Mayor & City Council

MINUTES College Park City Council Meeting Tuesday, June 11, 2024 7:30 p.m. – 11:14 p.m. HYBRID In Person in Council Chambers of City Hall Virtual over Zoom PRESENT: Mayor Kabir; Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell; Councilmembers Hernandez, Esters, Whitney, Mackie, and Rigg. Councilmember Adams and Councilmember Hew joined virtually. Councilmember Hew left the meeting at 8:40 p.m. ABSENT: None. ALSO PRESENT: Kenneth Young, City Manager; Bill Gardiner, Assistant City Manager; Janeen S. Miller, City Clerk; Stephanie Anderson, City Attorney; Jacob Vassalotti, GIS Analyst; Michael Williams, Director of Economic Development; Erik Valentine, Planner; Kiaisha Barber, Director of Youth, Family and Senior Services; Student Liaison Erica Otte. Mayor Kabir opened the meeting at 7:30 p.m. ANNOUNCEMENTS: Councilmember Hernandez congratulated students on their promotions; said City of Bowie is holding a Juneteenth festival; discussed the Hollywood Farmers Market. Councilmember Esters said Attick Towers is hosting a health fair. Councilmember Whitney discussed the Trolley Trail Day events. Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell discussed the International Town Gown Association conference last week; the Friday Night Live event; and thanked Code Enforcement for the work they are doing. Councilmember Mackie said planning is beginning for Good Neighbor Day. College Park City Council June 11, 2024 Page 2 Councilmember Rigg congratulated Councilmember Adams on the birth of his daughter last week. CITY MANAGER’S REPORT: Mr. Young reviewed last week’s ITGA conference and said let us know if you see graffiti. PROCLAMATIONS: Mayor Kabir read the proclamations for Juneteenth, Pollinator Week, Disability Pride Month, and honoring Nomie Hamid. The proclamation for Mr. Hamid will be presented on June 22 at his installation as Rotary Club District Governor for 2024-2025. AMENDMENTS TO AND APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA: A motion was made by Councilmember Mitchell and seconded by Councilmember Rigg to adopt the agenda. The motion passed 8-0. CONSENT AGENDA: A motion was made by Councilmember Hernandez and seconded by Councilmember Esters to adopt the Consent Agenda, which consisted of the following: 24-G-90 Annual appointments to City advisory boards for terms that begin on July 1, 2024. 24-G-91 Approval of an additional FY 24 public school education grant in the amount of $2,250 to Berwyn Heights Elementary School. 24-G-100 Approval of minutes from the June 3, 2024 Council meeting. The motion passed 8-0. PUBLIC HEARING AND POSSIBLE ACTION: 24-G-84 Follow up from the May 21 meeting: Petition request for Traffic Calming in the 4900 Block of Iroquois Street Mr. Vassalotti introduced the item. Councilmember Hernandez asked if traffic calming devices would interfere with snow plowing or leaf collection. Mr. Vassalotti said they don’t present any operational concerns. A motion was made by Councilmember Hernandez and seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell to approve the installation of a traffic calming device in the 4900 block of Iroquois Street and direct the City Engineer to locate it at his discretion. College Park City Council June 11, 2024 Page 3 Glory Pederson, resident: Believes it will limit on-street parking. The traffic study showed that the warrants were not met. Why would we do it. Julie Gillern, resident: Thinks it should be approved. Sees it as benign. Will increase perception of safety; there are no sidewalks on the street. Andrew Tartar, resident: Believes that because the traffic counters were located near the corner traffic was going slower than they do in the straightaway. The two-week sample is not reflective of the variable traffic patterns. Dave Milligan, resident: Does not think sidewalks will be installed in the near future so people are forced into the street. Is not a fan of speedbumps but in this case thinks it is needed for safety. Ashwin Bhouraskar, resident: Realizes not everyone is in favor of this but thinks it is necessary for safety reasons. Jim French, resident: He reviewed data from the traffic study, which does not support installation of a speed bump. There are negatives. There is a perception of traffic risk but a speed bump won’t address it. The traffic report says traffic calming will only be installed when supported by traffic data. (Unknown speaker): Even one car speeding presents a risk. Supports a speed bump. Councilmember Rigg explained why he is not a fan of speed bumps. Sidewalks should be the first option. What is the point of the traffic study if we continually override our own policy. Councilmember Adams thinks we need to revisit the policy. Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell asked staff what other measures we can take besides installing traffic calming devices. Councilmember Hew thinks traffic counters could have been placed in a better location. Councilmember Hernandez thinks a traffic calming measure is required there. The traffic data doesn’t capture the perception of safety. The motion passed 7-1 (Rigg opposed.) College Park City Council June 11, 2024 Page 4 [Rigg/Hernandez, to suspend the rules to move 24-G-101 to be next on the agenda, passed 8-0.] ACTION ITEMS: 24-G-101 Approval of a Business Retention and Attraction Assistance Grant to Pho Thom in the amount of $100,000 for restaurant relocation and equipment expenditures Mr. Williams reviewed the staff report. The required paperwork has been submitted. If approved, an MOU will be drafted by the City Attorney. Council discussion: how much money is left in the budget for this fiscal year (approximately $115K); how many businesses from this development might request assistance (3 viable candidates including this one); is any funding being offered by the County (not yet). Councilmember Hernandez is concerned there won’t be funding available should other businesses come forward and wants to consider caps or guardrails. Pho Thom is receiving $300K from the developer. How much is allocated in FY 25? Is it better to spread out a smaller amount to help more businesses, or provide a larger amount to a few? Can it be structured as a forgivable loan to make sure the business stays around? Discussion of how the grant opportunity is marketed. Motion by Councilmember Rigg and seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell to approve a Business Retention and Attraction Assistance Grant in the amount of $100,000 to Pho Thom for restaurant relocation and equipment expenditures. Councilmember Rigg said this is one of the big 3 in the development that is being displaced. Owner of Capitol Kettlecorn: They have been trying to get their business open for two years. There should be a cap so that everyone can take advantage of the fund. Alexa Bely, resident: Pho Thom is a special place, a locally owned small business, woman-owned, with a 13-year track record. Leo Shapiro, resident: Pho Thom is a bedrock institution in the community and exactly the type of business we want to support. It appeals to such a broad audience. Jim French, resident: Curious why the City gives grants to businesses instead of a discounted loan? Dave Dorsch, resident: The old Plato’s is the type of restaurant we need in the City. College Park City Council June 11, 2024 Page 5 Chad Hora, resident: Why isn’t the County helping out. The developer is providing relocation assistance. The business owners operate a profitable business and it doesn’t sound like they need the money. Councilmember Adams said this funding is based on the 3-cent tax increase on commercial property in the FY 24 budget for business retention. A motion to amend the original amount from $100,000 to $75,000 was made by Councilmember Hernandez. The motion failed for lack of a second. The motion passed 6-1 (Hernandez opposed; Hew had left the meeting) 24-G-92 Approval of Property Use Agreement in support of an application for a Class B, (BLX), Beer, Wine, and Liquor License for the use of Everland, Inc., t/a LaTao Hotpot College Park, 8700 Baltimore Avenue, Suites A & B, College Park, 20740 Ms. Anderson reviewed the staff report. She explained that there was a lapse in the renewal of the liquor license which requires a new Property Use Agreement. She worked with their attorney, Robert Kim. The applicant is on Zoom. A motion was made by Councilmember Whitney and seconded by Councilmember Esters to approve a recommendation to the Board of Liquor License Commissioners of Prince George’s County (the “Board”) for issuance of a Class B (BLX), Beer, Wine and Liquor License to Everland, Inc., t/a LATAO, Hotpot College Park, Tao Li, President, (“Licensee”) at the property located at 8700 Baltimore Avenue, Suites A & B, College Park, MD 20740, subject to Licensee agreement to a Property Use Agreement with the City “(PUA”), in substantially the form attached, authorizing the City Manager to sign the PUA, and send letter to the Board indicating the City’s support. There were no comments. The motion passed 7-0. 24-G-99 Award of contract for RFP CP-24-05 (Request for Proposals for Research Consultant for the Restorative Justice Commission) and authorize the City Attorney and City Manager to execute the contract. College Park City Council June 11, 2024 Page 6 Maxine Gross, Chair of the Restorative Justice Commission (RJC), asked the Council to approve the contract for this consultant to research the impact of Urban Renewal on the Lakeland community and diaspora, make recommendations to the RJC on ways to bring about restorative justice, and produce a document memorializing their findings. The group that submitted the proposal is part of Columbia University and has a connection with Howard University’s law school. The Lakeland Heritage Community Video was played. Council asked about the budget and why there was only one bidder. This project has a vast scope of work with a variety of aspects; this consultant has done similar work for other jurisdictions. A motion was made by Councilmember Esters and seconded by Councilmember Whitney to award contract number CP-24-05 in the amount of $148,260 to Columbia University for Research Consultant services for the Restorative Justice Commission and authorize the City Attorney and City Manager to execute the contract in substantially the form attached. Councilmember Esters said this is an important step in the restorative justice commitment that the City made to the Lakeland community. She also commended Ms. Gross for her presentation at the International Town Gown Conference last week. The motion passed 7-0. [Rigg/Hernandez to suspend the rules to take 24-G-95 next.] 24-G-95 Approval of recommendations on the Detailed Site Plan Application for LVCollective, Project Turtle (former Campus Village Shoppes), and approval of the associated Declaration of Covenants and Agreement Regarding Land Use Mr. Valentine made the presentation and recapped what was discussed at last week’s Council meeting. He reviewed the revised City staff recommendations and the Declaration of Covenant provisions. Staff recommends