Mayor & City Council

MINUTES Regular Meeting of the College Park City Council Tuesday, April 25, 2017 Council Chambers 7:30 p.m. – 9:55 p.m. PRESENT: Mayor Wojahn; Councilmembers Kabir, Nagle, Brennan, Dennis, Stullich (arrived at 7:59 p.m.), Kujawa and Cook. ABSENT: Councilmember Day. ALSO PRESENT: Scott Somers, City Manager; Bill Gardiner, Assistant City Manager; Janeen Miller, City Clerk; Suellen Ferguson, City Attorney; Bob Ryan, Director of Public Services; Peggy Higgins, Director of Youth, Family & Senior Services; Gary Fields, Director of Finance; Terry Schum, Director of Planning; Ryna Quiñones, Communications Coordinator; Chris Keosian, Student Liaison; and Brandon Carroll, Deputy Student Liaison. Mayor Wojahn opened the meeting at 7:30 p.m. Announcements: Councilmember Kabir announced the Budget Town Hall hosted by Districts 1 and 4. Councilmember Brennan thanked fire fighters and police for their response to the fire yesterday at the still-under-construction Fuze 47 apartment building on Berwyn House Road. At 5 alarms and 200 fire fighters, it was the largest fire suppression event in the history of the County. Good communication was helpful to the residents in the area. Councilmember Dennis also commented on the fire response efforts, since he is a member of that community. He has received many comments on the coordinated efforts. He also announced the County’s Coffee Club tomorrow morning at Jason’s Deli. Councilmember Kujawa announced the West College Park Civic Association annual meeting would be held on Sunday April 30 at Maranatha Church. Councilmember Cook also thanked those who responded to the fire. Mayor Wojahn said there is still a lot to do in the aftermath of this event to make sure that everyone is safe and with regard to the safety and clean up of the building. City Manager’s Report: Mr. Somers gave a summary of the fire in the Fuze 47 apartment building that was scheduled to open in July. The fire started on the 6th floor. The building had a courtyard. There was a firewall that prevented the fire from spreading farther west. The west side is intact. The east side floors 3 – 7 will need to come down; Wood Partners is working with structural engineers on this now. The cause is under investigation. Wood Partners does anticipate rebuilding. College Park City Council Meeting Minutes April 25, 2017 Page 2 Acknowledgements: Mayor Wojahn recognized Patti Stange who serves on the Animal Welfare Committee, Mary Ann Hakes who was appointed to the Seniors Committee, Daniel First who was appointed to the Education Advisory Committee, and former Councilmember John Krouse. Proclamations: Mayor Wojahn read the proclamations for Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week (May 1 – 7, 2017) and Arbor Day (April 26, 2017). Amendments To And Approval Of The Agenda: A motion was made by Councilmember Cook and seconded by Councilmember Brennan to add agenda item 17-G-65, a letter of support for a College Park Arts Exchange grant application to Maryland Milestones for College Park Photography Tour. The motion passed 6 – 0 – 0. The agenda was approved as amended (Brennan/Dennis) 6 – 0 – 0. Public Comment On Consent And Non-Agenda Items: Cynthia Martinez, UMD Director of Brand Marketing: She invited everyone to attend Maryland Day on Saturday and reviewed the many activities. Mark Schweber, owner of 4424 Hartwick Road (corner of Hartwick and Yale): He requested the City to place a trash/recycle receptacle on the corner of his property which is close to businesses on Route 1 and collects a lot of trash and debris, for which he gets cited. [Councilmember Stullich arrived.] Oscar Gregory, 9253 Limestone Place: He reported that firefighters had trouble getting behind the Fuze 47 building on Monday and suggested that this be taken into consideration if the property is rebuilt. David Gray, 7306 Radcliffe Drive: He likes the new budget document, likes seeing the estimated year-end projections. He doesn’t think it is worth spending $15,000 on voting machines. In 2013 we spent $3.76 per vote, and in 2015 we spent $9.60 per vote. PRESENTATIONS: a. Lakeland STARS and College Park Scholars: Mayor Wojahn, Jeannie Cadet and Ben Parks presented certificates to the Lakeland STARS and the College Park Scholars. b. Presentation from Stuart Eisenberg of the Hyattsville CDC on art trail signage on the Trolley Trail: Mr. Eisenberg gave a project update on “ARTways: Sculptural Signage and Mapping” and reviewed his PowerPoint. Council is requested to provide feedback on the location for the 7’6” steel and aluminum sculpture. The three choices along the Trolley Trail are at Calvert Road, Campus Drive and Greenbelt Road. Funding for the installation has not yet been identified. College Park City Council Meeting Minutes April 25, 2017 Page 3 PUBLIC HEARING – CHARTER RESOLUTION 17-CR-01 Mayor Wojahn opened the Public Hearing on Charter Resolution 17-CR-01, A Charter Resolution of The Mayor And Council Of The City Of College Park To Repeal The City Of College Park Charter In Its Entirety And To Enact A New Charter, and invited Ms. Ferguson to give an overview. Mayor Wojahn said that while this may look like a complete rewrite of the Charter, in fact it is mostly technical changes and updates, and thanked the Charter Revision subcommittee for their review. Ms. Ferguson said these are mostly non-substantive changes in response to Council’s direction to update the Charter. Certain portions were reorganized, code references were updated, and updates were made to provisions that no longer