LAST WEEK’S WORKSESSION:

LAST WEEK’S WORKSESSION:

We had an interesting discussion with the police last week. In addition to the statistics we received (which I sent out last week), we discussed police efforts to tie into the Nixle program and into crimereports.com. The police continue to work to improve access to these programs, which give residents real-time information about crime in their community. The County police’s use of Nixle has steadily improved over the past couple years – we used to get alerts about things that were happening in Suitland and Landover, but very little about College Park, and that has really started to change. We continue to have some problems with getting prompt information from the police, but they continue to improve, and I believe that Major Liberati is doing a lot to help that happen.

I also asked the Metro police about safety improvements at the Greenbelt Metro, and about the police decision to clear-cut the brush around the creek near the Metro, which many of us feel went too far. Unfortunately, Captain Walters, who is in charge of the Green and Red line security, said that, although WMATA is currently reviewing where it has cameras, it may be a while before they get around to the Green line and to purchasing new cameras for this area. We will continue to follow up and ask them questions about this to ensure that they keep us in mind. Regarding the clear-cutting, Captain Walters told me that he had spoken with the Prince George’s County police and they had jointly decided that the number of hiding places in that area made it unsafe, so they decided to cut all the vegetation out. I pointed out to him that this led to the destruction of habitat, as well as stormwater management problems and the erosion of the banks of the creek. Captain Walters said he would be willing to work with the City’s Committee for a Better Environment and Metro’s landscapers to look into replanting the area in a way that keeps public safety in mind. I will make sure that the City continues to follow up with Metro and make sure that this happens.

Regarding USE OF THE OLD FRIENDS SCHOOL, we heard a presentation from the National Museum of Language, which would like to occupy that space, at least temporarily until PGCPS puts together a proposal for a choice school there. One problem is that a lot of remediation – including a new boiler – would be necessary to make the portion of the school that the NML wants to use habitable. This may cost up to $3.5-4 million, and the NML currently has a budget of about $44,000. We will continue to talk with them about options for locating there and what other options might be available.

TOMORROW NIGHT’S MEETING:

We start out tomorrow’s agenda with a few interesting items. First, the Mayor will read a Proclamation in support of the 20th Annual Conference of the Association for Black Culture Centers, which will be taking place November 4-7, 2010, at the University of Maryland. We’ll then hear comments from and meet the new Miss College Park, Devin Fendlay. Third, Peggy Higgins, our Director of Youth, Family and Senior Services, will recognize Felipe Urquilla for his service to the College Park Seniors Program.

We will then consider the following items:

1. On the consent agenda, we have a RESOLUTION TO EXTEND THE DOWNTOWN COLLEGE PARK COMMERCIAL DISTRICT MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY. This will allow the Downtown College Park Management Authority to continue collecting dues from downtown businesses for the purpose of promoting the downtown College Park area. DCPMA helps promote the businesses of downtown College Park, through advertisements and an annual downtown guide. The DCPMA also contributes to area non-profits, such as the Special Olympics and the College Park Volunteer Fire Department.

2. CONTRACT AWARD TO DUNCAN SOLUTIONS, INC., FOR HANDHELD PARKING TICKET WRITERS, SOFTWARE, TRAINING AND IMPLEMENTATION. The Council will consider a contract to purchase handheld parking ticket writers in the amount of $44,200. Although the City’s parking directors says that staff has been satisfied with the vendor we’ve used in the past, the ticket writers we use now are old and need to be replaced. The same vendor offers ticket writers that interact better with the pay stations in the City parking lots and parking garage, to save time and resources for the staff.

3. APPROVAL OF A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SERVICES FOR RESIDENT RIDERSHIP OF THE SHUTTLE-UM FROM SEPTEMBER 1, 2010 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 1, 2011. The City has negotiated a deal with the University to allow residents to continue receiving passes and riding the University’s Shuttle-UM for the next year, at a cost of $6,000 to the City. Not a lot of residents currently use this service – we’ve handed out about 340 passes so far – but it still could be a valuable service for residents who wish to use it. Unfortunately, the Shuttle-UM bus lines that serve north College Park do not come very frequently. Because of this, I have asked the staff to start looking into other options for public transportation services for future years – it might, for example, serve residents better if we can distribute passes for the Prince George’s County TheBus system or even WMATA buses. I’d like the staff to at least look into these possibilities for the future.