support of the requested Departures regarding parking space dimensions and the number of loading spaces. Staff recommends support of the alternative development district standards as indicated in the staff report. He reviewed the three conditions that were not carried over from last week to the Declaration of Covenants. College Park City Council June 11, 2024 Page 7 Tom Haller, attorney for the applicant. He worked with the City Attorney and they are in agreement with the Declaration of Covenants. Councilmember Whitney asked about a hub-and-spoke approach to creating affordability in student housing. The owner has not studied anything of that size before. They offer multiple configurations with multiple price points. She asked how many five- bedroom units there are? The owner replied there are 39 five-bedroom units. A motion was made by Councilmember Whitney and seconded by Councilmember Esters to support approval of Detailed Site Plan 23009, Project Turtle by LV Collective with a Declaration of Covenants and Agreement Regarding Land Use in substantially the form attached and subject to the approval of the City Attorney. The motion passed 6-0 (Rigg away from the dais; Hew absent.) 24-G-96 Discuss and approve FY ’25 Strategic Plan One-Year Objectives Mr. Gardiner said this is a follow-up to the May discussion asking Council to review and approve the FY 25 Annual Strategic Plan goals. After the goals are approved by the Mayor and Council, the departments will craft their objectives to meet those goals. Councilmember Whitney asked to include plans for use of the parcels on Roanoke Place and on Pierce Avenue. Councilmember Hernandez asked about the goal to evaluate City education programs. Mr. Gardiner said we have added many programs to the YFS budget such as on-line tutoring, the grant programs, and education support, and in the coming year we should look at what’s been effective. Councilmember Hernandez asked about events for the Muslim and Latino populations, programming at Duvall field, and feasibility of our own police force. Councilmember Adams wants us to be more coordinated in what projects we are highlighting in our Strategic Plan. He is concerned that some very specific projects have been elevated. Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell thinks a Strategic Plan should be a broad statement. Councilmember Rigg thinks this is not the most appropriate place to assert our individual preferences for projects; we articulate those priorities in our budget every year. Motion by Councilmember Whitney seconded by Councilmember Mackie to amend the language, to add “complete projects that enhance open space and recreation facilities in College Park City Council June 11, 2024 Page 8 the City, continue to expand food scrap collections and improve our tree canopy,” and strike, “and complete a new community garden in north College Park and a new community center in College Park Woods.” The amendment passed 7-0. Mayor Kabir asked to see the check boxes. Mr. Gardiner said those would be provided. The motion as amended passed 7-0. [10:30 p.m., Mitchell/Esters, motion to extend the meeting, passed 7-0.] DISCUSSION ITEM: A. Social Sports League Ms. Barber updated the Council on this initiative. We did a survey following our meeting in February and received 150 responses. There is interest, but the type of sport is varied, and the “how” and the “who” will take more time. RecWell is establishing a volleyball league. Figuring out the how/who will take more time. Possible partnership with the School of Public Health to help facilitate. She recommends pursuing with either RecWell and/or School of Public Health. Our efforts to reach M-NCPPC about this weren’t successful. Councilmember Adams said we need to consider price points, locations, and parking. Councilmember Mackie suggested a diversity of contact and non-contact sports, diversity of location, and to consider offering child care while adults are playing. Councilmember Whitney asked if we can use our funding to offset the cost for residents. Councilmember Hernandez asked why the City would pay for recreational programs when the County/M-NCPPC has programs available. Councilmember Rigg spoke about the difficulty of engaging with the County and is in favor of investing in these programs. The discussion of funding will come back when this item returns for action. [11:00 p.m., Rigg/Whitney, motion to suspend the rules, passed 7-0.] Council expressed concern about putting this on staff when we don’t have a Parks and Recreation department. College Park City Council June 11, 2024 Page 9 AUDIENCE COMMENTS: Michael McSweeney and Qi Yu, residents: They had a sewage back up at their home are discouraged by the lack of local or state resources available to them in their dispute with WSSC. The settlement offer from WSSC is inadequate. They recounted what they have been through: no oversight, no recourse, mistakes made by their claims department. Back and forth between Maryland Insurance Administration; no response from County Executive’s office; local attorneys won’t help. WSSC is allowed to operate fully unchecked. Can the City help? Staff will follow up. COUNCIL AND STAFF COMMENTS: The County is removing career fire fighters from Greenbelt and Berwyn Heights stations. NCPCA meeting on Thursday. ADJOURN: A motion was made by Councilmember Mitchell and seconded by Councilmember Mackie to adjourn the regular meeting, and with a vote of 7-0, the meeting was adjourned at 11:14 p.m. Respectfully submitted by Janeen S. Miller, City Clerk