Mayor & City Council

BUDGET WORKSESSION College Park City Council Council Chambers Saturday, April 14, 2018 8:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. MINUTES PRESENT: Mayor Wojahn; Councilmembers Kabir, Brennan, Dennis, Day, Rigg (arrived 8:50 a.m.), Kujawa and Mitchell. ABSENT: Councilmember Kennedy. ALSO PRESENT: Scott Somers, City Manager; Bill Gardiner, Assistant City Manager; Janeen Miller, City Clerk; Gary Fields, Director of Finance; Leo Thomas, Jr., Deputy Director of Finance; Terry Schum, Director of Planning; Steve Halpern, City Engineer; Bob Stumpff, Director of Public Works; Brenda Alexander and Robert Marsili, Assistant Directors of Public Works. 1. Overview of the FY 2019 Proposed Budget & Revenue: Mr. Somers reviewed his budget message and PowerPoint presentation. This budget proposes maintaining the tax rate at $.335 per $100 of assessed value. Mr. Somers reviewed general fund expenditures and revenues. There were questions about hotel/motel tax; whether real property tax revenue can be parsed between single family vs. high-rise properties; Constant Yield tax rate; SDAT information; which pedestrian lights are proposed to be retrofitted; and the I-Net. 2. Planning, Community & Economic Development: Ms. Schum reviewed the budgets for departmental Administration, Community Development, Planning & Zoning, and Economic Development. CIP projects were reviewed: Duvall Field Renovation; Sustainability Initiative; Hollywood Gateway Park; Hollywood Commercial Revitalization; Bikeshare; Complete & Green Streets; Program Open Space; Rhode Island Avenue Bike Lane & Intersection Improvements. Council discussed the request for $75,000 to use as a matching grant for public art; upcoming staffing changes; whether there should be a comprehensive parking study; and the status of the Hollywood Gateway Park project. 3. Engineering Services: Mr. Halpern reviewed program #5021 and the Pavement Management Plan. 4. General Government - Part 1: The Mayor and Council budget was reviewed. There were questions about the Education grants; the request for additional funds from the CPCUP; funding for Meals on Wheels; criterial and reporting requirements overall for City grants; the Lobbyist position; and whether to join the Prince George’s County Chamber of Commerce. [Lunch Break] College Park City Council April 14, 2018 Budget Worksession Minutes Page 2 5. Public Works: Mr. Stumpff, Ms. Alexander and Mr. Marsili reviewed the budgets for departmental Administration; Solid Waste Management (Refuse Management; Leaf & Grass Collection; Litter & Graffiti Control; Recycling; Compost Yard Operations); Street Management & Parking Lot Maintenance (Street Cleaning; Signage; Street Maintenance; Snow & Ice Control; Parking Lot Maintenance; Parking Lot Garage); Buildings & Grounds (Public Works Buildings; Recreation Facilities Maintenance; Building Maintenance; Turf & ROW Maintenance; Tree & Landscape Maintenance); Fleet Services. Mr. Stumpff recommends a consultant to study the City’s overall solid waste program. Council discussed parking restrictions to facilitate street cleaning/leaf and snow removal; and greater efforts to clean up the City. 6. General Government and Administration – continued: The Mayor and Council reviewed the budgets for Property Acquisition; City Manager; City Clerk; City Attorney and Finance. Action Items: To discuss at April 21, 2018 Budget W/S: 1. Home improvement grant program (send information from March 2017 W/S) 2. Parking study: 1) Residential permit parking and 2) Downtown commercial parking/UMD impact – FY ’19 funding? 3. Education grants for UMD scholarships – are we meeting the need? (P. Higgins) 4. CPCUP request for an additional $10K 5. An increase for Meals on Wheels (Councilmember Mitchell) 6. An increase in Fire Department grants (Councilmember Rigg) 7. JTCC grant request renewal? (Mayor Wojahn) 8. Request to increase IFC tailgate expenditure by 10% 9. Status of Public Services scanning project (B. Ryan) To schedule at a Future Worksession: 1. Hollywood Gateway Park (April 17) 2. Sidewalk plan/corridors/priorities 3. Report from Grant subcommittee 4. Parking restrictions during leaf collection and snow removal 5. Discussion of Public Art grants Provide further information to Council: 1. Break down of real property tax revenue by class/type 2. Get info from SDAT about why assessment numbers dropped 3. Is the cost for the yard waste carts the subsidized cost? 4. Which pedestrian lights will be retrofitted? 5. More information about the I-Net 6. Provide Bikeshare utilization numbers College Park City Council April 14, 2018 Budget Worksession Minutes Page 3 7. Complete and Green Streets CIP: Explain what the FY 19 proposed budget includes and what fiscal year each grant is in 8. Lobbyist – go out to bid periodically, report on the direct value to the City, what specifically have they lobbied on for us? 9. Is there any value in joining the Prince George’s County Chamber of Commerce? 10. City attorney costs – flat fee vs. hourly rates Attorney’s contract; research attorney rates in the market for comparison – land use, labor attorneys; regular monthly litigation reports; what would it cost to go in-house for legal services and contract out specialty services. 11. Send the information from the prior W/S about credit card fees (information was sent) ADJOURN: A motion was made by Councilmember Brennan and seconded by Councilmember Rigg to adjourn the Worksession. With a vote of 7-0-0, Mayor Wojahn adjourned the Worksession at 3:30 p.m. ____________________________________________ Janeen S. Miller, CMC Date City Clerk Approved