Mayor & City Council

MINUTES College Park City Council Meeting Tuesday, May 21, 2024 7:30 p.m. – 10:53 p.m. HYBRID In Person in Council Chambers of City Hall Virtual over Zoom PRESENT: Mayor Kabir; Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell; Councilmembers Hew, Esters, Whitney, Mackie, and Rigg. Councilmembers Adams and Hernandez joined via Zoom. 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; Kiaisha Barber, Director of Youth, Family and Senior Services; Steve Halpern, City Engineer; Jacob Vassalotti, GIS Analyst; Ryna Quinones, Communications and Events Manager; Michael Williams, Economic Development Manager; Dhruvak Mirani, Student Liaison; Gannon Sprinkle, Deputy Student Liaison. Mayor Kabir opened the meeting at 7:30 p.m. ANNOUNCEMENTS: Councilmember Hernandez reminded people to apply to be on a City advisory board. Councilmember Esters announced the District 2 clean up on Saturday. Councilmember Whitney congratulated the UMD graduates. Councilmember Mackie reminded parents to sign their kids up for the summer reading camp, and for on-line tutoring. Councilmember Adams thanked staff for the new fence behind the Calvert Road field. College Park City Council May 21, 2024 Page 2 Councilmember Rigg reminded people about the Calvert Hills Civic Association Ice Cream Social on June 1. Mr. Mirani congratulated the graduates. CITY MANAGER’S REPORT: Mr. Young said the Hollywood Merchants Meeting is on May 29; the Building Safety Month Open House is on May 31; and the annual Memorial Day observance is on Monday, May 27. Councilmember Whitney asked for an update about the rabid raccoon situation in north College Park. Mr. Young commented on his meeting with County and State officials. PROCLAMATIONS AND AWARDS: A. Presentation of ceremonial grant checks to local public schools: Ms. Barber, Mayor Kabir and Carolyn Bernache, Chair of the Education Advisory Committee, presented ceremonial checks to University Park Elementary School, College Park Academy, Buck Lodge Middle School, and Cherokee Lane Elementary School. B. The Mayor and Council recognized the MML “If I Were Mayor, I Would….” outstanding essayist, Noah Hepler, 4th grader from Hollywood Elementary School. Mr. Hepler read his essay. C. Mayor Kabir read the Proclamation for Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week (June 1-9). D. Mayor Kabir recognized Student Liaison Dhruvak Mirani and Deputy Student Liaison Gannon Sprinkle on the end of their terms as the appointed SGA representatives to the City Council. Mr. Mirani and Mr. Sprinkle made remarks. AMENDMENTS TO AND APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA: Motion by Mitchell/Esters to approve the agenda as presented, passed 8-0. COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE ON CONSENT AND NON-AGENDA ITEMS: Jerico, young resident: Spoke regarding the Community Center that is being built in College Park Woods: Please add picnic tables, benches and a playground. Veronica, young resident: Add more space at the Community Center so there is enough room for everyone in the community. Add something for kids to have fun so they are not bored. College Park City Council May 21, 2024 Page 3 CONSENT AGENDA: A motion was made by Councilmember Esters and seconded by Councilmember Rigg to adopt the Consent Agenda, which consisted of the following: 24-R-02 Resolution to dissolve the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Tribute Committee and consolidate the functions under the City Events Advisory Board. 24-G-83 Approval to exercise Option Year One of the Current Miscellaneous Concrete Maintenance and Asphalt Resurfacing Contract CP-24-01 with NZI Construction Corporation in the amount of $800,000. 24-G-85 Approval of FY 2024 ARPA grants of $75,000 each to Berwyn Heights Volunteer Fire Department & Rescue Squad, Branchville Volunteer Fire Company, and College Park Volunteer Fire Department. 