4. APPROVAL OF A LETTER TO THE MARYLAND NATIONAL CAPITAL PARK AND PLANNING COMMISSION WITH FY 2012 BUDGET REQUESTS. The City is asking for M-NCPPC to include a number of things in their FY 2012 budget. Although M-NCPPC is losing a lot of money this year due to the application of the homestead tax credit, we will never get these things if we don’t ask for them! Specifically, we’re asking for:
1. An amendment to the Transit District Development Plan to include development north of the College Park Metro in line with the recommendations that the City received from the Urban Land Institute last year.
2. A new display board at the entrance to the Cherry Hill Neighborhood Park.
3. A new stormwater inlet at the Hollywood Community Park – the existing stormwater inlet has not been effective at relieving flooding problems with water coming down from the Al-Huda property over past years, and this would help resolve the problem.
4. New Entrance Gateway to the Hollywood Communiity Park. A new gateway at the south entrance to the Hollywood Park by the Metro would help make the park more attractive for people coming off the Metro into our community.
5. Study of Potential Community Center in the Hollywood Commercial District. The Amended US 1 sector plan and sectional map amendment recommends a community center in the Hollywood Commercial District, to better serve the residential community in Hollywood and help revitalize the commercial district itself. Although Park and Planning probably does not, at this point, have the resources to build a community center there right away, we are asking that they begin with a study to determine what they might be able to do there.
6. A study of additional lighting along the Paint Branch trail – more lighting on this trail may be appropriate to encourage safe use of the trail by commuters.
7. Closed Circuit Television Cameras and License Plate Readers – the City is requesting cameras along the Paint Branch trail to tie into the City’s CCTV system and help bring cameras further north, and prevent crime along the trail.
8. Support for College Park Dog Park Association request – the College Park Dog Park Association has asked to expand the dog park area into a nearby underutilized space, where there is currently a horse-ring and soccer field. The horse ring is in disrepair and rarely used, and opening it up would allow a larger area to be used for the soccer field and allow for an expansion of the dog park.

5. INTRODUCTION OF AN AMENDMENT TO THE CITY CODE TO ALLOW INDIVIDUALS AGE 18-21 TO RUN FOR CITY COUNCIL. This ordinance, which I discussed last week, is up for introduction tomorrow. After giving this issue a lot of thought, I support this measure as a way to open up our City Council to qualified individuals 18 and up. I’m eager to here, though, what the public has to say about this amendment.

6. APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS AND COMMITTEES. Thank you to Robert Day (reappointment to the Advisory Planning Commission), Richard Biffl (reappointment to the Rent Stabilization Board), Irene Bellamy (appointment to the Animal Welfare Committee) and Doris Ellis (appointment to the Education Advisory Board) for their service to the City!

As always, let me know if you have any questions or comments on any of the issues up for discussion tomorrow night.

Patrick

Tomorrow Night’s Worksession

We have a full agenda again tomorrow night! Here’s what we’ll be discussing:

1. CONSENT AGENDA – RESOLUTION TO EXTEND DOWNTOWN COLLEGE PARK COMMERCIAL DISTRICT MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY. The DCPMA is the designated Commercial Management Authority for downtown College Park, and the City Council has to reauthorize it every three years. DCPMA helps promote the businesses of downtown College Park, through advertisements and an annual downtown guide. The DCPMA also contributes to area non-profits, such as the Special Olympics and the College Park Volunteer Fire Department.

2. POLICE PRESENTATION – Twice per year, the various police departments – the Prince George’s County police department, the Park and Planning Police, the Metro Police, and the University Police – come before the City Council to present the crime statistics for the year so far. I’m eager to hear what they have to say this time, and what they’re doing in response to recent crime around the City. I want to follow up on the discussion we began last time the police came before us, on issues such as how police respond to resident requests about crime statistics and investigations, what the police are doing to disseminate information to residents through programs like Nixle and crimereports.com, and how the police can help us develop the Neighborhood Watch program. I’m also eager to follow up with the Metro police about the clear-cutting they did by the Greenbelt Metro Station, and ask them to install a security camera near the Greenbelt Metro. Should be an interesting discussion.

3. USE OF CALVERT ROAD SCHOOL. The Old Friends School on Calvert Road has been mostly vacant, save some offices for City Code Enforcement staff, for a number of years now. The building was left to the City under the condition that it would always be used for public use, and can never be developed commercially. The City and the County have been discussing the possibility of making this a choice school, with a certain number of seats reserved for College Park residents. I believe that this may be one way to help resolve some of the overcrowding in our local elementary schools. I also believe that quality schools are a way to keep residents in our neighborhoods, and that it benefits the City as a whole to make quality schools available to residents.

4. SPECIAL SESSION TO CONSIDER A LETTER IN SUPPORT OF AN EXPANSION OF HOLLYWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN THE PGCPS CAPITAL BUDGET. Although not actually on the agenda for tomorrow, I have asked the City Clerk to consider a letter in support of an expansion of Hollywood Elementary School to send to the Board of Education. The Board is considering its capital budget for the next year, and I would like us to ask the Board to devote funding to expanding the school. Hollywood is currently one of the top five most overcrowded schools in Prince George’s County, yet it continues to be highly valued in our community. I would like to see us resolve the overcrowding in a way that does not force more residents to send their kids outside of the neighborhood. Although the schools don’t have a lot of money right now, the Board of Education members representing our area have suggested that we begin now advocating for an expansion at Hollywood, so that when PGCPS has more money, it will be at the top of their agenda.

