Mayor & City Council

MINUTES College Park City Council Meeting Tuesday, March 5, 2024 7:30 p.m. – 11:19 p.m. Hybrid Meeting In Person: Council Chambers of City Hall Virtual: via Zoom PRESENT: Mayor Kabir; Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell; Councilmembers Hernandez, Hew, Esters, Whitney, Mackie, Adams and Rigg. ABSENT: None ALSO PRESENT: Kenneth Young, City Manager; Bill Gardiner, Assistant City Manager; Janeen S Miller, City Clerk; Stephanie Anderson, City Attorney; Robert Marsili, Director of Public Works; Gary Fields, Director of Finance; Jatinder Khokhar, Director of Public Services; Jim Miller, Parking Enforcement Manager; Michael Williams, Economic Development Director; Todd Brown, Contract and Procurement Specialist; Dhruvak Mirani, Student Liaison; Gannon Sprinkle, Deputy Student Liaison. Mayor Kabir opened the meeting at 7:30 p.m. ANNOUNCEMENTS: Councilmember Hernandez reflected on Women’s History Month and the special women in his life. On March 9, a new flag will be flown in observance of “National Hostage and Wrongful Detainees.” He also announced a community clean up. Councilmember Esters reminded people of the upcoming time change. Councilmember Whitney said tomorrow is Giving Day for the University of Maryland. Councilmember Mackie said Maryland Day and DEA Drug Take Back are on April 27. Councilmember Rigg announced the Calvert Hills spring clean up. Mr. Mirani announced the SGA annual safety report findings and specific recommendations. He announced the upcoming recruitment process for the next Student Liaison and Deputy Student Liaison, and discussed the selection committee. College Park City Council March 5, 2024 Page 2 Mr. Sprinkle said tomorrow is SGA’s Ice Cream Day in Annapolis, a lobbying event. The SGA will also host the Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem at their general meeting tomorrow. CITY MANAGER’S REPORT: Mr. Young said Prince George’s County will launch the Latino Business Accelerator Program; he discussed the Women’s History Month display at City Hall; said that the Maryland Department of Emergency Management has submitted our application for the Calvert Hills flood attenuation project to FEMA; Public Works will hold spring clean up on April 6, 20, 27 and May 18 (shredding); discussed the ribbon cutting for Iron Rooster earlier tonight. PROCLAMATIONS AND AWARDS: Mayor Kabir read the proclamations for Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and Women’s History Month. AMENDMENTS TO AND APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA: Councilmember Hernandez requested to remove items 24-G-38 and 24-G-42 from the Consent Agenda to Action for discussion. The agenda was approved (Mitchell/Whitney), 8-0, with those changes. CONSENT AGENDA: A motion was made by Councilmember Mackie and seconded by Councilmember Adams to adopt the Consent Agenda, which consisted of the following: 24-G-37 Approval to purchase one 2024 X-Treme 25 cubic yard Leaf Vacuum, DCL800TM25, belt driven, self-contained trailer unit, using a competitively bid Sourcewell contract # 031121 for the purchase from Maryland Industrial Trucks, Inc. in the amount of $143,984.05, subject to contract approval by the City Attorney. 24-G-39 Approval of a letter to the Appropriations Committee in support of HB1136- Youth Service Bureau Funding (Youth Services Bureau Restoration Act) 24-G-43 Approval of the execution of a 60-month lease agreement with Konica Minolta for the replacement of six printers at an anticipated cost of $20,400 per year, for a total of $100,200 for the term of the contract, using the competitively bid Sourcewell contract with Konica Business Solutions USA, Inc., solicitation number RFP #0303321 24-G-45 Approval of the minutes from the February 20, 2024 Mayor and Council meeting. The consent agenda passed 8-0. College Park City Council March 5, 2024 Page 3 PUBLIC HEARING AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON CHARTER AMENDMENT 24-CR-01: Charter Resolution of the Mayor and Council of the City of College Park, Amending Article III, "Mayor and Council,” § C3-6, "Vacancies", to add to the definition of vacancy. Ms. Anderson provided the overview. The revision is to expand the definition of vacancy in the office of Mayor to include absence or incapacity. Public Comment: Dave Dorsch, resident: thinks this is a good idea. Doesn’t think it was necessary to have a Special Election; the Mayor Pro Tem should just take over. There was discussion about staggered terms – does not advise that. A motion was made by Councilmember Rigg and seconded by Councilmember Hernandez to adopt Charter Resolution 24-CR-01 Amending Article III, "Mayor and Council,” § C3-6, "Vacancies", to add to the definition of a vacancy. The motion passed 8-0. ACTION ITEMS: 24-G-38 Letter of Support to federal representatives for HACCP application for federal earmark for Attick Towers Renovation A motion was made by Councilmember Hernandez and seconded by Councilmember Rigg to approve a letter to our federal representatives (Cardin, Van Hollen and Ivey) in support of a federal earmark in the amount of $350,000 for Attick Towers renovations. Councilmember Hernandez requested amendments to the letter, and specifically to add a request to meet with their staff or local legislative office to advocate in person for this matter. The motion passed 8-0. 