comport with current practice. As the Committee looked at the Charter, certain provisions were raised that needed clarification and are considered substantive. The amendment proposes changes in the areas of public notice, clarifies some voting provisions, what committees the Mayor and Council can and cannot be part of, updates information on petitions of candidacy, allows for emergency meetings and emergency powers, and clarifies the vote of a Councilmember serving as the Mayor Pro Tem. Mayor Wojahn invited public comment. Public Comment: David Gray, 7306 Radcliffe Drive: The Emergency Powers section is not fully-baked. Who is the body with jurisdiction that will decide? A quorum keeps things from going bad. The clause that says we will figure this out later is bad form. Section C7-10 on Specific Powers seems open ended – what does this mean? Can the Council buy a jet or a condominium in Ocean City? Mayor Wojahn said C7-10 was just moved from another section of the Charter and is exactly as it has been worded in the past. He added that the emergency section applies only to that article in the Charter. There being no further comment, the Public Hearing was closed at 8:52 p.m. CONSENT AGENDA: A motion was made by Councilmember Dennis and seconded by Councilmember Brennan to adopt the Consent Agenda, which consisted of the following: 17-G-36 Approval of amendments to our contract with Optotraffic 17-G-64 Approval of Minutes from the April 4, 2017 Worksession 17-G-65 Letter of support for a College Park Arts Exchange grant application to Maryland Milestones for College Park Photography Tour. The motion passed 6 – 0 – 0 (Councilmember Kujawa recused herself). College Park City Council Meeting Minutes April 25, 2017 Page 4 ACTION ITEMS: 17-G-61 Approval, with conditions, of Detailed Site Plan 16063 for Greenbelt Town Center Infrastructure and Metro Parking Garage Ms. Schum said this is a limited Detailed Site Plan for roadway and trail infrastructure and construction of a parking garage associated with Renard Development Company’s joint development agreement with WMATA. The site is located in Greenbelt. The key issues for the City are stormwater management and the impact of light and noise from the proposed 8 story parking garage and Metro access drive. The current site plan does not conform to the existing approved stormwater concept plan and the flood plain study for the site, and must be revised before it is approved. Stormwater facilities will not be constructed before the old guidelines expire and the facilities will need to be upgraded to conform to new guidelines. A revised stormwater concept plan must be submitted and approved by the County prior to the issuance of any grading permits. The City’s proposed letter addresses these issues with 9 conditions. Staff believes the applicant is in general agreement our conditions with the exception of condition #8. Metro Access Drive will be constructed by SHA and the applicant is willing to facilitate a meeting with the parties listed in condition #8, but does not believe they can agree to the condition. Garth Beall, Renard Development: They are in agreement with staff conditions except the comment on Metro Access Drive because it is now a State Highway project. Renard will work with SHA and the other parties, but they are not in control. Revised language for condition #8: “Applicant shall coordinate with …[the parties]…to ensure to the greatest extent permitted by SHA efforts to effectively reduce….” Councilmember Kabir expressed concerns about stormwater management issues and the potential for flooding in north College Park. He said we are being asked to support an old study; why wasn’t it updated. Mr. Beall responded that they will do an updated floodplain study and are still required to bring the stormwater plan forward to the current regulations. They are committed to ensure there are no impacts on north College Park. For now, they need to wait and see what happens with the development. The City will still have an opportunity to review the stormwater management plan. A motion was made by Councilmember Nagle and seconded by Councilmember Kabir that the City Council recommend approval of Detailed Site Plan 16063 with conditions as stated in the letter to Chairperson Elizabeth Hewlett. Councilmember Nagle commented that while this project is located within the City of Greenbelt, residents of north College Park are the closest to the proposed development and will be impacted the most by construction on the property. Potential changes to stormwater drainage and the flood plain of Indian Creek and Narragansett Run, and noise and reflected light from the proposed garage and roadway, are of significant concern, which the City’s letter addresses. Comments from the audience: College Park City Council Meeting Minutes April 25, 2017 Page 5 John Krouse, 9709 53rd Avenue: He has been involved in this project for 20 years. He just learned that SHA will be building Metro Access Drive and disclosed that he works as a consultant for the Maryland State Highway Administration, but has no role with this project. He appreciates that the City hired the hydrology consultant and believes his input was very helpful. He referenced the letter the City received from the NCPCA and thinks the City’s letter addresses those concerns very well. Oscar Gregory, 9253 Limestone Place: He thinks the City is expressing a cavalier attitude about wet basements. It can produce mold and lead to breathing problems. We should more than ensure that there is no impact on our residents. Mayor Wojahn said that is exactly what we are doing. The motion passed 7 – 0 – 0. 