5. ISSUES RELATED TO CITY ELECTIONS. Councilmember Afzali and Jack Robson, the Chair of our Board of Election Supervisors, have raised for discussion a number of issues relating to our City elections. Specifically:

a. Lowering the minimum age of City Council candidates from 21 to 18. Currently, a resident who wishes to run for City Council must be 21 years old. Councilmember Afzali has asked that the City consider lowering the minimum age for candidates to 18. I support this proposal, although I’m eager to hear what other folks have to say. I don’t see any reason why not to allow 18-year-olds, who we allow to vote and to fight and die for the country, to run for office. One fine example of a candidate currently running for office at the age of 18 in our County is David Murray, who is running for the Board of Education in Laurel. Mr. Murray won the second highest number of votes in the primary and is well qualified to serve in the role. If younger adults running for office aren’t qualified, the way to resolve the issue is not to vote for them, not to bar them from running.

b. Voting hours. In the last City election, the City conducted a survey of the voters as to whether the voters were satisfied with the current hours that the polls are open (11 am-8 pm), or would prefer to have them open earlier or close later. 14.5% of voters were dissatisfied with the morning hours, and 1% were dissatisfied with the evening hours. I think we should consider opening the polls earlier – perhaps at 7 am, like the State Board of Elections does for State and County elections – so that people have the option of voting before work. Although 14.5% dissatisfaction is not an overwhelming number, I believe that many folks might not have made it to the polls if they had to work late, and folks should have the option of voting in the morning if they so choose. I would like to know how much this will cost, but I think that earlier hours would be a benefit to voters.

c. Campaign finance report requirements – Mr. Robson has asked for clarification about reporting finances in the years between elections. Currently, the Code requires that all candidates file most campaign finance reports even if no contributions or expenditures have been made. Another provision, however, requires that candidates file a finance report in on July 1 each year if the candidate retains a cash balance. Mr. Robson has asked whether this should require that all candidates file a finance report in June, regardless of whether the candidate received any contributions or made expenditures or had any cash balance remaining. I’m inclined to think all candidates should, because this allows for more transparency for the process.

d. Disclosures required for campaign material, including mass e-mails and phone calls. The City Code is not clear whether campaign materials sent over mass e-mail or through mass phone messages (such as robocalls) need to include a disclaimer stating who paid for the message. This came up in the last election cycle when one candidate used robocalls without such a disclaimer. I think the code should be clarified to require this disclaimer in all campaign material.

e. Use of City resources during campaign times. Another issue that came up in the last election cycle is whether candidates can use City resources (such as meeting rooms or staff time) to hold meetings or communicate with residents in a way that may impact the election (such as holding a town hall meeting at Davis Hall). The City Code is not clear on this issue right now. Mr. Robson has asked that a “proximity rule” be developed – where candidates (even sitting Councilmembers) cannot use City resources or staff support during an election period. I think this makes sense, but I think we need to be careful – I would hate to say Councilmembers not able to ask for staff support to respond to resident concerns (such as code enforcement violations or questions about City projects) during the election time. I think it should be made clear that sitting Councilmembers running for reelection may continue to engage staff in responding to resident complaints and concerns, even during election time.

These are some complicated issues – please let me know if you have any questions or thoughts on any of these!

6. HANDHELD TICKET WRITERS. The City has been using the same handheld parking ticket writers for the past six years, and has been with the same vendor since the mid-1990′s. The staff reports being satisfied with the ticket writers, and wants to continue with the same vendor, but upgrade to ticket writers that interface better with the electronic pay stations we now have in most of our downtown parking lots. The staff has proposed riding a contract with the ticket writer issued in Alexandria through the Council of Governments to take advantage of cost savings, and purchase 6 ticket writers, with a USB charger, belt clips, software and training for $44,200.

7. DEFINITION OF PROHIBITED VEHICLES PARKED ON CITY STREETS. Right now, the City and County codes are inconsistent about what vehicles we allow. The City code covers parking on City streets, and prohibits vehicles greater than 21 feet long, wider than 6 feet, and heavier than 8,500 pounds. The City also prohibits, between 8 pm and 6 am, parking dump trucks, crane or tow trucks, vehicles with dual rear wheels, boats and trailers on the street. The County code, which covers parking of vehicles in driveways, covers all of these except boats and trailers, but also covers any vehicles with advertising, any vehicles that exceed 300 cubic feet of load space, and stake platform trucks. The County prohibits parking dump trucks and tow trucks in driveways 24/7, not just from 8 pm-6 am. The staff has proposed that we make those rules more consistent by prohibiting parking of rucks with advertising, any truck exceeding 300 cubic feet of load space, and stake platform trucks, all day in residential areas and from 8 pm-6 am in non-residential areas. I think that such a rule may help keep commercial vehicles out of our residential areas – I’m interested to hear what people think about this proposed rule.