24-G-42 Letter of support for the Beverage Container Recycling Refund and Litter Reduction bill (HB 735/SB 642) – Bill Gardiner, Assistant City Manager Councilmember Hernandez requested amendments to the letter, specifically to include how much the City spends in recycling to show how much the City would save. A motion was made by Councilmember Whitney and seconded by Councilmember Adams to send a letter in support of the bill, with the amendments requested. College Park City Council March 5, 2024 Page 4 Audience comment: David Dorsch, resident: What will this bill do; what kind of container will this address? The motion passed 8-0. 23-G-189 Follow up on the Petition request for permit parking on Gettysburg Lane Mr. Miller provided the background on this item. The cause of the problem is not in the City’s control; legal action is in the court system and we don’t know how long it will take to be resolved. The problems are late at night, overnight, and on Sundays when Parking staff is not on duty. County police do not enforce permit parking restrictions. He discussed how long it takes to implement permit parking. There was a question about the unruly social gathering ordinance. Staffing issues and the underlying legal issue were discussed. A motion was made by Councilmember Rigg, seconded by Councilmember Hew, to suspend further action on this matter until further notice. Roll Call 4-3-1* Yes – Hernandez, Hew, Adams, Rigg No - Mackie, Esters, Whitney Abstain – Mitchell *At the meeting, the vote was reported as favorable. However, the motion failed because of the voting requirements set forth in the City of College Park Charter, Article VI, Section C6-2, which states, “Unless otherwise required herein or by other law, all other actions of the Council require a majority vote based on the number of Council members present at the meeting.” There were eight members present at the meeting; therefore, the measure required 5 votes to pass. Accordingly, the measure will be considered again on March 12th. 24-R-01 Adoption of resolution 24-R-01 establishing a Vacant and Blighted Property Tax Committee Councilmember Adams wants an additional voting member of the committee to be a student recommended by the student liaisons. Discussion of the rationale and the precedent. A motion was made by Councilmember Adams and seconded by Councilmember Esters to adopt Resolution 24-R-01 establishing a Vacant and Blighted Property Tax Committee. College Park City Council March 5, 2024 Page 5 Comments from the audience: Maxine Gross, resident: students are residents too. Does not see the need to call upon student representatives to make individual appointments. A motion to amend the resolution was made by Councilmember Adams and seconded by Councilmember Mitchell, to increase the number of Mayoral appointments to 3, for a total of 7 on the committee. Councilmember Adams hopes the Mayor will consider a student as one of the additional appointments to add diversity to the Committee. There were no comments from the audience on the amendment. The amendment passed 8-0. Discussion on the main motion as amended: Mr. Sprinkle wants one of the 3 Mayoral appointments to be specifically allocated to a student. Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell said students have always been invited to submit applications but they have not always accepted. The motion adopting the amended Resolution passed 8-0. 24-G-41 Approval of appointments to the Vacant and Blighted Property Tax Committee A motion was made by Councilmember Adams and seconded by Councilmember Esters to appoint (District 1) Darrin Sharp, (District 2) Robert Catlin, (District 3) Scott Lynn, (District 4) Markian Melynk, and (Mayoral Appointment) Chris Gill to the Vacant and Blighted Property Tax Committee. 2 additional Mayoral appointments will be made at a future date. There were no comments from the audience. Mr. Mirani asked how the district councilmembers made their appointments. The motion passed 8-0. College Park City Council March 5, 2024 Page 6 WORKSESSION DISCUSSION ITEMS A. Discussion with Prince George’s County Department of Parks and Recreation and Planning Staff on the mandatory dedication of parkland subdivision ordinance requirement. Ms. Bader reviewed the staff report. From Parks and Recreation: Ivy Thompson, Development Review Planner; James Hunt, Development Review Division Chief; Sherry Conner. Discussion: The current policy incentivizes the creation of private recreational amenities that are not publicly accessible. When a fee in lieu is paid we see little investment from P&P in new land acquisition, park creation, recreation centers in College Park or the immediate vicinity. Ms. Thompson said the fee in lieu is put back into the service area – College Park is service area 1. We requested a map of service area 1. The private developer gets to include the amenity as their contribution to fulfill the P&P requirement, but it does not serve the public good. We want to see more of the tax revenue that we generate for P&P to be reflected in P&P investment in the City. Having public space in high-rise residential developments helps build community. The City will send a letter with our comments. B. Update from the Restorative Justice Commission – Kayla Carter, Racial Equity Officer Ms. Carter reviewed the report, specifically Part 1, the formal requests to the Mayor and Council and Part 2, their 2024 calendar and workplan. She reviewed the requests: • Support renaming the College Park Community Center, • Support renaming the Lake