24-G-86 Approval of minutes from the May 14, 2024 meeting. The motion passed 8-0. PUBLIC HEARING AND POSSIBLE ACTION: 24-G-84 Petition request for Traffic Calming in the 4900 Block of Iroquois Street Mr. Vassalotti reviewed the staff report and the traffic study. Per the traffic study, the warrants for traffic volume and speed were not met. Questions were asked about the placement of the traffic counters and whether there was enough right-of-way for sidewalks. Public Comment: Ashwin Bhouraskar, resident: Spoke in support of traffic calming for safety reasons. There are no sidewalks. Thinks the traffic study would have had different results if the counter had been placed in the middle of the street. Jim French, resident: Spoke in opposition to putting a speed bump on the street. He does not feel that speeding is an issue. A speed bump would increase noise. A motion was made by Councilmember Hew and seconded by Councilmember Rigg to delay action on this item until the June 11 Council meeting. The record College Park City Council May 21, 2024 Page 4 will be kept open until June 11, and additional public comment may be taken at the June 11 meeting. Councilmember Hew said that there are several residents who were not able to testify tonight so he wants to delay action. The motion passed 8-0. ACTION ITEM: 24-O-02 Adoption of FY 2025 Budget – Gary Fields, Director of Finance Mr. Fields introduced this item. He discussed the amended ordinance that is before the Council for adoption tonight. The amendment sets the proposed property tax rate for residential at 33.5 cents and for commercial, industrial and apartments at 38.5 cents per $100 of assessed value. A motion was made by Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell and seconded by Councilmember Whitney to adopt Ordinance 24-O-02, as amended by the Mayor and Council of the City of College Park, Maryland, to adopt the Fiscal Year 2025 General Fund, ARPA Allocation Fund, Debt Service Fund, and Capital Projects Fund budgets for the City of College Park. The motion passed 8-0. DISCUSSION ITEMS: A. Discussion of Rhode Island Avenue between 193 and Edgewood Road: follow up to prior traffic study (bike lanes, speed limit, driver behavior). Mr. Halpern reviewed the staff report. Council was pleased with the improvements that were reported. Discussion: protected bike lanes, when the speeding occurs, lowering the speed limit to 25 mph, better compliance at crosswalks, right turn lane at 193, stop sign mid-way on Rhode Island, RRFB at crosswalk by Attick Towers, more police enforcement, difficulty making left turns onto Rhode Island from the side streets, bollards making right turns difficult, complexity of the Fox/Indian/ Rhode Island intersection, hedges limiting visibility, possibility of a stop light that operates only during rush hour. Concern: Council is trying to micromanage this roadway instead of leaving it to the professional staff. Remember that it is a major thoroughfare for police and fire equipment which we don’t want to impede. Recommendation: continue to monitor crash data. B. Review of College Park Parade: College Park City Council May 21, 2024 Page 5 Ms. Quinones reviewed the staff report and discussed the challenges they face in putting together the parade. This is our second most expensive event but involves more work than College Park Day. She reviewed the amount of outreach and the challenges involved in finding groups to participate. Discussion: does the Farmer’s Market have to be cancelled, can the parade be tied to a holiday, can there be something to do at Duvall at the conclusion of the parade. Overall question is what are we trying to achieve and what are other ways to achieve it. Are there alternatives, i.e., more events at Duvall Field, that would be better? Is the parade the best use of our money? They are planning to have a 2025 parade, but after that, it undetermined. [10:27 p.m., Mitchell/Whitney to extend the meeting, passed 8-0.] C. Strategic Plan quarterly review and FY 2025 Annual objectives Mr. Gardiner reviewed the documents that were provided tonight. At the beginning of the fiscal year, Council approves annual objectives. Departments use those to establish key results for the subsequent quarters. He reviewed items that staff is working on that will roll over to FY ’25 and ideas discussed during budget discussions. Council is encouraged to let us know if you have thoughts/ideas about objectives for FY ’25. The proposed annual objectives for FY ‘25 will come back for approval in June. COMMENTS: Councilmember Mackie commented on the COG Chesapeake Bay Water Quality meeting she attended. Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell commented on the same meeting, and asked about the Transportation Planning Board meeting. Mayor Kabir attended Bike To Work Day. Councilmember Esters attended the COG Human Services meeting where there was a discussion on youth homelessness. Councilmember Whitney discussed the Restorative Justice Event at Embry AME Church. ADJOURN: Motion by Hew/Hernandez, 10:53 p.m., passed 7-0 (Councilmember Adams left earlier.) Respectfully submitted by Janeen S. Miller, City Clerk