8. DISCUSSION OF CODE ENFORCEMENT OPERATIONS. Councilmembers have asked the Code Enforcement staff to discuss how they carry out code enforcement in our neighborhoods. The staff provided some materials about the rules they enforce and how they do their patrols – according to staff, each code enforcement officer canvasses his or her assigned area daily. Much enforcement is done on a complaint basis – when someone calls in a complaint and reports a code enforcement violation, a CEO is always supposed to follow up and (if the report is not anonymous) follow up with the resident who reported the violation. I’m interested in exploring these issues more, because I’m not sure that all of this always happens – for example, how does the City ensure that each staff member conducts a daily canvass? Also, I want to know how promptly staff members respond to resident concerns and questions – for example, how the staff measures and tracks the length of time it takes to respond to resident concerns. I would like to ensure that staff responds to all resident phone calls within 24 hours or the next business day.

Please let me know if you have any questions about how the City engages in code enforcement or if you have any suggestions about how the City could make code enforcement more effective.

9. MOU WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SERVICES REGARDING USE OF THE SHUTTLE-UM BY CITY RESIDENTS. For the past two years, the City has been paying for up to 1,000 City residents to obtain a free pass to ride the Shuttle-UM, which is typically only available to students, faculty and staff. The first year of the program, the City paid $10,000 for up to 500 residents to use the shuttle, and this past year, the City paid $5,000 for up to 1,000 residents to use the shuttle. This year, the University has asked for $10,000 for this use of the shuttle, because of what it says are increased services along the Route 1 corridor and a shuttle to the New Carrollton Metro. The City only budgeted $5,000 for the service this year, based on last year’s cost, and we negotiated with the University to lower the cost, at least for this year, to $6,000. Although it is not clear how many residents use this service – a survey to pass holders indicated that some of the pass holders do not use it very often – I think it’s important to offer this opportunity to residents. Since the University lowered the price this year, I think we should continue it, but I would like us to look into paying for bus service that might be more beneficial to residents, such as a pass to use WMATA buses in the area or to use the Prince George’s County TheBus system

10. M-NCPPC FY 2012 BUDGET REQUESTS. The Maryland/National Capital Park and Planning Commission, which covers zoning, development, planning, parks and recreation issues for Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties, is currently considering items for its FY 2012 budget. I would like for the City to advocate for a community center, or at least for expanded activities, in north College Park and, specifically, the Hollywood Commercial District. Because the property taxes allocated to the M-NCPPC became subject to the homestead tax credit this last year (which limits increases in property tax based on increased property assessments), Park and Planning doesn’t have much money to start new projects like this. I believe, though, that if we start to and continue advocating for projects like this, we are more likely to get them in the long run. I think we should send a letter to Park and Planning asking them to look into the possibility of placing a small community or recreation center in north College Park, as is suggested in the US 1 Corridor Sector Plan.

11. BOARDS AND COMMITTEES. There are currently vacancies for District 1 residents on the following Boards and Committees: the Airport Authority, the Animal Control Board, the Animal Welfare Committee, the Cable Television Commission, the Committee for a Better Environment, the Education Advisory Committee, the Noise Control Board, the Recreation Board, the Rent Stabilization Board, and the Veterans Memorial Improvement Committee. Let me know if you’re interested in any of these or would like more information.

WEEKLY SUMMARY OF NON-ROUTINE ACTIVITY CITY OF COLLEGE PARK CONTRACT POLICE SERVICE

August 20 – August 26, 2010

8/20 Contract officers responded to a call for service at 9300 block Limestone Place for a report of a residential Breaking and Entering. Verified-The suspect is the son of the owner

8/20 Contract officer conducted a traffic assignment (Speed Enforcement) in the 9000 block of Baltimore Ave. 6 citations and 1 warning were issued

8/20 Contract officers broke up several fights in the Old Town neighborhood.

8/21 Contract officer responded to the College Park Woods Swim Club and assisted the off duty officer with a large party.

