Mayor & City Council

MINUTES College Park City Council Worksession Tuesday, March 15, 2022 7:30 p.m. – 10:54 p.m. PRESENT: Mayor Wojahn; Councilmembers Kabir, Kennedy, Esters, Whitney, Adams, Rigg, and Mackie. ABSENT: Councilmember Mitchell. ALSO PRESENT: Kenneth Young, City Manager; Bill Gardiner, Assistant City Manager; Janeen S. Miller, City Clerk; Suellen Ferguson, City Attorney; Bob Ryan, Director of Public Services; Robert Marsili, Director of Public Works; Terry Schum, Director of Planning; Michael Williams, Economic Development Manager; Megha Sevalia, Student Liaison. Mayor Wojahn opened the Worksession at 7:30 p.m. Amendments To And Approval Of The Agenda: • Add a Special Session after item #2 to consider approval of two letters of support for funding for the CPCUP’s Community Preservation Trust: o Item 22-G-52: Letter of support for funding of $50M from the state of Maryland o Item 22-G-53: Letter of support for $4M in funding o Motion by Kennedy/Whitney, passed 7-0 • Add Proclamation in support of Ukraine, motion by Adams/Mackie, passed 7-0 • Approve that agenda as amended, motion by Mackie/Kabir, passed 7-0 PROCLAMATION: Mayor Wojahn read the Proclamation in support of Ukraine. DISCUSSION ITEMS: 1. Presentation by the College Park City University Partnership’s (CPCUP) Neighborhood Preservation and Development Committee on the establishment of a Community Preservation Trust and potential partnership with the City of College Park: Councilmember Kennedy, Eric Olson, Ed Maginnis, Richard Wagner. Councilmember Kennedy reviewed the PowerPoint which started with a review of the January 11 presentation. This is about affordable housing, neighborhood preservation, targeted neighborhoods, long term intervention, and home ownership affordability – not rentals. She reviewed the step-by-step process, the financial model, applicant eligibility and prioritization. AMI means Area Median Income and is based on the household AMI. Housing data determines the target neighborhoods. She provided the financial overview of Trust operations. This is a long-term, ground-lease structure. Initial ask of the City is for $3M, to be funded from ARPA College Park City Council Minutes March 15, 2022 Page 2 funds, with a reevaluation at the six-month mark, when they will return with more information and for final approval. No funds will transfer until that time. The City Attorney provided a draft MOU to be voted on next week. They are also going out for other funding -- $4M ask to the state through the 21st delegation. Annual reporting and annual audit will be provided. Questions: • How often are targeted neighborhoods reevaluated, • What about when a group/entity/family member buys a house for another individual, • Whether the trust wants to maintain control of major repairs (i.e. roof), • Amend/clarify language in MOU at end of 7th Whereas to specify any funds from appreciation return to the “Project”, • At what point would the City notify the trust that we want them to return any unaccounted- for ARPA funds, • Periodic check-in with the City Manager, • Governance of the trust – how it is established and governed (501c3), • Will the UMD commit equal funding, • We don’t want the trust to undercut or compete with a home buyer that would be coming in on their own, • Can we work with the County to waive the transfer/recordation tax, • How will this help District 2 and District 3, • Will the trust invest in blighted property, • What happens if the mortgage is under water. Councilmember Kennedy will have a one-page FAQ for next week’s packet to help Councilmembers explain this. Two requests: • Letter to the State supporting the $4M investment requested by the 21st Delegation – Special Session tonight. • Approval of the MOU next week – on the Consent Agenda. 2. Discuss a draft proposal by the 21st District for the State to provide a one-time contribution of $50 Million to the University of Maryland to subsidize the construction and/or acquisition of housing that would be affordable for graduate students (Graduate Student Housing Affordability White Paper) - Ed Maginnis. • Was there a discussion of cooperative housing? • What happens beyond the $50M? • How many affordable units do you need to bring on-line to make an impact on the problem? • What about housing for undergraduate students of modest means? College Park City Council Minutes March 15, 2022 Page 3 See Special Session minutes for: • 22-G-53 Approval of a Letter to the general assembly in support of an allocation of $4M to the Community Preservation Trust that the 21st delegation has requested. • 22-G-52 Approval of a Letter of support to the general assembly in support of the request for $50M for affordable graduate student housing. 