Mayor & City Council

MINUTES College Park City Council Budget Worksession Saturday, March 27, 2021 8:00 a.m. – 4:40 p.m. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, this was a virtual meeting. PRESENT: Mayor Wojahn; Councilmembers Kabir, Kennedy, Dennis, Esters, Day, Rigg, Mackie and Mitchell. ABSENT: None. ALSO PRESENT: Bill Gardiner, Interim City Manager; Janeen S. Miller, City Clerk; Gary Fields, Director of Finance; Leo Thomas, Deputy Director of Finance; Bridgette Johnson, Economic Development Manager; Sarah Price, IT Manager; Bob Ryan, Director of Public Services; Steve Halpern, City Engineer; Robert Marsili, Director of Public Works; Brenda Alexander and Frank Pacifico, Assistant Directors, Public Works; Terry Schum, Director of Planning; Teresa Way-Pezzuti, Director of Human Resources. 1. Overview of FY 2022 Proposed Budget: General Fund, Debt Service Fund, Capital Projects Fund: Mr. Gardiner reviewed the attached PowerPoint. • Request for combined tax rate chart. Mr. Fields reviewed revenue (p. 21-22). • Request for breakdown of increased property tax revenue between each commercial property and residential. • Correct Bottom of page 25 – residential permits are free now. 2. General Government and Administration (p. 31-67): Mayor & Council: • Can we increase MOW and College Park Food Bank? • Provide more information about ATHA. • Request for a report on the CPCUP Homeownership Grant program and how to stabilize homeownership especially in the Lakeland community. City Manager (p. 35-36) • General comment: The performance measures have not been updated in this document. Budget Worksession Minutes March 27, 2021 Page 2 Economic Development: • Should we restore the funding in meeting refreshments for the business breakfast? • Can we add any Façade Improvement funds from the new federal funding? City Clerk: • Send volunteers a thank you letter and gift. City Attorney: • City Attorney’s legal support to the CPCUP: Is there an MOU that says the City pays their legal fees; was it approved by Council? • Reason for decrease? Less City Hall work. • List of funds and legal services in other towns / having a staff attorney / facilitate a discussion. • Parking Lot: Closed session with the City Attorney to discuss an evaluation and supervision protocol. Finance: (p. 45-48) • None. Human Resources (p. 49-52): • New FTE for Racial Equity Officer • GARE Training Program • Telework policy • Employee engagement Communications & Public Relations: • All City events consolidated into this budget • Resident Survey • Marketing Study in Strategic Plan • Can certain City events (night at the movies) rotate to other parks/districts? • Can we mail the M/S to our seniors? The College Park Here and Now Newspaper is mailed monthly to every household. • Extended and improved use of our cable TV station – more than just slides – live presentation of City activities. • More events and parades; delayed 75th anniversary event; spring event? Information Technology: • Granicus Board and Committee module. • Cybersecurity – how are we ensuring that our systems are secure? • What is still managed in house v. what is in the Cloud? Non-Departmental (p. 62): • None. Budget Worksession Minutes March 27, 2021 Page 3 COVID-19: • Nothing budgeted for FY ’22. Elections Board and Ethics Commission (p. 65-67): • None. CIP: New City Hall (p. 174): • How to handle building maintenance still TBD. • What other decisions will come back to Council? Facilities Capital Reserve (p. 178): • Major renovations needed in parking garage I-Net (p. 181): • Some expenditures for new City Hall in Council Chambers may be covered by our I-Net reserve. Property Acquisition (p. 184) • Funds from Planning for appraisals/matching funds have been moved. 3. Public Services (p. 69-88) Administration: • Metrics/data to demonstrate value of live monitoring of security cameras. Parking Management & Enforcement: • LPR software is in function and working well. • Target July 1 for elimination of hang tags. • Paper visitor passes. Code Compliance & Enforcement: • How are we budgeting abatements? • Reduction in overtime costs because of increased flexing of schedules • Future Worksession about loud car exhaust noises • Discussion about I-95 commuter parking lot, IKEA lot, Home Depot lot • Show EROs issued in our weekly bulletin. Animal Welfare: • Discussion of animal adoption service. Speed Enforcement: • Reduction in cost of camera lease projections. Budget Worksession Minutes March 27, 2021 Page 4 Contract Police: • Crime Analyst position and timing of reports. CIP: CCTV (p. 173): • We have cameras in storage waiting to be installed pending Pepco approval of pole attachment. We are also replacing original cameras. Parking Enforcement Equipment Replacement (p. 183): • Funding to equip a 3rd Parking Enforcement vehicle with LPR technology. 