8/22 Contract officer conducted a traffic assignment (Speed Enforcement) in the 9000 block of Baltimore Ave. 3 citations were issued

8/23 Contract officer conducted a traffic assignment (Speed Enforcement) in the 9000 block of Baltimore Ave. 3 citations were issued

8/23 Contract officer responded to a call for service for a suspicious person at 6700 block Rhode Island Ave. The officer located the person on the bike path and conducted a field interview. SOW

8/23 Contract officer conducted a traffic assignment (Speed Enforcement) on Paint Branch Parkway. 5 citations were issued

8/24 Contract officer conducted a traffic assignment (Speed Enforcement) at Berwyn Road at 49th Ave. 5 citations were issued

8/24 Contract officer conducted a traffic assignment (Traffic Device Enforcement) at Baltimore Ave at Cherry Hill Road. 3 citations were issued

8/24 While on routine patrol in the 8000 block of Baltimore Ave the contract officer observed the suspect exit the Pandora’s Box with the victim chasing him. The suspect jumped into a waiting vehicle and sped away. The contract officer was able to stop the suspects in the 4500 block of Paint Branch Parkway. The suspects stole a Wii gaming system and the vehicle was reported stolen from the Lanham area. Also, several items were located from the vehicle that appears to be stolen from the CVS store. Both suspects were placed under arrest and the investigation is ongoing.

8/25 Contract officer responded to a call for service for a theft from auto report at 5000 block Berwyn Road. Verified

8/25 Contract officer responded to a call for service for a theft from auto report at 4700 block Caddo Street. Verified

8/25 Contract officer conducted a traffic assignment (Speed Enforcement) in the 9100 block of Baltimore Ave. 6 citations were issued

Total Statistical Data:
MD State Citations: 78
Warnings: 42
ERO: 11
Parking: 3
Field Observation Report: 9
Citations in Lieu of Arrest: 0
Criminal Arrests: 2
DWS Arrest: 0
DWI Arrest: 0
Warrant Arrest: 0
Premise Checks (Vacation Checks): 0

Full Time Contract Officers(Portion of Above)

MD State Citations: 20
Warnings: 2
ERO: 4
Parking: 3
Field Observation Report: 1
Citations in Lieu of Arrest: 0
Criminal Arrests: 0
DWS Arrest: 0
DWI Arrest: 0
Warrant Arrest: 0

Acronyms:
DWI – Driving while intoxicated
DWS – Driving on suspended license
ERO – Equipment repair order (headlight out, etc)
SOW – Sent on way
GOA – Gone on arrival
PWID- Possession with the intent to distribute (illicit drugs)

Note: This list does not include routine incidents handled by the officers.

Wednesday’s Council Meeting

The Council meeting this week is scheduled for Wednesday instead of Tuesday, due to the primary on Tuesday. Don’t forget to go vote, if you didn’t already vote for the primaries on Tuesday. I have strong feelings about who should win many of the races going on right now, and I’m happy to share them with anyone who wants to hear. :)

The following items are up for consideration on Wednesday night:

1. CONSENT AGENDA – Two items are on the proposed consent agenda for Wednesday night:
a) Approval of an Amendment to the City Manager’s Employment Agreement – this proposal is to give the City Manager about a 6% pay increase for the new fiscal year, based on his performance over the past year. I feel, and for the most part, my colleagues on the Council agree, that Joe Nagro has been an outstanding City Manager, and that he goes above and beyond to accomplish his goals and run an effective City. His management has done much to make the City run more efficiently over the past couple of years, which has helped us get through a recent decline in revenue with little impact on City services and no tax increases. We’re lucky to have Joe as our City Manager, and I think a modest pay increase is appropriate.
b) Approval of a resolution petitioning the State of Maryland to reinstate Highway User Revenues and State Aid for Police Protection. As I noted last week, the State of Maryland recently cut the Highway User Revenue portion that goes to Cities and Counties across the state. This has forced the City of College Park to postpone its road repaving and reconstruction efforts, except for some patch work. The State has also cut State Aid for Police Protection funds, which College Park does not receive, because we do not have a local police force. The Maryland Municipal Leagues has asked cities to pass resolutions in support of restoring these funds. The HUR cut cost the City about 5% of its revenue, so we are asking the State Assembly to restore these funds as soon as possible.

2. CONSIDERATION OF A REQUEST FOR TRAFFIC CALMING DEVICES IN THE 9200 BLOCK OF ST. ANDREWS PLACE (IN COLLEGE PARK WOODS). Former Councilmember, early last year, requested a traffic study at the 9200 block of St. Andrews Place in College Park Woods to determine whether to install speed humps on this block. The City staff uses two tests to determine whether speed bumps are merited – whether the average traffic volume ina 48-hour period is greater than 500 cars, and whether at least 15% of the traffic exceeds 5 mph over the speed limit. The traffic study in late October until early November 2009 found that, while the volume of the cars was enough to warrant speed humps (but normal for the type of road that this is), not enough cars were going more than 5 mph over the speed limit. Therefore, the study was inconclusive. At a public hearing in August, residents supported the traffic calming devices over all, but asked for more time to consider where the appropriate placement of these devices will be. On Wednesday, we will hear back about the proposed placement of these devices.