3. Discussion of proposed Rules and Regulations for City Parks and Playgrounds. Bob Ryan, Director of Public Services, with research done by DPW. The proposal is to amend Chapter 148 to incorporate rules and regulations for City parks and playgrounds, and to remove outdated language in that chapter of the Code. If we get a complaint, a Code Enforcement Officer accompanied by a contract police officer would investigate and attempt to get compliance. The goal is to get compliance, not to cite. Discussion: • Lighting at the Basketball court on Calvert Road? • What are the rules about amenities? • Does the definition of smoking materials include vaping? • Concern expressed about criminalizing homelessness: the hope is that we don’t focus just on enforcement should that happen. Utilize 2-1-1 to make sure people have access to services. • Would this apply to all City parks? Not the Dog Park - it has unique rules that will be accommodated. Move forward to revise Chapter 148; return in about a month for introduction. 4. Review of amendments to Resolution 22-R-03: A resolution amending the guidelines for the College Park New Neighbors Homeownership Grant program (follow-up from February 8 meeting) Ms. Schum provided a review of where we left off in February. The goal of the existing program is homeownership, not affordability. The proposed amendment moves in the direction of a “live near your work” type of program, which is more transportation related. The purpose of staff bringing this forward was to try to spend more of the budgeted program funds. The main problem we have encountered is the lack of supply of eligible homes, which is why the staff proposes to remove that restriction. Funding for the program is allocated annually in the budget and is available on a first come-first serve basis. Council can reauthorize additional funds if they run out. Clarification that our lien is in second position behind the mortgage. If they go into default, we can attach against their property tax, which protects the City. Councilmember Adams suggested there could be a way to say that a certain amount of funding is available in different parts of the year. Councilmember Kabir prefers to keep the language simple and revisit it in 6 months. College Park City Council Minutes March 15, 2022 Page 4 Councilmember Esters prefers to maintain the eligibility criteria and is concerned we could end up with people who don’t necessarily need the money. Councilmember Whitney thinks its OK to encourage people to live near their work and to meet more than one goal. Councilmember Rigg thinks we would be making a mistake to make the program more complicated. He prefers the staff proposal. Councilmember Kennedy supports staff proposal. Councilmember Mackie wants some kind of eligibility on the $5K, but maybe not as defined as Councilmember Adams’ proposal. We want to help those that need help. Ms. Schum clarified the goal of the program was to increase owner occupancy. It was not a first- time homebuyer or live near your work program. The program was developed for the unique situation of a college town that was trending toward rentals. The CPCUP program is a live near your work program. The Community Housing Trust is an affordability program. The City’s program was funded at $50K in FY 22 and proposed for $75K in FY 23. Councilmember Adams suggested adding the designation of a local historic district for the $10K grant to target Old Town. Mayor Wojahn suggested a certain percentage of properties are currently registered as rentals which would add Crystal Springs. Yes, this was generally agreeable. Planning will monitor the rental occupancy rate per neighborhood on a quarterly basis. $10K category is OK: Staff recommendation plus the added element above if 50% of homes are rental. Straw poll on the $5K: Option 1: Making available to everyone (2) OR Option 2: Live/work option (5) Proceed with Option 2 - Live, work in College Park, using current language (not the discovery district), or go to school at the UMD. Bring that motion forward next week to the Consent agenda. [Motion to extend meeting Adams/Kennedy, 7-0, at 10:30 p.m.] 5. Review of Legislation: HB 1259/SB 871 Accessory Dwelling Unit Authorization and Promotion Act: Discussed but decided not to take a position. Maryland Matters article in support but MML was opposed. Get community and staff input before moving forward. Revisit. College Park City Council Minutes March 15, 2022 Page 5 6. Request for / status of Future Agendas: Mayor Wojahn is interested in having the City join the National Association of Municipal Transportation Officials. 7. Mayor and Councilmember comments Berwyn District Civic Association Zoom meeting on Thursday. ADJOURN: Motion to adjourn by Rigg, second by Whitney, 10:54 p.m., passed 7-0. __________________________________ Janeen S. Miller Date City Clerk Approved