4. Planning and Community Development (p. 89-98) Administration: • Review of Grants • Is a City history project eligible for grant funding? Community Development: • None. Planning & Zoning: • Completion of the walking trail will require an additional design effort and is not included. • Options to access the frog pond; possible funding through Program Open Space CIP: Bikeshare (p. 172): • We no longer need to pay for bikeshare so the money has been put toward RI Avenue bike lanes. • Edmonston Road sidewalk needs funding – can the funds to there instead? • A place to park bikes in D. 4 Duvall Field Renovation (p. 177): • DPIE request for a floodplain study at our expense. Reach out to County Council members. Overall Stormwater hydrology study to inform our understanding about development in the Guilford Run area – American Rescue Plan funds? Hollywood Commercial Revitalization (p. 179): • CIP page will be updated to awarded bid • 3 goat paths are not included Rhode Island Ave. Bike Lane/Intersection: • Funding options and phases Budget Worksession Minutes March 27, 2021 Page 5 • American Rescue Plan Act funding may be available for bike lane project – there are funds in our reserve if not • TAP grant (Transportation Alternatives Program) for bike racks and infrastructure around the City 5. Engineering Services (p. 189) CIP: Complete & Green Streets (p.186): • Sidewalk Projects – Council chose the priority projects; funded through the federal TAP program. • Assess the condition of the Trolley Trail. Pavement Management Plan (p.187) Pedestrian Streetlights (p.188) • SHA has included most of the funding for US1 pedestrian lights in their budget. The City will maintain the lights. • Pepco plans to convert street lights to LEDs. Engineering (p.154) 6. Youth, Family & Senior Services (p. 99-110) Administration: • Request for full funding from Neighbors Helping Neighbors – accept the staff recommendation with the understanding that we can revisit the matter if they use the available funds. • Questions about new EAC ideas. • Funding for UMD summer camps – not certain about 2021 camps. If the demand is there, we can fund it. • Discuss expansion of summer youth scholarship program. Clinical Services: • Question about “Case Management”: A standalone Case Management program would be an expansion of services on the Youth and Family side; we include it only as part of our clinical treatment plan. Seniors Program: • We do provide Case Management as part of our Seniors Program with two case manager specialists. 7. Public Works (p. 111-159) Administration • None Budget Worksession Minutes March 27, 2021 Page 6 Solid Waste Management (p.116-127): • None Street Management & Parking Lot Maintenance (p.128-140): • Smaller street sweeper? • Sidewalks heaved due to tree roots. Buildings & Grounds (p.141-153): • Researching maintenance on new City Hall Fleet Services (p.157) CIP: CP Woods Property Acquisition & Redevelopment (p. 175): • Potential Cost increase Dog Park (p. 176): Old Parish House (p. 182): • RFP for masonry work just advertised. • Grading work needed. Public Works Facilities (p. 185): • Improve the customer service counter at Davis Hall. Vehicle Replacement (p. 190) • Exploring a leasing option for certain City vehicles 8. City Council discussion Council requests for inclusion in budget: • Consider what the American Rescue Plan will cover. • How will requests for reinstatement come back to M&C. • Item 2 Interactive Online College Park History Project: Take back to staff; where does it fit in the Strategic Plan; consider greater use of cable tv channel to support this project. • Item 3: US Conference of Mayors will be in person; Continue participation in Mayor’s Innovation Project. • Street lights: On 51st street between Apache and Branchville, and Branchville and Blackfoot Place, and near 4809 Blackfoot. • Add Placeholder for Hydrology consulting services – Duvall Field, Lord Calvert Manor/Calvert Hills flooding issues, Guilford Run area. • CPW Clubhouse – add a Christmas Tree and the ability to light it. • Add Placeholder to fully fund restoration of basketball court in Calvert Hills. • Neighborhood sign for Oak Springs: Get more information from staff. Neighborhoods without a specific entrance are harder to sign. Revisit with civic association. • Expand transportation services for seniors: Results of GreenPlay study; revisit with Budget Worksession Minutes March 27, 2021 Page 7 Seniors Committee. • Neighborhood message/announcement boards. Staff will meet with D. 4 Councilmembers. • Identify locations for additional neighborhood food scrap drop off sites. • Park area in Autoville: location would have to be identified. Does M-NCPPC own land there? • Requests for M-NCPPC budget? • Dot matrix mobile messaging sign: need more information - what would it be used for. • RRFB at entrance of College Park Woods: Engineer should weigh in on feasibility of the location. • 25: What does MUTCD say? Get feedback from City Engineer, residents, and other communities that have installed them. • 31: Get more information from the City Engineer about the estimate that was provided. Prioritize certain areas. • New: EAC partnership with Literacy Lab for tutoring program. • 32: Water that flows down Cherokee, down 49th, to Blackfoot, water flows over the curb and goes to Rhode Island. Esters has more information. Meet on site with City Engineer. • 33: Discuss with County. • 34: Keep in the budget; develop list of locations; work with WMATA, State, County • 35: Will continue to bring issues to the attention of the P&P police. • 38: At the Berwyn Neighborhood Playground Wrap-up & direction to City staff • Will take comments from this list back to staff and return to Council with that information. • Letter to P&P that combines all of those requests. • Provide more information about what the American Rescue Plan can cover • Make necessary corrections to the budget document • No need for a meeting on Tuesday, March 30. Adjourn: Motion by Councilmember Rigg, second by Councilmember Kabir, passed 8-0. Meeting adjourned at 4:40 p.m. ______________________________________ Janeen S. Miller Date City Clerk Approved