentine, Community

Development Planner, and CPCUP Representative

The Consent Agenda was unanimously approved.

ACTION ITEMS

23-O-05 Introduction of an Ordinance Of The Mayor And Council Of The City Of College Park Amending  City Code Chapter 15 “Boards, Commissions And Committees”, By Deleting Article II, “College Park Recreation Board”, §§ 15-3 Through 15-18, In Its Entirety To Remove The College Park Recreation Board From The City Code And Re-establish By Resolution A City Events Advisory Board For The Purpose As Set Forth In Resolution 23-R-06. The Public Hearing will be held on May 9, 7:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers of College Park City Hall

Councilmember Mackie made the motion to introduce the ordinance. It was seconded by Councilmember Kennedy.

REQUESTS FOR / STATUS OF FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS

None

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

Councilmember Whitney announced recent recognitions by the Committee for the Better Environment, including Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. for their help with the permaculture garden and the City’s tree giveaway and the Yakovenkos, who have made their home energy autonomous and actively share information about their improvements with others.  

Councilmember Adams mentioned the recent meeting for the Bike Association. He said County Councilmember Eric Olson and Maryland State Senator Roseapepe are looking to have more people involved with the committee.  

Mayor Pro Tm Mitchell mentioned the recent Four Cities Meeting in Greenbelt on Thursday, April 27 attended by councilmembers Adams. Esters, Mackie, and Whitney.  County Council member Eric Olson was present as attendees talked about common initiatives.

Councilmember Rigg mentioned that he, Councilmember Kennedy, and the Mayor Pro Tem met to discuss the SGA Liaison and Deputy Liaison positions. Valerie Graham, current SGA Liaison, informed council that SGA will decide soon.  Rigg also mentioned that basketball will come back to the Calvert Hills School site.  

MEETING ADJOURNED

Click here for the May 2 meeting agenda. Click here to watch the video of the May 2, 2023, meeting. 

Click here to see the agenda for the City of College Park Mayor & Council Hybrid Meeting on May 9, 2023. Tune in, show up or share your thoughts/concerns about the following anticipated Presentations and Workshop discussions:

PUBLIC HEARINGS:

• The Constant Yield Tax Rate
• 23-O-03 An Ordinance Of The Mayor And Council Of The City Of College Park To Adopt The Fiscal Year 2024 General Fund, ARPA Allocation Fund, Capital Projects Fund And Debt Service Fund Budgets Of The City Of College Park 

ACTION ITEMS 

• 23-G-71 Consideration of a 4-hour parking limit in a specified area of Branchville Road and consideration of traffic calming measures near the VFW located at 5051 Branchville Road 
• 23-G-73 Discussion and possible action on a financial incentive from ARPA grant funds for small businesses 

Saturday, May 6th is a big day for College Park! Not only is it election day for the Special Election for Mayor, but it’s also a chance to see some bands and have fun with your neighbors at the parade. We hope to see you there!

Here’s the information you may need:

Election Day 
Saturday, May 6, 2023
10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
City Hall, 7401 Baltimore Avenue, Community Room 1st Floor, College Park, MD 20740

Click here for additional candidacy information or visit the Election page on the City’s website

Celebrating College Park Parade
Saturday, May 6, 2023
10:00 am
Rhode Island Avenue 

Join the City of College Park on May 6, 2023 at 10:00am to celebrate our community! Spectators can line up along Rhode Island Avenue to see local groups, organizations, entertainers, performers, and more!  This year we have some awesome performers coming including String Bands, Marching Bands, dance groups, musicians, performers and so much more! 

Parade Road Closure:

This Saturday, May 6 from 9:00 am to about 12pm (noon), the City of College Park will close Rhode Island Avenue from Edgewood Road to Blackfoot Place to host its City of College Park Community Parade.  Please see the map below for more information and suggested detours. 

On May 6, 2023, the City of College Park will hold a Special Election for the office of Mayor. Click here for additional candidacy information or visit the Election page on College Park’s website. 

Here’s where you can watch the candidates forum hosted by College Park Here and Now. Videos are posted for each question the candidates answered, so you have the option to focus on topics of particuar interest to you.

You can watch the first candidate debate, sponsored by the Yarrow Civic Association, here.

Early Voting 
Tuesday, May 2, 2023
8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Davis Hall, 9217 51st Avenue, College Park, MD 20740

 Election Day 
 Saturday, May 6, 2023
 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
 City Hall, 7401 Baltimore Avenue, Community Room 1st Floor, College Park, MD 20740

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

ANNOUNCEMENTS/COMMENTS – MAYOR, COUNCIL, STUDENT LIAISON 

Councilmember Kabir – Tree and Landscape board will plant a tree at the intersection of Narragansett Parkway and 52nd Avenue in North College Park for Arbor Day on April 28 at 6pm.  UPDATE:  Due to inclement weather the tree planting was postponed.  Stay tuned for the new date.