3. CONSIDERATION OF A PROPERTY USE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND HANAMI JAPANESE RESTAURANT AND FOR SUPPORT OF HANAMI’S APPLICATION FOR A BEER AND WINE LICENSE. Hanami Restaurant, located in the strip mall on US 1 just north of the College Park Volunteer Fire Department, is applying for a license to sell beer and wine. Hanami is a quiet sit-down restaurant without any bar space, and would like to sell beer and wine to attract more business. Hanami is requesting a 40%/60% alcohol:food sales ratio, and is asking for the ability to sell pitchers. It is also asking to waive the City’s usual requirement that restaurants with a liquor license use an electronic scanner to test for fake drivers licenses and ID cards. During the Council’s discussion with the restaurant owner last week, the restaurant owner agreed to limit sales of pitchers to parties over six, and said that he wanted to sell pitchers in order to be able to more easily serve beer to large groups. He also spoke about the burden on restaurant owners for the electronic scanner requirement – apparently, very few restaurant owners use these devices, because the wait staff would have to have handheld devices to scan the ID cards, which would be very expensive, and likely unnecessary, because underage people are less likely to try to get beer and wine at a small, sit-down restaurant. The City Council expressed support for this application, in order to support a small, quality business in the City, and absent any serious concerns from the community around the restaurant, I’m likely to agree.

4. PROGRAM YEAR 37 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT APPLICATION. The City is applying for a Community Development Block Grant again this year. No part of north College Park is eligible for this grant. The proposed projects are to:
1. Repave portions of 48th Avenue between 8411 48th Avenue and Osage St. (estimated cost $16,588)
2. Repave 48th Place from Branchville Road to dead end at Route 193 and construct curb and gutter (estimated cost $37, 817).
3. Repave Greenbelt Service Road on the south side of Greenbelt Road and construct curb, gutter and sidewalk (estimated cost $48,429).
4. Repave Melbourne Place from US 1 to the cul-de-sac (estimate cost $16, 756).
5. Repave the west side of Rhode Island Ave. and construct sidewalk from Greenbelt Road to Tecumseh Street and construct two storm inlets (estimated cost $155,800).

5. LETTER IN SUPPORT OF PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY BILL CB-40-2010, TO ALLOW THE COUNTY TO REVOKE PAWN DEALER LICENSES FOUND IN VIOLATION OF COUNTY LAW, INCREASE OVERSIGHT OF SALE OR TRANSFER OF A PAWN SHOP, AND INCORPORATE A REPEAT OFFENDER FINE FOR PAWN SHOPS WITH MULTIPLE VIOLATIONS. The County Council, under the leadership of Councilmembers Olson and Dernoga, has proposed a bill that would establish further restrictions and greater fines for violations of the County Code, which currently requires that pawn shop owners hold onto items for a certain time before selling them and cross-check them against a database of stolen items registered with the police. This Ordinance, if it passes, would include personal property items that must be checked to include “precious metals and gems,” would prohibit the exchange in pawn shops of new unopened merchandise in the original packaging, would allow the County to revoke a pawn dealer’s license if employees of a pawn shop are found in violation of the code, would increase oversight of the sale or transfer of any pawn shop, and would incorporate a repeat offender fine for pawn shops with multiple violations (increasing with each violation). The County currently limits the total number of pawn shops so that no new pawn shops may open. Pawn shops often still take stolen items and have been part of the reason for home invasions and burglaries in the County, and tightening the rules would help prevent these crimes. The City is considering a resolution in support of this bill.

6. BOARDS AND COMMITTEES. Thanks to Marcia Hughes for volunteering to be part of the Education Advisory Committee! Other appointments include reappointment for Robert Thurston to the Ethics Commission, reappointment for Robert Day to the Rent Stabilization Board, appointment of Melissa Day to the Education Advisory Committee, appointment of Phillip Atilla to the Rent Stablization Board, reappointment of Cindy Vernasco, Page Lacey and Linda Lachman to the Animal Welfare Committee, and reappointment of Chris Dullnig to the Airport Authority.

Let me know if you have questions or comments about any of the items up for consideration on Wednesday!

Patrick

Tomorrow Night’s Worksession

I hope everyone’s enjoying their last days of summer! Starting tomorrow, the City Council is back to our regular monthly schedule of worksessions every first and third Tuesday and Council meetings every second and fourth Tuesday.

