Mayor and City Council

CITY OF NEW CARROLLTON MINUTES COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING MONDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2024 7:02 p.m. – 9:39 p.m. PRESENT: Chair Briana Urbina (appearing virtually), Councilmembers Lincoln Lashley, Ryan Hussey, David Lai, and Duane Rosenberg, Director of Public Works, Andre Triplett, Chief, David Rice, City Attorney, Jason Deloach, City Clerk, Ashli Pressey, City Administrator Maisha Williams, and Mayor Katrina Dodro. Chair Briana Urbina opened the meeting at 7:02 p.m. Recap The meeting focused on the implementation of community responder programs to address mental health issues and non-violent emergencies, with examples from Olympia, Washington, and Amherst, Massachusetts. The Council also discussed the potential for a community responder program in New Carrollton, the use of a communication service called Answernet, and the purchase of new vehicles for the city. Lastly, the council discussed opposing the Maglev train project, the implementation of OpenGov software for accounting and budgeting, and the budget amendment needed for a safe streets and parking study. Action Items • Councilmembers to review the safe streets and parking study reports before the January 2nd meeting to decide which vendors to invite for presentations. • Mayor to bring information to the Council about the Maglev project's impact on New Carrollton and draft letters opposing it for the upcoming legislative session. • Chief Rice to follow up with Answernet about the possibility of transferring emergency calls directly to 911 instead of asking callers to hang up and redial. • Maisha to prepare a budget amendment for the OpenGov software implementation costs. • Councilmembers to prepare comments on the all-resident voting legislation for discussion at the Wednesday legislative meeting. • Ashli to add the safe streets and parking study presentation discussion to the January 2nd meeting agenda. • Chief Rice to provide a comparison of calls for service data from the past two years at the next meeting. Community Responder Programs Discussed The meeting segment discusses community responder programs - teams of professionals trained in behavioral health, de-escalation, and crisis response who can assist with non-violent emergencies. Two example programs are highlighted: the Crisis Response Unit (CRU) in Olympia, Washington housed within the police department, and the Community Responders for Equity, Safety and Service (CRESS) program in Amherst, Massachusetts, housed in a separate city department. The presenters emphasize that there is no one-size-fits-all approach, and communities should design programs based on their specific needs and available resources. The overall goal is to integrate community responders as a fifth branch of first response alongside police, fire, EMS, and 911 dispatchers. Community Responder Programs and Dispatch Kaniyaa discussed the concept of community responder programs, highlighting their role in addressing mental health issues and providing support to communities. She mentioned that these programs are funded through a combination of city budgets, state and federal grants, and tax levies. Kaniyaa also introduced resources such as the Justice Center's grant aggregation site and the expanding 1st response toolkit to assist communities in planning and implementing their programs. Council Chair Urbina expressed interest in implementing a community responder program in her city, New Carrollton, and discussed the potential for collaboration with neighboring cities. She also mentioned that their State Senator, Senator Washington, had expressed interest in funding such a program. Councilmember David Lai raised concerns about the logistics of implementing such a program without their own dispatch system, and Anne provided some insight into how a similar system could work in a centralized county dispatch system. The conversation ended with Council Chair Urbina asking Chief Rice to provide more information on the dispatch process in New Carrollton. Community Responder Program and Solar Panels In this meeting segment, the council discussed the possibility of implementing a community responder program to handle certain types of non-violent calls that do not require an armed police officer. Anne and Kaniyaa from a policy organization presented information on such programs. Key points discussed included: the types of calls community responders could handle, such as trespassing, public intoxication, and unwanted persons; measures to ensure responder safety like remaining on the police radio; the need for extensive training; and exploring a regional approach by partnering with neighboring municipalities. The council also reviewed a proposed residential solar panel installation project. Overall, the discussion focused on evaluating alternative response models to better support residents and officers in appropriate situations. Exploring Answernet for Non-Emergency Calls In the meeting, Council discussed the potential use of a communication service called Answernet to handle non-emergency calls more efficiently. The service, based in the US and Canada, offers trained staff to answer calls and send texts to commanders who can then dispatch officers. Council emphasized the need for training to ensure the service is used correctly and to avoid potential issues with emergency situations. The service is month-to-month, allowing for flexibility and potential cost savings. Council also mentioned the possibility of collaborating with College Park to reduce costs. The team agreed to consider the proposal and weigh the potential benefits and risks. New Vehicles and Department of Public Works Director Triplett’s Retirement The council discusses purchasing several new vehicles for the city, including an electric van for animal control, electric pickup trucks for certain city employees, and regular Ford Explorers for the police department. They weighed the pros and cons of electric vehicles, budget constraints, and potential upcoming tariff increases. The public works director, Andre Triplett, announces his upcoming retirement and is thanked for his years of service. The mayor highlights upcoming community events like a senior holiday party, yoga and photography classes, and a community planning process to address streets and parking with grant funding. Maglev Train Opposition and OpenGov Proposal The council discusses opposing the Maglev train project that would impact New Carrollton and other areas in Prince George's County. The Mayor suggests advocating against it through letter-writing campaigns and engaging various municipal associations. Councilmembers agree it would be detrimental to the city. They also review a proposal to implement OpenGov software for accounting, budgeting, procurement, and asset management across multiple city systems. While expensive upfront for data migration and training, it promises long-term efficiency gains by consolidating processes into one integrated platform. Council explores alternatives but staff capacity constraints make OpenGov's turnkey services appealing. Safe Streets Study and Budget Amendment The council discusses the budget amendment needed to fund a safe streets and parking study. Council Chair Urbina suggests reviewing the proposals received and inviting vendors for presentations in January. Councilmembers highlight the importance of thoroughly evaluating the recommendations and the city's ability to implement them. The public comments focus on the need for language access and reflections on the public hearing regarding All Resident voting rights, with councilmembers committing to further discuss the issue on Wednesday. Next Council meeting is December 18, 2024. Respectfully submitted by Ashli Pressey, City Clerk