 Councilmember Esters – A number of activities on Saturday, April 29 including another City spring cleanup day up, Maryland Day at the University of Maryland from 10am -4pm, and the District 2 Walking Tour from 12pm -5pm.   

Councilmember Whitney – Enjoyed the Literacy and Legacy 5k event and the ceremony for the Lakeland historical marker held on Saturday, April 22.  

Councilmember Adams – Acknowledged the residents who attended the recent meeting regarding upgrades to the Old Town and Calvert Hills playgrounds.  

Councilmember Riggs – Yarrow and College Park Estates civic associations met together on April 22 to hold elections for leadership and express concerns about the loss of vegetation related to construction of sidewalk improvement and stormwater mitigation.  

Councilmember Mackie – Thanks residents who participated in No Mow April.  

Valerie Graham, SGA Liaison –Several applicants for the SGA Liaison positions and interview anticipated to be held the week of April 24.  

Councilmember Mitchell – Thankful for participation in the Lakeland historical marker ceremony on April 22.  She also mentioned the College Park City University Partnership (CPCUP) Board received an update about the Aviation Landing development.

CITY MANAGER’S REPORT

Mr. Young reminded council members that financial disclosures are due on April 30. He mentioned that residents have an additional day (April 27) to request a mail-in ballot if they come to City Hall to do so.  Early voting will be held on May 2 at Davis Hall and in-person will be held on May 6 at City Hall. Election results will be announced on May 12. 

The Celebrating College Park Parade will be held on May 6 from 10am -11am.  The procession will be along Rhode Island Ave from Hollywood Shopping Center to Duvall Field. Congressman Glenn Ivey will serve as the Grand Marshal.  Mayoral candidates can contact Communications and Events for details about how they can participate in the event.  

The City’s Friday Night Live series kicks off on May 12.  The event will include a classic rock band, bounce house and two food trucks.  Denizens will also be in attendance.  

No Mow April will end on Monday, May 1. 

Councilmember Whitney asked about a recent meeting held with Veoride and asked for an overview.  Ms. Ferguson, City Attorney, said the concern about the location of scooters and bikes was forcefully shared during the recent meeting. Geofencing has been operational, but they need to work on improvements.    

AMENDMENTS TO AND APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

Councilmember Esters – made a motion to add the appointment of city representatives to the student liaison selection committee.  Seconded by Councilmember Whitney. 

PUBLIC COMMENT ON CONSENT AGENDA AND NON-AGENDA ITEMS  

Aubrey Battan, resident of College Park Woods-  in favor of increased taxes on blighted and vacant properties.  Vacant properties are taxed in other places such as DC, British Columbia, and the city of Vancouver.  It should be paired with other options to improve housing inventory.  It will need to be enforced.  He stressed that the tax should be higher than we think it should be.  

Bryan Haddad, College Park resident – speaks in heavy favor of the vacant and blighted property tax.  The rate should be high enough to not be subsumed as a cost of doing business. He said large companies have an obligation to give back, and property owners have an obligation to upkeep properties. He asked council to consider a tiered tax system based upon the amount of time that property has been vacant. 

CONSENT AGENDA 

23-G-66 Approval of minutes from the March 21, 2023, and April 11, 2023, meetings.

23-G-67 – Motion to select council representatives to serve on SGA Liaisons selection committee.  Ms. Graham proposed an interview date of Thursday, April 27.  Initial discussion regarding Councilmember availability to serve.  Ms. Graham indicated she would confirm the date and time during the council meeting.  Discussion and action tabled for later in the meeting

ACTION ITEMS

23-O-03 Introduction of FY ’24 Budget Ordinance – An Ordinance Of The Mayor And Council Of The City Of College Park To Adopt The Fiscal Year 2024 General Fund, ARPA Allocation Fund, Capital Projects Fund And Debt Service Fund Budgets Of The City Of College Park – Gary Fields, Director of Finance The Public Hearing will be held on May 9, 7:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers of College Park City Hall

Mr. Fields provided a brief overview of the Council budget session. The budget ordinance reflects all of the changes that occurred via council discussion.  The budget is based upon the residential property tax rate of 30.18 and is subject to the state constant yield tax rate; the commercial rate is slated for 33.18.  There will be a public hearing to be held on May 9. 