Artemesia Natural Area, • Endorse the provision of support from the City’s communications team, • Participate in and endorse restorative justice efforts and upcoming events, • Read, and encourage the community to read, the book Root Shock, and participate in the book club discussion, • Adopt the scholarship program. Ms. Carter said the Commission is about to finalize an RFP for a research consultant to establish an accurate historical record of the Lakeland community before and after Urban Renewal. She reviewed the Spring event series and scholarships. Ms. Gross said the Commission requests that the Mayor and Council attend all three of the town hall events and be prepared to deliver the resolution to Lakelanders. Past members of the Mayor and Council are invited as well. College Park City Council March 5, 2024 Page 7 Questions: Who will administer the scholarships? What about the ask for renaming Paint Branch Elementary School? Status of conversations with M-NCPPC regarding the renaming requests. C. Brief update on the Needs-Based Student Housing Subsidy Pilot Program – Mayor Pro Tem Denise Mitchell, Subcommittee Chair Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell reviewed the PowerPoint which provided a status report on the proposed rental assistance grant pilot program. The final report will be submitted March 19. Questions: why is the minimum lease period September–December; clarify 100 recipients would be Pell grant eligible, 100 would be residents who are income based eligible; is there a list of eligible properties; what if funds are provided but something unexpected happens (proof of usage); how will this apply to students of other universities; students who are Pell grant eligible may also be income based eligible. When to discuss changing the name of the Subcommittee. Request legal feedback on the draft report before it comes back. [10:30 p.m., motion to extend the meeting, Whitney/Mitchell, 8-0.] D. Discussion on future Community Garden locations at Davis Field – Erik Valentine, Community Development Planner: Mr. Valentine reviewed the PowerPoint. Current location at 9900 Rhode Island Avenue is deteriorating and is not on City property so Planning staff have been reviewing new locations. Recommendation is for Davis Field. Requested community feedback. Concerns: parking, preserving open play field for children, nearby stormwater pond, neighborhood security. Proposal presented tonight takes into account the comments made at the NCPCA and Bee City USA Committee meetings. Proposal is for 15 garden beds. Costs for fence, materials, and water connection. We are pursuing grant opportunities. After feedback from Council tonight, they will go back to NCPCA for their approval. Discussion: Community volunteers to help construct the raised plant beds? They could be given priority for a garden plot. Timing? Use of space outside the garden plot for a pollinator garden or permaculture plantings. Galvanized steel fence. We should do this garden the right way so it is built to last. College Park City Council March 5, 2024 Page 8 E. Legislative Review - Bill Gardiner, Assistant City Manager Discussion only; no letters. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS: None. [11:04 p.m., motion to suspend the rules, Esters/Adams, 8-0.] COMMENTS FROM AUDIENCE: Maxine Gross, resident: Has heard concerns about rental housing. Requests that Council do a deep dive into some of these matters, such as the 5 unrelated people ordinance. There are several asks in the Restorative Justice report. Act as quickly as possible in moving forward on those requests. COMMENTS FROM MAYOR AND COUNCIL, ETC: Councilmember Rigg shared his concern about eligibility for the pilot program: You have two ways of becoming eligible, and one of those ways is income eligibility, probably 2/3 of student residents in the City would qualify for. Harms his enthusiasm for the program. Councilmember Mackie attended the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) election meeting hosted by our Board of Election Supervisors. One country still counts all their votes by hand. Also went to CMAST; there is a lot going on on campus. Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell said the quality of life of our residents is very important to all residents in College Park. Mayor Kabir attended the Maryland Mayor’s Conference; he has been making the “If I Were Mayor, I Would…” visits to 4th graders; he went to the Boy Scout Blue and Gold dinner. Councilmember Whitney attended the P&P presentation on updates to Subtitle 25, Trees and Vegetation regarding woodland conservation and tree canopy requirements for developers. Councilmember Hew will attend the NLC Conference next week. Councilmember Hernandez commented on the IVLP program. He met with school board member Jonathan Briggs and attended the Metropolitan Washington Air Quality meeting. Mr. Mirani also attended CMAST. He submitted the Student Liaison’s recommendation to the Vacant and Blighted Property Tax committee. College Park City Council March 5, 2024 Page 9 Mr. Sprinkle commented on the tenant’s union meeting. Mr. Young addressed the audio challenges at tonight’s meeting. Mr. Gardiner said the County Board of Education will be rescheduled to March 19. We need to get questions in advance. Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell said the NLC will celebrate their 100th year anniversary next year. ADJOURN: Hew/Hernandez 11:19 p.m. 8-0