17-G-63 Approval of an expenditure (approximately $38,000) for the pedestrian safety barrier on the east side of Baltimore Avenue south of Knox Road Ms Schum said this request comes from the City Manager’s office in response to concerns about crowd control and safety near the bars. This would be a permanent installation and needs to be coordinated with SHA and the property owners. The fence would be similar to the one in place by the Bagel Place rather than introduce another design. An informal estimate is $38,000 and it will require a future budget amendment. Funds can be transferred from snow/ice control. A motion was made by Councilmember Stullich and seconded by Councilmember Brennan to authorize a budget amendment in an amount not to exceed $40,000 to fabricate and install a pedestrian safety barrier along a portion of Baltimore Avenue in Downtown College Park. The motion passed 7 – 0 – 0. 17-CR-01 Adoption of Charter Resolution 17-CR-01, A Charter Resolution of The Mayor And Council Of The City Of College Park To Repeal The City Of College Park Charter In Its Entirety And To Enact A New Charter A motion was made by Councilmember Nagle and seconded by Councilmember Kabir to adopt Charter Resolution 17-CR-01, A Charter Resolution of The Mayor And Council Of The City Of College Park To Repeal The City Of College Park Charter In Its Entirety And To Enact A New Charter. The motion passed 7 – 0 – 0. 17-O-04 Introduction of the FY 2018 Budget Ordinance College Park City Council Meeting Minutes April 25, 2017 Page 6 A motion was made by Councilmember Dennis and seconded by Councilmember Kujawa to introduce Ordinance 17-O-04, the FY 2018 General Fund, Capital Projects Fund and Debt Service Fund Budgets of the City of College Park. Mayor Wojahn announced that the Public Hearing will be held at 7:30 p.m. on May 9, 2017 in the Council Chambers. 17-G-62 Appointments to Boards and Committees A motion was made by Councilmember Nagle and seconded by Councilmember Kujawa to appoint Bonnie Beck O’Brien to the Seniors Committee, reappoint Doris Ellis to the Education Advisory Committee, appoint John Payne to the Board of Election Supervisors (District 3) pending receipt of his application, and to make the following reappointments to the College Park City University Partnership: Mayor Patrick Wojahn as a Class B Director (term to expire 6/30/2020), Stephen Brayman as a Class B Director (term to expire 6/30/2020), and David Iannucci as a Class C Director (term to expire 6/30/2020). The motion passed 7 – 0 – 0. COUNCIL/STUDENT LIAISON COMMENTS: Councilmember Cook reported that the Cherry Hill Road Bike Trail will be extended to Sellman Road and the Beltsville Community Center; construction will start in May. It will eventually go up to Fairland Road. Councilmember Nagle asked about an item in the Weekly Bulletin about a meeting with a potential developer. Mr. Somers said there might be an interest from a developer in annexation when the Purple Line comes in. Councilmember Kabir asked for a future Worksession discussion about regulations of yard sale signs. He said people are putting up signs but then they are being removed. Mr. Keosian announced that former Student Liaison AJ Pruitt has been elected as the next SGA president. COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE: Alex Tobin, 8204 Baltimore Avenue: Thanked all parties for their help the last couple of days with the Fuze 47 fire; it was a collaborative effort. He said that finals may interfere with student involvement in the budget negotiations. Mayor Wojahn said people can submit their testimony in writing. ADJOURN: A motion was made by Councilmember Dennis and seconded by Councilmember Brennan to adjourn the meeting. Mayor Wojahn said there will not be a closed session tonight. The motion passed 7 – 0 – 0 and Mayor Wojahn adjourned the meeting at 9:55 p.m. ____________________________________________ College Park City Council Meeting Minutes April 25, 2017 Page 7 Janeen S. Miller, CMC Date City Clerk Approved Pursuant to §C6-3 of the College Park City Charter, at 10:37 p.m. on April 18, 2017, during a regularly scheduled meeting of the College Park City Council, a motion was made by Councilmember Brennan and seconded by Councilmember Dennis to enter into a Closed Session to discuss the possible acquisition of real property for a public purpose, and matters directly related to said acquisition; to consult with Counsel on a legal matter; and to discuss a negotiating strategy before a contract is awarded. The motion passed 7-0-0 and the Council entered into the closed session at 10:42 p.m. Present: Mayor Wojahn; Councilmembers Kabir, Nagle, Brennan, Dennis, Stullich, Day, and Cook. Absent: Councilmember Kujawa. Also Present: Scott Somers, City Manager; Bill Gardiner, Assistant City Manager; Suellen Ferguson, City Attorney; Janeen Miller, City Clerk; Terry Schum, Director of Planning. Topic Discussed: City Staff and the City Attorney provided an update to Council on an offer to purchase a piece of property in the City that would be used for a public purpose. Action Taken: Council voted to authorize staff to make an offer on a property in the City that would be used for a public purpose, and set parameters for the offer. Adjourn: A motion was made by Councilmember Brennan and seconded by Councilmember Kabir to adjourn the closed session, and with a vote of 7 – 0 – 0, Mayor Wojahn adjourned the closed session at 11:30 p.m.