Mayor and City Council

MINUTES OF CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING CITY OF NEW CARROLLTON JULY 16, 2025 Present were Councilmembers Duane H. Rosenberg, Cynthia Mills, Lincoln Lashley, Briana Urbina and Angelli Sybel Malavé; Mayor Phelecia Nembhard, City Administrative Officer Maisha Williams, Assistant City Administrative Officer William Barclay, Major Marc Butler, and City Clerk Kaitlyn Schisler. I. Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 7:02 p.m. by Council Chair Rosenberg in the Municipal Center, Room 230. II. Pledge of Allegiance Councilmember Lashley led the Council in the Pledge of Allegiance. III. Public Comments The following members of the public made comments: ●​ Marilyn Padmore voiced concerns about the "weak vs. strong mayor" language, and suggested extending the 30-day residency requirement for voting. She also discussed past Open Meeting Act violations, and department budget overspending. ●​ Darlene Ward raised concerns about the budget and requested agenda additions, specifically inquiring about Chief Rice and details surrounding his departure. ●​ Cynthia Mills expressed concern about Chief Rice’s recent absence and inquired about the ongoing "weak mayor" discussion. She also proposed developing a plan to address student truancy, particularly groups congregating outside of New Carrollton. ●​ Cynthia Poles-Suite inquired about revisiting plans for electronic signs in the city to better inform residents. ●​ Briana Urbina shared her experience at the "Local Progress" conference. IV. Department Report: Police Department Major Butler apologized for previous data errors caused by entry mistakes and assured the report had been corrected with proper analysis. He addressed questions on premise checks, towing policies, animal control, fireworks enforcement, accident tracking, and parking rules—confirming the city's ability to tow vehicles, continuation of trap-and-release efforts, and proactive enforcement of the 72-hour parking rule. He also noted ongoing discussions with state agencies about traffic light changes and emphasized the importance of maintaining emergency access through parking compliance. V. Emergency Ordinance 26-01: Budget Amendment (2nd Reading) The Council had a second reading of Emergency Ordinance 26-01, Budget Amendment Reconciliation No. Five: To Amend Ordinance 24-11 Current Expense Budget for FY 2025. VI. Emergency Ordinance 26-02: Budget Amendment (2nd Reading) The Council had a second reading of Emergency Ordinance 26-02, Budget Amendment Reconciliation No. One: To Amend Ordinance 25-16 Current Expense Budget for FY 2026. VII. Mahoney Woods Followup The council discussed the Mahoney Woods project, with concerns raised about costs, design alternatives, and the risk of losing grant funding. While some members expressed support, there was emphasis on the need for more community input due to largely negative resident feedback. A vote was postponed to allow for additional outreach, including town halls and focus groups in the impacted areas. VIII. Conference Lessons: Raising Revenue (Briana Urbina) Councilmember Urbina discussed lessons she learned at a recent conference using Melville, PA's budget as a model, noting it offers more services at lower cost, including in-house EMS. Councilmember Urbina recommended exploring geothermal HVAC and other clean energy projects with expiring federal tax credits, and advised seeking federal technical assistance instead of relying solely on consultants. IX. Items for Future Council Meetings Councilmembers proposed several items for upcoming agendas, including updates on the lobbyist, blighted property tax legislation, and the vacant property registry. Suggestions also included revisiting the home accessibility ordinance, exploring congestion pricing near a local school, and inviting a vendor to present on solar traffic devices with stop sign cameras. X. Motion to Adjourn into Legislative Meeting Councilmember Urbina moved to adjourn the meeting and go into legislative session. The motion was seconded by Councilmember Lashley. The motion passed unanimously (5-0-0). The meeting was adjourned at 8:45 p.m. MINUTES OF CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE MEETING CITY OF NEW CARROLLTON JULY 16, 2025 I. Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 8:45 p.m. by Council Chair Rosenberg in the Municipal Center, Room 230. II. Non Consent Agenda a.​ June Minutes: Councilmember Mills moved that the City Council of New Carrollton approve the June Meeting Minutes [Council Workshop & Special Legislative Meeting Minutes (June 4, 2025). Council Workshop & Special Legislative Meeting Minutes (June 16, 2025). Closed Council Meeting Minutes (June 16, 2025). Council Workshop & Legislative Meeting Minutes (June 18, 2025)]. Councilmember Urbina seconded the motion. The motion passed (4-0-0). b.​ Emergency Ordinance 26-01: Budget Amendment ​ Councilmember Urbina moved that the City Council of New Carrollton approve Emergency Ordinance 26-01, Budget Amendment Reconciliation No. Five: To Amend Ordinance 24-11 Current Expense Budget for FY 2025. Councilmember Lashley seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously (5-0-0). c.​ Emergency Ordinance 26-02: Budget Amendment Councilmember Lashley moved that the City Council of New Carrollton approve Emergency Ordinance 26-02, Budget Amendment Reconciliation No. One: To Amend Ordinance 25-16 Current Expense Budget for FY 2026. Councilmember Urbina seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously (5-0-0). III. Motion to Adjourn Councilmember Urbina motioned to adjourn the meeting. Councilmember Lashley seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously (5-0-0). The meeting adjourned at 8:48 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Kaitlyn Schisler City Clerk Note: These minutes are a summary of the actions taken by the City Council and do not include all details of the discussions. Please refer to the official meeting video for a complete record. Agendas and Approved Meeting Minutes can be found at: https://www.newcarrolltonmd.gov/AgendaCenter