Councilmember Kabir- said he understood that a public hearing is only required for the residential property tax rate but asked if we could include the commercial rate in the proceedings to give the public the opportunity to comment, as the City has never had two rates before. 

City Clerk Janeen Miller said they could tailor public hearing for announcement of the ordinance to include both tax rates. Mr. Fields noted that, although the City is not required by law to include notice of the higher commercial rate in its Washington Post ad, the City did include that information. The hearing will be on May 9^th.

PRESENTATIONS AND WORKSESSION DISCUSSIONS 

2023 Quarterly Financial Presentation – Gary Fields, Director of Finance 

The third quarter financial report is where he expected., any variances are due mostly to timing issues.

The economic development budget line is 152% which is due in large part to the grant given to Grill Marx, but when you look at the overall General Fund budget, it is at 75%, as one would expect. 

Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell asked about Highway User Revenue. Mr. Fields said the state has significantly increased that revenue sharing with municipalities, and the City should see an extra $200 thousand per year for the next several years.

Discussion of having a different property tax rate for vacant and blighted properties –Kenneth A. Young, City Manager; Gary Fields, Director of Finance; Bob Ryan, Director of Public Services 

Mr. Field thanked Councilmember Adams for his assistance. As we see more blighted and vacant properties, more municipalities are imposing vacant and blight taxes as a way to improve owner behavior and not to increase revenue. Washington DC and Mount Rainier are local examples.  

Mayor Protem Mitchell mentioned a recent meeting where Mayor Benitez of Mount Rainer talked about how their city implemented the tax.

Councilmember Adams thanked Mr. Haddad and Mr. Battan for explaining the importance of this issue in their comments. He said Upper Marlboro also has such a tax in place.  

Councilmember Adams asked if we have the legal authority to have a distinct tax rate for blighted versus vacant properties. Ms. Ferguson said Council can set different rates for different categories, as long as the rate is evenly applied across each category. The City could adopt a tax that applies to vacant OR blighted properties. It would be a question about ease of application of the rates, saying Mr. Fields would have to talk to the county about that.  Mr. Fields said it would not be an easy process.  

Mayor Protem Mitchell asked about the definition of blighted. Ms. Ferguson said we would need to include a definition.  She emphasized that a tax rate is not a fine. 

Councilmember Mackie mentioned the need for provisions due to death.  

Councilmember Riggs referenced the various reasons why properties may be vacant and blighted. He made a distinction between commercial and residential.

Councilmember Esters mentioned the concern with older residents who may not be able to make upgrades to their homes and acknowledged the current work by the City to create and identify programs that can assist.  

Councilmember Adams mentioned the use of warnings, an appeals board, and who should serve on that board.  

Mayor Protem Mitchell asked how this would affect code enforcement.  Mr. Ryan said it would be challenging.  

Councilmember Whitney mentioned that there were several properties that she knew of that were not on the list provided by the City.  She shared her interest in us quantifying a commercial rate rather than using a multiplier.  She also asked how we would identify vacancies in the apartments.  Will they be self-reported? 

Mr. Ryan said community input would be a huge help, Mr. Young explained that annual inspections for apartment complexes would play a big part, as would property tax reassessments. He noted that a developer might want to keep their rates higher because it’s part of their requirements for the development.

Councilmember Esters asked what an investigation would look like to determine vacant and blighted properties. 

Mr. Ryan said it would start with a letter to the owner of record, next they would determine if the owner was deceased. If so, then who’s the designated heir or personal representative? He said it would take time. It would be part administrative and part code enforcement, as well as reports from neighbors.

Councilmember Kabir asked Mr. Fields to walk us through the process of having different tax rates.  Mr. Fields said the county sends a request for tax billing service. We would notify the county of the rate and they would bill accordingly.

Councilmember Kennedy acknowledged that we have vacant homes, blighted homes, and vacant commercial properties.  She expressed her desire to understand the different tools we are using/can use to address the issues.  She said we should speak to other cities and towns with colleges to determine their barriers.

Councilmember Adams said we do not want entities to hold onto the properties for a write-off.  We need to talk about a rate that compels change and covers costs.  If as a result, we collect positive revenue, we need to use it to address some of the issues.  

Councilmember Whitney added that we should ask other towns about unintended consequences.  We need to be careful, as there could be unintended consequences associated with both residential and commercial processes.  

Councilmember Riggs wants us to be mindful about consequences related to residential property but does not feel the same way with commercial.  We need a more vibrant commercial landscape.  

Councilmember Mackie said we need to consider what is already addressed in city code. 