The following items are up for discussion tomorrow:

1. CONSENT AGENDA – APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION PETITIONING TH ESTATE OF MARYLAND TO REINSTATE HIGHWAY USER REVENUES AND STATE AID FOR POLICE PROTECTION. For the past couple of years, the state of Maryland has been cutting the amount of the Highway User Revenue fund that goes to Counties and municipalities. This fund comes from the gas tax and other transportation-related taxes and fees (such as vehicle registration, tolls, etc.), and is meant to fund improvements and repairs of roads around the state. In the past, the municipalities have always gotten an amount approximately proportionate to the mileage of roads in that the municipalities are responsible for maintaining, and the cities have used these funds to maintain their roads. Now, in order to balance the state budget, the state has cut about 90% of the funds previously allocated to municipalities, and cut county highway user funds by a lower amount. Unfortunately, this has forced College Park to put on hold repaving of our City streets, except for occasional patch jobs. The state has also cut State Aid for Police Protection funds, but College Park does not rely on these funds, since we do not have a police department. The Maryland Municipal League has set as its top legislative priority this year reinstatement of both of these funds, and has asked municipalities to pass resolutions in support of reinstatement of these funds. The City Council will be considering a resolution asking our state representatives and the governor to work to restore these funds as soon as possible.

2. APPROVAL OF A SUNDAY REQUEST FOR DUVALL FIELD FACILITIES FOR SEPTEMBER 12 AND OCTOBER 3 FOR BOY SCOUT TROOP 740 FOR A CHICKEN BBQ. Every year, BSA Troop 740 holds its chicken barbecue at Duvall Field to raise funds for the troop. The City Council may have to take this up in a special session on Tuesday night, because the first scheduled date for this use is on September 12, before the Recreation Board meets and before the next Council meeting. The Council has typically approved this use in the past without controversy, but the City staff has advised that the Troop must submit its applications for use of the field in a more timely manner.

3. UMD FACILITIES MASTER PLAN UPDATE. The City will hear a presentation from Frank Brewer, Associate Vice President for Facilities at the University of Maryland, about the University of Maryland Master Plan.

4. CONSIDERATION OF A PROPERTY USE AGREEMENT AND LIQUOR LICENSE FOR HANAMI RESTAURANT. The City Council will be considering a resolution in support of a beer and wine license for Hanami Japanese Restaurantm located in the Campus Village shopping center at 8145 Baltimore Ave. Hanami has asked to be allowed an alcohol to food sales ratio of 40%/60%, has asked that the City allow it to sell pitchers of beer, and has asked that it not be required to use identification/license card scanners. I plan to ask why the restaurant wants to waive these typically standards requirements for liquor license approval. If the Council votes to support the liquor license, we will work out a property use agreement setting these requirements in place.

5. PRESENTATION ON TAX INCREMENT FINANCING (TIF) AGREEMENTS. Last year, using grant funding and support from the College Park City-University Partnership (CPCUP), the City hired a consultant to give advice regarding the use of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) agreements to spur redevelopment around the City. TIF Financing, under State and County law, allows the City to work with a developer to use the additional property tax revenues (and possibly other additional tax revenue, such as sales tax) received due to a new development to finance the debt for and otherwise fund infrastructure improvements related to a development. For example, the City could use additional property tax revenue from the East Campus project to fund road and other infrastructure improvements associated with the East Campus development. The developer would borrow money up front to pay for these improvements, and then the City (and possibly County) would allow the developer access to the property tax revenue to service the debt incurred in paying for those improvements. Thus far, the City has been focused on the proposed East Campus project and improvements in downtown College Park, and considered using TIF funding to pay for things such as undergrounding of utilities, intersection improvements, and other necessary improvements for these projects. The City can also look at the use of TIF agreements for redevelopment in mid-town and north College Park along US 1, and redevelopment in the Hollywood Commercial District. A TIF can either be focused on a specific development, or on a specific area of the City, in which case the City would look to different developers to work under the TIF requirements in that area. The City may now consider passing an ordinance to allow for TIF funding for certain projects. Under typical TIF arrangements, in order to qualify for TIF financing, a project needs to show that it has a public benefit and will help to improve a neglected or blighted area in the City. Also, the project must show that it is economically viable and will bring in the additional property tax revenue necessary to fund the improvements. Often, TIF agreements require a plan for public input on the project, agreement from current property owners, additional credit enhancement (such as collateral) from the developer, and a repayment term for the bonding for the improvements of 20 years or less. I’m eager to hear more about how we might be able to use TIF as a tool to revitalize some neglected parts of the City. Let me know if you have any questions about this.