Mr. Young said he will take back points from discussion to do additional research and bring the item back for further discussion.  

Discussion of quality-of-life issues (noise, unruly social gatherings, open containers, public intoxication, and public urination) and of UMD student health and safety – Bob Ryan, Director of Public Services, Suellen Ferguson, City Attorney 

Mr. Ryan spoke of all the work done by Public services. He said students are sometimes referred to UMD’s Office of Student Conduct, which is often more effective than city-issued citations.  He said Public Services is often asked why they do not impose charges for unruly gatherings and said the issue is that there must be witnesses to the offense willing to testify in court.  

 Mr. Ryan mentioned the monthly CMAST meetings, which include representatives from public safety, administration, and others.  He said contract Police have the time to go into the neighborhoods. He said they back-up code enforcement and help with the loud mufflers.  

Councilmember Adams invited representatives from Larson Davis to talk about one of their products, an autonomous noise monitoring system. They explained that the devices can text messages to centralized location so code enforcement can see activity and dispatch based on that. The devices can be programmed for different day and night noise levels.

Councilmember Adams said the University of Pennsylvania has been using the system and that legislative action would not be required to employ the devises since they would not be issuing citations but rather notifying code enforcement.

Councilmember Whitney asked the cost per device and what the range of each device is. The vendor said that each unit is $12 thousand and that, because sound is quieter the farther away it is, it is difficult to answer what the range is. Essentially, the units are deployed where loud decibel levels might be expected.

Mr. Ryan asked if the units could measure directionality of sound. The vendor said they could not.

Councilmember Mackie asked Mr. Ryan what people should be advised to do to address quality of life issues.  Mr. Ryan said it depends on the situation. If a resident feels threatened or witnesses crime in progress, including vandalism, call 911. If noise is the issue, they should call the 24/7 noise enforcement hotline at 240-487-3588. During business hours, they can call public services. [Please note, for non-urgent code violations, please go to College Park’s Tell Us About a Problem portal.]Councilmember Esters said people are reluctant to call police or code and often voice concerns on Nextdoor. She asked Mr. Ryan to speak about what actually occurs when the police are called.  Mr. Ryan said calling the police will ensure attention is focused on particular areas.  

Councilmember Adams said we have a number of tools, but people want solutions. Code enforcement of noise is a challenge and a quality-of-life issue. He asked if we need to add an additional tier to noise levels. He mentioned the numbers of people who walk around with open containers here is unlike other places. It is not normal. He asked Ms. Ferguson if the city could issue municipal infractions for alcohol. Ms. Ferguson said Code would not enforce something that is considered criminal, but police will enforce County and State infractions.  Officers are not here to enforce municipal law. She said it is probably not something we could create a municipal infraction for, but we could perhaps create a task force to specifically address the issue. He asked about the feasibility of unarmed community enforcement.  

Mr. Ryan added that police can enforce citations for county law, and this can be done for alcohol or marijuana possession, but such cases are often dismissed.

Councilmember Adams mentioned the gap between code and police enforcement and said that the addition of structured activities could assist with these efforts.  Mentioned partnering with the IFC to coordinate events.  He said residents are not code enforcement and there needs to be clearer communication about how to address issues.

Councilmember Riggs said we need to engage more actively with the University and must also hold irresponsible landlords accountable. The tools that we have are not helping to adequately address the situation.  

Mr. Ryan said infractions can only be given when there is a violation.  

Councilmember Kabir asked why an escalation of infractions does not occur and referenced what he believed to be successful in Baltimore County 

Ms. Ferguson said we have an ongoing issue, but new residents. The city does not go to court with cases they cannot win. Maryland law says you cannot disturb the peace of a peace officer. She said residents can also utilize the noise board.  

Councilmember Esters said that as a university town, the issues are not an anomaly. She said many campuses are dry, which sends this activity into the surrounding community. She suggested we work with the University more closely and that we invite the Maryland Collaborative to speak with us about their work and other things that can be done.  

Councilmember Kabir asked about the safety ambassador program from UMD. Mr. Ryan said the program was funded for 1 semester, but neither the university, CPCUP nor Council wanted to continue funding the program.  

Mayor Protem Mitchell asked that Councilmember Rigg, Adams, and others who are interested work together to identify possible solutions.  

Mr. Young said there are issues throughout the city, and we have a finite number of staff. with coverage mostly through 3am. He said we are not unique, and he acknowledged that ongoing drinking throughout the week is a concern.  

Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell mentioned the previous Quality of Life Task Force that worked to identify areas of concern for the city to address.  