6. COLLEGE PARK VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT REQUEST FOR THE CITY TO SUPPORT LEGISLATION AUTHORIZING BILLING FOR FIRE DEPARTMENT SERVICES. I do not know much about this at this point, but it seems that the CPVFD is asking the City to support a resolution allowing it to bill for some of its services – most likely EMT services. From what I understand about similar ordinances that have been proposed in the past, a County resolution could allow the CPVFD to bill insurance companies for EMT services provided. From what I understand, the fire department would not go after uninsured or low-income residents it provides these services to. I would like to make sure that this is the case – I do not want the fire department to go after low-income residents for payment for emergency services, especially in the current economic situation. But I do not see a problem with the fire department seeking reimbursement from insurance companies for services it provides to residents.

7. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT REQUESTS. Every year, the City submits requests for grant funding through the Community Development Block Grant program. Eligibility for this program is based on the average income of residents in a specific area, and no parts of north College Park are currently eligible. The staff is proposing requesting grant funding for the following projects:
1. Repaving portions of 48th Ave. between Ruatan Street and Osage Street.
2. Repaving Melbourne Place from US 1 to the cul-de-scac. This pavement was damaged during the construction of the University View II student housing project, and the City Engineer will be asking the developer to repair this area, but it is not clear whether the developer will do this.
3. Repaving 48th Palce from Greenbelt Road to Route 193 and constructing curb and gutter.
4. Repaving the Greenbelt Service Road on the south side of Greenbelt Road, with curb, gutter and sidewalk.
5. Repaving Rhode Island Ave. from Greenbelt Road to Tecumseh Street, with curb and gutter.

8. AN ORDINANCE TO UNDERTAKE ADDITIONAL ZONING AUTHORITY AS AUTHORIZED BY COUNTY BILL CB-16-2010, ALLOWING MUNICIPALITIES TO REVIEW: 1) ALTERNATIVE COMPLIANCE FROM LANDSCAPING REQUIREMENTS, 2) CERTIFICATION, REVOCATION AND REVISION OF NONCONFORMING USES, AND 3) MINOR CHANGES TO APPROVED SPECIAL EXCEPTIONS. Currently, most zoning and planning authority is in the hands of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission and the Prince George’s County Council. There are certain areas, such as granting variances to the zoning ordinance for residential improvements, that the City currently has. Recently, the County Council passed CB-16-2010, which allows municipalities in Prince George’s County to handle three subject areas currently handled by the County: 1) approval of alternative compliance from landscaping requirements for new developments; 2) certification, revocation and revision of nonconforming land uses, and 3) approval of minor changes to approved special exceptions to the land use ordinance. The City will be considering an ordinance to undertake this authority on the municipal level. In order to pass, the City Council must hold a public hearing on this ordinance, and the County Council must certify it by majority vote.

9. MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THE UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SERVICES REGARDING RESIDENT USE OF THE SHUTTLE-UM. Since September 2008, the City has been paying for a certain number City residents to obtain a free pass to ride the Shuttle-UM, which is typically only available to students, faculty and staff. The first year of the program, the City paid $10,000 for up to 500 residents to use the shuttle, and this past year, the City paid $5,000 for up to 1,000 residents to use the shuttle. This year, the University has asked for $10,000 for this use of the shuttle, because of what it says are increased services along the Route 1 corridor and a shuttle to the New Carrollton Metro. 340 shuttle passes have thus far been issued, and many residents who receive the service say they are happy with it. I would like to see us try to negotiate a lower price from the University, and consider limiting residents to 500 passes, since we have not issued even close to that many.

10. ANNUAL REVIEW OF THE HOMESTEAD TAX CREDIT RATE. Every year, the Council considers whether to amend the Homestead Tax Credit Level for the upcoming fiscal year. This rate establishes how much the taxable assessed value of each owner-occupied property in the City may go up every year. Generally, the City tries to keep this level with inflation, so that residents will not have to pay a large additional amount due to increased assessments of their owner-occupied homes. Currently, the homestead tax credit rate is at 4%, and Councilmember Catlin has proposed that we keep it at that level. This would mean an increased property tax bill for City residents in owner-occupied homes of about $20 to $25 on average next year. College Park has kept its homestead tax credit rate comparatively low over the past number of years (the maximum possible homestead tax credit rate is 10%, and this is where Prince George’s County has it set), so College Park residents who own their own homes are typically paying property tax to the City on an assessed value much less than the actual assessed value of their homes. Let me know if you have any questions about this.

11. APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS AND COMMITTEES. There are currently opportunities for District 1 residents to serve on the following boards and committees: Airport Authority, Animal Control Board, Animal Welfare Committee, Cable Television Commission, Citizen Corps Council, Committee for a Better Environment, Education Advisory Committee, Recreation Board (appointed by Mayor), Rent Stabilization Board, and the Veterans Memorial Improvement Committee.

Let me know if you have any questions or comments about any of the items on tomorrow’s agenda!

Patrick