Third Quarter Strategic Plan update – Bill Gardiner, Assistant City Manager FY23 3^rd Quarter Overview 

Mr. Gardiner provided an overview regarding the City’s 27 quarterly (Objectives and Key Results) OKRs aligned to 6 (six) one-year OKRs.  

Some key results, to date, include:

• Presentation of Community Survey
• New garage cameras
• Computer updates
• Special election on track
• The onboarding of new staff
• Preparation and presentation of FY budget 
• Filing of ARPA report 
• 6 wellness activities, 3 leadership activities
• New employee newsletter
• Selection of new planning director 
• Upcoming launch of aging-in-place retrofit program.  
• Function Accela system operation

The following challenges were identified:

• The impact of the special election on new employee onboarding.  
• Work with Restorative Justice commission required more staff time than anticipated.
• Challenge selecting VeoRide parking locations and compliance with contract requirements.
• Recycling percentage is flat, and residents are not recycling as required.
• Youth and Family Services (YFS) is still seeking a family therapist.

Objectives for the 4^th Quarter

• Advisory Board Reception 
• Friday Night Live Series
• Special Election 
• Community Meeting about 4704 Calvert Rd
• Budget adoption and implementation 
• Council presentation of livable action plan
• Staff succession planning and prep for new employees

23-G-67 -Council revisited discussion and action item – appointment of representative to the student liaison selection committee.  The afternoon of Thursday, April 27 was confirmed as the date for interviews.  Councilmembers Riggs and Kennedy agreed to participate in the interview process with Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell.   

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

Councilmember Riggs mentioned his attendance at a recent Maryland Municipal League (MML) meeting which included a discussion of the recent legislative session. New constant yield notification requirements and the cannabis legislation were discussed.  He said we need to discuss what the new cannabis legislation will mean for the city.  

Councilmembers Adams, Mackie, and Mitchell attended the CMAST meeting where a need for more county and UMD police at sporting events and other activities was discussed.  

Mr. Young mentioned that Stephanie Anderson and Len Lucchi, city lobbyists, are coming to the May 23^rd Council meeting to discuss the recent legislative session.  He told Council he would be out of the office Wednesday, April 26 through Sunday, April 30, and that Bill Gardiner would be in charge but said he could be reached by phone if need be.  

MEETING ADJOURN

Click here for the April 25^th  meeting agenda. Click here to watch the video of the April 25, 2023, meeting. 

Click here to see the agenda for the City of College Park Mayor & Council Hybrid Meeting on May 2, 2023. Tune in, show up or share your thoughts/concerns about the following anticipated Action Items:

• Consideration of a request by the College Park City-University Partnership for the City to jointly pursue MDOT grants to fund the Campus Drive Bike Path and Riverwalk Trail and to approve letters of support for the grant applications. 
• Introduction of an Ordinance Of The Mayor And Council Of The City Of College Park Amending City Code Chapter 15 “Boards, Commissions And Committees”, By Deleting Article II, “College Park Recreation Board”, §§ 15-3 Through 15-18, In Its Entirety To Remove The College Park Recreation Board From The City Code And Re-establish By Resolution A City Events Advisory Board For The Purpose As Set Forth In Resolution 23-R-06.

We are thrilled to deliver good news about three District 2 playgrounds.

First, we received news this morning from M-NCPPC’s Recreation and Park Maintenance Coordinator that Berwyn playground repairs are scheduled to start either Tuesday, May 3, or Wednesday May 4.

Second, we were informed via a letter from M-NCPPC Chairman Peter A. Shapiro that Lakeland Neighborhood Park playground has been identified as a priority. He wrote that the playground replacement is currently in design and will be constructed in 2023 and that the Department will continue to explore ways to further enhance the park through its Park Refresh program.

Finally, Mr. Shapiro wrote that the concept designs to replace the playground at Paint Branch Elementary/College Park Community Center are in process and construction of that playground is also planned for 2023.

We want to thank all the residents who have advocated for this work through their emails, letters, presence at planning sessions, and testifying at budget hearings. We are impressed and inspired by your dedication to the community.  We believe it is the culmination of all of our voices that moves the ball forward. 

As it relates to more immediate fun, don’t forget that tomorrow is Maryland Day, an event for all ages. It runs from 10 am to 4 pm tomorrow, and you can use the link above to find out everything you need to know. 

The Tree and Landscape Board and the North College Park Civic Association are hosting the annual Arbor Day Tree Planting on Friday, April 28 at 6:00 p.m. at the intersection of Narragansett Parkway and 52^nd Avenue. A native Scrub Pine will be planted.